not strong enough, supernatural [ 2 ]

046. floodgate

They're in town on a case and it's nighttime. Natalie, Jacob, Ophelia, 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.

Larissa and Sam are in the other bed. Larissa is on her side, her back to Sam, the man lying on his stomach. Libby and Evie are both asleep on the couch, their heads on opposite ends.

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

"Dean? What's going on? Are you all right?" Sam groggily asks, sitting up.

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

"Uh, you saw what?" Sam asks, standing up.

"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."

"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 asks.

"Don't bug me with specifics, Nat." Dean says.

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

~ ~ ~

Cas, Sam, and Larissa are sitting at the table. Natalie and Jacob are sitting on the end of the bed that their twins are napping on and Ophelia and Sam's twins are 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."

Natalie subconsciously leans closer to her husband, her head falling onto his shoulder. Jacob rests one hand on her knee, rubbing his thumb back and forth.

Jacob glances over at where Ophelia is, the girl playing with her hair.

"So, uh... so how exactly are you sitting here with us right now?" Dean asks Cas.