Crowley watched horrified as Sam was pulling the Demon from out of its vessel with his mind. This boy has become close to the equivalent of Holy Water if he ever decides to use the power on Crowley. In fact, he may just be able to kill him if he so chooses, especially when, not if, he gets more powerful.

It literally terrified him.

It's a dark power no one should be able to have.

Nothing like an Angel using their grace to kill or exorcise the Demon, it hurts, of course it would. But even if it did hurt, that Demon's face was twisted in pain, as if he was slowly being tortured before he was pulled out. Exorcising is painful, borderline on torture. Some hunters even use it as torture.

But none of those could compare to the pain that Crowley could clearly see in the Demons eyes. He looked like he was being torn apart piece by piece and being thrust back to hell while being burned from the inside out. Unable able to breathe, much less scream, as it all happens.

That shouldn't be something any Human should be able to do. And Crowley can only imagine when Sam gets enough juice to be able to kill a demon, it'll be much worse.

Crowley walked through the back entrance to see Dean strolling up to a shocked Sam, the younger man turned around to see Ruby staring at the figure of Crowley in shock and, low key, fear.

"What a neat little trick you got there.", Crowley said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Sam looked like a fish out of water.

"So, anything there you want to tell me Sam?", Dean states rather than asks, his voice hard.

"Okay, just let me explai-."

"Just let me explain?", Dean says, looking confused, "You gonna explain this?"

"Gee, I wonder how you're going to be able to put this in a good light?", Crowley's voice popped in, as he leaned on one of the rustic shelving.

Sam may not be able to tell with the glasses, but from Crowley's tensed posture, the Demon was pissed off. Or at the very least, upset.

The younger Winchester whirled back to his brother.

"Why don't you start with who she is?", Dean demanded, his voice lowering into a whisper, "And what the hell she's doing here?"

Sam looked over to the Demon.

"She's a Demon.", Crowley informed the elder Winchester, "And not one I particularly like at the moment."

Dean turned to the Demon who smiled, "Good to see you again Dean."

"Ruby?", Deans asks, but he already knew, they all did.

He turned to Sam, looking to be one push from losing it.

"Is that Ruby?"

Sam's face told them everything.

Crowley doesn't expect the boys to tell him everything, he's still a Demon after all, he doesn't blame them for being cautious. Demons lie and manipulate, Somewhere, Crowley has done his own fair share in the past as well.

He wouldn't put it past the fact he may have to do it in the future as well.

But he also didn't expect them, specifically Dean, surprisingly, to rely on him so quickly, despite it only being over a week.

He will tell no one this, not even Aziraphale (maybe Aziraphale, kind of already has) but Crowley likes being relied on. Likes helping others. And he never realized this until he became the Nanny for Warlock. Who he still visits by the way. The spoiled kid doesn't get enough attention as he needs. Both he and Adam are going to university soon.

It felt nice.

What Crowley did expect, at least, was to be told things like this.

He is starting to understand Azazel's goals more and more as he spends more time with the Winchesters and Aziraphale keeps informing him on the few going ons he was told or some helpful tid bits he would find in the research he has begun for this... mess.

Mess fits everything perfectly. This entire thing is one giant, chaotic, complicated mess.

Dean snorted, it all happened so fast. One minute they were just standing there, the next, Dean had Ruby slammed against a rusted metal grate, killing demon knife out for a lethal blow, and Sam trying to relentlessly get him to stop.

Crowley just barely managed to catch the poor man that was just possessed minutes prior, who was later dropped by Sam as he rushed to save the Demon from his brother.

"Sorry about that.", Crowley apologized to the rightfully panicking man, who stared up at him wide eyed, "It's all some crazy family business. Didn't mean for you to get stuck in the middle."

The man continued to watch the chaos, while Crowley held an open palm over his ribs, discretely healing his lesser wounds while simultaneously making his more severe internal wounds less, well, severe.

"Ruby, stop it!"

Crowley's head snapped up to see that Sam was off on the opposite than he was earlier, knife in hand, Ruby and Dean have switched places, with Ruby holding Dean up by his throat.

Crowley snarled warningly. Ruby's head jerked to him, eyes wide at the sound. A sound that sounded very much like a vicious hiss of a snake's.

After a moment, Ruby roughly let Dean go, glaring at him angrily before calming herself down.

"Well, aren't you an obedient little bitch.", Dean says hoarsely.

Ruby's glare returned with full force.

"Ruby.", Sam called.

She made no move.

"Ruby.", her eyes flickered to Sam, "He's hurt. Go."

Ruby turned to the man that Crowley held and, with great reluctance, the older Demon gave the man over to the younger former Witch.

"The hell you think you're going?", Dean demanded once Ruby had him secure in her grasp.

"The yar, unless you wanna go another round first?", Ruby retorts sassily.

Sam just gave her a look, one that was pleadingly. Ruby took the hint and left with the man.

The warehouse fell into silence before Crowely turned to Sam, shook his head in disbelief, and began to leave.

"I'm done here.", he said stoically with a wave over his shoulder.

"What...?", Sam asks, eyes filled with hurt as he stared at Crowley's retreating figure in confusion.

"Hold on Crowley, I called you to talk, remember?", Dean called out.

Crowley froze and sighs, opening his phone and speed dialing a certain number.

"Crowley?"

"Hey Angel.", Crowley quietly says tiredly, not even caring that the boys could hear, at least, his side of the conversation, "Listen I'm Miracling the Bentley to you, mind watching over it for me? I'm hitching a ride with someone else."

"Of course, but are you alright?"

Crowley sighs, "I'll tell you about it later Angel. I just saw something that left me in shock is all. I'm fine."

There's a small pause before Aziraphale answered.

"Alright, send the Bentley over, and you better call soon."

Crowley chuckled, "I'll try Angel."

He shut the phone, wiggled his fingers at a direction at the back of the warehouse before turning to Dean.

"Ready when you are kid."

Dean stares at Sam a little longer.

"Dean.", Sam calls.

Dean ignores him and just walks out, with Crowley right behind him.

"Dean, Crowley!", Sam calls out louder.

But was, once again, ignored.

...

"So.", Crowley starts, "I'm guessing you want to talk about your little trip back in time."

Dean glances at the Demon, before focusing back on the road.

"What did you know?", Dean asked stiffly.

"The exact same as you, a whole butt load of nothing. I only knew he was making deals and I was placed there with him to keep an eye on good old Azael, or it could've been the other way around.", Crowley answered, "In my own way, I've been slowly rebelling from Hell. It wasn't until after your parents were married, but some years before the fire and the death of your mother, I finally outright rebelled from Hell and stopped the Armageddon-that-never-happened."

"Wait, you mean to say this isn't the first apocalypse?", Dean tried to make sense of the new information, "And you stopped it?"

"Yes, bloody irritating that there is another on its way.", Crowley sighed, "But I didn't stop it alone, I had help from an... odd group you would say."

"How odd?"

Crowley gave Dean an unreadable look before facing forward towards the road.

Dean sighs, but took the hint.

"I did find something else out. Another puzzle to Azazel's plan.", Dean changed the topic, "Those deals, they were all so he could get to the children."

"I know that now, just like you.", Crowley stated, "Where are you going with this?"

"The point is, he created his psychics by feeding them his blood, Demon blood, when they were all babies. That's what he did to Sammy."

Crowley hummed, deep in thought.

"Humans aren't meant to have that much power.", Crowley says thoughtfully, "And your brother shouldn't have the juice to do what he just did. He needs something. Something a bit like a power up to him. I wouldn't be surprised if Ruby was suppling him with that power up."

Dean nodded before turning to Crowley, "You think you can dig up whatever is giving him that kind of juice?"

Crowley sighs, running his hand through his hair, "I'll do a little digging, get someone I know on it, he has sources that date back to the beginning of creation, if anyone should have something, he would. But it will take a while kid, and I make no promises that it'll turn out to be anything good."

Dean's jaw clenched as his grip tightened on the wheel.

"I know, just find out what you can."

Crowley stared at Dean for a moment. He wanted to say something else too.

He meant what he said when he told Dean that Humans shouldn't wield as much power as Sam does. He also wanted to say that the more of this 'power up' that he takes, the more powerful he will be. And the more powerful he will become, the more that kind of power will get to his head. It will change Sam. Change Dean's brother.

It's not something that Crowley wanted to make Dean aware, he had a feeling that Dean somehow already knew, but he had to at least say something, get it out in the open at least.

So, Crowley opened his mouth and spoke.

"I meant what I said back then, I wished I could've done something to stop it, but there was nothing I could do during that time.", Crowley said instead, he didn't regret the change, "I'm not sure if you could tell, but I was a little different than how I am now."

He couldn't put any more weight on Dean's shoulder. The kid knew. And Crowley knew that he would do everything in his power to stop it. He'll trust him with this task.

Dean glanced at Crowley out of the corner of his eyes for a moment, then they flickered back to the road. The two falling into a contemplative silence, not an uncomfortable one, but not really a comfortable one either. The silence was actually like a heavy one.

The sun slowly rose up, as the two rode the Impala down several roads and highways, while morning rose, the sun remained hidden behind dark clouds. Indicating a small chance of a storm later on.

"I noticed enough.", Dean finally spoke up after a while, "I noticed enough, little things to put together enough of a picture to understand where you stood. How you drew the yellow eyed Demon's attention away from us, how you tried to give us the little information you had, how you were there when Mary, my mom, made the deal and my grandfather died. You did everything from the shadows, you were less out-spoken than you are now."

Crowley stared at Dean eyebrows raised, indicating he was listening, but his expression revealed none of his thoughts.

Dean parked the car in front of the motel he and Sam were staying at before turning to Crowely.

"I don't blame anything on you.", Dean told Crowley, "I understand what Hell is like, and seeing that this is how you came out of it, not unscathed, but still relatively good enough to save the world from not one, but two Apocalypses? I can honestly say, you're a good guy, a bastard with a silver tongue, but a good guy."

Crowley chuckled with a soft smile, "Don't tell angel that, he'll gloat and hold it over my head for centuries. He's obnoxious like that. Whenever you should need me, call and I shall be there."

And with that said, Crowley was gone. Leaving Dean to return to his brother.

...

Crowley sat at the Frizt, swirling his glass of wine, Azirphale sat across from him, telling him some story about an unsavory customer that wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Crowley?"

The Demon didn't hear his companion calling out his name in order to gain his attention, too deep in his own thoughts.

"Crowley!?"

Crowley jumped, looking at Azirphale who stared at him worryingly, the Demon grimaced in guilt. He invited his Angel here for brunch in order to make up for some loss time and in order to get his mind off of Sam and his powers. Not worry him even more before he has to leave and go back.

He took a quick sip of his wine.

"Sorry.", he said.

That was obviously not the right thing to say. For Aziraphale's eye brows furrowed even more and he quickly scooted his chair closer. Crowley couldn't help but groan, he knew what was coming. Aziraphale, the adorable Angel that he is, was going to give a nice long talk, or lecture, whatever was needed.

And Crowley knew that it would help him, Crowley being, well, Crowley, he prefers avoiding a lot of his problems like this anyway. Aziraphale is the only one that can talk sense into Crowley and get the Demon to let him help.

"Crowley, you rarely apologize, last time you did, the world was ending and you wanted me to run away with you when you thought we weren't going to be able to stop it.", Aziraphale leaned forward and grabbed Crowley's unoccupied hand, "What's wrong?"

Crowley stared at Aziraphale, trying to resist his Angel. Like that has ever worked before. It wasn't long before he gave in with a sigh.

"It's just that... you see... urgh!", Crowley placed down his wine glass, holding his head with the now free hand, "I'm sorry Angel, it's hard for me to talk about. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it."

Aziraphale gave him a nice small knowing smile, his eyes twinkling as he gazed upon Crowley

"You don't have to tell me much Crowley.", Aziraphale assured, "Just let me be there for you. Isn't that what we promised each other?"

The Angels thumb rubbed soothing circles on the back of the Demon's hand, thick bands on their left ring fingers glinting in the restaurant's light.

A dirty golden one on Crowley's and a shiny silver-black one on Aziraphale's.

Crowley looked down at their conjoined hands before return Aziraphale's smile with a soft one of his own. His uneasiness lifting from his shoulders as clarity returned to his mind.

He always chuckled to himself over the effect Aziraphale has on him. With no qualms, Crowley would always admit that he is absolutely smitten with his Angel.

"Thanks Angel, it helped.", Crowley smiled, his usual mischief returning as he peered over his glasses, "As usual."

"That's what I'm here for.", Azirphale agreed, "It's what we vowed after all."

Crowley smirked, eyeing their paired rings, "I intend to keep my vow."

...

It was two days after that morning, and Crowley was driving down the highway, following a lead to one of Ruby's underground contacts.

She's the one that is giving Sam all his information, which means, she must also be the one that is providing him with a 'power-up' of some sort.

Crowley has already asked Aziraphale to research through his books, though both feel he may not be able to find it, but the two are determined to cover all their bases. So, while Aziraphale searched through his abyss known as a book shop, Crowley decided to head out and track down Ruby's contacts one by one.

It's taking him longer than he would have liked, having to be extra careful to cover his tracks so the demoness wouldn't find out what he was trying to do, but he finally found a solid lead to one of her said contacts.

He was driving there right now in his Bentley when his phone rang.

After some digging, Crowley freed the device from his pocket, flipped it opened and answered without even looking to see who was calling.

"Hello?"

"Crowley? Do you mind coming here? I need your help.", Sam's voice came through the phone.

Crowley was tempted to hang up, but he stayed on anyway, despite his better judgment.

"What is it?", Crowley asked instead.

There was a sigh of relief from the other end, something told Crowley that Sam expected him to hang up the minute he realized Sam was the one who was calling too.

"Look, your good, for a Demon, right?", Sam asked.

Crowley raised a brow; don't hunters think all Demons evil? Where is this coming from?

"You could say that, I'm no saint, I'm still a Demon after all, but I'm better than others.", Crowley answered, his voice skeptical.

"Okay, great!", Sam sounded relieved and a little excited, "I need your help convincing Dean about a Monster, okay? Please Crowley."

After a minute of silence, Crowley sighed, he's been doing that a lot lately.

"Alright, tell me where you are, I'm coming."

...

It was late at night by the time Crowley got there, meeting Sam outside the motel door before being hurriedly rushed inside. Where Dean and an old hunter were building homemade flamethrowers.

Crowley glared at Sam. He does not feel like being under a suspicious gaze for an unknown amount of time that would be, undoubtedly, too long for Crowley.

"Not wasting any time? Are you?", Sam asks striding forward.

"None to waste.", the hunter replied, giving Crowley a questioning stare but said nothing, maybe waiting to see why Sam brought him, "The guy hulks out, we won't be finding bodies, just remains."

Dean was also giving Crowley a questioning look, Crowley just gave him a shrug in return, showcasing his own confusion. He was also still a little lost as to why Sam wanted him there.

Sam joined them at the table, Crowley remained were he stood.

"Yeah well, what if he doesn't, hulk out?", Sam asks giving the two a pointed stare, "I did a little homework, I've been checking out the lore on Rougarou's."

"What, my thirty years of experience ain't good enough for you?", the hunter asked, a little defensively if you ask Crowley.

"Wha-? No! No no no.", Sam answered, Dean was staring at his brother intently, waiting for him to get to the point.

Granted, so was Crowley, kid seemed he had it handled, more or less, so why is he here again?

"I just wanted to be prepared.", Sam stated, "I mean not that you didn't-."

"Sam loves research.", Dean cuts in, giving his brother an out, "He does. He keeps it under his mattress right next to his K-Y. It's a sickness. It is."

Crowley coughed into his fist to hide the snort that he was trying to hold back. The new hunter didn't seem to notice, he was also laughing, but Sam and Dean did, the former shooting him a glare while the later just smirked in victory.

"Look,", Sam recalled their attention, ", everything you said checked out, of course. But, uh, I found a couple of interesting stories about people who have this Rougarou gene or whatever. See, they start to turn, but they never take the final step."

"Really?", Dean said, now interested.

"See, if they never eat human flesh, they don't fully transform.", Sam got to his point.

"So, what... Go vegan stay human?", Dean asks.

"Basically.", Sam agrees, "Or in this case, eat a lot of raw meat, just not-."

"Lone pig.", Dean finishes.

"Right."

Crowley can see where Sam is going with this, it is a valid concern and point to bring up in a case like this, if Crowley is pulling all the clues and hints together correctly, which he is. But the one thing Crowley still is unsure about, is the reason why he was there.

Both brothers turned to the older hunter for his say in the conversation.

He just stared at Sam with this look and a unnerving grin that rubbed Crowley the wrong way.

"Good on you for the due diligence Sam.", the hunter praised, but it sounded more like he was mocking Sam if anything.

The hunter got up and walked away, mug in hand.

"But those are Fairy Tales.", the hunter said with finality as he refilled his coffee, "Fact is, every Rougarou I ever saw or heard of... took that bite."

"Okay, well, that doesn't mean Jack will.", Sam says standing up, "Hunters have never seen a Demon save two kids from a vampire just because he could."

"Where on Earth did you hear something like that?", the hunter laughed in disbelief taking a sip from his coffee.

Oh, Someone help him, he's made a mistake. Crowley mentally kicked himself as he immediately regretted not hanging up the phone when Sam called like should've.

"Travis, meet Crowley.", Sam introduced, "He's-."

"One of the kids that was rescued from the vamp.", Dean quickly said getting up from his seat.

Oh thank Someone, next time Crowley meets up with the boys he is bringing Dean an entire pie, all to himself.

"Yeah, Crowley here got out just fine. Said the person who saved him had black eyes. Dragged the vamp right out of the room and disappeared.", Dean pats Crowley on the back with a smile, "You see- um- Sam and I came across this a month or so ago and confronted him about it. Now, he helps look up cases and information for us when we need it."

"Anthony J. Crowley.", Crowley said with his hand out, "I'd say it's a pleasure, but I had no idea I was coming and that you were here."

Travis gave Crowley's hand a firm shake, Crowley did the same. Travis nodded with a smile, satisfied.

He turned to Sam, "Listen, I don't believe that a Demon saved a couple of kids for nothing, vamp probably owed it something and it just came at the right time in order to save those kids."

He nods to Crowley in acknowledgment towards the fact that it happened, but was truthful how he didn't believe it was out of the goodness of the demon's heart.

"But here's the question.", Travis says, not done, "What do we do? Sit and hope and wait for a body count?"

"No, we talk to him, explain what's happening.", Sam said pleadingly, "That way he can fight it."

"Fight it?", Travis scoffs, chuckling at the idea, "Are you kidding me? You ever been really hungry? I mean, haven't-eaten-in-days hungry?"

"Yeah.", Dean says.

Crowley is not sure if he believed that or not. But knowing how shitty John's parenting skills were, he's leaning more towards believing it.

"Never felt it, but I've seen it.", answers Crowley stoically.

"Yeah. Right then.", Travis nods, "Somebody slaps you a big juicy sirloin in front of you, you walking away? Hmm?"

Dean expression showed he got the point. Crowley got the point too, if he was a part of this thing, he'd honestly be fine with going either way. Both are good points, but the question is, would they be willing to risk multiple lives just for one man's?

Here's the thing that Crowley always loves to watch when it comes to Humans.

Their decisions.

Crowley gave them the power to choose when he tempted Eve to take the forbidden fruit, now he enjoys watching Humans faced with delimas such as this one that only has two choices, and neither of them are very preferable. Whatever they chose, shapes who they become.

And it is such a sweet thing to watch.

How the Humans choose, then how they grow. Whether the choice was a mistake or not, the Humans still learn to grow and evolve with that choice. Crowley loved to watch the ones who learn from their mistakes, and use them to lead their life for the better.

Humans, Heaven, and Hell call the Garden of Eden Paradise.

And maybe it was once upon a time.

But for Crowley, here on Earth, with Humanity and their choices, and best of all, his Angel. Earth is his Paradise.

"That's what we are to him now...", Travis's voice brought him back to the present, "Meat on legs. I'm sorry. I'm sure he's a stand-up guy. But it's pure, base instinct. Everything in nature's got to eat. You think he can stop himself cause he's nice?"

There was a pause before Sam finally spoke up again.

"I don't know."

Crowley felt rage bubble deep inside him. Not enough to spill, but it was enough.

"But we're not going to kill him unless he does something to get killed for.", Sam finishes determinedly.

There was tense silence.

Then Crowley's voice broke it.

"Sam. A word.", his voice was cold and emotionless as left outside, with Sam close behind.

He didn't say anything. Crowley just continued to walk out the motel, hands in his pockets and down to an alley way for some privacy. Sam didn't falter once in following him.

Sam sighed, already knowing what this was about.

"Listen, Crowley, I-."

The youngest Winchester jumped when Crowley suddenly violently kicked a trash can over and several feet down the alley.

"What The Bloody Hell Were You Thinking!?", Crowley shouts, whirling around to face, "Were You Honestly Just Going Tell A HUNTER That I'm A DEMON!?"

"Crowley listen, he needs to see that some monsters can be good, have the ability to be good.", Sam pleaded insistently.

"What?", snaps Crowley, "All I am is a monster doing good to you?"

Sam looked like he frozen, unsure on what to say at first.

"N-no, Crowley, look I just needed help proving my point.", Sam said, "I thought you'd come through for me."

Crowley snarls, "No! Don't you do that to me! Try to make me feel guilty! You forget, with Hell or not, I'm still a Demon."

"Not a very good one then, are you?", retorts Sam.

Crowley scowled.

"You put my life on the line for a POINT!", shouts Crowley, "If it weren't for your brother, there's a chance I'd be nothing but a puddle of goop at your feet this very moment."

"But-!"

Crowley slammed Sam against the brick wall.

"Listen VERY closely Winchester. This body is mine, no possession, nothing. I'm the last Demon to have been issued a coperate form, all the others are dead. So. I am both harder and easier to kill.", snarled Crowley, "Do you know how close you were to making that a reality over a stupid point! Yes, you have a point, this Jack-fella is no monster yet, but there is still a high chance that he will be. Are you willing to risk others' lives just to spare the one?"

Sam just stared at him wide eyed. Crowley scowled and shoved him away, putting some much-needed space between the two.

"I help you and the first thing you do is use my life to your will's content.", Crowley adjusted his jacket, much rougher than needed, as he walked out of the alley, "Don't bother calling. If you need help, get Dean to call."

With that Crowley stormed to the Bentley, slamming the door shut behind him, and drove off with the volume as loud as it could go. Crowley didn't want to think or dwell about anything. So, he used the loud music to drown the music away until he was able to think clearly again.