This is a codetta to 6x07. I got REALLY bored in Ed Psych and was super stuck on the other one, and so I tried this out. It's more pre-slash. It leads the story further to the potential of what we all know is canon. ;P
Sam lay bloodied and knocked out on the floor.
It was all Dean could do not to start sobbing like a child. His fears were confirmed; something really was wrong with Sammy.
Dean did the only rational thing he could think of: He prayed to Castiel.
He didn't expect Cas to answer, so he wasn't surprised when the sonofabitch didn't show. "Freakin' angels," he muttered, laying Sam down in the back seat of the Impala. He didn't have long before his brother regained consciousness so he had to get him back to the motel quickly.
Dean swerved into the oncoming lane as he heard the faint wing beats of Castiel appearing in the passenger seat. He reached into the back seat, lightly touching two fingers to Sam's forehead, mojoing him into a deeper sleep as Dean steered the Impala back into the correct lane.
"Nice of you to show," He huffed.
Castiel stared at him blankly, "I was busy. Raphael's followers are just as ruthless as he is."
Dean grunted, eyes glued to the road.
"I killed three more of my brothers, Dean."
"I though you couldn't care about things like that anymore." He shot Castiel a sideways glance that barely masked the fact that he was ready for a breakdown.
Castiel didn't respond. He turned away from Dean and looked out the passenger side window.
"I guess we can't care about each others problems." He murmured, turning into the motel parking lot.
Castiel zapped himself and Sam into the room before Dean could even shut the engine off. He sighed as he shut the car off and got out, walking in the opposite direction of the room.
Castiel used spare belt to tie Sam down to a chair before zapping out to find Dean. He knew that the elder Winchester need a moment, but he also knew that Dean needed a friend more.
Castiel knew he was a shitty friend [yes, he knew they were friends, and he knew what that meant], but there was so much more going on then Dean's life. Heaven's most powerful weapons were loose on the world, and angels were fighting angels over revamping the apocalypse. There was a bigger picture here.
But, Dean was still in the middle of it all. He was still Micheal's true vessel, and he had become Castiel's friend.
Dean was pretty far along the highway when Castiel finally caught up to him. They walked in silence alongside each other for a few minutes, before Castiel decided things needed to move a little quicker. Heaven was waiting on him.
"Dean."
The human stopped and turned to look back at the angel. A full minute more and he brought his eyes up to meet Castiel's gaze. "What's wrong with him?" He asked, not caring that his voice cracked all over the place.
He heaved a Castiel sigh before replying, "I don't know yet." He looked up toward the sky. "I can ask around for a ritual to find out, if you wish."
Dean nodded. He hated this. A year. A year where he mourned the death of his kid brother and turned his back on this life. And now, here he was, waist deep in monsters, one of which, he was certain now, was his Sammy.
"Dean." The angel stared at him. "I need to get back. I'll return as soon as possible."
"Goddammit, Cas!" Dean yelled. Castiel recoiled a bit, not expecting the sudden anger. "Every time. Every time I need you, you bail. You flutter off to look for something you're not gonna find, to where you're needed. Well, you're needed here, you dick. I have no one, but Bobby, and I thought my brother, but I guess not. My only family is tied up in there because he's a monster, Cas. What the hell? You used to be my friend, didn't you?"
Castiel was getting agitated. It was amazing how selfish Dean could be, but he did have a point. He was nearly alone. And he had been through so much. Hell, the two of them had been through so much. He reached over and put a hand on Dean's shoulder, remembering the time Dean had once done that to him. "Don't ever change," he had said. Castiel believe he had changed quite a bit since then.
"I am your friend, Dean. But I am Heaven's soldier first and foremost. I'm exercising as much free will as I can here without rebelling again. I need you to trust me, Dean. I will help you with Sam, and I will be there for you, but I have a war to win, or Raphael will get the apocalypse back on track."
Dean looked down at Castiel's hand. It was almost over the brand on his shoulder. He felt every bit as worthless as he was being selfish right now, but, dammit, when was something going to go impossibly right for Dean Winchester, huh? Never it seemed. He looked back into Castiel's eyes, and issued a defeated, "Okay."
And then Cas was gone, and Dean felt even worse as he headed back to the motel to face the sleeping monster he believed to be his little brother.
