He was a thin man of average height and build. He wore a tweed jacket with leather elbow pads and a blood red bow tie. Even though Sam knew for a fact that the stranger lying sprawled on the floor in the bathroom would look ridiculous in that getup either way, he also knew that he'd be more intimidating if he wasn't passed out. Castiel confirmed that the man didn't have any unwanted hitchhikers, but he still looked distressed.

"What I don't understand is how he got in here in the first place." Sam said after a couple of minutes of an uncomfortable silence, staring at the strange man who they had tied to a chair.

"Lockpicking isn't exactly rocket science Sam, its simple enough that a monkey can do it."

Castiel looked like he was going to comment on that , but thought better of it.

"Yeah, but he was in a hurry, under all of that stress he would have left a couple of marks, or at the very least it wouldn't be in the same position." Sam replied.

"So? Maybe they weren't here until after he broke in, or maybe he's a pro, we won't know until he wakes up which will be... uh how long does it usually last?" Dean said glancing at Castiel

"He will not wake for some time." Castiel said, still looking at the man.

Dean made an obvious "see" gesture.

"Well whoever he is, and whatever the heck is going on, it's definitely out of the ordinary. Let's try and find what we can on the internet, and then when we sort out-" He glanced at the unconscious man tied to the chair and winced a little, as the fact that this case was getting weirder by the minute had just become apparent. "Whatever's going on here, I'll check the county records."

"You should go. Actually you should both go." Castiel said suddenly.

Sam and Dean both gave Castiel the same look of confusion and mild apprehension. Castiel had made it quite clear in the past that he wasn't going to help them.

"This has top priority, possibly more so than the sixty six seals, it is imperative that this is taken care of as quickly as possible, and I can deal more easily with our guest if he awakens before you return."

The brothers looked at each other, and they both agreed that Castiel knew something that he wasn't telling them, as per usual, and they also agreed that it was better to deal with it later.

Castiel waited until ten minutes had passed since the engines of the impala receded out of his hearing.

Then he turned back to the man, if he could be called that, and knelt down to eye level.

He'd known from the beginning that the man wasn't human. Even now he could hear the man's heart, hearts beating in his chest.

He wasn't foolish enough to believe that earth was the only planet that his father had created, and he knew for a fact that there were other races living there.

He had even heard tell of suitable vessels for angels being among them.

However, it had been agreed long ago that keeping mankind from some of his father's less favored children; at least for the moment, was the best solution.

There had been other moments when integration had been attempted, and it had ended horribly.

So whenever another race tried to make contact or conquest with the earth, they were either… gently deterred, or kept out of the picture.

Castiel had already decided on the course of action he was going to take. He would find out where this one came from, and send him home.

It would be slightly taxing, but it was much easier than having to deal with the questions he'd bring, all he had to do was find out where home was…..

Fire, there was so much fire…. That's how it always started, bright red flames on a burnt orange world; all of it burning. Men, Women, even children. No one was spared. All of it his, his making.

Millions DEAD, their blood on his hands-

Alone…. so alon-

No, not alone.

Someone was in here with him.

Someone was inside his head.

He turned and faced one of the burning silver spires and-

Castiel pulled back with a small gasp. He reached up and touched his forehead, he was sweating…. Interesting.

This man wasn't ordinary, even for a non-earthling, he couldn't recognize the planet, or even the name of the planet, and he had a feeling he knew why.