"Rise and shine, cupcake!" Dean yelled across the motel room. "Where are we going?" I asked. "Breakfast." Dean replied pulling his brown leather jacket on. I stood up slowly. Apparently, I slept in my coat last night. There was a lot of light flooding in from how much the windows were open. I opened the blind a bit more and peeked out. The sun was shining directly in through the window. I squinted. "Ready?" Sam asked. He patted my back and walked out the door. I followed along and closed the door gently. I stood there watching Sam and Dean interact with each other. Curious. We set out for breakfast in the Impala. Dean found a nice little place called IHOP. I got out of the car and waited for Sam and Dean. Dean locked the car and walked in with Sam. I reread the sign on the front of the building with curiosity. Do they want me to hop? I lifted one leg and hopped towards the front door and next to Sam. "What are you doing?" Sam asked. "Hopping. The sign said IHOP, so I did as it requested." I responded. "Cas, it doesn't actually mean hop. It's an acronym for the restaurant. It stands for International House of Pancakes." Sam whispered sternly. I put my foot down and stood. "Ok, Sam." I reassured him. A nice woman came and asked us how many. How many what? People? Apples? Castiels? Moose? "Three." Dean smiled at the woman. "Right this way." She said. I followed cautiously. Who knows where this woman is taking us? The woman pointed to a booth and motioned for us to sit. Sam slid in first and Dean sat next to him. I tried to squeeze next to Dean. "Cas, sit on the other side of the table." Dean said, frustrated. "Ok, Dean." I responded. I got up to sit on the other side of the table and found myself in the middle of the booth. "Can I start you off with anything to drink?" The woman asked us. "I'll take some orange juice." Sam said. "Same here." Dean replied. Both Sam and Dean looked at me. "I don't know. I'll have what they're having." I said. "Ok, boys. I'll be back soon to take your orders." The woman said scurrying off. "Two men died within a month of each other," Sam stated. "What's so weird about that?" Dean asked. "Well, both men were missing their heart. It was ripped out of their chest." Sam told Dean. "What do you say we go kill some evil sons of bitches?" Dean asked.

This was how I spent the next couple months of my life. I fought vampires, werewolves, and shape shifters. I watched Sam and Dean exorcise demons and do chants in Latin. Each hunt brought us closer together. After two hunts, Sam handed me a gun and asked me to join them. They had me spray paint a devils trap on the ceiling and lure the demon into it. I stabbed a shape shifter with a silver knife. Dean showed me how to kill vampires and werewolves. I helped Sam research when we didn't know anything about what we were dealing with. In total, I went with Sam and Dean on 20 different hunts. I walked into our motel room and Sam was gone. "Sam?" I called out. "He's left to pay for the room." Dean responded. A surge of relief flowed through me. I was glad to know my friend was safe. I walked further into the room and saw Dean. He was taking his shirt of from a long hunting day. I watched helplessly as he pulled his shirt over his head and exposed his abs. His muscles were chiseled perfectly. Sweat beads ran down his chest making it glisten. I could feel my knees go week. I had a new sensation. It felt weird, like someone was filling a balloon in my pants. I've spent the past month hunting with Dean feeling weak like this. I should tell him how I feel. Tonight. Dean threw his shirt on the floor and grabbed a new one. "You ready for this?" Dean asked as he threw on his new shirt. "Yes." I said softly still weak in the knees. "No turning back." Dean smiled and threw on his jacket. I turned to leave and opened the door for Dean. I let Dean walk a bit ahead of me to the car. My thoughts were so scrambled. I closed the door lightly. Is this love? Do I feel love? Am I in love with Dean? I looked up and watched Dean round the corner to the staircase. He seemed to be walking around the corner and down the stairs in slow motion. His jacket bounced, and he had this cute little smile. I could see his breath. Dean. I love Dean. I let out a small little sigh and walked toward the staircase. I need to tell Dean. After the hunt, I'll tell him. "We're here." Dean said as he parked the Impala. "Remember, demons are tricky. They lie." Dean lectured both of us. "Sam, draw her out. Cas, you're Sammy's back up." Dean instructed us. All three of us got out of the car and headed towards a big apartment complex. "Sam Winchester." A female voice called out. Sam and I exchanged looks. A woman came out of the shadow. She had blonde hair and wore a black leather jacket. Sam looked at her, puzzled. "I've heard a lot about you Sammy." She told Sam. Good. Dean's plan is working. She hasn't noticed me behind the bush. I watched Sam talk with the demon for about five minutes. "Sammy, when are you going to learn? You can't outsmart me, baby." The demon cooed at Sam. She faced me and pulled me out of the bush. I felt her clench my trench coat sleeve and slam me on the floor. Pain rushed through my head, and I could feel blood dripping off the back of my head. "Next time, listen to my warnings." The demon said to Sammy. She whipped around me and pulled out a gun. I stared down the barrel and she moved the gun slightly down. In a swift move, she had Sam down on the ground and she aimed the gun. All I could feel was fear as she pulled the trigger and shot me. I felt the bullet pierce through my stomach. Warm blood started pooling where the bullet had entered. I felt cold and clammy. The demon ran off when Sammy got up and Dean jumped from his position and was first at my side. "Cas," Dean said, gripping my left hand tight, "you're gonna be ok. Sammy called 911 when the demon disappeared. I want you to hold on to the sound of my voice." I listened to Dean's voice. Deep and soothing. I looked at his face and found myself staring into his beautiful green eyes and held on. I gripped Dean's hand tighter. Now is not the time for me to go. Not yet