"Your assignment today—write me one body paragraph on the story we just read," announced the teacher. "You are allowed to use the example thesis, but I would prefer you write one of your own. C'mon, people, let's make General Zaroff proud and show him we're geniuses with pens! Let's get writing; there's only an hour to do it!"
I adored my English teacher. She was cute as a button. But writing hadn't been a friend of mine for about a year. I got out my pencil and a piece of lined paper and began to write. It was easy to spurt some random crap on a piece of paper about a man who hunts humans and how terribly wrong it was and how brave Rainsford had to be. I finished before everyone else leaving an entire class period to myself. I got out a notebook and began to doodle.
"Amy, why aren't you writing?" asked the teacher.
"Finished," I mumbled. I held up the paper and she took it from me. She took her time reading it.
"There isn't anything you would like to add?" she asked.
I shook my head no. the teacher sighed disappointedly and walked away.
As I drew random rose petals over my notebook, I heard the classroom door open.
"May I help yo—?"
The teacher was instantly cut off by the newcomer placing two fingers on her forehead. The teacher was instantly knocked out. The woman walked quickly around the room and stopped by my desk.
"Clear," she announced.
"Chotah?" I asked, remembering that she was an angel.
"You can see me?" she asked, slightly alarmed. I nodded. "He will not be happy…"
"Amy, you know her?" demanded Angie.
But at that moment the door opened a second time and three more angels walked in. Anna, a newcomer, and Castiel being dragged by them.
"Tell her!" Anna ordered forcefully.
"Tell me what?" I asked, standing up from my desk.
"He didn't want to tell you. Thought he could leave you out of the loop," Anna said angrily. "Her own mother!"
Castiel was staring down at his hands with shame, not wanting to say anything. I walked over to him and pressed a hand against his cheek. He looked up at me, sorrow and grief in his eyes.
"Is this about Claire?" I asked. He reluctantly nodded. "Castiel, you need to tell me."
He opened his mouth to speak, but failed at words. I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder which seemed to calm him a bit.
"A very powerful demon used some kind of incantation and was able to…kidnap Claire," he said slowly.
It took a moment for the shock to process. Then the fear and anger settled in. My comforting hand clawed deep into Castiel's shoulder as I struggled control.
"What are you going to do?" I demanded.
"We're doing whatever we can to get a definite location on her, then we will send our strongest warriors to bring her back to us."
"No," I hissed. "Castiel you listen to me. You are going to go out there yourself and find our daughter and bring her to me. If the angels themselves can't protect her, then her own mother will!"
Castiel resumed looking down with shame.
"They will obviously be searching for you now," Anna said. "Castiel will take you to your bodyguards who will protect you as well as take part in Claire's rescue."
Castiel reached up with two fingers and pressed them gently against my forehead. Everything around us disappeared with the sound of flapping wings and we suddenly appeared in a dingy motel room. There were two beds, each with a man resting on it. Empty pizza boxes and ice cream containers overflowed the sink and blood stained a good portion of the furniture. The two men were sound asleep, one of them curled into a tight ball and the other sprawled out with his jaw hanging open.
"These are my fearless warriors?" I whispered critically.
"They've had a hard few years," Castiel shrugged. "But we must be able to hide you from any unfriendly eyes…"
He placed a hand on my chest and I felt a burst of energy pass through me.
"What was that?" I asked.
"Something to protect you," he said. "I must go search for our child, but you will be safe with them as long as you don't mention about half the things I've told you."
"Are you going to tell me which half?" but Castiel had disappeared again.
I puffed out a stressed lungful of air, now left with two sleeping warriors and nothing to say to them. So I left the motel room. I planned to only walk to a grocery store and pick up some decent breakfast since school started too absurdly early for that. But I stopped when I saw the car. The Impala. Could it be? I popped open the hood and nearly shouted with joy. The real engine—not some prissy money saver. Peering through the windshield I saw fast food trash littering the backseat. Walking around the car I opened the trunk and lifted and extra board that revealed the armory.
I ran back into the motel room.
"You're the freaking WINCHESTERS!" I shouted. The boys jumped up, alerted, with guns in their hands.
They stumbled out of bed, reaching for something I couldn't see. The shorter of the two grabbed a spray bottle and began squirting it at me while the other pushed me onto a rug. When I didn't start screaming in pain, they stopped.
"What gives?" the shorter asked.
"You're Dean, aren't you?" I asked with a smile. He frowned. I looked to the taller one. "Sam!"
"How do you know who we are?" Sam asked.
"Castiel," I shrugged. They instantly relaxed and turned away from me to put their weapons back. "So, did you guys actually fight a bipolar teddy bear?"
Dean rolled his eyes at Sam.
"Um, not exactly fight," said Sam. "We didn't really do any fighting that day except with the Chinese restraint guy."
"Speak for yourself," Dean said.
"Right, you got beaten up by that little kid!" I giggled.
Dean frowned. "Tell Cas thanks for keeping our lives on the down low when he comes to pick you up."
"It might be a while," I sighed.
Sam and Dean shared a frown.
"How long is a while?" Sam asked.
"As long as it takes to get my daughter away from the demons," I said as the fear rekindled itself.
"No offense," Dean said roughly, "but why does Cas care about helping one little girl?"
"Because she's his daughter, too," I said.
Sam's jaw dropped and he laughed incredulously. Dean smiled and shook his head.
"Castiel—family man," he said. "Who knew?"
I smiled at the thought of Castiel being part of a family, but even more when a question came to mind. "Sam, did you really have to survive Becky?"
His eyes widened and he turned a shade paler.
"Oh, yeah," Dean said, slapping Sam on the back. "Those two were real tight."
"So…why don't you tell us more about your situation with Castiel," Sam said quickly.
I sighed and leaned back into a comfy chair.
"He manipulated me into his bed where he got me pregnant, brought me to heaven, and took my baby. The worst part was having to come home and pretend like nothing ever happened."
"How did he manipulate you?" Sam asked. Cas told me that he was the more sensitive of the two. I liked him better.
"He used angel speak instead of honest human English."
Dean froze and faced me.
"You can understand angel speak?"
"Yup. I was in heaven for six months; communication would have been hard if I couldn't."
"What is it?" Sam asked Dean.
"Cas told me that only a few special people can perceive his true visage," he said, almost bitterly. "He thought I was one of them and nearly screeched my ears off."
"It's a lot more graceful when you can really hear it," I said dreamily. "Very…addicting."
"Alright, so what are we supposed to do now?" Sam asked.
"I guess we just wait until Castiel either brings back my daughter or tell us how to find her," I sighed. "Either way, it's probably going to be a while."