The Angel of Anxiety [A Supernatural FanFiction]

Chapter II - I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues

Leila ate more at the diner they'd gone to than Dean had seen her eat the entire time she'd been with them before Saint Dymphna took her over. While she ate crisp French fries, Castiel filled in the blanks from Leila's story so the Winchesters were caught up. While they weren't happy that Gabriel and Castiel (and some angel they'd never met named Elijah) had kept it a secret from them, they did eventually come to their senses and understand why they did what they did.

It seemed weird having her there again. After months of grieving, especially. Dean still had her necklace around his neck—tucked under his shirt, of course. He didn't need her bugging him about missing her. (Or slapping him like she said she'd do if he mourned.) Hell, he was still too worried that she'd disappear like dust in the wind.

Leila was different this time. It was clear Dymphna had taken her mind and played with it. Made it so that Leila probably couldn't tell the differences between nightmares and dreams, dreams and wakefulness. Dean wanted to tell her he knew how she felt. Hell, Sam did too. Between hosting Lucifer and taking multiple trips to Hell, if anyone had even the slightest idea of how Leila felt, it was the Winchesters. But since Castiel had filled in the blanks, Leila wouldn't talk. They knew she was leaving out specifics—maybe sparing them the torment of hearing what Dymphna had done—but if she didn't let it out soon, both Sam and Dean knew she was going to combust.

Leila drowned a fry in a thick bath of ketchup. "So—" she threw the fry in her mouth, chewing loudly. It was the first time she'd spoke since Castiel had told the Winchesters and Charlie what had happened. "—what's the plan, duderinos?"

Dean frowned; pursed lips and a scrunched forehead. He'd been about to take a sip of beer before pausing just before the mug reached his lips. "Finish eating before you talk, see-food."

"Dean," Sam said, giving his brother a look. They exchanged looks of 'what?' and 'you know what.' Dean rolled his eyes.

"Just saying," Dean said as he leaned back in his chair and tilted his hand towards Sam, who shot him another look before taking a sip of his own beer.

Leila opened her mouth before swallowing her fry to show Dean everything she'd been in the process of chewing. After swallowing, Leila narrowed her eyes. "Bite me, Winchester."

"Dymphna changed you, kid," Dean said, shaking his head. He picked up his burger with both hands, taking a bite—eyes nearly rolling into the back of his head with how good it tasted.

"No shit," Leila said, not bothering to look up as she dipped another fry into ketchup.

"Do you want some fries with that ketchup?" Dean asked, having shoved the bite of burger to the side of his mouth so he could talk.

"Who's eating see-food now?" Leila replied as she waved a fry in Dean's general direction. She ate it angrily, crossing her arms as she chewed.

"With all due disrespect," Charlie said, looking between the two of them, before looking to Sam and Castiel. "Don't we have worse things to worry about?"

Castiel nodded. "In her new host, she is close to reaching full power again. The results of that would be—"

"Apocalyptic? Yeah, what else is freakin' new?" Dean asked, rolling his eyes as he wiped his hands on his napkin.

Leila looked up from her plate of ketchup-drowned fries and drew in a breath so sharply that she choked on the fry she'd been eating. Pounding the middle of her chest with her fist, Leila coughed until the blockage was clear. Her face was beet red.