"You can't be serious."

Gabe sighed. "Do I look like I'm making this shit up?"

"So you're telling me," Sam shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around the idea, "you're telling me that Cas and Dean have some kind of weird profound bond thing and it's basically killing my brother?"

"It's not the bond that's killing him, exactly," Balthazar offered. "It's the distance. Cassie is in one dimension, Heaven, while Dean is here on Earth. The piece of Castiel's grace is deteriorating without access to the source, and it's taking Dean with it."

"Balth and I were just as surprised. It's rare for a bond of this magnitude to form between two angels. In fact, I've only heard of one pair - but between an angel and a human? Especially while the angel's grace was dormant? Yeah. I got no point of reference for this."

Sam sighed and started pacing across the library. "How long does he have before it kills him?"

"No idea. But probably not that long, if he's starting to have access to how Castiel feels."

"What do you mean?"

"When I went to get him in Baltimore, he said he could feel Cas. He could feel them hurting him."

"Hurting him how?"

"Dammit, Sam, I don't know! I'm flying blind here. I have to go get Cas. That's the only way I can think of to help Dean right now."

"His fever's up," Ellen said, climbing the steps to the library. "He's up to 104.7. I don't know how that's even possible. Jo and Charlie are stripping him down and putting ice packs on him. We're gathering fans to make his room as cool as possible."

"The grace is killing him and protecting him from the fever at the same time. It's hard to explain. We're pushing up the rescue mission. Cas is Dean's only chan-"

"Mom! Mom! Come quick!" Jo's panicked voice echoed down the corridor.

All of them charged into Dean's room to find him in just his boxers, huddled in a corner of the room. He was screaming, clearly in pain, both hands gripping the sides of his head.

"Dean!" Gabe knelt before him. "What is it, kiddo? What's wrong?" He put his hands on Dean's shoulders and gently shook him. "Come on, talk to me."

"C-cas -" Dean whimpered, collapsing into Gabe's arms.

"I know, I know," Gabe soothed, gently gathering Dean into a bridal carry and moving him back towards the bed.

Sam's frustration level increased. "What the fuck -"

"No! Stop, stop, please!" Dean started screaming again, hands going back to his head as he curled into the fetal position.

"What the hell?!" Sam reached for Dean, who only curled in tighter on himself and sobbed. "What is this, Gabe?"

"N-no, p-please," Dean whimpered.

Gabe reached for Dean, turning his face up. Dean's eyes were wide and streaming tears, and blood was trickling from his nose. "I'm going right now," Gabe told him softly. "I'm going to bring him home to you. Understand?"

Dean nodded weakly.

"Time to go," Gabe said to Balthazar. He turned back to Sam. "I don't know how long we'll be gone, but I'll make it as fast as I can. Do your best to keep him comfortable. Do the thing with the ice packs. Put him in the tub if you have to." He smiled grimly at Balthazar. "Ready, brother?"

"Ready."

The two of them left together, the familiar sound of rustling feathers in the hall announcing their departure.

"Naomi," Dean whispered. "S-stop. P-please."

"Who's Naomi?"

Ellen shook her head. "Like I know. Lay him down, Sam. Let's get him cooled off."

"C-Cas...," Dean whimpered, eyes slipping shut. "C-Cas…"

"He's so weak," Sam slid his hand under Dean's head, lifting him onto a pillow. "And so hot. Jesus, he's hot."

"I sent Charlie and Jo to get more ice packs, and we'll get the fans going. Chuck and Bobby are looking for some."

"Where's the little guy?"

"Napping. I'm trying to keep him blissfully unaware of what's going on."

"You're a lifesaver, Ellen."

"C-Cas...p-please…" Dean's head tossed on the pillow, his face pulled into a grimace of pain.

Sam's heart clenched. "God, Ellen, what if - what if Gabe doesn't get back in time?"

"He will. I have faith in that damn angel." She leveled Sam with a scorching look. "And I know you do, too. I'm smarter than I look and I know what you two do behind closed doors. Bad enough we got one Winchester married to an angel."

"Ellen -"

"I know." She covered Dean's groin with a towel. "Trust me, you're gonna say. Trust that I know what I'm doing. Sam, I do trust you. But you're gambling with a lot of lives right now, and I just want to make sure you know what you're doing."

"I do, I promise."

Ellen opened her mouth to say more, but the girls came back with the ice packs, and the four of them worked together to care for Dean. He whined at the coldness seeping through the washcloths, but he was far too weak to shove the things off.

Chuck couldn't seem to take his eyes off Dean while he helped set up the fans. Bobby was quick and efficient, but Chuck seemed distracted, watching Dean gasp for each hard won breath.

"He doesn't have long," Chuck said softly.

"Have you seen this? Is he going to -"

"No. I'll be honest, Sam, I haven't had a vision in days. Weeks. I dunno. They stopped right before you went to get him." Chuck stepped closer to the bed. "I just - I can tell. He's fading."

Hours passed. Dean grew weaker and weaker. He finally lost consciousness and didn't wake up again, even when he started coughing up blood. Sam and Charlie kept a vigil by his bedside.

He's not going to make it, Sam thought. He gently exchanged the thawed ice pack underneath Dean's neck for a fresh one.

Charlie snapped into gear and helped him swap out the rest, taking her seat beside the bed when they were done. She sat with her hands wrapped around one of his, mouth moving in silent prayer.

Sam could hear little Dean outside the door, playing and running and giggling. He wasn't the least bit aware that anything was wrong in his world, or that behind a door across the hall from his own, the uncle he'd been named for and never met was dying.

Tears burned in Sam's eyes, as he dropped his head into his hands. "This is my fault," he muttered.

"Not entirely."

Looking up, he caught Charlie's eyes. "Not sure I understand."

"I think all of this would have happened eventually, anyway, and on some level, you're a pawn, too. You're not the one who powered down an angel and parked him in Baltimore, you're not the one who made Dean run all those years ago - I dunno. Seems like the cards were stacked against you and Dean right from the beginning. I think all of this would have happened eventually." Charlie frowned. "Why did he run? He's never told me. I think Cas knows…" she trailed off. "But I guess if he wanted me to know, he'd've told me."

"It's ugly," Sam muttered, staring at his brother's lax face. "A demon possessed my father - after he killed him - and he -" Sam rubbed a hand over his eyes. "He did some pretty horrible things to Dean."

"You mean, like torture him or -" Charlie's face blanched. "Oh my god." She covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh god, so much makes sense now - but I would have - oh god, Dean," she whispered, squeezing his hand tighter. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have helped you, I swear." Tears streamed down her face. "I'm so sorry."

"Charlie, you're so utterly innocent in all of this, I can't even begin to -"

There was a massive clatter and raised voices outside in the hall and then Dean's door slammed open, Gabe striding through with a man in a trench coat in his arms.

"We've got wounded in the library. Both of you get out of here!"

He crossed the room, gently laying the man beside Dean.

"Cas! Is he ok?" Charlie ran a hand through his hair.

"He will be. Apparently this thing works in reverse, although not as fast as it took Dean down, but Cas is hurting." He looked up, meeting up with Sam. "Out. You and Charlie, go."

"What the hell?! I'm not just going to-"

"I'm about to initiate kinky sexual healing between my brother and yours, you really want to watch?"

Sam's cheeks flamed and Charlie all but ran from the room. "No, not really."

"Good, get to the library. I've got wounded and I'm going to need your help."

It shouldn't have been so easy. Storming Heaven proved to be almost effortless.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Balthazar said, following Gabriel into the dungeons.

"Me too, Han Solo," Gabe muttered.

"Gabriel?"

"Hannah," Gabe smiled, walking to the first cell and releasing the gate. "Good to see you." She threw herself into his arms.

"They're coming. They know we're here," Anna whispered.

Gabriel left the others to free the rest of the prisoners. Castiel was laying on his side in his cell, clearly unconscious. "How long as he been like this?

"Since Dean stopped praying."

"Dammit." Gabe scooped Castiel into his arms, holding him close to his chest. "Time to go."

They were almost to the gate when Zachariah and Raphael showed up.

Sam left Dean's room, huffing and puffing and clearly angry. Gabe paid him no mind. He used his grace to shut and lock the door behind Sam.

"Ok, you two. I'm going to tuck you under the blankets and zap away your clothes and then I'm making like a tree and leaving." He waved his hand and a sizable buffet appeared on Dean's desk, along with a cooler of water bottles. He materialized an extra-large bottle of lube and a handful of other goodies on Dean's bedside table.

"G-Gabe -"

"Shh," Gabe soothed, running a hand through Cas's hair. "You're safe. Dean's right beside you." He reached over Cas and joined his and Dean's hands. "Feel him?"

Cas nodded, not opening his eyes.

"He's in bad shape, Cassie. Gotta use that inherent awesomeness of yours and fix him up. You won't be disturbed and everything you need is in the room. Come out when you guys are ready - but don't wait too long to take care of Dean. He needs you, ok?"

"What's wrong with him?" Cas asked weakly.

"Same thing that's wrong with you. You'll figure it out. Make him feel good, it'll make you feel good, too." Gabe snapped some candles into being.

"Why am I naked?"

"Figure it out, stud," Gabe smirked, before zapping himself back to the library.

Hannah was laid out on the table, hands clutched over the wound in her stomach. "Hey, there kiddo. I'm gonna fix you up."

She nodded, too weak to respond. Gabe gently cupped her chin in his hand and sent a wave of grace through her body.

"Thank you," she smiled, as he helped her sit back up.

"You're welcome. We couldn't have done this without you and Azrael." Gabe sighed. "And I hate to say it in light of his and the others' deaths, but that was too easy. Way too easy."

"I agree," Gadreel said. "It makes me nervous."

Abner reached for his hand and pulled him down onto the couch beside him. "It'll be ok. This place - I can feel how safe it is."

"So, uh, anyone want to tell me what's going on?"

"Sam Winchester," Hannah said softly. "It's an honor."

Sam looked confused. "It is?"

"Yes," Anna stepped forward. "You're going to save the world."

All the blood drained from Sam's face. "I don't know - I don't -"

"You will. It's written." Gadreel stood again and crossed the floor. "We've been waiting for you for a long time, Sam Winchester."

Fear danced in Sam's eyes.

"Ok, guys, it's been a big day. Sam and I need to have a little chat. Feel free to poke around the library and stuff. I don't recommend leaving the bunker."

Without waiting for confirmation, Gabe grabbed Sam's arm and dragged him down the hall to his room.

"What is going on?" Sam asked the second Gabe shut the door. "What are they talking about? I don't understand."

"It's ok. Don't freak out. It's just some old prophecy that may or may not be true and I don't want to work you up over hearsay. It's late, and you've been stressed out over Dean all day. Get in the bed."

"Gabe -"

"Sammy, do you trust me?"

"Yes, but -"

Gabe gently pushed Sam down to sit on the bed, catching his chin in his palm. "Then trust me about this."

Sam looked conflicted. "Ok," he muttered finally. "Cas is ok, though?"

Gabe focused on his brother for a moment, relieved that he'd thought to buffer the rest of the bunker from Cas's grace. "More than ok, actually."

"Never mind, I don't want to know."

"No, you really don't," Gabe chuckled.

"I'm glad you were able to get him out."

"Yeah, about that. It was weird. There should have been more resistance. We lost Rachel, Hester, and Azrael, but those were pretty light casualties considering." He caught Sam's face. "Don't look at me like that. At the end of the day, I'm a general, and I have to look at things tactically. That mission should not have been that easy. I almost feel like - like they wanted us to get Cas out."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning there might be something bigger at play here. We need to keep our eyes open, Sam."

Cas ran his fingers over the palm of Dean's hand. Dean was hot; too hot, intense fever running through his body.

"Dean," Cas breathed, rolling to his side.

Dean lay on his back, mouth slightly opened. His face was flushed with fever and dried blood crusted in the corners of his mouth. Cas pressed his nose into the space between Dean's shoulder and jaw and breathed him in.

"Dean. My Dean. Beloved," he murmured, kissing along Dean's neck as strength slowly returned to him. His grace sang, overjoyed to be so close to Dean's human soul. Cas slid a hand along the heated skin of Dean's belly. "Open your eyes, I'm here, I'm here," he said softly in between kisses. "Open your eyes, Dean." Cas sent a wave of grace into Dean's body.

"Uhhh," Dean moaned.

"That's it." Cas pushed himself up on one arm, running the fingers of his free hand down Dean's face. "Open your beautiful eyes, beloved."

Dean lids fluttered, blinking open a moment later. His eyes were unfocused at first, gradually clearing as he stared up at Cas.

"Cas," he whispered. "Are you - are you really here?"

"Yes. I'm here. I'm here and I never should have left you. I'm so sorry," he pulled Dean into his arms and pressed them chest to chest, burying his face in Dean's neck. "I shouldn't have left you. Please forgive me. I'm so sorry."

Dean's arms tightened around him. "Oh god, you're here. You're here. I thought I was never - thought I'd never see you again. Cas, Cas," Dean kissed every part of Cas's face he could reach, sliding hands across his back, down his arms.

"I'm here, I'm here." He turned his head, lips crashing into Dean's.

His grace surged, making the lights in the room flicker madly. Someone had the sense to leave some candles behind, and that was probably a good idea, since the harder he kissed Dean, the more passion he felt, the more the lights dimmed.

"What is that?" Dean gasped, as Cas dipped his head to attack his neck again. "Felt it before - the night you left -"

"My grace," Cas growled. "I find it," he nipped at Dean's jaw, "difficult to control," he sucked the lobe of Dean's ear into his mouth and bit lightly, "when I'm with you. The things you make me feel," his lips found Dean's again, "it's intoxicating." Cas swept his tongue inside of Dean's mouth, feeling his lover grow hard beneath him. "You're intoxicating."

Everything became very blurred after that. Cas used his grace to stretch and prepare Dean, with his mouth on his cock, and it didn't take long to reduce Dean to a begging mess. He pushed Dean's legs up, practically bending him in half, and he took Dean fast and hard while Dean's nails dug bloody furrows down his back. They both came screaming, as every bulb in the room shattered with the force of Cas's grace, and Dean passed out completely.

Cas waited patiently for Dean to wake again. He poked around the room a bit, smiling when he came across the album of photos. He turned the pages carefully, smiling at images of he and Dean getting married and then on their honeymoon.

Dean started to stir. Setting the album aside, Cas made a plate of fruit, cheese, and crackers from the impressive spread on the desk, offering up a silent thanks to Gabriel. He'd just settled down on the bed when Dean woke, sitting straight up with his eyes wide.

"Cas?" Dean reached out and touched his face. "Was that - was that real? I wasn't dreaming?"

"No, beloved. You weren't dreaming. I'm really here."

"Oh, god," Dean whimpered, throwing himself into Cas's arms. "I've been sick and I thought it was a fever dream. You're really here," he breathed against Cas's neck.

Cas wrapped his arms tight around Dean. "I'm never leaving you again. I promise."

Dean nodded against his chest, warm wetness forming there as Dean cried silently, clinging to him. After a time, Dean calmed and Cas gently pushed him back into the pillows and reached for the plate. "You should eat."

"Probably right. Haven't eaten much of anything in days."

Cas picked a luscious strawberry from the plate and held it to Dean's lips. He rearranged them on the bed so that Dean was cradled against his chest, and every bite Dean ate came from Cas's fingers. It was better that way; Dean could eat, and Cas could feast on Dean's neck and the skin behind his ears.

"Are you feeling better now?" Cas asked as he set the plate aside and opened a bottle of water for Dean.

"Feeling a little lazy and spoiled at the moment."

"You should always be spoiled. You deserve good things, deserve to be cared for."

"Not a child," Dean mumbled, cheeks reddening.

"No," Cas smiled, reaching down to cup Dean's semi hard length in his hand. "I'd say not. Still," he kissed his neck, "I enjoy spoiling you. I enjoy doing things for you. And you should admit to me, to yourself, that you enjoy it. You enjoyed eating from my fingers. You like it when I care for you." Dean squirmed, and Cas could feel his arousal building. "We've done something - something rare. Somehow, a piece of my grace has lodged in your soul. We're bonded. I can feel what you feel. Right now, you're happy, content, but also utterly aroused. And you want me to take control. I'm right, aren't I?"

"Fuck, Cas," Dean whined.

Cas shifted them, laying Dean flat on the bed before claiming his mouth again. Dean's arms wrapped around his neck, and he groaned into the kiss as Cas lined them up.

"You are wonderful," he whispered in Dean's ear, rocking their hips together. "You are everything I didn't know I wanted and now can't live without. My world, my life, my everything. My beloved."

"Cas, I - I -" Dean's eyes were so full as he stared up at Cas.

"I know. I know." He slid back down Dean's body, finding him with his mouth.

Hands locked into his hair, Dean's hips moving upward with a mind of their own. Dean babbled nonsensically above him, as Cas slid grace-slicked fingers inside of his already stretched hole.

"Fuck, I'm gonna - I'm gonna -"

Cas lifted his head and grinned. "Come for me, Dean," he ordered, and Dean obeyed, hips and back arching off the bed as he painted his own chest in thick, white stripes.

Climbing back up his body, Cas lifted Dean's shaking legs and wrapped them around his waist, sliding inside of him easily. A jolt of grace to Dean's body and he was hard again.

"How do you do that to me?" Dean breathed. "How?"

"Magic," Cas smiled, pulling back and thrusting home again. He reached for Dean's wrists, pinning them over his head.

"You weren't like this before - you were gentle, careful -"

"Would you prefer that?"

"Fuck, Cas," Dean groaned as the head of Cas's cock dragged over his prostate. "No, god no. Fuck me. Fuck me, goddammit!"

Growling, Cas pinned Dean to the bed harder, leaning down to drag his teeth down Dean's neck. His body weight shoved Dean's thighs flush against his come smeared chest, and he angled his body so that every thrust hit Dean's prostate.

Dean was beyond words. He could only manage groans and guttural sounds in the back of his throat. His hips worked to meet each and every one of Cas's thrusts.

"I'm going to make you come so hard," Cas growled. "I can use my grace to make you feel like my mouth is on you, too," he demonstrated and Dean all but screamed, eyes rolling into the back of his head. "I'm going to push you over that edge so hard, you'll black out again just from the overload of pleasure."

"G-god, f-fuck," Dean stammered, already overwhelmed.

Cas leaned in for a kiss, sucking Dean's tongue into his mouth. He let go of one of Dean's wrists, keeping it pinned there with his grace. His free hand reached down to feel where he and Dean were joined together, and he let the tip of a finger slip inside.

Dean groaned, eyes squeezed shut and his head tossing back and forth on the pillow.

"How does it feel? You're being fucked by an angel. How does that feel?"

Screaming, Dean came so hard it splashed up his chest and splattered on his chin, and his whole body went still as he passed out.

"Hello, Castiel."

Blinking in the bright light of Naomi's office, Castiel frowned in confusion. He was fully dressed, staring at the angel sitting at the desk in the pristine office.

"Naomi -"

"Sorry to interrupt," she smirked.

"I'll bet you are," he said sarcastically.

"Aren't you happy? We let you go. You're with Dean again."

"I won't hurt him."

"You'll do as I say. The time is coming. You'll bring him to me - with the boy."'

"What boy?"

"You'll know. I'll be seeing you very soon. There are more things we need to go over, things you'll need to practice."

Cas took a step forward, anger boiling inside him. "You dare to presume I'll do your bidding. I'm not your puppet, Naomi. I won't hurt Dean. I can't."

"You can. And you will. Good day, Castiel."

He blinked, stared down at Dean, unconscious in his arms, and came hard, buried deep inside him. Cas held Dean close as he came down from his own orgasm. He took a moment to enjoy the sight of Dean covered in come. With a blink, Dean was clean again, nestled into the bed. Cas stood and pulled the blankets over him, smiling at the happy sound Dean made in his sleep.

Cas scratched his head. There was something he needed to remember. It was important, and it affected Dean, but he couldn't grasp it, couldn't pull it into the light.

"Cas?"

Smiling, Cas crawled back into the bed, pulling Dean into his arms. "I'm here, beloved."

"You never called me that before. I like it," Dean said sleepily.

"It describes you well. You are my most loved. I love you so much, Dean."

"Love you too, Cas. I'm so glad you're here." He yawned. "Gonna sleep awhile."

"I'll watch over you," Cas promised, kissing Dean's forehead. "I'll keep you safe."

Dean's skin had cooled considerably, back to a more normal temperature for the human body. Cas reveled in the feel of him close, pulling him tighter.

Whatever he'd been trying to remember must not have been that important.