2/24/12: Edited for clarity and for silly little errors that were driving me nuts.
Bobby texts Sam the coordinates for a suspected haunted house around noontime, and by 2:00, the brothers had arrived at the location. It was an old condo – abandoned, it seemed, and looked like a fairly prime place for an angry spirit – if you ignored that there was a noted absence of people around to terrorize.
"Hello?" a voice calls once they enter the house, "is someone there?" It's coming from the other room, so Dean quickly salts the line to the door. The boy – or at least, what looks to be a boy – seems unbothered and he passes over it Harmlessly glancing around the room until he spots the Winchesters. "Oh – what?"
"Uhm… hi?" the kid says, holding up his hands awkwardly as he watches them point their guns at him, "Just… for the record, if you shoot me I will bleed and possibly die even if that is just salt," he says it casually, but Dean notices the panic in his eyes.
"This house is abandoned, what are you doing here?" Sam says, eyeing the kid thoughtfully. The kid perks up and nods.
"Yeah, see, I don't know. I was at home, and I felt really weird and passed out, and then when I woke up I was here. I was really starting to panic by the time you guys showed up; though the guns aren't really helping with that."
"Dean, does this kid seem familiar to you?" Sam hisses to Dean. Dean flickers a glare at his brother before re-focusing on the kid – who smiles in an awkward, lopsided sort of way as he notices the attention.
"Yeah," he replies to Sam. Then, louder, "Who are you?"
"Uhm, my name is Mark," the kid, Mark apparently, replies. He shifts awkwardly on his feet, "could you guys, maybe, put the guns down? This is really freaky."
And he did seem freaked out, but in more of a general, being-threatened way than in a random-people-just-burst-into-the-house-and-pointed-guns-at-me-for-no-reason kind of a freaked out.
"I just really want to go home," Mark adds, "bullet-hole free."
"Dean," Sam hisses, "he's wearing the amulet."
"Where did you get that?" Dean growls at the kid, lowering his weapon for now. Mark glances down, and fiddles with the charm a little bit.
"My Uncle gave it to me," he says after a minute or so, his voice a bit reluctant.
"And where did he get it?" Dean asks.
"A trashcan," Mark replies in – eerily enough – nearly the exact same tone. Dean feels Sam shift awkwardly beside him, "Look, I just want to go home. Can we go to Uncle Bobby's?"
"Who are you calling – "
"Dean!" Sam suddenly says, loud enough to draw the attention of both Mark and Dean, "Dean, holy –" Sam cuts off, eyeing the kid strangely. Mark is staring at him, eyes wide and imploring, and Dean is just really tired of this shit.
"Uhh, I'll drink some holy water," the kid offers, "And I have a silver knife in my boot, but I'll use yours if you'd prefer…" After about 5 minutes, they establish that the kid is, most likely, human.
"Where are you from, then, kid? We'll give you a lift," Dean finally says with a sigh.
"Yeah, see, that's the thing – I'm kind of from the future," the kid says with a wince. "I don't think that the Impala's been swapping powers with a Delorian, so…" the kid gives that same awkward smile and pairs it with a shrug.
"Are you a hunter?" Dean asks.
"No," Mark replies, "I'm a student. My Dads are, though, and my Uncle so sometimes I help out." He pauses, "I have a test tomorrow, so…" he blinks, "I mean, if you could call an angel and have them zap me back the same time I left, that'd be great."
"You honestly expect us to believe you're from the future?" Dean states.
"Dean, angels have screwed around in time with us before," Sam points out. Dean glares, but pulls out his phone and presses the button for Cas' speed dial.
"Cas?" Dean asks, "we kind of have a situation."
"Where are you?" comes the reply and, after relaying the address, Castiel flutters into existence next to Dean. He then proceeds to stare at Mark, who stares back looking amused and surprised.
"This is so weird," Dean thinks he hears the kid mutter.
"Cas. This kid says he's from the future," Dean states, effectively catching the angel up, "can you go ahead and fly him back home?" Mark rolls his eyes with an annoyed look to rival one of Sam's bitch faces, "what?"
"My name is Mark," Mark says, "and it wouldn't kill you to say please." He pauses at Dean's glare, looking cowed, "uhhh, Sir."
"When did you arrive?" Castiel asks.
"A few hours ago. I've kind of been subsiding on questionable water from the tap, too, now that you mention it. Do you guys have some food?" Mark glances around, as though Cas had materialized a restaurant with him.
"I brought him here," Cas says to Dean.
"What?" Mark asks, looking surprised.
"Why him?" Sam asks instead.
"Why at all?" Dean voices.
"Not him specifically," Cas intones in his usual annoyed voice, "but I found a ritual for summoning a human with grace to arrive and help us find Father and, as it was around the same time and 'Mark' is clearly human, but has natural grace, it is him," Cas gestures to Mark who looks slightly uncomfortable.
"Wait? A human with grace? Doesn't Dean have some of your grace imbedded into him with your freaky handprint thing?" Sam asks.
"Natural Grace," Mark and Cas answer at the same time. At the looks he receives, Mark gazes at the floor and rubs awkwardly at the back of his neck.
"Grace he was born with alongside his soul," Cas finishes.
"Some sort of angel-human hybrid?" Sam asks, his nose wrinkling.
"Exactly that," Cas agrees, "the result of a union between an Angel and a Human."
Sam and Dean turn at exactly the same time to stare at Mark, who has looked back up and winces at them awkwardly. He waves.
"Wait, how is that even possible?" Dean demands. Cas starts to look a bit flustered, and Dean cuts him off, "not like that kind of possible, I mean like the whole 'angel and not human' kind of possible."
"I'd like to know 'that' kind of possible," Sam offers, "he said he had two Dads – you said you had two Dads, right? – he says he has two Dads," he turns back to Cas before getting a reply further than a nod and the start of a sentence from Mark.
Cas shoots him a look.
"Of course it's possible," he says slowly, "It just doesn't happen very frequently. We have been away from earth for two thousand years."
"I'm the first one in awhile," Mark pipes up, "according to Uncle Gabriel."
"Well at least that rules out Gabriel as one of the dads," Dean offers, frowning at the thought of Gabriel's possible offspring. Behind him –though he doesn't notice – Mark makes almost the exact same face.
"Angels are genderless," Cas says as though he were uninterrupted, "gender plays very little role in our procreation."
"So he was hatched?" Dean asks.
"No," Mark exclaims, sounding insulted, he walks closer to the three, "I was not hatched thank-you. I was carried like a normal baby… just… in my Dad," he trails off, his lips curling as he seemed to hear what he just said, "okay, I wasn't hatched. Let's just leave it at that."
"So how can some teenager help you find your Dad?" Dean asks Cas.
"He has an amulet," Sam offers, "I still have Dean's old one – maybe two is better than one?" Dean glances at him curiously.
"You grabbed it?" he asks. Sam shrugs, looking a bit hurt.
"It meant a lot to me."
Meanwhile, Mark is fiddling with his, looking uncomfortable, and Cas is frowning at him unnervingly.
"Cas?" Dean's voice interrupts the angel's musings, "What's the procedure here?"
"It was implied that it we just… follow him, he would lead us to what we need," Cas said after a moment.
"That's all?" Dean asks flatly. One of Cas' eyebrows twinges just a little bit, and his voice comes out a hair defensive.
"It was a ritual to assist the caller in obtaining something of great importance. I figured it wouldn't hurt." He says shortly.
Sam and Mark both look inexplicably amused.
Dean turns to Mark, whose grin drops to one of suspicious innocence.
"Alright, boy wonder, what does your gut tell you to do right now?" he asks, crossing his arms.
"Well, I'm hungry?" Mark offers, "if that counts."
"That should work," Cas says after a moment, though he doesn't sound too sure. Dean rolls his eyes.
"Great. Let's go find some food then," he huffs.
"If it makes you feel any better, I exorcized the ghost when I got here," Mark says brightly.
His brother was a moron. That was the official explanation that Sam had come up with by the time they were seated at the diner. Watching Mark pour over the menu – occasionally having his eyes flick up to gaze at Dean or Cas for a second was driving him crazy. Seeing Cas watch the teen, obviously still pondering, was irritating but; you know, it's Cas, so…. Dean being clueless…
His brother was a moron.
"Did the apocalypse happen in your timeline?" Dean finally asked after the waitress had taken their order. Mark gazed at him calmly from where he had been stirring his coffee rather hypnotically. It was clear he had been expecting this question for awhile.
"Sort of," he replied with a shrug.
"Sort of?"
"Well. Didn't it technically already happen? Lucifer is out of the cage, right? There was no avoiding a confrontation."
As both Dean and Cas visibly slump where they sit, Mark starts.
"Oh, but I mean… I'm alive, right? I was conceived and born after all that went down, so…. And, look, I may even be from an alternative timeline! I mean, I was never to- err, Oh! In my timeline, Balthazar is around all the time; and you guys haven't brought him up once!"
"Balthazar is alive in your timeline?" Cas demands, his eyes widening. Sam feels his eyebrows dart up, that was downright intense for Cas emotions. He see's Dean's face scrunch up as Mark nods.
"Yup! He's one of my favorite uncles. When I was little, him and Gabriel would compete over who cold tell the best stories," Mark nodded.
"Who won?" Sam asked.
"Who spent a couple hundred years as a Nordic Trickster?" Mark replied with a grin. Sam wasn't sure how to answer that, though his assumption would be with Gabriel.
"So how did the apocalypse end?" Dean asked. Mark sighed, starting to look a bit uncomfortable.
"I'm not… sure. I mean, it was before I was born. I know that it was within the year where Lucifer was first released, and…" his brow furrows in an eerily familiar way as he stares intently at the tabletop before glancing up, "I don't know a whole lot about it, okay? Dad and Das don't like to talk about it!"
It's really awkward when the waitress comes back two seconds later with the plates, but if she notices she doesn't comment.
That three-or-so-minute long time is apparently all Mark needs to calm down. He takes a deep breath and glances back up from his plate, looking every bit the 'sad puppy angel'
"Look, I'm sorry. I'd love to help, I really would. But I can't. I don't know anything that could help you guys. I just want to go home," he sunk down in his seat, frowning at his plate again.
Dean catches Sam's eye and his head jerks to the door. Rolling his eyes, Sam stands, "we'll be right back."
"Do you believe this kid?" Dean asks.
"Really Dean, really?" Sam clarifies, "you don't notice anything familiar about him at all?" His eyebrows reach new impressive heights with his incredulous look. Dean frowns at him, but glances at the table.
Mark is currently chatting with the waitress, who must have stopped by to re-fill Sam's water glass. She's a young thing, though probably not much younger than Mark. Sam has seen the exact same flirting expression on Dean's face before.
"What do you mean?" Dean asks.
"Uh, the fact that Gabriel is one of the few angels who's not a dick to us – okay, not trying to kill us… okay, anymore. And he's one of Mark's 'favorite uncles'? Or the fact that he recognized the Impala? Or the fact that he has the amulet? Or his eyes, nose, mouth, freaking freckles!" Sam is getting a bit flaily here, but he's frustrated. Maybe it was a part of the ritual that Dean and Cas can't recognize him.
"You know, now that you mention it, his eyes are kind of freaky. You think he's Cas' kid?" Dean questions.
"Come on Dean, Das? Plus he talks about the apocalypse as though his parents were there, which I assume we all will be."
Both brothers turn to look at the table again. The waitress has sense left, but Sam can recognize that smug look in Mark's eye. He's chatting about something to Cas, who is just studying him intently. Sam tilts his head towards the scene, raising his eyebrows in the universal sign for 'see?'. Dean lets out a grumbling sigh and shifts his stance, running a hand over his face.
"Okay, maybe. But I don't see how Cas could be meeting any guys before the apocalypse comes to a head. Doesn't seem very responsible. Let's just focus on getting this kid back to where he belongs," Dean stated. Then he walked back over to the table.
Sam face-palmed.
After the lunch, the four wander around town for a bit. Mark seems intrigued by the way Dean and Cas interact, Cas is watching him trying to find a way to find God, and Dean is frowning at both of them looking vaguely betrayed.
"So Cas, can you even take him home?" Sam finds himself asking, "you're low on juice, aren't you?" Cas glances at him hesitantly and nods.
"It would be… next to impossible, yes." Mark's face turns surprised, and then falls.
"What?"
"Cas was cut-off from heaven," Dean explains. Mark's head tilts.
"Could you guys call another angel?"
"Look, I don't know how it worked where you're from – but Cas is the only angel really against the apocalypse over here," Sam said.
"What about Gabriel?" Mark asked, eyes wide, "I mean he's an archangel! He should be able to help." Sam and Dean exchanged a look; the guy wasn't listening at all. He seems to notice and shakes his head, "No, really. I mean…" he paused, "when did you last see him?"
"He trapped us in 'TV Land' to try to convince us to say yes," Dean growled. For some reason, this made Mark brighten up.
"And you let him out of the holy fire, right? That means he owes you!"
"How do you –"
"How do we get a hold of him, then?" Sam cuts his brother off. Dean shoots him a glare, which he ignores.
"Easy! Just pray," Mark said, with a familiar head tilt that conveyed that he wasn't entirely sure why that wasn't obvious.
"So you want us to call him over here so he can screw with us again?" Sam asked, eyebrows shooting up, "I don't think so."
"No, really, he owes you!" Mark repeated.
"What's to stop him from tricking us after sending you back as apart of his 'owing us'?" Sam pointed out. Mark paused.
"Err. The inherent goodness of his heart?" he suggested with a wince.
"Yeah…" Sam trailed off.
"Please?" Mark exclaimed, "I want to go home! I don't belong here!" he seemed to mostly be talking directly to Dean – eyes wide and pleading. Dean sighed.
"Okay, kid. Let's just…" he trailed off and turned around at the same time as Cas and Mark. Sam followed and - sure enough - Gabriel was there.
"Uncle Gabriel!" Mark exclaimed in a wildly excited voice.
"Kiddo!" the archangel responded. Mark ran and gave the man a hug.
"What are you doing here?" he asks.
"I felt my presence was needed," Gabriel replies with a shrug.
"Wait, are you… aging?" Sam finds himself asking, because Gabriel looks older than the last time the Winchesters were at his mercy. Gabriel rolls his eyes, and gives a familiar smirk.
"I decided to take the look for awhile."
"Wait. So you're… future Gabriel?" Dean asks. Gabriel nods, "Where's the present you?"
"He's around. In hiding I would think," Gabriel replies, "I'll deal with him in a bit."
"Can I go home now?" Mark blurted. Gabriel turned back to – his nephew? – and frowned, shaking his head.
"Sorry Mark, the ritual isn't complete yet. It's blocking me from returning you to your proper timeline."
Castiel perks up at this.
"He is helping?" he asks. Gabriel looks amused.
"Yes, bro. In fact, he's helping right now and you don't even know it." Cas glanced around. They were – at that point in time – in front of a bookstore. Sam sighed when he realized that a display of the Supernatural Books took up the entire front window. Mark tilted his head.
"What are those?"
"Nothing," Dean and Sam muttered at the same time. Mark had already entered the shop and Dean groaned as he heard Gabriel and Sam follow.
"Perhaps we should try getting a hold of Chuck again?" Cas said in a contemplative voice, "we could see what he's working on now."
"Yeah, 'cause last time that worked out so well," Dean pointed out. Cas shrugged, and Dean glanced back to the shop, "I guess I should go make sure Sam doesn't buy the entire set," he grumbled. As he entered the door, Gabriel exited it.
"Hey Castiel," he said. His voice was eerily similar to the last time he had said it, "how are things?" Castiel glared at him.
"If you know how this ends, can you not just tell us so you can take your nephew back?" he pointed out. Gabriel shrugged.
"I'm intrigued. Besides, he's homesick but I do think he's enjoying himself…" Gabriel trailed off. There was pause before he continued, "you know Cas, this isn't about our Father who aren't in heaven."
"What do you mean?" Cas asked.
"The ritual. It was to get you something of great importance," Gabriel said. "Do you not notice anything familiar about Mark?"
"Well," Cas said hesitantly, "he does… remind me of Dean. He has a very similar facial structure and soul."
"There you go!"
"But why would Dean's future child be of great importance to me?" Cas asked, genuinely puzzled. Gabriel took a deep breath.
"Technically, he's supposed to help you find something of great importance," he said. Cas looked confused, "And really, Castiel. Really?"
"I…" Cas trailed off.
"He's your kid too. You and Dean," Gabriel stated bluntly.
"That's impossible!" Cas exclaimed, looking stunned. Gabriel rolled his eyes.
"No its not. You know its not."
"My grace is – "
"Eventually, you'll re-obtain your grace," Gabriel said with a sigh, "I'll hold that up to being the reason you didn't recognize the similarity in Mark's grace." Another eye roll, "honestly."
Cas was silent, his eyes wide.
After a minute or so, the Winchesters emerged from the bookshop without any bags.
"Hey Cas, I think it would actually be a good idea to hit up Chuck," Dean said, walking over. Cas glanced up, looking stunned, and then zapped out.
"Well…" Sam trailed off awkwardly.
"Do you think he knew we meant all of us?" Mark offered. Gabriel was laughing silently at the display. Mark turned to him with a glare, "you told him, didn't you?"
"Of course I did!" Gabriel replied, "he was never going to figure it out on his own!"
"He wasn't supposed to!" Mark exclaimed, "you screwed everything up! I'll never get home!"
"Mark –" Gabriel started; but Mark just turned around and zapped out.
There was a break.
"What the Hell is going on?" Dean asked, turning to Gabriel with a glare. Gabriel held up his hands, feigning innocence.
"He just misunderstood the situation," Gabriel assured them, "we'll just give him some time to cool off."
"Cas or Mark?" Sam asked.
"Both," came the reply, "so dramatic. Honestly."
"So Mark is Cas' kid then?" Dean asked. Gabriel shot him a disbelieving look, which he transferred to Sam – who just shrugged in a casual 'what can I do?'kind of way.
"Well done, Deano," Gabriel drawled, "I don't have time for this, I have to go talk to my past self. Give them some space, they should come back in awhile." And then he popped out too.
A pause.
"What the Hell?"
It had been about an hour by the time Cas re-appeared, looking panicked.
"Where's Mark?" he demanded the second he was on stable ground. His alarm was contagious.
"We don't know, he ran off right after you did, what did Chuck say?" Dean asked.
"Zachariah's here," Cas said.
"What?" the brothers exclaimed.
"We have to find him," Dean said, starting to pace, "Where could he have zapped off to?"
"Well his range is short, right?" Sam pointed out, "he can't have gone too far."
"Hello boys," Zachariah's voice, as taunting as ever, rang out from behind them, "Welcome back to earth! I think we need to have a discussion."
"Now's not the time," Dean stated. Zachariah beamed.
"I think you'll find that now's the best time. Well, for us. I believe for him it's still the wrong time." Dean growled and in seconds he had the angel pinned to the wall.
"Where did you take him, asshole?"
"He's safe," Zachariah said, "you know I think the boy would make a very nice alternative Michael sword." He pushes Dean off of him, but the second the hunter is out of the way, Cas has soared over with one of the angel blades, nearly catching Zachariah before the older-appearing man popped to the other side of the alley, crouching with his own blade.
There's a swirl of movement, and Cas gets the brunt end of the sword slammed against his head, causing him to go flying.
"Cas!" Dean finds himself yelling as Cas crashes against the wall. Cas lets out a groan. As Dean rushes over, Zachariah flies off. Dean swears as he spins to see the angel vanish. With another groan, Cas pushes himself from the wall and grabs Dean and Sam by the wrists, and then he vanishes.
When they arrive, a second later, Dean feels more than hears Cas hit the floor. And then he realizes that they somehow followed Zachariah.
"Papa?" comes a scared and concerned voice from the corner. Dean turns to see Mark sitting in the corner, surrounded by a ring of what could only be holy fire; he was staring at Cas.
"Mark, you okay?" he asks.
"I've been better," he replies.
"We're going to get you out of there, don't worry," Dean assures him.
"How did you…" and there's Zachariah. He sighs, "no matter. Now that the whole family is here it'll be easier to make a decision. So boys, what'll it be?"
"Let Mark go, he doesn't have anything to do with this," Dean says. "Do you really think I'll be more likely to say yes to you if you hurt a kid?"
"Not at all," Zachariah replies with a grin, "but you see, Mark over here is the first Nephilim in centuries. Since he has his own natural grace and is apart of the bloodline; were Michael to use his real body as a vessel, he would never have to leave it."
Dean wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but he sure didn't like the sound of it.
"Let him go."
"Michael's grace would burn out the remaining grace and soul in his glorified meatsuit, and have a human form all his own."
"No," Cas' voice comes weakly from behind Dean.
"Nearly as good as the actual Michael sword," Zachariah finishes in a conversational tone.
Dean spins around as he hears a loud motion, just in time to see Sam make a break for it towards the holy fire circle. Dean isn't quite sure what the plan was, but it doesn't matter as Zachariah flings his brother back instantly.
"Not so fast boys, we need to discuss our options," he said with a smirk.
"Our options?" Sam clarified.
"Say yes, and I won't skin the little abomination," Zachariah hissed.
"You're an abomination!" Mark shouted from his flame circle. "What sort of heavenly being would resort to threats and violence to start the fucking apocalypse?"
"Shut-up!" Zachariah snapped, "you Winchesters are so annoying!"
"Proudly," Mark growled back.
"What?" Dean asked.
"Oh, right," Mark said.
"Dean, that's your kid. Congratulations, it's a boy," Sam said. Dean froze, staring at Mark.
"Hi," Mark said.
"So boys, start calling in your favors before I, shall we say, heat things up!" Zachariah said gleefully.
"Don't touch him!" Dean yelled.
"Well then let me call – "
And then Cas raised his arm from the crumpled heap he had become on the floor. The flames around Mark smothered and the teen was instantly across the room and tackling Zachariah to the floor.
Zachariah kicked him off, causing Mark to go flying across the room – hitting the wall with a crash and a loud 'oomph'. Dean pulled out his gun to distract Zachariah but before he could let out a shot, Zachariah exploded.
"Son of a Bitch!" Dean exclaimed, just barely hopping out of the way as Zachariah's insides came splitting around the room. He noticed a dark ashy imprint of wings, and filed that away for future notice.
"Hello Sam,"
"Lucifer," Castiel and Sam say at the same time.
"Lucifer?" Mark demanded, his voice cracking. They all turned to the door as the devil's current vessel strolled into the room, "Holy shit."
"Hello boys," he said with a smirk, "I'd very much like to be the only one doing the threatening around here. Though I must say, I enjoy his methods," his gaze turned to Mark and Dean felt something very cold build in his stomach.
"You won't touch him," Cas growled, pushing himself to his feet.
"Yeah? You going to stop me?"
"No, I will." Proving the angelic family's penchant for the dramatic, Gabriel strode into the room, twirling a sword.
"Gabriel, really? You're going to side against your own brother?" Lucifer said, arms wide.
"It looks that way, Lucy." Gabriel said, "see, I know the truth. Dad loved you best. But then he brought the new baby home and you couldn't handle it. This is all just one big temper tantrum, brother, and it's time to grow up," Dean grabbed Cas and pulled him off to the side, keeping an eye on the two archangels in the middle. It was a younger Gabriel, he observed, and he wondered what future-Gabriel had said to him.
"Gabriel," Lucifer started in a pacifying voice, "if you're doing this for Michael…"
"Screw him. If he were standing here, I'd shiv his ass too," Gabriel said with a snort.
"You disloyal – " Lucifer started to rant. Gabriel held up a hand to stop him, a harsh voice cutting in.
"Oh I'm loyal. To them," Gabriel gestured toward the Winchesters in the corner, "People, Lucifer. Dad was right. They are better than us," Gabriel said softly, "and I'm tired of hiding, and I'm not on your side, or Michaels. I'm on theirs." He took a step closer, and Lucifer took a step back, looking regretful.
"Brother, don't make me do this," Lucifer said, sounding pained.
"No one makes us do anything," Gabriel said with a smirk.
"I know you think you're doing the right thing Gabriel. But I know where your heart truly lies," and then Lucifer spins around with his own angel sword, stabbing a second Gabriel in the stomach, "Here." Lucifer looks – somehow – both regretful and cheerful as he continues talking. Dean sees Mark shaking as he watches the scene. The first Gabriel, apparently an illusion, fades. "Amateur hocus pocus. Don't forget, you learned all your tricks from me, little brother."
And then, causing everyone to jump, Lucifer is stabbed from behind. Lucifer screams, a bright white light spilling from his eyes and mouth as he crumbles to the ground.
"Gabriel," Sam says in a breath. And it is – future Gabriel, looking stunned as he stares down at the corpse of his brother –again with the ashy wing imprints.
"It's strange, I remember it, but…"
"A little help?" the other Gabriel hisses out. The older one kneels down and gently removes the sword. Apparently it hadn't hit in the right spot yet. Gabriel looks shaken, and he keeps staring at his future self.
Both Gabriels are enveloped in a hug by Mark. It makes Dean smile to realize that his son will be a bit more affectionate than he's been good at.
His son.
This is a fucked up day.
"You knew this was going to happen the whole time?" Sam exclaimed.
"There was always the possibility of Mark having been pulled into a reality paradox instead of a time paradox," Gabriel said with a sigh.
"Asshole," present-Gabriel grumbled.
"You're fine, aren't you?" his future doppelganger snapped. He looked shaken too though.
Dean suddenly realizes that his arms are still around Cas, and that the angel is shaking.
"Woah, Cas, hang in there man."
"Oh!" present-Gabriel pipes up. He strides over, "What's up with him?"
"He was cut-off from heaven," Dean said, "for not agreeing with the apocalypse."
"Your influence I suppose," Gabriel mused. Dean growled, "Well that doesn't seem like much of an issue anymore, so…" he puts a hand out and – after a warning look from Dean is dismissed with an eyeroll – touches Cas' forehead with his front two fingers.
After a moment, Castiel starts.
"I'm… okay," he says. He pulls away from Dean, and turns to face him.
"Are you sure?" Dean finds himself asking.
"Yes," Cas says, "I feel… whole again. Or next to…" And then he finishes off his sentence by bridging the extra two inches between himself and Dean with a kiss.
Dean kisses back for a bit before he realizes what is going on and pulls back.
"Cas?" he says shakily.
"Yes Dean?" Cas replies.
"What are you doing?"
"Well I was kissing you," Castiel said slowly.
In the background, both Gabriel's look very amused and Sam and Mark both have slightly grossed-out faces. Cas and Dean are oblivious to this.
"Oh," Dean replies.
"Dean I love you," Cas says. "I decided that would be the best way to tell you."
"Well," Dean starts. And then he leans down and starts kissing Cas too. After a moment, he pulls back. "I love you too." He says.
There is a comical pause
"I love you," Dean repeats. "Holy crap. I love you," he says. Cas blinks, looking a bit bewildered.
It's like a spell has been broken in the room. Future-Gabriel claps his hands.
"Well then! I think that about covers it."
"What?" Mark asks,
"I'm allowed to take you back now, the ritual is complete," Gabriel says, effectively explaining absolutely nothing.
"But…" Cas looks perplexed, "I haven't found…"
"Something of great importance?" Gabriel clarifies, "I hate to say it, bro, but you just discovered Love." He wiggles his hands to apparently accentuate this point, "That's what Mark's purpose was, according to the ritual."
"That's – " Sam starts.
"Rituals are notoriously cliché, Sam," Gabriel cuts in. Sam frowns.
"Great," Mark grumbles, crossing his arms. "I get to see my family when they're all young and I get threatened, kidnapped, trapped in holy fire, covered in asshole guts, nearly get killed by Lucifer, and have to watch my parents make-out."
"One Hell of a Thursday, really," Gabriel concedes the point. Mark rolls his eyes.
"Fine then. I guess it'll be a relief to go home." He pauses, and smiles at Dean, Sam, and Cas, "It was great to see you guys though, really awesome."
There's a large group hug and a few sappy not-tears before future-Gabriel pats Mark on the shoulder, gives them all a smile, and they vanish.
When Dean wakes up the next day, Cas is gone. Sam is snoring on the other bed, Gabriel is on the motel's couch watching a daytime soap, and none of them remember a future-Gabriel, Mark, or ritual at all.
Except maybe – just maybe – Gabriel himself. But he's not talking.