iris, supernatural [ 2 ]

054. old west

"So... why exactly do you not want me to go?" Larissa asks Sam while he packs his bag.

"It's just... it's a brother trip, you know? And I-I just wanna try to help him. You know, he's been really down lately." Sam says.

"For good reason." Larissa says.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I just... you know." Sam says.

"Yeah. Sure, I get it. Athena's still attached to me while awake anyway, so don't know if I'd really get far anyway." Larissa says and Sam lets out a short laugh.

"I'll call you at least once a day, and we'll be back before you know it." Sam assures, leaning down to kiss her.

+++

Jack and Larissa are sitting in the library and Athena is on Larissa's lap while the two color in the toddler's coloring book.

"Hey." Larissa says, seeing Sam and Dean walk in.

"Daddy!" Athena drops her crayon, holding her arms out to her dad.

"Hey." Sam greets, picking Athena up and giving her a quick kiss. He leans down and kisses Larissa.

"You okay?" Larissa quietly asks, noticing his slightly weird demeanor.

"How'd it go?" Jack asks.

"Well..." Dean starts.

"Jack, um..." Sam starts.

"What's wrong?" Jack asks.

Larissa's eyes widen when Cas walks in.

"Hello, Jack. Hi, Larissa... Athena." Cas greets.

"Uncle Cas!" Athena's eyes widen. "I thought he went bye-bye. You said he went forever bye-bye."

"He did. He, uh, he did. But I guess it wasn't actually forever." Sam says. "Sometimes that happens." He tells Athena and she looks at him like he's insane.

"Castiel?" Jack asks.

"Yeah, it's me." Cas says.

"No. We burned your body and what's burned stays dead. How..." Jack trails off.

"Well, that's the question we've been askin'." Dean says.

"Jack... did you, uh... did you bring Cas back?" Sam asks.

"I don't know. I wanted him back. I... begged for him to come back, but..." Jack trails off.

"Well, here he is." Dean says.

"Because of me?" Jack asks.

"We don't know. We don't know, Jack. But we-we-- we think maybe." Sam says.

"Thank you, Jack." Cas tells him. Jack walks over and hugs him.

"I missed you so much." Jack says.

"Sam and Dean tell me you're doing well." Cas says.

"I am. I... watch this." Jack goes to the table. He holds his hand out, a pencil levitating in the air for a few seconds. "I can move the pencil." He smiles.

"I thought he was supposed to be fun." Athena pouts.

"Athena." Sam quietly says, disapprovingly.

"Well, he wasn't." Athena insists. Sam lightly rolls his eyes, not able to handle the situation when Jack starts talking.

"And... I found a case. Hunter's case." The Nephilim says, sitting back down.

"What kind of a--"

"Zombies." Jack says, cutting Dean off. "I know what zombies are now." He whispers to Cas. "You see?" He pulls up the case information.