November 6th, 2009
It was two weeks later. They had been looking for a case, but there had only been the typical alien sightings and something that could be demon omens. However, there were already several hunters in that area, so they decided to stay clear. One night, Dean woke up with a gasp. Alex looked over at him, slightly concerned. "Bad dream?"
Dean shook his head, sitting up. "Where's Sam?"
"Shower." Alex closed Dean's laptop. "What's up?"
"Cas was in my dream."
"Mm. And . . ."
"And what?"
"And what did Cas want?" Alex looked at the clock. 2am.
"Where's Sam?"
"Shower. You just asked that."
"Right, right. Sorry." Dean rolled out of bed. "Sammy!" He pounded on the bathroom door. "Rise and shine. Then get your ass out here."
"Good morning to you, too," Alex grumbled.
Sam came out of the bathroom, wearing only a pair of boxers. "What?"
"We need to roll. Cas came to me in a dream. He gave me an address a few miles out." Dean threw on a jacket and grabbed his keys. "Come on."
...
They arrived outside a warehouse a few minutes later. They flicked on their flashlights, carefully entering. Alex brushed her hand over the gun in her waistband, making sure it was still there. "Well, what did he say, Dean?" Sam finally asked. "What was so important?"
"If I knew, would I be here?" Dean snapped, leading them up a flight of stairs. "Cas said he had something to tell me." He stopped. "What the hell?"
Alex squeezed past him to look around the floor. The metal rafters had collapsed and twisted, and sparks flew ever couple seconds from the exposed wires.
"It looks like a bomb went off," Sam whispered.
"There was a fight here." Dean led them farther into the warehouse, shining his flashlight around.
"Between who?" Sam and Alex followed.
Dean didn't respond. Instead, his flashlight was trained on the wall. "Check it out. Look familiar?"
Alex turned to see what he was looking at. Something was written on the wall. Something large. She quickly recognized it. "Angel banishing sigil."
"Yeah. Like what Anna used."
"So, what? Cas was fighting angels?"
"I don't know." Dean turned back to the tangle of metal. He hurried farther in. Alex followed, flinching as a spark cracked next to her. "Hey. Cas? Cas." Dean suddenly broke into a run. "Cas?"
Alex ran over to find the angel laying on the ground. His eyes were closed, and he looked unconscious.
"What? . . . What? What's going on?" Castiel shook his head, slowly sitting up. Alex stopped. That wasn't Castiel. It didn't sound like him.
"Just take it easy. Take it easy." Dean helped him up.
"Oh no." Castiel rubbed his head.
"Cas? Are you okay?" Sam stopped beside Dean.
"Ugh. Castiel. I'm not Castiel. It's me."
"Who?" Dean looked utterly confused.
But Alex understood. "Jimmy?"
"Yeah." He turned to her. "That's right. Jimmy."
"Where's Castiel?"
Jimmy turned back to Dean. "He's gone."
"Gone?"
Jimmy started to reply, but his legs shook.
"Let's get back to the motel," Alex suggested, moving forward to steady the man.
"Yeah. Good idea." They helped him out and into the car. Then they drove back to the motel.
...
They helped him in, and he sat down at the table, dropping his fast food bag on the table. After Jimmy had insisted that he was hungry, Dean had reluctantly swung by a local Biggersons.
"You mind slowing down?" Dean asked dryly, sitting down across from the man. Sam and Alex joined him. "You're gonna give me angina."
"I'm hungry," Jimmy explained, finishing his food.
"When's the last time you ate?"
"Dunno. Months." He took another bite, letting out a pleased noise. Alex shifted her weight impatiently.
"What the hell happened to you back there?" Sam asked. "It looked like an angel battle royale."
"All I remember is a flash of light, and I, uh . . . I woke up and I was, like, me again."
"So what? Cas just ditched out of your meat suit?"
"I don't know."
Dean turned to Alex. "You knew who he was. Care to share?"
"I don't remember how this turns out." Alex narrowed her eyes, deep in concentration. "This is Jimmy Novak. He has a wife and kids. Just one kid. Uh, he's Cas' vessel." She paused. "I don't think Cas ditched, per say, I think he was ejected. Don't take my word for it."
Sam let out a frustrated noise. He turned back to Jimmy. "Do you remember anything about being possessed? Anything at all?"
"Yeah. Bits and pieces. I mean, angel inside you, it's kind of like being chained to a comet." He looked at Alex. "It's Alex, right? I remember seeing you."
"Awesome." Alex nodded. "Being chained to a comet, eh? Doesn't sound like much fun."
"Understatement."
"Jimmy, Cas said he had something important to tell us. Please tell me you remember that."
Jimmy shook his head. "Sorry."
"Come on. What do you know?"
"My name is Jimmy Novak. I'm from Pontiac, Illinois. I have a family." He turned back to his food, starting on his second burger.
"Dean, can I talk to you outside?"
Sam led them out. Alex followed.
"So what do we do?"
"What do you mean? The guy's got a family. We buy him a ticket, we send him home."
Alex shook her head. "Stupid idea."
"Thanks for your opinion," Dean snapped back.
"She's right, Dean. He's the only lead we got."
"He doesn't remember anything."
"That's not what I'm talking about," Alex broke in. "Come on. Think! We want to know what he knows. You know who else? I bet there are some demons who would love to have their hands on an angel vessel, hmm?"
Sam glanced at his brother. "You know she's right."
Dean let out a long breath. "Whatever." He went back inside.
Jimmy looked up at them. "Listen. Thanks for everything, but I really should get going."
Sam shook his head. "Sorry. But you can't go home. You going to have to stay here."
"The hell are you talking about, I can't go home?"
"Because there's a good chance there's a bulls-eye on your back."
"What? From whom?"
"Demons," Alex answered.
Jimmy shook his head unbelievingly. "Come on, that's crazy. What do they want with me?"
"Oh, I don't know. Information, maybe?" It was becoming obvious Dean was losing his patience.
"I don't know anything!"
"I know, but-"
"Look, I'm done, okay? With demons, angels, all of it." Jimmy looked at the door. "I just want to go home."
"I understand," Sam promised.
"No, I don't think you understand." Jimmy turned on Sam, eyes flashing. "I've been shot, and stabbed, and healed, and my body has been dragged all over the Earth. By some miracle, I'm out, and I'm going home. I've given enough, okay?"
Sam let out a sigh. "Look, all we're saying is that until we get this all figured out, the safest place is with us, okay?"
"How long?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
Jimmy shook his head and walked towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Dean asked.
"To see my wife and daughter, okay?"
"No, you're not." Sam stepped menacingly in front of the man.
"So, what? Now I'm your prisoner?" Jimmy stepped back, eyes smoldering.
"Harsh way to put it." Sam crossed his arms. He glanced at the clock. "Look. Why don't you get some sleep, huh? We'll think this through in the morning."
Jimmy opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again. "Fine," he growled.
Alex looked at the clock. It was past three in the morning. "Good idea. I think we could all do with some rest."
Dean nodded. Jimmy took off his trench coat and folded it, putting it on the table by the door. Then he walked over to the far bed, collapsing on it.
"Sammy, you got first watch." Dean took the other bed. He lay down, staring up at the ceiling. Within a few minutes his eyes were closed.
Alex yawned, and Sam looked over at her. "Why don't you go to sleep too," he suggested. "I'm not tired yet, and I can handle it if anything happens."
Alex nodded sleepily. "Thanks." She headed over to the couch and promptly fell asleep.
...
She awoke, breathing heavily. She looked wildly around. Sam was sitting at the table, not noticing her. The clock read 4:08. Alex shook her head, trying to clear out the memories of the nightmare. "Bad dream?" Sam didn't even look up.
Alex nodded. She got up. Jimmy was still asleep, which was weird to see since Castiel never slept. He should. It was cute. Alex dismissed the thought immediately. She walked over to Dean's bed and lay down on her side away from him. He stirred groggily. "Bad dream?"
"Mm-hmm." Alex nodded again. Dean let out a sympathetic noise before closing his eyes, falling back asleep. Comforted by the hunter next to her, Alex was able to drift off once again.
...
"Dean!" Sam's urgent voice woke Alex. She sat up, looking around.
"What?" Dean opened his eyes beside her.
"Jimmy's gone."
"What?" Alex sat up as well. Sure enough, the other bed was empty.
"Come on. We got to go find him." Sam hurriedly began packing his bag.
"Hang on." Dean hauled himself out of bed. "Let me go use the bathroom first." Alex watched him go into the bathroom before getting up herself.
"You lost Jimmy?"
"Shut up. He slipped by me."
"His name is Jimmy. You let a guy who calls himself Jimmy slip by you."
Sam let out a frustrated noise. "Dean. Would you hurry up?" Dean stepped out of the bathroom, toothbrush in his mouth. He let out a laugh, and Sam scowled. "Sorry, uh, this is funny to you?"
"Mr. Big-Bad-Prison-Guard, Jimmy McMook gives you the slip? Yeah, it's pretty funny."
Alex chuckled as well. "Dean, be nice," she chastised him. "It could have happened to any of us. But it would happen to Sammy."
Dean laughed again. "What were you doing, anyways?"
"I was getting a Coke."
Dean paused. "Was is a refreshing Coke?"
Alex laughed.
Sam let out a angry breath. "Can we just go, please?"
Dean went back into the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later and finished packing. They got into the car and drove away.
...
Alex managed to grab another hour of sleep. The sun was beginning to rise, and the sky promised rain. Alex looked around. They were driving through the suburbs. Houses lined the busy street they were driving down. "Did I miss anything?" Alex broke the silence, sitting up.
Dean shook his head. Sam said nothing.
Alex let out a yawn and slid over behind Sam, resting her forehead on the cool glass. There was a flutter of wings, causing her to look up.
"Hey guys."
"Ah!" Dean jumped, and the car swerved into the other lane. "Jeez!" Dean got the car back under control.
Alex sat up, giving the angel Anna more room. "Smooth," the angel commented.
"You ever try calling ahead?" Dean snapped.
"I like the element of surprise."
Dean glanced back at her. "Well, you look terrific."
"Um, yeah, not the most appropriate time, Dean. You let Jimmy get away?"
"Talk to ginormo over here." Dean jerked a thumb at Sam.
"Sam. You look different."
"Me?" Sam seemed surprised. "I don't know. Heh. A haircut?"
Alex snorted. "Yeah right."
"That's not what I'm talking about." Anna cast Sam a glance, and he shied away. Alex narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out what passed between them. Anna continued. "So, what'd Jimmy tell you? He remember anything?"
"Why?" Dean turned his head to look at the red-haired angel. "What's going on?"
"Eyes on the road," Alex said quickly. Dean obliged.
"It's Cas," Anna explained. "He got sent back home. Well, more like dragged back."
"To heaven? That's not a good thing?"
"No. That's a bad thing. Painfully, awfully bad. He must have seriously pissed someone off."
Fear for her friend passed through Alex, and she narrowed her eyes worriedly. "That's not good."
Anna nodded in agreement.
"Hm. Well, Cas said he had something to tell me. Something important."
"What?"
"I don't know."
"Does Jimmy know?"
"I don't think so."
"You don't think so?" Anna scoffed. "Whatever it is, it's huge. You got to find out for sure."
"That's why we're going after Jimmy." Sam finally spoke up.
"That's why you shouldn't have let him go in the first place," Anna shot back. "He's probably dead already." Then she was gone.
Alex snorted. "Bitch."
"Hey," Dean said, offended. "Watch it."
"Whatever."
"I'm serious. She's nice."
Alex leaned over the bench seat. "You got a crush?" she teased.
"More than a crush," Sam told her. "They had sex in the backseat."
"Ugh!" Alex pulled a disgusted face. "Gross, man. You know I have to sit back here, right?"
"Whatever." Dean just rolled his eyes, but his blush told her he was slightly embarrassed.
Alex leaned back in her seat. "Nasty," she repeated. "I thought we had a 'no bodily fluids in the car' rule."
Dean shrugged. "So what? It's my car. I can have sex in it if I want."
Alex made another disgusted noise, but didn't rebut him. She crossed her arms, muttering to herself.
"So, uh, where exactly is this guy?"
Alex rolled her eyes, leaning back over the seat. "Well, he's got a wife and daughter, right? So most likely he's heading to them."
"Well, yeah. But how do we find them?"
"Okay. He told us he lives in Pontiac, Illinois, right? And his name is Jimmy Novak. How many Jimmy Novaks can there be in Pontiac?"
Dean grunted, having to admit that she was right. "Fine. Sammy?"
"On it." Sam pulled out his phone. "Damn. No signal. We'll figure it out when we stop for whatever."
"Okay. Until then, Pontiac it is."
...
They stopped around three for a large meal. Sam got an address, and then they were back off. They stopped right outside of Pontiac for gas. Sam went inside for food, and Dean was leaning against the car, filling the tank. Alex got out, stretching her cramped limbs. "Stupid driving," she muttered. She glanced in at Sam. He was on the phone, pacing nervously. Alex narrowed her eyes, but didn't point it out. It couldn't be more important than finding Jimmy. Sam came back, and then they were off again.
...
Pontiac, Illinois
It was past 9pm when they reached the Novak household. Lights were on, and Dean parked the car. He got out. "I got the knife. Let's go." He crept up to the front door, glancing through the window. Then he ducked. "Demon," he whispered. "Around to the back." He crept around to the back door. Alex and Sam followed.
The back door was unlocked, and they slipped inside. "No!" they heard a woman scream.
"Daddy!" That was a young child. Alex tensed, reaching for her gun. They rounded the corner. a man stood with his back facing them, one arm around what appeared to be a small child.
There was a loud thump, and the sound of punches being thrown. "Oh my god! No!" It was the first woman.
Dean slipped forward, pulling out his knife. He slit the man's throat before anyone could sound the alarm. The man fell to the ground, letting Alex see the whole scene. A blonde woman was standing to her right, eyes filled with fear, and another, smaller woman was on the ground, fists raised. Jimmy lay under her. The smaller woman turned. Her eyes flashed black, and with a snarl, she rushed towards Dean. Then she stopped. Alex glanced back to see Sam's hand stretched out, using his psychic abilities.
"Go!" he yelled. "Get them out of here."
Alex did as he said. Dean nudged the young child towards the door, and Alex helped Jimmy to his feet.
"Go, go!" Alex pushed them out the door. Dean stayed behind. They reached the car door, and Alex looked back, waiting for the Winchesters. Black smoke spiraled up towards the sky, and Dean and Sam ran out. It dipped back down, disappearing.
"Where's your wife?" Dean asked, looking around.
"Right here." The blonde woman appeared, holding a trench coat. She handed it to Jimmy.
"Let's go." Dean got behind the wheel. Sam got in the passenger seat. The three Novak's got in the back. Alex hesitated. "Get in," Dean snapped.
"Where?"
Sam let out a curse, got out, then shoved her into between him and Sam. He slammed the door, and Dean peeled out, driving away.
"Are you okay?" Alex turned around to face Jimmy.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm good."
Alex bit back harsh words. "Good. You scared us."
"Excuse me, who exactly are you?" the wife asked.
"Hey. The name's Alex." Alex flashed her a friendly smile. The conversation died.
...
They drove and just kept driving. Finally Dean pulled the Impala into a parking garage. He and Sam got out, and Alex and Jimmy did the same. Jimmy's wife and daughter, whose names turned out to be Amelia and Claire, stayed in the back seat.
"Listen," Jimmy began. "You were right."
Dean stuck his hands in his pockets. "I'm sorry we were."
"I'm telling you. I don't know anything." Jimmy looked up at the hunters, eyes wide.
Alex sighed. "I doubt the demons will believe you."
"And even if they did, you're a vessel." Sam crossed his arms. "They're still gonna want to know what makes you tick."
"Which means vivisection, if they're feeling generous," Dean added.
"I'm telling you once again, you're putting your family in danger. You have to come with us."
"How long? And don't give me that 'we'll cross that bridge when we get to it' crap."
"Don't you get it?" Sam finally snapped. "Forever. The demons will never stop. You can never be with your family. So either you get as far away from them as possible or you put a bullet in your head. And that's how you keep your family safe. But there's no getting out of it, and there's not going home."
Silence followed his words.
"Well, don't sugarcoat it, Sam," Dean finally said dryly.
"I'm just telling him the truth, Dean. Someone has to."
Dean sighed. "Look. We can get Amelia a car for her and Claire. You can either run off on your own, or you can come with us."
Jimmy closed his eyes, and Alex let out a sympathetic breath. He opened the backdoor and leaned in, speaking in hushed voices with his wife.
Sam walked over to a white Honda, jiggling open the door. He quickly began to hot-wire the car. Jimmy got his family out of the car. He stood silently next to his daughter, a hand on her shoulder.
"Okay, so, uh, here's your car." Sam got out, handing it over to Amelia.
"Hey." Jimmy looked down at his daughter, eyes watering. "Take care of your mom, okay, bub?"
"Okay."
Jimmy kissed the top of her head. Sam and Dean got into the Impala, and Alex followed. Jimmy joined her in the backseat. They drove off, and Alex watched Jimmy glanced back at his family one last time. She silently reached out, placing her hand over his. He just sighed.
...
As they drove, it started to rain. Jimmy turned to her. "Alex?"
"Yeah?" Alex looked up at the angel's vessel, slightly disconcerted to see him like this.
Jimmy's gaze dropped. "Can, can I ask you a favor. A big one?"
Alex braced herself. "Uh, sure. I guess."
"Can you keep tabs on Amelia and Claire?" Jimmy's voice sounded almost desperate. "I, I don't want them to be hurt."
Alex nodded. "Of course," she promised.
...
After a few more minutes, Jimmy's eyelids drooped, and soon he was asleep next to her. Alex yawned, wanting to fall asleep as well. She saw Dean glance back at them, so she feigned sleep. She listened to Dean and Sam talk.
"What the hell happened back there?" Dean asked, his voice low.
"What?"
"You practically fainted trying to gank a demon back there."
"Okay, I didn't faint. I just got a little dizzy."
Alex frowned slightly, confused.
"Well, you can call it whatever you want. Point is, you used to be strong enough to kill Alistair. Now you can't even kill a stunt demon number three?"
"What do you want me to say, Dean?" Sam's voice rose.
"Well, for starters, what's going on with your mojo? I mean, it's yo-yoing all over the place. I'm not trying to pick a fight here, okay? I'm just - you're scaring me, man."
"I'm scaring myself," Sam quietly admitted. There was silence. Then Sam's cellphone rang. He answered it. "Hello? Who is this?" Sam frowned and turned around. Alex sat up. "It's for Jimmy," Sam said.
Alex shook his awake. Jimmy opened his eyes. "What?"
Sam handed him his phone. "It's your wife."
Jimmy took it. "Amelia?" he asked. Then his face grew dark. "Oh my god." He listened for several more seconds before hanging up. "We have to go back," he told them, his voice full of desperation.
"Go back?" Dean scoffed, glancing back.
"They have my family. Please. We have to go back."
Dean spun the wheel. The tires screeched as the car suddenly turned around. "Where are they?"
"They're - it's a warehouse outside Pontiac." Jimmy's voice was shaking. "They told me I have to come alone."
Dean actually laughed. "Not going to happen. How far away are we?"
"About five minutes."
Dean accelerated, tearing down the road.
...
Within five minutes they were pulled up in front of a dark building. They got out. "Alright," Dean began, "they're expecting you to come alone. That's exactly what you're going to do."
"We'll work our way through the catwalks," Sam agreed. "We'll be right behind you."
"All you got to do is stay calm and stall. Let us do our job."
"You want me to stay calm?! That's my family we're talking about!" Jimmy frustratedly pulled on his trench coat.
"Listen to me. This will work. You understand? Nobody's going to get hurt."
"Yeah, whatever. Just give me a minute, okay?"
Dean nodded and started off to circle around the building. Sam followed, and then Alex. "There's no way they're expecting him to come alone, Dean," Sam said quietly. "This is probably a trap." Alex nodded in agreement.
"I know," Dean promised. "That's why I have a plan. Come on." He led them around to the back door. He jiggled it open and stepped inside. "Okay. This way." He led them not up the catwalk, but down the back hallway.
Suddenly rough hands wrapped themselves around Alex's mouth. She tried to scream a warning, but nothing came out. Thinking fast, she stomped her feet really hard. Dean turned around. He reached for the knife, but two more demons appeared behind them.
"Come on," the demons led the three of them down the hall and into a large room.
"Great plan, Dean," Sam snapped.
"Hey. Nobody bats a thousand."
Alex looked around. Amelia was standing to their left, behind her, tied to a chair, sat Clair. Jimmy stood to their right, face blank.
"Got the knife?" Amelia asked.
We're so screwed, Alex said to herself. Cas? Castiel? Please. Help us.
As she watched, Claire's eyes flicked up, meeting Alex's. They blinked, then closed again.
Alex knew. Thank God, Cas. Get us out of here.
"And you know what's funny?" Amelia was saying. But Alex knew it wasn't Amelia. She held back an angry growl.
"You wearing a soccer mom?" Dean guessed, voice sharp with contempt.
"It's I was actually bummed to get this detail, picking up an empty vessel. Sort of like a milk run. Now look who landed in my lap."
"Yeah, well, you got us, okay? Now let these people go."
The demon smiled. "Oh, Sam, it's so easy to act chivalrous when your Wonder Girl powers aren't working, huh? Now for the punch line. Everybody dies." Amelia suddenly pulled out a gun and fired. Jimmy crumpled to the ground, holding his gut.
"No," Alex hissed, trying to free herself of the demon's grip. "You son of a bitch!"
Amelia turned to Alex, the gun aimed at her. "Shut your mouth, or you're next."
"Don't touch her," Claire said, not looking up. Her voice held the faintest trace of a threat.
Amelia laughed. She started to walk away. "Waste Little Orphan Annie," she told the demon holding Alex. Then she left.
The demon let her go and walked past Jimmy over to Claire. Alex stood, not sure what to do to help. As she watched, the demon picked up a metal pipe. He spun it around in his hand. Then swung it at her head. Claire suddenly reached up, blocking it. She placed a hand over the demon's face, and white light poured into him.
Suddenly the whole place was alive. Sam and Dean turned on the demons, tackling them to the ground. Alex hesitated, knowing she wasn't strong enough to take on any of the demons by herself.
"Castiel," she heard Jimmy breathe. She hurried over to him. Jimmy had propped himself up against the wall, hands over his wound.
Alex knelt beside him. "You're going to be fine," she promised, putting a hand over his, helping to stop the bleeding. "If you're not dead by now, you'll live another five minutes." Light flashed as another demon died.
Jimmy just shook his head, knowing her words were empty. Blood welled up in his mouth, and he dropped his hand, letting the blood flow freely. He let out a painful breath.
"Hey, hey." Alex applied pressure to the bullet hole. Warm blood pumped against her hands, but she kept them still. "You're going to be fine. Okay, Jimmy?"
She heard a scream, and turned her head. Sam had just stabbed a demon in the chest. Then he turned around. Alex's heart skipped a beat as she saw the blood that covered his mouth. Dean's face was one of complete horror, and Alex suddenly remembered that Dean hadn't known about the blood. How had she forgotten about the blood? Sam suddenly raised a hand, and Alex saw Amelia stop. Black smoke poured out of her mouth, burning into the ground. Amelia fell to her knees as the smoke sunk into the concrete.
Jimmy let out a wet cough, bringing Alex's attention back to him.
Castiel knelt beside Jimmy. "Of course we keep our promises," she said, running a gentle hand across his hair. "Of course you have our gratitude. You served us well. You're work is done. It's time to go home now. Your real home. You'll rest forever in the fields of the Lord. Rest now, Jimmy." She glanced over at Alex, who stared back, unsure of how she felt with Castiel possessing the young girl.
"No," Jimmy coughed. "Claire . . ."
"She's with me now," Castiel promised. "She's chosen. It's in her blood like it was in yours."
"Please, Castiel," Jimmy begged weakly. "Me . . . just take me. Take me, please." Blood stained his teeth. Alex knew he was dying, and took his hand, trying to blink back tears.
Castiel saw. "I want to make sure you understand," she told Jimmy. "You won't die or age. If you thought this last year was painful, picture a hundred, a thousand more like it."
"It doesn't matter. You take me. Just take me."
Castiel dipped her head. "As you wish." She place a hand on Jimmy's cheek, and white light poured out of his eyes and mouth. Alex shied away at the brightness. Then it faded. Claire collapsed to the ground. Jimmy blinked, and Alex immediately knew it was Castiel. She squeezed his hand, and he turned his head to look at her.
"Hey."
Castiel just nodded his head. He stood up, and Alex did the same. "How are you doing?" she tried again. "You, uh, scared us with this whole 'ditching' crap."
"My apologizes." Castiel walked towards Sam and Dean. Alex followed, slightly unnerved by his coldness. Amelia ran past her to Claire, who was still on the ground. She knelt beside her child, pulling her into a hug. She looked up, and Castiel met her gaze. Then he turned to go.
"Hey, hold up, Cas." Dean stopped him. "What were you going to tell me?"
Castiel turned to face him. "I learned my lesson when I was away, Dean. I serve heaven, I don't serve man, and I definitely don't serve you." Then he walked away.
Alex narrowed her eyes in confusion. He was never that cold to them. "Cas," she called weakly. She hurried after him. He threw open the warehouse door and stepped out into the night. "Cas," she said again.
"What?" Castiel turned to face her, blue eyes indifferent.
"What's wrong?" Alex approached, worry evident on her face. "You're acting weird, man."
"I told you. I learned my lesson."
Alex just shook her head. "What does that even mean? You're just trying to stop the apocalypse like everybody else."
"I obey heaven, Alex. That's my job. I don't obey you, or Dean, or any other human."
"I don't ask you to obey me, Cas. You're my friend."
"Don't you see?" Castiel's eyes finally flashed with emotion. "Being your friend is what got me demoted in the first place."
"Then screw your superiors -"
Castiel shook his head and disappeared.
"Cas?" Alex yelled. "I'm sorry, man. Come back."
The door behind her opened and Dean came out, helping Amelia and Claire. Sam followed behind, head low. "Where's Cas?" Dean looked around.
"I . . . I tried to talk to him. He wouldn't listen. Maybe you should try later."
Dean shook his head. "If he won't even listen to you, there's no way he'll listen to me."
"What?"
Dean just exchanged a glance with Sam. "Never mind. Let's get these people somewhere safe."
"Okay."
"We, uh, we can just take the car," Amelia said quietly.
Sam finally spoke. "I'll go get it started. Where is it?"
"Around back."
Sam nodded and walked off.
"I, um, I have to make a call. Watch them, okay? Keep 'em safe." Dean pulled out his cell and walked a few paces off.
"Okay." Alex turned to Amelia. "How are you doing?"
Amelia looked at Alex. "Since this morning my husband came back, my neighbors were killed, I was possessed by a demon, and Claire was possessed by an angel."
"Fair point," Alex grunted. "Here. Sit down." She patted the hood of the Impala next to her.
"Don't sit on my car," Dean yelled, and Amelia hesitated.
"Ignore him. He doesn't mean it."
Amelia sat down next to her, pulling Claire next to her. "How do you do it?"
"Do what?"
"This. Hunting down demons."
"You get use to it," Alex lied. "I'm more worried about you guys. The demons should leave you alone, but this isn't something you'll forget."
"We'll be fine." Amelia ran her hand comfortingly through her daughter's hair. "Thank you." She hesitated. "Look out for Jimmy, okay?"
"Don't worry. I'll do whatever I can to keep him and Castiel safe." She looked down at Claire. "How are you doing? I assume it wasn't that fun."
Claire shook her head. "No. It hurt." Her mother pulled her closer. "But I could feel all this thoughts. I heard you praying to him. He was worried for you."
"Yeah," Alex sighed. "He's always worried about me. But he needn't be. I can take care of myself." She let out a snort of amusement. "Sometimes I think I have to take care of him too."
Claire didn't respond. Dean came back, and, a few seconds later, so did Sam. "The car's ready."
"Thank you." Amelia stood up.
"You going to be okay?"
"Yes. We'll be fine."
"Okay." Dean pulled her into a comforting hug. "Call us if you have any trouble, okay?" He handed her his number. "Stay safe. Oh, and . . ." he walked around to the trunk and opened it. Everyone followed. He dug through the weapons box and pulled out two small pennants on string. "Keep these on for a month or two. Just to make sure no demons come after you." He handed on to Amelia, and one to Claire.
"What are they?" Amelia studied hers.
"Anti-possession charms. No demon will be able to possess you with these on."
"Thank you." Amelia put an arm around her daughter. "For everything."
"Yeah." Dean watched them walk off before getting in the car. Sam and Alex did the same. They drove off.
...
"All right, let's hear it."
Alex looked up. They had been driving for a long time, and this was the first Sam had spoken.
"What?" Dean asked.
"Drop the bomb, man. You know what I did. Come on, stop the car, take a swing."
"I'm not going to take a swing."
"Then scream, chew me out."
"I'm not mad, Sam."
"Come on." Sam shook his head unbelievingly. "You're not mad?"
"Nope."
"Right. Look, at least let me explain myself."
"Don't." Dean stopped him. "I don't care."
"You don't care?"
"What do you want me to say?" Dean finally turned to look his brother. "You want me to say I'm disappointed? 'Yeah, I am. But, mostly, I'm just tired, man. I'm done. I am just done."
They fell into silence. Sam's phone rang. "Hey, Bobby." Pause. "What's going on?" Another, longer pause. Sam hung up.
Dean looked over at him. "What'd he say?"
"We need to get to Bobby's. He says he's got something on the apocalypse."
Dean grunted, and accelerated.
...
They drove all night, and by early morning, they reached Bobby's. They got out and walked through the back door. "Bobby?" Dean called.
"Downstairs."
They hurried down. To see Bobby waiting for them.
"Thanks for shaking tail." Bobby led them over to the panic room.
"Yeah, you got it."
Sam opened the panic room door.
"Go inside," Bobby told him. "I want to show you something."
Sam did. However, Bobby and Dean hung back. Alex stepped forward, but Dean held out his arm. Sam turned around to look back at them. "All right. So, uh, what's the big demon problem?"
"You are. This is for your own good." Bobby closed the heavy iron door and locked it tight.
"Guys? Hey, hey! What?" Sam tried to push open the door. He looked out through the small window in the door.
Bobby closed the window and latched it.
"This isn't funny!" Sam yelled. Dean shook his head and started towards the stairs. Alex followed. "Guys!" Sam was still yelling. "Guys!"
They walked up the stairs and into the study. Alex disappeared into her room.