Dean entered the clearing, his head was held high and a mocking smirk tainted his lips. His eyes immediately locked on Castiel who was standing before him, waiting. Dean mused on how vulnerable he looked in his t-shirt and jeans. His face unshaven and his blue eyes wide like a deer that heard a noise in the woods.

"Well, well. You almost let six angels and Sam Winchester die just to keep something that doesn't even belong to you... I would say I'm shocked but you're hardly a stranger to sacrificing others, now are you, Cas?" He circled him tauntingly.

Castiel kept his resolve and his eye contact with Dean. He turned as Dean prowled around him, so as to never have his back to him.

"What? No words of wisdom and comradery?" His black eyes narrowed slightly, his simper increased. "Come on, little angel. Sing for me."

Castiel gritted his teeth and pounced at Dean, the angel blade that had been behind his back out before him. Dean reacted lightning fast, he grabbed Castiel's wrist and twisted his arm a way arms shouldn't go. The crack echoed in the clearing, Castiel screamed and dropped to his knees in front of him. The angel blade dropped on the grass and rolled away. Dean looked down at him dispassionately.

"Really?" He squeezed the broken arm harshly, making Cas shiver in agony. "That's your big plan?" He let go of his arm, grabbing him up his t-shirt and pulling him onto his feet. "I've got to say, I'm really," He punched him, still holding his shirt to keep him on his feet. "Disa-" He punched him again. "-pointed." He drew his arm back further, his knuckles now branded with blood and let him go as he punched him again. Castiel spun, falling limply onto the ground. "An angel blade?" He leaned over him. "I'm a better class of demon than that, Castiel."

Cas spat blood, and pushed himself up slightly with a shaking hand. Dean tutted pitifully and kicked him in the gut hard enough to snap a few rips. Cas cried out again, rolling onto his back. His vision was going black around the edges, but he prayed for his body to stay strong. Breath hurt, but he forced himself to breathe deep and slowly. Dean bobbed down beside him, taking in the scenery around them.

"Where's the blade, Cas?"

Castiel looked at him. "Dean... fight it. This is not you, please... fight it."

Dean rolled his jet eyes and grabbed Castiel's top, which was now stained red, and lifted him onto his knees.

"The blade, Cas. Where?"

"If you're in there... and you can hear me, if the real Dean who cares too much can hear me... you don't have to do this."

Dean punched him again, and didn't stop punching him until his cheek bone and nose felt more like putty than bone. Castiel's eye have vanished amongst the broken flesh and oozing blood.

"The blade... WHERE IS IT?" His eyes smouldered like black fire. The knuckles on the hand holding Cas in place were white.

Castiel through sheer will managed to push past the pain. "You want it? You're going to have to kill me!"

The grip on his shirt loosened slightly.

"Come on, boy. Do it... DO IT!" He bellowed. If there had been any grace in him, it would have been burning.

Dean gritted his teeth, almost roaring as he attacked Cas again with a flurry of punches and kicks. He wasn't sure where the desperation to hurt him came from. He thought it was his need for the blade, but he felt something else gnawing on his soul. He let go of him, now out of breath.

Castiel lay on his side, curled up slightly. His voice was no more than a whisper. "Dean... Please. It's me. We're family... I love you."

Dean froze. The three words shot through him like adrenaline in a dying man. His throat became too tight and he suddenly felt very aware of the injury in his back and the emptiness in his heart. "...what?"

Castiel looked at him through his good eye decrepitly. "I have loved you since before I knew what it was. Every time I had to choose... I always chose you. I will always choose you."

"But... Cas..." The black in his eyes drained away slowly, the green glistening with tears. As the demon inside him fell asleep once more, he was flooded with guilt and pain he never thought he could feel. He dropped to his knees next to him and reached out to him with a trembling hand. He shied away from it involuntary and whimpered slightly. A tear rolled out from Dean's eye as he realised the extent of that he had done. "I'm... I'm poison. Look what I've done to you... I could never forgive myself. I'm hell bound."

"One day, Dean Winchester. One day you'll understand." He extended his hand out to him, taking hold of his jacket tightly and pulling himself up slightly. Dean helped him carefully. "One day you'll know without asking. I'd go anywhere, as long as it's with you."

Dean half laughed, half sobbed. He held him close, trying not to put pressure on anywhere that was injured. Castiel ignored the pain as best he could and clung to Dean, relief washing over him.

"You're my unicorn, Dean." He said against his shoulder.

Dean smiled slightly and held him like drowning man holds a buoyancy aid. "Stop with all these chick flick moments, man. I can't handle it."

"I don't care." He grinned as much as his wounded face would allow. "I love you."

"I love you too, you idiot."

Sam walked into the clearing clapping. Dean shot up, still supporting Castiel slightly.

"Finally! It took nine years and the damn mark of cain, but you too finally got it together." He grinned and looked at his brother proudly. "I'm so happy I could cry."

"Screw you, Sam." Dean scowled at him, not able to hide the blush rising up from his chest.

Hannah walked into the clearing. Her neck was bleeding slightly, but she seemed otherwise unharmed. Crowley was being held by the other two angels. His lip split and his face red with anger. Dean gritted his teeth as he saw the King of Hell. Castiel put a hand on his chest to calm him. Dean looked down at him and then gently helped him to his feet. He turned his attention to Hannah, motioning to Cas pleadingly. She walked over and touched his face, he straightened as he was healed.

"Thank you... Hannah, I'm sorry... It's just... the mark... I'm not trying to make excuses, but-"

She smiled softly, shaking her head. "It's okay, Dean. It's okay."

"Well isn't this just peaches and cream?" Crowley spat sarcastically. "So what now, Dean? You going to kill me?"

Dean looked at him, surprisingly calm. "No. What I'm going to do it much worse." He stalked towards him menacingly. Castiel watched him carefully. "You're going to wish you were dead... in fact, you might try to end your miserable existence yourself. But then you'll just wake up again, and the hell will be agony."

"Actually I find hell quite pleasant." He muttered.

"Cas, I could really use the blade now."

Castiel frowned, "Dean..."

He looked at him, a whisper of a smile on his lips. "I've got this."

Castiel nodded and went into the trees, after a moment he came back with the blade. He stood beside Dean and held it out to him. The bearer of the mark looked at the stained animal jaw that had both saved and destroyed him. He looked at that weapon and felt nothing put hatred towards it, and then he knew. He knew he was no longer worthy. He took the blade, the mark glowed on contact like it always did. He stood before Crowley, looking down at him. The demon swallowed. The familiar trickle of fear take hold of his body and he became rigid.

"Dean, come on! I never made you do anything. I just spoke to you."

"Yeah... I know." He lifted his knee slightly, holding the handle of the blade and the end and he brought it down against his thigh. The blade snapped in two. "But words have more power than you think, Fergus." He nodded to one of the angels and they held out Crowley's arm and rolled up his sleeve.

Crowley started to struggle. "Aw, come on! Are you serious?! Dean! Please!"

Dean took hold of his arm.

"I'm sorry!" he met his eyes. They held genuine honesty and dread in them.

"Sorry isn't good enough," He smirked. "Bitch."

The veins on Dean's arm glowed red as the mark slowly started to melt away from his skin and into Crowley. He felt all the rage, all the desire to destroy and devastate, all the grudges he couldn't let go drain out of him. Emotions he didn't even know he was capable of feeling anymore filled the gaps they left. Once the mark was gone, Dean let him go and stepped away. He threw one half of the blade to Sam.

"Take it. Lock it away somewhere, throw it on a dump, burn it, do whatever. Just make sure neither me or the dick of the Hell will ever find it."

Crowley winced and lifted his head. His eyes blazed black with shots of the red of the mark in them. He shrugged out of the grips of the angels, sending them flying away. Dean turned in shock and then stopped dead as pain filled his belly. He dropped his head down, looking at the half of the first blade sticking out of his torso. Crowley grinned.

"Now what, righteous man? You're human..." He twisted the blade then let go.

Dean shuddered and then started to fall. It felt like the world was suddenly moving in slow motion. Crowley turned and bolted into the trees, the three angels running after him. Castiel and Sam sprinted to Dean and he felt hands catch him and guide him down. He heard voices, but they were muffled and he couldn't make out the words. He turned his head, looking at Castiel. Though he wasn't, he looked like an angel with the morning light behind him. His deep blue eyes huge and glimmering with tears. Dean wanted to wipe the tear from his cheek, but his body wasn't responding to him. Then suddenly, like someone pressing play, everything was too bright and too fast. He was in pain. He felt heavy and light at the same time. He could hear what they were saying now.

"Dean, come on, hold on." It was Sam's voice. "You're going to be okay. You've had worse..."

"Remind me?" He managed feebly.

Castiel was smoothing his hair and looking down at him.

"Cas... I'm... okay." Darkness was clawing it's way across the corners of his sight. "I'm..."

Dean went limb, Castiel clutched him despairingly. He turned his head to the trees, shouting until his voice was raw.

"HANNAH!"