Author's Note: I was thinking, "What mundane activities would Ember and Castiel and the family enjoy that would be funny? Hmmmm, Cards Against." I feel like I'm going to have to make a longer fic about that at some point, but for now it fit well here. Also this was one of my favorite chapters to write. Let me know what you think! I don't own Supernatural.

***Ember POV***

July 13, Evening

ONE MONTH LATER

"Hey Aidan, what's going on?" Ember said, answering the phone from her job. She was worried immediately – none of the kids called while she was at work unless it was an emergency. She could hear thunderclaps outside, and she worried immediately that Josephine had wrecked her car. Ember was working late, and it was already dark outside.

"I just wanted to let you know that I went ahead and let Cas in," Aidan said.

"You're sure it was really Cas?" Ember said, immediately worried.

"Yeah. When he realized you weren't there, he did the holy water, and the salt, and the silver, and the angel expulsion sigil, and he still just looked like a drowned puppy dog on the porch. So yeah, I'm sure it was Cas."

Ember sighed. "Thanks for letting him in.Good job with the checking."

"Is he going to stay more than a couple of days this time? He gets thinner every time he shows up, seriously."

"I suppose it must be really bad, if you noticed it," she chided the boy gently. "But, you know how he is. He never wants to stay for long."

Ember wished Castiel could stay longer. Every time he was over, she felt she was constantly smiling. He called often, even while he was away, at her request, usually from payphones. She had always told him to keep in touch, but it was only since he became human that he seemed to have taken her request literally. Honestly, she rather thought he was bored.

Ember also knew, however, that Castiel couldn't afford to stay with her for very long. At most, he stayed two days, but usually only one, always coming and going under cover of nightfall. Then he had to move on. "I appreciate your hospitality," he always said. "You can't know what this means to me. I feel so lonely all the time. You keep me fed, and clothed… I wish I could do more for you."

"Are you sure you have to leave?" she would ask. "What about the warding? Shouldn't that protect you?"

But he would shake his head. "I can't allow you and your family to be hurt on my account," he would say. "No one can know I come here from time to time."

And she would nod, and allow him to leave. She always missed him, however.

When Castiel was around, things always seemed to get done more quickly. Castiel, it transpired, was a far better cook than Ember or any of the three children. Apparently, he had picked up a lot of things in homeless shelters and food kitchens. It seemed to be one of the few things that seemed to come naturally for him, now that he was a human. He also cleaned, and spent time helping the children with homework, and even teaching them fighting skills.

"Jesus, Cas, you're like the…" Husband I never had. "Never mind. Cas, you don't have to do all of this. I know it's been hard for you, all of this new humany stuff. Let me take care of you."

"Nonsense," Castiel said. "You give me the gift of your hospitality, as often as I can risk it. I do as much as I can to earn my keep."

Ember enjoyed the evenings with Castiel more than almost any other time in her life. All three of the children would spend their evenings at various appointments – studying, with friends, or on various forms of social media. Ember would watch television or play video games, and Castiel would always join her. He asked questions about even the most ridiculous or mundane show or video game. Somehow, these questions always turned into deep conversations about the human existence.

Over the summer, Ember and Castiel talked about everything – Dean, Sam, the apocalypse, Castiel's days as "God", Ember's job, therapy in general, the children, Ember's relationship with Dean, and Castiel's time on the run.

And one day, when Castiel left in early July, it occurred to Ember that she hadn't thought about Dean in weeks. Not too long after that, Ember realized she was falling for him.

***Castiel POV***

July 13

Castiel was in way over his head. Being human was difficult enough. He had been around a long time, however, and was a fairly ingelligent man, so most of the new "human" things were more "annoying" than "difficult". Urinating and defecating fell into that category. Eating and drinking were a little more difficult, as was finding a comfortable place to sleep and live. He had never been one for material things, even compared with other angels, so he didn't mind living with the homeless, or sleeping in mildly uncomfortable places. He had also learned enough from Dean and Sam to know, generally, how to survive in less than ideal circumstances.

The way Castiel saw it, he had three major problems. The first, obviously, was that since he unwittingly helped Metatron cast all of the angels out of Heaven, they were all out for blood. He had done the best he could – he had gotten a tattoo to ward himself, and an additional tattoo to ward off reapers, after the debacle with April. He had desperately hoped he could stay with Sam and Dean, but he understood why Dean had cast him out – it was, after all, safer that way while Sam recovered.

The other two problems were guilt and hormones. Guilt was, honestly, the largest of the two. He was constantly on the run – he understood that now. He could never stay in one place for long. If there were angel-related deaths nearby, he had already overstayed his welcome. He put others around him in danger, even untraceable as he now was thanks to his new tattoo. What he had done was incomprehensible, and he was absolutely desperate for some way to make things better, any possible way to redeem himself.

The other problem was hormones. He had never truly understood the male sex drive, but he was beginning to understand why humans committed so much sin.

Having sex with April had been a mistake. It had been an enjoyable and educational mistake, but a mistake nonetheless. Dean and Sam had seemed impressed, so that was something. Still, he had ended up dead because of it, which he was pretty sure wasn't supposed to happen after coitus.

The real reason he was beginning to think that sex with April had been a mistake, however, was because it seemed to have awakened something inside of him that left him constantly wanting. This constant need had been bad enough before April – he had gotten used to the need to pleasure himself daily, but at least he hadn't known what he was missing. It was only after April, however, that he began to wonder what sex would be like with the person he was truly in love with – Ember.

It had been bad enough when he was an angel, and her half-demon powers attracted him. Now, being around her felt like a sweet kind of torture. She had been kind enough to let him into her house – to let him eat her food, sleep on her couch, and keep her company. He was never able to do much for her other than clean her house, help her kids with homework, and cook; he never felt like he did enough. Still, she always seemed happy to see him.

He wished he could spend all of his time at Ember's, but he dare not. He knew he was being tracked, and he couldn't afford to put Ember and her children in danger. Therefore, he kept his visits to once or twice each week. They were the highlight of his life.

***Castiel POV***

August 3

"You do realize this game is very crass, don't you?" asked Castiel for the third time that night.

"Duh," said Krissy. "That's what makes it so much fun."

Ember rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you guys talked me into playing Cards Against Humanity with an angel, for Christ's sake," she said, her head in her hands.

"I'm not an angel," Castiel responded. "I'm human now."

"Exactly," said Aidan. "And, as a human, it is our duty to introduce you to Cards Against Humanity. Besides, Cas. You're winning. Josie, it's your turn to choose."

"Fine," said Josephine. She picked up a black card. "What never fails to liven up the party?"

"An ex-angel who keeps asking what all of these cards mean," joked Krissy, giving Castiel a big grin.

"I'm not sure whether to be insulted or not," Castiel said honestly.

"Don't be," Ember said. "We're having a great time. This is literally the most fun game of Cards Against I've ever played."

"What is 'pixelated bukkake'?" asked Castiel, and the entire group, including him, burst out laughing.

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

"I hope I didn't embarrass myself in the game earlier today," Castiel told Ember late that night. They were watching Doctor Who, and it was a commercial break.

Ember laughed. Castiel liked the sound of her laugh. "You did," she said, "But it was in a good way. Here, it's back on."

Castiel supposed that would have to be good enough; he had made her happy, and that was something. He watched the show intently, but he found that he didn't understand it. "I don't understand this show's concept of Heaven," he told Ember during the next commercial break. "Why is Heaven full of skeletons in tanks of water?"

"It's not actually Heaven," Ember told him. "The Doctor's enemy, the Master, has figured out how to use advanced technology from their home planet to intercept the souls when people die and put them into Cybermen so that she can take over the world."

Castiel thought about this. "It's all very complicated," he said.

Ember was staring at the screen intently, even though the episode was over. It was obvious she was still thinking about something.

"Castiel, where do angels go when they die?"

Castiel stopped to think about it. "I've been told we – I mean, they – go to the empty."

Ember frowned, staring curiously at Castiel. "What's that?"

"I'm not sure," he said honestly.

"And… what about you?" asked Ember, looking at him and scooting closer as if to search for something in his eyes. "You're human… but do you have a soul?"

"I… don't know that either," he said. He thought back to his time in the homeless shelters and on the run, and what he had learned so far about his human self. "But… I have no temptation toward wrong-doing, like other humans do when they don't have a soul. I've been angry, but I have no urge to kill humans. I've been upset, and guilty, and remorseful, and I feel it deeply." He continued to think about it. "Perhaps I do have a soul, or… perhaps I simply have lived too long as an angel for it to matter."

Ember seemed to consider this. Finally she said, "If you do have a soul, then that means when you die, you'll go to Heaven, right?"

"I suppose so, yes."

"Each soul has its own Heaven, right?" she asked. "Dean told me that."

"Yes, that's true," Castiel said. Then he asked, "What would yours look like?", because he simply wanted to know.

She thought a moment. "Spending time with my mother," she answered honestly. "Before I knew about demons, and before I had powers. Before I was constantly scared."

Castiel was shocked at her answer, and the flippancy with which she said it. He wished that she never had to be scared again. For a second, he wished that Sam had gone through with the trials and locked the demons into Hell forever. As he was about to say something to this effect (though perhaps not about Sam), Ember asked, "What would yours look like?"

Castiel had spent a lot of time in the eternal Tuesday afternoon of an autistic man who had drowned in a bathtub in 1953. It had been peaceful there, with flowers, and a sprawling landscape. He was about to explain this to Ember, but then he had another thought.

"Here, I think," he answered honestly. "Here, with you."

"Really?" She asked. "Why am I so special?"

"You are very special," Castiel said, thinking fast. "You accept me, even after everything I've done. And… and you're funny. And your children are truly delightful. You are all models of the human species."

Ember began to laugh, and she reached across the sofa to hug him. They gave each other quick hugs when they said good-bye, Castiel reflected later, but this was only the second time she had given him a long hug like this one. Once again, he inhaled the scent of oranges and felt his body begin to respond to her closeness. This time, however, he did not let go, but simply moved slightly backward, making sure to cover the evidence of his arousal. Finally, when she moved to let go, he did as well, feeling suddenly cold at the loss of her body.

"Castiel, seriously, you really need to stay for longer," she said. "You always know how to make me smile."

***Castiel POV***

August 11, Morning

Castiel loved the taste of eggs and bacon. He had made a spread for the rest of the family on Saturday morning. He would never admit to Ember that he had continued to search out opportunities to learn how to cook, simply to impress her and the kids. Cooking seemed to be the most useful thing to do in Ember's new home, because it was the only chore that she point-blank refused to learn, and so he had approached the task with gusto.

He thought he had done a fairly good job, too. He was the first one to awaken, and the thought of the look on Ember's face when she saw the spread brought a smile to his face. It felt like his first smile this week.

Castiel's head turned sharply when he heard whispering. Suddenly Josephine emerged from the living room, clearing her throat as she entered. "Excuse me, Mr. Castiel," she said, approaching him formally. Then she saw the food. "Wow, did you make these?"

"Yes," he said, "It's the least I could do. Eat up!"

"Thanks!" she said, seeming to forget what she had been about to ask. She grabbed a plate and a lavish amount of eggs, and sat down across from him at the table. Aidan also emerged from the living room, and at the sight of him, Josephine seemed to remember what she had been about to ask. "Oh! Right!" She was much less formal now, as though the eggs had been some sort of icebreaker. "We wanted to know if you could practice fighting us."

"What?" said Castiel, surprised.

"Last time you were here, you said you'd practice fighting with us someday if it was okay with Ember," Aidan spoke up. "We have all the foam weapons we use with her in the basement. You know, for practice?"

Castiel was caught off guard. "Ember - what would she say?" He hoped this was the correct answer.

"She practice fights with us sometimes, so that all of us can keep up our strength if someone tries to attack us," Josephine filled in. "She said it was okay when Aidan asked her, but that we had to ask you. You don't have to if you don't want to, though."

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

When Ember had come down to breakfast around 10AM, she had been pleased with the spread. Her face had lit up, and she had given Castiel a huge smile and thanked him profusely. Then she had looked at his clothing, which was the same as what he had worn yesterday. "Cas, I'm taking you shopping today. You've been so kind to us lately, it's the least I can do."

When they had left at noon, Krissy had yet to come down to breakfast, and Josephine had had to leave for her job at McDonald's, where she worked from 11 to 4. When Aidan had asked Ember, again, about Castiel practicing fighting with them, she had said that it was a great idea (if he would agree to it), and that they could do it after Josephine got off of work.

During the shopping trip, Ember regaled Castiel with what he had missed in the lives of the children since his last trip over a week ago. "Krissy's math has been better since you helped her last week," Ember said. "I checked her grades this morning, even though she doesn't know I know how. She still doesn't trust me. Victor did a number on them, though, so I can't be surprised..." She sighed. "It's the same old story. They're always worried that I'm going to come home a vampire, or that I'm not going to come home…" She trailed off. "Of course, I'm not really sure how much of that is related to them being in foster care and the trauma they've been through, and how much of it is related to just hunting in general."

"You're a great mother," Castiel said. "The situation you've been put in, with you being half-demon, and the choice you've made, to take care of other children who have been orphaned as a result of hunting, is admirable." He had said it before, and it always made her smile.

Ember also told Castiel what to expect in regards to the children's fighting styles as they picked out first a suitcase and then several new pairs of shirts and pants for Castiel. "Watch Aidan, he needs the most work, but don't tell him that," she said. "He never puts his feet right, and he makes these big sweeping strokes that don't hit… Krissy is nearly always on target, though. And what Josie doesn't have in agility and speed, she makes up for in accuracy. Once, Krissy and Josie together almost beat me, and I had to use my force powers to repel them. They want to see if they can beat you."

Castiel couldn't help remembering a sparring practice with Ember a very long time ago, when the group of them were working to take down Lucifer. He wondered if this would be like that.

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

Castiel learned quickly that this was nothing like sparring with Ember. Victor had turned the basement of the large house into a matted sparring room, which was full of foam and other practice weapons. Ember and Castiel served as instructors, and Castiel was surprised at the ease with which he slipped into the role. "You're leaving yourself too open," he told Josephine slowly, watching her fight with Krissy. "You're concentrating too much on accuracy and sacrifing quickness." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ember give him a smile and a quick nod.

Castiel knew, without asking, that Dean had been down here at one point, sparring with the children and instructing them as well. Krissy in particular had picked up a few moves that Castiel recognized as very Dean-like.

The children were good fighters – better fighters than most hunters, to be honest, though no match for Ember or Castiel. As Ember had warned him, Krissy was lethal with a blade. In their first match, he went easy on her, and almost let her get the better of him. While they stopped for water, Castiel watched Ember dual-wielding a pair of foam knives against Aidan and Josephine. Ember's hair was tied in its usual ponytail, and she wore lounge paints again with a black crop top and tennis shoes. She dodged Aidan's blows easily as she discussed trigonometry homework with Josephine during their swordfight.

"Dean said he taught her to fight like that," Krissy said, following Castiel's eyes. "But I think she has completely her own style."

Castiel agreed. "Her force powers play a role in her style," he said. They had discussed it once, late one night, with Dean and Sam. "She picked up some moves from Dean, but her force powers help determine which moves are easiest to use and which ones are best left for practice sparring or playing around. That's why she likes to dual-wield – so she can keep her force energy even on both sides."

Krissy appeared to think on this for a second, then slowly raised her foam sword to his face, signaling that the water break was over.

They had been fighting for about half a minute when the teenager spoke up. "Castiel, how long are you staying this time?"

"Should you really talk until you're confident you can fight in silence?" Castiel asked, forcing her slowly backward toward the wall.

"Ember encourages us to talk," Krissy said. "Because our opponents will be taunting us."

Suddenly, she grinned evilly, ducking under his arm in a quick move he didn't anticipate. "Hey Cas, what are you doing tonight?"

Castiel was suddenly on the offensive, but it only lasted a second before he had used his strength to force Krissy backward while parrying. "I'm not sure, why?"

"Just figured we might all want to get out of here," she said, concentrating so hard that tiny lines appeared on her forehead. "You know, so you and Ember can have some time alone together." And, once again, she ducked away from him.

Castiel froze at her words, only for a second, but then he felt the foam sword pushing comically into his chest.

Aidan noticed it first, and became so distracted that Ember was able to hold him easily at swordpoint, effectively ending the fight on the other side of the room. Ember turned around slowly and grinned when she saw Krissy and Castiel. "Finally got the better of you, did she?" she said proudly.

Castiel prayed that Krissy wouldn't explain the full situation to Ember, and fortunately she didn't seem inclined to elaborate on her win. He thought his face must be horribly red, however. Ember raised her eyebrows at Castiel, but that was the only sign she gave that she knew something must be amiss.