Hola! I have updated! Now begins the next eternity before I update again :P I am sorry to have slowed down so much, I'm just busy and not as crazy inspired to write as I was a little while ago. I'll get there, thank you all for your continuing patience. Thanks also to the many guest reviewers I've had who I couldn't directly reply to! Your kind words and enthusiasm are invaluable to me.

I guess y'all were gearing up for a big dramatic reunion between Cas and Dean but like, come on, Sam is going to come first in this situation. I'm just trying to keep it real! Cuteness and fluff is coming up, I'll make sure of it.

I believe a new ep has just come out? I'm feeling pretty meh about the show right now but it's going pretty well I guess. I'll catch up with it soon. Hope you guys are all enjoying it! xxx

By the time we get to the bunker, I'm nervous enough that even Hannah has picked up on it, despite her limited understanding of body language. She stares at me from the corner of my eye as I pull the Impala over a good fifty feet from the bunker entrance, palms sweaty on the steering wheel and jaw clenching involuntarily.

"Castiel," she says slowly, dubiously. "You seem… tense."

I snort, turning off the engine and yanking out the keys a little more aggressively than necessary. "Do I?"

I glance over to see her nodding seriously. I sigh and shrug. "It's alright, Hannah. It's just that this could be disastrous if it goes wrong. Whoever Ezekiel really is, we don't know what he's capable of."

Hannah's mouth twists and she looks away through the windscreen, eyes troubled. "True. Before the fall, nearly all angels free to walk on Earth were trustworthy and sound beings. Now, all of Heaven is down here. The good and the bad. Many angels of ill repute are now free in human hosts-"

I tune out as she continues her melancholy speech, pulling my phone from my pocket to text Dean.

We have arrived. Waiting outside. What do you want us to do?

Dean's reply is swift.

OK wait there, I'm sending Kevin out. Don't want him caught up

I'm about to send back a confirmation when Hannah says something that instantly catches my attention. I whip my gaze back up to her, alert. "What?"

She pauses, blinking at me. "What is it?"

"What were you saying? Just now, right then."

"I was speaking of the angels who were imprisoned in Heaven and are now free on Earth. In fact, this Ezekiel impostor could well be one."

"Of course," I breathe. "Of course, the prisoners in Heaven. They fell too."

Hannah nods. "Yes. All in Heaven fell. Including known criminals like-"

"Gadreel."

Hannah frowns at me. "Gadreel is one, yes."

My mind is racing. I can't believe that this never occurred to me before. Ezekiel, as he calls himself, so defensive of Gadreel when Kevin referred to him, so affected by his story. I surmised that there must be some sort of link and Dean guessed at a hero worship sort of situation. And there is a link, but it's not hero worship. The link between the angel inhabiting Sam and Gadreel is so obvious now.

The angel inhabiting Sam… is Gadreel.

"It's Gadreel," I say excitedly, sitting up straight. "Ezekiel, he's Gadreel!"

Hannah tilts her head and then nods. "Alright."

Even as I'm fumbling for my phone to text Dean this new information, Hannah touches my arm and I look up to see her gazing towards the bunker entrance. I glance that way to see Kevin emerging, walking briskly towards us through the gathering dusk. I get out of the car and Hannah does too; Kevin is staring at her suspiciously as he draws near.

"Hi," he says doubtfully to her. She inclines her head silently. He eyes her for a moment more before turning to me and actually smiling, stepping forward to clap my arm. "Castiel! Good to have you back, man. That was a pretty dramatic exercise you and Dean pulled yesterday morning."

I smile at him but I can't quite believe that it's only been one night. "It was. I apologise for deceiving you. You understand the situation now?"

He nods solemnly. "Sam's a holy meatsuit."

I grimace but concede. "Well, yes. Oh, Kevin, this is Hannah. She has agreed to help us, to take the place of the angel inside Sam once we eject him."

I gesture at the still, watchful angel on the other side of the Impala and Kevin looks across at her with keen interest.

"It's good to meet you, Hannah," he says, more relaxed now. He hesitates before repeating the greeting in a heavily accented approximation of Enochian and I smile at Hannah in amusement, quickly rearranging my expression when Kevin glances nervously at me. Hannah looks mildly surprised, which is an animated expression for her. Kevin shrugs and stares at his feet. There's a moment of quiet, quickly broken my my exclamation as I dig for my phone again.

"I forgot! I need to tell Dean that Ezekiel is really Gadreel."

Kevin blinks at me in astonishment. "Ezekiel is really Gadreel?"

I nod distractedly as I quickly type out a text notifying Dean. "I think so. It was your conversation with Sam - not Sam, of course, as I'm sure you now realise - that alerted me to the link between 'Ezekiel' and Gadreel. I should have figured it out then. He is Gadreel. Of course, this doesn't change much, but it could be useful."

Dean responds just as swiftly as before. Shit u might be right. OK I'm bout 2 walk down 2 the basement now with Sam. Come in in 2 mins and go straight there.

Taking a deep breath, I send back an agreement and then shove my phone into my pocket. I check my angel blade and hand Kevin the Impala keys, reminding him to be ready to act as getaway driver if things go wrong. He scowls and opens his mouth, predictably about to argue. I cut across him brusquely.

"We don't have time for heroics, Kevin. There is a plan in place. Please do your part." His shoulders slump and I soften my tone, touching his arm lightly. "It will be easier to get this done knowing that you're safe. I promised that we would protect you. Let me keep that promise."

Kevin nods slowly, looking unhappy but resigned. He takes the keys and slides into the Impala. I turn to Hannah, who is looking tense and alert. "Castiel, it's probably time to go in. You should lead the way."

I nod and set off, casting one last backwards glance at a worried-looking Kevin. Hannah is almost silent at my elbow, her footsteps light and quiet even on the rough gravel of the laneway. The last faded neons of sunset streak the western horizon as we reach the bunker door and I take a steadying breath as I pull out my key and unlock it. We step inside.

It's odd how comforting it is to be back in the bunker, considering what we're about to attempt within the familiar space. My nerves recede somewhat as Hannah and I jog down the steps into what I've begun to think of as my home. They quickly pick up again as we walk briskly towards the room that conceals the dungeon. The door is open. I clench my fists, swallow down my fear and round the corner with Hannah at my side.

The shelves are pushed aside, revealing the dungeon. In the middle of the devil's trap - which is currently lit on fire with the distinctive scent of holy oil filling the air - stands Sam.

Then he turns to look at me, and I can see that it's not Sam.

"Castiel," hisses the angel who is not Ezekiel, eyes furious and shoulders hunched. I stride forward.

"Gadreel," I greet coolly. He flinches, looking shocked.

"Yeah, I didn't tell him we know that part yet."

I spin to see Dean standing off to the side, sleeves rolled up and blood dripping from a slice in his palm. My breath catches with relief at seeing him again and I want to go to him, but now is not the time for reunions. Dean gazes steadily into my eyes, still and focused. He radiates determination. As I stare at him, he gives me the smallest of smiles and I feel my confidence in the situation rise up a notch. I incline my head at him and then turn back to face Gadreel, who is glaring at Hannah.

"You should not be helping these humans, sister," he hisses at her. She blinks impassively.

"No, actually, I 'should not be' taking advice from an angel who is best known in Heaven for complete and total failure," she says with the barest hint of derision. I raise my eyebrows, surprised and impressed. I didn't think that Hannah had that sort of edge to her. Gadreel steps forward, snarling, but holds himself back from touching the edge of the holy fire. He looks livid. Hannah eyes him and then continues. "Besides, Castiel may be human but he was an angel, and I believe he will be again. His mistakes do not cancel out what he has achieved and might still do for our kind. Gadreel, you have been found out in your deception. Whatever you may have been planning is foiled. Use this as an opportunity. Join me in following Castiel and taking revenge upon Metatron, who destroyed Heaven. Whatever he offered you is not worth it. Your name is sullied and has been for too long. Do not shame yourself further by collaborating with the enemy who betrayed us all."

I shift uncomfortably during Hannah's speech and very carefully do not look at Dean. I was hoping that he wouldn't immediately discover the strange position of leadership I've found myself in. It's oddly embarrassing. I focus on Gadreel, who is shaking his head angrily.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, sister. Why should I feel loyalty to Heaven? I barely recall the time before I was a prisoner. All I have known from my fellow angels for far too long is scorn and blame. The fall was not betrayal for me. It was freedom. You name Metatron as your enemy, but though his actions were extreme, he at least wants to create real change and lead our kind to a better life. You speak of following Castiel, but he is weak. He is nothing but a whore for this human, he has debased himself-"

"Hey, how about you shut the fuck up?" Dean says loudly, stepping forward. I feel sick. I'm not ashamed of my relationship with Dean, but hearing Gadreel's disgusted response to it feels like a physical blow. I look down at my feet, take a deep breath, tell myself to focus on the plan. But Gadreel isn't finished.

"Who are you to speak to an angel of the Lord in such a way, Dean Winchester? Just because Castiel forgot the order of the world and submitted himself to you, you think you hold power over me? I am a true angel-"

"Yeah, actually," Dean interrupts sharply. I glance up at him. He's beautiful in the light from the holy fire, fierce-eyed and strong. In that moment, he looks more like an angel than Gadreel does. "I do hold power over you. Check it out."

With that, he raises his bloody hand and slams it into the wall beside him, shooting me an urgent look. I push past Hannah and run to the opposite side of the dungeon, dragging my angel blade across my palm as I go. The sting is barely there as I press it to the very centre of the wall and lift my voice to echo Dean's as he begins chanting in Enochian, my accent smooth and natural alongside his rough pronunciation. Adrenaline pumps through me and lends strength to my words. Slowly, the symbols daubed in holy oil begin to glow, starting from around our hands and spreading across the dungeon walls. Within twenty seconds a complex pattern is shining from floor to ceiling on either side of Gadreel, who has dropped to his knees and is shaking his head, groaning.

Hannah backs out of the room, out of reach of the powerful spell designed to force angels out of their hosts. Across the holy fire and Gadreel's pained form, I meet Dean's eyes as we near the end of the Enochian spell. He nods at me, eyes bright and desperate. As we say the last word in unison, we both pull sharply away from the wall and the glowing holy oil bursts into flame. Gadreel throws his head back and screams as he's ripped from Sam and I gasp at the wave of heat that engulfs the room. I stumble to my hands and knees, squeezing my eyes shut against the onslaught. I feel like I've been split apart at an atomic level and pushed crudely back together again. I feel like the power of the spell was fueled directly by my own energy, leaving me stunned and helpless on the floor. I feel very human.

Then the heat is gone, and there is silence but for the heavy sound of my own breathing. I'm utterly sapped and my skin is numb, except for the continuing background sting and ache of my new tattoo. I push slowly to my feet, trembling. When I open my eyes they fix immediately upon the sprawled body amidst the guttering remains of the circle of holy fire on the floor.

Sam.