The plan they laid out was simple, or that's what he kept telling the Winchesters. The brothers weren't quite buying it. But it was simple the plan only relied on Cas's ability to lie...maybe it wasn't so easy.

"Okay, let's go over it one more time, Cas. You are going to do what?" They were standing at the table and Sam and Dean were staring at him. Cas took a deep breath.

"Step one; I am going to go up to heaven, to Naomi's office. Step two; I am going to tell Naomi that she does not control me anymore." He recited the first two steps in a monotone voice and in one breath.

He inhaled deeply and continued, "Step three; I am going to tell her that you two found the angel tablet. Step four; I am going to offer her a trade. Step five; she accepts the trade. Step six; we kill her."

Dean nodded, satisfied. "Very good. Now, we're going to have her meet us in this warehouse, it's down the street from our hideout." He slid a paper across the table towards Cas. "Tell her to meet us there in three days. Any questions?"

Cas picked up the paper and frowned. "It's not a question exactly, but I have a concern…"

Dean frowned back, "Go on…"

"I don't think this is a hideout. I think we should call it your hideyhole. I heard that term on the television the other day, and I think it's more appropriate."

They both gave Cas a blank look, which Cas interpreted as their lack of understanding. "I think it's a hideyhole because we're underground and that gives this structure a hole-like quality."

"Cas…"

"Do you not like hideyhole, Dean? We could…We could call it a lair! Or…is that too dubious? How about-"

"CAS! Stop. Are you going to go ahead with the plan or not?"

"Well, of course I am, why wouldn't I?" He was confused; he was simply discussing proper naming conventions for their new home. Was that so bad?

"Then go." Cas glanced over at Dean. He was annoyed.

So Cas did what he was told.

It wasn't as hard as Cas thought it would be to find Naomi's little slice of heaven, if that's actually what it really was.

Cas wasn't entirely sure that she was in heaven. From what he could remember, it didn't quite feel right to him. But that could have been the brainwashing.

Nevertheless he found the office-esque building and entered.

If Cas thought she would be surprised to see him, he was sorely mistaken. She hardly even looked up from her paperwork. "Hello, Castiel. You visit at last, please, sit down."

He didn't. He remembered, bits and pieces mostly, of the last time he was there and he definitely remembered that sitting in that chair was a bad idea.

Naomi frowned. "Alright then, down to business. What is it that you want, Castiel?"

Cas shifted his weight from foot to foot for a second, cleared his throat and swallowed. "I have come to make a deal with you Naomi."

She raised an eyebrow, and looked genuinely intrigued. "A deal? What are you now, a filthy demon? I thought I…conditioned you to be better than that Castiel."

He took a deep breath before answering. He wasn't going to let Naomi bait him. "I will make this quick and simple for you Naomi. I have the angel tablet."

She was up and in his face grabbing his shoulders before he could blink. "Give it to me Castiel. Right now."

Cas pushed her away. "I will. But you must give me something in return. I would like you to relinquish your hold on me and on every other angel. Your mind controlling days are over."

Naomi laughed humorlessly. "What makes you think I am controlling any angel but you?" Castiel had spent a considerable amount of time with the Winchesters he understood the proper response to this question.

"Listen you bitch, if you don't want the angel tablet, that's fine. I'll just take it and leave. Don't fuck with me okay. I know you're controlling the other angels, even if I don't know why. Do we have a deal, or not?"

Naomi sat back down in her chair and let out a little sigh. "Fine Castiel, we have a deal. Now," she held out her hand, "the tablet, please."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Naomi. I don't have the tablet with me. You're going to have to come down and get it." He stepped forward and set a slip of paper on her desk. "Meet me here in three days and come alone."

Naomi eyed the paper with an ever-growing frown. "If I come alone, you too, must leave your…pets at home."

Castiel shook his head. "No, the Winchesters stay with me. It's my job to protect them. I will see you in three days, Naomi."

In the days before the meeting the boys kept themselves busy gathering weapons, eating a lot of cheeseburgers, and keeping any concerns they may have had inside.

When the day finally arrived Dean and Sam stood by the trunk of the Impala and took inventory. "Do you think we have enough—"

"Yeah, Dean we're as prepared as we're going to be…You don't trust him, do you?" Sam looked into Dean's eyes, not letting his older brother look away. "Well, do you, Dean?"

"Fuck, Sam, I don't know. I want to. I do, but…He's just so…" A whoosh interrupted his sentence.

"Are we ready to go? It is time to meet Naomi. I have the fake angel tablet," they had decided to use clay from the craft store, all places. It had been Sam's job to sculpt it into what they remembered the Leviathan tablet to look like.

"Yeah, get in the back. I hope this little plan of yours pays off. I'm going to be straight with you, Cas. I'll feel a hell of a lot better once I know for sure that that Naomi bitch is out of your head."

Cas nodded somberly. "I feel the same way. I will feel better too once that bitch is out."

Dean rolled his eyes and climbed into the Impala. Sam followed suit. "You getting in, Cas?"

The angel shook his head. "I'll meet you there. I have some final planning to do."

Dean nodded reluctantly and drove off.

Cas was alone, standing in front of the Men of Letters bunker. She wasn't still in his head. He would know if she was. So why didn't Dean trust him.

He gripped the fake tablet and nodded, "I will prove myself to you Dean."

Cas inevitably got there first. Angel-power beats horsepower, always. He waited anxiously in front of the meeting spot, he would have gone in, but didn't want to go in without Dean. He would never admit it, but Dean gave him courage.

Five agonizing minutes later, the Impala screeched to a stop in front of Cas. The Winchesters climbed out and moved immediately to the trunk to arm themselves.

"You got your sword, Cas?" The angel nodded, of course he did. He always did. Dean slammed the trunk. "Alright, well let's get this show on the road."

They entered the building single-file. Cas in front, with Sam taking up the rear. All three were tensed and ready for ambush.

"Dean, I do not sense Naomi yet. Maybe we should split up. Sam goes that way, and you and I go this way. We may have a better chance of her showing up if we're not all three together…"

It wasn't that Cas thought Dean couldn't handle it himself, he just didn't want Dean out of his sight. Dean was his charge, his responsibility.

Dean glanced at his brother who just shrugged. "Sounds fine to me, just keep your phone on, okay? We'll use them like walkie-talkies/" Dean nodded reluctantly and they split up.

Cas took the lead again, continuing their slow sweep of the building. All of his senses were on full-alert, it didn't take long for him to feel something. "Dean! I got something!" he whispered excitedly.

He drew his knife and ran ahead, coming to a large empty room. There was nothing there. She must have teleported. Cas scratched his head and turned around slowly. "Never mind Dean, it was a false-" He stopped, there she was, coming right for him.

"Naomi." He swallowed hard and gripped his knife tightly. The way she was running at him, proved that she had figured out the plan. Maybe she had known from the beginning, Cas didn't know. But he dropped all pretenses of negotiations and charged.

She was heavier than Cas would have thought. He pushed her arm away and tried to get a hit on her. She blocked and punched Cas in the jaw.

His vessel's adrenaline must have blocked the pain, for he felt nothing. Naomi's ensuing confusion gave him the chance he needed. He retaliated by stabbing her in the gut. She gasped and fell.

Cas stood over her smiling, she was dead…but…Cas stopped, why hadn't her wings exploded, the way there were supposed to?

"Are you not dead, you bitch?" Cas yanked the blade out, causing warm blood to stain his coat. The blood it seemed…Cas shook his head and plunged the blade in again. Still no wings…

Cas looked around confused. Why wasn't she dead? "Dean? Come here, I'm confused…She's not dying Dean/" There was no answer. He looked down at Naomi and frowned.

"DEAN!" Cas turned, it was Sam. Maybe Sam knew where Dean was. "OH GOD, DEAN?" Sam was running toward him, Cas didn't understand, this wasn't Dean, it was Naomi. Unless…

Cas looked down once more and finally understood. "No. No, no, no. I…Dean…" He reached his hand out to stroke Dean's face or heal him, he didn't even know anymore, but all he felt was carpet.

"Where…Dean…No…" Cas looked up to a smiling Naomi. "You…Dean…I…No…"

Naomi touched him on the shoulder, still smiling. All the blood, Dean's blood, was gone. "You've done well, Castiel. I'm so very proud of you."