Running Up That Hill Δ SPN [2]

025. THE NOVAKS

Castiel walks up to the small, rundown house. Some of the poles on the porch fence are missing, the screen on the screen door is half off, and some of the shingles on the roof are missing. Cas walks up the creaky wooden porch steps, glancing at the old rocking chairs to the side.

Cas reaches out past the broken screen door and knocks against front door. It takes a few moments before a man opens the door. Cas observes his appearance -- an worn out white tank top, washed out jeans, and very little hair. There's a beer can in one hand, cigarette in the other.

"What do you want?" The man asks in a gruff voice.

"I'm, uh... I'm looking for Nathan Novak." Cas informs.

"Oh, yeah. I got the little sucker." The man says. "Hey, blondie! You got a visitor!" He calls into the house, making his way back to the living room. Cas is left standing alone on the porch for a few moments before he hears footsteps approach.

He looks in, watching a young teen boy stop short when he spots the man. Cas takes in Nathan's appearance. Tan skin, blue eyes that match Jimmy's, and unruly blonde hair. A bruise adorns his left eye, his lip having a small cut on.

"Um... uh, you're--"

"I'm Castiel." He informs, cutting the boy off.

"Right. Not dad, but angel. Got it." Nathan nods. "What, uh... what are you doing here?"

"I... I wanted to find you... and your sister." Cas informs.

"My dad's dead, right? Uh, stabbing in the chest or something." Nathan recalls.

"Or something." Cas says.

"Right." Nathan mumbles.

"He's in Heaven." Cas informs.

"And... and Heaven's good, right?" Nathan asks.

"Heaven... yes." Cas nods. He doesn't need to explain to a fourteen year old of all the bad things.

"Invite him in, idiot! Rude to be talking to somebody on the porch!" The man yells out. Nathan's jaw clenches and he opens the screen door, letting Cas step in. Nathan shuts the front door, walking to the kitchen, Cas following after him.

"What happened to your eye?" Cas asks.

"Oh, uh... it's, um--" Nathan clears his throat. "It's nothing. Just, uh... ran into the wall."

"Ran into the wall?" Cas asks, watching Nathan pick up the countless beer bottles.

"Yeah. Yeah, uh, I'm a klutz." Nathan chuckles, but there's no humor behind it.

"Was the wall... was the wall that man in there?" Cas asks. Nathan doesn't say anything for a few moments, avoiding any possible eye contact.

"What can I say? He isn't the greatest foster dad in the world." Nathan says, a fake smile on his face.

"Would you like me to smite him?" Cas offers.

"I, uh..." Nathan looks at him confused. "I don't know what that is, so even though I hate him, I'm gonna go with no."

"It would kill him." Cas explains.

"Oh. Um... I don't-- I don't feel right being responsible for death." Nathan says.

"So you don't want me to?"

"No. No, I mean, not at my expense. Just, uh... no."

"I found Claire." Cas informs, able to tell Nathan wants a subject change.

"Yeah? Where is she now?" Nathan asks.

"She was in a, um... a child prison... or she called it a group home. The sign outside the building said Youth Transition Center. It's in Pontiac, Illinois." Cas explains and Nathan nods. "She told me about your mother... and your grandmother. And foster care, group homes, you two getting separated."