There is a bit more language in this chapter, so here's a "heads up."

But hey, Zachariah will do that to you.

Thanks for reading!

***************

"Your friend seems...nice," Dean tries to make small talk in the quiet car. It was a bit of a drive back to the motel; he and Sam had managed to get stuck in the one small town in the middle of nowhere with only one bar. Which was on the outskirts of the middle of nowhere.

Alex wraps her arms around herself. She was actually freezing. She hadn't meant to stand in the rain for quite so long, but she wanted to make sure she saw the headlights of the SUV before going back inside. Dean was surprised to find out they were all staying at the same place, and that she and Darcey weren't actually locals, but she had explained that away with a brief story about trying to cheer Darcey up. This was true, in a way.

"Nice is not the word most people use to describe her." Alex answers truthfully, as the Impala pulls into the motel lot. "We're in room 101. I don't want to put you out anymore than I already have. Thank you for the ride." Alex jumps out of the car, not turning back. So far, the Winchesters had acted exactly as they had expected them to. But there was always the chance that they wouldn't.

Dean watches from the car, shaking his head, as Alex turns the key in the door, and pushing. Only to find the safety chain drawn. Alex pounds on the door, and he can hear her calling her friend's name as he gets out of the car. Things just got a little interesting, he thinks to himself.

"Darcey, damn-it, open the door!" Alex knocks on the door again. They had agreed she would take Sam back to the Winchester's room, not theirs. One brother or the other was probably used to sleeping in the Impala, and wouldn't mind. But there was no way she was sleeping in the SUV, and she didn't want to spend the money on an extra room.

"I am not opening the door with you yelling at me," is the muffled reply from the other side of the door.

"I'm not yelling at you. I'm asking you politely to open this DAMN DOOR!"

The door opens long enough for both Alex and Dean to see an amused Sam sitting on the bed, and for Alex to catch a bag thrown at her. "Lighten up, Alex. Have a little fun," Darcey says before closing the door in Alex's face.

Alex stands there with bag in hand, staring in disbelief. What on earth was Darcey up to? This was not the time to be reckless. They had a job to complete, and she was acting like a child. She sighs, and turns around to scan for the SUV, walking right into Dean's chest.

"Ouch."

"Tell me about it," Dean says, putting his hands on her shoulders and steadying them both. Alex shakes her head, trying to break his hold. "Look, I know we got off to a rough start, but it looks like our friends aren't ready to call it a night. I've got an extra bed in my room. You could sleep there?"

"This really is a night for firsts," Alex sighs, then follows Dean toward room 113.

***********

Darcey hangs up the phone as Sam drives toward the motel. Alex had just called to let her know there was a slight change in plans. She felt bad about what she was doing, she really did. But like Alex had told her 10 days ago, they needed every job they could take.

She remembered the first time she heard about Sam and Dean Winchester. Brian had been a hunter for years before meeting Darcey. She was only eighteen at the time, just out of high school, and he was twice her age. Everyone else had frowned on the relationship, everyone but her best friend Alex, but she was a "foreigner", and didn't care what everyone thought. They dated for a couple of years, and were married by her 21st birthday. It was a simple ceremony in a courthouse, with the only witnesses Alex, and Brian's friend, John Winchester.

"We are staying in room 101. I find the end rooms to be the most comfortable. The least amount of noise." Darcey turns the key in the lock, and walks in, followed by a confused Sam. He watches as Darcey moves around the room, straightening up, throwing a few things in a bag. He sits down on the bed just before the knocking starts.

"Darcey let me in," he can hear Alex through the thin walls.

"Are you going to let your friend in?" Sam asks.

"No. She needs to have some fun. It'll be good for her. I am not opening the door with you yelling at me," Darcey answers.

Darcey turns toward Sam, winking at him. She knew Alex was going to be pissed that she had stuck to the original plan, but that woman needed to cut loose. And knowing what they did about Sam and Dean, Dean was the perfect person to help her.

"I'm not yelling at you. I'm asking you politely to open the DAMN DOOR!"

Darcey opens the door, tossing a bag at Alex. She honestly wasn't sure what was in there, but it was for appearances only.

"Lighten up, Alex. Live a little," she says, slamming the door in her face and sliding in the safety chain. She turns to find Sam sitting with a shocked expression on his face.

"What? It is for her own good."

"I'm not sure I'd call sending your friend off to spend the night with Dean 'for her own good.'" There was something about this woman that was setting warning signals off in his brain. But he couldn't quite put his finger on it. And the next thing he knew, she was staring at him, advancing on him.

"I find you very interesting, Sam Richards."

"The same could be said about you, Darcey...?"

"Laroque."

"That is a very French name."

"I am very French." Darcey says, leaning down to kiss Sam.

Warning signals or not, he went with it.

**********

10 days ago.

"We're screwed," Alex looks at Darcey, at a loss for what else to say.

"I believe the proper term is 'fucked' Alex. We are beyond screwed." Darcey stares back at Alex. What were they going to do? Run? From angels? For all they knew, that would put them on the most wanted list, too.

Before they can get in the car, and out of the rain, Zachariah reappears. "Ladies, before I forget, don't think about not accepting this job. I can make things very unpleasant for you." He points a finger at the inside of the car, and they can hear screams coming from the back seat. "Very unpleasant," he repeats before disappearing.

The man in the backseat continues to scream for another minute, before passing out again. When they get to the nearest sheriff's office, to turn him in for the murder of his wife and young son, the screaming starts again. They hadn't had time to fill out any of the necessary paperwork to collect the bounty on him; they had just wanted to get as far away from his dead eyes and endless screams.

Alex drove for hours that night, blasting the radio, trying to drown the sound out, until she couldn't drive anymore, then pulling into a small diner.

"What can I get you girls?" The waitress asks.

"Coffee, lots of cream, a little sugar, please," Alex orders, scanning the few other patrons.

"Waffles, thank you," Darcey answers, then waits for the woman to walk away. Lowering her voice, she asks "What are we going to do?"

"Nothing."

"What do you mean, 'nothing?'" Darcey takes a paper napkin from the holder and starts to shred it. Alex may be nervous before closing in on a target, but Darcey was always nervous before a hunt began.

"I mean, as of right now, we do nothing. Maybe some research tomorrow. I doubt they'll be that hard to find, but right now, we don't do anything."

"Alex, you cannot be seriously considering this. They are John's sons; we have heard stories about them for years."

"I know, Darc."

"Do you remember John always compared us to the two of them? Said he could see a little of his sons in us? And you want to collect a bounty on them?"

"I don't want to. But that was an angel. An ANGEL. And all we are supposed to do is find them. He can't want them for anything evil, right?"

They stop talking as the waitress brings their orders over, and they continue to eat in silence, each thinking about the last night's experience.

"Do you remember how to make a hex bag?" Alex asks, staring into her coffee.

"Maybe? What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking maybe we need to disappear, ourselves, for a while."