Chapter 45
Sam paced the room. "They've been gone too long."
Bobby rubbed his forehead. "They said they were just going for a walk. Where the hell could they have gone?"
Sam rested his head against the wall. "I don't know. I checked the yard already. They're not there, and the Impala's gone. Dean's not answering his phone, either. He left it here."
Bobby regarded the younger hunter. "So what do you want to do?"
"Look for them. We can drive around, see if we spot them or the car."
Rubbing his eyes, Bobby nodded in agreement. It had been hours already since they left. Kam was still screaming upstairs, despite Amber's valiant attempts to quiet him. Bobby wondered briefly if the baby knew something that they didn't.
"I got two working cars we can use. We can separate, cover more ground that way. Amber can stay here in case they come back..or something else." Bobby said, standing up.
Sam took a deep breath. He thought it would be easier after Lucifer was gone. Why the hell would he think something as stupid as that?
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Sam sped down the dirt road, eyes on the look out for his brother or Cas, or the Impala. So far there was nothing. A bad feeling was rising in the pit of his stomach...he knew something was not right.
He turned a corner and cruised down about a half a mile. There was a huge field on the right side of the road, spotted with giant trees. Under one of those trees sat the Impala, doors flung wide open. Sam skidded to a stop, tires kicking up dust and pulled off to the side of the road.
Leaving the car running, he hopped out and raced over. Cas was lying crumpled on the ground beside the car. Quickly, Sam bent next to him, feeling for a pulse. He breathed a sigh or relief when he found it.
"Cas." Sam patted his cheek. "Cas, snap out of it."
Shaking Cas a bit more roughly, Sam hoped that Dean was ok. There was no sign of him in or around the car. Cas suddenly opened his eyes, which were glazed over.
"Dean..where's Dean?" Cas mumbled. Sam helped him to stand as he shook off the unconscious state that he had been in.
"Cas..what happened?" Sam gripped his shoulders tightly. "Do you remember?"
Rubbing the back of his head, which had a large bump from landing on a rock when he hit the ground, Cas nodded. "The angels."
"What?"
"Raphael and Zachiriah." Cas said bitterly. "They must have taken him."
"But that doesn't make any sense...why would they do that?" Sam ran a hand through his hair. "How could they even find you? Dean has the sigils on his ribs-"
"But I don't." Cas pointed out. He got into the Impala, sitting in the driver's seat. A numb feeling was spreading through his body. He had no clue where to look for Dean, and if he did..there was no way to get there. He felt useless.
"We need to get you back, and then we can figure out what to do from there." Sam said. The expression on Cas' face was identical to the one Dean had worn when Cas died. But the hunter wasn't dead yet, just missing in action. "Cas, we'll find him, don't worry."
Cas nodded, although there was no hope left inside him. Dean said it was over..they could live a normal life now. Of course the damn angels had to screw that up for them.