Five Years Later

Chapter Five: The Prison

"Turn this damn car around or I swear I'm going to—" Dean said weakly, his hand trembling as he tried to open the Impala's door to no avail.

"Dean, shut up. I told you we will take you to where you need to be, and you are going to have to trust me." Charlie said sternly, her hands gripping the steering wheel with a painful intensity.

After that, it was all a blur.

They had pulled up outside of the gates of Negan's base, he knew that much. He had felt the pained grumble of the Impala's aching engines as they slowed to a crawl and heard the tires rake against the gravel driveway. After that, he heard gunshots. They rained down on the car and Dean could hear the ping of the bullets against the metal.

He had passed out then, either from sickness or the fear that was seizing every ounce of his being. The world faded to a dull gray, and then eventually into a somber darkness which consumed all the fear and left him with nothing.

***

"When the night has come—"

It was blasting through the door so loud, Dean could feel it rattling his bones. He started and quickly scrambled up against the wall, his hand scraping against the cement beneath him that served as the floor.

"And the land is dark..."

Tears begin to stream down his cheeks. His cries turned into screams and he raked his hand down his face, helpless to the noise that filled his ears and shook him to his core. He wailed like he thought someone could hear him and would come to his aid, but he was alone.

"And the moon is the only light we'll see."

Dean grabbed his knees and hugged them to his chest, sobbing convulsively until he had run out of tears to cry. Every memory he had tried so hard to shove down was instantly relieved, running through his mind at lightning speed.

"No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid—"

Dean could practically taste the dull and mildew-scented air of the bunker as it wafted past him and he saw Cas standing there with his pretty blue eyes looking back at him with nothing but love shining in them.

"We're going to trust one another, okay?"

"I can't. I'm broken, Cas. No one can love me."

"See Dean, that's not true because I do love you. I'm broken too."

"Just as long as you stand, stand by me." The song kept blasting, rocking the whole room, and Dean curled up on the floor, knees still locked against his chest as he lost control of his breathing and began to panic.

"Do you love me?"

"Of course."

"When the sky we look upon—" Dean closed his eyes and his head began to roar with pain as he rocked back and forth, hyperventilating in his panicked state. The memories were coming back too quickly, spinning around in his mind like he was in the heart of a tempest, the storm whirling around him.

"I love you, Cas."

"I love you, Dean."

"Should tumble and fall..." Dean couldn't stand and look around the room for a way out – he was unable to move other than to breathe in short, harsh breaths and clench his hand into a frightened fist. It was pitch black wherever he was, and that just attributed to how alone and afraid he felt.

"It's going to be okay Dean, I promise. I... I... we'll see each other again!! Stay out of trouble... please don't hate me for this... it's going to be okay. It will be."