This is planed to be a multi chapter story with Angel bonds, wing!kink, oil!kink. It's primarily a Destiel with some Sabriel thrown in for good measure. This story is AU as of the ending on Swan Song giving Dean's Exile on Main Street a different spin.

"Hello Dean." Castiel greets Dean; who still sat on the ground leaning against the Impala; in shock from witnessing his baby brother throw himself into Lucifer's Cage - dragging their half brother along with him. After several silent minutes Castiel continues, "I must return to Heaven. It will be in chaos now with Michael gone." He sombrely tells Dean only moments after healing his injuries and resurrecting Bobby. Castiel stands alone fidgeting; a human habit that as a new minted Archangel of the lord he feels he must break. He waits for a response, which after a few moments he isn't sure why he thought to hope he might receive.

Dean is too shocked to reply even if the thought of losing Castiel, as well as Sam, lances through his heart, which explodes as if he had been run through with an Angel blade. His heart feels as if it has shattered into a million pieces, which fly about lodging in inconvenient places, all the while completely pulverizing the last bit of hope he didn't realize he was clinging to. Unable to speak just yet he remains silent staring off into the distance, as Castiel spreads his new and improved Archangel wings and with a soft fluttering disappears from Dean's sight.

After a few minutes Dean allows a long deep sigh to escape before struggling upright. Dean glances around Stull Cemetery; taking in his surroundings like his father drilled into him from a very young age. Bobby has meanwhile regained his bearings as well. The two hunters nod stiffly to one another before heading to their respective vehicles alone. Bobby knows Dean well and doesn't expect him to deal with Sam's death well. Nor does he expect him to allow anyone to help him through the grief. "Idjit." Bobby mutters under his breath as he puts the truck into gear and heads back to his salvage yard.

Dean turns the Impala's engine over and as soon as he hits the highway he makes a beeline for the town that Lisa and Ben are currently living in. He promised Sam that he would try for a real life after all, and Dean Winchester keeps his promises. Dean drives for two days stopping only when he or the Impala absolutely have to. He seldom looks in the rear view, forcing his eyes forward and his mind on his destination, resolutely not on where he has come from. The end of his journey being a small town in the middle of the USA; a small town just like any other small town; it's one main drag bears the name: Main Street. And so finally the mint condition black 1967 Chevy Impala rumbles to a stop, outside a cookie cutter house smack dab in the middle of a picturesque tree lined street. The House in question's white picket fence unnecessarily separating it's yard from its neighbours similarly white picket-fenced yards.

It takes Dean more than a few minutes to get out of the vehicle. His mind started screaming at him the minute he put his baby into park. Unseen by Dean, or anyone else on earth - two beings - both recently resurrected Archangels of the Lord, watch Dean war with himself from a safe distance; not wanting to alert the hunter to their presence. Since of course Castiel didn't fly away immediately to Heaven when he disappeared from Dean's sight. His brother Gabriel's presence nearby distracted him, and instead flew to his side.

Gabriel was resurrected in the same moment Castiel was reformed and promoted to an Archangel. He immediately found himself completely overwhelmed by the sight of Sam jumping into the Cage with his brothers. There he remained kneeling over the undisturbed grass, which was once the entrance to the Cage, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Gabriel finally drug his eyes away from the ground and looked into Castiel's eyes: questioning, pleading, just short of begging. Castiel simply nodded his head, and looked away towards Dean once again, leaving Gabriel to his private grief.

Back in Anytown, USA outside the home of Lisa Braeden and her son Ben.

"Tell me again why you told him that you had to return to Heaven, little bro?" Gabriel asked, as he snapped a lollipop into existence and popped it into his mouth.

"It is not of import. Brother." Castiel replied tersely his eyes never leaving Dean. Castiel didn't understand the feelings coursing through his vessel, as they watched Dean from a distance. The second Dean stepped out of the Impala Castiel's chest constricted painfully, and as he watched Dean walk up the path to the door and ring the bell he unconsciously held his breath.

Dean too was holding his breath as he waited on the stoop; the scene screamed déjà vu, and he almost bolted, when the door was suddenly opened and Lisa's friendly face appeared. She smiled and held the door open for Dean to enter and after a moments hesitation he did; releasing his breath in relief. At that same moment Castiel took flight - leaving Gabriel and Dean, especially Dean. He wasn't able to remain any longer lest he do something he might regret; like smite Lisa Braeden where she stood.

Gabriel let Castiel go; understanding what he was going through better than most. He knew from experience just how hard loving someone from afar was, having to watch as they lived their lives without you in it. Although he had no plans to leave him to his wallowing for long. Gabriel needed Castiel's knowledge of Hell, if he was going to save his Sammy. Gabriel snaps his fingers and appears in one of his safe houses knowing that Castiel will need some time to gather himself.

Inside the house Dean tentatively hugged Lisa and greeted her son Ben who barely remembered him, which was just as well since the last time wasn't a very pleasant memory. Meanwhile Castiel flew straight to the top of Everest, where he sometimes retreated to while on Earth; when his job as soldier of Heaven and his duty to Dean as the righteous man conflicted. Castiel knew that he should not be feeling what he did when Dean entered Lisa's home, but he was so new to emotions that he didn't understand why he felt so betrayed and angry with his charge.

Dean spends the first week at the bottom of a bottle splayed out on Lisa's couch. He kept it together as best he could while Ben was in his presence, but his guilt and grief were slowly tearing him apart. Time moves differently for Angels and so it is a month before Castiel seeks out his brother Gabriel; and they begin their quest to resurrect Sam Winchester from Lucifer's Cage. Meanwhile Dean has been bullied by Lisa into taking a menial position as a construction worker in the town she lives in. The Impala languishes in the garage covered in a heavy drop cloth while Dean drives around in a battered pickup truck and sleeps in the guest bedroom. Even if sleep is a relative term since his nightmares have returned with a vengeance now that Castiel is keeping his distance.

Gabriel and Castiel pulled out all the stops to get Sam back and Adam too if they could swing it. They contacted Death, and they even involved Crowley - who had taken up the mantel of King of Hell in Lucifer's absence; even if Meg was, rallying her own forces to oppose him. It took another three months for their plans to come together, and for Gabriel to descend into Hell. Just as before; the Heaven's sung of the battles waged by Gabriel during his quest, which topside lasted three months, but in hell-years felt more like thirty.

In the end Gabriel was able to grip Sam tight and raise him from perdition, just as Castiel had done with Dean years before. Getting Sam's soul away from his brothers was tricky even for the Trickster. Thirty years in Hell had left Gabriel's vessel in tatters and, as his Grace wrapped itself around Sam's torn and damaged soul, together they flew out of the pit bursting topside in a blast of light and power seldom seen on earth. The effects were felt by millions, but of course humans are so conditioned to attributing supernatural goings on to more explainable phenomenon, the event went largely unnoticed by those not in tune with such things.

Unlike Dean there was no body and therefore no grave to crawl out of and so Gabriel cradled Sam's soul within his Grace. And with the power held only by a handful of beings in this universe he rebuilt Sam from atom up. And finally he remade his own vessel, so that he might remain on earth as before. Just as his eyes snapped open, Sam drew in a huge breath of air. The first thing Sam saw was a light so blinding that he was confused and disoriented. As the light dimmed and Gabriel's vessel's form became clear to his human eyes he gasped and reached out with his hand reflexively. He pulled his hand back as soon as he realized what he was doing. "Gabe?" Sam cried out his voice rough from disuse.

"Yeah, it's me kiddo." Gabriel responded with a roguish smirk.

"Is this Heaven?" Sam asked not taking his eyes off of Gabriel for fear that he might disappear from his sight.

"Nope. Sammy, you're back. Good as new too." Gabriel responded, as he snapped a lollipop into existence and popped it into his mouth. The movement forcing him to release one of the hands holding Sam tight, which jarred the hunter into examining his surroundings for the first time. Of course he didn't recognize the room since it was one of Gabriel's safe houses but it felt safe to Sam and so he returned his attention to the Archangel before him.

"I thought you were dead! I thought I was… I was in the Cage… Wait, I remember the Cage…. Whoa!" Sam started saying well rambling really and he became progressively more agitated as he went through his memories trying to make sense of his current situation. "Are you real?" Sam whispered, cringing not wanting to discover that this was in fact another of Lucifer's tortuous tricks. Gabriel drew on the bond formed between them, and he slowly let his Grace seep out into his bonded, cocooning him.

"I am real. And so are you; Sam Winchester." Gabriel assured him moving to physically wrap him in his arms as well. Sam could feel the connection between them and as they embraced he allowed himself to let go and he sobbed into Gabriel's shoulder until he lost consciousness.

Dean had fallen into somewhat of a routine since coming to live with Lisa and Ben, which was out of character for the hunter who hadn't had a real home (besides Bobby's) since he was four. He worked his job and spent the early evenings with Lisa and Ben, retiring to the guest room alone. Whenever he sought out companionship it was in the form of fleeting drunken bathroom or back alley encounters with strangers. While he waited for Gabriel to return to earth with Sam, Castiel attempted to keep his distance but found it nearly impossible. He knew that Dean would never be the same without his brother and so he felt that he couldn't return to his hunter without him. And so invisible and mostly unnoticed Castiel kept watch over Dean.

Dean would frequently get the feeling of being watched and at first he chalked it up to hunters instinct overdrive as he reintegrated into civilian life, but then he noticed a pattern. He noticed the feeling more during certain activities and while in the company of certain individuals. After three months Dean had pretty much figured out who was spying on him, although Dean continued to allow him his anonymity too broken to reach out to him. He did alter his routine slightly though, since some things just didn't feel right knowing who might be watching. This slight behaviour change went unnoticed by Castiel whom as the months worn on kept a closer watch over his hunter than strictly necessary.

Castiel of course was well aware that his brother had returned with Sam Winchester. Although he knew how involved the process of rebuilding a damaged soul was, he was impatient for word, impatient to reunite with his hunter once more. A week after bursting topside with Sam's soul, Gabriel and Sam appeared next to Castiel; arms wrapped around one another big smiles on their faces. When they appeared Castiel was of course near Lisa's home patiently waiting for Dean to return from work. He found that it was unwise to watch over him there, after the first couple of times seemed to result in minor injuries to his charge.

"Little bro." Gabriel greeted genially.

"Castiel! It's good to see you, Man!" Sam cried out and momentarily left Gabriel and embraced his friend before returning to Gabriel's side.

"Good. You're back. Dean should be back from work soon." Castiel said most of his attention elsewhere.

"Where are we anyways?" Sam asked looking around the unfamiliar place questioningly.

"This is where Lisa and Dean live." Castiel admitted, his voice tight and slightly more gravelly then normal. The conversation was cut short by the sound of a truck driving up to the house and the door opening and slamming. Sam and Gabriel hadn't seen Dean in what felt to them like decades; they knew it had only been four months on earth, but they were still shocked by what they saw when he came around the corner.

Sam barely recognized his brother: Dean Winchester bore dark circles under his vacant eyes, his shoulders hunched inward and he held his entire body rigid. Castiel took stock of his hunters physical and emotional being; noting the minute changes since he last beheld his soul. It had been a particularly tiresome day for Dean; one of his co-worker's wives had, had a baby and the whole worksite was celebrating. Dean paused, his hand on the back door, and contemplated staying away for the evening so as to not run into Lisa or Ben while in such a fowl mood.

"Dean…" Sam uttered at the very moment Gabriel swore under his breath, "Fuck!" Before they had more than a moment to adjust Castiel forced them into the visible human realm. The threesome stood, both Archangels flanking Sam Winchester, off to the side of the house. When Dean turned towards them, having noticed the movement out to the corner of this eye, he didn't know which being to focus his attention on first. They all just stood staring at one another across the back yard for several minutes before Dean took a hesitant step in their direction. The movement broke their trance like state and Sam rushed forward towards his brother, embracing him tightly.

"Sammy… Is it really you?" Dean asked his voice muffled by Sam's clothing.

"Yeah… Dean, it's really me." Sam replied pulling away slightly.

"Hey Dean-o! How's apple pie life been treating yah?" Gabriel called out.

"I thought you were dead, Gabe?" Dean shot back, a tentative smile gracing his face for the first time in a very long time.

"It seems that Team Free Will doesn't stay that way for long." Castiel interrupted, eager to interject himself into the reunion.

"So it seems Cas, so it seems." Dean agreed happily while holding prolonged eye contact with Castiel. Their moment was interrupted when Lisa appeared in the doorway, "Dean?" She asked questioningly nodding to the strangers and his supposedly dead brother when Dean turned to face her.

"Sammy you remember Lisa, right?" Dean said nodding between the two, to which they both agreed non-verbally, Lisa still eyeing the other two surreptitiously. "And these two are Castiel and Gabriel; Angel's of the Lord." Dean continued the introductions vaguely gesturing to each Angel in turn as he spoke.

"Oh, well… Pleased to meet you all then…" Lisa said her tone unsure, as her knowledge of the supernatural was still mostly theoretical at this point.

"And you as well, little lady… Any friend of Dean-O's here is a friend of ours! Right, Cas?" Gabriel graciously exclaimed much to Castiel's horror.

"Of course." Castiel uttered tersely. Lisa nodded tightly and considered inviting them inside for just a moment too long.

Dean exuberantly cried out; "the only thing that could make this better would be pie! What do you all say we go and find some?" Both Castiel and Sam rolled their eyes indulgently while Gabriel seemed to wholeheartedly agree to the plan. Lisa however stepped back a little. "Ben will be home soon, so I guess you'll have to go on without me." She stated and Dean just nodded completely oblivious.

"I know just the place," Gabriel said right before he snapped his fingers and they disappeared before her eyes. The foursome reappeared in Pie Town, New Mexico during their September Pie festival.

"Oh my God! I've died and gone to Heaven!" Dean cried out as he twirled around reading all the banners and signs; his excitement overshadowing his usual negative reaction to Air Angel travel. Castiel was again left puzzled by his emotional reaction at seeing Dean so happy. "Oh look, the pie eating contest starts at 1! Do you think we have time to enter?" Dean wondered aloud while he glanced around, strategizing his attack on the pie fair before him.

"I'm sure we can make time for that Dean." Castiel assured his charge as they started to walk side by side towards the booth holding the event. Gabriel and Sam trailed behind them and Dean couldn't help but notice that they were whispering back and forth, as they walked through the crowds. They arrived just in time to enter the contest and both Dean and Gabriel entered, leaving Castiel and Sam to watch from the sidelines. Both put forth a valiant showing, Gabriel slightly handicapped by human physics of course, they both lost to an unassuming young woman, named Jolene who might have weighed 100 pounds soaking wet.

Following the contest Dean and Gabriel were met by their own personal cheering section and congratulated like conquering heroes. Dean's jaw hit the floor when Sam laid a sloppy kiss on Gabriel, right in front of God and everyone. He started to splutter unattractively his mouth opening and closing, no real words being formed while his brain caught up to his eyes. "What the Hell! Get off of my brother!" Dean yelled belligerently in their direction.

"Dean relax! If anyone needs to be in protective brother mode it's Cas! Not you!" Sam retorted pulling Gabriel's smaller body into his arms.

"What!" Dean cried out as he looked from face to face hoping to find an ally with at least Castiel (to whom the relationship was also news). However as an Angel he could feel the bond between them was, while in its infancy, a strong permanent Angelic/Soul bond.

"Dean-O… Dean-O… Dean-O...! This really isn't the way we wanted you to find out about this, but…" Gabriel started tauntingly his smug smile stretching wide across his face.

"Gabriel wait!" Castiel interrupted his brother and he struggled to keep the panic from showing on his face.

"No! He needs to know Cas." Gabriel retorted and Castiel hung his head slightly the move not going unnoticed by Dean.

"What's up, Cas?" Dean asked him.

"I think he might take this better from you, little bro." Gabriel suggested, and before Castiel could think of anything to say in reply, with a snap of his fingers only Dean and Castiel remained.

"Son of a… Where did they go?" Dean cried out as he twirled about searching for his brother and Gabriel in the crowds.

"Gabriel has many places he calls his own in this world, Dean. You need not worry about them; they are fine." Castiel replied with a long-suffering sigh; in his dread of the conversation that he knew must now take place.

"Well? What is going on then?" Dean asked point blank causing Castiel to cringe visibly, which caused Dean to fear the worst for his baby brother. "What the hell! I mean, I only just got him back and now what? What's Gabriel gone and done to him now?" Dean cried out further increasing Castiel's anxiety unknowingly.

Unable to bear the suffocating crowds of people any longer, Castiel reached out and pressed two fingers to Dean's forehead, instantly transporting them to a nearby vacant motel room, which resembled countless rooms inhabited over the years by the Winchesters.

"Cas! Warn a guy would you! Geez, it feels like you forgot my stomach back there for Christ's sakes!" Dean swore as he stumbled drunkenly falling into the motel room's couch gracelessly.

"Do not blaspheme before me; Dean!" Castiel yelled his real voice leaking through his vessel's gravely low growl shocking Dean into a more attentive pose on the couch before which Castiel stood.

"You're right Cas. I apologize." Dean said sincerely for once, he hadn't meant to offend his friend; the time apart had left him with bad habits, clearly. After a few minutes of staring at one another, Dean broke the silence. "Why did you bring me here, Cas?" He asked quietly.

"I need to explain and this seemed the best place for that conversation I suppose." Castiel responded succinctly.

"Well get on with it then?" Dean urged gently his posture relaxing and seeing this Castiel lowered himself to the edge of the closest bed and laid his elbows on his knees keeping his eyes on Dean's the entire time.

After a few moments he cocked his head to the side and asked, "What do you know of Angelic bonds, Dean?"

To which his eyes widened in shock and he started to shake his head back and forth. "Not much really. I read a little about them in passing back when Angels first started coming out of the woodwork." Dean replied his hands starting to clench and unclench in his anger, his imagination running wild at Castiel's opening comment.

"Well, not much is known about them in general as they are exceedingly rare… Although, I would venture that they are not as rare as they once were." Castiel started to explain getting lost in his own responses to the topic, adding to Dean's confusion. "An Angelic bond is created between two mates; there are different types of bonds, and different stages to each bond." Here Castiel paused and uncharacteristically cleared his throat nervously. "The first stage is evidenced by a physical mark or claim on the Angel's potential mate. And once reciprocated the bond becomes permanent and the bonding process is begun."

Dean listened intently as Castiel explained Angelic bonds and certain terms and inflections caused his blood to run cold. His mind started to replay; countless conversations, and errant taunts thrown their way, over the years by both Angel's and Demons alike. Dean forced all this down as far as he could and tried to focus on his brother; who he was under the impression they were supposed to be speaking of. "What does this all have to do with Sammy?" Dean asked somewhat subdued.

"Gabriel was the one to pull him from the Cage, Dean. And in my experience, that process involves every facet of our Grace. With such close contact with a damaged soul it is only natural for your Grace to reach out and attempt to heal the damages." Castiel explained gently his bright blue eyes never leaving Dean's green ones.

"What are you saying Cas?" Dean asked after a moment or two of prolonged significant eye contact between the two.

"I think you know Dean." Castiel responded not wanting to have to spell it out for the hunter.

"I think that it's time that you told me the truth Cas." Dean said all the while internally bracing himself for what Castiel might say. It took him a moment but Castiel nodded once slowly and finally explained as best he could.

"It is so very rare for an Angel's Grace to come into contact with a human soul outside of Heaven; especially a broken one. And yours is so bright, Dean, so pure and you were so badly damaged - I didn't even consciously decide - my Grace, it autonomously sought you out; the cracks, the imperfections; sealing them over and remaking your soul whole again. It wasn't until the process was finished that I realized what I had done, but it was far too late then. And now all I can do is apologize; for not giving you a choice, Dean." Castiel explained, head bowed and eyes trained on his hands, which he held clasped tightly in his lap.

"And so, Sammy?" Dean asked his voice shaking a little.

"Yes, Dean. Gabriel and Samuel have formed a reciprocated permanent Angelic bond. They both have a claim on the other as a mate, and while the bond is in it's infancy… There is little that would negate it at this point." Castiel further explained, as Dean sat staring his eyes not really seeing Castiel anymore but reliving his memories of his little brother. Suddenly Dean snapped out of his trance like state, startling Castiel momentarily as the hunter leapt to his feet and started to pace frantically the length of the cramped motel room.

"There has to be something that we can do, Cas!" Dean cried out, as he waved his arms about frantically, finally rubbing his hand over his face and slipping back into his previously vacated seat defeated.

"Why would you, Dean?" Castiel asked his head tilting in question. Dean paused remembering just how much he missed the Angel at seeing the familiar move before answering the seemingly rhetorical question.

"What are you talking about Cas? Of course we need to do something; it's the Trickster for Christ's Sakes!" Dean yelled spittle flying from his mouth in his anger.

"Dean you forget; Gabriel is my brother." Castiel replies quietly one eyebrow raised experimentally.

Dean deflated at Castiel's words, but mostly at the knowledge that Castiel doesn't think that this bond between Sam and Gabriel is anything nefarious. Dean couldn't think of anything he would hate more than being permanently bonded to someone like Gabriel, or anyone really. "I think it's time you took me home, Cas." Dean finally tells him despondently. Castiel stiffens at the suggestion, but after a few moments rises to his feet and waits for Dean to approach him. Dean lifts his tired body up off the couch and as soon as he is stood facing Castiel he places two fingers in the middle of his forehead and sends him straight to Lisa's alone.