I'm having so much fun writing this story. Feedback is always appreciated.
If you're wondering if this is going to pick up, don't worry, it will. :) Thank you for reading!
Alice is propped up against the bed in the sparse room, her thoughts split: she is at once serene and worrisome. Cas had left her broken open in the best possible way, his energy and warmth more effective and comforting than she's ever experienced.
He is an angel after all, although from what she's picked up on, most humans view angels differently than they actually are. It's apparently complicated. She wants very much to be educated.
While she's only been in the bunker a short time, she's never been cared for or looked in on so much in her whole life. She feels genuinely safe. She can breathe. It is both wonderful and terrifying, because she knows it won't be long before she will be on her own again. And what then? She had nowhere to go, and as time went on it seemed she was being hunted more and more often. She had no answers, no money, no security whatsoever. She was becoming so tired, so drained.
Dean had interrupted her moment with Cas, turning the corner, calling for him. He stopped abruptly when he saw the two locked together like a couple of puzzle pieces in the hall. He'd cleared his throat, cocked his head awkwardly. "Uh, Cas, I need to talk to you."
Cas released her, cupping a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "I'll be back after a while, okay?"
She had expected to hear muffled bickering as they walked away, but nothing was said until she was out of earshot.
She thought about what she should tell them. How she should explain the last few years of her life-and decided she would open up as much as they wanted her to, if they inquired at all.
There was a soft knock on her door. "It's Sam". She looked at the clock, a couple of hours had passed already since Cas left with Dean.
"Come in", she said, a bit sheepishly.
"Hey, Alice", he sat at the bottom of the bed. "How're you doing?" He has such gentle eyes, she mused.
"I'm good, Sam. I'm sorry I slept all day. It's been a while since I've had the luxury of…" Her voice trails off. She is fidgeting.
Sam scoots closer. It makes her feel comfortable. "Yeah, about that...tell me what's going on with you." His voice is soft and open.
She tells him everything. Meaning to be more contained, once the words start coming her emotions flow over. She spills completely.
Being alone for years with her sister after their Mom left-thankfully their little house was paid off before she departed-but now it was gone, coming into her gifts on her own-her didn't share or understand them. She was younger and she didn't want her to be burdened with the immense weight of what was really out there.
It took some time to explain it all, and as to what was "going on", she really had no idea. She couldn't peg an event that would cause monsters to be on her trail. She kept her head down, wasn't vocal about her ability to see past what she heard the bad guys call "meat suits". She didn't recall slipping up.
When she was twelve, she tried to talk to her Mom about seeing things, seeing past human appearance. Her Mom thought her crazy, begged her to not speak of such things again, mentioned the mental hospital. She didn't make the same mistake again.
Sam asks what she would do when she left the bunker. Tears in her eyes, she looks away. She knows she comes off as much younger than she is-she told him that, too-she is twenty five.
She had little jobs here and there, enough to keep the utilities on and keep them in food. It was difficult for her to move through reality. Her last job was at Walgreens-which she promptly abandoned when a couple of demons had come in asking for her; she saw their eyes from the camera in the breakroom.
Sam listens to it all, face sullen, wondering where to start. "Alice...we hunt monsters. All of us. We can try to figure out why they're after you." He pauses.
"I knew something was up", she replies, filling the silence. "The place you have here, Cas, Jack…"
"Did you know what Jack is?", he asks, curious.
"I knew he has grace...but different from Cas, something I couldn't place. A missing piece. Jack explained it to me." She smiles. "It really is incredible...I had no idea...the world is even bigger and more mysterious than even I know".
Sam feels her warmth, just as Cas described it to him. It's more remarkable that Cas can feel it, too, but Sam was never one to say anything about auras before, and never came across anyone as generally genuine as Alice.
He puts a hand on her shoulder. "I think you should stay here, Alice. We have plenty of room, as you can see...Jack adores you, Cas…", he doesn't quite know how to finish that off, but sees her brighten at the mention of him. "Anyway, you need a break. We can keep you safe."
She is clearly elated, but cautious. "I um...don't think Dean will be too happy about that. Maybe you should run this by him before I get used to the idea."
Sam sighs. "Don't worry about Dean, he will be fine. He just needs to warm up to you...he's weary, but I know he will come around. Just like he did with Jack."
Alice wants to know more about this, but bookmarks it for another time. She is too relieved and feels too wanted right now.
"I don't know what to say. Words can't express how thankful I am, Sam…". She hugs him tight, gives him a little nuzzle before reigning herself in. Sam returns the hug, but she can feel him tense just slightly when she brushes his neck.
"I'm sorry. I am quite affectionate...admittedly, I am not used to it, but I have so much love for the few people who have been in my life" she sighs. "I'm just naturally touchy. I don't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"Its true. Normally I would be a little uptight about it, but it's weird...it is less uncomfortable with you, and more just unexpected." He smiles sincerely. "We aren't a huggy bunch around here, and we aren't accustomed to people being as open as you are, but that doesn't mean you aren't wanted."
All she can do is smile.
A door closing echoes through the hall. A few seconds later, they hear Dean's voice gruff and prompt. "Sam!"