Liz isn't in this chapter... sorry! Just needed some guy time :):)

Bamby

DPOV

I could not believe it. I could not believe we were on a job, for Ruby.

Sam and I had been at a bar, hustling by the pool table, when he dropped the act and gave the guy five hundred dollars just because the demon bitch was there. Of course, I hadn't been pleased at the sight of her, not after she'd taught Sam all that psychic crap while I was gone, but what made seeing her worse was the fact she had this 'job' for us.

Chances are, she was fully of crap and we were headed for a trap.

"Can I get a copy of the missing persons report?" Sam asked whoever was on the other side of the phone conversation he was on. "Great. Okay. Thanks." With that he hung up and turned to me. "Well, Anna Milton's definitely real."

"Don't mean the case is real," I noted, really not wanting to do this job. "And this hospital's a three-day drive."

"We've driven further for less, Dean," he countered. My response was just a shake of the head, which had him sighing at me. "You got something to say, say it."

"Oh, I'm saying it." I turned away from the road briefly, to look at him. "This sucks."

"You're not pissed we're going after the girl. You're pissed Ruby threw us the tip."

"Right. 'Cause as far as you're concerned, the hell-bitch is practically family. Yeah, boy, something major must've happened while I was downstairs, 'cause I come back, and- and you're BFFs with a demon?"

"I told you, Dean, she helped me go after Lilith."

"Well, thanks for the thumbnail. Real vivid. You want to fill in a little detail?"

"Sure, Dean, let's trade stories. You first. How was Hell? Don't spare the details."

I looked away from him again, both of us falling silent. He knew there was no way I was telling him anything. I knew there was no way he'd tell me anything without finding some stuff out from me. We were at a dead, heavy, silent end.

...

"Now, the orderly has no recollection of Anna's escape?" Sam asked the psychologist as we stood in Anna's room in the hospital.

"Apparently, she knocked him unconscious," the psychologist explained. "The blow caused some amnesia. He doesn't even remember coming into her room."

"That's a hell of a right hook to knock out a guy that's got 80 pounds on her," I noted.

The psychologist gestured behind the door. "We think she may have planned this, waited behind the door." With that, she started to leave the room, Sam and I right behind her.

"Right." Sam nodded. "Uh, you mentioned Anna's illness was recent."

Stopping out in the hall, the psychologist turned to us. "Two months ago, she was happy, well-adjusted, journalism major, lots of friends. Bright future."

"So, what happened. She just... flipped?" I asked.

I didn't really understand how something like that could happen. I mean, I knew it did, but I didn't understand how. Usually that stuff only happened when monsters and demons were involved. Right now, I was hoping they weren't. I was hoping Ruby had been wrong. But it appeared she wasn't.

"Well, that's the tragedy of schizophrenia. Within weeks, Anna was overtaken by delusions," the psychologist informed us.

Sam frowned, curious. "What kind of delusions?"

"She thought demons were everywhere." Reaching forward, the psychologist offered Sam the sketch book she was holding.

You don't say. I thought to myself, while speaking out loud as well. "Huh. Interesting."

"It's not uncommon for our patients to believe that monsters are real."

Sam and I knew better than to say anything, but I couldn't help but think that they were. Part of me actually wanted to defend this Anna girl and tell the doctor that she might not be as insane as everyone thought she might be.

But I stopped myself from making the mistake, and instead looked up to smile at the psychologist. "Well, that- that's just batty."

As Sam took and opened it, flicking through the various pages, I leaned over to take a look, noticing one page in particular. A page about the rising of the witnesses... The next page was just as surprising, showing another picture with the words 'Samhain the next seal is broken' written above the Halloween setting.

"That's Revelations," I noted, looking up at Sam.

"Since when does the Book of Revelations have jack-o'-lanterns?" the psychologist asked, the look on her face telling me she clearly thought I was wrong.

I shrugged. "It's a, uh, it's a little-known translation."

Nodding, she went on. "Well, Anna's father was a church deacon. When she became ill, her paranoia took on religious overtones. She was convinced the devil was about to rise up and end the world. I hope you find her. It's dangerous for her to be out there alone right now."

SPOV

Dean and I stood in front of the Milton home, Dean moving towards the door to knock on it. I stayed back a step, noticing the two cars in the drive way. When there was no answer, Dean turned to me.

"Maybe they're not home."

I gestured to the vehicles. "Both cars in the driveway."

Turning back to the door, he reached for the handle, only to find it unlocked. Carefully, we stepped inside. "Mr And Mrs Milton?"

"We're from the sheriff's department," I called as Dean moved further into the house. "We just wanted to ask you a couple of questions." Before I could move anymore, my eyes scanned the living room and landed on the two bodies lying on the floor.

I had no doubt in my mind that it was Mr And Mrs Milton. Their throats had been slit, and by the looks of things, it hadn't been too long ago.

Dean came back over to see why I'd stopped. Without a word, we moved forward. While he looked around, I crouched down at the sight of a powder lying beside Mrs Milton. Dipping my finger into the substance, I then gave it a quick smell, recognising the scent instant.

"Sulfur. The demons beat us here. Whatever the deal is with this Anna girl-"

Dean cut me off. "Yeah, they want her. They're not screwing around," he sighed, moving around the room, looking for clue. "All right, so, I'm Girl, Interrupted, and I know the score of the apocalypse, just busted out of the nut-box. Possibly using superpowers, by the way. Where do I go?"

I stood, my eyes landing on a photo on the shelf close by. Grabbing it, I noticed something in the background. "Hey, you got those sketches from Anna's notebook?"

"Yeah."

"Let me see 'em." A moment later, Dean handed me one of the drawings. I looked from the picture to the paper, seeing the resemblance in the details of the window of the church and the sketch Anna had made. "Check this out." I showed Dean.

"She was drawing the window of her church."

"Over and over," I noted, remembering all the pictures of the window that were in Anna's book. "If you were religious, scared, and had demons on your ass, where would you go to feel safe?"

DPOV

Guns drawn, Sam and I entered the church attic, moving carefully. We weren't sure what might be around. If the demons got to Mr And Mrs Milton already, there was a chance they'd be waiting here too.

"Dean." Sam got my attention as he pointed over to the corner, where we could both see someone hiding. "Anna?" he called as we both put our guns away. "We're not gonna hurt you," he assured her. "We're here to help. My name is Sam. This is my brother, Dean."

"Sam?" she asked, staying behind the stained-glass wall that was keeping her partially hidden. "Not Sam Winchester?"

"Uh, yeah."

Coming out now, Anna looked over at us, her eyes on me. "And you're Dean. The Dean?"

"Well, yeah." I nodded. "The Dean, I guess."

She was gorgeous. Fiery red hair that fell over her shoulders. She was small, and petite, around the same height as Liz- maybe the tiniest bit taller. Dressed in boots, jeans a white top and khaki jacket. As simple as she looked, it just made her all the more gorgeous.

"It's really you. Oh, my God. The angels talk about you. You were in Hell, but Castiel pulled you out, and some of them think you can help save us." She looked to Sam then. "And some of them don't like you at all. They talk about you all the time lately. I feel like I know you."

"So, you talk to angels?" I was confused, because that's what it sounded like she was saying.

"Oh, no." she shook her head. "No, no way. Um, they probably don't even know I exist. I just kind of... overhear them."

"You overhear them?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, they talk, and sometimes I just... hear them in my head."

"Like... right now?"

She shook her head again, answering my question. "Not right this second, but a lot. And I can't shut them out, there are so many of them."

"So, they lock you up with a case of the crazies when really you were just... tuning in to angel radio?" I chucked lightly.

Her face changed, as if she was relieved that we believed her. "Yes. Thank you."

"Anna, when did the voices start?" Sam questioned. "Do you remember?"

"I can tell you exactly. September eighteenth."

"The day I got out of Hell," I noted, looking to Sam.

"First words I heard, clear as a bell." Anna nodded. "'Dean Winchester is saved'."

Looking from Sam, to Anna and then back, I asked, "What do you think?"

"It's above my pay grade, man."

"Well, at least now we know why the demons want you so bad." I shrugged, giving Anna a small smile. "They get a hold of you, they can hear everything the other side's cooking. You're 1-900-angel."

She smiled back at me. "Hey, um, do you know- are my parents okay? I- I didn't go home. I was afraid."

The door suddenly opened as Ruby hurried in. "You got the girl. Good, let's go."

Anna yelled out, scurrying back. "Her face!"

"It's okay," Sam assured her. "She's here to help."

I scoffed. "Yeah, don't be so sure."

"We have to hurry," Ruby pushed, panic in her voice.

But I wasn't buying the act. "Why?"

"Because a demon's coming. Big-timer. We can fight later, Dean."

"Well, that's pretty convenient. Showing up right when we find the girl with some bigwig on your tail?"

"I didn't bring him here. You did."

"What?

"He followed you from the girl's house. We got to go now!"

"Dean," Sam spoke up again, nudging me. As I turned to him, I saw his finger pointing to a statue of Mother Mary... blood dripping from the eyes.

"It's too late." The panic in Ruby's voice turned to fear. "He's here."

Moving quickly, Sam grabbed Anna and lead her to the closet, putting her inside, telling her to stay and then closed the door before he came back over to stand with Ruby and I as he pulled out a flask of holy water.

Ruby shook her head. "No, Sam, you got to pull him right away."

I frowned, not liking that idea at all. "Whoa, hold on a sec."

Rolling her eyes, Ruby turned to me. "Now's not the time to bellyache about Sam going darkside. He does his thing, he exorcises that demon, or we die."

Putting the flask away without really thinking it over, Sam looked to the door and got ready as we waited.

A moment later, the door broke of the hinges as a man dressed in a suit walked in. Sam lifted his hand to exorcize him, but nothing happened.

The demon chuckled lightly. "That tickles. You don't have the juice to take me on, Sam." Raising his one hand, he threw Sam across the room, out the door and down the stairs.

I moved then, reacting without thinking. Ruby's knife in hand, I lunged at the demon, aiming for whatever I might get. But he was strong, and fast, and before I knew it, the knife had been knocked out of my grasp, his hand was wrapped around my throat, and I was pressed against a pillar, struggling for waist.

"Hello again, Dean." He grinned, throwing a few punches to my face. "Come on, Dean. Don't you recognize me? Oh, I forgot. I'm wearing a paediatrician. But we were so close... in Hell." He hit me again. I could feel blood trickling down my face.

As I looked back up at him, I had no doubt in my mind of who this was. Who this demon was... "Alastair."

Suddenly Sam came up from behind him, stabbing Alastair with Ruby's knife. But it did nothing...

Turning around, Alistair focused on Sam. "You're gonna have to try a whole lot harder than that, son."

As the demon dealt with the blade, Sam moved to help me up. With a look to each other and then a look to the window, we didn't think twice before running. We shielded ourselves as best as we could as we broke through and fell through the air, landing on a car below.

Everything hurt. I knew somethings were out of place and I was pretty cut up. But as I looked up and saw Alastair looked down at us through the window, I knew we didn't have time to waste.

Grabbing Sam, we helped each other up and hurried to Baby, climbing in and driving off as fast as we could. It occurred to me then that Ruby had left... and she'd taken Anna with her.

...

I leaned over the bathroom sink, checking my shoulder and cuts out as Sam sat on his bed in our hotel room, stitching himself up. I couldn't do anything with this dislocated shoulder. It hurt like a bitch and wouldn't move right.

"Are you almost done?" I asked, turning to Sam.

He let out a frustrated sigh, still focusing on the task at hand. "I'm going as fast as I can."

"Good, 'cause you know I got a dislocated shoulder over here," I noted, walking into the room, grabbing a bottle of whiskey on my way, taking a big drink from it.

"Yeah. I'll pop it back when I'm finished," Sam mumbled as he finally finished with the stitches. Turning to me, he gestured to the bottle. "Gimme that." I did as he said and watched as he poured the liquor over his cut and winced at the painful sting.

I felt very little sympathy as I looked down at him with annoyance. "So, you lost the magic knife, huh?"

"Yeah, saving your ass. Who the hell was that demon?" he snapped, just as annoyed and frustrated.

"No one good," was all I was willing to give him. "We got to find Anna."

"Ruby's got her. I'm sure she's okay," he insisted as he stood and moved to stand behind me. "All right. Come on. On three. One..." He grabbed my arm and forced it back into place.

I let out a pained yell at the sudden jerk and pop, walking away from him and back into the bathroom as I tried to control my breathing again. "You sure about Ruby? 'Cause I think it's just as likely she used us to find radio girl and then brought that demon in to kill us."

"No, she took Anna to keep her safe." He sounded so sure of that.

I scoffed, picking up the icepack from the counter and pressing it against my shoulder. "Yeah. Well, why hasn't she called to tell us where she is?"

"Because that demon is probably watching us right now, waiting to follow us right back to Anna again. That's why he let us go."

"You call this letting us go?"

"Yeah, I do. Look, killing us would've been no problem to that thing. That's why, for now, we just got to lay low and wait for Ruby to contact us."

"How's she gonna do that?" I asked. When he said nothing, I shook my head and turned to him again. "Why do you trust her so much?"

"I told you."

Dropping the icepack back on the counter, I started towards where he was sitting back on the bed. "You got to do better than that. Hey, and I'm not trying to pick a fight here. I mean, I really want to understand. But I need to know more. I mean, I deserve to know more."

"Because... she saved my life."

Moving to sit on the couch, I shook my head. "How, Sam?" I pushed, needing more. Needing to know exactly what happened.

Sighing, Sam looked down at the ground as he started to finally tell me what I needed to know. "I was a mess, Dean. You were gone, Lizzie was falling apart. Bobby insisted on taking care of her. That left me alone." He fiddled with his hands in front of himself as he looked down at them. "I'd tried everything I could think of to get you back. Even tried selling my own soul to trade places. None of it would work.

"I hadn't really been paying much attention to anything. Didn't care enough to want to watch my back. I was drunk, coming back to the room at the hotel I'd been staying at. The moment I was inside and the door closed, I was jumped by two demons. Didn't take long for me to realise one was Ruby. Told me she'd been let go so long as she killed me. I told her to. Practically begged. But instead, she killed the other demon, and helped me get out of there before more came.

"She offered help, tried tagging along. But I didn't want her around. Not after everything that had happened. Especially not when I was suddenly very aware of the fact that she was in her second body. So, I sent her away. A few days later she showed up again, with proof that she was in a vacant body, and insisted that she could help me get Lilith. Told me she could teach me how to use my powers to get revenge."

"So?" I asked when he stayed silent for a moment or two too long. "What'd she teach you?"

"Well, the first thing I learned... I'm a crappy student," he chuckled lightly, finally looking to me as he went on. "First few times I tried exorcising demons, it went really bad. First time was the worst. He'd worked me up to a rage, and I lost all control. Could barely pull him out for a second, let alone drag him to hell.

"Ruby was there for me though. Killed him to shut him up once she was sure I couldn't do it. She insisted things would get better. I thought she was talking about my powers, but she was talking about you. It pushed a nerve. I started shutting her out again, but she just kept pushing." He shook his head, looking at the ground again. "One thing led to another and before I knew it we were on the couch, our clothes on the floor-"

Before he could go on, I cut him off, "Sam."

Looking up at me again, he looked confused. "Yeah?"

"Too much information."

"Hey, I told you I was coming clean," he noted.

Shaking my head, I leaned back into the couch. "Yeah, but now I feel dirty." Grabbing the bottle of whiskey, I got back to the point. "Okay, well, uh, brain-stabbing imagery aside, so far, all you've told me about is a manipulative bitch who, uh, screwed you, played mind games with you, and did everything in the book to get you to go bad."

"Yeah, well, there's more to the story."

"Just... skip the nudity, please."

"Pretty soon after... that, um... I put together some signs... omens."

"Saying what?"

"Lilith was in town. And I wanted to strike her first. Ruby didn't want me to go, but she couldn't stop me. I left her, went to find and kill Lilith. But it was a trap. The house was full of demons, with no Lilith. They attacked, I was outnumbered and clearly going to lose. Things were bad.

"That's when Ruby showed up, killed one demon, pulled the other from me. Told me to take the girl they'd used as bait and run. I did what she said, but when I realised she wasn't following us, I went back and found the demon chocking her, threatening her. I didn't like it. Not after everything she'd done for me. So... I exorcised him. Hurt like hell. But I did it.

"Ruby came back for me." He shrugged, looking up at me again. "Whatever you have to say, she saved me. More than that, she got through to me. What she said to me... it's what you would've said. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here."

A knock on the door had us both turn to it as a voice called, "Housekeeping."

"Not now," I called back.

"Sir, I've got clean towels."

Sighing, I got up and opened the door. "Couldn't you just leave 'em at the door?"

Instead of answering, she pushed past me and moved over to Sam. "I'm at this address." She handed him a piece of paper.

Sam smiled a little, though was clearly as confused as I was. "I'm sorry. What?"

"Go now. Go through the bathroom window, don't stop, don't take your car, don't pass go. There are demons in the hallway and in the parking lot."

"Ruby?" he noted, looking the maid up and down. Usually Ruby went for the white-petite-surprisingly-badass type. Not the larger, middle aged, African American maid...

She rolled her eyes at him. "Okay, yes, so I'm possessing this maid for a hot minute. Sue me."

"What about-"

She cut him off, "Coma girl? Slowly rotting on the floor back at the cabin with Anna, so I've got to hurry back. See you when you get there. Go!" With that, she left.

Did that just happen?

SPOV

Dean and I stepped up to the abandoned cabin's door right as it opened, revealing Ruby back in the coma girl's body. "Glad you could make it." She took a step aside to let us in.

"Yeah, thanks." I nodded, moving into the room where we saw Anna sitting on the faded and damaged couch. "Anna, are you okay?"

"Yeah. I think so. Ruby's not like other demons." She smiled. "She saved my life."

"Yeah, I hear she does that." Dean looked to Ruby. "I guess I... you know."

Ruby crossed her arms over her chest. "What?"

It took a second or two for Dean to finally say something. "I guess I owe you for... Sam. And I just wanted... you know..." He was clearly struggling.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Don't strain yourself."

"Okay, then. Is the moment over?" Dean asked her, getting a nod. "Good, 'cause that was awkward."

With that over, Anna looked up at me. "Hey, Sam, you think it'd be safe to make a quick call, just to tell my parents I'm okay? They must be completely freaked."

I looked from Dean to Anna. "Uh..."

Her face fell. "What?"

Taking a deep breath, I sat down next to her. "Anna, um... your parents..."

"What about them?"

"Look, I'm sorry."

"No, they're not..."

"Anna, I'm sorry."

She cried as she leaned forward to rock and hug herself. "Why is this happening to me?"

I shook my head, resting a hand on her back for support and comfort. "I don't know."

All of a sudden, she sat up, fear in her eyes. "They're coming."

The lights began to flicker. That was not a good sign...

"Back room," Dean told me as he moved to grab weapons from the bag we'd brought with us.

I grabbed Anna and led her over to the back room, closing the door behind her before I moved over to grab a gun from Dean.

Ruby started looking through the bag, only to stop when she didn't find what she wanted. "Where's the knife?"

"Uh... about that..." Dean started.

She looked pissed and really not amused. "You're kidding."

"Hey, don't look at me." He gestured to me.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Thanks a lot." He just gave me a smile.

"Great. Just peachy." Ruby shook her head at us. "Impeccable timing, guys, really."

The door began to rattle then, before to blew open suddenly. A second or two later, Castiel and Uriel walked in.

Dean lowered his gun. "Please tell me you're here to help. We've been having demon issues all day."

"Well, I can see that." Uriel eyed Ruby. "You want to explain why you have that stain in the room?"

Not giving us a chance to answer, Castiel spoke up. "We're here for Anna."

"Here for her like... here for her?" Dean asked what we were all thinking. Their tones weren't exactly friendly.

"Stop talking," Uriel ordered. "Give her to us."

"Are you gonna help her?" Despite the fact I asked the question, I had a feeling I already knew the answer...

"No." Castiel didn't even hesitate, "She has to die."

DPOV

Sam shifted on the spot, looking to the two angels. "You want Anna? Why?"

Without answering, Uriel stepped forward, being his usual asshole self. "Out of the way."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." I moved in his way. "Okay, I know she's wiretapping your angel chats or whatever, but it's no reason to gank her."

"Don't worry. I'll kill her gentle." Uriel grinned, it pushed a button, pissing me off.

"You're some heartless sons of bitches, you know that?"

"As a matter of fact, we are," Castiel agreed, not caring at all. "And?"

"And? Anna's an innocent girl," Sam exclaimed.

"She is far from innocent," Castiel argued.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Turning to Sam, Uriel answered without really answering. Instead he basically just insulted Ruby. "It means she's worse than this abomination you've been screwing. Now give us the girl."

"Sorry." Shaking my head, I put myself between the two angels and the door, not letting them pass. "Get yourself another one. Try JDate."

"Who's gonna stop us? You two? Or this demon whore?" Uriel grabbed Ruby and threw her across against the wall.

I reacted before I really realised what I was doing. Using the gun I held, I went to hit Uriel, only to be grabbed by him before I could. He held me back and punched my face a few times, not hiding the fact that he was enjoying himself.

"I've been waiting for this," he admitted.

But as he raised his hand to hit me again, a bright light engulfed both him and Castiel, and in a moment, they disappeared.

Falling to the ground, I looked around, confused. "What the..." Seeing Ruby leaning against the wall, I got up and moved over to help her to her feet. "Come on."

She went to check on Sam as he started waking up from being unconscious, while I went to check on Anna.

As I opened the back-room door, I found Anna standing by the dresser in the room, her wrists bleeding, hands and arms covered with blood.

"Anna. Anna!" I hurried over to help set her down in the chair, noticing the markings on the mirror that were drawn from her blood.

Out of breath, she let me use a rag to wrap her wounds up. "Are they- are they gone?"

"Did you kill them?" I asked.

"No." She shook her head, weak and tired. "I sent them away. Far away."

"You want to tell me how?"

"That just popped in my head." She looked to the marking. "I don't know how I did it. I just did it."

...

Sam closed the bedroom door, leaving Ruby in the backroom to help Anna while the two of us tried to figure out our next move. Things were bad. If angels and demons were after this girl, things were only going to get worse.

"So, what do you think?" I asked him as he came over to stand with me in the middle of the room.

"I think Anna's getting more interesting by the second."

"Yeah, I agree." I nodded. "And what did they mean by 'she's not innocent'?"

"It seems like they want her bad, and not just 'cause of the angel radio thing. I mean, that blood spell. Some serious crap, man."

"Something's going on with her." Giving him a nod, I knew it was time we started really working this case. "See what you can find out."

"What are you gonna do?"

"Anna may have sent the angels to the outfield, but, sooner or later, they're gonna be back. We got to get ourselves safe now."

"Safe where, Dean?"

I sighed, "I know a place."

Bamby