I'll Be Courageous if You Can Pretend
Toby started pacing his room in the hopes that he could work off some of his nervous energy. Castiel had been annoyingly vague each time that that Toby had asked how long it would take the angel to find his Mum because he had only inferred that it shouldn't take him too long… Hopefully… Because unlike Dean and Sam, there was nothing (that he was aware of) that would be concealing her presence from him.
Toby checked his bedside clock yet again to see how long he had been waiting… Four hours… Four long hours since the angel had last been in his room and all that had come out of it was that Toby had to get ready for bed. If he didn't get ready now then he ran the risk of sleeping in… Again and then he would have to rush to get ready in the morning so that he would get to school on time.
There was a soft rustling sound that met Toby as he re-entered his room after brushing his teeth, so he closed his door as quickly as he could. He still hadn't told his parents about what had happened, so he didn't want to risk either of them seeing or hearing the angel.
Castiel placed the black bomber jacket in his hand on the foot of Toby's bed and sat on the storage chest that ran the width of the bed.
"So? Did you find anything?" The teen asked excitedly, trying to keep his tone as hushed as possible.
"Yes, I did," The angel answered solemnly. "But I was not able to find Adelaide. This jacket led me to her Grandfather, Tobias Jones."
"Tob… Whoa! You found her Poppy? Huh… Weird."
"Actually, it is not that surprising that the bomber jacket led me to him because he was the original owner of the jacket," Castiel explained calmly. "Would you have another item in your possession that belonged to Adelaide?"
Toby nodded then walked over to his desk and pulled out a colorful tin that looked like a candy tin and not something of use for an angel of the Lord.
Before Castiel could question its utility, Toby pulled out a delicate white gold chain saying, "After Mum and Dad rescued me, back when I was kidnapped by that demon and vampire… I noticed that Mum wouldn't take this off… At least not until she bought her Saint Hubert medallion."
Castiel carefully claimed the white gold Celtic cross necklace and turned away as if he was going to disappear again. He looked down at the pendant in his hand pensively before turning back to the younger male. Castiel then held the necklace out by the chain to pass it back to Toby who took it back while giving Castiel a questioning look.
The angel could hear the human's unstated question, so he answered out loud, "I'm sorry, but that would have only led me to the soul of Victoria Jones. She was the original proprietor of that piece of jewelry. What I require is something that belonged to Adelaide."
"But she wore both of them ALL the time," Toby countered with a slightly confused whine in his voice.
Castiel watched as Toby carefully placed the necklace back into the candy tin while trying to find another way to explain everything to him.
"Tobias, what I require to help you find her is an item that originally belonged to Adelaide. The jacket and necklace are articles that she inherited from her Grandfather and Mother. Do you understand what I mean?"
The young male nodded while stroking the medallion he was wearing with his thumb. He looked up and caught the angel watching him with an expectant eye then quickly interjected, "Oh no… No, Cas, this one's mine…" His eyes darted the tin on his desk before he clarified, "Hers is… Umm… In a safe place."
"Alright, I could go to her house and look for an item there… Unless you do have something here."
Castiel followed Toby's gaze to his bed as he asked, "Tobias, do you have another item of hers that could aide me?"
Toby nodded but didn't budge from his spot eliciting a more severe and somewhat exasperated, "Tobias?" from Castiel which seemed to break the teen out of his trance.
"Okay," Toby replied sounding annoyed as he walked over to his pillow. "But if I give this to you, you HAVE to promise that you'll give it back to me in the EXACT same condition."
The angel nodded and started to take the silver bladed knife with a rosewood handle. When he didn't get a verbal affirmation, Toby pulled the knife away from Castiel's outstretched hand. Castiel's eyes shot up to Toby's face, but the questioning scowl did not faze the human.
Instead, Toby's eyes narrowed as he said, "I'm serious Cas. It's… I… It has…" Suddenly he lost his words, but he wanted confirmation that he would be getting the knife back so he tried again, "It's just that it reminds me of both of them because Dad had it made just for her… So… Please, please assure me that you'll bring it back as is, please?"
Castiel nodded and took the knife vowing, "After my search is complete, I promise that I will return this knife to you in the same condition that I have received it."
He then turned and took a couple of steps away from Toby. Before he disappeared, he looked over his shoulder and commented in a slightly humorous tone, "Although, I don't believe that cloning her would ease your feelings of loss."
Toby stared at him wide eyed and mumbled, "How'd you know?"
Castiel offered a soft amused smile, but disappeared without saying another word.
I pushed myself up from the pile of rubbish I had been thrown into, very slowly while I tried to make sure I didn't hurt myself any worse than it already had. Once I was standing, I momentarily forgot that I needed to remain on high alert while I brushed off some debris from my jeans. I then stretched slightly to check the extent of the damage that my body may have incurred and was thankfully not met with much pain.
"Come on Addy, it'll be fun," I grumbled to myself, mocking the words my Mum had used to talk me into joining her on this hunt. I started to rummage through the pile from which I had just extracted myself to find my shotgun as I continued in a quieter tone, "It's just a vengeful spirit Addy… Won't take us long at all… You won't even have to miss any school… Fuck! Where…? Aha! There you are!"
Almost just as soon as I had straightened myself up with my gun in hand, I was smacked, full force in the back with a two by four. Although I was temporarily winded, I managed to stay on my feet and retained a tight grip on my shotgun somehow.
"Okay, now you're just pissing me off!" I nearly shouted as I turned to face my attacker. "Coward! So, you only show yourself when I have my back turned to you? You… You… Fucking pussy!"
Yeah… Screaming at the angry ghost, that's a brilliant idea Addy, I rebuked myself as I ducked a hammer that came flying off a work bench. Come on… Come on… Where are you? I taunted in my head as I moved around the room.
The sound of a band saw starting up behind me froze me to my place for about a second. I then quickly pivoted around with my shot gun ready to fire, but was met with only open air. I slowly approached the saw and kicked at the power cord, hoping that it would stop the ear-splitting noise. Once the plug hit the ground, I stared at the blade, not the least bit surprised that it continued to rotate at a lightning speed.
As I stood staring at the saw, I silently hoped that the spirit would show itself and I nearly missed the two by four coming down on my forearms from my right side. By the time it came into view, I barely had a chance to drop my shot gun, which softened the blow slightly… Well not really.
The six foot, burly carpenter then materialized behind me and pushed me forward. I manage to get a grip on the metal edge of the lower saw guide and tried, with all my might, to push myself away from the blade.
"Addy! I can't find it!" My Mum shouted from the open shop door behind me. "ADDY!"
"Tool… Box!" I cried out through clenched teeth as I continued to struggle against the supernatural strength of our latest target.
Mum hesitated and raised her shotgun a couple of time, trying desperately to line up a shot where my back wouldn't be filled with rock salt if she shot at the spirit.
"MUM! TOOL BOX!" I shouted at the top of my lungs when I felt my arms starting to crumble under my weight.
She finally moved and ran to the workbench where she was confronted with five toolboxes of various sizes and colors. She looked back at me to ask "Which one?", but thought differently when she saw me still struggling against the ghost. After not finding the locket we both had been searching for in the first box, she quickly picked up her shotgun and took her first open shot of the night.
I slumped forward slightly once the spirit disappeared. The saw turned off and I quietly said, "Thanks Mum… Just give me a sec and I'll help you find it."
She maintained her focus on the third toolbox as I leaned over to pick up my shotgun. While I had my left hand on the edge of the metal guide to balance myself to retrieve my firearm, the blade started up again and I felt my hand being pulled towards the moving blade.
Panic stricken, I dropped my gun again to try to struggle against him screaming, "MUM! HELP! HELP!"
"I'm trying Roo! I can't find it!" She worriedly shouted back. She quickly looked up from her search with her shotgun raised, but the carpenter's ghost had reappeared to my left so that I was between him and any possible forthcoming rock salt rounds.
"Bugger!" She huffed to herself before nearly throwing her firearm onto the workbench as she rifled through the fifth tool box. "Stay strong Roo! Just hold on!"
"No… No… Please? No!" I repeated over and over helplessly as I fought a losing battle. "Mum… MUM!" I shrieked as the web of my left hand was coming dangerously close to contacting the spinning blade.
"Got it!" She shouted triumphantly, holding up the oversized heart shaped locket in her right hand. She then caught sight of what was happening to me and muttered a few expletives as she fumbled with the latch, trying to get to the lock of hair our spirit's widow had admitted to keeping after his death.
"MUMMY!" I absentmindedly screamed in horror as metal connected with flesh.
She couldn't have spoken if she had wanted to because her nerves had gotten the best of her as well. Once the locket was open, she didn't waste any time trying to remove the pictures or any other contents. Instead, she pulled out a butane torch she had found in one of the previous boxes. The locket was thrown to onto the workbench and Mum held the flame to it until the saw stilled and the ghost vanished in a blaze of fire.
I dropped to my knees and stared at my left hand as blood gushed from my wound. I was in so much shock that had my mother not told me that I started playing with my thumb to test how deep the cut went on the webbing between it and index finger, I never would have remembered.
"Roo! Don't do that! Here put some pressure on it," she reprimanded as she handed me a few sheets of heavy duty, blue paper towels.
"He… He cut me," I stated to the cupboard before leaning over and vomiting up the meager contents of my stomach.
The next thing I remembered, we were parked near the Emergency Room entrance of the Lincoln General Hospital. I turned to the driver's side to object, but my Mum wasn't there. By the time I got out of the car and had my hand gripped tightly again, she was almost back to the vehicle pushing a wheelchair with a nurse following closely behind.
"Addy! Sit!" She ordered once she reached me.
"Mum, I'm fine. Can't you just stitch me up?" I whispered as she rolled me towards the large double doors.
She ignored my pleas and continued by providing as much information to the nurse as she filled out some forms, "She vomited right after cutting herself. That may not seem odd to you, but the sight of blood has never bothered my daughter before. I'm worried that it's a sign that something else caused her to black out and cut herself on the band saw."
"I see Mrs. Jones. Did she hit her head before or after cutting herself? Should we be concerned about a concussion?" The nurse questioned as she led us past everyone in the waiting room to a curtain lined bed.
"I'm not sure. I guess that could be a possibility."
"Alright, just wait here and I'll go get the doctor," the nurse instructed in an unnervingly calm tone.
"Thank you nurse Johnson," Mum replied as she tugged on my right arm to lead me to the bed.
"Mum, please? Do we have to go through all of this?" I pleaded with much more desperation in my voice than I had outside. "Please? Can't you just take care of me?"
"Yes, we do Adelaide. There could be some severe muscle or tendon damage and there's no way I can fix that myself. Now sit!" She replied in an infuriated, forceful tone. "Plus, I know today isn't the first day that you've been throwing up, so it could be something serious. Now, don't slack on the pressure and get your ass onto that bed."
I slumped back against the pillows and barely whispered, "Yes, Mum."
After what felt like a lifetime, I was finished going through a round of X-Rays and had three surgeons looking at my hand. They all agreed that although the cut looked quite severe, I had lucked out and the actual damage was quite minimal. One of them worked at stitching up my hand and dressing it while I tried to listen in on the conversation Mum was having with the first attending doctor.
"No Dr. Piniella, this is at least the fifth day that she's thrown up within eight hours of waking. And yes, I understand that the damage to her hand is quite grotesque, but (Mum stifle a laugh very poorly) believe me, that is not it," Mum explained trying to convince him to probe deeper.
I couldn't hear his reply, but he appeared from behind the curtain to rejoin the young plastic surgeon and myself.
The doctor attending to my wound checked over his shoulder then looked back at me and winked saying, "There you go Addy. I tried to take my time so it shouldn't scar too badly for you."
"Thanks Jay," I replied softly. When I saw the disapproving look on my Mum's face, I retracted my hand from his gentle hold and quietly corrected myself, "Umm… I mean, thank you Doctor Buhner."
He nodded and winked again before backing out of my bed area. I stealthily pocketed his business card that he had made a point to write his pager number on before handing it to me. I had no intentions of ever using it, but I still didn't want Mum to see it before I was able to toss it in the trash.
"Miss Jones, how are you feeling now? Any nausea?" Dr. Johnson asked in a very disengaged voice. "Loss of appetite? Light headedness?"
I shook my head and quietly replied "No" after each question.
He looked over my charts again and without turning his attention away from the paperwork, bluntly asked, "Have you been sexually active?"
I squirmed in my spot and avoided looking at either of them by fidgeting with my dressing. This reaction prompted an astonished and somewhat angry "Adelaide?" from my Mum.
"Yes," I finally whispered guiltily.
By the time I had mustered the courage to look up Dr. Johnson had his back turned to me while he quietly spoke with Mum. I don't know what he said to her, but she nodded to him and then she looked back at me with tears brimming her eyes and then shook her head as she exited past the curtain.
Now that we were alone, Dr. Johnson smiled more easily and pulled up a chair beside my bed, "Alright, now I believe I heard you say 'Yes'?"
"Yes sir, I did," I replied with a bit more volume. "But we were… Safe."
"Well that is definitely encouraging to hear. I'm sorry if this is uncomfortable, but I need to know everything that I'm dealing with so that I can properly prescribe medications, especially for your hand in case of any infection," he explained calmly.
"Yes sir, I understand. I have to be honest with you so that you can do your job properly," I said finally making firm eye contact with him.
"Your mother said that you were a smart girl," he answered with a warm smile. "Okay. When did you have your last menstrual cycle?"
I wanted to be honest, so I took a few seconds to carefully go over everything in my head. "Umm… January… Mid-January sir."
He looked up while writing my answer down and asked, "Miss Jones, it's nearly May, how has this not been a cause of any concern for you?"
I swallowed hard and lost some of my confidence as I replied, "I have a really irregular cycle… My uhh… My family doctor says that it's probably because of all of the physical activity I do. She explained that because I have so little body fat that it could be irregular. Plus I've been really stressed with school because I'm trying to graduate early, so she also said that could cause me to miss a month or two. I normally go two months between my periods, so I haven't really paid it much mind. Is that bad? Isn't what she said true?"
His face softened considerably as he responded, "Yes all of that is accurate, but I would still like to run a blood test to be sure. I don't want to prescribe an antibiotic if you shouldn't be taking it. Now, you'll be spending at least the night with us, so I'm going to have a nurse take the blood while I find out which room they have ready so your Mom can meet you there."
"Do I have to? Can't you just take the blood and contact my family doctor with the results so that I can go home?" I questioned sounding like a petulant child.
"I'm sorry, but no, I can't do that. The bruising on your arms is troubling to say the least, so I think a couple of days rest with us would be in your best interest," he answered and left before I could attempt to mount another argument.
A nurse immediately appeared by my bed and she started drawing vials of blood. I figured I couldn't fight it, so I relaxed against the pillows. I heard her cluck her tongue and when I opened my eyes I saw that she was shaking her head to herself as she worked.
"Stay here and an orderly will be by shortly to escort you to your room," she commanded with a tone that left no room to argue.
"Yes Ma'am," I replied sheepishly.
After she was gone, I looked down at my arms. There I saw not only was there a line from the two by four blossoming into a bruise, but there was also the undeniable marks of fingerprints accompanying it.
Shit! They probably think my boyfriend did this to me. Damn it!
"This just won't do. I'm going to go down to the cafeteria and see if I can find anything that resembles edible food… Or maybe some fruit," Mum announced as she placed the cover on our food and tossed it in the trash.
After she left the room I finally replied, "Okay. Thanks Mum."
The one night turned into two and during our stay she never once tried to crack a joke to ease the tension between us, so I knew that she was upset. When she didn't call me anything but 'Addy' or the occasional exasperated 'Adelaide', I knew she was pissed off. In an attempt to do anything I could to try to appease her, I just agreed to everything that she proposed.
Dr. Johnson thankfully visited with the results of my blood tests while Mum was away hunting down our new breakfast. He handed me the printout and let me look it over in silence. I stared at it and reread it a few times hoping that it didn't actually say what I thought it was telling me.
He mistook the look on my face as my not understanding the results and politely explained, "My initial suspicions were correct. You are about two months pregnant. Do you remember the last time you had intercourse?"
I looked up at him and glared then replied with a snarl, "I'm not a slut! The last time Dean made love to me was Saturday February 21st, thank you very much Dr. Johnson."
"I'm sorry Addy, I didn't mean to imply anything by that, but most girls you're age…"
"I'm not a whore like most girls my age," I snapped to interrupt the rest of his statement.
"ADELAIDE!" My Mum called from the door. "I am so sorry Dr. Johnson for my daughter's rudeness. Now, may I ask the question she should have asked?" The doctor nodded so she proceeded, "Will that have any effect on what you will need to prescribe to stave off any infections so that her hand will heal?"
They then turned to each other and spoke as if I wasn't even in the room. "Thankfully infection doesn't appear to be a concern. Plus she was already up to date with her tetanus shot, so that shouldn't be a problem either. Unfortunately, if she suffers from any pain, she will have to take it easy on the pain medications and although caffeine can help augment the effects of pain killers, I would strongly discourage that practice."
"Of course… While I was out I bought all of the pre-natal vitamins she'll need as well," Mum explained. "Thank you for your help doctor. And obviously Adelaide is very sorry for her immature behavior."
Without having to incur her silent wrath I quickly added, "I sincerely apologize Dr. Johnson. You were just doing your job and I shouldn't have snapped at you like that sir. Thank you for all of your help."
The doctor smiled, but I could tell that he was holding back the desire to laugh somewhat. "That's alright Addy. I can appreciate the stress that you must be feeling. Now, there don't appear to be any complications with either of your conditions, so I believe we can expect that you will be discharged by late this afternoon. Be sure to check in with your family doctor as soon as you get home though." He walked over and squeezed my hand finishing, "Take care of yourself because now you're taking care of another life too."
I flashed him a sad smile promising, "I will Dr. Johnson. Thank you again for everything."
He nodded politely to my Mum then left us alone in the room. I knew that she must have been beyond angry with me and I wanted to stay strong, but I let my silent tears fall as I tried to find the right words to say to her before she turned to face me.
All that I could whisper through my tears was a sorrow-filled, "I'm so sorry Mummy."
She turned around and when she saw me crying, a couple of tears trickled down her cheeks as well. She took a step forward and placed a paper bag on the table beside me then passed a plastic covered plate with cheese, apple slices and crackers on it.
"You must be hungry Roo," she commented softly. "After you've eaten, I'll go over the vitamin regime that I've planned out for you."
I stared at her in silent amazement then she leaned over, kissed my head and rested her forehead on my hair saying, "I love you so much my Addy and I don't want this to change anything between us. You have always been honest with me, so please Roo, please… Can we go back to how it used to be between us?"
I nodded and shifted over so she could sit with me on the bed. She immediately wrapped her arm around my neck and I cuddled into her side placing my head on her shoulder as I quietly told her, "There's only been Dean Mum. He's my first… He's my only…"
She kissed my head again and softly stroked my hair replying in a serene tone, "I had a feeling that's who it was Roo."
We sat in a comfortable silence as she eased my troubled mind by gently petting my hair. "Now… What I really want to know… When you have a gorgeous baby girl… You're going to name her after me, right?"
I laughed quietly as I started to fall asleep and slurred a quiet, "Of course I will Mummy."
"Was that a happy memory?" Ariel asked from her spot beside me on the bed.
I rolled over to look at her and answered, "It didn't used to be. When I used to dream about finding out about being pregnant, I always jumped straight to Sydney's reaction."
The angel sighed and smiled then said, "Well I think that means you're ready."
I sat up and she gently caressed my check adding, "Call me if you need me."
I blinked and found myself standing in my kitchen with a gym bag hanging off my shoulder. I let it fall to the floor as I turned in a circle to double check that I actually was where I thought I was. The whole main floor was dark, so I turned on a few lights before I realized that the house felt quite chilly as well.
As I turned up the up the thermostat, I started to feel an odd sense of unease. The house felt eerily quiet and empty, but I couldn't figure out why. Everything in the living room and kitchen looked the same, so I just wrote my feelings off as me not being used to being alone in the house.
With that in mind, I made the den my next stop to turn on the TV or stereo to cut through the deafening silence. It wasn't until I had the five disc changer stereo on shuffle that I notice some boxes piled up on the floor. The one directly beside the couch was open and there were a few books on the coffee table, along with one open on the couch.
I didn't stop to read the writing on the boxes, but as I got closer to the couch I could tell the book was actually one of my journals. I sat down and picked it up to read it, initially thinking that it may have been one of the journals I had left for Toby, but the date inscribed on it told me it was one that I had written four years after his birth.
Who's reading my journal? More importantly… Why aren't they still in the closet in my room?
I quickly rummaged through the open box and found more of my journals along with some of my non-hunting related reading materials. Feeling confused and fairly curious, I got up to investigate further. The boxes were the first thing I came into contact with, so I inspected their inscriptions. After reading "YEARBOOKS AND NOVELS" on the bottom one, I moved over to the bookshelf that looked more barren than it used to. I pulled out a few books but it didn't take me long to realize that everything left on the shelves served only one purposed; research for hunting.
"Dean still stays here when he's in town," a voice explained behind me. I turned and he continued as he picked up a journal on the table and put it in the open box. "It made us all kind of sad to see so many of your personal belongings around the house after you were gone… So Dad and I decided it would be easier if we packed them up."
"I'm so sorry Toby," I apologized just over a whisper.
He immediately ran over and crushed me in a hug. I rubbed his back lovingly without loosening my tight hold and Toby asked, "Are you really home? Like for good?"
"Yes Buddy, I am," I answered actually being able to hold back my tears.
"Really?" He almost shouted as he released me. I held his face and nodded in reply. As I held his cheeks, he quietly said, "I'm sorry I tried to stab you Mum."
My desire to cry quickly shifted to laughter. I pulled him into a more tender embrace as I replied through my laughter, "That's okay Toby. I would have done the same thing. I'm just glad that you've taken everything Dean and I have taught you to heart."
He let me maintain my hold on him in silence for a while before he quietly asked, "Does this mean that I can move my stuff back into my room?"
I pushed him gently back so that I could see his face and gave him a questioning look. Before I could ask him anything, Toby clarified, "Dad sleeps on the couch when he and Uncle Sam visit… Since no one is… Was living here, we packed everything up for safe keeping. I… Uhh… I think there's usually only beer and whiskey in the fridge, but wait… I think Mom restocked everything because Dad said they might visit before heading to Bobby when they finish this job."
I had once again been trying to hold back by tears, but hearing that explanation left me completely heartbroken. "Oh God… Toby… Buddy I really am so sorry… Really I never meant for… Please forgive me."
He shrugged and smiled brightly then said, "It's okay Mum. You're home so that's all that matters."
We then spent the rest of the day unpacking everything while he filled me in on what I had missed over the past few months. When he got to the part about Dean getting Sam's soul back, I stopped and thought His soul? Now THAT makes sense. Shit! Who would have thought? Toby didn't know how Dean did it, so I didn't press the matter with him.
After the den's bookshelves were back to their more usual state, Toby blurted out, "I should call Mom and Pop! They'll be so excited to see you!"
"Of course Buddy, you should. Why don't you do that while I carry this stuff upstairs?"
He quickly wrapped his arms around me then explained, "I just wanted to double check you were really here."
"I really am Buddy. Why don't you go call them then break down the boxes we emptied? I'll be right back down, okay?"
I then carried my journals back up to my room. It looked like Dean or someone else had started to pack up our room, but stopped midway through. I let a few more tears of remorse fall as I removed the few personal items that were in the box by our closet. Most of Dean clothes were gone, but mine were still hanging there.
I hope that the lack of packing meant that Dean hadn't found my secret stash of supplies. Growing up, Mum had always reminded me to keep a cell and cash on hand along with IDs, etcetera just in case something happened and I had to lay low for a while. I had never anticipated that I would have to revert to using an alias after being resurrected from the grave, so I tried to keep from focusing on why I was on my hands and knees trying to find the lock box under our bed.
After I pulled it out, I sat on the bed to open it and pulled out the cellphone and turned it on to try Dean's number. I had a feeling he wouldn't answer, so I left a voicemail before pulling everything else out. There were a couple of stacks of bank wrapped bills and a wallet with a California Driver's License for 'Claudia Victoria Hayes'. It was the alias I had come up with in high school. I had never anticipated using it, but I still had 'my guy' make a renewed ID in that name every five years.
I left that box open on the bed then check the storage area behind the false panel in the closet. Thankfully it too remained untouched. I pulled out my Mum's hand gun and the three clips of different types of bullets, along with a few daggers and knives. I opted to leave the stash of cash I had placed there until it was absolutely needed.
As I repacked Poppy's old duffle bag, I tried Dean's cell two more times, but refrained from leaving any more messages. I looked around the room one more time then went to rejoin Toby in the den.
As I approached the room, I heard Maureen's concerned voice saying, "Tobias… Son, I know that you miss her and it's okay that you come out here to feel close to her, but she's gone. I'm sure that she's in Heaven right now watching over all of us with Victoria."
"No Mom, really she's alive. I haven't asked her how yet, but she's back!" Toby asserted stepping away from his Mom as she tried to hug him.
I watched their back and for silently for a few minutes before I finally softly called out, "No Mo, he's right… I am back."
Before Maureen turned around, Toby pointed to me and said, "See? I told you!"
She slowly turned and asked, "Adelaide? How are you back darling?"
I smiled and hugged her quietly answering, "If I told you it was a miracle, can we hold off getting into the more in depth answer for a later date?"
Maureen looked me in the face then held be tightly to her again saying, "Yes Adelaide, you being alive is enough… For now."
The three of us spent the majority of the night together and I artfully dodged any questions about how I died, but I did tell them that it was an angel that brought me back. Toby joked that that made Dean and I even more alike now. Maureen also easily agreed with me that it would probably be best if I didn't show my face in town, so she offered to do the grocery shopping that needed to be done. When I pulled out my wallet to give her money, it only took one disapproving glare for me to quickly replace it in my pocket without a word.
It took a little bit more for both of us to convince Toby to head home after they returned with the groceries. I promised him that I would still be here when he got back after school. Then after a few more hugs and words affirming that everything I had promised, Toby finally left with Maureen.
Although it was late, I didn't feel the least bit tired, so I spent the night putting the house back in order. I even ventured outside and was slightly shocked to see that our Yukon wasn't parked where I had left but, but that GTO was still in the garage with all of my ammunition and cleaning supplies.
By midday, Dean still hadn't returned my call, so I chanced placing a call to Bobby. I wasn't sure that he would actually believe it was me, but at this point I was all out of options.
"Koala Bear? Is it really you?"
"Hey Bobby… Umm… How'd you know?"
"Maureen called me last night. She had a feeling you would call," he explained in a light hearted tone. Then he sternly asked, "Adelaide is it true? Were you fool hearted enough to sell your soul so that an angel had to rescue you from Hell?"
I should have expected that Bobby would have figured it out, but his blunt question still caught me off guard.
"Adelaide please tell you aren't as stupid as that stubborn…"
"Yes Bobby, I did," I interrupted quietly.
"Koala Bear... Toby wouldn't want to be protected like that… He would rather have his Mum around," Bobby lovingly replied.
"I know Bobby and if I could go back in time, I would have just told Crowley to go back to Hell… But you have to admit, he was a pretty damn good salesman," I gently teased.
"True," he begrudgingly conceded. "So have you spoken to that idjit boyfriend of yours?"
"No… Not since I got home. I called his cell a few times, but I haven't heard back from him. Toby said that he was working a job, so hopefully he'll call when it's…" I trailed off as I watched a familiar looking muscle car pull into the backyard. "Or… Speak of the devil…"
"Pardon?"
"Sorry Bobby, I have to run… Umm… Dean just pulled up. I'll come see you soon, okay?"
I quickly hung up before he replied and was barely able to get the phone in its cradle before Dean had spun me around. He took a second to caress my face before he pinned me to the counter in a rough, lust-filled kiss.
When he finally relented to catch his breath I panted, "Couch… Now!"
He stepped back and I led the way, starting to shed my clothes along the way. By the time he finally met me in the den, all of my clothes were piled beside the couch, but Dean had only removed his jacket and boots.
I stepped up to him, kissed his lips and started to undo his jeans. "I hope you're okay with leaving your shirt on because you are taking way too long," I commented as I squatted to pull his jeans and boxers off.
Dean's only reply was to pick me up once I was standing and then carrying me to the couch after he stepped out of his pants.
Once he was lying comfortably on top of me, Dean almost tearfully asked, "And… You're home for good?"
I wrapped my legs around his thighs, planted my feet on the cushion and guided him into me as I nodded vigorously. He smothered my grin with another kiss and pushed his full weight almost painfully into me. As always, we found our pace easily and remained in synch up until we both climaxed. At some point Dean had managed to remove his t-shirt and it joined the pile of my clothes on the floor.
We both shifted so that we were on our sides facing each other on the couch with our legs tangled together. Dean placed his left hand on the small of my back to keep me from falling off the couch.
"Really? No more disappearing acts?" Dean asked as he rubbed soft circles on my back.
"None in the foreseeable future… You know unless it's to duck into the restroom to take care of 'lady business' so you and Sam won't feel uncomfortable," I teased as I nuzzled into his chest and kissed every piece of flesh I could reach.
Once I was finished speaking, Dean pushed me back and almost knocked me off the couch asking, "What?"
I smiled coyly and pulled myself closer to him. Dean realized his mistake and placed his hand on my back again as I replied, "Unless your offer to hunt with you and Sam has expired…"
He stared at me in silence for a few seconds so I pecked his lips and softly said, "Dean, don't forget to breathe."
He ran his fingers through my hair asking, "You're sure? That's what you really want to do?"
"Yes, yes it is. I know I was angry before, but an angel saved me… From Hell… From Sydney… I figure that I more than owe God now."
"From Sydney?" Dean inquired as his face contorted into a look of horrified concern. "What… What do you…?"
"Ahem… I'm sorry; I believe I may have come at a bad time."
I pressed my body closer to Dean's as his hand went to frantically cover any part of my body it could.
"Blanket Dean! Grab the blanket," I demanded in quiet desperation.
Dean swiftly pulled down the blanket from behind him and covered our naked bodies. I kept my face hidden in his neck as he teased, "Whatever happened to you learning to use the door Cas?"
I groaned as Castiel awkwardly explained, "I was helping Tobias to locate Ade… Addy… I didn't mean to… Uhh… Interrupt you."
"Don't worry… You just missed the main stage show," Dean joked with a mildly annoyed tone.
"Dee-ee-ean," I whined. "Can't we put some clothes on before you get into a war of words with Castiel?"
I kept my face buried in Dean's flesh, too embarrassed to face the angel right now. Dean didn't seem to be fazed at all and continued to practically taunt the celestial being.
"So Cas? Do you just want to gawk at Lay and I or are you going to turn around so we can get dressed?"
"Dee-ean," I grumbled at his apparent insensitivity.
"Oh… Uhh… My apologies," Castiel finally mumbled.
Dean then slowly pushed the blanket off us and whispered, "He's not looking Lay."
I quickly rolled off the couch and practically threw Dean's t-shirt at him in my haste to get my clothes back on. He continued to be overly amused at the situation and even chuckled as he pulled on his jeans. I threw him a few glares, but he completely ignored each one.
"Okay Cas, we're decent now," Dean announced with an annoyingly triumphant tone.
Castiel cleared his throat and thrust out his left hand while avoiding eye contact while formally stating, "I believe this is yours Addy."
I took the cardigan whispering a 'Thank You', put it on and hugged my arms around my body. When Dean stepped closer to me and tried to wrap an arm around me, I shied away from him and he thankfully didn't push the matter.
Instead he turned his attention to the intruder while sitting comfortably on the couch asking, "So Cas? What is so fuh… Frigging important that you just HAD to pop in?"
I remained standing, uncomfortably trying to avoid their conversation. Castiel stepped closer to me, placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and explained, "I was helping Tobias located Adel… Addy's soul. I wasn't aware that you knew that she had returned home safely." I finally lifted my guilt-ridden, apologetic eyes to him as he added with a warm smile, "I wouldn't have 'popped' in if I knew."
"Oh… Geez, Castiel. I'm so sorry," I replied softly. "I thought you knew."
He offered me a kind smile then passed me my knife saying, "I believe this also belongs to you. I hope Tobias won't be mad that I returned it to you."
I took it from him with a shaky hand and let it drop onto the coffee table. Once I was sure it was safe at my side, I grabbed the lapels of Castiel's trench coat and hugged him tightly. His arms immediately wrapped around me gently and I cried softly into his chest.
"It's okay Addy. You never had to ask for forgiveness… I understand why you were upset back then and haven't given it a second thought."
I leaned back and he dried my tears with a Kleenex that he produced from unknown origins. "I'm just elated that you are in fact alive."
"Still… Castiel, I'm so sorry… I never really wanted to hurt you," I reaffirmed as I took a step back.
"Okay," Dean interjected. "Now that we all know that Lay is alive… Is there anything else that HAS to be discussed right this second?"
"Actually yes there is," a woman's voice answered beside me.
I turned and instinctively hugged her. I then turned to the two men while I kept an arm around her waist. "Dean! This is the angel that I told you about," I announced excitedly.
She wrapped an arm around my waist and gently rubbed my stomach and almost inaudibly said, "Finally."
Castiel stared at us wide-eyed then sternly ordered, "Adelaide step away from her."
She tightened her grip around my waist and sneered.
"Raphael! Let her go!" Castiel commanded forcefully once again.
I stared at Castiel then looked back at the woman to my right sadly imploring, "No… No! She's 'Ariel'!"
The angel squeezed my waist again, ignoring my words and mockingly retorted to Castiel, "Now I have another piece of the puzzle that I needed to destroy you."
After we disappeared, Dean jumped up and yelled at his angel, "What the hell is going on Cas? Who the fuck was that?"
Castiel solemnly answered him saying, "I don't know why Dean, but Raphael has taken Adelaide."