CHAPTER FOUR

"People who try hard to do the right thing always seem mad."

Stephen King

"No," Castiel said, shaking his head. "She has to die."

He moved immediately towards the back room, but the small one, Sam and Dean's sister immediately moved, interjecting herself in Castiel's direct path to the room where Anna was hiding.

He looked down at her in surprise. He could feel the fear the radiated off of her, she was perfectly aware that Castiel could smite her, could end her with a simple snap of his fingers. And yet, here she was standing before him, feet firmly planted on the ground, hands clenched into trembling fists at her sides.

Her blue eyes stared up into his, wide and full of fear and something else he could not quite place.

"Stop," Ariel said, and despite the fact that she was obviously terrified her voice remained steady. "This isn't right."

Dean and Sam were looking anxiously at their sister, obviously not liking how she had moved potentially into harm's way. If she was anything like either of them, neither Sam nor Dean should have been surprised.

"You don't understand," Castiel said.

None of them did. He didn't want to do this, but orders were orders. Anna had to die.

"Then explain it to us," Ariel was gazing up at him imploringly now as if that would help their case. "We saved her, you could at least give us an explanation."

"Yeah," Sam spoke up suddenly, in agreement with his sister. "Why do you want Anna?"

He succeeded in drawing away both Castiel and Uriel's attention away from Ariel for a moment, but Castiel could still feeling Ariel looking at him, gaze unwavering.

He had only met her once briefly, but to Ariel's credit, she had made an impression. While her Uncle and Brother had been staring at him in shock as he approached them in the warehouse, she had fired off the first few shots. She had been scared then too, unsure of who or what he was, and yet she had not hesitated. Just like she hadn't hesitated to put herself in the direct path of Castiel and Anna, even though she knew it would not do much good.

Castiel could remember clearly what she had said to him that night too, her voice ringing out clearly as she looked at him in shock.

"I saw you. In a dream."

Castiel had thought about that moment a lot since then, wondering just why Ariel had been dreaming of him in the first place. He knew for a fact that she had not been lying, and in fact, could think of no reason why she would. He also knew she was not a Prophet or a psychic. So what sense did it make for Ariel Winchester to be having dreams about Castiel?

She didn't know either, and that night weeks beforehand she had seemed confused and… almost hopeful that he would have an explanation for her.

She was hopeful now too, Castiel realized. Hopeful that he would change his mind, decide not to kill Anna, and would turn around and leave the way he had come, taking Uriel with him.

"Out of the way," Uriel boomed, unimpressed with the line of opposition the Winchesters had formed between them and Anna.

"No!" Ariel snapped, turning her attention to Uriel now and narrowing her eyes into a glare. She was scared of him too, Castiel realized but was better at hiding it. There were no conflicting thoughts or emotions for Uriel, only a fierce determination to keep him away from Anna.

"Whoa whoa whoa," Dean said, holding his hands up in surrender. Castiel knew he didn't want Ariel anywhere near the angels, his protectiveness for his little sister almost overwhelming. Better to just draw their attention to him. "Okay, I know she's wiretapping your angel chats or whatever, but it's no reason to gank her."

"Don't worry, I'll kill her gentle," Uriel sneered.

Castiel felt a spark of rage from Ariel, her emotions turbulent and easy to read. She opened her mouth to say something to Uriel but Dean cut her off with his familiar, judgemental tone.

"You're some heartless sons of bitches, you know that?"

"As a matter of fact, we are," Castiel agreed, uncaring that it had been meant as an insult. He was a soldier, he wasn't meant to get caught up in emotions. He had jobs to do and he did them. "And?"

"And she's an innocent girl," Ariel huffed. "And you're angels. You're supposed to be good. You're supposed to help people. Do you just… go around killing any human who's a minor inconvenience to you?"

"Would you like to find out?" Uriel took a step closer and, to her credit, Ariel did not flinch away but met his gaze evenly, jaw set stubbornly.

She would not be so easily intimidated, even if the prospect of fighting an angel scared her.

Castiel couldn't help but admire that. She would be a good soldier, willing to face her fears instead of run from them. At least, she would be a good soldier if she didn't succumb to her emotions so easily.

"She is far from innocent," Castiel told her, though he didn't elaborate further. They didn't need to know any more than that.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked, confusion plastered across his face.

"It means she's worse than that abomination you've been screwing," Uriel yelled, gesturing vaguely towards the back room where they knew Ruby was hiding with Anna. "Now give us the girl."

"Sorry," Dean said snidely. "Get yourself another one. Try JDate."

"Who's gonna stop us?" Uriel chuckled, obviously amused that they actually thought they could stop them. "You three? That demon whore in there?"

Uriel moved to go towards the room again but Sam moved to intercept them. With a simple jerk of his hand, Uriel sent Sam flying back against the far wall of the room, earning a groan of pain from man.

Castiel had grown tired of this conversation as well and made to move around Ariel, but she reached out suddenly, placing a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Wait," she pleaded. "It doesn't have to be like this."

She sounded so hopeful, so unlike her brothers in her more gentle approach. Was this really the same girl who had opened fire on him that night in the warehouse?

Castiel looked down on her small hand resting on his arm for a moment, before looking back up at her, unsure whether he was annoyed or impressed that she was trying so valiantly to appeal to his better nature.

She didn't understand, and her ignorance was not her fault, and so it was better to not think anything about it at all. Without a word, he reached up to place two fingers to her forehead, watching as her eyes fluttered shut and she crumpled to the ground.

"Damnit Cas!" Dean yelled, looking between his brother and sister, unsure which to help first. Finally, he settled on Sam, running at Uriel who grinned wickedly.

"I've been waiting for this!" Uriel drew his fist back before punching Dean in the face, sending him staggering back.

Uriel had never been the stoic, unfeeling warrior that Castiel prided himself on being. He had always easily succumbed to his anger and this was a prime example of it. Dean Winchester was the last person in the world he needed to be engaging in a fist fight.

Without a word, Castiel moved forward to put a stop to the fight, but before he could make it to them a blinding light filled the room.

And then there was nothing.

The drive to Pamela's house was long, a longer drive than Ariel actually felt like making at the moment, but she knew she would have a far better chance convincing Pamela to help them out than either Sam or Dean would.

After last time, after she had been blinded, Ariel wouldn't blame the woman if she told them all to go to Hell. Maybe they deserved it for even dragging Pamela into everything in the first place.

The guilt that Ariel felt over the whole thing left a sour taste in her mouth. They had asked Pamela to help them find answers, they had gone to her and asked for a favor, and out of the goodness of her heart, she had agreed. Ariel knew that even going back to her with another favor was more than they had any right to ask for.

But they had nowhere else to turn. They needed answers from Anna that Anna was unable to give simply because she didn't remember. Pamela would hopefully be able to tap into those memories.

Everything surrounding Anna was really one big question mark. Why did she have these abilities? Why did the angels want her dead? Why had they called her an abomination? What were they going to do about Anna moving forward? If demons were after her that sucked but they knew how to ward against demons. But angels trying to kill her? They didn't know how to deal with that, really.

Except…

Anna had drawn a sigil with her blood on the back of the door in the backroom that had cast Castiel and the other angel, Uriel, away.

After Sam and Dean had coaxed Ariel awake they had pointed out the sigil and Ariel had snapped a picture of it with the old Polaroid that she carried with her on hunts for occasions just like that.

Ariel and Bobby's house was clearly the safest place for Anna, at least as far as protecting her from demons, so Sam and Dean had taken Anna and Ruby there and Ariel… well, she was just fine being the one to go get Pamela. They needed answers, and Pamela was their best bet on getting them.

Now Ariel sat in the driver's seat of her Charger, trying to work up the nerve to walk up to Pamela's front door. She already knew they were coming, Ariel had called her before she had even started the drive, but it was one thing to talk to her on the phone and another thing to be faced with her in person after what happened.

Since Pamela had been blinded Ariel had called her once a week ever since, like clockwork with the intention of checking on her friend and making sure everything was going okay. Pamela had seemed exasperated by the special attention mostly but had also seemed to realize that nothing she could stay would get Ariel to stop. If she didn't answer the phone, Ariel and Bobby would assume the worst and just drive to check on her.

Sucking in a breath, Ariel pushed her car door open and stepped out into the sunlight, feeling impossibly tired. She had driven through the night, stopping only for gas and food and exhaustion had settled into the core of her very bones. She knew it was optimistic to assume that when she got Pamela back to the house that she'd get to rest.

She had mounted the steps and had barely knocked twice before the door was swung open by Pamela who peered at Ariel with pure white eyes.

No, Ariel corrected herself. Pamela didn't peer at anything anymore. Castiel had burned her eyes away and these would be poor replacements made of glass or plastic.

"Hey," Ariel said after a moment, unsure of what else to say.

"Hey kiddo," Pamela gestured her inside, closing the door behind her to keep the cold out.

It was dark inside the house, Pamela obviously not having much use for lights anymore. Without a word, Ariel reached out to flick the switch on.

"So you need me to dive into a girl's mind," Pamela commented, moving past Ariel and into the living room where she immediately sat in her recliner.

"Just to get a little sneak peek," Ariel elaborated, taking a seat on the couch. "Look into the things that she can't remember. We think it will help."

"'We' being you and your brothers."

"Uncle Bobby has an idea of what's going on," Ariel told her quickly. "Look I know what he said before he left, but I already did the reckless thing. And now we have to deal with the aftermath. Which I need your help for."

"You must be really in need of my help if you're asking for a favor to help you with angels after what happened last time," Pamela said. As always she was blunt and straight to the point.

Ariel opened her mouth, as if to say something but paused, mouth agape, when she realized she didn't know what to say. Pamela had addressed exactly what made Ariel uncomfortable about the whole situation, as was her habit. But still, Ariel was surprised and awkward because Pamela had really hit the nail on the head with that one.

"Well… I uh-"

Pamela laughed then, tilting her head back as a smile spread across her face. Ariel was glad that at least one of them found this situation amusing.

"Relax, Ari. I'm screwing with you. I don't blame you for what happened before. And you don't have to feel bad about asking for my help now. I'm your friend Ari. There isn't a whole lot that I wouldn't do for you."

Ariel blinked, Pamela's words hitting home. Ariel knew the other woman wasn't the sentimental type, knew that she didn't say things she didn't mean. It made her words heavier, more meaningful.

"Thank you," Ariel said finally, feeling as if she were on the verge of tears. It was one thing for Bobby or her brothers to say things like that, they were family. Pamela had no obligations to Ari, could tell her to go to Hell and really wash her hands of her. But, no. Pamela was her friend. It meant more to Ariel than she could ever put into words.

"Don't mention it, kid. So I guess we should be off then. I can drive if you want."

Ariel's laughter, clear and bright as a bell, filled the house then, and for the first time in the past day, Ariel felt like for once things might go their way.

Sam and Dean both looked up at the sound of the basement door opening, footsteps following a moment later.

Ariel had called to let them know that she was on her way back with Pamela, but neither of her brothers had expected her back so soon. She must have sped the whole way home.

They walked through the door a moment later, Ariel leading the way and looking tired as hell, with Pamela behind her, wearing a pair of dark sunglasses.

"Pamela," Sam said, standing up. He had only met the woman once, but already he felt a sort of fondness for her. It was well-deserved, in any case. She had been blinded trying to help them after all. "Hey."

"Sam?"

"Yeah."

She reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Sam, is that you?" She asked.

"I'm right here," he assured her, patting her hand in a consoling manner. He couldn't imagine the kind of adjustment it would take from being able to see beyond what normal people could to being about to see virtually nothing.

"Oh. Know how I can tell?" Pamela reached around them, grabbing a handful of Sam's ass and smirking when he gave a yelp of surprise. "That perky little ass of yours," she explained. "You could bounce a nickel off that thing."

Sam stared at her for a moment, astounded by how blunt she was. He didn't mind so much, really, but her forwardness would take some getting used to.

"Ew," Ariel commented, earning a snort of laughter from Dean. She moved forward, taking Sam's now vacated seat and stifling a huge yawn. She had to be tired, Sam knew. They were all tired.

"Of course I know it's you, Grumpy," Pamela said, patting his shoulder and smiling playfully. "Same way I know that's a demon," she tilted her head in Ruby's direction. "And that poor girl's Anna and that you've been eyeing my rack."

"Ew," Ariel repeated boredly while Sam stammered, too surprised to even attempt to defend himself.

"Don't sweat it, kiddo. It's like I keep trying to tell Ari, I still got more senses than most."

"Got it," Sam said weakly, once he was finally able to get coherent words out. He moved to take a seat next to Ariel, noting that both Dean and Ruby looked amused at his struggle.

Bastards

"Hey, Anna. How are you?" Pamela asked kindly, crouching down next to the bed where Anna sat. "I'm Pamela."

For the most part, Anna had kept quiet, laying down briefly, but Sam didn't think she had been able to sleep. He couldn't blame her either, there was a lot going on and her entire life had just been uprooted. She had been keeping mostly to herself, sitting in silence while Sam and Dean worked to figure out the plan moving forward.

Now that she was faced with Pamela, Anna managed a weak smile despite the fact that Anna could not see it. "Hi."

"Ariel told me what's been going on," Pamela explained patiently. She wasn't being her usual blunt self here, and Sam appreciated. They didn't need Anna anymore nervous than she already was. "I'm excited to help."

"Oh," Anna sounded surprised. "That's nice of you."

"Oh, well, not really. Any chance I can dick over an angel, I'm taking it."

There she was, typical Pamela shining through. From beside him, Sam heard Ariel let out a tiny chuckle, shaking her head slightly.

"Why?" Anna asked curiously.

"They took something from me," Pamela explained before taking her sunglasses off, revealing her eyes to Anna. Sam wasn't sure what condition she was in, if her eye sockets had been left empty or if she had gotten something to fill them. Sam genuinely hoped it was the latter.

Pamela slid the sunglasses back on and gave Anna a humorless smile. "Demon-y, I know. But they're good for business. Makes me look extra-psychic, don't you think? Now, how about you tell me what your deal is, hmmm. Don't you worry."

Somehow, Sam doubted that made her worry any less.

Pamela reached forward, easing Anna down to lay flat on the bed, her head pressed into the pillow and her hands clenching and unclenching into fists at her side. She was nervous, and Sam couldn't blame her.

"Alright," Pamela said, straightening up. "I want you to get nice and relaxed. Now, I'm going to count down from five to zero. When we're at zero you'll be in a deep state of hypnosis. As I count, just go deeper and deeper, okay?" Pamela spoke so matter-of-factly, her words leaving absolutely no doubt that it would work. Sam couldn't help but wonder how many times she had done this very thing before.

"5… 4… 3… 2… 1. Deep sleep," Pamela said soothingly. "Deep sleep. Every muscle calm and relaxed. Can you hear me?"

"I can hear you," Anna responded promptly, her eyes closed and her body stock still. Her voice came out monotonous, almost like a robot. It sent a chill of Sam's spine.

The other's had moved closer now, he noticed. Dean and Ruby had both had their interests piqued and had wandered over, Ruby keeping a good distance away, but Dean was just over Pamela's shoulder, peering directly down at Anna.

Even Ariel had gotten up and moved closer, giving Ruby a wide berth as if she had some sort of contagious sickness. Sam longed to grab his sister by the shoulders and tell her with no uncertain doubt that Ruby was okay. She wasn't like other demons. She had saved Sam's life. He would have to tell Ariel the whole story, she knew that he had kept too much hidden from her for him to continue lying, but that didn't mean he was excited about it. And even when Sam laid all of his cards out on the table, even after he had explained everything to her, there was still a chance that she wouldn't accept it, wouldn't understand why he had made the choices he made.

Sam stood, moving silently to stand beside Ariel as she looked curiously at Anna and Pamela.

"Now Anna," Pamela began. "Tell me… how can you hear angels? How did you work that spell?"

"I don't know," Anna responded. "I just did."

"Your father… what's his name?"

"Rich Milton." Came the prompt response, Anna still in a deep state of hypnosis.

"All right," Pamela said. "But I want you to look further back… When you were very young… Just a couple of years old… "

"I don't want to." Anna whimpered, the first time the inflection of emotion had entered her voice since Pamela put her under.

"It'll be okay, Anna. Just one look - that's all we need," Pamela assured her but Anna, hypnotized or not, did not seem convinced.

"No," she said firmly, perhaps even with a hint of stubbornness in her tone.

"What's your dad's name?" Pamela pressed on. "Your real dad. Why is he so angry at you?"

"No!" Anna screamed, beginning to flail wildly on the bed. "No! No! No!"

"Calm down," Pamela said soothingly, holding a hand out to stop the others as they all began to move forward.

Sam felt Ariel tense next to him, her bottom lip tugged between her teeth nervously. She wanted to rush forward to calm Anna down as much as Sam did, but they knew better. Pamela was trying to get information that would ultimately help them. That was worth a little discomfort on Anna's end.

"He's gonna kill me!" Anna screamed, still flailing around, tears now leaking from the corner of her eyes.

"It's all right, Anna," Pamela assured her.

"Anna?"

Where Sam and Ariel had sense enough to listen to Pamela, it seemed that Dean did not. He moved towards the redhead, expression full of concern, but the moment he got too close, Anna jerked and Dean was sent flying back.

"Shit!"

Ariel had dashed from Sam's side in an instant, moving to crouch next to Dean. She looked perplexed, and worried, and basically every other emotion that Sam was feeling. Just what in the Hell was going on?

He was torn, part of him wanting to check on Dean himself but the other part of him wanting to watch as Pamela worked. He chose the latter, reasoning that Ariel had already rushed to Dean's side and if anything was wrong she would have said something.

"Wake in 1,2,3,4,5," Pamela counted quickly this time, expression troubled. This clearly had not gone the way she had expected. "Anna… Anna, are you all right?"

"Thank you, Pamela," Anna said, sitting up and turning to place her feet on the floor. "That helps a lot. I remember now?"

"Remember what?" Ariel asked, peering at Anna with a furrowed brow from her spot next to Dean.

"Who I am," Anna responded simply, standing up.

"All right" Dean sighed heavily, moving to stand up as well. "I'll bite. Who are you?"

Anna looked at him, expression clear and her gaze sharp and intelligent. She almost didn't seem like the same girl from before. She held herself differently, her spine rod-straight and her chin held high.

"An angel," she said.

The sound of the tea kettle whistling sharply made Ariel jump and she turned away from the others, moving to pour a mug for herself and Sam.

"Don't be afraid," Anna spoke from her seat on the couch, her words seemingly addressed in Ariel's direction. "I'm not like the others."

Ariel sucked in a sharp breath, wanting very badly to whip around and snap at Anna that she wasn't scared but the truth was… Ariel didn't know what she felt. Her grip tightened around the grip of the tea kettle as she poured some of it out into a plain black mug for Sam before pouring the rest into her Bugs Bunny mug, allowing the tea bags she had placed inside each to steep.

"I don't find that reassuring," Ariel said finally.

"Neither do I," Pamela agreed.

The thing was, Ariel didn't know what to think. She had only dealt with the angels twice and didn't feel like she knew enough about them or their intents to make an informed decision. She wanted to believe that they were good, that if God did exist he had their backs but the angels had not seemed terribly helpful thus far.

Hell, they had tried to murder Anna for God's sake and hadn't bothered to explain. Maybe they had a good reason, maybe it was a great reason even, but they had kept it to themselves. Despite Ariel wanting the angels to be good, every bit of evidence they had suggested the contrary, that they were huge, bulging dicks.

And yet…

And yet Ariel could not shake the image of Castiel's face from her mind. She had been having dreams about him, and that certainly wasn't normal but there had to be a reason. He had pulled Dean out of Hell. He could have killed her the night before in that cabin but he hadn't.

They may seem like assholes, but Ariel had a feeling that wasn't the entire story. Or at least she really hoped it wasn't.

"So… Castiel, Uriel - they're the ones that came for me?" Anna asked just as Ariel began to shovel sugar into her tea. She always had preferred it overly sweet.

"You know them?" Sam asked, accepting the mug Ariel offered him when she returned, eying Anna warily.

"We were kind of in the same foxhole," Anna explained.

"So, what, were they like your bosses or something?" Dean asked, raising a brow.

Anna smirked slightly. "Try the other way around."

This girl was just full of surprises, wasn't she?

Dean turned, exchanging a surprised look with Sam and Ariel. None of them had expected her to say something like that. Least of all Ariel. Castiel and Uriel had both seemed so… in charge? Domineering? Especially Uriel.

"But now they want to kill you?" Pamela asked. She sounded on edge, wary. Ariel couldn't blame her. She had been perfectly willing to screw over the angels but now they had found out that Anna was an angel.

Why couldn't these things ever be easy?

"Orders are orders. I'm sure I have a death sentence on my head." Anna said with a shrug.

"Why?" Ariel couldn't help but ask, blinking in surprise. If she was an angel, why would they want to kill her?

"I disobeyed… which, for us, is about the worst thing you can do. I fell."

"Meaning?" Dean asked expectantly.

"She fell to Earth, became human," Pamela said immediately, not waiting for Anna to supply an answer.

She fell? Like Lucifer? Ariel couldn't help but stare at Anna, jaw dropped slightly in shock. Anna seemed so… what? Sweet? Innocent? Certainly, she didn't seem like the type who would rebel and be cast out of Heaven.

More than that though, it didn't explain how Anna had become human. When Lucifer fell he had become the devil. Not to mention, Anna had clearly grown. There had been photos all through her parents' house documenting the journey from infancy to adulthood.

"I don't understand," Ariel said finally. "You fell and just… became human?"

Anna smiled softly, in a way that implied she understood just what Ariel, and likely the rest of them, were struggling to understand.

"It kind of hurts," she said. "Try cutting your kidney out with a butter knife. That kind of hurt. I ripped out my grace."

Ariel winced slightly at the comparison. If Anna ripped her grace out herself, did that mean she had chosen to fall? Or had they kicked her out of Heaven?

And what even was grace anyway, besides the basic definition that Ariel knew.

"Come again?" Dean had his arms crossed over his chest as he looked down at Anna, expression questioning.

"My grace. It's… energy. Hacked it out and fell. My mother, Amy, couldn't get pregnant. Always called me her little miracle. She had no idea how right she was."

Miracle. Right, a heavenly miracle who had hacked out her grace as she plummeted to Earth. Anna's parents would have had no idea about that. Probably for the better. Ariel had realized long ago that most people were better off staying oblivious to what was really out there.

"So you just forgot that you were God's little Power Ranger?" Dean asked.

Anna nodded. "The older I got, the longer I was human, yeah."

She was being incredibly patient, answering their questions like this. And it seemed as if they had an unending stream of questions for her. It couldn't be easy, sitting there and explaining everything to them. Especially since Anna had only just gotten these memories back and hadn't had time to process everything before they were throwing their questions at her left and right.

Not for the first time, Ariel felt a wave of sympathy for Anna. She had fallen from Heaven, lost everything she had ever known, had carved her grace out herself. And then, blessedly she had forgotten all of that only for her world to be thrown into chaos again. Voices in her head, demons and angels trying to kill her, her parents murdered. Anna had proven herself to be incredibly resilient, even when she didn't remember being an angel.

"I don't think you all appreciate how completely screwed we are," Ruby commented suddenly, drawing everyone's attention to her.

She was standing back, away from the group a bit, with her arms crossed over her head. She didn't look like she was concerned, expression schooled into one of boredom. Ariel didn't imagine that Ruby would ever actually look worried about anything if she could help it.

Part of Ariel wanted to tell the demon that if she thought they were so screwed then she could get the fuck out of Ariel's house. Ariel hadn't even wanted her here anyway, but Sam had insisted on it, and Ariel had been too exhausted to argue.

"Ruby's right," Anna said. "Heaven wants me dead."

"And Hell just wants her," Ruby added. "A flesh-and-blood angel that you can question, torture, that bleeds," she gave a dry, humorless laugh. "Sister you're the Stanley Cup. And sooner or later, Heaven or Hell, they're gonna find you."

"I know," Anna replied calmly. "And that's why I'm going to get it back."

Sam turned to look at her fully, brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"My grace." Was her simple reply.

"You can do that?" Dean asked, looking just as confused as Sam.

Ariel had to agree with Dean, hacking her grace out sounded awfully permanent.

"If I can find it."

"So, what?" Dean scoffed. "You're just gonna take some divine bong hit and shazam, you're Rona Downey?"

Anna shrugged again. "Something like that."

"Where is it?" Ariel asked. "Your grace I mean."

Somehow Ariel doubted it would be in a convenient spot. Their luck just wasn't that good.

"I lost track," Anna admitted sheepishly. "I was falling about 10,000 miles per hour at the time."

Of course. Nothing could ever be easy.

"Wait. You mean falling, like, literally?" Sam asked, eyes stretching wide in awe.

"Yes," Anna said with a nod.

"Like the way a human eye can see?" He asked eagerly. "Like a comet or a meteor?"

Ariel already had some clue where he was going with this and without a word she moved quickly to retrieve her laptop from her computer bag where she had set in on the desk, pulling it out and taking a seat.

"Why do you ask?" Anna asked,

"Well," Ariel began. "If humans could see it, then we should be able to track where it fell."

This was the third cup of coffee Ariel had had.

Sam eyed his sister, concerned. She had to be tired, they all were. Hunts were always exhausting. But Ariel looked like she was ready to pass out on the spot, her eyes drooping and her head bobbing each time she began to drift off and caught herself.

They had been at this for hours, Sam and Ariel doing research while Dean opted to drive Pamela home, not wanting any part of the 'coma-inducing research' as he had put it.

It had been fine at first, Ariel putting on a record to fill the silence while Anna rested in the guest room and Ruby paced restlessly, waiting for someone to come up with something.

The house smelled of coffee, strong and invigorating, but Ariel had been going through it quickly while Sam was still on his first cup.

Her head bobbed again, Ariel catching herself once more and sitting up pin-straight, blinking rapidly as if that would make the exhaustion go away.

"Ari," Sam said finally.

She looked up at him with a start, almost as if she had forgotten he was there at all. "Yeah?" She asked, stifling a yawn.

"Go to sleep."

She blinked, surprise flitting across her face. "But… research," She gestured to her computer, stifling another yawn.

"You need to sleep," Sam told her. "I slept on the drive earlier but you haven't had the chance. Go upstairs and rest. I've got this."

She looked as if she wanted to argue, looking back at her laptop for a long moment before her exhaustion must have finally won and she closed it, standing with a sigh. "Fine," she said. "Wake me up if you need me."

He wouldn't, but Ariel already knew that. He would do his very best to make sure that she didn't wake up until the following morning when she had had a full night's sleep.

Ariel offered Sam a sleepy smile before moving towards the stairs, leaving Sam and Ruby alone.

Ruby watched her go, before turning to give Sam a look.

"Really?" She asked. "Don't you think you would find something a lot faster if she was helping?"

"I think Ariel needs sleep," Sam said, turning his attention back to the old magazine he had open in his lap. Bobby never disappointed when it came to research materials. "Besides, I think I might have found something."

Ruby approached, taking a seat beside Sam so she could lean over to look at what he was pointing at in the magazine.

"Here. In March '85, a meteorite vanished in the night sky over northwestern Ohio. It was sighted nine months before Anna was born and she was born in that part of Ohio." Sam explained.

Ruby turned to Sam, looking him over appreciatively. "You're pretty buff for a nerd," she commented.

"Look," he said, ignoring her. He wasn't in the mood for her flirting right now. "I think it was Anna and here, same time - another meteor over Kentucky."

"And that's her grace?" Ruby asked.

"Might be."

"All right," Ruby sighed. "That narrows it down to an entire state."

"Look," Sam defended. "It's a start."

"Sam… I'm sorry," Ruby bit her lip, looking away.

Sam blinked, confused, wondering just what in the world Ruby could be apologizing for. She just wasn't the type to offer an apology willingly. If she was wrong, she was more likely to stubbornly ignore it and move on.

"For what?" He asked.

"For bringing you this mess," she explained. "If I had known, I would have kept my mouth shut."

"Hey," Sam said firmly, making her look at him again. "If you hadn't said something Dean and I might never have investigated it and Ariel would have gone in alone and there's no telling what would have happened. By telling us, you might have saved Ariel's life."

Ruby blinked, looking surprised. "Sam, I don't think you get how bad this is," she said. "It's Godzilla and Mothra. If one doesn't get us, the other will."

"We'll figure it out," Sam assured her. "Look, the trouble is worth it if it means Ariel is alright. I don't think you get how important she is to Dean and me."

An understatement. Sam and Dean would go through hell for each other and Ariel was no exception. But there was something different about her, something special. She was their baby sister, yes but sometimes she felt like the last thing in their life that was good and pure and innocent.

"She might not be alright much longer," Ruby pointed out. "The angels are bad enough, but it's Alastair that I'm really worried about."

"Alastair?"

"You met him in the church. Practically the grand inquisitor downstairs. Picasso with a razor."

Sam didn't look impressed. The truth was he and Dean had dealt with their fair share of really bad shit. They usually came out the other side okay. Usually. This Alastair guy might be bad, but it was nothing he and his brother couldn't deal with.

Except…

Ruby was acting like this guy was the baddest of the bad. And Ruby didn't get scared often. Part of Sam wondered if her trepidation was well-placed and this guy really was as bad as she implied.

"And?" Sam asked, ignoring his reservations, his voice full of bravado.

"And you should pull him out and throw him back in the pit… if you weren't so out of shape."

"Ruby," Sam groaned, turning away and standing up, stepping away from the couch. She followed him, reaching out to grab his arm, stopping him.

"No, your abilities - you're getting flabby."

"Yeah?" He asked sarcastically, turning to face her. "How do I tone up?"

He already knew where she was going with this of course, but there was no way. He was done with that for one thing and for another, Ariel was just upstairs. Sam had yet to tell her, though he had promised he would. The last thing he wanted was for her to come downstairs to witness it.

"You know how," Ruby hissed, eyes narrowing.

"No," Sam snapped, jerking his arm away. "I'm not doing that anymore."

"Sam… "

"I said no," he said coldly.

She looked at him for a long moment, lips tightened into a thin line. "Fine," she said finally. "You'd better pray that Anna gets her groove back, or we're all dead."

With that she turned to walk away without another word and Sam was left to stare after her, arms crossed over his chest.

Ariel felt like she had only just closed her eyes before someone was knocking on the door once more, rousing her from shallow sleep.

She groaned, opening her eyes and staring into the darkness. She couldn't have been asleep long, and a quick glance at her alarm clock was all the indication she needed that it had only been about an hour.

The knocking came again, more insistent this time, and before Ariel could say anything the door burst open and Dean strolled in, flicking on the light.

"Up and at 'em, kiddo. We got to go."

"Dean," Ariel whined, shielding her eyes. "What the actual fuck?"

She had not been expecting him to just let himself in and attempt to burn her retinas out, and if she was feeling just a little less exhausted, she might have berated him for just barging into her bedroom.

"Sammy has an idea of where Anna's grace ended up. We're headed out now. If you're coming, then come on."

She peeked at him then, through the shield of her hands, to find him looking at her expectantly. This was a test, she knew, and there was only one correct answer. If she wanted them to treat her like an equal when it came to hunts then she had to put her big girl pants on and get her ass out of bed, even if she didn't want to. And she really didn't want to.

"Yeah okay," she said, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Give me like five minutes to change and I'll meet you downstairs."

Somehow she doubted that a silky nightgown was appropriate hunting wear, although some could argue that her preferred skirt and dresses weren't either.

Dean hummed in assent before turning and leaving, pulling the door closed behind him.

Ariel stifled a yawn as she slipped from between the comfort of her sheets, getting dressed quickly and tossing a few more changes of clothes into the duffel bag she had left open on her desk. Her toiletries had formed a layer of debris across the bottom since Ariel had not had a chance to organize or unpack since they had gotten back. It was a good thing too, she never would have thought that she'd be back on the road so soon.

She left her room, flicking the light off and adjusting her duffel bag over her shoulder. The others were waiting downstairs by the door, Ruby looking quite agitated over something and Sam and Dean just looking exhausted. They were all running low on fuel, it seemed.

"Dean is with them," Sam explained as Ariel approached. "I'll drive your car so you can get some sleep."

"Sounds good to me," Ariel said with a shrug. Grabbing her satchel bag by the front door, Ariel fished out her keys and tossed them to Sam. "She has to last me until I get the Impala though so you'd better not wreck her."

Dean laughed at that but Sam just rolled his eyes, moving past them to open the door and stepping out into darkness.

The bitter chill of fall in South Dakota sent a chill up Ariel's spine immediately, and though she had put on a leather jacket, it wasn't doing much to chase away the chill. She really wished this whole thing was over so she could be in her warm bed. Or any bed really, she wasn't feeling particularly picky at the moment.

She followed Sam outside, depositing her duffel bag into the trunk before sliding into the passenger seat and settling in, just as he took a seat in the driver's side, snorting slightly at the awkward way he had to bend his legs up in order to fit.

"I'm surprised you don't have a booster seat to help you see out the windshield," Sam commented as he adjusted the seat, grinning at the glare Ariel gave him.

It just didn't seem fair sometimes that Sam was 6'4 while Ariel had only reached the staggering height of 5'0 before she had stopped growing completely. Hell, even Dean was 6'1. Both of her brothers loved to tease Ariel about the fact that she was so small, and it had stopped being funny a long time ago.

"Whatever Sasquatch," Ariel sighed, leaning her head against the window.

Sam turned the keys in the ignition and for a while they sat in silence, the only noise between the two of them was the faint music coming from the radio.

"I'm surprised you didn't want to be with your girlfriend," Ariel commented finally.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked finally, furrowing his brow in confusion.

She turned to give him a long look. "Sam," she said. "Come on, I'm not stupid. You and Ruby are a thing, yes?"

"No," he laughed as if it were the most ridiculous thing in the world but when he caught sight of the narrow-eyed look Ariel was giving him he cleared his throat, smile vanishing. "Okay so maybe there was something going on, but I put an end to it."

"Sam, gross!" Ariel cried out. "She's a demon. She's evil. It's gross."

"Ari," he sighed, keeping his eyes determinedly on the road now. "Look, okay… there was a lot going on after Dean died. Ruby helped me. She saved my life."

"Did she help you with those abilities of yours?" Ari asked.

"How did you-"

"Sam," she cut him off. "You guys might not tell me everything but I'm pretty good at piecing things together on my own. I heard Ruby talking to you in the church. And then that demon said something too. That's also how I figured out that something was going on between you and Ruby that was more than… platonic. Well, that and the fact that she was just in a tank top and panties when we first saw her in this new body. Also that angel, Uriel, flat out said you'd been screwing her."

"She did help me with the abilities," Sam nodded. "I was exorcising demons while Dean was in Hell. I drink her blood and it like… amps them up. I help people."

"You lied to us," Ariel accused. "Me and Dean. 'It was practically your dying wish.' That's what you said. We already help people Sam. And what you're doing… it's disgusting."

Okay so yes, she was hurt. Really hurt. Sam had lied to them to their faces. Had been messing around with a demon. He had been drinking her fucking blood. Who knew what else he had gotten up to during the four months that Dean was in Hell.

"I knew Dean would be pissed!" Sam defended.

"He has every right to be!" Ariel shot back. "I'm pissed, Sam! You have no idea what that demon blood could be doing to you! Ruby could be manipulating you!"

"She's not," Sam assured her. "I trust her."

"Yeah?" Ariel snorted in contempt, shaking her head. "I thought you were supposed to be the smart one."

"Ariel, please-"

He began but she turned away, reaching forward to turn the radio up before shifting so that she could rest her head against the window. "Whatever," she said. "I'm going to sleep. Wake me when we get there."

And with that, they both fell into an awkward silence, the void of which was filled with classic rock that Sam dared not change.

Ariel sat quietly for a long time before sleep came, eyes stubbornly closed so that Sam couldn't tell that she was faking. He had lied. He was screwing Ruby and drinking her blood and that was wrong. They were supposed to kill demons not hop into bed with them and use their blood for a little midnight snack. And Sam was acting like it was all okay. Like what he was doing wasn't likely to put him at the top of any sane hunter's hunting list.

When Ariel finally drifted into an uneasy sleep, it was ten songs later and the soft voice of Stevie Nicks finally lulled her under.

"It's beautiful."

Ariel would have been surprised to hear those words come out of Dean's mouth if she wasn't she busy pulling her Polaroid from her bag. It wasn't her preferred camera for actual serious photography photos but it was all she had with her at the moment and Dean was right. It was beautiful

She held her camera level, capturing the tree in its lense and took just a moment to admire it.

The tree had grown tall, taller than any of the others surrounding it, and despite the fact that it was November, the branches were still heavy with bright green leaves. The branches twisted towards the sky, like hands reaching up towards heaven and, with the slight breeze, the leaves swayed gently.

There was a click and a flash and then the sound of the picture printing from the bottom of the camera which Ariel grabbed and shook, waiting for the image to fade into focus. And there it was, immortalized forever though, Ariel had to admit, it didn't hold a candle to the real thing.

She slid the camera back into the bag before sliding the picture into a notebook she kept in her bag for safekeeping before turning her attention back onto the tree, looming high over their heads.

It was remarkably beautiful, but at the end of the day, it was just a tree.

"It's where the grace touched down," Anna assured them. "I can feel it."

She started across the clearing towards the tree with an air of determination, leaving the others to follow behind

"You ready to do this?" Dean asked as they approached.

"Not really," Anna shook her head.

Ariel didn't blame her. She had disobeyed in the first place, had fallen from Heaven and had cut her grace out herself. She clearly didn't want to go back, but it seemed as if it would be the only way to keep herself safe.

"You know what we're looking for, right?" Ariel couldn't help but ask when they reached the tree.

It was beautiful yes, but seemingly normal.

Reached out a hand, pressing it flat against the trunk as she closed her eyes. There was a moment of silence before she opened them again, sighing heavily.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "It's not here. Not anymore. Someone took it."

They were out of fucking options.

With a sigh, Ariel finished her meager dinner of Slim Jims and Doritos before leaning back in her chair. When she was finally home for more than five minutes, she was going to make some real food damnit.

Right after she slept for about eighty years.

"We still got the hex bags," Dean said as he paced, his shadow long and slanted against the walls of the old barn they were hunkered down in. "I say we head back to the panic room."

"What, forever?" Ruby snorted, rolling her eyes.

"I was just thinking out loud," Dean defended.

"Besides," Ariel added. "Who said you're invited? I already let you into my house once. I'm not terribly keen to have you inside again. Trash is supposed to be taken outside."

Ruby's eyes flashed angrily and she opened her mouth to say something in retaliation, but Sam cut her off, stepping between them and blocking their view of the other.

"Guys, hey. Knock it off, okay?"

"Anna's grace is gone, you understand? She can't angel up. She can't protect us."

"Gosh, I'm so glad we have you here to explain it to us," Ariel drawled. "We would be so lost without you."

"Ariel," Sam warned, crossing his arms over his chest.

She rolled her eyes but shut her mouth. They were all agitated, she knew. All tired and hungry and desperate for a solution that ended with everyone alive. And the chances of that happening were looking slimmer and slimmer.

They had not been in this barn for long but had needed a place to regroup and figure out their next course of action. So they had grabbed all the flashlights and electric lanterns from the cars and had hunkered down with their meal haul from the closest gas station.

"We can't fight Heaven and Hell," Ruby continued as if Ariel had not interrupted her with a snarky comment. "One side maybe, but not both. Not at once."

"Um… guys," Anna said suddenly, standing up from the chair she had been sitting in and catching all of their attention. For the most part, she had been quiet, off in her own little world it had seemed. "The angels are talking again."

"What are they saying?" Sam asked immediately.

"It's weird… " Anna said, tilting her head and furrowing her brow as she listened. "Like a recording… a loop. It says, 'Dean Winchester gives us Anna by midnight, or… "

"Or what?" Dean asked.

Everyone was staring at Anna intently, waiting for her to tell them what ultimatum that angels had come up with. Ariel's stomach clenched in anticipation. This wouldn't be good, she could just feel it.

"'... or we hurl him back to damnation.'"

"No," Ariel said immediately, turning to look at Dean. "They can't do that!"

What was the point of pulling him out in the first place if they were just going to toss him back in at the first sign of him doing something they didn't like?

"They pulled me out," Dean reasoned. "They can throw me back in."

"I won't let them," she said firmly, though logically she knew there was not much that she could do. They still didn't have a damn weapon to use on these things and didn't know of any runes they kept them out of a place.

Dean looked at her, smiling slow and sad, though there was affection in his eyes as he looked at her.

"Ari," he said. "What do you think you can do to the angels?"

She opened her mouth, as if to reply, but paused for a moment when she realized she didn't have an answer. Asking them nicely clearly didn't work and without a way to fight them…

She whipped around to face Anna. "Is there a weapon that can be used against angels? To hurt them or kill them or… ?"

Anna shook her head. "Nothing we can get to," she said. "Not right now."

Ariel refused to believe it. They had only just gotten Dean back and now there was the chance that they might lose him. The angels were truly so set on their goals that they would sacrifice the man they had literally pulled out of hell.

The obvious answer was to give Anna up, but Ariel refused to even entertain the thought, not if there was the potential for some other solution. They were meant to be helping Anna, not throwing her to the wolves.

But… if not other solution presented itself…

"Okay wait, wait," Dean began, his voice awfully calm for someone who had just been threatened by the angels. "I say that we call Bobby. We get him back from hedonism."

"Dean, what's he going to tell us that we don't already know?" Sam asked impatiently. He looked just as upset as Ariel felt, his mouth set into a scowl, and brow furrowed in concentration.

If Ariel knew her brother, he was likely going through every possible scenario, trying to figure out a way to save Dean. Ariel saw the moment the realization crossed his face that sacrificing Anna might be the only way.

They were both willing to do whatever they had to in order to save Dean.

Despite the fact that she was currently pissed off at Sam, and with good reason, Ariel felt a rush of affection for him. They could fight and nag each other but at the end of the day, they would do anything, literally anything, for the others.

"I don't know!" Dean snapped. "But we've got to think of something."

He didn't seem to realize that Ariel and Sam both knew what the probable outcome of the situation was going to be.

Ariel knew they weren't going to be much use against angels, but she had laid their weapons out across the table in the old barn and was looking them over thoughtfully. It had been a long night, just another in a series of long nights, and Ariel had been dreading the inevitable for hours.

The angels were coming and when they got there, one way or another, something bad was going to happen. Either they were handing Anna over, or the angels were taking Dean. It left a foul taste in Ariel's mouth, left her stomach churning in a way that made her feel as if she might be sick.

She didn't want to hand Anna over, that would mean certain death for her, but she didn't want Dean to be sent back to Hell even more.

Ariel just didn't see another way.

Glancing up at her brothers, she saw that they didn't look any more relaxed than she felt. Dean was seated in one of the few chairs, holding his flask in his hand.

Sam was pacing restlessly, agitated and worried.

They had awoken this morning to find Ruby missing with no sign of where she could have been. Probably getting the hell out of dodge before the big bad angels could show up, and that was the best possible scenario.

Sam swore that she wouldn't just leave and abandon them to the mercy of the angels, but Ariel and Dean were not so sure. Ariel had told Sam that he was giving Ruby too much credit.

It was the first thing she had really said to him really since their talk in the car, and that was another thing that was bothering Ariel. She knew she was right to be upset, knew that what Sam and Ruby had been doing was wrong, but she hated fighting with either of her brothers.

"I don't know man," Sam said, still pacing, running a hand through his hair. "Where could she be?"

"Hey," Dean said with a shrug, not looking up at his brother. "She's your Hell buddy."

He looked worried, his grip on the flask tight. Dean would be unwilling to give Anna up, it just wasn't in his nature. He would be fine going back to Hell if it meant she would be okay, he was good like that. But Ariel and Sam were not willing to let that happen.

Looking deep in thought, Dean raised the flask to his mouth and took a long drink.

"Little early for that, isn't it?" Anna asked, looking at him with a raised brow.

"It's 2 A.M. somewhere," Dean said, shrugging again.

Dean and Anna had disappeared off together at some point the night before, and Ariel had a strong suspicion that she knew what happened. If she was right, it would likely make Dean even more determined to sacrifice himself for Anna.

"You okay?" Anna asked gently.

"Yeah, of course," Dean responded.

He didn't sound okay.

The doors to the barn burst open then, making more sunlight to stream inside as Castiel and Uriel strode inside purposefully.

"Hello Anna," Castiel greeted when his eyes fell on her. "It's good to see you."

Dean stood, sliding his flask back into his pocket. He examined the angels almost… boredly, Ariel noticed. There was no sense of urgency in his actions. It seemed almost as if he were resigned to his fate.

Ariel grabbed her gun from where it was set out amongst the other weapons, cocking it and holding it tightly. Despite the fact that it would do fuck all to these angels, it made her feel better to have it in her hand, ready to use.

"How?" Sam asked, looking at the angels in shock. "How did you find us?"

That was a good point. How had they been found? The hex bags Ruby had given them should have kept them hidden from both sides. Ariel's first instinct was that they had been fake, but that didn't make any sense. The hex bags had kept them hidden so far and Ariel couldn't think of a reason they would just… stop working.

"Dean?" Sam asked suddenly, catching Ariel's attention and making her turn to face Dean sharply, surprised.

He had told them?

Dean turned to face Anna, smiling sadly. "I'm sorry," he said.

Ariel furrowed her brow, trying to make sense of this whole thing. It was one thing if the angels had appeared to Sam or Ariel if it meant keeping Dean safe they would have told the angels without hesitation. But this seemed out of character for Dean.

"Why?" Ariel couldn't help but ask.

"Because they gave him a choice," Anna said, eyes widening in realization. "They either kill me… or you and Sam. I know how their minds work."

When it came to keeping each other safe, it seemed all three siblings were in agreement.

Anna moved closer to Dean, giving him her own sad smile, before leaning up to place a kiss against his mouth. "You did the best you could. I forgive you," she said, before turning to face Uriel and Castiel. "Okay. No more tricks. No more running. I'm ready."

There was no fear on her face, no sadness. She had turned to face the angels steadily, her face expressionless.

She was being remarkably brave, and Ariel had to admire that about her. She was turning to face her death without crying or being angry about it. She must have known that even if Dean didn't give her up, Ariel or Sam would.

That's what it was like, being a Winchester. You would do whatever had to be done to protect your siblings.

"I'm sorry," Castiel said, though his face remained impassive at best.

"No you're not," Anna shook her head. "Not really. You don't know the feeling."

No, Ariel realized. He probably didn't. The best he could do was say the words because he realized what they were doing was wrong and he realized he should feel sorry.

"Still," Castiel said. "We have a history. It's just-"

"Orders are orders," Anna interrupted him. "I know. Just make it quick."

Before Uriel and Castiel could do anything the demon from the church, Alastair, appeared behind Sam and Dean, holding Ruby's arm tightly with two other demons by his side.

Ruby was bleeding, Ariel realized. She was bleeding and looked scared, terrified even.

"Don't you touch a hair on that poor girl's head," Alastair simpered, releasing Ruby and pushing her away.

She stumbled forward, before moving quickly to Sam's side, turning to look between the other demons and the two angels, eyes wide.

Ariel turned to look at her brothers, her own eyes wide with panic. It had been one thing, having to deal with the angels. But to deal with both? They couldn't. They didn't even have the demon-killing knife anymore.

"How dare you come into this room… you pusing sore." Uriel boomed, eyes narrowed dangerously at Alastair.

Alastair tilted his head, looking more amused than anything. "Name calling?" He pouted slightly. "That hurt my feelings… you sanctimonious, fanatical prick."

Ariel may not have liked Uriel, but she definitely disliked Alastair even more.

"Turn around and walk away now," Castiel advised.

"Sure," Alastair told him agreeably. "Just give us the girl. We'll make sure she gets punished good and proper."

"You know who we are and what we will do," Castiel began, his tone vaguely threatening now. "I won't say it again. Leave now… or we will lay you to waste."

Ariel couldn't help but admire how he didn't resort to insults like the other two had.

"Think I'll take my chances," Alastair said, before lunging forward at Castiel.

The other demons moved forward as well, one running at Uriel and the other heading towards Anna, but Dean intervened, throwing a punch that made the demon stumble back for pouncing at him again.

Panicked, unsure what to do, Ariel could only look between the pairs that were fighting, tugging her lower lip between her teeth. She felt like she should help. She wanted to help, but she wasn't quite sure how.

As she watched, Castiel reached out to place a hand on Alastair's head, closing his eyes and furrowing his brow in concentration.

Nothing happened.

"Sorry, kiddo. Why don't you go run to daddy?" Alastair asked before landing a sudden uppercut to Castiel's jaw.

Castiel stumbled backwards, falling and landing on his back, and Alastair was on him in an instant, gripping Castiel by the neck as he started to chant quickly, the words unfamiliar, but the look on Castiel's face was enough for Ariel to know that whatever Alastair was doing was bad.

It was not the fact that Alastair seemed to be winning that jolted Ariel into action. No, it was the because the look of panic on Castiel's face was the first form of emotion she had seen him exhibit.

She raised her gun, leveling it with Alastair's hosts head and fired, the gunshot echoing through the small barn.

It wouldn't do much to the demon, and likely the host was already dead, but the recoil was enough to knock Alastair away from Castiel.

Castiel blinked, turning to look at Ariel in shock as she met his gaze evenly.

"You're supposed to say thank you," Ariel told him.

With a groan, Alastair rose to his feet, turning to face Ariel with a small smirk.

His head wound was bleeding profusely, the blood leaking down from his temple so dark it was almost black.

"Hello Little Rabbit," Alastair said pleasantly, his words sending a chill down Ariel's spine. "I've been hoping to have some fun for you. I'll bet you'll scream so good for me."

Sam and Dean were still fighting the demon and it seemed Ariel would have to face Alastair alone. After she had shot him and undoubtedly pissed him off.

Ariel raised her chin, trying to appear unperturbed. "You don't scare me," she said, her voice coming out strong and steady.

There was no trace of the lie in her voice.

Alastair made to move towards her, pulling the demon-killing knife from his pocket, but Castiel had moved to his feet and knocked him suddenly away, Alastair's body getting hurled to the opposite side of the barn.

"No!"

The sound of Uriel yelling made both Ariel and Castiel turn to see what had happened.

Anna stood over him, holding a glowing pendant in her hand and looking quite satisfied. She looked up, expression meeting Uriel's, before the broke the pendant, the glowing light moving towards her, into her mouth and making her whole body glow incandescent.

"Close your eyes! Close your eyes!" She yelled, her whole body arching with the power that had moved into her.

Ariel turned away, throwing her arm over her eyes to act as a shield as the light expanded to fill the whole barn.

When finally the light dissipated, the barn was very, very quiet.

Ariel moved her arm, turning around once more to see that both Anna and Alastair had disappeared, the demon-killing knife lying on the floor where Alastair had been. Alastair's two demons had been killed, their bodies lying uselessly on the barn floor.

Uriel rose to his feet, scowling as he turned to look at Sam and Dean.

He had had Anna's grace, Ariel realized. He was the one who had taken it from the tree. And now… Anna was an angel again?

It seemed, for once, that everything had turned out okay.

"Well, what are you guys waiting for?" Dean asked. "Go get Anna. Unless, of course, you're scared."

It was easy for him to be cocky now, Ariel knew. They had seemingly won.

"This isn't over," Uriel growled, tone dangerous.

"Oh," Dean chuckled. "It looks over to me, Junkless."

Uriel glared for a moment longer, before both he and Castiel disappeared with the sound of ruffling feathers.

"Are you guys okay?" Ariel asked immediately, moving to her brothers.

They looked okay, thankfully, but that didn't abate Ariel's worry.

"Are you?" Dean asked, looking her over critically. "You shot the big bad demon."

"I didn't know what else to do," Ariel said with a shrug.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked Ruby, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She winced. "Yeah, not so much."

"What took you so long to get here?" Dean asked.

Ariel furrowed her brow, looking at Dean in confusion. What was he talking about?

"Sorry I was late with the demon delivery," Ruby replied snarkily. "I was only getting tortured."

"I got to hand it to you, Sammy. Bringing them all together at once - angels and demons. It was a damn good plan."

"What?" Ariel asked sharply, glaring at your brothers. "You had a plan that didn't involve just handing Anna over? Why the hell didn't you tell me?"

"Yeah well, when you got Godzilla and Mothra on your ass, best to get out of their way and let them fight," Sam said, ignoring Ariel.

"Guys!" She cried out indignantly.

"Look, Ari," Sam sighed, turning to look at her finally. "We're sorry. We just needed it to be believable."

"You didn't think I could be believable?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Better safe than sorry," Sam said. "Everything worked out, didn't it?"

Well… yeah, but that didn't mean Ariel wanted to be kept out of the loop. Wasn't it better if they were all on the same page? And the fact that they seemingly didn't have faith in the fact that she could lie and play the part well hurt a bit.

Without a word, Ariel turned away, scowling slightly.

"So, I guess Anna is some big-time angel now," Sam turned back to Dean. "She must be happy, wherever she is."

"Yeah," Dean sighed heavily. "I doubt it."

The sunlight was bright and warm as it shone down on them, despite the chill of the fall air.

Ariel returned her things to her trunk, putting each of them back in their designated places Dean and Sam did the same thing in the trunk of the Impala.

Ariel wanted to be mad at them for keeping the plan a secret, she really did. But she just couldn't be. Yes, she was irritated, and would probably hold it over their heads forever. But they had gotten out of the fight unscathed and that counted as a huge win.

Reaching up, Ariel slammed the trunk of the Charger closed before turned to lean against it, arms crossed over her chest as she waited for her brothers to finish.

When the finally did, Dean and Sam both moved around the front of the car and Sam offered Ariel a small smile.

"Look," he said. "We didn't mean to make you feel inadequate, Ari. We just thought it was for the best."

"It's fine," Ariel admitted with a heavy sigh. "Like it was shitty of you and all but it all turned out okay. I forgive you for not telling me. I'm just glad Anna is okay."

"You were really going to just give Anna up for me?" Dean asked.

Ariel looked at him, nodding. "You would have done the same thing for either of us, Dean," Ariel reminded it. "It wouldn't have felt good but… I wasn't going to let them send you back to Hell. I love you, Dean. I would have done the same thing for Sam."

"Well I'm glad it didn't come to that," Dean said.

Ariel was too.

"Well, I'm gonna head home I guess and actually sleep in my own bed. And eat food." Ariel moved forward to wrap her arms around Dean in a tight hug. "You be careful," she said.

"You too," he replied, wrapping his arms around her, and lifting her off the ground slightly with the intensity of the hug.

They let go and Ariel moved to hug Sam as well, smiling at the look of surprise on his face. "I'm still pissed off at you," she told him as they embraced. "But I forgive you. For keeping me in the dark, I mean. Just don't do it again, please. I love you, Sam."

"I won't," he promised, his arms tightening around her. "I love you too, Ari."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay so admittedly I was very worried that I wasn't going to get this chapter posted today and have spent the last three hours hustling on getting the final result on a chapter I was pleased with and then editing the chapter. And even though it's a few hours later than I generally like the post them, I'm still on schedule. So everything worked out I guess!

I really appreciate everyone who has favorited, followed, and left reviews as they really do make me happy and give me boosts of confidence that help me to pump these chapters out on time!

Please leave a review to let me know what you think guys and, as always, I'll see you in the next chapter!