Dean sank down on the couch, having dragged himself carefully out of the wheelchair. He wasn't quite ready to lock himself away again, but he was already feeling exhausted at the small amount of physical exertion he had expended wheeling out there. He accepted the laptop Cas had fetched from the bedroom, opening it and pulling up eBay. "Alright Cas, tell me about your leg."

Cas tilted his head, his eyes narrowing as he tried to figure out what Dean wanted. "It's…broken."

Dean stared at him flatly before looking up as if pleading to god for patience. "Yeah. I mean how was it broken? Tibia? Fibula? Closer to the ankle? The knee?"

"It was… not an open fracture." He said, parroting what he could remember the doctor saying.

"Okay…" Dean said slowly, shaking his head. "What else?"

"I did not require surgery."

"Did you see the x-rays?"

"Briefly."

Dean huffed, exasperated. "Was it the outer bone, or inner, or both?"

"I don't-"

"Below the knee obviously. Was it higher up, centered, lower?"

Cas shook his head. "I do not remember."

Dean sighed. "Alright. Not a lot to go on."

"I have the x-rays on a thumb drive if that helps."

"If-" Dean stared at him, furrowing his brow. "What do you think I'm asking you questions for? Yes it helps, give it."

Cas rolled and grabbed it from the pocket of the discarded hospital gown. He came back, handing it over to the hunter.

Dean plugged it in, letting them load and bringing them up. "Lets see what we're working with here…" He smiled. "Oh that ain't hardly anything."

Cas strained to see what Dean was looking at.

"It's just the fibula, uh the outer smaller bone." He pointed. "Not even broken the whole way through."

"That's good?"

"Yeah man, that's great. I can get a boot online, probably even get it here in a couple days. You'll be able to walk with that and a crutch." He pulled up the other x-rays, looking through them. "Your arm isn't bad either. I wouldn't pick up anything too heavy, but that brace should keep it pretty set. Sling is probably optional, but it'll help it hurt less I guess." He was already pointing at the desk in the corner. "Open that drawer, see if there's a tape measure in there."

Cas pulled the drawer open, removing a flexible tape measure out. "You know a lot about broken bones."

"Not the first time I've had to stay off grid after a hunt gone wrong." He beckoned Cas to put his good leg up on the couch, and took a set of measurements. He made a note of them, turning to concentrate on finding a boot to match.

"In your childhood?"

"Yeah." Dean said, distractedly. "Eventually you get hurt in enough hunts, CPS starts to think something is wrong with the way you're raised. Eventually when I got hurt on hunts it was easier to let me heal at Bobby's and skip school for a couple months than deal with cops at the hospital."

Cas studied him thoughtfully. "Isn't being put in danger something wrong with the way you were raised?"

Dean looked up, scowling. "We were hunting, Cas. Shit happens."

"How old were you on your first hunt?"

"I don't know. Eight I think? First one was an accident. Something followed Dad home. After that I guess he figured I was ready."

Cas nodded, absorbing the information. He didn't press further for now, and Dean didn't seem to notice one way or the other.

"And… done." He closed the laptop. "Probably be here Friday."

"You can get mail out here?"

"Yeah. Bobby made sure of it. Every safe-house can get deliveries. It's sort of important since hunters usually hole up mostly when they're injured."

Cas let the silence settle in around them for a moment before changing the subject. "Would you assist in untangling Paka's fur?"

"Pack...what? no Cas. You don't name cats you aren't going to keep."

Cas just gazed at him steadily. "We need to refer to her as something."

"Cat is good enough." He sighed. "You want to gather supplies or should I?"

"You stay here. I can grab them."

"You'll need a towel, and just grab my bag from the bathroom. It has my scissors." Dean smiled gently. "And the cat I suppose."

"Paka."

"No."

Dean rummaged through his stuff, pulling out a probably too-small pair of shears, and getting them ready. He held out the towel just in time for Cas to return with the cat and place it in his arms. Dean carefully swaddled the cat as if it were a baby in a straight jacket, leaving just the back of her shoulders uncovered to begin there. He handled the bundle to Cas, instructing him how to hold the cat so he could work.

The cat, to her credit, was remarkably calm, perhaps too trusting if anything. Dean frowned, taking a look at the fur. He hadn't any actual experience doing this, but he figured it was fairly straight forward. He gently tried separating the fur from her skin, beginning to cut.

Ten minutes later on the same patch of fur and he sighed, frustrated. "Alright. I think we're gonna try out my clippers. This is gonna take years at this pace, and I don't even think I can get it all."

Cas nodded, holding the cat to his chest as Dean switched tools.

Dean briefly considered the hassle of cleaning his clippers later but he resigned himself to the fate. He started in the same spot, the job going much faster. Inch by inch they kept moving, the cat eventually settling onto Cas' lap. The hunter frowned. "Honestly I think we're gonna have to shave everything under her head."

Almost half an hour later, and they had, in Dean's opinion, a very stupid looking cat. But the gross matted fur was gone, and it would have the opportunity to grow properly now.

Dean leaned back against the couch, watching as Cas cleaned up the fur as best he could. The cat in turn stretched and casually walked over to the small run in front of the fireplace, curling up in a small ball with her back to the flames.

Cas excused himself to go try and wash some of the fur off his arms.

Dean nodded, pulling out his phone. It was getting to be early evening now, time for another check in with Sam.

"Hey."

"Hey." Dean greeted absently, staring at the cat.

"How are you two holding up?"

"Good."

Sam heard the tone. "But…?"

"Cas named the Cat."

"I see."

"I don't want the cat."

"Okay."

Another pause, longer than the last one. "The thing is, we had to shave the fucking thing, and I don't know if it can handle the cold."

"Okay…"

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. "What the hell would we even do with a cat?"

"As I understand it, they sort of take care of themselves for the most part."

"I don't want the cat."

"What's the cat's name?"

"Pack or something. I don't know. I wasn't listening. We weren't keeping the cat."

"Mmhmm." Sam replied, doing his best to sound solemn and not amused.

Dean rolled his eyes. "So yeah, we're just peachy. Looked at Cas' x-rays. His breaks aren't too bad. Ordered a boot, he should be able to hobble around when it comes."

"That's a relief."

"Yeah, we'll be two semi-mobile people when you pick us up."

The younger hunter lowered his voice in warning. "Don't use the crutches until you're sure your ribs aren't going to split right open again."

"Yeah yeah, i know."

After another long pause, Sam spoke again. "Something else on your mind?"

"What do you even feed a cat?"

"Whatever you can get delivered out to the middle of bumfuck nowhere in the next couple days."

Dean made a face. "Whatever. Tomorrow I'm only calling once."

"Whatever."

"Goodnight bitch."

"Goodnight Jerk."

Dean slipped his phone back into his sweatpants pocket, staring at the cat. He heaved one last put-upon sigh. "Alright Backpack. I guess you're staying."

.

Cas was well aware now at what Dean meant when he said healing was mostly just boring.

The first day's worry had quickly dissipated and when it had gone, there was no strong feeling to take its place. The two weeks really were a blur with only key moments standing out to him. The 'boot' as Dean kept calling it did in fact arrive before the week was up. With that he was able to move around with one crutch and a clumsy awkward hobble. The transition into being upright was a godsend. Even if it was harder and somewhat more painful to walk, the ability to do so felt amazing.

Dean had been able to start using the crutches closer to the two week mark. He had similar feelings about finally ditching the wheelchair.

Meanwhile Paka seemed to have made the cabin her home for now. Cas didn't question or remind Dean when the evening came and Dean did not put the cat outside. The hunter didn't say anything, but two days later a fairly large box of cat supplies arrived at the small cabin, and the angel had his answer, even if it wasn't said out loud.

Of course, the first night as Cas slept on the air mattress Paka managed to put more than a few holes in the vinyl. Cas woke up on the ground. After almost an hour arguing who would sleep on the couch, they decided to just both sleep on the bed.

Right now, Cas was listening closely to Dean's voice as he walked him through removing the stitches along his torso. He had already taken care of the ones he could reach, but almost two dozen remained. Cas carefully clipped the nylon threads, pulling them clear, and discarding them in the small tray on the couch next to them. Once it was all done, a little alcohol and a fresh set of bandages finished it off.

"It looks good." Dean said, nodding approvingly. "It's turning out to be a wicked Scar."

"Is it still painful?"

"Nah." Dean grinned. He checked his watch. "Sammy should be landing any minute now. Airport is about an hour from here. Factor in car rental and he'll probably show just about dinner time. Told him to pick up burgers on the way."

Cas nodded. "And we are driving back to Kansas?"

"Unless you want to leave Pack-rat behind."

"Is it not possible to bring a cat on an airplane?"

"Nope." Dean said quickly and firmly. He had ignored the six dozen protests Sam had given him over the last week. He didn't need Cas knowing it was just him and his fear.

Cas nodded. "Will Paka be alright in the car?"

"She'll be fine."

Cas scooped up a couple things of cat toys near him, putting them carefully into a bag. Sam would be spending the night, and they would leave in the morning. He wanted to be more or less ready to go. He looked up as the hunter's phone began to ring.

"There he is." Dean accepted the call. "Hey Sammy, you're on speaker."

"Dean." Sam's voice instantly put Dean on edge, and he moved to the edge of the couch, straightening his shoulders.

"Sam, what's happening."

"Angels, three of them." He sounded out of breath. "I just got off the damn plane, I don't have a blade."

"How the hell did they find you?"

"Not really my priority right now." Sam muttered.

Dean heard the sound of glass breaking. "Sam, what's happening?"

"Improvising." He hissed.

"Sam?"

"Mirror in the bathroom. Got a sigil down."

"Sam wait-"

He could hear the hunter assuring the few guys in the bathroom it was okay, probably pointlessly since he had just come in, broken a mirror and cut into his hand only to start scribbling on the walls with his own blood.

"Sam, don't use that sigil!" Dean all but yelled through the phone. He could hear that Sam set down the phone when he started his work.

Cas looked up, his eyebrows scrunched, trying to read the hunter's suddenly panicked expression.

"Sam! Whatever you do don't-"

Over the phone was a shout, followed by the explosion of the spell mixed with the scream of four angels. This gave way to the surprised and frightened yelling of the guys remaining in the mens room.

"Sam?" Dean pleaded loudly. "Sam!?" The call remained open, but nothing from his brother. He hung up, standing, though he didn't grab the crutches to move anywhere. He just couldn't remain sitting anymore.

Cas looked up at him, concern settling in as he took in Dean's utter terror at what happened. He didn't really know what he had heard. "You don't think he was fast enough?" He said softly. If he hadn't blasted them away before one of them… but he didn't think Sam would have made no noise at all if the angels harmed him.

"Fuck…" Dean didn't acknowledge the former angel. He looked around, tears just pricking the back of his eyes as the gravity of what just happened set in. He looked to Cas desperately. "Angels who are banished… do they land together?"

"I don't know what happens to an angel now that they have fallen from heaven." Cas admitted. "Before, yes. Angels landed fairly close to those banished with them."

Dean nodded, breathing heavily "Fuck."

"Dean, what's going on?"

Dean scrubbed a hand over his face, sinking back down onto the couch, but leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Cas I…" He stopped, struggling to put his racing thoughts into words. "After the trials Sam was messed up."

"Yes, Ezekiel healed him."

"No, I mean really messed up. Ezekiel tried his best, but he couldn't heal Sam enough to keep him alive."

"Dean, what did you do?" Cas asked warily.

"Ezekiel could heal him, while healing himself. But he'd have to possess Sam. I saw inside Sam's mind, he was already talking to Death. I tricked him into saying yes. But Zeek said if Sam ejected him before he was done, Sam was a goner."

"You never told Sam." the angel breathed.

"He's the one who brought you back Cas, not April. I thought you were gone. Now Zeek seems like a cool guy, and you vouched for him, but right now Sam just got blasted god knows where with three pissed off angels and no weapons. And he isn't gonna know what hit him."

"We need to find them…"

Dean's head raced trying to grasp onto any plan at all, and finally his face set. He picked up his phone again.

"Dean?"

"Hello?" Kevin's voice answered.

"Kevin, I need you to put this phone in front of Crowley, and I need you to carry out whatever I'm going to say, you hear me?"

"Dean what-"

"In front of Crowley, now."

Dean purposely ignored the muttering coming over the line. He heard the heavy door open, then the cabinets, the light finally flicking on. He heard the phone gently tossed on the table with the nearby rattle of chains.

"Squirrel? To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Two weeks off human blood, you back to being a demon?"

"I never stopped."

"Can. You. Teleport?"

"Well, not at the moment, as I'm trussed up in your lovely sex dungeon. But theoretically speaking, should I find myself free, yes."

"Listen up douchebag. Angels have Sam. No small talk, I'm going to cut your leash, but the deal is you're going to help me get my brother back. Do you understand me?"

A pause long enough to make Dean's teeth grate. "I do this, the cuffs stay off."

"Fine."

"What?" Kevin and Cas both spoke in unison.

"I don't have time for arguments. Kevin, key's in the cabinet. Cuffs off, trap disengaged, do it."

"Dean are you-"

"Do it." He listened as Kevin began to do as told.

The demon smiled. "So just where am I popping to first?"

"I'm texting the coordinates and breaking the devils trap at the door. Get here now."

This is where the break from canon really starts! Let me know what you guys thought of this chapter!