*The Drive*

It had been going to plan. Until more than they could handle showed up. The Nest had been bigger than resources gave. Luckily none of them were in the risk of being turned.

But Dean was in some serious trouble.

Sam was in the back of the car, hands pressing firmly down against his injuries, trying to make the bleeding stop.

Despite the fact Dean never liked anyone else driving his baby, Castiel was behind the wheel, pedal floored, rushing to get to Bobbys.

The problem was, they were a few states away.

They all knew a hospital was not an option, not with the type of injuries Dean had. There were questions that didn't need answered, and they didn't have a way to bull shit around it.

By time they were a few hours out, Sam got the bleeding to at least stop, but Dean wasn't with it. He needed time to recover, and Sam stayed right by his side.

Every Pit stop felt like murder. Having to refuel the car, Castiel did it quickly as he could, while it was pumping he went in to get water and things Sam and Dean needed. The Human-once-angel never thought of himself. Just grabbed the things for the two in the back seat.

Bag would be given to Sam, who would break into it as Castiel got back into the driver seat and take off once more.

Sam did a lot of bitching at Castiel, that just made the dark haired man grip the wheel tighter, and floor the pedal even more, as if he could race away from Sam.

The taller of the two brothers blamed Castiel.

Castiel couldn't blame him in the end.

He had told them he wasn't sure it was a good idea for him to go.

But Dean told him to be helpful, rather than be an infant staying behind.

So he had gone to help.

Castiel remembered all to well.

Dean rushed to his side, ready to help him when he was struggling with one of the vampires, it was all he could do to keep it back from biting him, and when the vamp screamed and slumped forward dead Castiel tossed the corpse to a side to see Dean smirking down at him. Castiel moved, shouting but it happened in slow motion. Another had shot up behind Dean, biting into his neck Castiel felt frozen as Dean went rigid, and it was Sam that got it off him. Castiel caught Dean as he slumped, panicking worse than he had been just moments prior. No, no no... This couldn't be happening. Not to Dean.

A horn brought him out of his mind and he swerved the car some, ignoring Sam's bitching in the back about getting them there alive. He knew.

Oh God He Knew.

It wasn't until that evening they stopped. Needing to refuel again.

Castiel once again was the one to get the fuel pumping, then went inside to get what Sam and Dean would need, Sam made a pit stop at the restrooms, but Castiel said nothing to him.

When he was back out to the car Sam was back in the back, checking on dean, so Castiel once again gave him the bag with water, and food for him and Dean. Sam was incredibly good at getting the near unconscious Dean to eat and drink.

When the car finished fueling, Castiel was back into the drivers seat and drove off once more.

When he started to grow weary, feeling exhausted, he would only grip the wheel hard until the pain in his hands would waken his mind. Keeping his self focused on their goal. Getting Dean to Bobby's to recover in safety.

By now, Castiel doubted any of the vamps were still on their trail, but who knows. They killed the Nest queen, he wouldn't be surprised if they hunted them down forever.

Another few days they were finally entering the state. Sioux Falls wasn't much farther.

Castiel had driven the entire way, despite the light headed feeling he got every time he rose to refuel the vehicle and get food and water for Dean and Sam.

He never cared about himself.

It was all about Dean.

It was his fault.

Dean had to come first.

When they finally reached Bobby's place, he pulled in without really slowing down, getting Sam to bitch at him once more about how he needed to get them there alive and he needed to be more useful.

Castiel slammed the driver door shut once he was out, and moved taking Dean from the back despite the weakness in his limbs or the slight tremble in his arms.

Castiel carried Dean inside as Sam kept going on and on about this was his fault.

Castiel took a slow breath once laying Dean down in the bed in the bunker, turned to Sam and spoke two words, the first two after all of this, "I know".

Sam didn't say anything as Castiel left the bunker long enough to get some things they would need for Dean. A change of his clothes for one thing, bandages to properly wrap the wound, things they needed to clean and possibly stitch if it was required. Castiel hadn't really looked at the injury, to ashamed to do so.

When he got back down there, Bobby was there, all ready getting off Dean's blood covered shirt and Castiel almost felt sick. Dean was paler than he should be. But he forced himself forward, ignoring it as he helped Bobby with getting the wound taken care of and properly dressed.

When they were finished, Bobby watched as Sam once again chewed into Castiel as the two stood by the door. His old eyes watching them levelly before he sighed and stepped over slapping Sam upside the head.

"Listen here ya idjit. Even if Castiel hadn't been there this still could have happened. You know that as well as I, now shut your damn trap and tell me..." He looked at Castiel, his eyes were a bit glossed, he was pale even for the ex-angel's normal skin tone, and he looked to thin. His eyes turned sharply once more to Sam, "Has the idjit here eaten, or have you been to busy chewing him out any time you saw him to notice?"

Castiel tensed a bit, eyes turning to Bobby. What? He was worried if he'd eaten? "No... No Worry about Dean." he muttered softly. Dean had to come first. Dean had to get better.

Castiel turned going into the bunker, to sit next to and watch over Dean.

Sam opened his mouth a few times, watching the ex-angel go, and finally looked to Bobby. "I, didn't pay attention.." He finally admitted. Now that he thought about it, The bag Castiel always brought out from the gas stations were always handed straight back to him. Four water bottles, two for him and two for Dean, then whatever food the store had available. And there's always been a pie.

A fucking pie for Dean.

Sam frowned more, Bobby was still staring at him and he groaned, "Shit I don't think he's even drank anything.." He finally admitted and Bobby cursed, going upstairs long enough to get a bottle of water before returning.

Bobby pushed it into Sam's hand. "Make it right." Was all he snapped before he went up stairs to be prepared for if those vamps followed them all this way.

Sam frowned looking down at the bottle of water, and took a sigh. He didn't really want to make it right. He was pissed off at Castiel. Why had he gone along if he knew he'd be in the way? Of course Sam didn't know Dean had pretty much forced his hand in that.

He finally took a deep breath and went into the room, gasping at seeing Castiel out cold and on the floor.

Shit shit shit.

Sam moved over to the angel, his skin was cold. Sam checked for a pulse and found it to be weak. He started to lift Castiel at the same time Dean awoke.

Dean groaned turning his head sitting up slowly. "The... hell?" He looked and Sam froze his hands went lax and he dropped Cas with a bit of a thud as he dropped the foot or two back to the floor.

"Dean!" Sam sounded so happy, Dean just looked at him confused.

"Sam what the hell?" His eyes landed on Castiel, he wasn't.. He wasn't moving! Dean shot off the bed despite the lightheaded feeling and was pulling him off the floor and got him onto the bed, checking him over. "Damn it Sam! What the hell!?" He repeated more angry than the last time looking to Sam.

Sam had frozen again, his eyes wide, unsure of what to say.

Dean literally growled at Sam, "What happened to Cas!?"

That is when Sam got angry back. "His self!" he snapped. Sam flailed an arm out, "Your perfect Cas is an idiot Dean! He got you hurt! Then he didn't think twice about himself on the way here! He was only concerned about you! And he should have been! It Was His Fault!"

Dean's lips turned into a tight line as he glared at Sam. "Sammy. For the love of Fuck, get out of here before I break your face."

Sam frowned, "Dean..."

"NOW SAMMY!"

Sam growled but moved out of the bunker, storming upstairs to see if he could help Bobby.

Dean moved picking up the bottle of water he noticed on the floor, ignoring the slight twinge from the wound on his neck. He wasn't sure how long ago that had been, but no matter.

He opened the bottle and lifted Cas's head, going through the painstakingly slow process of getting water into the ex-angels mouth and rubbing his throat to get him to swallow it.

Only when the bottle was empty did he let Cas' head back down onto the pillow. Rubbing his face he watched the angel sadly. "You're an idiot." he muttered softly.

Dean's hand moved on it's own accord (or so he'd say if anyone noticed this) and ran through the ex-angel's dark hair. "Even guilty.. you should take care of yourself you dumb shit."

Dean didn't have room to talk though, he was the king of self-guilt trips. He was always on one, for some reason or another. And now this was his fault, really. He was the one who told Cas to go and help. To not be an infant needing his hand held all the time. Cas had almost been killed, if he hadn't finished with the Vamp he'd ben dealing with and saved him, who knows what would of happened.

Dean rubbed his face with a and, he felt tired, but he knew he needed to get something other than water into Cas.

He didn't want to leave him alone, but he was out cold, and he doubted Sam was coming back anytime soon, so he headed up to the kitchen.

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Sam was pacing outside by the gate Bobby was currently working on making a barrier of dead man's blood and kicking a little dirt over it so any non-vamp wouldn't even notice it.

After a third turn Bobby snapped, "Will you either help or just stand the hell still you idjit? You're not helping me by making me distracted."

Sam snapped, "What the hell do you know?" He glared at the older man who just stared back at him with his own glare. "Dean could have died Bobby! And it was Castiel's fault!"

Sam looked away, a hand going through his hair as he spoke sharp and bitterly. "If Castiel knew he'd be of no damn help he should have told us, so we wouldn't of taken him. Wouldn't of had to even have that problem. Dean wouldn't of been hurt! Dean got distracted because of Castiel! It's his fault!" He snapped growling a bit under his breath. He was pacing again, still ranting on, "If that stupid ex-angel thought for even a minute he'd be of no help... He should have just fucking said something!"

That's when Bobby rose from where he was working, stepped over to Sam and smacked him upside the back of his head so hard Sam lurched forward a bit.

"Now you listen and you listen good. Cas DID tell Dean he didn't think it was a good idea. Yea, while you were busy doing whatever the hell you were upstairs, Cas told him over and over it wasn't a good idea. Dean told him to go. Told him to be of use. Cas went because Dean Asked him."

Seeing the shock on Sam's face was not a surprise so Bobby continued. "So yea, get your head out of your ass and realize he went for Dean. Dean asked him despite his concern. So stop blaming Cas for what wasn't his fault. He just wanted to help Dean."

Bobby turned, "Now get your god damn ass back in the house and take care of your mess idjit." The older man was then back to work on laying down the dead man's blood.

Sam stared at Bobby's back for awhile, before finally turning to head back to the house. He grabbed some things from the kitchen, figuring they would be peace offerings before he headed down to the bunker. He cleared his throat and at the glare he got from Dean he lifted the bottles of water, and the pie.

"Look Dean, I.." He looked off to a side, slowly stepping into the bunker since Dean wasn't snapping at him, at least not yet. "Bobby told me, that... Cas said he wasn't sure going was a good idea."

Dean huffed, getting more water into Cas's mouth before getting him to swallow. "Yea? And I bet you're all A-OK with everything since it wasn't Cas's fault he was there, right?" Dean snapped a little.

Sam frowned, "Dean, you should have told him to stay behind! You could have been killed! He distracted you!"

Dean snapped glaring at his younger brother, "The hell Sam? How many times have we done stupid shit saving each other? Fuck, how many times has Cas saved us? I don't care if he's not an angel anymore Sam, and you shouldn't either. He's still our friend and our ally! We can't just turn our backs on him since he doesn't have his angel mojo anymore! I thought the nest was smaller! I thought it'd be a good start for him to get use to hunting the human way!"

Sam was left speechless. Dean had a point. They thought it was only five vamps in that nest, and the one Dean had killed atop of Cas had been the fifth one they killed. The sixth, and then the good dozen or more had been unexpected.

"So you had thought we were done.." Sam says as if he was just realizing it. And in truth, he sort of was.

Dean sighed nodding. "Yea, I thought we were done. Cas could have been hurt since I'd been to slow to take that last one down. But turns out it was more than that." he muttered, looking down at the unconscious ex-angel.

"It's my fault Sam. Not His. So if you fucking blame him one more time I will break your goddamn nose."

Sam just mutely nodded slowly stepping closer. "Okay Dean, I get it.. I really do. I'm sorry... Why don't you get some more rest? I'll take care of watching him."

Dean just grunted, laying half sitting on the bed with Cas and fell asleep then and there.

Sam sighed, shaking his head, that hadn't been what he meant, but too late now. He moved Dean's feet onto the bed, glad it held them both well enough. He made sure to get some more water into Cas before he took a seat, watching over them both.

All they could really do now is wait.

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The next morning Dean awoke to find himself on the bed alone, Sam was passed out in the chair haunched over looking as if he had passed out from sheer exhaustion.

It was that point Dean realized it wasn't morning, but rather two in the afternoon. He really slept.

Right, where was Castiel? Dean felt sluggish as he pulled himself to his feet, looking around as he rubbed the side of his face, "Cas?" he called as he got to his feet.

He had barely stood when Castiel appeared at the door, he looked pale and his arms were trembling where he held onto a tray of what looked like food.

The fact it was his favorite thing for breakfast went unnoticed as Dean frowned, "Cas, you should still be in bed!"

But all Cas did was tilt his head to a side watching Dean with a confused expression. "I was not the one hurt Dean."

Dean frowned groaning as he sat on the bed and patted the spot next to him. Castiel hesitated but soon sat beside him, the tray now sitting on his lap. Dean could feel the slight trembles from Cas from sitting right next to him.

Dean sighed as one of his hands moved rubbing against his face once again, "You're human now Cas, you can't go for days without food and water like that... Shit man, you're lucky you didn't die!"

Castiel was silent for a few moments, just watching the tray sitting on his lap, "It was my fault you got hurt Dean... Sam was right, I shouldn't..."

Dean practically growled, "Cas, shut the hell up. It wasn't your fault man. I told you to go, hell practically twisted your arm to get you to do so. It's my fault you were there in that situation, it was my job to fix it. We hadn't known there would be more vamps than we had originally thought, that wasn't your fault, nor mine, nor Sammy's. It was no one's fault. We did the best we could, you should know that."

Castiel looked at Dean silently, for what felt like forever before the dark haired male sighed, "All right Dean... This, is for you." He slowly lifted the tray now.

Dean smiled a bit chuckling, "Hey I won't turn down pancakes with bacon, but you're eating some of it mister, no buts."

Castiel opened his mouth to respond with 'but Dean' however Dean just told him no buts, so he sighed and gave a nod, "Of course Dean."

Fin

Yes, that is where I decided to end it, reviews are welcome, just a little one shot