Forever Winter // Benjen Stark

34. Problem Solver

"Yeah, here's the deal." Katie remarked. 

"You're okay!" Benjen declared hugging her tight.

"Hi,' she whispered losing her train of thought as she kissed him. 

"What's the deal?" Dean asked. 

"Sam?" katie countered. 

"Please, like I was going to stay at Winterfell? I just got you back." Sam reminded her. 

"Oh right, problem solved. I killed Daenarys." Katie remarked. 

"Problem solved you say?" Dean countered. "Then why-"

'Dothraki and unsullied, sound very much alive and I want to keep living." Katie offered. "There you are." Katie declared. "I was looking for you." 

"I'm here." Arya agreed giving her a hug. 

"Wow, helpful. Thanks." Katie agreed. 

"You killed Daenarys?" Arya asked. 

"Yes, scatter brain sorry. I like living, lets get the fuck out of here." Katie suggested. 

"I want to come." Arya declared. 

"sure the more the merrier." Katie agreed. "But we gotta-" She turned bumping into a person and she gripped her blade ready for a fight. "Cas.' Katie rasped hugging him tight. 

"Hello Dean, Katie, Sam." Cas remarked.

''Unbelievable, man. I-I cannot believe it. You're actually here.'' Dean declared hugging him. 

''Yeah, I've been trying to reach out, but for whatever reason, I wasn't at full power. So I couldn't connect with you." Castiel informed them. 

''That must have been why you kept seeing him. I mean, you think?" Benjen offered running a hand over her back. 

"Yeah... You were glitching through." Katie remarked. 

''Yeah, uh, I got to be honest. I-I-I'm thinking, how the hell did you make it out? I mean, I – I was there. I-I-I know that place." Dean reminded him. 

"I'm so glad you are okay." Katie hugged him again. 

 "I know how we had to scratch and claw and kill and bleed to find that portal and make it through it," Dean went on, "and it almost finished me. So, uh... so how exactly are you standing here with us right now?" Dean asked grateful to have him back but also skeptical. 

''Dean, everything you just said is completely true. And that's the strange part. I... have no idea. I remember endlessly running and hiding from Leviathan, and then I was in flee bottom, smoke all around me, I honestly thought I was in purgatory still." Castiel remarked ''And... that was it.''

"And that – that was it?" Benjen asked. 

"Purgatory?" Arya countered. 

''Yes." Castiel agreed looking to his dirty hands and trench coat. ''Oh. I'm dirty.'' he remarked staring down at his hands.

''Yeah, well, Purgatory will do that to you." Katie agreed completely flabbergasted.

"What the hell happened? Back there. Purgatory. I told you I would get you out. We were there! It was like you just gave up. It's like you didn't believe we could do it. I mean, you kept saying that you didn't think it would work. Did you not trust me?" Dean questioned as Katie pushed them along. 

"Interrogate after we are on the seas." Katie begged.

"Seas?" Castiel countered. 

"I'm assuming you are in a weakened state and don't want to bop us across the narrow sea." Katie remarked. 

"I don't.... bop." Castiel countered. 

"Who is this guy?" Arya questioned. 

"Interrogate later." Katie begged. "My head might depend on it."

''I did everything I could to get you out – everything! I did not leave you.'' Dean reminded him aggressively.

''So you think this was your fault?'' Castiel countered. "I let go Dean, so you could be free."

"Now I need to be free." Katie remarked.

''See, it wasn't that I was weak. I was stronger than you. I pulled away. Nothing you could have done would have saved me, because I didn't want to be saved." Castiel informed him and Katie stopped walking turning to him. 

"What?" She spat back it was Sam that nudged her forward. 

''What the hell are you talking about?" Dean demanded.

''It's where I belonged. I needed to do penance. After the things I did on earth and in heaven, I didn't deserve to be out." Castiel informed them solemnly. 

"Heaven?" Arya countered. 

"He is an angel." Benjen informed her.

"Like... real angel?" Arya questioned looking him over.

 "And I saw that clearly when I was there. I... I planned to stay all along." Castiel told them as Katie grabbed his hand. ''I just didn't know how to tell you. You can't save everyone, my friend... though, you try."

"We couldnt save kings landing." Katie remarked. 

"You needed a ship?" Sandor asked as they got to the docks. 

"I love a man that can follow instructions." Katie remarked thinking of her talk with Benny, she needed a quick getaway.

"The fast guy said you would need it." Sandor remarked. 

"Fast guy?" Arya asked again confused. 

"Explanations later." Katie demanded.

+

"She needs to be punished. She killed our queen!"

"Where is Katie Winchester?"

Bran smiled knowingly as his gaze shifted to the horizon.