Inside one of the cabins at Twin Pines Resort, Sam sat at a table using his laptop to find a case. Mack was in the bathroom washing up when Dean came in with a six-pack and a paper bag. "Hey," Sam greeted him. "Hey," Dean echoed. Mack came out, joining them. "You look like you've s- well, I was gonna say, 'You look like you've seen a ghost', but you'd probably be stoked," Sam amended his statement. "Uh, you okay?" Dean swallowed uncertainly. "Daddy?" Mack prompted. "Yeah, I'm cool," he answered. "What's up?" Sam and Mack shared a look, but didn't press the issue further. "Well, this kid went missing from a preschool," Sam volunteered a bit of information he'd found.

"That sucks. And?" Dean set the paper bag on the table, moving toward the fridge with the six-pack. "And at the same time he vanished, a surprise tornado hit, lasted maybe twenty seconds, then, uh… shazam! Back to perfect weather. "Hmm," Dean hummed. "And they pooh-pooh climate change." He put the beer in the fridge. "Yeah," Sam chuckled. "Well, similar wackiness has happened over the past few weeks in other places- uh, Tulsa, a bus driver vanishes and a river gets overrun with frogs. New Mexico- a mailman disappears, the earth splits open."

"Alright. So, uh, you thinking demons?" Dean walked over to look at the laptop over Sam's shoulder. Mack was still frowning at him curiously, wondering what had shaken him up so badly before he got back. "Yeah, possibly, but… I mean, this stuff was major," Sam shrugged. "These folks have nothing in common- no religious affiliations, different hometowns, all ages. Why would demons want them?"

"Why do demons want anything?" Dean lightly slapped his brother's shoulder. "Uh, so, we on this?"

"Yep."

Mrs. Hager, the woman who'd been with the preschooler, Aaron Webber, wasn't possessed when they talked to her, but based on her answers to their questions, demons had definitely been involved in the kid's disappearance. That night, while Sam snored in the next bed over, Dean sat up on the laptop reading the missing persons' articles. Mack was curled up by his side, also sleeping soundly. Outside, lightning flashed and she whimpered a little. He reached out absentmindedly, running his fingers through her hair to calm her down, and glanced up at the window. He froze, spotting Cas standing on the other side of the glass.

Closing the laptop, and getting out of the bed carefully so he wouldn't disturb Mack, he walked over to the window, staring out. The angel had vanished, like he had never been there in the first place. Sam woke up, stirring and spotting Dean by the window. "Dean? What's going on? Are you alright?" He threw back the covers, glancing briefly at Mack's sleeping form as he sat on the edge of the bed. "I don't know. I just saw something," Dean replied, keeping his voice down. "Uh, you saw what?" Sam asked, joining him at the window. "Cas."

"Cas? Where?"

"Right there," Dean gestured to the window. "And- and- and earlier, on the road. I feel like I'm seeing him." Sam frowned, "That's… not possible. I mean, you said it yourself. You made it out and he didn't, right?"

"I tried so damn hard to get us the hell out of there," Dean turned from the window, walking back toward Mack's bed. She was still asleep. "I know you did," Sam murmured. "You know, I could've pulled him out," Dean spoke with his back to his brother. "I just don't understand why he didn't try harder."

"Dean," Sam walked over, and Dean turned back to face him. "You did everything you could." Dean frowned, "Yeah, but why do I feel like crap?" Sam shrugged, "Survivor's guilt?" Dean looked back at Mack again. "Hmm," he hummed. "If you let it, this is gonna keep messing with you. You got to walk past it." Sam clapped him on the shoulder, heading toward the bathroom.

The next morning, Sam filled them in on more vanishing reports while Mack sat on the bed and Dean stood in the bathroom with the door open so he could listen. "Hey, so it's not just Americans who are vanishing. Uh, this guys, Luigi Ponzi disappeared walking between two subway cars in Rome. And right above ground, there was a freak hail storm."

"So, we going to Rome?" Dean asked, washing his face. "Wouldn't be too shabby." There was a familiar flutter of wings behind him. "Cas!" Mack cried. Dean straightened up, startled as he saw Cas' reflection in the mirror, and turned to face him. "Hello, Dean," the angel greeted him. Mack jumped up from the bed, rushing over to hug Cas. "Hi, bee," Cas smiled at her, returning the hug. They moved aside so Dean could exit the bathroom. He leaned against the kitchenette counter, staring dumbstruck at Cas. "Unbelievable, man," Sam shook his head. "I- I can't believe it. You're actually here."

"Yeah, I've been trying to reach out, but for whatever reason, I wasn't at full power," Cas replied, holding Mack's hand; she refused to leave his side. "So I couldn't connect with you." Sam glanced over at Dean. "That must have been why you kept seeing him. I mean, you think?" Dean swallowed, frowning. "Yeah," he nodded. "Yeah, uh, I got to be honest. I- I- I'm thinking, how the hell did you make it out? I mean, I- I was there. I- I- I know that place. I know how we had to scratch and claw and kill and bleed to find that portal and make it through, and it almost finished me. So, uh… so how exactly are you here with us right now?"

Mack looked from her father up to Cas. "Dean, everything you just said is completely true. And that's the strange part. I… have no idea. I remember endlessly running and hiding from the Leviathan, and then I was on the side of the road in Illinois. And… that was it."

"And- and that was it?" Dean echoed in disbelief. "Yes," Cas replied. There was a long pause. "Oh. I'm dirty," Cas noted, as if it just occurred to him. "Yeah, well, Purgatory will do that to you," Dean replied. Cas let go of Mack's hand, disappearing into the bathroom. "Dean?" Sam asked. "Huh?" Dean asked, eyes snapping over to his brother. "You alright?" Mack was staring at the closed bathroom door, brow furrowed curiously. "You do see something severely wrong here, right?" Dean asked, taking a seat at the table across from Sam. "Sammy, I remember every second of leaving that place. I mean, I remember the- the heat, the stink, the pain, the fear," he glanced over at Mack, who was still focused on the bathroom door. "I have that whole ugly mess," he tapped his temple, "right here, and he says he has no idea how he got out? I- I'm just not buying it."

Mack tore her gaze away from the bathroom, heading back over to sit on the bed closest to her father and uncle. "So, what, you think he's lying?" Sam asked. "I'm saying something else happened. I saw the shape that he was in. I mean, there was no way he was fighting his ass out alone. No way."

"Alright, so who… or what got him out?"

"Exactly."

Cas walked out of the bathroom then, his old clothes swapped out for his regular suit and tie under the trench coat, which was also freshly cleaned. He was also clean shaven again, no longer sporting the scruff he had from Purgatory. Sam and Dean both straightened up in their seats. "Better?" Cas spread his arms wide, asking for their opinion. Sam smiled at Cas, who looked at Dean. The older Winchester squirmed in his seat, subtly covering his crotch with a hand as he gave a half smile to the angel, nodding.

According to Cas, all the people the demons took were prophets. Crowley had taken them as insurance, just in case things didn't work out with Kevin because when Kevin went down, the next one was set to come off the bench. That's when Kevin's mom called Sam, saying Crowley took him. So, they agreed to meet her at the halfway point- mile marker ninety-six. Dean was getting restless behind the wheel while they waited, thinking about when he lost his grip on Cas at the portal. "Cas, can I talk to you outside?" he snapped, getting out. Cas and Sam shared a look, and then Cas climbed out to join Dean. "What?"

"Exactly. What?" Dean asked, glaring at him. "What the hell happened? Back there. Purgatory. I told you I would get you out. We were there! It was like you just gave up. It's like you didn't believe we could do it. I mean, you kept saying you didn't think it would work. Did you not trust me?"

"Dean…"

"I did everything I could to get you out- everything! I did not leave you." Cas tilted his head, blue eyes studying Dean. "So you think this was your fault?" he asked gently. Before Dean could respond, a car pulled up in front of the Impala. Sam and Mack climbed out as Mrs. Tran parked and joined them on the street. "You can do this, can't you? You can get him back?" she asked. "How did Crowley find you?" Dean questioned her. "Oh, I hired a witch, and she ratted us out," she replied nonchalantly. "A witch?" Mack echoed. "You hired a witch?"

"To make demon bombs, of course! These are Kevin's notes," Mrs. Tran shoved a notebook at Sam. "You have any idea where Crowley took him?" Dean queried. "No, but, uh…" Mrs. Tran opened the trunk of her car, "this guy might." Dean grinned as they saw a demon tied up and bound by a Devil's Trap on the lid of the trunk. "Oh," he took out the demon knife. "Let's talk."

Dean, Cas, and Mack rode in the Impala while Sam and Mrs. Tran followed in her car. They'd driven to the old factory where Crowley supposedly was holding Kevin and the other future prophets. As they climbed out, Sam handcuffed Mrs. Tran to the steering wheel of her car. "Sorry, Mrs. Tran," he apologized. "Wait, what?!" she cried. Dean opened the trunk of her car. "This it?" he asked the demon. "Yes," it confirmed. "My son is in there!" Mrs. Tran yelled angrily at Sam. "Which means Crowley already has leverage. He doesn't need another hostage." Dean stabbed the demon with the knife, killing it before slamming the trunk shut. He headed over to where Mack and Cas were standing by the Impala.

"Mack, stay out here."

"Excuse me?" she asked. "Please," Dean swallowed. "Just… stay out here." Cas looked from Dean to Mack curiously as they stared at each other for a moment, and then Mack nodded her head in agreement. Leaving her and Mrs. Tran behind, Sam, Dean and Cas made their way inside the building. After Dean killed another demon, they split up, Sam going left, and Dean and Cas going right. "We're very near Kevin," Cas told Dean after a few minutes of wandering through the halls of the factory.

"Great," Dean muttered. Cas glanced over at him, seeming to want to say something. Before he could, however, Dean turned back and found a demon standing there. He prepared to strike the demon with Ruby's knife, but the demon sent him flying into chains hanging from the ceiling in front of a window. The demon stretched a hand toward Cas, and the angel took a few steps back. He placed a hand to the demon's head, smiting him, and then steadied himself against a wall. Dean picked himself up, putting a hand on Cas' shoulder.

"What's going on? You're not all the way back, are you?" Cas grimaced, avoiding Dean's gaze. "We should move," he said. "Kevin is this way." He pulled away from Dean, heading further down the hall. Dean stared after him for a beat, and then followed. "In there," Cas indicated a door. Dean pushed in front of him, crouching down to pick the lock. "It's not working."

"Dean, I'm going in."

"Cas, no. You're not strong enough."

Inside the room, Crowley was pacing behind Kevin's chair while the Prophet read from a tablet. "There are more tablets?" the demon king asked. "More than 'Leviathan' and 'Demon'?" At that moment, Cas appeared inside the room. "Castiel. Fresh from Purgatory," Crowley purred. "I wish you'd called first." Cas glared at him, "Crowley." Crowley regarded him coolly. "Which Castiel is it this time? I'm never sure. Madman or megalomaniac?"

"Kevin is coming with me."

"I think not," the demon protested. "The Prophet's playing on my team now." Cas' angel blade dropped into his hand and held it up. Crowley held up his own hand, his knife materializing in it. Kevin stood from the table, backing a few steps away from the standoff. "So this is how it's gonna be," Cas mused. "It's all very West Side Story, but let's be logical," Crowley replied. "You look like hell, and I should know. You're not up to this." Light suddenly shone from Cas, his eyes and body glowing brightly with grace. "Maybe you can get it up, but you can't keep it up," Crowley challenged. The light coming from Cas intensified, a shadow of his wings unfurling on the wall behind him. "You're bluffing!"

"Do you want to take that chance?"

Cas reached a hand towards Crowley, who reached toward the tablet on the table. Cas brought his hand down, smashing both the table and the tablet. Crowley disappeared, still holding half the tablet. Dean burst into the room then, rushing to Cas' side where the angel had collapsed to the floor. The light emanating from Cas had disappeared. Behind the pair, Kevin reached down and picked up the remaining half of the tablet.

After letting all the future Prophets go with the promise they wouldn't breathe a word of what happened to anyone, the group gathered outside by the two cars. While Sam and Mack talked to Kevin and Mrs. Tran, Dean stood at the Impala's trunk with Cas. "That was a bonehead move back there," Dean told Cas. "You could have gotten yourself killed. Why didn't you wait for me?"

"Well, I didn't get killed. And it worked."

"And if it didn't?"

"It would have been my problem," Cas answered. "Well, that's not the way I see it," Dean clenched his jaw, avoiding his gaze. "Hey, everything is not your responsibility. Getting me out of Purgatory wasn't your responsibility." Dean turned to face the angel head-on. "You didn't get out. So whose fault was it?" Cas frowned, blue eyes studying Dean's face intently. "It's not about fault. It's about will. Dean, do you really not remember?" Dean laughed shortly, "I lived it, Cas. Okay, I know what happened."

"No," Cas shook his head. "No, you think you know. You remembered it the way you needed to." Dean rolled his eyes, looking away again. "Look, I don't need to feel like hell for failing you, okay? For failing you like I've failed every other godforsaken thing that I care about! I don't need it!"

"Dean, just look at it. Really look at it."

Cas reached out touching Dean on the forehead.

Day 369

As they climbed upwards towards the portal, Cas stumbled. Dean paused, grabbing onto him and dragging him back up. "Cas! Damn it! Come on!" Dean reached the portal first, stepping into it. He reached out to take Cas' hand. "Come on!" he yelled. Cas reached out, grabbing Dean's hand. "I got you! Hold on!"

"Dean!" Cas cried. "Hold on!" Dean told him again. "Dean!" Cas pulled out of his grip. "Go!" The portal closed, taking Dean with it.

Present Day

Cas removed his fingers from Dean's forehead, and Dean stared at him with wide hazel-green eyes. "See, it wasn't that I was weak. I was stronger than you," Cas told him. "I pulled away. Nothing you could have done would have saved me, because I didn't want to be saved." Tears filled Dean's eyes, voice breaking. "What the hell are you talking about?" Cas smiled at him sadly, "It's where I belonged. I needed to do penance. After the things I did on Earth and in Heaven, I didn't deserve to be out. And I saw that clearly while I was there. I… I planned on staying all along. I just didn't know how to tell you. You can't save everyone, my love… though, you try."

Sam and Mack walked over, joining them. "Hey. Everything okay?" Sam asked. "Yeah," Cas nodded. "Just, uh… setting a few things straight." Mack looked curiously from the angel to her father, who had turned his back so Sam and Mack wouldn't see his tears. "Good. Garth is gonna lay low with the Tra…"

Cas abruptly found himself in a brightly lit room, and he looked around, confused. "Hello, Castiel," a woman in a gray suit greeted him behind a desk. Her dark hair was pulled back in a tight knot at the back of her head. "Where am I?" Cas asked her. "You don't know? You're home, Castiel." Cas blinked. "Heaven? I've never been here before."

"Not many have. My name is Naomi. We rescued you," she told him. "Purgatory," he spoke in understanding, the memories starting to flood back into his mind. "An incursion of angels, which cost us many lives," Naomi confirmed. "Consider these chats your repayment." Cas shook his head, "I don't understand." Naomi smiled. "Tell me about the Winchesters."

"The Prophet is being kept safe. The tablet has split in two and the Winchesters are trying to recover the missing piece," Cas blinked, pausing in confusion. "Why am I telling you any of this?" The other angel continued to smile, dismissing him. "It's not your concern. Help the Winchesters, come when they call. You'll report to me regularly, and you will never remember having done so."

"No, I won't do that."

"Now, as you were," Naomi commanded. "They won't even notice you were gone." Cas was back standing with the Winchesters, a weird feeling settling over him as he forgot what he was just thinking about. "... track down the other piece," Sam was saying. "You're with us on this one, right Cas? Cas, you okay?" Cas blinked, looking up to meet Sam's gaze. "I'm- I'm fine. And yes, I'm with you- if that's alright." He looked over at Dean for the confirmation. Dean nodded at him, and then he turned, walking away.

"It is, right? You two are good?" Sam asked his brother. Dean looked down. "Yeah."