Dean's concerns about his brother only grew worse when he realized that the only thing keeping him from waking them both up from nightmares was the dog. He had gotten up to use the restroom and a few seconds later (courtesy of the light from the bathroom) realized Sam was having one hell of a nightmare.

However, because Castiel clearly didn't care one whit about being used as a living teddy bear, Sam stayed asleep. It was a fitful sleep, but it was still considered sleep.

Dean knew it had to be bad because Sam had literally knocked his blanket on the floor. And last he checked, Sam had been snoring under the cover with the dog right next to him.

Dean was a good brother, so he picked up the blanket, made sure Sam was under it, and tried to see if he could coax his brother into sleep talking.

Sam didn't do it often, but whenever something was really bugging him, sometimes Dean could trick him into it.

If Sam had known about this habit, he would have gotten even more annoyed with Dean than he already was after they had a bit of an argument when Cas stole Dean's pie earlier.

Because Sam honestly missed Dean, he had gotten used to keeping pie in the fridge. However as a consequence Castiel had acquired a taste for the pastry.

To sum it up, Dean now had to guard his beloved pie from a dog.


Sam was not sleeping in his mind like Dean was assuming.

As a consequence of dealing with Lucifer stealing his body for two years, he had learned how to go into a trance-like state that mimicked sleep enough that he was able to function. Having the dog next to him made keeping a point of reference of where he was easier when he came out of it.

So he was very aware that Dean was next to him and had covered him up. But he was baffled at why his brother thought he would tell him what he wanted to know while asleep.

That is until his mind flashed back to several instances where Dean had known what was bugging him when he was too stubborn to admit it.

Realization hit him like a lighting bolt.

Sleep talking.

He was so slipping laxatives in Dean's pie tomorrow. He wasn't going to get the truth that easily!

Dean finally gave up, but he did cast a sad look at his brother. He wanted to be there for Sammy, like he always had been, but Sam didn't want Dean to know of the burden he now had because of his own mistakes.

He could only hope that Dean would understand why he had done the things he would eventually have to do.

Like killing that bitch Ruby on sight.


It had been four months since that incident with the fire, and Dean was seriously starting to think there was something up about his brother.

It was still Sammy, he knew that without question, but it was like he had aged several years overnight and was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. It was one of the reasons Dean put up with the dog, despite all the hair and the pie stealing.

Sam really seemed to rely on the canine for emotional stability than he was willing to explain. And if having that dog kept him from snapping, then Dean would keep the dog around. He just wished his brother didn't need those pills as well as the dog.

However Dean definitely knew something was up when his attempt to cajol his brother into that weird sleep talking habit not only failed, but got him pranked as a result. Sam had a particularly vindictive look in his eye when Dean saw him and he knew that he had been busted.

However it was an incident shortly before they were going to deal with a monster Dean had encountered in their childhood (and nearly lost Sam to) that really told him something was up.

Sam was half asleep in the Impala while Dean was driving down some abandoned road. Suddenly he went ramrod straight and Dean could see real fear in his eyes.

Dean pulled over the first chance he had and noticed Cas was alert to something as well.

"Sammy?"

"No...they shouldn't be here this early..." he said to himself, and Dean could see Sam was reliving something. Something rather traumatizing.

Instead of reaching for his dog or the pills he took every once in a while, he opened the door and took out a large jug he had added to their arsenal last month.

He had seemed particularly relieved to have that on hand, and Dean never had the chance to ask what it was.

In his other hand was a box of matches.

"Sam, what's going on?"

Sam's eyes weren't on Dean. It was like he couldn't hear his brother at all.

Dean followed his brother's line of sight. Castiel started growling in a way he only ever did when something really nasty was around.

There was a man on the road. He looked perfectly ordinary, except Dean wasn't fooled for a minute. Sam had some seriously well developed instincts, despite being out of the game for several years. And Castiel was one hell of a Hunter's dog.

If they were wary of him, then there was no chance Dean was letting his guard down until he had reason otherwise.

"Sam Winchester. Zachariah has a bounty on your head," said the man boredly. Like he didn't perceive Sam as a threat. Castiel clambered out of the open door and growled menacingly.

The man looked...amused? How can someone be so amused by a dog about to rip their throat out?!

"So this is where you took off too Castiel. Zachariah wasn't pleased by you failure," said the man.

Sam blinked, then spared a look at his dog.

"Cas?"

The dog showed no signs of acknowledging Sam's quiet question. Instead it's eyes seemed to glow with some form of internal light. If it wasn't for the fact Sam seemed perfectly at ease with his dog, Dean would have shot it already.

"You might as well surrender now Winchester."

"Tell that asshole Zachariah I don't give a shit about Heaven's so called plan. He can take Micheal's sword and shove it up his ass to join the bullshit he enjoys spewing so much," snarled Sam. He then did something that had the man looking at him with horror.

He threw the contents of the jug on him and showed the match in his hand.

At first the man's amusement was clear...until he seemed to recognize what was on him.

"I have matches and I'm not afraid to deep fry your sorry ass," said Sam with such a matter-of-fact tone that it sent shivers down Dean's spine.

"You win this round Winchester, but I'm not going to be the last. We will find out what you did," snarled the man.

He vanished with a sound akin to wings. Dean was utterly confused and somewhat worried for his brother.

Sam replaced the container in the back and let Cas into the back seat before he got back in. He looked utterly exhausted after that.

"Sammy? What the hell?"

"Not now Dean. Can we just leave before more of those assholes show up?" asked Sam tiredly.

"Only on the condition you explain what the hell is going on. You've changed and I want to know why," said Dean flatly.

"Only if I get black out drunk after," said Sam equally flat. The pills weren't going to help, and he wanted answers of his own.

Like why the hell Zachariah had known something had changed enough to send Castiel after him. He had always suspected something was different about his dog.

Normal dogs do not get into the same staring contests he had seen Cas do with Dean on occasion.


Dean bought some strong liquor and made sure the room was secure. He wasn't expecting Sam to immediately add to it with runes he didn't recognize.

"Start talking Sam," said Dean after his brother had drained the first bottle without pausing.

"Where do you want me to start?" he said flippantly.

"How about what's up with the dog?"

That glowing eye thing still freaked him out.

"Actually I want to know that myself. I didn't know Cas could take over an animal instead of a willing volunteer," said Sam equally confused.

The dog chuffed. Sam felt something cautiously poke in his head, and he let the dog take the picture of Castiel from his memories. However it seemed that Castiel wasn't able to do a proper switch from dog to human.

Dean stared at the half-man, half dog. Sam just snorted in open amusement.

"Botch the transformation Cas?"

"I was unaware you knew of me from before," said Castiel.

"So was the dog a stillborn or what?"

"Certain animals have the proper bloodline to handle us. This dog was just the best one suited for me. However the fact you named it after me did catch me off guard," admitted Castiel.

"Puppy Cas," said Sam, slightly drunk, "So did that asshole Zachariah send you to figure out what was going on?"

"He sensed something had changed with you, and I was the first one he found available."

"Will someone explain what the hell is going on?!"

Sam was sufficiently drunk enough by that point to tell his brother flatly the general gist.

"In short? Heaven and Hell want Lucifer out of the pit and to restart the damn fight between him and Micheal here on Earth. With us as the starring roles," said Sam.

"What?" said Castiel and Dean at the same time.

Sam snorted. He was two for two in surprising people.

"Zachariah is only interested in us because we happen to be the unluckiest bastards on the planet. He just doesn't want any complications to the fact that they want the Apocalypse to start and for us to 'fulfill our roles' according to that monumental asshole. I wasn't expecting him to send Cas though," said Sam.

"I am curious as to how you knew of me. I'm not exactly one of the more well known..." started Castiel.

"You dragged Dean out of hell, and acted as our go between for the Host. You were easily the only tolerable one of the Host that we've dealt with. And I mean that sincerely. Probably why I didn't react to your presence in the dog," muttered Sam.

"What is this Host? A Host of demons?" asked Dean.

Castiel and Sam had some clue what was going on, but Dean was way in over his head. Though Castiel looked highly offended Dean had equated him to a demon so fast.

"Try something a little more arrogant and harder to kill than a demon. Demons are easier to deal with than the damn Host," said Sam flatly.

"Okay, what was that crap you threw on that guy?"

"Holy oil. You have no idea what a bitch it was finding the recipe and incantation to make that. It was either throw it on him or try to make a ring and force him to stay put. Frankly I'm more in favor of frying their ass," said Sam.

"I am curious as to how you knew about this," said Castiel.

"You can read memories right?"

"With permission, yes."

"Then read mine. It's bad enough I have to tell Dean the bare bones of what's happening. I'm not telling him the rest if I can help it," said Sam flatly.

Castiel put his hand on Sam's head...and a few seconds retracted it almost as if he had been burned.

"I was unaware..."

"Dean does not need to know," said Sam. Castiel nodded in agreement.

This was something that would only worry Dean unnecessarily.

"Alright, one of you two start talking. What the hell is that guy and why are we being targeted specifically?!"

"Castiel is an angel. A real one. As for why were targeted, I've never figured that out. All I know is that heaven is so vested in insuring we were born that the manipulated our parents into falling for each other and even insured Mom would make a deal so that yellow-eyes would be able to enter our house that night."

"Angels don't exist," said Dean immediately.

Castiel shared a look with Sam. Sam shrugged.

Dean's jaw dropped when he saw the silhouette of wings behind the half-dog man.

"So what, heaven is out to get us too?"

"Pretty much. Only they shouldn't be moving this early. Last time it wasn't until you accidentally broke the first seal on Lucifer's cage that they actually got fully involved."

"How do you know about this Sammy?" asked Dean. That was what bothered him most. Like how the hell he knew Castiel when he had been so surprised to find him in his dog.

"Because I lived through it once, and I'd sooner jump naked into hell before I let it happen the same way twice," said Sam with such conviction that Dean knew he was being dead serious, despite the fact he was currently drunk off his ass.

"After seeing how things will turn out if I continue to follow Zachariah's lead, I will do what I can. But it would be inadvisable for me to take this form too often. It strains the dog's body," said Castiel apologetically.

"I get that. I was just surprised you were able to borrow his body to begin with, though that does explain how you kept beating me at those staring contests," said Sam. He looked like he was ready to crash.

Dean realized he wasn't getting much more from his brother, so he maneuvered the taller man onto the bed where he promptly fell asleep with a loud snore.

Castiel turned back into the large dog he had been and laid next to him.

Dean looked at the beer and started drinking. Things has just gotten infinitely more complicated.