Tell me where we go from here 18/?
Chapter 18
Cas hit Sam across the chest with his arm and swatted him away like he weighted nothing. On instinct Sam rolled in to himself and managed to protect his head when he slid over the floor and crashed into something solid. He had to fight to stay conscious, his head felt like it finally had cracked open, but he blinked against the dizziness and breathed against the nausea. It felt like more than just a concussion but he didn't dare to think too closely about that possibility.
On the other side of the room he saw Dean lying in the remains of the altar and he wasn't getting up so that was bad but Sam was busy with staying awake himself right now and he couldn't even get back to his feet just yet so he couldn't get over to Dean and check on him. No matter how badly he wanted to.
"Dean." He tried to at least call out to his brother but there wasn't enough air in his lungs for more than a whisper.
Sam blinked and blinked again and then a figure came into view. His vision was blurry but he recognized the color of the coat.
"Cas?" Sam asked.
Cas didn't answer and crouched down in front of him instead, placing a hand on his chest. Angelic light washed through his body, taking away the pain. His body wasn't completely healed, Sam could tell and he wasn't looking forward to the bruises he would sport tomorrow, but his head felt much better and his vision was clear now. Clearer at least.
"Thanks, Cas." He mumbled and decided to just lay here for a moment longer.
Cas nodded at him and then went over to Dean who was at least moving again by now. Sam didn't see the healing light so Dean wasn't hurt that badly.
However, he had to be not quite himself yet otherwise he would have protested a hell of a lot more when Cas just scooped him up and carried him upstairs bride-style. Sam bit back a laugh, he didn't trust his head enough for that just yet, and slowly scrambled to his feet to follow them. He made it to the base of the stairs by the time Cas was back to get him.
"You're not carrying me." Sam felt the need to say but he did allow the angel to steady him around his waist and to duck under his arm. This way Sam could at least pretend that Cas wasn't carrying all his weight.
They made their way slowly up the stairs and through the house. By the time they reached the Impala Sam just wanted to lay down and sleep it off. Too bad the back seat was occupied by Dean who sleepily blinked up at him but otherwise seemed to be content with just lying there. He really must feel like shit if he didn't sit up at least. It was too dark to really see his face but he did look like shit, Sam had to admit but doubted he himself looked any better.
Cas opened the passenger side door and with a sigh Sam slipped into the seat.
"One scratch ..." Came Dean's voice from the back when Cas sat down in the driver's seat and reached for the ignition. Over the rear view mirror Cas made eye contact with Dean.
"I'll be careful." He promised with earnest in his voice. The engine purred to life and Sam made himself more comfortable in the seat. He found a bundle of clothes in his lap, he had no idea where it came from, but it probably was a good idea to put at least a shirt on. He struggled his way into one button down shirt and used the rest as a pillow when he leaned his head against the window.
Knowing that Cas would drive them home safely he drifted off to sleep.
He woke up when the car stopped and one quick look around told him that they were at a gas station. Cas was nowhere in sight so they must have been here long enough for him to fill the tank and now he was inside to pay. An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach but then Cas came in view. He was inside the store with a small basket in hand.
"I'll never get used to seeing him like this." Dean said quietly from the back seat. Sam didn't turn his head to check on his brother and kept his eyes on Cas instead. He looked so normal, so human, like this. He paid for the stuff in his basket and the gas and a minute later he was back at the car.
Seeing them both awake he handed Sam the bag with the things he bought and then started the car.
"Do you want to stop for the night or shall I drive through?" Cas asked and eased the car back on the road. Sam handed his brother a bottle of Mountain Dew and took one for himself. They locked their eyes for a moment and Sam could tell that Dean's body was aching just like his own did but he also knew the answer to Cas' question.
"Bring us home." He answered for both of them. He was longing for a bed to stretch out and sleep for at least a week but he wanted to do that in his own bed and not some random motel with a lumpy mattress and questionable strains all over.
Sleeping in the car hadn't been comfortable since his growth-spurt at age sixteen but it was always oddly comforting and even if he got out cramped and with kinks in his spine later, he would rather sleep here than elsewhere.
Cas just tilted his head in acknowledgment and kept on driving.
Sam's throat felt dry like he'd snored which he probably had and his head still pounded in unison with his heartbeat. So he nursed the bottle of much needed liquid without moving his head too much.
With a sigh he searched for a more comfortable position in the seat, ready for a long ride. With luck they would reach the bunker by noon.
Dean tapped him on the shoulder but didn't break the comfortable silence and without a look at him Sam handed the bag over. To the rustling of a candy bar wrapper Sam drifted back off to sleep.
At some point during the night Cas and Dean switched places. Sam rose just enough to wonder if Dean was in the condition to drive but as always Dean brought them safely through the night.
"I think I should have skipped that one cookie." Sam groaned, still feeling the unnatural pull of sleep on him.
"One cookie?" Dean glared at him but with amusement in his voice. Of course Cas had healed him more, Sam thought. But Dean was the one who had the overdose of spiked cookies so he didn't blame Cas for overreacting. He would have done the same and at the moment he was too tired to worry about Cas wasting his grace. And he had to heal himself, too, Sam remembered already halfway back to sleep.
The reached the bunker shortly after noon and one of the first things Dean did, after he got a much needed shower and fresh clothes, was sandwiches for all of them.
Except for the cookies neither of them had more than the energy bars and chips Cas had bought on the road the whole day so they needed food but Sam still felt too shitty to be hungry.
He did eat his sandwich, though, just to satisfy Dean. After that and a hot shower Sam retreated to his room with a book. His concussion was gone, yes, but there was still the lingering headache and he just felt stiff and sore in general.
Dean didn't look better so it didn't surprise Sam when he and Cas retreated to Dean's room as well.
If Sam could have his way they would stay in the bunker for at least a week to rest and recharge but for now he would take what he could get.
They still needed to find Claire. Now more than ever, Sam didn't want to think about what their little adventure had cost Cas.
Sam made himself comfortable with the book on the bed but he was fast asleep before he had turned the first page.
He was dreaming, he knew that.
Sam sat on the hood of the Impala parked somewhere in the fields with no sign of civilization in sight and a beautiful sky above. He leaned back to look up at the stars and took a sip of the beer he had in hand. Dean was somewhere near by, he knew that, even if he couldn't see his brother right now. It was peaceful and he felt content with the dream.
However, this was too nice to be real. Sam sat up and let the beer drop to the ground to have his hands free. Dean was still nowhere in sight and even if he had the feeling that his brother was close, Sam knew he wouldn't see him around here. Not in this dream.
Sam slipped off the hood and spread his hands while he made a slow turn around.
"Show yourself." He barked into the night.
"How did you know?" Hannah stepped into his line of view.
Sam dropped his arms and dared to breathe easier. He didn't trust her, of course not, but he didn't get the feeling what she was here to harm him.
"This trick's getting old." He answered her question. "What do you want?"
"You said you need to find Claire Novak." She stepped closer, the bright light of the Impala's headlights illuminating her in sharp lines. "She's not in Heaven."
Sam wasn't sure if that counted as good or bad news. They needed her alive so it was probably good but it didn't help him with actually finding her.
"Thank you." Sam said, it didn't hurt to be polite but it was kind of odd that Hannah went through the trouble with entering his dream just for that bit of information. The angels weren't as powerful as they used to be anymore.
"I did, however, find her on Earth." Hannah continued.
"You what?" Sam had to asked back. "It thought with the fall you couldn't do that anymore."
"That is right." She confirmed and now a little smile ghosted over her lips. "But I remembered how you found Josiah and combined with our abilities I managed to locate her. These are the coordinates you should find her at." She held out a piece of paper. Reluctantly Sam took it.
"Why are you helping us?" He didn't get it. When he'd met her in Heaven she had been focused on the war between the angels and hadn't really cared about the fate of some random humans in the crossfire. She had come off as distant and cold, the typically angel to whom emotions was an abstract concept. And he still got that vibe from her, it reminded him of an early Cas if he was honest. So her help came as a surprise and the paranoid part of his mind was looking for the strings attached.
"Castiel is my friend, my brother." She repeated her explanation she had him given the other day. "What he did for us … I can't just let him die." For a second she looked like she wanted to say something more but then she was just gone.
Nodding to himself Sam unfolded the piece of paper and memorized the coordinates. This was a dream, the paper wouldn't make it back to the real world. When he was sure that he would be able to recall the numbers, Sam went back to his beer and sat down on the hood of the Impala again.
"Hey, man." Dean joined him and together they just sat there for a long time, watching the stars.
Chapter 19
Masterpost