Jack was looking at his phone trying to call Dean. There was no answer. He missed Sam and Dean.
He looked around his cheap room. It was small but paid for. It was his for the time being. Right now he was on a case. There were attacks on a group of college students. Since no one called him to see how he was doing, he figured for the time being he can hunt. He never told anyone, not Cas, Hannah, or his uncles, knowing they all would drag his ass home. Yes, he was an adult, but in the scope of eternity, he was an infant. They would lock him up in Heaven to keep him safe.
As much as he thought Heaven was beautiful, it was still a prison. No souls got out. The angels will blindly follow Michael's orders, and keep Jack locked up; for his safety. Gabriel had called him earlier, he wanted to know how Jack was doing. Jack lied and said he was going to the beach for Spring Break.
"Spring Break? I'm due for a vacation. Maybe I can join you." Gabriel sighs in envy. "I told you about the time Julius Caesar and I partied hard in Egypt during his Spring Break?"
"Many, many times Uncle Gabriel." Jack said politely.
"Have fun, and bring protection! I'll come join you after I'm done my errand."
"Sure Uncle Gabe. Gotta go. Bye." Jack hung up before Gabriel starts asking what hotel he was staying in. Jack hoped that Gabriel didn't come, he wasn't even in that state. He was far away from the beach.
He was in a nowheresville small town. He "borrowed" a car from an airport to do his case, it was an emergency. He knew stealing was wrong, so he borrowed it from a valet guy for the time being. The guy mentioned the traveler would be out of the country for a few weeks and rented Jack the car for a few days for a couple of bucks. Jack was grateful. He knew he can return the car after he was done.
Jack usually kept to himself, whenever he was alone, he found cases to send to his friends. But one case caught his eye.
There were news reports that college women were being kidnapped by an unknown person. If that wasn't unusual enough, the ones that weren't kidnapped for very long came back with healed scars on their bodies. They said they had never seen their attackers, but they all said that the guy gave them drugs and tied them to a bed. It wasn't enough to knock them out, but it was enough for them to see them suck the blood. If that wasn't unusual enough, the guy "healed" their cuts shortly after. They all swore to see a small smoke of light radiating from their cuts. Based on those reports, Jack knew he needed to be here to solve the case. Bad enough that they were kidnapped and getting injured, but with the reports of those women seeing a light coming from their bodies, Jack knew that this wasn't a regular creep. This may be a new monster no one heard of. He was going to ask Dean for help, but there was no answer.
Dean must be busy. He did mention he was going to see Jenna for a few days before he went to find some Tablets with Sam. He debated calling Sam but didn't. He might accidentally tell Piper and she will turn around and tell her sisters. Who in turn will tell his uncle Michael he was hunting. No way he was risking that. Hmm. He was debating on calling Castiel, he knew he could ask Cas for info. But, Castiel might get suspicious and start asking questions. Claire did the same thing before she started hunting. She asked a lot of questions about hunting before she turned eighteen and left home.
Wait a minute. He can call Claire. She won't say anything. She hunts too. Jack called her phone. Hoping she answered, knowing she rarely answers her phone.
"Hello?"
"Claire? It's Jack."
"Oh. Hey. What's up?"
"Are you busy right now?"
"What is it Jack." Right to the point as usual.
"Are you alone?"
"Why. Castiel and Hannah are in Heaven at the moment. They called me before they left. They wanted to make sure I was okay being alone. Goddamn, I am a grown-ass woman. I can take care of myself. I am alone. Currently looking for a case."
"Really. That's good. Right now I am on one."
"Jack, whatever your uncles are doing, it has nothing to do with me. I want nothing to do with those winged freaks. No offense."
"No. Uncle Gabriel and Castiel are busy with something else. I found a new case. There is currently a monster kidnapping women."
"Kidnapping? Shouldn't you call the police?"
"It's not just an ordinary case. This is unusual." Jack proceeds to tell Claire the details of the case.
"Grigori. My mom died from one. Castiel and The Winchesters hunted them years ago. They eat souls."
"What?! Uncle Raphael said all of them are dead."
"Your uncles are fools. They are supposed to be extinct. Looks like a few escaped."
"Dammit. I need to kill the rest of them."
"Sure you are old enough to hunt?" Claire teased. Knowing Jack was well guarded at all times, and was watched over 24/7 by angels.
"I'm a grownup. I've been on my own for a few years now."
"Yeah, but every day an angel checks up on you."
Jack knew that was true. Growing up, there was always an angel watching over him. Even in college. Some of the students there were angels in disguise. Even the professors. Heck, even now there were a few that were watching over him. Jack knew he needed to be careful. If any saw him in danger, they would report straight to Michael and Raphael.
"You need help Jack?"
"Actually, I would like that. I cannot use my grace. I would be tracked down easily. The more the merrier."
"You are SO lame. Where are you?"
Jack told Claire where he was, a cheap motel in town.
"OK. That is a few hours away. Sit tight. See you soon."
Jack thanked her and hung up. He was debating on what to do for the time being, till he heard a woman's voice.
"Hello Jack."
Jack turns around in a hurry. Standing behind him was a black woman in a leather trench coat. She looked familiar.
"Billie?"
"Not quite."
"Who are you then."
"They call me Death. I am not originally from this world."
"Were you the one to open that rift in Malaysia? Besides, I thought Death was an older middle-aged man. You look young." Jack saw Her true form, even with his half-human eyes, Death didn't look that old.
"No that was someone else."
"What do you want with me."
"Nothing. I just need a favor from you. Tell no one you saw me. Those victims. They are just a few miles from here."
"Why are you telling me this? Are you here to collect their souls?"
''No. Those women have their own reapers. But if you don't save them there will be no soul left to collect."
"My stepsister Claire is coming to help me. She'll be here soon."
Death nodded.
"I need you to do a task. I need you to eat their hearts."
"Huh? Eat the women's hearts! I would never do that! They are innocent."
"Not the women. The Fallen Ones. I need you to kill them. I need you to eat their hearts."
Jack was horrified.
"Why? Isn't killing them enough?"
"You are needed. Just trust me."
"But..."
Death vanishes. Jack wondered what the hell was going on. He stood there for a few minutes wondering what to do when he got a call. It was his foster dad, Castiel. Jack walks over to the phone and answers it.
"Hello?"
"Jack. Just checking in. How're things."
"Fine, Cas. I'm just watching TV." He lied.
"That's good. I was just wondering. Did you ever hear from Dean or Sam lately?"
"No. Why what's up?"
"I tried calling Dean and Sam. Neither one is answering."
"Maybe they are on dates. They are both on vacation."
"Well, not right now." Castiel filled Jack in on what went down in San Francisco.
"Is everyone alright?"
"Yes. We managed to save Samandriel. Dean, Sam, and everyone else are safe."
"Phew. I'm glad for that. How's Hannah?"
After Jack and Castiel talked for a few minutes Jack said goodbye. He was wondering why Dean never answered his phone. Maybe he needed his alone time with Jenna. He'll call him later. As he sat down on his bed, he wondered what Death told him. Eat Grigori hearts. Why? He knew they were angels. Not the good kind, but expelled ones. Raphael told him they were kicked out of Heaven centuries ago. Apparently during the Great War. Those angels didn't fight. They were sent to Earth to protect humanity. But they broke the rules. They went to Earth and started killing humans. They had a taste of human souls. When the Archangels found out, Michael went and destroyed them, one by one. They believed all of them died, but a few survived. That is probably why Death told Jack to kill them. He was fine with that, he was his nephew, but to eat their hearts? Ew.
Since there was nothing better to do, Jack decided to do some research on his laptop. See if there was any lore on Grigori. There was some lore, nothing that Jack already knew, but according to legend, they were the first class of angels to arrive on Earth. They took vessels and started lusting after human women. They ended up raping those women and when they got a taste of the women, they wanted more. It wasn't just their bodies, it was the emotion those women carried. Then they went on to eat souls. No one was spared. Men, women, children. All were fair game. All were believed to be destroyed, but since Claire and Death told them that there were a few left on Earth, Jack knew he needed to kill them. He wondered if stabbing them with an Angel Blade was enough. Probably not. Since he was half-angel, maybe eating their hearts was guaranteed to kill them. He knew he couldn't use his grace, so he decided to practice fighting.
Two hours later, Jack was tired. He practiced every fighting stance he knew, and he figured he needed a break. Claire will be here in a few hours. But Jack didn't know if Claire would be here on time. Those missing girls would need his help soon. He shot Claire a text that he was going to look for anything unusual, and he'll let her know if he found out anything.
'Claire, I'm gonna check things out.'
Five minutes later, Claire wrote back.
'Stay low. Don't get caught.'
Jack got changed, put some weapons in a backpack, then headed out. He wasn't surprised to see an angel who was working as a housekeeper. He pretended not to notice Jack, but Jack knew he was watching over Jack just to make sure he was safe. As much as he appreciated it, he felt like he had a permanent nanny tethered around his neck. Michael needed to stop being so overprotective.
Smiling at the angel, Jack pretended to go to the restaurant downstairs. He needed to lose him. Plus he needed to sneak out of sight, knowing there may be more angels sent down to keep an eye on him. When he sat down to eat, he saw a trucker. He was drinking a coffee, but Jack saw right through him.
Sigh. Sneaking away would be a lot harder than it looked. Sitting down he ordered a burger, fries, and a chocolate shake. He wasn't hungry, but he needed to make the angels believe he was just sitting down to eat before he snuck away. The housekeeper angel came downstairs and started vacuuming the lobby, knowing it faced the restaurant. Ugh. This would be a lot more challenging. He decided to ask Claire for some help on how to get rid of angels.
'SOS. How do you lose the gum on your shoe?'
Jack knew Sam and Dean used secret code words. That phrase was used if one was being followed.
'With this.'
Claire texted him back a picture of an angel banishing sigil.
'It can banish angels nearby. But you need fresh human blood. But I recommend against it. You may send yourself away.'
True. Plus Jack doubted his own blood would work. He needed pure human blood but refused to hurt innocents. He looked at the picture again.
Hmm. The design didn't look too hard, but what if those angels told Michael what he did? Michael himself would take Jack back to Heaven. He needed a new plan.
Then he saw a bus of high school kids pull up and had an idea.
When his food was delivered, he asked for it to be boxed up. Once Jack paid, he took his food and looked around. There were a few of those kids in the hotel lobby, one of them was wearing a hat. Luckily for Jack, there was a shop right in the lobby that sold souvenirs. One of them sold hats exactly like his. After he left the restaurant, he went to the souvenir shop and bought an identical hat plus sunglasses. He was waiting for a perfect time to talk to one of the students. After putting on his new accessories he looked around for the male student who kinda looked like him. Jack needed him to switch places. When he saw the student going towards the washrooms he knew he had one shot. He followed him.
Making sure there were no angels following him, he ducked inside the men's washroom. Seeing the boy using a urinal, he felt weird asking a total stranger for a favor. However, now wasn't the time to be shy, there were innocent people in danger. Good thing he had money. After pretending to wash his hands, he waited till the boy was done his business before asking a question.
Jason was wondering how he can afford to go to see Nine Inch Nails. They were having a reunion tour, and tickets were going on sale soon. He came on this trip, hoping to score some cash from his classmates. When he saw Jack, he didn't think much of it. Then feeling eyes, he gave Jack a suspicious look.
"The hell's your problem?"
"I need a favor."
"Depends on what it is." Freak.
"I need you to pretend to be me."
"Why? Are you in trouble with the law?"
"My uncle. He sent angels to keep an eye on me."
"Angels. huh. Are you a member of a church?"
"Heaven."
"Oh. That kind of church. Yeah, my parents are strict too. What do you expect me to do? We don't look much alike." What did this kid want from him?
"With this hat and sunglasses, we can switch places for the time being. I need to meet some girls."
"Really." Lucky. "Okay, getting laid is your priority. Got it. I totally understand. But I don't work for free."
"What do you want."
"Fifty bucks, plus your jacket."
"But this jacket was a gift from my dad."
"Then forget it."
"Deal." Jack knew innocent lives were at stake. They traded clothing. Jack handed him his boxed food, telling him he needed to be seen carrying something.
"What's this for?" Smelled good, but no way he was eating food from a stranger. Especially from a bathroom.
"Just carry this around. I need everyone to think you're me."
"Okay." Weirdo. "Where do I go? I don't want to get into trouble."
"Just walk away, far enough for me to leave. When they realize you're not me, they won't care who you are." Jack was so glad he suppressed his grace and wings. Claire gave him some tricks she found online to hide souls.
After the kid left, Jack cautiously opened the door. Both the trucker and the housekeeper walked out following his twin. There was another one that joined him, it was the souvenir clerk. Yikes. He hoped that they didn't figure out Jack's plan soon, Jack only had a certain amount of time.
After Jack made sure he was safe, he went out the side door. He couldn't take his car, knowing the angels will be looking for it. So Jack walked down the streets instead. He needed to track down some info for the missing girls.
He walked down some side streets till he saw a girl. Jack recognized her as one of the girls that escaped. He decided to ask her some questions.
"Excuse me miss?"
The girl looked up at him. She had a haunted look in her eyes. What exactly did this monster do to her? Jack swore to kill it. Heart or no heart.
"I was wondering about some missing girls. Tell me what happened."
The girl took a few seconds to answer, she was completely out of it.
"What do you want to know. My friends are gone. I seen weird things. I was violated." She said in a hollow tone.
"Did he hurt you?"
"He did something to me. I don't know what. But I need to go home." Her eyes were unfocused and empty.
"Before you go, I need to know. Do you know where those girls are?"
"Why. Are you planning on hurting them too? It's too late. My friends are dead. Whatever that man did, he drained them of their blood. None of them are moving anymore. They are gone. If you want to tell the cops, tell them to go to an abandoned mental hospital. That is where my friends' bodies are.'' She sounded dead.
"Thank you. I promise your friends will be okay."
"Yeah right. We prayed to God. He didn't answer. He didn't protect us." She walked away in a trance.
Jack didn't know what to say. He knew she was right. His Grandfather stopped caring a long time ago. He told her to rest up. He then went in the direction she pointed to. Looking behind him, he had to make sure there was no one following him. He knew he didn't have much time. The angels must have already figured things out. It wouldn't take long before his uncles or Castiel tracked him down.
He stayed off the main streets afraid he would be seen. He was not taking any chances. Anyone could be an angel. He needed a car. Luckily Dean showed him how to hot-wire one. Despite Jack knowing it was wrong, this was an emergency. He found one and after hot wiring it, he drove away.
It took him a few minutes to find the place.
Haley In ane A ylum was written in broken letters.
The building was run down and creepy looking, the property was surrounded by a fence. After Jack parked down the street, he waited inside for any movement. If this Grigori was here, he'll show up.
He ducked when he saw a police car. He wasn't sure if they were angels or not. After he felt like he was safe, he got up. He waited a few minutes, just in case. Then he saw a man coming. He was carrying a long case. After he looked around he went inside the fence where the hospital was.
From here Jack could see his grace. But his grace, it looked perverted. He looked like he had a mix of human souls. Jack wanted to vomit. He swore to kill him and eat his heart. Once the man went inside, Jack followed him.
He went inside the hospital. Armed with his angel blade, he was prepared for anything.
At first, he didn't see anything, but after his eyes adjusted he waited to hear any noises. He thought he heard a distant moan. It was coming down the hall. Towards the darkest area of the hospital. Of course. The Grigori didn't want to see what they were doing to their victims. Jack wished he could use his grace. But he couldn't. His Grandfather would know he exists. Then everyone will die.
Since he had no one to count on, he went towards the hallway. Swallowing quickly he hid in some rooms making absolutely sure he couldn't be caught. He had a soul, and being a half-angel, he knew the Grigori would consider him a drug. He was not taking any chances. He turned off his phone.
Meanwhile, Claire got off the bus. Luckily for her, there was a bus transfer and she was able to make it a few hours early. She tried calling Jack but there was no answer. She was armed with her weapons. Including her angel blade. There was no way in hell she was calling Castiel. She knew he cared for her like a daughter, but he was indirectly responsible for getting her dad killed. She hated angels ever since.
Except for Jack. Plus Castiel and Hannah. Kind of. They took her in. She could have gone to a foster home, but Castiel insisted that Claire move in with his wife and foster son. She protested, but at least she didn't have to move from foster home to foster home. She heard the stories. She was glad she didn't have to be an only child. When Castiel told her there was a boy her age living with them, she was somewhat pleased. But was disappointed when he was part angel.
It was a rough couple of weeks. Her and Hannah fought. Hannah obviously never had any experience raising children and thought being strict was the way to go. She watched too much reality TV. She thought watching Supernan was the way to go. Lame.
Castiel wasn't much better. He thought by being her friend was the way to go. Loser. Claire was seriously thinking of running away from home till Jack and her sat down and played with a deck of cards.
"So Jack, why do you stay, you can go back Upstairs." Heaven is where angels live. Claire handed him his card. They were playing Crazy 8's.
"Earth is my home. I've been to Heaven, but I don't belong there. Not yet anyways." They just finished watching TV and sat down to play cards and talk. It was Claire's idea, she wanted to know Jack better.
"I hear that." Claire grew up religious, but after finding out about the reality, she wasn't sure Heaven was for her after she died. She hands Jack a Queen of Spades. "My parents are dead. Did Castiel ever tell you that he was responsible for their deaths?" Claire still hated him. She said yes to protect her mom from demons, unfortunately, it cost Jimmy his.
"He thinks about Jimmy every day. He always wonders what if. But I read Fate's Book. He would have died either way." Car accident. Admittedly, it would be more peaceful, but Claire would have been alone anyways, Amelia would have overdosed on sleeping pills before Claire was sixteen.
Claire just snorted. She swore silently when Jack won.
"I won!" Jack smiles. "Play again?" He smiles as he shuffles. "I'm alone too, Kelly died giving birth to me." He wished he met her, although technically he could, he can go to Heaven anytime. He hands Claire an ace.
"It's not the same. You were a newborn. I spent thirteen years with my parents. No way you would remember her." She takes two cards.
"I do."
"How?" Claire was curious now. She knew Jack was half angel, but also part human.
"I'm a Nephilim. I remember hearing her voice in the womb. She used to read and sing to me every day. And made me listen to classical music to make me smart; although I suck at math." Jack had to be tutored by Raphael growing up.
"You were awake in the womb?" Claire couldn't help but feel creeped out. "That's weird."
"Sorry." Jack always felt like an outsider. Even growing up, he barely has friends. Most kids considered him a freak.
"And your father?" She saw Jack's shoulder sag.
"It's Lucifer." That was a secret he never liked sharing. He and Lucifer got along, but he heard the stories growing up.
"Let's just play." Claire won this time. She takes Jack's cards. "Want to make popcorn?"
A few hours later, Claire and he slowly became friends. Since school was in a few hours, Claire and he stayed up all night drinking coffee and talking. Jack was alright, Claire found him funny and kind. Even though he was a ditz.
"Did your mom ever know? About who your dad was?" Jack's dad was the Devil. She didn't envy him one bit.
"She didn't like to think about it." Kelly always considered Castiel Jack's real father, a title Cas cherished. "She always said a father and a dad were two different things."
"Yep." Claire was glad Jimmy was both. "I'm gonna get another cup. What do you like in yours." Claire preferred black coffee.
"Four sugars with a splash of cream."
"Four?" The cups in the house were small. "No wonder you don't sleep half the time." Jack mentioned as a half angel, he didn't need to eat and sleep as much. A small meal and two hours of sleep were all he needed.
She remembered how she and Jack got along after that. He even went along with her crazy schemes. They were even grounded after they were both caught hitchhiking to go to a concert in Chicago.
"We're going to get in trouble." Jack and Claire were hitchhiking in Illinois.
"Where are your sense of adventure?" They took a bus out of state to get here but ran out of money. Claire was debating on stealing a car but didn't want to get caught by the cops. She had a record in Illinois. "Won't be the first time I hitchhiked." Claire was always careful, luckily every person that picked her up was friendly. "I feel safer with another person." She figured if things went wrong, Jack could use his angel mojo on the guy. "Here's another one!" She stuck out her thumb. "Really?!" She scoffed. "Wimp!" When the car drove by.
"Maybe we should call Cas. He'll take us to Chicago." Claire's favorite band was playing at the United Center, Claire already had her tickets.
"Yeah, then what would Mom say?" She wasn't looking forward to Hannah's yelling. "Besides, both are busy doing their Heavenly duties at the moment." Spying another car, Claire rolls up her pants and lifts up her bare leg.
"What are you doing?" Claire was half naked. Jack tried not to look down, she had a nice leg.
"I'm getting cold. Besides, what man would resist." She smiled when she saw lights slowing down. When she saw the Impala, her face fell. "Oh, crap."
Dean was smirking as Sam rolled down the window.
"Nice leg. Got my attention." Dean and Sam were driving North for a possible case when they saw two hitchhikers. When the blonde lifted her bare leg, naturally Dean pulled over. Seeing Jack and Claire, Sam insisted on giving them a ride.
"Hey Sam." Jack said weakly. "Hi Dean."
"No thanks, we'll wait for the next ride." Claire stepped back.
"Get inside." Sam ordered. "Or we'll call Cas." Reluctantly, both got in.
"So whatcha up to?" Dean asked in a condescending voice. "There's no hunt around here."
"Spare me." Claire said sarcastically.
"Not a chance. Sam?"
Just their luck the Winchesters had to be the ones driving the car. Claire remembered the lecture they both got from Sam and Dean.
"You do realize that we're obligated to tell Cas."
"Yeah, yeah." Claire sighed. The ride back is going to be so much fun.
Claire's ears were still ringing from Hannah's lecture. She used her real voice to lecture them both, both she and Jack were in their rooms lying in bed with migraines. She warned Claire that her true voice was merely a whisper, the next time happens again, Castiel will show them his "stern" voice.
Since they were living with angels, it was impossible to sneak out again. Angels never slept. Either Castiel or Hannah would be around. If not them, the Archangels. They came over almost every week to visit Jack. Ever since Jack moved out, the Archangels missed him and came over to visit all the time.
'Will my parents be okay?'
Claire was glad Hannah and Castiel were technology illiterate and didn't take their phones. She was worried that her parents will be thrown out of Heaven thanks to her.
'They'll be fine, Heaven made a promise to protect good souls. They'll be locked up nice and safe. I promise.'
'Won't your uncles mind?'
'Gabriel wouldn't. Knowing him, he'll laugh his ass off. Lucifer wouldn't care, and both Raphael and Michael are too busy with their duties.'
Claire usually spoke her mind, but no way in hell she was going to say anything bad about Heaven. Her parents were dead. She was afraid they would throw them out. But Jack assured her they were guardians of souls. Once you get in, you cannot leave. Claire wasn't sure if that was a good thing. But it was better than Hell she guessed.
She met the archangels once, that one meeting, was enough for the rest of her life. She met Micheal first, she found him too formal, his vessel anyways. She knew his true self was too much for her, being in his presence gave her an uneasy feeling. Like she was worth less than a bug. One wrong move, and he could snap her, Castiel, and Hannah out of existence.
Raphael was also somewhat intimating. He reminded her of their school vice-principal. Way too strict. But he helped both with their homework sometimes.
Gabriel, she liked the most. He actually worked as a janitor at her school. He was a favorite with the staff and students. When her and Jack graduated, he quit. He then moved away to party in his spare time, usually with legions of women. Claire had no desire to know what he did in his spare time.
Lucifer she never met. He was Jack's father. But Claire hated him. It was his demons that got her parents killed. She never blamed Jack though. Jack was way too sweet to be related to him.
It was shortly after she graduated, that she found out what God was really like.
Claire was listening to her favorite band on YouShare when she got a knock on the door. Claire was changing, she was heading out.
"Give me a few seconds!" Her top was off. Once Claire was changed, she yelled at the person to come in.
"Claire? We have a family meeting." Castiel says in a grim tone.
"Family meeting huh." Claire was trying to decide how to wear her hair. Up? Or down? "I'm nearly eighteen. Don't worry about me." She was deciding what to do next. Go to college, or freelance across the country doing odd jobs, living on the road.
"Please Claire, this affects everyone."
Castiel's tone made Claire nervous. She didn't care for him very much, he wore her dad's face. Literally. But something in his eyes, it scared her. She reluctantly follows Castiel.
The news she got next, Claire found herself swearing. Everything her dad did, saying yes to protect the world, her mom dying, meant nothing. It was Armageddon. Claire decided to not go to college. What was the point? God was a cold S.O.B. She decided to become a hunter instead.
"Hunting is dangerous." Hannah tried talking Claire out of it. "You can still live your life."
"You mean college?" Claire blew a raspberry. "There's no point. If what you guys say is true, then I gotta prepare." She was packing her duffle. "I'll stay for a few more weeks, then I'm gone."
She only stayed behind to earn cash at her part-time job, and once her birthday party came and went, she said her goodbyes and hit the road. Of course, the reality of hunting hit her like a freight train a few days later.
Without a place to live, a hunter's life was a lot harder than it looked. Sam and Dean made it look so easy. They both reminded her that they spent their whole lives hunting. They warned her - expect nothing. She had brushed them off then realized that was true a short time later.
Fall River, Massachusetts
Claire shivered as she wrapped her jacket around her chest. She walked casually, trying to pretend that she didn't have a care in the world.
She ignored her stomach growls, it's been two days before her last meal. She had cash but was saving it for a cheap room. But she knew that was only temporary. She needed a steady income. Spying a bar, she decided to go in, hopefully, no one asks for IDs.
CLACK!
Claire smiles as she hit the ball.
"So you are a freelancer." Tony says as he sips his beer.
"Yep." Claire waits as his girlfriend Brit takes her turn. "Been on the road for a while now.''
"Sounds like us." Brit thanks Tony after he hands her a beer. "Been living on the road since I was sixteen."
"Like me." Claire was a bit younger, she lived in foster homes since she was thirteen. "Family's dead, both were murdered." She was drinking a clean Shirley Temple, she didn't feel like getting drunk. She hits the next shot. "Moment I turned eighteen, I was gone." She missed having a roof over her head, but she was determined to make it on her own. "Been on my own since."
She didn't know why she was hanging out with strangers, she only met them an hour ago. But she was lonely and hungry. Both bought her a small meal from the bar's kitchen.
"What about you?" Claire sighs in frustration as she misses her shot.
"Me? Had a nice life, white picket fence, two loving parents, even had a damned dog." Tony takes a long sip.
"What happened?" It wasn't Claire's business, but she was curious.
"Nothing. I just left. Got sick of the suburban life and hit the road. Then I ran into Brit here." He hugs his girlfriend. "Been together for over a decade now." He polishes off his beer. He looks thoughtfully at Claire. "You have a place to stay?"
"Maybe." She was currently homeless, but she wasn't telling him that. She liked the couple but didn't really know them. They were human at least.
"Got a camper. It's small, but we have room for a third. Hopefully, you don't mind a pullout bed."
Claire stayed up as long as she could, she had to make sure they were legit. After hearing Tony's snores an hour later, she falls into a deep sleep.
A few days later were in a campground. They drove around random towns, always looking for their next score.
"Let's go." Tony ordered. Brit starts the engine. Once they were on the highway, Tony counts the money. "We'll be living the sweet life for a while." Three hundred, not bad. "Here you go. Consider this a gift." He hands Claire fifty bucks.
"Thanks." Claire didn't want to know how he got that money, but she knew she may do something similar in the future. Hunters have to make their living somehow. "So where to?"
Claire sips her beer telling her story.
"Dad left, bastard never even said goodbye." She missed Jimmy, but couldn't help but feel angry about how selfish he was. "Didn't even talk to Mom. He said yes, then he was gone. My mom, she was starting to get over him, then he came back." Claire angrily grips her bottle tighter. "He almost got us all killed." Claire remembered saying yes to protect her parents. "He died, not realizing he ruined our lives." She blamed Castiel, but also Jimmy. He could have said no. "Mom couldn't handle his death and shipped me away. Spoiler alert, she died too." She swallows her beer. "All that could have been avoided if Dad didn't leave." She gripped her bottle harder. "It was all for nothing anyways. The End is coming." She could have been happy and ignorant with her parents.
"Sorry to hear that." Brit polishes off her beer. She starts laughing. "Did we ever tell her about our dream home? And how we were evicted?"
Tony starts laughing as well.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." He takes out three more beers from his cooler. "Me and Brit were living in this fancy house. Think heated pool, fancy furniture."
"For two weeks. Then the owners came home."
"Once the purse gun came out, we ran like the wind. Naked."
Claire laughs along with them. This is what she needed, to forget her problems.
Two hours later, Claire was drunk, although she had only two beers. She sighs as she hangs up the phone.
"Trouble?" Brit asked.
"Just my babysitter." Claire was an adult, but Castiel insisted that she needed to be taken care of.
"Is it that Dean guy?" Claire told both about him, how he was sent to watch over her from time to time. Tony never asked about her job as a freelancer, he and Brit had their own secrets.
"Yeah."
Brit and Tony exchange glances.
"We can take care of it. Make it so that Dean never bothers you again."
"What do you mean?" Claire says with curiosity.
"We can make sure Dean is out. Permanently." Tony grins at Claire. "Call him back, say you want to meet. After this, you can continue your work without your sitter."
A few days later, Claire watches from the window. She wasn't sure what Tony and Brit were up to, but she hoped things worked out okay.
Dean pulls up to the lake, he wasn't sure why Claire asked him to meet him here. But he figured to keep his promise to Cas. He sits on a bench to wait for Claire, not knowing his life was in danger.
"Is that Dean?" Brit was holding a bat. She and Tony were gonna beat him senseless.
"Has to be." Tony was holding on to an axe. "After this, we'll be free." He wasn't sure who Dean was, but no way was he getting watched over. "On three." He and Brit slowly get up with their weapons. "One, two..."
Claire didn't move. Not even as she saw the couple coming closer. Once they lift their weapons, Claire woke up.
"NO!" She ran out of the trailer.
Dean turned his head sharply at Claire's voice. Seeing what was going on, he started attacking back.
Claire was afraid. Not about Dean, but about Tony and Brit. She knew Dean, not as well as Castiel, but knew how his mind worked. When she saw Dean grabbing the axe to hit the couple she screams no again and again.
Dean stares coldly at the couple. Both Tony and Brit were shaking with fear. The axe was sitting above them, embedded on the bench. They weren't stupid, whoever this Dean was, he was not to be messed with. They run off.
Claire and Dean look at one another. She said nothing as Dean gets into his car and drives off.
Claire was walking down a highway when she heard wings.
"I don't need a sitter." She knew the sound of Castiel's wings well.
"I heard your prayers." He walked side by side with Claire.
"Praying? Oh please. I gave up on that years ago."
"Not all prayers are formal. Your soul can cry out in pain. Let me help."
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
"Where are we?" Claire rarely flew, she always felt like she was in Star Trek. Very trippy.
"There is a woman here. She can take care of you." Jody Mills, Dean called her for a favor.
"I don't need a sitter." Claire insisted.
"Think of her as a mentor. She is a hunter, as well as a sheriff. She can train you in everything she knows."
"A sheriff? Are you kidding me?"
"There is also a young woman there, she is the same age as you. You won't be alone."
Hmm. A warm house, as well as someone to talk to?
"Thanks." She smiles at Castiel. "You should wear a tie. It suits you. Tell Hannah I said hi, and Jack to take care in university. See you later." Before she goes inside, she turns around. "Tell Dean, um. Sorry about what happened."
She lived with Jody, for the time being, it was better than the beginning of her journey as a hunter.
No one thanked her, she spent most of her time sleeping in shitty places, if even that. Sometimes she slept in alleys. She kept herself awake most of the time. There were many weirdos that tried to harm her. She was also robbed several times. It made her a harder person.
Then a year later, she decided to leave, she felt like she was being a burden. She traveled to a small town to check out a case and met someone, who changed her to a monster.
The one time she trusted the wrong man. He took her in with promises of food and shelter, then turned her into a werewolf. Luckily it was Sam and Dean that saved her. Before she transformed, they cured her. They recommended she move back in with Sheriff Jody Mills.
"It's better to have a home to go home to." Dean didn't want Claire to rough it like he did.
''Besides, Jody always cares about her girls." Sam always checked in from time to time.
"Mind giving me a lift?"
Claire lived with Jody since but knew it was almost time for her to leave for good. She felt like she was truly ready this time.
She kind of wished Jack lived with them. She missed him. He was like her brother, almost. They called each other stepsiblings. Unlike the others, he was the only one that never judged her on her choices. Claire had to see where his last signal was. She needed to see him. Just in case. He didn't hunt as long as she did, and as a hunter, she knew when someone was in trouble.
She went to the bathroom to freshen up. Plus to check out her laptop. She plugged in her phone to see where Jack last texted her. According to the data, it was close by. She pulled up the address. It was an abandoned insane asylum.
Once she memorized the address, she put her tech away and left the bathroom. Then she saw an unwelcome sight. Castiel. Shit. He was in the bus depot. Most likely waiting for her or Jack. She needed a disguise. If Castiel saw her, he would know she was here to meet up with Jack. Then he'll tell Michael. Jack would go to Heaven and be locked up against his will. No way Claire was going to let Jack down.
She was debating on what to do when she saw a window in one of the toilet stalls. She decided to sneak out.
Luckily it was open. It took her a few minutes to shimmy out, but she made it outside. She then walked quickly away trying not to draw attention to herself. She prayed that no one saw her.
She walked till she saw a Biggersons restaurant down the street, then ducked inside a phone booth. She saw Castiel outside of the depot a few minutes later with who she assumed were a couple of angels.
'Dammit.'
She knew she was going to be watched. Castiel must have figured out Jack would call Claire.
Fuck. This was going to be a lot trickier than she thought. Now what.
She saw a taxi pull up and drop off a customer. Claire had an idea.
"Hi, are you free?" She asked the driver.
"I have another fare."
"I can pay you." She flashed a few twenties.
"Get in."
As they drove, Claire ducked when she drove by the bus station. She hoped Castiel couldn't sense her soul.
After the driver dropped her off she went inside the hospital. She turned off all of her electronics, just in case Castiel or the Winchesters tried calling her. Plus she didn't want the Grigori hearing her.
She walked down the dark hallways looking for Jack, always keeping her senses alert. After finding some dead ends, she heard a noise. It was Jack's voice. He was talking to someone. The Grigori? Or a victim? Then she heard a scream. Claire started running.
What she saw next made her stop dead in her tracks.
Jack took out his angel blade. Then after the Grigori died, Jack cut the corpse open and took out his heart.
Then to Claire's disgust, he ate it.
The sight made Claire gag. Jack must have heard her, he turned around.
"Claire." He was covered in blood.
"What are you doing?"
"Eating an angel heart."
"Why?"
"Because I have to."
"Jack."
"Claire. Just trust me. Please."
"Fine. But FYI, cook it next time. That is just nasty." Claire gagged at the image, especially with Jack's chewing.
"Please don't tell Cas. Or anyone. Please?" He swallows the rest of the heart.
"I promise."
"Where are the girls?"
"Inside the nursery. They are all alive. I already called 911. All of them have their souls. Luckily the Grigori didn't eat too much. He was saving them for The End."
"Why?"
"He wanted to treat himself to a buffet before the world ended. He was planning on kidnapping more women. Luckily he was full. It made him slow and sluggish."
"Yuck. We better get out of here. Just to let you know Castiel is here. He is looking for you. He must already be on his way here with Michael."
"I'm not done with my mission yet. I need to finish it."
"What mission."
"Eating angel hearts."
"Gross. Are you sure?" She paused in thought. "Aren't angels your relatives?"
"Not the fallen ones. Just the Grigori. Unlike Heaven's Angels, these are monsters. Most of the angels I met are okay. I won't hurt them."
Just then an ambulance can be heard from a distance. Both Claire and Jack looked up.
"We better shag it. C'mon Jack."
Both took off.
Castiel was inside the bus station when he heard a police radio from the station's booth.
"There is a possible Code 10, twelve females, critical condition. Location 565 Smith Road."
Castiel wondered if that was the case. He quickly flies away.
After showing off his fake badge, he was allowed into the crime scene. What he saw made him wonder. There was a corpse of a Grigori. But his heart was missing. What exactly happened here?
He saw many paramedics taking the women away, plus many cops combing through the crime scene.
A police photographer was taking a picture of the dead Grigori.
"This man was responsible for the kidnappings." A cop says walking up to Cas. "But I wonder, who killed this man? And why take his heart?" He grimaced at the body. "The amount of blood. Or lack of it. The body was still warm. How is that possible?" He looked at Castiel with a question on his face.
"I don't know. But I'll find out."
He hoped Jack and Claire were okay. He knew Michael and the other Archangels were worried sick. Michael was ready to take Jack to Heaven to keep him safe. He confided to Cas, how he created a special Heaven just for Jack, not by himself, but with Kelly, his birth mom.
As much as he wanted Jack safe, that wasn't the place Jack needed to be. But it wasn't his place to argue.
He hoped both kept running. He wanted to tell both of them that he was on their side.