“God? Please, if it’s your will, allow me to die in peace.”

Cas was woken up by the voice of a woman praying.

“Dean. Wake up.” He said gently, placing a hand on Dean’s side.

“Can this wait ‘til morning?” Dean asked gruffly.

“No, I will be gone by then.”

“Fine, I’ll bite. Where are you going?” He asked, sitting up.

“There’s a woman, she’s dying. I heard her prayers. I want to help her.”

Dean looked at him like he was crazy. “Cas-”

“It’ll be quick, ok? It’ll be fine, I’ll be fine.” Cas pleaded.

Dean sighed.

“Yeah. You’d better.” He said, “Go if you want, but be safe. Don’t do anything stupid.”

Cas glowered at him.

“You’re adorable when you get like that.”

“I’m not adorable, Dean, I’m an angel of the lord.”

“You can be both.” Dean smirked sleepily, “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Cas relented, kissing Dean chastely before getting out of their bed and moving across the room to pack.

“You know, Cas,” Dean said after a minute of watching his fiancé. “My brother won’t be up for at least another hour, and yours seems to be able to sleep for days…” He got up and pressed himself to him, kissing him between his shoulder blades and making him shiver slightly.

“Actually, I was hoping that you might come with me? A few days together without the chance of one of them walking in on us-"

"Say no more, I'm sold." Dean said, grabbing himself a bag and shoving clothes into it.

He decided he would call Sam when they were on the road.

•••

"She lives in Portland." Cas said quietly. "It's leukemia. Stage four. She's not going to live more than a week."

“What’s her name?” Dean asked after a minute.

“Casandra, Casandra Castillo. She prefers to be called Cassie though.”

“Well that doesn’t sound suspicious at all.”

Cas looked at him.

“From what I can tell, the prayers are genuine. Besides, I can handle myself pretty well, Dean.” He smiled and grabbed Dean’s hand.

“Just be careful, Angel, please. There are ways to help people without putting yourself in danger. I know I’m one to talk, but I’m going to try and be better, for you, Cas.” Dean said, kissing his hand.

Cas moved toward Dean, and Dean wrapped his arm around him.

•••

“Cassie? You have visitors.” The nurse said, knocking on the door of one of the hospital rooms.

“Ok, let them in, hon.” The woman inside called.

Dean and Cas walked into the room.

“Alrighty Angel, call if you need anything! Love ya!”

“Thanks, De. Love you too!” Casandra blew a kiss at the nurse, who winked and walked out, leaving Casandra and the boys alone. “So, I’m gonna guess that you two are my angels, right? I knew you would look heavenly, but this is ridiculous!”

“I’m the angel, my name is Castiel” He glanced at Dean, who looked annoyed with her flirting. “And this is my fiancé, Dean.”

“What’s he then? A demon? That would explain why he’s so hot!” She joked, winking at Dean.

Now he felt jealous.

“No, he’s human.” My human. Cas wanted to add.

“My goodness! The tension between the two of you is thick! You look like you want to rip each other apart! Fair warning, the hospital almost kicked me out after De and I tried that last week. We were engaged, until crap hit the fan and I found out about the cancer. ‘Course we still can’t live without each other, we just decided it was best to break it off until I got better…or didn’t. I tried the whole chemo thing, but I just got worse quicker. So here we are.” She smiled.

Dean noticed how worn out she looked. He also realized how much she and Cas looked alike. It was almost scary.

“I’m very sorry Ms. Castillo. Does De know why we’re here?” Cas asked gently.

“Please,” she said warmly, “Call me Cassie. And yeah, she suggested it! She’s always been pretty religious. De even used to listen to that Rev. Buddy Boyle podcast before it went off the air! I thought he was a loon, but now I see he wasn’t too far off the reservation.”

Dean and Cas looked at each other.

“No, he was off the wall. Dean said, “Most angels are dicks. Cas is one of the few who aren’t.”

Cas cleared his throat.

“Um, so I was thinking you could possess me and see if you could heal me and if not, let me live long enough to get my stuff in order. Then I want to die quick and painless.” Cassie said, distracting Cas from snapping at Dean.

“It sounds like a good idea, but I might not be able to return to my current vessel after this is over.” Cas said, looking from Cassie to Dean.

“We could always ask another angel to keep the engine running. There has to be at least one left who doesn’t hate us, right?” Dean asked.

“There is one, Elainel. I’ll call her.” Cas told him, stepping into the hall.

“He seems sweet. You’re a lucky guy.” Cassie said.

“Yeah, I am.” Dean replied, smiling.

•••

They were talking cars when Cas walked back in.

“Cas, we’re leaving. Cassie thinks Chevys are overrated and I don’t want you to be around someone like that.” Dean told him.

“Come on, Dean! Fords are better by far!” Cassie giggled, and Dean glared at her.

“Right, and country is better than rock.” He retorted.

“Well…”

“Blasphemy!”

Cassie cackled and Dean grabbed Cas’ arm and led him out of the room.

“Dean.” He protested. “We can’t leave! Elainel will be here tomorrow afternoon, and Cassie-“

“Relax baby.” Dean pulled him to him and cupped his cheek, “we’re just going to grab her some coffee from a place I saw on the way here, and check into the hotel.”

“Oh.” Cas looked down.

“Cas-”

Dean’s phone rang.

“Damn it, Sam.” He said, and answered the call. “Hey. What’s up?”

“Ok, thanks Sammy!” Dean hung up. “Cassie is and always has been a real person, and our brothers say hi. Now, back to what I was saying before we were interrupted. If you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to. Just say the word and W- I’ll get you back-up.”

“Thank you, but this should be easy. I’ll be fine.”

Dean nodded, but he still was concerned. He grabbed Cas’ hand and they walked to the parking garage.

•••

Thirty minutes later, they walked into their room.

“So,” Dean said, setting his bag on the bed. “I was thinking we could one last night together.”

Cas nodded.

“That sounds nice, what did you have planned?”

“Dinner and a movie? You pick where we eat, but not Olive Garden, alright?”

“How about a Texan roadhouse? I’ve heard the rolls are good.”

“Cas, it’s called Texas Roadhouse, and I’m pretty sure there aren’t any for a couple hundred miles.” Dean said, and Cas started walking away.

“Three hundred, fifty two and a half.” He said over his shoulder.

Dean looked around and realized they were in a parking lot in front of a Texas Roadhouse.

“Are you coming, Dean?”

“God, I love him.” Dean said under his breath and ran to catch up to his angel.

•••

Neither of them enjoyed the cheesy b-roll rom-com Dean chose, so they ended up kissing in the back row, until Cas finally flew them back to the room.

“Thank you, Dean, that was fun.” He whispered, kissing him between words.

Dean smiled against his lips.

“Cas, you have no idea how much I love you, and I don’t know any words that even come close to describing it.”

Blue eyes locked with green.

“Ok, then show me.” Cas smiled, and Dean kissed him heatedly.

•••

“Honeybee, it’s time to wake up.” Dean said, kissing Cas lightly, “I brought you coffee.”

Cas opened his eyes and smiled.

“I didn’t think I would ever be able to have something like this, thank you.”

Cas sat up, and Dean sat next to him.

“I wish I could give you more than I can. You deserve the world. I-“

“Dean,” Cas interrupted gently, “You don’t have to give me the world. I just want to be with you, ok?”

“Ok.”

He picked up his hand and held it to his chest.

Cas cupped Dean’s face and pulled him towards him, kissing him softly.

“I’m going to miss you this week.” Dean murmured against Cas’ lips.

“I’ll miss you too, Dean.” Cas smiled.

“Cas, we should probably leave soon.”

“Yeah.”

•••

“Hello! We met briefly yesterday? I’m Deanna Manchester, but you can call me De if you like.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Castiel, and this is Dean, my fiancé.”

“Yes, you’re my Cassie’s guardian angels. I cannot thank you enough for what you are doing, using your time to take care of her like that… thank you”

“It’s no problem,” Dean replied, “helping people is kinda the family business…”

De smiled.

“Well, if you boys need anything and I mean anything feel free to give me a call. Ok?” She said.

“Yes ma’am, will do.”

“Well, you should probably go up to her room now. She’s been excited about this all day.”

•••

Dean knocked on the door.

“Cassie?”

“Come in!”

As they walked in, Dean noticed that Cassie looked significantly worse than the day before.

“Hey, how are you feeling?”

“Not great to be honest, but that’s how it goes, isn’t it?”

“Sickness has always been one of my least favorite parts of my father’s work.” Cas said quietly.

Dean reached for Cas’ hand, and Cas squeezed it, reassuring him that he was ok.

Cassie nodded solemnly.

“You must have seen more than a fair of crap. You have the look of either a man with the world on his shoulders or a soldier who broke rank and hasn’t stopped running since. You both do.”

“You’re good at reading people.” Dean said.

“Truth is, I’ve seen some crap too. Toured in Iran. Twice.”

Dean stepped forward to shake her hand.

“Thank you for your service.” He said and she nodded.

“You pick up reading people pretty quickly in the field. How to tell meekness from weakness, stupidity from loyalty, and monsters from men.”

“Angel, are you telling them your war tales? I thought you would have told them about your romances. I’m a little disappointed.” De chided playfully from the door.

“Well, I couldn’t have told them those, they have such a bad ending!” Cassie teased back. “I mean, who wants another gay love story where one of the main characters dies a horrible, tragic death? Bor-ing!”

They both giggled, and De kissed Cassie’s hair and sat on the bed.

“Here are your meds, Honeybee.”

“Oh, anything good?”

De shook her head.

“Nope, just the usual.”

“Dang, maybe next time then?”

De’s eyes welled up.

“Yep, always next time, Honeybee.”

Cassie frowned.

“Deanna.” Cassie started firmly, wiping the tears from her eyes, “Please just say my name. My real name.”

“I don’t think I can. Not with you like this.”

“De, you don’t need to stay strong for me.”

“C- Casandra, you’re all I have left. After Sam died-“

“I know.” Cassie hung her head, “I’m so sorry, De.”

De tilted her head back up.

“It’s not your fault Cas. Don’t blame yourself for this mess, please?”

“I don’t blame myself for getting sick, I’m mad at myself for leaving you like this.”

“Angel-“

“Marry me.”

Deanna looked at her lap.

“Casandra.”

“I mean it. Deanna Manchester, will you marry me?”

“Cas, I can’t.”

“Why? I could be dead in a few hours anyway. What is there to lose?”

“The love of my life.”

Tears streamed down both of their faces.

“Dea-“

De captured Cassie’s lips before she could say anything else.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” De took a shaky breath, “Yes.”

Confusion spread over Cassie’s face. “Yes?”

“Yes, I will marry you.”

“Ok, now? I’m pretty sure Castiel could marry us, I mean, who better than an angel? And the one who might inhabit my body for a few days soon?”

“That sounds perfect, but we’ll have to track him and his lover down. I think they snuck out while we were talking.”

•••

“Casandra? Do you promise to love Deanna for the rest of the time you have on this earth?”

“I do.”

“Deanna? Do you promise the same?”

“I do, yes.”

“By the power given to me by my father, I pronounce your souls bonded. You may kiss.” Cas said, smiling and dropping their hands.

“Congratulations.” Dean said warmly. “If you don’t mind, I want to steal Cas for a minute.”

“Go right ahead! We aren’t going anywhere!” Cassie beamed and De nodded.

Dean pulled Cas into the hall.

“You did a great job.” He said, kissing Cas.

He blushed slightly.

“Thank you. I haven’t married a couple since bible times.”

“That part about soul bonding, was that just a saying?”

“No, in ancient times, angels performed all of the marriage ceremonies, and we would attach a thread to the souls of the people we were marrying, bonding them until death. When we left, we gave people the power to bond, but they refused to pass it on and only angels are still able to bond people. I assume you want to know if we can bond?”

It was Dean’s turn to blush, he nodded.

“Yeah, actually. It sounds awesome.”

“It is possible, but it’s dangerous and there are more steps to be followed. The ceremony would also have to be performed by an archangel.” Cas said, gaze falling to the floor, breaking eye contact. “We don’t need to be bonded in that way, we already have an existing bond, if-“

“Cas, I want to do it. Even if we need him to do it. I want to be bonded with you like that.” Dean interrupted, cupping Cas’ cheek and looking into his bright eyes.

“Help! It’s Cassie!” De yelled, and Dean and Cas ran back into the room to find Deanna crying over her unconscious wife’s body.

There was a bright flash of light and Cas’ vessel crumbled to the ground.

“Dea- Deanna?” Cassie said weakly. “It’s all going to be ok, Deanna. It’s time, my darling, it’s my time. I love you.”

“No! Cassie no. Please? Casandra, hang on for me Angel. Please? I love you.” De sobbed as Cassie grabbed her hand and smiled peacefully.

“Castiel is keeping me alive for right now, but he says he can’t keep me for long. Thank you for the time we had together, De. I love you.” She said and De hugged her tightly, cradling her head.

Dean put his hand on Deanna’s shoulder as Cassie took her last breath.

“Deanna-“

“Castiel?”

Castiel nodded.

“I was too late. I’m so sorry.”

De stared at the wall numbly, heartbroken tears falling silently down her face.

Cas stood up quietly and she and Dean walked into the hall.

“Hey. How are you feeling, Cas?” Dean asked.

“I don’t know. The vessel, it feels different this time. I feel different.”

“Good different or bad different?” Dean asked, looking worried.

“I feel almost human, I think something might be dampening my powers.”

“Any ideas as to what it might be?”

“No, but what it is, it’s powerful.” Cas replied.

“Fantastic. So, we have no idea what this is or how to stop it, and it’s powering you down. Freaking fantastic.” Dean sighed.

“Dean, we’ll figure it out, we always do.”

“Yeah, ok.”