Authors note: Sorry for the late post, hope that i'll get a few more reviews this time. Let me know what you think of the story =) Enjoy! And remember, please review! Thanks to DeanCasLover22 for reviewing the last chapter, and everyone who read =)


Chapter One:

Stranger in The Dark


Part of me knew the nightmares would never stop.

No matter what I did – they just kept coming.

Even now, as I sat on my bed, tangled in sheets, bits and pieces of a nightmare lingered in my mind. I sat still for as long as I could, trying to steady my racing heart, and convincing myself that it was only a dream – it couldn't hurt me.

But it could definitely scare me to death – the blood, pain… the screaming, sometimes it was too much. And sometimes I dreamt of my sister…

I tried everything I could to keep the nightmares away – therapy, medication, hell, I even tried meditation and watching what I ate before bed. Anything. But nothing seemed to work; it was getting frustrating, and I was feeling desperate, so much so, that I didn't even want to sleep.

I couldn't stay awake longer than a day and a half before collapsing, worrying everyone, and prompting my mother to suggest that I should stay in a clinic, where I could be put under better surveillance.

Somehow I doubted it would help.

"Damaris?" I looked up to find my mother standing in the doorway of my room, the light in the hallway shinning in. she flipped the switch on, allowing me a better look at her worn out face, her long brown hair pulled into a low ponytail.

I sighed heavily, and plastered a weary smile on my face. "Sorry, mom. I didn't mean to wake you up. Just another nightmare."

"What was it about?" She asked as she usually did. She made her way towards my bed, and sat down, taking my hand in hers.

"I don't remember." It wasn't a complete lie.

"Mari, you need to be honest with me. The therapist and the doctor said –"

"I know what they said," I snapped. "But I'm fine."

The look on her face was enough to regret my tone. I sighed, letting my head drop in shame. We sat in silence for a long stretch of time before she spoke. "I just worry about you. I know these last couple of months, well, it hasn't exactly been the easiest time, for either of us, but… I just don't want to lose you too. I almost did already," her voice hitched a little, but I kept my eyes downcast. I hated having these discussions. "Try to get some sleep, baby," she said, once she realized I wouldn't be participating in the conversation anymore. She stood and kissed my forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too," I replied, thankful that she had dropped it, but inwardly promised that I would try to get better for her. All this moping, and feeling sorry for myself wasn't helping either of us.

I watched her leave the room, closing the door behind her, and after a few minutes I stood up, my socked feet wiggling into the carpeted floor, there was no way I was going back to bed. I stretched and checked the clock on the nightstand. The bright red lights read four eighteen p.m.

I blinked. I'd slept for three hours this time. I congratulated myself, sarcastically. Even though I hated sleeping these days, part of me still loved it. Soft pillows, warm blankets and my queen size bed. It took everything in me not to get back into bed.

I closed my eyes for a split second, and was immediately assaulted with flashes of red. I jumped, eyes snapping open. Yeah, there was no way I was going back to sleep, and not wanting to stay in my room any longer, I began to walk downstairs, passing a wall of photos that contained my mother, my sister, Drew, and me. There were a few of my dad but not too many, and some of Odis, our dog, who was currently sleeping on the sofa in the living room. I gave her a quick scratch behind one of her ears and stepped into the bathroom to splash some water on my face.

I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, noticing, with much distaste, the bags under my brown eyes. I shook my head, and turned on the sink, bending over as I splashed my face with cold water, hoping it would wake me up a little. I reached for a towel near-by and stood up, drying my wet face and looked back at the mirror.

A sharp gasp escaped my lips as my eyes caught sight of something standing behind me. I whirled around sharply, nearly slipping on the wet floor. I held on to the sink for support. There was nothing behind me.

It had been a quick flash, but I could have sworn it was a person, covered in red, and reaching out for me. I shook my head, rationalizing that my lack of sleep was playing mind games on me. It had happened before, but the last time I had nearly ran into oncoming traffic.

I stepped out of the bathroom to find Odis standing on the other side of the door. "Hey, there." I said, reaching down to pet her, but she quickly moved away, towards the front door.

She wanted to go outside. I jogged upstairs, quickly and put on a pair of sneakers and sweater, and made my way downstairs to her.

Bending down, I gently pulled the large German Sheppard towards me to put her collar and leash on. "Come on, Odis," I said, scratching the back of her ears. "Let's go for a walk."

She barked in response, tail wagging excitedly. I winced, and quickly made my way out, not wanting Odis to wake mom up with her barking, and shivered as I stepped into the cold night. I quietly scolded myself for not grabbing my jacket, but realized it wouldn't be a good idea to try to go back and get it. I wrapped my sweater around me, a little more tightly and began to walk down the street, towards the neighborhood park.

It was lonely out, no surprise there, but I was starting to regret coming out so late at night, alone.

Odis nudged my leg, suddenly, as though noticing my discomfort, and, looking down at the beast, I felt a little bit safer. Odis was a peaceful pup, but I was sure no one would try to do anything while she was at my side, or at least, I hoped not and with that in mind I continued on.

Not even halfway to the park, Odis began to pace over a certain spot of grass, sniffing. I untied the plastic bag I always kept tied to the end of her leash to pick up after her.

There was always a downside to things, and the downside of owning a dog – having to pick up their mess. My younger sister, Drew, was the one who'd wanted a dog in the first place, and, of course, being the oldest – the responsibility fell on me.

I was the one taking Odis to the vet, getting her the stuff she needed, which was fine because I had a job and could afford it, but I was also the one taking her out for walks and giving her baths. Oh, the fights Drew and I had over Odis. Once I had threatened to talk to mom about giving the dog away, Drew burst into tears and promised she'd help out more, and she did. Bath time was always a funny site. Drew had been a tiny thing, watching her try to bathe the beast was hysterical. The German Sheppard would always overpower her and I'd have to step in, and save the day.

Drew, I thought, feeling a sudden tightness gripping at my heart. I missed her a lot.

The sound of Odis growling pulled me out of my thoughts. I stood up, startled. "What's wrong, girl?" I asked, trying to see what it was that was making her react this way, but there was nothing there. She barked, suddenly, fur sticking up. An uneasy feeling came over me. I pulled at her leash, trying to lure her away, head back home where I knew we would be safe.

A sound in the distance caught my attention. It sounded like a grunt. Odis growled again, louder this time, baring her teeth. "Odis, basta!" I commanded, but she only got worse and began to pull harder.

I couldn't believe this. I felt like I was playing tug of war with my dog, and she was winning. I tried to tug her towards me again, inwardly thinking that I would have to buy her a harness because this leash just wasn't cutting it.

With one final tug, on her part, I was pulled down to the ground. I lost grip of her leash and she ran off.

"No!" I winced at the impact, but quickly jumped to my feet. "Odis, stop! Come back!" I called out, and began to chase after her despite my fear of whatever it was hiding in the dark. I had to catch Odis. There was no way I could let anything happen to her, but I was already beginning to get tired. I was never much of a runner, could barely do five minutes on a treadmill, but here I was, struggling to pump my legs harder – to keep going. "Odis!" I called out again, hoping she would hear me and come back. "Odis!" I slowed to a stop at the end of the street, wondering if she had gone left or right.

There was no way to know now, no hint to which direction to take – she was gone.

I shook my head, running both hands through my curly brown hair with frustration. I tried to ignore the fact that I was having a hard time catching my breath, and the panic that was now settling in my chest. I closed my eyes, trying to think of something – anything to get her back. I'd have to make fliers, post them all over town. Ask around. Maybe they'd let me put some up at work, mom could – mom, my thoughts trailed off. Mom was going to flip. Odis was her baby. Our baby.

Drew's baby. I lost Drew's baby, the one thing that was keeping me connected to my sister, and she was gone.

I could feel my eyes beginning to water, but a noise from behind me pulled me out of my despair and I stiffened.

"I believe," spoke a voice, low and gruff. I felt a chill go down my spine, and I knew that it wasn't because of the cold air. I turned around, sharply; ready to defend myself if needed. The owner of the voice stood a few feet away from me, hidden in the shadows. I couldn't quite make out his facial features, but could see that he was wearing a trench coat, and, to my surprise, Odis stood by his side. "She belongs to you," he finished, and held out her leash for me to take.

Still feeling a little uneasy, I took a step towards the stranger and grabbed her leash from him. "Thank you," I said, giving him a small smile. Relief took over me as I bent down, and gave her a quick squeeze. "Stupid dog," I scolded affectionately. "Don't you ever do that to me again. You could have gotten hurt or worse!" She whined softly, and went to lick at my face. I shook my head, knowing she was trying to butter me up so I'd forgive her. And it worked, of course. I was such a push over. I looked away from Odis to the stranger, surprised that he hadn't left. "Thanks again, really. I don't know what I would have done if anything happened to her."

"It was not a problem," he said, but made no move to leave. "You shouldn't be out at this time of night. It's … dangerous, especially if you are by yourself," he said in a scolding tone, much to my surprise.

I stood up. "I know, but I figured with Odis I'd be ok."

He looked down at my furry companion, "She is a very brave dog."

I raised an eyebrow at the comment. "What do you – holy shit," I could have sworn he flinched. "Are you ok?" I asked, worrying overtaking me when I noticed the bleeding cut on the bridge of his nose, and the bit of blood on the corner of his mouth. "Did you get mugged or something?"

"Or something, I believe." He responded, looking away for a moment. "I have dealt with the problem for the time being. Your dog wandered along at a very convenient moment, thankfully. I made sure no harm came to her after she distracted the… abomination."

My brows shot up as I gaped at him. Was he trying to tell me that Odis saved his life? "I'm … I'm glad she could help," I said meekly, inwardly thinking that Odis seriously deserved a belly rub, a spot on my bed tonight and extra treats. "I'm Mari – err – I mean Damaris," I corrected, outstretching my hand, figuring there was no harm in introducing myself to the man my dog had apparently saved.

He tilted his head to the side, slightly and stared at my hand as though he were inspecting it. I frowned, feeling foolish the longer I waited, and just when I decided to drop my hand, he grasped it in his own. He locked eyes with me, and I found myself lost in his blue eyes.

Replaying that last phrase over, I cringed at how stupid and mushy it sounded, but I had seriously never seen anyone with eyes like his. They were a dark, dazzling shade of blue, but they almost… glowed.

"I am Castiel."

"Castiel," I repeated, feeling a little embarrassed by my thoughts. I suddenly realized that he still held my hand in his. "You can, uh, let go… now." He did. "It's nice to meet you, but can I ask why you're out here so late? If Odis hadn't come by, you could have been seriously hurt. Are you lost?"

"No, I am where I am meant to be."

I raised an eyebrow. "In the park. In the middle of the night?" I asked, skeptically. From beside me, Odis whined a little. I looked down at her, and then back at Castiel. "Look… I normally don't do this," I started, but second thoughts began to form. I didn't know this man. He could be dangerous, someone wanted – a psychotic, serial killer! I locked eyes with him again, all uneasiness washing away. "But if you need a ride home," I hesitated. "I could give you a lift."

"That would not be possible," he sighed, looking up at the night sky. "I am … very far from home."

"Ok. Motel maybe? Where are you staying?"

"Here and there."

I rolled my eyes. "Look, I'm trying to help you, but I can't do that if you're gonna be all cryptic with me. I need a straight answer." I was beginning to feel irritated with this man, and I couldn't understand why I wanted to help him, but I knew I wouldn't feel right leaving him on his own.

"Though I … appreciate your concern and your want to help me, it is not necessary," he looked away suddenly, and stared into the darkness as though he were waiting for something to pop out. "You should go home, Damaris. It isn't safe here."

"Oh, but it's safer for you?" I asked incredulously. I seriously didn't feel right leaving him out on his own. He was hurt, and in denial. "Please, just let me -"

"Go," he commanded, turning slightly away from me. I flinched at his tone.

"Fine," I grumbled, tugging at Odis' leash. "Be careful," I told him and began to walk away from him, feeling guilty.

Halfway down the block, I heard a flutter of wings. I looked over my shoulder. Castiel was gone.