#something clear

A/N: takes place during 12x12

The Winchester’s get into more than they plan for with a prince of hell and Mary feels responsible for what happens. Dean and Cas clear the air a bit after the ordeal. Part 4 in a series.

Mary watches as her son puts on the show of ‘being Dean Winchester’ in the way he only ever does around other hunters. She also notices that he’s chosen the seat furthest away from Castiel at the table the group are seated at which she has already learned to be unusual for him. It’s like he’s trying to be as far away from that Dean as he can. He even attempts to flirt with the server, but she clearly isn’t having it. And then the server flirts with Cas, and Mary cringes as her son overcompensates for his jealousy. It’s a good performance, but it’s just that. A performance.

“Oh dude, she is into you,” Dean leans in, honing in on the Angel to her left.

“Mm hm,” she hears from her right.

“Dean...” she tries from her end but is silenced immediately.

“No, this is good,” he continues in, glancing back and forth between her and Cas- afraid to linger on either for too long, “we’ve been looking for teachable moments and this...”

He clicks his tongue to emphasize his point as he seems to be looking anywhere but at the table of people around him.

Mary’s cell phone pulls her attention away, and reminds her of the real reason they are all there.

“Everything alright, Mom?” Sam turns to her.

“Yeah, just a hunter... needs some help,” she doesn’t look at him as she lies, hating every second of it.

“Another one?” Dean pipes up, suddenly a part of the group again.

“Can’t have too many friends in this line of work,” she says and that’s not a lie.

This seems to placate everyone so she leans forward, all business.

“Okay-”

“The internet here sucks,” Sam is already interrupting, “I downloaded all the bunker’s files to a new archive, but we’re not getting any signal, so I’m just-”

Dean begins snoring loudly before adding, “Nobody cares,” and changing the subject yet again, “Cas, here’s the thing you need to know about waitresses, okay? They get hit on all day long so you gotta bring your A-game, but upside?” he continues with a point of his finger and another click of his tongue, “They always smell like food.”

“They always smell like food!” Wally parrots from beside him, clearly buying into the performance and wanting to impress him.

“Okay-okay-” Mary tries as everyone erupts with questions and remarks at the same time, but they have a job to do and this is non-sense.

She slams her hand down.

“Hey!” everyone’s eyes turn to her in unison, “screens down, eyes up, shut up.”

“Sorry, Mom.” “Sorry.” Sam and Wally speak in unison.

“Okay, here’s what we know...” and the charade begins.

Sadly though, her son’s charade takes focus yet again when after a few minutes of strategy the server returns.

She notices a glimmer in Cas’ eye though when Dean describes him as ‘devastatingly handsome’ and for a moment, she’s drawn away from the others, caught off guard by the look she sees in the Angel’s eyes. However, as Cas glances around, suddenly nervous of showing his emotions outwardly too much, he notices she has caught them and a small smile is exchanged.

The hoops and hollers of the boys bring them back after a moment and she grins as Cas tests the ‘smells like food’ theory in a very Cas-like way by smelling the poor woman as she neared him. This brings the sweetest, warmest smile to her eldest’s face, and she finds herself wondering how they haven’t figured this out yet.

“Wow, alright internet’s up, we’re in business,” Sam draws their attention back.

Everything from there goes according to plan for about 3 seconds.

A blur of fighting and losing and yellow eyes before...

“Cas, oh my god,” she rushes to his side, struggling to get him to his feet and to safety, but his injury is horrible.

“Where is he?” he growls through clenched teeth, “Where is he?”

“I don’t know...” she pulls him, “come on!”

Kicking the door open, she walks both of them into a barn and drops him to the ground there.

“Can you heal yourself?”

“I tried,” he manages through struggling breaths, “something’s wrong...”

“How bad is it?” her mind is reeling- this can’t happen and it can’t be her fault.

His only answer is the dire look in his eye and she can feel herself growing sick at the thought. Her cellphone ringing puts that thought aside for a moment as she fishes the device from her pocket and answers.

“Oh, Sam!” she exclaims in relief, unable to face the Angel in her charge.

“Hey, where are you?” his voice asks through the receiver.

“Sorry I’m at a farm down the road,” she answers, voice shaking, “looks abandoned,” she hears Cas moan horribly behind her and her voice cracks, “Take your first left and drive until you see a barn.”

“Yeah, okay, we’re on our way,” Sam responds shakily, “Are you okay?”

She chances a look at the injured man behind her in time to see blood pouring from his wound and turns away quickly, “No.”

After tying off his abdomen, Mary pulls out her phone again. She needed answers from the people who sent her there, but gets nothing. Cas wakes up, pulling her back moments later.

“Mary?”

“Hey,” she sinks to his level.

“Hey,” he seems comforted by this if even just a little.

“How you feeling?” she asks, touching his arm softly, but he doesn’t get to respond.

“What the hell just happened?” are Dean’s first words as he’s crashing through the door, Sam close behind.

“Where’s Wally?” she asks rushing toward them.

“Wally, uh...” the boys exchange glances and nothing more needs to be said.

“Oh god...” she breathes out before a grunt from Cas pulls Dean away.

“Cas?” he asks, rushing passed her to the Angel’s side.

“Dean...”

“Hey, you look like hammered crap!” he jokes, unaware of the severity.

“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Cas responds, not missing a beat even in his current state.

“Let’s see...” Dean looks down at his blood stained shirt and Cas begins to lift it, revealing black cracks in his skin, “Alright okay...”

He gently lowers Cas’ shirt back down, and his eyes say it all. Darting in panic as he tries to think of their next move, his worry is palpable.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah- hey you know what?” the hunters reels, “I’ve had worse!”

“Oh yeah, when?” Cas groans back and there is no answer to follow, “Dean, something’s wrong. I...” he inhales sharply, “I can’t heal myself. I think the- I think the demon’s spear was poisoned- I don’t... I think I’m dying.”

A small gasp of air escapes Dean’s mouth before he composes his facade of stubborn optimism again.

“No, no, you just need some time, okay?” the hunter states it like a fact, “You’ll heal up the old fashioned way.”

His facade slips quickly as he watches the Angel struggle.

“Sam... Sammy!” He calls needingly.

Dean’s eyes are desperate and pleading as the others approach, and it’s clear that Cas is in really bad shape.

A loud pop fires before they hear his voice.

“You idiots!” the familiar British demon yells from behind them, and all turn as Dean rises back to his feet, “You’re all going to die!”

Cas is in and out for most of what’s going on but gathers enough about his situation and who they’re up against before Crowley is gone again.

Dean’s attention is immediately back to him, “Cas, how bad is it?”

The Angel loosens his shirt and tie to reveal the weight of the situation and looks at Dean, resigned.

“Crowley’s right. You should go...” he’s barely managing to speak.

“Cas, come on-”

“No Dean, listen to me,” he meets the hunter’s green eyes, imploring him to listen, “you- look thank you- thank you. Knowing you, it... it’s been the best part of my life, and the- the things we’ve shared together, they have changed me,” Mary can’t help but look to Dean as the Angel speaks, “you’re my family... I love you...” his eyes find Dean’s as he says this before looking to the other Winchesters surrounding him, “I love all of you.”

Dean looks away, unable to take the Angel’s pained gaze, but looks back again because he can’t not.

“Just... please don’t make my last moments be spent watching you die,” Cas says, shaking from the pain, “Just run- save yourselves- and I will hold Ramiel for as long as I can...”

He attempts to stand but his body fails him. Mary reaches out a hand instinctively to stop him from moving and Dean just shakes his head.

“Cas, no.”

“Yes,” the Angel insists, “you need to keep fighting.”

“We are fighting,” Sam interjects, “We’re fighting for you, Cas.”

“And like you said, you’re family,” Dean nods, “and we don’t leave family behind.”

Cas and Dean sit a moment in their own space, eyes locked and emotion bare, and it’s all there. After a time, the Angel’s gaze drifts to Mary. He looks almost thankful to her and she can’t take it. She gives him a smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

After even more horrors, they are able to get out of the ordeal with Cas’ life thanks to the king of hell to Mary’s surprise. She could’ve hugged him after that. And their night ends with a pointed, “let’s go home,” from Dean to Cas which seemed to hold some weight to it.

Cas gets to sit in the front seat of the Impala that night and very few words are spoken between the Winchester’s once they arrive home. Each seemed to go their own way- Mary needed to think about some things so she made her excuses and left the bunker and Sam made his way quickly to his room, exhausted from the day’s events. This left just Dean and Cas who found themselves gathering in the kitchen for some beers, but the truth is neither wanted to part.

“Really thought I might lose you there...” Dean finally spoke after their conversation had fallen off.

“It was very close,” the Angel admitted with a furrowed brow.

“Too close...” Dean took a long pull of his drink, “Cas, my chest caved in when you started choking on that black stuff... I don’t ever want to feel that again...”

“Dean,” Cas looks surprised at his words, he reaches out an uncertain hand to touch Dean’s, “I’m sorry that it affected you so much. I don’t know how i would have reacted if it had been you.”

“You know you’re loved right?” Dean asks as if the answer were vital, “I mean Sam and Mom and...”

“And you?” Cas asks softly.

“Yes, and me- Of course,” Dean looks pointedly into Cas’ eyes, “I need to know that you know that.”

Without thinking Dean had taken Cas’ hand into his own and didn’t even seem to notice or maybe he just didn’t care.

Cas’ face softens and he nods, “I’m starting to realize how much.”

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