Author's Note:

Last chapter, guys! There will definitely be time stamps and additions to this at some point in the future, so if you have any requests, definitely let me know. There are several things I won't be including in this ending because they would be too rushed, so there are some details I already have planned for the future. Keep an eye out! I just want to thank the vast majority of you who were extremely encouraging and just completely lovely the whole time I was working on this.

You Fall In Flame is now available in a slightly edited form on AO3 (also FictionalNutter), where it is listed as part of the Stars 'verse. Any time stamps and additions will be posted to that verse. If you have prompts, please send them to me here, on AO3, or on my Tumblr, SupernaturallyImagined.

Thanks to FireChildSlytherin5, ILoveGayFanFiction35, Nyx Ro, SPN Mum, SnarryMoreidLover, koolies, FindMeWaiting, doglady.1, and Harri-Sal for their reviews on chapter 40!

Chapter 40 - This I Swear By The Stars!

Two Weeks Later

Sam ducked a flying tome of Shakespeare's greatest works and hurled his pistol towards Dean. "Shoot the damn thing already!" He bellowed.

Dean snatched the pistol out of midair, dropped to the ground, rolled behind one of the library's shelves, and took a deep breath to steady himself. The werewolf in question was the local librarian, who had fallen asleep at the library after working late. He was a relatively new wolf, and apparently hadn't figured out how to track the lunar cycles.

The destruction of the library as the werewolf attempted to save itself was pissing Sam off, and he wanted to end this hunt before he had to watch another claw pierce a classic novel.

A sudden motion distracted the werewolf, and before he could react Dean had put two bullets between his eyes. There was a pause, then the werewolf collapsed onto the ground.

Sam stood slowly, wincing at an ache in his back. "Finally," he groaned.

Dean rolled his eyes and tossed the pistol back at Sam. "C'mon, let's get rid of this guy and make ourselves scarce."

Sam was about to agree when he noticed the trail of blood running down Dean's arm. "Let me see your arm." He demanded.

Knowing better than to argue with Sam about an injury, Dean shrugged his overshirt off until his arm was out of the sleeve. The t-shirt he had on underneath didn't cover the puncture wound the werewolf's claws had left while taking a swipe at him. "Not a big deal," Dean tried to blow it off. "We've got anti-infection crap in the first aid kit, plus gauze and all that. I'll be fine."

With a sigh, Sam let Dean pull his shirt back on but gave him a disparaging look. "Dude, you know I really don't care if you do the whole suffering martyr thing, since it isn't exactly life threatening, but you know you don't actually have to."

Dean shrugged. "Not life threatening. Not worth it."

Snorting, Sam leaned down to help Dean heft the werewolf's body up to carry it out of the building. "Yeah, good luck selling that one to Cas."

When Sam and Dean reached the bunker late that night, exhausted and starving, it quickly became evident that only Dean was unconcerned about his shoulder wound.

Castiel was on them almost before they were down the steps. "What happened?"

Dean gave him a look. "Relax, Cas. I got swiped by a straw claw, but I'll be fine. Promise."

Ignoring him, Castiel laid a finger on Dean's forehead, not bothering to react to the irritated noise the hunter made as his wound closed up. "Dean," he said firmly, exasperated, "I want you to be healthy. Healing from bruises and scrapes on your own time is fine, but wounds such as this I want to be able to help you with."

Dean rubbed the now fresh skin under his shirt absently and nodded. "All right, Cas. I'll try, okay?"

As Castiel nodded, Sam moved past them into the bunker, calling back over his shoulder, "Don't hold your breath, Cas."

Chuckling, Castiel took Dean's hand in his and moved forward, commenting in response, "Do not worry, Sam. I know what I have gotten myself into. Speaking of which, my brother is waiting for you in the library, and you would do well to rescue Kevin before our prophet goes insane. I believe he was trying to study."

Castiel didn't need to specify which brother, and Sam immediately took off to rescue Kevin from Gabriel. Kevin and Adam weren't starting school until the spring, but Kevin was determined to be prepared when he finally got to school. Adam was reading for lack of anything else to do, but not studying with the intensity the prophet had.

"I think you and I need to spend some quality time with my frankly fantastic mattress," Dean informed Castiel with a grin, tugging him towards the hallway.

Castiel smiled. "I could go along with that. I will meet you there in a moment. If I am to be unreachable for a few hours, I need to ensure that our resident demon will stay out of trouble."

Dean rolled his eyes, but let Castiel go. "Fine, check on Crowley. Five minutes!"

With a laugh, Castiel gave Dean a small nod in agreement. "I can do that."

Michael and Gabriel worked better together than they had ever gotten along, now that they had a shared goal and common motivation. Both had been overjoyed the learn of Castiel's new grace, especially when the angel admitted that God had promised he would have unrestricted access to the Heavens of those he cared for once they had passed. Essentially, God had allowed Castiel to have eternity with both his humans and his family, and both parties were pleased with the concept. Michael especially welcomes Castiel's assistance in Heaven, since Gabriel was in and out far more frequently than Michael was.

Some of the angels who had come back to life, especially those who had passed away during the Apocalypse or subsequent war were not happy with the new arrangements. Several, such as Uriel, were especially vocal in their distaste. To these, Michael laid down a very simple law. Follow God's will, which meant peace, not imminent war on humanity, or find yourself imprisoned. Michael did not wish to kill his siblings, but he had decided that using Heaven's prisons was a sufficient incentive to prevent war from breaking out in Heaven again. Gabriel was a good judge of character and able to help him decide wisely.

Castiel had assisted in some of Michael's decision making, but had taken a largely back seat role to the whole affair. There were multiple angels who had come back to life as a result of Metatron's spell that Castiel was worried to see, but they had not sought him out. Or, perhaps, he had done such a good job avoiding all but a very few of his siblings that they had not been able to track him down.

Predictably, Castiel spent most of his time in the bunker with the Winchesters. Occasionally he accompanied them on hunts, or spent their time away in Heaven. Sometimes he remained in the bunker conversing with Kevin and Adam, or keeping an eye on Crowley, who was shockingly well behaved for a part-demon. All in all, Castiel did much the same as he had while human, with the addition of the visits home to see his siblings. They were not naive enough to believe that all would be perfect in Heaven for eternity, but things were going well, and they were all inclined to hope for a better future.

It was Sam who was eager to take on the danger that was Abbadon so soon after the Heaven problem was solved. Dean wasn't at all chomping at the bit to get into a potential war with the self appointed demon queen, but Sam and Crowley were both uneasy about her. Crowley, for his part, was content to follow the rules and stay in the bunker, as long as he had access to food he liked and television to watch. At one point, Dean had asked why he was being so agreeable, and Crowley had pointed out that as a half-human, he really couldn't go back to Hell. Also, Abaddon wanted him dead, and the Winchesters were more likely to protect him than anyone else. Lastly, the worst thing that had really happened to him was the loss of what power he'd remained in possession of, so to him it wasn't a bad deal.

Where Abaddon was concerned, it was clear very quickly that she was irritated by the Heaven being back in business news, but she didn't do anything immediately other than send a messenger to Sam and Dean the first time they went out on a hunt following the opening of Heaven. All the message had been was distaste for the angels regaining their power, which wasn't exactly a shock. There were quiet demons signs here and there, and it was starting to look like Abaddon was preparing for something, but the signs weren't clear as to what. It seemed they would have to wait and see, which led to Sam dong more research than normal, trying to stay on top of their ever present Abaddon issue.

The other issue, which Dean was more concerned about, were the absent archangels. Raphael had spoken with Michael once after Heaven had reopened, but not returned home. On one of Michael's visits to the bunker, he expressed that he was unsure whether or not Raphael would return to Heaven. If he did, it would likely not be soon. Michael did seem to think that Raphael was not a threat, which Dean reluctantly took his word on.

Lucifer, however, was a whole different animal. The archangel hadn't been heard from since leaving them in London, and Dean was nervous. Sam had a sort of wary faith in the archangel though, that Lucifer wouldn't have lied to him about plans for impending doom. In an attempt to prove Dean's fears unnecessary, at least right then, Sam had done some digging and managed to turn up a small article about the return of an Irish man, who had vanished for a few days for no apparent reason. Apparently the man had no memory, some persisting migraines, and a little bit of a skin condition that wouldn't fade, but was otherwise in relatively good shape. To Sam, the fact that Lucifer had managed to protect the vessel he'd had for only a few days, as well as let the man go, proved that the archangel wasn't planning anything nefarious.

Dean trusted Sam, and had to admit that the vessel thing was a decent show of good faith, but he was still overly nervous after Lucifer. Demons he could handle. The devil who had been one of the worst things to ever befall Sam? That was a little higher up his personal cannot deal with list. He let it go though, since Sam was certain that Lucifer was not their most pressing concern. Admittedly, there was always some danger to be worried about. They had to prioritize some things.

The souls of Heaven had been allowed to stay together, and they celebrated by watching Dean and Castiel's reunion on the television. They had perfect reception again, now that Heaven was open, and were all practically brought to tears by Castiel's explanation of why he took his grace back. Nobody was surprised that Dean was overjoyed at Castiel's restoration, especially once the angel acknowledged that God had promised that Castiel could visit any Heaven he liked, whenever he liked. They would never need to be separated.

Mary had tears in her eyes, which she ignored in favor of squeezing John's hand in hers. Beside them, Bobby was doing his best to appear to be consoling Karen, who was as emotional as Mary at the scene, and not look like he was emotional himself. Annie, Pamela, and Jo were all doing a chorus of "Awwww!" noises, and Ash was ignoring them all in favor of his computer. Bill and Ellen were behind the bar together, hands clasped and smiles on their faces.

One day, Sam, Dean, Adam, and Kevin would all be in Heaven. Ash would find them, and they would get to be with their loved ones again. Castiel would be able to be there with them as well. Mary smiled at the thought that she would finally get to meet the angel who had done so much for her boys. Had she still been on Earth, the thought of anyone she loved passing away would have been painful. However, the joy she knew awaited them now made her almost long for that time. Until they were reunited, she would be content to watch their lives pass by on the television screen, secure in the knowledge that she would see them again.

That was what faith was all about.