For a long time, he didn't say anything, still under her hand and rubbing Bobby's ears. He was reminded, oddly, of his mother's warnings to not mess with Homer's ears, because it'd break down the cartilage and make them floppy, but he couldn't make himself stop. He sighed, letting the dog lick his face. Letting Eva touch him. Letting everything in his head try to settle.

"How can I move on when everyone treats me like I'm going to break whenever anything comes up? Sam doesn't, Dean seems to depend on the day, but Dean hides things from everyone. That's just how he copes. Everyone else draws back and goes "Oh Tom's so broken, we just won't bother him.""

He drew a breath. "If that was how it was going to be, what's the point of me not being Iniss' host? What's the point of all this? Everyone threw a fit, but they tell me about the same amount of everything. That's my family, my friends. People I care about and I only ever find things out after it's over. I know you're saying things about me. I know everyone is. I know that people are hiding things and using me in arguments." He kept his eyes on Bobby, voice shaking very slightly. "If all I'm going to be is Iniss' discarded shell and the only way I can help anyone is if he's in my head, why not just take him back?"