Book 5 - Film Noir

by GailDunn2

The tribunal continues, and its conclusion will have far-reaching consequences for everyone involved. God decides to conduct an experiment: What would the lives of Sam, Dean, Castiel, Gail, Crowley and others be like if history was changed? Should this new world stand?

2. Quartet

Chapter 2 – Quartet

The gallery erupted as Bobby walked to the front of the hearing room. Ignatius did not bother to bang the gavel; the spectators were so loud that it would have done no good. And he was shocked, as well as everyone else. Where had Bobby been all this time, and why was he just showing up now? And what did this mean for the tribunal?

Bobby reached the table where Cas and Gail had been sitting. They'd jumped to their feet on seeing him, and Gail threw herself into Bobby's arms for a hug. He hugged her back with a smile, as Cas pumped his hand, grinning.

"It's good to see you, Bobby," Cas said. "Took you a while," he said dryly.

"Very dramatic entrance, though," Gail said, smiling. "Kudos on that."

"Where have you been?" Cas asked him.

"It's a long story," Bobby replied. "A very long one. Why don't you put me on the stand, and ask me about it?"

Cas looked at him, puzzled. What was he talking about? Then he remembered what Gail had told him that Sam had said, about the rules.

Now Ignatius was rapping the gavel and shouting, "Order!" He needed quiet in the room, so they could all figure out what the hell was going on here.

After another minute or two, the noise began to subside. Ignatius and the rest of the board stared at Bobby, who was still standing with Cas and Gail. Xavier was frozen in shock. What the hell did they do now? Had all his hard work been in vain? What was Crowley up to?

Crowley was in his office in Hell at that moment. And, what was he up to? He was having a conversation with God.

"You've been very busy, haven't you, Son?" God said casually, levitating cross-legged in the chair opposite Crowley's desk.

Crowley said nothing. He wasn't quite sure what to say, here; a rare occasion for him. He'd been thoroughly gobsmacked when God had just appeared in Hell a little while ago. One of his Demon minions had knocked on his office door, shouting the news. Crowley had thought the idiot was crazy and had ignored the alarm, and then a few more minutes passed, and his door had been blasted off its hinges.

"Sorry," God smiled after the dust had cleared. "But even you have to admit, you kind of deserved that."

So here they sat now, and God was staring Crowley down. Crowley was uncomfortably trying to avoid his Father's gaze, looking at the walls, the desk...then God crooked His finger, and Crowley was forced to look Him in the eyes at last.

"I've let you get away with a lot over the years," God said calmly, "but you may have just reached an all-time low."

Crowley still didn't speak. What was God doing here now? Wasn't he retired? Yes, Crowley had done a lot of nefarious things in the past, but God had never come storming into Hell, before. This was unprecedented.

"I've had to set a couple of things right, here," God said, as if reading Crowley's mind. "As if?" Of course He was; He was God, and Crowley had been one of His first children, in the incarnation of Cain. Had he really thought he was going to be able to do anything he wanted, and escape his Father's notice?

God continued, "There was one thing in particular that required my personal attention. Lucifer's cage, Crowley? Really?"

Crowley's eyes shifted back and forth as he thought furiously, trying to come up with something to say, some excuse he could give that wouldn't end up costing him his life. God's casual demeanour didn't fool him. He knew his Father was beyond angry. Crowley was a hair's breadth away from receiving a smiting he would never come back from.

"The only thing that's keeping me from doing what you're thinking of right now," God smiled grimly, "is that I think there still may be a sliver of hope for you."

Crowley looked at Him sharply. "Hope?" he echoed, puzzled. What was his Father talking about? What kind of hope could there be? Look at where they were.

"Yes," God said, continuing to smile. "Believe it or not. Not all that appears to be good is good, and not all that appears to be evil is evil."

If he hadn't been scared nearly to death, Crowley would have rolled his eyes at that. No wonder Angels talked the way they did; apples didn't fall far from the tree. God was the Father of the enigmatic statement. Crowley smiled inwardly as he imagined God and Dean Winchester having a conversation.

"So I'll leave you be for now," God continued, "but we have to have a little chat about a couple of matters, first. I've released Bobby from Lucifer's cage, for one thing. I don't know what you were trying to accomplish, with that little stunt. Actually, I do," God said, holding up His hand as if Crowley had been about to speak, "but you don't want Xavier in charge up there, believe you me. Yes, he would have provided you with many more souls under his rule, but he doesn't like you. Even now, there is something in Heaven which could spell your destruction."

Crowley was startled. "What do you mean?" he asked.

God smiled. "Why should I tell you anything? You locked Bobby up with Lucifer, and you would have done the same with your Brother, had he not been otherwise occupied."

Crowley shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Yes, Castiel was his Brother, he had been since Creation, but he disliked being reminded of it.

"Castiel IS your Brother, though, and there will come a time when you will have to choose," God said cryptically.

Potential smiting or no, Crowley laughed shortly. "Well, he's not a very good one. He's stood against me, for centuries!"

"Who started that, I wonder?" God said coolly.

OK, God had him, there. When Crowley had been Cain, he had killed his brother Abel, aka Castiel, in a fit of jealousy. Creation's first murder.

"You have always allowed your jealousy of your Brother to cloud your judgment," God said. "As far as I'm concerned, you owe him one."

"He killed me, a while back," Crowley retorted, but in a soft voice. "Doesn't that make us even?"

"So he should have," God replied, frowning, "as you were attempting to kill him and the Winchesters, and to enslave Gail, at the time."

Crowley sighed. Why had he ever tried to argue with his Father? He could never win.

"And then you made Gail's brother Frank a Knight of Hell out of spite, and directed him to kill Castiel. You were also going to kill Castiel yourself in Las Vegas, were you not?" God continued. "So, I'd say the score's a little lopsided."

"Do you not think he would kill me, if given the chance?" Crowley said bitterly. Good Lord; a few minutes with his Father, and he was talking like an Angel now. Or, a disgruntled sibling.

"Yes, I'm sure he would," God said almost cheerfully. "But he's got his own problems right now, and as you have contributed in big part to those problems, I'm tempted to let him do it."

Crowley looked at Him sharply. Was his Father joking? It was sometimes hard to tell.

"You owe Gail, too, for her parents' deaths, and for the corrupting of her brother's soul. And for telling Xavier the things you did, about your so-called relationship with her," God scolded him.

Crowley remained silent, but he protested inwardly. Yes, he may have embellished, but he'd honestly thought at the time that he and Gail did have a relationship, or could have had one.

"Well, you didn't," God said, knowing his Son's thoughts. "And you never would have. I sent her for Castiel, not for you, and you're going to have to get over it."

"This isn't about her," Crowley said, bristling. "It's never been about her."

"Then what is it about, Son?" God asked quietly, although of course He already knew.

"You always liked Castiel more than me," Crowley said resentfully. "So, I rebelled. But I've built something here now, made something of myself." He could almost be talking to Rowena. "I'm a King, here."

"Yes, you are, but only because I've allowed you to be," God said calmly. "Maybe I did show preference to Castiel, but I always held out hope for you, Son. I still do."

Crowley couldn't figure his Father out. He'd stated flat out that he preferred Castiel and had chastised Crowley for his admittedly evil deeds, yet He was still blathering on about hope for the King of Hell. What was Crowley supposed to make of that? His Father had made him what he was, hadn't He?

"No, Son, I created you," God said, shaking his head. "You made yourself, when you raised that knife for the first time, out of hatred and jealousy. Think about it."

Crowley frowned. Maybe he would, but he wouldn't waste too much time on it. He had a Kingdom to run.

"About that," God said. "I've had to chastise Lucifer severely. He had Bobby in pretty bad shape when I got there, and it took a lot of effort to reinstate Bobby's mind. I hope I was able to repair all the damage."

Crowley actually felt a pang, at that. Guilt? He didn't particularly hate Bobby; it had been his Brother he'd really wanted in that cage, to be tormented by Lucifer. Payback for...what, exactly? Maybe just for being a pain in Crowley's ass, all these years. When you were supremely evil, you didn't have to justify yourself to anyone.

"I've sealed the wing, for the moment," God continued. "I don't want anyone to go in there, for a while. My Son was not happy that I took away his chew toy."

Crowley almost smiled. His Father had a way with words, sometimes. No wonder He was God. He was a peculiar mix of Angel, human, and even a little Demon sprinkled in the mix.

"But Bobby seems OK now, and his presence was urgently required in Heaven to help clean up the mess Xavier has made, there. I know you know more than a little something about that," God said dryly. Crowley said nothing.

"Oh, and I released Garth and Bess, also," God added.

Crowley looked up, now. "That was a legitimate deal," he protested.

"It was a dirty deal, and you know it," God retorted. "You were going to kill Sam and Dean, anyway."

"I told Garth I would keep them alive, and I did," Crowley said. "Well, I actually had to revive them, using my special skill. I got to Dallas a tad too late. But I upheld my end of the bargain."

"Normally, I would agree," God said. He'd allowed Crowley's deals to continue, because people entered into them of their own free will, and usually the people who did them were coming to Crowley out of greed, and self-gain. Those were the types of people who belonged in Hell anyway, so God hadn't bothered to step in. But Garth had entered into the deal out of love for his friends, and Bess had entered into the deal out of love for Garth, and Crowley hadn't played fair. Even as he'd revived Sam and Dean, he was already planning for their deaths at the hands of Gail's brother. So Crowley had entered into the deal in bad faith, and Garth and Bess's sacrifice had been for nothing.

"You're a businessman at heart," God continued, "so you know the deal is null and void. The Werewolves have been released back unto the Earth."

"You've set Hellhounds loose on Earth," Crowley said incredulously.

"They were never Hellhounds," God replied calmly. "They took no souls, while in your dubious service."

Crowley was surprised. He had instructed that they be sent to Earth with the rest of the pack.

"They refused to do your dirty work," God said, smiling. "So, they have been rewarded. I sent them back to their old lives."

"But they're still Werewolves." It was a question, but Crowley's inflection made it a statement.

"Yes, they are," God agreed. "Some things were not meant to be changed." He had intended for Garth and Bess to go to Hell as a cautionary tale, an instructive lesson in what could happen to them if they were to give in to their base urges. God had known that Garth in particular was weakening, and if he'd given in, Bess would surely have followed. But the couple had shown Him something, when they'd steadfastly refused to take that poor individual to Hell, and prevented the rest of the pack from doing it. God happened to know that the man who had made that particular deal had done so out of desperation. His wife had been suffering from cancer, and the costs of her medical care were so onerous that he had made the Demon deal not out of greed, but out of the need to feed his family. God liked to think that perhaps Garth and Bess had sensed that, and it had been an extra motivating factor in their decision not to take him. But, no matter. They had learned their lesson; that was the important thing. When God had released them from Hell's kennel and changed them back to their human appearance, they had prostrated themselves at His feet and vowed never to harm a human, and He believed them. Bess and Garth would continue to suffer the affliction every month, but they would be all right.

God had also considered releasing Frank while He was there, but He did not. He had His reasons. But He had been glad to see the change in Gail's brother. Even though Frank had been unable to do anything to help his sister, his intentions had been pure. Demon or not, God would have to address

his situation, at some point. Frank and Gail had received a raw deal from birth, and it was unfortunate, but everything that had happened to the siblings was by design. They had been the catalyst for many other events, beginning with their kidnapping by Crowley's Demons, and Sam and Dean Winchester's discovery of Gail on that dark lonely road. God had used the brother and sister, and He would have to make it up to them, somehow.

But right now the priority was the tribunal, and God was looking forward to witnessing the rest of it. Bobby's sudden arrival would throw a monkey wrench into Xavier's well-oiled machine, and God was curious to see what Xavier was going to do next. But He couldn't watch and continue to converse with the King of Hell at the same time; it would take too much energy, and He'd better conserve. God had the feeling He'd need to use up a considerable amount of power, before this whole thing was over.

So He rose from His chair and looked down at Crowley. "Think about what I said. Think very carefully about it. We may chat again, soon."

Crowley opened his mouth to speak, though Lord only knew what he was going to say. But, God had already vanished. Then it occurred to Crowley that God had not even mentioned Metatron. Oh well, Metatron was back in Heaven, now. Presumably, their Father was going there now, to deal with him, next.

Crowley smiled, despite himself. God had "severely chastised" Lucifer, taken souls from Crowley, Castiel was on trial for his life, and God was going to take care of Metatron. The Originals weren't having a very good day. But Crowley had survived, and if God finally removed the scourge that was Metatron, he'd chalk that up as a win.

Castiel approached the dais and said to Ignatius, "I would like to call God to the stand." He looked back at Bobby, his mouth twitching. "Respectfully."

Bobby smirked. Good one, Cas.

Xavier stepped forward. "He cannot call a witness, Brother Ignatius. I am in charge of this tribunal."

"Well, I'm God, and I say he can," Bobby retorted, approaching the dais and glaring at Xavier. After God had released him from the cage and repaired his mind, He had filled Bobby in on Xavier's antics since Bobby had been gone, and Bobby was seriously pissed. He'd known that Xavier was a dick from the start, but he never would have foreseen that things would get this bad.

Ignatius looked at the men, totally lost. What was he supposed to do, here? The rulebook was of no use to him in this situation. There had obviously never been a tribunal held where God had showed up three-quarters of the way through the proceeding. He looked at his fellow board members for guidance.

"Isn't the tribunal now rendered moot?" Ignatius said to them. "The presiding God is now here."

"Who said I'm here to get my job back?" Bobby said. Everyone looked at him in shock.

"What do you mean?" Cas asked him, puzzled. He had just assumed that Bobby had returned to take back the reins, and restore order. But come to think of it, if that was the case, why would Bobby need to testify, at all? Why would they not just cancel the tribunal, as it was clearly unnecessary?

"Maybe I think you would do a better job than I did," Bobby said to Castiel. He had been coached by God prior to his return here, and so that's what he was supposed to say; but as Bobby was saying it, he started to feel like it was the truth. He'd tried to do a good job as God, but he'd failed, in so many aspects.

"But I don't want the job," Castiel said. "I never did. I only agreed to do it after you disappeared, and only to prevent Xavier from assuming the Office. And that's how we ended up here, at this joke of a proceeding."

Xavier was livid. He didn't consider the tribunal to be a joke. What was a joke, and a bad one, was the prospect of either Bobby or Castiel sitting in the chair he'd been occupying. He'd grown accustomed to that chair, and he meant to keep it. But then, he suddenly realized he still had the spell book with which to confront Bobby. This could still work out.

"I wish to call Bobby to the stand," Xavier said.

"Who?" Bobby said, pretending to look around the room. "Is there a Bobby, here?"

Cas and Gail laughed, and so did their Angel friends in the gallery.

Xavier gritted his teeth. "I call God to the stand," he snarled.

"That's better," Bobby said. Man, did this guy ever need a good smiting. But that was not what he was here to do, at least not yet. He had his orders.

Bobby sat down in the witness chair. There was no white glow; as God, he was immune to the chair's effects, as Raphael had been. Actually, the chair had no magical properties, contrary to what everyone in the room believed, but that wasn't an issue for Bobby. God or not, he was going to tell the complete and unvarnished truth. It was his way, and it was high time these Angels got a clue. Except for Cas and Gail, Chuck, Kevin and Becky, and maybe young Ethan, Bobby realized that the majority of the Angels assembled had no idea how bad Xavier's rule was likely to get. And most of the board members needed a wake-up call, too. God had looked into their thoughts, and He had told Bobby that most of them were backing the wrong horse.

That was, if he could hold it together long enough to say what he wanted to say. As God had suspected, Bobby's psyche was still fractured from his time in Lucifer's cage. God had restored his sanity as best He could, but the rest would be up to Bobby, now.

He looked at Xavier expectantly, but now that Xavier had Bobby on the stand, he wasn't sure exactly how to proceed. He wanted to confront Bobby with Rowena's spell book, and this would be the perfect venue to do that. The trouble was, he didn't have it with him.

"One moment, while I confer with my assistant," Xavier said, and walked over to his table to speak with Aurielle.

Bobby had been so caught up in the reunion with his friends and the debate about testifying that he hadn't noticed Aurielle sitting there. What the hell? he thought. He'd brought her back up to Heaven, giving her another chance, and now she was sitting with Xavier, the guy that was trying to nail Cas and Gail to the cross? She'd cried remorse to Bobby for her actions against those two; had he been that wrong about her? Another seed of self-doubt planted itself in Bobby's mind. Once his job here was done, Bobby would have to have a long talk with Cas and Gail, and he'd better include the Winchesters. Bobby wasn't sure he trusted himself to make any kind of decision, any more.

Suddenly, Lucifer appeared in front of Bobby, blocking his view of Xavier's table. "Yeah, I wouldn't make any decisions right now if I were you, Bobby," Lucifer said, grinning. "You've been a screw-up all your life, haven't you? What made you think you could be God? Look how bad things got, while you were playing house with me. You let things get this bad, Bobby. This all started on your watch."

Bobby knew that Lucifer wasn't really here, he was only in Bobby's head, but the image was hard to shake. "You're not real," Bobby muttered.

Ignatius looked down at Bobby. "Did you say something?" he asked.

Bobby looked at Ignatius, startled. He wasn't even aware he'd spoken aloud. He'd better focus, he thought. Plenty of time to go crazy, later.

Meanwhile, Xavier leaned down to Aurielle and said quietly, "Fetch me the book you had on your desk this morning. And make it quick."

Aurielle looked at Xavier, her expression unreadable. She didn't like the way he was speaking to her. "Fetch?" What did he think she was, a dog? Come to think of it, she hadn't liked the way he spoke to her this morning, either. She'd been working hard for him, and he either ignored her, or spoke to her as if she were stupid. He and his buddy Jason sat at the table before the sessions and during breaks, treating her like a piece of furniture, making rude comments about Castiel and Gail. And while Aurielle had smiled when Xavier had called Gail a whore, their comments about Castiel had enraged her.

Aurielle may be delusional, but she wasn't stupid, and she could see the handwriting on the wall. Now that Bobby was back, things would return to status quo, and Castiel would be leaving Heaven to resume his mission on Earth, lost to her once again. She couldn't let that happen. She couldn't; it would kill her.

So she rose to obey Xavier's order, but as Aurielle glanced over at Castiel, he happened to be looking in her direction, and for one brief and wonderful moment, they made eye contact. Aurielle took this as a sign; he was appealing to her to release him from Gail's spell.

Aurielle left the hearing room and went to her desk, removing the spell book from the bottom drawer. She opened it to the page she had marked in preparation for the hearing, the one with the love spell. She stared at the page for a moment, her mind working furiously. She hadn't wanted to do this, but Aurielle was desperate, now. She closed the book and ran to her old desk with it, hiding it in her bottom drawer under a pile of papers.

Then Aurielle returned to the hearing room and told Xavier that she'd looked high and low, and had been unable to find the book anywhere.

"How can that be?" he hissed at her. "You had it this morning!"

"Someone must have taken it," Aurielle said innocently, affecting a worried expression. "I'm sorry, Sir, I have no other explanation!"

Ignatius said, "Xavier, we're waiting. Move it along, please."

Xavier was fuming, but he had no choice but to turn around and face Bobby, who had been sitting on the stand waiting as patiently as he could. What the hell had that been all about? he wondered.

Castiel had been wondering the same thing. He had been watching as Xavier had spoken to Aurielle, and though Xavier had spoken softly, Cas could have sworn he'd said something about a book. Then, as Aurielle had risen from her chair, Castiel had made himself look at her, trying to read her expression. He was sure he'd seen anger on her face. Interesting. What was the book that Xavier had been referring to? Then, it dawned on him. Xavier could only have been referring to the spell book he had shown to Castiel, the book Xavier had found in Bobby's desk. It was inscribed by Rowena to Bobby, and the message had been very personal, leaving little to the imagination. It was this book that Xavier had been planning to use to have Bobby impeached, and he clearly intended to use it against Bobby now. Bobby had been kind enough to bring Aurielle back up to Heaven, giving her a second chance, despite the wrongs she had committed. Surely she didn't intend now to help Xavier condemn Bobby? Castiel had appealed to Aurielle silently not to do this, and it was this look that she had chosen to misinterpret. He'd seen her expression change from anger to joy as she'd looked back at him, and Castiel hadn't been sure what was behind the transformation. But she'd returned to the hearing room empty-handed. Did this mean she had refused to betray Bobby? Was there hope for her, after all?

Bobby looked at Xavier. "I know that none of us need to sleep, but could we maybe do this today, Xavier?" he said dryly. Lucifer had vanished for the moment, but there was no telling when he might be back. Bobby had some things he needed to say, and he didn't want to have another episode before getting his message across. Bad enough that God had PTSD; he didn't want to look like a raving lunatic in front of the board.

Xavier was frustrated that he could not wave the spell book in Bobby's face, and denounce him in public. He considered asking him about it anyway, but the allegation was so outrageous that he feared making it without sufficient proof. And the properties of the chair didn't work on God. Like it or not, Bobby was God at the moment, and he could just lie about it, if he chose. And he probably would, too; Xavier wouldn't put it past him. It's what Xavier would have done, had he been in Bobby's position.

Still, here they were, and Xavier had better say something. He knew that everyone in the room wanted to know where Bobby had been all this time, but Xavier couldn't ask him that, either. Xavier was the only one here save for Bobby himself who knew that Bobby had been in Lucifer's cage, locked away by Crowley, to pave the way for this very tribunal. Suddenly, he sorely regretted having called Bobby to the stand. Who knew what he was going to say? And, how much did he know?

But Xavier was stuck now, and so, he took the plunge.

"Did you send the Angels Castiel and Gail, and the Winchester humans, to Las Vegas?" he asked Bobby.

"Yes, I did," Bobby replied. "The Prophecies had foretold that they should go." He glanced down at the chair, furrowing his brow. His first sentence, and he was talking like a stuffed-shirt Angel. The hell with that. "And Gail was right, Sam and Dean have names." He smiled. Better.

Xavier was not to be deterred. He saw an opportunity to make Bobby look bad, and he intended to take it.

"Prophecies or not, you were the one who arranged for the Angels to stay in the same room together, correct?"

Gail rolled her eyes. Was he still on that? What was he trying to say, that Bobby was her pimp? She bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud.

"Yeah, and I gave them the gift of being human, for the weekend," Bobby retorted. "What they may or may not have done in there, is nobody's business but theirs."

Xavier frowned. "Not true," he fired back. "Their offense is the charge before us."

"What's offensive here is you," Bobby said, raising his voice. "I happen to know that God has no problem with it, and as the reigning God, neither do I. Get off it, Xavier. Why don't you ask me something important?"

"All right, I will," Xavier said. Everyone in the gallery leaned forward expectantly. He was finally going to ask God where he had been, all this time.

"Do you feel you're fit to be God?"

Most of the Angels gasped at that. Wasn't that blasphemy? There were mixed feelings among them when it came to Bobby, but he did currently hold the High Office, and Xavier had at least one foot over the line, here.

But Bobby was perversely glad that Xavier had asked the question. He'd been asking it of himself, for some time now.

"Ya know, that's a good question, Xavier," Bobby mused, sitting back in the chair. "Finally," he smirked. He took a moment, then said, "I've been asking myself that same question, ever since I took the job. I may be fit to be God, but should I be? Do I even want to be, any more? I honestly don't know."

Castiel was staring at Bobby. He'd been angry with his friend for some of the decisions he'd made, and for staying away so long when they'd needed him so badly, but he felt compassion for Bobby now. Castiel admired the honesty of Bobby's self-evaluation. Bobby was indeed fit to be God, in Castiel's opinion; the most fit of any of the candidates.

"I know Cas never wanted the job, but in a lot of ways, he'd be better at it than me," Bobby continued. "Look, I know what you've been trying to do to him here, but Cas is a good man. Yeah, he's made mistakes in the past, but who hasn't? I know I have, and so have you, Xavier, and so has everybody. It's what you do after your mistakes that determines your character. I've known him for years, and if I had to pick one Angel to have my back, it'd be him, every time." Bobby grinned. "No offense, Gail."

"None taken," she piped up, smiling at him. She loved what he was saying. It was high time someone put Xavier in his place, and stuck up for Cas.

"But, you?" Bobby continued, staring at Xavier. "You're not fit to be God. You're a stuffed-shirt egomaniac with delusions of grandeur, and you think your stuff don't stink." He smiled at Cas and Gail. "Metaphorically speaking, of course."

They laughed happily. Thank goodness Bobby was back. Heaven needed him. Surely he didn't mean what he'd said about not wanting the job. But why wasn't Xavier asking him where he'd been?

Gail nudged Cas. "Ask him where he's been."

He looked at her. Right. It was time to invoke the rule Sam had uncovered. He stood.

"Where have you been, Bobby?" Cas asked him.

Xavier sighed loudly, in exasperation. "Brother Ignatius, he's at it again!"

But Castiel was not going to back off this time. "The ancient rules by which this hearing is governed state that any Upper Echelon board member can question any witness at any time," he stated. "I am an Upper Echelon board member. The Senior ranking member," he couldn't resist adding.

Ignatius was taken aback. Was this true? Castiel had stated it with such conviction. Truthfully, Ignatius had never read all the rules. The language was dry and the reading of it laborious, and he had just left it up to Xavier to conduct the tribunals properly. This situation was also without precedent.

Xavier was fuming. He'd known about the rule, of course, but how did Castiel know, all of a sudden?

Gail relished the stunned look on Xavier's face. "His name is Sam Winchester, and he was a pre-law student," she called out to Xavier. "Thanks for letting me out of prison," she taunted.

Bobby didn't know the context, but he grinned at that, anyway. He should have known there would be a Winchester involved, somehow. "Well, if Sam said so, that must be right," Bobby said. "That's one smart boy."

Xavier had no choice but to give the floor over to Castiel. The board members were regarding him curiously, and he wanted to take the focus off of himself for the moment. If he backed off, perhaps they would not realize that he'd known about the rule all along. He bowed sarcastically to Castiel and went back to his table, sitting down heavily beside Jason.

Cas approached the stand, smiling. "Actually, we'll get to where you've been in a moment, Bobby. But, I want to ask you something else, first: How have you been?"

Bobby looked at him, a little startled by the question. He didn't really know how to answer it. He sighed. There was only one way; his way.

"Not good, Cas," Bobby said. "Not good."

Castiel frowned. "Why is that?"

"Because I've been locked up in Hell, in Lucifer's cage," Bobby replied.

Total bedlam. Several of the female Angels in the gallery screamed, and Gail shouted, "What?!" Bobby had been in Hell, this whole time?

Cas felt a stab to the gut. He'd known from Dean and Sam that Bobby had gone to Hell before he and Gail had gone on the run, ostensibly for a meeting with Crowley. Was he saying that he had been held prisoner there, this whole time? That he had not left and returned to Heaven, as Castiel assumed that he would have? Crowley had even told the Winchesters that he had. But, he had to consider the source. Had they actually just taken Crowley's word for it? But Castiel had thought that as God, Bobby would not have had a problem in leaving Hell. And that would ordinarily have been right, but he had not thought about Lucifer's cage. That explained why Bobby had been away so long; it was the one place in Hell he could not have escaped from.

"I'm so sorry, Bobby," Cas said softly. "If I'd only known..." He trailed off. What could he say? The guilt was gnawing at his stomach. He should have known. He should have done more for Bobby, instead of selfishly worrying about his own hide.

Gail was feeling the same way. They'd gone off on a road trip, deserting their friends, and had ended up back here, anyway. And all this time, Bobby had been locked up in Hell, suffering Lord only knew what. How could he even talk to them, right now?

"You had no way of knowing, Cas," Bobby told him. "I take full responsibility; it was a stupid move on my part. I promised myself I'd apologize to you, if I ever saw you again." He smiled grimly, remembering that thought.

"Apologize? To me?" Cas was incredulous. "Whatever for?"

"I've been a little critical of your decision-making in the past," Bobby answered wryly, "but my decision to go there was the biggest bonehead move of all time." He shook his head. "When Crowley and Metatron took Sam and Dean and asked for us in exchange, and I couldn't reach you to talk to you about it, I decided to go myself, to save the boys." Bobby made a face. "I thought, well, I'm God, what are they gonna be able to do to me? But I didn't count on the cage."

Now Castiel was consumed by guilt. He'd subsequently found out that Crowley had asked for him in the exchange along with Bobby, but he'd just put it down to a meeting about Heaven's politics, at the time. How could he have been so stupid? This was Crowley they were talking about. He should have known there was something far more sinister going on than a simple meeting. Had he convinced himself there was nothing to worry about out of his own selfish desire to run away from his problems with Gail?

He couldn't speak; he could barely look Bobby in the eye. But Bobby was looking at him with a gentle smile on his face. He was God, after all, and he had heard what Cas was thinking. "Let's just say we were all stupid, and put it behind us," Bobby said.

Castiel understood. Bobby was forgiving him. But it would be quite a while before he was able to forgive himself. He had no idea what to say next.

Gail could see the struggle Cas was having with himself, and she knew him well enough by now to know that he was paralyzed by guilt. She felt guilty too, but it was worse for him. If he'd accompanied Bobby that day, Crowley might never have gotten him. With their combined powers, they might have been able to finish Crowley and Metatron, once and for all.

"Ask him how he got out," Gail called out to Cas. He turned and looked at her gratefully.

Cas turned back to Bobby. "How DID you get out?"

"There's only one way to do that," Bobby replied, cheerfully enough. "Our Father busted me out."

Ignatius nearly fell off his chair with the shock of Bobby's revelations. The King of Hell had actually abducted God, and put him in Lucifer's cage? And how exactly had Metatron been involved? Then the original God, their Father, had rescued Bobby personally? But he knew about Lucifer's cage, as did all the long-standing Angels, so Ignatius knew Bobby had to be telling the truth. Only God Himself could have opened that cage. Ignatius found himself feeling sympathy for Bobby; what a terrible thing to have gone through.

"I am truly sorry for your ordeal, my Lord," Ignatius said to Bobby, who did a double-take. Was Ignatius talking to him? Bobby wanted to smile, but he figured he'd better not. He settled for a nod. "Thank you, Ignatius."

Xavier was disgusted. Now Ignatius was speaking to Bobby with respect, like he really was God, or something. So far Xavier's name hadn't come up, but this testimony was still hurting him badly. If he couldn't come up with that book soon, there went his hopes to achieve the High Office.

Castiel's heart leaped when Bobby had mentioned their Father, and he touched his pocket where the white feather was. Had its sudden appearance foreshadowed Bobby's?

"Where is our Father, now?" Castiel asked Bobby.

"I don't know," Bobby answered. "He sent me up here, and said He had some business to take care of."

Castiel smiled. His Father, mysterious as always. But He had delivered Bobby to them, and now things would get back to normal.

"I have no further questions," Castiel said. He turned to head back to his table.

"You need to ask me just one more thing," Bobby said, freezing Castiel in his tracks.

Cas turned back, surprised. "What's that?" he asked.

"Ask me when I'm coming back to the Office," Bobby said. He winced inwardly. He'd been instructed by God to make sure Cas asked him this question, and he knew what was going to happen when he answered it honestly. But God had rescued Bobby from an eternity of torment, and Bobby had his orders.

Castiel's brow furrowed. What a weird thing to say. But maybe Bobby wanted to get in another shot at Xavier. There must be a reason Bobby wanted him to ask.

"When are you coming back to the Office, Bobby?" Cas asked obediently.

Bobby frowned. "I'm not."

Just when Castiel thought that nothing could possibly shock him any more, it seemed that there were still some things that could. Had he just heard Bobby correctly?

"Did you say you're not?"

"That's what I said, Cas," Bobby said, hating to do it. "I'm turning it over to you."

"Not so fast," Xavier said quickly, rising to his feet. "You can't just hand the High Office to him, like it was a piece of candy!" He looked at Ignatius. "If Bobby is stepping down voluntarily, nothing here changes! The tribunal will move forward to its conclusion!"

Ignatius considered. He supposed Xavier was right. He had no idea why Bobby should want to step down, but if it was his choice, the Office would be vacant once again, and the board would still have to rule on whether they deemed Castiel fit to take it.

Gail was floored. Why was Bobby doing this? Had he shown up here at the eleventh hour just to give them hope, and then yank it away? How could he DO this to them? Surely he knew that if he stepped down and allowed the tribunal to continue, Castiel would be convicted? Had he been lying when he said he'd forgiven Cas for not being there, when Bobby gave himself up to Crowley?

Cas was wondering the same thing. His eyes searched Bobby's face but Bobby looked back at him implacably, trying not to show the way he really felt inside. Bobby felt like crap. If it had been anyone else but God who had told him to do this, Bobby would have told them to go screw themselves. There had been such joy and hope in Cas and Gail's eyes when he had shown up here, and now he was throwing his friends back to the wolves.

Lucifer leaned over Bobby's shoulder and spoke into his ear. "Way to screw your friends over," he grinned. "An act worthy of...well, me. You know you just signed Cas's death warrant, right?" Bobby closed his eyes, but he could still hear his former cellmate. Yeah, he knew, but God had told him to do it. And of course, He had not told Bobby why. And now Bobby was seeing Lucifer again, and hearing him. He wasn't really here, was he? Then why could Bobby feel Lucifer's breath in his ear, and feel his hand on his shoulder? Once Bobby was done betraying his friends, he knew what he had to do next.

Ignatius rapped his gavel a few times, but he was merely doing it out of habit, at this point. A shocked silence had fallen over the room. "Xavier is right. If the reigning God is choosing to step down, the tribunal will continue."

Cas stared at Bobby open-mouthed, and Bobby averted his gaze. Ask me if I'm the biggest dick in Creation, Cas, he thought miserably, and I'll answer honestly.

But Castiel had nothing further to say. He turned his back on Bobby and walked back to the table, feeling utterly betrayed by his friend. While he still felt horrible about what Bobby had gone through, Cas thought that Bobby would have at least tried to reassume the Office, thereby allowing the tribunal to cease. Didn't Bobby realize they were going to kill him, at the end of it?

Gail took Castiel's hand, and he closed his hand around hers. He was grateful for her support, but he was too stunned even to look at her right now.

Bobby stepped down from the stand and paused at their table, looking down at the couple. Castiel's head remained down, but Gail glared up at Bobby. "You realize you've just killed him, don't you?" she said bitterly.

Bobby looked at her miserably. He'd wanted to say something to them, but what could he say? I'm sorry? Yeah, because that would make everything OK. That would be a real consolation to Cas when he was being put to death, and to Gail, who would be forced to watch it happen.

He continued down the aisle and left the hearing room, vanishing once he'd reached the corridor.

Ignatius's eyes followed Bobby out of the room, and when he had gone, Ignatius rapped the gavel once. "We will adjourn for the day. Reconvene tomorrow morning at 9."

Everyone rose to leave, and the sound of Angels whispering in hushed voices about what they had just seen echoed in the room as they left. Cas and Gail continued to sit at their table as the room cleared, until there was just them. And Jason, of course, who had arrived at their table to escort Castiel back to prison.

"Let's go," Jason said. He was grinning; he couldn't help it. Things couldn't have ended up on a better note, as far as he was concerned. Judas and Jesus, Bobby and Castiel. Classic.

Castiel and Gail looked at each other, neither knowing what to say. What kind of words of encouragement could there be now? Their Father had delivered their friend to them, and their friend had shown his gratitude for being released from Lucifer's cage by sticking a knife in Cas's back.

Gail reached into Cas's pocket and pulled out the white feather. Then she released it, and let it flutter to the ground. "I don't want it any more," she said petulantly.

"Don't say that, Gail," Castiel said softly, taking her hands in his.

"Why not?" It was how she felt.

He stood, bringing her with him. He didn't know why not, really. Cas just hated to see her lose hope. But what hope was there now?

"Come on, Lover Boy, let's go," Jason smirked.

"Would you just shut up, for once in your life?" Cas said to Jason over his shoulder.

"I don't want you to go," Gail said, touching Cas's face.

"I don't want to go, either," Cas replied. But they weren't talking about prison, and they both knew it. He reached into his pocket to give her back the photo, but Gail shook her head. "No. You keep it."

Castiel nodded. He would keep it until the end. When they led him off to be executed, he would give it to Ethan to return to her. He felt reasonably sure he could trust the young guard to do him that last favour.

Gail threw her arms around him, and he hugged her tightly. Then he reluctantly let go. Jason was going to step in in a moment, and he didn't want to mix it up with Jason right now. He just didn't have the stomach for it.

Jason led Castiel out, and after they disappeared from her view, Gail looked around the empty hearing room. What was she supposed to do, now? Where was she supposed to go? There was only one answer to that, of course.

But before she left the room, she bent down to the floor and picked up the feather, taking it with her.

She had planned on just winking into the bunker, but as Gail walked out to the corridor outside the hearing room, she reconsidered. She'd been brooding about Bobby and his betrayal of her and Cas, and something had just occurred to her. He'd walked out of here the same way she was doing now, and gone...where? Gail doubted he'd be in his Office; he'd said he was quitting. Where else would he go, but to see Sam and Dean? He may have announced his resignation, but Bobby still had God's powers, or at least he did for the time being, until they were conferred upon his successor. So he could do anything he wanted, go anywhere he wanted. And wouldn't he want to see them, most of all?

So Gail went down to Earth, but instead, she reappeared in the alleyway behind the supermarket she knew Sam shopped at, a few blocks away from the bunker. She walked around to the front of the store and went inside, walking over to the Customer Service desk.

"Can I use your phone for just a moment?" she appealed to the girl there. "I'll be brief. It's a local call." She smiled.

"Yeah, OK, go ahead," the clerk said, turning the phone towards Gail.

She dialed Sam's number and when he picked up, she said, "It's me, Sam. Is Bobby there?"

"Yeah, he's here, Gail," Sam replied. She cursed inwardly. Why hadn't she told him not to say her name out loud? "Where are you?" Sam asked.

"Never mind," she replied absently. What should she do now, go back up to Heaven? It occurred to her that she really didn't have a home. Gail felt most at home in the bunker, but it was off limits to her right now. The only other homes she'd had since she'd been a child had been the apartments she'd lived in with Cas, and even those had been temporary abodes. They'd known that their place in Vancouver had just been a stopgap, and even though they'd been based in their apartment here near the bunker for the longest period of time, they had never hung the pictures she'd bought at the convention, and she had never bought that TV for Castiel's room. It was as if they'd known they would never be staying there long enough to make it a home. But she knew that Heaven could never be home to her, either. No wonder Castiel had chosen Earth.

Gail heard talking in the background, and now Sam said to her, "Bobby wants to see you."

"Well, I don't want to see him," she retorted. Why would she? "I'm too busy trying to figure out how to remove the knife he stuck in Cas's back."

Sam sighed. "He said you'd feel that way. But there are extenuating circumstances, Gail."

"That's just a fancy way of saying you're making excuses for him," Gail said tartly.

"I think you should come here and listen to what he has to say," Sam said.

Gail sighed. Et tu, Sam? "Do you?" She said coolly.

"Yes, I do," Sam replied. "You'll see why, when you get here."

Gail paused, not knowing what to say. If Bobby had told him and Dean about what had happened, and Sam was still sticking up for Bobby, had they sold Cas out, too? This was unimaginable to her. So there had to be something else going on, here.

"You need to talk to Bobby, and it should be now," Sam continued. "He won't be here for long."

Despite herself, Sam now had her interest with this cryptic statement. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"Just come," Sam replied. Gail rolled her eyes, sighing again. Sam had been hanging around Angels too long.

"Fine," she said shortly. She guessed she'd better find out what Sam was talking about. "See you in a minute."

A moment later, she was in the library area. Dean rose from his chair immediately and walked up to her. She thought he was going to hug her, but he just stood there beside her, and he was watching her watch Bobby, who was sitting in the chair closest to her, head down.

Gail felt like walking up to Bobby and shaking him, giving him the wake-up call he so obviously needed. She didn't care what insecurities he was having about his job, he needed to keep on doing it, or Xavier was going to kill Cas.

She took half a step towards Bobby. Maybe she'd actually do it; she'd decide when she got there. But Dean put his hand on her arm and closed his fingers tight, restraining her.

"Stand down, Gail," he said to her. "He's been through a lot."

Yes, Lucifer's cage. She knew. Gail looked at Dean. "I understand that, but what do you think Cas is going through, right now?" she said to him.

Bobby looked up at Gail miserably. "I'm sorry, Gail," he said.

"Oh, you're sorry?" she said, struggling against Dean's grip. "He's sorry, Dean. Well, that just makes everything better now, doesn't it?" she said sarcastically.

Sam stepped forward to Gail's other side, and she glared at him. Was he going to restrain her, too?

"How can you guys be on his side?" she asked Sam incredulously. "You know that Xavier's going to take over and kill Cas, don't you? The tribunal is continuing tomorrow, Cas is screwed, I may go to jail, and Xavier is going to ruin Heaven, and all because HE won't do his job!" She gestured toward Bobby with her free hand, frustrated.

"I CAN'T do my job," Bobby said, raising his voice.

"Yeah? Why not?" Gail retorted.

"Because I'm crazy, that's why!" he said, agitated. His head bowed. "I'm crazy," he repeated in a more subdued voice.

Gail looked at Sam, then at Dean. What was he talking about?

Dean's grip on Gail's arm loosened, and he steered her towards a chair on the other side of the table from Bobby. "Have a seat, Gail. Let's talk," he said. He drew up a chair beside her, and Sam drew up a chair beside Bobby.

The four of them sat there looking at each other for a moment, and then Bobby said, "Go ahead, boys. Tell her."

When Bobby had left the hearing room, racked with guilt over what he'd just done, he'd known what he had to do, then. But he had to talk to Sam and Dean first, try to explain. And he needed to see a couple of friendly faces, especially after the stunt he had just pulled in there. He didn't blame Gail for what she'd said to him; after all, it was likely going to end up being the truth. He'd been amazed at Cas's restraint, though. If he'd been Cas, he would have punched himself in the face, at the very least.

But Bobby had his own problems, now. He had thought that God had cured him, but he was clearly schizophrenic, or psychotic, or whatever the hell the headshrinkers would call it. He kept seeing Lucifer, and if that wasn't bad enough, he could feel him, too. His former cellmate had taunted him the entire time during the long walk out of the hearing room, putting his arm around Bobby's shoulders, even goosing him briefly. And Bobby could hear every word and feel every repulsive touch as if it were really happening. He kept telling himself it wasn't real, it couldn't be, but that didn't make it feel any less real to him.

He'd had his orders from God about what he needed to say on the witness stand, but Bobby knew he couldn't have continued to do his job even if he'd been asked to. He was nuts, and a crazy person couldn't be God. He'd been hoping that when he'd given his endorsement to Cas, they would just cancel the farce that was the tribunal and let Cas take over, but he'd been naive. Xavier was too close to getting what he wanted now, and the board had backed him.

Bobby needed to go away for a while, and try to get better. Maybe if he did so right away, he could still return to Heaven, before it was too late. So he'd gone to the bunker to see Sam and Dean to tell them what was going on, and to say goodbye.

Gail was stunned. Today had just been one shock after another, and she frankly didn't know how much more she could take. Maybe she should go with Bobby wherever he was going; she felt like she was going crazy, too.

Even now, Bobby's eyes were wandering around the room, as if following someone or something that none of the other people in the room could see. And a couple of times he had jerked in his chair, as if trying to throw off an invisible touch.

"I know first-hand what he's going through, Gail," Sam said quietly.

That's right, she realized with a start. When Cas had related his history to her that night in Dallas, he'd told her that Sam had also been locked in Lucifer's cage in the past, and he had come out of it in pretty much the same shape as Bobby appeared to be now.

She looked at Sam. "I remember Cas telling me about that. I also remember him telling me that he absorbed your...illness, taking it on himself." She wanted to remind him what Cas had done for him. He should be grateful. What was he going to do for Cas in return, now that Cas needed him?

But of course, there was nothing Sam could do for Cas, or Dean, either. And apparently, not even Bobby could help. He was right, though; he couldn't be God in this state. Gail was now able to look at him with sympathy, although she still felt despair. Apparently, the white feather in her pocket had actually been a red herring. There was no hope to be found, here.

"I'd better go, boys," Bobby said, standing.

"Where?" Dean asked him.

Bobby smiled crookedly. "Where else? To the nearest mental hospital." He looked at Sam. "Was the food any good where you were?"

Dean's heart sank. Did it really have to be like that? He was suspicious of the mental health profession. They hadn't been able to help Sammy, had they? It was Cas who had done that, at great personal sacrifice to himself. Gail's reminder to Sam had not been lost on Dean. He'd been so happy to see Bobby again, but so upset when Bobby had told him and Sam what his resignation meant for Cas. What did God have against them, anyway? Why couldn't things ever go in their favour, for a change?

But Bobby's mind was made up, and if he was going to do this, he should have some support. So Dean told Bobby that he and Sam would drive him over there, get him situated. It was the least they could do for him. After all, saving them was the reason he'd gone to Hell, in the first place.

"Just don't tell them who you really are," Sam said, his lips twisting, "or they'll never let you out."

Dean and Bobby looked at him, but a laugh escaped from Gail. She clapped a hand over her mouth. She really shouldn't be laughing, but that had been pretty good. Well done, Sam.

Then Bobby smiled. "That was actually pretty funny," he told Sam, clapping him on the shoulder.

Dean didn't look too sure, but he grabbed his keys and turned to Gail, intending to tell her to wait here. He felt like they still had some talking to do.

"I'll come with," she said casually, "if that's OK." She didn't know why she wanted to go; she just felt like she should. As upset as she'd been with Bobby, he was still God, and she was an Angel. And she needed to think of Bobby as her and Cas's friend. She believed now that he still wanted to be, and it

wasn't his fault that his time spent with Lucifer had driven him crazy. He needed their compassion now, and Gail believed that Cas would feel the same way if he were here. Bobby seemed to think that he could still be cured and come back in time to help Cas. And though Gail had her doubts, she supposed it was remotely possible. It was all they had, now. Maybe she and Cas could prolong the hearing. Now that they knew he could call witnesses, they'd have to put their heads together, and see if they could stretch it out.

So the four of them drove to the facility, and Bobby committed himself. He turned to them to say goodbye, and Gail felt around in her pocket and withdrew the white feather. She pressed it into Bobby's hand. "Here," she said. "A gift, from Dad. Keep it with you at all times; it represents hope."

He looked at her curiously. She hadn't told him the story behind it, but now was not the time. Hopefully, they could all share a drink and a laugh together in the near future, and she and Cas could hug him and tell him about it. That was assuming she could ever pull herself away from Cas, long enough to hug someone else. If the miracle that would allow that occasion to happen were ever to occur, Gail didn't think she'd ever be able to let go of Cas, ever again.

"Get well, Bobby, and not just for us. For yourself," Gail said to him. "This is from Cas." She put her arms around him and hugged him. "And, this is from me." She kissed him gently on the cheek.

Bobby hugged her back tentatively, surprised. God had told Bobby about Gail's testimony, and he had no idea how she could ever have thought that she wasn't fit to be an Angel. Look at the compassion she was showing him now, after he had hung her and Cas out to dry like he had.

Gail moved out of the embrace. "Oh, and tell you-know-who to go screw himself." She smiled at Bobby, and he smiled back.

"Who, Voldemort?" Sam's voice, from behind her. He was on fire today, Gail thought, and she and Bobby shared a laugh.

Gail turned around and looked at the brothers. "I'll wait for you outside," she told them. She thought their goodbyes with Bobby should be private, and it was a beautiful, sunny day out. She'd been missing those, since being cooped up in Heaven.

Gail stood outside, letting the sun warm her, thinking about Bobby and hoping he'd be all right. They'd never discussed exactly why Bobby had been in Lucifer's cage in the first place, but she had a pretty good idea now. If Xavier hoped to be God, he needed both Bobby and Castiel out of the way. Xavier and Crowley had obviously entered into some kind of unholy arrangement where Crowley would take care of Bobby, and Xavier would take care of Castiel, paving the way for Xavier to take the Office. Xavier would benefit by getting to be God, and Crowley would benefit by Heaven getting rid of Castiel for him, since he'd never been able to do it himself. And since Xavier and Crowley were working together, Crowley had given him all the inside information on Gail to use for his questions at the tribunal. Come to think of it, Crowley went even further back with Castiel and the Winchesters; he must have been the one who had provided Xavier with the Affidavit, outlining Castiel's alleged offenses over the years. But Xavier couldn't disclose their relationship, nor could he submit an Affidavit written by the King of Hell, and not be laughed out of the room. So the Signator had been made confidential by Xavier, but not out of fear of reprisal from Castiel. That was just another opportunity Xavier had taken to make Cas look bad. She'd love to see that reprisal, though; she truly would. She knew that this had been said before, by all of them, but Crowley would have to be taken care of, once this was all over. If she was on her own, she'd enlist Sam and Dean's help to do it before she killed herself. Actually, maybe she'd have Crowley kill her first. If she killed herself, wouldn't she end up in Hell, as Becky had? No way could she allow that to happen. Was it different for Angels? She couldn't ask Castiel about that; if their time remaining was short, she was certainly not going to bring his spirits down any lower by talking about that subject. Maybe she'd ask Chuck.

Sam and Dean came out of the hospital, and they walked back to the car in silence. Gail could see by their faces that it had been very difficult for them to say goodbye to Bobby so soon after getting him back, and their reluctance to leave him in that place. But it was for the best, at least for now.

Gail had intended to go back to the bunker with them, but now, she changed her mind. They didn't look like they were in any mood for company, and she wanted to see if she could get in to visit Cas, and tell him about this. He needed the full story, so he could forgive Bobby, too. And Gail wanted to tell him her thoughts about Crowley and the Affidavit; maybe there was something there that they could use. It ain't over till it's over, she thought.

But Castiel felt like it was over. How could it not be? He didn't care how much sympathy he may have garnered with his fellow Angels; he knew the board members, and he knew their views of him hadn't changed. He was playing Devil's Advocate again, or at least imagining things looked at from their point of view. They had thought Bobby unsuitable to be God ever since the time of his appointment, even before some of Bobby's decisions had inflamed them. Before the spell book. Maybe they just didn't like him, Castiel speculated; Bobby had never done anything especially egregious, not that Cas knew of. Well, except for his apparent dalliance with Rowena, but the board had not known about that back then. So even if by some miracle Castiel would be able to escape this tribunal without severe punishment, there was no way he would be allowed to assume the High Office. It would be Xavier's anyway, and his return here to Heaven of his own free will would have accomplished nothing. What had he been thinking? He and Gail had been dragged through the mud, and though he still thought she had come out of it clean, he'd hated to see her subjected to that.

And what about Bobby, anyway? Cas had known him a long time, and even though Bobby had had his issues as a human, he had always been a good man. Dean would have probably called him a "stand-up guy". But he had not stood up today, had he? Cas had been angry with Bobby, but now he was just puzzled. Bobby's betrayal went against everything Cas had ever known about him, and he couldn't believe that his Father had released Bobby from Lucifer's cage after all this time only to send him back here to screw Castiel over. It was unthinkable. There had to be more to the story. There just had to be.

Gail approached the front desk at the prison, and her heart sank. There was a different guard on duty, one she'd never met. But, she had to try.

"Hi," she said to him. "Could I please see Castiel for a few minutes?"

He looked at her. This had to be the Angel Gail. He was on shift here during the day, so Todd had not been able to attend the tribunal. But he had heard about what had been going on from some of the other guards. Todd was a newer addition to Heaven, and he and Ethan had that in common. They talked about the tribunal when Ethan came in to relieve him. Over the last couple of days, it seemed like Ethan was making up his own mind about the subject of the tribunal, and when he had come in before his shift a few minutes ago, he had told Todd about the day's events. Ethan had been angry with Xavier for badgering Gail the way he had, but he'd thought she handled herself pretty well. And then God had shown up, but then he had resigned, and so the tribunal was going to continue. Honestly, Ethan was sorry that was the case. The more he watched, the more convinced he'd become that Xavier was on a witch hunt, and the board was behind him. He feared that Gail would indeed be back here as an inmate before too long, and that Castiel would receive the death sentence, and Ethan didn't know how he was going to handle that. He was already having serious doubts as to whether he was on the right side, here.

Todd had been surprised to hear Ethan say that. Todd himself was young, and he'd had no preconceived notions about Castiel one way or the other. But he figured the guy must be in jail for a reason. From what Todd had heard, Castiel was part hero and part killer. An interesting contrast, to

say the least. Ethan seemed to be going over to Castiel's side, though. Even now, Ethan had gone to Castiel's cell to have a talk with him, before he had to clock in.

So Todd looked up at Gail and said, "Yeah, OK. Ethan's there talking to him, now."

Ethan was talking with Cas? That had to be a good sign, wasn't it? Gail thought. She'd seen the young guard sitting with their friends in the gallery, and when she'd been testifying about being human, she had seen him smile. While it might be too soon to call Ethan an ally, Gail felt pretty sure he had at least one foot in their camp now.

"I'd take you, but I'm not supposed to leave my post until I'm relieved of duty," Todd told Gail. He was obviously more of a stickler for the rules than Ethan was. Ethan had escorted her himself, with no relief in sight. But she would not tell Todd that, of course.

"Can I just go, myself?" Gail asked him. "I know the way."

Todd frowned. He didn't know if he should allow that. In truth, he didn't even really know if Gail should be here. Visitors usually had to go through proper channels, and here she was, just dropping in like she was visiting a friend's house. This was a prison, not a social club. Then again, his shift was over. It was Ethan's call, and if Jason didn't like it, it would be Ethan who took the consequences, not him. Todd liked Ethan, but he wasn't going to take the fall for him with Jason. That guy was nobody to fool with.

Todd sighed. "Go ahead."

Gail smiled briefly and hurried down the hall before he changed his mind. She could see that the young guard had been more conflicted about her presence than Ethan seemed to be, but now that she was in, Gail was determined to stay.

"Hi, Ethan," she said as she turned the corner towards Castiel's cell. Ethan looked at her, startled. "Your colleague let me come in," Gail told him. "You'll have to thank him for me."

Ethan smiled at her. He was already unlocking the door to Castiel's cell. "I should have figured I'd see you here tonight," he said to Gail.

But before he opened the door, and as Gail moved forward, Ethan caught her by the arm. "What did Todd say?" he asked her.

Gail looked at him curiously. "Nothing, really. He said you were here, and I asked him if I could come in. He seemed a bit reluctant, but he let me."

Ethan paused at that. He wished Gail had waited a few more minutes to show up, until Todd had gone off duty. He knew that Todd was more of a company man, and more inclined to follow the rules to the letter. What Ethan didn't know was where Todd's head was at, regarding these two. Though Ethan had pretty much made up his mind which side he was now on, and that was why he had come to talk to Castiel, he had his doubts about Todd. Ethan hoped his fellow guard wasn't going to rat them out.

But she was here now, and there was no way he was going to keep her out. Not after God had turned on them that way, today. Ethan had asked Castiel about that, but Castiel had politely refused to comment. Ethan guessed he could understand that. He'd heard that Bobby and Castiel went way back, and if any of Ethan's friends had quit on him like that, he would have been seriously pissed.

Castiel had been standing in front of the cell door talking with Ethan when Gail got there, and as he stood back to allow her to enter, he made eye contact with the young guard and gave him a nod of gratitude. He'd been right about Ethan. They'd had an open and honest discussion, and except for his evasion of the question about Bobby, Castiel had trusted Ethan enough to tell him what he felt Heaven would be like, under Xavier's rule. He told Ethan he wasn't saying these things to get the job; he didn't even want it. He'd just felt like he'd had to take it after Bobby disappeared, to prevent Xavier from getting it. But now Castiel had gotten caught up in the web of the tribunal, and he realized he'd trapped himself by trying to do the right thing. And worst of all, he was dragging Gail down with him.

She entered the cell and Cas drew her to him with one arm, turning to thank Ethan. But the young guard had already gone.

"I've got some stuff to tell you," Gail said to him.

Castiel looked at her, curious. "Let's talk, then," he said. "But, first..." He leaned over and kissed her on the lips. Then he smiled. "It's been a while since I've done that."

"Too true," she teased, smiling back. She knew what he was doing, and Gail agreed: they had to make the most of whatever time they had remaining. But if Bobby got well soon, that time might be longer than they thought.

So she took his hands and led him over to the bunk to sit down. Gail told him about having gone to the bunker, and about Bobby and what he was going through.

Castiel felt like kicking himself. He should have realized. Hadn't they been through the same thing with Sam?

"I should have known there was something going on," Cas said, frustrated with himself. He was smarter than that. This hearing had been preoccupying him, clouding his mind. "I should have known that Bobby wouldn't betray me. Us," he quickly amended, squeezing Gail's hands.

She gave him a brief smile. "No, it's you who's important here." He opened his mouth to speak, maybe to protest, but she continued: "The elephant in the room."

Gail had expected Castiel to be puzzled by what she'd said, but it seemed he still had the capacity to surprise her. He nodded. "My death sentence," he said.

The words made Gail's blood run cold, but it was out, now. That was the elephant in the room, and the only subject that was really important.

"If Bobby gets cured, he'll come back and take over the Office," Gail said.

Cas looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Strange talk, for someone who'd given up hope a while ago," he said lightly.

She made a face. "I know," she said sheepishly. "I picked the feather back up off the floor after you left the room, and took it with me. I gave it to Bobby to keep. I thought he could use it, and we have each other."

Castiel smiled at her. "I hope you gave him a hug from me," he said. He felt terrible for what he'd been thinking about Bobby, now that he knew the truth. It was frustrating being locked up in here, not being able to see his friends. He sighed. But that was really the least of his worries right now, wasn't it?

"Do you think there's a chance that he might return before...before the tribunal is over?" Cas asked Gail.

She frowned. She didn't want to bring him down, but she didn't want to fill him full of false hope, either. How the hell did she know? She didn't know how crazy Bobby really was. And Sam hadn't been cured, had he?

"I don't know, Cas," she sighed. "I wish I did."

They sat glumly for a moment, and then Castiel said, "But, our Father went to Hell to rescue him. That has to mean something."

Gail brightened. It did, didn't it? "I hope He gave Crowley a good smiting when He was there," she quipped.

They laughed together, and it felt good. Gail made a promise to herself, then. If and when they ever got out of this, she would beg Bobby to let them go on another holiday with Sam and Dean. His own ordeal aside, Bobby kind of owed them, in her mind. They'd been on an emotional roller coaster since they had come back here, and even in Vancouver, they'd been worried about Sam and Dean, and watching their backs the whole time. Their time in Las Vegas had been so freeing, and so much fun, until she'd been stabbed to death. Come to think of it, she was still owed for that, too. Nothing put a damper on a holiday like being murdered by an evil Angel.

"What are you thinking about?" Castiel asked her. She'd been a million miles away.

"Sorry," Gail said to him. She should focus on him, right now. There would be plenty of time for her to think her thoughts, once they kicked her out of here.

"I was just thinking about how much I love you," she answered him. While that wasn't exactly what she had been thinking, it was true, nonetheless. "I don't think I say that enough."

Cas smiled. She didn't need to; he knew. But he still liked hearing it.

He leaned forward and kissed her again, and she kissed him back. And then, something strange and amazing happened. Their mouths opened to each others', and the kiss became a very human one.

And it was at this moment that Jason appeared at the cell door.

They broke the kiss, and looked at each other in astonishment. What had just happened, here? They weren't humans now, they were Angels, and Angels didn't kiss like that. They couldn't. Could they?

"What was that?" Gail breathed.

"I don't know, but I liked it," Cas said, smiling.

Jason took out his Angel blade and banged on the bars with it.

"Sorry to interrupt this Count 7 moment," he sneered, "but you need to leave."

Gail looked at him, startled. She hadn't even noticed Jason was there. So, he'd seen. Oh well, compared to what she'd confessed to on the stand this afternoon, that was nothing. But she still didn't know how what they'd just done was even possible. She looked back at Castiel, who was glaring at Jason.

"Why does she have to leave?" he said angrily.

"You're in jail for a reason, Castiel, and it's not to have conjugal visits with your little concubine," Jason retorted.

"Concubine. I'm gonna have to look that one up," Gail quipped, "so I can decide if I'm offended, or not." If Jason was going to force her to leave, she was going to go down swinging. But she didn't want to leave. Her visit had been all too brief, and she really wanted to talk to Cas about what had just happened between them.

"Do I have to come in there and forcibly remove you?" Jason asked her. "Because it would give me great pleasure, I assure you."

It was only then that Gail realized Todd was standing beside Jason. Crap. He must have told Jason that she was here. Gail hoped Ethan hadn't gotten into trouble because of her.

"I don't think you want to do that," Castiel said to Jason in his quiet voice.

"Actually, I think I do," Jason said almost happily, motioning to Todd to open the cell door. He'd had it with these two. Every time he looked they were defying him, flaunting the rules, and he was sick of it, and sick of them. It was time they received a refresher course on who really ran things around here.

Todd opened the cell door and Jason snapped, "Leave us alone." Todd looked at him uncertainly, but Jason was the head of Law Enforcement, so Todd did as he was told. Todd's conscience had been bothering him ever since he'd left his post, and he'd gone to see Jason to report Gail's unauthorized visit. He'd be hanging Ethan out to dry, but Todd couldn't worry about that. While he wasn't sure how he felt about this whole tribunal thing, rules were rules, and if they didn't keep to the rules, what were they even doing, here? Todd then exited the prison, feeling Ethan's glare follow him out. When Todd had come back in after his shift, accompanied by Jason, Ethan knew he was going to be in trouble. Just how bad the trouble would be, remained to be seen.

Jason stepped into the cell, still holding his Angel blade. Gail sat frozen to the spot. He'd left them pretty much alone since the day they'd been brought here, but she could sense Jason's anger now, and she was a little afraid. In his mind, he owed her quite a few more cuts with that blade, and they were here alone, with no witnesses, and Castiel and herself were unarmed. It wasn't fair.

But apparently, Jason had thought the same thing. He reached into his coat and withdrew another blade, tossing it to Castiel, who caught it almost in self-defense. "Let's go, Castiel," Jason said. "I know you've been dying for this. Sorry; bad choice of words," he said to Gail, smirking. She glared at him.

"I'm not going to fight you, Jason," Castiel said slowly, cautiously. Why was he doing this? It was so unnecessary. But Castiel's hand was gripping the blade tightly. "I don't want to fight you," Castiel added. But he was lying, of course.

"Don't," Gail said nervously. She knew him well. Things were bad enough, as it was. "I'll go," she said to Jason, rising from the bunk.

"Maybe I don't care," Jason said to her. He continued to stare down at Castiel. "Maybe this has been a long time coming."

"I don't care about that. It's not going to happen," Gail said, standing in-between them even as Castiel was rising to his feet.

"Don't you think your boyfriend can beat me?" Jason said, smiling nastily.

Gail smiled sarcastically. "Of course I do, but that's not the point. The point is, that this is pointless." She gestured to the two men.

Jason slashed her arm with his blade. "Is it pointless now?" he taunted. Then he slashed her other arm. "How about now?"

Crap! That had hurt. And now, there was going to be a fight. She knew Castiel wouldn't stand for this.

She felt him behind her, healing the wounds on her arms with his free hand. "Stand out of the way, Gail," he murmured. His voice had never been so quiet, and she had never been so scared.

"I don't want you to do this, Castiel," she said softly, pleading. "Even when you win, you'll lose."

Castiel knew what she meant, but he couldn't let this stand. Jason was right; this had been a long time coming. He was tired of this sadistic bastard, and he had hurt Gail for the last time.

"Move aside, Gail," Castiel said again.

"I won't," she said stubbornly. She knew he wouldn't attack Jason if she was in the way, for fear she'd get hurt. And while a big part of her would love to see Castiel run his blade right through the guy, Gail knew this wasn't the way it should happen. The tribunal was still ongoing, and there had not yet been a sentence passed. Castiel wouldn't be doing himself any favours by seriously injuring or even killing the head of Law Enforcement, and Jason was setting him up.

Gail was right; Cas couldn't attack Jason with her standing between them. He appreciated what she was trying to do, but he wasn't so sure he wanted her to do it.

Jason knew what Gail was doing too, but unlike Castiel, he had no compunctions about her getting hurt. In fact, if she did, so much the better. He was tired of her smart mouth, and her defiant attitude. If she thought that merely standing there was going to prevent this from happening, she was wrong.

"OK, if you won't stand aside, maybe you'll lay down," Jason said cheerfully. He grabbed her and threw her against the wall by the bunk. Her head hit the wall, hard, and she slid down onto the bunk, dazed.

Castiel attacked Jason savagely then, and even though Jason had been expecting it, he nearly lost his balance and his weapon. But he recovered, and the two men started to fight as Gail looked on helplessly. She didn't dare move back into the fray, but she had to do something, before it was too late. But what?

After a minute or two, Castiel began to get the upper hand. He had the added benefit of intense rage to fuel him, while Jason had just wanted the sport. Jason hadn't provoked the fight looking for a resolution, he'd just wanted the challenge, and he enjoyed getting under Castiel's skin. He didn't really believe Castiel could kill him, or would. Apparently, his ex-compatriot had developed a conscience, while communing with the humans. What a shame.

But when Castiel succeeded in disarming Jason and shoved him up against the bars of the cell with his blade to Jason's throat, Jason suddenly wasn't so sure. He saw the look in Castiel's eyes, and for a brief moment Jason thought he had miscalculated.

"I should have done this a long time ago," Castiel snarled, and his arm went back with the blade to deliver the killing blow.

But Gail grabbed his arm and held it. "No," she said firmly. "I'm not letting you do this."

He wheeled on her, his eyes blazing, and she almost took a step back. But she stood her ground, and held her other hand out. "Give me the blade," she said to him.

Jason was stirring, preparing to attack Castiel now that his back was turned, but Castiel wheeled back around and put the blade back at his throat. "I don't think so," he growled.

Gail moved around to the side of the men so that Castiel could see her.

"Give me the blade, Castiel," she repeated.

"No," he said shortly.

"Either give it to me, or stab me with it," Gail said to him. "Maybe you should do it, anyway. You know what'll happen to you if you kill him."

"We both know it's probably going to happen anyway," he retorted, still staring at Jason. Relishing the look of fear in his eyes. "They can't kill me twice."

Now Gail was really scared. He'd never resisted her this long before, and his twisted logic was sound. He was really going to do it. She looked around wildly. Seeing Jason's blade on the cell floor, she picked it up.

"I'll do it, then," she said to Castiel, bringing the blade over to where the men stood and brandishing it at Jason.

Now Castiel did look at her. Was she crazy? She couldn't mean what she was saying.

Gail slashed Jason on the arm with his own blade. She had to convince Castiel she was serious. She had to admit she felt a grim pleasure in what she'd done to Jason; he'd certainly done it to her, enough times.

"You can't, Gail, they'll put you to death." Castiel was now pleading with her.

"Really? You don't say," she replied dryly. "So what?"

"What do you mean, 'so what'?" Castiel said angrily. "You'd be throwing your life away."

"And just what are you doing, right now?" she snapped back.

"It's not the same," he protested, but there was a little less conviction in his voice.

"It's exactly the same," Gail said firmly. "I'll promise not to commit suicide if you do, too. You claim you love me; now, prove it."

After another moment, Castiel lowered his blade from Jason's throat and took a half step back from him. Jason coughed once, then squared his shoulders. He'd be damned if he showed these two how scared he'd been.

"Let's go," he said to Gail. She glanced at him, and laughed shortly. "You're not in the driver's seat right now, Jason. Do yourself a favour: go to the front desk, and I'll be out in a minute."

Jason gaped at her. Who the hell did this little tramp think she was? But Castiel still gripped the blade, and he still had that look in his eyes. He'd been about to do it, too, until his girlfriend had finally defused him. But Jason had better not press his luck right now. There would be plenty of time to deal with Gail later.

So he left the cell and walked down the corridor, and Castiel and Gail stood looking at each other, letting out the breaths they'd been holding.

"Wow, that was dramatic," Gail quipped, using her usual tactic to break the tension.

Cas wasn't sure whether to laugh, or scream out in frustration. He'd wanted to kill Jason so badly that the blood was still pounding in his ears. But she'd talked him out of it by pulling the ultimate trump card: his love for her, and the fact that he couldn't allow her to be put to death. He'd played a lot of poker recently, but Gail was clearly the better card player.

So, what else could he do but laugh? He dropped the blade, and she dropped hers, and then they were in each other's arms. She pulled out of the embrace reluctantly and touched his face. "I'd better go. I don't want to push it too far. I'll take these - " she picked up the blades "- and turn them back in, to Ethan," she added, seeing the momentary look of alarm on Castiel's face. "He's going to have to hear our side of this, too. Lord only knows what Jason is telling him, right now."

Gail moved to the door of the cell and then paused, looking back. "We're going to have to talk about what's really important, though, and soon," she said to Castiel in a serious voice.

He sighed. "I know. My temper," he said.

"No," she said. "That kiss. What the heck was that all about?" She smiled mischievously. "And, when can we do it again?"

His face broke into a grin, and that was how she really wanted to remember him tonight, so Gail turned and walked down the corridor. She came out to the front desk, steeling herself for the worst, blades at the ready. But Jason was gone, and it was only Ethan. She handed him the blades, handles turned around, and he looked at her, startled, then took them from her quickly.

"Where did you get those?" Ethan asked her, taking them and locking them away in his desk drawer. "What the hell, Gail?" He had trusted her. He looked behind her, half expecting to see Castiel.

"He's still in his cell, Ethan," she said dryly, knowing what he was thinking. "If I was busting him out, do you really think I'd have handed you the weapons? They're Jason's," she told him, gesturing to the drawer where he'd put them. "But Castiel's cell door is open, so you might want to take care of that. I'll wait here."

Ethan looked at her, then went down the corridor to Castiel's cell. Sure enough, the door was wide open, but Castiel was just sitting on his bunk, and incredibly, he was smiling.

Ethan pulled Castiel's cell door closed quickly, and locked it. "What the hell is going on?" he asked Castiel.

"What did Jason tell you?" Castiel countered.

"Nothing. We never spoke. He just stalked out of here a minute ago, and then Gail came out with those blades," he said, looking sharply at Castiel.

"They were Jason's," Castiel said.

"That's what Gail said," Ethan told him. "What's this all about?"

"Gail will tell you," Castiel replied evasively. This was no problem for him; he'd had years of practice. He didn't want to get into it, right now. He had some thinking to do.

Castiel laid down on his bunk and stared up at the ceiling, and Ethan could see that no more would be forthcoming. So he went back out to the front desk, and Gail told him the whole story. Well, almost the whole story. She didn't mention the kiss, of course; that was between her and Cas, and even though Jason might have seen it, she was pretty confident he wasn't going to run around Heaven talking about it. And she might have glossed over the part about Castiel's murderous rage. But Jason had provoked the fight for no apparent reason, he'd brought the weapons into the cell, and Castiel had had to fight Jason when he'd attacked Gail without any provocation. Since Cas had healed her cuts, she had no proof to show Ethan, but she thought she could feel a lump on the back of her head, where it had hit the wall. Ethan could feel that, if he wanted.

But Ethan had seen Jason's bullying ways, and he believed Gail's story. Ethan was going to have a talk with his fellow guards, and he was going to tell Chuck and Kevin, too. This was getting out of hand.