The Winchesters received a call from Mrs. Tran that Kevin had almost finished the reading on the tablet. Sam was frantic on the phone and they proceeded to go on a five hour journey to Garth's boat house. Dean wasn't sure what to expect as they arrived at the address but it was a vast, homey-looking house floating on a still, deserted harbor. They shut their doors to the Impala and crossed to the door of the boat. To their surprise, Kevin opened the door.

"Hey, Kevin," Sam said, looking around. "Where's Garth?"

"Sorting out a vampire situation three towns over." Sam didn't miss Dean's slight twitch. "Come in."

Once inside, Dean was surprised at how expensive looking the furniture was. "How the hell..." he said, gesturing at his surroundings.

Sam shrugged and looked at Kevin. "So, your mom said that you'd almost finished the readings on the tablet."

"Almost," he said. Then he glanced up at Dean. "I need to talk to you as well," he said as he turned away into the main room.

Sam shared a look with Dean; a look that they'd shared a thousand times before. Confusion.

"Just me?" Dean asked.

Kevin nodded and Dean turned to look at Sam who seemed perplexed- almost insulted. Dean shrugged and followed Kevin. Sam nodded and said something vague about "doing some research".

"So what's up, Kevin?"

He sighed, one too old for someone as young as he was, then began. "Remember when Crowley captured me?" Dean thought back then nodded. "Well, when Castiel came in to get me he did something. I didn't know what it was but I looked it up. I was kinda worried and wondered if you might know anything about it. Like what he was trying to do."

For the second time in five minutes, Dean was stunned and...worried. "What happened?"

Kevin was cautious with his words but soon they tumbled freely out of his mouth. "I think he tried to...exorcise himself."

Dean froze. "What the hell do you mean he-"

"He sort of glowed. His eyes glowed, there were shadows of wings on the wall and he just... he glowed all over. Like he was about to explode or something."

Dean was aware that his fists were clenched and it struck him that he was inches away from Kevin, projecting his anger to anyone that was there. He took a step back but that didn't stop his thoughts from buzzing around his head. Jimmy Novak had gone a long time ago. It was just Cas in there now. If he had gone through with that... Well, Dean saw what Alastair had done to Cas and what would have happened if Sam hadn't have stopped him. Kevin glanced nervously at the taller man in front of him then decided to leave the room and let him be alone. After a few minutes of breathing and figuring out what to do, he decided on a plan.

...

"Cas... I don't know where you are but I need you so get your ass here pronto."

Minutes later, there was a fluttering of wings and Dean turned around to face him.

"Hello, Dean."

Dean almost forgot what he was about to do but, in a split second and before Castiel knew what was happening, the hunter charged forward with his fists clenched in the angel's trench coat. They slammed into the wall, knocking off a lavish painting in the process.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Dean bellowed, his mouth centimeters from Castiel's.

"Dean, what are you-"

"You know damn right what I'm talking about! Don't bullshit me, Cas! With Crowley! Kevin told me what happened. How you were glowing and it didn't take me long to figure it out! It was exactly what happened with Alastair, wasn't it? Except, this time, you were doing it!" There was a pause that was filled with Castiel breaking the eye contact between then and trying to look down at the floor. "What the hell?" Dean spoke again, releasing his grip slightly on his trench coat.

"I wasn't really-"

"Don't lie to me, Cas. I know what you were thinking. Take out Crowley along with yourself for penance? That's not how it works. You don't get to do that. Not to me. Not after all this."

Castiel looked sheepish and couldn't meet his eyes. "I'm sorry, Dean." His sudden apology made Dean step back and release the trench coat completely. "I just wanted to... I wanted to pay for my sins. My crimes against Heaven are something that can never be solved. I don't think I can ever go back."

Dean's eyes softened towards the angel and automatically reached for his wrist and grabbed it. "You have. You were in Purgatory for a year. You stayed even though-" Dean stopped and recalled the events that had happened a thousand times in his head. "You knew you were going to stay but you still came with me up 'til the very last moment." The corner of Dean's mouth tugged upwards in a brief smile.

Castiel nodded. "Of course. I thought it would..." Dean raised his eyebrows. "I thought it would be the last time I ever got to see you."

How Cas phrased things would always feel like a punch in the gut. He was so earnest and honest. It was hard to stop himself from pulling the angel in with his arms fastened around his shoulders. His cheek was brushing against the angel's slight stubble then his head dropped and his forehead came to rest on his shoulder, like the weight of the world was on him. It had felt like that for years and yet, when Castiel's arms came up and fastened around Dean's waist, he felt comforted and completely relaxed. Castiel was doing something he didn't do in Purgatory. Something the angel should have done. And something Castiel never thought he would get the chance to do ever again.

"I'm sorry, Dean," he said again.

"Shut up, Cas," he mumbled into the angel's shoulder. "I forgive you."

Castiel's arms tightened around Dean. Those words meant more to him than the hunter could ever know.