A/N: Nope! Not abandoned! Just a mentally erratic author who doesn't know how to keep a regular schedule of any kind, let alone an upload schedule.

I always respond to pestering, if you ever feel inclined. Find me on all other socials under seralinalyn (Especially tiktok, that's where I'm most active and post the most spn content)

I recently joined a writing group on facebook that will hopefully help kick my ass around a bit. I have no reasoning as to why this fic was the first one I wanted to work on, I just needed to work on something.

I hope you're all doing well, I'd love to chat in the comments if you're willing! I hope this chapter is enjoyable (: I can't see this overall story being more than 10 chapters btw.

"Okay, that's it. Either my brain will melt or I will spontaneously combust. One of the two is bound to happen."

"That's exceptionally unlikely, if not next to impossible Dean."

"No, it's not Cas. I'm being completely serious and logical right now."

"Oh relax, it's not that bad. My tension headache is like… level three and we've only been at this for-" I check my wrist watch. "Oh, what the fuck. Five hours? We need to stop." I close my laptop and then rub at my temples. "I take it back, it's been horrible. I need a drink."

"Finally! You're speaking my language." Dean gestures towards me and pushes away his tablet. Sam sighs at his brother and continues, but Cas also sets his device down gently.

"Natural selection proves to be weeding out the weaker types." Sarah snarks and I laugh despite the dig being partially aimed at me.

"I think I'd prefer something more… physical than the internet." Cas inputs.

"You mean you could keep going? Cas, dude. You're fucking insane." Dean stands and shakes himself out. "My ass is aching. I need some grub too." Cas eyes go in a particular direction that I catch and smirk at the angel. When Cas sees the expression he doesn't blush like a human would, simply looks at me and raises a challenging eyebrow that knows things.

"If you guys aren't going to stay could you hurry up and leave? Because you're loud and distracting." Sam quips, rolling his eyes at Cas, Dean, and me.

"Yeah yeah, shut it Sammy. We're not as distracting as the thousand and one times I've watched you push your hair out of your face." Dean proceeds to ruffle said hair which earns him a rough shove from his brother, Dean stumbles very… ungracefully which makes everyone chuckle. Fighting down the slight blush, Dean adjusts his flannel. "Bitch."

"Jerk." Sam counters, not even looking up as he types something else into the computer.

"Does that mean… 'I love you' in emotionally constipated man child?" I ask pointedly to Sarah.

"Oh, of course. But only after many years of studying their lowest form of evolution did we discover this fact." Sarah says in her best British nature documentary voice, which is admittedly horrible but still makes me laugh and smile adorably. When the two girls catch the boys staring at them in confusion Sarah clears her throat awkwardly and also stands up. "Uh, Cas… why don't I show you some books we have here, and then we can run to the library for extra info? That way Sam can have his quiet. Oh and we can also pick up some food for this nerd herd." Cas shrugs and stands up.

"Sounds like a plan." Sam nods at them.

"Ew, Dean. They're making plans… I think that's our cue." I say and start to shuffle sideways out of the dining room towards the stairs.

"Tell you what, nerds, Allie and I will remove ourselves, but we'll go find some psychics and- Wait do you-" I roll my eyes and interrupt him.

"Yes, Dean. We do have psychics. This world isn't that different from yours." Dean claps his hands together.

"Perfect. We'll see what the psychics say, stay out of your hair, and then reconvene in the morning. Kapish?"

"Whatever, Dean." Sam says with a sigh. With that Dean and I hop down the stairs, eager to ditch the rest of the crew. As we're tugging on our shoes, Sarah and Cas come down the stairs laughing. Dean and I give them both an odd look, then meet each other's eyes. It's obvious they were laughing about us. I clear my throat and the other two stop laughing.

"Hey, Sarah, make sure to blow up some air mattresses for everyone. I need my bed back."

"I don't know. I thought we had fun last night."

"Shut up, Dean."

"Yeah sure, Allie. I'll get them all sorted. But… what about your Dad?"

"Oh, he left on a business trip this morning. So I've got a few days before we have to bring him into this whole thing too." I shrug, standing up to grab my jacket, wallet, and keys.

"That's… rather convenient." Cas comments, to which I just shrug.

"Even a universe devoid of magic can have small coincidences." Then I turn for the door Dean is already opening. "Text me if anything comes up."

"Yeah, we will. Drive careful." Sarah responds, giving me a small smile and shooting a weirdly wary look at Dean.

"Nope, only reckless!" I respond and shut the door behind me, reaching for the garage opener.

"Please tell me you don't drive some minivan." Dean whines.

"O, ye of little faith, Dean Winchester." We step out of the garage and Dean get his first glimpse of The Beast.

"That's a-"

"Oh, I know." I smile at the large blue Chevy.

"But it's-" Dean tries to clarify.

"1999 Chevy Tahoe in dark blue. Originally owned. Loved to death. You're gonna like the penguin stickers." I explain, walking over and unlocking The Beast.

"Penguin stickers?!" Dean's voice squeaks. I finally catch on to Dean's judgement and level him with a hard glare.

"Oh and your army men and legos aren't tacky?" Dean's mouth flaps, flabbergasted at the nerve, I raise my eyebrows, wondering if the point landed. I pull open the door with a large metallic groaning noise and watch it click in Dean's eyes.

"That.. sounds like Baby." Dean admits and walks around to the other side to get in. I smile softly and step up into the cab.

"Now you're getting it. She may not be the… conventional classic, drool worthy thing. But she is to me. She's strong and tough and they just don't make them like her anymore. And I know she's huge but! You can fit an entire queen sized mattress back there. Great for drive-ins." I flip the key and turn over the engine which makes a whistling noise before starting up with a solid rumbling. Dean nods and bounces slightly in his seat as he shuts the door.

"Comfy seats." He comments as he straps in.

"Yeah, I don't know how you do the leather. That shit burns my skin right off." Dean laughs and nods to that. I adjust the gear shift behind the steering wheel and reverse out of my driveway. "I hope you like Bowie."

"Bowie is a god."

"Correct answer, Dean."

"So where are the penguin stickers?" I smile at him and gesture to the window behind him as I turn the car towards the Twin Cities.

In another car heading in the opposite direction, Sarah adjusts the volume down slightly to gain Cas' attention.

"Do you think Sam would notice if we were gone a little bit longer?" She asks, Cas shakes his head side to side.

"What did you have in mind?" He inquires.

"There's this… tea shop nearby and I could just really use some zen and just like… talk for a bit? If that's okay."

"That would be okay."

"Cool, well. Let's hit the library first, then tea, and then we'll grab dinner." Cas nods and turns his gaze back out the window. After a few minutes, just as they're pulling into a local library parking lot, he speaks up.

"Is Allison typically the type of person to… be this passionate so quickly?" Cas asks. Sarah snorts in response.

"Totally." Cas frowns slightly at this.

"I mean… I get the 'vibe'," Here Cas uses the finger motion, which makes Sarah laugh as she pulls into a parking spot and shuts off the engine. "That she may be very passionate with… someone." Sarah turns and looks, shocked to see the slight pink tinge on Cas' cheek.

"Cas, are you asking me if I think Allie and Dean are gonna have sex?" She balks, and Cas shuffles in his seat. After a moment he nods once.

"I believe that would be the term." Sarah laughs and the lines in Cas' forehead deepen.

"Cas, you just met her. She's putting up a good front because… she loves everything you stand for. And I do too. Heck, she admires the heck out of Dean. She's always identified with him more than Sam. But… no. She's not really the type to jump around… if you catch my drift."

"I… catch your drift." Cas says awkwardly, then moves to get out of the car but Sarah catches his arm.

"But that's not all. I'm not kidding when I say she's putting up a good front, she wants to impress you guys, but really? She's a lot like you, Cas. She's bad at flirting, and making new friends, she misses references all the time. It's like… she's got this super brain that knows all these things but then occasionally there's just these big… gaps in all that information." Sarah shrugs at the end and then let's go of Cas' arm. They both climb out of the car and walk towards the building. Sarah stuffs her hands in her pockets, attempting to keep the cold away.

They're inside, browsing through books deep in the occult section when Cas speaks again.

"Do you think that, not just my connection with her, but all of ours, is what drew us to this place?" Sarah pauses, her finger on the spine of a thick brown tome.

"Yeah, that would be a logical conclusion."

"So, then the key to returning to our world would be expounding on that connection?" Cas ponders and can see the wheels in Sarah's brain turning.

"Strengthen the signal and then reverse the polarity of the neutron flow?!" She exclaims, earning a shush from a few aisles over. "Sorry!" She says, and turns excitedly to Cas. "You really think that's the key?" Cas nods. "How would we even… strengthen Allie's natural abilities? If the source of magic in this universe is rare, and not strong to begin with…" She shrugs. "I don't even know where to start." Cas tilts his head to the side and then walks off down the row of books, turning in search of something else. Sarah follows quickly.

"Part of it may be a social aspect, we get to know her more and that will strengthen a natural connection." Sarah nods, just trying to keep up. "But another part may be finding other individuals in this realm who have a connection to magic here. Genuine people who may be able to guide her. Since her apparent power is based in… manifestation of sorts, and happens while unconscious-"

"Oh! What about that herb the boys have used to walk in other people's dreams? What if we find a way to do that in this universe? Then, one at a time we can send you all in to convene with her, have heart to hearts or whatever. Broaden the natural connection and the magical one at the same time. Capitalize on both and potentially-"

"Then we'd have a mixing pot of energy for our purposes." Cas pauses, turns down an aisle for self help and health books. Plucking up several meditation books and other hokey hippie style things. "Do you think Allie will agree to try this?" Sarah nods vigorously.

"She'd do anything for Team Free Will. I'm gonna go find some dream books and maybe some natural Wicca books. Meet you at the check-out in 15?" Cas nods after being momentarily stalled by the first part. He watches Sarah's retreating back almost wistfully, a part of him already feeling disappointed at the loss of such devoted humans when they eventually return where they belong. It makes his chest feel funny, in a good and sad way. He doesn't know what to do with that so he just turns back to the books. Focus on the task at hand.

Sam doesn't feel as bad as he normally would when he easily gets around Allie's minor security protocols. He's a Slytherin after all. So far, everything they've found has been only minor references to what might be out there, and everything conflicts with each other. Different religions, beliefs, practices, hopes, hoaxes… the list goes on and on. So he does what he really hadn't done the last time he'd been in an alternate universe. He'd just been trying to save his own sanity at the time. Things are different now. Besides… everyone else is taking a break, why can't he?

The red N with a grey background fills his screen as he relocates to a couch for more comfort. Charlie would get a huge kick out of this.

"Dean Winchester, I cannot convey the amount of joy you knowing every word to All Too Well gives me." I tell Dean as I round the corner of The Beast and step up onto the sidewalk. He rubs the back of his neck and gives me a shy smile.

"Well… it is one of her best songs so…" He says it quietly, like fighting off embarrassment. I bump my shoulder with his and smile at him.

"You're not wrong." I agree and nod in the direction we need to walk. "Wish we could have parked closer, but that's cities for you."

"I'm impressed at your parallel parking skills with the Beast." Dean says with a very obviously flirtatious smile, and I smile back.

"She's got a good turn radius." I say and shrug it off.

"Definitely an attractive quality. Someone who can handle a vehicle." Dean says and I laugh, cause he's a total idiot.

"Yeah, whatever." I say and go to bump his shoulder with mine again, but this time I put more power into it and Dean stumbles. I laugh and quickly step out of range in case of his retaliation. Dean smiles, but it's colored with mischief. "No, Dean don't-, Hey! Look, here's our shAHH! DEAN!" I yell as he catches up, grabs me from behind around the waist and picks me up. I start laughing as he spins me around. We're still laughing as he sets me down and I open the door to Eye of Horus for him and gesture grandly. "After you, sirrah." Dean laughs again.

"You just wanna look at my ass." He says as he passes through the doorway.

"Well, now that you mention it." I say and follow him into the shop. "It would be nice to look at if you wore some skinny jeans, or slacks. But right now I'm too distracted by bow legs." Dean turns around with raised eyebrows. "Well, if you want to be objectified I can be very critical. But if you have a praise kink, you can just say it, hun." Dean chokes at this, eyes widening comically, cheeks reddening to a wonderful flushed color. I smile at Dean lecherously, step in close and gently pinch his chin between my thumb and forefinger. "You are very pretty Dean, especially when you blush." I examine his face purposefully dragging the moment out, watching as a pink tinge creeps up to his forehead, lingering on a few of the more delicate freckles. I pinch his chin just a smidge tighter as I meet his eyes again, his pupils are dilated looking like a rabbit caught in a snare. "Now stop being a brat until we get our work done, hm?" Dean swallows thickly and nods just a tiny thing, then I brush past him out of the entry doors and into the shop. The smell of incense washes over me and the little tinkling bell over the door alerts the shopkeeper to our entrance.

There's different stones and crystals everywhere, varying sizes, in large piles and separated into dividers. Multiple rows of bookshelves about varying topics of meditation, divine intervention, natural medication, scrying, interpreting dreams, understanding tarot cards, and the tarot cards themselves. A shopkeeper is bent over a book behind the register and looks up at us with a kind smile on their face.

"Need help finding anything?" They ask. I smile pleasantly and lean my elbow on the glass counter.

"Do you have any psychics in today that have openings?" The shopkeeper looks between the two of us and a sweet, shy smile spreads on their face.

"Couples session?" They ask and I laugh lightly.

"Not quite, just trying to settle a.. Disagreement." I tell them amicably, and the shopkeeper nods.

"Right, well Taylor could take you in about ten minutes?"

"Sounds perfect." I turn back to Dean, who's still slightly flushed, as the shopkeeper goes through a beaded curtain that click clacks in the relative silence of the shop. There's a lulling calm kind of music playing softly from the back corner that feels jarring with the tense line of Dean's shoulders. I lean back into the counter, crossing my arms across my chest and tilting my head at him. "Did I wind you up too much? Cause if you go into this reading all strung up the psychic won't need any tarot cards to read you." Dean shakes his head for a moment before remembering he can talk.

"N-no." Dean's voice breaks and he has to loudly clear his throat to lower it to its proper register. "I'm fine." He says gruffly. I narrow my eyes at him, doing a quick up and down that has him fighting not to squirm, it's so obvious he's trying to be good.

"Yes, you are." I say in a whisper and meet his eyes, he smiles a little bit at that, perhaps he's finally catching onto the game.

"Any ideas what we should ask them?" He asks as I go to examine a few books and he follows right behind me.

"We don't need any. If they're legit they should be able to pick up on it." I pick up one of the tarot boxes and start shuffling through the card designs.

"But Cas said there isn't any magic-"

"No, Cas said the magic of this universe is rarer but there still is some." I tell him as I set the cards back and shuffle over to the crystals.

"So, how do we-"

"I've dabbled enough to know the fakes from the real ones, Dean. Psychics are like fortune cookies in a way, completely random, generalized, and every once in a while they're right. But you can always tell a genuine article, from the cookies made in California." I pick up a particularly nice amethyst and hold it out to him. "I just love the way these sparkle, something in my lizard brain is so pleased."

"Yeah, that makes sense. And you're right," Dean gently takes the stone from me, our fingers brushing just a little bit. "Sparkley stuff makes me happy." I look up at him and the soft little smile on his face as he holds the gem stone makes me melt a bit. He turns it back and forth, looking at how it glints in the shop lights, then he sets the stone down and looks back up to find me still staring. "What?" He asks, his tone a bit sharp and a bit worried. I just shake my head at him. "Seriously, what?!" Clearly someone is still on edge.

"Nothing, just thinking about how much taller than you I'd be with heels on. Maybe even just a pair of chunky boots." Dean does not look amused, but what I said was true even if I wasn't thinking about it right at that moment.

"I'm at least two inches taller than you." He says indignantly.

"Mmm.. barely. And most of my heels are over two inches." I give him a toothy smile that makes Dean chuckle drily.

"Are you always this full of yourself?" He asks, only spluttering slightly.

"That just means I'm never hungry for anyone else." I walk on to the next section, bracelets held by pegs in the wall. "But you can keep trying." Dean sighs and I hear him shuffle up behind me.

"Is this some kind of game to you?"

"I like to keep things fun."

"Are you always this enigmatic?" Dean asks, sounding only slightly frustrated.

"I'm actually quite direct, you're thinking about it too hard." I hear Dean huff next to me which makes me smile again. "It's true! I don't really know how to be mysterious. I probably just seem mysterious because I know so much about you and you don't know much about me." I hear the clacking of beads behind us, the shopkeeper returning to their post on a stool behind the register.

"Well, that's not my fault." Dean says a bit petulantly. I roll my eyes at him and mimic his tone.

"Well, then ask me some questions." I look up at him and only just barely resist sticking my tongue out.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Are you done?" He asks, exasperated. I slide over to look at the rings and necklaces displayed on interesting tree-like structures and don't respond. "Okay uhh… what's your favorite color?"

"Purple. Yours is probably blue, or you'll say you don't really have one." I tell him as I admire an especially pretty azure crystal necklace.

"Why do you think mine is blue?" He asks, eyebrows furrowed in genuine confusion. I look over at him, a smirk of mischief lighting my features.

"Well, why else do you spend so much time gazing into Cas' eyes? They are a very pretty color."

"What?! I don't stare at him 'cause his eyes are pretty!"

"Oh? There's another reason?" I ask coyly. Dean splutters, then wags a finger at me.

"I thought I was asking the questions, not receiving the second degree."

"Carry on then." I sigh, because it's starting to feel just a little mean to needle him this much.

"Umm..Favorite musician?"

"David Bowie."

"Okay, I could have guessed that. What about favorite band?"

"Panic! At The Disco."

"Don't know them. What kind of music?"

"Emo, sorta pop rock."

"You like emo music?" I nod. "Next you'll be saying you like heavy metal."

"I do, actually. Korn, Slipknot, System of a Down, Avenged Sevenfold." Dean nods appreciatively, though I'm pretty sure he doesn't know many of those bands very well.

"Favorite song?"

"I usually go with Hotel California, but that's always subject to change or mood."

"You an Eagles fan?" Dean asks, sounding more interested now.

"I like most music. And even the music genres I don't really like, I have exceptions to the rule. In fact the only genre I really don't like is Modern Religious music. I hear it in thrift stores all the time, and it drives me batty. At least Hillsong United knows how to make their propaganda actual music." I move on to fiddling with more of the books, and Dean leans on the side of the book shelf smiling.

"Not religious then, are you?" Dean assumes and I nod.

"Good conclusion. How'd you get there?"

"Last night you called your dad a devout atheist, and you just called religious music propaganda. One plus one."

"Now who's full of themself." I quip and straighten up a few books on the shelf.

"Nah, not really. I'm always hungry." I glance over at him to see the most enticing twinkle in his eye and I chuckle.

"Fairplay, Winchester."

"You did say I could keep trying."

"Mhmm, I did. As long as you keep that mouth in check." I remind him and bite down on a smile as a light blush easily creeps back up his neck. "I like when you're clever. Being mouthy and playing dumb isn't a good look." Dean swallows and looks around the shop, unable to meet my eyes as he crosses his arms over his chest self consciously.

"Who says I'm playing?" I grab a softcover book off the shelf and smack him on the side of the head with it. "Ow! What-"

"You literally built your own EMF meter out of an old walkman."

"That doesn't mean I-"

"Dean, I will smack you with the book again." Dean shuts his mouth and looks down at the ground. "Be kind to yourself, or I'll pavlov you." Dean looks back up, a laugh startling out of his lips.

"You'll get me to salivate every time a bell rings?"

"No, you'll flinch every time you say something negative about yourself."

"How would you-" I wiggle the book and smirk at him. "Ah, okay. That does make sense."

"Would a dumb person have even understood that reference to begin with?" I ask him pointedly, and turn back to my browsing, only just catching the tiny pleased smile on Dean's face.

"Favorite TV show?" Dean resumes questioning.

"Doctor Who."

"What? But I thought-" The clacking of the bead curtain interrupts him as a woman with curly blond hair and richly dark skin steps out onto the shop floor.

"You two must be my next victims." She says with a raised eyebrow. I laugh good naturedly.

"That's us!" I say in a sing-song tone and a side of spirit fingers. If possible the woman's brow climbs a bit higher just before she offers her hand.

"I'm Destiny." She says as I grab her hand.

"Allie. And this is Dean."

"Pleasure." Dean intones as he too shakes her hand. I watch as something in her eyes shifts as she gets a good look at Dean, then she turns to her shopkeeper.

"Taylor, I think we'll close early today. I'll still pay you for the whole shift though." Taylor nods and gives us a smile as they grab their bag and head for the door. "Lock it as you leave please." Destiny calls after Taylor, then looks back between the two of us. "Follow me dears."

With the books safely in the backseat of Sarah's car, she leads Cas into Indigo Tea, which Cas notices smells of vanilla and warmth.

"Do you know what you want?" Sarah asks, turning to him as she slips out of her coat to set it across one of the platforms with the low tables you get to sit criss-cross at on cushions.

"No." Cas says, studying one of the teapots that's in the shape of a koala. "But I like the energy here."

"Hmmm… did you like what Allie picked for you this morning?" Sarah asks as she fluffs her hair and arranges it over one shoulder.

"Yes it was… sweet. I liked that it was… creamy." Cas talks as if recalling the exact taste of those molecules together and Sarah smiles.

"Cool, I'll pick something out for you, and I'll get a pot of my favorite so you can try that too." And with that she strolls over to the counter to order while Cas is left to consider how exactly he should sit at this table. He'd seen it before over the millenia, mainly in Asian countries. In the end he just opts to continue studying the various designs on mugs, teacups, and teapots. Sarah returns a moment later with their tea on a tray and gestures him back over.

"The designs are… nice." Cas says as he carefully studies Sarah's smooth plop onto the platform.

"You weren't sure how to sit, were you?" She says with a smirk and Cas just sighs. "Take off your coat, it'll be easier." Cas' hesitancy makes her laugh. "I won't bite too hard."

"You intend to.. Bite me?" Cas asked, even further confused. "Do the humans of this universe have vampiric tendencies normally?" Sarah bursts out laughing.

"It's an expression. Just a way of making people feel more comfortable." Cas just blinks at her. "It's a dad joke." Cas still looks wary but takes off his coat and puts it on a nearby coat hook. After a moment's more hesitation he also removes his suit jacket.

"Am I also supposed to remove my shoes?" Cas asks, observing Sarah's on the ground next to the platform.

"Yes, it's respectful." That part Cas understands, and a moment later he's sitting across the table from Sarah trying to figure out where to place his arms. Sarah takes pity on him by speaking up again. "This one's yours." She indicates the wide brimmed mug with a little white foam and a dusting of brown powder across the surface of the liquid. "It's a chai tea latte. Should be creamy but have a more spiced flavour than this morning." Cas picks it up and smells the cinnamon among the other flavours. When he tastes it he makes a pleased humming noise and then immediately takes another sip. Sarah is smiling. "Glad you like it."

"What is in the teapot?" Cas asks between sips, he has a small foam mustache on his upper lip that makes Sarah bite her own lip.

"It's Strawberry Cream Black tea." Sarah points to a smaller container. "Then some milk," She points to a shaker, "Sugar, and two cups, of course."

"I think I will like that as well." Sarah can't seem to stop smiling, Cas in person is so sweet and awkward.

"Should I make you a small cup to try when you're done with the chai?"

"Yes please. Thank you." Cas inclines his head towards her respectfully and Sarah has to fight down a blush.

"You've got a bit of foam on your upper lip." She tells him, pointing at her own upper lip. Cas casually licks it off, as if this is the only action in his repertoire that is completely and inherently human. It makes the back of Sarah's neck heat up.

"Are you feeling alright, Sarah? You may still be in shock because of the 'universe hopping'." Cas is staring at her, that unwavering and unearthly gaze.

"Yeah, I'm feeling fine. What about you?" Sarah deflects the attention away from herself like a game of ping pong.

"Nervous, to tell the truth. This universe feels safe enough, and I'm pretty positive no one could follow us here. At least, not without a connection to someone in this universe like I have with Allie. It would be too easy to get lost in the multiverse." Cas pauses and takes another sip of his chai, seeming to contemplate something.

"Then what's making you nervous if it's not those things?" Sarah asks as she finishes mixing up her tea and takes a revitalizing sip. Cas still looks ponderous, his gaze drawn out the window next to them, then it's back on Sarah. Studying her.

"Allie mentioned that she knew about what happened in the crypt, so that leads me to wonder if you have as well." Sarah sets her tea cup on the table and clasps her hands together.

"Yes, I know what happened in the crypt. That seemed… really difficult." She paused, watching his face carefully, then deciding to add one more thing. "And I'm sorry about Meg. I know you two were… friends. Sort of." Cas looks down at that, setting his own mug on the table but leaving his hands clasped around the ceramic. He nods, not looking up.

"Thank you. I will miss her. And that's not something Dean or Sam have been very understanding about." Sarah reaches over and places a hand on top of Castiel's wrist.

"No matter what she was, or did, it's okay to be sad 'cause you miss her. She took care of you for a while, and she stood by you. It's not like Sam and Dean are perfect examples of morality." Sarah tells him earnestly. Cas nods, raising his head to meet her eyes briefly before looking back out the window again.

"I worry though, about just how deeply I've hurt Dean with my actions. He-" Cas cuts off, his lips sealing together in a tight frown.

"He broke through Naomi's conditioning. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make you kill him. And she never could." Sarah pulls at Cas' wrist lightly so he releases the mug and she can take his hand. "Cas what she did to you was wrong. She manipulated you, tortured you. But you're still your own person, with your own thoughts and feelings, with people you care about, people you love." Sarah squeezes his hand and Cas looks at her, his eyes clouded with guilt. "She can't take that away from you. You may be an angel but you're not a robot. She can't just reset you cause she thinks you're broken for caring about the rest of the world." Cas squeezes Sarah's hand gratefully and withdraws to drink more of his chai. Though the atmosphere has changed to a more somber tone, the silence is not unpleasant. They both just stare out the window, and when Cas finishes his chai, Sarah offers him the cup she made him of her tea. "Oh and if Dean doesn't forgive you, Allie will probably deck him just on principle." That gets a small smirk out of Cas and makes Sarah smile in return.

Dean and I push through the beaded curtain together into a room draped in deep purple curtains. Small globe-like light fixtures hang from the low ceiling in each corner. In the center is a round table covered in a deep blue crushed velvet table cloth with a comfy looking black leather wing back chair on the far side, and a black leather quilt patterned bench on the near side. Destiny goes around behind the wing back where there's a set of drawers and a lightly smoking incense burning, suffusing the whole room with a calming smell you'd expect from these kinds of interactions. There's no crystal ball anywhere in sight, in fact the room is relatively plain yet well dressed. Destiny comes around from behind the wing back and sits, gesturing for us to do the same, and sets a deck on tarot cards on the table. Dean and I sit on the bench with our thighs pressed together, palms clasped politely in our laps.

"Hmm…" Destiny intones as she gazes into the space around our heads. I can tell she's studying our auras, and out of the corner of my eye I see Dean start to open his mouth. I elbow him and he closes it. "Taylor was correct about your energies being mingled enough to assume you to be a couple. The potential is strong. But there's more at play than just your two hearts." Destiny meets both of our eyes in turn, but lingers on Dean. "You doubt my legitimacy, but you should trust your friend's instincts. Allie has a strong gift. An exceptionally rare one too." Destiny's gaze shifts back over to me. "But you don't understand it, do you child?" I huff out a light laugh.

"Not even slightly. Sometimes I'd thought, before this happened, that my dreams were trying to… warn me of things. But only like… hard to interpret warnings of bad times." I tell Destiny and can feel Dean's gaze burning into my cheek but I don't look at him. Destiny just nods.

"You've lost someone." Destiny says, in that silky sympathetic way that makes a grimace pull at my face.

"My mother." Destiny nods, her gaze momentarily going to Dean, a curious expression pinching between her brows.

"You've both had a tough hand when it comes to dealing with loss." I hear Dean take in a breath next to me and can feel his whole body go rigid. On impulse I reach out and grab one of his hands in both of mine. "The dreams you had, I'm assuming they happened in the week before your mother died, they were nightmares, correct? But they weren't fully formed. They just made you restless, you'd wake up in the night, like you could feel a disturbance but couldn't grasp what it was." I nod, squeezing Dean's hand and feel him squeeze back.

"But during the day, I'd get these impulses to.. Draw? Because I had these images stuck in my head, and I just needed to get them out. I didn't know how else to do it." Destiny nods again, and begins shuffling her cards. "They were always symbolic things too. Like dragonflies, which are my mom's favorite. And roses, which is her first tattoo. They were stuck there until I got them down on paper, and even then I couldn't interpret them. Or connect them with my nightly unrest." I say dejectedly.

"This type of experience, a precognition of sorts, is because you're sensitive to disturbances in the… waves of the universe shall we say? Not usually the universe at large though, just the way things ripple around you. You have dreams because your subconscious is better at interpreting the input your conscious mind is receiving." She's quiet for a moment, letting me absorb the new information. Then she turns to Dean. "I suppose that's how you came to be with us, as improbable as it feels even to someone like me." I glance at Dean and see his eyes widen at that statement.

"You can just… tell I'm not from here? Wow. You're...something." Destiny laughs, a rich melodious thing that temporarily dispels the thick aura of the room.

"Well, your aura is quite strange on the whole but you've got a sort of… background noise to you that doesn't sync up with us." Destiny gestures between me and herself. "That and… well I do watch television from time to time. Gotta see how Hollywood represents people like me so I'll know how to combat the crazies who think they know everything just cause they watch Supernatural." There's a shocked silence for a moment before I burst out laughing, even though Dean isn't. When I look over and see his disgruntled expression I go into another round of giggles. Even Destiny is smiling.

"I said you were moderately popular." I manage to get out between giggles. "Oh gosh, did you think he was Jensen at first?!" I ask Destiny and she chuckles a little bit.

"For a moment I thought I was gonna have a conference with TMZ after our meeting. You are most certainly not his wife, and you're both exceptionally flirty. M-mm." Destiny shakes her head in mock disapproval. "But you are Dean Winchester. Pass on my love to Missouri, will you?"

"I haven't seen her in years." Dean says a bit awkwardly.

"Exactly. And you'll be changing that when you get back. She worries about you." Destiny scolds

"But we will be getting back?" Dean clarifies, leaning his elbow on the table. Destiny nods, and looks back over to me.

"Your abilities plus your love of the characters, forged a connection. A connection between you and the one with a soul most similar to yours." Dean and I both blanch at that.

"Cas doesn't have a soul though." I tell Destiny, my voice sounding a bit raspy from the shock. She narrows her eyes at me, then looks to Dean and back to me again.

"I find that unlikely. Even knowing the lore from the show, Cas is different. He always has been. Angel with a shotgun and a soul." Dean lets out a gruff little laugh at that, which makes Destiny and I look at him questioningly. Dean rubs the back of his neck.

"Cas is bad with guns." Dean tells them, I roll my eyes.

"It's not like he needs them to kick ass, Dean."

"I know that, Allie." Dean quips back at me.

"But you two, have complimentary souls." Destiny interjects, drawing our attention again.

"Wait a minute, wouldn't that mean that my 'soul' is complimentary with Cas' too? If their souls are so similar." Dean asks in an almost bitter confused tone, Destiny inclines her head in agreement.

"Yes, the four of you have a complicated intermingling ahead of you. But it will be worth it."

"Woah, Four?! Who's the fourth?!" Dean exclaims and Destiny just shakes her head at him, a wondrously knowing twinkle in her eyes that will probably infuriate the more volatile Winchester brother. I, on the other hand, have had enough meddingly in my future interminglings, even the hint of a thought that I might be 'intermingling' with fictional tv show characters turned real boggles my mind into oblivion. No, thank you. I'll take the check please.

"Destiny, what can you tell us about returning them to their universe?" I ask to change tracks and put my hand on Dean's leg in an effort to remind him of the same. He sighs next to me and we meet eyes momentarily, making my message clear with that look. He pinches the bridge of his nose. I rub my hand up and down soothingly for a moment before withdrawing.

"Let's look at the cards, shall we? Often their message is something more concrete to work off of, and besides… I'm not sci-fi enough to really tell you a way to open an interdimensional portal, so to speak." There's humour in the crinkles of Destiny's eyes that is so real and comforting, I feel exceptionally grateful to my instincts bringing me here. I nod and Destiny passes me the cards, the backs are matte black with glittering stars. I shuffle them twice, then pass them to Dean to shuffle once, when I get them back I slide a chunk out of the middle and place it on top as I always do. Setting them in the center of the table, I meet Destiny's eyes as I let out a calming breath. "How many are we drawing my dear?" I don't think about my answer before it comes out.

"Six. Three for each of us. One for now, two for future." Destiny nods and places her hand on top of the deck.

"Let's start with the present, shall we?"