Listen to the wind blow, watch the sun rise
Running in the shadows, damn your love, damn your lies

And if, you don't love me now
You will never love me again
I can still hear you saying
You would never break the chain (Never break the chain)

-The Chain; by Fleetwood Mac

The second Lucinda closed the motel door, she felt butterflies explode in her stomach. It felt odd, being able to go out and do something; not sit around, reading up books on lore. Not having to be under Cas' constant surveillance, even when he wasn't there. For Lucinda, it felt like she could finally take a deep breath and just enjoy herself.

For once in what would be her entire life, she'd be able to go out and interact with others her age — maybe even befriend someone. Lucinda never had anyone else in her life besides Cas; maybe having someone else to talk to would make things more tolerable. Maybe having a friend wouldn't make her feel like she was so isolated. When she started walking down the sidewalk, she noticed how the streets weren't really as occupied with trick-or-treaters, which could only mean it wasn't the kind of area families wanted their children exposed to. There were a few families here and there, quickly walking by, but Lucinda didn't give them a second thought. Her gaze may have lingered on them, but she didn't want to make them too uncomfortable.

Pulling on her jacket, hoping to at least have herself covered up some, Lucinda took a deep breath and let out a sigh. She was going to enjoy the time Cas was allowing her to have. She couldn't say for sure if she'd ever get another chance again.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"...I just can't understand why you're so dedicated to this...Look, I get it, you want to impress...It's been twenty years!...My hands are full, why don't you just ask..." There was a pause. A long pause. Narrowing her eyes slightly, she looked closer at the blood filled goblet, her lips pursing. It had been twenty years since the infant had been lost, and there were no leads on her whereabouts. Needless to say, it had been a very, very unpleasant time. Twenty years of looking — searching every decrepit town, every rundown motel, every single car — and not a sign of Leigh's baby had been found. Needless to say, there was more than enough shouting matches and unsavory names thrown about, and it only made things even harder. It was bad enough that there had to be a continuous manhunt for Leigh's baby, despite no one really knowing what she looked like; but there was also keeping an eye on all those "special children". It was maddening.

With a sigh, Meg tried clearing her mind. She couldn't let herself get worked up. She had a job to do, and she had to make sure it was done efficiently.

Not even a second later, Meg's thoughts were broken when she heard what had been said on the other side.

"What?" she hissed. Another pause. "They can't be back...Are you sure?...What about her?...Fine."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lucinda managed to find a mini shopping mall not far from the motel she was staying at. It wasn't big or fancy or anything, but it was a relatively nice little mall. Lucinda saw some families going into the mall with their kids, dressed up and excited. Tilting her head a little in curiosity, Lucinda decided she'd go check it out. It had to be a decent place if families were bringing their kids in.

Walking across the street, she entered the mall and took a look around. There were a few no-name stores scattered around, a small food court with a few food stalls stationed around the area. Lucinda saw the occasional person walking by, maybe a small group of young people dressed up and having a good time. Lucinda also saw families going by with their kids, the children looking absolutely ecstatic. Lucinda couldn't help but feel happy for those families, how they seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves.

Unconsciously, Lucinda started fiddling with the ring on her finger, just taking her time to look around. Since she never really got the opportunity to go out and see and truly interact with other people, being able to see what others did, what others perceived as so common, was something big for Lucinda. She was going to enjoy it as much as she could.

Right as she turned the corner to another area of the mall, she accidentally bumped into a relatively young looking man. Letting out a startled sound, Lucinda took a moment to steady her heart before looking up at the man. He seemed rather unbothered by the ordeal, having a seemingly nonchalant look on his face.

"I-I'm sorry," Lucinda stammered. "I didn't even see you there."

"It's fine," he responded, shrugging it off. "It's no big deal."

Nodding, Lucinda made an attempt to walk around the man, but he stopped her. Grabbing her forearm, Lucinda's breath caught in her throat. Her body stiffened at his touch; it seemed like he was really holding back when he gripped her, considering he had such an iron-clad grip on her forearm.

When Lucinda took a second to turn and look at him, she saw that even though he still had that nonchalant expression, that seemingly relaxed posture, there was something else beneath his exterior. His eyes seemed guarded, like he was hiding something deep inside him. Something stirred deep inside Lucinda, something not very pleasant.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked, her voice quiet.

His eyes looked at her for a moment before glancing down. "That's a lovely ring," he commented. "Are you married?"

Swallowing thickly, Lucinda shook her head.*

"Engaged?"

Again, Lucinda shook her head.

Nodding, the man let go of her forearm, looking her in the eyes for the longest second of her life. Without another word, he shoved his hands in his pants pockets and walked off.

Lucinda stood frozen for a few minutes, hoping to wait long enough until he was really gone before going back to the motel. Maybe if she told Cas about him, he'd be able to look more into who he is.

(A/N):

Sorry it took so long to put this chapter up, though I hope you guys like it. If there's anything that came off as confusing or unclear, don't hesitate to let me know, okay? It's important I get informed on whatever's unclear for you guys so I can clear it up. Also, if you've got constructive criticism, don't hesitate to let me know. I'd appreciate it if I knew what your thoughts are on the chapters so far.

Do I own anything in the SPN fandom? No. No I do not.

As a warning for you guys, I am kind of a newbie when it comes to the show. I am really close to finishing season 2; I started watching the show on Netflix a while back, but I never got around to finishing it. I know season 12 just wrapped up not too long ago, and season 13 is starting up around October. I'll try and work around what I've got so far, but I will probably take some time off occasionally to watch a few episodes and work from there. I also wouldn't mind some help from you guys, in case I get any characters wrong.

I digress.

Let me know if there's anything I should improve on.

Thank you,

Alek Haydn