This story takes place some time after 9x06, Heaven Can't Wait.

Closure

Her cell phone started ringing just as she was reaching for the door knob. She huffed a little, shifted the bag of groceries to her other hip, and opened her door. She set her bags down and started looking through her purse for the ringing phone. She grabbed it just as it started ringing for the fourth time and hit the Send button. Huh, it was an area code she didn't recognize. "Daphne Allen."

There was a sharp but distant intake of breath on the other end of the line, as if the caller had been preparing to hang up and was surprised by her voice. But there was otherwise no response.

"Hello?" Daphne asked into the phone.

"Um," a deep, rough voice came over the line, "I… I don't know what I thought I was going to say. I've forgotten."

Oh, oh god, that voice could only be one person. Tears immediately flooded the back of Daphne's eyes. "Emmanuel?" There was no response over the phone. "Emmanuel, is that you?"

Somewhere in a phone booth in Idaho, Castiel nodded slowly. Then he remembered that Daphne couldn't see him and said, "Yes. Or no, that is not my name."

"Emmanuel, where are you? Are you alright?"

Castiel wanted to say to her what he said to Dean. He was adjusting, he was making peace, he was happy. "No."

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Can I come get you?"

"No! No, you stay just where you are. You're safe there." Away from him.

Daphne quieted as she realized what this call was. Not a call home but an attempt at closure. He wasn't coming back. "Emmanuel, what happened? You remembered who you are?"

Castiel was grateful for her giving him the opening to explain what he could. "I remembered who I am." There was another silence, and Daphne held back a sob as best she could. Then Castiel said, "I have decided what I would like to say to you now."

"OK."

"I have remembered myself. They are not all good memories. I have changed so much and so many times, that I do not recognize myself at all. Most of those versions of me were at least trying to be good, I think. But I usually failed. I just… You should know, the best version of me was the one that was with you."

Daphne closed her eyes. She knew it was futile, but still, "Please come home."

"Goodbye Daphne." Castiel hung up the phone and, with shaky legs, walked out of the booth.