A/N: The wait has been too long and for that I deeply apologize. But I have finished this story and will be damned if I don't publish it. Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.
A mixture of a relieved and heartbroken sob burst from Sam's throat and he barreled into his older brother. He clung to him as though the other Dean was his lifeline. He was back and being able to feel his strong arms around Sam and his hand soothingly petting his emotional sibling's hair made it all real. The tears sprung from the other Sam's eyes and spilled in torrents down his cheeks.
The other Dean shushed his younger brother and held on to him with just as much enthusiasm, if not more. Sam's fingers gripped the other Dean's jacket in a vise grip and his face was buried into his big brother's shoulder. He wanted to speak, but the only noises that came out of his mouth were desperate, hiccuping cries. His body heaved with the force of his keening.
"I'm here, Sammy. I've got you, I've got you. It's alright," the other Dean murmured in a thick voice. He, too, was weeping. Dean, who was crouching beside the other Cas, watched the brothers with a lump in his throat. Not only was the reunion super touching, but the feather-light body weight of the fragile Castiel in his arms gave Dean the realization of how close they were to losing him.
"Cas? Hey, can you hear me? Cas?" he whispered into the ear of the unconscious man lying against his chest. The other Castiel did not respond. Dean could feel faint, rapid breaths against the hand holding Cas' head up, so he knew that Cas was alive- barely but still functioning mental wise. Dean clenched his jaw; that rift chick had really done a number on his friend.
Every inch of the other Cas was black and blue and yellow and purple; he looked like a rotten eggplant. There were cuts that burned an angry red and were swollen to the point where they looked like they'd explode at any moment. His once shiny dark brown hair stuck to his scalp and was crusted with dry blood and bits of skin. A scabbed over wound about the size of a child's fist pulsed beneath wisps of sticky hair.
His nose and lips were also encrusted with black, dried-up blood. Truth be told, the other Cas wouldn't have been recognizable had it not been for the clothes he was wearing. Granted, they also looked as though they'd been through hell, but they were still the same ones he'd been wearing the day he'd been taken. One shoe had been ripped to tatters and his foot could be seen through the cloth remains of his sneaker.
It was blackened and purplish with frostbite and his toes appeared as though they could fall off at any given moment. Parts of his shredded sock stuck out from under the pads of his feet. 'Jesus, Cas, just what all did she do to you?' Dean thought sadly. Using as much care as possible, Dean brushed a few strands of hair away from Cas' eyes.
"Guys," he began, "as much as I want you two to have your happy moment of brotherly love, we should go. Cas looks like he's about to keel over at any second." The embracing brothers pulled away and wiped at their eyes. The other Dean's face remained stoic until he saw the state that his husband was in. He fell to his knees and reached to take Cas from Dean.
When the hunter instinctively tightened his grip, the other Dean sent him a look that could only be described as a despairing plea. Dean bit his lip and gently handed the other Cas over. After all, who was he to keep two separated lovers apart after they'd just found each other again? Besides, the other Cas fit like a puzzle piece into his husband's arms; he belonged there.
The other Dean's eyes softened and filled with more tears as he brushed his fingers softly over the other Castiel's cheek. The other Sam knelt down on the other side of his brother and took one of his brother-in-law's hands in his. Dean stood up and decided to keep watch; he didn't want to intrude any more on this moment than he had to.
"I need you to hold on for me, baby. Keep that beautiful heart of yours beating. We're gonna get you out of here. Sammy and I and our new friends will get you home. I know someone who can fix you up and you'll be good as new," the other Dean murmured. Dean felt his heart clench. The way his counterpart said those words...he could hear all of the love the other Dean felt for Cas.
He could also hear just how heartbroken and how much pain the other Dean was feeling. Dean closed his eyes; he knew how his other self felt. He'd give anything to be able to see his angel again. It didn't even have to be as sappy and lovey dovey as the married couple near him. Dean wanted his Castiel- the dorky yet lovable angel in the trenchcoat who Dean knew would do anything and everything for him. It hardly registered to Dean that the feeling deep in his heart was the same type of love being shown by his mirror self.
"Aw, isn't this the most tender of moments? I think I may vomit,"
The trio snapped their heads around in unison. All of them searched wildly for the rift, but there was nothing to be seen but darkness. Dean tightened his grip on his gun and took a step forward. The other Dean carefully distributed his husband into the other Sam's arms and stood as well. He stepped up beside his vigilant self and the two shared a look of mutual understanding; the battle was about to begin and they both needed the other.
"You know, I find it quite humorous that the three of you are getting so emotional over that one man. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a fifth member to your little party? Ah, yes. Him,"
Suddenly, from out of the shadows, a body was thrown carelessly forwards. It landed on the ground with a heavy thud. Dark hair, beige trenchcoat, slacks...it was unmistakable who it was. Both Deans gasped. The other Dean had to grab Dean's arm; the hunter had surged forward without hesitating. When Dean turned his desperate green gaze on his mirror self, the other Dean could see what must have been projecting in his own eyes: Dean needed to go to his angel.
"It's a trap. You know that it is. I understand what you're feeling, but you can't let your guard down. He needs you, Dean, just as much as you need him," the other hunter said in a firm voice. Dean flinched and nodded woodenly in understanding. Castiel groaned in pain, drawing the Deans' attention back to him. He was still alive! The rift limped out from the shadows with her lips stretched in a cruel grin.
Dean felt a rush of pride; it was obvious that his angel had put up one hell of a fight. Deep gashes ran down her pale arms and the shirt she'd been wearing was torn down the middle, revealing a red mark that was slowly turning purple. It wasn't until her face was revealed in the moonlight that the Deans could see the full amount of damage Castiel had inflicted.
Blood gushed from her nose profusely and her bared teeth were sticky with it. Dark purpling bruises formed against the swelling knots on her temples and jawline. At first glance, both Deans figured that the rift was smiling because of Castiel's unconscious form on the ground in front of her. But no, the moment they saw her face, her true reason was revealed; while Castiel had not seen who it was that attacked him in the dark, the rift knew just how badly it hurt for the hunters to see Charlie's body so ragged.
However, it was easy to tell that the rift hiding behind the nerdy huntress was beginning to weaken. Her veins bulged with a pulsing green glow and the once brilliant gleam of emerald in her eyes was starting to flicker. Dean noticed that her breathing was ragged and a beacon of light peeked out from one of her cuts. He came to a sudden realization; the rift might have consumed Castiel's energy, but she couldn't handle its power.
"You bitch. I was gonna put your head on a platter already, but now I'm going to rip your heart out and make you watch," the other Dean was hissing. Dean glanced at his other self and studied him. For a moment, he could find nothing helpful until he saw what appeared to be a shard of glimmering green glass. Dean raised his eyebrows a little; the other Dean had a plan already.
The rift's smile grew wider and her eyes darkened with sly amusement. She cockily leaned down and grabbed Castiel by his hair. Without pausing, the rift lifted the unconscious angel into the air effortlessly. Then she looked him up and down with a pitying look before glancing at the men in front of her with an expression of absolute malice.
"I'd like to thank you, Dean Winchester, both of you, for bringing me such a delectable energy source. He was a feisty one, though, I'll give him that. However, I'm done with him for now. My appetite has been satisfied. I feel more powerful than I have in years," she chuckled, "Oh and before you decide to threaten me with your petty declarations, I hope you realize that anything you do to me, you do to your precious little Charlie here."
Both Deans clenched their teeth and tightened their grips on the guns they'd aimed at the rift's head. Or rather Charlie's head. As much as they hated to admit it, both men knew that she was right. And the last thing that either of them wanted was for Charlie to be harmed or worse killed. But the hunters were not stupid; they knew that this being in front of them was not their friend. The rift watched them with disdain.
"Not going to listen? Hmph. I don't blame you. Well then, shall I explain why we're all here?"
"The hell are you talking about? We're here because of your sick obsession with destroying humans. Newsflash, there's nothing you can do without your damn virus. And I sure as hell am not going to help you anymore,"
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, hunter. You've already given me all that I need,"
"Oh yeah? And what's that?"
"You,"
And just like that, the rift changed. Her cocky, knavish demeanor shifted into a look of pure predatory hatred; she aimed to kill each and every last one of them. In a flash, Castiel was chucked at the men, sending them sprawling. The other Dean's head struck the pole in the center of the floor and he could see stars dancing in front of his eyes.
The real Dean held onto the angel in his arms for dear life as the two slammed into the other Sam and Cas. Quickly, Dean looked down to check to see if Castiel had been harmed by the fall. Other than the injuries inflicted by the rift during their struggle, he seemed fine. Dean sighed in relief. He didn't know what he'd do if his Cas was hurt, too.
Carefully shoving the angel off of him, Dean got to his knees and met Sam's gaze. The poor guy looked like he was torn between staying put and launching himself at the rift. Dean placed both hands on Sam's shoulders. He tried to keep a close eye on the other Dean at the same time. The rift was slowly making her way towards his counter self, so Dean had to be quick.
"Sam, I need you to watch over Cas. Both of them. Keep them safe,"
"I have to help my brother! I just got him back, Dean. I don't wanna lose him again,"
"And you won't. I'll be right there by his side. You trust me, right?"
"Yes. I trust you,"
"Good. Then you know that we'll be fine. Besides, if all three of us are fighting this bitch, who's going to protect them?"
Dean glanced down at both Castiels. Sam bit his lip and held his version of Cas closer. Then he took the angel and pulled him up close to his side. He nodded determinedly. Dean returned the nod and got up in time to see the rift and the other Dean begin their fight to the death. She reached for the dizzy hunter only to be fiercely kicked away.
The rift tumbled into the crates and the force of impact dented the wooden boxes tremendously. The breath vanished from the rift's lungs and she had to crawl on the ground as she struggled to breathe. Charlie, who had been shouting away within the recesses of her own mind, began to panic; if the rift couldn't catch her breath fast enough, she and Charlie would both pass out.
If that happened, Charlie might not ever regain consciousness and the rift would be in full control. She couldn't allow that to play out. Not after she'd regained control over her thoughts after a year of living in muffled silence. 'Lay on your back and put your arms over your head! Quick! Or you and I both will be in trouble!' she shouted.
Charlie could feel the rift's surprise at her outburst, but the supernatural creature followed her instructions immediately. Charlie was beginning to suffocate and her consciousness darkened around its edges. The rift close her eyes and calmed their rapidly beating heart to its normal pace. Then she took deep breaths and slowly but surely Charlie was able to push away the threatening darkness.
Meanwhile, Dean hurried over to his other self and checked the hunter over. The other Dean didn't seem to be too hurt, but he did have a growing knot on the back of his head. Dean patted at his counterpart's cheek and watched as green eyes rolled disorientated towards him. The other Dean groaned and allowed Dean to help him to his feet.
"Alright. Okay, buddy. There. You good?"
"I'm...gonna...be sick,"
"Hey, hey! No puking! Focus, man,"
Dean aimed his gun at the rift as she got to her feet. She eyed him in frigid scorn and the three circled one another. The other Dean was trying his best to shake off his fatigue. Dean was more than happy to support him. He wrapped his arm around his mirrored self's waist and held the hunter up as the other Dean tilted forward.
"Oh no you don't! Steady, man. She'll kill you if you don't get a hold of yourself,"
"Trying...room is spinning,"
"Well, try faster, damn it! We don't have all day!"
"Not helping, asshole!"
The rift and the two hunters circled one another- the Deans awkwardly shuffling while the rift slunk like a leopard preparing to pounce. The rift lashed out at them and they were forced to leap backwards. The other Dean stumbled and almost knocked them off balance. Annoyed, Dean glared hotly at the rift, who was grinning triumphantly.
Clenching his jaw, Dean clicked a bullet into place. He made a 'tsk'ing noise with his tongue and aimed the gun at the rift's leg. He knew that he only had one shot and he had to make it count. The rift froze in place as Dean took a step closer. Her unnaturally glowing green eyes locked onto the barrel of the gun and she cocked her head to the side.
"You won't shoot me. You don't want to hurt your little Ch- agh!"
The rift cried out in agony as a bullet wedged itself deep into the thick flesh of her upper thigh. She stumbled and fell to the ground, gripping her wound. When she looked up incredulously, the rift was met with two pairs of hard eyes filled with nothing but pure and utter hatred. The other Dean lowered his recently fired gun and clumsily extracted himself from Dean's grasp.
"Doesn't matter if you're in her body or not. You are not Charlie," he growled. Dean kept his own gun trained on the rift's head. His hands were steady and his face was an emotionless mask. The rift looked from one Dean to the other with a disbelieving expression. An expression that turned to fright as both hunters approached her.
Blood oozed from the wound in her thigh, making the rift cry out in pain. She scrambled away from the two known killing machines and tried to summon her energy to heal her wounds. But no matter how hard she tried, it would not come to her. It remained dormant, as though taunting her with its locked away presence.
"P-please, all I wanted was for monsters to be able to live in peace. Is that too much to ask? Your kind ruined everything precious to me! Everything! Shouldn't I get a chance for revenge? I deserve it!"
"You're a disgrace to all supernatural beings everywhere. The only thing you deserve is the biggest ass whupping of your life,"
"This isn't fair! Why should humans get to live while monsters suffer?!"
"Humans and monsters already live together. We all suffer because of one another. It's the Circle of Life,"
"No! Humans ruined everything! Monsters have done no wrong! All I did...I did it for my kind. We merit a world of harmony and refuge. You hunters are the scum of this earth!"
"You've done nothing but cause destruction and heartbreak from the moment you took over this mirror. For both humans AND monsters. And you say we're the scum? You don't have a fucking clue what you're talking about. Now, do us all a favor. Shut the hell up,"
The other Dean pulled back his fist and punched the rift as hard as he could in her face. Her head snapped to the side and her eyes closed almost delicately. Faint breaths puffed from the rift's nose; she was still alive. The other Dean had knocked her out cold. She wouldn't be getting up any time soon.
The warehouse was silent, save for the whistling of the wind against the boards of the ceiling. Dean hummed in the back of his throat; he hadn't been expecting that. The other Dean slowly straightened up and turned back to Dean and the others. He had a sheepish grin on his face and he cleared his throat.
"Sorry. I've been wanting to do that for a long time now," he said. Sam and Dean each uttered breathy, strained chuckles, the tense atmosphere between the trio lightening into a slight more comfortable sense of relief. The battle was over. They had won. The other Dean staggered forward and pressed his palm into the back of his head. His nose wrinkled as he winced in pain.
"That's going to spawn on hell of a headache later, uh, other me,"
"Castiel can fix it,"
"He doesn't have enough energy to do that, Dean. Damn that feels weird to say,"
"I know. We'll get him back to the house and get him fixed up. Both of them,"
The other Dean smiled softly, but there was a shadow of dark confusion in his eyes. It had been too easy; the rift had gone down without much of a fight. He watched as Dean went over to Sam and knelt down in front of him. A strong urge to check on the unconscious rift burned through the hunter's skin. If he turned around for just a second...
An enormous explosion of electricity and swirling lime green light erupted from behind them. The other Dean opened his mouth in a mute cry of agony. The other Sam and Dean held up their hands to shield their eyes. Through his fingers, Sam could see the outline of what appeared to be a woman engulfed in the ghostly green maelstrom.
Her eyes radiated hot white flames and her hair flowed around her in light-green tendrils of luminescence. Fury could not come close to describing the livid energy bursting around her. Sam watched helplessly as the rift dove and entered through his brother's back, filling his eyes with green beams of light.
"Dean!"
The other Dean was gone. Within minutes, the rift had taken over. The aura of malevolent power emanated from the rift in visibly vibrating waves. The other Dean, possessed by the rift, grinned so wide that Sam and Dean were sure his jaw would snap. Dean got to his feet, but with the flick of the rift's wrist, he was sent soaring through the air. He landed with a painful crash into a pile of crates and metal railroad parts.
"Finally! Our two halves have become whole again. The virus is in its completed form!" the rift shouted. The other Dean and the rift's voice combined and sounded as though they were speaking through a fan. The other Sam knew what he had to do. While the rift was distracted, Sam carefully and quickly dragged the Castiels over to a safe area within an empty crate that had turned over on its side.
Then, when the two were safe, Sam turned and charged. The rift, who was busy admiring her new body and strength, was caught utterly off-guard as she was tackled to the ground. The two wrestled frantically. Sam hardly got a chance to groan in pain as the rift pummeled him with his brother's fists. He felt like a giant bruise growing more agonizing with each hit.
Sam fought back, but his punches weren't as powerful as he'd hoped; his mind acknowledged that it wasn't his brother that he was fighting, but his heart wasn't as easily convinced. The rift noticed his hesitance and didn't bother blocking Sam's advances. Sam faltered as his fist landed a hard right hook against the other Dean's jaw.
The rift jerked back, clenching her vessel's jaw as it flared in sudden agony. The glass shard fell out of the other Dean's jacket and hit the ground with a clink. The rift didn't notice; Sam, however, did. Tactfully, he tumbled with the rift over towards the fallen shard and tried to grab for it. The rift, not knowing what Sam was doing, punched Sam with enough force that his teeth slammed down on his tongue.
Excruciating pain rocketed through Sam's face and he spat out a mouthful of metallic blood. His mouth throbbed and he could feel his tongue swelling up. The rift chuckled deep in her throat as Sam's struggles weakened. His body, sensing that if he lost the fight he'd be in danger, began to flail desperately. His fists lashed out and aimed towards the other Dean's face.
The rift sneered and pinned Sam's hands to the frigid floor before Sam could blink. Her strength was incredible and the other Dean's hands acted on hunter's instinct. Sam was helpless. He thrashed and bucked against the rift but it was of no avail. His fingers stretched out desperately for the glass shard. The rift- staring at him from the other Dean's eyes- tilted her head in mock sympathy.
"Your simplex human brain must be overwhelmed. To think that you're about to be killed by your own brother. And after that cherishing reunion, too,"
"Screw you,"
"Still fighting? Color me surprised. You Winchesters don't know when to quit,"
The rift screwed the other Dean's face up into an expression of absolute disgust and disdain. Sam's fingers struck something cold and without hesitating they wrapped around the object. Hope and triumph soared through Sam's heart. Thankfully, the rift was too focused on degrading Sam to notice his sudden elation. Still struggling, Sam dragged the glass over to his side, where he hide it carefully.
"...could've killed you all," the rift was saying, "I wanted to so many times. I can take your pretty head off, right here and now,"
Sam waited patiently for an opening. The rift had his brother's arm- the one whose hand was holding Sam's wrists in a excruciatingly tight grip- in a position where it covered the other Dean's chest. The other Dean's right arm, which had been used to exaggerate the rift's points along with flamboyant hand gestures, now lashed out and cut off Sam's airway. Blood began to steadily suffocate the back of his throat since his mouth was no longer open.
"I think I've wasted enough time talking. Time to die,"
Sam choked out a harsh spew of gibberish. The rift frowned and tightened her grip in annoyance. Sam spluttered and bucked hard enough to dislodge the other Dean's body from where it'd been straddling his waist. Sam seized his chance. As the rift tilted to the side having been thrown off-balance, Sam freed his left hand from his brother's grasp; he'd been wriggling free inch by inch.
Gasping for air, Sam snatched the hidden glass shard and surged upward with all his might. The rift, taken aback, flailed and landed on the floor with a hard thud. Sam raised his fist clenching around the green weapon and brought it down with all his force. It buried deep into the other Dean's chest and broke off in the middle. The rift stared at Sam in that split second of utter shock. Sam leaned down so the two were eye to eye.
"That's for fucking with my family,"
Viridescent illumination exploded from the rift as a caterwaul of torment erupted from the other Dean's throat. Sam was propelled backwards as the rift convulsed in her death throes. He skidded coarsely into a massive crate and the back of his head crashed hard enough against the rotting wood that splinters showered over him.
He watched in dizzy horror as the other Dean, his eyes alight with blazing jade light, was lifted into the air. His brother's back arched and spasmed. His arms splayed out like he was mimicking crucifixion. His mouth was open in a gaping howl of blinding light as the rift extracted herself from his body. Sam knew what was about to happen and tried to rush over to where the other Dean was hovering.
But the moment he made an attempt to rise to his feet, his right leg gave out and Sam collapsed to the cold wood of the floor. The remaining essence of the rift jerked violently from the other Dean's body and, like a rag doll, he dropped. Sam opened his mouth to yell out his brother's name until he saw Dean- the real Dean- sprint full force from the shadows of the crates.
His eyes were trained intensely on his falling counterpart. Just as Sam thought that he would have to see his brother slam into the ground, Dean leapt forward and collided with the other Dean. Dean grabbed him in his arms and the two spun to the side. They crashed to the ground then rolled to a halt. At this point, Sam had managed to get to his feet by leaning against the crate.
He limped as fast as he could over to where the two Deans lay motionless. His leg throbbed with each step, but Sam ignored it. It wasn't until he reached his brother that he allowed himself to crumple to the floor. Panting, Sam dragged himself over and shook the abnormally feverish bodies. Dean lifted his head with a groan and rolled onto his back.
"I gotta learn not to throw my weight around,"
"Thank you, Dean. I don't know what I-,"
"Hey, hey. Don't get all mushy on me. Let's just hope the guy wakes up,"
Sam spared a weak smile and gather his older brother in his arms. The other Dean's skin felt like it held flaming charcoals beneath it. His complexion was ashen and a smokey gray coloration blackened the fragile skin over his eyes. The hunter resembled death in nearly every sense of the term. Despair and hope entwined in a vise hold on Sam's heart.
Without warning, the other Dean gasped and instantaneously lurched up into a sitting position. If the previous events hadn't occurred, it would appear as though the hunter had just awoken from a terrifying nightmare. His chest heaved and sweat broke out along his forehead. The other Dean didn't get a chance to turn his head for Sam embraced him in a crushing hug.
"Sammy...Sam...can't breathe,"
"Sorry! It's...you're alive! You're really alive,"
"I won't be for much longer if you keep squeezing me like that,"
Sam instantly let go with a sheepish expression. The other Dean gushed out a breath and put a hand comfortingly on his younger brother's shoulder. Dean wobbly got to his feet and helped the other two hunters up. It took the other Dean a few moments to regain his equilibrium. Once he was steadied, the brothers hugged again. Dean stood nearby with his eyes peeled for any other signs of danger, not wanting to interrupt the moment.
"How did you know that the shard would work?"
"I didn't. I just found a weapon and ganked her with it,"
"Well, it's a good thing you used that instead of a gun or something. That shard was from the rift's mirror. It was the only thing that could kill her. Kinda like a 'the only thing that can kill you is you yourself' type of deal,"
"I don't care how it killed her, I'm just glad that it did. And that I get to have you back, jerk,"
"I told you that I'd always be there for you, bitch. I never break my promises,"
Sam laughed and patted the other Dean on the back. His brother hugged him tighter for a few more seconds then pulled away. Dean, who had been anxiously shifting from foot to foot, glanced towards the crate with the Castiels. The other Sam leaned against his older brother and together the three of them made their way over.
Inside, neither man had moved. The other Cas was sprawled on his side with his arms partially covering his face. The angel was slumped in one corner, his chin resting on his shoulder. He appeared completely limp and unresponsive. Dean felt his heart sink at the sight. Forgetting that the other two were there, he dropped to his hands and knees and crawled over to where the angel sat.
He gathered Castiel into his arms and hugged him close. When the familiar scent of his best friend washed over him, Dean felt himself relax more than he had in days. He hadn't realized just how badly he'd miss the dorky guy until he was thrown into an alternate dimension. Even the dirty trenchcoat was a welcoming sight.
But the fact that the angel was in a comatose state and was injured drove a stake of guilt through Dean's heart. He knew that it was because of him that Cas was here in the first place. The other Dean and Sam shared a knowing look and chose to focus on their own Cas, who hadn't moved a single muscle. The poor chap had one foot in the grave and another on a banana peel; he could keel over at any moment. The other Dean shook his head as he, too, gathered his Cas to his chest.
Sam felt tears prick the corners of his eyes and he had to swallow hard to keep his throat from lumping up. He had gotten his older brother back, yes, and Sam was ecstatic; would he have to give up Castiel in the process? He felt that if that was true, neither of the Winchesters could handle it. Their Cas was the finishing corner to their triangle of family. Without him, they were nothing.
Dean noticed how the other Cas hadn't responded to his family's touches either. And, while his heart was bleeding for his angel, part of him still ached for the other Cas; the two had become friends- at least to Dean's knowledge. Besides, it was hard not to love the guy. Gently, Dean sighed and gently maneuvered Castiel's body to drape awkwardly yet securely over his shoulders.
As he stood up, Dean stumbled a little with Cas' dead-weight but soon righted himself and planted his feet firmly. The arms of his angel hung limply over Dean's shoulders, his chin nestled in the crook of the hunter's neck, while his legs were fastened securely around Dean's waist. With the help of Dean's slightly hunched over stance and his strong arms snugly holding under Castiel's knees, the angel was able to stay on Dean's back without much trouble.
Glancing up, Dean noticed that Sam had picked Charlie back up and the other Dean had mimicked his counterpart with his husband on his back. The three men all caught each others' eye and for a moment no one spoke. There wasn't a need to; they all knew that time was drawing short. They had known what was going to happen the minute the first wisps of the rift's dying energy began to burst from her lips.
There was a sort of vibration in the air that cause a gnawing twisting feeling spring up in Dean's gut. The other Sam and Dean did not seem to feel it. Dean bit his lip as the three began the long trek back to the house; although the feeling was faint, the hunter had a premonition that it would soon strengthen. As they walked, the other Dean began to speak.
"So I gotta say this before any other sappy crap happens: thank you, Dean, for...for helping my family. And for, you know, everything else in between. I don't know what I would have done without you,"
Dean felt the back of his neck and his ears begin to heat up in a flush of embarrassment and pride. He muttered a gruff, "It was nothing. Would've done the same for me," and left it at that. The other Dean seemed perfectly fine with the cease of conversation; in fact, it's what he'd been hoping for. Even if he was in another dimension or if he was from the real world, Dean Winchester was not good when it came down to expressing his emotions.
Sam, on the other hand, was not quite ready to allow the conversation to end. He shifted Charlie on his broad shoulders, although she really didn't weigh that much. With a slightly annoyed flip of his hair, Sam turned his head in the Deans' direction and lightly glared at them. But whatever he was about to say was cut off by a synchronized gurgling growl. There was a brief pause then the other Dean grinned sheepishly.
"I, uh, I haven't eaten since I visited Dean's world. It's all catching up with me,"
Sam and Dean looked at one another and frowned; they hadn't eaten in about three days. The only thing that had been in their stomachs had been that small cup of coffee that neither had finished. As though in response, first Dean's belly growled and a few minutes later Sam's went off. It was odd that they hadn't noticed up until this point that they were practically starving.
"We must have been so focused on fighting and the hunt that we completely forgot to eat," Sam said. The other Dean's face went slack with stupor at his younger brother's words. When Dean nodded in agreement, the other Dean shook his head- the action jostled the other Cas a little bit. His expression was only slightly sour with disapproval.
"I can't believe you, Sammy. Not eating for three days straight," he snorted, "If I had known that you couldn't take care of yourself, I would have-." He cut off as he realized what he was about to say. I would have never left you alone. Dean finished the thought in his head. And he finally understood what his own Sam had meant all those times he'd told Dean that he was acting like John Winchester.
While Dean shamefully looked down at the dirt, the other Dean cleared his throat. He shifted the other Cas into a more comfortable position on his shoulders. A smile broad with affection and relief sprung to his face when his husband grumbled nearly inaudibly under his breath. He glanced over at Sam, who wearily grinned.
"Let's go home, guys."
A/N: Hopefully I'll have the last chapter up in a few hours. I just want to make sure that I haven't gone off track. Bear with me for just a little while longer! Please and thank you!