A few days passed, and the Winchesters and Blackwood's lives were slowly returning to normal, at least, what could pass as normal to them. No one had seen Ezra since he had disappeared days before. Not even Castiel had shown himself.

Ella was sitting in the backseat of the Impala when her cell phone rang. She arched a brow, the only people who had her number were in the car with her. "Hello?"

"Oh, uh… Ella, hi!" A familiar voice said on the other line. "It's Chuck… Shurley… the uh… prophet, listen I… well I really need to talk to you all… I couldn't find Dean's number in the books…."

"Hey, Chuck," Ella said. Dean glanced up at her in the mirror and arched a brow. She shrugged. "What's going on?"

"Well… alright," He sighed. "Listen, I had a vision, not long after you guys left and… I was going to tell you but I was told not to by the angels… by Zachariah, but I just… I have to tell you. I can't keep this to myself anymore… it's not right…"

"Fine, Chuck, spit it out, what's up?"

"Okay okay… Ezra is going to kill Oshea." He said quickly. "But… not on purpose. He's going to try to kill you, Ella, he's part of Uriel's following. When Uriel killed Joel, he made sure that your next guardian would be Ezra… so Ezra could kill you. And… Oshea is going to try to save you and he's going to kill her…."

Ella frowned a bit. "He's going to… wait, what?" She sighed. "Can you meet us somewhere, Chuck? We're passing through Duluth, Minnesota, we're about to stop at a motel for the night. You could meet us there."

"I knew that, but … uh… I can't come there, that's where it's all going to happen." He said nervously.

"Chuck, nothing can happen to you. You have an archangel tethered to you. As soon as Ezra shows his ugly face anywhere near us, he gets smoked," Ella sighed. "All you have to do is show up, Chuck. If you don't come meet us, then we'll just go ahead and go to your place. Take your pick."

"I have a…. what now?" He said in confusion. "Um… I guess I could… since you put it that way. I'll be there as soon as I can…"

Ella hung up the phone and dropped it in her lap. "Chuck's going to meet us at the motel. Apparently, Ezra's coming back, and like we figured, he's not one of the good guys."

"That's just great," Sam said with a heavy sigh. "I hope Chuck hurries and that Castiel was right about the archangel thing he told Dean…"

xx

DULUTH, MINNESOTA

While they were unpacking after just checking in to the small, old hotel, Chuck appeared in the room, wearing an old brown jacket over a dark button down shirt and dusty jeans. He ran a hand over his messy brown hair. "Hi, guys… Castiel came and poof," He said, waving his hands a little. "He sent me over here."

Ella jumped a bit as he appeared. "Did he mention why exactly he's been avoiding us like the plague?" Ella said, rolling her eyes.

"Apparently, this Ezra character is a very powerful angel. He's been keeping Castiel from coming to you." Chuck said, shifting uncomfortably. He started to say something else when his eyes widened and he took a step backwards. Ezra smiled as he stepped into the room.

"I told you that you could not run from me." He said to Ella.

Ella grimaced. "Lovely to see you, too."

Ezra turned his attention to Chuck, arching his brow. Chuck stared at him a little nervously. "I… am the prophet Chuck!" He said with a little squeak, turning to look around as the room began to shake and a bright light started to spill through the windows of the small hotel.

After a sudden flash of bright light, the shaking stopped and a young woman with jet black hair and bright blue eyes appeared in the middle of the room, dressed in snug fitting black pants and a lacey white top. She was holding a silver archangel's sword. "Hello, Ezra."

Ezra smiled faintly, grasping the sword that laid on the nightstand by Ella's bed. "Hello, Hannah."

Chuck's eyes grew wide as he stared at the woman, "Wow…"

Hannah frowned a little at him. "Why are you doing this, Ezra?"

"You know why I am doing this…," He said as he twirled the blade in his hand. "It is time to raise our brother. And I cannot allow anyone to get in the way."

"Then I'm afraid that I cannot let you leave this room, Ezra. You are a danger to everyone around you," She said, taking a few steps towards him. Ezra tightened his grip on the blade in his hand and stepped toward her.

"It doesn't have to be this way. You could join us, sister…"

Hannah narrowed her eyes at him. "It's not going to happen, Ezra. Now, stand still while I shove this through your cold, beating heart," She said, gesturing at the blade with a nod as she held it up in the air. Ezra waited until the blade was nearly upon him before he knocked the blade away and shoved his sword through the female's throat.

Ella let out a quiet gasp, watching as the angel permeated with a bright light, and then fell to the floor, a bloody, gaping hole in the middle of the now empty vessel's throat. Chuck's eyes widened and he knelt down by the angel's vessel. "He just… I thought he couldn't do that…"

Ezra smirked as he pulled out the sword. "I can do a lot of surprising things, maggot." He said stepping toward him. Chuck crawled backwards and pulled himself up into a standing position, his eyes wide. Castiel suddenly appeared in front of him and punched him in the face, sending him staggering backwards. Ezra staggered backwards and looked up just in time for Castiel to drive his fist into his face then his abdomen. Ezra took the sword and shoved it down toward Castiel's chest. Castiel grabbed the blade and grunted as he tried to push it away. Ezra pressed harder and the tip of the blade pierced Castiel's shoulder. The angel gasped in pain and rammed his head against Ezra's, sending him staggering backwards. Castiel placed his hand against his wound, smearing his palm with blood before moving to the wall. He quickly drew a group of symbols and pressed his bloodied palm against it. Ezra shrieked and burst into a bright light, vanishing from the room.

"Great timing, Cas," Dean finally said, breaking the silence.

Castiel nodded slowly, gripping the angelic blade and easing it from his shoulder. Chuck was trembling as he moved back to the female angel. His eyes traveled over the black wings that were spread out against the floor then turned back to her. "She's dead…" He said weakly.

Ella looked up at Castiel. "So what are we supposed to do now?"

"This has never happened before," Castiel said with a frown. "Chuck is going to need protection. If the demons found out about this, they will kill him." Chuck looked up sharply at Castiel, then looked between the others.

"What? The demons are going to try to kill me?" He said, his eyes widening and he grew a little pale. "I just… I just came to help you guys out… I didn't sign up for having to deal with demons."

Dean rolled his eyes, ignoring Chuck as he turned back to Castiel. "I hope you're not suggesting us protecting him. According to you guys, we were barely able to take care of Ella. And now we have to drag along a prophet?"

"It's your fault that I was even here," Chuck said, toying with the sleeve of his jacket. "I didn't want to come, but no.. 'you'll be fine you have an archangel.' Well now my archangel… my pretty… pretty archangel is dead."

"Shut up Chuck," Both Ella and Dean said at the same time. Ella looked at Castiel. "So… that's it? We have to watch over him now? For how long? And Ezra's going to be back, you know. He'll find us."

"No, he won't." Castiel said as he moved toward them. He laid his hands on Dean and Sam's midsections. As they gasped in pain, he stepped away and moved to Chuck, repeating the process. "You have all been branded with the Echonian Sigil. No angel will be able to find you. You must protect him until the angels can find someone that is trustworthy."

Ella scoffed. "Yeah, good luck with that."

Chuck shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Can… can I at least go home and get my things?"

Castiel shook his head. "I do not think it would be safe for you to. I can bring your things to you myself. I suggest you all find another place to stay, and we will need some way for us to communicate. I will not be able to find any of you once you are gone."

"You could always get a cell phone, Cas," Ella suggested, raising her eyebrows a bit as she shrugged.

Castiel blinked, furrowing his brows slighlty. "A cell phone?"

Sam nodded, "Yeah. Like this." He said, pulling out his cell phone and holding it out to show him. Castiel took the device and looked it over,

"I do not know how to use this…" Castiel said with a little frown.

"I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out," Ella said. "In the meantime, we'd better get the hell out of dodge before Ezra or another one of your lovable brothers stops by for a visit."

Castiel nodded, "Yes. You should go as soon as possible." He tilted his head as he tentatively pressed one of the buttons on the phone. He jumped slighlty when a feminine, electronic voice spoke through the phone, "Please say a command."

"Is… there someone in there?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Okay, guys." He took the phone from Castiel and closed it. "You go ahead. I'll hang back here with Cas and try to get him fixed up with a cell. I'll meet you guys."

Since they had not unpacked or brought their belongings inside the motel, Dean grabbed the keys to the Impala and then he, Ella, Oshea, and Chuck piled into the vehicle. They stopped a couple states over at a decent looking motel. The room had two queen sized beds and a small couch on the opposite wall.

"That's your bed," Dean said, looking at Chuck and gesturing to the couch. He dropped his own duffle bag by one of the beds and sat down on the bottom of it. Chuck glanced to the couch and nodded, still looking a little shaken.

"Okay."

Oshea walked over to her bed, setting down her suitcase and kicking it underneath the bed. She didn't even bother unpacking, with the way they had been having to move around so much, there really was no point.

Ella picked up her cell phone, dialing Sam's number. After she had told him the name of the motel they were staying, she hung up and looked over at Chuck a little sympathetically. "How are you doing, Chuck?"

"Oh… I'm fine. Just fine…," Chuck said with a little half hearted chuckle. "I mean… I see all of these terrible things every time I close my eyes then I find out I'm some kind of prophet and all this stuff I've been writing about is real and that I need protection because all of the monsters and demons and things want to kill me. And now my protection is dead because of me…" He said quietly, sinking down on the couch.

Ella frowned a little at Chuck as she put her phone down on the nightstand and then looked over at Oshea and Dean. "Sam said Cas would poof him on over here in a few. Cas is still trying to get the hang of the whole cell phone thing." She said, rolling her eyes.

Oshea chuckled some as she flopped down onto the bed, curving her arm under her head. "This should be amusing."

Dean nodded, smiling a little. He looked over at Chuck and smirked, looking down and rummaging through his duffle, pulling out a small flask. He tossed it over at Chuck. Chuck caught the flask and looked up at Dean briefly before unscrewing the lid and tipping up the flask, gulping down the liquid as he sank down on the couch. Sam suddenly appeared in front of them, and Chuck choked a little in surprise.

Sam looked up at Dean. "Yeah, Cas is technologically challenged, but I think he can at least answer the phone and call us now." He walked passed the couch, patting Chuck on the shoulder. "Hey, Chuck." Chuck nodded, swallowing.

"Hi, Sam…"

Sam walked over to Ella. "Hey, how are you? You okay?"

Ella smiled a little. "Better than Chuck," She said, nodding over at the prophet who had just finished off Dean's entire flask. Chuck sat down the flask and slipped out of his shoes, pulling up his feet onto the couch and stretching out, curling his arms under his head. Sam smiled a little bit and shook his head.

"It'll get easier for him once he gets used things. I mean, we were raised with this stuff, and its just kind of been thrown into his lap."

Ella nodded. "Well, I'm pooped," She said, glancing over at the clock on the nightstand that read 1:37 AM. "I'm going to try to get some rest. We should probably take turns having someone stay up and keep watch, just in case Cas shows up."

"Sounds like a good idea," Sam said with a nod, rubbing her back gently. "You guys go to bed, I'll take the first shift." He pulled his laptop out of its case and walked to the table, sitting it down and pulling it open before plopping into the chair. He glanced over at Chuck, who was already dozing on the couch.

Dean kicked off his shoes and crawled into bed next to Oshea. He leaned over, turning off the lamp so that the only light left in the room was coming from Sam's computer, and the red letters on the alarm clock.