A/N: So... this is probably the chapter you should listen to Sound the Bugle by Bryan Adams. This is the chapter where it all goes down. Enjoy.

Dean and Sam filtered back into the cell area, both of them noting the dank, ominous air that contrasted the cell's earlier calm tranquility.

Gabriel took a few wider steps to walk directly behind them, his mouth hovering just below their ears (Dean felt the irrational urge to laugh at the height difference, but quelled it because this obviously wasn't the time or place). "Looks like the Godstiel is still in charge. You boys might not get the tearful conversation you are hoping for." The archangel muttered.

"Good. I want a word with him too." Dean didn't bother to lower his voice. Sam scowled at Dean, but Gabriel chuckled, his warm breaths of air tickling Dean's neck.

"Just don't provoke him too much, Deano. The cage is strong, but his power tends to... gush out... when he's angry."

Dean nodded. And then they were upon the cell.

Godstiel was sitting on the stone bench stiffly with no movement, but he hardly looked peaceful. His eyes were staring straight ahead but saw nothing, enthralled only on the things going on in his own head. This opened a passage into the would-be-God, if anyone bothered to look hard enough. Locking on Godstiel's eyes, Dean opened his mouth to throw out a witty comment, but stopped in his tracks upon what he saw hidden behind those eyes. A disfigured, sick parody of the Heavenly light that had first greeted them swirled restlessly pulsed cruelly behind blue eyes so dark they were nearly black. Then Godstiel noticed their presence and the doors into his soul were slammed shut so abruptly the Dean was left stunned.

"Have you finished your conspiring, brother?" Godstiel asked, rising and approaching the bars with that completely stoic expression that barely masked the madness underneath.

"Yep. I think we're done scheming for the day. Though, Balthazar and I still have a bit more planning before our machinations regarding a certain power-crazy brother of ours reach a crescendo."

"Your constant wisecracks grow taxing, Gabriel. It's straining even my infinite patience."

"Afraid you'll have to put up with it kiddo."

The bastard actually looked saddened by his next words that sent Dean's stomach roiling. "You've left me no choice Gabriel. Once I leave this cell, your disrespect will have to be punished."

"You're not leaving this cell anytime soon."

Godstiel finally noticed the other two occupants of the room. "The Winchesters obviously agree with that. Tell me, Dean, did you ever care for the well-being of anyone other than your brother? I have raised you from Hell, fought against the Apocalypse for you, surmounted insurmountable odds and beat an archangel in a civil war fought for you. And still, you help my enemies imprison me. Your friendship is fleeting, isn't it? I see now that I was simply a tool for you to abuse. And now that I'm off my leash, you fear me. Now that I have gained enough power to set everything right, you advocate for my death. Now that I have become a God, your facade of friendship has slipped."

Dean's mouth went dry. Gabriel had told them that this was still Cas. It wasn't a monster in Cas using these words to manipulate him. Somewhere, Cas really believed all that. Dean couldn't help but agree. He had been a pretty shitty friend.

"I thought that you said that we were like family. Well I think that too."

"I do everything that you ask. I always come when you call. And I am your friend."

And Dean was just going to leave him locked up, like all the shit they had been through together didn't matter.

Sam shifted closer and subtly put a hand on Dean's bicep. A comfort, a solidity, a show of restraint and allowing Dean to take the charge.

"C'mon man. I mean, I know I've been a jerk recently, but the least you could do is talk to me without being hyped up on soul juice. I just want to talk. And I'm not going to talk to the you that's influenced by the Purgatory powershake. So you can dick off, asshat."

Godstiel looked amused at Dean's attempts. "You think my power has made me insane? That the old Castiel is just hiding beneath all these souls?" A dry chuckle that echoed in the cell. "Is that what Gabriel told you?"

Dean resisted the urge to glance back at Gabriel. He maintained his resolute stare into those black eyes, silently willing Cas to overcome the souls and rebuild the wall again, or whatever he did to become normal again.

"Gabriel and Balthazar are obsessed with the notion that the souls have tainted me. They are continuously trying to fix me. But the souls have merely opened my eyes to the injustices of this world. I'm not tainted, I'm enlightened."

"If you aren't tainted, then why the hell does your angel juice look like it went through an evil blender and back?" Dean jabbed.

That got the desired reaction. Godstiel took several steps back, physically reeling. His eyes flickered around the room then down his body, an almost horrified expression on his face as he looked inwards and saw the twisted thing that used to be grace that Dean had seen in his eyes.

"It- it's... an unfortunate side effect. Grace is weak... it- it's not strong enough to hold my power. I-" The words came fast and unsteady, desperate.

"Castiel." Gabriel brought the angel's attention to him, his face still screwed up in confusion and horror. Once the black eyes had met the archangel's gold ones, the archangel pulled his lips together and whistled a short tune that the Winchesters didn't recognize. Castiel stayed riveted to his spot, fixed on Gabriel without taking a breath. Gabriel waited a second, but when it became clear he wasn't going to respond yet, the archangel continued the song, this time allowing his voice out and singing Enochian words softly. He paused again and waited.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Castiel stirred. The unnatural stiffness seemed to bleed out of his shoulders. He softly, uncertainly spoke the next words. Gabriel nodded encouragingly and whistled again. Castiel seemed to be focusing on something inside himself, the only thing registering in the outside world was Gabriel's song. He stumbled the words out, his voice rough and gravelly and nothing like the angelic song they had heard earlier.

The light flooded back into his eyes suddenly, turning them into that radiant blue once again and Dean felt a wave of relief. The words drifted off just as Gabriel's whistling bounced its last echoes around the cell.

"You good, kiddo?" Gabriel's voice was soft and tender. So out of place on the Trickster God, but so right on Cas's big brother.

Castiel nodded slowly and cleared his throat. "Thank you." His voice was rougher with what seemed like pain when he spoke, but he didn't comment on it.

"Hey Cas." Sam greeted again.

"Hello Sam. Dean." Cas turned to the Winchesters and approached the cell bars, being careful not to touch them.

"You had us worried there for a second." Sam said.

"I think it's about time I returned the favor." Cas said with his approximation of a smile gracing the edges of his lips.

Sam huffed out a laugh.

"Sam, I-"

"Please don't. It's over. Gabriel fixed it. Don't ruin this moment with it." Sam's eyes clouded with memories of pain as his wall came crashing down.

Cas nodded. "I just wanted to say that you're an amazing individual. And a great friend." Cas's hand twitched like he was planning on reaching out and clapping his hand on the giant's shoulder, like a friend. But the hand stayed by his side. Sam felt a rush of euphoria at Cas's words. Despite Dean's teasing that such an action may provoke, he felt the urge to hug the broken angel that stood before him. The bars stopped him from doing that, but it didn't stop him from reaching a hand out to provide some comfort in return for Cas's kind words.

Cas stepped away from the bars before Sam could touch him. He looked up at the younger Winchester sheepishly, apology clear on his face. "Touching probably isn't a good idea right now." He explained.

Sam nodded, crestfallen, and allowed his hand to drop.

"How you doing, Cas?" Dean asked.

"Well, between Gabriel, Balthazar and all the souls, it's never boring here."

Dean decided that hopeless joking didn't suit Cas. But he already knew that this was what Cas turned to when he didn't see a light at the end of the tunnel. The human Castiel from the apocalyptic future had shown him that. The irony in it all was that Cas was ending up the same way with too much power this time, rather than not enough.

"How are you really, Cas?" Dean pushed.

Cas sighed and looked away from Dean. "I'm as well as could be expected. Better actually. Gabriel could have thrown me in a cage in Hell next to Lucifer."

"I guess that's why his wings aren't deep fried in holy oil right about now."

Gabriel snorted but said nothing, recognizing that this conversation was for the Winchesters and Castiel only.

Cas snorted. Then he met Dean's eyes again with a look that conveyed the message a single word also managed to get across. "Dean."

"Cas, no. I'm not leaving before we talk alright?"

"Talk about what?" The resignation in the angel's voice was clear.

"Are you in pain, Cas?"

Dean saw the shock in the angel's eyes before they flicked away from Dean's and he answered, "No."

"Don't lie to me again, bastard." Dean's voice was soft despite his harsh words, but he still felt that anger curl up in his gut.

Cas flinched anyway. He glanced at Dean before his gaze flickered to the floor. "This is nothing that I don't deserve."

Dean cast his eyes to the Heavens and realized that he was already there and started chuckling morbidly to himself. He muttered something along the lines of "Damn sacrificial angel with a God complex" to himself.

Cas shuffled a bit closer, drawing Dean's attention back to him. The angel leaned on the wall of his cell, but didn't break eye contact. "You look tired, Dean."

The sighs were plentiful today. "That's because I am tired."

"What world ending event is going on this time?" Cas asked tiredly. Dean got the impression of a maid, 'I just cleaned up this mess! Can you keep it clean for like... ten minutes?' Course, Cas had been the last apocalyptic event, which put a downer on that thought as well.

"Fairy uprising." Dean managed to reply sarcastically. Luckily, the angel was well-versed in Dean language and recognized it as a joke the second it left his mouth. Cas turned to Sam for a serious response.

The younger Winchester gave Dean a tired look and sighed. And on the eighth day, God created sighing, and it was good. "World's angriest ginger. A demon named Abbadon."

"The knight of Hell?"

"Yeah. She time traveled to the future from 1958, and -long story short- we met our grandfather."

The look of confusion on the angel's face made Dean have to strain to hold in his laugh. Cas managed to formulate a response, though it was hesitant, like he could barely figure out how to react to that. "That... sounds like quite a tale."

Dean couldn't help the snort that turned into a full on guffaw at that answer. "I'll tell you all about it over a bottle of beer."

And then the smile was gone as Dean realized the words that had slipped from his mouth. Because Cas would probably never get out of this cell, and they would never be able to share a comfortable silence under the stars together.

Cas reached a hand out to comfort Dean, his hand mere centimeters from the bars, before Gabriel called Cas's name in a quiet voice and the arm dropped again.

"Dean." Dean found he couldn't meet his angel's eyes anymore. That comforting touch was all he wanted, but the last two years had taken that from them. "Dean, look at me."

Hazel eyes raised hesitantly to meet cerulean blue.

"Dean, this isn't the end. We will see each other again. One day, I will have a chance to repair our friendship. And you'll get to tell me about what I missed, including meeting Henry Winchester."

Dean huffed out a sad laugh. "Should I get a rain-check on that?"

Cas squinted at him, trying to interpret the meaning of 'rain-check' before giving up. "Is that some sort of water soaked form of payment?" The angel finally asked.

"It's a promise, Cas."

"Then, yes, you get a rain-check on that."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Maybe I should just visit every now and then, just to teach you the way of normal human speech."

Cas didn't laugh like Dean thought he would. It was silent for several seconds, while Dean's eyes flit everywhere but at Cas, before the angel broke it.

"Dean. I don't want to see you here again. Ever." It wasn't angry, like Dean had said something wrong and the angel was pissed. It was just sad. Dean snapped to meet Cas's eyes and saw mournful determination, as if the words he spoke hurt him but needed to be said. "When the time is right, I'll come find you. When I'm in control, we'll see each other again. Not before."

"What?" Dean's voice was barely a whisper. "Why?"

"Heaven's prison is one place the Winchesters should never be."

"You're kidding, right? I'm surprised we're not behind those bars with you. I mean, have you seen all the crap we've done?" Dean's voice cracked several times as he held back the tears that threatened to spill over.

Cas shook his head sadly. "When will you two realize just how beautiful your souls are? It doesn't matter which side of the bars you're on, one thing I won't allow is for this place to steal even a speck of your freedom."

"What about you?" Sam asked, and the tears really were flowing down his face. Dean felt the wetness on his own cheeks as well.

"When I'm ready, I'll be right by your sides. I promise." No water ran down the angel's cheeks, though it brimmed on the edge of the dam.

"Okay, Cas." Sam said, nodding slowly.

"Yeah. Alright. But you better get better soon man. The backseat's a little empty without our angel."

Cas smiled heartbreakingly. "Of course, Dean."

"Goodbye Cas."

"See you man."

They both made abortive efforts to clap him on the shoulder and hug him before turning down the hall and practically fleeing from the room.

Gabriel stayed behind and watched his little brother with pitying eyes. "Castiel..."

"Will you... Can I have some time alone? Please?"

Gabriel nodded and followed the Winchesters out of the cell.

Once Cas was sure the sound of Gabriel's sneakers had faded he allowed himself to fall against the wall of his cell, tears running freely down his cheeks. He slid down against it and sobbed uncontrollably, even harder than he had after being cut off from Heaven, harder than when he had thought Balthazar dead. He screamed the unfairness to the world until he finally fell to silent tears, closing his eyes and imagining he was with the Winchesters in the Impala, watching them bicker over Dean's music or some other trivial thing that brothers fight about, content to just watch them in silent companionship.

Fin

A/N: Goddammit that was emotional to write. I would apologize for taking so long, but I think it was time well spent, so I'm not going to.

I've always been kinda mad at Season 7. I thought, 'If you're going to make the most badass angel ever evil, then at least make him the main baddy of the entire season.' Honestly, I would have liked to see S7 have the first half with Godstiel as the villain, and the second half Leviathan!Cas. Alas, we can't all have what we want. This story had no Leviathan!Cas involved, but it does have the possibility with the souls still festering inside Cas.

I also took certain liberties with Gabriel and Balthazar, assuming they both faked their own deaths because I really want them both to come back. Even though he doesn't show, Balthazar is basically Cas's therapist and shrink nowadays.

I want to thank my two reviewers: bookwriter123456 and Daniella Cs (Guest) for their reviews. It's so much easier to write when I have verbal support.

In reply to Daniella Cs (Guest): Thank you for your support, and I'm glad I got their personalities mostly right. That was a major concern of mine. As for having a larger story...

I do have an idea for a larger plot involving this same background. It would involve the war against Abbadon that is mentioned a few times in this fic, and include Cas's release and fight against the souls' control as he helps the Winchesters, Crowley and Gabriel (and all of Heaven) fight an all out war against Hell. I would need a lot of support and shoving to get it started and finished because it would be a longer fic than this one and I get distracted easily. But if you guys really want it, please tell me and give me any ideas you have for this idea.

I'm serious here. I need reviews, otherwise I don't know if anyone is reading or cares to read my next one.

Thank you all for following this rather depressing story. I really enjoyed writing it.