Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter, guys. I promise it'll be worth it in the end.
Dean couldn't move. As soon as his eyes locked on the sight in front of him, everything just stopped. He wasn't even positive if he was actually breathing. All he knew was that he was transfixed on the angel, his angel.
The hunter couldn't help but notice that the angel looked…really well. His dress shirt was cleaned from all the black residue of the Leviathan, everything looked neatly pressed, even his tie was tied properly. A sense of complete relief washed over the hunter, seeing that Cas was there and he was fine, but he couldn't quite get rid of the feeling that something was wrong.
"See Dean, I told you this was more important than the Leviathan." Sam said, smirking slightly as he looked at his older brother. Dean wanted to say that technically nothing was more important than their job, but he couldn't get the words out. He just simply nodded instead, his eyes still on the angel.
Dean wasn't sure why Cas hadn't said anything. Surely he would have said something by now, right?
The hunter looked at his brother, who looked very unbothered by the angels silence and quickly told himself that there was nothing wrong.
"Cas…Welcome back." Dean said, smiling at his friend.
The angel was silent, but tilted his head slightly; just like he would before whenever Dean had said something he didn't quite understand.
The hunter decided to try again, trying to push away every thought that was flowing up by the angels silence. "Where've ya been?"
The Angel looked at Dean, "I have been with my brethren, of course. Where else would I be?"
Dean just stared at the Angel, before quickly glancing at his brother. Sam was looking at Dean, his eyes a bit wide.
"Well Cas, I'd like to think you'd be with us. Since ya know, we thought you were dead. Popping up and telling us otherwise would've been nice." the elder Winchester said, shrugging his shoulders a bit annoyed.
Castiel was silent, just staring at the hunter. He looked as though he was trying to remember something…as if he were trying to remember who the two men infront of him happened to be.
That's when Dean noticed what was different with the angel. It was his eyes, they weren't the warm eyes that Cas had developed with his time with the Winchesters. They were back to the cold, emotionless, blue pits that he'd possessed when they had first met.
Dean swallowed before he spoke again, "Cas…do you remember Sam or I?"
The next moments that passed were some of the longest in Dean's entire life as he waited for his friend to answer.
"I do now forget anything, I have never met either of you."