Disclaimer: Supernatural doesn't belong to me.
A/N: Originally, this story was going to be different but I prefer this. I also wrote it a few weeks ago and I'm still unsure about posting it but I have no idea why. Anyway. Enjoy.
Borderline Sin
For humans there seemed to be an infinite number of Heaven's, each of which was full of their own happy memories but for angels it was different. The place God had created looked like he envisioned it, full of different sections, all of them easy to move through and meet with others. The main room in which all angels congregated was a garden.
The green life flourished and sunlight poured in seemingly from nowhere. The other sections were close by but rarely visited, the battlegrounds being the least of them. The sky shone brightly in deep shades of blue and soft voices floated around, each of them in perfect unison with each other, keeping the conversations flowing.
In a corner alone, one angel stood, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on one leaf that had rapidly captured his attention. Wind gently blew beside him and wings fluttered, announcing the arrival of someone but it didn't break his concentration. A faint smile touched his lips but it didn't fully form at sensing just who it was beside him.
"You seem happy today."
The soft female voice made his eyes close for a brief moment. "Is there a reason not to be?" he replied quietly. "It's perfect here. And beautiful."
"Castiel..."
Her voice floated towards him but now suddenly seemed far away. Turning slightly, he met her gaze as she wandered towards another section.
"We have another session today... remember?"
"Of course," he said, turning to face her completely, the faint smile vanishing, not wanting to show her exactly what he was thinking about. Together they walked and before long the section disappeared behind them and quickly developed into something else. A faint frown showed Castiel's confusion as the section came into focus.
This was one place he had never been before. It no longer looked like the Heaven he was used to. Instead, it looked like everything had been burned beyond recognition and died. The frown deepened as the reasons why he was being shown this eluded him.
"What is this place?"
But he received no answer as she continued to walk, his own steps following but slowing considerably so he could take everything in. It almost looked like the Earth below them but everything was wrong. The sky was black, the grass was brown and the trees were bare and lifeless. Everything he saw broke his heart.
"Anna..." he breathed, hardly daring to speak. "What is this place?"
"It's what might be," she answered, coming to a gentle stop, staring at him once again.
But Castiel didn't look back and he didn't ask another question. It was already known what the next question would be and Anna waited until he was ready. His eyes were glued to his new surroundings and he patiently waited for her to continue.
"Before Michael locked Lucifer in his cage, do you remember where he was?"
"On Earth?"
Anna nodded gently. "He created his own race to serve him," she continued quietly. "The demons were his way of getting back at our Father. He wanted to do the worst thing he could think of. Sending demons into battle against our numbers would have been the ultimate betrayal. They wouldn't have beaten us but they would have overwhelmed us and for a while, we might've had to leave."
"We were young and..."
There was a short silence pause as the understanding flowed between them.
"So you do remember that day?"
"Barely," replied Castiel, finally meeting her eyes. "Much of it is a blur."
"Lucifer tried to attack our home with his creations," said Anna in a quiet but firm voice. "Father knew of this and ordered Michael to lock Lucifer in a cage in the deepest corner of Hell. And Michael did just that."
"Why are you telling me this?" asked Castiel, his voice betraying his worry.
Anna sighed softly. "Soon, all of us are going to be asked to make a choice," she replied eventually, trying to decide whether she wanted to have this conversation but it was overdue. This was something that they should have discussed already.
"I don't understand."
"And you might not for a while," whispered Anna. "You bowed down to the humans, just like me, just like your superiors, just like Father wanted. If the time came for them to be assisted, would you? Would you want to save them?"
Castiel exhaled heavily. The frown vanished but the look of confusion remained. "I still don't understand."
Slowly, Anna turned and walked a few more steps, Castiel hesitantly following. The section held more than the destruction he just witnessed. To say it wasn't quite what he was expecting was an understatement.
"We've been at peace for some time now," said Anna quietly. "In the last war, we fought side by side. Do you remember?"
Castiel came to a stop beside her and only nodded in reply.
"This one won't be as easy," said Anna quietly. "You'll face hard questions and hard choices. Your faith will be tested at all times."
The thousands of Enochian scrolls that lay before his eyes were read quickly before a startling thought entered his mind, making his eyes narrow faintly, wondering if he had this correct.
"Have you seen the future?" asked Castiel slowly, his head turning slightly but not quite enough to meet her eye.
"Glimpses of it, yes," she replied honestly, shrugging. "I don't quite know what to make of it but some of it was very clear. The choices we make will affect what happens."
The scrolls vanished from sight and before he knew it they back in the garden, many of their kin surrounding them, going about their own business.
"Anna... whatever you're planning to do... don't."
"My last post on Earth was tough. I don't want to do it again," said Anna, her voice tight and features tense. "I cannot do this anymore and the only reason I am talking to you is because... of all we've been through together. You deserve more than what I'm about to do."
"Anna..." Castiel breathed, seemingly out of breath. "If this is because of what I did, I-"
A short, light chuckle stopped his sentence short. He looked directly at her, his face no longer showing confusion. The emotions he tried to hold back were coming out but Anna was already aware.
"You did nothing wrong, Castiel," she replied quietly, a faint smile appearing. "But if I stay things will only worsen between us and I'd rather treasure what we already have. My concern for you grows each day."
"Why?"
"You know why, Castiel," she answered almost timidly. "The tension between us will cause nothing but trouble and I can already feel you slipping."
A momentary flash of anger swept across Castiel's features but it didn't go unnoticed, prompting Anna to say more.
"The sins bubbling under the surface are weak but there is a pulse at the core and it activates whenever we're around each other; the long stares, the flare of jealousy whenever I'm close to another subordinate. It cannot continue, Castiel. It's a line you cannot cross and one that I won't allow you too."
Castiel hung his head in shame. "Will you report me?"
There was a short pause as Anna took in a deep, shaky breath. "No," she said calmly, her shoulder dropping in what looked to be defeat. "But I will do something else."
As Anna turned and began to walk away, Castiel stared after her, the questions filling his head reluctant to leave his mouth in words. The first glimmer of doubt filled Castiel's heart but instantly, he pushed it away. Thoughts of what was possibly going to happen filled him with dread and it was something he couldn't push aside.
"Anna..."
Castiel's voice broke and for a split second Anna hesitated in her next step before continuing on her path. When she disappeared, he turned his attention back to the plant which had captured his interest only moments ago. Several times he went over the conversation with Anna in his head. Thinking about back on it now made it seem like a blur, as though it had never happened and hearing Anna talk about something she had to do left him with an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.
