The smell of bacon and freshly brewed coffee woke her up. Emma got dressed in the same clothes she came in. She really needed to pick up some basics. In the kitchen, Sam was talking on the phone and poking at an omelet. Cass was sitting at the table, humming to himself. She walked over to the table and sat down next to Cass.
"Good morning, Emma! Would you like some bacon?" He smiled and offered the heaping plate to her, as well as setting a plate in front of her with his other hand.
She took a handful, put it on the plate, and sank her teeth into the salty deliciousness. "Thanks, Cass. Do we have any coffee & milk?"
"Sure, I'll grab it for you." He got up, lost in thought. What he had sensed from her was unusual. She had a trace of grace, but it was bonded with her soul. When Lucifer had consumed it, he had left her alive, but as a human. This bonded "echo" was what he had originally felt when he had first healed her, but she was unconscious then. To really understand what had happened to her, he would have to touch her. After recent events, he was reluctant to do that. He also had to consider when the right time would be. He would be busy getting a fruit from the tree of life after breakfast, and he didn't know how long that would take. He sighed, then returned to the table with coffee, milk, and honey.
"I brought you some honey as well in case you like to sweeten your coffee." She looked up at him and nodded in approval. Sam joined them with his completed omelet and some vegetable juice.
"Good morning, Emma. I just got off the phone with our friend, Donna. She's a sheriff from Stillwater, Minnesota. When we saw your driver's license, we asked her to check on your next of kin." Emma nodded and poured herself some coffee, added a splash of milk and honey and stirred thoughtfully.
"I'm sure she ran a full report on me and noticed my significant criminal history, as well as my time behind bars." She grinned wickedly as Cass' blue eyes opened wide with surprise and Sam snickered, looking at the angel with pity.
"She's being sarcastic, Cass. What Donna did discover was that Emma doesn't have a living next of kin." Emma sat silently, rubbing her thumb against the edge of the coffee cup, then taking a sip. Cass studied her face. He noticed that her grin had quickly changed to a look of sadness when Sam mentioned no living relatives. He couldn't imagine the loneliness she must feel without a family.
Sam also noticed the change in her demeanor. "I'm sorry if this brings up bad memories, Emma." He looked up and then muttered under his breath, "Great timing, Dean."
Dean walked into the kitchen, his eyes still at half mast, yawning. He had boxer briefs on and that was it. Emma turned around, as did Cass. Dean's morning wood was clearly visible through the silky green fabric. Cass blushed, Sam rolled his eyes in disgust and Emma immediately put her hand over her eyes.
"Dean!" Cass said, a surprised look on his already red face.
"Dean!" Sam said in a chastising tone. "Do you not realize there's some of us that do not want to start the morning seeing you in your underwear?"
"It's my house too, bitch!" Dean sits down beside Sam, opposite of Emma. He picks up the coffee Castiel poured for him, inhales its magic fragrance and sips gingerly on his hot go-go juice.
Desperate to get the image out of her mind, Emma holds out the plate and asks timidly, "Would you like some bacon, Dean?"
Dean scoffs, then grabs a few pieces as he says, "So, you're talking to me now?" He stares at her questioningly as he starts on his third piece of bacon.
Emma stammers, then looks down at her hands, "I….I'm…"
Dean doesn't let her finish before he glances over at Cass and says, "And you, shouldn't you be getting some Tree of Life fruit?"
Cass senses Emma's discomfort next to him. "Yes, Dean, I was planning to go after breakfast. Perhaps Emma and I should go now." Emma picks up the coffee cups and puts them in the sink. Cass looks disapprovingly at Dean, then joins her at the kitchen door and they walk together down the hallway.
Dean smirked. "And she runs away again."
"Dude, rude. You didn't exactly give her a warm welcome either." Sam said, exasperated. "Cass and I may be used to your morning shit, but she's not. Give her some slack, okay?"
"Sounds like you know more than you're telling, little brother. Want to clue me in?" Dean eyed his brother, a quizzical look on his face.
Sam shook his head. "I can't share her story because it's not mine to tell. What I can say is that she's been through a lot and is still working on it. Emma has a legit reason to be scared. So, quit being a dick to her, give her some space, and she'll come around when she's ready." Sam finished his juice and looked down at his glass. "You know, you're not all that different when it comes to hiding your feelings, are you, jerk?" Dean almost choked on his coffee and bacon. "Shut up, bitch, we got work to do. Finding the blood of a most holy man, remember?"
Emma and Cass walked down the hallway in silence. She appreciated the fact that the angel didn't need to fill every moment with useless chatter. The beautiful, reflective, meditative silence was enough. They stopped outside Emma's door.
"I have to leave on a mission, but it shouldn't take long. Do you need anything before I go?" Cass looked at her, the question hanging in the air between them. He hadn't noticed before that her tunic seemed to enhance the blue in her hazel eyes. And her gold-brown hair framed her face and flowed down like a caramel river to end on the upward curve of her breasts. She was beautiful, not in a supermodel way, but in a natural, genuine, realistic way. Her soul was almost as bright and sparkly as Dean's, and it was dazzling to him, which made her all the more attractive.
She noticed him staring at her with a soft, gentle intensity that was not threatening at all. In fact, it felt like she was standing and showering in warm sunshine. It felt so good, so right, that she was drawn to him. Their bodies were mere inches from each other, and she could feel the heat radiating from him. It warmed her on the outside and she could feel her insides melting as well.
"Actually, I really need to get out and run a few errands. I need to book a flight home or rent a car, and I need some basic supplies. I also want to take some time to process this, so I need to let my boss know I'm not coming in tomorrow, or the rest of the week. When you get back, can we talk? I still don't remember much about what happened that night and filling in the gaps would help me feel more at ease." She looked at his lips, waiting for a response, and couldn't help but notice how soft and pink they seemed compared to the stark contrast of dark pointy stubble surrounding them.
Cass licked his lips. He had noticed lately that he did that as a nervous habit. "Sure, we have a few cars from Bobby that we have for emergencies in the garage. The keys are hanging on a hook just inside the door. As long as you use the opener, it should be easy to get back in. Sam and Dean have a mission too, so they'll be leaving soon. Whatever you do, don't take the black '67 Impala. You don't want to see what Dean would do if you stole his Baby." Cass laughed and his sapphire eyes twinkled. "And don't pay any attention to how he was this morning. Dean is an angry, grumpy bear when he gets up until he's had his coffee and something to eat."
She nodded. "I understand that feeling. I will talk with him at some point. I'm just not ready yet."
"I'm here when you are and if you feel you would like someone there when you talk to him. See you soon." Cass said softly. He turned to go, but not before a wistful expression crossed his face.
Sam and Dean had left an hour ago, but not before Sam stopped by and let her know they'd be gone for at least a few days. He gave her his number and Castiel's mobile numbers just in case. He was happy to hear Cass had filled her in about using one of the loaner cars. He assured her that she could stay as long as she needed to and that it was good having someone at the bunker while they were gone.
Emma gathered her purse and headed to the garage. She found a powder blue 2012 Chevy Impala that had obviously seen better days, but it was clean and would get her from point A to point B. She grabbed the tag that read "Blue Impala," and chuckled as she saw the angel wing keychain. Oh, if Castiel was her co-pilot…..she felt a little shiver of longing and hope that could be true. Although it was nice, it was nothing next to the feeling of sunshine that Cass gave her. The warm, peaceful feeling surrounded her like a snuggly blanket she could take with her anywhere.
It was a warm, breezy day in September, so it was good to get out and feel the sunshine. Emma drove through the Kansas countryside with the windows down, singing along to whatever came on the radio. The fields of gold reminded her of her childhood in Red Wing, MN. Outside of the city, it was a lot like this, except Minnesota had more trees and rolling hills. She consulted the map on her phone. The largest city closest to her was Smith Center and was a quick trip west on Hwy 36.
She arrived and quickly found the public library so she could send an email to her boss and request time off. One of the blessings of being a veteran's counselor was that her boss understood the need to practice self-care for good mental health. One of the curses was that so many veterans needed help, so she rarely took time off. Emma knew the tongues would be wagging and the emails would be coming in from colleagues after taking a week off. She sent the last email to her coordinator, letting her know that she'd informed her clients about her absence and asked them to contact her to reschedule if needed.
Emma really didn't want to think about it now, but figuring out how to get home would make it easier for her to relax and enjoy the rest of the time she had here. She looked at flights from Kansas City to Minneapolis, and after seeing how much a ticket would cost, plus renting a car on both ends, she decided the best way would be to drive back. Honestly, the drive would give her the time to think, and 9 hours could easily be done in a day, plus or minus a few if she stopped anywhere. Now that her mind was made up, she turned her attention to the rest of the things she needed.
One of the things she loved about small towns was that most things were on Main Street or within a small area. She parked in front of a shop called Blooms on Main. From there, she walked along the street visiting the various shops and gathering basic toiletries, clothing and other things that would make her week's stay a little more enjoyable. She even found, in a store ironically enough called Foxy Finds, a beautiful purple and black dress with an empire waist that flattered her figure and heels to match. She also picked up some comfort clothes, like t-shirts, flannels and jeans. Her stomach was grumbling, reminding her that she hadn't eaten lunch yet.
After a quick lunch at the local café, she finished up her time in Smith Center by going to Heartland Foods, the local grocery store. Sam and Dean had been gracious hosts and she wanted to repay them with some great food when they got back. She got the basics, plus everything she needed to make her favorite comfort food and apple pie. September always made her crave apple pie. They had a great deli section and after her day out, she didn't feel like cooking. Emma got a chicken dinner with coleslaw, buns, and fixings, as well as some waldorf salad. Just in case Castiel came back early, she wanted to have enough for two. If he didn't, she'd have enough for a few days.
