Crystal awoke to the backseat of the Impala bouncing. She slowly sat up and looked outside the window to see that they were entering a small town. Sam was driving while Dean was asleep against the passenger window. She leaned forward and rested her head on the back of the front seats.
"Hey Sam." She whispered. He looked in the rearview mirror and caught her eye.
"Hey little sis. How ya feeling?" He asked her, genuine worry in his eyes. She shrugged her shoulders.
"I'm fine I guess. Where are we going?" Crystal looked at Dean who was snoring slightly and smiled. Her big brother my act like a badass, but when he is asleep like this is looks like a harmless little kitten.
"Well, I just talked to LJ." The mention of the girl's name made Crystals heart begin to race.
"Yeah? How uh… how are they?" Crystal was scared to know the answer.
"They are all fine. We are headed to Iowa to meet up with them." Crystal could see how happy this made Sam. Suddenly Dean's cell phone rang waking Dean up. He fumbled for a minute before getting the phone to open.
"Hello?" His voice was deep and gruff. Sam and Crystal shared a look and a smile.
"Yeah we are on highway 35 passing mile marker number 10." A whip of wind was heard as the angel Castiel appeared next to Crystal. He looked her over with sad eyes and turned his attention to Dean.
"Where are you going?" He asked them, seeming out of breath. Sam answered.
"We are headed to where Bobby and the girls are." Dean shrugged his shoulders as Cas looked at him for an explanation. Cas looked heavenward before sitting back in his seat.
"Alright." This shocked the Winchesters.
"Alright?" Dean asked, turning around in his seat. He expected Cas to tell them that it was not safe. Cas' lip twitched slightly.
"Yes." Dean grew exasperated and turned back to the front. He turned the radio up and stared at the road ahead. Sam looked at Crystal who had a confused look on her face. Sam sighed before pulling into a gas station to fill the car up. They were almost to the motel, he could feel it.
"Sammy, I'll drive." Dean got out of the car and patted his little brother on the back. Crystal took this chance to ask Cas some questions.
"Before you start asking me anything, I apologize for the mess you are in. I promise, I will do my best to protect you as I do your brothers." Crystal does not have time for a reply because Sam and Dean get in the car. The car ride seems endless to Crystal. She wants to get out and stretch but this is only because she has been in the car for far too long. And she is going to get to see Uncle Bobby! She hopes that they are alright. The last time they saw one another was a few days ago and she was being hunted. She probably still was!
"Hey! Crystal!" Crystal snaps back to reality to Dean's serious but worried voice.
"Huh?" She asks him, eyes wide and innocent. He shakes his head.
"You alright kiddo?" This gets under her skin.
"Dean, I am 29. I am not a kid." Her voice goes hard and she glares at him. His eyes go back to the road. She can feels Cas' eyes on her but she ignores them. In the distance she spots a motel. As they get closer she recognizes Bobby's van and her anger quickly vanishes. Dean pulls up next to it and before the car is even stopped Crystal jumps out. She almost collapses due to the face that her legs have not been used in a few days and she feels as though she pulled a muscle.
"Whoa there, chill." Sam came to her side and she smiled up at him. He smiled back and helped her to the door. They had a secret knock that they used to let the others know it was not an intruder. LJ opened the door and quickly closed it behind her. That wasn't sketchy at all.
"Listen, I need to talk to you guys before everything goes bad." Crystal notices that Cas was nowhere to be seen.
"What do you mean?" Dean walks up and towers over the girl. Crystal pushes him away.
"Let's just go inside and-"
"NO!" LJ cuts her off and shakes her head. "Listen, I found her on the side of the road, and I don't know what to-" Dean cuts her off and again towers over her.
"What do you mean 'found her on the side of the road'? Found who?" His voice is quiet but he might as well have yelled at her for the look on her face.
"I-I-I Uh I don't know-"
"Boy, don't yell at her. Come on in and we will explain things." Bobby was at the door. When they entered, Cas was staring at the girl with amazement on his face. He looked up at LJ.
"Where did you find her? Take me to the place." LJ was shocked but Cas put two fingers to her head and they disappeared.
Dean was sitting on the couch in the motel room with his feet on the table and looking at a Busty Asian Beauties magazine and sipping on some whiskey while Sam and Blair were trying to get Johnny to stop crying. A whip of wind was heard and a thump meaning that Cas and LJ had returned. Dean looked up to see the look of pure shock on LJ's face as she patted over to the girl passed out on the bed. The girl on the bed had been sleeping for a few hours now from what Blair had told Dean. When Cas and LJ stood over her, she began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and Dean slowly got to his feet. He was ready for anything. He saw her green eyes blink in order to get used to the light when she fell off the bed in shock. LJ went to her side.
"Shh, it's okay. You're alright. You're safe." LJ assured her in a soft voice. The girl looked around the room not knowing what to do about all the eyes staring at her. Bobby walked out of the bathroom from taking a shower and stopped when he saw the girl on the floor.
"What happened?" He asked. LJ helped the girl to her feet completely ignoring Bobby. Dean looked around the room, wondering where his little sister wandered off to, but she was asleep against the wall. Cas stepped forward and stared with his deep blue eyes at the girl in front of him.
"What is it that you are called?" He asked her. Dean rolled his eyes at how Cas could complicate something as simple as 'what is your name.' The girl looked to LJ who nodded encouragingly.
"M-my name is S-Syrena." She stuttered. Dean noticed that Cas take in a breath. He then looked away sadly.
"I thought so." He said.
"Wait, you know her?" Blair asked, standing up from the toddler whose eyes were slowly closing. Cas nodded.
"Yes." Syrena looked at him.
"I don't know you." She replied, her voice soft and scared. Cas took her hand gently.
"You do not remember?" He stared at her so intently that it reminded Dean of someone who was trying to concentrate. After a few moments Syrena shook her head and gently pulled her hand from his grasp.
"What's going on?" Dean asked, suspicious. Cas sighed and turned to Dean.
"This is Syrena. And she is not a human." Every eye in the room was opened wide in shock.
"W-what am I then?" She asked as if she did not want to hear the answer. Cas remained silent and kept his back turned from the girl. LJ's eyes widened more than Dean thought could be possible.
"You're an angel!" She gasped, grasping the girl's shoulders. The girl stared back at LJ before shaking her head.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She replied, pulling away from LJ and backing up from the whole crowd of eyes. Sam looked at Cas whose head was hanging low. He reminded Dean of a puppy who had just been scolded for doing something bad.
"Cas, is that true?" Sam asked, stepping toward the sad angel. Cas didn't respond for a long time.
"Cas?" Dean asked, unsure of what was going on. Cas slowly lifted his head and met Dean's eyes. The sorrow filled look made Dean think he could feel the sadness in Cas.
"Yes. This is true."