Disclaimer – I don't own anything, unfortunately. I wish I did but I don't. Each character belongs to their respected (highly respected) owner.
A/N – I am not quite sure where this is going so I will keep writing until my muses tell me to stop...
Chapter One – It All Comes Down...
For the first time in months, Dean Winchester woke with a clear head and he wasn't so sure if that was a good thing. With a clear head he was hit with a barrage of memories, ones that he had tried to quash. Sam. Adam. His parents. The images flicked through his mind rapidly interposed with those of the people he'd saved. He last image fell on Lisa. Lisa smiling at him. Lisa screaming his name. Balling his hands into fists he rubbed his eyes as if he could get rid of the memories that way though he knew that it wouldn't work.
He sat up abruptly as he recalled the events of the night before. At first he thought that he'd had too much to drink but his worries became reality when he saw who was sitting in the corner of his room, watching him intently, barely blinking in his unnerving fashion. The crease in his brow deepened when he realised Dean was awake and staring at him. His visitor opened his mouth to say something but Dean scowled at him.
Not saying a word, Dean got up and walked straight past him, going directly to the bathroom. As he relieved himself he went over all the arguments he could come up with before realising there was no point avoiding the coming conversation. He was a grown man but still there were some things he wished he could avoid.
He flushed the toilet and quickly washed his hands, sparing a brief glance in the mirror. His hair was longer than he remembered and his eyes seemed dead, even to him. His cheekbones were even more prominent than the last time he had checked. Frowning he splashed some water on his face in a vain attempt to wake himself up.
Pushing open the door he slowly padded out into the main room of the dingy motel and was somewhat surprised to see a hot coffee and a cheeseburger sitting on the table. He looked from it to his visitor, a question in his eyes.
"Eat, Dean. In your own words, you look like..." his visitor began.
"Don't say it," Dean growled as he slid into the nearest seat.
He inspected the burger, sniffing it as well as the coffee knowing that if they were drugged he wouldn't be able to detect it by smell anyway. After a minute, in which his stomach rumbled loudly, he lifted the burger to his lips and took a bite. He chewed it methodically, not really tasting it, but knowing it was the right thing to do.
He ate the entire burger in the space of a few minutes, obviously hungrier than he felt. The coffee was still too warm but he slipped it delicately. He ignored the presence in the room, even though he knew it was a childish gesture on his behalf.
He sat there for a full minute after finishing before turning around and facing the person responsible for the sleep and food.
"Hey Cas, sorry I haven't been in touch," he deadpanned.
Castiel stared back at him. His eyes, as usual, were dark and unreadable but Dean swore then was a sadness there that he had never seen before. He wondered, idly, if Jimmy was still in there somewhere, watching everything or if he was just as dead as he felt. The thought scared him a little, as if it reaffirmed how broken he felt.
Castiel still didn't speak. Instead, he seemed content to be studying him, making Dean feel more unnerved as the clock on the wall continued on its path. Castiel attempted to return the stare but after a few minutes he gave up and slumped back into the chair.
"You came here for a reason, Cas. And I'm pretty sure that reason isn't to study me," Dean said between sips on the coffee.
"You are right, Dean. Trust me when I say I did not want to come here," he began.
"Nice seeing you too, Cas," Dean said, rolling his eyes.
"That is not what I meant," Castiel almost stuttered, frowning at the scenario.
Dean felt the corners of his mouth turn up in a half smile. It wasn't often that you could get an angel to appear unruffled. Remembering what had happened, however, sobered him and he replaced the smile with the scowl that was becoming a permanent feature on his face.
"So, why are you here?" Dean said as he folded his arms over his chest.
"We need your help," Castiel said, simply.
Dean stared at him for a moment before opening his mouth and letting out a loud laugh. His body shook and he realised, belatedly, that he was on the verge of hysterics. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He looked up at Castiel and wasn't surprised to see that the man...the angel, hadn't moved. He was just staring at Dean as if this is what he expected.
"Look, Cas, I don't know what you expect but, if you hadn't noticed, I'm not the same person I was three years ago," Dean said, the bitterness in his voice surprising even him.
Castiel cocked his head to one side and opened his mouth to reply when there was a loud knock at the door. Dean started before moving to open the door. As he placed his hand on the door handle a sixth sense made him step back. Something definitely felt off and he moved to his bed, grabbing Ruby's knife. He always thought of it that way, Ruby's knife. Shaking the thoughts from his head he turned and faced the door.
"Who is it?" He called, surprised at the gruffness of his voice.
When there he was no answer he looked back at Castiel and had another surprise. Castiel was standing at alert and he had a sword in his hand. Dean could not recall him ever carry a weapon as such, aside from those he used to kill the other angels, but they were different compared to this sword. There seemed to be an aura surrounding the sword and Castiel, which made Dean take a step back.
"What the..."Dean exclaimed but then he saw Castiel's face and he backed away from the door.
Gently he lifted his head and sniffed the air as a familiar scent wafted through the door. "What is that?" He asked but Castiel just shook his head and suddenly reached out, gripping Dean by his shoulder.
"What the hell, Cas?" Dean yelled trying to pull out of the angel's vice like grip.
He was about to use the knife on Cas when the door exploded inwards and someone stormed into the room, surrounded by dust and the remains of the door.
"Dean, get down," Castiel said, his voice still calm, as he pushed Dean roughly to the floor.
Dean braced for the impact and took the brunt of it in his knees. Grumbling under his breath, he groped for his gun, finding it easily under the mattress where he left it. He took aim and let off a round; waiting to hear a scream of pain but when he heard nothing he peered through the dust, trying to see what was happening. An unearthly scream rang through the room, making Dean shudder. It wasn't a sound that he had heard before and it seemed to linger in the air.
"Dean, we have to go," Castiel said, appearing by his side.
Dean had enough sense to agree with him, grabbing his keys from the nightstand.
"Not that way, Dean," Cas said, taking hold of his shoulder.
Dean blinked and found himself standing on a bridge. Castiel was standing next to him, methodically wiping a dark substance off the sword.
"Where are we? What's going on? What the hell have you gotten me involved in, Cas?" Dean began a series of quick fire questions.
Castiel looked thoughtful and, for a moment, Dean felt relieved that he had appeared but that feeling was instantly replaced with the anger he felt at the world for taking away his family.
"We need your help to find someone," Castiel said, slowly.
"What do you think I am? Some dog on a leash at your beck and call," Dean yelled, letting a little of the anger he felt fuel his words.
"No Dean, but you have a connection to the person we are looking for," Castiel explained, his face was still neutral but there was something in his tone that made Dean stop mid-rant.
"Who?" Dean asked warily as a sinking feeling filled his gut.
"It's Sam..."
Dean looked at Castiel, his eyes going wide. His stomach rolled and a roaring sound ran through his ears. Feeling dizzy he turned away from Cas and took a couple of steps before his legs gave way and he fell, landing heavily on his knees.
"He's alive?" He asked after a moment.
"Yes...but there is something you should know," Cas said.
Dean turned his dark eyes up towards Castiel. Anger seemed to be seeping from every pore. Standing slowly, he took a step towards Castiel. His grip tightened on his gun and he held fast to Ruby's knife.
Castiel cleared his throat. "He won't know who you are. His memory, his personality, didn't survive the possession by Lucifer. When he came back he didn't know who he was or even where he was. They thought it was better to let you think he was dead," Castiel said.
Dean heard the sorrow in his voice but everything else was muted. His head spun and his thoughts threatened to overload his brain. "He's alive," he repeated, slowly.
"And he's in trouble," Castiel said. "He's being hunted."
To be continued.