Chapter 10

Later that afternoon, when it was less likely for people to be visiting, Sam, Dean, and Skye went back to the hospital. They kept their guns in their pockets this time so that they didn't give anyone any reason for suspicion. Barely anyone walked through the halls, and anyone that did didn't recognize them. When someone, a staff member passed them, they hid behind a corner or in an empty room, just in case. There was a lot of security now, mainly because of them from the night before, and many rumours were circulating the city about three armed and dangerous murderers.

Dean broke into the file room while Sam and Skye kept watch. He stuck in a paperclip through the lock to wriggle the gears and open the door safely without much noise. Then he skimmed through the files and papers in the cabinets and on the desk. He was looking for a schedule of the nurses' night shifts. He had gone through everything and found nothing. He turned to walk out empty handed. There it was hanging on the wall by the door.

"Come on Dean, where's your head?"

His eyes followed the typed up lines of black ink. There she was. The nurse that had helped Dr. Riel; nurse Cassiel. That was also the name of an angel. Not a very well known angel, but still an angel. Unfortunately, they had just missed her shift. She'd be going home if not already there by this time. They were out of luck. Dean walked out of the room. Sam and Skye were waiting for his, hopefully, good news.

"So?"

"We missed her."

"What?"

"We missed her. Her shift ended a half hour ago."

"Damn it!"

Skye put a fist to her mouth while pacing to think of what they should do next.

"So what now?"

Skye stopped all movement and turned to Dean.

"We tail her. We get her back at her house. It shouldn't be that difficult. You got her file, right?"

"Sure. I could go back in and get it."

"Good. You do that. Well? Hurry!"

Dean ran back into the room and came out seconds later with a file folder. He opened it and searched the papers.

"Let's see…ah, here we go. Name, already know that, ID number, don't care, phone number… huh. I wonder if she's hot. Maybe I should take that just in case."

He paused, waiting to see if Skye would react to his idiotic behavior. She grunted and clenched her teeth.

"You're such a moron! Let me see that."

Skye pulled the crisp flat paper from Dean. She scanned the page.

"Room 2040 in number 25 on 10th Avenue. Great! Not only does she live in a busy part of the city on Madison Square, she lives in a busy apartment building where there are lots of witnesses so we can't pull any of our usual stunts or we'll get caught!"

"What part of the city isn't busy?"

Skye ignored Dean's remark and punched him in the shoulder instead.

"Ow! Why do you keep doing that to me?"

"Because. Now let's go."

They raced outside to the Impala and started the engine. After a short drive, they arrived at a building on 10th Avenue where they say woman that matched Skye's description of the nurse walking into the building. She acted friendly to the doorman, but they saw right past her disguise. They knew what she really was.

More and more people walked into the building after her. They each took a small handgun, but no more, and put them safely put them in their coats. Another electrical storm was brewing. Though they were glad it wasn't raining again. As they walked up to the door, Sam's head began to ache. He put a hand on his forehead. The doorman noticed and addressed him.

"Are you okay, son?"

Skye put a hand on Sam's shoulder. All six eyes glared at him. He removed his hand and spoke softly to the elderly gentleman.

"I'm fine, thanks. Just a headache."

"You might want to get that checked. It looks like it's going to be a doozy!"

"I'll be okay."

He brushed Skye's hand away and walked on through the revolving doors. Dean and Skye kept a close eye on him as they walked to the elevator. They could tell he wasn't feeling well, but couldn't do anything about. An older man with a black moustache and a brown suit was the only other person in the elevator besides them. He watched them closely with beady brown eyes as Skye pushed the button for the twentieth floor and closed the double doors. She noticed his stare and became uncomfortable.

"What floor would you like, sir?"

He answered in a deep voice that didn't match his lip movement.

"The twentieth floor."

"Oh. We're going there too. Do you live here?"

"Yes."

"Is it nice?"

"Yes."

It fell into an awkward silence. Then Dean disturbed it.

"Nice moustache. Wish I had one."

Skye nudged him hard in the side. He flinched and gave him an evil stare.

"Be nice."

She tried to whisper quiet enough so that the man didn't hear.

"What? Couldn't you picture me with a goatee?"

She rolled her eyes and Sam just smiled. The man still had no expression.

"Who are you", he asked sternly.

"Oh… we're um…"

Skye looked at Dean, wondering what to say. He helped her finish her statement.

"We're just visitors. Saying hi to an old friend, you know."

"Who are you visiting?"

Skye cut in this time in a rude yet polite way.

"I don't think that's any of your business."

The platform stopped moving and the double doors slid open. All four got out of the elevator and started walking down the hallway. Skye seemed so sure to Dean that she knew where she was going that he asked,

"How do you know which hall to take?"

She pointed to a sign with a bunch of numbers on it. It had an arrow pointing in the direction they were heading with numbers above it saying "room 2000- 2040".

"Oh. That makes sense."

"Thank you."

They continued all the way down the hall and stopped at the last room at the corner of the building. The man stopped there too.

"It seems you've come to see me."

Skye looked down at the piece of paper in her hand. It was the correct room number.

"I guess so. Do you have a wife?"

"Yes. My wife is Cassiel. You know her?"

"Yeah. I used to work with her. We went to school together and everything."

She put on a fake smile. The man looked at Sam and Dean.

"Who are they?"

"Friends. They're friends of mine that I've been road tripping with. We just came to the city for a bit of sightseeing and wanted to drop by."

He looked them over before unlocking the apartment room door. He entered with such confidence like he owned the place, which he did. He was trying to show off for his guests.

"Honey, you have visitors!"

A woman with jet back hair and pale blue eyes that reminded them of Raphael peered around the corner.

"Hello, Cassiel."

Skye stood tall with her hands in her pocket, fingering her gun, waiting for her answer.

"Oh my God! Skye Hunter? Oh it's so good to see you!"

The two women greeted each other with a hug. Their eyes flashed orange, only long enough for each other to see. The way they welcomed one another was so convincing and so unexpected for the men at the door. They all thought it really was an act and they didn't know each other.

"Long time no see, girlfriend! And this must be Sam and Dean Winchester that I've heard so much about!"

She seemed so enthusiastic as she shook the hands of the two brothers. They were confused.

"Really? You've heard about us? When?"

"Oh, Dean! Such a kidder! Anyway, come on in. I'll fetch you all a beer. How's that?"

"That would be great, thanks."

She walked away into the kitchen.

"Don't mind about your shoes darlings! Just come on in!"

Dean grabbed Skye's arm as she was headed for the living room.

"You know her?"

"No, but she knows us. Angels, along with demons get news passed around so quickly that they probably know everything about us. Just play along for the husband. He doesn't know anything. Follow my lead."

They walked into the living room where Cassiel's husband sat in a cozy brown chair by the fireplace. They sat on a large sofa that could seat four people. Cassiel walked in a few seconds later with a tray that held five beers, one for each of them. They were still in bottles, but the caps were taken off.

"This is my husband, Henry. He's a big time lawyer."

She handed out the bottles.

"Wow. That's great Henry. Good for you."

Henry looked at Sam and Dean with suspicion.

"What do they do?"

Dean answered first.

"I'm a cop."

"Where?"

Henry spoke flatly and quickly, trying to stump him.

"Bisbee, Arizona."

This was the same answer that he had told Rebecca, Sam's friend, back in St. Louis.

"Off duty?"

"Yeah."

"What about you?"

He looked at Sam who hadn't said anything all night. His head still hurt, but he tried to ignore it and focus on the conversation.

"I'm still in school."

"For what?"

"Law."

"What school?"

"Stratford."

"I went to Harvard."

Sam kept a fairly calm face while Henry bragged about how much better he was than Sam.

"Good for you."

He was slightly jealous that Henry got to do what he wanted and live a normal life while Sam had a dangerous job that he didn't want, no home, no family but Dean, and no Jessica.

"Henry, do you mind running to the grocery store and get something for our guests to munch on? It seems I forgot to go shopping."

"But the grocers is nine blocks from here and the car won't start!"

Cassiel stared at her husband harshly.

"Then you'd better get started."

Henry got up and left, regretting his decision to leave strangers alone in his house with his wife. When the door creaked shut Cassiel opened her real eyes, the flame-like ones to show them her true self.

"So, Skye, Sam, Dean, what do you plan on doing next? Send me to Hell? That would be a nice trip. I've never been there before."

Skye pulled out her gun from her pocket.

"There's always time to try something new."

"I guess so."

Cassiel threw the empty tray like a Frisbee. Skye ducked just in time to let the circular metal object crash into the wall. The boys now got out their guns. Before any could shoot at her, she disappeared. They looked around frantically.

"Where'd she go?"

They had no clue. Just then, the angel dropped down onto Skye. The two women wrestled on the floor, rolling about, throwing punches. Dean tried to separate them the best he could. He tugged on Cassiel's arm. She flung him backwards into the couch. It flipped back from his momentum.

Sam tried to keep out of the fight, though he knew he should have intervened. The voice in his head told him to stay as far away as possible. It also told him to run for it. It told him to get away from Skye and Dean. Sam began to listen to this voice. He stepped back a few paces, unable to turn away from watching the fight. He walked into the bedroom, by accident. The door slammed shut in front of him. He didn't close it and neither did the others. He jiggled the handle. It wouldn't budge.

"Dean!"

He called for his brother, but he was too distracted to hear him.

"Dean!"

Still no answer. His head pounded. The voice was back, but louder than ever.

"What are you still doing here? You're pathetic. You know that? Completely useless, just like your brother. He thinks of nothing but Skye. Doesn't he know that you were the one that's always been there for him, not her? Doesn't he know that you were the one that gave him permission to let her join you in the first place? Doesn't he trust you at all? Think back a bit. Since your dad's death he's been acting different, hasn't he? Not in the sense of coping with the loss, but hiding something from you. He's keeping secrets from you, Sam. He's lying to you."

Sam put his head in his hands. The voice was overpowering everything. It made him feel weak. It was draining his energy.

"Who are you?"

Sam asked this out loud, the only way he could communicate with this voice.

"I'm you, Sam. I'm your conscience."

"No you're not! I've had a conscience for years and you've never come to me."

"That's because you've never needed me. Now is the time in your life where you need to put your foot down. Stop dealing with the crap you've had to live with your whole life. Get rid of the waste you don't need… Dean."

"No! Dean's my brother. He's my family. I'm not going to kill him. I can't!"

"Oh, but you can. Anytime you want to, you can. It's up to you, Sam. It's your decision."

"I don't want to!"

"Yes. You must! He's infecting your life, Sam. He's holding you back when you could be free. He's poison! Get rid of him!"

"No! You're the poison! Get out of my head!"

A drop of red liquid dripped from Sam's nose. It was bleeding. It was blood from his brain. He could feel it. The voice was messing with his brain, damaging it. It was trying to make him think the way it thought. Sam tried to avoid it or ignore it. It didn't help. The voice grew louder, echoing in his mind.

"Leave me alone!"

Sam's anger built up toward the voice, his supposed conscience.

"Listen to me… me… me. We can kill them… them… them. We can, together, bring you what you've always wanted… wanted… wanted. To be normal… normal… normal."

Sam paused. He longed so much to be normal, and now he was offered the choice to be normal. Whatever it took, he would do it. He had never thought this way before, but the temptation was too great. The voice said more to him. It told him instructions. When the time was right, Sam knew what to do. When the time was right… Sam would murder his brother.