Warning: Contains major spoilers to S13 E21 Beat The Devil

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Jack didn't believe it was real when he saw him.

There was Castiel walking across the camp, Dean and Mary walking shoulder to shoulder a few steps behind and behind them another man that Jack didn't know. They were here. They had come for him.

Before he knew it, Jack was running, desperate to get to him. Castiel turned and saw him. Jack slowed to a stumble, only a few feet away.

The last time Jack had seen Castiel, Jack had been running away. He had killed a man. A guard at a bank with family and friends. The man had just been trying to help and Jack had killed him. Killed him because he was trying to show off to Castiel, trying to prove himself. He had been so stupid. He hadn't been able to stand the way Castiel had looked at him, so he left.

But now, there was a strange look on Castiel's face. He looked like he was about to cry. He looked as though he was filled with a painful grief so deep that it was cutting his insides. But, as Castiel turned to look at him, he smiled.

"Jack?"

"Castiel…"

Without hesitation, Castiel stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him. Jack smiled and pressed his head into the soft fabric of Castiel's overcoat, taking him all just to make sure he was real.

Jack had missed Castiel more than anything. Even though he had only actually been with Castiel for a day, as far as Jack was concerned, Castiel was family.

He had also missed Sam and Dean. Sam, more so. Sam was the only one who had constantly been there for him, who was willing to give him a chance. No matter how many times Dean insisted he was evil and blamed him for Castiel's death, Sam was always there, offering to help or to listen.

He had spent every spare moment in Apocalypse world thinking about them. He had been so incredibly lonely the last few weeks. Sure, he had Mary, and she was great. He liked to imagine that his mum would be like her if she were still alive. But he felt like he didn't know Mary; not like Sam or Castiel or Dean.

"I missed you so much." Jack muttered into Castiel's shoulder. Castiel pressed his hand to the back of Jack's head.

They stood that way for a moment, then Jack stepped back, grinning. He imagined going home. It would just be him, Castiel, Sam, Dean and Mary. They would go on hunts and watch TV and eat dinner together. They would all be a family. Jack loved to imagine that. A real family. He could have that.

"How did you get here?" He asked. "Was it Kaia? Did you open another rift?"

It occurred to Jack that Castiel had never met Kaia. He opened his mouth to tell him who she was, but was silence by Castiel placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Jack…" Castiel said slowly. "Kaia's dead."

Jack looked up at the pained expression on Castiel's face. He stood there for a moment, frozen. At last he spoke.

"Did I kill her?" He murmured, closing his eyes. "Was it me?"

"No, Jack."

Jack didn't feel reassured though. If he had of left Kaia alone, just let her live her life, she would be alive. Now, she was just another person dead because of him.

Castiel took a deep breath and turned to the stranger who had arrived with them. He was shorter than Castiel, with brown hair and was sitting on a log, shifting through a backpack at his feet. There was something different about him. Jack could feel it radiating off him, but he had no idea what it was; almost like how he could sense angels, but this was different.

"Jack," Castiel said, motioning towards him. "This is Gabriel."

"Gabriel?" Jack stared at the man and then at Castiel. "Like the archangel, Gabriel?"

"The one and only." The man said, but the humour didn't reach his voice.

"I thought you were dead."

"We all did." Castiel said.

Jack looked over to where Dean was standing, filling up his water bottle. Mary was standing next to him, looking at him, her face a mixture of sorrow and worry. Dean looked strange. His movements were almost robotic. He looked as though he was on autopilot. Jack had seen Dean like this before; /when they were burning Castiel's body after he died, devoid of all hope and happiness.

Jack frowned. "I'm going to go see Dean." He turned to walk over, but Castiel held out an arm to stop him.

Jack looked up at Castiel, confused.

"What?" He asked. "What is it?"

Castiel only stared at him, his expression more pained than ever. Jack didn't understand, but then a horrible thought struck him.

"Where's Sam?" Jack asked, looking around. He turned back to Castiel.

Castiel close his eyes for a moment, when he opened them he couldn't look Jack in the eyes.

"Jack, I'm so sorry."