Sam and Dean only thought they knew Castiel. They thought they had the Angel figured out and in a lot of ways they did, what they had not counted on however was that Castiel still had a few secrets and one of them was standing in front of the Impala her face set in dangerous lines. Castiel had been missing for weeks, even Sam and Dean were concerned over how long he'd been gone with not even a rumor to indicate where he was. Dean had finally had enough and they'd packed their gear and left the bunker to go looking for him, or at least a job so they didn't spend every waking moment wondering where he was. Dean had seen the figure leaning on the hook of the Impala and had pulled his gun without hesitation and pointed it at her.
"You'd better have a damned good reason for touching my baby." He growled.
She had stood up and put her hands on her hips her face set and angry. "Put the damned gun away Dean."
Sam had put his hand on his brother's arm lowering the weapon. "Who are you and how do you know us?" He'd asked.
She pushed a few strands of dark hair out of her face. "My name is Alora. I know Castiel, he talks about you a lot. Is he here? Please tell me he's here."
Dean holstered the gun. "No he's not. Who are you to Cas?"
She gave a very small smile. "His girlfriend."
Dean felt his head spin and Sam gaped. "His what?"
10 Months Ago:
Castiel carefully put the lid back on the trashcan and regarded the styrofoam container dolefully, the fries were stone cold and would probably be crumbly and bland but the burger only had a few bites taken out of it and the lettuce was still crisp so it hadn't been there very long. It was better than anything else he'd found in the last 12 hours and his stomach clenched painfully.
"You're not going to eat that." The female voice behind him startled him so badly he dropped the container and the burger fell out onto the filthy pavement and he almost cried, he didn't know how long it would take to find something edible again.
He turned towards the voice his head down, shoulders hunched. It hadn't taken him long to learn that the homeless were often physically abused for far less heinous crimes than dumpster picking, from under his matted hair that fell down over his face he saw the woman standing not three feet from him, he mentally berated himself for not noticing how close she'd gotten but the physical discomfort of hunger and cold had dulled his reactions.
She gave him an apologetic look and held something out, a plastic sandwich container that hadn't been opened yet, the plastic cover still tight and shiny, his eyes traveled from the sandwich up her arm to an open pretty face. She had large dark eyes and a short stub nose over full lips and a scattering of freckles. Dark hair cut shorter on the sides with a longer fall of hair on top that fell in disarray around her face framed her delicate features and he caught the glitter of multiple earrings in her ears. He looked back down at the sandwich then looked away. "No thank you." He rasped and started backing away. "That's your food, I will find something else."
She took another step forward and he caught sight of a plastic grocery bag hanging from her elbow. "I bought it for you." She said softly. "I've seen you around and I thought you might like something fresh."
He stopped and stared at her his mind reeling, he'd become accustomed to people ignoring him, even other homeless people and the regular folk who passed by on the streets refused to acknowledge the homeless. Some of the homeless that he'd spoken to told him not to bother trying to get their attention, no one in this town gave a damn about the homeless and yet, here she was. He hesitantly took the sandwich and she smiled. "I have a bunch more sandwiches if you know anyone else who need them?"
He felt stunned all over again and nodded a little helplessly. "Can you take me to them?"
He nodded speechless and motioned for her to follow him, he caught sight of the large backpack she wore as they walked until they came to the underpass. The homeless gathered around the barrels with their dirty fires burning in the metal containers gave them suspicious looks as the woman found a clear patch of ground. She unslung her pack and pulled out several bundles that were vacuum sealed. She spoke in a carrying voice. "I have sandwiches for anyone who wants them. Not throw aways either, sealed sandwiches and I also have clothes and toiletries and hats and gloves for anyone who wants them."
Castiel moved a little back and watched the other homeless shuffle forward. In ten minutes the woman was pulling her backpack on again as the homeless donned clean shirts hats, gloves and gathered back around the fire barrels to eat the sandwiches. He'd already devoured his and was content for the moment to watch the woman, the homeless had given her very little in the way of thanks, most of them too long inured to pain and hopelessness to see this as anything more than a temporary kindness. He watched her walk away and hurried to catch up to her. "Thank you." He said softly and she smiled.
"You're welcome. It's not much but it's what I can do."
"It's more than you know." He said simply.
She smiled and he watched her leave, sure he'd never see her was surprised that a week later she was back again with more sandwiches and more supplies, this went on for a month, once a week she'd show up with food and supplies, she never asked for anything she just gave and left. He finally worked up the courage to ask her about herself. While she was walking back to the main road he caught up to her pulling the clean hat he'd accepted down over his ears. "Why do you do this?" He asked.
"Why don't more people?" She asked softly. "We're given the gift of compassion and yet we do so little for those who need it. I have so much, I can give a little back."
He faltered and she was gone. He didn't see her again until he was working at the convenience store and she came in to buy sandwiches. He smiled at her and she didn't recognize him as he rang up the two dozen sandwiches she'd selected. And then she was gone again. The next week he saw her again. "You saved my life." He blurted out as he handed her the receipt.
She gave him a confused look then she grinned. "I wondered where you'd gone! I didn't recognize you."
He ran a hand down his vest. "I look very different clean." He said awkwardly. "My name is Castiel."
She smiled and tugged on his name badge. "I saw. I'm Alora."
And she was gone again, but every week she came back… until one week she didn't and Castiel felt in his gut that something was very wrong. He started by asking the homeless if they new where she lived then he started searching for her on the internet, she had an unusual name, he finally found her apartment almost by accident, a mailman had dropped mail with her name on it and Castiel just happened to see it. He buzzed the apartment but got no response, he wracked his brain trying to figure out what to do and unbidden a thought occurred to him. "What would Sam and Dean do?"
He thought about it and then buzzed the apartment below hers and claimed to be a delivery person. They unlocked the door and he hurried up the stairs to Alora's apartment, the plaque next to the buzzer had read Alora Anderson. When he finally got there he tried knocking but no answer again, his gut was screaming at him so he dug up another Dean solution and picked the lock. "Alora… It is Castiel, please do not be alarmed."
He heard a soft wheeze and hurried towards it only to find Alora laying on the couch very pale and very sick. He frowned at how hot she was and tried to wake her. When she wouldn't rouse he called an ambulance and rode with her feeling very awkward at being unable to answer any of the EMT's questions. "I don't know her well. I was worried about her…" He trailed off as the ambulance arrived and then nurses and doctors were asking him questions and he was so out of his depth.
They finally just ignored him and went to work on Alora while he sat in the waiting room wondering why he felt sick to his stomach with worry over a woman he barely knew. He clasped his hands on his knees and tried to will the sick worry away but it wouldn't go. He was afraid for her, afraid that the compassion she showed the homeless would wither away and die with her. He realized with a jolt that he was worried he wouldn't get the chance to know her better, she was special to him and so few humans were. It was frightening and exhilarating and so very human and he wanted to grab passersby and tell them that he cared, that someone cared because without Alora and the way she had cared about him he was sure he'd be dead now and it seemed important to tell people he cared too.
They finally came for him, the doctor told him he had gotten her there just in time, that the fever she'd been suffering from had been caused by tetanus, an infection gotten probably from a cut while out helping the homeless and she was lucky to have him as a friend because he'd saved her life. He'd thanked the doctor and asked to see her and now he was sitting beside her bed without a single clue as to what to say to her when she woke up.