Hellboy: The Archangels

[Miranda_]

Ooc: I don't really know what to ask!

"First of all, what are you doing here?"

[spirit_queen]

Ana nodded and went over to Diego. "Diego? Can you hear me? I need you to swallow these and some water," she said softly, gently.

[Silent_Wolf]

Ooc: Just general stuff like WTF are you doing here, that sort of thing.
~~~~

"I was hunting wolf demons. Heard that the leviathans I released through folly were imitating them to travel faster."

[Miranda_]

Diego murmured quietly, so as not to jar his aching head. "If I drink water, I'll be sick again."

"And is there anyone else with you, or are you on your own?" Tamsin asked.

[Silent_Wolf]

"No, there's no one. The angels want nothing to do with me and I've been keeping my head low so Crowley won't find me."

"Might have to have somebody do liquid vicodin or something until he can drink again." Sam sighed.

[spirit_queen]

"Would you please?" Ana asked. "don't worry, Diego, you won't have to drink a thing."

[Miranda_]

Diego said nothing. Even to speak softly still hurt.

"And what are your future plans?" Tamsin asked.

[Silent_Wolf]

Castiel just stared at Tamsin. "I... I don't know. Destroying the wolf demons has left me very, very tired."

[spirit_queen]

Ana just resumed sitting down beside Diego...

[Silent_Wolf]

*later*

Castiel was still in the interrogation room and was staring at the glass of water and the ham sandwich in front of her. She didn't really need to eat or drink anything.

The door opened and she looked up, then quickly looked back down again at the untouched meal as Fern walked in, looking sour. "What's this about you being an angel?"

"I encountered your friends in the sewer. Your friend, Diego, saved your mother's life and is currently suffering at the hands of a terrible, terrible migraine. If I were not locked up in here, I could fix that."

"Yeah, sure, and you just happened to know who my mother is." The angel flinched and looked up at Fern quite apprehensively. "Start talking or I will burn you alive." She lifted up a flaming hand. "Because I know for a fact that demon fire can hurt angels."

"Your name is Fern Sherman Broom. Your nickname is Nyx, your brother was Los, when you were kids. Your brother Batty is so named because he is blind but has the adept ability to echo-locate at a rate not unlike bats, which he keeps as pets. When you were nineteen, you and your father fought off a minor R'leyhan god in Kentucky when some poor sod accidentally summoned it through his Lovecraftian fanfiction."

"... Yeah, that was Shawn." She frowned at her and sat down across from her. "Continue."

"A short time ago, you encountered an angel. Said angel recently went through Purgatory and came out of it worse for wear. They're drained, tired, and falling apart with no way of properly recovering because of what the archangels have planned for you and yours."

"...Castiel's not..?" She stared at her.

"No. You're looking right at me."

"P-prove it." Fern stood up suddenly, knocking the chair back. Castiel stood up as well, though more carefully.

"Those burns you have on your neck are from me. They didn't heal for three months and left scars that you've been having plastic surgery to remove ever since. The mark on your tail is from when the Winchesters summoned me here; the holy water circle burned you."

"Anybody would know that." Her voice was hard.

"But no other angel knows that I was the one that saved you from death that night when the angels attacked."

"Pride. Isn't that what got you into this mess in the first place?" Fern started walking around the table. Castiel watched her warily, exhausted. "You told me yourself that angels have no free will. You were manipulated into thinking your choices were your own." Her voice shook. "You f**king idiot!"

Her fist crashed into the side of Castiel's face, throwing her across the room and into the wall. A dent was left in the metal and Castiel spat out a tooth or three, looking up at Fern with no anger, only calm acceptance.

"I am aware that I was - am - a fool, Fern." The angel got back to her feet, resting her hand on the wall for balance as her cheek began to bruise.

"Just answer one thing for me, and I'll let you go." Castiel made a noise of agreement and touched the side of her face, still not acting as though it hurt. "Why did you come back?"

The angel turned to look at her, head tilted slightly in an incredibly familiar way along with eyebrows raised just so. "... it's the only place I've got left," she said, at last.

Fern crossed the room, grabbed the angel, and hugged her tight. "Dammit, Cas." Her eyes welled up and she blinked back the tears. "Just dammit, why didn't you come to us if something was wrong?"

Castiel was able to get Fern to release her and put both hands on her shoulders. Before, Castiel was Fern's height but now in this new feminine vessel, she was a full head shorter. "I wasn't going to endanger the BPRD's wards after I realized how far I'd fallen, Fern." She dropped her hands to her sides. "Show me to Diego. I can heal his migraine."

Fern just nodded and took Castiel to the infirmary.