WHO: Dean and Anael (possibly an appearance by Jo at the end?) WHAT: Anna zaps herself over to check in on Dean after their network exchange. WHEN: Before Castiel's first network post. WHERE: Dean's room. WARNINGS: Awkward angelic attempts at comforting, language, mentions of dark and violent things, angst... you know, the usual. STATUS: In progress.
It was incredibly fortunate that when the new arrivals announced their sudden presence, Anael and her troops were at a reprieve. The commander had long since stopped thanking her Father, but she found herself wanting to thank someone in charge for the small mercy. They were becoming fewer in number by the days and what they needed were stronger units, more steadfast resolve in their warriors. Anna knew Dean, and if Dean knew Jo, that had been enough to give her hope for the time being.
But it wasn't all as she had hoped — at least, it did not seem like it. Dean did not know her, and his memories of the present were very different from what she knew they should have been. 2007... She had been on Earth at the time, watching over the true Anna Milton, the special girl that was her Vessel. The Host had not acted against Azazel, and so Sam had died, which drove Dean to give his soul to Lilith in exchange for his brother. As the battalion was returning to the Sanctuary, Anael was well aware that she was acting in direct violation of her position by leaving behind her soldiers to hurry on ahead and meet with Dean, but she knew how important Sam had always been to the elder Winchester son; if something regarding Sam was amiss, she had to act quickly before Dean was beyond reach. The angel told herself that she could not afford to risk someone who had the great potential to be one of the strongest in their armies, but secretly she knew this was more personal than that.
After all, he was a Winchester.
In the blink of an eye, Anael was beside the door of Dean's newly prepared room, herself a hair away from the young man. He had been shockingly easy to find and Anna guessed it must have been because she already knew perfectly what his soul looked like and felt like to the part of her that could see all the world in the space of two heartbeats, which was not a fact she had been able to say about many of the countless Chosen when they had first arrived.