Chapter 33

Police officers were trickling into the station now that Rebecca had been captured and was being looked over at the hospital. Dean parked the car in the closest handicap spot to the front entrance, upon Nadia's promise that no one would recognize the car from their visit earlier. At the moment, the Impala looked like an old tan Buick with a handicap license plate. "It's like a big f-you to everyone inside. We ran out of here earlier and now were back and have better parking spots then the jerks themselves," Dean mused.

Nadia watched him carefully in the rearview mirror and was surprised not to see even a trace of unease at her actions. Sam must have picked up on it too, because he turned to Dean, "Not so down on the half-demonic abilities anymore?"

Dean shrugged like the whole thing was no big deal. "I'm just beginning to see the perks of such things is all." In reality, it had been the simple fact that Nadia had been willing to walk away without anymore of a fight; rather than use her abilities to make herself happy, that had started to change his mind. When they'd first found out about what she could do, Dean had been excited. He'd seen what his dad had seen; that Nadia was one of a kind and she would be an unparalleled asset to the good fight. He'd fallen for her, hard; that he couldn't deny. He'd feared her. He'd feared for her. And he'd lost her; but she had come back to him the very first time he'd reached out to her. That had to mean something. And beyond that; the fact that she cared more about his own wants than her own, was something that he just didn't think was possible for someone that didn't belong on his side. Aidan might be a piece of her but she wasn't a big enough or strong enough piece to make a difference. And what he'd seen of her, he had to admit, he'd sort of liked. Aidan was like the sarcastic side of Nadia that he'd loved, manifested; and he'd been able to see and feel the connection they shared. As much as Aidan influenced Nadia, Nadia also influenced Aidan.

Nadia's voice interrupted Dean's musings, "I'll come back out after I've talked to the chief. It shouldn't take long." She'd taken on the appearance of a woman who looked just different enough from herself, that it was easy for her to keep up. The first thing she always changed, were her eyes; they were the most striking thing about her and she just didn't feel right keeping them when she wasn't herself. She was just a little bit shorter, her face was rounder, and her hair styled like a woman focused more on furthering her career than on landing a man. She was attractive enough to appeal to the men at the station but normal enough not to attract too much attention. Sam rolled out of the passenger seat and pulled the seat forward so that she could get out.

"Hey!"

Nadia turned back and bent down so that she could see Dean. "Yeah?"

"Be careful." The heart-felt concern in Dean's voice brought a sudden lightness to Nadia and she smiled and nodded before heading inside the station. She didn't care that it was a stupid time for him to say such a thing; she was too caught up in the fact that he'd actually cared enough to say it. And that, she knew, was what he was trying to get across to her and it meant the world to her.

Dean could see Sam out the corner of his eye, watching him with that annoying, knowing smile of his. "Shut up," he snapped.

Sam smiled brighter, "You're finally starting to see the light."

"Am not," Dean replied stubbornly.

"Okay, so you changed your wielding mask for a pair of sunglasses at the very least."

Dean's brows pulled together, "What?"

Sam laughed to himself. "You're starting to see things clearer. You two are still totally hung up on each other. It's obvious."

"Shut up," Dean repeated and watched the front door of the station while Sam smiled and shook his head.

Nadia glanced around to all the empty desks in the bullpen until she found the one that everyone was gathered around. Excitement was crackling through the air as everyone replayed what had happened at the hospital. She cleared her throat, "Excuse me." The officers closest to her turned to see if someone had shown up to add anything new and looked annoyed when they didn't see a badge. "Sorry," she smiled, "I'm looking for the chief." Everyone except a short woman who was dressed in a nurse's scrubs but had the air of a cop, turned back to their conversation. The woman pointed down the hall behind her without a word. "Thank you," she said too late; no one was paying attention to her anymore. Protect and serve; when it's exciting, she thought dryly to herself.

Nadia walked down the hall and found the chief's office. Before knocking, she glanced around and, satisfied that no one was looking, she changed her appearance again. Dark red hair fell half way down her back and her eyes changed to a duller shade than her own. With a couple of tweaks on her features, she took a collecting breath and tapped her knuckles on the door's glass. There were multiple voices coming from the other side of the door and they immediately quieted upon her knocking. "Confidence," Aidan reminded her. "You're supposed to be this big-shot interrogator; act like one. This is your case; they're just around to do your grunt work."

Nadia rolled her eyes and brushed a hand through her hair just before the door opened. Immediately, her posture straightened and she tried to look like she did this sort of thing all the time. An older detective opened the door and looked her over thoroughly before asking, "Can I help you?"

Nadia had chosen to go with a slightly more attractive image when she spoke with the chief. Police officers aren't fond of higher agencies coming in and taking over, so she figured she might be able to make as much of a positive first impression as possible before taking the rug out from under their feet. She smiled professionally, "I'm here to speak with the Chief Douglas." She'd done her research before coming in. Going in blind was not something she enjoyed but could do it if necessary. After all, she could always just make the other person cooperate, but she liked getting what she needed with her own creativity and intelligence rather than the fact that she was half demon. "I'm Special Agent Hayley Graham. I was called in to help out with the interrogation of Rebecca Hale." She was careful with her choice of words as she spoke.

A man in his early 50's stood up behind a large and beat up desk. Chief Douglas, she thought to herself. She kept a slight smile on her face as he looked at her with confusion. Before he could say anything, she hit him with a tidal wave of will and influence. He paused and resisted it; his own will was strong, but not strong enough; because he looked at her again and smiled back. "Agent Graham, thank you for coming."

"Of course," she smiled back. "By our conversation on the phone, I could tell that Rebecca was going to be a tough one. I'm more than happy to help."

"Help with what?" Nadia had been so focused on taking over the chief's will power, that she didn't even notice the third man in the room. He was young but obviously strong-willed and driven. He looked at her with suspicion.

Nadia focused on him now that she had Douglas taken care of in the corner of her mind. "I'm an interrogation expert. Your chief thought it best to call me in on this case."

"The bureau?" He turned to Douglas, "We haven't even had a shot at her, and she's still at the hospital. You called in the FBI without so much as a warning?" He was furious and glanced from the chief to Nadia/Agent Graham. "I'm sure you're great at your job, Ms. Graham, but-"

"Agent Graham," Nadia answered with an edge in her voice. "And yes, I am great at my job. The best, in fact."

"The best?" he didn't sound like he believed her at all.

"Yes." Here was the part where she made the locals hate the feds. It's kind of fun, she thought to herself.

"Well," he puffed out his chest, "I have a near flawless record with interrogations, myself."

Nadia flawlessly looked as if she was trying to hide a smile. Aidan knew what she was going to say and laughed, "Oh, hit him where it hurts!" Nadia ignored Aidan's words and smiled condescendingly, "Near flawless; in a city like this? Well, isn't that adorable." The other officer's smug look melted off his face and he grew redder as she turned to the chief. "When do you expect Rebecca to get here?"

Before Douglas could respond, the young officer erupted. "I don't care if you're the FBI, CIA, or the fricking Secret Service; you can't just come in and take over! Rebecca Hale didn't cross any state lines; this isn't in your jurisdiction! You have no authority here."

Nadia spun on him, "I work for the FBI but I am lent out all over the country; like when your Chief called me here. You're right; I only have as much authority as he," she glanced at Douglas, "gives me. But I have traveled all over the country and many others to break people who couldn't be broken. I have yet to walk out of an interrogation room without a confession. So, I'd advise you," she looked at the name plate pinned to his uniform, "Officer Carter, to study carefully what I just said. I was invited here by the Chief of Police; not by you."

Chief Douglas sat in the chair behind his desk glancing between Nadia and Carter. With his own mind, for the most part, out of his own control, he was slow to react to the escalating argument in front of him. Nadia realized that she was controlling him too much and carefully finessed her hold so that she only controlled the part of his mind that remembered calling her and why he'd done so. He finally stood, "Officer Carter! I asked Agent Graham here to get this case solved as quickly and as cleanly as possible and, according to her record, she can do just that." As far as Douglas knew, FBI Special Agent Hayley Graham had an uncanny ability to get people to confess during an interrogation. As Carter's eyes narrowed on her, she started to worry that maybe she'd made her imaginary record a little too perfect.

"He's going to check you out, you know that right?" Aidan had an annoying knack for stating the obvious in times like this.

Yes, I know. She sighed mentally, great, now I have to keep tabs on another brain. How many brains is one person supposed to handle?

"Person, being the key word there. In Florida, you controlled all those people in the kitchen so that you could get away."

That was different. That was like a quick explosion; this is like...juggling. Nadia brushed Carter's mind carefully to remove some of his suspicion but hovered to be sure that he was satisfied and wouldn't go and run her name. She blinked a few times to try and shake off the sudden exhaustion that was sneaking up on her. Keeping herself and the Impala disguised, Douglas controlled, and watching Carter's thoughts like a guard dog, and not sleeping at all since Florida, were taking their toll on her. Douglas turned his attention on her and she shoved the exhaustion away as much as she could. "One of my officers at the hospital called just before you got here and said that they should be here within the next half hour."

Even though she already knew, she thought it was normal to ask, "What happened? Why is she in the hospital?"

Chief Douglas explained everything that had happened out side the hospital while she listened intently. He sent Officer Carter and, who she was told was Officer Holden, out of his office while he thanked her for coming. Nadia smiled and nodded before shaking his hand. "I'm going to look over the file you gave me some more while I get something to eat. Airline food is not very appealing to me. If you could just let me know when she arrives, I'll return immediately." She gave him her card and retreated back to the Impala.

As she walked through the bullpen, people turned and stared at her. Not only was she FBI, taking over their case, and an interrogating savant; but she also hadn't been seen entering by anyone. For a second, she worried about her choice of coming in as one person and leaving as another; but the human brain likes to make sense of everything and something supernatural doesn't usually make the cut. They'd just figure they hadn't been looking when she'd come in. Just in case the chief hadn't been in, Nadia had chosen to come in as someone who would be-for the most part-forgettable; but from now on she'd come in as Hayley Graham and leave as Hayley Graham.

Like an FBI agent who thought she was superior to them all, she kept her eyes straight ahead and ignored the looks. Just before she broke through the other side of the herd of desks and officers, she heard a faint voice in her head. She slowed down her pace and focused on the voice. "Bitch. Bet she's great in the sack, but something's not right here." She stopped in confusion before she realized who she was hearing. She turned to see Carter watching her relentlessly.

"Ah, the eloquence of men's thoughts," Aidan mumbled.

Nadia glared at Carter and wiped away his problematic thoughts. She turned back and continued to the door but she was already growing nervous. She shouldn't have had to wipe him again, something wasn't right. "We need to rest. I'm starting to feel it too," Aidan said and as Nadia's knees started to feel weak, she had to agree. She just replied, Not yet, and summoned up as much as strength as she could before pushing the door open and walking to the Impala. She could feel the hold on her appearance slipping and she struggled to hold onto it until she made it inside the Impala.

Sam had his head leaned back over the top of the passenger seat with his eyes closed. Dean rubbed his eyes again and glanced around nervously. Even after Hendricks "killed" him and Sam, his unease around cops never really left him. Of course, that could have a lot to do with his constant credit card fraud and breaking and entering; but it was all beside the point anyway because he tried to stay away from them as much as possible. Today, that wasn't really possible. He blew a breath through his lips and looked back at the door. Nadia should have been out by now, he told himself again. He watched as a tired-looking red head walked through the door and down the sidewalk. His eyes slid over her appreciatively before returning to the station's front door.

He noticed the woman walking toward the car and he tensed, ready to defend why he was parked in the handicap spot. She reached for the handle and opened the door which caused Sam to jump. "Sam, you need to move." Her voice was urgent, like she was trying to control panic. "Now!"

Sam jumped out of the seat, "Nadia?"

She ignored him and pulled the seat forward so that she could climb inside. "What is it?" Dean glanced at the building, expecting swat to burst through the doors.

As soon as she sat down, her entire appearance returned to normal and she curled forward with her eyes closed. She was breathing heavy and held her head in her hands, "Something's wrong."

Sam slid back inside and closed the door, "They didn't believe you?"

"They had no choice but to believe me," she sighed. She was desperately holding onto Douglas and Carter incase they needed to be wiped again. "Something's wrong with me," her voice was weak and she leaned back against the seat and kept her eyes closed. "We need to leave, I can't hold on to the car much longer."

Sam and Dean exchanged worried looks. Dean started the car and backed out of the parking space. "What's wrong exactly?" Sam asked while Dean raced back to the hotel.

"It's too much," she said as she let go for the car's mirage.

Dean glanced into the rearview mirror and his stomach tightened; Nadia's face shined with sweat. "But you've done more than this. Many times; like Florida and California."

"That was quick. Maybe I had time to recover afterward before I noticed the strain."

"Or..." Sam started. "Maybe whatever is after you did this to you on the street earlier?"

Dread spread through Dean's body, "If that thing can do that... We need to find out what that thing is, now."

Nadia sighed, "I need to get some rest. Rebecca will be at the station in less than a half hour. I have to get her confession and keep up my appearance and keep tabs on Douglas and Carter."

"Carter?"

"This pain in the ass cop whose suspicion meter shot up when I came in the room."

"Great," Dean groaned, "that's all we need." He looked in the rearview mirror again, "They can wait. You're going to need more than a few minutes rest to keep all that up in the air." Nadia didn't answer, she was already out.

"If they're already suspicious of her, she has to be there when Rebecca comes," Sam pointed out.

"Sam, they can wait," Dean replied fiercely. "She can't handle this right now."

Sam sighed and didn't say anything for awhile. "If we help her, she can."

"What are you talking about? We can't be seen anywhere near there and she can't disguise us."

"Then we do what we do best. We don't get caught. We knock out this Carter guy so that she doesn't have to worry about him. That's some pressure we can ease...and we park the car out of sight."

"Sam," Dean sighed.

"You know that she'd be saying the same thing, Dean. We've spent too much time and," he pointed at Nadia, "effort on this case to let slip away. All of the evidence is circumstantial except for today's attempted on Sheehan. That's all they'll be able to charge her for without that confession, and you know she deserves more than that."

Dean parked the car in front of the hotel room and turned off the key. He rubbed his hands over his face and finally responded. "Fine. But we need to buy her more time. Twenty minutes sleep can't possibly be enough."

"That I can agree with."

"And if this...thing is draining her like this..."

Sam finished Dean's thought, "It could be way worse than we feared."