Dean looked around the room forlornly. Cas had gone, John was asleep on the couch where Gabriel had deposited him, and Sam was bouncing around on one of the luxurious beds.

'Dean, will we see Cas ever again?' Sam asked him as he took one final bounce and landed in an energetic heap on top of the covers.

'I don't know, Sammy,' replied the elder brother. 'But you heard what Gabriel said, right? No talking about angels or anything that happened with Cas when dad's around.'

'I won't say anything, Dean,' Sam promised before he moved so he could get underneath the soft blankets. 'Did they bring my book?'

Dean went to look through John's bag, mindful of the sharp weapons. 'I don't think they did,' he said sadly.

Sam frowned and made a sad 'aaw'ing noise. 'Now where are you gonna sleep, Dean? Cas isn't here anymore so you can't sleep in his wings.'

'I guess I'll just have to sleep with you again, if dad's going to end up taking the other bed,' Dean replied to his brother as he moved so he too could get underneath the covers.

'Night, Dean,' whispered Sam.

'Night, Sammy.'

'Will you tell me a bedtime story?'

'Not tonight, Sam. I don't have any stories to tell.'

'Okay.'

Up in Heaven, Gabriel pulled Cas to the side before they walked into the Hall of Angels.

'Now, we're gonna have to do a little white lying. We don't mention the Winchesters at all, and say that Abbadon was killed.'

'But she wasn't?'

'I didn't have anything to kill her with, Cas,' the archangel pointed out. 'Also, maybe it'd be best if you didn't see Dean again.'

'Why not?'

'He's Michael's vessel, genius. You can't interfere with him.'

'But I promised I'd look after him.'

Gabriel sighed, hand rising to meet his face in an expression of fatigue. 'Okay. But whatever happens, none of this has anything to do with me from now on.'

'Agreed.'

'Good.' Gabriel turned to the doors. 'Now, let's go and give our siblings the news.'

They opened the doors, extending from their vessels into their true forms. Silence fell as they walked in, and all heads turned their way. Gabriel moved forward to take his place on one of the four thrones at the front of the room, the ones which were set just before a highest seat, in which their father had once sat. Gabriel sat in his own space, flanking Michael's right, next to the vacant chair that had once belonged to Lucifer before he had been cast out. Castiel stood with the other angels in his garrison, and looked up at the archangels.

'What news, Gabriel?' asked Michael.

'Abbadon's gone.'

'Dead?'

'I assume so.'

'And the Winchesters?'

'We had nothing to do with them, Michael. But they were in the area, and seemed oblivious to our presence.'

'And there were no signs that Lucifer was attempting anything?' asked the eldest archangel.

'Nope, nothing. All the seals are intact,' Gabriel informed him.

'This is good news,' Michael said. All the other angels nodded in agreement. 'You are dismissed. Continue in your duties.'

And with that, the angels disbanded. Castiel went to Mary Winchester's private heaven, just to see Dean's mother. He knew he wasn't supposed to, but he didn't talk to her, so essentially, it was all okay.

He wondered when he would next see Dean.