Even Angels Need Guardians - Chapter 2
Since I needed a bit of a distraction to keep me from thinking about my mom’s upcoming surgery, I spent a little time writing the next chapter to this story. Hope it makes sense. Enjoy!
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Sophia lifted a single eyelid weakly as she struggled to regain consciousness. At first she didn’t realize what had happened, but with each passing second recollection continued to surface. Her body ached in ways that it never had before and when she drew in a slightly deeper breath she couldn’t help but cough harshly to the feeling of dust in her lungs. She shakily pushed herself up to a seated position and took a look around. The small crater that she was sitting in was a good indication on just how hard she had impacted with the earth. With as badly as her body ached, she knew that if she had been fully human she would have died from the trauma. Sophia gingerly touched her chest, wincing as the burn of raw, carved flesh greeted her through her shirt. The reminder of what it was for brought tears to her eyes.
Castiel.
She had to find him. But where to look? Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, Sophia struggled to her feet and took a better glance about at her surroundings. What greeted her made her heart sink. Apparently Raphael had dropped her down into the middle of nowhere. Row upon row of trees made her realize that she was in an orchard. Hope flared as she considered her luck. An orchard would mean there was a farm nearby or perhaps even a town. Uncertain of what direction she should take, Sophia sought out the closest road that might help her make a decision. When she spotted the old dirt path she figured that was as good a place to start as any. The steps that it took to reach the double rutted passage were rife with pain that the fallen angel could not push aside. By the time she arrived her body was trembling with the shock of feeling so mortal.
Sophia glanced first one direction and then the other. To the right it seemed that the orchard stretched on forever without end. Not exactly promising. To the left, however, she could see a fence a short distance away, complete with a gate to allow access for what she guessed would be farm vehicles. Quietly she turned and began her passage toward the barrier.
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The angel sat as straight and wooden as the chair that he rested upon. The sour look upon his face had become the norm over the past few months. He didn’t say a word as the elder Winchester paced before him. Sometimes Castiel wondered why he still answered the boys’ prayers, especially when he had so much to deal with in heaven. Though he warred internally with his thoughts, the Lord’s servant knew that he would not have left Dean and Sam to fend for themselves. The fact that they still had some very monumental roles to play in everything that was happening came second to the truth that Castiel thought of them both as his friends. The angel frowned slightly as he canted his head, listening to Dean’s ranting.
“It’s like a damned demon smorgasbord out there, Cas. I’m tellin’ you that something is going on.” The hunter moved back and forth, back and forth, in a slight frenzy of movement. Sam moved uncomfortably as he sat upon the edge of his bed, his hands clenched together as he considered his brother’s words. “Dean’s right,” Sam said quietly, “it’s almost like they’re looking for something.” The three of them remained silent for a time before Castiel answered. “Well, whatever they are up to, it can’t be good.” Dean nodded as he stopped his pacing, looking to the others. “I think-“ Just as the older hunter began to speak, Cas gasped sharply and raised both of his hands to clench against his head. The angel gritted his teeth as he closed his eyes.
“Cas?” Dean inquired. “Cas!” Both brothers jumped forward, positioning themselves at their friend’s sides. When the angel lifted a hand to let them know that he was not in any immediate danger, they waited, uncertain of what to do. Sam spoke in a gentle voice, trying to find out what the problem was. “Castiel, what is it? What’s wrong?” No answer came forth, though it did appear that Cas relaxed slightly. When a look of utter confusion crossed his features, the two Winchesters looked to each other with a hint of concern.
“The angels are moving,” Cas muttered, “something IS wrong.” Without warning he stood up from the chair he had been occupying. The action caused Dean and Sam to take a step back. Cas looked first to the older brother then to the younger before he spoke in a more determined voice. “I need to go.” In the blink of an eye, Castiel vanished with the ruffled sound of flapping wings.
“Great. Just great,” Dean complained.
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Sophia’s bare feet hurt. More than once the delicate soles had been torn open upon a sharp rock or protruding root. The orchard pathway had led her to the fence, which in turn had led her to a more traveled dirt road. That had eventually brought her to an old, abandoned barn. Beyond the barn she had found an actual paved road, but by the looks of it the thing was only used sparingly. It didn’t even have lines painted on it to help keep drivers centered in their own lanes. Hour after hour she had trudged on, only mildly coming aware that her human form would soon require fuel to continue going. She had all but given up hope that she would ever come across any help when the signs of civilization slowly started to come into view. Houses in the distance looked old, but she could tell they weren’t deserted.
Down the street, to the right, stood an old country diner. The cars that were parked out front made tears of joy spring to Sophia’s eyes. There would be people here and someone surely could help her. Mounting the steps took nearly all of the energy she had left, but a burning need to find even a small source of comfort spurred her on. A shakey hand pressed against the diner door and once it swung open the soothing sounds of a jukebox playing greeted her. Sophia winced as the pain of her torn feet stung with the touch of the cold tile floor. Even that could not douse the well of hope that had built up inside her.
A quick look around was taken. A few people were seated at the diner’s bar counter, several of the booths were occupied as well. She found it a little unnerving that everyone was staring at her, though she definitely couldnt’ blame them. Had she been seated there, she surely would have been gawking at herself as well. The waitress behind the counter offered her a slight smile, so Sophia limped toward an empty bar stool and settled down upon it. The server brought over a glass of water with tiny ice cubes in it, placing it within the newcomer’s reach. The fallen angel drew in a long breath and let it out in a relieved sigh, then reached out to grasp the drink. “Thank you,” she said appreciatively. “Sure, darlin’,” the waitress replied, “we’ve been waiting for you.”
Sophia’s gaze flew up to the woman’s and she shrank back in fear at what she saw. Eyes as black as ink glared back at her. When the angel turned to look at the others sitting at the bar, she gave a startled cry. All of them shared that same evil look. Sophia sprang to her feet and stumbled back a few steps. When she collided with something she nearly screamed in fear, but as she turned her head to see who was behind her a sense of complete peace washed through her. Castiel placed his hands against her arms, steadying her on her feet. The surprise on his face let her know that she had been the last person he had expected to find there. “We have to get out of here,” she whispered, “they’re all demons.”
Cas leaned forward slightly and wrapped an arm around Sophia’s middle. When he drew her back against him, she felt her head swim with happiness. The sensation was short lived, however, when he gave her his reply. “They’re not the ones I’m worried about.”
