Back Where They Belong

"We need the right blood-" holding Castiel's body close to her own, (y/n) shifts so that he can direct the group of men ,"-there's a small jar, end of the hall, s-supply closet"

"I'm on it" Sam, listening to the dying man, is quick to hop to the task, long legs carrying him towards a dimly lit hallway before his form completely disappears. Coughing violently into his hand, Castiel's body trembles against (y/n)'s.

"Here-" Leading the angel over to the concrete wall, she gingerly leans his melting body against the cold stone, sliding him down until he's sitting somewhat comfortably on the ground ,"-is that any better?"

"Yes, thank you..." He answers sadly, staring at her soft features. Meeting his gaze, she finds a pitiful guilt swirling around in his light blue eyes. Standing from her kneeling position, her hand is suddenly grabbed and tugged on lightly. Turning around, she meets his eyes again, watching as his grip on her fingers weakens with every passing second

"What is your name?" he asks her innocently, almost begging to know.

"(y-y/n)"

"I'm sorry, (y/n)-" he begins through labored breaths ,"-that we had to meet this way."

"I-It's...okay" She answers honestly, feeling his sorrow through every word that passes his lips. She knew she would have liked him if they met under different circumstances, but that's not what the universe intended for them. At least now, she was able to see a sliver of his true self before he died. Nodding in acknowledgment, he releases his hold on her hand, twisting his neck to face Dean busying himself with other things

"Dean-" he calls out softly, voice raspy.

"What, you need something else?"

"No..." It takes him a moment to find the right words before he's able to continue ,"I feel regret, about you and what I did to Sam."

"Yeah, well, you should" Dean states somewhat coldly, eyebrows furrowing as he avoids the angel's depressing gaze. Bobby and (y/n) watch the scene quietly, almost pitying the angels sad attempt to make peace with the Winchester

"If there was time, if I was strong enough, I-I'd fix him now...I just wanted to make amends before I die."

"Okay" Dean closes himself off, not letting himself be vulnerable with the one he was once incredibly close with. Castiel, sensing this, sighs sadly

"Is it working?" His voice is almost child-like, eyes resembling a beaten down dog afraid of being too loud.

"Does it make you feel better?" Dean asks him, watching as it takes the angel shakes his head slowly

"No...you?"

"Not a bit."

With those words, Dean completely shuts Castiel out, body moving at an anxious pace as he readies the room for the ritual. Bobby, motioning for (y/n) to join him at a small metal table, begins to show her what to do to help him with the spell. A few minutes pass before Bobby is checking his watch, eyes widening upon seeing the time

"We have a couple of minutes left-" he announces, going over to stand next to Dean ,"-wheres Sam? We need that blood."

Concern filling his candy apple green eyes, (y/n) watches as Dean goes through the same hall Sam had disappeared down. Bobby and (y/n) wait patiently for him to return, furrowing eyebrows upon seeing that Sam isn't with his brother

"Sam?" (y/n) asks hesitantly, Bobby glancing worriedly at the Winchester

"No time-" Dean quickly replies, yanking open the jar of blood and sticking two fingers into the thick substance ,"-we need to get started."

Without waiting for a response, the man paints intricate lines and symbols across the white brick wall, body tense as he focuses. Bobby, reading over the incantation scribbled across a tattered piece of cloth, motions for (y/n) to fetch the angel. Walking over to the lifeless looking being, face growing more discolored and blistered by the second, she kneels down beside him. Reaching out a gentle hand, (y/n) shakes him lightly

"Cas?" She calls out to him softly, watching as his eyelids flutter open ,"We have to start."

Nodding in understanding, he lets out a pained groan as he tries to stand on his own. Body crumbling beneath him, he falls back to the concrete.

"Here-" Throwing one of his arms over her shoulder, she wraps her own hand around his waist and tugs him up to his feet. Balancing his trembling body, she slowly begins to walk him over to the center of the room, eyes focused on the key to purgatory written across the brick wall.

"Can you stand on your own?" She asks him gently, glancing over to the 2 men behind her getting ready to read out the incantation. Nodding slowly, Castiel gives her a thankful look before focusing his attention onto the blood smeared on the wall before him. Taking this as her cue, she gently removes herself from his side and steps back. Dean, grabbing a hold of her elbow, pulls her body back behind his own protectively, motioning for Bobby to begin. He clears his throat

"Ianua magna purgatorii, clausa est ob nos lumine eius ab oculis-"

Suddenly, Castiel's body completely collapses, falling to the stone floor in a pitiful heap of trench coat. Dean rushes to his side, arms reaching beneath the man's armpits to lift him back up.

"Nostris retento-" Dean manages to stand the angel back up, pulling back from Castiel's swaying body to stand back with the group ,"-sed nunc stamus ad limen huius ianuae magnae et demisse fideliter perhonorifice-"

A low tremor tears through the room, barred light fixtures shaking against their chains. (y/n) watches with widened (e/c) eyes as the smeared blood begins to glow, a dark orange erupting from the scarlet colored liquid dripping down the brick. Drying upon the heat, the blood begins to crack and shatter away to reveal beams of bright light seeping in from the other world. (y/n) finds a piece of herself almost yearning to step closer, chest tightening at the glimpse of the other side...the place all monsters go when their life comes to it's bitter end, the place she knew she would never get to see.

"Paramus aperire eam-" Bobby's voice is slowly drowned out by the thundering crack of the brick walls, stone crumbling into the black abyss behind it. Castiel's head turns to face Dean, blue eyes swirling with a heavy guilt as he takes in the man for what seems to be the last time

"I'm sorry, Dean" His voice is barely heard over the roar of the trembling laboratory, the Winchester staring in wide eyed shock as the angel turns away from him. (y/n), sensing his movement, is quick to grab a hold of his jacket sleeve, gently tugging him back from the instinctive step forward he took.

"Carnem eius ad mundum nostrum nunc ianua magna, aperta tandem!"

With those final words, Bobby throws down the paper to wrap protective arms around the two standing near him, pulling them even further back just before the door is completely opened. With the wind howling a horrific song, Castiel's arms open to welcome the force of the black hole pulling his melting body in. The souls, glowing a white hot light, rush forward to greet the darkness as if it were an old friend, tossing themselves willingly into purgatory. (y/n)'s body shivers at the haunting sounds of the creatures rejoicing, (e/c) eyes unable to peel themselves away from the almost beautiful sight. A few seconds pass before Castiel's destroyed vessel has completely emptied itself of the souls, a bright flash of light and the door has swung itself closed to the group. The angel crumbles to the floor

"Cas?" Dean is the first to respond, rushing forward to kneel down next to the lifeless vessel. Bobby and (y/n) are quick to join him. Gently turning the angel onto his back, the group stare down at his melted corpse. (y/n) feels nothing. His presence from this earth was gone as if it never existed in the first place.

"Is he breathing?" Dean asks the question helplessly, the pair watching with pitying eyes as he reaches down to check ,"Maybe angels don't need to breathe..."

"He's gone, Dean" Bobby states softly. The Winchester stands up from his kneeling position, hand running itself through his spiked hair as he averts his gaze from the angel.

"Damn it..." He chokes the words out, hiding his vulnerability with anger ,"Cas, you child. Why didn't you listen to me?"

"Wait-" (y/n) blurts out the word suddenly, (e/c) eyes widening as she stares down at the angel. Dean and Bobby look at her through furrowed eyebrows, sharing the same confused look upon seeing her frantic state

"What is it, (y/n)?"

"I feel him..." Her voice is quiet, soft hand reaching out to rest against his stomach. Something was there, she could feel the energy pulsing through the corpse in dull waves. Dean, watching the scene, slowly steps forward to stand above her.

"Cas?" He calls the name out, hope laced between each letter. As if on cue, the angel's blistered face begins to heal, skin regenerating until he looks brand new. Snapping open his eyes, bright blue orbs staring up at the ceiling, the group watches as Castiel comes back to life. With a gasp of air, the man meets the shocked pairs of eyes staring down at him.

"Cas!" Dean is quick to kneel down by his side again, hands reaching out to gently tug the angel up from the concrete floor ,"-hey, hey!"

With Bobby and (y/n) helping, the group is able to pull him up, carefully watching him as he lets out a pained groan.

"That was unpleasant..." Castiel sighs out quietly, (y/n) finding a small smile tugging at her lips upon hearing his voice. His true voice.

"(y/n)?" Dean motions for the girl and she nods in understanding. Wrapping the man's arm around her shoulders, she transfers his weight onto her and stands up. His body is hugged tightly to her to keep him from falling back down.

"I'm alive" the angel states the fact as if he couldn't believe it himself. Bobby scoffs lightly

"Looks like it"

"I'm astonished-" Castiel continues before meeting everyone's eyes ,"-thank you, all of you"

"We were mostly just trying to save the world..."

"I'm ashamed-" Castiel casts his gaze down to the concrete, guilt evident on his sharp features ,"-I really overreached."

"You think?" Dean asks bitterly. Castiel, upon hearing the frustration in his voice, nods in understanding

"I'm gonna find some way to redeem myself to you."

Dean avoids his helpless looking gaze and clears his throat awkwardly, still evidently unsure how to even respond to Castiel being alive.

"All right, well, one thing at a time-" Motioning to the girl to follow after him with the angel, he begins to make his way towards the exit ,"-come on. Let's get you out of here."

"I mean it, Dean..."

"Okay-" Dean scoffs lightly, green eyes widening at the determined look in Castiel's eyes ,"-that's fine, but let's go find Sam, okay?"

Suddenly, a surge of power runs through Castiel, body trembling in (y/n)'s arms as he balls up his fists until his knuckles turn white.

"Castiel?" (y/n)'s voice comes out as a nervous whisper, (e/c) eyes observing his shaken state as he hunches over. Without responding, he roughly shoves the girl from him, breathing hard through gritted teeth. (y/n) falls to the concrete, Dean's hands finding themselves around her waist to drag her back up

"You need to run, now!" Castiel shouts out in desperation, nose scrunching up in pain as he clutches onto his own stomach. It's then (y/n) can feel it, the power within him like a black tar, rising in his body at a rapid pace. What she had felt earlier wasn't the angel, it was something else...Something much stronger. Holding onto Dean's jacket, she watches as the angel strains to keep talking

"I-I can't hold them back!"

"Hold who back?" Dean shouts back in frustration.

"Leviathan..." The word passes through (y/n)'s lips, the girl not even realizing she had said it. Dean and Bobby turn to her, eyes widening upon seeing the horrified look in her own (e/c) orbs

"They held on inside me!" Castiel slowly looks up at the group, bright blue eyes pleading for help ,"They're so strong...I can't fight them. Run!"

"Go!" Dean is the first to react, hands moving to push Bobby towards the hallway Sam had disappeared down a while ago ,"-go get Sam! (y/n) and I will hold him off-!"

"Too late!" Castiel suddenly stands upright, blue eyes crazed as he meets the frightened gaze of the group staring back at him. Dean, pushing (y/n) to stand behind him, takes a hesitant step backward.

"Cas?"

"Cas?" The angel's hands reach out and grab onto the coat collars of Dean's jacket, thrusting him forward ,"Cas is...he's gone! He's dead!"

A sickening smile spreads across his stubbled face, blue eyes growing impossible large as he chuckles darkly at Dean's frozen form.

"We run the show now"