Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything.

Author's Note: Ok, here's the next portion of our programming. I just wanted to thank the readers here. With 45 reviews, I'm a happy duck. More than that though, many of you have been giving me advice or corrections, for which I'm very thankful. I do intend on going back and fixing the problems you've noticed once this story is complete. Anyway, here's to ya'll!

PS. This chapter bugs me to a certain extent. Not sure I got it right, but oh well.


I was standing back outside Safeway now. I'd thought about going back to the church, but Mulegns would be there, and I had no intention of running into him again, not this decade anyway. Normally I would have just gone back through the pearly gates, but seeing as I had a 'vessel' now, that wasn't much of an option. No one, barring Elijah and a couple others, was allowed to go up there while still in a mortal form. I couldn't exactly leave this man on the sidewalk in his current state, so I was stuck down here for now.

Of course, that left me wondering where I should go. I would need to stay away from Dean Winchester for at least a few hours, and I had nothing to do. It was frustrating to say the least. After all, I'd just spent the past day doing everything within my power to have my little talk with a living Dean. Now I had to walk away until he was ready to hear the rest? I found that I was pacing and brought an end to it as I slowed my breathing. I didn't have time. Things were moving faster than I cared to think about, and here I was, needing to find some means of wasting it? Ironic to say the least.

Well, this sleepy little town had just become a battleground, with the coming of the Winchesters. It seemed safe to say that if I walked around for a while, I'd be sure to find one of my own kind. It had been an awfully long time since I just sat down and talked with someone, so I decided on it. Looking around, I picked a direction and started walking.

I found myself on the steps of the church about thirty minutes later. I hadn't the least idea of where to go, and this was the only sure-fire way to find one of my people. Still, I couldn't bring myself to walk through those oak doors. So I turned my back to them and sat down on the steps. By all appearances, it was going to be a boring few hours.

Just then, I saw someone heading my way. He was a middle eastern looking man, probably in his early twenties. It seemed strange for him to be out and about at this hour. It wasn't even dawn yet. He turned and began heading toward the stairs, but as he started getting closer, I got a feeling.

Squinting, I looked up at him. Almost at the same moment he looked down at me. "Castiel?" he suddenly asked. "I've been looking all over for you."

"I'm sorry, have we met?" I asked dubiously, wondering what was going on here.

"No, and no need to go into introductions now. I'm undercover anyway. It should suffice to say that we're on the same side of things. Listen, I'm on a pretty important mission at the moment. I was talking to Mulegns and he said you might help."

"Mulegns isn't my best friend at the moment." I studied him from head to toe. "So he's got you doing it too."

"What? This?" He sighed. "Yeah, it isn't something that I'm proud of, but it's the way things have to be for now. You understand, right?"

I didn't say anything.

"Well, a lot of folks are having to do it. Anyway, I got a favor to ask of you."

"What would that be?"

"Remember Lillith?"

"Lillith... I take it we're referring to our dear friend, Lillith?"

"That's not exactly what I'd call her, but..."

"I remember."

"Well, she's out and about again. Actually, she's been out for a good long time. She's the one that sent your boy to the Pit."

"I already knew that."

"Yeah, well... she's gotten her hands in something even stickier this time."

I gave him a blank look, waiting for him to get to the point.

"She's trying to crack the Seals."

"What?"

"You heard me. She's already digging into the first one, and if we don't stop her, all Hell's going to break loose."

"No pun intended. I assume someone's working on stopping her?"

"Yeah. Me. Well... me and a few others. She's got quite the escort at the moment. I think something shook her up pretty badly. Not quite sure what though."

"It might have something do do with a host of angels breathing down her throat."

"Yeah, that might do it. Anyway, it's looking like there's going to be a pretty good fight coming up. Seeing as your stuck down here anyway, I was wondering if you'd mind helping out. Mulegns said you'd have some time on your hands."

"Mulegns is an idiot. I'm watching after the Winchesters, if you haven't noticed, and that's a pretty time-consuming task."

"Glad to hear you think so highly of him. Well, listen. Me and some of the boys are heading out pretty quick. There's not much time, and we're heading out as soon as we get the last few things ready. I understand that watching those boys is probably quite a task, but you are sitting here right now, as opposed to lurking over them. If you've got a moment, then I'd like to see you come. We could use someone like you."

"How long to you think this will take?"

"Not more than a couple hours at most. They've survived this long without you... a couple hours won't hurt anything."

I frowned and sat silently for a long moment, considering my options. Finally, I stood up. "Let's go."