Author's Note: I never really liked Anna much, as a character. Her hair is gorgeous, though. This chapter was fun to write, because I'm not really sure there's a right answer to this fight. Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural. Savvy?

***Ember POV***

November 6, Evening

Ember and Dean had been talking on and off through text message, but he didn't call again until November 6th.

"Hey! Are you super busy?" he asked when she picked up the phone.

"Well, for you guys I'm free," said Ember. She'd been hoping to relax a bit that evening, as it had been a long day at work, but she was excited that he had called. "Where are you guys?"

"Concrete, Washington," Dean said. "We found a wishing well that actually works."

"Seriously? Tell me you didn't actually make a wish."

Dean laughed. "Well, I wished for a sandwich to test it out. That was a mistake." Now that she thought about it, he did sound a little sickly. "Anyway, would you mind looking something up for me?"

"Yeah, sure, what's up?"

"We traced the wishing well back to this little restaurant. There was a coin in it that was stuck to the bottom, and we couldn't get it off. We tried a crow bar and everything. I'm sending you a picture… can you see if you can identify it for me?"

"No problem. Where's Sam? Or Bobby? Don't they usually do this kind of thing?"

"Bobby's still dealing with that demon thing with Rufus, and I don't know about Sam. He said he had something he had to take care of. If he's off doing stuff with his demon powers, I swear I'll kick his ass."

Ember laughed darkly. "You and me both. Hold on, I'm searching around. I'll call you back, okay?"

But Ember heard a groan, and Dean hung up.

Ember searched for about twenty minutes before she found the coin in question. She called Dean back twice, but there was no answer. Finally, he called her back.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," he said, giving a cough. "The wishes turn bad, like I said. What'd you find?"

"The coin was Babylonian. It's cursed," Ember told him. "The snake is Tiamat, which is the Babylonian god of primordial chaos. It looks like the ancient priests cursed it. Whoever made this website has a few theories about places in history that were affected by a coin like the one you've got."

"Does it say anything about how to get rid of it? Or even get it off the wishing well?"

"Everything here says you have to go back to the first wisher. I'm sending Sam the link over instant messenger for when he gets back. Maybe he can make heads or tails of it."

"Hey, thanks for your help, Ember." Dean was silent for a few seconds, then he said suavely, "What would you wish for if you could make a wish, and if it was guaranteed to not turn bad?"

Ember laughed. "This is hypothetical, right?"

Dean laughed. "Yeah, judging by the sandwich, it's definitely hypothetical."

"In that case, I'd wish to not attract demons anymore. Or… maybe I'd just wish there weren't any demons at all. What about you?"

There was silence on the other end of the line. Then Dean said suavely, "I'd wish for one night with you, sexy."

Ember laughed. "I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

"Definitely," Dean said.

***Dean POV***

November 15, Daytime

Dean Cell Phone: Ember: Happy Birthday!

Ember Cell Phone: Thanks Dean! How did you know it was my birthday?

Dean Cell Phone: Facebook?

Ember Cell Phone: You're never on facebook.

Dean Cell Phone: OK, Fine. Sam told me. He says happy birthday too.

"Are you texting Ember again?" Sam asked from the other side of their dingy motel room.

"No," Dean responded.

"Yes you are."

"How do you know?"
"Because unless you're working, which we both know you're not, you're texting Ember. You talk to her way more often than I do these days."

"Good," Dean said, before he could stop himself. He was too busy with his phone to catch Sam's look of surprise.

Ember Cell Phone: Thanks! What do I get for my birthday?

Dean Cell Phone: What do you want? Pick your poison.

"Why don't you just ask her to go somewhere with you?" Sam asked.

"Where would we go?" Dean responded. 'Hey, Ember, d'ya want to let Sam stay at your place for a weekend? You and him can switch places and we can go have large amounts of sex in really shitty motel rooms.' Besides, she's half-demon, remember?"

"Are you honestly telling me that if she was sitting there naked on the bed that you would tell her, 'Oh, sorry, you're half-demon, I can't have sex with you.'"

"Well, no, I'd tell you to screw off for a few hours," Dean admitted,

Ember Cell Phone: A few less demons in the world would be nice.

Dean Cell Phone: Well that's a given. I was thinking something a little more… pleasurable.

"Jesus, are you sexting with her?" Sam asked. "You've got that look you get when you've sent a dick pic."

"Shut up, bitch. I didn't send her a dick pic."

"That's even worse! You actually like her enough not to send her a dick pic!"

Dean put down the phone. "Are we actually going to talk about this?"

Ember Cell Phone: That sounds great! I would totally love some c=======3

Dean Cell Phone: … I'm definitely your man then…

Ember Cell Phone: Ah, if only that were true, then we might really be able to go somewhere sexy with this conversation.

"Sexting not going well?" Sam asked, watching Dean's facial expressions.

"Jesus, don't you have lore to be reading, or porn to be watching or something!"

Sam was laughing. "Oh, poor Dean. He has a smart, funny woman who is beautiful, who knows what we do for a living, and who is damn good at killing demons herself, and she wants a relationship. God you're a fucking jerk."

"Shut up, bitch!"

***Ember POV***

November 20, Ridiculously Early Morning

Dean had made tentative plans to visit with Ember the following weekend, but a case had come up at the last second which had taken him to Oregon instead. The next time Ember saw him was near the end of November. Ruby had tipped off Sam and Dean about the existence of a woman named Anna, an escaped mental patient who was locked up after going into hysterics about the apocalypse.

"Get this - she knows everything! Everything that's happened so far, with Lilith, and the breaking of the seals," Dean said to Ember on the phone. It was 4:00 AM, and the phone was a burner phone, and Ember didn't recognize the number. She'd known immediately, therefore, that it would be one of the brothers. "I guess she heard the angels in her head, and she tried to warn people, and it didn't go so well. But the demons have killed her parents. They tried to kill us, too, but... well,.. you know how that goes. Anyway, Castiel and another angel came here to track down Anna, but she banished them. I'm not sure how she did it, I've never seen the sigil she made before. We don't have any idea who she is, or where she's from, but we know she's important, so we're going to try to find out more. Something big is going down, and the Midwest is full of heavy-hitting demons at the moment. We're heading back to South Dakota, to Bobby's panic room. I could pick you up on the way, if you like."

"Ember?" said Sam's voice in the background. "Dean, give me the phone for a sec."

Apparently Dean passed the phone to Sam, because the voice they heard next was Sam's. "Listen, Dean's not going to tell you this, but we could really use you. There are some demons after us with some serious mojo. And I hate to ask, I really do, but I…"

"You're not as strong, because you haven't been on the blood?" Ember whispered, sighing.

"Yeah," Sam whispered. "And Ruby's here, too. I wanted to tell you before you get here. But she's safe, I promise. She already ran from you once, remember?"

Ember was silent for a minute, then said, "Damn it. I'm gonna regret this." She sighed again, then steeled herself. "When will you be around? I've got some stuff I have to finish up at work, but I can get it done if I go in really early. I can be ready to go by about 9:30."

It was Dean's voice that answered again. "Awesome, that should be right around the time I get there anyway. I'll see you soon."

***Ember POV***

November 21, Late Afternoon

Dean and Anna picked Ember up at 9:30 AM on the morning of the 20th, while Sam and Ruby went to recover the Impala, which had been ditched the night before. When the group reconvened in Bobby's panic room, they realized they needed Pamela, their psychic friend in the Midwest. They made arrangments to meet Pamela at a halfway point. This time, Sam and Ruby stayed to watch Anna, and Ember rode with Dean to pick up Pamela. They hoped that their blind psychic friend might be able to shed some light on Anna's past through hypnosis.

The car ride with Dean and Pamela was extremely enjoyable. Ember found herself flirting with Dean more than ever, and Pamela laughed along with both of them. "Jesus, get a room!" she said several times.

"I would, if she'd let me," Dean sauced back, and Ember laughed.

It was late in the day on the 21st by the time Pamela finally arrived back at Bobby's. Things turned sour the moment the hypnosis with Anna was completed, however. "I'm an angel," she said. "Don't be afraid. I'm not like the others."

"I don't find that very reassuring," said Ruby.

"Neither do I," answered Pamela.

"So… Castiel… Uriel… they're the ones that came for me?" Anna questioned.

"You know them?" Sam asked.

"We were… kinda in the same foxhole."

"So what, they're like your bosses or something?" Dean asked.

"Try the other way around," Anna answered. Ember had to admit, she was on the same side as Ruby and Pamela. She had a very bad feeling about Anna. She couldn't explain it. Perhaps it was her initial distaste of Castiel (and immense dislike of Uriel), or perhaps she simply didn't like the way Anna was looking at Dean. This new news that Anna used to be a high-ranking angel was even more unwelcome.

"Look at you," Dean answered, nodding at Anna. Ember would have quite liked to stab her.

"Now they want to kill you?" asked Pamela.

"Orders are orders," Anna answered. "I'm sure I have a death sentence on my head."

"Why?" Pam asked.

"I disobeyed," Anna replied. "Which, for us, is about the worst thing you can do. I fell."

"Meaning?" Dean asked.

"She fell to Earth. Became human," filled in Pamela.

"Wait a minute, I don't understand," Sam questioned. "So angels can just become human?"

"It kind of hurts," Anna answered. "Try cutting your kidney out with a butter knife. That kind of hurt. I ripped out my grace."

"Come again?" Dean asked.

"My grace. It's… energy. I hacked it out and fell. My mother, Amy, couldn't get pregnant. Always called me her little miracle. She had no idea how right she was."

"So, you just… forgot that you were God's little power ranger?" Dean asked.

"The older I got, the longer I was human, yeah," Anna answered.

"I don't think you all appreciate how completely screwed we are," Ruby said, and Ember was relieved (for once) to hear the demon.

"Ruby's right," Anna admitted. "Heaven wants me dead."

"And hell just… wants her," Ruby continued. "A flesh and blood angel that you can question, torture… that bleeds. Sister, you're the Stanley cup! And sooner or later, heaven or hell, they're gonna find you."

"Not only that," Ember said, "You guys forget. I'm practically a beacon for supernatural energy. I'm shocked they're not gathering around like zombies. I should go."

"No," Dean said, "By now they'll know you're with us. If they can't get to us, they'll get to you the moment you're alone. And it won't just be one or two of them."

"He's right," Anna said. "And that's why… I'm gonna get it back. My grace."

***Ember POV***

November 22, Late Night

The group had hoped that they would find Anna's grace in Kentucky, but they had had no such luck. Even worse, the angels had threatened to throw Dean back in hell if nobody had turned over Anna by midnight that night.

Ember was tucked into a corner of the group of abandoned sheds where they were all staying when Sam came in to search further through the stack of books she had brought with her. "Ember!" he said, greeting her. "Any luck?"

"Not even the slightest," Ember admitted. "You?"

"No," Sam said.

"So, what's your demon girlfriend think about this whole angel thing?"

Sam grimaced, and averted his eyes. "She's not a fan, I can tell you that much."

Ember smiled. "She thinks you ought to ditch the angel, doesn't she?"

"Yeah," Sam admitted. "But I'm not entertaining the idea."

Ember nodded. "Well, I'm not surprised. She is a demon."

"You're half demon," Sam replied. "Is that what you think?"

"No," Ember said. "It wouldn't be the Winchesters if you didn't try to help her. Besides, it sounds like she was right to run from those militant goons." Ember paused. "I have to admit, though, I'm not a real fan of her. I'll be glad when she's gone back to wherever angels go when they're on the run from other angels."

"What have you got against her?" Sam asked.

It was Ember's turn to avoid his eyes. "I don't know, I just have a bad feeling about this whole situation." A bad feeling that had gotten worse the longer Anna had been around them. Ember had definitely caught her staring at Dean a few times when she thought nobody was looking.

"Sure," Sam said, smiling, and Ember knew he wasn't fooled.

Ember changed the subject. "So you're off demon blood, then?"

"I've kept my promise," he said, choosing a few more books from the pile.

"I can tell," Ember said. "Is demon-girl okay with that?"

Sam looked up, irritated. "She has a name, you know. I'd think you, of all people, would treat her with a little more acceptance. Especially today, when we're all teamed up together."

Ember sighed. "You're probably right," she admitted. "It's just… with everything that I've been through with demons, it's a mark of your good word about her that I don't throw her against the wall when I see her. But… I suppose you're probably right. Me, of all people, probably should give her a chance."

Sam looked at Ember, quirking a surprised smile. "Thanks," he said. "If we get through the next 24 hours, that'll mean a lot to me."

"You really kind of like her, don't you?"

He nodded, slowly. "I don't know," he said. "I still can't get past the demon thing myself, maybe. But… she was human once… so maybe." He paused. "You really like Dean, don't you?"

Ember paused. "I'm starting to, yeah." There was another pause. "Speaking of Dean, do you know where he is?" Ember asked. "I couldn't find him earlier."

"I'd go check outside," Sam said. "He was looking at maps the last time I saw him."

"Thanks," Ember said.

When Ember went outside, however, it took her awhile to find the Impala. It was oddly parked, in a grove of trees nearly a half a block away from the group of abandoned houses. And when she got closer, she felt her heart dive upon spotting Anna in the Impala… naked. And as she continued to look, her heart continued to dive further.

***Dean POV***

November 22, Later Night

"So what's this plan of yours?" Dean asked, guiding Anna back into the living room. It was a shame; this was only the second time he'd had sex since hell. God, he'd needed that. He sighed. Just in time to go back to hell.

"Where's Ember?" Anna asked, and Dean looked around, too, and noticed that she was gone.

"I don't know," Sam confessed. "I haven't seen her in an hour or so." He looked at Dean. "Last time I saw her, she was looking for you."

Dean's heart dove. He had thought about Ember before he had sex with Anna, of course. He had spent the last month or so trying to chase Ember, and he had really hoped that it would be she who would have sex with him during his last night on Earth. But, when it was so readily offered elsewhere, he was not the type of guy to turn it down. Surely she would understand that, he thought.

"Her stuff is gone, too," said Ruby.

Dean felt his stomach plummet, and gave Anna a guilty look. Anna caught it, and narrowed her eyes. "Were you seeing her?" Anna demanded.

"No," Dean said, but nobody was convinced.

Ruby was the only one who spoke, however: "Jesus, you're an idiot."

***Dean POV***

November 23, Morning

Dean Cell Phone: Hey… Tried to call you, but you're not picking up. Just so you know, we got things figured out with the angels and the demons. They ended up fighting each other. Anna got her grace back and she's gone.

Ember Cell Phone: Thx 4 letting know.

***Dean POV***

November 23, Evening

Dean Cell Phone: Look, I'm sorry about Anna.

Ember Cell Phone: No, it's cool. Last night on Earth. I get it. Plus, she's more your type.

Dean Cell Phone: More my type?

Ember Cell Phone: Easy.

"Not going well, then?" Sam asked, driving the Impala down the road.

"Nah," Dean said.

"Can you blame her?" Sam asked him. "You guys weren't together, but you both knew it was headed there."

Dean thought for a moment. It had been his last day on Earth, he'd thought at the time. Still, how many "last nights on Earth" had he had? More than a few.

Which, truth be told, was part of the problem. Truthfully, he didn't deserve Ember.

He hadn't deserved Anna, either, and look how the universe was apparently punishing him for that. He thought briefly about trying to explain himself, about what he went through in hell, and what he'd been facing again… but the thought was fleeting and gone in a moment. Ember didn't need that, and he didn't really want to explain it. He hadn't wanted to discuss hell with Sam, and he certainly didn't want to discuss it with Ember.
"Probably better it happened now rather than later," Dean said out loud to Sam. "We're both better off this way."

"Okay," said Sam, dubiously.