'Here's what's going to happen, you are going to explain everything: why you're here, who you are and how you got in. If I don't buy it I kick you out. Try anything I will kill you. Got it?'

Chas nodded as best he could, given his position.

'Got it.'

Shooting the creature one last glare for good measure John released it and moved to the kitchen. He contemplated taking a knife back in with him but decided against it. This thing had shown it couldn't take him at close range so there was no need to risk giving it an edge– even Chas could do some serious damage with a knife.

Could it really be Chas? John had seen stranger things in his time; in fact the transformation of a good soul into an angel was downright logical in his world. And it was becoming less and less likely that this thing wanted to hurt him. Even the blows thrown could be explained if Chas was telling the truth and he didn't control the wings..

Don't make excuses for it. Let it explain for itself.

He ran his bleeding hand under cold water, trying to concentrate on the cool rushing over his skin, the sharp sting as it came into contact with the cuts, anything but what was sitting mere feet away. He half hoped he'd walk back in to find the room empty, chalk it up to insanity and be done with it. The other half wasn't quite ready to give up the notion that Chas could really be back and real and so close.

He turned off the tap and returned to the living room without bothering to dry his hand. His heart quickened when he saw Chas was still there but he was past trying to interpret what that meant. Chas had his eyes focussed on the chair opposite him as he rubbed idly at his neck.

John swung himself into the chair and leaned forward like an interrogator to his subject. He raised an eyebrow at the creature expectantly, causing Chas to shift uncomfortably in his seat, balled up slightly as though trying to make himself as small as possible. It might have worked if not for the human-sized wings surrounding him which, John noticed, were curled forward protectively.

'Chas,' John said evenly, 'Talk'.

'So you believe me?'

John stared him down. He wasn't saying he believed this creature was Chas but if he had to play it's game to get it to talk so be it. He was too tired to go the other route.

'I got a key from Beeman months ago on the understanding I use it only in demon emergencies or if I think you've drunk yourself into a coma, and any personal use will result in my death-by-bug. Or at least it would have before what happened..' He grimaced. 'That's how I got in anyway.'

John said nothing.

'I didn't know where else to go, John. Everyone thinks I'm dead and if I just turned up it would probably end up, well like this actually,' he rubbed his neck again pointedly and looked up at him.

'John, I meant it when I said I don't know what's going on here. I mean, I'm here because They sent me, but why right here? Right now? What am I supposed to do?'

Chas stopped, that last part sounding a little plaintive for an explanation. He held John's gaze and John saw that his eyes were red.

'I don't know. Don't kill me John, but I really I, I don't know,' he finished with a tired shrug and shook his head vaguely before scrubbing his face with his hands and looking at his shoes.

John said nothing.

The story sounded plausible, angels were sent to Earth to keep the balance, souls did return. John had never heard an angel admit not to know everything before and Chas certainly lacked the arrogant manner that identified his kind, but then John had never met a 'new' angel before. He imagined it was enough to disorient anyone.

Besides, if it were a demon in disguise he'd expect a better cover story.

Most of all though letting it speak freely, this thing felt more like Chas. John had seen him distressed before and he'd curled up in the same way then, (minus the wings). Given his state of course he seemed a little off. In fact the look on his face when John walked in reminded him forcibly of their last meeting, when Chas was more scared than he'd ever seen him.

John sighed to himself, knowing he could argue back and forth all night, but the fact was unless it actually attacked him there was no way to know for sure. He'd seen too much in his life to blindly accept this new development. He reckoned Midnite would know if anyone, but Midnite had recently initiated an appointment policy with him whereby night-time visits were strictly forbidden, something about the name of Constantine being bad for business. There was nothing more he could do tonight.

Exhausted, John looked at the boy and carefully crouched in front of him. He took Chas' face in his hand and ignoring his startled expression held his cheek firmly. After a long moment he spoke.

'You stay here tonight. If I find you've been lying to me, you'll wish I'd killed you when I walked in'.

Chas nodded slowly, whether out of agreement or submission John didn't know. He held his gaze a second longer then moved back to the chair. Chas looked at him incredulously as if to ask if he was seriously going to sit there all night, but seeing no change in John's expression he rolled his eyes and led down on the couch. If it was Chas he knew John wouldn't let his guard down, if it was a demon it knew by now that it wasn't winning any games of will that night.