The door creaked and groaned as Castiel pushed it open. Stepping into the warehouse, he sensed the warding spells and symbols all around him. And a rustling sound like wings that came from a room to his left, then he heard a yell.
"Cassie! Long time no see! Nice tie you've got there." Said a loud voice, unfortunately, and unmistakably from the archangel Gabriel.
"Please restrain yourself, Gabriel. We do not need to see that "special hug" of yours again. We are here to discuss serious matters." Before Castiel could answer. It could only be Michael's voice. Always that commanding and serious. But he felt lucky that Michael had stepped in, he never wanted to find out what Gabriel's "special hug" is. A strange sight greeted him. A large rectangular table was placed in the middle of the room. The large group of angels sat around it some looking tense, some chatting with each other, others just observed quietly. So this is the largest celestial meeting that had been held on Earth for two centuries.
"Hello, brother." He said to Gabriel and gave nodded to Michael, who naturally, sat in the head chair at the right side of the table. Castiel took his seat. He was vaguely aware that Michael and some other angels are studying him. This made him a bit uncomfortable. Luckily he did not have to wait long. Michael cleared his throat and began.
"Quiet down everybody!" He shouted and instantly, the room went silent, "I believe you all know why you are here, correct?" The forty or so angels around the table all showed signs of approval.
"We are here to discuss the great prophecy that had recently come to our attention," he continued in that calm and confident voice, "the prophecy centers around Mary and John Winchester's two boys, Sam and Dean. It is foretold by the prophecy, that these two boys will, in fact, decide the fate of the world. They are the one who will stop the apocalypse, or not." Michael said, and silence.
"Sounds cheerful, the fate of the world rested upon two scrawny little boys." Commented Gabriel, breaking the silence at last. No one laughed, silence fell again.
"And the source of this prophecy is?" Questioned Castiel. He always questions the authority and validity of things.
"Chuck Shurly, the 16 years old prophet of the Lord." Answered Michael, who studied Castiel curiously while answering, deep in thought. Confusion swept over Castiel, why are some of his brothers and sisters looking at him that way?
"I still don't see how this is anything to do with us though. Couldn't we just wait for the boys to grow up then give them some advice?" Said Hannah with a slightly confused shake of her head.
"I've been to the future, I've seen… what…we all…" Michael stuttered, for the first time in a long time did he sound so unsure and scared. "The angels will cease to exist, human and Earth will be flattened and Lucifer shall rule chaos." He finished grimly.
"Oh, let me guess. This will be our future unless we do something?" Said Gabriel with an air of seriousness that did not really fit his style.
"My suggestion is to take action as soon as possible. So yes, we have to do something. I also propose that we take the ball from now. Train the Winchester boys. Technically, that should be their father's job but the man is too broken. He has done nothing but drink in the past two weeks. The boys will need a family, a guardian." Said Michael, regaining his confidence and the commanding voice.
"OK, OK. You want us to take care of two scrawny, squeaky, annoying little kids?" Gabriel exclaimed, faking a jump of surprise in his chair.
"No, we need only one angel to take care of the boys, care for them since their father could not. An angel who could be patient and loving." Michael's gaze fixated on Gabriel as if to say "unlike you!" But then, he looked straight into Castiel's eyes.
"I am thinking about you, Castiel." He said.
Castiel felt empty. He didn't even protest as he gave Castiel a big slap on the back which made a loud thump. The words made no sense to him. How could it be him? There are hundreds of angels, how could he be better? Not that he didn't want the job but…
"What? Why?" He asked. They can't be serious.
"Obviously because you are patient and loving Cassie! Hey, bro, you've really gotten slower" Exclaimed Gabriel with a whistle.
"That, and I think you have the potential to do great things Castiel. Your heart is good; I'd give you that. Plus, I have a feeling that you would like the Winchester boys." A gentle smile played on Michael's face as he considered Castiel.
"What if I can't! What if I fail, you cannot leave this whole fate of world thing in my hands!" Shock started to turn into desperation and anger.
"Castiel, believe it or not you are our best hope. Please, if you will just give it a try. You don't have to continue if you don't want to." Michael tried to reassure him. "You will never know if you don't try, plus, we can always help you." Silence.
"Fine, I will try." Castiel said finally, after a long time. Then he stood, and walked out of the room.
The cold night air chilled Dean's bones, he shivered slightly and wrapped his jacket closer to his body. Then, he pulled Sammy closer to his chest, hoping to keep his little brother warm. Dean could not sleep, but it was not because he was sitting on the front porch in the middle of the night with blasts of cold wind blowing in his face. Whenever he closes his eyes, he saw things that he wished to never to see ever again. His mother's scream, he didn't even know whether he had actually heard it or he had just simply imagined it. He didn't want to find out. He did not want to think of his father either. It looks like his father was trying to drink himself to an early grave. From time to time, he would be conscious enough to take another swig from the bottle and mutter something about demons and monsters then pass out on the table again.
In the past days or so, Dean had finally buried his sadness of losing his mother, leaving him with a gaping void in his heart. He had started to feel he was losing his father too. He did not fully understand what had happened that night, but he understood that he was the one left with the responsibility of taking care of his brother. And he swore to himself that he will keep his brother safe, no matter what. Fate had taken his mother, and perhaps his father two he will not lose his baby brother too.
As to why Dean was sitting out on the front porch in a bitterly cold November night? Dean cursed himself for being such a coward, but he could not stand being in the same room with his drunken father who yelled, grunted, slept and puked whenever he tried to talk to him. He couldn't stand feeling that someone was missing in the simple apartment they had rented. Well, at least they had a temporary place to stay in, thanks to Bobby. "Angels are watching over you, Dean." His mother's words rang in his ears. A wave of warmth ran over him and before he knew it, he fell asleep with Sammy in his arms.
Castiel arrived just then. First, he just stood there, taking in the scent. Then, his brows furrowed and with a soft light in his clear blue eyes, took off his trench coat and covered Dean with it. Then, as gently as he could, took Sam into his own arms and watched over Dean Winchester. Just as a soft glow of dawn's first light broke over the horizon.