Dean missed pies. He missed the leathery touch of the Impala's driver seat. He missed her wheel, her smell, and her roar. Dean missed those cheap diners. He missed those hamburgers and bacon. He missed coffee. Dean missed Sam, his brother, more than anything but one. He missed the Sun.

It's funny that you would miss the very thing you took for granted. There was nothing in Dean's previous life on earth that was as consistent as the bright star that greeted him every single morning. Dean could barely remember the flaming colors of morning sky. His sky nowadays was dark and cold. The only thing reminded him of how blue the sky once was, were those thousands shades of blue in the angel's eyes. His angel.

It was one of very few moment in an endless night that they were lucky enough to evade the eyes of those predators. Dean and Castiel chose a strong tree as their camp for a temporary shelter. They were at least 20 feet above the ground which was sadly, not enough to keep them safe but still better than lying on the ground and waking up again as a corpse. The tree was ancient and strong. Dean picked a branch that was slightly bigger than his own body and dropped himself on the branch, leaning on the trunk. Castiel settled himself closely, hoisting his legs down.

"What?" Castiel asked when he noticed Dean focusing on his eyes longer than usual.

"Nothing." Dean looked away, his lips curved into a small smile. "I just miss pie."

Castiel just let the word 'pie' lingered in the air. He looked away from Dean. "And Sam?" He asked, though it was not a question.

"And Sam." Dean nodded. "Wonder what that kid's doing." His tone light as he was thinking of his brother. "You think he'd have a life? You know, found a girl, marry her, have a kid. IF the girl didn't die. Man, my brother's record with girl sucks."

Castiel chuckled quietly. Dean did not say anything after that. He just bit his lip and drifted his eyes off to somewhere faraway.

"He will be okay, Dean." Castiel assured him.

Dean looked into Castiel's eyes again. The dim starlight made his pale face silver and smooth contrast to his dark ruffled hair that pointing in almost every direction.

"And you, Cas? Are you okay?" Dean leant in. Somehow, out of nowhere, seeing Castiel like this made his heart ache and swell at the same time.

Castiel did not answer. Dean shortened their distant, one hand reaching out to Castiel's cheek. He stroked the angel softly with his fingers, Castiel closed his eyes and a tear dropped.

"I'm sorry, Dean."

"Cas."

"I'm sorry I've gotten you into this. You don't deserve this fate. I only wanted you to be happy."

Castiel's tear ran down his face. Dean did not interrupt but used his thumb to shed away another drop of tear.

"Man, you got happiness all wrong." Dean acknowledged his friend's feeling but still shrugged it away because what happened back then did not matter anymore.

Castiel looked up again to face Dean. The hunter leant in closer and held his breath. Right in front of him, was a billion years old being that cared for him more than god or heaven. And after all what happened, after all he had seen, all he had done, Castiel's still here beside him and held him almost in a pedestal higher than anyone. Dean's hand moved to the back of Castiel's head. He could feel Castiel's breath now. The angel, too, shut his eyes and tilted his face just slightly so that their noses wouldn't collide… when the scream pierced through the silent of the night and sent everything chaotic in a heartbeat.

Dean would not miss the scream for someone else's. It was his brother's. And it did not cry just once. The scream echoed many times after the first sound of agony.

Sammy.

They were 20 feet above the ground and Dean almost jumped from where he was if not for Castiel grabbing his jacket.

"Dean, wait." Castiel warned, his tone as urgent as Dean's urge to let himself drop to the ground. Which was exactly what he did.

Dean slapped Castiel's hand away, heard nothing the angel had to say, swung himself down and just jumped off the tree when there were another 10 feet to climb down. He rolled on the ground to soften the impact and took off onto the direction of the voice.

The wood was almost pitch black but Dean's eyes had long time adjusted to the insufficient light. He leaped over the roots tangled on the ground. He tried to duck small branches lowered from the tree as well but did not succeed as much. He got a few cut on both side of his cheek but he was still running non-stop. Nothing would slow him down. Dean saw something in a distant now. It was a glowing red light floating about 5 feet above the ground. It was not Sam but Dean knew the light was his destination. He let his legs take him there faster. He was close enough to see that the light stood in the middle of a meadow. Perhaps it was a doorway to home, Dean thought.

One more step and Dean would be out of the forest into that small open ground when two arms clasped him from behind. Dean was held with iron grip in brown sleeves just as the same time the meadow in front of him shook violently. The light flickered as Dean noticed it was not floating but hanging on a stem. The grassless circle rose and dirt fell off. The meadow cracked open but instead of earth, it showed mouth and teeth underneath. A giant set of mouth and teeth with purple slimy tongue. The creature roared, whipped its horrendous tongue and fell back to the earth where it just rose from.

Castiel did not let go of Dean. Dean did not move away either. He would probably be eaten alive if not for the angel that holding him tightly. Dean's knees wobbled to the ground and Castiel dropped himself along with Dean's body.

"Cas." was the only word Dean could think of at the moment. He's still shaking.

"Dean." Castiel breathed behind Dean's ear.

"What was that?" Dean touch the arm that embracing him but did not pull it away.

"That." Castiel loosened his grip. "was a bait."

"A bait?" Dean did not realize his jaw had dropped since the monster revealed itself.

"It is a creature that lures its prey by imitation of the sound your love ones." Castiel paused. He did not hear Sam's voice but he knew Dean would hear his brother. "Each person would hear it differently. In your case, it's Sam."

Dean breathed hard. His lips trembled. "You mean. You mean Sam is not here, right?"

"No, he's not." Castiel answered.

"That… That's good." Dean nodded to himself. "Why would Sam be here. I don't want him to be here. Good thing he isn't here." His breath started turning into panting.

"Dean." Castiel did not move away, only pressed Dean's back closer to his chest. Castiel was not human but he knew how Dean must be feeling.

Dean was crying and he did not want anyone to see, not even Castiel. No word could comfort his friend at the moment. Castiel only hoped that at least his body heat would remind Dean that he was not alone in this hellish nightmare.

Dean never talked about the incident again, nor did Castiel. Secretly, sometimes after that, Dean wanted to find the monster again just to hear his brother's voice, no matter how much pain it would cost. On the other hand, Castiel wished to never see the creature again.

Because the scream he heard was Dean's.