I forgot to state this in the last chapter: the monster that attacked Nicole is from 'Living Dead in Dallas', book 2 in the 'Sookie Stackhouse' series or True Blood if you watch the TV show.

Nick woke up still lying face down on the kitchen table wearing one of the guys shirts. Feeling behind her to see how badly bandage she was, but found none. Her head was still cushioned by Castiel's trench coat. She briefly remembered her calling his name when she was attacked and how quickly he answered and got her home.

A loud snort caused her to look in the living room where she saw her uncle asleep in a chair by the door way and Sam and Dean on the floor. She sorely got off the table and moved toward the room

"You have been asleep for many hours. I convinced them to rest just a short while ago. Bobby rarely left your side." She saw the angel who was always on her mind looking out the window, standing near the couch.

"How come my back isn't bandaged? I mean I looked liked I went a round with a hell hound."

"I used a special technique to heal you and draw the poison from your body." He stepped out of the shadows and moved toward her. The moon light made his eyes look silver.

"What mojo did you use?"

"I…" He seemed to stumble on finding the right words.

"Nick, honey?" She looked around Cas's body to see Bobby waking up. Moving around the angel, she went to her uncle and dropped a kiss on his forehead.

"Go back to sleep uncle Bobby, I'm ok." She turned back to where Cas was standing only to find him gone.

She sadly went up the stairs and into the bathroom. She was amazed the bright light didn't blind her when she turned it on and locked the door. Grabbing a wash cloth, she filled the sink with hot water and grabbed her body wash from the shower and stripped off the shirt and her underwear. Standing naked in the bathroom, she wet the cloth and squeezed the floral scented gel onto the cloth and cleaned the dried blood off her skin. She was scrubbing her neck when spotted a mark on her left collar bone.

"What the…?" She leaned closer to the mirror and saw it looked like a 'C'.

Draining the water, she went to her room and changed into jeans and pullover hoodie. She didn't slip on her boots till after she was down stairs so she wouldn't wake the others.

Once she was out side she looked up to the starry sky. "Ok, which one of you son's of bitches did it? Huh!"

"Well, I must say I am surprised he actually did the act." Balthazar appeared sitting on the hood of Bobby's tow truck. "I must say, you adjusted quicker then most humans would."

"What are you talking about? Did Cas's 'technique' have anything to do with this?" Pulling the collar of her hoodie to show the mark.

"Balthazar. I wish to speak to her in private." Cas appeared near the two.

"Well, I'm gonna leave you two crazy kids alone. Oh and Castiel, go easy on the girl." He winked and clicked his tongue in his cheek, then vanished.

Castiel looked over to where Nicole was standing, arms across her chest.

"Cas, what the hell is going on?"

"Nicole, what I did to heal you and expel the venom from your body is considered a sin for many angels. It is only acceptable in …special circumstances." His blue eyes meeting her chocolate brown ones.

"What circumstances are we talking about here?"

"An angel… bonding with… with his mate." At first he thought she didn't hear him, but when he saw her eyes widen he knew she had.

"Mate? As in 'soul mate' as the 'the one'?" She questioned back up as he moved forward. She didn't know why she felt suddenly afraid of Castiel. He had saved her life tonight, and had been nothing but a gentleman toward her. She backed right into one of the junkers and silently cursed Bobby for own a salvage yard.

"I am sorry you have to learn this way, Nicole. But yes, you are my soul mate. God created you for me because he rewards angels who loyally serve him with a special human." He raised his hand to cup her cheek and stroked the spot under her eye.

"So, I'm some angel's grand prize?"

"No. You have a wonderful soul, and it would have called to me eventually, but I believe he led me to you now."

"Cas. This is crazy! I'm just some girl with no memory of the last six years of her life and was experimented on. I have some serious scars from that mental and physical, I'm sure and I just met you what? A few weeks ago? And we're in the middle of a possible war. I don't deserve a guy like you!"

"I will wait for as long as you need. But you must accept it. You have my blood in your veins now. I am forever apart of you."

"Man, you make it sound so…"

"Odd?"

"Promising. One of my fears is that I would never find a guy who would always be there for me. Guess I wasn't looking for a ordinary guy."

"I will always be faithful to you. When an angel promises that to his mate, he carries that with him forever." He noted how she trembled and leaned into his touch. "What is wrong?"

"I don't know. I can't control how my body's reacting to your touch."

"It is your soul. It enjoys this."

"Oh, that didn't sound dirty at all." The couple turned and found Dean standing the porch, his arms crossed against his chest. "Bobby noted you both were gone and wants a word with you Kojack." He pointed to Cas and went back inside.

The couple looked at one another, then taking her hand Cas lead her back inside to face the three hunters.

This is probably the girliest chapter I have ever written. I tell people that as a tomboy I only allow myself to act like a girl once or twice a week.

Next chapter we see how the family reacts and Raphael comes back for revenge and Nick in another fight for her life.