Until the End | A Supernatural~Destiel Fic

Chapter 3

Sam, Dean, and Cas had been following a case for two weeks. If your mind wanders back to the beginning of this story, you may recall that Sam, Dean, and Cas don't hunt anymore.

However, sometimes, they let their heroic natures get the best of them.

"What could go wrong, huh?" Dean would point out.

A mysterious force had been targeting 15 year old boys for the last month and a half, one gone every two days. There seemed to be no connection between them, but that's exactly what they have in common. They have absolutely nothing in common.

True, the Winchesters didn't see it coming. But that didn't mean they couldn't handle it. Sam gathered the materials while Dean and Cas planned the trap. They found bait easy enough, and set the trap up discreetly around him.

When the creature appeared, the boy stood still in fear. He almost ran away and sabotaged the whole plan. But before his mind could function clearly and look for the nearest means of escape, Dean was already on top of the monster.

Castiel followed soon behind him to bound the creature's hands to the floor as Sam plunged the dagger into its chest, causing it to burst into a bright red light and shatter like shards of broken glass.

Sam, Dean, and Cas let the boy return to his normal life before he had a heart attack. The boys exchanged accomplished smiles as they packed up their things.

"Beer, anyone?" Dean suggested, as he usually did after a hunt. Sam and Cas rarely ever said no.

Just as Sam was about to respond, he keeled over. Blood poured out of his mouth in between cries of pain. Dean was immediately at his side, attempting to read his face for signs of what was happening.

Cas suddenly got a look on his face that anyone could have read. It said, 'Oh, my God.'

"What is it, Cas? What the hell is happening to him?!" Dean asked, worrily.

"I didn't know this before, I am so sorry, Dean." Cas responded.

"What?!? Tell me!" Dean said.

"There are very few creatures alive with a life force like that one. Sam must have gotten the spell wrong...and if that happens, the one who destroyed the creature is doomed to suffer the same fate. I'm afraid the only way to save him is to either return the life force to the creature, or put someone in place of Sam."

Dean thought carefully about what to say. His brother didn't have much time. "Why can't we put the life force back to where it came from?"

Cas answered, "Because, Dean, Sam destroyed it."

Without blinking an eye, Dean said, "Then I'll trade places with him. How do I do it?"

Cas closed his eyes, careful not to let a tear escape. "No, Dean. You and Sam can't live without each other. This is something I must do for both of you."

"Cas, no. You ca-" Dean couldn't even finish before Castiel put his hand up in silence.

"Dean, I was put on this earth for one specific mission. I always thought it was to protect the world from itself. It always seems to cause more dangers just by existing." Cas said, forcing a smile and apologetic laugh.

"Now I realize that you were my mission, Dean. You and Sam. You are the sole reasons for my existence, and I must do whatever is in my power to protect you, even if it requires my life."

Dean could not speak. But Cas did it for him. "These last few years I have spent with you and Sam have been the greatest years of my life, and I have lived a long time. If I could go back, the only thing I would change is how many times I betrayed you. You deserve so much better than the life you got, and I am sorry for that. I need you to remember that you are my best friend, Dean, and even though I should not be capable of feeling anything at all, I love you."

Dean didn't mind the awkwardness of that statement. There was too much else going through his head.

Suddenly, Sam's hand came up from where he lie and gripped Cas' trench coat. He was too weak to speak, so Cas read his mind to receive Sam's goodbye.

"Goodbye, Sam." Cas said as he tried in a desperate attempt to wipe the blood away from his face.

Dean let tears fall in between quivers of fear, but Cas quickly wiped them away.

"Look at me, Dean." Cas said as he cupped Dean's face with his hands and their eyes locked gazes, Cas' magnificent blue ones against Dean's soft green. "I will always be with you, Dean Winchester."

Cas placed a gentle kiss on Dean's forehead as a single tear rolled down his cheek. He wiped it away before Dean could see. He needed to be brave, if not for himself, then for Dean.

Castiel gripped Sam's arms tightly and closed his eyes in deep concentration.

A glowing red mist developed near Sam's chest and made its way up his throat and out of his mouth. He gasped for air as the mist moved near Castiel's lips.

It entered his body as Sam went limp in Dean's arms. The last of the mist made its way into Cas' body as he stumbled on his feet, unsteadily.

He blared out a cry of pain, which easily got Dean's attention. He was about to lay Sam's body to the ground and comfort Castiel, but Cas put his hand up in protest.

Castiel locked eyes with Dean one last time, and flashed a smile, a genuine smile. True, he was dying, and he would never see Sam and Dean in the same way again. But he can say with certainty that his life had meaning. He had done good for the world and for others. He was more human than most people on this earth.

"I-I don't have t-time to say all...all that I need to." Dean said in between quivers.

Castiel simply looked down with a small grin. "It's alright. I know. Goodbye Dean. I wish you all the best, but better."

And then, the bright red light returned, Castiel fell to his knees and cried out.

It pained Dean greatly, but he couldn't bring himself to look away: this was the last time he was going to see Castiel. And as soon as it started, it was over.

The area around Castiel filled with the bright red light and shattered like shards of broken glass, just as before.

And Castiel was gone.

Dean let streams of tears fall from his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Castiel. Please forgive me," Dean said, carrying on the last syllable through muffled gasps and quivers.

Sam took in a deep breath and shot up from where he lay on the ground, his head nearly colliding with Dean's.

Sam took a few seconds to take in his surroundings and the situation before he noticed his brother clutching his head in his hands and writhing on the cold cement.

"Dean?"

"He's gone, Sammy. He's gone."