My 5 1/2 year old sisters are visiting. Clifton was overjoyed to show them how much their niece Leay had grown. By that, I mean she's crawling now, and Murdock can't handle it. "You stop that right now, young lady!"
She erupts into laughter and crawls away, causing Murdock to playfully chase after her. "Are you girls hungry?" I asked. "I'll make some lunch. What sounds good?"
"Ice-cream."
"Candy."
"Are you sure ya'll aren't Gabriel's kids?" I laughed hilariously, entering the kitchen and browsing around for some kid-friendly foods. "How about dinosaur nuggets?"
"Those are mine!" Clifton roared.
"You can share." I told him. He pouts in response. My cell phone rings from the living room.
"I'll get it," Cliffy offered, plodding over to the coffee table by the sofa to reach for the phone. He swipes to answer and holds it against his ear. "Hello?"
I take the bag of nuggets out of the freezer and search for a cookie sheet.
"This is Clifton," he spoke. I dump several nuggets onto the tray and start to pre-heat the oven. "Ma?" My son calls out.
"Yeah? Who is it?" I wasn't ready for his response.
"Ma, it's Colby."
"Say what?" I asked, exiting the kitchen. "Colby? Colby who?"
"Colby who?" Clifton repeats into the phone. "Colby, the Angel of Coal."
"Is this a joke? Give me that," I snatch the cell phone from him and hold it to my own ear. "Hello? Who is this?"
"Woman, it's me, Colby."
I grow nervous. "How? Did Angel Radio make cell phone towers up there now or something?"
"I'm not in Heaven... I'm on Earth."
"WHAT-? HOW-? WHY-?" I enter panic mode. Murdock approached me with caution and confusion.
"An angel was calling to me for help, and then he stopped all of a sudden, like he was in trouble or something. Next thing I know I'm on Earth. It was like I was summoned but... I'm still human."
"How are you calling me? How did you get my number?"
"I'm lucky you still have the same number after all these years. I bummed for some change and found a payphone."
"You bummed for some change?" I repeated.
"For some reason I'm... in Darryl's clothes. Apparently the old 1930s farmer's boy appeal makes me look homeless. Can you come get me and we can figure this out?"
"Of course. Where are you?"
"Not far from Darryl's grave."
"Got it. I'll find you there." I hang up and look at Murdock. "Um..."
"Colby?" He repeats. "Angel turned demon turned human boy you're embarrassed to talk about with me?""
I nod. "He's here somehow. I think something happened."
Juliet was shaking. "I want to go... please. I miss him."
"Of course," I dial my phone to call Eisheth. "Sorry twins, you're gonna have to sit this one out."
They pouted, but they seemed to understand.
I fly us to Brooklyn, New York to the cemetery where the grave rested. "Oh my God." Juliet let out in tears at the sight before us. I'll never be able to explain it. Everybody loved Colby, the former Angel of Coal. He was ridiculously cool, adorable, funny, and cocky as hell. Nothing scared him.
I was completely in love with him during our days together.
Colby turns to face us, in the body that was forever his. Formerly belonging to a fifteen year old boy named Darryl, who lived during the 1930s. He was definitely wearing the old outfit, a white shirt with black suspenders and blue pants. His blue eyes glistened upon our arrival and the wind perfectly blew through his slightly long brown-blonde curls. "Jules!" He exclaimed. "You stopped coming to visit me! As a matter of fact, so has Lynn and Clifton. What the hell, guys?"
"Colby!" Juliet leaped into his arms and hugged him so tight he was laughing.
"Look at you! You're almost as tall as me now!" He noticed, ruffling her strawberry blonde strands. "No more pink glasses?"
"Nope, I went with yellow this time," she admitted, adjusting the round frames on her face.
"Because of Elliot Sunshine!" Clifton embarrassed her with a giggle, running up and hugging Colby's leg.
"Because of who now-?" Colby asked.
"Juliet's boyfriend." Clifton said evilly.
"He's not my boyfriend!" Juliet yelled, her face growing red.
"We are going to talk about you having a boyfriend later," Colby promised her. "But right now..." He trailed away from them and approached me, who hasn't said a word yet. "You don't like me anymore? Is that why you haven't..."
He literally looked past me. "Who's that?"
So... I may have never told Colby in Heaven about Murdock. Or Leay.
Whoops.
"Wait..." Colby stopped. "I remember you. He was with you when you were time-traveling, wasn't he?"
"Yes," I confirmed. Leay babbles in her father's arms. "This is Murdock. And this... is our daughter, Leay."
Colby froze. He stared long and hard at Leay, comparing her features to ours. I can't really see any resemblance to me, other than the infamous Winchester smile that Clifton also inherited. Her hair was dark and she matched her father's grey eyes.
"At least Jackson didn't win one over me." Was Colby's response.
"Jackson?" Murdock repeated. "Jophiel, isn't it?"
"Huh?" Colby appeared confused.
I sighed. "There's a lot I haven't told you."
"This has become apparent to me," Colby folded his arms over his chest. He narrows his eyes at Murdock. "I hope you're being good to her. She deserves nothing less."
"Of course." Murdock replied hastily.
"It was going to be me, you know. You must be pretty impressive if she managed to move on from her affections for me." Colby continued.
"Stop it." I growled.
"But it wasn't you, was it?" Murdock retorted. Leay started eating her fist.
"Knock it off." I uttered. "Colby, tell us what happened."
"Right," he cracked his wrists. "An angel named Benjamin was calling me for help. I don't know any angel by that name. Honestly, I only remember my Garrison. He wasn't in it."
"I can ask Cas, maybe he knows the angel." I suggested, reaching for my cell.
"Oh man, Cas! How's he doing?" Colby lit up. "The last thing you told me a long time ago was that he came back after the Leviathans abused him like a rag doll."
Juliet looks at me. "That was years ago." She said.
"Yeah, I guess I don't keep track of time in Heaven." Colby shrugged. "It's just... Heaven. Me, Adrie, and our forever."
I swallow lightly as Murdock shuffles Leay around. "You think I could hold her?" Colby wondered. "I haven't huggled a baby since Addy and Sera."
Murdock looks at me for approval. I nod happily. "Okay." He cautiously hands over our seven month old baby.
Colby is ecstatic. "Hey, pretty lady! You look just like your mom. You're both so beautiful." He cheeked, causing her to giggle.
Murdock huffed as Cas answered the phone. "Hello, Lynn."
"Hey. So, I have a huge bombshell to drop, but before I do, do you know any angels named Benjamin?"
"Benji?" Clifton remembered.
"Oh yeah, Benji," I acknowledged. "From your Find Metatron army."
"Metatron?" Colby repeated as Leay tried to reach for his curls. "The Scribe? Is he around? I thought he vanished millennia ago."
"What exactly has Lynn told you since you've been in Heaven-?" Murdock asked in shock.
"Apparently nothing!" Colby stuck his tongue out at me.
"They are not the same angel," Castiel clarified. "But why are you asking?"
"Well, uh... Colby's here. Says he heard a plea for help from Benjamin and it summoned him to Earth."
"I half expected this to happen. Colby was originally in a different Garrison with myself before we were moved."
"What the hell? Why?"
"Did you say Colby?" I heard Dean ask in the background.
"Where are you guys?" I asked. "Send me the address. We'll be there."
A bar. Typical. We walk in and my brothers are excited at the sight of Colby. "Dudes!" Colby yelped. "How the hell are you?" They exchange hugs. "Castiel," Colby never looked more happy. "Man you were... dead. I'm glad you're alright."
"I am happy to see you too," Cas admitted. "But this situation is serious. We need to meet with Ishim."
"Who?" Dean asked.
"Before I commanded my own flight of angels, my own battalion, Colby and I served under him with Benjamin." Cas admitted.
Colby tilted his head. "What? Bro, we served under Anna, remember?"
"There is a lot you don't remember, Colby." Cas said sadly.
"What do you mean?"
"God played favorites. You were special. The higher ups in Intelligence planned to move you from the start. They were careful to make sure you ended up being Adrie's guardian."
"Higher ups? Intelligence?" Colby was clueless.
"Please don't be upset. I didn't know anything about Naomi's existence or her job until a few years ago. It's very disturbing." Cas explained.
"Who's Naomi?" Colby looks to the rest of us for guidance.
"We'll have to talk about that another time," Cas interrupted.
"Do you think this Ishim knows what's going on?" Dean wondered.
"We'll find out. You wait here." Cas instructed Sam and Dean.
"Whoa, wait. Excuse me?"
"Ishim said to come alone. He doesn't like humans. If I plan to do anything else stupid, I'll let you know. However, Lynn and Colby can accompany me."
Colby winked at the others as he followed Cas and I inside the diner. A middle aged woman stood up upon our entry. A man with a full beard was sat in a booth, glaring at Cas. "Mirabel. Ishim," he recognized. "Kept your vessels all this time. I'm impressed."
"We are not careless." Mirabel stated.
Ishim spoke. "But you, Castiel... I liked the old you better."
"We've been waiting," Mirabel input. "I suppose it does take longer to get places now without our wings. You had a hand in that, correct?"
Colby looked at Cas. "What happened?"
"Oh Colby," Ishim spoke. "It's been too long. Now, Mirabel, some angels think of Castiel as a hero. After he left us, he had his own flight to command. Balthazar, Uriel. Great soldiers. Balthazar's been in hiding because Castiel tried to kill him, and Uriel is definitely dead because of you too. So is he a hero? Is he a spanner in the works? I don't know."
"I'm not a hero, but sometimes doing the right thing requires sacrifices." Cas explained.
"True, but it just always seems that it's other angels sacrificing for your good deeds. Their wings, their lives." Ishim said coldly.
"Are you here to insult me or talk about Benjamin?" Cas hissed.
"Can't we do both?"
"What does this have to do with me-?" Colby demanded.
"You used to be in our battalion," Ishim admitted to him. "That is why you heard Benjamin's call."
"I was?" Colby was so confused, he almost looked frustrated. Out of instinct (and old habits dying hard) I took his hand to comfort. It felt good to touch him for real again.
"In the years since we lost our wings, two others from our flight have been murdered, like Benjamin." Mirabel announced.
"Us four. We're all that's left." Ishim pointed.
"Why didn't I know about this?" Cas asked angrily.
"We didn't think you'd care." Mirabel shrugged.
My brothers and lover decided to intrude, setting Ishim off. He sent Mirabel outside to check for any other stragglers. When she hadn't returned after too long, we went out to investigate.
"Mirabel!" Ishim exclaimed when we found her dead body. He looked around frantically, just as a red haired lady wearing an eye patch jumped out. "You?!" Ishim seemed to recognize as she cut him good with an angel sword. He tried to smite her, but she just laughed rudely. She grabbed him in a headlock and Ishim yelled, "Castiel, Colby, kill her!"
They both reacted instantly, as if they were old soldiers again. Cas cut her on the side and she fell down. Cas stared at her distantly and Colby let out. "Why do you look familiar-?"
I approach the woman after she literally kicked Castiel back with inhuman strength. "You aren't a part of this," she told me. "Let me finish what I started."
"Not gonna happen, Patches." Dean promised, cocking his pistol. The strange lady held her hand up, causing bright light to emanate the area. It nearly blinded even myself, which rarely happens. She used it to escape. "Who the hell was that?" Dean groaned.
Colby grit his teeth and clenched his fists. "I want answers. Now." He glared furiously at Castiel and Ishim.
