Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Supernatural. They dutifully belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW.

I once had a relatively normal life. I had a beautiful wife, Amelia. I had a smart, little girl, Claire. I was as devoted to my family as I was to God. I had a normal life until I was chosen for something greater.

My name is Jimmy Novak, and I am from Pontiac, Illinois.

Twigs and dried leaves crunched underneath Dean's combat boots. His hot breath formed clouds in front of his face as he ran through the dark, cold forest. He dodged tree branches left and right, jumped over fallen, mossed covered logs, and kept a look out for the monsters lurking in the darkness. After being in that forest for so long, Dean's eyes had become adjusted to the darkness. He stopped for a second to catch his breath, and for his companion to catch up with him. "Hurry up, Cas!" Dean yelled into the darkness. A few moments later, an angel in a dirty trench coat appeared from the shadows. He looked weary, with deep bags under his eyes and his beard had grown out thickly.

"It's not safe to stop here." Castiel leaned against a tree. He was clearly exhausted from running non-stop "The Leviathans will find us if we stay." Castiel was drained. Dean had seen it more and more the past few days. Had they been days? Times seemed to pass by so strangely in the forests of purgatory. But with each passing day Castiel used up more and more of his mojo fighting off monster after monster and deterring Leviathan from their path.

"You're the one who needs a breather." Dean chuckled, but when Castiel pushed away from the tree he was using for support and wobbled, Dean was instantly at the angel's side. "Whoa there." Dean placed a hand on Castiel's chest, pushing him to standing straight once more. "Come on, Cas. We're close to being out of here. I can't have you dying on me."

"I will not die, Dean." Castiel took a deep, raspy breath. He gathered up all of his strength and stood on his own. "I cannot die and leave you in this world." Castiel raised his hand to touch a cut on Dean's forehead. A small shimmer of light radiated from his fingertips and healed the injury. Castiel winced and took a step back. After a few deep breaths from the angel, he spoke again. "Let's keep going." Castiel would heal Dean before he healed himself. It would always be that way. Dean understood why, though. He felt the same way. They shared a profound bond, and Castiel would do anything to keep it that way.

There were rumors of a way out of purgatory. Purgatory was a place for monsters. It was their hell. It wasn't a place for humans. Which was all that Dean was. He could feel it too; he didn't belong in that forest. It wasn't natural. Castiel on the other hand, he seemed to be turning into something else from being in that dark forest. Even though Castiel was a semi-immortal being. Dean was still worried about his flame going out. That little glimmer of power that always surrounded Castiel was gone in purgatory. Dean was determined to get it back because he couldn't bare the thought of Castiel failing. He caught up with Castiel in a few steps and the two walked slowly together through the dark forest. Once they were in the clear, their tense shoulders loosened.

"I'd give us about three hours of peace. We steered pretty clear from everything around here." Dean rolled his neck, the joints popped. He then sat down against a tree. Castiel stood mere feet away and watched as Dean pulled his coat tighter around him. The thing about purgatory was that if you weren't running from monsters that would kill you, you were dying from the cold darkness. "Wish we could build a fire or something." Dean stared in front of him, imagining the flames dancing before his eyes.

"I could-" Castiel paused, thinking of the consequences of his future actions. Dean gave him a questioning look. " I could share my warmth with you." It was a simple solution, but Castiel didn't know if Dean's personal space issues were still there.

Dean didn't even have to think twice. He patted the dirt ground next to him and gave a weak smile. "What are you waiting for? The cold only gets colder around here. " Castiel felt heat rose in his body. He shrugged his dirty trench coat off and sat next to Dean. He then wrapped the coat around his and Dean's shoulders. Dean scooted a bit closer to Castiel and felt the warmth of the angel. "It's weird, that you can stay so warm in a place like this. I would be dead from pneumonia if you hadn't been around."

"It's your soul that heats my grace. In fact, I would be dead if you weren't here." Castiel pursed his lips and huddled in on himself. His side pressed against Dean's. The warmth spread throughout their bodies and the two were content for the moment. Dean snaked his arm around Castiel's, resting his head on the angel's shoulder and intertwining his dirty fingers with Castiel's. His eyelids fell heavily over his green eyes and he drifted off to sleep, knowing Castiel would watch over him.

Castiel sat there, huddled next to Dean and holding his cold, human hand in his own. Castiel willed his grace to warm Dean, to give him all that he needed. The action left Castiel weak. When he was on Earth, he had a view of the heavens and a pathway for more power to fuel his body, but in a world that is cut off from everything, Castiel was a battery on low. He stroked his thumb across the top of Dean's hand. Time passed on slowly in the dark forest. Castiel kept a weary eye out for anything that was out to harm them. Soon, Castiel could hear footsteps off in the distance. They weren't too close, but not far enough away for them to be safe. He turned to Dean and shook him awake.

"Wha-? What's going on?" Dean shot up, eyes wide, trying to figure out why Castiel raised him from his sleep. His head whipped back and forth, looking into the shadows that surrounded them. Castiel merely, pulled him from the ground and put his arms back through his dirty, coat sleeves. He pressed a finger to Dean's lips to silence him. They listened for more footsteps. They had picked up. They sounded closer.

"We need to go." Castiel never let go of Dean's hand. At first he led the way into the forest, away from the creatures that were following them, then Dean awoke fully and gained the lead. "It's the Leviathan, Dean." Castiel knew their every move. He spent so long with them inside his own body, that they were like an extension of his own being. Which made it difficult to get them off their trail. Dean ran faster, the muscles in his legs working at full capacity. It was a wonder why he hadn't died of starvation because he had lost so much weight from the constant running and fighting. He figured it had something to do with Castiel again. It always had something to do with the angel.

"How far behind?" Dean called back to Castiel who was only an arms length away from him. They ran for a long while until they needed to stop. They needed to catch their breath and possibly prepare for a fight. It wouldn't be the first time they needed to fight a nasty leviathan, but it would be the first time that they weren't at full charge. Which wasn't a good thing. Dean had a hard enough time moving faster than the purgatory scum, but he needed Castiel there to help him take them down. They were different in purgatory than they were on Earth. They were more powerful in their natural habitat, while Dean and Castiel weren't so lucky.

"They're going to be here soon. Stand back." Castiel stood defensively in front of Dean, hands clenched into fists. Dean stood back for a moment, seeing Castiel's shoulder shake from the lack of strength left in his body. He couldn't handle it anymore.

"No, you stand back. You're angel mojo is just about out. So sit tight, blue eyes." Dean pulled Castiel back behind him with one hand while he held his large machete-like blade in the other. The footsteps grew louder and louder. Dean and Castiel frantically searched the woods around them. The shadows shrouded everything, making it near impossible to spot the leviathans. Then, out from the shadows, shot a black, oozing mass. It crashed by Dean's feet and formed into a creature before his eyes. "Shit!" Dean readied his blade.

"Found you." The leviathan tilted his head, cracking its neck and letting the tar like substance drip from its features. Another leviathan shot behind Dean as Castiel. They were now on a one on one battle with the monsters. Dean had to let Castiel fight. He couldn't defeat two leviathans on his own. He needed Castiel, even though he knew it would cause the angel to become even weaker.

"You sure you got this, Cas?" Dean called over his shoulder, watching Castiel walk over to the Leviathan with only slightly glowing hands. He wasn't at full power and Dean feared for his life.

"I am an angel of the lord. I can handle these monstrosities." Castiel gazed at dean long and hard. He then put all of his strength together and went on the offensive. He lunged forward, reaching for the leviathan. One touch from his graced hands would disintegrate the creature. Castiel got the leviathan farther away from Dean so that one against one didn't turn into two on one. Dean saw that Castiel was holding his own when he went after the leviathan on his side. The humanoid creature opened its mouth, its face ripping at the sides to reveal the larger mouth that took up most of the face. It jumped at Dean, catching the hunter off guard and knocking him to the ground. Dean kicked his legs out and pushed the leviathan off of his body. He then got to his feet once more, swinging his blade and lopping off the leviathan's head right at the neck. It wouldn't kill the monster, but would keep him from coming back for a while. Dean turned to help Castiel, but couldn't find the angel or the monster.

"Cas?" Dean listened in the air. He had lost sight of his companion during his scuffle with one of the leviathan. "CAS?!" He yelled a little louder. He then saw the ravine off in the distance. It was steep, too hard to climb down without some sort of rope system. He ran to the edge and saw the broken foliage. It showed a clear path to the bottom. Dean then saw the trench coat. No…. Cas….Come on buddy, get up. Dean frantically watched as the trench coated figure stirred on the ground and picked up his head. "You alright, Cas!?" Dean called down to his angel companion. Castiel sat up from the ground, his face covered in mud and blood. He looked up to Dean at the top of the ravine. He nodded so that Dean could see. His back was to the hunter as he tried to stand up. He gripped his stomach and doubled over, blood filled his hands.

Dean's eyes widened with worry. He wasn't sure what kind of damage Castiel has sustained. He only knew that he had to get to his angel's side before more leviathan decided to show up. He assessed the situation of the steep ravine and came to the conclusion that the only way he was going to get down there was if he just went. So he took the first step, and slipped in some loose dirt. He held onto small saplings as he made his way down to Castiel. He was there next to Castiel the next moment, having made it all the way down with only a few new smudges of dirt on his clothes.

"You okay?" He asked.

Castiel shook his head. "I'll be fine in a moment." Castiel wiped his blood stained hands on his trench coat. The dirty, white shirt he was wearing underneath was drenched in blood. His wound had healed itself, but the evidence was still there. Dean placed a hand on Castiel's shoulder, turning him around to get a good look. His eyes widened in shock. "It's nothing, Dean. I am fine. I am already healed."

"Did it get you?" Dean asked, looking around for the leviathan. He couldn't find the monster anywhere, which meant that either Castiel touched it with his graced hands, or it ran off.

"Yes, I defeated the leviathan." Castiel said gruffly. He stood straight and kept wiping his hands on his coat. His vessel took longer to heal than before, which was a sure sign that he was about to run out of angel mojo.

"Alright, well let's get going then." Dean patted Castiel on the shoulder before grabbing his hand in his own and twisting his fingers with Castiel's. "That exit has got to be around here somewhere." Dean could feel it in his soul. It was a tugging feeling that pulled at his insides, urging him towards the hole in purgatory. The forest wanted to spit him out of it. Dean was not supposed to be there, but he wasn't going to leave by himself. Castiel was coming with him, no questions asked. If he had to shove him through the eye of the needle, he would.

"Dean." Castiel said weakly. He kept still, hand still connected to Dean's, stopping Dean in his tracks. Dean looked away. "Dean, you know I can't-"

"Don't say it." Dean commanded. "I am getting you out of here." Dean turned, his face hard. "And you can't say a damn thing against it. Even if it kills me, I am getting you out of here." Dean then yanked Castiel's hand, pulling him close to his body and grabbing his chin. "Don't say it, Cas." He kissed Castiel softly and then they began walking off into the darkness of the forest.

I remember waking up one day in a pile of rubble. My body hurt in way I had never experienced. My head my pounding, and all I could hear was the name of the angel being called. Cas. Cas. Always Cas. My name is Jimmy, I thought. It's me. Jimmy.

Castiel is gone.

The large river covered a decent square mileage of purgatory. Dean and Castiel had run into it on occasion, which was a godsend on their part. They were able to clean up, drink up, and even catch a few fish to eat when they deemed it necessary to build a fire. Dean and Castiel stood before the waters and looked to the other side. Dean had felt it pulling on him. He took a step into the water, the clear liquid rushing over his combat boot, washing off the mud that caked on the leather. He then took another step, both feet in the water this time.

"It's there, Cas. I feel it." Dean pointed ahead of himself into the thick of the trees. A small glow made its way through the foliage. "Come on. There's no bridge, so we gotta get a little wet." Dean extended his arm out for Castiel, but the angel hesitated. It wouldn't be such a big deal for him to trek through the waters of the river if he hadn't remembered the last time he waded into the water. It was so cold, and so dark. They wanted out. They were going to tear him apart. They- "Cas, come one buddy."

"Dean." Castiel grabbed Dean's hand and was pulled forward by the hunter. He obliged to passing through the river, but hated every moment of it. With Dean at his side, showing him the way to the land on the other side, it was going to be okay. The middle of the river was deep, both Dean and Castiel lost their footing. The current was strong, but the two managed to find the ground under the water again and make it to the other side. They climbed out of the water and sat on the shoreline for a moment, the chill of their wet clothes settled in.

"Almost there." Dean grinned a little at Castiel, hopping up from the ground and giving Castiel a hand. Castiel reached for Dean's hand, but his limbs failed him and he was still. "Come on, Cas. You're so slow. It's like you don't want to get out of here."

"Dean stop. Something is wrong." Castiel managed to raise his shaking hand up from his lap. He stared at it for a few moments and then started to breath heavier. The small amount of light that had tinged his finger was down to a dull glow. His body was in shut down mode, reserving all that was left of his grace before his body failed him. Normally he would have been shot back up to heaven by that point, but he wasn't sure what would happen to him in purgatory.

"Just get up. I mean we're so close." Dean looked down at Castiel. Worry was in his mossy, green eyes. Dean could see it. The healthy glow in Castiel's face was fading fast. "I'll- I'll carry you. Yeah, that's what I'll do. Come on cupid, we're getting out of here."

"I am not Cupid. He is revolting. I know you know this." Castiel pouted, he had enough strength to lift his arms to make it easier for Dean to pull him to his feet, but that was all he had. Castiel leaned heavily against Dean, until the hunter scooped his angel up and struggled for a moment to carry him. "Your soul is very warm." He said, laying his cheek against Dean's arm, feeling the place where he had raised Dean from hell. It was healing his grace ever so slightly.

"Yeah, yeah." Dean readjusted Castiel in his arms and carried him towards the tree line one step at a time. He soon made it to the source of the tugging on his body. He set Castiel on his feet, but kept a hold around his waist. Castiel held on with an arm around Dean's shoulders. The source was a large glowing orb in the sky, and there they were, hunter and angel, standing before the exit of purgatory. "Ready?"

Castiel nodded, never wanting to leave somewhere as much as he wanted out of purgatory. "Back to Sam?"

Dean chuckled. "Yeah, back to Sammy." He took a step forward, holding tightly onto Castiel. The pulling became stronger and lifted Dean into the air. It didn't pull at Castiel, but Dean held on with his life. He was bringing his angel with him if it was the last thing he did. "Hold on, Cas!" He yelled, air whipped around them fiercely. Dean felt Castiel at his side the entire time. A bright light blinded him momentarily, but he knew they made it out of there together because when he opened his eyes in the real world the first thing he saw was Cas.

Dean pushed himself up from the ground. His whole body felt like it had been taken apart piece by piece and then crudely stitched back together. He figured Castiel felt the same way by the way the angel was struggled to sit up. "You good?" Dean asked, placing a dirty hand on Castiel's shoulder. "Cas?"

Castiel quickly turned, blue eye bright in confusion. "What happened? Where am I?" His voice wasn't as deep. It spiked in some areas and was filled with emotion. He looked down at himself and looked at his hands. "Oh no, oh no, no, no." He stood up and swayed, Dean jumping to his feet to catch his angel.

"What's wrong?" Dean steadied Castiel and took a step back. "Wait…" He took a look at the man standing in front of him. "Son of a bitch."

The man grabbed at his trench coat and brushed off some of the dirt on his clothes, though the stains would never come out. "You got that right, Dean Winchester."

Dean only knew of another person who could be Castiel, without actually being Castiel. "Jimmy!?"