A/n. Another shortie-ish. My beta reader is on vacation, so I'm posting these without her, like a wild woman! Hopefully she approves after she reads it. :)

I was looking at reviews, and realized I never answered xGuestx's question about Alice's last name being Temple. The truth on that, is that I considered introducing Connor Temple, (Andrew Lee Potts is on my "people I'm obsessed with" list. I think it might be the dimples.) as a relative to Alice, but it never happened. For the record, as a show Primeval was so-so, but I thought Andrew's character Connor was fantastic. So there you have it, some insight into the secrets of this story...

Also, I wanted to thank the anonymous reviewer of chapter 52. I always feel bad when there isn't someone specific to thank, get yourself a user ID, stat!

And as always, I can't say enough about the constant support I get from some of you. I love you guys, and I can honestly say, I'm pretty sure this story would have ended a long time ago without the knowledge that someone was enjoying it. Thank you.

Chapter Twenty-three

After some rest, and a shower Alice found herself sneaking, once again, in the Doctor's shadow up the basement stairs in the hospital.

She had yet to hear from Dean, other than a cryptic text a few hours before saying, "so much to tell you, be there soon." She took his abruptness as a signal, and only responded with the words that Sam was doing fine.

She was so lost in thought she ran right into the Doctor's back as he stopped in the middle of the hallway. "What's wrong?" She whispered, and he held up a hand.

"Shh, did you hear that?" He said over his shoulder.

Alice stood still for a moment, "I don't hear any..." She was interrupted when the lights up and down the hallway started to go crazy, flickering on and off, and bulbs bursting erratically. "Sam." She said, and started running toward his room.

She threw the door open, and watched a ghost go up in flames right in front of her. "Sam? Are you okay?" She looked at him, and the girl Marin, whom she had met the night before as they stood within a circle of salt.

He didn't even have time to answer her, before she could hear men running down the hall toward them. She looked at him in terror, she didn't want him to get into trouble.

"Go Marin," he said pushing her towards the door. He then looked at Alice, "get her to her room safely, and then hide."

"But Sam," she started, and he cut her off.

"GO ALICE." He pointed out the door, and she turned and grabbed the girl by the hand and started running.

She shouted at the Doctor who was in front of her, "go! Get the Tardis, we are getting him out of here."

He didn't argue, he just turned the corner, and ran for the stairs.

Alice, and Marin only made it a few more steps, when she heard the men behind her. "We'll get Winchester, get those girls."

Winchester? He called Sam by his real name? That couldn't be good. "We need to run faster Marin." Alice said to the girl.

She pulled Alice sideways, "in here." She said, and she pulled open a door. They ducked inside a giant bathroom. Alice saw shower stalls on one side, and toilet stalls on the other, but they didn't even get time to choose before a gigantic hulking man ran in after them.

Holding Marin behind her, Alice backed up until they were against a wall. "Stay away." She said, letting her voice ring out with more strength then she really felt.

He snorted, "or what exactly? What are two little things like you, going to do to me, cry on me?" He smiled at her, and she felt her mouth get dry as his eyes went black as he approached her slowly.

"What the hell is he?" Marin whispered.

Alice was trying not to go into panic mode, she could feel the comforting presence of her backpack on her back, but she didn't have anything inside that could help in this situation. She frantically looked from right to left, and then she saw it. A mop bucket, and a cleaning cart. It was a few paces to her right, so she slowly pushed Marin that direction, and tried to appear as if they were cowering toward the corner.

"There's nowhere to run ladies, so let's just get this over with, shall we?"

"Who are you?" Alice asked, stalling for time as she glanced as subtly as she could at the cart, looking for what she needed. "What do you want with Sam?"

"I think the question is, who ARE you?" He asked. "You obviously don't belong here. At least I found an outfit that made me look like I fit in here." He motioned down and Alice wasn't sure if he meant the scrubs he was wearing, or the person.

"Borax." Alice whispered over her shoulder at Marin, motioning with her eyes at the cart. "I need borax."

Marin was right on top of the cart now that Alice had managed to push them against the wall. "You know, I've never really tried to fit in. Always been a bit of an outcast, you probably know what that's like right?"

He laughed at her, "wait, are you trying to get me to sympathize with you?" He asked.

She felt Marin press a spray bottle into the hand that was behind her back. "No, mostly I was just stalling."

Alice took two steps toward the man, and sprayed the bottle right into his face. He spit it back out at her, and wiped at his eyes. "What the hell was that?" He yelled at her, as he swung a fist in her direction, and sent her flying backwards onto her ass on the floor.

Alice watched, but he had no reaction, other than the annoyance of wiping it from his eyes.

And then he, and Marin both looked at her like she was completely mad as she started laughing. She threw her head back, and held her stomach. She couldn't seem to stop.

"What's so damn funny?" He shouted at her, his confusion only making him angrier.

"Oh my gosh.." Alice said, climbing to her feet, chuckling. "I was so scared for a second."

"For a second?" He shot back.

"Yeah, I totally thought you were a Leviathan." She reached her hand behind her, and pulled her water bottle from her backpack without even looking. "But you're only a demon."

He met her gaze, and she said, with a sigh. "And unfortunately for you, I know only too well how to deal with those."

She stepped forward again, only this time, she hit him square in the teeth with a stream of holy water. He fell to his knees screaming, and Alice began exorcizing him immediately. She had memorized the words years ago, and the Latin fell from her tongue with ease. He laid on the floor, writhing, and shouting at her to stop, but she didn't until he realized his time was up, and he fled the body on his own before she even finished.

Alice looked down at the empty vessel with satisfaction, and then looked back at Marin. "Are you okay?"

Marin tried to nod, but she was shaking all over. "I don't understand any of this." She muttered, but the words were cut off at the sound of the Tardis arriving in front of them.

The Doctor threw open the door, and looked around with confusion, "is this a ladies room?" He asked as he stepped outside, and then he looked down at the body on the floor. "Have I missed something?"

"What the hell." Marin said loudly, and Alice turned and caught her before she sunk to the floor.

Alice passed the quaking girl to the Doctor, "get her out of here. Out of this hospital, I've got to find Sam, there are demons in the building."

"Yes," he said, as he took Marin by the arm. "I was going to mention that. They seem to be outside as well. Quite a lot of them actually."

"Awesome." Alice muttered. She took a second to gather her thoughts, "take Marin somewhere safe, I've got to get to Sam."

"Alice, it's too dangerous," he said, and she laughed as she rushed past him, stopping only to brush a kiss over his cheek.

"And when has that ever stopped us?" She said, with a wink, as she ran out the door.

The Doctor looked down at the absolutely dumbfounded girl in his hands, "she's right about that, you know."


Dean was angry. He was angry at Cas, he was angry at Meg, and at himself for leaving Alice and Sam in a situation that ended up like this. He was walking a precarious line with Castiel. One wrong word, and he could disappear, leaving Sam to die, and possibly Alice trapped in a building full of demons.

Meg hovered next to him, as he pulled his phone from his pocket. "I'll deal with you in a second." He snapped at her, as he dialed Alice's number. It was pissing him off, all the hints she kept dropping, as to Castiel's true identity.

She put up her hands, and rolled her eyes, in mock surrender.

She answered on the first ring. "Dean?! I'm so so sorry!" She was breathing heavy, like she had been running, and speaking in a whispered tone.

"What's wrong, what happened?" He turned away from Meg, but felt her lean over his shoulder to hear what he was saying.

"I lost Sam. I went to his room, and there was a girl, and ghost, and he made me take the girl and run. And then there were demons! IN the hospital Dean, and they're outside. And I helped the girl, and ran back to Sam's room, but he's gone. I can't find him anywhere, and I don't know where to look. Are you here? Tell me you're here. But don't come in if you are, because there are demons everywhere. Crap there's another one, I need to hide." She said it all in one breath, she was in full panic mode now.

"Al, calm down. I'm here, just outside. I see the demons, and I'm going to find a way through them to get to you."

"How?" She whispered.

Dean looked over at Cas, he stood looking out over the demons, with no idea that he could fix this all so easily. Dean felt as though he was being ripped in half.

"Are you somewhere safe right now?" He asked.

"I think so, for a second anyway." She was panting between whispers.

"Okay listen to me, you stay hidden. I'm going to find Sam, and then I'm going to come for you. Do you understand? I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Where's the Doctor?"

"He's helping Sam's friend, Marin." She responded. "But I can call him to come for me."

Dean shook his head, "no, let's not put anyone else in danger. Just defend yourself, and wait for me to come to you. Everything is going to be okay Alice, I'm here."

He could hear her breathing slow, as she calmed at the sound of his voice. "I love you Dean." She said it so simply, so easily, he was almost envious. And he realized at that moment, that a million demons weren't going to stop him from saving her. He was going in for her and Sam, no matter the consequence.

"Be careful." She added, and then she hung up before he could respond.