Thanks for clicking on my story! It takes place after 13x21. Please review if you have a spare minute. Reviews make me happy. (-:

"Gabriel said he'd meet us back here," Sam said.

They had just finished checking the north perimeter. Bobby liked to make sure that things were still safe and that the warding was still intact. 'Can't be too safe with these winged bastards,' he had said.

Trying to make himself useful, Gabriel had offered to take the south side. Of course, Sam had volunteered to take the north. Anything to distance himself from Lucifer, if only for a couple hours.

And of course, Dean had insisted on coming with.

"He's got wings, doesn't he? What's taking so long?" he asked impatiently.

"Don't know. But we should wait here, I guess." Sam was already sitting on a stray log. He was in no hurry to return to the camp.

"How you holding up?" Dean asked. It was a stupid question, but he figured now was as good of a time as any to ask.

"Fine." Sam huffed. But there was really no use in lying to Dean. "It doesn't matter, anyways. Let's just get everyone home safe," he added, hoping to drop the subject.

And they waited just like that, in silence for a couple more minutes. That is, until a figure appeared behind them.

"Identify yourselves."

Oh, for the love of-

Dean whipped around with his gun, loaded with angel-killing bullets, but then froze in his tracks.

"Claire?"

The woman was unphased by the two large men pointing guns at her.

"No," she answered flatly, her eyes glowing an angelic shade of blue. "Identify yourselves."

"You bitch- let her go!" He charged towards her. Sure, it wasn't actually their Claire. And sure, it was stupid and reckless. But oh well. It had been a rough day. This just happened to be the icing on the cake.

The angel threw him back like a ragdoll, slamming him against the nearest tree.

"This vessel's soul no longer with me," she claimed, as if that was supposed to somehow comfort him. "Now identify yo-"

She was cut off by Gabriel, who suddenly came up from behind and held a blade to her throat. His clothes were torn, a few light cuts decorating his skin. He had obviously fought a few angels before coming to their aid.

"Come on, Sis. What are you doing here?" Gabriel asked, like a parent questioning a child. Or an older sibling questioning a younger one.

"G-Gabriel?" She breathed. "How… You left Heaven. Millenia ago..."

"Sorry, Cassie. But we're gonna have to bring you back with us. You've got some explaining to do."

"Sam?" Castiel walked towards him, worry evident on his features. He stood outside of a large tent. "I heard you guys ran into a group of angels outside of the campgrounds. Is everyone alright?"

"Uh, yeah. Everyone's alright, but…"

"What is it?"

"Uhm..." Sam shifted uncomfortably. How does he even explain? "I think… I think you should just see for yourself." He held the tent door open, gesturing for him to enter.

Inside, he noticed Dean, Gabriel, and Mary, huddled around a figure. Was someone hurt? He quickly made his way into the group, anxious to see what the problem was, and if he could help.

The last thing he expected was to see Claire Novak's body strapped to a chair, held in place by a pair of Enochian-engraved handcuffs. Except it wasn't Claire. It was him.

"...He- or she," Sam corrected. "...Hasn't said a thing since we brought her here," he explained.

"What was she doing ouside of the camp?"

Claire's head snapped up at the sound of her own angelic voice. She tilted her head and squinted her eyes as she looked straight at him. "What the hell…" She breathed, clearly taken by surprise by seeing another version of herself. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm you. From another universe."

"Obviously. You and I are much… different," she replied coolly.

Castiel looked over at the others, gauging their reactions. He hated the idea of them seeing him like this, of seeing this… version of himself who most likely led armies and destroyed innocent lives.

But now wasn't the time to worry about that. There were more important things...

"What were you and your garrison doing outside of our camp?" Castiel asked calmly, leaning down to interrogate himself.

"If you really are me… You'd know that you're wasting your time," The angel answered.

Castiel sighed, as he had suspected as much from himself. After all, he had always been his own worst enemy.

He brought himself closer, his face only inches from Claire's. He saw no trace of a human soul inside her. Good. This was going to hurt.

He summoned his angel blade, then slammed it through her shoulder. She muffled a loud scream behind her lips, refusing to show pain.

"What. Were. You. Doing?" he tried again.

She spat in his face.

Castiel had to give himself props. The bitch was tough.

He twisted and removed the blade from her shoulder, earning a pained grunt. This wasn't working. Time to try something else-

A rough hand grabbed his arm and dragged him from the tent.

"What the hell, Cas?" Dean asked angrily.

"Dean, get out of the way." They didn't have time for this. Not now.

"Dude, you're torturing yourself."

"She has information that we need."

They had all come so far. They were so close to defeating Michael and making it out alive. And he wasn't going to let himself ruin that.

"Come on, man. This is… I mean, this is you that we're talking about here."

"That thing is probably commanding and communicating with Michael's armies as we speak. She's probably plotting with Michael on angel radio right now," Castiel argued urgently.

"You don't know that. Not for sure," Dean challenged. Because Cas would never give himself the benefit of the doubt. And he'd never give himself any credit. Dean at least knew that much.

Castiel shook his head. Dean didn't get it. He couldn't get it. To him, Castiel would always be the angel that raised him from Hell and fell for humanity. But this? This was an entirely different Castiel. One that, unfortunately, had never gotten the chance to meet Dean.

He gave him a somber look. "It's what I would have done."

He pushed past him and into the tent.

He eyed himself carefully, then turned to the others. "Everyone, out."

They looked at Castiel, and then to each other before exiting without a word.

It was just him and her, now.

After all, he had always been his own worst enemy.