Disclaimer: If you recognized it then I probably don't own it.
Pairing: Castiel/Dean
Castiel watched as the Winchesters prepared for the final trial. Each line and symbol was drawn carefully, precise and with a heavy feeling of this is it. An alter rested in the middle with a wicked blade. It wouldn't be long before Crowley appeared or even Naomi. The brothers moved quickly as the last line was completed.
He had cheated. Looked into the prophet's mind and had seen what the last trial would be. A sacrifice. There were only two possibilities and Castiel already knew which one he could not exist with. Knew which one that Dean could not live with and as always Castiel would not let Dean Winchester suffer. Had known on some level when he had reached out to grip the bright, shining soul of the Righteous Man and left his mark burned into it that Dean was important. That he would do anything in his power to make sure that specific soul never ended up experiencing such horrors again. That there would never again be another chance at Hell tarnishing that light.
Sam and Dean moved back towards Kevin, listening as the prophet revealed that a sacrifice was required. That the individual completing the trials must sacrifice their very soul to close the gates of Hell. The pure light of a soul would be needed. Or they must find a willing sacrifice of equal worth. Something pure and powerful. Castiel could think of one thing.
"No. We'll use me Sam. You're not sacrificing your soul. It isn't worth it." Dean's voice was hard and desperate. His soul pulsed with pain and fear. Castiel felt his very grace twist inside him and wanted nothing more than to step forward to take away that pain. Dean's fear was tangible in the air.
"No Dean! We are not sacrificing yourself. Not again. I am not going to stand by and watch you die for me again." Sam was towering over his brother, features twisted up and desperation laced through his voice.
"Then the gates stay open. We'll find another way. But I am not sacrificing you Sammy. I'm not going to watch anymore of my family die."
The Winchesters were not paying attention to him and Castiel carefully moved forward. He needed to do one thing before because there was no guarantee he would get another chance. The angel moved quickly now and caught Dean by surprise as he reached out to pull the eldest Winchester to him. Castiel covered Dean's lips with his own capturing the surprised sound the hunter emitted as his hand moved up and rested on the very spot his claim was burned into Dean's soul. The mark he'd concealed.
At first there was no response, but Castiel did not let it deter him because he knew the feelings he'd long kept locked away were reciprocated. Dean's hands came up and grasped the trench coat before he started kissing back. Castiel's other hand gripped the back of Dean's neck and he put everything he had into the kiss. All those emotions that Dean had taught him. The same ones the hunter had shown him and could feel them coming back freely from Dean. He could feel Dean's soul reaching out. The warmth and love and protective feelings the hunter allowed for only those lucky few he allowed inside filled the space around them.
Warmth radiated under Castiel's hand as he returned his outward claim so everyone would know. This hunter was his. There had been nothing but regret when he had concealed it after Sam's descent into Hell years before. Finally Castiel pulled back and stared at the heated green eyes looking back into his. Those pupils were blown wide. Sam was standing next to them wide-eyed and Kevin was pointedly looking elsewhere.
Castiel took a step away and offered a slight smile, memorizing Dean's features and reflected on how often it seemed that he was about to leave his hunter. Then he moved to the alter and knew the instant Dean had figured out what he was about to do.
"Dammit Cas! Stop. We can fix this. There has to be another way." The words were so familiar and the angel felt a pang. Prayed to a Father he hoped in that instant was listening that he would not be leaving his hunter. That his family who were surrounding him would not suffer. For a chance to see the place that Dean and Sam Winchester called home. To see Dean's room that the hunter had been constantly talking about on the trip here.
He glanced back locking eyes once more with Dean, "I will not allow either of you to risk your souls." It brooked no argument. A simple fact.
"Please don't do this, Cas. I'm tired of watching you leave me. Of watching you die or sacrifice everything for me. I'm not worth it! I'm broken and tarnished." Dean moved to take a step forward, but found something was preventing him. "Dammit Cas! You can't kiss me like that and then leave me! We've been dancing around this forever."
"Cas. Dean's right." Sam's soft voice sounded as he too stared at the angel standing in the middle of the symbols. "I'm sure there is something else on the tablet. Something we haven't tried yet. Please." It was close to begging and he hated begging.
"This is the only option. You have fought long enough. You deserve peace. Happiness and safety." Castiel turned back to the alter and gripped the knife. "I'm doing this for you. For humanity to have a better chance."
A string of Enochian passed through his lips drowning out the pleas from the Winchesters. On the last syllable Castiel, Angel of the Lord, began to cut his grace out. There was a slight warning before the three humans closed their eyes as light flared bright. Dean's eyes remained closed for only seconds before they shot open and looked at Castiel whose wings were now visible on a plane where they could see them safely.
They were a rich, deep black with a bluish tint that reflected in the sun's rays. His wings were huge and impressive. Everything Dean had imagined those wings looked like in reality and so much more. And then they were gone and Cas was screaming. The lines around the alter flared and Dean could feel the hold keeping him from Cas disappear completely. Castiel's hand lost its grip on the knife as it dropped to the ground next to him. His knees stopped being able to support his body and he crumpled. Blood began to stain the back of his trench coat.
Dean was there in a heartbeat dragging the fallen angel into his arms while being mindful of the bleeding coming from his back. From where Dean knew his wings had been. "Come on Cas. Come on. Dammit you're ok. Open those stupid blue eyes." He could feel Sam as he dropped to his knees next to them but focused on his best friend because Sammy was safe for the moment. Cas was not. "We survived Purgatory Cas. This is nothing. You stupid angel."
"Dean-o, why am I not surprised?" a voice sounded from behind them. Sam whirled around clutching the knife at the same time Dean moved forward to shield both with his body.
"Gabriel?" it was incredulous and earned a smug smirk from the archangel who looked the same as the day he supposedly died.
"Of course. Who else was going downstairs to lock the door?" the archangel popped a sucker into his mouth as he casually strode forward eyes flicking down to Castiel who was unconscious. "Bro." it was slightly pained as he moved down to look at the fallen angel. "Dad was trying something different when he created you."
"How are you aliv-" Sam was cut off by his brother who was now watching Gabriel.
"Fix him." Dean stared at Gabriel, face stubborn and expression determined. His voice shook with the demand.
A frown stole over the archangel's face, "He has to fight through this one on his own. I can heal the wounds from his wings, but Castiel has to wake on his own. He has to survive on his own otherwise it wouldn't be the sacrifice required." A hand reached out and touched Castiel's forehead softly. Dean could no longer feel the warm blood soaking through into his clothes and idly noted Gabriel had removed the blood from Cas. The usually joking archangel wore a serious expression on his features as he turned to the alter that glowed with Castiel's grace.
"How are you alive?"
"Cas wasn't the only one Dad brought back. He brought me back after you returned from Purgatory."
"You've been watching us this whole time? Why haven't you helped? You're an archangel! You could have stopped Naomi from manipulating Cas and Crowley from everything in the very beginning." The anger was obvious in Dean's voice even as his hands remained careful on Castiel. He looked down and watched the rise and fall of the ex-angel's chest in an effort to calm himself. It helped to ground him. This wasn't like the time when Sammy was lying cold on that dirty mattress with a still chest or all the other times Cas had died. There was a sign of life and Dean was going to focus on that. Needed it because he was tired of all the death and pain. Of watching his family die.
"Angels cannot step in all the time. This needed to be humanity."
"Then Cas shouldn't have been able to use his grace." There was a stubborn tilt to Dean's chin. He was sick of being jerked around by angels and demons and gods and everything else on the damn planet. No more skipping around the issue. No more fucking with them.
Gabriel's head tilted to the side as he regarded Dean and it annoyed Dean at how similar the angels were in that regard, "You've changed since last time."
"I've been to Hell, Heaven and Purgatory. I watched my little brothers fall into the Pit with Lucifer riding shotgun and Michael hanging on. My family has been broken apart and I survived Purgatory. I am sick of being yanked around by you assholes. We have a home now." His hand gripped into Castiel's trench coat, "Haven't we given enough? Why do we have to sacrifice everything?" it was almost pleading and to Sam's shock the archangel's eyes actually softened. Sam had no idea that Dean had asked a similar question years ago in a graveyard by himself.
"I told you before you were born for this. And it wasn't just as vessels for my brothers." Gabriel reached out and closed his hand around what appeared to be a white glowing sphere. It didn't look like Anna's had dangling from Uriel's neck. The glow was pure, bright and so completely Castiel. All Dean wanted to do was shield it and put it back where it belonged. "Thanks to my little Bro you're going to get a chance to send all of those demons back to Hell. To prevent any more deals. Sam could go back to the lovely little house he left. To that pretty girl."
"How do you know about that?" Sam's voice was suspicious as he stood up still holding onto the knife as he moved in front of his brother and heard the soft growl the action earned. Felt Dean reach out to wrap a hand around his pants leg as if that would protect him.
"I was standing outside watching you when you left after Dean-o's call." Gabriel turned away and focused down on the light in his hand. "Try not to do anything stupid, boys. I've got a door to lock and a King of Hell to contend with." With a smirk and flutter of wings the archangel was gone.
"Son of a bitch." Dean scowled and returned his complete focus to Castiel who was still breathing, but unconscious. "Help me get him to the car."
Sam moved immediately as Dean took the bulk of the fallen angel's weight all the while moving carefully incase Gabriel hadn't healed all the injuries from Castiel ripping out his grace. "Is he ok?" Sam asked quietly, concern filling his voice and eyes staring worriedly down at his friend.
"He better be."
Kevin moved ahead of them wordlessly to open the backdoor as the Winchesters maneuvered Castiel into the backseat before Dean climbed in with him. Sam stood there staring for a brief moment before rounding the car to the driver's side filing away his brother's actions. He had always wondered about the relationship between his brother and the angel who raised him from Hell. Who willingly fell from Heaven for Dean.
The only thing that mattered was Dean's happiness and if Castiel was the light at the end of the tunnel then Sam wasn't going to say anything. He would drag them all there no matter how long it took.
Come on. You've sent him back every time. Don't let this one be different.
Murmurs from the backseat were barely heard over the roar of the Impala, "Come on Cas. Wake the fuck up. Let's see those stupid blue eyes of yours." It was a constant mantra and Sam knew Dean was blaming himself. Cursing himself and tearing apart his choices. Tearing into all of his perceived faults. No one seemed to hate Dean Winchester more than Dean Winchester. It broke Sam's heart as he pressed the gas pedal down further. The Impala flew down the road taking her hunters towards safety. Away from the place where an angel ripped out his grace for his hunter and friend.
Sam's eyes continued to flick towards the mirror looking at his brother and then occasionally to the side at the silent prophet.
Garth met them at the specified location as Kevin climbed out of the car offering a soft goodbye and a murmured wish for Castiel's recovery. His eyes revealed the deep sorrow caused by Castiel's sacrifice and relief at the closure of the gates of Hell. He was free to return home. To his mother. Kevin wordlessly got into Garth's car as the Impala peeled out on its way towards the Winchester's home. The trip seemed to drag on.
"Come on Dean. Let's get him inside."
Three days. No sign of Gabriel. No word about any demons. Nothing from the angels. No sign of Castiel's blue eyes. No single moment of peace or relief because one part of Team Free Will was down.
Dean rarely moved from the room. Had insisted the ex-angel be placed in his room to be watched. Sam could hear him alternating between pleading and cursing everything. Sometimes the words were murmurs and other times violent outbursts. Creative threats that hinted at time in Hell and Purgatory. Sam had not seen his brother act in such a way that wasn't typically associated with him in some manner.
"Give me back my damn angel. This isn't fair. It isn't right. He was a good soldier. A good son. I fucked it all up. Punish me." The last bit was spoken softly before, "Dammit PUNISH ME!"
Sam sat outside of the room listening for hours. Punishing himself. There was a light at the end of the tunnel and he would be damned, again, if he didn't drag all three of them there. It was a constant thought and focus for him.
A few hours later the sounds in the room behind him died out and Sam waited a few minutes before standing, opening the door and looking inside. His brother sat by the bed slumped forward with his head resting on the mattress. The angle would be horrible for his neck and back. Sam turned his attention to the figure lying on the bed. Castiel had been changed into different clothes. A pair of cotton pants and one of Dean's old shirts. The iconic trench coat hung on the door of Dean's closet and Sam knew the suit was mixed in with their laundry. Castiel looked very different and small lying still in Dean's bed.
Silently he walked into the room intending to place a cover over his brother or attempt to move him into a more comfortable position when a sound from the bed caught his attention. Castiel was moving. The fallen angel's eyes fluttered, face twitching into a frown before a groan escaped and then Sam was staring at dazed blue eyes.
"Cas?" it was choked and relief flooded Sam. Team Free Will could start recovering. Someone upstairs had been listening.
"Sam?" his voice was scratchy from disuse and pulled Dean from sleep.
The older hunter jerked up with his whole body snapping to attention as his eyes flew around the room. They took in Sam near the bed and then moved to Castiel who was turning his head to look at Dean. "Cas?"
"Hello Dean."
This is not necessarily how I think the final task is going to go. But the idea popped into my mind and I had to write it. That and I wanted to speculate on who was watching Sam in the first episode of season 8 because they have NEVER addressed it! Gabriel was an interesting choice and I couldn't help myself. Plus why couldn't another angel be brought back?