Dean opened his eyes, the image of a eerie field unfolding before him. His vision was hazy, and the noises that accompanied the scenery echoed through his ears. He spun around to see Sam, standing alone in the middle of the field. He smiled, walking toward his brother, stretching out his arms to embrace him in a hug.

"Sammy, there you are!" Dean beamed, reaching out to his younger brother. He kept walking, Sam moving further and further away from him as his pace picked up. He broke into a run, yearning to reach him, putting every ounce of effort he had to get closer. Sam did nothing, not moving, keeping his steady eyes on his older brother. His mouth curled into a wicked smile, his eyes turning the color of coal.

"Sam is gone now," said the voice coldly. The words came from Sam's mouth, but Dean knew it was not his brother. It was Lucifer, filling Sam's vessel, forcing his brother's soul to the darkest depths of his mind. Dean ran harder.

"Leave my brother alone!" he screamed at the fallen angel who stood before him in the form of Sam. Lucifer lifted his hand, forcing Dean to fly backwards, hitting the damp earth with a crunch, yelping in pain from the impact of the ground beneath him. He closed his eyes tightly shut, begging himself to wake up, to move on from this nightmare.

He opened them again, expecting to see the ceiling of his darkened room in the house he shared with Lisa. Instead, he found himself sitting on a park bench. He knew this place, he had been here before. His racing heart settled as he looked around the changed scenery. He felt the presence of someone next to him, a presence that gave him comfort. He turned his head to see Castiel, his blue eyes deepening as their gazes locked. The hunter felt the overwhelming sense of happiness that his friend had returned after their prolonged separation. He felt a release from the pain for the first time in what seemed like ages.

"Cas… Where have you been?" Dean spoke softly, the joy in his heart exemplified in his tone. "I've been wanting to look for you, but the whole thing with Sam, you know, its been hard and-" He said apologetically, but was interrupted by the angel's hand resting upon his.

"It's okay, you're safe. I'm watching over you." the angel said as his smile glimmered to show his perfect white teeth. "I won't leave you," he continued, moving his eyes over Dean's parted lips. Dean's gaze softened with the angel words, but immediately saw the image fade, as he awoke.

He opened his eyes and realized he had never left his home with Lisa, and seeing Cas was just a dream. He peered over to his left, seeing his girlfriend invested in a peaceful slumber. Dean heaved himself up, and swung his legs to the side of his bed, rubbing his face and hair to recover from his shortened sleep. He peered over at the clock on his bedside table. It read 3:28. It was longer than he had slept in a while, but being awake this time came with a certain sense of longing. He stood up, stretched his legs, and made his way to the bathroom.

At this point, Castiel was no longer visible to the hunter, but he stood nearby, watching. Dean shut the bathroom door behind him, switching on the light and stopping in front of the mirror. He looked at himself, pain lingering in his eyes as he grabbed the sides of the sink. He bowed his head, shutting his eyes.

"Cas," Dean whispered. "I know you're busy with your angel business and everything but I-I miss you. Now that Sam is gone, and maybe not coming back, I just need someone familiar. I need you, Cas. So, if you've got your ears on, just know that I want to see you. Come if you can." He finished his prayer with a sigh, taking his hands off the sink and looking at himself once again in the mirror. He stepped away, turning to leave the bathroom with the sinking feeling that Cas had not heard him. But the angel was there, hesitating to reveal himself to his friend.

Dean quietly stepped over to a pile of his clothes, grabbing the navy ACDC shirt that lay there, pulling it over his bare chest. He tightened the string of his gray sweatpants and walked out the bedroom. He moved to the kitchen, finding a bottle of whiskey sitting on the counter. He leaned against the cabinets, unscrewing the cap and taking a long swig. The liquid burned his throat, but as he swallowed, he heard a fluttering from across the room. He spun toward the familiar sound and saw Castiel, dressed in his usual trench coat. His eyes widened, and his mouth opened, no words escaping from his tongue.

"Hi Dean," Cas said cautiously, taking a careful step toward the hunter. "I'm sorry I've been away for so long-" the angel's apology was cut short by the force of Dean's body as he threw his arms around the angel in a warm embrace. He stepped back, gripping the shoulder's of Cas' trench coat, looking at him in the eye.

"Don't apologize. You're hear now, and that is all that matters." Dean smiled warmly, looking deeply into the angel's shimmery blue eyes which filled with warmth at Dean's touch. The phone rang, interrupting the reunion of the angel and his hunter. Dean gazed for just a second longer before walking towards the phone. He picked it up, pressing his ear against the speaker, wondering who could possibly be calling so late.

"Hello?" said Dean with a slight smile, leftover from seeing his friend once again. Cas stared at Dean with concern framing his eyes.

"Dean?" said the voice on the other end. It was a voice Dean wasn't sure he'd ever hear again. One he was certain had been lost along with the body that it belonged to. It was the voice of his younger brother.

"Sammy? Is that really you?," said Dean, panic lining his words.

"Yes, it's really me. Listen… I woke up in the middle of a field a few hours ago. I'm a Bobby's now. When can you get here?" Sam asked.

"It'll take six hours to drive there. I'm with Cas, we'll leave now." Answered Dean swiftly, hanging up the phone and running to the bedroom to gather some belongings and the keys to his Impala. The combination of reuniting with Castiel and hearing his brother's voice for the first time in over six months filled Dean with more happiness than he could bare. He stumbled out of the house, locking the door behind him, not bothering to wake Lisa or even leave a note. He climbed into the drivers seat, smiling at the content angel sitting next to him, and turned on the ignition. He sped off into the early hours of the morning, his heart brimming with joy.