It's been a week since I arrived in Odessa. Castiel had left after I had yelled at him for trying to talk about who the 'guy' was. Since then I had found out how many high schools there were and had started waiting outside them when the students got out. If I didn't see Claire come out then I would go in and ask if she was enrolled there. I had ben to three different high schools. Only one had refused to tell me. Right now I was waiting outside the last high school in Odessa and so far I hadn't seen Claire yet.

During the day I had driven around everywhere. Down all the streets I found but I could't find Nana Kat's house and I hadn't seen Lily working anywhere. As the students started thinning out, my phone started ringing. I pulled it out with a sigh and looked down. It was Vicky.

"Frank I- he- they- and Dean! And Cas! And the tablet!"Vicky sobbed into my ear suddenly.
"Vicky what's wrong? Why are you crying? What happened?"
"Frank everything I'm about to say right now is not going to make any sense to you at all but I'm going to pumch myself repeatedly if I cant explode to someone!"Vicky cried.
"I- okay. Lemme have it,"I sighed. I knew what this was. She had done it once before to me and three times to Deandra.

"The episode of Supernatural finally aired and I died because of Megstiel and then the moment between Cas and Dean when Dean almost died at Cas' hand but Cas fought against Naomi and then Dean told Cas he needs him which is like the fucking equivilent of Dean saying I love you so it was a big thing and they were fucking holding hands okay? Do you understand the feelings that gave me like actually? And then Cas fucking fought against Naomi again and won and then he left with the angel tablet and Cas and Dean and Meg died and Crowley fucking- fuck!"

I didnt even need to have the phone at my ear for that. She was crying so loudly.
"You done?"I put the phone back to my ear as I crossed the road to go into the school.
"Yeah uh sorry. There was no one else around and I thought if I called you I could ask you how the search was going afterwards. So hows the search going?"

"Really good actually. I've acted like a pedophile at every high school looking for Claire. I'm at the last school right now."
"Yeah Miranda told me what you were doing. So you think its the one that refused to answer you?"
"Yup. Every other school believed me when I said I was her brother and just searched it up in the system. Complete slackers really. Hold on."

"Can I help you?"The sweet looking old lady in the receptionist smiled up at me.
"Hi, yeah my family moved here from San Diego a few years back without me and I'm supposed to be picking up my little sister today but I forgot the name of her school,"I smiled sheepishly and looked away, willing the blush to get stronger. It did.

"And you think this might be her school?"The lady asked, clicking about on her computer.
"Yeah. Is there any way you could just check to see if she's in the system? Because my Mum will kill me she finds out,"I chuckled.
"Of course, no problem sweetie. Whats her name?"
"Claire Iero,"I smiled down at her gratefully.

"Alright, let me see... Nope. No Claire Iero in here. Sorry,"The lady looked at me sadly.
"No no thats fine. I'm sorry for wasting your time,"I smiled widely at her and started backing away.
"Good luck!"She waved at me as I turned around and put my phone to my ear.

"Not there?"Vicky sniffed.
"Nope... You've been crying again havent you,"I sighed as I walked to my car.
"Yeah,"She sniffed even louder.
"Right well I'm gonna head back to my hotel. Tomorrow I'm going to stalk the school that refused to answer me."

"Dont get yourself in trouble okay? And come back soon. Mirandas starting to crack under the pressure."
"Yeah I know. Tell her I'm sorry and that I'll be back in a week or less. Actually just tell her I'll call her tonight,"I sighed as I stared at the steering wheel.

"Alright Frankie. Be safe. Love you,"Vicky said sadly.
"Yeah you too. Bye,"I hung my phone up wtith a groan and dropped it into the passenger seat. I started my car and pulled away from the curb.

The shortest route was blocked by roadworks so I had to basically drive halfway across town to get onto the main road that my hotel was on. The new route took me close to the school that had refused. As I drove two streets over from it, I saw two young girls step out of an alleyway.

The shorter of the two was laughing hard. The other was grinning. A lip ring shone in the sun as she grinned at her friend. She had a guitar case on her shoulders. Her long black hair shone brightly like her lip ring. I tore my eyes away from them and stopped at the zebra crossing just in time. And then the two girls started crossing the crossing. I stared at the taller one. Her smile. The way she walked. The fucking lip ring in exactly the same place that mine used to be.

As they crossed the shorter one waved a hand in thanks to me, the taller one barely glancing at me as she continued telling the shorter girl a story. A car beeped their horn behind me, alerting me to the fact that I was still stationary. I forced myself to drive forward and pull up against the curb.

The two girls were getting away. I pulled into a driveway once the cars had passed me, and turned around. The only thing stopping me from getting out and calling to her was the fact that it might not actually be Claire. She was turning fourteen this year so I really had no idea of exactly what she might look like but this girl, there was something about her that rendered me incapable of stopping.

I slowed down as I got closer to the girls. The shorter of the two glanced behind me briefly before saying something to her friend. They both started walking faster. The next second they were walking up a path to a small house. I stopped the car and stared as they suddenly ran to the front door. Shit, they thought I was a fucking pedophile or rapist or whatever.

The door opened before they reached it and someone who I had not expected to see at all, was standing there, ushering the girls in. Both the girls darted in the doorway and just as the door was closing, she looked out.

"Fuck- Claire,"I found myself saying. In a second I was out of the car and going up the path. I knocked on the door impatiently. There was some muffled talking before the door finally cracked open.

"Frank?"The door opened wider and Castiel looked at me with completel utter confusion.
"Uh hey Castiel,"I smiled awkwardly.
"What-"Castiel took a step outside and closed the door behind him,"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Look this is gonna sound really weird and wrong and just- please I need to see her,"I could feel the anguish taking over. Claire was right behind that fucking door. I closed my eyes tried to ignore the dizzy feeling but it was too much. I opened my eyes in time to see the ground rush up to meet me.

-time lapse-

There was something soft underneath me. I was lying on a bed or couch of some sort. Slowly, the rest of my senses came back, the pain in my head slamming into me.

"And he just fainted?"A woman said quietly.
"Yeah I dont know what the hell happened. He just said he needed to see her then fainted."
That was Castiel. I opened my eyes and saw that I was in a sweet little living room covered in floral patterns. Castiel was in a suit, sitting on a chair next to a woman in a floral dress.

The patterns and smell of actual flowers was giving me a headache,"Oh jesus. What- what happened?"I groaned.
"Frank? You okay buddy?"Castiel was suddenly next to me, his hand on my arm.

"I think so,"I slowly sat up and winced as my head hurt even worse,"What happened? Where am I?"
"You turned up outside my house and fainted,"Castiel stood up and took a step back, folding his arms. And then I noticed the ring on his left finger.

"You- your-"I opened my mouth to confirm that he was married but he beat me to it.
"Yeah I work with you. Was just telling Samantha, my wife here that you're new at the office. The boss's new assistant.
"Right right. I uh-"

"Look, Frank,"Samantha looked at me sympathetically,"I know you've hit your head and must be going through some things but- my daughter and her friend said you followed them from around the corner here and I just want to know if they're telling the truth or not."
"I- yeah I- I followed them but its not what you're thinking,"I stood up suddenly, it all coming back.

"I- Castiel did the- you remember in that meeting when the boss introduced me? And how I said I was looking for my little sister?"I looked at him seriously. He blinked before it clicked.
"Yeah do you think- is that your-"
"Yes! I saw her and I just had to know for sure,"I smiled.

"Cas, sweetie, if that was his little sister up there dont you think she would have recognised him?"Samantha looked at Castiel meaningfully. She didnt trust me.
"She didnt see him. It was Gabby that actually saw him. I didnt let them see him when he had fainted,"Castiel said as he moved to a door. He opened it to reveal what looked like an entryway.

"Gabby! Can you guys come down here please!"He called. The nerves pricked at my skin, making me sweat. This horrible panic and nausea started gripping at my lungs, squeezing tightly so I felt like I couldn't breathe.

There was some stomping down the steps as the two girls came down, giggling about something. I knew that fucking giggle. It was as if time itself froze. Claire had been living without me for 8 years. Did I really want to just turn up in her life again? The last time she saw me I had killed someone at our fucking mothers funeral. If I suddenly showed up in her friend's living room, she was gonna flip a shit. The footsteps were getting closer. I had to make a decision right then and I had to make sure it was the right one.