Castiel looked from Kylie to Dean, distraught. Lucifer was gone with Jack, Sam, and Jack's grace. Michael was almost dead, Dean was here looking as though his whole world had just been burned down, and Kylie was…

She was still grasping his hand, but she wasn't moving. She hadn't pulled her hand back this time, or tried to hug him. She'd kept her hand in his.

"Kylie?"

She wasn't breathing.

"Kylie!"

He knew what had happened. He remembered it from last time.

It still didn't stop the same thoughts from running through his head again.

Why did she do that? Why had she kept holding onto his hand? Last time it had fallen away, but this time it held rigid and firm.

Was this it? Was this her time? He knew the answer to that one, but still he fought it.

No. He wasn't ready. Not all those years ago, and not now. He didn't want it to be her time. He didn't want her to be dead then. He didn't want her to be dead now. He still wanted to scream at the sky and beg for just a few more minutes, but he couldn't do that either

"No. No, please, no." Castiel reached frantically in his pocket, still holding her hand tightly. "Not again." He… He had to be sure. "Not now." He'd grieved her death and found it false one too many times. He had to be sure. "Not when we almost," his fingers grazed ice cold rock, and recoiled immediately. No. When he went to touch it one more time, he felt the rock was absolutely cold to the touch. It wouldn't even retain the heat from his hand.

"She's gone." Castiel said. The words were hollow in his mouth as he focused on Dean. I don't want you to leave. "She… She's gone."

"What just happened?" Dean asked. He still looked like he couldn't grasp everything. In all fairness, Castiel couldn't either.

"The Devil won." Michael coughed out. "That's what happened. The Devil won, your Nephilim child is gone, and that angel-killing bitch is finally dead."

"Don't you dare talk about her like that." Castiel ordered. Michael stayed quiet, for what it was worth, as Castiel looked back down at Kylie. She… She was gone. She was dead.

"Cas," Dean started to say something, but the words died in his mouth. What was he supposed to say? Did he tell Castiel what he'd told Kylie when she held him, dead, in her arms?

"Kylie, you need to turn over and get up."

Castiel, turn away. Get up and turn away. Don't look, just look away.

Kylie had looked anyways.

No. He couldn't say that. It was too late, anyways.

"She didn't deserve this." Castiel muttered, looking back down at her. His hand moved from his pocket to her face, brushing a little bit of hair out of the way. "She didn't deserve any of this. I promised her a life, Dean. A life together." He looked back up that the elder Hunter. "I promised her forever. I promised her eternity. I promised her happiness and safety and a life where we could just… Just be married." He glanced over at her hand that he still grasped. She never took off the ring, even when she didn't remember him. "Where we could be a husband and a wife living together, loving each other together, until time stopped. And we were so close. I thought we could finally make that dream come true." He focused from Dean onto Michael. He was bleeding from his eyes, wounded and weak on the floor.

"This is your fault." Castiel hissed. "You did this, Michael. You killed her. You…" He looked back down at Kylie. "You're an archangel. Can you heal her?"

"I couldn't even heal a bruise in this state, and at this point why would I?" He asked. "Lucifer just consumed the Nephilim's grace. He's all juiced up; super-charged. He'll kill the boy, your brother," he motioned to Dean with that. "Hell, he could end the whole universe if he puts his mind to it. Why bring back a dead witch if she's only doomed to die again?" Michael let out a barked laugh. "And you thought I was bad."

"Then you're worthless." Castiel decided, flicking his wrist. An angel blade fell out neatly into his free hand.

"Cas, wait!" Dean said. He turned his attention to Michael. "You beat him. I saw you."

"When he was weaker, and I was stronger. Believe me, I'd love to rip my brother apart. But now, in this banged up meatsuit?" He motioned to himself. "Not happening. This is the end." Michael took an almost-envious glance over at Kylie. "Of everything."

"At least I'll get to kill you first." Castiel decided, rising as quickly as he could. He glanced at Kylie one more time, at her hand…

Her hand, still in his.

Her hand, still wearing the ring.

Her hand, still as the grave.

He let it go, advancing slowly on Michael. "You deserve to die." Castiel muttered.

"Cas!" Dean shouted, putting a hand on the angel's shoulder. "Hold on! Just hold on!" He turned back to Michael, and Castiel could see a plan forming in the Winchester's mind. "What if… What if you had your sword?" He asked.

No.

"Dean," Castiel turned quickly, unable to believe what he was hearing. "No. Not you too." Dean ignored Castiel, pushing past him to face Michael.

"I'm your sword." Dean declared. "Your perfect vessel. With me, you'd be stronger than you've ever been."

"Oh, I know what you are." Michael chuckled. "I could feel you the moment I laid eyes on you."

"If we work together, can we beat Lucifer?" Dean asked.

"Dean," Castiel tried to interrupt, but Dean kept going.

"Can we bring back Kylie?" He tried. Castiel stopped at that, glancing over at his wife. She was splayed out on the floor, blood all around her. He couldn't help but feel the cold of the rock in his pocket as he looked at her.

The last time, he'd wanted to tell her about his feelings. He'd felt like he needed to. He'd been too late to tell her then; to tell her that he'd loved her and that he wanted to kiss her and talk to her and spend so much time with her. He hadn't understood why he felt those things at the time, he just knew that they were there and that they were true and that it was killing him inside to see those opportunities gone. Those feelings had been new and strange, and he hadn't understood them. He wanted to learn how to understand them at the time, but he felt as though he wouldn't get the chance to.

This time was worse. This time, he had done what he wished he had done last time. He'd put every ounce of his power and into trying to heal her, but a wound like that from an archangel's blade wasn't one that he could heal. He'd told her he loved her. He'd kissed her. He'd understood the feelings he had and did everything he could to stay strong while she died in his arms. He'd told her what he could, while he had the moment. He'd told her everything he wished he'd told her before then, and done everything he could to make her feel safe and comforted and loved.

This time he'd done everything right.

He'd done everything right, and she still died.

And now he was watching his best friend consider allowing Michael in, to stop Lucifer and to save Kylie.

Castiel couldn't help but quietly want Dean to say yes, just for that. Just for one more chance to have Kylie around. One more chance to talk with her, to be with her.

One more chance to make do on all the promises that he'd made her.

One more chance to do it all correct, and get the ending he was wanting. No, the ending she deserved.

One more chance to make things right.

"Can we bring back her memories, too?" Dean asked next. "Can we stop Lucifer, save Kylie, and save the world?"

"For the world, we'd have a chance. As for the girl," he glanced over at Kylie. "I don't know about her memories, but her life?" Michael asked. Dean nodded once. "That, I can do. So long as you say yes."

"Dean," Cas started, but Dean shook his head.

"We don't have another option." He said. "Lucifer has Sam. He has Jack. Cas," Dean implored. "Kylie's gone. You deserve a life with her. You deserve better. She deserves better." Dean looked back at Michael. "And we can't let Lucifer win." Michael said nothing, eyeing Dean cautiously. "If we do this, it's a one-time deal. I'm in charge. You're the engine, but I'm behind the wheel. Understand?" Dean asked. Michael said nothing, thinking hard. Dean raised his voice. "Yes or no, Michael?"

"Fine." He said, his face grim. "Yes. It's a deal." He extended a hand out towards Dean.

"Then yes." Dean agreed, reaching forwards to clasp Michael's hand tightly.

******************** KYLIE POV *********************

It was dark. I was in a dark place.

I remembered this dark place.

"Ah, hell." I muttered. "Billie!" I jumped up and down a bit, waving my arms. "Come on, Billie! You promise you'd be the one here, at least!"

"It's not Billie, anymore." I whirled around, smiling when I finally laid my eyes on the familiar Reaper. "I got an upgrade. Now, I'm Death."

"Can I still call you Billie?" I asked. We maintained eye contact until the smallest of smiles broke out across her face.

"Of course." I smiled a big smile then, letting out a small sigh of relief before I looked around again. "So, this is it, isn't it?" I asked. "This is it. I'm dead. Game over." I thought for a moment, looking over at Billie again. "At least in death I…" I thought more. "I remember. I remember everything." I let out an excited noise. It wasn't a feel of a rush of memories, but more like they'd already been there where they were supposed to be. "I remember! I remember you and Rowena and Crowley and Jack and Mary and Dean and Sam and," my voice caught. "Cas. Castiel. Oh no. He thinks I died not remembering him."

"Technically, I think you did."

"But that's not the point. He thinks I don't remember loving him. He thinks I don't remember anything about him. He… Oh my god I…" I couldn't find the words. "I died in his arms again. I don't want to leave him like that. He deserved better. Better than, well," I motioned around. "All of this. All the crazy. Better than a wife that keeps not being there."

"OK." Billie said. "What does that matter, now?"

"I…" I took a breath. "It doesn't." I admitted. "Because I'm dead."

"Kylie, I have something I'd love to show you, but we sadly don't have the time." Billie said.

This was new.

Billie didn't tend to show me things. Not anymore. And why wouldn't we have the time? Did she have another appointment?

Well, as Death with a capital "D," she probably had more appointments than I could ever imagine.

"Huh?"

"So I'll keep it short." Billie said. "There's a wonderful library, in death, that I can read through. It tells me all the different ways someone can or ever will die, in a way that's permanent and sticks. Dean and Sam have their own shelves. Rowena has a single book with a single form of ending. You have five books. One was that Crowley would kill you, years ago. Another was when you closed that Rift. A third is being stabbed to death by the Archangel Michael." She offered me a small smile. "But you know what? There are two more books for you, set after this."

"How do those end?"

"I'm looking forward to seeing you find out."

"Huh?" There was a flap of wings to the other side of me. It was…

"Dean?" I asked. He smiled at me.

"Hey, kiddo. I'm here to pick you up from Deadly Daycare." I looked over from Dean back to Billie.

"You're alright with this?" She shrugged.

"My job is to be impartial. When an Archangel interferes in these matters, it doesn't matter whether or not I approve."

"An Archangel?" I turned back to look at Dean. "No. No, you wouldn't have." He offered me a shrug.

"You're family too, Kylie." He reminded me. "I couldn't make a deal like this without making sure I could get you too."

"What about Cas? He couldn't have wanted you to do this."

"You're right, he didn't." Dean admitted. "But he also made a promise to you. He really wants to keep that promise, Kylie." He offered me a hand. "Come back with me one more time, kiddo. Please. You're our family. We need you."

I turned back to look at Billie one more time, but she was gone. I turned back to Dean.

"In case I don't remember when you pull me back," I thought for a moment, searching for the right memory to tell a me that wouldn't remember. "Tell Cas that the box I built is at the Cabin in Utah. Have him take me there. I'll get my memories back more by using magic. The Cabin is a good place to start. And tell me…" I smiled, finally finding the right words. "Tell me to make sure I don't light the curtains on fire again."

"The box is in the Cabin in Utah. You'll remember more by using magic." Dean offered me a smile. "Don't burn up the curtains again."

"Thank you." I ran towards him then, jumping to offer him the biggest hug I could give. It felt nice, getting a hug like this. It felt like a family hug. It felt like a hug from an amazing big brother.