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Castiel knows John Winchester is in heaven. Whatever his sins and mistakes in life as a man and a father, clocking over a century in Hell meant he had paid for them. He had overpaid for them. John Winchester never belonged in Hell, his slate was beyond clean. It wasn’t a question, it was tracking him down that was the hard part.
Castiel wants to bring Sam and Dean some good news for once. He knew their father was restless; dedicated to protecting his children and saving other families from a similar fate. Yes, he was also hellbent on vengeance which lent him a quick temper, a lack of patience for mistakes. It was a vengeance he sought for 20 years and sacrificed to save his son’s life. Castiel knows this and wants to be able to tell the Winchester boys definitively: “Your dad is at peace.” He wants to meet the man who was tortured by Alastair for over a century and refused to harm a single soul. He also wants to personally thank John for his sacrifice, because without it his best friend; the man he loved like a brother, Dean; wouldn’t be alive.
Of course a hunter’s heaven would be difficult to locate. After lots of digging, Castiel finally finds John’s heaven. It’s a rough but cozy hunting cabin in the woods. From the looks of it, John built it with his own hands. Castiel walks through the open door, floorboards creaking under his feet. He finds John sitting at a table, cleaning his shotgun.
“John Winchester, I’m-,” Castiel starts.
John turns around, sets down his gun and silences Cas with a hug, tears in his eyes, "I know who you are, Castiel,” he says, pulling away to look the angel in his eyes. “Thanks for looking after my boys.”
“They're the best men I've ever known,” Castiel replies with a smile. “And you are a righteous man, John Winchester. Don’t ever doubt it.”