There was one night a year when all fighting ceased. When Evil and Good seemingly got along and the lines that were drawn to separate them lifted completely.
There was one night a year when a Demon could talk to an Angel without a worry of being smote.
There was one night a year when Lucifer himself could be brothers again with Michael.
There was one night a year when all was calm and all was good, when caste systems were ignored and an Archangel could carol with a Cupid. When Gabriel forfeited his Trickster guise and took up his robe and horn once more to bring the music that directed the choirs that one night all those eons ago. When Raphael was cheerful, when he smiled and spread warmth and love through his siblings with a single touch.
It was the one night a year when true Joy filled the air, and the Joy that was within Heaven filtered down to the Earth, spreading across the globe and through Humanity as it was meant to do.
And this year, this year was the first time that any Human should see the celebrations of Christmas as they were celebrated in Heaven.
"Are those Demons?"
"Yes."
Dean nodded, pretending to understand when he really didn't. Why Evil would be allowed inside Heaven was beyond him. Him and Sam had been told to dress their finest both given two well pressed robes to adorn them and warm leather sandals to cover their feet. Dean had been a little put off by having to wear a dress but one look from the angel had him shut up and putting the clothing articles on as he was told.
Sam didn't put up much of a protest at having to wear the robes, he'd asked whose they were but Cas had merely given him a look. He figured it was probably best that he didn't know whose they were anyway.
They were lead through a crowd of well dressed Demons, some talking softly with Angels they didn't recognize, and to the head of the large crowd to where the four beings who reigned Heaven in the Father's absence stood.
Dean made a face at the sight of Lucifer as he turned to face them. Gabriel smiled and waved at the two hunters as if he hadn't spent the last week harassing them for pleasure.
Michael stepped forward, clapping his hands together softly, "Welcome, we are happy to see you have made it, join us in the festivities. The choirs were about to begin."
This was so surreal, so unlike the four beings they had met before this day. They actually seemed to enjoy each others presence. Raphael was smiling down at Gabriel as the younger Archangel said something under his breath. Michael's arm was locked around Lucifer's as the blonde man stood silently at his side.
Castiel bid them a welcome in Enochian to which they turned as one to reciprocate. He was pulled into a hug or two and pat on the shoulder and ruffled through his hair before he was released to stand before his charges.
Lucifer smiled at Sam for a moment and the younger hunter felt his brother stiffen beside him. Dean moved forward to intercept him before anything could happen. A hand on his arm pulled him back and he spun around on Castiel angrily.
"What the hell man! You may all be buddy buddy all of a sudden but I-"
"Dean, it is a day of peace, there is no war and no hatred on this day of days. Lucifer is merely greeting Sam, he means no harm. It is law that all fighting shall cease on this day of days as decreed by Father Almighty."
He didn't like it and he made that clear as he thrust his arm free and sent a glare in the angels direction.
Lucifer ignored the tension though, smiling up at his brother on his arm nodding his head in the direction of the pews. Michael returned his gentle expression, patting his hand softly and releasing his hold on the younger's arm to allow him to move. They watched him retreat slowly, closing a large oaken door behind him as he entered a castle looking structure.
"He leads the Choirs, as their Master it is his Job."
Sam looked over at the Messenger as he came to stand beside him, gazing around him as Demons and Angels came together holding tokens and candles gathering in the space behind them and the remaining Archangels.
"What happened today?"
Raphael looked over at him from Gabriel's other side, an eye brow raised at a question he perceived as being ridiculous. Michael was looking over something a young Cupid was showing him quietly praising the girl on her work, watching proudly as her face lit up with glee at such words from the eldest angel.
"Its Christmas Samuel, surely you know what happens on Christmas."
Gabriel sucked in a giggle, "Fear Not, Said the Angel, for I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
Raphael chuckled under his breath, drawing an arm around his brothers shoulders. Gabriel smiled brightly at them from where he stood in his brothers side. Sam looked completely out of words.
"He's real? Jesus? He was real?"
"You've met Angels and Demons and Archangels, heck you've met Dad himself, and yet you ask if the little man is real?"
"We've met God?"
Raphael clapped a hand over Gabriel's mouth, turning from his conversation above his head with Michael and a Rit Zien to look down at him.
"Hush little brother."
Lucifer stood at the edge of a large stage of pews, his back to the crowd and his arm hanging in the air. He made a motion with his hand and a young girl came walking out of the sides to stand right before him. She looked around nervously at all the faces before looking back down at him at his gesture.
He smiled at her encouragingly and raised his hands. Curtains opened up along the walls showing pews full of angels each one holding an instrument in hand. A boy held a horn up to his lips and blew out a single note.
The girl took a deep breath.
"O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining; It is the night of our dear Savoir's birth!"
She smiled as she got over her fright, moving closer to her Master. Stars formed above them shining brightly upon the crown, one shining brightest of all.
"Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn."
Her voice carried through everyone, filling them with love and warmth. With a wave of the Archangels free hand lines of other Angels filled the pews behind the girl, humming the tune with her, the background music soft and gentle.
"Fall on your knees, oh, hear the Angel voices!"
Some did fall to their knees, Demons and Angels alike.
"Oh, night divine, oh, night when Christ was born!"
The angels behind her sang softly as her echo.
"Oh, night divine, oohh, night, oohhh, night divine!"
Groups of Angels took the hands of groups of Demons as together they swayed to the music. The song playing over them as if carried by the wind itself. Sam shut his eyes at it, allowing it to wash over him. Dean was still on edge but he hid it well.
"Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His Gospel is peace."
In her background, a chorus of angels sang 'fall on your knees' once more. It was a symphony, the perfect mixture of voices working together as one to create something wonderful.
"Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother, and in His name all oppression shall cease."
The choir filled in together, "Let all within us praise His Holy Name! Christ is the Lord! Oh, praise His name forever!"
They silenced at the quick wave of the Archangels hand. A new song about to begin.
Gabriel walked with them, talking animatedly about anything and everything as the three other Archangels watched him fondly. Lucifer was back with Michael; their arms folded together once again. Raphael was silently following on Sam's left.
"I'm not really sure why the shove our butts on the tops of trees, that always confused me. But they get a lot of it right despite what some might think."
He turned to look at his brother, "I was the one who told them of her bun in the oven, and most think that it was all St. Gabriel who did everything, but I don't know anything about birthing and so Raphael played a large part too. Imagine Joseph's face when he shows up telling him that he is about to deliver The child. Most confuse us together so he doesn't get any credit."
Raphael smiled brightly, "You had the most important job little brother, I was just there to help Mary deliver him."
They walked up the stairs to a fancy looking house. Gold columns lined the outside wall holding up the overhanging roof. Soft light glowed from within the windows. There was a massive tree in the middle of the window that was low enough to see through with boxes wrapped in red and green underneath it.
Michael pushed the door open and they were all blasted with heat as they walked inside.
A large table was dancing with candles. Two children sat together munching on cookies and milk.
A girl turned to look at them, with wild curly hair and bright blue eyes. She could be no older then five, six at the most, matches sat in front of her on the table. She waved at the angels in greeting, smiling when they returned the gesture before turning back to her cookies. The boy at her side turned once she looked away. Dark hair and amber eyes. He wore a white linen shirt and a red belt keeping it in place. A drum sat on the floor next to his seat, the top beaten up and ratty.
He smiled at the angels as he spotted them, they smiled back, and he turned back to his cookies.
A door opened on the side of the room opposite them revealing a frazzled looking teenager, hair tied back in a bun, white dress wrinkled. She was maybe fourteen. Her eyes brightened as she spotted The four Archangels her feet leading her to Gabriel's side. She grabbed at his robes, pulling him forward with surprising strength. He stumbled forward with her enclosing her hands in his own and staring down at her in confusion. She pulled him in the direction of the room she had just come from.
"Please, please help me, I do not know what else I can do!"
"What's wrong kiddo?"
She pulled him again, moving another inch, "He won't stop crying and his Father is not here to calm him!"
Gabriel nodded at her, telling her that he would follow. Raphael sent him a questioning look as he moved with the worried teenager to which he shook his head signaling that if he was needed he would be called for. The little girl pushed her chair back and she jumped to the ground softly, running across the room she threw herself at the Healer's knees. He laughed softly as he bent to lift her up.
"Hello Nadine, it is good to see you as well"
She hung onto his shoulders as she leaned backwards onto his arms under her bottom. Her little white dress making her seem like she was shining. She made a small sound, whispering into his ear softly.
"These are Sam and Dean Winchester, friends of Brother Castiel, they are nice men little one."
She whispered again and he nodded in seriousness, "She wants to know if you would like a match?"
The brothers Winchester exchanged looks confused at the strange type of request, "what?"
"A match, would you two like a match?"
Sam nodded, looking from the Archangel to the little girl silently. She made a little noise to the boy at the table. He dropped the cookie he had been munching on, picked up two matches, and jumped down to scurry over to give them to her. The little girl took them in her small hand and held them out to the hunters, leaning away from Raphael carefully. He held her steady though.
Dean took his silently, but Sam thanked her.
"Your welcome mister."
His eyes widened at the soft voice that carried through the room. Looking at her silently as she turned back around.
"Of course I can tell you a story little one."
The Archangel carried her over to a couch that sat just beyond the tree, sitting down softly and pulling the girl around into his lap. The boy that had sat at his side latched onto the front of Lucifer's robes, standing on the mans feet and yanked hard. The Morning Star laughed at the little boy.
"You want up to Aaron?"
He nodded his head and pulled again.
"Now I don't know, what's in it for me?"
Michael smacked him over the head softly, smiling as he did, "Do not tease him brother, he has been waiting to see you all year!"
Lucifer smiled at his brother as he bent at the waist, lifting the boy up into his arms, he smiled happily at the change in height and wrapped his arms loosely around the angels neck. Lucifer balanced him on one arm as he moved to mess up his hair.
"I've been waiting to see you too little drummer boy!"
The matches and the drum, it all made sense! Sam turned to the only remaining Archangel. Michael looked down at him at his tapping on the shoulder, leaning in closer as the hunter made to speak.
"The match girl and Drummer boy?"
"Yes?"
"How are they here? What are they?"
Michael gazed out at the two children, smiling softly at them in tenderness.
"They are virtues Sam, Hope and Chasity. Nadine, The Little Match Girl, held onto the hope that a better life would come her way despite her knowing her death was near, she never gave up hope that things would change and that she would sell them all. Aaron, The Little Drummer Boy, had nothing, absolutely nothing, but a drum to his name and while others bestowed our Christ Child with gifts and riches he gave him his drum, he played him his drum, giving him his only possession in his love for him."
He turned to look back down at the Hunter, "They are Hope and Chastity, the youngest of our Virtues."
They moved forward to sit with the others, the girl curled into Raphael's chest as he told her stories of long before the dawn of time. The little boy was balanced on Lucifer's knee as they whispered back and forth together in a made up language. Michael sat between them not seeming to mind when the girl stretched her feet out into his lap and the boy leaned backwards into his shoulder. Sam and Dean exchanged looks as they stood awkwardly in the room, not knowing where to go or what to do.
It surprised them all when the door opened and Castiel returned with a older man, a long beard growing on his face and green eyes shining with adoration. He nodded at the others as he crossed the room and ran right for the door that Gabriel had went in only moments before. As it opened briefly they could hear the wails of a baby crying its little lungs out. All the angels bristled at the sound, tensing and staring over at it as it closed shut behind the man.
The baby sounded upset to say the least.
Castiel lead the Winchester's over to the table that the kids had abandoned, offering them a cookie as he motioned for them to sit. Silence fell upon them, the soft sounds of humming floating through the room as the boy settled down in Lucifer's shoulder.
When it seemed like there was never going to be an end to the wails of the child, they suddenly stopped. All four angels stood as one as the door opened again. The woman and man walked out with their arms linked together, looking tired but relieved. Gabriel came out behind them and glared when Lucifer snorted at the red mark on his forehead. But there was no heat behind the glare.
The last to exit the room was another man, cradling the baby in one arm as he rubbed a finger over the boys gums with the other. He looked up after a moment, and both Winchesters blanched in surprise.
"Chuck!?"
He smiled, "Merry Christmas Guys."
The baby cooed around the finger in his mouth and Chuck turned a smile down at it rocking his arm gently.
"And Happy Birthday my Little Prince."
So I know its early for Christmas but I leave for Basic Training before then and really wanted to try and get one up!
I hope you guys liked it! And Have a Happy Holidays as the season slowly comes in!
AN: The Song 'O Holy Night' is public domain therefore no copyright to be had. It was published in 1847 translated in 1855 to english by John S. Sullivan and is therefore not under copyright law as it is to be 1929 or after for it to be so and therefore it is public domain to be used.