"Wait, wait, the what now?" Dean asked.

"The Garden of Eden?" Sam asked. "The Garden of Eden? As in the literal Garden where Eve ate the apple?"

"The literal Garden," Billie confirmed.

Lucifer buried his head in his hands. "Dammit," he muttered. "God freaking dammit."

"Hey," Asmodei said. He placed a hand on Lucifer's shoulder slightly awkwardly. "Hey, it's alright. We're getting him back."

"It's the actual Garden," Gabriel said to no one in particular. Then he turned to Billie. "How is it dangerous? Dark? How does it have the power to destroy?"

"After Eve and the apple, the Garden fell into chaos, it wilted, destroyed itself. All that is left now are the ghostly skeletons of trees and dead bushes."

Dean threw up his hands. "Great! Fan- freakin- tastic! How the actual Hell are we supposed to get there?"

Billie sighed. "It's nearly impossible. I can, however, pull a few strings, maybe call up a ride. It's gonna be tough."

"Please," Sam said. "Billie, we need him back. We'll do just about anything you need. Just, try please."

"Oh Sam," she murmured, stepping forward. Sam leaned back and Dean tensed, watching her fingers delicately touch his shoulder. "Anything?"

Sam watched her warily. His eyes were narrowed. "Anything you need, anything you want that is within our power to give."

"Just make me this promise, the same one that Dean here made."

"And that is?"

"Save the angel, take care of you brother, and when I come, accept my hand." The same words she had used at the hospital cut through Dean like a steel knife.

Sam swallowed. "You have my word."

"Good." Billie turned a at from him to face Dean and the three Angels. "You want to hitch a ride to the Garden. That's going to be difficult as, standardly, you have to be dead. I can kill you but there is a good chance you won't be coming back."

Gabriel cut in. "Is there any chance of getting him without dying?"

"There may be another way. Riskier than you might like but it may work out. I have to remove your souls from your body."

Sam visibly flinched and Dean put a hand on his arm. "No other way?" he asked.

"None." Billie met his green gaze with her own dark brown one then it slowly shifted to Sam. "I know it's uncomfortable for you Sam, to have me talk about souls and removing them. You boys have been through a lot of shit but I promise on my duty to reap you that it's nothing like what you went through. It will be...unpleasant, but in the end you will be fine."

Sam nodded. "We just need Cas back, no matter the consequences."

"And us?" Lucifer said. "Angels don't have souls and we can't just fly to the Garden of Eden. I'm not going to stay here."

Billie turned to him slowly. "Then prepare for one of the biggest temporary sacrifices you'll ever make."

"And that is?" Asmodei asked. His face was hard with worry but tenderness for his brother was prominent in his deep eyes.

"Grace," Dean answered before Billie could. "That's what you want to ask of them, isn't it? Give up your Grace for a while, fester and begin to rot in the corpse of a vessel. Pray you'll get back in time."

"Strongly worded," Billie said. "But absolutely correct. I need you to give up your Grace, for a bit only. I'll give it back but you need to be human to get there."

Sam looked pleadingly at Gabriel whose solid affection for Cas faltered when he heard of the sacrifice he must make. "Gabriel, Asmodei...Lucifer," he said softly. "We need you guys to be there. He might not come back just for me and Dean, he might need you to be there."

"I know," Lucifer said softly. "Believe me Sam, I want to help him. Every part of me needs him to be safe, to have him here physically and where I can touch him to know its real, that I'm not mad. Dean," he said, shifting his gaze. "You know what I mean."

All eyes turned to Dean who stood next to Sam, hand still on his arm. He closed his eyes and have a heavy exhale. "Of course I know what you mean Lucifer."

Lucifer, surprisingly, seemed to visibly relax. "Thank you."

Dean looked puzzled. "You're...welcome?"

Sam, seeing how uncomfortable Dean was, dove in. "So will you do this for Cas," he asked. "Or not?"

Asmodei, Gabriel, and Lucifer shared glances. Silently they conversed, sharing nods and raised eyebrows until Asmodei cleared his throat and his brother, having come to a decision stopped fidgeting.

"What will it be?" Billie asked. "The longer you wait the farther gone Castiel may be."

Asmodei stared her in the eye. For a moment it looked like he had wings, big and beautiful, a true warrior with the fire of Michael in his eyes. Then he seemed to shrink, to collapse into himself as a mortal man needing his brother. "Yes," he said, voice suddenly weary. "Take it."

Billie's expression didn't change. "Of course. Family is always first, isn't it?"

"Always," Lucifer whispered. "Before anyone or anything."

"Good. I knew you would say that." Billie smiled softly. "I'll arrive here at...say eight fifteen. All of you need your rest, Angels included. Regenerate yourselves, try and heal any wound, internal or external on your vessel or you will die immediately when you Grace leaves. Winchesters," she said, turning sharply towards Sam and Dean. "Bad things are leaking from Eden, it's cracked open, nightmares, thoughts, terrible things are leaving through. Cas opened a door that hadn't been opened in millennia. These thoughts make the already unstable and brilliant do bad things, targets people who have lost loved ones recently. Watch yourselves."

"Great," Dean said sarcastically. "Could have told us earlier."

"I forgot," she said, flipping her hair and beginning to fade away. "Take care. Eight fifteen, remember."

Sam turned away from the spot his eyes had been fixed on, the spot where Billie had disappeared. "What do you think she meant?"

Dean gestured wearily. "I dunno man, let's turn in. I'm exhausted."

"We should head out," Gabriel said awkwardly, interrupting the conversation. "We will come back at eight tomorrow."

Dean watched them disappear. "Right," he said, the last of his composure slipping. He threw himself into a chair. "This just couldn't get any better could it?"

"Hey man," Sam said, kneeling beside Dean. "Keep it together Dean, please." He felt his heart speed up, fearful that if Dean fell apart Sam would follow.

Dean looked sideways at his brother. "Sorry Sammy. I...its just. God Sam, I'm scared. Tomorrow, I just...if he isn't human, if Eden destroyed his humanity..."

"...Then you'll rebuild it," Sam finished cutting him off. "I know you will."

Dean looked slightly guilty. "Sorry Sam," he apologized. "Just kinda stressed about this. Thanks." God, he was so thankful to have Sam.

Sam gripped his brothers arm and pulled him to his feet. "Go to your room, take a shower, get to bed. Don't worry, okay? It's gonna be fine."

Dean nodded, not protesting at Sam's mother-hen behaviors, it was just his way of coping. For a second he almost beloved everything would be okay.

Sam followed his brother up until Dean turned into his room. Sam kept walking, following the hallway to his room three doors down. He hoped Dean had believed that it would be alright when really, Sam doubted Cas would even recognize them.