It was evening in Colorado, but Alexia was still wide awake. Her grandparents were gone to bed and her mother was making coco for the two of them. Normally Alexia should be in bed by now and the way her mother had been acting so nice, too nice, alarmed the four year old.
Zoey turned around and put the two hot cups of coco on the table.
“Mommy, what is going on?” Alexia asked serious.
Zoey sipped from her coco. Then she looked up.
“You know that uncle Emmanuel was on the news this morning” she said.
“Yeah, but they called him Castiel” Alexia recalled the morning news.
“That’s because his real name is Castiel” Zoey explained. “Anyways, he’s in really deep trouble and he needs our help”
“What did he do?” Alexia asked.
“Some people are saying that he hurt you” Zoey said difficult.
“You mean like hitting me?” Alexia asked. Zoey shook her head. “Oh, sexually, you mean”
“If Castiel really hurt you you have to tell me and I’ll make sure he never sees the light of day again” Zoey promised fierce. “But if he didn’t, we have to help him. We can’t let him go to jail for something he didn’t do. If he’s innocent you’re the only one who can help him. You have to testify in his favor”
Alexia needed some time to absorb that information.
“He never lay a finger on me” she eventually said. “I’ll do it”
Zoey turned around and put the two hot cups of coco on the table.
“Mommy, what is going on?” Alexia asked serious.
Zoey sipped from her coco. Then she looked up.
“You know that uncle Emmanuel was on the news this morning” she said.
“Yeah, but they called him Castiel” Alexia recalled the morning news.
“That’s because his real name is Castiel” Zoey explained. “Anyways, he’s in really deep trouble and he needs our help”
“What did he do?” Alexia asked.
“Some people are saying that he hurt you” Zoey said difficult.
“You mean like hitting me?” Alexia asked. Zoey shook her head. “Oh, sexually, you mean”
“If Castiel really hurt you you have to tell me and I’ll make sure he never sees the light of day again” Zoey promised fierce. “But if he didn’t, we have to help him. We can’t let him go to jail for something he didn’t do. If he’s innocent you’re the only one who can help him. You have to testify in his favor”
Alexia needed some time to absorb that information.
“He never lay a finger on me” she eventually said. “I’ll do it”
The next morning.
Zoey was talking with the mortician, while Alexia was watching cartoons. At least Zoey was under the impression Alexia was watching cartoons. Until her little girl let out a shriek.
“Mommy!”
Zoey, scared something had happened to Alexia, jumped up and ran into the sitting room. Alexia was staring at the screen.
“Lex, what’s going on? You almost gave mommy a heart attack” Zoey said and swallowed a few times to calm down.
“Mommy, come look” Alexia said breathless. “Uncle Emmanuel is on TV”
Zoey rushed to the television and increased the volume.
“Last night the police arrested a man named Castiel for the abuse of a four year old girl” the newsreader said.
“Alexia, go play outside” Zoey said trembling.
“Why do they call him Castiel, mommy? His name’s Emmanuel” Alexia said confused.
“Now!” Zoey yelled and Alexia ran outside.
Zoey was talking with the mortician, while Alexia was watching cartoons. At least Zoey was under the impression Alexia was watching cartoons. Until her little girl let out a shriek.
“Mommy!”
Zoey, scared something had happened to Alexia, jumped up and ran into the sitting room. Alexia was staring at the screen.
“Lex, what’s going on? You almost gave mommy a heart attack” Zoey said and swallowed a few times to calm down.
“Mommy, come look” Alexia said breathless. “Uncle Emmanuel is on TV”
Zoey rushed to the television and increased the volume.
“Last night the police arrested a man named Castiel for the abuse of a four year old girl” the newsreader said.
“Alexia, go play outside” Zoey said trembling.
“Why do they call him Castiel, mommy? His name’s Emmanuel” Alexia said confused.
“Now!” Zoey yelled and Alexia ran outside.
Dean was outside, leaning against the cabin, when Jo came standing next to him.
“You look happy” she said sarcastic.
“It sounds weird, but right now I wish Dick Roman was still alive” Dean said. “I have too much time to think”
“You want me to call mom? I think she knows a few ways to fix that” Jo commented.
“Where is she?” Dean asked.
“To the city, doing groceries” Jo answered. She looked up. “Did you hear from Cas? I mean, that’s why you’re so neurotic, right?”
Dean shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it. He’s had his chance, he blew it. I’m done with him”
“Have you tried talking to him?” Jo asked.
Dean leaned forward and kissed her. “No talking about Cas” he said.
“Okay” Jo agreed. She threw her arms around Dean’s neck and kissed him back. Dean lifted her in his arms and carried her inside the cabin.
“You look happy” she said sarcastic.
“It sounds weird, but right now I wish Dick Roman was still alive” Dean said. “I have too much time to think”
“You want me to call mom? I think she knows a few ways to fix that” Jo commented.
“Where is she?” Dean asked.
“To the city, doing groceries” Jo answered. She looked up. “Did you hear from Cas? I mean, that’s why you’re so neurotic, right?”
Dean shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it. He’s had his chance, he blew it. I’m done with him”
“Have you tried talking to him?” Jo asked.
Dean leaned forward and kissed her. “No talking about Cas” he said.
“Okay” Jo agreed. She threw her arms around Dean’s neck and kissed him back. Dean lifted her in his arms and carried her inside the cabin.
Cas beached on the street, far away from Rufus’ cabin. He wasn’t sure how to feel. He was angry, because Dean wouldn’t listen to him. Dean always thought he knew everything better. He was disappointed, because Dean had no faith in him at all.
He was so up in thought that he didn’t hear his name. But maybe that was because she didn’t use his real name.
“Emmanuel!”
Someone grabbed his arm and forced him to turn around. He looked at the woman. She looked familiar.
“Didn’t you hear me?” the woman asked. Cas stared at her. “Don’t you recognize me? It’s me, Daphne, your wife?”
Cas widened his eyes as he remembered her.
“Daphne” he said breathless. “How did you find me? What are you doing here?”
“Well, I hired a detective, I needed to find you” Daphne said. She searched in her pockets and conjured a big brown envelope. “I need you to sign these”
“What is it?” Cas frowned.
“A petition for annulment” Daphne answered.
He was so up in thought that he didn’t hear his name. But maybe that was because she didn’t use his real name.
“Emmanuel!”
Someone grabbed his arm and forced him to turn around. He looked at the woman. She looked familiar.
“Didn’t you hear me?” the woman asked. Cas stared at her. “Don’t you recognize me? It’s me, Daphne, your wife?”
Cas widened his eyes as he remembered her.
“Daphne” he said breathless. “How did you find me? What are you doing here?”
“Well, I hired a detective, I needed to find you” Daphne said. She searched in her pockets and conjured a big brown envelope. “I need you to sign these”
“What is it?” Cas frowned.
“A petition for annulment” Daphne answered.
Meg opened the door of a motel room and helped Cas inside. She guided him to the single bed and put him down. She gently pushed him down and he opened his eyes a little. She walked to the bathroom and dampened a towel.
She walked back into the room and sank down on the bed. Unlike Meg’s Cas’ clothes hadn’t been restored. Meg opened the ruined and bloodstained hospital shirt and dabbed his wounds with the towel.
Cas groaned from pain.
“You don’t have to do this” he said weak. “I will heal eventually”
“I know” Meg said absent-minded. She stared at Cas’ body. Even with all the cuts he still looked…jumpable.
“But thanks for the gesture” Cas said with a weak smile.
Meg continued nursing his injuries. “You know” she said. “If I was still human, I’d fall for you”
Cas gave her another weak smile, before he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
She walked back into the room and sank down on the bed. Unlike Meg’s Cas’ clothes hadn’t been restored. Meg opened the ruined and bloodstained hospital shirt and dabbed his wounds with the towel.
Cas groaned from pain.
“You don’t have to do this” he said weak. “I will heal eventually”
“I know” Meg said absent-minded. She stared at Cas’ body. Even with all the cuts he still looked…jumpable.
“But thanks for the gesture” Cas said with a weak smile.
Meg continued nursing his injuries. “You know” she said. “If I was still human, I’d fall for you”
Cas gave her another weak smile, before he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
“What do you mean, she’s gone?”
Cas and Zoey had been told that Daphne was gone.
“She’s not in her room. But we’re searching the entire building and the neighborhood. She can’t get far” the head doctor said.
“How could this happen?” Zoey asked mad. “Don’t you have some kind of security system here?”
“She stole a badge. She didn’t have to break into the system. She could just open the door” the doctor explained.
“And who’s the idiot who let her steal his badge?” Zoey asked demeaning.
“He’s waiting in my office” the doctor answered. “He already told me what happened. Listen, Mrs. Moore, Daphne can’t get far. We’ll find her by the end of the night”
He walked away from them; he had to go fire the nurse.
Zoey looked at Cas. “We need to find her” she said, slightly panicking.
Cas and Zoey had been told that Daphne was gone.
“She’s not in her room. But we’re searching the entire building and the neighborhood. She can’t get far” the head doctor said.
“How could this happen?” Zoey asked mad. “Don’t you have some kind of security system here?”
“She stole a badge. She didn’t have to break into the system. She could just open the door” the doctor explained.
“And who’s the idiot who let her steal his badge?” Zoey asked demeaning.
“He’s waiting in my office” the doctor answered. “He already told me what happened. Listen, Mrs. Moore, Daphne can’t get far. We’ll find her by the end of the night”
He walked away from them; he had to go fire the nurse.
Zoey looked at Cas. “We need to find her” she said, slightly panicking.