Hey there! I hope everyone has had a happy holiday season so far. Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy.

As always, thanks for the follows, favorites, and reviews! It really means a lot to me.

Disclaimer: In no way do I have any rights to Supernatural or any of the characters you are familiar with. I only own Amriel and any OCs that pop up along the way.

Chapter Twenty Five: Bartholomew

Sam had gone to Wisconsin to check up on a fellow hunter named Garth, leaving the two angels to fend for themselves in the bunker. Of course, he had laid out a few ground rules before he left.

"No parties, no driving any of the cars in the garage, and for the love of God, please don't have sex in any of the common areas," Sam said as he zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"Why do I feel like a teenager on some sort of sitcom?" Amriel asked, looking from Cas to Sam, wondering if they felt that way too.

Neither of them answered, though, and Sam merely shook his head at her and sighed.

"Just… Just don't do anything that will draw attention. No one in town knows about this bunker, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"We'll behave, Sam, as long as you promise to keep us informed of your whereabouts. We have no problem coming to help if you need it."

Sam said that wouldn't be necessary, and as he slung the strap of his bag over his shoulder, Amriel jumped out of her seat and pulled him into a quick hug.

"Be careful, please," she said, feeling Castiel's eyes on her back the entire time.

"I will, I promise."

Amriel had spent an entire day reading through files the Men of Letters had kept on Heaven and angels, but found very little that she didn't already know herself. While she had settled in the library, Cas was restless. He would pace the halls of the bunker and stare into space thoughtfully, and Amriel was starting to worry about him.

"What's wrong, Cas?" she finally asked, shutting the book she had just finished and getting up to set it back on the shelf.

She made her way over to him and reached up, running her fingers through his soft hair, smiling at the feeling. His lips twitched up into a slight smile, but she could tell something was bothering him.

"Don't you feel like we should be doing something to find Metatron? To find a way to open Heaven's gates?"

Amriel frowned, pulling back and crossing her arms over her chest. She shook her head, knowing that she couldn't care less about returning to Heaven- not after what Urim had done to her.

"Not really. I have no desire to track down the scribe and listen to him speak in riddles, and I don't really care about going back to Heaven. I'd rather explore the country- the world, even! Cas, we have the chance to experience so much…"

"How about we compromise?" Cas suggested, tracing her jaw with his thumb before running it over her soft lips. "We can travel the country to anywhere your heart desires, but we can also look for leads to find Metatron. Does that sound acceptable to you?"

"You're not gonna let this go, are you?" Amriel watched Cas shake his head, so she sighed. "Okay. Let's do some research and the first lead we get will be the beginning of our journey."

The angels had left the bunker two weeks ago. Amriel had insisted on texting Sam before they left, telling her charge that they were going on the road for a bit and to call or pray if he needed anything, no matter how small or insignificant.

Castiel had found a lead that took them to Michigan first, but it had been a total bust. The angel they had been tracking had abandoned his vessel a few days before they arrived- the man's body was unable to contain the angel for very long, apparently.

The couple visited the World's Largest Tire in Allen Park, as well as the Dinosaur Gardens Prehistoric Zoo in Ossineke. Amriel thoroughly enjoyed the dinosaurs, remembering when they roamed the Earth millions of years ago.

Now they were in South Carolina, following a lead about an angel named Rebecca. They had stopped at a motel on the way through the state, on their way Virginia, where she had last been spotted.

"I'm not sure why someone thought it was necessary to build a seven-story-tall basket, but it was rather impressive," Amriel smiled as she slipped off her shoes, tucking them under the desk out of habit. She watched Cas shrug off his trench coat and jacket, noticing how he loosened his tie and heaved a tired sigh. He had been driving for hours on end and refused to admit that it was getting old.

When he didn't answer, Amriel walked over to him and had him sit on the edge of the bed. She looked down into his bright, blue eyes and saw that he was frustrated. It was amazing how much someone's eyes could tell you, and Amriel liked to think she could read him pretty well now.

"Castiel," she said softly, setting her hands on his shoulders and squeezing in an attempt to ease his tension. "I know things haven't been going as well as you'd like."

He raised an eyebrow, his forehead creasing as he mumbled, "That's certainly an understatement."

"But, try to see this in a positive light. We've been to ten states!" Amriel wrapped her arms around his neck and moved closer to him, now standing between his legs. "We've seen the Everglades, the Atlantic Ocean, and a giant ball of twine. I know you want answers about Metatron, but they will come with time. You have to be patient."

"How are you so enthusiastic all the time?" he asked, and Amriel tried to ignore his hands on her hips, the way his warm fingers were brushing against her skin was distracting her.

"If I don't remain positive, I experience the emotions that drove me to take pills so I wouldn't feel anymore. I don't want to do that to myself or to you, so I look for the good side of everything when I can."

It felt good to finally tell Cas that yes, she had thought about acquiring and taking pills again, but she hadn't gone through with it.

"Elle, why didn't you tell me?" He looked up at her, noticing how she avoided his gaze. "You don't have to keep anything from me, you know."

She nodded, saying that she did know, but she didn't want him to worry.

"It isn't a big deal, Cas," she shrugged. "Sometimes I'm sad, but it's okay. It's part of life. Now. What do you want to see when we get to Virginia?"

Cas knew she was changing the subject because she was uncomfortable talking about herself, so he went along with it and said that he wanted to visit Washington, D.C.

"Ooh, yes! The capitol! We could go to the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. And then there are all of those museums," Amriel grinned, remembering all of the things she had read about the city online. "I'll make a list of things we can do."

Amriel squeezed his shoulders and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before backing out of his grasp and grabbing the pen and pad of paper on the desk. She curled up on the sofa, tucking her feet beneath herself and wrote down the places she had just mentioned, then looked over to Cas when she realized he hadn't moved.

"Is something wrong, Castiel?" she asked, watching him shake his head and send her a small smile.

"No, nothing's wrong. I'm just still amazed by how different you are now compared to when you first arrived…"

"Well I have you to thank for that," Amriel flashed him a bright grin and sent a playful wink. "You and basic cable, I guess."

Cas laughed, and Amriel saw that he was less tense than he had been when they first got to the motel. He had been on edge ever since they discovered their last lead was a bust, and it was good to see him smile.

"Get back to your planning, Elle. I'm going to shower… It's been a long day."

Amriel watched him disappear into the bathroom and close the door behind himself, heaving a sigh once she heard the water turn on. He was right, it had been a long day. She glanced down at her note pad and saw that she had more than enough listed for them to do when they got to Washington, D.C.

The angel grabbed the remote off of the coffee table and turned on the television, flipping through until she found one of her favorite shows. She recognized the episode, but didn't mind that it was a repeat so she stretched out and yawned, trying to keep her eyes open so she could pay attention to the blond chef with a British accent trying to help people save their failing restaurants.

When Castiel emerged from the shower in a clean pair of boxers and a white t-shirt, he was still toweling his hair dry.

"What time do you want to get going tomorr-" Cas started, but quickly cut himself off when he saw the blonde fast asleep. He smiled, noticing how innocent and peaceful she looked, sprawled out on the couch, her note pad on the floor, pen uncapped on the coffee table.

Cas quickly hung up his towel and pulled back the covers on the bed before walking back over to the couch and slipping one arm under her knees and the other behind her back, careful not to wake her. It was only a few steps to the bed, where he laid her down gently and tucked her in, brushing her long hair out of her face.

"I suppose we can just sleep in," he said quietly to himself, sliding into bed and turning down the volume on the TV. Cas laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling and listened to Amriel's slow, steady breathing.

He wasn't sure how long he had been like that, but after what felt like hours, he heard Amriel shift and he quickly glanced towards her. The blonde was still asleep, but her eyebrows were furrowed and she seemed distressed. Cas was ready to wake her up, thinking she was having a nightmare, but he was quickly put at ease when she reached out and her hand made contact with his chest.

Amriel seemed to relax at the contact, and Cas felt his heart skip a beat. She had been worried that he wasn't next to her, even in her sleep. Just the thought of her missing him subconsciously made him feel like he could do anything. With a smile on his lips, Castiel rolled onto his side and pulled her into him, breathing in the smell of her shampoo as he drifted off to sleep.

When Amriel woke up the next morning, she found herself alone in the motel room. A folded piece of paper sat on the bedside table, her name written on it in Castiel's messy script, so she grabbed it quickly.

Elle-
Got a lead about Rebecca a few towns over. I'll call when I can, and I'll be back tonight.
Cas

The blonde frowned, glancing at the alarm clock to see that it was nearly noon. Why hadn't he woken her up? She would have gladly gone with him. He had taken the car, so it wasn't like she could go very far from the motel now. Amriel would have to spend the day watching television instead of going to the country's capitol like she had planned.

Sighing, Amriel got up and showered, changed into clean shorts and one of Cas's t-shirts he had worn often as a human. Now that he was an angel again, he stuck to his suit and trench coat, and Amriel didn't mind it, but he certainly missed seeing him in jeans and a sweatshirt.

She combed her hair and decided to forgo the blowdryer since she couldn't find it. Amriel sat on the couch and picked up the laptop Sam had loaned her, opening it up and turning it on.

For the next few hours, the angel looked for signs of Metatron's presence. She really wasn't sure what exactly she should be looking for, but nothing in the news really struck her as something he would do.

Amriel had heard stories about Metatron— how he was awkward and rude at the same time, his ego over inflated as he referred to himself as the Scribe of God on an almost constant basis. He was insufferable, according to other angels. Cas had told her of how he convinced him to help him restore Heaven to its former glory, but his trust in the scribe had ultimately cost him his grace and caused the Fall. Metatron was crafty, and finding him would be difficult, but if anyone could do it, Castiel could, and she would help him any way she could.

Her phone vibrated twice on the table, and Amriel quickly picked up the device, seeing that she had a message from Cas. It contained an address, telling her to meet him there as soon as she could.

With a groan, Amriel rose from the couch and stretched, trying to figure out how she would get to the location in the message. She quickly searched it online, glad to see it was only a few hours away via public transit.

She threw on a light jacket and grabbed her shoes before sitting on the coffee table and putting them on. If she wanted to catch the next bus, she'd have to leave in the next five minutes. Amriel tucked her blade in the back of her shorts, picked up her purse and left the room, heading down a block and a half to the bus stop right as the one she needed pulled up and she hopped on, paying the fare and taking a seat.

Cas walked through a forest until he came upon a cemetery, where he saw a priest talking to a small group of people. One of the mourners had left, coming towards Castiel, who was waiting quietly for his chance to strike.

When he had caught wind of this lead it had been 4 a.m. and he didn't want to wake her up and drag her out of bed in case it didn't pan out. But it looked like he was onto something here, and as soon as the angel was close enough, Cas grabbed him and shoved him into the closest tree.

"What are you doing here?" Castiel asked, gripping the man's collar tightly.

"Please, she was my friend!"

Cas didn't let up, and asked, "Who? The dead human or the angel who was killed while possessing her?"

When he confirmed that he was friends with Rebecca, Castiel's grip loosened slightly.

"Rebecca had a lot of friends. Friends like Metatron. Where is he?!"

"You're looking in the wrong place. Rebecca and Metatron were friends, but that was a long time ago. They had no contact since the Fall. Naomi, Metatron, heavenly battles and politics, she gave it all up. Rebecca taught us the angels have lost touch with our true mission," the angel explained and Cas fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"What do you mean by us?"

The angel explained that Rebecca had a small group of followers that didn't want to fuel the angel war.

"We live humbly among these humans… Or we did. He killed all the others, and he killed her," the angel said sadly, and Cas tilted his head curiously, surprised that other angels had been living peacefully on Earth.

"Who did?"

"Who else?" The angel said like it was obvious, "The monster. Bartholomew."

They spoke for a few more minutes before Castiel decided to let the angel go. He could feel the presence of other angels as he left the cemetery, and he felt his blade in his sleeve, reassuring himself that he could handle the two armed angels that were approaching him if he needed to.

"Where did your friend go in such a hurry?" the angel on the left asked, looking to his partner with a smirk.

"You're too late. He's gone," Cas answered simply, and the first angel raised an eyebrow.

"Castiel?" he asked, and the other angel finally spoke, "Our boss has been looking for you."

"Is your boss Bartholomew?"

Cas watched them both nod, and he told them that he would go with them peacefully.

The three angels were now seated in a waiting room of an office building not far from the cemetery. It had been a while, and Castiel was starting to get impatient. He hadn't heard from Amriel all day, and now he was wondering if he should text her.

"How much longer?" he finally asked, deciding to forego texting the blonde angel that was probably still sleeping peacefully in their motel room.

"You have someplace to be?"

Before Cas could tell him that yes, he did have somewhere he had to be, the door swung open and Bartholomew walked in.

"His blade."

Bartholomew's words weren't a statement. They were a command, and one of the angels handed Castiel's blade over to his boss.

"Standard security protocol. Can't be too careful these days," Bartholomew explained. "Your phone, too. Can't have those pesky Winchesters tracking you here."

Cas frowned slightly, but he gave him his phone and watched as he gave it to one of the angels, leaning in and telling him something that Cas couldn't quite hear.

When the two angels disappeared, Cas finally looked at the leader of this violent faction and said, "Hello, Bartholomew."

"Castiel," he grinned, and the two hugged. "It has been too long. Please, sit. We have much to discuss."

The two angels sat in the waiting room, talking about their previous battles during the Civil War. Cas wasn't really sure where this conversation was going, but he went along with it anyways.

"Madness, wasn't it? A puny force of 20 behind enemy lines, launching an incursion against Raphael and his loyalists…"

"It was a calculated risk," Castiel shrugged.

"I thought you'd gone insane, and I questioned your leadership, second-guessed every step of the campaign," Bartholomew confessed. "But you were my commander, so I held my tongue and I followed orders. Raphael fled, most of his loyalists dead or captured. Your gambit paid off… You won."

"We won," Cas corrected, him, and the angel nodded.

"Word of your victory spread and you got called back to the garrison. You became the great Castiel, while I stayed behind, just a grunt."

"Yes, but you gained a reputation for yourself as well. The captives I left in your care, you tortured and killed them."

Cas frowned, remembering when he had gotten the news that nearly a dozen angels had been murdered at the hands of Bartholomew after he had given explicit instructions to leave captives unharmed.

"I was ordered to kill those captives. You've been flying solo for so long, you've forgotten that's what angels do. We follow orders."

"Not you though, not anymore," Castiel mused as he glanced around the waiting room before looking at the bemused smirk on Bartholomew's face.

"That's right. I give them." Bartholomew suddenly stood, motioning for Cas to join him. "Come, why don't I give you a tour of the building."

They walked around the facility, still talking as they went down hallways and through the offices.

"Realizing they were more trouble than they were worth, we purged our human allies then commandeered Boyle Ministries, Inc. for our own use," Bartholomew explained, making Cas frown again.

"Buddy Boyle. So, you killed him."

"No. We made him and his colleagues vessels. At least those who didn't go pop." Bartholomew stopped suddenly, turning to face the angel in a trench coat and raising an eyebrow. "You nervous, Castiel?"

"Your followers want me dead. I'm not entirely certain you don't, too."

"If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead," Bartholomew said casually, and Cas was still trying to figure out where this was all going.

"So, we're friends here?" he asked and Bartholomew nodded, saying yes. "And I'm free to go?"

"Of course. Though, I don't know why you would. What's out there for you, Castiel? What do you expect to accomplish on your own? You'll never find Metatron that way."

Cas was relieved that he hadn't brought up Amriel. Maybe he didn't know about their relationship. He'd have to be careful and avoid mentioning her at all costs.

"How'd you know about Metatron?" He decided to change the subject to keep Bartholomew's thoughts occupied.

"I figured that's why you were pursuing Rebecca and engaging with her follower. We have different methods, Cas, but we want the same thing — to find Metatron and restore our kind to Heaven."

"Then why kill Rebecca and her followers? They're no threat to you."

Bartholomew went on the explain that it was better to nip a fledgling faction in the bud then let it grow into a larger threat in the future, but Castiel didn't see things that way, and he voiced his disagreement.

"I'm not asking you to agree. I will outrace Malachi in the hunt for Metatron, and I'll certainly outrace you on your own. But if you can set aside your qualms about methods for one second, there's no reason the two of us can't take him down, together."

They entered a conference room with a large map on the wall with dots on it. Cas stared at the wall, squinting at the marks and wondering what they meant.

"What are these locations?" he finally asked.

"Sightings of Metatron," Bartholomew replied, and Castiel's eyes widened.

"He's been on Earth?"

"Three times we know of so far. That's the benefit of a massive ground operation. Eyes and ears everywhere. It's only a matter of time before we get an active location."

"Why wait then? With this kind of information, I'd lure him out…" Cas wanted nothing more than to find Metatron as soon as possible. Why was Bartholomew sitting on this?

"I knew you'd be an asset. No one's as motivated as you to take him down. I've had my hands so full with the factions, it's distracted me from the main goal. But with you by my side, the new boss and the ultimate rebel working together, think of the message that would send to would-be dissidents," Bartholomew mused. "They'd finally understand that resistance is futile. Think of the bloodshed we could avert… What a united angelkind could accomplish in Heaven… Elsewhere."

Before Cas could reply, the doors open and the two angels that had brought him in entered with the angel from the funeral. Bartholomew knelt and held an angel blade to his throat.

"Bart, what are you doing?" Cas asked, staring in confusion at the scene before him.

"What needs to be done. I'm gonna torture this rebel, then kill him. And you, Castiel, are going to help." Bartholomew told the two angels to tie their captive up, and once he was, the torturing began.

Castiel could only watch as Bartholomew punched, stabbed, and sliced the angel, asking him where the others were. Time and time again, he replied that he was the last, but Bartholomew didn't take that as an answer. Closing his eyes, Cas couldn't help but remember when he and Amriel were held against their will and tortured.

"Can't you see he's telling the truth?" Cas finally interrupted, having had enough of this. "He's done."

"Yes, I believe he is," Bartholomew said, handing the blade out to Castiel. "Now, finish him off."

"Bartholomew, it doesn't need to be like this."

There was no way Cas was going to kill this angel. Amriel would never forgive him for it, and he wouldn't be able to forgive himself, either.

"Castiel, get your head out of the sand. Do you know why they brought you back from the battlefield? The truth?"

"Yes, I know the truth," Cas answered, crossing his arms over his chest as he spoke.

"Our leaders wanted those captives killed, and they knew you'd stand in the way of their orders. Said you didn't have it in you. That you couldn't do what needed to be done. But I know different. I know you've changed…"

"I'm not a murderer," Castiel snapped, feeling anger bubbling up inside of him. How dare Bartholomew…

"You weren't. Not then. But since then, you've slaughtered thousands of angels. You killed Malachi's man for his Grace."

"Who I was, what I did, that's not who I am," he tried to explain, but the words just weren't coming out right.

"No? Then who are you? I want to work with you, Castiel, but I need proof. They need proof that they were wrong. That you can do what has to be done, and this has to be done."

"I was never free to leave, was I? My only choice was to obey or be killed. Well, I choose."

Castiel handed the blade back to Bartholomew, maintaining eye contact the entire time to make sure he knew that he was being serious.

"I am truly sorry to hear that," Bartholomew said before swinging around and stabbing the angel in the heart, watching the bright light flash before disappearing forever.

Bartholomew turned back to Cas, a deep frown on his face as he straightened out the sleeves of his suit jacket.

"As your refusal makes it perfectly clear, you always thought you were better than me. Shall we put your superiority to the test once and for all?"

He punched Castiel in the mouth twice, rolling his eyes when he didn't retaliate.

"No. Angels fighting angels has to stop somewhere. Might as well stop with me," Cas said, wiping his mouth with his fingers to see that he was bleeding.

Bartholomew picked up up a blade and tilted his head from side to side, cracking his neck as he said, "Fine."

Cas watched as Bartholomew lunged towards him, and thankfully he was able to grab his arm to stop him. He saw the two angels step forward to help, but Bartholomew told them to stand down.

"This is between me and the rebel," he shouted, his distraction giving Castiel the perfect opportunity to strike, moving suddenly and trapping Bartholomew in a headlock with his blade against his throat.

"To the victor," Bartholomew hissed. "Do it."

Castiel let him go, stepping back as he said that he wasn't going to kill him.

"What are you now? A penitent?" Bartholomew asked, trying to figure out what the angel was getting at.

"I'm nothing," Cas answered, and Bartholomew scoffed.

"You never did understand, Castiel. There can be no peace without bloodshed."

He moved to strike, but the door suddenly burst open for the second time that afternoon, and all four angels in the room turned to see Amriel standing there, her eyes blazing with a rage Cas had never seen before.

"What is going on here?" she asked, her voice low, but firm. Her eyes went from the two angels to Bartholomew and finally to Cas, and she frowned at the sight of blood on his lips. "It was unwise to bring me here under false pretenses, Bartholomew. Did you have one of your lackeys send me a text from Castiel's phone?"

"I was wondering when you'd arrive, Amriel. I've been waiting for you," Bartholomew smiled. "I seem to be having difficulties getting the great Castiel to side with me, so I thought it would be wise to bring you here to persuade him."

"Persuade him to side with you? You're no better than Malachi," she hissed, angry that he thought he could use her to get to Cas. "You know, I could hear you from the waiting room, telling Cas that he was never going to get anything done on his own. I couldn't help but laugh, because he most certainly isn't alone in his hunt for Metatron and you know that."

"Yes, I admit that I did lie, but I assumed that once Castiel sided with me, you would fall into line as well. After all, you are his little shadow, aren't you? He rebels, you rebel, and so on."

Amriel clenched her fists, growing tired of listening to Bartholomew's obnoxious voice. She shook her head and sent him a fake smile, "You always thought you were all that, huh?"

Bartholomew stared at the blonde angel, taken aback by the way she spoke to him. She was an insolent creature, that was for certain.

"I'm sick of angels thinking they're above everyone else. This pissing match between you and Malachi is over," Amriel said firmly, drawing her blade and shooting Cas a glance, letting him know that she would be fine handling this on her own.

"You're going to stop me? You're a pathetic excuse for an angel, Amriel. You're weak, unfocused," Bartholomew laughed, turning to Castiel and motioning towards the blonde. "Is she serious, Cas?"

"I wouldn't want to get on her bad side," he answered, not taking his eyes off Amriel as he spoke to Bartholomew.

"Well then, I won't go easy on her."

Bartholomew drew a blade and lunged towards Amriel, who had been anticipating his attack. She easily blocked his attempts to stab her and knocked him to the ground, letting out a groan when he grabbed onto her hair and pulled her down with him.

They wrestled on the ground for a few moments until Amriel got the upper hand and plunged her blade deep into his chest, watching his eyes widen as the bright light left his vessel and he died.

Amriel, breathing heavily, sat up and pushed her hair out of her face before she noticed that Cas was now standing in front of her, holding out his hand to help her up off of the ground. Once she was standing, she looked down at Bartholomew's dead vessel and heaved a sigh, wishing she could've let the human live.

"Are you okay?" Cas asked, his fingers gently grasping her chin as he tilted her face to look for any sign of injury or trauma.

"I'm fine. Let's get out of here."

She took his hand and pulled him towards the door, where the two angels still stood, staring at Amriel in absolute awe.

"Let us pass," she said, shooting them each a glare that only left her face when they stepped aside and let them leave the room.

The pair of angels stood in the cemetery the next morning, looking down at the grave of Darlene Foster, the vessel Rebecca had occupied.

"I'm sorry I created this chaos, and I'm sorry I couldn't do more to fix it," Cas spoke to the headstone. "You may have lost the war, Rebecca, but you tried a new way. You have my respect for that."

Amriel nodded in agreement but decided not to say anything. She heard footsteps approaching and turned to see that it was one of the angels that had been under Bartholomew's command. Nudging Cas, he turned as well and sighed.

"We don't want to fight, but we will if we have to," he said, trying not to sound as exhausted as he was.

"I didn't come to fight," the angel said. "When I fell, I thought I had no choice, but yesterday, you've showed me that there is a choice, and I choose you. Both of you."

"I'm sorry, I'm no leader," Cas shook his head, glancing to Amriel and seeing that she was shaking hers as well.

"Yes, you are. If you will have me, Castiel, I will follow you, and Amriel too. And I am not the only one."

More angels entered the cemetery, and Amriel looked to see dozens of angels walking towards them with confident looks on their faces.

"What is this?" she asked the angel, gesturing to the group that had formed around them.

"After Bartholomew gave me this device to contact you under the guise of it being Castiel, I used it to contact other angels that I knew would follow you," he answered, pulling a cell phone out of his pocket and handing it to Cas. "I am sorry I had to lure you to him, Amriel. Please, forgive me."

Amriel tilted her head in confusion. Why was he apologizing to her? Was he afraid that she would punish him for what he had done?

"It isn't your fault. You were following orders," she said, letting him know that she wasn't angry.

"Look, I understand that you're all looking for someone to lead you but I'm not that person. I'm going to do everything I can to find Metatron, and so will Amriel. But I won't be leading any faction," Castiel explained to the crowd that had formed. "I'll give you all our contact information in case you see him or come across any leads."

Once each angel had received both Cas and Amriel's cell phone numbers, the pair left and returned to the motel room, exhausted from the day's events.