Author's Note: A short one with a little side story on Beth and Cas, and another familiar being who we hear about in Season 9

I am a soldier's angel
Through the eyes of a soldier
Through the eyes of a soldier
I am a soldier's mother
Through the eyes of an angel
I am a soldier myself
And no one walks away
From this battle

I'm a soldier myself
In the presence of angels
I am a soldier's widow
In the background at night
I am a ghostly shadow
As I follow close behind them
I try to push them gently
Back into the light

THE KNIFE'S EDGE

Beth's POV

The water washed around me, flowing across my skin and causing my hair to drift around my head as I lay on the surface like a starfish. The sun beat down on me and I smiled, feeling relaxed and happy. Suddenly hands slid around my waist, pulling me back into a warm body and I moaned, feeling those hands holding me possessively. I turned to face the familiar man whose arms I were in and I giggled as I looked into those piercing hazel eyes. His lips brushed along mine and I sighed happily, kissing him back with lingering passion, drawing it out. "I love you," I whispered when I pulled back and he smiled at me, circling his arms tighter around me.

Suddenly the lights went out, if you could say there were lights outside in a swimming hole, and I glanced up, confused, feeling Dean turn cold and statuesque. "What the hell?" I asked, looking around. Shadows skipped along the water and I sucked in a breath, feeling exposed and unprepared. I turned back to Dean but he wasn't moving, we were still in the water and there was something unidentified coming our way.

"Cas!" I said when I couldn't rouse Dean from his position. "Cas!" I yelled a little louder, looking up above me as the shadows swirled around the periphery of my vision. We had been working on dream communication, but this was different, I needed him here because something was definitely going on.

"Be quiet," Cas's voice said suddenly, and I found myself plucked out of the water, fully dressed, standing next to the angel in a dark wood.

"What's going on?" I whispered, reaching for my gun which was in the small of my back – nice touch there Cas, very attentive to detail.

"We are in your mind," he said and I rolled my eyes.

"No shit?" I said. "I was enjoying that dream!" I thought longingly about the memory I had been reliving and sighed at the interruption. My memories of that weekend away were some of my favourite and they'd just been tainted by something that seemed to be stalking me.

"You must listen," Cas said, pulling me behind a building as the black smoke poured around the surrounding area.

"Listen to what? What's going on?" I asked and Cas grabbed me, holding a hand over my mouth.

"They are looking for you," he said cryptically and I rolled my eyes. Who was looking for me? I shrugged and he dropped his hand a fraction so I could talk.

"Who is looking for me?"

"Harut and Marut, fallen angels," said Cas and I stared at him.

"Fallen...angels?" I asked, and he nodded.

"There is much more than what is happening here on Earth, much of the war between Heaven and Hell is going on right now in the Heavenly realms. These fallen angels, now demons, are seeking to open the Third Temple and reinstate the blood sacrifices. This cannot be allowed to happen, for it will taint the true purpose of the temple." Cas explained and I frowned.

"Why are you telling me all this?" I asked.

"Because you are needed," he said.

"Well then wake me up, I'll get Dean and Sam, we'll go wherever you need us to," I said.

"They cannot follow where we need you to go," Cas said, still cryptic as ever.

"Wait, you're asking me to go alone?"

"No, not exactly," Cas said.

"Then what?"

"I need you for a vessel," he answered.

"You have a vessel, you're wearing him," I said, confused.

"We need vessels for our line, for one of our leaders whose duty is to protect the Third Temple. We must conceal him in a body that no one will suspect as he checks on the Temple and ensures it will not fall. We cannot afford to fail on this one."

"What do I need to do?" I asked while feeling a churning in my stomach. This was war and definitely not a game, I ran a real risk of something happening that I couldn't undo.

"Come with me," he answered, reaching out, but I stepped back.

"Wait, I have to tell Dean, I can't just disappear on him – and I will disappear right? You need my physical body?"

"That's correct," he said.

"I'm not leaving Dean to an empty bed, he's got enough to worry about as it is," I said, crossing my arms.

"Time moves differently in Heaven, we'll be back before he wakes," Cas said and I hesitated.

"What if I don't come back?" I said.

Cas sighed, looking at me. "That is a risk," he admitted. "I would not ask if it wasn't important. You are strong, you're a warrior, and you are the best choice for this mission."

I looked at him, contemplating and then shrugged. "Okay, wake me up. There's a chapel two blocks down from the motel, I'll meet you there in ten minutes."

Cas hesitated, opening his mouth to say something when I held up my hand. "I'm not budging on this Cas, I won't tell Dean where I'm going, but I'm at least going to leave a note to tell him not to worry." He nodded.

Suddenly I was back in the motel room, gasping for air at how fast I'd woken. I looked around in the semi-darkness and saw Dean curled up next to me, Sam was in the bed next to us snoring his head off.

I climbed out of bed and pulled some jeans on, stripping off my t-shirt to put on a bra, and then tugging it back on and adding my jacket. I walked into the bathroom, brushing my hair quickly and tying it up in a ponytail before coming back into the main room. I scribbled a note for Dean and put it on his bedside table, leaning down to kiss his cheek with a smile.

"Hey..." he murmured, reaching a hand out to stroke my face and I realised he was awake.

"Hey," I said with a smile, kissing him again. He groaned, pulling me in to him and sliding a hand around my waist. Confused eyes pulled back from me as soon as his hands slid along the leather of my jacket.

"Why are you dressed?"

"I can't sleep," I said quickly. "So I'm going for a run."

"You want me to come with you?"

"Nah, you're still half asleep, get some rest, I won't be too long," I said, brushing my hand through his hair. "I might go to the chapel after, okay?" He nodded and smiled, pulling me back down to him so he could kiss me again.

His eyes were a swirling vortex of greens as I stared into them, almost forgetting what it was I was doing.

"You know, there are other ways to make you tired," he said with a grin and I chuckled, nodding. Things had been kind of slow on that front lately, but it was getting easier, the flashbacks not quite so bad for him.

"Mmmm, hold that thought and maybe you can join me in the shower after," I suggested with a cheeky grin back at him. He smiled and nodded. I kissed him again quickly, looking at him seriously.

"I love you Dean," I said and he frowned at me.

"Are you okay?" He asked and I smiled with a nod.

"Yeah, of course I am. I'm allowed to say 'I love you' aren't I?" I said with a raised eyebrow. He chuckled and nodded back at me.

"Go get your run in, I'm gonna get some more sleep," he said, yawning and stretching up to reveal the new tattoo he had on his chest of the anti-possession charm. I smiled and nodded, heading for the door and casting one more glance back at him as he rolled on to his stomach, cuddling up to his pillow and almost immediately going back to sleep.

When I reached the chapel it was open, and I walked into the empty building feeling apprehensive. The cool morning air had penetrated the stones of the century-old church and my breath hung on the air in frosty rolling waves.

"Cas?" I called out, looking around me in all directions.

"I'm here," he replied and as I turned back to the altar he was standing there, looking down the aisle at me.

"Let's do this," I said, walking up to him. "What do I have to do?"

"Just open your heart and mind to accepting an angel into you. You've done this before," he said.

"Never when I was awake," I said, feeling a little nervous. "Will I be able to control my own body? What if I have to talk?"

"You will have no need, you can communicate just by thinking, and we will be able to hear you." I nodded at this, fighting back the feeling of a thousand butterflies in my stomach.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes," I said with a nod. "I think so..."

"All right."

"Wait!"

Cas turned curious eyes to me when I grabbed his arm and looked questioningly at him.

"This angel... does it have a name?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes... his name is Ezekiel," Cas said.

"Ezekiel?" I asked, thinking it over.

"Yes, he is one of our leaders, a General of our Lord's Holy Angelic Army," Cas said and I chuckled, shaking my head.

"It just seems weird that angels are warriors, you're supposed to be peaceful beings, promoting love and compassion," I said, raising an eyebrow.

"Most of us are warriors," Cas said with a frown. "Who else will protect you from the rising darkness?" I thought about that and shrugged.

"So where is he?"

"Waiting for you," Cas said. I looked around but I couldn't see anything. "You cannot see him; he is outside of normal human perception. You must awaken your other senses now, open yourself to him and allow him to enter."

I shivered, suddenly feeling cold. I brought myself to stillness, centring and taking a few deep breaths.

"Are you ready?" Cas asked, and I nodded. I was as ready as I was ever going to get.

"I'm ready," I said, "he can enter." And with that I closed my eyes. I sensed a white light building overhead and starting to spiral, it was as if I could see it, even with my eyes closed. I gasped as it took on an electric blue energy and then I felt it hit me, entering through my mouth and I gasped for air, staggering back slightly.

It was different to the demon; I felt a serenity that hadn't been there when the darkness had claimed me. Within seconds it was over and then I found myself pushed to the back of my mind, watching as if from a window as my body started to move without me. I looked at my hands, and stretched out my arms, rotating my shoulders and rolling my head in large wide circles.

"Castiel," I said, but didn't say. Ezekiel said it, but it was my voice coming out of my mouth in a strange, unemotional tone.

"Ezekiel," Cas said, bowing slightly.

"You have done well, thank you brother," I said and he nodded again.

'Hey, what about me?' I thought and received a reply almost instantaneously.

'Thank you Elizabeth,' sounded a voice inside my head that was not my own, which seemed even stranger. '

'You can hear me?' I thought.

'Yes,' was the reply. I would have made a thoughtful expression at this, and then resolved not to think too loudly, bad enough that I didn't have control of my body. Almost unbidden, Dean came into my mind and I tried to pull the thoughts back in, the worry for him, but it was too late, it was like a floodgate, and it was out there.

'We will return before he realises you are gone,' Ezekiel said and I wanted to believe him. 'Many angels, many humans, will be saved through your actions today.'

I pulled back my thoughts a little, putting them behind a wall and there was almost a sigh of relief from the angel. 'Thank you'.

That was strange; I wish I'd known I could have thought loud enough to drive the demon that had possessed me to distraction.

'I can stop you from thinking,' Ezekiel said, unbidden. 'But it would hurt, and possibly cause damage, it is better if I don't have to, we are not here to harm our vessels, we are grateful you are of service.'

'Well... happy to be helpful,' I thought, starting to feel a little like a third wheel.

'If you relax, I will explain things as we go, but we must begin, time is of the essence,' Ezekiel said and I would have nodded, but he had complete control of my body. He got the message anyway, because he nodded to Castiel and then suddenly we had moved. I was no longer looking at a chapel; I was surrounded by a desert, clear blue sky above us and a few rolling clouds in the distance.

'Are we in Heaven?' I thought at Ezekiel.

'Yes,' he answered.

'Why do you need a vessel then?'

'There are many levels to Heaven, some of them closer to the physical human realm than others. This is the closest level to Earth, we all need physical bodies to exist here,' he replied. I took all this information in, the mind boggling because even with everything I had studied I still clearly had so much more to learn.

We stood staring over at a mountain that seemed to open up, shining forth with a golden light. As I watched, the walls of a temple started to glisten in the light, I wondered how we were going to gain entry to this temple, the walls were easily twenty feet tall.

'They are forty feet tall,' sounded Ezekiel's voice in my head again and gasped.

'I thought they hadn't built the Third Temple yet," I thought to Ezekiel as I took in the sight before me. There had been talk for years about the people of Israel rebuilding the temple where the Second Temple had been. This was all in accordance with the prophesies that had been foretold by Ezekiel.

'Not on the human realm,' he answered. 'This is the Heavenly counterpart to my vision.'

'You were human?' I asked, confused.

'No. The man who wrote the Book of Ezekiel and foretold the prophecies was simply a vessel, a holy man who prayed to be of service. I spent fifty years with him and he took on my name,' Ezekiel replied.

'Fifty years, good God! You're not going to need me that long are you? I kind of have plans to grow old and die in my sleep,' I said with a grin, even though my face didn't move. There was a sound that was almost like laughter and I chuckled. Cas didn't laugh, not yet, he was still pretty unemotional when he spoke with us.

'Castiel has not walked among humans before now. He does not understand your… quirky ways. I have had many lifetimes among you,' he said to me and I found this fascinating, what other lifetimes had he lived that we didn't know about?

Castiel appeared, he had shed the trenchcoat and I gazed at him in curiosity. He still looked like my Uncle Jimmy, but he was dressed in plate armour that shone in the sunlight bright and silver. He carried a short silver sword with him, and when I looked down at my own body, I saw I was dressed in similar clothing. I had lost the jeans and jacket; instead I was wearing chainmail which felt heavy on my shoulders, covered with a breastplate that had the image of a wheel on it that was spinning. I was holding a short sword too.

"Do you really think these are necessary?" Cas asked me and I nodded, it was almost like I was answering him, it was surreal but I relaxed into it, if I went along with Ezekiel being in control this was going to be a lot easier.

"Yes," I said, looking down at the temple. "Something is amiss here. This is sacred ground. How are the demons getting here? Somebody has to be letting them in, and that can only be an angel."

Cas nodded and put his sword into a sheath at his back, casting a long look down at the temple. Suddenly there was a mass of screams from below and the unmistakable noise of swords clashing.

"It has begun," I said. "We must hurry."

In a second we appeared at the side of the temple and were instantly set upon by a couple of demons that glowed red and were wielding some of the same swords we were carrying. Cas moved quickly, stabbing one in the chest and it screeched an ungodly sound, calling attention to our presence. Several more demons descended from the high cliffs that flanked the temple, and we rolled to avoid them falling on us.

I regained my footing easily, and spun, reaching out my hand to touch the forehead of one of the demons, in a blinding flash of light the demon fell to the ground dead, his eyes burned from its sockets.

"Ezekiel!" Someone called out my name and I spun to see a beautiful woman who seemed vaguely familiar to me come running up from the side of the temple with three other men. She was dressed in similar armour to us and her hair was loose, strawberry blonde and floating around her shoulders.

"Sariel," I said and suddenly I flashed back to the woman who had been there when I'd raised Janus from his imprisonment. She's an angel?

'Yes, one of my finest warriors,' Ezekiel said to me and I looked at her. She didn't look like much, but then, I suppose I didn't either.

'Appearances can be deceiving,' came another line and I mentally rolled my eyes. Yeah. He wasn't wrong there.

"We must hurry," she said, starting to lead us to the rear of the temple. "Everyone is assembled."

"How many?" I asked and she turned troubled eyes to me.

"Not nearly enough," she said. We were interrupted by a group of demons rushing us from the side, at least a dozen. Suddenly we were in the thick of a battle, swords flashing. We took them quickly, but it was not without our losses, I watched, my heart breaking to see two of my brothers fall in action.

"I sent to Michael for reinforcements, I don't understand," I said, seeing a swarm of demons descend from a gateway high on the mountain, one similar to where we had entered.

"They were never sent," Cas replied with stern eyes. There was an understanding that passed between Cas and Ezekiel that I didn't quite catch from my voyeuristic place inside my own body; they spoke without words, and then looked at Sariel who nodded her agreement. All I felt from Ezekiel was the piercing ache of betrayal. We had been set up.

"I will not let this temple fall into the hands of Samael," Ezekiel said to the others and they nodded.

Another angel in the form of a young man came running up, his hair was short and dark, spiked around his face and he looked at us with big brown eyes."

'Qafsiel' I heard Ezekiel say to me as he identified him. 'Guardian of the Seventh Heaven."

"They are not just demons," Qafsiel said, bowing to me. "Some of them, their leaders, are tainted, twisted abominations. We have not seen these kinds of demons here before. They resist our touches in sending them back to Hell." I nodded, and reached to a sheath that was tied to my leg, pulling out a knife. Mentally I gasped when I saw it, holding it up for those closest to me to see. "They will not resist this," Ezekiel said in my voice, sounding confident.

'I've seen that knife before,' I said, thinking to Ruby's knife which Dean currently had tucked away in the weapon's bag.

'This is its twin,' Ezekiel said to me. 'You will find there are many things made manifest in both realms. When this knife was born to the earthly realms, it was also born to ours.'

'And to Hell?' I asked, thinking about Ruby's knife.

'No. Our Lord would never make manifest in Hell what is brought forth in Heaven. The knife you refer to was originally created by a holy man in what is your modern day Iraq. It was held in Babylon for many centuries until being passed to a holy man on the crusades, where it made its way to a holy family. How it came to be in the hands of the demon, we still are unsure.'

We were moving the whole time this conversation took place and we came to the very back of the temple, casting a glance around. I spoke a few words in a language I didn't recognise and then touched my hand to the wall surrounding the temple, a doorway lit up in bright silver outlines in the rock face and when I pushed, it swung open.

"Quickly," I said and we passed through, the door sealing behind us.

We were inside a large building, the floors were shining white marble, the same as the walls, only throughout the walls there was gold inlays in beautiful designs and symbols. I gasped, looking at the scene before me; I'd never seen anything like it.

In the centre of the building was a large pool of water that shone cerulean blue and it was surrounded by exotic plants that I'm certain were extinct, or had never existed on Earth. Many were beautiful orchids, and lotuses on the water. I took a moment to bow to this pond and then I was moving around it.

Stepping out into the large courtyard at the front of the building, I saw approximately fifty angels gathered before me. I looked around, taking in the faces of everyone: I knew each and every one of them, or at least, Ezekiel did.

"Thank you for your loyalty. You all know how important it is that this temple does not fall. I am counting on you to do your part, and I will see you through. I will not let this come to pass." The angels all nodded and bowed at me and I felt a sickening uncertainty knot in my stomach. We could not fail, but we were not enough.

"Ezekiel..." Sariel was following me as I walked down the side of the assembled angels. "Ezekiel, it's not enough..." she said quietly and I stopped to look into her piercing blue eyes.

"What do you suggest we do? Hand the Temple over?"

"No! Of course not," she said, frowning at me. "But you could issue a blanket call to the Lady's Legion. They will come."

"And alert the rest of Heaven to our plans? No, it would be too risky, they will be needed another time," I said, shaking my head.

'Lady's Legion?' I thought to myself. 'What the heck is going on here?'

Ezekiel didn't answer and I found that curious. He was playing this close.

"There will not be another time if we don't get some back-up," she insisted and I nodded.

"Take ten of our brothers and go to Michael himself, do not speak with anyone else," I said to her and her eyes widened. "He will listen to you, and if he doesn't, we will know who is behind this."

Sariel nodded once and then turned back to the assembled gathering, calling out ten names and then they vanished into thin air and I was left curious.

'How come you didn't just zap us in here?' I thought at Ezekiel.

'The Temple is protected. We can fly out without any complications, but one can only enter through the gates. It is to protect the Temple during times like this.' He answered and I frowned. Just how often was Heaven at war that they had to think about battles we were about to go into?

My mind wandered to the battle ahead and I started to feel a little panicked. If we were so little, and the demons coming were so many, I wasn't going to make it out of this alive and I thought about Dean, cursing the fact that I hadn't told him where I was really going or what I was doing.

'I will do my best to ensure you are returned to him,' Ezekiel said to me and I cursed. Damn it, thinking out loud again.

The area around us started to darken, and when I looked into the sky I saw it starting to turn red. There was a sea of darkness washing across the bright blue, drawing it in like a black hole, and then a portal opened up over the temple and hundreds of demons started to pour out upon us.

They had clearly been attempting to fall straight into the walls of the temple, but soon found their plan flawed. I watched, horrified, but on the outside completely calm and collected as Ezekiel controlled my body.

"Take your positions!" I called out and suddenly we were all standing on the walls to the temple, looking down at the sea of demons washing down to the ground as if propelled by an invisible barrier around the Temple, preventing them from entering by air.

"Take the lesser demons, I will deal with the leaders," I said, not loudly, but I knew that they had all heard. As the demons started to wash upon the walls to the temple I saw piercing silver light flash from the hands of the angels everywhere. When they hit the demons, they fell to the ground in anguish, and they didn't get up.

"This is a distraction," Cas said beside me and I nodded, looking at him.

"Indeed. Gather five of our best and meet me at the rear gate, that is where we are weakest, and that is where they will seek to breach the walls." I zapped and found myself at the entrance to the temple building again, walking through the gates to the interior, past the pool, and to where we had entered.

Cas arrived with five other angels and I waved my hand in the air before the wall, watching in amazement as it went transparent. There were three huge demons there, writing something on the other side, protected by a dozen lesser demons. I swallowed, or would have if I had control of my body, and felt myself go pale.

"Take the others and deal with the lesser demons," I told Cas, who nodded his assent. "I will deal with the others."

I pulled out the knife again from its sheath and stilled myself. Surprise was going to be the only advantage we had. There was a silent signal given that I didn't hear or understand, but suddenly I was on the other side of the wall, popping up between the lesser demons and their leaders. With a swift movement I killed one with a stab to the throat, it fell and it did not get up. The other two spun on me, and there was the sound of fighting all around me as I faced off with one of the lead demons while the other continued to work on the wall.

I sunk into a fighting stance, circling around the demon, it was easily twice my size, but I knew I was faster, stronger, even in this body. It lunged at me, and I dodged to the side but I had underestimated, it had a tail it had hidden which lashed out at me, and barbs pierced my skin, cutting clear through the chainmail and across my back. I fell to my knees in agony, and then I rolled as it jumped toward me.

Now prepared, I dodged the tail, grabbing it using the momentum from the attack to swing the demon around and crash against the wall. I threw myself down on it, stabbing it in the gut and saw the light fade from its eyes. The last of the head demons turned on me with a roar, and tackled me to the ground. I kicked it from me, propelling it a good five yards away as I climbed to my feet.

There was a feeling of relief that flooded through me as the chainmail fell to the ground, useless against these beings. I would have to be fast now to avoid further injury. I looked over to see the other angels and Cas battling the demons and then two more beings appeared before me. They signalled to the head demon and he returned to the wall where he had been working, resuming his actions.

"Harut, Marut…" I said, looking at these men before me, twins, and in human vessels but they were falling apart, the bodies bloodied and burned, skin peeling away from their faces.

"Brother," one of them said, stepping forward. "Join us."

"Never."

"Join us or die," said the other and I looked coldly at them, my resolve firm.

"You will not pass."

They moved in unison and I pulled out my short silver sword, holding it in the other hand so I was dual wielding weapons. I would need it. With a clash of steel, I blocked the two swords that were swung at me, ducking and spinning behind one of them, slashing along his back with the demon killing knife. Blood sprayed across me and hit the ground, but it did not kill him.

Relentless in their attacks, I could see us starting to fall on the periphery of my vision, angels and demons alike were dying and I knew that if I didn't get to the other lead demon, the door would be opened in a matter of moments. I read something that flitted across Ezekiel's mind, and I cursed John then for his self-sacrificing attitude which he'd drilled in to both Dean and I.

'Go, do it…' I thought to Ezekiel and I felt the relief that washed over him. He had been genuinely trying not to get me killed. With a yell that bordered on kamikaze, he pushed through the two fallen angels, catching one in the stomach with the short sword, and a piercing white light shone from his face as he fell to the ground dead. But it had opened me up to the other angel, who screamed at me and swung with his own sword. I was able to pull back enough to avoid being skewered by the sword he swung at me, but not enough to avoid getting hit, and deep.

I fell to the wall, holding my stomach and seeing with horror that I had been gutted. It all happened in a split second, but felt like slow motion. I dropped the demon knife to the ground, holding my stomach, trying to keep my intestines in, and with the other I swung the sword around, catching a lucky blow to the other fallen angel, piercing him through the heart. He looked shocked and fell to the ground still holding the sword which I released.

Spitting up blood, I grabbed the demon knife again, and with a final surge of adrenaline I threw myself on the demon at the wall, he was concentrating and didn't expect to be attacked with all his brothers around him. I rammed the knife deep into his back as he reached out a bloodied hand to the wall; we were seconds away from him breaching it.

A shrill scream sounded over the air as he died, and I fell against the wall, watching as more demons were alerted to our presence, rushing in packs from around the side of the temple.

"No!" Cas yelled, seeing me fall, and he ran toward me, killing the demons as they came with his sword. I felt a warm light start to claim me, and I wondered what it was going to be like to die. There were four of us left, including Cas, and they circled around, their backs to me as wave after wave of demons descended. We were all going to die this day, the Temple would fall and we had failed.

Suddenly trumpets sounded from all around and I could see chariots appear in the sky, at least, they looked like chariots. Cas took a blow to the stomach from one of the swords a demon was carrying, he fell to his knees in front of me and looked up, raising weakened arms to block the killing blow.

Lightning shot forth, hitting the demon and I felt the relief Ezekiel felt wash through me. They had come, whoever they were, and we might die, but we had saved the Temple and that was all that mattered. Cas staggered back, falling to the ground beside me and I felt Ezekiel go very still inside of me, and then I was back in control of my body, grabbing at Cas and screaming in agony.

Sariel came running up, hearing an unspoken call from Cas and she grabbed us both with her hands, worried look on her face, and we disappeared from the battle ground.

I don't know how long I'd been out but when I woke I was lying on a bed in a pristine white building. When I looked out the windows I could see stars swirling in the night sky, galaxies spinning. We were definitely not on Earth.

"She's awake," someone said and I turned to see a young woman looking down at me. "You're in the Healing Rooms. How do you feel?"

"Uh, fine," I said, frowning in confusion. There wasn't even a scar over my stomach as I ran my hands down. "How?"

"We have healed you in gratitude for your selfless act today," said the girl and she smiled, sitting next to me on the bed. She had eyes that smiled brightly and long curling blonde hair.

"Man, do you all go looking for gorgeous vessels or does it just work out that way?" I said, lying back and looking at her. She laughed and it sounded like tinkles on the air.

"Well I was lucky, Alyssa is beautiful isn't she?" She replied, looking down at her body. I nodded, curious about this creature before me.

"I'm Chamuel," she said, smiling at me.

"Beth," I said and she nodded.

"Where is Cas?" I asked, looking around, "…and Ezekiel, is he?"

She looked at me with concern and then smiled as Cas walked into the room, he had returned to wearing the trenchcoat we now associated with him. He looked down at me, all business, and I rolled my eyes.

"Cas, you're supposed to smile when you see someone you care about brought back from the brink of death," I pointed out and he frowned, then smiled at me. "Much better," I said with a grin.

"Can I see Dean now?" I asked, starting to feel the absence of him from my side. It was like a homesickness, only not for a place, but for a person.

"Shortly, he is still sleeping so don't worry," Cas said and I wondered how he knew all this. "We need to talk."

"About?"

"Ezekiel," he answered, taking a seat next to me. "He was gravely injured in the attack, and he sacrificed some of his power to keep you alive." My mouth dropped open, I was gobsmacked.

"Is he going to be all right?" I asked, and he looked at me, his eyes assessing my reaction.

"That depends on you," he said.

"Why?"

"It is complicated, and I cannot explain it here," he said, and without warning he reached out and touched my forehead, and I found myself standing by a lake, looking out over the water.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Inside your mind, I have returned you to the chapel, and you are asleep – we cannot be overheard here," he said. I nodded and crossed my arms over my stomach, hugging myself, I felt cold and tired.

"What's going on?" I questioned, looking at him.

"There is a war going on, and many things we cannot see are occurring. We nearly lost this battle, if it hadn't been for Michael bringing in his legions at the last minute…" his voice trailed off. It had been close. "Ezekiel is key to many things, and we cannot lose him, but it is not safe for him to be injured and in Heaven right now," he continued.

"Then bring him to Earth, let him heal here," I said.

"He can only do that if he has a vessel," he pointed out and I felt myself waver.

"Oh no. No, you can't possibly mean…"

"You wouldn't even know he was there, he is asleep at the moment, but I can communicate with him, explain what has happened. He would be dormant within you while he heals, and when he is strong enough he could return to Heaven without a vessel." He spoke quickly, almost too quickly and my head was spinning. This wasn't what I had signed up for.

"And I'd have full control of my body?" I asked, looking at him. He nodded.

"Can I tell Dean?"

"The less people who know, the safer it will be for both of you and Ezekiel," Cas answered, the tone clear: No. I nodded. I didn't like keeping secrets from Dean, every time I did something went horribly wrong, but I could see the logic behind it.

"How long are we talking here?" I asked.

"Not long, one or two weeks. Chamuel will visit you in your sleep to conduct healings to speed up the process," he said. I nodded. I really had no choice, if there was something I could do to help then I had to, didn't I?

I looked at Cas, sighing. "All right, but as soon as he is ready, I want my body fully returned, no more piggy backing." He nodded, and I glanced over at the light starting to stream through the stained glass windows. When I looked back Cas had disappeared and I was alone.

"Ezekiel?" I asked, listening for some kind of voice. There was nothing. I shrugged and stood up, sighing. I said a quick prayer to God in gratitude for being safely returned to Earth and went in search of Dean.

He was in the shower when I returned, and I slipped into the bathroom, stripping off my clothes and stepping into the bath behind the shower curtain. Dean was washing his hair, eyes closed and singing to himself as I grinned at him, sliding my hands along his back. He jumped, and I smiled, wrapping my arms around his waist and leaning into his back.

"Hey!" He said with a smile, turning to face me and kiss my nose. "How was your run?"

"Good," I said, "but I'm glad to be back."

"Mmmm, I'm glad to have you back," he said, kissing along my shoulder to my neck, his hands roaming down along my hips and around to my buttocks, squeezing them as he pulled me in closer. "I missed you."

"You were asleep!" I said with a laugh.

"I still miss you when I'm sleeping," he chuckled and kissed my lips while the water poured down on us from the faucet. "Sam still asleep?" He asked, glancing at the door and I nodded, grinning back at him.

"Thank god for that," he said, and he lifted me up, causing me to wrap my legs around his waist while he leaned me up against the tiles of the bath. "I am starving," he said, kissing down my neck. "And I'm not talking about food."

I had just enough time to wonder just how much Ezekiel was going to be seeing, hearing or feeling before I shoved it to the back of my mind. I was lucky to be alive, and Dean was in a frisky non-traumatised mood, life was good, and I was going to take advantage of it, starting right now.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Song for this chapter is: Soldier's Angel by Stevie Nicks

I had always planned to go this route of Beth doing a few 'solo missions' with Cas, but with the appearance of so-called Ezekiel in Season 9 it's added an extra dimension to the whole thing, and as I was writing it this all just sort of came into being and I love it! You can clearly see how it will be easy for Gadreel to convince Dean and Beth that he should be allowed to try and heal Sam, no? That's where I'm going with it, just a little side story fun.

Big chapter coming up with a bit of a twist to Monster Movie which I'm hoping sounds as funny on paper as it does in my head and talking with EarthhAngel about it.

Please leave a review :) I'll love you forever!