A/N: If there's been any confusion with how the whole Metatron things fits in here, it doesn't. There will be no Metatron in this story.

Comments, questions, concerns, critiques, hell, even suggestions are welcome. Please feel free to review.

Thank you, C:


Chapter XI: The Talk

"Gabriel? Is everything alright?" Castiel asked the archangel, worry falling over his expressions.

"No, Castiel."

The angel sat up and snapped, and some of Dean's clothes appeared on him. His mind traveled away for a second as he looked down at the clothes, I should get some of my own clothes. He got out of the bed, and sat on the edge.

Gabriel scoffed when he saw Dean's Led Zeppelin shirt on the angel. "Wow, the Winchesters really changed you." It would've been a compliment if it weren't for the anger in Gabriel's eyes. "What were you thinking?!" the archangel yelled, his eyes glowing dangerously bright.

Castiel was so taken aback by Gabriel's anger. Gabriel is almost never angry, only when it's something serious.

"Gabriel?" Castiel asked tentatively.

Gabriel walked towards Castiel, making the angel flinch. "Come with me," he said, arm reaching out for Castiel to grab. He did so, and they were transported to the archangel's little corner of heaven.

"Gabriel, will you please tell me what is wrong?" Castiel demanded.

Gabriel spun around so fast, his anger obvious. "What is wrong?" he mocked. "I should be the one asking that."

"What?" Castiel suddenly wasn't so confident in himself with the way this conversation was going.

"I know what you did while I was gone." Gabriel no longer looked angry, just disappointed. Disappointed in his little brother.

Castiel looked down, defeated. He knew that what he had done was wrong. He sat down on the cold floor and looked up, tears in his eyes.

"Wow, the Winchesters have definitely changed you. You've gone soft," he was ashamed of his little brother and how the hunters had such an effect on him. He's an angel for God's sake.

"I'm sorry."

Those two words. Just two simple words. They held so much emotion; it was almost unbearable for the archangel. But he held his ground, resisting the urge to console his upset brother."You killed our family. You created an anarchy that was never supposed to happen." He waited.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. He stood, facing his brother. "I know that what I did was wrong. I did it with the best intentions, brother."

"'The road to hell is paved with good intentions'."

And just like that, all confidence that Castiel had gotten back in those last moments just disappeared. He slunk back to the floor, knees resting against his chest, head down.

Gabriel sat next to him and put his arm around the angel. He sighed, "I also know what you did in Purgatory."

Castiel looked up. "It was penance for my actions. In my opinion, I was not there long enough to account for what I did. I should have stayed for a millennium."

Gabriel stood and reached a hand out for Castiel. The angel reluctantly grabbed it and was pulled up to stand in front of Gabriel. "That's not true."

Castiel looked at the archangel. "It was wrong. So wrong. You do not know."

Gabriel sighed. "I know you did what you thought was right."

Castiel looked away, "but, it was wrong, Gabriel. I played God. God, Gabriel. I should not have returned from Purgatory like I did. I know it was Him. He brought me back, I know it. It wasn't Naomi, like she said. I just do not understand why He gave another chance. I do not deserve to be here. I deserve much worse than Purgatory."

Gabriel stepped into his line of vision. "You don't determine your punishment. There's a reason why you're back."

"I do not see a reason," Castiel said sadly, turning away.

"You sure about that?" Gabriel asked.

There was a flutter of wings followed by another flutter, a small thump, and one more flutter. Castiel barely heard it and just assumed the sound was his closest kin leaving him. For good, this time. He stood there for a while before looking up and praying. "Why am I here, Father? I should not be here. I was wrong. I killed. I brought so much death. WHY DID YOU BRING ME BACK?" He looked down, a few tears falling from his eyes. "You should have left me in Purgatory. YOU SHOULD HAVE LET ME DIE!" He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around. He figured it was Gabriel, probably going to ask him to leave or something. Instead, he was surprised to see those familiar mesmerizing green eyes. He gasped.

"Don't you get it, Cas?" Dean cupped the angel's face, wiping the tears away. "You're here for a reason."


Back on Earth...

"Dammit, Sam. Why won't you tell me what's going on?" Dean yells at his brother.

"Don't worry about it, Dean. They just need to talk about a few things." Sam answered as they walked to the Impala, ready for a nearby hunt.

Dean huffed. He knew Sam wouldn't give in, so he changed the subject. "Would you at least tell me what we're hunting?"

Sam smiled at the fact that Dean didn't push like he normally did, ignoring the look he received for that smile. "It's just a small hunt. A ghost ran a family out of their home."

"Sounds boring, how'd you hear of it?" Dean said, getting into his car.

"Oh yeah. Gabriel and I popped in on Garth before coming to the cabin. He told us about it. Said a ghost was tormenting a family to the point that they called some amateur" he paused, "'ghost hunters'," he added with air quotes.

They laughed as they drove down the dirt road that led to a small street. Dean stopped the car. "Which way? Wait... where are we, anyway?"

Sam pointed left and thought for a moment. "Oh, yeah. Gabriel said we're in Yellowstone."

"Yellowstone? As in National Park, Yellowstone?" Dean asked, surprised. He turned the car to go left on the tiny street.

"Yep. He said Castiel built this cabin in a protected area."

"Protected? Meaning?" Dean asked.

"Basically? No one will find us here. Gabriel said we're in the southeast corner of the park. I think I've read somewhere that that is one of the most remote places in the United States."

Dean scoffed. "Nerd."

"Shut up." Sam pulled out a map of Wyoming and started looking for where they needed to go. "Anyway, we need to go here." He pointed at a dot labeled Dubois near the outside of the park.

They drove for a couple of hours before finding the town. They neared a local bar and decided that was the best place to start. Dean parked Baby and they headed in to the bar. After ordering their drinks, Gabriel popped out of nowhere.

"Hey, Dean-o."

The hunters jump. "Dammit, Gabriel," Dean mumbled.

"What's up, Gabe?" Sam asks the archangel.

"We have problem with Castiel. I need your help, Dean."

Dean looks at his brother, "what about Sam? And the case?"

Sam sighed, "I can deal with a ghost, Dean. You go, I got this. Plus, Gabriel can help me here, right Gabe?"

"Sure, now let's go." Gabriel put a hand on Dean's shoulder and basically dropped him off at his little Heaven apartment, going back to Sam at the bar.


Dean looked around at the little apartment in Gabriel's corner of Heaven. His eyes stopped on Castiel. His back was turned to the hunter, so he didn't see the silent tears. Dean was about to say something when Castiel looked up and began praying.

"Why am I here, Father? I should not be here. I was wrong. I killed. I brought so much death. WHY DID YOU BRING ME BACK?" Dean watched as the anger, disappointment, and guilt coursed through the angel's body in tremors. He watched heart-broken as his angel looked down, cried, and clenched his fists from all of his emotions, "You should have left me in Purgatory. YOU SHOULD HAVE LET ME DIE!"

He couldn't take it anymore. Dean reached out and put his hand on his angel's shoulder. When Castiel turned around, Dean's heart broke even more at the sight of those tears. The angel's fists unclenched. The tremors stopped. But the tears kept flowing.

"Don't you get it, Cas?" He cupped his lover's face and wiped those heart-wrenching tears. "You're here for a reason."


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Up next: "Chapter XII: Love Comes in all Shapes and Sizes"