Heaven's Child ≫ SPN

23.2

About two hours into the drive, the sun was perfectly centered at the edge of the world, just a few minutes from setting. The clouds were a tainted mix of cotton candy pink and pale shy blue, perfectly complimenting the burned yellow gold that stretched out of the sun.

The cement road we were on cut through a seemingly endless meadow that had no trees and allowed us a perfect view of the sky. But the meadow was buried with shaggy tall grass and many different kinds of curly and straight weed. I breathed deeply when the aroma of several different winter flowers reached inside the car.

"Isn't this nice?" I sighed, a stupid grin stretching my face. I rested my chin on the seat in front of me, with Sam and Dean's shoulders either side of my cheeks.

"You said that three times already," Dean muttered, eyes on the road. Sam was cutting up and placing our updated 'ID's' in their wallets.

"You guys totally complicate things with the whole FBI thing. Back home we'd catch a trail and just back a bag and go after it. Like actual hunters, in the woods. You guys are more like..."

"Don't say it," Dean warned under his breath.

"...the X Files."

Sam and Dean both sighed heavily.

"Hey...I had a question." I began shyly.

They both answered at the same time, both distracted by what they were doing.

"No."

"Go for it."

"How long do you think Cas has? You know, before the borrowed grace dies out?" I kept my eyes on the road ahead of me even though I could see Dean's annoyed eyes flick to me in the rearview. He was the one to answer.

"Long enough. He should be able to hang tight until he finds his own."

"What if he doesn't? What if Metatron hid it someplace he won't find?"

Dean rolled his eyes and fixed his grip on the steering wheel. Sam cleared his throat."What's with the sudden interest? You barely talk to the guy anymore." I just shrugged in response.

"Look, Eliza," Dean broke in, "you trust us, don't you?"

I thought about it a little, but I took a second too long. When I didn't answer, Sam and Dean's eyes were glaring at me through the rearview.

"Yes," I muttered and rolled my eyes.

"Why'd that take a century?" Dean yelled more than asked, eyes on the road again.

"Didn't you have a point?"

He let out an annoyed breath before he said gruffly, "If you trust us then you could trust Cas."

After a moment of silence, and everyone was busy with their thoughts, I said, "I do trust you guys," I was tracing the tattered and worn out leather of the back of the seat in front me.

Probably too much.

****

"FBI Agent Collins, this is Agent Ross, and that's Agent Tristen." I put away my fake badge.

"We're here about the recent murders, if you could show us to the bodies; we'd like to make our own report about them. There might be similarities with another confidential case we're working on cross country."

I was getting better at this. The lies came out of my mouth without spitting in anyone's face or grinning knowingly at Sam and Dean because the idiot I was lying to was so damn clueless. They would both then, of course, roll their eyes and sigh deeply. But not this time.