Until the End

Sam Winchester enjoyed heaven immensely. With all the angels under his charge, they kept the world in relative harmony. They didn't interfere much with the goings on down there, but it suited them. Some angels, posted on earth, held regular jobs and mingled with the community, reporting good and bad deeds to their God. To Sam.

Dean Winchester, older brother of Sam, was also happy with his job. As the new and improved king of hell, he spent a lot of time rallying around keeping his demons under control. He needed this challenge though. It kept him relatively sane. Demons were infrequently sent up to Earth, and only when the hunters of the world were starting to get overly bored. He still communicated with his brother occasionally, but it wasn't as often as they both would have liked.

Castiel, now human, worked with hunters all around helping them kill all sorts of monsters and keeping people safe, even without his powers. He found a great sense of achievement in saving people, hunting things. "The family business," he would tell people who asked of his professor. Not his family business, no, but the family business of his two closest friends. They were like brothers to him. Cas prayed to Sam, his God, every night and every morning, hoping one day that he would answer his prayers and come to him like he had once done for them. And he would perform rituals every Saturday to try and summon Dean, his best friend, hoping that he would answer and come running. But Sam never showed, and Dean never appeared.

Castiel grew to the great age of 87 as a human. He became frail, grey haired and his vision became impaired. Sam had spent an awful long time watching the ex-angel as he grew into a well-rounded human. In his later years, Cas got a job teaching religion to high school students and worked there for twenty years, until he retired at age 70. Despite his once limited knowledge of anything human-related, he had married a woman, Marie, had two children (whom he had persuaded his wife to name Dean and Samantha) and lived out his days happy and in peace.

On the day of his death, he knelt for the final time by his bed and said a final prayer to Sam.
"Dear Sam, I am extremely grateful for everything you've taught me. You and your brother taught me how to love, how to live and how to be a better man than I ever could have been without you." he paused and sighed, "I just wish you could have spent your days as I have mine. Amen." He got up, and lay in his bed, watching the shadows cast on the ceiling.
"Honey," his wife came in, "Are you getting up today?" she asked the same thing every morning.
"I feel like today is the day I leave you all," he answered plainly.
"Okay, honey." she kissed his forehead lovingly, tears in her eyes.
"I'm not scared to die, Marie." he whispered to her.
"Aren't you?" she asked, quizzically.
"No, for I know if I go to heaven that I will be looked after and cared for, and if I go to hell then I will be treated exactly how I deserve." he closed his eyes and hummed "Hey Jude" to himself.

An hour or so later, Castiel removed himself from the bed, kissed his wife 'goodbye' and walked out into the street. He heavily relied on his cane as he shuffled onto a bus. It took him to the barn where he first met Dean. Smiling to himself, he sat on the floor and smelled in the familiar scents. He used to come here every month in the vain hope that Dean or Sam would show up, to no avail. "Dean," he called into the semi-darkness, "Sam, I'm ready now." He closed his eyes.

When he opened them, his vision was even more blurred than normal. He could make out two figures in the room with him. "Castiel," a familiar voice said, walking slowly towards him. "You don't need these anymore," the man removed the glasses he wore and Cas could see clearly. The two men in front of him were the two he prayed for every day, twice a day.
"Hello Dean, hello Sam," Cas smiled as the two helped him to his feet.
"You've done well for yourself, you son of a bitch," Dean grinned typically, looking like he hadn't aged since the day he left to run hell.
"Yeah, we've been keeping an eye on you," Sam agreed, "and you've done well. We're proud of you,"
"Don't look at me like you're older than me," Cas grinned, ruffling up his feathers slightly. FEATHERS?! Both Sam and Dean noticed the confusion on the man's face.
"Yep, you've been promoted Cas," Dean placed a hand on his shoulder, "How does it feel to be an angel again?" Castiel paused for a minute.
"It feels great," he answered.
"Plus, you look like you're young again," Sam said, "Like you were when we met."
"YES! I got my looks back!" he grinned happily.
"Not that you ever lost them, of course," Dean winked.

Just before the boys parted for the last time, Dean passed them a bottle of beer each and held his own aloft. "Team Free Will!" he toasted, and both Cas and Sam followed his lead.
"Team Free Will."

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