After spending who-knows-how-long-because-Dean-lost-track-of-time-and-frankly-no-one-cares-how-long-it-was-anyway thinking, Dean leaves the bedroom and goes out to the hallway. He's planning on going back to the living room, where he can hear conversation, but he realizes as he passes the door to the other bedroom that Castiel's still in there, so Dean changes his path and enters that room instead.

"Hey, Cas," he says softly. Castiel doesn't turn around. "You okay?"

"Yes," Castiel replies. His voice is slightly choked and it sounds as if he's been crying. Dean winces sympathetically as he goes over to sit next to the angel.

"Was the letter that bad?" he asks, noticing the open scroll on the bed. Castiel looks up at Dean earnestly. His face is tearstained, but Dean's no longer sure it's in a bad way.

"No, it was the opposite. It was wonderful, Dean. My Father cares for me. He explained everything. And I have memories of Him now, from the times I died and He brought me back. I thought I had never seen my Father, but I have and I know that He loves me."

"That's great, Cas," Dean says softly, smiling. He can't help but think of John and wonder if his own father cares for him as much as God cares for Castiel. Dean assumes that Castiel's too wrapped up in his own joy to notice that Dean isn't as happy as he is, but Castiel does see it.

"What's wrong?" he asks, frowning slightly. "I will not return to Heaven, if that's what you're worried about. I will stay with you and Sam. And Adam, Samandriel, and Gabriel, for as long as they remain here."

"It's not that," Dean replies. "It's just… I'm thinking about my dad now, you know? And I just wonder if he cares that much for me."

"Of course he does," Castiel replies, sounding surprised that Dean would even question it. "He sold his soul to save your life, did he not?"

"Yeah, but that was before I broke the first seal when I tortured in Hell. And with all the shit I've done… My job was to protect Sammy, and I definitely failed at that, and-"

"You are more than just what your father wanted you to be," Castiel interrupts sternly. "My Father made it very clear that he was proud of my free will. I would expect that John Winchester would feel the same way. He is your father and he loves you, no matter what. Of that, I am certain."

Dean sighs. "Yeah, I guess," he replies. Castiel's mouth twists in a wry smile.

"I will not convince you, will I?" he asks. Dean chuckles.

"Probably not," he replies. There's an awkward pause for a moment. Dean breaks it first. "Hey, did you know that Sam's dating Gabriel?"

"He is?" Castiel asks in a miserable attempt to sound surprised. Dean gives him an angry look.

"Did you freaking know and not tell me?" he demands. Castiel refuses to make eye contact.

"It was not my place," he mutters in reply. Dean groans.

"Are you kidding me? Did everyone except me know?"

"Gabriel told me," Castiel replies. "I don't think anyone else knew."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me," Dean grumbles. "Sam is my brother!"

"And Gabriel is mine. I will respect his privacy," Castiel shoots back. Dean groans. He's pissed and he really doesn't have a reason to be, but he just feels left out and unnecessary, almost, because he didn't know.

"Secrets can get you killed, Cas," he snaps, wanting to hurt the angel to get his anger out. "Or worse. I thought you knew that."

The blood drains out of Castiel's face and Dean knows that his cruel blow has hit home. He instantly feels terrible, but he can't take it back.

"You're right," Castiel replies in a carefully emotionless voice. "I apologize for not alerting you to the fact that your brother was in a relationship. That could have caused someone to die, of course." Dean winces slightly at the bitterly caustic tone.

"Cas, I-"

"You're correct," Castiel interrupts. "You-"

"No, I'm freaking not!" Dean cuts in. "I'm not right. I'm being a douchebag and I'm sorry, okay!" Castiel looks shocked at the fact that Dean's actually apologizing (which is shocking, to tell the truth). "I'm just stressed out, so I'm on edge."

"Stressed out about what?" Castiel asks.

The fact that I'm in love with you and I want to think that you're in love with me but I know it's probably not true, Dean wants to say. But he can't. "Crowley," he replies instead. "He's going to come after us."

"We'll be fine," Castiel assures him. "One demon, albeit the King of Hell, against two of the best hunters alive-"

"Aw, Cas, you're making me blush," Dean says sarcastically. Castiel acts as if he hasn't spoken.

"-And three angels, especially when one of them is a powerful archangel? Crowley will not stand a chance."

"Yeah, but he's got a major grudge against you and he's kidnapped an angel before, so what if he manages to do it again, but with you instead of Samandriel?" Dean can't acknowledge the full extent of the pain that the mere thought gives him, but he can act a little worried. Friendship-level worried. But no more than that.

"He will not manage it," Castiel promises softly. Dean wants to argue, but that's getting past friendship level and into relationship-like worrying, so he keeps his mouth shut.

"If you say so," Dean replies with a sigh. Castiel smiles gently.

"All will be well, Dean. Crowley will not reach us. We'll be fine. You don't need to worry, my friend." And those words remind Dean of when Castiel returned and showed him what really happened in Purgatory. And the thought of that hits Dean like a punch in the gut.

"Look, Cas, there's something I need to ask you, and I want you to answer me honestly," Dean says abruptly. Castiel looks confused.

"Of course I will," he replies. Dean sighs.

"Why did you stay behind in Purgatory?" Castiel's face falls. He obviously doesn't want to answer the question.

"I did not think I deserved to be saved," he replies after a lengthy pause. "I…I felt that being in such a place was due punishment for my crimes."

"Yeah, but remember when you pulled me out of Hell?" Dean asks. "First time we met. I asked why you rescued me and you gave me this look and said that I didn't think I deserved to be saved. But you did it anyway. Why couldn't you let me save you?"

"You broke in Hell," Castiel replies, obviously struggling to contain his emotions. "I killed hundreds. Thousands. There's a large difference."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve to be saved too," Dean replies. "And I tortured myself over it, man. I couldn't sleep because I thought I had failed you."

"Dean…"

"Look, here's hoping it never happens, but if we're ever in a situation like that again, you're getting over yourself and leaving with me, whether you think you deserve to be saved or not. Promise me that, Cas?" Dean asks, his voice harsher than he means for it to be. Castiel sighs.

"I promise," he replies. Dean sighs as well. For a moment, it's peaceful.

Then Dean and Castiel hear a commotion in the living room and, without even having to look at each other to check, they both know to leave the bedroom and see what's going on together.


In Gabriel's opinion, everyone's overreacting severely. You'd think that the Winchesters would be used to people popping up uninvited, but apparently it's a major crisis when an angel pops up unannounced.

Then Gabriel looks over, realizes what angel it is, and starts to get why the others are freaking out.

"Michael?" he whispers. His brother looks over at him, as regal and imposing as ever.

"Hello, Gabriel."

"Why are you here?" Gabriel asks, positioning himself in front of all the others. Yeah, he probably doesn't have a chance against the most powerful archangel, but that doesn't change the fact that he'll die to protect Sam. And he's got the best odds of surviving a fight out of all of them.

"I am not here to harm any of you," Michael replies. Gabriel doesn't leave his defensive position. Behind him, Adam presses against Samandriel and the young angel holds him protectively. Out of the corner of his eye, Gabriel can see Castiel and Dean enter. They both stop short, Castiel in front of Dean slightly. Michael sighs.

"I will not harm any of you," he reiterates. Gabriel raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but considering the grudge you've probably got against everyone in this room, forgive me for not believing you, Mikey," he replies.

"Mikey?" Dean replies in shock. "This is Michael?" He moves out from behind Castiel. The angel looks slightly panicked, but Gabriel's sure that he's ready to jump in front of Dean at a moment's notice. "Whose meatsuit are you wearing this time? Another long-lost brother?"

"A distant cousin," Michael replies, looking down at the body he's in. "He will not be harmed by this possession."

"And why should I listen to you?" Dean demands. "Last I checked, you were in Lucifer's Cage because you wouldn't let us try and stop the Apocalypse. So how are you here in the first place?"

"I was released by my Father," Michael counters. Gabriel frowns.

"Why would Dad let you out now, when he hasn't done anything before?" he asks. Michael gestures at Samandriel.

"Did Samandriel not tell you about what happened in the Cage? I aided him in releasing Adam, thus apparently proving myself worthy of being released as well. I have…" Here, Michael's calm demeanor cracks slightly. "I have realized my actions were wrong and I regret doing them. I will not harm any of you for trying to stop me."

"You better not," Dean mutters darkly. Michael rolls his eyes.

"You don't need to worry about me taking revenge on your brother or Castiel," he replies. Gabriel frowns.

"What does Cas have to do with this?" he asks. Dean glares at Michael.

"Cas molotov-coctail'd this son of a bitch with holy fire," he replies. Gabriel's eyes go wide.

"Wow. You've got balls, little bro."

"It was highly unpleasant," Michael adds. Castiel keeps his head up and looks at Michael.

"I will not apologize for what I did," he replies. "I had no other choice. I could not let you fight Lucifer."

"And I do not blame you for it," Michael replies. "So I don't expect an apology. The reason I came, actually, was to speak with you, Gabriel."

"About what?" Gabriel asks, not moving from his defensive position. Michael's eyes dart around the room.

"Somewhere a little more private would be preferable," he suggests. Gabriel rolls his eyes.

"Fine." He turns and gives Sam a quick kiss. "Be back soon. Hopefully."

"I'll be waiting," Sam replies. Gabriel turns back to Michael, who looks slightly shocked by the exchange.

"Are we going?" Gabriel asks. Michael nods.

"Of course." He flies off and Gabriel follows him. They end up in Antarctica.

"Really, Michael?" Gabriel asks with a sigh. Michael looks a little confused.

"It's private," he protests. Gabriel rolls his eyes. "Perhaps a bit uncomfortable, but-"

"Follow me," Gabriel interrupts. Michael does and they end up on an empty beach in Hawaii. "This is more like it!" Gabriel replies, snapping and conjuring up two beach chairs. He lounges in one and Michael gingerly sits in the other. Gabriel snaps again and creates an ice cream soda for himself. "Want one?" he asks Michael, holding it out.

"No, thank you," Michael replies. Gabriel shrugs and takes a long sip out of the straw.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

"From what our Father told me, you are now in charge of Heaven," Michael starts.

"And you want to be the boss again. Take the position. You're now the head of Heaven again. Congrats," Gabriel replies. Michael looks shocked.

"Gabriel, I-" he splutters. Gabriel frowns.

"What? Isn't that what you wanted?"

"I…I do not think I am best qualified to lead Heaven," Michael replies carefully. Gabriel looks at his brother in puzzlement.

"You were the head of Heaven for millennia. You're definitely the best qualified."

"But…" Michael's self-composed mask is breaking down. "I was so wrong in my assessment of humans. And I thought was right. And now I'm not sure if I can trust my other opinions, because even if I think they're right, that doesn't mean they are."

"Yeah, but anyone can make a mistake," Gabriel replies. "And anyway, the fact that you know you screwed up is a good thing. Now you'll be more careful in the future." Seeing that Michael isn't convinced, Gabriel sighs. "Come on. Please be the leader of Heaven again. I really don't want to do it."

A teasing smile goes across Michael's face. "You don't want to leave you boyfriend?" he asks. Gabriel forces himself not to blush.

"Would you want to leave a hot piece of ass like Sam?" he counters with a grin. Michael laughs and Gabriel feels warm and happy. He and his brother haven't been like this for ages, probably not since before Lucifer fell. Nothing was the same after that. Except now, Gabriel and Michael are acting as they did millennia ago. It's awesome.

"So, are you going to lead Heaven?" Gabriel asks. Michael looks almost shy.

"Do you think I'll be good at it?"

"I think you'll be great," Gabriel replies sincerely. Michael beams.

"Then I shall retake my place."

"Great!" Gabriel stands and claps his hands. "Shall we?"

"Um, first, I have a question," Michael replies. "From what my father told me, I assume that lots of things have changed in Heaven in the past few years. Could you tell me what's happened?"

"Oh, boy," Gabriel sighs, sitting back down. He conjures a milkshake to replace the ice cream soda he finished. "This is going to take a while."


Adam smiles slightly as he leans against the wall in the living room, watching Samandriel and Castiel. The two angels are talking animatedly. Adam's not exactly sure what they're talking about, but he can tell that it's something both of them are passionate about. But he barely sees Castiel, to tell the truth; his eyes are focused on Samandriel.

Yes, Adam has a little crush on the angel that rescued him.

Adam's always known he was gay, but he had never thought he would be attracted to the angel that pulled him out of Hell. But now that he has been rescued from Hell by an angel, he's definitely attracted to Samandriel. Adam Milligan is in love with an angel. Weird.

Then again, maybe that's not all that weird after all. Sam and Gabriel are together, and Adam's pretty sure that Dean and Castiel are more than just friends as well. So maybe it's a common thing. Maybe it's just normal for Winchesters. Whatever it is, that doesn't matter. It won't change anything at this point, because Adam is hopelessly head-over-heels.

"Hey," a soft voice says at Adam's side. The youngest Winchester looks up in surprise to see Sam beside him. "How're you doing?"

"Fine," Adam replies. He knows that Sam's asking about the memories of the Cage, which are painful but bearable. Sam nods.

"Can we talk?" he asks, gesturing at the kitchen. Adam's a little confused.

"Sure," he replies. The two enter the kitchen, Adam sending one more longing look at Samandriel over his shoulder as they go in.

"You hungry?" Sam asks, going over to the refrigerator. Adam shrugs just as his stomach grumbles loudly. Sam laughs. "I'll take that as a yes. Is a ham and cheese sandwich okay? We don't have much else."

"That's fine," Adam replies. Sam pulls the things he needs out of the refrigerator along with two bottles of beer. He holds one out to Adam, who accepts it gratefully. He's really thirsty and really hungry, but he doesn't want to impolite.

"It's okay to be hungry, you know," Sam says, as if he can read Adam's mind. "I was starving when I got out of the Cage. And Dean wouldn't stop eating when Cas pulled him out of Hell."

"Dean was in Hell?" Adam asks, sounding confused. Sam nods.

"Yeah. A couple of years ago. Four months up here, forty years down there. Long story short, I died and he sold his soul to bring me back." The most surprising thing about that is the lack of surprise that Adam feels. "I'll tell you the whole story sometime. But for now, I want to talk about you."

"What about me?" Adam asks. Sam bites his lip.

"I want to apologize," he replies. "For everything you've been through. For not getting you away fast enough when Michael got you. For not rescuing you from the Cage. For pulling you in there in the first place."

"You did what you had to do," Adam replies, shrugging. "I don't blame you for it."

Sam sighs. "And you're dealing with the memories okay? Is the thing with Samandriel helping?"

"Yeah," Adam replies, nodding. "It's helping a lot. I mean, I still have the memories and I've had a couple of flashback-type things, but nothing too bad. I can mostly block it out."

"Well, that's good," Sam replies. "I had a wall at first, but when that broke, I saw Lucifer everywhere. I'm glad you don't have to go through that."

"You saw Lucifer?" Adam replies, confused. "But he was in the Cage the whole time!"

"Just hallucinations," Sam explains. "Not great, but at least it wasn't really Lucifer. But Cas fixed me up, so I'm not seeing the Devil around anymore."

"Speaking of whom, what's up with Castiel?" Adam asks, frowning slightly. "I mean, when I came back, he left and Dean said something about him being overdramatic. What was going on?"

Sam sighs. "Cas doesn't deal with guilt all to well," he explains. "He's kinda like Dean in that respect. He can't forgive himself for anything and he feels guilty about things he shouldn't. He tried to pull me out of the Cage, but he only got my body and not my soul, and then he was the one to break my wall. I think he blames himself for leaving you in the Cage. And watching you deal with the memories reminds him of what he did to me. Like I said, he doesn't deal with guilt well."

"Oh," Adam replies. "But didn't you say he fixed what he did to you with your wall?"

"The hallucinations of Lucifer were going to kill me," Sam replies, sounding far too nonchalant about it. "Castiel transferred them to his own mind. Drove him crazy for a while. He's basically fine now, though."

"Wow. That must have been hard on Dean," Adam muses. Sam frowns.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you were okay, but only because his boyfriend was crazy. That's got to be hard." To Adam's surprise, Sam starts laughing. "What?"

"Dean and Cas aren't dating," Sam replies. Adam blushes.

"Oh, I just thought that, I mean, looking at them, that, I don't know…"

"They both care for each other, but neither of them will admit it," Sam explains. Adam nods in understanding.

"Idiots," he replies. Sam chuckles.

"I know. Gabriel and I are trying to get them together."

"Can I help?" Adam asks. Sam grins.

"Spoken like a true Winchester," he replies, and Adam can't help but smile at that.