Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

Background: See Chapter 1.

A/N: See Chapter 1. This is the final chapter of this story! Thanks for reading and reviewing! :-) Catch ya at the sequel and prequel (when I've finished writing them)! Apologies for being late in posting this final chapter. Overtime at work...

Beta: Lady of the Shards

Chapter 5 – What Now?

Alec – he was Alec now, not just 494 – laid on the bed of the motel he had checked into for the night.

Manticore was gone. Manticore themselves had burned the facility to the ground after Max had used Eye's Only to expose them. He saw it with his own eyes (as there had been no one outside to attack them).

Alec wasn't sure how he felt about that. After all, he knew where he belonged there. Out here in the world, Alec had no idea.

He could adapt though. It shouldn't be too hard, right? He had a name at least.

There was the sound of fluttering wings and Alec wasn't surprised anymore. Castiel seemed to show up whenever Alec needed him, whether Alec realized it or not – or wanted him to be there or not.

Alec looked up at Castiel and was surprised at the look on his face, especially since he wasn't looking at anything in particular. It was a look that was a cross between profound sadness and fondness.

"Are you all right?" asked Alec to Castiel as he sat up in the bed.

Castiel inclined his head and said, "I'm fine. I'm just remembering a fond memory." Castiel tilted his head and looked at Alec and said, "What of you, Alec," Alec was surprised – it was the first time Castiel had addressed him by a name and not 'young one,' especially since he refused to refer to Alec by his designation, "are you well after your evening?"

"How did you know what Max named me?" asked Alec, ignoring the question in lieu of getting an answer to his question.

Castiel smiled slightly, another first for Alec, and said, "Max was right. It suits you."

Alec frowned and said, "You were there when she named me?"

"No," said Castiel.

"Then how did you know?" asked Alec.

"You are my charge and I was checking in on you from where I was in Heaven when I saw her name you. I'm glad I did," explained Castiel matter of factly.

"Heaven?" asked Alec.

Castiel inclined his head slightly, face again blank, and asked, "You've never suspected what I might be?"

Alec shook his head. He had no real time or resources to search for what Castiel might be though, to be honest, Alec never really tried very hard despite all the hints Castiel had dropped.

Castiel stared at Alec – as Castiel tended to do when he was making a decision – before he said, "I'm an Angel of the Lord."

Before Alec could do or say anything to that statement, it was as if Castiel caused lightening behind him. Suddenly there was the silhouette of two black wings behind him that rose up, as did the hair on the back of Alec's neck warning him of potential danger, and stayed there for a minute before Castiel subtly relaxed himself and the wings, and lightening, disappeared.

Alec was silent for a few minutes as he relaxed himself while Castiel watched him silently. Then Alec let out an impressed noise and said, "Wow. Those are impressive."

Castiel simply said, "Thank you."

"So an angel?" asked Alec after a few more minutes of silence.

"Yes," said Castiel.

"As in God?" asked Alec. Manticore had taught them the basics of all religions. He wasn't a believer though. How could he be in that place?

"Yes," said Castiel, again, watching Alec intently.

"And you've been watching me? Saving me?" asked Alec.

"Yes," said Castiel for a third time.

"Why?" asked Alec. "Why me?"

Castiel tilted his head slightly to the side and said, "Perhaps it's because you've asked that question is the reason you needed saved."

Alec was confused and asked, "What?"

"You are not the first person I have saved who has asked that question and he, too, deserved to be saved. You and he are more alike than you realize," said Castiel with a tiny, fond smile.

Alec didn't know what to say to that, but he assumed it was a good thing judging but the tone of voice Castiel had and the tiny smile on his normally blank face.

Castiel focused his attention back on Alec and said, "Now answer my previous question, Alec. Are you well this evening?"

Alec shrugged and said, "No injuries that won't heal with time."

"I can heal them for you," said Castiel, already moving towards him.

Alec moved quickly, not quite blurring, back from Castiel and said, "No. I deserve these ones."

Castiel stopped in his movements, stared and said, "You didn't know they had injected Max before you got your mission and by then it was too late to do anything. It's not your fault."

"I could have warned her," argued Alec.

"You know as well as I, that Max would not have believed you. She would have thought it was a trick," explained Castiel.

Alec sighed, stood up from the bed and said, "I know, but –"

"Logan Cale is well. It is not his time to die," said Castiel.

"Yeah?" asked Alec looking at Castiel.

Castiel simply inclined his head as if knowing Alec needed the reassurance.

"Is there anything you can do about the virus in Max?" asked Alec after a moment.

Castiel suddenly looked sad and said, "No."

"Why not?" asked Alec, angrily.

"It still has a role to play and there are certain things, I have learned, that I can't interfere with," explained Castiel.

Alec still looked angry.

"I promise you, Alec, that the moment I am able to, I will heal your friend, Max," promised Castiel as Alec snorted. "She is your friend, Alec, don't ever doubt it. It may not seem like it now, but you will be very good friends."

They were both silent as Alec absorbed what Castiel had said and thought about it.

"Well what am I suppose to do now? What's my mission?" asked Alec, looking perhaps a little loss.

"Survive," said Castiel, even more serious than usual.

"Survive?" repeated Alec, raising an eyebrow, somewhat amused.

Castiel nodded once and said, "Live your life as you want now. You have free will now. You get to make your own decisions and live with the consequences of those decisions."

Alec smiled and said, "Yeah, I guess I do now."

"If you ever need me, and I'm not already there, pray directly to me and I will come," said Castiel and after Alec nodded, somewhat confusedly, he disappeared.

Alec stood stock still in the motel room for a moment, wondering what to do now that he was alone before the answer came to him.

Women.

He wondered, as he left the motel room, if he could find anyone like Lola around here.