Heroes
Peter Gabriel
2:12 ———————•—————
𝑶𝒉, 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒆𝒔
𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚

𝑴𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝑪𝒚𝒓𝒖𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒔
𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 10 : 𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒅𝒆 20
𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕

☆

Castiel had summoned the Winchesters to Tulsa Memorial Hospital, where Claire had been taken. He reached out for backup, feeling somewhat lost without Sam, Dean, or Jovi's guidance. As they arrived, they discovered Cas anxiously pacing outside the hospital doors, his movements only halting when he caught sight of the Impala gliding to a halt before him. The trio stepped out of the car, making their way towards the angel, who greeted them with a heartfelt, "Thanks for coming."

"Yeah, of course" Sam responded with a polite smile, tucking his hands into his jacket pockets. "Cas, look, we're always glad to help, but Claire and I aren't exactly on the best of terms. I mean, should I even be here?" Dean asked the angel, recalling how things had gone the last time they saw Claire; he was sure she was traumatized from the scene she'd witnessed. Cas looked between the three. "I need help from the three of you" Cas then eyed the brothers. "You were both troubled teens, Jovi's a troubled teen. You speak her language."

Jovi blinked, her nose scrunching in offense. "Wow, thanks Cas. Just full of compliments" the girl spoke sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. Cas didn't seem to understand her sarcasm as he just tilted his head in confusion. Sam sighed. "All right, how is she?"

"Well, I haven't gone in yet. I was waiting for backup"

Dean scoffed mockingly glancing between his daughter, brother and Cas "b-backup? Mmhmm. Three men and two ladies. Let's do this".

☆

Jovi trailed behind Cas as they entered Claire's hospital room. The moment she laid eyes on them, she sat up in alarm. "What are you doing here?" Her deep blue eyes then locked onto the three Winchesters who trailed in after the angel. "And why the hell did you bring him?" Claire spat, glaring at Dean, who threw his arms up in defeat. "Awesome."

"Bit dramatic," Jovi commented, smirking up at her father, who sent her the stink eye that almost made her laugh. "Um, the police found my number in your emergency contact list" Cas told Claire, who was now sitting with a pout on her face and her arms crossed. "Yeah, well... that was a mistake, you can go now" the blonde responded, looking Cas up and down judgmentally. Cas looked at Dean for help, but the man just gestured back to Claire. Cas shifted uncomfortably before clearing his throat. "Claire... why were you at a bar?"

"I wasn't," Claire responded. Jovi almost scoffed at how bad she was at lying. If Jovi could get her alone, she'd give her a tip or two. The Winchester girl was practically a pro when it came to lying; she had to be in this line of work. Also, she had the world's most overprotective father. So, for future reference, if she wanted to be able to speak or hang out with any boys, she'd have to pull off an Oscar-winning performance for him to not suspect a thing.

"Claire, what were you doing in an alley outside of a bar?" Sam rephrased taking a step forward, Claire kept her face neutral as she quickly answered "wrong place, wrong time. Story of my life"

Mood - Jovi thought with a shrug

"Look, we're not leaving until you tell us what really happened. So if you want us gone... talk" Sam's calm tone belied the intensity in his eyes. Claire sighed, her tough facade crumbling like an old wall giving way to time. "I was looking for my mom. I need to find her and tell her she ruined my life" she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I support that" Jovi chimed in with a subtle nod and a glint of humor in her eye. Her fingers idly played with Bela's necklace, a delicate chain with a small diamond that caught the light like a distant star. It was the same necklace Bela wore the day they met, a piece of jewelry that had since become a symbol of their bond. The emerald tennis bracelet on Jovi's wrist sparkled, a reminder of promises kept. Dean's jaw tightened as he glanced at his daughter, the thought of Jennifer reentering their lives twisting like a knife in his gut. He couldn't bear the thought, not after all the heartache.

"Your mom didn't—"

"She left me. And so did my dad" Claire cut him off, bitterness lacing her words. "But Jimmy's gone, right? He's got it easy up in heaven. Mom's the only one left I can confront." Her frown deepened as she stared at her lap. "When's the last time anybody heard from your mom?" Sam asked gently.

Claire reached into her bag, pulling out a light blue notebook. "When I was living with my grandmother, she used to send me postcards. This is the last one..." She extracted a small stack of postcards and handed one to Sam. "I got it just before my grandma died, two years ago. Nobody's heard from her since. It was sent from a motel here in town. That's where I've been staying. I was at Susie's Bar, looking for a loser named Ronnie Cartwright. Mom's diary said she was gonna meet him around the time she disappeared. Before he knocked me down, he remembered her name. He knows something."

"Why was Amelia looking for him?" Cas's voice cut through the tension.

"She went looking for miracles" Claire replied, anger flickering in her eyes. "She went looking for you." Her spiteful words hung in the air, a storm cloud darkening the room.

☆

Claire seized the moment to flee from the hospital while the three Winchesters and Cas were engrossed in conversation outside. This led them to split up in their search for her, with Jovi joining her dad and Cas, while Sam headed back to the motel. During the drive to the bar, Jovi had fallen asleep in the backseat, curled up with her face pressed against the cool leather, light snores escaping her lips. Dean glanced back at his sleeping daughter, a content look softening his features before he turned to Cas in the passenger seat. "Hey, Cas, listen, what you're doing for Claire, helping her find her mom... it's good. It's a good thing," Dean said, his voice earnest.

Cas winced. "But?"

"Well, where does it end? I'm not trying to be a jerk, but the truth is, you're not her dad. In fact, you're not anything to her except a constant reminder of someone who's gone."

"No, I'm responsible for everything that's happened to her" Cas replied, his gaze fixed on Dean's side profile. "Look, I'm just saying, she's been surviving on her own for quite a while now, partly because she doesn't have anybody to answer to. There's... there's nobody holding her back."

"We just found her in a hospital. Are you telling me she'd be better off on her own? What if it was Jovi?" Cas's tone was sharp with annoyance as he nodded toward the sleeping teen in the back. Dean's heart clenched at the thought of Jovi in that position, having to fend for herself without anyone to look out for her. He didn't doubt Jovi's ability to handle herself, but he didn't want her to have to.

"Jovi's different, and she would be better off without looking for her mother. But I'm saying Claire... she might be stronger on her own" Dean said, his voice tinged with resignation. Cas's jaw tightened as he looked away, staring out the window. "Jovi still doesn't know the truth."

Dean shot the angel a glare. "She knows as much as I do."

Cas turned his head to look at Dean, a pointed look in his eyes. "Does she?"

"Drop it, Cas" Dean snapped, his eyes darting to the rearview mirror to check on his sleeping daughter before focusing back on the road. The silence between them grew heavy, laden with unspoken worries and the weight of the past.

☆

Jovi only stirred when her father gently shook her shoulder, reluctantly pulling herself from the car and dragging her feet to Claire's motel door. The sky was dark, a thick blanket of stars barely visible through the city's haze. Cas knocked, and moments later, Claire opened the door with a half-annoyed expression, her eyes reflecting the dim light from inside. "You okay?" the angel asked. Claire rolled her eyes and stepped aside to let them in. "Yeah, I will be when nobody ever asks me that again." If Jovi weren't so tired, she might have laughed or made a snarky comment in response.

"Did you find Ronnie?" Sam asked, looking up from the computer on the table, its screen casting a soft glow across his face. "Yeah, he gave up a name – Peter Holloway. Said he was a faith healer" Dean replied, sitting beside his brother. Jovi made her way to the bed, sitting next to Claire but leaving a respectful distance. She offered a small, tired smile. "So, what? You thinking angel?"

"Maybe. It sounds like he has healed some people, but he might have fed off others" Dean explained, his eyes meeting Sam's puzzled gaze. Sam's fingers tapped the keyboard, his brows knitting together. "Yeah, that's weird. All right, let's look into this Peter Holloway guy."

Cas approached the two girls, a small smile playing on his lips. "Claire, um..." He pulled a gift bag from behind his back. "Happy birthday." Jovi blinked, momentarily wondering if she had missed seeing him enter with the bag. She hadn't been awake long, so she wasn't very observant. "It's your birthday?" she asked Claire, who took the bag with a shrug. "Yeah..."

"Well, happy birthday" Jovi said, smiling awkwardly. She hadn't known, nor had she gotten the girl anything. They weren't close, but she felt a pang of guilt nonetheless.

"Thanks" Claire said, managing a grateful smile as she reached into the bag and pulled out a toy cat. Cas leaned forward. "I got it at the Hot Topical."

Jovi stifled a giggle, Sam and Dean sharing a look of disbelief. "Right... um, thanks, I guess" Claire said, trying to smile as she placed the cat back in the bag.

"Whoa, just got an alert from local PD. Ronnie's body was found outside Susie's Bar" Sam announced, snapping their attention back to the task at hand. Both blondes stood, moving toward the brothers. Claire turned to Dean, her eyes blazing with accusation. "You were just supposed to talk to Ronnie! What did you do to him?"

Dean held his hands up, an offended look crossing his face. "I didn't lay a hand on him."

"Dean, that isn't exactly true," Cas interjected, throwing Dean under the bus. Sam's head snapped toward the angel, worry etched across his features. Jovi, who had been asleep during the incident, looked between them, unsure who to believe, but the genuine indignation on her father's face swayed her. "I didn't kill the guy!"

The silence that followed was heavy, like the calm before a storm. Everyone exchanged looks until Dean stood. "All right, I'm gonna suit up and head back over there."

"I'm coming with you."

"I'm coming with you, too" Cas and Claire said almost simultaneously. Jovi frowned, scrunching her face in distaste. She almost muttered 'desperate much' but bit her tongue. Dean looked at them for a moment before turning to Sam and Jovi. "You two wanna get in on this?"

"No, I-I should probably stay here and research Holloway," Sam said. Claire nudged Jovi almost excitedly. "You coming?" Jovi wanted to stay and take a cat nap, but how could she refuse on Claire's birthday? Begrudgingly, she plastered a fake smile on her face. "Sure."

"Great," Dean said, turning on his heel. The two girls followed, Jovi sending her uncle a desperate look, which Sam responded to with a sympathetic grin. The night was far from over, and the mysteries were only deepening.

☆

The Winchester girl dragged her feet once again, following her father and Cas over to the female officer. Jovi tried to wear her best 'I want to be here' expression, especially around the cops, but she wished she were in her bed, far from the bright flashing lights, the gruesome dead body, and Claire's unsettling enthusiasm. The group approached the officer, with the two girls standing side by side between Dean and Cas. "Officer?" Dean called out.

The woman turned around, her gaze assessing them. "Agents Clapton and Page" Dean introduced, flashing his fake badge. The sheriff's eyes narrowed slightly as they landed on the two blonde girls. "And your little friends?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, it's bring your daughters to work day at the bureau" Dean said smoothly. Jovi offered the lady a forced, enthusiastic smile. "Uh, Vic was a person of interest in a missing persons case. What do you got?" Dean asked, his tone expectant. The sheriff turned to the corpse, walking toward it, and the group followed.

"Stab wound, clean through. No sign of robbery. Wallet and everything were still on his person" she explained, eyeing the body. Jovi winced in disgust. No matter how many dead bodies she'd seen, it still sent a shiver down her spine. "What are the red marks there on the point of entry?" Dean questioned, nodding toward the large triangular hole where the blade had pierced the man's skin around it were three small, circular marks.

"Burn marks, maybe. Don't know. We pulled his cell phone records; he made two calls to the same number prior to the attack. Tried the number, but the line's dead now — probably a burner." Jovi noticed Claire scoff beside her and nudged her, sending a 'cool it' look. Claire caught on and let her glare drop.

The sheriff's phone rang, pulling her attention away. She glanced at the screen before meeting Dean's eyes again. "Will you excuse me?" she said. Dean hummed and sent her a polite smile as she walked away to answer her phone.

"The wound looks like an angel blade, but the point of entry is wider" Cas observed as a couple of officers approached to cover the body with a tarp. "Can't explain those marks."

"Best birthday ever" Claire spoke sarcastically. Jovi couldn't disagree. Birthday cases suck, but at least it's not boring...

Dean frowned and gently nudged Claire away from the scene. "Okay, all right, come here" he said softly, trying to offer a semblance of comfort amid the chaos.

☆

Heading back into the motel room, they found Sam hunched over a notepad, scribbling furiously. He barely glanced up as they approached. "Hey. I, uh, got a lead on Peter Holloway" he announced. Dean leaned over the back of a chair at the small round table, casting a shadow over Sam's notes. "Oh, good, 'cause he's probably about to split town. Ronnie made a few phone calls before he got shish kebabed." Jovi cringed at the thought, vowing never to eat kebabs again. Was she dramatic? Absolutely. Would she eat one if it were offered to her? Yes. Yes, she would. The teen strolled past the group and threw herself onto one of the beds, her body sinking into the mattress like a stone in water.

"You think he gave Holloway a heads up?" Sam asked, looking up at his brother.

"If he did, that's probably what got him killed. So... we gotta track him down before he bails."

"Great. Well, according to county records, Holloway owns a farmhouse about 30 or 40 miles from here. I cross-referenced it with Amelia's credit card receipts" Sam explained, gesturing to the wall cluttered with papers and leads. He pointed to a spot on a map. "The house is about right there, and she's been hitting up Biggerson's and Gas n' Sips all around the area."

"Probably staking the place out" Dean added.

"Exactly" Sam nodded.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go" Claire said impatiently, looking between the two Winchesters. Jovi threw her a glare over her shoulder. How did she have so much energy at this unholy hour? Does no one sleep anymore? With a grumble, Jovi buried her face back into the bed sheets.

"Claire, you are not going out there," Castiel argued, his blue eyes locking onto hers.

"She's my mother," Claire shot back defiantly.

"That house could be empty, or it could be a trap. It's too dangerous. I can't let anything happen to you." How sweet, Jovi thought to herself — Cas was in his dad era. At least he was starting to truly care about Claire instead of leaving her to fend for herself. She smirked, eavesdropping on their argument.

"Anything else you mean" Claire muttered.

"Claire, you're not going" Dean cut in, siding with Cas. "You're not either, Dean." Jovi glanced up, a smirk playing on her lips as she watched her father's 'sorry, what?' expression. "Ooo, Dad's been benched" Jovi giggled, earning a glare from her father.

"What?" Dean asked, surprised, ignoring his daughter's playful remark.

"Back at the bar with Ronnie?" Cas looked at Dean knowingly.

Dean's brows furrowed. "Oh, come on, Cas. He wasn't gonna talk. I just... helped him talk." Jovi fought back a giggle. It wasn't that she didn't care about the Mark and the destruction it left behind, but her dad had just left a couple of bruises on an asshole who knocked out a teenage girl. That didn't seem like criminal behavior to her.

"Dean, Cas is right. We need to keep the Mark in check. And we don't know what's out there. You know, maybe you should... maybe you should stay here. I'm sure Jovi would gladly stay behind too" Sam said, taking a small step towards Dean while nodding at his niece, who turned on her back, shooting her uncle a glare. "Wow, Uncle Sammy, trying to bench me too? That's low" Jovi said sarcastically her tone overly fake.

Sam sent her a bored look. "You want to be benched, Jovi."

The blonde shrugged. "Correct."

"So you wanna bench me again? Jovi I get, but me?" Dean questioned his brother, glaring at him. Jovi scoffed, putting on a fake offended face and raising her hands in a 'what the hell' manner. "Dude." The two ignored her as Sam sighed. Dean looked at Castiel and paused for several seconds, noticing that Cas wasn't giving in.

"All right. Fine. I'll stay and babysit" Dean conceded, turning towards Sam. "But if anything happens, anything at all..."

"Yeah, we'll call you" Cas said wearily, before looking between the two girls and Dean. "No fighting."

Dean scoffed, gesturing to Claire childishly. "Yeah, tell her that." Claire scrunched up her face, her lips parted and eyes wide in disbelief.

"Both of you" Cas responded sternly, opening the door and heading out of the room. Dean made a 'who, me?' face as Sam followed Cas out the door, leaving Dean and Jovi alone with Claire and a night of uncertain calm.

☆

Dean, now in full hunter attire, grabbed a beer from the six-pack on the motel table. He popped off the cap and tossed it into the sink, the metal clinking like a distant alarm bell in the stillness of the room. Sighing, he took a seat beside his daughter, Jovi, who was sprawled on the bed, feigning rest. She shifted, resting her head in his lap, soaking in the comforting sensation of his fingers threading through her hair. It made her feel like a little girl again, wrapped in the cocoon of her father's presence.

From the other bed, Claire eyed the beer in Dean's hand. "Can I have one?" she asked, her tone dripping with teenage audacity.

Dean's eyes told her no before his lips even moved. Claire rolled