Insomniac
-Scenario where Castiel helps Annabel with her insomnia-
When she'd joined the brothers, they had an agreement. No asking about pasts. It was a mutual agreement, seeing as they all had skeletons in their closets. So, unless it was necessary for the others to know, they never said anything.
Annabel didn't sleep easy and the brothers either ignored that fact or they didn't care because there was no way that they didn't know. But they honored the agreement and didn't ask either way. That was something she appreciated because there was no way she was getting into that story.
Castiel appeared next to the couch that Annabel was sitting on, while the brothers were sleeping in the beds. He knew that Sam had probably offered her his bed and took it after she had turned him down at least five times and Dean had probably offered and took the bed after she said no the first time.
He looked at her and tilted his head to the left in confusion. "Hello Annabel."
"Hey Cas." She said tiredly.
"Forgive me but I thought that most humans slept at this hour."
"Most, yeah." She nodded. "I'm not most, though, am I?" she smirked.
"Something must trouble one to stay up so late." He sat on the other end of the couch and stared at her.
"I've been this way for awhile, angel boy."
"Something traumatic?" he questioned.
"What?" she looked at him tired and annoyed. She looked into his eyes.
Big mistake.
"You fear your father." He said quietly.
"You shut your mouth!" she said angrily, careful not to wake the boys. "You don't know anything, Castiel." Her lips trembled and her eyes were glassy with unshed tears.
"He is the reason for your abnormal sleeping schedule, is he not?"
"That's none of your business!"
"Annabel," he looked at her intently. "By looking into your eyes, I know everything. You've no reason to pretend with me, nor do you have any reason to speak of it." He told her.
She glared. "You did that thing-"
"Perhaps you will feel better knowing someone knows."
She stared at him in shock then leaned back in the couch. "I was never officially diagnosed with insomnia, even though it's painfully obvious that I'm an insomniac. I've been this way since I was seven years old." She paused. "My…fear, as you put it, isn't rational. He's gone."
"That is true. You realize that the brothers and I will protect you, don't you?"
"Yeah." She said softly.
It was rare for someone to see Annabel vulnerable. The boys had never seen it, and this was the first time he had seen it.
He was quiet a moment then spoke, "Perhaps you will sleep better knowing that someone knows what exactly to protect you from." He suggested softly.
She looked at him. "You're staying?" she asked.
He nodded and stood. "It's safe for you to sleep." He assured.
She lay down and tried to sleep. She opened her eyes and stared at Castiel, who stood by the window looking out.
It was in that moment that she truly saw him for what he was. She saw him as a soldier. She smiled softly as she fell into the deepest sleep she'd had in a long time with a soldier watching over her through the night.