Author's Note: What would Dean do when he found out about Castiel and Ember? Probably this. I'm very proud of this chapter. Let me know if you think I got it right. Reviews are my lifeblood. I don't own Supernatural. Castiel owns my heart.

***Castiel POV***

November 4

THREE MONTHS LATER

It had been three months since the beginning of their relationship. Castiel had asked around, and done some studying online, but he wasn't sure when was the right time to say "I love you." He knew it wasn't right to do it "too early," but he was never sure how early was too early, and how early was too late. He wished he could ask Dean, but he wasn't sure he wanted Dean's advice, even if Dean wasn't furious with him about the question.

For their three-month anniversary, Castiel decided that it was time. He had saved up enough money to buy Ember diamond earrings. They were tiny angel earrings. They had only one tiny diamond, but they held a field of protection as well, which would ward away demons when she was wearing them.

"Cas!" Ember exclaimed when she saw them and learned what they did. "Cas, this is… this is the most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me!" And she leaned in to hug him.

"Ember… I love you," he told her, steeling his nerves.

She froze. "Cas, you're… you're not supposed to say that yet," she said. "It's only been three months."

He felt his face heat up. He should've waited.

"But… but I love you too, Cas," she added, glancing downward.

"You… you do?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "I mean… you're perfect, you know? You know what I've been through, and how to protect yourself, and how to deal with my demon issues. And you're kind, and you're hard-working, and you bought this with honest money… it's everything I've ever wanted."

"You're everything I ever wanted too," he said in wonder, holding her close. "And I didn't even know it. For thousands of years, I had no idea…"

And he could forget his guilt for a little longer.

***Castiel POV***

November 12

"Don't do it on your own," Ember said. "Please, Cas, I'm begging you."

"Ember, you don't even have to ask," Castiel said. "I'm not an angel anymore. I'm not going to risk getting myself killed, not with everything I have to look forward to. You're still coming tomorrow for your birthday, right?"

"I sure am," she purred, and Castiel couldn't help but grin on his end of the phone line.

"Look, just make the call to Dean, and tell him you're busy, or… something," Ember said, sounding business-like again. Dean. Right. Castiel had read the newspaper this morning, and recognized instantly a case for Dean and Sam: "Local man presumed dead. Fourth unexplained disappearance in weeks."

"Just don't tell Dean about us yet, okay?" Ember asked.

"I thought you said that the next time we talked, I needed to tell him we were in a relationship," Castiel said.

"Yeah, but not when he's going to be in your neighborhood," Ember said. "Jesus, Cas, he might come over and shoot you!" Castiel was still trying to figure out if Ember was joking or not when she continued. "Look, just tell him you're referring this case to him, but you're busy. Okay?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

So, Castiel called Dean. "I may have a case for you," he explained. "Four missing in Rexford, Idaho. Presumed dead, but no bodies have been released to loved ones. And, there were reports of a strange substance at the scenes."

"Oh, well, hello to you too, Cas," Dean said. "How are you?"

I'm dating Ember. Please don't be angry with me. I love her. "I… am busy."

"Alright, so how do you want to do this? You want to meet up at the latest scene?You want me to pick you up? What?"

"Um… I've got my hands full over here," Castiel said. "I just thought you would want to know about the case." And then he hung up.

***Castiel POV***

November 13

Castiel was completing his work at the gas station when he was absolutely shocked – and horrified – to see Dean Winchester standing in front of his cash register. "I'll have some beef jerky and a pack of Menthols," he said.

"What are you doing here?" Castiel said, alarmed.

"Gee, it's nice to see you too, Cas," said Dean.

"It's 'Steve' now," Castiel said, pointing at his name badge. "And… you surprised me."

"Well, the feeling is mutual," Dean said. "I mean, I knew you had to lay low from the angel threat, but wow! This is some cover!"

I'm dating Ember. "My grace is gone. What did you expect? Do you have any idea how hard it was when I fell to Earth? I didn't just lose my powers. I-…" Was shunned by all the other angels, and then got kicked out by my best friends. "I had nothing. Now? I'm a sales associate." And I'm dating Ember.

"A sales associate?" Dean said in surprise.

"I'm responsible for inventory, sales, customer service. I keep this place clean and presentable. And when my manager's busy, I even prepare the food." Castiel was proud of his job. It was simple, and he was good at it. At least he was good at something.

"Wow," said Dean. "So you went from fighting heavenly battles… to nuking Taquitos?"

"Nachos too," said Castiel.

"This is not you, man. You are above this, come on," Dean said as Castiel took a box out of the back room.

"No, Dean, I'm not," Castiel said. Ember says it's good work to start out and build a resume. Good honest work. "I failed at being an angel. Everything I ever attempted came out wrong. But here, at least I have a shot at getting things right. I guess you can't see it, but there's a real dignity in what I do. A human dignity."

Suddenly, the gas station phone rang. It was Ember, Castiel realized before he picked up the phone. "I just wanted to let you know, I'm getting on the plane," she said. "You'll still be there to pick me up?"

"Yes, I'll be there when you get here," he said, forgetting about Dean momentarily. "I can't wait until you're in my arms again."

When he got off the phone, Dean was grinning. "That's what this is about!" he exclaimed.

"What?" asked Castiel, still happy from the phone call.

"A girl."

"No, Dean, it's not," said Castiel, which was halfway true.

"Okay," said Dean, looking skeptical.

"Dean, there's something you should know," Castiel said, unable to wait any longer.

At that moment, however, Dean got a phone call about the case. "There was another kill over at the high school," Dean told Castiel when he hung up. "You comin'?"

"I wouldn't be much use," Castiel said. "I don't have my powers."

"So? I've never had powers," Dean answered.

"You're a hunter," Castiel said.

"And you're a hunter in training, remember?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I remember," Castiel said. "You said I sucked."

"I didn't say that," Dean said. "I said that there was, uh, you know, room for improvement. Come on!"

Castiel was almost certain that he was going to regret this, but he missed Dean. "Alright, my shift's over in five minutes, and my date's not until later, so…"

"Attaboy," Dean said. "I'll go get the car."

"Not just yet," Castiel said. "I have to clean the bathroom."

Twenty minutes later, Castiel walked up to a sight that made him forget all about Ember for the first time in weeks. A girl had been vaporized at the high school – exploded into tiny bits of pink. "I've seen this before," Castiel said, near to tears. "In Heaven. Dean, this is bad," he said. "This is very bad. On the battlefields of Heaven, there was a special class of angel, the Rit Zien. It's Enochian for 'Hands of Mercy.' They functioned like medics. They tended to the wounded. They healed those that could be healed. But for the mortally wounded, those who were past saving, the Rit Zien's job was to put them down."

"But the granulated bodies?" asked Dean.

"This was their special ability," said Castiel. "They had this way of smiting that was so quick and so total that it rendered death virtually painless."

"Yeah, but these aren't wounded angels that they're vaporizing. They're people," Dean said.

"Right," Castiel said. "I don't know. The Rit Zien home in on pain, it's like a beacon to them. So when this angel fell to Earth, he heard the victim's cries, their anguish… same as he'd hear an angel's in Heaven. He's continuing his heavenly work down here, one suffering human at a time."

"Yeah, but this victim was not suffering," Dean said. "She was just a normal moody kid."

"But he just got here," said Castiel. "The ebb and flow of human emotion… Dean, I've been on Earth for a few years, and I've only begun to grasp it. Ember's been-…" He stopped, and he and Dean both froze.

As if in slow motion, Dean turned toward Castiel, who was sitting in the passenger seat of the parked Impala. "You've talked to Ember?"

It was now or never. "Dean, look, I wanted to tell you, but…" Dean was looking anxious, but he was waiting on Castiel to continue. "After you told me not to come back, I started staying at her place from time to time, and… we sort of… started… dating."

He waited for Dean to get angry, but instead Dean's lip curled up into a laugh. "No," he said, continuing to laugh. "No, you're not. I mean, I know you, like, had a bit of a crush on her, because of the demon attraction thing…"

Now Castiel was irritated. "Dean, I'm not making a joke."

Dean's face went from mildly amused to angry to skeptical. Finally he said, "How do you know you're dating?"

"We've agreed to only sleep with each other," Castiel said.

Now Dean's face had definitely moved toward angry. "Get the fuck out of my car," Dean said.

"Dean, I wanted to tell you I'm sorry, I-…"

"Was that Ember on the phone earlier?" Dean asked accusatorily.

"Yes, she-…"

"Get the fuck out of my car," Dean said again.

So Castiel did.

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

"I don't think he's ever been that angry with me before," Castiel said miserably to Ember half an hour later. "He kicked me out of the Impala."

"He'll get over it," Ember said. "I mean, you would think he would get over it. He got over it when you decided you were God." She was stroking Castiel's hair, holding his head in her lap. Both of them were laying on the full-size bed that was one of only two pieces of furniture in the sparse bedroom of his apartment.

Castiel winced at the memory. Maybe Dean had moved on from what he had done back then, but he hadn't. "After everything Dean and I have been through together, even after Purgatory, I can't stand the thought of failing him yet again."

Suddenly, Ember and Castiel heard a thump at the door. Ember immediately went invisible, and both of them ran into the front room of the apartment. Castiel attempted to throw himself in front of Ember, but realized that he couldn't do so now that he could no longer see her when she was invisible. It was times like these – when others were in trouble – that he most missed being an angel.

Despite not being able to see the beings' true form, he somehow knew that it was Ephraim, the Rit Zien.

"Hello, Castiel," Ephraim said. "Ember." He looked around. "This is quite a squallid little dump."

"What do you want, Ephraim?" Castiel asked.

"You remember my name," the angel commented. "I was just a nobody when we met. But you – you were a legend. You've been here before. This is my first time, and it's… intense."

"You know, there's a lot you don't understand about humanity at first," Castiel said. Ember was staying silent, for which Castiel was grateful. If he could talk Ephraim down, maybe nobody else would have to die. "If you would just stop-…"

"Stop?" Ephraim asked. "I won't stop until I wash the planet clean of all suffering."

Ember threw a gust of force powers toward Ephraim, but they didn't seem to have any effect. Ember made toward Ephraim, but Castiel stood in front of his girlfriend, or at least in front of where he thought she must be. "Don't. Touch. Her," he told Ephraim, his voice low and dangerous.

"You think I came for her?" the angel asked. "No, Castiel. I came for you."

Castiel felt Ember shoot a gust of force power by him toward Ephraim again, but Ephraim easily held her back. Meanwhile, he continued his monologue. "So much pain, and despair. So many voices, begging out for relief."

"How'd you find me?" Castiel asked.

"Because you're warded?" asked the angel. "The same way I find all of my patients. I just followed the sound of your pain. You have no idea how loud it is. I could hear you for miles."

Castiel resented this, a bit. He was guilty, sure, and he had had an especially bad day today because of Dean, but he was also extremely happy these days with Ember. "Do you really think you're doing Heaven's work down here?" asked Castiel.

"I know I am," Ephraim said.

"You're wrong," Castiel said. "Earth can be a hard place. Emotions are difficult, they don't stay the same. These humans, they can get better. They're just doing the best they can." He was backing slowly toward the wall, where he and Ember had put up angel wardings behind picture frames.

"Is that what you think you're doing, Castiel? The best you can? Well I'm sorry, but if this is the best that the famed Castiel can do, you're a more urgent case than I thought." He scoffed. "I used to admire you. You failed more often than you succeeded, but at least you played big."

Just as Castiel had reached behind the painting, however, Ephraim grabbed his hand, yanking him easily away from the wall. "Now what are you doing?" he asked. "Burying your head in the sand. Right when your kind needs you the most! But don't worry. It'll be over soon. I'll take the pain away."

"I want to live, " Castiel said. Jesus, Ephraim was crazy.

"But as what, Castiel? As an angel? Or a man?"

And just when Ephraim's hand had almost touched Castiel, he heard a crash. Dean had come running through the door, angel blade held high. Ephraim threw him aside, just as he had Ember. "You say you want to live, but you can't see what I see. By choosing a human life, you've already given up. You chose… death."

But just as Ephraim once again raised his hand, Dean slid his angel blade across the floor. Castiel caught it, stabbing the angel with all his might through the heart.

There was a flash of light, and then Ephraim was no more.

Ember became visible as she fell forward, and the three of them stared at each other, frozen for a quick second. It was Castiel that spoke first." "You saved us," he said. "Dean, thank you."

But Dean was looking at the two of them. They weren't touching – Castiel had reached out for Ember's hand, but she had deftly maneuvered away from him out of respect for Dean. Still, Dean seemed disgusted, and he looked away from both of them. "Well, that's the case solved, then. You guys can handle the rest. I've got to get back to Sam."

"Dean!" they both called after him, but he strode to his Impala and did not look back.

***Sam POV***

November 18, Very early morning

(Five days later)

At 5:00 AM, Dean came charging into the bunker. When he saw Sam, he gave his brother a look that said quite plainly that he had very much hoped Sam would still be asleep when he got home.

"Five days," Sam said to Dean accusatorily. "Would it have killed you to pick up the phone?"

"I was busy," Dean said. "I found a couple of twins in Las Vegas that were surprisingly bendy." He shot Sam a grin.

"For five days?" Sam asked, raising his eyebrows.

"No," Dean said, grinning again. "That was just yesterday morning. And the night before. Before that…" He shook his head again and shot Sam another grin. "Do you know how many Asians live in the San Francisco Bay area?"

Sam rolled his eyes. He sat up straighter and crossed his arms. "Dean. Do you want to talk about it?" Ember had called ahead – he knew what this was really about.

Dean seemed to understand his meaning, and his face turned cross. "Fuck off, Sam. I'm tired. I'm gonna hit the hay." And Dean left the room.

Sam shook his head, and went back to his research.