Dreams
Dean's vision was fuzzy, he's head felt like it was being beaten with a hammer. He let out a small hiss as he held his head. He tried to focus on what was going on around him. He realized he was in the Impala, Sam was driving his car and the scenery was flying by. "Sammy." He cried. He was so tired, just so tired. "Sam." He cried again.
"It's okay Dean. We're almost home." Sam said. He looked back at Dean concern was all over his face.
"Sammy," He said. He saw the fear on his brother's face. "Am I dying?"
Sam focused on his driving and didn't answer him. Dean felt another thump in his head. He wanted to sleep so badly. "So tired." Dean whimpered. Dean Winchester was never one to whimper. Men don't whimper. He told himself. He felt the car make a turn and looked out the window recognizing the scenery. "Home?" He whispered. His eyes felt so heavy all he wanted was sleep.
Sam eased the Impala into the bunker's garage. He went around back to help Dean get out of the car.
Dean felt like jelly as Sam helped him out of the car. "Sammy, I'm so tired." He's body wanted to drop to the floor he was so tired. He felt like he hadn't slept in five years.
"Dean!"
He looked up to see Cas running up to them. He was so tired he didn't even noticed Cas's truck parked nearby. "Cas." Dean was so tired. He just wanted to be held like a child and be put to bed. He felt the angel's strong arms wrap around him and help Sam hold him up. "Cas," He mumbled. He buried his head in his chest. He was so close to sleep.
"No, no Dean don't go to sleep yet." Sam said.
Dena felt his brother shake him. "No Sammy I don't want to get up." He clung to Cas as if the angel was his pillow.
"Dean." Castiel said quietly. He ran his fingers through Dean's hair making the hunter let out a soft sigh.
"Let's get him to bed." Sam said
Dean could feel the two men drag him to his room. "Tired." He moaned. He couldn't feel his legs as he tried to walk. "I can't feel my legs man." They made it to his room and he was leaning on Sam as Cas opened the door.
Dean fumbled into the room and fell on his bed with a thump. Bed sweet bed, oh sweet bed how had he missed it. "Bed I love you bed best bed in the world." He mumbled into his pillow. He didn't bother getting undressed. He felt someone take his boots off. He mumbled thanks as he felt a blanket being laid on him. Last thing he heard was Cas ask Sam what had happened.
Two Days Earlier
It was about seven in the morning. Dean Winchester was not used to being up that early in the morning. He looked at himself in the mirror in the bathroom. He looked like hell and felt like it as well. He raised his shirt and looked at his chest. No mysterious marking on his chest. Maybe he was just having a rough time sleeping. He rubbed his eyes. It wasn't that long ago since that incident at the barn. He let out a rough sigh and stared at the sink. It bothered him truly all way to his soul. Cas had almost died. He gripped the sink thinking about it. God Cas, he could have died then… then he would have lost his best friend. He splashed water on his face. Maybe the fresh memory was why he couldn't sleep. He pulled out his phone and texted Cas.
Everything okay Cas?
He dried off his face. He decided he should take a fast shower. While he was showering he heard Sam get up.
"Dean are you in the shower?" Called Sam
"Yeah."
"It's seven in the morning. What are you doing up?"
"Couldn't sleep." He called back. He rinsed the soap off his body. He got out and started drying off.
"Everything okay Dean?"
Dean noted his brother's concern and rolled his eyes. "Fine…" He pulled up his pants and buttoned them. "Just a weird dream." He finished putting on his clothes and walked out of the bathroom so Sam could take a shower.
"Weird dream?" Sam looked up at him his brown eyes filled with concern
Dean nodded. "Yeah,"
"Want to talk about it?"
Dean frowned. "I had a dream about Cas dying."
"Oh Dean I'm sorry." He reached up and patted his arm.
"It was." He sat down at the table ran his hand through his hair. "Sam, it was so vivid. It was like I could smell and feel everything. Like I was back in that barn and Cas was dying."
"Dean that sounds a lot like that curse." Sam said
He shook his head. "Nah there's no mark on me so there's no curse." He got up from the table. "Just a dream man, I'm going to run to café and get some coffee and maybe hit on a chick."
Sam nodded. "Okay Dean." He got up and went to the bathroom
Dean walked out of the motel and checked his phone. No text from Cas. Worry flashed through. He sent another text checking on his angel. Wait his angel? He didn't own Cas. The text was sent before he thought maybe he was being paranoid.
He walked into the café and got two cups of coffee and some donuts for him and Sam and headed back to the motel. "Back Sammy." He announced as he walked in.
"Hey Dean." He nodded greatly as Dean handed him his coffee and laid down donuts. "No leads on where Dr. Smith took off too." He looked at his computer. "I've been doing research on her. Apparently she has been moving town to town for about the last year."
"Let me guess she did some stop overs everywhere there has been a victim?"
Sam nodded as Dean took a donut. "Are you sure she didn't curse you?"
Dean nodded. "Pretty sure." Pretty sure you're lying Dean. "Let's go back to her office and let's see what we can learn."
The two of them made it to the office. The young man was sitting behind the desk playing on his phone again.
"Agent Blackmore," Dean started flashing his badge. "I need to get in Dr. Smith's office."
The young man didn't look up from his phone. "Can't let you back there, doctor patient stuff."
Dean rolled his eyes. "Listen here has tag dumbass you're going to let us back there or you're inferring with a federal investigation."
The kid looked up at him. "Whoa sorry dude." He handed him a set of keys. "Go on dude."
Dean stormed back to the offices with and Sam followed him.
"Dean you seem a little snippy." Sam started
Dean rolled his eyes as he unlocked the door. "Well I can't stand young punks like that." He felt angry as he ran over to the files. He pulled them out and tossed them over the desk.
"Dude, seriously what is wrong?" he asked as Dean tossed through the files.
Dena shook his head. "I'm just tired that's all. I didn't get my full four hours, so I'm a little irritable."
"A little?" Sam asked. He looked down at Dean as he fished out the file for Eric Daniels. "Listen Dean… while you were gone I talked to Cas."
Dean jerked his head up when Sam mentioned his name. "Cas what about him is okay?" He felt worry climb through his bones. He just wanted to know if he was safe. His angel his… Dean calm the hell down man what is wrong with you. He shook his head. Since when did he start thinking all this stuff? He started to feel tired and rubbed his eyes. He needed more coffee and another donut, preferably one with chocolate and sprinkles, yum.
"Dean he told me you texted him about five times this morning checking on him. He's worried about you and so am I. You've been acting strange since last night."
Dean rolled his eyes. "He talked to you but wouldn't text me back?"
"You're being paranoid, Dean."
He blinked. "Paranoid…" He lifted up Eric's file. "Paranoid that's one of the signs of…"
Sam frowned he looked really concerned. "Dean I think you have been cursed."
"I'm fine Sam!" He snapped
"Listen Dean; you've been irritable and paranoid and acting strange. Clearly you have been cursed. Let's take the file and do some research maybe we can figure out how to reverse it."
He shook his head. He knew his little brother was right. "You're right Sammy." He yawned. He felt so drained like he hadn't slept in two days. He had gone without sleep before during some of their drives and hunts. But nothing was as exhausting as this. "Sammy," He yawned. "I'm so tired." He felt like he was about to fall over.
Sam grabbed his arm. "Come on let's go back to the motel."
Dean staggered as Sam practically dragged him back to the car. He looked over to the driver's side of his car.
"Oh no you're not driving." Sam said as he helped Dean over to the passenger's side.
Dean frowned. "Whatever Sammy." He groaned as he got in the passenger side. Sam started the drive back to the motel and Dean checked his phone. He had a text from Cas:
Sorry was busy Dean. Is everything okay? Sam said you ran into a witch
He texted him back:
I don't know I'm so tired
He's eyes felt heavy and his phone fell out of his hand.
"Dean!" Sam called out to him.
"So tired." He mumbled. He heard his phone ring then he heard Sam answer it.
"I don't know Cas. He's falling asleep in the car. I'm going back to the motel he said he didn't get much sleep. I'm going to call Rowena and see if she can help lift this curse. Okay I'll call you back if there's any changes."
Dean's eyes began to close. "Sammy I'll be fine. Just five minutes and I'll be okay. Don't need to upset Cas." He mumbled as he yawned again.
They were at the motel and Sam helped him out of the car. "Just five minutes Sammy and I'll be okay." He mumbled. His legs felt so heavy. Sam led him back to the motel room. He flopped onto his bed. "Just five minutes." He rolled over on his side he felt himself falling asleep when he heard Sam call Rowena.
Dean was standing in a field. He could hear the grass rustling and feel the wind blow on his face. He could smell the flowers blooming and he let out a content sigh. It was wonderful. He looked around and seen Cas and Sam sitting at a picnic area. Sam waved to him and Dean waved back he started to walk towards him. Suddenly the sky grew dark above them. "Cas! Sam!" He called to them. Suddenly the two disappeared. Dean ran as fast as he could over to where they were. None of them were there. "Sam! Cas!" He cried out. The two were gone. Gone forever he was alone, alone. He was so afraid he was alone. He started to cry. "Don't leave me! Please don't leave me! Sammy! Castiel! I'm sorry please don't leave me!"
"Dean. I'm here. It's okay I'm here." Dean woke up when he heard Sam speak.
"Sammy?" He bolted up in bed. "You're here."
Sam nodded. "It's okay Dean. You were crying out for me and Cas." He reached out and gave him a hug. "Dean I have never heard you cry out like that before."
Dean pushed away and shook his head. "I'm fine." Dean knew he was lying. That dream hit a sore spot with him. He was afraid of being alone. He would never admit to Sam but the thought of one day waking up and him and Cas being gone scared him to the core. He rubbed his face trying to push the fear back. "How long was I out?"
"About an hour I think."
He did feel a little bit more rested. "And Rowena?"
"I left a voice mail. She didn't answer."
He got up from his bed and made his way to the fridge for a beer. "Okay let's go over the files."
The two of them looked through the files. Dean skimmed over them. He felt so tired. He let out another yawn and took a sip of beer.
"So according to the file she was keeping track of all his fears and thoughts, says here that the little boy was afraid of losing his mother, two days after that he kept dreaming of her leaving him, so maybe she feeds on people's fears."
Dean nodded. "That would explain a lot." He mumbled
"Apparently it's not just fears either. One of his dreams she mentioned was him dreaming about his parents getting back together. After that he started having problems telling the difference between dreams and reality."
Dean downed his beer. "So in other words if I have a pleasant dream I won't know what the hell is going on?"
Sam shrugged. "Maybe or it's the natural progression of the curse."
"So she was keeping track of it?"
"She apparently wanted to know how it would affect a child."
"Sick woman." He got another beer. "So this chick gets off on studying what her curse does to people?"
Sam nodded. "No clues on how to get rid of it yet."
Dean yawned again. "Sam I'm tired again."
Sam frowned. "Take a nap Dean okay."
He rubbed his face and shook his head. "I can't spend all my time in bed."
"Dean just lay down."
Dean got up and made it over to his bed. "Just wake me up later okay." He laid down on his bed. The softness of the bed felt so good as he closed his eyes. He didn't know one person could be so tired. Last thing he heard was Sam say goodnight. Dean hoped all he needed was some extra zs. Yeah more sleep. In the morning he would be fine. They'd get ahold of Rowena get rid of this curse and kick some witch ass before she did this to someone else. Yeah the morning time, sweat glorious morning.