Dean barely had time to brace himself when Cas grabbed him by the arm and flew with him back to the bunker. Just as it always did, flying with his angel made Dean's stomach flip-flop and his vision turn blurry for a second or two. The man blinked several times and gripped the plastic bag in his hand tighter when he felt his feet on solid ground again. The sheer inertia of flying was enough to make him sick. It was no wonder their son didn't have any desire to fly. Being zapped around like a damn magician's assistant was severely overrated.
Once Dean and Cas were in the entrance of the bunker, they both took the time to glance around. The place was still and quiet, a drastic difference to the way it usually was at the current time in the evening. Usually, the kids would be running around half-clothed after having their baths and their fathers would be chasing after them with towels and PJs. But now, the bunker was empty.
"Perhaps Sam and Gabriel still have the children occupied elsewhere," Cas muttered quietly, unwilling to disturb the silence.
"Yeah, probably," Dean agreed, reaching down into the plastic bag in his hand, "It's kind of a good thing Jude's not here yet, right? It'll make this a surprise."
A smile widened on Dean's face as he slowly pulled the small helmet out of the plastic bag. He and Cas stopped by the store on the way back from the Nebraska ghost hunt to poke around for something that might help ease their son into liking the thought of flying. Not to bribe him with it, but genuinely help him get comfortable with the idea. And when Dean spotted the bicycle helmets in the toy section, he knew that it would be perfect. What better way to help a child face their fear than by giving them literal protection? Maybe if Jude was wearing a helmet before they started training, he would feel safer and less afraid. Plus, Dean happened to find a helmet with a kickass Superman symbol on the side and he couldn't possibly pass it up.
"You think this will fit him?" Dean asked as he peered down inside the small helmet in his hands.
"Yes, I believe it will," Cas nodded, stepping around to face Dean and look over it again with a smile, "I'm not sure why our son has such a fondness for this 'Superman' character, but I'm glad he is able to draw strength from it."
Dean looked up into his angel's baby-blue eyes and smiled. Did he really not see the connection?
"It's because Superman reminds him of you, Cas," Dean explained, "You know, man of steel? Able to stop a speeding bullet? Always flying around in a suit? Who does that sound like?"
A tiny blush appeared on Cas's cheeks and his eyes flitted away with bashfulness. Clearly, Cas never considered that their son saw him as a hero, because the angel looked awed and touched by the thought. Dean raised his hand to touch Cas's face – and a sharp ache echoed from his left shoulder, causing him to drop it with a grunt. When they were hunting that ghost somewhere in Nebraska a few hours before, Dean ended up being tossed through a window. And the hard landing from the two-story height had obviously messed up his shoulder somehow. He didn't think the injury was too bad at the time, but he sure as hell could feel the full extent of it now. Cas must have noticed him tense up with discomfort because the angel's attention instantly returned to him.
"You did injure yourself, Dean," he stated, sounding disappointed that Dean didn't admit to it the first time, "Let me see."
Although he felt the prideful urge to protest, Dean huffed a breath and allowed Cas to inspect the damage. The man reached up to pull the collar of his shirt as far out as it would go, revealing the top of his left shoulder. There was a faint bruise starting to appear on his freckled skin that stretched from the base of his neck all the way to the edge of his bicep. Cas drank in the sight of the injury with concern as he reached up to tug more of Dean's shirt back.
"It's not that bad," Dean casually denied, "It's just a..."
The man's sentence got lost in his throat when he felt Cas's mouth against his bare skin. The angel had leaned forward to tenderly kiss Dean's bruised shoulder, carefully pecking it with his soft moist lips. Chills raced up and down Dean's spine at the sensation. Cas wasn't just kissing Dean. He was healing him; using his mouth to project some of his grace. It was a very sweet and loving act, of course – but Dean couldn't help but find it strangely erotic, too. Feeling Cas's warm breath and wet lips delicately trail over his bare skin made his crotch almost ache with yearning. God, that felt so good.
It wasn't long before Cas's curious mouth found its way to the side of Dean's neck. The man let out an aroused sigh as the angel nipped lightly at his sensitive skin. By the time Cas slowly moved all the way up to the base of his jaw, Dean couldn't control himself anymore. He let out a breathless 'Cas,' before leaning back to finally capture the angel's mouth with his own. Their tongues met and twirled together inside each others' mouths, making endorphins rush and hearts pound. Dean's free hand crawled its way up to hold the back of Cas's soft head while they kissed and Cas's hands clung to the front of Dean's shirt. They were suddenly making out the same way they did years before, like sex-starved teenagers that were crazy in love with each other. Hell, Dean was – and would always be – crazy in love with Cas. He just never got to show it like this very often.
The sound of footsteps and a tiny familiar voice slowly drifted into the room from the hallway.
Even though he wanted to stay lost in Cas's kiss forever, Dean hesitantly forced himself to let go of his angel and take a step back. When they parted, both of them were left with darkened lips, panting mouths, and throbbing dicks in their pants. But a unspoken agreement seemed to settle between them as Dean quickly stuffed Jude's helmet back into the plastic bag. The rest of their family had come back to the bunker and they didn't want to be caught making out, especially if they were about to sit their son down and talk to him about flying.
"Uncle Sammy, why is pizza always in a circle?" Jude's small echoing voice grew louder as he got closer to the entrance room.
"Not all pizzas come in a circle, Jude. Sometimes they make pizza in squares and rectangles, too," Sam explained, sounding amused by his nephew's weird question.
"Cool! Next time, we should get those ones," Jude replied.
The smile on Dean's face was genuine when he saw his family come into the room. Dickie led the way in – walking slowly, as if the long day of playing with the kids had taken all of his energy – followed by Sam, who was carrying pizza boxes with Jude at his side. Gabriel was bringing up the rear with Jessica in his arms. The little girl's head was down on Gabe's shoulder, so Dean automatically assumed that she was sleeping or close to being asleep. As soon as Jude looked up and saw his fathers, he gasped out loud and raced over to meet them.
"Daddy! Papa!" he grinned, running up to hug both of their legs.
"Hello, son," Cas smiled, reaching down to touch Jude's dark oak hair, "Did you have fun with Jessica today?"
"Yeah! And Ollie, too," Jude nodded with excitement, "We played at the park! And then uncle Sammy and uncle Gabe took us to a pizza place and we gots dessert!"
"Hey man, that was supposed to be a secret," Gabe grumbled, tossing Dean and Cas a private wink.
"Oops. Sorry uncle Gabe," Jude uttered, his smile faltering.
"It's alright, Jude. Papa and I are glad you had fun," Dean said, kneeling down to his level, "But, uh, now that you're home, there's something important that we want to talk to you about, okay?"
Dean could sense the shift of emotions on his son's face. Jude's blue eyes – the same hypnotic ocean color he got from Cas – widened a bit and his smile almost completely disappeared. The kid seemed a little worried, like he thought he was in trouble or something. Not wanting Jude to be afraid, Dean quickly picked him up and headed toward the study with Cas right behind him.
"I'm gonna go dunk this exhausted little ray of sunshine in some bath water before bed," Gabe mentioned, rubbing Jess's back as he passed by everyone else, "Don't wait up too late for me, moosie. You know, unless you really want to."
"Sure," Sam replied flatly, though he was wearing a smile as he followed Gabe down the hall, "I'm gonna go drop these pizzas off in the kitchen."
Dean was sort of grateful that Sam and Gabriel were going off to do their own thing. It gave him and Cas the privacy they needed to talk to their son. Jude was still wearing that look of cautious wonder when Dean carefully lowered him down to sit him on one of the tables in the study. The man sat down in a chair directly in front of him afterward so that they could talk at an even level.
"Did I do something bad, Papa?" the little kid asked, directing his huge blue eyes toward Cas.
"No, son. You haven't done anything wrong," Cas quickly cleared up, "We just wish to discuss flying with you."
"F – Flying?" Jude repeated, his voice hollow with confusion.
"Listen, little man," Dean began, setting the bag in his hand down on the floor so that he could take hold of Jude's tiny sides, "You, Papa, uncle Gabe, and Jessie are all angels. Do you know what an angel is?"
Jude's hand slowly rose to his own mouth as he timidly glanced between his fathers. He stuck two fingers in his mouth, something he always did when he was nervous or uncomfortable. The five-year-old slowly shook his head to answer Dean's question.
"Well," Dean sighed, briefly glancing at Cas beside him, "Angels are kind of like normal people, except they have special powers."
"Like Superman?" Jude mumbled around his fingers.
"That's right," Dean nodded with a smile, "Angels can walk through fire without getting hurt, they can heal other people's injuries, use their grace to beat up bad guys... and they all have wings, which means they can fly. And since your Papa is an angel, it means you're an angel too. You can fly, Jude. Just like Superman -"
"But I don't want to," Jude instantly denied, shaking his head and trying to scoot away on the table.
"No, wait, hold on, it's okay," Dean soothed, using the lightest voice possible, "Jude, Daddy knows how you feel. I didn't like flying either. But a long time ago, uncle Sammy helped me get on an airplane and I flew with him. And then Papa came along and helped me get used to it, too... What I'm trying to say is that it's okay if you're afraid of flying right now. But Papa and I are here to help you not be afraid anymore. We're gonna help you get comfortable with it, so that you can do it just like Jessie does."
"But... It's scary, Daddy," Jude insisted, his eyes huge with worry.
"I know it is, buddy. Trust me, I know," Dean replied, remembering how terrifying his own first flight on a plane was, "but Papa and I got you something that might help it not be so scary."
Cas retrieved the plastic bag from the floor and held it out to Dean, who reached down inside and took out the shiny new helmet. The moment Jude saw the Superman logo on the side, his eyes lit up and his little jaw fell. His wet fingers dropped from his open mouth so that he could reach out for his new helmet with both hands. Dean's smile returned when he passed off the object to his child.
"A new helmet!" Jude grinned, "Is it for when I ride my bike?"
"Yes, it can be used for that as well," Cas nodded, "But it is mostly intended for keeping you safe during flight, Jude."
"See, this is gonna help you fly, little man," Dean explained as he opened the straps and adjusted them to fit on his child's head.
"How?" Jude asked, "Is it magic?"
"Uh... Sorta," Dean lied a bit, "You know how Iron Man's suit helps him fly around and keeps him safe?"
Jude nodded, making the sleek helmet on his head rock back and forth.
"Well, this is kinda like that. Think of it as Iron Man's helmet," Dean suggested.
"But it's got Superman on it," Jude reminded, sounding confused.
Dean sighed. God, Jude was so much like Cas...
"That's because Superman is your favorite," Dean replied, "Now, come here. Papa and I want to show you something."
Jude instantly raised his arms and Dean picked him up again. The man only turned around with his child to show him the side of the study, where Cas had drawn two lines on the floor earlier that day. The lines were parallel to each other and only ten feet apart, situated between two bookcases. Dean carefully stood Jude up at the line closest to them and Cas stepped up next to him.
"Jude," the angel said, kneeling down to look him in the eye, "I am going to teach you how to fly from this spot to that one," he paused to point to the line across the room, "using your grace. It is a fairly easy thing to accomplish. All you must do is focus your energy."
Cas slowly stood back up and started to glow. His eyes shined electrically blue and his skin illuminated with grace. The air around them shifted a bit in the presence of the heavenly aura, but the angel kept speaking as he turned to look toward the line in the distance.
"Feel your wings spread at your back," Cas continued, "Know that they have the power to carry you. Picture yourself already standing in the place you want to go and you will appear there."
Cas suddenly vanished from the first line and reappeared at the second in the blink of an eye. After so many years of being with Cas, Dean was used to seeing the guy pop around into thin air. But Jude physically flinched in surprise. The five-year-old seemed shocked – and a bit frightened – by just how fast his Papa could fly. Cas gave their son a smile from a few feet away before flying back to the spot he came from. He reappeared right next to Jude and held out his hand.
"Here, son. I will fly with you the first time," Cas offered sweetly.
Dean hoped that putting on the helmet and watching Cas go first would ease Jude into the thought of flying. But the moment he was offered the chance to do it, Jude spun around and buried himself into the cavity of Dean's chest.
"I don't want to, Daddy," he whimpered, sounding ready to cry, "Please don't make me."
Dean swallowed harshly as he wrapped both arms around his frightened child and raised his head to meet eyes with Cas. The angel looked absolutely heartbroken. His open hand slowly dropped back to his side and his sapphire eyes filled with sadness. Both of them shared a look of disappointment with each other, silently agreeing that they weren't going to push Jude any further today. This process was clearly going to take time.
"I'll tell you what, little man," Dean said, slowly pulling Jude forward to look at him again, "Let's take the helmet off for now and we'll try this again tomorrow, okay?"
Jude nodded, seeming eager to get away from the subject of flying altogether. Dean helped his child remove the helmet from his head while Cas knelt back down to their level again. The angel opened an arm to their son and gave him an apologetic look.
"Perhaps I can help you get ready for bed instead, Jude," Cas offered, his voice soft and motherly.
Jude turned around to look at his Papa for a second before slowly walking toward him with both arms open. The little guy dug both of his arms under the collar of Cas's coat to hook them around his neck. While their child wasn't looking, Dean and Cas shared another stare before glancing at the helmet in Dean's hands together. Man, this flying thing was going to be harder than Dean thought...
Castiel always believed that Dean Winchester was the most beautiful creature to ever exist. Millenniums of countless human souls had come and gone, and many more were still yet to arrive, but Dean out shined them all. The whole of the Earth, God's own Eden, couldn't compare to his beauty. Simply looking at him still took Castiel's breath away. Dean was the loveliest sight in all of Heaven and Earth combined.
Until Jude was born.
In all honesty, the two of them shared many physical qualities. Same jaw, same puckered lips, same constellations of freckles dotted all over their bodies. They were both magnificent to behold, but Jude had something that not even his own father possessed... Jude had a tender soul. Castiel was sure that Dean was born with the same type of innocence many years ago, but difficult trials throughout his life had stolen it from him. Every bad thing that ever happened to him had transformed him into a harsher human being. Dean's soul wasn't innocent anymore – and Castiel loved that about him. His hard sensibility made him even more beautiful, but in a different way. Jude's beauty was still very pure and virtuous. The world had not yet transformed him. He was still a very hopeful, curious, and happy child. And Castiel wanted, with all of his heart, for that beauty to stay attached to their son.
Apart from his soul, Jude certainly was a masterpiece to look at. Even now, as Castiel pulled the blankets up to cover Jude's small body in bed, the angel noticed that a few more freckles had appeared along the bridge of Jude's tiny nose. Dean's nose. Jude wiggled further into his own bed and stared up at Castiel with wonder, eyes as blue as the open ocean.
"Papa?" he asked in a whisper.
"Yes, son?" Castiel replied.
"How did you learn to fly?" Jude questioned, sounding genuinely curious.
Castiel took a deep breath and eased down to sit next to his son on the bed. His thoughts were immediately transported back to the dawn of time, when his father spoke him into existence. It was such a long time ago. But Castiel never forgot how he had learned to fly – and who had the most influence on his abilities.
"Ah," the angel smiled, "I believe your uncle Gabriel had a large role to play in my time as a fledgling."
"What's a fill-edged-ling?" Jude asked, eyebrows furrowed.
Castiel smiled at his son's attempt to pronounce such a large word.
"Young angels in training," he explained, "but you need not worry yourself about this topic tonight, Jude. You've had a long day and your body requires sleep."
Jude sighed and nodded his head, looking more like Dean than Castiel could have imagined. The angel reached down to run his fingers through his child's hair a few times – just to give him a little more comfort – before slowly getting up. Castiel was only able to take two steps before Jude called for him again.
"Papa?"
The angel smiled and turned around.
"Yes, Jude?" Cas asked.
The little boy pointed toward his dresser near the far wall.
"Can you give my bee to me?" he requested.
Castiel's smile turned soft as he glanced toward the small stuffed bumble bee on the dresser. He immediately walked over to pick it up – and took a moment to reminisce. It wasn't long ago that this very object was given to him as a gift from Gabriel's dog. It wasn't long ago that Jude was growing inside Castiel's grace as an unborn baby. It wasn't long ago that Jude emerged into the world and stole his fathers' hearts... Though he wished to delight in his own thoughts for a while longer, Castiel eventually stepped back over to the bed and lowered the stuffed bee to his son. Jude took the fuzzy object and instantly hugged it against his cheek. The sweet sight made Castiel's heart ache with joy. He leaned down to take Jude's small face in his hands and nestle a kiss to the child's temple.
"I love you, son," Cas whispered, breathing in his lovely scent.
Jude's arms briefly left his bee and hooked up around Cas's neck. He hugged the angel as tightly as his short arms would allow.
"I love you too, Papa," he whispered back.
Castiel's heart felt warm inside his chest. He adored hearing those words, especially in Jude's tiny voice. The child eventually let go and snuggled back into bed. He held his stuffed bee against his own chest and closed his eyes, finally ready to go to sleep. Castiel softly brushed Jude's beautiful face with the back of his fingers before standing up to exit the room. He made sure that the nightlight was on and the door was open when he walked out. Jessica was resting peacefully just across the hall and Castiel did not wish to disturb her. The angel gave his son one more glance of affection before starting down the hall.
When Castiel entered his and Dean's bedroom, he was met with the glorious sight of Dean's body sprawled on the bed. The man was laying on his stomach with his legs tossed about, wearing nothing but a simple pair of tight black underwear. Dean's head was buried inside the mountain of pillows at the headboard, so Castiel knew that he was not laying so seductively on purpose. This was just Dean's naturally comfortable state. Still, the sight of so much of his bare skin was rather intoxicating. The angel gulped as he shut the door at his back and slid out of his coat and shirt. He walked out of the rest of his clothing, save his underwear, on the way to bed.
"Jude is successfully in bed," Cas mentioned as he carefully slid on top of the covers with Dean.
"Hmm," Dean acknowledged, sliding a hand over Cas's bare stomach.
The sensation of Dean touching his body aroused Castiel beyond words. Their steamy kiss from earlier returned to his mind and the only thing he could think about was intercourse. Cas desperately wanted to make love to Dean in that moment, but the man was half asleep. Would he be willing to have sex in his current state of drowsiness?
"Dean," Cas whispered.
"Mmm?" Dean grunted back.
"Would... Would you like to try out Gabriel's new gift to us?" the angel asked, reaching over to grab the unopened bottle from the bedside table, "You can show me how it works."
Dean opened one eye to glance at the cherry pie flavored lubricant in Cas's hand – but closed it again and shook his head against the pillow.
"Maybe tomorrow, baby," he mumbled, "That Nebraska trip kicked my ass."
Disappointment rested in Castiel's stomach like a heavy rock. Perhaps Dean was more exhausted than he originally thought. The angel exhaled in defeat as he placed the bottle back on the table.
"Very well," he uttered, "Goodnight, Dean."
"'Night, Cas," the man whispered back.
It wasn't long before Dean was fully asleep. His unconscious body barely stirred next to Castiel and his arm remained loosely draped around the angel's torso. For a while – perhaps an hour or two – Castiel simply took in the sight of Dean laying next to him, just as he did most nights. A few weeks prior, the angel started counting all the freckles on Dean's body as a way of keeping himself occupied until daylight. So far, Cas had made it from the top of Dean's head all the way down to his hipbone at a total of 1,043. Castiel decided to pick up counting right where he left off – when a tiny sound echoed down the hall just outside the door.
At first, Castiel assumed that Gabriel's dog was running around the bunker and knocking things over, because it was a regular occurrence for him to drag his stuffed moose all over the place at night. But this sound was different. It sounded like pots and pans clanging together. The noise made Castiel slowly raise to sit up in bed with curiosity. What was causing that sound? Who was responsible for the loud clatter? It was then that Castiel noticed the small light coming from under Dean's throat.
It was his necklace. The charm on it was glowing white.
The angel's jaw slowly dropped as he blinked down at Dean's illuminated jewelry. If his necklace – his amulet – was shining, that could only mean one thing. It meant Castiel's father was physically present nearby. Was it true? Was God really in the bunker? Castiel immediately slid out from under Dean's arm and stood up from the bed to look around. Their bedroom was still vacant, but the sound in the hallway caught his attention again. The angel lunged for the door and ripped it open to dash outside – where he collided with someone who was already standing there.
"Ah!" Gabriel gasped, untangling himself from Cas to back away, "What the hell, bro?!"
The archangel must have heard the noise coming from down the hall and came out to investigate it as well, because he was only wearing a pair of boxer shorts and one of Sam's large shirts. Castiel gulped.
"I'm sorry," he breathed, "I heard the noise and -"
"Me too," Gabriel confirmed, his eyebrows drawing together, "I thought you and Dean-o were getting it on in the kitchen or something."
"No," Cas denied, "Gabriel, Dean's necklace is glowing. That means our father is -"
Castiel's urgent sentence was interrupted by the sound of children giggling. The two angels instantly looked toward the direction of the kitchen where a light was shining out into the hallway. Little shadows were moving inside the room, giving the impression that Jude and Jessica were awake and playing. Castiel and Gabriel only glanced at each other once more before flying down the hall together. Both of them appeared in the doorway of the kitchen where they beheld the scene inside.
Jude and Jessica were both awake just as their angelic fathers suspected. The two young children were perched on stools at the metal island in the middle of the room with their sight directed toward the stove... where God himself was pulling muffins out of the oven. The smell of warm pastry was thick in the air as he turned around to place the hot tin pan on the island in front of the children. Castiel almost couldn't believe is own eyes. His Father was there! Standing in the kitchen! Preparing food!
"Be careful, you guys. They're still hot," the Lord smiled toward the children.
"I want the peach one, Grandpa," Jessica sang.
The Lord nodded in his earthly vessel and plucked a muffin out to place it in front of Jessica.
"I knew you would ask for that one, Jess," he winked.
Castiel was frozen in place. Two years prior, Dean told them that God had come to visit Jude while everyone else was away, and that the Creator bore a strong likeness to Chuck Shurley. And Dean was absolutely right. God was indeed wearing the prophet Chuck Shurley as a vessel, even now as he smiled with the children in the kitchen. But why was he here? Why was he baking pastries at such a late hour? And why did he wake Jude and Jessica without telling anyone?
"What in the darkest pit of hell is going on here?!" Gabriel blurted.
Their heavenly Father and both children turned their heads to look at the archangel. The expression on the Lord's face was humble and pleased, as if he knew his own two sons had been standing in the doorway for some time. The children were also happily surprised. None of them seemed to acknowledge how outraged Gabriel was.
"Papa!" Jessica smiled brightly, before climbing off her seat to run to Gabriel in her pajamas, "Grandpa made us some muffins! Do you want one?"
"Jessica, it's waaaay passed your bedtime," Gabriel reminded in a stern voice, sounding as though he was trying to hang on to his patience, "This muffin party is over. You and Jude need to go back to bed right now."
"But Papa, I want to eat my muffin," Jessica sweetly protested.
"Then take it with you, baby bunny," Gabriel huffed, "Just please go back to bed. Uncle Cassie and I need to talk to... Grandpa."
Castiel saw the gleeful expression dim on their Father's face across the room. It was clear that Gabriel was very upset with him. Not just for waking the children in the middle of the night, but also for everything that had happened between them in the past.
"Your Papa is right, Jess," Chuck agreed, glancing between her and Jude, "You two should head back to bed. Just remember what we talked about, okay?"
"Okay," Jess replied, "Night night, Grandpa."
Jude plucked a muffin from the tin pan and said goodnight as well before hopping down to join Jessica in walking out of the kitchen. Castiel appraised his own child as he strode passed, seeing that Jude was perfectly content – and that his own Superman necklace was glowing as well. Jude paused to give Cas's leg a small hug before following his cousin down the hall.
"And no pit stops," Gabe called after them, "Just straight to bed!"
When the two angels were sure that their children had returned to their proper place, they both brought their attention back to their Father. God was still standing at the counter in his earthly vessel, leaning over the pan of steaming muffins in an apron that read 'Bless the Cook.' His sight traveled over Castiel and Gabriel with fondness as if he was very glad to see them. But Gabriel was still upset. The archangel strolled into the room with both arms open in disbelief.
"Really, man? Seriously?" he barked, "Twelve billion years of ignoring my prayers and the first thing you do when you come back is wake up my kid in the middle of the night to make muffins?! What the hell, Dad?!"
The Lord exhaled a heavy breath but his humble expression never wavered. He leaned on the counter and remained motionless as if he was waiting for Gabriel to continue.
"What were you talking to them about anyway?" Gabe spat, "Was it about how you decided to make a beer run in the middle of the freakin' apocalypse and abandon your own kids? How you left them to deal with all the consequences while you laid around on a beach somewhere drinking booze from a coconut? Huh?"
For a moment, God was silent. He only stared at one of his eldest children with open and honest eyes as if he had been preparing to respond to this outburst for ages.
"I never abandoned anyone, Gabriel," he answered calmly, "I just took a step back to let you all make your own decisions. Isn't that what you wanted? Free will? The right to choose?"
Castiel saw Gabriel's throat quiver with a gulp. It seemed that their Father's answer had silenced whatever retort he planned to deliver. Still, the archangel wasn't ready to bridge the gap to total forgiveness yet.
"You couldn't have left a note first?" he asked, voice a little softer, "Why didn't you tell us something? Why didn't you answer our prayers? My prayers?"
"I did answer them, Gabriel," Chuck nodded, slowly making his way around the metal island, "Just because I didn't speak literal words doesn't mean I wasn't communicating with you in other ways."
Gabriel was breathing harshly next to Castiel, but the seraph wasn't sure whether it was from anger or emotion. The archangel was clearly distraught and unwilling to accept these comments.
"I asked you for peace," Gabriel breathed.
"And I made sure you left heaven to find it," God replied.
"I asked you for guidance and love," the archangel huffed.
"And I guided you to Sam Winchester," their Father nodded.
Chuck had walked all the way across the room and was now standing directly in front of Gabriel. Both of their vessels were almost the exact same height, so they paused to stare boldly at each other at eye level. Castiel felt as if he was home in Heaven again, watching his family speak freely just as they did so long ago. Their Father appeared genuinely sympathetic as Gabriel's golden eyes shimmered with tears.
"I've... I've been through so much," Gabriel uttered, voice low and somber, "I've seen so much sadness and death..."
"But you've also seen joy and life," God responded softly, "Just look at where you're standing, Gabriel. Look at the faces around you. Look at your child."
"I do. I hardly ever take my eyes off her," Gabriel replied, his voice on the verge of cracking, "She's everything I ever wanted. I almost died giving birth to her, by the way. Not that you care..."
Though Gabriel's words were harsh, their Father actually let out a small laugh. He paused to shake his head with humor and confusion.
"Not that I care?" he repeated with an arched eyebrow, "Gabriel, how do you think you ended up in that meadow with Jessica Moore?"
Gabriel's face suddenly drained of all color. His mouth fell open and he seemed stunned beyond words. Castiel glanced between the two powerful beings in the kitchen, feeling lost. Jessica Moore? When did Gabriel see her? What meadow where they speaking of?
"Yes, I was there too," their Father smiled, "I never left you, son. I've been with you since before the Creation... and I love you very much."
Chuck's arms opened into an inviting pose as if he was giving Gabriel the opportunity to embrace him.
"Why don't we try a fresh start, huh?" he offered gently.
Castiel glanced back to his older brother, who seemed hesitant to accept their Father's invitation. The seraph could understand why the archangel would have difficulty forgiving their Father for 'taking a step back,' as he called it. But against all odds, Gabriel actually stumbled forward to wrap his arms around God's vessel. Castiel stood by and watched the loving interaction with warmth in his own heart. He had waited to see such a sight for so long...
"You can't disappear for centuries at a time anymore, old man," Gabriel huffed, sounding as though he was trying very hard to hold back his own emotions.
"I won't," God promised.
The two of them eventually parted and Gabriel backed up to casually wipe his own eyes. A few seconds of silence occupied the room before the Lord turned his attention to Castiel. The younger angel gulped under his Father's stare, unable to believe that he was actually standing in the presence of such an almighty figure.
"Castiel," Chuck smiled, moving closer to him, "My ever-faithful child. Always so quiet and inquisitive... What do you say? Can you forgive me for not answering your calls?"
Castiel could feel the weight of the question he was just asked. After searching fruitlessly for God for so many years – stuck wondering if he ever existed at all – would Cas be able to put it all behind him and move forward? Many thoughts flew through the angel's mind in the blink of an eye, but the common theme among all of them was Dean. If God truly aided the relationship that Castiel shared with Dean – if God genuinely protected and nurtured their bond so that their precious son could come into being, if everything worth living for in Cas's life truly stemmed from his own Father's hand – then Castiel could forgive him with ease...
The seraph slowly stepped forward to embrace his heavenly Father, physically stating his answer. Chuck's arms circled Castiel's back and the angel indulged in the awing sensation of hugging his Father for the first time. It may have looked like a simple gesture on the outside, but Castiel could feel the connection inside his own grace as well. His entire celestial body was alight with comfort and love.
"That's my boy," his Father murmured.
To be referred to in such an affectionate way by his own Father made Castiel's heart thump with delight. The angel eventually pulled back to look properly at Chuck, who was smiling in the midst of his dark beard. Still, Castiel was very curious to know why God decided to visit the bunker at this late hour.
"Why are you here, Father?" the angel asked, "Why did you wake the children?"
"Good question. I wanna know too," Gabriel agreed, stepping forward again with an eyebrow raised.
Chuck glanced between his two sons and smiled as he patted some of the flour from his apron.
"I wanted to talk to Jude and Jess about some things. And bake stuff with them. You know, spend some quality time with my grandchildren while they're still young," he shrugged.
"What did you discuss with them?" Cas asked.
"I... I can't tell you that yet," Chuck eventually sighed, "It's kind of a secret. Don't worry, you're gonna find out all about it in a few days."
"So you're keeping secrets with our children now? Geez, so much for starting fresh," Gabriel grumbled.
Chuck only gave a small laugh and reached up to gently pat Gabriel's cheek.
"You'll understand in due time, Gabriel. Have some patience," their Father winked, "In the meantime, keep taking care of each other and counting your blessings."
Chuck reached up to rest one hand on Gabriel's shoulder and the other on Castiel's. He glanced between the two angels in the kitchen with a sincere air of respect and tenderness. Castiel could do nothing but stand in awe of his heavenly Father and await his next words.
"I'm proud of you guys," Chuck nodded, "I mean it. You two are my best children. And you're doing a great job with your own kids. Keep up the good work... I'll be seeing you again soon."
Before Castiel could question his Father's last comment, Chuck disappeared. God had exited the room and took a sense of light with him. The kitchen seemed darker than it was before, only lit with the dim fluorescent bulb from above. Castiel and Gabriel were both rendered speechless and still, too shocked by what took place to even move. They had just spoken with their Father for the first time in ages and it went better than either of them expected. Which was why they felt so surprised.
"Castiel? What the hell just happened?" Gabriel eventually breathed, blinking in confusion.
The blue-eyed angel stepped forward to study the pan of fresh muffins left on the counter. The pastries were still steaming with heat and emitting a delicious scent. Castiel's smile returned as he carefully picked up one of the warm fluffy muffins and brought it to his nose to breathe in the divine smell. Memories of a peaceful Heaven filled his mind and rekindled the admiration he had long ago for the place he used to call home.
"I believe our father has invited us to share a loving relationship with him again," Castiel answered with a smirk.
(Author's Note: Oh Chuck. So many unanswered questions, so many disgruntled children, so little time to explain himself. Lol. :) I know my Chuck probably doesn't sound very canon. I'll be honest with you, I prefer classical idea of God instead of how he is portrayed on the show. I feel he needs to be a little more reliable character in this story than he is on Supernatural. (Does that make sense?) This way, Castiel and Gabriel have a chance to have a good relationship with him again, which I'm striving to create. What was Chuck talking to the kids about, you ask? I guess we'll have to wait just like everyone else in the story. Lol. :) Btw, the idea for Jude's helmet sort of came from Hotel Transylvania. You know, when Mavis learns how to fly? Cute right? :) I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thank you sooo much for spending time reading and leaving reviews. You guys make me smile all the time! You seriously brighten my Fridays every week! :D The next chapter will be out soon! :)
Angie, Yay! I'm so glad that you are enjoying the new installment with Jude and Jess! :D And I'm glad you like Ollie, too. He's such a sweetie. ;) hahaha! I'm so sorry for confusion you with all those other Sabriel references. Lol! :D It sounds like you've read all my other stuff, and for that, I am very grateful! Thank you so much! *hugs* I'm so glad that you're hooked, darlin! Thanks again for reading and reviewing! :)
princessg101, Hey sweetheart! :D Haha! You're very welcome for the peach-flavored Sabriel smut wake up call. That's my favorite way to wake up, too. ;D Hmm, a school roleplay you say? We might see about that. :D (I love the idea of Dean wearing a school girl skirt and being slapped by a ruler.) ;D Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, love! :)
Spngrl272, Aww, I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed Sam reading to Jess. I figured that would be one thing that Sam loves to do with her. (He's gonna get her hooked on books.) ;) Yay! I'm glad you like Oliver too! And don't you worry at all about rambling. In this fandom, there's no such thing as rambling. Just long-winded arguments for the greater good. Lol! :D It's a pity your friends don't watch the show. (You should tie them down and make them watch some.) ;) Thank you so much for all those kind words, and for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter as well! :)
Classical E Centric, Aw, thanks, love! :) Oh, don't worry. I know that Dean and Cas didn't get to use their lube in this chapter. But trust me. That stuff is going to be used before the story is over. ;D Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, darlin! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter as well! :)
Deanstiel's Daughter, Haha! I'm so glad that you enjoyed Gabriel's constant interruption during sex, darlin. I was worried that it wasn't very funny, but I'm glad that wasn't the case. ;D Your roleplay universe sounds very sweet. :) I like that the guys keep hunting as they balance domestic life. Can't get that family business out of their blood, eh? ;) May I ask what Dean and Cas's son's name is in your rp? He sounds like an adorable kid. :) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, love! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter as well! :)
Sammy's Rose, OH NO! NOT AGAIN! *quickly does CPR to resuscitate you* :D My apologies, darlin. I didn't mean to kill you with fluff again. ;D Yeah, I figured that The Velveteen Rabbit would be an appropriate pick for our baby bunny. ;) Lol! And I'm so glad that you caught that she still says cute things like Eggies. She's smart, but we don't want her to grow up too fast, do we? ;D Awwww! I absolutely love your discription of her out fit for her first day of school! All the sparkly supples and rainbow clothes! Gah! 30 pts to Ravenclaw for sheer cuteness overload. :D Haha! I'm glad you liked the 'holy staff-wielding Moses' line. It was one of those things where I wasn't sure if it was funny or not, but I'm glad it was. ;D Btw, your sucker pun killed me. I literally laughed out loud. Luckily, no one was around to hear me. Lol! :D And yes. Our lil Ollie is a ginger, just like you! :) My two favorite red-heads. ;) I'm so sorry that I haven't been on Tumblr very much lately, darlin. I've been stressing about this story and dealing with stuff irl. But I adore hearing from you! :) Thank you sooo much for lovingly reading and reviewing, sweetheart! I hope you liked this new chapter as well! :)
Ashley Allen 46, Awww, you are so very welcome, sweetheart! *hugs* I'm glad that you enjoy hearing about Jude and Jess. And bless you for all those compliments! :) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! :)
Jawn Lennon Aid, Oh, darlin, you are absolutely right! Sam and Gabriel would have definitely sensed if something was off about the Thompsons. But they are genuine people. And yes, Gabriel would obliterate anyone who ever tries to touch his lil baby bunny. ;) I'm so glad that this story is able to help you relax, love! And I'm glad that you also have music to drift away with as well. ;) I'm so sorry that you have so many sleepless nights, but I hope you get plenty of rest soon. :) Thank you so much for always reading and reviewing, sweetheart! I hope you enjoy the new chapter as well! :)
LidiaBorges, Haha! Cute and Naughty indeed. (That should be a bumper sticker!) :D I'm so glad you liked it, darling! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy the new chapter as well! :)
gothichic, Hey, sweetheart! :D Oh, I'm so happy that you enjoyed it! :D I'm over the moon to hear from you again as well! :) Aww, I know. The Velveteen Rabbit is a very bittersweet story, but I think our bunny enjoyed it. Could you imagine if she turned all her stuffed animals into real ones? There would be a million bunnies hopping around in the kitchen, dolphins in the bath tub, bears in the study, and Dickie's moose would take up the whole garage. Lol! :D Oh, I'm sure Jess will get a real bunny one of these days. She'll be a great caretaker. ;) Hehe! Crowley and Bobby are getting great usage out of their whiskey lube, I'm sure. You're right! I totally forgot about the honey flavor! Hmm. Maybe Gabe can go back to the store for Dean and Cas and get it? ;) Oh, I know. Poor Gabe worries about his baby bunny so much. Even during sexy times. Lol. And Yay! I'm so glad that you like Ollie! :D OMG! That would be hilarious if Tonya, the Pornstars' daughter from the Solo series, went to school with them! Dean would see her parents at a PTA meeting or something and get all nervous like, "Holy shit, Cas! I know those people!" And Cas would be like, "Really? From where?" And Dean would gulp and say, "From porn." LOL! XD That would be a humorous discussion, don't you think? :D Oh yes, Oliver's birthday party is going to be very fun! I'm sure we will all enjoy it! :) Sweetheart, thank you so very very much for reading and reviewing every week! I'm so happy that you are enjoying the story so far! And I hope you enjoy the new chapter as well. *hugs and kiss* Much love to you, darlin! :)
abovely girl, Hehe! Oh yes, love. Jessica is very advanced for her age. I think she gets her smarts from Sam, but her angelic grace also escalates her knowledge. It's a double whammy for her. Lol. :) I'm so glad that you like cute lil Ollie so far, too! :) And yes. Of course I have them hunting! It just isn't in the Winchester blood to give up hunting, you know? But I know what you're saying. I haven't read many other mpreg fics, but they do tend to be more domesticated in them. I prefer the balance of domestic fluff and the hunting we've all come to know and love. It keeps things interesting, and I'm so happy that you agree! ;) So, your brother didn't use his Batmobile very much because he was obsessed with Superman instead? Perhaps he and Jude have a lot in common, no? ;D Thank you so so so much for all your kind words and for reading and reviewing, darling! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter as well! :)
hullosweetpea, Oh, hello again, love! How are you? It's so good to hear from you again! :D I'm so happy that you've been able to catch up with the new story! I really hope you're liking it so far. :) Yes, Jude's struggles with flying are going to be difficult at first, but he will eventually get the hang of things. No worries. ;) Yeah, our sweet lil baby bunny is growing into her own grace quite nicely. And Ollie is going to be a cheerful – and helpful – addition to their group. ;) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, love! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter as well! :)
Banana Theft, Haha! Oh, sweetheart, don't ever feel bad for leaving huge blocks of text! Huge blocks of text are my absolute favorite! :D And thank you so much for all of those wonderful compliments! I'm blushing like crazy. *hides face* You know what? Gabriel passed on some of his grace to Dickie, so I guess it does kinda make him immortal. Lol! :D Oh, and I'm so glad that you enjoy reading about Jude's fear of flying as much as I love writing it. You're absolutely right! It gives him something to overcome and will ultimately make him a better character. And it does bring him closer to his bow-legged Daddy. (like it did in this very chapter.) ;) Jude still has many more things to go through before he takes off (hehe, get it? Flying pun? No? Sorry. Lol.) But, he'll get there with the help of his family. ;) Thank you so very very much for leaving such a wonderful review! You are too sweet, love! :) I hope you enjoyed the new chapter as well! :)