Witches.

It's always fucking witches.

Screw witches. Alright? Screw them in their little witch-y asses with their witch-y cat watching and then burn them in their witch-y oven.

See. The boys had a situation, as they tend to do. Let's back up a bit. The night before, they were hunting - you guessed it! - witches. And the problem with witches is they're unpredictable.

Dean rolled his eyes as the witch started blabbing about superiority or Lucifer or magic or something. He really couldn't care less at this point. He just needed to get Sam out of there because his little brother managed to dislocate his shoulder. And, to be honest, it terrifies him. Because he doesn't think he'll be able to defend Sam against this witch; she's incredibly powerful.

Not really a one-man job.

The witch paused in her speech, looking from Sam to Dean and back again.

"Interesting." She lowered her hands, "Originally I was going to just kill you both. But… let's have some fun first, shall we?"

"With you? No thanks. I'll stick to shady porn sites." Dean huffed out a laugh.

The witch pointed at him and Dean set his jaw, trying not to flinch. "There it is again! You do your damnedest to hide your fear." The witch cooed. "It's adorable, actually. Just a scared little boy pretending to be a man. You're doing it, too!" She turned her attention to Sam. "I think it's time you two learned to speak your true mind."

Before either could react, the witch mumbled some Latin bullshit and there was a green powder surrounding Sam and Dean.

Then, their world went black.

When they woke up, they were still in the barn where they tracked down the witch. Surprisingly, they woke up at the same time; Sam groaned while Dean sucked in a breath.

They looked at each other before they even stood up, making sure the other was still alive.

"What happened?" Sam asked, sitting up. He hissed in pain when he shifted his still-dislocated shoulder.

"Dunno. Let me take care of that." Dean said as he got to his knees and shuffled over to Sam. "Son of a bitch cursed us."

"Yeah." Sam grunted as Dean laid a careful hand on his shoulder. "The witch said 'speak your true mind.'"

"Think it was a truth spell?" Dean asked, trying to distract his brother before he relocates his shoulder.

"I dunno."

"Try lying to me."

"Um… You're singing is really- GAH FUCK!" Sam didn't get to finish his "lie" because Dean chose that moment to relocate the shoulder.

Dean quirked an eyebrow at him, "You were gonna say 'bad', right? 'Cuz my singing's awesome."

Sam panted, looking at him, "Right…"

"So it's not a truth spell." Dean muttered, defeated.

He looked up at the sound of… of screaming. It sounded like it was getting closer. Two distinct voices, screeching at the top of their lungs. The boys tensed, not knowing what would happen.

Running through the open barn doors, was a man sprinting straight for them, followed by a little boy. Both were screaming.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING!?" The little boy yelled as he skidded to a stop behind the adult.

"PAIN! BODY FEELS PAIN! I NEED ENDORPHINS HERE, STAT!" The man was shouting.

"WHO ARE YOU?" The boy shouted. His voice didn't sound strained at all, even though this amount of yelling would damage his vocal cords. "WHY ARE YOU YELLING?"

The man was touching Sam, his face his neck, his shoulders. Almost like he was inspecting him. "I NEED ENDORPHINS FASTER! DOUBLE TIME IT! HEART RATE INCREASE! THOSE CHEMICALS NEED TO GET TO THEIR LOCATION NOW!"

"LET GO OF HIM!" The boy shouted at the same time as Dean pulled the man off a confused Sam.

Thankfully, the man sighed, panting as he fell down on his ass. "Pain resided. Lower heart rate. Resume normal functions. Body is safe."

The boy stared at the man said exactly what Dean was thinking, "What the fuck?"

"'Normal body functions. Endorphins. Body safe.' Dean-" The man rattled off, looking up at the ceiling.

"He sounds like a- a-" Sam interrupted.

When he couldn't find the words, the man hesitantly added, "A brain?"

Dean's eyes widened. "Speak your true mind."

"It's not a truth spell." Sam said, eyes flicking from Sam's "brain" to Dean.

"No…" Dean said.

The child then groaned, "It's a helluva lot worse."

"Brains." Dean said, driving down the road, gripping Baby's wheel unnecessarily tight. "Our brains are in the back seat!"

"Zombies!" The child - Dean's brain - cheered.

"I know, Dean. We've got to find a way to fix it." Sam said, looking back at his brain - which (who?) was staring out the window, mumbling to itself, and Dean's brain which was humming Metallica and squirming in it's seat.

Dean's brain sat up suddenly, it's young face pure with hope and glee, "WE SHOULD CALL CAS!"

"NO!" Dean shouted immediately.

"Pleeeeeeeease!" Dean's brain whined, kicking the back of Dean's seat, "I waaanna seeee Caaaas!"

"No, dammit!" Dean drove the car faster. "He's not seeing us like this!"

"You just don't want me to tell Cassie all our secrets!" Dean's brain whined.

Sam raised an eyebrow. His brain looked away from the window to ask, "'Cassie'?"

Dean's face burned bright red. "Shut up."

"Dean's embarrassed." Dean's brain hummed. "Cas would help! I'll do it for you! Dear Castiel, Angel of my hea-" The boy sputtered for a moment before he started belting out Led Zep, "Ramble on! And now's the time, the time is now," He took a deep breath, "To sing my song - YOU'RE TOTALLY CHEATING!"

Dean grinned, looking through the rear view mirror, "What? I got a song stuck in my head."

Dean's brain glared at him as he kept singing the entire song the rest of the ride to the motel.

"Ramble on! Gotta find the queen of all my dreams."

When they got to the motel, the boys rushed inside before their brains could do or say anything stupid.

"My arms huuuurt!" Dean's brain whined as he sat on Dean's bed. "My legs huuuurt! My ass huuuurts! My ass REALLY hurts! I should NOT have listened to that one guy from the bar!"

Dean stared in horror as his brain - who was a small child - began to remember, in great detail, about his activities right before they started their hunt.

The kid was once again cut off my Led Zeppelin.

Sam turned and looked at his brain, "Don't remember any of that. Delete it. Delete it now."

His brain quirked an eyebrow. "Imagine it?"

"No!"

"Wanna see it in high def?"

"My eyes!"

"With surround sound?"

"Stop!" Sam pushed the palm of his hands into his eyes, it did little to stop the mental images his mind created. Sam looked up at Dean, eyes wide, "We need to call Cas!"

Dean frowned, while his mind cheered happily in the background.

Immidiately, his brain ducked it's little head, folded it's little hands and prayed, "Dear Cassie, Angel of Thursday, which should be all the days, because I think about you every day, pretty please hear my prayer-"

Dean put his hand over the boy's mouth and yelled, "CAS, GET YOUR FEATHERY ASS DOWN HERE!"

Dean's brain squirmed out of his grip, "Cute! Cute feathery ass! You forgot the cute!"

Dean hissed, "I'm going to forget you in about ten seconds."

Sam's brain looked over at Sam, "Can we please leave before Cas gets here. I don't think I wanna see this."

"But I kinda do…" Sam mumbled, watching Dean wrestle with his thoughts. Literally.

"Really?" The brain asked.

Sam shrugged, and, since the brain already knew what Sam was thinking, he didn't have to say any more.

Dean's brain was crying by the time Cas got there.

"Dean?" Cas asked, watching as the hunter had pinned the small child down on the bed.

Dean immediately let go, his face burning. "I- it's not what- he- it's-"

The brain, which was still crying, sat up and pointed a finger at Dean, "Cassie! He was bein mean to meee!"

The angel stepped towards the child protectively, his eyes staying on Dean. "Is everything alright?"

Dean's brain reached out to the angel, tugging on his trench coat to get his attention. Cas hesitated, but picked up the child. Dean's brain laid its head on Cas's shoulder and sniffed pathetically.

Sam spoke up then. "There was a witch."

Cas looked from Sam to Sam's brain, which looked a bit like Sam when he was in college, only he wore a tie and a nice white button down. "I can tell. You appear to have been split into two."

"How d'you know?" Dean's brain mumbled against Cas's shoulder.

Cas tried to look at the mind's face, but all he got was a face-full of messy blond hair. "You have a bit of Dean's soul in you. As does he with Sam."

"What's it look like?" Sam's brain asked as Dean's mumbled, "You're so smart, Cas."

Cas blinked a few times, glancing at Dean as he muttered, "Thank you." Looking at Sam, he said, "You're soul-"

"Don't answer that." Sam interrupted quickly. "I don't want to know."

"I bet it's black. And ugly. From all the bad things you did." Sam's mind comments idly, causing Sam to flinch.

"I bet it's the grossest soul in this room. Cas probably hates looking at it."

Cas speaks up before Sam's mind could continue, "It's a beautiful, pure soul."

As he said the word "beautiful" Dean's mind's little hands tightened their grip on Cas possessively.

"Pure?" Sam's mind asked. "How?"

Cas smiled, "It's one of the brightest souls I've ever seen."

"Huh." Sam's brain fell silent again.

Dean's brain tugged on Cas's trench coat. "Is my soul bright?"

"Don't fish for compliments, kid." Dean muttered. "Cas, can you fix this?"

"These are your brains correct?" Cas asked, shifting the small child on his hip slightly.

"Yeah."

"Then I can not do a thing." Cas stated.

Dean's mind groaned, "But I don't liiiike thiiis! My brain's annoyiiiing!" It took a second. And the the child gasped and clung closer to the angel. His eyes darted to Dean. "You mean me!" He accused.

"He is kinda annoying." Sam's brain muttered. Dean's brain pouted and played with Cas's crooked tie.

"Hey, how come Sam gets calm cool and collected and I get Rugrats meets Elf!" Dean asked Cas.

Without missing a beat, Sam's mind pipes. "Sam went to college."

Sam's eyes widened and he swears, "I didn't tell him to say that."

Dean's mind tucks his face into Cas's neck and whines. Dean has to look away from his brother.

"Dean." Sam said, concerned.

Dean shook his head, turning his attention back to Cas. "Why can't you fix it?"

"If these truly are your brains, I can't risk damaging them." Cas said simply. His hold on the child became slightly more protective at Sam's brain's comment. "Anything I try could severely damage any or every part of your brain. Whatever witch did this was unbelievably powerful."

"So what do we do? Just have The Thinker's annoying nephews follow us around all the time?" Dean asked, running his hands through his hair.

"I can consult my brothers-"

"Dicks with wings." Dean's brain mumbled, still pressing its face into Cas's neck.

"If they know what to do. There might be one of them strong enough to break this." The angel finished.

"Alright. In the meantime, we'll get some grub. Maybe coffee. This could be a long night." Sam said. Rubbing his hands over his face wearily.

Somehow he knew an easy answer wouldn't be forthcoming.

"I could make you sleep." Sam's mind offered. "If you want."

"No, I should be awake until we have a plan."

"Release melatonin." Sam's mind hummed. "Small bursts of dopamine. Heart rate lower, slowly."

"Stop. I said I want to be awake." Sam yawned.

"Resistance is futile." The mind whispered, standing up to lead Sam to his bed.

Dean looked at his mind, which was watching him with mischievous eyes. "Don't even think about it."

The mind hummed, a small smile playing on its face. "Release melatonin. Lower heart rate."

"Stop. Cas!"

"You're minds seem to think sleep is best for you right now, Dean."

"Our minds don't know jack shit!" Dean hissed, arms wide in a relaxing stretch.

"For that, tonight you get nightmares." The child said.

Cas looked down at the child and scolded, "Dean, no. Give him a good dream."

"Don't call my brain my name." Dean yawned.

The child thought about it, and then nodded. "Alright. I'll have him dream of you."

Dean crawled onto the bed. He was out before his head even hit the pillow.

Sam was in a better state, his brain was able to get him partially undressed and under the covers. Dean looked kinda like a murder victim. Minus the bloody death part.

"I'm going back to Heaven now." Cas told Dean's mind.

"That's okay." The child slowly slid out of Cas's strong arms and onto Dean's back. "I have to make sure he gets into REM and work out what memories get to be long term."

On the other side of the room, Sam's mind was sitting cross legged on the bed, staring at Sam, while mumbling to itself. It was already working on Sam's memories from today.

Cas nodded and turned to leave.

"Cas. Wait."

The angel looked back at the mind that was watching him with wide eyes. "You'll be back, right? Tomorrow?"

"Of course." Cas nodded in conformation.

Dean's brain smiled, wide and honest, "Good! I'll be waiting!"

Dean woke to wide green eyes staring at him. "Oh, god." He groaned and rolled back over.

"No. It wasn't a dream. Yeah. This is still happening. Yeah. Cas looks really good holding children." Dean's mind rattled off.

"Were you watching me the whole night?"

"Yes."

"That's creepy, man."

"No. I watch you all the time. Through everything. I'm always with you." The child said. His hand patting Dean's head gently. "Always in you."

"Please stop. It's too early for this."

"I agree." He started pounding on Dean's back with his small hands. "Coffee. You need coffee. Go get some coffee. I'll give you headaches if you don't give me coffee."

Dean groaned and sat up, easily pushing his mind off his back. "Alright, alright, shut up you little brat."

His mind kept whining until Dean shuffled over to the crappy coffee machine the motel provided. He waited as the water heated and the cheap coffee poured into a small silicone cup. When he took a sip of the mostly-water drink, his mind quieted, laying back on the bed.

"Increase heart rate. Prepare functions for the day." It mumbled.

"Sam would like some of that too." Sam's brain said, not looking away from the sleeping hunter in question.

"Sam can make his own cup." Dean grumbled. "Wake him up, will you? We need to figure this out."

Sam's brain twitched, but reluctantly agreed. "Lower REM functions. Enter Light Sleep."

Dean thought about taking a shower before they get their day of crazy started. But then he remembered that the little boy on the bed would probably say everything he thought while he was in there.

"Very true." The brain confirmed, still staring at the ceiling. It started to make a bed-angel, running his arms and legs across the blanket.

"Great." Dean muttered.

Sam woke up with a start a few seconds later. He blinked a few times, looking around the room.

"Calm. You're simply awake now." Sam's mind said softly, Dean could barely hear him. "No, I'm not a stranger. You're safe. I'm you."

"Rise and shine, Sammy." Dean said.

Sam's mind immediately reached out and touched Sam's shoulder comfortingly. "No, it's not that. It's a friday. You're fine. Let's get some endorphins, try to lower that heart rate. Dean, could Sam please have a coffee? I'm working on next to nothing here."

Dean blinked a few times and turned to get another cup of coffee, trying to figure out why Sam was freaked.

"I got nothing." Dean's mind muttered.

Sam's mind answered. "That's what you said every day before you died at Mystery Spot."

"That's not fair. I don't remember that. That only happened once for us." Dean's mind muttered.

"I'm fine." Sam groaned, pushing his mind off himself. "I'm fine. Stop. I'm fine."

"Say it one more time, I don't think it heard." Dean called from across the room.

"Jerk." Sam glared.

"Bitch." Dean grinned.

"Shut up, Dean." Sam's mind rattled.

"Love you, too, Sammy." Dean's mind replied.

The boys blinked at their mental counterparts. Because, wow. They always knew that's basically what they were saying but to hear it out loud was something else.

"Humbling."

"Embarrassment."

Dean shook his head, "Do you seriously have to say everything we think outloud?"

"Not everything. Just the most important things. People actually think a lot a once. Multiple different thoughts at various levels of consciousness. We just say the most prominent thought." Sam's mind explained. "Sometimes that thought is just emotions."

There was a beat of silence, and then the child in the room spoke up.

"Can we call Cas?"

Sam chuckled at the blood rushing to Dean's cheeks.

Cas arrives later, and as soon as he appears next to Dean, the hunter's mind jumps off the bed and runs to the angel, demanding to be picked up.
Castiel holds the boy easily against his hip, and shoots a dejected look to Dean. "I'm sorry. I asked all of my brothers and none of them had heard of this kind of circumstance before. They don't know how to fix it, either. Any suggestions they came up with seemed too risky."

"Son of a bitch." Dean muttered, rubbing his neck. "So what do we do? Just keep on keepin on with these two following us around, narrating everything we think?"

Castiel looks away from the hunter, "I'm sorry. I don't know who else to contact. Heaven couldn't help."

Dean's mind patted Cas's chest sympathetically, "S'okay, Cas."

Sam lips twitched at the sight. "I guess we can check out the library. Call the usual people. See if the hunters know anything Heaven doesn't."

The older brother nodded, grabbing his keys. "Alright. You make the calls, I'll look at the library. I doubt there'll be anything witchy in their archives other than Harry Potter, but whatever. I'll try."

He shrugged on his jacket and said to his mind, "You stay here. I can't have you blabbing in the library. You'll get us kicked out."

Dean's mind reached out one hand, the other still around Cas's shoulder. "You can't leave without me!"

"Why not?"

"Because I'm your brain, dumbass!"

Dean rolled his eyes and opened the door. "Yeah, well, my brain will just have to take a vacation for a second." As he walked out, his brain suddenly flicked it's wrist and Dean toppled to the ground.

"Dean!" Sam and Cas shouted as they rushed to the door.

They found Dean lying on the ground, gasping for a breath that wasn't there. His eyes were wide and unfocused, hands gripping his chest.

Sam turned to the child in Cas's arms. "What'd you do to him?!"

"I told his lungs they didn't need to breathe anymore." The child said calmly, eyes disinterested as he watched Dean struggle on the floor.

Sam's mind appeared a moment later, resting a hand on Sam's shoulder. "You have to fix it. You need the oxygen that he's not getting."

"I know." The kid hummed, waiting just a moment more.

"Dean!" Cas warned, shaking the child slightly, "Stop this!"

He smiled at Cas "Ok!"

With a flick of the wrist, Dean's lungs worked again. He sucked in a huge breath, relief and adrenaline washing over him. Sam was on the ground, kneeling next to him.

Dean's eyes blinked open and he stared up at Sam, breathing fast.

"I would've stopped the heart." Sam's mind muttered.

"That really would've killed me." Dean's brain replied.

When Dean was breathing easier, he sat up and glared at his brain, "What the fuck? Why'd you do that?"

"Less adrenaline. Work on lowering heart rate." It rattled off directions without blinking, then it said, "To prove a point. I'm the brain. You're the body. I own you. I am you."

Horror and a bit of fear shot through Dean. His eyes flicked to Cas and he grunted, "We need to fix this. Now."

Cas nodded, no longer feeling comfortable with the child on his hip.

Sam and his brain ended up going to the library, because his mind is more well-behaved. And, unsurprisingly, it was thrilled to be around so many books.

Sam scanned the same page over and over. His brain leaned back in its chair and whispered, "You're not thinking about cracking this case. You're thoughts have wandered."

Sam shifted awkwardly in his seat, "Uh, yeah."

"Worry not. I won't try to kill you." Sam's mind hummed, flipping a page of a dictionary idly. "Yet."

"Can… can we not talk about this?" Sam asked.

"You thought it." The mind grumbled, turning back to its dictionary.

Sam sighed and flipped through an old spell book. Surprisingly, the library actually had one. In the back corner of the room, dusty and forgotten.

The chances of this specific spell being in this book are extremely thin, but Sam still wanted to check it out.

So far, absolutely nothing.

Sam's brain broke up the silence once again by leaning closer to Sam and murmuring, "Why won't you suggest it?"

"You know why." Sam grumbled.

"True. But let's think it out. I think we could have something here." His mind said softly.

Sam shook his head. "Cas would've mentioned it. ...Wouldn't he?"

"He has thousands of brothers. And sisters. Why does he never say brothers and sisters? Aren't angel's genderless?" Sam's mind scowled at him. "You can't think when I talk. It makes me go on tangents. Anyway. He has thousands of siblings. He probably would forget to mention those three."

"But they'd be an important three, wouldn't they?" Sam argued. "The other four are treated so highly. Wouldn't these three be the same?"

"So what are you saying? Cas has a reason to not tell us? Or the Bible lies?"

"It's not the bible. Archangels are more of a Jewish thing. In Christianity-"

"Only Michael was an archangel. I know. Humans get things wrong. All the time." Sam's mind said, helpfully reminding Sam of every time he was wrong. "So there's four. Confirmed. Seven, supposively. Where are the other three?"

Sam shrugged. "With God?"

"Humorous." His mind deadpanned. "Cas said none of the angels are strong enough to fix this. An archangel or two would be. We got two in the Cage-"

"Not an option."

"And two that are dead. So our hope lies on the last three." Sam's mind finished.

Sam sighed, sitting back in his chair and thinking. After a few moments, he said. "Alright. Let's go tell Dean."

While Sam was at the library, Dean got the joy of sitting around and watching his brain talk to his angel. If for some reason you think it sounds interesting and cool, to put it simply: you're wrong and it sucks.

It started put fine, because Dean was calling all the hunters, so his mind was focused on the curse.

But once he came up with nothing, he turned and looked at Cas, who was still in the motel room, holding Dean's mind against himself.

The angel caught his eye, and they stared at one another. It was silent, as they each drank their fill of the other's appearance. Dean wouldn't tell anyone, but he loved these moments, when Cas wouldn't look away from him.

Of course, his mind had to fuck it up.

"Dean, that's a REALLY inappropriate thought and I will NOT be repeating it." Dean glared at the boy, who grinned and said, "Okay, I will."

Turning to Cas, he said, "It would be on a memory foam bed, not a crappy motel bed. And you're hair would be all sexed up. After a hunt, you'd both be all hot and sweaty-"

"Oh my god, stop!" Dean yelled, his face bright red.

Thankfully, Cas was kinda dense when it came to this kind of thing, the angel just glanced from one Dean to the other.

After a few minutes of this, his mind didn't get any better.

"And you should get naked some time because you should wash your clothes and everyone would appreciate it if you were naked, except maybe not Sam. But Dean won't be thinking about Sam if you were naked. He'd be thinking about- CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON!" Dean was able to cut off his mind before things got even more embarrassing.

Cas's confused expression moved from the child that was in his arms to the man that sat on the bed, head in his hands, face red.

"Can you not talk to that for ten minutes?" Dean asked. He wouldn't let himself say 'Talk to me' because that sounded too whiney. If the kid wasn't singing Kansas right now, he probably would've told Cas those three words anyway.

Cas frowned slightly. "He's not a 'that', Dean, he's you. He's your thoughts and emotions."

"Yeah, well, they're not that interesting." Dean muttered.

"Of course they are." Cas smiled, looking down at the child that was now quietly humming. "Human thoughts are complex, and vast. Emotions even more so. It's all so, fascinating, seeing something so beautiful this close."

"Oh yeah, it's fan-freaking-tastic." Dean grumbled.

"Jealous." The boy hummed, resting it's head on Castiel's shoulder. "Also, 'beautiful'."

Cas raised an eyebrow at Dean. The hunter shifted uncomfortably. "I hate this curse. My thoughts should be in my head. And no one should know about them but me."

Cas nodded, "Humans do have an odd form of privacy. For pack animals, you're all very secluded."

"What do angels do?" Dean's mind asked.

Cas hesitated, "When in our true form, our Grace is visible to all. As are our wings. Both of which are extremely expressive."

"Can I see your wings, Cas?" Dean's brain asked, it's fingers brushing against Cas's back.

Cas glanced at Dean, his face carefully blank. "Perhaps another time."

Dean's mind nodded and snuggled it's head under Castiel's chin. "Awesome."

Dean scratched his head, unsure of what to say. He spends so much of his energy trying to carefully avoid certain thoughts, lest his mind blurt them out.

"Cas, I…" He looked up to find Cas carding his fingers through Dean's mind's hair. He rolled his eyes, "You really don't have to hold that. Set it down."

Dean's mind clung even closer to Cas. "Jealous of you're own mind. How pathetic."

Dean clenched his jaw, glared at the child.

"Hush, now." Cas chided that boy. Addressing Dean he said, "I really don't mind. ...He feels like you."

Before Dean could think of a reply, the door to the motel opened.

"Got anything?" Sam asked when he walked in.

"I called everyone. Most said we should kill the witch. But Cas doesn't think that's a good idea." Dean replied.

Sam and his brain quickly closed the door. Sam set down his bag and looked at Cas.

The angel answered the unspoken question, "If killing the witch doesn't reverse the curse, you may be stuck like this. Convincing the witch to turn you back might be our only choice."

"How'd we do that? Say pretty please?" Sam asked, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

"We don't know." Cas admitted. "Briefly, we considered torture, but…" Dean's mind froze in Cas's arms, eyes wide, muttering unintelligible words under its breath, "It was clear Dean wishes not to retrace that path."

Dean glances away from his mind, trying to clear his thoughts of hell, "How was the library?"

"Useless. But, my brain and I might've come up with an option." Sam started hopefully.

Dean sat up straighter, "Awesome, what is it?"

Sam's mind interrupted, speaking directly to Cas, "How many archangels did God make?"

Cas looked surprised by the question. "You've met four."

"That's not what I asked. How many did the big guy make?" Sam's mind asked, crossing its arms.

"Technically, seven. But I've never met the other three. No one's met them, except the other archangels." Cas replied.

"Sam. What's this about?" Dean asked.

"An angel can't break this. But could an archangel?" Sam asked.

Cas hesitated but he eventually nodded, "I believe so."

"So we could summon one. One of the three that isn't dead or evil or in the cage." Sam reasoned. "They could fix this for us."

Dean shrugged, "What if there isn't three other archangels? What if there's nothing strong enough to change this?"

Sam straightened his shoulders, "Then we'll have to hunt down the witch and force her to undo the curse."

Summoning an archangel isn't the most difficult thing the boys have done. But they didn't have some of the supplies. Cas went out to get the more rare items, while Dean went to the nearest grocery store - his brain in tow - to get the simpler ingredients. Sam and his mind stayed in the motel to go over the spell they'll use and what they'll say to convince the archangel to help them.

Dean held up a small plastic bottle of poppy seeds, trying to make sure they were pure. Sometimes farmers put spices or vitamins or something on their products and it can fuck up a spell.

A crashing noise made him look up. His mind was standing a little ways away, a can clutched to its chest, more of the same cans on the floor around him. Dean growled and stormed up to the child.

"What are you doing?" He hissed.

His brain looked up at him, eyes wide, "I- I'm sorry, I was trying to help!"

Dean kneeled down to pick up all the cans. Putting them back in a rudimentary pile, he grumbled, "Alright, fine. What'd you grab?"

The brain hesitated, not meeting Dean's eyes. "Um, it's not really on the list, it's not for the spell, I mean."

Dean held out his hand, "Then why'd you get it?"

"Cuz you were stressed, and I'm supposed to take care of you, and this makes you happy." The boy said, setting the can into Dean's open palm.

The hunter looked down at what was in his hand. It was a can of apple pie filling. Dean just stared at it. He didn't know how to react. Yeah, this kid is annoying and needy, but he does care for Dean. He is Dean, the hunter couldn't really deny that fact.

"You wanna get this?" Dean asked the kid. He was still kneeling on the floor, so they were almost at eye level.

The boy nodded. "It makes you happy."

Dean nodded, a smile slipping its way onto his face. "You're right about that."

He stood up and put the can into the small basket he was carrying. "Why don't you find a pie crust for this? We can make it together later."

The boy squealed as he ran off, yelling, "Don't die while I'm gone!"

By the time they got to the checkout line, Dean's brain had managed to grab the pie crust, ice cream, and a magazine about old cars. Dean smiled down at the kid as he tried to put all the items onto the conveyor belt.

"Your son is adorable." A voice said.

Dean looked up at the cashier, who was leaning over the counter to get a better view of the boy, a small smile graced her face.

"Uh, thanks." Dean mumbled.

"What's your name, little guy?" She asked.

Dean's brain barely glanced at her as he stood on his tip toes to plonk the poppy seeds onto the counter. "I'm a brain."

The cashier giggled and gave Dean a funny look, "Yeah? I guess we're all just brains, when you think about it."

"He's been, uh, playing this zombie video game. Just figured out what brains are." Dean lied quickly.

The cashier's eyes lit up. "Plants versus Zombies?"

"Sure."

Dean paid quickly and lead his mind out to the Impala. As soon as Dean shifted all the bags into one hand, small fingers wrapped themselves around Dean's fingers.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Dean asked, holding up their connected hands.

Dean's mind shrugged. "You're happy." Is all the boy replied with.

The hunter's lips quirked upwards, "Yeah, I guess I am." He paused, stopping to get the boy's attention. "Thank you."

"I'm not always good for you. I don't always get the happy part down. And you make it hard to work on the healthy bit. But I do try." His mind replied. "And you're alive, so I count that as a win in my book."

The hunter had the unmistakable feeling that he was the child, and his mind was the adult. He choked it down and ruffed up the boy's hair. "Yeah. Now get the damn car."

It was only halfway through the spell that Dean's mind mumbled, "What if they don't want to help?"

Sam and Dean stared at each other, neither wanting to reply. They looked back down and continued the spell.

By the time Sam called out the last of the Latin ritual, the air was tense with anticipation.

The boys' minds were quietly murmuring commands to release various chemicals to try to calm their shaky nerves.

It do much good because the light bulbs in the lamps broke and the windows cracked. Wind hissed throughout the room, tearing up the wall paper and throwing the pillows.

Cas shifted in front of the boys, to form a barrier of sorts between them and the archangel. The brains were screaming cuss words, giving up on trying to calm down.

Suddenly, the wind stopped. In the middle of the room stood a figure. Shadows on the wall displayed six fierce, huge wings.

"What do you want?" A voice asked.

"Hold on…" Sam's brain said, standing up from where it had fell to the floor, "Sam knows that voice. Receive it from long term."

He didn't need to. Cas snapped his fingers and the lights were restored, sight displayed what voice could not.

"Oh, dad." Gabriel whispered, looking from the hunters to their brains and back again. "What did you do?"

"Gabriel?" Dean said. He glanced at Cas, trying to gage if the other angel knew about his brother's not-dead-ness. The surprise and relief on the angel's face proved he was just as in the dark as the Winchesters were. Dean also noticed that Cas was holding his mind again, his grip firm and protective.

"That's me." Gabe hummed. He reached forward and tugged on the shirt Dean's mind wore. "Fascinating."

"You were dead." Sam's mind said. It's voice was shaky, barely controlled.

"Meh." Gabe shrugs, lifting up Dean's mind's arm, inspecting it like it was some kind of science experiment.

"I MOURNED YOU!" Sam's mind screamed.

Gabe's eyes flicked to Sam's hard face and it was clear that those weren't the brain's opinions, but Sam's emotions. He slowly let go of Dean's brain's arm.

"Oh." He said, a little shocked. "Okay. Um… explanation time?"

Sam nodded, slow and serious. He crossed his arms.

His brain said for him, "Start talking."

"Okay, to start, I did actually die. But I came back. Through the power of pure nope." Gabe said, leaning against the wall. "See, my time as a pagan has put me in the history books. I won't be forgotten. As Loki or Gabriel. People still prayed to me."

He shot Sam a significant look, that made the hunter squirm.

"The world can't not have Loki. So, I came back." Gabe shrugged.

"As explanations go, that one was kinda shitty." Dean's mind said.

Gabe pointed a finger at the child, "I don't need criticism from someone in training diapers." The archangel piped a lollipop into his mouth as Dean's brain stuck out its tongue.

"You didn't even apologize." Sam's mind grumbled.

Gabe stared at Sam for a long moment, eyes locked by some magnetic force that made looking away impossible.

"Consider this my apology. I'll fix this for you." Gabe said, stepping closer to Sam.

"Can you? Are you even strong enough?" Sam's mind was doing all the talking. Sam just stared into amber eyes, body tense.

Gabe's expression suddenly grew just as serious as Sam's. "Yes. I can. And I will."

Sam nodded, reluctantly stepping away, "Okay."

Gabe backed up as well, his eyes never leaving Sam's face. "It won't be that hard, actually. It's an old-ass spells and interestingly enough, old-ass spells are actually pretty basic. The reason why no one can break them is because no one knows about them. So-"

"What about the other ones?" Sam's mind asked.

Gabe glared at Sam, "What other ones?"

"The other Archangels."

"Dead. In hell." Gabe dismissed, "This curse was actually the byproduct of-"

"No, the other three. There's supposed to be seven." Sam's mind said. Persistent fucker.

Gabe visibly flinched. "I told you. Dead."

"Oh, shit, sorry." Sam muttered, glaring at his mind for bringing it up.

"No. It's fine. It was millinas ago. Before time, actually." Gabe's voice was distance. His eye trained on his hands. "There was this …. Thing. You'd probably call it a monster. I called it my aunt. Um. We had to fight her. The universe's first war. The eight of us - my siblings and Dad - we only won because of Lucifer. But… we all didn't make it out alive."

"Gabe, I'm so sorry." Sam softly concoled.

Castiel's eyes were wide with awe and understanding, "I thought that was a myth."

The archangel shook his head, "It's fine. And Michael and Lucifer wouldn't let anyone talk about it. After a few centuries, fact became fiction and my brothers were forgotten."

There was a beat of silence as they all wrapped their minds around that.

Gabriel then clapped his hands loudly and said, "Let's get your brains back in your head."

He stepped up to Cas, who was still holding Dean's mind.

"Lemme." He grunted as he took the child from Cas.

Dean's mind scowled slightly, but allowed itself to be manhandled. Gabe then handed Dean's mind to Dean, who looked disgruntled at the idea of holding a small child. Dean's mind tucked its head under Dean's chin.

"Luci used to use this curse on me all the time." Gabe muttered. He kicked Dean's feet gently so his legs were shoulder width apart. The archangel then tapped on the child's chin so he would move his head out from under Dean's. "Hold him higher."

Dean frowned but shifted the kid higher on his hip. They were eye to eye now. Gabe snapped his fingers, causing the Deans to look at him. "Now, focus on your thoughts."

"What the fuck." Dean's mind said. "This feels weird. Gabe's alive. Thank god this curse is almost over."

Gabe nodded, silently encouraging the brain.

"Confusion. Annoyance. Anticipation."

The archangel's palms began to glow a bright blue, and light crept its way into his eyes, covering the golden irises. He held his hands out to each side of him.

"Colors. Grace? Pretty. Dangerous."

Gabe then, very calmly, slammed his hands together, each one connecting with each of the Dean's temples, smashing their heads together. There was a blinding light; a painful scream was drowned out by the harsh, sucking wind that evoked.

After a few moments, the room calmed.

Dean - one Dean - was standing in front of Gabe, arms empty of a child. Gabe's hands, still glowing were cupping Dean's face.

"Son of a bitch." Dean gasped, feeling dizzy. He stumbled and Cas quickly stepped forward to catch him. Gabe nodded, satisfied. He blinked and stepped away, eyes dimming back to their normal color.

"How do you feel?" Cas asked, his face unnecessarily close to Dean's.

"Like I might throw up." Dean grunted out.

"Oh good!" Gabe smiled, "It worked! Just to be sure, don't heal him for a bit. It might mess up the cure. Wait, like, twenty minutes, 'kay, Cassie?" Cas reluctantly nodded, not wanting Dean to be in as much pain if he could stop it. Gabe turned to Sam and his brain, "You're turn!"

A beat. And then Sam's brain eloquently said, "Fuck."

Gabe had Sam and his brain hold hands, because physical contact was necessary. He kicked Sam's feet in the same way as he did for Dean, making sure he had a good stance.

When he was satisfied, he instructed, "Focus on your thoughts."

"This is gonna hurt like a bitch." Sam's mind said. "Gabe's alive. Jesus. No more thoughts being said."

Gabe nodded, his eyes starting to glow again. Slowly, he took a deep breath as he spread his arms wide.

"Anticipation. Anxiety. Trust."

The archangel's eyes widened slightly, not expecting the last one. His palms were glowing brightly now. Sam thought he might be able to see a sliver of Gabe's wings behind him. A shadow. Just barely there.

"Strong. Powerful. Grace."

Just like Gabe did earlier, he slammed his palms into the boys' faces, causing them to collide. Light engulfed the room, blinding Dean from the process. Wind whipped at everyone, dragging on their skin and trying to steal their clothes. Only Gabe could hear Sam's screams.

It ended just as quickly as it started.

Gabe's hands glowed still as he held Sam's face. The hunter was panting, refusing to open his eyes yet. Gabe admired the view, rubbing his thumb on Sam's face to try to calm him down.

Sam flicked his eyes open at the motion.

Gabe grinned at him, "Whatcha thinkin'?"

Sam panted a moment before he replied, "I never want to do that again."

"Oh yeah. I had to basically merge your bodies together, take out the physical aspect of your brain, and sync up the mental capabilities." Gabe huffed, "It's a lot of work."

"Sorry to tire you." Sam rolled his eyes.

Gabe grins again, "No problem, although next time we could get tired in a little more intimate way."

Sam blushed, looking away, "More intimate than you listening to my thoughts and touching my face?"

Before Gabe could say something snarky, Dean gagged loudly.

Gabe turned and glared at the other hunter, finally letting go of Sam's face.

Luckily for Dean, he was actually gagging.

Sam felt dizzy a few moments later and had to lay on the bed, staring at the water spots on the ceiling.

It was quiet, Cas was watching Dean carefully, his fingers twitching with the need to heal him.

Gabe hummed as he sucked on his lollipop, leaning against the wall.

It was a few minutes when Dean snorted. "It's weird. I almost miss the little brat."

Sam shook his head, a laugh on his lips. "He was a cute one."

"Still don't get why yours wasn't a kid. Or why mine wasn't an adult." Dean said, looking over at Sam.

Gabe raised an eyebrow, "Really?" He asked, "You really didn't figure that out?"

Sam sat up on his elbows to get a better look at Gabe, "Figure what out?"

Gabe pushed off the wall, waving his lollipop in the air, "Sammy-kins, if you would, explain your mind's vessel to me."

Sam glanced at Dean, who shrugged. "Uh, he was a guy. Early twenties. Brown hair…"

"Average height?" Gabe asked.

"Yeah. Shorter than me, at least."

"Average weight?" The archangel asked, "Not too thin, not too chubby?"

"...Right."

Gabe looked a bit like a lawyer in a court, and Sam was on the witness stand. "Would it be fair to say this guy was completely common in every way? He didn't make a big ruckus, except for when you thought about making a ruckus. He sat on the bed and watched everything. Right? Kinda blended in a bit? Forgettable?"

Sam didn't really know how to respond. He couldn't object, because Gabe wasn't really wrong. "I- I guess?"

"He was unremarkable in every way." Gabe said, an air of finality to him. "He was normal."

He paused for a moment, to let that sink in. Sam looked down at his hands, "So, what?"

"So, those were your brains. Your thoughts. Your feelings. Your wants and needs. Your hopes and dreams. They were what you wished to be." Gabe shrugged, popping the lollipop into his mouth, "Sam wants to be normal."

Dean shrugged it off fairly quickly, because that particular hope wasn't new when it came to Sam.

"Okay, but what about me?" Dean asked, "I don't hope to be a kid."

Gabe gave Dean a pitying look. "Yours was even more obvious than Sammy's. ...What was one of the first things to your brain did?"

Dean deadpanned, "Scream."

"No, after that. In the rusty pile of junk you call a car." Gabe said, making a twirling motion with his hand.

"It, uh," Dean blushed slightly, glancing at Cas, "It wanted to… get help."

"Call Cas." Gabe corrected. "And once Cas was here, what'd it do?"

There was a moment of silence, since Dean suddenly felt uncomfortable with where this was going.

Gabe rolled his eyes and continued, "It clung to my brother like a bee to honey. Oh! Let's add everything up, shall we?" He counted on his fingers, "General interest in Cassie. Needing to be held. Abandonment issues. Trying to be helpful. Heart-to-hearts outside the grocery store. Braiding Sam's hair."

"He didn't do the last part." Sam said, staring at Dean.

"Point still stands. Almost everything it did, was to make itself more likeable. It got genuinely upset when you called it annoying. ...Dean. You're biggest hope, is to be loved. That's why your brain was a kid. Everyone loves kids!"

The hunter shook his head. "No. No, you're wrong."

"Hmm. No, I'm right. I'm usually right. All-powerful being? God's almost-favorite? I'm entitled to accuracy." Gabe grinned, leaning back against the wall again.

"How do you even know it did all that stuff? Were you watching us?" Sam asked.

Gabe winked, "Not this time. No, I know because I touched the child."

At Sam and Dean's disgusted looks, Gabe rolled his eyes, "Direct contact with a mind gives you all the thoughts and memories of the subject. Where did you go to old-ass magic school?"

"Dean…?" Cas spoke quietly, gaining the attention of everyone in the small room.

Dean sucked in a breath, staring at the angel. "I… um…"

He almost wished his mind was here, to say what he couldn't.

"Oh, emotional time." Gabe cooed. "I'm outtie. Sammich, care to join me?"

Sam nodded and Gabe snapped them away.

Then there was two.

"Cas-" Dean started.

"You are loved, Dean." The angel interrupted.

Dean rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I know, Cas, Gabriel's just full of shit."

"Dean." The angel said with an authoritative tone. "I'm not dumb. I… I hope I had read all of the things your brain did and said correctly."

Dean shut his eyes, refusing to be a part of this conversation. "No, it was just messing with you. It- it was trying to embarrass me. It didn't, I wasn't, I don't-"

"Dean Winchester." Cas hissed, his voice right in front of Dean. "Look at me."

Reluctantly, Dean opened his eyes.

Cas's eyes flicked away, before returning to Dean's green eyes. He licked his lips and asked, voice quiet and unsure, "Do you… do you have feelings for me?"

Dean leaned back slightly, away from Cas. Because he was sure, the angel was going to kill him if he knew. Smite him right here, on this crappy motel bed. If he knew, God, if he knew…

Cas would drop him right back into hell and never look back.

The hunter had to look away, he couldn't look into the angel's eyes when he gave a short, clipped answer. "No."

Castiel sighed, looking away from Dean. "You don't pay attention, do you?"

Dean looked up, confused at the angel's reaction, he was expecting a short 'good' or even a 'thank, God'. What kind of reaction was this?

"What?"

Cas chuckled slightly to himself. It wasn't bitter, but it also wasn't humorous. "Dean. Did you hear what Gabe said at all?"

"About the wanting to be loved thing?" Dean asked, eyebrows knitting together.

The angel shook his head, placing a hand on Dean's shoulder. He was quiet for a moment, just staring at Dean. It, for once, made the hunter uncomfortable. Castiel leaned forward, his forehead resting on Dean's.

With his hands cupping Dean's face gently, he whispered, "Direct contact with a mind gives you all the thoughts and memories of the subject." He smiled, "I could feel it, Dean. Every time I held him. I could feel it."

Dean's heart stopped at the words.

Cas knew.

Cas knew.

Cas knew. Cas knew.

Cas knew Cas knew Cas knew Cas knew

CasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewCasknewFUCK

"Dean, calm down." The angel said calmly, a soft smile on his lips, "I'm not mad. I actually had the same reason for not telling you that I felt the same."

Wait. What?

Castiel, Angel of the Lord, Warrior of God, fucking giggled.

"You." Dean said. "You love me too?"

Cas smiled, pressing his lips to Dean, "Yes, assbutt. And I very much enjoyed feeling how you actually thought of me."

Dean grinned, "Oh. Well, in that case."

The hunter grabbed Cas by the back of his neck and pulled their lips together in a fantastic, desperate kiss. Cas can feel Dean's lips grinning against hers, and Dean can hear Cas's happy sighs. Both of them could practically hear Dean's mind cheering.

Fucking finally!

In that moment, Dean decided witches were pretty alright.

Tell me what you think!