His frantic feet fumbled on the rocky shore, the tough boots sliding on slippery stones. He couldn't keep the flashlight beam steady; the sound of the angry surf filled his ears. He was cold and wet; he'd circled the small island three times by now.

"Castiel! Cas! Come out you winged bastard!"

He tripped back to the creaking dock.

"Sammy, tell me you found something. Anything at all." Sam shook his head and held out a blue tie. Dean took it gingerly with both hands, like it was going to break if he handled it too roughly. Suddenly he was grabbing Sam and screaming, "Where did you find this? Show me before I throw you in the lake" So Sam led him to a small path leading into the interior of the forest. About fifteen feet in was a trench coat. Then a suit coat. Then a white dress shirt made translucent by the rain and trod on with muddy footprints. He gathered these things in his arms and clung to them as if they were treasures of insurmountable value. Then there was a belt. Shoes. Socks. Pants. Boxers. He carried them all in his arms, Sam fussing about Dean tripping in the dark. Dean didn't hear his brother; he just saw that the tiny path started to give way to a clearing. He stopped so abruptly Sam ran into and Dean dropped his discarded treasures. For a second he didn't know whether to be scared or in awe. There was Castiel, splayed out on a large rock alter, wings and all, with his head in the lap of an eerily beautiful being who was stroking his hair. It reminded Dean of a painting he'd seen on his second date with Cas called The Lament of Icarus. He was frozen. The being stopped grooming the angel when she noticed the brothers. Dean noticed for the first time Castiel's whole body looked as if someone put neon in his veins. Tendrils of luminescent blue extended down his limbs and over his torso.

"Cas!" he screamed. But then she screamed too. It was a piercing howl that brought the boys to their knees. His head felt like it was exploding. It was debilitating loud. Sam had passed out, Dean was barely conscious.

The mermaid went back to sucking the grace from Castiel. It flowed into her body like warm honey. Her thread thin tentacles invading his body and soul, turning the shining grace into thick blackness. Soon she would be as powerful as him.

He had to save Castiel. His hands clawed at the ground to move him closer. His hands pushed through the pile of clothing he'd dropped, they hit something hard. The angel blade. He slipped it in his jacket, and pulled himself along the ground as stealthily as he could in his current state. Everything seemed foggy, his ears were still ringing.

She saw the pathetic hunter pulling himself towards the altar. He was of no concern. She was almost done anyways, and then she would simply steal his soul as dessert. She laughed and it sounded like gulls crying. He probably felt like he was doing so well. He was at the base of the stone, dragging himself along toward her.

Almost there, almost to her, almost to him. Castiel looked so tragic up close. His skin was sallow and he shined with sweat. There was a pained look on his face, and his eyes fluttered as if he were deep in dream. Whatever she was, she was bad news. He could see her fingers branched into his skin. He'd seen some gruesome stuff, but this was terrifying on a new level. She was sucking the life from an angel.

Sam's head hurt, it felt like someone had thrown it in a blender. He couldn't move much, but he had to find Dean. It took all the strength he had to lift his head, he saw Dean stand on shaky legs behind whatever she was. Her vicious mouth set in a prideful smirk. Dean didn't stand a chance. Something glinted in the air and something bloomed on her throat. Luminous blue blood poured down her bare body, some of it trickled over the angel. He could see the neon blue marbling the angel's body fade away, Dean pushed the strange creature off the altar, angel blade still stuck through her throat. He crawled onto the altar and took the place at Cas' head, instead wiping the fading blue blood from him.

"Cas, wake up. Come on, buddy. Castiel, wake up," he pleaded. "Please, Cas."

"Well done Dean Winchester," Remiel had appeared next to the corpse. He poked at it with his foot, "Mermaid. Probably the last one, they survive on the grace of angels. She was able to block us from finding him by using his own grace." He was talking to the air, Dean was too busy trying to get a response from his angel.

"Remi, help him."

"He cannot be helped here. I must take him home."

Dean didn't want to leave Castiel. He was too afraid of never seeing him again.

"Dean?" cracked lips rasped out.

"Cas, if you die I will fucking kill you."

The angel smiled weakly at his hunter, eyes still closed, before he passed back into unconsciousness. Dean set his head down gently and rose from the altar.

"If he doesn't survive, I will personally make it my mission to find and kill every angel that gave up on him."

"Some would say that is impossible, but I watched my brother raise a damned soul from Hell and heal it, and many said it couldn't be done."

They all watched the broken angel on his bed of stone. Dean wished he could have seen his angel's wings under different circumstances. They were beautiful, dark brown and gold. The rain slipped down them frictionlessly. He wanted to feel them, but now wasn't the time to partake in such intimate pleasures. Remiel healed the Winchesters wordlessly. He gathered up Castiel's body in his arms and departed.

Dean prayed to God to heal Castiel the whole rough trip back to the mainland. He pulled his soaking clothes off and stepped into the shower, the warm water burning his frozen skin.
Sam pretended not to hear his brother sobbing in the shower, and instead left a bottle of Jack Daniels on his pillow. Dean regarded it with disinterest upon his return. He just crawled into the bed and prayed in the darkness that he would see Castiel again.