ACT I - AS YOU LIKE IT
Chapter 1 "One Man, In His Time, Plays Many Parts"
Castiel looked at Bobby and Gail. "How long until sunrise?" he asked them.
"That's a good question," Gail said. "Sunrise... where? America? Asia?" She grinned. "Jupiter?"
"Beats me." Bobby shrugged.
"I know," Cas said. "The centre of the universe. Well, of our universe, anyway." He took Gail's hand, and she understood. Where else? They had watched a very beautiful sunrise there a while back, prior to a very different adventure than the one they were about to embark on.
"Can you meet us at the bunker?" Cas said to Bobby.
"We'll be waking up Sam and Dean," Bobby said. "Dean gets really cranky when you wake him up early, just so you know."
Castiel's mouth twitched. "Believe me, I'm aware. That's why I'm asking you to go, first."
"Careful, Cas, you're not God yet," Bobby retorted, but he was grinning now. He thought that Dean could suck it up, once he found out why they were coming back for another visit so soon.
"Tell him I'll make it worth his while," Cas said enigmatically.
"Will do," Bobby replied, and winked out of the office.
Castiel turned to Gail. "I know it's very early, or maybe it's very late, but do you think Chuck might be at the library?"
Gail smiled. "You know, he might be. I think he practically lives there."
"Let's find out," Cas said. "I want to talk to him, for a minute."
Chuck was indeed at the library, and he rushed to open the door when they knocked. He was grinning widely. "I was hoping you two would stop by," he said. "We all heard you were back, and Bobby, too." He extended his hand to Cas. "I don't know how you did it, and I don't care. It just proves the old saying is true: You can't keep a good man down."
Castiel took Chuck's hand and they shook. "I just wanted to thank you for all your support," he told Chuck, "and Kevin, too."
Chuck was still smiling. "You can tell him yourself. He's here, and so are the rest of them."
Castiel was puzzled. "The rest of them?"
"Yeah. The ABH. They all started to come here, when word got out. We were hoping you would come, when you had time."
"The ABH?" Cas repeated. "What's that?" He looked at Gail.
That's right, she thought; he wouldn't know. There hadn't been time to talk about it. Everything had happened so fast after they received their verdicts, and then they had been separated, and she hadn't had the chance to tell him about it.
"It's a group Chuck formed to stand against Xavier. The initials are for 'Angels for a Better Heaven'," she explained to him.
"Though Gail came up with a much better acronym," Chuck said, smiling at her. He told Cas what it had been, and Cas threw back his head and laughed. He put his arm around Gail and gave her a squeeze. "Good one," he told her. "You'll have to share that with Dean."
"Come on, let's say hi to the rest of the group," she said, leading the way to the reading area.
As she and Castiel approached the group of Angels that were assembled, they all stood up and applauded. Gail was amused at the look on Castiel's face. They had done this when she had visited that one time, but this particular reception was a lot more enthusiastic, due to their triumphant return.
Castiel was a little taken aback by the warm welcome. He had felt isolated and alone throughout most of the tribunal. Though he'd known that he and Gail had a few friends at the proceeding, this mass show of support was a bit overwhelming.
"Speech! Speech!" Kevin called out, grinning.
Cas was puzzled. Did Kevin mean him? He looked at Gail and she smiled, making a gesture: Go ahead, Cas, say what's in your heart.
The Angels were looking at him expectantly, and so he cleared his throat. "I don't know what to say," Castiel said softly. That was definitely true. They were waiting for him to continue. What could he say? What did he want to say?
"Thank you all for your support," he told them. "Bobby is back now, and I expect things will probably carry on as they were before."
"What about the board?" Chuck asked.
Castiel frowned. What ABOUT the board? Soon he would be God for the day, and it would be up to him to decide their fates. He had no idea what to do with them. There had been a number of reasons he hadn't wanted God's job, and a situation like this was one of them. He'd barely been able to make decisions for himself throughout the years, and many of them had turned out to be the wrong ones. Whatever else the tribunal had been, it had served as a reminder of that. And though he was doing much better in that regard these days, Castiel had a lot of human qualities and emotions doing
battle inside of him now. A part of him wanted to punish them as they had punished him, make them suffer what he had, so they could see what it felt like. But then he'd be no better than Xavier, or Jason. He couldn't just let it go, though. They needed to be shown that their way of thinking was the old way, and it was the wrong way. He needed some time to deliberate, to talk to his friends, and to Gail. That was why he had asked Bobby to go to the bunker. They could await sunrise there, and he would seek all of their input and advice.
"About that," Castiel said in answer to Chuck's question. "Could I talk to you, Kevin, and Ethan for a moment?"
As the latter two Angels came over to join him, Castiel turned back to the rest of the group. "Thank you all, again. You'll have to excuse us; we have something to take care of."
He motioned to the men, and they walked with him and Gail back to the front entrance of the library.
"I wonder if the three of you could do me a favour," Castiel said to them.
"Sure, whatever you need," Kevin said.
"Could you keep an eye on the board, and make sure everyone stays where they are, until I'm ready to go and talk to them?" Castiel was thinking of Jason and Aurielle. They had already gotten away, and he wanted to make sure that the rest of them didn't get any ideas. He told the men this, now.
Ethan frowned. So, Jason had gotten away. What a coward, he thought. Ethan had arranged to have another guard cover his shift when he'd heard that Castiel and Gail were back. He'd been amazed to find out that Castiel was somehow alive. Newer to Heaven, Ethan had not realized that dead was not always dead in their world; although sometimes it was, too. Castiel must truly be a special individual. Ethan was now completely convinced that he had chosen the right side. But, what were they going to do about Jason? he asked Castiel.
Cas's brow furrowed. He was also worried about Jason being at large, and about Aurielle, too. But he could only address one situation at a time. "First things first," he told Ethan. "Let's just worry about the board, and then when they're dealt with, we'll talk again."
Gail also wondered what they were going to do about the two Angels who had gotten away, both of whom still posed a very significant threat. But she agreed with Cas; God in a couple of hours or not, he could only deal with one thing at a time. She thought it was a good idea to keep an eye on the board members, though. The last thing they needed was for any of them to decide to take off, as well. Cas needed to...what? She didn't know, either. She did know he had to be wrestling with himself over the decision. Whatever he decided, she would support him; but what would he decide? And if he asked her for her opinion, what should she say?
Castiel hesitated for a moment, then decided to confide in Chuck, Kevin and Ethan. They had been three of his most staunch supporters throughout the ordeal, and they had been so kind to him and Gail. He was mindful of his Father's last words to him, and of his own resolve to have a more inclusive attitude when it came to his friends.
So he told them about the gift his Father had given to him; he would be God soon, for the next 24 hours, and it would be up to him to decide the board's fate.
Chuck whistled. "Wow," he said. "It's a good thing we're not still enemies, or I'd be toast."
Cas smiled at that. Chuck could have a point. He was going to try to be a good God, but he wasn't a Saint. Maybe a little smiting might be in order for certain individuals. He said this to Chuck, and Chuck laughed. He really did like Cas, now. Chuck thought that Gail had been a positive influence on him.
"We'd better get going," Gail said now. "Cas has a very busy day ahead of him." She hugged each of the three male Angels in turn. "Thanks, you guys," she told them. She hadn't forgotten their kindness to her when she had lost her mind after Cas's death. They were very lucky to have such good friends in Heaven. Up until now, except for Bobby, their only real friends had been Dean and Sam. And though their human friends would always come first, it was good to know they had Angels they could count on, as well.
"Call me on Angel Radio if any of them tries anything," Cas said to the men. "Otherwise, we'll be back in the morning. I have a couple of things to take care of, first."
Then he took Gail's hand and they vanished from the library.
They reappeared in the bunker a moment later. Bobby, Sam and Dean were sitting at the table, waiting. Sam and Dean were dressed in T-shirts and sweats, and their hair was tousled. Bobby had clearly roused them from their beds, and though they already had coffees in front of them, they looked bleary-eyed and grumpy.
"Hey, Cas, hey, Gail," Sam said wearily.
"This had better be good," Dean grumbled, yawning. He took a big gulp of his coffee. Damn Angels, he thought. Apparently, since they didn't sleep, they didn't want anybody else to, either.
"Don't get us wrong, Cas, we're glad you're alive," Sam said, yawning too, "but what was so important that it couldn't wait a couple more hours?"
Cas looked at Bobby in surprise. He would have thought that Bobby would have told them why they were being woken up pre-dawn.
"You didn't spoil my surprise, so I figured I wouldn't spoil yours," Bobby said, shrugging.
Oh. Cas guessed he appreciated that, he just wished he had a more receptive audience. Well, he'd better get to it; Dean looked like he was about to drop off, again.
"Our Father gave me a gift," Cas announced. "As of sunrise, and for the next 24 hours, I'll be God."
That got Dean's attention, and he sat up straighter. "What? Why?" he asked Cas.
"What do you mean, 'why'?" Gail asked Dean. She was a little annoyed at him. Cas makes this big announcement, and all Dean has to say is: Why? Wasn't he happy for his friend?
But Cas was looking thoughtful. "I don't really know, Dean," he said soberly. "I guess He's testing me, to see what I'll do. He told me it would be up to me to decide what to do with the board."
"I know what I'd do," Dean growled.
Cas smiled, appreciating the inference. That was why he needed to deliberate; a not inconsiderable part of Cas felt exactly the same way.
But Sam was looking at Cas speculatively. "An entire day, huh? What else do you plan to do?" he asked Cas.
Cas looked at him, still smiling. "Oh, a few things," he said evasively. He took Gail's hand and led her to the table, pulling out her usual chair for her. Once she was seated, he took his usual seat beside her. "You'll find out, come sunrise."
Sam and Dean exchanged glances. Interesting.
"Which is about half an hour from now," Bobby said. "And in the meantime, there's something I've been needing to get off my chest."
They all looked at him curiously.
Bobby took a deep breath. He didn't want to bring down the room, but he needed to come clean with his friends, and since they had some time to kill anyway, he figured he'd get it over with now. Before he lost his nerve.
"There's something I never told you," he began. "Something in my past. I'm not very proud of it, but I'm not exactly ashamed, either. But since I'm back now, I wanted to start with a clean slate. I had a relationship with a woman a few years ago that I never told you about." He paused. It was hard for him to say. This wasn't exactly going to go over big with Sam and Dean, but Cas would be the most upset, he was sure. He'd better get it over with, before Cas had the power to smite him.
"Who was it, Bobby?" Sam asked warily. He'd ordinarily have been happy for Bobby. He'd been lonely after his wife died, and he deserved to have someone in his life. But why was he being so hesitant about telling them, and why was he only telling them now?
Then he found out.
"It was Rowena," Bobby blurted out. There. Let the chips fall where they may; at least he'd finally been honest with them.
Sam and Dean were fully awake now. "Come on, Bobby!" Dean exclaimed. He couldn't be serious. "Rowena? Crowley's mother? The biggest b-" he gave Gail a quick look " - witch in the world?"
"If you were trying not to offend me, I don't know why you were worried," Gail said mildly. "She WAS a bitch, and I'm glad I killed her." Bobby gave a slight wince, and Gail added, "Sorry, Bobby." But she wasn't really sorry, and they all knew it. She was sorry if Bobby's feelings were hurt by that, but he knew what Rowena and Crowley had put them all through, right? Hopefully, Bobby couldn't blame her for the way she felt, or for what she had done.
Bobby didn't, but his feelings on the subject were complex. A part of him still loved Rowena and always would, but he also regretted having taken up with her in the first place, especially since he knew how his friends would feel about it.
Cas was doing the slow burn. Why had Bobby never told them about this? OK, he knew why; because the very thought was repulsive and disgusting. How could Bobby have...Rowena? How could he expect them to accept this?
Bobby saw the way that Cas was looking at him and, while it had been totally expected, he still bristled. "Look, Cas, I didn't know who she was, then," he said uncomfortably. But Cas raised an eyebrow: Really, Bobby? So Bobby hastily amended, "OK, yeah, I knew she was a witch. But I didn't know she was Crowley's mother."
Sam and Dean were appalled, but they were also prepared to believe that. Cas might or might not believe it, but he didn't really care.
"How could you, Bobby?" Cas spat the words out. They had dedicated their lives to the eradication of evil, and Bobby had been consorting with one of the worst sort of women in existence.
"I don't know," Bobby said, frowning. He felt some shame, but he was also starting to get angry. "When you're in love, you don't stop to think about the other person's history, sometimes. You just feel what you feel."
Cas glared at Bobby. He had better not be talking about himself and Gail, or they were going to go right now, no matter that they were friends. Or which of them was God, at the time.
Bobby was stricken by Cas's thought. He hadn't been meaning to suggest..."No, Cas, I didn't mean anything by that. I just thought...Oh, hell, I don't know what I thought. I don't really have any excuses." Nor do I necessarily think I need any, he thought, but did not say. Better to leave that alone for now.
"Did she maybe put a spell on you, Bobby?" Sam asked quietly. He was hoping that was the case. Bobby had been like a father to him, and it was hard to think of Bobby with a woman like Rowena. That could be a valid excuse, at least.
Bobby was startled. He honestly had never thought of that. HAD she? A part of him preferred to think that wasn't the case, but it could certainly explain some things.
"I don't know, Sam," he mused. Then, he remembered: "Actually, she gave me a book I was going to give to you guys," he said, including Dean in his comment. "It's still in my desk." At least, Bobby was under the impression that the spell book was still there. He had no idea that Xavier had taken it, and that it was now in the hands of Aurielle, who was here on Earth, plotting her next move.
"What kind of book, Bobby?" Sam asked him.
"Looked like a spell book, of some sort," Bobby answered. Out of the corner of his eye, Bobby saw Cas open his mouth to speak, and Bobby held up his hand. "And before you say anything, Cas, I didn't know what it was when she gave it to me." He explained the circumstances of his discovering the gift from Rowena, and the fact that he had kept it for a few years in its unopened state. "And as soon as I decided to open it and saw what it was, I was going to bring it to you boys, and tell you all about it. But we got a little sidetracked, didn't we, Cas?" he said pointedly.
Cas got what Bobby was trying to say. He already knew about the spell book, of course. Xavier had shown it to him way back before the tribunal, advising Castiel that he intended to confront Bobby with it to impeach him. Cas had been hoping at the time that there was a more benign explanation for the existence of the book in Bobby's desk, or that the inscription had been one of Rowena's little jokes. But it had been this incident which had prompted Cas to state that he would take the Office if Bobby was impeached, to prevent Xavier from taking it. That statement had committed Castiel to undergo the tribunal. He felt angry when he thought about this, but he also reminded himself that Bobby had been imprisoned in Lucifer's cage at the time, and so he would have been unable to answer to the impeachment, anyway. So even though it rankled him to think of Bobby having had a relationship with Rowena, perhaps a little compassion was in order here, due to that fact. They had both been through a lot recently.
Cas sighed. "All right, Bobby. I hear you. We've all made mistakes in the past. And I suppose there was no harm done."
Well, how magnanimous of him, Bobby thought. But it was almost sunrise now, and Cas would soon have bigger things on his plate. So Bobby would let it go for now.
"Sunrise in 5 minutes, Cas," Sam told him. He had his laptop open and was watching the time, much as Gail had done before they went to Las Vegas.
Gail smiled at the memory, but Cas still had a look on his face. She wished that Bobby had picked a better time to tell them what he had. Now Cas was thinking about that, when he should be concentrating on himself, and what he wanted to do for the next 24 hours. But what was done was done, and if they needed to discuss it some more in the future, they could.
She stood and extended her hand to Cas. "Want to go watch the sun rise?" she said to him, smiling.
He answered her smile with one of his own. Cas also remembered that morning, and it was a good memory. He had been feeling apprehensive about being human that weekend, based on his less-than-positive experience as one, in the past. But Gail had taken him by the hand then, and when they had gone outside to watch the sun come up, he'd known that everything was going to be fine. Now she was giving him her hand and her support again, and he appreciated both.
Cas stood and took her hand, and then he looked down at Sam and Dean. "See you in a minute," he said to them.
"Will we have to kneel, or anything?" Dean quipped.
"Seeing as it's you, I'd consider it," Cas deadpanned, and they all laughed, even Bobby. He and Cas had had their ups and downs ever since Bobby had become God, but Bobby had to admit that he generally liked Cas more now than before. He seemed more human, and though Bobby wished Cas could curb his temper a bit, he was certainly a lot funnier than Bobby remembered. And he would be God for a day in about 3 minutes, in effect giving Bobby the day off and absolving him of the responsibility of deciding what to do with the board. So Bobby should probably be thanking him.
Gail and Cas laughed again, and then they vanished out of the bunker.
An instant later, they were outside, watching the sun come up. The view was just as spectacular as it had been the morning of the day they'd flown to Las Vegas for their holiday with Sam and Dean, but the mood this morning was a bit more subdued. Castiel still appreciated the beauty of the sight, but the weight of responsibility of being God descended on his shoulders in counterpoint to the sun coming up, and he squeezed Gail's hand.
"You'll do fine," she assured him. "You're a good Angel, and a good man. You'll know what the right thing is to do."
They looked at the sky's radiant colours for another moment, and then he turned to her. "Well, I guess that's it. I guess I'm God, now."
"Funny, you don't look any different," Gail teased. "I thought you'd look older, or something."
"Just wait till the end of the day," he said with a half-smile.
She touched his face. "You'll be fine," she said again, more firmly this time. She knew how nervous he must be, and Gail wanted to boost his confidence. Her gesture worked as it always did, comforting and calming him. Castiel now knew what the first thing was that he needed to do. He had made it a priority a while back, but as Bobby had recently pointed out, Cas had gotten sidetracked by the tribunal and all the drama surrounding it. The board would just have to wait a bit longer.
Cas put his arms around Gail and drew her to him. "Remember our last sunrise here?" he asked her, smiling gently.
"Like I could ever forget," she responded. "Are you looking for a repeat?"
She was teasing him, he knew, but suddenly Cas realized that might be just the right way to start his day. "Would you mind?" he asked her, his smile widening.
"No, I think coffee and breakfast might be a good idea," she said innocently. Now she was definitely teasing. They both knew very well that was not what he was talking about.
Cas leaned down and they shared a very human kiss. His arms tightened around her for a moment, and then he reluctantly ended the kiss.
"As much as I'd like to just do this all day, I guess I'd better get to it," Cas said, smiling down at Gail. But he didn't let go of her, wanting to enjoy their physical contact just a moment longer. They had been put on trial, then separated, and then he had been executed. Surely he deserved another moment to enjoy being this close with her.
Gail felt the same way. She'd never take moments like this for granted again, if she ever had, that was. She kissed him softly on the cheek and said, "Seriously, can you make it so I can at least enjoy coffee this morning?" Teasing again. She'd do this all day long too, but they'd better get moving.
Cas smiled, releasing her. "I don't see why not," he said casually. "I am God, after all." He reached out and put his hand on her forehead. A white glow emanated from his hand, then disappeared.
"There," he said. "Now you can eat and drink if you choose to, today." His smile widened into a grin. "But you won't need to urinate. I know how much you hated that."
Gail laughed, and she took his hand. "Let's go get me that cup of coffee, then."
The men were in the kitchen when Cas and Gail came back into the bunker. Sam had put on a fresh pot of coffee, and he was rooting around in the fridge, taking out a few things to make breakfast for himself and Dean.
"I hope you have enough, 'cause I'm starving," Gail said to him, relieving him of the carton of eggs he had in the crook of his arm.
Sam looked at Gail in surprise. "Gift from Cas," she told him, smiling.
Right. Cas was God now. Dean eyed him curiously. "How's it feel?" he asked Cas.
Cas smiled at Gail. "Pretty good, so far," he said. She returned his smile, putting the carton of eggs down on the counter and helping herself to a cup of coffee.
"Really, Gail?" Dean teased her, smirking. "God?"
Gail smiled at Dean over the rim of her cup. "Hey, go big or go home," she retorted, then took a drink of coffee, savouring it. She raised her mug to Castiel. Thanks, Cas.
She and Sam made breakfast, and it smelled so good that Bobby wanted to get in on the act. He hadn't thought he missed eating all that much, but he felt like sharing a meal with his friends this morning. He had been lonely and isolated in Lucifer's cage, despairing of ever seeing them again. Then he had been in the mental hospital, and the self-examination he had done there had prompted him to realize he couldn't go it alone. He and Cas had actually shared a lot of the same kind of introspection, in their respective cells.
So Bobby asked Castiel to confer the gift upon him, and Cas did. But he left in the part about needing to urinate. Cas smiled to himself somewhat mischievously. Gail was special, and life wasn't always fair.
"What about you, Cas?" Sam asked. "Will you be eating, too?" Gail paused in the act of taking the utensils out of the drawer, waiting for his reply.
Cas deliberated for a moment, then said, "No, I don't think so." While he had enjoyed his coffee and the occasional meal as a human, he could take it or leave it, quite honestly. And he wanted to stay focused; he had a lot to accomplish today.
Sam and Gail were bringing the food to the table now, and when all of his friends were seated, Castiel said, "Sam, Dean, I'm going to do something for you."
Dean brightened up. This was more like it. "What's that?" he asked, trying to sound casual, as Gail handed him the platter of bacon.
"I'm taking a leaf out of Bobby's book," Cas said lightly, but he winced inwardly as he said it. Perhaps that had been a poor choice of words, considering what Bobby had just shared with them before sunrise.
But Bobby was digging in to his plate of food and hadn't seemed to notice, so Cas continued, "I'm going to have Kevin visit your bank account, and make a deposit."
Sam smiled. "Donations are always gratefully accepted," he quipped. He'd always said that Hunting didn't exactly pay the bills, and that was certainly true. He and Dean had often resorted to methods with questionable ethics attached just to stay afloat.
"How much would you need?" Cas asked them.
"About a million ought to do it," Dean said around a mouthful of food.
"Done," Cas said, smiling.
Dean stopped chewing and looked at him. He'd been kidding.
But Cas wasn't. He knew about the methods the brothers had had to use to keep themselves going, and many of those methods were morally wrong. He'd looked the other way all these years because they were helping people, and their scams had been borne of necessity. But now, as God, Cas had the power to both put a stop to it, and reward Sam and Dean in the process. Why would he not do that for them?
Sam put his fork down. "Are you serious, Cas?" he asked his friend, astonished.
"Yes," Cas confirmed. "It'll be in your account later today."
Sam looked at Dean, and slow smiles started to form on their faces. They'd both felt a little guilty about the things they'd had to do to make ends meet, and now they wouldn't have to do them any more. Sam was already thinking about certain investments he could make to grow the principal.
Dean being Dean, he couldn't resist: "We shoulda asked for twenty mil," he moaned.
Gail elbowed him. "I believe the word you're searching for is 'Thanks'," she admonished him, making a face.
"Thanks, Cas," he said obediently. "Yeah; thanks," Sam also said. "We really appreciate that."
Castiel smiled at them. He was happy to be able to do that for his friends. Maybe being God had its perks, after all. But after today, Bobby could have it back. There were still some hard decisions ahead, and he wasn't looking forward to that part of the job.
In the meantime, though, he had to take care of that priority item. It was something he had to do alone, so now was a good time for it, while the others were having breakfast.
Cas moved over to where Gail sat and put his hands on her shoulders. She turned to look up at him, pausing in the act of buttering a piece of toast.
"There's something I have to do now," he said to her. "You stay here and enjoy breakfast, and I'll be back soon."
Gail was curious, but she didn't ask. He got like this sometimes, and they were so close now that she knew he'd tell her later. Maybe it was something he didn't want to say in front of Bobby. Technically, Cas had Bobby's job right now, and maybe he was being discreet.
So she nodded. "OK, Cas, I'll be here," she said. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, then gave the men a wave, and then he was gone.
"I wonder what that was all about?" Bobby mused aloud.
Dean shrugged. Angel, human, or God, it didn't matter; that was Cas.
Castiel appeared at the crossroads and stood there, sending the message, one Original to another. A moment later, Crowley appeared.
"Here to talk about Metatron? Good," Crowley said.
But Cas was shaking his head. Crowley was right; they would have to talk about Metatron. But not today, and not now.
"No," he said. "But, something equally as important. I want you to get Frank, and bring him to me. It's time."
Crowley looked at Castiel incredulously. "Oh, so you ask, and I just obey? Is that the way you think things are going to be, now? Just because I had a regrettable moment of weakness, you think you can just - "
Castiel interrupted him. "It's because of what you did for me and Bobby, that I'm meeting with you this way," he said mildly. Then his tone sharpened. "I could have just come down there, and taken him."
Crowley was amused. "Really? You think so? I don't see Bobby, anywhere."
"I don't need Bobby," Castiel replied evenly. "I met you here as a courtesy, but if you continue to resist, I will come there and liberate Frank, with or without your cooperation."
Crowley eyed him warily. He'd known he was going to regret bringing Castiel back, and his Brother was trying his patience. He was long used to Castiel's enigmatic way of speaking, but it drove him to distraction, sometimes. "And just how do you think you're going to do that?" Crowley shot back. "Only God can - " Castiel smiled slowly then, and Crowley felt a shiver. No. It couldn't be.
"That's right," Castiel said, though his Brother hadn't voiced the question.
"What happened to Bobby?" Crowley asked, puzzled. Had he gone to the trouble of curing Bobby for nothing? If there had to be a God, and unfortunately, there did, Crowley had wanted it to be Bobby. If he had to deal with Castiel as his opposite number for eternity, one of them would end up killing the other before too long. That was just how their relationship worked; prolonged contact was best avoided.
"Nothing," Castiel said in response to Crowley's question. "In fact, he's enjoying a meal with Gail and the Winchesters right now. Father gave me the gift to be God for the next 24 hours, effective this morning. So I'm here for Frank, and I intend to have him."
Crowley sighed. So, that was it. Castiel had been given a gift, and now he wanted to bring home a great big present for his girlfriend. He guessed being God wasn't enough to win a woman's eternal admiration, these days.
But he wasn't going to make things that easy for his Brother. Truth be told, Frank didn't really mean anything to Crowley, any more. He was just an ordinary Demon now, one of the rank and file. Nothing special. Crowley hadn't even seen Frank since the day he'd briefly brought Gail's brother to Earth, dangling him as bait to entice the Angels to show up for Jason to capture. But Crowley was annoyed at Castiel. Why should he just hand Frank over? Just because Castiel asked? Actually, he wasn't asking, he was demanding. The nerve of him. So he was God for a day, so what? Hadn't Crowley done him the ultimate favour, just recently? What more did he want?
Crowley stalled while he considered whether he wanted to consider the request. "What happened to Xavier, and the rest of them?" he asked. Actually, he really wanted to know. He hoped that Bobby had put Xavier in his place. Crowley had helped Xavier out of necessity at the time, but he was secretly glad that Xavier and the rest of those snooty, uptight bastards were getting the boot.
"Nothing, yet," Castiel answered soberly. "It will be up to me to decide their fate later this morning."
Crowley was amused again. He knew his Brother well; knew the struggle he must be having with himself. Despite the poison pen he had used in writing the Affidavit, Crowley knew that Castiel was too disgustingly good to do what he himself would have done. And, really, what should be done. If Castiel let them off the hook, they would see that he was weak, and to be taken advantage of. On the other hand, Crowley knew that his Brother had a sharp edge to him sometimes. You could shave your face smoothly with a razor but if you turned it slightly the wrong way, it would cut you, and you would bleed.
"So, are you going to be a vengeful God?" Crowley asked him casually. But he really wanted to know the answer.
"Maybe," Castiel replied. He knew what his Brother was looking for, but he was not going to get it. "Or maybe I'll be a loving God. The way I'm feeling right now, it could go either way. So I wouldn't test me, if I were you." He smiled grimly.
"How is she?" Crowley asked now, taking him by surprise. Despite himself, Cas's smile turned genuine. Even though it was Crowley who was doing the asking, Castiel was always happy to think about Gail. And since it was Crowley who had brought about their reunion, Castiel supposed he could give him an answer.
"She's wonderful," he replied. For a brief moment, he and Crowley looked at each other almost like the Brothers they were, and then Castiel stopped smiling. "So are you going to bring Frank to me, or are we going to have a problem?" he asked Crowley.
Crowley sighed again. He was being stubborn, he knew; there was no longer any point in hanging onto Frank. And if he wanted an alliance with Castiel to get rid of Metatron, Crowley supposed he could open the purse strings a little.
"If I bring him to you, what are you going to do with him? He's a Demon," Crowley pointed out. He hadn't been lying to Sam; he really did have the ability to take the Demon out of Frank. But, why should he tell Castiel that? Crowley didn't need to give up the whole farm, here. Let his Brother figure out how to deal with Frank.
"And I'm God," Castiel replied shortly.
Bollocks. Crowley had forgotten. Well, that was it, then: Castiel would also have the power to restore Frank to human status.
"Wait here," Crowley said. He knew that Castiel was serious about storming into Hell, and Crowley didn't want him there. Once there, he might run around liberating souls, right and left. Crowley had already lost the Werewolves, and he had lost a few more, prior to that. Chuck had even turned good guy, now. Crowley was not going to risk losing any more souls to his loose-cannon Brother.
Castiel contemplated telling Crowley he had one minute, but he restrained himself. It seemed like Crowley was going to be compliant, and he didn't want to push it. Crowley liked to act as though everything he did was because he wanted to, and if pushed, he could turn around and refuse, just out of spite. And Castiel didn't want to have to kill him so soon after Crowley had brought him back to life, and back to Gail. He owed his enemy for that. So he waited as patiently as he could as Crowley vanished and then reappeared with Frank in tow, a few minutes later.
Frank was confused. This was the second time that Crowley had just shown up suddenly in the boiler room and spirited him away to Earth, but Crowley had not provided any sort of explanation either time. He'd had a brief but ultimately painful reunion with Gail last time, and he had been trying to figure out a way to help her ever since. But Frank's good intentions had amounted to nothing, and he'd had no idea how she was doing, or what was going on now. Now here he was, back on Earth, and there was no Gail, just Castiel, standing there, calmly regarding him. Was Gail OK?
"Yes, she's fine," Castiel said unexpectedly. Frank was startled. He hadn't said anything out loud. But of course, Castiel was God right now and even though Frank was a Demon, he had been able to read Frank's thoughts. Castiel was gratified to hear that even though Frank was a Demon of Hell, his first thought had been of his sister, and her well-being. Highly unusual for a Demon, but Gail had told Cas that her brother had been more or less himself, when she'd seen him last. That was when they had had the argument that had prompted her to storm out of their motel room. Castiel had maintained that Frank was a Demon and as such, he and Gail could never be reunited. And while Castiel had been right, he had also been wrong. Frank had received a raw deal, and Castiel meant to put things right. Gail deserved to have her brother back, and Frank deserved another chance.
Castiel glared at Crowley. His recent good deeds notwithstanding, Cas knew that Crowley was solely responsible for this situation. Castiel's body started to tremble with the urge to snap his fingers and obliterate Crowley, once and for all. Castiel was God now, and he had the ultimate power. He could easily do it. But then he had a vision of Raphael testifying against him at the tribunal, and even though
Crowley had been behind that too, the message in Raphael's testimony had not been lost on Castiel. Having this much power had gone to his head before, and he meant to never let it do so again. Cas had to focus on what he had come here for.
He looked at Frank. "I'm here to rescue you from Hell, and reunite you with your sister," he told Frank.
Frank was shocked. Was he serious? After all this time, was that even possible? He looked at Crowley involuntarily for confirmation.
"Yes, yes, it's all very heartwarming," Crowley said testily. He looked at Castiel. "I trust you can take it from here?"
Castiel nodded.
They looked at each other for another moment. Crowley seemed to be hanging back for some reason. If he was waiting for a "Thank You", he was going to wait for eternity, Castiel thought. Crowley had killed Frank and Gail's parents, kidnapped the siblings, killed Frank, and then later turned him into a Knight of Hell. Not to mention that Crowley had also tried to seduce and corrupt Gail, and had come uncomfortably close to succeeding. Castiel would sooner see Crowley put him back in his grave than to thank him for something he never should have taken in the first place.
"I will contact you about Metatron," Castiel said stiffly.
Crowley nodded coolly. He was being dismissed. Another round to Castiel. What else was new?
"Give your sister a kiss for me," Crowley said nastily to Frank. He was still the King of Hell, and if Castiel thought he would just go meekly, his Brother didn't know him very well. "You can give her one too, if you like," Crowley said to Castiel, smiling. "I suspect you might be doing that a fair amount, these days."
Castiel gave him a sharp look. What did he mean by that? Crowley was smiling benignly enough, but Castiel knew him well, and Cas was highly suspicious. Did he know something about their recent intimate moments? How could he?
Crowley waggled his fingers at Castiel. He did so enjoy playing with his Brother's head. It was so easy. He was a sucker when it came to Gail, and his love for her would one day prove to be his undoing. But, that was a thought for another day.
"Goodbye, Castiel. We'll talk soon," Crowley smirked, and then he vanished. He had not bothered to acknowledge Frank. Crowley no longer cared.
Castiel approached Frank then, but he did so cautiously. Frank could do nothing to Cas, he knew, especially since he now had Godlike powers. But Cas had not seen Frank since that day in the den when Frank had driven a knife into his chest, and the human part of Cas was still having a little trouble letting that go. But Gail had advised that Frank had some decency in him, and Cas was prepared to believe it. Even though Gail naturally loved her brother, she knew right from wrong, and when the Knight of Hell Frank had killed Castiel, Gail had done the right thing by killing her own brother. But the last time she'd seen this version of Frank, Gail had insisted that Frank's heart was no longer as black. Was he worth saving?
That was why Cas had told none of his friends where he was going. If Frank was beyond saving, Castiel would just cast him back down into Hell, and Gail need never know they had had this encounter.
"How are you, Frank?" Cas asked him in a soft voice.
Frank looked startled by the question. "I'm a Demon. How do you think I am?" he retorted.
Cas almost smiled. He could hear a lot of Gail in Frank's answer. But he wanted to remain serious for now, at least until he had decided what to do, here.
"How do you feel about being a Demon?" Castiel asked him calmly.
"It sucks," Frank said, frowning. "I hate Crowley, and I hate Hell. And the pay is crap."
Castiel turned sideways and tried to control his mouth, which was twitching furiously now as he tried not to smile. He was starting to like this guy already. He struck Cas as a weird combination of a male Gail, with a little Dean thrown in.
"How do you feel about Angels?" Cas said, rearranging his features into what he hoped was a stern expression.
Frank shrugged. "I can take them or leave them, to be honest," he told Cas. Yes, he and Dean were going to get along famously. "I know you're one, and Gail is now too, I guess. So, I guess they're all right. But I just want my old life back. Hunting is the only thing I've ever known; the only thing I was really good at. I've been playing for the wrong team for a while, but at least I'm not killing for Crowley, any more. Thank God he didn't ask me to do it; I'd have had to refuse." He looked at Castiel, hoping his sister's friend would recognize his sincerity. "I'm hoping you meant what you said about reuniting me with Gail, and rescuing me from Hell. I know I'm still a Demon, but I'm done with Crowley. You can kill me, if you don't believe me."
But Castiel did believe him. He had used his Godly powers to look into Frank's heart and his mind, and he knew that Frank was sincere. Although how he could feel that way while still being a Demon was beyond Castiel's understanding. He had never seen anything like it before. Maybe, like Chuck, once Frank had decided to let go of his bitterness and rage, he had started on the road to redemption. Maybe it was his love for his sister that had helped keep him from turning dark, again. Cas smiled inwardly. Well, she was certainly lovable.
So Castiel said to Frank, "I'm going to put my hand on your head, now. It'll probably feel strange, but try not to move until I'm done."
Frank looked at him but said nothing, and Cas put his hand on Frank's head as he'd advised. The white glow came out of Cas's hand and enveloped Frank's body. Cas kept his hand there for a few minutes. Then Frank opened his mouth and heavy black smoke issued from it, filling the air around them and then finally dissipating.
The white glow faded and when it was completely gone, Castiel looked at Frank's face closely. "How do you feel?" he asked Gail's brother.
"Good." Frank smiled. "Really, really good. For the first time in a long time." He looked into Cas's eyes, and Cas noticed that Frank's eyes were a warm brown, like Gail's. "Thanks, Castiel," Frank said. "Thanks a lot."
Castiel smiled. "Call me Cas," he told Frank. "All my friends do."
Frank nodded. "OK, Cas. Can I ask you a question?"
"Yes, Frank?"
Frank smirked, but his eyes were twinkling. "Just what, exactly, is going on between you and my sister?"
Cas looked at him, startled. But he could see that Frank was teasing. He and Gail obviously shared the same DNA.
"Well, I am her big brother, you know," Frank continued. "I have to make sure that any guy I meet is good enough for her."
Cas smiled and put out his hand. This family was going to drive him crazy, he thought with a grin. But he'd hop on board, any day, all day long. "Pleased to meet you," he said as he and Frank shook. "I'm God."
It was worth having to see Crowley again so soon just to see the look on Frank's face.
Castiel sent out the call to Gail on Angel Radio. Please gather everyone in the library area. He was coming back with a big surprise. And she might want to be sitting down.
They had finished breakfast by now, and Gail had risen to help clear, but Bobby waved her and Sam back down. "You guys cooked; Dean and I will clean up." Dean looked at him, but Bobby scowled. "It won't kill ya," he said to Dean. Bobby began to roll up his sleeves as he approached the sink. He'd missed this; hanging out with the boys, doing normal things. And Gail was a nice addition to the family. She was just the right combination of sweet and tart, and she fit in well with them, Bobby thought. She and Sam and Dean acted like siblings, and she clearly loved Cas to pieces. He felt like a father to all of them, which Bobby supposed he kind of was, since he was God. Or would be again tomorrow, after Cas had had his turn.
He and Dean were just finishing up the dishes when Gail got the call. She and Sam had remained in the kitchen, and they were all bantering back and forth when Gail held up her hand. "Wait a minute, fellas. Cas is sending me a message."
Bobby was puzzled. He may not be God at the moment, but he was still an Angel. Why had he not heard it? Gail was a junior Angel and didn't have her own frequency. Or, did she? Maybe that was one of the perks God had been talking about, when He'd mentioned Gail being bestowed with Original powers. Or, were she and Cas so close now they were communicating telepathically? He smirked.
So, they all gathered in the library to await Cas's return.
"I wonder what this big surprise is he's bringing?" Sam said.
"Maybe it's a '70 Dodge Charger," Dean said to him. "Then you can have the second-coolest car in our garage."
Gail smiled at them both. "I don't know why I'd have to be sitting down for that," she said.
"Have you ever seen a '70 Dodge Charger?" Bobby joined in, smiling also. He looked at the brothers and rolled his eyes. "Women."
"Oh, that's right, you're not God at the moment," Gail teased Bobby. "So you don't know what I'm thinking, right now. Phew."
They all laughed, and it was at that moment that Castiel appeared in the library. And he had Frank with him.
The laughter cut off as they all stared at Frank. It was a good thing that Cas had advised Gail to sit down. The shock hit her like a wave.
"Hi'ya, kiddo." Frank smiled at Gail. Then she saw his eyes, and she launched herself out of the chair and ran to him, throwing her arms around him. She was so enthusiastic in her embrace she'd nearly knocked him over, but Frank didn't mind. He wrapped his arms around her, giving her a big hug. Gail was crying now, bawling her eyes out. They were happy tears, of course, and Frank's eyes filled, too.
Castiel was beaming as he watched them. This might be the best feeling he'd ever had, in his entire existence. If moments like this were all there was to being God, he'd do it for all eternity. He looked at Bobby then, and their eyes met. Bobby gave him a nod: Good one, Cas. God had forbidden Bobby from rescuing Frank, or he would have done it, but clearly, Cas had laboured from no such restriction. Either that, or he'd just done it, anyway. That wouldn't surprise Bobby one bit.
Sam and Dean were having a little trouble holding it together. They'd been in on this situation from the very beginning. They had had to bury Frank, and they'd suffered along with Gail when she'd grieved for her brother. Then, there was the anguish when they all discovered that Crowley had dug Frank up and turned him into a Knight of Hell, and the guilt they'd felt at not having burned his bones in the first place. Then they'd had to watch Gail kill her own brother in Crowley's den, to avenge Cas's death, and to protect them all from him. And then, Crowley had dragged Frank out of Hell when Cas and Gail were on the run from the tribunal, in an effort to flush the Angels out for Jason to apprehend. Gail had had a brief reunion with her brother then, only to have him cruelly snatched away from her, yet again. He'd been different that day; almost friendly, and Sam and Dean had wondered what was up with that. It had devastated Gail to see her brother acting like the man she'd known in life, but still a Demon. But, he didn't look like a Demon now. He and Gail were crying openly, and looking at each other as if expecting one or the other to disappear at any moment.
"So you're an Angel now, huh?" Frank gently teased her. "Funny, if anybody had asked me, that wouldn't have been my first guess."
"Oh, har har," Gail retorted. "Demon would have been my first guess for you."
They laughed, then Gail said, "Seriously, are you OK now? Are you - "
"I'm back to being a human," Frank assured her. "Cas brought me back all the way. Clean slate." Gail looked like she was going to start crying once more, and Frank didn't think he could take that again, so he said, "I've gotta talk to you about your boyfriend, though. Surely you can do better."
"Careful, I might have to have him smite you," Gail retorted. She was smiling again, Frank was glad to see. A little brotherly teasing had done the trick.
Gail looked at Cas then, who was still grinning. Lord help him, now he had two of them, he thought. But he found he didn't mind. He didn't mind one bit.
Gail launched herself into Cas's arms now, and he wrapped his arms around her in return. "Thank you," she said against his chest.
He said nothing, just continued to hold her. A lump was forming in Cas's throat now as he realized the enormity of what he'd just done. He remembered Bobby telling him that Bobby's hands were tied when it came to Frank, but Castiel had never stopped to wonder if that was supposed to extend to him, he'd just gone ahead and done it. But his Father had told him to act as he saw fit, and he could think of no righter thing to do than what he had just done. He didn't give a damn whether he'd been allowed to do it or not. Just look at them.
Gail pulled out of the embrace and her eyes were shining, not with tears now, but with joy. Her face told him all he needed to know about the rightness of his decision.
"You don't ever have to get me a birthday, Christmas, or anniversary present, for the rest of our lives," she said to him, smiling.
"But, I will," he told her, and then he smiled, too. "Just as soon as you tell me when your birthday is."
"You'll have to pick a date for yours, seeing as you've had a few," she teased back.
"And the anniversary?" he prompted.
"Good question," she answered. "We'll come back to that, later."
Sam and Dean looked at each other. Anniversary? they mouthed. What were these two talking about now?
Bobby saw them and smiled. That's right, they hadn't been there in Heaven, when God had remarked that Cas and Gail may or may not be married. They still weren't sure which.
Gail grabbed Frank by the arm and pulled him over to Sam and Dean. "And now I'd like you to actually MEET my brothers from another mother," she said to Frank. She introduced him to the Winchesters as if the men had never met before; in reality, they kind of hadn't, Gail thought, reasonably enough. They'd only seen the real Frank for a moment, as he lay dying. The rest of the time, he had been a Demon, not her brother.
The men shook, and then she introduced Frank to Bobby. It was a good thing that Cas had given Frank a brief rundown on the situation before bringing him here, or Frank would have been incredibly confused. Two Gods, one Angel, two Hunters. And now, Frank made it three. He couldn't wait to have a beer and swap stories with Sam and Dean. That's if they wanted to, of course. He hadn't forgotten how they might feel about him, considering what had happened in Crowley's den. But he could see how Gail felt about them, and they had obviously taken good care of her, and welcomed her into their circle. Frank hoped they would accept him as a friend, in time.
Sam and Dean thought they might be prepared to do that. They'd talk to him for a while, anyway, find out what he was all about.
And they'd be getting the opportunity right now. As Bobby, Frank and Gail were talking, Cas took Sam and Dean aside.
"Can Frank stay here with you?" he asked them. "Bobby and I have to go back up to Heaven, and take care of that business with the board." He made a face. He'd intended to ask the brothers for their input, but now Cas realized he didn't need it. The confidence he'd gained from following through on his decision about Frank had raised Castiel's spirits, and now he felt he could handle it on his own. But: "I'd like to have Gail with me," he said to them, "but I'll understand if she wants to stay here." He looked over at her, laughing at something her brother had said and giving him a playful shove. Maybe Cas should not even give her the choice. How could he pull her away from her brother, when he'd just reunited them? But Castiel was only going to be God for one day; she'd have the rest of eternity to spend time with Frank, now.
She saved him from the dilemma. When Cas went over to where she was standing, Gail gave Frank a kiss on the cheek and told him, "I'll see you soon." Then she took Cas's hand. "Ready to go?" she said to him, as Bobby came over to join them.
"Are you sure?" he asked her. "You and Frank just got back together, and..."
"Yeah, and he's already starting to get on my nerves," she joked, giving Frank a wink. He rolled his eyes, smiling. Sisters.
Gail looked at Castiel. "I told Frank you have some very important stuff to do today, and I need to be with you for support. We'll have the rest of eternity to catch up now, thanks to you." She was looking at Cas with such admiration that he felt warm all over. This was exactly the feeling he needed going in to deal with the board, and he appreciated her giving it to him.
Then Gail looked at Sam and Dean. She'd seen Cas talking to them, and she figured he'd been asking them to make Frank welcome. She hoped they'd all get along. Once the beers started to flow and they started to swap stories about Hunting, she thought they'd be fine. She loved them all for a reason; they had a lot in common.
"And besides, I have the feeling the testosterone level in here is going to be unbearable, in a minute," Gail quipped. Sam and Dean smiled at each other, and then looked at Frank. He smiled too, and then Gail knew everything was going to be just fine.
She took Cas's hand with one of hers and Bobby's hand with the other, and they vanished from the bunker.
Frank gaped after her. OK; that was going to take a little getting used to.
Dean walked up to him. "No matter how many times they do that, it always kind of freaks me out," Dean said to Frank. Then: "I know it's early, but this has already been a big day, and we've been up since before dawn. And what the hell, it's happy hour somewhere, right?" He went to the fridge and pulled out three bottles of beer.
"It's happy hour for me all day long today," Frank said to him, smiling. "I've got my life back, and Gail is happy and doing fine. What more could I ask for?"
"A '70 Dodge Charger?" Sam grinned, teasing Dean.
"Man, I'd love one of those," Frank said, accepting the beer from Dean. "Or a '67 Impala."
Sam and Dean exchanged another glance. They had the feeling that Frank was going to fit in just fine.