Sorry about the lateness of this chapter, there were so many things going on this week and I couldn't take the time to sit down and write most the time. I was actually supposed to get this submitted hopefully by Monday, but I lost my notebook that I had written down all the relationship info on, and I didn't find it until Tuesday, and from that point onward I was just too busy to write. Sorry about that.

(BLD)

It was a miracle no one had asked questions during breakfast. Castiel had remained relatively silent all throughout, eating his omelet despite his emotional turmoil. The others were chatting and making light conversation, all of which seemed to be about the upcoming holiday. It seemed Lucifer was wearing his public face well, because Castiel was more than certain Lucifer had been hit hard a moment ago. He talked about his preparations for the turkey with vigor.

Castiel calmly glanced over to his brother, taking a sip from his glass of orange juice. He didn't want to stay mute for all of breakfast, though. "Who all are we expecting to come for Thanksgiving?"

That question got everyone's attention, and all eyes turned on Castiel. Apparently everyone had noticed how Castiel hadn't been talking.

"Uh," Gabriel fiddled with his fork, most of his pancakes eaten, and now the teeth slipped through the puddles of syrup left over, "I think most everyone will try and come." Then his eyes lifted to stare at his brother, searching for a reaction.

Shit.

He hated it when the whole family came. Now, don't get him wrong, he loves seeing all his cousins, and his aunt, but when it came to his uncle… He'd prefer not to be around. Usually, his aunt didn't accuse him of betraying his family like a certain uncle did. But when his aunt and uncle got together, and if the slightest hint of Castiel got into the conversation, it would turn to how 'disrespectful' he's been, and how his father needed to set him straight.

He blamed most of it on his Uncle Metatron. That man had some serious issues, and it was no wonder his cousin Gadreel turned out the way he did.

Funny thing is, it was his Uncle Metatron who encouraged Castiel, who told him that his writing was good enough to get published, and that he should move away if he ever wanted to make a name for himself. It was the very same Uncle who, while Castiel was gone, told his father that Castiel did it because he'd felt suffocated by his family. Of course, his father knew how much of a liar Metatron was, and he didn't believe him for a second.

Only, Metatron hadn't been too far from the truth.

Castiel gripped both hands around his glass, his thumb brushing over the smooth surface for a moment before he spoke, "Good."

His brother's all shared a glance with one another, "Are you sure you're okay with that?" Lucifer asked. "We could always tell everyone we want to be alone this year-" "No, no. If what you say is true, then this will be the last holiday we'll have with father. We can't keep his siblings away like that." Castiel told the whole table. He didn't care how Gabriel was seeing right through him with his skeptical eyes. He was never very good at his public face, but he needed to say something. He also wanted them all to come so he could set some things straight. He wasn't going to let his uncle dictate the way he lived his life.

Everyone at the table took this as an acceptable answer and continued with their breakfast. Afterwards, Castiel and Michael cleared off the table, taking plates and bowls to the sink where Gabriel was tasked with cleaning them.

"You know, we have a dish washer, right?" Gabriel glanced over to Lucifer, begrudgingly filling the sink with hot, soapy water.

Lucifer grinned, "Yep. That's you." He snickered, poking Gabriel's nose, but then quickly had to pull his finger away because Gabriel made to bite at his finger.

"Are you still mad about the brownies?" Gabriel asked, his brows furrowed sharply.

Lucifer glanced back at his brother from where he was putting ingredients back in the fridge, his expression dull, "Maybe."

"Oh my God…" Gabriel rolled his eyes, submerging his hands in the water to start scrubbing at dishes. It was suddenly apparent this was a punishment.

Castiel only shook his head with a slight smile, putting more dishes in the sink that held the others. Gabriel sent a pleading look to his brother which was promptly ignored. "I would be more inclined to help…" He spoke, grabbing a paper towel to wipe his fingers, "But I'm kind of cranky because someone ate all my caramel chews." And he quickly sent an accusing look to Gabriel who promptly grinned, looking down at the dishes, "Ouch…" was all he answered with as he began to wash the dishes in earnest.

As the siblings dispersed, all except Gabriel, Castiel wondered what he'd do today. Besides waiting for his father to wake, he wasn't sure what else there was for him to do. His hands were shoved in the deep pockets of his casual blue jeans as he slowly paced in the foyer. Eventually, it was Michael who got his attention.

"How are your pool skills?" he asked, leaned against the railing of the left hand staircase.

Castiel scoffed, "Just as bad as when I left." He admitted. Though he was certain that no matter what game he played with his eldest brother he'd surely lose, it was a well needed distraction for the time being.

Michael smirked, "Then I think it's about time I showed you the ropes." He told him, stepping up and setting a hand to Castiel's shoulder to guide him into the den. As they walked down the hall, passing by vintage metal advertisements for things like Coke and Star Cigarettes, Castiel is reminded of all the times Castiel played with his brothers. Though, he and his brothers weren't the most normal children, it was still fun to be taught Pool, and Dart throwing. As the years passed, he and his brothers had come to be known as experts, though Castiel had never quite gotten to their level, he understood the game and won at least 60 percent of his games.

"Do you remember the things we showed you from before?" his brother asked as they approached the red felted table.

"Of course." Castiel responded.

"Good. Now we're going to expand on that." Michael explained and he quickly grabbed up the pool stick that had been laying across the table then handed it to Castiel. "I'm going to teach you how to actually aim now."

Castiel chuckled, then watched as Michael set up the table, filling the triangle with the pool balls and fixing the order. "Alright."

Once Michael had aligned the triangle correctly, he gingerly picked it up and set it out of the way on the small short table by the rack of pool sticks on the wall. "First," Michael began, and walked around the table to stand beside Castiel, "You're going to break."

Many hours were spent with Michael teaching Castiel the correct way to play, how to call his shots and how to actually sink his shots. Castiel had gotten used to it enough that Michael eventually picked up his own stick and they began to play rounds together. Lucifer had wandered in for a few minutes, watching, giving pointers and then left to retrieve them something to drink and watched for a bit longer until the lunch hour rolled around.

Lucifer sat, looking down at his phone, silent ruminating played over his face.

"I don't think you should go to work." Michael mumbled as he took a shot at the 3 to the corner pocket. Even before it sunk in, Michael was already heading over to his spot to lean against the wall.

Lucifer's eyes glanced up from the phone for a second before looking back down and texting something.

"I guess Lilith will have fun being in charge for a little longer." He mumbled under his breath, a small sigh escaping afterward. "I'm gonna have to send one of you in to do some spying though."

Michael chuckled, "You don't trust her?" he asked, keeping a close eye on how Castiel took his next shot.

"It's not that I don't trust her. It's just…" Lucifer paused, reaching up and squeezing at the back of his neck, "If I'm not there I can't pick out her inconsistencies." He mumbled, glaring at nothing for a moment.

"Well, I can't go." Michael declared, "They'd recognize me and I know you want me to be served with no bias."

After Castiel missed his shot, the youngest brother sighing to himself and closing his eyes for one frustrated moment, Michael stepped up and quickly took aim, leaned down, and took his shot, landing his shot in the side pocket.

"I think it would be best if Castiel went." He concluded after taking another lean on the wall.

Castiel was glaring down at the pool table, a death grip on his pool stick, so he'd barely noticed when he'd been mentioned in the conversation, "Wait, what?" he looked up, confused, glancing between his brothers.

Lucifer stood, "I want you to go have lunch at my place here soon. I need you to tell me how things are tasting." And once he'd walked up close enough to Castiel he patted him once on the back, "My treat, of course." He grinned.

Castiel's brows furrowed, "Alone?"

Lucifer and Michael both chuckled, "Unless you plan on inviting someone." Lucifer suggested. Then a very wicked, evil grin tugged at Lucifer's lips, "Maybe you should give Rachel-" "Lucifer…" Castiel warned before Lucifer could finish the thought.

Lucifer all out laughed, letting go of his brother and heading back to his chair, where he took a sip from his drink. "Fine, fine. I'm only teasing." He said, looking back to Castiel with a wink.

Castiel rolled his eyes, "Whatever," he mumbled, "I don't mind going, but it would look weird if I'm going alone." He muttered, taking aim for his next shot.

Michael looked to Lucifer, "He has a point. How often do you get single customers in there?"

Lucifer snorted, "Okay, maybe you should go get a friend in town and get them to go with you." He resolved. "Don't you have some friends in town?"

Castiel took his shot, but only managed to strike another ball, sending it to hit against the wall and nudged one of Michael's balls closer to a pocket. He sighed, stepping away from the table.

"Actually…" Castiel thought back to the last people he talked to before he graduated high school. His brows furrowed deeply, "I don't remember having any actual friends." He told them. He then looked up to his brothers, "I had all of you, and I was content." He told them.

Michael and Lucifer looked to each other, one more worried than the other. "Well that's flattering and all… But you didn't have any friends, Castiel?" Lucifer asked, stepping down from the high standing chair.

Castiel shook his head minutely, "No. There was never anyone who was interested in what I was interested in unless it was a teacher." He then looked up to Lucifer, "And teachers don't count, do they?"

Lucifer gave a small chuckle, "No. They're paid to listen to you." He then turned back to the table and grabbed his glass, half filled with bourbon. "But I can't say that I'm surprised." He took a drink from his glass then turned back to Castiel, "I don't remember you ever talking about anyone from school."

"Then again, there was never anyone from that school to talk about." Gabriel mumbled as he joined the rest of his brothers in the den. "Kali is out making a run to The Cloud. She'll be back soon." He told the others, like it was a question on the tip of everyone's tongue. She wrote reviews for hot and trending restaurants, from their little corner of Idaho, to Nevada and Oregon. The paper she wrote for, The Cloud, was New Haven's number one selling paper. He took a seat in the opposite chair from Lucifer's, "That prep school was for the bland high society kids. Don't know why we were sent there." Gabriel complained.

"First of all, it was better than public school." Lucifer pointed out, making Gabriel give a nod in agreement, "Second, its family tradition to attend New Haven Prep, since like what," Lucifer turned to Michael, "The 1930's or something?"

"1937." Michael provided, taking a sip of his own drink. "Autmans have been going to New Haven prep since 1937." He explained.

"Tell me, Gabriel, what kind of reaction Dad would've had if you'd have dropped out." Lucifer challenged, one hand at his hip.

Gabriel rolled his eyes, "Whatever. It was just so boring at that damn school."

"And that's why you spent most your time pulling fire alarms and sneaking into the lunchroom kitchen." Castiel presumed.

Lucifer and Gabriel both cracked up, "Yea, and the staff kept a close eye on me and you." Gabriel managed to say through chuckles, "They were so worried you'd try and pull something like your brother."

While Castiel entered the prep school his freshman year, Gabriel had already wreaked havoc for his freshman, sophomore, and junior year. During Gabriel's senior year, he spent a lot of it following Castiel around and trying to embarrass him as much as possible in front of his classmates.

Like the time Gabriel made faces to Castiel through the small pane of glass on the door until he got his younger brother in trouble for laughing in the middle of a lesson. Or when they'd have lunch together, and even though Gabriel offered Castiel a seat at his table with his friends, Castiel sat alone, so Gabriel would always make sure to sneak Castiel an extra pudding or cookie from the lunch line even though everyone is only supposed to get one.

Then Castiel realized that last one wasn't actually Gabriel trying to embarrass him. He guessed it was Gabriel trying to do something nice for him because he felt bad that he sat alone. It wasn't his fault that a lunch lady would usually come to Castiel's table and take back what Gabriel had stolen.

It made him smile anyway, because sometimes the lunch lady would forget and he'd have an extra treat.

He was about to tell Gabriel about it, because he's certain he never knew, but before he could make a sound-

"Excuse me, sirs…" The nurse stood by the doorway, a hand on the door frame and her other balled to her side. She looked a bit out of breath, like she'd ran to speak to them. And everyone goes quiet.

"Yes, Hannah?" Michael speaks up, quickly setting his pool stick down on the table and stepping up to Hannah, concern etched deeply on his features.

She takes a calming breath before continuing, "Your father is awake."