Dean wipes his eyes angrily and starts to get dress. He hears Castiel's voice again.

[Dean … don't leave. Please?]

Dean winces at the plea in Castiel's voice … and mind.

Cas … I … please don't tell …Dean sends, suddenly the four-year-old begging to keep his secret.

Castiel touches Dean's arm. Dean jumps but he doesn't resist Castiel turning him around. He meets Castiel's eyes when his chin is tipped up.

[Dean … you can trust me. I won't betray you.]

Dean feels the truth behind Castiel's signing but he's scared. He bites his lip. Why should I believe you?

[I don't know, Dean … please trust me.] Castiel pauses as Dean looks at him. He's shocked at the fear in the hazel eyes.

Dean retreats from Castiel's mind and signs. [Prove it.]

Castiel frowns. [What are you talking about?]

Dean's on defensive footing now. He knows he's about to ruin probably the best thing that's ever happened to him but he has to protect Sammy. [Let me in and prove you're not gonna turn me in.]

Castiel's face shifts to the hurt expression Dean expected. He swallows the pain because he can't take the chance. Not with Sammy's life on the line. [Go ahead.]

Dean looks apologetically at Castiel and slides into the mind of his lover. Castiel winces. Dean finds no sign that Castiel intended to betray him. He does, however, feel the deep affection Castiel had for him evaporate beneath hurt and confusion.

[I'm sorry Cas … I had to be sure.]

[Are you?] Dean nods. [Good. Now get out.]

Dean lifts his hands but then just lets them fall to his sides. He dresses quickly and is gone. Castiel looks around the bedroom. Only a few moments ago he was happier than he ever thought he could be … now it's all ash and regret.

Dean drives home ignoring the wetness on his face. He feels Castiel's anger like a razor blade in the back of his mind and that makes him miserable but he tries to ignore it. Then the anger turns to resolve and Dean pulls over to dig a little deeper into Castiel's mind. He 'sees' Castiel pulling up a website on his laptop. His mouth goes dry. Meta hunters. He withdraws from the mind he'd wanted to know as well as he knew the body that houses it. Dean's heart breaks. Castiel is a better actor than he thought … force enough belief into a thought and it reads like truth. It's how people talk themselves into things. Dean reaches out to Sam, his next move already decided.

Sammy … I gotta go. Don't come looking. Don't trust Cas.

Dean, what …?

Dean can hear the gentle, sleepy confusion of his younger brother's thoughts. He swallows a lump in his throat ... he's losing everything tonight. He's going to pay for thinking he could ever let his guard down. Dean leans forward on his steering wheel, tears falling unheeded. He sends to Sam, filling the space between them with love and a desperate urgency.

Listen to me little brother … do not trust Cas. He's one of them … he was looking for a meta. I was stupid and he found me out … I have to go.

Dean, don't! We'll figure something out … what about me?

Dean winces at the plaintive tone of Sam's thoughts. He can almost feel Sam's hand on his arm and knows his brother is using his ability to try and physically stay him.

He doesn't know about you … Sammy, I'm sorry. I fucked up.

Dean, please don't run ... Bobby'll -

No! Bobby and Ellen did right by us ... you keep them safe. You stay safe, Sammy. Please.

Dean feels Sam's distress like a hand closing around his heart. Dean pulls his mind away. For the first time in their entire lives, the Winchester brothers are not linked. Sam feels the darkness he lives in grow cold and lonely.

"Dean!" Sam screams. The living room window blows out in a spray of glass.


Castiel sits in the darkness and thinks. He was sent here to locate two metas. Meeting Dean Winchester was not part of the plan – neither was learning that Dean was one of his targets just as he fell for the man. Castiel decides he will report the metas as gone. Dean will be safe. He will get another assignment and move on. Castiel wishes that did not make him so sad.


Dean ditches Baby six hours down the road. He hates to leave her but she's too easy to track. He doubles back and heads a different direction. He's only got the clothes he wore for his date with Castiel and twenty-three dollars in cash but Dean knows he'll manage somehow. He can hustle pool or kill a few poker games to get cash. He can do other things, but Dean decides not to consider that unless things get dire. He only wants to put as much distance between himself and his family as he can – he plans to never look back if it means they leave Sammy alone. By running, Dean hopes to pull attention to himself and convince the hunters to abandon the search. He wishes he'd never met Castiel Novak.


A few days later, Balthazar Novak walks up to the door of his brother's house. He rings the doorbell and waits. Castiel opens the door and Balthazar is struck by how pale his little brother seems. His blue eyes, normally so bright, are now faded and there is a sadness in them that Balthazar hasn't seen since their mother died.

"Ah, Castiel ... talk to me," Balthazar says softly.

Castiel does.


Sam Winchester walks to the diner to pick up a to-go order. He spends his days with Bobby at the shop. It's been a week and a half since Dean left. No one has come to their door asking questions. Ellen dotes on Sam as if trying to make up for his brother's absence. Bobby is ... Bobby remains quiet and withdrawn. The house is full of sadness as if someone died. Sam finds himself not wanting to be trapped in the smothering walls that echo with Dean's presence.

"Sam ... have that order up in just a sec," Beth says cheerfully when the younger Winchester walks in the door.

Sam nods and slides on to a stool at the counter. He carries the typical blind man's cane but his ability lets him 'see' the world around him. Dean said it was the coolest thing ever the first time he'd looked through Sam's inner eyes when they were nine and five respectively. Thanks to Hollywood, Dean now calls it his "Neo-vision" after Keanu's character.

Sam sighs. He acted like Dean's movie references annoyed him, but he loves his brother's enthusiasm about things – music, movies, life in general. He misses his big brother far more than he ever thought he would.

"Why so glum, Sam? No word from Dean?" Beth asks as she sets the bag with the take-out at Sam's elbow.

"Not lately," Sam replies.

"Don't worry about it ... takes a while to get settled into a new place," Beth replies.

Sam smiles and nods. The story for Dean's absence is that he took a job in Phoenix. It was with a custom-body shop and he'd kept his interviews secret – everyone seems to believe it.

The door to the diner opens and a tall man with light blue eyes and dark blonde hair walks in – Balthazar. He glances around and frowns at Sam. Walking over, he taps Sam on the shoulder.

"Excuse me ... would you be Sam Winchester?" a clipped British accent inquires.

Sam turns toward the voice. "I am. Who's asking?"

"Balthazar Novak ... your brother was dating mine ... Castiel?"

"I remember him mentioning a date," Sam replies flatly.

Balthazar regards Sam evenly. "Well, Cassie would kill me if he knew I was doing this, but is there a particular reason your brother dumped him?"

"Dumped -" Sam fights to keep his temper in check. "Dean took a job in Phoenix. I doubt he thought they were in a long-term relationship."

"I see ... well ... he's gone, you say? Cassie won't be happy to hear that, I'm afraid," Balthazar murmurs.

Sam puts the money down on the counter, grabs the bag and stands. "Sorry to hear that ... you can tell Castiel that Dean is gone ... and I very seriously doubt he'll be coming back to this place any time soon."

Sam walks out the door and back to the shop. He gives Bobby his fries and nibbles on his burger, appetite lost. They both glance up when the door opens.

"Can I help you?" Bobby asks.

Sam freezes when he hears the familiar accent. "Oh, I'm sure you can, but first I wanted to give Sam his cane back ... really should be more careful about your props. People will notice – and then you won't be able to fool anyone into thinking you're a run-of-the-mill blind man. What would people think if they knew you were a telekinetic meta, Sam Winchester?"