See Chapter One for Disclaimer

Gas N' Sip.

What a beautiful, simple name. And so convenient, being only a few short blocks from Maddie's apartment. Walking, though good for the baby, as Maddie's doctor had told her, was a bit of a struggle now, with her being nearly six months pregnant.

Maddie had settled easily into Kansas, her job was amazing, being back in writing was fabulous, and her apartment was extremely nice, a two bedroom place that was mostly empty, because Maddie hadn't really had a big need for things.

But, it WAS a little lonely, and though she had "work friends", after two months of just work and home, Maddie was craving some other form of social interaction.

Maybe that was why the man at the cash register caught her eye.

He had tousled dark hair, hesitant bright blue eyes, a few days' worth of growth on his chin. He straightened at her entrance and smiled slightly. Maddie nodded back and began to peruse the shelves, noticing faintly that the man had wilted the moment Maddie had looked away.

Maddie shook her head. This guy had problems, no doubt about it. But Maddie couldn't help him, she had problems of her OWN. One of which was kicking her quite fiercely, as if telling her she should talk to the man. She ignored the kicking in favor of looking through the food aisle; seeing more things she wanted to buy then she should.

Ah, the joys of being pregnant. Maddie grunted when a particularly large kick hit her right in the bladder, and she grimaced.

"Are you alright, miss?" The cashier asked.

"Oh, yeah." Maddie rubbed the side of her belly. "But if I could; do you have a bathroom?"

The cashier nodded quickly and pointed to the back of store, and Maddie smiled in thanks and made her way towards the bathroom as quickly as she could…and she made it just in time.

Closing the door behind her with a sigh, feeling much better, in no hurry to head back to the front of the store, Maddie caught sight of the thin blanket and pillow folded up neatly in the corner of the storeroom and grimaced.

Either the cashier took naps during breaks, (which was unlikely,) or he slept there.

And that would just not do. Maddie sighed, irritated by how nice she was, and then straightened her shoulders.

Cas tilted his head, eyes wide as he watched the pretty young woman load her arms with purchases. She set her first load on the counter with a huff. "Start ringing those up, please." She'd demanded, and Cas simply nodded and did as she'd asked. Three loads later, and the dark haired woman nodded in satisfaction.

"That looks good." She decided. Cas hid a smile as he rang up her total, and then bagged her purchases.

Her four loads fit into three bags, and she frowned at them. "When does this place close?" She asked abruptly, and Cas squinted at the clock.

"Two minutes ago." He answered, surprised. He'd been so busy watching her rush around, he'd lost track of the time. The woman smiled.

"Perfect. I'll wait for you to close up, and you can help me carry my bags home." Cas' eyes widened and the woman shrugged. "It's only a few blocks, it'll be fine."

When Cas still said nothing, the woman's dark brown eyes narrowed. "Are you going to make a pregnant woman carry these bags all by herself?"

Cas shook his head quickly. "Of course not!"

"That's what I thought." The woman said in satisfaction.

And that was how Cas found himself walking the woman, Maddie, she'd told him to call her, back to her apartment.

Maddie's plan had worked perfectly. She'd gotten the cashier to walk her home, and now he stood nervously in the doorway of her apartment, face uneasy.

It was clear the man was ready to bolt, and that would just not do.

"Well." Maddie shot the man an impatient look. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to help me defrost the meat?"

"Cas" the man had said his name was. It was one of three words Maddie had gotten out of the man as they'd walked to her apartment. But as Maddie strong-armed him into helping her cook and thus keeping him from escape, she watched him.

A "Cas" didn't sleep in the back of a store. A "Cas" shouldn't look like he was constantly afraid of something, like he was forever lonely. A "Cas" had friends…people who'd given him the nickname in the first place.

Whoever this guy might've been before, this was no "Cas" standing before her.

But it was fine….they'd work on that.

Cas could not for the life of him fathom how he'd found himself in the apartment of one of his shoppers, helping her cook dinner and then sitting down to eat it with her.

It defied all Logic. And yet…

This strange woman was the first to see him…actually see him and speak to him and treat him like more than a cashier, more than a burden. She was gruff and curt, but her attitude was almost familiar to Cas, and it comforted him in a weird way. It also helped that Cas could see past the gruffness; he knew she'd seen his bed, and instead of pitying him and then walking away, she'd done something about it. And from the look on her face, she intended to do much more.

"What kind of trouble are you in?"

Cas furrowed his brow. "No trouble."

Maddie narrowed her eyes, and Cas waited as she scrutinized him, her hand slowly rubbing her belly as she thought.

"What are you doing in Kansas?"

Cas bit his lip, and his hands clenched in his lap. "Trying to be normal." He said slowly. "Trying to be human."

Cas regretted the last word as he said it. It was true, he was trying to be human. But humans didn't try being human, they just were. He'd said the wrong thing…but he always did that. He winced and waited for Maddie's derision at his statement.

But Maddie just lifted an eyebrow and shifted in her chair. "I think I understand." She finally said.

Cas wanted to respectfully disagree, but he stayed silent.

"You're trying to fit. You want to find a place to be." Cas' silence was now no longer because he disagreed…but the opposite.

"I get it." Maddie sighed. "Probably not completely, but it IS hard trying to fit when you're starting from scratch AND doing it on your own. Of which I believe is the case for you."

Cas shrugged. She wasn't wrong.

"Well." Maddie pushed her chair back. "I just met you, and this is kind of crazy, but….move in, maybe?" Maddie's mouth quirked, but Cas froze up.

He may just be human now, but he was still dangerous. Dangerous and useless, the reason the Winchesters left him behind. He didn't want to bother her.

"You won't bother me." Cas' eyes widened.

"Did I read your mind?" She guessed with a smile. "I have a friend who can do that, I know it can be kind of frustrating. But my offer was serious, and it wasn't made out of pity. If you're one of those people who are overly proud, you can think of it as," Maddie pursed her lips, "An exchange of services." When Cas tilted his head, Maddie continued. "I'm a single pregnant woman living on my own in a strange city and you're also alone, living nowhere, and seem to be in a permanent state of culture shock. Stay with me for a few months, help me around the place, carry my groceries," Maddie winked, which surprised a smile out of Cas, "and I'll do what I can to help you settle in to being human. Deal?"

Cas shook his head. It was too much…too soon. She seemed nice enough, but with who he was, with what he'd been, he couldn't put her in that danger. Not when she was with child.

But he wanted to say yes in the worst way. Angels were not made to be alone, and as Cas was finding out, neither were humans.

Maddie chuckled. "If you turn out to be crazy, I have no problem taking you down, pregnant or not. So…don't be crazy, say yes, and we can both get something we want." Maddie paused. "Also, you should know that I don't plan on taking no for an answer…so you could save a lot of time by just saying yes now."

Cas thought for a moment…of his job that he didn't like, of the back room that was where he slept, of the minimum amount of human contact he got each day and how the lack of interaction was slowly eating away at him…and he nodded.

Maddie seemed normal enough…and even if she wasn't…Cas still had a pretty high tolerance for crazy.

Maddie does what Maddie wants.

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~CLC~