disclaimer: I don't own SPN or any of its characters.

Spoilers for 5x13. I just think it kind of strange for Anna to go find Uriel but not Castiel in the year 1978 (Castiel is still Uriel's superior at that time is it not?). This is what I think would happen if Anna brought Castiel into the fight as well.

Achieve

"...I'm going to move to a new house by Monday, please don't let there be rats. I hate rats..."

"...it's going to be the first time for me to travel over-seas, please don't let there be any accidents, please don't let the plane crash..."

"...my son is sick, please God, please make him better..."

Prayers. From all over the world. And always, Castiel listened, listened and waited and listened. He wasn't the ones that stood and watch over Heaven. He wasn't the ones that guard the Heaven's Gates. He was only a guardian angel that listened to all the human needs and did nothing. That's what the angel always does. Listened and waited. Waiting for the orders from the Watchers that were stationed on Earth millennia ago, waiting for the orders that never came.

Suddenly, a disturbance in the presence, like a ripple drift across the vast planes of Heaven, a ripple came from high above. Michael shifts his majestic wings and all the angels alike could felt his...amusement? sent slivers through their Grace.

Did Michael notice something out of ordinary that the other angels couldn't begin to grasp? But before any angel could dare sent out his questioning thoughts, the unfamiliar feeling subsided. It seemed like–whatever it was–Michael had decided not to do anything about it, at least for the time being, and simply observe.

Perhaps it truly wasn't something of great importance. Castiel silently thought to himself, returning to the task of listening to people.

Castiel.

Of all the angelic murmurs throughout the trillions of scattered pieces of Heaven, one voice rang out clearly like the morning bell. It was Anael. Calling from Earth. But it was unusual of her to do so. Just like it was unusual of Michael to cause the small disturbance earlier that day.

I am listening. Castiel replied.

I need your help. And Uriel's. Her voice seemed strained, as though tired or in pain. Come to me, I will be here on Earth.

Castiel resisted the urge to ask about her well-being, instead he asked. Do you require us to take human vessels?

Yes, hurry, I don't have much time. She did sound urgent as she told him the place to meet.

I will leave immediately. Castiel replied as Anael withdrew her gracious touch. And he called out to his long-time companion. Uriel, Anael has called and she requires our assistance. Shortly after the acquaintance's acknowledgement, the angel unfurled his wings and he was gone.

XXX

"...my son is sick, please God, please make him better..."

James Novak was a devoted man, but right now, as he watched his three-year-old son laying motionless in bed, he's really having a second thought.

Jimmy had been sick for two days and came down with a terrible fever. And during these days, James dared not leave his side and had been praying endlessly to God to spare his young life. Ever since that tragic accident and Amy...Jimmy is all he has left now. He couldn't bare the thought of living in this world alone and...

That's when he heard it. A warm breeze caressed his cheeks even though the windows were closed. A low humming coming from nowhere in particular.

The humming grew louder and louder, becoming a sharp high-pitch screech until his head began to scream and ache in pain. Before he noticed, he already collapsed beside the bed.

"Dad...?" Jimmy whizzed, voice barely above whisper.

"I'm...I'm here, son, I'm here." James answered slowly as he got up, the screech–he realized–was now resuming to the low humming it was minutes before. He wondered for a second what it was but soon ignored the noise as he returned his attention to his son, but Jimmy was already falling back to sleep.

I can help you.

James blinked. No. They weren't words–weren't English words at the very least–but he could, somehow, understand the meaning behind the voice.

"Hello?" James asked, looking franticly around the room. "Is somebody there?"

I am here.

James was shocked out of his wits. "Who are you?" He demanded, sounding braver than he actually felt.

Castiel.

"Castiel?" James asked.

I am an angel of the Lord.

James wondered why he wasn't taken aback by the answer. He swallowed hard and asked, "You…um…you are an angel? Are you the one that I've been praying to?"

Yes.

Relief washed over him as he close his eyes and let tears streamed down his face. "I'm so glad…so…so glad…" James wiped his face dry with the gray shirt's sleeve as he opened his eyes. "And you…you said you can…?" He stuttered, not sure whether it was too bold of him to ask such a thing. An angel! An angel was really talking to him!

Yes. I can help your son get better.

"I...I..."

But, I, too, require your assistance even if only for a short-span of time.

"Anything!" James practically leaped. "Anything is fine! As long as Jimmy can get better, I'll do anything!"

Castiel inwardly smiled at James' joy as he gave his consent and allowed the angelic presence into his human body.

You have my gratitude. Castiel told his temporary vessel as he laid his borrowed hand upon the child's forehead and will the burning sensation to subside.

Jimmy woke at the touch and found that all the discomfort from the night and before was gone. He looked up at his father, sapphire-blue eyes sparkling for the first time in a long while. "I'm…I think I'm all better now, dad." He broke into a smile which his father didn't return, it left him feeling uneasy. "Dad...?"

"I am not your father." Castiel said using the strange vocal and much-deeper voice and–with Enochian whispered in the tranquil air–put the child, once again, to sleep.

XXX

"Castiel, Uriel." Anael heard the flapping of angelic wings and said, slowly turning around. "You look well."

"You shouldn't have called." Uriel said first, stepping forward. "We're under strict orders not to come down here. Much less take a vessel."

"Uriel." Castiel called to his companion with a tone of tiredness–Uriel was always forward with his thoughts–and turned his gaze to his superior...that's when he noticed something was off. "You're not the Anael of now."

"No." Anael admitted. "But thirty years from now, I'm still your superior." She added with authority.

"Very well." Castiel said after a lengthy consideration. "What do you need us for?"

"I need the both of you to help me kill some humans." Anael said, ignoring the lightly shocked glimmer in Castiel's eyes.

"Always happy to do some smiting." After all, Uriel was the specialist in this sort of field. "But what's going on?"

Castiel stood beside him looking politely puzzled. What kind of sin did a man have to have committed for one to earn the damnation of an angel?

Anael first turned to the angel who took the tall dark man in black suit as a vessel. "In the future, these people are going to kill you, Uriel."

Uriel took a deep breath, short of a disbelieving gasp. Castiel narrowed his eyes at the statement–not doubting for a second that Anael might be lying–this reason he could understand. The murdering of an angel, it was not a fault that could be easily forgiven.

"I'm giving you the chance to kill them first." Anael added.

"Thank you." Uriel said, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips.

"And Castiel," Anael continued, now turning to the shorter of the two angels before her. "They are going to be the reason for your fall."

"My fall?" Castiel questioned (which was not something he usually does).

"In the time that I came from, you were hunted by the whole of angel garrisons including the archangel Raphael himself." Anael looked at her subordinate growing more and more stunned by the news. "You rebelled and fell from Heaven."

"That...that is..." Castiel wanted to say 'That is not possible' but his vocal core didn't seem to be working properly.

"This is the chance for you to undo the mistake you will surely make in the future."

Castiel closed his eyes.

"I understand."

XXX

"There's no more Holy Oil." Mary voiced her concern when she touched the ground and found the oily substance gone.

The lights began to flicker uncontrollably and all four people gathered in the room could hear the high-pitch humming grow louder and louder. Sam pulled out the Angel Blade and held it firmly, preparing for the inevitable. The noises soon became too much for the human ears to handle and they all fell over, hands over their ears, as the window glasses shattered like rainfall.

The noises soon die down after a couple of seconds. Dean slowly removed his hands and–as the door crashed open from behind–spun around, holding his breath.

A dark-skin man in his late twenties–wearing a white shirt and black suit–appeared at the doorway, looking quite at ease.

"Who the hell are you?" Dean asked.

"I'm Uriel." The angel said, undoing the buttons at his wrist.

"Oh...come on..." Dean made a disgusted face, backing off.

"Go." Sam came up from behind, mentioning to Mary and John to leave while they still could. But turning around, he saw Anna to the right and another angel who was wearing a gray long-sleeve shirt and a pair of dark color pants to the left.

"And who the hell are you?" Dean asked again, directing the question at the new angel for the sake of buying time. He knew they were trapped and totally screwed, but couldn't help notice that the angel's vessel had a face that looked somehow strangely familiar, with dark hair and blue eyes.

"Castiel."

Dean widened his eyes at that, much more shocked than he had when hearing Uriel's name. "...no...it can't be..."

Castiel tilted his head. This man clearly showed signs of recognition to both him and Uriel, so did it mean Anael was telling the truth? Castiel thought sadly, he didn't like to hurt others, much less kill, but an order is an order. "I am sorry."

And they strike.

Dean went for Uriel first while muttering 'Here goes nothing' under his breath as Sam raised the Angel Blade and went for Anael.

The angel was still weak at her state and Castiel wouldn't allow harm to come to his superior so he appear right behind the man, grabbed his arm–Castiel wondered where did he get the Angel Blade–and flung him through a wooden board as Uriel chuck his brother across the room.

As Uriel went to finish his target off, Anael turned her attention to the pair that already backed to the other side and stepped forward, preventing the man named John to take hold of the Angel Blade. She cupped his chin lifting him up and–with a gracious swipe of her hand–sent him crashing through the wall.

"John!" Mary screamed. Her worry penetrated the room with her heart-broken cry and caused Castiel to wonder–once again–whether or not these people really deserve what was being done to them right now.

Uriel was still mercilessly punching his target senseless, but Castiel couldn't stand back and watch anymore. "Uriel, stop, that is quite enough." The angel grabbed his companion by the arm, forcing him to stop pointlessly causing the victim pain.

"Thank God, Cas, even in the past you're still saving my ass." Dean gasped, coughing blood onto the dirt-covered floor.

Castiel furrowed his eyebrows at the shortening of his name but didn't make a comment.

"Castiel." Uriel looked at his brother. "These people are going to kill me."

At this, Castiel hesitated, then said, "Finish him off if you will but inflecting your frustration on something yet to happen on the man is clearly over-doing your job."

Uriel narrowed his eyes. "Fine." He said finally, lifted Dean from the ground with barely any effort and started chocking the life out of him.

Anael–on the other side of the room–advanced on the woman Mary as Sam got up from the floor, stepping up in front. Changing her mind and flashing Sam a dangerous look, she turned around and broke a long piece of wood from a gap on the wall. As Sam about to grab the Angel Blade, Anael pierced the wood into his stomach and broke it in there.

"Sammy!" Dean–seeing Sam backed into the wall with a piece of wood sticking out of his stomach–chocked out a half-scream. The younger brother couldn't answer as blood painted his lips scarlet.

It made Castiel uncomfortable, to see a man in so much pain–physically as well as mentally. "We are sorry." He said to Dean, "Please cease your struggles, all will end soon."

"Don't you say that, Cas, don't you dare say that!" Dean tried to get his message across. Uriel was too strong for him, he couldn't free himself. "...help me...help Sam..."

Castiel turned to look at the younger of the two brothers. "I am sorry." The angel said without making a move, watching the wounded man slowly sank onto the floor, life leaving his body.

"Sam!" Dean cried, tone filled with hopelessness.

As Anael once again slowly approached Mary and Uriel continued his work on killing Dean, Castiel heard a whisper in the wind and a ripple in the air. It is the second time he felt this kind of…angelic amusement…that day. Michael?

"I'm really sorry." Anael said to Mary but before she could do anything, someone called her from behind.

"Anael."

The angel turned around in shock. "...Michael..." She gasped as the archangel placed a hand on her shoulder...

And burnt out her Grace, reducing her vessel into dust.

Castiel could only watch and do nothing! "What is the...what is going on?" Before he could stop himself, he asked the question with not-nearly-enough respect (which is not something normal for him as well).

"...Michael..." Uriel let go of Dean–apparent, too, was shocked by the archangel's presence–and spoke up before his brother could ask any more questions he might regret later or for eternity. "We didn't know…"

The archangel only just seemed to realize they were there. "Good-bye, Uriel, Castiel." Michael raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

XXX

Castiel was sent back home, listening to the endless murmur of prayers from Earth and sometimes the angelic whispers from those who keep orders in Heaven, waiting again. But this time, he's waiting for Michael to return and deal with him.

Uriel was worried about the punishment but Castiel wasn't so much. All he wanted was to know the reason why…why Anael has to die?

But questions were rarely answered in Heaven. It had been so before, it was now, and it will still be like this in the future.

Days later, Castiel called out to Anael (it was the first time in decades, or possibly centuries).

Castiel? Nice hearing from you.

And I you.

Is something wrong? She immediately detected a trace of uncertainty in the other angel's Grace–even though they were so far apart.

No, I...Castiel wanted to warn her, to tell her–whatever happens in the future–do not go back in time. What he actually said was not what he expected. Anael, what do you think about humans?

Well, they're...fascinating, I suppose. Why do you asked?

Castiel fell silent and Anael soon left him to ponder on the question alone.

What did he achieve? What did he achieve apart from getting Anael killed? Would she go to a better place as well, after she is gone?

His questions drowned in the sea of questions and prayers coming at him from the people down on Earth.

"...is my wife waiting for me in Heaven...?"

"...my dog ran away yesterday, can you please, God, tell me where he went…? Can you at least make sure he's okay? He's only a puppy..."

And suddenly, Castiel heard a prayer a bit different from the rest. It wasn't for God to hear but his angels'; it wasn't a request but a thank of gratitude. And it was from a three-year-old child.

"My dad said angels made me better and now he looks relief and is happy again, he's happy so I am happy, so I think I should thank you. Thank you."

Maybe he did achieve something after all.

Thx all for reading, please R&R.