7

I'm gonna be (500 miles)

Castiel had followed Rowena's orders until he got to a tiny library. The door was painted in sky blue, with an old sign over it; the books were exhibited in the small store window, resting over colorful cloths. Nothing seemed out of the place, but Castiel had enough experience in order to not lower his guard. He went into the building, discovering then some protection symbols. No demon could cross that door.

He was in the right place, he guessed.

Behind the counter, there was a woman in her forties... at least, apparently. No one could know with witches. She was blond, had green eyes and a polite smile. She was assisting a client, so Castiel wandered between the shelves, looking at the huge pile of books stacked up in that tiny place. How would be Dean doing? Dean was afraid of being a terrible father role to Samantha, so Castiel hoped that spending some time together would help. Now he seemed now... happier, but he still had the capacity of feeling guilty about everything.

Damn John Winchester!

Castiel understood that John hadn't had an easy life, but he had been a crappy father to Dean and he had burdened Dean with a lot of traumas. Sometimes, Castiel desired to say a couple things to that bloody man.

He listened to the door. The client had gone, so they were alone.

"Could I help you, sir?" The woman accent was strong, as melodic as her voice.

"I hope so," Castiel said, going back to the counter. He knew that everything was about to get ugly. "You're Siobhan, right?" According to her face, yes, she was. The woman was looking fierce and a little bit hostile. "Don't you worry. I don't want to hurt you; I just need some information... And I'm not going to torture you, I promise."

"Yeah, this is not getting better–"

"Rowena sent me."

"Rowena?" After just a second of pure surprise, Siobhan hissed as an angry cat. She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I don't know what that bloody witch wants, but it couldn't matter less to me. She can go to Hell."

"She is there, actually."

"What?"

"Rowena is in Hell. She's its ruler. The Queen of Hell."

"Are you joking?"

"Well, I can be funny sometimes, but this is not one of those moments. I've been completely honest since I came here... Well, I'm always honest." Castiel knew that he was perplexing that woman, so he started again. "I will be clearer."

"Yes, please."

"My name is Castiel. I'm an angel." He made a pause because, usually, people used to ask about his wings or express their astonishment somehow. Nevertheless, Siobhan stayed silent. "I'm on a mission in order to avoid a catastrophe. The Five coven had risen and they want to bring back the Tuatha Dé Danann. And I need your help to stop them."

Siobhan blinked.

"Ok... I need a moment to process everything... Wow..." The woman sat down on her chair, opening her eyes a lot. "Too much crazy information, you know."

"Actually, no, I don't."

"Castiel. I've heard about you. You had quite a curriculum, you know? You brought Leviathans back." Siobhan stared at him, probably trying to decide if she should trust him. "So, crazy is your business."

"I wouldn't say it like that, but... yes."

"Well, it's not mine either, little angel," Siobhan said, standing up again. "I've lived for centuries because I'm not a lunatic or a fool. That's why I don't want to know anything about Rowena. She's just trouble. I don't like trouble. And, even though I kind of have a weakness for blue puppy eyes, I think I'll pass. Thank you."

Castiel didn't understand what a dog was doing in the middle of their mess, but he decided to ignore it.

"You don't have to do anything, Siobhan. I just need some information. That's all."

"Information is power, little angel."

"And also salvation. Please, Siobhan, I'm trying to save a little girl, her parents and the world. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't necessary."

"Oh, again with those puppy eyes."

While Siobhan was sighing, Castiel looked around, puzzled, because he wasn't seeing any dog. Would it be a witch thing?

"Fine. What do you need?"

"I need to follow the trail of one woman's bloodline. I think it could be a special one."

"Obviously it's special, little angel. Luckily for us, but not for those special people, not every blood is useful in rituals. Ok, tell me a name and, then, close the door. I need to focus."

"Her married name is Jenna Winchester."

He pronounced the last name casually, even though he was afraid that it could scare Siobhan even more. He hoped that enough years would have passed to erase at least a little of its fame. Luckily, she didn't react to that name, so he could wait calmly while the witch was preparing her spell.

Everything he could see was darkness.

An eternal darkness everywhere.

Dean felt he was drowning in a black sea. His first thought was about Samantha, because they had been together until that moment. Where would she be? Would she be ok? Where the hell was he?

Then, he realized he was dead.

He had to be dead after what he had just remembered.

He couldn't cope with the fact that he had died again... and, again, he hadn't said a lot of things to Cas. Could he have been more stupid? He didn't think so. He decided then he would go back to him somehow, so he started walking.

He would walk 500 miles. Even 500 more.

Dean was determined and he didn't care about anything else, at least until a familiar voice caught his attention.

"Come on, Squirrel! Can you just... stay alive?"

Having obtained the info that they needed, Castiel went back to the hotel. He was quick, but when he arrived, he discovered that he hadn't been fast enough. The empty room was an authentic chaos with magic floating around like electricity after a storm. There was no trace of neither Dean neither Samantha. But it was obvious that they had been attacked.

He decided that he would go rogue. Nothing would matter if any of them both died, so he used his old angel trick in order to appear next to Dean. It wouldn't be the first time... But it was the first time he couldn't find him.

What was he going to do then?

Dean Winchester had reached a point in his life where nothing could surprise him... or, at least, he had thought that in Heaven, because all that adventure was teaching him that there would always be space for astonishment.

In front of Dean there was someone that he hadn't thought he would see again.

A short man, dressed in black, with smart eyes and a witty smile.

Crowley.

"Oh, I hadn't forgotten that silly face, Not Moose, but it's always a pleasure to watch it," Crowley smiled for just a second. Then, he made a gesture with his head. "Let's go, I don't have the whole day for you."

"Wait. What the hell is going on? Are you really Crowley?"

"The one and only."

"I thought you were dead," Dean didn't understand anything. But he felt so glad to be able to talk to someone... even if that someone was Crowley with his games and his permanent idea of Sam and him being such imbeciles. "And where are you?"

"Haven't you guessed it yet?"

"That's why I'm asking you."

"This is the Empty, my silly friend." To those words, Dean's only reaction was to open his eyes widely. Then, he thought that karma had eventually reached for him. Crowley started walking, so Dean had to follow him. "You aren't technically alive. Cas didn't resurrect you, he just gave you a passport to Earth. And you have lost it. Nobody is actually surprised about that. What matters is that the universe didn't know what to do with you, so it has brought you here. To my domains. Again. You have a gift for screwing thing up."

"Your domains?"

"Yes. I'm the king of the Empty."

"If you would have been in Game of thrones, it would have ended with Crowley the Evil in the throne." Dean was impressed, although he wouldn't say it at aloud. Instead, he asked: "How the Hell did you end here?"

"When your Jack boy put our angelic friend out of here, someone had to fill the void and, who better than me?"

"Literally anybody?"

"I don't see so much gratitude on you, Squirrel, and I saved your boyfriend from being here with that grumpy reaper. Jack was so much nicer than you. He remembered that I made a sacrifice for you, boys." Crowley raised an eyebrow, arrogant. "And, let's be honest, no one could rule this place like I do."

"I'm not going to write you an ode, Crowley."

"Wow, the fact you know what an ode is, is really surprising. I thought it was Moose the one who knew how to read," Crowley smirked, but his face changed a little bit. "By the way, how is he doing?"

"We are in Heaven. We are fine, Crowley," Dean said, but he immediately closed his mouth because the demon was raising his eyebrow. "What?"

"I don't think you are doing well in Heaven. That's all."

"Yes? Well, the thing is that you don't know me at all."

"I've been around you more than a lot of your friends, Squirrel. And I'm smarter than all of them, so I think I know you quite well. You know. That's the thing with you, Squirrel: you don't know yourself. You're afraid of seeking the truth about yourself and you just go there, acting like Daddy Winchester taught you. But you are not John Winchester. You are so much better than him."

Dean didn't know how to react to that. He had never expected to receive a nice encouraging speech from Crowley, one of their most memorable enemies... and no-enemy. Actually, it was difficult to categorize Crowley.

"So, what I want to say, Squirrel, is that you will only find peace when you accept yourself. Earth, Hell, Heaven... they are just places. Peace and war are states of the self. And you will be a warrior until you make peace with yourself."

The demon didn't add anything else, but Dean couldn't stop thinking. It was true that his father had been severe with him, hard with his demands, but Dean had always understood John's reasons. But that had created some issues within Dean: the fear of disappointing him, to fail, to not be as good enough, to not be as a perfect son as Sam was to him... Dean had driven his car, had dressed like him and had done the same things... until he just... had discovered his own personality.

In that moment, Dean almost laughed because of the irony.

Cas had always expressed his gratitude because he had released himself of God and angels' chains thanks to Dean, but Dean continued living by John's rules. Be a man, listen to good classic rock, drink beer, have sex to get some fun, protect Sammy... And Dean liked those things, of course he liked them as he loved pie, but there were other things.

There was love.

He didn't know when it had happened exactly, but he had fallen in love with Cas a long time ago. How the hell hadn't he realized before? He had been so worried about Cas during his life and he, who wasn't precisely known for forgiving easily, had forgiven the angel a lot of things. And then... there was the pain Dean had felt when Cas, under the order of Naomi, has beaten him almost to death.

He supposed he deserved something like that because he was an idiot.

The most stupid in the whole universe.

"Ok," Crowley said then. Dean had lost the count of their steps. "We've arrived to the door. So, you can go and save your descendant..."

"Where will I appear?"

"I'm the king of the Empty, not the bus driver, Squirrel."

"But I need to go to Cas now."

"Oh, don't you worry, your boyfriend will–"

"He's not my boyfriend. That's the problem. So, Crowley, I'm begging you, I need to talk to Cas right now. Help me."

Hi, guys! Thank you a lot once more for reading me! I hope you would have loved this chapter as I did when I wrote it.

And, again, thanks to my dear Deb, who has corrected this.

Next chapter: Not the best moment