In My Time Of Dying {Book 5}

Chapter 3

Something is different with Dean. Hell changed him much more this time. Gabe watched him though the whole 5 years. He said Dean never left the rack. His mind felt the same as it did before he went to Hell. It was like he was hiding something.

It had been 6 months since Dean got out of the pit. He doesn't scream as much in his sleep. Most mornings Cas finds Dean in sleeping the closet. This morning was one of those mornings. Cas woke up to an empty bed and an open closet door. "Dean?"

Dean crawled out of the closet and stood and an popped his back. "Good Morning."

"Ok, Dean, I've had enough. What are you hiding from me?"

"I'm not hiding anything, Cas. Why do you think that?"

"I have been with you for 25 years, Dean. I know your tells. You are hiding something from me. Did something happen while you were in Hell?"

Dean looked at the ground. "Yeah." He mumbled.

"What did you say?"

"Yeah, something did happen while I was in Hell."

"Well, what happened?"

"I really don't want to talk about it, Baby."

"Dean, it's eating at you. You can tell me. I'm your husband."

Dean sighed and walked over to the bed and sat cross legged in front of Cas who was also sitting cross legged. "Did Gabe tell you I was on the rack the whole time?"

"Yeah, he told me that you were extremely strong willed. The normal person wouldn't have lasted that long."

"He was right about that. Most people would have lasted as long as I did."

"How long was that then?"

"Two hundred and seven years, eight months, two weeks, three days, fourteen hours, and thirty-seven minutes."

"Dean you held out for 207 years. That's longer than anybody human would have lasted. Crowley was also the King of Hell at one time."

"At one time? Try the word still. He is still the King of Hell. He's just not topside since I exorcised him. He definitely had some pinned up rage. He was worse than Alastair. First 100 years was just getting carved and stabbed, burned and skin over and over again. Up until I got off the rack Crowley got to me mentally. It only got worse and worse. I got to 200 years. Crowley walks in with a demon where Sam's skin. The things Sam or Sam's fake meat suit did to me were..." Dean paused. Tears were welding up in Dean's eyes. Dean Fucking Winchester doesn't cry.

"It's ok, baby."

Dean looked straight into Cas's eyes. "205 years, Crowley brought in a different meat suit. A female. Riley. Riley sliced and diced, burned, carved, stabbed burned, and screw me mentally. She did that for one year. Crowley was running out of ways to break me. Then he found it. The one sure fire way to crack me open and set the floor gates open."

"What? What was it? What did Crowley find that could break Dean Winchester?"

Dean took Cas's hand into his and scooted closed to his beloved husband. "You."

"Me?"

"Yeah, for the rest of those 2 years, 8 months, 2 weeks, 3 days, 14 hours, and 37 minutes I had go through some asshat in a meatsuit that looked, talked, and felt like you. I couldn't take it anymore. He broke me and I got off that rack, but Crowley didn't give the same offer Alastair did."

"What did offer?"

"Dad?" Dean turned around to find Shiloh standing in the doorway.

"Morning, sweetheart."

"Can I stay home today?"

"Why, honey?"

"I think I'm sick."

"C'mere, baby, what makes you say that?"

"I feel like crap. I have a massive headache." Shiloh sat on the bed beside Dean. Dean touched the palm of his hand to her forehead.

"Yeah, honey, you're burning up. "

Shiloh laid her head on Dean's shoulder. "Shi, how about you go back to bed." Cas said.

She nodded. "I'll bring you some medicine a little later, alright?" Dean said.

Shiloh slowly got off the bed and walked down the hall. Cas looked at Dean as he also got off the bed. "Dean, are we going to finish talking about-"

"Later, Cas." Dean walked into the bathroom.

"We are going to talk about it though."

"I know, just not right now. The moment is over and our day has started. I have to get over to Bobby's"

"Fine, have fun." Cas as Dean sat on the bed put his boots on.

"If fixing cars with an old drunk you call fun."

"For you maybe, not me." Dean smiled and stood up and walked downstairs. He saw Phoebe and Aaron sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Alright, younglings, time for you to get a move on."

"We were waiting for Shiloh." Aaron said.

"Well, she's not going to school today. Now, you're going to miss your bus."

They got up and grabbed their bags as Dean turned the TV off. "Bye, Dad." They said in unison as they ran out the door. Dean walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer before heading over to Bobby's. He was walking into the living room where he saw Alex sneaking out of Lexi's room.

"Whoa, Alex, why were you in Lexi's room?"

Alex spun around on his heels. "Oh, Hey, Dad. I thought you left already."

"I don't leave for another hour. Why were you in Lexi's room? You should have already left for school."

"School was cancelled because someone floored the second floor which caused the first floor to floor."

"Well, that still doesn't explain to me why you were down in your sister's room."

"I was helping her with homework."

Dean knew he was lying but be needed to get over to Bobby's. He let Alex have this one. "Alright, I'm heading over to Grandpa Bobby's so I can get an early start."

"See you later."

Dean nodded and walked over to Bobby's. Something was on with Alex and Lexi.

***