Well, heya, guys! Sorry I haven't been able to update for a while. Homework got crazy... I changed schools... lots of stuff. But I'm back, and boy do I have news for you.
I'm doing NaNoWriMo!
Yep! Fifty thousand words in a month. Probably. So hopefully I'll be able to get a fanfic done for once in my life! This is done from quite a few points of view (it's made obvious from the beginning that Sam, Dean, and Cas are some of them, but expect a few more) and set a month after the events of Sole Survivor.
Anyway, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!

Prologue

Sam

"You look worried, fellas."

Those were my brother's first words.

Now, before you start to argue that no kid would ever talk like that… he wasn't a kid. In fact, technically those weren't the first words he had ever spoken.

But they were his first words as a human again.

Now I know you're probably pretty confused. I would be too- at least, I would be if I lead a normal, apple-pie life. But see, I don't. Because when your family hunts monsters… well, you learn to process a lot of weird things.

Anyway, I think I have somewhat of a right to be relieved, maybe even happy. Make a big deal out of my brother's "first words as a human again", you know?

Because let me tell you… nothing, absolutely nothing, can prepare you for finding out your brother is a demon.

Castiel

"You look worried, fellas."

Those were the most wonderful words I had heard in a long, long time. And believe me- "long" holds a different meaning when you've been in existence for three thousand years. But seeing Dean's face, devoid of the pain and the bloodlust- well, it had been since before he had taken on the Mark of Cain that I had seen him so at ease, and that felt like centuries ago.

It had been a tense moment, watching him wake up after we had given him the last injection of sanctified blood. The black eyes clearing, the holy water… it was all a process of caution that Sam and I both knew was completely and utterly necessary given the circumstances.

But then that smile. The smile that belonged to the old Dean, the human Dean, the Dean I knew so well. And I knew- well, at least I hoped- that everything would be alright.

Dean

"You look worried, fellas."

When I said those words, I wasn't able to make sense of much. My memories of the past few months had been a blur. The only thing I knew was Cas and Sam were standing in front of me, with nervous looks on their faces that quickly spread to joy.

It was when I realized the wetness on my face was holy water that I remembered.

Things had been tense. I mean, I had tried to kill my own brother. The worst part was hearing him talking with Cas. Making some excuse to get away from me, something about getting drunk that made my insides clench.

It broke my heart to hear it.

Later on, Cas came to visit me. He and I… we had a good talk. To be honest… it was nice. Us, one-on-one. Spending time, even if it was just a little bit. It felt like old times- until Cas mentioned something about a woman in the car, and my stomach turned, and he gave a sad smile.

"Heaven and Hell are reasonably in order," he had said before he had left. "It's quiet out there."

And I was left wondering if things between us would ever really be the same.