Three

Brooke wandered about Daphne's living room half an hour later, looking at all the books on her bookshelves. She was searching for any cover she found familiar, but could find none. "What happened to all your religious books?" she asked.

"Oh, I got rid of them all," Daphne replied, looking up from her seat. "A long time ago."

Brooke stared at her in shock. "Why?" she asked. When last they had known each other, Daphne had been a highly religious woman, and finding out that Castiel was an angel had only made her more so.

Daphne gave a small smile. "A lot of things changed after you two left. I changed."

Brooke and Cass glanced at each other. In the last half an hour, they'd drunk their tea and then gone on to have meaningless small talk with Daphne while wandering about her living room, looking at her things and commenting on her home. It was as if Daphne was giving them time to adjust, or maybe just giving Cass time to pull himself together after crying earlier. But, perhaps now was the time to move on to something more important.

"Um," Brooke began, a little awkwardly, "you don't have to tell us anything, because… I mean, we're the ones who disappeared on you. But… but you can tell us about it, if you want."

Daphne hadn't stopped smiling that small smile, her eyes downcast the entire time. She took a slow breath. "Maybe I should make more tea," she said.

When they were all sitting down again, mugs of tea in their hands, Daphne began to tell her story. "No demons ever returned to the old house, but I lived in constant terror of such an event for a year before deciding to move. I barely slept at night. I did my research about them, though, and did my best to protect myself. I salted the windows and doors at night. I wore an anti-possession charm twenty-four/seven, even in the shower. I stored holy water in every room of my house. And I waited. I waited for the two of you to return."

Brooke swallowed, staring down into her mug of tea, feeling tears sting her eyes. Her cheeks were hot with shame. She and Castiel had decided that they would stay away from Daphne to keep her safe… and in so doing, they had taken that choice away from her—a grown woman.

Beside her, Castiel had gone deathly still and silent, his face pale.

"When it became clear after an entire year that you were never coming back—for whatever reason—I decided to move," Daphne went on, after taking a calm sip of tea. She spoke to them as if she were telling them about her trip to the mall the other day, her voice light. Yet, behind that airy sound was a hard edge. "But I thought, well… I couldn't simply sell my house and move far away, in case you ever did come looking. So I… I kept it, and rented it out instead. And I found a tenant who wouldn't ask hard questions if I told him to keep an eye out for a man and a woman who might come looking for me." Daphne looked past them, now, not really seeing them, her eyes distant. "I think Chris was running from something, too, when he signed the contract to rent my house."

She fell silent, sipping more tea, and they waited. Brooke gripped the handle of her mug harder, but couldn't bring herself to drink anything.

Daphne seemed to sense how on edge they were, then, and gave them a genuine smile. "Nothing horrible happened to me after you left," she assured them. "I wasn't possessed or tortured for information about you. No one stalked me or threatened me. But I… After learning that angels were real, that demons were real, and learning how to protect myself from them, it changed my entire perspective of the world. I… I couldn't look at a Bible the same way again."

She sighed, looking around at the bookshelves in the living room. "One day, sitting right here, I was looking around just like this at all the religious books on my shelves, and it all seemed… wrong. Like I'd been lied to my entire life. I would watch the news at night and hear stories about terrible things that happened to people—things that didn't make any sense—and I realized that there were horrible creatures in the world doing horrible things to people. And I'd had a chance to witness an angel heal the sorts of wounds that were inflicted on these people in the news. And then I started to wonder why you seemed to be the only angels doing anything good for humans." She was looking at Castiel now. "And I wondered every night if you both had died… and what the point of it all was if you had."

Brooke impulsively reached out a hand to her husband, and he took it and squeezed it.

"There didn't seem to be a point to anything anymore. So, I got rid of all my books and Bibles. I started reading novels and I stopped going to church. And… nothing really changed." Daphne smiled again, just then. "And then I met the man who would become my husband."

Surprised, Brooke glanced down at Daphne's hands, and wondered how she had missed the diamond ring on her finger. A horrible thought crossed her mind. "Is he… Is he still alive?" she whispered, knowing all too well that, as Daphne had said, bad things happen to good people.

Daphne chuckled. "Oh, yes. He's alive; he's at work right now. I texted him earlier to let him know that we'd have visitors over when he got home. We've been married, oh… seven years?"

"I'm glad," Castiel said, speaking up. "I'm—we're—happy for you."

"Yes," Brooke agreed, quickly. She felt riddled with guilt. She paused, and then asked, haltingly, "Does… does he kn-know…" She trailed off, wondering how to even phrase her question.

"Does he know about my past?" Daphne finished for her. "Does he know about angels and demons and monsters?" She smiled, then stood up from her chair and set the mug on the coffee table. She went over to an ottoman that was off to the side, out of the way, and lifted the seat, pulling something out of the storage area. It was a metal water bottle; she shook it, and it made a strange clacking sound, like there was something other than water inside. "Holy water," she said. "I know demons don't exist anymore, but…" She shrugged. "I can't bring myself to get rid of it all… Just in case."

Brooke took a breath, glancing at Castiel. She knew that feeling well—that awful feeling she sometimes had that she would wake up and find out that this had all been a dream, or that it hadn't been a dream, but that somehow, Amara had broken loose from Jack and was now wreaking havoc on Earth and ruining everyone's happy endings.

And, based on Castiel's grim expression as he looked back at her, he seemed to be thinking something similar.

"But, enough about me," Daphne said, suddenly, and Brooke and Cass turned to look at her. She smiled at them, her hands on her hips. "What the hell have you two been doing since you left nine years ago?"

Brooke smiled wearily, glancing at Castiel in amusement. "Where do we even start?"

###

Several hours and several more cups of tea later, they had finally told Daphne everything about themselves that they could possibly think of, and all three of them were now utterly exhausted. They had laughed and cried and felt every emotion it was possible to feel together. And now they all sat around the living room, rather subdued, blinking sleepily. When Daphne's husband, Peter, finally came home from work, he arrived to a house full of emotionally drained people halfway slumped over in their seats, their eyes puffy from crying.

Yet, Brooke couldn't help but note how quickly Daphne perked up when her husband walked through the door. She glanced at Cass with a smile and touched his arm, thinking of all the times she'd perked up in that same way anytime he'd whooshed into the room and surprised her.

Peter was pleased to meet them, and thus ensued several more hours of chatter as they all puttered about the kitchen, making dinner. And it felt like it had all those years ago, when Cass and Brooke had lived with Daphne, known to her then as Emmanuel and Ruth. Only, this time, there was another addition to this small family in the shape of Daphne's husband. The food was excellent, and they all sat around, talking late into the night. And when they all began to nod in their chairs, their plates cleared away long ago, Daphne led Castiel and Brooke to her guest bedroom.

"No, we couldn't stay," Brooke tried to say.

Daphne did not even deign to reply to such a thing. She only led them farther into the room. "The sheets are fresh," she told them. "I wash them once a week."

"Thank you," Castiel murmured with a soft, tired smile.

Daphne hugged them both and then left the room, closing the door behind her.

###

The next morning, they asked Daphne if she would be a witness in their "wedding," such as it would be. Really, they just needed two witnesses to show up for the signing of the contract.

"Well, of course I'll be a witness," Daphne said. "But aren't you having an actual wedding ceremony?"

Brooke and Cass glanced at each other with pursed lips. "We're not really wedding ceremony kinds of people," Brooke said.

Daphne smiled a little, looking somewhat sad. "No," she agreed. "I don't suppose you are."

Brooke's eyes wandered a bit as she thought for a moment. Then she said, "I could wear a dress to the courthouse, though."

Castiel turned and stared at her with wide eyes, a blush slowly suffusing his face.

She grinned at him. "I take it that you'd like that."

He glanced away, shyly. "You should only wear a dress if you want to."

She lifted his chin. "I'll wear a dress and heels if you wear your angel outfit."

"My angel outfit?" he repeated, with an amused smile.

"You know what I mean."

His eyes softened with affection. "I do," he said.

###

Castiel and Brooke were enjoying some downtime later that day, flipping lazily through a few books on the couch, when Dean called. Cass glanced over the top of his book to see his phone, which was laying on the coffee table, and immediately snatched it up. "Dean?" he said, incredulously.

Brooke closed her own book, watching her husband's face. For the millionth time, she was annoyed that they were no longer telepathic with each other, because now she couldn't simply hear the other side of the conversation through Cass' brain.

He seemed to pick up on the look on her face, though, and pulled the phone away from his ear. "Hold on. I'm putting you on speakerphone."

"Hey, Brooke," Dean said, a moment later. "Sam told me that you two went off to find Daphne. How'd that go?"

Brooke smiled. "We found her. We're sitting in her house right now."

"Good for you," he replied, and he sounded genuine. "So, uh… Sam also said that you guys left because you wanted to get married and you wanted Daphne to be one of your witnesses?"

"Yes…" Castiel said, slowly, wondering where Dean was going with this.

"Well, were you gonna ask Sam and me to be witnesses, or were you gonna just run off and leave us high and dry?"

Brooke glanced at Cass.

Castiel cleared his throat. "We were going to ask Sam, but… Dean, you just disappeared for days, so we couldn't exactly ask you anything. Where have you been?"

"Nowhere important," Dean said, casually. "So, when's the wedding?"

"Dean…" Castiel growled, not so easily distracted away from the topic at hand.

"What, man? Listen, I've just been… doin' some thinkin', that's all. I'm fine, okay? Just… Just tell me where you need Sam and me to be for this wedding, and we'll be there. But, hey. Cass, you're not gonna be a free agent much longer, you know? You should totally have a bachelor party."

Castiel made a face. "Dean, I…" He chuckled. "I haven't been a free agent, as you put it, in fifteen years. This wedding is more of a formality than anything else."

"Who cares, man? I'm throwin' you a bachelor party!"

"But—

"You can't change my mind, Cass."

Castiel looked helplessly at Brooke.

She laughed, having been grinning for the past minute. "I think a bachelor party would be good for you," she told her husband.

"Hell yeah, it would," Dean agreed. "Maybe some strippers could help pull the stick outta Cass' ass."

There was a heavy, awkward pause at that wording, as Brooke imagined a literal version of what the Winchester brother had just said. "What the fuck, Dean."

"Shut up," he mumbled.

She burst into laughter, partly spurred on by the look on Castiel's face, and he quickly devolved into his own bout of laughter.

###

The next few days was a flurry of activity as basically everyone that Brooke and Cass knew helped prepare them for their wedding and Cass' bachelor party. Brooke was, apparently, getting a bachelorette party, as well, and Daphne, who was putting it together, absolutely refused to tell her anything about it. The timing of these parties was a little strange: the bachelorette party was to happen first, and then Cass and Brooke would drive down to meet Sam and Dean the next day for Cass' bachelor party. Of course, the two of them could not go to each other's parties, as that would ruin tradition. Daphne had offered to drive Brooke the next day so that Cass could take their car and have his own party at the same time as Brooke was having hers, but that idea had been immediately shot down.

And Brooke realized, as she practically yelled at Daphne about what a horrible idea that was, that she could not remember the last time she and Castiel had been apart. She cast her mind back and realized that it must have been… when her husband had been killed by Lucifer as Jack was being born. Once he had returned to life, and to her, they had been attached at the hip ever since, for the past two years. Brooke sat at the kitchen table, as Daphne stared at her in concern, and wondered what her life with Castiel would be like once they needed to do things like get jobs. Would they suffer separation anxiety all day while trying to work?

Would they constantly worry about threats that no longer existed—demons, angels, ghosts?

That night, Brooke lay in Daphne's guest bed, too excited and too worried to sleep. Excited for her bachelorette party, worried about the days to come after her and Cass' "wedding," such as it would be. Where would they live? How would they live? She had a high school diploma, but Castiel had had zero formal schooling at all. Of course, he knew more about history and human culture than most humans, but if that could not be proven on paper, then it was useless to an employer. So… college? That was a strange thought.

"You're thinking quite loudly," Castiel murmured, sleepily.

Brooke started. "W-What… You can't hear my thoughts anymore. I didn't even know you were awake."

"Now who's taking things literally?" he said, a smile in his voice. "You were tossing and turning."

"Oh."

"Do you want to tell me about it?" he asked.

So she did.

And when she'd told him about all her doubts and fears, he sighed quietly and turned so that he could press his chest to her back and wrap an arm around her. "We'll figure it out," he said. "We always do."

"But we've never had to deal with these kinds of problems—not really. Sure, you were human once before, but… there were still a bunch of crazy, supernatural threats all over the place. Now, if we fuck up paying our taxes, we go to prison, or something."

"Why don't we worry about that later," Castiel suggested, gently. "You should be excited about your bachelorette party."

Brooke turned in the bed with a grin. "You should be excited about your bachelor party, but you're not."

Castiel sighed. "Knowing Dean, my bachelor party will consist of alcohol and strippers, neither of which I have the least interest in."

"Seeing some other women naked—or… half naked? I don't know how strippers work—could be good for you, Cass," Brooke argued. "I'm the only person you've ever been with—female or otherwise."

Castiel rested a hand on her face, brushing his thumb across her cheek. "I would say I'm surprised you're not jealous of something like that, but the more I think about it, the less you seem the type for jealousy. At least not about… naked women."

"Well, I am bisexual," she said with a snort of amusement. "Any woman besides me you might find attractive, I probably would, too. Actually, I was super jealous of Meg… for all of about ten minutes. And then I ended up falling in love with her, even more than you did. So…"

Castiel hummed in his own amusement and kissed her.

###

Brooke sighed in contentment as she lay back in the chair at the salon, soaking her feet in warm, sudsy water. She glanced at her already-done nails and smiled. She'd almost gotten away with a simple clear coat of nail polish, but Daphne had stepped in and insisted she get something besides that. She'd decided on a shimmery dark blue color that reminded her of a certain former angel's silky tie, and now she could not stop admiring her nails in the light, watching the glitter in the polish sparkle.

So far, this bachelorette party was going very well.

###

The day passed with good food and cocktails and bingeing excellent movies. Brooke was just sad that Daphne was the only one at her party—although Jody Mills had been put in charge of the afterparty once the marriage license had been signed. That was where everyone would get together to celebrate. It would be easier that way, since everyone was scattered all over.

Peter had taken Castiel out for the day to give the women rule of the house. Brooke wandered around barefoot so that she could admire her painted toenails. She and Daphne were constantly going in and out of the kitchen, preparing or eating food as the TV blared The Princess Bride, among other movies, in the background. They were more careful about drinks, so that by the time Peter and Castiel returned home, Brooke was only a little tipsy, as opposed to full-on drunk.

"Cass," Brooke called, as he went quickly past the living room.

"Your party's not over yet," he called, over his shoulder. "I'm going to go in the bedroom so you can have the rest of the night."

"But—

"No buts! This is your party. Enjoy it."

Pouting slightly, but knowing she could go cuddle him later, Brooke settled back onto the couch, taking another bite of cheesy bread topped with tomato. She sighed in contentment and giggled, thinking of her upcoming "wedding."