Midnight Rider

gone by the point of caring

"What's happening!?" Dean repeated. Cas looked at him with shock in his eyes.

"Dean, calm down. It's alright," he assured him, reaching out to set a hand on his shoulder.

"No! Don't touch me! You're not Cas! Where the hell is Gabriel? What's going on?" Dean asked frantically, his voice rough and broken.

"Dean, it's me. It's okay, this is real. I'm real. Gabriel is in the living room watching television. You just had another vivid dream," Cas said gently, lowering his voice to try and calm Dean down.

"No, I wasn't dreaming. This isn't real," Dean cried, jumping up and away from Cas. Cas stood and tilted his head.

It was such a Cas-like gesture that Dean couldn't help but feel relieved.

"Are you hungry? I made your favorite," Cas changed the subject. He turned to the cream door and stepped into the hallway.

Dean stared at his back in bewilderment as the man disappeared around the corner. What the hell did that even mean?

He left the strange room and was able to hear the television in the living room. The hallway wasn't familiar to him, and neither was the kitchen when he stepped into it.

Gabriel was sitting oddly on a red leather couch that Dean grimaced at. The television was playing some cheesy Hallmark movie (possibly It's a Wonderful Life) so Dean knew it was still Christmastime.

The warm smell of french toast hit Dean with a fresh wave of nostalgia that filled his eyes with tears. He hadn't smelled the tang of cinnamon it what seemed like years, and it made vivid memories flood his mind.

"I made your favorite, Dee. Be sure to share with little Sammy."

Blonde hair and bright blue eyes full of sunshine and kindness and love. Of course Dean would share, he had plenty of food.

Dean looked up as Cas handed him a plate of it with a smile. "I apologize for running out of beer. I know how you usually like to spend the week after Christmas," he said.

"What? It's still near Christmas?" Dean asked in a quiet voice filled with confusion. He felt like months had passed since his conflict with Sam.

"Hence the french toast, Dean," Cas replied evenly. Gabriel glanced at Cas for an answer, but was offered nothing in return.

Cas finally shambled into the living room and sat beside his brother, grabbing the remote and turning it to their recordings. "Would you like to watch the parade, Dean? I recorded it for you."

Dean felt shock run through him at the generosity in the other man's gaze. "Oh - uh - sure."

He was still confused about what was happening, but decided that it would come to him in time.

He was worried about his little brother. What if Sam was hurt, and he had no idea how to get to him?

"Hey, Cas? Where's - uh - where's Sammy?" he finally asked as the announcer began to introduce the parade floats. Gabriel's eyes went wide and Cas's spoon fell from his hands as he started choking.

Dean looked between them with bemusement in his eyes. "What did I say?"

"Dean, Sam is -" Cas was cut off by Gabriel's frantic head shaking, arms waving at him to stop.

"He needs to know!" Cas told him firmly. "Dean," he paused for a moment, guilt flashing in his eyes.

Why was Dean so easily able to read this Cas, but not the real one? Even Gabriel's silence was more revealing than the other's was.