but no for real

what if Dean gets back from Purgatory and when Sam asks where Cas is Dean just says

“He was there at the beginning but then he disappeared. He must have found a different way out.”

and Sam knows that’s bullshit because Cas would never leave Dean but he doesn’t pry

and then the flashbacks start

little scenes over the course of many episodes

we see that Cas didn’t leave Dean

of course he didn’t

they fought together

they survived together

they protected each other

and finally there comes a flashback scene that ends with the two if them huddled together in fear and despair, taking comfort from each other, and each looks into the other’s eyes, and it doesn’t even matter that it fades to black because we all know what happens next

next episode

last flashback

we find out that Cas sacrificed himself to get Dean out of Purgatory

Dean watched him die

he will never tell Sam

let Sam think that Cas might come back one day

the truth is Dean’s sadness to bear