"Mommy, is Cass an angel?"

"Yeah, Maddie, Cass is an angel. But you can't tell anybody, okay?"

"Is it a secret?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "It's a secret."

Maddie also nodded, expression serious.

"Okay, Mommy."

I had missed a call from Dean not long after I left the voicemail and learned that, like me, Maddie could see the angels' wings. However, he hadn't left a message, so I hadn't bothered calling him back yet. Maddie had barely spoken until now, and she never brought up the fact that Daddy pushed her since Cass healed her at the park. The doorbell rang and I left Maddie with her dolls in the living room to go answer it.

Diana and Hannah were standing on the other side of the door.

"Hey, Dee," I smiled.

"Hey, Ellie. I know it's kind of last minute, but I have some errands I need to run and was wondering if Hannah could stay over here and play with Maddie for a bit."

"Of course she can," I nodded, then looked down at Hannah. "Maddie's in the living room with her dolls."

The young girl, a perfect mini me of her mother from her big blue eyes to her dirty blonde hair, ran past me to the living room to play.

"Thanks a bunch. I owe you one," Diana told me.

"No worries. I've been meaning to set up a play date with the two of them, anyway. Maddie spends so much time with Aurora, it's nice for her to spend some time with other girls. Especially since Hannah lives so much closer."

"Well, I appreciate it, really. I'll text you when I'm getting done."

"Sounds good!"

I waved at her as she headed back down the driveway and over to her car next door. Heading back into the house, I paused to listen to Hannah and Maddie talk for a minute.

"Want to play with Lily?"

"Okay!"

 Leaving the girls to entertain themselves, I stole away to my bedroom to make a call.

"Hey," Dean answered.

"So... I saw you called." 

"Yeah, it's been crazy."

"Maddie won't even talk about it."

"Ellie, I'm sorry, but this is actually the... worst time in the universe to talk. C-can we do this later?"

"You shoved our kid, Dean. How about we do this now?"

"It wasn't like that. You said you understood-"

"Just because I thought I understood why you did it, doesn't make it okay, Dean."

"Yeah... Yeah, I know..." he mumbled.

"You want to know the truth?" I asked him.

"Probably not."

"You've got so much buried in there, and you push it down, and you push it down. Do you honestly think you can go through life like that and not freak out? Just, what, drink a fifth a night and you're good?"

"You knew what you signed up for. You said it yourself, we've been doing this side by side forever."

"Yeah," I agreed. "But I didn't expect Sam to come back. And I'm glad he's okay. I am. But the minute he walked through that door, I knew. I knew it was over. You two have the most unhealthy, tangled-up crazy thing I've ever seen. And as long as he's in your life, you're never going to be happy."

I stopped, realizing what I'd just admitted. I knew Dean loved me and would do anything for me, but part of me always knew that Sam came first. It's why Dean made the demon deal after Jake killed Sam and it's why he started hunting again without telling me. I had just never dreamt of admitting that line of thinking out loud. Until now. Dean was silent on the other end.

"That... came out so much harsher than I meant it," I spoke quietly.

"It's not your fault," Dean assured me.

"I'm not saying don't be close to Sam. He's your brother, I get it. But you've completely abandoned me here, Dean. Me and Maddie."

"Okay, Ellie... I'm not going to lie to you. Okay, me and Sam, we... we've got issues. No doubt. But you and Maddie-"

"Me and Maddie can't keep doing this with you. I'm sorry."

I hung up the phone, tears falling down my cheeks.

"CASTIEL!"

There was the tell-tale flutter of wings as he appeared.

"What is it, Eleanor?"

"I think I just screwed things up with Dean. It was like... It was like I couldn't control myself. I had to tell the truth. I... You need to take me to him."

"What about Madelaine?"

I bit my lip, considering the possibilities. I could send her over to Hannah's, but then I'd have to make up an excuse to Diana...

"Can you... Is there somewhere you can send her? Somewhere safe she can stay?"

"There is the nursery in Heaven. It's where all the angels in training stay. I could send her there."

"And you're sure that would be okay? I mean-"

"She is your daughter, Eleanor. The angel who runs the nursery, Saraqael, she will take good care of her."

"Can I meet her? Saraqael? Before I just leave Maddie with her?"

"Of course. You can come with me to drop Madelaine off and then we can go to Dean."

"Okay. Alright. Um, we just have to wait for Diana to pick Hannah back up and then we can leave."

"Very well. Just call my name when you are ready."

I nodded, watching as Cass flapped his wings and disappeared from the room. I stared down at my phone, scared that even if I did get to Dean, it would be too late. Fifteen minutes later, Diana texted me to let me know she was on her way home. Once Hannah was safely out the door with her mother, I went in to the living room with Maddie.

"Cass! We're ready!"

Cass appeared in the room and Maddie looked up at him.

"Hi, Cass!"

"Hello again, Madelaine. Are you ready to go?"

"Go where?"

"Maddie, you get to go play somewhere special while I go help Daddy with something, alright?"

The three-and-a-half-year-old turned to look at me curiously.

"Why can't I come see Daddy with you?"

"Because I don't want you to get hurt, darling," I told her. "But we're going to meet a nice angel like Cass that you get to play with, okay?"

"Okay," Maddie nodded.

"Alright. Let's go."

I took my daughter's hand and Cass put his hand on my shoulder, transporting us out of the house.