Chapter 2 - Takin' Care Of Business
Everything was silent for a moment, and then Dean yawned noisily. "Well, I'm gonna turn in. I need to sleep for about a day and a half. You guys gonna be here later?"
Cas and Gail exchanged a look. They had talked about this in Heaven, just before the crisis had come up.
Cas stepped forward as the brothers stood from their chairs, preparing to go to bed. "You probably won't be seeing much of us for a while," he told their friends. "I'm supposed to stop teaching at the Academy tomorrow, and Gail has to reconvene the board."
"Yes, and there's this little thing called an election we've got to prepare for," Gail added, smirking. "Not that that's anything important, of course. It's only to decide who's gonna be the next God. So, you know, no biggie."
Sam grinned. "How long is the elections process?" he asked curiously.
Gail made a face. "Believe it or not, it was Chuck's bright idea to have the stupid thing in November, just like here. And I don't know what I was on that day, but I agreed, and the motion carried. But that was back a ways. I didn't know at the time that both of us were going to be candidates, who also have full-time jobs." She sighed. "It's going to seem like forever till the fall."
"But we'll see you sometimes, right?" Dean asked them, with a tone of uncertainty.
"Of course you will," Gail assured him. "Jody's due in the fall, and if you think I'm missing that, you're crazy."
"Well, we wanted to get back out on the road, anyway," Sam said, nodding. "I was actually looking for cases when this whole weather thing came up, and I saw what looks like a vamps' nest in Wichita. We'll probably leave tomorrow."
"You were both wonderful today," Cas told them. "You helped to save a lot of people. I know we were only able to save a handful of people in Florida, but we were also all able to eliminate the threat. Who knows how many people might have died if those men had been allowed to continue with their experiments?" Then he smiled at the brothers sheepishly. "I'm sorry I behaved like a dick."
"Yeah, well, we know that wasn't you," Dean said. "That was Gabe. How you've kept yourself from punching his lights out all these centuries is beyond me."
Cas's smile widened. "Me too, Dean. Me too."
The two men embraced. "Please be careful out there," Cas said to his friend. "If you need us, please call. Any time." He came out of the embrace, smiling again. "Remember, I have Voice Mail now."
"Yeah. Now, we've just gotta get you to actually listen to it, once in a while," Dean grumbled good-naturedly.
"It's a work in progress," Gail said, coming forward for her hug with Dean as Cas moved on to Sam. She grinned at Dean. "If it's really urgent, you'll just have to bite the bullet and pray to us. I know how much you love to do that." She threw her arms around him. "Seriously, please do take care of yourselves, okay?" Gail said as she and Dean hugged.
"Always," Dean replied.
Then the process was repeated with Sam, and then the Angels winked themselves out of the bunker.
Gail walked around their house waving her arms, cleaning the rooms. They'd hardly even been there, so there wasn't much to clean, really. Just dust. But she needed something to do. There were tears standing in her eyes that she was trying not to shed.
Cas had watched her go from room to room for a bit, and then he sat down on the couch in the living room, waiting patiently. He recognized the struggle she was having. Truthfully, he was having one himself. They had been here on Earth for so long now, hanging around with their human friends and family, that it felt like a natural state of being for them. But they were Angels, not Hunters. They had important work to do in Heaven. But the adjustment would be hard on them both for a while.
Eventually, Gail ran out of steam, and then she ran out of rooms. She came back to the living room and sat down beside her husband on the couch. She sighed. "I don't know why I bothered, really. It'll just be dusty again, the next time we see it."
Cas took her hand. "I won't tell you not to be sad, because I feel sad, too. I will tell you that I love you, and that we will always have each other to lean on, when we're feeling down."
"I love you too, Cas," she responded. "And I love that you understand how I feel." She moved forward, and he took her in his arms, cuddling her. After a few minutes of being content just to be held, she disengaged herself gently from his arms. "So, what do you say? Do you want to pay Ralph one more visit before we pack our bags for Heaven?" Gail asked him, raising an eyebrow.
Cas looked at her. Pack their bags? His initial reaction had been surprise. But then, he thought about it. He supposed that made sense, really. They would be spending so much time in Heaven for the next while that it only made sense to move there, at least until everything was decided, one way or the other. Where in Heaven they would actually live remained the only question, but Castiel wasn't too worried about that. His status entitled him to take any quarters he chose. He would ask Gail what her preference was once they got there.
He winked her into the bedroom and onto the bed. They made love slowly, taking their time. Time was fluid in Heaven, but most of the Angels adhered to office hours, so they had a number of hours before their day jobs were due to start.
"Where are we going to live, once we get to Heaven?" Gail asked Cas now. He was lying on his back, and she was kissing his stomach.
It was becoming difficult for Cas to concentrate, but he said, "Where would you like to live? I don't care. Wherever you want." Suddenly, she took him in her mouth, and he gasped. "Anything you want, my love."
She was too busy doing what she was doing to respond for the moment, and truthfully, she was hoping that Cas would also be unable to converse in a minute, anyway. If she was doing this right, he should be inarticulate for the forthcoming few moments.
His hands flew to her head, and she took that as encouragement. So she sped up, and now, Cas had no words at all, just sounds to make, to let her know how good it was.
Once Cas calmed down, Gail climbed up his torso and laid on top of him with her head on his chest, listening to his heart, hammering in his chest. It was funny how they didn't seem to think of their bodies as vessels any more. Hopefully, the way they behaved with each other wouldn't cost them too many votes in Heaven, she thought. She gave Cas a chance to get his breath back, and then she voiced the thought aloud.
His arms tightened around her. "If anything, I would think that demonstrating our love for each other would garner us even more votes," Cas commented softly. Then he smiled. "After all, what's better than a good love story?"
Gail kissed his chest, and then she raised her head to look at him. "You'd better not let Dean hear you say something like that," she teased him. "That would be just the excuse he needs to call you a woman."
"Maybe I should try to access my feminine side," Cas responded, his lips twitching. "Riley does want me to appeal to women's groups, doesn't he?"
"Well, can you do me a favour and wait about an hour before you turn into one? I'm not quite done with you here as my husband, yet," she retorted with a smile.
"I was hoping you would say that," Cas told her, raising an eyebrow. And there it was; that eyebrow raise. Gail wondered if he had any idea of the effect that one little gesture had on her. He probably did, and that was why he did it.
Cas rolled her over onto her back. "Where would you like me to start?" he asked her, smiling lazily.
An hour or so later, they'd showered and packed a couple of bags each with changes of clothing.
"I had an idea," Cas told her, snapping his suitcase shut. "If you have no objection, I thought that we could move into Matthew's old Honour Suite. It's one of the nicest apartments in Heaven. It comes fully furnished, and it's located in the Executive residential wing, which is very near your office, the boardroom, and the Academy."
Gail smiled. "You sound like a real estate agent. Sure, that's fine with me."
"Depending on what happens in the fall, I think it'll make a good temporary home for us," Cas went on. "It's really just a place to rest once in a while, anyway. I expect we'll be keeping some long hours for a time."
"As long as it's got you, and a comfortable bed, it'll be just fine," she said, putting her arms around his neck.
But Cas was frowning now. He'd just thought of something. "What is it, sweetie?" she asked him.
"I forgot," he replied. "I'm not the highest-ranking Angel anymore; I'm the second-highest. According to protocol, I must ask Gabriel if it's all right for me to take it."
"Oh," she said. "Well, ask him, then. I doubt he wants to live in Heaven, but if that's protocol, I guess we'd better follow it." She thought for a moment. "I'll tell you what. Why don't we invite him here, so you can ask him in person?"
"Here?" Cas asked, puzzled. "Why here?"
Gail shrugged, avoiding her husband's gaze. "Because I may have read his thoughts outside a certain bunker just recently, and discerned that his feelings are hurt that we've never invited him here."
And it was true. When she and Gabriel had been having their little chat out there right before Gabe had taken his essence back, Gail had tried Cas's trick. She had told Gabriel he had an errant lock of hair, then reached up to touch his forehead.
She'd never done the mind-reading thing before; although she could now modify memories, Gail had never had occasion to visit anyone's thoughts like this before. And she had picked one hell of a mind, for her first excursion. Gabriel's mind looked like a funhouse at a carnival. There were clowns and balloons and funny-looking mirrors in the vestibule. She walked down the hall and opened the first door she came upon. Crap! Gabriel was in there on a round, revolving bed, with two buxom, scantily-clad women. And a banner reading "Casa Erotica" was the only thing he was wearing. Yikes. She backed out of there quickly, then rushed down the corridor. She didn't have much time. She opened another door and saw a room that was stacked high with TVs, each one showing a different genre of program. But what was really odd was that Sam and Dean and Cas were the stars of all the shows. They were cowboys, doctors, and soap opera stars. They were even on a cheesy Asian game show, on one of the TV sets. What the hell? She shook her head vigorously, then shut the door. She would definitely have to remember to ask Cas about THAT.
But then, she'd come upon the next door, the one that showed all of them at Cas and Gail's house sitting around the dinner table, drinking wine and laughing as Cas carved the turkey. Gabriel was outside standing in the snow, looking in on them through the window, and a single tear was running down his cheek.
And that had been it. She'd closed the door softly, frowning. Then she had gazed down the hall for a moment. She wished she had the time to look in some more doors. Maybe then, she'd understand their Brother a little more. Gail had the feeling that Gabriel wasn't as much of a jerk as Sam and Dean seemed to think he was. When she had quipped to the Archangel that it appeared as if he might have some Frank in him, she'd realized that might not be far off the mark. Her brother frequently used irreverent homour to mask his pain. And now that she'd seen that little Christmas tableau, Gail had decided that she would take the first opportunity she could get to make amends.
It was a shame that she had not taken the time to open the next door, where she would have seen a man that she would have known to be an Archangel, because she would have sensed his immense power, sitting chatting with the mother of the King of Hell, and Rowena calling him Raguel. And had Gail seen that, the whole mess that happened later on might have been avoided.
But Gail withdrew from Gabriel's mind before that could happen, not wanting to stay too long and risk discovery. So she had removed her hand from his forehead, and then they had winked into the bunker.
Cas called Gabriel on Angel Radio as Gail had requested, and a few minutes later, there was a knock at the front door. Gail looked at Cas, bemused. He went to the front door and opened it, and Gabriel stood there, wearing a blazer over his shirt and jeans. Just like Cas. How cute was that? And he was holding a bouquet of flowers, and a bottle of wine.
"Welcome to our home," Cas said, opening the door wide. Gail had told him about her little foray into Gabriel's mind, and Cas had promised her that he would dust off his old-world manners for their Brother. Truthfully, Cas had been astonished that she had been able to enter Gabriel's mind so easily. He knew that had been her first time, and to have penetrated an Archangel's mind so effortlessly? Either he had underestimated the extent of his wife's power yet again, which was distinctly plausible, or Gabriel had known what she was doing, and he had let her in. And Cas loved his wife more than anything, but he was pretty convinced that the latter scenario was more plausible. The question was: why? Was it to manipulate her by making her feel sorry for him? Or was Castiel just being paranoid, because of his and the Winchesters' checkered past with his Brother?
Gabriel stepped into the house. He handed the flowers to Gail, and the bottle of wine to Cas. "I know, I know, you don't drink," he said to Castiel.
Gail smiled the flowers. "Well, I do, so come on in and we'll have a glass," she said, hooking her arm through Gabriel's. "And thank you for the flowers. They're beautiful."
Gabriel shrugged. "Hey, I was brought up with manners. Not like some people. I have never been offered a drink at any place I've visited on Earth. Never."
"Well, you're going to have one here, with us. I'm not inviting, I'm insisting. Please, sit down," she told Gabriel, gesturing to the couch. "Open the wine," she instructed Cas, kissing him on the cheek. "I'm going to take these flowers up to my office and put them in the vase on the coffee table. I'll be right back." Then she promptly winked out.
"God, she's cute," Gabe remarked, sitting on the couch.
Cas regarded him. "What are you up to, Gabriel?"
The Archangel looked at him innocently. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."
"Don't give me that," Cas snapped. "There's no way Gail penetrates your mind that easily if you don't let her in."
Gabriel rolled his eyes. "OK, OK. But just to let you know, it didn't take much. She's got a lot more juice than I would have thought. I was pretty impressed, actually."
"The question is: why?" Cas asked him, narrowing his eyes.
Gabriel sighed. "I just wanted her to see that I'm a good guy at heart. I'm sure your Winchesters have filled her head with all kinds of negative things about me."
"Actually, as far as I know, they haven't said much of anything, one way or the other," Cas said thoughtfully. Then he smiled. "But, if you know my wife, you know that she has a mind of her own. If Dean or Sam did say anything negative to her about you, she would be just obstinate enough to bend over backwards to give you the benefit of the doubt."
Gabriel smiled too. "And what about if YOU were to say anything negative about me?"
Cas sighed. "The same."
Gabe laughed. "Well then, that makes me respect her all the more. I never believed in that 'women should be seen and not heard' crap, anyway. I always liked a strong woman."
"Well, you've come to the right place," Cas remarked. He and Gabriel looked at each other, and then they laughed together. They were still laughing when Gail popped back in.
She looked at Cas. "I thought you were going to open the wine," she said to him. "Let's go. We don't have all night."
The men looked at each other again, and again, they laughed. "I told you so," Cas remarked. He went into the kitchen to get the corkscrew.
The three Angels sat down and had a glass of wine together, and Castiel told Gabriel what he had in mind.
"Take it, Castiel," Gabe said, waving his hand expansively. "Don't worry about me. I have no interest in living in Heaven. Besides, I'd better hang around Earth, at least until I can figure out if Raguel is onto something. You know, he might not even be seriously looking for those Books, after all. It looks like he's found himself a girlfriend."
"A girlfriend?" Castiel echoed dubiously. "Raguel?"
Gabriel shrugged. "Why not? You did." He looked at Gail. "And you did a mighty fine job of it, too."
Gail lifted her glass to him, smiling in appreciation. "Thanks for that. And thank you for this, too. Just do me a favour and promise me you'll come to Heaven in November, and cast your vote for my husband."
Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. You didn't ask me to vote for you."
She continued to smile. "Since we're all family here, I'll tell you what you probably already know: I'm never going to get elected. I'm just on the ballot to lure the female votes away from Patricia. Or, the people who want to vote for a female, I should say. You know what I mean."
Gabe made a face, nodding. "Oh, yeah. We don't want Ms. Frosty Box running Heaven. You guys would probably be prohibited from even holding hands, let alone doing anything else."
Gail snickered. "You're terrible," she remarked.
"But I'm not wrong, am I?" he said.
Cas sighed. "No, you're not. That's why Gail and I are both campaigning, along with Bobby."
Gabe drained his glass, then stood. "OK, you guys had better get going, then. Press that flesh, Castiel. Kiss those babies. No way I'm ever coming up there again if Patricia wins. Thanks for your hospitality. We'll talk soon." Then he snapped his fingers and disappeared.
Cas and Gail looked at each other. "That was a good visit," Cas said to his wife. There was a tone of surprise in his voice. "And it's all because of you. He and I have never gotten along this well."
"I'm glad," she responded. "I think he just needs to feel included. We'll have him here next Christmas. With their senses of humour, he and Frank will get along like a house on fire, if they don't drive us crazy in the process. And I'll get him and Sam and Dean all liquored up and give them a subject in common, and they'll be best buddies by the end of the night."
"Or, Gabriel will zap them both into the New Year," Cas said dryly.
Gail smirked. "Either way," she quipped, and Cas laughed, taking her hand. "I love you very much," he told her.
"I know," she said pertly. "Now, let's get going. I want to unpack our bags before we have to start work in the morning."
They had gotten settled in Matthew's suite, and they were currently in Cas's office at the Academy, waiting to open the doors the agreed 15 minutes prior to class.
Cas was shaking his head with wonder. Every time he thought his wife couldn't surprise him anymore, she managed to do just that. The instant he'd opened the door to the suite and brought the bags into the living room, Cas had unconsciously looked down at the spot where he and Bobby had discovered Matthew's body.
"I hope someone cleaned the carpet," Gail said from behind him.
Cas could have kicked himself. He had simply suggested this suite due to its location, and because it was the only existing place that he knew to be vacant that he felt was good enough for Gail. But it was the reason for its vacancy that he should have been more sensitive to.
He dropped the bags and wheeled around, taking her in his arms. "I'm so sorry, my darling," he told her. "I didn't think. We'll go somewhere else, immediately."
Gail touched his face. He was so sweet. "No, it's OK, Cas. I know that you and Bobby found Matthew's body here. I remembered, when you first brought up the idea. If it bothered me, I would have told you then. As long as it doesn't bother YOU. You knew him, and you were the one who found him here. So the question is, are YOU okay with it?"
Cas thought about that. He'd been so worried about her feelings that he hadn't stopped to consider his own. But that had been a number of years ago, now. In a lot of ways, it felt like a lifetime.
"You're a remarkable woman," he said to her. "I'm fine, my love. In fact, as long as I have you, I'm fantastic."
She kissed him on the lips. "You certainly are. But you can quit sucking up. I'll unpack for us both." She gave him a squeeze, then moved to pick up the bags, taking them through to the bedroom area.
Cas shook his head, smiling. He looked up at the large picture-sized mirror that hung on the wall above the fireplace. Yes, there was an actual fireplace in the living room area, across from the couch. Matthew had been an older gentleman, of course, who had liked his creature comforts. Many was the time that he had had a log fire burning in the fireplace when Castiel had come here for their evening chess match and conversation. Thinking of that still hurt a little, but now that some time had elapsed and Lucifer was gone, Cas found that he could let it go.
It had not occurred to Gabriel to tell Castiel and Gail that Raguel had been meeting with Rowena the witch, because he honestly thought that the two of them were meeting because they were romantically involved. An Archangel and a witch might seem like a strange combination, but Gabriel had seen stranger, in all his centuries of existence. And it also hadn't occurred to him to tell them, or perhaps he had forgotten, that the mirror in Matthew's suite was enchanted. These omissions were not malicious in nature, by any means, but they would result in some interesting consequences.
Several hours later, Gail was in Bobby's campaign office. She and Cas had waited in his office until 15 minutes before class was scheduled to start, and then they had walked hand in hand out of his office to the floor area. Gail could feel the nervousness coming off her husband in waves. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll pop over and get Bobby, and we'll be right back," she told him. They'd talked about it, and agreed that she and Bobby would come to the first class as a show of support and solidarity, and they also wanted to send a not-so-subtle message to the cadets by not including Patricia.
As Cas opened the doors to admit Riley and about a dozen eager students, Gail was talking to Laurel while Bobby was shutting off his computer.
"I wanted to ask you personally if you're interested in taking the seat on the board that Patricia has vacated," Gail said to Laurel. "We're having the first meeting in an hour, but I realize it's short notice, so if Bobby can't spare you, I'll make sure to print you up a schedule. That's if you say yes, of course."
Laurel stared up at her in surprise. Then she started to smile. She had always liked Gail, and this was one reason why. Laurel liked Castiel's wife because Gail seemed to make no distinction between the person who was sitting in the office, and the support person who was sitting in front of it. Even back when Laurel had been God's receptionist, a role she was hoping to fill again in the future, Gail had always treated her with respect and dignity. When the new laws had been passed, Gail had invited Laurel into the boardroom to partake in the celebration, announcing Laurel as having been a very important member of the team. And Chuck spoke very highly of both Gail and Cas. Plus, the best part of all was that the couple and Bobby were all still friendly with each other, even though they were all vying for the High Office. That spirit of friendship and cooperation spoke volumes to Laurel, and it was diametrically opposite to the closed and secretive way that Patricia's campaign office was being run. Laurel had popped in to ask if she could use their photocopier a couple of days ago when hers had jammed, and she had been shooed angrily out of the office, as though she was a spy, or something.
"I would be honoured," Laurel said to Gail, smiling warmly. She raised her voice. "Bobby, can you spare me to go to the meeting?"
He rushed out of his office. "What are ya asking me for?" He looked at Gail. "Laurel rules the roost around here. We just pretend it's the other way around." Then he had looked at Laurel. "Of course you should go, if you wanna go. Don't worry about things here. I appreciate your help, Laurel, but I don't want to hold you back."
She beamed. "Thank you, Bobby. Oh, you'd better lock your office. Remember, we talked about that?"
Bobby rolled his eyes. "I don't wanna start up with that paranoid stuff, Laurel."
"Well then, humour me," she said patiently.
Bobby frowned, but he went back into his office. "I put the key in your top right-hand drawer," Laurel called after him.
Gail's forehead wrinkled. "What was that all about?"
"I was going to mention it to you and Cas too, but this is the first time I've seen you," Laurel replied. "A couple of days ago, I caught somebody from Patricia's campaign team in Bobby's office, when he was out. They said they were lost, but I don't believe it."
Gail was appalled. She hated to think that things had come to that. But she thanked Laurel for the warning, and told her that she would pass it along to Cas.
Bobby came out again, pulling the door shut behind him and locking it. He was scowling. But then he looked at Laurel, and his expression softened. "I'll see you later, dear. You know where we'll be if you need to get a hold of us."
Laurel nodded. "I do. Please congratulate Cas for me. I know he'll be a great teacher."
Gail smiled. "Do me a favour? Tell him that, the next time you see him. I know Angels don't throw up, but he was looking a little green this morning."
"That's why we're going there now, to lend him our support," Bobby added. "If one of those young kids gets out of line - "
"Bobby's like the Principal of the Academy," Gail joked. "Now let's get going, already! We're five minutes late, as it is."
"Oh, and don't forget, you have that meeting with the Heavenly Hostesses at eleven o'clock," Laurel said to Bobby.
Despite her sense of urgency, Gail paused. "The who?" she asked Laurel, puzzled.
"The Heavenly Hostesses," Laurel repeated. "One of the women's groups. I booked Bobby to give a speech there. Riley told me he's booked Cas for right afterwards. Maybe you want to check with Liz on that. They're a very influential group. Just because you're a woman, I wouldn't take for granted that they're in your corner. I know Patricia has already talked to them. Maybe you should see if you can fit them in today, give them a few words at the same time as Cas. You don't want to be the only one who hasn't spoken to them. Anyway, it's just a thought. Check with Liz. I know she's been eager to see you."
Wow, Gail thought. The Heavenly Hostesses. Where did she even begin? Did they serve tea and cucumber sandwiches at their meetings? Should she invest in a pink suit with white gloves and a pillbox hat, maybe? Yikes. Oh, well. One thing at a time. She thanked Laurel and put her hand on Bobby's arm, winking them over to the Academy.
Thirty-five Angels, Cas was thinking to himself. Thirty-five mostly young, fresh-faced cadets, standing there in rows, looking at him expectantly. Thirty-five. He just couldn't get over it. He wondered what Stu the numerologist would do with that number. And Riley had told Cas that because they had capped the number, there were many, many more on a list, waiting to gain admission.
It had been agreed that he was going to give a bit of a talk to the cadets first, welcoming them, and then he and Riley were going to pair them off and see which of them had the most potential, and which ones would need extra coaching.
The idea had all sounded so good in principle, but now that they were all here, looking at him, Cas's throat dried up, and he couldn't think of a single word to say. He looked at Bobby, who gave him a subtle thumbs-up. Many of the cadets remembered Bobby as God, and even those who didn't regarded him as an authority figure. But he'd told Cas that he had only agreed to come this morning for moral support. This was Cas's show, to run however he saw fit.
Then Cas looked at his dear, sweet wife. She had her own business to take care of shortly, but she had made sure to be here for him, as always. She knew how nervous he was, and she could tell that he was faltering now. So she stepped forward and took his hand, facing the class.
"Welcome to the Angel Academy," Gail said to the students. "You all know Castiel, if not personally, then by reputation. Go ahead and say a few words to your students. Tell them what your vision is for the school, and a bit about your background."
Cas smiled at her gratefully. He gave her hand a squeeze. Then she stepped back, and he faced the class again.
"Whomever is taking this class with a true intention to learn how to fight, you must be made aware of the sort of danger you could be facing," Castiel said in a formal, stilted manner. Now he could see trepidation and doubt on many of their faces. His heart sank. This was not how he'd wanted to start off, although Cas felt it was a very important message to convey.
He took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Then he smiled, and as soon as he did, the cadets visibly relaxed. Pamela's knees went a little weak. Wow. She wondered if he had any idea how his face transformed when he did that.
"When my wife and I were discussing what I might say to all of you today, she told me I shouldn't lead with that. And, as usual, she was right," Cas said, looking at Gail warmly. Some of the cadets smiled tentatively. "But I do want to speak with all of you honestly, because I have learned that open and honest communication builds trust," Cas continued. He sighed. "In the older days, the days of the Angel Wars, I was merely a soldier, one of the many rank and file. We were all given assignments as part of the great war machine, and we were instructed never to question any of our orders. But, as many members of my garrison fell and I rose through the ranks, I did start to question what we were doing, and why. I was censured for doing so, brainwashed into thinking that I was serving Heaven. I regret many things that happened back then." He paused, then went on: "When we first established this Academy, there was some talk about making attendance mandatory. But I disagreed. It took me centuries, but I finally found out that there's a better way. It's called Free Will. You can still do your duty while making choices that are right for you, and that are the right things to do. The two viewpoints aren't mutually exclusive. Free Will and duty can be the same thing, if they're the right thing."
Cas paused again. Then he said, "I probably shouldn't say this next thing, but if you know my reputation, you'll know that I don't always do what I should." He smiled again, and Pamela started to feel a little warm. This was going to be a fun assignment.
"There has been a lot of rhetoric going around in Heaven lately," Castiel said. "I've heard that prejudice against humans is being talked about in certain circles in Heaven, and I won't have any part of that. You are all aware that there are four candidates for the High Office, and you can see that there are three of us here, only. You can all do the math."
Gail pursed her lips for a moment, glancing sideways at Bobby. Crap. Cas had gone rogue. She and Bobby had told him they thought it was a bad idea to bring politics into the Academy. But Cas had a point to make, and he was determined to make it.
"If any of you feel that way, you can get out, right now," Cas said bluntly. "Humans are our friends, and our allies. My human friends and family have helped us immeasurably. Just recently, two of the strongest and bravest men I know helped us to vanquish Lucifer, at the greatest possible personal risk. In fact, one of them made the ultimate sacrifice. So if I catch anyone in my class talking nonsense about humans somehow not being as good as we are, or any of that kind of garbage, they will be expelled immediately. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Sir," quite a few of the students murmured. They were exchanging surreptitious glances now. The ultimate sacrifice? Did that mean what they thought it meant?
Now, Cas paused again. You could have heard a pin drop in the room. He looked at Gail. She was careful to keep the expression on her face neutral, but he was pretty sure that she didn't approve.
When they'd talked prior to his opening the doors this morning, he had been extremely nervous.
"Maybe no one will come," he'd said to her.
Gail had been sitting on the edge of his desk, facing him. She'd kicked off her shoes and put her feet in his lap, trying to playfully distract him from his nerves. Cas had absently stripped her socks off, and he was massaging her feet. She had been just about to joke that he was either going to have to stop that, or hang a sign out saying that class was cancelled, when he'd said that.
She looked at him with sympathy. "You know that's not going to happen," she told him firmly. "Riley told you they're practically beating down the doors. You'll be great, Cas."
"I'm not a very good speaker," Cas fretted. "It took years and years for me to learn how to communicate with Sam and Dean."
"Just stick to the basics, and you'll be fine," Gail had reassured him. "No politics, and no scaring them, at least not on the first day. I'm sure that most of them will be young, and they'll be intimidated by you."
He had still looked a little uncertain, but he'd smiled then. "Thank you for your confidence in me, and your wonderful support. It means everything to me, my love." Then he had lifted each of her bare feet to his lips in turn and gently kissed them, and Gail had just about melted right off the desk. Then she did make her quip about closing the school for the day, and Cas had thrown his head back and laughed, telling her he was sorely tempted to do just that. Then he had reached for her socks and put them back on her feet, heaving a comically heavy sigh.
But now, as Cas looked at the young Angels, he froze. He'd done the very things that Gail had admonished him not to do: he had talked about politics, and now he had been so stern in his opinions that he had scared and intimidated them. He was staring at all those young faces. He had been built up as a hero to them, but he didn't feel like one right now.
Gail came forward again, taking his hand. "Excuse us for a minute," she said to the students, and then she couldn't resist adding, "Riley has a couple of good jokes he can tell you." Then she popped Cas into his office.
"I'm not sure I can do this, Gail," Cas pleaded with her. "I told you I'm not very good at this sort of thing. They're all looking at me like I'm some kind of a hero, or something."
Gail put her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. "That's because you ARE a hero, sweetie. And really, this modest act is wearing a bit thin. I think you're just fishing for compliments now." She smiled, to let him know that she was teasing. "Now get out there, and take charge. Run the class your way, Cas. We're backing you, no matter what."
"You must think I'm silly," he said, putting his arms around her waist.
"Not at all," Gail replied. "The first board meeting I chaired, I was the same way. Everybody sat there looking at me, and I couldn't even form a complete sentence. And you know how much I love to talk, so that'll tell you how nervous I was."
Cas started to smile, but then he stopped. His heart hurt for her. That was during the time that they had been separated. How he wished he could have been there for her then, giving her the same kind of sweet and loving support she was giving to him now.
Cas squared his shoulders. He didn't want to let her down. If Gail thought he was a hero, then a hero, he would try to be. He gave her a quick kiss on the lips, and then he winked them back into the gymnasium area.
Riley had indeed been talking to the students, and they were looking somewhat more relaxed now. Castiel gave him a nod of appreciation, and the young Angel stepped back respectfully.
Cas faced the cadets again. "My apologies," he told them. "As you can plainly see, public speaking is not my strong suit. But you're not here for speeches, you're here to be trained how to fight. And that, I can definitely do. But I don't want to sugar-coat things. The bottom line, as my dear friend Dean Winchester would say, is that if you're reluctant to put your life on the line to defend a principle, you should leave, now."
All but one of the cadets stood there stoically. But one very nervous-looking young Angel stirred, and made to leave. "Where do ya think you're goin'?" Bobby barked at the young Angel. "Get back in formation!"
The young Angel opened his mouth as if he were going to speak. Then he looked closely at Bobby's face, and closed it with a snap. He moved back to where he had been standing.
Gail averted her head to keep from bursting out laughing at the young man's scared expression. She had seen that same expression on Sam and Dean's faces many times, when Bobby had admonished them for one thing or another. And this particular young Angel looked extremely young. Holy moly. How young could he be? Sixteen? He was gangly, with red hair and freckles. If Dean was here, he'd probably be calling him "Opie". Wow. How old did Gail feel, right now? These guys - and there were three girls, too - looked like teenagers to her. Yikes.
Bobby was still looking at the young Angel as if waiting for him to make a break for it, but his expression softened a little. "At least take one class before you quit, Son," Bobby said to him. The young Angel nodded, but he still didn't speak. Then Bobby looked at Gail, clearing his throat. He looked at the watch he was wearing, and she was startled. Was it time to go, already?
"Go ahead, Bobby," she murmured softly. "I want to talk to Cas for another moment."
Bobby said goodbye to everyone and popped out, and Gail touched Riley's arm. "I'm going to borrow Cas for a minute and then I'm going to leave, so you can go about your business."
"Can a few of you help Riley put the mats down on the floor?" Cas said to the cadets.
"Sure, Cas," Riley said eagerly. "And I'll get the weapons out of the cabinet, too."
"Just the simulated weapons for now, please," Cas said with a faint smile. Then he took Gail's hand, and they popped into his office again.
"I really have to go," Gail said. "I just wanted to let you know how proud I am of you." She touched his face. "Once you get them on those mats, you'll be just fine. Just remember: you trained me, and if you can work with such a problem student, you can work with anyone." As he smiled, she added, "But seriously, did you notice how young most of them are?"
"I was trying not to think about that," Cas responded, his lips twitching. "Perhaps I will need those glasses, after all."
Gail laughed. She leaned forward, lowering her voice. "I thought that poor guy was going to faint when Bobby barked at him like that."
Cas was bemused, but he said, "I'll have to have a talk with him, in private. I appreciate what Bobby was trying to do, but I'd better find out where his head is at, as the saying goes. If he truly does want to leave, I won't stand in his way. I don't want anyone to stay because they feel intimidated into it, Gail. They should be here because learning how to fight is the right thing to do, not because Bobby or I say so. If I'm going to preach Free Will here, I'd better practice what I preach."
Gail was looking warmly at her husband. "Just when I think I couldn't possibly love you any more, it turns out that I can." She put her arms around him, kissing him on the mouth. "I've got a board meeting to get to. 'Later, Professor Castiel." Then she popped out, as Cas smiled.
Sam was sitting on the bed in his and Dean's hotel room, reading. He'd already had his shower, and Dean was in there now. They'd taken care of the vamp's nest very easily. Sam guessed that once you'd faced down Lucifer himself and beat him, a bunch of fang-bangers were tame by comparison.
His cell phone rang. He put the book down and picked up. "Hey, Sam." It was his FBI contact, the one he had left Oliver's journal with. "I've got some good news and some bad news," Thane continued. "Which do you want first?"
"The good news," Sam replied. "Always, the good news."
"We found part of the journal," his contact said. "And it's been un-redacted, so it's ready to read. But the bad news is that it's only a few pages. The pages all came loose from the book's bindings, and we don't know exactly where the rest of them are. But hey, at least you've got a few, to start with. My guy feels really bad about it, so he told me he's going to work through his breaks to try to find the rest of them."
Sam was silent for a moment. Finally, he said, "Did you read any of it? Is there anything to be concerned about in there?"
Thane frowned. "You know what, Sam? It's kind of hard to say. The guy who wrote it talks about him and his two brothers, growing up. And I gotta tell you, it's a pretty compelling read. Almost like a Stephen King book. The youngest brother is schizophrenic, by the looks of it, and the middle brother has all the makings of a serial killer."
Sam's blood ran cold. "Can you hang onto those pages for me? Dean and I are out of town right now, but I'll swing by when we get back."
He hung up the phone and sat there, thinking. Dean came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. "Earth to Sammy," he said. "Who was that on the phone?"
Sam told him about the journal, and Dean dropped the towel on the floor, pulling on his shorts with one hand and opening a beer with the other. He'd gotten to be an expert at that by now.
"Betcha a million bucks the serial killer's her dad," Dean said with sharp insight.
Sam looked at him, startled. His brother could very well be right. "That would make Oliver her uncle," he commented. "But why wouldn't he just tell her that he was her uncle, then?"
Dean shrugged. Who knew? Considering the fact that Oliver was a ghost, Sammy probably shouldn't expect anything to be normal about the situation. "I wonder if we should tell Gail," he mused aloud.
"Why don't we wait until we get a look at what he's got?" Sam suggested. "By the time we get back, he might have more pages. Cas and Gail just got back to Heaven, and they've got a lot going on right now. We should probably just wait."
Dean nodded, taking another pull on his beer. "What's on TV?" he asked his brother.
Gail looked around the boardroom table. "It's good to see so many familiar faces here," she said. "The Three Musketeers ride again, I see."
Chuck was sitting across the table from Ethan and Kevin. The three of them did fist pumps and smiled at each other. Gail had noticed with amusement that when the men had first arrived, they had all sat together. But when Laurel had gotten there, Chuck had leapt to his feet and rushed around the table, pulling out Laurel's chair for her, as Cas would have done for Gail. Then he'd lowered himself into the chair next to her, leaving his buddies on the other side of the table. Gail looked at Kevin and Ethan, and they all exchanged smiles.
Gail's smile faded when she looked down at the other end of the table and saw Ogden sitting there staring at her, sour-faced. What could she possibly have done to offend him? She hadn't even said anything yet. She sighed inwardly. Ogden the Old-Timer. She wished that he had resigned at the same time as Patricia. If ever any two Angels deserved each other...She was surprised he wasn't wearing a neon "Vote For Patricia" button. Oh, well. There was nothing she could do about it. Unless someone else resigned, this would be the sitting board until the election. Hopefully, Ogden wouldn't cause her too many problems.
Once everyone had been seated, Gail welcomed them all back, and introduced Laurel as their new member. "Now, if everyone will turn to Page 1 of their agenda, we'll begin," Gail said.
"I don't see the point of this meeting," Ogden objected. "Until we have a sitting God, anything we decide here may well be rendered moot."
Great, she thought. Here we go. "If you'll recall, Ogden, the laws we wrote here were already ratified by God. Bobby was the sitting God at the time, and he put the seal of the Office on the document, right here in this boardroom. We all witnessed it. All I'm trying to do is administrate some of the laws that are already on the books."
"There's a very good chance that those so-called laws won't be worth the paper they're printed on, come November," Ogden retorted.
Gail pursed her lips. Give her strength. "And there's also a very, very, very good chance that they will be," she shot back. "In fact, I'd say the odds are excellent." Yeah, three to one, she thought, but did not say.
The other Angels sat on each side of the table looking back and forth from Gail to Ogden and then back again, as if watching a really riveting tennis match. Gail gazed coolly down the table at the older Angel, but he merely harrumphed, then fell silent.
"Page 1, everyone," Gail said again. She wondered how Cas was doing with his class.
They had phased into the physical aspect of the class, and Cas was a lot more relaxed now. Now, it was the students who were nervous. He and Riley had faced off, demonstrating a couple of simple self-defense techniques he wanted them to start with, and then Cas had paired them all up. Since there were an uneven number of students, Cas rotated Riley in and out with various combinations of sparring partners, and he walked around, observing what the students were doing.
Many of the young Angels were observing Cas as avidly as he was observing them, if more covertly. Most of them had started out in awe of his reputation, and now that they had seen him in action, their respect for him grew. The word around Heaven was that he was the odds-on favourite to be the next God. A few of the students had signed up out of sheer curiosity, but now that they were there, they were finding themselves caught up in the process of learning. A lot of the young Angels who had signed up for the class had done so because they wanted to do heroic things, not push a bunch of papers around a desk.
Pamela was one of the three female students, and she was currently paired with Riley. The other two females were friends, so they had paired up with each other. Castiel had noticed the disparity right away, so he had asked Riley to pair with her.
As Cas walked beside the spot where she and Riley were working, Pamela looked at her teacher. Because she was momentarily distracted, Riley was able to pin her down on the mat. As soon as the young Angel had done that, however, he apologized, and helped her up.
Cas had smiled at that. "As it's only the first day of class, I'll let that go. But an attacker wouldn't normally be such a gentleman, Riley."
His assistant grinned sheepishly. "You're right, Cas. Sorry."
Cas looked at Pamela. "And as for you, had he been a real attacker pinning you down like that, you would be expected to be able to turn the tables on him. I realize that it's more difficult for a woman, but believe me, it can be done. You saw how small my wife is, yet she can defend herself against men twice her size. What's your name?"
"Pamela," she said, pleased that he was singling her out.
"Well, Pamela, it's just a matter of confidence. We're here to help you learn," Cas told her. "If you need my assistance, don't hesitate to ask."
Then he moved on, but Pamela stared after him for a moment. Good-looking, manly, and kind. What a combination. She was starting to get the feeling that she would be asking him for extra assistance before long. She continued to watch Castiel as he walked around the room, demonstrating certain holds and moves with a few of the male cadets who seemed a bit more advanced. But that was all right; the less advanced she was, the more extra work would be needed with the teacher. Of course, her primary purpose was to report anything interesting that Castiel had said or done back to Patricia, and Pamela already had something to tell her boss. Patricia definitely wasn't going to like what he'd said at the beginning of his speech about only three of the candidates being there, and what that signified. And she also wasn't going to like what Castiel had said about the humans. But it didn't matter to Pamela, one way or the other. The more controversial things he said, the better. Then, Patricia would want Pamela to be around Castiel even more, and that was an assignment she would continue to enjoy, very much.
"Are you ready to try again?" Riley said, breaking into her thoughts.
Pamela smiled. "I sure am," she said.
An hour or so later, Pamela was in Patricia's office, giving her the report. Most of what the older Angel was hearing was pretty much what she'd expected to hear. Even the part about Castiel's speech where he had pointed out Patricia's absence at the Academy's first session did not surprise her. But when Pamela informed her that Castiel had been spouting his own very slanted views in class, extolling the virtues of his humans, Patricia sat up and took notice. So, Castiel was going to try to use his position as the Professor of the Angel Academy to influence young minds, was he? Fine, then. That only proved to Patricia that her tactics were completely defensible. Well, she had an insider for Castiel's camp now, and the one for Gail's was on his way to Castiel's wife's office, right now.
Liz and Gail were sitting in Gail's office looking at campaign poster designs when Scott knocked on the open door jamb.
"Come in," Gail said, looking up.
Scott entered the office, making a beeline for Gail. He smiled, extending his hand. "It's an honour to meet you," he told her. "I'm here to lend my support to your campaign. Whatever you need." Then he introduced himself to Liz, repeating his offer.
"OK, Scott, here's your first test," Liz said affably. She gestured to the three poster designs. "We've been told we need the male vote. So, which one of these speaks to you, as a man?"
Scott grinned. "As a man? To be honest, none of them. But as a voter, this one, here." He tapped the one in the middle.
Gail smiled. "That one's my preference, too." She rolled her eyes. "If I have to have my face plastered all over Heaven, that is." Then she sighed. "I'm hoping that thing will kick in soon, where the spouses start to resemble each other. If I looked like Cas, I'd be putting up posters of myself everywhere. Woof."
Liz giggled. "Sorry, Scott," she said to the young Angel. "We're not always this shallow here, I swear."
Gail looked at her. "What are you talking about? Yes, we are! Well, when it comes to my husband, that is. But you don't need to worry, Scott."
Liz smiled. "Yeah. She's only got googly eyes for Cas."
Scott continued to grin. He'd see about that. "So, ladies, how can I help?" he said, sitting down beside Liz.
VIGNETTE - THE DANCING OF POLITICS
Eunice was very excited. What a coup. Her organization, the Heavenly Hostesses, was Heaven's first to have landed all four of the candidates for the High Office to address their group.
Patricia had already been to see them, and her speech had been a hit. In a few minutes, Bobby would speak. None of the ladies were personally acquainted with him, but they were attempting to keep open minds about him. After all, the Father had given Bobby the job at one point, hadn't he? So the Hostesses were willing to give him a listen, on that basis alone, although they were a little suspicious about his apparent love for modern technology, and newfangled ways. Computers, in Heaven? Also, rumour had it that Bobby had courted Patricia for a time, but that seemed to be a thing of the past now. Why was that? they wondered.
And then, after Bobby's appearance, their group was going to be treated to speeches from the other two candidates, the husband and wife team of Castiel and Gail. Eunice was really looking forward to that. The ladies all knew of Castiel, of course. He was the senior Angel, a member of the Upper Echelon. No one really called it that any more, but the Hostesses were an organization comprised of female Angels to whom these kinds of things still mattered. In their opinion, too many young Angels lacked the manners and respect that were required for a decent society. Castiel had a young Angel as a campaign manager; Riley, his name was. But when he had come to see Eunice to book Castiel to speak to the group, young Riley had been properly respectful. He had even called her "Ma'am". And, just a minute ago, another young man named Scott had called on Eunice, asking if Gail might speak to her group at the same time.
This would be a real treat. Gail was a mystery to the ladies. She was so new to Heaven that none of them really knew too much about her. A few of the Hostesses had seen Gail and Castiel walking about Heaven a couple of times, and the Angel couple had usually been holding hands. While the ladies were a little unsure how they felt about such public displays of affection, they all did love a good love story. Gail was a tiny little thing with big brown eyes, and she had looked adoringly at her husband. Eunice was frankly quite leery about the idea of having a female God as it was, but if there was going to be one, it might be nice to have a demure, married lady as their leader. Gail could serve as a shining example of how a woman could be in a position of authority, yet still retain her femininity and defer to her husband. And defer to her husband she must, because obedience and subservience to one's husband was built right into the marriage vows for female Angels. Yes, Gail might very well be a candidate they could support. In any event, it would be extremely interesting to see Gail and her husband, and to hear what they had to say.
"Bobby? Is that you?"
As he turned around, Gail bit the inside of her cheeks to keep from laughing. Bobby was wearing an old-style suit which didn't quite fit him, and his hair was slicked back. He was even wearing a bolo tie, for goodness' sake. All that was missing to complete the picture was the cowboy hat he should be worrying with his hands.
"How were the ladies?" Gail asked him, desperately willing her lips not to twitch.
Bobby looked at her coolly. He was well aware of her amusement. But she obviously had no idea of what she was dealing with, here. If she did, she wouldn't be dressed like she was. "Is that what you're wearing?" he asked her.
Gail looked down at herself. She was wearing her customary pull-on top and blue jeans. "Why, do you think I should have dressed up?" she said, wrinkling her forehead.
"These are some real old-fashioned ladies," Bobby told her, nodding his head back towards the room he had just left. "I'm surprised your campaign team didn't give you the heads-up."
"Well, truthfully, this was a bit of a last-minute thing," Gail responded. "Scott came into my office a few minutes ago and said that I was the only one who hadn't been booked to see this group. And since Cas was due to talk to them now, Scott got me in, too. But I didn't really have a lot of time to prepare. Liz gave me a few notes, and aside from that, I thought I'd just wing it. So to speak." She laughed nervously. "This is my first real foray onto the campaign trail. Oh, well. Thank goodness Cas is in there. So there'll be one friendly face, anyway."
"Good luck," Bobby said. He walked away, shaking his head. The poor girl had no idea what she was walking into. Those women were going to eat her alive.
Now, Gail was even more nervous. Should she have dressed up? Worn her FBI suit, or one of her dresses, maybe? Crap. But it was too late now. She was here with only a couple of minutes to spare, as it was. She took a deep breath and opened the door.
Cas was at a podium in the front of the room. Riley had supplied him with a speech, and he'd begged Cas to stick to it. He had also told Cas to put on a suit and tie, and some cologne. Cas had needed a shower after class, anyway. He hadn't been able to resist getting in there with some of the cadets, doing some mat work, and he'd become sweaty as a result. So he had popped over to their new suite to shower afterwards. Then he'd put his suit on, shaved, combed his hair, and applied the cologne.
The Hostesses were enchanted by Castiel. He was charming, he was handsome, and he smelled wonderful. Very masculine. When he had been sitting at the front of the room waiting for his cue to speak, Eunice had entered the room through a side door, and Cas had risen to his feet when she had come in. Then, after Eunice had introduced him to the ladies and he had risen to give his speech, Castiel had made a point to pull out Eunice's chair for her when she came to sit down in the chair beside the one he had just vacated. Such courtly, old-world manners were very unique these days.
When Gail entered the room, she tried to be as quiet about it as possible, but Cas noticed her entrance, of course. He faltered in his speech for a moment, but his face lit up when he saw her, and he broke into a wide smile.
Eunice rose from her chair. "Please excuse the interruption," she said to the audience. "That's my fault, I'm afraid. I made a last-minute arrangement to have the final candidate join us today. Thank you for coming, Gail. We'll get you a chair to sit in until your husband is finished."
As Gail approached the front of the room, Eunice made to bring over another chair, but Cas said, "Allow me." He got a chair for his wife and seated her beside Eunice, then resumed his speech.
But Eunice was distracted now. It had been very sweet to see Castiel's face light up like it had when his wife had entered the room, and she had liked the way he had rushed to get Gail a chair and seated her. However, Gail was dressed far too casually for Eunice's liking. Her husband was dressed in a very nice suit and tie, yet Gail simply had on a blue pull-on top and blue jeans. How disappointing. Eunice had been hoping to see Gail in a pretty dress, maybe a colour matching her husband's tie. Patricia had worn a very conservative dress, with a set of pearls. And while Eunice wouldn't have expected a girl as young as Gail to have dressed quite that conservatively, she had been hoping for something a little more feminine.
Gail sensed the side-eye she was getting from Eunice, and her heart sank. It was obvious now that Gail should have worn nicer clothes. Not only was Cas wearing his suit, but all of the women in the audience were wearing dresses. Every single one of them. Double crap. And look at the expressions on the womens' faces as they were looking at Cas. When her husband had seated her, Gail had noticed that he'd combed his hair, shaved really close, and he had even put on cologne. So, he'd brought out the big guns, had he? She didn't know why she had bothered to come here at all, really. All Cas had to do to appeal to women was just show up, as far as Gail was concerned.
The subject matter of Cas's speech was mostly immaterial to the Hostesses. They were pretty much already sold on him, because of his looks, his charm, and his manners. But Riley had been aware of the nature of the organization that Cas was speaking to, and Riley was no fool. He had talked to a couple of the Hostesses and found out that Patricia's speech had gone over very well with the group, mainly because she had spoken about old-fashioned values, and a woman's place. And just where was that place? Riley had inquired politely. Apparently, the woman could occupy a higher position, as long as she stepped back when her husband entered the room. She could be as liberated as she wanted to be, as long as her husband let her. Oh, boy, Riley had thought. Gail would freak. And Riley knew that Cas wasn't going to go for that, either. So he had very carefully crafted a speech for Cas that put emphasis on his length of service and heroism, and his love and respect for God the Father. Patricia had said that women should defer to men, because God had intended for things to be that way. But in Castiel's speech, Riley had put a clever spin on that particular rhetoric. Now, Cas was saying that God had intended all of His children to love one another, and that women should not only be loved, but they should be revered. And the Hostesses were eating this up with a spoon.
Gail had to hand it to Riley. It was a masterfully written speech. Everything that Cas was saying now was something that her husband truly believed in. And if there were a few omissions, and a spin or two put on certain issues, well, this was politics, wasn't it? But now, Gail could actually see why Bobby had been dressed that way. She was sure that Laurel must have been behind it. She'd probably wanted Bobby to appear to these women as a real Southern gentleman. And Gail was sure he would have, too. He may come across as a little bit crusty sometimes, but Bobby had always been polite and mannerly when it came to women. All he would have needed to do was call one of two of these old biddies "dear", and they would have been putty in his hands.
Meanwhile, Cas was charming the group now, and he wasn't even really trying to. He was just being himself. At the end of his speech, there was a question period. All of the questions were of a softball nature, and Cas handled them beautifully.
"It's so rare for a man to show old-fashioned manners these days," one of the women simpered when Castiel called upon her. Cas waited patiently for the question that must be coming. The woman was flustered. Oh, yes, he was expecting a question, wasn't he? She had just wanted to speak to him. She cleared her throat. "What advice would you give to a young man on how to behave towards a member of the weaker sex?"
Cas was taken aback for a moment. What on earth did that question have to do with the election? But all of the women were looking at him expectantly, so he said, "Well, first of all, I don't care for the expression 'the weaker sex'. I know it's intended to refer to physical strength, but I think it denigrates women unnecessarily. If a term has to be used, I would prefer the term 'the fairer sex'. I think that has a much more positive connotation. Besides, my wife was born on a Monday, and she is fair of face, as the poem goes."
Gail looked at him, startled. What the hell was he talking about? But then, she realized: he must be talking about the date she'd thought was her birthday, growing up. But none of them really knew what date she'd actually been born. Still, it was a nice thing for him to say, she supposed.
"Plus, she's always been more than fair with me, when it comes to helping out around the house," Cas continued, smiling winningly. "I don't always do my share. It's something I've been meaning to work on. The number of things that women are able to accomplish on a daily basis frankly astonish me. I think we men should take lessons, I really do. But, I apologize for my digression. You were asking about teaching the young, I believe. Well, I'll leave such things as manners and etiquette to people who are eminently more qualified, such as yourselves. But as part of the curriculum in our new Academy, not only will I be teaching the cadets how to fight, I hope to be imparting to them a sense of ethics, and values."
Eunice stood, joining Cas at the podium. "Well, I, for one, think that's commendable," the head Hostess said to him. "You know, to be honest, when I first heard about the Academy, I was unsure how I felt about it. It all seemed so...violent. But after meeting you here today and hearing you speak so eloquently, I'm all in favour of having such an upstanding role model as yourself teaching our young people."
Cas nearly looked behind him. He had been called a lot of things in Heaven, but "upstanding role model"? Now, that was a first.
"Maybe some of our ladies could visit one of your classes sometime?" Freida called out from the audience. "I, for one, would enjoy deferring to YOUR expertise in such matters, Castiel." Oh, boy, would she ever enjoy deferring to him, Freida thought, smiling to herself. She would defer to him any time, on any number of subjects. Gail was one lucky woman.
"I'm sure we could probably arrange something," Cas said vaguely, "but for right now, I've run past my allotted time. It's Gail's turn to speak now, and I'm looking forward to hearing what she has to say."
"Does that mean you're going to remain with us while your wife speaks?" Eunice asked him.
"I thought that I would, if that's OK with everyone," Cas said charmingly. "As we both have full-time jobs in addition to campaigning, I don't get as much time to spend with Gail as I'd like."
There was a collective sigh from the women, and they applauded him spontaneously. "Of course you should stay, then," Eunice said warmly.
Cas walked back to where Gail was sitting, and when she rose, he leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. There was another sigh from the women, and Gail couldn't help but smile. The thing was, if it had been anyone but Cas, Gail would have accused them of pandering to the group. But, this was him; this was what her husband was genuinely like. The fact that the old-school aspect of his personality played right into their wheelhouse was just a happy coincidence.
But as Gail got up to the podium and looked down at the notes that Liz had given her, she realized that she didn't really have anything to say that these women would want to hear. She had been prepared to speak about women's rights and empowerment, but clearly, she would be barking up the wrong tree here. The silver lining for her was that these women liked Cas as much as they did. If the object was to keep votes away from Patricia, it had probably been achieved by their visit here today.
So she made an impulsive decision. She stuffed the notes she'd been holding in her back pocket. "I don't have a speech prepared," she said to the women. "As Eunice stated, my appearance here was a bit of a last-minute thing. So, if it's OK with all of you, I think I'll just take a few questions."
Freida raised her hand immediately, and Gail pointed to her.
"When Patricia was here, she spoke about a woman's place," Freida said. "As both a married female and a candidate for the High Office, I'm very interested to hear your views on the subject."
Wow. So much for softball questions, Gail thought. For a split second, she considered waffling. But she just couldn't do it. She had to be true to herself. And she thought that it was a very important point to make, especially to women like these, who were allegedly in a position of influence. She took a deep breath.
"I imagine that Patricia said something about a woman's place being where the man allows it to be, or some kind of nonsense like that," Gail said dryly. "Which is kind of ironic, if you think about it, considering that she's running for the highest office in Heaven. But I say that a woman's place is wherever SHE says it should be, and if her husband truly loves her, he will support her in whatever she wants to achieve. I'm very lucky that way. Castiel is that kind of husband."
"But don't you think it's unseemly for a woman? Don't you think she could be perceived as being bossy?" another lady called out from the audience. Never mind that it was unseemly to be yelling out questions, Gail couldn't help but think. "Bossing men around?"
Gail's lips twitched. "Obviously not, or I wouldn't be running for the High Office. To me, that's one of the perks."
She'd been trying to be funny, but as Gail looked around the room, she could see that her humour was falling flat. Fine. If these humourless old hens wanted her to be serious, she'd be serious. "Why is it that a man can be a boss, but a woman is called 'bossy'?" she asked rhetorically. "Why is it that if a man is in control, he's considered assertive, and a take-charge kind of individual, while a woman in the same position is seen as a ball-buster?"
Some of the women gasped, while others clucked their tongues. "We don't approve of that type of language here," Eunice said in a prissy tone.
"What type of language?" Gail quipped nervously. "Woman?"
"You know very well what I'm talking about," Eunice said crossly. "Ladies don't use that kind of language."
"If I may say something here, I would like to point out that my wife and I have spent much time on Earth recently, while we were completing the missions which enabled us to vanquish Lucifer," Cas spoke up. "The language that Gail is using is acceptable vernacular on Earth. She has clearly become acclimated, as a result of lengthy exposure to human men. I beg that you do not hold that against her."
Gail could see the women's reaction to what he had said, and in a way, it made her even angrier. While she appreciated her husband's efforts to soften her image with these women, it annoyed her that they only seemed to respond when he was talking. She turned around to look at Cas. He had that earnest, puppy-dog expression on his face now. Gail could definitely see the appeal, but her blood had started to boil now. She looked at Eunice, who was looking at Cas with that simpering expression on her face now, as if she were listening to her Master's Voice. Didn't these women see that they were a big part of a larger problem here?
Gail turned back to the microphone. "While I appreciate my husband's efforts to intervene on my behalf, I see no need for them," she remarked. "As women yourselves, you should be as outraged as I am when it comes to sexism. This is a prime example of it, right here. Why is it that everyone in this room is eating up everything my husband says with a spoon and asking for seconds, yet when I talk about a real women's issue, all you seem to be able to focus on is my so-called bad language?"
Cas was panicked now. These were the types of ladies who would not take kindly to being upbraided like this. He stood from his chair. "My wife is absolutely right," he said loudly. "You should be listening to her, not to me."
Gail wheeled on him. "Then why are you still talking?" she said, frustrated.
The second she'd said it, she regretted it. Now she sounded like a bitch on wheels, shouting at her gallant husband, simply for trying to take up for her. Oh, well. She hadn't lost the room, because she'd never had the room. At least she'd probably gotten Cas some sympathy votes now.
"I'm sorry, everyone," Gail said in a quiet voice. "This has obviously not gone the way that any of us would have wanted. Please don't blame my husband for my sharp tongue." Then she rushed out of the room.
The ladies were buzzing as Cas excused himself, going after his wife. He caught up to Gail in the hallway.
There were tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Cas. I didn't mean that," she said to him. "They just made me so..."
"I know, my love. It's OK," he said. "Come here." He opened his arms and she walked into them. Gail let him hold her for a moment, and then she stepped back, blinking the tears away from her eyes. "Well, on the bright side, there's no way they're not going to vote for you now," she told him with a weak smile, "seeing as I'm such a fishwife."
"I thought you were a ball-buster," he said, his lips twitching.
His quip had the desired effect; it made her laugh. Gail touched his face. "Thank you for that, sweetie," she said to him. Then she moved closer to him again, sniffing. "You smell really nice. Is that your Christmas cologne?"
Cas smiled sheepishly. "Riley told me to wear it. He told me to wear the suit, too."
Gail made a face. "Maybe I should steal Riley from you. Scott didn't tell me a thing."
"Scott?" Cas asked her. "Who's that?"
"He's new to the staff," she told him. "Let's face it, I don't have the well-oiled machine that you do. But even though he's young, he seems to have a pretty good handle on things. Liz and I are kind of flying blind. But I guess I can't really blame them. I should have done my homework a little more, and dressed up. I think I lost them as soon as I walked in the room." She smiled up at him. "But let's face it; how could I possibly have gotten their attention when the world's most handsome and charming man was in the room?"
Cas smiled back. "Thank you for the compliment. I'm sorry today didn't go well for you. Maybe Scott can book you to speak to a men's group next. I'm sure you'll do much better there."
"We'll just have to make sure you're not booked for the same time, because if you show up looking and smelling this good, you'll probably make some inroads there, too," Gail said with a mischievous smile.
He laughed. "I love you, my darling. Please don't let this campaigning get you down."
She sighed. "I won't. Thanks, sweetie. I need to remember the goal is to get you elected. I'm just here to keep people from voting for Patricia. So, you charm all the ladies you can, and the guys, too. Whatever it takes. If she's telling people that a woman's place is behind a man, we can't let her get elected, Cas."
"You're quite right, and we won't. If you want me to, I'll find out if Riley can spare some time to stop in and see Liz and Scott and give them a few pointers. Would you like that?" he said, touching her cheek.
Gail nodded. "Sure, Cas, that would be great. I don't want Liz to feel bad. Or Scott, either."
"You're sweet to care about them like that," Cas remarked. Then he sighed. "I'd better get back there. I'll talk you up to them."
"Don't you dare," she said. "I don't need them, and I don't want them. Let them vote for you. You're the most deserving candidate, anyway."
He put his arms around her again. "Well, I certainly don't know what I did to deserve you. Will I see you later?"
Now, Gail sighed again. "Eventually. I have to arrange all the notes I made from today's board meeting into some kind of workable something-or-other. And I'm supposed to have a campaign strategy meeting with Liz and Scott, as well. I'm pretty sure I'll need that, after the fiasco I just had in there." She made a face. "I know. I miss you, too," she said to her husband. "I reiterate, it's a good thing we don't sleep, 'cause I might not be home until late."
Cas nodded. "The same goes for me. I have a campaign meeting as well, and then Riley and I were going to sit down and work on some lesson plans for the Academy."
"OK, well, I'll see you when I see you, then," Gail told him. "I love you too, sweetie."
The Angels shared a quick kiss, and then they reluctantly went their separate ways.