Not Just Another Hunt

Six

THE PHONE RANG in Castiel's ear, but no one was on the other side. Finally, after it rang several times, Dean answered. "Dean, where are you?... Is Sam with you?... You can't get ahold of him either?... I think something happened. He called me, but there was no one there when I answered... Where is that at?... I'll meet you there."

He hung up the phone, and soared into the air. Seconds passed before he landed at a small diner. It was oddly busy for four o' clock in the morning on a Saturday. He stood in the small gravel parking lot waiting for Dean to arrive, and glanced around hoping to find Jack, but he didn't.

Staring up into the dark, starry sky above, he listened to the angels hoping one of them might've picked up a lead on Jack. Unfortunately, there was no mention of the Nephilim. Nothing other than the constant talk of needing to destroy Lucifer's unholy offspring.

Looking to the ground, he softly prayed, "Jack, I don't know if you can hear me, but... we need you to tell us where you are. Did Makiel take you? Are you hurt? You need to give me some kind of sign so I can find you."

"Castiel?"

Castiel jerked himself around to find Jack standing behind him with a look of relief in his eyes. "Jack!"

*****

Jack pushed himself upright as Castiel's voice rang in his head. "Jack," Castiel! He was alive? Makiel didn't kill him? "I don't know if you can hear me, but... we need you to tell us where you are."

Tell Castiel where he was? Why would he do that? So Dean could finally kill him like he's wanted to since day one?

"Did Makiel take you?" Castiel's voice continued. "Are you hurt?"

Jack's heart began to thump against his chest. Castiel thought he had been taken prisoner by Makiel? He supposed it made sense since he was missing, and Castiel was alive, but did this mean that Sam and Dean weren't going to be angry with him? Or would they still be when he told them what he had done to Makiel?

Castiel's voice rang in Jack's ears once more. "You need to give me some kind of sign so I can find you."

Jack lowered his head. He knew he didn't have a choice. He had to go back to them. He couldn't run away. Running away wasn't the answer. Not after everything they'd done for him, and he couldn't run away from his true father.

Spreading his invisible wings, he flew towards Castiel's voice. When his mind found his father, he landed behind him in the parking lot of the diner Sam and Dean had gotten dinner from that night.

"Castiel?" He could barely believe the words that escaped his lips as he stared at the black hair on the back of the angels head.

Castiel swiftly swung around. "Jack!"

Jack stepped towards Castiel. "You're alive?" He wrapped his hands around Castiel's shoulders.

"Jack, what happened to you?" Castiel gently pushed Jack away and gripped his shoulders as he stared into Jack's eyes. "We thought Makiel had kidnapped you."

Jack opened his mouth to answer, but right before he could, the impala pulled into the parking lot. Its headlights shone on Jack and Castiel as Dean sprang from the car.

"Jack?" Dean jogged up beside them. "What happened?"

Jack glanced between the concerned looks in his family's eyes. He sighed as he lowered his head. "I'm sorry. I ran away."

"You what?" Castiel asked.

Jack returned his gaze. "I killed Makiel," he stated, softly.