A New Angel (Destiel AU)

Chapter 3: What is and Should Never Be

Gabriel smiled to himself at his handiwork. And he returned to heaven, he changed the memories of the angels that "Castiel" remembered, that should have remembered Castiel. He went back and forth in time and space, changing memories. He even reached into his own mind. He felt the memories, and changed them. Castiel was now real. Castiel was once again an angel. The most human angel in the garrison.

***

The car ride was quiet, the sisters concentrating instead on the route to Eric's house. They hadn't been there for almost three weeks, and they were all focused on remembering the route. At least Piper was. Prue worried about Phoebe, and Phoebe worried about Eric. Together, their silence was overpowering.

And then they got to Eric's house. It wasn't smoking and empty as they all worried it would be. Instead, there was a small white Toyota in the driveway and a light on in an upstairs bedroom. They cautiously approached the house, and Prue stepped forward, knocking on the door. They heard a door opening and closing, and someone coming down stairs. The door opened, and Mr. Bragg regarded them with guarded recognition.

"May I help you ladies?" Mr. Bragg asked. "I've already talked to a hospital worker about my bills if that's what you're here about." He looked at Phoebe as he spoke, obviously remembering her as a hospital employee.

"Actually," Phoebe said, stepping forward, " We're friends of Eric's. We were wondering if you knew where he was?"

"Oh, of course. He told me he was going on a camping trip in Maine with some friends of his. I have a few maps and things where he wrote where he was going. Would you like to come in? I'll find those old road maps of his somewhere." Mr. Bragg stepped aside, swinging his door further open.

The sisters walked in surreptitiously, all gathering in a corner of his living room.

"Maine?" Prue said quietly. "Phoebe, you are not dragging us all the way to Maine for a boy."

"What if he's after the Akashic Records, though?" Piper said. Phoebe nodded.

"We are not going across the country for a might." Prue protested. She quickly shut her mouth as Mr. Bragg came in with a pile of books. One in particular that he had was dog-eared within an inch of its life, the margins riddled with notes.

"These were piled on his bed. There were others, but he didn't have room in his backpack. Said he wanted to travel light." He said. "The guidebook talks about the 100-Mile Wilderness in Maine." He shrugged. "Not sure who wants to camp out there, the name sounds about as appealing as the pits of hell." Mr. Bragg chuckled. "You ladies can take a look in them, I'll be in the kitchen."

He left the sisters to talk amongst themselves. Phoebe immediately picked up the guidebook with all the notes in the margins.

"Outside of realm of mortality?" Phoebe read, "Space between worlds? Level of consciousness? The records aren't what I thought." Phoebe looked at Prue, this time she was smirking. "Not traveling across the country for a 'might,' huh? Well, here's your evidence."

Prue crossed her arms. "Fine. But the second I find out that this is about your feelings, I will turn our car around and toss you out."

Phoebe and Piper exchanged looks and smiled.

"Just one issue." Piper began. "We're looking for him in the 100-Mile Wilderness? 100-miles looking for a single person? Does the guidebook have any details about where he'll actually be?"

"Yeah I think so," Phoebe said, leafing through the piles of papers and maps and guidebooks.

"Aha," Phoebe said, holding up a printout of a picture of a gray rundown motel. "Greenville, Maine. Indian Hill Motel."