The End | {BOOK 5}

11| Castiel Returns

"Come on," Dean held a hand out to me. "Let's go for a drive."

"What?"

"You've been cooped up in the Bunker all day and while you were cooped up, you killed yourself, had a talk with the new Death, and your son revived you again. Let's go for a drive."

Rolling my eyes, I grabbed his hand and we headed out of our room and down the hall. Dean called out to Sam, letting him know we'd be back later, and then dragged me out to Baby. Fishing around in his box of cassette tapes, he found the one he was looking for and put it into the tape deck before turning the volume up full blast. Despite myself, I smiled as I heard the opening riff of an ACDC song blare through the speakers while Dean gunned it down the street.

It didn't take long for us to be screaming the lyrics together at the top of our lungs, both of us laughing and smiling for the first time in what felt like ages. However, our jam session was cut short when a cell phone started to ring. I turned down the music, both of our good moods effectively squashed as Dean answered it.

"Yeah."

His eyes widened, looking over at me dumbfoundedly.

"What?" I asked.

After asking for a location from whoever was on the other end, Dean hung up, speeding up even more as we zipped down the road in the dark.

"Dean?" I asked.

He didn't respond, keeping his eyes trained out the window while he drove. Finally, we pulled up in front of a payphone where a dark figure stood in the shadows with his back to us. I gave Dean another curious glance, but didn't say anything as we climbed out. Following him closer to the payphone, the figure turned to face us, and I gasped.

"Cass, is that really you?" Dean asked.

"No," I shook my head. "You're- you're dead."

"Yeah, I was," Cass nodded. "But then I... annoyed an ancient cosmic being so much he sent me back."

"I don't even know what to say."

"I do," Dean said, stepping forward, and pulling Cass into a hug. "Welcome home, pal."

When he pulled back, I took a turn giving the angel a hug as well.

"How long was I gone?" Cass asked us.

"Too damn long," Dean replied.

"Where were you?" I quizzed the angel. "In Heaven?"

"No. No, I was in the Empty."

"Really?" Dean raised an eyebrow.

"Apparently it's where angels and demons go when they die," Cass explained.

"What was it like?" I asked him.

"Well, it's dark and... nothing. It's like... nothing. I was sleeping, and then I heard a voice that said my name, and I woke up. I thought you... had done something."

"No, we... we didn't even think we could bring you back," Dean shook his head.

"So who was it? Chuck- uh, God?"

"No. No, he has no power in the Empty."

"Well, then, who does?" Dean asked.

"Jack," I realized.

⁘

The three of us headed back to the Bunker where Jack was sitting typing away at a laptop in the library. Sam walked in a moment later from the direction of Maddie and Zep's rooms, so I assumed he had just finished the bedtime routine with Zep.