I sighed as I woke up, staring around me sourly. Outside my bedroom door I could faintly hear Sam and Dean making their way down the hall, whispering as they went. I could only imagine what they were whispering about.

It was July twenty-second; my birthday. I had caught Sam and Dean sending each other evil grins over the past couple of weeks, and each time I walked into Dean's room while he was talking to someone on the phone he would flip it shut hurriedly. I assumed that he had been making plans with Cas. I had no idea what the three of them were up to, but judging by the growing excitement in them as the date grew closer, I wasn't sure I wanted to know. I was highly considering just hiding in my room all day.

I didn't get that option. Before long Cas appeared, blue eyes shining and a wide grin on his face.

"Happy birthday," he greeted me. His voice was light and playful, and I scowled.

"I don't suppose I can convince you three to stop whatever you're planning?" I asked.

Cas shook his head. "Nope."

He stepped forward and scooped me up in his arms, ignoring my squeal of protest. "What are you doing?" I asked.

Cas smirked. "You won't get out of bed otherwise," he guessed. I scowled; he really did know me too well.

Cas carried me to the dining room, setting me as gently as he could in a chair. A moment later Sam and Dean appeared, carrying in a plate heaped with eggs, bacon, and toast.

"Happy birthday!" they chorused. They set the food, along with a cup of coffee, in front of me, and I couldn't resist a small smile.

"Thanks," I muttered.

Ok, they made breakfast; not bad so far. Hopefully they didn't do anything else.

"So." Sam sat across from me, watching me happily. "What do you want to do today?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Don't we have stuff going on?" I asked. Had they forgotten about the Grace Crisis?

"It can wait," Dean stated. "Today's about you."

I rolled my eyes. "Joy," I said sarcastically.

All three boys laughed. They continued to stare at me as I ate, waiting for me to name what I wanted.

"Alright," I shouted. "I'm trying to eat here, and you three are staring at me! Do something else!"

Again I was met with a chorus of laughs, but they obligingly stood and began to do other things. At least Sam and Dean did, moving into the kitchen to make themselves some breakfast. Cas remained sitting beside me, watching me with those big blue eyes of his.

"What's wrong?" he asked. I glanced over, only to see worry coating his face as he examined me. "Something's troubling you."

I shook my head. "It's nothing," I told him. "I'm just worried about the whole Grace Crisis thing."

Cas shook his head. "There's something else," he stated.

I sighed, knowing he wasn't likely to leave things alone. Still, I didn't want to tell him. I wanted to enjoy one day, especially my birthday, not spend it worrying about what it signified. I knew once I brought up the topic, there was no going back. It would be real, and we would both know it.

"You miss your family," Cas guessed. I nodded, avoiding his gaze as I poked at my eggs.

"That's part of it," I admitted. I hadn't really thought about my family that day; with a shock I realized I hadn't thought about them in a while. I couldn't help but feel guilty at the thought, but I shoved it out of my mind. One problem at a time.

"There's something else," I told him. I forced myself to meet Cas's gaze, watching the worry spread through his eyes.

"What is it?" he asked. His hand came up to stroke my cheek, gently, almost reverently, and I caught it with my own hand. How reverent would his touch be when my face was covered in wrinkles?

"I'm going to get old," I told him. "I'm going to get old and die, and you are going to stay exactly how you are. How are we supposed to work past that? How are you supposed to love me when I'm all wrinkled, when I look old enough to be your mother? Your grandmother? When I can't even remember who you are?"

I choked to a stop, pulling away before Cas could see the tears in my eyes. I stood and stalked off, wiping roughly at my face. I couldn't cry. Not now. It was my birthday. I deserved one damn day of peace!

I didn't hear Cas come up behind me; I didn't realize he was there until he pulled me into his arms. I turned towards him, burying my face in his chest as his hands came up to stroke my back.

"I will always love you," he murmured into my ear. "No matter what you look like. We will find a way Lucy, I promise."

I froze, Cas's words echoing through my head. He loved me? That's what I heard, right? That he loved me?

Yep, that was it. Suddenly I felt shaky, and I began to tremble against Cas. Worriedly he pulled back slightly to look at my face.

"Lucy?" he asked.

I kissed him. Hard, and with a half strangled passion. He responded immediately, and my fingers came up to wind through his hair. A moment later he pressed me against the wall, his hands on either side of my head, and I heard him moan softly against my mouth.

Someone cleared their throat.

Dean was setting down breakfast for himself and Sam, dubiously ignoring Cas and I. Sam however was making no attempt to give us privacy, leaning in the doorway with a humongous grin on his face.

"Shut up," I ordered.

Sam smirked as he took a seat. "I never said anything," he reminded me.

I ignored him, brushing the last of my tears from my face. In no way was I feeling better about the situation Cas and I were in, but at the same time- he loved me. The thought put a happy glow over my mind, chasing away everything else for the time being. Cas loved me. Somehow, with that knowledge, I couldn't help but believe what he'd said about us figuring out a solution.

He still watched me worriedly as I ate, but we both pushed our conversation to the backs of our minds. Sam and Dean didn't know, and they were intent on making my birthday a happy occasion. I didn't want to spoil that for them.

As soon as I finished eating they all but shoved me at the shower, and for once I wasn't yelled at to get out before all the hot water was gone. I dressed quickly, pulling on a tank top and jeans. I kept my eye makeup simple, but used the lipstick Sam had given me, then met the boys in the living room. Cas grabbed my hand and dragged me to the impala.

"Ok," I demanded. "Where are we going?"

Each gave me smirks, but didn't say a word, and I sighed.

We went to a bowling alley in town, where they had reserved a lane for the day. Dean went to get us shoes, and Sam turned to me with a big grin.

"You used to do this with your family, right?" he asked. I nodded mutely, tears in my eyes. As Dean came back I launched myself at the three of them, enveloping them in a hug that had them stumbling back. Dean dropped the shoes, but his arm came up to hug me back, as did Cas on my other side. Sam, trapped in the middle, could only lean his head against mine. After a minute I broke away, wiping at my eyes.

"Right then," I said. "Do you three want bumpers?"

Dean snorted. "Yeah right," he said. "Let's do this."

I laughed and grabbed a ball, hurling it down the lane. To my astonishment it curved left, falling right into the gutters.

"Maybe you should get bumpers," Cas suggested.

"Shut up."

To my relief, none of us were very good at bowling. We played two games, rolling more gutter balls than anything. We eventually moved to the game area at the back of the bowling alley, and I creamed Cas at air hockey.

"Lucy! Cas!" Sam waved at us from the bumper cars arena, and I grinned and grabbed Cas's hand. We spent several minutes there, squealing in delight as we rammed into each other. Dean won at guitar hero, and Sam got a bunch of tickets at Deal or No Deal. Combined with several other games, we ended up with a several long lengths of tickets, which we used to buy one very large teddy bear.

"For you," Cas declared. He handed me the teddy bear, which was big enough that my face was lost in its fur, and I laughed.

"Thank you," I said. I got a mouth full of fur, and the boys all laughed as I made a face.

We sat at the table near our bowling lane, and I dangled my legs over Cas's lap, cuddling the teddy bear to my chest. It may have been obnoxiously big and fluffy, but it was also adorable and soft.

Sam wandered off, conversing with the manager, and the man nodded and disappeared into a back room. I glared at Sam as he returned, a smug smile on his face.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"You'll see," he told me.

A minute later the manager reappeared, the rest of his employees forming a long line behind him. In his hands was a very large ice cream cake, with three candles lit in the center. The larger two spelled out 18, and the third was just a simple wax stick.

"One for good luck," Cas whispered in my ear.

The bowling alley filled with the sounds of Happy Birthday, and I resisted the urge to hide behind my teddy bear as everyone in the place began to sing. As if sensing my humility, Dean pulled away the bear, and I scowled. He scowled back, still singing, and I saw a gleam in his eyes.

Everyone cheered as I blew out the candles, and I was about to start pulling them out when the little wax one burst into flames again. I blew again, but a few moments later it only reignited.

"Seriously?" I turned to the boys. "A trick candle? Who did that?"

Sam raised his hand, chortling, and I resisted the urge to chuck one of the number candles at him. Someone brought a cup of water, and I hurriedly dumped the trick candle into it. One of the employees stepped forward with a cake knife, dealing out four plates of cake.

"Here." Sam handed me a paper wrapped package, and I tore into it. "Happy birthday."

It was a book, leather bound and old, yet still in good shape. I flipped open the cover, my fingers shaking. I recognized the book immediately. Sure enough, the front page was filled with John Winchester's handwriting.

"We don't really use it much anymore," Sam told me. "And I've seen you eyeing it. I thought you might like to have it."

I stared at him, tears in my eyes. "Sam- I- thank you." I stood and wrapped my arms around him, and Sam happily returned the hug.

"You like it then?" he asked. "Dean thought you might not."

I rolled my eyes. "I love it," I told him. This was their father's journal. The old journal that they carried with them everywhere. Despite Sam's words, I knew that they still used the old book quite a bit. Yet they were passing it on to me; their most prized possession. The gesture made me more of a Winchester than any sort of official document.

Dean handed me his own present. "Well now I'm not too sure about this," he told me. I frowned and tore open the package, staring at the i-pod inside.

"It's got all your favorite songs," Dean told me. "For when you want to feel normal."

I blinked back fresh tears as my eyes met his, recalling all the moments when I would go to hide in my room. Times when the stress of the Grace Crisis had been too much, and I'd fled for an hour or two. When either Sam, Dean, or Cas had come in to check on me, they'd often found me humming songs to myself.

I hugged Dean just as hard as I'd hugged Sam, and Dean squeezed me to him.

"Happy birthday baby sister," he whispered.

I had to wipe away tears as I sat down again. Cas handed me his present nervously, and I tore open the packaging. Inside was a small black box, and I opened it to reveal a necklace. Silver and shining in the light of the bowling alley, the angel was studded with tiny rubies. I decided not to ask how Cas had gotten it, letting out a laugh.

"What?" asked Sam. "What is it?"

I giggled and showed him and Dean the necklace, and they both chuckled. I turned to Cas, who was watching me nervously.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

I nodded. "Very fitting," I told him. I gently pulled the necklace from the box, handing it to him and turning it away. "Put it on me," I told him.

He did, grinning, and I fingered the necklace where it hung at the base of my throat. I turned back to Cas, noting how his eyes were shining happily.

"Thank you," I told him. Cas nodded, pulling me to him in a quick kiss.

"Castiel, no one wants to see that."

We all whirled as Crowley sauntered up to the table, hands in his pockets. Immediately we were on our feet, and I rolled my eyes as the boys put themselves between me and the demon.

"Way to be subtle," I muttered. I glanced around, but by now the inhabitants of the bowling alley had returned to their own games, and weren't paying us any attention.

Sam, Dean, Cas, and Crowley ignored me.

"What are you doing here?" Dean growled.

"Looking for you," Crowley said. "I've been trying to call you all day; check your messages!"

All three boys scowled.

"We turned them off," Sam stated. "Which means we don't want to talk to you."

"Clearly." Crowley leaned to the side to look at me. "Happy birthday Lucy."

I stiffened. "How do you know it's my birthday?" I asked. "And how do you know my name?"

Crowley rolled his eyes. "It's on the cake," he reminded me. "I thought you were the smart one."

I gritted my teeth, resisting the urge to start yelling at the demon. That would definitely draw attention to us.

"Crowley," Cas growled. "What. Do. You. Want?"

Crowley sighed. "We need to talk," he said. "It's about my investigation over your dead relatives." He stuck his thumb towards Cas.

"What did you find out?" asked Dean.

Crowley shot him a quick glare. "You really want to talk about this here?" When none of us responded Crowley sighed and continued. "The demon I was interrogating is dead," he told us.

"Did you kill him?" asked Sam. "What did you find out?"

"I didn't find out anything," Crowley told us. "And I didn't kill him. Someone else did."

"Who?"

Crowley shrugged at Dean's question. "I don't know. No one had access to him but me, and I only told my most trusted officials that he was even there."

I raised an eyebrow. "Trusted officials?" I asked him. "Seriously? You're all demons!"

"And I'm the bloody king," Crowley snapped.

"Not for long if you don't figure out who offed our one source of information," Dean growled. "Dammit Crowley!"

The demon king rolled his eyes. "They're loyal to me!"

"Who knew?" I asked. Crowley pursed his lips, debating what to tell me, and I sighed. "Crowley!"

"Not many," he told me. "Nathaniel, my mother, Valer-"

"Hold up, your mother?"

Crowley nodded, shifting. "Yes," he told me. "My mother has been staying with me. She's a-"

"Yeah, I know who she is," I snapped. I turned to the boys. "I know who betrayed Crowley."

Crowley blinked rapidly. "My mother?" he asked. "You're kidding me! She's been vital to me since she arrived; she's identified several other weaknesses in my department!"

"And you killed them, right?" I asked. "Demons who you thought were loyal to you, but your mother convinced you weren't? The same mother who abandoned you as a child?"

Crowley frowned. "But-"

"Crowley." I stepped forward, ignoring how Cas tried to draw me behind him again. "I'm sorry. Really, I am. But she's not loyal to you. She's waiting for a chance to turn all of your kingdom against you."

I decided not to mention that I knew all this from watching my show. Crowley may know my name, but he didn't need to know that I was from a different universe. Somehow, I doubted that would end well.

Crowley looked lost, and despite myself I couldn't help but feel bad for him. I shook my head softly. He was a demon! The king of hell! I shouldn't be feeling bad for him; I should be driving the angel blade Cas had given me through his heart.

But I couldn't do that. We needed him for now. And he had, last I'd seen on my show, been turning more human. He'd changed history just to save his son's life, and despite the façade he stuck to, I could see a gleam of fondness in his eyes when he looked at Sam and Dean. Of course that look was mostly overridden by calculative greed, but it was still there.

Crowley sighed. "Ok," he asked me. "What do we do?"

We waited until that night to launch the plan. It had taken us several hours to get everything settled, and first we'd needed to find a safe place to discuss things. We knew better than to bring Crowley to the bunker, so we found a warehouse and drew as many protective sigils as we knew. We didn't trust his mother, an apparently very powerful sorceress, not to be scrying us or some sort of witchy thing like that.

At last it was time. We were in an alleyway, perfectly isolated off a little side street and without any security cameras. Sam, Dean, and Crowley stood by the impala, putting on a pretend argument, and Cas and I were hiding in the shadows.

"Well, who killed him?" yelled Dean. He threw his hands up in the air, looking like he was ready to punch Crowley. Sam stood just behind him, watching his brother cautiously. They were both surprisingly good actors, and I wondered how many times they'd done something like this.

Crowley rolled his eyes. "I don't know," he snarled. The demon king glared back and forth between the two boys, frustration on his face. "If I did know, I wouldn't be wasting my time talking to you idiots!"

Sam gritted his teeth. "How do we know it wasn't you?" he asked.

Dean's eyes narrowed, and before I could blink he'd pulled out Ruby's knife. He pinned Crowley to the impala, the knife at his throat. "Was it?" he asked. He shook Crowley roughly. "Was it you?"

Crowley rolled his eyes. "Where's the kid?" he asked. "I think I'd like to talk to her. She's more levelheaded."

Dean stiffened at the mention of me, and I knew that when he pressed the dagger into Crowley's neck just enough to draw blood, he wasn't completely acting.

"She's not here," Sam stated. "We sent her somewhere safe. Somewhere away from you."

Crowley rolled his eyes. "Brilliant," he muttered.

It was then that she appeared. She strode out of the shadows, clad in a gown of deep violet that looked like something out of the middle ages. Not that it didn't look good; it was gorgeous. It was, however, slightly out of style for the grungy alley we were standing in.

"Get away from my son," she ordered. Her voice was a rolling Scottish accent, kept at a nonchalant placidity. That sort of calmness, I knew, was the worst possible thing. Deceptive, calculative, ruthless. She could be baking cookies while planning the best way to kill someone, and they'd never know.

She flicked her wrist, and Dean flew away from Crowley. Sam started forward, but then he too was tossed down the alleyway. There the two brothers lay, pinned to the ground by some unseen force.

"Fergus," she lilted. "Are you alright?"

"Fine, Mother," Crowley snapped. He stood and straightened his tux, sending Sam and Dean a scowl. "What are you doing here?"

Rowena rolled her eyes and I pressed my lips together, fighting back a smile. This was where Crowley had gotten his snark from.

"You were very upset when last we spoke," she reminded him. "And then you went running off; I simply knew you were doing something rash. And look at this! Consorting with Winchesters? How could you?"

Crowley scowled. "I can handle them myself," he told her.

Rowena snorted. "Yes, it certainly appears that way," she responded.

Crowley sighed. "Any clues yet?" he asked her. "Do we know anything?"

Rowena shook her head, and the two began to discuss their cabinet list of demons. Crowley was asking his mother for advice, and she gladly gave it. Something told me that Crowley would soon be promoting every single demon she was currently badmouthing.

As they spoke Cas crept forward. Invisible, I only knew he was there because that was what we had planned. I began counting the seconds in my head, waiting for him to reach her.

Rowena whirled, and the lightning blast that emitted from her palm sent Cas flying backwards. I had to clap my hands over my mouth to quiet my shriek as he crashed into a group of trash bins. Visible once more, he was sprawled out in a heap of trash, searching around him for the angel blade he'd dropped.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Rowena stepped forward, putting one pointy toed stiletto on Cas's knife. "Another one?" She blinked, remembering how Cas had turned himself invisible. "You're not of the Grand Coven," she stated.

"No," Cas growled. "I'm not."

Now I crept forward, my heart pounding. I had been the last resort for the five of us; if Cas failed in taking out the witch it was my job to try. Seeing as the angel hadn't managed, I had no idea how I was supposed to.

I edged along though, ignoring my sweating palms. I had just drawn level with Sam and Dean when Rowena whirled again, her eyes locking onto me.

"Hello," she cooed. "Who are you?" She gasped, then clapped her hands together excitedly. "Of course," she exclaimed. "Lucy!"

I stiffened. "How do you know my name?"

Rowena waved a hand nonchalantly. "Oh, I've done some digging," she told me. "Lately, wherever those two are; you're there with them. It wasn't hard to figure out." She pointed ever so briefly to Sam and Dean.

I nodded, gulping down the panic rising in me. "Let go of them," I commanded her. When from behind me Sam and Dean began to yell at me to run I turned and shot them glares. Though it was most likely a part of the act, I knew their pleas weren't entirely pretend. There was an urgency in both their eyes that was asking me to abandon the plan and save myself. Well, too bad. I wasn't going anywhere. I added a quick wink, then saddled closer to Rowena. "Now," I growled.

Rowena threw back her head and laughed. Bright red hair bounced along her back, and her throat was bared. I shifted closer, my hand going to the angel blade tucked into my belt.

When Rowena's eyes focused on me again a moment later, they were filled with a fire that was cruel, plain and simple. "Now," she told me, "what would be the fun in that?"

I yelped as I flew backwards, and found myself pinned to the wall of the alleyway. Now Sam, Dean, and Cas were all yelling, each pinned in their own places. I gulped as the witch approached, giving me a broad smile filled with malice.

"Fergus," she scolded her son. "You really should be more careful. Two friends of the Winchesters have been here this whole time, and you never knew! Imagine if I hadn't been here!"

Crowley sighed. "Yes, Mother," he agreed. Despite the dire situation we were in I had to bite back a chuckle at the tone to his voice; he sounded like a whiny teenager.

"Now," Rowena cooed. "What to do with you?" She cocked her head to the side. "She has to die; they all do, but let's make it fun." She turned to Crowley. "What do you say?"

Crowley grinned. "Always." He drew an angel blade and stepped closer, and I narrowed my best glare at him.

"Don't you dare," I growled.

My eyes widened minutely as Crowley sent me a wink. By now he was beside his mother, idly switching the knife back and forth from each hand. "What would you suggest?" he asked Rowena.

The witch grinned and stepped forward ever so slightly, running her eyes over me like I was a slab of meat. "Well," she started. "First we should-"

She gasped and choked to a stop as Crowley closed the distance between them, his hand raised behind her back. He stepped away, and I saw him withdraw his angel blade, now stained in blood.

"Fer-Fergus?" Rowena fell to her knees, looking beseechingly up at her son. "What- what have y-you done?"

Crowley's eyes were hard as he glared down at the witch before him. "Don't play stupid with me," he warned. "I know what you've been up to. It ends, now."

All at once the confusion vanished from Rowena's face. Even as she fell forward, barely catching herself on her hands, she sent a snarl up at her son.

"If I d-die h-here, you'll n-never know who is in-in-involved in the Gr-Grace Crisis," she tried.

Crowley scoffed. "You don't know," he stated. "None of my demons trust you. I shouldn't have either. You just wanted them to get their god, so that they could get rid of me."

Rowena opened her mouth to respond, but all that came out was a spurt of blood. Then she shuddered one last time and fell forward, onto her face. This time, she didn't move again.

Immediately Cas was by my side, her magic no longer pinning him in place. He grabbed me and began inspecting me.

"Are you alright?" he demanded.

I rolled my eyes and shoved him away. "I'm fine," I promised. "What about you?"

"I'm fine."

"We're alright too," Sam offered. He and Dean were dusting themselves off, and though they hadn't yet approached I knew they were watching me worriedly.

"You should have left," Dean growled.

I rolled my eyes again. "I had a job to do," I reminded him. "I wasn't going to just run off."

Dean scowled, but didn't say anything else. I turned to Crowley. He was staring at his mother, his face unreadable, but I noticed that his hand was shaking slightly as he stored away his newly cleaned dagger.

"So now what?" I asked.

"Now we're back at square one," Sam said.

I groaned. "Fantastic."

Crowley glanced up, locking eyes with me. They were oddly vulnerable, and I felt my face soften at the sight. "I'll let you know if I find out anything else," he promised. Then he was gone.

Suddenly I felt deflated. Something about the sight of Crowley before he'd left, as though there was a part of him that regretted killing his mother, struck at my heart. I knew it would likely haunt me for days to come, the trembling king standing over the motionless body with the bright red hair. I found myself staring at Rowena myself, noting how in death she seemed less threatening. Almost normal, if she had been in modern clothes. Everything washed away in death.

As if sensing my depressing mood, Dean sighed. "Let's go home," he suggested. I nodded, and Sam and Dean began to make for the car, stepping around the witch's body without as much as a glance in her direction. I grabbed Cas's hand before he could follow, and he turned to me with blue eyes clouded with concern.

I leaned up, pressing my lips to his. Eagerly he wrapped his arms around my torso, holding me in place, but he kept our kiss soft, gentle. More comforting than anything.

At last he pulled away, leaning his forehead against mine. We stayed like that for a moment, taking comfort in the other's presence.

"Cas," I whispered at last.

"Yes?" he responded. His voice was soft in the aftermath of our kiss, but there was still worry in it for me.

"I love you too."