Twenty years into the future.

It was a cloudy night. There wasn't a star in the sky, and Chris Halliwell thought that was rather fitting. Since today marked the day that the world would end, it should be a dark day, both figuratively and literally. He pushed his shaggy brown hair back from his face, and turned his hazel eyes upward. It would be one of the last times he would see the sky, before its all-encompassing darkness would come tumbling down around him and everyone he loved.

"Chris," a female voice came from behind him. He turned around and saw that the door to the manor, his childhood home, had opened without his knowledge. "Chris, come inside. There's no use sulking out here all alone."

"There's no use doing anything, Mel," he told his baby sister bluntly. "It's the end of times."

Taking a swig from the beer in his hand, he turned away from her, and returned his gaze to the starless sky. Melinda sighed, closing the door behind her and sitting down next to her brother.

"Which is exactly why you should come inside. Everyone is asking for you. Come be with your family."

"What family? Is Mom in there, or Dad? What about Wyatt?" Chris shook his head. "The people inside, they're your family, not mine."

"Don't say that."

"It's your husband in there, and your kids. You've been incredibly good to me, considering all that has happened, but you are the one who should go inside now. There isn't much time left."

Melinda shook her head, her long, wavy hair, identical in color to Chris's, bounced as she did so. "We have to do something. I can't just stand here and lose everything we've ever fought for, everything our family has ever fought for. Mom wouldn't have given up now, and neither would our aunts or uncles for that matter. We're Halliwells, saving the world is the family business."

"Do you think that if I could think of a single thing to do, I wouldn't do it, Melinda? I'm at the end of my rope. The underworld has pretty much taken over up here. People are dying, chaos is ensuing, the Power of Three no longer exists, and this goes way too far back for me to be able to change any of it now."

Melinda was quiet for a moment, and then she sprang up into a standing position, "That's it!"

"What's it?"

Her face was glowing the way it always did when she got an idea. It reminded Chris so much of their Aunt Paige.

"All these problems started way back before I was born, right?"

"Right… Where are you going with this, Mel?"

"You've gone back in time before, haven't you? You saved Wyatt from becoming evil by warning Mom and Dad."

Chris winced at the mention of his brother, "Yes, but—"

"So there! Just go back again, warn them, help them defeat this evil so the world doesn't have to end tonight."

"Melinda, time travel isn't exactly safe, I could end up messing things up more by going back!"

All of a sudden, his sister got very serious, "Chris, you're my big brother, and all I have left of the Halliwell line in this whole world. I love you more than I can say. But, there are people in this house that are counting on me, helpless people. Your nieces, think of them. Penelope, she's only three. She doesn't know what's happening. For her, it's just another day in the life. And Sammie is just a baby. She hasn't even gotten to eat solid food yet, or walk down the street, or tell anyone that she loves them. They have so much left to do for the world," she said, taking his hand. "Do it for them if you won't do it for me."

Chris sighed, saying nothing in return, but Melinda wasn't one to give up easily. She was a fighter, like their mother, and all the Halliwell women before her.

"We have lost so many people to this endless war. You could save us from losing any more, and maybe even get a few that we've lost back again. The least you can do is try."

They sat in silence for another moment, and then Chris squeezed his sister's hand. "Okay," he said, knowing that she was right. "I will do what I can, for Penny and Sammie, and you too."

Melinda looked at him, and Chris could see the love mixed with great sadness in her eyes, "Make sure you come back to us," she said, her breath catching. "It will all be for nothing if you don't."

He nodded, "Is the book in the attic?"

"Yes."

Taking one last swig of his beer, and one last look at the sky, Chris hugged his sister goodbye, and entered the manor, knowing full well that the faster he got to casting the time-traveling portal, the sooner he could return to his own time. He had to admit as he entered the attic, that there were certain things about time travel that made him a little more excited than apprehensive, but he couldn't let his feelings get in the way of his mission succeeding.

Quickly, he got to work, mixing the ingredients to specifications that he had nearly memorized over the years, though it had been long enough that he needed to reference the Book of Shadows a few times. Time travel was not something he took lightly, but he seemed to do a lot of it anyway. Soon he was finished, and the cauldron he had been using let out a big, billowing cloud of smoke. Chris bottled a bit of the substance, and shattered the bottle onto the floor in front of him. Out of the liquid rose a swirling blue pool of light. A portal, and it would only stay open for a short time.

"Say hi to Mom and Dad for me."

Chris turned to see Melinda standing in the doorway, little baby Samantha asleep in her arms. He knew then that this was the right thing to do, for all of them. He just wished that it didn't have to be him, that he could see his family through the end of the world, while someone else went and saved them from it.

"I will. Love you, Mellie."

"Love you too, Chrissie."

And then, he stepped through the portal.

Present Day

Leila wasn't sure what was worse, that they hadn't found Cas's grace yet, or that it was probably her fault.

It was harder than she thought, getting used to all of this magic and hunting, and she was beginning to lose the belief she had found in herself such a short time ago. Leo, ever the patient whitelighter, and Cas, too incapacitated to complain about much, had been incredibly good to her since they had left the manor. But, it had been two days, and there had been no sign of Metatron, even though the sisters' scrying crystal put them practically on top of him. Since he was made mortal, he couldn't go anywhere that fast, especially when he didn't know that the three of them were on his trail. The real problem was that Leo and Leila had no clue where to begin looking for the Scribe of God, and Castiel had been unconscious for most of the trip, so he wasn't much help either.

They were in a small town in Washington State, Leila had forgotten the name of it, but it had rained constantly since they'd arrived. Between the weather and their lack of success, there wasn't much cause to be in a good mood, and Leila definitely wasn't. Leo had left her, and the sleeping angel in their motel room while he went to get food. Cas was passed out in one of the full sized beds, and Leila was searching the web for nearby locales where they might find their rogue angel. She was at a complete loss.

Sighing, the blonde hunter-in-training switched over to a page on angel lore. Sam had recommended a few websites to start her on her path to becoming a hunter, saying that they would tide her over until she could begin poring over the countless books on lore that the brothers and the Halliwells both owned. It was nice of him to be so supportive, especially when Dean was anything but. Leila knew that this life was no cake walk, but how could she go back to nursing school, and pretend like none of this existed? Her choice was not realistic or rational, but these demons had taken her free will, and she was never going to give that up again. The only thing she could do now, was be prepared, and then, when her time came, she could take as many of those black-eyed assholes with her as possible.

Leila sat back in her chair as she began to read about the creation of the archangels, and winced. Her back was still a little tender due to the fact that last night she had found the only tattoo parlor in town and gotten an anti-possession symbol inked onto her left shoulder. She wasn't taking any chances, and she figured the sooner she got one of those, the better.

"You know, the internet can't tell you about Michael's short fuse, or Gabriel's odd obsession with the Spice Girls," Castiel said, breaking Leila's focus. She turned to see him sitting up in bed, his tie and trench coat more disheveled than usual, and his face paler than it had been that morning. Immediately she felt her tough, moody outer shell melt away, replaced by the much more familiar role of nurse and caretaker.

"You shouldn't be up," she said, walking over to the bed and fluffing his pillows. "Come on, lay back down."

"Could you assist me in removing this jacket? I am extremely warm."

Gingerly, Leila helped the angel shrug out of his jacket, doing her best to avoid touching his skin, which was scalding hot again. She then removed his tie and collared shirt. As she laid him back against the pillows, she could feel her hand burning on the back of his neck, but her facial expression didn't even twitch.

"I'm going to go get some ice from the front desk, and then we are going to get you in a tub full of it," she informed him, not waiting for a reply as she left the room. When she returned, three large bags of ice in hand, Castiel was out cold. Sighing, Leila went and filled the tub in the bathroom with cold water, adding one bag of ice, and wondered if she would be able to wake him again.

"Castiel," she said, shaking him a bit. To her surprise his blue eyes fluttered open just slightly. "Come on, let's get you in the bath. It will make you feel much better."

The angel nodded, and slowly rose up. Throwing one bare arm around Leila's small, built frame for support, he hobbled over to the bathroom. Sitting him down on the edge of the tub, Leila helped him remove his trousers, one leg at a time, and then lowered him into the icy water. As she had expected, most of the ice melted when it came into contact with his scalding body. Pouring another bag of ice into the water, Castiel gasped, but it was obvious that he welcomed the shock as his body relaxed into the cold.

Leila damped a wash cloth, and began to blot at his face and forehead. Castiel's eyes shut, and fearing she might lose him to a deep sleep again, she shook him awake.

"Castiel, we've been here for two days and we have nothing. No leads on Metatron or your grace, and I think you can feel that you're running out of time. What can you give us on this angel? Can he be summoned? Where might he be? How can we defeat him?"

Castiel smiled, "Why are you so eager to help me?"

"Are you kidding?"

"I am nothing to you. Why would you want to help me?"

Leila rolled her eyes, "Cas, I know you're hurting, and that might make it harder to see the bigger picture, but this isn't exactly about you. It's about Chris and Dean, and the fact that there are monsters terrorizing the people who risked everything to save my life. You just happen to be a critical player on their side, and with you out of commission, the chance that the sisters can succeed in defeating this evil is extremely diminished."

"So I am simply a tool in your quest to help the Charmed Ones."

"Castiel, don't be so… human about this. Of course I don't want you to die. You're… my friend, and I care a lot about you. You just also happen to be an extremely powerful entity, with a lot of knowledge and insight on the things we are all up against."

"I apologize. I think my vessel's humanity is peeking through due to my lack of grace. I will try to keep it in check."

"Do what you need to, but I like this side of you. You're much more agreeable than you were a few days ago," she teased. "And anyway, I have to get you better so you can tell me the inside scoop on all of the angels. There's so much I want to know, like was Gabriel more of a Ginger or a Scary?"

Castiel laughed, and the sound of it took her off guard. She had never heard anything like it. It was as if he had never laughed before in his life. The sound was so pure and human, Leila couldn't help but laugh along with him.

"What's going on?" a voice said from behind them. Leila turned to see Leo, take-out in hand, standing in the doorway.

"Uh, we were just talking about one of Castiel's brothers," Leila replied, a grin still on her face.

"Okay, but why is Cas in a bathtub full of ice?"

"Oh! He has a fever again. Maybe you could do something about it? At least a little. Then I think the three of us need to have a serious talk about how to bag Metatron and convince him to give Castiel his grace. According to our hunter friends, it isn't going to be easy. Also, did you get fries?" Leila asked, her stomach rumbling. Leo smiled and handed her one of the fast food bags, which she promptly opened and got to work devouring its contents.

"You're going to need help that I can't give you," Castiel said. "Angelic help."

"Do you know of any angels we can trust?" Leo asked. "From what I've heard, they can be difficult to keep on your side."

Castiel nodded, "Many of the truer ones have been lost to us, but some still remain. Pray to Hannah, mention that I need her help, she should come."

Leila held out her hand to the ailing angel, "Pray with me." Gingerly, Castiel took her hand, and Leo took the other. They bowed their heads. "We pray now to the angel Hannah for help and guidance on our journey. There is a friend here who needs your assistance, Hannah, who may die if you do not answer our call. Please, I beg of you, as a human, healer, and hunter, hear our prayer."

There was silence then, but Leila refused to open her eyes. She felt Castiel's grip tighten, and heard him whisper, "Hannah," with such intensity and focus she could almost feel the word emanate through the room. She did not get a chance to decide if he was doing something angelic to his voice, or if it was simply her imagination, because at that moment the sound of fluttering wings filled the room.

"Castiel," a female voice said, and Leila's eyes shot open.

"Hannah," Cas replied weakly.

When Leila turned, she came face to face with who she assumed was Hannah. Her vessel's features were delicate, framed by dark curls and blunt bangs. She was small, but it was clear she was powerful. Her presence demanded attention, even though her eyes said there was nothing to fear. She made Leila uneasy, but if she could help Castiel, that didn't really matter.

"It's good to see you," Cas told his friend. "Though I wish it were under better circumstances."

Hannah smiled a pained smile, "Your grace…"

"Is fading," Leo finished for her. "Hello Hannah."

"Hello Leo," Hannah bowed her head in acknowledgment of the whitelighter. "How long would you wager he has?"
"Not long. I've been healing him, but it only does so much. If I was to guess, I'd say he has about two days of juice left in his borrowed grace, and that's generous."

"I'm not sure what you expect me to do."

"Help us find Metatron," Leila interjected. "Help us trick him into giving us the location of Cas's actual grace."

Hannah turned to her, "You are Leila, are you not?"

"Yes…" Leila trailed off, wondering why this stranger knew anything about her.

"You prayed to me, as a human, a healer, and a hunter, isn't that right?"

"Again, yes, but what does that have to do with—"
"Have you told her?" Hannah asked, whipping around to face Leo.

"No, we thought it would be best to wait, due to the trauma she has undergone over the last week. She was possessed, and that kind of thing doesn't just leave you."

"But she's becoming a hunter? That is not a path she can go down if she is to become—"

"Um, excuse me," Leila interjected, "She is right here, and she's getting a little sick of being talked about like she isn't. Leo, what is going on?"
Leo sighed, "The elders didn't want to overwhelm you after everything you've been through this past week, but there is a reason that Paige has been assigned to be your whitelighter. Normal everyday people don't just get a guardian angel. That right is reserved mostly for light witches… and for future whitelighters."

Leila's eyebrows shot up, "So that means I'm going to be a…"
"A whitelighter, yes," Hannah replied. "But, if you continue down the path you are on, the chances of that diminish severely."

"Why?"

"Because whitelighters are a force that work exclusively for others and on the side of good. Hunters are not."

There was more than a hint of disdain in Hannah's voice as she spoke of hunters, and Leila could tell she was not a fan. She could feel the anger gather in her stomach, but she did her best not to explode at the angel they so desperately needed help from. "Excuse me? Tell that to Sam and Dean Winchester who have saved my life on more than one occasion."

"Sam and Dean Winchester are the perfect example of what hunters truly are: selfish and vengeful. Given the choice between the world and each other, Sam and Dean would choose each other every time, and then watch the world burn."

"Well my cause is to the greater good, okay? It was when I chose to become a nurse, and it is now. Just because I am friends with a few hunters you don't like, who by the way are pretty chummy with your friend Castiel over here, doesn't mean my life's mission has changed in any way. I am not a Winchester, I'm Leila Marie Perkins, and I'll continue to be the woman I was raised to be regardless of what they do."

Leila took a huge breath. She hadn't meant to go on a rant, especially since they needed Hannah so much. Meekly, she looked up at the angel, who surprisingly was not staring at her with all the fury of heaven in her eyes. Instead she looked impressed.

"I—I'm sorry," Leila stammered.

"Do not apologize Leila Marie Perkins. It appears I could have underestimated you. I am still wary of your chosen path, but perhaps you could be a different kind of hunter. I really do hope so, for your sake."

The foreboding way in which Hannah said those words sent a shiver down Leila's spine. Was the life of a hunter truly so amoral? She knew in her heart that she had started out on this path as a vendetta against the demons that had taken over her body, and bent her consciousness to their will, but was that really the only reason she was doing this? She decided then and there that her priority as a hunter should be the good of the many, not her own personal revenge.

"So you'll help us," Leila managed to squeak out.

"Of course I will. Castiel has done more than enough for me in his time, I 'owe him one', as your kind says. And besides, I already know the location of Metatron."

"You do?" Leo said, astonished.

"He is never far off the heavenly radar. We have been keeping a close watch on him, even though he is mortal now. Finding him will not be hard, it will be the keeping, and the convincing that will take more work. Do any of you have a plan?"

Leila had been thinking on this for some time, and she knew that to get someone to work with you, you needed leverage. Sam and Dean had taught her that. "What is the thing Metatron wants most?"

Hannah looked at her in a calculating way, hesitating before she answered, "To be let back into heaven, I suppose."

"Okay, how can we convince him that if he leads us to Castiel's grace, we will let him back into heaven?"

"He will not trust any of us. He knows where our loyalties lie," Castiel pointed out.

"However, he also knows that many angels in heaven wish to keep you from ever entering as well, Castiel," said Hannah.

Leo's brow furrowed, "What are you getting at, Hannah?"
"Perhaps if we could convince Metatron that we want Castiel's grace, not to give it to him, but to keep him from it, he would be more inclined to help us as well."

"We still need someone that he will believe hates Castiel enough, and he knows that you and I are his friends."

"That is true," Hannah said, turning to look at Leila. "But, he does not know anything about her."

"Me?" Leila asked.

"Now that Metatron is mortal, he will not be able to tell who is an angel, and who is not. You could pose as an angel, one who was allied with Raphael after the apocalypse. It is well known that any friend of Raphael is an enemy of Castiel."

"You want me to pose as an angel?" Leila asked. "No way! What if he wants proof? What if I act too human?"

"I understand that there are a lot of things that could go wrong, but you may be Castiel's only hope Leila. In fact, you could pose as the angel Leilah. At least then you will be able to respond to your own name. I can tell you a few other things you may need to know, but then it will be up to you to ascertain the location of Castiel's grace."

"What do I do once I've figured that out? He'll expect me to do something for him that I obviously can't. Then what?"

"Leave that to me," Hannah replied. "I will not be far from you. Leo, you should stay with Castiel, in case his condition worsens faster than we anticipated it would. I will go alert the rest of heaven to our mission here. Hunter, prepare yourself."

And with that, Hannah blinked away once more. Leila took a deep breath, really contemplating what she had just gotten herself into.

"Leila," Cas said, his voice weak, "You don't have to do this. If something happened to you all because you were trying to help me… I don't know if I could forgive myself."

"But, this is bigger than you Cas, and it's bigger than me, too. This is for all of the marbles, the whole world, because if Piper loses her son, or if Sam loses Dean, the whole world loses some of the greatest good it has ever known. They need your help to fight this unimaginable evil, I'm just doing my part to make sure you get there."

Castiel nodded, but didn't say more.

"Hey, at least I'll really be able to stick it to Dean once we get back," Leila said, trying her best to lighten the mood. "He thought I couldn't deal with all this angel stuff. Well, as it turns out, I get to be one. So that ought to show him!"

Cas smiled a bit, before a fit of coughing overtook him.

"He's getting worse," Leo said stepping forward to inspect the angel. "You need to get going."

Right on cue, Hannah blinked into the room. "The other angels have given us their blessing, and I have devised the location of Metatron. We should go as soon as possible."

Leila turned back to Cas, "Don't die."

"Same to you," he replied.

There wasn't much else to say, so Leila took ahold of Hannah's hand and said, "Alright, let's go catch us a Scribe of God."

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I know I took a little detour from all of the hype at the manor, but I gotta give my man Cas some love! Also, let me know what you all think of me adding Future Chris into the mix. He was always one of my favorites on the show, and I think his return will have an interesting impact on Sam!

As always, PLEASE REVIEW! I love hearing your ideas and comments! Thank you so much for continuing to read!

XOXO AryaUnderfoot