Authors Note: Chapter Thirteen! Ahhh! As usual, hope y'all enjoy and if you have any comments, questions or concerns, feel free to contact us.

-A&J

Chapter Thirteen

"Come as You Are"

Point of View Shift - Camilla

When I started to wake up the first thing that I noticed was how everything hurt. My arms felt like lead, my legs were mush, and it hurt to breathe. Then I heard a faint beeping next to my head and I tried to force my eyes to open. The first few attempts were met with no success but after the fifth try I was able to see, and honestly I sort of regretted it because they burned from the harsh lighting in the room. The room smelt like chemicals and sterilizer which was only adding to the ache behind my eyes and over my forehead. It took me a moment to realize where I was, and when I did my breath came out heavier and quicker. I was in a hospital, which wasn't exactly my favorite place to be.

"Dad?" I croaked out with slight panic. Where was Gordon… if I was here then it meant that we won right? Or… not? Oh gods… he was after my dad and uncle, what if they were gone or left me here? The panic rose higher but it almost evaporated when I felt a familiar, calloused hand grab mine.

"I'm here Princess." He replied. I was able to breath when I heard his voice, because that meant he was alive, and more importantly he didn't leave me here. "How are you feeling?" He asked. When I looked up at him I noticed the dark circles under his eyes and how pale his skin was. His hair was tousled like usual and there was faint bruising on the side of his cheek bone. Over all he didn't look as bad as I felt.

"Everything hurts…" I admitted. My voice sounded cracked, and soft. I sounded weak and almost like I was sick… ugh… I don't wanna imagine how I must look. Hopefully Dad has been sensible enough to comb my hair from time to time. Hospital or not I was not going to go around looking like a little troll.

"I'll get the nurse." Uncle Puppy said from across the room, as he stood up. He looked tired too but overall not as sleep deprived as my dad clearly was.

"Wait, no." I started and saw him stop in his tracks. "Do you have my bag?" I croaked.

"It's out in the car." Dad rang in.

"Please get that instead. I have some stuff in there I need." I tried to explain. Sam hesitated for a moment and then nodded as he left the room. I continued looking around the room and saw an older man sitting by the door, watching us. He wore a old looking baseball cap and he had a shorter beard on his face that was greying from old age. He was wearing flannel, because why wouldn't he, it seems that everyone around here wears flannel all of the time. So he clearly wasn't some sort of nurse, given that his clothes were a little dusty looking, and his posture sort of demanded respect. Then it clicked.

"You must be Bobby…" I tried sitting up to try and introduce myself properly but pain shot through my body and forced me to lay back down. My dad started to fuss a little by moving the pillows and blankets around me, probably trying to form some sort of nest, the weirdo. My weirdo, but a weirdo nonetheless.

"Don't force yourself, Kiddo. You took on a lot." The older man said standing up from his chair. He walked over to where I was laying and gently took my hand and gave it a firm shake. "Yeah, I'm Bobby. Nice to meet you Camilla. Your Dad has told be quite a bit about you these passed few days."

"Few days?" I asked looking over at Dad with slightly widened eyes. No… days… can't be. Last night I was snatched by Gordon… Last night he killed his friend and then he… He was going to hurt me and hurt my family… That had to be last night,

"You've been out for about two and a half days Princess." I sighed hearing that. I haven't showered in three days… Gross. "You lost a lot of blood…" He continued. He sounded almost scared. It was nice to hear that he cared. Honestly it warmed my heart a little. I squeezed his hand to try and assure him I was okay.

"When can we leave?" I asked, feeling anxious to get out of the worst place on earth.

"Well, nothing's broken, we were just waiting for you to wake up after all of the blood transfusions. Your body rejected quite a few of them." Bobby said, sitting back down.

"Blood transfusions huh…" I sighed. "Well at least I'm awake." I said, my gaze shifting over to Dad.

"What's in your bag that you need?" He asked. "If you say make up I swear-"

"Calm down." I cut him off. "You'll see when Uncle Puppy comes back with the bag." I assured him.

"Uncle Puppy?" Bobby asked, sounding half amused, half confused looking over at Dad.

"You talked about me the last few days and you didn't bring up the fact that he's the Good Uncle Puppy?" I questioned, looking up him.

"Didn't exactly come up." He replied with a half-crack of a smile. At that Uncle Puppy came in with my bright pink duffel and set it down beside me. I carefully sat up and propped myself to stay up with the pillows and began rummaging through the bag. Ironically enough, the make up was sitting at the very top and happened to be the first thing I grabbed to move out of the way. I slowly maneuvered my hands around in the bag and took out my Ambrosia and Nectar.

"What's this?" Sam asked, seeming curious as ever. I held up the golden loaf of bread and tore off a small amount and motioned for him to close the door. As he did I began explaining God Stuff.

"This is Ambrosia. Food of the Gods. One micro bite can kill humans, and even Demi-Gods can only have so much of it before they feel sick or burn up from the inside." I said half-jokingly, but meant every word. "It helps restore vitality and almost "cure" my wounds." I explained and popped a small amount into my mouth. Instantly, French Silk Pie tickled my taste buds and immediately felt better. "And this is Nectar." I mentioned and took a few sips. And slowly, I felt more and more like myself. "Same basic principle but in a drink." I sealed the Ambrosia and Nectar back up and put them back in my bag and took out a brush and brushed through my hair, sitting up more; now that I was feeling better.

"Why would you eat or drink something that could kill you?" My Dad asked as he reached down to snatch the bag of Ambrosia from my duffel. Immediately, I smacked his hand away and gave him a slight glare.

"I said if I take too much of it, you dork." I rolled my eyes. "I know how to properly take some and use it without turning my blood into fire or my bones into mush. Not exactly new at this whole Demi-god lifestyle you know?"

"Okay, okay." He yielded, stepping away from the duffel.

There was a knock on the door that sort of startled me from my little back and forth with my dad. My Uncle muttered, "There's a nurse." under his breath as he answered the door. I didn't think much of it and instead looked back at my dad and started questioning on how my hair looked, which he rolled his eyes to.

"Thanks for stopping by, my niece says that she's feeling better and would like to-" Uncle Puppy stopped and I saw his hand grip the door a little tighter. "Um, I'm sorry ma'am but I think you might be at the wrong room." He said and I strained to tilt my head and see who it was.

"My name is Darlene Lucas. Is this not Camilla Hale's room?" I flinched a little hearing her snap at Uncle Puppy. "Move aside." She pushed by Sam and stopped the moment her eyes landed on me. Her ebony, black hair spilled over her shoulder in loose curls, and her green eyes pierced right through me. She didn't wear much makeup, and she didn't need to with her fair complexion and her skin care regiment. She still looked at pretty as I remembered, and like always her outfit was on point. She wore a white blouse that was tucked into a burgundy knee-length skirt and her nude colored heels clicked as she moved into the room. Ms. Lucas' expression softened and she dropped her perfectly white clutch onto the floor. I slightly flushed in embarrassment, thinking what I had done to her.

"Jesus… Look at you." She muttered but I couldn't really tell if it was from astonishment or maybe from sadness because I was in the hospital. She started to walk over but my Dad immediately intercepted her path, staring down at her. My mouth was dried up and I couldn't think of a single thing to say to her. Gods… What do you say to someone that you ran away from? After that person had given you everything she could... "Sir. I need you to step aside." Her tone was immediately sharp again, the softness in her eyes became hard while she looked up at the imposing figure of my Dad. I had to give her props for not shying away or stepping back when standing toe-to-toe with him.

"I don't need to do anything." He snapped back. "Lady, who are you and why do you care?" His look hardened.

"Da-" I started but I couldn't force any words out, and Bobby moved a little closer to my bedside. Neither one of the adults turned and looked at me, and instead continued to stare each other down.

"I am Darlene Lucas, and I practically raised this girl." She glared at my dad. "I've known Camilla since she was two years old, so I think the real question here is who are you and why do you care?"

"I'm Dean Winchester and I'm her Father." He said simply, still staring her down. She scoffed in amazement at him.

"She found you? Odd. After numerous attempts and large investigations, we never could. And considering the last name on her birth certificate was Aframian. How is it possible for you to be her father if your last name is Winchester?" She spat back.

"My dad's name was Aframian, and my parents had my brother and I when they were young and unmarried." My dad lied easily. "So I have my mother's last name not my dads. Nonetheless, she found me."

"Is that so?" Ms. Lucas asked while looking at my dad. "What is the name of your father then? First and last." She challenged and with how many aliases these guys had I sort of worried that maybe he wouldn't be able to come up with an answer.

"Bert Aframian." He said easily. Wow, way to go dad. Still Ms. Lucas didn't seem to be fully convinced and she wasn't backing down anytime soon. Her mouth was set into a firm line while she looked at him and I could practically see the wheels turning in her head.

"Camilla, is he really your father?" She asked, looking over at me.

"Yeah." I stated meekly, trying not to get in the middle of this. I had forgotten how scary Ms. Lucas can be too...

"Hey sweetheart," My dad started and Ms. Lucas snapped her attention to him.

"To you it is Ms. Lucas." She glared at him. "Call me "sweetheart" again and you will not like what happens next." She threatened. I leaned further into my uncomfortable mattress almost wishing it would swallow me whole right about now.

"Ms. Lucas," I could hear the smirk in my dad's voice and I wished I could mentally send him a signal that she was small but mighty and he was angring her more and more by the minute. Although maybe he already knew and simply didn't care. "As you can see Camilla is in good hands with her biological and rightful family. This is where she belongs, with my brother and I." My heart stung hearing Dad say that.

I could never say that Ms. Lucas wasn't family. She was more of a mother than any foster mom ever was. She saw me grow up and she practically taught me how to talk, and to read and write aside from school. I didn't know it at the time, but now looking back at it, she sacrificed so much for me. And I'm the brat that ran away to camp without even saying goodbye.

"Are you kidding me?" Lucas shook her head, "This is where she belongs?" She motioned around the room for emphasis. "She is in a hospital bed! After getting serious injuries that almost killed her. She was in a coma for days and had to get multiple blood transfusions! So please enlighten me Mr. Winchester, how is this where she belongs?" I could feel the anger rolling off of her. I saw my dad's shoulders tense up and it looked like he was about to bark back. I didn't want them to fight, and I didn't want them to yell… I felt my eyes starting to blur from unshed tears and I fought the urge to cover my ears. Stop it...

"Hey tweedle dee and tweedle dumb," Bobby interrupted and they both snapped their heads in his direction… If looks could kill... Brave Grandpa Bobby. "Maybe if you're going to have a shouting match on if Camilla is in good hands it shouldn't be in the middle of her hospital room while she is recovering, and two feet away from said shouting adults." He motioned over to me and I could almost feel the shame rolling off of them. "So if you two want to continue this discussion as adults then maybe take it outside?" He suggested and motioned to the door where Uncle Puppy was standing and watching the whole scene unfold.

"Alright." Ms. Lucas took a breath to try and calm herself, since Grandpa Bobby's words seemed to sink in. I could see her mentally counting to ten. It was always a habit of hers. I saw her take a step back, conceding for now and moving away from my dad to pick up the previously dropped handbag. After taking her clutch off the floor she smoothed out her skirt and moved to the door. Ms. Lucas waited for a moment and motioned at my dad to go out the door first. He huffed and squared his shoulders then walked out of the room with Ms. Lucas trailing right behind him, and at that the door closed. You could almost hear a pin drop in the room from how silent it was, and I looked at Sam with a face that must have cried for help. My uncle was immediately moving over to where I was and sat in the chair that my dad was previously occupying.

"Hey, everything's going to be ok. Shh… You're not going anywhere." He stated, almost reading my mind. I held back my frightful tears and hugged him. I was scared. I didn't want to be taken away, and I didn't want to go back into the system. Knowing Ms. Lucas, she wasn't going to just give up, no matter what Dad had to say to her. I had this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that, while I was going to leave the hospital soon, it wasn't going to be in the old, creaky, and junk-food littered car I've grown to love in such a short time.

Point of View Shift - Dean Winchester

Dean followed the woman out of the room, and his blood was still boiling with how she strutted in and acted like she owned the damn place. Tight skirt or not this woman was increasingly getting on his bad side. She had no idea what was out there, or what was best for his daughter, but she felt the need to barge in and start trying to dictate everything. He was all for powerful women but not when it came to someone trying to take his daughter from him. He didn't have to be rocket scientist to know that this is where the conversation was leading.

"Have a seat Mr. Winchester," The woman named Lucas motioned to an armchair as she took a seat in one across from it and pulled out a little notepad from her purse-or handbag-or whatever it was.

"I think I'll stand." He said and she sighed and brushed her hands over her skirt as if trying to smooth out the non-existent wrinkles.

"Mr. Winchester I am Camilla's caseworker and we have been searching for her since she ran away three years ago. I was starting to think that she died or got kidnapped or something awful after days became weeks and months became years." Dean crossed his arms but didn't budge when she spoke. "Being her biological father is not enough to warrant you a suitable guardian to take care of a young girl."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? I'm her dad, and with all respect Ms. Lucas, I am the best person to be raising Camilla." Dean argued and Ms. Lucas shook her head, almost as if the fight and fire from earlier had died out. So what was that in there? Was it all just for show? Act like you care a whole lot and put up a fight in front of a kid? Was it a damn game?

"You are her dad who never came looking for her-" She started.

"I didn't know she existed until she came to find me." Dean tried to defend himself, "My dad was the one who took her to the state and turned her over, but that wasn't me. I wouldn't have ever done that." Dean argued. "Listen..." Dean sighed. "I'm not winning any father of the year awards here, but dammit I'm trying my best. There isn't a manual that goes with this sort of thing but I want my daughter in my life. She fought like hell to get here and I'm not letting you take her away."

"Mr. Winchester," Ms. Lucas started, but her voice seemed to soften a little. "I only want what's best for Camilla. However this isn't just something that you decide and that, 'ta-da' over night you're her legal guardian. There is a process for this type of thing and you need to prove that you're a fit father figure for her." She continued.

"So what? I sign some papers saying that I'm her dad and I'm going to take care of her and then we're done?" Dean asked and Ms. Lucas shook her head and once again motioned for him to take a seat. He reluctantly took the seat across from her and braced himself for the news he knew for a fact he wasn't going to like.

"Do you have a current physical address?" She started, scribbling down in her notebook.

"No." He replied.

"Do you have a job?"

"Not a regular one."

"Do you have a plan for her education?"

"Currently working on that."

"Do you know where she has been these last few years?" She asked. Dean could hear the concern in her voice, and knew that the last question was just to calm her nerves.

"Can't say I do. She only found me a couple weeks ago." Dean saw her shoulders slump a little seeing her write down in her pad.

"Well, Mr. Winchester… No judge is going to sign over Camilla to you due to your current standings. I also have to run a background check and see if there is a criminal record. In the meantime you need to find a house with suitable living conditions, and a job with a yearly income. I can convince the judge working on her case to give you a month, max." She continued as she wrote in her little notepad, then closed it. She brought her head up and looked up at Dean with a stern look. "Until then, she needs to come with me."

Dean could feel his face fall into a frown, and his face paled. She was trying to take away his daughter, after she fought like hell to get to him. While Dean may not be the best father in the world- as he will openly admit- he wanted to spend as much time with her until… the end of his year. And no other person, not even this Ms. Lucas, is going to be able to understand Camilla in the way he and Sam have come to understand her.

"You're going to take her?" He asked with a low growl in his voice.

"I have to Mr. Winchester. She's not legally yours. She belongs to the state until she's legally adopted or until she's 18, that's the law."

"You can't take her. She's going to be in more danger if you do."

"Seems like she's in plenty of danger being with you." She quipped. Dean's jaw tightened, thinking about how Camilla came to be in the hospital, trying to think of a clever lie to cover everything up that Ms. Lucas would believe. However, nothing came to mind. Him watching through the room window all the blood transfusions, and then thinking about the long nights he stood up by her bedside, hoping every minute, of every day that she would just wake up and be the sassy little thing she was instead of the quiet, still, pale, almost lifeless thing she became in that bed. Stillness didn't suit her. Death did not suit her...

"You don't understand." He calmly replied. Trying to keep any of the anxiousness out of his voice. He was trying to beat down the voice in the back of his head that reminded him that he was poison and that everyone eventually left him. That he was going to die in a few months.

"Then, by all means, go ahead and explain it. Even from the moment she ran away till now she had never been admitted to the hospital and after one week with you she ends up in here needing multiple transfusions to save her life. I spoke with her doctor and he said that she was practically dried up. Without stacking on the rejections, it was miracle that they were even able to save her. Do you know what happens when there is a reaction to a blood transfusion? When the body rejects the blood?" She asked and Dean's mouth felt dry. "Her blood was attacking the donor blood because her body thought it was an illness or an infection. She broke out into hives and fevers and-"

"I know that!" Dean snapped. "I watched from a tiny window while she was worked over by the doctors! I gave my blood for her!" He argued. "It was the only thing that worked!" He continued, rolling up his sleeve and showing the multiple puncture wounds around the vein area. "I donated two pints, total. As much as I was allowed, and even then I begged for them to take more because I didn't care if I was hurt. I just wanted her to wake up!"

"And I want her to be safe!" Ms. Lucas shouted back. "You think I'm unhappy she found her father? That was all she ever wanted. Camilla used to sit by the window and wait. She would sit there and say any 'day now, he's going to come, he wouldn't have left the necklace if he wasn't going to come', and I had to look at the heartbreak on her face when years passed and no one was there. When families called me in the middle of the night or during the day and said that they couldn't do it, that they didn't want her. Five times I had to go through that, and couldn't understand why they wouldn't want this sweet, innocent little girl." She tried to calm down but he could hear how her voice was shaking and he could see the moisture in her eyes. "The morning I found she was gone before I could adopt her myself, my heart broke into a million little pieces. All I could think about was finding her. I looked everywhere in the state for her. After one year the police closed the case and wouldn't look for her anymore, and just like that she was another number in a system that vanished. Just another run away that everyone forgot. Well I never did and I was forced to move on and try help other kids like her."

"I wouldn't have moved on..." Dean muttered, and Lucas let out a humorless laugh and ran her fingers through her hair. "Listen… I know I'm a shit show okay? I know that I don't look like much and I live a very weird life style but dammit that is my daughter in there." He sighed. "I'll work on that list you're giving me, but she needs to stay with me. I can't let her leave with you. I am the only one who can protect her." Dean pleaded.

"I can't do that Mr. Winchester. I'll be back to collect her tonight after we have the waiver from the doctor. Have her things ready." She stated as she stood up out of the chair. She hesitated for a moment there looking at him, and her voice softened a little. "Listen, I am not trying to say that you can't see her or that you can't call her, but she cannot stay with you. It's too much of a risk, not only for her health but because you might try and run." She said and looked at him. "Try to run, and you will never get custody. The judge will deem you a kidnapper, parental or not, and the police will be swarmed all over you before you can even leave the county."

Dean hung his head and leaned into his hands, there was absolutely no way that he was going to win this. Not with his record or the lack of stability he had to offer. He heard the clicking of her heels and for a moment thought she was going to walk past him, but instead he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I love that little girl Mr. Winchester, and I want her to be happy too. So I hope that you can pull yourself together and adopt her because she needs her father in her life, but you have to do this the right way, or all you are going to do is hurt her more." Ms. Lucas said, and with that she walked away.

Dean stood beside his daughter in the hospital room but she wouldn't even look at him and her hands shook while she tried to hold onto her duffel. He knew he let her down, much like he seemed to let everyone down, but he didn't want to say goodbye like this. Not with Camilla refusing to look at them and not with only months left to live before he was dragged into the pit.

"Camilla, please. I'll be by to see you soon. We're going to get this figured out and I'll be by to take you home." He spoke to try and comfort her.

"You said that they weren't going to take me… You promised." Camilla's voice sounded smaller and quieter than he ever heard her. It broke his heart into a thousand pieces to hear her like that.

"Camilla…" Sammy chimed in. "We are going to do everything we can to get you back as soon as possible. You have to pick your battles sometimes right?" He asked as she slowly nodded her head. "This isn't a battle we can fight and win."

"I can just run away again." Camilla offered and turned her head to look at the two brothers. "It won't be hard, I mean… I can just charmspeak someone to look the other way or have someone drive me out here. I can meet you somewhere so just tell me where to go." She was pleading and Dean kneeled down and hugged her. He pulled her to his chest and just held her while she shook from the silent tears that were soaking his shirt.

"But then you're father is going to be charged with kidnapping, Camilla." Bobby stated. "Even if you are the one to run away and go to him…" He sighed. "It's just how the law works. Lay low for a little bit okay? While your at the center, no one else is going to take you. We have a month to figure this out and you'll be home way before then." He explained.

Dean could feel Camilla's shoulders drop. He knew she didn't like this, but this is just the way things have to be. He lifted his head to see Ms. Lucas walking over to them in the parking lot and he bowed his head a little to kiss the top of hers.

"I'll see you real soon baby girl." He stated. "I am not going to give up on this, and when it is all sorted out legally then there won't be any hiding, or looking over your shoulder waiting for someone to take you away. Okay?" He felt her nod her head.

"You better come quick." She quipped. "Don't you forget me."

"Never." He smiled and kissed her head again. Guess he was getting better with this whole comforting-father-figure thing.

"Come on Camilla, it's time to go." Ms. Lucas said softly, waiting for her just about five feet away. He watched Camilla give quick hugs to Bobby and Sam, and lift up her duffel and trudge over to her. She looked back at the boys again and tears began spilling onto her cheeks as she quickly went into Ms. Lucas' car.

"Gentleman." She said as a farewell she walked to the driver's seat of the car, and pulled out of the parking lot.

"So, what's the plan?" Sammy chimed from behind Dean, and looking over at Bobby.

"Well, with your FBI record, there isn't going to be a chance for you to get her. Sam, maybe if he weren't linked to you in both cases, not that he has an official record or anything, it just doesn't look good." Bobby said and Dean sort of paced in front of the two of them watching the taillights of the car disappear into the night. Watching her disappear...

"Gah, I can't think!" Dean suddenly shouted. "I'm following them. I need to talk to her one more time." He said as he hastened over to the impala with Sam and Bobby on his heels.

He climbed into the car, and took the same road out as Ms. Lucas, trying to remember which way he had saw her turn. After some time of Sam looking at the map, and guessing they where they would be likely going, Dean went down a back country road and noticed a car on the side of the road. His face paled seeing the car was the same colors as Ms. Lucas, and that is was a wreck.

"Camilla!" He exclaimed, quickly clamoring out of the car and running over to the car in the ditch. There were tire marks all over the side of the road, multiple tracks as if she was run off of it and landed in the ditch. The doors were opened, Camilla's pink duffel in the back seat, the engine smoking, and both of them gone. He smelt the sulfur before he saw it all over the seat and felt his blood run cold. "Sammy! Call Ruby."

Author's Note:

WeylandCorp4: Aphrodite left her at the motel they were staying at, and John had just gotten there first. And as to why Dean as no memory of Aphrodite, its not that he doesn't remember her, he just doesn't know which woman Aphrodite was that he slept with. And her Demi-God discovery remains hidden until further notice. No spoilings!

Guest: We did know, thank you and there really wasn't a spot to mention it while at the hospital but believe us, he'll learn eventually. Camilla's one of those people that will say something like: "Ohhhh, I thought I told you... Whoops... My bad..." As Dean fumes that he wasn't told a thing.

almp15: Well, you know about Mattie, and as for schools we think she's probably attended about 3 different schools at this point. 3 elementary schools and she actually hasn't attended a middle school due to being at camp the last couple years or so. We do have plans for them to meet Mattie, and as for other friends they aren't notable quite yet.

DaniFan3000: We have discussed the amazon situation, and we have plans to potentially go until season 6, but we don't even know how far we are going to take this, but we'll see.

Question: Did you think Ms. Lucas was going to leave Camilla with them?

Trivia: If you guys want more of picture of what she looks like, we imagined her as Sandra Bullock from the movie Practical Magic, and this chapter title is named after a Nirvana song, whom is Ms. Lucas' favorite band.