Sam half turned in the seat and looked at the woman who had introduced herself as Alora Anderson. "When was the last time you saw Cas?" He asked.
"A week ago."
"He's been gone for weeks. You're tellin' me he's been with you all this time?" Dean growled.
Alora shook her head. "Not the whole time. He never stays very long, not since he got his Grace back. He says he doesn't want to put me in danger. He showed up last week frantic with worry, would not calm down until he'd moved me to an entirely new city, new apartment, everything then he vanished in the middle of the night."
"How did you two even meet?" Sam asked.
"I gave him a sandwich and he saved my life." She replied.
8 Months Ago:
When Alora woke the first thing she saw was Castiel asleep in the uncomfortable hospital chair, he had three day old stubble and looked like he hadn't showered in just as long but his face was open and untroubled in sleep and it made her smile. The nurse came in to check on her and smiled. "It's good to see you awake, you gave everyone a scare."
"How did I get here?" She rasped as the nurse checked her vitals.
The nurse motioned to Castiel. "He called an ambulance, said he found you passed out at home. You're really lucky too, you had a bad case of sepsis, another 12 hours and you'd be gone."
Alora winced and looked over at Castiel. "I guess he's my guardian angel."
"He sure is honey. He leaves for work then comes right back after his shift and sits right there watching over you." The nurse patted her arm and left promising to send the Doctor in.
When the door closed Alora looked over at Castiel and reached over to smooth a lock of his messy hair out of his face. "How'd I get so lucky huh?"
He jerked in surprise his eyes popping open as he jerked away then he relaxed when he saw her and a smile spread across his face. As far as Alora was concerned it was the best part of him, that genuine smile. The truest expression of his joy and relief that she was awake and alright and somewhere in her she felt something spark.
She got to explore that feeling when she was released from the hospital the next day and Castiel rode home with her in the cab she'd called. He sat awkwardly next to her on the way back to her apartment as he explained how he'd had to break into her home to help her. She laughed as she paid the cabbie and made her slow way up the steps with Castiel following behind looking worried when she paused to catch her breath. Almost dieing was exhausting she thought as she unlocked her door and entered her apartment sitting gratefully on the couch.
Castiel hovered uncertainly near the kitchen then gave her an awkward smile. "I should go...:"
"Where?" She asked pulling a pillow into her lap. "I know you're still homeless Castiel."
He flinched and looked around her small clean home, she gave him a sympathetic look and held a hand out motioning him closer. "Castiel please come sit with me."
He sat at the other end of her couch his shoulders hunched. "How could you tell?"
She ran her fingers along the seam of the pillow. "I've seen enough homeless people to know the signs. You wash in the bathroom when you think no one is around, your shirt is wrinkled because you've slept in it for days." She shrugged. "And I was working homeless too for a long time so I can tell."
He looked at her in surprise and she smiled. "It took me a long time to get up on my feet and off the street."
"How did you do it?" He asked.
She looked down and made a face. "I did stuff I don't like to think about until I was able to afford an apartment."
He nodded thinking about some of the homeless women he'd seen who sold their bodies for a night in a hotel but if Sam and Dean had taught him anything it was that women did not like to talk about such things and it was obvious she was ashamed of it. "I do not have those options." He said slowly.
"I know. And I wouldn't want you to have to do what I did. You've done really well getting and holding a job and I'm proud of you." She smiled a little at the look he gave her when he looked over at her.
"No one's ever told you they're proud of you have they?"
He shook his head. "I am more accustomed to being berated."
She wrinkled her nose. "That's awful, humans need encouragement, we need to be lifted up, especially when we're feeling rotten."
He almost told her what he had been but he just couldn't bear the thought of her expression if she learned the truth… and besides, he was human now and he needed a lift now more than ever before. "Castiel I am proud of you, getting a job and holding it while you're homeless is really hard and you're a really good man." She hesitated for a moment. "Would you like to live here with me until you can afford your own place?" She blurted.
He stared at her his mouth falling open, she looked just as shocked at her suggestion. "I...I shouldn't." He felt like hitting himself for turning down the offer, he desperately wanted to get off the street, to feel safe again.
"Yes. You should." She said firmly and reached over gripping his arm. "You need this and I want to help you."
And God forgive him he wanted to be helped so he said Yes.