Dean was driving in his car, alone, when he heard the flutter of wings that signified an angel's arrival.
"Hello, Dean," said a familiar voice.
"Hi, Cas." The older Winchester was quite used to Castiel's unannounced appearances by now. "How are you?"
"Do you know where Meg is? I can't find her." Dean stiffened. Castiel didn't know what Crowley did after he had broken Naomi's hold and taken the tablet?
"Cas..."
Dean hadn't, however, grown accustomed to informing people of deaths. He knew that the angel had been very fond of the rogue demon, and he knew what happened to Cas when he was sad.
"What is it, Dean?"
"Cas, buddy..." Dean pulled off of the interstate and headed towards a rest stop. "Crowley killed her."
Castiel uttered a sound that reminded Dean of a lost Labrador puppy. The car was still moving, but that didn't stop the angel from opening the door and walking onto the pavement. He hit the brakes.
"Cas?" Dean yelled through the still-open door of the Impala.
The angel didn't turn around, but wandered across the parking lot, shoulders drooping. Dean parket in the nearest available spot and raced after his friend.
"Cas." He caught up with the angel next to an SUV graced with stickers advertising the owner's kids' athletic involvements.
"I don't understand these stickers," remarked Cas, gesturing to a picture of pom-poms and the name Chelsea emblazoned underneath. "I mean, does anyone really care that Chelsea does cheering and gymnastics or that Alex does football and track or that Sarah does horses and lacrosse?" Castiel ran a hand along the six stickers. Dean was unsure of what to say.
"Well, maybe their parents are proud," he finally settled on.
"I think that's Chelsea in the backseat." Sure enough, a teenage girl had noticed them and was scrambling out of the car.
"What are you doing?" Chelsea tossed her long blonde hair around, putting on a brave facade.
"It's okay, Chelsea," said Castiel, touching her shoulder. The girl pulled away.
"Get away from me, creepers," she shouted.
"It's gonna be okay," repeated the angel.
"Uh, if you don't get away from me, I'm calling 911."
"No, not about us. Your parents will eventually accept you no matter what your sexual orientation." Chelsea's eyes widened, and she ran back into the car, closing and locking the doors behind her.
"Come on, Cas. I told you not to do that." Dean grabbed Castiel by the elbow and dragged him back in the direction of the Impala.
"I just wanted to help her."
Dean didn't know if Cas was capable of crying, but he sure looked close to it.
"Cas..."
"Meg was good," Cas whispered, more to himself than to Dean.
"I know." Dean had started to like Meg, although he never would have admitted it.
"I'm going to kill Crowley."
"I'm going to help you. I promise."
Castiel hugged himself and closed his eyes. In the rest stop, the electricity flared and every light bulb in use shattered. Dean watched as Chelsea's family got back in their car and drove away.
"I think she wanted to sleep with me." Cas finally broke the silence. Dean turned to look at him.
"What?"
"She told me. When we found her, she implied that she wished to fornicate with me."
"And would you have? Slept with her?"
"She was a good friend," stated Cas simply.
"What is that supposed to mean?" My god, he's bad at emotions, thought Dean.
"You and Sam sleep with good friends, right?" Cas asked numbly.
"I think that was different. I think she loved you." Dean sighed. "If a demon is capable of love."
"Oh."
"Did you love her?" Dean asked, so softly that he almost didn't hear himself.
"I don't think so. I would have liked to 'get with her', as you humans put it." Cas shifted in his seat. "I only have one friend left."
"What? Sam's your friend, right?" Dean tilted his head.
"Yes, that's my one friend."
"Then what am I?" Dean had gone from saddened to hurt very quickly.
"You're my... Friend. You're my other friend. I have two friends left." Castiel cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Then why'd you say..." Dean trailed off, not entirely sure how to respond to his premonition of Castiel's abrupt correction.
"I wasn't in love with Meg," he said quietly. "I wasn't in love with her." Cas stared out the window. "Can we get some hamburgers from that McDonald's?"
Not waiting for an answer, the angel transported himself outside of the car and began walking towards the restaurant.