AN: Hola everybody! Hope you're all still interested, I had quite a bit of fun writing that chapter - and I hope you all enjoy it too! Thanks for all the lovely reviews, and please do continue leaving them!

xxx

~Fen~

Chapter Ten:

'Crow…Crowley?' Athaya croaked and used up the last of her oxygen. It felt like she was drowning and choking on a vacuum at the same time, wet and dry, but neither. Her vision was going black, but she'd still seen enough in the reflection of the mirror to know it was him. The dark haired, black suited, demon king of the crossroads: Crowley.

'Hush,' he said quietly and Athaya became vaguely aware that she could hear him speaking fluently in another language as his hand lay flat on her back.

Almost instantly, Athaya felt her airways clear and she gasped, sucking in a lungful of oxygen. Crowley released her and she fell to the floor, rolling onto her side and drawing her hands to her chest as she shuddered.

'You're lucky I've been keeping an eye on you, Princess,' Crowley said quietly and assessed her shaking form grimly on the ground.

'What…just happened?' Athaya choked out, reaching up to grab the sink. Crowley helped her into sitting position before going silent for a moment.

Crowley's expression was dark when he eventually spoke. 'Forget about that. Right now, we need to get you fixed.'

'What do you mean? I though you just did– '

'I provided a temporary solution to a very permanent problem.' Crowley said bitterly and Athaya frowned.

'I don't –?' Athaya tried, but was attacked by a bought of dizziness. 'I don't understand,' she whispered, terrified.

Crowley's face softened. 'Athaya…I'm sorry…but I rather suspect you had a premonition. What did you see?'

'I…what? A premonition?' Athaya's face morphed in horror. 'No! That can't be. It can't.'

'What did you see?' he urged again.

'It can't be true…' Athaya felt a tear slip down her cheek. 'I saw my friend die. No. I won't let it happen!' Athaya found her spirit returning and her voice grew in volume as she remembered the blood spurting from her friend's back as she was stabbed by Blakely.

'Keep it down. We don't want the whole house to know you're talking to a demon,' Crowley advised.

'Oh, god,' Athaya sighed. 'This is it. Isn't it?' She stared up at Crowley sadly.

'This is what, Princess?' he asked, trying to play innocent. Almost as if he didn't want her to worry. Well too bad. She was worried.

'Don't, Crowley. Just don't. You know what I mean. This is my powers specialising. Perfecting. Developing. Whatever you want to call it. Azazel knows, doesn't he?'

Crowley thought about his next words very carefully. 'I'm not sure…if he knows. He might have felt something. Or he might be relying on a spy. Whatever the case, it only just happened. You're safe.'

'For now,' Athaya said bitterly and rested her clammy forehead against the cold of the ceramic sink. 'I'm safe for now.'

'You'll stay safe for as long as I can keep you safe, Princess. I made a promise, and I have a habit of keeping promises, in case you hadn't noticed.'

'I had, actually,' Athaya smiled weakly up at him and brought a shaking hand to her face to swipe away some of the blood.

'Here. This might be more effective.' Crowley handed her a black silk handkerchief and she resisted the urge to smile. Of course it was black silk. She accepted the cloth and pulled herself up into standing position. She grimaced as she saw the blood dripping down her neck from her nose and ears.

'Ow. That wasn't a very pleasant experience,' she grumbled as she wet the handkerchief and started dabbing at the trails of red along her face. Crowley watched her quietly, looking thoughtful as Athaya wiped away the blood. 'What're you thinking?' Athaya ventured after a minute of complete silence.

'Oh…evil things,' Crowley said with a wicked grin.

'I'm sure,' Athaya smiled and finished cleaning her face. She put it down on the sink and turned to Crowley. 'So…is this going to happen whenever I fall asleep?' Athaya asked, referring to her dream.

'That depends. You weren't asleep for all of it, were you? You woke up and the dream continued.' Crowley said, leaning against the door and folding his arms.

'Well…yeah. It did,' Athaya said, recalling how she'd woken up, but the dream had gone on. 'Great. Does that mean it could happen at any moment? It might just…happen again?'

'Entirely probable, Princess. But we'll figure out more of those details later. For now, you just need to recover.'

'Oh. Alright.' Athaya bent over the sink momentarily as her headache reappeared, hammering against the inside of her skull. 'Eugh,' she groaned.

'What's wrong?' Crowley inquired.

'What's wrong is that I've got the hangover, but all the memories from the night before are still here,' Athaya growled, willing the headache to go away. She didn't get very far.

'Ah,' Crowley nodded. 'Nasty headache?'

'You could say that. I was bleeding from my nose and ears.'

'That you were,' he smirked. 'How are you feeling now, by the way?'

'Pretty crappy,' Athaya sighed and closed her eyes momentarily. She tried to forget that she'd just seen her friend die. That she'd had a…a premonition. She tried to focus one good thing. One good thing out of all of this.

Athaya suddenly turned and buried her head in Crowley's shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck. Crowley stumbled away from the wall in surprise and Athaya murmured. 'I'm glad you're alive,' into his shoulder.

Crowley laughed and hesitantly slid his arms around her back, 'Me too, Princess.' It was more of a question than an agreement. However he hugged her back, although to Athaya it felt strained, as if he didn't know how. 'Hold on,' he said and pulled back. He slid his hands down her arms and looked right into her eyes. 'You thought I was dead?' he asked incredulously.

'Well you…I didn't hear from you for eight years. I thought maybe you'd gotten powerful and then died. I didn't exactly have a strict time-line to base my observations on, you know,' Athaya said, frowning. Crowley's expression matched her own.

'I was always looking out for you, Athaya. Always.' His eyes were dark and severe, but Athaya grinned.

'Pervert,' she smiled and Crowley rolled his eyes.

'Oi. Watch it, cheeky. Don't tempt me,' he said seriously. 'Besides, why would that worry you? Someone would have picked up the deal and made sure you were okay.'

'Well I didn't know that…and besides…I wouldn't want you to die,' Athaya said honestly.

'Oh, really?' Crowley asked and smiled. 'Would you be sad, Princess? If I died, would you cry?' he asked slyly and Athaya laughed.

'Bucketfuls. For days. I'd never be the same,' Athaya grinned and then grew sober. 'No, really. I would be sad. Don't die, alright? I happen to be slightly fond of you.'

'I'll do my best, darling. Although I have to ask – ' Crowley paused. 'Is it just me or does that sound suspiciously like footsteps?' He tilted his head and Athaya froze.

She strained her ears and her eyes widened as she heard someone thundering down the stairs.

'Athaya!' She heard Dean yell and she grabbed Crowley's sleeve.

'Couldn't they help? They might know something,' Athaya asked hopelessly and Crowley shrugged.

'Sure. Once you've explained why you need help from a demon by telling them you've got demon blood in you. I'm sure they'll understand perfectly.' Crowley said, not with malice, but with a slightly sarcastic undertone.

Athaya's face fell and she nodded. 'Right. Let's go, then.' she said, echoing her words from when she was a child.

'With pleasure,' Crowley said as he gripped her shoulder, his other hand still on her arm.

Just before they disappeared, Athaya just had time to see Dean stumble into view, a knife in his hands. He was in just a shirt and pair of boxers, his hair slightly mussed from sleep.

'Athaya?' He asked in confusion as he saw her in the hands of a demon, blood on the floor and sink.

'Athaya!' Dean yelled, throwing the knife at Crowley just as they disappeared, too late.

Or so he thought.

AN: ...Was that okay? It was okay, right? *nervously glances around*

xxx

~Fen~