Chapter 9: In Which a Hunter Becomes a Friend

Over the wide plain, a fantastical storm was gathering. Deep purple clouds whipped in faraway patterns as deep bowls filled with rain threatened to touch down as tornadoes. Stark against the twilight, lightning flickered an unnatural green and illuminated the deserted town. I stood, secure in my death, in the nonexistent shelter of a fitfully tossing oak tree.

"Damn," I murmured to myself as an enormous bolt of lightning caused an instantaneous and deafening rumble of thunder. "They're in trouble."

Even though I knew it would be impossible to hear over the tempest, I strained my ears for the crack of the Colt. I was seriously regretting letting the Winchesters talk me out of joining them on the attack.

"What, you think I can't be any help?" I asked, feeling injured.

Sam looked at me seriously. "Andrea, after hunting with you for a month, I would trust you with my life. Honestly. But you're our secret weapon."

"We still don't know what's up with your special ghosty powers," Dean added. "If this doesn't work, we've still got you up our sleeves." He winked with confidence that I suspected he didn't really feel. "We need you to have our backs, so you'd better keep training."

I sighed and shook my head, knowing full well that I was no weapon. "I guess you're right. I mean," I added with a hint of a smile, "if four hunters and an angel with the Colt can't get him, I'm not going to be much help."

It was the first time I had been in Bobby's house, and I was appreciative of the honor despite the somber atmosphere. I was leaning against the kitchen counter as Sam and Dean grabbed more beer out of the fridge for themselves and Bobby.

"Awww," Ellen laughed from the next room, and I wandered through the doorway. A steadily-growing pile of empty shot glasses cluttered the table between Ellen and Cas, and Jo leaned casually against the wall behind her mother.

Laughing, I found a seat on the only chair not currently covered in books. "And here I thought you people never had any fun."

Before Cas could interject with his usual gloomy outlook, Jo laughed and tossed me a beer, which I had to focus to catch. "Really? Then Sam and Dean have not been doing a good job introducing you to the life."

I cautiously opened the beer and took a sip. I squeezed my eyes shut but managed to contain the liquid somewhere in the region of my stomach by only partially solidifying my form. It was all very complicated and took an incredible amount of strength, but I did it.

"BOO!" Somehow, Dean had gotten behind me. In my split second of astonishment, I gasped and the beer in my stomach sloshed straight through me and onto the chair, where it splattered and began dripping onto the floor. There was a moment of awkward silence.

"Oh my God," Ellen finally chuckled before breaking into raucous laughter. "The NOISE it made though…" The rest of the room joined in, and even Cas looked mildly amused. After a minute, I couldn't help but laugh as well. The total absurdity of the situation reached me at about the same time as Jo slid to the floor from lack of breath and Ellen almost fell out of her chair.

"I don't think God had anything to do with it…" Cas muttered, horribly confused, and we all broke out into fresh gales of laughter.

Now I watched the heavens converge on the small Missouri town as Lucifer tried to raise Death, and I wished to God that I was standing with my friends.

"Andrea?"

The small voice behind me sounded so painfully familiar that I couldn't help but turn around. "Jo. I'm so sorry."

We embraced for a moment, each trying to find comfort in our short friendship. It was less than a minute before Ellen appeared, too, and took Jo's hand. It was the first time I could really admire their souls, and admire I did; not only were they pure, but also resilient. Even in death, I knew that they would make it through anything.

"Say goodbye to them for us? To Bobby?" Ellen asked softly.

I nodded, unable to speak, and they disappeared into oblivion. I comforted myself with the knowledge that they would find Ash and all their friends who had died in the job, but it was a hollow comfort.

Three Weeks Later

"Wow you guys, now what happened?" I demanded irritably. Honestly, I was just trying to hide my apprehension. The only reason the Winchesters would summon me without calling first was a real emergency. I had only just gotten back to Montana after two months on the road, which they knew very well, and I hadn't even seen Walker yet.

I was in one of their usual crappy motel rooms, and it took me approximately three seconds to realize that the source of their concern was the angel sprawled on the bed. Cas's nose had a rusty shadow under it from an ongoing nosebleed and he was pale.

"Time travel," Sam offered up as I hurriedly knelt at the angel's side. "It took a lot out of him." While I continued to examine him as well as I could, they filled me in on how Anna had tried to prevent their birth and they had been saved by the Archangel Michael.

I whistled. "You two are certainly up to your ears in shit, aren't you?" A few months ago I might have paused before swearing, but the boys were beginning to rub off on me. I still didn't know what Walker would think of my new habits.

"Anyway, we wanted to make sure he would be OK. We thought you might be able to offer a better diagnosis than we could."

"Well, I appreciate your faith," I started, then realized that it might not have been the most appropriate phrase under the current circumstances. "I'll take a look."

Cas's angelic form was shrunken and… trembling? Yes, I confirmed with a harder look, the tips of his wings quivered weakly even though his vessel was positively comatose. Even the radiant light which usually emanated from him was noticeably dimmer.

I sighed, trying to think of anything which might heal an angel. Even though I had been reading through stacks of lore, including the Bible for the first time since my childhood, nothing came to mind. I decided to start guessing with things that couldn't hurt, even if they didn't help.

"OK, not 100% sure what I'm doing here, but you're right; he's in a bad way. So bring me… some holy water and a rosary, to start."

Sam jumped up and dug through his satchel, returning a moment later with the items. I unscrewed the cap on the glass jar which held the water and dipped my fingers into it, noting the silvery light so similar to that of anything angelic.

Very, very carefully, I lowered my hand to an approximation of where Cas's heart was, and set it on his chest. Nonplussed by the lack of response, I waited a moment before allowing my hand to sink through his vessel to rest gently on his retreated true form.

The touch of the holy water sent a tremor through his body, but I was gratified to see that his wings twitched as if to shake them out a little. The glow near his heart remained after I pulled away my hand.

Completely unconscious now of Sam's and Dean's watchful stares, I delicately placed the rosary where I had dabbed the holy water. With total focus, I gently tilted the angel's head upwards and poured a small quantity of the liquid down his throat. After a few small doses trickled down, Cas swallowed by himself and I smiled with relief.

His eyes still didn't open, but I allowed him to drink a few more sips of the water before I retrieved a washcloth from the bathroom, dampened it with the pure liquid, and laid it across his forehead, which seemed too warm to my touch.

"Do you still have a hex bag to ward off demons?" I asked, holding out my hand, and the object was placed carefully in my palm. I nestled this into one of his pockets as I explained. "If he's spending energy shielding himself, then he's not putting all of it towards healing. Hopefully he'll realize that it's there."

Dean nodded thoughtfully and Sam just watched as I carefully loosened Cas's tie and collar to help his shallow breathing, dragged him all the way onto the bed, propped his head comfortably on pillows, and removed his shoes.

When I felt that I was done, I draped a light spare blanket across the angel and stepped back to view my handiwork. He had barely moved, but his glow was slowly returning to normal and his breathing was deepening.

"I feel like you guys could have done most of that," I finally complained. "I mean, you could have at least put him all the way on the bed." The brothers just stared at me and I held up my hands. "Before you ask, it was wild speculation. And logic."

Before they could reply, Cas groaned softly. I walked over to the thin pad of paper on the nightstand and wrote down the name of a medicine. "If he has a headache when he wakes up, don't give him anything that'll act as a blood thinner. This should ease the pain and help him go back to sleep."

"You're not staying?" Sam asked as Dean made to sit down next to the angel and keep watch.

I looked down at Cas, which was a mistake; his brow had furrowed and he was making little moaning noises which tugged at my heart. "Nah," I deadpanned. "I was actually about five minutes from home when you guys summoned me, so now I have to call Walker and explain that I'm going to be another three days."

Before I could make it to the door, Cas's eyes flew open and he sat bolt upright. I moved to stand in front of him, concerned that he would break his vessel somehow.

"Cas?" Dean asked, clearly concerned, and the two brothers joined me.

Castiel's eyes met mine. They were wide with… recognition? The man looked terrified.

"Cas?" This time it was I who spoke.

"Oracle," the angel gasped, nudging himself backwards on the bed.

Sam and Dean glanced at me. "What?"

"It's her. She's the Oracle."

DRAMATIC MUSIC! I have most of the next chapter written, but what's the feeling on this new development? As always, please R&R!