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Castiel walked down the bright halls of Heaven, his eyes darting from white door to white door. On every one of the doors there was a simple plaque named with whoever lived inside. A name and a date, the smallest sliver of the lives these people had lived. Cas’s eyes scanned passed the plaques’ writing, hardly registering what they said, then his eyes landed on the one. He stopped in front of it. It was the same as all the others, absolutely nothing special on it, just a name and a date that read: 1979-2020. Staring at it, Cas felt a growing hollowness inside him. Behind that door was one of the greatest men who had ever lived, and no one would ever surmise it by staring at the plain door. Cas took a deep breath out, then placed his hand on the door handle and pushed it wide.
He walked straight into a room in the Bunker. A small room, with a small TV on top of a dresser and three chairs that had been dragged in from the library, occupied by Sam, Dean, and himself. Dean leaned forward, drawing himself closer to the TV. He waved his hand to the side hitting a false version of Cas in the arm, “Right here! This is the best part.”
The real Castiel smiled, he remembered the scene. They had gathered in the Bunker for a movie night. It had been the first time Cas had watched the movies they had picked out, and Dean had been exuberant for him to see them for the first time.
It was peaceful, not perfect, but peaceful. Cas almost did not want to pull his friend out of it. Yet, he knew if Dean knew he was simply reliving old memories he would be pissed at the forgery of it all.
“Dean?” But Cas’s friend did not hear him, he just continued to watch the television with a grin that bunched up his cheeks and crinkled his eyes. “Dean!”
This time Dean seemed to have registered Cas’s call. He slowly pulled his eyes away from the television. As he stared at Castiel confusion grew on his face. Suddenly the television turned to static and the fake versions of Sam and Cas disappeared into thin air. “Cas?” Dean looked around to the place where the memory versions of his friends had been moments ago. When he looked back to Cas his face was painted with pure panic, the happy smile that had illuminated his face seconds ago gone without a trace. “What the hell’s going on?!”
“You’re in Heaven, Dean.” Cas explained softly, “I just pulled you from a memory.”
Realization flowed over Dean’s face, “I died.” He said it matter of factly, his eyes looking at nothing in particular as it all registered. “And Chuck and Amara? They’re dead too?”
Cas nodded.
“And the world didn’t explode?” Dean asked with a blunt huff of surprise.
“No, Dean. Everything is fine.”
Dean nodded, then stared down in pensive thought.
“Come on,” Cas gestured to where the hidden door that led out of Dean’s paradise was, “We have work to do.”
“Out there?”
“Yeah, you’re going to help us rebuild Heaven, we’ll need all the help we can get.”
Dean let out a slow breath and nodded, “Okay then.” He stood up as Cas opened the door and they both stepped out of the dark Bunker. The change from the dark memory of the Bunker to the bright white halls of Heaven was dramatic, but Dean found that it did not bother him, instead he welcomed the change. He stared down at each end of the hall, “So, this is what Heaven’s offices look like?”
“Yes.”
“Hmph, cool.”
Dean’s door closed softly behind them as the hunter’s soul and the angel took their path down the halls. Heaven was quiet. Nothing made a sound, not even the footsteps of the two walking through the halls. Dean found the silence unnerving. He kept his ears perked, listening for the slightest of sounds, preparing to be ambushed. True to Dean’s instincts, an angel entered the hall and Dean tensed, curling his hands, waiting for the inevitable fight. The angel, who appeared as a young woman, simply stopped and stared in awe at Dean and Castiel. She fell into a bow. Dean looked from her to Cas, wondering what he was supposed to make of this.
“We’ve talked about this, you don’t have to bow to us, Leia.”
The angel straightened her spine, “I only mean it as respect Castiel. After all, you are the oldest of the angels and the father of the Creator. And you, Dean Winchester,” Dean’s eyes widened in surprise as the angel turned her focus to him, “How I have heard of your greatness as well, another father of the Creator. Such an honor it is to meet you.”
As the angel bowed again, Cas placed his hand on her shoulder, a silent ask for her to stand, “Thank you for your respect Leia, but we are no more than you. We all have a role to play, none is greater than the other.”
The angel nodded, although Dean was sure she did not quite understand what Cas was talking about, “I’ll be back to my duties then.” she scampered away down the hall.
Dean turned to watch her go, then leaned into Cas, “Creator?”
“Jack.”
“Oh, so she’s one of his new angels.”
“Yes. He’s still trying to figure it all out. The angels themselves are trying to figure it all out.”
Dean nodded and he and his angel friend carried on down the hall to Heaven’s throne room where the New God was organizing his New Heaven.
***
Eileen was clutching Sam’s hand. He was staring off into space, biting his lip. He absentmindedly played with the phone in his hand. It had been days… days… just sitting and waiting. Then, finally, Sam got what he was desperately waiting for. Of course, it being a text from Cas, it was only two words. Coming Home. Coming home? Really? Sam had waited and waited for some news, any news of his brother, and instead, all he got was two words from Cas’s long trip to Heaven.
The Bunker’s door squeaked open, Sam jumped to his feet, “Cas?”
Castiel walked down the stairs, not saying a word.
Sam anxiously waited, he swallowed hard, he could feel the tears swelling in his eyes, but he was not going to cry. He had already cried enough, “Is he-”
“He’s in Heaven.”
Sam nodded.
“He’s happy Sam.”
Sam nodded again, his eyes falling to the floor.
“Sam,” Eileen reached out, touching Sam’s arm. He looked at her, “you okay?” She signed and asked at the same time.
Once more Sam nodded, but the tears he fought so hard came tumbling over the walls of his eyelids, taking their familiar path down his cheeks. “I- Uh,” he stumbled and brushed his hands nonchalantly across his cheeks, “I just didn’t think it’d end this way.” He stood there thinking, “Maybe we can- Maybe we can bring him back?”
“Sam, you heard them,” Cas looked at his friend apologetically. They all knew how the final battle would go, they all knew the plan of what would happen, and, if both Sam and Cas were being honest, it was one of the only times in their lives that a plan had actually worked out. It had all been done very carefully. They had made sure every part of the new world order they were about to create was planned to the T. But it had been more than just a plan, it had been a pact. A pact to defeat Chuck. A pact between the most powerful ruling beings in the entire universe, something, that, if broken, would make the entire world fall apart.
“Yeah, but this is Dean we’re talking about!” Sam knew it too. He knew what they had done, but grief gnawed at his insides, he did not care about promises, or pacts, or rules. After all, wasn’t that what he and Dean had done for each other all these years: discarding the rules, bringing each other back?
“Sam,” Cas pulled out a piece of paper, “Dean told me to give this to you.”
Sam stared at the piece of paper for a moment, then he took it. He unfolded the paper and began to read:
Dear Sam,
I know what you’re thinking. I know you’re hoping there’s some way to bring me back, and even if there is, I need you not to do it. I get that Winchester is just another word for stubborn as hell, but Sam, this time I need you to let it go. I’m okay, I promise. More than that. I’m actually happy Sam, really happy. Jack has done a great job. It’s nothing like the old Heaven. More like one big neighborhood where we all come and go. I have seen so many old familiar faces. I’ve visited Mom and Dad, they’re both as happy as ever, back together again. They’re different from when we knew them, whole with each other, no longer so… lost. I’ve seen Bobby, he’s, well, he’s Bobby, glad to know we won though. And of course, Jo, Ellen, Ash, and Pamela, they’re all really good. And I’m sure I’ll meet the others we left behind too. Oh, and then there’s Charlie. Not gonna lie, her heaven is awesome, we’re gonna meet up for a movie marathon soon.
Otherwise, I’ve been helping Jack out with heaven politics, which aren’t quite as boring as they sound. He’s been very busy, mostly making new angels, and bringing Heaven together again. I mostly help him with carrying out decisions, talking to the people, getting them all organized. They’re a surprisingly kind and open group, not as stuck up as I thought they’d be. Cas has been helping too obviously, he’s said he’s gonna try and split time between Heaven and Earth, between helping us and you guys. I guess he’ll be able to pass our notes to each other, or maybe we can set up some sort of radio? I’ll talk to Jack about it.
I wish you and Eileen the best of luck. You guys are great together, Sam. As for the hunting, you’re a natural-born leader Sam, you’ll be able to get fighting monsters down to a science. And after you and Eileen have grown old together on some porch somewhere, then I’ll see you too. Just be careful, I don’t want to see either of you too soon.
Until later, keep the world running and kick it in the ass.
-Dean
After Sam had finished reading the letter he stared through his blurry vision at the words on the paper, not reading them, not really thinking about them, just staring at the words his brother had written to him. Finally, he folded the letter back up and looked to Cas and Eileen. He would do this, he would continue the fight. He and Eileen, Jody, Donna, the girls, Cas (occasionally), and any other hunters they met up with, would keep bringing down the monsters, would keep saving people and hunting things. He would continue on for Dean, he would continue righting the wrongs of Earth while his brother helped rebuild Heaven. Sam stared down at the letter once again. It was proof. It was proof that their plan, their pact, had worked. It was proof that they won. More than that, it was proof that Dean was not really gone.