I'M SO SORRY I have disappeared for a whole month and I didn't post I'm so sorry life got in the way (Technically I had a chapter for a different fic written and ready but a certain friend of mine *cough*sam*cough* never got around to editing it so I didn't post because I hate posting unedited work unless it's a one shot) But those are all excuses, so I'm going to sit her and continue to apologize and hope it won't happen again. I hope you enjoy! (Thanks Brownie for editing this you're amazing, love you!)


~Dean POV~

"Hello, this is Maple Hills Elementary, this is Janet speaking. How may I help you?" A thick New Jersey accent drawled through the receiver. I winced, realizing I'd drawn the metaphorical short straw on which receptionist picked up.

"Hey Janet, this is Dean Winchester-Novak calling,"

"Oh!" Janet exclaimed. I waited for the immediate switch to the unwanted flirtation. "What can I help you with, Mr. Win-"

"I'm calling to let you know someone else is picking up Nova today," I interrupted, not wanting to sit through her flirtatious purr today.

She hesitated in reaction to my admittedly rude cut off, but then replied. "Who will be picking her up today?"

It was my turn to hesitate. How do I introduce Cas? As Castiel Novak? Or Castiel Winchester-Novak? I opted for Castiel Novak, best to stay on the safe side.

"Castiel Novak." I supplied, looking over at the clock. I really had to get back to work. I'm staying late enough as it is.

"Alright, Mr. Winchester-Novak. I'll send her pass to her classroom right away." Janet affirmed. "Anything else, Mr. Winchester-Novak?"

"Not at this time. Thank you, Janet," I answered, quickly hanging up the phone. I sighed and got back to work.

~Cas POV~

I arrived at the school five minutes early, told by Dean to go to the front office to check in because I'd never been there before. I walked through to the inside the spacious office, decorated in the school's colors.

I walked up to the front desk where a red head was sitting. Her skin was pale, and her hair was a dark, maroon red, like the color you get from a bottle dyed and cropped to her shoulders. She had matching glasses propped on her nose, in classic librarian frames. She was too busy typing away on the computer to notice my entrance.

I walked up to the desk hesitantly, and then cleared my throat to catch the woman's attention. She looked up immediately.

"Hello there, Sir, how may I help you today?" The Jersey accent startled me. I remembered Dean's warning about her, and to be cautious. She flirts with anything that walks, regardless of marital status.

"I'm here to pick up Nova Winchester-Novak? I'm Castiel Novak," I replied, already uncomfortable under her stare.

"Oh, Mr. Novak. Thank you for checking in, if you could just wait where all the other parents are, Nova will find you." She smiled though it was visibly strained. I nodded a thank you and then went and joined the other parents. I found a spot to stand just as the final bell rang. A huge throng of small children began to flood the hall immediately, filling the open hallway with sound. I watched and waited for Nova as children ran out and met up with parents. I scanned the crowd and made eye contact with a set of bright green eyes. The eyes immediately lit up and I realized it was Nova that I had made eye contact with.

"Cas!" She called excitedly, running up to me and giving me a huge bear hug. I instinctively hugged her back, feeling protective all of a sudden. I shoved the feeling away, knowing I no longer had the right to feel that way for a child I hadn't been there to raise.

"Hey Nova," I smiled brightly at her, a genuine smile. I stood up and took her hand, walking her to my car.

"How was school, Nova?" I asked, turning to make sure she was buckled in once she had gotten into my car.

"It was okay. Today was honestly pretty boring. Recess was fun though. And the play rehearsal was the best part!" She explained, waving her hands up and down to prove her point. I smiled.

"That's awesome, Nova," I started the car and began the drive to her house. We sat in a comfortable silence for a while, until I broke it.

"What play are you doing again, Nova?" I asked as we turned down her street. I looked at her through my rearview mirror and saw her face light up visibly at my question.

"We're doing the Wizard of Oz! Guess what part I got, guess what part I got!" SHe replied giddily, jumping up and down in her seat. I grinned.

"What part did you get, Nova?"

"Dorothy! I got Dorothy!" She squealed, not even trying to conceal her excitement.

"That's great, Nova!" I felt my grin grow wider.

I pulled into her driveway and shut off the car. I helped the bubbly child out before letting her into the house via the hidden-key Dean had informed me about several hours earlier.

"Do you think you'll be able to help me with my lines, Cas?" She asked sweetly after dumping her stuff unceremoniously on the floor.

"Yes Nova, after you pick up your stuff and do your homework. Your father wouldn't be too happy if you blew it off."

She huffed a breath of slight irritation before picking up her bag and heading towards the kitchen table. She set her bag next to one of the lightly toned chairs before unzipping the bag and pulling out several worksheets and handing them to me.

"These are so hard," Nova whined slightly, pouting. I took the work sheets out of her hand and saw the rows of multiplication tables on one, a simple cursive worksheet on another, and a basic creative writing prompt on another. I looked at Nova with a raised eyebrow.

"Nova, you're kidding right? If you think this is hard, wait until you get to high school when it's six periods a day and all of your homework assigned on that day is due the next, not by the end of the week,"

Nova's eyes widened in shock, her mouth slightly open as she stared up at me.

"Is that really what high school is like?" She asked.

"A far as I know. I didn't go to high school, at least not that I can remember. But that's what I've heard," I nodded as Nova stared at the worksheets in my hand. She took them from me gently and sat down at the table, and began to work diligently on her math homework. I heard my phone go off in my pocket just then.

"Nova, I need to take this, call me if you need any help," I told her. She nodded, her eyes never moving from her paper. I walked away from the kitchen to the hallway, picking up the phone along the way.

"Hello, this is Castiel," I answered, pressing the device to my ear.

"Hey Cas it's Dean, I'm just checking up on you guys, making sure you got home okay," Dean's voice cut through the receiver.

"Yes Dean, we got home fine, Nova is doing her homework now, and I'll be helping her with her lines for the play once she's done,"

"Thank you so much, Cas, I didn't expect to be help up at work today, sorry," Dean blabbed, continuing to express his apologies until I stopped him.

"Dean it's fine. Anything I can do to help, alright?" I responded, adding a light hearted chuckle to the end.

"Yeah. Thanks again, Cas. I have to get back to work, I'll be home around six, okay?"

"Okay Dean. I'll see you then,"

"Bye, Cas,"

"Goodbye Dean,"

I hung up the phone and put in my pocket. I walked back over to Nova, who was working her way through the last couple problems of multiplication before she handed it to me to check. I checked over it, circling the few that were wrong with a pencil while she worked on the cursive writing sheet.

This continued on for almost thirty minutes, Nova working, me checking and her re-doing whatever the assignment was. After that was done she pulled out her script and handed it to me.

"Would you please read whatever lines aren't mine so i can practice?" She asked politely. I nodded and flipped to the first place where I saw the highlighted words and got to work.

~Dean's POV~

I walked in through my front door, dead tired from the rush job that had kept me for so late, entering the living room which was filled with laughter and voices.

"Okay Nova, we're going to go over this part again, no laughing this time!" Cas chastised lightly, standing on his knees to reach Nova's height as he held the bright blue script in his hand. She giggled and nodded, trying to compose herself until her eyes landed on me and that went right out the window.

"Daddy, daddy! You're home! Come over here, quick! We need a Wicked Witch of the West!" She called as she ran over to me, grabbing my hand and dragging me as much as her little body could into the living room. I laughed and got onto my knees with Cas, who was pointing to a line on the script before him. I leaned over and read it.

"Ha ha! I have you now, my pretty!" I said, slightly confused at why I was reading for the Witch and not for Scarecrow or Tin Man.

"Aw, come on daddy, I know you can read parts better than that. Try again, this time, say it like you mean it!" She directed, crossing her arms over her chest. I laughed a little and the repeated the line, adding in a high voice with a snarl to match. She giggled delighted, before saying her line, and Cas gruffly intoned his as the Cowardly Lion.

This continued on until the whole play had been gone over, almost an hour later.

"Damn, Cas you've been here a long time. Let me offer you dinner, as thanks," I offered as I got up from the floor and made my way to the kitchen. Nova had gone upstairs to put her stuff away.

"Sure, in fact I'd like to help if you don't mind," Cas replied, making his way behind me.

We worked together in silence, pulling out what was needed for burritos that night. I noticed that Cas seemed to know where everything was, but I waved it off, reasoning that he had to put the dishes away last time so he'd naturally know where everything is.

I pulled a spoon out of the drawer on the counter and turned quickly, immediately finding my face mere inches from Cas'. I sucked in a breath, noting that we hadn't been this close in a long time. Panic began to rise in my chest as his eyes widened.

"I-i'm sorry Dean, I misjudged how close I was to you," He stammered out, immediately backing away. I let out the breath I was holding before I shook my head.

"Don't worry about it. I'm the one who should be sorry, I ran into you," I chuckled, quickly moving to stir the beans before they overcooked.

He nodded before continuing around the kitchen expertly. He pulled out other ingredients for the burritos.

I watched him from the corner of my eye, pulling things from cabinets, he didn't even have to think about it. I felt my chest tighten. Questions began to swirl around in my head.

Is this just unconscious muscle memory?

Did he snoop around my kitchen when I wasn't looking?

Did Nova show him the ropes?

Is he remembering more than he's letting on?

As that last question settled in my mind I turned to him fully, unabashedly watching him. He put down the knife he was using to chop tomatoes and olives and turned to me.

"Is there something you need, Dean?" He asked, looking me in the eye. I thought for a second, assessing my options, and shook my head no.

"It can wait," was all I said.


Thanks so much for reading! R&R please!

~I'm so sorry T-T I'm in a play as an actor as well as costume designer and Assistant Director so that takes up three hours after school and then hours of homework because I go to a college prep high school so I don't know what time or sleep is. ~

~Cinnamon