Dean moved forward slowly, trying not to slip in the blood on the floor. He focused on his breathing to help slow his rapid heartbeat. Squinting in the dim light, he made his way to the end of the hall and backed against the wall next to the doorway. This was the last room. It had to be in there. Gripping his machete tightly, Dean took a deep breath and slowly stepped inside.

It moved too fast to see in this light. Dean raised his machete and slashed, missing the thing by millimeters. He ducked and rolled into the room as it swept around behind him. Thrusting up, he felt his blade pierce flesh just as a set of razor-sharp claws came down across his face. Dean shut his eyes against the stinging blood and tried to free the machete to swing at the thing's head, but he was too slow. Teeth sank into his neck. Deep. Dean struggled for breath in a split second that felt like slow-motion minutes, then the fangs were ripped out, taking a chunk of Dean's jugular with them…

Dean shot up from a supine position and gasped for air. His heartbeat was almost as loud as his breathing as he tried to orient himself in the dark. His right palm hurt, but he could no longer feel the gouges on his neck, just the throbbing of blood being pumped too fast by adrenaline. He looked at his machete hand, which was still clenched, but empty. He opened it and realized the pain was from his own fingernails digging into his palm. Dean stared at his hand as the room started to come into focus. He was at home in his bed. Dean touched his face and neck. They were slick with sweat, but no blood. It had all been a dream. It hadn't felt like a dream, there were too many details, too much sensation, but here he was. Dean backed up against the wall, eyes wide and breathing shallow as he waited for the adrenaline to subside. He hadn't had a night terror like that in years. He couldn't remember the last time, actually, but he'd had them all the time when he was a kid. They were so severe that his dad had taken him to see a doctor, and John never took them to doctors.

As he focused on his surroundings, trying to let the nightmare fade, Dean realized the room was unnaturally cold and his bedside clock was blinking as if the power had gone out. He reached for his crutches and got up to go check the thermostat. It was set at 73 like usual, but the air felt much colder than that. Dean glanced around, but couldn't tell where the draft was coming from. As he turned toward the kitchen his breath came out like steam and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. A shadow flickered across his line of vision just as he threw on the light switch. There was nothing there. Dean chalked it up to nerves and poured himself a glass of water before heading back to bed.

He lay under the covers for a while, staring at the blinking clock, but was unable to fall asleep. Finally he turned his lamp on and reached for the book he'd been reading. By the time he finished his second chapter, the room had warmed significantly and his eyelids were getting heavy.

The next morning Dean called Charlie to see if she could give him a lift to his therapy appointment. Cas had suggested they do their session at the Y today so they could use the pool and move Dean's leg without putting too much weight on it. Getting there by bus would take over an hour. Charlie agreed, but would need to take him a little early because she had a meeting with a prospective client.

In the car she asked what he thought of Otherland so far.

"I love it," Dean said. "Can't put it down."

"So detailed, right? It's like you're actually there with these people, feeling what they feel. Who's your favorite character?"

"Oh, that's a tough one. I think… Renie? I relate to her, I guess."

"Hmm. I could see that. I love Orlando, but I think I'm more of a Sam. Sort of in the background, helping the hero out, not getting any credit..."

"Hey don't knock Sams. No hero would get far on their quest without a Sam."

Charlie smiled. "Yeah, that's very true."

"So what kind of client are you meeting?"

"Oh, IT manager for a company we're looking to cover. I work in cyber security."

"Mmm." Dean nodded.

Charlie laughed. "It's ok, you don't have to act interested. It sounds boring, but I actually really enjoy the work. There's always a new puzzle to solve."

"That's good. I think it's kind of rare to have a career you love."

"What about you?"

"Me?"

"Do you love being a firefighter?"

"Uh… yeah, I mean it's tough, but it's worth it. We help people."

"That's awesome."

"Yeah."

Dean trailed off and looked out the window. For some reason thinking about work had made him remember his dream. He suddenly felt a little queasy. Dread crept up his spine and gave him a chill.

"You ok?" Charlie asked.

"Good, just um, didn't sleep well."

"That's why God made coffee."

He chuckled distractedly.

They arrived at the Y about 20 minutes before Dean's appointment. She dropped him off at the door.

"Hey thanks, Charlie, I appreciate the ride."

"Any time, happy to help!"

"Do you want some gas money?"

"Oh, no. We Sams like to do good for good's sake."

"Well thanks again, have a good meeting!"

"Have a good therapy!"

She honked twice as she drove off and Dean headed inside. He'd used the gym here before and knew where the pool was, so he headed straight there. When he arrived he saw that someone was doing laps. Dean stood and watched for a while, hoping it wasn't creepy of him to do so. The man had great form as he swam quickly and elegantly from one end to the other, somersaulting underwater to shoot off in the opposite direction. After about six laps he stopped and checked the time on his phone which was sitting on a towel next to the pool. Dean's eyebrows shot up when he recognized the swimmer.

"Heya, doc."

Castiel startled. "Dean! You're… early."

"Not as early as you."

"Yes, well a patient canceled and I had already scheduled myself extra time to get here, so I thought I'd take a swim."

"You looked pretty good out there," Dean said as casually as possible. "Hobby of yours?"

"I swam a lot during college. I find it very relaxing. Unfortunately I have not made time for it much since then."

Cas got out of the pool and toweled off his hair. Dean took the opportunity to appreciate the doctor's lean body clad in swim trunks that were clinging to all the right places as water dripped down his tan skin. Cas ran his fingers through his hair after drying it, but it still stuck up in a haphazard way that sent Dean's mind directly to the gutter. He swallowed dryly.

"Well don't let me interrupt. Like you said, I'm early."

"Dean, if we're both here we may as well start your session. Unless there is something else you want to do first?"

Dean chuckled awkwardly. "Nope, can't think of a thing. Let's do this."

He set his phone and keys on a chair and took off his sweatpants, having wore his swim trunks under them. To his disappointment, Cas put on a t-shirt.

"I thought we would work in the kiddie pool since it has a shallow end. Sorry this is so unorthodox, my practice usually outsources physical therapy and therefore has not invested in the proper facilities."

"It's cool, man."

"I brought this for you." Cas retrieved a plastic cast cover and helped Dean on with it. "I believe it will work best if the top is secured underneath your trunks. There are locker rooms just there."

"That's all right, I'm not shy." Dean hiked his shorts up above the cast and secured the band over the plastic. Cas looked away politely.

They walked over to the steps leading into the pool with the water slide. Castiel held Dean's elbow as he went down the stairs, then lifted out his crutches and set them on the edge of the pool. They waded in waist deep.

"How does it feel?"

"Um, pretty good."

"Good."

They did stretches and flexing and tried not to stare too obviously at each other's wet t-shirts. The 30 minute session was up before they knew it.

"Would you like to continue having appointments here?" Castiel asked. "I think you made good progress today, but I understand if the environment is too unprofessional."

"Yeah no, it's great. I've got a lot of good memories at the Y, Sammy and I hung out at the one in Dallas all the time when we were kids."

Cas smiled. "Good. I believe our next appointment is on Monday?"

"Yeah."

They left the pool and Dean dried off and put his sweats back on. "Hey, how's it going with Lily? I feel like shit about what happened."

"Oh, she's… fine. We're trying a new daycare but she's still adjusting."

"Is your dad really taking you to court?"

"Yes."

"Sorry, you probably don't want to talk about it."

"I don't mind you asking. I'm just so frustrated with him. I wish he had more faith in me."

"Yeah, dads are like that. Anything I can do to help?"

"I don't want to impose on you."

"And last time didn't end so well..."

"That's not it, Dean. You were wonderful with Lily, I don't know how you manage it. But this isn't your problem. I feel I'd be taking advantage of our doctor-patient relationship."

"What if I helped as a friend?"

Cas looked surprised. "You consider me a friend?"

"Sure. I don't have drinks and go swimming with all my doctors."

"We weren't swimming."

"You know what I mean. Plus I feel, I don't know, responsible for Lily. Not to suggest you need help with her or anything, I just… like to see that she's ok. She's kind of a miracle."

"Yes, she is. And since we're friends, I don't mind admitting that I do need help. I would very much like your help, Dean."

Dean smiled broadly. "You got it."

**000**

Castiel started his weekend with a renewed sense of hope. He and Lily were finally falling into something of a routine and she'd even stopped biting other children, mostly. He'd completed all the changes suggested by social services and had managed to get a handful of people to provide character references for the upcoming hearing. It wasn't that people who knew him wouldn't give him a good reference, it's just that they all also knew his father and didn't want to choose sides.

Then there was Dean. Castiel didn't like Lily having to stay at daycare all day long and Dean had agreed to pick her up in the afternoons and watch her at Cas' house. He could hear his father's disapproving voice in the back of his head, but he ignored it. Castiel considered himself a good judge of character and despite the lack of rational reasons to trust Dean this much this fast, he just did. It was as if he could see Dean's very soul and found it worthy. Cas shook his head at the nature of his musings. It was not like him to make decisions for emotional reasons rather than logical ones. Yet somehow he truly believed that Dean was the right person to care for Lily and not one of the many professionals he'd interviewed this week. Never mInd whether it was a conflict of interest. It's what was best for Lily. He just knew it.