something in the orange, spn [ 2 ]

046. cartoons

They're in town on a case and it's nighttime. Natalie, Jacob, and the twins are in a different motel room. Dean is on his bed and sitting with his back against the headboard while he's on his laptop. Ophelia is next to him and asleep, curled up under the covers, her back to him.

Larissa, Sam, and Libby are in the other bed. Larissa is on her side, her back to the other two. Libby woke up from a nightmare a couple of hours ago so she's latched onto Sam, her face buried in the crook of his neck. Sam somehow got stuck in the middle of the bed, his arms securely wrapped around Libby to make sure she doesn't fall off. He's lightly holding onto Eeyore after the stuffed animal almost fell off the bed and he just didn't let it go before falling asleep.

Sam wakes up, looking around. He spots Dean standing by the window.

"Dean? What's going on? Are you all right?" Sam groggily asks. He tries to detach Libby, but even asleep, her grip just tightens. He carefully sits up, keeping an arm around her and he cradles her head so it doesn't fall back. He glances back, seeing Larissa and Ophelia still asleep.

"I don't know. I just saw something." Dean says.

"Uh, you saw what?" Sam asks. He stands up, holding Libby, her head resting on his shoulder, and he still holds Eeyore in one of his hands.

"Cas." Dean says.

"Cas? Where?" Sam asks.

"Right there. And-- and-- and earlier, on the road. I feel like I'm seeing him." Dean says.

"That's... not possible. I mean, you said it yourself. You three made it out and he didn't, right? Jacob and Oph haven't argued."

"I tried so damn hard to get us the hell out of there." Dean says, walking a bit away, standing with his back to Sam.

"I know you did." Sam says.

"You know, I could have pulled him out. I just don't understand why he didn't try harder."

"Dean." Sam walks over to Dean who finally faces him. "You did everything you could." Sam readjusts his grip on Libby when he feels her start to slip.

"Yeah, but why do I feel like shit?" Dean asks.

"Survivor's guilt?" Sam suggests. Dean hums. "If you let it, this is gonna keep messing with you. You got to walk past it."

+++

"Hey, so it's not just Americans who are vanishing. Uh, this guy, Luigi Ponzi disappeared walking between two subway cars in Rome." Sam informs. "And right above ground, there was a freak hail storm."

"So, we going to Rome? Wouldn't be too shabby." Dean comments as he washes his face.

"You realize you have to get on a plane in order to go to Rome, right?" Natalie tells him.

"Don't bug me with specifics, Nat." Dean says. Natalie quietly laughs, sharing an amused look with Sam.

"Hello, Dean." Natalie turns at the voice, her eyes widening at Cas standing behind Dean.

~ ~ ~

Cas, Sam, and Larissa are sitting at the table and Libby is on Sam's lap. Natalie and Jacob are sitting on the end of the bed that the twins are napping on and Ophelia is sitting on the other bed, and Dean is leaning against the counter.

"Unbelievable, man. I-I cannot believe it. You're actually here." Sam says.

"Yeah, I've been trying to reach out, but for whatever reason, I wasn't at full power. So I couldn't connect with you." Cas says.

"That must have been why you kept seeing him. I mean, you think?" Sam asks his brother.

"Yeah. Yeah, uh, I got to be honest. I-I-I'm thinking, how the hell did you make it out? I mean, I-- I was there. I-I-I know that place. I know how we had to scratch and claw and kill and bleed to find that portal and make it through it, and it almost finished me. And it also almost finished Jacob and Oph."