Dean waited until dawn had given way to steady morning sunlight before he gently put a hand on Liam's shoulder to wake him.
The kid slowly uncurled, pulling himself up from Cas' lap, rubbing his eyes with the side of his hand. Once fully awake, he shrank into himself a bit, pulling Dean's coat closer, feeling the return of fear as he realized he wasn't at home, but was still hiding in a shed from a monster.
"Hey, it's alright. We're going to get you home, okay?" Dean soothed.
Liam nodded quietly, a tear making its way down his cheek in spite of the assurance.
"You hungry?"
Liam gave another more hesitant nod.
"Well luckily I packed provisions." Dean reached into his canvas bag, pulling out a package of peanut butter cups. He opened the package, handing one to the eager six year old who was just a little bit excited about the prospect of candy for breakfast, even in light of their current situation.
Cas just stared at Dean. The hunter had once told him that he had learned a long time ago to pack emergency food just in case. He just wasn't aware so called emergency food was a package of Reeces.
Dean popped the other cup into his mouth before looking up and catching the angel's expression. "What?" He asked, mouth still full.
Cas rolled his eyes, focusing back on the child as he finished his breakfast and accepted the water bottle the hunter offered him.
Dean stood, starting to search through the sparse belongings in the shed. He was relieved to come up with a wooden broom, and he wasted no time in breaking it off to a more manageable size. He scored the top. "Liam, Do you mind if I take my coat back?"
The kid shrugged his arms out of the oversized coat, letting Dean grab it and use his knife to begin ripping it into more manageable strips.
The hunter dropped the cloth in a metal bucket in the corner, and poured the rest of the lighter fluid to soak through. When it was fully saturated, he took the time to properly wrap and tie the denim strips around the broom handle. He sat back, satisfied. "That ought to last longer than last night."
Cas nodded. He pulled out his blade, readying himself for the plan.
Dean knelt in front of Liam, softening his voice. "Hey bud. We're all going to get out of here now. You're going to be with me the whole time, okay?"
The pair had considered leaving the kid in the safety of the shed and making a run for the car and hunting the monster on their own. But Dean had worried that the creature would let them go to tempt the kid from hiding, and with the right voice it'd have no problem doing just that.
Liam didn't move, watching him with wide eyes.
"It's going to be loud and scary like it was yesterday, but I need you to be brave. Just keep your head down and hold on, okay?"
The kid shook his head, tears making a return as he considered facing the monster again.
"Hey, we hunt monsters, remember? All the time. It gets a little hairy for a while, but the heroes always win, right?"
Liam sniffled, thinking about his words and considering if he wanted to believe him.
Cas thought about it for a moment before he knelt next to Dean. "We won't let anything happen to you." He said with more confidence than he felt.
The boy hesitated again, but he slowly uncurled himself a bit. Dean offered his arm and Liam stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Dean's neck and letting the hunter lift him. He swung his canvas bag over the other shoulder and grabbed hold of the makeshift torch.
He didn't light it yet. He knew that the wendigo likely was going to let them almost back to the car. The last leg of their journey was the dangerous part.
.
When they heard the first screeching growl behind them, Cas wasted no time flicking open Dean's lighter and catching the torch alight.
They listened to the crashing sounds of the brush behind them as they sprinted. Dean swallowed as he saw the car just glinting in the distance and he knew their reprieve was over. He just hoped the torch would keep any bit of distance between the creature and the kid in his arms.
With one last burst of speed they crashed out of the tree line, cutting through the clearing.
Before Dean could even touch the car, he heard the beast shriek behind him, and heard Cas cry out in pain. Dean didn't break stride, running to the trunk as fast as he was capable. The torch dropped to the ground to burn in the dew-damp grass, one last barrier as he thrust his hand into his pocket for the keys. He shifted Liam's weight, jamming them into the keyhole and wrenching it open. He trusted Liam to cling to his neck as he pulled his arms away to grab the flare gun and ammo, jamming it into the gun.
The angel blade was knocked clean out of Cas' hand. The angel felt himself forced back and he struck the creature. For a second the blow seemed to stagger the wendigo, but it quickly shook it off. He then felt himself thrust up against the car, thoroughly entangled in its claws. The angel listened to the sound of steely nails catching the metal, pulling across the doors before it started to drag him into the woods, easily beginning to scale the trees.
As soon as Dean had the gun loaded, he stepped back. "Sorry Liam." He muttered, pulling the crying kid from his neck and pushing him to lay flat in the trunk before he closed the lid on him, trying to put a shield between him and danger.
The hunter turned and scanned the tree line, trying to pinpoint the exact location of the beast. He could hear Cas and he managed to spot the pair pass so quickly through his peripheral. He only hesitated a second as he felt the guilt of firing directly at Cas to kill this thing, but he knew he'd be okay in the end. He catched the movement again and pulled the trigger.
He saw the flare hit it's mark, and heard it's screams as it went up in flames. Cas fell from the tree, hitting the ground hard.
Dean was already across the clearing and got to Cas just as he was forcing himself to sit up. Dean breathed a huff of relief and offered his arm to help pull Cas up to his feet. He was reassured to see the angel's wounds already begin to close up.
Dean didn't hesitate to step forward and pull Cas into a tight embrace. He only let himself stay for a moment before pulling back. "Liam." He said simply, turning and hurrying towards the impala.
When the trunk opened, Liam covered his face, just crying harder.
"Hey, hey, hey." Dean soothed, taking a small step back to not loom over the kid. "It's just us. It's over."
Liam looked out from around his arms, his eyes wide to see the hunter. He scrambled up and threw himself at Dean who easily caught him and picked him up.
Dean wrapped his arms around the kid, feeling an intense wave of relief wash over him. Even if they couldn't save everyone, Liam was here, and he was okay. "You're safe." He affirmed softly.
Liam's tears slowly started to fade to hiccups, as the fear began to recede. He sniffled. "C-Cas killed the monster?"
Dean's expression turned to a scowl. "I was there too, you know."
"You helped." Liam decided, nuzzling closer to Dean's neck.
"Thanks." Dean replied flatly. But he couldn't help a smile returning to his face. He nodded as Cas returned. He had managed to clean most of the blood off himself, in an attempt to not distress Liam even more. "Let's get you home."
.
The reunion with Liam's mother was bitter sweet, bringing the return of her son and the news her brother didn't make it. The story they gave the Sheriff and the family confirming a cougar was accepted immediately, and Dean knew that Liam's stories of a monster and a super hero would be taken as a young child's coping mechanism for living through that trauma.
When Liam hugged them both goodbye, Dean knew he was going to be alright.
Dean could feel the exhaustion creeping in with the final fading of adrenaline. He let Cas drive them back to the motel, eager to get out of the harsh morning light and pass out. He stopped just inside the door, groaning internally. He didn't want to, but he knew he had to shower before he'd be comfortable sleeping. He gave one last look back at Cas before he headed into the bathroom.
Cas slipped out of the room one last time, quickly grabbing a bottle of water and a bag of chips, figuring it was better than nothing. Once back in their room, Cas shrugged out of his coat, laying it over the back of the chair. He only hesitated for a second before he changed into the sleepwear Dean had tossed him last night. He slipped into the far seat at the table, waiting for the hunter to return.
Dean pulled a face when he saw the empty seat with the food, but Cas gave him a stern glare in return. "You need to eat something. Something more."
Dean's scowl deepend, but he reluctantly ignored the bed for now, sitting and opening the chips with disinterest.
Cas watched him eat, feeling relieved the hunter had accepted the terms he laid out without complaint. Though without any other verbal response either, Cas noted. He just accepted the small victory, knowing not to push his expectations.
Dean surprised him by speaking just moments later. "I'm glad you're okay."
"I wasn't the one in danger."
"Still."
Cas gave a small smile. "I'm glad you're okay."
Dean looked down darkly. "Technically I wasn't in danger either."
The smile slipped from the angel's face, and he watched Dean scrub his hand over his mouth trying to snap himself out of wherever his thoughts had ended up.
"Dean-"
"Yeah yeah, I know." Dean dismissed. He pulled himself to his feet, heading towards the bed, unwilling to delay rest any longer. "But for now, I'm going to sleep." He stopped, waiting in the middle of the room, looking back at the angel.
Cas stood, following Dean to the bed, taking up the same position as the night before.
He would only have to quiet the hunter's dreams once that day.
.
The hunter woke just before three in the afternoon. He let himself stay where he was, clutching onto the safety he felt in the seraph's arms. He wasn't used to allowing himself to lean on someone else when he was struggling. He hadn't let Cas close, at least not consistently, even in the last weeks before he turned. He still had to fight instincts that were telling him to put distance between them both physically and emotionally, even now. He tried to force his mind to accept it.
Cas wrapped his arm around Dean a little tighter, sensing him wake. He stayed in place until he felt the hunter finally tense, and he knew that his walls were slipping back in place at least a little bit. He pulled back before scooting to lean up against the headboard.
Dean sat on the edge of the bed, taking a deep breath and mentally preparing himself to face another day. "We should probably head back." He said at last, considering their time away from the bunker.
"You ready?" Cas sought to confirm, not wanting the hunter to rush out of some misplaced sense of obligation.
"I don't think I will get more ready." Dean admitted. "It might be better to stop putting it off."
Castiel continued to study him for a moment. "Alright." He said at last.
Dean pulled himself up, grabbing his bag and bringing it with him to the small motel bathroom to get ready for the day.
Cas took time to fold the sleepwear and place it beside Dean's bag before he repeated his breakfast run from the day prior.
When they were ready to go the angel slipped into the passenger seat of the impala and watched the hunter take his place behind the wheel. He tilted his head in question, watching Dean pause as if in thought. The hunter seemed to make up his mind and wordlessly pulled out of the parking lot.
The angel didn't comment when he realized they were going north instead of east towards the bunker. He trusted Dean knew what he was doing and instead decided to just pick out a new tape to listen to while they drove.
Dean almost turned towards home twice, but he forced himself to stay on course to his chosen destination. He felt the turning of guilt, flashing between sorrow for leaving Sam out of this and the feeling he didn't deserve anything he wanted after what he had done.
He pressed on, pushed by the thought that the mark may corrupt him again before he had the chance to finally check a long standing item off his bucket list. They were only three hours away, closer than he had been in a long time, and this time he could justify the trek.
Cas caught up to their destination when they passed the sign on the side of the road announcing the final approach to the Grand Canyon.
"You've never been." Cas mused out loud, realizing the reason for the detour.
"We were going to go once… when we were kids. Dad promised we could after his hunt." Dean said absently, thinking through memories that had been renewed as they had passed through Flagstaff.
"What happened?"
"Sam ran away. For the first time. I was supposed to watch him and he slipped out while I was scaring up some food money."
"Was he okay?"
"Yeah." Dean sighed, trying to shake it off. "He was fine. After that dad was pretty pissed and we got dragged back to Caleb's for a couple months instead." He huffed and half smiled, though it held no joy. "I always wondered if he did it in the hopes that'd happen. He always loved it when he could be in one school for a while." Dean shook his head. "Wasn't important why he did it I guess."
"What did your dad do?"
A dark look crossed Dean's face.
"He took it out on you." The angel put together.
"He ran off on my watch, and I couldn't find him." Dean hissed.
Cas didn't respond, uncomfortable with the topic at hand but unsure of how to approach it. He let the silence stretch, not surprised when Dean just reached forward and turned up the music.
Dean managed to shake the memories off by the time they arrived at their destination. He had been worried that he was too emotionally numb to take in the sight, but he didn't have to worry about it.
As he stood at the edge of a ledge off the beaten path, watching the sun set over the deep valleys, he felt slightly more at peace than he had in months.
"It's stunning." Cas said simply as he came to stand beside the hunter.
"Mmh."
Cas was about to say something when he watched Dean debate himself before speaking again.
"Maybe I shouldn't go back to the bunker."
"You do need more time." Cas spared him an understanding look.
"I mean at all." Dean pressed on. "I should stay far, far away."
"From us." the angel caught on, his voice dropping. "Dean, that's not true."
"That isn't really your call."
"Dean, if you run I'll just find you. You know I can."
Dean thought back to finding the angel bleeding in the rain, fleeing Naomi's armies just before Metatron tricked him. Then before that, when Cas found himself on earth after purgatory. "How did you do that anyway? I thought these rib carvings made us invisible to angels."
Cas kept his gaze over the canyon as he spoke, his tone thoughtful. "I have always been able to feel you. Well… not when I was human. But I think it has something to do with my grace touching your soul."
The hunter reached up to ghost his hand over the handprint scar that never faded. "But you couldn't always find me." Dean pointed out.
"It used to be very weak. The closer we got, the stronger it was. It feels like it does when you pray to me… but sort of there all the time." He tried to explain.
"When did you start knowing where to find me?"
"At some point after we reconnected during my fight against Raphael."
Dean brushed quickly past the reminder of those times, though he suspected that their bond strengthening was directly tied to how close he himself started to feel to the angel. His brain looped back to the conversation. "Still. Maybe it'd be better to stay away."
"If you decide to go, I'm going with you. And if you want us to leave home, fine. But your family needs you Dean." Cas insisted.
The hunter was quiet. He wanted to argue, but he knew it was pointless. He sighed, his posture deflating slightly. He headed back towards the black muscle car, sinking back against the hood. He knew they should probably get back to driving with such a long trip ahead of them, but he couldn't bring himself to leave just yet.
Castiel followed him, taking his place at his side once more. He was surprised at the arm that slid behind him, pulling him just a little closer to the hunter. They sat in silence until the light finally sank behind the horizon.
.
Back on the road, Dean made good time towards Kansas. When he was too tired to continue he debated whether or not to find a motel, but he knew it would just give him another chance to doubt, to consider running after all. With or without Cas.
The angel gladly took over for him. "I can help you sleep."
"Not yet." Dean insisted.
Cas nodded, following his lead. He let Dean fall asleep naturally before he used his grace to push him beyond his nightmares once more.
Hours later, Dean slowly dragged into consciousness, He noted the cool glass beneath his head, and the soft leather seat. He became aware of the hand gently gripping his shoulder and he pulled his eyes open, looking over to see what Cas had woken him for.
"We're home." It took a second to realize the car was parked in the bunker's garage.
He frowned, the feeling of dread quickly building and closing in on his heart. He wasn't ready to face whoever was inside.
"Come on." Cas coaxed, his voice soft and gentle. He withdrew his hand, stepping out of the car and walking around to the other side. He opened the passenger door and offered his hand to Dean who reluctantly took it, allowing himself to be led from the safety of the car.
Dean let go and used the excuse of grabbing his bag as one last card he could play to delay the inevitable.
His feet were lead as he walked the short distance from garage to library, and he felt just a little like he was going to be sick. Inside was the sight he had dreaded since they left. Both Kevin and Sam, standing by the table, compiling a stack of books and papers for whatever research they were fixated on. He cleared his throat and both men jumped slightly, looking up at the pair walking into the room.
There was an anxious moment, no one knowing how to speak or what to say.
Finally the prophet stepped forward towards the older hunter. Dean tilted his head, his face twisting into one of pain and guilt. "Kevin-"
"I know Dean. It's okay." He said firmly, despite the slight hesitation in his voice. He set his expression. "Now let's get that thing off of you."
Dean nodded, feeling just a little of the tension inside him fade. He put down his bag and accepted the book in Sam's outstretched hand, sitting at the table and beginning to help.