Other Halves

Sam/Cas/Zep

Sam parked the Impala in front of the motel. He hurriedly slid out of the car and slammed the door shut. Speed-walking to the paint-chipped motel door, Sam jammed the keys inside. He swung it open and stopped when heard Cas talking to himself, “-I just… I don’t know, Zep. Dean isn’t… “

Cas was cut off by the sound of Sam entering the room, “Oh! Sam! Good, you’re here.”

“Uh… Cas? Who were you talking to? And, what about?” He looked around the room, seeing no one else besides Zep calmly sitting on his bed.

Cas glanced at Zep and started fidgeting, “Well… Sam… I was talking to Zep?”

“You were talking to… Zep? The cat? About what?”

“Yes? And… well… Dean?”

Shaking his head, he chuckled, “You were talking to Zep about Dean?”

“Well, yes?” Cas nervously scratched the back of his neck.

Sam smiled, “You sure do love that little furball don’t you?”

Cas nodded, taking a step towards the bed and reached to pick up Zep, “I do. But, Sam, there is a lot of information that we should discuss… most of it regarding Zeppelin, my familiar.”

“Your… familiar? Since when is he your familiar? Wait… angels can have them? I thought that was just witches?” Sam looked like a kid at Christmas, beyond intrigued although a little confused at all of this new information.

 “Well, yes. Zep is my familiar. I did not know until an hour ago… I apologize I did not call sooner. Zeppelin had just told me and I tried to call Dean, but he did not answer… and then you finally answered… and now here we are.”

“It’s okay, Cas. So… congrats I guess? What does this mean exactly?”

Cas rounded the room, sitting at the dining table, “Well, Zep has told me the situation in the Faerie world and Sam… it’s not good. Not at all.”

“What’s not good?” Sam looked at Cas, trying to puzzle out what exactly was going on.

“He believes that Agrona is plotting to rid of theirs and neighboring dimensions with a very powerful spell.”

Sam shook his head in incomprehension, “Woah, woah, woah. Wait… who’s Agrona?”

Glancing down at Zep curled in his lap, “Well, Zeppelin says that she was the daughter of their former King and Queen, who were killed in battle recently. She has been planning a spell using The Crystal of Purity to bring darkness upon the worlds... and she has been succeeding as far as Zeppelin can remember.”

Zep looked up at Cas, thinking to him, ‘Castiel, you should probably tell the tall one about our bond as well. It is just as important. Our true bond is very rare.’

Looking down at him, Cas nodded his head in agreement, “Yes. Sam, Zeppelin would like me to explain our bond.”

Sam was staring at him and Zep with wide eyes, “Wait… did he talk to you? Just now?”

Cas nodded, “Yes. We can communicate through thought, although I have not quite figured out how to send out my own thoughts. I am only able to receive the sensation of Zep’s words.”

“Oh… okay… well, cool? Anyways, back to the bond story?” Sam walked over to the dining table, sitting himself across from Cas and Zep. He rested his elbows on the table leaning in, interested.

Cas raised his hand and began petting the black, velvet ears of the little furball, “Right. Well… I believe that Zeppelin and I are true ‘other halves’, which is very rare. I suppose you, Sam, could associate that with the concept of soulmates. When I arrived at the shelter, that is when the forced bond broke.”

Sam scratched his head, “Forced bond?”

“Yes. Agrona forced a bond onto Zeppelin with the witch that you and Dean just took down. Her name was Keela by the way… anyways, yes. Zeppelin and I have a close physical bond, similar to the bond Dean and I share… but in a different sense.”

“Alright… so… soulmates and communication with thoughts. Got it. Can you explain this Agrona person and the dimension thing again?” Sam ran his hands through his hair, leaning back in his chair.

“Of course. But, Sam, don’t you think we should head to the bunker? Dean is most likely in the Faerie world and we do not have much time. I could explain on the drive?”

Sam nodded, standing up, “Yeah, yeah. Let’s get packed up and head to the bunker. Hey, Cas. Is there any way you can contact Dean? You said you guys have a bond too?”

“I’m sorry, Sam. Dean and I cannot communicate with thought. Our bonds differ in many ways. While Zep and I have a physical bond, Dean and I are bonded through my grace and his soul in a more emotional sense.”

“When you raised him from Hell?”

“Yes, exactly. A part of Dean is reflected in my grace, and a part of myself is reflected in Dean’s soul. I did not know that would happen at the time, but it was necessary. I hope he doesn’t mind…” Cas was cut off by a sensation in his head he knows all too well. He stopped in his tracks, listening intently, “Sam. Dean is praying.”

Sam looked up quickly, hopeful, “Really?! What is he saying? Is he okay?”

Cas was doubled over, head in his hands, “Shhh… yes, he’s alright. He says that he is in the middle of nowhere… with unicorns… there is a castle in the distance… and he’s… heading into a forest…” He sat back up again, looking intently at Sam, “From what Dean described… I believe that he is in the Faerie world.”

Sam nodded, “Okay. This is good, right? We know exactly where he is and he said he was going into a forest. He shouldn’t be too hard to find.”

“Sam, this is Dean you’re speaking of. One of the best hunters of your generation. I am fairly certain he would be difficult to find… however, if he continues to pray to me… I might be able to track his location. Once we are in the Faerie world though, obviously.”

“Right… obviously. Well, we should probably head out. We need to get to Dean as soon as possible. I’ll grab my things and start the car, Cas you can get Dean’s stuff.”

Cas nodded, heading over to grab Dean’s clothes that were strewn on the floor. As he was shaking out a wrinkled flannel, he absently prayed to his father that Dean was somewhere out of harm’s way.

******

Dean

Fallen leaves crunched under Dean’s feet as he took each step, moving deeper into the forest. It wasn’t as dense as he originally thought. There were open areas between groupings of trees, giving it an airier feeling.

But what made the forest seem magical, Dean thought, were the glowing mushrooms surrounding the bases of the trees. Even the leaves seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. Squirrels, rabbits, and deer were running about and birds were chirping back and forth to each other, filling the world with life.

Dean was following a trail that was laid with cobblestone when he spotted movement out of his peripheral vision. He stopped in his tracks, as he turned his head to the left he gasped, “Are those… fairies?”

There were several fairies flying about, glowing golden and apparently playing a game of hide and seek. As Dean looked around, he saw that there were several tiny houses situated in a tree. They were all connected to each other by wooden bridges and stairs. It looked like a work of art, he thought.

They were each beautifully decorated by colorful flowers and the glowing mushrooms. Tiny fabric welcome mats lay in front of each door, and equally tiny rocking chairs on their equally tiny porches.

Dean shook his head and quietly murmured to himself, “Where the hell am I… this is nine kinds of crazy.”

He rolled his eyes as his gaze drifted from the scene before him, resuming his trek down the long cobblestone path.

******

Sam/Cas/Zep

Zep pranced down the bunker’s garage steps as Sam and Cas followed behind, carrying their things. Sam made his way to his room while Cas went to his own. Cas put Dean’s duffel on the floor and as he was shucking off his trench coat Zep padded into the room.

He hopped on the bed, turned in a circle, then lay down on the comforter. Cas smiled and reached to stroke Zep’s ears a few times. He turned around to hang his trench on the coat rack when Zep’s voice rang through Cas’ head, ‘Castiel, can you explain the transition between dimensions? I’m not familiar with it and I do not want you to injure yourself if it is dangerous.’

Cas sighed and nodded his head, “Yes, I probably should. We should go get Sam, I would like it if he knew this information as well.”

‘As you wish, Castiel.’

Cas turned to the door, shoulders slumped with Zep following close behind and headed to Sam’s room.

******

Sam and Cas were sat at the huge map table, Zep lying down on top. Sam leaned forward in his chair, “But… I thought you could fly anywhere with no problem? Why is this so different?”

Cas sighed, “I cannot technically ‘fly anywhere’. It is all based on where exactly my destination is. In this case, Oz and the Faerie world are both located in a plane that is neither hot nor cold. If I were to travel to either world, it would be very difficult for me to transition my wings to and from the etheric plane.”

“Wait… you actually fly… with wings? I thought angels just use their powers to teleport wherever they want.”

“Well, in a sense I suppose we do ‘teleport’… but that’s not really what it is.”

Sam slouched back and sighed, “Okay… well, what is it then? How come we never see your wings, where are they?”

“My wings are always there, but they are not apparent to humans because they are simply in the etheric plane. That is where angels soak up ‘power’ as you call it. Grace flows through the ether… it looks very much like streams of light flowing through a cloudy film. You can still see Earth from that dimension, although it isn’t possible to communicate with anything here. It is quite fascinating I suppose, coming from a humans’ perspective.”

“Got it… I think. So, because you gain power from the etheric plane… that’s where your wings are all the time? Can I see them?”

Cas started fidgeting, uncomfortable at the question, “Well… no human has ever seen my wings before… and I would prefer to not manifest them at the moment. I need all the power I can get so we can make the transition safely.”

Sam nodded, “Yeah, right. Of course. So… I get the whole etheric plane thing… but I still don’t get why it isn’t safe.”

“Well, because my wings are already ‘invisible’, I pull my vessel into the etheric plane as well… which is why I appear to… ‘poof’… away.” Cas readjusted in his seat, “Because the etheric plane’s atmosphere is hotter than Earth, I am able to easily fly in and out of those heat differences. However, because Oz and the Faerie world are neither hot nor cold, it is difficult for my wings to sustain flying from Earth, to the ether, and to the Faerie world. The heat and gravity differences are very great… I must be at full power before I would even think about attempting this.”

“But… you are at full power. Aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am. However, carrying cargo during flight is a task… but I’m sure I could handle it.”

“And by cargo you mean me and Zep?”

“Well… not Zep…”

Zep jerked his head up from where it was resting on his paws, ‘Castiel. What do you mean ‘not Zep’?’ He somehow managed to think with air quotes.

Castiel looked down, rubbing his jaw, “I just… I do not want you to get injured, Zeppelin. I would rather that you stay here, on Earth, where it is safe.”

‘Castiel. I cannot just sit here and play with stuffed mice while my world, our worlds, are in great danger. I could be useful, could I not? I know my way around, I could guide you and your tall friend.’

Cas shook his head, “No, Zeppelin. I would much rather than you stay here. Sam and I can take care of it.”

Sam nodded, agreeing with Cas, “I think he’s right, Zep. And besides… you guys can do that thought communication, right?”

“I am not sure if the connection will pass through dimensions… but with the knowledge of how far prayers stretch through the planes… it will most likely work.”

‘Fine. Leave me here on Earth. But, Castiel, where do I go exactly?’

Cas looked at Sam and asked, “Where could Zeppelin stay during the period that we are gone?”

Sam shrugged, “I don’t know… maybe an animal boarding place?”

Cas sat up quickly, eyes widening in realization, “Oh! I could call Lizzie! She gave me her phone number along with Zeppelin’s adoption certificate.”

“Cas… who’s Lizzie?”

“Oh, I forgot! I have not told you, Lizzie was the nice young woman at the shelter. She convinced me to adopt Zeppelin. She was quite helpful actually… and very friendly. I think you would enjoy her company, Sam.”

“Alright, well I guess you should call Lizzie so we can get Zep taken care of… then let’s gather everything we need and save Dean.”

******

Dean

Dean had been striding along the same cobblestone path for what felt like hours. He stopped at a flat tree stump, sitting down to give his legs a rest. Sighing, he doubled over and rested his elbows on his knees, head resting on his hands.

The only type of civilization he had come across were those same tiny fairy houses, or slightly bigger ones that presumably housed dwarves or some creature small enough to fit through those doors.

Dean thought about praying to Cas again, but he figured that if he’s trying to get to wherever the hell he was, he shouldn’t be distracting him.

Groaning, he lifted himself up, dragged his hands through his hair, and made his way back to the ever same path he’d been following for God knows how long.

He had only taken a few steps before he heard a twig snap from somewhere behind him and a woman’s voice rang through the trees, “Who are you?! Put your hands up!” Dean stopped in his tracks, raising his hands above his head.

“Turn around! And no funny business!”

He slowly swiveled around, cautious of the attacker. Dean gasped when he caught the sight familiar red hair, “Charlie?”

******

Sam/Cas/Zep

Cas was pacing back in forth in the library, phone to his ear and an uncertain voice coming through the speaker, “But… he wouldn’t want to be near me. You know that the little rascal prefers you to anyone else, Jimmy.” Lizzie sighed into the phone.

“Yes, well… I promise that he is much more welcoming now. He warmed up to my friends fairly quickly.”

“Aren’t your friends’ guys too?”

“Yes… but that does not matter. Zeppelin has learned to be more friendly. I believe he was simply frightened while in that cage with people surrounding him. I am sure you won’t have any problems.”

Lizzie sighed once again in defeat, “Okay… but if he claws me to death, I’m blaming you. How long will you guys be gone anyways?”

“We are not sure… maybe a few weeks? Is that alright? Like I mentioned before, we will pay you for your trouble.”

“No, no, no. It’s not any trouble at all. I was just worried that he won’t like me. But come on, Jimmy. You don’t need to pay me for this. This is my job, I love animals.”

“Maybe so, but I feel the need to give back for the favor. We are not sure how long we will be gone and I would feel more at ease if we at least do this in return.” Cas paused his pacing, sitting down on the library couch.

“Okay, okay. I won’t fight you about it. Thank you. So… when are you guys leaving again?”

Cas leaned back on the cushions, throwing his head to rest back, “We need to leave as soon as possible. Our friend is in danger and I am afraid we are running out of time.”

“What kind of danger? Is he okay?”

“I pray that he is alright… he is… lost in a forest and Sam and I are going to find him.”

“Oh, man. That’s rough. I hope you find him… Dean, right?”

Cas smiled at the mention of his friend’s name, “Yes, Dean. He is a very good man. He has been my friend for a long time…” He paused, frowning at his racing thoughts.

“You don’t have family of your own?”

“Well… it is complicated… very complicated. Sam and Dean have been like a family to me for quite a long time.”

Lizzie paused for a moment, letting a silence wash over the line, “I’m glad to hear you guys are so close. I hope you guys find him, I really do.”

“Me too…” Cas sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.

“Well, I guess you guys should head out soon… you can drop Zep off any time.”

“I appreciate this, Lizzie. I really do… and I will not be dropping Zeppelin off. Is it alright if Sam does?”

“Of course! I would love to meet him!”

Cas smiled at her enthusiasm, “Great. We will gather our things and Sam will be there shortly. Thank you, Lizzie.”

“No problemo, Jimmy! See ya! And good luck finding your friend!”

Cas smiled and ended the call. He got up, stretched his arms above his head, and made his way to Sam’s room.

******

Lizzie was pacing in the living room, excited but nervous for when Sam got here. She didn’t know what he looked like, but even though that didn’t matter… she couldn’t help to hope he was just as attractive and a bit younger than Jimmy.

She looked into the mirror hanging in the hallway for the hundredth time, muttering to herself, “Okay, Lizzie. You got this. He might not even be single… you don’t even know him. Just take Zep and wish him luck. Strictly business.” She let out a breathy chuckle, “Who am I kidding, with my luck this is gonna go horribly…”

Lizzie’s thoughts were cut off by the ding of the doorbell. She let out a breath, checked herself once more, and walked to the front door.

******

Sam pulled the Impala in front of a small one-story brick house. The yard was immaculately decorated, white daisies stretched across the flower bed, no weeds in sight. On the porch, black bars that twisted to form intricate patterns took over the place where the usual white fence posts would be. Baby blue shutters lined each of the windows, giving the house a welcoming feel.

He cut the engine and reached over to the passenger seat, gathering Zep in his arms, “Now, Zep. I can’t talk to you like Cas can, but… please behave. Lizzie is doing us a favor and I don’t want her to regret it if you scratch her to death.”

Zep somehow scoffed, then nodded. If Sam could understand, he would hear a, ‘Heh. Yes, tall one. I’ll behave.’

Sam took the nod as a yes, so he slid out of the car and made his way to the front door. He rang the doorbell, shifting on his feet in anticipation.

******

 Lizzie opened the door and her eyes went wide at the sight. She thanked every God up there that the man standing in front of her looked as he did. He was tall. Extremely tall. Chocolate brown hair fell just above his shoulders and his eyes were gorgeous. They were a beautiful hazel color, framed by an equally beautiful face.

******

As the door opened, Sam restrained his fidgeting. He was met with wide green eyes and long, straight blonde hair. She had a cute, round face with chubby cheeks and a small, perky nose. Sam thought she was very beautiful, but he wouldn’t let her know that… not yet at least. He needs to save his brother after all. This is no time for distractions.

******

Lizzie shook her head at her moment of daydreaming and smiled, “Hi! You must be Sam? Jimmy has told me all about you.”

Sam paused at the unexpected name, then got with the program. He chuckled, “Nothing but good things I hope.”

She laughed and nodded her head, “Very good things.” Opening the door wider, she offered, “Would you like to come in?”

Sam hesitated, “I’ve really got to get going… I’ll grab Zep’s things from the car.” He stretched his arms out, an invitation for Lizzie to hold Zep.

She nodded, a bit disappointed, “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

******

Sam returned with a small, padded bed with bumblebees printed all over it and a bag filled with food, treats, toys, and litter supplies. Lizzie laughed when she saw the monstrosity of a bed, “Oh my God! Bees?! Really? Who the hell picked that out?”

Sam laughed loudly at the offending print, “Ca- Jimmy picked it out, if you can believe it! He has a thing for bees apparently.”

“Dude, that’s so great! Oh my God!” Lizzie grabbed it from Sam’s hand, examining it, “You gotta admit, Sam. It’s kinda cute.” She held it up beside her face with the cutest expression on her face that Sam had ever seen.”

Sam sat the bags of supplies on the floor, chuckling, “I guess it is kinda cute…” He leaned in and whispered, “Dean says he hates it, but I know he secretly has a soft spot for it.”

“Ha! Dean’s your brother, right? Jimmy mentioned him a lot.”

“Yup. He’s my big brother. Thinks he’s tough shit, but he’s really a bit ol’ softy.”

Lizzie chuckled at that, “Well, when you find him, I’m dying to meet this Dean. Jimmy seems to like him… a lot.”

“He does. They both do…” Sam sighed, “Well… I should probably get going. Me and Cas need to head out. Thank you for doing this.”

Lizzie smiled, “Alright. It’s no problem at all! I wish ya’ll luck!”

Sam smiled fondly and turned to the door. He stopped when Lizzie called out, “You be safe now, you hear! We haven’t even gotten a chance to go see a crappy movie yet!”

“I will. Thanks, Liz. Oh! Raincheck for that movie?”

“You know it!” She waved her hand to the door, “Now get going, your brother is waiting for you!”

******