- Chapter 31: Here Comes the Sun -

Although over a dozen questions immediately flashed through Dean's mind, he couldn't find the words to vocalize any of them. Instead, he just stared up at Chuck with his mouth half open. Even when God held out his hand for the human to take, Dean remained still, unmoving and unable to process what the hell just happened. His wound was completely gone, and – physically, at least – he did not at all feel as though he had just been in a heavenly and apocalyptic battle. His eyes darted from Chuck to the gigantic creature he knew was Castiel. How was he able to see Cas without his eyes burning out of his skull? How had he been able to hear his voice without his eardrums rupturing? Was that God's influence? It had to have been. What other explanation was there?

"Dean!" Sam's voice snapped Dean out of his trance; he looked over to see his little brother running towards them, with Gabriel and Ramiel flying above. Immediately, a relieved sigh escaped Dean's lips; Sam was alive and unharmed, it appeared. Further away, Dean could also make out Raguel, Balthazar, and Hannah, who too were making their ways over to where God was standing.

Obviously, all of them were astonished – and confused – about what had just occurred.

"Dean," Chuck said, softly, drawing Dean's gaze back to Him. He still had His hand outstretched for the hunter to take. Slowly, almost cautiously, Dean allowed God to help him to his feet. But before he could get any words out, Sam had practically crashed into him, enveloping his big brother in a tight embrace.

Neither Winchester could believe that they were alive. And that they had won.

"Father!" Ramiel landed, light on her feet, and rushed over to Chuck's side. But rather than embrace Him as Sam had done to Dean, she just held her hands up to His face. She was obviously shaking, nervous to touch Him; she feared that if she did, He would disappear again. "Is it…really…?" Her eyes shone with tears when her fingers came in contact with Chuck's skin. And when He nodded, those tears flowed freely down her cheeks while she laughed and smiled wide.

"Yes, my child." He took her hands off His face so He could hold them in His own, and when He did, Ramiel's legs seemed to cave under her as she sank to her knees. Behind her, Gabriel just stared at his Father with a wide-eyed expression of disbelief, while Hannah, Balthazar, and Raguel landed next to him with similar emotions plastered on their faces.

"How? We all saw you die," Sam said, pulling himself apart from Dean. "Chaos killed you, back at the playground."

"Yes and no," Chuck said, gesturing for Ramiel to rise again. She did, wiping her tears away before backing up to stand next to her brothers and sisters. "Chaos and I…cannot truly kill one another, because we are two sides of the same coin. She and I complete each other. I cannot exist without her, and she cannot exist without me."

"So where the hell did you run off to then?" Dean's tone was harsher than perhaps necessary (earning him a glare from Raguel), but he was suspicious. He couldn't help but be – God seemed to have a knack for disappearing (or never appearing in the first place) right when things got tough. "We could've used your help a lot earlier."

Chuck sighed, almost apologetically. "While she can't kill me, she can render me…well, let's just say I couldn't even manifest physically until just now. I was too weak. I spilled a lot of my blood and energy in sealing the gate. I had hoped to keep her out of heaven for as long as I could without actually being around. I knew she was going to win that battle…which is why I allowed her to get rid of me so quickly. I needed to make sure heaven was protected."

"Yeah, and in the process you caused a lot of people and angels to die," Dean said, crossing his arms.

"If she had won that battle without my sealing the gate, she would have taken over heaven immediately. It had to be done," Chuck responded, firmly yet not unkindly. "I couldn't return; she was too powerful, and her Darkness too strong." He turned, looking up to smile at Castiel. The angel brought his heads down so that his mask-like face was level with his Father's. "There needed to be a commanding source of light for me to draw energy from and once again maintain a physical form." He reached out and touched Castiel's face gently.

"The weapons," Sam said, realization dawning on him. "Balthazar had said that they would create a godlike light and power when put together."

"Not just the weapons, though," Chuck clarified, looking back at the brothers. "Cassiel too." Suddenly, a bright light shone from God's hand and seemed to travel into Castiel. "I'm sorry for ever taking these from you…"

Castiel's six eyes closed for a moment, and the angel emitted a low and loud hum as the light faded. When he opened them again, they immediately traveled to Dean.

"Wait, what'd you just do?" Dean couldn't help but turn red with those gigantic blue orbs staring at him so intensely.

"I've returned to him the memories of you that I took," God explained. He then chuckled lowly. "Though it appears I didn't do a great job to begin with, as fragments of them were cracking through his mind anyway. Serves me right for underestimating my most surprising creation."

Once He said that, Castiel's entire body began to glow a pure white, soon changing shape to appear like grace. The light moved slowly to circle Dean once; the hunter immediately felt warm and happy in its embrace. Then, the grace traveled to re-inhabit its vessel, which had been motionless on the ground.

"Cas?" Dean rushed past God and knelt down to caress his angel's cheeks, waiting anxiously until he saw blue eyes open. Once he did, the hunter couldn't help but grin in relief.

"Hello Dean," Castiel whispered, smiling softly up at his human. Dean helped Cas to his feet, before grabbing the angel and dragging him into his arms. He buried his face into Castiel's neck, not wanting to let go, and once again not caring that the two of them had an audience.

"How the shit did you do that?" Dean laughed while he asked his question, still clinging onto the angel he loved so dearly. He could feel tears in his eyes but refused to allow them to fall right now.

"I…I don't know."

"It was his love for you, Dean."

The pair finally separated just so that they could look at Chuck after he spoke.

"I was wrong about you, Cassiel," God said, earning many surprised reactions. He just chuckled in response. "Yes, yes…rare for a being who is considered omniscient to admit when He is wrong, I know." He took a few steps toward Dean and Castiel. "I believed that you would fall and die because of your love for humanity. Because of your love for the righteous man. But it has, in fact, made you stronger and brighter."

"But Father…isn't falling in love with a human forbidden? Blasphemous?" Hannah couldn't help her confusion when she spoke; after all, the higher ups in heaven had – for her entire existence – made sure that was clear. That they were to protect humanity and to love them, but never fall for them. To never, for instance, produce a Nephilim. Those who did were considered practically traitorous.

"Yes, but…that was my own fear. I feared humanity's darkness would destroy my angels. I wanted to protect them."

"Humanity's…darkness?" Sam didn't like the sound of that, considering who they had just fought and locked away.

Chuck nodded, feeling the need to explain in more detail. "Chaos and her Darkness…they are not evil. Actually, her desire for freedom could be considered good, at least to many humans. If I could, I would have her with me, overseeing this universe together. But…she is pure. Overwhelming. Her freedom leaves no morality…no inhibitions. Just self-preservation and self-desires, which evil thrives under." God's expression turned remorseful. "Because of that, she cannot truly ever love…"

Sam raised an eyebrow; something about God's expression had him wondering. "Did…do you…?" He allowed the question to remain unasked, hanging in the air.

But Chuck didn't answer, choosing only to smile sadly and knowingly at the hunter before continuing. "I was afraid of that freedom. Hence why I created the angels…beings of pure light. My archangels fought her back and imprisoned her…but I soon came to realize that they were not the ideal creatures I had imagined. They followed orders and obeyed me but…perhaps her Darkness was infectious, as I soon began to desire that they had some of that freedom that Chaos had clung to. So, when I fashioned humanity, I instilled in it both my Light and her Darkness. My Light in the forms of morality and conscience, and her Darkness in the form of free will."

He laughed a little, again looking back at Dean and Castiel. "But with the aversion of the apocalypse, my angels got a taste of free will anyway. I was still afraid, though, that falling in love with a human would be too much, and would destroy any of them. Already I had lost Lucifer, and while he did not fall due to love…I was scared of losing any others. I thought that in taking the archangel Cassiel and turning him into the angel Castiel…I would save my seventh creation from that overwhelming Darkness; from falling for the righteous man. But I was wrong in that aspect as well…he always had more love in him than any of my other children. Just changing his name and memories would not alter his very being. It was arrogant of me to think otherwise, in all honesty."

God walked over to Castiel and gently grabbed onto his arm. The angel's armor instantly disappeared, revealing the mark that had appeared on Cas' skin the moment he trapped Chaos. "While I believe that your love for Dean and humanity would protect you from her influence, I am not going to put this burden on you," He said. Cas grimaced when Chuck put his palm over the mark, and Dean watched as the key to Chaos' prison was transferred from Castiel to God. When Chuck released the archangel's arm, the mark was now on His hand and Cas' skin was clear. "I never should have put it on Lucifer…" His voice was quiet and sad when He spoke again, before looking down at His palm and sighing. But His sadness seemed to go away as quickly as it came; He was once again smiling at Dean and his angel. "Now, Cassiel…I think I owe you something for all you have done for all of us, yes? What do you desire?"

Castiel seemed taken aback at the question at first. He looked at Dean, as if asking his human for some guidance here, but received no help. For a moment, he was silent, trying to think before he finally spoke. "…I wish to be called Castiel. Not Cassiel." After all, Castiel was the angel who met and fell in love with Dean Winchester. Castiel was the angel who rebelled against heaven to save humanity from the apocalypse. Castiel was the angel who was family to two brothers driving a 1967 Chevy Impala.

Chuck didn't at all look surprised when hearing the modest request. "Of course. I will do you one better, though, if you want. From now on, you are no longer an angel of heaven." Immediately, He held up His hand when Castiel opened his mouth to object. "You are now an angel of humanity. You will protect humans and love them, even against the forces of heaven if need be." God laughed softly. "I know it is but a formality, since you have truly been humanity's angel and the Winchesters' guardian for some time, but I know your heart will always lie with them, and I never wish for you to feel conflicted again. I do want you to know, however, that you will always be welcome here, and you will always be family to us, no matter what happens."

"I…" Cas didn't know at all what to say. In just that gesture, his Father had told him that all of what he had done for humans was okay. That God did not hold anything against him for turning his back on heaven to help the Winchesters. That He actually wanted Castiel to continue loving humanity more than anything. To continue loving Claire and Sam and Dean.

That it was okay to fall. To fall for the righteous man. To fall for Dean Winchester.

"Thank you." Those were the only words that Castiel could muster.

Chuck nodded and turned around to walk back to the rest of his angels.

"Father, what about the demons?" Raguel, of course, was referring to both Adam and Crowley, who had been released from Rowena's spell and rendered unconscious after Chaos' defeat. It was surprising to the archangel that Castiel's light had not obliterated either one of them.

"Ah, yes, I almost forgot," Chuck said. He snapped his fingers and both Adam and Crowley were suddenly at His feet, each of them groaning as they regained consciousness. They stood, but once they looked at God's face they screamed and covered their black eyes, which had begun to smoke. The light of the Father was too much for them to witness this closely.

"Bloody hell…turn the brights off," Crowley growled through clenched teeth.

"Would you like for me to smite them, Father?" Raguel seemed all too eager to get rid of these demons. The fact that they were even in heaven bothered her greatly. However, she backed off when God shook His head.

"No. There's a place for these two. For one, I can't have Hell running amok without a leader to guide it. Hell does, after all, have its place in this universe." With that, he touched Crowley's head, and the King disappeared. The angels all looked surprised, but Chuck just smiled and laughed. "I'm not giving him immunity or anything like that, but after Chaos, someone needs to put that place back in order. Why not let him deal with that mess?"

He then turned his attention to Adam, who had sunk down to his knees while still covering his eyes. Heaven's light had finally begun to hurt him, since Chaos' Darkness was no longer protecting him. Black smoke was coming off his body, and the Knight of Hell was cringing in pain, trying to not vocalize his suffering in front of the agents of heaven. God looked down on Adam with sorrow. "You have given much…and you have suffered more than you ever should have. For that, I am sorry." He brought two fingers to Adam's forehead, causing the demon to gasp loudly. The dark smoke slowly disappeared, and after Adam opened his eyes again, everyone watched as the blackness in them transformed into white and green.

"You have more than earned your place in heaven."

Adam allowed his once-again human eyes to adjust to the light, and once he realized he was no longer a demon, he began to weep silently. He couldn't help but remain angry concerning the events that had unfolded with Sam and Dean, but that anger meant little after he thought about the one person he wanted to see. "My…my mom?"

"Your heaven is next to hers, and you two will be allowed to visit each other as much as you both desire." Once Chuck finished that sentence, Adam couldn't stop his smile or his tears.

"Can I see her now?"

With a nod, God again brought His fingers to Adam's head; the youngest Winchester brother disappeared.

Finally, that kid would be with the person he loved the most, Dean thought. It really was the least that he deserved, after all he had been through because of them.

"Now then…" Chuck clasped His hands together, turning His attention once more to His angels. "Shall we?"

Ramiel and Raguel both nodded, and each began to follow their Father after He had started walking away. Their places were at their Father's side, and so they would go wherever He desired.

"Wait!" Dean's voice had the three of them looking in his direction. "Where…where are you guys going now? You're just going to leave?"

God smiled, but chose to not answer the human's questions. "I'm sure I'll see you again Dean."

Before anyone could say anything else, God and his two archangel daughters were gone.

"Forever mysterious, Dad is," Gabriel sighed, breaking the silence after a few moments.

"Why didn't you go with them, Gabriel?" Sam was curious as to why the former trickster decided to stay rather than go with his Father and sisters to…wherever they were headed. Gabriel just grinned and put his hands behind his head.

"What, and miss out on hanging with you guys down on Earth? That's not very fun, is it?"

"Oh so you're coming with us now?"

"Well maybe not right this second, but you know you wanna see me again, Sam," Gabriel teased, while sticking his tongue out at the younger Winchester. He chose to ignore Sam's bitch-face response, and turned to Balthazar and Hannah. "What about you two? You got any plans?"

Hannah thought for a moment. "I will return to the individual heavens…to make sure everything is in order." She was still in command, and knew she had a duty to make sure that everything in heaven was running smoothly. After all, God and his archangels didn't seem too eager to pick up the responsibilities again, so someone had to make sure everything was alright up here.

"Sounds boring. What about you, Balthy?"

"I think I've earned some relaxation and fun, don't you think? Being dead and then coming back to life isn't exactly a cakewalk," Balthazar said, crossing his arms and smirking.

"Don't I know it," Gabriel said through a grin. "Well then. Why don't we get started on that?" He snapped his fingers, and a drink instantly appeared in Balthazar's hand. "Don't mind some company, do you brother?"

"Not at all," Balthazar responded after taking a sip of his drink. Nice, Gabriel got him the good stuff. Hannah rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. After all…celebrating in any way was kind of necessary after the hopelessness that they had all experienced beforehand. Perhaps she would visit her favorite heaven and that little girl building snowmen before doing anything else.

"Don't get in too much trouble you two," she sighed. She lifted herself up into the air with her wings, but before flying off she turned to Castiel, Dean, and Sam. "Thank you. For all you three have done." She knew that those words alone were not enough to express her gratitude and the debt that heaven truly owed them, but it was all that she could think to say at the moment.

And the remaining five watched her fly off into the distance.

"Always working, that one. No fun whatsoever," Gabriel said, shaking his head. But he soon clasped his hands together. "Well, what're we waiting for?"

He and Balthazar turned to face the trio that once called themselves Team Free Will. "We'll see you boys around," Gabriel said, winking as Balthazar sipped his drink again.

And all Cas, Dean, and Sam could do before the two brothers disappeared was smile.

"I'm sure you two want to go back as well," Castiel observed. Dean and Sam looked at each other and nodded.

"Yeah, after this whole thing I think I want to sleep for about a week." Although Dean physically felt fine after God's healing touch, he still was mentally and emotionally exhausted. Some good old R&R was well deserved, he thought.

Castiel chuckled and held his hands out for the two of them to grab. When they did, he took a moment to look at each of them fondly, and chose to lace his fingers with Dean's. Truly, he knew where he belonged now.

With Sam and Dean Winchester.

With his family.

And it was time for them all to go home.

The first week back on Earth without Chaos was a relaxing one. Castiel had brought the three of them back to the Impala (which Dean was super excited to see unharmed), and they had made their way back to the bunker. Dean and Sam both spent a lot of the week sleeping, and when the entire trio was awake, they indulged in beer and food and lots of movie and television marathons.

Castiel had basically moved into Dean's room, and when the human was napping, he was in bed next to him, embracing and watching over his hunter and making sure he only had wonderful dreams.

Unfortunately, however, Chaos' absence did not remove all the demons and monsters and ghosts of this world, and the boys were soon back on the road solving cases and saving people. Sometimes Castiel went with them, and other times he chose to go off and do some things on his own, allowing the brothers to conduct their business by themselves. But he always returned to the bunker to be with his family once he was done.

Dean loved that.

Today's particular case – which turned out to be a relatively simple one thanks to the additional help of their angel – ended quickly, leaving the trio with a whole unplanned day.

"Back to the bunker?" Sam had asked when he got in the front seat of the Impala. Despite Dean and Castiel's relationship, the angel was more than happy seated in the back most of the time. There were instances where he and Sam would switch places, and during those times his left hand would find Dean's right while the hunter was driving, and they would smile at each other and feel safe. Sam would roll his eyes and comment about how gross they were, but in reality, he was ecstatic for the both of them. Seeing his brother truly happy like this was not something he was used to, but something that he definitely loved.

"I have a better idea," Dean had replied, before turning a corner and driving in a different direction.

They were in the car for another hour after that, before coming to a large lake with sandy shores. Dean had said some time ago that he wanted to go to a beach, but they weren't exactly in an area where they could see the actual ocean, so this would have to do for now. There were some families out and about, with kids and parents swimming in the water, and teens sunbathing and playing volleyball.

"Dean, I don't think we're dressed for this," Sam said, exiting the car with a smile. After all, they had just come from a job, so they were still dressed in their FBI suits.

"Tough shit Sammy. Just enjoy it."

Sam's reply was to just laugh.

"Whatever. I'm going to go change. Like hell I'm going to get this suit all messed up." With that, Sam grabbed a bag from the trunk and walked off, heading towards the changing rooms that were some feet away. Castiel watched Sam before turning to Dean and tilting his head in confusion.

"You're not going to change too?"

"Not yet," Dean replied, shaking his head. "Come here." He began walking towards the lake, beckoning the angel to follow him. Castiel obeyed, standing next to Dean when the hunter stopped at the edge of the water. He kept his eyes ahead, watching the sun on the horizon, before noticing that Dean became somewhat fidgety.

"Dean? Is something wrong?"

The older Winchester shifted on his feet, but couldn't look at Castiel when he answered him. "It's just. You know, I wanted to bring you somewhere nice and shit but…looking at this place, I know it's not nearly as nice as God's beach, or whatever, you know, up in heaven…" He was feeling more than a little foolish, like a teenager bringing his crush out on a first date or something. It was stupid. "Shit, this just isn't…you deserve the best and this is-"

"Dean," Castiel interrupted. He waited until the hunter looked at him. The two of them locked eyes. Green had easily become Castiel's favorite color long before their admitted feelings, just as blue had become Dean's. Castiel took Dean's hand and wove their fingers together, before closing the gap between their lips. It was a soft kiss, like many of theirs were, but it spoke volumes about the limitless love the angel had for this particular human being.

That limitless love which caused Castiel to fall in love with Dean twice. Even when all his memories had been taken from him…Castiel's heart always belonged to Dean Winchester.

And when the kiss stopped, Dean had relaxed entirely. Castiel touched his forehead to the other's before speaking again, his eyes never leaving Dean's face.

"It's perfect."

~~The End~~

Notes: Thank you guys so much for reading and being on this journey with me! Truthfully I did not think that this fic would turn into what it did, and I'm sorry about the slowing updates later on, but I hope that you enjoyed Sam, Dean, and Castiel's (well-deserved) happy ending! You're all the best and I wouldn't have been able to finish it without you!