We all want the "he's an angel" misunderstanding to happen but it's too fanservice-y. I want it so bad though. Imagine Mary's face XD

There's no reply.

Dean tries to reach Sam half a dozen times on the glowing rectangle he claims is a cell phone. I wait anxiously, shivering until Dean notices and shrugs off his jacket for me. Pride and love rushes through me at this gesture, evidence that my son is as kind and caring in adulthood as he was at four.

With each failed call, my disappointment grows. I can barely remember what Sam's voice sounded like in my one blurred ghostly encounter with him, but I need to hear it again. Finally, Dean gives a growl of frustration that transforms him momentarily into John.

"Dammit," he mutters, staring down at the cell. I sigh quietly, amazed that such a simple human irritation is disrupting this profound experience. Dean looks worried.

"He might be kinda messed up," he murmurs. Shaking his head, he swipes and taps at the screen with his thumb. "I'll try Cas instead."

"Who?" I ask, perplexed, but Dean turns from me, flushing again. He paces away for the first time since seeing me and I raise my eyebrows in interest. My emotions scale abruptly down, from soul-deep shock and joy and agony to simple motherly nosiness. Who is this Cas, important enough for Dean to contact upon surviving certain death and personal enough for him to hide from his long-lost mother? Cas is a woman's name, surely. My heart swells with hope. Maybe Dean's found love, amongst all the death and pain of a hunter's life. I strain my ears to hear at least Dean's half of the conversation.

"Yeah, it's me," Dean says quietly after several seconds of tense silence. This Cas must have answered the call, unlike Sam. Dean hunches his shoulders, ducking his head. His voice is low and intimate when he speaks again; he knows and trusts this woman, whoever she is.

"They talked it out and let me go, if you can believe that. Amara smoked me here. I have no idea where here is, though. But it's definitely Earth. I'm alive, Cas."

Another pause and Dean chuckles, more relaxed than I've heard from him yet. "Yeah, literally thank God, huh? I'm pretty happy about it too. Listen, d'you know where Sam is? I've tried reaching him but no dice. Hope he's not off at a crossroads somewhere, he should be smarter than that by now."

Another pause and then Dean is standing straighter, his voice sharper. "What is it?"

I step forward, fingers clutching at the overlong sleeves of Dean's jacket. He's silent for longer, the tension growing in his posture with every moment, but when he speaks again he sounds suddenly terrified and more than a little angry.

"Who the hell was she?"

My brow furrows in fear and confusion even as Dean speaks again. "And what did she do to Sam?"

Another beat before he practically growls into the phone: "Well, how'd she manage that? I asked you to watch out for him, Cas, you promised me. Jesus Christ..."

Dean has a hand up near his face, possibly rubbing at his forehead. I gulp, hugging myself. Dean speaks again and his voice is quieter now, almost husky, a slight tremble betraying his turmoil. "No, don't... I'm sorry, that was crappy of me. No, Cas, stop it. It's not your fault, she obviously did her homework. OK, so you have no idea where you are?"

I'm shaking hard. Sam. Something's happened to Sam. Dean's voice sounds odd in my ears, as though he's speaking from far away instead of ten feet in front of me.

"Junction City? You sure that's what the sign says? OK, that's real close to home, must have been a weak sigil. You have money?"

I concentrate on keeping my breathing steady and my eyes on Dean's back.

"Alright, good. Your card should be loaded up since you never use it for anything. Get a cab to the bunker. I'll try to get there as quick as I can too. We'll work out what's going on. Sam'll be OK."

Dean sounds more like he's reassuring himself than the woman on the phone. Whatever she says in response seems to relax Dean's shoulders slightly and his voice is warm and almost flustered when he speaks next, convincing me once and for all that this either is or should be Dean's partner.

"Yeah, well, it's good to, uh, hear your voice again too. But anyway, I'm not dead, hooray, it's all good. And, um, there's something else as well, but I reckon it'd be best to explain it in person."

I grimace, realising that I'll be introduced to my possible daughter-in-law as a magically restored corpse. Dean is chuckling again, shaking his head in a fond sort of way, his body language curling around the phone pressed to his ear. If I wasn't petrified for Sam than I'd be grinning like an idiot at the sight of my elder son, all grown up and quite clearly in love.

"No, no, I'm fine. Better than fine. Look, it'll become pretty clear once I meet you at the bunker. Call me when you get there, OK? I'll call you if I get there first. And call me if you hear from Sam, straight away. And Cas... take care of yourself, yeah?"

Another pause, another chuckle. "Yeah, yeah, will do. See you soon."

He hangs up and stares down at the phone for a moment. I speak into the still silence, my voice sounding oddly calm although I'm internally cringing with fear.

"Is Sam in danger?"

Dean twitches and raises his head, taking a deep breath before turning to face me with steely resolve in his eyes. "Maybe. Cas isn't sure what's happened. But we're going home and we will work it out. Sam's tough, he'll be OK."

Again, it's clear who Dean is talking to on the last sentence and it's not me. I shut my eyes for a moment, arms still wrapped around my middle, trying to physically hold myself together. I take a deep breath and nod, already sure that Dean would do anything to keep his brother safe. He adored Sam even when they were little. Changing the subject to keep myself calm, I open my eyes and muster up a false smile.

"So, who's this Cas? Is she someone special?"

Dean's jaw drops and a spark of genuine amusement gets a real smile onto my face.

"Oh, don't look like that," I scold lightly. "I could hear it in your voice when you spoke to her. There must be something there...?"

Dean is turning red so fast it's a little alarming. He mouths like a goldfish, shaking his head and even leaning back a little.

"N-no," he almost gasps. "That's not- Cas isn't-"

I'm almost laughing now, momentarily diverted by Dean's reaction. "She isn't what?"

"He!" Dean almost shouts, eyes wide. "Cas is a he."

That brings me up short. "Oh."

"Yeah," Dean huffs, nodding a little too much. "Yeah, he's a he, so..."

"Well," I say carefully, watching Dean closely. "I didn't realise that, but..."

"He's an angel," Dean states simply. I blink up at him, but he doesn't add to this rather sentimental proclamation. I can feel the smile creeping back onto my face. I'm surprised, of course, but being raised in the hunting lifestyle gifted me with open-mindedness if little else. And love is love; it should be cherished no matter what.

"Honey, that's really lovely," I say softly. "I'm happy for you. I can't wait to meet him."

Dean opens his mouth again, but now there's something new in his eyes. He looks vulnerable and shocked and scared. I reach out and squeeze his hand, trying to reassure him with my smile that it doesn't bother me if he's fallen in love with a man. He gulps, his eyes a little bright.

"Thanks, Mom," he mumbles thickly. I grin up at him and he blinks rapidly, as though clearing his head. "But, uh, you still have the wrong idea. I didn't mean, uh... I mean, Cas is great, but calling him an angel wasn't a compliment. I mean he is literally, um. He is actually an angel. Of the Lord."

I freeze, staring blankly at my son, who is still blushing and glancing away as he continues: "And we're not, uh- Cas and I are just friends. Well, more like family."

There's a ringing silence. I try to take in the knowledge that angels are real, that my sons know one of them, that I'm going to meet him, that he actually does watch over my boys just like I always told them-

"Oh, my," I whisper, swaying a little, feeling faint and overwhelmed. Dean hurriedly catches hold of my other hand, peering at me with concern in his verdant eyes.

"Mom? You OK?"

I nod slowly. "Yeah, honey, I'm just a little bit..."

I trail off and Dean's mouth twists wryly. He shrugs.

"Yeah, I getcha. Come on, I heard a car not long ago, behind those trees. Must be a road. We'll hitch a ride to the nearest town and find out where we are, OK?"

I let go of one of his hands and loop my other arm through his elbow, smiling up at him. "OK, Dean."