Epilogue
Castiel stood as still as a statue, gazing down at Ryn and Amala asleep in a rocking chair by the window. Golden sunlight bathed them both in a warm, soft hue, accentuating Ryn's auburn hair like fire and highlighting similar, subtle streaks of russet in Amala's dark curls. Castiel still couldn't believe the miracle that both of them were in his life, and he never got tired of just watching them.
Amala let out a small mewl, face puckering up. Castiel reached two fingers out to her forehead and extended a tendril of grace to soothe her. She instantly settled, the tiny thrum of angelic fire within her tuning itself to the wavelength of his essence. Castiel marveled at it, the harmony of ice and flame.
His phone began to ring, and he hurriedly stepped away so as not to wake them. "Hello?" he answered, moving to the other side of Ryn's cabin.
"Hey, Cas," Dean said. "How are things going?"
"They're going…well," he said, albeit uncertainly. After the shocking revelation of Chuck's appearance, and assurance that they were no longer hunted by Heaven, Castiel and Ryn had brought Amala to Ryn's cabin for some rest and recuperation, while the Winchesters had returned to the bunker in order to finish getting the nursery ready.
"I…I still have no idea what I'm doing," he confessed. "I've been looking online for baby supplies, and there are so many choices. Which formula should I be getting? Should we use cloth or disposable?"
Dean chuckled. "You'll be fine, man."
Castiel huffed in exasperation; he did not share Dean's confidence in that assessment. But, he did trust that his friends, his family, would be there to help him navigate this new and exciting—and honestly terrifying—turn of life events.
"Bunker's all ready," Dean went on. "So just let us know when you want us to come get you."
Castiel glanced over his shoulder at Ryn. They'd had several days of peace and quiet here, which they had both needed after everything, but…Castiel was eager to return home.
"Thank you, Dean. We're ready whenever you are."
"Okay, we'll see you tomorrow morning, then."
"See you then." Castiel hung up.
He stiffened when he sensed one of the wards outside get triggered. There were only a handful of entities that would do that, none of them friendly.
Gripping his angel blade tightly, Castiel strode outside, only to come to an abrupt halt and gape stupidly at the person caught in one of Ryn's spells. Seeing Chuck…God…was one thing, but this…
The angel in the trap cleared his throat in obvious embarrassment. "Hey, bro. Now is this any way to greet a guest?"
"Are you real?" Castiel blurted. It couldn't be.
"Pft, of course I am." Gabriel paused, snarky expression softening. "Yeah, it's me, Cas. You mind?" He couldn't even gesture meaningfully at the glowing sigil on the tree several feet away, as this particular trap kept an angel fully immobilized. Castiel was well familiar with it, and had marked which paths to avoid when he and Ryn had first arrived.
Now he cautiously walked over to the tree with one half of the runes etched into it, and sliced his blade through the lines, disabling them. "What- what are you doing here?"
Gabriel shook out his arms. "If you mean what am I doing alive, weell, Dad brought me back to take over Heaven." He scoffed. "Like that's a good idea. Personally, I'd rather be in a porn studio in Morocco. Anyway, before I get too swamped in all the pomp and circumstance, I wanted to come down and congratulate you."
Castiel narrowed his gaze in suspicion. While there hadn't been any signs of angels since Chuck had appeared, Castiel could no longer think of seeing his former family without his gut clenching in remembered fear.
"So, can I see the little squirt?" Gabriel prompted.
Castiel hesitated. "Alright," he agreed, taking a cautious step back toward the cabin. "But don't wake them."
Gabriel followed him inside, and if he noticed that Castiel was coiled tighter than a spring, the archangel didn't comment.
"Nice flowers," Gabriel did say, nodding to the elaborate vase of fiery orange lilies and carmine roses speckled with baby's breath sitting on the kitchen table.
Castiel shifted uncomfortably. "Er, yes." Crowley had sent those, along with a bottle of scotch and a note that read, "Don't drink it all in one sitting."
Gabriel silently went over to where Ryn was still sleeping in the rocking chair. "Aw," he crooned, reaching down to tickle Amala under the chin. She made a gurgling sound and whimper, one tiny hand pushing lose from her blanket and grasping tightly at Gabriel's pinky. He wiggled his finger, but she didn't let go.
"Oh yeah," he grinned. "She's gonna take after you."
"I hope not."
Gabriel shot him a dry look. "You don't give yourself enough credit."
Castiel watched tensely for another long moment. "Are- are we really safe?" he asked quietly. "And are the Winchesters' souls truly secured in Heaven?"
Gabriel straightened, turning to regard him seriously. "Yeah, Cas. For once, Dad actually took a side on that. And if anyone thinks about stepping out of line, they'll have to answer to me."
Castiel swallowed against a lump in his throat. "And Hannah?"
"Writing 'I'm sorry for being a psychotic bitch' ten thousand times on a chalkboard."
Castiel furrowed his brow. What…?
Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Listen, Dad left a gift behind for you, before he took off again."
Castiel bristled; he wasn't sure he wanted anything from God.
"I'm not telling anyone else about it, since some of them are quite sore about everything," Gabriel went on. "Not that I can blame them; I'm still sore about being brought back with nothing but a 'hello' and 'here, you manage the spoiled brats.'"
Castiel waited for his brother to get to the point.
"But Dad gave me a cordial of extra power. Not much, but enough for me to heal your wings."
Castiel stared at him dumbly. "What?" he finally stammered.
"Someone's gonna have to teach that kid how to fly," Gabriel replied, cocking his head at the sleeping infant. "And reel her in so she doesn't go too far and try, say, flying into the sun."
"You were the one who prompted me to do that."
Gabriel shrugged offhandedly. "Neither here nor there. Anyway, we'll have to make a future appointment for me to do it, as it won't be the most pleasant experience."
Castiel…didn't know what to say. He'd long ago accepted that he would never have his wings again, never feel the rush of the ether as he spiraled through its currents, or fly so high he could touch distant galaxies. The thought of getting them back…after he'd been given so much already…how was it that he'd come to deserve all this?
On impulse, Castiel moved forward and gripped his long-lost brother in a fierce hug. "Thank you," he said earnestly.
"Shut up." Gabriel clapped him once on the back before pulling away. "I should go. Will be in touch about the other thing."
Castiel nodded gratefully as Gabriel headed for the door.
The archangel paused on the threshold and looked back. "And hey, Cas. Fatherhood looks good on you."
Castiel felt the corners of his mouth tug upward and his heart swell with warmth. He may have been completely out of his element, but all he had to do was look at his daughter, and Castiel knew beyond a shadow of doubt that he loved her with every fiber of his being.
Gabriel winked at him, and then left in a flutter of wing beats.
Ryn's brow pinched slightly as she stirred. "Cas?" she asked sleepily.
"Yes?"
She squinted up at him. "I thought I heard voices."
Castiel opened his mouth to explain about Gabriel, but decided that could come later. "Dean called and said the nursery is ready. He and Sam will pick us up tomorrow."
She smiled. "Okay." Her gaze drifted down to Amala, and she began to softly hum a tune as she lifted a hand to tenderly stroke back a curl of dark hair.
Castiel reached out with a thread of grace, adding his own music to the syzygy the three of them created—a dancing, effervescent whisper of feathers and flames.
T H E _ E N D
A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who followed this verse! I really appreciate your readership and reviews, and have been humbled by your support. And this isn't quite the end, as I'm going to start up a collection of one shots featuring life with them all raising little Amala. Some nice fluff to balance out all the angsty stuff I usually write (and that the show gives us). ^_^
Until next time!