Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, any of the character, or the Supernatural world. I'm just a fan.
"We're in Purgatory? How do we get out?" Dean spoke, taking in his new reality.
"I'm afraid we're much more likely to be ripped to shreds." Castiel bluntly answered back, and with another glance, he was gone.
Dean stood all alone while the mysterious red eyed monsters closed in on him. He hadn't a thought of what to do now that he was alone; if he were to run, they creatures would hunt him down. With no other plan but to remain there and accept his fate that Dean Winchester was going to die in Purgatory, he shut his eyes tightly and looked up hoping for a savior, for anything.
He opened his eye toward the sky and saw absolutely nothing but a dark, ominous sky. He quickly shut his eyes once more and faced the monsters for possibly the last time. As Dean scanned the trees, searching for what was making the growling sounds, an unknown figure appeared slightly behind his shoulder to his right. His body whipped around as fast as it could; praying for a quicker death to come. As his eyes adjusted to the figure in the darkness, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
Cas stood before him, staring at Dean as they were surrounded by the snarls coming from within the dark. Dean took a few steps toward Cas for an explanation as to what is going on. Cas remained silent as he looked from each creature to the next.
"Cas? Can you get us out of here? Zap us back to the real world? What are these things, Cas? Cas! Answer me!" Dean commanded as Cas circled their area.
"I'm sorry, but I don't really have any answers about this place that you would like." Cas replied, turning back to face Dean again. Dean saw a glimpse of something in Cas's eyes that he couldn't yet detect given the situation that they were in at the moment.
"Where did you disappear to, huh, can you answer that one?" Dean angrily spat out. Out of the corner of his eye he could have sworn he saw Cas flinch a little from his tone.
"I was looking for a way out for you. For both of us." Cas spoke quietly under his breath. "I want out just as much as you do, Dean, believe me."
"Well, do you have a plan, cause I got nothing?" Dean told Cas as the loud noises in the darkness began to enclose around them.
"I can transport us somewhere safe. Well, more safe than this," Cas gestured at the surroundings. "I just can't transport us out of here completely."
Dean swiftly glanced back to Cas, "Then zap us there now. Just get us out of here." Cas slowly raised his hand to touch Dean's forehead.
Within a second of being surrounded by what was going to kill them they were standing on the edge of a cliff.
"Dude, you've got to be kidding me." Dean said skeptically peering over the edge into nothing. "I'm not gonna jump off a freaking cliff!"
"I'm able to draw a sigil there," Cas pointed to a lone area of rock, "then we jump."
"Whoa, whoa, I thought you needed demon blood and virgin blood." Dean protested.
"I'm an angel; a fallen angel. None the less, my blood is specially made for these sorts of situations. I may be banished from Heaven, but I will find us a way out." Cas informed Dean when a familiar sound caught their attention.
Their head whipped around as they heard dog-like barks coming their way. The padding paws of death sent Dean's heart to beat faster with adrenaline.
Cas quickly reached out and found a sharp rock. Debating his options, he pressed the rock deeper and deeper into his skin. The thick red blood pulsing from his forearm; he brought his fingers up and wiped them over the new incision. When Cas's hand was all but covered in his own blood, he began making large foreign symbols on the ground beneath them; filling in every last detail to complete the sigil.
"Wait, isn't that―" Dean stopped as he recognized the design on the ground.
Ashamed of his past actions, Cas confessed. "Yes. It's the same sigil I used to open Purgatory once to consume all the souls." Cas returned beside Dean. "But I do have to warn you, when we jump, you won't like what you see on the way out"
"Why, what's down there?" Dean spoke, fear rising in his voice.
"Everything. Everything that you and Sam have ever hunted. Everyone, everything that want you dead. Even a couple of my enemies." Cas warned Dean before he started the familiar incantation:
Ianua magna purgatorii.
Clausa est, ub nos.
Lummink, Euiur ab oculis
Nostris retendo.
Sed numc stamus ad limen huius
Ianuae magnae et demisse
Fideliter, perttonoritice, paraiuse aperipe
Eam.
Creaturae terrificae. Quarum lmguia
Et dentis, nunguaiu tetrigerunt
Carnem humanam aperit faules
Fius ad mundum nostrum. Ivunc.
Ianua magna
Aperta tandem!
The world under them stated to cave in, sucking in everything around it. Dean could hear the many screams coming from within.
Dean glanced over to Cas. "Are you sure this is the only way out?"
Cas nodded once. "The quickest and the easiest."
Cas's words brought Dean a little ease, but not enough to jump in without a second thought. It may take them back to the real world, but Dean wasn't ready for the frightening journey out.
"You ready?" Cas asked as he got ready to jump. Dean only made eye contact with him. And that was the all the agreement that Cas needed.
Cas grabbed Dean by the arm of his jacket and they both stumbled for a few steps near the edge of the cliff. Then they fell.
The sudden light made Dean's eyes burn. He could tell he was lying on a cold ground. His fingers went out and touch grass; had they arrived back on Earth?
Dean sat up slowly to make sure that there was no immediate threat. He could see tall trees, mountains, streams, and an open field. And the sun; He could finally see the sun for the first time after being in Purgatory too long. And he never wanted the sun more.
His happiness faded away as soon as he heard footsteps behind him in the grass. He remained still, not wanting to pose as a threat to an unknown thing that was quickly approaching.
"Get up." Dean heard Cas's voice demanding from behind. Dean smiled at the familiar sound and stood up as coordinated as he could as to be back in this world.
"How long have we been back?" Dean asked when he was facing Cas again.
"Almost an hour; you've been out ever since we arrived back. I've tried to wake you but nothing…nothing till now." Cas smiled. "I'm happy you finally woke up. I was staring to believe something happened to you on the way out." Cas let out a long awaiting breath.
"Does Sam know we're back? Have you called him?" Dean asked Cas. "Why didn't you just zap his ass here?"
"I didn't want to leave you…." A quiet voice came from Cas. "I couldn't, not knowing whether or not you would wake up. And I've called Sam, he's on his way. I'm just glad you're okay." Cas's voice trailed out and his eyes wonder to the ground.
Dean nodded in thanks. "Well, what about you? What have you been doing since we got back, chasing bees?" He smirked at Cas.
"No, surprisingly," Cas chuckled at the memories, "I think I'm myself again. I feel like myself. No impulse to chase bees and do many other things I did when I was like that."
"So you're back? The same old Cas who's not afraid to fight?" Dean shook his head with skepticism.
"I feel like I did before. So, I guess I'm back. I believe falling out of Purgatory is the cause. It wasn't really easy falling―" Cas's words were cut off when Dean had pulled him into a hug.
Dean had both his arms wrapped around Cas's neck holding him close, no space between them. And Cas didn't hesitate to return the favor throwing his arms around Dean's waist urgently. "I've miss you." Dean breathed into Cas's neck.
"I haven't gone anywhere. I've always been here." Cas murmured, "I'll always be here." Cas smiled into Dean chest, perfectly content on staying there in Dean's arms. Forever.
They reluctantly broke apart at the sound of a car driving to them. Dean turned around to see Sam drive the Impala with none other than Meg in the passenger seat. Meg, really? Dean couldn't fathom why Sam would even bring Meg.
"Dude, why is she here?" Dean pointed at Meg as she got g out of the car.
"Some advice: don't say 'no' to Meg very often. Trust me." Sam has an annoying look in his eyes as Meg rounded the car to stand beside him.
"Very true," Meg spoke. "Betcha Cas knows all about the by now, don't you Cas?" Meg winked at him.
"Well, being with you, Meg, can be a real pain in the ass. I would know." Dean fired back. "Oh, and leave Cas out of this."
"Feisty one defending your boyfriend like that." Meg was glancing between Dean and Cas. "Did you honestly think anyone missed that little moment before we pulled up? I mean really, could you guys be more secretive about that?" She added sarcasm.
"Meg!" Cas called from the same spot he was in when receiving his first hug. "Please just drop it. Now."
Meg was taken aback by Cas's sudden found confidence. "He's different, Dean. Is he back to his old self or something?" She stared at Cas.
"I guess, Cas feels like himself again. Not wanting to chase any bees." Dean added for Cas's amusement. He looked back to him and held his gaze, forgetting the world around them.
"I wonder how Purgatory actually was for Cas." She mused. "Wondering if it was more like Hell than Hell was getting your ass out."
"Meg. We can talk about everything when we get back. You're the one who wanted to come, now let's go." Sam finally spoke. He walked over to Meg and peered down at her.
Yeah, whatever. I've had my fun; we can leave." She turned around, and headed for the car. She was just sitting there, just waiting for everyone.
"So, how was it?" Sam shot at Dean. "Purgatory, I mean. How'd you two even get out?"
"Worse than Hell." Dean confessed as his voice trailed away. "Oh, you remember Madison?" Sam pondered on the thought. "That one werewolf you banged before."
Memories came flooding back to Sam, "You saw her, but how?"
"Yep. On the way out." Dean shuddered. "I'll tell you, there are no souls or humanity, Sam. It's monster-land down there. Full on monsters, all the time."
"Great to have you back man." Sam patted Dean's back. "You too Cas, crazy or not." He shouted and smiled over Dean's shoulder.
Dean whipped around to see Cas taking four long strides his way, meeting him. "Come on." Dean told Cas as they walked to the Impala.
Dean hesitated on his words, "Hey, Cas, are you okay? I mean, finally being back, you've been quite back there. And is Purgatory still on your mind? I'm honestly not over it completely myself, but…I was awake for everything that happened down there. Everything that happened to you." He finished with a final breath.
"Purgatory is on my mind, yes. But as far as being back," Cas paused for a moment, "neither of us will ever forget Purgatory but nothing will be the same back on Earth." Cas quickly averted his eyes from Dean's when he looked his way. Dean noticed.
"What's up with you? You're acting weird for some reason." Dean nudged Cas's elbow with his when they reached the car.
Cas refused to answer the question, "We should go."
Dean entered the drivers' seat with Sam in the passenger seat. Meg was behind Dean, Cas behind Sam. Dean glanced over his right shoulder and caught Cas staring at him. Cas didn't look away even once, Dean had thought he would, but no. Cas never broke the gaze between them. At this, Dean didn't feel uncomfortable at all, just safe.
Dean started the car, put it into gear and drove off. Cas, sitting in the backseat, turned to look out the window at nothing. He felt different; not because he's back from Purgatory, not because he's himself again. No, something more….
Cas went through every emotion he had ever felt, every emotion he saw the rest of the world feel at one point in time. Trying to decipher what he was feeling now.
He took one more look at the man driving, Dean Winchester. Many thought ran through his mind of what this could be.
One emotion came instantly into mind.
Could it be…
Love?