Cas was walking back to the hotel from the store. It was quite late at night, around 11:00 pm, but Cas wasn't afraid of the dark, or anything that could be hiding in it. The store wasn't far from the hotel, only about 4 blocks. Cas took his time walking back because he liked to observe humanity. Everything that humans did interested Cas.

When Cas was an angel, he had thought that humanity was interesting, and it observed it carefully. The way the talked about simple things, like 'celebrities', or what their favorite television show was, was odd to Cas because he never had had time for small talk in Heaven. Angels didn't gossip about silly things. He also noticed that humans liked to collect things. They had their little trinkets and toys. Cas often thought that humans had a magpie-like tendency.

What intrigued Cas the most was emotions. Why did humans cry when another died? Why did they get happy, or angry? Why did they smile? What was sadness, happiness, or anger? Cas never did understand emotions until he had met Sam and Dean Winchester. They got sad, the got happy, they even got angry at times. Sam and Dean taught Cas that emotions, even though they could destroy you, were important.

Now that Cas was human, he understood them so much better. Gossip was just a pastime. Trinkets were just fun to collect. Emotion was what someone felt when they walked past a poor, dying, homeless man. Emotion was what one felt if someone made a joke.

As Cas walked past yet another alley, he heard a small mew come from a crate in the alley. Cas's curiosity got the best of him, and he set down the groceries he was holding to look inside the crate. He let out a small gasp.

Inside the crate were three kittens. They looked about two months old. Cas saw that one kitten was black with blue eyes, one was light brown with green eyes, and one was dark brown with green eyes.

They look kind of like me, Sam, and Dean, Cas thought as he looked at the kittens.

Cas suddenly felt something in the pit of his stomach as the kittens mewled with hunger. He felt pity. He couldn't just leave them here; they would surely starve by morning...

Cas knew that Dean was allergic to cats. What would he say? Surely, he would make Cas get rid of the kittens. The kittens were so helpless though...

Cas made up his mind. Dean would just have to deal. Dean could go sleep in the Impala if he didn't like the cats. Cas picked up the crate of kittens along with his groceries, and walked the last block back to the hotel as quickly as he could. Oh, if only he was still an angel. He could teleport to the hotel.

Cas was out of breath by the time he got to the hotel. He set down the crate of protesting kittens and knocked on the door.

Cas heard the door unlock and saw Dean open the door.

"Oh, good, Cas, you've gotten the food. Did you get any-" Dean stopped midsentence as he noticed the crate of kittens. "What. Is. That," he asked as he pointed at the crate.

Cas shifted his feet uncomfortably. "If you'd just let me in, Dean, I can explain." he said quietly.

Dean stepped aside as Cas picked up the kittens and the groceries. He gingerly set the crate on Sam's bed and put the groceries on a small table. I can already tell Dean doesn't like this, Cas thought sadly.

Sam got up from his spot at the table and walked over to the kittens. "Where'd you find them, Cas?" he asked as he picked up the dark brown kitten.

Cas quickly glanced at Dean, then down at his own feet. "I-I was walking back from the store when I heard them."

Sam sat down on the bed with the kitten in his lap. He stroked it with one finger while it let on an unsteady purr. "I like this one," he said simply.

Dean sighed. "You know I don't like cats, Sam, so don't think for a second that we're keeping them."

"I know that Dean. But we could at least keep them for a few days. It wouldn't hurt. Go get some allergy meds or something."

Cas risked a glance up at Dean. Would he allow them to keep the cats, if only for a few days?

Dean looked at the cat Sam was holding. "I- I don't- oh, alright, fine," Dean muttered. Cas instantly smiled. They could keep the cats!

Cas walked over to Sam's bed and sat down next to the crate. He picked out the black kitten and set it on the bed next to him. Sam smiled and continued petting his cat, while Dean sat down on his own bed and purposely turned away from the cats. Sam smirked and pet his kitten on the stomach.

Cas could tell that Dean felt slightly left out because he was allergic to cats. Cas picked up the light brown kitten from the crate, got up, and sat down on Dean's bed in front of him. Dean glared at Cas as he set the kitten down on Dean's bed.

"Dean. I know you're allergic to cats, but you can't not pet them. Look how adorable they are." As the kitten waddled over to Dean, Cas added, "I think it likes you."

Dean's glare softened as the kitten crawled onto Dean's lap, layed down, and began to sleep. He began to slowly pet the cat with one finger. Cas smiled and went back to petting his own kitten on Sam's bed.

They all sat in silence for a few minutes, stroking the purring balls of fluff. Sam suddenly spoke up.

"I know we might not be keeping the cats, but I still think we should name them," he suggested. Names! Cas had forgotten about that. There were so many names in the universe! Which one would be right for the being sitting on the bed next to him?

Sam was the first to name his kitten. "I want to call him Gabriel."

Dean laughed. Cas realized it was the first time Dean had actually laughed since the angels fell five months ago. "Gabriel?! Why would you name it after that trickster who killed me about 100 times?"

Sam glared at Dean. "Gabriel did die for us, Dean. Anyways, I think the little guy looks like a Gabriel," he said as he tickled the kitten on the chin.

"Alright. Suit yourself," Dean replied. "I don't know what I should name my kitten. I feel like I should name it after someone, but who would I name it after?"

Cas thought, What do I name my kitten? What do normal humans name their cats? Cas didn't have a clue. Maybe he could ask Sam and Dean.

"Sam? Dean?" Cas began. "I don't know what to name my cat. What are some normal names for cats?" he asked.

"Hmmm," Sam said. "People do like to name black cats Jet or Panther."

"Those don't seem to suit him, though," Cas replied.

"Yeah. You're right," Sam admitted as het pet Gabriel.

"Aha! I know what I want to name my kitten!" Dean exclaimed. "Merlin!"

"You want to name your kitten after a sorcerer, Dean? That's a little weird." Cas said.

"Hmph. I don't think it's weird. Well, he's Merlin now and it can't be changed."

"Cas, you still don't have a name for your kitten," Sam pointed out.

"I know, I know!" Cas replied irritably. Maybe his kitten didn't need a name. Maybe-

Jimmy! He could call it Jimmy, after his own vessel. He said this out loud to Sam and Dean.

"Jimmy? Well, whatever floats your boat, Cas," Sam commented.

"I don't have a boat, Sam."

"It's a metaphor, Cas."

"Oh. Okay."

Dean clapped his hands. "Well, it's 12:30 now, so we should get off to bed," he said.

Sam and Cas agreed. As Cas lied down on the very uncomfortable hotel couch, he thought about how lucky he was that Dean let the kittens stay. The kittens were lucky, too. Before Cas closed his eyes, he looked over to where the cats were drinking the milk Cas had bought from a bowl. Cas smiled to himself, turned over, and instantly fell asleep.

THE END