A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who is reading this adventure!

I do not own Supernatural, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sherlock Holmes, or any other books/movies/tv shows and/or songs to which this tale might refer.

Chapter 15

Free Will

Victoria awoke from the type of sleep that very rarely comes. She didn't remember sleeping, she didn't dream, she just slept as if she were comatose.

It took her a few minutes to focus. When she looked at her phone she realized she had been asleep for eighteen straight hours. She felt very hungry.

On her nightstand was a pastry, cream, and a steaming cup of coffee. She thought that was strange, but was appreciative nonetheless.

She noticed that she felt really, really good. Not just normal good, but great. She thought her new strength was agreeing with her.

She started going through her text messages as she ate the pastry with the cream. It was delicious, notably so. The coffee was really extraordinary as well. She made a mental note to compliment Mary Winchester.

One of her text messages was from the day before about what sounded like a werewolf attack roughly six hours away. She quickly finished her coffee and pastry, showered, dressed, and packed.

She got to the main room to find Cas, Dean, and Sam sitting at a table. They were staring at her as was their usual custom.

"Hello gentlemen. Werewolf attack. Are y'all going to accompany me?"

Dean looked proud of himself as he leaned back in his chair. "Already taken care of."

Victoria was confused. "I'm sorry?"

Dean was about to explain when Cas stopped him.

"Give her a moment Dean, she is just now awake from a very long period of sleep."

Victoria sat her bag down and went over to them. She took the chair next to Sam.

"How are you feeling Victoria?"

"In all honesty I am feeling very well."

"Can I tell her now that we know she's feeling very well?" Dean asked sarcastically.

Cas nodded.

"Sammy read about the werewolf attack on the internet yesterday, so we took out the pack."

"It was a pack?"

"Four of the bastards."

"Impressive. I'll tell the local authorities the problem was handled and that I'll send them a bill."

She took out her phone to do just that.

When she looked up at Sam she could tell he was concealing something. "What is it?"

"We didn't exactly 'take them out'. They're in the dungeon, waiting on you and Cas."

"You have a dungeon?" She knew the place was a bit unsettling.

"We captured them so you could practice the bright light thing."

Victoria looked at Dean. "How very considerate. They've been down there how long?"

"Six hours. Do you think you could get started soon? They're kinda loud. Mom's been wondering."

"You didn't want to tell your mother you have four werewolves trapped in your dungeon? Why ever not?"

Sam smirked as he looked at Dean. "Speaking of, they probably need a sitter."

Dean nodded in agreement as he got up to go watch them.

Before she got up to follow, Victoria looked at Castiel. "Have you used your wings yet?"

He smiled and looked down. "A little."

"Where did you go?"

"Your breakfast was from Paris, and your coffee was from Costa Rica. Plus, I transported myself, Sam, and Dean to get the werewolves. I also had to bring them back one by one. That was unpleasant."

"How did you know when I would wake up? The coffee was still hot."

Castiel looked down at the floor then back at her. "I'm an Angel of the Lord, I knew when you would wake up."

Sam laughed slightly and looked at him. "He got you a fresh cup every thirty minutes."

"From Costa Rica?"

Sam nodded. "He would just keep leaving then reappearing."

Cas looked slightly embarrassed.

Victoria was flattered. "Castiel, I can honestly say that no one else has ever put forth so much effort into my breakfast."

"It is the most important meal of the day."

These particular types of werewolves knew what they were and were able to change at will. Victoria knew this was a very special pack. They faced one another, as if each monster had their own hunter. Victoria listened to their thoughts.

They weren't the rabid, hungry thoughts she had heard from other wolves. Their thoughts were what she would imagine human thoughts to be like. They cared deeply for each other. Each monster was worried about the other three more than themselves.

She tried to ascertain which one was the leader, she settled on the shortest of the group. He had blonde hair and very light brown eyes. He made eye contact with Victoria. She looked into him, to see the horrors the pack had committed. She saw what she expected to see, the pack chasing down humans and devouring them. Then she saw something more. The humans they tracked and killed were guilty of some heinous crimes. One was a murderer, one was a rapist, one cheated poor people out of their money by selling bad health insurance. Victoria walked across the room and sat on top of the desk, facing the monsters.

She addressed the light brown-eyed one. "Are they all guilty?"

Cas, Dean, and Sam looked very much confused. However, they followed her lead and stood beside her.

His voice was deep and strong, it didn't match his appearance in the slightest. "Yes, we don't kill unless we are certain."

"The whole pack? As long as the four of you have been a pack?"

He looked down at his shoes. They were handcuffed and chained to the floor so that they were standing. "As long as we've been a pack, yes. A couple of us gave into our desires beforehand."

"How long have you done things this way?"

"Twenty Five years."

"No deviations?"

"None."

"Gentleman," Victoria began, "I'm afraid we have a moral dilemma. You see, our pack here only prey on the wicked. They have been ridding the world of the most depraved of human beings for the last quarter of a century. They do extensive research and eliminate the humans who have fallen through the cracks of our judicial system. They are technically still monsters, yes, but they are monsters not by choice, unlike their victims."

Dean looked at the one Victoria questioned. "What did the guy do two days ago?"

"He abused his daughter." The werewolf looked at the ground again, "In every possible way imaginable. She is five." He looked back up at Dean, "Bastard got away with it because he has 'high standing' in the town."

Dean looked at Victoria. "Not saying that I wouldn't have wanted to smash the son of a bitch's head in myself, but they are still monsters. We usually kill the monsters."

Sam spoke up, "And these monsters just happen to kill evil people. Dean, we've got to let them go."

Victoria looked at Cas before she addressed the pack leader. "I think you have an inkling as to what I am, and what he is." She nodded towards Cas. "And these two" She pointed to Sam and Dean "Are arguably the world's best hunters."

Dean smiled with pride, Sam glared at him.

"I will be listening in on your thoughts from time to time to ensure you are staying on this path. If you stray, if any of you stray, even in the slightest, we will find you. Do you understand?"

"I do, we do."

"Castiel?"

With a wave of his hand Castiel undid their binding. "I suppose now I have to take them back?"

"You can do it two by two this time." Victoria suggested.

The leader was rubbing his wrist where the cuffs had been. "We've got a lead on a serial killer up in Montana, could you take us there?"

Castiel sighed with his entire body. "What town?"

"Big Sky."

Castiel put his hands on his shoulder and the female werewolf next to him. In seconds he returned for the other two.

When he was back and the room was empty Victoria hopped down from the table.

"You were sure he was telling the truth?"

She looked at Dean. "Yes."

"What are we to do now? You need to learn to mass smite, and quickly, I would imagine, before we lose your extra strength."

Victoria looked at Castiel. He looked exhausted. She knew angels didn't get tired. She walked over to stand no more than a foot away from him.

"What's wrong?"

Cas looked away from her. "I don't know what you mean."

Victoria waited until his eyes met hers. "Tell me."

He knew she could very easily find out, and out of respect for her not doing so he began, "You were created by my Father with great purpose Victoria. You are, extraordinary, in every sense of the term. I have failed innumerable times as an Angel, and even as a human. I am very concerned that I am going to fail you. I am worried that I am going to break you, like I have broken everything else I touch."

"Cas..." Dean began to argue, but Castiel interrupted him.

"My intentions have always been what I thought qualified as good, but every time I try something horrible happens. I want to help you Victoria, I truly do, but I am frightened that I will be unable to do so, or worse, turn you into what I became."

Dean started to walk towards Cas to comfort him, but Sam grabbed his arm to stop him. Dean didn't resist, he just looked at Sam questioningly. Sam didn't return his gaze, he was focused on Victoria.

"Castiel, even though you put your memories into my brain, I haven't looked at them wholly. I don't know what you have done, or what you haven't done for that matter. All I know is that somehow I was able to find the last Angel on earth, and his two human companions. I know that through my abilities I was able to give that Angel back his wings. I know that this one Angel can help me, train me, work with me to become what I was born to be. You are amazing in that you think for yourself, you make your own decisions, you follow your own orders. You are your own Angel. You became what thousands of your kind never could be, free. There's a reason you are here on earth, I believe it is to save it. As you already have, multiple times with these two. And if you will help me to help you, me. We have a mission Castiel, and because you gave yourself the ability to do so, you can choose to accept it."

Dean walked towards them. "Yeah, and she doesn't flatter Cas, only truth."

Victoria smiled at Dean slightly, "Yes. Flattery is sugar coated lies. I don't care for it."

"We still need to find a group of demons, a pack a werewolves, a nest of vampires, or something for Victoria to smite."

Dean looked back at his brother. "Way to ruin the moment, Sam."

"You guys have enough moments."

Sam closed his laptop with disgust. "Nothing. No signs of anything supernatural anywhere."

Mary walked over to him to rub his shoulders. "I'm sorry baby, maybe there will be a new Big Bad for you boys to take down soon. And lady. Where is Victoria?"

Dean looked up from the paper he was reading. "She and Cas are downstairs. He's trying to teach her how to set things on fire."

"In the house? That sounds safe."

"He can put it out instantly. It should be safe." Dean started reading his paper again.

Mary looked at her youngest son. "Sammy, what's wrong?"

Sam looked at Dean quickly before looking back at his mom. "Um, nothing, I'm fine."

"Dean, could you go make sure they're not setting fire to anything too important?"

Dean put his paper on the table. "Sure, mom."

Once Dean was gone Mary looked at Sam once more. "Now, tell me what's wrong."

Sam leaned forward in his chair. "Honestly, this sounds so childish, I uh, I think I'm jealous of Dean and Cas' relationship."

"Their what?"

"I mean they were always pretty close, they'd do anything for each other, but since Cas has lived here, they're become even closer. I guess I never noticed it as much when we would just see him occasionally. I feel, left out I guess?"

Mary Winchester wasn't sure what to think. She knew both of her boys were close to the Angel, and for good reason it seemed like. She noticed Cas and Dean were closer than Cas and Sam, but she never saw Sam's jealously.

"So, you're envious of their friendship?"

"Yeah. Stupid I know."

"No, Sammy, not at all. I completely understand. You feel like Cas has taken your spot in some ways. That's completely normal. Maybe you could ask Dean to spend some alone time with you? Or Cas to spend some time with just you, if that's what you want."

His mom was talking to him as if her were five. He felt that he was acting like that in some regard. He had never seen Dean with anyone the way he was with Cas, except for how he was with him. He knew he should let that jealously go and just be happy for him. He knew it was hard for Dean to emotionally accept anyone else. That was one reason he was so adamant for Victoria to stay with and work with them, they needed to learn to trust more people.

"You're right. I'll do that. Thanks mom."

Sam kissed her on the forehead before going to see what the others were up to.

"How's it going in here?" Dean asked as he walked into the room Cas and Victoria were in.

"Great!" Victoria said, as enthusiastically as Dean had ever heard her be.

"She has learned, rather quickly I might add, to set things ablaze." Cas sounded proud.

"Unfortunately, I cannot extinguish them."

"I'm afraid you do not want it enough."

"I think that's says something of my mental health. I should look into that."

Dean snorted a smile. "Good job Tor. Any nosebleeds?"

"Very slight. Apparently arson is not too strenuous."

Victoria was amazed at how quickly she was adjusting to this new life. She actually found herself enjoying it, which surprised her because she hadn't really enjoyed anything in a long time.

She felt her phone vibrate in her pants pocket. She pulled it out, looked at the Caller ID and excused herself from the room.

Dean patted Cas on the back. "Good job Cas, you trained a Chosen One."

"I taught her how to set fire to anything. I do not know if I should be commended for that."

"Think of all the gas she won't have to siphon out of cars now."

Cas tilted his head.

"Never mind. So, are all your old powers back?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't tested them all yet, but some are, yes."

"That's great."

"Is it Dean?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't have the best record with power. We both know what I've done. Now with Victoria, she is almost limitless power Dean, I can feel it, what if I turn bad again, what if I turn her bad?"

Dean grabbed him by his shoulders. "Cas, listen, that isn't going to happen. You know why?"

Cas shook his head. "Because even though you don't think so, you are good. And you have me, and Sammy, and now Tor to steer you clear of whatever you think might be a bad decision. I haven't known her for long, but Tori's moral compass seems to have a good north."

"Yes, she is a good person."

"And you are too. You're our brother, man, don't doubt yourself."

"Thank you, Dean."

"Anytime."

"Hello?" Victoria answered her phone with a distinctly Southern accent.

"No, Mrs. Turner, I won't be home for a while."

"No, I'm not with a bad crowd." Victoria rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall.

"No, ma'am, I don't need anything from the apartment, thank you though."

"Yes, I will call you if I need anything mailed."

"Yes ma'am, I will be sure to do that."

"Thank you Mrs. Turner, have a good night."

Victoria replaced her phone in her pocket before she looked up to see Sam Winchester grinning at her.

She quickly regained her composure and lost her Southern drawl.

"How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough to hear a distinct accent."

"I told you that I was from Georgia."

"I liked hearing it. Why don't you speak that way normally? It's endearing."

"I don't want to be endearing."

"You can't help it." His smile was infuriating her. She could feel herself color.

"Stop."

"Stop what?"

"Whatever it is you're doing, I don't like it."

"I'm sorry?"

"Sam, it's not going to work, whatever it is you're trying to accomplish. I don't break easily."

"I told you I would win you over. I gave you fair warning."

"That is true, however, I wish you would stop. I agreed to stay here, which for me is quite an accomplishment."

"See, I'm already making headway."

Dean and Cas walked out of the room to find Victoria and Sam in the hallway. Dean could tell from Sam's smile he was up to something.

"What's going on Sammy?"

"Victoria has a Southern accent."

"I was talking to my landlady. She's from back home, I'm not conscious I speak any differently to her."

"It was cute."

Dean backed up just in case Victoria decided to punch Sam, he backed Cas up too.

"There is nothing about me that is cute."

"The accent is."

Victoria looked at Dean.

"Make him stop."

"He's an overgrown man, complete with facial hair, I can't make him stop."

Victoria tried to regain her composure. Surely he wasn't flirting? No, this was something different. He wanted intimacy, craved it, but not the sexual kind. She looked over at Dean and Castiel. Dean's hand was still on Castiel's shoulder. She looked back at Sam, he wanted that. He may not have known it himself even, but he wanted what his brother had found in Castiel.

Victoria felt more emotions in that moment than she had in years. She was disappointed in herself for letting this family affect her so. She knew she was better alone, she thought better alone, fought better alone, was a Chosen One better alone. She knew from those emotions, the sympathy, empathy, understanding, and compassion she felt for the younger Winchester she would choose any one of them over the majority, and that was a problem. She knew better than that, the majority would always be more important, right? Just because she has some feeling of sentiment towards these brothers and their wayward Angel, that didn't make them more important than the seven billion others, right? She was uncertain, she didn't like that feeling.

But she wasn't happy alone. Content, but far from happy. She was happy in her moments with Ezekiel, when he was proud of her, when he was teaching her. When she found a kinship with him.

"You may encounter many situations like this Victoria, where you have to choose between the few and the many. I have told you which way I would lean. However, you have to make your own choice in every situation, as is my Father's Will. I will never influence you one way or the other."

Victoria smiled back at the friendly giant. "You're exasperating Sam Winchester."

With those four words Victoria Doyle decided she was going to try happiness.