My car sat in front of an old building, it was abandoned and quiet for the most part. The day around us was eerily silent and still. It was unnerving.

"Are you sure this is where the djinn should be?" Ketch asked from the passenger seat, file open and in hand.

"This is where I tracked one to earlier." I kept my eyes on the building in front of us.

"You sure it was a djinn?"

"Your lack of confidence in my hunting skills is hurtful." I said, giving him a side smirk.

He looked up from the documents at me. "I'm sure you're hunting skills are fine." He smiled, "I just want to make sure we have the right person."

"Right, like yesterday when I was right about the kitsune?"

"That was one time, love." He chuckled.

I smiled and refocused on the building. I wasn't sure what I was waiting for but I was sure I'd know when I saw it. But so far there was nothing.

It had been a week since we left the bunker in Dean's hands. Sam had called in a couple of days ago to make sure I was ok, and Dean texted every morning. But I still had nothing from Elly, not that I expected anything from her anyway. I had hurt her deeply, she shouldn't want to talk to me ever again. And... if that made her happy... If that healed her in anyway... then I would accept it.

I focused again on the building as a light shone from one of the old, boarded up windows. That was what I'd been looking for. The light was blue and faint, a sign that it was probably a djinn powering up.

"Time to move in." I said, I didn't bother bringing a knife with me. They would be afraid of me as is once they knew who I was.

We got out of my car and stalked towards the building as quietly as we could across the gravel covered ground. We reached a corner and I peaked around it. I could make out one figure standing at the door, most likely keeping watch. He would be easy enough to take out.

I closed my eyes at a painful tinge in my chest. Why was I thinking of this now? I was supposed to be hunting. Why did he have to be covered in tattoos? Would everything remind me of Elly? Why couldn't I get her out of my fucking head? I wanted to bash it in just to have a moment's peace, but this was my punishment. I knew it was.

A hand on my shoulder startled me and I turned to Ketch who was giving me a concerned look. "We can wait another day if you're not ready," he said lowly. "I know that look, love. It's her. And you're going to be distracted this whole hunt. Do we need to wait?"

"No. If we wait another day they kill another missing person." I sighed. "I'll be fine. All I need is you by my side."

I smiled at him to emphasize that I was fine and could finish this hunt. He didn't look convinced, but he gave a nod. He pulled back the hammer on his gun, causing the djinn look over. A suppressed thud filled the air as a silver and lamb blood bullet decorated his head, making him sink to the gravel.

"I call the next kill." I said, giving a side look to the gun that was pointed over my shoulder. "You've gotten better."

"I've had a lot of practice," he replied, his face serious. He wouldn't tease me right now. Not until we were done with what we had come here to do. It made me sad in a way. I missed the lightness of the hunts with- Fuck! "Let's crack on."

"Right." I pushed forward, walking quickly to the door.

I stood to one side of it and waited until Ketch stood at the other side before shouldering through it. I slammed my body into the door and pushed through into the first floor. Ketch and I looked around and a edge set over me. There weren't any djinn here. There were nine people who had been missing. Some of them I hadn't known were missing. They were all lined up, hands tied above their heads. They were all as pale as milk, their veins dark through the translucence of their skin.

"We need to help them," I mumbled, taking a step towards the victims. "Do we have enough of the antidote? I didn't think there would be this many. I thought it was only the four." My fingers went to the neck of the first one a faint pulse greeting my fingertips. I carefully pulled the needle that was in their neck and used my hand to heal up the incision.

"We'll just have to make it stretch. It takes too long to make up a batch. They'd be dead by the time we were able to," Ketch said back, opening up the pack he had and digging through it.

He tossed me a knife and I began to cut down the teenage girl. Her name was Amanda. She liked playing the piano and was on her high school debate team. I could see her file in my head. I had memorized every word on every page of every file. I had read them over and over again at night while Ketch slept soundly. While I had nothing but my head for company and at the moment, it wasn't the company that I wanted.

I carefully lowered her to the ground and moved onto the next, doing the same for him. But I didn't know his name. He looked kind though. Probably a father.

And the next was also unfamiliar to me. She was only ten at most. So young.

And then was Peter. Repairing cars and racing them.

Carly. Tennis. Starbucks.

Megan. Single mother of 2. Loved to cook.

Sadly, I didn't know the story of the other four. Three men and a woman. People that someone somewhere was missing. Someone somewhere loved them. Was looking for them.

I looked to Ketch who had tossed aside the first of two bottles. I watched as he injected a syringe full of milky blue liquid into Carly's arm. He only had the one needle and I sighed. We should have planned this out a little better. I moved back to the second person I had cut down, a hand going to their head. I did the same thing for all of the others, healing them and making sure that they wouldn't end up sick if we were able to get them all out of here.

"What are we supposed to do with all of them?" I asked, a hand going to my head while the other took my waist. "We can't fit them all in my car."

"Maybe we just need to call an ambulance. They would be able to take care of them better than we could." Ketch stood back up, and looked over everyone the way I was.

"Where are they Ketch?" I strode over to the other side of all of the people, trying to get a better glimpse of the large room. "A single djinn doesn't need nine people." But I couldn't see anything. It was completely empty. No boxes, no furnerature, nothing. But we were on the first floor. There was a set of metal stairs that lead up to a door that must have been to the second floor. "Call 911. Give me your gun."

He didn't look like he approved of what I was doing, but he passed his gun over to me, taking the knife back and fished into his pocket for his phone. I gave him a nod of assurance and ran over to the staircase and starting up it. The metal groaned underfoot as if it hadn't been used in years and wasn't sure how to hold a person's weight any more.

I got to the door and turned the handle. The door swung open and revealed another set of stairs, these ones hardwood. I glanced back down to where Ketch was with his phone to his ear. WIth a deep breath I made my way up the stairs.

They came out to a landing that was nothing but windows for walls. It was quiet. A dense quiet that made it so that I could hear my footsteps echoing like sirens whenever they made contact with the floor.

I turned swiftly, gun ready, but came face to face with nothing. The floor was just as large and empty as the bottom floor had been. But there was one more door beside the stairs. It looked almost like a closet of sorts.

I hesitated, but went to the door. There was a tremor in my hand as I took the doorknob. Unless there really had been only one djinn, they were all in this room. It wasn't like djinn to come out in the middle of the day. And if they had heard us at all, they would have hidden away.

I turned the doorknob and pulled the door open. But before I could even calculate what was happening, my feet had left the floor as I was pushed backwards. I tumbled to the ground, my hand empty now.

I sat up to meet the eyes of at least 12 djinn. I scrambled backwards trying to locate where the gun had gone without taking my eyes off of the monsters that were before me. At a wave of a hand from one of them, a good handful left for the stairs. I wanted to call out to Ketch, but I didn't have the chance.

My fingers stumbled upon my gun and I felt my back press up against the cool glass of one of the many windows. I took aim and was able to get one shot off, nailing the one closest to me. Their body collapsed to the floor and I got to my feet. It was a short lived victory.

A body rammed against mine and my shoulder hit glass. The glass gave way, shattering as if that's what it had been made to do. And for a moment, a split second it felt like my body was defying gravity before my stomach rose as I fell.

There was the sound of wind in my ears that covered up any other sound that would have been possible to hear. And the immediate impact with the gravel below didn't hurt. Glass tinkled around me as the pain finally began to set in.

I gasped for air, my lungs void of any oxygen. The side I had landed on was stuck and punctured more from the rocks than the glass. My head swam from how hard it had hit the ground and there was a radiating pain that was beginning to fill my right wrist. I pushed myself up with my left, doing my best to get to my feet, but the spinning in my head made me stumble and fall back into the gravel and glass.

There were three of them in front of me now. Or maybe it was one. My vision was a blur. Maybe I was seeing things. I was going to be sick. I did my best to raise my gun, but my arm didn't want to move. Most likely because it was tapped back under me.

A strong hand took my shirt and ripped me from the ground and there was a glowing blue light. I couldn't let it touch me. We didn't have any more antidote. The words kept repeating in my head on a loop.

Don't let it touch you.

Don't let it touch you.

Don't let it touch you.

I lifted the gun and thrusted it against the djinn's chest, pulling the trigger. There was an explosion in my hand and I screamed as razor blades shot through my arm. The djinn dropped me back to the earth before he fell himself.

"Elly..." I gasped out, tears rolling down my cheeks. "Help."

I could make out another figure racing to me. I raised the gun that somehow felt a hundred times heavier than it should have and took aim shakily.

"Don't!" a voice ordered through an accent. "It's me, Alex. Don't shoot."

"Arthur?" My voice cracked and I used the back of my arm to wipe at the tears on my cheeks. "A-Arthur?"

"Yes love. There's help coming for the others. We'll take a look at you soon. We need to get out of here before the police show up." The next thing I knew I was scooped from the ground and being carried.

"What-what about the others?" My head felt heavy as it connected to his shoulder. I just wanted to sleep. He was warm. He was safe. He wasn't a 15 foot fall. He would protect me.

I was placed into the passenger side of my car and Ketch put my seatbelt on for me. I wasn't sure I could have done it myself. My body felt like jello, save for the hot burning flames that were licking my wrist.

I was in and out of a daze until I came to as the car came to a jarring halt. My car door was flung open and I looked over the Brit whose face was nothing but concern.

"You need to let go of the gun," he instructed, gingerly taking my right hand into his. I gasped, teeth clenched. His fingers were pins and needles.

"What happened to the rest of them?"

"Dead. Let go of the gun, Alex."

I could feel his fingers working to pry my own fingers from where they held tightly to the gun. But I couldn't make them move. I whimpered, my head thrown back as he unlatched my grip.

I gasped at a bright light that shone right into my eyes.

"Your wrist is broken. And I'm pretty sure you have a concussion."

"Ta-take me to hell," I ordered, trying to clear my head as much as I could as it pounded dangerously. "Charlton can heal-" I inhaled sharply through my teeth as he rested my arm back in my lap. "Can heal me." The tears were falling freely now.

"Ok love. Don't pass out, ok? You need to stay awake for me."

And then the car was moving again. The engine singing sweetly among the more jarring noises that I was almost sure I was the only one hearing.

"I want Elly."

"I know. I know. It's ok, love," an accent said back. "We'll heal you up in a second."

"What happened to her?" This voice was different.

I opened my eyes, trying to make sense of the room I was in. It was dark, only lit by maybe a lamp. It was my best guess. And I was on something soft. Pillowy. Feather like. A bed possibly. My bed?

"She was knocked out of a window."

"I'll see what I can do."

A scream clawed its way up my throat. Fingers were touching, prouding, poking at my wrist. I glanced down to where Charlton's hands were touching swollen black and blue skin. There was something in my arm. Something pushing, pulling, dragging my bones back into place. It was agonizing. My other hand was twisted into the sheet of my bed.

"Elly!"

Why did I keep saying her name? Why did I want her? Not Charlton, not Dean, not Sam, not Lucifer, not Ketch, just Elly. Her kind smile that held the heat of fire. Her hair of spun gold. Her laugh that was the very essence of summer. Every time she appeared the day never ended and smiles never faded. She was a siren leading everyone to sudden happiness. The beauty with the forever young ocean blue eyes.

She was a goddess of the sun and I wanted to be burnt by her. Anything from her that would save me from the ghosts that were hiding inside of my head. Anything to drag me from this pit of eternal darkness that clung to me with every fiber of its being. Anything to shake the cold winter that had chipped away at my bones. Anything to even see her again.

"She should be fine now. She'll be a little tired. I don't have the same healing as she does. Mine isn't instant. Mine uses stamina from the body to speed up the healing process. The best thing for her to do now is to attempt to sleep. I'm not sure if she will, but rest is what she needs."

I released a breath of air I hadn't known that I was holding and my body relaxed into the mattress. An aching filled my limbs, something that I hadn't felt in a very long time. Something I honestly couldn't place.

And then I was wrapped up in something warm. Something that smelt like hard work and tea. And it wasn't the sun, but a warm spring breeze that caressed me gently, lulling me into a safe darkness.

"Alex?"

I shot up from my bed, startling the sleeping body beside mine. Ketch jumped up as well, a knife already in his hand.

My body was sore and a bright ache was present in my bones. Another strange thing I couldn't remember feeling for a long time.

"Ali?" I asked, looking over the teen who stood in front of me, distraught. "How did you get here? What's wrong?"

Her hand was tangled in her hair as she spoke. "I know my dad left after a fight, but now my-my mom's gone."

"Gone? What do you mean gone?" I moved to the side of my bed and got up.

"Mom went on a hunting trip... and she hasn't been home in a few days."

Those words shook something in me. Something from so long ago. Something that had made my life what it had been today. Words that brought Sam and me back to Dean.

"Ketch, where's my phone?" I asked, looking around the room desperately.

"Bag," he replied, getting from where he sat as well and moving over to Ali.

I went to my bag that was tossed aside and dug through it until I found my phone. I looked up and could see Ketch sitting beside Ali on the bed, gently comforting her with words I couldn't hear.

I turned on the screen and looked over the mass of texts and calls that I had waiting for me. I couldn't have been out for more than a few hours, right?

"How did you get here?" I asked again, speed reading the words on my screen. "How did you get to hell?"

"I just transported here. I-I don't know," she replied, taking a deep and calming breath. "You're the only person I could think of that could help me."

"What about Sam and Dean?"

"Sam is stuck at work and Dean is with Cas and Jack hunting down a swarm of fairies in Minnesota."

"They left you alone?" Ketch questioned.

"They were only supposed to be gone for a few days. And my mom was there. But they've been gone longer than they said too, but they've been texting me. I can't get ahold of my mom. She left her phone behind." She was speaking so quickly that it all almost sounded like one word instead of a string of multiple words. She was breathing rapidly and Ketch held her shoulders, shushing her.

"And your mom went alone?" I demanded, anger flooding me.

"I woke up and found a note beside my bed saying she'd be back from a hunt by the next day or so, but it's been longer." How stupid could she possibly be? She knew it was rule number one that you never ever broke if you could help it. She knew hunting alone was a death wish.

A death wish...

"You worried I'll hurt myself or something?"

"Elly," I whispered. "You foolish stupid girl."

All of Dean's and Sam's messages were all about Ali and Elly. Asking for help because they couldn't break away. And both reasons were valid. Sam was on his last leg at work, his job on the line because of how often he has dropped work to help with a hunt. I knew how much this job had meant to him. Had always meant to him. And Dean was hunting down a pack of killer fairies that had made the murder rate skyrocket. They needed to be stopped. And I was sure that no one knew where Lucifer could be at all. And I was positive he wouldn't help even if we asked. Why would he? Nothing I could ever say would fix what happened.

So it was down to Ketch and me. Or... Maybe just Ketch... Maybe Ali could help. I wasn't sure I could bring myself to go. How would I be able to do anything but make things worse? That seemed to be all I was good for.

What was I talking about? She needed me and I would do absolutely anything to make sure she was safe.

"Ready for your first hunt, kid?" I asked.

I rummaged through all of the things that Elly had left behind in her room, hoping for some clue as to where she had gone, but I couldn't seem to find one.

I was stumped. I didn't know what to do. And it wouldn't be easy to find her. She had left her phone behind as well. And there was nothing there. It was like she hadn't even looked at it. When I opened the screen, the camera stared back at me from the last time I had used it. In the corner was my video.

"Alex!" Ali called from outside of the room. I raced out and to the map room of the bunker where she and Ketch were huddled around Elly's laptop.

She was looking over the search history. There was a map search for some town called Kittery, Maine. At least we knew she had at least attempted to go there.

A few searches further down, after a bunch of sad youtube music videos, I finally came to the name of a band.

"Jefferson Starships," I whispered. "Ketch, those are supposed to be extinct."

"So are the kitsune," Ketch pointed out. "They were always good at hiding. They could possibly have hidden away."

"She is so stupid and impulsive! She's like a new hunter." I pushed myself off of the back of the chair I had been leaning on. "Why would she take something as dangerous as them on?"

"Do they suck like the band or something?" Ali questioned making me smile.

"Yes. They're horrible and hard to kill," I answered, quoting my brother. "Ok, decapitation and heart removal. Unless the kid here can turn them to dust."

"I can what?" she asked, looking back at Ketch and me.

"I'm sure we'll teach you soon," I muttered, brushing off her comment. "Why don't you go get packed kid? We'll probably be gone for a day or two."

"Alright," she replied, getting from the chair and leaving the room.

"Is it smart to bring her on a hunt like this? They aren't exactly the easiest-"

"Every hunt is dangerous, Ketch," I interrupted, heading to one of the many cabinets in the room and grabbing an extra set of weapons for the girl. "She has to learn. This is the world she was meant to live in. She can't ignore it."

"She's never been before."

"She already knows how to shoot a gun, she knows self defense. She's better off than I was on my first hunt."

I checked to see if the gun I had was loaded and finding that it wasn't, I grabbed a small box of bullets to load it.

Ketch wore a disapproving look and had his arms folded across his chest as he watched me push bullets down into the clip.

"What?" I asked.

"She's not ready."

"I'm going," her voice interrupted as she came back into the room, tossing her backpack onto the table. She came over to me and took the clip from my hand and the remaining bullets, loading them herself. "I might not get along or like my mom very much, but she is family and I'm going to help get her back."

I glanced from her and to Ketch who looked irritated, but was silent. He knew better than to fight back. If Ali was anything like her mother, it would be a fight.

"You don't know how to use your powers," Ketch tried yet again.

"I know enough to know how to control them." She stopped her work and met his gaze, her eyes just as stealy as it. "Besides, you don't have powers. If hunters normally can handle monsters without supernatural powers, then I can too."

That shut Ketch up. She had a point. He simply nodded approvingly and tossed my car keys at me. I caught them and he was smiling.

"If you think you're so ready, then it's time to go ladies."

I pulled into a gas station and turned off the car. "Ketch, can you pass me my box?" He reached into the glove box and pulled out an old and worn box. I dug through it until I found the badge that I was wanting before handing him back the box. "Do you mind filling her up while I go in?"

"Sure," he replied, getting out of the car.

I followed his example, promising I'd get a snack for Ali. I walked into the store and grabbed a few things for the two of them and went to the counter.

"You from around here?" The cashier asked as she started ringing me up.

"I'm from out of town. Actually, I'm under cover right now." I pulled out my badge and showed it to her. "I've been tracking down someone for a while and had a tip she came this way." I pulled out my phone and opened up a picture I had of Elly. "Have you seen her at all? It could have possibly been a few days ago that she came in."

The cashier paused in her work and looked over the picture. "Yeah. I remember her. She's pretty."

"How long ago was that?"

"Um...15.26." I pulled out a 20 dollar bill and passed it to her. "It would have been more towards Monday night. Maybe Sunday?"

"Did she say anything?"

"No. She was very quiet." She passed me my change and the bag of items I had bought. "Odd though."

"How so?" I questioned as I got resituated.

"She came in with these two guys. Scary looking. Big, leather jackets, tats. She seemed nervous. Almost like they had forced her in here or something."

"So she didn't look like she was here willingly?"

"No. She just bought something and left without a word. The men stuck very close by her."

"Did you see which way they went?"

"Heading towards Kittery."

"Thank you." I turned to leave, but was called back as she continued taking.

"Why are you tracking her down?"

"Kidnapped. Been missing for about a week," I replied, giving a smile. "Thank you for your help."

I left the store and made my way back to my car. "Anything?" Ketch asked as I got closer.

"She was here. Two guys were with her."

"Starships?" There was a look of dislike. "I hate that name."

"I think it's funny." I gave him a kiss and passed him the bag of snacks. "Let's keep going."

I went and got into the driver's seat, turned my car back on and watched as the gas spindle went back to full.

"Was my mom here?"

"Sure was kid," I answered. "Don't worry. We'll find her."

"Alex?"

"Yes?" I smiled as Ketch's hand slipped into mine.

"How do you plan to kill all of the monsters? They're all over the world, aren't they?"

I paused in thought. "I don't know," I admitted. "I have no idea at all. But I have to keep trying. It's something that needs to happen."

"And those who don't hurt humans? There has to be some that are good."

I laughed, no idea how to answer. "You ask some tough questions, kid."

"Sorry. I just- I would like to help, but... I just want to make sure I'm doing it right. I don't want to hurt anyone or anything that doesn't need to be."

What an angel. She might have her mood swings, but what teenager didn't? She was bright and brilliant and definitely took after the angel that was in her.

"Ok, rest up. We'll start tomorrow," I instructed, tossing my bag aside in the hotel room that was a touch nicer than what I was used to. But Ketch had refused to stay in another motel and he was willing to pay, so I didn't have anything against that. I would need to make some more money in pool or a drag race, I was running low. But that was something for another time.

"Where are you going?" Ketch asked me as I pulled my car keys from my pocket and went for the door.

"Just going to grab a drink," I answered. "You know I don't sleep." His eyebrow cocked and Ali looked at me curiously. "Demons don't need sleep, dear. You probably don't need any," I explained, clearing away the curious look for a moment before one of confusion set back in. "I'll be back in a few hours," I assured. Ketch simply motioned to the door and I smiled, leaving the room.

I didn't really need my car. I wasn't sure why I had taken my keys with me. The night was nice enough and I needed to walk. Something to help clear my head. The town was cute and small. The buildings were old and had a hint of a European feel to them. And the sound of the ocean was a comfort through the night.

Eventually I did find a bar and made my way in. The beer was passed to me quickly and I took a sip, motioning the bartender over to me. He leaned over the bar questioningly and I pushed my badge across the counter. He picked it up and looked over it.

"Am I supposed to find this impressive?" he asked boredly, tossing it back towards me.

"I've been trying to find someone. She was kidnapped and I tracked her here. I was wondering if you had seen her at all?" I showed him the picture from my phone and he took the device and looked over it for a moment before giving my phone back to me and shaking his head.

"Can't say I have. Hope you find her soon. Now excuse me." He turned towards where the bell on the door had called him. "What can I get for you folks?"

I sighed and took a drink. Had I missed her? Maybe the cashier had been mistaken. There were plenty of blood women around the world. She had to be here. All of the signs had pointed here.

"Excuse me?" The bartender sighed with a roll of his eyes and leaned back up against the bar to face me. "Has there been anything weird happening in town?"

"Lady, I do not get enough tips to notice if anything weird happens in this town."

I dug into my pocket and pulled out my wallet, passing a hundred across the counter. He gave an odd look, but took the bill and held it up to the light to make sure it was real. It better have been. That was my last one.

"There's been a few rumors around town," he replied, shoving the money into his pocket. He motioned me in closer and spoke in a low voice. "There have been bodies turning up on the beach. There's been a new one every week for about a month, but recently there have been several turning up every few nights. But the local PD won't give out any details. We don't even know some of the names of the bodies. They're being kept under wraps."

"Any idea who the killers are?" I asked softly.

"I don't know." I sighed and rolled my eyes. Why was he going to be like this? I was low on funds. I found a few twenties and passed them over, making him smile. "People think it's the new drug trade that came in."

"Drug trade?"

"Yeah. There's been a new drug showing up at parties and other places. Some hardcore form of ecstasy or something. My cousin said he saw someone die from it. She started bleeding from her eyes and was complaining about it being hot before she collapsed. The coroner said that the cause of death was that her brain boiled itself. Some crazy fever of like 108 or 9."

"And those are the bodies turning up?"

"To the best of my knowledge." He glanced back up as the door rang again. "I'll be with you in a moment folks."

"Do you know where the drugs are coming from?"

"I have other customers to help." I groaned and pulled the last bit of cash from my wallet, handing it over to him. "I'll give my cousin's number after I help these people. He would know better than me."

After how much I'd paid him, the number better have a new lead.

"Why aren't you asleep?" I asked as I entered the hotel room as quietly as I could. The young girl was sitting in a chair by the window with her legs pulled up to her chest. Ketch was fast asleep in one of the two beds.

"I can't sleep," she replied quietly, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. I moved over to where she sat, pulling another chair over to sit beside her. Her eyes were red and cloudy as she hugged her legs in tighter to her. "It's my fault."

"What is?" I asked softly, my hand reaching out for her knee. I gave it a small squeeze, trying to encourage her to speak.

"That my mom left."

"She's a big girl, Ali." I gave her a kind smile. "Your mom can make her own decisions."

"I said some really mean things to her before she left." The young girl wiped at her cheeks and sniffed. "I blamed her for my dad leaving."

I winced. There was a dull ache somewhere deep inside of me. What had I destroyed? What had I ruined?

"A-Ali," I muttered, trying to pull myself together and get this worked out. "Your dad left because of me." Her eyes met mine and I gave a half hearted smile. "I did something very-uh-very bad and they're fighting because of me. But I'm going to fix it." What was I talking about? I couldn't fix it. Why was I telling her that I could? "I promise." Great. Why did I have to say those words. It was like they had to break through my teeth. Like half of me was fighting the other tooth and nail.

"What did you do?"

"I think that's a story for another time. Why don't you go take a bath and relax and then get some sleep," I suggested, patting her knee and getting from my chair. I turned away, but my feet froze and my heart stopped at her next words.

"You and my dad were close, weren't you?"

It took me a moment to answer. "It was a monster and hunter relationship."

There wasn't a reply. She simply walked passed me and disappeared into the bathroom. A relief came over me when I heard the water start. I didn't want her to know, though I was sure she already did. I was already on such thin ice with all of them and I wanted to prove that I wasn't the demon I had been acting like. That I really was still me. Somewhere... Somehow.

The hours dragged on and soon enough Ali was asleep as well. Night was always so difficult. There was nothing for me to do. And so as soon as the sun was pouring into the room and it was a slightly decent hour and night time tv had driven me to hell and back, I called that number.

It rang for longer than what made me comfortable, but then a very upset sounding teen answered. "What the fuck do you want? It's like 8 in the morning!"

"Hi, is this Carter? Luke gave me your number last night."

He seemed to perk up at that. "Did he now? What can I do for you miss? Need someone to hold on a lonely day?"

I laughed. "No. Drugs."

"Oh, you're one of those phone calls. No fun. I'll set you up with my dealer. What you looking for?"

"The new stuff. Heard it's killer." I waited for his answer as the phone fell silent. I could hear movement on the other line before there was a small sound of hesitation.

"You sure, missy? That's some pretty hard stuff. I wouldn't touch it."

I glanced up as Ketch began stirring from his sleep. I lowered my voice. "I'm sure I can handle it."

"Ok," he muttered reluctantly. "If it kills ya, it's not coming back on me."

"Did you see someone die?" I asked in a curious and innocent voice. "On the drug I mean."

"Did Luke tell you?" There was a groan and the rustle of fabric from what I assumed was him stretching. "It's like him to say stupid shit. Yeah, I did. I don't like to talk about it. Still have nightmares. And that's not why you called."

"Fair enough. Where can we meet up?" Ketch sat up, hair messy. I gave him a smile, holding up an index finger so he'd let me be for a moment.

"Just meet me at Luke's bar in an hour. I have a key."

"See you there." I lowered the phone and stood from the chair by the window, going to jump onto the bed beside Ketch. I rested my head in his lap and he ran his fingers through my hair. "I have a lead."

He yawned and gave a nod. "Alright. Is the kid coming?"

"I'm not gonna stop her from coming on part of a hunt. She needs to learn."

"We go in there and you stay quiet," I instructed to Ali as we made our way up the street and towards the bar. "You are here to watch. Do you understand?"

She nodded, huddling herself against the cool morning sea breeze that had picked up. I watched as Ketch pulled off his riding jacket and draped it over the girl's shoulders. She gratefully took it and slide her arms into place, the sleeves falling past her hands. It made me smile. I was glad she'd came with us. I let the smile fall from my face as we pushed through the doors of the bar, adopting a more serious look to my face. There were a few stragglers, mostly older people who had nothing to do with their lives and so spent it pent up in bars. There was a quiet buzz from a TV that was on with a local news station and behind the bar was Luke who was talking with whom I could only imagine was his cousin, Carter. I walked up confidently, Ketch and Ali following after me.

"Carter?" I asked.

He turned to look at me from where he sat, a drink already in hand. He looked like he hadn't slept at all last night. His face was grey and unshaven and eyes were bloodshot with purple rings under them. Possibly hungover or slowly crashing from a high.

"What's with the muscle?" He asked in a tired voice.

"This is my fiance," I replied with a small, reassuring smile. "Don't mind him. Just tagging along. Morning Luke."

The other man nodded but didn't answer. He looked tired as well and was wearing the same clothes, though it might have just been a uniform. Did he ever get to go home? Had there even been last calls?

"Alright, here." Carter held out his hand to me. In it was a small bag with several pills and then a wadded up piece of paper that looked like it had something written across it. "Meet him there, pay him for the drugs. And you better not skip out, because then he'll take it out on me. And then he won't be happy, I won't be happy, you won't be happy. Let's not make it a mess."

"Deal." I said. "How much do I owe him?"

"$125."

"For five pills?" I asked, in disbelief.

"What did you expect? It's not like this shit is over the counter or something."

"Right, right." I mumbled. "Thanks."

I waved and shoved the bag into my pocket as I turned to leave, but the news anchor pulled my attention back to the screen. It was live feed from the beach. I stepped closer so I could hear a bit better. Across the screen was a row of dead bodies. Most teens or young adults.

"It looks like there was a beach party going on here last night," the anchor said, trying to push her hair away that kept blowing into her face. "And as you can see, there are at least 15 dead right here. They are continuing to pull more from the water as the tide continues to recede. It's very possible that these are connected to the other bodies that have been washing up on shore that are a part with a new drug that has been going around."

"You see, missy?" Carter called from behind me. "I wouldn't touch this shit. You're getting yourself into some hardcore fuckery."

"Do you think one of them is my mom?" Ali's small voice said from beside me where she now stood.

"No. She's smarter than that." I said in a low voice, putting my arm around her shoulders. "She wouldn't let herself get that far."

"Are you sure?" She ran a hand through her hair before trying to pull it back into a ponytail, only to pull it back out again and then trying to redo it. "Can-can we check?"

"You want to go look for your…" I didn't finish what I was going to say. The kid needed this. She needed to know that her mom was alive somewhere. I couldn't blame her. "Sure. We'll go check." She only nodded, her hands still knotting themselves deep into her blonde hair.

I hugged her to me gently and walked out the door with her. I was sure we'd find Elly perfectly ok. Or at least….not dead.

We walked our way to the beach, the wind really beginning to pick up and rain begging to fall. I glanced back to Ketch who looked like he was just following ro be nice. He could just go back to the room, especially since Ali still wore his jacket, but he didn't seem bothered. Maybe the weather was more like in the UK. Maybe he was just used to it.

We reached the beach and began onto the sand, only to pause when Ali stopped moving. In the distance was the new crew as well as what I guessed was the entire police force and the ever growing row of bodies.

"You ok?"

"What if she is there?" Ali whispered.

"Then we'll give her a hunters bural." I said, taking her hand.

"What's that?" Her eyes were a dull blue eyes, fear behind them.

"It's the highest honor we could ever give to anyone." I tried to get her to look at me but she seemed to be looking past me. "It means she was a hero and the bravest woman I have ever met."

She took a deep breath and then moved from my grasp and making her way through the sand to get a closer look at the line of bodies. I watched her for a few minutes waiting for Ketch to catch up before continuing.

"You think she'll be ok?" I asked.

"You said this was something she had to learn," he replied, wrapping his arm around me.

"I know. But that was about hunting. Losing your mother is a whole nother level."

"It's still something that everyone has to live through."

I almost asked if he had before remembering how all agents of the BMOL actually became agents. It was cruel, what they did to those kids. Taking them in and making them kill one another to prove they deserved to stay, just to turn them into monsters. And if you didn't become a mindless drone, they turned you into an analytics expert and kept you in a room filled with monitors, like Mich. I wonder if Ketch felt bad for what happened between them. After all, you never really forget shooting your friend in the head. I knew from experience. I'd shot Elly.

"If Elly is there, what do you want to do with the kid? I don't think Lucifer is coming back," I muttered, watching her walk along the line of the dead.

"We could take care of her." Ketch suggested.

I looked at him like he'd grown rabbit ears all of a sudden. What the fuck kind of response was that? I was a demon. That was the only reason I needed to disagree with what he'd just said. Since when did taking care of a kid sound like a good idea to him?

"That was funny." I said, laughing it off. "I didn't know you made jokes."

"I wasn't joking." He placed a kiss to my head. "But if you think you can't handle it, I'm sure one of your brothers would be willing."

"I think Sam would be the best. Dean has his hands full with Jack and I'm sure he wouldn't want another kid around so soon, especially since Cas can be a handful too."

"You wouldn't take in your best friend's daughter?" he asked curiously, not at all in a disapproving tone.

"I'm a demon, Arthur." I said, "I wouldn't be the best parent in the world and she needs someone better. She needs a good place to grow up in."

"We can discuss this later. She's coming back."

I looked up to where the kid was indeed walking back to us. She seemed to be happier than she had been a few minutes ago.

"Was she wasn't one of the bodies?"

Ali exhaled deeply in relief. "Nope."

"Well that's good. Now we can start looking for her alive somewhere." I said with a small smile, messing up her wind blown hair more than it already was. "We have a drug dealer to meet."