Thank you to Tanyareed for betaing!
The hunt had been simple. A ghost had been haunting a family. A salt and burn so routine that Castiel wondered why he had bothered to join the Winchesters. His angelic powers had not been needed.
Wandering outside the motel while the brothers caught their four hours of sleep, Castiel wondered what he was doing with his existence. Things had been quiet for a few months. Heaven was too busy healing to worry about anything else. Team Free Will had killed all of the high ranking demons, so there was none strong enough to start any events that could destroy the world.
Castiel had thought that he was meant to be a hunter, like the men who had inspired him to change his loyalty from Heaven to humanity. It felt wrong , though. A waste. He was too strong. Hunting was for humans.
Yet, humans were all he had. The angels still hated him, and the only other immortal being that had shown any interest in him…
He heard the Winchesters begin to move around and knew they would be leaving soon. He was standing by the Impala, waiting, when he noticed a small black cat peek around the corner of the motel at him. He tilted his head at it. It seemed to take that as an invitation because it approached him, meowing.
"Hello. Who are you?" he asked.
The cat meowed again, more insistent, and pawed at his pant leg.
"I'm sorry, I do not have any food," he replied.
The cat climbed his leg, claws digging into the fabric. As he struggled to grab it, it scurried up to his shoulder and stopped, still meowing. He grabbed it, feeling the prominent bones and filthy fur. Gently, he examined it, finding that other than undernourishment and fleas, the cat was healthy. The cat, a female, hissed at his exam and struggled in his grasp.
Castiel liked cats. He'd wanted one for a long time. Dean had forbidden it.
"I am sorry. I-" he began but stopped. He could sense something in the cat. Deep down there was demonic energy.
He held the cat firmly. She had stopped struggling and was staring at him intensely. He focused and realized that it was an energy he knew well.
"Meg?" he asked quietly.
The cat meowed.
He lowered Meg into his arms, and she settled. He was having a hard time believing It was her. The last time he had seen her had been outside Lucifer's crypt. He'd resigned himself to the fact she changed her mind and fled.
Dean and Sam came out of the motel room and looked ready to leave. Dean frowned at Meg.
"Who's the new friend?" Dean asked.
"This is Meg," Cas replied.
"Meg?"
"Yes. The demon who assisted us many times?"
"Yeah, I'm well aware of who Meg is. Why is she-you know what? Never mind. Gank the demon bitch and let's go." Dean turned away as though that were the end of the conversation and went around to the driver's door.
Meg gave a hiss and jumped out of Cas' arms, taking off running down the street. Without really thinking about it, Cas gave chase. He could see her small, dark form dart into an alley.
He stopped, listening, and heard a small sound. Ducking down, he looked behind a dumpster and saw Meg huddled in the corner between the wall of a building and the dumpster.
The sight of her broke his heart. Her ears were flattened against her head, and her tail was tucked down between her back legs. She backed up and hissed when he took a step forward.
"You were unable to teleport, weren't you?" he asked, kneeling down on one knee.
Meg lowered down onto the ground and hissed again.
"And I am guessing that you cannot access any of your other powers, either."
She replied with a long, low growl.
"I thought so." He held out his hand and she swiped at it. "Please, Meg, come with me. You once cared for me when I needed it. Allow me to do the same. I will not let Dean or Sam harm you."
Meg stopped growling and stared at him. After a moment, she slowly inched forward, still crouched. He took off his coat, and when she was within reach, he gently picked her up and placed her inside.
Returning to the Impala, he found the brothers waiting impatiently.
"What the hell, Cas?" Dean demanded.
"I had to go after Meg. She is coming back with us."
"No way," Dean replied, stunned.
"Very well." He turned and began walking down the street. He heard Dean swear and ignored it.
"Cas. Come on. Cas!"
Cas felt Meg shift in his coat and looked down to see just her nose peeking out of a fold. "Do not worry. I will find someplace for us to go."
Footsteps running towards him made him stop walking and turn around. It was Sam.
"Cas, come on. You don't-"
"I am not going to leave Meg or hurt her," he replied firmly.
"You don't have to. Bring her."
Cas narrowed his eyes at Sam, but the younger Winchester seemed sincere. "Very well. I need to stop and get supplies for her."
Dean was not happy, but he stopped at the first pet store that they saw. After extracting a promise from Sam to protect her, Castiel left Meg with him.
On his phone, he pulled up an article on the basics one needed for a cat. He got the necessities and then went to the accessories aisle. A cat needed fun and enrichment, so he got a variety of toys. Balls with bells, small felt toys, crinkly shiny toys. Even a long stick with a ribbon and feathers on the end. Finally, he looked at the collars and harnesses.
He did not like the idea of putting a collar on Meg. Even if she was a cat, it was obvious she was aware of everything. Still, if she ran off again, or got lost, he wanted whoever found her to be able to contact him. He picked out a simple purple breakaway collar and a tag with her name and his cell phone number.
In the car, he found his coat safely in the back seat. It did not look like Meg had moved the entire time he had been gone. As Dean began the trip back to the Bunker, Castiel dug into a bag and pulled out a small can of wet cat food. Carefully, he opened it and pulled his coat onto his lap. Meg shifted, meowing in protest, and he took out a small chunk of meat and held it near her nose. After a moment she gently ate it. He continued to do this, feeding her tiny bits of turkey in gravy, until the can was empty. Seeing there was no more food, she gently licked the gravy remains from his fingers. Getting an idea, he poured water from a bottle into his palm and allowed her to drink. After a few palm fulls, she settled back into his coat. This time he heard a faint rumble and realized she was purring.
At the bunker, Castiel selected the room farthest from Dean to be Meg's room. He gently set her on the bed and started going through the bag. A small scratching post was placed in the corner, food and water bowls in front of the desk. Her litter box in the furthest corner from her food. Next, he pulled out a bottle of feline shampoo.
Meg had hopped down and was exploring her new home. Castiel watched her and was struck by how much her movement was...well, Meg-like. She walked the perimeter of the room no comma then sat down in front of the door and stared at him.
"You need a bath."
Meg meowed.
"I know it is uncomfortable for cats, but it needs to be done."
He bent and picked her up. She struggled but eventually seemed to decide to endure with quiet dignity. Placing a washcloth at the bottom of the room's sink, he ran a few inches of warm water in it and placed Meg inside. She hissed and turned her face from him. Quickly, he used the cat shampoo and washed away the filth. There was a lot, and he wondered how long she had been a cat.
"This is better, is it not?" he asked as the water began to rinse clearer. He got another washcloth and gently wiped off her face. Her large, golden-brown eyes stared at him reproachfully. He finished rinsing her off, grabbed a large towel, and folded her in it. He heard a small meow of protest, but she didn't struggle. Settling on the bed, he began to dry her off. She huffed in annoyance when he uncovered her head, but as he rubbed the dry parts of the towel against her fur, she settled down.
"I know you prefer this. You always did seem to like to keep yourself clean." She turned her head and stared at him. "I noticed. You didn't mind getting dirty, or bloody, of course. But I noticed how you kept your hair neat. Your clothes clean. Your vessel's nails were trimmed and clean. Even your makeup was subtly done but…" he trailed off, remembering how she had been none of that the last time he saw her. "What happened to you, Meg?"
She didn't even meow, just burrowed deeper into the towel, and he continued to dry her in silence.
Meg fell asleep so Castiel left her in the room and ventured to find the Winchesters. Dean was nowhere to be seen, but Sam was in the library with his laptop.
"How's Meg?" Sam asked.
"Sleeping. She's clean and fed now."
"Cas, are you sure that is really Meg? Demons don't eat or sleep."
"I think it is not that she is inhabiting the body of a cat, but that some spell turned her into a cat. I can detect her demon energy, but it is suppressed deep inside."
Sam nodded. "I've contacted Rowena. She's out of the country now, but she will return as soon as she can."
"Thank you. Until then, I will continue to care for her."
"Cas…"
"I owe her my life. She was there for me when nobody else was." Sam looked away guiltily. "I will not abandon her."
When he returned to the room a few hours later, Meg wasn't asleep anymore. He found her on the floor, her ears folded back and her tail held low to the ground. She slowly approached him and then darted out the door with a brief chirpy meow.
Cas shook his head and started to go after her, but stopped. This was Meg's home for the foreseeable future. She needed to know that she was trusted. He needed to trust her.
Instead of leaving he sat down on the bed and pulled out his phone. Selecting the music application, he chose Beyonce's latest album and sat back to wait.
Meg returned a few hours later. Hopping up onto the bed, she meowed questioningly.
"Did you enjoy your exploration?" he asked, turning off his music.
She meowed questioningly again and stared at him with narrowed eyes. After a moment she walked over and curled up next to him. He hesitantly reached out and placed his hand on the back of her head. She tensed, but when he began to lightly scratch behind her ears, she relaxed and he felt the light vibration of purring.
In the morning, he gave Meg another can of food-from her bowl this time, not his fingers-and led her into the kitchen. Dean was scrambling some eggs, and Sam was making coffee.
"Good morning," he greeted the brothers. Sitting down at the table, he took the coffee Sam was offering. He didn't drink it, but he liked holding the mug.
Meg wandered over to the stove, and Dean kicked at her. Cas felt a rush of anger. Meg hissed and came over to Cas, jumping up in his lap. Cas scratched her behind the ears and she settled down, watching Dean with narrowed eyes.
Dean filled his plate and sat down at the table. He took a few bites then nodded towards Meg.
"Can you not pet your girlfriend at the table? It's weird."
Cas frowned and looked down at Meg. She rolled and stretched out one arm.
"She is not my girlfriend, Dean. She is a cat. Petting a cat provides comfort to both."
"So, what, she's your pet now? You own her?" Dean countered with a smirk.
Meg rolled back over and her tail began to whip back and forth. Dean just chuckled. Meg lowered her head onto her paws, but her tail did not stop. An uneasy feeling formed in the pit of Cas' stomach.
Meg seemed content to spend the day lying in her cat bed, which Castiel had ended up placing in the library on a chair. She just watched what everybody was doing, only perking up slightly when the Winchesters began to get ready for another hunt.
"It should be quick," Dean told Cas as he and Sam headed for the garage. "All goes well, we'll be back tonight."
"I'm here if you need me," Castiel reassured the brothers. Dean had refused to allow Cas to accompany them, claiming that Cas needed to stay and keep an eye on Meg. Cas hadn't minded too much.
Meg sat up and stretched eyed Dean as he and Sam went up the stairs and out of the bunker.
Castiel turned to Meg to find out what she wanted to do, but she jumped down and wandered towards the dormitory without a backwards glance.
She reappeared about a half an hour later and jumped up on the library table, sitting down in front of him. He wanted to ask what she had been doing, but vowed not to. Instead he focused on his book, allowing Meg her freedom.
Meg reached out a paw and tapped the book. Castiel frowned and looked at her, but she just stared back. Returning his attention to his book, she did it again a few minutes later.
"What do you need?" he asked.
She just stared.
Annoyance growing, he continued to read. After a while Meg got up and walked onto the book.
"That is not-Meg!" he exclaimed when she laid down in the middle of the book. He started to pick her up but she batted at him. When her paw connected he realized that her claws were not even out. She gave a trilling meow and rolled completely over onto her back, stretching before settling, curled up on the book.
Castiel got up and retrieved the cat brush from his supplies. Meg was still on the book when he returned and didn't even look up when he sat back down.
He began gently, just a light passing of the brush over her back to see what she would do. She started and looked up, giving a chirpy meow. He did it again and she narrowed her eyes at him before lowering her head. Her tail began to whip slowly back and forth, so he proceeded with caution, brushing her back and side then her head. She seemed to ignore him, but he could detect her subtly leaning into the brush a few times.
"There," he murmured, discarding the excess fur from the brush. "Feel better?"
She meowed and rolled over. He chuckled and began to brush that side.
The Winchesters returned late into the evening. Castiel joined Sam in the kitchen to hear about the hunt. He had moved Meg's food and water bowl into the kitchen so she could eat with everybody else. She was currently enjoying a can of chicken chunks in gravy.
Sam had just begun to speak when they heard a shout. Immediately, Cas and Sam rushed in the direction it came from, Castiel allowing his angel blade to fall into his hand.
"Son of a bitch! Cas!," Dean shouted, storming down the hall towards them.
"What is the matter?" Cas asked, wondering why Dean was so angry at him.
"Your...demon cat bitch…" Dean trailed off and pointed to his room.
The dread he had felt earlier returning, he looked inside. The floor was littered with torn up paper. Leaning down, he picked a piece up and saw that it was from one of Dean's pornographic magazines. They all seemed to be.
"She got them all. Even the copy of Voluptuous Asian Lovelies," Dean said, his tone slightly mournful.
"Dean, I am so sorry-" Cas began, feeling sick.
"Sorry isn't gonna cut it," Dean began.
"Dean. It's just porn. You can get more," Sam interrupted.
"Not the point!"
"I will take care of this. She will be punished. I promise. It will not happen again."
Dean swore and began to gather the remains of his magazines.
Feeling sick and angry, he checked the room but didn't find Meg inside. Placing a few items in his pocket, he found her in the library. She was curled up in her cat bed, purring.
"You're quite proud, aren't you?" he asked harshly. She huffed and looked away. "That was incredibly foolish. Dean was already resistant to your being here."
Her tail whipped violently and he sighed. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the collar and placed it around her neck. She hissed and jumped out of the bed and onto the floor. Twisting, she desperately tried to reach the collar but couldn't.
"That bell will make it harder for you to move around here in secret."
He took off his coat and reached down to pick her up. She protested, hissing and growling, but he wrapped her tightly in the cloth.
"I am sorry that it has come to this." Ignoring her yowling protests, he gripped one leg firmly and trimmed all of her nails, then did the same with her other front paw. Next he held up a small package. "These are nail caps that I will glue on. They will prevent you from scratching anything. They are a humane alternative to declawing."
Meg meowed. Just a single, soft meow, unlike any other he had heard from her, and it quickly cooled his anger. Studying her, he could see the betrayal in her eyes. It had been something that he had never wanted to see from her, and it made him set down the nail caps. He had no right to do something so physical to her. Especially after knowing everything she had gone through in her demon life, including the torture at the hands of Crowley that was ultimately Castiel's fault.
He released Meg. She hopped down and he expected her to run off. Instead she hopped back up on the table and sat in front of him, staring.
"I'm sorry," He said quietly.
She huffed and bumped his arm with her head. He felt even more terrible and hesitantly reached up to gently pet the top of her head. She leaned into it then moved closer, rubbing the top of her head against his shoulder. He pulled her into his arms, gently rubbing her cheek with his knuckles.
"I promised no harm would come to you and then I… I know forgiveness is not something that demons can do, but I hope-" he was silenced when she meowed and settled down, purring.
Rowena called the next morning and informed them she would arrive that evening. Meg, knowing when to lie low, spent the day in the bedroom, emerging only to eat. In the afternoon, Castiel joined her and pulled out the toys he had bought.
Holding up a ball with a bell inside, he lightly shook it. Meg looked away. Next he tried the crinkle toy and a felt toy. She pointedly ignored all of them. Finally, he took out the stick with the ribbon and waved it towards her. The feathers tapped the top of her head.
Suddenly, she was alert and grabbed them, rolling over on her back and viciously tearing at them with all four paws and her teeth. He couldn't help but chuckle, and the more he tried to tug the toy away, the harder she attacked.
Abruptly, she gave a chirpy meow and raced away to the other end of the bed, turning her back to him and indignantly licked a paw.
Slowly, he pulled on the toy, dragging it across the blanket. Her ears twitched, but she continued to ignore him for a few more moments before turning and pouncing.
Evening came and Rowena arrived, a large supply bag and books with her. Castiel brought Meg into the library and set her on the table.
"Oh, what a pretty one you are," Rowena said, seeing Meg.
Meg huffed and looked away.
"Cat or demon?" Rowena asked.
"A little of both, I think," Castiel admitted.
Rowena chuckled and studied Meg. "Looks like a simple transformation spell except..." Rowena broke off and started to write on a piece of paper.
"Can you fix it?" Castiel asked.
"You doubt me, Castiel?" Rowena asked, her voice low, a hint of a smile on her lips.
He smiled slightly in return. "Of course not."
Meg meowed and stared at Rowena.
Rowena chuckled. "You have nothing to worry about, Wee One. Castiel, be an angel and fetch Samuel for me? And these ingredients?"
Castiel did as asked, eager for Meg to be fixed. Sam was happy to help and soon he and Rowena were adding ingredients to a small bowl. Meg watched them carefully, and Castiel remembered she had knowledge of magic also.
Finally, it was time. Meg was placed on the floor in the center of a ring of sigils and candles. Rowena began to speak, focusing, and Castiel could feel the magic building. After a few moments, Meg's small feline body began to ripple and change. It looked incredibly painful as it slowly shifted from feline to human. Finally, crouched in the center of the ring, was Meg. His Meg, not the feline Meg.
He hurried to her and helped her to stand. "Are you okay?"
"Shut up," she answered, but with no heat.
"Thank you," he told Rowena.
"It was nothing," Rowena replied primly. "Whoever cast that had little skill."
Meg sat down in a chair at the end of the library and looked lost.
"What happened?" Castiel asked, joining her.
"Crowley stabbed me outside the crypt and left me to die. It was more than I could handle on my own, so I went to a witch for help. Turns out she had shifted allegiance to Crowley and instead of just helping…" Meg gestured to herself. "Must have figured I'd be easier to control in that form."
"You've been a cat all these years?" Castiel asked, horrified.
Meg shrugged. "I survived. It came in handy after the angels fell."
"How did you find me?"
"Lucky accident," Meg said, looking quickly away.
It was quite the luck, but he let it go. The alternative, that Meg had been searching for him all this time, hurt.
"Meg, I-"
Abruptly she stood. "I should go. Dean could barely tolerate me as a cat. Thanks, Clarence."
She hurried out of the library, through the war room, and up the stairs. The metal bang of the door was jarring to him.
"You are one foolish angel," Rowena said after a few minutes.
Castiel looked at her, indignant. "Pardon?"
"Go after her."
Castiel looked at Sam, who nodded in agreement.
Outside, he found Meg walking down the street away from the bunker. He parked his car and got out, and she spun around in surprise.
"What do you want, Clarence?" she asked.
"You can teleport now, you know," he replied.
"Yeah, it seems I still need time to recover or something." She crossed her arms. "Is that what you came to tell me?"
"No. I…" He broke off, unsure. "I don't want you to go."
"What?"
"Please don't go. I...We had plans, remember?"
Slowly, she smiled. "We did, didn't we? Yeah, well, I'm not going back to Dean Winchester's home."
"You don't have to. Perhaps I can help you to find a new home? Maybe I can...join you?"
It took a few moments but Meg nodded in agreement. "Sure, Clarence."
As they got into his car and began to drive away he wondered if Meg would let him get a real cat.