Day one passed.

Day two passed.

Day three passed.

Life in the bunker without Destiel was dark and impossible, as if someone had pulled the lightbulb from a socket but still expected it to work in their hands. We did not say much, we did not eat much, and no one was sleeping. Sam had retreated to what I had noticed was his go-to in stressful situations: research. He said he was searching for a way to arm ourselves, for a way to break through heaven's closed gates, or for a way to just bring Destiel back with magic. He hadn't found anything yet, but I knew him well enough to know he needed to keep trying. Kevin helped him as much as he could, but there was very little about heaven in the texts, and nothing about hybrids.

Dean was focusing on weapons. He was gathering every gun and blade in the arsenal and working on them, making sure they were ready at a moment's notice. He insisted that security had to be stepped up; we weren't off the radar anymore and they could be back any moment. He'd redrawn the sigils, but they hadn't been foolproof before. Sometimes he'd disappear for hours with no explanation, and just tell us he was working on the problem. He wanted me to help him, but I was busy. I spent hours each day praying to Mamuel, Destiel, and any other angel that might hear me. I prayed for mercy, for a sign, for their ransom demand, anything I could think of, but they never replied.

Castiel was the hardest hit. He never left the chair he'd been plopped in, and he rarely spoke. Dean tried to get him into action a few times, and then just tried to get him to stand. He got more and more gentle in his approach to the angel. At one point he quietly tried to convince him to come to bed, which I knew was strange because Castiel did not need sleep. I'd looked up questioningly at Sam but he just smiled sadly and told me not to worry about it. Castiel had just shaken his head sadly, never taking his eyes off the floor. Dean began to sleep leaning against the bottom of the chair, when he slept at all.

Day four passed.

Day five passed.

What were they waiting for? Gabriel was not able to help much. He figured they were trying to build up our anxiety, but that didn't make sense to me. We were already broken, already willing to do anything; there was nowhere to go from here.

It was day six when Castiel spoke or the first time in probably fifty hours. Dean had been drifting in and out against the angels knees, when suddenly his hand came down and gripped Dean's shoulder. Dean was awake in an instant. "What is it, Cas? Did you hear something on angel radio?"

Castiel just stared at him. "He's turning three months old today. He'd look about eight now."

Dean smiled sadly, shooting a look towards the rest of us to see if we were paying attention to them. We pretended we weren't.

"Cas," he said softly, placing a hand against the other man's neck, "we're gonna' get him back."

"When?" Cas snapped. "How? I've been trying to reach out to him for days, Dean. There's nothing. He forgot about where he was born, how long will it be before he forgets us? They'll make him a soldier and hammer out every bit of his personality until he feels nothing but loyalty to them! They did it to me!"

Dean let Cas yell at him. Once he was done the anger faded from his eyes and he was just a broken creature again. "Come with me," Dean said gently. "Please."

Castiel allowed Dean to pull him to his feet and out of the room.

We all tried to act busy. There was an unspoken agreement we'd all settled on not to talk about whatever was going on between them, at least until they had their son back. I flipped half-heartedly through a book written in Enochian which I could barely understand. The hours ticked by.

Mamuel's voice came to me loudly, blaring inside my head.

"If you want the boy back, find somewhere to be alone. Tell no one. We need to speak."

I was up in an instant, muttering something about using the restroom as I left as quickly as I could without drawing suspicion. "Mamuel?" I called in my mind. "I am alone."

"You will come to Stull cemetery at sunrise," Mamuel said simply. "Tell no one, bring no one, or the boy dies. Do as I say and he will be with me when we arrive. Disobey, and I will bring his body only."

"How do I know he is even alive?"

There was silence for a moment, and then a different voice broke through.

"Sabe? Daddy! Can you hear m-" Destiel started. It cut off. I flew.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Dean pushed Castiel into the shower despite the angel's insistence that he did not require grooming due to his grace. He was still covered in his own blood though, and Dean persisted. It wasn't the way he had imagined seeing Cas naked for the first time, but he knew this wasn't the time to be thinking about that. He threw the ruined clothes into a pile on the floor, hoping Castiel could fix them once he had his grace back to full power. Once the blood was gone, he found one of his old pairs of t-shirts and sweatpants and drapped them over the angel's weak body. Dean pulled them quietly into his room and set Castiel down on the bed, then climbed in next to him.

Castiel waited a full minute before he spoke. "What are we doing?"

"We're resting."

"Why?"

"Because you need it. We both do."

"I don't sleep."

Dean huffed. "When you're wrecked, and you can't think of what to do next, you rest. It's what humans do. Then you're more alert and able to think more clearly. Besides, Sabriel said you needed to recover from what those hybrids did to you. Might as well do that here."

Castiel paused. "How are you so calm, Dean? This isn't like you."

"What do you mean?"

"I've seen you when Sam is in trouble. You run until you're empty, then continue to push until he's out of danger. Destiel has been gone for days and you can just lie here? Do you not...care for him as much?"

"Hey," Dean grumbled, grabbing the angel's shoulder. "He's my son. I want him back just as much as you do. But you're freaking out, and one of us has to stay calm until we figure out a way to take action."

"Why?"

"Because Des would want us to. What if he came home and you were slouched in a chair, all covered in blood? We have to make sure he has a home to come back to."

"And do nothing in the meantime?"

Dean shifted uncomfortably. "I uh...I have to tell you something. I'm sorry. I've got an angel in the basement."

Castiel just stared at him.

"I thought he might have information on how to unlock heaven."

"Dean, if lower ranking angels had access to that kind of information, I would know."

"I know. The odds of him knowing are incredibly small. Even if it's one percent though, I had to try. I found him too close to the bunker on patrol, and I got so angry. I beat the shit out of him, Cas. He's going to need to be healed and sent away when this is all over."

Castiel seemed to consider it. "I forgive you, Dean. We will fix him when this is over."

"That's not my point. I mean, if you had been with me when I found him, you would have talked me out of torturing him. I need you, Cas. You can't go all statue on me again."

Castiel nodded. "Okay. I will stay with you."

Dean slipped an arm under Castiel's shoulders and scooted a little closer. They laid in silence for a while, and Castiel was fairly sure the man had fallen asleep. He was surprised when Dean mumbled in his ear. "I know you don't use your room for much, but if you wanted to move your stuff in here I wouldn't mind."

Castiel smiled. He leaned his forehead against Dean's and their hands found each others beneath the blankets. The door slammed open and Dean jumped away from Castiel like he'd been bitten. He was on his feet in a second. "Sam! What the hell?"

Sam's panic seemed to fade into embarrassment for a moment, but he shook it off. "Sabriel is gone."

"What? Why? Where did he go?"

"We have no idea. Kevin is doing a locator spell, but that could take hours. Cas, if the angels called him, where would they send him?"

The angel thought a moment. "I can only think of Stull Cemetery. If they wanted him alone, it may be for his fight with Mamuel."

"They're starting the apocalypse? Now?" Dean gawked at him.

"Maybe."

"Can you get us there?"

"No," he shook his head. "I am not strong enough to fly."

"It's three hours away," Sam said, already leaving. "Let's go."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

It was dark in the cemetery. There were no streetlights nearby to cast light on the old gravestones. I hadn't checked how late in was when I flew here, so I just sat against the old fence and waited. I knew where I was, and I knew what was coming. Gabriel had said the name enough times in my dreams. One of us was going to die here. I decided it didn't matter. I'd chosen a long time ago to save Destiel over myself. My family needed him more than me.

My head hurt, and I was more tired that I should have been. I assumed it was Gabriel, trying to get me to talk to him. I couldn't let him talk me out of this, so I ignored the ache behind my eyes. Slowly, after what felt like hours. The sun began to rise. I soaked up every moment, knowing it was going to be the last one I ever saw. Just as the warmth of the sun touched my face, they appeared.

Destiel was bound by thick ropes covered in sigils. His mouth was wrapped, but I still saw him smile when he saw me. Mamuel stood between us, a ghost of a grin on his face.

"You let him go, first," I said, standing and stretching the strain from my muscles.

"He will be released after you are dead. I keep my agreements."

"We don't have to do this."

"Yes. We do."

I took in the sight of my old enemy. He beamed with confidence, but I'd known him long enough to see the sunken hollowness around his eyes. I didn't know what they'd done to him as punishment for failing to bring me in, but he looked emptier, like they'd pulled some unknown thing out of him. "I don't want to fight you. We can escape, right now."

Mamuel scoffed, pulling an angel blade from his sleeve. "You think I'm going to rebel? Now? I'm not like you."

I nodded. I lifted up my bare fists.

"Where's your weapon?"

I shook my head. "I don't intend to win."

Mamuel scowled, and then he was on me. He brought his blade down and I ducked low enough to miss it. My fist connected with his kidneys hard enough to stun him, and I tossed him back. He didn't waste a second. I tried to move out of the way, but I felt an unforgiving fist slam against my cheekbone. Something splintered inside my face. He punched the same place again, and I fell to my knees. I dove forward and took him down at the knees. The tip of his blade slid across my back, deep, too deep. Once I had him on the ground I tried to pin him down, but he threw me off. He was stronger. Stronger than before, and stronger than me.

I used my grace to push him as hard as I could. He was tossed back through the air, but caught himself in mid fall, and flew back in front of me in an instant. I moved in time to let him storm past me, then I gave up a few precious seconds to turn to Destiel.

"It's going to be okay, Des!" I yelled. I held my hand in front of me and focused intently on my grace, and lifted the boy as quickly as I could without harming him. I moved him back out over the gate, past the dirt road, and laid him, still bound, against a far tree. I thought I heard the crunch of tires on gravel, but then Mamuel was swinging his blade at my heart and I had to focus on avoiding it. I managed to move enough to keep him from landing a fatal blow, but the blade sunk deep into my arm, and I cried out in pain. There was a glow as I felt the power of the blade work, damaging my grace. I tried to fly away, but found I could not.

He used the moment to elbow me in the head, and I fell to the ground, my vision swimming. I thought I heard yelling, and I wondered if it was Gabriel in my head. If I was dying he'd be dead again too, and I was truly sorry for that. I squinted into the growing sunlight as I saw Mamuel's silhouette step over, blade in his hand. He picked me up and tossed me against a gravestone. I used the stone to try to stand, but I was too dizzy. He stepped toward me, and the blade pulled back.

I heard the running footsteps before I saw him. Suddenly, there was Sam, jumping in between us. The hunter's hand grabbed the arm swinging the blade toward us, but the angel hybrid was much stronger than a human. Sam's arm snapped like a twig, and did nothing to stop the path of the weapon. It sunk deep into his chest.

Mamuel gasped and jumped back, leaving the blade stuck in the wound. I heard a scream and realized it was my own. I stumbled forward and caught Sam as he started to collapse, making sure he did not land on the blade and sink it deeper. Sam was staring away from me, straight towards the sky, and he was gasping as though he could not breathe. Dark red blood pooled on the blue of his plaid shirt and I heard yelling and running in the distance that I recognized as being Uncle Dean, trying to get to us as quickly as he could.

I could see that he didn't have enough time. Sam would be dead by the time he reached us, and without my grace I could do nothing about it.

I grabbed the fabric of Sam's shirt, unsure if I should pull the blade out or not. All my training had been in killing humans, not saving them. His eyes darted to me, but if he wanted to speak he did not have the ability. "Please," I begged, feeling tears sting my eyes. "Please don't die, Dad."

I heard Mamuel come up behind me. He leaned over me and pulled the blade from Sam's ribs and I winced at the sucking sound it made. This was it, my father's sacrifice meant nothing. Dean and Castiel would be left alone to fight the apocalypse and keep Destiel safe without us. I waited for the blade to sink into my back.

Mamuel's hand came past me and laid flat against Sam's chest. I watched the unearthly glow surround his palm as he healed him. The hole from the blade was gone, and suddenly Sam was gasping for air, coughing out blood that had pooled in his throat.

I turned and stared at Mamuel. He was staring back at me, and his face was full of...fear? That didn't make sense, but that was what it looked like. I silently asked him why, but he shook his head, the blade dropping from his hand. He backed away from me like I had threatened him, or like I was tainted with something poisonous he was afraid to catch. Then he was gone. He flew away without a word of warning, without explanation, leaving me kneeling in the dirt very much alive.

I felt hands on my injured back, and there was Dean, checking Sam's pulse and searching for a stab wound. My adrenaline faded and the world went dark.