I wouldn't call myself an avid fan of Supernatural, but even I was disappointed when I heard about the finale. When this season first began, I decided canon Destiel wouldn't be a make it or break it for me. As much as I ship it, I realized the writers may have other things in mind. The 18th episode of the series was a nice surprise. However, the way they handled the relationship moving forward was unsatisfactory in my opinion. And from the looks of it, most people agree.

So here we go. Dean doesn't die, Sam stays with Eileen, people who shouldn't be dead aren't dead, and Destiel is canon. Enjoy!

One of the first things Jack had done with his new powers was bring everyone back who died before their time. There had been tearful reunions, friendly chats, and an angry Crowley (who was rather irritated to hear that his mother had stolen his job). There had just been one person missing.

"Where's Cas?" Dean had asked.

Jack's eyes held an unimaginable amount of disappointment and grief as he answered, "I swear, I did everything I could, but I couldn't take him with me. The Empty's… just not letting him go."

Dean sat in the War Room, staring at his bandaged hands. The devastation he had felt when faced with the possibility of Cas never coming back had ripped him to pieces inside. To cope, he had trashed a spare room in the bunker. He hadn't even realized glass from a broken vase had cut into his hands until he sank to his knees in exhaustion. The pain just hadn't registered during his tirade.

When the Empty took Cas, Dean had allowed himself to grieve for a bit, but he eventually forced himself to suck it up. If he was going to get Cas back, he'd have to fight first. Wallowing in self-pity wasn't going to do anyone any good. Once they had won, Dean fully expected Jack to bring Cas home, but was forced to face the possibility of Cas never coming back instead. If Gabriel hadn't come up with his plan, Dean would probably still be in his room hugging Miracle and wondering what he could have done to prevent this.

He thought back to Cas' "I love you." Dean hadn't repeated the phrase back to him for two reasons. One is because he was worried it would cause Cas to become ecstatic and bring about his death. (Some good that did.) The second reason is that he wasn't sure he was interpreting Cas' words right. He'd been going back and forth as to what they meant. It could've been completely platonic or a confession. He couldn't recall any signs showing Cas had loved him romantically, nor could he see why he would. Could angels even have romantic feelings like people? At the same time, Cas had expressed his admiration and familial love to him and Sam before. This had been different somehow.

Sam and Gabriel entered the room, the former was holding a cup while the latter was holding a book. Dean noticed a smudge of Eileen's lipstick on Sam's cheek and smirked. Well, at least his brother got his happily ever after.

Gabriel excitedly smacked the book, a smile on his face. "We're go for launch!" Dean grinned back despite seeing some evidence of hesitation.

Sam asked Dean with eyes filled with worry, "Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"

Dean shook his head. "The sooner we get Cas, the better. Frankly, the amount of time to make just one potion is too long."

Nodding in understanding, Sam silently offered the cup to Dean. The potion inside looked like tar, but it had the viscosity of water. A bubble on the surface popped, making a noise that sounded just like a patty being put on a grill. As Dean grabbed it and subsequently brought it closer to his nose, he realized it had a scent similar to that of rotten eggs. Part of him wondered if this was some cruel prank cooked up by Gabriel.

The archangel in question looked at Dean with pity. "Bottom's up."

Dean lifted the cup slightly towards Gabriel and Sam as if giving a toast before quickly chugging the potion. The sensation of acid going down his throat distracted him from however this potion tasted. As soon as the cup was empty, he slammed it on the table. He let a few coughs escape him in an effort to ease his burning throat.

Sam took the cup as Gabriel instructed, "Lay on your back."

Dean did as he was told, feeling himself growing weak. When he pulled himself up onto the table and rested his back and head against the cool surface, he moved slowly, like he was an elderly man.

Gabriel asked, "You ready?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

Sam said, "If it gets too painful, just tell him to stop."

"Not gonna happen."

"I know."

Closing his eyes, Dean forced himself to relax against how uncomfortable the potion was making him. He heard Gabriel open the book and flip through a few pages. His heart was beating faster as his anticipation grew. Whether the anticipation was from the incoming spell or seeing Cas, he didn't know.

A cold hand placed itself on his forehead, and Gabriel began chanting, "Ad Exinani. Nantantes in tenebris."

That's when the pain registered. Just as Gabriel had warned hours ago, Dean felt like all of his internal organs were on fire, and that fire was desperately trying to get out of his body to no avail. He was no stranger to physical injuries, and had even been burned while hunting, but this was on a whole other level. He didn't feel himself scream, but he heard it mingling with Gabriel's voice as he continued to chant. Self-preservation kicked in, urging Dean to take Sam up on his offer and telling Gabriel to stop. He mentally shut that part of his brain up real quick.

This was all for Cas. This was all for the person who had sacrificed so much to help Dean. Cas had gripped him tight and raised him from perdition. It was about time Dean did the same for him.

All of the pain ceased, and Dean stopped screaming as his eyes shot open. The only sight that greeted him was darkness, and he momentarily wondered if he had gone blind. Looking down at himself, he soon realized that there was nothing around him but darkness. Slowly, he stood, observing his surroundings. Studying the nonexistent ground, he stomped two times.

He looked forward, shifting his eyes as he searched. "Hello?"

Someone answered, his voice on the higher side and slightly nasally, "Well what do we have here?"

Dean turned around to see Cas, but before his heart leapt for joy, he sensed something was out of place. The way this Cas smiled and held himself was more reminiscent of when Lucifer or the leviathans were in control of his body. The smile specifically was all wrong.

He glared at the imposter. "You're not Castiel."

The thing glanced down at itself before replying, "Oh no, not in the least. I figured you would prefer seeing me like this. After all, the sight of my real form would easily kill a human. Even if your little Cas is convinced you're special, you're still a man. May I… inquire as to the reason for your visit, hmm?"

Dean wasn't in the mood for games, and he was growing impatient fast. "You know why I'm here."

"That I do, that I do. Unfortunately, you've come here in vain."

He took an angel blade out of his jacket, standing taller to make himself more intimidating. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, but Cas is leaving this place."

The Empty chuckled before growing serious. "Castiel has been a thorn in my side for years. Keeping him here and asleep is the only way to ensure that I can rest. You know, I was finally, finally, able to sleep until you showed up here."

"Sorry," said Dean, not sorry at all, "but he doesn't belong here."

"Oh, but he does. How many times has he died now? He'd entered and exited this place multiple times before he woke me up. It sounds to me like he's fated to be here." The thing's smile returned, but it was more sinister and mischievous. "Since I'm curious, let me ask you something. What are you willing to do to save your little boyfriend?"

Dean stopped himself from sighing. He knew there was a possibility this thing would want to make a deal with him. "What do you want?"

"That's not an answer."

"Yes, it is. Tell me what you want and I'll hand it over."

The momentary look of shock was satisfying, but the thing's smile returned in a heartbeat as he pretended to think. "Hmm… I don't know. If Castiel is that valuable, maybe I shouldn't give him up."

"The hard way it is then."

"What-"

Dean ran at the fake Cas, using his free hand to clasp his dark hair and positioning the angel blade so that the tip was pressed against his stomach. Fury written all over Dean's face, he asked in a deceptively calm voice, "Where is he?"

In response, he laughed. "You're much dumber than I thought if you think that'll kill me."

"Oh, I know it won't kill you, but it'll hurt like hell."

His smile grew larger. "Yes. It would. Go ahead. Do it, if you can."

Dean smirked, knowing he would have no problem with that. He ordered himself to plunge the angel blade into the Empty's stomach. He pulled the blade back an inch, but no forward momentum followed it. Instead, his hand began to shake in place. Dean stopped himself from looking down to see what was wrong. He suspected some supernatural force was holding him back, and clenched his teeth as he fought it.

The Empty gently took Dean's wrist and positioned it so that the sharp end of the blade was pointing at his throat. In this position, Dean would inevitably see the stab. "I'm waiting, Dean Winchester."

He willed the hand with the blade to move. When that didn't work, he tried using his hold on the Empty's hair to pull him into the blade. That didn't have any effect either, and he was growing desperate. Not only would this get him to his goal faster, but the mental image of the angel blade stabbing Cas was making him sick.

The angel blade stabbing Cas. Realization dawned on him. The Empty wasn't stopping Dean like he had thought. He was stopping himself.

His face must have given him away, because the Empty chuckled. "You can't muster the nerve to stab him." His expression morphed into faux pity. "Such a shame. And here I thought you'd do anything to save Cas~"

Releasing the Empty, Dean turned around and walked away a few steps. He could sense the victorious smile that was now behind him. He had come here to do one job, and he was already failing.

The Empty continued, "Don't worry. It's as I've said… You are but a man."

Dean stared into the darkness ahead of him. He didn't know exactly how Cas loved him, but he knew exactly how he loved Cas. He was a friend. He was family. He was more. They had made each other better people in the long run. Cas claimed that Dean had changed him, but in Dean's opinion, Cas had changed him more. Dean cared for him in a way that he didn't know he could care about someone. He wouldn't go as far as to say that he loves Cas more than Sam, but this was definitely a more intense type of love. It was a bit scary, but Dean wouldn't let it go.

Whatever it takes.

Without warning, Dean pivoted and swung the blade into the Empty's shoulder. Instead of blood, droplets of black goo sprung out from the wound as the Empty gave an inhuman screech. Despite the ache in his chest, Dean twisted the blade, watching as the black substance pooled around the wound and stained the trench coat.

He waited until the Empty looked him in the eyes before saying, "Give. Me. Cas."

Suddenly, Dean was knocked backwards, having no choice but to let go of his weapon. He watched as the Empty yanked the angel blade out of his shoulder with one last shout of pain. He looked seriously pissed off, and Dean wondered what beast he had just unearthed. Before he knew it, Dean was being hoisted off the ground by his throat. To his surprise, the Empty didn't squeeze so tight as to cut off his airway. Any relief he might have felt by the fact he wasn't suffocating was dashed when the Empty slammed him onto the ground, kneeling so that he never had to let go of Dean's neck.

He used his other hand to grip Dean's face. The Empty's fingers and thumb painfully dug into his cheeks while the skin between his thumb and index finger pushed up against his bottom jaw. Dean barely noticed due to his ringing ears and aching spine. He had underestimated how strong this thing would be, and it became crystal clear that brute force wasn't going to do the trick.

The Empty smirked, though there was still a hint of rage. "Here's an idea. How about I send you back to Earth so misshapen that not even an archangel can heal you? Then instead of going back to sleep like I soooo want to do, I'll wake up our pal. Of course, it wouldn't be any fun to just send him after you. No… once he's awake I'll tell him that I didn't bother taking Billy. I'll tell him about how you died all alone by her hand. About how she was so angry that she didn't go straight for decapitating you. She swung her scythe and had made one long, deep gash from your collar bone all the way to the opposite thigh. You spent your last moments alive staring at your guts as they spilled out onto the floor. I'm sure he won't believe me at first, but all I have to do is show him. The vision will be fake of course, but I think you and I can both agree that he doesn't need to know that. What do you think?"

The Empty released Dean's face, allowing him to say, "I've got a better idea. If you send me to Earth, I'll just come right back, and we can start this whole dance over again. Can't exactly sleep if you're constantly beating me up, can you?"

He raised his eyebrows in response. "So what do you propose?"

"My allegiance."

Slowly, the Empty stood, keeping a foot on Dean's arm so he couldn't get up. "I'm not following."

Dean explained, "If something in the future wakes you up, I will stop it. It doesn't matter if it's tomorrow or a million years from now. If I'm alive or dead. If you call for me, I will take care of whatever's bothering you. My only condition is that Cas leaves and never comes back here. My brother and I have been talking about retiring, so the chance of Cas being killed again isn't so high anymore."

Skeptical, the Empty stepped off of him. "Even if Castiel fought me, nothing would have stopped me from taking him. How do I know you'll complete your end of the bargain?"

"Because I love Cas."

The words had come out naturally, without thought. There was no deception underneath it. Dean really was willing to do this if it meant saving Cas. Would any of his friends or even Cas himself approve of it? Probably not, but Dean couldn't bring himself to care. This had to be done.

He could see the Empty mulling over his answer in his head. It felt like minutes had passed by the time he had made his decision. "A bit of advice from your new… employer… I'm not the one you should be saying that to."

Dean was about to ask what he was talking about, but the Empty snapped his fingers before he had the chance. In the blink of an eye, he was back on the War Room's table. He saw Sam and Gabriel shoot up from their chairs out of the corner of his eye.

Sam was by his side in an instant. "Dean! Are you okay?! Where's Cas?!"

He'd like to know the answer himself, but a quick scan of the room showed that Cas wasn't there. For over a minute, the room was filled with tense silence. They hadn't gone over exactly how Cas would come back, so Dean couldn't say for certain whether or not the Empty accepted his deal.

Then familiar sounding footsteps reached their ears. Everyone looked toward a nearby door to see Cas holding Miracle in his arms. His eyes were on the dog as he entered, so he didn't notice everyone who was in the room. Hardly believing what he was seeing, Dean hopped off the table.

"Cas?"

He looked up, and with a small smile said, "Hello, Dean."

Bringing Cas up to speed took forever, but no one could really blame him for all of his questions and needs for more elaboration. He hadn't been gone long, but the number of events and people brought back to life would've blindsided anyone. By nightfall, Gabriel had left and Sam and Eileen had gone to bed. Jack was determined to teach Miracle how to play fetch, so the two of them were outside the bunker. That just left Cas and Dean at the kitchen table.

This was their first moment alone since Cas had returned, and Dean had fully intended to ask about the "I love you." Unfortunately, he found that he had no idea how to bring it up. Dean just stuck to drinking his coffee, hoping Cas would make the first move.

His wish was somewhat granted. "How did you convince the Empty to release me?"

Dean set his mug down. "Do you really want to know?"

"No, but I think I need to."

Slumping in his chair, Dean stared into the almost empty mug. "I made a deal. Whenever something wakes that cosmic son of a bitch up, I take care of it."

The disappointment was evident in Cas' voice. "Dean…"

He shrugged. "It got you back, didn't it?"

Dean downed the rest of his coffee as Cas replied, "I'm not worth-"

He had barely finished the beverage when he interrupted with, "Yes you are." He gazed at Cas, trying to get that message across with just his eyes.

Not looking entirely convinced, Cas nodded before staring at the floor. Dean set his mug down for the final time, unwilling to let this opportunity go now that they were talking. He shifted in his seat so that his entire body was facing Cas.

"What did you mean when you said 'I love you' to me?"

Confusion evident on his face, Cas looked back to Dean, "That I love you."

"Yeah, but…" Dean looked around as if he was searching the room for the right words. When none came, he settled his eyes back on Cas. "The word 'love' can mean different things. Do you love me like a friend, a brother...?"

Hesitating a little, Cas answered, "I meant that I love you… like a husband…"

Dean nodded, satisfied that that was cleared up but wondering what to do next.

Cas continued, "I understand that you don't reciprocate how I feel. I've accepted years ago that you only love women, and am willing not to act on my own love so that we can remain a family."

"Cas, hang on."

"You have to know that I wouldn't jeopardize our friendship like that. I'm happy to love you on my own, as was evidenced when the Empty…"

"Cas!"

He stopped talking, slightly shocked. Dean stood up, and Cas, perhaps unconsciously, followed suit. The two stood facing each other with only a few inches of air separating them.

Dean continued, "There are two things you've gotta know."

Cas nodded, brows slightly furrowed in confusion. "Alright."

"First, when you love someone romantically, you should say something more like, 'I'm in love with you,' so that there's no question about how you're feeling."

Dean could see Cas mentally noting that advice and storing it for later. "I see. What's the second thing?"

"…I'm in love with you."

Cas' eyes were filled with hope, but he shook his head in disbelief. "No you're not."

Dean put his hands on Cas' shoulders, getting rid of any personal space. "Yes, I am. I promise I am."

He could see Cas searching his eyes for any falsehood, but he was failing.

"Look, Cas… I'm not good at this whole… thing. But I do love you, okay?"

Cas was so close to being convinced, but Dean was struggling with what to say next. He wasn't a man of words as much as he was a man of action. Proving his love to Cas with words would be a fine line between making the whole thing heartfelt and not making it cheesy. It's a balance Dean wasn't confident he could achieve. That left showing Cas his love, but that wouldn't be easy either. Sure, he had just pledged his allegiance to the epitome of the angel afterlife to save him, but Cas knew he would do that for Sam and Jack too. Whatever he was going to do, had to be something he wouldn't do with anyone else.

Getting an idea, Dean took his phone out and went to the internet.

Cas asked, "What are you doing?"

Selecting a video that played the song "Te Amo," Dean set his phone on the table. "Rihanna and I are going to prove that I'm in love with you."

As the song began playing, Cas watched with a mixture of confusion and curiosity as Dean positioned themselves to start dancing together. Charlie had shown this song to Dean a few years back, and it had the passion that he was looking for. The beat called for something more along the lines of a waltz or tango, but he was more than willing to turn it into a slow dance if that's the speed Cas wanted to go.

Right as they started dancing, it became apparent Cas wasn't feeling the rhythm, so Dean immediately slowed down. To his satisfaction, Cas only looked at their feet when they first started. Once their gazes were locked onto each other, Cas' eyes didn't wander again. Dean found that he couldn't look away either, like there were magnets behind his eyes that were attracted to magnets hidden behind Cas'. Feeling the need to get those imaginary magnets closer, Dean gently rested his forehead on Cas' hairline.

They continued dancing like that after the song ended. Dean was pretty sure Cas was convinced at this point, but he just didn't want to stop dancing. He had lost Cas, again, and thought he'd seen the last of him, again. He was going to savor being so close to him this time, and Cas looked fully willing to do the same.

Cas closed his eyes and slightly tilted his head forward. "Can you kiss me?"

If it had been up to Dean, he would've kissed him before they even started dancing. The only thing stopping him was that he didn't have Cas' permission. Now that he had it, he smoothly pressed his lips against Cas' and closed his eyes. The physical feeling wasn't totally foreign, but the emotions that were unleashed with it were almost overwhelming. It didn't matter that Cas had less experience in kissing. It didn't matter that they had stopped dancing. The only thing that mattered was that they were together and that they were in love.

They didn't let go of each other when they heard the fridge door open, but they did break the kiss and shoot their heads in the direction of the noise. Sam was bent forward, apparently looking for something.

"Sammy?"

He stood up a little taller and glanced over at them before continuing in his search. "Hey, do you know where the leftover spaghetti is?"

Cas answered, "I… think Gabriel finished it."

Sam sighed. "Can't say I'm surprised. I think I'll just have some baby carrots while I read."

Dean said, "I thought you went to bed."

He closed the fridge, a bag of baby carrots in hand. "I did, but I decided a snack with some light reading might help me fall asleep." He opened the bag, took out a carrot, and bit into it. Smiling, he exited. "Carry on."

With him gone, Cas and Dean looked back at each other. Cas asked, "What now?"

Dean shrugged. "He said carry on."

Grinning, Cas pulled Dean into another kiss.

Writing this was actually kind of therapeutic. I mean no disrespect to the writers when I say this, but I did not like that finale at all. My theory is the writers got too tempted by the possibility of making a new and creative ending. I could be wrong about that of course, but I know how tempting twist endings can be.