Dean stares blankly at the now empty space that seconds before had been filled by three angels and his little brother. Bobby's library is quiet, too quiet. The only noise is the soft rustling of papers that had been tossed around and moved by the force of wind coming off of the wings of the angels as they had left. Dean and Bobby stay, frozen in shock, the pain from their impacts with the hard floors, and Bobby's sturdy furniture, forgotten for the moment as they try to grasp what the hell just happened. Because it couldn't be what Dean thinks it is. It can't be. It can't. Cas wouldn't do… this. Cas wouldn't ambush them at their one safe refuge in the world. Cas wouldn't blindside them with ultimatums and threats. Cas wouldn't kidnap Dean's baby brother, the same baby brother who died for Cas, who fought for him, who went to freaking Hell for him, with Lucifer and Michael. Who had practically idolized Cas, and the other angels, and believed in them when Dean didn't, who was heartbroken, and crushed when the angels looked at him with scorn, and distrust, and loathing in return. Who already felt like the weak link in their family, like after everything he did, he still couldn't measure up to Cas or Dean or Bobby. Dean wasn't blind, he knew what Cas' revelations were doing to Sam's head, what his brother was struggling with. A lifetime of growing up with Sam, with raising him, made sure Dean knew all of Sam's insecurities, and what might trigger them. Who might trigger them. And, especially now, with the Great Wall of Sam looming over his brother, threatening to destroy him if it cracks, Dean was more tuned into his brother than ever, watching every move he makes, everything that is said or done around him, for any sign that the wall might be scratched, or even gently nudged, so that he could stop it. Cas knows, maybe even better than Dean and Bobby, how vulnerable Sammy is right now. How just the wrong words or the wrong actions could set off a catastrophic chain of events in Sam's mind, unleashing Hell that even Dean, with his forty years of experience, couldn't imagine. Hell he didn't want to imagine. Sammy now, more than ever, needs to be protected, to be kept safe, because he has enemies, both the Winchester's do, that wouldn't hesitate to hold the threat of breaking Sam's wall over Sam, or, in the worst case scenario, actually act on it to knock Sam off the playing board for good. And, honestly, when isn't it the worst case scenario for Sammy? So no. No, no, no. Cas did not take Sam. Cas wouldn't take Sam, not now, not like this. He wouldn't take Dean's brother. He wouldn't take his friend. Hell, his family. Dean had heard the way Sam spoke of Cas, saw how deeply hurt he was by Cas' revelations. Sam clearly saw Cas as family, no matter how rocky their relationship had begun. Cas wouldn't do this to Sam. Cas has done a lot of crappy things this year, but he wouldn't betray them like this. He wouldn't threaten to break Sam's mind, he wouldn't take him as a hostage to force Dean and Bobby to back down, he wouldn't use other angels to do his dirty work, to hold Sam down and put him on his knees and disappear with him to God knows where with only a vague promise to return him. And not even an unconditional promise, but attaching terms to it, as if Cas has any right to control Sam's freedom, or lack thereof. Cas wouldn't. Cas couldn't. And yet… that is exactly what Dean's mind is telling him had happened. The scene plays out, again and again in his head, the memories crystal clear, and razor sharp, and yet still Dean tries to reject them. Cas appearing in the room. Sam's panic. Cas' two followers appearing. Being tossed into the kitchen like a ragdoll, like he weighs nothing, crashing over the table. The angels pouncing on Sam. Restraining his arms, pushing him to his knees. Cas grabbing his head. The last threat. Sammy looking at Dean, terrified and confused. A flutter of wings, and an absence of Sam's solid, reassuring presence. Dean just can't seem to recognize the memories, to acknowledge their legitimacy. This is a bad joke. Any second, Cas will return, Sammy safe and sound, on his feet, laughing it off. Angels don't understand humor, so this is just Cas playing a really, really inappropriate prank, maybe in an attempt to make up for their last confrontation. But the seconds turn to minutes, and Bobby's couch remains empty, and the floating papers land on the table and couch and floor and the room goes still, not even a slight breeze or a hint of feathers rustling the air. Bobby is the first to move, having been just as immobile, just as stunned as Dean had been, but his brain at least seems to have rebooted and suddenly he is a whirlwind of movement. Dean tries to move as well, but he can't. He just stares, open mouthed, at the empty space. At least until Bobby is suddenly in his face, shoving an armful of books roughly into Dean's chest. Dean blinks, automatically moving his arms to take hold of his new burden.
"Get these down to the panic room. Now!" Bobby barks roughly. His voice isn't as harsh or as angry as John Winchester's used to be, but it is still just as powerful, just as commanding and Dean, who has been well conditioned to follow orders when his mind is overwhelmed, responds immediately to the order. He spins, striding quickly out of the room and towards the basement door, kicking it open and moving lithely down the steps. He walks over to the panic room, striding in as he hears Bobby following him, and together they dump every book they have onto the cot. Dean swallows anxiously as he looks at the bed, remembering Sam handcuffed to it not too long ago, pleading with Dean, with Death, to not return his soul. And then, free of the cuffs but completely unconscious, laying still and comatose for over a week while his body adjusted to having his soul put back in. "Dean." Dean snaps back up at Bobby's call, focusing his attention on the older man. "We need the rest of those books… especially the ones Sam was reading. Cas didn't just pop in randomly, the timing was too much of a coincidence. Whatever Sam found, Cas doesn't want us to know it." Dean swallows, his brain finally starting to reboot itself again, and he remembers Sam's triumphant smile and eager eyes, the same look he always gets when he finds a complex answer, or obscure bit of lore that they need, right before Cas' arrival. Dean frowns as he recalls that. Bobby is right, that timing is too perfect, which means Cas was probably spying on them. Again. Swallowing down some bile at the betrayal, Dean turns robotically and leaves the panic room, returning to the mess of the library. Together, Bobby and Dean gather up every scrap of paper they can get, Dean paying particular attention to the piles Sam had been working on, and they bring it all down to the panic room, along with a box Dean is fairly sure holds bottles of water and canned food. Bobby seals the door behind them as they set the last of their supplies down and they immediately get to work on placing angel wards on every inch of the room, Bobby telling Dean where and how to place the sigils as he sets his reference book, an ancient looking thing filled with pages of what Dean is sure isn't paper, and images that are definitely not drawn in ink, on the table between them, so they can both double check that the sigils are drawn correctly.
"We should have done this as soon as we got back from that demon's hideout." Dean mutters, guilt twisting his stomach. Sam's terrified face keeps flashing in his mind. Finally it is starting to sink in, to hit him. Sam is gone. No, not gone. Taken. Kidnapped. Stolen. By their… by Dean's best friend.
"I was planning on it." Bobby says gruffly, and Dean can hear the guilt in his voice to. "I just wanted to double check some of the sigils, and you and Sam didn't seem in the right headspace to help just yet. Now though…"
"It's all we got." Dean says, gritting his teeth in frustration. He gets what Bobby is trying to say without saying it. That any thin amount of trust they could have had in Cas is gone. Whatever faith that he wouldn't hurt them, that he wouldn't eavesdrop on them, has been washed away. The angel warding isn't just a precaution anymore, it is a necessary security step. Cas can't be trusted, so any and all angels now have to be kept out. Pain flares through Dean, betrayal and rage burning as, horrifyingly, Dean realizes his eyes are watering. Blinking back his tears furiously, Dean tries to shove down his pain. He can't think about Cas' betrayal, not now. Not with Sammy on the hook. He needs to focus. Once they have finished painting the sigils on the wall, Bobby goes around, double checking each one before he finally nods his approval.
"Good. Angels shouldn't be able to hear or see us, let alone get in here to get at us." Bobby says, taking off his ball cap and running a hand over his head before he turns his heavy, weary eyes on Dean. Dean meets his surrogate father's eyes, and sees that, under the exhaustion, Bobby is carrying the same anger and hurt that Dean is. Maybe less hurt, since Cas and Bobby weren't as close, but there is definite rage. Bobby loves Sam, has protected and cared for Sam more times than Dean can count. What Cas has done… well, the angel is going to be hurting for it, they can both agree on that.
"Great. So… what the hell was that?" Dean says, finally releasing some pent up aggression, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "Sammy… he's just… gone. Cas…" Suddenly Dean can empathize all too well with how Sammy was feeling only… only two hours ago. The panic, the confusion… Dean doesn't get it anymore than Sam did, and the same questions Sam asked come out of Dean's mouth. "Why is Cas doing this, Bobby? The lying, the tricks… taking Sam. Why is he doing any of it?"
"I don't know." Bobby admits. "But we can find out later. Sitting around freaking out isn't going to do a damn thing for Sam right now, and he is what matters. Getting him back before Cas does something he can't take back."
"You don't think… Cas wouldn't break Sam's wall, would he?" Dean asks weakly. Bobby sighs, rubbing the back of his head.
"Ask me two weeks ago and I would say hell no. Now… I don't think he would do it on purpose." Bobby admits. "But what I do know for sure is that if Cas has Sam, so does Crowley. And both Castiel and Crowley have targets on their backs from Raphael, and neither Crowley or Raphael would hesitate to break Sam's wall if it was to their advantage. So as long as Cas does have Sam, he isn't safe from anyone." Dean groans, pacing away from Bobby, wanting to punch something. Namely a trench-coated angel. But that isn't an option right now, so he turns back to face the older hunter.
"So how do we save Sammy?" Dean asks, a little desperately. Bobby picks up the book Sam had been holding when he had had his epiphany. Enough of one, apparently, to warrant immediate capture. Bobby hands the book to Dean, frowning seriously.
"We figure out what he figured out. Sam was on to something, maybe we can use it to find Cas. Judging by the way Cas was acting, I don't think he wanted to hurt Sam, so he is probably keeping him close by, keeping an eye on him. If we find Cas, there is a solid chance we find your brother." Bobby explains. Dean scoffs.
"Didn't want to hurt Sam. That's why he brought up Lucifer and jumping into Hell, threw us around like we weighed nothing, and strongarmed Sam into submission." Dean says scathingly. "Yeah, no, he definitely has Sam's best interests in mind."
"Stop thinking with your big brother brain Dean." Bobby warns, taking a seat on the metal chair along the wall. "Start thinking like a hunter. Cas took your brother, yeah, and that is terrible. But those angels could have done a lot more damage to all three of us. Remember Zachariah? They could have broken bones, cut off our breathing, hell put us so far under we could be considered comatose. But they didn't. Cas didn't. As angry as you are, you and I both know Cas didn't mean to trigger Sam the way he did, any idjit could see that Cas was as upset by Sam's reaction as we were. Even subduing Sam, all the angels did was immobilize him. I'm not saying it was comfortable, being put in that position, but from what I could tell it didn't hurt Sam at all. If anything, keeping him still like that probably prevented Sam from hurting himself by trying to fight his way free. Cas wouldn't take that kind of care, or have his underlings take that kind of care, if he was going to just hurt Sam anyways." Dean sits down on the cot, looking down at the book in his hands, frowning. Logically, he understands what Bobby is saying. And if it was anyone else that Cas had taken, Dean probably would have noticed the same details, paid more attention to Cas' behavior, to the angels. He would have been able to be objective about the situation. But this wasn't anyone else. It was Sammy. So objectivity and logic went straight out the window. Because when it comes to Sammy, being hurt isn't just a physical thing. Sure, even though Dean's ribs ache and Bobby probably has some nasty bruises developing on his back, no real physical damage had been done. No punches thrown, no guns fired, no knives stabbed. But Sam was still hurt. Mentally, that conversation shook Sam, and Dean flinches as he remembers how close a call it had been, how they had barely just dragged Sam back from the edge of another crack in his wall. And then, even if it was 'gentle' by angel standards, Dean and Bobby were still hurt in the tussle, and Sam was still restrained. He was literally held down against his will, on the orders of someone he trusted, someone he relied on. Who knows what kind of emotional toll that took on Sammy? No, there wasn't any real physical marks of what happened, but Sam still got hurt. Badly. And Cas was going to pay for that. Nobody hurts Sam and gets away with it, family or not. Actually, especially family. Dean knows he didn't always protect Sam as best as he could from their father, but he will be damned if he lets anyone else get away with that crap again. Feeling his anger rise, and resentment start to grow, Dean forces himself to take a deep breath, and then another, and then another. He keeps breathing until he feels his body calming down, and he can start to organize his thoughts. He might hate it, and it might feel damn impossible, but he tries to reign in that objectivity and logic he had thrown away, because Bobby is right. Dean can't be a big brother right now, he needs to be a hunter. This is just another hunt. Sam got snatched by a monster, and it is Dean's job to track it down, and deal with it, one way or another. Running one hand tiredly over his face, Dean closes his eyes for a second, taking just a minute to breath, to process, to finally, fully let himself acknowledge what happened upstairs, and feel it, before he shuts everything down, using every ounce of training his dad ever gave him to snap into hunter mode.
"Okay. So… Cas isn't doing this to hurt us, he is trying to control us." Dean says slowly. Bobby looks at him, nodding in both assent and approval as he acknowledges the change in Dean's demeanor. "To control us, he needs leverage, and for that to work he needs to make sure Sam can't escape on his end, and we won't be tempted, theoretically to break him out. But Cas can't be with Sam around the clock, not with a civil war on his plate."
"Meaning he will have to have a space that can hold Sam." Bobby agrees.
"Sam and a couple guards, most likely." Dean says. "My guess is he would bring Sam to wherever Crowley is holding up. That way he doesn't have to go far to keep an eye on Sam, but he doesn't have to be with him all the time either, since no doubt Crowley's hideout will be crawling with demons at least, if not angels. Hard to break in, harder to break out."
"Any chance Crowley went back to using that old prison of his you think?" Bobby asks. Dean shakes his head.
"I doubt it, he knows that place is burned and he is trying to keep a low profile." Dean says. "But he probably has something similar… industrial, abandoned, big, complicated lay out. Something like that would be perfect for Cas to stash Sam in." Bobby nods thoughtfully.
"Alright, well it's a start… you try and see what Sam discovered, I will start seeing if I can track any demon omens to any industrial areas that might fit the bill." Bobby orders. Dean nods and flips open his book, starting to skim through the pages as Bobby pulls out a laptop he must have brought down on one of his trips, pulling his chair over to the cot so he can cross reference some of the maps with whatever he is looking at on the screen. Dean quickly realizes the book he is reading is all about the moon, and the lunar cycle's affects on witchcraft. How white magic is strongest during a waxing moon, dark magic during waning and new moons, how half-moons make witchcraft particularly unstable especially for novices, unless you know how to balance your spells absolutely perfectly. Dean skims through most of the book until he reaches a chapter on how different types of moons are beneficial for different forms of magic. Harvest moons boost magic intended for growth, for fertility, for abundance. Super moons increase potency of any spell, letting them last longer or affect more changes then usual. Solar eclipses are especially powerful for illusion work, or protective and concealing magic. Dean suddenly straightens up though, just as Sam did, as Dean reaches the part Sam must have, his eyes focusing in so that rather than just browsing, Dean is fully reading the next paragraph.
"Hey Bobby, I think I got it." Dean says and Bobby looks up immediately as Dean begins to read from his book. "Blood moons, or lunar eclipses, are particularly powerful sources for transportive or teleportation magic. A blood moon is the most opportune time for a witch seeking to travel long or difficult distances, or to open a door between the realms of existence. Demons and borrower witches in particular are known to use a blood moon to enter and escape Hell, though there is no indication that gateways to Hell are the limit for what doors may be opened during a lunar eclipse. Anyone attempting to open a door during one of these lunar phases is strongly recommended to be absolutely sure of the door they are opening, as the extra potency of the blood moon's power may keep a door open longer than may be intended."
"Balls." Bobby growls. "That has to be what Sam found. Those damn fools must be trying to open a door to Purgatory to get the souls."
"Great. Please tell me there isn't an eclipse for another, like… five hundred years, and Sam found this page interesting because it means we'll be long dead before we have to deal with this nonsense." Dean says quickly.
"Yeah, because we have that much luck." Bobby sighs, rubbing his eyes. "No, idjit. He found it interesting because the next lunar eclipse in North America is next week." Bobby frowns, looking sadly over at Dean. "He was going to surprise you, by dragging you out there to see it with him. He said he figured you both deserved a break, and hadn't been star gazing since before… well, since before." Dean swallows a lump in his throat, closing his eyes as a fresh wave of pain and fury washes over him. Screw Cas. Screw Crowley, screw Raphael, screw everything and anything that has been conspiring against Sam this last year. First Sam jumped into a pit with the freaking devil, then he came back soulless, with their dick of a grandfather using him as some sort of weapon in his crusade to bring their mother back, then Crowley and Cas used them as pawns, Crowley in his hunt for alphas and Cas in his war against Raphael, multiple times Dean might add, only for Sam to finally get his soul back, with the massive caveat that at any time, the flimsy barrier in his head protecting his sanity and maybe even his life might shatter, unleashing memories so horrific even Death himself was concerned about them. And after all that, his brave, selfless, innocent kid brother just wanted to go look at an eclipse with Dean. To sit in some empty field, and watch the stars for a few hours, the way they used to. And he couldn't even get that one night, because their own freaking guardian angel decided to go rogue and not only abduct him but also ruin what was supposed to be a relaxing night off for Sam by using that eclipse and opening a gateway to monster paradise. Dean rubs his hands over his face, once again fighting the urge to punch something, and once again that urge to punch Castiel in his angelic, self-righteous, arrogant face. But he is still not here, and the only things Dean can currently punch are his surrogate father, and the metal walls, neither of which are particularly appealing targets.
"So." Dean says, after a few non-successful deep breathes to calm down. "Basically, we have a week to figure out where Cas and Crowley are keeping Sam before Purgatory is cracked open and those two idiots either power up enough to take over Hell and take on an archangel, or they let some nasty, creepy things back into the world that will no doubt screw us over in a myriad of different ways down the road." Bobby raises his eyebrows.
"Myriad? Look at you using big fancy words." He jokes. Dean rolls his eyes.
"Shut up. This is serious." Dean says.
"I know. And, unfortunately, you ain't wrong. Whatever happens, if that door gets open we are all screwed seven ways to Sunday. So, we gotta make sure that doesn't happen." Bobby says. "Do you think Cas' friend Balthazar would still be willing to help us? He might be able to figure out where Sam is. Hell, he might even be able to get Sam out for us."
"Don't know, don't care." Dean says coolly. "He's been AWOL since the whole thing with Lisa and Ben, and honestly? Good. If I see any angel right now, I might just stab them on principle."
"Dean." Bobby chides.
"No, I'm serious." Dean sits up straighter, putting aside his book. "When has knowing angels ever worked out for Sam? Uriel, Zachariah, Lucifer, Michael. Hell, even Anna ended up trying to murder him. Cas was the only decent one, ever, and even then how many times has Cas screwed Sam? He called Sam the boy with the demon blood the day they met, he let Sam out of here to go kill Lilith, he left Sam's soul in Hell… no, I'm done. Heaven and Hell, they can both screw themselves. We are saving Sam ourselves, angels and demons be damned." Bobby studies Dean as he finishes his rant, studying Dean's determined, angry expression, and he nods calmly, scratching his beard.
"Fine by me." Bobby says. "In that case, we need to figure out where this eclipse is going to be most visible. My guess is if we can figure that out, and I can work out what areas within that section are lighting up with demon omens, we can find out where Dumb and Dumber are hiding out with your brother."
"Great." Dean tosses his book aside. "You take demon omens, I'll figure out this eclipse thing, see what we can find." He pulls out his phone as Bobby bends over his laptop again, and the two hunters work together in silence, gathering as much information as they can. Dean finishes first, tracking the trajectory of the eclipse to be fully visible over the Midwest, which at least narrows down Sam's potential locations to a few states, instead of the entire country. Dean digs a little deeper, finding that the best views of the blood moon, and therefore the most promising spots for a bit of interdimensional soul sucking, will be from North Dakota, down through South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and at least half of Texas. Seriously, Dean thinks to himself. Why is that state so big? It could easily be split into two or three smaller ones. Shaking his head to refocus, Dean studies the maps of the eclipse's path, frowning as he looks at what seems to be dead center for the lunar event.
"You got something Dean?" Bobby asks.
"Maybe. Look where the best view of the blood moon is going to be, according to these star geeks." Dean says, handing his phone over.
"They are called astrologists, Dean." Bobby says disapprovingly.
"Yeah, star geeks, that's what I said." Dean says, nodding at the phone. "Just look."
"And what am I looking at?" Bobby squints.
"Kansas." Dean says, frowning. "Specifically Bootbock, Kansas. According to these geeks-"
"Astrologists." Bobby interrupts.
"- and a couple of other wiccan sites I double checked, this little town is going to be the epicenter of this particular eclipse." Dean continues. "Course the science nerds see just the best place to safely observe the phenomenon, but the wiccan sites are blowing up about the best places in the city to meet to practices their arts. Now most of it is probably harmless, but there is definitely a few comments that reek of legitimate witchcraft. And, get this, the eclipse? March twentieth, aka, the spring equinox."
"A sabbat." Bobby murmurs. "Balls." Sabbats, or sabbaths are days that are uniquely magical for witches, something about them juicing up the air to empower the magic. Combined with a blood moon…
"You think this is where Sam is going to be?" Dean asks. "If I was a power-hungry demonic douchbag, or a brother-napping angel gone off the rails, it's where I would set up shop."
"Me to." Bobby agrees. "And, you're in luck. Apparently so would Crowley." Bobby spins his laptop towards Dean and he leans forward, reading through Bobby's research. The entire city of Bootbock is lit up like a Christmas tree with demonic signs.
"See? Who needs Sam to do all the research? We can manage." Dean tries to joke, and both he and Bobby pretend not to hear the guilt and worry in his voice. It's only been a few hours since Castiel took Sam, but that was still a few hours too many in both of their books. Sam belonged here, home with them where they could make sure that damn wall stayed exactly where it was. And while neither Bobby nor Dean were exactly thrilled about testing this new Castiel's limits, and pushing his ultimatum, they were even less willing to sit back and let Sam take one for the team yet again. He paid his dues with the devil, there was no way they could leave him in yet another angel's clutches, with the King of Hell way too close for comfort. No matter what the risk, both Dean and Bobby knew they had to take it, before anything worse happened to the youngest of their family.
"Yeah well, don't get too cocky. He can still research circles around you." Bobby grumbles.
"Maybe, but I can outshoot him any day, so it doesn't matter." Dean shrugs, and for a moment everything feels alright. Making fun of his little brother, acknowledging that, yeah, Sammy probably could have put this all together in half the time it took the two of them, it's normal. Just another day. But then Sam's absence, and the panic room's walls covered in angel warding, and the grim, furious expression on Bobby's face all sink back in and the illusion shatters. There is no normal, just another crap storm of supernatural bull that has landed in their laps. Once again, Sam and Dean are just the playthings of overpowered asshats and once again, Sam is getting the short end of the stick.
"Come on." Bobby stands up, setting aside their mounds of research. "Let's go get that idjit brother of yours." Dean leaps to his feet, and together the men leave the panic room, hesitant at first as Bobby opens the door and they strain their ears and eyes for any sign of movement. When there is none, they ease out of the room, but Bobby shuts the door and locks it. Dean raises his eyebrows. "Don't want anyone getting anything they shouldn't have their hands on." He explains. Dean nods, his mouth twisting with anger as the two of them make their way upstairs. There was a time they didn't have to think about things like this. When they could trust their home to be secure. Now… now they had to hide any and all evidence of what they are hunting and where they are going, in case they have any unwanted visitors while they are away. Or, now that Dean thinks about it. Even while they are still here. Cas has that creepy, invisibility power that they now have to account for. Clearing his throat, Dean decides to play along, just in case.
"I think it'll be fine. At least until this changeling thing is dealt with." Dean says smoothly. He and Bobby climb the stairs.
"Besides, those sigils need time to dry. Are you sure they'll hold?"
"Course I'm sure." Bobby growls irritably, as both men reach the library. "Once the angel returns your brother I swear we are locking him in there and throwing away the key until every monster with a bone to pick with him is dead."
"Hey, no arguments here." Dean says, while thinking Bobby's pretend suggestion isn't all that bad of an idea. Maybe if that hadn't been the same place Sam had had to detox from demon blood… although, a new panic room, made just for Sammy, with no horrible memories attached to it has its appeals. "Let's just go get this hunt over with. Cas should have dealt with Raphael by the time we get back, which means Sam should be back as well."
"Assuming he keeps his word." Bobby growls.
"He will." Dean says, hating that for the first time in a long time, he actually doubts that. He wishes he could trust Cas, that he could believe Sam was safe in his hands, more than anything. But he can't. Still, he makes it sound like he does. He fills his voice with the same steady confidence he used to have effortlessly. Bobby grunts in a doubtful acknowledgment, and the men move almost in sync, gathering up whatever weapons they would typically need for a changeling hunt, although Dean grabs a silver angel blade, raising it for Bobby to see. "In case we run into any of Raphael's people." He explains. Bobby nods sharply once, grabbing the Impala's keys and tossing them towards Dean who snatches them out of the air. Together, slinging their bags over their shoulders, Bobby and Dean set out to begin the drive to Bootbock. Unseen behind them, invisible to all but an angel, Castiel steps out of the shadows, watching the backs of his friends, his family, disappear into the junkyard, and he breathes a sigh of relief. He had been wary when they had run off to the panic room, and put up the warding, but he wasn't surprised. How could they not be hypervigilant at the moment? Still, part of Castiel worried that they had been about to do something stupid, like go after Sam, and put themselves in danger of Crowley's wrath, but he is relieved to see they seem to have taken his desperate advice to stand down. They should go, and hunt. Sam is safe, after all, and Raphael is a week away from his defeat. Hunting, acting like everything is normal, is good for them. It will make things easier when this is all finally over with. One more week, Cas thinks to himself. And his family will be whole again.