AN: Merry Christmas, everyone!

When Sam and Dean arrived at the motel, the group told them their story.

"So what exactly did you to make those two come after you?" Dean asked, once they were finished.

"I committed the horrible of crime of trying to stay neutral." The angel they had saved, Muriel, answered.

"Neural?" Sam asked.

"It's as you feared," Castiel spoke up, "Not only is there another faction, being lead by the anarchist, Malachi, but he and Bartholomew are in a blood a blood feud."

" And apparently this guy was psycho before the fall." Kevin added.

"It's madness." Muriel continued, wrapping the jacket she was still wearing closer around her, "Each side is rounding up those like me. Angels are being tortured and killed if they don't pledge loyalty."

Cas sighed. "It's worst than we thought. Much worst."

"Gee, ya think?!" Dean sarnked, rubbing his face wearily.

"Each side wants to crush each other, overthrow Metatron, and rule Heaven," Muriel said "And...Heaven under either of them would be..."

"Hell." Hael finished.

Everyone exchanged tense looks.

At last Kevin asked what everyone was thinking. "So, where do we go from here?"

"Well, the first thing we need to do is to set you up somewhere else." Dean said, "We don't want Malachi to come back look for revenge." Then she turned to Muriel, "You, would you mind staying a little longer so we can ask you a few more questions?"

"It's not like I have anywhere else to go." Muriel replied.

After some searching and debate, they found a motel a town over the looked like it would do the trick. After they covered it with about fifteen different kinds of warding they ushered the group inside.

"Okay," Dean said, "Same rules at last time. Don't leave the room, keep your heads down and try not to die. Cas, can we see you outside for a moment?"

The three walked outside, leaving Kevin and Hael alone. "Are you mad at me?" Kevin asked. Hael hadn't spoke to him since they saved Muriel.

"Yes," Hael said, turning away from him.

"Okay," Kevin said slowly, "Why?"

"Because you followed us out there after I told you to stay in the room." Hael snapped, folding her arms.

"And I should have just let them kill you?" Kevin responded.

"It's better than you being dead!" Hael exclaimed.

"Why?" Kevin demanded, "Because you're suppose to protect me?!"

"Because I don't know what I'd do if I lost you!" Hael screamed.

Kevin was silent for a minute, just staring at her. At last he asked, "What?"

Now it was Hael's turn to be silent, bowing her head. "I shouldn't have said that."

"Yeah, well, you did, so could be elaborate?" Kevin asked.

Hael took a deep breath, then exhaled. "I don't really understand my feelings for you," She said finally, "But I know that if you were gone, I'd want to go, too."

"Alright, before this goes any further, there's something I have to tell you." Kevin said.

Hael swallowed. She had a feeling she wouldn't like where this was going. "What?"

"That level of devotion is extremely unhealthy." Kevin told her, "If anything did happen to me I would want you to go on and live a full, happy life, you understand?"

Hael nodded.

"I need to hear it." Kevin said. He needed to know she wouldn't hurt herself.

"I understand." Hael replied.

"Now, you remember what you asked last night?" Kevin asked, "What would I say if you told me you had feelings for me, which is what you appear to be telling me, please correct me if I'm wrong."

Hael didn't reply.

"Well, I would say, I think I feel the same way about you." Kevin said.

Hael's face suddenly lit up. "Really?"

"Really." Kevin confirmed. The he leaned in closer to the female angel, until his lips were gently touching hers. After a moment he moved back "Was it alright?" He asked, realizing what he had just done, "T-That I did that?"

"Yes." Hael replied, "What...what was it?"

Kevin paused again, think of how to explain it to her. "It's a...it was a kiss, Hael. You give it to people you like a lot and maybe even love."

Love. The word rang through Hael's head, terrifying her and thrilling her at the same time. "I don't think we should tell anyone yet." She said, "About us."

Kevin smiled. "Okay."

Just then the door opened and Cas stepped in. They pair quickly distanced themselves. "Hey," Kevin said, "So what did the guys want to talk to you about?"

"They just thought maybe I should sit out on this one." Cas explained, putting air quotes around the last part of the sentence, "I told them no."

Hael and Kevin exchanged looks. Then they turned to Cas. "Did you tell them about what happened in the motel?" Hael asked.

"They already know what happened." Cas replied, "We spent a whole hour explaining it to them."

"But we sort of skimmed over the part when Malachi recognized you." Hael reminded him.

"We don't for sure that he did." Cas said, "He never actually said my name."

"But he wanted to take you, too." Hael reminded him, "It's a pretty good assumption."

"Still nothing we need to worry them with." Cas said, walking off, signaling that at least in his mind the matter was closed.

After dropping those three off, Sam and Dean took Muriel back to the bunker to continuing questioning her. However it appeared that she had gave them all the information she knew.

"I'm sorry," She said, after about an hour or so, "I really wish I could give you more.

"It's alright," Sam said, "You gave us a lot."

"Why do you want to know all this?" Muriel asked.

"Because we're going to try to do something about it." Sam replied, "Put these guys out of business before they do any more damage."

"Now's that's something I could get behind." Muriel said.

Just them Sam felt someone calling him. "I think I'm being summoned."

"What?" Dean responded, "Now?"

"It's not like we're really doing anything." Sam pointed out, "Could you take care of her?"

"Sure." Dean agreed.

"What's going on?" Muriel asked.

"You know how we say we were going to put all the factions out of business?" Dean asked, "Well, part of that involved putting him undercover in Metatron's organization."

"Then why haven't you killed him, yet?" Muriel asked.

"That's a-" Dean began, "That's actually a good question." He looked over to Sam for an explanation.

"I'm sorry, I've been a little bust trying to prevent two different assianations." Sam replied.

"Good point," Dean admitted, "But tell you what, in case he's figured that out and this is an ambush, take a blade with you, okay?"

Sam grabbed one from the table and he took off.

This time the meeting place was in an abandoned factory. When Sam entered Metatron was already there.

"Figured there wasn't a chance of us getting spied on here." The evil angel explained, "Speaking of which, have you heard anything from Gadreel?"

"No." Sam lied, "I'm sure he'll come through. It's just a long way to Missouri."

Metatron seemed to pounder this a moment. "I don't need him yet, anyway." He said, then turned his attention back to Sam, "But there is something I want to show you."