And I Hope That You'll Remember Me

by casti3l

Alex lives a crappy life. She knows that. But in the blink of an eye, everything changes. She finds herself in a new world, a world of demons, monsters, angels, and, of course, hunters. With a head full of knowledge and no experience, can Alex survive the lifestyle of a Winchester? Part 1 of the I See Fire series. **Currently in a stage of rewrite (to improve the quality)**

10. I Know What You Did Last Summer

December 2nd,

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Three weeks passed. Then Dean called. "Alex? Do you know anything about an Anna Milton?"

Alex threw her feet up onto the table, leaning back in her chair. "Maybe. Why you ask?"

"Because we've got a case. Apparently there's a lot of big, badass demons after her because she knows something."

"Something like that." Alex yawned.

"So you know about her?"

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't." Alex removed her feet from the table when Bobby walked in, casting her a knowing glance. He grabbed a beer out of the fridge and left.

"Alex."

"What?"

"If you know something, you have to tell us."

"I don't have to tell you anything." Alex leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Yeah, I wanted to help. But you've shown that you don't want it." She hung up.

The phone ran again, and Alex sighed. She answered. "Anna Milton. The demons want her 'cause she can hear the angels. She has red hair." She decided to leave out the 'actual angel' part.

"Oh." Dean seemed shocked. "Okay. Thanks."

"Whatever." Alex sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Uh, listen." Dean cleared his throat. "I, uh, I'm sorry about dropping you off with Bobby . . ."

"At Bobby's," Alex corrected, putting her chin in her free hand to study the wall. "Bobby was out on a case. Garth was here, though. Strange guy."

"Oh. But still."

"Whatever. It doesn't matter, okay? I wouldn't want to work with me either."

"Alex . . ." Dean groaned.

"I'm serious, Dean. I get it. I'm a pain in the ass. Hell, I even annoy myself sometimes." Alex stood up, walking to the fridge. "Now. You better go find Anna before Alistair does."

"Alistair?" That stopped Dean. "He's after her?"

"Assuming so. You said big, badass demons. He's definitely high up on the big badass demon list." Alex shrugged, pulling out a Coke. She cracked it open, balancing the phone between her shoulder and ear. "Just be careful around him, okay? You know what he's capable of doing more than me, of course, but still. Call if there's anything else." Then she hung up.

...

It was sometime the next afternoon when there was a knock at the door. When Bobby didn't go to answer it, Alex sighed, standing up. "I'll get it," she yelled to no one in particular. She opened the door, and couldn't help but stop in surprise. "Dean?"

"Yeah." Dean stepped into the room.

"You guys should be hunting down Anna. What are you doing here?"

"You said you knew Anna." Dean looked at her. "Whatcha got there?"

"Yeah, I know of her. The big stuff, at least." Alex looked down at the mixing bowl in her hand. "Butter and sugar.I was making cookies, for, ya know, Christmas and all." She dipped a finger in the bowl. "But I got distracted." She stuck the finger in her mouth. "Want some?"

Dean shook his head. "Uh, yeah, no thanks. You know Alistair."

"Yep." Alex cocked her head in confusion. "Seriously. What are you doing here? You're wasting time."

Dean's next question caught her off guard. "Do you want to come?"

"What?"

"You heard me. You know what's going on. You're the biggest asset we have right now. Do you want in or not."

"Uh, sure, I guess. I - I'll get my stuff." Alex hurried up the stairs and into her room. She quickly threw what little clothes she had into a bag, zipping it close. When she got downstairs, Bobby was there too. "Um, okay. See you around there, Bobby. I guess." She shot Bobby a small smile before following Dean.

"Be careful," Bobby warned. Alex waved to show she had heard.

She threw her bag in the backseat and climbed in after it. "Hey Sam."

"Hey." Sam turned around to look at her. "How's it going?"

"Good, I guess. Everything alright with you?"

"Yeah." The conversation died. Dean drove off.

...

Cambridge, Ohio

It was two days later. Dean pulled the Impala into a sketchy-looking motel. He went to check them in, and Sam got out as well. Alex followed, watching him circle around to the trunk. He opened it, pulling out their bags. Alex got hers out of the backseat as Dean returned. He led them to their room, flicking on the lights. Alex let out a grunt. Not that bad.

"Okay." Dean took his bag from Sam and tossed it on the far bed. "Me and Sammy are going to head into town and check out this Conner Beverly Behavioral Center thing. Then we'll hit the Milton's home. You stay here."

Alex dropped her duffle on the ground. "I can help, Dean."

"I know. But we're going as FBI. We don't need you screwing this up."

"Then let me go talk to the Milton's," Alex suggested. "I have my own ID's. It would be faster, and if it doesn't work out, you guys can talk to them." Seeing the doubt on their faces, she added, "I just have to ask them if they've seen their daughter. It's not rocket science."

Sam and Dean exchanged looks. Then Dean let out a grunt. "Fine. Just don't mess it up, okay?"

"Okay. I can just walk. You said it was only a five minute drive from here," she added to Sam. "That's not a very long walk. Half hour or so."

"Yeah." Sam handed her directions.

Sam and Dean quickly changed into suits and ties, and Alex dug into her bag, pulling out small ziplock bag. "Hey," she asked Dean, who was sitting on the bed. "What ID should I use?"

"I'd go something small," Dean told her. "What do you have?"

"Everything." Alex started flipping through her badges. "FBI, CDC, CIA, Health Department, Sheriff Department, Federal Marshal, Homeland Security . . ."

"Go with Sheriff's Department," Dean suggested. "You won't get in too much trouble with that. And if you do get caught, me and Sammy can bail you out."

"Who says we'll want to?" Sam stepped out of the bathroom, tightening his tie. Dean chuckled, and Alex shot him a light-hearted glare, pulling her gun out of her bag.

"Whatever. I'll be off." Alex headed towards the door, grabbing a heavy jacket. The sun was bright, but the December air was more than chilly. She pulled it tighter, flipping up the collar to protect her ears. She glanced down at the directions in her hand.

...

It was a half hour walk. Alex found herself in front of a nice house. She looked down at the paper. 1568 Vermont Drive. Yep. She felt her inside pocket for the badge. It was there. She walked up the steps, hesitating before knocking on the door. "Hello?"

No answer.

"Hello? Mr. and Mrs. Milton? I'm with the Police Department."

Still no answer. Alex frowned, looking around. Two white cars sat in the driveway, telling her they were most likely home. She cautiously tried the doorknob. The door swung open. Alex let out a breath. "Mr. And Mrs. Milton?" she called again, stepping inside. "I just have a few questions."

Nothing. "Hello?" The word died in her throat. Her eyes were fixed on something laying beyond the dining room table. Her hand immediately went to her gun underneath her jacket. She approached. Two bodies lay on the ground. Blood pooled around their heads, their throats slit wide open. Dead. Quite dead.

Alex ran a hand through her blonde hair, grey-blue eyes flickering around the room to take everything in. She reached for her phone and dialed Dean's number. While it rang, she quickly checked the rest of the house. Then she returned to the bodies. "Hello?"

"Ale-uh, Agent Rowe?" Dean's voice came over the phone, sharp with agitation. "This better be important."

"Uh, yeah, Agent. I'm at the Milton's, but, uh . . . What's the protocol for dead bodies?"

Dean inhaled sharply. "Hold on." Alex heard him talking to Sam. She half-heartedly listened, studying the bodies. Maybe Dean would be proud of her if she could figure out what killed them. Noticing something, she knelt down. A small, yellowish powder lay on the floor. She poked it with a finger, then gave it a sniff. Sulphur.

"Alex? You still there?"

"Yeah." Alex turned back to the phone.

"Okay. Whatcha got?"

"Two bodies, male and female, presumably Mr. and Mrs. Milton. Throats slit. Most likely bled to death. There's sulphur on the ground. Meaning the demons got here first. I checked the house. They're gone."

Dean let out an angry breath. "And what if they hadn't been gone?"

"Dunno. I probably would have done something clever," Alex snapped. Then she immediately rebuked herself for getting angry. "What would you have done? Out of curiosity?"

"Hm?"

Alex sighed. "Never mind. What should I do?"

"Just hold tight. Close the door. We'll be there in ten minutes."

"K." Alex hung up and ran a hand down her freckled face. On a second thought, she headed into the kitchen. She covered her hands with her jacket sleeves to rifle through the cabinets, careful not to leave any fingerprints behind. She found a box of iodized salt and quickly lined every window and door on that floor. Finally, she put a line at the top of the stairs, securing herself from any returning demons. Then she sat on the stairs, waiting.

...

Five minutes later, the door opened. Sam and Dean stepped through, guns in hand. Alex lowered hers, flicking on the safety. "About time."

"You put down salt," Sam observed.

"Yeah. Didn't want any demons coming back." Alex shrugged, holding out her gun. "All I have is this, and it's useless. And don't worry. I didn't leave fingerprints in the kitchen. They should only be on the door and the salt box."

Dean grunted in acknowledgement. "So, demons, huh?"

"Yeah. What did you guys find on Anna?"

"Well, it definitely seems like you're right. It seems somehow she knows about the Rising of the Witnesses, the sixty-six seals. I'm not sure how. Maybe she's like you."

Alex shook her head. "Los sientos, mi amigo. Anna's part of this world. And somehow she's tuned in to the angel radio."

"Angel radio. Nice term."

Alex shrugged. "You guys came up with it. I'm just repeating it." When neither responded, Alex stood up. "So. What do we do with the Milton's?"

"Uh, yeah. Let's just call the police." Dean walked over to the phone, gripping it with the sleeve of his jacket. He dialed a number, then set the phone carefully on the table. "Okay, let's go."

However, Sam hesitated. "Hey. Look at this." Alex glanced at the picture he was holding. It was of the couple laying dead behind them. With them was a young girl with dyed red hair. They were standing in front of a church building with a beautiful stain glass window behind them.

"Come on, Sammy. We're in a bit of a rush," Dean said impatiently.

"Do you still have those sketches from Anna's notebook?"

"Yeah. They're in the car. Let's go." Dean let Sam and Alex out first, then carefully wiped the doorknob clean. "Okay. In the car."

Dean drove away. "Okay. Alex. Any idea where Anna is?"

"Nope. Sorry."

"Hm. Great. So, I'm 'Girl, Interrupted,' and I know the score of the apocalypse, just busted out of the nut-box . . . where would I go?"

"Here." Sam pointed to something, and Alex leaned over the bench seat to see It appeared to be some sort of sketchbook. Inside that book, however, was the same stained glass window as the one in the picture.

"She was drawing the window of her church," Alex breathed.

"Over and over," Sam added. "If you were religious, scared, and had demons on your ass, where would you feel safe?"

"So. Off to the church. Any idea where it is?"

Dean shook his head. "Probably somewhere close. I doubt the deacon lives very far from his own church."

"Her dad was the church deacon?"

"Yep."

"Hm. Anything else I should know about her?"

"Uh, it started around around three months ago."

Alex counted back on her fingers. "So it started in September. Probably when you were pulled out of Hell by Cassie. 'Dean Winchester has been saved,' and all." Alex chuckled.

Dean said nothing. He continued to drive. "There." He pointed to where a large steeple appeared above the tree line. "I bet that's it."

...

He was right. Dean parked the car in front of the church. They got out and circled around to the trunk. "What do we need?" Alex asked.

"Holy water." Dean handed her a flash. Alex took it. Sam and Dean both grabbed a flask of holy water. "Let's go."

He led the way into the church. The first level was clean. Then they went up the stairs. Alex took up the rear, gun cocked. On the second floor was a small, darkened space. Rafters arched far above their head, and to their left was a stained glass window, casting colored light onto the floor.

Suddenly Sam stopped. He motioned to a stained glass divider attached to a post. It had the picture of Mary on it. But that's not what caught Alex's eye. A shadow moved behind it, disappearing behind the wooden post. Sam put his gun away, and Dean and Alex followed suit.

"Anna?" Sam called. "We're not going to hurt you. We're here to help. My name is Sam. This is my brother Dean. And, uh . . . there's Alex."

"Sam?" a small voice asked. "Not Sam Winchester?" A young woman stepped out, cautiously watching them. She had dyed red hair, and was wearing jeans, a white blouse, and a green jacket.

"Uh, yeah." Sam cast a glance at Dean. He was staring at Anna.

"And you're Dean. The Dean."

"Well, yeah," Dean stumbled, obviously somewhat captivated by the woman's beauty. "The Dean, I guess."

"It's really you." Anna took a small step forward. "Oh my God. The angels talk about you. You were in Hell, but Castiel pulled you out, and some of them think you can save us." She turned to Sam. "And some of them don't like you at all."

Alex bit back a snicker, but a small sound still escaped her lips. Sam glared at her.

"And you're Alex?"

"Uh, yeah."

"I've heard Castiel talk about you. Some of the angels want you dead."

"Oh." Alex blinked back shock. "Uh, can I ask why?"

"I don't know. But they talk about all of you. I, I feel like I know you."

"So, do you talk to them?"

"No." Anna shook her head. No way. I, I just . . . overhear them. In my head. I doubt they even know I exist."

"So over angel radio." Dean glanced down at Alex. She shrugged. "Can, can you hear them right now?"

"No, not at this second. But a lot. And I can't block them out, there are so many of them."

"Anna," Sam began, "do you remember when you started hearing them?"

"Yes. September 18th."

Dean nodded. "The day I got out of Hell."

"First words I hear. Clear as a bell - 'Dean Winchester is saved'."

"Well, at least we know why the demons want you so bad," Dean sighed. "They get a hold of you, they can hear everything the other side is cooking. You're a 1-900-angel."

Anna smiled, and Dean chuckled quietly. Alex just rolled her eyes.

"Hey, um, do you know - are my parent's okay?"

Anna was cut off as feet rushed into the room. Alex turned, drawing her gun.

"You got the girl." Ruby stood in front of them. "Good. Let's go."

"Her face!" Anna cried, taking a step back.

"It's okay. She's here to help."

"Yeah, don't be to sure," Dean snapped to his brother.

"We have to hurry," the demon insisted.

"Why?"

"Because a demon's coming - big-timer. We can fight later, Dean."

"Well, that's pretty convenient," the eldest hunter shot back. "Showing up right as we find the girl with a bigwig on your tail?"

"I didn't bring him here. You did."

"What?"

"He followed you from the girl's house. We got to go."

"Dean." Sam pointed to the statue of Mary behind them. It's eyes were bleeding. Alex pushed back a wave of shock at the sight.

"It's too late," Ruby breathed. "He's here."

Sam suddenly grabbed Anna by the arm. He dragged her over to a small closet against the far wall, helping her inside. "Okay. Stay in there. Don't move." He closed the door. Alex just stared at the bleeding statue.

"Okay," Anna agreed.

"No, Sam, you have to pull him right away," Ruby insisted. Alex turned to see that Sam had pulled out his flask of holy water.

"Whoa." Dean stepped forward. "Hold on a sec."

"Now's not the time to bellyache about Sam going darkside," Ruby snapped. "He does his thing, he exorcised that demon, or we die."

Sam put the flask away. Alex stepped forward by Dean's side. Loud footsteps came up the stairs, getting closer by the second. The door flew open, and Alex jumped at the loud noise. She mentally cursed herself for doing so. A large man stepped through. Blue button down, black suit coat, receding hairline. He approached, dragging his hand across the banister. Then he looked down, casually wiping off the dust.

Sam stretched out his right hand, closing his eyes. The man stopped, raising a hand to his throat. His eyes rolled up, revealing white eyes, different from the typical black-eyed demons. He coughed once, then twice, then his eyes returned to normal. "That tickles," the demon chuckled. "You don't have the juice to take me on, Sam."

With a flick of his hand, he sent Sam flying towards him. Sam hit the banister and fell down the stairs. Dean pulled out Ruby's knife and launched himself at the demon. Alex, really unsure what to do, raised her gun, looking for a clear shot. Suddenly the demon was winning, and had Dean pinned against a wooden pillar, back to her.

"Don't you recognize me, Dean?" he asked. "Oh - I forgot. I'm wearing a pediatrician -"

"Alistair." Alex spoke his name, drawing the demon's attention to her.

His eyes danced across her. "Don't think I know you."

"Ah, but I know you." Alex fired three shots into his forehead. Alistair let out a screech of pain, dropping Dean. He turned to Alex, who took a step back. Sam crawled back up the stairs. Alex raised her gun, taking several deep breaths to steady her hand. Fire flashed in the demon's eyes, and he raised his hand.

Suddenly he stopped, doubling over in pain. The demon knife was sticking out of his back. Sam was standing behind him. Alistair let out a growl, reaching around to try and dislodge the knife. Sam helped Dean to his feet, looking for a way out, but they were cut off from the door by Alistair. Sam looked around, his eyes coming to rest on the stain glass window. He nudged Dean towards it, and they took off running.

Alex shook her head as she realized their intent. "Oh hell no," she muttered. However, she followed. Sam and Dean leapt through the window, breaking the stained glass. Alex jumped after them. She was immediately pulled down towards the ground. Then she hit the concrete. Thankfully, she remembered to keep her knees bent, rolling with her shoulder as soon as she hit the ground. She sprawled out on her back, a sharp pain running up from her right ankle. Sam and Dean were already on their feet and walking towards the car. Alex was unable to move, the wind knocked out of her. She somehow managed to pull herself to her feet, stumbling after the Winchesters.

By the time she reached the car, she could put no weight on her injured leg. She collapsed in the backseat. Dean drove away. "Where's Anna?" she managed to ask. She wiped the back of her hand across her left eye only to see it was now stained with blood.

"Ruby." Dean growled the demon's name, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

"She'll protect her, Dean," Sam shot back, his tone too tired for arguing.

Dean said nothing.

...

They were back in the motel ten minutes later. Alex limped into their room, pulling her useless foot behind her. She collapsed on the bed, tossing her gun on the nightstand. Dean was over by the sinks, washing the blood out of his cuts with only his right hand. Sam was sitting on the other bed. He was poking at a cut on his left arm. "I'm going to have to stitch it up," he muttered. He had brought in a small metal box, and pulled out a fishing hook and some thread. Alex closed her eyes, breathing through the pain.

Sam let out pained breath. No one spoke.

"Are you almost done?" Dean finally asked a few minutes later.

"I'm going as fast as I can," Sam hissed.

"Good, 'cause you know I've got a dislocated shoulder over here." Dean walked over, glancing at Alex. He picked up a whiskey bottle, taking a swig. "You okay, Alex?"

"Just peachy," she muttered through clenched teeth.

"I'll fix your shoulder when I'm done. Give me that." Sam took the bottle from Dean, pouring it over his arm. He let out another hiss, but said nothing. He put the fishing hook back in the metal box and stood up.

Dean leaned over the bed, bracing himself. "So you lost the magic knife, huh?"

"Yeah, saving your ass. Who the hell was that demon?"

"No one good. We got to find Anna."

"Ruby's got her. I'm sure she's okay. All right? Come on. On the count of three." Sam placed his hands on either side of Dean's shoulder. "One -" He forced his shoulder back into place.

Dean cried out in pain and surprise. He straightened up. "You sure about Ruby? 'Cause I think it's just as likely she used us to find radio girl and then brought that demon to kill us."

Sam walked over to Alex. He sat down on the bed next to her. "No. She took Anna to save her life." He turned to the girl. "How are you feeling?"

"I can't put any weight on my ankle. And my hands sting."

"Let me see." Alex held them out, and Sam examined them.

"Well, why hasn't she called to tell us where she is?"

"Because that demon is probably watching us right now, waiting to follow us right back to Anna again. That's why he let us go." Sam ran light fingers over her hands. Alex flinched. "There's lots of small cuts," he told her. "Probably from landing on the glass. I can see a few slivers stuck in there." He stood up and walked into the bathroom.

"You call this letting us go?" Dean called after his brother. He started laying salt down on the doors and windows.

"Yeah, I do. Look, killing us would have been no problem for that thing." Sam filled a small bucket with warm water. "That's why, for now, we just got to lay low and wait for Ruby to contact us."

"How's she going to do that?" Dean watched his brother carry the the bucket back over to Alex. He paused, then asked, "Why do you trust her so much?"

"I told you, Dean. Put your hands in this." Alex did as he said, hissing the warm water seeping in to the small, crisscross cuts.

"You got to do a whole lot better than that." When Sam turned, Dean took a swig of whiskey. "Look. I'm not trying to pick a fight. I mean, I really want to understand. But I need to know more. I mean, I deserve to know more."

Sam let out a heavy sigh. "It's because she saved my life." Then he started to talk. He began with how Ruby had found him and saved his life, how she had taken an empty vessel, and how she had taught Sam how to exorcise demons.

...

He kept talking even as the sun began to set, casting long shadows in the room. He explained how he had tried to exorcise the demons, but failed, then began to tell Dean how he and Ruby had sex. Alex awkwardly stared ahead.

"Sam?" Dean interrupted.

"Yeah?"

"Too much information."

"Hey. I told you I was coming clean."

"Still doesn't mean we needed to know that." Alex said, and Sam turned back to her. "Can I take my hands out of this now?"

"Uh, yeah. Come over here."

Alex did so, hopping over to Sam. He narrowed his eyes. "How's the ankle?"

"Still can't put weight on it." Alex sat next to Sam, holding out her hands. He took the tweezers and started pulling out the glass shreds. Alex squared her jaw, studying her shoes.

"Okay," Dean continued their conversation, "but apart from the brain-stabbing imagery . . . so far, all you've told me about is a manipulative bitch who, uh, screwed you, played mind games with you, and did everything in the book to get you to go bad."

"Yeah, well, there's more to the story." Sam roughly pulled out a glass splinter, and Alex hissed.

"Just . . . skip the nudity, please."

"Pretty soon after . . . that, uh . . . I put together some signs . . . omens." Sam continued his story. He had gone after Lilith, but Ruby had argued against it. They had fought, and Sam had stalked off, and hunted down the demon. However, it had turned out to be a trap. "But Ruby came back for me," Sam finished. "Whatever you have to say, she saved me. More than that, she got through to me." He finished pulling out the glass splinters and held out his hand. Dean gave him the whiskey bottle. "What she said to me, it's what you would have said. If it was for her, I wouldn't be here." He poured the whiskey over her hands and Alex let out a cry of pain.

"Ow! A warning next time."

Sam dropped her hands, looking up into her face. Alex flinched as he ran a finger above her left eye. "Hang on." He stood up and walked into the bathroom. When he returned, he was carrying a washcloth. He sat down and dipped it in the bucket of water before running it across her eyebrow.

Alex felt the liquid trickle down her face, and she reached up to brush it away. Her hand came away red.

"Dammit, Sam, what did you do?" Dean stood up, eyes focused on her head.

"Nothing, okay?" Sam pressed the washcloth against her head. "It's deeper than I thought. Just, just get me dad's kit."

Dean grabbed the metal box off of the bed and tossed it to Sam.

"Lean back." Sam pushed her back onto the bed.

"Why?" Alex watched him pull out a fishhook and some fishing line. "Aw hell no. You're not putting that anywhere near my eye."

"Shut up or I'll let you bleed to death," the younger Winchester shot back. "Close your eyes."

...

Alex flinched as the fishing line pulled on her skin. "You almost -" Her words were cut off by a small yell as something burned the wound. She knew what it was. Whiskey. "Little warning next time," she grumbled as Sam got off of the bed.

"Don't worry. Not every day's like this." Sam walked over to his brother.

"Of course, you're not going on every hunt." Dean shook his head, turning to his brother "Dude, Bobby is going to kill us," he muttered to his brother, almost too quiet for Alex to hear. "I mean, come on. He'd be pissed with just those cuts, but the ankle too?"

"It's not that big a deal." Sam handed the whisky bottle back to his brother.

"Yeah, right. You're not the one who got the 'you-hurt-her-and-you're-dead' speech." Dean crossed his arms.

"I'm fine," Alex insisted. "Bobby's just being a butt."

"He's a butt with a gun," Dean shot back. He took a drink.

"Maid," a woman called through the doors.

"Not now!" Dean yelled.

"Sir, I've got clean towels."

Dean muttered a curse under his breath and opened the door. The maid forced her way in. "Couldn't you just leave them at the door?" Dean snapped.

"I'm at this address." The maid handed a slip of folded paper to Dean.

"I'm sorry, what?" Sam stood up, taking the paper from Dean.

"Go now. Go through the bathroom window, don't stop, don't take your car, don't pass go. There are demons in the hallway and the parking lot."

"Ruby?"

"Okay, yes, I'm possessing this maid for a hot minute. Sue me." Ruby rolled her eyes.

"What about-"

"Coma girl? Slowly rotting on the floor back at the cabin with Anna, so I've got to hurry back. See you when you get there. Go!" She dropped off the towels and left.

"Let's go." Dean walked toward the bathroom.

"Dean." Alex stopped him. "I can't. I can't even walk across the room, let alone across town!"

"She's right, Dean. She can't come."

"Well, she can't stay here."

"Dean, just leave me, okay? I'll be fine." Alex dragged herself over to her bed. "The demons haven't come in yet, meaning they won't anytime soon. As long as they think you guys are still here, they'll stay waiting out there. Now hurry up and get your asses out of here." She flicked on the tv.

"Okay, well, you're going to have to fix the salt line in the bathroom."

"I think I can manage that." Alex watched them go. When the bathroom was quiet, she limped in, fixing the salt line. Then she sat back down on her bed, grabbing the near empty whiskey bottle. She sniffed it, curling her lip. It smelled disgusting. However, the stinging in her hands and head and the sharp pain in her ankle encouraged her to take a sip. She immediately recoiled, but swallowed anyways. She continued to slowly drink it. It burned like fire inside her, but almost had an earthy taste to it. But it could be worse.

By the time she had finished the bottle her limbs were tingling, and she felt slightly lightheaded. She tossed the bottle onto the other bed, reclining against the soft pillows. The pain in her hands and ankle had nearly faded to a comfortable level. She continued to watch tv.

...

Half an hour later, her phone rang. "Hello."

"It's Dean."

"Yup."

"Listen. I'm going to take Anna back to Bobby's, okay? Sam's going to stay behind and bring you and Baby sometime tomorrow. Turn out the lights, make the demons think you're gone."

"Kay." Alex nodded in understanding. "Will do."

...

The sun was coming up. Alex sat up, still tired. She had gotten very little sleep, and struggled to her feet. She let out a cry of pain, having forgotten about her injured ankle. She pulled herself across the room, looking out the window. There was only one demon that she could see. Her phone rang. It was Sam. "Is the coast clear?"

"I see one demon. The rest are gone."

"Hm. Good work. I'll take care of that one."

As Alex watched, the black smoke poured out of the demon's mouth, and he collapsed. Sam hurried over to the motel room, and Alex unlocked the door. She collapsed on the chair.

"Okay." Sam grabbed his bag, which remained unopened from this morning. "How are you doing?" He glanced over at the empty whiskey bottle, then picked it up, frowning. "I thought Dean had left some."

"Sorry." Alex dragged herself over to the other bed, grabbing her bag. "The pain was bad."

Sam just grunted.

"I'm doing okay now," Alex continued.

"Good. 'Cause we have to go. Now." Sam grabbed his and Dean's stuff. They quickly cleared the room and left. Alex trailed behind, reaching the car last. She pulled herself into the backseat, casting a wary glance at the man behind the wheel. Sam peeled out, driving away.

...

"What'd I miss?"

"Hm?"

"What'd I miss? Last night?"

"There were angels."

Alex let out a frustrated noise. "Cassie?"

"Yeah. Castiel and Uriel."

"Wonderful. I bet that ended well."

"Anna sent them away with some sort of blood sigil thing."

"Was it the circle thing with the triangle on top and the sort of zig-zaggy line in the middle with six symbols around it?"

"Yeah." Sam seemed surprised. "How did you know?"

"That's an angel banishing sigil. Only angels know that. So what happened to you?" Alex leaned forward, wiping dried blood off of Sam's face. "Pick another fight?"

"Uriel."

"Oh." Alex fell back in her seat. "What did that winged dick want?"

"They wanted Anna. Dead."

"Oh. Okay." They lapsed into silence.

...

It was a two day drive back to Bobby's. Sam had immobilized Alex's ankle using motel towels and duct tape. It still hurt, but to a much less degree now that she was staying off of it.

...

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Sam helped her out of the car and into the dilapidated old house. "Bobby?" he called.

No answer. Sam walked over to the basement stairs. "Hey, Dean!" he yelled down them.

A few seconds later Dean appeared in the study. "How's the car?"

"I got her. She's fine."

"I'm fine, too," Alex called from the couch.

"Where's Bobby?" Sam asked.

"Uh, the Dominican. He said we break anything, we buy it."

"He's working a job?"

"God, I hope so. Otherwise, he's at hedonism in a banana hammock and a trucker cap."

Sam screwed up his face. "Now that's seared in my brain."

"All right, what did you find on Anna?"

"Uh, not much. Her parents were, uh, Rich and Amy Milton. A deacon and a housewife." Sam opened a brown folder, laying it on the desk.

"Riveting."

"Yeah. But there's something else in the report. Turns out the latest psych episode wasn't her first."

"No?"

"Yeah. When she was two and a half, she got hysterical anytime her dad got close. She was convinced he wasn't her real daddy."

"Who was? The plumber, hmm? A little snaking the pipes?"

Alex groaned in disgust, and Sam shook his head. "Dude, you're confusing reality with porn again."

Alex laughed, but was silenced by Dean.

"Look," Sam continued. "Anna didn't say. She just kept repeating that this real father of hers was mad. Very mad. Like, wanted-to-kill-her mad."

"Kind of heavy for a two year old."

Alex let out a snort, and Dean turned to look at her. "You got a theory?"

Alex looked up at him. "Course I got a theory. Are you going to believe it?"

"Probably."

Alex blinked. "She's an angel."

"A what?" Anna appeared from behind Dean. Her face seemed shocked and very, very emotional. Alex inwardly sighed out of frustration. She didn't feel like dealing with an emotional girl right now.

"Nice job watching her," Dean said dryly.

"I am watching her," Ruby replied, and Alex finally noticed her.

"Wait. Sorry. I'm a what?" Anna's eyes were wide. When Alex didn't answer, she continued. "Listen. My parent's are dead, my whole life has been completely leveled . . . I deserve to know what I am!"

"Fine. You're an angel, sweetheart." Alex leaned her head back against the couch, shifting so her ankle was elevated. "Is there something to drink around here? Preferably hard liquor."

"No," Dean snapped.

"Liar liar mom on fire," Alex snapped. Dean stiffened, but Alex was in too much pain to care. Sam stepped forward, fist balled, and punched her square in the face. Alex cried out as her nose cracked loudly. She bit back tears, gingerly touching her nose. It stung like hell. She pulled her hands away. Blood.

"Don't talk about our mom that way," Sam growled, fist still balled. Alex raised her hand defensively, unsure if he would strike again.

"Sam!" Dean distracted his brother. "Seriously? How you gonna explain that to Bobby?" However, he cast a dark look at Alex before turning back to Anna. "Is it possible you're an angel?"

"I . . . I don't know." Anna looked at Alex, her voice shaking. "I mean, how's that even possible?"

Alex didn't answer, but angrily studied the ground. She gingerly wiped the blood off of her face.

"Look." Dean sighed. "We'll, uh, call around. There's a few people who should be able to help. Just, uh, hang tight, okay?"

Anna nodded, and she and Ruby disappeared downstairs. Sam and Dean walked off into the kitchen, leaving Alex stranded on the couch. She threw her head back frustratedly. "Dean," she whined. "Come on, man. At least give me something." No response. "Please? Everything hurts." Alex lay down on the couch, burying her bruised face in the pillows.

Then, someone was gently shaking her shoulder. Alex rolled over, groaning. She looked up to see Dean, and immediately struggled to sit up. "Here." Dean handed her a glass of a strong smelling golden liquid. "And, here." He put three aspirin in her other hand. "Enjoy."

Alex popped the pills into her mouth, washing them down with the drink. She made a face, but kept it down. "Thanks."

"Well, it seems like you've already been drinking," Dean said dryly, "so I guess I can't stop you."

"I finished off one bottle of whiskey," Alex sighed, immediately going on the defense. "I was in pain, surrounded by demons all by myself, not to mention the nightmares -"

"Yeah, whatever. How's the nose?"

"Hurts."

"Yeah. It's already pretty swollen." Dean reached up, gently feeling it. Alex let him, refusing to show pain. "Looks broken." He pulled away. "I'll get some icepacks, try and get the swelling down. It should heal on it's own without needing to be set."

"Great," Alex mumbled. "A broken ankle and a broken nose."

Dean stood up, walking back into the kitchen. Alex continued sipping away at the scotch, flipping on the small black-and-white tv in the corner.

...

It was sometime the next day. Dean had gone into town and had come back with an ankle brace. He had found crutches in the basement, and now Alex was semi-mobile. The front door opened, and two pairs of footsteps entered the house. Alex hauled herself to her feet as Dean and a women stepped into the room.

"Pamela?"

"Ah. Alex."

"Uh, yeah. That's me." Alex hobbled over to her. Pamela was wearing sunglasses, hiding the fact that her eyes had been burned out.

"What happened to you?" Pamela suddenly asked, her head turning towards her injured foot.

"I had to jump out of a church window. Not sure if it's broken, but, it hurts like hell. And, uh, Sam broke my nose."

Pamela clicked her tongue. "There's something about you, Alex. You're not what you seem."

"Uh, yeah. Okay."

Dean placed a hand on Pamela's shoulder. "We're downstairs." He led her farther into the house. Alex followed, crutches annoyingly loud and clumsy.

"You've got to be careful with that one," Pamela said, motioning to Alex. "She's not as strong as you and your brother."

Alex bit back a sharp reproach, and Dean glanced back at her. Seeing the anger on her face, he narrowed his eyes.

"You can't fool me, Alex." Pamela continued. "You can fool them, and maybe yourself, but not me."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Alex replied breezily. "I think you might underestimate me."

Pamela laughed, ignoring her. "But don't you worry, Dean. She makes up for it with her mind. She's a clever one."

Alex let out a satisfied noise, stepping onto the concrete floor of the basement.

"We're here," Dean announced.

"Pamela. Hey." Sam walked over to her.

"Sam?"

"It's me," Sam nodded. "It's Sam."

"Sam?"

"Yeah."

"Sam, is that you?"

"I'm right here." Sam cast a confused glance at Dean. He shrugged.

"Oh. You know how I can tell?" Pamela grabbed Sam's ass, and he jumped. "That perky little ass of yours. You could bounce a nickel off that thing."

Alex bit back an awkward laugh.

"Of course I know it's you, grumpy. Same way I know that's a demon and that poor girl's Anna and that you've been eyeing my rack."

Sam blushed deeply. "Uh . . . uh," he stumbled.

"Don't sweat it, kiddo. I've got more senses than most."

"Got it." Sam still looked slightly embarrassed.

"Hey, Anna. How are you? I'm Pamela." Pam held out her hand.

Anna shook it. "Hi."

"Dean told me what's been going on. I'm excited to help."

"Oh, that's nice of you."

"Oh, well, not really. Any chance I can dick over an angel, I'm taking it."

Alex glanced at Dean, who shook his head slightly. He hadn't told Pamela of Alex's revelation.

"Why?" Both Anna and Pamela seemed oblivious to them.

"They took something from me." Pamela took off her sunglasses, and Anna stiffened. "Demon-y, I know. But they're just plastic. Good for business. Makes me look extra psychic, don't you think?" She laughed. "Now, how about you tell me what you're deal is? Hmm? Don't you worry."

"Uh, yeah." Anna glanced at Alex. "Well, I, I started hearing the angels three months ago. The day Dean was pulled out of Hell. I've been hunted down by demons for the past week, and now apparently Alex thinks I'm an angel."

Pamela turned. "Oh?" White, plastic eyes locked on Alex, and she suppressed a shiver.

"Well, yeah." Alex shrugged innocently. "I mean, think about it. Not only can she hear angel radio, but she knows the angel banishing sigil. That's something only angels know."

Pamela said nothing for several seconds. "Well, why don't we find out?" she finally suggested. "Anna, come with me. Here. Inside." She led the young girl into the panic room. Dean and Alex followed. Dean sat on the desk and Alex leaned against the wall, while Sam sat in the panic room's doorway. Ruby was forced to stay outside.

"Now, lay down." Pamela sat down on a chair next to a cot. Anna did as asked. "Just relax, okay? Nice and relaxed. Now, I'm going to count down from five to zero. When we're at zero, you'll be put in a deep state of hypnosis. As I count down, just go deeper and deeper, okay? 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . Deep sleep, deep sleep."

Anna's eyes closed, and her breathing slowed. Alex shifted on her crutches.

"Deep sleep. Every muscle calm and relaxed. Can you hear me?"

"I can hear you," Anna replied quietly, eyes still closed.

"Now, Anna, tell me. How can you hear the angels? How do you work that spell?"

"I don't know. I just did."

Pamela tried a different angle. "Your father. What's his name?"

"Rich Milton."

"All right. But I want you to look further back. When you were very young . . . just a couple years old."

"I don't want to," Anna whimpered. Alex saw Sam stand up, stepping closer in interest.

"What's your dad's name? Your real dad's? Why is he angry at you?"

"No. No. No!" Anna let out a scream, her back arching off the bed. "No!"

"Anna, you're safe." Pamela insisted over her screams.

Suddenly the iron door slammed close, and the lights above them shattered.

"Calm down," the psychic ordered.

Anna kept screaming. "He's gonna kill me!"

"It's all right, Anna."

"Anna?" Dean approached again.

"Dean," Pamela warned. "Don't."

Suddenly Dean was thrown across the room. He hit the wall hard.

Pamela had had enough. "Wake up in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1."

Anna opened her eyes, sitting up.

"Anna? Are you alright?"

"Thank you, Pamela. That helped a lot." Anna was talking differently, and Alex knew she had been right all along. "I remember now."

"Remember what?" Sam asked.

"Who I am." Anna turned to Alex. "You were right. I am an angel."

Dean glanced down at Alex, and she flashed him an, 'I told you so.'

There was a loud knocking on the door. "Everything okay in there?" Ruby called.

Sam glanced at Anna, then opened the iron door. Alex followed, limping along. She made her way up the stairs and into the study. She heard them follow. "Seriously?" she heard Ruby say.

Anna replied in a low voice.

"It's, just, oh, you know. Demons and angels have never gotten along," Ruby replied scathingly.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not like the others."

"I don't find that very reassuring." Ruby leaned against the doorway from the study to the kitchen.

"Neither do I." Pamela leaned against Bobby's desk. Dean and Sam sat on either side of her. Alex sat on the arm of the black couch.

"So . . . Castiel, Uriel, there the one's who came for me?" Anna turned to look at Dean.

"You know them?" Sam asked.

"We were kind of in the same foxhole."

"So, what, were they like your bosses or something?" Dean guessed. Alex let out a small huff.

"Try the other way around." Anna crossed her arms.

Dean let out a noise of approval.

"But now they want to kill you?" Pamela tipped her head, confused.

"Orders are orders. I'm sure I have a death sentence on my head."

Alex nodded in agreement. "Most likely."

"Why?" Dean asked, looking at Alex.

She took that as the right to respond. "Because she fell. Rebelled. Like Lucifer. Although, unlike Luci, she lost her grace."

"Luci?"

"Lucifer."

Dean narrowed his eyes at her casualness. He moved on. "Uh, okay. But what do you mean by grace?"

"Yeah. It's, uh, and correct me if I'm wrong, Anna, but it's an angel's life force. Kind of . . . the equivalent to a human soul, right?"

Anna nodded. "How you know all this?"

Alex shrugged, lying. "I talked with Castiel." Seeing Anna's face, she added. "He grows on you."

"So, an angel can just lose it's grace and become human?"

"It hurts," Anna responded. "Try cutting your kidney out with a butter knife. I ripped out my grace. Then I fell. My mother, Amy, couldn't get pregnant. Always called me her little miracle. She had no idea how right she was."

"So you just forgot you're God's little Power Ranger?" Dean asked.

"The older I got, the longer I was human, yeah."

Ruby cleared her throat. "I don't think you all appreciate how completely screwed we are."

"Ruby's right. Heaven wants me dead."

"And Hell just wants you. A flesh-and-blood angel that you can question, torture - that bleeds. Sister, you're the Stanley Cup. And sooner or later, Heaven or Hell, they're going to find you."

"I know. And that's why I'm going to get it back."

"What?"

"My grace." Anna turned to Sam.

Dean looked up at her. "You can do that?"

"If I can find it."

"So what, you're just going to take some divine bong hit, and Shazam, you're Roma Downy?"

"Something like that."

"All right." Dean nodded his head appreciatively. "I like this plan. So, where's this grace of yours?"

Anna shrugged. "Lost track. I was falling at about ten thousand miles an hour at the time."

"Wait." Sam stood up off the desk. "You mean falling, like, literally?"

"Yes."

"Like, the way a human eye can see? Like, a comet, maybe? Or a meteor?"

Anna nodded. "Why'd you ask?"

"Just a hunch." Sam hurried off upstairs.

They watched him go. "Well, if you don't mind," Pamela finally spoke. "I should get going now."

"Uh, yeah." Dean walked into the kitchen. "I'll just grab the keys."

Alex sighed, and Pamela turned to look at her. Alex studied her shoes. "Listen. Pamela. I'm, uh . . . I'm really sorry about the whole . . . eye thing. I should have saved you."

Pamela shrugged. "Don't blame yourself. There's no way you could have known it was going to happen, right?"

"Right," Alex reluctantly lied. She knew Pamela knew she was lying, but thankfully didn't press her.

"Are you ready to go?" Dean reentered the room. Pamela nodded, and let Dean lead her out of the house.

"So you know Castiel?" Alex turned at Anna's voice. She and Ruby were still watching her.

Alex shifted, sitting up straighter. "Yeah. We've talked once or twice. Apparently he's taken over as commander and chief of your little garrison there."

Anna narrowed her eyes, thinking.

Ruby yawned. "Well, if you're just going to talk angel talk, I think I'll go find Sam." She walked off towards the stairs.

"Just keep it down," Alex called after her. Ruby flashed her a glare before disappearing up the stairs. When Alex turned her attention back to Anna, she was gone. Footsteps sounded down the hall, telling Alex which way she had gone. Sighing, Alex reached for her crutches, pulling herself to her feet. She limped over to the back door, pulling it open.

"Alex."

Alex turned. "Oh. Ruby. Hey."

"Here." Ruby tossed Alex something. She reached out to catch it, forgetting about her crutches. She wobbled, falling back against the wall to stable herself.

"Thanks," she muttered. "What is it?"

"Hex bag. It'll hide you from angels and demons. Figured you'd need one, seeing how friendly you are with that one angel."

Alex picked up her crutch. "We've talked, like, twice. And one of those times we fought."

"Whatever." Then Ruby was gone.

Alex stuffed the hex bag in her jacket, slamming the door closed. She grabbed a larger, thicker jacket off the hook that belonged to Bobby and slipped it on. Then she pulled on large boots over her feet. She reopened the door, walking out into the cold. It stung her broken nose, but she continued on. She trudged through the deepening snow, ignoring the awkwardness of the crutches and her leg dragging uselessly behind. She walked around.

A bark caught her attention. She turned to see a small, long-hair tawny dog running towards her. It jumped around her, tail wagging. "Hey sweetheart." Alex reached down, scratching her behind the ears.

"Mesha!" Alex heard Craig call.

"Hey, Craig!" Alex called back. Craig was Bobby's neighbor. While not exactly a hunter, he knew enough about what Bobby did to be considered trustworthy. He had also opened his house to Alex when she had first arrived, telling her that she was always welcome to spend the night if need be.

The man approached, bundled up in a coat and mittens. "Alex. How are you?"

"Good."

"What happened to you?"

Alex looked down at her crutches. "I broke my ankle," she admitted. "Nothing too bad."

"Hm. That sucks."

"Alex!" Sam's voice ran through the cold.

"What do you want?" Alex yelled back.

"Get in here."

Alex turned back to Craig. "Sorry. Got to go."

"No problem. See you around?"

"Yeah." Alex said goodbye to Mesha and hurried back towards the house. She stumbled back inside. "What?"

"Come on. I need help." Sam walked into the study.

Alex grumbled, taking off her jacket and tossing it over the railing. She dropped the boots in the middle of the hall, limping after Sam.

She sat down on the couch, resting her crutches against the wall. "Whatcha doing?"

"Anna said that an angel falling can be seen by the human eye, but it would appear as comets or meteors. So I'm looking for comet sightings nine months before Anna was born."

"Hm." Alex fished out her phone. "Love to help, but, uh, Bobby called." She shook her phone for emphasis. "Maybe later though." Without waiting for a response, she picked up her crutches and hobbled upstairs.

She lay down on her bed, flipping open her phone. She dialed Bobby's number.

"What do you want?" Bobby's grumpy voice came over the phone.

"Hello to you, too," Alex replied breezily, unfazed by his attitude. "So, the Dominican, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Lucky you. It's snowy and cold up here. I tried going for a walk. I never would have thought walking through deep snow with crutches would have been so hard."

"What?"

"I said - "

"I heard you. What'd you mean by crutches?"

"Eh," Alex shrugged. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

"What happened? It wasn't Sam, was it?"

"No, no. He just broke my nose. But it was my fault," Alex insisted quickly. "I provoked him . . . Bobby?" The other line was silent. "Bobby? You still there?"

"Yeah," he grunted. "What happened with the crutches?"

"We were tracking down a girl named Anna. Turns out she's an angel. Maybe Dean told you about her?"

"He mentioned it."

"So, yeah. We tracked her to a church. Then a big-ass demon showed up. He's called Alistair. Anyways. Push came to shove, Ruby's knife had no effect, so we had to jump out of a high window. I most likely broke my ankle."

Bobby was silent. Then he sighed. "Does it hurt?"

"Like hell."

"There's scotch in the cupboard. Don't tell Dean."

"Oh. He doesn't really care anymore. He wasn't happy when he learned I finished off a bottle of whiskey a couple days ago, but he gave me some whiskey and three aspirin."

"Hm. Good for him. If you're gonna be a hunter, you can't not drink."

"Yeah. It still tastes disgusting, but it helps. But, uh, how about you? How you doing?"

"It's okay. Kind of hot."

"That's a problem I'd like to have right now. You hunting?"

"Yeah. A biembien. Native to the Dominican. There's been a few recent cases bleeding into the states, so I flew down to see what I could dig up on 'em."

"Hm. I'll look them up later. Sounds cool."

...

They chatted idly for another few minutes before Bobby hung up, saying he had to go. Alex hobbled over to her computer desk, powering up her laptop. Quite bored, she opened google. Supernatural books, she typed into the search box.

Several pages popped up. A few were links to sights that sold the books, but one caught her eye. Supernatural: The Official Fan Site. She clicked it. There were several discussion pages with lots of questions. Strangely, Alex knew the answer to many of them. She looked towards the top of the screen. Login or Signup. So, naturally, she quickly signed up. She sat quietly for a while, trying to think of a good screen name. not-actually-a-winchester.

She was quick to answer many of the questions. She wasn't sure how the other fans would react, but right now she really didn't care.

The sun was setting when Alex made her way down the stairs and into the study. "All right," Ruby was saying. "That narrows it down to an entire state."

"Hm?" Alex glanced at Sam, hoping for an explanation.

"I found records of a meteor over Ohio in March '85. Nine months before Anna was born. On the same night there was another meteor that was somewhere over Kansas. If the one in Ohio was Anna, the one in Kansas might be her grace."

"Ah. Good work, Sammy boy."

"Uh, Alex, can we have a moment?" Ruby shot her a meaningful glance, and Alex nodded.

"Sure. I'll be in the kitchen. I'm starving." She limped over to the fridge. It looked like Dean had brought back groceries, because the shelves were stocked, something unusual for Bobby to do.

"Sam . . . I'm sorry," she heard Ruby begin.

"For what?"

"For bringing you into this mess. If I had known, I would have kept my trap shut."

"Yeah, well, we'll muddle through."

"Not this time. You do not want to get between these two armies. It's Godzilla and Mothra. If one side doesn't get us, the other side will."

"You guys want anything to drink?" Alex called in, trying to act like she wasn't listening. "Beer? Scotch? Ooh. Vodka. Might try some of that." She pulled out the bottle, turning to look at Sam. "Is this any good?"

"It's okay," Sam shrugged. "No more than half a glass for you, though. Dean'll kill me if you get drunk."

"Is that all it takes?" Alex muttered, but decided to do as he said. "So, beers?"

"Sure."

Alex pulled one out of the fridge and brought it over to him. Then she went back to the kitchen and poured a bit of vodka into a small glass. She sniffed it, recoiled, the took a sip.

"So what do you want to do?" Sam continued his discussion with Ruby. He cracked open his beer. "Dump Anna and run? Forget it. I know the angels freak you out -"

Ruby shook her head. "Forget the angels. It's Alistair that freaks me out."

"Alistair?"

"He made us jump through a window." Alex leaned around the corner. "I broke my ankle? Remember?"

"That was Alistair?"

"Yep." Alex left her crutches in the kitchen, carefully moving into the study. She sat down against the wall, running her thumbs along the ridges on her glass.

"He's practically the grand inquisitor of downstairs. Picasso with a razor."

Sam looked over at the demon. "And?"

"And you should be able to pull him out and throw him back down into the pit. If you weren't so out of shape."

"Ruby . . ."

"No, your abilities . . . you're getting flabby."

"Yeah, so how do I tone up?"

"You know how. You know what you got to do."

Alex took another sip of vodka. Sam shook his head. "No. I'm not going to do that anymore."

"Sam . . ."

"I said no."

"Well, then you better pray that Anna gets her groove back, or we're all dead."

Sam glanced over at Alex, and she met his gaze, blinking once. "Sorry," she admitted. "I don't actually remember any of this. I remember Anna."

"Remember?" Ruby looked down at the girl. "What do you mean, remember?"

"Nothing." Alex studied her glass, mentally cursing herself.

"Alex came from -"

"I said, nothing." Alex cut him off sharply. Sam took the hint.

Ruby studied both of them, but then gave up. "Whatever."

Sam turned back to his researching.

The back door opened an hour later. Dean and Anna soon entered the study. "Find anything?" Dean asked. He looked down at Alex, eyes narrowing.

She shrugged. "Vodka. Relax. I think it's absolutely nasty, but it helps with the pain."

Dean sighed, but turned back to Sam. "Well?"

"Union, Kentucky." Sam turned his laptop to show Dean. "Found some accounts of a local miracle."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. In '85, there was an empty field outside town. Six months later, there was a full grown oak. They say it looks a century old, at least."

"Anna," Dean turned to the fallen angel. "What do you think?"

"The grace. Where it hit, it could have done something like that, easy."

"So grace ground zero. It's not destruction, it . . ."

"Pure creation."

"Cool." Alex nodded appreciatively. She had to admit, she had never known that.

"So. Union, Kentucky." Dean let out a breath. "We'll, uh . . . we'll leave in the morning, okay? Unlike you guys, I'm still human. I need sleep."

Alex smiled. "Same here."

"We'll leave tomorrow morning." Dean promptly collapsed on the couch. "I'm done driving."

"Never thought I'd hear that from you. But I'm off to bed as well." Alex glanced at the clock. It was past midnight. "Hey, uh, Anna, can you pass me my crutches?" When the angel did so, Alex slowly made her way upstairs. With the help of the vodka, she was quick to fall asleep.

...

...

Next chapter will be up tomorrow!

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