New Beginnings

The Prisoner

"Stop looking at me"

"I'm sorry but it's fascinating, an angel that rejected Heaven and it's own kind...", Rowena replied, emphasizing her point with a thoughtful look, "It's like a fish that wants to fly or a dog that thinks it's a person".

"Well, I am similar to humans in many ways", Castiel argued with a glance towards Claire, opening his mouth to say something more before deciding against it.

Claire sank into her seat with a groan, "You two sound more like toddlers than beings several hundred years older than me". In truth, the last few hours had been nearly unbearable. Rowena's antics never stopped, nor did her mouth, she was always babbling about witchcraft or making a snide remark. Claire almost preferred when she was locked in the other room. The teen suddenly missed Charlie, everything about her just felt so normal. Castiel tried his best to be supportive and engaging but it wasn't the same as having another female friend to talk to. She hoped her newfound friend was okay, Claire hadn't heard from her or the Winchesters in hours. Not since last night.

As if on cue, the door screeched open and Claire perked up as Sam came down the steps. His entrance catching the attention of witch and angel as well.

"Where's Charlie?", Castiel getting to the question before Claire could, the teen peeking around the angel as she awaited the Winchester's response. Her stomach sank as she recognized the familiar look of tired sadness, neither Sam nor Cas speaking for several moments. "No...I should have gone after her, I should have...", the angel trailed off, sadness evident in his tone, confirming Claire's fear. "What happened?"

"Me.", Sam's blunt response earning a look of confusion from both angel and teen, "The Stynes caught up to her and...Dean's going after them".

"So he knows?"

Sam nodded.

"So, what now?", the question lingered for a minute as everyone fell silent.

Sam shook his head with a sigh, "I'm shutting this whole thing down, I promised Dean-".

Rowena cleared her throat at that, "Hello? Anyone want to tell me what's going on?"

"No.", hunter and angel replied in unison.

Castiel glanced back towards Claire, worried as he realized she was being unusually quiet. He knew the last 24 hours hadn't been easy on anyone, and the last few hours had been even worse. It seemed the more their patience had wore thin, the more unbearable Rowena became. But he knew the teen's silence had more to do with the latest revelation, than the witch's antics.

"Cas..?"

The angel broke from his thoughts, quickly turning back to the Winchester as he awkwardly cleared his throat, "What do we do with her?".

The vagueness of the question leaving Sam wondering who he was referring to. Rowena seemed the most likely answer, so he decided to stick with that, "Guess."

"I'd be happy to kill her, she just called me a fish", Cas replied rather casually, clearly uninterested with Rowena's well-being.

The red-haired woman in question only smirked, "I never said you were a fish, Feathers. Only that your behavior was akin to that of an animal going against it's own instinct."

The angel only response was a pointed look towards Sam, as if waiting for his agreement on the decision. However, the younger Winchester was suddenly more interested with his phone, letting out a huff that sounded like suspiciously close to a laugh. Claire and Cas watching as he crossed the room, showing whatever it was on the screen to Rowena.