"Sammy! Sam! Stop." Dean gripped his brother's arm and Sam swung around with his other for a punch, which Dean ducked. "Stop."

"What?" Sam spat the word out though Dean knew Sam hadn't intended to.

Motioning to Amelia, who was standing just a few steps behind Dean, the elder Winchester spoke, "Whatever the hell this is, Sammy, you can't run away from it. What we do every day, what we did with Dad, what we're doing tonight, has got to be a thousand times worse than this."

Sam actually laughed but it was a restrained painful sort of sound, "This, Dean, is a life. A life I left. A life I abandoned for the one we are living in right now. You of all people should know this is much harder."

Amelia crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Well you've got to be here for a reason, Sam. I mean, come on. This is Kermit, we never see much action, and you know that. What job could you possibly have to do here?"

"You'd be surprised," Dean said under his breath.

Amelia looked at him and then back at Sam.

Sam took a step toward Amelia so that he was nearly shoulder-to-shoulder with Dean when Sam's jaw dropped.

Dean put his hand out to Sam, "You okay-"

But before Dean could finish Sam was walking past Amelia and onto the street, "Cass! You're okay!"

The two almost embraced but Sam easily leaned back and patted Cass on the shoulder instead. "What are you doing here?" Seeing his old friend seemed to brighten his mood.

Cass didn't answer he was looking behind Sam. When the younger Winchester turned around to see what had taken his attention he was surprised to see Dean fuming.

"What the hell, Cass? I've been calling you for weeks! Where the hell have you been?"

Cass shrugged, "I have no idea. I just felt like I needed to come here, to Kermit. I suppose I have good intuition."

"Intuition?! You're an Ang—."

"Dean," Sam warned his brother. "She doesn't know about this life," he said nodding is head to the side where Amelia was standing.

Now Cass stepped forward and cocked his head to the side, "Hello, Amelia."

Sam looked from Amelia to Cass and then back again, "You two know each other?"

Amelia looked shocked, "No. Never in my life…"

"I was watching over her, Sam. For you. After Perdition I just thought it would be something good to do after—"

Dean stepped forward now, "Screw all this, Cass. You're here now, finally, so fix, Sammy, okay."

"I can't, Dean."

"Fix Sam?" Amelia was beyond confused.

Dean let his hands rise and fall, "Oh, don't give me that bull, Cass. I know you can fix him. You fixed him after he nearly died after you destroyed his wall. You brought him back from Hell—"

"Dean!"

Amelia uncrossed her arms and said apprehensively, "None of this sounds figurative…"

"Don't you tell me, after all we've been through that you can't do anything to help him! As far as I know these trials are killing him!"

"Dean!" Sam wanted him to stop saying all of this in front of Amelia. He had no right to unravel everything Sam had fought so hard to wrap up.

But Dean ignored his little brother, "I know Sam doesn't act like it scares the shit out of him but you didn't see him last nigh, Cass. You weren't there when he—"

"Dean, I'm okay now. Would you just—"

"Sammy, shut up." Dean turned back to continue his speech to Cass but the Angel spoke before Dean could open his mouth.

"You're right. I have helped Sam before, Dean, but I was an Angel then."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Metatron took my Grace.


"That douchebag!"

Cass nodded, "He closed the gates to Heaven."

Sam snorted, patience depleted, "Cass, look I'm sorry about your Grace, I really am but can we talk about this somewhere else? The more Amelia knows, the more trouble she's going to be in."

As if remembering she was there, Dean turned around and covered his face with his hand muttering something under his breath.

"I don't think you have to worry about how much she knows, Sam." Cass spoke up, more confident now.

"What?"

Dean turned back around.

"I mean," Castiel stepped back, "She's here because of the Angels. I'm here because of the Angels and probably a lot more people are here that you know, Sam."

"Me? Why people that I know?"

"Because you are the one who's carrying the trials in you. The Angels want you to end it all and they're going to do it by showing you they know about all the people you love."

"But I didn't finish the last trial…"

"You almost did and that's the problem."

Dean stood adamantly, "Naomi said she wanted the gates closed. They can't have that and they can't have my brother."

Cass sighed, "Naomi's dead, Dean. Metatron killed her. I doubt he'll want the gates closed."

"Then why threaten me when I'm doing exactly what they want? Nothing."

Dean knew the answer right away, "Because you hold the lives of love your friends and family above your own, Sammy, you always have. You don't have to be an Angel to know that."

"Sam, what's going on here?" Amelia put her hand on his shoulder but immediately stole it away again, "You're burning up!"

Dean tensed but Sam just shrugged, "I've been running a little hot lately."

And that was the end of that subject.

"What's going on here?" Amelia wasn't ready to give up on the strange conversation the three men were having.

Sam turned to her, "I honestly have no idea. If Cass is right, and you are here for a reason, then we might as well tell you why but," Sam turned to Cass, "I still don't understand what they can threaten me with if I stopped the last trial anyway. I'm doing nothing in any way to complete it, they should be happy."

"I don't know, Sam. I wish I did, but I've failed again."

Sam sighed, "You always try to do what's right. I don't blame you."

"Well you should. You would have blamed me when you didn't have your soul. I still hate myself for breaking your wall. What it did to you, Sam, I just can't believe what I put you through."

"But you took on the burden for yourself, Cass. You helped me in the long run. The wall would have crumbled eventually."

Dean was sick and tired of all the mushy crap, "We need a place to regroup. If we get through this, you can have your chick-flick momen. Right now, we've got a band of angry angels on our tails."

Sam turned to Amelia who was looking at Sam like he was a new person, "Are you up for this?"

"Up for what?"

"Sam, you have to tell her."

He knew it was true. Sam sighed and closed his eyes, "Where do you live now?"

"The hotel."

Sam opened his eyes and smiled for a second and nodded. "Lets go."


Amelia watched him from behind, mind reeling: Sam. Sam. Sam. He'd changed; he seemed more mature, world weary, almost sad. Like his eyes were far too old for his age. He'd always looked older than he should when she knew him, but something drastic had changed him, she could tell. Whatever was happening to him and this Dean—who had told her his name was Charlie for some reason— fellow was serious and it scared her.

Sam looked good though, but then, he had never been hard to look at, all big hazel eyes and floppy dark hair that never seemed to stay in one place. He still wore his leather jacket, but she supposed he wouldn't be Sam without the jacket… or his flannel plaid army surplus outfits. She loved it. It was warm, and he always smelled like it had just rained in a field of wonderful musky summer things.

When they arrived to Sam's Impala, Amelia saw Dean hand Sam the keys, "You know where this hotel is, Sammy?"

Sam nodded.

"Take us there."

Sam looked genuinely surprised which, in turn, surprised, Amelia. Doesn't the car belong to Sam?

Sam got in the driver's side and Dean hopped into shotgun. Amelia sat as far as she could away from the man who admitted to stalking her and watched Sam maneuver through the streets of Kermit like he'd never left.


Next: "Tell her who you are"

"It took a moment for Dean to recognize her."

"You told me Dean was Dead"

"You're scaring me"