Cas wasn't listening. Or couldn't help. Dean didn't know which.
Things were fine, until Dean fell. He watched it happen in a weird, out-of-body kind of thing. It was all from Jo's perspective. And he knew it'd felt good, to just blast those goddamn things back to hell, to listen to them yelp and just stride forward toward them, unafraid.
Dean knew she didn't know enough to be afraid, in that instant. She hadn't understood, just yet. And in another second, it was too late. There was pain, and a growl, and blood, and a whine that wasn't from a hellhound, but from Jo.
Things got blurry, here. He and Sam were dragging her into the hardware store, and then in a flash she was on the floor, looking up at them. Dean was looking up at himself. It was bizarre. Mom. This might literally be your last chance to treat me like an adult? You might want to take it. She was saying her goodbyes. And when Dean kissed her, she was okay. She was fine with the choice she'd made.
Jo was stronger than he was. Dean was sure of it.
Ellen's arms were around her, and Dean could feel them. Feel the embrace. Until he couldn't anymore. There was white light, and Dean knew that Jo'd died. A few seconds later, there was her heaven. He'd been curious about this. And when he saw it, Dean half-wished he could break the gaze and cry.
Full-grown Jo, her dad and her mom. Together. At the Roadhouse, sometimes. Mostly? She was hunting with her dad. Ellen looked so happy Dean thought her face would break from smiling.
And then there was this... rip. And it felt like being cut in half. Just... gone, from there. No more family. Just this shitty motel. Waking up in that bed. And another kiss, from him, when he saw her again.
When the gaze was over and Dean could break it, a rattling breath came out of him. His eyes were wet. Tears weren't threatening, though. Just that moisture from being close to them.
He opened his mouth, and it took a second for words to come out.