Castiel and Sam stood in a barren field; one like the one Dean had been originally put to rest all that time ago. What lay under the dirt was the burnt remains of what was once Dean Winchester, who'd been slain on the job. His grave was marked by a cross, bearing no sign of the person who lay below it. No names, no dates.
Both Castiel and Sam knew this day would come, where they'd have to say goodbye but neither of them expected it to be this soon. Neither of them realized Dean could so easily been taken, either.
They stood by his grave for awhile, saying goodbye until the sun began to set and wash this side of the world in darkness. Castiel asked Sam for a few moments alone before he returned to the Impala, which Sam let him have.
"So, I'm dead now?" Dean asked from beside Castiel. He had Tessa next to him, seemingly relieved that she got to finally reap Dean Winchester. It had been a goal of hers.
"Yes, you are. You should leave now before it's too late." Castiel said, waiting patiently for Dean to go.
He could have brought Dean back but sometimes dying and coming back is just too much for one soul to carry. Besides, Dean asked Castiel to leave him dead. He still lived, or not, by his philosophy, 'What is dead should stay dead'.
"I know, I already told Tess here that I'd come without a fight but I wanted to see you first." Dean replied. Tessa, sensing he wanted time alone with Castiel, stepped away from the two and gave them a moment.
"What is there to say? I've already said my goodbyes to you." Castiel said. Seeing Dean like this was becoming a burden on him. If he couldn't see Dean as a living, breathing man why should he see him like this?
"I wanted to ask if you'd be my escort to Heaven. That way me and Tessa are both happy. She reaps me, we both know she's been aching to get her hands on me, and I get to spend an afterlife with you and everyone I've lost." Dean replies as he stares down at his grave.
"Before I begin to answer what you've just asked of me, how are you here? We've salted and burned your bones, Dean." Castiel asks, confused. His brow crease as he thinks of any of the things Dean left behind that his soul could be attached to.
"My baby, that's what I'm attached to." Dean answers, smiling. That car was home to Dean, it held some of the most precious memories he's ever had. Of course it'd be the thing to carry on his soul.
"Thank you for clarifying that. So you want me to go to heaven with you?" Castiel asked, the offer sounding seemingly pleasant to him.
"Yeah, you and me reliving my greatest hits or sitting in the Roadhouse with Ash. Drinking with Bobby, talking to Jo and Ellen again. We can spend eternity doing that instead of me waiting an eternity for you." Dean replied, growing a little irritated at the sappy, hallmark card, moment.
"Heaven seems like a terrible idea for me, Dean. The angels still aren't happy with me, I don't know what they would do or what I would try to do once I returned." Castiel says. For the first in a very long time, he was truly afraid.
"We got Ash on our side, Cas. He can travel all through heaven, he can keep angels away. He'll keep you away from those dick bags. Besides, couldn't you just burn those weird ass markings into your own ribcage?" Dean asked.
"N- I don't know. I've never tried it before, I don't think anyone has." Castiel replied. He was now a little curious.
What if he could burn Enochian symbols into himself? Was it actually possible to do so? It may not be, but for Dean Castiel would do anything. Dean's needs always went before his own.
"Then try. We can leave, Sam has Amelia and that dog, he'll be better off without us. He can move on, leave our life like he's been trying do all along." Dean pointed out, knowing he was getting closer and closer to Castiel giving in.
"I suppose it's worth a try. Even if engraving the markings into my own person doesn't work, I'll still stay with you. But I think it wise to save the marking till we believe failure is imminent." Castiel decides.
"Come on Tess, I've reeled him in!" Dean called to the reaper, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, patiently waiting for the time to leave.
"Let me say a proper goodbye to Sam first. I think it may be best if I check in on him every now and then." Castiel informed Dean as he made his way to the Impala.
He tapped on the driver side window once, grabbing Sam's attention.
"Hey, Cas. You ready to go?" Sam asked as he started up the car.
"No, there are some…urgent matters in heaven I must attend to. You will not see me for awhile, but I will come back. You should move on, Sam. Not from me or Dean but from this life. Live it the way you've always wanted to." Castiel said, turning away from the blank minded Sam.
"That's it? What's going on?" Sam asked, fumbling with the door's lock.
"I'm sorry, Sam. It's best for me not to explain. I'm still trying to understand it myself." Cas explained.
Sam looked torn. Castiel was practically his brother, the only family he had left, and he was leaving now too?
"I'll return periodically to check on you. I'll be back and maybe then will I explain why I must leave."
"Damn it, Cas. Fine, but if you see Dean up there tell him I said hi, will you?" Sam asked, who was more torn up about the situation that he said or showed. He was holding himself together, but just barely.
"I will. See you soon, Sam." Castiel said before returning to Dean and Tessa.
"Yeah, I guess I'll see you soon." Sam replied. He got back into the Impala, at a loss for words. He was angry, hurt, but deep down he knew the reason Castiel was leaving. If Sam had the chance, he'd go chasing after someone he loved into the great beyond too. It was like the Winchester family curse.
Sam pulled away, the tires kicking up dust as he raced down the road. With that insignificant gesture you could nearly feel all the anger and pain Sam was going through. But Sam was a big boy; he'd deal with his losses in his own way and eventually heal, but that thought didn't make Castiel feel any better.
"We're ready." Dean said to Tessa, taking charge.
"I've never brought an angel along with me before." Tessa mused, a little smile dancing on her face.
"I've been to heaven before. I won't be…lost in transit." Castiel said. Modern phrases were still a little hard for him to understand or even know how to use properly.
Dean wrapped his hand around Castiel's in an it'll all be alright sort of gesture. Dean smiled at the angel, feeling just as scared as Castiel was. Would heaven be different than last time? Would his heaven change at all? Would Castiel be able to follow him through his heaven? These things didn't matter because for love, the both of them would take any risks.
Tessa walked over to the two and took Dean's free hand, walking with them to an eerie, brilliant light. It seemed to radiate in all sorts of positivity. Love, happiness, these were the largest components in the lights composition.
It engulfed Dean and Castiel, taking the both of them and leaving Tessa behind to reap yet another soul.
Soon, all too soon, the lights warmth and glow disappeared, leaving Dean disoriented. Beneath his feet he felt rough and sturdy ground, like wood. He took a quick look around and saw the Roadhouse, bathed in its former glory.
At the bar sat Bobby, laughing and drinking with Ellen. Jo was striking up conversation with Ash, who was clacking away on a computer. Pamela sat by Bobby, taking shots of her own with Annie, and even John Winchester was there, who was leaning on a far wall talking up a storm with a lovely Mary Winchester.
"How… What? It was supposed to be my greatest hits! I thought it might be a different this time around but not this." Dean said, at a loss for words. His head was reeling, overcome with a swirl of different emotions. Confusion, happiness, awe. It was all a rollercoaster in his head.
"It's supposed to be like that, comrade. But with a few simple algorithms I was able to attract anyone and everyone who every came in contact with the Roadhouse and its people, where it felt like family to them. That's why your mamas here. You, Sam and your daddio were her family so therefore we're all her family. I just want to know why the hell angel boy's here." Ash explained, pushing his computer away.
"I'm his escort. How do you know I'm an angel?" Castiel asked. He had never met this strange, wild haired man before.
"Talk of the town, you'd say. Bobby and Ellen told me about ya." Ash explained, smiling from Dean to Castiel. "Yeah, that's right. I know what's going on between the two of you." He added with a smile and turned back to his computer.
"Great, Bobby's mouth is just as big in death." Dean whined. "But it doesn't matter. I'm here with you and that's all that'll ever matter. This is heaven, baby. Let's make use of it and do some catching up." Dean said, implying a few different things with his choice of phrase.
This may not have been the heaven Castiel was expecting, the one with angels looking out for him, one where he'd go mad with shame. This was one unique and beautiful; it belonged to the hunter community. It was home.