It took three days before Dean was truly conscious. Between the surgeries, the drugs, and the severity of the injuries, the doctors were happy at the rate of Dean's recovery. He had suffered internal injuries, a broken arm, leg, two broken ribs, a lot of bruising, and some minor cuts and gashes. Overall, the doctors said it could have been much worse.

The first thing he asked for was Sam. The second his dead mother. The third his father. The fourth, the Impala. And in a drugged haze, he finally asked for water. In and out of consciousness Dean danced.

Cas didn't mind he wasn't on the list of things Dean called for while he slept on the line between this world and another. At least that's what he told himself. He took to a corner in the room, planted himself on a light blue chair next to the open window with matching sheer light blue curtains. When Dean stirred for what felt like the hundredth time, Cas' heart jumped to this throat for the hundredth time in the row. Sam leaned in close to his brother, foregoing trying to find space for the pot of yellow daisies the nurse had just handed him minutes ago.

"Dean?" Sam asked.

"Sam? Sam," Dean started then he chuckled low and deep. "I had this dream about this angel. And he left me, Sammy. Why did he leave me? I wanted him to stay with me. I searched for him, and then he told me I had to leave. Made me leave. Didn't wanna. But he wouldn't go with me. Sammy, I tried so hard to keep him."

"Dean, don't get too upset. You need to rest. It was just a dream," Sam cooed. Dean clutched at his ribs, and he began to weep like a small child.

"Sam, bring back my angel, won't you? I just want him back. Please," Dean begged.

"Okay, okay. I'll get him. Where is he?"

"Where I left him. I let him down, man. I let him down." An unexpected breeze lifted the curtain behind Castiel. Then all he could hear was the soft intake and outtake of breath coming from Dean who fell back asleep.

The next day Castiel and Sam finally went back to work. It was strange to go back home the night before, to eat dinner with Sam alone, to go to bed in his room by himself. It was even stranger to get up in the morning and not try to sneak back into his room without being seen by Sam. It was even stranger still to drive his BMW to school, with Sammy riding shotgun. It was unfamiliar to park where the Impala routinely parked. When he and Sam finally reached the entrance, Castiel was reminded of his first days at Sam Colt High School. A feeling of loneliness and anxiety washed over him like a cold shower. He made a bee line for his classroom, hoping to find some solace, some sort of sanctuary there. He found the door unlocked which shocked him awake. Suddenly Castiel was on guard. He pushed open the door and found it completely still and empty. But still he could not shake off the feeling of danger. Normally, something like this would shake Castiel and he would be out of town before 4th period. But he couldn't leave Sioux Falls. His life, his friends, his Dean were all here.

When did he suddenly have so much?

"You're being paranoid," he said aloud to himself. And that was enough to convince himself. Castiel shook the feeling of wanting to jump in his car and drive off to somewhere else to start over again. He stood at the entrance of his door like he usually did, only this time there was no handsome teacher to look at across the hall. Dean's door was closed, and as student filed into the school, Castiel tried his best not to look.

He was distracted easily by the flood of students coming in. It felt like the whole school went by him, giving him handmade cards, some for him, some for Mr. Winchester. It all sort of made Castiel's heart swell uncomfortably. He wasn't sure if he was inspired or scared by how attached he had become to the town, and vice versa.

The substitute the school hired for Dean was a pretty woman named Daphne, Castiel learned. She was from some small town just half an hour away, or something. Castiel made to be polite towards her, but in all honesty was distracted. He was so distracted he did not even notice that everyone seemed to understand his woe.

All of his classes asked about Dean. He told his students the truth. Dean was going to be all right. A lightness washed over the school when word spread. Since they had heard it from Mr. Novak, it must have been true. Castiel thought to himself how Dean would have hated all the attention, but also how he would have been so touched by everyone's well wishes.

Instinctively, Sam came to Castiel's classroom for lunch and they spent it together, eating in comfortable silence; Sam analyzing make up work while Castiel looked over essays. After school they headed straight to the hospital where they somehow graded quizzes and worked in plastic chairs the dug into their backs. Dean was always sleeping when they got to the hospital. Sometimes Ash, or Charlie, Lisa, or Jo would come with them. Then when visiting hours were complete, Sam and Castiel packed up and the entire cycle restarted. For a week they did this same dance until one Friday night. Castiel was getting a cup of hot chocolate for himself and a coffee for Sam at the cafeteria when Dean woke up.

"I want pie," Dean muttered, voice rough and broken. "Hey, Sammy. Hey, Cas."

Sam sprinted towards his brother's bedside, and poured him a cup of water.

"Man, that hit the spot," Dean announced, wiping his mouth with his hand.

"Dean, how are you feeling?" Sam asked.

"Peachy," Dean muttered. He coughed wheezily. Dean's eyes swept the room, searching. He looked down at the floor when he didn't find what he was looking for.

"Let me go find a nurse. That cough sounds bad."

"Ah, I'm fine, Sammy. Just a little sore. Here, would you help your favorite brother up? I gotta whiz like you wouldn't believe."

"Why did they take out your catheter?"

"Because I told them to. I don't want that anywhere near my friend. We've been through enough, I would say." Dean flashed Sam a smile and Sam shook his head, a small smile sneaking onto his face. "I can take it from here," Dean announced when they reached the bathroom door. "Why don't you get me some pudding while I handle my business, okay, there, Sammy?"

Dean splashed his face with the cold tap water and rubbed his eyes. He took a deep breath, giving himself an internal pep talk, telling himself he could make it through this. He looked up at the mirror saw someone behind him that he will swear for the rest of this life made his heart stop dead.

"Hello, Dean."

A silence fell over Dean and Cas like snowfall.

"Cas, hey."

"Dean. I don't know where to begin." Dean turned around to face the sorrowful man behind him.

"I do. I'm sorry I ran out on you. I just, man, I just really hate doing the dishes." And just like that, the tense silence eased.

"You can have it all," Cas' began.

"What?"

"You said you wanted everything. That's what I want, too." Castiel's confession spilled from his mouth like a waterfall. "Maybe you don't remember what we said before your accident."

Dean took a moment. Normally, he flew by the seat of his pants; all heart and good intentions. But right now, he took a moment. He took it to think. He remembered the fight with Cas. He remembered the fear that flooded him when he realized how much he needed Cas to stick around. He could easily pretend he didn't, however. Dean played with the idea in his mind. But then he saw those big, blue eyes staring at him, no, pleading with him. He felt it right in the middle of his breast bone, like a truck plowing into his heart. And he would know. Dean finally settled on what he wanted to say.

"Good." Cas gave him a toothless smile, small, but just for him. They stared at each other, neither making a move to move towards each other. Maybe Sam stood just outside the doorway, out of Dean's eye line, giving them their time. And maybe when the nurse was just about to enter the room, Sam waved her off. The nurse, Amelia, according to her name tag, nodded like she understood and whispered to Sam that she would be back in five minutes.

"I can drive, Sammy!" Dean growled as Cas pushed his wheelchair towards the lobby doors.

"No, Dean, you can't," Sam argued. "Your leg is broken. It's in a full cast. How are you going to drive?" He could almost hear Dean roll his eyes in a dramatic fashion.

"Fine. But I gotta see Baby. How is she?"

"See for yourself. Bobby has the Impala in his Salvage Yard. He hasn't done any work on her. He figured you'd want to do all that yourself." Dean grunted. Bobby was right, of course.

"We also need to stop by The Roadhouse on the way home," Cas added as they made it into the hospital parking lot.

"Great! I could use real food after all that hospital crap they kept trying to feed me. I swear to God, Sammy, they kept trying to feed me sludge."

"That was oatmeal."

And just like that, the three of them were put back together like a puzzle completed.

Valentine's Day passed by Castiel like a breeze on a summer afternoon, for which he was hugely grateful. Dean was still in the hospital when Castiel's least favorite commercial holiday had arrived, and the school dance had come and gone. Somehow Castiel managed to get out of it even though he had been on the chaperone list. He knew Meg would come collect her payment sometime later, and for once, Castiel was able to take a favor from someone else, knowing that he would be around to pay her back. Once February 15th hit, Castiel thought he was safe.

"Mr. Novak," Daphne, the substitute teacher across the hall started. She stood in Castiel's door frame, all smiles and bright green eyes.

"Yes, Ms. Allen? Can I help you with anything?"

"Yes, actually." Castiel pushed away from his desk and stood up. "This might seem a little forward, but I was wondering if you would like to take me out on this Friday night. I know a great Korean Barbecue restaurant."

"Oh. I am so flattered, Ms. Allen—"

"You can call me Daphne."

"Daphne. I'm very flattered. You are a beautiful, intelligent, and pleasant woman, but—"

"You're a handsome, intelligent, sexy man. I think we are a great fit." Castiel was taken aback at her confidence.

"I—" Again Castiel tried to reject her, but before he could get the words out, Meg and Lillith appeared in the doorway.

"Hey there, angel. Should I be jealous?" Meg arched her eyebrow, and curled her upper lip. Daphne instinctually backed away from her.

"Don't be too frightened there, kitty. I'm just teasing." Meg sashayed towards Castiel, and past Daphne. Lilith stayed behind, lingering in the doorway.

"Well, I should get going. I told Principal Carver I would meet him in his office," Daphne announced. She walked towards the door, head held high even as she passed Lilith who purred as she went. Daphne turned around before she headed to Chuck's office.

"You can pick me up at my classroom on Friday after the last bell." She smiled sweetly at Castiel who tilted his head sideways in confusion. Then Daphne sauntered off.

"What the hell was that?" Meg asked. "Should I be jealous?"

"I think I have a date on Friday." Lilith cackled as she took went through Castiel's pending essays to be graded and purposely rearranged them in random. Castiel eyed her setting chaos, but said nothing.

"That's adorable. So do you like her back?" Meg asked. Lilith continued to giggle.

"She seems like a genuinely pleasant individual," Castiel replied.

"With genuinely devious intentions for our little angel," Lilith purred.

"I tried to say no," Castiel explained, confusion engraved on his face.

"You didn't try very hard," Meg said. "I'm sure a certain green eyed Ken doll will be agreeing with me." Then she and Lilith burst into a fresh fit of giggles.

"Are you implying Dean will be upset?" Castiel asked, which seemed to fan the giggling.

"Oh, my cute, innocent unicorn."

"But why would he be upset? I simply have to explain to Ms. Allen that I have no romantic interest in her."

"Can we be there when you tell her that?" Lilith asked.

"I do not think that would be very sensitive."

"Something tells me you learned that lesson through trial and error," Meg said.

"Yes." Lilith and Meg broke into a new round of giggles.

"Can we at least be there when you tell Mr. Winchester all about your accidental date?" Lilith asked.

"Yeah! You should cook dinner for us and Ruby at your house. We want to see how the squirrel is doing," said Meg as she unwrapped her homemade sandwich.

"Squirrel?"

"Crowley calls Sammy Moose, so it kind of goes, doesn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Moose and squirrel? Rocky and Bullwinkle. Castiel, you need an education in humor. I think I know what my next project is."

"I suppose I can let Sam and Dean know you will be over for dinner tonight. I'll need to go grocery shopping." Castiel took out his phone and began to text.

"Add us and Ruby to that." Castiel nodded. "We'll be there at 8. And I'll bring the pie." Meg exchanged a wink with Lilith and the two laughed as their phones vibrated signaling their reception of Castiel's text message.