A/N: This is the sequel to both 'Of Secrets and Truth' and 'To Friends and Family'. Both of those need to be read first for any of this to make sense. This is my planned final installment of this series. This is a journey into Hell, and as such, there is of course some mature content ahead.

This one has a Cas and Dean POVs only.

Updated Daily

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or any of their characters from CW. I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story. Any and all real persons and situations are purely coincidental.

1

Be Warned and Descend

"You're out of your bloody mind." Crowley called out to him.

Dean shook his head, "not on this, he's been in the Cage for almost four years. You know how long that is in Hell? Almost five hundred years. And he's down there because of me. I had a choice to bring him or Sam back, and I choose Sam. We've been running around from one catastrophe to another, never really getting a chance to think about springing him. Now we can, or at least try."

Sam looked at him incredulously, "you…but, why now?" Then he turned to Cas, "you can't be ok with this."

Cas smiled politely back, "in fact Sam, I already know and I fully support Dean."

Finding no support from him, Sam looked back at him, "and how are you supposed to do that Dean? Last time Cas was only able to get my body and you had to deal with Death to get my soul…which was damaged by the way, to bring me back. You plan on calling him again?" He knew Sam was being concerned for him, and it was a valid worry. "And even if you get him back, he was down there for a long time between Lucifer and Michael. He's going to be unstable…dangerous. Or do plan to set up a wall in his mind too?"

"We can deal with that, or even try to see if we can send him back to Heaven. Being back here is still better than being in Hell. He's family Sammy…ok, sure, we didn't know him until he was dead. And he was a pain in the ass when we had for that small time, but he's our brother."

"And what's the plan Dean, waltz into Hell, knock on the Cage and ask if Adam can come out to play? He's locked inside with two of the most powerful beings in the universe, in an impenetrable prison."

"Not impenetrable Sam, I was able to get inside to get you." Cas said.

"Sans soul Cas, and you were an angel then. Are you going to ask Raziel or Balthazar then?"

"No, angels are too much of a distraction in Hell, I was barely unable to escape the previous two missions. And we would not ask them to place them in danger in our stead. Sam, all Dean wants to do is save your brother. And we have already worked out a plan. Of sorts." Cas replied.

He continued where Cas left off, "we're going to go down, and yes, walk up to the Cage and get Adam out. It's not going to be easy, but we can do it."

Charlie cut in, "we? Like you and Cas? Alone?"

He nodded, "yeah, it's my responsibility, and I need Cas to be with me. As a guide and backup. Together, we can do it."

"You know it's a bloody mess down there right now? It's not all nice and organized like when I was running it, it'll be chaos." Crowley added before sighing. "The Cage is in the deepest darkest point of Hell, where no ones, not even demons go. It's out kind of sacred area, but it's also the most…well, it lacks description. You go down there, no telling what'll happen to you."

Sam slumped his shoulders, "Dean, please, I know you want to do this, but we can find another way. We'll all look, maybe"

Dean interrupted him, "you know there isn't another way Sam. And you're staying here, Robbie needs a dad, so forget asking to come. Cas and I can do this. We already have a plan drawn up."

A look of angered surprise showed on Sam's face, "you have a plan? How long have you two been planning this?" He could hear the betrayal and disbelief in Sam's voice, and it pained him but he needed to do this.

"Couple weeks," he admitted.

"God dammit Dean, neither one of you could have said something sooner?"

"To do what Sam? So you can bitch and try to convince us not to go? We're going to do this Sam, whether you like it or not." Dean nearly yelled back.

Throwing up his arms in defeat, he was about to say something when Robbie started crying over the baby monitor. Throwing him a bitchface to Dean, Sam got up and went to tend to the infant. Dean looked around to see if anyone else want to debate it with him.

Kevin spoke up next, "I'll read what I can from the demon tablet, see if there's anything in there that can help you out. Figure no point to convince you guys not to go."

"Thank you Kevin. We have been going over your previous notes, and we'll need all the help we can get." Cas answered.

Charlie crossed her arms, "well, I'm not happy about it, but Kev is right. You're both too stubborn to back down. May as well tell us the plan." Crowley nodded in agreement in her assessment.

Cas explained the plan, "we would descend into Hell ourselves and go to the Cage. It's easier to do as a human than as an angel. There are ways to make us invisible while we travel to the Cage. I was able to exploit a weakness in the design in the Cage last time to take Sam out. I believe with great confidence, we can do so again to get Adam."

"And pray tell, what is that Cassie? We don't want to accidentally let the devil out." Crowley asked.

"Simply put, the prison was meant to hold archangels but not their vessels. A human body and soul have no place inside, so it was a matter of pulling him out. Carefully. The last time I was in a hurry and did not know that Sam was not without his soul. We can't go in, but he can choose to go out if we open the way for him. Lucifer and Michael cannot escape without the rings now, so there is no chance of that happening."

"You still have to cross Hell to get there though, and that's not easy task." Crowley warned.

Dean replied, "yeah, we know, but between us, I know we can do it. Besides, we won't be gone long. At least not from your perspective, maybe a couple of days, like a hunt."

"And you plan to get a reaper to take you down? Or go through the side door?" asked Crowley, now intrigued by the plan.

"Side door, one rarely used now. Mt. Etna will be out entry point. Then we'll escape through Purgatory and back here." Cas provided.

Crowley stroked his chin, "clever, demons haven't used that one in ages since it's so heavily warded now. And going through Purgatory and the portal there? Brilliant. Humans only and you'll be the only ones who can get through. Kudos to you both, it's not bad. Still, it'll be a maze down there. How do you plan to navigate? You can't exactly google directions in the pit."

Dean smiled, "simple, we lock onto the strongest power source Return of the Jedi style. There's a device the Men of Letters had to locate items or people of power. We found it in the vault. Kinda like Jack's compass."

"His showed him the direction of his greatest desire." Charlie corrected.

"Yeah yeah, I know, but same principal," he replied.

"Seems you two have come up with a good plan, dangerous, but not bad. When do you go?" Crowley asked.

"Soon, we still have a little bit of planning, but soon." Sighing, "but not before I have a talk with Sam."

Cas squeezed his hand, "he'll come around, just give him a little bit of time."

He went to find Sam later in the evening, who had holed himself in his room with Robbie. Knocking on the door, he let himself in after a moment. Sam was sitting at his desk looking at something on his laptop while Robbie was happily playing in his crib.

"Got a minute," he asked quietly. Sam turned around he could still see that he was upset. Still, his brother motioned for him to sit, which he did so. "I know you don't want us to go Sam, but I have to do this. He's innocent and he's there because of us. We owe it to him as his brother to go and try to save him."

Sam sighed, but kept his face set on being upset, "I understand, I do, but why now?"

"Why not now?" he retorted, "listen, you're probably right, he'll be damaged. But he's suffered enough, once we're topside, we'll find a way to help him. All I am asking is for you to trust me on this Sam."

"Dean, you asked me to trust you, but why didn't you trust me when you first thought of this? Why did you and Cas have to hid it from all of us?"

He figured that was the reason why Sam was primarily angered about, him and Cas keeping it under wraps for a long time. He knows he was a weak answer, but he says it anyways. "It came to my mind when we started talking about having a holiday party, and family and all that. I asked for Cas's opinion because he's my uh, well, he's Cas and I'm with him. I'm supposed to go to him first. And he agreed. We both thought it was better to wait until the holidays were done with so we can all enjoy it without this hanging over our heads."

Sam closed his eyes and he can see that he was going over what he said in his mind. Finally, after several minutes he replied, "ok, I get that. I don't appreciate it, but I get it. No way of talking you out of it?"

"C'mon Sam, when have I ever listened to reason?"

Rolling his eyes but giving him a little smile, "good point." Sam stood and picked up Robbie, who squirmed a little but made happy sounds. "You come back though, I want Robbie to have his gay uncles."

"Dude, how many times I have to say it, I am not gay!" Dean huffed back, "I'm just Cas-sexual." He loved the line from Charlie, who apparently got it from slash fiction. The fact that Charlie has read it made him uncomfortable, but she has her quirks and he loves because of them. Usually.

"Pfft, whatever. Seriously though, come back in one piece both of you."

"Will do Sammy. We'll build that house together ok? And then Cas can go to school and we can try to have out apple pie life."

Sam sat back down, cradling Robbie, "about that Dean…have you thought, about…you know?"

He scratched his head, "yeah, but I don't know Sam. The entire getting married thing…it's kinda out there for me. For us both. He doesn't understand the concept of marriage, I mean, he does…but and I quote 'I do not understand the need to seek legal recognition of our relationship.' I think the symbolism escapes him, but I have to agree with him. We're good now, why go through the pomp and ceremony to make it official?"

Sam had his thinking frown on, "it's up to you guys. He has a point, but you're right, he doesn't get the symbolism behind it. Still, it would be nice."

"Well, we'll figure it out. No rush right? It's not like we have a ticking time bomb of an apocalypse happening. We plan on heading out in a couple of days. You good with that?"

"Not that I have much of a choice in it but alright. Want to hold him? It's time for his nap."

Dean outstretched his arms to take his nephew, and began rocking him to the tune of Highway to Hell 'til he fell asleep.