Lindsey exited the bar to grab the book Sam had been looking for from the car. The cold wind bit at her exposed flesh and she wrapped her leather jacket tighter to her body. She caught sight of the impala across the foggy gravel parking lot of the dive bar and stopped dead in her tracks. Someone dressed in a dark jacket with the hood up was looking in the windows. The vampires they were hunting seemed to be hunting the Winchesters as well. Knowing she should probably run back inside and get her brothers, Lindsey stooped and slid the syringe from her boot anyways. She twirled it slightly and saw the dead man's blood that Dean had stolen from the morgue ooze down the sides. She knew it would stop a vamp dead in its tracks and decided she couldn't pass up on trying to gank the one that was after her and her brothers. Taking a deep breath, she strode across the lot quickly and silently. As she reached the vampire, she grabbed it tightly by the shoulder and spun it around to get a clear shot at its neck. She swung the syringe high in the air, ready to sink it into the evil son of a bitch, but froze when she saw its face.
"ANDI?" she asked incredulously.
"What the hell, Lindsey?" Andi demanded, throwing Lindsey's hand off her shoulder.
"I—I'm sorry," Lindsey stuttered, slowly dropping her arm by her side. "I thought—"
"You thought you would skip down, leaving your life and friends behind to go gallivanting across the country with two men you hardly know," Andi finished sharply. "Hayley told me when I came to your apartment expecting a movie night. Imagine my surprise when I found you gone," she answered the unasked question on Lindsey's lips.
"Then Hayley also would have told you that those two men are my brothers," Lindsey defended.
"I wouldn't care if they were the lead singers of your favorite rock group! You don't know them, Lindsey, and you just took off with them!" she yelled, waving her arms in the air. "You've got to learn to look before you leap. Anything could have happened to you," Andi finished quietly. Lindsey let her old college roommate finish her rant before explaining herself. Andi liked to act distant, but she was very protective of the few people she let past her walls. "And why the fuck were you about to attack me with a syringe? Have you really lost your goddamn mind?"
"I can explain that…later," she trailed off, not really knowing how to explain a syringe full of dead guy juice. "Andi, look—this is really hard to explain, but Sam and Dean—"
"Oh, so they have names now!" Andi interjected. Lindsey silenced her with a look.
"—are trying to protect me. I can't say what they're protecting me from, but just know that I had to go with them."
"That's what Hayley kept saying, but she wouldn't tell me why," Andi hissed. "Why did you have to leave, Lindsey?" Lindsey audibly sighed and Andi sensed her defeat. She would finally get her answer; she hated being left out of things.
"Come inside with me," Lindsey nodded towards the bar. "It's cold out here and my brothers will come looking for me soon." Andi opened her mouth to protest. "Not now, Andi. Later." She heard the finality in Lindsey's town and nodded before following her to the bar.
Sam and Dean had started to get restless over how long Lindsey had been gone. Just as Sam made to get up and go find her, she pushed the door open with a girl in tow. The pair made their way over to the table and Lindsey signaled for the bartender to bring another round.
"Sam, Dean, this is Andi. I lived with her in college and she goes to school about 20 miles from me now. Andi, Sam and Dean," she nodded to each of her brothers in turn before draining the last of her beer.
"Hiya, Andi," Dean greeted, a bit confused at the girl's presence.
"Hi," Andi returned, closing in on herself. Lindsey knew this routine well. Andi always came off a bit hostile to strangers. She was anxious to see how her brothers handled her.
Sam cleared his throat awkwardly. "So what brings you to Clarkston, Andi?" She regarded him for a moment and Lindsey could see the assumptions Andi was making about her brothers forming in her eyes. She liked to take the Sherlock method in meeting new people and Lindsey often found herself impressed at her skills in deductive reasoning.
"Lindsey was gone when I went to visit her and Hayley and I was less than happy when I was told she had left with two men she hardly knew," she answered after a pause. Dean rubbed the back of his neck, something Lindsey had learned he did when he felt uncomfortable. Sam cleared his throat and leaned forward on his elbows.
"We're her brothers—" he began.
"Yes, as you have been for over 23 years now. I understand that. My question, however, is why now? What could possibly be so urgent that you felt the need to rip her from her life, her friends, and her school so suddenly? I need an explanation to that, not your relation to her," Andi finished, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. Sam tilted his head almost comically and turned to face Dean who blew out a long breath through his mouth.
"It's your call, Lindsey," Dean nodded towards his sister. "I really don't like the idea of every friend you've got knowing but this one ain't gonna let up," he sighed tiredly. Lindsey looked pained as she deliberated telling Andi the truth. On one hand, she didn't want anyone else involved in her screwed up story for fear of endangering someone she cared about. On the other hand, she knew Andi would follow her to the ends of the earth to get the truth if she felt she needed to.
"Dammit," she sighed before turning to her friend who was waiting impatiently for some answers. Andi looked at her expectantly, eyebrow arched.
"Sam and Dean's mother died when Sam was 6 months old but I'm still their full, biological sister," Lindsey began. Andi arched her eyebrow even higher but stayed silent. "Sam's four years older than me so my existence is kind of impossible unless you factor in something: angels."
"Am I supposed to laugh at that?" Andi asked. Lindsey knew of her friend's agnostic tendencies and readied herself to tell Andi the truth.
"Andi, angels are real. Our mom was killed by a demon but an angel rescued me in-utero and let me finish developing in heaven." She intentionally left out the part about being the failsafe for the apocalypse. This was enough for now.
"So what else is out there?" Andi asked. Lindsey thanked her lucky stars—Andi had a way of knowing when she was being serious and right now she was taking her word on the impossible.
"Well…. everything," Sam answered. "Almost any monster, ghost, or demon you've ever heard of exists."
"Except Big Foot," Dean interjected with a smirk. "He's a hoax."
"You said the same thing about angels three years ago and now you have one on speed dial," Sam retorted, bitchface firmly in place. Dean gave him a warning look and Sam held his hands up in surrender.
"You're certainly sensitive about that subject," Andi noted.
"What?" Dean coughed slightly.
"Nothing. Anyways, why did all of this result in you leaving so suddenly, Linds?" Andi abruptly changed the subject back to the matter at hand.
"Oh, um the demons that tried to destroy the house were coming after me," Lindsey replied carefully. She wasn't necessarily lying but she was definitely omitting certain truths.
"Uh huh," Andi replied. Lindsey could tell that Andi knew she wasn't telling her everything but she could see her friend backing down. Andi would let it rest, for now. "So what are you doing out here? It's a small town. There can't be that many nightmares running around."
"Actually, there's a nest of vampires in town," Sam clarified.
"Awesome!" Andi enthused, rubbing her hands together in a rare show of external excitement.
"Oh no. Don't even think about it," Lindsey interrupted, slamming her glass down to punctuate her statement. "You're not going hunting with us, Andi. No way, no how." Andi flexed her shoulders before crossing her arms stubbornly.
"And why is that?" she demanded. "It's not as if you've been on oh so many hunts, Lindsey. I can handle myself perfectly well."
"I don't like it either," Dean agreed with his sister. His guilt complex wouldn't let him endanger anyone that wasn't necessary. Andi cast a glance to Sam, wondering if he would argue for her going with them, but the tallest Winchester seemed as resolute as his siblings on the matter.
"Oh come on! What's the worst thing that could happen? Me getting turned into a vampire? That would be kind of awesome," she argued. The Winchester siblings' expressions didn't move from their resting bitch faces. "Damn Linds, these guys really are your brothers," Andi mumbled as an afterthought.
"Exactly, it's kind of a family business, Dee, and I'm not putting you in this line of fire. I'm sorry, but I just can't," Lindsey shook her head lightly.
"Fine!" Andi gave in, throwing her hands up in defeat. "I'll let you three have all the fun while I partake in the local attractions," she said, sending a sly wink at a petite blonde girl at the bar before giving an appreciative look to the dark man next to her. Dean glanced in the direction she was looking before turning back around with a perplexed look. Andi could see the wheels grinding in his head as he realized her preference for either was equal. He looked at her with wide eyes as realization washed over him. "Ah, he's figured it out," she smirked. "Dean, dear, you can have it both ways," she winked.
"Andi, time and place," Lindsey warned as her brother looked like he was trying to solve a particularly difficult math problem in his head while Sam hid his laugh in his beer. "Let's go, guys," she stood, giving Dean a pat on the shoulder. Sam went to pay their tab and Andi continued to make eyes at the blonde. "Come on, Andi," Lindsey groaned, used to her friends flirtatious ways. She grabbed the shoulder of Andi's coat, pulling her towards the door. Andi shrugged her off and followed the Winchesters as Dean continued to look at her like he had come to some uneasy conclusion. Andi just smirked at him and gave him a friendly wink.
"How'd you get here, Andi?" Lindsey asked as they strode to the impala.
"Bus," Andi answered, opening the backdoor and sliding onto the leather bench seat. Lindsey grinned to herself as Andi started scooping up Dean's cassette tapes and rifling through them. It was nice to see a familiar face after her life had been turned upside down. She thrust one tape from the stacks at Dean's shoulder and Lindsey chuckled as her brother begrudgingly put it in the tape deck. The sounds of Creedence Clearwater Revival filled the car as Andi began nodding her head to the beat.
"CCR is always a good option," Lindsey commented, resting her elbow on the ledge of the window. Andi hummed her agreement, already lost in the sound of "Fortunate Son". Dean eased the car out on the road and started back toward their hotel. They could interview some more witnesses tomorrow. As they turned onto the highway, he frowned as someone's bright lights blinded him through his mirror.
"Dammit," he swore, shielding his eyes with his arm. "Turn your brights off, pal!" he demanded angrily. As Lindsey turned to see the offensive car, she heard its engine rev.
"Dean, floor it!" she yelled as the large truck advanced on them, seemingly intent on running them over. Her brother put the pedal to the floor and the impala's engine roared as it accelerated.
"Come on, Baby," he encouraged, gripping the wheel tight. "What the hell are they trying to do?"
"It looks like the vamps found us before we found them," Sam said grimly, digging around in the console as his brother continued to speed up. He grabbed a map triumphantly and spread it out on his lap, quickly running his finger along the spider web network of back roads in the small town. "I hope you've got the suspension aligned, Dean."
"What? Of course I do!" Dean answered almost defensive at the thought that his little brother might be suggesting that he didn't take perfect care of the car.
"Good," Sam said, finger finally finding the road they were on. "We're gonna lose them. The impala is going to be able to drift a hell of a lot better than that truck." Lindsey turned again and saw that the truck was nearly on their bumper.
"Dean…" she warned.
"Workin on it, Lindsey," he growled through gritted teeth. "Dammit, Sam! Come on! I need a road to turn on!"
"Take a right here!" Sam gestured wildly to a nondescript road. Dean yanked the wheel hard, sending Lindsey sliding across the backseat into Andi.
"Get off," Andi hissed, not one for physical touch.
"Get over it," Lindsey bit back. She slid back to her own side and buckled her seatbelt to keep from sliding into her friend again.
"Left and then a sharp right, Dean," Sam directed.
"These aren't even real roads, Sam!" Dean yelled, taking his brothers instructions anyways.
"Well we're losing them so I don't really mind right now," Sam retorted, looking every inch the petulant little brother he was. Dean rolled his eyes and looked back to the dirt track in front of him. "Left here," Sam pointed.
"I'm gonna be sick," Andi moaned.
"Hey! Watch the upholstery," Dean demanded. Andi sent him a glare through the rearview mirror that made even the Winchester shudder.
"Shit, Dean! They're catching up," Lindsey groaned. The truck had stopped snaking along the tiny back roads and was now heading straight through an open field.
"Bastards!" Dean yelled. "That's cheating!"
"Dean, I don't think vampires feel obliged to abide by the rules of drag racing," Lindsey yelled from the backseat. "Now drive this thing like you stole it or they're gonna total your car!" The truck nearly rammed the side of the impala to prove Lindsey's point.
"Son of a bitch," Dean hissed, finally swerving off the road. The back end of the impala threw gravel everywhere as Dean took his precious car through the overgrown field. Sam leaned closer to the map, desperately trying to find them an out.
"Ok, so losing them is out," he announced, as he tapped a spot on the map. "Head North, Dean."
"Which way is North?" Dean asked through gritted teeth as he tried to anticipate the truck's next move.
"Slightly right," Sam answered, keeping his finger on the spot.
"Where are you taking us, Sam?" Andi demanded.
"There's an old warehouse out here. We're going to have to fight," Sam looked grim. Lindsey knew her brothers were not overly fond of her, a novice hunter, and Andi, who knew next to nothing about hunting, having to fight. Especially when they didn't even know how many vampires were in the nest.
"It'll be fine, Sam," Lindsey assured, squeezing her brother's shoulder. "We'll be fine." Sam patted her hand before she dropped it onto the backrest of the front seat.
"Lindsey, when we get to this warehouse, get to the trunk and grab weapons. Sam and I will cover you," Dean rattled off. "Andi, do not get out of this car until you have a weapon in your hands. Do you understand me?" Andi caught Dean's eye in the rearview and nodded tightly. The warehouse came into view, silhouetted by the glow of the moon.
"Try to find a loading dock," Lindsey suggested, swallowing her fear. Dean did as she said, still driving as fast as his car could move. He fishtailed around the corner and saw the loading dock. The impala slid around as the Dean threw the brakes on. He turned to fully face his sister and her friend in the backseat.
"I want you two to stay near me and Sam, got it?" he asked urgently. "You stick to us like glue. We don't know how many of them there are and this could get ugly." Lindsey and Andi nodded. "Let's go."
Lindsey threw her door open, Dean right behind her as Sam made his way to the trunk from the passenger's side. She threw the trunk open as the boys stood guard behind her.
"You see them?" she asked as she grabbed machetes and knives and syringes of dead man's blood.
"No, and that's what makes me nervous," Sam's voice was apprehensive. Lindsey swore under her breath, trying the grab a gun and shove it in her waistband.
"Calm down, Lindsey," Dean urged. "You getting all worked up isn't going to help anything. We'll be alright." Lindsey took a deep breath to calm her shaking hands before tucking her gun in and strapping a machete holster to her thigh.
"Let's kill these evil sons-a-bitches," she growled, handing her brothers machetes and shutting the trunk.
"Atta girl," Dean encouraged, lining his pockets with syringes.
"Go get Andi," Sam nodded at the car as he did the same. Lindsey walked to her friend's door and pulled it open.
"What? No wooden stakes?" Andi jibed as she slid out of the car.
"Those won't work," Lindsey shook her head, thrusting a machete into Andi's hand. "These will. You've got to take their heads off."
"Awesome," Andi smirked, testing her grip on the blade.
"If they get in too close, use this," Lindsey said, handing Andi a few syringes of dead man's blood. "It won't kill 'em, but it'll slow them down." Andi nodded, tucking the syringes into her jacket pocket.
"Let's go behead some monsters," Andi winked, following Lindsey and her brothers into the warehouse.
The hair on the back of Lindsey's neck prickled when they stepped inside. The sound of the door shutting behind Andi echoed throughout the factory. She could feel her brothers scanning ever nook and cranny of the large warehouse for any sign of movement.
"I don't like this," Dean groaned as he saw metal catwalks suspended from the ceilings.
"Do you ever?" Sam asked, receiving an elbow to the side from his brother. They continued to make their way through the factory, starting slightly as water dripped to the floor and the walls creaked.
"Maybe we actually lost them," Lindsey vocalized her hope.
"That's exactly what the people say in the horror movies before the sociopathic killer shows up," Andi retorted. Almost on cue, footsteps were heard around the corner. Dean motioned for them to stay tight along the wall, slowly inching to the corner. As the neared it, Lindsey brought her blade up, ready to come out swinging, but Dean caught her wrist and put his finger to his lips to be quiet.
"…..the Winchesters find us?" they overheard a blond vampire ask. "We've been careful."
"I told you this town was too small, William," a raven-haired girl drawled, leaning casually against the wall. "Looks like we'll be in for a fun fight," she grinned, flashing her fangs.
"They've got a girl with them," another noted.
"It hardly matters," the raven-haired girl spoke again. "We'll kill the bitch too." Anger flashed across Sam's face at the mention of his sister and Lindsey had to grab his arm to keep him from lunging at the vampires.
"It looked like there was another one in the car when we were trying to run them down," the blond chimed in.
"Great, more to feed on." Lindsey was getting a really bad feeling about the dark-haired girl. Just as the thought crossed her mind, Dean turned back to them and held up six fingers. Six vampires; they were outnumbered by half.
"Ready?" he mouthed. The other three nodded in return, ready to take the element of surprise. As the boys rounded the corner, a seventh vampire jumped from the rafters, landing in front of Lindsey.
"Son of a bitch!" she swore, taking a wild swing at the hulking man. He easily dodged it and made to grab Lindsey by the throat. As his fingers closed around her neck, a needle jabbed deep into his arm and he screamed in agony.
"Take that, you bastard!" Andi yelled as she injected him with dead man's blood and he slumped weakly against Lindsey. She shoved him off herself and took his head off in one clean swipe.
"Thanks, Andi," Lindsey exhaled deeply.
"Thank me later," Andi grinned back. Lindsey ducked around the corner after her brothers, Andi hot on her heels.
"So much for sticking with the boys," she grumbled, stepping over a severed head carefully. She heard a grunt that sounded suspiciously like Dean and ran to the source of the noise in time to vampire sink its fangs into her brother's neck.
"NO!" she yelled, running blonde girl and tackling her to the ground, straddling her in the process. "Get. The. Fuck. Off. Him." She punctuated each word with a blow to the girl's face. Sam ran in to pull Lindsey off the girl and sliced through her neck before she could get up.
"Get to Dean," he ordered, running off to deal with another vampire. Lindsey scrambled to her brother, grabbing him by the jacket and shaking him.
"Wake up!" she yelled, grabbing a bandana from her pocket and pressing it to his neck. As she tried to stop the bleeding she felt a pair of hands grip her shoulders and yank her up. The vampire spun her around and shoved her against the wall, head snapping against the concrete with a sickening crack. Her vision swam before a ginger vampire came into focus.
"Well aren't you pretty?" He chuckled deep in his throat, sweeping her hair back off her shoulder and running a finger down the vein in her neck. "It's funny to see a Winchester's face on such a curvy body." Lindsey groaned as he ran a hand over her hip, desperately pushing back against the unforgiving wall.
"Don't touch me, you sick bastard," she growled.
"Oh, she's got a mouth on her," the vampire laughed darkly, taking her jaw tightly in his hand and making her look at him. Lindsey cleared her throat and spat in his face. "Oh now you've done it bitch," he hissed, forcing her head to the side, ready to tear her throat out. His fang slid from his gums as he grinned menacingly.
"Lindsey, drop!" Andi yelled, running at the vampire from behind. Lindsey slid down the wall as Andi's blade cut through the vampire's neck, swiping directly where her head had just been. She looked at her blood-soaked coat in mild disgust before looking up at Andi.
"Now you can thank me," she smirked, offering a hand to her friend. Lindsey grinned as she took it but her smile quickly fell as the raven-haired girl came charging at them. Time seemed to move in slow motion as Lindsey hooked her foot around Andi's ankle, pulling back and jerking her friend to the floor and out of harm's ways. She grabbed the girl vampire tightly by her shirt collar and gave her a sharp shove, knocking the dark-haired girl off balance. She took a step back to steady herself and gave Lindsey a fanged-grin.
"Well if it isn't the Winchester sister," she smirked darkly. "Big brothers aren't here to help you now. Dean's out cold and Sammy is off fighting his own battles. Can baby sister take care of herself?" She circled Lindsey tauntingly. "It'll be fun killing you, you know? You're brothers have caused so much damage to my kind. I'll finally be getting some justice." She closed in on Lindsey who had noticed a low-hanging chain as the vampire gave her speech. She leapt into the air and grabbed the chain, and swung her legs out, knocking the vampire to the ground. She planted the heel of her boot firmly on the girl's chest and sneered down at her.
"Don't call me a bitch," Lindsey hissed. She swung her blade high in the air and then the vampire was no more. Sam came jogging around the corner, drenched in sweat and blood as she glanced around the building for more vampires.
"All dead," Sam announced. "You alright?" he asked, eyes darting over his sister, looking for injuries.
"I think so," Lindsey answered, taking inventory on Sam as well. "You?"
"Yeah, I'm good," he replied. "Where's Dean?"
"Lindsey?" Andi called out from behind her. Lindsey turned and saw Andi kneeling over her brother.
"Shit, Dean," she swore, darting over to his limp form. "Dean, come on," she urged. "Wake up!" She looked down at the wound on his neck and saw blood pulsing out. The vampire had hit an artery—Dean was bleeding out, fast, "Dammit! Sam, help me!" she cried, trying desperately to get her hands over the injury. Lindsey's eyes darted about, praying to find something, anything that could save her brother. Praying….
"Cas!" She screamed in her head. Just as the thought crossed her mind, there was a rustle of wings and Castiel was there.
"What is it, Lindsey?" Castiel asked, voice as gravely as ever. Andi looked slightly alarmed at the man's sudden appearance, but that conversation was for another time. Castiel's eye caught Dean's limp form and he rushed forward.
"Cas, help," Lindsey begged, feeling Dean's blood pulse out under her fingers. "I can't save him. Please save him, Cas." Castiel slid his hand under Lindsey's and closed his eyes, willing his grace to heal Dean. He could feel the severed artery under his hand and sensed a severe subdural hematoma at the back of Dean's skull from the blow he took when a vampire slammed him into the wall. He could feel Dean's body knitting itself back together under his grace, felt the swelling in his brain go down, and the artery closing itself. There was a faint blue glow under his palm as Lindsey, Sam, and Andi watched anxiously. A sigh of relief escaped Castiel as he felt Dean stirring under his hand.
"Dean?" Sam asked carefully, leaning over his brother. Lindsey pulled her hands back from Dean's newly healed neck, but Castiel's remained where it was.
"Cas?" Dean asked, blinking up at the angel slowly. Castiel gave him a small smile and Dean grasped Castiel's hand on his neck. "Thanks, buddy," he smiled, giving his friend's hand a small squeeze before struggling to sit up. Sam's hands shot out to steady Dean but Castiel slid his hand to Dean's elbow and helped him up. They shared a look before Dean turned to his siblings and Andi.
"You guys ok?" he asked, suddenly very aware of Castiel in his personal space. Sensing his discomfort, Castiel surreptitiously slid away from him slightly.
"We're good," Andi answered, looking from the Dean to the angel. Lindsey could feel the wheels in Andi's head spinning and decided to interrupt before she could comment in order to save Dean from embarrassment.
"Cas is an angel, Andi," she offered. "That's why he was able to suddenly appear like that. I'm guessing you heard my prayer, Cas."
"I did," he nodded. "It sounded urgent so I came right away."
"Good thing, too," Sam blew air out his mouth. "Dean, you really scared me, man."
"Come on, Sammy," Dean grinned, though it was a little weaker than his normal one. "It's gonna take more than a couple'a vamps to kill me. Especially when we got this guy up our sleeve," he enthused, clasping Castiel by the shoulder. "You got 'em all, right?" he asked, glancing around the factory.
"Yeah, we got them," Lindsey answered, relief evident in her voice.
"Good," Dean nodded. "Let's get the hell out of this place," he suggested, moving to stand up. As he rose to his feet, he swayed dangerously. Castiel and Sam immediately gripped him by the arms. "Cas?" he asked, accustomed to being completely healed by the angel's grace.
"I'm sorry, Dean," Castiel apologized, allowing Dean to sling an arm around him as he did the same to Sam on the other side, too weak to stay upright on his own. "My grace—it's weak. I've been cut off from heaven and I do not possess the powers I once had. I was able to heal your wounds, but I could not replace all the blood you lost. Your body should be able to compensate for the three missing pints. Just rest for a few days," he suggested. Dean nodded and tried to manage some of his weight before slumping against the fallen angel and his brother. Together, the two men managed to get Dean to the car, placing him carefully in the back seat to lie down. Lindsey and Andi followed them at a distance.
"So Cas is an angel, huh?" Andi asked nonchalantly, hands shoved deep in her pockets.
"Mhmm," Lindsey hummed in response.
"Fluffy wings and a halo?"
"Try trench coat and an archangel blade," Lindsey laughed.
"Badass," Andi nodded with a grin. "So…him and Dean?"
"No," Lindsey answered, shaking her head. "Well, I don't know…"
"Ahem, gay," Andi fake coughed.
"I don't know if it's that," Lindsey shook her head again. "They just share a really strong bond."
"One could say a profound bond," Andi supplied, watching as Dean's head drooped towards Castiel as they maneuvered him into the impala.
"They'll figure it out when they're ready," Lindsey mused as she sped up to help her brother and their angel with Dean. She slid in behind him and rested his head in her lap. Dean groaned as his vision swam from the change in position. "Don't ever do that again," Lindsey ordered, shoving his shoulder playfully.
"Welcome to the life of a hunter," Dean slurred, fighting to keep his eyes open.
"You can sleep now, but don't bitch at me when I wake you up to drink some water at the hotel," she warned. Dean mumbled unintelligibly before slipping into unconsciousness. "He'll be alright now, right Cas?" She looked up at the fallen angel, unsure how to treat an injury cured by grace.
"He'll be weak for a few days, but Dean is strong. He'll be fine, Lindsey," Castiel assured, looking at the hunter fondly.
"Thanks for showing up," Lindsey said gratefully.
"There's no need for thanks. With the apocalypse, you, your brothers, and Bobby are the only family I have," Castiel smiled somewhat sadly. Lindsey, not sure what to say, grabbed Castiel's hand and squeezed it tightly. Castiel returned the gesture and dropped her hand. "You are much more keen on physical touch than your brothers," he commented.
"I was raised in a touchy family," Lindsey smiled as she thought of her family in Tennessee. "Just you wait, I'll have turned these two into cuddle monsters before you know it."
"Speaking of your family, I've been keeping tabs on them," Castiel replied.
"How are they?" Lindsey asked eagerly.
"Your mother and father are remaining active in their gym, your grandmother's breast reconstruction went well, your cousin, Dawson, joined the Beta club, and your cousin, Samantha, is enjoying college," Castiel reported. Lindsey let out a sigh of relief, knowing her family was up to normal things.
"Thank you, Cas," Lindsey gave the angel a smile that he returned before gently shutting her door so he didn't disturb Dean.
"Thanks, Cas," Sam said as he clapped the angel on the shoulder. "You really saved Dean's ass back there, man."
"It was nothing, Sam," Castiel assured. "I'll come to your hotel room tomorrow to make sure your brother is healing properly." Sam nodded and opened the driver's side door to slide into the car.
"Guess that means I get shotgun," Andi grinned as she walked around the front of the car. "Hey, Cas!" she called before climbing in.
"Yes?" Cas asked, tilting his head slightly.
"Nice coat," Andi smirked before sitting down and shutting the door. Cas smiled slightly as Sam started the car and waved as the Winchesters drove off into the distance.