Chapter Three

A/N I only own Esther. I do not own the show or the characters or any song mentioned. I am also writing this for fun and am not being paid. Sorry it took so long to update, life just gets in the way sometimes! I'll try to update soon!

Castiel looked down to see his fingertips were red from a burn, but he quickly used his grace to heal it. "She... she burned me?" He looked back down to the girl on the bed.

"What does that mean?" Sam asked.

"I've only seen this once before." Cas looked toward the brothers. "I don't know how she got it."

"Got what, Cas?" Dean yelled impatiently.

"It's an angel virus. I think she was fighting against an angel. But... I've only heard of angels getting this virus." Castiel said very confused. The brothers stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue. "Angels can only get this virus when stabbed with an angel blade covered in a witch's blood."

Dean looks to Cas worriedly, "What happens when angels get it?"

Cas looks down before answering hesitantly, "They die..."

"Estheriel! How's little Cassie doing?" Gabriel said as he entered Estheriel's nest.

"He's doing great, Gabe! He's growing up so fast!"

Gabriel looked down and ran a hand down the back of his neck. "Yeah... um... listen... Estheriel...um... it's time..."

Estheriel's felt her heart crush. "No.. no no no... not yet... he's still too young... please Gabriel... please..." Estheriel pleaded with the archangel.

Castiel suddenly appeared in the room. "Esther? What's wrong?" When he saw Gabriel, he quickly got on one knee and bowed his head. "Archangel Gabriel. It is an honor."

Gabriel looked at Castiel and then to Estheriel. "I'm sorry, Estheriel. You knew this was coming."

Estheriel fell down to her knees and begged to Gabriel, "Please! He's too young! Please!"

Gabriel saw the tears starting to pour from Estheriel's eyes. He knew it was too early, but Michael needed all the angels for the battle against Lucifer. Gabriel laid a hand on her shoukder, send a warmth through her, just like when she first laid eyes on Castiel. "I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry." Gabriel walked passed Estheriel and said to Castiel. "Castiel, please stand." Castiel stood with his head still bowed. "It is time for you to become the great warrior you were meant to be. Michael needs you in his army. You must come with me after I speak with Estheriel. Go pack some things." And with that, Castiel left to go to his room.

Estheriel stood up and wiped the tears from her face. "What is my next assignment, Archangel Gabriel?" Estheriel said with her head bowed.

Gabriel flinched at the use of his full title. "Castiel will eventually meet two humans. It is your job to befriend them and make sure they will keep Castiel safe before he meets them. Their names are Sam and Dean Winchester. You will not have any connection to the Host while on this assignment. When you think they are ready, you must leave them. Castiel will meet them shortly after you leave. You must protect them and teach them."

"What if I don't accept?" Estheriel mumbled.

"This is an order from Father. You must accept or you will have to speak with Naomi."

Castiel came back with a small bag of clothes. "I'm ready, Gabriel!" He smiled.

Gabriel looked at the young angel. He really was too young, but Michael needed him. "Alright. Say goodbye to Estheriel."

Castiel stood there, shocked. "Wait... goodbye? Will... will I ever see her again?"

Gabriel sighed. "I'm sorry. You are not old enough to become a soldier, so Michael must first send you to Naomi so you can... age."

Estheriel was shocked. "No... no no no no! You can't do that to him!"

"Who's Naomi?" Castiel said innocently and tilted his head to the side.

Gabriel and Estheriel shared a look, neither wanting to tell the young angel that he would soon forget everything about his guardian. Gabriel was first to speak. "I'm sorry, but Naomi must make you older so you can fight, but she must take something from you, your memories of Estheriel."

"No! No! I refuse! I will not go with you!" Castiel screamed.

"If you refuse I will have to take you by force." Gabriel warned.

"I refuse!" Castiel screamed again. "I will not forget Esther!"

Gabriel sighed and snapped his fingers and four other angels were in the room. Three grabbed the squirming Castiel and one grabbed Estheriel. Estheriel tried to escape the angels grasp, but it was no use.

"Castiel! No! Please, Father, no! Please!" Estheriel cried.

"Esther! Esther!" Castiel yelled as he, Gabriel, and the four other angels flew away.

"Castiel! Cassie... Cassie!"

"Esther!" A voice called.

"Cassie!"

"Esther! Essie, wake up!" Esther rose with a start. She looked around and saw Sam, Dean, and... is that...

"Castiel?" She panted. Castiel tensed and Sam and Dean looked at each other. Without speaking, they decided to talk about it with her later. Esther was shivering and panting. "Where... where am I?" She asked Dean.

"You're in a motel. One of your stab wounds got infected and you had a fever, so we took you here. You were having a nightmare and we had to wake you up." Dean explains.

Esther looked around and noticed it was bright out. "How long have I been out?"

"Three days," Sam says. He goes toward the kitchenette and brings back a bag of food. "We thought you would be hungry when you woke."

Sam handed Esther the bag and she opened it up to reveal a burger and fries from the local McDonalds. "Thank you!" She said as she starts to open the burger.

Dean hands her a glass of water. "Here, you need to stay hydrated too."

Esther nodded her head and drank the whole glass in one gulp. Sam filled it back up as she finished the burger. "It's been a long time since I've had some real food. Thank you!"

Dean cringed at that comment. When they found her, she was skinner than last time they saw her and she had no money and very few items.

Sam pulls out the thermometer, "We need to check your temperature." She nods her head and Sam puts the thermometer in her ear. After he heard the beep, he pulled it out of her ear and read the little screen.

Sam smiled. "101.3. Thank God your fever broke. You should get some rest though."

"Yes, nurse Sam!" Esther teased. She laid back down and once her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light.

Sam, Dean, and Cas sat at the little table in the little kitchenette.

"How did she know your name, Cas? Did you tell her when you met her?" Dean asked.

"No. We didn't speak. I've never seen her before." Castiel looked toward the bed at the mysterious girl.

"Maybe we told her about him?" Dean asked Sam.

"Dean, we have never mentioned Cas. We never told her about angels." Sam stated.

There was an awkward silence for a moment, until Sam spoke again. "Cas, have you learned anything else about this angel virus in the past three days?"

"Nothing I didn't already know." Castiel turned to look back at the brothers. "Once an angel has this angel virus, no other angel can touch them without burning their fingers off. That's why whenever an angel gets it, they die. No one can help them. It's a very painful and slow death. I've never seen a human get it. I suppose that since you two were able to help her, that is why she is not dead."

The three sat their quietly, each one deep in their own thoughts. Each with the same question: How she did know Castiel's name? Castiel stood up to go look at Esther. When he got there, he noticed something around her neck. It was a necklace. It was very simple, just one little wing, but it was very beautiful. It was silver and smooth. It looked like an... angel wing? Castiel reached down to touch it. It felt very familiar in his hand.

Dean walked over to Esther and Castiel and noticed him holding her necklace. "Whoa, Cas. You better not touch that. She's very protective of her necklace. She never lets anyone take it off or touch it."

Cas lets go of the necklace and looks toward Dean. "Dean, this necklace is made out of the same silver of an angel blade."