It was a day regular in Camp Chitaqua. The year was 2014. Cas sauntered around the camp, getting looks from all around. He had just finished one of his 'spiritual' sessions with a woman. As he was walking down the road, he had a smile his face. A smug, empty smile that was commonly seen planted on his face, but it never seemed like it actually belonged there. As he was walking, he stole a glance at Dean's tent. Dean was probably planning for the next attack on the Croatoans. Cas poked his head into the tent, and looked around. He was met with a glance from Dean, a smirk, almost as a greeting, then back to his plans. As he looked to the rest, he was met with stone hard glares. He got the memo, he was unwanted, he was unneeded there. Eventually, Cas found his way to his room. Cas' room was old and worn down. There was dust everywhere except his chair. He didn't sleep in his bed, because most nights he passed out on the floor, in his chair, or another woman's tent. Cas had never bothered much to clean his room. The rooftop had so many spider webs, with old spiders vacating them. The floorboards were creaky, and creatures took shelter beneath. Cas didn't mind much, he always had liked animals. His trench coat was balled up in corner, covered in blood, dust, and had a stench of memories. When he first came to Camp Chitaqua, he has still been wearing the damned thing. On one of his first few missions, he wore the thing around, trying to hold on to a piece of who he was. After 1 month, he remembered that he had always kept something in his front pocket. As he reached for his pocket, Dean approached him. He took the object out, and it was a picture. A picture of Dean, Sam, Bobby, Jo, Ellen, and Cas. When Dean saw the picture, he went ballistic, saying that things weren't like that, so why hold on to these things? After that, Cas accepted that, and gave up hope on things ever changing. That night he took off the coat and threw in the corner, never to be worn again.

He made his way to the chair, and as he sat a cloud of dust popped out. He glanced at the old coat, and sighed deeply. He reached for his new bottle of pills. As he took them, he felt his pain vanish, and he felt calm. His memories, his pain gone almost instantly, he felt the effects of the drugs wash over his damaged mind, like a wave of amnesia. He giggled for a while and saw the colors of the rainbow dance across the room. As the colors faded, an image of Sam popped to Cas' mind, then an image of Dean and Sam, happy, then all three of them, together, happy. This was normal for Cas, as he pushed down these images all the time. Not that anyone had taken the time to care enough, as Cas was just the camp's crazy, sex-addicted, high guy. He missed Dean's smile, and Sam's laughter. But he had to face it. Dean has a stick lodged so far up his ass, and Sam... Well Sam was gone now. Lucifer, of course, was still alive and flourishing. Almost like a routine, Cas popped one more pill in his mouth, and saw the colors dance, until he passed out to the ground, no memories, no pain, and no more loneliness.

"Cas, get up. We need to go," Dean said as he shook Cas awake.

"Ughhhh. What is it Dean? My head is still pounding from yesterday," Cas muttered frustrated as he grabbed for his bottle of pills. Cas was rather shocked. Dean hadn't come to him in a while now.

"No Cas." Dean said as he snatched the bottle. "This is important. I need you awake and ready. Today, today is the day."

Dean and Cas had grown distant over the past 3 years. Once the Croatoan virus hit the world, Dean had taken full responsibility to handle this and stop the spread. Once he realized he couldn't stop it, he shattered. They both had realized that it was different without Sam. Not that the previous 2 years weren't, not having backup on call, not having a friend. Yet, Cas felt something different when Sam had left. He felt empty, not seeing him every day, but of course he kept this to himself, not knowing what it even meant. But Dean… He didn't know what to do after a while or who to lean on.

At that time, Dean had told Cas everything. He regretted not calling Sam. He missed Sam. He needed Sam back. Cas, well Cas was still an angel back then, so when Dean opened up to him, he wasn't ready for the end result. Dean had reduced to tears, Cas watching him, not knowing what to do. Dean reached for his bottle, took a swig and reached for his phone. Instantaneously, dialing Sam's number from his memory.

"You've reached Sam. And Karina! Haha Leave your name, number, and message at the tone!" His ringtone spoke. Whose Kari- Then it hit him. Sam had a girl. He had a life. He was happy without Dean. And here he was calling him to tell him to lose his life and give it back to this horrid, lonely life.

BEEP

"…. Hey there little brother. It's… me Dean. Listen Sammy I wanna talk to you. You know we haven't seen each other in a while." Dean said. Cas gave a slight smile. He hasn't heard Dean say the word 'Sammy' in a long time. And with his name came a picture. Cas felt a bolting pain, but he didn't understand it. At that time, Cas and Dean both looked at each other, feeling the grief. Dean, had felt steaming pain, he felt like this whole thing was on his shoulders.

This was one of the last times Dean would open up to Cas, without alcohol streaming through his veins.

"Cas. I don't. I don't know what to do. I mean Sam, he's gone. He has a life now. And I can't rip him from that. Tell me you haven't noticed, it's different without Sam here." Dean murmured as he took another swig of his bottle.

"Perhaps you could contact the Prophet. He is posses the ability to foresee events concerning you two," Cas said timidly, afraid that at any moment, Dean would pop.

"I guess," Dean said roughly. Dean dialed in the numbers and hit the call button.

"Hello?"

"Hey Chuck it's me, Dean."

"Oh. Dean. How's it been going lately?"

"Fine, I'll survive. Listen since you are basically our prophet, so do you have any idea what's been up with Sam lately… Haven't heard much from him."

"Oh. Umm. No, nothing spec-. Wait, what's the date today?" Chuck said rather urgently.

"Umm, The 16th?"

"Oh. Oh no. No this isn't… No. Not today. Dean…" Chuck said rapidly, but cut off but his own disbelief.

"Chuck, Chuck what is it? Chuck tell me, or I'm hauling ass over there" Dean said hastily, his heart was racing. He looked over to Cas, and Cas was now concerned too. He had heard the conversation, and his heart was racing too. Was there something wrong with Sam? Was he ok? Before he got the answer, he had worried a lot more than a regular angel should, for a human.

"No. No. Chuck, are you sure? I mean this is big, this is... Yeah, I get your sorry, but haven't you gotten something else? There has to be something else. This isn't all to it?" Dean said, his face in total disbelief, almost like he was refusing to let in whatever had been said. There was a point where Dean couldn't absorb anymore. Cas was dying in anticipation, what was happening? What was wrong?

"But there… Ok." Dean sighed loudly, and slow. "Bye," Dean said steadily, so low it was almost a whisper. His voice practically dripped with desperation.

Cas had practically died waiting for this.

"Dean what is the problem? How is Sam?" Cas asked, slowly, giving time for Dean to adjust. Dean turned away from Cas, and covered his face with his hands. After the longest pause, Cas sat. The silence in the room was so sharp, you could hear Dean's huffs to catch his breath, after all this, he refused to cry again. Cas had to let Dean take in whatever it was, even if it was killing him inside. Sam… Well he missed Sam. Sam had been someone Cas could always see as someone to almost… Relate to… And Sam meant a lot to hi-

"Cas," Dean said, breaking the silence. After another short silence, "He said yes." Dean turned to face Cas, but there was no one there. A flutter of wings and Castiel was gone.

After this, Castiel had shut himself out for a while. Not responding to Dean's prayers or anything really. For about 4 months this went on. And Castiel sat calmly, taking in that Sam had said yes. That he had given up. He had always felt that Sam would be stronger. He always was. He had always seen Sam as a beacon, of hope. Different than Dean. He sat, and watched as the world turned to a virus. Spreading. But within 5 months, the angels had given up, Sa- Lucifer had won. Castiel had lost his angelic abilities. Becoming a mortal. Becoming a human.

Dean had lost his faith in Castiel. Once the fallen angel was a human, he found his way back to Dean, fighting off Croatoans on the way. But Castiel swore, swore that once, just once, he had seen S-Lucifer. He was in a suit. A suit of white. But when he saw him, he was in a suit of white and red. Standing over the body of one his brother angels. Castiel had run, trying hard to erase the image from his stained mind.

At this time, Dean had a base already set up with Chuck, Bobby, and some others. It was a small camp, but everyone kept their difference. Bobby and Dean had grown apart too, after Bobby tried to comfort Dean when he gave up on Castiel. Once Castiel had made it there, Dean had closed his shell. Never to open again, really. Never saying much to Cas but a conversation with a neighbor, or a stranger.

Dean and Cas were two different people. Almost acting like they never knew one another.