"Grace?" the blonde woman's eyes had glazed over, "Castiel, what's going on?" Hannah inquired, Castiel knew she had a way to tune into angel radio, and he assumed this was when it happened.

"Patience Hannah, she's tuned in."

"Tuned in? to Angel Radio?" Hannah turned her attention back to where Grace sat, "Does she often speak when this happens?"

"On occasion. But let's be quiet." Hannah was starting to wonder if the woman was in fact an oracle.

'these are dangerous times. You must be careful what you say. you never know who might be listening.'

'I said nothing.'

'oh, you said plenty. Apparently, you felt the need to discuss your relationship with Metatron—his strategies...'

'No.'

'Privileged information. You speak that freely, and there are consequences, as you're about to find out.' There was silence on the line for a moment,

"Is she an oracle?"

"No, Hannah, she is not. We would have known if she were."

"So then what is she?"

"I have no idea, but Metatron called her by a different name before."

"A different name?"

"Yes, I believe he called her…Avarin?" while the two angels conversed, Grace was homed in on the angels conversation.

"Is that him?"

"It is."

"That's my cue. Stay with Grace, I have to go greet our guest." Castiel left the room to meet their newly acquired Metatron follower.

The door opened, revealing the Winchester brothers just as they were about to knock on the door, "If you'll follow me, the commander's will see you now."

"The commander's?" Dean mouthed behind the angels back as the angel led them into the bull pen both brothers were ambushed by quite a formidable force.

"SAM, DEAN!" Grace launched herself at them, both caught her with a firm grip,

"Hey, Short stack." She rolled her eyes at Dean as she turned to Sam.

"Hey, Grace." The blonde smiled, "I've got it from here, Ben. Dismissed." She grinned at the angel, who just walked away with a sheepish smile.

"Benjamin's a big softy, Cas is upstairs in his office." She pointed at the trench coat clad angel as she led them up the stairs.

"Cas, Visitors." Cas turned, and Grace hadn't seen such a friendly smile on his face in a while as he hugged it out with the guys.

"Grace can be a little stuffy." It was odd to hear the angel joke, but Grace just rolled her eyes, "Says you. I think I'm adorable."

"That's my line." Dean chides, smiling at his sister. "So…commander's? both of you?"

"Grace is technically my second in command…none of this was my idea. They had no leader and insisted on the two of us."

"Yeah. no, we get it. You guys are rock stars."

"No one beats Zeppelin."

"Damn right." Dean clapped Grace on the back, "Bartholomew is dead. Malachi was murdered by Gadreel, and with Metatron as powerful as he is now I needed to do something."

"So this war between angels is really gonna happen, huh?"

"Not if we can find a diplomatic option, no. Metatron is running a dictatorship from Heaven, letting in only the chosen few he deems "Worthy" It's like Hitler and his whole Arian race. Wipe out those who are unworthy and rebuild the society the way he believes it should be, with him as, you guessed it, the new God."

Sam looked mildly impressed "Someone paid attention in school." Dean scoffed, "Yeah, good luck with your diplomacy"

"Dean, this Angel-on-Angel violence—it has to end. Someone has to say, "Enough.""

"And that someone is you?"

"That brings us to why you two are here." Grace tried to break the tension as she sat on Cas' desk, legs crossed at the ankles,

"We have a prisoner. It's an Angel from Metatron's inner circle. I need—we need to know what they're planning, but so far, he's revealed nothing."

"So, you're done with the rough stuff, and you want us to be your goons?"

"You two have had success with this before, Dean. Crowley for example."

"If you don't want to do it, I understand"

"Who says I don't wanna do it?"

"You're wasting your time, I have nothing to say."

"We disagree." Dean circled him like a hungry wolf, ready to devour it's prey, Angel blade in hand.

"There's no use torturing me. I'm a trained commando. It won't work."

"Wow. Well, you just asked me to dance."

"Dean!"

"Dean!" his siblings' voices startled him back to reality, Why grace had insisted on coming down for the "Interrogation" he'd never understand.

"He won't be telling us anything dead. Besides, you know, I'm—I'm really starting to realize that he probably doesn't know anything. He was probably just pretending at the bar." Grace catching onto what Sam was doing, nodded her head in agreement,

"Sam's right. Dudes probably just a nobody. Running his mouth for street cred. I mean, do the math.

"Ezra here is one of Metatron's elite posse? Really? One of Metatron's most trusted is, uh—is hanging out at bars, blabbing about the boss. Does that make any sense?"

"Well, only if Metatron is purposely surrounding himself with losers. Yeah."

"Exactly! Right?"

"What's this guy even doing here?"

"He's a wannabe." The Winchester siblings just kept bashing the angel, ignoring that he was sitting right there,

"I mean if he was a key player, like he wants us to believe he is, he would be up in heaven with Metatron where all the action is."

"Exactly."

"What if I'm a decoy?" the three turned to look at the angel in question now, "Or in deep cover?" Sam and Grace laughed.

"Uh, It-it's pathetic."

"Mm, probably hasn't been to heaven, not since the fall."

"Of course not." Ezra scoffed, clearly offended by the little credit he was receiving, "Yes, I have" Grace rolled her eyes,

"Buddy, the gates are sealed. No one can get in."

"Who said anything about gates? You don't need gates when you have a private portal." So that's how they were coming and going? They were finally getting somewhere. All three scoffed, "right. If there was a doorway on earth, the angels would have sensed it."

"Yeah, you can't hide something like that."

"No."

"You can if it moves around from place to place, if it's wherever the boss wants it to be."

"I see. I got it. So, you heard a rumor about Metatron's "Secret portal," and you decided to run with it."

"It's not a rumor. He showed me." Grace laughed, "Wow…you're a fan."

"You're a fan?

"A fan, yeah." They could all see that Ezra was getting really annoyed with the taunting.

"Just 'cause you're hot for Metatron…or Bieber…or Beckham…just 'cause you know everything about them doesn't mean you actually know them."

"Or that they even know you exist."

"Ooh, that's cold, Sammy."

"I'm just sayin, man" Grace let the boys take it from there, hanging back by the door.

"I was interviewed personally by Metatron for a key post."

"Yeah? Oh, wow. Well, then—then maybe you can tell me why you weren't at your key post and you were hanging down here instead." Ezra looked uncomfortable as Dean stared him down,

"Mm. now, that blows. He got passed over."

"Yeah."

"I was a finalist."

"Oh, man. To get so close and then get kicked down the stairs. It sucks to be you."

"Hardly anybody was chosen! And ground forces is still a very important assignment. It was an honor to have even been considered for the squad."

What "Squad"? there is no squad."

"Yeah, says you. It's a highly guarded secret."

"Oh."

"And what would you be doing, exactly?" when they got no response, Grace knew he had figured out he'd been duped, and by a group of humans no less.

"Wait a second. Just, please, uh…Clarify this for me. You desperately wanted this job, but you didn't know what it was?"

"Well, until you were chosen, the exact nature of the mission was kept a secret."

"Wow…"

"And… hardly anyone was chosen." Then it finally dawned on him he was not trusted by Metatron at all, he really was a decoy.

"It's unbelievable. I mean, he was fine when we left him."

"I barely touched the guy."

"Its true, Cas. I watched them." Castiel looked uncertain, but he trusted Grace, knew she wasn't lying.

"Still shackled, no weapon. It wasn't suicide."

"No. this was an angel kill." The three siblings shared a look, "Okay. Well, I'm just gonna say it. Maybe your operations been hacked. You know, Metatron's got somebody on the inside."

"I was sure everyone here was loyal. Finally united by a common cause."

"Well, that's the problem. See, you don't think anybody is lying. I think everybody's lying." Both Cas and Grace flashed Dean a sideways glance.

"It's a gift."

"You wanna know what else is a gift, Dean?" Green eyes fell on her as she pulled something from the top eft desk drawer, the unpleasant sound of a piece of duct tape being torn off made him flinch.

"Duct tape, Dean. It's a special gift for when you just don't know when to shut up…" she smacked it over his mouth, the eldest sibling flashing the youngest a 'bitch' face, Sam bit back laughter, and Cas smiled appreciatively. Dean turned his look on his angelic friend.

"She has a point."

"Thank you for coming." Castiel had told grace to stay a safe distance away, she was only to intervene should he try something.

"And thank you for coming alone."

"I've seen you through Sam Winchester's eyes, and he trusts you. You have a reputation for honor."

"In some circles. As for Reputations, yours precedes you."

"What happened in the garden was not my doing. I did not cause your lady friend to fall."

"I know you feel misunderstood and you're eager to redeem yourself and maybe more." Grace watched the exchange from a distance.

"You refer to my support of Metatron's campaign to rebuild heaven?"

"Your support? You've recruited for him, you've killed for him. And I know you truly believe it's for the greater good, but you've placed your faith in the wrong master."

"You don't know him."

"I know him too well, Gadreel! I made the same mistakes and it led to the fall."

"Which led to my second chance." Grace finally stepped forward, trying to ease the tension, "Castiel." Her voice was soft but firm, Gadreel's eyes fell on her.

"This is about more than just you."

"She is here?" Grace did not waiver under his glare, "Gadreel, Please, Listen to us."

"Are you suggesting I change loyalties?" The blonde frowned at his choice of words, "I am suggesting you reclaim your original loyalty—to the heaven and mission we were made to serve."

"I thought that was exactly what I was doing."

"SILENCE!" both angels turned their attention onto Grace, who's eyes had flashed a deep gold color, Castiel was surprised and Gadreel only seemed to grow sullener at the command.

"Wonderful, now that I have both of your attention's." her eyes faded back to blue, "Gadreel, as bad as you've had it, all those centuries locked away, it will be much worse under Metatron." The sound of crunching leaves fell heavily in the wooded area,

"Castiel!" someone had staged an ambush as two or three other angels sprinted from the brush, blades drawn, Castiel, Grace and Gadreel rounded, each taking one out with a blade of their own.

"Cas…" the angel looked pissed as he stabbed the last, his eyes were instantly on Gadreel.

"No, Cas. It wasn't him."

"How do you know?" she lightly tapped her head "Angel radio, remember?"

The three now stood in an alley way in some downtown factory district, the smell of soy and several other unknown things permeated the air.

"I had nothing to do with it. I never would have agreed to meet if I thought concealed assassins were going to try and attack you. I hope you know that." Gadreel looked hopeful, an odd expression on the forsaken angel to be sure.

"Why are you telling me this?

"Castiel…" His blue eyes drifted to hers, "Grace, wait in the car."

"Why?"

"Just wait in the car, please?"

"Not until you give me a reason."

"Even though you and I are on opposite sides in this situation, I believe there must be honor, even in matters of war."

"But what happened—doesn't it prove my point about Metatron. Grace, Get in the car."

"No!" the youngest of the Winchesters was incredibly stubborn, he sighed and turned back to Gadreel, "You met with us in good faith, but he lied, and he used you to get at me, and he put her life in danger."

"Castiel—"

"Just as poor judgment undid you all those centuries ago, your mistaken trust in Metatron will bring you down again"

"I gave him my word. Do you expect me to come make war on him?"

"No. Not at all. I want you to stay right where you are. Just give me reports on what Metatron is planning and when he will strike."

"And the honor we were speaking of?"

"Obviously, Metatron has someone inside my camp. It's how he knew we were meeting. Just fighting fire with fire"

"Gadreel, please. Consider our offer?" the other angel looked towards Grace, conflict brewing in his eyes.

"Grace." She stopped as Castiel got into the car. "What is it, Gadreel?"

"You are important, please, be careful." She smiled "We've got this, Gadreel. I'll be just fine. Take care of yourself, all right?" she quickly climbed into the car, leaving the angel in the alley way.

As they drove down the highway back to HQ she zoned out "Dean…" Castiels eyes drifted over for a moment,

"What about Dean?"

"A boy and his blade and still not match for the new queen."

"Grace, what are you seeing?" he kept his eyes on the road, looking over every so often "Dean's got the blade again, he's gone after Abaddon." As the scene played out in her head she saw Dean run the red head through.

"Abaddon is dead…" she saw the blood spray up onto her older brothers face, the anger etched on his features as he stabbed once, twice, three times… "Cas…" the angel pulled the car over on the shoulder.

"Grace? What did you see?"

"Deans losing himself, Cas. He's teetering on the edge, Cain warned him this would happen."

"Dean is one of the strongest men I know. And you Winchesters always bounce back. He'll be fine, have faith."

"Faith, Cas? Faith is something we are in short supply of right now. The angel's are at War, Dean just killed Abaddon…and me…Cas I'm one of the biggest puzzles right now. I'm supposedly some big player in all of this but I don't even know my role other than helping you win this thing."

Castiel was unsure how to respond "You're afraid?"

"I'm terrified, Cas. What if who Metatron claims I am isn't one of the good guys? He seemed to know an awful lot about who this "Avarin" woman was. What if I die before I'm of any use to you and the other angels? Or to my brothers? To this…war?"

"So you have doubts."

"Yes, Cas. I have a lot of doubts, My brother just killed a knight of Hell with no remorse, the Angels have fallen from heaven, we were betrayed today…We need to end this."

"I know we do, and we will, in time."

"How can you be so sure?" Suddenly he was inches from her face, she could smell the woodsy scent of the angel. "Faith is all I have right now, Grace. I have to believe that what we are doing is enough."

"I want to do the same, Cas, But I need time." The dark haired angel started the car again, pulling back onto the road.

"Time is something we do not have a lot of I'm afraid."

So. That's the end to ch. 20, I hope you all enjoyed, please leave reviews I love hearing from you! You guys are going to hate by the end of part one, but the next chapter has some big secrets revealed, but I'm not telling you anymore than that. do not hate me!