(A/N)- Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Thank you to Mrs Scarlett, KissWithAFistx, Bobadoo, Breean, angeleyenc, moonpiegirl, and ViciousHypnosis for reviewing, and thank you to DeanFan and moonpiegirl for adding this story to your favorites. And FantaPieLand for adding me to your favorite authors, as well as whit loves him for the story and author alerts, as well as the add to your favorites list. And I don't own Supernatural, because if I did, Rufus would still be alive and we'd have more chick flick moments.

The next three weeks were a downward spiral. Lydia's drug problem slowly began growing worse. She was a total and complete addict. She was spending close to $500 a week to get enough heroin. She was working less and less at the diner and more and more at the club. Cas visited her every few days, but thankfully, she was never high when he showed up. She usually planned it so she was somewhat-clean when he was around, and the minute he left, she would shoot up. Everyone at club couldn't have been bothered to care, but if Alyssa and Cas noticed, they didn't mention anything. Lydia was almost certain that Alyssa knew that she was doing something, but she never said anything to indicate that she did. Cas always acted pretty normal around her, so Lydia acted normal as she could around him. She could feel herself losing weight, and frankly, she looked awful, but Lydia never once considered giving up her drug of choice.

Things changed one afternoon. Lydia had just finished her shift at the diner and went home to eat. That's when the craving started. Lydia needed to shoot up, and she needed to shoot up now. She was almost sweating with the effort not to-Cas was going to show up any day now, and she didn't want him to see her life this-but her internal struggle only last seconds before she grabbed the needle. It felt so good, and Lydia's rush was just starting when Cas appeared.

"Hey, Cassie-boy!" Lydia giggled and waved when she saw him. Cas looked at her uneasily.

"Jeez, you got a stick up your ass or something?" Lydia laughed as she laid there on her couch. "You look pissed."

"Lydia, are you alright?" Cas seemed concerned.

"I…I am, like, having an orgasm right now, that's how awesome I am." Lydia gasped as she stared right past Cas. "You want some?"

Cas' eyes narrowed. "Have you been using?"

"Uh…yeah!" Lydia said like it was obvious. "Duh!" Then, she sighed in happiness. "You can honestly not imagine how awesome it feels!" Lydia looked back at him. "We both should get high." She paused. "Then have sex."

Cas' eyes were as bigger as saucers. "Lydia, I think you should try to sleep…"

Lydia laughed like it was the funniest thing she had ever heard. "Sleep! Are you joking!" Lydia stood up and tried to balance herself. She failed miserably and fell to the floor, still laughing hysterically.

"Lydia, I really think you should go to bed…" Cas walked towards her and touched her shoulders when Lydia collapsed into giggles again.

"Cas, stop poking me!"

Cas immediately let go and backed away from her. "I wasn't…."

"Yeah you are!" Lydia argued. She tried to look angry, but ended up dissolving in laughter. "I am so high right now, it's like…amazing."

Cas nodded, then quickly picked her up off the couch. He threw her over his back and started carrying her to her bedroom.

"Cas, it's like friggin' fireworks!" Lydia exclaimed as Cas literally dragged her to her bed. "They're everywhere! Boom…boom…boom!"

Cas finally put Lydia on her bed. Her breath seemed to be slowing, and he could see that the drug was wearing off. Taking the opportunity before she had a chance to say anything else, Cas put two fingers to her head and Lydia crashed into unconsciousness.

Cas sighed-she was finally sleep. He knew her problem had been getting worse, but he had no idea it was this bad. The human body, he knew, could only take so much, and her body was reaching the breaking point. She studied her face when she was sleeping. He had always imagined that she would look beautiful and peaceful when she was sleeping, but that wasn't the case. She looked troubled and miserable. Cas wanted to help, but couldn't see how he possibly could. She would just push him away and accuse him of trying to "save her." Then Cas saw the needles on the ground, and his mind was immediately made up. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, this girl needed help, and she needed it bad. No, Cas wasn't going to let her destroy herself. She needed him.

Cas thought about checking in on Sam and Dean for a moment, then decided against it. They could wait. Instead, Cas sat on the other end of Lydia's bed-making sure there was plenty of space between them-and waited. He ended up waiting for almost an hour before Lydia finally stirred.

"Wha…Cas?" Lydia propped herself up on her elbows. "What happened…?" Cas saw her a light bulb go off in her head, remembering what happened before. He saw her face go dangerously angry and braced himself for the tongue lashing that seemed to be coming at any second.

"What the hell?" Lydia hissed, voice dangerously controlled, but still filled with venom. "Cas, what the hell did you do?"

"You were losing your grip on reality," Cas said. She needed to hear the truth. "I put you to sleep so you could recover."

All hell broke loose. "Cas, that's the fucking point!" Lydia started yelling. "That's what it's supposed to do! It's supposed to make you feel better!" Lydia's face went white with realization. "Why would you put me unconscious? I missed my whole high! That was the last dose that I had!"

"And the last one you ever will have."

"Who the hell do you think you are!" Lydia screamed. "Don't you dare tell me…" She suddenly leapt off the bed. "I'm gonna throw up." She raced to the bathroom, and true to her word, began vomiting into the toilet. Cas tried to hold her hair behind her, but she shoved him away, shouting curses in between her dry heaves. Cas finally resigned to watching her, even though the sight almost destroyed him. How did he not notice what was happening before? How did he let it get this bad?

Finally, once the contents of stomach were finally emptied, Lydia managed to turn around the slightest bit and looked at Cas. Glaring at him, she said, "You've got some kind of nerve, you know that?" Cas was about to comment back when Lydia started to grill into him. "You ruin everything! We're okay for a little while, then you go and do something stupid and we end up like this again! Why can't you just take me or leave me!"

"Lydia, this needs to stop," Cas said sternly, like a teacher or a parent reprimanding a child. "You are going to kill yourself…"

"I don't want to hear it!" Lydia was on her feet on a second, but started swaying, and Cas barely caught her as she fell. She tried fighting him and making him let go of her, but Cas' arms stayed locked around her, refusing to leave until he was positive that she could stand on her own. Lydia stayed there unwillingly for a few seconds until Cas let her go. The second he did, she reached out and slapped him across the face.

"OW! You son of a bitch!" Lydia screamed from the pain that was shooting through her hand. "Are you freaking made out of rocks?" She stared at him, still breathing heavily. "Why are you still here?"

"You need to stop using the drugs."

Lydia yelled, "Get out of my apartment! I'm fine! Now go!" She pointed to the door, but Cas stayed rooted to the spot where he was standing.

"Lydia, you are not fine. You will die." Cas' eyes were locked on her. Lydia sighed, put down the lid on the toilet, and sat down.

"Cas, you said you weren't going to pull this crap…"

"Things have changed," Cas said quietly. "I can't bear to see you self-destruct."

Lydia looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"I can't…I can't…"

"Yes you can," Cas insisted. "Please try." Lydia shook her head, trying to block out his words. "Try for me."

"I can't!" Lydia sobbed.

"Can't or won't?" He asked. Her tears just fell harder.

Cas was growing desperate. There had to be something-some way to make her realize, make her listen…No. He wouldn't do it. Emotions couldn't be brought into this. He's only end up hurting her…

And suddenly, he didn't care. Cas, in one swift motion, took a step forward, grabbed Lydia's wrist, pulled her to her feet, and their lips collided passionately.

They kiss only lasted a few seconds before Lydia pulled away and put her head against his chest. Cas grabbed her shoulder tightly and tried to rub them soothingly, though he never had to comfort a person before in his life. Lydia didn't seem to notice-she kept her forehead pressed against his chest, her eyes shut tightly. Finally, after what seemed like ages, Lydia looked up at him. Cas finally noticed what color her eyes were-they were hazel. And they were beautiful.

"Why?" she asked simply.

Cas didn't answer her. He simply cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again. He felt her give in, but then pull away again.

"Why are you fighting for me?"

"Because you're worth fighting for." He replied. He kissed her again.

"Promise me you'll try." Cas pleaded.

Lydia shook her head. "Please, Lydia." She shook her head again, but Cas only kissed her again, harder and longer.

"Lydia, please." He looked into her eyes. Finally, with a shaky breath, Lydia answered him.

"Promise not to leave me?"

Cas nodded-he'd never dream of it, Heaven and Hell be damned. He saw the answer in her eyes. She'd try to get better. For him. And that's all he was asking for. He brought his hands down, but kissed her again, finally seeing the fireworks Lydia was talking about.