I've been on a writing kick today, so I figured I'd post another chapter. Hope you all had a great thanksgiving/Black Friday. Enjoy!

Sam's POV

I'd expected the hardest part of our journey would be finding an angel to talk to in the first place. One who was alone and didn't seem to pose a threat. But it only took Cas and I a day and a half to find her, steadily perusing the aisles of a supermarket somewhere in eastern Kansas. Kevin had managed to keep us updated on the general whereabouts of the angels closest to us, but it was me who finally found her.

To a common observer, she would appear to be just another young girl, slowly scanning the aisles for skim milk and yogurt. But the moment I catch sight of her, I know exactly what she is. I can see it. This faint aura surrounding her, shrouding her in small flecks of gold that shimmer like stars as they pulse in the air around her.

"Cas," I whisper, grabbing his arm and pulling him around the corner and out of sight, "that's her."

Cas seems caught off guard by my rough hold on his sleeve, but he recovers quickly, taking a quick peek at the angel around the corner. "How can you tell?" he asks after a moment, the wrinkles on his forehead making an appearance as he squints at her selection of orange juice.

"You don't see that?" I ask, motioning to the pulsating ring of gold as it catches the fluorescent lighting, sending blinding reflections in my direction.

"See what Sam?" Cas asks, still squinting.

What the hell Cas? Right fucking there.

"Uh, the gold thing surrounding her like a freakin' beacon," I whisper. "Trust me Cas, that's an angel right there. You really can't see it?"

"No I..." Cas pauses, shaking his head. "And you shouldn't be able to see anything either Sam. Angels know how to hide their true visage. Even the outermost layers of their aura are shielded from all but their own kind. Since I am human now, I can no longer see her true form, and you shouldn't be able to either." Cas stares at me with a mixture of awe and confusion. It's as if he's trying to look right through me, to see directly into my soul.

"Well...how about we worry about that later, huh? Right now, we've got a job to do," I reply, not meeting Cas's eyes.

Dammit.

I've been trying so hard to just ignore what happened in that hotel room in Missouri, but it comes back to me now, full force. I know that seeing the angel's aura in front of us has something to do with the fact that I can now wipe out angels with my mind, and I'm finding it all to be just a little fucking terrifying. I sigh, knowing that the next step when we get back to the bunker is to tell Dean everything. That'll go over great, I'm sure. Can't wait.

I watch her curiously in the check-out line, noticing the way she fumbles with her purse before producing a crumbled wad of cash, practically shoving it at the clerk. She seems nervous, on edge as her eyes dart around the store, lingering on the liquor aisle that Cas and I are slightly huddled behind, trying to remain inconspicuous. Finally, with another nervous glance over her shoulder, she leaves.

Cas and I follow quickly behind, watching as she disappears around the next street corner. I nod to Cas, then take off in the opposite direction.

We corner her near the end of the next street, Cas coming up behind her while I cut her off from the front. She doesn't scream when I push her roughly up against the wall of the small alley, though her eyes are wide with fear as she stares up at me. Her groceries drop to the pavement, orange juice splattering my boots as the carton breaks.

"Do you know who I am?" I demand, ignoring the pulpy liquid dripping steadily onto the ground.

"Sam Winchester," she answers without hesitation, though her voice shakes. "And that is Castiel," she continues, nodding to the former angel who at the moment is pacing restlessly, casting glances over his shoulder at the pedestrians who pass by the alley.

"Please don't hurt me," the angel pleads, her eyes boring into mine. And suddenly I can see the wisdom of thousands of years echoing back at me, the flecks of gold in her otherwise brown irises seeming to seep into every corner of my mind, filling it with overwhelming light. I gasp aloud, squeezing my eyes shut against the onslaught, unconsciously tightening me grip on the collar of her jacket. She whimpers, but doesn't struggle.

"Sam? What's wrong?" Cas has stopped pacing long enough to place an awkward hand on my shoulder, his gaze full of concern as he glances back and forth between me and the girl I still hold against the wall of the alley, grocery bags pooled haphazardly at our feet.

"Nothing I...it's nothing." I shake my head to clear the remnants of whatever the hell just happened, finally returning my attention to the girl. She seems much calmer now, answering my next question before it passes my lips.

"My name is Adriella." The lilt of her words pulls me in, filled with the same knowledge emanating from her eyes, her very soul. It's a strange sensation, one I've never experienced before. "It is an honor to meet you Sam Winchester. I have heard much about you and your brother."

I nod, finally taking a step back, allowing Adriella to shove off from the wall as she gains her footing, brushing strands of copper brown hair out of her face. She looks up at me again, and I try not to stare back, not wanting to be once again overwhelmed by the endlessness behind her gaze.

"Adriella, we need your help," Cas interjects. I jerk slightly, having almost forgotten his presence. "Dean Winchester is hurt," he continues, "and we need you to heal him. You may then continue to carry on with your life on Earth."

"Castiel," she breathes, turning to face him. "Many had thought you dead. I am glad to know that is not the case. I was one of few who stood by your side not long ago, and I will help you now in any way that I can."

"Thank you," Cas nods gratefully, his eyes catching mine. "I believe it's best if we all return to Dean as soon as possible. We will travel by car because obviously, neither of us has the use of our wings," he says, unintentionally rolling his shoulders back as if ruffling his now nonexistent feathers.

I try to express my doubts about our newest "ally" silently, but Cas doesn't seem to be getting the message. He is already helping Adriella salvage the remainder of her groceries, placing them meticulously back in the plastic bags.

I roll my eyes in frustration, suddenly on edge at not having someone around who can read and react to my emotions before I even know I have them. Someone like Dean. No doubt, I'm ecstatic about finding a seemingly willing angel to help my brother, but I'm finding it hard to believe it was really that easy. I try desperately to blink back the flashes of Ruby that have forcibly wriggled their way into my mind, unable to quell the discomfort in my gut.

"Cas, can I talk to you alone for a second?" I finally inquire, eyebrows raised. He nods, handing Adriella her bags and coming to stand beside me.

"How do you know we can trust her, Cas?" I mutter, glancing nervously back at the slight form of the angel who is now studiously ignoring us, her attention seemingly focused on shuffling and reorganizing the items in her bags. I shift back to face Cas. "I mean how can we know she won't turn on us, tell the other angels where the bunker is? I don't like this Cas, I really don't like this."

"Sam, you've already come up with a plan for that scenario," Cas replies, the corner of his mouth twitching into a small, sad smile. "I believe your exact words were 'we gank them'. And that's exactly what we'll do."

Next is Dean's POV, but let me know in the comments how you'd feel about the possibility of something from Adriella's POV a little later on. I know she's a new/original character, but I think it might be cool to dive into her head for a bit and get a look at her true motives. As always, thanks so much for reading and reviewing!