Chapter 2

Author's note: There is a direct quote from s9 ep11 and I in no way claim it as my own.

I also encourage reviews J let me know what you think! Chapters should go up pretty quickly

for the next little bit, and I'll let you guys know when I catch up with posting the stuff I've

already written. Until then, enjoy and let me know how you feel

Cas waited until they couldn't be seen or heard by Sam before he grabbed Dean's shoulder and spun him around.

"Dean-"

"I know, Cas, I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Dean said, mistakenly taking Cas' confusion for anger.

"Dean… I never said I didn't want it to happen again." Cas ran a hand through his hair, making it even messier than it already had been. "But if you don't want to-"

"Oh, believe me, I want to." Dean said, his voice growing even deeper than usual.

This time it was Cas who started the kiss. He grabbed Dean's face and pulled it towards his own. When they're lips met, Dean couldn't resist swinging Cas around and pressing him against the wall. Cas rolled his hips passionately against Dean. Dean moaned against his mouth and began to explore Cas' with his tongue. Their hands began a mutual exploration, slowly at first, then more urgently.

It was Dean who broke the kiss first. He inhaled sharply and said, "Sam will worry if we're gone too long." Cas nodded. He buried his face in Dean's neck and pressed a soft kiss there before pulling back.

Dean didn't sleep that night. He couldn't. He had too many questions. He guessed he shouldn't be surprised. How many times had he caught Cas staring at him- and more importantly, caught himself watching Cas? He'd been supressing his feelings for so long now, he was almost able to forget they even existed. Almost.

But that didn't explain why he was suddenly acting on them. It had been weeks since the Fall, and Cas had been with them the entire time. He was only ever gone when he went to a second hotel room to sleep, up until now at least. Dean had been the one to suggest separate rooms in an attempt to avoid temptation, which had obviously gone real well considering Cas was now snoring softly in a cot at the foot of Dean's bed. Awesome, Dean thought.

Dean didn't know whether or not he and Cas could have an actual relationship. He was well aware that Cas wanted his grace back, and that he would return to Heaven when he got it. Unless… for the next several hours, Dean pondered whether or not Cas would stay if he asked him to.

It was nearly three when, as Dean was just starting to drift off, Cas suddenly bolted upright in bed, and a cry of pain escaped his lips.

Dean sat up. "Cas?"

There was silence for several moments aside from Cas' gasping breaths and Sam's soft snoring, and then Cas' soft, "Yes?"

Dean got out of bed and walked over to Cas. "Talk to me." He said as he knelt on the floor.

Cas slowly lowered his head back to his pillow, then rolled over to face Dean.

"When I was an angel I didn't sleep, but I do now. It's kind of annoying."

"Yeah, a lot of human things are pretty annoying." Cas shot him a look. Dean reached out and ran a hand through his friends hair. "Sorry. Keep going."

"Anyways, now that I sleep, I also dream, and they usually take the form of nightmares. I dream about purgatory, and about what I did to Heaven when I was God. Dean, I killed so many angels and humans. And now then Fall. Dean, they all blame me. I'll never be able to stand with them again, even if I do get my grace back."

It hit Dean that this was probably his on and only chance. I inhaled deeply, preparing to launch into a speech about how he wishes Cas would stay because blah blah blah and feelings, but when he opened his mouth, all that came out was, "Don't go back."

Cas had been worrying the covers through his fingers, and his eyes snapped up and his hands froze. "What?"

"Stay here, with me. And Sam." He added as an afterthought.

"Dean, why would you want me here?"

"What?" Dean echoed, rolling back onto his feet.

"How many times have you been hurt because of me? I mean, every awful thing I've done has hurt you. And on top of that you were in Purgatory months longer than you had to be because of me-"

"I chose to stay and look for you-"

"You never would have been there if not for my actions."

"Dick had to go!" Dean exclaimed, louder than he should have. He regretted the words immediately- they both looked over to where Sam was still sleeping soundly. Then Dean realized he'd practically handed Cas his next argument.

"The reason the Leviathan were even on Earth was me." Cas said softly.

"Cas!" Dean said, grabbing his friends face. Cas could tell the hunter was upset and immediately felt guilty knowing that he was the reason why. "I have forgiven you for everything. None of it matters- we're family." They both cringed at Dean's words, because they were the exact same ones as from the crypt, the night Cas nearly killed Dean. Dean shook it off, saying, "I told you once that you were like a brother to me. Cas, that was me trying to tell you that I need you here, with me." He took a deep, shuddering breath. "Cas, I'm begging you… don't go."

"Dean, I-"

"Guys, what's going on?" Sam said, voice thick with sleep. Dean's head snapped to the side, just in time to see his brother reach for the lamp on the table beside him. He snatched his hand way, and rocked back so that he was lounging on the floor.

The light flicked on just as Dean got settled.

"Not much Sammy."

Sam scowled at the nickname, then asked, "Why are you sitting on the floor?"

"Cas and I are discussing a game plan for tomorrow."

"At three in the morning?" Sam asked sceptically.

"Couldn't sleep. Your snoring was keeping us up." Dean pushed himself to his feet and made his way over to his bed.

"Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"Hm?" Dean's eyes flicked up to his brothers. Shit, he thought.

"The game plan? The one that was important enough to decide upon in the middle of the night?"

"Ah, see, uh, Cas and I are, uh, going to rock the FBI getup, and you," he said, struggling to come up with an adequate excuse that would keep Sam out of the Impala. "You're going to put some feelers out in the community, see if anyone saw anything. Maybe talk to the families."

"There are twenty-six families, Dean!"

"Well you don't have to talk to all of them! Cas and I are going to the morgue, the police station and then we'll talk to the survivor. After that-"

"Hello boys." All three men whipped around to see Crowley standing in the kitchen, pouring himself three fingers of Hunter's Helper.

Crowley took one drink, made a face, and set the cup back down on the counter. "Glad to see your taste in scotch hasn't changed," he said, sauntering forward a few steps.

"What do you want, Crowley?" Sam asked.

"Relax Moose, I'm only here to talk." Crowley said as he threw himself into a chair.

"About?" Dean asked, trying to mask his curiosity with disinterest and a bit of irritation.

"Abaddon."

"Wow, that was helpful, even for you," Dean said as he walked into the kitchen and scooped up the abandoned drink. "Care to elaborate?" He asked, with the cup nearly touching his bottom lip.

"She's a royal pain in my ass. She wants Hell- there are Long Live the Queen banners everywhere. Demons are switching over to her side, more and more every day, and-"

"And is there something you need Crowley? Because if you're just here to sulk, I'd rather save the chick flick moment and kill you now," Dean said, knocking back the rest of his drink.

"Alright, fine. I need some help. Some hunters have made for excellent mercenaries in the past, perhaps-"

"No," Dean bit out.

"Excuse me?"

"I've been Hell's bitch before because I had to, for Sam, but never again."

"Would you really rather have Abaddon in charge?"

"I really don't care." Dean took a couple slow steps closer as he spoke, and gestured to his companions and himself. "The only business we're going to have with Hell from here on out is sticking that demon blade in any and every demon we come across."

"Dean-" Sam said, standing up.

"Sam, no-"

"Dean, let's face the facts, Crowley is a much better option than Abaddon. I mean, we've only had a few run ins with her, but where she's kind of an evil bitch, Crowley's only kinda douchey by comparison."

"That might be the nicest thing you've ever said about me, Moose." Sam made the bitch-face.

"So, Dean, which is it going to be? Are you going to help me, or do I need to convince you?"

Dean barely saw it happen.

Cas grabbed his angel blade from beneath his pillow, and was across the room with the blade pressed against Crowley's throat in seconds.

"Don't threaten Dean." He growled.

"Well, well, well, Castiel, it looks like you're missing something. Perhaps your grace?"

"Dean walked over and put a hand on Cas' shoulder. "Come on, man, it's fine." After one more second of staring at Crowley, Cas straightened up. But he made sure to drag the tip of the angel blade across Crowley's throat first.

"Oops," he said, face completely straight. Dean wanted to laugh, but angel or not, Cas was downright scary when he was wrathful.

"Fine," Crowley said. The laceration on his throat was already healed, but the collar of his shirt was stained red with blood. He stood up. "Have it your way then."

Cas turned away. Dean was about to follow suit when he saw a flash of silver as an angel blade dropped from the demon's sleeve. "Cas!" He shouted. Crowley's arm was swooping down, and the blade was inches from Cas' back when Dean grabbed Crowley's wrist. He twisted, and drove the blade into Crowley's shoulder.

As Crowley made a pained noise, Dean twisted the blade. "Nobody touches the angel," he growled through clenched teeth.

"He's not an angel anymore Dean." Crowley whispered as the telltale orange light flickered through his body. "Dean!" He gasped as Dean pressed a little harder on the blade.

"Go. Directly. To. Hell." Dean said slowly. Then, with a quick snap of his wrist, he drove the angel blade straight through Crowley's heart.

"Dean!" Sam shouted, too late. Dean let Crowley's body fall to the floor at his feet as the last of the orange light burned out.