Chapter 19 – Happily Ever After

Gabriel burst into the room just as the couple broke apart.

"Hey, have you seen Sam?" He directed the question at Cas.

The pirate frowned, both at his words and from the blood leaking from beneath the swordsman's hand. "I thought he was with you."

The swordsman shook his head. "No."

"Well, in that case – ah!" Castiel tried to take a step forward but his feet began to slip from underneath him. He made a quick grab at the armrest of the chair.

"Help him." Gabriel told Dean, who had moved to support him the moment he started slipping.

"Why? What's wrong?" The hunter quickly looked his over, but he couldn't see any signs of injuries. Then again, he had apparently been dead for a while.

"Because he doesn't have any strength." Gabriel explained, moving further into the room.

"Ha!" Michael said triumphantly. "I knew it! I knew you were bluffing! I knew…" He trailed off as Gabriel leveled his sword at his throat.

"Shall I dispose of them?" The swordsman looked over at the couple.

Dean opened his mouth to give a great, hearty yes, but Cas shook his head. "No," he vocalized. "Whatever happens to us, I think they deserve long lives for this to haunt them. Besides, as much as I want to, their deaths would throw the kingdom into anarchy and even more people would die."

Gabriel gave a nod of acknowledgement and sheathed his sword. Dean sighed but reluctantly agreed. "Now, how about we escape this joint?" The hunter asked a bit jokingly.

Before anyone could propose how to do that, a voice called from the open window. "Gabriel! Hey, Gabriel! Where are you?"

The entire group headed over to the window and peered out. Sam stood in the courtyard below, holding the reins to Impala and several other horses. The new horses looked unsettled though and kept trying to get away from him.

"There you are." Sam grinned up at them and gave them a small wave. "Hey, I found the stables, and I thought, 'Horses! The perfect getaway vessel.' I figured we'd need them if we found Dean. Hey!" He waved at the hunter who gave a surprised wave back. He continued his story. "So I went in and rustled up some horses because I didn't know how many we'd need. Though they don't seem to like me much." He admitted this last part as one of them tried to bite him.

Gabriel laughed. "Nice job, Sam!" He gave him a thumbs-up and grin. The giant returned the smile.

Castiel was looking at the horses contemplatively. "Catch me." He ordered, before he fell out the window.

The group at the top yelped, as they were startled by his actions. Cas's trench coat billowed out around him as he fell, almost looking like wings. Still, the others had no reason to worry as Sam easily caught him and set him on the ground. The pirate wavered on his feet for a second before he held out his hands towards the horses. They sniffed at him as he gazed right back, and within moments, they were practically nuzzling him, even Impala.

"Huh, they certainly like you." Sam was a bit miffed at the adoration Cas was drawing from them.

"It's a gift." Dean told him to try to make the giant feel better.

"They've agreed to take us out of here." Castiel told Sam. The giant looked confused for a moment as to how a horse could have told him anything, but he shrugged it off and accepted it.

Meanwhile, Dean turned towards the maid who had been the only one in the castle to ever help him. "Charlie, come with us." He urged.

Charlie thought about it a moment before shrugging. "Well, it's not like I could continue working here." She replied, and the two men helped her to the window's edge before she jumped into Sam's waiting arms.

Gabriel quickly followed her down, leaving only Dean. As he prepared for his own jump, a small voice stopped him.

"Why?" Anna asked him, and as he turned he was surprised to see tears in her eyes. "Why him? I have money, power, great looks. What does he have that I don't?"

Dean gave her a long look. "It's not something that can really be explained in words." He told her. "Though next time, I suggest being honest with the guy about your intentions." With those final words, he leapt down to his friends below.

As they mounted their horses, Gabriel couldn't help sighing.

"What's the matter?" Castiel asked him in concern.

"Well," he said, "this is all so strange. I've been in the revenge business for so long that I hardly know what to do next."

Cas tilted his head as he looked at him. "Have you ever considered piracy?" He laid a hand on the other man's shoulder as Gabriel shook his head. "Because I think you would make an excellent Avenging Angel."

The swordsman nodded thoughtfully.

The team rode off out of the castle and into the countryside. They rode to freedom, each of them feeling a lot lighter than they had before storming the castle. And as dawn arose, Castiel, Dean, and their companions knew they were safe.

A wave of love swept over the couple as the horses slowed to a stop and they gazed into each other's eyes. And as they reached for each other, they had never felt happier.

Jimmy shut the book.

Claire blinked. "That's it?" She couldn't believe it.

"Well, it's kissing again, and if your previous reactions have told me anything, you can't handle it." He moved to leave the room, hiding a small smirk.

"Wait! I can handle it!" She called out, gesturing for him to sit again. "C'mon. Stop messing with me."

"Okay." Jimmy sat down and opened to the last page. He didn't bother hiding his smirk anymore.

Since the invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind.

And Dean and Castiel knew that they would never be apart again. For they had true love, and not even Death could stop them.

"The end." Jimmy shut the book for real this time. He glanced at the clock. "And I think you should be going to bed. After all, rest is best for someone who's sick."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have kept me up so late by reading." Claire retorted, but settled under her covers regardless.

"Would you have let me?"

"Nope." She grinned.

"Okay." He smiled back. Jimmy leaned in and kissed her forehead gently. "Good night, Claire-Bear."

"Yeah, yeah." She rolled her eyes, but as her dad went to leave she stopped him. "Uh," he looked over at her, "do you think you could read that aloud to me some other time? It was pretty cool."

Jimmy's eyes crinkled as his smile widened. "As you wish."

He turned off the light and left.

AN: But is it really the end...