Ketch Me as I Fall

A hug from Dean didn't only seem to be a thing I had needed. With how tight he held me, it was obvious that he had been fairly worried and had needed this too.

"You're all back safe?" He asked.

"As safe as we can be," I sighed into him before he let me go and I turned to hug Cas as well.

"How is Ally?" Cas questioned.

I bit my lip, holding back the answer. Cas' baby blue eyes studied me with a curious look, ready to ask his next question when Dean continued.

"Where's Elly?" Dean pushed past us and into the bunker further.

"She's in her room. I can't get her to leave it." I explained, sighing again. I had been trying for two days now to get her to leave, but she refused. But at least she was eating now. That seemed to be a good start.

"Can I talk to her?" Dean was down the hall and out of sight before I could do more than open my mouth to respond. It didn't sound like he knocked on her door before letting himself in.

"The girl." Cas pressed now that Dean was gone. "What happened to her, Alex?"

I bit my lip again, my brain in a silent battle between telling the truth or lying to the angel. I rolled my eyes, already knowing the answer. I couldn't lie to him about this. Not only would he see it for a lie immediately, but as soon as he saw the kid he would know. Her soul had already started to become dull. However, I wasn't sure if that was even how it worked or not, since I had never stayed around long after a deal was made if I had even been there to begin with.

"We couldn't save Elly, Cas." I took a deep breath. "There was something in her system keeping her from being healed by me."

"She was beyond your healing?" He cocked his head to one side, "How badly was she hurt?"

"Ally sold her soul to save Elly." Better to rip the bandaid right off.

Cas' blue eyes widened and he looked down the hall as if he could see her coming down it. But she and Jack had gone into town to get lunch for the rest of us. So who was he expecting? Maybe he had heard Dean.

"What on earth are you talking about?" He finally said, turning to me again.

"To save Elly, the kid sold me her soul." I couldn't look at him. "It was the only way to save her."

"You didn't try to stop her?" It sounded accusatory.

"I couldn't Cas." I hissed. "You weren't there. You have no idea how hard it was to try and tell her no. She begged me, Cas."

"You took a Nephilim's soul." Cas turned from me and started to pace, his trench coat floating slightly behind him. "Do you even have the slightest idea what that could do?"

"Of course not, Cas. I don't think anyone does." I huffed in frustration. "It wasn't ideal, but what else could we have done?"

"You are testing the balance of the world exponentially," Cas exclaimed. "Nephilims aren't even supposed to be alive. They're unnatural abominations that can destroy the universe if they want to!"

"Big deal." It was a bluff. I knew it was a huge deal. But I so badly wanted to just sweep it under the rug for now. There was no way of knowing what was going to happen right now and we had bigger things to deal with.

"Alex, do you remember how Sam acted after he lost his soul? Do you have any idea how bad a Nephilim without a soul can be? Especially a child of Lucifer? Jack has been nerve-wracking enough. But this girl without a soul…" Cas trailed off.

"It can't be that bad." I tried to sound confident, even if his words were scaring me a little.

Cas stopped his pacing and turned to look at me again. "It can't be that bad?" He asked in disbelief.

"We'll get her back home and everything will be fine." I shrugged. "There's hardly any monsters there. There won't be anything to come after her for the soul."

"You don't know that."

"My hounds can't just jump dimensions, Cas." I pointed out. "It'll be fine."

"You have hounds?" Ally asked from behind me. I turned and found her and Jack standing several feet away with a few pizza boxes. "Can I play with them? I've always wanted a dog."

"Maybe." I smiled at her. She seemed fine. "They don't look like normal dogs, though."

"Do they have three heads or something?" She asked, setting down the boxes she carried.

"Three-headed dogs?" Jack asked curiously.

I laughed a little, I had forgotten all the things he still didn't know. It was so very…angel of him sometimes.

"Jack, can you go get Dean, Ketch, and Elly?" I asked, taking his shoulder gently once he'd set his boxes down, and steering him towards the hall. "They're in Elly's room."

"O…okay," Jack said, walking tentatively down the hall.

I turned back to the angel and Nephilim still left in the room. Ally looked confused now. And Cas just looked angry still, he had never been great at hiding his emotions.

"Did I do something wrong?" Ally asked, looking from the angel to me.

"Her soul is already fading, Alex," Cas grumbled.

"I did sell it." Ally shrugged and I winced. It was something she should probably take a little more seriously. "I had to save my mom somehow. And it worked, right? That's the whole point of hunting anyway. 'Saving people. Hunting things. The family business.'" She put air quotes around the last bit.

"That's not how it works." Cas shot at her, continuing before I could try to get a word in. "You keep your soul until your ten years are up. Then the hounds come and collect it. It doesn't just fade like this."

I brought a hand up to rub my temples, growling softly as the darkness in me threatened to jump to the surface. Cas shifted uncomfortably with the noise. That was interesting. He must still not like the fact that I'm a demon. That could be a fun thing to play with if I ever had a spare moment for something as normal as that.

"So what then? I'm dying?" Ally mumbled a grim expression now on her face.

"Not necessarily." I cut Cas off as his mouth opened again. "You can live without your soul, but you won't like it. You become heartless and numb."

Ally nodded and I turned my head to look behind us as I heard a door opening. Jack came back down the hall shortly after, followed by Ketch. I was thankful for their appearance. This fight could go on for a while and I wasn't exactly in the mood for it right now. I smiled gently as Ketch passed me before trading places with him and walking down the hall to Elly's room. I knocked before slowly letting myself in.

The sight I was greeted with nearly broke me. Dean was sitting on the floor, back resting against her bed, and Elly was curled into his lap as much as she could be. His fingers combed through her hair gently and he was humming some melody I wasn't quite sure of. Elly wasn't crying, but one of her hands was fisted tight into his shirt, right over where his heart was. She, otherwise, looked more relaxed than she had in a while. Dean had always been good at that though, calling people back from the edge seemed to be a specialty. And I knew she needed that more than anything right now.

"There's some pizza in the front room if either of you are hungry," I said softly. "I can bring you some if you want any, Elly. Or anything else, I think we still have some soup."

"I can cook too." Dean offered gently, his fingers still playing with her blonde locks. "I don't mind."

Elly's head shook and I frowned slightly. I couldn't remember the last time I had seen her eat. And I knew she probably hadn't if that was the case. So she needed to. She couldn't keep doing this and waste away again. She needed to get out of this room. I wasn't even sure what she could do, but I would find something.

"Elly, you need to eat something." I tried again. "Even if it's just some toast. It's been a few days. Come on."

She shook her head again, and Dean's eyes met mine. His green eyes held a few questions and I couldn't help but wonder if she had told him anything and how much if she had. 

"Elizabeth, we're going to go eat now," Dean instructed the order in his tone a gentle one. One that was kind, but also still said she didn't have a choice. 

Elly nodded slowly a few seconds later and I watched as Dean slowly got to his feet, keeping Elly gently wrapped in his arms. I nodded and led him from the room and out into the gentle chatter of the main room.

Ally was the first to greet us as she saw Dean carrying her mom. "Is she ok?" She asked as she came around the table, but stopped in her tracks when Dean nodded.

"Just tired," he said, pulling out a chair with his foot and sitting down in it, Elly still in his arms. 

She stayed curled to his chest, even as he pulled one of the pizza boxes to himself. Ally sat back down and I found my seat. Dean flipped the box open and looked down at Elly.

"Time to eat, Elizabeth." He said.

Elly slowly released him and turned to face the table, brushing her hair from her face as she did. Dean didn't complain as he handed her a piece of pizza. The whole room seemed to hold its breath as we waited for her to take a bite. There was a collective sigh once she had.

"After lunch," I said, trying to clear the tense air. "I was thinking we could go down to the range." Elly's eyes snapped up to my face. However, she didn't do anything more than stare at me blankly. "I have a few new knives. And I figured throwing them would be a better release than pulling a trigger. If you're up for it."

"I…I don't know, Alex." Elly whispered, shrinking back into Dean a little. "I'm not in the mood…"

"It might make you feel better." I pressed a little.

Elly sighed. "Fine. But I want to shower first, then we can throw."

"Can I try too?" Ally spoke up. "It sounds more fun than whatever training we had planned."

Jack's offended look almost made me laugh.

I pressed a knife into Elly's hand. She looked over it in her hand before pointing it and her attention at the wooden target down range. She pulled her arm back and swiftly chucked it forward again. I smiled at the loud thunk that came from the board. She wasn't as good with a knife as she was with a gun, but she had still hit the board. Just short of the outer ring though.

I stepped over to Ally and held another knife out to her as Elly went for another. Ally hesitated but took it in her hand after a few seconds. I pulled her in front of another target and guided her into a better stance.

"I've never done this before." She commented.

"Don't worry, kid. You've got a good teacher. Keep your back straight." I instructed. "But try to stay more or less relaxed. And move your left foot to behind your right." I nudged her foot gently with mine until she was standing better. "Holding the thing is also important." I pulled my pocket knife from my pocket and flicked it open. "You want to hold onto it as if it were a hammer, ok?" I held my hand in front of her so she could see. And she nodded. "Now you want to pull back over your right shoulder, the point facing behind you." I stepped back from her. "Don't twerk your wrist when you throw. The less spin you put on it, the better stick you'll get."

Ally took a deep breath as Elly came to stand next to me with a deep breath of her own. This hadn't been helping her as much as I thought it would, but at least she wasn't in her room. And she had even taken a shower, so I was counting it as a win.

Ally stood still for a moment, thinking. She slowly pulled her arm back, and then quickly forward, releasing the knife. It would've been a lie to say I wasn't shocked to see where the blade stuck. I had to blink several times before laughing. Ally turned back with an excited smile on her face and surprise in her eyes.

"Bull fucking shit." I laughed, receiving a disapproving look from Elly as I swore. I shrugged off the look and grabbed another knife to hand off to Ally. "Do it again."

She once again took it hesitantly before turning back to the perfect bullseye she had already struck. I didn't think even I could hit something like that. With another deep breath, she got back into the stance I had shown her and threw the next knife.

There was an echoing thud, followed by the empty clang of ringing metal on metal. I took a step or two forward before I saw what had happened clearly. The first blade was on the floor now, and the second was stuck perfectly in the same spot.

I walked to the target, scooping up the fallen knife and examining it. There was a large crack down the blade that had not been there before. I hurried over to Elly's target and pulled the knives there free before returning to Ally's target and pulling hers free. It was much more of a struggle to get hers from the wood. I had to adjust it several times before it popped free from the wood.

"Again," I said in disbelief once I'd returned to her, knives in hand.

Ally nodded and waited for me to be out of the way before throwing again. I looked at Elly once the blade stuck again, in the same spot, and saw a small, but real smile on her lips.

"She's a mini you," I whispered to her as Ally picked up another knife. A smile was bright on her face now.

"I can't throw knives." Elly gave a small laugh. "This is all her."

"She's naturally gifted though, just like you." I poked her side.

Elly shrugged. "You know my dad was the one who taught me to shoot. You guys were the ones who were surprised I was that good." She smirked a little. "But you wouldn't let me have a gun. I was too innocent."

I laughed. "And I'm sorry about that. You should have had one from the start."

There was a new brightness in her eyes now. Not a lot, but enough that it was a good start. We would get her back to normal. Whatever the new normal may be.

I turned back to Ally, not surprised to find all the usable knives now in the target down range. They were all in a tight circle around the center of the target.

"Alright, kid," I said. She looked at me with a smirk that would rival her father's. "New challenge. Go get your knives." Her blue eyes wandered over me curiously before doing as I'd said and coming back with the knives, her hand stretched out to give them to me. I shook my head and walked down range until I was in front of the target. "Throw," I instructed.

Ally laughed nervously and I caught Elly looking at me as she stood straight. Distaste was clear in her eyes.

"I'm not going to throw a knife at you," Ally said strongly. "What if I hit you?"

"Then I'll heal," I said. "Throw the knife."

"At what?" Ally asked, looking at her mom, but Elly's expression hadn't changed.

"Stop me," I said, pulling my pistol from its holster and aiming it towards her.

The young girl's eyes went wide as I focused on her. Elly took a step forward but paused as I waved a hand at her. Ally looked at her mother again for guidance, and I pulled back the hammer. Ally jumped, her eyes turning fearful as she turned back to me, a chip of concrete missing just behind her now.

"Stop me," I repeated once the ringing of the gunshot had stopped.

A second shot rang out, this bullet whizzing past her head. Her hands shook as she tried to get a proper hold of the knife. Elly still looked as if she disapproved, but she didn't move from where she stood. She knew the importance of this lesson. She knew that Ally would have to learn it sooner or later and that it was better here with me than it would be against a real enemy.

A third gunshot brought the girl back to her senses and she threw the knife. But it was sloppy and clicked off the side of the target before clinking to the floor.

"Stop me," I ordered now, pulling the trigger a fourth time. Ally jumped again. "You're not very relaxed."

"How the fuck am I supposed to relax?!" She yelled at me, her hands struggling with another blade before it tumbled to the ground.

She reached for the next one and I pulled the trigger once again. There was a loud crash, and I watched as Elly took a step towards her daughter, whose hand now bleed from where the bullet collided with the knife and sent it flying from her hand.

Her eyes me time now, one of them the same crimson I saw in Lucifer, and the other the same gold as Jack's. I smirked now and pulled the trigger again. Ally didn't flinch this time, even though the bullet grazed her cheek. Blood dripped down her face and hand, but she didn't seem to care now.

She grabbed another knife and pulled it behind her shoulder as I fired again. I felt the gun go off in my hand, but the kickback on this shot had been more than the others. My hand was empty before I had a second to process the gun clattering to the ground. My eyes went to my arm next, which had been pinned by the sleeve to the target. I reached up to free the knife but cried out in pain as a second knife smacked into my palm.

The glistening silver blade that greeted me now was embedded deep into my hand and locked into the wood. Then there was something cold against my neck before I could process anything more. I growled now as my feet were kicked out from under me, dropping to my knees and pulling sharply on my hand. Ally's hand was steady as she pressed the blade to my neck.

"Stopped." She said, breathing hard.

I nodded and she relaxed her stance before turning away from me. I stood up slowly, reaching for the knife in my hand to free myself, but found it stuck tight in the wood. I went for the one in my sleeve next, pulled it free easily, and looked back towards the young girl, she was turned away from me. 

I felt the anger pool in me before I knew it was taking over. I threw the knife I had freed fast and hard at her. I blinked as she turned and caught it in her hand, the blade sinking into her skin and causing more blood to drip down her arm. Her eyes still glowed, and I watched as the blade turned bright red in her hand and melted away into nothing more than its handle.

Elly's eyes widened and looked ot me again, she seemed as shocked as I felt. She opened her mouth the speak, but nothing came from her lips. Ally was powerful. Gifted. And dangerous. Not even Jack had picked up something like that so quickly. She seemed to pick everything up too quickly.

"Sweetheart….go release Alex." Elly finally managed to say, trying to usher her daughter back to me by gently pushing on her back.

Ally's eyes tightened on me, but she obeyed. I watched her as she approached me, those eyes still glowing and her wounds healing with each step. She stopped in front of the target and looked over the knife, a small laugh coming from her. She reached for it and took the handle, easily unlocking it from the wood as if it hadn't been stuck at all. I gasped as she twisted the blade into my hand before taking it fully out and dropping it to the floor.

"Wanna play again?" She taunted softly, her voice low enough that only we could hear it. "Maybe I can aim towards your head next time like you did to me. Wouldn't that be fun, Alex?"

"That's enough for today." I hissed, clutching my hand to my chest as soon as it was free.

The pain faded as I healed myself, though I still felt like I could feel the twist of the blade. It had to have been on purpose, she had removed the blade so easily from the wood. Her strength was becoming terrifying.

Ally looked over me again before blinking her eyes back to their normal sparkling blue. And she was herself again, turning back around to her mother as if nothing had happened. It struck me as odd that she was almost a completely different person now. Not that I had much to judge with how I was. There was always something about the emotions that flowed through you that made giving yourself over to something dark, primal, and powerful so satisfying. 

"That was so cool!" Ally said with a grin. "Is your hand ok? I'm sorry."

"I'm fine," I said softly, still clutching it to my chest.

"It wasn't normal, Ketch." I looked over my hand again as I ran it over his bare chest. "There's something wrong with her. I thought she would be useful, but the longer she stays here the more I'm afraid I'm making it worse. Maybe I should've just been happy with Jack."

Ketch tossed my shirt across the bed. And I put my face in the crook of his neck, nipping at it softly.

"I'm trying to be serious," I grumbled as he nipped at my ear. "What do we do with her? We can't just let her snap. And it's going to happen sooner rather than later." I pushed back against his chest and looked into his eyes.

"Are you scared, love?" Ketch teased with a wink.

I rolled my eyes. "Maybe a little bit," I admitted, looking away from him.

Ketch slid a hand under my chin and turned me to look back at him again. He nodded, a more serious look on his face. "I'll try to think of a solution. As for now, we don't have a lot of time. I'm going out."

My eyebrows furrowed together. "Going out?"

"Yes." He said it like it was a matter of fact.

"Doing what?" I asked, running my hands along his chest again. God, sometimes it was like pulling teeth to get answers out of him.

"One of my contacts had an update about Lucifer." His gaze drifted down my chest.

I nodded. "Alright. I could come along if you want me to."

"No." The word was harsh, even as he studied me. It made my hands stop their downward trail. "They can smell a demon a mile away. Besides, you should be here for Elly."

"I…ya. You're right." I got out, unable to hide the bit of shock I felt.

He had never fully stopped me from going with him before. I had always been welcomed wherever he went, but maybe he had a point with the demon bit. I wasn't exactly welcome in most places anymore, I had been lucky my own family had only tried to kill me once and hadn't succeded.

"Good." He smiled. "That's settled then."

I nodded and went back to teasing him. "We should get straight to it then." I joked, pushing him back onto the bed.

I climbed over him quickly and kissed down his chest as my hands worked to undo his jeans. I scooted further down to pay full attention to what I was doing and stopped when I got his pants open.

"Wow." I smiled as I started to laugh. "Those are very pink." I tried to stifle the laughter the best I could.

Ketch draped an arm over his face and groaned softly. "The kid slips one red sock into the wash and everything turns pink."