Author's Note: My most sincere and heartfelt thank you for your generous and loving support of this story. :)

Chapter Seven – In the Arms of Love

"Oh baby...don't stop" Cas hummed as he felt wet licks lapping against the side of his neck. "Ummm, you know that works for me."

Rolling against the firm body and steady licking, Cas sighed deeply. He was lost somewhere between that period of still being asleep and not yet being quite awake.

"HOLY CRAP!!!"

Sam's sleep ladened voice pierced the quiet and brought Cas fully awake.

"Holy shit!" Cas exclaimed as he shifted slightly away from Sam and tried to garner his thoughts.

Neither of them spoke for a few minutes.

"Well that was awkward" Sam chuckled as he wiped the sleep from his eyes.

"Do ya think?" Cas shot back good-naturedly as they both looked at each other and burst out laughing.

The kitchen light which had been turned on earlier to off-set the greyness from the rain was shining brightly against the darkness now peeking through the rain splattered windows. Day had become night once again.

"How are you feeling, Sam?"

"A hell of a lot better than I was before, thanks to you and Dean taking such good care of me" Sam acknowledged as he fingered the poultice.

"Dean and I make a good team. You're going to have to take things slow, Sam. It's going to be a while before your strength comes back. Me and Dean are going to be all over you on this, so don't even think you're going to be able to get away with anything" Cas advised in a warm but firm tone.

"Roger that" Sam laughed.

"Your brother is one special guy. He insisted I get into bed and rest for awhile and told me he was going to sit at the table while we slept and wait for us to wake up. By the looks of the outside, I slept longer than I meant too. Dean must have been tired too, he's sleeping through all our talking."

"Is he sleeping beside you?" Sam asked innocently.

"I thought he was beside you" Cas replied, frowning.

"Dean" Sam cried out from the bed. "Dean" Cas joined in as he sat up and looked around, before jumping quickly out of the sack and checking the rooms. Dean wasn't there.

"Where's Dean? Cas, where's Dean?" Sam screamed in panic.

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The thick boughs of the trees prevented the rain from falling through. This was a blessing, as Dean didn't have much else going for him at the moment.

His clothes were still damp from the walk from the house to the trees. The bare soles of his feet were already starting to become criss-crossed with small cuts and scrapes from the ground. The tiny rocks were the worst and caused Dean to flinch with pain when he inadvertently stepped on one.

"I'm so, so scared" Dean whispered to Mr. Walla Walla, who he was clutching tightly against him. "I don't know where I should go" he whispered, looking at the two paths. One horrible clap of thunder almost scared him to death. His cheeks were already tear-stained and the sound re-enforced the tracks of tears as more fell.

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"Whoa!" Cas exhaled as he scrambled to grab Sam and keep him from falling. He had just come in from looking around outside. Two footprints, that was all that was needed to tell the story. The rain had washed everything else away, but the flashlight Cas had been using to span the darkened area had given a clue and everything pointed to the grove of trees.

"Sit back down."

"We've got to find him, Cas. We've got to find him" Sam keened.

Kneeling down in front of the youngest Winchester, Cas took Sam's hands in his own. "We'll find him, Sam. We're going to get him back" Cas soothed.

"I'm going to get a few things together and then I'll head out and start looking."

"I'm coming too."

"Not a good idea. You can't just get up and decide to go on a hike after what you've been through."

"Watch me!" Sam stated angrily and tried to remove his hands from the warm grasp. Cas held them tighter.

"Sam, slow down. I think we're going to find Dean in a worse state than when he left" Cas said truthfully as he motioned towards Dean's shoes.

"Fuck" Sam exhaled in fury.

"Why...why did he go?" Sam whimpered as he lowered his head.

Cas reached up and pulled Sam into a hug. "I don't know and I'm taking responsibility for this, Sam. I shouldn't have let Dean talk me into resting" Cas shuddered.

"Dean can be persuasive" Sam murmured and smiled weakly in spite of himself.

Holding Sam to him for a few minutes longer, Cas waited until the worst of the trembling had subsided before getting up and pulling the extra large backpack out from the closet, along with the accessories and two micro sleeping bags.

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"Eat it, Sam. You're going to need something in your stomach" Cas called out as he glanced at Sam who was looking uncertainly at the dry toast and applesauce set out for him on the counter.

It had taken every bit of energy Sam had just to get himself dressed and his shoes on. Eating was the last thing on his mind, but he knew Cas was right, as he took a spoonful of the applesauce and placed it on the dry toast.

His stomach protested slightly, but in the end, Sam actually felt a small tad better for having something in it.

Cas placed the now almost full backpack on the kitchen table and then opened the fridge door. He pulled out the left-over stew and one of Dean's bottles. Placing the bottle in a frigid pack and the stew in a thermos, he then placed these last items in the backpack.

"You doing okay?"

When Sam shifted his feet turning to look at Cas, they both heard the crunch of glass.

Bending down, Sam saw the neat little crushed pile. Picking up one of the larger pieces, he recognized the specialized watch glass immediately.

"Oh God!"

"What?" Cas questioned coming over to stand beside Sam.

"I gave Dean my watch to wear and told him that a person I love very, very much gave it to me. He was the one who actually gave it to me, Cas, but I didn't tell Dean that, because I didn't want to confuse him. He promised to take good care of it and I told him I was sure that he would.

Remember that story we read to him about the guy who made sick watches better?" Sam asked.

Groaning, Cas nodded.

"He's gone to look for him. I'm sure of it" Sam grimaced and wavered slightly.

"Easy, Sam, easy" Cas whispered as he delicately retrieved the glass from Sam's hand and replaced it with a glass of water.

"Drink up and then we'll head out" Cas said grimly as he closed the backpack.

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Dean's heart was beating rapidly in his chest. The trees were casting shadows and every sound was amplified ten-fold. He looked at the spot he'd been twice to before now and fell to his knees.

"I got us lost again" Dean sighed. Placing Mr. Walla Walla against the base of a small tree he rubbed his stuffed monkey slowly. "You gotta stay here and I'll go see if I can find how to get out of here and then come back and get you" Dean explained before standing up and waving bye to his friend.

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Sam tightened the back strings on the pack as much as he could, given his weakened state.

They both decided to turn on all the lights in the house, in case Dean came back before they returned.

Cas took Sam's hand in his own and let Sam set the pace in their quest to find Dean.

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One toe stub too many, did it for Dean. He was just too upset and tired to go on any further. Looking up at the tallest tree he'd ever seen and then back to the base of it, Dean cautiously stepped inside the naturally hollowed out area.

It was unlike anything he had ever seen before and he couldn't believe that he could stand inside a tree. "This is cool" he voiced as he made his way around the reaches of it and was relieved that no unexpected surprises were hiding.

Huddling up in the farthest corner away from the opening, Dean bent his knees up to his chest and wearily placed his head on his arms.

"Please take care of Sammy and Cas" Dean prayed. "I gotta get to that man who is gonna fix Sammy's watch and then I'll come back and take care of them."

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"Dean must be so scared" Sam remarked as they moved deeper into the covered area. Cas squeezed his hand.

Their clothes were damp but not soaking wet and the welcome respite the trees provided was much appreciated.

They tracked and trailed for over an hour, before Cas called a rest stop. Sam's breathing was becoming more laboured and a time-out was needed.

"Be right back" Cas advised as he headed just out of range from Sam. He needed to take a leak in a bad way.

The pause that refreshed also produced Mr. Walla Walla.

As Cas finished, he was looking down when he spied an extended furry arm from the other side of the tree.

"Sam. Come over here" Cas called out excitedly.

"Look!" Cas pointed as they rounded the base of the tree.

Sam closed his eyes in relief. Dean wouldn't have left his toy alone. He had to be close-by.

Picking up the stuffed monkey, Sam held it close. He could smell Dean's scent on it and buried his nose deeper into the fur.

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The sun had risen high in the sky and had broken through the thick tree branches before it began its descent again into the closing of another day.

"We should have found him by now" Sam wailed.

"We should have, Sam" Cas agreed, trying to quell his extreme anxiety over not finding Dean.

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After two more failed attempts, Dean had managed to find his way back to the big tree. He was so thirsty and hungry and all he wanted was Sam and Cas and to be back at their place. He couldn't find Mr. Walla Walla.

"Sammy" Dean cried brokenly. Leaning his face against the rough bark, Dean closed his eyes.

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"That's it, Sam" Cas growled. "I'm setting you up here and continuing on by myself. You're not in any condition to go on."

"Cas..."

"I don't want to hear it, Sam. You're going to stay put and that's all there is too it."

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They continued on in silence, as the gloaming began to overtake the fading sunset. Shadows were playing hide and seek with their forms.

From his hiding place, Dean saw the first shadow on the ground, followed by a second. The monsters were coming to get him.

Putting his hand over his mouth, he tried to stop the terrified whimpers.

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Cas was just finishing unloading the backpack, so that he could take a much needed stretch when Sam grabbed his forearm.

"Listen" he mouthed.

There it was again, that heartbreaking sound. Cas switched on the flashlight. It was coming from inside the base of the tree and it was coming from Dean.

The two of them entered together and looked quickly around.

"Noooooooooooooooo! Please...please...don't hurt me" Dean screamed from the corner.

"Dean!" Sam cried out as he rushed over. Cas placed the flashlight on the ground in a position so that they could see Dean and he could see them before joining the two brothers.

Dean's eyes were scrunched tightly together and he was sobbing. Nothing was getting through to him.

"Hey, Dean" Cas tried in a soothing tone. "It's Sammy and it's Cas. You're not alone anymore. We've got you" Cas continued on, as he reached out and gently placed his hand on Dean's knee.

"Love you, Dean. Love you" Sam murmured as he placed his arms gingerly around Dean's trembling shoulders and held on.

"Can you open your eyes?" Sam asked after Dean's breathing began to slow to a more regular rhythm.

Even in the murky lit darkness, the relief, the emotion and the love that Dean's hazel eyes revealed when they opened and looked at both Sam and Cas could have energized a small city.

Dean wasted no time and crawled into Sam's lap. Strong and loving arms encircled him as a pair of warm hands held his in their own.

"I...I...Sammy...Cas..." Dean cried before crumpling.

"Ssh...s'kay...s'kay" Sam soothed as he gripped Dean tighter and Cas rubbed his hands harder.

"Scared...so scared. SAM....I broke your watch" Dean sobbed. "I wanted to see that man in my story to fix it, but I couldn't find him and I lost Mr. Walla Walla" Dean choked.

Sam became to rock Dean in his arms. "We can get it fixed. Dean, finding you, is the most important thing there is" Sam cooed.

Castiel had slipped out and returned quickly, holding Mr. Walla Walla out to Dean. "Look who we found" Cas calmed as he rubbed the monkey's face up against Dean's.

"We're all together" Cas consoled as Dean gathered his toy to him and smiled at the Angel.

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Cas had a small fire going, just outside the base of the tree. The cast-off from the flames was welcome for many reasons – heat, light, warmth and cooking. He had finished unpacking everything from the backpack.

Dean was still residing in Sam's arms.

The smell of fear was almost gone, but the smell of urine hung heavily around them.

"I tried to be a big boy, but I got so scared and I couldn't get them off and I..." Dean gulped and buried his face against Sam's neck.

"It's okay, Dean. It's okay. We've all done it. Right, Cas?"

"You bet" Cas agreed. "And there's nothing worse, than being stuck in wet clothing. We're going to change you and make you feel all better" Cas explained as he reached in and thumbed away the wet tears from the corners of Dean's eyes.

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Cas wouldn't allow either Sam or Dean to help him, as he placed piles and piles of pine needles on the inside of the tree base, before placing one of the unzipped micro sleeping bags over it. It made for a real nice and soft padding.

"You feeling better, Sammy?" Dean asked as Sam stripped off his wet clothing.

"Now that we found you, I am" Sam responded as he kissed Dean on the forehead.

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Dean was laying on the sleeping bag. Sam was sitting on one side of him, with a towel ready. Dean had finally relented and given Sam the watch back for keeping until they could get it fixed. Sam and Cas both felt relief at this, as the edges were ragged and they didn't want Dean to cut himself.

Cas returned with the fire warmed wet cloth and sat on the opposite side of Dean.

Running the cloth over Dean's slightly spread legs and groin area, Cas cleaned him up as good as possible, given the circumstances.

Sam took the towel and followed the pattern left by Cas, drying Dean off.

Dean was trembling beneath their gentle hands. "Easy, Dean" Sam soothed.

"Almost done, fella" Cas said, smiling down at Dean.

Between the two of them, they were able to get Dean dressed in fresh underwear and warm pants, which Cas had packed with foresight.

"Ouch" Dean grimaced as the waistband rubbed against his back.

"What's the matter?" Cas asked in concern.

"An owie" Dean whispered as he touched his lower back.

"Can you lay on your tummy for us so we can get a look at it?" Sam asked.

Dean rolled over and Sam lifted his shirt and pulled down his pants. Cas cursed and Sam closed his eyes when they saw the cut on Dean's back.

"How did you get this, Dean?" Sam asked gently.

"I got an itch and I forgot about the watch and I scratched. Kiss better?"

Sam knelt over and kissed the wounded area as Cas undid the cap for the antibiotic cream.

Before Cas applied the cream, Sam shifted over so that he was even with Dean's face. "It's going to hurt, buddy, but I got ya" Sam explained as Cas smoothed the cream over the injured area.

"Okay...okay...almost done...love you, Dean...love you" Sam repeated over and over kissing the hurt away from Dean's face.

Cas finished off by applying a bandage to the area.

"All done, Dean" Cas advised as he bent over and kissed the back of Dean's head.

"I'm going to get your feet all better now and then we'll have something to eat" Cas explained as he rinsed his hands with water and went to work attending to the cuts and scrapes.

Flinching and shoulder cringing were involved as Cas worked on Dean's feet. Sam wrapped his arm across Dean's shoulders and talked to him in soothing words.

"All done! What a good guy you are" Cas exclaimed once he was finished.

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The trembling was slowly subsiding, but Dean was far from over his ordeal. He was still too shaky to hold the spoon to feed himself the stew with.

Gingerly removing the spoon from Dean's hand, Cas moved in close and began to feed him. Leaning back against Sam, Dean ate slowly. Once he was done, Cas knelt forward and wiped the corners of Dean's mouth with his shirt end.

"I want to give you some medicine that's going to help take away the pain" Cas explained as he uncapped the medicine and tipped out one spoonful and then another and fed them to Dean.

Sam was being awfully quiet and he looked pale and exhausted. He was braced up against the tree trunk and was stroking Dean's hair in soft and loving touches.

"Ready for sleep?" Cas asked and the two brothers nodded.

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The padding of pine needles beneath the spread out sleeping bag really helped to lessen the feel of the hard packed earth two layers down.

The inside of the sleeping bag was covered with soft flannel and it felt like heaven to three weary bodies.

Once Sam and Dean got settled in, Cas placed the second zipped open sleeping bag over the top of them, grabbed Dean's warmed bottle and handed it to Sam before climbing in beside them.

"My ba" Dean sighed, happy with the comfort that it brought.

"Your ba" Sam hummed as he adjusted Dean against him.

Cas was alternating between stroking Dean's hair and running his hand lightly over Sam's forearm. It felt good to be back in full protective mode. The two brothers needed him, just as much as he needed them. He knew it wouldn't last forever, but, did anything? He'd do what he could, while he could, just like he used to for Steve and Georgie.

"He's asleep, Sam" Cas whispered.

Sam looked down at the sleeping treasure in his arms. "So he is."

Cas took the empty bottle from Sam and then reached over Dean and kissed the top of Sam's head, then kissed Dean, before pulling the sleeping bag up over Sam's shoulders.

"Get some sleep, Sam. You're still sick and shouldn't even be out here, but I'm really glad you came" Cas smiled in the semi-darkness.

"Me too" Sam whispered and smiled as he felt Cas' arm cross Dean and come to rest on the dip of his waist, in a protective way.

The Angel was keeping both him and Dean close and safe.

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Dean woke up the following morning in the arms of love. Two sets of them to be exact.

He was feeling safe and warm and loved and he wasn't going to move anytime soon.

He listened to Sam's breathing and to Cas sleeping.

"One for Sam and one for Cas" Dean counted to himself as he gave kisses to both men before falling back to sleep.

"And one for Dean" Sam whispered and kissed his big brother, before following Dean back into sleep.

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The walk back to their home the following day was more easygoing and world's away from the heavy emotions of before. The rain had almost stopped by the time they cleared the tree line.

Dean was walking between the two other men, his hands clasped firmly in theirs, swinging their arms as they went.

When the house came into view, Dean got excited and Sam and Cas felt an overwhelming relief.

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"Aw, my home. Did you miss me, home? I missed you" Dean declared as he walked around the rooms and then threw himself on the bed and rolled himself into the blankets.

"You're awfully cute" Sam commented as he dove in and joined Dean, dragging Dean close to him.

"I have to agree" Cas stated as he layed down on the other side of Dean and began to tickle the two Winchesters.

Love and light, joy and laughter filled the room, as three souls came together during carefree moments of time.

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After the merriment had subsided, Dean was laying on his side, cuddled up close to Sam, who was spooned against him.

Cas was lightly stroking one finger down the side of Dean's face.

Two sets of gentle eyes were watching him as he watched them.

Pools of love were displayed in all three pairs.

Cas wrapped his arm around the two wonderful people he was sharing this journey with.

Sam reciprocated and placed his arm around the back of Cas, urging him in closer.

It was a special haven for the three of them. They were safe – in the arms of love.

To be continued.