I went pretty gung-ho on this one! Anyway I'm pretty excited about this chapter, things get tricky here. Make sure to pay attention because there are a few things that will pop up later. Also because of the lack of Sam in this chapter aka episode, I've taken some liberties on how this plays out. Let me know what you think!

Dean couldn't have timed it any better himself. Really, with research in the literal palm of his hand, Cas just happened to call him up about a possible case, saving him from volume one of Zimmerman's Encyclopedia of Extinct Languages. Just thinking of the title brought a headache. He couldn't really help it. Dean wasn't the research type of person. Sure he could do it on a job easily enough but it was more a necessary evil to him. He was a man of action, getting his hands dirty with sweat, mud, slime, or bodily fluids. Hell, all four a few times. So getting a call from Cas about a possible case was too good to pass up. That was one reason at least.

Some of it came from the fact that Castiel himself called. If it were another hunter, he might take the job but there was a greater chance that he'd give an excuse of already being on a case, which was technically true, or seeing if he could pawn it off to a different hunter that was closer. However, considering their last encounter Dean was pretty determined to help Cas out with whatever he needed or asked for. He was even a bit proud that Cas remembered enough Hunter training to pick up on the clues that pointed toward a supernatural case. Well a Hunter-in-training, but a Hunter nonetheless. A buzz from his pocket made him pause in his refueling of the Impala.

We need to talk.

Well that wasn't ominous. Considering the text came from an unfamiliar number had Dean on alert. Hooking the fuel hose back in place, he gave a cursory glance around the gas station he had stopped at, just an hour out of Rexford. The only other car was a small Honda Civic parked at another hose across from him, the owner inside paying. He was about to disregard the text when he paused, seeing a familiar face that hovered toward the back of the establishment who then turned and disappeared around the corner. Watching around him, Dean causally made his way in the same direction, ducking out of sight when reaching the back wall.

"Ezal, what are you doing here?"

The oriental angel stood a few feet away, his eyes looking over Dean's shoulder, almost expecting Sammy to be just seconds behind him. Which made sense, they were more of a combo pack.

"Sam and Kevin are doing research at the Bat Cave. I'm solo right now."

Ezal nodded at Dean. "Did Castiel call you?"

Dean narrowed his eyes at Ezal, "You texted me, didn't you?"

Ezal gave a sharp nod. "My garrison-mates that are watching over Castiel told Ruth about a telephone call he made. The only people he would contact is you or your brother. Normally it would not be an issue but it also happens to coincide with some…unusual incidences."

Dean crossed his arms, studying the celestial being. "There's a case in Rexford, isn't there?"

Ezal seemed hesitant to answer. "Yes but a case that is being handled by me. You don't need to get involved."

"Okay, listen, Cas called me to see if I could take a look. If I call him back and say I changed my mind, it'd be suspicious. The fact that something is killing people, means I'm going to get involved. And no offense, Ezal, but as Hunter, I know more about what could be killing people than you do."

"I know what's killing people. I will deal with this."

Dean uncrossed his arms, eyes narrowed on the angel as he stepped forward. "What the hell's going on Ezal? You trying to hide something?"

Ezal's eyes narrowed in the slightest and Dean wished to grab the angel blade stashed in his jacket. He'd never really liked the angels since they first popped into his life all those years ago, with the exception of Cas, and before this point hadn't felt anything bad toward Ruth and her group but the way Ezal was acting, looking like he was covering up these deaths, it made him suspicious.

"Ezal. Dean."

The rebuke was sharp, the tone of voice reminding him of a very stern Ellen, causing his spine to straighten slightly. As for Ezal, the reaction was similar but more extreme, his face showing a touch of fear. Hell, Dean would be scared too if his boss was looming over his shoulder.

Ruth stepped forward, pausing next to Ezal, giving him an icy golden glare. "Ezal, you are to assist Dean in this case, provide information, and if need be, intervene. Is that clear?"

"Yes Ma'am," was his immediate response but Ezal managed to throw a glare at Dean.

"Hey don't be a dick about it."

The tone of voice immediately caught Dean's attention. "Abby?"

The difference in body posture and the smirk pulling at her lips let him know who was in charge. She threw Dean a wink before turning her attention back to Ezal. "Listen, Ezal, I know why you want the case, I get it. But really, can you do what may need to be done? Can you actually do it?"

Ezal's face softened a bit when looking at Abby, and Dean figured it was because this wasn't his boss anymore. He still remembered Jesse's words of seeing Abby as a sister. That could also be another reason for Ezal's soften exterior.

"Abigail…"

"I know Z, I know. Just keep it in mind. Dean can help, so please try to get along. For me?"

Dean had never really seen Abby's softer side so he was surprised by how gentle she sounded. Almost motherly.

Ezal sighed, his shoulders sagging a bit before nodding. Abby smiled at him, ruffling his hair. Ezal attempted a returning smile, squaring his shoulders and turning to Dean.

"I'll scope out the area for angels, make sure any other supernatural being is dealt with so we can focus on the problem at hand. If you need my assistance, calling or prayer will suffice." With that, the male angel fluttered away, leaving Dean alone with Abby.

"What's wrong with him? Is he gonna be a problem for me?"

Abby waved away his questions. "Relax, he knows what he's suppose to be doing. This case is just personal to him so his angelic and human emotions are clashing. He'll probably be temperamental but that's what you'd expect when it's so close to home."

"So it's an angel?"

Abby gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. "That's what it's looking like. Ruth wasn't around Ezal a lot back in the day, she's not sure what exactly his level of involvement is, but it would seem like Ezal knows who it is, he's just being very hush-hush about it. Granted, Ruth could always take a peek herself and find out, it'd be easier, but she respects Ezal enough to leave him be. For now at least."

Dean could find similarities between Ezal and himself. There were times that if a case turned personal, Dean was determined to deal with it himself. He couldn't really fault Ezal, especially if it was an angel he knew. That's what he suspected now.

"You on your way to see Cas or heading over to the latest crime scene?"

Dean pondered the question. He wanted to see Cas, but the slight fear and shame from their last meeting was still fresh in his memories. He took the easy way out. "The crime scene. Gotta see what I'm up against."

Abby nodded at him, her eyes narrowing slightly before they cleared. She wasn't stupid. Dean was thankful when she didn't call him out.

"Well, good luck with the case. I'm still in Witness Protection, so I don't know when I'll see you next." Abby's eyes were bright, smile on her face. It was good seeing her this way, in her natural human state.

"See ya later Abby." Turning away Dean was almost around the corner when a sharp whistle had him looking back at the last second.

Abby's wide grin was playful as she twitched her hand sharply to the left and right, a bright green tennis ball in her grasp. Dean knew immediately what she was doing.

"Shut up." Turning away to hide the red tinge that he knew was threatening to overcome his face, Dean made his way back to the Impala, a bit embarrassed that Abby knew about the spell that had linked him with Colonel the German Shepherd. Her laughter was cut off by the sound of fluttering wings.

~~~SPN~~~

Locking the motel door behind him Dean was already shedding his suit jacket and tossing it onto the nearby bed, his mind trying to match up these killings as something an angel could do. With his past experiences in dealing with the celestial beings he had never met one that could do something like this. Typical angel killing would be empty, burned out eye sockets but this was different. According to Sheriff Creadon, the pink coating that covered the inside of that cabin was the victim. All of the victim. Hair, teeth, bone, skin, clothes even, it was insane. If this was an angel kill, it was something he hadn't seen before.

"Dean."

Instinct took over and Dean had a gun out, aimed at Ezal who stood next to the window, pulling back the curtain to peek outside.

"Why can't you people call ahead?"

Ezal shrugged. "It is something that both Abigail and Ruth have mentioned to me before; Jesse has also been told this. It is unfamiliar as I have only been in this vessel for the last two years, Jesse for the last year, so we are getting use to the emotions that humans possess. What did you find at the crime scenes?"

Collapsing onto the bed, Dean ran a hand down his face. "Whoever killed this guy sprayed him everywhere. I mean that literally. There was this pink coating all over the joint. Sheriff says it's every bit the victim. Hair, blood, nails, you name it. It's nothing I've seen before."

Looking over at Ezal, he found the angel to be silent, his gaze distant. This was probably as good a time as any.

"Ezal, what's really going on? What aren't you saying to the others?"

The winged male broke out of his trance, glancing over at Dean. He hesitated, and Dean was immediately suspicious.

"Ezal."

His firm voice had slanted eyes shifting back to him. "I'm not completely sure. Nothing concrete, I need more proof before I make my accusations."

Sitting up, Dean dug under the bed for his duffel bag, pulling out his jean-and-shirt combo of the day. "Listen Ezal, I'm tired. People are dying. So it'd be nice to get a straight answer out of you. Now, is this an angel kill or not?"

Ezal paused, staring at Dean for a few seconds before letting out a sigh. "Yes. The way the victims are killed is very…distinctive. There are only one class of angels capable of this, I just don't know who exactly."

"Alright, now we're getting somewhere. So how are they doing this to people? Why are they doing this?"

Ezal seemed uncomfortable, looking everywhere but Dean. "These angels had a specific job in Heaven. After the falling, this angel must feel compelled to continue their work on Ear-"

Dean watched as Ezal's head looked sharply up, his expression turning worried. What was playing on Angel FM that had him so worried? He knew the answer immediately.

"Ezal, is the angel making a move?"

The dark-haired man snapped his head to Dean before looking back up, his face now determine. "I have to go Dean. Now."

"Wait, Ez-!"

Too late, only the lone human remained.

"Damn it." Well, until Ezal popped back or he got a call from the Sheriff about a vaporized body Dean was stuck waiting to see what the hell just happened. He sighed because there was one other thing he could do. It wasn't gonna be pleasant but it was time to check on his friend Clarence.

~~~SPN~~~

It was during his talk with Cas, or Steve as was his new alias, about his date with Nora, that he got the call. Except it wasn't what he thought it'd be.

"This is Agent Lee Ermey."

"Agent, this is Sheriff Creadon. We got ourselves another killing but also what looks like an attempted attack down at the local high school. You should come down and see for yourself."

"I'll be right there."

Another kill but also an attempted attack? What the hell? Thinking of Ezal leaving abruptly just over an hour ago was a bit concerning. He could have sensed the angel and left to stop him. He was worried about who had been killed and who had been attacked.

Glancing at Cas, Dean gave him one of his most charming, and convincing, smiles. "Hey Steve, what time you get off?"

After knowing him for so long Dean wasn't surprised when Cas didn't understand a pick up line when he heard it. Still Dean had found it funny and was happy that Cas was here at the school with him. Of course they hadn't been able to leave the gas station until Cas had cleaned up the restroom.

Pulling up, Dean took in the yellow tape that stretched around the yellow bus parked at the curb across from the school, most of the cops looking at something on the other side of the large vehicle.

Getting his badge out, Dean flashed the officer that had walked up to meet him and waved Cas along next to him. Hopping the curb Dean immediately noticed the pink material clinging to the side of the bus, just like at the cabin. Several feet away was the Sheriff talking to a clearly upset teenage girl. Leaving Cas where he was Dean walked over to the pair, walking into the girl's recollection of what happened.

"…She suddenly stopped talking and then there was a guy's voice. He said something about helping her and she screamed. Right after that there was another voice that said stay away from her or get away from her, one of those. Then the phone hung up. A few seconds later Nat came running into the lunch room screaming and crying."

Creadon leaned slightly closer to Dean. "The girl, Natalie Erickson, was taken to the hospital a few minutes ago. She was hysterical. They're gonna get her settled and under observation. I can call you when she'll be ready to talk."

Dean nodded at him, turning back to teenage girl in front of him. "Listen, uh…"

"Jace."

"Okay, Jace. Was the second voice a man or woman?"

"Man."

Dean was a bit suspicious that it was Ezal. He had left in a hurry not that long ago.

"Do you know if there was somebody out here at all in the time before or after Natalie came outside?"

The girl started shaking her head but stopped, her face lighting up in discovery. "The bus driver. It was during our talk that I noticed him go outside…" Jace trailed off, her eyes widening and straying to the bus.

"Jace, don't look over there, okay? Look at me. Now was Natalie depressed?"

Jace's eyes snapped away from the bus. "Depressed?"

"Thoughts of suicide at all?"

She looked shocked. "What? No. I mean, she was kinda bummed that jerk Travis broke up with her in front of everybody."

Dean made a face at her description. "'Kinda bummed?'"

Considering the circumstances, Jace managed to rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you know. More bummed than when she got a D on her math quiz but not as bummed as when her parents got divorced. Just…kinda bummed."

Dean's eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion before looking at the Sheriff, whose lips just barely curled in amusement. Tossing a look over his shoulder, Dean was slightly alarmed that Cas wasn't in sight.

"Excuse me."

He didn't wait for a response and instead scanned the area, catching his dark-haired friend leaning against the hood of the Impala. In a brief moment of panic, Dean hurried over. Now that he was closer, he could see the horror on Cas' face.

"Hey, you okay Cas? What's wrong?"

"This is bad Dean. I've seen this before."

Of course, Cas would recognize if an angel was doing this. Dean just wasn't sure his friend would know who. Best to play slightly dumb. "What? Where, Cas?"

"In Heaven."

~~~SPN~~~

"Agent Lee Ermey."

"Agent Ermey, Sheriff Creadon, just thought I'd let you know that Natalie Erickson is available for questioning. She's at Harrison Memorial on Forty-second Street and Elmer Avenue. Fourth floor, room D-175."

"On my way."

Shoving the cell phone into his jean pocket, Dean pulled out the map of Rexford he'd picked up from the same gas station he'd met up with Ezal, memorizing the streets that led to the hospital.

He had been on his way back to the motel to rest after dropping off Cas on Nora's doorstep for their date. A smile twitched his lips when remembering how Cas had waved him off when standing on the porch. Like a nervous pre-teen on his first date. Which, kinda was true.

A car horn blared in the distance and Dean was brought back to the present, where he was on his way to talk to a teenage girl that escaped from a killer angel. His discussion with Cas at the school was fresh in his head.

"On the battlefields of Heaven, there is specific class of angel called the Rit Zien, Enochian for 'Hands of Mercy.' They functioned as field medics, healing and tending the wounded. However, when confronting those who were mortally wounded, the ones that could not be saved, it was a Rit Zien's duty to put them down."

"So those vaporized bodies are a Rit Zien's signature move?"

"Yes, it's their special ability. No other type of angel beside the Rit Zien is capable of doing this. Their way of smiting is so immediate and absolute that death by a Rit Zien's hand is virtual painless."

"But these aren't wounded angels, they're just people."

"Rit Zien can hone in on pain, very much like a beacon. Having fallen to Earth, this angel seems to be continuing his heavenly duty, hearing the cries and sorrow of the humans as he would an angel in Heaven. He is compelled to give mercy to those that suffer, one human at a time."

"That's my point, Natalie wasn't suffering. She was just a normal, moody teenager that got dumped by a jerk off of a boyfriend."

"Yes, but Dean…I've been on Earth for several years and yet I am just beginning to grasp the complexity of human emotion, the ebb and flow. This angel just got here, to him pain is pain."

So now Dean had an angel on the loose who was targeting near everybody that was experiencing just a bit of pain. Hell, he was surprised the rogue healer hadn't targeted the hospitals yet. He was bringing his angel blade just in case.

That was another thing. Ruth had called Ezal her team's medic. So it was a near guarantee that Ezal himself was also a Rit Zien. Wait…it was a guarantee as Jesse had specifically called Ezal one, going so far as to say that Ezal had followed an angel death when they were looking for Cas. That was probably why the Heavenly medic was so invested in this case. He must have recognized the killings for what they were. It was also possible that he knew exactly who was behind these deaths.

Parking the Impala, Dean walked into the hospital lobby, only to be flagged by a uniformed officer who escorted him all the way to Natalie's room. Sheriff Creadon was standing in the hallway, stepping forward when Dean reached the same corridor.

"Her mother is inside with her, the father is flying in as we speak, he should arrive in a few hours."

Dean nodded before waltzing up to the door, knocking to signal his entrance. Peeking his head in, the mother, a Rebecca Erickson, stood up from where she had been settled next to her daughter's bed, abandoned chair being pushed back. Said daughter looked over at the newcomers with a tired glance. Walking in the room, Creadon right behind him, Dean held his hand out to the rattled mother, who reached back.

"Ms. Erickson, Natalie, my name is Lee Ermey with the FBI. I was hoping to have a few minutes to talk with Natalie, if that's alright?"

He directed both questions to the mother-daughter combo, but he fixed his stare with the teenager lying in the hospital bed. Rebecca looked worried and Dean could tell she was about to protest when Natalie sat up, her head nodding.

"Okay."

"Natalie.."

"It's fine Mom. I'm okay."

Dean watched back and forth as Rebecca tried to reason with her young daughter but alas teenage stubbornness won. So now Dean was perched in the plastic chair while Natalie's mother stood behind him along with the silent Creadon.

"So Natalie, can you tell me what happened?"

She opened her mouth but immediately closed it, glancing at her mother and the Sheriff. He knew what was holding her back; the same thing that held a lot of witnesses back.

"Natalie, don't worry about them, it's just me and you, okay? You just tell me what happened. What you saw."

Their eyes connected and Dean tried to convey that he would listen to whatever came out of her mouth, no matter how strange or impossible it was to her.

"I was on the phone with Jace, it was right after Travis had broke up with me in front of the entire school, and I was upset so I called her, going outside to talk. I hide behind the bus and after a few seconds this…guy just showed up saying he could help me. He lifted his hand and it started to glow this really bright pink. I could hear a really loud buzzing, like bees, and I freaked out. Then this other guy just…" Natalie trailed off, looking down at her hands.

She was getting to the parts of the story that were just too impossible to be possible. A glowing pink hand? If he was anyone else that would sound crazy. But he was Dean Winchester. Crazy was his life. "Go ahead Natalie, it's okay. He just what?"

"He poofed."

"Poofed?" Sheriff Creadon's tone of disbelief had Natalie clamming up, looking back down at her hands that were wringing themselves.

"Sheriff." Dean's quiet reprimand had little effect as the older man was sending Dean looks that said Are you seriously buying this? He ignored the man, turning back to Natalie who refused to look up.

"Natalie, it's okay, you can continue."

However she didn't look up, but Dean could see how her head would lift barely so she should see her mother and Creadon. He ducked down a bit so he could look at the teenager better. "Would you be able to talk if I asked them to leave?"

"Wait a second-" Rebecca was getting herself ready for an argument but Natalie's nodding stopped her.

"Yeah."

Standing up Dean turned to the other adults in the room with him. "Just a couple of minutes."

Creadon stared at him for a few seconds before gently grabbing the older Erickson by the elbow, leading her out the door. The door shutting behind them, Dean sat back down, turning to Natalie again.

"Just me and you, Natalie. You don't have to worry, I'll listen." Hell, maybe Sammy was rubbing off on him.

She was quiet before looking up at Dean. "He poofed into thin air. It was just me and that weirdo guy and then some other guy poofed right behind him and threw him away from me. Like literally threw him."

Dean sat up a little straighter. "Can you tell me what these two looked like?"

"Well, they were both older than me, maybe in their twenties or thirties. One was white with maybe like dirty blonde hair. The other was an Asian guy but both were taller than me."

So it was Ezal. He must have sensed the other angel and went to confront him. Dean just wasn't sure if he knew that the other angel had been about to kill Natalie.

"What happened after that?"

"Well, the second one, he told him to stay away from me, and he had this like really long dagger thingy. Except it wasn't a knife but it was all silver. He made sure that I stayed behind him. And then they started arguing. Apparently the Asian one, who I think was called Ezal or something like that, he did something he wasn't suppose to and got kicked out of their group, something like that. And then the bus driver, I can't remember his name, he showed up and the blonde guy put his hand on his forehead and I could see it glowing that weird pink and the driver screamed. When that happened Ezal turned around and like hugged me, I guess. Then there was a weird splattering sound. But I think Ezal shielded me or something because afterward, when he let go, I could see all this pink foam stuff and it was all over the bus and all over Ezal's back and hair. The blonde guy was still there but the driver was gone. Ezal told me to run inside so I did. And that's pretty much all I saw."

Natalie's expression was one of waiting to be scolded, thinking she was gonna get in trouble. The girl managed to survive an angel attack, she deserved a metal.

"Listen Natalie, you're not in trouble okay. With Ezal telling you to run, that was smart. I'll admit that you going outside wasn't the best idea, because no one could see if you were okay. You were by yourself and that's very dangerous. Now I'm gonna let your mom back in but I want you to promise me that you won't go off by yourself again, can you do that?"

The small brunette nodded at his request and Dean patted her on the shoulder. Getting up he was on his way to the door when he was stopped.

"Wait Agent Lee."

Turning back Natalie was looking down at her hands, a bit uncertain before looking up. "If you find these guys…find Ezal, can you tell him thank you for me?"

Dean was surprised but smiled at her, thinking of Ezal's expression when he would pass on the thanks. He nodded, "Of course."

Letting Rebecca back in, he raised his eyebrows at Creadon who had stepped forward to meet him.

"You believe all that nonsense she was talkin'?"

One of the reasons that Dean didn't like the local fuzz in on his interviews was that they had a tendency to make it difficult. "Sometimes believing isn't the point, just having someone to talk to and not be judged is what's needed."

He honestly hadn't intended to scold but he couldn't help the stony look he gave the older man. At least Creadon had the decency to look a bit ashamed. It was his town and his people to protect.

Time to change the subject. "Anything new happen since the high school?"

Creadon held up a folder. "A full analysis came back on our first victims." He handed it over, letting Dean take a look. The veteran hunter had been doing this so long he knew how to read one of these in his sleep.

"If it's all the wife, then where's the husband?"

"Got me. He was a bit strange but then he found religion, becoming obsessed with that Buddy Boyle quack. She was a hard-core atheist and their sham of a marriage got worse, telling her to 'Let the angels in.'"

"Buddy freaking Boyle. Should have known."

"What?"

Dean glanced over at Creadon, the man looking at him with confusion, "Nothing, never mind."

"Sherriff." Another uniformed officer jogged over to them, handing the older man another folder. Creadon opened it, glancing at a few papers before handing one of them to Dean.

"That's our first vics, the Davidsons."

The large photo showed a couple, the husband taller than his wife, one of his arms wrapped around her shoulder as they posed. Dean noticed the dark blonde hair and slight scruff, but what really caught his attention was the brown truck, the very familiar truck they were standing in front of.

"Is that his truck?" Dean's blood was starting to race, his body reacting to this possible threat.

"Yeah."

Son of a bitch.

~~~SPN~~~

"Look at yourself Castiel. Right when we need you the most, here you are, burying your head in the sand."

Castiel gasped in pain, his wrist bending back further. The Rit Zien that Dean was tracking, Ephraim, was looming over him in the middle of Nora's living room, squeezing his wrist painfully. Glancing over at Tanya, the baby had tears in her eyes and Castiel knew he would die trying to protect this child, even if Ephraim was here for him. He didn't matter, what was important was protecting Nora's child.

Abruptly Ephraim's rough grip was gone and Castiel felt two fingers touch his forehead, his pain disappearing. That meant one thing. Scooting back so Tanya was directly behind him, the former angel studied the oriental man standing in front of him. That's when he remembered.

"You're the angel from under the highway?"

Castiel recognized this man as the same one he had banished during his escape from the homeless encampment when he was in Indiana. He was surprised to see him here.

A nod was his answer as the new arrival turned around to face off with Ephraim who was pulling himself up from his spot on the floor where he has been tossed, just a few feet away from the front door.

"What are you thinking Ephraim? This is not what Father created us for. We don't kill humans in such a manner."

The blonde male tilted his head, looking closely at his opponent. "Ezal. What are you doing here?"

Castiel perked up at the name. Ezal. He had heard this name tossed around between garrisons before.

"Ephraim, please listen. I realize this is your first time on Earth and the emotions of the humans can be quite overwhelming, but please listen to me when I say that what you have been doing is not what Father asked of us. He would not want his creations to be killed this way."

"No, Ezal," Ephraim took a step forward but Ezal stood his ground, moving to block Castiel and Tanya. "I am doing the task our Father assigned me, unlike you who betrayed me, your brother, and the gift Father bestowed upon you by healing a demon."

Castiel's wide eyes cut to his bodyguard, wondering what his reaction would be. He had heard of the exiled Rit Zien who had healed a powerful demon during one of the early wars but he had never met him.

Ezal took a deep breath, seeming to ignore the jab and continued. "That is neither here nor there Ephraim. I still see you as the dear brother who went into battle with me. The point is you have been dispatching humans that were not suffering. You, yourself, have betrayed who you are."

Ephraim's lips curled up in a snarl as he stepped forward, his intent to attack clear. The crashing of the front door surprised Castiel as Dean stepped into the house, angel blade at the ready. The brief lull was all Ephraim needed as he raised a glowing hand, inches from Dean's forehead.

"No!" Castiel's fearful plea rang out but he swallowed the rest of it as Ephraim choked and gasped, slowly looking down to see the tip of an angel blade that had pierced out of his chest. Dean and Castiel, both surprised, watched as Ephraim slowly turned to see Ezal behind him, who let go of the handle and stepped back.

"I'm sorry brother." The grief on Ezal's face caused regret in Dean. Ezal had to kill his brother by his own hand, something Dean would never be able to phantom. Ephraim began to fall and Ezal caught him, holding him to his chest as a brilliant light erupted from the fallen angel's body.

Tucking Tanya into his chest for protection, Castiel turned away, as did Dean, from the dying grace of a celestial being. Once it was safe, they both turned to see the limp empty vessel in Ezal's arms, scorched wings on Nora's floor.

~~~SPN~~~

Dean waited outside, ending his phone call with Sam as Ezal approached from the shadows, no doubt using the darkness to teleport. He had taken Ephraim's body away to be given a hunter's funeral as per Dean's instructions and in his absence, Ezal sent Jesse to the house to help clean up. It had taken awhile but the floor of Nora's home was now clear of any markings, and Jesse had also taken away Tanya's fever so she wouldn't have to suffer. Dean managed to see a particular look cross over Cas' face and Dean was sure that he was missing his angelic abilities. At least the healing.

"How'd it go?"

Ezal looked over at the house, where Nora had just returned. "It went fine. Did Jesse manage to get Nora's home cleared?"

"Yeah, the marks are gone, everything was cleaned up and he even healed Tanya's fever."

Ezal was nodding, still refusing to look at Dean. "Good. That is good. I am happy that Castiel, the child, and yourself are okay."

Dean started nibbling on his lip. He had heard some of their argument and he was curious. But considering that Ezal had had to kill his brother just within the hour he wasn't sure it would be appropriate.

"There was a battle between the demons and angels several millennia ago. I was deployed with the rest of the Rit Zien to aid our injured brethren."

"Ezal, you don't have to say anything."

The slant-eyed medic looked over at Dean. "I know you heard what Ephraim said, as did Castiel. He knows what happened and so should you. It has something to do with trust as Abigail told me. Also I know you are incredibly curious."

Dean managed to give a guilty look to Ezal. It was true. Dean had crept up to the house, peeking in the front windows to see Cas backed up against a crib with a small baby gripping the back of his shirt. Ezal was standing in front of them, acting as a shield, his hands held up to show that he was unarmed, but Dean was fairly sure that there was an angel blade on him somewhere.

Ephraim, as he heard Ezal call him, had his back to Dean, standing close to the front door. That was Dean's point of attack. But apparently that didn't work out too well and he was almost turned into misty pink stuff when Ezal stepped in. But yes, he had heard Ephraim talk about the demon Ezal healed. That would definitely be something to get kicked out of the club for.

"All the classes of angels were involved, from the Seraphim to even a few factions of cherubs. The worse injuries came from the fighting between Seraphim and a few Knights of Hell."

Ezal had Dean's attention now.

"I remember turning around and there he was, hiding in a corner, frozen as we looked at each other for the longest time. I could sense how badly injured he was and I couldn't help myself. At that moment it didn't matter that he was a demon or I was an angel. There was someone in front of me hurting and I could do something about it. So I healed him. I think he was more shocked than me. Afterward we stared at each other for a few seconds and I just walked away. I was so blind in my need to help, that I didn't know who exactly I had healed until I was brought before Naomi. I didn't know I had healed a Knight of Hell."

Dean nearly choked on his own tongue. Ezal healed a Knight of Hell?

"After that, I was forced out of my garrison. Sent to Earth as a wavelength of celestial energy, to be a medic for those angels that were fighting the demons that didn't have vessels or those that couldn't be seen on the physical plane. But what I had done was spread to all the factions and garrisons, so I was shunned from my brethren. It wasn't until Ruth found me that I gained a purpose back."

Whatever Dean was about to say was cut off as Cas came out of the house, speaking with Nora before he headed in their direction.

Ezal nodded at the blue-eyed man. "Hello Castiel. It's nice to meet you properly."

Dean snapped his fingers at him. "Yeah Jesse was saying how you guys met."

Cas looked over at Ezal, his expression a bit uneasy. Either from knowing this was the infamous demon-healing angel or that he had used a banishing sigil on the healer. "I apologize for the misunderstanding from before."

Ezal's smile was small but genuine. "No need. It was my mistake for confronting you so soon after your attack. I did not take the necessary precautions."

"So Cas, this is Ezal. The group of angels he's a part of have been helping us."

Ezal nodded. "My leader means no insult but we have been watching over you since your departure from Lebanon. We are close enough to keep an eye on you but not enough to encroach on your daily life."

"Yeah, Ruth's got a bunch of her angels around Rexford so if an homicidal angel shows up, they'll be able to keep you safe."

A throat clearing distracted Dean from anything else he was about to say.

"Well, I will be leaving now. My boss will want to know how this all turned out." Ezal's voice was polite but a subtle glare at Dean was completely opposite. Oh, crap. Dean wanted to kick himself. He had mentioned Ruth by name.

Ezal began turning to leave but Dean stopped him. "Hey, Natalie says thank you."

With a smile and nod, Ezal continued to the shadows and vanished, leaving the two friends behind. Dean looked over at Cas, smile on his face as he prepared to distract with wit but the look on the other man's face cut off any hope.

"Ready to go Cas?" Please don't say anything, please don't say anything.

"Dean we need to talk."

Crap. After about fifteen minutes Dean pulled up to the motel he had chosen for his stint here, Cas following as he made his way to his designated room. The car ride had been awkwardly quiet and now Dean was just cringing the conversation to come.

"Well, Cas?" Dean said once the door was closed behind them. But the ex-angel ignored him as he looked around the room.

"Is this room warded against angels?"

"Well now it is, earlier Ezal popped in on me."

Cas nodded his approval before locking eyes with the hunter. "Dean, who is Ruth?"

Dean leaned back, his eyebrows furrowing at Cas' tone of voice. He was stern, just like he had been a few years ago. "What's going on Cas?"

"Dean, just answer the question. Who is Ruth?"

His hackles started to rise but he beat the defensive feeling back. This was Cas, his friend, there was no need for that kind of reaction. "She's an angel that got me out of a bad situation. She offered to help me out with whatever I needed and finding you was priority for me."

"This Ruth has a vessel?"

Don't say a thing about Abby. Don't say anything. Be vague. "Yeah. Why? You know who she is?"

Cas began pacing back and forth. "You don't understand. There was only one Ruth I knew of, and Dean, she was a very powerful angel. She belonged to an exclusive class of angel, there were only ten in all existence, all of them directly under Michael's command. Ruth was at the top of this group, second only to the Archangels. Even Naomi was below her."

What? Why didn't she say anything before? Hell, she could probably help them take down Abaddon. But then again considering who her vessel was, it would be difficult and a risk she wouldn't be willing to take.

"She's been pretty helpful so far. I think she might be on the level."

Cas turned on him then, "No Dean, it's not possible. Right around the time after Lucifer's falling, there was a fight between Michael and Ruth, a power struggle. I wasn't there but it was mass chaos within the Seraphim. Michael won the fight in the end but because she was such a skilled soldier he didn't want to risk killing her. So he drove her out of Heaven, to be exiled on Earth in her natural form. There she could only fight against vessel-less demons and various Daevas. Not only did Michael keep her from re-entering Heaven but he also made it so she would never be able to take a vessel by killing off everyone from all possible bloodlines she could have used. She has not been seen or heard of since."

Dean walked away from Cas, his hands coming up to rub his face tiredly. What the hell just happened? So he was lied to? He turned back to look at his friend. "So who the hell have I been talking to? Who's been 'helping' us?"

Cas gave a slow shake of his head, face grim. "I don't know Dean but whoever it is, it's not Ruth."

There's your curveball. So if anyone has noticed, I'm more or less redoing or tweaking episodes that have to do with Angels. Now for those keeping track at home, the next one would be Holy Terror, which will be interesting but might also take a while for me to type out. Get ready for a few surprises. Also the last chance at guessing what Abby is, so please take a guess. Thanks for reading! -Mez