Welcome to the final chapter. My goal was to finish this little beast before the next episode aired, and I actually managed it.

Also? I'm sorry.

Disclaimer: Supernatural does not belong to me.

A strangely hollow pain was the first thing Castiel felt when he returned to the beginnings of awareness. Pain, followed by an oily sickness that slithered unpleasantly through his body. Sounds began to filter in. At first it was a jumbled clamor in his muddled mind, then gradually became clearer.

"Dammit, Dean, you were dying! I had to do something!"

"No, Sam! You really fucking didn't! Haven't you learned by now that the secrets and lies and bullshit only ever make things worse?"

"The Book had answers – I couldn't let that go!"

"So you go to Rowena behind everyone's back? Rowena? What in the everloving fuck is wrong with you? And now look at him, Sam! Look at him!"

"I had no idea-"

There was a meaty sound followed by scuffling and a solid thump. They sounded so angry – it was upsetting. "Fuck you, Sam! There's exactly one way I will ever forgive you for this. You go find her. You bring her skanky bitch ass here right now, and you make her fix him! Understand me? If he dies, Sam, I swear to God, I'll kill you both with my bare hands. Now get the fuck out!"

The pain was overlaid by other sensations now. He was on the floor. There were small, warm hands on him. Mustering every bit of strength he had, Castiel opened his eyes.

When the blur came mostly into focus, he saw Charlie above him with blood trickling from a gash on her cheekbone. Charlie was his friend. He tried to reach out to heal her, but he couldn't move beyond a few twitches. Charlie's face turned his way.

"Guys? Hey, guys?" Her voice was terribly sharp, and her face was wet. She was upset, too. "His eyes are open!"

"Go, Sam! Bring that evil bitch here!"

Dean's face came into view, and Castiel smiled. A callused hand cupped his face and stroked his hair. Another came to rest on his chest. It felt nice, even through the pain. Wherever Dean touched, the slick darkness inside him retreated a little.

"Cas! Are you okay?"

Castiel tried to come up with words, but couldn't find any. He smiled again, happy Dean was there with him.

"Dean, I don't think he can talk," Charlie murmured.

"Fuck," muttered Dean. He was using a lot of profanity. He must be very upset. "All right, Cas, you hang on, okay? You're gonna be all right. Sam's bringing that whore witch back here to fix you up, so you just stick with us."

Castiel frowned, confused as to who the whore witch was.

Dean's thumb rubbed gently at the lines between Castiel's brows, smoothing them out again. "Rowena. Sam the backstabbing liar didn't burn the Book of the Damned and gave it to Rowena to find a cure. Bitch found one, all right. She couldn't remove the Mark, but she could change it."

The words flowed over Castiel's ears like music. Dean's voice was so beautiful. The sound of it pushed the pain back.

"When she cast the spell, it brought out the Mark, but made it vulnerable to an angel's Grace. We think the Mark and your Grace destroyed each other."

Castiel tipped his head. That wasn't true. He could still see faint remnants of his Grace sizzling over Dean's skin, washing away the last of the blackness marring his soul. And the creeping sickness inside himself was still there, too, though he had no Grace left to fight it with.

He remembered then. Dean had been sick. Dying. He struggled to say something, but he couldn't move properly.

"Whoa, hey, it's okay, Cas! Settle down!"

Charlie put a hand on Dean's arm. "It's you, Dean. He's worried about you."

"Shit, Cas, I'm just fine. Mark's gone, see?" He held out his unblemished arm. "It's you we're worried about!"

Castiel relaxed. Dean was safe, so everything was okay. His eyes were heavy, so he let them drift closed.

"Cas? Come on, man, stay with me!" The rough hand patted his cheek, then shook him. "Cas, dammit wake up! Shit! Where the hell is Sam?"

The hands went away and footsteps moved across the room.

Then Charlie's voice came. "He just left – he'll be back as soon as he can. Dean!" The smaller hands went away then, and quick footsteps followed the first ones.

Castiel forced his eyes open again, but he was alone. The voices were somewhere else.

"Dean, stop it! You turn around and march your ass straight back in there, you frakking moron!"

Scuffling sounds drifted to him, followed by a deep-voiced yelp of pain.

"Dean, dammit, go to Cas! He needs you!"

"No, he needs that bitch Rowena, and I'm not waiting around for Sam anymore."

"Dean! Listen. To. My. Words." Charlie's voice dropped, but still carried well enough to be heard. "Cas loves you, you stupid ass, and this could very well be your last chance to be with him. Do you hear me? Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"

During the silence that followed, Castiel felt the slippery blackness move and stretch inside him. He whimpered. It hurt.

When the pain faded, Dean was there with him again. Castiel should have been happy he came back, but Dean looked so sad, it made him sad, too. Dean held his hand and touched his hair.

"Cas? Is it true? Do you love me?"

He smiled. Yes, of course he did. He loved Dean with all his heart. He'd do anything to protect him and make him happy. But Dean didn't look happy. His eyes shone with tears, and his lips quivered.

"Aw, shit, Cas. Why the hell didn't you tell me?" Dean pulled Castiel up, wrapping him in a tight hug. Castiel could feel the hot-then-cold touch of tears on his skin from Dean's cheek. Inside him, the blackness spasmed, trying to get away from Dean's touch. It hurt, but the hug felt better.

Dean cradled Castiel in his lap. He touched his face, wiping away the cold tears. He held his hand, squeezing it tightly to his chest. He pressed his forehead to Castiel's and looked at him with his beautiful green eyes. So sad, full of tears and regret.

"Cas, you know I love you, right? I'm shit with talking about this stuff, but you know I do, right? You're everything to me."

The happiness that filled Castiel's chest pushed back the pain for a few moments. Dean was safe, and he loved him. Everything was perfect.

But then the pain pushed back, and he closed his eyes against it.

"Oh, fuck. Charlie! Charlie, I need help!"

The squirming evil was taking hold. It slithered into every crevice and took root. It hurt. A lot.

"Oh my god, what is that? Dean, what's happening?"

"Shit, Charlie, I don't know! Fuck, I don't know! Cas? Can you hear me?"

The blackness began to bleed over everything. The voices began to fade.

"No – nononono, please don't leave me! Not like this. Cas? Come on, Cas! Cas!"

As the blackness closed over Castiel, the last thing he heard was his name, spoken by the beautiful, broken voice of the man he loved more than life.

"CAS!"

Everything was perfect.