~Written By Noah~
Pip stirred quietly as she woke, still cuddled to Cas lying silently asleep. She didn't move, afraid of either waking or hurting him. He was beaten and bruised, broken still lying asleep as peaceful as possible in his state. Pip frowned, lightly touching a wing. It flinched and shuttered away, making Cas stir. She sat up and sighed, it would take time to heal him.
"Pip?"
"Good morning Cassi, how you feelin'?"
"Much better." He said with a pained smile, trying to sit up before Pip stopped him.
"Liar." Pip said almost jokingly,
"Cas, you are still too weak." He frowned, guilt and truth in his expression. He laid back down.
"You're right." He said softly, wincing. Pip cuddled back into him, sighing and almost smiling. He tried so hard to be strong, even when he had nothing left in him.
"Just go back to sleep. You need to rest." He nodded, sighing unrestfully. Pip sat up again, aware the weight of her head on his chest might hurt.
"Don't go." Cas muttered.
"I won't Cassi, don't worry."
"Love you Pippin." He said, voice asleep.
"Love you." She said softly.
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Sam and Quel had eventually gone to bed after what wounds couldn't be healed by Grace where sutured and bandaged. Every once in a while Emmy would hear Alfie or Gabe slip in the room to check on them. They'd been torn up badly, the crown of thorns Dean had pulled from Sam's brow still laid on the table, grotesquely mocking Emmy as she carefully ran her fingers over Dean's hair as he slept. Gabriel had healed the angry gashes from the hellhounds claws, but his hand was wrapped neatly in bandage from the gash he'd won from the crown of thorns. Even Gabe couldn't heal the wounds from the crown, Emmy had bandaged it herself after he'd tried. After he'd seen that her, Sam and Quel were all okay he had used what little energy was left in him and fallen asleep on the couch. The back of his shirt was still shredded and bloody, he'd fallen asleep too soon to change it. So when he shivered she pulled the blanket up more around him. She was thinking.
She'd been shocked by Dean's sacrifice to shield her from the hounds, she knew that he had faced the hounds claws before and that was enough for one lifetime. But he'd done it again just to try to protect her as long as he could.
Her thoughts broke as Dean suddenly began to stir. Oh no.
She knew what it was immediately, nightmares. And she didn't have to guess what about.
"Dean! Wake up!" She shook him softly. He sat straight up, wide awake and confused. He at there for a moment before laying back down.
"Thanks." He sighed.
"No, thank you, for protecting me." Emmy said, tracing where the claws had gotten him softly as he calmed down. He was silent.
"Emmy," he said suddenly, sitting back up. "I'm getting too dangerous to be around. You're going to get hurt if you stay with me."
Emmy paused, carefully picking her next words.
"I disagree... if not for you the hounds would have killed me. But not just the hounds, there has been so many times you've saved me both hunting and not. I'm just as much as a hazard as the fabled Winchesters, so don't pin what happened on yourself. I'm not going anywhere, because I know that you are the safest place for me to be when it's dangerous. Now get some sleep, ok?"
She said gently, smiling, Dean nodded before laying back down.
"Good night Little Wing." He muttered, already half asleep.
"Night Dean," she smiled, "Sweet dreams." She pulled the blanket closer and soon fell back asleep as well.
Gabriel stood in the open doorframe, checking on Sam and Quel again. They were in a deep sleep, completely past REM. They had been patched up, but still pretty beaten and broken. Sam laid still on his back with Quel curled next to him. Gabe smiled softly, before Alfie suddenly was next to him nearly making him jump.
"Hey Alf."
"They ok?"
"Yea, they're tough. They'll heal right up." Gabe said confidently. "Cmon"
They slipped back down the hall, turning off the light as they went back into the main room.
"What's with the smile Gabe?" Alfie asked as they passed all the sleeping hunters one by one.
"I don't know, I just feel less cynical." Gabe said shrugging.
