Running Up That Hill Δ SPN [2]

041. BABY

It's nighttime as the Winchesters and Nathan are headed to a town where a case might be. Cas is at the bunker and still needing time to heal. It's nighttime and raining, the three kids sitting in the backseat, Ophelia in the middle.

The girls are asleep, but Nathan is just staring out at the window out of boredom, wishing he were tired so he could go to sleep himself.

"All right, let's hear it. What do you got?" Dean asks his brother.

"Okay, uh, Quaker Valley, Oregon, town outside of Eugene. Dwayne Markham, the local sheriff, was found in the woods a couple days ago. His body was mauled, so they chalked it up to an animal attack, but I'm thinking--"

"Werewolf." Dean says.

"Yeah, maybe." Sam says.

"Yeah, you're right. This is thin."

"Yeah. Probably nothing, right?"

"Probably not. Oregon, here we come."

Sam reaches back to the cooler and pulls a smoothie out and drinks from it.

"What is that?" Dean asks.

"It's a smoothie." Sam states.

"Where's the beer?" Dean asks.

"Under the smoothies." Sam answers.

"Where's the rest of the beer?" Dean asks. Before Sam can answer, his phone rings and he takes it out.

"Ooh, it's Cas. We gotta-- we gotta--"

"Man!"

"I gotta get this." Sam answers the phone, putting it on speaker. "Hey, Cas. Everything all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just reading up about the other cases in the area that you're headed to. I haven't found anything yet that matches." Cas says.

"Cas, you've got one job to do and that's to heal. You understand?" Dean asks.

"I can help." Cas insists.

Ophelia's head falls to the side, landing on Nathan's shoulder. The boy tenses up, glancing down at her with wide eyes. He looks at Dean, hoping the man doesn't turn around and see this. Nathan looks back out the window and keeps as still as possible, not wanting to wake Ophelia up.

"Yeah, of course you can, Cas, but right now is the time for you to focus on getting better. This is just a milk run. We got it. So... try and relax."

"All right." Cas says.

"Read a book, watch some Netflix." Sam says.

"What's a Netflix?"

"Go to my room, turn on the TV. You'll figure it out."

"All right. Just call if you need anything."

"Got it, Cas. Thanks." Dean says and Sam hangs up.

"You think he's gonna be okay?" Sam asks.

"He just needs some time, you know? We all do." Dean says.

~ ~ ~

Dean pulls up to a bar, putting the car in park.

"Are you serious? Dean, it's late. I'm exhausted and-and-- starving. And this place... I mean, even Swayze wouldn't come to this roadhouse." Sam says.

"Okay, first of all, never use Swayze's name in vain. Okay? Ever. Second, you don't remember this place? You don't remember Heather? The hunter that we worked a wendigo case a couple years ago?" Dean asks.

"Oh, yeah." Sam nods.

"Yeah, exactly."

"Wait, she's here tonight?"