Blood pulsing through his veins rapidly as he beheld the woman in front of him, Dean Winchester took the breath he had left and pronounced the word he had most wanted to say but couldn't, "Mom?"

Blonde hair, white dress. Just as he remembered her. Just as she had died. And now she was breathing. And she smiled at him, though her eyes seemed confused.

"Mom? It's me. Dean." He felt he was in a dream of some sort. This couldn't be possible. She couldn't be alive. Amara couldn't have granted him his greatest dream. Or could she? He couldn't really tell with her anymore.

She blinked repeatedly, trying to make sense of hi words. "Dean?" She repeated.

He gave a step closer to her and nodded.

She took a step back and shook her head. "My Dean is only four."

"Time has passed."

Her eyes widened with realization. "I remember I died." He nodded in response. "And now…." She tried to put the puzzle pieces together and looked at who claimed to be her son. Her adult son. A son who grew up without her being there and her heart tightened. Without knowing how, she placed her arms around him and hugged him tight. "I'm sorry." She muttered.

He chuckled. Sorry you died? He wanted to ask. We've all been there. Me a couple of times. But his voice choked and could say nothing. He just held her and let a tear fall down his face.

Heat.

So much heat.

Castiel looked around his new surroundings and groaned. He hated when this happened. He hated being cast away. He was in the desert. The difference between this and the other times being that Sam was in danger, he had no wings and Dean was dead.

Dean.

If Dean knew he had left Sam in harm's way he would never forgive him.

Dean.

His voice would go all deep and angry and try to come up with a plan to get to Sammy fast.

Dean.

Dead.

So far he had tried to keep composure for Sam's sake. It was only the two of them now. And Cass figured he had to be the strong one. Sam had lost a brother while Cass had lost…. His best friend. His brother, in a way, but not near what Sam had lost.

At least that's what he told himself.

He couldn't think of this. If he kept thinking about Sam, about Dean, he might let his judgement be clouded and start a process of grief that would never let him out of the desert. And his vessel wouldn't survive the amount of time it would take for him to grief.

He had to get out of there. He had to look for Sam. He had to save him.

He couldn't lose his whole family in one single day.

"What do you want from me?" Sam groaned from under the sack placed on his head. He didn't know where she was taking him. So far, they had taken a plane (or helicopter?) and ridden a car. But he couldn't place himself.

"Where is your brother?" His kidnapper asked in that annoying British accent. It was clear now, at least to him, that whenever he met a girl with English accent, it meant trouble. First Bella. Now this.

"I told you! He is dead!" He said a little bit exasperated. "I'm also a man of letters. Let's talk about this in a civilized manner."

She chuckled. He sighed. No point in begging. He just hoped there wasn't a death sentence involved.

Although, without Dean, would death be so bad?

No. He had to live. Castiel was still alive. And he must be grieving Dean's death too. He couldn't leave him alone.

"Ah." A male voice uttered suddenly. A voice Sam knew too well. "Well. You caught the moose."

"And you are?" The blonde lady asked.

Sam could imagine Crowley smiling as he pronounced his name and title. "King of hell. And I promise. If you hurt the Moose, you will lose."

Why would Crowley try to protect him? Sam wondered.

The woman must have made a face since Crowley continued. "Lucifer is gone. He is somewhere in the world. But Sam is the true vessel. Don't you think he would come looking for little moose here? You break the moose, Lucifer will be all over the place."

The woman muttered, "You want to use him as bait."

"Maybe. Although Lucifer knows Sam will say no. Although now that Dean is dead…."

"You think he'll say yes?"

"Don't talk about me as if I wasn't here." Sam intervened.

"Shhh, honey. The adults are talking." The woman replied.

"I'd say no." Sam said. Although, with the heartbreak he was feeling and the grief he was hiding, he wasn't too sure.