So this is a really short thing that I wrote today. It all started with the idea I saw somebody have of Cas being a dog or something and I went with that to… Sads.

Apologies. But not really.

Dean Winchester sat quietly on his back porch, looking out over the lawn and the lake beyond that. Cold beer in hand and dog at his side, he imagined this moment the epitome of apple-pie life, smiling to himself. Everything seemed... Perfect, and that was saying something. He reached over and gave the big black dog a pet, Castiel blinking up at him in that dazed way he always did. Ears perked and head cocked to the side. Normal dog business. If his smile could have grown, it would have then.

"Dean!" Sam called through the screen door, "Dinner's almost ready!" The giant of a younger brother licked his lips in anticipation of the meal. Who wouldn't? Courtesy of Lisa, the best cook anyone could hope for, the food was bound to be delicious. He nodded without turning his head from the lake and took another sip from the bottle.

"Be in in a minute Sammy, just lemme finish this, alright?" His brother closed the back door and Dean gave the lake his full focus again. The sun reflected off of it at just the right angle, and the birds on the

surface that barely made a ripple. It was the perfect way to end a day. He removed his hand from the dog's side and leaned back further to catch a glimpse of the sky.

"Dean!" Sam's voice came again, softly from inside the house.

"Just a sec!" He replied, brow furrowing. He got the feeling there was something he should be doing, it was floating just below the surface...

"Dean!" Louder this time, closer too.

"I said wait a second!" He almost had it now, it was coming back in small doses, but it didn't make any sense-

"Dean!"

His eyes flew open and a buzzing, whirring, beeping sound assaulted his ears. Everything was bright white. Vision distorted, he barely made out the shape of his brother, Sam, sitting beside him and that of the angel Castiel standing a small way behind him.

"Oh god, Dean," Sam bent his head over the side of the bed and buried his head in his hands. "Never do that to me again."

Dean blinked groggily before taking in his surroundings. It was a hospital. He was in a hospital. He suddenly remembered everything, about the case, about that monster, about his fall. He remembered what he had had to do. He'd had to save his brother from that thing... seems like it was the other way around now. He closed his eyes, hoping for a second that he could slip back into that peaceful dream world again.

"Dean?"

"I'm fine, Sammy... just let me sleep."