"I don't like this."

Sam looked over his shoulder, trying and failing to be discreet, and then he faced forward again. "I know." He took a deep breath, glancing around at the various office rooms they passed. "He'll be fine." He said it more for himself than for Dean. "We're close by, we upped our number of hex bags—"

"I am also here." Castiel scanned their surroundings, which were unusually office-like for a demon hunt, and continued walking slightly ahead of the brothers. "I can easily fly out to Baby periodically to keep an eye on him."

Sam smiled faintly, making brief eye contact with Dean, and he did his best to put his focus back on the mission. "So, you said the demons you interrogated led you to this demon who is, like, the manager for the Horsemen?"

"I…" Castiel cocked his head to the side. "I don't know exactly what a manager is. However, I can assure you that this demon handles any affairs having to do with the Horsemen. If anyone will know where Pestilence is, it is this demon."

"Great." Dean slipped his hands into his suit pockets. "So, we just need to find him, catch him somehow, and let Cas go to town."

Castiel squinted. "Why would I be going to town? And what town, specifically, are we talking about?"

Sam reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, and Dean let out a sigh next to him.

"Never mind." Dean gestured to the hallway in front of them as they approached a split where they could go straight or to the left. "Do you know where you're going?"

Castiel slowed to a stop and looked down both options, blue eyes focused and slowly scanning the hallways. "I've used multiple spells to be able to sense him despite his concealment. I can feel where he is, but it is difficult." He squinted for a moment more, and then he extended his hand to indicate the hall to their left. "This way."

They fell silent and continued to walk down the hall, passing someone every now and then but not drawing attention to themselves enough that it was a problem. They maneuvered down corridors that all looked the same, the only differences being the nameplates beside the office doors.

"Here." Castiel put his hand on a doorknob, stopping and narrowing his eyes. "Let me…" He stood very still, not even breathing, and after a moment, he nodded. "Yes. He's in here."

Sam glanced at the name by the door, surprised to find he recognized it. "Hey, that's weird. I went to school with a Brady…" He trailed off as Castiel opened the door, hazel eyes landing on a very familiar someone speaking into a goblet.

"Oops. Got to go." Brady put the goblet down on his desk and slowly stood up, lips pulling into a wide grin. "Sam. So good to see you."

Sam started to walk into the office, confusion twisting his features. "Brady?"

Laughing, the old friend shook his head. "Oh, Brady hasn't been Brady since… let's say the middle of our sophomore year?"

Castiel extended his arm, barring Sam's path. "Sam, be careful."

Sam ignored him, his focus entirely on Brady. "What did you say?"

"That's right." Brady grinned. "You had a devil on your shoulder, even back then."

"You—" Sam clenched his fists, managing to take another step before Dean was pulling him back. "You introduced me to Jess!"

"Ding, ding!" Brady laughed again. "I think he's got it!"

"You—"

"Sam, don't." Dean pulled him back a little farther. "We need to stay clear-headed."

Sam opened his mouth, fully prepared to let loose a slew of profanities, but then he stopped. He thought of Liam, of how desperately he wanted to protect him, and he thought of how important it was to find Pestilence.

"Ohhh, that's right." Brady started walking around the desk, stalking like a lioness about to go in for the kill. "You've got a new weakness. Liam Bailey. What a cute little meat bag."

Sam closed his eyes briefly, taking a breath, and then he looked at Castiel. "How do you want to do this, Cas?"

"Oh, you think because you've got an angel with you—"

Castiel appeared behind the demon, dropping a sack with a devil's trap on it over his head. "Yes, we do."

Sam rushed forward and grabbed Brady by the jacket, slamming his head into the desk as hard as he could before dropping the body to the floor. He watched the motionless form, the anger in his stomach growing hotter, and then he met Castiel's eyes with an even stare. "You're going to let me help interrogate him."

Castiel watched him for a moment and then offered a solemn nod. He, apparently, could tell it wasn't a good idea to fight Sam about this.

Dean didn't have that same revelation.

"Sam, are you sure that's a good idea?" He put a hand on Sam's shoulder, tugging him away from Brady's body. "You don't want to be going to psychotown on some demon and then trying to turn it off for Liam."

"I'll be fine." Sam narrowed his eyes, tearing his gaze away from Brady as he reiterated. "I'll be fine, Dean."

Dean gave him a look like he didn't quite believe him, but he dropped his hand from Sam's shoulder, and after a second of staring, he looked at Castiel. "So, are we helping you get this body out of here? Or are you just going to zap him away to the meeting place and wait for us there?"

"I'll wait for you there." Castiel crouched down and grabbed Brady by the back of his shirt, giving them a serious look before disappearing.

Dean heaved a sigh and moved toward the desk. "Let's see what this is…" He pulled the goblet Brady had been using a little closer, leaning down and giving it a sniff. "Eugh. Definitely blood."

Sam clenched his fists at his sides. "He was probably communicating with Pestilence or Death." He stared at the place Brady had fallen for another second, and then he turned toward the office door. "Come on," he said, striding past his brother. "Let's get out of here."

"Sure." Dean trailed behind him, closing the door once they were through. "You said you wanna help Cas with the interrogation. Should I take Liam somewhere?" He slipped a hand into his pocket. "I mean, I know with other interrogations, we've been having him just go into another room and put his headphones in, but…"

"Dean, I'm not gonna lose it."

Dean held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Okay, okay. We'll just send him into the next room."

Sam nodded faintly, his mind still on Brady. I've never been able to get away from the hunting life. Even when I was at Standford, even when I thought I was free from it all, it was still coming after me. He let out a soft sigh. Have I condemned Liam to the same kind of life? I mean, what if we win this fight, and we start to live a normal life, but monsters are still going after him and he doesn't even know it?

Of course, Liam actually wanted to be a monster hunter, so maybe no matter what the forces of Hell did, Liam would always be living the life. Maybe, as impossible as it seemed, that would be the life that would make Liam happy. How, Sam didn't know, as he had never known anyone who was truly happy while living the life of a hunter, but… maybe Liam was the exception.

It's irrelevant right now. Just focus on stopping the Apocalypse.

"So… are you gonna tell me?"

Sam stopped halfway through walking out of the bedroom, one hand coming up to rest on the doorframe as he turned back. "Tell you what?"

Liam shifted on the old bed in the abandoned house, holding a historical biography open on his lap. "That demon." He wet his lips, a little bit of fear going into his eyes. "I—I wasn't eavesdropping or anything. I promise." He swallowed, looking down at his book for a moment before meeting Sam's eyes again. "I just… I heard some stuff. What… what did he do to you?"

Struggling for a moment, Sam tried to figure out the best way to describe his history with Brady, and he quickly decided on full honesty. Liam was old enough and mature enough to hear what the demon had done.

"He, um… he introduced me to someone." Sam turned away from the door and walked up to the bed. "Her name was Jess. We were together, and… well, things were pretty serious… and then she was killed by a demon."

Liam nodded, his eyes wide and his focus solely on Sam.

"It turns out that… Brady introduced me to Jess for the specific purpose of killing her and getting me back on the hunting path." Sam felt the anger spark in his chest again, the mere act of saying the words out loud resurrecting emotions he hadn't felt since Jess was put in the ground. "I just…" I just feel like I drag everyone I care about into terrible deaths. "I just… have a lot of anger about the situation."

Liam stared for a moment more, his expression contemplative, and then his gaze slowly dropped to his lap. He sat there, thinking, for several moments, and then he placed his book facedown to hold his page. Crawling off the mattress, he walked up to Sam and wrapped him in a hug, pressing his face against Sam's ribcage.

Sam smiled, returning the embrace, and he planted a quick kiss on the top of Liam's head. "Thanks, buddy."

"It's gonna be okay, Dad." Liam squeezed and then tilted his head back, looking up at Sam with a smile on his face. "Everything's gonna be okay."

Sam brushed Liam's dark red hair out of his eyes. "I know it will. Thank you, Liam." He hugged him again and then pulled back slightly. "I've got to go continue the interrogation with Cas and Dean. Are you doing okay up here?"

"Yup." Liam dropped his arms and took a step back. "I'm working on history now, and then I just have to do math, and once that's done I can draw!"

"Sounds like a plan." Sam gave him another smile and then left the room, his mind slipping from Parent Mode to Hunter Mode. He put aside any thoughts of comfort and affirmation and brought up thoughts of interrogation tactics and emotional walls. But before the transformation fully took over, he had a thought.

He called me Dad again. Sam felt his smile get a little wider. I've noticed him using it a couple of times recently. He was somewhat sad to see his nickname go—despite how embarrassing it was to explain it—and he hoped Liam would continue to use it at least some of the time. But…

He called me Dad.

He remembered a time when Liam had cried and said it didn't feel right to call him 'Dad,' but he didn't know why. Sam had assured him at the time that there was nothing wrong with that—and there wasn't—but it still sent a warmth through his chest to hear Liam calling him by that name. It seemed Liam was maybe adjusting more to the idea of Sam as his dad. It was starting to feel right for him, and Sam couldn't have been happier. Even the truth about Brady couldn't take away the smile on Sam's face.

He called me Dad.

Liam pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, blue eyes staring up at Serenity Valley Convalescent Home. They've been in there for a while. He leaned back against the trunk of the Impala, his heart beating a little faster in his chest. They were really sure Pestilence is in there. He folded his arms over his chest, twisting his foot against the asphalt. If he wasn't, they probably would have come out by now.

Liam pushed off the vehicle and started taking cautious steps toward the home. He looked around, but the streets were mostly empty, and then he looked back at the building. Sorzie said not to follow them, but… He took a deep breath and walked a little further, slowing to a stop on the sidewalk outside the facility. This is a bad plan.

As if on cue, Liam doubled over, acid rushing up his throat. It took a moment to even realize he was vomiting, seeing as there had been nothing to indicate it was about to happen, and as he struggled to catch his breath, he decided it had to be Pestilence. He's definitely in there. He spat onto the ground, trying to get the awful taste out of his mouth. He blinked away the tears in his eyes and sniffed, reaching up to wipe his face on his sleeve. What do I do?

He took another step toward the danger and stopped, feeling a steady throb forming behind his eyes. This isn't good. He looked back at the Impala and, feeling incredibly guilty, started walking back across the street. They need to know they can trust me to do what they say. Sighing, he crawled up onto the trunk and sat down, wrapping his arms around his still churning stomach. But what if they need me?

He swallowed, eyes glued to the front doors of the convalescent home, and he started praying silently. Please let them be okay… please let them get back here alright… please, please, please… Watching, waiting, swallowing the frustration and shame and overwhelming sense of futility, he did his best to obey his father.

Minutes ticked by, and Liam felt a lump rising in his throat. Again? He leaned over the edge of the car, preparing to lose the rest of his lunch, and he started to feel a steady ache spread through his body. If they're closer to him, they're probably being affected even more than I am. His stomach clenched, bile and half-digested food spewing from his mouth, and the throb in his head started to feel more like a stab.

"Mrrr?"

Liam coughed up a few more mouthfuls of stomach contents, and then he started gasping for air. "Cali." He wiped his mouth and straightened up, looking down at the little black cat standing on the pavement. She had been walking the perimeter of the building since they got there, coming back to check on Liam from time to time. "Hey, girl."

Mewing again, the familiar jumped up onto the back of the Impala, yellow eyes staring up at him like she was waiting for an answer.

"I'm fine." He moaned even as he said the words, screwing his eyes shut as the pain in his head increased. "I think it's Pestilence. It's just—it's just hitting me hard."

Calypso rubbed her head against him, purring softly.

"Thanks." He forced his eyes open and looked at the building again. "What do we do?"

Unsurprisingly, Calypso didn't have an answer.

"Maybe—" Liam stopped. "Wait." He put a hand to his forehead, and even though he felt a little fuzzy, his pain was gone. "I feel better." His stomach wasn't wrenching inside of him, and the ache in his joints and muscles had faded into an almost tingling sensation. "Maybe… maybe they got him."

Biting his lip, Liam pulled Calypso onto his lap and started to pet her, holding her close and hoping her presence would calm his nerves. He watched the building, anticipating some kind of clue that would tell him what was going on. He took a deep breath, and if it weren't for the fact that suspected he would be waiting a while, he would have held it.

Calypso meowed again, but it wasn't a complaint. She sat on his lap with his arms wound around her, and the two of them waited.

Come on… come on…

Liam saw movement at the front doors, straightening up and trying to get a better look. It took a second, but he quickly identified the people coming out as his family, and he let go of Calypso. "Come on, Cali!"

She jumped from his lap and landed on the road, and as soon as he was beside her, they were both running across the street.

"Sorzie! Dee! Cas!" He got to Sam first, jumping up and throwing his arms around Sam's neck. "Did you get him?"

Dean held up a ring, and even though there was a smirk on his face, he seemed a little disoriented. "We got it, Lee."

Liam grabbed Dean in a hug and squeezed him tight before turning to Castiel and doing the same. "I'm just glad you're all okay." He took a moment to process their safety, letting out a sigh of relief, and then he felt a little bit of embarrassment start creeping onto his cheeks. "Um, I kinda lost my lunch. I didn't get it on Baby though!"

Sam frowned. "So, his powers were affecting people all the way out here?"

"I think so. I really didn't feel well." Liam shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets as Calypso rubbed against his leg. "I didn't see anybody in the area, so I don't know if anyone else was affected."

Castiel looked at them with his ever-serious expression on his face. "I'll stay and determine if there are any demons left that need to be taken care of. You should get as far away from here as possible."

"But—" Liam cut himself off, knowing there was no point in trying to convince Castiel to stay with them. "Please, be careful." He hugged the angel again, holding on a little tighter and a little longer than he probably should have.

"I will be fine, Liam." Castiel gave an encouraging smile. "I promise."

Liam wanted to object—wanted to point out that there was no way to promise such a thing—but he simply smiled up at Castiel and said, "Okay. Love you."

"Yes, I—" Castiel stuttered for a moment, as he always did when expressing affection. "I love you, too." And he disappeared.

Castiel… Liam wet his lips and looked to Sam and Dean. "So, we're leaving?"

"Yeah." Sam smiled and tousled Liam's hair before starting toward the Impala. "We've made some serious progress by getting the third ring, and you've got a therapy session in two days, so it's time to take a little break."

Liam felt a faint twinge in his chest. "We—we don't have to take a break just so I can—"

"Liam." Sam pulled him into a side hug. "I just said we made serious progress. We're taking a break for all of us."

Liam smiled, somewhat reassured. "Okay. Thanks, Sorzie."

"Mmhmm."

Liam got in the back of the Impala and waited for Calypso to jump in after him before shutting the door. He strapped himself in and pet his familiar a few times, and once Sam and Dean were in, the music started up.

"So." Liam scratched at his pantleg. "Now we just need to find Death."

Dean exhaled long and loud, turning down the radio slightly. "Yeah." He shook his head. "No clue how we're gonna do that, but we're gonna do it."

Sam snorted. "Way to stay optimistic, Dean."

Giving Sam a dirty look, Dean pulled onto the road. "Liam, shut your eyes. I'm about to smack your dad, and I know how you feel about that."

Liam blinked—it was always a gamble when it came to how he would respond to certain triggers—and to his own surprise, he laughed. Maybe because he knew Dean would never go through on such a threat, especially after that fight Dean and Sam had that came to blows. Liam remembered how upset they both had been in the aftermath, and he knew there was safety from his family using physical violence against each other.

So, he laughed. And Dean laughed. And Sam laughed.

They drove out of the town, turning up the music and singing along as they headed for their next destination. Liam just hoped their victory wouldn't be short-lived.

"We're looking for reapers."

Dean leaned back against the hood of the Impala, feeling the heat of the early September sun beating down on his back. "You think that'll lead you to Death?"

"I think it's possible." Castiel sounded monotonous, but Dean was getting to know the angel pretty well, and he was developing an ability to pick up on the hidden notes of frustration. "We don't have any other leads. Death will be, without a doubt, the most difficult Horseman to find. There is nothing specific about Death. His victims could die from any cause, and it would fall under his purview."

Nodding, Dean glanced over at the two-story building where Liam's therapist practiced. "Yeah, it's not gonna be easy." He let out a sigh. "Looking for the reapers sounds like a good idea. I'll pass it on to Sam and Bobby and see if that helps them narrow their search." He reached up and rubbed his forehead. "Right now, we're just looking for any place where the death rates are high. It's not much, but it's all we've got, really."

Castiel hummed. "We are revisiting the resources we stole from Heaven, and we are considering going back for more."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Dean wet his lips, feeling a faint twist in his gut. "I mean, they're gonna be on the lookout for you because you stole from them before. If they catch you—"

"It is irrelevant." Castiel spoke without hesitation. "We must locate Death, and we must defeat Lucifer and Michael. If we don't, it means the end for all of us."

Clenching his jaw, Dean tried to make himself accept was Castiel was saying. Because Castiel was right, at least about the fact that they would all be dead if they couldn't win. And Dean knew that—he did—but Castiel was his friend, and the angel was running headlong into danger, and Dean had lost entirely too much to the hunting life already.

"Maybe you can—"

"Dean." Castiel paused, and when he continued, it actually sounded like he was smiling. "I appreciate your concern, but you need to focus on your family. You need to keep them alive and safe, and you need to let me do what's necessary to make that happen."

Dean scoffed. "Are you stupid or something?" He would have spread his arms, but with the phone pressed to his ear, he wound up just lifting one nondescriptly. "You are my family, Cas. You're one of us."

Silence.

"Cas?"

"I…" Swallowing, Castiel struggled to respond. "I… am honored… that you would think of me that way. I… I don't have much experience with a family that isn't…"

"Terrible?" Dean offered, glancing to his left as a car drove by.

"Yes." Castiel cleared his throat. "However, you are all very important to me. That is why I know I must do this. This…" He sighed. "If I had just told you of Heaven's plans beforehand, I could have prevented all of this. I could have—"

"Cas, we don't hold that against you." Dean pushed off the car, feeling the need to move around, almost like he wanted to pace. "You made some bad choices, but then you turned around and made good choices. That's all that matters." He shook his head. "You don't owe us."

"But I do," was Castiel's immediate response. "I do owe you."

Dean reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Cas…"

"Dee!"

Turning away from the road, Dean spread his arms and welcomed the incoming hug. "Hey, buddy!" He wrapped his arm around Liam, squeezing him tight, and gave Sam a smile while still speaking into the phone. "Cas, we're all done here at our home base, so we're heading to Bobby's."

"Excellent. I will be in touch regarding our research."

Dean heard the line go dead, and he let out a heavy sigh. "Freaking…" He snapped the phone shut and shoved it into his pocket, letting go of Liam and tousling his hair. "You're getting pretty tall, little man. You might be tall enough to reach the pedals in Baby."

Liam grinned, pressing his fists together and holding them under his chin. "I know! I'm so excited. I can't wait to be sixteen!"

"You know, we could find a field and let you drive around for a bit. Just to get a feel for things." Dean immediately realized he might have overstepped, and he looked at Sam. "I mean, if that's okay with you."

Liam turned to look at Sam, eyes wide, and Sam offered a nod.

"Dean and I both did that when we were kids. I don't see why you can't do it, too." Sam gestured to the Impala. "But we need to get far away from the city before we try something like that, so maybe we should hit the road and find a field on our way to Bobby's."

Bouncing on his toes, Liam looked between the brothers. "Really? I can drive?" He barely waited for Sam to nod before darting to the backseat. "Let's go, let's go!"

Dean laughed, walking around to the driver's side and getting in. "I think it goes without saying that you can't tell anyone we let you do this."

"I know." Liam strapped himself in and then pet a sleeping Calypso who was on the seat next to him. "I mean, I can't tell people about half the stuff I do and see on a daily basis. What's one more thing?"

Sam chuckled, putting on his seatbelt. "Yeah, that's kinda how the life of a hunter works." He shifted in his seat and looked at Dean. "So, what did Castiel say?"

"They're looking for reapers." Dean pulled onto the road, quickly picking up as much speed as the legal limit would allow. "Might be going back to Heaven to get some more resources."

Sam looked surprised, but he didn't get a chance to say anything.

"Is that safe?" Liam asked.

"He'll be smart about it, Lee." Dean cast a quick look at the rearview mirror, and even though he was uncertain about the mission, he tried to inspire confidence. "Plus, he's got Balthazar with him, and we know they've done it before. It won't be a big deal for them to do it again."

"But they're only two angels." Liam bit his lip, gaze dropping to his lap. "There's a lot of angels in Heaven. What if they're discovered?"

Dean tried to summon a response, but his brain wasn't cooperating, and he sent a look of subtle panic in Sam's direction.

"We can't think about all the ways things could go wrong, buddy. We've done some pretty impossible things in our time." Sam turned slightly, looking into the backseat. "Things could have gone really wrong while we were taking on Pestilence, too, and for a moment, it almost looked like they were. But we won. We made it out of there, and now we're moving on to the next thing."

Liam didn't say anything right away, but after fifteen seconds of silence, he offered a nod and a quiet, "Okay. If you're sure."

"I'm sure." Sam smiled.

Dean waited a few moments to see if the conversation was really over, and then he turned up the radio. It took a moment, but soon Liam was singing along, and Dean felt a little more at ease. Of course, he was still thinking about Castiel—and Balthazar, too, but they weren't really friends—and he was still worried. Like Liam, he could only think of the ways things could go wrong, and he didn't want to lose Castiel.

It's like Sam said. I can't think about that.

So, Dean turned the radio up a little more and sang along.

"Okay, are you ready?"

Liam looked at the empty driver's seat, hands clasped together under his chin, blue eyes glued to the steering wheel. "I think so."

Dean gave him a little nudge, grinning widely. "Go on, get in."

Liam took a breath and stepped forward, sliding into the driver's seat and putting on his seatbelt. He extended his legs, but he couldn't quite reach the pedals, so he adjusted the seat.

"You feel comfortable?" Dean asked, leaning against the open doorframe.

"Yeah." Liam shifted a little, moving his foot from the gas to the brake and back again. "It feels good. I think."

Dean straightened up, putting his hand on the door. "Watch yourself." He pushed it shut and then walked around the front, getting in on the passenger side and leaning across. "Okay, so it's really easy."

Liam stole a glance to the backseat and got an encouraging nod from Sam, who was holding a curious Calypso in his lap. Okay. I can do this. He put his focus on Dean, feeling a sensation in his chest that could have been nerves or excitement or both.

"It is a little dim because it's getting kind of late in the day, but you can still see fine." Dean gave him a thumbs up. "You got this. Just turn the keys to start the engine, and once it's going, push the brake and shift into drive." He pointed out the gearshift and where it needed to be. "Once you do that, ease your foot off the brake and let it drift to get a feel for things."

Liam took another breath, much deeper than the one before, and slowly let the air out of his lungs. He grabbed the keys and gave them a twist, the engine roaring to life. I can do this. He pushed the brake in, looking at Dean and waiting for a nod before grabbing the gearshift. He put the car in drive and took another breath, gripping the wheel with both hands and slowly removing his foot from the pedal.

"It's all good, Lee. You're not gonna hurt us or the car by driving around in a field. You're safe." Dean tousled his dark red hair, smiling wide. "Now, we're drifting forward a bit. I want you to put your foot on the gas pedal and just very slowly start to push."

Nodding, Liam moved his foot and started to press, the car gradually starting to roll forward. He pushed very slowly, just like Dean said, and the car started to move a little faster, picking up speed and moving toward the open space spread out in front of them.

"See? I told you it's easy." Dean pointed at the speedometer. "I want you to get up to thirty, but I also want you to take your time. Just do what you're ready for."

Liam swallowed and nodded again, picking up speed and keeping his eyes on the field. He leaned forward slightly, still grasping the wheel, and started to… actually… drive.

"Liam?" That was Sam, from the backseat, ever concerned with the state of his son.

"I'm good." Liam bit his lip for a second, a smile pulling on his mouth. "I'm, um… I'm driving." He pushed the pedal even more, watching the needle slide from twenty to twenty-five. "I'm driving a car."

Sam chuckled. "Yes. Yes, you are. You're doing a good job."

Liam grinned, and even though he was still nervous, he took his eyes off the windshield for a second and looked out the window on his left. I'm actually moving. He looked forward again just as he got up to the thirty miles per hour that Dean requested.

"Awesome, Lee!" Dean pointed out in front of them. "Now, we've got plenty of space, and we could keep going straight, but I want you to turn for me. We've gonna make a big figure eight."

Liam felt his heart clench, but he nodded. "Which way do I go?"

"Let's start off by going to the left." Dean put a hand on Liam's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Like I said, it's gonna be a big figure eight, so you won't have to make any sharp turns. It's all gonna be slow and steady."

Swallowing, Liam carefully turned the wheel, and soon they were making shapes in the field. He made the figure eight, and then he went in a large circle, and then he went in some smaller, tighter circles. Then Dean directed him back to the start of the field, where they had first put Liam in the driver's seat, and he assumed the experience was over.

"Okay. One last thing." Dean smiled at him, something like pride and excitement blending together on his face. "I want you to drive again, just straight, and I want you to go as fast as you can."

"Um, Dean—"

Dean turned to look in the back, and even though he usually deferred to Sam on things concerning Liam, he pushed back for once. "C'mon, Sammy! We did it, so he should get to do it, too!"

Liam watched Sam in the rearview mirror, waiting for an answer, and after a few moments, Sam nodded.

"Okay. Just be careful."

"I will." Honestly, Liam wasn't even sure he wanted to do it, but… it did sound like fun.

"Windows down!" Dean started lowering his window, and he waited until all four were down to put a hand on Liam's shoulder again. "Okay. Don't overthink it. Going straight in an open field with no end in sight is perfectly safe."

Liam wet his lips and nodded, waiting five seconds and then beginning to push the gas pedal. He started off slow, like he had in the beginning, but he sped up quickly, and soon he could feel the wind blowing through his hair. His gaze shifted between the speedometer and the field, his heart beating faster as the needle rose past thirty to forty and then to forty-five.

"You got this, Lee. It's gonna be great."

Smiling a smile that got a little wider with every passing second, Liam continued to drive. He heard the engine rev a little bit, and for a second, he thought he was doing something wrong, but an encouraging nod from Dean was all he needed to stop worrying and start savoring the sound. Higher and higher, fifty, then fifty-five, then sixty…

"Whoo!" Dean stuck his arm out the window, lifting his fist in the air. "Yeah, go Liam!"

Sam laughed from the backseat, and it had to be loud for him to be heard over the whipping wind. Liam laughed even louder, his lungs aching, and the rumbling of the vehicle reverberated through his core. Sixty-five, seventy, seventy-five, and Liam found himself caught between screaming and laughing, bright blue eyes watching the pink and orange sky.

It was almost like an out-of-body experience. Like that moment was so special, so unique, so amazing that it existed somewhere outside of time. He wanted it to go on forever, and even though he knew it couldn't, he felt like he would be able to come back to that handful of seconds as many times as he wanted.

Soon—entirely too soon—the car started to slow, and the wind died down, and they rolled to a stop more than a mile from the road. Liam caught his breath, putting Baby in park, and he looked at Dean with a kind of wonder on his face that he couldn't put into words.

"Uncle Dean?"

Recovering from his own laughter, Dean gave him a smile and asked, "Yeah?"

"Thank you." Leaning across the center console, Liam wrapped his arms around Dean's torso. "You're the best uncle ever."

Dean wound his arms around his nephew, holding him tight. "You're welcome, kiddo."

"And Sorzie?" Liam turned his head to look toward the backseat, but he wasn't quite ready to let go. "Thank you, too. You're the best dad ever."

Sam reached out and tousled Liam's hair. "You're welcome. You know I love being your dad."

Smiling, Liam closed his eyes and gripped Dean a little tighter. He knew things couldn't always be good, and he knew they were up against almost unbeatable forces, but even if they lost in the end, he had this memory to go back to. It was up there with his memory of the way Sam practically fell out of a still moving Impala to get to him after his escape from the angels. He remembered how he felt with Sam's arms wrapped around him, all the fear and pain and hollow ache of missing him vanishing in an instant. Now, gripping Dean like he was never going to let go, he had the same kind of feeling. It shouldn't have been so important. All he had done was drive a car in a field. But it was.

It was so important.

Reluctantly, Liam untangled his arms and let Dean go, leaning back in his seat and taking one more moment to savor the experience. "I can get in the back now." He smiled, opening the driver's side door. "Thanks again, Dee."

"Sure thing."

They all rearranged, Dean getting in the driver's side while Sam took shotgun and Liam crawled in the back with Calypso. She meowed at him, and he gave her a wide smile, scratching her head.

"Did I do a good job, Cali?"

Meowing again, she pushed against his hand.

"I think she just told you you did great," Sam said.

Dean adjusted the seat to fit his legs. "You don't have to wait too much longer. Time will fly by, and before you know it, you'll be sixteen. You can hit the highways and get this same feeling driving down an interstate with your windows down and your music blaring."

Liam continued to pet Calypso, a smile pulling on his lips, and he shook his head. "Nothing will ever give me this same feeling. But that's okay, because I'll always remember this."

"I'll always remember it, too." Dean put the car in drive and started to move, turning the vehicle around and heading back toward the road. "It was a good time."

"Yeah." Liam smiled to himself. "It really was."

Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I know it's been taking me a while to update, and I apologize. I'm trying to get better at it. If it helps, you can follow me on my website, where I post about things I'm working on. Just go to my AO3 or Wattpad account under this username and find the link there!

Thanks so much for reading, and leave a comment to let me know what you thought!