Chapter Seven

The bed beside his was empty when Dean woke the next morning. Not only was it empty, but it was neatly made with hospital corners as only his brother would bother with. It seemed some things didn't change, which was comforting in a way as so much else had.

He threw back the covers and sat on the edge of the bed, scrubbing a hand over his face. He needed a shave and a shower. He felt grimy. He hadn't bothered the day before as there had been so much else going on. After Sam and Lucifer had taken their walk together, Lucifer and Gabriel had left, and Dean had wanted to be there for Sam. Against what he had expected, Sam hadn't been overly emotional about Lucifer's absence. He had seemed to take it all in his stride, throwing himself into making dinner with Bobby. Dean guessed that after two centuries of only each other's company, it was good to have a little space.

He got up and padded through the hall into the bathroom. He set the shower to running and examined his reflection in the mirror. He had aged over the past two years; sadness and anger had etched their lines onto his face. He saw the changes in himself and he wondered what Sam made of them. For his part, Sam hadn't changed at all. He was exactly the same as he was the day he'd thrown himself in the pit, physically at least—it was the rest that Dean wasn't sure about.

Fifteen minutes later, Dean was showered and shaved, and making his way down the stairs. He heard a snatch of Bobby and Sam's conversation, and he guessed they were catching up on what Sam had missed.

"You met Samuel Colt? The Samuel Colt?"

"Yep, and he was a grumpy old man." Dean could hear the smile in Bobby's voice as he answered.

"Reminds me of someone."

"You watch it, boy. You may be freshly sprung from Hell but that won't stop me taking my boot to your ass."

Dean thought it was time he made an appearance. He walked into the study to see Sam's head thrown back with laughter and Bobby sporting a grin. Even Castiel looked amused. It was an idyllic scene of his ragtag family, and it made him feel like an outsider. Sam had slotted back into their lives as if he'd never gone, but Dean couldn't do that—too much had changed in him.

Sam caught sight of Dean standing at the door and he grinned. "Hey, Dean."

Dean nodded and moved across the room into the kitchen to pour himself some coffee.

"Bobby has been filling me in on the last couple years," Sam said, showing no sign that he'd noticed Dean's dour mood. "Alphas, Eve, Leviathans, you must have been swamped out there."

Dean didn't know as much as he'd like about how Bobby and Castiel had spent the last two years. He would have to get Bobby to fill him in soon, otherwise Sam was going to work out just how distant Dean had become from his family while he was gone.

Thinking redirection was the way to go, he grabbed his coffee and sat on the couch beside Sam. "So, did Bobby fill you in on the Leviathans while you were catching up?"

Bobby shook his head. "We didn't get there yet."

Dean smiled. It seemed he was completely surplus to requirements after all. "Well, from what Bobby tells me, they're the nastiest fugly we've come up against. He shot one full of silver pellets and it smiled and kept on coming. We haven't found a way to hurt them even a little." Nobody pointed out the false note of the 'we' in that sentence and Dean was grateful for it.

Sam nodded thoughtfully. "They can eat each other, but I don't see them doing that this time."

Dean realized that his little speech on Leviathans was old news to Sam and he felt stupid. Lucifer said he'd been teaching Sam, and apparently that included a rundown on the Leviathans.

"So, that's what we know," he said stiffly. "How about you fill us in on what you know about them."

Sam shifted uncomfortably and his ready smile faded. "I don't know anything else about taking them out, but I do know where they came from."

Bobby leaned forward in his seat. "Don't leave us hanging, fill us in."

Sam took a deep breath. "They are among God's first creations. They came before humans and monsters, and even angels." He looked to Castiel who nodded. "They're the reason God created Purgatory. He realized that they would destroy any other creature He could create, so He made Purgatory and trapped them in there."

"They would destroy any creature?" Bobby asked. "Does that mean they can kill angels?"

Sam looked apologetic. "I don't know. They've never come up against each other, before now that is."

Castiel cleared his throat. "It seems we are working with an even playing field for once. I am as fallible as a human."

"Maybe," Bobby said. "Let's not test the theory. No more using yourself as bait, Cas. We've kept you alive these past couple of years; we're not going to lose you now."

Castiel smiled at Bobby and a moment of communication passed between them. Dean realized that there was something else he had missed while off on his own. Circumstances had pushed Bobby and Castiel together, and they seemed to have a strong bond of friendship now. With Sam and Lucifer, and now Bobby and Castiel, he felt on the fringes more than ever.

"What's on the agenda for today?" he asked, pushing away his bitter thoughts.

"I need to get a motel," Sam said. "Not that I don't appreciate you letting me stay here, Bobby, but I need a place for when Lucifer comes back."

"I can take you by the Valley Inn," Bobby offered. "If you're going to be staying there, you're going to need a car. Do you want to take the Chevelle?"

"You don't mind?" Sam asked.

"Nah, it's no trouble. I can use the truck if I need to get around. It's hardly used anyway since I have angel express here bouncing me about." He gestured to Castiel who smiled.

"Thanks, Bobby," Sam said, smiling widely.

"You want to go now?" Bobby asked.

"Sure." Sam downed the dregs of his coffee and set the mug in the sink. "You coming, Dean?"

"Nah, I've got some stuff to take care of here."

"Cas?" Bobby asked.

Castiel shook his head. "I will stay here with Dean."

Bobby grabbed the truck keys from the counter and he and Sam disappeared out of the door.

Dean finished his own coffee and went out to the yard. Bobby's Chevelle was parked beside the garage. With some quick maneuvering, he had it parked in the service bay and the hood open. He pulled out a tray of tools and set to work on tuning it up. If Bobby had been using Castiel to jump him around the planet, there was no knowing when it had last been serviced.

He was deep in the engine when he heard a soft cough as someone cleared their throat. Knowing it was Castiel and not wanting to have that particular conversation, he didn't raise his head. "Something you need, Cas?"

"I would like to talk to you," the angel said.

Dean sighed. "I'm a little busy right now. Can I catch you later?"

"It would be better to speak now before Sam returns."

That made Dean pull his head out of the engine and look at Castiel. "What's wrong?"

"I would like to talk to you about our last parting, and I do not believe you would want Sam to overhear."

Dean looked the angel over, and he realized it wasn't just him that had changed these past two years. Castiel was expressing more self-awareness than he had ever managed under Dean's tutelage.

He wiped his oily hands on a dirty rag and surveyed Castiel. He saw the steely glint in his eyes, and he knew he wasn't going to be able to divert him from this conversation. The time when a glare from Dean would be enough to silence the angel was gone, unfortunately.

"I'm sorry for what I said," Dean admitted. "I shouldn't have blamed you for what Sam did. It was down to him, not you."

Castiel nodded serenely. "I know."

Dean huffed a laugh. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Lucifer said passing through the portal could have destroyed Sam the first time. Did you know?"

Castiel frowned. "Do you think I would not have told you had I known?"

Dean shrugged. "I figured you were protecting me. It was bad enough that Sam was gone, but knowing what could have happened to him trying to get there…" It would have been so much worse. Dean had comforted himself with the knowledge that Sam was with the man he loved. The thought that he hadn't been would have stolen any solace Dean had.

"I did not know," Castiel said. "I knew little of the Cage other than what I already told you about Lucifer being in command over his surroundings. I did not even know the power of the rings until Gabriel told us. That was a secret shared by the archangels alone."

"Okay." Dean rubbed at the back of his neck uncomfortably. What he had to say next was awkward and he would rather not say it, but he owed Castiel. "Thanks for taking care of Bobby when I was away."

Castiel frowned. "I was merely doing my job. You taught me that friends do not abandon one another, and Bobby is my friend."

"I should have been there, too." Dean said. "I shouldn't have just abandoned you both."

"Perhaps that is true. Know this though, Bobby never once blamed you for the choices you made. It upset him that he could not contact you and he worried, but he never once blamed you. You were lost without your brother. Now he has returned, things will be better."

Dean nodded distractedly and returned his attention to the Chevelle. His face was calm, but his mind was busy.


An hour later, Dean heard the rumble of the truck's engine coming toward the house. He and Castiel had been working on the Chevelle's engine—or more accurately, Dean had been working on the engine while Castiel questioned him about the purpose of each tool he was using. It hadn't been a bad way to pass the time, and Dean was slightly disappointed that it had to come to an end.

He ambled into the house and washed his hands at the kitchen sink. He was just drying them on a cloth when Bobby and Sam came in.

"You get everything sorted?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded. "Our old room was free, which was cool, so I got that."

Dean patted his pockets and pulled out his wallet. "You're going to need money, aren't you?"

"No, I'm good."

Dean frowned. It wasn't Bobby's responsibility to pay their way.

Sam caught Dean's scowl, and he shook his head. "I guess you didn't go into my duffel once I was gone. Trust me, I'm good for cash. Lucifer fleeced the demons he was exorcising, and we made out pretty good."

"How good?" Dean asked.

"We can lay off the credit card scams for a while."

Dean absorbed that information. It would be good not to worry about cash for a while, and he knew it would ease Sam's conscience to not need to run the scams, but he didn't much like living on Lucifer's gains like some kind of kept man.

"I was thinking we could look for a hunt," Sam said, oblivious to Dean's discomfort.

"You sure you're ready for that?" Dean asked. "You only got back yesterday, and there's the whole 'the portal could destroy you' thing. You feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," Sam said. "Nothing wrong with me. Lucifer healed it all?"

Dean wondered about the soul aspect of the damage. Sam seemed okay, but that wasn't a guarantee he was okay—he had seemed fine when he was sucking down demon blood, too.

"If you're sure," he said.

"I'm sure." Sam settled at the kitchen table and pulled his laptop towards him.

Dean sat opposite and waited for Sam to start their routine of announcing details to pick a case. He didn't have long to wait, but he was disappointed that there was only one case apparently available.

"Demons in Iowa," Sam said, turning the laptop so Dean could see. "Their weather is going haywire with signs."

Dean cracked his knuckles. "Demons sound like fun. You want to head out today?"

"Sure. There's no point waiting around," Sam said, snapping the laptop closed and getting to his feet. "Cas, Bobby, you want in?"

Bobby looked up from the book he was reading. "Do you need us?"

Dean scoffed. "I think we can handle a demon or two. We've got the knife."

"Then you boys go have some fun. Me and Cas will keep the home fires burning."

It was odd for Dean to hear Castiel being lumped in with Bobby as a team. Castiel had always been there with him and Sam. He figured it was only right, though, seeing as they had been fighting as a team for years without him.

Sam bounded up the stairs and came back a minute later with their duffels. "Ready?"

Dean nodded and after saying their goodbyes to Bobby and Castiel, they headed out to the Impala.

Sam ran his hand over the hood of the car and his smile grew. "I've missed this."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "I can give you two a moment alone if you like."

Sam laughed. "Not just the car, the whole thing. We're heading out on a hunt together. I missed that."

"Yeah, me too."


So… The Winchesters are back on the hunt together. Good times.

I am going to Asylum16 this week to see our lovely boys, so there won't be an update until next week. Sorry.

Until next time…

Clowns or Midgets xxx