Author's note: This is an alternate ending to season 4. Please don't make assumptions about what was revealed in the show.

Prologue:

Coming off the job was always difficult. An Albanian Bolla had been spotted south of Putnam County, Ohio. Snake bastard that sleeps throughout the entire year. It awakens and devours any human in immediate sight. This thing was powerful and vicious. It was a fire-breathing monster that took them two weeks to track down and kill. The fact that they were just a little too late to save the latest victim weighed heavy on Dean and Sam Winchester.

The people who died, the people they couldn't save, well it just never got easier. They were headed off to the next town, to the next motel to save the next victim. It was a hard life, but it was their life. Trading happiness for the lives of innocent people would never be an option.

It was Sam's turn to drive. So he had been, for four hours. His eyes were starting to burn. They'd been running on empty for a long time. The threat of the nearing apocalypse had everyone in an uproar. The secrets he had were weighing on him and there was no way to tell Dean.

When Ruby had told him drinking demon blood would make him stronger, he'd rejected the idea. But things were getting more desperate. The apocalypse was on the horizon and Lilith needed to die before she broke the last seal. The demon blood empowered him. It made him feel like he could do anything.

The problem was that Ruby hadn't been around in weeks to let him drink from her. She wasn't returning his calls, and he felt near bursting. The small flask of blood he had was quickly running dry. He was feeling weaker and weaker with each passing hour.

He'd rather drive as fast and as far as he could with his brother unconscious. He looked over at Dean, slumped down in the passenger seat, his head gently bobbing on the window as Sam drove. It was an easier ride with the way their relationship had been developing. Sam was stressed and tired and the only way to get through right now was with a coffee run. He'd stop and get coffee and restart the drive. He pulled off on the next exit and into a 24-hour diner, leaving Dean in the car. There was no reason to wake him. Honestly, he didn't feel like hearing the snide remarks. He hated walking on eggshells around Dean.

o0o

Dean opened his eyes, the silence quickly noticeable. He rubbed at his eyes; the few hours he'd managed to nab while Sam was driving didn't seem to make a difference. His body was aching from the recent case they'd just finished. Dean couldn't remember a time where he'd had to flat out run for that long.

He opened the car door and stepped out. The night's air was brisk and bit violently at his face. He stretched his arms over his head, his jacket lightly rising above his belt on his jeans.

He could see Sam inside, waiting at the counter. It was a good thing Sam hadn't woken him. At this point Dean would do anything to avoid a confrontation with Sam. The kid had been keeping secrets, and acting weird ever since he'd been back from hell. It wouldn't be too long till the fight between them broke into something they might not be able to repair.

Dean felt a presence, a slight movement from behind him. He turned expecting nothing but the wind's movement in the trees. Instead, Castiel stood in front of him, the light from the diner cast over him. His face was firm, never giving anything away. Castiel never seemed to miss an opportune time to pop up. They'd just managed to finish a case, and here he was showing up to blab on about the coming apocalypse. Like Sam and him didn't know the severity of what they were up against.

Before Dean could say anything Castiel stepped forward, his trench blowing swiftly in the wind.

"I'm sorry," he said, and raised his hand to Dean's forehead.