What Can We Say, We're Classy Girls

Aoife shivered, the cold embrace of darkness draping over her shoulders. Damn this creature, she couldn't even get a good night's sleep without its bloody hands gripping her and yanking her into a dark oblivion, of which she thought she's never escape.
Why couldn't this thing just leave her alone!? What had she done to deserve such corruption in a creature of her mind? Yes, maybe her childhood was riddled with the anxiety and the emotional devastation called hunting, but it shouldn't still be haunting her. It should have given up long ago...it just kept coming back...
"Shh..." A soft demented voice cooed. "You are in no danger."
That's a lie... She retorted boldly. Everyone—herself included—that seemed to cross her path was in imminent danger while this creature loomed over her shoulder, poised to strike. This creature was a predator, feeding off of any negative feeling she's ever had.
"A lie?" A chuckle resonated through its dark voice. "I wouldn't be forced to take such action if you would just accept me. Let me in, let me make you a part of me forever..."
Aoife mentally shook her head, trying to clear it and dispel the creature's words. She could not let it in...If it didn't ruin her, it would destroy everything...Everyone she loved...She felt her heart ache, knowing that—without Riley's strength or Castiel's addictive warmth—she was a prisoner within her own mind. This parasite would just keep returning until she let it in. And when she let go, this monster would ravage her and leave nothing but a shell of what was once the beautiful, mahogany haired woman lying helplessly curled into a ball on her bed.

Aoife felt as though no one could pull her from this eternal nightmare. This creature's embrace was odd, an eerily familiar feeling radiating through the undercurrent. Its actions were so human, so unnervingly gentle. As though it knew she had just gotten a slight glimmer of hope, and it decided to destroy it. She hadn't had a moment's peace since the motel room had been caught on fire. Or even when it tap danced on her mental psyche...
But what was this deep, settled uneasiness that prickled down her spine? It was a projection of false warmth and hidden intentions. One that would even force the hunter in Aoife to run. To flee...to run before it was all too late...

Aoife's eyes fluttered open as that oddly addicting warmth flowed into her from her right side. Her heavily lidded eyes traveled to the handsome angel sitting beside her bed. His soft blue eyes were intensely settled on her face and her petite, curled up form.
She shakily—though she didn't want to—tore her eyes from his and uncurled her body. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest, her eyes scanning the room. Riley and the boys were nowhere to be seen. Panic jolted through her, making her bolt into an upright position.
"W—" Aoife stuttered, her eyes owl-wide.
"They are finishing this hunt." The dark-haired angel stated bluntly.
"Why didn't—" Her voice cracked and broke as it rose in octave.
"They insisted that you needn't be bothered." He stated simply.
Aoife felt realization dawn. Riley tried to do it alone, so the boys refused to leave her. She had a bad habit of it, and her creature must have affected her and amplified it in some way. Then another realization sent a warm tingling to her cheeks. "Have you been here the entire time...?" Her normally strong voice grew timid and quiet.
His unearthly eyes were fathomless and blunt as he answered, "Yes."
Aoife's stomach fluttered, an embarrassed twinge floating through her. "H-how long...?" She swallowed hard.
"The creature is still haunting you." Once again, blunt. Aoife's eyes dropped as she nodded. The cold, tingling fear began to creep down her body again.
And Aoife felt alone again... Nothing touched her. She didn't hear Castiel stand from his seat. She barely felt his hand on her shoulder. She barely felt the warmth radiating from beneath his palm. The feeling that latched itself to her heart...

Aoife's heavy lids fluttered open slowly, her hazy brain attempting to make sense of what just happened. Has she just fainted?
"W-w—" She stuttered. Her stuttered were drawn out, slow. Her reflexes seemed as though they were turned off. This made her feel so vulnerable. Her arms were slow, groggy as she rubbed her eyes.
"Aoife, you must be cautious." Castiel's gruff voice warned, "You are weak." A heat flooded through her as he spoke. This unexplainable intensity filled her chest and shoved off the cold emptiness.
A growl of irritation filled her, but she ignored it, "Say something." Her order was slightly slurred.
"What?" Warmth bubbled in her chest.
"More..." She muttered.
"What...? I don't–" His head tilted. Again, more heat.
"Keep talking." Her order came out as a soft plea, not nearly as strong as she would have wished.
"Aoife..." The way her name rolled off his tongue...It sent a dancing through her that pushed away the darkness.

A howl of rage and fury ripped her.
"Aoife!" A warning, but that one word sent it away, almost banishing it from her mind.
"It left!" Aoife squeaked. Surprised layered her tone as a hysterical laugh escaped her lips. She ran her fingers through her hair, a stress-filled motion of relief.
"It...left?" Castiel was closer now to her than he'd ever been, his eyes peering intensely into hers. Dean often had this problem with Cas on personal space, but she didn't. In fact, hers was the opposite, he would hardly get close to her.
This always put her out, but when Dean explained a little about his vessel, she understood. His vessel was married, and no matter what draw she felt, that would always put a wall between them. Something was holding them back on both parts, and she knew exactly what they were...

Aoife knew her beast of torment was lurking around every corner, awaiting the joyous moment when she would drop her guard. No matter what she did, she couldn't help the drooping of her eyes now. That spine prickling foreboding that kept her wired with anxiety was currently gone, and her mind began to relax as her body unwound. Her panic-filled tension eased and sent her mind into a calm, groggy stupor.
"Aoife?" His voice barely registered, and the tiny shift to look up at his face made a wave of blurry fatigue across her vision.
His voice sent a giddy wave of happiness through her, "Cas..." She felt drunk, loopy as the world around her floated out of focus. "So...tire—" A quick motion and she could feel a pair of warm arms encircle her. Then, again, nothing...

Castiel braced the petite woman in his arms. The dark presence has seemed to vanish mysteriously.
How strange...It had not disappeared. No, not completely... This being of dreams had not vacated Aoife's psyche. It had left temporarily, to torment the others no doubt.
Now the mahogany haired woman lay in his arms, her mind having crashed from pure exhaustion. She must have been spending all of her energy fighting it. Even in her sleep—her face once pulled taut in anxiety—she was ready to fight.
As he lay her on the bed, all of her hair fell out of her—now serene—face. Her face was absent of any makeup—which was peculiar for her—bringing her unpolished beauty to the surface. An odd feeling swam through his stomach, sending a weird flittering into his heart.
This oddly foreign feeling felt familiar. Similar to what his gracious vessel felt about his wife. Similar to what Dean seemed to feel for Riley—though he denied it. Was it what they called love? Or was it physical attraction...? That was a human emotion... Wasn't it?
His head tilted to the side. A slight film covered the potential for intensity in his fluttering stomach. This girl... She was no less human and no more. Why was this human woman—truly a child in comparison to his true age—making him feel so odd? Yes, she was indeed beautiful, and she was quite different from most humans. She didn't seem to fear or revere the same things, nor did she suffer from the inane hubris that plagued all of mankind. Or if she did, she had great self-control and enacted it often. This girl, both attractive in mind and body, held him as he watched her sleeping form.

Even Riley, in all her hard-headed, stubbornness, had a charm to her. Though, even if she didn't want to admit it, this creature had a profound effect on her. Aoife was right, in many ways, to worry about her sister of the soul. She had a tendency to rush into things—whether she knew how to deal with the pest or not. And if she needed help, she refused to admit it.
This, Castiel suspected, was due to the odd effect that Aoife's creature had on her. It seemed to fuel her desire to hunt alone—which most likely manifested from her unnatural desire to protect Aoife.

There were times when Castiel contemplated checking on Dean's progress, but then his thoughts would return to the peacefully sleeping woman beside him. If he left, the creature would be sure to return and destroy any peace-of-mind she once had. She was finally sleeping...resting her heavily lidded eyes... He had barely notice the dark rings that hung beneath her eyes before; and now, they stood out more than ever.

In the distance, Castiel could feel a power similar to Aoife's approaching. The presence behind it was different though... There was an undercurrent of persevering loyalty and an exterior of hardened determination. There was the sound of a car, then, it was silent.
"Riley!" Sam called out, "Wait—Slow down woman!" Cas didn't hear her reply, but he knew it must have been an obscene hand gesticulation.
The door knob turned, and the thin, white/blonde haired woman rushed in, "Aoife!"
Her deep blue orbs scanning the room, they barely brushed over a slightly startled Angel. She rushed over to her sister's calmly sleeping form.
"Oh, Aoife..." She sighed. She sat down next to her sister stroking her hair, "Damn, even when you're being stalked by a fucking crazy ass demon from your fucked up mind, your hair is still softer than mine..."
"That's what you focus on...?" Dean muttered.
Riley mocked him childishly.
"Riley." She mocked him again, "Riley!"
"Fine!" She snapped crossing her arms.
"This is going to be a long day..." Sam muttered.

Later that night, Aoife's eyes softly drifted open. Cas was no longer next to her. He sat across the room with the others, speaking in hushed voices.
"The sooner we find Sydney, the better..." Sam sighed, "I don't know about you, but I'm sick of this damn thing popping up every time we turn around."
"You just said it," Dean muttered, "We need to FIND her." His jaw was tensed in a stressed way as he ran his hand through his short auburn hair.
"I think I have an idea on where to look next." Riley muttered, rubbing her temples, "We need to return to Shelbyville." Aoife held in her gasp of surprise. She hadn't heard that name since she'd left it behind seven years ago.
"Shelbyville?" Sam's confusion marked his face.
"Our home town." Riley muttered in brief explanation.
"Why?" Dean asked, raising a brow.
"Connor told me to go home if I wanted to find the 'red one'," Riley shrugged, "So I assumed he meant Sydney." Aoife suppressed a soft laugh.
"You know... come to think of it, we don't know what your friend even looks like." Sam stated.
"You'll know her when you see her." Riley laughed humorlessly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean muttered.
"Trust me." Riley sighed, exasperated.

After a couple of minutes of silence, Castiel spoke, "What is that your friend will do?"
"Oh, he speaks!" Riley exclaimed sarcastically, "And he brings fancy words to the grown up conversation... Well Mr. Fancy Pants, We think Sydney can help us destroy it. We don't know how; hell, she might take it into her own mind and literally scare it to death... Her vagina may be a wonderful place to be, but her mind sure as hell isn't."
Cas's head tilted and his mouth opened, "Don't even bother asking, Cas." Dean interjected, "She'll just confuse us all."
"Damn straight." Riley muttered in agreement.

Aoife sat up as Riley glanced over, "Well, good afternoon beautiful." Aoife arched a perfectly sculpted brow, "Shut up! You. Are. Beautiful." Riley snapped.
"Back to Shelbyville..." Aoife muttered solemnly.
Riley's face dropped her playful grin and switched it for a grim line, "Yeah."
"Alright." A feeling of dread wafted through Aoife's stomach. Sure she wanted to get rid of this thing, but she didn't know if she could face the town where she vowed not to look back to. The town that took everything from her—Shelbyville, Tennessee...
A soft, dark laughter rang through her head. "Can you face it, my dear?" The demented being chuckled, "Can you face the ones you loved that reside there?"
I have to, Aoife replied grimly, It is the only way—
"Oh but it isn't—" It cooed.
"It is the only way..." Aoife muttered to herself resolutely. A grimace pulled her lips down as the others looked at each other, uneasy written on their faces.