*Apologies for the lack of Castiel in this rather long chapter, but I promise you he'll be all up in your face for the next chapter ;D this one just fills you in on basically what the story is about/where it's going, so enjoy!*
In Seattle there was a production of Medea rehearsing in Gallows Theatre, the biggest theatre in Seattle…
"Sera Sera Sera, you must do better than that darling." Pierre Gustav chided the lead in his version of Medea, Seraphena Lazos. They were currently practising the scene in which Medea and Jason face off in their first argument and Seraphena had messed up one of her lines, which was very unlike her.
"I know Pierre, I'm sorry." Seraphena was breathing heavily. She had yet another sleepless night the previous night and her heart was just not in rehearsal today. Usually she lived for this job, but the past few weeks had been hard on her and it was beginning to affect her performance.
"Okay darling, take five, and then we'll get back on it, alright?" Pierre suggested. He was one of the best directors that Seraphena had worked with; he was always so patient.
"Thanks." Seraphena picked up her bottled water and took a drink of it, sighing.
"What's up Lazos?" The male playing Jason – Trey Beckett (Beck) – asked Seraphena. She sighed and sat on the edge of the stage and Beck joined her.
"You'll laugh." Seraphena pouted.
"Of course I will, but tell me anyway." Beck joked and Seraphena smiled at him.
"I haven't been sleeping well at all recently."
"Partying too hard?" Beck raised an eyebrow. Sitting right next to her he could see her usually flawless face had slight dark patches under her bright green eyes. He was surprised he hadn't noticed before, he usually spent a lot of time looking at Seraphena's face even when they weren't working together as actors. He now realised that the dark patches were quite noticeable in contrast with her pale white skin.
"No… well a little bit I suppose." Seraphena was a notorious big-drinker and party animal amongst her friends. "For the past month I have been having these ridiculous nightmares."
"Like what?"
"Like about the devil."
"THE devil?" Beck tried not to laugh.
"Yeah. Every night it's the same dream, and it's making it really difficult to sleep."
"Well what happens in the dream?"
"The devil, disguised as this kind of redhead guy – not as red as me though – keeps telling me that we're meant to be together or something. He wants me for himself and warns me that others are trying to get to me. It's crazy. But it's relentless every night." Seraphena held back from telling him everything because she knew she would just upset herself.
"I've got a few sleeping pills back at the apartment if you want some."
"That would be awesome Beck. I'll take them in a few days – Bree isn't home til Monday and I don't want to be too groggy at night. I hate it when she's not home. Every noise is a potential murderer." Beck laughed.
"You can sleep in my spare room tonight if you like? Get a decent sleep in before rehearsal tomorrow?"
"Trey Beckett you know you're awesome right?" Seraphena leaned her head on his shoulder. This made Beck sharply inhale. Seraphena Lazos was the desire of any man who met her, and he was certainly no exception. Two years younger than Seraphena he saw her as this beautiful, exotic, talented actress that would be forever out of his reach. In spite of these appearances, Seraphena was the most down-to-earth girl he had ever met. He was in Mamma Mia with Seraphena when she played Sophie and he played Sky, and although it was his first major role and he was known as the rookie of the acting crew, she treated him like she did everyone else, and made him feel really welcome. Now they had become friends outside of their acting work, and Beck could honestly say he was completely in love with her. However, there were many more men who also made this claim, and Seraphena regularly turned them down, so he knew he had no chance.
"I know, just don't forget it." They heard Pierre calling for them back to their places and Beck stood up and helped Seraphena onto her feet.
"Okay I'm ready to go." Seraphena took a breath. "Pierre will I take it from my evil day line?"
"Yes darling, go for it!" Seraphena looked up at Beck and pulled her face into a look of pleading mixed with anger while he looked both apologetic and arrogant.
"That will be an evil day for them, poor creatures, mingling shining families with base and low. So may it never come. May sons of Phoebus never mix with sons of Sisyphus."
"Again you call down curses on the king's family. I am prepared to send you into exile with money and an introduction to friends who may help you. Accept this. Cease your anger and you will profit."
"Everywhere I've opened up a road for you, I've closed one for myself. Enjoy your wedding."
"I call the gods to witness that I tried to help you. You are sure to suffer for your obstinacy."
"Never has luck with all its twists and turns challenged as yet my primacy in power. Run away with me."
"We've talked too long. Let's cut this short right now. People will start to get suspicious." Beck turned and stormed to the side of the stage leaving Seraphena standing alone in the middle. She turned to face the empty auditorium and continued.
"Is that it? You stroll away, erasing everything that I've done? Almighty Jupiter, thunder across the skies, ready your fires of vengeance, burst the veil of clouds, shake this tidy world to its foundations. Don't worry which you hit. If either of us falls, the guilty die…"
*Two weeks after the death of Alex*
"Any luck?" Dean asked Sam when he came downstairs. Sam rubbed his eyes as they were tired from staring at his computer screen.
"I think we have a lead on her whereabouts. In January 1985, Alex made note of chasing wraiths in Baxter, Minnesota, where he stayed for three months. Erin has been looking at the news archives and it just so happened that in October of the same year there was a fire in a maternity ward. Three doctors and four nurses were killed and the baby in the room at the time was completely unharmed, and there is no record of the mother as the baby was given up for adoption. That's all it said."
"So we're going to Baxter?" At the moment Castiel appeared in Erin's living room.
"Hello boys."
"Find anything else out Cass?"
"No I haven't been able to dig up anything. The Seraphim are very secretive, they will divulge no information. I am sure they believe this planet is done for and are wasting no energy trying to preserve it."
"So we're on our own, as usual." Dean snorted.
"You have me." Castiel told him. "This affects me too. I want to help you save this world as much as I can."
"I think Cass is getting pretty human on us Sam." Dean laughed.
"I find the less connected I am to heaven the more… in tune I am with human emotions."
"Like what?" Dean asked.
"What?" Castiel looked uncomfortable.
"What emotions?"
"I don't know… empathy?"
"That's as good a place as any to start, I suppose."
"Guys let's get going now." Erin walked into the living room. Dean felt so sorry for her. She looked terrible. He knew she was having issues because she had found out she had a half-sister she had never known about, as well as dealing with the grief of her dad dying and the fact that this girl could possibly hold the key to helping them in the apocalypse. It was the four of them in this mission since Bobby's wheelchair limited his travelling opportunities.
"Okay you want to drive your own truck or have one of us drive it?" Sam asked.
"Could someone else maybe drive it for me?" She sighed.
"Sure, I'll drive it and Cass can go with Dean, cool?" Sam smiled at her and she nodded giving him a half-smile back. They spent the next half hour checking both cars to make sure they had everything they would need and then they set off, with Dean in front in the Impala, and Sam driving Erin's black F-Series Ford pick-up truck.
"How you feeling about this Erin?" Sam asked when they had been on the road for just over half an hour. She had just been sitting looking out of the window. She turned to face him when he spoke.
"I'm just thinking about what she'll be like. Cass said the Seraphim are like absolutely stunning creatures, so I'm assuming she's going to be this sophisticated demigod type."
"Just like her sister." Sam joked and Erin actually laughed lightly.
"Ah Sam I just don't know what to do with this. Give me a poltergeist, or a wendigo, or demons and I know what to do, but this is all so new."
"I know, it's difficult. But just think a few months ago we didn't know about angels and now we have Cass."
"True. We're lucky to have him."
"I just feel bad for him. For all the things he's done for us and continues to do."
"Yeah me too."
*Two days later*
"Can you be quiet?" Erin scolded Dean who had knocked over a stapler from a desk and it clattered to the floor. They were in the hospital records room, having previously been unsuccessful during the day to glean any information that might help them.
"The thing jumped out of nowhere alright?" Erin rolled her eyes and continued over to the filing cabinet marked with birth records from 1985. Two hours later Erin froze looking at the piece of paper.
"Dean?"
"Yeah?" He looked up from the records he was looking at.
"This is it. It's her birth record, and adoption record."
"How do you know it's hers?"
"My dad's name is on it." A tear ran down Erin's face.
"Hey, it's okay Erin." Dean put his hand on her shoulder.
"Okay, her name is Seraphena."
"Seraphena? Like… Seraphim?" Dean and Erin both looked at each other.
"Yeah… that has to be her. Mother Vanessa, no last name, and father Alexander Ramores."
"Okay what does the adoption record say?"
"She was adopted by Georgios and Karen Lazos."
"Let's get Sam to look them up then shall we?" Dean helped Erin up from her sitting position and returned all of the records he was looking at before leaving with Erin by his side.
*Two more days later*
Dean, Sam and Erin stood outside the house which Sam had discovered belonged to Georgios and Karen Lazos in Bismarck, North Dakota.
"So what's the plan?" Sam asked.
"Maybe we can say we're looking for her in connection with an ATF case?" Dean suggested.
"Okay, that's as good as anything I can think of." Erin said.
"Three ATF agents though?" Dean looked from Sam to Erin.
"I'll look up the Lazos' family history here or something. See if I can come up with anything." Sam said and he took off down the street. Dean and Erin walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. After a couple of minutes the door opened to reveal a young man in his mid to late twenties holding a young boy about two years old.
"Hello there sir, we are agents French and James, ATF." Erin said and she and Dean both displayed their badges. "We were wondering if we could speak to either Georgios or Karen Lazos?"
"You'll need to dig them up first." The man looked completely nonplussed.
"Oh they're dead?" Dean asked and then felt stupid, of course they were dead.
"Yeah, they died two years ago. Can I help you with something?"
"Well it's actually their daughter we're after. And your name is?" Erin told him.
"Christian. Why are you 'after' Sera?" Now the man, Christian, looked concerned.
"Oh no, not after her in that sense, but we would like to speak with her if that is possible."
"About what?"
"It's a private investigation sir, we are not at liberty to share any information."
"Well then neither am I." Christian was a bit too savvy for their liking.
"She isn't in any trouble if that's what you're wondering, we just want to speak to her." Dean informed him.
"Okay, come in." The little boy waved at Erin and she smiled and waved back. They followed Christian into the living room where a young woman was sitting reading. She looked up when they came into the living room and looked puzzled.
"Jane, this is the ATF, they want to ask questions about Sera."
"Oh, is everything okay?" She asked.
"Of course, nothing to worry about." Erin assured her.
"Would you like anything to drink?"
"No we're fine thank you." Dean smiled. Jane took the little boy and left the room and Christian sat in the armchair and both Dean and Erin sat on the sofa.
"So, are you related to Miss Lazos?" Erin asked.
"She's my sister." He nodded and Erin inhaled a little. So Seraphena had grown up with siblings while she had grown up alone?
"And when was the last time you saw her?"
"About a year ago. Thanksgiving."
"She came here for Thanksgiving?"
"Yeah, usually she can't because of her schedule, but she managed last year."
"Her schedule?"
"Yeah, she's an actress."
"An actress?" Dean looked impressed.
"Mostly plays, musicals and the like."
"So where does she live now?"
"Seattle. I don't have the address though."
"Um, Mr Lazos, if you don't mind me asking, how did your parents die?" When Erin asked this Christian's eyes flashed.
"They… died in a car crash."
"Sorry to hear that. And you always lived in this house?"
"Well we used to live in Minnesota, but we moved here when Sera was three and I was six."
"And it was a normal family life?"
"Define normal." Christian raised one eyebrow.
"No odd incidents?"
"No. Is this relevant?"
"Yes sir it is. Can you tell us any way we might find her in Seattle?"
"Pick up a newspaper and go to the arts & leisure section. She's starring in a play right now."
"Which one?"
"Medea."
"What?" Dean looked confused and Erin smiled at him.
"It's a Greek tragedy play."
"Oh I see. Well thank you for your time Christian." Dean stood up and Erin followed suit.
The next day whilst checking into their motel in Seattle, Sam was recounting what he had learned about the Lazos family to Dean and Erin.
"Well as far as I can tell, Seraphena was a typical teenager. She did well in school, caught once or twice underage drinking, the usual. She starred in every single school play as the lead. Her father was a veterinarian, and her mother was a music teacher. Christian is a mechanic, and his wife Jane is a housewife, and their son is called Julian. The family were just your average run-of-the-mill American family. The interesting thing is how the Lazos' died."
"Christian said it was a car crash." Erin told him as she dumped her bags down on the double bed then picked up the newspaper to flick to the arts & leisure page.
"No, they died in a fire."
"Interesting indeed. So you think Seraphena killed her parents? It would make sense; Christian seemed really defensive when we were asking about her."
"That must be it." Dean agreed.
"There's no picture of her here, but it does mention her." Erin had found the review for the play Medea. "It says the leading role of scorned woman Medea is brought to life by the enigmatic character of Seraphena Lazos. Miss Lazos captures the emotion and suffering of Medea perfectly, to the extent where other actors fade into the background, with all eyes on Lazos' depiction of Medea."
"Sounds… wonderful?" Dean snorted.
"The last show is on tonight, we should go."
"Can't we just wait for her outside?"
"Well for a start, we don't know what she looks like. So if we go we'll know. Plus a little bit of culture wouldn't kill you. We can also pretend to be fans, that means we can approach her without scaring the shit out of her." Suddenly Castiel appeared behind Erin.
"You have found her?" He asked and Erin jumped.
"Cass, don't do that!" She scolded him. "She's in a play, the final night is tonight, we're going to go, you should come."
"Okay." He looked awkward. "A play?"
"An enactment of a written play on stage?"
"Oh right, of course." He nodded and Dean and Sam laughed.
"Well I'm taking a nap before we go tonight." Dean announced.
"Yeah me too, I'm exhausted." Erin agreed.
"I'll go buy us tickets for tonight if there are any left. Cass, you wanna come with?" Sam asked.
"Okay Sam." Castiel said in his usual serious tone and followed Sam out of the door whilst Erin and Dean lay on separate beds trying to get some sleep.
*Next up they meet Seraphena... what will happen? :D*
