"I've always known there was something wrong with me," Parker muttered, half to herself."But not this much…"

Lucas shook his head and said, "Not wrong. Special, unique, but not wrong."

"I'm not even completely human." Her eyes grew darker, her voice a monotone, and Lucas' heart sank.

"Yes you're human. Just…different…"

"I'm…part angel. No wonder I'm such a freak. That explains why I am the way I am."

"In ancient times, you would be considered a Nephilim. But God commanded that his sons no longer wed the daughters of Men so the original Nephilim died out." Lucas wanted to comfort her but felt if he reached for her, she would bolt. "I was in human form when you were created, so you are not a giant like the ancient children of angels because your body is completely human. But Parker, your soul is…special and it's connected to mine and to other angels. You don't have most of the traits of an angel or if you do, they lie dormant. You will live and die a mortal but demons fear you, they sense your presence and other angels will know you are not completely human. But you have always lived a human life and, therefore, you are more human than anything else."

Lucas tried to ignore the guilt nagging at him. "I'm only telling you this so you will understand why angels and demons sense you easier than the others. It's why you dreamed of Castiel. What you are Parker, is so unique that I do not know what angelic qualities you might develop."

Parker didn't speak, rocking back and forth slightly and Lucas could feel her shrinking away from him. "You loved my mother? What happened to her?"

"I loved your mother more than I should have, more than any angel should love a human. I was willing to sacrifice everything for her, for you. I broke the law. For angels were not to wed the mortal children of God. So I hid from my brothers and your mother never knew who, or what, I was. The two of you were…everything to me. I lost myself into our life together and grew less aware of the danger I put you in. When you were young, one of my brothers found us and he turned on me. He said that loving your mother was a sin and that I had fallen, just like Lucifer, and I had rebelled against God. He condemned your mother to death. I fought to save her, but then Haniel turned his wrath on you. And your mother, she ran to protect you and he killed her." Lucas felt the searing pain again. "And in my agony and rage, I destroyed him, condemning myself to walk the earth forever, never to return to heaven."

"Then why did you leave me?" Parker whispered softly. "If you loved my mother and you say you loved me, then why did you leave?"

"I was lost, Parker. The grief of losing your mother and killing my brother, realizing I had become exactly as my brother had said, a fallen angel…it almost destroyed me. And I knew if any other angels found you, they might try to destroy you as well, so I erased all memory of us from your mind and I left you with a childless couple. I knew would love and care for you."

"But they didn't. They died in a car accident and left me an orphan, a screwed up kid in the foster care system who got bounced around from place to place because no one wanted me. No one! And you took my mother from me; you stole all the happy memories I might have had of that time. Do you know what it's like to not remember feeling anything good in your life? To not be able to remember that one moment in time where someone, anyone, wanted you? You could have come back for me but you didn't. You left me alone." Parker's voice had risen until she was shouting at him and tears streamed down her face. "I felt dead inside for so long and I'm broken. I'll never be normal. And now I know that it's never going to change. I'll always be a freak because I am not even human!"

Parker jumped up and ran up the stairs into the darkness. Lucas followed her, even though he didn't know what he'd say to her when he finally caught up to her. He had destroyed her life and he couldn't undo that.

xoxox

Castiel felt Parker's anguish until it became a physical ache he was unable to resist. Ignoring the sense he was needed elsewhere, he went to her, finding her curled up in a corner of the top floor room in an abandoned building. He sensed they were not alone so he put his finger to his lips to signal her to remain silent but she shook her head.

"It's Lucas. He's…he's my father," she whispered, in a voice so detached that it concerned him more than anything else about the situation. "Your brother, I suppose."

Castiel turned to find the angel standing in the doorway from the stairs. "Castiel…" the man began before his eyes turned back to Parker. "They want her; the demons want Parker, not just the angel sword. If Meg can possess her, then the demons could tap into any latent power that she has." Lucas turned shamed eyes towards Castiel. "You know what they would do to possess her, what they would do if they could control her."

Silence filled the room for a moment before Cas finally spoke, "Leave us. Let me talk to her." With a warning in his eyes, he added, "But do not go far. We have much to speak about."

After Lucas had left the room, Cas turned to Parker and crouched down before her. "Are you hurt?"

She silently shook her head. Castiel felt he close herself off to him even before she warned him, "I don't want to talk about it. Especially with you. Just leave."

"Parker, it's not safe for you to be alone. You need me now."

"I don't need anyone. And I don't want you around now." She turned away and he realized she didn't trust him anymore.

Deciding she needed her space, Castiel went to talk to Lucas. He found the other angel staring into the distance, lost in his thoughts.

"I didn't want to hurt her. But her friend has made a deal for the sword, he sent her here to get it and if they make that trade, the demons will take Parker too," Lucas explained, his eyes not meeting Castiel's.

"What did they offer Nate that he was willing to sacrifice Parker?" Castiel asked warily. He did not know Nate but he thought he genuinely cared for his friends. "Does he know about Parker?"

"I don't know. I have been busy watching over Parker and bringing back her friend, the scowling one. I do not think Parker knows what she has or what it can do. Her motives were to help her friend, not to hurt anyone else."

"I have to go to the crossroads," Parker said, startling them both. "I can talk to Nate. If I can't, the others can. Just let me get them to the crossroads. He trusts us, more than he trusts outsiders."

"Parker…I do not think your friends are prepared for the demons…" Castiel began but Parker shook her head.

"No, but we have not one, but two angels, with us now. Two angels and three hunters," she insisted. "That has to be more prepared than they imagined. Now, tell me about this sword and then I'm calling my team. Because no matter what, I know I can trust them to protect me. I trust them. And I want something from you Lucas."

"Anything."

"I want my memories back. Good, bad, I don't care. I want to remember my childhood before my mother died. I want to remember my mother."

xoxox

Eliot felt Sophie stir beside him and glanced down at her. "Sophie?" he asked and gently smoothed back her hair. The grifter's eyes opened and slowly focused on him as tears fill them. "Hey, it's okay. You're safe now."

"I know what they want and why," she said softly, keeping her voice low so the hunters wouldn't hear her. "They promised Nate they would bring his son back in exchange for the sword."

"But Sam is dead…"

"Something about a crossroads demon…they can bring back the dead." Sophie sat up slowly. "You know he would do anything to bring Sam back, even sacrifice himself."

"Or one of us," Eliot added with a slight nod. "What does this sword do?"

"It's the only thing that can kill an angel. We have to find him Eliot. They want more than the sword and I'm not sure what it is," she said and attempted to sit up. Eliot helped her when she flinched in pain.

"I heard what you said," Maggie whispered, sitting beside Sophie. "Is it true? Can they bring my son back?"

"How do you feel?" Dean asked, startling the women. "Sorry about…well, you know."

"Trying to kill me?" Sophie smirked. "I guess, considering I started it, it's understandable. I feel a bit out of sorts but alive."

"Do you remember anything?" Dean asked and Sophie shook her head quickly with a warning look to Eliot. The hunter studied her for a moment before adding, "I thought maybe we'd moved past this mistrust stage and maybe you'd let us help you finally."

Sophie hesitated before glancing at Eliot. After a moment he nodded and with a deep breath, Sophie told Dean what she knew. "I know what the demons are planning. Nate is going to make a deal with a crossroads demon in exchange for the sword."

"And they'll give him what?"

"His son. They'll bring back his son. But they want more than the sword. Something about a Nephilim or something but I'm not sure if it's a weapon or another demon," Sophie shook her head. "They want it bad though, whatever it is. They say it could help them find purgatory and they will be rewarded by someone named Crowley."

Dean scowled and Sam said, "It figures Crowley is involved. But a Nephilim? Aren't they the giant children of angels that all died out?"

"Is it true? Can they bring Sam back?" Maggie asked Dean, hope filling her eyes.

"Yes, but there is always a great cost involved," Dean said solemnly. "And I'm not sure anyone is willing to pay that cost."

"But he's my son. He's just a child and he shouldn't have died so young. Why not give them this Nephilim, whatever it is, and then deal with the consequences later?" Maggie insisted. "What does it matter if they find purgatory?"

"Do you want all of the souls of purgatory released under a demon's control?" Sam asked, sitting beside Dean. "Not just a demon but the King of Hell. Demons don't do anything that isn't a bigger benefit to them than to whoever they offer the deal to. And your son…he might not come back as he was."

Dean swallowed hard and glanced at Sam for a moment before turning to Maggie. Gently he took her hands in his own. "I know you want your son back. I can understand the temptation and I am certainly not one to judge you, but what are you willing to risk to get him back? Nate? One of his friends? Demons having more power than they already do?"

"I want my son back," Maggie insisted, tears falling down her face. "I don't care about your war. I would sacrifice Nate or myself, anything or anyone, to get our son back. If that makes me a monster then so be it but he's my son and I would sacrifice anything to give him the life he should have had."

"You can't expect her or Nate to resist this." Sophie placed her arm around Maggie and the two women shared a look of understanding. "I don't want to think about what we might sacrifice but I think all of us understand their desire to get their child back."

"Even if it's just for a year or something? What if he comes back 'not right'? Have you thought about that? And if there is a heaven, assume it's much more peaceful than it is here, do you want to rip him from there? He could be peaceful and no longer have any pain from whatever killed him." Dean argued glancing at them all. "Could you willingly destroy his peace to bring him back here to satisfy your guilt or your own selfish needs to have him back? He's not in hell…you wouldn't be rescuing him, you'd be bringing him back here."

The room was silent for a long time before Hardison cleared his throat. "We need to go. Parker called and I know where she is going. I assume Nate is going there too because it's a crossroads. And there's something else…I don't know what but she needs us."

"We need Castiel," Sam insisted and Hardison shook his head.

"He's with Parker."

Eliot stood and pulled Hardison to the side keeping his voice low. "We need to get a handle on this before we go anywhere."

"Dude, Parker needs us. She's in some kind of trouble. I'm sorry about Nate and all but…he's doing his own thing, working his own deals that don't involve us so we have to look out for each other."

"I can't worry about Nate now. But I'm going to keep the rest of you safe. So we do this my way, okay?" Eliot stressed, trying to take charge of the situation. "I'll go get Parker, bring her someplace safe."

"No, we're all going. She asked me to bring everyone so that's what I'm going to do," Hardison crossed his arms over his chest defiantly. "I promised her."

"Let's saddle up then," Dean called out to them. "We'll leave the women with Bobby and the four of us will go."

"I'm going too. If anyone can talk Nate down it's me…or Maggie…" Sophie glanced at Maggie apologetically.

"We're sticking together," Hardison announced, grabbing one of the shotguns. "We're a team."