Light flashed as the symbols were completed on the floor of the motel room. The power humming in the air made Zoey dizzy, made her smile in anticipation. Not even the nervous energy of the two men and one angel standing around her could bring her down.

"All right," she said softly. "Let's do this."

She started chanting in Latin, letting her demonic power soak into the words. Only decades of practice kept the smile off of her face.

The room started to shake and shudder. Zoey cautiously put a gentle ward in front of the Winchesters where they stood across the room. It was possible the archangel would be a bit peeved they were summoning him, and she didn't want them to get hurt.

She didn't ward Castiel. She stood directly in front of him. Anything that wanted to hurt him would have to go through her.

And Zoey planned on being very hard to get through.

A huge burst of light and sound crashed through the room, and everyone but Zoey had to turn away. The light had never bothered her eyes.

When the light faded, she examined the man in front of her closely. Shaggy brown hair, laughing hazel eyes, a mouth that was curved into what was probably a permanent smirk.

The answering smirk on her own lips felt very natural.

"You rang?" he asked jauntily.

When he moved to take a step forward, Zoey sent her power out to contain him. She was damn near cocky in her certainty that she could do it.

So when she met resistance, she almost wasn't prepared for it. Frowning, she pushed harder, then even harder.

"Zoey?"

Castiel's deep voice centered her a bit, and she was better able to hold the archangel in place.

"Having some trouble, dearest?"

She blinked, then glared at Gabriel. "Hush, I'm concentrating."

His smirk grew. "Well, at least I'm fun to look at."

She rolled her eyes and shrugged. "I've seen better," she shot back casually, her mind on the tall blue-eyed angel behind her.

Gabriel winked. "Bet you haven't."

Zoey chose to ignore that. She was still struggling to hold him there.

"Zoey, what's going on?" Dean snapped.

"It's… A bit more difficult than I anticipated," she admitted.

"Well, you can still hold him though, right?" Sam asked nervously.

"Ha! Barely," Gabriel sneered.

"Great!" Dean snarled. "So our great secret weapon is gone. If you can hardly keep him here, then how the fuck-"

"Shut up, Dean," Zoey cut him off before he gave away everything. "I can do this, just shut up."

"Sweetheart," Gabriel chuckled, "If you wanted to tie me down, you just had to ask."

She cocked an eyebrow, unable to resist the bait. "Isn't the point of tying you down that I don't have to ask?"

"Safewords are key, sweetheart."

"Listen, flyboy, if you were with me, you wouldn't need to use the safeword."

Zoey was smiling, but she was starting to get worried. Her control was slipping, and the way his eyes were sparkling told her that Gabriel knew it, too.

"Is all this talking helping you?" Castiel snapped, irritation coloring his tone.

Zoey blinked. "No, it's just what's expected when one is facing an enemy. This is just what happens before I destroy him." Gabriel snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Well, it's… Annoying," Castiel said coldly. "And I do not believe it to be productive."

He's jealous, she realized. Warmth spread through her chest. He's jealous because he thinks I'm serious about flirting with Gabriel. Zoey was absolutely not serious about it. The only angel on her mind in any sort of flirtatious way was standing behind her.

While she was thinking about Castiel, Gabriel must have realized what was going on, too. His smile widened. "Well, well, well, look at you, little brother, getting-"

Oh, no, she thought desperately.

Castiel brought out something very protective in Zoey. He was old, much older than she, but there was a sense of innocence about him that made her want to shield him, to make sure nothing ever hurt him.

She knew the Winchesters already suspected that Castiel and Zoey's connection wasn't platonic. But they cared enough about the angel not to say anything, not to bring it up or mock it. Gabriel would feel no such compunction, she was sure. He would pick at it, because he was angry, and because he was scared. Zoey could see the fear in his angelic aura, he was furious with them for bringing him there.

So now, now that he realized that Castiel had feelings for Zoey, he would use it against him.

And that upset Zoey.

No, she thought coldly, her power pulsing fiercely. No talking for you, you bloody archangel.

Gabriel opened his mouth, and for a moment, Zoey was too busy trying to figure out a way to block the sound in the room to realize that he wasn't actually speaking.

When she did, the frustrated look on his face told her that he couldn't speak.

"I did it," she breathed out, her eyes widening. "I did it. I can contain him."

Gabriel's face darkened, and he took a step toward her. She frowned and shifted to completely block Castiel again. Stay where you are, she thought firmly.

The archangel froze, fury burning in his eyes.

I have to be protecting someone, she thought with wonder. It only works if I'm protecting someone.

She frowned. It's demonic power, that makes no sense. Why would it care if I'm protecting someone?

Father Thomas's words floated through her mind. The words he'd spoken to her on the last day of his life.

… What we are given does not tell us who we are…

… You will make the choice to be good or evil. And I believe that you will make the right choice.

Her powers didn't care what she was doing, she did. Zoey cared. She cared about Castiel, and to protect him, she overpowered Gabriel.

Well, I didn't see that coming.

She smiled at the archangel. "You may speak and move now," she said softly. "I have what I need."

"This is about Lucifer, I assume," he said dryly.

Silence reigned.

Gabriel snorted. "It's never gonna work. He's too powerful."

Zoey opened her mouth to respond, but Castiel was there first. "Not as powerful as Zoey."

Gabriel's eyes flicked to his brother standing behind her, then met Zoey's again. "You can barely hold me here, much less kill me. How you gonna kill him?"

She shrugged. "I don't intend to kill him."

Gabriel blinked. "What? Then what do you intend to do with him?"

"Throw him back in the cage."

The archangel was outright staring at her now. "What makes you think the cage is still there?"

Dean snorted, reminding Zoey that she was not, in fact, alone with the two angels. "What did it do, just disappear when he was set free? It's there, all right."

"How do you plan on opening it?" Gabriel asked softly.

"I plan to rip a piece of it off, shove him inside, and put the piece back on."

Gabriel seemed to think about that for a while, then, "What if I told you there was an easier way?"

xxxxx

"Rings of the horsemen," Dean said wonderingly.

"I mean, do you think it can work?" Sam asked Zoey.

Castiel watched her think about it, then nod. "Yes," she said firmly. "Yes, I think it will work just fine."

The Winchesters started talking again, and Zoey wandered out of Bobby's kitchen. Castiel followed her helplessly, unable to resist her pull.

He knew what had happened in the motel room. When Gabriel had been coming for Castiel, even if it was just verbally, her powers had been able to contain the archangel in an effort to protect Castiel. It made his heart beat faster, and it was unlike anything he'd experienced since falling from grace, or possibly ever.

She was perusing one of the bookshelves when he came in. Without hesitation, and without putting much thought into it, Castiel grabbed her elbow and gently turned her around.

She went willingly, and smiled up at him. "What can I do for you, Castiel?"

Instead of responding, he gently took her face into his hands, noting with interest the way his palms nearly engulfed her pretty cheeks. She's so small.

He took in every detail. Her vibrant orange hair, changed colors just a few hours ago. The green glamour she kept up on her wide eyes, the real color of her eyes beneath it. Her pretty mouth, dropped open just a little as she examined him with the same intensity that he did her.

Again, without putting much thought into it, he bent and took her mouth with his.

It was unlike the rest of the kisses they had shared. It wasn't intense, or lust-fueled, or burning like a firecracker. The way her lips moved on his now was… Gentle. He took her mouth softly, passionately. It was sweet. It wasn't about how much he wanted her, it was about how much she meant to him.

They kissed in the living room for a long time, until they came up for air and he realized they had moved to the couch, sitting next to one another, gently exploring one another. Her soft, small, hot hand rested on his chest. His rested on her knee.

This hadn't been about sex. This had been about the budding feelings between them.

He pressed his forehead to hers. I think I may be in trouble here.

xxxxx

Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:
I own only Zoey Crane, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken)
Reviews, comments, and kudos give me life and keep me going.
And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.
**Just a couple more chapters of Zoey's story. I'm gonna miss her like crazy, even if she is my trouble child.