A chilled wind whirled through the deep skies of Georgia, Atlanta. It was pitch black and you couldn't see 4 inches in front of you without the aid of a torch. The trees were tightly packed together, thick trunks towering overhead creating a sturdy canopy. Yet secluded in the centre sat a shabby motel with broken and dimmed signs making the midnight fog eerie at best. The Impala crawled up outside and slowed to a halt after fighting its way through the savage forest and from within sat Sam and Dean Winchester. To look upon both men it would be fair to assume they were no where near related, Sam was tall, broad with thick brown locks that hung limply around his strong cheek bone. Dean however, was slightly taller than average, well groomed with only the stubble that had grown throughout the day to line his delicate chiselled features. They bickered like an old married couple, constantly. Deans 'shoot first and ask questions later' attitude never went down well with Sam. Sam always looked for another option – anything before he resorted to Dean's strategy (if you can call it one).The brothers were opposites; and that was why they always worked well together – especially on a hunt. Things had been quiet for a few weeks now, too quiet and they'd dug nothing new up on purgatory. For a while this wasn't a problem, Sam had not long gotten his soul back from Lucifer and Michaels grasp so the two had some catching up to do. But, once a hunter always a hunter – they were really feeling the itch. They were stuck and frustrated. Bobby their adopted father so to speak, was in the same predicament constantly scouring the news to find something – anything. It seemed like everything evil had just slipped off the face of the Earth so Dean had resorted to dragging Sam around cheap motels hoping to run into some sign of something but still nothing had caught their eye.
"I'm going for a walk" Sam sighed, "Being cramped up in here is killing me, especially when you won't let me drive"
"She's my baby and she prefers a real man to drive her" Dean cooed to his car.
"Uhh…Yeah" Sam rolled his eyes and pulled himself out of the compact vehicle and was soon disappearing into the trees.
Dean too followed in getting out of the Impala. She may be his baby but boy did she hurt like a son of a bitch when you're driving six maybe seven hours straight, he stretched under the neon lights and looked up into the velvet blanket covering the clearing. The stars shone bright and it was the first time in weeks he recalled Castiel. He absently brushed his hand upon his shoulder that once held the scar of the angel's handprint. Sighing, he reluctantly remembered the civil war the apocalypse (or lack of) had left upon heaven.
"Err. Cas can you hear me? Of course you can." He smiled "It's been a while, I'm sorry I haven't called. I hope you're alright up there" Dean shrugged feeling awful and a little hopeless that he'd forgotten about the angel on his shoulder. Looking up (at where he mentally judged heaven to stand) he sighed heartily.
Then he heard something, a dull thud behind him 'probably a cat' he thought, he turned and his heart lurched into his throat, he took a sharp inward gasp and declared "Damn it Cas I HATE it when you do that!"
Both arms held his weight as he leant on the Impala catching his breath and relaxing his heart rate, it truly was a shock. He'd let his guards down – too far down.
"Hello Dean" Castiel mused.
Dean looked at his friends torn and battered body. And if he was honest he'd never seen Cas look so beat up.
"Why haven't you used your angel mojo to put yourself back together? You look terrible"
"If you'd prefer me to rejoin the battle I shall leave you to your thoughts"
"What? No just fix yourself up…how are things top side?" Dean questioned as he finished composing himself glancing at the now 'fixed' man before him.
"As you have heard the war is not in my favour. Still we continue to fight. Where is Sam?" Castiel let the sound of disappointment seep through his words before changing topic – he obviously didn't want to discuss it anymore.
"Sam went for a walk; we-I've been driving for hours. We still haven't found anything either, it's like everything bad has just gone away. I don't like it – I've got a bad feeling about it Cas"
Castiel simply nodded in response, "How is Sam?"
Dean moved closer to Castiel while speaking, "Sammy? His fine still a pain in the-"
"The what?" Sam interrupted strolling across the dimly lit car park, "Long time no see" he greeted with a nod of the head.