AN: Sorry its been a while - I went on holiday after ten years! Anywho,one chapter left!

ONE MONTH AND FOUR DAYS AFTER THE ANGELS FELL

Castiel hadn't meant to pry.

Honest.

He was just passing by; having done the laundry in the morning he had decided to distribute it during the afternoon. He placed his own in his cupboard, allowed Kevin to grab his, left Sam's on his dresser, which left him with Dean's which he was going to leave on his bed and then get out.

Really he was.

But then he saw something glowing in Dean's bedside table and well, if the item was something like a flash light then wouldn't it be beneficial for the Winchesters if Castiel had deemed it necessary to turn it off – to conserve battery, to ensure that some otherworldly creature did not catch the brothers unaware? It was practically his civic duty.

At least that was the lie he told himself to assuage himself of the guilt of going through his friend's belongings.

He closed his eyes as he picked up the item in Dean's drawer with lead in his heart. He hadn't wanted it to be true...he had wished that it was an average flash light.

Castiel peered closer noting the white ripples in the blue shimmery essence. Clutching it tighter he felt a signature, half surprised that he even could, his fingers opened and he barely caught the bottle before it shattered onto the ground.

"This is…" No. Dear God no.

He sensed Dean behind him. "Cas! You can't come in here man – we talked about this." Dean was irritated, only a little, by his presence in the room. Coming around from behind him Dean stood next to Castiel, eyes still not catching the glow of blue light tucked in Castiel's palm. "Personal space, remember?"

Dean's face shuttered as Castiel brought his hand up in front of his face. "Dean, this is Lucifer's grace."

"Give that to me." Dean said, lunging for the object.

"Lucifer's!" Castiel repeated.

"Believe me when I say that I'm well aware of that fact." Clenching his fist tighter around the bottle, Castiel moved his hand back away from Dean's outstretched hand. "Death wouldn't let me give it back to him. Said there could be another use for it." Dean said.

The penny dropped – Castiel's mouth left agape with a grotesque understanding. "You're considering giving this to Sam?"

"I…no…but – shit Cas…I don't know why Death gave it to me in the first place."

"Maybe he knew…" Dean looked at him. "That you wouldn't want to be without Sam - he's giving you the option to hold on. You share the same heaven; it's feasible to believe that you could both live it out at the time of your choosing."

"No."

"Our grace is nothing more than an object. It cannot be infected with personality or intentions. The grace would not transfer anything remotely belonging to him. "

"Well then, if you're so sure about this, then why don't you take it. You'd get to be an angel again, fully powered up." Castiel couldn't hide the quick flash of unease that spread through him at the thought of having something remotely tied to his brother. "Yeah, I thought so," Dean ended sardonically.

"Dean-"

"I'm not putting anything of 'that' thing's in him. My brother is human dammit and he's going to stay that way. I ain't letting that son of a bitch taint him. If I did, and he turned then I would be asked to kill him, because that's what it always boils down to. Everyone should know by now that I'm never gonna do it."

"You are so sure that he would be tarnished? What about you Dean? You took it upon yourself to take Michael's grace and now you are an angel. Are you tarnished now?"

"Yeah I am."

"You can't really believe that?"

"Men cannot be angels."

"Well then," Castiel said stepping towards Dean and pushing the bottle into Dean's chest as he left the room, "Clearly you're the exception."

It was hours later that Castiel ran out of the kitchen hearing Kevin cry out.

"I did it...woah...woah…" Kevin let out a heavy exhale, eyes glued to the tablet in front of him. "Dean! Sam! I did it!" he crowed in relief.

"Kevin? Are you alright?" Castiel said stepping into the library from the kitchen, dishtowel slung over the shoulder of his black over-shirt. "What happened?"

"Castiel, I think I know how to get the angels back into heaven."

"That is," he let out a chuckle, "very good, I shall inform Dean now." Pulling out his cell he dialled Dean's number, the dial tone chirping in his ear. To the prophet he said: "There's pasta on the stove," watching in awe as the young man practically ran to the kitchen, dishes clattering as he hastened to get his reward. Pasta was Kevin's favourite food and as soon has he had found out, he made sure to learn as many variants of the Italian food as possible. He found that it was a good way to pick up the prophets mood when he had hit road blocks.

"Cas, what's up man?" in the background he frowned hearing Sam shout. "Dude, shut up you whiny little bitch and stop moving -shit! Sam I'm going to finish this call and then I'm gonna kill you."

"Dean? I can call back later if you like."

"Nah, Sam's just being an ass." There was a strongly worded protest after Dean's words.

"If you are sure. I just wanted to inform you that-"

"You little fucker! You learn that move from Crowley?!"

"Dean? Dean! De-," he sighed running a hand through his hair hearing more arguing from Dean's side of the phone, "Dean!"

"Sorry Cas. Sam bit me!"

Castiel frowned. "Why?"

"Because I'm sitting on him and won't get off."

"Why?"

"Because his skills are rusty from being bed-bound. Dude can't even flip me so he fucking bit my arm!"

"I'll bite you again if you don't get off me."

Castiel shouted trying to get his attention. "Dean!"

"Yeah Cas?"

"I need you to get off Sam and listen to me."

"Hey Cas." Sam greeted. "Thanks...for the thing with Dean."

"Rory told you to take it easy. I cannot imagine Dean arguing with him which means you demanded the sparring practise...I should have let Dean sit on you all night."

"Yeah you should have. I told you Sam, not yet. You're on loudspeaker Cas, what's the word?"

"Kevin has deciphered something from the angel tablet."

When the Winchester's came up to the library Dean's sleeve was down over his arm and Sam was flushed red.

Castiel couldn't help but roll his eyes and shuffled a few papers around before finding Kevin's translation. "To get the angels back into heaven, we need to kill Metatron."

Dean huffed. "Oh, so that's all."

They all stood silently for a few minutes.

He didn't want to be the one to point it out, but they were fast running out of options. "You could do it."

Dean's eyes widened and moved to Sam who looked expectantly back at him.

"Sam, wait here."

Sam scowled, already advancing on Dean. "What? Dean, you aren't leaving me out of this."

"Like hell I'm letting you in. Sam so help me, if you follow me, try to find out what we talked about or try to listen in any way, shape or form, I am going to put a bullet through your leg and have you laid up in bed for so long that you forget to walk. Do you understand me?"

Nostrils flared in anger, Sam nodded his head.

Castiel looked at Dean carefully as he shook his head and said,"Sam I need to hear it."

Tone clipped, Sam responded. "Yes."

"Cas. Outside…now."

Obediently he followed Dean up the stairs and through the door of the bunker. The sun was low casting everything in an orangey haze – it's beautiful, he thought. He allowed Dean to pace a little back and forth, clouds of dust kicking up at his heels before addressing him. "Dean?"

"Man, what are you trying to do?"

He thought it was perfectly clear. "Dean – you may not survive it, if you decide to rip your grace out."

"It isn't my grace!" Dean yelled in frustration.

"Dean, it belongs to you now. You are an angel of the lord."

"No. Damn it! I am not leaving my brother to become some winged asshole that watches the world go by."

"I take offence to that. I haven't just watched." Gabriel looked at them both as he came out from behind a patch of trees.

"You asshole!" Dean started.

"I helped you take down Lucifer and this is the thanks I get. It's been a while Deano. You miss me?"

Dean just looked furious his eyes flashing darkly. "You need to leave now."

Gabriel seemed to take no notice of the threat emanating from the eldest Winchester. "Ooh, I'm so scared. What're you gonna do. Smite me? I'm still rocking the archangel in me – I could snap you out of existence."

Figuring that instigating Dean's rage would be an improper course of action Castiel pleaded with his brother. "Gabriel."

"Cas! My little brother!" He bounded towards him enveloping him in a hug. "Good to see you."

Castiel stood stiffly in the embrace. "What have you done?" he asked as Gabriel released him.

"Cutting straight to business – I've always liked that about you."

"Gabriel!" He tried again.

"It's Michael and Lucifer, Cain and Abel version 2.0. a la Sam and Dean."

Dean's eyes widened. "No! We won that stupid game."

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it. We don't want you to fight. We want you both on the same side. I've been figuring out a way to restructure heaven. Hopefully the family dinners will be bloodless this time around. Dad's gone and until he decides to grace us with his presence we need a new president."

Dean couldn't stay silent any longer. "Let me guess. You want to become president."

"Me?" Gabriel pretended to be shocked. Castiel could already tell that this was something that he wasn't going to like…and if he wasn't going to like it then he had no hesitations about guessing what Dean's feeling on the matter would be. "I think that may be a little too scandalous. We want you."

Dean's face contorted, his face flashing through a myriad of expressions before finally settling on something similar to disbelief. "You're crazy."

"You're an angel. Sam can be an angel. All is happy in the land of Winchester. I'm not seeing an issue? Are you Cas?"

"Sam doesn't know alright. So until I find a way to tell him, we are not moving any chess pieces. I am not agreeing to this." Dean pointed at Gabriel sharply. "Stay away." And walked back into the bunker.

Gabriel watched Dean walk away. "He'll come around."

Castiel just sighed.

_?_?_

"I really hate this."

"Well, you should've told me sooner."

"Fuck! What the hell are you doing?"

"Shut up and stop moving unless you want the calamus to embed further into your skin."

"Calamus?"

"Yes, the part protrudes from the skin, I believe it's the writing part of quills."

The voices were very quiet. No other sounds coming from the room except for a quiet sort of ruffle. "Hey Dean?" He shouldered the door open with a nudge and ducked his head in, mouth dropping open.

No.

He blinked, sure his eyes were playing tricks on him. Castiel stood up and stepped towards him. "Sam-"

No. That thing on the bed was not his brother.

Panic clouding his mind, he reached into the back of jeans and pulled out his gun. "Stay back!"

Dean looked at him, colour leached from his face leaving his freckles prominent. "Sam," he growled. "Put the gun down."

He swung the gun around pointing it at Dean's chest. "What the hell happened to my brother?"

Last time he checked, Dean didn't have wings. Big freaking black and blue wings. Holy shit, Dean had feathers.

"Sam, please." Castiel said trying again to reach out. Distress seeped into his voice. "That's Dean!"

"Sammy, it's me. I swear it."

His hands were shaking. And fuck, his eyes were beginning to burn. He turned the gun back on Castiel. "What the hell did you do, Cas? You needed to fix heaven so bad that you took my fucking brother and mojo-d him up?!"

Castiel stepped towards him again.

"Cas don't!" Dean warned. Sam's finger had slipped, recoil pushing his body back a step. "Shit, Cas!" Dean jumped up.

The ex-angel grunted, palm over his stomach, blood spilling through his fingers. "It's fine." He checked the wound, voice wobbly "It's…a…graze – nothin' more."

"Fucking hell. Sam!" Sam swung the gun around again. Dean's shoulders were tense. Hunched up. Eyes searching, trying to find the best way to disarm him "I'll explain everything. Just let me heal him."

Everything was going wrong. So fucking wrong. Dean was looking at him completely pissed off and Castiel was on his knees blood trailing on the floor. Pale eyes and even paler skin. He needed…answers. "No."

"No? He's going to die on my bedroom floor if you don't let me save him. It's Cas. C'mon he's our friend."

"Explain everything, right now or I'll shoot you too."

"Sam!" He backed himself towards the door, glancing at Charlie who had run through the door.

His instincts told him: Protect. Protect. Protect. "Charlie, it's not Dean – you have to run now. Go!" She didn't move from the door. "Charlie!"

"That's Dean," she said, her voice steady and unafraid.

Sam scrunched his eyebrows not understanding how she could be so calm. "He's…he's…"

"Dean's be touched by an angel. Sam, you have to look at him."

"But-"

"Wanna take over Dean?" she asked. When she saw Castiel she swore. "You shot him?" She moved to him, hand covering the wound. "Dean, hurry up and heal him."

"Wait." Charlie knew…and didn't tell him. Everyone fucking knew.

Dean cast a short look over at him and then knelt besides Castiel. Blue light appeared beneath his fingers. After a moment, he sat back on his haunches, as Castiel gasped loudly, trying to draw in more air. His colour came back.

"Okay. Sam, I'm going to tell you everything, but I need you to put down the gun. Can you do that for me?" Dean stepped towards him. His wing tips just brushing the carpet.

It sounded so much like Dean…

A shot sounded in the room.

AN: Ta-da :) Hope you enjoy it's almost done:)