Hi! Here is another chapter :) I'm so slow with this fic nowadays, but I've been doing a bit more work on it lately so hopefully the next chapter should be up a tad quicker... no promises!

I'm not up to date with the show but I understand things got very gay in 12x19. I will catch up soon but honestly I'm dreading it more than anything. I've become a strong supporter of 'brotherly' (actually super duper married but can probably be read as brotherly and is not overly romantically framed) destiel lately because it's way happier and healthier than romantic angst, torn apart by fate destiel. And since we're never getting proper canon destiel, anything hinting at it is pure queerbaiting. I am so weary of that.

Speaking of romantic framing... anyone watch Grace and Frankie? In seasons 1 and 2 I was very pleased with them as platonic besties but season 3 is so. Romantic. Oh my God. I honestly have no idea where the show is going with this, I'm not even sure what I want any more. I think I ship them but I don't really want to but come on, they're so in love but are they though? Oh my oh my

I stumble to Sam's side just a second after Dean and I watch with a tense throat as Dean pats roughly at his brother's cheek, voice cracking as he calls his name.

"Sam. Sammy, come on, man. Sam. Sam!"

I almost collapse with relief when the younger man groans, eyes blinking blearily open. "Dean… what the… what the fuck was… that…"

Dean makes a sound that could almost be a sob and gathers Sam to him in a clumsy hug. "Dude, don't scare me like that! You OK?"

Sam struggles to sit up and then slumps back down again, face white and drawn. "Shit. No, shit, I don't think I am… but what the… Dean, what happened?"

Dean hesitates and I reach out, touching Sam's shoulder. He turns and focuses on me with some difficulty. I clear my throat. "Sam, there's something that we've been keeping from you."

I pause but Dean nods at me, mouth twisting with fear. He doesn't know how to tell Sam this. Neither do I, but I'll try. Sam stares at me in suspicious confusion and I continue uncomfortably. "It was when you were in hospital. You were dying after the trials. Dean was about to lose you. So he found a way to save you. He found an angel to stay inside you and heal you. That's the only reason you've survived and felt relatively normal so far."

There's a ringing silence and then Sam looks up at Dean incredulously. "You did what?!"

Dean glances at me as though asking for more help, but I can only grimace at him. This was his choice, and this conversation is for Sam and Dean to have. I squeeze Dean's shoulder and then scramble inelegantly to my feet, forcing myself to move. "I'll go and get you some painkillers, Sam. You must have a headache."

Sam nods, pressing a hand to his forehead, but his eyes barely meet mine before fixing back onto his brother once more. Dean scowls at me and I shrug at him; this is really not my business and Sam would not appreciate me continuing to intervene on Dean's behalf, which is all I would do if I stayed. I gesture for Hannah to follow me as I leave the dungeon. She obeys with no hesitation, which makes me uneasy. I still don't really want to be her 'leader'.

"That was a dark and powerful spell that you and Dean used," she ventures as we walk slowly up the hall. I nod. "It will have taken a lot of your energy."

It did. I feel drained. I feel ridiculously weak and tired.

"Yes. Dean enlisted Kevin's help this morning, when Sam was out on his morning run and when Dean actually told Kevin what's been happening. Kevin altered a spell he found to override the usual protections of possession. It does take a lot of power to eject an angel from his vessel without the vessel's help, though. I'm just glad it worked."

Hannah murmurs agreement as we enter the bathroom and as I reach out to open the cupboard, I come to a belated awareness that my hand is still bleeding sluggishly. I wince and Hannah silently touches my wrist, barely brushing over the skin there. I watch the gash in my palm heal over and give Hannah an awkward nod of thanks, which she responds to with an equally awkward half-smile. My smile drops as I pull open the cupboard and feel my skin pulling at my tattoo, along with the bandage atop it. I suddenly recall Jules the tattoo artist telling me sternly to take the dressing off by six o'clock. It's now past nine.

"Shit," I mutter, hurriedly pulling my shirt up and peering down at the bandage. Hannah looks at it curiously and I glance at her, wondering if an angel could heal a tattoo without damaging the work at all. But before I can ask, she leans forward and passes a steady hand over my ribs. I feel the insistent pain disappear and I gulp as I peel the covering off of my skin, anxious that the carefully inked warding will be gone along with the injury done to get it there.

The tattoo is delicate and dark against my soothed skin, totally undamaged by the healing. I exhale in a rush, relieved and grateful.

"Thank you, Hannah," I say sincerely and hoarsely. She smiles more fully this time, looking pleased. I discard the bandage and then rummage in the cupboard for painkillers. Stowing them in my pocket, I rinse out the toothbrush cup and fill it with water. I drink the water in three huge gulps, then fill it again for Sam. I'm feeling more and more dazed and lethargic by the second. The angel at my side watches me quietly until we head back out into the hall, when she speaks up again.

"We were speaking of Kevin. He is a prophet?"

"Yes, he-" I stop suddenly with a groan. "I haven't told him! Hannah, please hold this, I need to- thanks-"

Hannah takes the cup of water I thrust at her and I fumble in my pocket for my phone, a headache of my own starting to form behind my eyes. I quickly type out a text to let Kevin know what's happened.

Gadreel gone. Sam and Dean talking. Safe to come in.

I'm having trouble walking in a straight line as we re-enter the dungeon. Sam is sitting upright on the floor, with Dean crouched next to him as though ready to catch him if he collapses. Dean looks almost worse than his brother, though, and as bad as I feel. I fall heavily to my knees beside them and offer Sam the water and painkillers in silence. He takes them, peering at me dubiously. "Thanks, Cas, but are you sure you don't need some yourself?"

I shake my head wearily. "Not in much pain, really. Just the effects of the spell. Dean and I may not be able to maintain consciousness for much longer. Sam, has Dean explained to you why Hannah is here?"

Sam looks up at Hannah and then shoots a bitter sideways glance at Dean, who is looking irritable. "No, he didn't get that far. I still haven't gotten a good explanation for why he thought it was OK to manipulate me into accepting possession by a total stranger, who apparently turned out to be a wanted criminal."

"What the hell was I supposed to do?" Dean grumbles, rubbing tiredly at his forehead. Sam takes the painkillers before speaking, not looking at his brother.

"You could have respected my choice, Dean."

Dean bristles, despite looking like he's about to pass out, and I cut across him before he can retort. "Well, I for one am glad he didn't. You're alive, Sam. Dean might not have done what you think is right. He might not have done what is right at all. But he did it for a good reason; he doesn't want to lose you. Nor do I. Please, Sam. You're not well enough yet to be without an angel healing you."

Sam sighs. "Yeah, well, moot point because Gadreel or Ezekiel, or whoever was wearing me, has been blasted away. So what happens now?"

I turn and beckon Hannah. She kneels down next to me, staring calmly at Sam. He frowns at her. "Yeah, I was meaning to ask; who are you?"

She tilts her head and, reaching across to Dean, brushes her fingers across the back of his hand. He jolts back from her but when he lifts the hand she touched, it's covered in dried blood yet the cut from the spell is gone. Healed. Sam watches this and his mouth tightens as realisation dawns. "You're an angel."

She nods serenely and he closes his eyes in apparent disbelief.

"You guys want me to do it again."

"Yeah, we do," comes Kevin's voice from the doorway. He steps into the room, looks at Hannah and then back at Sam. "I know this whole thing sucks, man. It's crazy. But there's no point dying when there's an angel right here who can help you. And Hannah doesn't seem like a psycho, although with our track record she probably is, but hey. Worth a shot."

Sam rolls his eyes, jaw still tense. "Hannah, no offence to you. I'm sure you're, uh, great. But I never wanted this in the first place so I'm sure you can understand why I'm not jumping at the chance to invite another-"

"Sam."

Dean's voice is hoarse and weak but Sam stops immediately before slowly turning to face his brother, almost reluctantly. Dean is pale and hunched but his eyes are desperate and fixed on Sam. My throat constricts to see tears gleaming in the usually stoic green gaze. "Sam, please. Please just do this and get better. I need you with me, man. Please."

I lean across Sam to grip Dean's hand and the younger Winchester glances down at the movement before looking back up at his brother. They stare at each other for a long, drawn out moment before Sam sighs and nods, eyes still angry. "Shit, I hope I don't regret this. But I guess I'm kinda glad I'm alive too. OK, Dean, I'll do this. But don't you ever - and I mean ever ever - take that kind of choice away from me again. You don't get to control me just because you care."

Dean closes his eyes in exhausted relief and squeezes my hand lightly, before opening his eyes and nodding in silent frantic agreement at Sam. I squeeze back. I'm starting to struggle to concentrate on what's happening, but I know that this is good. Sam is going to be OK. The plan worked. We did it. I feel certain that I'll be able to appreciate it all much more after some sleep.

Sam has turned back to look at Hannah. He eyes her for a moment before nodding. "You have my permission."

She inclines her head but stands up smoothly and starts to move away. I struggle to my feet too, confused. "Hannah?"

She looks back. "Yes?"

"Where are you going?"

She frowns. "I need to lie down and put my vessel into an indefinite sleep state for while I'm healing Sam. Otherwise she will regain control of the body and leave and I will be left without a vessel to return to. She misses her husband."

I recoil, guilty over the poor woman trapped inside the body that Hannah has taken. It's much harder to ignore the cruelty of possession now that I truly own my own body. But that is the reality of angels, and we need Hannah. So I nod reluctantly, swaying on my feet a little, feeling ready to collapse. "Alright. We'll follow you."

I can hear Sam and Dean helping one another up behind me, undoubtedly both as unsteady and weak as me. I begin to trudge after Hannah, who appears to be following Kevin. He thankfully leads us to the closest bedroom, which happens to be mine, but I don't care in the slightest. I just need this to be done so that I can sleep.

We file into the room and watch Hannah arrange herself on the bed. She explains that she is putting her vessel's true owner into a catatonic state which will only be broken by an angel re-activating her mind, and that the body will be preserved without sustenance and through any temperature. I nod dully. Sam goes and sits by Hannah on the bed and she speaks to him in an almost professional manner about how they will go about her possession of him. I'm almost drifting off standing up when I feel someone step up close beside me. Turning, I see Dean blinking tiredly at me. He smiles and after a beat, I smile back.

"Hey," he whispers. I sigh and pull him into my arms, pressing my face to his shoulder. He makes a muffled noise and wraps me up in a hug, warm and close. I realise how stressed and worried and scared I've been since the false break up took place, and think fervently that I never ever want to go through a real one.

I hear Sam say something and Dean starts to pull away; I groan and try to tug him back. He chuckles and loops his arm around my hips, half leaning on me even as I lean on him. I look at Sam to see him standing beside the unconscious form of Hannah, or Hannah's vessel. He shrugs, mouth twisting.

"It's done. I don't like it, but at least Hannah isn't hiding from me. I can feel her. Up here." He taps his temple, grimacing. "Anyway, I guess that's that. You guys did some pretty decent acting to pull this off. I'm still pissed as hell, but hey… kudos. You got rid of Gadreel and I'm still on the mend. Job done. Time for us all to rest, yeah?"

I nod blearily and Sam echoes the gesture, looking tense. His gaze moves from me down to the floor and he abruptly strides past us towards the door. Dean lets go of me and quickly moves towards him, clearly trying to intercept him or say goodnight.

Sam shoulders him aside and leaves the room without a backward glance.