I'll Come Back To You

Chapter 12: If At First You Don't Succeed...

"Why isn't it wooooorrkiiiiing?" Lucifer whined.

"Because you're all dumbasses!" Gabriel snapped. "You can't just punch your way out of the Empty!"

"It was working," Balthazar said ruefully. "But then Gabriel calmed down."

"SHUT UP"

"Here's an idea," Crowley started. "What if we wake up another angel?" They all paused.

"What?" Lucifer questioned.

"We had enough power to open up a door when Castiel was here," The King of Hell explained. "So what if we just drag out another feathered dumbass, reopen the door, and everybody jumps out?"

"Except that last time we opened the door, we got attacked." 

"And the door was only open for a brief second," Balthazar went on.

"It's worth a shot," Gabriel insisted. "We open it again, and Balthazar jumps through first."

"Why me?"

"Because if something goes wrong and it fails, then we can just wake up another angel. Archangels and powerful demons are in limited supply, but angels? We've got hundreds to choose from."

"Wonderful," Balthazar deadpanned. "Dear Dad, I wish I had a drink."

"And I wish I had a lollipop, but the Empty doesn't give us shit."

"Oh please, Gabe, the only lollipop you want is Sam Winchester's."

"That too."

"Ew," Crowley cringed. Lucifer shrugged.

"Say we try your plan," Satan sighed. "Who do we wake up?" They all thought for a moment, and the Gabriel smirked.

"What do you say we bring back the angel that will cause the most problems for Dean?" He offered.

"Who- Michael? He's not here." Balthazar reminded him. Gabriel shook his head, cackling.

"Not Michael. Better."

******

Sam and Dean walked back into the bunker, both of them drained. Jack was waiting for them, looking slightly worried.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Nothing," Dean grumbled, heading right for his room. Sam watched him go with a sigh, and Jack looked at him expectantly.

"He's just trying to work through some stuff," Sam offered. "He'll be better tomorrow."

"No he won't." Jack said. "He hasn't gotten any better since Cas left."

"He just needs some time," Sam explained. "He'll come around eventually, he always does."

"If you say so," Jack frowned, and headed for his room, leaving Sam alone.

The moose sunk down in a chair and covered his face with his hands.

What the hell was he supposed to do now? He thought for a moment, and even though it was pointless, he glanced up at the bunker's ceiling.

"Cas," He whispered. "If you're trying to get back here....." He sighed and shook his head. "Forget it." It wasn't worth it. Cas wouldn't be able to hear him anyways.

******

Sam was wrong. Cas heard him.

Castiel heard prayers everywhere but in the Empty. And even though Sam hardly ever prayed to him, it somehow stung even more to hear the hunter give up on it.

And even though it sounded like Sam Winchester was giving up hope, Castiel was determined not to. Dean hadn't given up on him. Dean would never give up on him.

And Castiel didn't need a prayer to know that.

It felt like he and Benny were wandering in circles at this point, but the angel knew they weren't. Purgatory was just one long, miserable place that took a while to navigate. But Castiel trusted that Benny was leading him in the right direction. The vampire had been kind to them. He'd been a good friend to Dean, and Cas knew Dean was still a little sorry that his friend was stuck down here. But Purgatory was where Benny wanted to be, so the boys had to respect that.

"Well lookie here," Benny grinned suddenly, as they passed through a clearing. "Remember this?" Castiel paused, remembering. They had camped here before, back when he and Dean had been trapped in Purgatory the first time.

Cas scanned the trees in the clearing, landing on one. He smiled as he walked up to it, not caring that Benny was watching him.

The carving was still there. A little faded now, a little specked with old blood, like most of the trees were, but it was still there. 

Cas and Dean Winchester.

Castiel traced the name with his hand. It hadn't been that long since he had seen Dean, but it felt like a lifetime. And since he had no clue how much time he had spent in the Empty, or how long he'd been wandering Purgatory, it could've been a lifetime by now. But Castiel knew better then that. 

It just felt good to be somewhere where he knew Dean had been. It made him hopeful that he was getting closer. Closer to seeing Dean again.

And then something echoed throughout Purgatory, and he and Benny winced.

"The hell?" The vampire said. "That happened a few days ago too."

A few days ago. That must have been when Castiel arrived in the Empty.

A loud ringing started up in Cas's ears and he froze.

"What?" Benny asked.

"Someone's here," Castiel insisted. "I'm not the only angel in Purgatory."