A Long Hunt

From Heaven to Hell

Castiel felt numb. Everything around him slowed to a crawl as he looked down at the broken man lying limp and lifeless in his lap. His whole body felt like it had been transported into another dimension. Nothing made sense to him anymore. How could the world continue to exist when such a brave, beautiful, important man had departed from it?

The angel didn’t really register when Sam began talking to him. The real world had begun to feel almost fake. Cas almost thought he might be in a dream. The only reason he knew this was realty was because of the gaping hole in his own chest were his heart had once been.

Somehow the youngest Winchester had managed to compose himself for the moment. Tears no longer fell from his eyes but his face was a now puffy, red, stony mask.

Cas didn’t know how to react anymore. He wanted to yell and scream and throw a total bitch fit, but at the same time he had lost all the will to even move a single feather on his wings.

When Sam quickly shut the Impala door Cas didn’t even flinch. The young Winchester climbed silently back into the driver’s seat and started the engine again. Hurriedly, they rushed out of the hospital parking lot and back out onto the road. If anyone saw Dean’s bloody body they would take him away from them. Cas was not going to let anyone touch his baby.

The trip back to the motel was quiet. Cas stroked Dean’s blood soaked hair as he stared down at the hunters freckled face and closed lids that were hiding his glassy green eyes.

Once they pulled into the parking lot Sam ran inside and grabbed all of their gear. They had been in such a rush to save Dean earlier that they had left everything where it was. Fortunately for them, no one had found the demon maids body yet or their abandon stuff.

Cas was too shocked to help the youngest Winchester with the cleanup process. He sat rooted to the spot in the Impala refusing to believe that Dean was dead. There had to be some way to bring him back. Cas was determined to go to any lengths to revive him. To hell with Dean’s last words, the angel wouldn’t- COULDN’T survive knowing that Dean would never walk beside him again. It wasn’t his time yet! Dean was far too young! The angel wouldn’t leave Dean’s body alone until he was sure his hunter was somewhere safe.

Sam finally returned to the Impala for the last time and they began driving again.

“We need a safe hotel to bring Dean to.” Castiel croaked softly breaking the prolonged silence. There were tears still falling quietly from his eyes as he spoke.

Sam nodded slowly. The youngest Winchester wasn’t sure he was capable of speaking right now. He had watched Dean die before. Actually it happened way to many times thanks to Gabriel. This time his brother’s death felt different but he wasn’t quite sure why. The stony faced Sam would be damned if he wasn’t going to try his hardest to track down every cross road demon, witch, and sorcerer he could find. If those didn’t work he was going to search from hell and back for every spell, curse and incantation he could get his hands on. The youngest Winchester wasn’t going to stop until he found a way to bring his brother back. Again.

They finally came across a motel about an hour away from their original location. Cas hoped it was far enough away for them to be hidden for at least a while. Sam went inside and checked themselves into the motel before coming back out and giving Cas the clear to bring Dean into their new room.

Carefully, the angel moved the now very cold body of his partner out of the car. He brushed Sam away when he offered to help him. He wanted to be the one to carry the hunter in.

Sam backed off quickly and lead Cas to their room while keeping an eye out for anyone who might be watching.

Once inside the room Cas set the hunter’s body down onto the bed and looked down at his lifeless form sadly.