They managed to drag Fergus out of the room and close the door behind them, preventing the ex-demon from seeing the mirthful look on her eyes – and how on earth was it that a bound witch who couldn't so much lift a finger or mutter a word had nerve to look so smug? Must run in the family, Bobby thought darkly, remembering that Fergus himself used to act the same way every time when he and the boys had got him cornered. Good old times…

"What you mean, she's your mother?" he insisted. "That mother? Back from Scotland?" Bobby had hard time to connect the woman from some of Fergus dinner stories to the… woman… on the other room; but if it indeed was the same person, well, he had few words to say for her.

"Yes, I still have only one mother, darling", Fergus said with a voice that tried to sound suave but failed badly in it. "And if it's her age that baffles you, remember, that she IS a witch; they use their power to live longer than regular humans do…" He was horribly pale, and Bobby pretended to not feel just how tightly the-ex-demon hold on him, as if he was afraid to fall right through the floor if he dared to let go. Not that Bobby was planning to let go any time soon, either.

He turned to look at Anthony. "Why didn't you recognize her?"

The fallen shrugged, looking little nervous and more than little worried for his son's sake. "I only encountered her once, and like I told you, I was kinda drunk, and then she probably put something to my drink, and… So, no clear memories from that night."

Sam got a little disturbed expression over his face. "Put something to your drink…?" he repeated.

Anthony looked even more nervous. "Um, you see, I – I won't normally put effort on it, having a gender, I mean, and, er, I'm not big fan of those sort of intercourses, so I guess that what ever she gave to me had something to do with it…"

Dean had went little wide-eyed. "Dude, that sounds like you were date-raped!"

"It – well, I might be…? Not that there was a word for that, back then…"

"Or that anyone thought that man even could be raped", Aziraphale said testily and hugged his demon, who accepted with a little smile.

"I think that some people are still having a hard time to digest that nowadays", Sam said.

"Um, right… But, right now, should we concentrate to the current situation?" Anthony said, making a gesture towards his son. Bobby, who had already been trying to think up a way to ask just that without sounding a completely bastard, offered him a slight, relieved smile.

"Right", Sam admitted. "…Would probably be best to keep those to as far away from each other as possible."

Fergus bristled by that. "Excuse me, Moose? Are you planning to shun me out of this case? Think that I can't handle being near her, do you?" He hissed angrily; apparently Sam words, which the ex-demon could only take as a slight towards himself, had finally shaken him out of his stupor, which Bobby was grateful of even while the timing wasn't the best of all.

Sam lifted his hands up placatingly. "I'm just saying –"

"Saying what, exactly? Do I need to remind you that I'm the only one of us who actually knows that sly bitch? Are you really thinking that it's wise for you to face her without me there to call her out of her bullshit?"

"Yeah, because you were doing just a terrific job just a couple minutes ago…" Dean muttered, making Fergus whip his head towards him.

"I was taken by surprise! Don't you try to tell me that you wouldn't have reacted the same way, have it been you in the same situation?" he said with malicious voice.

"Well, I've had my encounters with long-lost relatives before, some of them who should have been dead for who knows how long, but never have I gone catatonic like you just did!" Dean growled back.

"I wasn't catatonic!"

"Dean, please", Sam said at the same time as Bobby turned Fergus back towards himself. "Fergus, let's talk about this –"

"What there's to talk about? I'm well now, so let's go back and make moth- make that woman to perform the spell so that we can get rid of her."

"And that really sounds that you're feeling just well…" Dean said, but either Fergus didn't hear it (which was doubtful) or just decided that it wouldn't help his case to rise to the bait again.

Anthony cleared his throat. "I wouldn't like to speak against you, son, but I too think that you should stay out of this one."

"Father –"

"She's your weakest spot, Fergus, and right now poking at those spots won't do you any good."

Fergus smirked sardonically. "Because I'm human now, right? That's what you're trying to say, isn't it. I hate to break this to you, father, but just because I no longer have my demon powers doesn't equal that I'm suddenly made of glass!"

Anthony crossed his arms over his chest. "And I hate to point this out to you, but we've all witnessed that you're not currently handling your feelings very well."

"It's all understandable, since you've lived so long without them, dear", Aziraphale added. "And even while you were still a demon, just mentioning your… mother… has always been enough to cause you great anxiety."

Fergus had only time to open his mouth to argument before Anthony step forward and pressed his hand gently on his shoulder. "You know that we're only worrying about your well-being because we love you."

Burn. Bobby knew that Fergus was still weak to any expressions of love, especially coming from his father. And as he'd anticipated, the ex-demon relented almost immediately, though he still looked displeased (and probably only prevented to showing his displeasure any clearer because of the audience – Bobby himself had once referred Fergus pouting face as "cute", and lived on canned beans a whole week after that before his apologies were declared sincere enough.).

"Fine", Fergus said with a leisure smirk and a voice that tried too hard to nonchalant and put his hand in his pockets, "if you've decided to be like this, I'll go; I had better things to do anyways than play family meeting with mommy dearest. Like prepare us something edible to eat." After saying that, he turned around and walked away.

They all watched after him. "Should we really let him be all alone right now?" Sam asked, putting in words what they all were thinking.

"Yeah; not that I think that he's hiding somewhere to cry his heart out, but company probably wouldn't do any harm…"

"I could go with Fergus", Castiel offered. "We all can probably agree that I'm the most useless one in what comes to interrogations…"

"Don't sell yourself short", Dean said firmly. "But maybe it's best that you stay with him." He smirked slyly. "Who knows, maybe he'll now teach you how to make that pie that should help you to catch my heart…"

Castiel blushed furiously. "Dean! Besides", he then added, with tiny grin, "I thought that I already had that handled pretty well?"

And then it was Dean's time to blush. "You-! Gah, maybe I shouldn't let you spent this much time with Crowley; I swear he's rubbing on you!"

"I don't know", Sam said with a teasing voice, "it might actually be a good thing if he does."

Dean coughed. "Fine, enough of that! Are we now ready to face the bitch?"

"In a moment", Bobby said, and turned to look at Bela, who was still with them, with a hard look in his eyes. "If I ever find out that you knew about their relation…"

Bela scoffed. "Honestly? Just how vile do you think that I am?"

"Are you sure you want to hear my answer to that?" Dean asked.

Bela glared at him before looking Bobby straight in the eyes. "I admit, that it wouldn't bother me too much to put any of you others in this situation", she said with steady voice, "But Fergus has been fair to me; even kind, in his own way, and in a situation where no-one was expecting it from him. So if I someday end up betraying him, it wouldn't be over something as trivial as this."

Bobby stared into her eyes searchingly before nodding. "I believe you."

"'If you end up betraying him'?" Dean cried out. "So you admit that it might be the case on one day?"

The demoness shrugged. "No-one knows the future, so I was trying to be as honest as possible. Take it or leave it."

"I take it", Bobby said quickly, before Dean had time to reply. "Now let's get this done…"


"Now where did you hide my son, gentlemen?" the witch said as soon as her gag was removed. "I swear he was with you last time… But what on earth has happened to him?" she continued with a fake astonishment. "I swear that was not how a expected him to grow up to look like…"

"You won't get to talk about him", Bobby growled, and then berated himself from the reaction; now need to give this woman any more cards than she already thought she had.

The witch blinked her eyes, looking innocent. "Testy, testy… What are you to him, exactly? His partner?"

"No your business."

The witch lifted her eyebrow. "As Fergus mother, I think it is my business with whom he spends his time with…"

Bobby barked a short laugh. "Mother? Giving yourself little too much credit here, aren't you?"

There was hand on his shoulder and then Sam stepped beside him. "What if Dean and I continue from this?" he said with little resigned voice. "Since it seems that this is being little too personal for you."

Of course Bobby's first thought was to tell the boy put down that attitude, but hadn't he just a moment before made Fergus to leave for exactly the same reason? So he just grunted and stepped aside, giving the boys room to work.

"So, witch –" Dean started, only to be interrupted by said person.

"My name's Rowena McLeod."

"Like I care."

She sighed. "So rude men… but what could one expect from a bunch of hunters? Hunters who have very strange associates", she added, looking at Anthony with a smirk. "Isn't that right, honey?"

The fallen took immediately a hesitant step back, and Aziraphale came to stand in front of him, severe look upon his face.

Rowena frowned. "And you… I don't recognize. Who are you, exactly?"

"I'm Aziraphale, a Principality and an angel of Lord", Az answered, and made that trick with his wings that Castiel had used so long time ago to prove his claim to Dean and Bobby.

"How… charming. And you, dearie – you must be a demon, right?" the witch said to Bela. "Interesting group – three hunters, a demon, a Fallen, and an angel… So what about my son and the man with a coat? Are they maybe a vampire and a werewolf?" she said with a wide eyes that fooled no-one.

"Like already said, that's not your business", Sam said sternly. "You were brought here for a reason: there's a spell we want you to translate for us."

One of Rowena's eyebrows was slightly lifted. "Is that so? Because there's easier ways to ask for a favor."

Dean grinned. "Who said anything about asking?"

Sam nodded. "We aren't planning to play games with you. If you do the spell, we'll let you go. If you decline, we'll let you here to rot and find another witch with little more common sense. Those are your options."

Rowena laughed. "You think you can keep me here? How long, exactly? I'm a witch; given time, I'll find my way out. And sooner or later, my Coven will come after you, too…"

Sam shook his head. "Cut the act. We know that you're part of no Coven, and even more, that the Grand Coven isn't happy with you. We've encountered a witch before that was sent by them to look for you – to kill you. Of course, back them we didn't know who it was that she was searching, but then Bela mentioned you and a connected the dots. NO-ONE's coming for you, Rowena."

She glared Sam with hatred before sneering at them. "If that's so, then what's the point to run? I can all as well stay right here…"

Dean huffed. "Locked in the basement with a collar on your neck to prevent you from using magic, and shackled up so that you can hardly move a finger? Yeah, I'm sure that you would be content to spend rest of your days like that…"

"Besides, when I said we would let you here to rot… well, I didn't said that you would need to be alive, did I?" Sam added.

Rowena was taking very deep breaths, her whole body going stiff of anger and and her neck and cheeks flushing with furious red. "You maggots…"

"And if you still think that you can wiggle your way out… Me and my brother aren't simply hunters. We're also Men of Letters; and I'm sure that we can find a ways to make your remaining time here very interesting indeed…"

Bobby had to admire Sam's poker face, even if it reminded him horribly how he had looked back when he was still without a soul and ready to even kill Bobby to prevent ever getting it back.

Bela sifted beside him. "He really has grown a lot, hasn't he? Oh, I've missed so much during my time in Hell…"

"No messing with him", Bobby warned her gravely.

Bela shrugged. "Just saying~" she sing-songed, concentrating once again to the show they were given.

Bobby shook his head; the demoness really acted very similarly as Fergus did, so much actually that if someone had told him that they really were father and daughter, he wouldn't have been all that surprised. He also knew that if she decided to go after Sam, may it be just for curiosity or to prove that she could, the poor boy would have no better changes against her than what he'd had with his own demon.

"So, how is it, Rowena?" Sam said to the witch. "Have you decided? …Or should we give you some more time to think?"

The witch's eyes were blazing like promising immediate demise to them all, before she took a breath, schooled her expression to much more calmer one, and said, "Well, then: bring me the spell to translate and we can began."

Dean frowned of suspicion and crossed his arms. "Just like that, huh?"

Rowena smiled serenely, as if she'd never been peeved in the first place. "Oh, but there's no way to argue with your logic, or is there? You won't let me go before I do as you say; so, the sooner I agree the sooner I get rid of this blasted collar, right?"

"Right", Sam drawled out.

The witch blinked her eyes innocently. "You don't trust to me?" she asked with a wavering voice.

"We aren't stupid", Dean shot back. "And what about you? Are you really ready to trust that we keep our word and really let you go after this is over?"

"I'm going to put my trust in that I'm having this conversation with men of honor", the witch replied. She looked way too calm and collected, and Bobby really wanted to punch that smug smile away from her face.

"Fine", Sam said with a stern nod. "Aziraphale, the grimoire, please? And you, Rowena… Remember, we're looking your every movement."


It actually didn't take all that long time from Rowena to give them a translation. Bobby read over Sam's shoulder while he skimmed it through.

"What do you think?" the younger hunter asked with a hushed voice.

"It seems plausible", Bobby admitted, "but then again, my understanding of spell's aren't very high. Maybe we should ask Fergus' opinion, first?"

"Not a bad idea."

"Yoohoo? Boys? Aren't you forgetting something?" Rowena called after them.

"Oh, right", Dean muttered, and walked back to the witch, putting the gag back to her mouth. "We'll release you after we've tested the spell. And if it doesn't work, well… Let's say that I would hate to be in your shoes if that happens!" He leered at the glaring witch. Then he followed Bobby and Sam out of the door. "Hey, what about you two? You're coming, too?" He asked from Anthony and Aziraphale.

"You should go, dear; I'll stay a bit", the angel said to his partner.

Anthony's face looked troubled. "Angel…"

"Do not be worried, my dear", Az assured him. "I'll just keep an eye on her to make sure that she won't get any ideas."

Bobby had his doubts that when the angel said "keep an eye on her" he actually meant "give her piece of my mind"; but since that was exactly what he wanted to do (and would, after they first got this spell-thing under control), he really couldn't criticize Aziraphale here, could he now?

So finally he said, "Fine, just… remember that she might still be useful for us", before dragging Anthony with them out of the door.


As soon as door was closed behind the other, Aziraphale walked in front of the witch; not that he actually wanted to be that close of such a vile thing, but he wanted to look her in the eyes while he gave her his speech. Rowena's chin tensed but she glared back with defiant.

"For a longest time, I've wanted to have a little chat with you", Az started, "to see, if there's even an inch of remorse in you for the atrocities you've committed against those who I hold dear. You see, I have been taught by my father that you should always forgive those who do a slight against you; that you should love the sinner and seek goodness from everyone. So, I promised to myself that if I ever met you, and if there was anything human enough in you to feel regret, I would forgive you."

He sighed. "But there isn't. You're nothing but an empty husk, moved only by your ambitiousness, your constant search for glory and recognition… Even if there once was a sad, lonely young woman inside your heart, screaming for love, she died a long time ago, and was buried under resentment, bitterness and hatred."

Aziraphale stepped back and said, now louder, "You're hardly even a human anymore, even less than few of those that you call demons who I've encountered. And so I only tell you this: Anthony and Fergus are dear to me, more than any other beings in the world – and you've hurt them both in a ways that can't be undone. In some deep, secret part of his heart Fergus will forever believe that he can't be loved, since even his own mother couldn't bother to do so, and Anthony will always feel guilty because he wasn't there for his son when he was young. I can't remove their pain or wash away the scars you left in them, but never will I allow you to hurt them again."

There was steel in his voice when he continued, and he knew that he was letting his true for to shine through the form he was wearing, because the witch's eyes were wide open and face as pale as dead ones. "So I promise you: If you scheme against them, or try to use them for your own gain… I'll kill you. No games, no second changes; you hurt them, and you'll die. Don't think that that's an empty threat; I've once took a stand against Lucifer, and you are nothing to compare."

Then he walked back to the other side of the room. "That's all I need you to know… witch." And nothing else was said before Castiel little later came to fetch him to the upstairs.