The Man Who Would Be King Part 1

Castiel was sitting on a park bench. The ground was covered in snow and the sky was cloudy.

"You know, I've…I've been here for a very long time," Castiel said to no one in particular. "And I remember many things. I remember being at a shoreline, watching a little grey fish heave itself up on the beach and an older brother saying, 'Don't step on that fish, Castiel. Big plans for that fish'." He recalled. "I remember the Tower of Babel…All 37 feet of it, which I suppose was impressive at the time. And when it fell, they howled 'divine wrath'. But come on, dried dung can only be stacked so high. I remember Cain and Abel…David and Goliath…Sodom and Gomorrah."

"And, of course, I remember the most remarkable event," Castiel continued. "Remarkable because it never came to pass. It was averted by two boys, a fierce woman, an old drunk, and a fallen angel. The grand story. And we ripped up the ending and the rules…And destiny…leaving nothing but freedom and choice. Which is all well and good, except…Well, what if I've made the wrong choice? How am I supposed to know?" He asked. "Let me tell you my story. Let me tell you everything."

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were in the Impala, driving along a dark road. Suddenly, Castiel appeared in the backseat.

"Hello, Dean. Angela." He greeted. He noticed their sullen faces. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, we're…we're fine, Cas." Angela assured. "How are you?"

"Just wanted to check in," Castiel replied.

"So, uh, any word on Satan Jr. being alive?" Dean asked.

"I'm…looking, believe me," Castiel assured. "I just don't understand how Crowley could have tricked me."

"Well, he's a tricky son of a bitch. That's how." Angela replied. "Doesn't matter."

"But, if he is up and kicking, then what does matter is finding him, ripping his head off, and shoving it up his ass." Dean continued.

"What about you?" Castiel asked. "Have you two found anything?"

"No, nothing yet." Angela sighed.

"Where's Sam?" Castiel asked curiously.

"He's keeping busy," Dean replied. "He's tracking a Djinn in Omaha as we speak. In fact, we're heading out there right now to meet up with him."

Castiel nodded. "Well, I'd come if I could."

"Yeah, no, we—we get it. No worries." Dean replied.

"But, Cas, you'll call right?" Angela asked softly. "If you get into real trouble?"

The two hunters didn't receive an answer. There was a flutter of wings and Castiel was gone.

~/~\~

Crowley was examining Eve's corpse, and he also had a vampire shackled nearby.

"Howdy, partner." Crowley greeted as Castiel walked in.

"What have you found?" Castiel asked.

"I've found a lot of things. For example…Eve's brain? Dead as a tinned kipper. And yet…" Crowley reached inside Eve and pulled out a handful of eggs. "For some reason…She keeps laying eggs. Watch this," he added. Crowley took a poker and placed it on Eve's brain. The vampire seized violently. "Chocula here feels every tickle."

"What is that good for?" Castiel's brows furrowed.

Crowley shrugged. "Apart from the obvious erotic value, you got me."

Castiel sighed, frustrated. "You said Eve could open the door to Purgatory."

"Correct. I did." Crowley nodded. "And I'm confident that she could have if she was still alive! Single best chance to get other the rainbow and your little friends killed her!"

"It was unavoidable." Castiel defended.

"You screwed up, Cas." Crowley scoffed. "You let the hounds mangle the pheasant, and now I am up to my elbows in it."

"What is your point?" Castiel asked.

"The point is…you're distracted, and that makes me nervous."

"I am holding up my end," Castiel assured.

"Ah, yes. But is that all you're holding?" Crowley asked. "See…the stench of that Impala's all over your overcoat, Angel. I thought we'd agreed, no more nights out with them…"

"I spoke with Dean and Angela. I needed to know what they know." Castiel defended.

"About what? About me, maybe?" Crowley's brows raised. "'Cause I happen to have it on good authority that your three little pets are currently trying to hunt me down! Forgive me, but I think you might have a little conflict of interest here."

~/~\~

"Crowley had a point, of course," Castiel said. "My interest was conflicted. I still considered myself the Winchesters' and Angela's guardian. After all…they taught me how to stand up…What to stand for…And what generally happens when you do."

"I was done…" Castiel recalled when Lucifer killed him. "And then the most extraordinary thing happened. I was put back. And we had won. We stopped Armageddon. But at a terrible cost."

~/~\~

Sam stood under the streetlight outside of Lisa's house. He watched Dean and Angela, who were inside the house and Castiel watched Sam.

"And so I knew what I had to do next," Castiel said. "Once again, I went to Harrow Hell, to free Sam from Lucifer's cage. It was nearly impossible, but I was so full of confidence, of mission. I see now that was arrogance…Hubris…Because, of course, I hadn't truly raised Sam—not all of him." Castiel explained. "Sometimes we're lucky enough to be given a warning. This should have been mine."

~/~\~

"Please," Crowley said, bringing Castiel back to reality. "I'm begging you, Castiel. Just kill the Winchesters and Angela."

"No," Castiel replied firmly.

Crowley glared. "Fine. Then I'll do it myself."

"If you kill them, I'll just bring them back again," Castiel argued.

Crowley shook his head. "No, you won't. Not where I'll put 'em. Trust me."

"I said…No. Don't worry about them." Castiel assured.

Crowley scoffed. "Don't worry about—what, like Lucifer, didn't worry? Or Michael and Sophia? Or Lilith, or Alastair, or Azazel didn't worry?! Am I the only game piece on the board who doesn't underestimate those denim-wrapped nightmares?!"

Castiel clenched his jaw. "Just find Purgatory." He commanded. "If you don't, we will both die again and again, until the end of time. The Winchesters and Angela won't get to you." He added before he turned and walked away.

"Let them get to me!" Crowley called after Castiel. "I'll tear their friggin' hearts out!"

~/~\~

A demon named Red was strapped to chair under a devil's trap on Bobby's ceiling.

"I got to tell you, Red…for a filthy, lower-than-snake-spit Hellspawn, you seem to have turned yourself into a damn fine hunter," Bobby commented. "I don't know whether to kill you or kiss you."

"Oh, please, kill me," Red growled.

"That was you that dug-out that nest of vamps back in Swan Valley, wasn't it?" Bobby questioned.

"That was nice work," Sam admitted.

Red smirked. "Eight of 'em in one go, roped and tied."

"And then you brought them to Crowley, right?" Bobby asked.

Red laughed and shook his head. "Read the papers, redneck. The king is dead."

Bobby chuckled and tossed holy water onto Red's neck, causing the demon to groan in pain. "Crowley's alive," Bobby replied. "You prove it just by being, you poor, dumb jackass. Crowley's alive. His nets are out. Except now he's using you schmucks to hunt his monsters."

"Up yours." Red growled.

Bobby turned to Sam and held out his hand. Sam handed Bobby Ruby's knife. Dean and Angela walked into the room and Dean nodded towards Sam. Sam went into the kitchen with them.

~/~\~

"So, what'd you guys tell him?" Sam asked.

"Nothing. Just relax." Dean sighed.

Bobby walked in, his brows furrowed. "What's the hubbub?"

"We saw Cas." Angela replied. "He popped in on us about two hours back."

"What'd you tell him?" Bobby frowned.

"Nothing, alright?" Angela replied, frustrated. "Told him we were on some crap monster hunt. He doesn't know we're getting close to Crowley." She added. After a pause, she sighed deeply. "You know, he's our friend….and we are lying to him through our teeth."

Sam sighed and gently took one of Angela's hands in his. "Angie—

"So he burned the wrong bones!" Angela defended. "So, Crowley tricked him."

"He's an angel." Bobby argued.

Dean scoffed. "He is the Balki Bartokomous of Heaven! He can make a mistake!"

"Nobody's saying nothing yet." Bobby tried to calm Dean down.

"You think that Cas is in with Crowley." Dean scoffed. "Crowley?!"

"Look, I'm just saying I don't know." Bobby said gently. "Now, look, I hate myself for even thinking it. But, I don't know."

Castiel was standing behind the four hunters, invisible.

"Look, guys, he's our friend too, okay?" Sam said. "And I'd die for him. I would, but…look, I'm praying we're wrong here."

"But if we ain't…If there's a snowball of a snowball's chance here…that means we're dealing with a Superman who's gone dark side." Bobby continued. "Which means we've got to be cautious, we got to be smart, and maybe stock up on some Kryptonite."

"This makes you Lois Lane." Dean told Sam.

"Look, one problem at a time here." Bobby added. "We got to find Crowley now, before the damn fool cracks open Purgatory."

"So, they already suspected." Castiel recalled. "And the worst part was Dean and Angela, trying so hard to be loyal, with every instinct telling them otherwise."

"I don't know where Crowley is!" Red cried.

"Are you sure about that?" Bobby asked. "'Cause we can twist again all the way to next Summer." He added as he twisted the knife.

"Oh, God!" Red yelled. "I never even met him! I don't deal with Crowley direct!"

"Well, who do you deal with?" Bobby pressed.

"The dispatcher. A demon named Ellsworth."

~/~\~

"If there was a demon counterpart to Bobby Singer, Ellsworth would be it." Castiel said. "These demons would lead the Winchesters and Angela to Crowley, and Crowley would tear their hearts out."

Castiel suddenly appeared in Ellsworth's house and killed the two demons right in front of the desk.

"Oh, hell." Ellsworth muttered. He attempted to leave his host, but Castiel pushed the black smoke back into the body and killed Ellsworth as well.

"I had no choice." Castiel defended. "I did it to protect them. Or to protect myself. I-I don't know anymore."

~/~\~

Dean and Bobby entered Ellsworth's house through the front door, Sam and Angela met them inside the house.

"Hey. Clear from the back." Angela said.

"Demons get tipped and bugged out?" Dean asked.

"Maybe they run from us now." Sam hoped. "I mean, that would be a nice thought, right?"

"Yeah, if that's what happened." Bobby muttered.

"Yeah." Sam sighed.

"Hiding…Lying…Sweeping away evidence." Castiel explain guiltily. "And my motives used to be so pure. After supposedly saving Sam, I finally returned to Heaven."

~/~\~

"Of course, there isn't one Heaven. Each soul generates its own paradise. I favored the eternal Tuesday afternoon of an autistic man who drowned in a bathtub in 1953."

Castiel turned to see Rachel and a few other angels staring at him in awe.

"You're alive." Rachel said in disbelief.

"Yes." Castiel smiled a small smile.

"Castiel, we saw Lucifer destroy you." Rachel replied.

"Well, I came back." Castiel replied.

Rachel's brows furrowed. "But Lucifer? Michael? Sophia?"

"They're gone." Castiel assured.

Rachel smiled. "It was God, wasn't it?"

Castiel shook his head. "No. It was Angela Morgan and the Winchesters. They brought down the Apocalypse."

"But, you beat the Archangels, Castiel." Rachel replied. "God brought you back. He chose you, Cas…To lead us."

"No. No one leads us anymore." Castiel replied. "We're all free to make our own choices and to choose our own fates."

Rachel frowned in confusion. "What does God want?"

"God wants you to have freedom." Castiel smiled softly.

"But what does he want us to do with it?" Rachel pressed.

"If I knew what I know now…I might have said…It's simple. Freedom is a length of rope. God wants you to hang yourself with it." Castiel explained.

~/~\~

"Those first weeks back in Heaven were surprisingly difficult. Explaining freedom to angels is a bit like teaching poetry to fish. And then there was Raphael…"

Castiel appeared in a nicely decorated room. He turned and saw Raphael sitting on a large chair.

"You came." Raphael said. "I appreciate the courage that takes."

"Whose heaven is this?" Castiel asked as he looked around, noticing a large picture of George W. Bush.

"Ken Lay's." Raphael replied. "I'm borrowing it."

"I still question his admittance here." Castiel muttered.

Raphael shrugged. "He's devout. Trumps everything."

"What do you want?" Castiel asked.

"Tomorrow, I've called for a full assembly of the Holy Host." Raphael replied. "You'll kneel before me and pledge allegiance to the flag, alright?"

"And what flag is that?" Castiel pressed.

"Me, Castiel. Allegiance to me."

Castiel narrowed his eyes. "Are you joking?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Raphael countered.

"You never look like you're joking." Castiel mumbled.

"You rebelled, against God, Heaven, and me." Raphael explained. "Now you will atone. We'll start by freeing Michael, Lucifer, and Sophia from their cage. And then we'll get our show back on the road."

"Raphael…No." Castiel pleaded. "The Apocalypse doesn't have to be fought!"

"Of course it does. It's God's will."

"How can you say that?!" Castiel exclaimed.

"Because it's what I want." Raphael replied with a shrug.

"Well, the other angels won't let you." Castiel replied.

"Are you sure?" Raphael raised a brow. "You know better than anyone, Castiel. They're soldiers. They weren't built for freedom. They were built to follow."

"Then I won't let you." Castiel glared.

"Really? You?" Raphael scoffed, sending Castiel back to the drowned man's heaven.

~/~\~

"I'm not ashamed to say that my big brother knocked me into next week." Castiel sighed.

Raphael stood over Castiel, who had a blood nose. "Tomorrow you kneel, Castiel…Or you and anyone with you dies."

~/~\~

"Hey…the place is clean." Sam shrugged.

"Yeah, but it's…it's like 'Mr. Clean' clean, you know?" Bobby replied. "It's kind of OCD for your average demon."

"Yeah." Sam agreed. "So, what now?"

"We'd call Cas." Angela muttered.

Sam's brows furrowed. "What?"

Angela looked up at Sam, chewing on her lip slightly. "This is usually the point where we would call Cas for help."

Bobby sighed deeply. "We talked about this."

"No, you talked." Dean cut in. "We listened. This is Cas, guys. I mean, when there was no one…And we were stuck, and I mean really stuck, he broke ranks. He has gone to the mat cut and bleeding for us so many freakin' times. This is Cas!" He explained. "Don't we owe him the benefit of the doubt at least?"

Sam sighed and closed his eyes. "Castiel…This is really important, okay? Um…We really need to talk to you."

Dean closed his eyes when there was no response. "Castiel…Come on in."

"But, I didn't go to them…Because I knew they would have questions I couldn't answer…Because I was afraid." Castiel sighed.

"Cas is busy." Angela shrugged.

"That's alright. We are, too." Sam replied, gently taking Angela's had in his. "Come on."

"Back to square one." Bobby muttered.

"Great." Dean scoffed. "Well, what do we do now?"

"Well, we caught one hunter demon before. We can do it again."

Suddenly, a group of demons came bursting through the door.

"Dean!" Sam yelled as Dean was attacked.

The other demons started attacking Sam, Bobby, and Angela as well.

"Crowley says hi." The demon growled as he hovered over Dean.

A/N: Hey guys! I hope you liked this chapter :) This episode gets to me every single time I watch it, it's by far my favorite episode in season 6. In the next chapter, we're really gonna see Dean and Angela lash out at Cas, I can't wait for y'all to read it! I also finished writing the last two chapters for this installment and I've started planning out the next one! The Cure by Lady Gaga is going to be the ultimate Sam/Angie anthem for season seven. I was listening to it earlier and omg it fits them perfectly :') And talk about the season 13 finale am I right?! Let me know what you guys thought of it! Love you guys.

~Emily