Her eyes were closed but still she felt the warmth of the sun against her face, smelt the sweet scent of mead and morning dew, heard the whispering of the wind in the trees and the familiar sound of birdsong. She wiggled her toes against the fresh, crisp sheets and sighed happily, content in that one moment. Content to be joyful and unburdened, to forget the pain and hardship.
She slowly opened her eyes, blinking several times until the wooden cottage came into focus, the swaying trees casting ethereal shadows across the floor as dappled sunlight twisted into intricate patterns. She smiled softly, gazing out upon the forest and the meadow, watching as a small wren flittered from branch to branch, in search of food.
She felt the familiar sensation of strong arms surrounding her, felt the tickle of his breath and stubble against her neck and heard his voice as clear as church bells, "Good morning."
She couldn't help the elated chuckle that escaped her lips before she turned in his arms, watching his mystifying blue orbs trail across every mark and line on her face and yet she felt wholly beautiful. Complete.
"I think it's well and truly afternoon." She responded with a smile and he smiled back, that cheeky half smirk that made him look younger than all his years spent in heaven.
He leant forward and captured her mouth softly, as if treasuring each sensation, each moment as if it were the most precious thing in the world. And then he released a gruff laugh and touched her face softly, "We were up rather late last night."
She grinned softly and licked her lips, "And whose fault was that, hm?"
"I didn't see you complaining." He smirked and kissed her again and they became lost in one another for long moments, wrapped in this peace, this safety. When they finally came back to reality, he was gazing down at her lovingly, running his fingers through her hair, tracing the lines of her lips and her jaw before he whispered huskily, "Marry me."
She sat up slightly, propping herself on her elbows as he hovered above her. She raised her eyebrow and asked, "Can you do that?"
He shrugged and smiled, "I'm human now. And I want nothing more than to spend the days I have left with you."
"And they lived happily ever after...So, you see, you and the Angel could have a future, grow old together." Crowley explained, his hands flourishing in that infuriatingly cocky way and she glared, "How can I possibly trust you?"
Crowley shrugged, "Got nothing else left to lose, sweetheart. And if I'm not mistaken, neither do you."
She tensed her jaw and steeled her features but she knew Crowley saw right through her the moment the vision ended. He would have seen the hopeless tears in her eyes and known she believed everything. It was hard to deny something that felt so tangible and yet so out of reach. But she had one choice.
"Serve one year as the king of the pit and I'll set your fallen angel free." It was a simple request and yet it held such profound meaning. If she refused, she would live a hell on Earth, without Castiel, without a reason to live. And if she said yes, gave in to the King of Hell, took his place in the fiery underbelly of the Universe, she would become like him. Cold, calculating and bitterly witty.
And yet how could she possibly say no? Knowing Castiel was suffering in the throws of fire and torture and she was left unscathed, unpunished. An Angel trapped in hell, trapped with all the evil he had smite so mercilessly. It was better that she took his place. She turned her eyes upward, meeting Crowley's expectant dark orbs, "You bring Cas back and I'll serve as King of Hell for one year."
He smirked and that cold, soulless lift of his lips sealed her fate. Crowley beckoned her with his finger and she hesitantly stepped toward him before he gripped the back of her hair and tugged her into a searing kiss. When he pulled away, he was smiling again, "Just like strawberries, sweetheart."
Crowley clicked his fingers and a confused, tattered Castiel appeared in the confines of the shabby warehouse, his face gruff with stubble and his hair sticking up in a million directions. But when he met her eyes, his face softened and he barely registered the demon in his midst before Castiel was gripping her shoulders tightly, as if she were an anchor tethering him to the Earth, securing him to reality.
He touched her face softly and she saw the tears in his ocean blue eyes. Her lip trembled and she managed to choke out, "I'm sorry, Cas. There was no other way."
His expression faltered and then his eyes darted between her and Crowley in alarm before he growled, "What did you do?"
She brushed the tears from her eyes, "I'm taking your place."
Castiel shook her slightly, his desperate sobs breaking the silence, "No! You can't. You can't."
Crowley cleared his throat, "While I'd love to stay and watch this truly touching scene unfold, we have places to be, my Queen of Hell."
She couldn't fight the hard glare she shot him but she accepted nonetheless with a stiff, committed nod. She closed her eyes, willed herself to remember the feel of Castiel's hands against her face, the connection they had shared amidst all the turmoil and pain.
"I love you." She breathed and kissed him briefly, feeling tears tracking lines down her cheeks before she pulled away and went to stand beside Crowley. And with his words swimming in her mind, she descended to the depths of Hell.
"You let him rot down there, he won't be the same. Not really, not entirely. He will never be the Castiel you knew, not again. That part of him will be lost forever. And you will never have this future. There will be pain and loss and loneliness. But not if you take his place. All you have to do is say yes."