*A/N – Sorry about the delay on this chapter, real life has been getting in the way. I'm still working on it, I just won't be posting new chapters as often. Sorry.

She was up early. Years of habit prevented her from sleeping too late. Thea let herself go through the motions of getting ready for the day. However, she had absolutely no idea what to expect.

Towel drying her hair quickly she put on a simple pair of black yoga pants and a dark green top. Barefoot, she walked quietly to the kitchen. There in front of her was the evidence that last night was not a nightmare. With a small sigh, she inspected the mess. Bloody rags and gauze were piled on the center island. Her med kit was scattered across the closest counter.

Deciding coffee was the first priority, she went around the mess and turned the water on to get warm. Her right wrist caught the light and she caught a glimpse of the mark on her wrist again. Inspecting it closer, she was caught up in the intricacies of the swirls and loops that she failed to notice she was no longer alone in the kitchen. If she didn't know better the mark was more detailed than when she had seen it the night before.

Noticing the water was now steaming in the kitchen, she filled the carafe for the coffeepot and turned. Standing almost directly behind her was the angel Castiel. Thea almost dropped the glass carafe, but at the last second, regained her grip. Not daring to look the angel in the eyes, she quickly stepped to the side and busied herself with making the coffee.

Too soon the coffee was dripping through the filter. Having put off speaking for long enough, Thea turned and faced Castiel. He had not moved from his spot by the sink. She was able to observe him in profile as he looked outside, the early morning sun lighting his face.

If Thea was perfectly honest with herself, the man didn't look like an angel, or at least what she pictured in her mind. He was taller than her, but if she remembered correctly, he was not as tall as the Winchester boys. There was something about the way he was standing that even as he was relaxed, said soldier. It was something about the set of the shoulders, the posture of his back. It was so ingrained, she would almost bet that he didn't even realize it.

As if sensing her observations, Castiel turned and looked directly at Thea. For a brief moment she was pinned by his deep blue eyes, the look was so intense she almost thought he was piercing her very soul. He studied her as keenly as she had just been watching him. He was beautiful in a dark way. Thea thought it odd, yet very appropriate to think of this angel as dark. There was something in his eyes, a deep sadness that touched her on a very primal level.

Deciding to break the silence, Thea held out her hand and spoke. "Hello there, I've been rude. I'm Thea."

Castiel tilted his head as he looked at her hand. "Castiel. I'm sorry about the mess we made in your kitchen last night."

Thea realized that he was not going to shake her hand so she lowered it. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad to see you up and about, must be one of the perks of being an angel."

"Perks?"

"You know, benefits?"

"Yes, I suppose that could be considered a "perk"."

Thea was unsure of what else to say, so with a small smile, she started clearing the mess from the kitchen. Gathering the items scattered along the edge of the island, she turned to put them back when her foot happened to land on a leftover scrap of gauze. The movement caused the gauze to slide on the tiled floor and Thea felt herself start to fall as if in slow motion. She dropped the stuff in her hands and tried to regain her balance. Suddenly she was wrapped up in a pair of strong arms.

Thea suppressed a gasp as she felt an almost electric shock go through her as Cas caught her. He held her easily and his skin was surprisingly cool to the touch. Once she regained her footing she stepped back, only to realize that there was no where to step to. Her back against the island she looked up at Cas only to find him staring at her wrist. "Oh shit! The marking."

She made to move to the side, only to have Cas reach out and grab her wrist. Once again she felt a shock pass through her at his touch. One look on his face revealed that he felt it too. Neither of them said a word. His face was only inches from hers.

She was not sure how long they just stood there, but it seemed like an eternity. Finally, Cas stepped back to give her some room and with a tilt of his head, gave her one last searching glance before disappearing. Thea caught something out of the corner of her eye, but before she could focus on it it was gone.

Seconds later, the Winchesters appeared with Bobby and Thea threw herself into making breakfast. No one mentioned anything from last night and she could pretend that it was all just a dream. Something kept tying to creep into the back of her mind though. There was just a funny feeling she had that she couldn't shake.

Deciding that her mind would sort it out in its own time. She focused on keeping the conversation going and away of anything that could lead to the last twenty-four hours. She wasn't sure if the boys were waiting for her to start the ball rolling on that conversation, but she was not going to go there. At least not until she absolutely had to.

Eventually the boys were fed and off to the library to do some research for their latest quest. Thea was left alone with the dirty dishes and her thoughts. With a glance around the kitchen to see if she was missing anything before she fed the dishwasher, suddenly it hit her. All the mess from last night was gone. She wondered if Cas had done it, but realized that it had been there in the brief second after Cas had left.

Thea's neck tingled. Straightening slowly, she turned to find Crowley leaning against the island watching her with a deliberately blank expression on his face. Activating the dishwasher, she made to walk past him but he caught her before she could. As they touched, a different kind of feeling passed through her. It seemed to radiate out from the mark on her wrist. She could feel the heat from his skin. Not wanting to look into his eyes and have him read how exposed she was still feeling, she instead focused on the way his suit jacket was perfectly tailored to his contours.

Crowley was not amused at seeing Cas so close to Thea, if the angel dug even a little too soon, then...he wasn't going to go there. It took no effort at all to remove the mess that Thea had been trying to clean up, but the Winchesters arrived before he had the chance to let her know he was back. Deciding to just observe, he remained invisible. However, once the kitchen was empty again, he made himself known and just watched Thea's response.

Smiling to himself, he carefully kept his face controlled. Once Thea was within striking distance, though, he didn't let her pass. The moment they touched, he felt the brand on his wrist tingle as a wave of magic passed through him. Keeping still, he wondered if Thea felt it too. She was avoiding his eyes though so if he had to guess, she did.