Welcome To The Future
That unfamiliar fate
Trying not to hurt, now
But to heal...
The rain surprised everyone, the first thunder cracked around five in the morning a flash of light cross the apartment followed by a big thunk, preceded close by a second. Castiel sat on the sofa blinking slowly, first thing he was going to invest in for the new furniture was a better couch, what have he just done… He had gotten a house, he had to buy new furniture for it, and the most scary thing he had gotten a daughter. A small weep was coming in direction of his bedroom.
"Claire..." He tried on flickering the light only to find out the power was gone. "Claire is only noise, don't worry." He approaches the bed carefully not to bump into something, temptingly he feels the bed looking for her only to find her gone, his heart panics and this moment he considers going back to the living room and fetch his phone or the flashlight he has on the kitchen. Another lighting goes through the room allowing him to find her. She had bundle herself in between his door closet and the bed.
"I want my daddy." Says in between sobs, big blue watery eyes looking at him as if he could go and get him back.
"So do I, Hon… So do I" he cradles her on a hug, while she sobs against his t shirt, he doesn't notice when the tears start coming, all he knows he just can't seem to stop. Another thunder making her flinch, his mother used to sign to them before sleeping, a tradition that after her passing Gabriel had continued, only Gabe did not sing so it had turned into humming. Softly humming against her head trying to choke back tears, she falls back to sleep after a few hours, the storm has eased on to soft rain tapping against the windows, morning finds them just like that, his back against his headboard, she still cradle on his arms, softly he rolls her on to her back easing himself of the bed.
By the time he is out of the bathroom, she is already sitting on the sofa eating dry cereal watching TV. Gabriel calls to assure him that he got home without a problem. He looks at his phone wondering if it will be appropriate to call Dean at this moment, still his hands are too full at this moment to think of hookups. Is that the only thing they are really.
"Claire, we are gonna visit your new school today so you can meet your teacher and classmates." He yells from the kitchen coffee in hand, he really doesn't want to push it into something she is not comfortable, but time is catching up to them, he was already supposed to be at work on Monday good thing the Dean of the University likes him and told him to take the time needed. "Why don't you go and put on one those nice dresses that uncle Gabe packed for you."
"Mom said they were only for church." She states after a long pause not turning to look at him.
"I see." He sits next to her, paying the same attention to the TV as her. "church is something special, and so are first day of school, so why don't try looking at them and see if you want to wear one." he says carefully measuring his words not trying to overstep on anything. "Or you can wear whatever you feel like." slowly she leaves the bowl on the coffee table and goes to the room. She comes out after a few minutes wearing a blue dress. "You look like Alice in Wonderland." she looks at him weird head tilt to the side much like Jimmy used to do it.
"you have never seen Alice in Wonderland." She shakes her head in response. "We will fix that."
School is not as terrifying as he believed it would be. The Principal is a nice lady named Ellen. Claire is not much of a social child, holding on to his pants pocket. Ellen is kind enough to give them a tour of the school while asking Castiel and Claire all sort of questions. He likes that, she treats Claire as an individual after all she is the one attending the school. Turns out the PTA is very active community and the lets him know that she expects the same from him, in her words we are big family and we like the best for our members. If you cannot help at least you can be supportive. Last stop is Claire's classroom, they do seem to try on keep small classroom, to give more attention to their students, he feels the hesitation on Claire who is now holding his hand, he doesn't push her waits for her to get accustomed. A girl approaches her asking if she would like to see the picture she just finished. Her future teacher seems a little too happy for Castiel taste, yes they are kids but the man is holding a sock puppet on his hands for God's sake while talking to a kid. When the principal introduce them, the idea of this man teaching his niece doesn't seem that bad, he seems kind, and gives out a feeling of trust that makes Castiel feel as f he has known him all his live. He introduces Claire to the class encouraging Castiel to stay as long as he wants.
Middle of afternoon they stop at the university to check on Castiel work, how his substitute is dealing and the progress of his academic program. The substitute teacher is not doing that bad and is still a relief that Castiel is coming back to work on a few days.
"Professor Novak... Cas..." A voice coming from the parking, a voice that can only be Sam Winchester, he was about to jump into that Impala of theirs, when he spotted Cas coming out. Castiel can see the outline of the other person on the car that can only be Dean. Sam approaches them before Castiel has a chance to escape. "Hey Cas, how you been... you asked for vacation." Claire peers at him from behind Castiel. "Hey..." He directs his attention to Claire who only blinks at him. "Who is this?" Dean gets out of the car joining them. He too looks at Claire then to Castiel, in a silent question.
"This is Claire, my niece." Claire still hiding behind him, but shyly smiles at Sam who is giving her his warm smile.
"She is staying with you..." Dean says kneeling putting himself at her level. "Hi there Claire, am Dean and that giant is my brother Sammy, how are you?" as a response she squints at him for a few seconds much like Castiel does.
"She looks at a lot like you Cas, same eyes..." Sam interrupts. "hey Claire on that stand over there, they sell ice cream, would you like to have some." She nods slowly looking at Castiel for approval, when he does she lets go of his and taking Sam's.
"Just nothing too sweet she hasn't have lunch yet." He has to shout the last sentence since Sam is walking away leaving him and Dean.
"So your niece… Gabriel's daughter?" Dean asks in an attempt to break the ice, passing a nervous hand through his hair.
"No, my other brother, Claire's dad he… He passed away last week." There is a big lump on his throat and he feels as if he is breathing sand. He tries to clear his voice, tries hard to keep breathing on check the last thing he wants is a panic attack in front of Dean. A solid hand grabs his arm anchoring him.
"Hey, you wanna sit down." He hears the concern on Dean's voice, but the support does not leave him. He shakes his head, and tries breathing slowly counting the minutes. "If you don't wanna talk about it is fine, I just wish I could have been there with you." He says temptingly.
He hasn't told Balthazar, he remembers. Bal is somewhere in England and does not know that Jimmy has died. He has been his best friend since middle and yet he hasn't make the call, but then there's this boy in front of him wishing he could have tell him so he could have been with him. The footsteps of Sam coming back bring him to reality.
"Guess what..." Sam says looking at Dean, allowing Cas to compose himself. "She has never had a slice of Rico's Pizza."
"Little girl we are taking you out to lunch." He doesn't let go of Castiel arm, instead he gives him a little squeeze for reassuring.
…
"I still don't understand why Lawrence? Why not California, New York? Somewhere with more pizzazz..." Balthazar put his drink down a little bit more hard than needed. It wasn't a new question Castiel had answered more than a few times already, and still he could come up with answered good enough for Balthazar.
"I have already told you, I need a change of air, and they are offering me a good job there. Plus I don't know what are you complaining is not that far." He tries to keep it light, the last thing he wants to do is fight with his best friend.
"Then why not going with Gabriel, his offer is quite good also." He takes a big gulp of his drink, while his eyes scatter around the bar.
"Gabriel's job, is Gabriel's job; not mine." He lightly puts a hand on Balthazar arm for more attention. "Please back me up on this, the last thing I want to do is lose you too."
"You know it takes more than that to lose me..." he pats the hand holding his arm in a playful manner. "You stuck with me mate, is just it will make things more difficult."
"How so?" Castiel asks grateful by the change of attitude on Balthazar. "When we already are in a phone calling basis."
"Still I will have to learn a new phone number, and I will have to travel more cuz now I have to make two stops one here and then Lawrence just to see you." He is starting to sound like an annoyed child.
"But you were ready to travel all the way to California or New York?" Balthazar gives a look that tells him his is not happy and will continue not to be.
"They have bigger cities, more to see." he crosses his arms but gives him a smile, that tells Castiel he is just playing along. "at least tell me you are gonna try and be happy, for once."
"Am gonna be doing what I love so..." he tried to evade the question as best as he could.
"you know that is not what I mean Cassie..." Balthazar drinks his shot on one gulp. "Order another round am gonna go to the boys room."
"And by that you mean?"
"Totally going after that waitress."
…
Rico's Pizza was a family restaurant hidden on the middle of town, for a second Castiel thought he was going to be taken to a place ridden by kids and forgetful parents, but no; it turned out to be small and cozy fresh food made to order, the ambiance made you feel welcome as coming back home for dinner. The brothers order a pizza after Sam carefully figured out what Claire liked and what she did not. Lunch goes by slow between, Sam's questions and Dean's kindness towards Claire. The later actually surprised Castiel, never in a thousands years he would have think could be good with kids, I mean he knows he basically raised his brother, a time ago friend had told him that you can learn a lot of any one by watching them interact with kids. While Sam was enthusiastic and interacting with Claire. Dean watched them like a mother hawk, pretty much just like Castiel, he made sure they both finished their food and even asked the waiter if they could bring some paper so Claire could draw while they ate.
Claire seems taken by Sam, but who can blame her, he makes Cas promised to bring her along next time, for tutoring. Dean is being quiet for the most part, he waits for Sam by the car, giving Cas a shy good bye.
After putting Claire on the car Cas lets out a breath he did not know he was holding. He tries to keep his mind on the road but it keeps going back to Dean, the soft aura of protection, after the whole tantrum on his corridor Castiel was ready to call the quits, as Gabriel had put it: you are already in charge of a kid you sure you wanna take care of two. However, today it had been a different Dean he had meet, yes their so called relation had never allowed them or more like he had never bother to wonder more about Dean besides in the bedroom, for him they were just covering each other needs nothing more, maybe he is wrong or maybe he is just making a big deal of Dean being polite. He has barely made it home when his phone beeps alerting him of a message.
"Hey, we talked about it and we would like to help you with your moving, I know some guys and we can help if you like."
He thinks of sending a polite response, but feels too short and dry for what he wants to say, instead he dials the number.
"Hey..." He hears the surprise on dean voice and the noise coming from the auto repair, somewhere in the background can also hear the solid voice of Bobby yelling at someone.
"Hey… Uh mm, thank you the help will be much appreciated… I was thinking of hiring people." He adds nervously, leaning on to his counter.
"No man, don't worry and don't hire anyone, the always break or lose stuff, I 'll tell the guys." Someone is yelling for Dean on the background it sounds pretty much like a girl. "just get them 2 or 3 24 and they will be happy to help." He hears the in a minute replied that is clearly not meant for him.
"Thank you Dean…" He says cursing himself for blushing like some teenager at the sound of Dean playful tone. "Dean I..."
"I know Cas you got a lot on your hands right now… Don't worry about it…" The girl is screaming once more. "listen I gotta go, work you know… Bye."
"Thank you" he says hanging up. Is not exactly what he meant to say but it covers a lot at this point.
