This was always going to happen at some point. Castiel should've known better than to think it wouldn't. The train of fate was unavoidable.

Of course, this isn't exactly how he pictured it happening.

He imagined a lot more yelling, and anger. Because, come on, this is Dean Winchester we're talking about; it always involves yelling. And the inevitable kicked puppy looks from Sam too of course.

It had started out as a slight pain in his lower abdomen. A minor burning sensation that Castiel assumed was yet another part of his borrowed grace slowly withering and dying inside of him. So, as fate would have it, he shifted on the wooden chair presented to him earlier by the younger of the Winchesters, and ignored it.

A witch had recently taken the time to actually try to scope out the Winchesters in her boredom, and had gotten fairly close. The hunters, with Castiel standing as back up, quickly took care of her and they returned back to the bunker, which was a few towns over. Dean had immediately told Castiel to sit his ass down somewhere, and actually be useful instead of moping around the bunker in an old ACDC t-shirt and sweats.

So, that led to Sam asking him, in a completely less asshatish way, if he could help the younger brother out by researching how the witch could've found them. So far, much of the information Castiel had found was vague. Still, he deleted them just in case. Any piece of information about this place was dangerous in the hands of the wrong people.

Almost an hour after he had finished researching information to help Sam, Castiel was drinking coffee in the kitchen, the only sound being his occasional slurp from the mug he was holding in both his hands. It was late. Sam was probably asleep; he seemed pretty tired after this particular hunt. Maybe it was because Dean had acted like he was an asshole for most of it.

Lately, Dean was acting more and more like himself again. The him that he was before the mark of cain brought him back from the dead and left him as a demon.

After the whole shock of Dean's a freaking demon, things had started to slow down a little bit. Occasionally, the elder winchester would have his moments, like today, but eventually he would settle down again.

Sam often called Dean's little demon moments his "time of the month", which Castiel only marginally understood as referring to a female's monthly menstrual cycle. Although, even with all the knowledge of every single book written by man in his head, he didn't understand how humans reproducing related to Dean's behavioral issues.

He had asked Sam this question and gotten a belly aching laugh in response. Which did nothing to help Castiel in the least.

Now, as he stood over the kitchen table, hot coffee mug in hands, looking down at the newspaper splayed out on the surface, another sensation reached him. This one, much more powerful than the last.

It felt like something was kickboxing against his liver, hard pounds within himself making Castiel sway on his feet. Another hit that knocked the breath out of him, and then he was suddenly on the floor. The cool tiles were burning hot to Castiel, as he imagined, and felt his insides spasming, turning slowly to mush.

Maybe this was it. Maybe this was the moment where his stolen grace burnt out for good and he died. Here. On this tiled, white floor of the Winchesters' kitchen, only for either Sam or Dean to find him laying there motionless in the morning, surrounded by dried coffee.

No.

No.

That definitely wasn't happening. Not as long as he was still alive. Even if only for a short time. He wouldn't let Sam or Dean add this to the pile of things they blamed themselves for, self loathing bastards they are.

Instead, he mustered up the energy for his vocal chords to produce something. Something. Anything. And he meant to make it as loud as he could.

He didn't know what kind of sound he made, but the next moment there were footsteps. Castiel didn't care who it was, he just needed someone to know that his death was his own fault, not anyone else's. This burden was his.

Castiel felt something that was trying to be a sigh of relief when he saw Sam standing in the doorframe of the kitchen, but ended up sounding like a mangled beaver. He could feel his lungs struggling for air, going into shock just like the rest of his body, and he doubled over slightly when he felt what seemed like another kick to his esophagus.

He could vaguely register Sam rushing over to his side, hands on his face, turning his face towards the bright light of the bunker. The younger Winchester was shouting what sounded like pleas for him to hold on and strangled calls for Dean to get his ass in here!

Then the next moment he was being lifted off the ground, the two brothers holding him carefully.

An all new pain erupted inside of him.

He felt his insides clenching, then he was throwing up all over Dean, who was suddenly beside him, and when did they get to Castiel's room?

After a bit of swearing from Dean, and complaints about his favorite t-shirt and what not, Castiel thought he might finally slip into darkness. With all his energy he kept his eyes open long enough to focus on the two faces hovering over him, expressions of worry adorning them. Two almost identical pairs of green eyes flashed at him and then oh-

Oh.

Oh. What was that?

Something wet was suddenly sliding down his legs, and then he was confused. Why wasn't he dying? Why hadn't he slipped into darkness yet? What was the moistness he now felt running down his inner thighs, soaking the bedsheets?

Exhausted and confused, he tried lifting his head to look down at himself, neck straining with energy he doesn't have.

Sam, if possible looks even more worried. He pushes Castiel back down with one hand, and slides a wet towel over Castiel's forehead with another. Dean seems to notice what he was trying to do earlier though and looks down at the angel's body, making him feel slightly self conscious.

Then Dean's eyes widen into shock.

And Dean's eyes, ever since becoming a demon, never widen into shock unless it's something big.

When Castiel tries to sit up again, this time another clenching sensation, if possible then more powerful than the last, hits him. He gasps, falling back down with a wince.

"Cas?" Sam asks, and it pains Castiel to turn his head to look at the man. "What's happening?"

"Yeah, Cas," Dean smiles gently at him, the notion making Castiel feel slightly less panicked than before. "What's going on? Is it your grace? Is it going out?"

It takes a few more moments, and a couple more painful contractions of his insides for him to answer. With a raspy voice, more raspy than usual, he says, "N-No. I don't believe I know what i-is happening."

Then there's a voice. A voice that sends a chill down his exhausted limbs and right into the marrow of his vessel's bones. A voice he hasn't heard in centuries.

"No, you wouldn't, Castiel," It's a young woman's voice, light, beautiful even to the ears of angels. "For it's only happened a few times before. And never with a male vessel."

He can hear Sam get up. Can see him reach for his gun in the holster of his pants while Dean takes over patting Castiel's forehead with the rag, now lukewarm.

"Who are you?" Sam's voice is one of hostility. The woman laughs.

"What? My brother didn't tell you about me?" Dean's hand tenses with the cloth rag. Castiel's hand finds the hunter's, and grasps it weakly, unknowingly why.

"Sorry, but no," Sam holds up his gun. "Who are you?"

The woman sighs. She looks to be no more than twenty-one. But Castiel knows that's not true.

"My name is Kaley."

"Why are you here? You an angel?" Dean finally speaks, turning to glare at Kaley.

"You could say that," She smirks, then turns to stare at Castiel, expression turning serious. "We need to do this now if you want them to live, Cas."

Through another sharp pain, Castiel gasps, "Want who to live?"

Sam is getting closer to her, and she turns a glare on him so blood curdling that it makes each occupant of the room want to curl up and hide for eternity.

"Would you stop pointing that at me?" Kaley snaps, "You're about to get more residents, and I don't want that out when they get here."

"What new residents?" Dean asks. "I don't recall inviting anybody over."

"When you went to Hell for the first time, you invited them. Now," She starts towards the side of the bed, Sam trailing after her in bewilderment. "I need you to calm down, Castiel. You are not dying. Do not worry."

Castiel stares at her. She has dark blonde hair, thin lips, and piercing green eyes not unlike Sam and Dean's. It's a face that hasn't aged in over two centuries, despite the occupant of the body getting older.

"Kaley."

She smiles gently, running her fingers lightly through the dark hair on his scalp.

"Cas."

"Where have you been?"

Kaley laughs, a little tinkle sounding thing that makes Castiel want to curl into her and fall asleep. He's missed this sound.

"Busy, brother. That is all." When Dean shoots her a suspicious look, she ignores it. "Nothing bad, I promise. Simply making sure certain people are okay." She sounds about as tired as Castiel feels, and if he wasn't so weak he would reach out and embrace her.

"What is happening to me, Sister?"

Kaley closes her eyes; looks away. Then she's back before he can say something to her about it; ask what's wrong.

"You are in what the humans call Labor."

There's a stunned silence throughout the room. Nobody even breathes.

Eventually though, Castiel interrupts it with a groan of pain.

"So what Cas is experiencing is actually just contractions?"

Sam, the sensible one in the situation, even with an obvious mixed look between bewilderment and disbelief, always seems to ask the right questions. Castiel reminds himself to thank Sam later if the pain doesn't kill him.

Kaley nods, finally looking at the younger Winchester with a softness that wasn't there before. Her eyes gleam otherworldly, like sunlight catching on dew drops still settled onto their green counterparts. Except, there's no sun. It's natural.

It makes Castiel feel a tightness in his chest when he realizes Dean's are almost exactly like hers.

Speaking of the older Winchester, Dean is currently staring blankly at the wall, a small crease between his eyebrows, and his lips pressed thinly together-

Whoa, whoa.

Whoa.

When did he start staring at Dean's lips? He wonders at this, gritting his teeth to keep in a moan at the next contraction tumbling through his body. The pain keeps Castiel gripping the sheets around him, fingers turning white at the tight hold. He can feel sweat running down his temple, probably an effect of his grace fading inside of him, and closes his eyes.

The pain is nothing like he's ever felt. His insides spasming, contracting, trying to push themselves out, all at the same time. Even compared to the torture he endured as a full human, hanging in chains and surrounded by his dead brothers and sisters, this is ten times worse.

A strangled cry wrenches itself out of Castiel's throat, drawing the attention back to him. He struggles with air. His windpipes contracting with his body, it makes everything harder bearing when there's less oxygen getting to his lungs.

Kaley holds his cheeks in her hands, warm like a sunny day, and he can feel his body relax slightly. Only slightly though. He still has this overwhelming urge to push for some reason.

Again, Kaley starts speaking.

"This is rare among our kind. Also, illegal," she explains, looking down at Castiel sadly. "No angel has experienced this in almost 7 billion years. The production of more angels was left to God, and only he could create angels. The reason for this was because there was once great conflict among the heavenly host, and it almost began a civil war, that others viewed the birth of new fledglings by other angels disgraceful. Many believed that God should be the only one able to create new angels. They were soldiers after all; they shouldn't be distracted by raising their young ones."

Castiel barely remembered such a time because he was a mere fledgling at the time. He didn't know how Kaley knew all this, and was confused as she was also too young to remember.

"It led to a massacre. A group of angels broke into the garden where the fledglings were kept, and slaughtered almost all of the small creatures. Michael and Gabriel were furious, even Raphael. Lucifer himself punished the angels that did this crime," Kaley paused, swallowing thickly. Castiel furrowed his brows. Both Sam and Dean were looking at her, expressions of shock clouding their features. "Castiel and I were the only fledglings left afterwards. The whole garden was covered in the outlines of their forms, wings splayed, burnt into the ground, the whole shabam. I remember Gabriel. He carried us out of there, shielding us from the horror of what was left of the garden. Of course, we were protected with great forces after that, only soldiers who approved of the creation of the fledglings were allowed to guard us."

Castiel stared, wide eyed, at her. He couldn't believe this. Was this another memory Naomi took from him? Is that why he wasn't able to remember this momentus event?

"I-I thought Father...God had created me. And you." He stuttered, voice ragged and choked up.

The female angel's shoulders slumped slightly. "He did. Both of us. Not all the fledglings were created with soul taps."

"Soul taps? What?" Dean interrupted. "What the hell does that mean?"

Kaley glared at him.

"It is what you and Castiel experienced when this idiot rescued you from Hell then pieced you back together, unknowing of the consequences."

Sam scowled. "What consequences?"

"You do know how Castiel pieced you back together, don't you, Dean?" She suddenly reminded Castiel as a inquisitive mother after her delinquent son had just done something to get himself into trouble. In fact, she kind of reminded him of himself.

"There must've been some stuff left out when Cas told me he 'gripped me tight and raised me from perdition'." Dean looked square at Cas, frustration evident in his posture, but worry also clouded those green eyes.

Kaley also stared down at her brother, something resembling a scolding in her features. Finally she sighed and bent down at an angle that made Castiel extremely uncomfortable.

"I need you two to help get his pants off. They won't do much good right now." Sam and Dean looked at her incredulously.

"What? Why?" Sam looked a little bit panicked and disturbed at the same time.

"Babies can't pass through cloth, last time i checked." She sent a condescending look towards the younger brother.

Sam and Dean proceeded to hurriedly help Castiel out of his pants, and his briefs, a rush of cool air hitting his hot skin. Castiel gasped.

Kaley kneeled at the foot of the bed, fixing Castiel's lower regions with an examining look. Her face remained blank so her brother couldn't read her.

"Jesus. Why does it look so red and swollen?" Sam asked.

"Sam!" Dean yelped.

A sharp prod in an inappropriate place made Castiel cry out in pain. It felt like something was trying to get out of him. Which immediately reminded him of the leviathans, sending him into a

small panic that somehow another creature hadn't let go when he released all those souls into purgatory.

"Dean, go over there and calm your boyfriend down," Kaley said, seeming to sense the angel's stress. Dean slowly made his way to his friend's side and hesitantly grasped the hand that was clenching the white sheets around him. Castiel squeezed. "This vessel was not made to give birth in any day or age, so I may need to do a quick gender swap. Or else the children may fight their way out bloody. This may hurt, Cas." She warned.

A small warming sensation came over Castiel as Kaley placed her hand under his testicles. A painful pulling feeling was experienced, and the angel clamped his eyes shut, squeezing Dean's hand hard in his.

After a few moments, the sensations stopped, but then came the even more urgent need to push push push.

"Do not push yet."

Castiel managed a nod, feeling something hot and wet run down his cheeks. He heard Kaley pull Sam off the side, whispering something to him in the corner of the room. Dean still held his hand and when he managed to turn his head to look at the Righteous Man, he saw that he was on the verge of storming over to the young woman in the room and demanding to know what the hell was going on.

Finally the other two wandered back over to the bed, determined to do something it seemed.

Sam knelt next to Kaley, looking more than mildly disgusted at staring at Castiel's genitals; even if they weren't his regular penis and testicles.

"Okay, Cas," Castiel's attention was drawn back to his sister, who had one blonde eyebrow raised questioningly. "Are you ready?"

He let out a shaky breath, feeling Dean hold his hand tighter, before he nodded.

In the next few hours, it would be fairly graphic to continue describing what happened, but it mainly consisted of screaming and the cries of newborn beings brought into the world. Each healthy, high pitched screech was a gift to the world, and brought tears to every pair of eyes in the room. Sam cleaned each new person brought out into the light, then gently set them each up in a cloth.

Later, as Castiel slept in his room, new sheets adorned on his bed and four hastily set up cots surrounding him, Sam, Dean, and Kaley sat in the kitchen. Each held a hot cup of coffee in their hands, much like the one Castiel had been drinking before he went into a tiresome labor.

"So?" Sam started, looking pointedly at the female angel sitting across from him, sipping delicately from her mug.

"So?" She whipped back.

"What the hell just happened?" Dean growled. "You said it was something to do with angels, but I'm not sure I believe you seeing as Cas never mentioned anything about a twin sister named Kaley."

Kaley set the mug down in front of her, tracing the handle with a blue nail. "Ah. Yes." She started. "Well. Let's just say Castiel and I have become rather distant over the last few centuries."

"What do you mean when you say 'distant'?" Sam asked.

"Meaning, I haven't made contact with him or any of the angels in over three hundred years. I decided to become human, you see."

"Like Anna?"

"Not exactly. I retained my grace and my memories, unlike Anna." She cast a pitying glance down at her mug.

"From the way Castiel looked when you were explaining about angels breeding with other angels though," Dean snorts into his coffee at this, slightly burning his mouth. "It looked like only you remembered those things. Why didn't he remember?"

A dark look passed over Kaley's features. "Let's just say I am not exactly Castiel's twin in all aspects."

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Dean asked suspiciously.

She looked back at them. "I am much older than him. We are only twins in that the other angels believe we were created by God at the same time." She paused. "I am barely even an Angel. I suppose you could compare me to Death. Although the opposite."

The Winchesters looked at each other, then back at Kaley. "What?" They both asked.

"You don't actually think my name is Kaley, do you?"

Sam's eyes narrowed. "If Kaley isn't your real name, then what is it?"

Kaley smirked. "I was deemed Kaley by the four Archangels simply because they were quite afraid of calling me by my real name."

Silence ensued several minutes before any of them spoke.

"My name is Life."

Author's note: Okay, so I don't own Supernatural. All rights go to the creators. Kaley is mine, though. I would like to get some reviews on this to know if i should continue it. If I get some good reviews, I'll write another one, extending more on Kaley/Life's background. And you'll get to know the babies. You'll understand if I continue why there were four.