Title: Arýza - ThE MadNesS ConTinUeDs...

Rated for:Language, mentions of abuse, sex, insanity

Genre:Angst, Hurt, Adventure, Suspense, 'Romance'

Fandom/Universe: America McGee's Alice / Supernatural / Good Omens

Characters: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Bobby Singer, Castiel and OC's. HAtter, CHeShire, RedKing, Dutchess. Crowley, Aziraphael.

Pairings: Dean/OC, OC/Hatter, OC/Cheshire Cat

Spoilers/Warning: Some Spoilers for S5 and some for S6 towards the end.

Disclaimer:Supernatural and all related characters are copyright Eric Kripke, Kripke Enterprises & The CW Network. Alice belongs to American McGee, EA and Rogue Entertainment. And Good Omens is the brillaint work of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. No infringement intended.

Summary: There is a purpose and a reason for everything…She was never just a girl, not when the angels watched over her and Underland was in her blood.

Status: Guess who thought she'd have the finished fic to post up by now? As it is, this is only half of the first chapter I've been writing since Arýza was done.

Ω

She looks back once and only because there's an almost certainty that she won't be able to keep her promise to him and return.

The house- it looks worn down and tired but in the setting sun with the sky painted in shades of purple and crimson, Arýza knows there hasn't been anywhere she's felt at home since hers was destroyed. Through the trees she makes out the glowing light of the windows where most likely Bobby is at his desk answering calls from any of a dozen Hunters that need his help for something or other. Dean has made plenty of those calls while she was with them and not until recently does Arýza see how unappreciated Bobby's help is. No one says 'Thank you', the Winchesters included and maybe they won't ever realize that they don't but Bobby knows the boys love him.

Families aren't defined by blood alone and Arýza has seen the truth of it in the few weeks spent at Bobby's. Watching them...it wasn't easy letting down her guard at first. Trying to feel a part of their lives when her only tie is to Dean- well, the part of him that is Cat.

She starts walking again, her pack suddenly heavy on her shoulders. It'll be a few hours yet, before Dean stops to rest and then maybe he might not sift through his bag until morning so her note will go un-noticed and unread for a while still...

'Long enough I'll be far away from anyone.'

The past year-because it's been a year though she's spent part of it in Underland though it only felt like days-has drawn her back into the world she'd done her best to hide from. Castiel has pointed her in the right direction; she has the Vorpal blade- the only weapon in all of Underland that will kill the RedKing. ... ... ...

Her eyes sting and they water and she never wipes the tears from her cheeks though she keeps walking. Had she done as they'd asked her, had she killed the RedKing when Cat was still fighting at her side...

"I have to come back." Her voice is a hollow whisper through the dusk. "I have to."

It's what she most wants and Arýza knows it's not always what you get.

Ω

She watches the figure hop onto the moving train and waits.

Underland's champion failed to kill the RedKing and the last seal on earth was broken by Sam Winchester.

The BoyKing.

Lucifer is free.

The Devil walks the earth among the mudmonkeys - humans blind to the coming Apocalypse, well...most turn a blind eye to the signs streaking though the globe.

The angels gather; they wait and some whisper in their deepest interior; where is our Father?

Anna has questioned it as well, wondered why God hasn't given a sign that he still cares, still lives... why he never did anything to stop the others from imprisoning her...

Anna follows the train. The Un-Alice is tied to the Winchesters, her fate entwined with theirs and if the brothers are hidden from angel and demon alike thanks to Castiel, well then...

Who else is the angel going to question as to their whereabouts aside from the old hunter safely ensconced in his home?

Ω

A note.

It's like the t-shirt, those 'I went to (?) and all I got was this lousy t-shirt'. Only all Dean got was a friggin note.

'She's gone.'

He sits on the edge of the bed in their motel room staring at the piece of paper she set right on top so he'd find it when he opened the duffel.

So he'd be sure to see it.

He's staring at it, following the curves in the 's' and 'a' of the words inked in black on the white piece of paper. Her excuse- because that's how he's looking at this note of hers, an excuse to leave even though he'd known she wanted to go back, back to Underland and its out of guilt. Because Cat died, because she didn't kill the RedKing and Stayne taunted her with it, with the twisted version of Underland under the RedKing's rule. Because it wasn't how Cat had shown it to her in those dreams, dreams that started the day she put on the Omega- her 13th birthday gift...

He knows all about her dreams- what she thinks is real and that outside of Underland all Arýza thinks of is that damn Hatter though she doesn't want to talk about him. And her Cat.

But the Cat is also Dean... he saw it in the mirror; he saw Arýza as she is in Underland- a Champion... Dean has his cell phone in hand before he thinks about what it is he's doing.

'She's already gone...'

The cell rings and picks up on the fourth tone, Bobby's raspy tone answers and Dean mumbles a hello, his mind suddenly blank.

"Dean? You there?"

"Yeah," Dean replies and clears his throat, green eyes staring at the krappy carpet under his feet. "Yeah, hey Bobby..."

There's a heavy sigh and a grumbled snort before Bobby speaks again. "Swear you're gonna get old before your time, boy." There's the sound of heavy foot steps as the older man starts walking. "She's been quiet as a mouse." And Bobby knows that's the reason for Dean's call, just like the one he answered half an hour after they'd left.

"She's there?" Dean sits up and maybe she changed her mind about leaving...

"Of course she's here." Bobby scowls. "Where'd you think she's gonna go?" because the mirror is gone so nothing is coming through and Arýza isn't disappearing into it. He knocks on the door to the room she's been sharing with Dean and calls to her. Its been a few hours since he's last heard from her but she'd said she was heading up to rest for a bit...

"Is she there?" Dean asks as his eyes catch Sam's.

Bobby calls again and still gets no answer. He opens the door carefully and finds it empty, nothing out of place and no Arýza either. The soft curse is all the answer Dean needs, to know that she didn't change her mind and now Arýza is gone.

"What?" Sam turns away from the computer to face Dean but his brother just shakes his head and lies back on the bed, phone still to his ear. He stops looking for this latest clue as to what both sides are after and focuses on Dean.

"Where the hell did she get to now?" Bobby's tone is surly and there on the bed is a neatly folded sheet of paper with his name. He reads it over quickly, just a brief thank you for all his help and an apology for sneaking out on him.

"Home..." Dean answers on a heavy breath. "Don't worry about it Bobby. She's got an angel watching out for her."There's no denying the disgusted tone laced with sarcasm.

"Since when are you so trusting with them feathered pigeons?"

"I know where she's going and why. And Cas'll make sure she gets there..." because that's where the angels want her. He's pissed and why the hell is it so easy for everyone to leave?

'It's where she wants to be.'

He hangs up.

Sam is quiet; waiting for Dean to fill him in though the fact Arýza is no longer at Bobby's has been made clear. He hesitates to ask for the details and after a moment Sam crosses the room, the bathroom door closes behind him. He won't say anything about the note Dean crumbled up and left on the floor at his feet. He can't help feeling responsible for all of it; their Mother dying, their Father... for breaking the last seal and releasing Lucifer- if he'd only listened to Dean... But 'if' doesn't change what is and Sam wants to make things right again.

Ω

Something changes, the repetitive motion of the train and the sound of the rails lulled her to sleep. This time there is no Cat to keep her company, to talk to... but Arýza is not alone in the dark compartment. She moves slowly, inch by inch until her hand is closed about Cat's knife. She searches the darkness, broken intermittently from moonlight that makes it through the cracks in the boards. It doesn't feel right but there's no accompanying vice constricting her lungs so the threat doesn't come from Underland, its not demons either, not with the Devil'sTraps she drew on both doors, floor and ceiling...

Anna takes a step into her direct line of sight. Pale moonlight accents the alabaster tone of her skin and darkens the red in her hair. Arýza only stares, makes no move to stand or attack, she says nothing, makes no question or demand.

Anna frowns.

"Where are they?"

Arýza blinks, brow furrowing slightly and still says nothing. Anna steps closer, hand reaching down to grab her and recoils at the sting on her flesh. Blood wells and seeps into the sleeve of her jacket.

"You're an angel..." because there's an almost imperceptible glow about her, Cas is brighter- warmer.

Anna lunges, hand clamped on the small wrist, the delicate bones easily snap and the knife glints in the darkness at their feet. Arýza strikes blindly, pain shooting up her arm in waves and misses. Anna shoves her away, her point clear as Arýza cradles her arm to her chest and drags in panting breaths.

The repetitive sound of metal screeching and the clack of the tracks is accompanied by Arýza's shallow breaths filled with pain. Silvery-green eyes never leave the angels face, wary and just a little frightened.

She's an angel.

"Where are they?"

Arýza understands, she doesn't speak, she has no intention of telling the angel were the brothers are or where they are going. She is curious about 'why' the angel needs to know and a broken wrist is all the answer she's gotten. It's enough to know this angel can't be on their side.

"Tell me where they are." The demand is accompanied by a menacing step towards the young woman curled up on the old wood boards. Anna is pleased to see Arýza flinch; it's a step in the right direction- towards the Winchesters.

"Why can't you help them?" the question brings Anna to Arýza's face, kneeling before her to study the 'mud-monkey' that failed just as Sam failed. She wonders what its all for, why they fight against the ineffable plan when its all been ordained?

"Back away."

The order, the harsh tone of voice- its familiar to both. Anna turns, rising to her feet in a fluid motion while the electric blue eyes skip over her to check on Arýza. His jaw clenches and the blue eyes return to the angel.

"Castiel-."

"Leave."

Arýza watches the silent battle of wills. She's on Castiel's side and if she weren't she'd certainly pick him seeing the angel vibrating with anger, looking very 'wrathful'. The next instant there's a flutter of wings and Anna is gone. There's a sort of blur as she leaves that fades instantly- Arýza's caught Castiel leaving the same way only once before.

"Cas..."

He's beside her, hand gentle as he takes her broken wrist and heals it. The warmth that fills Arýza ebbs slowly and in its wake there's a tingling all over her skin. She's no longer tired, sleepy then her stomach grumbles and she offers a sheepish smile to the angel.

"Sorry," she whispers with a little shrug. "I didn't have time to get travel snacks."

Castiel's expression hasn't changed from its serious yet slightly frowning look. He stands, hand still holding to Arýza as he pulls her up. The train has slowed, the city sounds growing louder.

"The city so nice they named it twice." Arýza sighs. She'd wanted to visit before but never quite made it. The Statue of Liberty... "New York." Its where she had planned on going to school, once, a long time ago when she had been just a regular girl... But Castiel already knows that. He grabs her bag and keeping a light hold on her takes them out of the train yard. They appear a mile away, close to the road.

"You are not safe." Then Castiel places his hand on her chest and pushes lightly. Arýza has no time to think and only slightly protests the touch, mouth dropping open on a pained gasp when her chest suddenly flares up like a million hot coals have been shoved into her body.

"That hurts!" she clutches at her ribs and chest, slightly hunched over and directing a silvery-green glare at the angel. "Fuck, Cas...ow."

"She won't find you again."

"Great, so huh?" Arýza's slight frown and her reaction bring to mind Sam and Dean and the vocal not so nice thank you for the enochian symbols that now hide the brothers from demons and angels alike. He studies Arýza, the steady breaths she takes and the hesitant press of her small hands to her ribs...

"I've burned enochian sigils into your bones. No angel or demon can track you now. Myself included."

Arýza takes a moment, she gets he's done it to protect her and being annoyed with Cas for looking out for her seems childish.

"Uh, thank you."

Castiel's head tilts just slightly.

"Dean was not as sincere."

She smiles, a soft laugh and shakes her head then frowns.

"What happened? Is he safe? They're ok?" she's got more questions, too many and time is running out. Castiel answers them with the same brash honesty that seems to annoy Dean, Bobby and sometimes Sam. He doesn't give Arýza time to scold him because her expression certainly means he's upset her. Instead, Castiel places his hand on her shoulder and a moment later they appear in a lush green hillside with the sun just starting to set.

"Will you stop just-." Arýza huffs a breath, eyes narrowed on her angel. "Now where are we?"

"England."

Her eyes widen and she turns in a quick little half circle only to stop when she spots the huge house in the distance.

"That is the Liddel family estate."

She can feel him move, his shoes barely squeaking as they squash more blades of overgrown grass and then he's standing beside her.

"You are home."

For just a second Arýza feels as though her lungs have stopped working, no air is getting to them and the house looms larger than life, as though it were reaching for her and that's just crazy. Castiel's hand is warm on her shoulder, a steady strength and the vice keeping her frozen falls away. She draws in a breath, full of wet earth and grass and heather... her eyes search the sky, the fading sunlight casting the gray-blue ocean above them in darkening purples and scarlets.

"Home." Her echo is softer than Castiel's followed by a flutter of wings and Arýza is alone.

Ω

AN: I know, I hope you all stick around for the adventure.

I'm open to suggestions, requests and maybe some demands as well =) So feel free to send me a message or leave a review. Thank You all for your interest and support.