"What's this?" Dean's eyebrows rose.
"Just a little incentive. To make sure you're not going anywhere," his boss assured, "call it a promotion, if you will."
"Wow," Dean grinned, amazed, "thank you. Thank you."
"No problem."
"But I can't take it," Dean shook his head.
"What do you mean?" his boss frowned.
"I'm not all that sure," Dean shook his head, "but what I am sure of, is that I don't belong here. This place, these clothes... I don't think it's me. It's just not who I'm supposed to be."
He hesitated as his boss started grinning.
"What?" Dean frowned.
"Dean Dean Dean... finally."
He leant forward and touched Dean's forehead, and suddenly everything changed.
"What the hell...?" Dean breathed, looking around, "why am I wearing a tie? My God am I hungry..."
"Welcome back," a man stood over him.
Dean looked up in shock.
"Wait, wait... did you..." Dean stood, "did I just get touched by... are you an angel?!"
"I'm Zacariah," he introduced himself.
"Great," Dean grumbled, "all I need is another one of you guys."
"I'm hardly 'another one' Dean, I'm Castiel's superior," Zacariah explained, "and I wouldn't normally walk around in one of these smelly things but after the unpleasant business with Uriel I felt the need to pay a visit. Get my ducks in a row."
"I am not one of your ducks."
"Starting with your attitude."
"So what, this was all some sort of lesson? Is that what you're telling me? Wow. Very creative."
"You should see my decopage`."
Dean hesitated.
"Ew. Gross. So what, fake life, fake haunting...?"
"Real place, real haunting. I just put you in the middle of it without the benefit of your memories."
"Just to shake things up? Just so you guys can have fun watching us run around in these suits?"
"To prove to you that the path you're on is truly in your blood. You're a hunter. Not because your Dad made, you not because God called you back from Hell but because it is what you are. And you love it, you'll find your way to it in the dark every single time. I mean you're miserable without it Dean, let's be real here you're good at this! You'll be successful. You will stop it."
"Stop what? The apocalypse? Lucifer? Be specific man!"
"Everything you're destined to do. All of it. And I know, I know, you're not strong enough, you're scared, you got Daddy issues, you can't do it right?"
"Angel or not I will stab you in your face."
"All I'm saying is, it's how you look at it. Most folks live and die without moving as much as the dirt to bury them and you get to change things. Save people. Maybe even the world. All that while you drive a classic car and fornicate with women. This isn't a curse, it's a gift. So for God's sakes Dean quit whining about it. Look around."
He paused.
"There are plenty of fates worse than yours. So are you with me? Are you gonna go whip yourself another latte? Or are you ready to stand up, and be who you really are?"