( HEAVEN & ANGELS )

      Zach walks down the sidewalk calmly, hands in his pockets; he sees the blinding light beside a house and stops, nodding and smiling. He approaches the house and knocks. A middle-aged man, Frank, opens the door. "Yes?" He asks.

      "Hi. My name is Zach."

      "Can I help you?" Frank asks as Zach pulls out a knife and stabs Frank through the heart.

      We pull back to reveal a stone angel to the left of the door - approximately where the blinding light had come from.

MOTEL ROOM
[ ☼ ]

      Sam and Elena exit a random sandwich shop. Sam remembers something. "Hey, what's with you and the whole Angel thing?" He asks.

      "I just don't believe in them, is all." Elena says and they begin walking to the car.

      "Why not?" Sam asks.

      Elena stops and turns to him. "Look, I really don't want to talk about this right now."

      "Alright." Sam says as they get into the car.

      Later, Dean is sitting on the edge of the bed with a police radio in hand, listening. He looks painfully bored. "We've got a minor TA, involving a motorcycle and a, uh van, this is at the corner of 28th and Pine, 28th and Pine." An operator says.

      As Sam and Elena enter, Dean sighs and looks back at the "Magic Fingers" controller. "Did you bring quarters?" Dean asks.

      Sam frowns at the controller. "Dude, I'm not enabling your sick habit." Elena tosses a sandwich at Dean.

      "You're like one of those lab rats that pushes the pleasure button instead of the food button until it dies." She says.

      "What are you talking about? I eat. And I got news." Dean says.

      "We do too." Sam says.

      "All right, you go first."

      "Three students have disappeared off the college campus in the last year. All of them were last seen at the library." Elena says.

      "Where Carl Gully worked." Dean recalls.

      "Yep."

      "Sick bastard." Dean says.

      "So Gloria's angel -" Sam starts.

      "Angel?" Dean questions.

     "Okay. Whatever this thing is..." Sam starts.

      "Okay, well, whatever it is, it's struck again." Dean says.

      "What?" Elena asks.

      "I was listening to the police radio before you got here; there was this guy, uh, Zach Smith, some local drunk; he went up to a stranger's front door last night, stabbed him in the heart." Dean says.

      "And then I'm guessing he went to the police and confessed?" Sam asks.

      "Yep. Roma Downey made him do it." Dean says and crosses the room to take a Post-it note off the mirror. "Now, I, uh...I got the victim's address."

VICTIM'S HOUSE
[ ☼ ]

      Sam, Elena and Dean climb over the fence into the yard and sneak in through the window. Sam sits down at the computer with Elena behind him as Dean searches the house. "Find anything?" Sam asks.

      "Well, Frank liked his catalogue shopping, but that's about all I got." Dean says.

      "Not much here. Except he's got this one locked file on his computer, I can't...hold on." Sam presses a few buttons, then grins in triumph. "Not anymore. God."

     "What?" Dean asks.

      "Well, he's got all these emails. Dozens, to this lady named Jennifer." Elena says as she points to the computer. "This lady who's thirteen years old."

      "Oh, I don't want to hear this." Dean says.

      "Looks like they met in a chat room. These emails are pretty personal, Dean. Look at that. Setting up a time and place to meet." Sam says.

      "Great." Dean mumbles.

      "They were supposed to meet today." Elena points out.

      "Huh. Well, I guess if you're gonna stab someone, good timing." Dean says. "I don't know, man, this is weird, you know? I mean, sure, some spirits are out for vengeance, but this one's almost like a do-gooder, you know? Like a-"

      "Avenging angel?" Sam says and Dean turns away. "Well, how else do you explain it, Dean? Three guys, not connected to each other, all stabbed through the heart? At least two were world-class pervs, and I bet if you dug deep enough on the other guy-"

      Dean picks something up. "Hey." He says.

      "What?" Sam asks.

      "You said Carl Gully was a churchgoer, right?" Dean asks.

      "Yeah."

      "What was the name of his church?"

      "Uh, Our Lady of the Angels?" Elena says.

      "Of course that'd be the name." Dean holds up a church flier. "Looks like Frank went to the Same church."

OUR LADY OF THE
ANGELS CHURCH
[ ☼ ]

      Dean, Elena and Sam walk through the sanctuary of the church, speaking to a friendly-looking priest, Father Reynolds. "So you're interested in joining the parish?" He asks.

      "Yeah, well, you know, we just don't feel right unless we hit church every Sunday." Dean says.

      "Where'd you say you lived before?" Reynolds asks.

      Sam has a brainfart. "Uh..."

      "Fremont, Texas." Elena finishes.

      "Yeah." Sam says.

      "Really? That's a nice town. St. Teresa's parish, you must know the priest there." Reynolds says.

      "Sure, yeah, no it's uh, Father O'Malley." Dean says.

      Father Reynolds looks at him in confusion. "Hmm, I know a Father Shaughnessy."

      "Shaughnessy, exactly. What'd I say?" Dean asks.

      "You know, we're just happy to be here now, Father." Sam says awkwardly.

      "And we're happy to have you, we could use some young blood around here." Reynolds says.

      "Hey, listen, I gotta ask - no offense, but uh, the neighborhood?" Dean asks.

      "Well, it's gone to seed a little, there's no denying that, but that's why what the church does here is so important." Reynolds says. "Like I always say, you can expect a miracle, but in the meantime you work your butt off."

      "Huh. Yeah, we heard about the murders." Dean says.

      "Yes. The victims were parishioners of mine, I'd known them for years."

      "And the killers said that an angel made them do that?" Elena asks.

      "Yes. Misguided souls, to think that God's messenger would appear and incite people to murder. It's tragic." Reynolds says.

      "So you don't believe in those angel yarns?" Dean asks.

      "Oh, no, I absolutely believe. Kind of goes with the job description."

      Sam nods to a painting on the wall. "Father, that's Michael, right?" He asks.

      "That's right. The archangel Michael, with the flaming sword. The fighter of demons, holy force against evil." Father Reynolds says.

      "So they're not really the Hallmark card version that everybody thinks? They're fierce, right? Vigilant?" Sam asks.

      "Well, I like to think of them as more loving than wrathful; but yes, a lot of Scripture paints angels as God's warriors. "An angel of the Lord appeared to them, the glory of the Lord shone down upon them, and they were terrified."" Reynolds says and Sam nods, Dean and Elena look confused. "Luke. Two nine."

      Sam and the gang leave the Church with Father Reynolds. "Well, thank you for speaking with us, Father." Sam says.

      "Oh, it's my pleasure. Hope to see you again."

      Dean sees a collection of tribute items at the bottom of the steps. "Hey, Father, what's, what is all that for?"

      "Oh, that's for Father Gregory. He was a priest here." Reynolds says.

      "Was?" Elena asks.

      "He passed away right on these steps. He's interred in the church crypt." Reynolds says.

      "When did this happen?" Dean asks.

      "Two months ago. He was shot for his car keys."

      "I'm sorry." Sam says.

      "Yeah, me too. He was a good friend. I didn't even have time to administer his last rights." Reynolds says. "But like I said, it's a tough neighborhood. Ever since he died I've been praying my heart out."

      "For what?" Sam asks.

      "For deliverance, from the violence and the bloodshed around here. We could use a little divine intervention, I suppose." Father Reynolds says.

      "Well, Padre, thanks. We'll see you again." Dean says as Father Reynolds goes back inside. Dean and Sam investigate the shrine. "Well, it's all starting to make sense. Devoted priest dies a violent death? That's vengeful spirit material right there." Dean says and Sam shifts uncomfortably. "And he knew all the other stiffs, because they went to church here, in fact I'm willing to bet that because he was their priest, he knew things about them that nobody else knew."

      "Then again, Father Reynolds started praying for God's help about two months ago, right? Right about the time all this started happening?" Sam asks.

      Dean throws his arms up in frustration. "Aw, come on, man, what's your deal?" He asks.

      "What do you mean?" Sam asks.

      "Look, I'll admit I'm a bit of a skeptic, but since when are you all Mr. 700 Club? No, seriously. From the get-go you've been willing to buy this angel crap, man. I mean, what's next, are you going to start praying every day?" Dean asks.

      "I do." Sam says.

      "What?" Elena asks.

      "I do pray every day. I have for a long time." Sam says.

      Dean looks startled. "The things you learn about a guy. Huh. Come on, let's go check out Father Gregory's grave."

CHURCH CRYPT
[ ☼ ]

      The crypt is a maze of stone hallways, with numerous stone angel figurines. They wander through slowly, Dean a little ahead of Sam. As Dean and Elena go into another room, Sam stops, looking back at one of the angels. He frowns as it, and then the entire room, begin to shake. A brilliant light appears behind him and he turns, confusion washing away to a look of awe.

      Dean hurries back into the room. "Sam, come on, get the lead out." He sees Sam in a dead faint on the floor, and rushes over. "Sammy? Sammy! Hey!"

      Sam jerks awake, groaning. "You okay?" Elena asks.

      Sam stares at the stone angel, stunned. "Yeah. Yeah. I'm okay." He says.

      "Come on." Dean hauls Sam to his feet and guides him into the sanctuary.

      He has a hand on his arm, and shuts the door behind them. "You saw it, didn't you? Didn't you?" Elena asks.

      "Yeah. Yeah. Elena, I saw an angel." Sam says.

      "You..." Sam sits as Dean pulls out a flask, unscrews it and hands it to him. "All right. Here." Dean says.

      "I don't want a drink." Sam says.

      Dean shrugs and takes a swig as Elena sits beside them. "So. What makes you think you saw a, uh, angel?" Dean asks.

      "It just, it appeared before me and I just, this feeling washed over me, you know? Like, like peace. Like grace." Sam says.

      "Okay, Ecstasy Boy, maybe we'll get you some glowsticks and a nice Dr. Seuss hat, huh?" Dean jokes.

      Sam's face is blank. "Dean, I'm serious. It spoke to me, it knew who I was."

      "It's just a spirit, Sam. Okay? And it's not the first one to be able to read people's minds." Elena says.

      Dean sits down on another pew. "Okay, let me guess. You were personally chosen to smite some sinner, you've just got to wait for some divine bat signal, is that it?" He asks.

      "Yeah, actually." Sam says.

      "Great. I don't suppose you asked what this alleged bad guy did?" Dean asks.

      "Actually I did, Dean. And the angel told me. He hasn't done anything. Yet. But he will." Sam says.

      Dean stands and starts pacing. "Oh, this is, this is...I don't believe this." He says.

      "Dean, the angel hasn't been wrong yet! Someone's going to do something awful, and I can stop it!" Sam yells.

      "Sam think about this, alright!" Elena says. "It's wrong."

      "You know, you're supposed to be bad too, maybe, maybe I should just stop you right now." Dean says.

      "You know what, Dean? I don't understand! Why can't you even consider the possibility -" Sam starts.

      "What, that this is an angel?"

      "Yes!" Sam yells. "Maybe we're hunting an angel here, and we should stop! Maybe this is God's will!"

      "Okay, all right. You know what? I get it. You've got faith. That's - hey, good for you. I'm sure it makes things easier." Dean says as he sits again. "I'll tell you who else had faith like that - mom. She used to tell me when she tucked me in that angels were watching over us. In fact, that was the last thing she ever said to me."

      "You never told me that." Sam says.

      "Well, what's to tell? She was wrong. There was nothing protecting her. There's no higher power, there's no God. I mean, there's just chaos, and violence, and random unpredictable evil that comes out of nowhere and rips you to shreds. You want me to believe in this stuff? I'm going to need to see some hard proof. You got any?" Dean says. "Well, I do. Proof that we're dealing with a spirit."