4) Cast aside

Castiel gazed down at her sleeping face, waiting for her to wake up. I might have been too harsh on her. All the while, Wyatt kept his distance as he aimlessly pressed down on the baby grand's keys. "What did you do to her?" he asked, not looking at Castiel. "She's not that weak, you know".

"She isn't that strong either", the angel replied. "Alistair altered something in her when he possessed her".

"Can you fix her?"

Castiel cocked an eyebrow at him, willing the boy to explain himself. "Mommy tries her best to protect me, but it's hurting her", said Wyatt. "Can you do anything to help her?"

This time, the boy looked at him full in the face. So he doesn't know, Castiel thought. She never told him.

Suddenly, a groan escaped Sophie's lips and her eyes fluttered open, focusing on the angel's face. Again, she closed her eyes as if willing the image to go away. "Why are you still here?" she asked, throwing an arm up in front of her face. "I thought you wanted the job done".

"We have orders", Castiel replied. "We can't just take him without consent from either of you".

Sophie sat up, her back towards him. Laughing wryly, she said, "Dean was right; you guys aren't the adorable winged creatures I always thought you were".

Behind her, Castiel's expression went from impassive to slightly offended. It seems our kind gives off the wrong impressions. "Wyatt, can you go upstairs for a bit?" Sophie asked.

He nodded and shuffled over to her. Wrapping his little arms around her neck, he whispered, "I love you, Mommy".

"I love you, too".

She watched the blonde head bob out of sight before turning back to the angel. "He doesn't know you're not his biological mother", Castiel said in a matter-of-factly tone. "Why didn't you tell him?"

"He doesn't have to know", she replied, leaving the couch for the piano. She stroked the black keys, but didn't push them down. "His mother died because of me".

"What happened?"

Tears started to burn her eyes, but she blinked them away. "That's not what you're here for", she said, concentrating on the piano. "You've got orders, right? Well, what are they?"

"Dean and Sam have already told you. Wyatt's…talent, is required".

"It's not a talent, it's a curse", she snapped. "I'd rather go back to Alistair than have him… do whatever it is he does!"

"So you don't understand his abilities?"

She wouldn't have looked at him if he hadn't kept staring at her. "Do you?"

Pensively, he rested his lips on his folded hands. "What were his parents like?"

"His dad was my best friend. His mom was…well, she was…different. I don't know why Garrett fell for her—he just did, and they had him".

She continued to stroke the piano keys as if playing an inaudible piece. "Sounds like you were jealous", said the angel.

"You don't know what it's like to be cast aside", she growled, glaring venomously at him. Barking a sarcastic laugh, she said, "Don't talk about jealousy in front of me. Angel or not, you don't know anything".

"Do enlighten me".

"Angels don't feel anything, do they? You walk around in these shells you call your bodies, and you don't feel any pain at all…you don't know what it's like to be so weak and vulnerable to everything! You wouldn't know emotion even if it slaps you in the face!"

She'd been holding down the same three keys, producing a sound that imitated nails scratching glass. Cringing, she pulled away and closed the piano. "You're not one of them, are you?" she asked.

His brow furrowed in a classic confused expression. "Who is exactly is 'them'?"

"The fallen ones".

Castiel shook his head. "I'm still a servant of God".

"That's what I thought. You don't know what it's like to be cast aside".

"Is that what Wyatt's father did to you?"

Scoffing, she said, "I…fell for him. Then he met her". She blinked away her tears like she always does. "Wyatt looks exactly like his dad. The only thing Lucy gave him is that damn 'talent' of his".

"Is that why you sold your soul to Alistair?"

"You ask so many questions, you know that?" She squinted at him, as if trying to read him, but the angel's face gave nothing away. "Alistair promised me his safety. What about you? What can you promise me?"

Now it was Castiel's turn to glare. "What do you expect in return?"

"That depends if I'm going to allow you to take him away".

"Mommy, I'll do it".

The sound of his voice made Sophie look at the stairs. There he was at the top, looking down at them. Then he came down and ran to her. "I'll do what they tell me to", he said, his blue eyes—his father's eyes—gaping at her. "It's gonna be okay. It's my turn to protect you now".

So how'd I do?

tell me what you think?

Review, please...

:D