A/N – Sorry about the bit of hiatus. I've been on the fence about the direction the story is taking, I had to figure out if I needed to do a bit of rewriting... Fortunately, I was hit with inspiration, so here you go...

Please keep reviewing if you like it, they help me motivate to keep pushing myself to write.

Creeping slowly, as to not alert the keen senses of both the demon and the angel, Thea moved closer so she could just barely hear snippets of the argument.

"...you don't have any idea of what you are talking about..." Crowley hissed at Cass.

"And you don't know how much pain she is in." Cass retorted, standing his ground and glaring down at Crowley.

"Humanity is pain, though I doubt you would know the difference." Crowley growled, but Thea saw the quickest flicker of doubt in his eyes as he said it. Cass missed it though, Thea realized with a start, he was looking directly at her. She couldn't help but feel a warmth wash over her at that.

"You shouldn't be up," Cass said gently, instantly at her side. Thea took the arm that he offered, noticing Crowley narrowing his eyes. She would likely be paying for that later.

"I'm fine. Thank you for being such a gentleman." Crowley growled something under his breath. "If you both don't mind terribly I would like to freshen up."

"Are you sure you are well enough for that?" Gazing down at her with concern, Cass studied her carefully.

"What angel, are you offering to wash her back for her?" Crowley snarled.

"I am fine, thank you for your concern." Thea shot him a dirty look, Crowley looked back at her and winked, smirking.

"As you wish," Cass said softly, leaving with a flutter that was his trademark.

Alone with Crowley, in her bedroom, Thea found herself suddenly warm. Deciding to ignore him, she turned away and walked to her bathroom. Shutting the door she rested against it a moment. She was decidedly not fine, but she was damned sure she was not going to let Crowley know that. Knowing that the door would offer no resistance to Crowley if he really wanted in, she turned the shower on hot, stripped down and stepped in.

The water felt wonderful against her tense and sore muscles. Just how long had she been out anyway? She adjusted the jet to a different setting and let out a low moan as it hit a knot in her back just right. Turning again, she faced the shower controls and lowered her head, letting the water wash over her and steam billow over the top and fill the room.

After a long time, Thea felt the water begin to cool and reluctantly turned it off. Stepping out of the shower, she noticed a piece of paper on the counter. Drying off quickly and dressing in some comfortable clothes and picked op the note and read it.

"Thea,

Please don't think your little tumble will earn you any leeway in getting me the information that I require. I expect a report this evening on the progress you have made.

Crowley

P.S. And don't think I won't know if you are slacking..."

"Drama queen." Thea muttered as the note burst into flames as Thea set it back down.

Grabbing a quick bite in the kitchen, Thea decided not to go back to the library right away. There was something just on the edge of her memory and it was driving her nuts, so she decided to go for a ride. She hadn't been near the horses since before her mother passed and she was overdue.

Slowing her white horse Magdalene into a walk, Thea neared a clearing in the forest that surrounded her home. She had been riding for a while now and both she and the horse needed to cool off. Sliding off the saddle and securing his reins to a low-hanging branch so she could drink from the small stream, she leaned with her back against a tree. She had forgotten about this little hidden glade.

Unfortunately, as refreshing as the ride had been, she was no closer to the item that was in the back of her mind, taunting her.

Taking a deep breath, she makes a decision, Crowley was going to be pissed, but that was pretty par for the course with them. He was either angry with her or trying to seduce her. There didn't seem to be any middle ground.

"Castiel, if you can hear me. Please come." Thea held her breath, half hoping it wouldn't work.

A few seconds went by and then there was the fluttering of wings. Magdalene snorted at the angel then went back to drinking from the stream.

"Is everything alright?" Cass stood in front of her, his deep blue eyes full of concern. "Are you hurt?"

"No, nothing like that." Thea said. "I just wanted to talk. I hope it wasn't an inconvenience."

"No...nothing important." His eyes flickered away from her for a moment. He wandered over to Magdalene and began stroking her neck . "Such a magnificent beast." The horse stopped drinking for a moment and nuzzled Cass's hand affectionately. "She says you have not been to see her lately, did she do something wrong?"

"You can talk to my horse?" Thea moved a few paces away from the tree she had been leaning against.

"I can commune with all God's creatures." He said nonchalantly.

"Oh," Thea was not sure what to say. "Ummm, well, tell her that it was my fault and I will try to see her more often."

Cass stared a moment into the horse's eyes. Then he turned fully to face Thea.

"Cass, can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"I know that you know something about this," Thea held out her wrists so he could see the dual markings on her wrists. They had continued to grow and were a solid two inches up her arms. Delicate black lines wove in an enchanting and intriguing pattern that seemed to shift the longer you looked at it. "please, can you tell me what they are?"

Thea watched Cass carefully, she could see him gathering his thoughts. He closed the distance between them, reached out and held her wrists in his hands. Thea again felt a slight shock at his touch. Stepping closer, he turned them over, studying them. She noticed how small her wrists looked in his hands. The longer he held them, the more she became aware of the tree at her back and the closeness of the angel.

She shivered and he looked up at her. His face just inches from hers.

"Are you cold?" He asked.

"No," Thea breathed. Then she noticed his sleeve had ridden up on his arm. On his right wrist, he bore the same mark. Swallowing her shock, she returned his intense gaze. "...the marks?"

"They are the marks of the binding that you and Crowley performed. They signify the strength of the binding."

Thea tilted her head to the side as she processed this information. "So the larger they are, the stronger the bond?"

"Essentially, yes."

Thea backed up a half step. "Cass?"

"Yes?" He closed the distance that she had put between them. She stepped back again.

"If the binding was between Crowley and I..." Thea trailed off, not sure how to even approach Cass's mark, obviously he didn't know she had seen it and she wasn't sure what his reaction would be.

Again, Cass stepped forward. Thea found herself back against the tree. Cass looked down at her, head tilted, so close she could smell his slightly sweet musky aroma.

"Thea?"

"You have the same mark."

"You saw..." Cass said in a low voice. He hung his head.

"I did. Castiel, please..." Thea reached out hesitantly and a hand on his face, the other on his shoulder. She felt him stiffen before relaxing into her touch. Moving his head up so she could see his eyes again, she waited.

They stayed like that for several long moments.

Thea wasn't sure who moved first, but suddenly she was held against the tree by his solid chest as his hands held her face in place. Lips millimeters apart, Thea parted her lips slightly in anticipation. Her hands moved to his shoulders as she used him for balance.

Then like a dam breaking, his full lips were on hers. Thea felt another shock and her left arm tingled, but she focused all her energy into the kiss. His fingers moved behind her head as they wove into her hair, tilting her head back, he deepened the kiss. Thea let out a low moan as his tongue moved between her lips and weaved a complex pattern against her own. She gripped his shoulders as if she were drowning. His arm moved around her shoulders, holding her to him and the other wove its way around her lower back. They were plastered together from hips to chest.

As suddenly as the kiss started it stopped. Cass leaned his forehead against hers. Both of them were breathing heavily and Thea could feel how much the kiss had affected the angel. Her legs felt rubbery and if her were to let do, she was sure to collapse into a heap.

Magdalena whinnied loudly and she felt Cass stiffen. Removing his arms slowly, he made sure Thea was standing on her own before turning around. He made sure to keep her behind him, but she saw what had startled her horse before he blocked her view again.

Thea felt like a big bucket of ice water had been dumped on her. Standing in the middle of the clearing was none other than Crowley.

"Well, here is a picture... you two kids didn't need to stop on my account." Crowley said, his tone even, but betraying a low growl.

"Crowley," Cass started.

"You know, I had been wondering where you had gone off too. We had been having such a stimulating conversation." Crowley growled. "And you Thea, I'm surprised to see you out here, rather than in the library."

Thea stepped around Cass. She was surprised to feel his hand on her shoulder. Crowley noticed and narrowed his eyes.

"If you must know, I needed some me time." Thea retorted. Why was Crowley here? Why did he says Cass was with him? Her head swam with questions, but she focused on the moment. Filing them away for later.

"Clearly." Crowley smirked at his own joke. Moving towards them, he reached for Thea.

Thea felt Cass stiffen as he got angry. She was also reminded of the dream...hallucination...memory, of her standing between these two, although this time the positions were reversed. Leaning back into Cass's chest, she watched Crowley lose his temper. He snarled as he flicked his wrist.

The next thing Thea knew she was flying through the air and landing across the clearing. She moved to shake herself off and found herself stuck to a tree unable to move.

"I'll deal with you later." Crowley growled.

"Leave her alone." Cass said in a low voice.

Crowley lungedsat Cass tackling him to the ground. Quickly, Cass flips him off and the pair stand up, circling, looking for an opening. All Thea could do is watch.

Cass finally gets an opening and Crowley flies across the clearing and bark splinters from the impact.

Moving over in front of Thea, she hears him whisper, "Close your eyes." Crowley moves back across the clearing and as he does, Cass begins to glow. Unable to take the Angelic light, Crowley is forced to leave the area and Thea collapses when her bonds are freed.

She feels Cass cradle her in his arms and then they are back at the house and in her bedroom.

"You know this is getting to be a habit." Thea smiles at Cass as he gently lays her down on the bed.

"It is a bit concerning, how often this is happening..." Cass softly says.

"Thank you."

"You are welcome."

"If it's not too much trouble..." Cass shushes her with a finger to her lips.

"I will explain when I can. I must get back to heaven now."

"I understand." And then he was gone.

Thea moved over to the fire and as she approached, it lit. Stiffening, she didn't turn around.

"Hello poppet, we need to talk." Crowley's voice was slightly slurred but no less menacing and as he grew closer to Thea's tense form, she could smell the whiskey on his breath. She couldn't help but jump when she felt his breath on her neck and his hand on her back.

"Have a seat, will you?"