A/N: Borrowed a little dialogue from the episode Taxi Driver here ^_^ Also quite a bit of canon divergence here.

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who's taken a moment to review! It brightens my day so much! :D And thanks to my readers and followers lurking in the shadows!

Meg peered cautiously around the rocky crag, flooded with loathing at the scenery and the familiar air of Hell. Not even demons liked it here. Well… some did. But they were the more psychotic breed. Meg was many things, evil and vicious, but she had never gone as far as psychotic. Maybe given more time on the rack as a human soul, she would have emerged as truly insane as some of the others, but Meg was a pragmatist; she'd taken up the knife to save herself early on, which meant she hadn't been tortured to the extent that most others had been.

"Where are we?" Sam whispered from behind her, ducking as much as possible. He was going to stick out like a sore thumb.

Meg spared him a withering look. "Hell."

He returned the bitch-face, but she wasn't sure what more of an answer he expected. The exact mailing address of this rock they were crouched behind? The specific province they'd emerged in? The name of the demon in charge of the northern stronghold?

"How did you know about that Gate?" Sam persisted.

Meg shrugged. "Azazel needed ways to get to and from the human world. I was one of his closest followers. I know where his doorways were."

"Doorways, plural?"

"Bigger problems at the moment, Sam. With Azazel dead, I'm the only one who knows, anyway."

Meg eyed the long, low bunker not far away through the brambles. Unlike the soaring towers in the south, the northern prison was mostly underground, closer to the eternal fires at the core of the kingdom. Dean had been kept in the center of Hell, the most highly guarded and hardest for angels to reach. But if Crowley had something personal against Bobby Singer, this was the prison to keep him in.

But would Cas have known that? Would he have come here with Dean to look?

"Watch out," Sam hissed, pulling Meg down behind the outcropping. They pressed back against the rock, listening as two arguing voices approached.

"I'm telling you, we need to rethink this," one urged. "Taking on the King… maybe this isn't a good idea."

"What, you wanna follow that oaf forever?" the second snapped in reply. "Crowley's no leader. He-"

"You saw what I saw! I thought he was just a putz, but now? He enslaved an angel. Not even the Knights ever managed that."

Sam jolted at the words, and Meg's heart sank. Just as she'd feared: Crowley had Cas after all. Damn it, she had warned them that this would happen. When this was all over, she was going to kill the Winchesters. But that would come later. Right now, the only thing that mattered was that Castiel was in trouble, and these two knew where he was being held and what Crowley was doing to him, and Meg was pissed.

Eyes narrowing, she ignored all sense of caution and rose to her feet, striding from their hiding place with single-minded intent. The angel blade was already in her hand, arching towards the demon closest to her and plunging into his heart with a blaze of light.

Taken by surprise, the remaining demon yelled and tried to stumble backwards, only to run into Sam as the hunter darted around to cut off his escape.

"Going somewhere?" the Winchester seethed, demon-killing knife already extended so that the demon nearly impaled himself on it.

The demon swiveled his head to look first at Sam and then Meg as she coolly wrenched the blade out of her first victim so that his body collapsed to the ground. His eyes flicked black, lips pulling up in a sneer.

"Winchester. And Meg. Crowley will love to see you two roasting on a spit."

"Your buddy there was saying something about an angel," Meg mentioned with a cold smile. "Why don't you tell me about that?"

"And why would I do that?" he retorted, eyes trailing up and down her form, sizing her up. His widening smirk seemed to find her lacking.

Meg didn't mind. Others had made that mistake before, too. Usually only once. She stepped in closer, heated fury making her nonchalance icier. "Because," she replied, cocking her head. "If you do, I'll finish you off nice and quick."

The demon barked in laughter, though was quickly cut off when Sam pressed his knife against its throat. "I'm not telling you anything," he croaked. "But that angel sure made a pretty sight."

"Tell us where they are!" Sam shouted, voice dropping to a menacing pitch. "Now!"

Meg's eyes shifted to liquid black as she motioned for him to hold the demon. Misjudging her had been a bad call, but taunting her about Cas was a worse one. "Don't worry," she murmured, smooth and easy. "I was Alastair's star pupil long before Dean. Give me five minutes."

Three minutes later, the demon was a sputtering mass of blood and righteous light as the angel blade mercifully ended his suffering, and they knew everything they needed. Meg wiped it clean on his shirt before straightening again with a determined glower.

Sam shook his head, running a hand through his hair with trembling hands. "Cas," he murmured. "Meg, how fast can you get us there?"

"Hate to say it," she grumbled. "But we should get your friend first."

"What? You heard what Crowley's doing-"

"And Crowley will die for it," Meg snarled. "But he's also more interested in breaking Cas than hurting him. That buys us a little time, because trust me, Castiel doesn't break easy." She sighed. "Once we spring Cas and Dean, there's not gonna be time to come back here for another rescue mission. That demon told us Bobby was definitely here, so it's either get him first, or don't get him at all. Frankly, he's not high on my priority list, but he is on Cas's, and the last thing I need is for Clarence to come back to Hell to try this again later."

From the tension in Sam's jaw and the barely controlled rage wafting from him that nearly knocked Meg over, she knew he was just as furious about the whole situation as she was. But surely he could see that she was right. And when had Meg become the voice of reason?

After a second, though, he nodded curtly in agreement.

Though she hated to leave Cas in his current predicament for even a second longer than necessary, knowing it would save him from future danger was enough to make Meg grab Sam by the arm in a bruising grip and shift through the Void into the deepest levels of the fortress nearby.

The bowels of the prison were unbearably hot, even for a demon. The sulfuric burn left Meg's eyes watering, so oppressive that heat seemed to drip from the very walls. Along with misery and regret and hopelessness. When Sam reached out to steady himself from the abrupt landing, his flesh sizzled where it touched the stone, forcing him to yank his hand away, scalded.

"Don't touch anything," Meg muttered, holding her weapon aloft. "Eyes sharp. We don't know how often the guards come through here."

Giving her a clipped nod, Sam also raised his knife in front of him as his eyes swept from side to side. Together, they started moving down the hall, peering into each cell as they went. Occasionally they were met with a long, low wail of a soul in despair, but for the most part, the inmates were eerily silent. Even in the crushing heat, Meg felt a chill. Most of these souls were almost ready to turn.

Sam gasped, dashing forward to a cell door on the left. "Bobby!" he exclaimed, reaching for the handle of the cell. Once again, he jerked back with a soft yelp of pain as it seared his palm.

"If you're the smart one, how does Dean even function?" Meg grumbled as she stormed over and used her demonic power to telekinetically throw the bolt open and wrench the door outward on its hinges. Sam didn't even rise to her jab as he raced into the cell.

"Bobby!" he called again, grabbing the husk of the grizzled hunter. He grunted as Bobby threw him backwards and turned a cold shoulder.

Meg frowned, appraising the prisoner. Crowley hadn't bothered to restrain Bobby like some inmates, and she didn't see any lash marks or really any injuries at all. Not that she was surprised; if Bobby was just bait, there was no need to waste resources on heavy duty torture.

"Bobby, it's me," Sam protested, trying to hurry forward again. Again not seeming to learn his lesson.

Watching with narrowed eyes, Meg noted the anger in Bobby's face as he again whirled and threw his arms out to push Sam away.

"Just get out," the old hunter snapped. "And take her with you. I ain't buyin' what you're sellin', you black-eyed son of a bitch."

"What? Bobby, it's-"

"Yeah," Meg interrupted, storming forwards. "We don't have time for this. I'm sure the guards have been dressing themselves as you and Dean, so he's got no reason to believe you're really here."

"Well, aren't you the clever one, you little-"

Meg didn't wait for Bobby to finish his tirade. The guards wouldn't leave him alone for long, if the fact that he'd been unsurprised to see them barge in was any indication. Snagging his arm and Sam's once again, Meg simply transported all three of them back out to Azazel's Gate on the outskirts of the stronghold.

Immediately, Bobby pulled away from her and cast a suspicious, almost fearful eye at the new surroundings.

"What is this?" he snapped. "Trying out some new tactics, are you?"

"Bobby, listen," Sam urged as he held up his hands. "It's me! Okay, damn it. If it's not Sam… then how do I know all about you and Tori Spelling?"

Bobby squinted in clear suspicion. "What?"

"You're a fan," Sam explained. "Yeah. Or- or, uh… Okay. What about your free pedicure at the Mall of America? You made Dean swear to never tell another living soul how it changed your life."

Bobby gaped at him. "Sam?" His eyes filled with tears; grabbing Sam, he embraced the hunter like he would never let go.

"I'm gonna vomit," Meg muttered under her breath, shifting impatiently. Cas needed her, now. She frankly didn't care if Bobby thought they were Crowley's goons or the real deal, but of course the Winchester would want to make this a tender moment.

"I'm sorry, Sam," Bobby said as they pulled apart—finally. "But you're the 200th Sam I've seen today. That's how they screw with me. Just endless Sams and Deans all wearing the same black eyes. But you," he added, swiveling towards Meg with narrowed eyes. "You're a new addition. Meg, isn't it? The demon bitch? The one who possessed Sam, and got me paralyzed?"

"Um… yeah," Sam replied as Meg's glare turned icier. "It's a long story-"

"One that Cas doesn't have time for," Meg snapped. "Or Dean."

Bobby turned back to Sam, eyes blown wide with obvious horror. "Wait a minute… please don't tell me it's what I think it is."

"We're all alive," Sam assured him, though his own jaw tightened at Meg's reminder of what was still at stake. "But Crowley has Dean and Cas. We came to get you."

"And now we have," Meg interrupted, unable to wait any longer. "Sam, get Bobby through the Gate. His soul should go straight on up to Heaven."

"While you do, what, exactly?" Bobby demanded as he pushed Sam farther behind him. "What's your angle?"

"You know what, you're welcome for the rescue, first of all," Meg growled.

"Yeah, I'm sure that was outta the kindness of your heart. Oh wait, you don't have one."

"Bobby-" Sam tried, but Meg stepped forward until she was toe to toe with the older hunter.

"You're right. I didn't come here for you. Maybe you missed what Sam said, but Crowley has Cas and Dean. They were trying to rescue you, and look where it got them. So. Sam, get him out, now. Or don't, but I gotta go."

She turned on her heel, starting to storm off as Sam called behind her,

"Wait! What're you gonna do?"

"I'm going after your brother," she snapped. Meg's heart clenched. "And my unicorn."

"Then we're coming, too."

The demon paused, glancing over her shoulder with a frown, but Sam appeared grim and serious. Her eyes flicked to Bobby, who returned her look with a tight nod.

"Don't know what the hell I've missed since I was gone," he grumbled. "But if Dean and Cas are here, we ain't gonna leave 'em."

Well… she could use all the help she could get. Meg nodded. "Alright. Then here's the plan." With that, she-

…

Meg paused, cutting off mid-sentence to twist in Castiel's arms so she could look up at him.

"Why am I the one telling the story now?" she asked. "You're supposed to be telling it to me."

Castiel smiled, barely biting back a laugh. "I know. But once you got going, I didn't want to stop you. You have such a-"

"If you say 'soothing voice'-"

"-soothing voice."

Meg rolled her eyes and gave the angel a swat. He felt, more than saw, the brief glow of pleasure in her gaze, though.

"Whatever," she grumbled. "Anyway, it's your turn."

"It was very kind of you to rescue Bobby," he tried, but Meg rolled her eyes again.

"Didn't do it because it was kind, Clarence. Don't make the mistake of thinking there's anything more than a demon hiding in here. You know that, right?"

Castiel considered Meg for a moment. "I know what you are," he said, still smiling softly. "And I know what you've done."

She turned away from him at last, dropping his gaze. "Then why are we still doing this?"

"Because I know what you've done," Castiel repeated. "Because I see you. Because none of us are good all the time."

Meg snorted. "Are you really trying to feed me that 'every sinner has a future' line?"

"No." He didn't know what line she was talking about; the angel only knew that his heart was the only rule book he could trust anymore. "But whatever your reasons, I'm grateful that you rescued Bobby. And… that you came back for me." The angel paused, then pointed out, "It's starting to become a habit for you. And habits speak volumes. Don't sell yourself short, Meg. You fight for what you believe in. I haven't forgotten that."

She finally met his eyes again, and Castiel saw her true face, and everything it belied. Grimly, Meg nodded, and replied with one word:

"Purgatory."

…

It took Meg a little more than two minutes to determine that Dick Roman's death should not have been enough to kill Cas. It took the better part of a year to figure out what must have actually happened and what to do about it.

Ajay, the rogue reaper, had taken a bit of convincing before finally telling her about Purgatory's escape hatch. Personally, Meg found Ajay repulsive, but he was her only contact who would have had the first idea what to do; she'd batted her eyelashes at far less savory characters to get what she wanted before.

The intel had been good. Meg sat with her back to a large boulder in the monster-infested realm, watching the space where the portal would appear once it sensed Dean close by. If only Crowley had known how easy it actually was to access the place, she thought with a sardonic snort. He would be sick over it. Shame it had never occurred to him to ask a reaper.

A stick snapped from somewhere nearby in the woods, and Meg's head whipped back around. She leaped to her feet, angel blade gripped tightly as she slid behind the boulder out of sight. Seconds later, the air began to crackle and pulsate. Meg straightened and allowed herself a grim smile as the escape portal appeared high up in the rocks in a burst of rippling, contorting light.

Finally, they'd made it.

From her vantage point, Meg watched as Dean did some kind of voodoo to merge some random vampire's soul into his own body—and what the hell was up with that, anyway? Cas stood behind them, watching their backs; Meg's shoulders slumped with relief to see that he was in one piece.

Once the vamp was out of the picture, Meg pushed her way out into the open, a light smirk starting to play across her face as Dean's eyes widened in dismay.

"Cas, Leviathan!" he shouted, raising his makeshift blade.

Meg's eyebrows rose. "Leviathan?" she drawled, unimpressed, as the angel whirled. "Really? I look like a chomper to you?" Turning to Cas, she offered him a wink. "Hiya, Clarence. What's an angel like you doing in a place like this?"

"Meg?" he gasped with a light frown. "But… how…?"

"Demons don't end up in Purgatory, Cas," the hunter snapped. He shifted his grip on his blade, crouching as though to attack. "It's not Meg."

Castiel's hand shot out to push Dean's weapon down, though his intense gaze was still focused on Meg. Something about him seemed different… "I can see her true face, Dean. It's her."

Wait… Meg's smile faltered as she suddenly realized what had changed. Cas's eyes were full of clarity, his stance more akin to the warrior she remembered from long ago rather than the childlike angel she'd protected in the ward. He was sane again.

Crap. Meg swallowed against an oddly tight throat as she waited for his disgust, but the angel merely shook his head in clear disbelief.

"Meg, how are you here?" he asked. "Dean's correct. Demons, once killed, are gone for good."

"A reaper clued me in about this escape hatch for humans," she explained with a shrug. "Got me passage into Purgatory. But when I started asking questions, trying to find you, the monsters I ran across said you two and a vampire were already on your way here. So…" She shrugged again. So, she'd been unnecessary after all. And she'd be lucky if Dean let her escape with them.

Not to mention that Castiel was starting to look more and more uncomfortable, staring at her without saying a word. Meg didn't know why her heart was thumping so painfully; this was exactly why she'd reminded herself repeatedly that she didn't care.

Clearing her throat, Meg turned back to Dean. "Anyway, I see you don't need my help. I'll just-"

"It's been a year," Castiel cut her off, still staring.

Right. Long enough that she should have let go instead of hanging onto some fantasy like a starry-eyed schoolgirl. Meg closed her eyes, then opened them with a forced smile. "Yeah."

"You've… been looking for us all this time?"

Meg wasn't sure whether he was surprised or pitying, but she was spared needing to answer when several lines of smoke streaked out of the sky to land at the edge of the clearing. Dean and Castiel both whirled, eyes wide.

"Leviathan!" Dean shouted, scrambling up the rock pile towards the still glowing portal. "We gotta go! Cas, come on!"

The angel's eyes flicked to Meg once more, his discomfort all the more evident, before he sighed and turned to Dean. "Go," he ordered the hunter. "I'll hold them off."

Wait, what? Dean and Meg both stared at Cas in dismay. The human had already stepped into the portal, and seemed unable to step out to come back down.

"Cas, no!" he yelled instead. "We can get out, just give me your hand!"

"Dean, I'm staying. You don't understand, I have to do penance! This was always the plan. I- I'm sorry."

"Give me your hand!" Dean cried again as he strained to reach Cas in futility, his terror so palpable that Meg's heart ached even more. "Cas, don't do this!"

The angel turned his shoulder to Dean, looking at Meg instead. Something unreadable swam in the blue depths, but it wasn't scorn. "Go with Dean," he murmured, surprisingly soft. "He'll get you out."

"You first."

Castiel shook his head, and his jaw tightened. "I deserve this."

"No! I'm not leaving you behind!" Dean shouted, as Meg just stared at the angel.

The one who had only ever acted out of love. The one who'd made mistakes, but for all the sickeningly right reasons. The one who'd fought for what he thought was good, no matter what the cost to himself. Meg shook her head.

"Yeah… you really don't. And it doesn't sound like Dean thinks you deserve it, either. So let's go, Clarence."

More shadowy shapes were descending as what seemed like every Leviathan in Purgatory had locked onto their location at last. Meg didn't break eye contact with Cas, but from her periphery she could tell that anyone who didn't escape out of Purgatory, right now, was going to die. There were too many to fight, and it was too late to retreat back into the woods.

"Meg, go," Cas begged her, gesturing towards Dean. "Please! I don't want them to hurt you."

Huh. So he did still care, even sane.

Meg grabbed the angel's hand, then raised her blade towards the monsters. "I'll make this easy. Either you come with me… or I stay with you."

"Meg-"

"No."

This was crazy. Meg's heart thudded with fear, but there was no turning back. Before, she would have fled without a second thought. She was a survivor. But there was nothing waiting for her back on Earth; the only thing that had ever mattered to her was right here. Meg was a demon, but even demons needed a cause.

She had found hers.

"I'd rather fight for what I believe in," she finished, eyes locking on Castiel. And what she believed in was him.

"Meg, there's no time!"

Her lips twitched; surprisingly, she felt calm. "Then you'd better decide fast."

"Cas," Dean begged, voice breaking. "Please."

Castiel held Meg's gaze, hesitating, but she didn't look away, knowing he'd be able to read her intent, her sincerity. He would know she wasn't bluffing… that she truly planned to die there with him if that was what he chose. The Leviathan were swarming ever closer, but still Meg didn't budge.

Damn… he really had changed her. Quite the rare creature, this unicorn.

Breaking eye contact at last, Meg turned back to the monsters and adjusted her hold on the blade, planning to go down swinging until she could fight no more.

But then, before the Leviathan could leap forward, Cas's hand in hers tightened and yanked backwards. His other stretched out to find Dean's. Together, they all disappeared into the portal as the Leviathan converged.