I was beginning to not like how faded and low battery my power was. I was so used to feeling everything on Castiel's mind if he allowed it, and even when he didn't, hitting that wall was telling as well.
But no, now all I could do was wonder. Wonder why, on top of looking worse every hour of every day on this trip, why he seemed to be more nervous and withholding. Less and less enthused about taking me to mt brothers. At first, I brushed it off as him being protective. But it was the awkward, hesitant way he'd humor my conversation when I brought up how excited I was to see Sam.
He was hiding something, I knew him well enough to tell that much. But considering he was dying, I didn't want to press. I just wanted to enjoy every second I had.
"Hazel are you...needing sustenance soon?"
I snapped out of my distant thoughts hearing my name out of Hannah's mouth from up front.
"Huh? Oh...No I'm fine. I'll wait for the next stop."
Since the other night that she offered to be the angel on my shoulder and look after me, she was almost as pestering about me eating and sleeping as Cas. Annoying, but endearing. I had hope for her.
"And you," she turned to Cas, who had regressed to a level of humanity that he started craving food again, "how are you holding up?"
He was so pale and sickly now, as if his vessel had aged a decade.
"Fine."
"You say you're fine...but you don't look fine," she said.
"It’s what the humans do. They say they’re fine. And even if I-I don’t look it, you say I look well, and that way, we avoid talking about something we can do nothing about," Cas explained.
I chuckled with a dry pride. He understood more about us than last I remember.
"I do it all the time," I added, "Dean's the reigning champ of denial, though."
"I'm sorry. I just can't see how Sam Winchester could ask you to drive all this way to help his brother, knowing your condition..." Hannah conveyed. Cas glanced at her, without anything to say to that. "He doesn't know...how badly your borrowed grace is fading, does he?"
"He knows some," he confessed, "And he didn’t have to ask. Sam is alone in this. He’s attempting to change Dean from demon to human with a cure of sanctified blood, but … There’s no guarantee that will work. If it doesn’t, then Dean is gone and the demon must be dealt with."
I bit my lips inward. I couldn't believe what my stupid brother had gotten himself into in my "absence."
It was the worst part about all of this. I wasn't just losing Cas. I was losing my closest brother, and then would be left a devastated Sam. Both of us would never be okay, and our family will be halved in size.
"I just...I worry about you," Hannah said to him after a pause.
"He said he's fine," I snapped roughly, then forced myself to lighten up, "So tell me about this Bunker, Cas."
"Its um...Its wonderful, really. Highly advanced considering the time period in which it was built. One of the safest places on Earth. Has all the lore and artifacts you could ever want. Good water pressure..."
"Can't believe I don't remember it..."
"Well, you didn't spend that much time there, on the run with me and all...But you do have your own room."
"Really?"
"Mhm... and there's a gun range, and a garage...a dungeon. It has pretty much everything. "
"Please tell me my car is in the garage..."
"Um..."
"Cas...? Where is my car?"
