"Excuse me, Agent Cyrus?" The police officer asked Castiel. Castiel was looking at the body of the Grigori laying on the floor with his chest ripped open.
"Agent Cyrus?"
"Huh? Oh. Yes. What can I help you with Officer?" Castiel aka Agent Cyrus asked. He didn't care about what the officer was thinking. He was too busy wondering about Jack and Claire. He thought he saw Claire at the bus depot earlier, but she must have snuck past him when he wasn't looking.
"What do you make of this?"
"This man. He was a kidnapper and killer. I guarantee it."
"How can you be sure?"
"Our agents been after him and his friends for a very long time." Which was true. Heaven believed all of them were slaughtered by Michael, but a few Grigori must have escaped.
"We have reason to believe he is the main suspect of the missing women around here. So far he kidnapped twelve. Four were found in the abandoned nursery. All are alright and are believe that they will be okay. But other than minor cuts, most are unconscious. The paramedics are taking them to the hospital to see if they were drugged in any way. Is there any chance that he is involved with the other unsolved murders around here?"
"Unsolved murders?"
"There is some reports of victims with the eyes burned out. The coroner believed that they died from major hemorrhaging from a stroke, but there was sulphur present at the scene."
Castiel knew those were demons that were killed by his fellow angels, they were following Jack and Michael ordered that any demon in close proximity to Jack will be killed instantly.
"No. Those are not related to him in any way. If you will excuse me." Castiel knew he had to check up on Jack before he disappeared.
Castiel left the hospital. He seen the ambulance taking the victims away one by one. Part of their souls were gone, but were mostly intact. All were alright. This wasn't the first time women were kidnapped. Amelia Novak was a victim of one. One Grigori, who's real name was Tamiel was the one who kidnapped her. He was killed by his sword by her daughter Claire. He remembered how devastated Claire was when she was reunited with her mom. Poor woman spent her final moments telling Claire she loved her.
It was around the time Claire was a runaway teen. She ran away from her last foster home, she didn't like living with strangers. Especially after her grandmother died. She travelled around the state looking for answers, especially after she got a postcard from her mom.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
A Few Years Ago
Claire thanks the couple after she gets out of her car. She had a few bucks thanks to her foster dad, bastard was past out drunk when she stole his wallet. Claire rationalized she deserved it, the State gave her foster parents a allowance to take care of her.
Claire yawned, she was exhausted. She looked around, she needed a place to sleep. Spying a cheap motel, she needed a place to crash for a few hours.
Claire flipped off the television. Throwing away her fast food containers, she opens up her backpack to read her mom's postcards.
'Claire! How's my girl! I hope you are doing well in school, I miss you so much! I hope Mom's taking care of you.'
Claire sighed as she reads the postcard. She was only twelve when her dad died, then thirteen when her mom abandoned her to "find herself."
"What about me Mom?" She said out loud. She needed her mom too, but Amelia couldn't handle what happened to her husband and dropped off Claire at her grandma's once her house was sold. Amelia quietly divorced 'Jimmy' claiming her husband abandoned them, knowing Castiel was inside his body. Claire sighed reading another card.
'Florida is lovely! Remember when we took you to Disney World? You were so excited to meet Pluto! You were so cute. God where did the time go?'
Claire was only four when she went to Disney, but remembered how happy her parents were. She picked up Amelia's last postcard.
'Claire, I'll be home soon, I have a lot to tell you. Tell mom I'll be home in a few days, I want to make sure she is okay.'
Claire's grandma was feeling ill, she slept most of the time before she passed away a few weeks later. Claire never wrote to her mom, Amelia never stayed in a place for too long. She must have called Claire's grandma at some point.
'There is this man, he claims he met a faith healer. He's the real deal, he cured his blindness. Claire, he may have answers about Castiel. Why he chose your father as a vessel. His name is Ronnie Cartright. I gotta go, but I'll see you soon. Love you! Mom.'
Amelia never came back. Not even for her mom's funeral. Poor Claire spent days waiting for her mom. She was forced to move out of her grandma's house, and into a foster home. Bouncing from place to place, she finally ran away after her sixteenth birthday. She bid her time, she needed to make sure she saved enough to find answers.
Claire travelled around the country, going places where her mom went. To save money, she hitchhiked from place to place. She wasn't dumb, she acted like she was broke most of the time. She did shoplift and pickpocketed people to make a living, but knew how risky it was. Until Claire found answers, she had to stay underground.
Now in Oklahoma, she had to see Ronnie. Why her mom was so insistent on finding this so called "Faith Healer".
The bartender smirked at the teenager.
"Come back in a few years kid." She tried to look tough, but the blonde had a baby face. "Go home, it's a school night."
Claire slaps down a fifty.
"Looking for a man named Ronnie Cartright. He's a regular around here.'' Claire wasn't sure about that, but Claire asked some people outside. Most said he lived in the neighbourhood.
"He's right over there." Susan takes the fifty. When the blonde walked away, she wondered if a relative of hers was dying. Won't be the first time a lost soul came in here.
Ronnie was nursing a beer when he saw a blonde sitting across from him.
"Whatever you're selling, I'm not buying." Ronnie was trying to lay low. The last job he did haunted him.
"I'm looking for someone." Claire takes out a photo. "Amelia. You were the last person seen talking to her." She slides the photo across.
Ronnie gave the photo a dismissive glance.
"Never seen her before in my life."
''She's my mom." She picks up the picture and shoves it in his face. "Look harder."
Ronnie shoved the picture away.
"Get lost kid." He finishes his beer.
"My mom said you were going to introduce her to a faith healer."
"You think if there was a miracle worker, I'll be in this dump?" He stands up. "Go home to your Girl Scouts." He stumbles out of the bar.
Claire sighs in frustration. He knew something, he sucked as a liar.
Ronnie stumbled away. Not from drunkenness, but from fear. That kid, she was stumbling into his dark secret. He wasn't putting her in danger, he was done.
''Jimmy? Jimmy?" Amelia walks into her home.
"Amelia!" Jimmy runs down the stairs. "I been waiting for you."
When Jimmy faded away, Amelia cries out his name.
"Jimmy!" Not again. She looks down at her arms. "Wha? What's happening to me!" Her arms were bleeding. "Jimmy? Jimmy?"
Amelia woke up to see her kidnapper looking down at her.
"Please no. Stop." She begged. She cried out when the knife cuts her arm open. "Mmmm!" She felt like something was getting drained out of her.
The man sips up the blue white light. Just a taste, he wasn't a glutton.
"Shh. Shhh. Shh." He places his finger on Amelia's forehead. "Sleep. Your husband is waiting for you."
"How's Claire?" Jimmy was standing in front of Amelia. "I missed you both so much."
'Sweet dreams.' The man gets up to have dessert. Hope-Grace there, she dreamed about her parent's approval.
"Oof!" Claire falls unconscious on the dumpster after Ronnie accidentally shoves her away, her head slamming hard against the hard metal.
"Crap." Hope she was alive, she fell really hard.
"911."
"There's a girl lying on the alley. I don't know if she's okay." He gives the operator the address before he took off.
"Claire?" Castiel heard her cries for help. But he needed help first. He called Dean, he would know what to do.
Ronnie ran after he checked the girl's pulse. He had to get out of there, he promised to lay low. He takes off running.
Claire lays against the garbage dumpster, the picture of her mom falling out of her hand.
Castiel paces outside the hospital waiting for Sam and Dean. When he sees them, he nods at both.
"Is she okay?" Sam asked as they walk up.
"You called us to deal with a sixteen year old?" Dean smirked.
"You were both young once, maybe you can get through to her. Speak her language."
Sam smiles.
"Sure Cas."
Claire looks around her hospital room. The doctor recommend she stay for observation, but no way was Claire doing that. Not only did she had no insurance, she was underage. She already overheard a nurse saying something about Children's Aid. Claire was already planning on taking off, but not before getting her lunch. She needed her strength before going back to her task to finding her mom. Just when she was about to take a little cat nap, she saw three familiar faces.
"Really?" She scoffed. "The hell do you want?" She rolls her eyes when Sam and Dean walked in.
'You brought us here for a kid?' Dean met Claire once, she grew a bit since then. 'Not bad.' Claire filled out.
"How did you find me?" Claire demanded.
"The hospital called me. I mean, Jimmy." Castiel still carried Jimmy's old phone, he used it to listen to Amelia's voice messages, begging Castiel to call her.
Claire scoffed.
"Claire, why were you in a alley? Especially so far away from home?" Sam asked.
"Needed a drink." Claire said sarcastically. She had no opinions on Castiel's human friends, but she wondered how he made friends in the first place.
Cas looked at Sam helplessly. Sam, knowing how socially awkward Castiel was, came closer to Claire's bedside.
"Look, just tell us what happened, or we'll stay here all day."
"Fine." Jerk. "I was looking for info. Ever since Dad bit it, Mom tossed me aside. Looking for answers." She glared at Castiel. "You did this." Her dad, her mom. "Was it worth it?"
Castiel was going to something till Dean spoke up.
"Kid, we'll be here all day." Dean was running out of patience. "You didn't pick Bum Town USA for nothing. Spill it."
Claire sighed. She reached for her backpack that was on the nightstand.
"I was looking for my mom." She takes out some postcards and hands them to Sam who was the closest to her. "Ever since she left, I was on my own. Especially after grandma died." Claire barely knew her grandmother, but was saddened when she died. "My life sucks. I want to tell Mom she ruined my life. Dad too." She glared at Castiel. "When you go back to Heaven, tell him to go to hell."
"Your mom..." Cas began.
Sam and Dean go the hallway to give them some privacy. Dean smiled at a cute candy striper.
"What, are we supposed to play babysitter?" Dean disliked kids, especially moody teens.
"Claire didn't run away for a reason. Those postcards, she was tracking down her mom." Poor kid. Sam could relate, their parents were killed by demons. Jimmy died from his wounds caused by a demon. Seeing Cas walk out of Claire's room, he asked what's next.
"Claire was looking for someone. A man named Ronnie. She claims he was the last one that talked to Amelia before her disappearance."
"You have wings. Track him down." Dean needed to punch something.
"I tried. He's cloaked from Heaven." Claire demanded that Cas drag him to her room, but Castiel said Ronnie was hidden by something.
"Sam?" Sam was psychic.
"I can't."
"Fine." Dean goes inside Claire's room. He walks back out a few seconds later holding a hospital gown. "Figures." Dean wasn't surprised.
"She must have gone back to her motel." Sam surmised. They walk back inside Claire's room. "She won't be hard to track down." He picks up Claire's postcard. The name of a local motel was on it.
"Dean and I will find this man. Keep Claire safe." Castiel already prayed to Hannah, he wanted to talk to her about something.
"Sure." Sam knew how guilty Cas felt about Claire. "Don't scare the guy." He saw Dean's face. He knew Claire won't get far, she had a head injury.
Claire was in her room packing up her clothes. Ignoring her headache, she had to leave. She just hoped that Castiel wouldn't fly inside her room. Just as she ripped off the last hanger in her room, a picture falls down from her jacket.
Amelia and Jimmy were smiling in the last honeymoon they ever took. Claire wasn't there, she was away on a school trip.
"Amelia." Jimmy was holding his wife in his arms. "Having fun?" They were in a campground celebrating their anniversary.
"Too bad Claire declined to come." They wanted to make this a family trip, but Claire said she hated camping. Instead, she went on a field trip to a science museum for the weekend. She was staying with her best friend for the week. She snuggled in Jimmy's arms. "This is Heaven." The waterfall was beautiful.
"Anywhere on Earth is Heaven. Just as long as I'm with you." Jimmy kisses Amelia. When they pulled away a minute later, Jimmy takes out a camera. "Let's take a picture. Say cheese!"
Claire sighs. She always kicked herself for not going with them. Jimmy was dead in less than a year, and Amelia was gone a few months after that. Time, it was so precious. She kisses their picture. She knew she'll see Jimmy again, but knowing angels ran the show, she wondered if it was worth it. She puts the Polaroid away. She had to pack up before she got tracked down.
"Look, what you said. It's noble. But...'' Dean was driving in the Impala, he declined Castiel's offer to fly. "She will never accept you." Castiel told Dean he wanted to adopt Claire.
"She needs a stable home. I already told Hannah, she and Jack agreed to get things ready." Hannah asked Jack to go shopping for Claire's future bedroom. "I have to make things right for her." He never forgot Claire's words.
"You did this. It's all your fault.''
"You will always remind her of her dad.'' Castiel was using Jimmy as his Earthly vessel.
"But she won't be alone." Jack was her age. Hopefully they got along.
They had some errands to do first, Dean had no cash. He and Sam agreed to do some "odd jobs" to get some. The credit cards they always used were flagged as stolen. Good thing that Sam was a hacker and watched over every card they used. As for Claire, Dean assured Cas she won't get very far, he doubted Claire had any money to leave town.
"This is the place?" They pull up to a run down bar.
"This is where the 911 call came from." Castiel gets out of the car. "Claire will get her closure."
Ronnie was nursing a beer, he needed a break from the guilt. Seeing two strangers walk in, he swore. Especially when the bartender pointed at him. Just as he was about to leave, one of them slides next to him.
"What's the hurry Ron?" Dean growled. "Waiting to hurt another teenaged girl?" He slammed Ron's head against the table.
"Dean!" Castiel didn't feel sorry for Ronnie, he deserved it, but they were supposed to be professional.
"Well?" Dean warned.
Ronnie said nothing. He yelped when Dean slammed his head again.
"Okay!" Ronnie cried. Fuck! "Who are you? Her boyfriend?"
"Her father." Claire wasn't his, it was Jimmy's. But he swore to Jimmy to always protect her. "Talk. Amelia Novak."
"Never met the bitch. OW!" When Dean slammed his head on the table again.
"You think this hurts? My friend here, he can dive deep, and won't leave any scars."
"Alright!" Ronnie rubbed his sore head. "She was the last one, I swear." He should have known it was a matter of time.
"Last one of what?" A human smuggling ring? Dean knew that some shady people worked with demons.
"A faith healer." Ronnie remembered the time they met.
A Few Years Ago
"Kneel before me, and our Heavenly Father will cure you."
Ronnie scoffed. He was blind since the accident, he lived in a dingy apartment working in a call center to pay the bills. He "watched" the show, he was curious about it.
"I can walk? Oh Father." The old lady rose out of her wheelchair. "Bless you! Bless you!"
Ronnie clapped with everyone else. Once the service ended, Ronnie slowly and carefully slid out of his chair.
"Told you." His neighbour tells him. He was the one that told Ronnie about this faith healer.
"You believe this?" Ronnie was skeptical. A lifelong atheist, he never believed in miracles. "How do you know he hires actors?" He used to read every article Dexter Hasselback wrote before his disappearance, he managed to disprove every so called mystery out there.
"Believe it or not, there are some legit ones. You heard about that guy in Nebraska? What was his name? Oh yea; Roy Le Grange."
"That guy?" Ronnie read Hasselback's article. He wrote that Roy merely got lucky. Every so called cure had some explanation. Many of his clients had doctors that worked miracles, others were misdiagnosed. What he was really curious is about the deaths that occurred whenever someone was cured. Especially about Sue-Ann, his wife that passed away from a stroke. "He said he retired." Roy said he didn't have the strength to go on after his wife died, and quietly retired in a retirement home up north. "I doubt he's legit anyways."
"Have faith old friend." David felt bad for Ronnie, he lived alone in his apartment without any support. David usually came around to help him out whenever necessary. "You want to come with me for some beers?"
"Nah." Ronnie didn't feel like heading out tonight. "You go on ahead. I'll find my way back." Ronnie didn't know why, something was calling to him to stay. "Go."
"You sure?" Luckily Ronnie lived close by. When Ronnie nodded, David waves goodbye. "Okay. See you later."
Once he left, Ronnie sits back down. That voice, whatever it was, Ronnie was scratching his head. It acted like it knew Ronnie.
'I can help you.'
It was after everyone left that Ronnie heard footsteps.
"What do you want with me?" It was that preacher. The so called 'Miracle Healer.'
"I can give you your eyes back."
"Save it. I been to every doctor there is, my eyes are shot." Ronnie was lucky only his eyes were gone. The others at that rig, they lost their lives. Ronnie used his settlement to pay for his medical expenses. "You want to help, feed the homeless." Ronnie's meager paycheck barely paid his rent and bills. He ate at the soup kitchen whenever he didn't have enough to eat.
The preacher chuckled.
"What?" Ronnie demanded.
"You aren't the first skeptic I met. That accident, you didn't deserve it."
Ronnie turned his head.
"What are you, some kind of mind reader?"
The man laughs.
"I do read on my spare time." He pauses. "I need an assistant. I can pay you."
"Me? You know I'm blind. Besides all I can do is answer phones. Just as long as there is a system I can use." Ronnie hated his job, he rather be out there with everyone else. "Find someone else."
"Look, I'll make you a deal. I'll give you a miracle, and tonight you can be your old self again. But only if you agree to work with me. I can pay you much more than your call center job."
"A job? A miracle? Why me?" Ronnie was a high school dropout. All he knew was labour jobs, not including the call center. "I don't even attend church." A miracle? Right. "What's the catch?"
"Just your loyalty." When he touched Ronnie's head, all Ronnie saw was a African American man looking down at him with a kind smile. "May the Good Lord bless you."
Present Day
"At the time I thought it was a miracle. I should have known there was a catch." Ronnie polishes off his beer. "He asked me to bring him women. Not just any women, but lost souls. I worked as his assistant at his sermons, I thought he was helping them." Ronnie swallows.
"What made you quit?" Castiel suspected Ronnie's preacher wasn't human.
Ronnie looked sick.
"At first I was grateful. I had my eyes, I was back to my old self. David, he laughed and said, I told you so. When Peter, Peter Holloway, that faith healer who cured me, asked me to bring me women, I didn't question it. I brought in a prostitute. She was down on her luck and very depressed. When I told her there was a preacher that can help her, she told me to get lost. But when I paid her a fistful of cash, she followed me to the church. Peter, he was happy. The hooker, she was smiling after her one session. She even refunded me. She couldn't stop thanking me. God, I honestly thought I was doing the right thing. I brought in more women, all down on their luck."
"What changed?" Castiel asked.
"He let some go, but others he kept. He offered them food and shelter at his farmhouse. The ones he kept, they were never the same afterwards. They were cured, but their personalities were different. Like they were missing something." That night, Ronnie drank to forget about it. "He tied up some at his barn, for his collection. Ow!" When Dean slammed his head.
"DEAN!"
"I know. I deserve it." Ronnie sighs. "He's worse than a wolf in sheep's clothing." He swallowed hard. "I was too afraid to speak up. He always threatened to take my eyes back, and then some if I ever said a word. I have friends. Then I met Amelia."
Amelia sighs as she clutched her pamphlet. She travelled all over, always searching for answers. She swore to herself this was the last time before she gave up. Claire, she needed her mom. She walked inside the church.
"You said he can give me answers." She was watching the stage, she knew automatically what he was. "This Peter Holloway, does he know a angel named Castiel?" She didn't clap when the sick boy was cured from his cancer.
"An angel?" Ronnie shook his head. He wasn't sure why he picked Amelia, she was different than the other women he picked up. But Peter warned Ronnie to be more selective with his choices. He sent almost every women away, saying none were suitable. Desperate, he picked Amelia, only because she had that lost look. "He's not called a faith healer for a reason. If you need a miracle, he'll find it for you."
Ronnie looked sickened telling the next part.
"Peter was ecstatic with Amelia. He said she was exactly his type. God." Ronnie was shaking. "I never questioned what happened in that barn, I didn't want to know. Then I saw something." Ronnie wished he could forget. "I saw Peter with a knife, he was cutting Amelia. I thought he was just doing some sick ritual, like witchcraft. Then I saw something coming out of her. A blue light, like a mist. I quit right then and there." Ronnie sighed. "Whoever he is, stay away."
"What do you make of this Cas?" Dean was mystified about what he heard. They were walking back to the Impala. Neither saw Ronnie walking away taking out his cell.
"I wish I knew." Castiel had his wings, he should really check on Jack, make sure he was safe.
Claire was packing up her clothes, she needed to hit the road as soon as possible. When she heard knocks, she sighed.
"A tip? Always use a fake alias." Sam was smiling when Claire opened the door.
"How did you find me?"
"Claire Novak? Pro tip, always use a alias. May I come in?"
"Might as well." Claire sighs. She opened the door.
Sam was impressed seeing the maps and notes on the wall.
"Not bad." John showed Sam and Dean growing up about gathering clues, using pushpins and keeping notes about their cases. "Is this about your mom?"
"Yeah. Before grandma died, she sent me postcards from all over. The last postcard, I used that to come here. My last foster home, my mom's things were sent." She opened up her bag and handed Sam Amelia's diary. "Lots of tears and regret, but she wanted closure. This was her room before her disappearance." Claire thanked Sam when he handed the diary back.
"So you came here to tell her off?"
"Would you?"
"She died when I was a baby. House fire."
"I'm...I'm sorry." Claire was flustered.
"It's okay. I don't remember her at all, but I know we'll meet again someday."
Claire scoffs. Heaven, Hell, neither made a difference. Dead is dead.
"At least she didn't abandon you. She basically dumped me, never checking to see how I was doing. She lied when she said she was coming home." Claire angrily zips up her backpack.
"Did you try tracking down her credit card info?" When Claire shook her head, Sam asked to see her laptop.
Claire was asking questions about how to make fake IDs when Dean and Castiel knocked an hour later.
Ronnie was pacing back and forth, he hoped he wasn't making a mistake.
"Hello?"
Ronnie swallowed his fear.
"Peter, there's some guys looking for you. That Amelia woman, her husband is sniffing around." Hearing wings, he almost dropped his phone when he saw Peter appear behind him. "How?"
"Peter Holloway" stares coldly at him. When he touched Ronnie's head, Ronnie realized he couldn't see.
"My eyes." He touched his now blind eyes.
"That wasn't Amelia's husband, he and his friends are hunters."
Ronnie gasped in white hot pain feeling something stabbing him in the belly. The last thing he heard was footsteps walking away.
"It is that easy. Huh." She was kicking herself from dropping her computer classes. "What did you find out about Ronnie?" She was playing around with a fake ID program with doctored pictures and aliases. Sam recommended she use generic names to stay hidden.
"He's a faith healer." Castiel told Dean it was most likely an fallen angel, but he couldn't figure out who. He looked at Cas who looked embarrassed.
Castiel was wondering if he was doing the right thing. He asked Dean for a opinion, all Dean said it was up to him. He silently hands her a gift bag with balloons printed on it.
"Claire, um, here. Happy birthday." Claire never told anyone her birthday, she refused to tell the nurses anything at the hospital. She was checked in as a Jane Doe.
"Uhh, thanks?" She was curious about the bag. When she opened it, her and Castiel blushed.
"I got it at Hot Topical." It was a stuffed cat. Castiel remembered seeing Jimmy's memories, Claire always wanted a pet, except Jimmy was allergic to most animals.
Claire didn't know what to say.
"Thank you." She puts the cat away. The room was filled with awkward silence till Dean spoke up.
"Sam? What's going on?" Sam was staring hard at Claire's laptop.
"There's been a murder. That Ronnie guy, he was stabbed."
Claire was nervous as hell as they walked to the crime scene.
"Just relax, the first time is the hardest." Claire was wearing a suit Dean bought her at the local mall, she was pretending to be a intern at the FBI Academy. "Let us do the talking." Sam wasn't with them, he volunteered to do research about that Peter guy.
"FBI." Dean and Castiel were holding up badges. Claire didn't have one yet, they didn't have time to make her one. "Agents Clapton and Page." The cop looked critically at Claire.
"She's new." Dean already was looking at the dead body of Ronnie, he suggested that Castiel and Claire spend time together.
"Agent Berry." She used the first name she could think of, Halle Berry was one of her favourite actors.
"She's our new intern." Castiel explained. Thankfully the cop bought it.
"Stabbed clean through, definitely not a robbery, guy had his wallet. He walks to where Dean was looking at his body before it was taken away. "See this?" Ronnie was stabbed straight through, but that wasn't what made Castiel pause in thought. It was how the marks were made.
Claire looked away, she saw death before, but seeing a ordinary body lying on a street made her grimace. She saw Dean's knowing look.
"I wish I know what those marks meant." The front had three burn like marks on Ronnie's body where the stabbing was. "Could be a burn. Maybe a ritualistic kind?" He was stumped.
"Hm." Dean was curious himself, but if Ronnie was stabbed by an angel, this wasn't an ordinary angel blade.
"Excuse me." The cop walks away to answer his phone.
"Happy birthday to me." Some sweet sixteen.
Claire was complaining about getting left behind. Sam said he found Peter's address, and asked Cas to go with him. They both refuse to bring Claire along, it was too dangerous.
Dean said nothing, he was pissed about babysitting.
"How was your errand?" Claire was tempted to run while Dean was gone, but he threatened to pray to Castiel to bring her back.
"Eh." Dean takes out a beer from his six pack. He already changed, he didn't want to dirty his one fed suit.
"Can I have one?" She smiled at Dean. "I doubt you waited till you were twenty one."
Dean didn't give her a beer, instead he hands her a sandwich from the gas station down the street.
"Eat up. We're crashing the party."
"Yes!"
"I think that's a good idea. You sure Jack and her will get along?" Castiel told Sam he was thinking about raising Claire as his own with Hannah. "Did you ask her?"
"I made a promise to Jimmy. Besides I think a stable home life is perfect for her." She was too young to be a hunter.
"Make sure everything is legal, she is a runaway." Sam used to be in law school. "Since technically she is your daughter, Children's Aid will allow you to take her home. Just play by the rules, use human transportation instead of flying, and make sure she stays under the radar." Sam was driving the Impala to the farmhouse where Peter was registered as a homeowner. Castiel didn't want to fly, he didn't want to spook him by accident.
"I'll talk to her after this is over." Castiel was nervous about asking, he knew Claire wouldn't agree. But maybe giving her a place to live with her own room will entice her. Castiel even got a job to make everything legit.
"Why are we here?" They were at a local library. Claire declined to play miniature golf, she was too worried about her mom.
"Head to any sections about religion or lore." Dean couldn't stop thinking about those marks on Ronnie's body. "We know this Holloway guy is an angel, but that wound was too deep to be a angel blade."
"How do you know that?" Claire was glad the local library was open late. She walked towards the books.
"I remember reading something about angels." Back then everyone thought angels were a myth, but Bobby made Dean do some 'light reading' on his downtime when he was young. He pointed Claire to the lore section. "Start there. If there is something about weapons, let me know." Those marks, Cas wasn't the only one to recognize those.
Sam and Castiel agree to split up. Cas warned Sam not to pray, all angels could hear prayers. Instead send a text with the location on. Sam was going to check out the house, while Castiel looks in the barn.
'Empty house with no power or furniture. Not suspicious at all.' Sam had a gun, but was holding on to his angel blade. He cautiously walked around, not noticing a dark shadow watching him.
"Bingo." Claire looked up when Dean spoke. She was fascinated by the stories she read, who would have guessed most tales were true?
"What?" Dean was reading a book from the religion section.
"Hand me that book." Once Claire handed him a book about old legends, Dean turned the pages to the index. He quickly skims through it, and turns back to his book about angels. "Grigori." He hands Claire his book.
"What's a Grigori?" She saw a angel holding on to a long blade with spikes on the hilt. She read Dean's book. "Yuck. Noah's Flood was caused by those creatures?" Supposedly the flood came to wipe out Man's Wickedness. But according to this book, it was caused by Michael to draw out the Grigori who was hiding out among humans. Whoever survived was an angel in disguise.
"I remember Cas telling me about a war he was in. He said a special class of angels were left on Earth to watch over mankind while Heaven was busy. Those angels broke the rules and started hunting humans." Dean disliked angels, but those angels made Zachariah look like a saint. "They carried a special blade to protect themselves, but when their bosses found out what they were doing, Michael went hunting." Those Grigori were monsters. "Let's go."
"Jimmy?" Where was her husband? He always greeted her. "Jimmy? I'm home!" Where was he?
"Amelia. Wake up." Castiel was saddened to see her in such a sad state. She was tied up with cuts all over her arms.
"Mmm." Amelia groaned. Her wrists were untied, Castiel freed her.
"Jimmy?" Why was the outside dark? What was that? Amelia heard screams. Before she could look outside, she turned around to a voice calling her name.
"Amelia!" Castiel already healed her, hopefully that was enough to save her life.
Ameila slowly opened her eyes. Seeing a familiar face, she started screaming.
"This is all your fault!" She started hitting Castiel. "My husband! My family! You took everything away from me!" She sobs when Castiel hugs her. "Why?"
"Shh. Shhh." Castiel holds her as she sobs.
Back in the house, Sam was laying in the floor unconscious after getting hit on the head. A golf club was laying next to him.
"If only you weren't so corrupted." Tamiel hated demon blood. Ignoring Sam, he went to kill the angel that came along.
"So angels eat people?" Claire hated angels now more than ever.
"Don't know, don't care." Dean was going to end this. He hands Claire a gun. ''Don't get too excited, this is a loaner." He didn't have the Impala, luckily hot wiring a car was easy. "Let's go Birthday Girl."
Claire eagerly came along, Dean promised her to show her how to hot wire an engine.
Back at the barn, Amelia was asking about Jimmy and Claire.
"Your husband is in Heaven. And Claire is safe."
"You swear?"
"Yes." Castiel swore to protect her.
"I have my answers." Jimmy was really gone. She grabs Castiel's hand. "My daughter. If anything happens..."
"I will make sure she is safe." Castiel failed protecting Amelia, but he will take care of Claire.
"I should have never left her." She was so selfish. She looked at Castiel. "Cas, is there anything going on in Heaven?" Her last dream, those screams sounded terrified.
Sam woke up groaning. He was tied up, his wrists and ankles tied to the chair he was sitting on. Once his eyes cleared, he saw a African-American man staring at him.
"So you must be Holloway."
"Just one of many I used over the years."
"What kind of angel hurts humans for fun?" As far as Sam knew, angels detested humans.
"Not for fun. For food." Holloway picks up a long sword. "My real name is Tamiel. Us angels, we lived in Earth for a very long time. Did you know we weren't allowed to fight in the War? Instead of the field, we were sent to Earth as babysitters. Raphael told all of us we needed to be Mankind's Watchers."
"Which was a mistake."
"At first, we thought so. There was hundreds of us. We lived among you, watching over you. We did our job, bored out of our minds. Then we started noticing you. Especially the women." Tamiel sighs in pleasure. "She screamed, but it wasn't her body that attracted me, it was her soul. God left a piece of Himself behind." Tamiel closes his vessel's eyes. "She tasted delicious."
"You're sick." Sam didn't flinch when Tamiel pointed a long sword in Sam's face.
"We were great till The Flood came. Michael started killing us, one by one. There's less than a dozen of us left." He stared hatefully at Sam. "Your nephilim boy, where is he? Michael took my brothers away, so I'll take him instead.'' He was surprised when Sam broke out of his cuffs.
Dean and Claire walk towards the barn.
"Careful where you shoot. A gun is won't kill an angel, but it will slow it down."
"Okay." All Claire wanted was her mom.
Amelia was wondering what to do next when she and Cas heard voices.
"Stay close." Castiel was holding on to his own angel blade. Even with his grace healing Amelia, she was still weak.
"Claire?" Ignoring Castiel, she holds up her arms towards her daughter. "Claire! Forgive me!'' She holds on to her daughter crying when Claire hugs her. "I should have never left you!"
"Mom." Instantly Claire was a child again. "Mommy." She holds on her mom crying as well.
"Cas?" Dean knew they needed to be alone, but Sam was missing.
"I'll stay here." Castiel needed to protect Claire and Amelia. He looks at Claire for permission. When she nodded, Castiel looked relieved. He would have stayed anyways, they needed him. ''Be careful."
Dean quickly leaves the barn, he needed Cas to stay, Claire and her mom needed protection. Taking out his own gun, he quickly walks towards the house. Angel or not, he was dead. He slowly heads forward and immediately runs into Sam who was creeping towards Dean.
"Sam?" Dean nearly shot him. Thank god Bobby was strict on his gun training. "Where's Holloway?"
"Gone." After Sam explained how he escaped, Dean shakes his head.
''He left? Just like that." Why? Sam must have been thinking the same thing.
"He's a Grigori." Both said together.
"A monster." Sam was looking behind Dean. "Where is Cas?"
"Claire." Oh crap. "The barn." They run out.
"You're an abomination." Castiel saw his true form. "Michael killed all of you." What they did, even Heaven's strongest warriors were sickened. "We don't hurt humans!" He was standing in front of Claire and Amelia. He was holding on to his angel blade while Tamiel was holding on to his sword.
"He was close. The Flood. Nice work." Tamiel was the one of the few that hid. "It was a rough forty days." He nodded towards Amelia. "Even with your healing, it's too late." He charges towards Castiel. Castiel turns Jimmy's head.
"Run!" Castiel knew he stood no chance against a Grigori, but he won't fail his mission.
Claire looks at Castiel in gratefulness.
'Thank you.' She takes her mom's arm.
"Mom, we need to get you to a hospital. Can you walk?"
"I'll...I'll try." Amelia felt so weak. She allows Claire to hold her.
Castiel and Tamiel fought. Castiel was a well trained angel, but a Grigori was a natural fighter.
"You can't protect your humans." His sword clashed against Castiel's blade.
"I can and I will." A Grigori was strong, but wasn't invisible. Castiel's blade will destroy him. But only if Tamiel didn't destroy him first.
Sam and Dean run in, just as Claire and Amelia walk up.
"Cas!" Dean saw he was in trouble.
"My mom." Amelia needed a hospital, she was getting weak and tired.
"I'll take her." Sam picks her up. "Go!"
Castiel fought against his blows, but as strong and well trained he was, he was weak against the Grigori. As he fell to the ground, he saw Dean run up and grab him.
"Dean. No." He'll be devastated if anything happened to him.
"You monster." Dean swore. He and Tamiel fought.
"Consider this a favor." Tamiel taunted. "I only pick the forgotten, you brother is safe."
"Mom? Mom?" Amelia was now unconscious.
"Jimmy?" She was standing in front of him, but she couldn't move. "What is happening?" The outside was dark. Thankfully the screams stopped.
"I wish I knew." Jimmy was standing in front of her. "How's Claire? I worry everyday."
"Argh!" Dean painfully gets slammed on the ground. Castiel's vessel was bleeding, he was beaten hard by the Grigori.
"Hmph." He'll take care of him later. He picks up Castiel's angel blade. "You'll die to protect these humans? Pathetic." He chuckles as he lifts the blade to kill Castiel.
Castiel lifts up his arms, but before he can react, he saw bright light spill out of Tamiel's eyes and mouth.
"Ahhh!" Tamiel screams as he dies, his own sword used to stab him right through.
Claire pulls the sword out.
"Now we're even." She runs back out. "My mom." She begged Sam to keep an eye on her, she wanted to make sure Castiel was okay. Ignoring Sam's calls, she ran in to see Castiel and his friend lying helplessly on the ground. When she saw the angel blade, she didn't hesitate. She grabs the nearest weapon and thrusts it through the monster. Once she saw his dead body, she runs back out. "Mom? Mom." Amelia wasn't moving anymore. "Why isn't she waking up?" Claire had tears running down her face. She refused to believe it.
"I'm sorry." Sam gave her CPR, but Amelia was gone.
"She grew up to be so strong." She and Jimmy were holding each other. The darkness was thankfully gone. "The light."
"It shuts off every once in a while." Jimmy stares right in her eyes. "Welcome Home."
"I can arrange funeral arrangements." They already got rid of Tamiel's body, Castiel threw it in a deep quarry. Thankfully Tamiel's other victim was still alive. Sam took her to a hospital.
"Thanks. Now what?" Claire was in her rented room. "Children's Aid will take me away." They gave Amelia a hunter's funeral with Claire's blessing. With nowhere to go, Claire was wondering what's next.
"I made a promise to protect you. Claire. Hannah and I want you to live with us." Claire stares at him in disbelief.
"You're kidding."
"It's better than a foster home." Dean and Sam already left, saying there was another case. They allowed Claire to keep Tamiel's sword, but warned Claire hunting wasn't as cracked up to be. "You won't be alone, we have a son named Jack. He's about your age."
Claire looked down at her bag. She was heading to a juvenile center, she was in trouble for running away from her last foster home. Castiel told her, as her "father," he can take full custody.
"Eighteen is only two years away."
A home. Claire didn't know what to think. But thinking of the alternative, she agreed to go home with Castiel.
"Whatever." Thankfully the center had a DVD system. She was planning on watching 'Caddyshack.' Dean insisted it was a good movie, shame he took back his gun. Sam gave her a book about spells, telling her basic magic skills can save her life in the future.
Present Day
Castiel was saddened when he couldn't protect Jimmy's family, but swore to protect Claire. She was the only one that was left. That is why he wanted to protect her. Even as a adult. He hoped she was alright. Especially Jack. He cared about both equally, but Jack was vulnerable.
At the moment both were gone. He had no idea where either were, but knew the angels that were assigned to protect Jack were currently in Heaven being reprimanded by Raphael. They will not be on Earth anytime soon. But there will be more angels. Michael gave his orders, once they spot Jack, tell him immediately so he can take Jack to Heaven. Castiel knew he didn't have much time. He decided to go to the last place Jack was seen.
After showing his badge to the front clerk, the hotel manager led him to Jack's room. The room was empty except for two smartphones. Looks like both were anticipating Castiel's arrival and left the phones behind. Castiel did one more see through the drawers and closet. Nothing. Now what. He thanked the clerk and went downstairs. He went outside looking for any clues to see if Jack used any grace, but found none. He closed his eyes and listened to Angel Radio to see if there was any sightings or news about God, but other than the usual chatter there was none. There was a flap of wings behind him. He recognized the sound.
"Hello Gabriel."
"Any news about my nephew Castiel?"
"No."
"Sure about that?" Castiel knew how protective Gabriel was. He was just as bad as Michael.
"Yes."
"Good. Jack said he was on the way to a beach, I wonder why he stopped here. There is no roads here that lead directly to Daytona. I don't know why he insisted on travelling by himself. I could have flown him there."
"He is a adult Gabriel. You stop to think he wanted to feel independent?"
"Yeah, but he must be protected at all times. No exceptions."
"That is probably why Jack needed to be alone. He felt suffocated. He needed to be alone once in his life."
"I know. I remember how you wanted to grow up. All of you. I tried my best."
Castiel remembered. He was just a young fledgling. He wanted to go to Earth like his fellow angels, but Gabriel and his brothers had told him he was too young. He was always jealous when the older angels were allowed on Earth. Zachariah, Joshua, and Naomi were such angels. He was forced to work with Zachariah at a young age, and hated how Zachariah always bossed him around. Hannah was lucky, she got to work under Joshua. Joshua was fair. He mostly stuck to gardening. Both Balthazar and Ezekiel worked with Naomi. She thought them how to fight. As Castiel grew up he was assigned to Anna. She was his superior along with his friends.
At the moment she was stuck in Heaven's jail. Her human vessel was weak and was currently getting watched over by Uriel. Anna never said a word since her arrest, she was always stubborn. If this happened a few years ago, Castiel wouldn't have cared about her. But now, he pitied her.
"I know. I'm just worried. I love Jack too."
Gabriel nodded. "If you find out anything, call me ASAP."
Castiel agreed. Then Gabriel flew away. Shit. He knew Gabriel would be watching over him. Now what. He needed to shake him off. There was only one thing to do. He needed to get rid of his grace. Being human was not what he wanted, but finding Jack was his first priority. He decided to go to Heaven and talk to Hannah. He also needed to free Anna.