Chapter Twenty One: Pure of Heart

Castiel and Gabriel were cleaning up the shop after closing when Castiel's phone rang. He answered, pausing what he was doing.

Gabriel glanced over when he saw Castiel stiffen.

"When? Yes. Yes, we will be there right away," Castiel said before hanging up. He looked at his brother in disbelief. "It's Anna."

Gabriel froze. "What's wrong?"

Cas shook his head. "She's awake."

Gabriel dropped the broom he was holding, his hazel eyes wide. "We gotta go. Now."

Castiel nodded before turning to grab his keys from the hook behind the counter. He locked up the cash register, then locked the door when he and Gabe rushed out of the shop. Both brothers jumped into Castiel's car before they took off for the hospital.

Ooo0ooO

Staring silently out the window, Anna Novak gazed at the church across the street. It had beautiful stained glass windows, which shined pink, aqua, and yellow lights onto the steps below. Her eyes traced the colors, then the tall archway that encompassed the entrance. Her fingers itched for a sketchbook.

"Anna."

Anna turned to look at the doctor standing at the doorway. She was a kind woman, with light blue eyes and honey brown ringlets. Anna smiled a little at her.

The doctor, a woman named Gwendolyn, smiled back. "Your brothers are on their way. They should be here soon."

Anna nodded, then looked away again, back at the church.

Before long, she heard the sound of rapid footsteps approaching her room. She turned and stood, her heart now racing with anticipation. Then the door flung open, revealing two men who stopped cold at the sight of her.

Anna's eyes filled with tears. "Castiel," she breathed, her first word since she woke up. She dashed forward and leapt into his arms. Then she turned to her older brother.

"Anna," Gabriel all but sighed.

"Gabe," she choked, before she was wrapped tightly in his arms. When she pulled back, she held one of her brother's hands with one of her own. She smiled at them both.

"We missed you, Anna," Castiel confessed. "You were in that coma for so long..."

Anna squeezed his hand. "That doesn't matter now." She looked around, her brow furrowing. "Where's Mom and Dad? They didn't come with you?"

Castiel and Gabriel paled, then exchanged a look. With Anna being in a coma, she didn't know the truth about what had happened to their parents.

"Anna..." Castiel began slowly.

She eyed both of them, realizing something was wrong. "Are they coming? Did you call them? When they didn't answer, fear and dread squeezed her heart. "Cas... Gabe... what aren't you telling me? Where's Mom and Dad?"

Castiel looked up only briefly before meeting his sister's gaze. "Anna, maybe you should sit down."

"No, I don't want to, I've been lying down for ten years. Cas, tell me where's Mom and Dad!"

"When... when you were in the accident... Mom and Dad, they..." Castiel looked down. "They died in impact."

Anna crumpled, but Gabe was there to catch her. "No, no no no," Anna cried. "No they can't be dead!" But she saw the look in her brother's blue eyes and she doubled over, sobbing.

Gabriel gently moved her to the bed, where she leaned against his shoulder and cried. Her hand never left Castiel's.

Ooo0ooO

After Anna was discharged from the hospital with a clean bill of health, it took some time before she decided to visit her parent's grave. When she did, her brothers came with her, and together they stood as a family unit in the cemetery.

Anna looked over the stones etched with her parent's names. Then she stepped forward, laying down a small batch of vividly colored flowers, which stood out in the bleak area of gray stone and dark earth.

"Everlasting," Castiel murmured, referencing the flowers.

Anna stepped back again, pushing the dark red hair from her eyes. She looped her arm through her younger brother's. "I still remember some of their meanings."

Gabriel smiled a little. "Well, if you come by the shop, we can give you a crash course. Of course, you'll have to meet everyone."

Anna smiled as well. "Everyone?" she repeated curiously.

"Oh sure," Gabe said as they turned to walk back to the car. "There's Jess, you remember her, right? And of course her chuckle head husband, then there's Kali- my girlfriend- and Claire, and Gary, the deliver boy, and..." Gabriel kept listing off everyone.

Before they got in the car, Anna glanced at Castiel. "And what about you? Anyone special in your life?"

Castiel paused before meeting her gaze. "Not anymore," he murmured.

Ooo0ooO

A few days later, Dean was walking down the street, headed to the Roadhouse, when he spotted a familiar face standing outside of Heavenly.

"Holy shit," he said out loud before walking over.

The young woman was slender and pale, with dark red hair and large, hazel eyes. She was wearing a soft white blouse and jeans, and had a green smock tied around her waist. That bright hair was tied off so it was out of her face, which made her eyes look bigger.

"Anna?" Dean asked hesitantly, pausing a few feet away.

Anna turned and looked up at him. She stilled as well, looking him over from head to toe before meeting his gaze. "You must be Dean. Gabe told me you were pretty."

Dean made a face before shaking his head. "You're, uh..."

"Awake?" Anna finished, lifting a slim brow. "I noticed."

"How...?"

She shrugged. "Doctors said it was a miracle." She tilted her head at him. "Funny how they say that when they don't have any real answers."

Dean chuckled. "I can see how you're related to Gabriel," he remarked. He ran a hand through his short hair. "Is... Gabriel working today?"

Anna's eyes scanned Dean's. "Yes... they both are," she said rather bluntly.

Dean cleared his throat. "Do you think I should-?"

She shrugged again, resting her hands on her hips. "Depends. Are you going to mess it up again?"

Dean winced, realizing she knew everything. "Not if I can help it."

Anna nodded. "Good. Then yes, go right on in."

Dean eyed her for a moment. Then he smiled, shaking his head. "You'd get along with my friend Jo. She's been kicking my ass about doing something."

"I love my brother," Anna said simply. "I want him to be happy."

So when Dean walked back inside, he paused to pluck a stalk of very small, clustered white flowers from the bucket outside, before handing it to her.

Anna raised a brow, then tucked the flowers behind her ear, giving him a look of approval.

Ooo0ooO

Castiel was working the register, selling some flowers to the local psychic named Missouri, when Dean walked inside.

Missouri took one look at Cas and sighed. "You're gonna have your hands full with that one, honey," she told him matter of factly before turning to leave.

When she passed Dean, she lifted a warning finger at him. "You be kind now, or there will be hell to pay. You understand me, Dean?

Dean blinked. "Uh, yeah, I think so."

Missouri shook her head. "I swear, you Winchester men," she huffed before leaving the shop.

Dean looked back at the woman walking away, then forward again. "Okay. Weird."

But then his attention turned to Cas, who was eyeing him warily. Dean walked over. "Hey, Cas."

"Hello, Dean."

Dean rocked back on his heels a little. He jabbed a thumb in the direction Missouri had gone. "Nice lady. A little intimidating."

"Missouri has always kept an eye on me and my brother, ever since we were little," Castiel explained. "She's... protective."

"Yeah, I got that," Dean said, widening his eyes a little.

Cas shrugged.

Dean looked down. "Look, Cas, it's no secret why I'm here. I know you said, or told me, that you didn't want to be friends..."

"I didn't want to be just friends," Castiel clarified, almost sharply.

Dean looked up. "So what do you want?"

Now it was Cas who looked down. "I want things to go back to how they were before," he said honestly.

"Me too," Dean said softly. "So, do you think... well, do you think we could try? Start with something easy, like a cup of coffee?"

Castiel looked up, his blue eyes dark. "The things that we fought over aren't resolved, Dean."

"I know, Dean said. "I know. But I'm going to try, Cas. I will. I'll prove it to you. Just give me another chance."

Castiel stared at him for a long moment. Then, like before, he went over to the carnations. But instead of grabbing a yellow one, he selected a soft pink one, colored like a blush. He handed it over to Dean.

Dean eyed the flower, then looked at Cas hesitantly. "So that means...?"

"Yes," Cas said, smiling softly.

Ooo0ooO

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.

Author's Note: Please review!

Everlasting: Never ceasing remembrance

Baby's Breath: Pure of heart

Carnation (Solid color): Yes