"What are you going to do now?" Dean asked, walking down one of the deep tire tracks in the snowy road, side by side with Cas.
"I think it's time I returned to heaven to face the repercussions of my actions. I've been hiding for too long."
"Well don't take any crap, you've been hard enough on yourself as it is." Cas didn't really believe him. He had gone mad, drunk on power and massacred thousands of angels. There was no excuse for that, and he had to be punished for it. Cas noticed the snow at his feet grow brighter and heard the slow crunch of a car creeping carefully across the snowy road. He moved towards the snow-blanketed sidewalk and felt Dean's hand on his back, guiding him away from the approaching vehicle. It was harder walking through the six inches of white powder on the sidewalk that had begun to freeze in the cold night air, but together they trudged on towards their motel.
"Will you come back?" Dean asked suddenly and quietly. Cas turned to look at him and was surprised to see genuine worry in usually guarded expression.
"Of course," he said. "Unless I'm incarcerated or executed for my crimes."
"Dude!"
"Sorry. But it's a possibility."
"Well, if they throw you in angel jail I'll come visit you when I die."
"Thank you," Cas said. "I hope you'll be very old."
"That's not likely," Dean said, with a dry laugh.
They were just a few blocks from the motel when they turned a corner and were stopped in their tracks by four people blocking the road.
"Excuse me," Cas said, walking forward and expecting them to move out of the way, but they stood perfectly still.
"It's been a while, brother," one of them said, and Cas recognised him, although the voice and vessel were unfamiliar.
"Adriel?" Instead of replying, Adriel gestured to another angel, who Cas recognised as Daniel. He walked forward and before Dean or Cas realised what was happening, he had reached out two fingers and pressed them to Dean's forehead, and they both vanished.
"Where did you take him?" Cas said. "Bring him back immediately."
"We don't take orders from a genocidal lunatic," Adriel said. Cas looked to the other angels.
"Sophie? Nathaniel?" They nodded stiffly. "What are you doing? Where is Dean?"
"This isn't about the human," Adriel said. "This is about revenge." Cas immediately dropped the angel blade from his sleeve and in to his hand. Adriel tutted. "Now, now, Castiel. Do you really want more blood on your hands?"
As if on command, Sophie suddenly lunged forward, her own angel blade grasped tightly. Cas ducked backwards and the blade missed him by inches. Adriel swung at him next but Cas was faster, hitting Adriel across the face and thrusting the angel blade at his stomach, but he dodged swiftly and swiped at Cas's chest. The blade ripped through his coat, only just missing his skin. Nathaniel appeared suddenly behind him, his knife to Cas's throat, but Cas threw his head back, striking Nathaniel squarely in the forehead, making him stumble backwards.
"I don't want to hurt any of you," Cas implored, holding up his hands, but no one paid any heed.
When he looked around he saw that Adriel was gone, and before he could locate him, Sophie lunged for him once more, a glint of madness in the blue eyes of her vessel. Nathaniel had clambered back to his feet, joining Sophie and backing Cas in to a corner.
He felt someone grip him by the shoulder. Adriel. He whipped around and thrust his blade upwards, feeling every tiny movement as he punctured clothes, skin, muscle, organs, scraped bone. Clutching his attacker by the jacket he looked in to his face, but the person looking back at him, mouth open, eyes wide with shock and pain, was Dean. Dean's knees gave way and Cas only just managed to stop him hitting the snowy ground.
"Oh my God. Dean." Dean's chest was rising and falling fitfully, but no air was passing his lips. He stared at Cas, fear shining in his eyes.
He moved his lips as though he was trying to speak, his hand finding Cas's coat and clinging on tightly.
Cas was paralysed as he looked in horror at what he had done. The knowledge that he could heal Dean was little consolation when he saw how much pain he was in. He grasped the angel blade and pulled it from Dean's chest and blood poured from the wound like he had removed a cork from a bottle, soaking in to the pure white snow. Cas reached out a hand but before he could touch Dean, he was suddenly dragged backwards by several pairs of hands. The three angels pulled him away and restrained him as he fought to get back to Dean.
"An eye for an eye, brother," Adriel growled in to his ear. "We watched you slaughter thousands of our siblings, so now you will watch your companion die."
"No!" Cas yelled, struggling hopelessly against them. "Dean!" Dean's fingers were scraping frantically at the ground, his back arching in agony as he choked on his own blood. Cas was screaming at the angels to show some mercy, screaming for Dean, and then he was just screaming, wrestling in vain to be free of his captors. And then Dean fell still.
"Dean!" Cas roared, and in a sudden and uncontrollable rage, he turned on them, ripping his arms free. He struck Nathaniel hard across the face and he flew backwards, slamming in to a dumpster with a sickening thud. Then, turning on Adriel, Cas grabbed him by the throat, throwing him against the brick wall, pressing on his windpipe until his eyes began to roll back in his head. Sophie ran towards him and still with one arm on Adriel's throat, Cas plunged the blade in to his chest, using the resulting flash of blinding white light to overpower Sophie and finish her too. She hadn't even hit the ground before Cas was running to Dean's side. He fell to his knees beside him. His eyes were still open, dull and glassy, staring blankly up at the clear night sky. Cas placed his hand on Dean's chest, willing him back to life.
"Dean," he said, pressing his hand over Dean's heart, focussing all of his remaining energy on healing him, but something was wrong. "Please, Dean. Please don't leave me." Dean remained completely still. An empty vessel. Cas placed his trembling hands on Dean's face, only then realising that they were covered in cool blood. "Dean," Cas pleaded, "Come back to me."
Almost a minute went by, where Cas could do nothing but kneel by Dean's side, silent tears pouring down his cheeks. And then he heard it. The faintest beat of a heart struggling back to life. Cas pulled back Dean's shirt and saw the knife wound slowly begin to close. And then all at once, with a huge gasp, Dean was back. He sat up immediately, panting and staring around frantically. Then his eyes landed on Cas and he seemed to remember what had happened.
"What the hell, man!" he said.
"I'm so sorry," Cas said. But Dean smiled, still trying to catch his breath.
"Hey, no harm, no foul angelface." But despite his casual words, he pulled Cas in to an embrace and clung tightly to him, and Cas knew that Dean had been as scared as he was.
"I never meant to hurt you," Cas said.
"I know that."
"I love you."
"I know that too." Dean finally let go of Cas and they helped each other to their feet. They stood face to face in the dark. "Don't go back to heaven," Dean said. "Stay with me."
Cas stared at him for a moment, a small frown forming on his brow, his head tilting slightly to the side. He was still no expert on social etiquette or emotions, and maybe it was just wishful thinking but he thought that there was the promise of something behind Dean's words.
"I deserve to be punished, Dean."
"No, you don't. You deserve to be happy. We both do." There it was again, those words that seemed to be laden with extra meaning. Cas reached out and placed a hand on Dean's face, feeling the rough stubble under his palm. Dean smiled softly and Cas realised that his suspicions had been correct. Without any further thought, Cas kissed him and was relieved to find Dean kissing him back. In stark contrast to his skin, Dean's lips were soft and warm and Cas had the strangest sensation that this was exactly where he was supposed to be. Dean's hands were on his face now, and he kept them there even when they broke the kiss.
"Well that's new," Dean said breathily. Cas smiled. "I don't ever want to lose you," he added.
"Neither do I."
"Then quit stabbing me." Cas laughed and tried to look guiltily down at his shoes, but Dean's hands kept him looking squarely in to those green eyes. "God damn it Cas. I love you."