Legal Disclaimer: I own my stuff, but not the original source material. That belongs to whoever. Also, the opinions and interpretations I use here may not reflect the same in said whoever that owns the source material. Look, I'm just a poor college librarian. Suing me isn't going to get you anything but tears.

Warning: This work may be offensive to some readers. Additionally, standard warnings for apocalypse, injuries, and assumed death. Now with just a touch of pining, because reasons. Feel free to back out if need be.

Author's Note: Someone complained (thankfully on guest) about me having so many queer characters. So have some "oblivious" bi Dean for your troubles. Carry on, wayward readers! It's Wednesday.

Submitting Info:
Stacked with: Hogwarts (Term 16); MC4A (Year 4)
Individual Challenges: In a Flash; The Real MC (Y); Two Cakes (Y); Eating Cake (Y); Endings; Divinity; Above Average Natural; Old Shoes (Y); Old Shoes; Zed Era; Hold the Mayo; Claimed; Booger Breath; Immortal MC; Ethnic & Present; Rian-Russo Inversion; Neurodivergent; Neurodivergent; Criminal MC; Criminal MC; Criminal MC; Hunter MC; Hunter MC; Hunter MC; Hunter MC; Gryffindor MC; Magical MC; Xover Bae-Toven; My Favorite Things; La Vie Boheme; Not the Mama
House: Slytherin
Assignment No.: Term 16 – Assignment 02
Subject (Task No.): n/a
Other Hogwarts Challenges: 365 [118](Echo); 1000 Prompts Challenge [108](Angel); Dates [Jan 15] (Wearing a hat); National Bird Day [01] (Sidekick); Play God Day [59] (Angelic); National Weddings Month [03] (Getting down on one knee); Colors [02] (Onyx); Tarot Reading [04] (ignoring a problem); Alphabetti [B] (Black)
Other MC4A Challenges: WiB [4D](Hat); Vocab [4B](Utter); Ship (n/a)[Fa Big (Dagger/Knife)]; Chim [Ano] ("Carry On My Wayward Son" by Kansas; Life/Death; Apocalypse AU); Fire [x3](He Ain't Heavy; We Angelic Beings; Spleen to Me); Garden [Diversity Reader (Desi Character)]; Hang [Phrase 06] (Family); Swap [Outer Wear (College Sweatshirt)]
Representation(s): Dean Winchester/Castiel & their Profound Bond; Team Free Will as Family
Primary & Secondary Bonus Challenges: Easy Zephyr; placeholder; Second Verse (Found Family; Nontraditional; Sneeze Weasel; Middle Name; Spinning Plates; Unwanted Advice; Lovely Coconuts; Grease Monkey; Most Human Bean; Rock of Ages; Bad Beans; Under the Bridge); Chorus (Wabi Sabi; Machismo; Peddling Pots; Rediscovery; Mouth of Babes; Tomorrow's Shade; Eternal Boredom; Larger than Life; Unicorn; Creature Feature; Wind Beneath; Abandoned Ship; In the Trench; Turtle-Duck; Forked Path; Some Beach; Hot Stuff); Demo 2 (Misshapen Pods)
Tertiary & Generic Bonus Challenges: SHoE (Terse; Oblique); War (Sanctuary; Obstruction); TY (Enfant); Wings (Scintillate); Share (Ameliorate; Dragoman)
Word Count: 683 words

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Needs and Wants
Chapter 18: Raced
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Dean didn't have a lot of time to dwell on the frustration of Tessa's disappearance. Less than a minute afterwards, a tiny car came speeding down the street and turning into the diner's parking lot. He vaguely recognized it as the Echo that Bobby had been working on for some out-of-towners. The owner was extremely fussy, but the guy he was traveling with wasn't so bad the one time Dean had met them before this whole thing with Harry had started. Still, Dean got the feeling that neither would be happy to know that their vehicle was being used like this.

Hell in a hand basket, Sam was damn lucky that whatever mojo that was keeping the diner people from noticing what was happening outside had held up through the tire squeal as the Echo came to a stop behind the gleaming onyx Impala. Jody would have been all over the lecturing, even more than she had been about them not checking out the backstory from the reapers about Harry. Dean actually wouldn't mind seeing that, because Jody had a way of talking that made anybody feel like listening.

"Dean," Sam yelled as he climbed out of the car, and wasn't that just a hilarious sight? Sam looked even larger than normal given how tiny the car was in comparison. Castiel and Bobby got out of the car more slowly but still compounding the effect even as Castiel outpaced both of the other men in rushing towards Dean and Harry. Dean had a flash of thought that maybe Castiel had more grace left than he realized. "What happened? You said Raphael was here!"

"He was," Dean defended. He lifted the blade that Tessa had left on Harry's lap as proof. Castiel actually tripped over his feet, falling to one knee near Harry's feet. His face went as pale as the white of the Stanford sweatshirt that Dean was fairly certain could be called officially stolen from Sam. The angel certainly wore it often enough since they got him back, not that Dean had noticed what Cas had been wearing or anything. That would be weird. "Then Tessa showed up and took care of it."

Sam had spotted the same things that Castiel had already. Bobby had the same expression of utter loss on his face that he had when they had told him about Dean's demon deal for Sam, just like someone had smacked him in the face with a brick. Dean shifted Harry slightly, making a small moan of protest escape the kid. Sammy leaned on Baby's trunk with both hands in obvious relief. Bobby yanked off his hat to slap it against the side of his leg as he turned away to let out a string of cussing.

And Castiel kept staring at both Harry and Dean with that intense way he had, like he was seeing their everything and about to spout off something ridiculous about gripping them tight or something. Not that Dean still thought about that declaration or the dozen of moments like it in the last couple of years. He didn't think about them, at least no more than reason. They had bigger things to think about, after all.

Dean scrubbed his free hand over his face, trying not to think about the thick penny-like scent of Harry's blood still filling the air. Castiel's hand closed around his wrist like a vise. Despite the suddenness of the motion, the angel was gentle as he pulled Dean's hand closer and turned it palm side up. The deep pink of the new scars stood out in livid clarity, declaring to everyone who wanted to look that they existed. Castiel's eyes glowed like they were filled with a pair of blue flame as they met Dean's briefly before flicking down to Harry's barely healed form leaning partially against Baby's side and partially against Dean. Then they raised again, and Dean could see a terrifying recognition there that he did not fully understand. When Castiel spoke, his voice held the same weight of knowledge within it.

"What did you do, Dean?"

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To Be Continued
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