Chapter 15

It was late when Dean pulled up Oree's driveway. He parked beside her truck waiting for Castiel and Oree to arrive. Oree wanted to stop at the country store and pick up some bread and milk. He waited impatiently for them, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. Finally, after twenty minutes he saw headlights filtering through the trees coming toward the house. Castiel pulled the car to a stop beside the Impala and killed the engine.

Oree got out and waited for Castiel to get the bags before heading toward the porch. She walked stiffly trying to stretch out the kinks from the ride. Dean trailed along behind them keeping his silence. Ellie was waiting just inside the door as Oree pushed it open. She whimpered and whined wanting Oree to love her before doing anything else.

"Hey girl, did you miss me?" Oree asked kneeling down to scratch and rub her head. "I missed you too. How's Sam?" Ellie growled deep in her chest and headed down the hall to his bedroom. "Auntie, we're back." she called to alert her aunt of their return.

"I hear you dear." Asteria answered as they walked into the bedroom.

"How is he?" Dean asked.

"No change, no words and no movements unless told to do it." Asteria replied. "Aurora what has happened?" she asked looking closely at her niece.

"I'll explain later, can you contact your friend the pilot and have him pick Bobby up in Sioux Falls and bring him here?"

"Of course dear, I will arrange everything. Bobby can stay with me while he's here."

"Thanks Auntie." Oree said sitting down beside Sam. "You can go on home, rest, we'll be ok."

"I'll call you later in the day." she told her kissing Oree's head. She laid her hand on Dean's arm and squeezed gently relaying her support. She nodded to Castiel before leaving.

spn

Oree took Sam's hand and lovingly caressed his cheek before kissing his forehead. "We're going to get you home." she whispered in his ear. "Angel can you stay with him?"

"Yes, I will watch over him for you." Castiel answered taking his seat near the head of the bed.

"Come on Dee, you need some rest." Oree told Dean as she headed for the door.

With a last look at Sam, Dean nodded and followed her out of the room. He watched her head into her bedroom after waving to him good night. He waited until the door closed and headed for the couch. No way was his kid sister getting by him without him knowing it. It was his job to protect both of them and he didn't take it lightly.

Oree turned the heat on in the bathroom and grabbed some clean clothes. She turned on the hot water letting it heat up as she stripped out of her dirty clothes. After adjusting the water, she stepped into the spray standing still letting it beat the weariness out of her tired muscles. She stood a few minutes longer in the spray before quickly washing her hair and soaping and rinsing her body.

It didn't take Oree long to towel dry and put on clean clothes. She dressed warmly since the mornings were still cool. To keep her hair out of the way, she braided it and dug around in her closet for a watch cap. Satisfied that Dean had enough time to be asleep; Oree quietly opened her door and glanced down the hall toward her brother's room. All seemed quiet as she closed her bedroom door and started for the front door.

"Goin' somewhere?" Dean asked from his reclined position on the couch.

"Damnit!" she hissed madly stopping in her tracks at Dean's words. She rolled her eyes and turned to look at Dean.

"I knew you were holding something back, wanna start talking?" he asked sitting up.

"Dee what are you doing in here?"

"Looks like I'm catching you trying to sneak out."

"You can't come with me." she told him sitting by him on the couch. "I'll have Ellie go with me."

"Give me a good reason why?"

"Dee do you trust me?"

Dean paused at the question wondering where she was going with this. He looked her in the eye and finally answered.

"With my life." he told her seriously.

"I'm going to ask you to trust me here Dee. I know it goes against every cell in your body, to not try and protect me, but only I can do this. You're my brother and I'd die for you, but there are some things I have to keep to myself. I'll be ok, really. If I thought there was any danger, I wouldn't go." she implored taking his hands in hers. "I know I'm asking a lot of you, will you do this for me?"

Dean looked down at her small hands holding tightly to his large, rough ones. These were the hands that punched him when he teased her, doctored him when he had been injured, held him when he mourned, and worked with him when he needed support. How could he let her walk out that door and not go after her? He closed his eyes and sighed deeply before looking up at her.

"Promise me you'll be careful and call if you need me."

"I promise." she smiled softly giving him a tight hug and kiss on the cheek.

This simple gesture melted his macho exterior as he gladly returned the hug not realizing how much he had missed this. He couldn't picture his life without this spry of a girl in it. This was going to be hard to do, but he finally let her go and looked down at her.

"How long will you be gone?" he asked already forming an alternate plan.

"I'm not sure, shouldn't be too long, and Dee, don't have Angel spy on me either. I've blocked myself from him finding me." she chided him. "I'll be alright, I promise."

Dean slumped when she shot down the plan he had been forming. He knew he had to give in, it was impossible to say no to her. She was going to go whether he forbade it or not. His kid sister was growing up before his eyes and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"I'm holding you to that. We'll be waiting for you." he said giving in to her. Dean pulled her face to his and kissed her forehead before releasing her. "Look after her girl." Dean instructed the wolf.

"I love you big brother." she whispered. Relived she finally got through to him; Oree got up and headed for the door. Pausing for a second, she looked back at Dean sitting so alone on the couch. He looked like a kid who had lost his best friend. She gave him one more reassuring look before picking up a small pack and heading out.

spn

The first tendrils of the morning light began making their way through the leafy branches of the trees as Oree made her way through the forest. Dew dripped off the leaves and plopped randomly to the ground around her. Ellie ran ahead of her down the animal trail making sure there wasn't any danger. Oree breathed the cool morning air in deeply, clearing her mind of all else. She would come to this place often, and knew the way by instinct, like there was something there that guided her to the spot she wanted.

The trees thinned as Oree stepped into a small clearing that was postcard perfect. A small double waterfall dominated one side of the clearing allowing a small stream to work its way along the edge of the clearing and on down the mountain. The water was crystal clear and sparkled like precious gems as it hit rocks in its travels.

This was Oree's private paradise and get away. No one but Ellie knew of it, no one human that is. This is where she came to talk to her guardian angel or to just get away from the world. Oree let her pack slip off her shoulder as she made her way to the outcrop of rocks that formed a perfect seat for her. It gave her a beautiful view of the waterfall and wandering stream.

Once she made herself comfortable, she lowered her head and prayed, "Seraphim, it's me Aurora, I need your help. Please will you talk to me?"

spn

It took every ounce of strength Dean had to make himself stay on the couch and not follow his sister. He cursed himself for letting her talk him into allowing her to go off on her own. Dean got up from the couch and headed for the bathroom. He paused at Sam's room glancing in at his baby brother.

"Is everything ok?" Castiel asked.

"No, I just let my baby sister convince me to let her go off on her own." Dean fussed.

"Where was she going?"

"I don't know." he admitted.

"Shall I try to find her?"

"No, she said you wouldn't be able to find her. I've got to trust her, I don't like it, but what else could I do."

"I understand, Aurora can be very strong willed." Castiel commended.

"Cas what was Purgatory like?" Dean questioned him.

Castiel cocked his head in thought before responding. "Desolate, dangerous, kill or be killed, you always had to be alert and ready for the next attack. There was no letting your guard down or you would be killed." he tried to explain.

"I've noticed a change in Oree since she's been back; she's more intense, on edge, older." Dean said leaning against the doorframe. He looked over at Sam who seemed to be sleeping, it was hard to tell, at least his eyes were closed.

"Would you expect her not to be changed after being there?" Castiel asked. "Benny and I did our best to try to keep the evil from her, but we could only do so much. She had to be tough, do things she didn't like to get out of there alive. It took a lot out of her when she sealed Lucifer in his cage."

"Yeah, I know, but she's ok now right?"

"There is much about your sister that she keeps hidden. I only know what she will let me see."

"Do you like her?"

"Of course I like her."

"I mean do you like her like guy-girl like her, are you attracted to her?"

Castiel looked at Dean as he contemplated what he asked. How did he feel about Aurora? He enjoyed her company, liked doing things with her and missed her when he wasn't with her. He had never had these feeling before and wasn't sure what to call them or how to deal with them. He looked back up at Dean not really sure how to answer that question.