It's a short chapter, apologies on that, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

Dean's POV

"CAS! CAS DAMMIT WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" I scream for the thousandth time. I'm scouring the entire bunker, opening the doors to every room and closet we have, practically swinging them off the hinges.

He's not gone. He can't be gone.

"Dean, he's gone."

I whirl to face my brother, hands shaking. "No..." I start to say. But no more words will come. I know Sam's right. The empty drawers in Cas's room practically scream what deep down, I already know. Cas left us. Again.

"Dean..."

"How could he do that? I mean how could he...?" I let the question hang there. I know it can't be answered.

"He probably thought it'd be safer for us Dean. With all the angels after him, I'm sure he was just trying to protect us, you know? Keep us out of the crossfire." Sam tries to supply one anyway, watching me warily, waiting for me to snap. Thinks it's inevitable. So I prove him wrong.

I start to laugh instead.

It sounds unhinged and maniacal, even to my own ears, but I keep laughing anyway, my words filling the space between each broken spurt.

"We...we sure...taught him well...huh Sammy? I mean...all that training...he didn't even wake us up...didn't even...I mean...that's one heavy door and he just...he just..." I break off suddenly, my breath catching. And suddenly there's something lodged in my throat. It tastes like copper and metal and betrayal. I swallow against it, trying to push it back down.

"Fuck." It's all I can think of to say. So I say it a few more times, until Sam grabs me by the collar of my shirt and shakes me hard.

"Dean, it's okay," he reassures me. "We'll find him. We'll bring him back and we'll explain to him what a goddamn idiot he is and it'll all be fine. We can start looking now, okay? He couldn't've gotten far. We'll get him back."

I laugh again. Just one short, unamused snort.

"Don't you get it Sam? He's gone. He doesn't want to be found."

"That's never stopped us before. And Cas isn't exactly a grade a con-artist. I'm sure we can figure out where he went. We just have to figure it out. Like always," Sam says. I can feel the desperation seeping from his voice, and I realize with a jolt that I'm not the only one affected by this. Sam is worried too. Sam is scared too.

I nod, pushing my shoulders back and bringing my eyes up to meet my brother's. "Alright, yeah. So where do we start?"

"Pretty sure this was the worst plan ever," I sigh, turning the Impala down another random street. "I mean really? Just drive around and see if we can bump into Cas by accident? We should've..."

"Should've what, Dean?" Sam asks. "There's no mathematical formula on how to track down an angel turned human when he's looking to get as far away from us as possible. There's no other way than to just drive and see if we get lucky."

"Right. Right, because we're just the poster-boys for 'lucky', aren't we?" I retort. I drum my fingers against the steering wheel, waiting impatiently for the light in front of us to change. When it finally does, I step on the gas, cutting onto the next side street, my eyes sweeping across the dancing shadows, trying to spot even the slightest movement. But just like the last street, there's nothing to find. I let out a frustrated groan, slamming my hand down hard on the dash. And then I'm instantly hissing in pain.

"Shit," I curse as my still injured wrist spasms and starts to throb. I had forgotten about the damn sprained wrist from my encounter with the demons at the gas station. Sam shoots me a look of disapproval but doesn't say anything.

We try the next street. And the next. And then the next.

There's still no sign of Cas anywhere.

Finally, after another hour or so, I turn back towards the bunker, still automatically scanning the sidewalks, though Sam and I both know he's long gone by now. I cut the engine and lean my head back against the soft padding of my car, closing my eyes.

I open them with a start when Sam rests a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry man. We can look again tomorrow. I'm sure Cas is fine. Like you said, we taught him well," he says, trying to mask his own worry. I nod and then close my eyes again.

"I uh...I'll be inside," Sam grunts after another minute, and I feel him open the door and slam it shut behind him. I listen to the telling sounds of his abnormally long stride as he makes his way to the bunker and closes the heavy door behind him.

And then I'm alone.

I sit like that for a long time. Just breathing in and out. I still don't want to believe it. A part of me is still expecting Cas to be sitting at that dining room table when I walk in, talking with Kevin or waiting for another training lesson or digging into another home cooked meal.

I let out a long breath and start to gather myself up, opening the door and sliding out into the chilly night air. Stupid son of a bitch probably didn't even think to bring a damn jacket.

Sighing again, I open the door and step inside.

The table is empty.

Reviews are like Halloween candy- I love them. Even if it's just to tell me what you're being for Halloween (because I need ideas). Wow. Off-topic. Anyways, let me know what you think if you have time. If not, thanks for reading! =)