Damn that infernal beeping.

Cas blindly swatted at his phone, trying to silence his alarm. Normally, he was able to wake up without too much hardship, but right now, he was exhausted.

He had been working around the clock, making arrangements and contacting more people than he had ever interacted with in his life. He still couldn't believe that she was gone.

Gabriel had called to deliver the news to him Monday morning just as he arrived at the school, and he had been devastated. He didn't hang up until he had made it to his brother's classroom, solemnly sharing the new of their mother's passing. Michael had stared at him indifferently, quietly announcing that he would not be attending the services. Castiel was shocked at his brother's stubbornness but did not have it in him to argue. He had asked the other man to cover his classes for the week and quickly scrawled a note with instructions to Dean for his next assignment. He had gone back to his classroom to gather his belongings and took a moment to check his phone after feeling multiple notifications come in from his pocket. He skimmed over them, noting an email from the student in question. He quickly sent back a response, and then he was off. Michael may not have cared about their mother's passing, but Castiel needed his brothers.

Gabriel had assisted him in making arrangements trying to keep his mood light as the days went by. He had opted to stay with Cas in order to spend more time with him, and Cas was grateful for his presence. His brother had a knack for not taking things seriously, but apart from their mother, he was his biggest support system. Gabe had noticed just how worn down his brother was and had offered to let him sleep in while he went to pick Lucifer up from the airport.

Castiel stumbled toward the kitchen to make coffee. Coffee consumed, he turned his attention to a long shower. Much better. Drying his hair, he headed back to his bedroom to pick out his clothes for the day when he heard his phone go off. He quickly got dressed, then went to the bed, searching for his phone. He had messages from Gabe, rolling his eyes as he checked the most recent text.

Precious cargo secured.

He had over an hour until his brothers returned, so he decided to get some work done. He responded to some emails, and finally settled on Dean's email containing his first assignment. He smiled, opening the attachment and reading through it to grade. Apart from some minor grammatical errors and a few small critiques, he was pleased to see that Dean's work was excellent. He made a mental note to contact him this weekend about his grade, and hearing the car pull into the driveway, he shut down his computer and prepared to meet his brothers.

Today was the day.

The service started at 5pm, and he was greatly unprepared to be surrounded by people. He bit his nails, anxious to get it over with. He didn't want to say goodbye, but in a way he already had. His mother was gone, and she wasn't coming back. This funeral was nothing more than a formality, and he couldn't stand the fact that he had to greet people in front of his mother's body. She deserved more than that.

"Cas? Are you ready yet," Gabe called from the hallway, pulling him out of his thoughts.

He glanced down at himself, still wrapped in a towel from his shower and hesitated before answering, "I-I may require a few more minutes."

"Well, hurry it up, baby bro. Luc is going to pace a hole in your carpet if he has to wait any longer," Gabe hollered back, earning him a colorful response from their brother.

Cas sighed, steeling himself for the evening, and finally reached for his suit.

Cas had been massively uncomfortable at the previous evening's memorial service, but nothing had prepared him for the pain of this morning. As he watched his mother lowered into the ground, the tears finally flowed freely. His brothers stood on either side of him, the three of them putting their arms behind each other for support. Gabriel sniffed loudly to his left, and even Lucifer, usually so collected, wept openly to his right. Michael, true to his word, had not showed.

It was Friday night, and his brothers had chosen to head for the bar. He had just wanted to be alone. Unable to shake the memory of that morning, he decided to go to the school to pick up some more things that he needed for the weekend. As he entered the school, thankful once more that the custodian had let him in, he let the warm familiarity wash over him.

Reaching his classroom, he stepped in and let the comforting environment heal his heart. He had brought his laptop with him, and after walking through the aisles of desks, he had planned to get some more work done. He could hear the distant roar of fans and the press box as it carried up from the field, taking a moment to look out the window at the stadium lights. Good luck, Dean, he mused.

Returning to his desk, he quickly graded the work that Michael had left in his desk drawer for him. Checking mainly to see that the work was completed, he marked the stack with check marks, pleased to see that most of his students had done what was asked of them with no issues. He opened his laptop, signing into his grade book to add in the points for his students. As he got to Dean's, he realized that he had yet to email the boy back.

He had received an email the night before during the service and had been thrilled to see that Dean had already completed his next assignment. He hadn't graded that one yet, but he planned to meet with Dean on Thursday as planned this week, so there was no rush. He had been touched by Dean's concern over his absence, and he realized how much he hated to leave his students to the cold detachment of his brother. When he had spoken with the principal to state that he needed the week off, he had told him to take as long as he needed. He had not asked why his brother would not also be taking the week off, and for that Cas was grateful. Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he began typing. He was distinctly aware of the shouts coming from the stadium but had no inclination as to what it could possibly mean.

From: Castiel Novak castfromthepast83

To: Dean Winchester allidoiswinchester44

Date: September 18th, 2020, 9:45 PM

Subject: Additional Assignments

Hello, Dean.

First of all, I would like to let you know that I graded your first assignment, and that I have attached your feedback to this email. I also received your second assignment which you will get back this Thursday as planned. Kudos on getting it done promptly.

Second, I want to thank you for your concern regarding my absence. I am afraid that there was an unexpected death in the family, and I needed a few days to sort out the affairs. I do plan to return Monday, so I will give you the information for your next assignment then.

Thank you again, Dean. I hope that your game went well this evening. I was rooting for you.

Castiel N.