"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Katie frowned, gazing at the parking lot filled with identical cars to Dean's.
"This is…disturbing" Castiel replied, looking inside one of the cars to find an iPod inside.
"Yeah, you can say that again" Katie mumbled, seeing another had a bumper sticker stating, 'I love frisky women'.
"This is disturbing?" Castiel repeated, taking her words seriously, making Katie snort.
"Hey, looking good Katie!" A girl exclaimed, giving her a thumbs up.
Katie's frown grew, wondering how the stranger dressed in plaid knew her name. It was then that she saw the man with his arm around the woman was wearing a jacket exactly like Dean's. Her eyes widened when she saw a clown following closely behind them, his large red shoes flopping against the ground. Something very strange was going on.
"Castiel?" A voice questioned, as the pair turned around to see a bearded man walking towards them.
He was of average height, had bright blue eyes and looked like he was about to piss himself when he saw Castiel marching towards him. Katie was able to tell quickly there was something different about the man, something in his eyes. He had clearly seen a lot.
"Chuck. We are looking for Sam and Dean" Castiel informed the man, who Katie realised must have been the Prophet.
"Why would they be here?" Chuck inquired.
"You texted them. Life or death situation. Any of this ringing a bell?" Katie insisted.
"No way would I ever want them here. Or you actually" Chuck muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Wait, you know me?" Katie asked, growing confused.
"I have visions. Some very…vivid visions" Chuck stated, looking a little green.
"Oh my God!" An excited voice screamed from a few metres away, as they watched Chuck grimace.
Katie turned to see a blonde racing towards them, grinning from ear to ear. She was a little taken aback when the woman suddenly grabbed her arms, jumping up and down as she squealed. Katie gave Castiel a concerned look, wondering whether she should have been attacking the strange woman.
"I can't believe you're really here! I'm a big fan" The blonde giggled, looking ready to explode.
"Uh, who the hell are you?" Katie questioned.
"Becky. I've read all about you. You're so badass" Becky exclaimed, clapping her hands together.
"Okay, can someone explain to me what's going on here?" Katie sighed, still not understanding.
"Chuck is a writer. He has written many books on Sam and Dean…and it appears on you" Castiel informed her, a little surprised himself.
"I had some visions of when you were in College, and Lilith started coming after you. Put it all into the last book…finally got some more guys reading it…" Chuck trailed off, when he saw the way Castiel's eyes narrowed.
"What?!" Katie cried, as suddenly all the car's around them began to alarm, their lights flashing.
"Please don't kill me" Chuck cringed, scrunching his eyes shut.
"What was that?" Becky gaped.
"She's a demon now—" Chuck began but was cut off by Becky's squeal.
"What a plot twist" Becky exclaimed, with wide eyes.
"Yeah, it's been really great, thanks" Katie said sarcastically, crossing her arms.
"Why did you call the Winchester's here?" Castiel asked.
"I didn't…" Chuck trailed off, turning to Becky.
"They're gonna' want to see it" Becky shrugged.
"I'm getting a bad feeling about this already" Katie mumbled, reluctantly following Becky who was already running up the stairs towards the hotel.
"Sammy is gonna' die when he sees this place" Katie chuckled, as she and Castiel sat at a table by the window.
The whole hotel was filled with 'Supernatural' merchandise and people cosplaying as various characters from the books. Katie had been laughing at the group of clowns trying to scare people as they entered the building for the last few minutes. People of all different shapes and sizes were dressed up like Dean, Sam, and even Bobby. Katie had even seen a few people dressed up like her, much to her own embarrassment, and realised that people probably thought she was a fangirl too. She was surprised to see no one brooding in a trench coat.
"So, I'm guessing there's been no Cas in the books yet?" Katie questioned, knowing he would have been a fan favourite.
"I believe they finished around the time Dean went to hell" Castiel replied, as Katie quirked an eyebrow.
"How do you know that?" She inquired, as Castiel's eyes flickered to the floor.
"…Have you read them?!" Katie gaped, as Castiel rubbed the back of his neck.
"They can be quite…entertaining" Castiel admitted, as Katie scoffed in amusement.
"Wait until I tell Dean you're a fanboy" Katie teased, as Castiel shook his head, fondly.
"Oh, speak of the Devil. Hey, over here guys!" Katie waved over to the brother's who were standing in the entrance of the hotel, frozen to the spot.
"Please tell me this is just a nightmare," Sam said, with gritted teeth.
"You're just pissed cause' your hair isn't as flawless as Sam in the books" Katie mocked, pointing towards a large poster on a nearby wall.
"Why is he the one with the sixpack?" Dean grumbled, his eyes flickering to the poster.
"Well, you have been letting yourself go a little, Deano" Katie teased, as Castiel couldn't stop the laugh that left his lips.
"Since when do you laugh?" Dean grumbled, as Castiel and Katie shared an amused look.
"Oh, do you guys know each other?" Becky asked, walking up the group.
"She's practically our sister" Sam informed her.
"A very irritating adopted sister" Dean added Becky, who began jumping up and down once again.
Becky told them something about the convention starting in the hall, trying to usher them forward but Katie was in too much shock to move. As Becky grabbed Sam by the arm and started to drag him away, Dean noticed Katie was yet to move, and raised an eyebrow.
"What's up with your face?" Dean questioned, seeing the way Katie was smiling.
"You called me your sister" Katie pointed out, pushing herself to her feet.
"Don't make this into a chick flick moment" Dean scoffed, a smile tugging on his own lips.
"Wouldn't dream of it" Katie grinned, punching him in the shoulder.
"C'mon, Cas. You're not getting out of this" Katie insisted, ushering him to follow them.
The group all made their way to the back of the hall, finding around fifty people were already seated, chatting quietly among themselves. Katie couldn't believe that so many people were invested in the Winchester's life story. Katie gave an awkward smile to a girl dressed up like her, who was waving manically, ushering for her to come sit next to her. This is getting weird now, she thought to herself.
"Welcome to the first annual Supernatural convention. At 3.45 in the Magnolia room we have the panel, 'Frightened little boy, the secret life of Dean'" The Convention Manager announced, as Katie had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing.
"And at 4.30 there's the 'Homoerotic subtext of Supernatural'" The man went on, as Dean's eyebrows shot up.
"He's got a point, you know" Katie mumbled, as Sam rolled his eyes.
"Oh, and of course the big hunt starts at 7pm sharp. But right now, right now I'd like to introduce the man himself. The creator, the writer of the Supernatural books. The one, the only, Carver Edlund!" The Convention Manager announced, as massive amounts of cheers and applause started up in the room.
The questions started soon after that, some funny and some just plain offensive. Katie found it amusing how Becky acted like an attack dog when anyone dared to speak out against the books. Her attention was brought back to Chuck, as he answered the latest question. What was next for the Supernatural books?
"Oh. Well there lies an announcement, actually. You're all going to find out. Thanks to a wealthy Scandinavian investor…we're going to start publishing again" Chuck told them, as applause started once again.
However, Sam and Dean looked like they were about to burst a blood vessel from the rage-filled expressions on their faces. Whereas Becky, who was now standing on the other side of Katie, looked like she was about to pass out from happiness. Castiel had stayed quiet throughout the talk, seemingly confused by most of it.
"So, how does it feel to be famous, Sammy?" Katie exclaimed, nudging the tall man, who gave her his best bitch face.
"Uh, we've actually got a little treat for you all today. A spin-off book. They're out in the lobby now—" Chuck began but was cut off as the crowd instantly jumped from their seats.
Castiel pulled Katie back just in time as a man sprinted past her, almost hitting his head on the door from how fast he was running. Katie gave him a grateful look, noticing how his hand lingered on her arm a little longer than it needed to. Her attention was quickly brought back to the crowd, as she couldn't help but wonder what the spin-off book would be about. Following the excited crowd, she came to a halt when she saw a new poster had been placed in the lobby, with dozens of books underneath.
"Oh no…" Katie gaped, realising who the girl on the poster was instantly.
A much prettier version of herself was staring back at her, clad in a leather jacket and brandishing a kitchen knife. Her long brunette hair looked immaculate, and bright blue eyes almost jumped off the poster. She pouted as she looked at the almost perfect female, thinking of all the differences they had. Katie's skin in real life was blemished, acne scars being mostly covered by concealer. Her hair was flat, and nowhere near as shiny as it appeared on the poster. Even her blue eyes seemed dull in comparison.
"How does it feel to be famous?" Sam's amused voice called out to her, as she crossed her arms.
"I'm gonna' kill him" Katie announced, walking back into the hall, storming towards Chuck who was jumping off the stage.
"Um, so I know how this looks—" Chuck was cut off by his own strangled cry, as Katie grabbed his neck.
"You're gonna go out there, tell all those people the deal is off and give me every single copy of that book…or I'm gonna start cutting off limbs" Katie warned him, as Chuck audibly gulped.
"What do you expect me to do, okay? I need this…the Supernatural books are all I've got" Chuck insisted.
"Katie, I don't think you need to threaten him" Castiel suggested, as Katie reluctantly let go of his neck.
"Thank you" Chuck nodded to Castiel.
"…I'm sure he knows that you could destroy him with a click of your fingers" Castiel finished, as Chuck's eyes darted between the pair.
"Look, I'm sorry. But you should be grateful! The fans have usually sent death threats whenever I introduce a new female character" Chuck explained, making Katie scoff.
"Then you need new fans, asshole" Katie responded.
"I swear, everything I wrote in the book is completely respectful" Chuck insisted.
"Wait, Katie's a virgin? Seems unrealistic, isn't she supposed to be in college?" A man spoke to his friend, as they walked past the three.
Katie crossed her arms once again, quirking an eyebrow at Chuck, her jaw tense. He jumped out of his skin as the light above them exploded, the glass clattering onto the floor behind them. Her message was very clear.
"…I'll start rounding the books up" Chuck mumbled, with his head hung low.
Katie was sitting at the bar, her chin resting on her hand, an angry expression still on her face. Strangers reading about her past was one thing…but she hated the thought of Sam and Dean finding out some of the things she had tried to bury. Or Cas, for that matter. Chuck had so far managed to stay out of her way, too busy grabbing the books he could find scattered around the hotel. She reached out to grab her drink but found a large hand beat her to it. Her jaw dropped open when she saw who the hand belonged to, a familiar book in front of him.
"This certainly was an interesting read" Gabriel announced, pulling out a candy straw, beginning to sip at her drink.
"What are you doing here?" Katie frowned.
"I couldn't miss out on this" Gabriel scoffed, ushering to the Supernatural convention.
"Hoping to see someone cosplaying as the Trickster?" Katie suggested, earning a shrug in response.
"It's not like anyone could ever live up to this level of perfection" Gabriel stated, wiggling his eyebrows.
"You want to know what I think?" Katie asked, as he nodded slowly.
"I think you're lonely" Katie went on, watching the Archangel's jaw tense.
"I think you're missing the part where I can literally make friends out of thin air" Gabriel huffed, sipping at her drink again.
"But it's not real. Not like I am. Not like your brother is" Katie insisted.
"Where is the little tree topper anyway?" Gabriel inquired, looking around the bar.
"Probably trying to stop Dean from hitting on any of the girls cosplaying as him" Katie chuckled.
"You were wrong, by the way. This isn't a social call" Gabriel informed her, leaning in a little.
"Bad news?" Katie guessed, watching him nod.
"Lucifer's looking for you. He's got all the demons on red alert. He wants you standing by his side" Gabriel explained, making her grimace.
"That's never going to happen" Katie insisted.
"It will if he gets his hands on your soul" Gabriel warned.
"Well, what do you suggest?" Katie sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"Go into witness protection like me" Gabriel replied, as Katie quirked an eyebrow.
"What, run away with you?" Katie scoffed, with a smile.
"Okay, c'mon. We could have some fun. You know we could" Gabriel grinned.
"I can't run, Gabriel. That's just not me" Katie informed him.
"Your loyalty is gonna' get you killed" Gabriel exclaimed; his tone serious.
"Not if you join the team. You could make a difference" Katie went on.
"Not enough of a difference" Gabriel mumbled.
"…What about soul transference? I mean, it could work right?" Katie asked, turning to the Archangel.
"It's risky. You could become untethered to your soul, and that opens up a whole other can of whoop-ass" Gabriel explained.
"But you could do it?" Katie insisted, as Gabriel reluctantly nodded.
"Gabriel" A gruff voice from behind them boomed, as the pair turned around their seats.
"Hey, little bro. Still got that stick up your ass, I see" Gabriel teased, as Castiel's eyes narrowed.
"Still running away from your responsibilities, brother?" Castiel retorted, as Gabriel stood up, giving him a hard slap on the back, almost sending Castiel stumbling forward.
"Don't worry, Cas. I was just leaving her warm for you" Gabriel grinned, suddenly disappearing in the blink of an eye.
"What did he want?" Castiel asked her.
"He just wanted to see if this convention thing was for real" Katie lied, knowing how worried Castiel would be if he knew the truth.
Katie wondered whether there was a specific reason Lucifer suddenly needed her by his side. Whatever it was, she doubted it was good. But Castiel already had enough to worry about with his God search, he didn't need to be worrying about her too. He already felt like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"Where's Sam and Dean?" Katie inquired, a moment later.
"I thought they were with you" Castiel admitted.
It didn't take long to find the brother's, as Katie let out a groan when she saw what they were doing. Or more accurately, what they were reading. She was storming over to them quickly, grabbing the books from their hands and throwing them out of a nearby window.
"A little dramatic, don't you think?" Dean exclaimed, as Katie raised her arms out in exasperation.
"What the fuck? You've been complaining about Chuck spreading your past around, but it's alright to read about mine?" Katie scoffed.
"Yeah, but those were strangers. We're family" Sam started.
"It doesn't matter, okay? I've told you everything you need to know about me—" Katie started, but Dean stopped her.
"Like how your first kiss was with a demon?" Dean suggested, as Sam's mouth dropped open.
"What?" He gaped, as even Castiel was a little taken aback.
"Page 88, dude. The chapter where she goes to that house party with the—" Dean began but was cut off by Katie's hand slamming over his mouth.
"Yeah, I'm still trying to bleach that out of my mouth, so thanks, Dean. Can we just go already?" Katie complained, taking her hand away.
"Okay, okay. I'll bring the car around…and you better stay away from anymore possessed college boys" Dean smirked, as she slapped him around the back of the head.
While Sam was quick to follow his brother, not wanting to get on Katie's bad side, Castiel stayed by her side, a confused expression on his face. She could tell there was a question playing on his lips.
"Why are you so concerned with the Winchester's finding out about your past?" Castiel frowned.
"It's just embarrassing, that's all" Katie shrugged, dismissively.
"Are you talking about your time institutionalised?" Castiel suggested, as Katie's jaw dropped open.
"W-what…you know about that?" Katie gaped, as Castiel nodded.
"It was a bad time in my life, I don't feel like raking over the past" Katie insisted, as Castiel's eyes softened a little.
"You had demons screaming inside your head…no one would have been able to cope," Castiel told her, sympathy in his voice.
"Or believe me" Katie sighed.
"…Do you miss your old life?" Castiel couldn't help but ask, a few moments later.
"I guess I miss some things but, honestly? I think I'm happier than I've ever been" Katie admitted.
"Why?" Castiel queried, tilting his head.
"I've got a family now. Friends…even a dorky angel on my shoulder" Katie teased, nudging him with her elbow.
The two shared a smile, their blue eyes connecting, a clear fondness behind them. Everything seemed so much easier when they were together. Like they could actually stop the world from ending.
"Have you seen Sam?" A familiar voice questioned, pushing herself in between the pair, much to Katie's annoyance.
"Uh…he said something about heading to the toilets" Katie lied, seeming to disappoint Becky.
"I think he's avoiding me. Our connection must be too strong for him to bear" Becky mumbled, as Katie had to bite her lip to stop the laughter threatening to come out.
"Becky, can I level with you for a minute?" Katie questioned, as the blonde nodded vehemently.
"I don't think Sam's really looking for a relationship right now. His past with women is…well, pretty shit, let's be real" Katie explained.
"He just hasn't met his soulmate yet…or at least he doesn't think he has" Becky exclaimed, dreamily.
"Uh, actually I think Katie could be onto something. You know, there's other fish in the sea, Becky. Much closer fish. Fish closer to your height" Chuck announced, making Katie snort.
"A fish the size of a human?" Castiel frowned, innocently.
"I think your friend is missing a few screws from the toolbox" Becky whispered to Katie.
"Nah, he's just an Angel. They're all a little socially awkward…" Katie trailed off, when she saw the glare Castiel gave her.
"…And that makes them all the more charming" Katie finished, sending him a wink.
"An Angel?!" Becky screeched, making Castiel jump.
"Sh! Spoilers, Becky!" Chuck shushed her, when he saw how a few fans had twisted around to listen in to their conversation.
When Sam and Dean still hadn't come back twenty minutes later, Katie and Castiel went to investigate. The former had a bad feeling, expecting that the brothers had run into trouble like always. Her fears were soon realised when they found a blonde man, who had been dressed as 'Hook man', scalped and laying dead on the floor only a few corridors away.
"I don't think that's makeup" Katie mumbled, taking a step closer.
Her eyes snapped up as she saw three creepy boys suddenly looming over the corpse, all brandishing sharp knives. They had sinister smiles on their faces, and from the way their figures were flashing in and out of existence, Katie quickly realised they were ghosts. She felt uneasy knowing that Sam and Dean were nowhere to be found, as they always took the leads during a hunt.
"Miss Gore wouldn't let us have any fun. But Miss Gore's gone now, and we can have all sorts of fun—" The nearest boy began but was cut off as Katie lunged forward to grab the knife he was holding.
The ghost boy's eyes widened as the knife disintegrated in her palm, causing the two other boys backed up a step. Clearly, they weren't used to someone being able to actually touch them. Castiel frowned at this action, knowing it wasn't something a demon would be capable of. A powerful Angel on the other hand...
"I'm not in the mood for a monologue, Casper" Katie exclaimed, grabbing the blonde boy by the collar of his coat.
However, in the next second the three boys disappeared in the blink of an eye, making a tactical retreat. Katie groaned when she realised there was no way she could force them to reappear. She may have been stronger than the ghosts, but they were better at hiding.
"I can sense the boy's souls. They are buried in a graveyard not far from here" Castiel informed her, as she turned to face him.
"Well then, what are we waiting for" Katie exclaimed, as Castiel reached out to place his hand on her shoulder.
The next second, they were outside, the cold of the night seeping into Katie's bones quickly. From the numerous gravestones that surrounded them, it seemed that Castiel's aim was better than hers. She opened her mouth to congratulate him when she saw blood running down from his nose.
"Hey, are you okay?" Katie asked, stepping closer, wiping the blood away with the sleeve of her shirt.
She saw the flash of fear on Castiel's face when he saw the red substance that now stained her clothes. He quickly masked this, giving her a curt nod, before his eyes started to search for the boy's gravestones.
"Since when do Angel's bleed?" Katie insisted.
"They don't. It is my vessel's" Castiel responded, but Katie still wasn't convinced.
"That doesn't make me feel any better, Cas. Is…is this about you being cut off from heaven?" Katie guessed, as Castiel avoided her gaze.
"It is not of import" Castiel told her.
"It seems pretty bloody important to me!" Katie scoffed.
"It will not affect my ability to help the Winchester's, or you—" Castiel started, but she cut him off.
"I don't care about that. I care about you, Cas" Katie admitted, reaching out to touch his arm.
They both seemed a little surprised by her confession, as a light blush grew on Katie's cheeks, which she blamed on the cold night air. Castiel felt a strange warmth grow in his chest at her comment, finding that he liked the thought of mattering to someone. Or maybe it had something to do with how Katie was still running her hand down his arm.
"I will be fine. My vessel has weathered much. He will survive this too" Castiel tried to reassure her, as Katie wiped up a smudge of blood on his cheek.
"He better…because I'd lose my freaking mind if anything happened to you" Katie sighed, watching Castiel's lips twitch into a smile.
"Careful, I might start to think you care" Castiel teased, repeating the words she had once said to him, after the Jesse incident.
"And we can't have that, can we?" Katie grinned.
"…Huh, I think I found the boy's graves" Katie announced, her eyes flickering to something behind Castiel.
"Why do you think that?" Castiel frowned, slowly following her gaze.
"It's got something to do with the Three Creepy Musketeers standing over there" Katie responded, pointing to where the ghosts were now protectively standing over their own graves.
"You ready to earn some hunter points, Cas?" Katie exclaimed, watching him nod, as they descended on the ghosts.
Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Sorry the update is late, but I've been doing extra shifts at the hospital due to the pandemic. Please leave a review:)
VirgoElf: Aw, thank you! I may skip a few seasons, but yeah I do plan to make this story into a multi-season fic:)
LuciferRedeemed: Thank you so much:) I hope you like the update!