“Dean wouldn’t leave me.” It’s said with confidence, maybe a bit of bewilderment too, as if the thought hadn’t crossed his mind before. “I mean. He always comes back, it’s his thing.” A shrug. His dad is a different story, there were many times his brother and he sat awake in waiting, wondering if their father’s most recent hunt would be his last. They had called Bobby many times, staying over in fear as John was two, three, six days late. “But .  .  . you know, I’m just a kid, right?” He scoffs, rolling his eyes as he places his half-empty bottle on the ground. “They go on hunts without me sometimes, thinkin’ I might get killed or whatever.”

   That... made sense. Sam is around 16 in here. Younger than Claire and Alex, who are the youngest hunters he know. Besides himself, obviously, but he doesn’t count. 

          Sam does a good job of making himself look busy, granted there doesn’t seem to be much to do besides preparing for the inevitable. Salt might keep the damn things out of the room, but it won’t keep them from waiting outside the door or in the parking lot. “Uh — I should say thanks, by the way. Lotta people would just kinda .  .  . butt out of stuff like this.” Demons are a tricky business that not everyone wants to get involved in. “You coulda’ done that too. So. Yeah.”

   Jack frowns, confused ❝I wouldn’t leave you❞ he says, because no matter if this is a younger version of the Sam he knows, he is still family, he will protect him. 

    Why was it always a fight with him? Why did he have to be so much like Sam and Dean? Why couldn’t he just let-….. Castiel stopped in tracks and turned slowly to look upon his son with tire blue eyes. Everything he wanted to say, to yell or scream fell off his lips…

“And you won’t stop till you do won’t you?” Cas asked quietly, already knowing the answer. He couldn’t stop him even if he tried and it was about time he came to that conclusion.

“Alright then tell me this, Jack. If you find a way to save me but the way to do so meant you dying? What do you do then?”

“Will you die leaving me to feel guilty and ashamed of myself for not being able to stop you again or will you stop, turn around and come home…to let me spend my days with you, however much those are in peace an acceptance. To just be happy knowing I got to keep you safe until my last breath….which of those options is more honorable, son?”

   Jack looks away, unable to respond. Why are those the only two options? It’s not fair, he doesn’t want to die and let Castiel to suffer again but he also doesn’t want to lose his father. 

   There has to be another way. If he have learned something with the Winchesters is that there is always another way, he just needs to find it. Or create it. He is the son of Lucifer, he was able to bring back Castiel from the empty the first time without even thinking about it. 

   ❝Sam and Dean are human❞ he says, they already had that talk ❝They will eventually die, if the Empty take you too then I’ll be alone. I don’t want to be alone.❞