Chapter 4 - Fade To Black

When Becky awoke, the first thing she did was look for Brian. He was back in his crib, sound asleep, and she breathed a sigh of relief. After Brian had been fed and changed and Sam had held him for a little while to establish some bonding, his little son had drifted off. Cas and Gail were still gone, and after a few minutes' restless waiting, Gabriel had made a couple of tart comments and then told Sam to tell Cas to come and look for him when he felt like he was ready. Then Cas and Gail had come back, and Sam had relayed the message. Cas and Gail had linked hands and popped back out again, and Sam's head was spinning from all the sudden appearances and disappearances. Maybe he would go and have a nap, too. So he had quietly returned Brian to his crib in Becky's room and then continued down the hall to his own.

Becky continued to lay there for a minute, looking at her son sleeping so peacefully. She was still having bad dreams, and sometimes it was hard to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Like when Brian had said Vincent's name. There was no way that could really have happened. Babies that young didn't talk. They just didn't. That couldn't be normal, could it? But then she thought some more about it. Brian had also been moving in her belly when she'd just been newly pregnant, and he'd been big when he came out, even though he was premature. Was it possible that he was just so advanced that he did everything before other kids? Look at how smart Sam was. Did that have something to do with it, maybe?

She slid out of bed and padded across the hall to the washroom. Then she came back and looked down at Brian, but he was sleeping so peacefully that she decided to leave him alone. Bit by bit, she was easing off on the notion that she had to bring him to every room with her. She was here, and Brian was safe. That kind of attachment wasn't healthy. Becky knew that. She read stuff.

In fact, when Becky went out to the library and nobody was there, she thought she would just look it up on Google. So she went to Sam's laptop and typed it in: How old are babies when they say their first words? She scanned the articles. There was some differing information, of course, but the general consensus was that anywhere between nine and twelve months was usually about average. Wow.

Then, on impulse, Becky erased that, and typed in an inquiry about eating live animals. Did people do that? Was that a normal pregnancy craving? And, if so, did anyone ever still feel the urge to do it, once their baby was born?

But then, she thought better of it. That was just too weird. Lord knew what would come up if she did that search. Did she even want to know? Women craved weird stuff all the time when they were pregnant, and if she had the occasional craving now, it was just because she'd been doing it for so long now. For the baby.

Becky cleared the subject matter hurriedly, and then she shut the computer off.

"So, THERE you are. Come on in, you two," Gabriel said, affably enough. He hadn't been in such good humour when he'd first gotten to Liz's, but she had succeeded in making him see things from Gail's point of view. She hadn't seen her husband in days, Liz had said. Why, though, Liz wasn't entirely clear on. Sure, he and Gabriel had been scanning the globe and the planets for Raguel, but Liz had still seen Gabriel at some point nearly every day. So where had Cas been during those same times, if it hadn't been with Gail?

"If you two are done playing Nookie Hooky, we'd better get this thing done," Gabriel said to Cas and Gail. "We don't need Crowley thinking up a dozen ways to screw us over while we're away."

Cas's cell phone rang, and he excused himself to move away and answer it.

"'Nookie Hooky'?" Gail said to Gabriel, and he shrugged. So she looked from him to Liz, and then back again. "And just what have the two of YOU been doing, then?" Gail said, raising an eyebrow. Liz's hair was sticking up on the side of her head. "Reading the Bible?" Gail made the motion to her own head, and Liz smoothed her hair down, smiling.

"Well, I do remember a lot of praise, and more than a few references to the Almighty," Gabriel quipped. Gail's lips twitched as Liz hit Gabriel on the arm. "Oww!" he exclaimed. "That's it; I'm keeping you and Linda apart, from now on. She's been teaching you some bad habits. Every time I open my mouth, she socks me one."

"Has it ever occurred to you that there's a direct correlation?" Liz said dryly, and Gail laughed. "Up top," she said to her friend. Liz looked puzzled for a moment, and then she high-fived Gail's hand.

"Gabriel, I need you to come with me for a moment," Cas said in a serious tone. He was putting his phone back in his pocket. He looked at Gail. "Stay here, please."

She eyed him coolly. "What am I, the family pet? 'Sit'. 'Stay'. I told you, Cas, I'm going with you. You have no choice. You need my blood. And you're not getting it unless it's fresh from the source," she said, gesturing to herself.

His lips tightened. "It's not that. I just need to talk to Gabriel for a moment," Cas said. But she was still looking at him, so Cas said, "We won't leave Heaven. I promise."

"Who was that on the phone?" Gail asked her husband, because it seemed like he wasn't inclined to tell her.

"We'll be back in a couple of minutes," Cas said evasively, grabbing Gabe's arm. Then, the two of them were gone.

Gail let out a frustrated breath. "Well, there goes the most exasperating man in Creation. And the current runner-up," she said irritably.

"What's going on, Gail?" Liz asked her friend. "Why is Cas acting so weird?"

Gail threw her hands up. "THANK you!" she exclaimed. "He has this way of making me feel like it's all in my imagination. But he's been saying the strangest things, lately. Stuff about how it's all going to change, soon. He's freaking me out, Liz. I just thought he was being melodramatic, but now I'm starting to feel it, too."

"Well, lots of things ARE changing," Liz pointed out. "There are some bad things that have happened lately, I know, but there are some positive changes, too. Like Sam and his little baby. Right?"

Gail looked at her friend. She debated with herself for a moment, and then she said, "About that? Don't get mad, but I have to tell you something about that baby. He kind of creeps me out."

"He creeps you out," Liz said sarcastically. "A little, bitty, innocent baby. Well, aren't YOU just an Angelic role model."

"Come on, Liz. You're my best friend. Don't make me regret confiding in you," Gail said, frowning.

"OK, I'm sorry," Liz responded. "So what is it about that tiny little person that's giving Xena the Warrior Princess here the chills?"

"You know, before you and Gabriel started seeing so much of each other, you used to be nice," Gail said tartly.

Liz sighed. "You know what? You're right. I'm sorry, Gail. Have a seat. Tell me what's bothering you."

Gail sat down beside her friend on the couch. "That's just it; I don't really know. There's just something weird about that baby, Liz. I just get a vibe from him. I know how ridiculous that sounds, but I really can't explain it any better than that. And Becky keeps giving me the side-eye, like I'm trying to muscle in on her territory, or something. I've just got to get out of there for a while. Plus, I miss Cas."

Liz was debating with herself now, wondering if she should bring up the fact that Cas seemed to be disappearing and going someplace Gail obviously didn't know about when he wasn't with Gabriel. But then, she decided not to. Liz really didn't know anything about it. If she said something now, Gail would probably get mad at Cas and lay into him when the guys got back, and didn't they all have enough problems right now? Liz knew Cas, so she was sure he had his reasons for not telling Gail where he'd been going. That was between the couple. Liz had better not go sticking her nose in where it didn't belong.

So, instead, she shook her head and said, "'Nooky hooky'. I honestly don't know where Gabriel gets these things from. You're right. He IS exasperating, sometimes. But he makes me laugh, Gail. He makes me happy. I never had that before."

Gail regarded her friend. That was certainly true. They'd had a lot of conversations since Christmas about all kinds of topics, and that subject had definitely come up. As best girlfriends will sometimes do, they had laughed, and cried, and hugged a lot. Gail had asked Liz how serious her relationship with Gabriel really was, and Liz had replied that she and Gabe hadn't had that specific conversation yet, but if she wasn't inclined to kill him in the next few months because he drove her so nuts, it might be sooner, rather than later. They'd had a good giggle about that, but for just an instant, Gail had had a tickle of a premonition that made her believe that might not be so funny, after all. Then they had gone on to talk about other things, but Gail hadn't forgotten how she'd felt at that particular moment. That was why she hadn't questioned Cas more closely, back at their house. With everything negative that had been going on in and around their family lately, Gail realized that she simply didn't want to know.

Cas had told Gabriel that he wanted to go over to Kevin and Emma's office, and see how they were coming along on the translations. Gabe had looked at him curiously. Wasn't this a bit of a weird time to be doing that? "Was that Kevin on the phone?" he asked his Brother.

"No," Cas said tersely.

Gabriel sighed. No wonder his little Kitten got so cranky sometimes. She had to put up with this all the time. But it just so happened that the Archangel had something he wanted to tell Castiel about, so he said, "Walk with me, Cas. I need to ask you something."

Cas looked at him inquiringly, but he started to walk down the hall in the direction of Kevin and Emma's office. His stride was brisk, and Gabe had to hurry to keep up with him.

After a moment, Gabriel said, "There's something going on with that baby, Cas."

He had been expecting to receive an eye roll, or a head shake. A protest. Something. But Cas stopped short, staring at Gabriel. "What do you mean?" he asked sharply.

Gabe sighed again. "Look, Cas, I know he's a Winchester, so that means you're automatically in love with him, but I've gotta tell you what happened. There's something wrong with that kid, Cas. Seriously wrong."

And then something happened that astonished Gabriel so much that he was rendered speechless for a moment. Cas put his hand on Gabriel's shoulder and said, "I know."

The call that Cas had received had been from Frank. He was making the calls now, to put everyone on notice. A short while ago, Jody had told him that she was tired. She had been propped up in bed, and he had been reading to her. Most of the time, it was difficult for her to hold a book, or even a device like a Tablet, so her husband read to her because it was easier on her. But when she'd said that, he had put down the book and moved to the bed to give her a kiss, asking her if she needed anything before he let her rest.

But Jody had told him to sit down on the bed, and then she'd taken his hand. "I'm tired, Frank," she repeated.

"OK, well, go ahead and have a nap," he said. He checked the IV bag for her morphine drip. "You've still got some joy juice, here."

Jody smiled faintly. Her husband, always trying to keep it light. "That's not what I mean," she told him. "I mean, I'm tired. I'm tired of the headaches, and the forgetfulness. I'm tired of trying to pretend like I know what you and those kids are talking about, half the time. You have to let me go, just like we talked about."

Frank's eyes prickled with tears, and his stomach cramped. But he made himself quip, "Oh, sure. THAT, you remember."

Jody gave his hand a squeeze. "I also remember that I love you, even if I don't remember your name, sometimes. It's time to make the calls, Poochie."

She had called Frank by their daughter's stuffed elephant's name, Frank realized. She'd probably been going for "Pookie", which was the nickname she had laughingly bestowed on her husband years ago. Back when they'd thought they would have more time. All Frank could do was nod.

Then he got up, left the bedroom, and went downstairs. Poochie. Frank started to laugh, but it wasn't long until his laughter turned into sobs. But he made himself stop, after a minute. He had some phone calls to make.

It was vital that Cas get to Kevin's office. Now, more than ever. Cas had been studying the ancient writings during those times when Gabriel had been with Liz, applying himself to them with everything he had. There had to be something in there, something of significance. He'd showed up all hours of the day and night, forbidding the young Angels to alert anyone to his presence there. Kevin had asked Cas what he was looking for, offering to help, but the senior Angel had given him a look that discouraged any further inquiry.

And now, Gabriel was telling Cas about the vision he'd had when Baby Brian had touched him. Great. Just great. That was all they needed right now.

"Wait a minute," Gabriel said, open-mouthed. "You KNOW? How long have you known?"

"Not long," Cas told him. "I had my suspicions, but I didn't actually know until I was changing his diaper."

"So what the hell are we supposed to DO about it, Cas?" Gabriel said, agitated. "I have no idea where this kid, Joe, is. But the good news is, it looks like he knows he's the Chosen One. He's been practicing with my blade."

"Well, at least we have time," Cas said, tight-lipped. "Brian is but an infant, yet. As long as he dies before the age of ten, another Apocalypse will be averted. But we have far more pressing issues, right now. If we do not handle Raguel soon, there will be no Earth for the Beast to destroy!" He picked up the pace. This was too much. It was too much, all at once. The Beast was Sam and Becky's son? The Beast was Sam Winchester's son. Out of all of the millions upon millions of children born all over the world, every minute of every hour of every day? Father had been cruel before, but this was almost beyond comprehension. How was Cas supposed to tell Sam that his son had to die?

Frank had called Barry and Tommy, putting them on notice to expect one of the Angels to come and get them very soon. Then he'd hung up, before the crying could begin. He still had the hardest call to make.

Dean's cell phone rang just as the elder Winchester was pulling the Impala into the parking lot of a roadhouse just outside Eugene. Their so-called case had turned out to be simply a police matter, not a monster. So the three of them were going to have a beer or two, a bite to eat, and then head home.

"Send the boys inside, and stay on with me for a sec," Frank said to his friend.

Dean's forehead wrinkled. Then, his heart sank into his stomach. Aw, geez. No. No.

"Order me a double whiskey," he told Rob and Eric as they exited the car. "I'll be there in a second."

The young men proceeded inside without any further questions. They were hungry and thirsty.

Frank explained the situation.

"How long do we have?" Dean asked him grimly. "Or are you gonna send one of the Angels to get us now?"

"How long do you think it would take you to drive back?" Frank countered.

"I dunno," Dean admitted.

"I think you can start back," Frank told him. "I'll call you if anything changes."

"Do you want me to tell them?" Dean asked Gail's brother.

Frank sighed. "I have no clue, Dean. I can't even think, right now. All I can do is put one foot in front of the other. Make one phone call at a time. I'm gonna call Sam, now. Tell you what: it's your call. I don't want to put that on you, though, so if you feel like it, you can tell them you just want to get home. It's your show, Dean. Right now, I can only focus on one phone call at a time, or I'm gonna lose my shit. OK, Buddy?"

"OK, Frank. Leave it with me. I've got you," Dean said soberly. "We'll be home soon." He hung up the phone and went into the bar to talk to Rob and Eric, and his heart was heavy. Hopefully, the drinks were already on the table.

There was a surprise waiting for Cas when he and Gabriel got to Kevin and Emma's office. Laurel was there, and she had an envelope for him. From Chuck.

It was still sealed. Laurel hadn't been able to bring herself to open it. She only told Cas about the fact that Chuck's letter had said she was to deliver the envelope to Cas. The rest of the letter was between her and Chuck.

"How are you, Laurel?" Cas asked her softly. It was obvious that she had been crying. Then, she simply disappeared, leaving Cas to stare miserably at the spot where she'd been standing. He supposed that was his answer. But he couldn't blame her; not one bit. He was sure she'd been wondering what kind of a God would bless her with a devoted husband for only two weeks, and then allow that husband to be slaughtered, for no reason. Castiel had been wondering that, himself. He had been having many of those same kinds of thoughts about his Father, and the news about Brian was just adding fuel to the fire.

"Excuse me," Cas said to the others. He popped out, reappearing in his own office in Heaven a moment later. If Chuck had said the envelope was to be delivered to Cas, not Bobby, he thought he'd better read it in private. He tore it open, scanning the page. What he saw there was so shocking that he had to sit down in the chair behind his desk.

"The End is coming, Cas," Chuck had written. "Without the key, the world lies in ruins. My death is just the beginning. There are monsters already in your midst, and there will be more to come.
"I saw death, and heartbreak. And, in one case, there's a death that should be allowed to occur. But I couldn't see whose, Cas. I'm sorry. There are some things the Father didn't let me see. I saw the Mark of the Beast. You're going to have to make some hard decisions, ones that will influence the fate of all mankind. Sorry; I guess I should change that to 'humankind', because Gail's going to have to make some, too.
"Patricia has my Grace, and she means to help Raguel get the Book of Life. They have to be stopped, Cas. But, look who I'm telling: you know that already. It's up to you, Cas. You're the only one who has the courage to make the really hard decisions. God is giving you the metaphorical sword, because He trusts you to use it.
"I'm really sorry, Cas. I'm sorry for a lot of things. But we all have our atoning to do, and I guess if you're reading this, mine has already begun. Please give Gail my love, and a great big hug from me, too. I will forever be grateful to the both of you for your forgiveness, and for calling me your friend."

Cas lowered the letter, putting it on his desk carefully, as if it were poisonous. And, in a very real way, it was.

The End was coming. Well, no kidding, Cas thought bitterly. They'd known that for a while, as soon as they'd read the phrase that Kevin and Emma had translated from the Texts:

"But only one key opens.
Fail to heed,
Everything Dies.
Earth, Annihilated.
Destroyed."

But where was this damnable key that Castiel kept hearing about, and how was he supposed to find it?

The part about monsters didn't concern Cas too much. There had always been monsters, and there always would be. And there was always plenty of heartbreak to go around, wasn't there? Chuck had advised that his death was only the beginning, and soon they were going to lose Jody. Frank had just called to prepare Cas, which meant that Cas should be at Liz's, preparing Gail. But there was so much in this missive of Chuck's for him to absorb that he needed a minute.

The fact that the Prophet had talked about Castiel having to make the hard decisions didn't surprise him, either. As a General of Heaven's Army, he'd been doing that for years. Centuries. Chuck seemed to be alluding to a decision to let someone die, something that Castiel had also done, many, many times during the Angel Wars. But reading about that kind of thing in this context made him afraid that the individual who was supposed to die was someone that he would ordinarily want to save. Who was it? And what would happen if he refused to stay his hand, and went ahead to save the person, anyway? What would the consequences be?

But what had shocked Cas to the core was the reference to Gail, having to make those kinds of decisions, too. It had only ever been Castiel, because it had only ever been his punishment. He closed his eyes, silently pleading with his Father not to do this to her. But it was a short prayer, because he was certain that he was wasting his time. And they didn't have much time left.

Patricia. Patricia had Chuck's Grace, and she and Raguel had thrown in together. They had left her in that mental institution to rot, and now they were paying the price for having been so complacent. He'd better alert Bobby about Patricia. Now that she had an Angel's Grace, she could go anywhere. Including here. While Cas and Gabriel were attempting to find Raguel, Bobby could be on the lookout for Patricia.

Okay. OK. There was much to do. It was time to put his personal feelings on the shelf, and pick up that sword. He only hoped that it would truly be a metaphorical one, this time.

Sam was distraught. Frank's call had been bad enough, but then, Dean had called shortly after that, saying he was driving home as fast as he could, with a couple of very upset young men in the car with him. As it turned out, he hadn't had to tell them a damn thing. They had already known, just by the look on his face. It had occurred to Sam to wonder why Eric hadn't just teleported them there instantly, but then he realized: as far as he could recall, the young man hadn't really teleported anywhere, for quite some time. Maybe he couldn't really do it anymore? Or, maybe he simply chose not to. But now was not the time to bring up the question.

Brian was still napping and Becky was in the kitchen, making her and Sam something to eat. Not that he had much of an appetite. But it gave her something to do. The trouble was, Sam had nothing to do at the moment but feel anguish over Jody. He could relate to how Gail had been feeling. It was absolute hell, just sitting around idle.

Thinking about Gail led Sam to think about the fact that they had discovered Agnes Bidwell on the list of Vincent's offspring. THAT was something he could do. So he looked around for her business card, but he couldn't find it. Where the hell had he put the thing? He was usually a lot more organized than that. He checked his phone, but her number wasn't in the Contacts. He sat down at the computer. She wasn't in there, either. He had probably just flipped the card somewhere once they'd gotten home, intending to enter her info when he had time. Even if they might never need to call the person again, Sam kept a file on police contacts that they had made in various cities, because you never knew. But she wasn't there. Dammit.

He checked for her name online, and got a shocking result. Detective Agnes Bidwell had just been found shot to death in her famous father's beach house.

Holy crap. Sam scanned the news item. There wasn't much information. Apparently, Aggie's mother had discovered her adopted daughter laying across the coffee table in the living room, shot dead. How horrible for the poor woman. And how horrible for Aggie. Sam had liked her.

Another one of Gail's siblings, dead. And Jody, about to be. Chuck, murdered by Raguel, and poor Quinn, whose murder remained unsolved. Sam sat back in his chair, his guts churning. What the hell was going on, all of a sudden?

"Hello, sweetheart," Crowley said to Gail once she, Cas and Gabriel met him at the appointed spot. "Or should I not call you that any more, now that we know about our true relationship?"

"I don't care," she said, rolling her eyes. "I've got other things to think about. Let's just get this done."

"That's amazing," Crowley said sardonically. "I didn't know that Castiel had taken up ventriloquism."

"All right, look," Gabriel said sharply. "I know: King of Hell, evil bastard, yada, yada, yada. But, can you just stow it for now? Jody's getting worse. It could be any time now. So just leave it, OK?"

For a wonder, Crowley nodded briefly in acknowledgement. He snapped his fingers, and a brass vessel appeared on the ground in front of them. "I've taken the liberty of assembling all the other required ingredients," he told them. "All that remains is..." He took out the letter opener that had been laying on his desk. He'd seen Castiel's eyes narrow as he reached into his pocket. The mood these three were in, he'd best leave the Angel blade in his other pocket. Not that he could blame them. The King had meant what he'd said about Jody. As members of the God Squad went, he had respected her more than most.

Crowley pricked his finger with the letter opener. "Five drops ought to do it," he said calmly. He bled into the vessel, then spun the letter opener in his hand to pass it to Gail, handle first.

Cas grabbed it before she had the chance to take it. He went into his pocket for the cloth he'd taken from the weapons room in Heaven before they'd come here. It was consecrated material, capable of cleansing any fluid it was used on, both literally, and spiritually. He wiped Crowley's blood from the letter opener with the cloth, leaving it pristine.

"Really, Castiel?" Crowley said, his lips tightening.

Cas looked at him coldly. "If you think that I would let my wife draw blood with a weapon of your choice, with your blood still on it - "

Crowley was furious now. "I am not some disease-ridden, bottom-feeding Demon," he said through gritted teeth. "I am the King of Hell, and there was a time when your wife and I - "

"Geez, Louise," Gabriel said nervously, looking from one man to the other. "Who do you guys think you are, Cain and Abel, or something? What? Too soon?" He stepped in front of Cas, whose eyes were blazing a bright blue now. It would be a bad idea to let Crowley even think about finishing that sentence. Gabe liked juicy gossip as much as the next guy, but he wasn't that eager to start Apocalypse, Now, The Sequel, ahead of schedule. But he made a mental note to ask Gail about that later, when Cas wasn't in the room. Gabriel had been locked away in Nevada for the first few reels of this movie, so he had no idea what Crowley might have been referring to. There was a time when he and Gail...what? Went to the SuperBowl? Got mani-pedis? Took a night class together? Hoo, boy. Then again, the way Castiel was looking right now, Gabe was reconsidering. Maybe he didn't want to know, after all. His tolerance level for extreme nausea had just about been reached for today.

Fortunately, the tension eased a bit when Cas looked into his wife's eyes and she nodded, extending her hand to him. He paused for a beat, and then pricked her finger with the letter opener. As she held her hand over the vessel, adding her blood to the mix, Cas wiped the letter opener again. This time, there was a gold shimmer for a moment, when the cloth made contact with Gail's blood. Gabriel was mesmerized by that. Under other circumstances, he would have rejoiced at the sight. If anyone was aware of its significance, it was Gabriel the Archangel.

But he had better stay on his toes now, because Cas was looking at Crowley with that distasteful expression again. "I don't want you getting one drop of Gail's blood, either. You're not fit to touch even that."

"Do you really want to do this right now, Castiel?" Crowley said, his eyes and expression darkening. "Because if you do, that's fine with me. A little pretty golden glitter notwithstanding, your wife is hardly a Saint. Nor are you, nor is your debauched Archangel sidekick, here. Our Father is well aware of that fact. That's why everything around you will fall, Cas. Everything, and everyone. THAT'S why I haven't taken my revenge on you for that little foray into my Kingdom. I don't need to. Father is doing it for me. Maybe you should take that little rag of yours and try to wipe away your sins with it. See if that works."

Gail was struck now by the worst sense of dread she'd ever felt. "Why does everybody here seem to know what's going on besides me?" she said, trembling with fear and anger. "What am I missing? What's happening here?"

"Don't you worry your little head about it," Crowley said to her, his eyes glistening with amusement. They hadn't told her. Typical. "You're better off not knowing. Believe me. Well, if your husband is done being sanctimonious, we'll start the spell. Once I light it ablaze, there's a phrase that you and I have to say together." He looked at Cas. "If that's allowed, of course," the King added acidly.

Cas put the consecrated cloth back in his pocket. Then he moved forward to hand the letter opener back to Crowley. But suddenly, his grip on it tightened, and he drove it into the King of Hell's chest, as hard as he could.

"Oops. My grip must have slipped," Cas said, smiling grimly.

Crowley grabbed the handle of the letter opener, pulling it slowly out of himself. His and Castiel's eyes were locked together, each focused on the other. How far was too far? Crowley's other hand began to raise, and Gabriel's mouth opened: "We'll be right back," he said to Crowley hastily. "Teach her the spell." Then he seized Cas, and winked him away.

"What are you doing? Are you nuts?" Gabriel berated his Brother. "Are you deliberately trying to - " He bit off the sentence, peering closely at Cas's face. "Ohhhh. Wait a minute. I'm starting to get it. You think that if you throw down with him now, Dad's just going to cut to the chase and remove that yoke of responsibility from around your shoulders, is that it? Well, let me tell you something, Brother. As a guy who's spent eternity running away from responsibility and commitment, believe me when I say, it don't work like that. Just when you think you're out, they pull you back in. That's one pop culture reference I sure do understand. Look at me, standing right here, about to march into battle with you. Again."

"He has committed so many unforgivable - " Cas started to say, but Gabriel interrupted him. "This isn't about Crowley; it's about you. Of course he's a Grade A, Class One A-face. I'm not disputing that. What I'm talking about now is you, and those Prophecies you're carrying around." Cas looked started, and Gabriel shook his head slowly. "Please. I've been around since Eve had you in diapers, Brother. But it doesn't take an Archangel to know that when you get a letter from a dead Prophet, it's gonna have Prophecies in it. And you've been scared green for weeks now, even before that. So, give."

"We should get back," Cas said as a reply. "Gail shouldn't be alone with him."

"OK, we're gonna have to set aside a few hours real soon, so you and my little Kitten can fill me in on the first few chapters of this book," Gabe said sardonically. "But in the meantime, in case you haven't noticed, she can handle herself. You're stalling, Cas."

Castiel sighed heavily. Then he reached into his pocket and handed Gabriel the letter.

The Archangel read it quickly. "Wow," he remarked. "You must have really pissed Dad off, this time." He laughed shortly, without humour. "'The metaphorical sword', huh?"

"Yes. And when have you ever known it to be metaphorical?" Cas said bitterly.

And Gabriel had no answer for that, because his Brother was absolutely right. Fires, floods, plague. Pillars of salt. When their Father brought the hammer down, He didn't mess around. He sighed. "I'll help you however I can, Castiel. I won't leave you, this time. I promise. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've grown to love this crazy little family that you have, too. That WE have," he amended. Then the Trickster decided that Gabriel had been too serious for too long, so he raised an eyebrow and waggled it. "Besides, I've gotta stick around, until I can convince Gail that she settled."

Cas pulled Gabriel to him for a hug, but he couldn't speak at the moment. If Gabriel only knew what his loyalty and support meant to Cas...

Gabe returned the embrace for a few seconds, patting Cas on the back. "OK, there, Big Guy," he said, sounding eerily like Dean. "We'd better get going, before somebody gets badly hurt, back there. Oh, and Crowley might try to harm Gail too, once he picks himself up from the ground." He grinned and clapped Cas on the back, winking them both away.

Crowley had told Gail what the phrase was that they were supposed to say, and she had repeated it a few times, just to make sure that she had the pronunciation correct. Now they were just biding their time, waiting for the men to get back.

"What's up your husband's arse?" Crowley said with a frown. "He's being even more insufferable than usual." He pointed to his chest. "That hurt, you know." The wound was healed, the blood was gone, and the King had tucked the letter opener away, but he was still angry. What made Castiel think he could continue to get away with that sort of thing? Whatever their Father was cooking up for Cas this time around had better be good, because Crowley was about two steps away from carving out his brother's heart and feeding it to the hellhounds for kibble. Consequences be damned.

"We've been going through some stuff," Gail said in response. "Quinn and Chuck were murdered, and this thing with Jody...Well, let's just say that our nerves are pretty frayed, right now."

"But, at least there's a bright side," Crowley said casually. "A new little Winchester has been brought forward unto the Earth. Moose must be ecstatic. Even if the mother is a moronic, scheming little trollop. Right, sweetheart? You know, I don't care if you ARE my sister, I intend to keep on calling you that. Once I find a nickname I like, I don't like to switch. Don't be concerned if it sounds a little incestuous. I'll be going straight to Hell after this, anyway."

Gail stared at him. "Are you honestly trying to stand there and make jokes, right now? My sister-in-law is dying, and you're an evil ass. Frank's my brother, not you. Don't you ever make the mistake of thinking that you and I have any kind of bond. You stood there taunting Cas, and then you acted surprised to find a letter opener stuck in your chest. You're lucky that's ALL you got."

Crowley reached into his pocket and took out his Angel blade, twirling it around idly in his hand. "If any one of you wants to attempt something like that again, I would invite you to try," he said coolly. "In fact, why don't you and I have a go, right now?"

"What is WRONG with you guys, all of a sudden?!" Gail said angrily. "Suddenly, I'm living in a world where Gabriel is the Voice of Reason? Believe me, that's far scarier to me than you'll ever be."

Crowley barked out a laugh. Bollocks. She'd done it to him again. He put the blade away. "How is it that you're not afraid of me?" the King asked the Angel curiously.

She shrugged. "Maybe it's because I really don't think you want me to be dead. No suffering that way, right? Same as our Father. He doesn't want to make it quick and painless, does he? Oh, no. Not while there's pain and anguish to be had."

Crowley was puzzled. "Are you talking about Vincent? Why? What's he done?"

But Gail shook her head. "No. I'm talking about God."

But before Crowley had the chance to even think about how to respond to that, Castiel and Gabriel returned, and it was time to invoke the spell.

Sam hit the browser history on Google absently, still musing about the shocking news. Maybe he should look at that item about Agnes Bidwell again. See if there was anything about her murder that looked strange. Well, stranger than usual, of course. Any gris-gris bags, or elements of voodoo. Dammit. They should almost haul out the FBI suits, and go on a road trip. Maybe, if he saw any signs that there had been any occult activity at the beach house, they could get Cas and Gail to take them. Dean and the boys would be back in the morning. How much time did they have? The pain hit him in the gut. What he was really asking himself was: how much time did JODY have?

Sam hadn't bothered to lock his laptop. He only did that when they were on the road. He supposed he would have to do that routinely, when Brian got to be older. Probably sooner, rather than later. These days, it seemed as if kids came out of the womb with intermediate computer skills. Sam felt a thrill as he allowed himself to picture Brian as a young boy, using his Dad's laptop to do research. Wouldn't that be something special. He really hoped his boy would be interested in academia. Not that there was anything wrong with emulating Uncle Dean, of course. Maybe they could have the best of both worlds: maybe Brian would be a Mensa candidate, who loved to tinker with and repair classic cars in his spare time. He would be tall, handsome and muscular, with a ready smile and a deep, abiding love for his family. He would have everyone's best qualities. He would have Sam's quick mind, Dean's courage and surprisingly sensitive heart, Cas's love and fierce protectiveness for his family, and Gail's spunk, sass, and sense of humour. Brian would have Bobby's honesty and common sense, and Becky's...what?

Right. Sam had been thinking about his son this whole time as if Brian was just that: HIS son. But he was half Becky's, too. Sam knew next to nothing about the family she'd had in her previous life. So to speak. And, quite frankly, he knew next to nothing about Becky herself, and he wasn't sure that he really wanted to. Sam could see the way she looked at him sometimes, especially when she was holding their son. Like she was expecting him to suggest that they get a cute little ranch house together, with a back yard and a white picket fence. He knew he had to disabuse her of that notion before too much longer. But right now, he was just so in love with the idea of having a son to dote on, and care for. And the situation with Jody was hanging over everyone like a heavy black shroud, too.

Sam came out of his reverie for long enough to focus on what he was seeing on the browser search. The first item that stood out was an inquiry about how old babies generally were when they uttered their first words. Sam smiled warmly. Obviously, Becky had been doing some research, herself. That was kind of sweet.

But then his eyes shifted down, and his heart skipped a beat. Becky had deleted it, but she hadn't cleared the history, because she obviously hadn't known it would still appear here. It was an inquiry about eating live animals.

What the hell?

"Why could you not just leave me alone?" Rowena railed at the group. "I have been as quiet as a little church mouse. Have you lured me here to kill me?"

"No," Cas said briskly. Even though we should, he thought, but did not say. "We need your assistance with something."

Rowena stared at them open-mouthed, and then she laughed derisively. "Now, why on earth would I be inclined to help any of you? My son, who I loathe? Who wished me dead? My daughter, who betrayed me in New Orleans, setting me up for capture? Or you, Castiel? Gail has you wrapped so far around her little finger that you are no better than a hired assassin. And, you?" She looked at Gabriel. "Another Archangel? That's all I need. I'm sorry, but the day I do any favours for any of you will be the day that I sprout gossamer wings."

She tried to vanish out of there, but of course, Rowena was trapped by the spell. As long as the ingredients in the vessel burned, she could not leave.

"I would not need my wife's request to kill you," Cas said, tight-lipped. "In fact, with all of the things you have done to us and our family, you should consider it to be the greatest of mercies that I have not."

Gabriel cleared his throat, looking at Rowena. "Excuse me, hi, hello. Gabriel the Archangel, here. First off, I'd like to say that I love that whole look you've got going on, there. Flaming red hair, long, thick eyelashes, classic gown...gorgeous. And you're just a little bitty thing, aren't you? Now I see why Gail's so tiny. Anyway, look, Ro: you and I have just met, so let me assure you, I am nothing like Raguel. Nothing. Actually, that's why we're here. We were hoping you could do us a solid by taking that cloaking spell off of him. I can understand your confusion, though. My Brother here isn't very experienced at asking for favours. That's why you don't hear the words 'please', 'thank you', or 'favour' coming out of his mouth."

Rowena was disarmed. Now, this one, she liked. "Well, why didn't you say so?" she asked him, smiling. "I would be glad to remove the cloaking spell from Raguel. He disappointed me. Full of big words and big plans, he was, just like a lot of men. But when it came time to act...poof. Nothing." She looked at Gabriel from underneath those long lashes. "I presume you've never had that problem?"

"No, of course not," Gabriel said flirtatiously.

Gail elbowed him, hard. "Oww!" Gabe exclaimed, rubbing the area where she'd gotten him. "Why do you ladies always insist on hitting me?"

"Why? Do you enjoy that sort of thing?" Rowena said to Gabriel with a raised eyebrow.

Gail let out a frustrated breath. "I don't have time for this," she said angrily. "I didn't betray you in New Orleans. HE betrayed us both," she said to Rowena, pointing at Crowley. "But, my husband raises a good point. You HAVE done a lot of rotten things to us in the past. And, just so you know, Gabriel is taken. Look, the bottom line is, we need to find Raguel. It sounds like you don't care if we do. So, are you going to help us, or not?" She glanced at Gabriel. "Please," she added.

Everyone was silent for a moment. Then Rowena said, "All right. I have a couple of conditions, but: yes, I will help you."

Sam walked down the hall to the kitchen. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked Becky.

She turned around from the stove, where she was stirring a pot of cheese sauce for the steamed broccoli. "I know, I know. It's not healthy," she said affably. "But I had a craving for some cheese. You don't have to have any."

He was looking at her steadily, and Becky was starting to feel uneasy. "What is it, Sam?"

"Why are you looking up eating live animals on Google?" Sam asked her.

As Becky was trying to think of a reasonably sane answer to that question, Sam's cell phone rang. A minute later, the subject was forgotten.

Dean pulled over to the side of the road to answer his phone. "Grab your bags, guys," he said to Rob and Eric. "Get mine, too. Bobby'll be here in a minute."

Rowena performed the uncloaking spell, and Crowley snapped his fingers, dousing the flames which had been holding her bound after Gabriel reported that he had located Raguel. The Archangel was in Utah.

Cas looked at Rowena. "You are free to go," he said stiffly. Then he glanced at Gail. "And, thank you."

Rowena's face relaxed. "Before I take my leave, I just wanted to point something out. I have left all of you be. While I admit that I have done some regrettable things in the past, so have you all. When you confront Raguel, don't hesitate. He will destroy everything." She stared at Gail for another moment, as if she was considering what else to say. Then, she simply vanished.

And that was when Cas's cell phone rang.

Bobby had asked Liz to go to Frank's house, and he had popped over there with Angela a minute later. The little girl didn't often travel the Angel way, but unlike many other humans, it didn't seem to faze her all that much. Her Grandpa God put her down on the living room floor, and Angela ran over to Liz, carrying Poochie in one arm and Ralph in the other, as usual.

"Hi, Auntie Liz!" Angela said happily. "We had a great time in the park! Poochie and Ralph went down the slide, and Poochie played with me in the sandbox. But Ralph said HE likes snow, instead. So Grandpa sat with him on the bench, while me and Poochie were building him an igloo. Poochie said he'd like that." She paused. "But then, Grandpa's phone rang, and he said we had to come home."

Liz looked at Bobby with pleading eyes, but he gave her a quick shake of his head. Her heart sank into her stomach. "Let's go to your room and pick out a really good book to read," Liz said to Angela, smiling down at the little girl. "Then, we'll get the dustbuster and see if we can get rid of some of that sand. Okay?"

"OK," Angela said brightly. "Poochie says that tickles, but Grandpa says he has to be clean, for when we go see Mom in a minute."

Liz's stomach clenched, but she continued to smile. "OK, let's go, then," she said to Angela, shooing her out of the room.

"I'll be there in a coupla minutes," Bobby called after them.

Then everyone started to appear. Paul brought Sam, Ethan and Karen brought Dean, Rob, and Eric, and then Cas, Gail and Gabriel popped in. A minute later, Kevin showed up with Barry and Tommy.

"OK, that's everybody," Bobby said briskly. He turned to Dean. "Where'd you park?" Dean told him, and Bobby nodded. "Got it. I'll get down there, zap the car back to the bunker, then be right back. Cas, can you go upstairs and see Frank? Do whatever he asks. Everybody else, stay put."

He had spoken sternly on purpose, but everyone was too upset to do anything but obey. Bobby popped out, and Cas hurried upstairs. The rest of them looked at each other, wide-eyed. Then Gail and Rob started to cry silently, and then they all moved together, comforting one another.

"Hey, Cas," Frank said, looking up from Jody's bedside. "Is everybody here?"

"Yes, Frank," Cas said softly.

"Can you do me a favour?" Jody said to her brother-in-law. "Can you give me a lift down to the living room?" She stretched out her arms as Cas moved forward. Frank had already taken the IV out, when Jody had told him that she wanted to do this downstairs. He picked her up as gently as he could, shocked by how light she was. "Put your arms around my neck," he instructed her. "And, Frank, if you take Jody's hand, we'll all go together." Frank did, and Cas winked them to the living room instantly. He placed Jody on the loveseat, so that Frank could sit beside her.

Gail grabbed a blanket from the couch and brought it over, offering it to her sister-in-law. "No, thanks; I'm good," Jody said, smiling faintly. She looked around the room. "Wow. Looks like the makings of one hell of a party."

Bobby returned. He asked Paul, Ethan, Karen and Kevin to go back to Heaven, and Gabriel to go to Angela's room to keep Liz and Angela company until Bobby was ready to come for the little girl. The Angels all popped out without comment, even Gabriel. This was no time for a debate. The remaining people were who Jody had wanted to be there when she was ready to say goodbye.

"As you all know, I'm not long on melodrama," Jody said to her family. "I wanted to talk to you when I was still able to call all of you by name. I'm gonna make a quick speech, and then I want a hug and a kiss from everybody, before I go back upstairs." Jody sighed. "I just wanted to say that I know this sucks, and I know everybody's going to be really sad. I'm not going to tell you not to be. Truthfully, I'd be pissed off if you didn't mourn me, at least a little bit. But, promise me you won't stop enjoying life." She looked at Rob. "If anything, I want you to enjoy it more."

Rob sniffled, and Jody went on, "I'm going to elicit some more promises from you all. Dying people are allowed to do that. In the last few months, I've done a lot of thinking, when my brain was working the way it should. And I came to the realization that love and family are the most important things we have. Not exactly earth-shattering, is it, Sam? I remember all those nights we used to sit around, drinking coffee, talking about philosophy. I guess I'm being given a bit of a last hurrah, right now. But yesterday, Frank was showing me pictures of all of you, and I had no idea who any of you were. Including HIM. That's when I knew that I was done. I can take a lot of things, but I can't handle that. Hey, Dean, remember when Sam was sick with the flu, and you and I went to Montana to hunt for rougarou? Remember how I broke my leg in three places when we fell down that embankment?"

"Yeah," Dean said stoically, although his eyes were glistening with tears. "Then I got up and dusted myself off, without a scratch. You taught me a couple of new curse words that day."

"Yeah, well...that busted leg hurt a thousand times less than my not being able to remember any of you, or what you've all meant to me. I refuse to go out that way," Jody said firmly. She looked around at everyone. "Promise me you'll all stay together, even if it has to be in different locations. And no, I'm not being nonsensical, Tommy. I see that look on your face. Keep at it. One day, you're going to be on the Best-Seller list. 'Write what you know'. It's the oldest cliche in the book. Am I right?"

Tommy nodded. He was trying to hold back the tears too, so he didn't trust himself to speak.

"Well, I'm going to disagree," Jody went on. "Even though I know nothing about the subject, my advice is to write what you LOVE. Not what you think will sell, or what you think other people will want to read, but what YOU want to write."

She paused again. "Always, always look out after each other. Little tiffs and petty squabbles don't mean anything, in the end. Who cares if your brother leaves his socks on the floor, or forgets to plug in your phone? Yes, Eric, I'm talking to you. And, Rob? Pick your smelly socks up off the floor, and plug in the damn phone."

The boys exchanged looks, favouring their mom with faint smiles. It was so hard to smile right now, but they knew it would make her happy, so they tried their best to put on brave faces.

"You all need each other," Jody remarked. "Cas, I know you worry all the time, about everything, and everyone. I also know you sometimes feel torn between Heaven and Earth. I'll tell you the same thing I told Tommy: do what your heart tells you to do. We're your family, too."

Then she looked at Gail. "I'm leaving you in charge of kicking your brother in the pants, whenever you feel like he needs it. Maybe you'd better ask Cas for a bigger shoe budget," Jody quipped, and Gail gave a half-laugh, half-sob. She couldn't stop crying. Jody beckoned to her, and Gail came forward. Jody took her by the hand and said, "Sit here beside me, for a second."

Gail sat down gingerly beside her sister-in-law. Jody was so thin now that Gail almost felt like she would hurt her if she sat too close.

Jody put her arm around Gail. "I never had a sister," Frank's wife said, "so when Frank and I got married, I didn't know how to BE around you. I'd been in a man's world for so long that I didn't know how to bond with another woman. But you grew on me, kiddo. You and your brother are so much alike. Don't ever change, Gail. You're one of the strongest women I know, even when you're being a whiny crybaby." Gail half-laughed, half-sobbed again. "I love you, Gail. And you, Cas. And you, Sam. And you, Dean. Barry. Tommy. See, I remembered all your names."

Jody looked up at Bobby. "I'll miss you, Bobby Singer. I don't have enough time to list all the ways. You've been a wonderful friend to me, and to our whole family. And, one helluva God. No offense, Cas. I'm putting you in charge of my wake, Bobby. I want lots of booze, and lots of funny stories. No holds barred."

"You've got it, Jodes," Bobby said gruffly, and she smiled. "I don't think you've ever called me that before," Jody remarked. "That's because I figured you'd probably kick my ass, if I did," Bobby responded, and this time, his tone was surprisingly tender.

"A little help, here," Jody said, motioning to Frank and Gail. They took one of her arms each and helped her to her feet. She felt lightheaded just from that motion alone. Yes, it was definitely time. To try to hang on now would just be ridiculous. Selfish. Look at all of their faces.

"I have one more thing to say," Jody told everyone. "Due to the nature of our group, we've all talked about where I'll be going, afterwards. None of us really knows, not even Bobby. But, who knows? Maybe there is a better place than here, for all of us. Maybe this life is so fleeting because it's only meant to serve as a lesson for the next one, in Heaven, or wherever we wind up. Maybe the reincarnation guys have had it right, all along. Maybe we've all been here before, and will be, again."

Cas looked at Jody, startled. And then she startled him even more by saying, "And, maybe our flaws are exactly what's perfect about us." Now, tears were streaming down Cas's face too, just like everyone else in the room. He felt like she was speaking to him personally.

"I'll take my hugs and kisses now, you guys," Jody said. "Then I'll have Bobby take me back upstairs, so I can have a few private moments with Frank and our kids."

So everyone else had hugged and kissed Jody, and now she was back in bed, with Frank, Eric, Rob and Angela at her bedside. Frank had offered to put the IV back in, but Jody shook her head. She wanted to be clear-headed, and there was no point now, anyway.

As Bobby stood by the door as stoically as he could, Jody said, "Come here, Angela." The little girl approached the bed, carrying Poochie and Ralph with her, as always. She was looking up at her mother with wide eyes.

"I want her on my lap, Frank," Jody said to her husband. "Please."

So he lifted Angela onto Jody's lap on the bed, and Jody put her arms around her daughter. "I heard you guys had a nice time in the park today," Jody said softly.

"Yeah," Angela said, nodding. "But next time, I think we'll stay out of the sandbox. Maybe we could find someplace that Ralph would like, too. Auntie Gail said that's called 'inclusion'."

Jody laughed, but she was crying a little now, too. This was one of the worst parts, right here. She would never get to see what kind of woman Angela was going to turn out to be. Maybe she would be an athlete, or a teacher, or a scientist. A role model for all the little girls who would come after her. Maybe Angela would be a great leader. The President, even. The future was hers. At least Jody had the comfort of knowing that she was leaving her girl in the best possible hands.

"I have to go, now," she told Angela, giving her a gentle squeeze.

"Are you sure, Mommy?" Angela said in a trembling voice, and Frank had to avert his head for a moment to compose himself.

"Yes, I'm sure," Jody said, kissing her daughter on the forehead. "I'll miss you, so much. But you've got your Dad, and your brothers, and all the other people in our family who love you. And Poochie and Ralph, too. That's a lot of love, Angela."

"And that's the most important thing," Angela stated solemnly. She and her mom had talked about this before, when Jody had been preparing her little daughter. "I'll remember," Angela added. She let go of her stuffed animals, putting her arms around Jody's neck and kissing her mother's face. "I love you, Mommy. I'll miss you, too."

Jody kissed Angela a couple more times, and then she said, "Grandpa's going to take you back downstairs, now. I love you, Angela."

"I know. I'll remember," Angela said again. Bobby came forward as Angela gathered Poochie and Ralph up in her arms again. He bent down and kissed Jody on the cheek, and then he took Angela's hand and popped her out of the bedroom.

"Come here, please," Jody said to Eric and Rob. The young men approached the bed. She reached out her arms, and each of the brothers hugged and kissed her. "I'm going to give you one last lecture," Jody told them, smiling weakly. "If you want to Hunt, that's your decision. Your father and I have nothing to say about it. You're men, now. I'm proud of both of you for having the strength of your convictions, and for wanting to help people. But, promise me something: Don't be Sam and Dean. They're good men, and I love them to pieces. But they've put so much of themselves into Hunting that there's hardly anything left for anything else. I want you guys to fall in love and get married, and have kids too, if you want. Lots and lots of kids. Wouldn't your Dad make the greatest Grandpa ever? And that's saying a lot, considering the Grandpa you have right now."

"I want to thank you, Jody. I mean, Mom," Eric hastily amended. At some point, he had taken to calling Jody and Frank "Mom and Dad", and neither one of them had minded that, not one bit. Eric continued, "Thank you for welcoming me into your house, and into the family. I loved my adoptive parents for taking me in, but I love you so much more for actually giving me a home." He bent down to kiss her again, and then he left the room quickly, without looking back. Rob glanced at his brother's retreating form. He was pretty sure he knew why Eric had left so abruptly. Eric could never stand to cry in front of others.

"Rob," Jody said, extending her hand to her son again. "My Robbie. I'm going to miss you like crazy. I'm very proud of you for growing up to be the fine young man that you are. There were so many opportunities that you were denied, due to our circumstances. Your Dad and I tried to do our best by you, but I know we failed you, sometimes. If I could go back and do it all over again - "

"No, Mom," Rob said softly. He sat down on the bed next to her, still holding her hand. "I wouldn't change a thing. You and Dad gave me everything. I was the luckiest kid in the world, having all of you to love, and to love me. It's gonna be hard for me to find a woman to love who's even close to being as great as you are, but I promise you, I'll try. I want what you and Dad have, and I want those kids. We're going to make sure they know all about you, and how terrific you are." He started to cry. "I'm sorry, Mom, I was going to try not to do this..."

"It's OK, Rob," she said with a thin smile. "I'm glad you express your feelings. It's not good to bottle them up, all the time. A man who can open up is very attractive to a woman." Her eyes flickered to Frank, and he smiled tremulously.

It was time for the last goodbye. Jody took a deep breath. She reached out and brought Rob's face to her own, kissing him. He gave another choked sob. Then he stood up, still holding her hand. He lingered, giving it one more gentle squeeze. Then he left the room, and his shoulders were shaking.

Frank took Rob's place on the bed, looking down at his wife. Neither of them spoke for a couple of minutes. What could they possibly say?

"For the first time ever, I kind of wish I could talk like Cas," Frank said to Jody. "I wish I could recite a love poem to you. It's what you deserve."

Jody reached up and touched his face. "Our whole life together has been a love poem, Frank. The minute I met you, there was just something about you." A big, macho guy who told the world's worst jokes, Jody thought now. A soft-hearted man, who loved weapons and classic cars. Through no fault of his own, Frank had been made into a Knight of Hell by Crowley, and then he had been resurrected by Cas and brought into the family fold. Sam and Dean had seemed to trust Frank, and that had been good enough for Jody. They'd had their big battle with Crowley's Demons at the bunker, gotten Cas and Gail back from their abduction, and then Jody had returned to her post in Sioux Falls. But she hadn't been able to get Frank out of her mind, and he had clearly felt the same way. They'd started to correspond by computer and talk on the phone, and then they'd started to find excuses to be together. Frank had been very distraught about Gail and Cas's separation. None of them could understand why the Angels had suddenly split up, when they were obviously so much in love. It made no sense. Neither one of them was talking about it, but it was apparent that they'd both been miserable without the other. Frank had been completely bewildered, but Jody had provided him with an understanding shoulder to lean on, and after a while, they had ended up sharing a lot more than a few drinks and some conversation.

Then, when they'd agreed that they were doing more than just fooling around, the two of them had started being casually affectionate with each other around their friends, and no one had seemed surprised.

Then had come poor Felicia's murder at Rob's adoptive father's hands, and that had accelerated things. But Frank and Jody had agreed that they had been destined to wind up together, anyway. That tragic event had actually done them a favour, Frank had said to his wife later, because it had made them get off the pot, and get together quicker.

"I can't do this, Babe," Frank said now. "I can't do it without you."

"Sure you can," she replied. "You've been doing it for months, now."

But that wasn't what Frank meant, and they both knew it. "I feel like I should apologize, or something," Jody said, trying to go for a bit of humour. Laughter had always been the cornerstone of their home. No matter what tragedies had befallen them, and there had been a lot, they had always tried to see the lighter side of things. When things were at their darkest, a little light went a long way. "I owe you about six months' worth of housework," Jody went on. "Maybe, if there's anything to that reincarnation idea, I can come back as a vacuum cleaner. Then you can tell me I suck, and there won't be a damn thing I can do about it."

As jokes went, it definitely hadn't been one of their best. But Frank laughed anyway, and he blessed his wife for it. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.

"It's been terrific, Babe," he told her. "Every minute of it. Wherever you end up, save me my spot. I'll make sure the kids are OK, play with those grandchildren I'm gonna badger them for, have a dance with Gail at Angela's wedding, and then I'll be right there. It'll be no time at all. You'll see. Look how fast our kids have grown, already."

"It's a date," Jody said. "Now, give me one more really good kiss, and then I'm going to close my eyes. I want to go to my rest with that kiss on my lips."

So Frank kissed Jody, and she kissed him back, and then he put his hand on top of hers. She closed her eyes, smiling gently. Frank stayed by her side until she stopped breathing, and then he stayed a bit longer, as the tears ran down his face. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it once more, feeling for her pulse. But there wasn't any. Jody was gone.

He stood slowly from the bed and then went downstairs to tell everyone.

They were in the funeral home, and the funeral director had come in to give them a discreet reminder that the viewing was going to be closing shortly.

It was just the family left, now. There had been quite a few police officers and their spouses paying their respects, as well as the Angel members of their extended family.

Barry and Tommy approached the coffin, hand in hand. They'd done a pretty good job with her, considering, Tommy thought. She was less pale than when they'd seen her at the house. Of course, that would be the makeup that the mortician would have put on her. Frank had told them to leave her hair grey, and he had brought jeans and a T-shirt for them to dress her in. They weren't dress-up people, and she'd grimly joked that wherever she was going, she was damned if it was gonna be in a dress.

After their Canadian friends said their goodbyes and left the salon, Cas stepped up to the casket. The others stayed back; even Gail. He had told them all that he wanted to say a special prayer over Jody in the ancient language, one that was supposed to bless her in the Afterlife, and that it was deeply personal. They had all been a little puzzled by the concept, but they'd respected his wishes.

Castiel stood close to the coffin with his back to everyone, speaking so softly that no one could hear. Not that anyone would have been able to understand, anyway. Gail and Sam would have had the best shot, but they were hanging back, looking on somberly. Gabriel almost certainly would have, but he and Liz had already left to go back to the house. There was going to be a meal for the family members and some of Jody's friends from the cancer charity, and Liz had offered to receive the guests and start serving the food until the family could get there. As people will often do, their friends and neighbours on the street had been bringing over soups and casseroles ever since they'd found out, and there was so much food now that they wanted to feed as many people at the house as they could before it all went bad. Later that night, there was going to be a more raucous wake, at the Hunter bar.

Cas was still speaking, and his hands were covering Jody's now. Then he did something that surprised and touched everyone. He bent down and kissed her gently on the forehead, speaking a few more words. Then he straightened up, lingered for a moment, and then he turned around and walked away from the coffin.

Bobby came next, and he was carrying little Angela in his arms. Frank and Jody had discussed beforehand how they felt about their daughter being here in this situation, and they'd been on the fence about it. Ultimately, Jody had left it up to her husband's discretion. So Frank had gently put it to Angela, and their daughter had said that if everybody else was going to be there, she wanted to be there, too.

In a weird kind of turnabout, Sam noted, Bobby was crying, but Angela wasn't. Her eyes were wide, though, and she was sucking her thumb, which was something she had never done before. Of course, she didn't have her constant companions with her, so it was probably just a comfort thing, Sam supposed. Frank had told his daughter that she would have to leave Poochie and Ralph at home for this, but that Liz would look after them until she got back. Angela had nodded solemnly. She trusted Auntie Liz.

Bobby kissed Angela on the cheek, and then he looked behind him, at Cas. "Would you take her out to the atrium, Cas?" Bobby said in a hoarse voice. The Angel came forward and took Angela from him, carrying her down the aisle between the chairs and out of the salon.

Bobby'd wanted to have his hands free, because he needed to take the handkerchief out of his pocket and use it. He honked into it a couple of times, then wiped his eyes. "Goodbye, dear," he said to Jody. "Hope to see ya soon."

Then Dean came, and then Sam. But neither of them lingered long, preferring to remember Jody in life, kicking ass and taking names. Not putting up with any of their b.s. Sam briefly considered giving her a kiss as Cas had done, but he couldn't quite bring himself to do it. This was Jody, but it wasn't. This was only her vessel now. Jody herself was...where? None of them knew. But it didn't really matter, because she wouldn't be coming back. She had made that clear. Way back when Jody and Frank had received her diagnosis, she had informed her husband that even if Bobby found her in the Garden and ascended her, she wasn't going to be some kind of Ghost Mom. It would be too confusing for a young child like Angela, whose life was already confusing to begin with. If Jody couldn't be Angela's full-time, human mom, she would just prefer to stay a memory. Besides, there was absolutely no guarantee that she was even going to the Garden, was there? So, there had been no discussion. Jody's decision was final, she'd told Frank.

Sam and Dean left the room, and now it was just Gail, Frank, and the boys. Gail was looking at her brother, trying to come up with the right words of comfort, or even any words at all. He looked so old; so broken. She had never seen him look like this before, not even in their darkest moments. It made her feel so sad, and it scared her, too. She had pushed Cas into admitting that Jody might very well go to another realm when she died. Like the Netherworld, for example. In fact, Cas didn't necessarily believe that Jody was destined for the Garden at all, he'd said.

Gail hadn't said anything to anyone, but as she stood there looking from Frank to Jody to the boys and back again, she was terrified. Would her brother's family be allowed to be together, when each of their times came? Would she and Cas ever see any of them again? Or worse, would Death take the grudge he held against Cas, and use it to punish their family?

She opened her mouth to say something to Frank, and all that came out was a loud sob. Frank turned to her. "Come here," he said, opening his arms. She rushed over to him and he hugged her tightly. Oh, great. Now HE was comforting HER. Just like always. It was a wonder that he didn't hate her, sometimes. Ever since they'd been kids, that was all that Frank had ever done. Comfort HER. Take care of HER. Why didn't he hate her? What good was she to him?

"Go see Cas," Frank said, in the gentlest, most tender tone she had ever heard him use. But she couldn't let go of him. She just couldn't. If Gail let go of her brother and left the room now, that would mean that Jody was really dead. And if Jody was really dead, that meant that any one of them could die, at any moment.

Gail felt an arm circle around her waist from behind. Cas had come to get her, instead. But as she turned to look at the arm's owner, she saw that it was Dean. "Come on," he said to her softly. "It's time to go." Dean put his hand on Frank's shoulder, and Frank covered Dean's hand with his. The three of them stood there like that for a moment, and then Dean led Gail away.

Now, it was just Frank and the boys. Eric stepped up to the coffin, holding a single white rose. He placed it gently in the casket, beside her left shoulder. "Thanks for being my Mom," he said to her. Then he stepped back, giving Rob his spot.

Rob placed his white rose next to Jody's right shoulder. A couple of tears fell from his eyes and splashed onto the petals. Rob wiped his face with his sleeve, and Frank's heart clenched. It wasn't fair. Rob kept on losing mothers. What the hell had the poor kid ever done to the Almighty, anyway?

"I don't think Dad or Eric will get too mad if I tell you that you were my best friend, in a lot of ways," Rob said to Jody. "Especially once I got older, and matured a bit. I felt like I could understand you better, then. When you made me go to Canada, I did a lot of growing up there, but I never forgot what you said about living my life and having fun, too." He paused. "I remember the holy hell you gave me when I said that I was never going to get married, though. That was right after your mastectomy. Remember? I told you I didn't want to settle down. But you told me I was young, and I would probably change my mind later on. So then I insisted, and so did you, and then I ended up telling you that I was scared to fall in love, because I couldn't stand the idea of losing somebody I loved that much. And you sat me down and I thought you were going to comfort me, but instead, you read me the Riot Act. I'll never forget that expression, like the other ones that you and Dad taught me. You told me that if you'd been too scared to fall in love with him, I wouldn't be your son. Then we both cried, and then we ate a whole box of chocolate chip cookies, and we sent Dad to the store for more."

Rob wiped his face with his sleeve again. "I can't wait to fall in love and get married, Mom. I can't wait to have cookies with my own kids. And every time I do, you'll be there, too. I love you."

Rob turned away from the casket, and then he and Eric went over to where Frank was standing. "I'll be there in a minute," Frank told his sons. "Look after your sister and your Aunt Gail, okay?"

"Dad..." Rob said tentatively, but Frank repeated, "I'll be there in a minute." He put one hand on Rob's shoulder and the other on Eric's. "You're good men. Your mother and I are very proud of you. Now, go on. I just want to talk to your mom for a minute."

The young men reluctantly left the room, leaving Frank by himself in the salon. Everyone had already been talking in hushed tones, but now, the salon was ultra-quiet. "Salon", they called it, Frank thought. What were they gonna do here, give him a perm?

He reached down and snagged a chair from the front row of seats, placing it by the end of the coffin where Jody's head was. Then he sank down wearily.

"I'll never understand why they have people come in here, and then, they have to run the family gauntlet," Frank said to her. "It's like a much less happy version of the receiving line at a wedding. If I had a nickel for every cliche I've heard today...I know people have to say something, and I know they're trying to be comforting. I know that. But it was really hard to keep my mouth shut when people would shake my hand or hug me and say 'she's with the Angels, now'. 'Friggin' right she is. Meet my sister and her husband, Cas. And see that guy with the beard over there? That's God.' If only. I would have loved to have seen the looks on their faces." He paused. "But, at least the dozens who said you weren't suffering any more had a point."

Frank looked at his wife's face. It was true: as cliches went, she looked at peace, now. Too many times in recent months she had looked like she was unhappy, and in a lot of pain. He hadn't asked her to hang on because it would have been selfish of him to do that.

"You surprised the hell out of me, Jody," Frank said softly. "A guy like me, lucky enough to get a woman like you. How I managed to do that is beyond me. At first, I just thought it was pity. Actually, I'm still not one hundred percent convinced it wasn't. You know what they say: pathetic is the new sexy." This would normally be the point where Jody would be rolling her eyes, telling him that pathetic was the new pathetic, and if he thought he was being funny, he was wrong. But it was just him, now. The salon was very quiet, and it was also dark. Maybe they were dimming the lights on him, trying to get him to take the hint. Kind of like when they flashed the lights at the intermission of a show, to remind you it was time to go back in. But Frank didn't really mind. Of course it was dark. His light had gone.

"You gave me everything," Frank said softly. "I love you."

He rose from his chair, pulling it back to the spot where it had been. Then he returned to the casket, looking down at Jody one last time. He reached up and lowered the lid of the coffin slowly, until it was completely closed. Then he stood there for a moment. A couple of choked sobs escaped him, and he let them out, indulging himself for a minute by having a good, cathartic cry. He'd been the rock for so long, the one that everybody looked to to be strong. That was his job. His responsibility. But, for just a moment, Frank let himself feel like the young teenage boy he'd once been. The terrified kid who had found his parents' butchered and bloody bodies in the living room of their family home, and then realized that he wasn't allowed to be a child any more. Earlier, he'd wondered what the hell God had against Rob. Well, what the hell did God have against HIM?

Frank looked down at the closed coffin lid and saw that some of his tears had fallen onto it, beading on the shiny wood. The oak coffin with the brass handles. Nicole hadn't shared that particular story with any of them yet. She would be waiting for them, back at the house. Dean had called her, and she'd assured him she would come.

Jody's husband wiped the tears from the coffin with the sleeve of his suit jacket. He'd told everybody to dress however they felt comfortable. After all, Jody had, he'd joked weakly. But he had wanted to wear the suit he'd worn at his and Jody's wedding here today. For her.

OK. OK. This was enough. Soon they were going to bring in an orchestra to play him off, like they did at the Oscars. He had kids who would be looking to him to set the example. Which meant that he had drinks to pour, bad dad jokes to tell, a little daughter to cuddle, and a brother-in-law to rescue. If Frank knew his sister, and he did, she was still crying buckets out there. Poor Cas would have to change his shirt. He wouldn't have seen that much water flowing since the days of Noah.

There. That was more like it. Frank touched his hand to his lips and put it on the coffin. "Goodbye, Babe." Then he stood up straight, squared his shoulders, and walked out of the salon to join his family.