A/N: This is a re-edited version of my original story. It's a lot shorter but I feel it's better, as I've cut out a lot of the episode stuff, (cause really we know what happened in the episodes) and while reading it back I found, at least to myself, that I spent too much time on Dean and Cas, and not enough on Claire.

Story Setting: Between the end of season four's episode Rapture and season five's episode Free To Be You And Me.

Special thanks to my Beta Saysesydo. You're the best. Any remaining grammar/spelling mistakes are mine and mine alone.

CHAPTER ONE

Claire sat on the wooden steps listening to Bobby calling everyone he could think of in a desperate attempt to locate the missing Winchester. Dean had escaped to the bathroom saying he needed to clean up, though Claire figured he just wasn't ready to face Bobby's questions. She may have only been among them for a few days but she already knew the routine. Bobby Singer wasn't Dean and Sam's father, but he sure acted like it. He was concerned for them and although he was constantly calling them idjits, she could tell he loved them deeply. It showed now, as a very worried Bobby sat slouched in his desk chair calling the person on the other end of the line a moron and saying he had more important things to worry about than a gang of zombies in Memphis. It was still a little weird hearing words like 'Demons' and 'Zombies' batted around causally. After all, this was the real world, things like that didn't exist, or at least that's what she'd always been told. Now she knew differently.

Claire physically jumped when Bobby slammed down the phone and swore very loudly.

"You alright kiddo?" Dean voice broke the strained silence.

She tilted her head back to look up at him. He was clean now; the blood that had caked his face had been washed away, leaving only a few cuts and bruises. When he'd strolled warily through the door an hour ago, Claire had stared open mouthed at the sight. He'd only paused long enough to tell Bobby 'Sam's gone' before dragging himself up the stairs. She could still see that wariness in his eyes, it reminded her of her mom a year ago when her father had talked about hearing angels speaking to him. Neither of them had believed him, though in hindsight maybe they should have. Her mom had forced him to visit a doctor, who'd quickly said it was mental illness, because it was completely absurd that he was actually talking to angels right? So they'd prescribed pills, which of course her dad refused to take. Claire had sat at the top of their stairs the night her dad had left, listening to her mom and dad 'discuss' his problem. She'd heard her mom mention taking her to her grandma's if he didn't start taking his pills. She had run back to her room scared of losing her family.

Her heart had slammed against her ribs when she'd heard the front door open and close. Dressing quickly she'd rushed out hoping to stop her dad from leaving, hoping to keep her family together. When she'd appeared on the doorstep her father had been standing perfectly still in the cold, just staring out across the street, she'd called to him, when he turned with a confused and distant stare on his face her heart clenched tight. Then he'd said he was not her father and walked away. Claire had watched after him in shock until her mom appeared behind her, wanting to know why she was out of bed.

"Dad." She'd forced words past her rapidly closing throat. "He's left." She turned into her mom's arms, buried her head into her chest and sobbed. For hours, days and months she'd cried thinking her father had abandoned them. Watching her mom's love turn from worry to anger to hate as the months passed with no word, finally she'd sat Claire down and told her in an icy tone, that it was very likely that her father was dead.

And they'd believed that until three days ago when he'd arrived on their doorstep. Claire had never felt such happiness and relief in her life; she was getting her family back. – Sadly it hadn't remained that way. Her happy family reunion had quickly turned into a horror movie. Her mom was 'possessed' by a demon who'd vanished during a fight, while her father had given himself to an angel to release her. So now she had no family, nothing but these men. - No one to count on but Dean Winchester. Strangely putting her trust in the man was easier that she would have thought. A part of her told him that he was a good person, a loyal trustworthy man and that she couldn't be in better hands. And he'd promised to find and save her mom, no matter what, and she believed him completely.

"Claire?" Dean broke through her thoughts; his tone though wary, now rang with concern as he took a seat next to her. "Kiddo?"

Claire felt the stinging tears slide from beneath her lashes; she felt the warmth of Dean's body next to her and his heavy arms sliding around her shoulders, pulling her close in comfort. With that she began cry.

"Hush, shhh. It's alright, you're safe here." Dean tried to sound comforting, reassuring but it wasn't helping. "Listen Kiddo, - I know this is all a little…. well, screwy…" he sighed. "…but I want you to know that I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Okay. – I'm going to keep my promise and find your mom."

There was a long silence as Claire straightened and sniffled back her tears, finally calming down. "She was here."

Dean's brows furrowed. "Who? – What?"

"Mom…. Well, that thing in her, she was here."

"What!" Dean yelled, drawing Bobby's attention from the other room. "Are you alright? - What happened?"

"N- Nothing…. I'm fine… she wanted me to go with her…." Claire sniffled again. "… I thought it was her, Dean. I really wanted it to be her…"

~Supernatural: Family Don't End With Blood~

Claire allowed her mind to go back to that morning. She still remembered the whole thing. Still felt the pain of seeing her mom only to discover it wasn't her. She'd been sitting on the porch staring down blankly at some random book she'd grabbed from Bobby's shelve. She didn't really want to read it, it was merely a distraction from… everything. The words were just a jumble of letters that meant nothing, though a few penetrated her consciousness, things like demon, possession, sulfur, each time sending a shot of agony to her heart.

She'd finally stopped crying leaving her eyes red raw and feeling completely drained. She'd had the nightmare again, the same one she'd had since this whole horrid mess had begun. Black eyes staring at her with hate, a hand slapping her face, her father being shot, the smell of blood and rotten eggs. Though she knew it hadn't been her mom, because Dean had told her so, her dreams just wouldn't listen. So she'd woken up in tears, only to continue crying throughout the day, wishing something would ease the pain.

That's why she'd escaped to porch, waiting for the return of a man she'd only known a few days, yet felt like she'd know eternity. She couldn't understand what it was about Dean that made her feel safe. All she knew was since he'd left to find his runaway brother, she'd felt a cold chill settling over her and fear seeping into her bones.

Dropping the book on the wooden boards she focused her gaze on the maze of rusting cars, wondering why she trusted Dean Winchester so easily. Everything she'd seen told her he was dangerous, that her life was never going to be the same. She'd always been told not to talk to strangers. Assumingly that meant not to trust them either, after all wasn't it drummed into every child that you don't get into a strangers car, yet she'd taken the man's outstretched hand, followed him from the warehouse and gotten into his car without so much as second thought. It was as if her soul felt drawn to trust him. She'd been contemplating why that was when she arrived. At first Claire had been happy, relieved, her heart pounding in her chest with joy. She'd stared wide eyed at the woman a few feet away, smiling warmly at her.

"Claire."

"Mommy?"

"Hey sweetie."

Her instant reaction was to run into her mother's arms like the lost child she was, but there was a voice in the back of her mind holding her back, warning her to be cautious. A voice she recognized but couldn't place.

"H-how did you…" she looked around for Dean or maybe even Castiel, hoping they'd fulfilled their promises and brought her mom back to her, but there was no sign of either of them and a shiver ran the length of Claire's spine as she continued to stare at her mother, her hands shaking at her side and her heart racing.

"What's the matter sweetie?" her mom had said, hurt in her eyes. "It's me, I promise. – Come on."

Claire stood cautiously, never taking her eyes of the fair haired woman before her. The coming of tears began to burn her throat. "Mommy? – I-is that r-really you?"

She tilted her head a little and sighed. "Of course it's me; I've come to get you. – We can go home now."

"Dean said it wasn't safe."

Her mom visibly flinched and Claire saw a spark of anger in her eyes. "Did he? Well he doesn't know what he's talking about." Her voice was harsher than usual. "He just wants to keep you away from me. – Just like that angel is doing to your father."

Claire swallowed back the tears, not wanting to listen but unable to stop herself.

"It's their fault your Daddy's dead…"

Claire shook her head.

"…and it's their fault I was taken by that demon."

The teenagers' heart was crashing painfully against her ribs, her stomach fighting a fresh wave of nausea.

"But you don't have to worry now, I'm here. I'll take you home and you'll never have to see any of these dangerous people again. – Come on sweetie, let's go home."

Claire hands were shaking, her heart pounding and tears poured from her soft aqua eyes as she took a step back. "Bobby!"

Claire had stood frozen to the spot when the thing inside her mom rushed toward her, but thankfully Bobby was faster. He burst through the door, shot gun raised and he fired on instinct, catching the demon in the shoulder. Claire screamed and the 'demon' had vanished, cursing as it went. Claire released a shaky breath when she felt Bobby's hand on her shoulder. She didn't even hesitate to throw herself into the old man's arms, finding herself crying.

"Shhh…" Bobby whispered gruffly, his weapon free arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her tight. "It's over. You're safe."

Claire pulled back a little. "I-is she…."

Bobby glanced down at her guilty. "Nah, I barely scratched her." He'd stood there comforting her for a while before ushering her back inside.

All Claire had wanted at that moment was Dean.

~Supernatural: Family Don't End With Blood~

Claire was pulled back from the memory by the weight of Dean's arm tightened around her again.

"I…" he swallowed back his own tears. "…I know, Kiddo."

Dean turned angry, silent accusing eyes on Bobby.

"Don't look at me like that boy, what was I meant to do, keep the girl locked up in the safe room? – None of us would have expected that thing to come here. As it was, Claire realized it weren't her mom and called me."

Dean glanced down at the girl and smiled sadly at her. "I'm sorry."

Claire shrugged, pulling away once more. "It's alright…" she sniffed. "…I just…knew it wasn't her. – Will she come back do you think?"

Dean shrugged. "The demon? Not if it knows what's good for it. – As for your mom, only if me or Cas find her. – So if you do see her again and neither of us is with her…."

"It's not her. – Yeah, that's kind of how I knew it wasn't mom, because you weren't there."

Dean nodded, grinning at the girl proudly. "You're a clever one, aren't you?" He forced a laugh. "That's all I need, another brainiac in my life."

"Well at least I don't have to put up with another idjit in this family," Bobby announced, warmly smiling at Claire before turning a hardened glare on Dean. "So you want to tell me what the hell happened with Sam?"

~SUPERNATURAL - FAMILY DON'T END WITH BLOOD~

Claire escaped to her room while Dean and Bobby spoke, she felt tired and more than a little empty. Sitting on the bed that was now hers, she stared at the wall. Bobby and Dean had cleared out the room the day they'd arrived, needing something to occupy themselves, while blocking out the screams coming from the basement where Dean's brother Sam had been locked up. Claire didn't remember much from her time as Castiel's vessel, but from what she'd heard; Sam had been caught drinking demon blood and had been suffering some kind of withdrawal. She hadn't been overly aware of the screaming if she was honest. That first evening and most of the next day had felt more like she was in a bubble. She'd seen and heard, but it had been dull, muffled, and not quite real. It hadn't been until she'd stood in the doorway of the 'safe room' that that bubble had actually burst, allowing her mind to take in just what was happening to her and around her. After that it had been hard to ignore the screaming. When Dean had woken her early to tell her that Sam had escaped and that he had to go after him, her instinct had been to plead with him to stay but he'd looked so worried, so tired and so sad, that she'd known deep down that he had to go. After all, Sam was his family; she was just an orphan he felt responsible for.

Claire fell back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. She could hear Bobby's booming voice through the floorboard, though it was muffled, she knew he was yelling at Dean for whatever he'd done. Staring at the white ceiling Claire closed her eyes and listened, her eyelids drifting closed.

She didn't sleep that long, maybe an hour or so. When she woke it was quite. Throwing her legs over the side of the bed she headed for the door, pausing a moment to look back at the room. As she came down the stairs, she saw Bobby sitting at his desk, his head bent over more books. She strolled casually into the room, amazed by how quickly she'd settled into this strange place. "Where did Dean go?"

"He got a call on the bat phone."

Claire frowned at him.

The old man pointed to the ceiling. "Angels."

Claire raised her gaze and sighed. "Oh."

She strolled over to the window, falling onto the couch that sat in front of it and stared outside.

"You alright kid?" Bobby asked.

Claire shrugged, giving him a sad lopsided smile.

"Wanna help?" he asked.

"With what?"

"Research." He held out a small slim book for her.

Claire got off the seat, taking the book. "Research on what?"

"Just look for anything mentioning seals."

"Seal? Like Sea World?"

Bobby chuckled, rolling his eyes. "No, kid the other kind, the kind that holds things shut."

"Oh." Claire blushed, dropping back onto the couch and opening the book. For the next hour, she tried to read, but only found herself staring at the engravings, until she fell asleep again.

~Supernatural: Family Don't End With Blood~

"Try to understand!" Castiel pleaded.

Understand? Oh he understood perfectly. Zachariah had made it all crystal clear to him. It was Castiel that didn't get it. Dean thought as he stood staring at the angel, who until a few hours ago he'd considered an allie. That had all vanished with Castiel's refusal to help him. His refusal to see that what was happening was wrong. How could he not see it?

"This is long foretold. - This is you're…."

"Destiny!" Dean interrupted, shaking his head. "Don't give me that holy crap. – Destiny, Gods plan. - It's all a bunch of lies you poor stupid son of a bitch. – It's just a way for your bosses to keep me and keep you in line!"

Castiel's gaze narrowed, listening to Dean's outburst, trying to remind himself that it was anger, that what he was saying wasn't true. He kept telling himself that this was a test of faith. That heaven was doing what needed to be done. That this was his father's plan and he must trust in that. But it was there, in the back of his mind, that small voice telling him that Dean was right, and that he should be listening to him.

"You know what's real...?" Dean continued, his gaze pleading desperately with the angel. "…people, families, that's real. - Claire's real." Castiel flinched, physically. He didn't need to be reminded what this would mean for the girl. "…and you're gonna watch them all burn?"

"Claire will be safe." Castiel insisted.

"Uh." Dean scoffed. "…Why? Because she's Jimmy's daughter?"

"Yes."

"And what about the others Cas…? Other people sons and daughters, you're just going to let them die?" Dean clenched his jaw and his fists. "But as long as Claire's safe, screw the rest of the world."

"That's not fair Dean."

"No shit."

Castiel felt a sudden wave of anger, another one of those human emotions that had been taking root within him of late. He felt so many emotions now it was almost a physical weight. Those emotions had been what had brought him to the point of turning his back on heaven and his mission. That is, until Zachariah had 'convinced' him that he was wrong, that what he felt was wrong. Telling him it needed to be banished or ignored. But the anger couldn't be controlled. Dean was laying all of this at his feet, as if he could do anything to stop it. He was just one angel. "What is so worth saving?" Castiel asked furiously stepping into Dean's personal space. "…I see nothing but pain here. I see inside you. I see your guilt, your anger, your confusion. In paradise all is forgiven. You'll be at peace, with Sam," Castiel said earnestly, though whether he was trying to convince Dean or himself, he couldn't tell.

The two men stared at each other for a long moment, the tension between them an almost physical thing. Finally Cas broke eye contact. It was all too hard, how could he convince Dean of something he was beginning to doubt. But Dean would not allow him to look away. He sought out Cas's gaze determinedly.

When the contact was secure, Dean spoke. "You can take your peace and you can shove it up your lily white ass. – 'cause I'll take the pain and guilt, I'll even take Sam as is, it's better than being some Stepford bitch in paradise. – and I'm sure Claire would agree with me."

As Dean continued to rant Castiel turned away. This was too hard, it wasn't meant to be hard. Sam was meant to break the seal and become Lucifer's vessel, Dean was meant to become Michaels. That was the plan, God had decided. That was what every angel in heaven knew and wanted. So why didn't he? Why did Castiel's heart pound with a need to help Dean?

"Look at me!" Dean yelled, turning him forcefully. "You know it!"

The angels' human heart raced as Dean reminded him that he'd made a choice once, that he'd been willing to turn against heaven and warn the hunter before he'd been ripped from his vessel. It had only been three days ago to Dean, but to Cas, it had been longer. It had been weeks. Weeks spent being 'persuaded' to see things the right way until he'd finally agreed. He'd forced back all the human emotions that had crept into his grace. Then he'd heard Jimmy's voice, demanding his help, accusing him of abandoning him and breaking his promise, and it had pricked those human emotions. When he'd tried to retake his vessel, he found it impossible. Jimmy was dying and his anger at the angel meant he'd not accept him back, so Castiel had been forced to seek out a new vessel. Claire. The girl had been so scared for her parents; her mother having been possessed by demon. She'd seen her father being shot and when Castiel had told her that he could save her mother. She's said yes without a moment's hesitation. Of course, Castiel hadn't thought about the long term, he'd just wanted- no - needed, to keep his promise to Jimmy. The instant he'd arrived back on earth in a new vessel he'd gone to Dean's aid. Without even realizing it, Dean was the first person he'd wanted to protect. In doing so he'd allowed the demon possessing Claire's mother to escape. Once Dean was safe, he'd turned his attention to his old vessel Jimmy. Castiel couldn't help the feeling of lose that came over him. Jimmy Novak had been a part of him for what felt like eternity; he had not wanted it to end with the man's death. So when Jimmy pleaded for his daughter's life, Castiel had agreed, even though he shouldn't have, but those human emotions and that desire to protect Dean had prevailed.

"Help me now…. Please." Dean's voice broke though the angels' thoughts.

"What would you have me do?" Castiel sighed.

"Get me to Sam; we can stop this before it's too late.".

Castiel narrowed his gaze. "I do that we'll all be hunted, we'll all be kill."

"If there's anything worth dying for, this is it." Dean stared pleadingly into the angels' eyes, willing him to make the right decision.

When Castiel slowly, regretfully shook his head, Dean's heart fell. He swallowed back the pain the angel's refusal caused him. "You spineless, soulless son of a bitch…." The hunter turned, walking away from Castiel. Needing to distance himself from the angel who had saved him from hell but who now refused to help him. "…What do you care about dying, you're already dead. We're done."

Castiel's heart shattered at the look in Dean's gaze, at the sound of his voice as he turned away from him. "Dean." He whispered.

"We're done." Dean repeated.

Castiel swallowed hard as he vanished.

Dean glanced over his shoulder to find the angel gone and with him Dean's final hope.

~Supernatural: Family Don't End With Blood~

Castiel stood over Claire as she slept on the couch in front of Bobby Singer's window. The aging hunter was sitting at his desk shuffling though papers. Castiel couldn't seem to keep away from the girl; he couldn't help feeling concerned for the welfare or the desire to see her. This was the third time he'd stood over her, watched her sleep, his mind troubled over what to do. He couldn't understand why he felt this, why he felt anything at all.

He blamed Dean. Before he'd met the hunter he hadn't known what it was to feel, now it was all he seemed to do. Since the day he'd pulled Dean Winchester out of hell, he'd questioned and doubted every order and action. He found himself opening up to the humanity inside him, allowing Jimmy's concern for his daughter to taint him. Though maybe it wasn't Jimmy's concern, but his own. After all Claire had been a vessel too, if only for a short while, and an angel and his vessel held a special bond. And he'd made Claire a promise, to protect her and help her mom. A promise he had every intention of keeping.

He stared down at the blond girl as Dean's pleas reverberated through his mind yet again. They'd been haunting him for hours and though he tried to deny it, when Dean had turned away from him, something in his chest shattered. It suddenly became harder to picture paradise. It had been so easy once, when he'd thought of these humans, his father's beloved children. He'd never thought of them as mud-monkeys or insignificant, but he hadn't seen them as people either. Not until he'd been forced to spend time with one. One particularly irritating human, filled with well-deserved self-hate but who fought tooth and nail for people who would never acknowledge his existence.

To the world around him, Dean Winchester was just a name on a police report. Just a face that passed through town after town saving a few humans from whatever monster was haunting the shadows. But Dean was so much more than that. Not because he was destined to save the world. Not because he was destined to say yes to an archangel, but because despite being invisible and having nothing to call his own but a brother, an old drunk, and a classic car, Dean was the kind of man that would put a single individual life above a billion because that single life was just as important as a billion. He would fight for their right to free will.

Dean was the kind of man who'd been born to put others before himself, even if he hid it behind drink and sex and humor, he care about the planet; whether it was a stinking pile of turd or the most beautiful thing in creation. Dean was the kind of man who would take in a young girl he'd only just met, protect and care for her because she had no-one else.

Castiel reached out to brush at Claire's hair, he couldn't seem to stop himself. He leaned forward and whispered an Enochian prayer into Claire's ear, brushed a kiss to her forehead before vanishing.

He appeared on a bench in an abandoned snow covered park, his thoughts turning over and over the change in him and where it had come from. After a length of time, he came to the conclusion that there had been many catalysts that had caused the alteration to his character. It wasn't just Jimmy's inexplicable ability to influence him. It came from his own weakness. It came from his grace spending so much time bound to a broken human soul while he fought to free them both from hell. It was that soul's grim determination to question everything the angel did and said, while at the same time showing utter faith in him. It was Uriel's betrayal and Anna's attempted persuasion. It was all these things that had slowly worn away the angelic armor 'til he was nothing more than an angel with a chance at free will. - All he had to do was take it.

Uriel had said to him that all he had to do was not be afraid, and although he'd told his brother that he wasn't, it had been a lie, an unconscious lie but a lie none the less, because he had been afraid. Uriel had found free will and he'd chosen the wrong side, costing him his life. Now Castiel was faced with a similar choice, only for him it was Heaven or Humanity? – No, that was a lie too. It was Heaven or Dean Winchester?

As soon as the choice presented itself in his mind it was already made. The choice had already been made for him. Not by heaven, or even by Dean, but by his own conscience and the human emotions that were crowding his grace. He knew these emotions had names: guilt, pride, pain, loss. – But the one that was forcing his hand was one that was used constantly in heaven without ever really understanding it…..Love.

Love wasn't like the other emotions, it held so much within. Dean loved Sam and Bobby and his parents. Jimmy loved Claire and Amelia, and she them. Sam had loved Jessica and Madison and he suspect he may even love Ruby. Dean had loved Cassie. All these different forms of love where confusing to an angel with no experience with any of them. Angel's loved their father and they loved humanity, Castiel knew, but it was different. From what he'd seen and learnt and now felt of love, it was not something you could just turn away from. If heaven loved humanity as it said it did, then why were they willing to destroy it? If their father loved them all, why would he want this?

Castiel's head dropped into his hands. None of it made sense. The love of heaven did not follow the same rules as the love of earth. One was willing to destroy that which it supposedly loves, while the other was fighting to save it. Castiel knew his only choice was to follow his father's original order, the one he'd given at the beginning. Love humanity, which he took to mean protect humanity.

With his decision made Castiel left the snow covered park and rushed to Dean's aid. He would help the hunter locate his brother; they would stop this before it started. He would embrace and prove his love.

A/N: Just to clarify, Sam didn't banish the demon from Amelia like in the episode. She vanished while Castiel was saving Dean.