A/N: Next installment! This one's got four chapters. And check out 29-pieces-of-me on deviantart for an awesome sketch of Gabriel and his grace animal.

THEN

Castiel's days were reduced to the relentless pursuit of demons. It was a lonely, exhausting existence, for no matter how many fiends of Hell he slew, the world around him continued to fall apart. He wondered where Dean and Sam were now, whether the man he'd rescued from Hell and the hunter's brother were even still alive.

A horde of demons found him. Castiel fought, but they were too many. Smoky vipers snapped and bit at his grace while horned beasts wielded weapons made of igneous brimstone against his flesh and bone. Castiel fell.

Yet before he could be dealt a killing blow, a flash of golden light erupted with a strident bird screech. A massive wingspan burst out over the demons, a great eagle rearing back with another shriek. It tore the demons apart, and Castiel could only gape in frozen stupefaction.

The rippling golden aura receded into human form, slightly short for his formidable stature, sweeping hair as golden brown as his grace animal.

"Gabriel?" Castiel whispered.

The presumed-dead archangel cocked a devil-may-care grin at him. "Hey, bro."

…

The Impala slowly rumbled to a stop at the edge of the campgrounds the Winchesters had just come across. They'd been avoiding the main roads, trying to stay under the radar as they traversed an area more and more overrun with demons every day. This place appeared abandoned, but not decrepit.

The brothers exchanged a look, then glanced back at the caravan of other vehicles they'd started picking up—survivors who had nowhere else to go. None of them did. Trying to get to one of the cities on the east or west coasts that were still standing was treacherous, and from what they'd heard, those places were so heavily guarded that not even refugees were allowed inside anymore. No, out here in the Mid-west, they were on their own. And if Dean and Sam were going to have any chance of keeping these terrified people alive, they'd have to stop being on the run.

"What do you think?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged. "We can make it work."

Dean took a deep breath, and pressed the gas to lead their convoy into their new home.

Camp Chitaqua.

…

"You're leading a rebel garrison?" Castiel asked incredulously as Gabriel tended his wounds.

"Hard to believe, I know."

"We all thought you were dead."

Gabriel's expression darkened. "That's a long story. The relevant stuff right now is I'm not gonna stand by any longer and let my dickhead older brothers destroy the rest of my family. I've been saving who I can, asking them to join me in the fight, on our side, not the corruption Michael's made Heaven into. Anna was the first, and there have been others." Gabriel's mien softened. "She never gave up hope that we'd find you."

Castiel's eyes widened. "Anna's alive?"

"Yeah." Gabriel placed a hand on Castiel's shoulder. "So, little brother, want to join the resistance?"

…

NOW

Castiel threw an arm up to block a punch and swung with his other to deliver his own blow. It was deflected with a similar move. Now both their arms were locked, yet before Castiel could break away, his opponent hooked a leg around his and kicked his feet out from under him. He landed on his back with her bearing down on top of him.

"You always fall for that," an unwanted commentator spoke up from the sidelines.

"Like you don't," Castiel grunted at Balthazar before he bucked and managed to reverse his position, with him rolling on top of Anna.

But in the maneuver, she'd slipped her knee up between them and then kicked Castiel square in the chest, sending him flying backward to hit the mat. He rolled with the momentum, regaining his feet in one fluid movement. Anna pushed herself up as well, and the match reset with them circling each other.

They engaged again, Anna striking with a roundhouse kick. Castiel caught her leg and twisted it at the knee joint; she lost her balance and threw her hands down to catch herself on the mat. But then she dropped forward into a somersault, extricating her leg from Castiel's grip.

He was about to move in after her when the front doors in the outer room banged open with a resounding clang. Castiel and Anna exchanged a quick look before abandoning the sparring session and heading for the entryway that led to the main war room of their underground compound, Balthazar right behind them.

It was Inias and Hester who had burst in so harried, and Castiel instinctively tensed at the looks of horror on their faces. Their gazes swept frantically over the angels gathering at the commotion until they spotted Gabriel coming in from one of the other rooms.

"Gabriel," Inias blurted. "It's the Devil's Gate."

The archangel, normally so debonair and cocky, blanched for a split second. "Lucifer can't be here already."

Inias quickly shook his head. "No. But the older and fouler demons from the depths of Hell are beginning to come through the portal. We just saw a morvath demon pass through."

Castiel stiffened. One of those was large enough to trample a small house.

"Lucifer won't be far behind," Hester added. "And once he's here, it's over. Our mission, our fight. I doubt even this pocket dimension will protect us forever."

The cohort fell silent at the pronouncement, though contrary to Hester's dire declaration, Castiel believed they would be safe inside the pocket dimension Gabriel had established their base to keep them off Heaven's radar. But they couldn't just hide here while the rest of the planet was destroyed.

"We have to close the Gate," Anna spoke up.

Gabriel threw her a wry look; this wasn't the first time she had suggested it.

Hester scoffed, voicing the worn-out argument, "How? The area is overrun with demons. We can't get close enough, and certainly not long enough to actually do anything to the portal."

"We have to try!"

Castiel put a gentle hand on Anna's elbow. He knew why she felt so passionate about this; he wasn't opposed to the goal, either. But Hester's points were valid.

Gabriel shook his head. "I won't engage in a suicide mission."

"If we do nothing, we will all die eventually," Anna pressed. "Killing demons here and there will mean nothing if Lucifer rises."

"The amount of power we'll need to attempt closing the portal will take time to channel. Hester's right, we'll be overwhelmed within minutes," Gabriel said with a harder edge in his tone. He took a step forward into the center of their group, turning slightly to address them all. "I would gladly sacrifice myself to stop all this if we were guaranteed it would work. But we're not, and I will not throw away any of your lives on a long shot. Not like this."

Some of the sharpness bled away from his expression, and Castiel's heart ached at the chink in Gabriel's armor; he was a leader worthy of their loyalty, but he was also an older brother trying desperately to save the scant remnants of his family in a losing battle.

"We would have to find a way to clear the area of demons," Castiel interjected. "Perhaps a diversion of some kind."

Hester let out a disparaging snort. "More would just come through the portal."

Castiel huffed in exasperation; her pessimism was not conducive to problem-solving.

Balthazar cleared his throat. "Not if we blow them all up."

Castiel and the others all turned to look at the angel who normally stayed quiet during strategic planning sessions.

He gave them all a blasé look in return. "That nuke Zachariah was planning to use on the demons in one of the human cities. We should use it on the portal."

Castiel's jaw slackened. "You kept it?"

Balthazar shrugged. "You never know when incendiary devices might come in handy."

"Would that work?" Inias asked excitedly.

Castiel shook his head in protest. "We can't use the nuclear device; it will kill all the humans still in the vicinity and make the area uninhabitable for miles. That's why we had to stop Zachariah from using it in the first place."

"It might be worth it, to stop the Apocalypse," someone pointed out.

"True," Balthazar said glibly. "But I was thinking why not go for the gold—we smuggle the bomb into Hell and detonate it on that side. It would wipe out legions of demons, and maybe even collapse the portal. But that would give us the time needed on this side to finish the job."

"Smuggle it into Hell?" Anna repeated dubiously, but already her eyes were sparking with interest.

"Castiel got in once," Balthazar went on. "When he made that incursion to rescue Dean Winchester."

Castiel's brows rose in dismay. Yes, he had done that…but he'd been properly chastised for the recklessness of it afterward. When he looked at Gabriel to see what their leader thought, he found the archangel's mouth pressed into a pensive line. After several long moments of silence, Gabriel lifted his gaze to Castiel's.

"You've been inside the portal. Do you think it's possible?"

Castiel suddenly felt self-conscious as all eyes turned toward him, as though the final decision would be weighed upon his input, their lives in his hands if he declared this crazy idea possible. Most of the other angels looked grim or nervous; Balthazar and Anna were gazing at him expectantly. And if he confirmed what they were all hoping, he knew it would fall to him, the one who had braved the bowels of Hell once, to do it again.

He swallowed. "Yes."

A ripple of anxious anticipation started to suffuse through the crowd. It was dangerous, but any plan to close the Devil's Gate would be. Yet it was the closest shot they'd had since the Apocalypse started to actually make a dent in it.

Gabriel, however, did not look as eager as some of the others, and nodded sagely. "Do you know how to arm the bomb?"

"Yes. The Winchesters told me how they disarmed it in the first place." It would not be difficult to activate the device again. "And there's a timer."

"I'll go with you," Anna immediately volunteered.

Castiel was warmed by the offer. "The others will need you. I can get in and out."

"No," Gabriel countered. "I want you to have backup. The rest of us will cover your exit on Earth's side of the portal." He drew his shoulders back, the stout leader once again coming to the forefront. "I'll call the others back. We'll leave in an hour."

With that, he turned to head off and make the final preparations.

"See?" Balthazar said. "I have my moments of brilliance."

"Since it was your brilliant idea," Anna replied, "you're coming with us."

Balthazar's smug mien faltered. "Fine," he let out with a dramatic sigh. "Someone has to operate the device, and I have a little more experience after tinkering with it."

Castiel straightened in alarm. "You tinkered with it? What if you had set it off!"

"Relax, I was in a controlled environment."

"Does it even still work?" Anna rejoined.

Balthazar scowled. "Of course it does. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go retrieve our little care package." He disappeared with a small zip into the ether.

Castiel's jaw tightened. He hoped they weren't getting in over their heads.

Dean swung the ax down and deftly cleaved the chunk of wood in two. An echoing split and thwack followed close behind as Sam's hatchet buried itself in his own base stump. It took a couple of tries to wriggle it loose. Chopping firewood was quite the workout, but at least they got something useful out of it.

Dean wrenched his ax free and set another block of wood on his stump. Another swing, another piece hewn apart. Only this time when Dean looked up, there was suddenly a figure dressed in dark clothes standing at the fence line across the open field. He frowned; usually when Cas showed up it was in a supply truck at the gate.

He set the ax down and pulled his work gloves off. Sam quirked a confused look at him, but after following his gaze to the angel, he set aside his tools as well, and the two of them made their way across the grounds.

"Hey, Cas," Dean called out. "What's up? You don't want to come in?" Camp Chitaqua may have been warded against most angels, but there were inscriptions that allowed a choice few admittance.

"I can't stay long," Cas replied, sounding a bit more grave than usual. "My garrison is planning to move against the Devil's Gate. With any luck, we'll be able to close it and stop the entire Apocalypse."

Dean's brows shot upward incredulously.

"What, really?" Sam blurted.

Cas nodded sagely.

Dean furrowed his brow. "Wait, how exactly? I thought you said that thing was too powerful."

Cas shifted his weight. "A small contingent is going to take that nuclear device we stole from Zachariah through the portal and detonate it on the other side."

Dean's jaw slackened in dismay. What?

"You're going to nuke Hell?" Sam sputtered.

"Yes. Hopefully the blast will be enough to weaken the portal, and then the angels on this side will attempt to close it the rest of the way," Cas explained.

Dean narrowed his eyes suddenly. "You're part of that contingent going through, aren't you?"

The angel hesitated only a moment before admitting, "Yes."

Dean's stomach clenched with haunted memories of the Devil's Gate, the hordes of demons swarming the place, the blood and death, and then what was on the other side…it was enough to make a cold sweat break out on his skin under the mid-day sun.

Sam's expression pinched. "Sounds dangerous," he said carefully.

"Very. But we have a real chance, and I would willingly give my life if it meant saving the world so you all would be safe."

Dean swallowed hard. "I know you would," he said softly. "But try not to, okay?"

Cas gave him a sympathetic look. "I'll try."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Sam asked.

"No," Cas replied. "I just came to let you know where I was going, in case…" He trailed off as a morose pall fell over them.

Dean tried to shake it off by adopting an air of bravado he didn't quite genuinely feel. "Hey, you've got this in the bag. I mean, you already infiltrated Hell once to get me out, right from under a bunch of demons' noses."

Cas's mouth turned upward in an attempt at a smile. "Exactly. You don't need to worry."

Dean exchanged a look with Sam. Yeah, right.

"Well, good luck," Sam offered.

Cas nodded, and Dean opened his mouth to say something else, but the angel had already disappeared into the ether.

"Be careful," Dean muttered to the empty space Cas had been. And come back.

"He said his whole garrison is going," Sam spoke up tentatively. "That's a lot of firepower. When he got you out of Hell, he was alone, so I'm sure he'll be fine now."

"Yeah," Dean murmured. And if they did succeed in closing the portal and the Apocalypse was averted…well, the world would never be the same, but they could start to rebuild. And there'd always be jobs for him and Sam to hunt down those demons still topside.

But Dean was used to being a man of action, and suddenly chopping firewood seemed like the most trivial thing he could be doing right now when his best friend was out trying to save them all.

He started trudging back to his mundane work when the sentry at the gate called out to him and Sam. They immediately veered that way instead. As he and Sam approached the gate, Dean caught sight of two figures standing on the other side. His worry from a minute before was momentarily forgotten when he finally recognized them, and he burst into a beaming grin.

"It's alright, guys," Dean said to the men on guard duty, waving off their defensive stances.

The two women standing at the gate broke into wide smiles in return.

"Damn, it's good to see you boys," Ellen said, spreading her arms for Dean to walk right into a hug. She squeezed him hard.

"You too," Sam gushed, getting a fervent embrace next.

Dean turned to Jo, unable to keep his mouth from quirking. Even covered in dried mud and her blonde hair greasy, she still looked hot. She shot him a wry grin and moved in to give him a cheeky side hug.

"So what is this place? You got a little harem set up or something?" Jo joked.

Dean smirked. While there were some women at the camp whom Dean occasionally fraternized with, he wasn't attached to anyone. "You worried about competition?"

She snorted. "Hardly."

Dean just shook his head and swept an arm out toward the faded sign half covered behind overgrown bushes. "Welcome to Camp Chitaqua. It's not much, and the food may not be great, but at least we aren't the ones on the menu."

"Looks like the Four Seasons to me," Ellen said.

The four of them started up the path toward the cabins, but Jo suddenly swayed, and Dean lashed out to catch her.

"Whoa, hey," he said, eyeing her worriedly. "You okay?"

Jo sagged against him. "Yeah, sorry. Just got a little lightheaded there."

Ellen moved in to her daughter's other side, jovial expression quickly replaced with grimness. "It's been a long journey," she said ominously.

Yeah, Dean could imagine. The world outside this camp wasn't exactly hospitable to humans.

"You're safe here now," Sam assured them. "We'll get you some food and a warm place to sleep for the night."

Both women nodded gratefully, and they resumed walking, albeit at a slower pace.

"So where have you been?" Dean asked, still reeling from the thrill of seeing them alive. He and Sam hadn't been able to find out what happened to the Harvelles after the Apocalypse had started.

"Constantly on the move and staying one step ahead of those ugly-ass demons," Ellen replied. "We recently heard a rumor about an encampment set up by a couple of hunters, thought we'd check it out." She flashed them a proud grin. "Shoulda known it'd be you boys."

"Bobby's here too," Sam happily informed her.

Ellen paused for a split second as obvious relief settled over her features. "Well, today just keeps getting better. We'd made it to Sioux Falls, but the place was destroyed. We thought maybe…" She shook her head. "Of course Singer is too much of a hard-ass to let a couple of demons get him."

Dean and Sam instantly sobered and glanced at each other.

"Um, yeah, about Bobby…" Sam started, but before he could finish, one of the cabin's screen doors up ahead banged open and the speak-of-the-devil wheeled out onto the porch.

Ellen pulled up short, and Dean winced at the obvious reaction. He'd hoped to prepare her first.

"What happened?" she whispered, even though they were still several yards from the cabin.

"Demon attack," Sam quickly answered. "Not the one at his house. After. He got thrown out a window."

Dean's gut clenched at the memory of seeing his surrogate father crashing through the second story window. Bobby had only been hit because he'd intercepted a demon running for Dean. They'd been lucky there was still a working hospital in the area at the time, but the doctors hadn't been able to do anything about Bobby's legs. Going on the run with a man stuck in a wheelchair hadn't exactly been easy after that. Finding Camp Chitaqua had been a blessing in many ways, including giving Bobby a place to rest, and to start finding ways to be productive again. Dean actually considered Bobby the leader of the encampment, not himself. He couldn't figure out why no one else seemed to agree with him, though.

"Are you done gawking at the paraplegic?" Bobby yelled at them. "Or are you gonna get your asses up here and say a proper hello?"

Ellen snorted. "Nice to see he's still his charming self."

Dean and Sam ducked their gazes, and started moving again. Jo leaned into Dean, not quite out of physical exhaustion, and he slipped a comforting arm around her waist. Two friends they'd feared lost had been found. It gave Dean hope for that one wayward star out there about to brave a black hole.