I've had this in my head since the first episode of season ten. I know I should do my other piece, but this is dying to get out!

Please Enjoy!

I don't own Supernatural.

Castiel was dying. Day by day it had become more obvious. His Grace was used up and his body burned out from the dregs of Grace that still steamed inside his soul. Castiel only wished he had done more. Well, he wanted to live too, but mostly he wished he had done more. Castiel met Hannah's and Sam's eyes. All he wanted to was to stop the fighting, he wanted to please everyone. And it was what would kill him.

Crowley and Dean stood together splitting the room in two. Hannah and Sam stood near the door, while Castiel sagged against the wall across the room.

This. This is the root of all his problems, Castiel assumed. He had become obsessed with one person. This person had shown Castiel the world, the good, the bad, the strange. Castiel knew, as he stared into Dean's soulless black eyes, that his relationship with Dean had never been healthy. They had beaten each other, sent each other away, betrayed each other, and yet… here they were again. They always came back to each other.

Castiel could barely see, his vision riddled with black spots, but he knew what he would see if he could. A few weeks back when he had first seen Dean again he could see. He had seen the soul of his best friend, torn, flayed, but still burning brighter and more passionately than anyone Castiel had ever met. Dean's true face, since he wasn't as demon as he acted was still mostly human, but with spiritual manifestations of large horns off his brow and ridged bone along his cheekbones and collar bone. That bright, burning, golden soul was now riddled with black and red, still somehow beautiful. IT was as if his soul was a leaf in the fall, glorious in colors, but rotting away.

Now, Castiel, when the black dots weren't in the way, could only see Dean's human skin. The tan skin, the spray of freckles, and black, obsidian eyes were a forest green ones had once sparkled.

"Castiel!" Hannah's worried voice broke the stare down Castiel hadn't realized he was having with Dean. Old habits die hard. Castiel missed being able to read the man just by meeting his eyes. There had been a time Castiel didn't need to read Dean's mind to know what he thought. Castiel felt a pang of nostalgia.

"Oh, yes. Castiel! Castiel! What a pitiful sight. Man I knew you were burning, but you just look like a burnt out husk now." Dean's baritone voice didn't sound as smooth anymore. It had a gargled tremor in it. It reminded Castiel of when Dean was furious and trying to hold his temper.

"Dean, please! Just calm down!" Sam called out. The salt gun in his hand was counter productive in Castiel's mind. Castiel smiled though. It seemed Sam could still sense his brother's moods.

"Calm down?" Dean's voice changed again. It seemed impossible, but Dean's voice went lower. "Sammy, I am calm." The cruel smile on Dean's face was just how Castiel remembered Dean smiling at demons in the past.

"Dean." Castiel gasped out. The attention in the room whipped around to Castiel.

"A little low on fuel? You should have made that deal with Metatron you know." Crowley was examining his nails. Castiel ignored the demon king, once again caught in Dean's gaze. The gaze was harder, filled with rage and hate, but Castiel couldn't bring his exhausted body to feel threatened. Or… was there a possibility Dean wasn't directing these passions towards Castiel?

Castiel only broke the gaze when his body shuddered and he fell to his knees. Hannah and Sam, and even Crowley took a step forward in surprise. Dean just watched Castiel's trembling body.

"What was it about you?" Dean muttered. Castiel cringed. He had thought those words many a time. Why had Dean always fought for Castiel? Why had Dean ever trusted him? Why had Dean never given on Castiel? Castiel closed his eyes, shocking himself with a prayer. A what a ridiculous prayer to be made at this time.

The door behind Sam and Hannah rattled. Crowley stiffened and Hannah and Sam bother tried to open the door. It wouldn't budge. They had all been trapped in a jail of Heaven, courtesy of a now escaped, and fleeing Metatron. Angels had been trying to break down the door for what seemed like hours up in Heaven. Castiel almost wished they wouldn't. Dean and Crowley were almost powerless in this room. If the door opened, they could disappear, and Castiel would die knowing he had failed Dean, again.

The door cracked. Dean and Crowley smiled in victory, but the rattling door stopped again. Castiel, and the others watched in shock as souls poured in through the cracks. The warmth of friends, family, and home filled the once cold dungeon.

Sam and Dean watched in wonderment as their friends suddenly materialized in the room.

"How?" Hannah seemed confused.

"The dungeons aren't' designed for souls. We just kind of slip through security." A young, feisty blonde that Castiel had met once spoke. Her soul was similar to Deans, bright and strong, yet longing constantly. It must be Jo. Sam and Dean had dropped jaws and stared at the brave girl, and her mother.

"My husband is talking to the angels outside. They gave us and hour to get something down, or they're blowing this stand." Ellen said. Castiel smiled. He couldn't' say why. Maybe it was because Dean's and Crowley's shocked faces mad e the situation seem less dire.

Bobby grumbled as Kevin smiled and gave a tiny wave. A ring on Kevin's finger glowed. Castiel felt Kevin wasn't as tied to Heaven as the others were, though it was just a guess going by Kevein's much paler soul. The seer, Pamela, was here. There was also a blonde that Sam wasn't taking his eyes off of. A mole on her cheek gave her away.

"Jess?" Sam choked. Hannah stepped away slightly from Sam. He slightly dropped head told Castiel she was trying to give the younger Winchester privacy with this soul that made his glow so much brighter.

"Well, this is… unexpected." Dean forced the words out, his voice angry again, hard and defensive.

"It sure is, son." John's soul was a flaming red. Next to him a gentle blue soul that appeared to be the color of a calm sea materialized to a beautiful blonde woman. With her almond shaped, green and gold eyes, she had to be Dean's mother.

"Dean, baby, what happened to you?" She asked. Castiel blinked and saw a gray soul, it looked to be Adam, Dean and Sam's younger half-brother. Sam seemed to notice his presence as well, and smiled with the knowledge his family was safe, mostly.

Dean however, just shrugged/

"Hey mom, dad, got something to tell you. I'm a demon!" Dean gave his famous Winchester smile. No one was amused. Cas saw other souls about the room. Most were happy to see Sam, and they all gave Dean looks that said they regretted something.

"Baby," Mary began but Dean barked a laugh.

"Crowley, if they can slip in, we could probably slip out, don't you think?" Dean asked, turning his back on his mother.

"Boy! Don't show your mother any of that disrespect!" Bobby snarled. Dean gave a little kiss in Bobby's direction.

"Maybe you didn't hear me the first time!" Dean raised his voice. "I'm a demon!" There was s dramatic flaring of the soul, revealing black leathery wings, half-formed wings that Castiel knew would grow the more Dean accepted being a demon.

Sam's eyes had tears in them. It was almost a constant look for the second youngest Winchester since he had first found his brother again.

"It doesn't have to be." Castiel forced out. He stood on shaky legs, feeling the souls helping him stand. "Cain was able to live mostly as a human. You haven't held the Blade in weeks. You could come back to…us." Cas was panting. His Grace was almost gone. Once the Grace was burned up and he couldn't fuel his body, his would burn up and die. What would happen to his soul? Did Castiel have a soul?

Not the time for post-death thoughts. Castiel breathed in a rattling breath. Dean had fixed Castiel with another gaze. Castiel forced himself to meet it. He saw Dean's black eyes, or maybe his vision was really giving out.

Dean smiled softly, which shocked Castiel into standing up fully. The rapid movement caused Castiel to then kneel over in pain. Two feet, black leather loafers, too long to be Crowley's, and not well kept either appeared. They must be Dean's.

"Dean." Castiel panted, looking up, reaching up towards his old friend. Castiel could remember the reversal of this scene, when he had broken from Naomi's mind control and not killed Dean. Did Dean remember? Was he thinking the same thing?

Dean reached down and pulled Castiel up to standing again. The souls were reaching out hands, but they couldn't touch the demon.

"Hey, Cas…" Castiel took a sharp breath. His prayer had been answered? "Why don't you make a deal with me?" Dean asked, his voice low and intoxicating.

"What?" Castiel hissed out.

"What?!" Hannah, Sam, Crowley and the surrounding souls cried out. Dean just smiled.

"You're dying, I could die if I don't get out of here soon… We could help each other out." Castiel tried to focus on Dean's words, but his was feeling woozy.

"How could we do anything for each other now?" Castiel demanded, his own voice low and gravelly, though mostly because he could barely find the energy to speak.

"Well, I could get you your grace from that little blonde chick that was Jimmy's daughter, hell I'll even not kill her, and you tell the other angels out there that Crowley and I escaped somehow, so we can actually escape when they freak out? Oh, and open the gate to Earth. Hell, since I'm in the better position, you also have to get Sammy to stop hunting me, and you have to quit me as well." Dean went on. Castiel nodded, barely able to hear the words.

"I could not speak for Sam." Castiel said.

"Cas! Don't make a deal!" Sam shouted across the room. Castiel could barely hear him. Dean's black eyes had changed. They were now the beautiful green Castiel had grown to associate with trust and dedication, love, hope, and just humanity. Metatron was correct, Castiel loved humanity, but why he loved humanity had everything to do with this man before him.

"Ok, I'll let Sammy kill himself running after me." Did Dean sound angrier about that? A long moment went by as Castiel gathered his strength.

"So, I get a diversion up, you and Crowley escape, I get my remaining Grace, and you won't kill the girl?" Castiel clarified. Dean smiled in victory.

"Yup! You also have to stop interfering with my life, or after-life, or whatever the hell I'm living. You also have to let Crowley and me leave Heaven." Dean tacked onto the end.

"I would stop you if he didn't!" Hannah snarled. Dean sighed and turned away from Castiel, but still holding the dying angel. He met Hannah's self-righteous glare.

"You won't, or the deal doesn't go through and Castiel here dies. I don't think any of us really want that." Dean admitted. Castiel smirked slightly. There was definitely still humanity left in Dean. Dean turned back to Castiel.

"So, do we have a deal?" Dean asked, his eyes morphing into the black pools of despair that Castiel hated.

"Wait, wait, wait a moment!" Crowley interrupted. Everyone turned to the King of Hell. "Shouldn't Cassie-dear be making a deal with me?" Crowley asked. The room went silent. Crowley looked around the room. Kevin was shaking his head slowly. Everyone looked at Crowley as if he was crazy. Hannah just looked confused.

"I'm with Sam, don't take the deal, Castiel." Bobby said. Bobby looked as if the decision pained him. Dean smirked and turned back to Castiel. The other souls were begging Castiel to not accept the deal. Castiel met Dean's black eyes. A fire still burned in those eyes. Castiel could convince his ailing body that he saw flecks of gold in the black irises.

"Ok. I get my grace, with Claire's life not being in danger, you escape from here, and Heaven, and I don't look for you." Dean nodded, the arm around Castiel's waist that was holding him up tightened as Dean was getting ready to seal the deal.

"Sounds good, don't it?" Dean asked, his voice only loud enough for Castiel to hear it.

Castiel was panicking. It couldn't end this way. There was no way in eternity that Castiel was never going to meet Dean Winchester again. Well, if Castiel couldn't go to Dean…

"You also have to meet me at the Bunker twice a year!" Castiel yelled, grabbing Dean's coat collar and yanking the shocked demon's face towards his, and quickly sealing the deal, allowing no sounds of argument.

The world went black, and rumbling was heard. Falling rocks and voices echoing filled Castiel's mind. When Castiel next became aware, he was in the Bunker, Sam, Hannah and Charlie standing over him. They all released a sigh of relief when Castiel's eyes glowed for a moment at his waking.

"Did it work?" Castiel sat up. He breathed in deeply, the familiar buzz of Grace filling his whole being. The best physical part was that Castiel no longer felt pain. Sam, Charlie and Hannah exchanged looks.

"Um…so far, yes." Sam said. Castiel tilted his head in confusion, squinting his eyes.

"You have your Grace, Claire is alive, and not even traumatized. Dean and Crowley have escaped Heaven. It seems Dean still refused to work with Crowley, and has gone off the grid though." Hannah admitted.

"It's cool though! I mean, a real angel! It's cool!" Charlie added. Castiel looked the red-head in the eyes. Her whole life story was spread out for him, an ability Castiel had forgotten how much he used to rely on.

The room was quite. The group moved into the reading area. Charlie kept asking Castiel questions, and making references that Hannah was clueless too, and that Castiel now recognized. He noticed how Hannah kept going back to Charlie, asking for clarification, or they just sat in an area, watching each other when the other wasn't watching them. Castiel wondered if this is what is was like for Sam and others when he and Dean were together.

Speaking of Dean, Castiel was worried, Claire was fine, he had is Grace, Dean was free, did that mean Dean would also return to the bunker? Did that part get into the deal?

For a strange moment, Castiel wished he remembered the deal being sealed. He could see Dean's eyes, black, and larger than possible in surprise, he could remembered yanking that surprised face towards him, and then blank. Or maybe black? Castiel dropped his head into his hand. Sam, who was next to him reading about some strange murder in Wyoming that he thought could lead them to Dean, though Castiel knew that would be impossible, reached over and put a comforting hand on Castiel's shoulder.

"We'll be ok Cas. We'll be ok." He said softly. Castiel just tightened into himself and felt his body shake and sobs rattle his body. He found it strange. What was he crying over? Was it the gaping hole he felt must be in his chest? Was it the fact he never knew if he would see Dean again? Was it the kindness everyone showed him, even when he knew he didn't deserve it?

The silence (minus Castiel's fading sobs) stretched for hours. Charlie and Hannah reading next to each other, Sam researching, and Castiel thinking, or more accurately reminiscing; when a rhythmic knocking echoed through the manner.

Everyone traded confused glances. Castiel stood, his trench coat which was only draped over his shoulders fell to the floor. Castiel had never been possessed, but he wondered if having his body do something like this, not stopping no matter how hard he told himself to, was part of it.

The first door was open and Castiel stood in front of the second door, unlocking it. Sam was behind him with a loaded sawed-off rifle full of salt. Castiel opened the slowly, revealing the black, leather clad man, the motorcycle he had ridden visible on the street. Dirty blond hair was a little longer than Castiel remembered it. The face tanner and freckles more prominent when he wasn't blacking out and in a dark dungeon. Green eyes flickered black before settling down again. The familiar green was annoyed, but not angry.

"You suck at kissing." Was all he said as he shouldered his way into the bunker. Sam and Castiel stood at the top of the stairs witching in awe as Dean made himself at home.

"Charlie, you better have not drank all the beer!" Dean hollered, heading towards the kitchen. Charlie and Hannah came into view from the lounge area. Charlie had a huge smile and met Sam and Castiel's gaze with shiny, tear-filled eyes. Hannah's face was comically confused. Sam started laughing, Charlie falling in next with Castiel grinning broadly. Dean re-entered the area, a beer in hand.

"Kay, first thing's first in this bi-annual meeting. Cas, you are getting kissing lessons."

Finished!

Please review!

(Ok, for the most part I tried to keep this profound-bondy-not-romantic-destiel, but I really ship Destiel so hard.)

Love,

Burning Bright