(I don't own VLD or SPN)

-takes place during season 9, prior to 2013 entry for Space Salt-

Castiel was lucky in that I was the one who opened the door when he knocked.

"¿Quien esta en la puerta, hijo?"

"¡Una de esas personas que hablan de Jesús, mamá!" I shouted over my shoulder before I turned my gaze to Cas. "Cas? You're okay? I saw- I saw the-"

"Do you know where your father is?"

I glanced over my shoulder real quick, but none of my siblings were within earshot. Mama wouldn't hear me unless I shouted. "He… I ran into Garth the other day, he said dad wanted me to know that him and Uncle Sam were hiding out in Kansas. I have Garth's number. He could probably tell us."

Cas nodded before he spoke, looking more sheepish than I had ever seen him before, "good. Would I… would I be able to spend the night? It's.. it's late and I've come a long way."

"Uh, yeah, one second," I turned my head to yell over my shoulder, "mamá, ¿puedo invitar a un amigo a pasar la noche?"

"No sabiá que Lance tenía amigos," Veronica called from the couch.

"¡Cállate Roni!" I yelled at Veronica, "¡ya no eres mi hermana favorita!"

"!Obtendrás la chancla si sigues discutiendo! Lance, tu amigo puedo quedarse."

"¡Gracias, mamá!" I turned to Cas. "Mom says you can stay."

"She thinks I'm a friend from school?"

"Yeah, so don't anybody see you," I said, "but you can only stay the night on one condition."

I had Garth's number, and he did not, so after a moment where he channeled his own disappointed dad look at me, the angel (ex-angel?) gave in. "What is the condition?"

"You take me with you."

Cas and I huddled together on one of the seats of the broken bus. I didn't take up too much space, being a preteen and all, but that didn't stop me from being cold.

Somebody had lit a fire in the garbage can outside, but I didn't complain about the stink. I envy the people huddled around it, but I don't want to leave Castiel's side and I don't feel like moving, so I don't ask if he wants to go stand by the fire. The window's dirty, but it doesn't stop me from reaching out and wiping a circle into it. There's too many streetlights lighting up the night to see the stars, but I can see the fire more clearly. It just makes me feel colder.

I shifted closer to Cas. He didn't say anything, but tucked me against his side so he could wrap his trenchcoat around the both of us. His shirt is cleaner than the outside of the trenchcoat, after we've spent so long travelling on the streets, and I felt bad, knowing my dirty hoodie was probably getting his shirt dirty.

I must have fallen asleep, because suddenly I was jolting awake. I was alone on the seat, laying down on the seat and curled up using Castiel's trenchcoat as a blanket. I sat up, rubbing my eyes as I looked around for the angel. It didn't take long, as said angel was standing in the lane between seats; he must have shaken me awake.

"We have to go," Cas said; he was clutching his arm, which glistened red in the dim light.

I got up and followed him out without a word, waiting until I couldn't see the bus below the bridge behind us before I cast him a curious glance.

"Angels," he said.

I nodded and handed his trenchcoat back to him. He tried to refuse, even though I could see him shivering.

"I'm getting too warm," I said. "Take it back, Cas. Can't have my only responsible adult get sick."

After a moment spent thinking it over, Cas obliged, taking the coat and pulling it on. "Let me know when you get cold, okay?"

"Okay," I said.

We both knew that I wouldn't.

A nice lady gave us each a sandwich after finding us looking for food in the trash, and told us that we could stay at her place for the night if we had nowhere else to go.

I could see the temptation to accept her offer and with how long Cas hesitated he was probably tempted to stay, too, but after a moment he told her that we were fine. We both thanked her for the food, then continued on our way.

Half an hour prior to meeting her, we'd passed a cornerstore that had a tv on. On the screen, my mother had been asking for me to come home with tear stained eyes. It had hurt seeing her so sad, hurt so much that it was almost enough to make me turn back. I wanted to call, but Cas and I were on foot and I didn't want to risk the call being tracked. So far, the police seemed to think Cas had kidnapped me. They'd put my face up on the screen, but the picture for Cas was an artist's work obviously going off of somebody's description.

If Cas and I hadn't been so worried about being kept from getting to dad, maybe we would have accepted the lady's offer. But we were worried, and so we didn't, and we continued on our way.