Darkness began to engulf Dean, he could feel the angel's grip on him slacken and his laughter began to ring throughout the forest. The blade was now pressed tightly against his side and the vial was now placed on the floor by his feet. He could feel his own blood coating his hands and through his blurred vision he could see the white liquid that was his grace flying around in the vial desperately trying to escape. Behind him his wings flapped harder trying to fight the angel off of him however they were too broken and damaged to do much more than poke the man in the eye. His mind was screaming at him to do something, he hunter inside was demanding that he stand up and fight and not give in this way.

Gritting his teeth the hunter pressed his hand up against the wound under his eye feeling his blood coat his fingers further. Desperately he blinked attempting to clear his vision to no avail. It was like he had a strand of cling film draped over his eyes stopping him from seeing properly.

"Give it up Winchester this is it!" Uriel screamed pressing the angel blade into Dean's side. Piercing through the skin straight into his muscles.

Dean yelled falling forward so that he was laying in the puddle of his own blood. He felt the blade retract from his skin and his blood oozed out of his body adding to the already growing pool around him. He could feel his angel powers attempting to heal however his supply was seriously diminished, he knew that he was going to bleed out before his grace was destroyed. The angel wanted to toy with him rather than kill him outright it seemed.

Black spots danced in front of his vision as his thoughts turned towards Sam, what would happen to him if he wasn't around? Would he even know what happened to Dean? Would their father even care or would he just carry on as normal? After all it wasn't like he was actually his son, at least then they wouldn't be hunted anymore. Maybe they would be safe.

Don't give up Sam's words rang through his head like he was there whispering in his ear. You are stronger than this the voice continued to say. The young hunter's image floated in front of Dean's now closed eyes and he could feel the love and comfort flow through him. He could feel a new energy reserve filling his veins at the same time. It was like he was being given a new lease of life.

Slowly awareness began to creep back up on him. He could hear his slow heartbeat, he could feel the grass underneath his still body and he could feel his limbs pressing against the floor like deadweight. He tried to move but found that he couldn't, his whole body felt heavy and foreign. He half expected to feel the weight of the other man standing over him but there was nothing. The glass vial lay beside his head, his grace floating around bashing against the side of the glass trying to break through to get to him. His green eyes focused on the white gold light and he could feel it looking back at him, trying to help him.

"TRAITOR!" Dean heard Uriel scream along with the feeling of wind washing over him as a figure stood by his outstretched legs. He didn't have to move his head to know that his saviour had come, his prayers had been answered. Safe in the knowledge he would be ok for the moment he allowed the darkness to pull him under once more.

…

Present.

"Oh my god," Sam declared pressing a hand tight against his mouth and shaking his head in the process. His eyes stayed locked onto the side of Dean's head whose attention was focused completely on the road. "Dean…"

"I know," Dean said with a small smile crossing his lips that Sam saw didn't meet his eyes. "I should have stayed in the cabin but you know me Sammy…"

"I remember when you had a broken leg you was still trying to get in the car and go hunt with dad even though he demanded you stay at home with me. You spent the whole week trying to pace with that cast on…never seen you so restless…" Sam interrupted pulling his hand away from his mouth however his eyes never left his lover's face. "What happened next?"

"I'm not sure," Dean replied shooting Sam a quick look before turning his attention back onto the road once more. "It was lights out after that…the next thing I remembered was waking up in the cabin a month later…"

"A MONTH!" Sam shouted feeling horror wash over him at that declaration. "What happened to you…?"

"Castiel said…"

…

Six years earlier.

Castiel stood by his ward, he didn't risk looking down at the prone figure of the young man in fear of getting distracted more than anything else. He had been tracking down a rogue angel that had been sighted around this area when he had heard Dean's call and he knew then that the angel had found his charge. What he had been doing out of the cabin was something he was going to lecture the young angel on if they got out of this mess alive. So now he stood staring down the other angel, one of his own brothers and revealing himself to be the man who had abandoned his own family for a Nephilim.

"TRAITOR!" Uriel screamed his voice causing wind to roar between them. His hands were clenched around the angel blade which was dripping with Dean's blood. His previously beige suit was now stained red and his hazel eyes stared daggers into Castiel. "Never thought you would sink so low Castiel, to protect this monkey, this abomination…"

"His name is Dean," Castiel defended softly without much emotion in his voice. "If he was an abomination then why would our father allow him to live?" he asked his piercing blue gaze never leaving the other angel's face.

"Our father," Uriel spat at the ground by Castiel's feet in disgust like the words were pure poison in his mouth. "He hasn't been in charge for a while Castiel, he has abandoned heaven and all of his children…"

"That can't be," Castiel murmured subconsciously taking a step back so that he was standing right by Dean's head. He could hear the hunter's slow heartbeat and he knew that they didn't have much time before he either bleed out or his diminishing grace killed him. He made a promise years ago to someone he cared about most that he would protect this child and there was no way he was going to break hat now, not when he couldn't do anything to save her. "He wouldn't just leave heaven."

Uriel laughed twirling the bloodied blade in his hand, his eyes moving from Castiel to Dean and then back again like he couldn't decide which one was more of a threat to him at that current moment. "Heaven has changed since you were last home, I heard the stories about you, how you just left without a word and no one has seen you since. I have always known that you had a soft spot for that traitor but to protect this creature…"

"No," Castiel interrupted. "Nephilims are the work of our father and should be treated like another brother…"

"NO!" Uriel screeched taking a step closer so that there was mere inches between the two angels. "HOW DARE YOU STAND THERE AND PROTECT THIS MAGGOT, DID YOU FORGET OUR FALLEN BROTHER? LUCIFER BETRAYED OUR GARRISON AND HE FELL FOR IT!"

"Lucifer was unfortunate, he didn't have the guidance or training to succeed, I believe that Dean is the future."

Uriel snarled taking that final step to close the gap between the two angels, his features were distorted into a fierce scowl and his whole body was held tight with the tension running through him. His hand gripped onto the blade tightly and his dark eyes stared down at Dean's prone figure. "You protect this thing?" he asked the tip of the blade pointing towards Dean whose unseeing green eyes peered up at the pair like a lifeless doll.

"I do," Castiel replied, his own angel blade slid out of his right arm sleeve into his hand. He held this out to the side and his full attention was focused solely on the pissed off Uriel.

"Then you will die a traitor."

…

Castiel flung his blade up to meet Uriel's in mid-air, as they clashed white light dripped off the edge with the two angelic forces colliding. The angel pushed as much pressure as he could into the attack, fending off Uriel's attempts to slice his throat. He threw his hand to the side making his blade slide off the other angel's and he jumped back to avoid the now free tip from penetrating his heart.

He twirled his own blade and held this out towards Uriel in warning, his own lips were set in a tight line while the other angel continued to laugh like this was all one big joke to him. "I do not want to do this," Castiel reiterated his sense feeling out towards Dean who was fading fast.

"Too bad," Uriel sneered his dark eyes flickered with joy. "Cause I do!" he lunged towards Castiel, his blade scraped at the angel's arm causing a white light to flicker out of his body however Castiel refused to react. His own blade flung forward and rested against Uriel's throat. His piercing blue eyes brightened as blood snaked its way down his arm towards where the injured Nephilim lay.

He pressed his weapon tighter against the other angel as he felt Uriel's own blade press against his side. They were at an impasse, a stalemate with either one of them capable of ending this here and now. Pure fear washed over Castiel, an emotion he had never felt before but it wasn't fear for his own life, it was fear for the young man laying by his feet. He knew that if something happened to him that Dean would be hunted, his grace extracted and either killed or worse…banished. Shuddering he pushed those thoughts aside not allowing himself to dwell on human emotions, it seemed his time on earth was having more of an effect on him then he thought it would.

"Leave now," Castiel warned pressing the tip of his blade into Uriel's skin feeling the angel groan upon impact.

"Sure if I take that with me," Uriel replied his eyes focusing on Dean's lax form. "He's already half dead Castiel, even you can't save him."

"You will not take him!" Castiel warned his voice lowering in tone and the shadow of his wings lit up the snowy floor. His full attention was on the angel in front of them that neither one of them noticed Dean's fingers twitching.

"Protecting that maggot will not make up for your failure to protect our sister!" Uriel screeched his spit covering Castiel's face. "You allowed her to be tainted, you brought her down to earth to do your bidding and that thing is what happened!"

"Wouldn't you like to know what love is like?" Castiel asked not moving his blade away from the angel's neck knowing the minute he did they would both be dead. "If you had a chance would you not take it?"

Uriel laughed his eyes almost bulging out of his head. "Love? We can't love! Humans have tainted you as well Castiel, I will be doing heaven a favour in taking you out," the blade in Castiel's side pressed in further almost to the hilt. "Goodbye brother…"

…

Castiel's eyes widened at the sharp pain in his side. His own angel blade slid from his grasp onto the floor beside Dean. He could feel his blood run down his side along with his grace, he was stuck in a losing battle. His body convulsed as he fell to his knees, his hand sunk into the snow knocking over the glass vial that contained Dean's own grace. He watched as the white light bounced up his arm and over to his side. Instantly the pain washed away as his own blood and grace were sucked back into his body before the light closed the wound.

His eyes widened as he felt his own power flow through his veins. He flexed his arm to test and found that he had full flexibility still, normally when an angel loses their grace they are left to nothing more than a paralysed mess, locked in syndrome as the humans call it. Dean's grace ran down his arm and spiralled in the snow towards the still hunter. It danced along his skin and started to close up the wound under his eye, however a thin red line remained.

Automatically Dean's mouth opened, his unseeing eyes still stared up at the sky and his grace slid down his throat with his lips clamping shut after it made its passage. His eyes began to glow bright green and flecks of gold took over his pupils leaving no indication of the human that was meant to be in control.

Slowly Castiel pushed himself to his feet, Uriel behind him all but forgotten as his full attention was drawn towards his ward. Dean's eyes were still staring into space showing that his complete mental awareness was not there. However the impressive set of wings started to flap, the broken and matted feathers straightened out and the blood crusting the ends of them dripped off. His fingers flexed and his chest heaved with each breath getting stronger with each moment that passed. His arms pushed himself away from the floor and soon the imposing figure of the Nephilim was standing beside Castiel his eyes fixated upon Uriel, who had by now stopped his manic laughter.

"Dean," Castiel called out only for his charge to stay unresponsive.

"You should be dead!" Uriel growled out lunging towards his abandoned angel blade only for it to float in the air above his head and land in Dean's outstretched hand. "THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE!"

Dean remained standing there, with the blade held in loose fingers and his emerald green eyes locked onto the now angry arch angel. His wings stretched out beside him with the tips touching Castiel's shoulders in what the angel perceived to be a protective manner.

Castiel was in awe, never had he seen an angel so pure, so kind heartened that even near death his grace kept him fighting, It was clear the human side was long gone, what made him Dean Winchester was dead and left behind was this stunning spectacle. A pure uncorrupted, independent angel. He was in essence the type of species that God had wanted to make, after the angels came Nephilims, the goodness of angels with emotions and free will. The perfect soldier.

Dean raised the angel blade out towards Uriel, his expression was neutral there was no trace of any kind of emotion as he took a step closer to the angel. Uriel attempted to move however he found himself to be firmly held into place.

"WHAT IS THIS TRICKERY?" Uriel screamed, his voice echoing around the forest making Castiel glad he had chosen the this place to holed up, there was no another human soul for about fifty miles.

Again Dean didn't respond, he stopped when he was an inch in front of the angel's face, he placed the blade against Uriel's heart and was about to strike…

"Dean wait," Castiel instructed calmly noting that Dean did in fact stop in his movements. The blade hovered just above Uriel's heart, one second more from killing him. "Don't do this," he added moving so that he was now in front of the young man. His unseeing eyes moved from Uriel to focus on Castiel as his head cocked to the side in a gesture that showed that somehow he was listening to what was being said. "You don't need to do this," he reiterated placing his own hand over the top of the blade careful not to let it slice into his own skin.

"I knew you couldn't see me killed brother," Uriel sneered that insane smile lurking on his face once more however both the angel and the Nephilim chose to ignore him for the time being.

"I can't let you kill him, if you do all of heaven will be after you and they won't stop till you and all your family are dead. Do you understand?" Castiel said noting the small slow nod of Dean's head. Slowly the angel managed to take the blade from the young man's grasp. "Thank you."

Drawing in a deep breath Castiel turned around so that he was now standing between his charge and the other angel. "You have always been one of us…let's turn in this monster together and your seat in heaven will be open to you."

"No," Castiel said defiantly, closing in the gap between him and his former brother. "I couldn't let him kill you…" with those words he swung the blade and buried it deep into Uriel's heart. The angel screamed, his mouth wide open as an intense white light burst out of it. A low buzzing noise filtered through the atmosphere while the light blinded anything in its path.

Castiel pulled out the blade as the light diminished and the now vacant body of Uriel fell onto the snow on its back. A burnt out imprint of its wings formed behind him, giving him a sick version of snow angel.

"I've always been hunted," Castiel replied to the corpse wiping the blade off in the snow. "Makes no difference to me," he threw the blade on top of Uriel's chest and gave the angel once last look before turning to face Dean.

"Let's go back to the cabin," he instructed wrapping an arm around the vacant hunter and leading him back towards their own little slice of sanctuary.

…

Present.

"You don't remember any of that?" Sam gawked the images of the story burning the front of his mind and his eyes couldn't help but focus on the tiny scar underneath Dean's eye, the only evidence that any of that insanity had come to pass.

"Nope," Dean replied his eyes locked onto the road in front in the worsening weather conditions. "Next thing I knew I woke up in bed with no wings, no shirt and Castiel staring over me with a freaky psycho look and that I somehow had managed to sleep for a month. Took a while for him to tell me what happened…"

"What did you do?"

"Freaked out," Dean admitted rolling his shoulders as the ache of driving for eight hours straight was finally getting to him. "How would you feel to find out that you died…wait…don't answer that…" he stammered off the night that Sam died in his arms flashing to the front of his mind. Swallowing the lump that formed in his throat he forced himself out of those thoughts. His eyes flickered up to the rear view mirror and he noticed that the car that had been following them for at least half an hour was now no longer behind them.

"But you're still you right?" Sam asked the fear evident in his voice no matter how much he tried to hide it.

"I'm still me, just with added angel perks," Dean winked towards Sam turning his eyes towards his lover. It was in that instant that he noticed the pair of angry bright lights staring at him from the side.

"GET DOWN!" Dean shouted forcing Sam's head down the moment the car that had been previously following them rammed into the side of the Impala.

Dean gritted his teeth at the anger of his baby being hurt, no not Sam, he tightened his grip on the wheel and desperately tried to stop the car from spinning out of control. However the tires slipped on the watery road causing the vehicle to spin violently to the right. Smoke billowed off of the tires as the car collided with the barrier at the side of the road.

The black Impala was thrown into the air and it rolled down the nearby hill before crashing upside down and head first into the nearest tree…

TBC (Ooo sorry for the evil cliffhanger! As always thanks for reading and to those who review, hope you enjoyed an insight into Dean's time with Castiel and let me know if you ever want more flashbacks or if that has whet your appetite enough! If you want part two of this chapter sooner than the usual Sunday post (UK time) then just let me know! Thank you again and see you all in Part Twenty Six!)