Chapter 69.

Dean looked up from his work when he heard Sam approaching. "Everything okay?" he said.

"Cas is back." said Sam, "Rowena came through. There's a witch in Burr Oak who can take Lydia under her wing. He's filling Lydia in on the details now."

"He could have told me that himself, when he came to take me to Sioux Falls, so why are you here?"

"Just wanted you to have a second to be sure you're ready."

"It's no big deal, Sam. It's a trip to Sioux Falls. Okay, we're taking the express route, but still ... "

"Yeah, I know." said Sam. He looked troubled.

"If there's some reason you need me here ... "

"No, there isn't." he said quickly.

"Because I'm not needed in Sioux Falls."

"Yes, you are. More than that, you need to be there. That's why I wanted you to be ready, because I don't want you finding some excuse not to go."

"And why would I do that? I promised to go." Something showed in Sam's eyes for an instant and then was gone. "What?" he said.

"I know you're doing this for Cas, because he needs to know he still matters to you and that's great, but you also need this. You need to see Bobby and you'll hate me for saying it, but you need time with Cas."

Dean opened his mouth to speak, then stopped himself. Sam wasn't talking about some Destiel crap.

"When we lost him to the Empty, that messed you both up, I mean, like, a lot. I honestly thought I'd lose you too. I know he's doing great now, but I also know that you're terrified that he's taken damage deep down that we may never know about and meanwhile, he's worried about you and you both need time to talk and not to talk and to convince yourselves that both of you have made it out alive and still you, still brothers."

"You make it sound like we're out of our minds." said Dean.

"No, just in need of a few hours without any worlds to save, without burying yourselves in other people's problems. So I want you to go there and forget this place exists. I can handle everything here and now we know where the witch is, Lydia and I can start looking for some accommodation in the area."

"Plus, you can work on your vows without me getting in the way."

"That too. Just take the rest of the day off from being Defender of the Earth and take some time to be just Dean Winchester, because memory wipes and black eyes aside, I don't think you've had a chance to do that in the past twenty years."

"Sam, I'm okay."

"And I believe you, mostly, but you're good at faking fine and if I'm going to go away for this honeymoon thing, I need to know that you're not faking. I need to know you have people you can talk to, Sarah, Cas, Bobby and if you can go to Sioux Falls and engage with your family there, then I'll feel a Hell of a lot better about leaving you for a week."

"Two weeks." said Dean, "I'm sure we said two weeks."

"I'm not sure we said anything." said Sam, "But one week or two, I'm gonna need to know I won't come back to find you marinating in cheap whisky and regret."

"I can promise you won't." said Dean.

"Good."

"You could come with us, to Sioux Falls. You must miss Bobby too."

"Yeah, I do and I will go there soon, but this time, I think you need me out of the way."

"You know that I won't say anything there that I wouldn't say here and you know that I'm gonna spend every minute there not saying the stuff I wouldn't say here."

"Yeah, I know. I also know that, all our lives, being around Bobby just made things better. You haven't relaxed for a second since we got Cas back from the Empty. You're always on high alert, waiting for something to worry about, someone to fight. You need a break."

"Maybe." he admitted, "It can be kinda hard to drop my guard."

"And being around a happy Cas has to be good for you."

Dean smiled. "And he is very happy right now."

"And he values your advice and he has important work to think about."

"Which I am incapable of helping with."

"If nothing else, you can help him keep Meg in line."

"I doubt it. She listens to you more than me."

"Well, Crowley then. You know you have influence over him."

"That comes and goes." The look on Sam's face annoyed him. "Get that shipper smile of your face, geek, There's nothing between Crowley and me."

"Never said there was." said Sam.

There was something far more important that he needed to make clear. "I'm not jealous." he said, "You and Eileen. I'm not jealous of what you have."

Sam laughed. "Of course not!" he said, "It's the only thing you ever wanted for me, isn't it? A normal life, a wife, rugrats."

"Not that our lives will ever be normal." said Dean.

Sam shrugged. "Maybe not, but they can be happy. We can make them happy. I know you don't resent me for getting my happy ever after first. I know how scared you are that something could still mess it up for me and when did you ever put your own needs first anyway? I often wished you would, but you never have."

"I want this for you. I need this to work out for you."

"I know, Dean."

"If I seem stressed and on-edge, it's because I can't relax until I know you're married to the woman you love."

"Well, you can today. The plans are all coming together. She's out picking the dress, I'm gonna be writing my vows and you get to have a day off. Please?"

"Yeah, I'll try." said Dean.

"That's all I ask." said Sam.

Moments later, Cas walked into the garage. "Dean, all went well with Rowena. She told me about a root woman who can help Lydia ... "

"The root woman who drove you to your clandestine meeting with Rowena?"

"That's way in the past, Dean." said Sam.

"Yeah, I know. Just checking which specific witch we're talking about here."

Cas smiled. "Are you trying to start an argument?"

He was, he realised and he had no reason to. "Sorry." he said, "I guess I'm tired."

"Too tired for Sioux Falls?" said Cas.

He didn't think he was looking for an excuse not to go, because he wanted to go, but both of them seemed ready to believe he could be. "No, I'm ready when you are." he said.

They exchanged looks. He wondered whether there had been discussion behind his back. Then he wondered whether he might be being a little paranoid. "Can we all stop overthinking this and just go?" he said. He turned to Sam, "But if you need me, call, we can be back here immediately."

"I won't need you." said Sam, "I need you to be in Sioux Falls."

Cas was looking at Dean pityingly or uncertainly. It was hard to tell with Cas. Was he concerned about Dean or unsure whether Dean wanted to be around him and his team? Dean opened the mind link and said to Cas alone, "It's fine. I'm fine. We're fine. Let's go." He smiled what he hoped was a reassuring smile at Sam before a two-finger touch on his forehead took him directly to the realest version of Bobby's house now in existence.