Chapter 4 - Heaven is a Place on Earth

Dean pressed the brakes hard, skidded the Impala the last 4 feet into the space outside the diner and practically sprinted inside, seating himself quickly at a table in the corner, he grabbed the menu from the tabletop and glanced it over.

"Hi Hun, what can I fetch for ya?" asked a blonde girl, she must've been about 18.

"Hey can I have the…" Dean said, studying the meals on the menu again, "Full English with a side of chips please," he said with a smile.

"And to drink?"

"Do you serve alcohol?"

"Not before 4pm, sorry Hun" she said.

Dean frowned and looked at the drinks listed on the menu.

"Large coke, please,"

"Ok, comin' up!" the waitress announced and pranced away.

Dean looked around at the other patrons in the diner. He frowned and checked his watch, which displayed it was about lunch time but the diner was fairly quiet; at the counter was a man wearing a beret, eating what looked like a grilled cheese sandwich; a couple on the other side of the diner, an old man wearing a worn down trench coat and a long white beard and a bobble hat eating a bacon sandwich in another corner.

He pulled out his phone and began looking through it, at the pictures it held, memories of him and Sam at what appeared to be New Year's, him and Jade on a beach, and other random pictures.

He frowned and rubbed his face; he was forgetting something, something important…it was his parents anniversary today…his head still wasn't working right. He looked up and around again and saw the waitress approaching with his food; he flashed his cocky grin at her and noticed she was wearing too much make up.

"There ya go Hun,"

"Thanks," Dean said as he took the knife and fork from her and began eating. He noticed the knife had writing on it, stamped on the blade near the handle, "Stainless Steel".

Glancing up and around the diner again he noticed the old bearded guy was watching him. He nodded at the man slightly but he just watched Dean. Nervously, Dean swallowed the mouthful of bacon he had and averted his eyes, trying his best to act normal. After about five minutes Dean's plate was almost cleared, he glanced up again and saw the bearded guy still watching him. Dean looked down again quickly and then back up to find the guy standing in front of him.

"Dean Winchester?" he asked with a hoarse voice.

"Yeah?" Dean asked, putting his fork down, but keeping the knife firmly in his grip.

"My name is Veagas, I'm a friend of Castiel's."

Dean swallowed and put the knife down.

"You're not supposed to be here Mister Winchester, something's happened in the real world."

"No fucking shit," Dean snapped.

"Calm down, Dean," said the female of the couple.

Dean looked at her, then around the rest of the diner.

"You're all…?"

"Yes," Veagas said.

"Just what's going…." Dean started and then put a hand to his head as a memory flashed forward in his head; a few years previously in the real world, Sam had told Dean about a Djinn and he'd gone to check it out, only to fall victim to it. Sam had saved him before but now he was hunting on the other side of the country. Then the memory of the cottage flashed into his head, "This has happened before…" he muttered.

Veagas sat down opposite him.

"Yes, but the Djinn is more powerful than it was, it's created something for you to defeat, meaning it wont be as easy as it was before."

"It'll be easier…I know what I have to do…" Dean said, gripping the knife again and picking it up.

"Dean it wont work," said the female again.

"How do I know you're not my imagination?" Dean asked quietly.

"Bobby and Sam know you're missing, Jade's distraught and Jordan's disappeared." Veagas said. "Bobby sent Sam to check on the cottage outside Lawrence but didn't find you, that's when Castiel was contacted by Sam, who contacted us to find you."

"So just tell them where I am!" Dean said angrily, putting the knife down.

"It's not as easy as that," Veagas said, "It was easier to locate your consciousness first."

Dean sat silently.

"What's happened here then? What's this fucking thing created that I've got to defeat?" Dean asked, looking up at the Angels around him.