Arielle sat with her head against the window, watching the blur of scenery. They'd been on the road for a couple of weeks now, stopping here and there for a case. She'd cashed out all her accounts, including the savings her mother had accumulated. It hadn't taken much for Dean to convince her to leave the car behind if she wanted to join them. After the night with the ghouls, she found herself too exhausted to do much. She couldn't sell the last gift her mother gave her, but she couldn't bear sell it.
"You hungry?" Dean asked, noticing the slight jump she gave through the rearview mirror. Shaking her mother's death was harder than she thought and she knew it worried her half-brothers. It was time to change that.
Sitting up, she gave him a nod and a small smile. "I'm craving a giant, medium-rare steak," she started, tying her hair up in a loose ponytail, her bangs framing her face. "Mashed potatoes with bits of bacon and melted cheese," she continued, her stomach now grumbling at the idea of an actual meal. "Corn. Lotsa corn. And carrots and green beans. Oh, and bread rolls smothered in butter."
She caught the look of shock on Dean's face and she couldn't help but dissolve into a heap of giggles. Her appetite had been close to nonexistent and now this. "What, you think I kept this figure by nibbling on celery and lettuce?"
"Dude," Sam said, after recovering from laughing himself. "Maumee Bay," he added, slapping Dean's arm. "We're like, an hour away at the most!" Arielle could see Dean nodding in agreement, a grin on his lips. "It's been a while."
"You think Michelle is still working there?" Man, the size of those- " he stopped as a gagging sound cut him off, and he caught Arielle pretending to vomit behind him. "Shit. Sorry. Kinda not used to having a girl around."
She rolled her eyes before perking up. "I'll let you talk about Michelle if I can talk about the guy at the gas station," she countered, sitting up on the edge of the backseat. She bit her lip at the memory of the man. "Damn, those shoulders. And when he bent over, I swear his a- "
"Okay!" Dean interrupted, raising the radio's volume. Arielle burst into laughter again, kicking at his seat playfully.
They rode on to Toledo, Ohio. Arielle was thankful Dean listened to the classics like their father, and more than once, the two belted along with the songs, much to Sam's displeasure. He practically jumped out of the Impala as soon as Dean parked the car in the restaurant lot.
Sam stood with his hands on his back, stretching. "Holy crap, five more minutes and I would've sliced my own ears off," Sam said, a slight groan escaping him as a couple of bones popped. Arielle climbed out of the backseat, reaching up towards the sky and then lowering herself to touch her toes. Once done, she stepped up to Sam and gave him a playful shove.
"Shut it," she added, walking in step between the two brothers and heading to the restaurant.
The trio enjoyed a delicious meal as Sam and Dean shared stories of their hunts. Arielle devoured every word, her eyes glue to her brothers as she shoveled food into her mouth. Closing time fell upon them and, leftovers in hand, they headed back to the Impala. The ride to the closest hotel was quick and as soon as they got a room, Arielle dove head first into bed.
It was the first night she slipped right into sleep.
She floats in a lake, her arms spread out and the sun beating on her face. She feels like a mermaid, turning and slipping into the water, holding her breath as she seems as far down as she can. Fish swim by her, avoiding her grasping hands, and when she begins letting the air blow out of her mouth, swimming up and bursting through the surface.
She's smiling wide, dipping her head back momentarily before her eyes catch sight of a pier. Her brows knot as she recognizes the man fishing as her brother, Dean. Her mouth opens to call out to him, but a man in a brown trench coat appears suddenly beside him.
Her eyes narrow, trying to jog her mind and see if she knows the guy. She watches an interchange go on, and Dean is looking at something in his hand.
Just as the girl starts swimming toward him, the chair and her brother disappear. Eyes wide, she looks around and sees everything fading, even the lake she's in. The lovely vision suddenly changes to her on her back, arms spread out exactly as if she were floating again. Her mother is with her though and the Joe Barton is replaced by John Winchester. Both have bloodied knifes and when they grin, their teeth are coated in red. Glancing down at herself, she sees she's once again tied to the kitchen table, bleeding over the bodies of her brothers instead of into bowls.
She tries to scream but instead of her voice, spurts of blood shoot out and splatter her face.
She awoke with a gasp just as Sam was about to shake her away. The dream had been a recurring one, minus the inclusion of Dean and the trench coat man. Her shirt clung to her body, heavy with sweat as she untangled herself from the covers and headed to the bathroom just as Dean exited.
Shutting the door behind her and grabbing onto the sink, she took a look at herself in the mirror. The bag under eyes had grown, but she hadn't noticed until now. The splash of cold water brought color back into her features and she changed quickly. Stepping out, she saw Dean and Sam waiting with their bags.
"You okay?" Dean asked. She let out a breath and gave him as best a smile as she could muster. "Okay," he said, though Arielle knew he didn't but it. "Let's hit the road."
Once in the car, Dean shared his dream, and Arielle's eyes widened to hear the beginning of her dream repeated back , now knowing the name of the man she saw with Dean. The rest of the nightmare flooded her mind and Sam noticed her shiver as she looked out the window. He shrugged off his jacket and handed it to her.
"Thanks," she muttered, sliding it on and returning her gaze to the dark landscape. They road in silence until Dean turned into an abandoned warehouse. The trio climbed out and each sibling grabbed a flashlight.
"Well, what did he say, Dean?" Sam asked as they walked in to find it as empty and ill-kept as the outside. "What was so important?"
"If I knew, would I be here?" Dean retorted, leading them up some stairs. Their flashlights illuminated the area. "What the hell?"
Sam kicked at some rubble. "It looks like a bomb went off," he noted, walking further into the room.
"There was a fight here," Dean added, his eyes locked on the walls. He suddenly slapped Sam's arm, pointing to a symbol on one of the walls. Arielle was sure it was made with blood.
"Look familiar?" Dean asked and Sam gave a solemn nod. "Anna used something like that to wish the angels back to the cornfield."
"Anna?" the blonde asked. "Angels?" The girl shook her head, running her hand through her loose hair as she tried to make sense of what they were saying.
"So, what? Cas was fighting angels?" Sam asked then turned to his sister. "Cas and Anna are angels."
The young woman blinked. "Angels," she repeated flatly. " Life, fluffy wings and glowing halos angels?"
Sam chuckled . "More like suits and ties. Well, Cas does like his trench coat, though." They caught sight of Dean digging someone out. The mention of a trench coat jogged something in her mind but she forgot it when she noticed Dean's features change.
"Sam," he called out, before turning back to who was on the ground. "Cas? Cas," Dean said, his voice almost stern yet lowered in volume. "Hey, Cas?"
"Wha… What's going on?" the familiar man said and Arielle was surprised to see the man in her dreams.
"Just take it easy. Take it easy," Dean said, helping up the brunette. His blue eyes looked around blankly as he struggled to his feet.
Sam quickly approached them while Arielle hung back, her eyes still unable to believe the sight. "Cas, you okay?" Sam asked as Arielle finally went to his side, inspecting a cut on his forehead.
The blood was a dull red, but even in the dimly lit space, she knew it was real. Taking a bandana from the back of her pocket, she dabbed at the blood threatening to fall into his eye. "Ugh," the man started, clearing his throat. "Castiel. I'm not Castiel. It's me."
Arielle looked between the bewildered brothers. "Who's 'me'?" Sam pressed as he eyed the man now.
"Where the hell is Castiel?" Dean demanded as they helped walk him out of the warehouse.
Arielle had hooked her arm under his right one to keep him erect. The man didn't know who to answer first as he looked between the Winchester brothers. "Jimmy. My name's Jimmy. And Castiel. He's gone."