"Leave?!" Dean demanded. "What the hell do you mean, you have to leave?"

Mary peered out at them from the backseat of the impala. Dean caught her looking and grabbed Sam's arm, steering him farther away from the car.

"Dean, I was on a case when you called! I have to-"

"Sam, I don't care if you were hunting the devil himself!" Dean hissed, struggling to keep his voice down and his stance casual for Mary's sake. "Cas already took off, now you're telling me you're too busy to help me keep Mary safe?"

"She's safe, Dean! You, Bobby, Alice-"

"We need help killing this Alpha, Sam! Mary's not gonna be safe 'til the damn thing's dead! You get that, right?!"

"You guys can handle it!"

"This isn't about what we can handle and you know it! This is family, man! You don't just walk away from something like this!"

"I know, Dean!" Sam yelled, losing patience with his brother. "You think I'm walking away lightly?! I'm onto something BIG, Dean! I can't afford to lose the trail now!"

"Bigger than family?!"

"Yeah, Dean, bigger than family! Because what I'm chasing- if my info is good, this could be damn near that last case I ever work! The last case any demon hunter ever works! If I get it right this time, Mary might grow up in a world totally free of demons! Can you even imagine that, Dean?! Isn't that what this is all about?! You want to keep Mary safe? So you kill this one shifter, then what?! Then the next thing comes out of the shadows, and the next, and the next! There's always another monster, Dean! What I'm doing? I'm trying to put an end to it all, once and for all, damn it!"

"And what, this big break of yours is gonna vanish if you take a week off?!"

"It might, Dean! I'm not the only one chasing this key and I can't afford to let someone else find it first!"

"I can't even believe what I'm hearing from you right now," Dean scoffed.

Sam put his hands up. He knew there was no way he could make Dean see this from his point of view. His brother was too stubborn, too rooted in his ways to ever change.

"I'm gonna go say good-bye to Mary," he said. Dean blocked his way, hands on his hips.

"Don't do this, man!" Dean said, almost begging. "I mean, it's one thing for Cas to back out of this hunt... I get him having more important things to do. Mary's your blood, Sam! And me... you can't leave me working this case alone with Alice!"

"Alice is a good hunter."

"Alice is a freaking sociopath," Dean protested. "Hell, she's just as likely to get me and Mary killed as she is to save us from this thing."

"Dean-"

"I mean it, Sam. Don't walk away from us."

Sam shook his head and pushed past Dean to say his good-byes to Mary, still waiting in the impala. Dean watched him go, simmering in rage and disbelief.

"Sociopath, huh?"

Alice startled Dean, stalking up behind him with her arms crossed over her chest and a cigarette tucked between her lips. Dean wrinkled his nose and took a step back. Alice took the hint and blew the smoke downwind of him.

"Well, you know what they say," Dean said defensively, "Eavedroppers never hear anything good about themselves."

"Eavesdropper? Dean, you were shouting," Alice rolled her eyes. "Forget it. I just want to know what your plan is."

"I don't have one yet, past getting Mary to Bobby's," Dean admitted.

"You know, if you're really that uncomfortable about working with me, if you really think I'm gonna get your or your kid hurt, we can always split up," Alice suggested. "Divide and conquer. I go after the shifter, you stick with Mary, make sure nothing-"

"No," Dean said resolutely. "Don't get me wrong, keeping Mary safe is my top priority, but... that's not the only reason I want this thing dead."

"You want revenge."

Dean nodded.

"For my sister?"

Another nod.

"Were you two... close?"

"Of course."

"Uh-huh. "

Dean frowned as he realized the double-meaning in Alice's question, but she forged ahead before he could say anything about it.

"Finding it won't be a problem. I've got a... let's call him a colleague, tailing the Alpha. The real challenge is going to be getting that gun from the Smiths. You're gonna need-"

"Whoa, back up a little," Dean frowned. "Who's this colleague of yours?"

"Uh... You're not gonna like it," Alice said with a sigh.

"Well that makes it par for the course. Lay it on me."

"He's a spirit. One of many this Alpha's killed over the years."

"You mean a ghost? You're recruiting ghosts now?"

"One of the few perks of my condition," Alice shrugged. "I've got a line into the spirit world. I wouldn't call this kid a ghost though, so much as... I guess he's closer to a death omen at this point. His spirit is pretty weak. Not good for much besides playing the role of a supernatural gps locator."

"Kid?"

Dean remembered the ghost of the boy who had appeared to him at the garage.

She says... she says... she says...

"You're the one who had him tell me not to trust the shifter," Dean realized.

"He did that? I'll be damned. I tried to tell him to warn anyone the shifter targeted, but to be honest with you, I'm shocked he actually did it. Kid's been dead for years, hanging out in the veil losing more marbles by the minute. He manifested to you?"

"Yeah. Barely, but yeah."

"Wow."

Dean was surprised that Alice would have the decency to even think of asking a spirit to warn anyone of danger. The Alice he remembered was brutal, effective, not exactly one to belly ache about the collateral damages of a hunt. Dean bit back the urge to say as much, determined to hold true to his promise not to hold the past against her.

"So what, the kid keeps you updated on the shifter's whereabouts?"

"Something like that."

"Specifics?"

"Not important. Except that I'm gonna need a bottle of chloroform at some point."

"You're just into all kinds of new stuff, huh?" Dean chuckled.

"It's not a pasttime. To communicate with other spirits trapped in the veil, I need to slip my meat suit for a minute. The chloroform keeps Sandy from high-tailing it while I'm out."

"Sandy. The shifter you're jacking?"

"Yeah."

Dean watched Mary hugging Sam tight, pursed his lips as he saw distress cross her little face while Sam tried to explain to her why he was leaving. Alice watched Dean watching Mary, watched him cross his arms tight over his chest and fix Sam with a begrudging glare.

"Don't be too hard on Sam," Alice spoke up. "He's doing the best he can."

Dean only scoffed in response. Of course Alice would empathize with Sam and the mission he was so sure of.

Dean didn't need to say anything for Alice to know exactly what he was thinking. It amazed her how well she still knew him after all this time.

"He's nothing like me, Dean. He's protecting Mary too, in his own way."

"Whatever you say. So, the Smiths. You got a plan for getting the colt away from them? If they even have it."

"Something like a plan."

"Better be a hell of a plan. Breaking into their fortress, making off with something that valuable? That's gonna be a hell of a heist."

"Whoa now, who said anything about a heist?" Alice said, holding her hands up.

"Ok, well what's your idea?"

"Just ask them if you can have it."

"Excuse me?"

"Why not? They got anything against you?"

"Alice, they're not just gonna hand over Samuel Colt's gun and let me walk out with it," Dean chided.

"Why wouldn't they?"

"Alice!"

"Seriously, Dean! The Smiths have no shortage of their own weapons. They might not even know what they have. And we both know there's no way you or anyone else gets in and out of that compound with anything."

"Says the shapeshifter!"

"There's no way in hell I'll be able to get in there," Alice shook her head. "Not after last time. They'd be ready for me."

Dean, missing pieces of the story, assumed Alice was talking about the botched first meeting she'd had with her family.

"I don't know, Alice."

"Come on, Dean. What's the worst that could happen? They tell you no? That just puts us back at square one, ok?"

"Yeah, square one where we have no idea what can put a scratch on this bastard?"

"Square one where I have a list of creative ways to take the thing out of commission," Alice retorted.

"Really? What are those?"

"Works in progress, mostly. Shots in the dark, anyway. We need to try to get the colt before we resort to creativity, Dean. I probably don't need to remind you that we've got a time crunch on our hands here."

"Right."

Every minute the Alpha was on the loose was a minute Mary was in danger.

"Fine. After we leave Mary with Bobby, I'll shoot down to Arkansas and talk to the Smiths. Damn creeps."

"We? Excuse you, I'm not coming to Bobby's with you."

"Well what are you gonna do then?"

"I'm a hunter with no gear, no money, nada. I gotta get my shit together before I jump back into the fray. Take care of your daughter, see what the Smiths have to say about the colt, and we'll meet up after."

"You're still efficient," Dean noted with a nod of approval.

"Old habits die hard," Alice shrugged.

She walked away as Sam came back, downcast.

"Hard to disappoint her, huh?" Dean asked, hands on his hips as he scowled at Sam with harsh disapproval.

"Yeah."

Despite himself, Dean softened a little as he realized how devastated Sam was.

"Just... get your ass back here as soon as you're done chasing this fairy tale," Dean said, struggling to sound derisive. Truth be told, he missed Sam as much as Mary did. Deep down, he understood why Sam thought he needed to go. It didn't change the fact that Dean wished he would stay.

"Of course."

Something was bothering Sam. He couldn't leave without asking...

"Dean, you said Cas bailed," he frowned. "Did he say why?"

The question caught Dean off guard.

"Oh... no, I mean... you know Cas. He just said something vague and uppity about how I 'interrupted something' with this whole shifter mess. Leave it to Cas to make you feel like your daughter getting abducted is a step on his toes."

"Huh. And Alice?"

"We're meeting back up down the line."

"Uh-huh."

Sam's eyes sparkled and he fought to contain a smirk. Dean didn't miss the mischievous flash.

"Why the face?" he demanded.

"Nothing."

"No, seriously, what's funny?"

"Seriously, nothing."

"You're gonna make me beat it out of you? Don't leave me out of a joke, man."

"It's not a joke, it's just... you and Alice."

"What's funny about me and Alice?"

"Dude. You're just... you're both such pieces of work," Sam said, shaking his head.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Just... don't start anything you can't finish, I guess."

"Meaning? You don't stop talking riddles I'm gonna deck you, Sammy."

"Stay professional, Dean," Sam sighed, clapping his brother on the shoulder.

"I'm always professional."

"Sure."

Sam pulled Dean into a hug that he returned reluctantly.

"Seriously, when am I not professional?" Dean demanded when they broke apart.

"Take care, man," Sam said, walking away.

"I'm professional!" Dean called after him. Sam got in his car and drove away, leaving Dean muttering to himself. "Ooh, 'stay professional', as if I ever... what a bitch. I'm totally professional."

Castiel met up with Meg in Boca Raton. She stood under the shade of a palm tree, sunhat and dark shades accenting her outfit as she surveyed the pristine beach that bustled with tourists and locals. Castiel was painfully out of place in his suit and overcoat.

"Took you long enough," she said with a roll of her eyes. "You done with your pets, Clarence?"

"What have you found?"

"Right down to business. Are you ever gonna take me out for that drink, or-"

"Meg. My week has been extremely long," Castiel informed her. His weariness was apparent in his voice. "I spent it in the company of a stubborn man who seems unable to grasp the concept that my powers are neither unlimited nor inexhaustible. I teleported more times this past week than in the entire century preceding it. My wings are sore. My nerves are, as they say 'worked'. I am physically incapable of handling another ounce of sarcasm. Please, just tell me if you found anything."

"Well my week wasn't exactly a cruise vacation either," Meg sighed. Still, she took pity on him. "Over there. See the guy with the shorts that he should be arrested for?"

"I see him. I don't understand, what is criminal about his swimwear?"

"It's ugly, Clarence. It's a crime against fashion. Anyway, that's your guy."

Castiel squinted at the short man sipping a margarita as he lounged on a beach towel. He searched for any trace of angelic grace or presence, but found none.

"Are you sure?"

"I've been tailing him three days. Yeah, I'm sure."

"How?"

"Every time I turn around, this guy's making stuff pop into existence out of thin air," Meg explained. "Fun stuff, too. I gotta say, he really knows how to party."

"Angels are not the only beings capable of manifesting reality," Castiel pointed out.

"Look, I tracked him all the way from the apartment in Brussels," Meg said. "This is your guy. So either make your move, or-"

She stopped short as she realized Castiel was already gone. She glanced back at their mark in time to see Castiel hauling the man to his feet. They disappeared, leaving Meg shaking her head.

"This partnership is one or two partners short of a ship," she lamented.

Dean didn't realize the car ride to Bobby's was going to be such a production until it was already under way. Mary was agitated the whole way, bombarding him with questions all day until she finally passed out.

"Daddy, why wouldn't uncle Sammy stay with us? What does he have to do that's so important anyway, huh? When's he coming back? Couldn't we have gone with him? Why don't we ever get to see him anymore?"

The questions about Sam alone were enough to make Dean's head spin. He didn't have good answers for her, but his deflection and obfuscation did little to slow her down.

"Daddy, what's a shapeshifter? I'm a shapeshifter, right? The thing that took me told me I was, is it true? Is that what that thing was too? Is that why it didn't hurt it when I shot it and stabbed it and tried to strangle it with my shoelaces? Are there more monsters like the one that took me? What if they come and try to take me too, Daddy?"

"Mary, you don't ever have to worry about monsters," Dean assured her firmly. "I'll always protect you, got it? I'll never let anything take you ever again."

Mary seemed satisfied with that answer and barreled ahead into territory that made Dean wish he would have taken a longer time to reassure her.

"Daddy, why isn't Alice dead like you said she was?"

"Well... that's... that's complicated, honey," Dean said carefully. "See, when I said Alice was dead, what I meant was... well, see, she did die. A few times, actually, come to think of it. But the thing about Alice is, she doesn't really stay dead like she's supposed to. She always finds a way to come back. So, see, when I told you she was dead, I thought it was true. It just turned out that wasn't the case."

"Oh, that's so good!"

Mary clapped, her enthusiasm puzzling Dean for a moment until she spoke again.

"Does that mean Auntie Ally's going to find a way to come back too?"

Dean wanted to shoot himself.

"I... I... well..."

He took his eyes off the road long enough to see Mary watching him expectantly with wide, hopeful eyes.

"It's hard to say right now, honey," he finally managed. "Maybe."

He cursed himself for not having the heart to tell her the truth. He could almost hear Allison's voice in his head, berating him for lying.

You moron, she's just gonna be all the more let down when I never make an appearance. You dolt! I oughtta come back for a few minutes just so I can thrash your dumb ass!

"Oh good! You should have told me that to start out with, Daddy. You're so silly sometimes."

"Yeah. Yeah, Daddy is awfully silly," Dean sighed, feeling a little sick at himself.

"Daddy, tell me more about Alice," Mary demanded.

This had to be the longest car ride Dean had ever been on.

"Uh... well, uh... what, um... what do you want to know?"

"I want to know everything!"

"Ok. Ok, well... see, I actually don't know that much about her," Dean managed. "It's been a really, really long time since we knew each other, and... you know, I don't think she's the same person she was all the way back then."

"Why not?"

"That's just how life works, baby. People change. Like how every time I turn around, you're getting bigger and bigger... adults can grow up too, sometimes. I, uh... I mean, it's hard to say 'cause I only talked to her for a few minutes, but... you know, it kind of felt like Alice grew up since the last time I saw her. And now I'm not sure I still know who she is."

"Oh."

Mary looked confused, but she shook it off and kept going.

"Is she going to come live with us now? Is she going to be my Mommy? That would be so neat, Daddy! Then we could have a family like Madison Sanders!"

"Oh. Well, uh... you know..."

Dean thought his answer through very carefully, determined not to make another mistake that would get Mary's hopes up only to have them crushed later.

"Mary, I don't think Alice is interested in sticking around very long," Dean said.

"Oh. Why? Is it like Castiel told me? Does Alice think I'm gross?" Mary pouted.

"That's not it. God, how do I explain this? Look, Mary, you know how Uncle Sammy's always on the road, always working?"

Mary nodded.

"Alice is in the same line of work as Uncle Sammy. You know, it's not that they don't want to be around you. It's... you know what, I'm gonna level with you, ok? I was hoping you would never know about this, but the world is full of monsters. You already know that, I can't take that back. Alice and Uncle Sammy? Their job is to kill the monsters. So that little girls like you can be safe."

"Why didn't you want me to know about monsters, Daddy?" Mary frowned.

"I didn't want you to be scared."

"Oh. Ok."

"Back before you were born, I used to have the same job as Alice and Uncle Sammy. I used to kill monsters too. That's why you never need to worry, Mary. You never need to be scared because no matter what, I'll always be here and I'll always keep you safe. That's a promise. Ok?"

"Ok, Daddy."

Mary chewed her lip, slouched deep in her seat and crossed her arms tight over her chest. She stayed that way for a long time before she finally spoke up.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah baby?"

"Did Auntie Ally have that job too? Killing monsters?"

"She used to, yeah."

"But the monster got her anyway."

Dean missed Allison with an intensity he'd never imagined possible. She was so much better at this kind of thing than he was. At comforting Mary, explaining the world to her. Allison could do it in simple terms without contradicting herself or raising more questions with every answer. Dean wished desperately that Allison were here now to explain all this to Mary so he didn't have to.

"If the monster got Auntie Ally, doesn't that mean it could get you too Daddy?"

Mary's words were so familiar that they almost threw Dean back in time. He remembered being twelve, remembered Sammy at eight years old asking him almost the same question.

If the monsters got Mom, that means they can get Dad. If they can get Dad, that means they can get us, Dean.

"Never, honey," Dean said. "Nothing's ever gonna get your 'ol Dad."

"Really?"

"Really."

"How can you know for sure?"

"Because... because..."

Dean wanted to tell her he was too good, wanted to let her think he was invincible, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. At her age, he'd believed his father was invincible. He knew from personal experience that it only made the pain that much worse when you finally learned that your father wasn't invincible after all. He couldn't let Mary go through that pain.

Instead, Dean found himself saying something that surprised even him a little.

"Baby, Daddy's got angels watching over him."

Dean could still hear his mother's voice in his head, her words overlaying his as he spoke. For the longest time, he'd despised the phrase. His mother's final words mocked him, a cruel joke. Dean knew there was no one watching out for him or his family, no help from on high. Just chaos and evil that he was left to fend off alone.

Suddenly, Dean understood why his mother used to tell him that. He would never know for sure, but maybe she didn't really believe those words either. Not literally, at least. Maybe she, like Dean, was just trying to comfort her child. Dean almost choked up, overwhelmed with a sense of timeless comradery with the mother he'd hardly known. Parenthood made equals of anyone lucky enough to experience it. A woman Dean spent his life helplessly idolizing now became strikingly human. Unbearably real.

Dean almost laughed realizing that he was his mother.

"I've got Cassie, remember?" he went on, hiding his revelations from his daughter. Half of parenthood was hiding your hardships from your kids. The other half was guiding them through their own hardships. "He'll never let anything happen to me. And I'll never let anything happen to you."

Dean glanced over and saw that Mary looked less troubled. Being able to comfort her brought him immense satisfaction. Maybe he could manage without Allison after all. Somehow, someway... well, it wasn't like he had much of a choice now anyway.

"Ok Daddy."

Mary's little smile was Dean's world.

Castiel cast his shadow long over the man on the beach towel. The man glanced up, pushing enormous sunglasses just far enough down his nose to fix Castiel with a look of consternation.

"Hey, buddy, you mind moving it along? I'm working on a natural tan here."

Castiel examined the man very, very, very closely.

"Buddy?"

Something caught Castiel's eye. It was very well hidden, but just for a second, he thought he saw a tiny, faint gleam that could have been grace. Castiel hauled the man to his feet, ignoring his protests and teleporting them off the public beach.

"I know what you are," he informed the man as he struggled to keep from spilling his margarita. Castiel shook him and he cried out in dismay as his drink sloshed to the ground. "Why are you hiding your presence? Answer me!"

"Hey! Buddy! I don't know what you're talking-"

"You're an angel! I saw your grace! Tell me why you are disguising your presence! Where are all the others? Why does no one answer my calls? Why did you not answer my calls? Answer me!"

"Oh for crying out loud," the man sighed. He tapped Castiel's arm and the scene changed. Castiel found himself back on the beach, laid out on a towel next to the strange little man. He realized he had a margarita in his hand and quickly tossed it away.

"What, you prefer a different flavor?" the man asked. He snapped his fingers and Castiel found himself holding an electric blue concoction. He threw it in the same direction as the last while the man at his side sipped a red drink.

"Ahhh, strawberry. One of the great joys of life," he commented.

"Who are you?" Castiel demanded. "Explain yourself!"

"Oh, get off my ass," the man sighed. "Call me Loki. I'll answer your questions after you tell me how the hell you found me."

"With immense difficulty and after extensive searching," Castiel scowled. "Who are you really? And why are you wearing this... swine?"

"Don't knock Loki, he's a swell fellow once you get to know him," 'Loki' said seriously. "Look buddy, I'm on vacation. Whatever your problem is, you're gonna have to take it up with upper management."

He pointed at the sky and sipped his drink.

"Upper management, as you call them, have not responded to me in over seven years," Castiel snapped. "You're the first angel I've managed to find in all that time. I want to know why."

"Really? Everybody left? Damn. I figured only management would relocate," Loki said.

"Relocate?"

"So what, you're the odd man out?" Loki asked. He pushed his glasses down again to squint at Castiel, scrutinizing him in the bright sunlight. "I don't get it. Why would they leave you and take all the other rank-and-files?"

"What is this 'leaving' business I keep hearing about?" Castiel demanded. "Who is 'everybody'? Where did they go? Why?"

"Look, buddy, at your pay grade, I'm not sure how much you know," Loki sighed. "Heck, I'm not sure how much you can stand to know."

"I need answers. I'm not leaving without answers," Castiel said stubbornly.

Loki sucked his teeth and twirled a piece of licorice around in his drink. He sucked the candy while he considered his words carefully.

"Look, kid," he finally began. "It's pretty complicated. Lots of moving pieces."

"I have time."

"Yeah, well I have today slotted for relaxation and I'd like to get you out of my hair as fast as possible."

"So simplify."

"I mean, you already know the simple version. All the angels are gone."

"Where did they go and why?"

"Don't know exactly where they went, don't care. As for why... well... hm. Let's just say... I'll put it like this. This reality is broken. They moved on to greener pastures."

"Broken? In what way? It seems fine to me," Castiel frowned.

"I guess broken isn't a great word. It's more like... not breakable enough," Loki amended.

"Not breakable enough for what?"

"Look kid, what do you want from me? It's been thousands of years since I had anything directly to do with those uppity dicks. They had plans, their plans didn't work out, they fucked off to a reality where they could see those plans through to fruition. You want the nitty-gritty of all those plans? You want the whole score? Track them down and ask them. Get off my ass. I'm just trying to enjoy a tan and a margarita."

"But-"

"That's my piece. I'm out, buddy, ok? The world is full of beaches. Don't come looking for me."

"Wait-"

Loki vanished, taking his drink and his bath towels with him. Castiel was left ass down in the sand, staring blankly at the indentation left behind by the only other angel left in the world. In all of this reality, if what he'd said was true.

"You don't look happy, Clarence."

Meg settled down in the sand beside Castiel, adjusting her sunhat.

"And your friend took off awfully fast. What, he wasn't into the family reunion?"

"No."

Castiel gazed out at the waves, visibly troubled. His brow knit tight and his mouth was fixed in a deep frown. It was more emotion that Meg had ever seen him display.

"You must not have gotten the answers you wanted."

"I got... more questions."

Meg drew one knee up to her chest and rested her chin there. She took her sunglasses off and watched Castiel, waiting.

"All these years, waiting, praying, hoping to be heard by another of my kind... this past year with you, scouring the earth... to finally find the last one left on this plane of existence like me, to have them brush me off so easily..."

"I know, Clarence," Meg sighed sympathetically.

Castiel rounded on her, hard blue eyes sharp as razors, piercing her cold black void of a soul with their judgement. Goosebumps pricked up and down Meg's arms. They weren't the unpleasant kind.

"How could you possibly understand what I'm going through?" he demanded.

"You're not the only soldier whose army abandoned them," Meg informed him. "I had a cause too, remember? I watched my superiors kill each other, watched the thing we were fighting for slip away one betrayal at a time. Maybe I'm not the last of my kind left in the world, but I'm damn near as lonely. I'm damn near the last demon in the world who gives a crap about the old mission. I know you look down on me, I know you want to hate me, but fact is... I'm probably one of the only people in the world who can get what you're going through."

She didn't expect her words to get through to him, so she was shocked when his frosty glare warmed a little, when his expression softened ever so slightly. Maybe she was seeing things. He looked away, turning his gaze back to the ocean. They sat in silence for a long time, long enough for the sun to sink low in the sky, glowing orange as it prepared to descend completely to hide its face until morning.

"Meg?"

"Yeah Clarence?"

"If you want, I'll... I'll have a drink with you now."

Meg hid a small smile. She hid it because she knew Castiel's surrender was born of desolation and disappointment. It stung her a little that he would only deign to take her company in utter defeat and isolation, but she would take the win.

"Come on. Let's forget everything for a little while, huh?"

Meg stood, shaking off sand and offering Castiel her hand. He considered it somberly for a long moment, then took it.