Chapter Text
"...Dean?" Sam drops his hands after pressing palms flat in front of his face, fingers scrabbling. His eyes shine with tearful hope. His breath comes heavy and his body is trembling as his gaze travels from Cas's to Rowena's and Jack's only to then snap and stay fixed on his older brother's limp and lolling body. "Is he gonna be okay? Can I -" help him, or even touch him, the words are in his face if not his voice.
Rowena, after returning her hair into its twist upon her head, pushing back wisps and seemingly catching her breath a bit, waves at him to go ahead. "You boys might want to put out that fire," she suggests to Cas and Jack. It is the youngest being who does so, Castiel's own gaze is transfixed on Dean.
Who inhales, and groans as Sam drops in front of him and Cas reaches out, catching hold of his shoulder at the same time saying "Dean!"
Firm, not sharp, not shouting; but as desperate as is Sam to see any sign of life, and is rewarded with a mumble of "damnit, Cas, that's th' second friggin time I've woken up t' you screaming in my face."
"I - wasn't screaming, Dean," the angel responds, but the twinkle of his dear friend's eyes and the soft curve of a smile lets Castiel know "ah, you're being facetious. Of course." And then, ducking his head to look into Dean's face and shifting closer, he continues, eyes steady and soulful "are you all right? How do you feel?"
Sam, kneeling now beside his brother, looks on with his puppy eyes of ultimate concern. Dean smacks his lips and winks as he inhales, tapping his chest. "I feel - good," he assures. Taking a breath and clearing his throat to take some more stock, he adds "yeah. Feel better than I have in a long damn time." Eyes tracking to the witch who stands near, swallowing as his eyes flicker, Dean manages "... gotta say, uh. Thanks, Rowena."
She cocks her head, lips pressing together as her eyebrows go up. "Oh, I've despaired ever hearing those words from you. Do mine ears deceive me?" She starts to smile, and Sam laughs from sheer joyousness and relief as Dean rolls his eyes and screws his face up.
"Alright, all right, you never thought you'd hear it. Hell, I never thought we'd be on the same side of dealin' with an archangel with power-up issues." He turns his head, seeming a little stiff, to look at Michael, who has opened his eyes and stares back, gaze clear. "...but here the hell we are," Dean adds gruffly. "This has gotta be the wackiest universe," he grumbles as he stands and sways. "Whoa"
But wrapping an arm under his, placing a hand on his chest, Cas and Sam steady him on either side, and Jack smiles with his usual cheery wave after doing as Rowena suggested and putting the fire out. Dean nods with a "thanks" and "hey, Jack" before glancing over at Michael again. "Well let's get this feathery ass and all'a ours movin' an' figure out -"
"... where Adam is going or wishes to go, when Jack's powers will return, what's the status of heaven, and what will happen to us," low and direct as always, as he still holds Dean fast, comes Castiel's voice.
Dean nods and looks at him, licks his lips as affection softens, fills, suffuses his face. Leave it to this guy to say things the way they are. He leans in, feels his brother by his side and gazes for a long moment into the eyes of his best friend. It ain't gonna be easy, never is, but feeling good is the first step towards, well. Sounds cheesy as any chick-flick, but it's a work in progress towards being good. And towards ... happiness.
He can figure out the rest. They can all figure it out, together. Because they're family.
"Bingo, Cas. Aren't you a ray of sunshine," he grins at him. Cas cocks his head and Sammy sighs as Dean tightens his arms around both of them. He's damn glad he's here, that they all are here together to figure things out.
Because that's what family is for.