Author's Note: This is my first attempt at a story so any help would be appreciated. The Season 6 Finale left me with a bitter taste in my mouth because of what they did to Castiel, one of my favorite characters. I didn't like what the powers did to him and cannot see how Dean, being Dean, would possibly bow down to Cas. I only saw a few options because I don't believe they will do the God zapping them out of harm's way again. This is my first option.

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters are all Kripke's. I'm just "borrowing" them without permission. (Dean says it's not stealing as long as I give them back. Sam disagrees.)

Chapter 1 - The Ultimatum

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Dean. Swear your loyalty and devotion to me, your new god, or I will destroy you. I will not repeat myself again," Castiel repeated in a firm matter-of-fact voice that held absolutely no emotion. His stance and posture remained confident and full of pride over his most recent accomplishments. His cold blue eyes stabbed at Dean like ice shards piercing his heart.

Dean searched his best friend's face (yes, Cas was his best and only friend) once more, focusing on those deep blue eyes. His heart ached even more over the knowledge that he couldn't see any evidence of his friend anywhere in that gaze. The souls of the monsters of purgatory swirled within those baby blues, proving they had taken his friend over.

Dean flicked his eyes over to Sam's and instantly saw that Sam was barely holding himself together now that the wall in Sam's mind had fallen. He mentally flinched at the pain and horror that shown through his baby brother's eyes. His own body clamored for his attention at the same time as his left shoulder, arm, and ribs pulsed with pain that he instinctively hid from his brother while their eyes maintained contact. Sam's eyes silently plead for Dean to just go along for once in his life. To just give in so that they could live to fight another day.

In the next instant, intense pain and terror contorted Sam's face into a mask of horror as his eyes went blank. Dean knew he had lost his brother while Sam's mind took him over again. It made Dean ache that much more to know that this could very well be the time that Sam didn't make it back from battle inside his mind.

'It's for the best, really,' he thought to himself wryly, knowing it was a very bad sign that he took Sam's current state so calmly. He didn't chance a look at Bobby because he knew that Bobby's eyes would broadcast the same message as Sam's. That 'Live to fight another day' sentiment which is really another word for 'load of crap'.

'Like the fighting I'd done the past thirty years topside, in addition to the thirty years in Hell, hadn't been enough. Like losing his mom, dad, Lisa, Ben, various friends and acquaintances as well as Bobby and Sam, more than once, wasn't enough,' he mentally snarled to himself.

With a heavy, resigned sigh, he steeled himself inside and answered firmly, "Fine. Now, I'm only answering for myself because I cannot, will not, speak for them, Castiel. I have neverbetrayed you and have, in fact, stood up for you, in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. I have never betrayed you like you have just done to me, like you did when you came back from Bible Camp, or in the beautiful room the first time around."

"Yeah, I did almost betray you when I almost gave in to Michael but you brought me back and set me straight. And I listened to you! That's why I'm trying to do the same here. Only you didn't listen to me like I had listened to you. Of course, I did beat the crap out of you either."

Dean felt his face flush red with anger and emotion while his body seemed to be developing a slow burn, almost like he was becoming feverish. His body ached more and the throbbing pain increased in intensity. He pushed it back to focus on his last speech because he knew he couldn't do this anymore than he could have helped Cas become what he did.

Dean moved his unharmed right hand into his jacket and up toward his injured left shoulder. Unconsciously he crept his hand toward Cas's handprint that still served as a reminder of their trials together before everything had gone so terribly wrong. He'd been doing this more and more often. Touching the mark helped him remember what his friend used to be like. Knowing skin to skin contact aided this process more, he moved the hand under the short sleeve of his undershirt and placed his hand in position. He really hoped this would help him come up with the words or memories that might bring his friend back to him.

If nothing else, the touch comforted him as he continued what was probably going to be his last words, "I stood by Cas, the angel who stood up for me, for humanity. I helped that Cas hunt down Raphael the first time. Remember that, Cas? Back when you simply wanted to find your father," Dean demanded harshly, closing his bare right hand over Cas's mark and felt a slight electric spark flare in his shoulder. He thought he saw a ghost of a flinch inside Cas's eyes but he was probably imagining it.

"Remember the time we spent before and after we confronted him. How we talked. Remember how I was there for you then and again when you lost faith with your father. Man, I'm here for you now, and I'll stay here with you. But not like this, Cas."

Castiel started to interrupt but Dean stopped him while gripping his mark tighter. "No, you will have your say but I get my words first because you are about to get your answer."

"You don't command me, mortal! And your answer is obvious," Castiel bit back forcefully.

"Maybe, but you still could give me the time. It's not like a couple of minutes matter to you in the grand scheme of things," Dean returned in equal measure.

"I don't have to listen. I don't need friends, just as I have no family," Castiel sneered.

"What the hell do you know of it?" Dean snapped irritably. "How do you know that isn't why God left the building in the first place? He had all the power but no friends and a family that tore each other up constantly. Maybe that's why He disappeared in the first place."

Dean's fingernails started cutting into his flesh but he didn't feel it as he continued his rant, "Of course, you, you had to go and swallow up all those monsters' souls, get all that power, and, yeah, it's awesome that you stopped the Mutant Ninja Angel but come one, Cas. Haven't you ever heard, 'you are what you eat'? Or 'absolute power corrupts absolutely'?"

"Know why you don't need friends or family, you stupid SOB? Because you've now got thousands of monsters vying for control of your mind and body. You aren't a god. You are freakin' Legion, 'for you are many, like thousands'. Good luck fighting them off for the rest of eternity or until you go nuke. Whichever goes first," He growled harshly.

So what if he took the quote from 'Ghost Rider'? Not like he was going to live to be sued. Not like he even owned anything to be sued for.

Dean took a step forward and flinched slightly as his fingernails cut even more in his ever tightening grip. The electric sparks were still firing but he was losing the fight with his body. Its heat and pain started tremors in his muscles and he felt his body shaking and shuddering slightly. He had to wrap this up.

"Finally. 'Bow' to you? Really? Bow? Who the hell do you think you are talking to here?"

"Dean," Bobby cautioned in a harsh hiss, unable to stay quiet anymore at his adopted son's rant. "Stop."

Dean ignored him as he always did when he was in these moods and ranted on, "Oh, that's right. You aren't Cas anymore. That's obvious because he would NEVER ask that of me, much less demand it. Plus HE knows how I react to ultimatums."

"Bow to you? When you know that I didn't bow down to Zachariah while he tortured me and Sammy, or Michael, who allowed and did the same thing. Or Lucifer, the actual devil and original Fallen. Or any of Heaven or Hell. I didn't bow to destiny or fate. Hell, I didn't even willingly bow to Alistair, even after thirty freakin' years of torture and death."

Dean knew his time had run out when he saw Castiel slowly raise his hand with his fingers prepared to snap. He finished up his rant with one last statement. He really hoped that Sam and Bobby would understand. He really had tried his best to reach Cas.

"I DO NOT BOW so go screw yourself. My answer is N . . ."