AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the delay, guys! I've been busy with all the holiday stuff, you know? Hopefully, though, the length of this chapter will make up for the first one and for how long I made you all wait... I hope you enjoy this chapter! Feel free to give me feedback! EDIT NOTICE: I've added more description to Anna's perspective so it'll run more smoothly.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Castiel, Sam, Dean or any other characters mentioned from the show, Supernatural!
SAM AND DEAN'S PERSPECTIVE:
Sam and Dean arrived in Ohio after what seemed to be an eternity. Although they were both fatigued by their on-and-off driving shifts, they decided not to go straight to the motel as they promised Cas they would. Instead, they stopped by a quaint little diner to replenish their stomachs. At first, Sam was against the idea, as he could barely keep his eyes open, but he gave in after a while of attempting to ignore Dean's non-stop complaining.
As soon as a hostess sat them down, Dean's eyes were glued to the menu.
"Ooh. Premium burgers?" Dean raised an eyebrow, his face lighting up like a child in a candy store. "Me likey."
"Breakfast menu, Dean." Sam prompted.
Frowning, Dean did as Sam said and continued to read over the menu. He grinned as he spotted the breakfast burger. "This works."
Sam rolled his eyes, distantly looking over the menu until he finally decided to get a small salad, as his appetite was not nearly as large as his brother's was.
"Hello. I'm Anastasia and I'll be your server today." A woman's voice interrupted the brothers and they both glanced up at her. "Wh- what can I get for you?"
It took Sam and Dean a while to realize the quirk of fate. The waitress' name was Anastasia, and they were in Ohio. While it wasn't necessarily her, it caught the attention of both men and—with wide eyes—they exchanged glances.
"I'm sorry, is there something wrong?"
"Are you Anastasia Roque?" They asked in unison without thinking about it first.
"Yes… Why do you ask?" She replied. The trepidation in her voice was clear.
Upon hearing her response, Sam and Dean looked at each other once more. They seemed to be thinking the same thing; who was going to tell her? The two of them exchanged several glances until it was determined that Sam would tell her.
"We are your brothers." Sam spoke, his voice calm. Dean nodded in the background. Both of their faces were dead serious.
ANASTASIA'S PERSPECTIVE:
"What?" Anastasia nearly fell backwards because of the man's words. How could they possibly be her brothers? She was an only child. "You're lying." Anna chuckled nervously to cover up her bewilderment. She swiftly turned to leave the table, but as she did, a hand wrapped around her wrist. This stopped her. "What are you doing?" She demanded as she glared at the men.
"You have to believe us, Anna."
"Don't call me that."
"Okay… You have to believe us, Anastasia." The longer-haired man corrected himself.
"Why?"
"Because we're here to protect you." The other man retorted.
"Protect me?" Anna scoffed.
"Yes." The men said in unison.
"You're both crazy. I'm done here." She said as she quickly turned on her heels and escaped the men before either of them could grab her again.
Instead of taking her break, Anna made her way into her boss's office, ready to demand that someone else take the two men's orders. When she stepped in though, her boss, Clarke, greeted her with a sinister smile that put the fear of God into her. She quickly turned to leave, assuming that the man was playing a prank, which she certainly was not in the mood for. However, before she could exit, the door slammed shut.
"What the...?" She muttered as she slowly turned to face the man.
"You're not going anywhere."
"What do you mean?" Anna raised her voice. This day was not going well for her so far.
"I mean… You're not leaving this room alive." Clarke retorted and as he did so, his eyes turned pitch-black. The sinister smile returned, as well. He then advanced towards her, his arms at his sides. "You should have listened to your brothers." He paused and continued to get closer to her. "Though I'm kind of glad you didn't. It makes my job a hell of a lot easier."
"Wha-what?" She was frozen with fear. As much as she wanted to run out of the room, she couldn't. It was as if her feet were glued to the floor. "You're going to k-kill me? Why?" Anna clenched her jaw, knowing that she would not like the answer.
"Because you're the only one that can kill my boss, and he doesn't like that." He paused and stepped closer to her. "He wants you dead. Simple as that."
"I'm not going to kill anyone. What are you talking about?" Anna moved backwards.
"It doesn't matter anymore, because in just a moment, you will be dead and won't have to worry about any of that." Clarke said as he approached her. He slowly raised his arms from his sides, exposing the blade he held in his right hand. When he was close enough to her, he slashed outwards and grazed her arm. Anastasia couldn't help but let out a loud shriek. She tried to push the man away, but he blocked her and continued to approach until she was pinned against a wall. It was then that he raised his blade and positioned the tip of it over her heart, gradully pushing inwards.
"Get away from her!" A deep, burly voice interrupted Anna's agonizing screams. Clarke abruptly snapped his head in the direction the voice came from. His eyes widened as he saw who was standing before them. Curious, Anastasia turned her head as well and was shocked by who she saw. The men that claimed to be her brothers.
"Dammit, Winchesters!" Clarke exclaimed furiously as he charged towards the men.
Instead of running from the man, the older man pulled a knife out of his jacket pocket and held it in front of him. Clarke, apparently, didn't see the blade and ran straight into it. A flash of orange light spread throughout his body as this happened. Anna's eyes widened and she wanted to run far away from the two men, but she couldn't. She was frozen with fear. Again.
"There will be more like him. I suggest you come with us if you don't want to die."
"How do I know you're not like him?" Anna protested.
"You see this knife? If we were demons, like him, and we were to cut ourselves with it… It would basically burn our skin." The man with the longer hair spoke up, nudging the other man who held the knife. He then rolled his sleeve up and slid the blade across his skin. It didn't sizzle. The first man did the same thing, thus proving to her that they weren't 'demons'.
"Al—alright." Anna hesitantly agreed to go with the men.
She followed them out of the restaurant and into the parking lot, where they stopped in front of a 1967 Chevrolet Impala. The two men led her into the back seat of the car and made sure she was comfortable. They then drove off into an unknown direction.
After a brief silent stretch, Anna cleared her throat. "Thank you for saving me back there…" She forced herself to say.
"It's no problem. We do it all the time."
"What do you mean?" Anna raised an eyebrow.
"It's kind of our job. We hunt and kill supernatural creatures."
"That's… not normal." She was not not sure how else to reply.
"It isn't. But we've saved a lot of lives and that makes it worth it."
"Ah," Anna nodded. "I see." She then cleared her throat and sat forward. "So… I, uh, didn't catch your names."
"Oh. Right. I'm Sam and this is Dean." He pointed to the man driving the car.
"And… you're my brothers?" Anna asked as her eyebrows rose.
"Yes." Dean replied hastily. It seemed as though he put no thought into his response.
"What makes you so sure?"
"A friend of ours told us." Sam spoke up.
"Oh? And how exactly does your friend know this?"
"He… did some research." Sam replied suspiciously.
"Really? What's his name? Is it someone I would know?" Anna asked as she raised both eyebrows.
"His name is Castiel. You don't know him." Dean interjected.
"Castiel? Who names their son Castiel?" Anna scoffed. "And how would he know anything about me?"
A few moments passed and neither man bothered said anything. They traded glances, though. But because Anastasia was behind them, she couldn't read their expressions and had no idea what it was that they were thinking.
"You wouldn't believe us if we told you." Sam replied after a few moments.
"I believed the demon thing, didn't I?" Anna began. "What makes you think I won't believe what you have to say now?"
"Trust me, you won't… To tell you the truth, I didn't either. And that says a lot coming from me." Dean answered honestly.
"Oh yeah? Try me." Anna crossed her arms.
"Fine." Dean said before sighing. "Castiel… He's an angel."
Upon hearing these words, Anna held in a chuckle, as she knew that Dean was serious. "Okay. So… you two are friends with an angel." Anna continued to hold her laughter. "That's perfectly believable." She responded mockingly, letting her laughter out afterwards.
"See? What did I tell you?" Dean replied, irritated.
"I'm sorry… But really? You expect me to believe that angels exist and that you're friends with one?"
"Hey, we told you that you wouldn't believe us."
"Yeah, but I didn't think you'd try to pull something as ridiculous as having an angel friend! I mean, come on!" Anna truthfully replied.
Sam and Dean exchanged glances once more.
"Alright. Whatever. Believe what you want…" Dean spoke up. "Just try to relax until we get to the motel, okay? It'll be a few hours."
Anastasia did as the man asked without another word.
She had started to fall asleep when Dean pulled into a motel parking lot. Once the car was parked, he turned his head to look at her. "You awake?"
"I am now."
"Good. We're here." Sam told her.
"Okay…" She mumbled as she sat up straight and unbuckled her seat belt.
"You can go right ahead. Room 102. We'll be in soon." Dean informed her as he handed her the key.
Anna nodded and, after taking the keys in her hand, she exited the car and advanced towards the door with the clear '102' on it. She felt intimidated as she grew closer to it, though she couldn't figure out why. When she was just inches from the door, she slowly pushed the key into the lock and turned it cautiously. She opened the door just as slowly, as she feared someone would already be in the room.
Ironically, there was someone in the room, but he didn't seem at all intimidating with the friendly smile he was giving. He stood straight and unmoving, as if he were a statue. In truth, Anna would have believed he was one if not for his drastic change of expression. His once happy, welcoming smile turned into a grimace and his neatly angled brows furrowed in confusion. The way his shockingly blue eyes intently stared made her body stiffen. It was as though he was looking deeply into her soul, as opposed to just looking at her.
Despite the fact that the man was a complete stranger, she felt as though she had seen him somewhere. It was a feeling similar to the one she acquired when she first met Sam and Dean…
After a moment, it came to her - why he seemed so familiar; he was in Eden's painting as well. He was in the center of it, between her brothers. Anna found it strange that all three men from the painting turned out to be real people and that Eden allegedly dreamed of them.
"Oh. I'm sorry. I think I might have the wrong room..." Anna said after a while of just staring at the man. She quickly turned to walk out of the room, trying to cover up the shock that she was feeling. She knew, however, that she didn't do a very good job of it, as her feet refused to step out of the door.
"Are you Anastasia?"
Anna's eyes widened. She wasn't expecting the man to say anything, so his deep, powerful voice surprised the hell out of her. "Yes… And you are?"
CASTIEL'S PERSPECTIVE:
Castiel sat alone in the motel room that he booked for the Winchesters. He was concerned, as Sam and Dean were late in arriving. Usually, if something went wrong, they'd let him know. However, though it seemed that something was, indeed, wrong, Castiel heard nothing from the brothers.
Just as he began to consider calling Dean, he heard the faint, yet familiar, sound of the Impala's engine. A small smile was brought to the angel's lips. He knew that they were safe, at the least.
Cas waited patiently for the men to enter the room, so he could discuss the location of their sister, Anastasia. His smile grew wider as the door gradually opened, but the person who stepped into the room was not who he expected. Instead of Sam or Dean, a slender woman with lengthy chocolate brown hair, beautiful fair skin, and ever so familiar blue-green eyes entered. This caused his smile to fade.
"Oh. I'm sorry. I think I might have the wrong room…" Shocked, the woman apologized and turned to leave.
"Are you Anastasia?" Castiel inquired before she could leave.
The woman turned to face him. "Yes… And you are?"
"Castiel."
"You're Castiel? The supposed 'angel' that told Sam and Dean that I was their sister?"
"Yes." He nodded proudly, giving the girl a slight smile.
"Right… Well, the guys told me that they'd be right in." Anastasia informed him.
Castiel nodded and made his way to the window, which overlooked the parking lot. There, he saw Sam and Dean having an argument. What, exactly, they were arguing about, he was unsure. Though he knew it had something to do with Anastasia's presence.
With a sigh, he turned back to face the girl, who was still standing and looking around the room.
"Anastasia?"
"Call me Anna." She stated kindly.
Cas nodded. "How did you meet Sam and Dean?"
"Well, it started off with me being their waitress." Anna started, taking a step closer to the man. "Then… they saved my life by killing a demon before it could kill me. I'm still a bit overwhelmed, actually."
"I understand how you feel." Castiel's voice was reassuring. "And just so you know, this is the safest place you can be now. Your brothers have hunted for a long time; they know how to protect you."
"What about you?" Anna asked coolly.
"What do you mean?"
"Can you protect me? Am I safe with you? Or just Sam and Dean?"
Castiel chuckled lightly. "Yes. I, can, and will, protect you."
"Right… Because you're an angel?" Anna joked, letting out a light, cynical, laugh.
"Exactly…" Castiel responded tentatively and raised an eyebrow. He knew that, just like Dean when they first met, she had a hard time believing that he was an angel, though he couldn't blame her. With all the bad things that have happened recently, not many people believe in the concept of a 'God', let alone Angels.
Before Anastasia could reply, Sam and Dean entered the room. It seemed that they worked out whatever it was they were arguing about – or, they at least dropped it for the time being. Castiel bowed his head towards both men, acknowledging their presence.
"Hey, Cas." Dean spoke nonchalantly as he entered the room.
"Hey." Sam voiced soon after, waving at the two.
The brothers made their way over to their beds, setting down the bags that they carried inside. Dean rooted through his bag and pulled out the knife he stabbed Clarke with. He then turned to Anna and extended the blade—handle side—towards her.
"Here. I want you to keep this with you at all time… Just in case."
"Thanks." Anastasia replied, grasping it in her hands. Fascinated, she then began to look at the markings on either side of the blade.
"So, Cas? Any word on Dmitri?" Sam questioned after a moment.
"Nothing so far, though I assure you he knows you're here. That's why the demon attacked Anna so soon after you two entered the diner." The angel answered straightaway.
"Do you think he'll send more after her?" Sam asked.
"Most definitely."
"Great." Sam mumbled scathingly.
Cas shrugged and took a seat in one of the chairs beside Sam's bed. He then remained silent as Anastasia, Sam and Dean began speaking about their past, since he had nothing to share about himself.
After about an hour, Castiel began to hear faint screaming. At first, he assumed that it was coming from a neighboring room, but the screaming grew louder and harsher until it sounded like it was in the room. He stood and examined the room. Nothing was out of the ordinary.
It was then that he heard his name and a plea for help. He immediately recognized the voice; Kevin Tran, the keeper of the word of God.
"Cas, what is it?" Dean asked nervously, making his way over to him.
"It's Kevin. He's in trouble." Castiel replied before disappearing from the room.
ANASTASIA'S PERSPECTIVE
Anna was actually starting to warm up to her brothers. Sam told her about his fiancé, Jessica, and about the first hunting job they ever did. Dean told her about her father; what he looked like, how he acted, how good he was at hunting, and even how he died. She only wished she had interesting stories to share with them in return, but her life was average.
The three of them talked for about an hour. It was then that they noticed something troubling Castiel. He was looked all around the room, but didn't seem to find what bothered him.
"Cas, what is it?" Dean asked the man. He was worried as well.
"It's Kevin. He's in trouble." Castiel replied and, seconds after, disappeared from the room.
Anna gasped. "Where—where did he go?"
"To find Kevin, most likely." Sam answered casually, almost too casually.
"Does he do that often?" Anna asked. "Disappear?"
"Unfortunately, yes. But you'll get used to it." Sam reassured her.
"No. I don't think I will." Anna sighed. "It's too freaky."
Dean glanced at Anna and shrugged. "Whatever you say..."
"But I believe you now… That he's an angel." She gave them a slight smirk.
"We knew you would at some point." Sam smiled back.
A few moments of silence passed before the girl spoke up once again. "Who's Kevin?" Anna asked the men.
Just as they were about to answer, Castiel reappeared in the center of the room. He was supporting a bloody, unconscious body in one arm. Because of the blood covering his face, she couldn't exactly see what he looked like, though he was small in comparison to Sam and Dean.
"This... This is Kevin." Dean said as he approached Castiel and helped lay the man on the nearest bed.
"Oh my god! What happened to him?" Anna squealed, as the amount of blood was overwhelming.
"He'll have to tell us when he wakes up." Castiel shrugged.
"You mean if he wakes up! Are you sure he's still alive?" Anna remarked as she stepped closer to the unconscious man.
"Don't worry, he's alive. He's just a big baby when it comes to blood." Dean assured her. "But I do think he could use some stitches." He looked in Anna's direction and then back at Kevin. "Do you think you could do it?"
"Uh…" Anna started, hesitant. "I've never actually given someone stitches before."
"That's okay. Can you do a running cross-stitch and finish it with an embroidery knot?" Sam asked her.
"I think so." Anna replied after thinking for a moment.
"Then you should be fine." Dean concluded before tossing her the first aid kit. "There's plenty of thread and a surgical needle in there."
"Okay…" Anna paused to think about what supplies she would need. "Then I need a bowl of warm water and a pair of scissors."
Seconds later, Castiel loomed towards her with a bowl of water in one hand and the scissors in the other. "Thanks." She said as she took both items in her hands and set them down beside Kevin. She then made her way to the bathroom, washed her hands and collected a wash-cloth to clean off any excess blood on Kevin's face and chest.
"Sam and I are going out for a little bit. Call us if you need anything." Dean called from the other room.
"Where are you going?" Anna asked as she exited the bathroom and sat beside Kevin's unconscious body.
"Sam's booking another room and I'm getting food... What do you want?"
"Nothing. Thanks, though." She replied with a shrug and a smile.
"Suit yourself." Dean shook his head as he and Sam made their way out the door, leaving Anna and Castiel alone with the bleeding and barely alive Kevin.
"Here I go…" Anna mumbled to herself as she cut away the man's shirt from his chest and then dipped the washcloth in the water. She then began to wipe the blood away from his face and chest until she could clearly make out his features. 'He's kind of… attractive…' She thought to herself as she began suturing his chest.
It didn't take Anna long to get the hang of stitching, and she soon forgot about all the blood. She was calm and focused on the task at hand – for once.
That is, until Kevin woke up.
KEVIN'S PERSPECTIVE:
All he could do was run. It was too dark for him to find a hiding spot. He knew that someone—or something for that matter—was chasing him. Once the overpowering smell of sulfur became evident, he knew what it was that was chasing him; it was a group of demons. Although he couldn't actually see it, he knew that their ominous black smoke quickly filled the room. He tried his best to breathe only through his nose, but he found that it was extremely hard to do while running for your life.
Hours seemed to pass before Kevin came to a dead-end. His body crashed against a wall with immense pressure, though that was the least of his worries. He wanted to find an exit. However, looking around, he saw no light. It was as if he was in a giant metal box filled with demons. He was trapped. Soon after Kevin came to this realization, the smoke began to enclose him and fill his lungs – no matter how much he tried to avoid it.
As if that wasn't bad enough, the man suddenly felt a sharp, burning sensation on his arms. He didn't have to see anything to know what was happening; lacerations began to form on his arms, slowly trailing down to his wrists. The feeling was oddly familiar to him, as Crowley often used a similar method when he used to torture Kevin.
Kevin tried to cry for help, but the only sound that came out was a high-pitched squeak. This seemed to encourage the demons, as the lacerations became increasingly deep.
"H-help!" He managed to choke out after several seconds. "Castiel, help me!" Kevin called again, now desperate. It was not like him to ask the angel for help unless the situation was dire, as it was now.
When nothing happened, the demons became more infuriated and they began to slice his chest and legs. The pain was excruciating and the man let out a shrill scream. Just then, however, a blinding white light filled the dark, shadowy room. For a split second, Kevin could see every inch of the room, including the familiar silhouette of the trench-coated angel.
After the light faded, the slashing ceased and the smell of sulfur faded away. He and Castiel were the only two in the room. "Thank you." Kevin said before he began to fade into unconsciousness.
Kevin slowly opened his eyes, only to see an unfamiliar woman sitting over him. Startled, he sat up rapidly, only to be gently pushed back down.
"Whoa there! Lay back down until I'm finished with these stitches." The woman cooed before she went back to stitching up his chest.
"Who… who are you?" Kevin questioned with a weak, raspy voice.
"I'm Anastasia. Sam and Dean's sister."
"I, uh, didn't know they had a sister."
"Well, up until today, neither did they." She chuckled airily, obviously attempting to lighten the mood.
"Where are they?" Kevin asked, turning his head to either side to look for them. The only other person he saw was Castiel.
"Sam is booking a second room and Dean is getting food. They'll be back soon." Castiel interposed.
"Who's the extra room for?"
"We're not exactly sure yet." Anastasia answered with a small smile.
"Kevin? Do you remember what exactly happened back there?" Castiel asked after making his way to the boy's bedside.
Kevin nodded. "I had a lead on Dmitri, so I started following him around. But the next thing I know, I wake up in a pitch-black room, and I'm being chased by demons." He let out a pained sigh. "I have no idea why, though."
"Dmitri sent those demons to kill you, Kevin. You were on his trail and he got nervous." Cas explained rashly.
"Wait… Who's Dmitri?" Anastasia asked curiously. Kevin was amazed that she didn't know who the demon was already.
"He's a demon. Though he's not like the one that attacked you. He's stronger, smarter, older, and far more blood-thirsty." Castiel replied summarily.
"The demon that attacked me… He said that I was the only one that can kill his 'boss'. He was talking about Dmitri, wasn't he?"
Castiel nodded gently.
"Why am I the only one that can kill him?" Anastasia asked. It was clear to Kevin how scared she was, as her eyes widened and her hands suddenly became shaky.
"I'm not sure." Castiel answered as he looked to the ground. It seemed that he was ashamed of his lack of knowledge on the situation.
"That's great. Even the angel has no clue what's going on!" Anastasia exclaimed uneasily.
Kevin let out a sigh as he looked at the girl. "It's okay. We'll figure things out." He tried his best to comfort her, though he was just as—if not more—freaked out as she was.
Anastasia didn't say anything for a while as she continued stitching up Kevin's chest. After about ten minutes, she raised her head, tears falling down her cheeks. "There. I'm all done." She took a shaky breath and stood. "Now, if you'll excuse me… I'm going to take a long, hot shower." Before anyone could reply, she rushed into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
"She handled that well…" Kevin said after a while, as he sat up on the bed.
Castiel said nothing, of course. He and Kevin haven't ever had a real conversation – just small talk, really. For that reason, the boy was convinced that Castiel didn't like him very much.
"Right. Good talk, Cas." Kevin mumbled before turning his attention to the two people who were entering the room. "Dean… Sam." He greeted them coolly.
"Look who's awake and all stitched up!" Dean waved to the boy as he looked around the room. "Where's Anna?"
"In the shower." Kevin answered.
"Okay. Well, I got you a salad. Eat it whenever." Dean told the boy as he set the bag of food on the counter. He then made his way across the room before swiftly turning back towards Kevin. "Oh, Sam and I just discussed it and you two will be sharing this room. Anna and I are sleeping next door."
"Okay. Thanks." Kevin managed a small smile. "And that's fine with me."
Dean nodded, walked to the bathroom door and knocked.
"Yes?" The girl sounded from the other side.
"I brought you some clean clothes." He informed the girl as he slowly opened the door and handed her the clothing. "I didn't know your size, so I hope they fit."
"Thanks." She replied.
"Yeah." Dean said as he closed the door. He then turned to Kevin. "You should clean yourself up." The man paused so he could gather a shirt and pair of pants for the boy. "Go next door and use the shower in that bathroom."
"Try not to get your bandages too wet." Sam directed with a mouthful of food.
Kevin nodded, grabbed the clothes, and made his way to the room next door.
When he returned to the room, Kevin saw the girl, Anastasia, sitting and conversing with Sam and Dean. They two of them seemed, for the most part, pleased to have at least one family member that was alive. He couldn't blame them, either. If it weren't for his mother, he would be insane by now. It's because of her that he allows himself to wake up every morning and risk getting killed by demons.
"I'm back." He announced when there was a pause in the conversation.
"Hey." Anastasia called to him in response with a small wave.
It was then that he noticed the growing red blotch on her shirt; she was bleeding. "Are you okay?" He asked, suddenly concerned.
Anastasia didn't seem to know what he was talking about until she looked down at the stain herself. "Shit! I forgot all about this one!" She exclaimed before rushing to the first aid kit. He watched as she applied medicine to the wound and then as she bandaged it with tape and a non-stick gauze pad. After doing so, she looked up at him with an appreciative expression. "Thank you."
"Any time." Kevin replied, smiling back at the girl. "Oh, uh, thanks for stitching me up. You did a good job."
"You're welcome." Anna intoned; her face brightened proudly. She made her way back to where Dean and Sam were.
Kevin followed cautiously and took a seat in a chair beside Castiel. "So… what do we do now?"
"We go to sleep. It's late." Sam answered straightforwardly.
"But I…" Kevin stopped himself after seeing the fatigue in the man's face. "Okay." He replied before he stood and approached the bed he had lain on earlier.
"Come on, Anna." Dean motioned for the girl to follow him. She didn't hesitate to do so.
"Goodnight." Anastasia called to the room as she exited.
"Goodnight." Kevin called softly as he carefully climbed into the surprisingly cozy motel bed. He closed his eyes, thought of his happy place and eventually drifted into unconsciousness once again, wondering what surprises he would have to face in the future.