A/N: This chapter was way hard to write. My muse was being stubborn. -_- Hope you like it.

And I decided that it's set in the 4th season, before Cas is really involved.

Chapter 2

Hope slouched in the backseat of the impala, twiddling her thumbs as Dean drove the Impala Bobby Singer's home. "Hey, guys? What's Bobby like?"

"Well," Dean started, "He's a hunter."

She rolled her eyes, "Okay, but what's he like?"

"If he decides he can trust you, then he's nice," Sam told her consolingly, "Don't worry, we're almost there."

She sighed, slouching deeper into the seat. Rubbing her eyes, she yawned, "Well, wake me up when we get there….HOLY HELL!" She screeched, seeing the black-haired man sitting next to her.

"Hell is far from holy, child," He told her gruffly.

"Hey, Cas! What brings you here today?" Dean asked cheerfully.

"The girl's mother's killer isn't just any old demon. It's Abaddon," Cas said, leaning his head back on the seat. Hope huffed internally. 'No need to act like I'm not here, creepy magic man,' she thought to herself.

"Wait," she said, sitting forward, fully awake. "The demon Abaddon? As in…. 'The destroyer'? He possessed freakin Mr. Johnson, and that guy's about as boring as you get."

Cas nodded, "Yes. Kyle Robert Johnson was involved with satanic worship. I say he got what he was asking for. Anyway, I'll be back with more information." With the subtle flutter of wings, he was gone.

"Er…" Hope said, glancing in between the brothers and the seat where the blue-eyed man had been sitting, "Who was thaaaaat?"

~this to show time passing. none of my damn symbols were working~

"Alright!" Dean exclaimed as he pulled up to Bobby's house, "been a while since we've seen the old man!"

Grunting, she dragged her uncooperative body out of the car, swinging her backpack over her shoulder. As Sam and Dean walked up the porch, Hope lagged back, her stomach full of butterflies. Did he know her mother personally, or was he a simply a distant connection?

"C'mon, Hope!" Sam called back. Just as she came up behind the brothers, the worn front door swung open, revealing a scruffy man in a ball cap.

Grunting good-naturedly, Bobby turned and walked back into his house, leaving the door open for the boys. Just as Hope stepped inside, Bobby returned with two beers.

"Oh my god," he said, stopping in the entryway. "Sierra?"

Well that answered whether he knew her mom or not…. But maybe she should make sure. "You knew my mom?"

Bobby shoved the beers into Dean's hands and enveloped the startled teenager in a bear hug. "Sorry, kid. Last time I saw you, you were 2 years old."

Dean and Sam exchanged a look. "Bobby. I think you're scaring her."

They were half right. About a million thoughts were running through her head, whether to hug back, hold still, or edge away, what?

Before she could decide on a reaction, He cleared his throat, shoving his hands in his pockets, and his hard mask coming back on. "Git in here." Turning his back on them, he trudged into the study, settling down in the chair behind his desk. Hope glanced at Sam.

"Does that count as him liking me?"

~Another time passer~

Bobby sighed and shifted his hat, running a hand over his bald head. "I'm sorry to hear about your mom. She was a great woman."

Hope nodded her thanks, gently appreciative for his caring. She was leaning against the dresser while Dean and Sam sat in the chairs in front of the desk.

"Cas said that the demon responsible is Abaddon," Sam said carefully. "And Hope wants our help ganking him."

Bobby groaned, tilting his chair back. "That aint gonna be easy. We've gotta be careful with this one. That means no "lone-wolfing" it, alright?"

"We?" Dean asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Bobby glared right on back. "Yes, we. Sierra was a friend."

Suddenly Hope was overcome with an overwhelming wave of affection and ran around the desk, hugged the man tightly. Bobby patted her hand, looking mildly pleased with himself.

Suddenly, Castiel appeared behind the brothers, causing all of us to jump.

"Dammit, Cas!" Dean grunted, "Not cool."

Castiel regarded him coolly, "my apologies."

"You here for a reason, Castiel?" Bobby asked irritably. Hope figured the hunter didn't really like the angel. Dean had explained Castiel's connection with the little group of hunters.

"This case of yours intrigues me," the blue-eyed angel shrugged. This hit a nerve in Hope. Her anger flared and she surged up into Castiel's face.

"Intriguing? Is that all that my mother's murder is? You feel curious? God," she said with a final shake of her head, storming out the front door and plopping herself down on the porch steps. Feeling all the stress, fear, and grief of the past few weeks catch up to her, tears began cascading down Hope's cheeks. Her mother was dead. Her mother- her rock- was dead and she was alone in the world.

As sobs wracked her body, Hope didn't hear the door swing open and closed behind her. She felt the gentle hand on her back, though.

"It's okay to cry, you know," Bobby said quietly, sitting next to her on the step, his hand moving in small, comforting circles. "I know how it feels to lose a loved one to this world. It's how we all get started. It will be okay."

Against all her proud, independent-young-woman notions, Hope turned her face into the scruffy man's shoulder, wetting his flannel with her tears.

"Ssh," he murmured softly, wrapping his arms around her in a cautious hug.

After she had cried herself out, Hope wiped her eyes and sighed. "Sorry about that," she muttered.

Bobby chuckled good-naturedly, the long-ago affection for his friend's daughter worm itself back into his tightly wound heart. "Let's get back inside and see what the boys are up to."

Hope smiled thankfully and followed her new-found friend back into the old house.

A/N: Hm. Even shorter than the first chapter. What the hell, brain?