A/N: Just an epilogue left after this, guys. You've all been so magnificent in your response to this, thank you so much! :D Thanks guest reviewers, and anyone who's followed or favorited!


Chapter 14

Dean blinked a couple of times, trying to clear his vision after the blinding flash had subsided. His leg was still throbbing and his heart was still pumping double time in adrenaline mode, but his head was ringing with one simple fact: it was over. Circe was dead.

"Son of a bitch," the hunter murmured, running a hand down his face as his sight returned a bit at a time. The first thing he was aware of was that there was no longer a paw on his leg, but a hand.

The second thing he was aware of was the rather uncomfortable fact that unlike him and Cas, Sam apparently hadn't been wearing anything when Circe changed him. Dean cleared his throat and looked up at the ceiling.

"Uh… Sam?"

His brother shifted, groaning a bit as he pushed himself up off the floor. From Dean's periphery, he could see Sammy freeze suddenly, and the older Winchester had to bite back a smirk as Sam swore and stumbled up to his feet, teetering back towards the bedroom as fast as he could.

Dean's amusement drained away in a flood of worry as his eyes turned next to Cas. To his relief, the angel was once again in his natural vessel, tan overcoat not even rumpled as he climbed to his feet. There was no sign that he'd been injured at all. Despite Dean's reluctance to even think of Gabriel as a good guy, he had to acknowledge that the archangel had saved their asses.

Or, more specifically, he'd saved Cas's ass, and the Winchesters had been collateral.

"Cas? Hey, you okay?" Dean asked, gruff with wariness as he eyed Gabriel, who was watching him in return with surprising silence instead of the usual sass.

"Yes, I seem to be back to normal," Cas returned.

There was a flutter of wings, and the warrior angel was kneeling at his side. Dean grimaced as they both looked at his bleeding leg. A clearly defined set of teeth marks stood out red against the dark denim, throbbing like mad.

"It's fine," Dean grumbled. "Seriously."

"Dean, I am… so sorry."

Hating the way Cas sounded so damn guilty, the hunter waved him off. "Trust me," he said with a snort. "This is nothing. I'd take a dog bite over the usual crap any day."

"Yes, but…"

The angel trailed off. Dean looked up at him, cocking an eyebrow up. "What?"

"I did this."

"Dude, it wasn't you," Dean insisted, forcing himself to clamber up to his feet, to prove that he was just fine. "Circe made you. Nothing you could do about it. Hey, at least you only went for the leg, right?" Besides, how was he supposed to be mad, when he could still hear Cas's cry after Circe stabbed him? Dean shuddered. He hated being in Gabriel's debt, but it was worth it to still have Cas with them.

"I suppose," Cas replied, but he looked away quickly enough for Dean to know he still wasn't so sure. Nevertheless, the angel gave himself a quick shake and reached a hand out to touch Dean's head. The hunter blinked as the pain in his leg was wiped away like it had never been there at all. He looked down, nodding in satisfaction to see that the wound was gone.

"Thought you couldn't really do the whole healing thing anymore."

"I can't," Cas admitted, looking over his shoulder towards the silently watching archangel. "But Gabriel used enough healing grace that there was some left over in me to fix you."

Oh. Dean couldn't help but smirk as he saw Gabriel's mouth twist in irritation, obviously not thrilled to have indirectly done the hunter any favors. That was oddly satisfying.

"Thanks, Cas." Dean grinned, then twisted towards Sam as his brother rejoined them, thankfully clothed, but with a red face. "Good to have you back, Sammy."

Sam cleared his throat and nodded. "Uh… yeah, good to be back." He scratched his head, surveying the room, gaze roving Dean and Cas up and down as though scanning for signs of further damage. Seeming satisfied, he turned next to Gabriel with an expression equal to Dean's own suspicion.

"So, uh… not that I'm not grateful-" he began, but Gabriel moved at last, swaggering forward with a displeased glare.

"Save it, Samsquatch. I just had to ice one of my favorite girls because of you, and I swear to Dad if you thank me for that, I'll throw you right to Lucifer myself."

"Gabriel," Cas spoke up, stepping forward to meet his brother. Dean watched the angel, but Cas didn't seem wary so much as puzzled. "Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you. Did you not hear me calling out?"

"Yeah, I did," Gabriel replied with an easy shrug. Cas seemed crestfallen, and that, more than anything, made Dean want to punch that dick archangel right in the face.

Though, he'd probably just break his hand.

"Then I don't understand," Cas said, sounding truly hurt. "You knew I was trying to find you. Gabriel, you can help stop this. You may be the only one who can contend with Michael and Lucifer-"

"I'm not gonna 'contend' with anyone, bro," Gabriel snapped. "I've said it a million times, I'm staying out of this. You need to do the same. This plan of yours, to stop the Apocalypse? It's suicide. Look at you, Castiel, you've been walking around as a dog all day. You can't even stop one minor goddess, how are you going to take on archangels, huh?"

"Hey!" Dean growled as he saw the angel's already hurt look turn even more downcast at the blunt reminder of his lack of power. The hunter stepped forward, but stopped short as Gabriel raised a hand to point at him.

"This is your fault, both of you stupid Winchesters. He'd follow you two bozos anywhere, you get that, right? You're going to take him down with you, like you almost did just now, and then I'm really gonna be pissed!"

"Gabriel, stop," Cas said as Dean narrowed his eyes. "I know what I'm doing."

Dean wanted, more than anything, to argue with the archangel, to tell Gabriel in no uncertain terms that he was wrong. But despite Cas's conviction, Circe's threat against him rang in the hunter's head once again, and the best he could muster was a stony glare at Gabriel before looking away, arms folded.

There was a short silence; from the way Sam was shifting around and avoiding eye contact, Dean was sure his brother was feeling the same things. Finally, Gabriel rolled his eyes and some of the tension in the room seemed to ease away.

"You know… I had you two pegged. Selfish and cold-blooded. You care more about saving each other than you do the whole world, the only thing that matters is you two. So I gotta ask… why the change of heart back there?"

This time, Dean frowned in confusion, shaking his head. "You wanna elaborate?"

"You told me to take Castiel. You do get that would have meant losing your magical, heavenly butler, right? Not to mention facing the whole damn Pantheon on your own."

"Wait, our what?!" Sam demanded, taking a step. "Is that what you think?"

"What does he know, Sammy?" Dean snarled. His hands balled into fists, flooded with desire to slug the archangel once again. "Bastard thinks everyone else is just something to use or screw around with, what would he know about family and loyalty?"

"'Scuse me?" Gabriel's eyes grew cold. Cas was in between them in a flash, hands spread between Gabriel and the Winchesters, looking wary. Gabriel pushed past, but Dean refused to back down. "Watch your mouth, Winchester. Unless you want to find yourself dying every day in an endless loop again. That was kind of fun."

"No, watch your mouth!" Dean was yelling now, treading in dangerous territory, but he didn't even care. "If you think Cas is just a… a magic butler or whatever, then you don't know shit! Cas is family, and the only reason I'd even consider letting you near him is to save his life! If that means we don't get to see him again, that sucks like a bitch, but at least he'd be alive!"

Try as he might, Dean couldn't stop his voice from breaking ever so slightly, wishing he could forget Gabriel's accusation that they were taking Cas down with them. Shoot, the angel had already lost his home, and his power was draining away more every day. Cas was going to lose everything, and it was their fault, any way he looked at it.

Seemed like a piss-poor way to thank someone for rescuing him from Hell.

Now he was all damn emotional, but the expected quip from Gabriel about it never came. Instead, the archangel was giving him a shrewd look, while Sam nodded in silent agreement to his brother's words.

"Dean," Cas said with a sigh, but the hunter cut him off.

"No, I'm serious! You're like a brother to us, but… Cas, you gotta understand, me and Sammy, we're bad luck. Always have been. We're cursed, man, and the thought of you getting dragged down too, just for sticking by us… Just be sure you know what you're getting into, siding with us. You've already been kicked outta your home-"

"Dean, stop." The warrior angel straightened, blue eyes gleaming with lightning. "I knew the risk, and the probable end. If I survive this, it'll be a miracle. If I don't, then it's nothing more than a soldier expects when they pick up a sword. I made my choice, and I made it for a reason. You can't hold yourself responsible for that."

No one said anything. Though Dean's heart was lightened by the angel's steadfastness, he also felt the heaviness of the truth behind the words. They would all be lucky to survive this. Gabriel looked from one face to the next, the moment hanging in thick gloom, before he finally shrugged.

"Well, that's that, then," he announced, as chipper as the moment he'd walked in. The shift made Dean's head spin, and he stared at the archangel. Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "What? I think he's being an idiot, but there's nothing I can do to change that one's mind. Believe me, he's as stubborn as they come, and I should know. Just watch your back, Castiel. I don't wanna have to keep playing the knight in shining armor, got it?"

Cas almost smiled, nodding. Dean was still looking between the two, then traded a confused look with Sammy.

"Uh… just like that?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Dean agreed. "Call me crazy but aren't you letting us win a little easy this time? I mean, not that I'm complaining… but you were all gung-ho to leave with Cas, now you're just gonna let us walk?" It didn't add up, this Gabriel and the one who'd locked them all in TV land. Dean shook his head. "So all that about not wanting to hurt him…?"

"Dean," Cas cut in, turning to his friend—and leaving his back exposed to Gabriel in the process, Dean couldn't help but notice with a grimace. "Do you really think I would have spent so much time trying to find Gabriel if I thought he would attack again?"

"So, what, we're supposed to trust him now?" Sam demanded, which summed up Dean's thoughts on the matter as well.

Gabriel didn't seem to take offense, merely grinned and shot back, "I wouldn't if I were you." Then he sobered and looked between the two Winchesters before offering one final warning: "Just don't ever forget… he was my brother long before he was yours."

Huh. Dean eyed Gabriel, but the archangel seemed to be serious. Though Dean had heard Cas refer to the other angels as his brothers before, he hadn't gotten the overwhelming impression that any of the others really felt the same, or at least they didn't act like it.

But Gabriel had healed Cas, and he had ganked Circe once he realized that she really was going to hurt the angel.

Son of a bitch… Gabriel meant it.

Relenting, Dean slowly nodded. He would have done the same for Sammy, after all, and he had a feeling Gabriel knew the trials of being a big brother, something Dean hadn't considered from the Trickster before.

A soft whine interrupted the conversation. All four turned towards the back of the room, where Dean had almost forgotten about the Chihuahua, but it appeared he needn't have worried. The little guy was up on his feet again, staring at Gabriel with bigger eyes than such a small face should hold.

"Aw, shit, Zorro!" Sam exclaimed, hurrying forward and kneeling down to run a hand over the Chihuahua, feeling for anything broken. "Hey, you were great, buddy. You alright?"

The little dog whimpered a bit, but never pulled his gaze away from Gabriel. He yapped a couple of times and cocked his head.

"Yes," Cas said, apparently an answer to something. His mouth twitched as he glanced at Gabriel, too, whose grin stretched wider. "It is. The only one of the four I'd say you were lucky to meet."

In a scrambling of paws and a streak of brown, the yapper bolted towards the archangel. Dean stared, wondering for a crazy moment if the dog had gone insane and was attacking, but even he could tell that the strident barks were ecstatic, not aggressive. The hunter traded a look with his brother, then watched as the Chihuahua leaped up and down in the air a couple of times, then galloped in crazed circles around Gabriel.

"I take it he's a fan?" Dean asked Cas, who apparently couldn't contain a smile of his own, and that said something.

"Um… yes. You could say that."

The Chihuahua finally came to a stop, standing in front of the archangel and looking up at him with tail wagging so hard that his back paws had to keep shifting so that he didn't fall right over. He yapped something up at Gabriel, who raised his eyebrows.

"El Poderoso?" he said, putting on a dramatic expression. "No… Zorro el Majestico!"

Zorro's resultant barks were practically howls of joy, the little Chihuahua falling over on his back and wriggling around with such elation that it was wearing Dean out just to watch. Scrambling up on his trembling paws, Zorro ran another few circles and then dashed to the couch and peed all over the leg, shaking with excitement.

Dean rolled his eyes. Friggin' dogs.

"Oh… uh…" Sam cleared his throat, unable to hide his amusement while Dean pointed at him and frowned.

"And this is exactly why there's no dogs in the car, got it? I told you, they get hyper and pee on everything! So don't get any ideas!"

"Don't worry about them, nobody likes Dean," Gabriel informed the Chihuahua, who barked in what sounded a little too much like agreement. The hunter glared at the dog, but was ignored. Instead, Zorro trotted back over to Gabriel, who patted his chest. "Come on, boy, up here."

Zorro jumped, the archangel catching him and holding the dog cradled in his arms. "As it happens, I do have a position open for one hermano, myself. How about it, Zorro?"

The Chihuahua snuggled closer to Gabriel, whimpering with delight, and Gabriel laughed. He turned back to the hunters and tipped them a sarcastic salute. "I'll take care of this bro… you take care of mine," he growled. "Watch yourself, Castiel."

Cas nodded with grave solemnity, a stark contrast to the archangel's smirk. Gabriel winked, and then he was gone.

"Wait- thank you!" Sam yelled after them, but there was no reply.

The silence that followed was so peaceful that Dean hated to break it, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked around the room. Through a crack in the blinds covering the window, he could just see a glint of daylight peeking through, bringing a new day.

Thank goodness, because the last one had pretty much sucked.

When his eyes drifted back to Cas, Dean saw that the angel was already watching him, a light frown decorating his face in an expression of worry. The hunter raised his eyebrows in question. Cas took a deep breath, then said,

"Dean, I'm… I'm sorry for biting you."

This again? Dean waved him off, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it, Cas. It's really nothing. Besides, all the times we keep putting you in harm's way…" The hunter shrugged and looked away. "Hell, I probably deserved that."

"Dean…" The angel canted his head, looking at him with more forgiveness than Dean could stand. The moment was becoming uncomfortably emotional. Forcing a half-smile to his face, the older Winchester cleared his throat.

"Anyway, it's all good. But Sammy… next time you meet a hot blonde in a bar… Just don't."

His younger brother glared at him, though he also nodded in fervent agreement. Together, the three turned towards the door, trudging a bit from sheer exhaustion, but still on their feet. That was something.

Outside, the air was fresh and crisp, carrying a blessedly muted array of scents. Dean didn't smell squirrels anymore, thank god, and the fire hydrant on the corner held no temptation at all. He led the way towards the road they'd stashed the Impala on.

"Oh, so I gotta ask," the hunter said, glancing sideways at his little brother. "Lucifer made it sound like he'd caught you…?"

Sam shuddered, which didn't make Dean feel any better. "Um… yeah," he muttered. "Just for a moment. He didn't have time to... you know, do anything. I got away pretty quick."

"How?"

There was a pause, and suddenly it looked like Sam was trying to hide a smile. "Actually, I, uh… I bit him."

Dean and Cas both stopped, turning to look at the younger hunter. Dean wondered if he'd just misheard, the image both horrifying and hilarious.

"You- you bit… the Devil?"

Sam kicked the ground, hands in his pockets as he shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea at the time. Did kinda have the element of surprise, anyway."

"Yes," Cas agreed, nodding wisely. "I would venture to say that doesn't happen to Lucifer very often. He must have been… quite startled."

"Huh." Dean started walking again, biting back a grin as he imagined this. It was too much, though. He choked back a couple of snickers, but before too long he was laughing, and the other two joined soon after.

It was probably nothing more than a sign of how tired all three of them were, to find the situation as funny as it suddenly seemed. Still, as their laughter echoed through the early morning mist, Dean knew with a lightened heart that no matter what kind of crazy shit they would face today, there was no one in the world he would rather have by his side.