Archive of Our Own ^beta

Summary:

It’s been several months since the events of 15x19, and the world is almost at ease. Dean Winchester isn’t, though.

It takes a drunken night and a conversation with Sam for both brothers and a newly depowered Jack to restart the search to get to the Empty. After several weeks and Rowena’s help, Cas is finally back, alive, and for a moment everything looks brighter. Jack and Sam are ecstatic, and Dean’s had enough time to figure out what he wants to tell Cas. For the first time ever, he’s ready to speak his truth.

Except, Cas doesn’t seem to recognize Jack, and the first thing he does is ask Dean how he’s managed to “get rid of the mark”. He doesn’t remember that Chuck, the flimsy prophet he met years ago, was God and that they just beat his ass. Actually, there’s a lot he doesn’t remember… Including telling Dean he loved him before getting taken by the Empty.

Now, Sam and Dean start the quest of figuring out what’s keeping a newly human Cas from remembering the past 5 years by their side.

It doesn’t go as planned.

(Or, how Dean and Cas manage to overcome amnesia to tell each other their truth, like they were always meant to.)