Disclaimer: Supernatural, its plotlines, and its characters are all property of the CW and the show's writers. I probably wouldn't be worth only $7 and a bottle of pop if I was actually involved with the show, so it's really not worth the effort to sue me, even if I would love to actually meet Misha Collins.
Summary: Cas goes to Dean for comfort when he finds out that almost all of the angels are gone, and there are only a handful left on Earth and in heaven. SEASON 13 SPOILERS!
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My Real Family
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When Cas walked into the bunker after leaving heaven, he fully intended to tell Sam and Dean that most of the angels were dead without any sort of emotion. Yes, the angels were his brothers and sisters, but they weren't his real family. Sam and Dean had been there for him more than the angels ever had.
Walking into the bunker and seeing Dean at the table, however, ripped Cas's plan to shreds. He may think of Sam and Dean as his real family, and he may have been hated by all of heaven, but the angels were his family too. Always had been.
"Dean? Where's Sam?" Cas called out when he got to the bottom of the stairs.
"Out on a food run. Whoa, what's wrong?" Dean stood up and walked toward Cas, concern in his eyes.
"It's nothing, it's just…I thought the two of you should probably know that the world is running out of angels. There are only about a dozen of us left in this universe, and since that could cause us problems…" Cas started to explain.
"Yeah, yeah, are you okay?" Dean cut him off.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Cas asked. He knew full well why Dean was asking, but he refused to admit his pain to the strongest man he had ever met.
"You don't look so good, man. I mean, you may be an outcast of heaven, but the angels are still your family…"
"No, they're not." Cas cut him off. "The angels may be my brothers and sisters, but you and Sam are my real family. You have been since I met you. You've been there for me more times than all of heaven combined, no matter what stupid things I did."
"I know that, Cas. You're our brother too. If you died again…but that's not the point. You may think of us as your family, but the angels are too. Are you sure you're okay? I mean, you fought with them, worked with them, and lived with them since before time, until you met us and we convinced you to change. This isn't black and white, you can think of us as your family and the angels as your other family. I care about the problems this can cause, but I care more about you, and how you're dealing with this." Dean put his hand on Cas's shoulder.
"I'm fine, I…" Cas's voice broke.
"Cas, I'm not gonna judge you. Neither will Sam when he gets back. If you're struggling, I just want to help…" Dean looked saddened by his best friend's pain.
"I'm fine, Dean. I just…" One lone tear dripped out of Cas's eye, which settled it for Dean.
"C'mere, Cas." Dean pulled Cas forward with the hand that was still resting on his shoulder and wrapped his arms around the angel, pressing his face into his own, flannel-covered shoulder.
Instead of fighting against the hug, Cas sniffed and wrapped his arms around Dean's waist. Dean put one of his hands in Cas's hair and held his best friend as tightly as he could.
"I'm sorry, Dean…" Cas started to apologize through his tears, muffled by Dean's shoulder.
Dean shushed him. "There's no need to apologize, Cas. I'm here for you, always."
Just then the door opened and Sam walked in holding two food bags. "Dean, they – wait, what happened?" Sam dropped the food bags on the table.
Cas tried to pull away from the hug, but Dean pulled him back down into his shoulder, knowing that Cas still needed this. Screw his tough guy image, his best friend was hurting.
"The angels, Sam…there are only about a dozen left, and…" Dean trailed off as Cas sniffed.
"Oh my God…" Sam placed one of his hands on Cas's back and tried to comfort him as the angel finally started to calm down a bit.
As soon as Cas pulled away from Dean, Sam hugged him briefly. When Cas pulled away from him, he wiped his eyes and nose and looked at the floor.
"…I'm sorry…" He started.
"Stop it, Cas. Do you think we're mad at you or something?" Dean tried not to snap, but there was a little bit of edge in his voice that even Cas picked up on.
"No, I just…"
"You're family, Cas. Family sticks together, no matter what. I would never be mad at you for something like this. We're both happy to help you however we can. Always."
"Dean…"
"No, Cas. We've learned how to deal with loss. We've lost our mom, our dad, Bobby, Charlie, Kevin, Crowley…we're not always as strong as you think. We will always be here for you, for everything. Including when you're upset because you found out that almost all of your family has died." Dean argued.
"He's right, Cas. We'll always be here. We're family." Sam added.
"I love you guy. Thank you for everything you've done for me. No matter how many stupid things I did, you were always there. You always protected me. You will always be my real family, and if I lose you…" Cas trailed off.
"You won't. Not for a while anyway. We love you too, Cas. Always have. You're family, always remember that." Sam patted Cas's shoulder and left to put away the food.
Cas slowly turned toward Dean.
"Of course I love you, Cas. Don't ever doubt that. Like Sam said, we're family. And when it comes to family, no one gets left behind."