"Lucifer's cage is gone?" Castiel asks in alarm. Dean nods.
"Yep. Gone like the friggin' wind." Dean slings an arm around Cas, leaning against the impala, hex bags made so they won't be followed.
"And Balthazar-"
"Also gone, along with his-"
"Demon." Castiel still finds it unnerving, that his brother would choose to mate with a Demon.
"Don't think too much of it, Cas." God, Dean is one lucky man. He couldn't quite believe, for the first few days, that Cas is his. And thank Cas's dad for it, too.
"Of course." Castiel nods. "We should look for Sam. Balthazar cannot return to Heaven, but I can still go and check."
"You sure?" Dean asks. It's not that he does not trust Cas. Hell, he'll jump right back onto the racks of Hell again if that means Cas is safe and happy.
"Yes, Dean. I am sure." Castiel leans up, kissing Dean full on the lips, falling into his embrace. Castiel marvels at his luck, really. God has gifted him with Dean in his life, and Castiel will not lose him, and Castiel may not be worthy but he will make himself worthy. And he will go back to Heaven, and seek out Sam Winchester- because they were friends. Because he is Dean's brother and Castiel will do everything to make sure Dean is happy.
"Cas- just- make sure you're okay, kay? Get your ass down here at the first sign of trouble. I- can't lose you too." Dean tells him, gripping Castiel's shoulders so tight that it would have hurt had he been a human.
"Of course." Castiel nods, looking up to the sky before flying back to his home.
He never made it to Heaven. When it hit him, Michael could not breath- he was at the gates of Heaven, just outside before any lesser Angels could notice him when the shockwaves of Lucifer's death hits him. The sheer emptiness inside his chest explodes. Michael is alone. Utterly and completely alone. He is the last Archangel in existence. Lucifer is dead. Raphael has left. Gabriel is dead. Even his mate is dead. He dives from Heaven in his grief, not wishing to be pulled back, to see his younger sibling's surely ecstatic graces. Not when he is so alone. He very nearly slams into Castiel.
"Michael?" Castiel reels back- If Michael is here, then that means Lucifer is out- is Lucifer still in Sam? Has the Apocalypse begun again? Did everything that happened, every sacrifice that Dean and Sam and Castiel made mean nothing now-
"Castiel- brother-" Michael grabs onto the younger Angel. "Please-" He shows Castiel what happened. The Cage. Lucifer uniting with Sam and tearing the Cage apart. Sam casting Lucifer out. Him falling in love with Adam. Him burning Adam out. Purgatory. Lucifer and Sam becoming mates. The creatures taking control of his body. Lucifer dying. He shows Castiel everything-
Michael just needs someone, anyone to share this with- or else he will tear himself apart in seconds, and he cannot have that- because something in him still holds out for the hope that his father is still there, still listening.
"Oh." Castiel breathes, wide eyed as Michael flies off. He follows his bright, burning elder brother, his thoughts reeling. Sam and Lucifer are mates- Michael and Lucifer no longer at war- Michael's doubts. It was overwhelming but at the same time Castiel remained detached. These were Michael's memories- Michael may be sharing them with Castiel to make him understand but all that loss belongs to Michael and no one else.
"I came back, Sam." Adam shakes Sam's shoulders, the older man pale and shaking from not eating, not sleeping. Lucifer remains lifeless in his arms. "He can come back, too." He begs his half-brother. They may not have spent much time together, but they were in the Cage with each other. That kind of thing sticks.
"They wouldn't let him." Sam whispers, eyes wide and sunken.
"Sam-" "Shut up!" Sam yells and Adam flinches. "You don't understand- you can't understand-"
"You're right." Adam nods, keeping his distance, but keeping close. "I can't understand. But I'll be here, if you need anything-"
Michael bursts into the room, taking a young man with tanned skin and dark hair as a vessel.
"Adam?" He stares, mouth dry. Adam is burnt out- he felt it and yet he is here now and Michael just stares.
"Michael-" Castiel bursts into the room. Sam with Lucifer, huddled in the corner of the small cabin, still hidden from his sight with the sigils on his ribs. Michael and Adam Milligan, staring at each other like they were miracles.
"Adam- how are you still-" Michael swallows, gripping Adam's shoulders. Too afraid to let go.
"I was in Heaven-"
"But how- I burned your soul-"
"I don't know- but I'm back now-"
"Get out." Sam glares at them all, voice calm and frosty. "Get out!" "
Sam- Dean is looking for you-" Castiel speaks up.
"What does Dean know?" Sam asks, leaving Lucifer and walking to Castiel, gripping him by the collar of his coat. "What the Hell does Dean know?" Castiel contemplated about leaving Sam here with Michael and Adam. But he knows that he will not be able to find him again. He was friends with Sam, once. He needs to bring him back to Dean.
"My apologies, Sam." He tells the younger Winchester, grabbing onto his room and dragging him to Dean.
Sam and Dean deteriorated into a screaming match not long after.
"What the Hell do you mean? You fucking hooked up with Lucifer?!" Dean shouts from across the motel room Castiel transported them to.
"I didn't just 'hook up' with him, Dean! Besides-" Sam seethes. "You 'hooked up' with Cas-"
"That's different!" Dean makes a swing at Sam. "Don't you talk about Cas like that!"
"Dean! Sam!" Castiel flings the two of them onto the wall of the room, pinning them down with his powers. They seem to forget that he is still an Angel of the Lord, and infinitely powerful.
"Dean- Sam and Lucifer- they are mates. Even if you do not approve." He looks to Sam. "And Dean and I are mates- the pain of losing a mate is painful, but-" He sucks in a breathe. "You are brothers. You just found each other again. Do not lose each other."
He flies away, leaving them to sort out their problems. Yes, Castiel is Dean's mate, and Sam's friend. But he cannot interfere in their affairs. It is not right, and they would not want him to do so. He flies away, checking on Michael and Adam Milligan. The Archangel and the human are still embracing each other.
Castiel leaves, waiting outside by the impala. He can get used to this life, spent with Dean.
Sam and Dean glares at each other, breathing hard. Then, without warning, they stride towards each other, grinning and hugging.
"It's good to see you, man." Dean says.
"Yeah." Sam nods. It is good, to see Dean again.
"So you and Lucifer-"
"He's gone." Sam whispers, and Dean could understand. Maybe he cannot accept it yet, but he did understand.
"Hey, Sammy- we always come back, don't we?"
"Yeah." Sam nods. He lost his lover, but his brother is back. And what Dean said is true. They always end up coming back. There is always a way. He just have to hold out, and hope.