He is. Sam's his ride or die if he said things like 'ride or die.' They've been to hell and back together and separately. Sam's his other half. Without him, he's not quite the same. He can survive, but it's not the same.

Dean keeps in step with Raylan as they walked the fog line.

"Claire's family. Niece if - we defined it like that." He doesn't share that her father is Castiel's vessel and that brings with it a host of other issues for her. Or, it did. "Maybe little sister." Scrappy one, too. "I've threatened bartenders on her behalf."

Not really on her behalf, more because he wanted to.

"And, I patrol now. If I'm not locked up somewhere, twice a day I walk the town, the beach, the graveyard. Just in case." It worked. He found Sam. "What about you? Any more fog insight?"