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Charlie had had worse ideas, she was sure of it! She just couldn't... well... think of any at the moment. (Though that thing with the apple tree and the teapot in Oz would have to count pretty high, she was pretty sure). It wasn't like she was freaked out by the existence of Angels-with-a-capital-A. The fact of their existence when faced with all the terrible, terrifying crap in the world was, in truth, rather comforting! Charlie just wasn't sure if talking to this particular angel (who appeared to be hemorrhaging celestial-beingness like an angelic sieve) about a subject as touchy as "home" would get her a one-way ticket to the pearly gates or not.
But he was important!
The boys sounded like they had, for all intents and purposes, adopted him quite completely into their weird little family just like they had her. Sam spoke to, and about, Castiel like he was family. And Dean, well... the more Dean shut up about something, Charlie had found, the closer to his sappy center it was. And Charlie had never seen Dean clam up so fast or so completely as when she had started asking about the “mysterious Cas." (She'd finally gotten the skinny on the down-and-out angel this morning by cornering and grilling the oldest Winchester during breakfast about his over-attentive behavior towards their newest arrival. Even then, it was after threatening to revoke hard-drive privileges).
Oh well, it wasn't like she'd had great instincts for self-preservation before anyway. Besides, she'd already burned the cd.
The angel's door was slightly ajar, and Charlie could hear soft movements inside. Damn, there went the plan of slipping it under his door if he was asleep. The redhead knocked on Castiel's open door lightly and stood self-conciously in the doorway.
“Yes?” came the slightly gruff reply. “Come in?”
“Hey, Feathers. How's it going?”
Charlie went for disarming as she pressed open the door and smiled what she hoped was a friendly smile. Cas was sitting stiffly at the edge of the bed. He had taken off his trenchcoat but was otherwise fully dressed in his suit and dress shoes. He looked like he could use a shave, and like he'd been running his hands through his hair. The tired look still hung about his shoulders, though Charlie had to admit he didn't look nearly as care-worn as he had when he's arrived the evening before. His eyebrows furrowed slightly at her nickname for him, but the corner of his mouth twitched up so she figured she wasn't about to be smited just yet.
“I'm fine, Charles. I apologize for being difficult to find today. I decided it was best to perhaps take a day and... kick back?” He tilted his head, eyes softening at the corners in amusement at his own use of the colloquialism. “Can I help you with something?”
Charlie took a bit of a breath and pulled a clear jewel case out of her back pocket.
“Actually, I was thinking I might have something for you. I thought that maybe... well... here.” She thrust the jewel case and cd towards the angel and held it at arm's length, not daring to come much closer.
Cas looked from the cd in her outstretched hand to her face, which was pinched with worry, and back to the case before slowly reaching out and taking it from her. He rotated the case to read the label, written in block letters in sharpie. He met Charlie's eyes, confused.
“'In Case of Homesickness'? I'm sorry, I don't understand... What is this?”
Charlie blushed, worry at the idea of being sent to heaven express-style warring with slight embarrassment at having to explain herself.
“It's. Welllll. I just thought-” she sighed and plopped down on the bed next to Castiel. She studied her nails. “Dean was telling me how you're an angel – like a real, live, wings-and-glory angel – but that you were having a bit of an... issue. Your battery's dying? Running out of grace-juice and turning into a human. Or dying. Or both. Least, that's what he said...” she huffed a little at that and shot the angel a sideways look. Cas took the opportunity to turn away and study the jewel case in his own hands very carefully. Charlie nudged his shoulder lightly with her own. “I know it's more complicated than that. The dude's face said that much at least...” She smiled a little ruefully at the memory of Dean trying to tell her about their resident angel's condition clinically, like it was just another case. He really was a terrible liar once you knew him...
“I'm afraid I don't really want to go into-”
Charlie cut Castiel off with a friendly shake of the head. “Hey, I don't know and probably can't help much anyway. Computers are my thing. Tech. Not angels and demons and that kinda stuff. But, well. I thought maybe it might be a nice gesture to give you something to listen to that's more... up your ally?”
Cas was still looking at her like a raven looks at a particularly perplexing piece of foil, so she tapped the cd case with one finger. Cas' intense gaze followed her finger.
“It's classical music. Mostly choral pieces. I've got a terabyte of solid state in my backpack that's just music – a little of everything. I know you weren't exactly into some of the stuff Sam was playing last night, and somehow I can't imagine you do much more than tolerate the Best of Hair Metal that Dean's always playing.”
Cas actually huffed a laugh at that and Charlie felt herself relax the rest of the way. Maybe making friends with an angel wasn't really that hard?
“Dean's music isn't... terrible,” Castiel replied softly but Charlie just rolled her eyes.
“Uh huh,” she shot back skeptically. “Welllll anyway. I figured, if the stories about all the heavenly choirs and singing bits were true, than maybe this might make you feel a little more at home. And if not, well, most of the songs were composed a couple hundred years ago... so you might have at least heard some of them before.”
Cas kept looking at the cd in his hands while Charlie spoke, turning it over and over, while contemplating her words thoroughly. He was silent for a few beats before turning and fixing her with that intense expression of his. Blue eyes full of awe she wasn't sure she deserved, he simply took her in for a moment then -
“Thank you.”
Softly spoken but incredibly earnest, it was all Charlie could do to duck her head and fiddle with her own fingers. She blushed.
“Aww, no problem. I know what it's like to be the proverbial stranger in a strange land.” She grinned at him and crinkled her nose. “I mean, I never thought I'd miss pop music, but while I was in Oz I'd have killed for something familiar. So now, here I am! Torrenting Nicki Menage and Justin Timberlake like I'm Casey Kasem or something.” She huffed a laugh and Cas smiled to himself. She almost missed the “Scooby-dooby-doo” he whispered under his breath, but once her brain caught up to what she'd heard she couldn't help herself. She slapped the angel on the arm. (If the look on Castiel's face was anything to go by, she probably hit him a bit harder than she'd intended. Whatever, he was an angel – he could deal with it).
An angel who was also... a geek?
“Wait, WHAT? HAH! You know Scooby-Doo?? An angel. Watches Scooby Doo.”
“In a manner of speaking. I'm familiar with the concept through a,” Cas snorted derisively, “a gift of sorts. But I've never actually seen any of them. I understand it's a cartoon television show about teens who do something rather similar to what Sam and Dean do?”
Charlie wouldn't have been able to wipe the grin off her face if she'd wanted to. “Kinda. Ohhhh, Feathers, I've soo got our next two days planned. You think you could convince the boys to watch with us? You got a favorite kind of snack food? Because this may involve a trip to the store for supplies...” She stood and took a few steps towards the door before turning around and facing Cas, bouncing on her toes in barely-contained excitement. “Whaddya think? You game for some hacker-angel bonding time over an animated dog and his pals?”
Castiel took a moment to process the invitation and it occurred to Charlie that this may be the first time anyone had ever asked the angel to do anything just for the fun of it. She made a mental note to remind Dean and Sam to have a bit more fun in general, and then Cas was carefully putting the cd away in his bedside table before standing in front of her with an understated smile that actually reached his eyes.
“I find I enjoy strong flavors – they taste like I remember food tasting when I was human. So perhaps sour gummi worms?” He ducked his head at the strangely specific request, but Charlie just clapped him on the arm and started walking down the hallway.
“Hah! No problemo. You know how much Dean's a closet candy fan. We'll find something and if not I'll just threaten to drive Baby to the store. That should get us something,” she said and headed towards the living room with an angel in tow.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Four hours, seven episodes of Scooby-Doo, six bags of sour patch kids, and three bags of popcorn later, Charlie caught Sam's eye from across the living room and nodded to the other end of the couch. Dean and Cas had sugar crashed and were passed out, snoring slightly. (Well, Dean was sugar-crashing. Charlie wondered idly if angels produced insulin). Dean's head was thrown back on the couch, mouth open, one arm on the arm rest and one along the back of the couch, legs sprawled out in front of him. Cas had apparently been a bit more surprised by his sojourn into dreamland. Chin against his chest, his whole torso was leaning against Dean's side like a tree that had been knocked over by the wind.
Devious smile in place, Sam put his finger to his lips and got up, crouching in front of the pair. Charlie tried desperately to smother her laughter in the cushion as Sam aimed his cell phone and snapped a few photos of the sleeping men. The third flash shook Dean from consciousness and he blinked owlishly at his brother.
“Hey! What'd'ya think you're-”
“Shhhh,” Sam cut him off, fingers back on his lips, and gestured to the still-sleeping angel to Dean's right.
Dean considered his predicament for a moment, then made the 'scram' head-gesture. Sam smirked and sidled off with a whispered “goodnight.”
Charlie, still sitting at the other end of the couch, caught his attention. She gestured and mouthed, 'Do you want any help?' He considered for a moment, then shook his head and Charlie took that as her cue to retreat as well. She smiled and mouthed 'Good-night' before heading off towards the bedrooms. Before she made it to the hallway, though, she heard a voice come out of her practically-big-bro that made her pause.
“Hey. Heey Cas. Buddy, you awake?”
The voice was soft, warm, and so quiet. Like he wanted to make the transition from sleeping to awake as gentle as possible. Dean was running the hand that had been draped along the back of the couch softly along the angel's arm, slowly bringing him to consciousness. A deep breath and soft rumble indicated his success.
“Dean?” was the sleepy reply.
“Hey man, good morning.”
Charlie felt almost like she was spying, but it was fascinating to see this side of a man who was always so guarded, even around herself and Sam. He sounded so calm... like all the other everything he worried about was just gone for a moment. There was a genuine affection in his voice as he spoke to the sleepy angel.
“I don't believe it's morning yet, Dean,” Cas mumbled, “I would feel much more rested if it were.”
Dean laughed softly and... did Charlie just see him pet Cas' hair?
“When you're right, you're right, Cas.” There was a pause wherein neither man made a move to get off the couch. Then Dean sighed a little regretfully. “I think you'd probably sleep better in your bed, though, don't you think? Now that sleeping is apparently a thing you do? Again?”
There was another long pause and Charlie worried she'd been noticed. But then Cas took a deep breath and let it out audibly, straightening back up on the couch.
“You're quite right. This would likely be an unwise place to spend the night,” he stated blankly.
Dean nodded, patted him on the back, and stood up, his knees popping as he stretched. “Oof! Well, I'll take care of everything out here. Why don't you ride this wave and go back to sleep before you wake up too much.” He looked at Cas for a long moment. Charlie had a feeling they were involved in what Sam had called “their weird eyeball thing.” Dean shook himself and shot the angel a soft smile before turning to shut off the tv.
“G'night Cas,” he said quietly.
“Goodnight Dean,” echoed Castiel, and the angel stood up.
Charlie slipped the rest of the way out of the darkened living room before the boys could leave and padded down the dim hallway in her stocking feet. She reached the room she had claimed as her own a few days ago and snuggled down under the covers. Hope for the brothers' happiness fought with concern over what was happening to Castiel as she closed her eyes and tried to sleep.
Tomorrow, she thought, she was going to ask her new angel-friend for a little more information about his... condition. And then she was going to go all hacker-genius on this problem. Because if she couldn't have her Big Romantic Happy Ending then, damnit, she was going to make sure someone she cared about did. And, as far as she was concerned, both the Winchester brothers and Castiel deserved any good things the four of them could wring out of the world.