"Cas?"

His name comes from Sam and James in unison, both men running towards him. Castiel doesn't look up at them, still holding Emma close. He's not going to let go until she wants him to. He knows what it's like to need a hug, and he knows what it's like to have no one to give you one. He doesn't want her to feel like that.

When James says her name, Castiel recognizes his cue to let go. Emma sniffles once and turns to face him, forcing a smile on her face.

"We, uh..." She gestures to the pile of goop on the ground. "We killed the shifter."

"Forget the shifter; are you okay?" James asks. "Dean said it took you."

"It did," she says. "Cas took care of it."

"Oh, thank god," James says. "We literally ran the whole way here." With a small smile, he adds, "I think Sam was getting ready to carry me by the end. My legs are not that long."

Sam chuckles. "Don't worry; Dean barely would have lasted three minutes. This was a bit of an improvement."

Everyone looks at Dean, expecting him to make a jab back at his brother, or at least acknowledge him, but he doesn't. He just looks sad — and not in the way he's usually sad, because life in general rarely works out for him. No, he looks genuinely heartbroken, possibly more than Castiel has ever seen.

"Yoo-hoo." Sam waves a hand in front of his face. "Anybody home?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Dean says half-heartedly. "I just..." He shakes his head, more to himself than anyone else. "Let's go home."

Sam's brows furrow together. "Dean?"

"Why are you upset?" Castiel asks.

"I'm not," Dean says monotonously.

"I've known you for 10 years, Dean," Castiel reminds him. "I know when you're upset. I just don't get it. We killed the shifter."

"We didn't come here looking for a shifter, Cas, we came here looking for you," Dean says.

"Oh." He knew they didn't come for the shifter, but it hadn't even occurred to him when they mentioned the medical miracles at the hospital that they suspected he was involved. He should have known, of course, but he didn't.

"But you're clearly more than happy with your new life, huh?" Dean chuckles, but there's no humor in it. "My dumb ass really thought you'd rather help us find Michael than —"

"Michael?" Castiel interrupts. "The archangel, Michael?"

"Oh, shit, you don't know," Dean says, mostly to himself. "When Chuck opened the gates of hell, he opened all the gates. Including the cage."

Castiel gapes at him. "So Michael's out there? Right now?"

"Looks like," Sam says. "We want to use him against Chuck, but he won't come when we pray. He's not making a scene anywhere, either. We know he's not in hell, but we have no idea where on earth he could be."

Castiel sighs. "That's... not good."

"Um, Cas?" Emma taps his shoulder. "What the hell are you guys talking about?"

"The Winchesters and I made a very powerful enemy a few years ago," Castiel says.

"Enemy as in he Molotaved the guy," Dean adds, which is incredibly unhelpful.

"He, uh..." Castiel chuckles awkwardly. "He wasn't supposed to get free any time soon."

"Well, he doesn't seem to be doing anything, or we would have noticed," James says. "Does it even matter?"

"He could be the key to taking down God Himself," Sam says.

"So what?" James rolls his eyes. "In case you haven't noticed, God's really only interested in you two. Cas made it out fine."

Sam looks at Castiel for confirmation, and the angel just nods.

"Wow," he says. "That's... surprising."

"I was never the main character," Castiel says. "You two were."

"Something tells me Michael won't see it the same way," Dean says. "If he tracks you down and we're not there to help you..."

Castiel looks down at Emma and James with a frown. Dean has a point. Michael has every reason to hold a grudge against him, and if he decides he wants revenge, it could take everyone nearby down with him. Is that really a risk he wants to take, putting Emma and James in danger like that? At least Sam and Dean are ready to face him.

"Hey, don't worry," Emma says. "You got me and James, and we can sweet talk our way out of anything." With a grin, she adds, "And, honestly, if an archangel's how I go out, I call that a win. That's a legacy I'd like to have."

"Hey, don't say that," James hisses, smacking her shoulder. "You're not allowed to die. It's illegal."

"See?" Emma beans up at Castiel. "Michael can't even kill me. It's illegal."

Castiel cocks his head to the side. "I don't think Michael follows human laws."

"That's the joke, idiot," Emma says with a laugh. Castiel isn't entirely sure how that's a joke, but it seems to make her happy, so he doesn't question it. "But I don't give a shit if I run into Michael, I don't think James gives a shit if he runs into Michael..."

James shakes his head to prove her point.

"And if you run into Michael," Emma says, "he'll hate you just as much as he would if we weren't with you, so I really don't see what the fuss is about."

"Cas, come on," Dean says. "You're not going to put them in danger for this, are you?"

Castiel looks between the two of them for a few moments. Finally, he says, "I trust Emma and James. They can handle themselves."

"Fuck yeah," Emma whispers, giving James a "subtle" celebratory high-five.

"Good luck,"Castiel says to the Winchesters. "I hope things work out."

Dean scoffs. "So this is it?"

Castiel nods solemnly. "This is it."

Sam holds out a hand, and, after a moment's hesitation, Castiel shakes it. Neither of them know what to say, so they don't say anything. Castiel turns his attention to Dean, expecting the same from him, but Dean doesn't move.

"Goodbye, Dean," Castiel says finally.

Dean just nods once.

And that's it.