Dean spent the next week looking for Amelia Novak and watching his brother interact with Claire. It seemed that they had come to some sort of truce and were now getting on well. Perhaps a little too well he thought whenever he became the object of their ribbing or jokes. Not that he truly minded. Claire was like a breath of fresh air in the bunker. Defusing the tension that had them all in its grip.
Every time he looked at her he was reminded of why he fought. She had been through shit in her life but she was with them now. He watched her relax, turn from the serious hard eyed girl to just a girl. He was glad that she had the ability to do that and he would do anything to keep her that way.

Castiel watched Dean watching Claire and was glad that she had chosen to come back with them. She had given Dean a purpose, he just hoped that it stayed that way.

Dean was working on trying to find Claire's mother though he was starting to think that it was going to become impossible when he came across something. It was not what he wanted to find, looking up from the laptop he found that Claire, Sam and Cas where all deep into the books trying to find a cure to the Mark of Cain. He needed to speak of this to Cas, but he didn't want Claire to find out just yet. The question was how to get him away from the others? At that thought Cas looked up at him and tilted his head.

Castiel had felt Deans longing to speak to him what he didn't understand was why he didn't just say so. Looking at Dean he saw him cock his head towards the bedrooms and understood that Dean wished to talk to him alone. He nodded slightly and Dean got up with the computer.

Sam looked up as his brother stood. "You all right Dean?" He asked.

"Yeah just feel like a lie down you know?" Dean replied somewhat shiftily, not meeting his brother's eyes. Sam was about to call him on it but then he saw Cas get up as well and decided to leave his brother to his angel.

"Okay. We'll keep working." Sam replied nodding his head at Claire.

Once Dean and Cas left the room Claire turned to him and raised her eyebrows at his suggestively. Sam just shook his head and went back to trying to find a way, any way to fix his brother.

Once he and Dean got to Deans room Castiel asked. "What is it Dean?" From the doorway.

"Come in and close the door." Dean replied before he sat on his bed making sure there was room for Cas to join him on it. Castiel complied and joined Dean on the bed.

"I found something while I was looking for Amelia and I didn't want Claire to see it." Dean spoke when Cas sat.

"What did you find Dean?" Castiel asked wondering what was so bad that Dean didn't want Claire to know.

"This." Dean replied turning the laptop round so Cas could read it.

It was an arctlie from some local paper about a female body they had found in a motel room having taken her own life. Accompanying the piece was a picture of the woman from her ID and her name, Amelia Novak.

Castiel read the piece in silence. Once he was done he turned to Dean. "What should I do?" he asked.

"Well we're going to have to tell her." Dean replied though he was dreading that conversation.

"And then? What happens then?" Castiel asked tilting his head at the man next to him.

"Well she stays here with us I guess. I mean you'll be around, when you not doing heaven stuff at least." Dean answered with a shrug. To be honest he wasn't completely sure what would happen next.

"And when I am gone Dean?" Castiel asked, he was worried about Claire. He had already destroyed her mother's life and hers so far he did not want to make it worse.

"I just said she could stay with us." Dean replied confused.

"No I mean when I die Dean." Castiel responded.

"Why are you going to die Cas?" Dean asked suddenly worried about the angel.

"This grace will not last forever Dean. Soon it will run out and I will die." Castiel replied, realising he had never actually had this conversation with Dean.

"What the hell Cas? Why you busy here trying to find a solution to the Mark of Cain when you should be out there trying to find your grace. Hell I'll help you." Dean shouted at his friend. Why was Cas not out there trying to find a way so he wouldn't die?

"Dean I have accepted that I will die. That does not worry me. But I will not leave you with the Mark of Cain." Castiel replied forcefully.

"No Cas, we need to save you." Dean said through gritted teeth, goddamn angels with goddamn martyr complexes.

"I believe I once told you you couldn't save everyone Dean. It is as true now as it was then." Castiel responded to Dean calmly putting his hand on his friends shoulder as if to comfort him.

"No I don't accept that." Dean replied shrugging of Cas' hand and crossing his arms.

"It is my choice Dean." Castiel sighed. He was exasperated with this conversation. It was why he hadn't told Dean that he was dying, he knew that he would reach like this.

"No. Death is never a choice." At that Castiel just looked at Dean giving him a 'really' look that made Dean remember all them times he may have chosen death to save people. "I've learnt from my mistakes Cas." He growled.

"Dean-" Castiel tried to explain but Dean interrupted him by grabbing his face and looking into his eyes.

"No I'm not letting you die do you hear me?" Dean said furiously.

"Why Dean? Why do you care so much about me?" Castiel asked quietly and sincerely looking deep into Dean's eyes as if he could read the answer to his question inside them.

"You're family Cas." Dean replied with equal sincerity. They sat there staring into each other's eyes, Dean holding Cas' face close to his own until he realised how close they actually were. He let go of Cas and leaned back before speaking again. "Now what are we going to tell Claire."

Castiel looked at him at the obvious change of subject and tried to decide whether to change it back or not. In the end he decided not to. "I will tell her."

"Okay. Let me know if you need any help." Dean replied and Castiel stood to walk out the room, as he got to the door Castiel spoke to the man behind him.

"You are still the righteous man Dean and I am still willing to lay down my life for yours."

"You shouldn't think like that Cas, I'm nothing special." Dean replied in a weary voice.

"You are to me." And with that Castiel left the room leaving Dean just sitting there staring at the door Castiel had walked through.