Castiel parks the car out front before leading Claire into his house. You'd think that after the incident with the serial killer, they'd learn to lock the door, but nope. Because this isn't just his house, he decides he should probably ask Chuck if this is okay with him, so he heads over to his office quietly, before Lucifer realizes he's home and starts being... him. He knocks on the door loudly and waits for Chuck to open the door, which he does after a few moments.

"Um... hi?" he says uncertainly.

"Hey, Dad, I've got a favor to ask," Castiel tells him. "This is... Wait, what's your name?"

"Claire," she substitutes.

"Okay, this is Claire. She just got kicked out of her house and I offered to let her stay here for the night."

Chuck just looks at him for a second before sighing. "You're way too trusting, Castiel. Fine, whatever. Just, uh, Claire, if you're a serial killer or something, Castiel's killed a serial killer in this house before so don't try anything, 'kay?"

Claire looks up at Castiel in surprise. "You've killed a serial killer?"

Castiel rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah..."

"Cool!"

He chuckles. "Everyone says that and I just don't get it, but sure. Let's go with it."

"Hey, Castiel, who're you talking to?" Anna asks, walking out of her room to find him. Recognition is clear in her gaze when she looks at the other girl, and it seems it's mutual. "Claire?"

"Anna?" Claire says at the same time, just as surprised as the other girl. "What are you doing here?"

"Um, I live here? What are you doing here?"

"Castiel invited..." she trails off, looking up at him. "You're Castiel Novak." She says it more a statement than a question.

"Yeah," he replies awkwardly. He had been trying to keep that information from her, though he probably should have known she'd figure it out, even if she hadn't known the family already. There aren't a whole lot of people named Castiel out there.

"That's awesome!" She doesn't seem to be fangirling as he had feared; instead, she just seems to think it's kind of cool. "No wonder you were willing to help me out. You're a freaking gazillionaire!"

Castiel can't help but laugh. "Yeah, not quite."

"Yeah, you're a multigazillionaire," Lucifer corrects her, walking into view. He eyes Claire, not even attempting to be subtle about checking her out. "Well hello there."

Claire rolls her eyes. "Not interested."

Lucifer pouts, crossing his arms in annoyance. "How am I supposed to prove I'm straight if no one gives me a chance?"

"You can't," Michael tells him, also walking over because it's apparently a party outside Chuck's office. "None of us believe you."

"Well, how do we know you're straight?" Lucifer counters.

"You don't," Michael allows. "But I'm not the one running around telling everyone you ship them and squealing like a fangirl."

"He's right," Samandriel agrees. "Hey, Claire."

Claire gives him a badass-type head nod. "Hey."

"But Michael agrees with all my ships, right?" Lucifer asks.

Michael hesitates, clearly trying to find the right phrasing. "I don't particularly approve of your attempts to force people into a relationship, but I do agree that many of the couples you have organized work well together."

Lucifer gives him the classic slow blink. "Dude. That was so politically correct, you could be president. And not Donald Trump president because that ended a couple years ago because this is 2022 and we have a new president."

Instead of questioning Lucifer's recount of recent events — which is really for the author's benefit because Chuck knows she'll never remember this herself — Michael just says, "Right. Well, I'm not particularly interested in a career in politics, so..."

"See, there it is again!" Lucifer practically yells. "You're, like, actually politician material!"

"I'm actually kind of offended," Michael replies. "I'd much rather be a doctor than a politician. At least doctors are honest with their patients. Politicians are just liars in suits who get paid an excessive amount of money for their big words and hurtful policies."

Everyone just stares at him for a moment. It's Claire that speaks finally.
"Should I start calling you 'Mr. President' now, or should I wait 'til 2024?"

"2033," Michael corrects her. "You have the be thirty five to run. I'll turn thirty five in 2032, so if I did theoretically run, I'd have to wait until 2032 and I'd be inaugurated in 2033."

Cue group slow blink again.
"Well damn," Claire says finally. "You sure you haven't thought about running before?"

"I have never, nor will I ever, consider running for any political office," Michael replies.

"Can we all agree that even if Michael is straight, he's definitely lying about this?" Lucifer asks.

The agreement is unanimous.

"What?" Michael says in surprise. "No, I'm not — There's no point in me arguing right now, is there?"

"Nope," everyone else agrees.

"Sorry, Mr. Soon-to-be-President," Lucifer adds.

"I don't think ten years is that soon," Castiel replies. "I mean, on a scale of humankind's existence, sure, but not just kinda in general."

Lucifer rolls his eyes. "Fine. Mr. Future-President. Doesn't have the same ring to it, ya know?"

"I quit," Michael announces, walking away.

Lucifer cups his mouth with his hands and calls after him, "It's your destiny! You were born to this! It was always you! As it is in office, so shall it be at home. One brother must be president."

"Luce, that's Gabriel's part,"
Samandriel whispers.

"Oh, right. Uh... Whatever you do, you will always end up in office. Whatever choices you make, whatever details you alter, you will always end up there." He looks to Samandriel expectantly. "Better?"

Samandriel nods. "Much. I mean, I think of that as more Sam's thing, but it works. It's still technically you."

"What are you even talking about?" Claire asks.

"Don't ask," Chuck advised her. "They're strange. Just roll with it."

"Noted," she replies.

After Michael walks out, the whole conversation falls apart, so Castiel opts to show Claire the room she can stay in for the night. As she sets herself up, Castiel walks out and over to his own bedroom to unpack his stuff for the week before Anna walks in with him. Castiel gives her a questioning look.

"Yeah?"

"Why'd you bring Claire here?" Anna asks quietly, not wanting to be overheard.

Castiel shrugs. "I felt bad. She got kicked out. It's freezing out there — literally freezing. I didn't want to leave her out there, and I knew we had an empty room."

"She deserved to get kicked out," Anna tells him. "She's a grade A dick. She's that one girl at school that gets detention every day and barely ever shows up to classes and gets in trouble all the time. She had it coming."

"I thought you two were friends," he says, confused.

"What? No. What gave you that idea?"

"I mean, you obviously know each other..."

"Yeah, everyone knows Claire," Anna tells him. "And everyone knows me and Samandriel cuz we're your siblings. But that doesn't make us friends."

"Oh... Well, this is just for a day. After that, she'll be gone. How 'bout that?"

Anna sighs. "Fine. But she leaves tomorrow. I don't care if she doesn't have anywhere else to go."

Castiel sighs as his sister walks out of the room. Of course Anna hates her. That's what happens when you try to be nice. It always screws things up for someone else. Maybe that's why Michael doesn't want to be a politician.