Twenty First Century Hunters

Run, and Remember Me

Dean was holding an ice pack to his temple.

Cas was giving him the head tilt squint that was just so Cas it hurt.

Sam was siting on the opposite side of the room, holding ice to his knuckles.

"Stop brooding and spit it out, Sam."

Sam looked to the side, like he was trying to calm himself down, before looking back at Dean with a stone cold expression.

"How the fuck could you?"

"Look Sam, I know I fucked up okay? I know that! He literally died in my arms, I know how bad I messed up."

Sam's expression softened a bit.

Cas was still giving him that expression that was about as sympathetic as angels got.

"I have an idea," Cas said hesitantly, "It might not help but it could give you some closure."

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"I could draw all of his memories to make me into the version of he knew."

"How is that not helping?" Dean asked.

"It would only be for 24 hours."

Dean ran his hand down his face, "Of course. Okay do it."

"Dean -"

"Please," Dean said weakly, "don't try to talk me out of it. I need to see him again."

Cas nodded, "Okay, but when the 24 hours are up, there's a possibility you could loose the memory of that world."

"Would he be he Dean I know?"

"I believe so Sam."

Dean just nodded, looking a stain on the carpet, probably blood.

Cas pressed two fingers to Dean's forehead.

Suddenly they were both knocked off their feet.

"Dean?"

Cas was sitting on his ass, looking around the room confused.

"Dean!" His face broke out into a huge smile.

He rushed over to Dean, pulling him in a tight hug.

Dean squeezed Cas to his chest, cursing at the moisture in his eyes.

And then Cas was kissing him, all warm chapped lips and way too much tongue to be decent in front of Sam.

When he pulled back he turned to look at Sam.

"Sam!"

He ran up to him, hugging him tightly.

Sam looked a Dean, who nodded, then hugged Cas, awkwardly patting his back.

"Where's Jess? And the baby?"

Sam's eyes went wide. "Baby?"

Cas squinted and tilted his head to the side. Then he took a look at his surroundings.

"Wait? Where are we? Dean?"

Dean pulled Cas close to his chest, "that's kind of hard to explain."

"Are we in heaven?"

"No."

"Then how are you here with me?"

"Cas it's 2010."

"What?! How?"

Dean looked up to Sam with pleading eyes.

"Okay, so Cas it's an alternate universe. Basically, you're an angel. A literal angel. And when you were with Dean, that was your time on earth as a human. Angel you told me that every angel spends time on earth as a human but most don't remember it. You didn't. In this world, it's 2010 right now. Monsters are real, demons, angels, everything. It's all real, and Dean and I hunt them," Sam tried to use hand gestures, "well we did, but Dean got hit on the head during a hunt and now he only remembers your world. And angel you made it where he could bring you back. But only for 24 hours."

Cas stiffened in Dean's arms. "That's all? And then you'll just be stuck here?"

"Well you said with any luck he'll forget all his memories of the other world once the 24 hours are up. When he goes to heaven I think you'll see him there."

Cas sagged against Dean. "Looks like we're against the clock once again."

"Not funny," Dean said into his hair.

"Do you, uh... have any questions?" Sam asked awkwardly.

"Of course, but it seems like we don't have time for questions."

Sam nodded toeing at another stain on the carpet, probably whiskey.

"Actually, I have one," Cas said after a moment, "how are you Sam?"

Sam looked up, "I'm fine."

"Where's Jess?"

"She uh, she died almost five years ago."

"Oh, oh god," Cas looked stricken, "I'm so sorry."

Dean tightened his arms around Cas. "They were close," Dean offered as an explanation to Sam, who looked confused.

Sam briefly thought about Jessica befriending his angel acquaintance? Friend? It was starting to get hard to tell with Cas.

He watched as Dean swayed, whispering sweet nothings in Cas' ear and placing random kisses on his cheek.

"They must have been happy," he thought absently to himself.

He ran a finger over a Polaroid of him and Jess.

"I guess I was too."