Author's Note: Super excited about the next chapter! This chapter covers about 5 months, so mind the time skips.

I don't own Supernatural.

***Castiel POV***

April 4th, Late Night

Castiel and Ember had been home less than a week, but already they were slipping into a pattern. Each morning Castiel would make breakfast for whoever happened to be at home. Then Krissy would leave for school, and Ember would go about the business of picking up the vestiges of the life she had led before she had become pregnant with Jack. This often meant a lot of bookwork and work on computer doing things like "social security" and "scouring the internet for possible clients." Castiel didn't understand what it all meant, but he liked to hear about it.

Evenings were usually spent as a family. Occasionally Jack became involved in a movie or researching on his own, and on these occasions Castiel and Ember would ward the door to stifle sounds and engage in a short round of amorous activities.

At night, Jack slept for about 4 hours, and Castiel didn't sleep at all. He often spent the nights wandering the house searching for signs of possible danger while the others slept, or engaged in his own private research.

Castiel was happier than he had ever dreamed he could be. It was paradise. He quickly decided that (aside from the occasional amorous activities in the evening,) his favorite moments of the day were spent teaching his son. Jack had a lot to learn, and much of it needed to be taught to him by an angel.

Castiel started by asking Jack to relate everything that had happened to him so far. It wasn't long before Jack started asking questions.

"And then there were these angels and they tried to kill me," he finished. "But… I thought angels were good?"

"Well, in Heaven, 'good' is a relative term," Castiel said wisely.

"What's it like? Heaven?" Jack asked.

"Well, that depends."

"But it's nice?"

"It can be," Castiel said. "But it can be very difficult as well. You're a nephilim, Jack, which means you're half angel. And you're part demon on your mother's side… it's never happened before! And, a lot of the other angels don't approve."

"But why?"

"Because you'll be very strong, Jack," Castiel said. "I'm very strong, and you'll be twice as strong as me. And your mother is strong, too. And if you were to go bad, with all that power, it could be catastrophic. That's very scary."

Castiel sighed. "Jack, I… I should've been there when you were born. I'm sorry you've had to go through so much without me. You need an angel to guide you, to explain all of these things to you. More importantly, you needed a father."

Jack looked at Castiel contemplatively. "It's okay," he said. Then he added, "I understand why Mom trusted you. Why Dean and Sam trusted you… and why I trusted you."

"You remember that?" Castiel asked.

"I remember feeling… safe," Jack confessed.

"Jack, your mother and I believe that you will do amazing things," Castiel said. "She always said that you would change the world for the better. And now, looking at you, talking to you, I know that she was right, that we were right. We're so proud of you."

Jack smiled, a large smile. Over Jack's shoulder, Castiel saw Ember, tears of happiness shining in her eyes.

***Ember POV***

June 15

TWO MONTHS LATER

The following two months were quite possibly the best months of Ember's life. Though she worked part time, Jack, and her other three children, were her primary priority. Castiel seemed to have the same idea, and the small, blended family spent the following two months in domestic bliss.

Jack spent some weekends at the bunker – typically the ones that Krissy spent at home. Krissy occasionally accompanied Dean or Sam hunting, and always came back in a good mood, to Ember's annoyance. By the end of the May, Jack had somewhat better control of his powers, and almost complete control of his flight, though only over short distances. Castiel and Ember could not have been more proud, and they told Jack so on a regular basis.

June 15th was a Friday, and a rarity. Castiel and Ember had the weekend to themselves. Krissy was attending a last-minute end-of-term vacation with her friends, and Jack had already made plans to go to the bunker.

Castiel and Ember stayed up most of the night having sex, and they had just started up again when the phone rang at 2AM Saturday morning.

"Ignore it," Castiel said huskily, kissing a trail across her collar bone.

"Sam's ringtone," Ember said, clumsily disentangling herself and reaching for her phone. "'Plus it's 2AM. Probably about Jack."

"Hi," said Sam when Ember picked up the phone. "Look, we ended up on a case in Dodge, Kansas."

"D'ya need me to pick Jack up?" Ember asked, attempting to keep her voice calm as Castiel had resumed his ministrations.

"No, he's with us," Jack said.

"What?" Ember exclaimed. "Sam, why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, I thought at first that it might be nothing," Sam said. "It wasn't much to go on…"

Sam was usually more responsible than this, but she owed him everything at the moment. "Sam, that's… you still should have…" she started gently.

"I would've," Sam said apologetically. "I just… Dean's all geeking out because it's a town full of cowboy memorabilia… that's how we ended up here in the first place, actually. And…" he lowered his voice. "I know you and Cas have been really busy with the kids, and that house isn't very big…"

"Quiet, but not quiet enough, Sammy!" Ember heard Dean yell on the other end.

"I thought you were in the shower!" Sam shouted at him.

"'Heard my name!" Ember heard Dean yell back.

Sam sighed. "Anyway, it turns out that it's a case after all. Everyone's fine, just… there was more here than we thought there was."

"We're on our way," Ember said.

"You really don't have to-…"

Ember sighed, pulling away from Castiel. "Sam, between you and I, as much as I'd like to keep Jack away from hunting, he's half-angel and half-demon. I'm never going to be able to keep him out of the life, at least to some degree. I'm rusty myself… I'm out of practice. We'll be there as soon as we can."

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

It was a ghoul. The ghoul had taken the form of Dave Mather, a legendary gunfighter. They traced him to a bank, which he was attempting to rob.

It all happened in slow motion. Ember hadn't even been back hunting for more than a day. Jack knew she could stop bullets. He knew nobody was ever in any real danger… but he just wanted to prove himself.

And then, with a blast of Jack's powers, the bank's security guard was dead, and the Dave Mather ghoul was in the wind. Dean chased after the ghoul with his sawed-off, but Castiel, Sam, and Ember all ran to Jack's side as blood blossomed under the guard's head.

"Cas, I-I didn't mean to," Jack said, horrified. "Castiel, you have to heal him!"

But the guard had already been reaped, and was already in Heaven.

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

"Jack, please talk to us," said Ember. They were on the way back to the bunker, which was closer. They had needed to get Jack out of town before the cops began to investigate. Dean and Sam had remained behind to deal with the Dave Mather ghoul.

"Jack, I've killed people who didn't deserve it," said Castiel. "My friends– I've killed people I loved. I wish I could tell you that it– that it gets easier, that with time, it hurts less, but that would be a lie because it– it never gets easier. And those moments, they never stop hurting. But that doesn't mean that you should stop fighting. Doesn't mean that just because you made a mistake – and that's what this is, Jack. It's a mistake. That doesn't mean that you can't– can't be better, do better. I believe that. I have to believe that."

"And we still believe in you, Jack," Ember added. "This was an accident. Everyone-…"

"Stop," Jack said firmly. "Just… Please stop."

The rest of the ride was completed in silence.

***Castiel POV***

June 16

It had been a horrible night. Ember had eventually gone to sleep wrapped around Castiel. Jack had refused to talk to any of them.

Finally, Sam and Dean returned.

"How'd it go?" asked Ember, yawning.

"Usual," said Dean. "Killed the bad guy, saved the girl."

"What about, uh…" Castiel let his eyes travel toward Jack.

"Took care of it," said Sam.

"Good," Ember nodded.

"Good?" Jack exclaimed suddenly, shocking all four of them. "How is that good? I killed someone. What was his name? The guard? Did he have a family?"

Castiel shot Ember a significant look, which she returned. "Jack, don't do this to yourself," he said.

"No, did he?" asked Jack.

"Yes, he did," said Dean, and Castiel saw Ember glare daggers at him.

"Jack, look, this life, what we do, it's… it's not easy," said Sam. "And we've all done things we regret."

"Just don't. You're afraid of me," Jack said, and Castiel could see the power rippling behind his eyes and in his posture.

"Jack, no," Castiel protested. He remembered what it felt like to feel guilty over the deaths of others who were innocent. He couldn't imagine feeling this after only a few months of living.

"No, maybe you're right," said Jack. "Maybe I'm just another monster."

"No!" Ember protested. "Jack, you're my son, you're -…"

"No, you're not," said Dean, and his voice drowned out Ember's. "I thought you were. I did. But… Like Sam said, we've all done bad. We all have blood on our hands. So if you're a monster, we're all monsters." Ember shot him a look of relief.

"No, you don't," Jack protested. "Every time I try and do something good, people get hurt. I thought I was getting better. I'm not… I don't know what I am, but I know I can't make the world a better place, not like this. I can't even do one good thing. And I know that if I stay, I'm gonna hurt you. All of you. And… I can't. You're all I have."

"Jack, please," Ember said, running over to him, but he shrugged out of her arms.

"Jack, listen," protested Sam.

"I have to go," said Jack.

"No, Jack," Castiel said desperately.

"I'm sorry," Jack said, and with a blast of power Castiel felt himself knocked backward. He saw that Dean, Sam, and Ember had been knocked backward as well.

Ember recovered first, out of desperation, perhaps. "Jack!" she yelled desperately.

"I'm so sorry," Jack said again softly, and he disappeared.

"Jack!" yelled Castiel, but he knew it was no good. He was gone.

***Ember POV***

October 22

THREE MONTHS LATER

Summer turned slowly to fall, and there was no sign of Jack.

Ember was heart-broken and desperate, and no amount of time having gone by changed this. Jack was her son, and not a day went by where she didn't think of him constantly.

By the end of July, Ember had once again built up a decently-sized business doing therapy with survivors of supernatural events. Not only was it a way to pay the bills, but it was also a way to keep an eye on the larger supernatural world. When she was doing therapy, she didn't think of Jack constantly… staying busy was definitely a necessity.

Castiel spent his days poring through Enochian scripts and torturing demons. Still, there was no news. He attempted to reassure Ember as often as possible. "No news is good news," he always said. "We taught him well."

Finally, near the end of October, Castiel managed to reach an old angel contact. "I must make a trip to Heaven," he said. "One of my old friends has finally agreed to meet with me."

Ember sighed. "Cas, I don't like this," she said, pulling him close in their bed. "I can't lose you, too."

He hugged her back, tracing a line down her shoulder with his finger. His lack of reassurance told Ember that this trip was every bit as dangerous as she imagined. "I have no choice," Castiel said. "Not anymore. It's been months. We need-…"

"I know," Ember said, a tear slipping down her face. "I know, Cas."

***Castiel POV***

October 23

It had been awhile since Castiel had been near the entrance to Heaven, which was still kept in the sandbox. Still, even now, he could feel Heaven's warmth, a feeling of being home at last. He adjusted the small recording device attached to his neckline. Ember had insisted upon it, and Charlie had been kind enough to provide it.

Finally, an angel met him at the entrance to Heaven. "Dumah," he said, nodding. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. This is a matter of great urgency. It's imperative that I locate my son."

"You mean the nephilim," clarified his old friend.

"Yes," Castiel said. "Do the angels have him?"

"No."

"Okay," Castiel said desperately. You're certain that he's not maybe sitting in– in Metatron's old cell or– …"

"If we had him, he wouldn't be imprisoned. He would be put to work."

Castiel backtracked. "What do you mean?"

"Castiel, the angels... Our numbers were greatly diminished after the Fall. No one's made new angels since the dawn of creation. We're going extinct. You would need a powerful force to make more of us."

Castiel bristled. "You mean Jack. Even if he had that power, what makes you think he'd cooperate?"

"He may not have a choice," Dumah said severely.

"So you're planning to enslave him for some kind of experiment?" Castiel accused.

"Castiel, he's not your pet. He belongs to all of us."

"He's my son!" Castiel screamed at her.

Two other angels had appeared suddenly next to Dumah. "You did well, Dumah. You delivered him as promised."

One of the angels, Cydiel, turned toward Castiel. "We hear you have influence with the nephilim. He'll listen to you."

"No," said Castiel, seething with anger. "I will not help you." He thought of the microphone, still attached to his neckline, and wondered when Ember would jump in to help him. Thankfully she didn't have the teleportation powers she used to, or she would have arrived already. Still, he knew she was only about a block away.

"Ever the renegade," said the first angel.

"Castiel, please, come with us," said Dumah, grasping him by the wrist. He resisted, pushing her away, and all four angels began to fight. Castiel was stronger and faster than all three of the angels, but it was a three-on-one fight. His angel blade sliced through the air, but then he felt another angel blade at his throat, and the fight was over.

"Drop the blade, Dumah!" rang out a voice suddenly.

Lucifer had come out from the trees, his eyes blazing and staring at Dumah. "You hesitate?" he snapped. "This isn't gonna one of those 'make my day' moments, is it? Okay. Buh-bye." His eyes began to glow red, and the angel blade at Castiel's throat suddenly disappeared, along with its owner.

Lucifer leaned back against a bench, coughing and wheezing.

Castiel braved a glance over his shoulder and realized that all three of his angel enemies were gone. Then he turned back to Lucifer. "What are you doing back in this world?"

"What are you doing alive?" Lucifer retorted.

"It's complicated," Castiel snapped.

"Same here," said Lucifer. "Obviously, getting here took its toll."

"You're weak," Castiel accused fiercely, advancing on Lucifer.

"Yeah, I'm clearly not myself," said Lucifer. "But, oh, cowboy, I'm not that weak. And you and I need to talk."

"I have no interest in talking to you," snapped Castiel.

"Neither do I," said Ember, appearing suddenly from behind the trees. A ring of holy oil sprang up around Lucifer. Castiel could only guess that Ember had put the ring there using her force powers while Lucifer was distracted.

"Damn it!" said Lucifer. "I should've known."

Ember pulled out handcuffs warded for angels and clicked them around Lucifer's wrist.

"They won't hold him for long, Cas," she whispered.

"Yes, they will," said Castiel, stepping closer to investigate Lucifer. "His grace has been weakened. Here, look. Can you douse it?"

Ember shot Castiel a skeptical look, but obediently put out the fire caused by the holy oil. Her hand didn't leave the cuffs around Lucifer's wrists.

Castiel walked up and put his hand on his older brother, feeling his grace.

Lucifer jerked away from his touch. "Get off me, you maniac!" He struggled against the cuffs, but he couldn't move.

"What happened to your grace?" Castiel asked, adding his steadying hand to Lucifer's cuffs and pulling him toward his truck.

"Ouch!" snapped Lucifer. "That's what I'm trying to tell you!"

"Great, tell us in the car," snapped Ember.

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

Lucifer explained that he had met the archangel Michael in the other world. Michael (from Apocalypse World) had been determined to get to their world. He had used quite a bit of Lucifer's archangel grace to create a rift. If Lucifer was telling the truth, he had fought off several angels to jump through the rift first. He had gotten lucky and the rift had closed behind him.

Castiel doubted he was telling the truth. Unfortunately, he couldn't see Lucifer's angle. If he was going to lie, why not make up a different one? In fact, why save him at all?

En route to the bunker, they stopped at a bar so that Ember could grab food. "Everything I am telling you is true," Lucifer insisted. "You were there, man. You saw what that place was like. The Michael I just described to you is responsible for that."

Castiel looked at him wearily, and Ember simply glared at him.

"What? What? What? What?" Lucifer asked. "Will you– will you do me a favor and stop looking at me like I'm the enemy?"

"You are the enemy," Ember said, her hand still on Lucifer's cuffs under the table.

"You'll forgive me if I'm a little on edge," snapped Castiel. "The last time we were together, you killed me."

"Well, last time we were together, you stabbed me," Lucifer shot back.

Castiel rolled his eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry," he snapped sarcastically.

"You wanna dwell on the past?" Lucifer asked. "I don't." He held up his cuffed hands. "I'm not myself anyway. What am I gonna do? Okay? Look, it's time to save the world."

Ember sighed, pulling the cuffs tighter. "Okay, Lucifer, Lord of Lies," she said sarcastically. "How do Castiel and I save the world, according to you?"

"Me, the two of you, and your son," Lucifer corrected. "I think the combined power of the four of us can drive Michael back. I'm telling you, this guy is not the same Michael that we knew. He's much more powerful."

Castiel looked at Ember, and he saw, reflected back at him, the same trace of worry that Lucifer was (for once) telling the truth. "Okay, if this Michael come–…"

"Not if," said Lucifer. "When. The guy's on a mission."

"Well, you would seem to be the weak link on this team," Castiel said.

"Yeah, and you're going back into the cage," Ember snapped.

"Really?" Lucifer asked her, and the ghost of a grin flitted across his face. "But your powers are so much stronger when I'm around. They've increased in the last hour since I got back, haven't they?"

Castiel looked at Ember in surprise, but realized he should have known this. Her powers were directly related to Lucifer's – that had been proven eight years ago during the first Apocalypse. It was less noticeable after her two Demon Bonds had boosted her supernatural powers (not to mention being pregnant with Jack). When she had come back from the Empty, however, these powers had reduced once again to their baseline, minimal form. For the past few months, she had been able to move objects only (and small animals).

Castiel realized that Ember would have known immediately about Lucifer's return from the sudden boost in her own powers. One look at Ember's face and Castiel knew he had guessed correctly.

"We can't beat Michael without me, and especially not without the increase I cause in your demon powers," Lucifer said. "It'll never work. Right now, you need me, I need you, and we both need your son."

Suddenly, thunder and lightning flashed. Several demons had entered the bar, and one of them – their leader – was Asmodeus. Castiel readied his angel blade, and Ember did the same.

"Hey, man," said Lucifer in recognition.

"Lord Lucifer", said Asmodeus.

"Lil' Asmodeus," taunted Lucifer. "My onetime stooge. Runt of the litter. Uh, dimmest bulb in the string, et cetera, et cetera. I see you must've taken over Crowley's spot? Yeah. That's okay. You can stand down now. Skipper's back." Lucifer pounded his fist on the bar.

"Well, here's the thing, Lou," said Asmodeus. "I'm real satisfied with my current position. Hell is humming along quite nicely, thank you. But I do hope you and your little lap angel will pay me a visit."

"Yes, well... see, that's the thing. We're all booked up, buddy," said Lucifer.

"Oh, I won't take 'no' for an answer," said Asmodeus in his southern drawl.

"Now you know better than to screw with me, Asmodeus," Lucifer said dangerously.

"Oh, I knew better than to screw with the old you," said Asmodeus. "But this new version seems a little more... screwable."

Lucifer shrugged, inflating his chest, his eyes glowing red. "So help me," he whispered, and Castiel looked at Ember with trepidation.

"Aw, please," said Asmodeus. He held up two fingers and flicked them, knocking Lucifer, Castiel, and Ember across the bar.

"Ember!" Castiel screamed, running toward her. There was blood coming from her head, and she appeared to be unconscious.

He had just laid a hand on her when Asmodeus yelled "Nope!" and snapped his fingers in Castiel's direction.