"Why exactly haven't you warded against demons, at least, Bobby?" I asked, and then spoke to Balthazar, "And you...why aren't you in pain? Your wing's broken?"

"We angels have a massively higher pain threshold compared with humans. And you can't just say to someone 'why aren't you in pain'? You sound like one of the demons!" Balthazar laughed. I really couldn't understand why his sense of humour. If I had broken my leg out there, I'd be on the floor in pain rather than making light of it and asking for alcohol.

"Well for one thing, sometimes I need to ask for advice and help from a demon that I know," Bobby explained.

"I can't even begin to point out what is wrong with that sentence, Bobby. A demon caused the death of your wife, and you're actively summoning them...to your home no less...and asking them for help?" I couldn't believe my own ears. "Why on earth would you bring such dangerous creatures here? Creatures that can tear your organs out if you piss them off. I really worry for you sometimes."

"Well the demon I summon is quite friendly, as demons go. He's actually the King of Hell and he's quite helpful at times..."

"The King of Hell? As in like the devil or something? Are you totally off your head? Has the booze killed all of your rational brain cells? That sounds like the most dangerous demon that ever lived, and you bring it here to chat with it? Bobby, do other hunters know about this?" I was really shocked. That would be like bringing a vampire into my own home and sitting down and having a cup of coffee with it, and asking advice on how to hunt its kind!

"He isn't like other demons. He thinks most of them are stupid cannon fodder. That's what Lucifer thought of them, yes, but he's charming, smart, he's not sadistic. He doesn't enjoy hurting people for the sake of it. I don't know why, but we trusted him for a while. Now I'm not so sure though." Bobby pondered.

"You do know that Cas is working with him? Cas tried to kill me. He's been consorting with the King of Hades, they've been pairing up to share the souls..."

"Indeed I have." A British accent cut Balthazar off in his tracks.

"Crowley. Speak of the Devil." Balthazar was disgusted at his presence, "Get out, before I make you get out. I'm a very powerful angel, I'll smite your poncy British arse if you don't leave RIGHT NOW." Balthazar sat up and showed his wings (but Crowley and I could see the wings and his golden halo aura around his head at all times anyway) but it was clear that one of the wings didn't work, as he could only show the other.

"Poor baby...I'm assuming you can't just flutter away like a little poor baby butterfly then?" Crowley laughed.

"What the hell? How the hell did you get in here?" All this was too much for me, I couldn't cope with it. Even after the things I had seen and the situations and creatures I had helped with, this was still too much. The demon ignored me and

"Bobby, I'm leaving, I can't believe this. I can't believe you'd allow this creature into your home and be casually having conversations with it." I was totally disgusted. I knew what demons could do and I wasn't sticking around to find out if it was friendly or not. It's not that I didn't trust Bobby's judgement, but my head was spinning with disbelief.

"Nat, it's the middle of the night. There's no way I can let you go out there alone. Let's see what he has to say." Bobby walked over to me. "If things get ugly in here, if the angel and the demon start fighting, then I'm coming with you out that door anyways."

"So, does Cas know you're still alive? I bet he'd LOVE to know that you're not. What's stopping me telling him, eh, Balthie?" Crowley grinned at him and you could tell by his facial expression he was itching to sell Balthazar out to Castiel.

"What do you want, you bastard?" Balthazar growled, "You're a menace, Lucifer didn't have the balls to kill you but I do!"

I looked at Bobby in case a fight was about to go down, and noticed that Bobby still had the angel sword on the table where he had been reading his newspaper. He started to edge towards it, hoping Crowley wouldn't notice. I felt an overwhelming sense of needing to protect this angel, Balthazar. I don't know if it was my psychic instinct or whether it was something else. I didn't want to think about the 'something else' right now. No, I refused to acknowledge it.

"Steady on! I just want some information from you, that's all." Crowley walked over to where Balthazar was sitting up.

"No, Crowley. I'm not helping you and my brother...who by the way tried to kill me!" Balthazar went to stand up but still didn't have the strength.

"Well I'm just going to have to make you tell me where Purgatory is then, fly boy," Crowley was now standing to the left of Balthazar, ready to send Balthazar wherever he was going to send him. I guessed he was going to torture the information out of him and I felt helpless. I knew these demons could kill you with just a look half the time. I wanted to say "Get your hands off him" but I knew it would be futile.

"Not so fast, either, Robert," Crowley looked at the table where the angel sword was and it had disappeared when Bobby and I looked. Crowley now had the angel sword in his hand. "This is mine now, thanks."

"Right, shall we get started? I reckon you'll last oh, about three minutes under my torture? I'd better fetch my apron," Crowley chuckled.

"Where are you taking him you ass?" Bobby snarled.

"Watch your blood pressure, Robert. Where I want to take an angel is my business not yours," Crowley was just about to zap Balthazar to Hell or wherever he was going to take him, when I spoke up.

"Leave him alone. I can find you Purgatory, I'm a psychic as you probably know. I'll help as much as I can if you leave Balthazar alone." I was being braver than I thought I could ever be, and knew it would probably cost me my life or sanity by the time dawn broke.

"Yes I did notice. But you're of no use to me. Sorry. Shame, because you'd make a delightful demon. I can see you in my secretarial pool." Crowley looked over to me as if I was nothing, his regal gaze passing over me like I was a peasant in Henry VIII's court who had no right to be in his presence.

"Your what? You have office workers in Hell?" I was puzzled.

"Yes, I do actually. Where do you think lawyers and their secretaries go when they die?" Crowley grinned, "Actually, maybe you could help me. You can come with us. It seems the angel is a little, let's say, infatuated with you, and you'd make a good hostage so that he gives me the info I need. If I torture you, then he's not going to keep things to himself now is he? He's going to be a big brave lad and save you from my demons and I."

"No but I..." I was disgusted by the fact this abomination of nature wanted me to help him.

"Nat! Don't go with him!" Bobby shouted.

"She doesn't have a choice, dear, toodles." Crowley used demonic magic to teleport the still-injured Balthazar, himself and I away. I closed my eyes as I could feel this was perhaps my last time on Earth.

Bobby called Dean's cellphone, with Balthazar in harm's way anyway now and with me, practically a niece to Bobby, in danger, he didn't hesitate. He knew it would probably lead Castiel to Balthazar but right now he didn't have the luxury of caring about that fact.

"Dean, I need you and Sam to get here pronto...you know that girl hunter I was telling you about before? Well Crowley just took her...and...Balthazar..."

"Balthazar? What was Balthazar doing in your house, Bobby? He's sneaky and you shouldn't trust him!" Dean spoke at the other end of the phone.

"Cas tried to murder him. His own brother. Just get here now, will ya?" Bobby paced around the room.