Sorry, I haven't posted in a while. Long story short, I lost someone close to me, so I've been preoccupied with other things. But, good news, I'm back and I plan to be posting 2+ chapters a week! Hope you enjoy :)
...
July 17th, 2014
Rexford, Idaho
The blood soaked her hands, staining the sink red. Alex watched the water run down, chilling her skin as it washed away the last remaining trace of her sins. Her grey eyes flickered up to the mirror to trace her pale, round face. Blood was splattered across her cheeks, crimson flecks against white. She couldn't hold her own gaze — what had she done?
Alex jerked awake, eyes flying open in surprise. Something had moved. The bed had shifted. The pale dawn sky was on the horizon, casting a gentle light throughout the bedroom, and the bed frame shifted again as the man beside her sat up. "Alex? Are you okay?" Castiel's gentle hands came to rest on her shoulder, and Alex rolled over to look up at him.
"Uh. Hey." She reached up, fingers carding gently through his disheveled hair. "S-Sorry, bad dream." She heaved herself up into a sitting position and leaned over to press a quick, closed-mouth kiss on his lips. "Did I … did I wake you?"
"No. I wake up with the light." Castiel rolled out of bed, and after a second or two, Alex followed. She watched as her mate disappeared into the bathroom, and she looked down at her appearance; despite the hot, humid weather that marked the middle of July, she was dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants. The feeling of the demon's blood still clung to her body, so strong and real that Alex was afraid Castiel could see it if she uncovered her skin.
She was going to need another shower.
As if on cue, Alex heard the water start to run, and her shoulders fell in disappointment, unable to bring herself to join him. She felt her secret weighing on her shoulders, the tip of a wedge that was threatening to drive itself between them if she couldn't pull it together.
She made her way into the kitchen to start with breakfast, casting a quick glance out the window on her way past. The rest of her night has passed uneventful; no sirens, no police officers at her door; she would have to go down and talk with Greg after she had eaten.
She dug a box of cereal out of the cupboard and tossed it onto the island. Her phone rang, and the ex-angel looked towards the bedroom in surprise. Who could possibly be calling her at this hour?
She hurried over to her phone to see who it was and answered it with a confused noise. "Sheriff Mills?"
"Hey, Alex. How have you been?"
"Um … good." Alex cast a glance towards the bathroom door, and she dropped down onto the bed. "How have you been? I haven't heard from you since I kicked Crowley's ass on your guys' date," she added.
"Don't remind me. Listen, Bobby Singer had some property in town — you know, a few storage lockers here and there. He doesn't have any family left, and since I figured you were the closest thing to family he had, you might want to come have a look in them before the county does."
"Yeah, yeah, of course." Alex jumped to her feet. "Definitely. I — I can be there sometime tonight if I leave now."
She could hear the nod in the sheriff's voice. "Okay, well, no hurry, you understand me?" There was a voice, too quiet for Alex to hear, and the noise became muffled as Jody pushed the phone into her shoulder to respond. "Listen, sweetie, I have to go. A call just came in. I'll see you soon, okay?"
"Yeah, sounds good." Alex hung up and shoved her phone into her pocket as the bathroom door swung open.
"Who was that?" Castiel stepped out, a towel wrapped securely around his waist. Blue eyes sparkled with curiosity as his head tipped to one side. "I heard you talking to someone."
"Yeah, it was Jody Mills. You've met her, right?" Alex circled around the bed to stand in front of him, a small smile on her face. "She wants me to come down to Sioux Falls. Legal reasons only," she added when Castiel frowned. "She found some old stuff of Bobby's and she wants me to look through it. I'll only be gone a day or two." She wrapped her arms around Castiel's bare shoulders and leaned up to press a kiss on his lips. "Is that okay?"
"Of course." Disappointment lined his voice, and Alex leaned back so she could look him in the eyes. "Do you want me to come with? I can ask Nora for time off of work."
"No, it's fine." Alex carded a hand through his damp hair before she stepped away. "I won't be gone long. You stay here and work. I'll call Melanie up and tell her I won't be working over the weekend." She pulled out her phone and tossed it on the bed before she crossed over to the dresser. "You … you're going to be fine by yourself, right?"
A smile graced the ex-seraph's face. "Alex. I've lived for eons. I'm confident I'll survive for a day or two on my own." He followed her over to the wardrobe to get dressed in a pair of jeans and a dark short sleeve top. "I will miss you, though."
"I'll miss you, too." Alex kissed his temple. "Okay. I'm going to run down and talk to Greg real quick before he leaves for church. Then I've got to shower, call Melanie, and then I'm on the first bus out of here, okay? I'll keep you posted with any updates. Breakfast is on the counter, and have fun at work."
"Thank you." Castiel turned his attention to pulling on his socks, and Alex made her way out of the house and down the stairs. She hesitated at the front door of the pastor's home, but necessity had her knocking thrice upon the wooden frame.
The door creaked open, and Greg's face appeared through the screen. "Maxine." His eyes flickered across her, the faintest hint of trepidation lining his blue irises, but his voice remained soft and even. "I had a feeling you would be stopping by. Come in."
He held open the door, and Alex stepped through into the foyer. "I won't stay long," she started, "I just thought I owed you an explanation after… after last night. Thanks for not calling the cops."
"I am a spokesman for the forgiving Christ. You never struck my as the murderous type when I took you in, and if what you said was true… I could only give you the benefit of the doubt until morning." Greg motioned to the living room couch. "Please, sit. Would you like some coffee?"
"No … no thanks." Alex slowly did as he asked, and after a second her head dropped to her hands. "Where do I even start?"
"How about at the beginning?"
Alex looked up as the old preacher took a seat across from her, and she inwardly scoffed at the idea. Well, I was approached by the King of Hell to hunt down a werewolf. That would certainly go over well. "I… I like to walk to clear my head," she began slowly, carefully weaving her lie. "I ended up out by Red's when I heard a scream. It wasn't loud, so at first I thought I had imagined it, but then I heard it again." The tale was coming to her easier now, and she picked up her pace. "I thought it was just a couple junkies harassing a woman — something I could handle. But when I got to the warehouse…" Here she let her voice trail off, conjuring up the image of the dead woman, and she let herself wince visibly at the memory.
"It's okay." The preacher's voice was softer now, and Alex allowed herself to glance upwards. "What did you find?"
"There were two women … laying on the floor. They were the girls from the news — those missing people from around here? They were already dead. I heard the scream again, and that's when I found him … it. I don't know." Alex ran her thumb across the palm of her hand as she paused for a slight dramatic effect. "He was kneeling over the body of another woman, a younger one, and when he saw me — he just went crazy. I panicked — I don't know how I fought him off, but I did. I-I got his knife and I stabbed his chest, and then there was blood … so much blood." Her jaw trembled slightly, and Alex squeezed her eyes shut. "I didn't know what to do. I just panicked and ran home. That's when you found me." She looked up into Greg's eyes. "Call the cops, tell them about the bodies, just please leave me out of it. I was forced to do things I'm not proud of, back in my old life, and I just came here to start again. I just want to spend my life with Steve."
Greg sat there quietly, and Alex let her attention fall to the ground, waiting with bated breath to see if her lie had been persuasive enough. "I'll inform the authorities about the crime scene," he slowly began. "I won't mention you, but if they come around again asking questions, I won't lie. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I do." Alex felt her cheeks flush, embarrassed at the kindness she was being shown in return for her deceit. "Thank you, Greg. I really appreciate it." She rose to her feet. "I'll be in Sioux Falls for the next few days taking care of business — actual business," she quickly added when the man frowned. "My … someone close to me died, and there's some things I need to do to say goodbye. I'll be back by the end of the week, so … so if the cops come …" She trailed off, no words coming to complete her thought. "Thank you."
She hurried out of the house without another word and made her way up the stairs. She almost ran headfirst into Castiel on his way out the door, and she jumped back in surprise. "Sorry." The ex-seraph reached out to steady her. "Careful."
"Always." Alex smiled up at him, slightly giddy from the success of her morning so far. "Off to work already?"
"I was ready, so I thought I could get there early and start on inventory." Castiel dipped his head to press a kiss on her forehead, and Alex leaned up to meet his lips with hers. "I'm going to miss you."
"I'll give you a call first thing tonight," Alex promised. "I'll be back before you know it."
She stepped aside, and Castiel moved past her, making his way down the stairs and across the street.
...
An hour later, Alex was showered, packed, and halfway across town on her way to the bus station. The sunlight was hot upon her clothed back, and she shifted her bag to her other hand as sweat dampened her palms. Last night's gentle rain had only caused the humidity to skyrocket, and now the air felt as wet and thick as the muddy ground beneath her feet.
Alex pushed her way through the glass door, eyes closing in momentary bliss at the cool rush of air conditioning. The Rexford bus station was small and empty, unsurprising for a Wednesday morning. "Hey. I'd like to get a ticket to Sioux Falls?" Alex dug into her pocket for cash as she approached the window. "There's one leaving in ten, right?"
"Right. That'll be $150.00." The woman accepted Alex's stack of twenties, and the faintest hint of surprise passed through her tan face. "Should I be checking for counterfeit?" she joked.
Alex gave a half smile with a shake of her head. "No, I just don't like credit. Where are the bathrooms?"
"Out in back." The woman handed Alex her ticket with a small nod and a smile. "Enjoy your trip, sweetie. Have a good day."
Alex echoed back her farewell as she hoisted her bag back up onto her shoulder and once more stepped out into the surprisingly sweltering heat. Her eyes followed the signs for the restrooms around the side of the building, and she dropped her bag onto the patch of concrete outside the door before she stepped inside.
When she reemerged two minutes later, her bag wasn't there. "Son of a bitch," Alex cursed, searching the ground for her misplaced belongings.
"Looking for something?" A thick, amused accent had Alex spinning around to find a darkly-clad stranger behind her. "Going on a trip, kitten?"
Alex stormed up to the King of Hell, intending to snatch her bag out of his hands, but Crowley held it far out of her reach. "What do you want?" she snapped, lunging for her bag again, but the demon sidestepped her attack. "I killed your stupid werewolf, so leave me alone."
"Jackson hasn't reported back to me." Crowley dropped her bag into the mud, his interest lost in the game. "Any reasons why?"
"I killed him too." Alex pushed her way past the demon to gather up her dirtied bag. "He kidnapped those girls and confined that werewolf there until it killed them, so I gave him what he deserved. It's dead. He's dead. They're all dead, so I hope you're fucking happy. And now I'm going to Sioux Falls to get some stuff done while this whole thing blows over, and maybe, maybe I won't find myself in jail!"
Her words were accompanied by a glare, which grew sharper when amusement twinkled in Crowley's eyes. "I forgot how tiny you are without wings. How that much rage fits in a body so small —"
Alex lashed out, her fist connecting with his nose. The demon reeled back in surprise, and his hand came up to feel the dripping blood. Alex fell back into a defensive stance, but she couldn't prepare herself for the counter attack. Crowley moved like lightning, and before she knew what had happened, she was on her knees, her arm twisted upwards.
She cried out in alarm, and then screamed in pain as the demon wrenched her arm even further, causing the bone to snap under the pressure. "Listen to me." Crowley's voice was low and harsh. "You are nothing. I own you, and I can make these next two years an absolute living hell. Do you understand me?" He tightened his grip when Alex didn't respond, and she gasped.
"Y-Yes," she got out, her voice catching in her throat.
Crowley twisted her broken arm even further, and tears filled her eyes. "Yes, what?" he asked calmly.
"Yes, Crowley."
"Go catch your bus." The pain was gone, and Alex fell into the mud when the demon let her go, cradling her once-broken arm as her eyes continued to water. She didn't have to look up to know that Crowley was gone; his point had been made; he had no reason to stick around.
She pulled herself to her feet and picked up her muddied bag, wiping her dirtied hand on her jacket before she wiped away the tears brought to her eyes out of pain and humiliation. Crowley was right; without her grace, she stood no chance. With her head hung, the ex-angel slowly made her way to her bus. For now, the only thing that she could do was obey.
...
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Fourteen hours later, Alex stepped out of the Greyhound bus and onto the flat earth of South Dakota. The few other passengers that had been picked up along the way shuffled out, and Alex squinted to make out her ride through the darkness.
The short, punctuated wail of a siren gave it away, and a smile grew upon her face as Alex hurried over to the police car sitting on the side of the road. The door opened, and Sheriff Jody Mills stepped out to meet Alex. "Hey." The greeting was accompanied by a hug, and while it caught her momentarily by surprise, the ex-angel welcomed it with open arms. "You can put your stuff in the back."
Alex tossed her bag into the backseat and jumped into the passenger seat. "How have you been?" she began politely. "It's been awhile since I've been back here."
"Oh you know, same old same old." The sheriff started the car, and the engine purred to life. "It's been quiet for the most part. How about you?" Her blue gaze came to rest on Alex. "You look … different. Not getting into too much trouble, I hope. What were you doing in Rexford?"
"It … it's a long story." Alex folded her hands in her lap, wondering where she should start. "A very long story. You remember that meteor shower two months ago?"
"How can I forget?" Mills turned the car onto the highway, and Alex leaned back as they began to accelerate. "It was all over the news for weeks." The smile on her face faded, and she looked over at the ex-angel. "Let me guess; it wasn't just some freak astrological shower."
"It was heaven." Alex's face fell. "One of the angels, he created a spell that expelled all of the other angels from heaven. I was one of them."
"Oh my God."
"I apparently hit the ground somewhere in New Jersey, and I was in the hospital for about a week. I don't remember much of it, to be honest. The angel who created the spell, he stole Castiel's and my grace. We … we're not angels any more. So we've been living in Rexford." The ex-angel gave a small shrug. "And that's where I've been. I also may or may not be under investigation for murder. How have you been?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up." Jody's voice grew sharp, and Alex couldn't help but laugh.
"Werewolf," she explained. "He was taking girls in the area, so I put a stop to him. My landlord …well, he saw me come home covered in blood. But he's also a pastor, so he's all about that forgiveness and whatnot. We're good. It's between 'me and God' now. Like God gives a damn nowadays."
The last words were muttered under her breath; if the sheriff heard, she gave no indication of it. "You did it by yourself?" she asked. "What about the Winchesters?"
Alex shrugged. "They're doing their own thing. I don't know. It was one werewolf; I can do it on my own." She leaned back slightly in her seat. "Any interesting cases around town lately? I know things have been a little mundane since you lost the town drunk."
"Quiet, for the most part. Although there's been some weird disappearances in Hartford; it's one of the small towns I cover on occasion. Usually there's nothing except the occasional cow tipping. But with the past week, three people have gone missing."
"If you think I'll look into it —"
"No. I wouldn't ask you to do anything you didn't want to. There's still nothing to suggest it's not just some creep. I'll give Sam and Dean a call if we don't get a lead." Sheriff Mills merged off of the highway and onto the main road that ran through the city. "I made up the extra bedroom, so you can stay with me. I'll take you down to the storage locker first thing in the morning. Eight sound good?"
"Sounds good." Alex toyed with the hem of her shirt as the sheriff pulled the car down the road and into the driveway. "I've had a long day anyways. Sleep sounds good." She rolled out of the car and grabbed her things before she followed Jody Mills up to the front door.
The house looked exactly as the ex-angel had remembered it, down to the very warm smell, and Alex let her eyes fall closed. Her feet carried her up the stairs and into the bedroom where she had once called home. Jody disappeared to the kitchen, and Alex could hear the cupboards opening and closing as she dropped her suitcase next to the door and looked around.
The room hadn't changed. The same red comforter lay on the bed, and old momentos were carefully arranged in the corner. A teddy bear sat on the window sill, and Alex's heart twisted. Ashiel. She had raised him here once, under the guidance of the sheriff; those memories felt like they were from eons ago. Life had felt so much more simpler then.
"It's just like you left it." Jody's voice came from behind her, and Alex jumped in surprise. "I haven't touched a thing, you know," the woman said as she leaned up against the doorframe. "I guess I had always hoped you two would come back."
"He's in a better place now." The words stuck in her throat, and the ex-angel desperately shut out the thoughts of the orphan's fate during the fall, consoling herself in the fact that, if something had happened to him, she would know. Deep down inside, she would know. "Ezekiel found him a family."
Recognition danced across the sheriff's face at the name, reminding Alex that the two had met long ago. However, all she said was, "Well, good for him."
"Ezekiel's done a lot for me," Alex quietly admitted. "Ever since I became an angel, he's been there when I've needed him. I don't think I could ask for a better friend." Her gaze turned to the room, and she let her shoulders fell in weariness. "He's always come through for me, and I hope that one day I can do the same for him."
Silence followed her words, and Alex heard Jody shifted behind her. "I'll let you get some sleep. Goodnight, Alex."
Footsteps retreated, and Alex quietly echoed her. "Night, Jody." She crossed the room to the bed and, too tired to change, she crawled beneath the sheets and welcomed the warm wave of sleep as it washed over her.
...
Sunlight woke her, and Alex blinked open her eyes. She wrapped the comforter tighter around her body, unwilling to roll over and check the time. Her arm ached with stiffness, and Alex opened and closed her fingers, grimacing at the memory of how the bone had snapped beneath Crowley's hold.
The anger and humiliation that accompanied the recollection left her wide awake, and the ex-angel rolled over to find her phone. It had fallen to the floor, and she groaned as she reached down to pick it up, returning slightly dizzy as the blood rushed to her brain. It was almost 10:30.
Alex jumped up, surprised to find she had slept in so late; Mills had said they were leaving for the locker early in the morning. "Jody?" She pulled on a sweatshirt as she hurried downstairs. "Jody?"
"You're up." The sheriff was sitting in the the living room, dressed in her tan and brown uniform. "I thought I was going to have to leave without you."
"I thought we were leaving at eight." Alex drew in a deep breath to calm her racing heart, and her head tipped to one side. "Why didn't you wake me?"
"Something came up. Remember those disappearances in Hartford I mentioned last night? Well, there was another one." Jody pulled out her phone. "I got a call saying a guy had witnessed someone lifting up an SUV to nab a girl, and they sent me this." She turned the phone so Alex could see the picture of the large, heavy car laying on its side, glass decorating the ground like snow. "I gave the Winchesters a call this morning, so they're on their way up to take a look." Alex didn't say anything, and the sheriff stuck her phone back into her pocket. "I'm on my way to the crime scene now. You want to come along? Sure could use the pair of extra eyes."
"I don't … I don't have any dress clothes," Alex started, but Jody shook her head.
"Don't worry about it. You're my guest." Jody crossed over to the kitchen, and Alex pulled out her phone. She had received a text from Castiel informing her that he was going to work and hoping she had a good day, and she quickly echoed back his wish before hesitantly adding, Apparently there's been weird things happening in town. Jody called the Winchesters, and they're on their way up. I promise I won't get involved. I'll be back as soon as Jody can get me in to see Bobby's things.
She stuck her phone back into her pocket when Jody reappeared, and she pulled open the front door. "Alright. Let's get going then."
...
Alex followed Jody under the yellow police tape and into the parking lot. The overturned SUV was in the far corner, and Alex lagged behind to stare as Jody went to talk with her fellow officers. They were from the Sioux Falls department; Alex recognized several faces. She wandered closer to the car, careful not to get too close to the forensics team.
"Honor Kugler." Jody Mills walked up to her, a frown on her face. "This is definitely out of our jurisdiction."
Tires squealed as a car pulled up, and Alex glanced over her shoulder, not sure if she was unnerved or relieved at the sight of the black Impala. "Well, good thing the specialists are here."
Dean's eyes lit up in surprise when he saw her, and he ducked under the police tape. "Sheriff," he greeted, giving Jody a hug. "Laying off the blind dates I hope."
"Yeah. You bite your tongue, boy," Mills warned teasingly before leaning up to hug Sam as well.
Dean chuckled, and his attention turned back to Alex. "Hey. I thought you had sworn off hunting. Where's Cas?"
"He's back home. And I'm not here to hunt; I'm here on different business. I'm only here right now before Jody wanted an extra pair of eyes before you guys got here. You made good time, by the way."
Dean shrugged, and Sam motioned to the SUV behind them as a tow truck backed up to haul it away. "So?"
"So. Car was right over there, ass over teakettle. Now, normally, if somebody would tell me that one guy lifted an SUV, I'd tell him to take a flying leap, but after what I've seen…"
"Nothing's impossible," Sam finished with a nod, and the Sheriff agreed with a worldless noise of affirmation.
"And this matches up with the other missing how?" Dean asked.
"Well, four abductions, strong evidence left at every scene — literally. The first to disappear was a pastor. Door of his study was punched in. And then, the next two — an engaged couple — their locked bedroom window was ripped open. And then, we have our waitress here with the topsy-turvy ride."
Jody jerked her thumb back towards the car, and Sam's gaze followed her motions. "Any connections between them?"
"Yeah. They were all members of Good Faith Church here. My, uh, my church group back in Sioux Falls was in a tizzy over it." Her gaze narrowed defensively when Dean hummed. "What?"
The Winchester shrugged. "I didn't peg you for churchy."
"Yeah, you know … choking in the ladie room floor cause of witchcraft kind of makes a higher power seem relevant."
Sam cleared his throat, his large hands sliding into his pockets as he adjusted his stance. "Jody, are you sure you're, uh, ready to jump back in the fray?"
Alex, who had been standing patiently at the sheriff's side, scoffed loudly at the idea of Jody Mills shying away from anything. "This wackadoo stuff keeps coming," Jody stated firmly. "The more I know, better armed I'll be."
"Okay, so we have missing church folk and super strength," Sam began, turning to face his brother. "Maybe angels harvesting vessels? Could be a Buddy Boyle type thing."
Alex frowned; that was the second time she had heard that name. "Wait, what, who? What do you mean 'harvesting'?"
"We'll explain later," Sam promised her. "Jody, you said there was a witness?"
"Yeah, more or less." Jody Mills pointed towards the restaurant through which the latest victim had been employed. "He's in there. I'll introduce you." She waved the two brothers after her, and Alex fell in step behind Sam.
The Winchesters sat down in a booth just inside the doors while Jody went off to get their witness, and Alex pulled up a nearby chair. She watched as the sheriff stopped beside a bedraggled man, and the two of them returned to the booth. Jody sat down across from Sam and Dean, and the man quietly followed suit. "Okay, Slim." Jody folded her hands on the table. "My friends here want to talk to you about the missing girl."
"Honor." The man cast a quick look up at Dean, and then to Alex. "Her name was Honor. Nice girl. Always left me meatloafs."
"Slim," Sam began, "why don't you tell us what you saw last night?"
"I heard a big noise, got woke, and there's somebody over there lifting a car up. Like this." The homeless man lifted up his arm to imitate hoisting a car up and lifting it above his head with ease. His eyes were wide, the fear and disbelief still fresh in his mind.
Dean nodded, understanding what Slim was trying to communicate. "And did you happen to see who it was?"
Slim shook his head. "I was too far," he admitted gruffly. "But I saw a light go off."
"A light?" Alex and Sam asked at the same time, and the ex-angel immediately fell silent to let the fake FBI agent have the floor. "A white light?" Sam expounded.
Once again, the man shook his head. "Blue. Blue-like fire. But not. Then she was — she wasn't there."
Alex chanced a look over at Dean. Blue fire would almost surely rule out angels, but Slim's information was still too vague to have any real leads. "Could you think of anything else?" Dean asked, but when the man firmly shook his head for the third time in a row, he relented. "Okay. Well … Slim, thank you for your time." He reached into his wallet and pulled out a $20 bill, and Slim's eyes went wide in surprise at the generosity.
Alex watched him walk away before she got up and slid into the booth next to Jody Mills. "Okay, so … not angels," she began. "Any more ideas?"
"Could be a ton of things." Dean folded up his wallet and shoved it back into his pocket. "We need more info. Has anybody talked to the victims' families?" he asked Jody.
The sheriff shook her head. "It's next on my list."
"Okay. And you said that they were all part of the same church?" When Jody agreed, Dean turned to his brother. "Ready to get your worship on?"
Jody nudged Alex in the thigh, and the young girl got up to let the sheriff out of the booth. "You going with me or Sam and Dean?" Jody asked, and Alex looked over at the two Winchesters as they rose to their feet.
"I'll go with them," she decided. "You'll get more done on your own, and it's not like we'll be fighting anything, so I won't technically be hunting. It's just a church."
...
Forty five minutes later, Alex found herself trailing behind Sam and Dean through the hallways of Good Faith Church. "We hope you enjoyed the tour," their red-headed guide chirped as she led the way into the office from which they had first started. She sat down behind her desk as Alex and the brothers took their seats across from her, and she asked, "Any questions before we get you boys registered?"
"Uh, yeah, uh, look, umm Ms. Futchko —"
"Oh please," the woman interrupted Sam quickly, "Bonnie will do just fine."
"Bonnie," Sam repeated. "Okay, um, we … love the church. We do. But … well, we've heard that a few members have gone missing, and, to be honest … that kind of scares us." He looked over at Dean and Alex, and Alex gave a quick nod of agreement.
Bonnie's blue eyes softened in sympathy. "Let me assure you, with our increased security, Good Faith has never been safer." Her puppy-sweet eyes turned to Alex, and the ex-angel let her gaze fall to her lap. "And those people who have gone missing, well, they are front and center in our prayers."
"What a relief." Dean gave their tourguide a half-smile. "Now, you must have been, uh, close to them."
Bonnie matched Dean's expression with a genuine smile of her own. "Well, we do share the A.P.U. bond," she agreed with a nod.
"A.P.U.?" Alex repeated. She cast a look around the office, searching for anything that might give away the acronym's meaning, but there was nothing on the pristine white walls.
"Our chastity group," Bonnie explained cheerily. " 'Abstinence Purifies Us.' "
"Oh. W-wow." The surprise in Sam's voice was evident, and he quickly did his best to hide it. "You mind if we sit in on that, maybe see if it's for us?"
The woman's voice was full of sympathy, but it remained light and cheery all the same. "I'm afraid it's members only. I'm sorry, but it can get pretty personal."
Sam and Dean exchanged looks. "Then count us in."
"Well. I'll be a squirrel in a skirt." Bonnie beamed at their decision, and Alex barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes at the woman's overly enthusiastic attitude. "I'll be back in a jiff with the papers."
She hurried over to an office door and disappeared inside, and Alex could hear the creak of filing cabinet doors. "Really?" she scoffed over at Sam. "A chastity group? With this one?" she jerked a thumb over at Dean, and Dean grunted in agreement.
Sam's eyes widened in exasperation. "Listen, if all the members are in A.P.U. then maybe whatever took them is stalking virgins."
"And that Slim guy said he thought he saw fire," Dean finished. "So, what are you thinking? Dragons?"
"Mmhmm." Sam looked up, and whispered, "Shh," as the office door opened and closed, announcing the return of Bonnie Futchko.
"Alrighty." Bonnie distributed three clipboard to each of them, a wide grin upon her face. "You can just sign there, and your purification can begin."
" 'Purity pledge'?" Sam read, and Alex scoffed under her breath as she skimmed the document in front of her, clicking the pen in and out as she shook her head.
Bonnie nodded. "It's a commitment to your virginity," she chirped.
Dean put his clipboard down on his lap. "I don't think we can really unring that bell," he joked. "You know what I mean?"
Bonnie's eyes widened in surprise. "O-Oh. I see. Well … if you just ask for God's forgiveness for your sins and make a new vow of chastity, well, then, you'll be born again as a virgin in his eyes."
"So, you just hit the 'virginity do-over' button, and all is good with the man upstairs?"
"It's not a button." The woman looked down at Dean in pure shock. "And … this isn't just a piece of paper. I mean, this is your clean slate, your chance to be a virgin until marriage."
"Oh. Well, I think I'm a little past all this, then." Alex slid the pen into the top of the clipboard as she looked up at Bonnie. "Can I still come to the meeting, though?"
"You're married?"
Alex shrugged, casting Dean a quick look out of the corner of her eye. "If by 'married' you mean I'm in a covenantal union as dictated by the culture and tradition under which I was subjected, then yes."
Her words were convoluted, and the blank look in Bonnie's eyes confirmed that it hadn't made much sense. Dean jabbed his elbow into her arm, and Alex jumped in surprise. "Just sign the paper."
Pens scratched on the paper as the two brothers signed their names, and with a roll of her eyes, Alex did the same. She hesitated after her first name, unsure of what to put, and after a moment and a look over at Dean, she put the first name that came to mind. Alex Novak.
She handed the clipboard back to Bonnie, who beamed as she collected them. "Congratulations. You are all virgins."
"Cas is gonna be pleased." Dean's rib had Alex rolling her eyes, and she pushed back her chair to stand up as Bonnie ushered them out of the office. "Alright, meeting's in a few. What's the plan?"
"I'm still confused why I had to be revirginized." Alex smacked Dean on the back of the head before dropping onto a bench across the hall. "My sexual encounters have been a part of a monogamous relationship and within the whole 'angel's version of marriage' deal. I mean, it's kind of weird to take a vow of abstinence after I'm married."
"Don't think about it. No one's taking that shit seriously. Come on, let's go find that meeting." Dean started off down the hall, and with a roll of her eyes, Alex started to follow.
"How long do you think he'll last?" Sam whispered down to her. "Ten bucks he won't last the week."
Alex snickered, and she watched as the oldest Winchester's eyes were drawn to a young woman as she turned the corner. "Yeah right. Fifty says he won't survive the night."
She followed Dean down the hall to the large meeting room Bonnie had showed them during the tour, eyes carefully scanning their surroundings. A few women were there, and a circle of seven chairs had been set up in the center. A table was at the far side, and Alex inhaled the scent of baked goods emanating from the stack of trays. "Hi, can I help you?" A woman approached, brushing blonde hair up and out of her face as she looked between Alex, Sam, and Dean.
"Uh, hey." Sam held out his hand for the woman to shake. "Um, my name is Sam. This is Alex and my brother Dean. We're, uh, we're new members here."
"Oh." A smile lit up the woman's face. "Well, welcome. My name is Suzy; I'm the group's leader and mentor. When did you join?"
"Well, uh, actually just today." Sam glanced back at his brother as he spoke. "Mind if we sit in?"
"No, no, of course. I'll grab some more chairs." Suzy stepped back, intent on making her way to the stack of metal chairs, but Dean stepped forward to offer his help.
Alex slipped away, and she glanced at the three other strangers that stood around the treat table. They were all female, young, and every once and awhile, one would cast Sam or Dean a look before hurriedly turning back to the group.
The door opened, and Bonnie stepped through, deep in an overly-enthusiastic conversation with another dark-haired lady; they passed Alex by without another look. Before anyone could catch her eye to talk, the ex-angel made her way closer to Sam. "This is weird," she muttered, digging her phone out of her pocket. "I haven't been around this many virgins since grade school."
She smiled at Sam's laughter, and her attention turned to the text that she had received from Castiel. How are you doing? it read. I'm off work at seven if you want to talk.
Alex hesitated, unsure of how exactly to reply. I'm fine, she ended up typing. Sure. I'll give you a call tonight if I'm not to busy. Hopefully I'll have it all wrapped up tomorrow. She locked her phone and made a mental note to talk to Jody Mills about slipping away to find Bobby's locker.
A tap on the shoulder had her looking up, and she followed Sam over to the circle of chairs. She sat down on one side of Dean, shifting closer to the eldest Winchester when a woman immediately took the spot beside her. "Good afternoon, everyone." Suzy sat down at the other end of the circle, and the rest of the woman found their seats. "I thought we'd begin with a silent prayer for our missing friends."
The woman all bowed their heads, and Alex took a moment to count them: six in total. Then she ducked her head and closed her eyes, sending up a quick prayer to her Father that Sam and Dean would kill the dragon quick.
"Amen." Suzy's word signalled the end of the prayer time, and Alex lifted her head. "Now, does anyone have anything that they would like to share?"
The woman next to Sam jumped to her feet, a piece of paper clutched in her hands. "I wrote a new piece of verse," she announced. "It's called 'Sex is a racket, and God's ball is in your court.' "
"And we would love to hear that, Tammy," Suzy agreed, "later. Why don't we hear from our new friends? Sam, what brought you here to reclaim your virginity?"
Sam's eyes opened in surprise at being put on the spot, and he stuttered slightly. "W-Well, I guess because every woman I've … ever …" the Winchester searched for the right words, "had relations with, uh … it … hasn't ended well."
Dean chuckled, amusement sparkling in his green eyes as he looked around the circle. "He ain't lying."
Suzy nodded in understanding, and Alex scoffed under her breath at how much the women around them underestimated the truth in his words. "Thank you for being here, Sam. Stay strong. Stay pure."
The women echoed Suzy's words. "Stay strong, stay pure."
"And you, Dean?" Suzy's eyes turned to the older Winchester. "What set you on the path away from sin?"
"Uh, hard to say, exactly." Dean leaned forward, clasping his hands as he stared at the center of the circle. "Yeah. Sex has always felt — I don't know — good, you know? I mean, really, really good." He looked up at Suzy, and his cheeks took on the faintest hint of pink as he realized where exactly he was, and he quickly added, "Uh, but, uh … sometimes, it just makes you feel bad, you know? You're drunk. You shack up. Then, it's the whole morning thing. You know, 'Hey, that was fun.' And then, 'adios,' you know? Always the adios."
His face took on a wistful expression, and Alex couldn't help but let out a short breath of laughter that she quickly quelled, dropping her head to avoid looks as Dean continued. "But, you know, when you get down to it, what's the big deal, right? I mean, sure, there's the touching and the feeling all of each other, my hands everywhere, tracing every inch of her body, the two of us moving together, pressing and pulling, grinding … then you hit the sweet spot, and everything just builds and builds and builds …"
The woman around them shifted, and Alex distinctively saw one clench her legs tighter together, and before Dean could finish she reached up and smacked him on the back of his head. "Quit it," she scolded. "You're going to give someone an aneurysm." She ducked a half-hearted retaliatory swipe from the Winchester and added, "Βλάκας." Moron.
Dean shot her a quick glare, but he cleared his throat to finish, "Yeah, uh … but the whole thing was just a little too … sticky. So, uh, I got my 'V' card back. The end." He slapped his leg and leaned back in his chair, and Alex shook her head.
"And you, Alex?"
Alex looked up at Suzy in surprise; the group leader had managed to get herself back under control long before the rest. "Me?" she repeated, still sounding surprised even though she knew full well that she was next. "Um … not much of a story here, either." She looked over at Sam, unsure of what to say. "I … It's complicated." She ended with a shrug.
Instead of giving up, Suzy's voice remained gentle and calm. "Just tell it like it is."
"Yeah, just tell it like it is," Dean echoed, and Alex shot him a glare which was met with a grin.
"Um, okay. I … I'm not a virgin, let's get that out of the way. I'm in a committed relationship with a … a man of God. Think marriage without the, uh, the legal intrusions. It's a Biblical union," she quickly added. "We're monogamous, we agreed to stay together for life, we're open about it. We just didn't have the time or resources for the American government hand us a piece of paper, I guess." Alex shrugged, and she cast a quick look around the group. "Maybe it's Biblical in God's eyes, maybe not, but it's all we can do for the moment. Honestly, I'm just here to support my friends." That said, she leaned back in her seat, reaching over to pat Dean on the knee in a gesture to further her intent.
"Is there a reason the two of you haven't gotten married?" Suzy persisted, and when Alex bit her lip, unsure how to word her answer, she continued, "Many times, unmarried live-in couples are afraid of the commitment." Her eyes turned to the rest of the circle, addressing them as much as Alex. "Remaining unmarried gives them an easy out in the face of trouble or another suitor."
The face of Lucifer flashed across her mind, and Alex felt her cheeks flush furiously. "No, no, it's nothing like that," she cut in sharply. "It's nothing like that. It's just — just a different culture." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dean open his mouth, so before he could make her explanation more difficult, she cleared her throat. "Could we, uh, could we maybe hear Tammy's poem?" She knocked Dean in the side of the arm with her elbow. "This one right here is just a sucker for poetry."
...
The meeting lasted only half an hour, and before long, it was done. After the finishing praer, Alex folded up her chair and hauled it across the room to stack it alongside everyone else's. "That was a nice poem," she commented as she hung the chair up on its rack next to Tammy's. "You a writer, then?"
Tammy's face flushed at the praise. "It's just a hobby. I write one for every meeting." She fumbled through her pockets on a sudden note of inspiration. "I have another one right here if you want me to read it —"
"I'd love to, but I don't have time." Alex glanced back towards where Sam and Dean were talking, heads bowed in conversation. "Maybe next time?"
"Here." A piece of paper was thrust into her hands. "Just take this one from last week. I have copies back at home."
"Uh … thanks." Alex gave a half smile before she turned her back, her feet carrying her towards Sam as she chanced a look down at the crumpled poem. "Sex is a ravenous wolf, threatening to devour the innocent lamb," she read under her breath. "Good God."
Dean was gone by the time she reached the younger Winchester, and Alex looked around. "Where'd Dean go?" she asked half a second before she recognized the tall, broad figure standing next to Suzy.
"He, uh —" Sam cut off as a hand tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned to find Bonnie standing there, a smile upon her face. "Hey."
"So?" Bonnie's hands folded behind her back, an expectant look upon her face, and when Sam only echoed back in confusion, she expounded, "How did you like the meeting?"
"Oh, I-I-I loved it." Sam cleared his throat as he regained his composure. "Yeah. Um, you know, I-I couldn't help but think of those who weren't here."
The woman's face fell in sadness at the thought of her missing friends. "Oh. Honor. She's my favorite." Her eyes flickered past Sam towards the treat table and hardened, and Alex followed her gaze to where one of the other women — Brenna — was stuffing cookies into her purse. "Would you excuse me?"
Bonnie walked away, and Alex raised her eyebrows as she looked up at Sam, but she didn't have time to speak before Tammy was standing beside her. "Her favorite?" the woman started scornfully. "She has no idea what kind of girl Honor is."
Sam tipped his head as he looked down at her. "You don't say. Uh — Tammy, right? The poet?" When Tammy nodded in affirmation, Sam turned to face her more fully, curiosity lighting up his gaze. "Tammy, why don't you tell me what kind of girl Honor is."
"She's a liar." Tammy's eyes narrowed in anger, and she lowered her voice. "She comes to these meetings and pretends she's one of us, but I know the truth. She and Pastor Fred did … you know what."
"Had sex?" Alex guessed, and Tammy turned to her with a loud "shhh." The ex-angel held up her hands in a quick apology.
"She won't admit it, but I … I heard them in the back closet. She shouldn't be allowed in the group, let alone being the 'favorite.' I do twice as much; I volunteer, I host the holiday parties at my house — I bake real cookes for the bake sale. Honor just brings Oreos!"
"Oh." Sam glanced past Tammy, and he put a hand on Alex's shoulder. "You know what? Can you excuse us for a second?" He motioned for Alex to follow, and she peered past the ranting woman to see Dean approaching.
A large grin split the Winchester's face as he stopped in front of them. "Guess who's taking the teacher home," he crowed before he put on the most serious face he could muster. "Research."
Sam scoffed in disbelief. "You really think you're gonna hit that? Dean, she's the chastity counselor."
Dean's grin was back. "Yeah. I know. What about you?" He looked over at Tammy, who was waiting for their return with crossed arms. "Any luck?"
"You mean am I actually working?" Sam asked, and his shoulders fell in exasperation when Dean shrugged. "As a matter of fact, yes, I am."
"Alright, well, good luck with that." Dean handed Sam the keys to the Impala and patted his younger brother on the shoulder before he hurried back over to the door where Suzy was waiting. He greeted her with a smile, but the words passed between them were lost to the chattering in the room.
Alex and Sam turned back to Tammy, and Sam cleared his throat. "Hey, sorry. So, where were we?"
"Honor is going to hell."
"Right." Alex shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket, her lips set into a tight line. "Listen, we have a meeting with a, uh, realtor in about ten minutes. Can we finish this next week?"
"I guess." Tammy's eyes followed the two as Alex led the way away, and the ex-angel didn't stop until they were outside the church.
"Well." Alex circled around to the passenger side of the Impala and waited for the Winchester to unlock the car. "Looks like dragons might be out of the cards. They supposed to take virgins, not just self-professed ones." She slid into the seat and slammed the door behind her. "So, uh, now what?"
Sam looked up from his phone. "Huh? Oh, uh, Jody's got us a room at the motel down the street. She says she's there now." He tossed his phone onto the seat and started the car. "We'll head there now, see what we can dig up until Dean gets back."
Alex nodded. "Okay, sounds good. So who's this Boyle guy?" she asked, leaning forward in guarded curiosity. "He an angel?"
"We don't think so." Sam turned the car onto the street and sped up. "All we know is that he's a preacher who's trying to find angels vessels by getting religious people to let them in. And it seems like he's been doing a good job so far."
"Great." Alex slumped down in her seat as they sped through a light. "Hopefully Kevin can get those translations going so we can reverse Metatron's spell." She looked up when Sam didn't respond, but the grim look on his face said it all. "What?"
"Kevin … he doesn't think the spell can be reversed. He's still working on it, but we might need to find another way."
"We definitely need to find some way," Alex grumbled. "Nothing spells peace like an entire army of scared, angry, and powerful soldiers let loose onto the earth."
The Impala rolled to a stop, and Alex got out and followed Sam across the parking lot and up to room fourteen of MacCarthy's Scottish Motel. "Hey," Sam greeted as he stepped inside, and Alex echoed him as she caught sight of Jody seated at the round wooden table on the other side of the room.
The sheriff looked up from her laptop as Alex kicked the door shut behind her. "How was church?"
"Well, it turned into confessional." Sam crossed the room and sat down across from Mills, and Alex followed suit. "Apparently, two of our vics, Honor and Pastor Fred, did the dirty."
"Oh, well, they're not the only ones." Jody pushed her laptop away from her slightly as she met Sam's gaze. "Barb Blaton, our missing bride to be — her mom said she heard Barb and her fiancé in Barb's bedroom."
Sam lifted an eyebrow. "Going at it?" he guessed.
"Well, she said she heard sex noises, then Barb crying, then Neil telling Barb that it didn't count because it was under thirty seconds." Jody paused to let the Winchester chuckle before finishing, "And then, two hours later, she heard a smash and saw a flash of light under the door."
Alex leaned forward her in seat. "Let me guess. Blue light?"
The sheriff nodded. "You know, I'm thinking whatever this thing is, it's not going after virgins, even born-again virgins."
"It's taking virgins who break their chastity vow. So dragons are off the list."
"I'm sor — dragons?" Jody looked up in shock, her blue eyes flickering between Sam and Alex. "Those are a thing?"
"Yeah," Alex agreed, and Sam added, "Too many things are a thing." He got to his feet and pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I'm going to go get my laptop and give Dean a call. He should know."
"Probably." Alex watched the Winchester exit the motel room before adding, "Although knowing him it's way too late. Dean took the chastity counselor home," she explained to Jody, settling down in her seat with a shrug. "Sam's gonna owe my fifty bucks soon."
The sheriff's eyebrows lifted in surprised. "You placed a bet?"
"Oh please." Alex scoffed in amusement. "It's normal. Apparently they placed bets on getting me laid a couple years ago."
She fell silent as the door reopened and Sam stepped through, his backpack over his shoulder and his phone up to his ear. He back down and dropped his laptop onto the table, his angular face twisted in exasperation. "Dean, come on, call me," he insisted, and then he hung up and dropped his phone onto the table.
Jody looked up at the Winchester, a half-smile on her face. "You know, for being born again today, you sure look like crap."
Sam chuckled, and he shook his head before he looked up, interest sparking in his eyes as a thought came to mind. "Wait a second. Did you … get —"
"Born again?" When Sam agreed, Jody laughed. "Oh, Sam. I don't make promises I can't keep." Amusement lit up her eyes before her face once again grew serious. "It's just … I enjoy church. I mean, after … after Bobby, Crowley … I needed something that made sense to me — you know, comfort, I guess."
The sheriff shrugged, but Sam nodded in understanding. "Yeah," he agreed, "I guess we're all looking for that."
"Except those that got it." Jody looked between Sam and Alex's puzzled faces, and she smiled. "Come on. You and Dean? The three of you? That's something special, don't you think?"
"It's certainly something." Alex rose to her feet, laughing to herself as she thought about Jody's words. "Listen. Is anyone hungry? I think I'm going to run down to the store and pick up some stuff." She shoved her phone into the back of her pocket before circling around the table, pausing briefly pat Jody on the shoulder. "Any snack requests? I'll pick up some pork rinds, since I bet Dean's going to be hungry later."
"I think we're good." Sam barely looked up from his laptop, and Jody's shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "See you in a few."
"In a few," Alex echoed back as she made her way out of the front door of the motel. The air outside had a slight nip to it, and the ex-angel shoved her hands into her pockets as she made her way down to the sidewalk. There had been a gas station just a few blocks away, far within walking distance. She inhaled deeply, taking in the South Dakota air that somehow still felt so familiar even after all these years.
She turned the corner onto the store-lined street of Hartford's main town, shielding her eyes as a car rushed by, pulling a cloud of dust and debris with it.
A crash came from down the alley between two store fronts, and the ex-angel paused, her grey eyes turning towards the sound. The alleyway appeared empty, and Alex's hand instinctively came up to rest on the hilt of a knife, fully on edge and aware of her humanity.
But the brick-lined backstreet remained silent, and after a minute or two the young hunter turned to go. The second her back was turned, however, the noise came again. "Hell no." Alex pulled out her knife and flipped it open as she stepped in between the two brick buildings. "Hello?" she called. "Who's there?"
Five steps carried her past the dumpster and face to face with the perpetrator. With a screech, the tabby cat streaked past her, disappearing around the corner. "Dammit." Alex shook her head, her eyes rolling in disgust at the cliche of her scare. She sheathed the knife and shoved it back into her pocket, but before she could turn around, the alley lit up into a brilliant blue light.
A figure was pressing at her back, and Alex instinctively threw her elbow backwards, but a hand touched her shoulder, and ice rushed through her veins, painfully cold. Darkness pressed in, and Alex's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she fell to the ground, unconscious.
...
Her eyes flickered open to darkness. The air was moist, the floor slightly damp, and Alex reached up to soothe her aching head. "What the hell?" She pushed herself to her trembling feet, and as her eyes adjusted, her surroundings became clear. The floor was stone, and so were the walls that curved upwards into an arching ceiling. She was definitely underground, no doubt about it; the ex-angel could taste it in the air. "Hello?" she called, and she took a step forward, ears straining as she sought to hear anything that might be near her. She reached up to touch her back pocket, but her knife was gone. "Dammit."
There were voices up ahead, and Alex fell silent as she dropped low into a crouch. They didn't seem to be approaching, so she began to move forward, her canvas shoes and careful footfalls silent on the stone.
A large room opened up ahead, and the voices grew louder. They were rushed, filled with fear, and Alex straightened up as she stepped into view.
There were four; two females, two males. The older man was laying on the ground, eyes closed and chest barely rising as he breathed. The other three were huddled in the corner, whispering fiercely among themselves. One of the woman caught sight of Alex, and she let out a high-pitched scream. "Who are you?" The man spun around, hands going out to protect the women next to him.
Alex held out her hands in innocence as she shifted backwards. "It's okay. My name is Alex. Who are you?" The answer was obvious, but the question started the conversation that she needed. "Where are we?"
"I don't know. I — I'm Neil, this is my fiancé Barb." Neil looked down at the man on the floor. "That's Pastor Fred." He watched as Alex crossed the room and and knelt down beside the man. "He's starving to death."
"How long has he been down here?" Alex placed her hand upon the thin man's chest, and his eyes fluttered open. "It's okay," she promised. "We're going to get you somewhere safe."
"Somewhere safe?" Neil scoffed loudly, and Alex got back up to her feet. "We've been here for days! No food, no water! Nothing!"
The ceiling creaked above them, and Alex looked up in surprise. Her fists tightened at her side, and she tensed as she traced the movement across the length of the ceiling, and it stopped near a ladder that lead upwards. The ex-angel raised a finger to her lips, motioning for the others to be quiet as she crept towards the ladder. The figure above them had stopped by the hatch, and Alex picked up a lantern that was laying on the table; not the best weapon, but the only one around.
The hatch unlocked, and a blue light filled the air, a hot blue flame that had Alex shielding her face. Something collided into her side, strong and solid, and it sent her flying across the wall into the stone. There was screaming, and the flame was gone within seconds. Alex struggled back to her feet, but the hatch was already closed. She spun around to make sure her four companions were okay. Honor, Neil, and Barb were huddled in the corner.
Pastor Fred was nowhere.
"Where'd he go?" Honor's voice was high with hysteria, and Alex's hair stood on end.
She bolted over to the ladder and hauled herself up, ignoring how the metal creaked and groaned under her weight. "Hey!" She pounded on the metal hatch, and the sound echoed through the underground room. "Hey!"
The air was filled with a horrifying scream, a noise that went straight down to her bones, and Alex redoubled her efforts. "Hey!" she yelled. "You son of a bitch! I'm going to fucking kill you, you understand?"
"Oh my God!" Honor cowered in the corner, her face screwed up in horror as the screams faded, and Alex slid down the ladder with an angry curse. "We're all going to die."
"We're not going to die." Alex felt up her pockets, but she had nothing on her. "We're getting out of here. I've got three people out looking for me, and they'll find us. And we can hold off this bitch off from here until then. We need weapons; pipes, bricks, anything that we can use."
"T-There's stuff in the tunnels." Barb's voice was shaking as she tightly gripped her fiancé's hand, and Alex nodded in understanding.
"Good. If that thing starts coming back, you call from me. I'll go see what I can find." With one last look towards the now silent room above their heads, Alex hurried back into the dark.
She followed the twisting tunnels as they wound beneath the ground, a network of of passageways that always led to one of two options; either back to the main room or a dead end. The light didn't reach far, and Alex felt her way along the walls with the tips of her fingers, eyes straining against the darkness for items on the ground.
A cry of alarm had her sprinting back to the main room, and she slid to a halt as she recognized what exactly had caused the ruckus. Two figures lay on the ground, unconscious, one male, one female. "Damn." Alex crossed over to the room and nudged at the broad-shouldered man. "Dean? Get up, you dumbass." She turned to look back at Honor, about to ask a question, but her gaze was pulled over to where Barb was dragging her fingernails down the rugged stone. "What the hell are you doing?"
Alex jumped over Suzy and grabbed Barb's wrist, pulling her away from the now bloodied wall. The woman's nails were broken and bloodstained, and Alex scowled in disgust. "I'm so thirsty." Barb's voice shook as she stared down at the oozing blood. "S-So thirsty. There has to be a way out!"
"There is a way out. We'll be out soon." Alex nudged Barb towards Neil, who was standing near the rickety picnic table. "You just have to be patient." She returned to Dean's side to find both of the newcomers slowly regaining consciousness. "Hey. Steady there, cowboy."
"Where are we?" Dean jerked into consciousness at Alex's voice, and the ex-angel dropped down onto one knee to steady him.
"Hell." Neil's voice was grim, and Alex scoffed.
"Come on, get up." She helped Dean to his feet before turning to help Suzy. "So let me guess. You two broke your vows?" The sheepish look on Suzy's face had Alex turning to Dean with a grin "Looks like Sam owes me fifty bucks."
"Shut up." Dean looked around the room, and his eyes came to rest on the hatch high above their heads.
Alex chuckled and watched as Dean climbed the ladder and pounded his fist against the hatch. "I tried that, by the way."
"We tried, too," Neil added scathingly as Dean rested his shoulder against the metal and pushed upwards, but the Winchester's efforts were to no avail. "There's no escape."
"Are we going to run out of air?" Suzy's voice was shaking, either out of fear or cold, and Alex could only give a small, half-comforting shrug.
It was Neil who responded, his eyes dark. "I don't think so. Somebody wants us to die nice and slow."
"And then it's going to take us, just like it took Pastor Fred."
Dean looked down at Honor's words, and his green eyes flickered around the room until they came to rest on Alex. "What took him?" he asked, ignoring Neil's response.
Alex understood; her analysis would be the most helpful. "We don't know," she began. "It's whatever put us down here, thought. I didn't get a good look; it came in a flash of blue fire, and then Pastor Fred was gone. He's definitely dead by now."
"Son of a bitch." Dean jumped down the ladder, his eyes flashing with anger.
"Dean." Suzy stepped forward to gently touch the Winchester on the shoulder, her voice soft and quiet. "Maybe God wants us down here — because of what we did."
Dean scoffed. "Trust me. This is not God's work — son of a —" The Winchester frantically patted down his jeans, clearly looking for something. "They took my phone," he cursed before pulling out a second, smaller device. "Luckily, I keep a spare."
"There's a grate against that wall." Alex pointed towards a large pipe barricaded with iron bars. "Might be the best place to try for a signal."
She followed Dean over to the pipe and watched as he stuck his arm through, eyes narrowed in concentration. "Come on, bars," he muttered under his breath, waving his phone around in the air.
He must have got something, because he suddenly leaned forward. "Sam?" he yelled. "Sammy! Hey, listen to me! Whatever it is, it got us — me and Pip. We're underground. We're in some sort of a tunnel system,." The words were spilling from his mouth as he tried to cram as much information into each second before the connection was lost. The whistle of a train filled the air, and Dean raised his voice even more to be heard. "We're by a train station — Sam!"
Dean pulled away to look down at his phone. "Dammit," he cursed, and he shoved his phone back into his pocket in disgust. "I lost him."
Alex frowned at the news. "Well, hopefully he at least got some of the message." She turned back to look at the other four prisoners; Neil and Barb were in the far corner, whispering among themselves.
"Don't, Neil," Alex distinctly heard Barb begging. "Please, don't." She fell silent as Neil shushed her, and Alex and Dean exchanged cautious looks.
"Don't what, Neil?" Dean called, and the other man's sharp gaze swung over to them.
"Just mind your beeswax, pal."
Dean's eyes lit up at the disrespect he was being shown, and he stalked over to the younger gentleman. "Hey. Hey!" He poked Neil in the chest when he rolled his eyes. "Listen, we're all stuck down here together. So you got something to say, you say it."
Neil's eyes widened slightly at Dean's tone. "Okay, look," he started hotly, "whatever that fireball thing was, it's taking the weakest, and I am not gonna be next. So, the way I see it, her leg's busted anyways." He waved a hand in Honor's direction, and Honor let out a horrified gasp. "We serve her up. It could buy us some time."
"Screw you, Neil," Honor spat, and a thud echoed through the room as Dean shoved Neil up against the hard brick wall.
"Busted leg?" he snarled, and Alex took a step closer, ready to intervene if it became necessary. "Try a sprained ankle, okay? Nobody's serving anybody up!" His voice grew loud and authoritative, but Neil refused to back down.
"We are under the gallows, all of us! Give it Honor. It might save the rest of our necks, unless you have a better plan."
"Maybe I do." Dean's voice grew quiet, but it lost none of its intensity. "Maybe we'll give him you." He paused, head tipping as he narrowed his eyes, and Neil looked away. "Oh, what, you don't like that idea? Then shut up!" He pushed Neil back one more time to emphasize his point before he spun around and stalked away.
Alex followed him to the other side of the room with one last dark glance towards the other man. "Sam will find us soon," she promised, leaning her shoulder up against the brick wall as she looked up at Dean. "Did he manage to get a hold of you before you got here?"
"Yeah." Dean crossed his arms as he watched Barb slowly approach her sullen fiancé. "He said that this thing wasn't dragons because all of these guys broke their vows. Which is why we're here. Except I don't get why you're here," he added after a second.
"I have no idea." Alex shrugged, her shoulder scraping against the rough stone. "Maybe because I wasn't serious about it when I made the vow? It's impossible to say at this point without knowing what it is we're dealing with — a pagan god, most likely. It's clearly got a thing for virgins," she explained when Dean lifted his eyebrows. "What else likes them? I don't know. All I know is that Cas is going to be pissed if he finds out about this."
...
An hour passed — or at least, Alex thought it was an hour. Dean's phone had died, and there was no real way to measure the time. Neil hadn't spoken since his spat with the Winchester, and everyone was huddled in silence. Alex sat on the wooden table, legs crossed as she toyed half-heartedly with her shoelace, shivering slightly at the cold. "Sam's going to get here soon."
Dean didn't say anything, but Neil looked up with a scowl. Alex locked gazes with him, daring the younger man to speak up. When he didn't, she dropped her gaze back down to her lap. She heard Dean get up and cross the room, and she watched him out of the corner of her eyes as he looked thoughtfully up at the ladder.
Suzy and Honor were sitting behind Alex, and Dean's movement sparked a conversation between them. "You broke too, huh?" Honor whispered.
Suzy shifted in her seat, and her voice took on an embarrassed tone. "Guess I'm not as strong as I thought I was," she murmured back.
"God forgives. You told me that yourself."
Honor was cut off by a loud, metallic bang high above their heads, and Alex jumped to her feet. There was someone above them, trying to get in. "Told you!" Neil jumped to his feet, his voice high in a panicked shriek. "It's back for one of us. What are you gonna do now? Right, you should have listened to me —"
"Shut up!" Dean snapped over at him, and Alex moved over to stand at Dean's side. "Shh!"
"Jody!" A muffled voice could barely be heard, and a grin split Alex's face. That was Sam. If there was a response from the sheriff, it was too distant for her to hear. "Dean!" Sam pounded on the hatch. "We're here! We're gonna get you out!"
"Sammy?" Dean scaled the ladder and banged on the metal. "Sammy? Sammy!"
"Hey, Dean, we're here!" Sam repeated loudly. "We're gonna get you out —" Suddenly the younger Winchester cut off, and Alex tipped her head in worry when his voice didn't return.
"Sammy?" Dean threw his fist up against the metal hatch. "Are you still there?"
Alex pulled herself up the ladder opposite of Dean, resting one rung above him so her face was just below his. From where she was, she could hear the sounds of a scuffle in the room above. "Shit," she cursed, hooking one arm around the ladder to anchor herself as she pressed up against the cold roof. "We have to get this open."
"Sammy!" Dean continued his assault on the door, pressing his full weight upwards in an attempt to dislodge the door.
"Dean!" Alex's fingers traced a rusty screw. "Is there a screwdriver down there?" she yelled down to Honor. A quick and hard thump on her arm conveyed Dean's appreciation at her idea, and he was quick to echo her request.
"Hey." Honor pulled a pair of scissors out from the battered metal box that sat on the table. "From the first aid kit."
Alex slid down the ladder to retrieve them, tucking the metal into her pocket as she crossed back over and ascended the ladder. "Here!" She handed the twin blades to Dean, wincing as she heard a blood-curdling scream from above. "Jody!" Alex pressed her hands against the hatch, gritting her teeth as she tried to undo the screws with her mind, almost as if she still had her grace, but the effort was useless. "Dammit!"
One screw fell to the ground, landing with a thud on the straw-covered floor, and the hatch jiggled when Alex pushed upwards. Another screw fell, and Alex redoubled her efforts while Dean started his work on the third and final screw.
It came loose with a clang, and Alex thrust the hatch upwards off of its hinges. With Dean's help, she was able to push it off to the side and scramble free. The ex-angel spun around, eyes narrowed as she adjusted to the darkness of the barn they were in.
Bonnie stood across the room, her eyes glowing with fury as she stood over Sam, who was laying flat on his back. "Hey!" Alex and Dean yelled the word at the same time, and Alex broke into a sprint across the straw-covered ground.
She slid to a stop as the woman's face exploded into blue flames before crumpling to the ground to reveal Jody, one hand clutching her side, and the other a blood-soaked wooden stake. "What happened?" Dean was at his brothers side in a moment, quickly checking him over for any sign of injury.
"You're hurt." Alex stepped forward, grey eyes widening at the blood that soaked Jody's shirt. "Dean!"
"It's okay." The sheriff's voice was breathy, and she dropped the stake onto the ground as she looked Dean and Alex over. "Flesh wound. Glad you two are okay."
"Yeah, of course." Alex nudged the corpse that lay at her feet. "So, what exactly was this chick? It looks like you figured it out just in time," she added as she motioned to the stake in Jody's hands. "Pagan god?"
"Vesta." Sam pushed himself to his feet, casting a glance towards where the other four captives were hauling themselves out of the hatch. "How's everyone?"
"Shaken, but okay." Dean followed Sam's gaze over his shoulder. "They'll be fine with a bit of rest and therapy." He grimaced and reached up to touch his shoulder. "Dammit, I'm not as young as I used to be."
"Guys, I really think we should get going." Alex pressed a hand up against Jody's shoulder as blood seeped through the sheriff's fingers. "We need to get her to a hospital now."
"Hey. Hey!" Dean's voice grew deep as he turned towards Honor, Neil and Barb. "You guys stay here — we're going to call the cops, but we have to get her to the hospital."
"Wait, wait, y-you can't just leave us here!" Neil hurried over to them, but stopped short as his eyes came to rest on Bonnie's body on the ground. "Oh my God!"
There was a shriek as Honor and Barb noticed it too, and Sam stepped forward, hands out to try and call them down. "It's okay, it's okay. No one's going to hurt you anymore, alright? We just need you to wait for the cops. Can you do that?"
"Y-Y-Yeah."
The words were stuttered, but the meaning was clear, and Sam turned back to Jody. "Come on. Let's go." He held out a hand to help support her as he lead the way out, and Alex hurried in front of them to get the Impala door.
The air had already turned cold and dark, the sliver of a moon providing little light, and the ex-angel nearly fell as she tripped over a root that was partially embedded in the hard, dry dirt. The only thing that caught her was the dead, stunted tree, and pain ran up her arm as the rough bark sliced through the palm of her hand. "Son of a …" Alex bit her teeth together in frustration as she regained her balance before crossing over to the Impala. "Here." She yanked open the door so Sam could help Jody in before she turned her attention to her hand. She couldn't make out much in the dark, but the pain and the wetness told her it was bleeding a little.
"You okay?" Light had her flinching away, and she squinted up at Sam to find him looking down at her with a flashlight.
"I cut my hand open." She lifted her hand up into the light to show off the thin wound. "It's nothing bad, it's just getting everywhere." She looked back towards the barn at the sound of footsteps through the grass. "Pop the trunk and I'll get a bandage out."
"Sure thing. Oh, uh, here." Sam dug through his pocket to pull out Alex's phone. "We found this an alley by the motel. You must have dropped it."
Alex accepted it with a grin, which quickly faded into a frown. "Thanks." Three new messages. They were all from Castiel. The ex-angel hurried around to the trunk to grab a bandage before she slid into the seat next to Jody. "Here." On a second thought, Alex pressed the white fabric into Jody's shoulder. "Use this."
Jody grunted in thanks, and Alex pressed her hand into her jeans as she looked down at her phone. I'm off of work. Can I call you tonight?
Hello?
Alex? Is everything okay?
"Shit." Best that she could, Alex typed out a one-handed response. Hey, it's okay. Can I give you a call in a bit?
The response came back almost instantaneously. Sam said you were missing. I thought you said you weren't going to hunt.
I wasn't hunting. Sam and Dean killed the thing, and I just lost my phone. I'll tell you more later. I have to go. Alex tucked her phone into her jacket pocket as the Impala roared to life and sped away back towards town.
...
Eight hours later, Alex found herself standing in the Winchesters' motel room, her bag in her hands as she stood beside Jody Mills. The sheriff's eye was black and blue, and her left arm was in a sling, but she was alive, and she was packing up her things off of the far bed.
The motel door opened, and Alex looked up to see the two brothers enter. Sam looked between the two of them, his eyes resting on the bags in their hands. "Heading out?"
"Yeah." Jody slung her bag over her good shoulder as she turned to face Sam and Dean. "I'd tell you boys to stay out of trouble, but what's the point?" She stretched out her arm to give Sam a hug, letting out a small "ow" as the Winchester pressed up against her bad shoulder.
Dean stepped forward to give the sheriff his own hug. "Thanks for bailing me out," he said as he pulled away.
"Oh, what can I say? I'm getting the hang of this." Jody Mills smiled up at Dean before turning her gaze over to Alex. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah, I'm all packed." Alex adjusted the strap of her bag as she looked up at Sam. "I'll keep in touch, okay? See you around." She shot Dean a small smile before she followed Jody across the room.
"Drive safe," Sam called after them, and Alex lifted a hand to acknowledge that she heard.
"Thanks," Jody added as she pulled open the motel door. "Don't get the door for me or anything."
"If you wanted me to get it, you just had to stand back," Alex retorted playfully as she stepped outside. "I can drive if you're incapable," she teased as she threw her bag into the back of Jody's truck.
Mills let out a snort of amusement as she climbed into the driver's side seat. "Not a chance." She started the car as Alex got in next to her. "We'll stop by the storage lockers on our way back if you want. They're only about ten minutes from here."
"Yeah, that sounds great." Alex rested her phone on the seat next to her. "That's all I came here for, so this trip has been one hell of a detour."
Jody chuckled as she guided the car onto the road leading to the highway. "You're telling me." She glanced over at Alex out of the corner of her eye as she added, "Sam told me you quit the life."
"I… I tried." Alex gave a small, noncommittal shrug. "I really did, for a while. But it always seems to find a way to drag you back in, doesn't it? I guess once you know what's out there, it's hard to turn a blind eye."
"Isn't that the truth." Jody guided the truck onto the highway back towards Sioux Falls. Silence fell, and Alex turned her attention towards watching the flat landscape fly by, broken only by barns and cows.
Five minutes much have passed before Jody spoke up once more. "It's hard to believe that for all the years I've been sheriff, I never noticed what's really out there. Everything Bobby did for us, and he never got recognition."
"Yeah, well, that's the job. The less people know, the better, I guess. As long as they're safe in their ignorance, we did our job." Alex rested her head against the glass. "Bobby never asked for anything in return. I miss him every day."
Jody didn't immediately respond. "Me too."
The sheriff's truck pulled into the parking lot of a large, square building, and the ignition died. "We're here." Jody got out of the car, and Alex followed, slamming the door behind her. She followed Jody up through the front door and down a line of storage lockers. Alex could feel her heart pounding in her chest as they stopped at the end of the hall, and Jody Mills pulled a key out of her pocket. "Here."
"Uh … thanks." Alex took the small silver key in her hands, the metal warm from where it had rested against the sheriff's skin, and she stepped forward to stand beside the door. She hesitated, and she cast a look back at Jody Mills. The sheriff gave a small nod of encouragement, and Alex pressed the key into the lock.
It clicked open, and Alex pushed the door open to reveal a dark, dusty room inside. The ex-angel drew in a deep breath as she stepped inside, and the automatic lights flickered on above her head. Boxes were stacked against the far wall, all labeled in Bobby's familiar scrawling. They all contained research; books and notes on every creature the old hunter had encountered.
The center of the room was empty except for one central cardboard box. One word was written on the top flaps. Alex.
The girl dropped to her knees, pushing back the sharp twinge of emotion that coursed through her chest. She pulled the box open and peered inside. There wasn't much; on top lay a gun, and Alex smiled as she recognized it as the first sawed off she and Bobby had made together — the scuff marks on the barrel were from where she had started to cut too close to the stock were still visible. Beneath it lay a manilla envelope, and Alex slowly pulled it open.
Alex.
If you're reading this, that probably means I'm dead. I had your name on this locker; Jody will know what to do. The deed to the house and the property are enclosed. Do with it what you will, but my mother always wanted the place to stay in the family, and you and John's boys are the closest thing I got. So thank you for that.
I never told you this, but I did some digging into your story when you first arrived. And I know the truth. I didn't say anything — part of me hopes that one day you'd talk about it. Or maybe you haven't because just don't remember. Either way, I think I was able to piece together what happened to you.
If you care, I've included all the research of Sheol that I was able to find. And I was able to locate your father. Do with it what you will.
Good luck, Evelyn. Whatever you decide to do, just know that I'm proud of you.
Bobby Singer.
