Author Note: Wow, it's been a longggg time since I've added anything to this story. This chapter has been patiently waiting for me to return to it. Sorry for the long wait. Hope you guys are enjoying the story!

Someone knocks on the door and I pull my head out of the toilet bowl far enough to weakly say, "What?" Deans voice comes from the other side, "You all right in there kiddo? Sounds pretty awful."

We've been driving for two straight days, trying to make it as quickly to Bobby's as possible to hopefully avoid another angel visit. We try to stay at the sketchiest motels and eat cheap diner food to evade the watchful eyes of the angels. Unfortunately, some of that gross diner food seems to be taking revenge on my stomach.

I rest my cheek on the dirty motel toilet bowl, too sick to care, "I'm just peachy, I'll be out in a sec." I take a deep breath, which I instantly regret because I catch a whiff of my vomit and begin retching into the toilet once again. I hoist myself off the floor using all my strength and struggle over to the sink to splash some water on my face. Making my way back to the bed takes the last of my strength and I collapse onto the duvet. Sam and Dean both look over at me from where they sit on the other bed.

I sigh, "I think that crappy diner gave me food poisoning." Chills run through my body and I start to shake, "Can you turn the air down in here, its freezing."

Sam gets up and puts his hand on my forehead, "It's like 80 degrees in here Maddy. I think you have the flu or something."

I let out a long groan, "Noooo, I probably got something from the last diner bathroom I was in. It was like a scene from Contagion in there." Dean chuckles, grabs his jacket and puts it around my shoulders and pushes me backwards, onto the pillows. "Just rest." He says, "We'll be at Bobby's in a couple hours." My eyes start to slide shut before I can argue with him.

Sam brings me out of my slumber by shaking my shoulder slightly, "Maddy, wake up. It's time to go, baby." I sit up and push my sweaty hair out of my face, trying to ignore my aching stomach. He helps me stand and walks me out into the cool air, which feels good on my burning skin. I crawl into the backseat and lay down, immediately closing my eyes.

I feel the car shake as they both get inside. Dean starts the car, "Is she okay?" he asks, mild concern in his voice. Sam slams the passenger door closed, "I don't know man, she feels really hot. We should probably stop for some medicine." Dean doesn't respond but I imagine him nodding his head in agreement as he speeds off down the street.

My mind starts to become jumbled as my fever increases and weird dreams keep me from getting any restful sleep.

I stand across the room from my parents. I try to run over to them, but I slam into an invisible wall, causing blood to come pouring out of my nose. I wipe the blood from my aching nose and look at my parents, "Mom! Dad!" I shout, but they continue to stare at me, silent. My hands make bloody prints on the invisible wall as I bang against the glass, "Hello! Someone let me out!" I scream.

Two more people enter the room and stand next to my parents. I think that they are strangers, but as I look at them closer, I realize that they are John and Mary Winchester. I stop banging on the wall and the room grows silent. My mother walks up to the glass and looks me straight in the eyes, "You are weak, always injured, always ruining hunts." My father joins her, "Nothing gets done when others have to constantly look out for you". John and Mary nod and John steps forward, "My boys were better off without you, you're nothing to them."

I take a step backward and run into another wall. I slide down and cover my ears as the four of them take turns insulting me, telling me that I'm worthless. Tears stream down my face as the room starts to go dark…

My eyes fly open and I wipe some tears from my eyes. I look into the front seat and realize that Sam and Dean are gone and that we are parked at a gas station. I scoot over to the back door and open it, allowing the cold air to rush over me. I pull Deans jacket closer to me and wander into the gas station. The sales clerk smiles at me as I scan the aisles for the brothers. Sam stands in the snack aisle, scanning the selection, his back towards me. I walk over and put my arms around him, hugging him from behind. He tenses a little but relaxes when he realizes it's me.

He turns around with a smile that soon fades when he sees my teary eyes, "What's wrong?" he asks, wiping tears from my cheeks. From the corner of my eye I see Dean peek over the aisle divider, probably wondering what we are talking about. Dean wanders over and I sigh, holding my aching head in my hands.

I take a deep breath, "I'm just sorry." Is all I manage to say. Dean and Sam exchange confused glances, "Sorry for what?" Dean asks. My head really starts to hurt, a ringing sound pierces through it. I rub my temples, "For being a burden on you two, always getting hurt or-" I wince as my stomach starts aching again, "getting sick." Shakily, I move away from them toward the medication aisle.

Sam grabs my arm as my legs falter, "Maddy, slow down. Let's just go back to the car, you aren't thinking clearly." I barely hear the last words as the ringing sound increases. I clap my hands over my ears and yell over the ringing, "Do you guys hear that!" I hunch down on the ground as Sam and Dean start to hear the ringing too, also putting their hands over their ears. Dean looks at Sam, "What is that!"

We all crouch on the ground as all the windows explode inward. I glance up at the security mirrors and notice two people dressed in gray suits enter the gas station. "Angels." I whisper to the boys, "How did they find us?" Their eyes widen in realization of how bad our situation is. My mind races as I try to think of a way in which we survive this attack.

The store clerk speaks up, "Who the hell are you people! What do you want!?" One of the angels steps up to the counter and places his hand on the clerk's forehead. Screams fill the store as the poor boy's eyes burn out of his head but are soon cut off as he falls to the ground, dead. I cover my mouth the stifle my gasps of horror.

Suddenly, something I read in my research yesterday pops into my head. I feel the pockets of the jacket I wear and pull one of Dean's knives out. I slice the knife along my palm and begin drawing a sigil on the floor. Dean and Sam look on in horror, but I put a finger to my lips to silence them.

"Come out come out wherever you are, Winchesters." One of the angels says. I watch them in the mirror as they walk towards our aisle. The other angel chuckles as they come around the corner, "Well, hello there." He says as he spots us crouched on the floor. Both the angels start towards us, murder in their eyes.

"Hello and goodbye." I say, my heart pounding, as I slam my hand down onto the bloody picture, hoping the sigil is drawn correctly.

"Noo-!" They both scream as the store fills with white light and they are whisked far away. I look over at the brothers shocked faces and shrug, "I did a little research the other day." However, I couldn't feel too much pride, as another wave of nausea hits me. I jump up and sprint over to the trash can by the soda machine and throw up for what felt like the millionth time that day.

Sam rips open a package of gauze and wraps my hand up, "A little heads up next time would be nice" he says with a laugh. I give him a kiss as we make our way back to the car. I replay my dream over and over in my head as we race towards Bobby's. Sam is the first to speak up, "What did you mean in there when you said you were a burden on us? What made that come on?"

Dean watches me in the rearview mirror. I twist my ring around my finger and shrug, "I don't know, I had some weird fever dream. I guess it was just bringing to light some of my subconscious feelings."

Sam reaches back and grabs one of my hands, "You've saved our asses plenty of times, I think we are all each other's burdens. We need each other to stay alive."

Dean glances back at me, "Amen to that Sammy. You aren't some dead weight that we have to drag around." I breathe a sigh of relief and squeeze Sam's hand.

I lean my head back and close my eyes, thankful that the medicine I took seems to be diminishing my fever. A few hours go by, and Dean finally pulls up to Bobby's house. Sam helps me out of the car, and we make our way into the house and over to the living room sofa. Dean flops into a nearby chair while Bobby leans against the desk.

Sam fills in Bobby and the room goes quiet as everyone gathers their thoughts on what just happened. Bobby rubs his chin with one hand, "So tell me again how you got rid of those winged bastards?"

I hold my bandaged hand up, "I did some research on angels and found some sigil that banishes the angels for a short time when written in your blood." Sam comes back into the room with the first aid kit and start to unbandage my bleeding palm. I wince as the dried blood peels away from the cut.

Dean huffs, "Scared the crap out of me. I thought the angels were making you do it to yourself or something. Practically hacked your hand off!"

I look away from my palm and over at Dean, "Don't be dramatic, it's not even that deep." He rolls his eyes at me and I laugh under my breath.

Bobby grabs a book off the shelf and starts flipping through pages, "Well, I guess you idjits should start researching some more if you want to stay alive."

"Thanks." I say to Sam as he finishes bandaging me up and sits next to me. I lean into his chest and he puts his arm around me, "I guess we should call up Cas again, maybe he can help us with some more wardings."

We all fall silent as Bobby continues to flip through books. Dean grabs a beer from the fridge and Sam hugs me closer to him as my eyes start to flutter shut, feeling the exhaustion of being sick and losing blood. I feel a blanket fall upon me, but I'm too far gone to thank whoever put it there.

The sounds of approaching angels causes me to bolt upright, but I relax when I see that it's just Castiel and another angel. Sam, Dean and Bobby come rushing into the room, guns drawn, but also relax when they realize there is no threat.

Castiel appears frazzled and stressed, his clothes are dirty, and his hair is sticking up at all angles. The angel beside him looks equally rumpled, but seems calmer, a smirk on his face.

Dean steps forward, "What's up Cas? We were ambushed by angels today at the gas station, and they seemed even more dickish than usual."

Cas sighs, "Things in heaven have taken a turn for the worst." He pauses for a moment, lost in thought, but takes a deep breath and continues his explanation, "The resurrection of Sam was just one of the many events that has contributed to a rift amongst the angels." He looks at each one of us and then rubs a hand across his face, "The archangel Raphael is taking this opportunity to create an army to try and take control of heaven."

The room goes silent as everyone processes what Castiel just told us. I look over at Sam and Dean, who wear a similar look of shock. I sit back down on the couch. My stomach flips, but I don't know if it's the sickness or the stress that's causing the pain. "So," I say, breaking the silence, "There's a war going on in heaven?"

Castiel nods, "Yes." He looks at the angel beside him, "Balthazar has joined my garrison and is helping us fight."

Balthazar smiles, "Yes, and since you three are known affiliates of Castiel's, well, you're now even more of a target." His cheery British accent surprises me, he seems very nonchalant about our potential murders.

Anger creeps into Dean's features, "So, what do we do?" Sam mirrors Dean's tense body stance as he waits for Castiel's response. Cas stands up a little straighter, "We fight."