A gentle knock sounded on the front door, starling Dean from his doze. It had been a long day trying to get the crops planted and the sun had not been a friend. His hand hurt from where the dog had bitten him, but he wasn't mad. He stroked the greying dog's head with a sad sigh and stood from the green couch with a groan. He walked to the front door and opened it with a nod of greeting for Doc Walker.

The local veterinarian was in his 70's. A thin man with an impressive amount of hidden strength, he stretched his scarred hand out. Dean grasped it and thanked him for coming. The man's sharp green gaze swept past Dean and into the house.

"I know you're busy, doc."

"I'm never too busy to help. You should know that by now, boy." Doc said with a rough 50-year smoker's voice. Dean nodded and motioned behind him.

"Ruby is on the couch."

Doc nodded and strode past. Movement caught Dean's eye and he jumped slightly as a throat cleared from the doorway. He turned to find a young guy with startling blue eyes and messy black hair staring after Doc with a slight look of panic. Well young compared to Doc. He's probably my age. The guy was a couple inches shorter than Dean as he looked up to meet his gaze.

"I'm uh, Cas… Castiel Novak. Sorry. I'm shadowing Doctor Walker for the summer." He said in a surprisingly gravelly voice. Dean nodded and motioned him inside before shutting the door and walking to the living room.

Doc was kneeling next to the couch and listening to Ruby's chest. She whined pathetically and Dean's heart constricted. He wasn't ready for her to go. Doc looked around and shook his head.

"I'm afraid her cancer is back, son. I'm sorry. I really don't think she can handle more treatments." He said. Dean felt deflated.

"How am I supposed to tell Sammy?" Dean asked. He walked over and sat by the dog, stroking her fur. "He loved her." The memory of his little brother walking in the door with a half drowned, blood covered puppy and the hugest smile on his face slammed into Dean's mind and he sighed.

"Do you mind if Cas here does it?" Doc said softly. Dean shrugged, not caring. He continued to pet the dog's head as she closed her eyes milky at his touch.

"You've been such a good girl." He whispered as Castiel, Cas, took Doc's place. "You saved Sammy. I'm forever in your debt for that." He rubbed one of her ears as he watched Cas ready a syringe in his peripheral.

"Are you ready?" Cas said softly.

"Yes." Dean replied as he shook his head no. He met the new guy's gaze and set his jaw. He probably thinks I'm a crybaby. He looked back at the dog. I don't give a damn. He nodded again and stroked Ruby's head, hoping she knew how loved she was. Tears blurred his vision as Cas administered the shot.

A couple days later, Cas was almost to his two bedroom apartment when he walked right into someone. The groceries he was carrying spilled as the guy cursed and dropped a box. Cas apologized profusely as he crouched to pick up the mess. He looked up to find a pair of the greenest eyes he'd ever seen glaring at him.

"Oh. Hiya Cas." Dean Winchester drawled, his frown disappearing instantly. Cas blinked a couple times before his thoughts could form. Dean had on a tight black t-shirt with a skull in the center of the chest, and dark blue jeans that fit him well. He realized he was staring and jerked his gaze away.

"I wasn't watching at all, I'm sorry." He picked up the box that had fallen at his feet. Dean shrugged and reached for it. A wave of guilt washed over him as Dean pulled out a small urn with the name Ruby engraved on the side.

"I'm so s-"

"It's okay. Nothing happened." Dean cut him off as he replaced the urn and set the box on the sidewalk. He crouched and started gathering Cas's spilled groceries. Cas leaned over to help and soon the bags were back in his hands, and the box in Dean's.

"I'm really sorry about your dog." Cas said sincerely. He knew how it felt to lose a pet.

"She was really my brother's. But since he went to school we bonded." He frowned down at his bandaged hand. "Miss her though." He muttered just loud enough that Cas could hear.

"I lost a dog right before I went to vet school. Her name was Lucy and she was such a little shit." He smirked at the memory and was surprised to see Dean smirk too. They stood there for a moment, the sun warming the top of Cas's head, before Dean cleared his throat and shifted the box.

"Anyway, I need to get home. It was nice seein' ya, Cas." He nodded before he walked past and continued down the sidewalk. Do his knees have a restraining order against each other? Cas thought as he watched the bowlegged man walk away. He shook his head and hefted his bag before crossing the street to get home.

He nodded at one of his neighbors as he entered the apartment building. She smiled back and tugged on the arm of her young daughter as they left. He had to set the groceries down in order to fish the keys from the pocket of his jeans. The door opened to reveal a quaint apartment. Cas liked it, especially compared to the stupid dorms he had been in for the past 8 years. He set the bags on the table and set to work unloading them.

It was an hour later when Cas's phone went off. He stirred the boiling noodles quick then hurried to the table to answer the phone.

"This is Cas." He said as he returned to the chicken on the stove.

"Hey, son. This is Doc. I have a case on the outskirts of town. When can I grab you?"

"Oh uh." Cas looked at his almost completed supper. "Is it urgent? My food Is almost done."

"Well pack it to go. I'll be there in 6 minutes."

Doc hung up and Cas sighed. He had been in town for three weeks now and still had yet to eat a home cooked meal in his own apartment. A fresh one anyway. He dug around for a container and hurried to finish the meal before Doc arrived. Is this how life will always be once I land a job in the fall? Never able to just chill? He turned the stove off and reached for the food containers. He filled one for Doc as well and grabbed his bag of equipment before hurrying to the door.