AN: As you can tell here I am taking severe liberties with the Supernatural timeline. If this is not your kind of thing, run. Run far away from this place.

June 2016 - Interstate 86, Pennsylvania

"Dean," Her voice was raised and she pointed out of the window to his left, "Look!"

Narrowing his eyes into the sun he slowed slightly, "I dunno' Lisa."

The brunette gave him a scolding look, "Dean, stop this truck, right now." Her voice was low and he knew she was serious.

He made an aggravated noise as he stopped, using the radio to let the others know as he put it in park. As he got out he had to admit, from this distance, "Well, it's definitely a Jeep."

Lisa rolled her eyes, "Are you gonna' bitch the whole day, or just half, bitch?"

Despite his best efforts the corners of his lips upturned in a smirk and he shoved the keys into his pocket. He closed the door to the F150 and made his way over to the wreckage. The windows were shattered but intact, the windshield, however, had a human sized hole in it.

Lisa moved to the front, peering into the missing section of glass, "There's no body parts," Looking to her right at the rear of the Jeep, she amended, "I think." The Jeep was sandwiched around a tree, the front and rear ends side by side. "I'm not sure how he managed this."

"We don't know it's his yet." He couldn't stop himself, for some reason he needed to be hopeful about this. His arm itched and he clenched his jaw.

With a bit of effort, and a few kicks, Lisa was able to see into the driver's side. With a bit of careful digging she found an empty, label-less prescription bottle, "It looks like someone's already been here." A check in the glove compartment yielded nothing but a stale pack of rolling papers. The Jeep groaned and she took a step back. Dean had climbed up onto the side and was now kicking out the rear window, "What're you doing?"

"Just a hunch." It was odd how gratified he felt as the window finally cracked and he was admitted entrance, "Something a scavenger wouldn't take," Avoiding the glass he shimmied in through the window, craning himself awkwardly in the malformed space, "And if I know Cas-" As his fingers touched down on green plastic he felt a slight stab of sorrow, "Yeah." It was all he could say as he climbed back out, brandishing the little green, half melted army figure.

Lisa wasn't sure what she was missing, but by the look on his face, she knew what it meant. "Stay here, I'll go look- um." She cleared her voice, not wanting to actually say it. I'll go look for the body.

"Yeah." Pressing the figurine into his jacket pocket he looked around the wreckage, someone had definitely been here. He knew of no survival camps nearby -at least not near enough to scavenge this far- and the Jeep had been salvaged for parts, what meager scrapings it had offered. Someone had to be nearby. Someone with the knowledge and skills to survive alone, or with minimal help. A hunter.

A twig snapped nearby and he spotted one of his men, likely making a perimeter. He had trained them well, that was certain of his leadership. Other things, he winced, not so much. He remembered caring, in the beginning, or at least pretending to care. But it had gotten exhausting, quick. Now, he sighed. Now, he had absolutely no idea what kind of a man he was -if he could even be called one any more.

The mark of Cain had taken its toll on him and everyone around him, in more ways than Dean cared to think on. He thought back to all those years ago when taking the mark had seemed like a good idea. Now he almost cringed. Almost. These days it was too valuable an asset for him to even continue looking for a way to get rid of it.

He did regret one thing however. Accepting the trials after Sam had failed, finally closing the gates of Hell. They should've known better. They had seen first hand what had happened when the gates of Heaven had been closed. The Demons, the nightmares and the captives of Hell had been unleashed into the world. As a result Lucifer's supporters had rallied, sacrificing themselves to power the fallen Angel and what he wasn't given he had taken.

Sammy. His heart actually hurt at the thought. It had been long before he had learned to control the mark, long before he had pretended to care. They were at the bunker. Nothing was supposed to be able to get them there. They had just finished giving Crowley his last dose of blood and Dean's arms were on fire, when everything seemed to go wrong.

The Earth had shook and the temperature dropped, scattered drops of blood froze instantly. When he had looked back at Sam to ask just what the fuck was going on he saw it. The way Sam looked down at him, a half smirk. The bastard had already had permission and now he was back.

"Dean!" Her voice was near, coming through the brush and he turned, glad to be shaken from his daydream.

He watched her approach and stuck his hands in his pockets, "So?" He didn't mean to sound so desperate for her report.

She shook her head in the negative, "There's no body. I found bood-" She cut herself off, "He's not there and not anywhere nearby. At least, not anywhere anyone who has lost that much blood can get to."

Dean didn't say anything but he nodded, speaking into the radio at his shoulder, "Lets wrap it up people."

"That's it?!"

"What?" He folded his arms across his chest.

"You're not gonna' look for him?"

Dean rolled his eyes and headed back in the direction of the vehicles, "I didn't say that."

"Alright boys let's check it out." The truck rolled to a stop just before the bend in the road. "Wash on the line, generator out back-"

"Farm in the front." Lisa sighed.

"What?" He paused, hand on the door handle.

"I mean, it's likely he'd be somewhere nearby but almost impossible that it would be this easy to find him. And," She opened her door, "that's if he's even still alive."

"Lisa-" His voice was raised but she cut him off.

"Look, I just don't want you to get your hopes up."

"Fair enough." He removed the keys from the ignition and got out, checking his weapons quickly. "You better check yours." He didn't have to look at her to know she was rolling her eyes. "Never know what could be on the other side of that fence. You remember Duluth and the fabric, cotton, whatever factory."

"I just checked them before we got in, less that an hour ago."

He sent her a stern look but was interrupted by rustling in the brush behind him. It was one of his men.

"Boss." He stepped from the line of trees, struggling with his captive, "Found this one in the woods."

Dean had to admit it, he was surprised. "Of all the filth I imagined crawling out of Hell, you were definitely not on the list."

"Aww, you did miss me."

"Can it, bitch."

"Last time I checked it was me dying in an alley to save your precious Moose, Squirrel." As his eyes narrowed at the use of his nickname she laughed, "Don't think for a second that those adorable names didn't get spread around Hell. Demons are many things, sweet pea, but we do have a sense of humor."

"Give me one reason I shouldn't gank you right now." He raised the gun he had been inspecting, "Demon."

Meg stumbled forward slightly as the man who'd caught her pushed her away as if she were something particularly vile. "Jeez, all those threats and that's what it takes for you to let go?" Her eyes widened slightly as she brushed herself off, "I know where your-"

"Meg!"

"Damn it, I was just going to get to say angel cakes for the first time in forever." She turned slightly, "Clarence, do be a dear and tell your friend over here to put his weapon down." At Dean's irritated glare she added, "It makes a girl nervous."

"Cas." Dean lowered his weapon as the man they'd been looking for in the past months stepped in front of Meg.

It took him a moment to pick out the right name, his thoughts were more than jumbled as he was remembering a millennia. "Dean." He nodded.

"Get your stuff, we'll take you back to camp." This was most definitely a demand.

Cas sighed, he remembered how things were between them now. All that had transpired. "Give me some time to decide."

The way he said it, Dean knew he meant business. "How long Cas, we don't have all day?"

"Honey invite your friends inside we can all have a decision powwow."

Cas wanted to smirk at her sense of humor but couldn't, "I'll open the gates, you can park in the yard."

Meg couldn't believe she was doing this, but Clarence had asked her to. Balancing the tray she brought enough sweet tea for everyone and set it on the table. She leaned in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room and despite the arrival of tea, no one was talking.

"I have one condition." Castiel broke the silence, "If Meg so chooses, she will be allowed into Camp." Before Dean could interrupt he pressed on, "I think it only fair to offer her the same hospitality and protection she has given me. Twice now."

"No." It was Meg who spoke up. "No fucking way am I living in a Camp full of narrow minded cattle."

"Meg, please-"

"You can still come visit since you like me so much, but I'm afraid it'd be much too boring for a girl like me." He looked disappointed, "Look, I've been solitary all of my life, no one but me, do not ask me to join your flock."

"Very well." He rose from the sofa, "I'll get my things." Despite the comfort and safety this home provided him and how much he liked his present housemate, he felt the need to return to Camp. To return home. And, it was like Meg said he could visit.

It didn't take long to gather what little he had come with and the meager amount of personal items he had acquired since being here. He looked around the room, he would miss it here.

"Cas?"

It was one of the first times she had called him that since he had come here and he turned to face her, partially blinded by the afternoon sun in the window behind her. He smiled but remained silent.

"I have something for you," Meg toyed with the object in her pocket, "I didn't want to give it to you when you first got here, figured it would fuck with your feather brains." She sighed and crossed the expanse between them, "It still might."

"What is it?" He raised a brow.

She pressed something cool and metallic into his hand, "It's to the armoire in the basement."

His brows knotted, he remembered finding it when he was painting. Cas had asked her about it and she'd said she had lost the key. Despite how much she said she wasn't worried about it being unlocked, he'd promised to get it open for her. But it had been buried in the list of things she'd needed done -had she made it that way, adding things here and there so he'd never open it?

"Come on." She tugged on his hands, "Don't lollygag you're making me sentimental."

He chuckled slightly and followed her, his army issue duffel slung over his shoulder. The steps creaked and he'd anticipated every single one, it would be tough saying goodbye to this house. To her. At the landing he dropped his duffel and followed her into the basement.

As he fumbled with the key, she spoke. "Yeah, you know that thing I said about visiting?"

His ears began to ring as the key slid into the lock, it wasn't annoying or deafening. It was familiar, like a song. "Yeah." As the door swung open, time slowed. The ringing got louder, the chorus unending as a blue glow was unleashed into the dim lighting of the basement.

"Might not be possible."

He moved as fast as he could, hoping, no, praying that he'd grab her in time. All he came up with was thin air and he stared numbly into the blank space she had just occupied. He turned back to the armoire, "What the fuck."

AN: Muahaha.