I'm coming home, tell the world I'm coming home.

[likemichael]

Who: Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, and Castiel.
What: Dean is home, Sam is crazy, Cas is overworked.
Where: Bobby's house
When: January 9th 2013
Rating: PG
Notes: This might just contain epic brotherly hug. You've been warned.

Comments

[likely_evil]

If Sam had been hunting... had something to focus his mind on past the hallucinations... maybe he would have been better. He could have lasted longer. But in a world where there was nothing to hunt... no brother to hunt with... Lucifer had managed to just grab Sam by the jugular and shake him until he was broken

[dowhatimust]

The angel's gaze was solemn as he followed after his friend. He dipped his head briefly, his expression tight.

"He is upstairs, Dean. We ... discussed putting him in the panic room, but he thought it would worsen his condition. It is secured, and Max is with him." Here, the angel paused again, putting his gaze on the hunter. "Dean - I think we should call in Gabriel. He might be the only one who can do something to ... to bring Sam back to himself."

He did not say 'save his life', but the implication was there.

[likemichael]

"Upstairs," he parroted and turned for the stairs, but Castiel's words kept him back and he looked at his friend for a long moment before he shook his head. "No, I know how to fix this. We fixed it back home. You fixed it. We don't need Gabriel to risk himself."

He didn't want to involve anyone else, no on but the three of them. Patting Castiel on the shoulder, Dean headed up the stairs and into Sam's room without knocking. "Hey, Sammy," he spoke low, his eyes following the lines of his brother's form before he swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Sam, I'm back," he told him as he approached, doubting his brother would believe him. He was still filthy and no doubt Lucifer had traumatised Sam far beyond reason.

[likely_evil]

Sam forced himself not to respond to Lucifer. He was too tired to deal with it anymore. He just shifted a bit on the bed, turning himself away from the door more.

Max, however, looked up to see the man who had bought him. He sniffed the air, then whimpered and flattened himself on the bed a bit more, unsure about person in the room who smelt weird.

[dowhatimust]

Castiel's expressed creased, both with concern and with silent hope. If Dean said they had figured out a way ... but risk to Gabriel? What sort of risk? He followed the elder Winchester upstairs, letting the brothers have a moment alone, but hearing Max whimper, he stepped into the doorway.

So Max knew it was okay, and hopefully, so did Sam.

"Samuel ... Dean is here."

[likemichael]

Dean didn't like the complete lack of response. He saw Sam move, that much wasn't enough, and he glanced at Castiel at Sam's full name. That was something he hadn't heard Sam called in a long time, and it made him think about their maternal grandfather. Better to shrug that off.

Approaching the bed, he pet Max on the head gently. "Easy, boy. I stink, I know." He guided the dog down out of his way and sat on the edge of the bed, hands coming out to grab onto his brother, one on his arm, the other hand pressing on his chest. "Sammy? Come on, I'm the one who got sent to Purgatory for a year, you're supposed to take care of me."

It was an attempt at humour that fell very flat with the worry in his tone.

[likely_evil]

Sam heard Cas and started to look over, but before he could conprehend what was going on, the world shifted a bit around him. Then on top of that, something grabbed him.

Being touched was bad. Bad. Lucifer never touched Sam, but it wouldn't be the first time his mind played a trick on him.

His head snapped over the rest of the way, eyes suddenly wild. He didn't see Dean, but instead saw a monster covered in filth trying to choke him. He pushed away at it, trying to get further into the corner. "No, get away from me. Cas! Cas help!"

[dowhatimust]

Damnation. Castiel moved swiftly, coming to Sam's side. Touching his arm and pushing his healing Grace into Sam. To hopefully bring him back from the edge again. His fingers folded around Sam's arm, and his voice became quieter.

"Sam ... Sam you are seeing things again. There is no monster here. It is Dean. Please, concentrate." The angel's voice held a note of pleading, "Please, see him and see me."

He looked over at Dean, giving his friend a sympathetic look. "He ... is losing reality. More quickly over the past few days."

[likemichael]

Dean wasn't used to being pushed back from Sam when he was like this and it gave him pause for all of half a second, long enough for Castiel to try to calm his little brother. His hand pressing to Sam's chest again, he found his brother's scarred hand and squeezed it hard, to try to get him to focus.

"Hey, come on, Sammy. It's me. I know I look bad, but jeez..." He had to keep trying to lighten things, otherwise he'd just worry more and more. Looking up at Castiel, he frowned slightly. "Back, home, you took the Hell out of his head. You can do it here."

He swallowed the knot in his throat, and considered not telling him what would happen, but he had to. "You... took it into you, or somethin'. It made you kinda... out of it."

[likely_evil]

Sam gasped a bit at the feeling of Cas' grace, then he blinked. His hazel eyes cleared up a bit and he relaxed physically, then looked around in confusion a moment before he saw his brother.

"Dean?" Even his voice was tired, but he managed to raise his eyebrow a bit. "If that's really you, you look like shit."

[dowhatimust]

The angel looked over at Dean, his blue eyes going wide. Of course - it had been right in front of him all along. Why had he not thought of it before? Well, apparently he had thought of it afterwards. He was just thinking about rebuilding, not using himself as a siphon ...

He fell silent, thinking about it. It would take him out of it - more than likely it would overwhelm him more quickly than it had for Sam. He would more than likely be killed - or driven insane. The angel looked over to Dean, then to Sam.

... a small price to pay, for the sin of causing this in the first place.

[likemichael]

Dean grinned at Sam, then looked down at himself briefly. "Yeah, well, Purgatory'll do that to ya." He shook his head slightly, standing up to let Sam have some space. God, he just wanted to hug him, it had been a year and he was damn sure that Sam would be fine by the end of the day, he'd make sure of that, but he still missed him like he'd lost a limb.

"We'll get Gabriel to fix you up after, Cas. He's gotta be able to help out." He frowned a bit, and then looked back to Sam, giving him a smile. "We know how to fix you, so you're gonna be okay."

It wouldn't get rid of the memories, but it'd get rid of the mess it'd left behind.

[likely_evil]

"Purgatory... how did...?"

"Oh, he took a nice field trip. Of course, I always knew Dean was a monster." Lucifer stood in the corner, pouting with his arms crossed. He had been having fun until Cas showed up.

"You found a cure?" There was hope in his eyes at that, trying not to look past Dean where Lucifer was making a fireball between his hands.

[dowhatimust]

"He did. If you will let me ... I will be able to take Hell out of your mind, and into my own." Castiel kept his hand on Sam's arm, so he could focus on him and Dean. He could feel the burned edges of Hell around Sam's mind, and he pressed in his grip a little harder, trying to gauge how he was going to have to pull it out.

He looked over to Dean, his expression solemn. "I will be more vulnerable than Sam. You will need to put me in the panic room. Immediately."

[likemichael]

"I'll explain later." He gave Sam a warm smile and looked at Castiel as he spoke. He didn't like this, he knew what it'd do to Cas, but he could get Gabriel to fix him, that was going to be the plan. If he failed, well, he'd always be able to go to Death, and see if the boredom had sank in enough yet that he'd find their pitiful lives worth playing with.

Gripping Castiel on his shoulder, he fixed his gaze with the angel's. "Do what you gotta do. I'll bring Gabriel over to help as soon as I can." His smile turned a little sad and he squeezed his shoulder. "You won't be out of it for long, don't worry."

And with that, he backed off to let Castiel do his work.

[likely_evil]

Sam, however, was confused and honestly, freaking out a bit because there was a puzzle piece they weren't giving him to keep him from saying now.

"What do you mean you're going to take the Hell out of my mind? What's going to happen to you... Dean, he can't do this if it's going to hurt him like this..."