Hello again! I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to update. Still working on that work/life balance, but I'll figure it out soon enough. Thanks for sticking with it/reading and if you think things are starting off slowly, don't worry.

Disclaimer: In no way do I have any rights to Supernatural or any of the characters. I own Amriel and any other OCs that pop up along the way.

Chapter Two: Help

Amriel approached the counter that separated her from the former Seraph, taking is attire. He was wearing a button-up shirt and jeans, with a blue vest that brandished a name tag that read Steve. Amriel thought that he was already dead- hunted down by angels like Sybil or Urim as retribution for his part in the fall.

She could see that he was barely glowing; the remnants of his grace still giving him a slight aura that was different than most humans. She squinted, hoping to see more of it, but the faint light was all that was left. He had once been the most powerful being in the universe, and here he stood, staring at her just as she watched him, and his gaze lasted a few seconds before he knew exactly who she was.

"Amriel, what are you doing in this town?" he replied quietly, even though they were the only two in the store.

"I didn't want to side with Bartholomew's followers or Urim and Daniel, so I became a target, and I ran. I've been going from town to town, never staying anywhere for too long. I didn't know you were here and don't want to hurt you, I promise."

She had fought for Castiel's army when he was leading a war against Raphael. Amriel had believed that free will was something angels deserved after their eons of blindly following orders with no reasoning or explanations behind them, and she fought for their freedom fervently, though she wasn't sure if she even made a difference.

"How much money do you have?" he asked, fully aware of how worn she looked. Amriel was wearing a pair of jeans that were a little too loose, a dark green coat with a fur-lined hood, and a t-shirt that had four men with similar haircuts on it and the words The Beatles underneath them.

Castiel stared at her, taking in her long, light blonde hair and watching her pink lips move but he didn't hear her response. Her vessel was beautiful- just as her true form had been in Heaven. He remembered her clearly, and at that moment he wished he could see her as the celestial being she really was.

"Castiel?" she asked, drawing him out of his thoughts.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" His mouth was suddenly dry and the collar of his shirt felt like it was too tight. He wondered when it had gotten so hot in the store… he would have to check the thermostat when he got the chance.

"I said," her tone changed, signifying her annoyance. "I have ten dollars. But I do not believe it to be very much."

He shook his head, telling her that it wasn't. Castiel wanted to help her any way he could, but he was sleeping in the back room of the gas station, so he couldn't offer her a place to stay. Suddenly he was hit with the realization that she wasn't here to attack him, like Hael had when he came across her after they first fell.

"Wait, why aren't you angry with me? It was my grace that completed the spell that locked everybody out of Heaven…" He was confused to say the very least- Amriel should be trying to kill him, not staring at him with a look he couldn't decipher.

"Castiel," she said, surging forward and taking his hand, squeezing it tightly and trying to ignore the warmth that ran through her vessel. "I fought for your cause in the civil war. Why would I want to harm you here? I know that things were not right in Heaven, and I believe you participated in Metatron's deceitful plans unknowingly, and it could have been any of us. He chose you because of how much you care for us all."

Amriel glanced at the magazines lining the rack beside the counter and realized that Castiel resembled the men on the covers. He was incredibly handsome by human standards; tan, with dark hair that was a little messy and stubble along his strong jaw. Castiel had been a beautiful angel, and as his bright blue eyes seared into hers and she found herself forgetting what she was going to say to him.

"I suppose I could give you the money that I have. I am sorry if it isn't enough," she said, her free fingers fumbling in her pocket as she tried to find the green bill that was wadded up in there.

Castiel shook his head as he released her hand and she felt the loss of warmth he provided.

"I will not take your money, Amriel. In fact, if you'll allow it, I would like to help you."

The fallen angel was stunned. Here stood Castiel, who had gone from the most powerful being in the universe, aside from God himself, to a human in a matter of months, offering to help her like it was nothing while he was most likely struggling as well. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was serious about this, and she found herself nodding.

"That would be wonderful, Castiel… However, I have no idea how I will be able to repay you," she frowned, knowing that she had nothing to offer him in return.

"Repaying me is unnecessary," he said, furrowing his eyebrows in thought. "I will talk to the manager of this store and ask if she'll hire you. We can work together, keep each other safe. But you must find your own refuge outside of here."

Amriel nodded in understanding. Perhaps she would see if she could find a shelter, and if that didn't work out she would sleep in the safest place she could find.

"Why does your placard say Steve?" she asked curiously, pointing to his vest. "Are you embarrassed of your given name? I do not understand- out of all of Heaven and creation, God gifted such a beautiful name to you."

"I am not embarrassed, Amriel," he answered with a gentle tone, knowing that she didn't quite understand. "It is a way to hide myself from angels that might be hunting me. We should probably come up with a name for you to go by as well."

"My vessel's name was Amy. I suppose that could work?" Amriel suggested, and Castiel nodded, saying that it could also be a nickname for her. When she asked what a nickname was, Castiel smiled at her.

"It is a shortened version of your name, or something that people call you aside from your name- a moniker, if you will. Sam and Dean Winchester call me Cas… You can as well, if you'd like." He saw her eyes light up at the offer, and she nodded quickly.

"Cas… I like that. Not as much as Castiel, but still. Amy will be sufficient, then. Should I call you Steve when others are around?" When he nodded, Amriel asked, "How is Sam Winchester? I watched over him from Heaven when I could, since he is a child of May."

Castiel tilted his head to the side, realizing that Sam's birthday was in fact May 2nd, so he fell under Amriel's care.

"He has been… surviving," he answered finally. "I am sure you know about everything he has gone through."

"Oh I know! I wanted to help him so badly, but I was told not to intervene… We all were." Amriel was upset, Cas could tell, so he reached out and took her hand again in an attempt to comfort her, like he had seen on television.

"I understand completely, Amy," he said, testing out her new name and finding that it didn't suit her the way Amriel did. It merely fell off of his tongue blandly, whereas he enjoyed saying her given name. "Why don't you eat something and stay here until my manager gets back. Then I could speak to her about employing you as well."

Amriel nodded in acceptance and pulled one of the sandwiches out of her backpack, opening it up and eating while she and Castiel talked. She hadn't seen him since his war against Raphael, and before that she only saw him in passing in Heaven. Castiel was far older than she was, created for a purpose far different than hers.

While all angels called each other brother or sister, only angels that were created at the same time were truly "related" by human terms. She knew little about Castiel other than his curiosity when it came to humanity, his defiance of orders, and his fervent protection of the Winchesters. Amriel felt a similar way regarding Sam, but Dean was not under her guard so she was not to deal with him.

Nora, the manager of the Gas-N-Sip, returned after the two had been talking for nearly an hour. She was surprised to see Steve talking to a pretty blonde girl that looked far too young for him, and she was even more surprised when he introduced her as his friend.

"This is Amy. She's new to town and looking for a job," Castiel said, "She is a hard worker and I would train her, if you'd like me to."

The older woman gazed at the small girl, taking in her loose clothes and the ratty backpack she was holding on to. It reminded her a lot of how Steve had appeared out of nowhere. Maybe she was having a tough time and needed to run away, who knew. Nora wasn't one to judge, and Steve had turned out to be an excellent employee so far. Plus now she could cut back on a few of her own hours to spend time at home.

"That's fine with me, Steve. I can always use an extra set of hands around here. Amy, I'll have a vest and a name tag for you tomorrow. Today you can watch Steve around the store just to get a feel for things. I've gotta run, though, so I'll see you both in the morning," Nora smiled at the two, noticing how Steve stared at Amy when she wasn't looking. She figured he had a crush on the girl, and what man wouldn't? After saying goodbye, Nora left the store and the two former angels looked at one another.

"That was surprisingly easy," Amriel said and Castiel shrugged, telling her that Nora was a good person.

"Do you have any other clothing?" he asked, not surprised when she shook her head. Cas rifled through his pockets and pulled out a handful of cash, giving it to her. "Take this money and go to one of the stores on Main Street- it's two blocks away. Buy shirts, pants, and undergarments. Then come back here and I'll show you how things work around the store."

"Castiel, you do not have to do this for me," Amriel started, but he held up his hand.

"I'm doing this because I want to. You didn't deserve to fall and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something horrible happened to you because of what I did-"

She quickly cut him off, saying that he didn't do anything, that it wasn't his fault. He wanted to know how she could believe that he wasn't to blame when it was his grace that completed the spell.

"I told you! I believe you did not know Metatron's true desires when you were helping him! Cas, you are good too, do not ever believe otherwise."

Castiel could see the fierce look in her eyes that showed an emotion he knew was passion. She firmly believed that he had meant no harm to his fellow angels, and despite that being the truth, he still felt angry with himself for not figuring out Metatron's trick sooner. Amriel quickly straightened her posture and nodded briefly, telling Castiel that she would go to the clothing store and return as soon as she could.

"Do you have your weapon?" Cas asked her and Amriel nodded, pulling her shirt up briefly so he could see the hilt of her blade. He caught a glimpse of creamy skin and he imagined himself running his hands along her body- Castiel stiffened, shaking his head and wondering where that thought had come from.

"Are you all right, Cas?" she said, her voice full of concern, which surprised Castiel greatly. Then again, Amriel was not a soldier and was not as hardened by years of battle as he had been, so she was more prone to emotion than he had been as a soldier.

"I'm fine," he reassured her. "I'll see you once you return."

Amriel nodded and walked out the door, making her way toward the stores Castiel had told her about.