Castiel looked down into the empty six foot hole at his feet. He sighed, his grip on the top of the shovel tightening as he thought about what he was burying. He thought back to the pain and the misery, the peace and the war, the hope and the desperation. He was burying what both ruined his life, and brought him his hearts desire. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder and tore his eyes away from the pit and to the wonky smile of Dean Winchester. Dean stepped beside him and dropped his half of the blade into it. Sam had taken the other half with him after Hannah had healed Dean and they'd parted ways. He poured salt and lighter fluid over the old bone and then lit a match. He was holding his breath as he let go of it and as it fell he felt the last string holding him to it snap. Fire billowed out of the hole. As the heat rushed over him, he felt like a phoenix rising from the ashes. His soul was light when he thought of the life waiting for him. A simple life of fixing cars and teaching kids, a simple life with Castiel.
"And Crowley?" He said quietly, unable to take his eyes of the cracking and burning blade at his feet.
"Otto caught up with him, Hannah is taking him Heaven to have him imprisoned there." Castiel replied as he watched it slowly turn to ash.
"Good." He looked away finally and brought his attention to Castiel. "So it's over then?"
Castiel met his gaze. "Yes. It's over."
They waited until the fire died and then filled in the pit and covered the spot with dead leaves and other forest debris. Dean let himself breath at last, relief running through him. He was free.
"Home?" He asked the man he loved.
Cas nodded, smiling slightly. "Home."
As they walked away Castiel glanced at Dean and then slowly slipped his hand into his. After a moment, Dean held his hand and they walked back to the waiting Impala, a faint smile turned the corner of his lips.
Crowley walked down the narrow corridor of Heaven's lock up. Most the cells were empty, and if anyone was in one they usually were curled up in the corner muttering to themselves or pacing or carving things into the wall with bleeding fingers. Crowley raised an eyebrow.
"Is this a prison or the looney bin?"
Two angels walked behind him with a hand each on his shoulders. His hands were joined with cuffs that had devil traps etched into them. For some reason, they worked. There was something about this prison that made him feel weaker, he felt that even without the cuffs he wouldn't be able to teleport or smoke out. They opened the cell next to him and walked in. They sat him down and then walked out and locked him inside. He sighed heavily as he looked around his grey walled home.
"Not even a magazine to read..." He muttered.
"Tell me about it." A voice said from the cell next to him. "What I wouldn't give for a book."
Crowley leant against the wall. "What you in for?"
"Oh, you know... trying to SAVE HEAVEN!" His cellmate shouted down the hall, everyone ignored him. He sighed. "What about you?"
"Killed Dean Winchester."
There was a low chuckled from the cell next to him. "I bet that worked as well as it did when I killed him."
Crowley frowned slightly. "Metatron?"
"Crowley." Metatron smirked. "It's good to meet you finally. I'm a real fan of your work."