Singer Salvage.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Without any clear indication as to where Dean might have ended up, Castiel went with the tried and tested.

A whoosh of wings later, he found himself standing outside the flaky, wooden door of Bobby Singer's house. Dean was fond of the old hunter; it was logical to assume he'd have gotten in touch.

:

Bobby's face was less than welcoming when he cracked open the door. The fact of Dean turning up not long ago and now the angel, meant that nothing good was brewing. He could feel it in his gut.

'Castiel.' Bobby's voice was cautious as he tilted his head in acknowledgement

'I was seeking Dean,' Castiel stated bluntly. 'He is no longer living with the woman and her son.'

Bobby sighed. 'Yeah. I know. He passed through here but left pretty quick. We kinda had a different take on things.'

Castiel cocked his head, waiting for more.

'The kid's all fired up. He's determined to get Sam out of the Cage and I don't think he cares what he might have to do to succeed .'

:

Castiel mulled the information over, wondering how Dean could have remained with Lisa only three months while in the original time-line he stayed there for a year.

Chuck had made it clear that whatever happened from the moment Castiel chose to interfere, would be completely random, unpredictable. For a moment, the angel's confidence in the deal he'd agreed to, faltered. Things seemed to be getting out of hand already.

'Did he say why he'd made this decision? I thought he was happy living a normal life.'

:

Bobby shook his head, the misfortunes of the brothers carving a hole in his heart. 'They were ever too close, him and Sam. I thought maybe this time, Dean would accept what happened at Stull and get on with his life. God knows he deserves a little peace, but the pull to his brother is too strong. Told me he couldn't live with knowing Sam was suffering at the hands of Lucifer.'

'Where has Dean gone. Did he say?'

'Na. After going through most of the books again, he just took off. Like I told him, we'd tried everything before Sam took on the devil; there was nothin' new to look up. Idjit said he'd find some way to get Sam out or he'd die tryin'.'

' I understand,' Castiel hummed. Inwardly he was annoyed with himself. Humans were impulsive. He should've looked in on Dean now and then.

:

Bobby eyed him shrewdly. 'Dean never contact you? Thought he'd be glad of a word from his angel buddy.'

'No,' Castiel was forced to admit. 'He must've been too buried in his grief to want to talk to those involved with Sam's death. I should have made more of an effort to visit, console him, but I was busy in Heaven trying to keep Raphael and his followers from jumping into a new apocalypse.'

A shocked expression stamped itself on Bobby's face. 'Friggin' hell. They're actually considering that? '

'They are, though I believe I have brought up many reasons why it would be best avoided and I think most have listened,' Castel explained with a touch a self-satisfaction, not lost on the old hunter.

:

'Huh,' he harrumphed. 'No offence, Castiel but I wouldn't trust an angel as far as I could throw it which isn't very far.'

Castiel nodded. 'Yes, well, for the moment, they are still discussing the pros and cons, so we will see. Getting back to Dean, you have no idea where he might go, Bobby?'

'Sorry, dude. The way he took off down the drive, he may well have arrived at Timbuctoo by now.'

'If he should call, tell him to pray to me. I would like to offer some comfort if I can.'

'Will do,' Bobby replied as the angel vanished.

Lifting his cap, he gave his scalp a comforting scratch, then settled it back on his head. 'Idjits, the lot of them,' he muttered to himself.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

'Sammy.' Dean fell to the ground at his brother's side, his eyes moist. Death had kept his word. He'd brought Sam back to him.

His hand trembled as he caressed his sibling's head, pushing back the tendrils of chestnut hair tossed untidily across his face, drinking in the familiar features he'd feared were lost to him forever.

'Sammy,' he whispered again, afraid that if he raised his voice, the spell would be broken and his brother disappear into the Hell he just come from; yet he needed Sam to open his eyes, to speak, to let him know he was okay.

'Sammy,' he muttered for a third time.

:

As if to confirm that the third time was indeed lucky, Sam's eyelids quivered then parted, but the expression wasn't one of joy at the sight of his big brother's face but of dread and terror.

'Get away from me,' Sam shouted, scooting back on his ass. ' You're not him; not Dean. Dean would never do the things to me you have. You're not him…not him….not him.'

Faster than a striking cobra, Dean gripped his brother, pulling him into his arms. 'It's me Sammy. It's really me. You're out.'

Sam struggled and thrashed in Dean's embrace but now that the older Winchester had his brother back, he was never letting go. He'd sit here all day, fuck all year, if he had to, until Sam understood.

:

Dean couldn't have said how much time had passed as he held the younger man in an iron grip, alternating between whispered words of comfort and insisting he was Sam's one true sibling and not some simulacre created by Lucifer.

His constancy was rewarded when Sam in a tiny voice more fitting of a child than the adult he was, croaked. 'Is it really you, Dean? Please.'

Dean swallowed the lump in his throat, lessened his grip on his brother and pulled back. As Sam's anxious eyes looked into his own , he smiled. 'It's me kiddo. The one and only Dean Winchester, hunter extraordinaire and big brother to a nerdy dork called Sam.'

Sam pursed his lips and nodded, this time collapsing into the welcoming arms like an oversized teddy bear.

:

Dean held on as Sam wept, getting it out of his system.

His little brother was home. He sent up a silent thanks to Death. Strange that the being who epitomised the end of human life should be the one to restore it.

Dean owed him and Dean Winchester always paid his debts, even to one of the most powerful and feared beings in the universe but for now he had a hurt little brother to tend to.

tbc