"Tell me it was them or you!" Sam's voice reverberated against the walls of Randy's house, his hands holding Dean's face. Dean wished he could tell Sam what he wanted to hear. He wished that he could overlook the fact that Claire had screamed, that Cas had taken both Claire and himself out of the room, and that Sam's eyes were wet with tears. Dean tried stammering an apology, but he couldn't meet Sam's eyes. Sam stood up and turned his back to Dean, the comfort of his hands leaving Dean's face. Dean knew that he had run out of chances. He had told Sam that he was fine, that he wasn't being affected by the mark, but here he was. Dean looked around at the massacred bodies that surrounded him and then at his own bloodied hands. His mouth grew dry and the world seemed to be spinning around him as he remembered the thirst and hunger he had felt right before slaughtering them all. All the memories of the mark and of him being a demon had flooded Dean at that moment, and he once again felt like he lost control of his body.

Dean hadn't even seen Sam leave the house and reenter until he heard the click of handcuffs lock. Sam stood Dean up wordlessly, leading the now-handcuffed Dean towards the Impala where Cas was still comforting Claire.

"Sammy," Dean started, trying to get Sam to look at him once more, "I didn't… I mean I just….I'm sorry", Dean finished, hanging his head dejectedly. This wasn't how things were supposed to be. Dean was supposed to be the strong one, the one who carried Sam through life, someone his brother looked up to. He was supposed to be the righteous one.

Dean almost missed what Sam said when he finally spoke. "Dean, this is just for Claire's sake. For precaution. It's not your fault, it's the Mark's. We'll get through this like we always do, you know that."

Dean nodded. He knew that Sam was never ready to give up, that there was always another way or another option. Dean knew differently. Sam didn't know that Dean had just been acting, trying to be himself, trying to be human. He had gone through the actions of fixing his car, eating, drinking, having sex, watching porn, and hunting in hopes that he could be himself. He tried to occupy his life with anything that would fill an emptiness within him that the Mark had left, an emptiness that only craved violence and blood. And that was why Dean left Sam to be the hopeful one.

As Dean and Sam approached the Impala, he saw Claire glance up at him and flinch, burrowing her face once again into Castiel's trench coat. It was bad enough that his brother and best friend had to see him like this, but now he had subjected a young girl to his mess as well. Sam helped Dean maneuver himself into the passenger seat as Sam walked around to the driver's side. Sam turned the key in the ignition, and the Impala's engine roared to life, breaking the deafening silence that lingered in the car.

Claire had slowly regained her posture and had moved away from Cas after remembering that she was supposed to hate him. She brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face and asked, "So where are we going now?" Her voice was strong, but Sam noticed in the mirror that her hands were still shaking slightly.

"The Bunker", Sam answered softly. "All of us will be safe there."

"He's coming with us?" Claire's voice wavered slightly as her eyes darted back between Sam and Dean.

Dean tensed and shifted so slightly in his seat that no one but Sam could have noticed. Sam opened his mouth to answer, but it was Cas who spoke first.

"Yes, Claire. Dean is our friend, and our family. He will not hurt you." Cas tentatively patted Claire's shoulder before she shrugged his hand off. She looked at him for a moment, studying his face to see if he was telling the truth, then she silently nodded and started staring out the window.

The four of them drove in silence, watching as Randy's house disappeared in the rearview mirror. As they continued to drive, Claire's head started bobbing and ended up falling asleep on Cas' shoulder. Cas, unsure of what to do, just stared straight ahead without moving. Hours had passed until any of them said a word, and it was Dean who started to say something.

"Hey, Cas?" Dean turned his body slightly so that he was facing Cas in the back. Cas shifted his glance so that his piercing blue eyes were on Dean's. Now that Cas was looking at him, Dean didn't know what to say or how to even start.

"Dean, if you are attempting to apologize, there is no need. I know it is the Mark that is causing you to act this way. I meant what I said to Claire, that you are family and will not hurt us."

Dean gave Cas a small, polite smile. Dean couldn't get over the blind faith Cas had in him. "Just remember what I said, okay?" Dean responded, and turned back around in his seat.

Sam ignored his piqued curiosity at what Dean had just said to Cas and instead tried to bring up another topic. "So, Cas," Sam cleared his throat. "How're you holding up? You know, with the whole dad thing," Sam questioned, tilting his head towards Claire.

Cas looked down at Claire, still asleep against his shoulder, and brushed a piece of hair away from her face. "Children are fascinating creatures. I think we are doing quite well," Cas stated, just as Sam was pulling in front of the Bunker.

Sam got out of the car and helped Dean out, watching as Cas slowly nudged Claire awake. Claire became startled and quickly climbed out of the car out of Cas' reach. She stared at the rundown façade of the Bunker, and looked skeptically at the door. "What is this place?"

Sam quickly unlocked the front door and held it open, motioning for Claire to go inside. "Welcome home."