Concentrate, he told himself, you have to concentrate.

Just a second ago, he had been fighting next to Dean. Had he been killed? His last time dying hadn't felt like this. And there was... nothing around him. It was not even dark. Just nothing. He saw nothing, he heard nothing –

Until the voice spoke.

Castiel Novak.

He didn't have to wonder who it was. His whole being vibrated with the knowledge that he was speaking to an Archangel.

"Michael" he breathed.

It is I. You are not an easy man to find.

He would have believed that this was an attempt at humour if Michael hadn't sound completely calm, cold even.

"The Apocalypse mustn't happen" he said, surprised at his own bravery. Michael could kill him if he wished too, and yet he was ready to argue with him.

It is God's will.

"How do you know? God has been gone a long time."

As the words are written –

"How do you even know it was truly God's will? Anyone could have written that". He didn't care that he had just interrupted Michael. The archangel had found him, pulled him into this non-descript place, and his friends... his friends were...

Dean.

He swallowed.

"I'll never say yes" he announced, knowing that Michael could well force him too. But he needed to say it. At least once.

He had to fight for his friends. For Dean.

I am aware that you don't want me to fight Lucifer. But what other choice do you have?

Logical. Uncaring.

"I can scream no. And I will. And you will lose time over it. Maybe not much, but..."

You can gain nothing by your stubbornness.

"I don't care."

If this is about the rebelling angels...

"Yes. The ones you forced into rebellion because they wanted to save the world!"

They didn't –

"I don't want to hear anything about God's will."

You are a stubborn human.

There was a certain condescending tone in his otherwise completely neutral voice as he spoke of humans, and Cas swallowed, even more worried than before. If Michael didn't think much of humans (and wasn't that how Lucifer was supposed to be like? Wasn't that why he had fallen? Perhaps the brothers hadn't been fighting about God's new creations after all – perhaps Michael had only drawn the line at open rebellion. And if that was true - )

"I do my best."

You are not very respectful.

"You are trying to destroy the world."

That is not true.

"It would mean Humanity's end."

You would all live in glory in Heaven.

"I do not want to be part of your Heaven."

Not after what they had done to Dean. Not after everything they had put Dean through.

But you are. All our Father's creations are part of his Kingdom –

Suddenly, right as Cas began to think that this would lead to nothing but torture until he broke, he felt – anger. Not his own, but Michael's, burning cold and strong, and he could physically feel it – it was ripping him apart –

But at the same time, his soul sang out because this could only mean one thing. Michael had been concentrating on Cas, had not taken the time to deal with Dean.

Dean must have killed Lilith before the other angels could stop him.

The Apocalypse would not come to pass.

He smiled even as he could feel Michael's anger burn him.

Then, suddenly, it was gone.

I still need a vessel.

"No you don't. It's over."

I know. But I need a vessel to order Heaven.

"What does it matter now?" Cas asked tiredly. What did it matter, really? He could easily give up his body as long as it didn't mean the world would end.

But Dean and the others – if they were still alive – was Michael going to kill them? Had he already? Perhaps it had already been days since he'd brought him here.

I see you have come to some conclusions. And I want to offer you a deal.

"You are not a demon" he spat out, amazed that an Archangel would sink so low.

You have not heard my conditions.

"There's nothing –"

I would be ready to spare the life of the traitors.

Cas was silent.

It was pure desperation that allowed Dean to succeed. One second Cas was right there with him, having held Alastair long enough at bay for Dean to smite him (and it had been satisfying to watch the bastard who'd tortured Cas die, he wouldn't deny that) and then he was just – gone.

And several angels were attacking him.

He knew immediately that he wouldn't make it out alive. And he couldn't see Cas.

So considering he couldn't leave his vessel because of the sigils, he did something desperate and simply jumped right in the middle of the line of demons who were protecting Lilith, and they were so stunned that he managed to reach her before anyone had attacked him.

And this time, he finally got lucky. Because Lilith, utterly convinced she was protected by Satan and feeling better than anyone else – so really just being a demon in general – waved the other demons back, who promptly started a fight with the angels.

"So you are the angel who stole the Righetous Man from us."

"Doesn't seem to have slowed you down. You do realize that Lucifer never cared for you, right?"

Her eyes widened. "My sacrifice will bring Paradise on earth! We will finally be free to roam – "

"Yeah, sure. After Lucifer is done smiting all of you."

She huffed. "I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand."

Dean was pretty sure this wouldn't end well. Lilith was the oldest and one of the strongest demons, he was locked in his vessel and therefore couldn't escape as quickly as he would have been able to in his true form – not to mention that he'd probably feel every wound she inflicted on his body – and he was alone –

Where was Cas? What had happened? He would have noticed if the demons had taken him, he wouldn't have gone without a fight. So what happened? Where was Cas?

His thoughts were going in a circle again, but he decided he'd liked it better when he had been fighting Heaven's commands and Cas had been at his side, safe.

Somehow, it was the memory of the hunter holding his hand, asking him if everything was alright, that gave him the strength to ditch Lilith's first attack and bring the blade up to her neck.

He really should have seen it coming that she had one herself. How many angels had fallen in Hell just as they had saved Cas? And there had been many more battles. God knew how many blades the demons had collected in the course of the years.

She was hovering hers over his stomach.

"So, angel, who's it going to be?"

"Where's Cas?"

Her white eyes seemed to be laughing at him.

"So... the rumours were true, then?"

"Where do you even hear those?" he snapped, because he suddenly realized that she was very well-informed. Too well-informed.

It was almost like –

"Where is he?" he hissed once more.

"I know you put the pieces together" she said impatiently. "This was not what I wanted – how could I ever work with you winged bastards? But when they offered me protection and the certainty that Lucifer will be freed against Michael's vessel – "

"You're lying" Dean replied. "You – you're lying."

Even though he knew Heaven wished to start the Apocalypse as much as the demons did, the thought of any angel making a deal with Lilith to assure it –

No. Just no. They had fought against demons together. They would never –

"Why should I? So you see, you can't smite me" she gloated. "And you can't kill me with your blade. Not when we're in a Mexican standoff."

Dean grit his teeth. He needed to warn Sam and Bobby. If they were still alive –

He realized she had sealed off the room of all communications between angels as she laughed.

"And don't even hope they could have escaped" she continued. "I sent – "

And that was how Lilith's career as High Priestess and saviour of Satan came to an anticlimactic and rather bloody end, because if there was one thing Dean had learned millennia ago, it was never to underestimate his brother and Bobby.

"Demons, yeah. But you are one too, if I'm not mistaken" Bobby called out as he and Sam launched themselves into the wall of demons, smiting them left and right, while Dean made a quick job of those around him and Lilith while still holding her at blade point.

"Sorry for the delay" Bobby said as they arrived.

And with that, Bobby stabbed his blade right into Lilith's back. She screamed as the last chance for Lucifer to walk free on earth died.

Dean wished he could have said it was over.

"Cas" he breathed, before they could realize he was missing, "They have – "

And then, there he was, standing in front of them.

Only that wasn't Cas.

Dean had never been important enough to meet an Archangel.

But he knew Cas.

And there was nothing of the hunter in these cold blue eyes now.

"Michael."