Jack Kline's Sister

Chapter Fourteen: Damaged Goods, Part One

   "How are you doing?"

Monica turned to see Jack. "Hi. I'm fine."

Jack saw she was focusing on a pencil. "If you can't move that it won't be that big of a deal."

She flicked it off the desk. "I know," she mumbled. "Doesn't mean I'm okay with being broken."

Jack handed her the package of Oreos he had been holding. "I know. Dean said you looked a little off so he bought you these."

Monica smiled slightly. "Tell him I said thank you."

"He's actually not around today."

"Where's he going?"

"He's with Mary He left thirty minutes ago."

"Mm." Monica shoved a couple cookies in her mouth. "So it's just me, you, Cass and Sam?"

"Yep."

"Okay. How long will Dean be gone?"

"Most of the day."

"So we have most of the day to figure out what's wrong with me."

"Cass called Rowena. Maybe she can find out what kind of curse or spell or whatever this is."
"Maybe." Monica stood up and stretched. "I guess I shouldn't be pitying myself so much." She looked at her hands. "Sam and Dean don't constantly complain about how they can't flick pencils." She grabbed three more cookies. "And I really need to leave this room." She walked out the door, steps a little lighter.

Jack sighed to himself and grabbed a cookie.

And he followed her.

                                                                                            ✴✴✴

"So, darling. How are you right now?"

Monica sat and thought for a moment. "Good. I mean, I don't feel bad."

Rowena stared at her for a moment. "Okay. Castiel told me you've been getting sick, though?"

"Once in a while, I get sort of weak. My vision blurs. But I'm okay."

"And you can't use any of your power."

"None."

"Alright, then. My knowledge of Nephilims or—" She looked at Monica. "Whatever you are is very sparse. So we need to do a little reading." She pulled out a heavy book. "Go on. Grab something off a shelf."

For three hours, Monica, Jack, Sam, Castiel, and Rowena read.

And found nothing.

"What are we supposed to do, then?" Jack asked. "What kind of spell even is this?"

Rowena sighed. "I'd say it's something of one's personal collection. It's strong and it's Biblical." She looked at Cass. "You might want to look around in heaven, see if there's anyone that might have a bit of knowledge about it."

Cass sighed. "I can try." He was gone.

Monica turned to Jack. "We don't need to fix me. I'm okay. I'm alive. That's all that matters."

Jack sighed. "We are going to heal you. We'll find something."

Rowena looked at them both and sighed. "We don't have time for sweet sibling love. Grab a computer or something and keep researching. Just because it's not in a book doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

                                                                                         ✴✴✴

 Meanwhile, in heaven, Castiel stood there for a minute, not exactly sure of what he was supposed to do. It wasn't like he could just ask every angel that walked by if they knew of a Nephilim virus. If that was even what it was. He sighed and went to the only angel that might know something.

"Naomi."

She looked up. "Castiel. What are you doing here?"

Cass sighed again and tried to think of words that wouldn't make him sound crazy. "Jack's sister. Monica. You've heard of her?"

Naomi nodded. "And?"

"She's fallen ill with something we've never heard of before. It blocks off her power. She's in perfect physical health and she has her grace yet she can't use it."

"And you thought I would know what it is?"

"No. I just—" He looked at her. "Our friend thinks it could be Biblical, angel created."

"And you think if I knew what it was I would just hand over the information."

"Well, do you?"

"No." She stepped closer. "Castiel, I don't know what's wrong with your kid. But I am not here to play doctor. So you need to go figure it out or tell me about something that actually concerns me."

Castiel sighed through his nose. "Yes. Of course. I'm sorry." Cass left, making Monica flinch when he landed beside her. She was too jumpy, he thought.

She looked at him with her big dark eyes. Castiel could see only the faintest, pushed back sliver of hope.

"I couldn't find anything."

She dropped her eyes for a moment before looking back at him. "That's okay. We didn't find anything here, either. But I'm okay. If we don't figure this out, it's okay." She stood up.

Sam watched her with sympathy in his eyes. She looked at them all. "Thanks for trying, though. I know you probably had other things you wanted to do today besides read." She managed a half-smile before leaving.

Jack watched her go, then fell back against his chair. "What if she's right and we can't cure her?"

"Or what if your theory is right and you need Michael to do it?" Rowena looked at them all. "Where is Michael, anyway?"

"Trapped in Dean's mind. He possessed Dean but Dean was able to take control and lock him up," Jack said.

"Okay," Rowena said slowly. "Then I suppose even if he is the cause we need to figure this out without him."

"Yeah." Sam sighed. "I'll go talk to her." 

                                                                                       ✴✴✴

Author Note: Hi, everyone. So I'm sensing something's off with this book. Maybe it needs a re-write? I'm editing the first chapters, at least. If you have any opinions about whether or not it should be re-done, please let me know! I hope you don't mind this chapter is shorter than most of them--maybe that's a good thing?--I know it doesn't really follow the events of Damaged Goods, because I couldn't really fit Monica into that storyline. So please let me know what you think and, as always, thanks so much for reading! It means a lot to me. 

--Rachel