Hey, sorry for the delay. Writer's block and stuff.

Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. Please let me know.

The rest of the Free Will Coalition arrived and Gabriel stared at them with furrowed brows.

"Uh, with the exception of Balthazar, why do you guys look like the cast of Torchwood? Series one and two, not the angst fest that was series three."

"I second that" Hermes said with a raised hand.

Balthazar rolled his eyes "It's their favourite show, swear to God. I modelled my body after one of my vessels. But them, they're super fans, total woodies."

Dean snorted at that for some reason—all these references were going over Castiel's head.

Pravuil glared at Balthazar "I can take Gareth David-Lloyd as a vessel if I wanted."

Gabriel sighed "It's one thing to model your own corporeal form after a vessel, but to dress like a character he played? You're wearing a three-piece suit, Pravuil."

"Nothing wrong with admiring Ianto's fashion sense, Sir."

"Their personalities have always been similar to those characters, even before the show" Balthazar said. "I think that's why they like it."

"This is just weird," Dean muttered.

"Yet oddly hilarious," Hermes chortled.

"I don't understand any of this" Castiel announced.

"You don't want to, Cassie, trust me" Balthazar said.

"Oooh!" Temeluch rushed up to Dean "You're having a baby! That's so wonderful!"

Dean took a step back, clearly perturbed by her enthusiasm "Uh, thanks."

Castiel took hold of Dean's hand "It's all right, Dean. Temeluch protects infants."

"Living dangerously, eh Castiel?" Kalaziel spoke in a Cockney accent.

Balthazar grinned and patted Castiel's shoulder "Our little Cassie's always been a rebel. Glad to see you have your memories back, mate."

"Thank you. And don't call me Cassie."

"Hold on" Nanael spoke for the first time since arriving. Like the other members of the Coalition, she too had a British accent but her vessel was Asian in appearance. "Shouldn't all angels sense when a nephilim is conceived?"

"Normally," Gabriel confirmed "but you'll have to ask God about this time."

"So" Sam cleared his throat in his 'let's get back on track' way "Do you guys know anything about what's up with Michael?"

"Pravuil," Gabriel said "you were always close with Michael. Almost like Jack and Ianto as I recall."

Pravuil's cheeks turned the same shade of red as his shirt "Uh, I wouldn't say…"

"Who are Jack and Ianto?" Castiel asked.

"Like Balthazar said" Hermes told him "you don't want to know. Especially if you value your sanity."

"Anyway" Pravuil sighed heavily "the last time I saw Michael was the second to last time Castiel was taken to Re-education."

"So Balthazar said" Castiel put in "and you haven't heard from him since then?"

"No, I'm very concerned. But I'm certain he does not want the Apocalypse. And Castiel, he would never allow harm to come to you if he could help it. He loves you and your brother very much."

Castiel wasn't sure he believed that, though he did have some good memories of his father. He crossed his arms "He could have shown it more often."

"Michael's never been good with emotions, Castiel—very few angels are. You know that."

"I supposed" Castiel said grudgingly. "That doesn't excuse the fact he rarely visited and he wasn't there to protect my mother when she needed him most." The lights above flickered in his growing fury. He'd calmed from earlier but now his rage at his mother's death returned, his rage at the demons who killed her and his rage at his father for doing nothing.

"Castiel" Gabriel's voice rang out like a thunderclap, his wings spreading high and wide, pushing down Castiel's crackling Grace. "We've been over this. Michael was leading his Flight against a Legion of demons at the time. He called me to go to you but I was in the middle of a fight myself. That's why I was as late as I was. Your father couldn't get to you. He has his faults but stop blaming him for your mother's death."

Castiel stepped away from Dean, closer to Gabriel. The feathers of his wings were ruffled, he'd spread them if Gabriel's weren't taking up the entire basement. The other angels huddled together to stay out of the way and Hermes was pressed against the wall. Dean and Sam were oblivious to the wings of course.

"Perhaps," Castiel said lowly "but where was he after that? I saw him only a handful of times before he came to me on my fifteenth birthday, telling me to choose between humanity and grace."

"He wasn't telling you. He was asking. You could have chosen neither and remained nephilim like your brother."

Dean moved next to Castiel and grabbed his hand "Cas, babe, Honeybee wants you to calm down. And, uh, should I be seeing your wings like they're solid?"

Castiel immediately turned his attention to Dean, "What?"

"Uh yeah" Dean reached out his other hand but stopped just before his fingers made contact with Castiel's feathers. "Your wings really are black aren't they? And Gabe's are gold?"

Gabriel folded his wings up "When did you start seeing them?"

"Uh, when you first spread yours, everyone's just appeared. Even you have wings" He pointed at Hermes.

"What? You can see them?" Hermes looked over his shoulder "I keep them hidden. Even angels should be able to see them." Well, that explained why Castiel couldn't see any wings on him.

"It's because Dean's pregnant with a nephilim child," Pravuil stated.

"Yeah," Gabriel nodded "the ability usually develops around five weeks along."

Sam cleared his throat "Is Dean safe?"

"My eyes haven't burned out yet" Dean muttered.

"And they won't" Pravuil said. "You can only see our wings. You won't be able to see our true forms."

Sam turned his gaze to Hermes "Any why do you have actually wings? Aren't you supposed to have winged sandals or a helmet?"

"Sandals. I like to tinker. And most nephilim are born with wings."

"Why do you keep yours hidden?"

Dean groaned, hand on his belly "Who the fuck cares? Can we talk about how we're supposed to get Michael to help save Mom?" He started to say more but it turned into a yawn.

"What about your mother?" Pravuil asked.

"Lucifer resurrected Mary Winchester and Asmodeus and Bael are holding her captive." Gabriel explained "we need another archangel. Apparently, I can't take them both on myself." He said this last bit scathingly.

Dean yawned again "So how do we find Michael?"

Pravuil sighed "He's hidden himself quite well from angels. But perhaps something simpler would work. A witch's locator spell might do it, we would just need some of Michael's, uh, angelic essence or DNA, if you'd prefer. We can use Castiel's for that. His feathers should lead us to his father."

Gabriel nodded "We'll get Millie to do the spell. It'll fly under the radar better if a witch does it."

Dean was swaying on his feet and yawning every few seconds. Castiel wrapped his arms around him. "Once it's daylight" he said.

"Yeah" Sam agreed, giving a yawn of his own "the humans need sleep."

"No, I'm" Dean attempted to say through a yawn. Finally, he gave up and leaned into Castiel's embrace. "Fine whatever."

…

It was weird, seeing Cas's wings but being unable to touch them. They looked solid but wouldn't be till Cas intentionally made so and he wouldn't do that till right before the locater spell. Gabriel had warned them Cas would be weaker after doing so and might not be able to make his wings hidden again, since he was so cut off from the Home Office. So Cas was conserving as much energy as he could.

But damn did Dean want to touch his angel's wings. Cas's wings were inky black with highlights of midnight blue and purple and a smattering of silver. And they looked so fucking soft. Then again, Dean didn't want Cas to lose energy over this, there had to be some other way to find Michael.

He brought it up as he was hunched over the toilet the next morning, bringing up everything he'd eaten the day before.

Cas knelt behind him and rubbed soothing circles on his back "There is no other way that would be as quick Dean. I am happy to sacrifice my energy, even the rest of my powers to save your mother."

Dean's heart surged at that and his eyes watered. He hugged Cas tightly and buried his face in his neck.

After his bout of morning sickness and crying fest—damn hormones, Dean and Cas made their way downstairs to breakfast. They were greeted by the most delicious scent of coffee Dean had ever come across.

"Are you sure I can't have coffee?" he whined to Cas.

Before Cas could answer, Pravuil stepped out of the kitchen with a steaming mug in his hand. "You can have this. I've removed everything that makes it unsafe for a pregnant person but the taste and mental benefits remain."

Dean snatched the mug without a moment's hesitation, "Thanks." And completely ignoring Cas's look of indignation, he took a sip. He moaned in instant pleasure. "God this is the best coffee I've ever had."

"Makes sense" Gabriel was leaning against the wall with his own mug, "angel looks like Ianto, acts like Ianto, might as well make coffee like Ianto. Can you say obsessed?"

Pravuil rolled his eyes and said to Cas "Would you like some coffee, Castiel? You can have the angelic strength version."

"You're gonna need it" Gabriel said.

Cas sighed "Certainly. When we will perform the spell?"

"I'll get Millie when I'm done with this," Gabriel took a long pull from his mug. "You might wanna make your wings solid, Cassie."

"Oh my paternal grandfather, Pravuil" Hermes came from the kitchen, own mug clasped firmly in his hands. "This is the best coffee in the universe."

Sam was right behind him "It sure is the best I've ever had."

Pravuil's cheeks flushed "I don't know about that."

"Hermes is exaggerating" Gabriel said, making his mug vanish "Earth is the only planet with coffee."

"It is?" Sam asked.

Hermes nodded "Yep. Only planet with chocolate too."

"Which is why we gotta save it. Back in a few" Gabriel disappeared in what was probably an unnecessary flourish.

Pravuil handed Cas a mug of coffee that came from seemingly thin air, "Here you are, Castiel."

"Thank you" Castiel took a sip and his eyes widened in pleasant surprise. "This is quite agreeable."

…

"So is there food?" Dean asked, going into the kitchen.

"Yeah" Sam and the others followed, "Hermes went out and got some," he pointed to the table which was laden with diner take-out boxes. "There's eggs, bacon, pancakes and waffles."

"Sweet" Dean picked up a plate and started piling it with food.

"Where is the rest of the coalition?" Cas asked Pravuil.

"They're setting up headquarters in the basement per Gabriel's orders. I should be with them but I wanted to make everyone coffee. Excuse me" the door to the basement was in the kitchen and Pravuil disappeared through it.

Sam started filling his own plate with food "How'd you sleep, Dean?"

"Fine" Dean stuffed a piece of bacon in his mouth "You?"

"Fine" Sam lied. Truth was he'd been thinking of Hermes and their brief but intense history together—which he tried not to think of while the god was in the room. "Please chew carefully, Dean."

Hermes sat on the counter "Pops won't pull that Groundhog Day shit again, Sam."

Sam goggled at him "What makes you think…? Never mind." He sighed heavily and sat down "You knew about that?"

"Only after the fact, otherwise I never would have allowed it."

Dean swallowed what was in his mouth "You two know each other or something?" He looked between them. Cas regarded them with squinted eyes and tilted head.

Sam felt his face flush with heat, "Uh, Hermes was my AP English Lit teacher, my senior year in high school. I didn't know who he was back then, of course," he focused on his food. He knew without looking that his brother was looking at Hermes suspiciously.

Behind him, Hermes scoffed "Oh, quit looking at me like that, Dean. I had zero ulterior motives. It was a complete coincidence that Sam was attending the same school I was teaching at."

"Stay out of my head" Dean grumbled, of course he would think the worst. Whatever his worst was.

"Why were you teaching?" Cas asked.

"I was bored" Hermes hopped off the counter. "You should probably handle your wings now, cuz. Also, I called Manny, he's on his way."

"Why?" Cas glared at him.

"Because he has just as much to say to your father as you do."

"Very well" Cas set his coffee down "Dean, Sam, if you could please close your eyes."

Dean obeyed immediately which was just…okay. Sam shut his own eyes. A moment late it felt like he had his eyes closed out in bright sunlight and a warmth washed over him. Then he heard what could only be described as a bird shaking it's wings—times 100.

"You may open your eyes now."

Sam opened his eyes to be greeted by an amazing sight. A pair of large black raven-like wings spread out from behind Cas's back. "Wow" Sam breathed "your wings are gorgeous, Cas."

"Get your own angel, Sammy" Dean stood up, eyes only for Cas "Can I touch them, babe?"

A slight blush touched Cas's cheeks "I would like that very much."

Dean reached out and touched a spot of wing directly above Cas's shoulder and Sam suddenly felt like he was watching something very private. He shoved his last bite of egg into his mouth and stood. He looked at Hermes and then motioned to the back door. Hermes nodded and followed him outside.

…

Castiel sighed and shut his eyes as Dean's fingers danced lightly over his feathers. Touching wings was a very intimate act and reserved only those the angel trusted beyond measure.

"You don't have to be so gentle, my love" Castiel's voice came out in a whisper.

Dean splayed out his whole hand on the wing "Your feathers are so soft, babe, almost like baby bunny fur."

Castiel opened one eye with a smile, he knew that Dean had a fondness for rabbits.

Dean put his other hand on the other wing and Castiel moaned softly.

Dean chuckled "You getting off on this, babe?"

"Your touch always pleases me."

"Glad to hear that."

Castiel put his hands on Dean's hips and tugged him closer, slotting their lips together. Unfortunately before they could do more than that Gabriel strolled into the kitchen.

"Save the wing kink for later you two. Millie's setting up in the living room. Cas, gonna need one of your flight feathers. Where are Sam and Hermes?"

Castiel and Dean reluctantly pulled apart. "I think they stepped outside" Castiel said.

Gabriel looked out the kitchen window and chuckled "There's a spider on the porch railing and Hermes is hiding behind Sam. Leave 'em out there, they don't need to be inside for this. Flight feather, Cas."

Dean's brows furrowed "You still gonna be able to fly?"

Castiel nodded "It's just one feather Dean. I'm nearing molt anyway."

"You guys molt?"

"Oh yeah" Gabriel stretched his arms over his head. "It's incredibly annoying. I'll meet you in the living room" he opened the basement door and went inside.

Castiel blinked "Did Gabriel seem off to you?"

"You mean more off than normal? He was talking kinda fast. Maybe he's just nervous about seeing Michael."

Castiel sighed heavily "He's not the only one."

Dean put an arm around his waist "It'll be okay, babe."

We meet Michael next chapter. Yes, Sam and Hermes have a history. I want to try something new for our Bigfoot.

Can you guess what Michael will look like? *wink, wink*

TTFN