A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you're enjoying this story!

I do not own Supernatural, Sherlock Holmes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or any other movie, TV show, book, or song/music referenced in this tale.

Chapter 6

The Case at Hand

Mary got up from her seat, "I'm retired now, so I'm going to leave the case work in your younger, more capable, hands." She smiled as she headed to her room. "Yell if you need anything."

The four of them remained at the table, each one going over in their mind what they had just learned.

Cas knew he was never meant to be a Guardian, but he felt responsible for her somehow. Maybe because his actions, however well intended, led to the death of her Angel.

Dean couldn't believe they had stumbled across a chosen one in a routine case, but the more he thought about it, the more he could believe it.

Sam thought about how useful she would be on hunts, and how much more good they could do now.

Victoria felt nothing. Her hope was gone. She wasn't an ordinary woman and losing the one friend who she knew without a shadow of a doubt cared for her regardless of who or how she was caused her to feel hollow.

Dean snapped out of it first. "So yeah, it's an angel trying to find a vessel, isn't it?"

Victoria was thankful for the distraction. "Yes."

Cas looked confused, "I don't understand."

Sam was on the verge of laughing again until he noticed Dean's death stare.

Victoria placed two fingers on Cas's temple. Cas closed his eyes for a moment, as if he were processing.

"Yes, I believe that was an angel looking for a vessel."

Dean looked at Victoria askew, "What did you do to him?"

She could tell that the shorter one was possessive of this Angel. She understood, she was possessive of hers. She quickly thought of the possible directions this could go in. She went over the different scenarios in her mind. She knew Castiel was protective of this family, fiercely so. Even though he wasn't their Guardian, he had developed feelings. His feelings were with them. She would not challenge that, she would lose. She needed him, so she needed them. She thought they could have a symbiotic relationship.

"I let him see what we saw. I shared my memory with him, now it's his as well."

Sam raised his eyebrows, "Cool."

"Most angels are very particular with their vessels. They have to be chosen carefully to prevent what happened today." Cas liked helping out the brothers with cases, and he always enjoyed feeling useful.

"So, Victoria, can you read the mind of the angel today? How does that work?" Sam was very intrigued by this woman's abilities.

"I have to be within a certain radius. By the time I got here today the Angel was already long gone."

"Cas, can you think of an angel that would even be looking for a vessel? I mean besides you, aren't those fluffy dickheads staying in heaven?"

Victoria was flabbergasted by Dean's lack of respect towards the Angels. She was rarely surprised by anything anymore, but she could tell her mouth was open a little when she caught herself staring at him.

"That is true. As far as I knew, I was the only angel on earth." Cas's brow furrowed for a moment. "Unless…."

Dean muttered, "No, it can't be."

Sam put his head in his hands. "Guys, do you seriously think…"

Victoria read Castiel's mind for a clue. "Lucifer? You think Satan is looking for a vessel?"

Cas looked at Victoria and cocked his head to the side. He was going to find out if that transfer thing worked both ways. He put two fingers on her temple and closed his eyes.

Victoria screamed in pain and fell out of her chair. When she woke up her eyes burned momentarily and she was on a bed with the Winchesters all staring down at her. She felt fine somehow, which she didn't know was possible with all that information in her head.

She was accustomed to placing things in her brain's attic. She remembered everything but put some things away to find when she needed. She surmised that while she was unconscious her brain had done that for her, to protect her.

She sat up, embarrassed by the attention. She didn't like attention. She liked to be praised for her brilliance, but she didn't like to be looked after. Different kinds of attention.

Sam helped her stand up. "I'm okay, thank you." She didn't really care to be polite, but she figured they deserved it.

"You were out for quite a while." Sam made sure she could stand up on her own before letting her go completely.

"Yeah, and your eyes went blue."

"My eyes are blue, Dean."

"No, they flashed blue. Like his do when he's all 'Angelic'." Dean motioned towards Cas.

Victoria had never known that to happen to her before, she assumed that's why her eyes burned when she first woke up.

Victoria looked at Castiel, "Next time you do that, you have to concentrate on a particular time frame. Intently. You put your millennial knowledge and memories into my human head."

Cas looked remorseful, "I am very sorry."

"It is fine. I am fine. My brain sorted it out while I was unconscious. I do understand now about Lucifer and what we have ahead of us. So, that knowledge you gave me is very useful."

"Is there anything I can get you Victoria?"

"No Mary, thank you though, I appreciate it."

"I fixed up one of the extra rooms for you. It is getting late, and I thought it would be easier for you to stay here instead of trying to find some motel." Mary Winchester looked at her boys as if she was daring them to contradict her. They didn't.

"That's very kind of you but I…."

"I insist." Mary took Victoria by the hand and led her out of Dean's room.

Mary also made Dean go to Victoria's car to get her bag. Dean thought about driving it around for a little while, thought better of it and headed back inside.