A/N: Tadite on tumblr asked if I could write something about Cas's deal with the Empty, so here it is. Feels and fix-it.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Thanks to 29Pieces for beta reading!
"Never After"
It came out of the blue, just as it promised it would. They were celebrating Jack's birthday. He'd had a few, but this was the first time the day wasn't overshadowed by some big threat to the world or to one of them. In fact, over the past few months, things had finally started to calm down across the board. That day, the Winchesters and Castiel had taken Jack to the beach. Dean had grilled hamburger patties over a fire pit and Jack had unwrapped his gifts—a book from Sam, keys to a classic Camaro from Dean, and an angel blade engraved specially for Jack from Castiel, even though the boy had long since gotten his powers back. The day had been filled with smiles and laughter, and seeing everyone happy and unburdened had made Castiel feel a deep measure of peace he had never before experienced in all his long millennia.
In that moment, surrounded by the love and companionship of his family, he'd forgotten about the guillotine hanging over his head. Which was what it had been waiting for.
Castiel's spine snapped taut as a cold, vicious thing surged up out of nowhere and lashed treacly fingers around him. The thick unguent burrowed deep into his body, spreading its glacial poison. It crawled up his face, and Castiel saw his family's expressions morph from joy to horror. It all happened in only a few seconds, and the last thing Castiel saw was everything he was going to lose, and then the nothingness claimed him.
He gasped as he was spat out onto an obsidian floor in the black expanse of the Empty. The slick oily tendrils slithered around his limbs as the entity retreated and mushroomed up into a faceless blob. It didn't even try to mirror Castiel this time as it crouched down in front of him. He closed his eyes, resigned to his fate. He didn't regret saving Jack, never would. Besides, he supposed there were worse things than eternal slumber.
"Oh, you'll find no peace here," the Shadow sibilated, as though reading his mind. "I haven't been able to return to sleep since you woke me up." The entity let out a deranged chuckle, and then lashed out to grab Castiel's throat. "No sleep for me; no sleep for you. I told you I wanted you to suffer. You ruined my sleep. And now you'll spend the rest of eternity trapped here, awake for every…single…miserable…second."
Castiel didn't have a chance to process the terror of that before the floor was giving way beneath him and the essence of the Empty was coiling around his body again, squeezing and tightening. He was sinking in the unyielding mire. The sick unguent plunged into his mouth and down into his lungs, paralyzing them. There was no breath to scream.
The globular Shadow stood, oozing with gloating satisfaction. Castiel writhed and choked, mind-numbing shock seizing every nerve in his body. He would have prayed for death…but there would be no relief in it.
Dean stared in shock at the empty spot where Cas had just been standing, before the angel had gone rigid and then this horrible black substance had bubbled up out of nowhere. There'd been no time to react before it had swallowed Cas whole and then he just…vanished.
It was Jack's uttered breath that broke their stupor. "No."
"What the hell just happened?" Sam sputtered.
Dean didn't know. The sight of that black ichor had reminded him of the Leviathan, but that couldn't be it.
Jack surged to his feet from the picnic bench. "I have to fix this."
"I'll call Rowena," Sam said, pulling out his phone. "Maybe she can—"
"She can't help," Jack interrupted, sounding oddly sure. "That was the Empty."
Dean blinked. "What? What do you mean that was the Empty?"
A muscle in Jack's jaw ticked. "This is all my fault. I'd forgotten…"
"Forgotten what?"
Jack ducked his gaze. "When I was…dead, and in Heaven, the Empty attacked. It was looking for me, I guess because I'm half angel, and it thought I belonged with it instead of Heaven. Cas- Cas made a deal for the Empty to take him instead."
Dean's brows shot upward. "Excuse me?"
Sam looked equally flabbergasted. "But, that was...that was years ago!"
"The Empty said it wouldn't take him right away, that it wanted him to suffer first. It- it said it would wait until he was finally happy on Earth, and then it would come for him."
Dean mentally reeled back. That son-of-a-bitch. He didn't know whether he meant the Empty or Cas just then, but he clenched his fists in growing fury. How could Cas have made a stupid deal like that? After their long histories combined of making bad deals!
Of course, the answer was right in front of him. And was there anything Dean wouldn't have done to save the kid? But dammit, this couldn't be happening. They couldn't have just lost Cas like…like that. Not after everything they'd been through. Not when things were finally starting to go well.
Dean's knees started to buckle and he sank onto the picnic bench. No. No, he couldn't go through this again.
"I'm going to fix it," Jack repeated. "We'll get him back. I did it once before; I can do it again."
"Jack," Sam said, voice still laced with shock. "You woke Cas in the Empty, but it was the entity that sent him back. And if it was angry about that…it's not gonna let Cas go again."
Dean dropped his head into his hands. He should have known better; he should have known they could never really be happy, that something would always come and shatter it.
Jack shook his head adamantly. "Then I'll go there and bring him back myself."
"We're not gonna let you kill yourself," Sam said sharply. "Cas sacrificed himself for you; what would he think if you throw that away?"
"I don't care. Cas gave his life for mine because he loved me. And I love him. So I'm going to get him back. Besides, I don't have to die to reach the Empty. I can open a door, just like I did to apocalypse world."
"We needed a dream walker's help with that, and you ended up trapped over there. Dean and I ended up somewhere even worse." Sam shook his head. "Dean, help me out here."
Dean looked up, but couldn't bring himself to say anything. His throat was clogged with grief and he didn't even have any words to get stuck trying to get out. This was Cas.
Sam's expression pinched with distress, and he turned back to Jack. "We'll find another way. Maybe Heaven can help. Or Billie—Death."
"You know they don't have any power in the Empty," Dean finally said in a low voice. "And they wouldn't care about helping Cas anyway."
"Then we'll pray or summon or do whatever it takes to get Chuck's attention. Anything but letting Jack sacrifice himself too."
"Cas said God doesn't have any power in the Empty either," Dean said hollowly.
"But I do," Jack insisted. "Like you said, I woke Cas up the first time. Which means I can reach him." The kid squared his shoulders. "I'm doing this, Sam. Cas is my family and you've always said we don't leave family behind."
Sam's eyes wavered, but he finally nodded. "Okay, but we get help. I'm still calling Rowena."
Jack didn't argue.
Dean didn't say anything. He couldn't feel anything at this point. Not even the crushing despair from the last time Cas had died. Because if they couldn't fix this…Dean didn't know if he had it in him to survive this all over again.
Jack stood in a clearing out behind the bunker, Rowena at his back and Sam and Dean off to his right. They'd decided to do this outside, not wanting to give the Empty access to the bunker while the rift was open. Rowena said she could help Jack channel his power so he opened the right doorway, and then she could help the rift remain stable while he was on the other side, but other than that, this mission was entirely up to him.
He couldn't deny the glimmer of fear festering inside him at the prospect of seeing the Empty. The being he'd encountered in Heaven that one time had been frightening enough, but knowing what its realm was like filled him with even more trepidation.
Jack pushed it down, though. Cas was there—his dad was there. And Jack was not going to leave him to that fate, since it was because of him Cas had made that deal in the first place.
He took a deep breath and summoned up his grace. He felt his eyes flash gold.
Rowena started chanting something behind him. Jack didn't understand the words, but he could sense their intention. Focusing all his might on Castiel, he stretched his awareness out into the cosmos. Rowena's magic swirled around him, nudging him back on track when he began to drift. After several long moments, he connected with…nothing. A void so vast and dark that it stole the oxygen from his lungs.
The air rippled and split, the edges glowing muted silver. Jack sucked in a sharp breath, and took a step forward. He could do this.
"Be careful, Jack," Sam said.
He nodded.
"Jack," Dean spoke up, voice cracking. "Bring him home."
"I will," he promised.
He stepped through the rift.
The loss of all sensation—sun, breeze, scent of pine and cedar, the crinkle of leaves—was a shock, and Jack staggered as he found himself standing in…nothing. He turned in a full circle, but it was the same in every direction. Just darkness.
A chill ran down his spine, and he felt a surge of gratitude that Cas had saved him from this.
"Cas," he whispered, the silence oppressive. He cleared his throat and spoke more firmly. "Castiel."
Something pinged deep within his chest, within his heart. Jack turned toward it. When he felt the small tug again, he broke into a run to find it. Though the rift's gray edges were barely visible where he'd come out, Jack could sense it, could sense Rowena's magic on the other side giving him an anchor to return to once he retrieved Cas.
Jack called up his power again, infusing it into his voice as he called his father's name once more.
A faint burble sounded up ahead, and Jack thought he saw a shifting of shiny oil, like a pool. When he drew closer, however, he stumbled to a stop in horror. Cas was lying in a sunken trough, treacly unguent bubbling over him. Only his face was exposed, but the gunk was covering his mouth like a slimy gag, and his eyes were blown wide with agony.
"Cas!"
Jack dropped to his knees on solid firmament and plunged his arms into the oil. It was freezing and blubbery, and clung to his sleeves. Jack let his grace flare, gold briefly illuminating the darkness from his eyes. The ether of the Empty was pushed back, revealing more of Cas. Jack managed to grab one arm and started hauling him out. The semi-liquid made a squelching noise as it fought to hold on, but Jack merely extended his hand and let his fury erupt. With a concussive whomp, the inky fluid retreated, and Jack finished pulling Cas out of the depression.
Cas fell onto his side, hacking up more of that disgusting substance. Jack braced one hand on his back and the other gripped his shoulder as he watched worriedly. Cas spat up several globs of unguent before finally collapsing. Jack continued to hold on as he shuddered and coughed weakly on the ground.
Finally, the angel lolled his head up to look at Jack in wide-eyed shock. "Ja- no. No," he rasped brokenly.
Jack squeezed his shoulder. "It's okay. I'm going to get you out of here."
"He's not going anywhere," something hissed.
Jack leaped to his feet and spun around as black liquid bubbled up from the floor into a shapeless torso and gangly limbs. But then the substance started to disappear, and Jack found himself staring at a mirror image of himself. Except the eyes held a madness he was sure he'd never possessed.
"He's staying," the being of the Empty snapped. "That was the deal." It canted its head, shoulders shaking with a minatory laugh. "And since you're here, you might as well stay too."
"No," Cas gritted out. "That wasn't the deal."
Jack watched his mirror self's face contort with rage, and he planted himself firmly in front of Cas.
The Empty's expression softened. "Oh, sweet boy. Is this where you offer yourself up instead?" it cooed.
"Jack, no."
The Empty giggled and clutched its hands up under its chin. "Oh, that would hurt you, wouldn't it? If I took away the child you loved."
Jack clenched his fists, reminding himself to stay calm. He'd come here with a purpose, and he would see it through.
"Let him go," Cas grunted, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees. "You have me. That's what you really want."
"I think he'll refuse to leave without you."
Jack narrowed his eyes at the words spoken with his mouth, his voice, though the tone was slightly off. Slightly manic.
He turned back to Castiel. "I'm not leaving you," he repeated, but with the full weight of his resolute promise behind the declaration. "Just like you refused to leave me."
Cas's eyes watered and he shook his head pleadingly.
"How sweet," the Empty simpered. "Of course, stay, sweet boy. Castiel is just dying for some company."
Cas let out a strangled sound, and Jack whirled to see the black oil lashing up around him again, tendrils crawling up his face and into his mouth, then bleeding out from the corners of his eyes.
"No!" Jack shot a hand out toward the Empty still wearing his face.
An explosion of power hit it square in the chest and sent it flying. Jack's visage wobbled and then melted back into the black blob, which slowly got to its feet.
Jack took a menacing step forward. "You can't have him."
The Empty let out a screeching hiss. "He's already mine," it spat. "He'll always be mine."
Jack's expression hardened, and he raised his hand again. "No," he repeated lowly. "Not anymore."
Ocher waves rippled out from his palm, filling the Empty with a glowing haze. The being went rigid, its limber back arching sharply. Jack channeled every ounce of his grace and soul into his power, and pushed. The Shadow screamed.
With one final burst of energy, the amorphous blob let out one last ear-splitting shriek, and exploded.
Jack staggered back a step, chest heaving. Had he done it? When nothing moved, he spun back to Castiel. The oily strands were slithering away again, leaving him gasping for breath. Jack dropped down next to him and took him by the shoulders.
"Cas?" he called worriedly.
Cas lifted his gaze, expression still slack with shock. Jack pulled him into a tight embrace, holding on in sheer desperation and relief. Cas clung to him as well. A small smile cracked Jack's face. He'd done it.
"Let's go home," he said.
Cas pulled back, looking bewildered. "Jack, if you're dead…I don't know how to escape this place."
Jack's smile only widened. "I'm not dead. I opened a rift to get here. Come on." He got to his feet, helping Cas up as well. The angel stumbled, and Jack slipped an arm around his back to help support him. But then Cas froze again.
"Jack," he murmured.
Jack stiffened as he felt it—a shifting in the foundation beneath his feet. Looking around, he saw the sleek floor turning into dozens and dozens of puddles. Alarm shot through him; had he not defeated the Empty after all?
But it wasn't a sinister essence that rose up from the pools. It was wavelengths of celestial light and wisps of hellish smoke. Jack watched in astonishment as the angels and demons that had once been asleep in this realm were now waking up.
At first, they swished back and forth in the air, probably disoriented. But then some started shooting away—toward the rift.
Jack felt a thrill of fear. There were some dead angels—archangels—they did not want to let free.
"We should go," he urged, tugging Cas along.
Together they hobbled across the obsidian landscape, now burbling with hundreds of graves burrowing up from below. Jack focused on the echoing chime of the rift, opened by his own power. It was faint, but still there. Up ahead, he saw phantoms banking down to sweep through it. Jack quickened his pace.
And then he and Cas were abruptly on the other side, back in the world with crisp oxygen and blinding sunlight and harried voices shouting. Jack tripped and went down to his knees, taking Cas with him. Which was just as well, because specters came shooting out of the rift above their heads.
"Close it!" he shouted.
Rowena started an incantation, and there were several shrieks as the rift closed, sealing away those trapped in the Empty forever. Jack could only hope neither Michael nor Lucifer had escaped.
Hands were suddenly gripping his shoulder as another pair pulled Cas from his arms. He almost instinctively hung on, but let go when he realized Dean was the one prying Cas away. Sam was to Jack's left, ducking down to catch his eye.
"Jack? Are you okay?"
He nodded.
Sam sagged in relief, glancing at Cas and letting out a delirious grin. "You did it."
Jack managed a small smile in return. "Yeah, I did."
"Cas, you okay?" Dean was calling worriedly, cupping the angel's face and looking him over critically. There were dried tracks of black ichor under his eyes and some dribbling out from the corner of his mouth.
Cas nodded shakily, but didn't seem able to speak just yet. Dean pulled him into a crushing hug.
"How could you make a deal like that?" Dean growled.
"You've…made them…before," Cas wheezed.
"Yeah, and I remember you telling me it was a stupid deal."
Cas lifted his arms to cling back and buried his face in Dean's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I couldn't…"
"I know," Dean cut him off, and sighed. "I know." He looked over to meet Jack's gaze. "Good thing the kid takes after you, huh?"
Cas let out a humorless huff and started to pull away. Sam reached over to embrace him next, and Jack got in there as well. After all the times his family had rescued him, he'd finally been able to return the favor.
Rowena cleared her throat. "Not to interrupt this touching family reunion, but did you all miss the great exodus of souls that came out of there?"
Sam and Dean visibly stiffened.
"Yeah," Sam said. "Were those…?"
"Angels and demons," Cas replied. "When Jack killed the Shadow that ruled the Empty, they all started waking up."
Sam's brow furrowed before his eyes widened in horror. "Not…"
"I don't think so," Cas immediately said. "I would have sensed if Lucifer or Michael had woken."
"But we don't know who else just came back to Earth," Dean said.
"No."
Jack straightened. "But this is a good thing."
All of them gave him dubious looks.
"There are now more angels to return to Heaven."
Cas rocked back. "Jack's right. That…that could be just enough to save Heaven."
"If none of the dicks who escaped plan on world domination," Dean muttered.
"One thing at a time, Dean," Jack said with a smile.
Dean blinked, but shook his head and placed a hand on Cas's shoulder. "Alright, buddy, let's get you cleaned up."
Both Dean and Sam took Cas by the arms to help him to his feet. He swayed, and the Winchesters were quick to brace him securely between them. Jack trailed behind as they headed inside. His family was safe and home, and no matter what came tomorrow, they would face it together.
Just like they always did.
A/N: You all can head canon whoever you want to have been resurrected there. (Speaking of resurrections, you need to read 29Pieces's coda to this as well if you haven't yet-"How Fierce My Love")
Also, I have decided to quit watching Supernatural. This has been weighing on me for over two seasons, but the sad fact is that the things I like about the show do not outweigh the negative, and I just don't like the way it makes me feel. I'll still be writing fan fiction with Cas, no worries, just no codas or fix-its for future episodes, and I would appreciate it if no one mentioned spoilers or brought up what's going on the rest of the season. Maybe eventually I'll be able to come back and catch up on what I've missed with less emotional investment. But right now I need this to be a clean and complete break-up.