I got photos taken with Jensen and Misha (in costume) at the con in Burbank yesterday so here we are.
Chapter Five: Rich
Rich Manning burst into the emergency room like a bat out of hell, and the moment Dean made eye contact with him, he truly feared for his life.
"What the fuck did you do to my sister?" Rich hissed, grabbing the front of Dean's leather jacket and hoisting him out of the uncomfortable plastic chair he had been sitting in for the past two hours.
Rich shook Dean a few times before he asked again, "What happened to her?"
Dean pushed back gently, trying not to agitate him any further and putting some space between them.
When had Rich gotten so tall?
"We met up over the weekend, and I thought she went back to Portland," Dean tried to explain without going into too much detail. "I guess she didn't leave though, police found her car at a park. A demon found her— it possessed her for days and roughed her body up. I exorcised it as soon as I could, and brought her here."
"Where's the doctor? Or a nurse? You're lucky we're already in a hospital because I'm going to kill you for getting her hurt," Rich seethed, glancing around the waiting room. He must've realized that he was causing a scene to the admin at the front desk, because he lowered his voice. "You promised me you'd keep her safe, keep her out of this life."
"Trust me, no one blames me more than I blame me for what happened," Dean spat back. "Why don't you talk to the nurses and see what's going on. They won't tell me anything."
"I'm gonna see how she is," Rich finally said, but shot Dean another glare, pointing a finger up as he spoke, "And you, you're never gonna see Everly again. Not after this. You Winchesters are the worst thing that ever happened to my family."
At the motel that night, Dean told Cas most of the story. About the demon he had been hunting that brought him through a town near Bend, Oregon, only a few hours from where Everly had been living in Portland, so she came down to see him. How the demon had seen them together at a diner. How it possessed her, tried to do enough damange to her that she would be dead when the demon was kicked out of her body.
Dean had never performed an exorcism faster in his entire life than he had when he had her tied to a chair in a devil's trap.
He told Cas that after the demon had been exorcised, he got her to the hospital and she had to be put into a medically induced coma, her injuries had been that bad. It'd been a miracle that she survived. Of course, there were a few things he left out, but Cas didn't need to know.
Everly had been in that coma for two weeks, and then when she woke up with little to no memory, Rich had beaten the shit out of Dean in the parking lot of the hospital. He hadn't tried to put up a fight. He didn't deserve to defend himself.
Dean kept his distance for a bit after that, only visiting Everly when he knew Rich wasn't there. It wasn't often at first, but he fabricated a few monsters here and there to get Rich away from the hospital for a bit.
"Wait, Rich is a hunter?" Castiel interrupted Dean's rambling stories, and he nodded as he took a sip of beer.
"Yep. Their dad was a hunter, knew my old man. I guess he had been out of the game after starting a family and did a few hunts here and there, but Dad needed help with the vampire nest he was hunting when I met Everly," he explained. "So he called Alan Manning. The hunt went sideways, Alan got hurt. Dad did what he could, but Alan didn't make it. I— I went to the funeral with Ev."
Dean didn't have clothes nice enough for a funeral, but Everly insisted he go with her anyway. So he stood in the small chapel, dressed in a pair of jeans and a flannel while she wore a black dress, and he held her hand for the entire service.
John hadn't put up a fight when Dean told him that he was going to the funeral. He merely nodded somberly and told his son to be safe.
Dean stood beside her at the wake after the service, and she squeezed his hand every time she thanked someone for their condolences. Whenever she got a break from guests, Everly would lean into him and whisper "thank you."
They disappeared up to her bedroom before the wake ended and Everly immediately broke down. She had been so solemn and strong throughout the day, and there she was sobbing as Dean held her, rubbing her back and whispering to her quietly in hopes to calm her down.
"Will you stay over tonight?" Everly had asked, and Dean wasn't sure he heard her right at first. "I- it's okay if you don't want to, or if you can't-"
"I'm not going anywhere, Ev," he answered quickly. "Let me call my dad, though."
It had taken Dean everything in him to pick up the phone down in the Manning's kitchen and call his father's cell phone and tell him that he wasn't coming back to the motel that night.
Surprisingly, John hadn't put up a fight. His response was a gruff, "Be back in the morning."
Gina Manning came into the kitchen after he hung up the house phone, a tired look on her face, and she asked him how Everly was holding up.
"She's doing the best she can. I, uh. She asked me to stay the night. I just got off the phone with my old man letting him know. Is that okay with you?"
He hadn't even thought to ask. All he wanted was to be there for Everly in whatever way he could, and if she wanted him to stay then he'd stay.
"Of course it's okay. I have to take care of some things, so I'm glad you can be here for her," Gina smiled softly, the first time he'd seen her do it all day. "Let me know if there's anything either of you need."
Dean nodded, and she pulled him into a tight hug, squeezing his shoulder gently as she let go of him.
"You're a good boy, Dean. I'm glad she has you in her corner. I'm gonna go check on Rich now, I think he said your brother was going to come by soon."
Sam hadn't come to the wake, but Dean was glad to hear that he was going to come by. He and Rich had become fast friends, and Rich needed all the support he could get right now.
He returned to Ev's room and wrapped himself around her, and they talked about everything and nothing so he could help keep her mind off the worst thing that had ever happened to her. When she finally fell asleep, he prayed that this was the only bad thing she'd ever experience in her life.
She slept for a few hours, and Dean stayed awake, mulling over what he should do. He knew he should tell her about what had killed her dad- the coroner had said it was an animal attack, but Dean knew it was vampires. He didn't want to put that on her, but he felt like it was the right thing to do.
When he felt her shifting in his arms, her breathing changed and he could tell that she was awake.
"Hey, Ev?" Dean asked in a whisper, noticing that her alarm clock said it was after 1 a.m., "Do you think we could go for a walk? Or a drive?"
Everly sat up, pulling herself from their tangle of limbs and bedsheets and stared down at him groggily, "Why?"
"There's… something I want to tell you. It's a secret, and I can't risk anyone overhearing us."
She was still for a few moments before she finally nodded, wiping at her face and saying, "Yeah, sure. If mom asks, I'll just tell her we couldn't sleep and went for a drive."
"Turns out that night, Sam spilled to Rich, too. Everly was skeptical at first, but ended up believing me, and went on with life," Dean told Cas. "Rich, on the other hand… He latched on. Couldn't let it go, so he got into the life. He hated dad for what happened to Alan, but after what had happened to Ev, he hated me more."
"So I assume that seeing him now won't make things better," Castiel deduced, and Dean shrugged.
"I'm hoping that you'll be a good enough peace offering," he said with a sigh. "Maybe he won't want to rip my head off if he knows you're working your angel magic."
"It isn't magic, Dean," Cas huffed, and Dean rolled his eyes. "But I see your point. Are you sure that you want me to put everything back? I- I saw some memories of you, and they were-"
"Put everything back," Dean nodded. "I know she's gonna hate me after it's all said and done. I've made my peace with that. I'll be happy knowing she's back to how she was before I ruined her life."
"Dean…" Cas started, a sympathetic look on his face that Dean tried to brush off and ignore. "What happened to Everly… It wasn't your fault. You didn't make that demon harm her."
"It's my fault she was even there to begin with! If I had been able to let her go in high school, or at any point over the last however many years, none of this would have happened!" Dean's voice steadily rose as he spoke, before he took a deep breath and lowered his tone. Yelling wouldn't solve anything. "But it did, and I have to live with that. I have to fix it. I have to, Cas."
Castiel nodded in understanding, knowing that Dean's mind was made up.
"I remember hearing that prayer, you know. The one asking that her father's death was the only terrible thing Everly would experience," Cas said thoughtfully, "We talked about it, in Heaven. Dean Winchester, Michael's true vessel, asking for something so selflessly. Some of us… others in my garrison, watched over her for a bit after your prayer."
Dean gave Cas an incredulous look, shocked to hear that not only had he been heard, but the feathery assholes he now knew as angels actually did something about it.
Before he could even say anything, Cas told him that he'd see him in the morning, then left for his own room.
Once he was gone, Dean sat on the bed and rubbed his hands over his face, heaving a sigh. He was gonna be in some deep shit when he finally came face to face with Rich, and he could only hope that it ended better than it had the last time they saw each other.
Exhausted from the past few days, Dean got ready for bed and turned on the TV, finding a trashy late-night movie and settled in for the rest of the night.
"My mom said we're moving to North Carolina," Everly told Dean as they sat side by side at the same park he'd told her about the existence of supernatural creatures. "I'm going to Duke in the fall, so she wanted to be close to campus after… after dad."
It'd been a week since the funeral, and the two had been more inseparable than they had been before. Dean had slept over every night, unable to leave her alone for more than a few hours at a time. She was out of school on bereavement, and he just stopped going. He wanted to be there for her as much as he could, before he and his family moved on to the next case.
"Are we gonna be able to keep in touch?" she asked, taking his hand and lacing their fingers together as they soaked in the warm spring sun. "I know you're probably leaving town soon, but… I don't really want to lose you."
No one had ever said anything like that to Dean before. He never formed bonds with anyone at the schools he had been in and out of, but somehow Everly managed to worm her way into his heart in the three months he'd been here.
"I- I have a cell phone, for emergencies. I can give you the number, and we can call each other," he finally answered.
"Okay, good," Everly flashed a smile before she leaned against him and mumbled, "I love you, Dean."
He immediately froze, and he knew Everly felt the change because she straightened up and turned to face him, a shy smile still on her lips.
"I just wanted you to know. You don't have to say it back or anything, but… you've been with me through a lot in the past few months, and.." she hesitated for a moment, looking out into the park to see if anyone was nearby. "You told me your secret. That trust means so much to me."
"Ev…" Dean started, unsure of what to say to her in response. He knew how he felt about her, but wasn't sure if he could admit it out loud. He squeezed her hand and took a gulp before finally saying, "I love you too."
He watched her green eyes sparkle in the sunlight as a blush covered her cheeks and moved down her neck, and he knew that he truly loved her. It was gonna hurt when they parted ways.
"I'll never stop loving you, okay?" She said, holding out her little finger for him to wrap his around, "Pinky promise."
"Pinky promise," he nodded in response, and she must've known he was overthinking, because she leaned up and kissed him sweetly.
Dean woke up with a smile on his face the next morning, the dream he had the night before filling him with a warm feeling. He'd never forget that day, ever. Everly had taken him back to her house and once she had made sure they were home alone, they'd had sex for the first time together. It wasn't even the sex that made him want to keep that particular memory close, it was the way Everly had held onto him tightly as they cuddled afterwards, the way she scratched his scalp and kissed his cheek, telling him that she would always love him.
He held onto those memories as he helped her through this, hoping that one day she'd be able to relive them too. He just hoped that she wouldn't hate him for what had happened.
He went through his quick morning routine and got on his way, stopping to pick up some donuts and a coffee before going to the center and signing in. He noticed that Cas had already signed in nearly half an hour earlier with the name Jimmy Novak.
Dean found the pair seated at the small table in Everly's room, a board game between the two of them that he vaguely recognized.
"Hello Dean," Castiel greeted, and Everly turned around in her seat to face him.
"Cas brought Settlers of Catan. He's teaching me to play," she smiled brightly. "It's a pretty interesting game, except for the fact that Cas built settlements on all the good resources."
She sent Castiel a fake glare, and Dean watched him shrug innocently.
"Just make sure he's not using his angel mojo to rig the dice," Dean nodded to the pair of dice she was holding in her hand.
Everly's head whipped back to face Castiel, and Dean knew she was full on really glaring at him now.
"Have you been cheating?"
"I'm an angel, I would never do anything of the sort—" Cas huffed, affronted that she would even ask, but Dean cut him off with a laugh.
"Seriously? You may be an angel but you've done some messed up shit," he shook his head. "Save your cheating at board games for Sam."
Castiel huffed, making Everly laugh before she told him that Rich was coming in the afternoon.
"Great. We ready to get this started?" Dean brushed her statement off, moving into the room and set the donuts he had picked up on the table beside the board game that was laid out.
"I'm ready," she nodded, "Maybe after, we can play another round and you can join?"
Dean made a noncommittal noise and sat in the windowsill as Everly moved to the bed. Cas wasn't far behind, pulling up a chair and sending her a gentle, reassuring smile that Dean thought was more of a grimace, but hey, it was an improvement.
"You may feel some discomfort. Please reach out to me in your mind if you do, and I'll change my course of action," Cas told her as he reached out to rest his fingers against her temple and took her hand with his free one. "Would you like to use a code word?"
Dean snorted at the angel asking for a safe word, remembering what his and Ev's safe word had been.
"Huckleberry," Everly nodded before closing her eyes, and Dean nearly choked on his own spit.
He could only sit there and watch, trying not to let jealousy seep into him like he knew it wanted to. She'd given him their safe word without even realizing it.
Dean wanted nothing more than to be able to touch Everly, even if it was in a platonic way like Cas was, but he knew that he shouldn't- that he couldn't, after everything she'd been through because of him.
He tried to think of what he was gonna say when Rich showed up, unable to really pin anything down. How many more times could he apologize? How many different ways could he say that he was sorry, that he was doing whatever it took to help get Ev back to the way she was before?
Cas must've had her schedule memorized, because he finished his work about ten minutes before the nurse knocked, giving them time to make sure Everly was fine before they moved over to the table where the game was.
"We're gonna head to the vending machines, you want anything?" Dean asked, sending Everly a wink as Allison shot him a glare.
"Dealer's choice," Everly said with a smile and Allison let out a groan.
"You're a terrible influence on her," the nurse sighed.
"Don't I know it. Always have been," Dean shot back with a small smirk before sending a wave and heading out into the hallway with Cas.
"Happy 21st birthday, babe," Dean beamed as he held up a case of beer, watching Everly's eyes light up as she opened the door of her apartment.
She was in her third year at Duke, and Dean had managed to sneak away for the weekend to surprise her for her big 2-1.
He could tell she was already a bit tipsy, her eyes a little glazed over as she stared at him with her mouth wide open.
"You're here!" she finally said, lunging forward to wrap him up in her arms and pepper his face with kisses. "I thought you were in Georgia?"
"I was, but I managed to sneak away, just for you," Dean smirked in response, running his free hand up along her back. He'd been planning on coming for weeks, but wanted to surprise her. "C'mon, Ev, let's get inside. It looks like I have some catching up to do."
"Is that Dean I hear?" Shauna called out from where Dean knew the kitchen to be, and then her brunette head popped out from the doorway. "Come on, we're taking shots!"
"How many have you already had?" he asked as Everly laced their fingers together and led him into the kitchen, where he spotted her other roommate, Mira, and a few of their friends that he might've forgotten the names of.
To be fair, he'd only met them once before this.
"Birthday girl here's had about six, but don't you worry, she'll make it to 21 before the night's over," Shauna winked, lining up clean shot glasses and filling them with vodka.
"That's exactly what I'm worried about," Dean grumbled before lifting up his shot glass and toasting his girl.
Hours later, Dean found himself in Everly's bathroom, holding back her hair as she barfed up what seemed like everything she had ever consumed in her entire life. True to her word, Shauna had made her take 21 shots, with some help from him, and now Everly was purging them, and apparently everything else, from her system.
"I think I'm gonna die," Everly groaned, trying to take deep breaths as Dean tied up her hair and into a sloppy bun then rubbed her back tenderly. He was still a little drunk, but he had sobered up significantly when he noticed she had gone well past her limit of alcohol intake. "I probably have alcohol poisoning. That last drink you bought me put me over the edge. You're a terrible influence."
"I don't think it was that last drink, hun. But it's nothin' a little Gatorade and some kisses can't fix," Dean smiled down at her, pressing his lips to the top of her head.
She smelled like a dive bar. He loved it.
"You wanna kiss this mouth?" she sounded incredulous, looking up at him as she wiped her face with toilet paper. "This mouth that was just an inch away from a toilet?"
"Sweetheart, I wanna kiss that mouth all the time."
"Lies," she groaned, pressing her hand to her mouth as she burped, her eyes widening in surprise when she didn't hurl.
"Seems like you got it all out of ya," Dean said with a smile before hoisting himself up off of the floor.
He grabbed her toothbrush out of her drawer and spread on some toothpaste, then got it wet and handed it to her.
"I knew you were lying," she laughed, taking it and brushing her teeth to make sure she could no longer taste anything other than mint.
Dean ignored her comment as he helped her up off of the tile and wandered into her bedroom as she finished brushing, rolling his eyes when he heard her gargle some mouthwash.
When she joined him, Dean held up the shirt he found on her bed, an eyebrow raised curiously as he watched her cheeks flush in the dim light.
"I was wondering where this went," he smirked, tossing her the Van Halen tee. "I'm gonna have to check my bag every time I leave, aren't I?"
"Or you could stay longer than a couple days," Everly shot back as she changed out of the dress she had worn out to the bar and into the shirt he had thrown her. "And before you get all 'But Ev you know I can't' on me, I know. It's just very wishful thinking."
Dean felt bad, just like he always did when this topic came up, but he appreciated that she always knew he had to get back to the family business.
"I don't sound like that," he grumbled.
Everly crawled into her bed and curled up under the covers, peeking out at him from her comforter and floral sheets, "Are you gonna get in here or not?"
He quickly undid his belt and the fly of his jeans, then stepped out of them as he tugged off his shirt. Dean moved to get into bed when Everly groaned, making him freeze.
"Lights, please," she mumbled sleepily, and he nodded, quickly moving across the room and flipping the light switch.
He finally climbed in beside her, on his usual side, and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back against him gently, trying not to upset her stomach.
"Did you have a good birthday?" he whispered, his chin resting against the top of her head.
"Mmhmm, the best," Everly answered, "Except for the barfing."
"What was your favorite part? The cake? The presents? The… Jell-O shots I bought you?" Dean asked as he laced his fingers with hers.
"You," she told him as she stifled a yawn, "You were my favorite part."
Dean might've gone a little overboard with the snacks, judging by the slightly disturbed look that had crossed Castiel's face as he kept feeding the machine dollar bills.
"Don't give me that look," Dean snapped, glancing down at the pile he had in his arms now.
"I'm not giving you a look," Cas answered with just as much attitude, but then his attention shifted over Dean's shoulder and down the hall.
Dean turned and followed his gaze, frowning when he saw a familiar blond man heading into Everly's room. He was wearing a dark canvas jacket and his hair was a little darker and a bit shaggier than he remembered it being, but there was no mistaking exactly who he was.
"Shit," he mumbled. "That's Rich. Look, we should get out of their hair, come back tomorrow. Or when Rich is definitely gone."
"You should talk to him, Dean. Tell him that I'm helping," Cas suggested, all traces of snark gone, but Dean shook his head.
"Nope. Not gonna go down that road. I'm gonna take my snacks to the car, go back to the motel, and watch TV until the coast is clear."
Dean took off down the hall, keeping his head down as he walked by Everly's room. He had just gotten past when he heard her call his name, making him freeze in his tracks.
"Shit," he mumbled again, turning and heading into the room. "Hey Ev, I got a little bit of everything. Figured we'd see what you like best and compare it to what I know of your favorites."
Dean dropped the snacks onto the table and looked up to see Rich standing right in front of him, arms crossed across his chest.
"I saw the Impala in the parking lot, but part of me hoped it was just a coincidence," Rich sent a glare to the other hunter. "Then Everly told me you were here, and you brought a friend?"
Cas chimed in from the doorway, "Hello. I've heard much about you. I am Castiel."
"Oh yeah, I heard about you too," Rich moved his attention to him now, "My sister says you're an angel?"
Dean heaved a sigh and nudged Cas further into the room, closing the door so they could have some privacy.
"It's true, I'm an angel of the Lord," Cas nodded, and Dean rolled his eyes at how formal he was sometimes.
"Look, before you get all defensive, I know how this looks. But Rich, I brought Cas here to help," Dean started to explain, his hands held up, palms parallel to the floor as a sign that he came in peace.
"And how exactly is this doofy tax accountant lookalike gonna help my sister?" Rich pointed at the angel, shooting him a glare, and Dean bristled. No one insulted Cas on his watch.
"He's helping put my memories back!" Everly interrupted, "Don't talk about me like I'm not here, and don't be rude to Cas."
Dean turned to Everly and saw that her cheeks and neck had gone bright red, a sure sign that she was pissed off.
Rich went to say something to his sister, but Dean cut him off quickly, knowing he needed to diffuse the situation.
"Ev, why don't you take Cas to the cafeteria?"
Everly stared at him, her gaze narrowed slightly at being dismissed before she nodded, brushing past Dean and avoiding eye contact as she walked by.
"C'mon, Cas, there's too much testosterone going on in here anyways," she said as she grabbed the angel's hand and pulled him out of her room.
Once he was sure she was out of earshot, Dean looked to Rich.
"Long time no see, huh?"
"I could kill you right now, you know?" Rich hissed, "What the fuck is all of this? I thought I told you to cut it out with the visits, and now you've got your pet angel here with you? I've heard about him through the grapevine, you know. Hunters talk."
"He's not a pet, Rich, he's my friend, and he's using his angel powers to try and fix your sister!"
Dean was in full-on defensive mode now, ready to do whatever it took to keep coming here so he could help Everly.
"You know how I feel about her, how I feel after what happened. Let me do this."
"Does Sam know where you are?" Rich asked, his familiar green eyes staring straight at Dean, unnerving the man a little bit. What had happened to the nerdy kid that loved comics?
Oh yeah, vampires killed his dad.
"No, he doesn't," Dean snapped back. "And no one's gonna tell him, you got it?"
"Gonna be kinda hard not to. He called me up and asked for some help on a ghoul hunt since you're MIA," Rich paused before finally heaving a sigh. "Fine. You know what. If an angel is what can help Everly, then I shouldn't do anything to stop him. I'm kinda mad I didn't think of it first, though."
"Do you know any angels on a personal level?" Dean asked with a smirk, already knowing the answer.
"You know I don't. No need to rub it in," Rich shook his head. "Could you tell me more about what Castiel is doing?"
Dean could only tell Rich what Cas had shared with him, which was what he assumed to be a basic, dumbed down version of what Cas was really doing. But he told his fellow hunter regardless, wanting to be transparent with the man whose sister he was trying so desperately to save.
"And you're sure he can do it?" Rich finally asked, and Dean nodded without hesitation.
"If there's anyone that can, it's Cas. He's come through for me a lot in the past, and if he says he can do it, I believe him."
"Then that'll have to be good enough for me," Rich nodded. "I'll go and help Sam with this ghoul hunt. You keep Castiel here for as long as necessary. If he can fix her, consider us square. Now, let's get to the cafeteria. I skipped breakfast to get here in time."
Dean, unsure of what exactly had just happened, wasn't going to ruin his chances of getting himself off of Rich's kill list, so he led the way to the cafeteria, where they found Everly laughing at something Castiel had said.
He watched as she was nearly doubled over, holding her sides as tears ran down her face. Cas was wearing a bright smile too, and as strange as it was, Dean couldn't help but glare. There's no way Cas was funny enough for that kind of reaction.
"And just what is so funny?" Dean asked as he and Rich approached the table they were seated at, taking a seat next to Cas while Rich sat beside his sister.
"Cas has just been telling me stories about his time with you and Sam," Everly finally answered after calming herself down. "He said you got stuck in TV shows?"
Dean looked between the two and flashed a smile at Everly, "Yup. Sam and I got to experience Dr. Sexy, MD and some other shows."
"It sounds like you lead such a fascinating life," she pointed out before lowering her voice, "I mean, you know an angel."
"I wouldn't call it fascinating, but it sure keeps me busy," Dean said with a shrug. "Now, what's on the menu for today?"
After lunch, Dean and Cas left so Rich could spend time alone with Everly, promising they'd be back bright and early the next morning.
He had caught the uncertainty in her eyes as he told her that he'd see her later, but he flashed her a reassuring smile that hopefully put her at ease before waving and following Cas out the door.
In the Impala on the way back to the motel, Castiel asked how things had gone with Rich.
"We talked it out. I think we're seeing eye to eye now," Dean told him. "He's on board with you helping Ev, and he's gonna go on a ghoul hunt with Sam to keep him off of my ass."
"Doesn't Sam know about you being here for Everly?" the angel asked, and Dean shook his head.
"Nope. As far as Sam's concerned, I haven't seen her in a long time. The fewer people knowing about me and Ev, the better," Dean said firmly. "And you're not gonna tell him, okay?"
"I won't tell him anything," Cas nodded in response, and Dean relaxed a little knowing that the angel would keep his mouth shut.
"Good."
The rest of the ride was quiet as Dean mulled over how to ask just how long it was gonna take to sort out Everly's memory. He didn't want to seem like he was rushing him, but he also didn't want to have to leave the angel alone with Everly if he had to get back to the bunker.
He finally asked point blank, deciding it was better to just ask straight up instead of dancing around it. .
"I- I'm not sure. I'd like to take my time, since it's delicate work."
"Do you need days? Weeks? Months? Cas, I kinda need a timeline..." Dean trailed off as he frowned.
"I'd like a few weeks. This isn't just difficult for her- it's also draining on me, Dean," the angel admitted, and Dean knew it really must've been because Cas never liked to tell him when things tired him out. "You don't have to remain here with us. If you need to go back to the bunker, you can."
"I really don't want to leave her… it's not that I don't trust you, I—" Dean trailed off, unsure of how to voice what he was feeling.
"You don't want her to forget you, I know," Castiel filled in, "I've seen some memories, the ones she can't convert to long term. They're there, and she'll have them once I finish."
"She'll what?" Dean was stunned. How was that possible?
"It's like… Oh, what is it called? Sam told me about them once," Cas started mumbling to himself, apparently trying to remember something. "The device that holds data on a computer. It's small, but it holds a lot of memory?"
"A hard drive?" Dean supplied, and the angel nodded.
"Exactly. So, right now I'm treating Everly's mind like a sort of hard drive. Everything is labeled and in a folder, for the most part. Some folders are corrupted by her injuries. But there are files that don't have folders, and can't be accessed unless they do. So I have to reorganize everything and then fix the damage that was done to her physically. Does… Does that make sense?" Cas looked at the blank look on Dean's face and frowned. "Perhaps I'm not explaining it correctly…"
"Dude, I have a GED," Dean answered plainly. "But I think I get it. Her brain's not organized right."
"Yes, so I'm reorganizing it for her," he nodded. "It's good that you called me, Dean. There's nothing human modern medicine can do to fix what happened to Everly."
Silence fell over them again as Dean marinated in what Cas had just told him, trying not to think about all of the things Everly would be better off not remembering, some from the past and some more recent.