Author's Note:

So, this is it. This 'Episode' will be the end of the major Castiel/Crowley story arc. The Finale. The end. Wow. Over two years and a half-a-million words, (pat yourself on the back, you've earned it for reading this much and sticking with it!) and now we'll be reaching the conclusion.

After this ten-chapter Episode, have no worries, there WILL BE MORE. I've planned three 'Bonus' Episodes featuring Castiel and Crowley in some cool stand-alone Episodes. Those will be published a tad differently, as there won't be a chapter per week on the weekend, rather, the entire story will be published at once as a complete unit. So it may take a little longer than you're used to, but trust me, they'll be worth it!

So, enough of the tears and the preludes, let's get into it, shall we, and as always, thank you SO MUCH for reading! And have fun!

Conversations with God(s)

Castiel examined the sandwich in his hand, looked up at the three figures sitting on the blanket with him, then took a bite. Charlie smiled at him as he raised his eyebrows in pleasant surprise.

"It's good, huh?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows and placing a warm hand on his arm. Castiel nearly flinched away.

"Oh...I know. I'm sorry. It's been pretty rough on you lately, huh?" she said, looking around and down at the ground.

"Necessary. It made him strong enough for the battle ahead," Judah said calmly, his eyes flashing.

"Wow. Seriously?" Chuck said, his hand falling away from where it had been supporting his chin as he shot Judah an incredulous look. Judah didn't budge, just held Castiel's eyes.

"You know that I'm correct."

Chuck exhaled, shaking his head. He looked down at the ground. "Yeah, you're unbelievably harsh Judah, I'm with her on this one. Sorry, Castiel." Judah snorted, turning away.

Castiel swallowed, turning his head to the side and warily eyeing the dark silhouetted figure standing on the hilltop looking down at them.

"Why?" he asked.

Chuck looked back up. "Why what?"

Castiel narrowed his eyes. "Why place the Souls of Hell inside of me?" He paused, considering. "And why put the Souls of Heaven in Crowley? What's the point?"

"To restore balance," Judah said, looking back.

"There's more to it than..."Charlie started to say.

" ' Balance'?" Castiel interjected. "What 'balance'?"

Chuck held up a hand. "Let us explain..."

"...because it seems like there's no 'balance' whatsoever at the moment, the Old Ones are winning..."

Chuck stared until Castiel quieted down. "Can I explain now?"

Castiel sighed angrily and finally nodded.

"Michael and Lucifer being extinguished has unbalanced the entirety of Creation," Charlie said, settling back on her haunches with her hands out behind her. "Their rebellion opened the literal Gate for that absence to be filled."

"Souls cannot reach their final destination, because the eternal balance of Heaven vs. Hell is now non-existant. I had one option to harness that limitless power and keep it from being consumed by the void of the Old Ones," Judah continued.

"We, you mean we had an only one option," Charlie interrupted.

"Yes, yes," Judah answered, waving his hand in the air. " 'We'. All of us. One being. Of course."

Castiel raised his eyes. "You are all God...the literal Holy Trinity. Father, Son, Holy Spirit," he said. "'We' is accurate, Judah."

"Why can't that be 'Mother'?" Charlie muttered.

"What?" Castiel asked, confused.

Charlie shrugged. "Father, Son, Holy Spirit, you know? Why can't it be Father, Son and Mother?"

"Because it's disgusting on so many levels, that's why," Chuck replied.

Charlie shrugged. "Sexist."

"Hey! Who was it again that came up with the idea of sexes in the first place?"

" "We' did," Judah interrupted, exasperated. "Wasn't that the whole previous point? Can we get back to the subject, please? Time is short." He glanced up to the top of the hill.

Castiel followed the conversation with his eyes, worry showing on his brow.

"Are...are all of you, um, OK?"

"Hm? What do you mean by that?" Chuck asked.

"I mean...you are all...I don't know how to explain it..."

"Unhinged? Unbalanced? Crazed?" Judah sneered. "Of course we are, Angel, pay attention! The Universe is unraveling, and taking us with it!"

Charlie sighed loudly. "Manners, please?" she said, rolling her eyes.

"Anyway," Chuck said loudly, leaning forward. "Lucifer first breached the integrity of the Gate when he tapped into the Void and created Demons. His Angelic power, the power of Creation itself, became corrupted."

"Fast-forward a few millennia," Charlie continued, "and Michael gets trapped in the Cage with him. Lucifer convinces him that by tainting his blood as well with Demonic energy, they could escape their prison and take control of the Universe."

"This created the first truly dangerous imbalance," Judah said. "The power of one Archangel being corrupted with Lucifer was bad enough to let Demons and monsters into this world, when Michael added his power to that list, it became much, much worse - the walls began to crumble down."

"And then they ended up getting themselves killed," Chuck chimed in, picking up the explanation. "Which created a massive vacuum of power, allowing the Old Ones to rush through, bringing their Void with them."

"We had to stop that," Judah said.

"So, sorry, we used you and Crowley to do it," Charlie continued.

"How so?" Castiel asked.

"You two are the default leaders of Heaven and Hell," Chuck answered, shrugging.

"Because everyone else is dead," Judah added. Chuck closed his eyes, blowing a breath out slowly.

"Thanks, Judah," he said after a second, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Sooooo, we needed a stop-gap to fill the roles of Michael and Lucifer."

"And the only way to do that," Charlie broke in, " was to mirror the Angel/Demon mixture that Michael and Lucifer had become. So we added Demonic to you with the Souls of Hell, and Creation energy to the Demon with the Souls of Heaven. Since we had to protect the Souls anyway, it seemed like a no-brainer."

"The only problem is, the imbalance still exists," Judah sighed. "Giving you this power is keeping the Old Ones from fully manifesting in this dimension, but it's not enough to hold them back forever."

"So, what do we do about that?" Castiel asked, reverting back to a familiar soldier mode. "They have Crowley in custody, and I cannot resist the call from Aleister much longer without your help. They are an eyeblink away from controlling all of that power."

"We let Armageddon happen. The Biblical one," Judah replied calmly.

"That's your plan..."Charlie retorted, squinting in anger at Judah.

"Life feeds Death, Death feeds Life, that is Creation, it just so happens that we need and have more Death to work with in this case," Judah answered.

"We haven't even let Creation get started back up really," Chuck interjected. Charlie hushed him and shot him a warning look. "Oh...yeah, sorry..."he said sheepishly, looking away, deliberately avoiding Castiel's gaze.

"No...what did you mean by that?" Castiel shot back. He paused, thinking. "And you mentioned 'This dimension' just now...we are the only remaining dimension..." He watched their faces carefully. "...isn't that true?"

They didn't answer. Chuck finally shook his head. "Castiel, while I would love to answer your question, considering what is about to happen, it really isn't the best time to do that." He looked sincere and apologetic, holding his hands out to the side. "Please, just...we don't all think like Judah here..."

Castiel frowned. "What do you mean? What's about to happen?"

They all looked up to the crest of the hill. Castiel followed their gaze. The silent figure began walking down towards them. Castiel caught his breath and then eventually nodded in resolve when the sun illuminated the figure's face.

"The final play, Castiel. I hope that what you know now helps," Chuck said. "I...wish it was more."

Castiel put his hands on his knees and stood up, watching the figure get closer and closer, feeling the trap closing around him.

"At least I know why you did it, giving the Souls of Heaven and Hell sanctuary within us," he said quietly. "I just wish you would let me know how to actually protect those Souls..." When he received no answer, he turned away from the approaching figure and back to the picnic blanket.

They were all gone. Castiel's shoulders slumped as her turned back.

"That's Father for you, huh?" he asked, looking up at the silent form, who had stopped within arm's length and was just staring blankly at Castiel, waiting for him, it seemed. Castiel sighed wearily, bracing himself for the return to the real world, where he would be exposed to the summons from his Master, exposed to the crippling pain of resisting it once more.

Or maybe the chase was truly over. Maybe there was no point in resisting anymore, he considered, looking the figure up and down.

"Let's get going then, Gabriel," he said, moving towards the other silent, still Angel. "We have a Universe to save...or destroy...I guess we'll have to see which it is." He frowned as Gabriel made no movement, gave no signs of seeing Castiel there at all.

"Gabriel...? Gabriel, what's wrong with you...?"

The former Archangel's arm shot out in a flash, his palm gripping Castiel's forehead. There was pain and the screams of seemingly a billion Souls instantly drowning out his every thought, until, finally, he collapsed to the ground in an unconscious heap.

Gabriel inclined his head to the side, then, wordlessly, bent down to grasp Castiel's ankle, and began the task of dragging him back up the grassy hill...back towards the Huntsman and the Wild Hunt, his quarry in hand, his task complete.

A small smile flashed across his face, and was gone in an instant.