"I will always be here for you Dean."

Those words, that promise, seemed like centuries ago for Castiel. What a stupid promise to make to a human, Eden had told him. Cas had been furious with him; Dean wasn't just a human.

It had been almost a year since Castiel returned from Earth to heaven. It felt good to be back with his brothers and sisters, back to the world he knew so well. At the same time though, he was devastated.

Dean Winchester. The man who changed his life forever. The man who loved him, more than anyone else ever could. Those damned green eyes, his stunning brown hair. His sharp lips, his beautiful chest. Dean had carved his way into Castiel's heart, leaving a deep gash- a piece of himself in its place.

"Castiel."

A voice cut through the silence that surrounded Cas's mind. He opened his eyes to see a young man, looking like he was the age of eighteen, sitting at the foot of his bed. The boy's olive green eyes stared at him with concern. Cas sat back in bed; Eden could sometimes creep up on him, being so quiet and nimble. Eden leaned over towards Cas, his face almost glowing in the morning sunlight. "Good morning, Castiel."

Eden had been Cas's partner ever since he could remember. They were best friends, virtually inseparable, by the time either of them were millennia old. Being the oldest of the two, Cas was a higher ranked angel, actually one of God's favorites. Eden, on the other hand, still had a long ways to go. The only thing that made him different from the rest was his level of thinking and comprehending; it was much higher than the other angels could ever imagine.

"Hello, Eden," stated Castiel. "Can I ask why you are in my room at such an early time?"

"Why can't I?" frowned the younger angel. "You don't study or do work in the morning- and of course you never sleep- so I thought you might want to talk."

Cas threw off the soft blanket that rested on his legs. Stretching his arms, he leaned back and ran his fingers through his hair. "Okay. What do you want to talk about?"

"You."

Castiel looked back at Eden. His unwavering eyes hadn't moved from Cas since he came into the room.

"What are you so worried about?" Cas laughed, with nervousness trickling into his voice. Noticing that Eden's stare didn't soften, Cas took his turn to be concerned. "I'm fine, Eden. What's up with you?"

"You aren't fine," whispered Eden. His face formed into a sad smile. "No one could be fine after that happened to them. That includes you, Castiel. Pulling his brother towards him, Eden wrapped his arms around Cas. "You don't have to be like this- stoned faced and emotionless. Holding in grief doesn't help with anything."

Cas's eyes glistened with tears as he rested his head against Eden's shoulder.

"He's gone, Eden. I can't believe he's not coming back. It feels like he will just walk through that door, cracking a sly grin like he usually does. L-like he will drive up in his Impala, his green eyes shining when he looks at me. Dean isn't coming back. He's gone!"

Eden rubbed Cas's back. "He was a good man, Cas, but you were going to outlive him anyway. He was just a human. You're an angel-"

"No. No," whispered Castiel, "Dean Winchester wasn't just a human. He was something more than that. You wouldn't understand…"

"You are right. I wouldn't understand. I don't feel things like you do, like humans do. I didn't get attached to them like you did. Their feelings are so… complicated. Unnecessary."

Cas flung of the bed, making Eden recoil. He was now standing up, his mouth curled back in the shape of a snarl, almost like a wolf baring its teeth. "Never say that to me again, you hear me?! Just because you are an angel does not mean anything. Don't assume that since you are so much higher than humans, that for one minute, what they feel isn't necessary. Humans are beautiful creatures, created by our father, Eden! He made them just as important as us."

Eden took a step farther away from his angry brother, who looked like he was about to punch him. "I-I didn't mean it like that. Sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry?! You have to be kidding me Eden. Sorry doesn't fix anything!" Cas waved his hand to the door. "Leave. I'll talk to you later."

Opening the door, Eden hesitantly turned over his shoulder and looked at Cas. "Cas, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Sam wants to talk with you. He called me this morning." As Eden walked out the door, Cas was standing, speechless.

Sam Winchester. Dean's brother.

Earth was more beautiful than Castiel remembered. The rolling green hills of Kentucky seemed to pop out more than ever before. The trees were shades of scarlet and gold, leaves falling from their branches. As he walked across the street to the bar he was meeting Sam at, a gust of wind swept through the air, cutting right through Cas's coat like cold daggers. Once Cas got closer to the bar, he noticed something very familiar.

A car- no- the car sat in the parking lot. Nothing had changed since Castiel last saw the '67 Impala, its shiny black coat still looking as good as new. He walked by the car, running his fingers along the side. I never thought I would be so happy to see a car so much in my life. He went around to the trunk and popped it open. Weapons and other various objects were scattered around in the inside, and there were more duffel bags than in a boys' locker room. Cas picked up a green shirt, worn down from wear and hunting. Hugging the shirt close to his body, Castiel took a breath of the aroma. The scent of Old Spice soap and leather drifted to Cas, making him smile.

"Hey stranger."

Cas turned around to see Sam Winchester standing a few feet away from the Impala's hood. Casting a smile, Sam threw Cas a beer. Returning the grin, Cas flicked the cap off. "You know I don't drink, Sam."

"Hey times could change. For all I know, within a month you converted to being a raging alcoholic."

Cas laughed, a first in a long time, and sat down on the Impala's hood. Sam plopped down next to him, lifting his beer to his mouth. After a couple seconds, he looked at the angel curiously. "How'd you get into the truck? I thought I locked it."

"I have the key. Your brother gave it to me a long time ago." Cas shot Sam a sideways glance, patting the car. "Keeping a good care of her?"

"Oh. Well, Baby hasn't crashed yet, and I have to wash the goddamned car near everyday. I hope Dean doesn't come back to haunt my ass on this."

The moment the words left his mouth, he knew that might've triggered something in Cas. The angel crossed his arms and stared blankly at the pavement, lost in thought. Cas slowly shut his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Sam?"

Sam turned to Cas. "Yes?

"Do you remember the day he died?"

"The day Dean died. How could I forget, Cas?"

Cas sighed. "Can you tell it to me again?"

Sam stared at the sky, wanting to look at anything but that angel's pained face. "Why do you want me to?"

"I forgot. I forgot what Dean's voice sounded like, what his smile made me feel inside. What his jokes were. I forgot," whispered Cas," what Dean acted like before he died." Uncontrolled tears fell down from Castiel's ocean blue eyes, dripping onto his shaking hands. "Sam please."

Reaching out to Cas, Sam wiped the tears away from his face, oblivious to the ones he was shedding himself. 'Shh...it's okay. I'll tell you, Cas." Rubbing his eyes, Sam started his story.

"It was a beautiful autumn day…"