Chapter 77.

Dean opened his eyes moments before Cas did. He sat up. When Cas woke, he looked at him and said, "You okay?"

"Yes." said Cas, "You? You must be exhausted."

"I've had worse nights." said Dean, "I'm okay. I'm gonna take a shower. You go make some coffee."

"I can hear Sarah downstairs." said Cas, "Shall I tell her you are on your way so she can make breakfast?"

"No. It's okay. You just go downstairs."

In the shower, Dean took stock. He had a stiff shoulder from lying a little awkwardly all night and he was not entirely rested, but fighting someone else's demons made a change from fighting his own and he was basically okay. He didn't plan to make a habit of it, but no catastrophe had resulted from sharing his sleep with Cas.

When he got to the kitchen, Cas was making coffee and Sarah was frying bacon. "?I heard you moving around." she said, "How are you, today?"

"I'm great." said Dean, trying to loosen up his shoulder.

"Something wrong?" she said.

"I slept weird." he said.

"Understatement." said Cas.

"Just make the coffee, Cas." said Dean.

Sarah put a plate of bacon on the table. "There. Cure for all ills."

"You're a saint." said Dean as he sat down.

"Am I a saint?" said Cas, putting a cup of coffee each in front of him and Sarah, before sitting down with his own.

"You're an absolute angel." said Dean. He grinned.

"I know your opinion of angels too well to mistake that for a compliment." said Cas.

"You know I never think of you as that kind of angel." said Dean.

"I was once the worst of them. Dean, thanks for last night."

"That was quite something, huh?"

"What was?" said Sarah.

"We used the link to allow Cas to experience sleep. I thought it must be possible, but we actually did it."

"Dean did it." said Cas, "I was very much along for the ride."

"That's incredible." said Sarah, "And did it help?"

"It did." said Cas, "It took me away from all the fears and confusion and I was able to think clearly ... more clearly, anyway. I also had a wonderful dream."

"It was beautiful." said Dean, "And made my dreams look like a Bugs Bunny cartoon. He's working with much more sophisticated software."

"Your dream used the perceptions of a child." said Cas, "It was still beautiful."

"In a finger-painting kinda way." said Dean.

"It's not really fair to judge your own mind by the standards of an angelic one." said Sarah, "I still remember my first game of chess with Castiel. I wasn't much of a challenge to him."

"He and Jack are like grand masters or something." said Dean.

"I know what you did for me last night was no small thing for you." said Cas.

"Don't mention it." said Dean, "I didn't even know for sure it would work. I just knew you were in need of some rest."

"Using the link in a secure place which we are both able to consciously control is one thing. Trusting me enough to risk letting our unconscious minds into close contact was a leap of faith."

"Faith in you is not a huge gamble." said Dean.

"We both know that it often has been. You put yourself in a very vulnerable position last night."

"No big deal." said Dean, gazing into his coffee. He looked up when he heard Sam coming down the stairs.

"Good morning, Sam!" said Sarah, "Coffee's available now, breakfast will be a few minutes."

"Thanks." said Sam. He looked at Dean. "You must have gotten up early and quietly. You didn't wake me." he said.

"Good. I was trying not to."

Sam turned to Cas. "You look a lot better this morning. Less stressed. Less haunted."

"Yes," said Cas, "Sleeping with Dean turned out to be a transformative experience."

"Don't call it that!" said Dean.

"Say again?" aid Sam looking from one to the other.

"Not important." said Dean.

"Do either of you want to explain?" said Sam.

"And ruin all the fun you're having speculating?" said Dean.