A Father's Gift

Jimmy sat in his and Amelia's room, looking through a picture book of the family he waited for. It was all he could do in Heaven. He flipped through Claire's baby pictures, tears building up in his eyes as he did. He brushed his fingers over her first baby picture, wishing that he was with her. He hated himself for what he did. He loved his family and would do anything and everything for them, but when an angel of the lord started speaking to him he threw it all away. 'Why?' It was a question Jimmy had asked himself every second while sharing a body with Castiel and he still asked himself now with every turn of a page. He'd lost everything in the end. He had to give up his family for good and even his own life. Still, at least Amelia and Claire were both safe. Castiel had promised him that and Jimmy hoped that after spending so long with the angel he had been right in deciding that Castiel was a true guardian angel that wouldn't let him or his family down. The angel had promised him that his family would be watched over and Jimmy only prayed that the angel's promise continued even after Jimmy's body became fully Castiel's.

Just as Jimmy was flipping through the pictures of Claire's first birthday, a knocking sound echoed from downstairs. Jimmy stiffened, and he stared at the book in his hands. His body started shaking and his mouth went dry. Nobody knocked. He was in Heaven. There was nobody around to knock on the door. Unless…

Jimmy set aside the book and slowly got to his feet, shuffling from his room and down the hall to the stairs. He hesitantly made his way down each step, freezing when the door slowly opened up. He held his breath, waiting to see either Amelia or Claire. To his disappointment and relief, neither Claire nor Amelia walked in. Instead, a little girl skipped inside. She had long brown hair tied up in yellow bows for her pigtails and a white dress with yellow dandelion designs all over it. Sticking out from the two year old's back were two small wings. They reminded Jimmy of a pigeon's. They were a light grey, but darkened to a black towards the tips. The little girl smiled at him, pattering towards him and stumbling a little as she walked. When she tripped Jimmy reached out, grabbing her before she could fall on her face.

"Uh…hello," Jimmy said, holding the miniature angel in his arms. "Who are you?" The little girl turned her head a little and patted at a pocket on her dress, fiddling with something stuck inside. Jimmy helped her pull it out, finding that it was a card. He turned the card in his hands, finding a single name printed on the white parchment. Hannah. "Nice to meet you, Hannah," Jimmy greeted. "What are you doing here?" Hannah grinned and hugged at Jimmy's neck tightly.

"Cassie! Cassie!" She squealed. Jimmy's eyes widened and pulled back from the angel.

"No, no," he told her. "I'm Jimmy. I'm your brother's vessel," he explained. Hannah turned her head again and reached out, patting Jimmy's cheek.

"Jim-Jim?" Jimmy grinned at her, nodding. Hannah grinned back and gave him another hug. Jimmy's mind flashed back to a similar embrace he once had, but instead of Hannah a little girl with blond hair was snuggled up against his chest. Jimmy's heart squeezed at the memory and he hugged Hannah back, drinking in the feeling of her in his arms.

After a moment, Hannah started to wiggle and Jimmy reluctantly pulled back, stepping off the stairs and walking towards the door Hannah had appeared from. He'd never been able to open the door before. It was open now though and the temptation to walk through was strong. There was nothing outside from what he could see. There was only a bright light, but that just added to the father's curiosity.

"Should we go through?" Jimmy asked. Hannah bobbed her head in answer, reaching for the white light with her tiny fingers. That was all the answer Jimmy needed. Maybe he'd find whoever was supposed to be watching the little angel on the other side?

Without a second thought, Jimmy stepped into the light with Hannah in his arms. The light dimmed instantly and the two were suddenly in a long white hallway with thousands of doors. Jimmy frowned and walked down the hall, scanning the names. They were all people that shared his name, but they weren't him. Some were born in the 1700s and some were born earlier yet.

"That way!" Hannah shouted, voice echoing. Jimmy turned his gaze from the doors, finding that another hall had appeared to his left. There was only one door at the end of that hall. He glanced down at Hannah, watching the angel bounce eagerly in his hold. Whatever was in there had to be something grand for the little angel to act so excited. Jimmy looked forward again and forced himself onward, walking down the hall until he stood right in front of the door. It didn't have a name or date on it. There was only one word centered on the door; theater.

Jimmy's hand hovered over the white frame and Hannah grew impatient in his arms. With strong little kicks, she knocked the door open with her feet. Jimmy startled and glared down at the little girl, but Hannah only grinned and raised her hands out towards the inside of the room. Sighing in defeat, Jimmy carried her inside. Several empty theater seats lined the room and a giant screen blared on the wall. Jimmy squinted at the screen for a second, heart squeezing when he realized what the screen was showing. Claire and Amelia were both seated on the couch, talking and smiling at each other. Standing awkwardly by the wall was Dean Winchester and seated in Grandma's old rocking chair were three baby angels like Hannah.

"Cassie! Cassie!" Hannah squealed, pointing at the smallest of the three angels. Sure enough, the trench coated child was indeed Castiel. Jimmy could recognize the angel anywhere in any form.

Jimmy felt tears prickle in his eyes again as he watched his family, overtaken by longing and pride. Claire had grown up. She wasn't his little monkey anymore. She was a strong and independent teenager. To top it all off, the two weren't alone. Cas was there. The angel of Thursday had kept his promise. Claire and Amelia were okay. They were all okay!

"Jim-Jim?" Jimmy sniffled and looked at Hannah. The little angel watched him worriedly and touched his damp face. "Yous otays?" Jimmy nodded.

"Ye…yeah, Honey, I'm okay," he whispered. "I just miss them."

"Today's your lucky day then, Mr. Novak," a voiced cooed from behind. Jimmy gasped and whirled around, eyes falling on a black man sitting in the middle of the front row.

"Who are you?" Jimmy questioned, nerves acting up. The man laughed at Jimmy and stood.

"I am Joshua," the man stated. "An angel of the lord." Apprehension coiled through Jimmy's gut and he took a step back. He knew better than to trust any angel that just flew by. He'd seen enough to know that most angels were just as bad as the demons that terrorized hell. "There is no need to fear me, James Novak," Joshua hummed, practically reading Jimmy's mind. "I'm here under Castiel's favor." Jimmy frowned and glanced at the angel on the theater screen in the corner of his eye.

"Why did Castiel send you?" Jimmy questioned.

"Oh, he didn't send me. My father received his prayer and sent me to enact it," Joshua explained. When Jimmy only continued to stare at him in confusion Joshua sighed and waved a hand at the screen, motioning at Amelia and Claire. "Castiel has asked my father for a favor. He requested that Father let you communicate one last time with your family in hope that it will help them move on." Jimmy's heart swelled and his hands shook with anticipation. 'Cas asked God to let me see my family again? I'm going to see my family again? My Claire? May Amelia –' "However…" Jimmy's excitement instantly died. "A spirit of Heaven is not allowed to leave to Earth." Anger burned through Jimmy's veins and he snarled at the angel.

"Then why'd you bother showing up?" Jimmy questioned. "Are you here to patronize me? Play with my emotions?" Joshua actually looked offended at the accusation, but he didn't comment on it. Instead, he brushed away Jimmy's words like they were never spoken.

"I'm here to make a deal," Joshua continued. Again, Jimmy found himself apprehensive. He didn't like the sound of that at all. "My father will allow you to write a letter to your family if you ask your family to take Hannah in as their own." Confusion swept over Jimmy's features and he glanced down at the angel in his arms. She had oddly gone silent throughout the exchange. She was still in Jimmy's arms, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Why?" Jimmy asked. "Why do you want them to care for her?" Joshua smiled softly and stepped forward, petting a hand down Hannah's wing gently.

"A spell was cast on the angels of heaven, turning them into children. They are being sent to families all over Earth so they can learn humanity and free will. God has chosen your family to take in Hannah. Hannah is much like Castiel," Joshua explained, patting the little angel on the head gently. "She was a good soldier that followed orders and did as she was told, but her curiosity often got her into trouble." Jimmy felt himself smirk.

"That sounds like Cas alright," Jimmy chuckled, twirling his finger through one of Hannah's pigtails. Joshua nodded in agreement.

"It was the Winchesters' that helped him become the angel he is now, but it was you who started his journey. Without you the Castiel of now would not exist. That is why my father wishes for Hannah to be taken under your family's wing. He believes that they can help her just as much as she can help them to continue on." Joshua pulled his hand away from Hannah then and pulled a paper and pen from the breast pocket of his shirt. "Now, do we have a deal, Mr. Novak?"

Jimmy licked his lips and glanced at the theater screen before looking back to the angel in his arms. He smiled at Hannah, fingers still playing with her hair.

"What do you say, Sweetie? Wanna meet your mommy and sister?" Hannah's eyes lit up and she threw her arms around his neck, kissing at his cheek. Jimmy laughed and rocked her in his arms.

"DA! DA!" the angel cried. Jimmy pressed a kiss to her head and held one hand out towards Joshua, wiggling his fingers. Joshua grinned and handed over the paper, disappearing from the theater right after to give the father and angel some space.

Amelia and Claire talked back and forth, catching up on the time they lost. Amelia told Claire everything she had done since leaving, not wanting to keep anything from her daughter ever again. Whatever they did now they would do together. When Amelia finished her story, Claire told her mother about her life. She told Amelia about her problem's at school, her stubbornness, and the trouble she always seems to find herself in. Amelia wasn't angry with her though. How could she?

Suddenly, a loud knocking sound echoed throughout the house from the front door. Claire slowly rose to get up, but Dean held a hand up, waving at her to sit back down.

"It's alright," he told her. "I've got it." Claire and Amelia nodded their thanks and Dean walked to the front door. Claire turned to the angels then, looking them over a few times.

"So, you've shrunk," she commented.

"We're fun size now," Gabe chuckled with a wink. A laugh broke past Claire's lips and Amelia smiled at the beautiful sound. It had been a very long time since she heard that laugh.

"Well, you guys definitely have a sense of humor. I'll give you that," Claire commented.

Dean cleared his throat then and everyone turned to him, breaking from their conversation. Their eyes each grew wide. Dean was not alone standing in the living room doorway. A little girl was wrapped up tight in his toned arms. She was around two years old and was wearing a white dress with dandelion prints. Little bows were tied in her hair to match. Sticking out of her back were two grey wings.

"Hannah?" The three angels on the rocking chair gasped. Hannah turned her head towards them and smiled.

"Hi!" she squealed. She turned and looked towards Amelia and Claire. "Hi!" she squealed again. This time she pulled a card from her dress pocket and held it out towards Amelia and Claire. Dean carried the angel over and plopped Hannah down onto Amelia's lap. Claire took the little card from Hannah's hands and looked over the writing before reading out loud.

Dear girls,

There are so many things that I wish to say to you. I wish that I could apologize for my actions, but I won't waste your time with that. I am. I'm truly sorry, but there is no amount of sorry that can change what happened. Instead, I want to tell you how much I love you. I love you, Monkey, and I'm so proud of you. Do you know what I do up here? In Heaven? I look through your old baby pictures, remembering every second with you. You've grown up so beautiful. Amelia: my darling Amelia. I love you and I know it has been a struggle, but you're strong Ames and I know that you can pull through this. Both of you can. And Hannah can help you- Oh right! The angel that delivered my letter is called Hannah. She needs a family, girls, and I know you three will be good for each other. Hannah's been the first soul I've seen since entering Heaven and the few moments I've had with her reminded me so much of you, Claire, when you were a baby. You always wanted a little sister and well, I hope an angel is just as good. Speaking of angels…Castiel, thank you. Thank you for your prayer; for giving me this chance to speak to my family one last time and thank you for looking out for them.

I'm afraid that my time is running short and it's time for me to say goodbye this one last time, but there's no such thing as goodbye really. I love both you girls so much. I'll be here, waiting as always.

Love, Jimmy."

Tears streamed down both Amelia and Claire's eyes. They clung to each other, eyes raking over Jimmy's letter several times. Hannah wiggled on Amelia's lap and tapped at the woman's shoulder lightly. Amelia looked down at the angel and Claire followed her gaze. Hannah suddenly looked nervous, fidgeting with her fingers and bothering at her lip.

"Mama? Sis-sis?" she whispered softly. Amelia and Claire shared a long look with each other before opening their arms to the angel. Hannah's eyes lit up like they had for Jimmy and she flung herself into her new family's arms, hugging them tight.

Cas nudged Dean while they watched the three and the hunter looked down at the angel and his brothers.

"We should go," Cas whispered. Dean nodded and gathered the boys into his arms and made his way to the door.

"Castiel!" Dean froze and Cas turned around in the hunter's arms, looking towards Claire Novak. She was standing right behind Dean, tears still in her eyes. She stepped closer, and wrapped her arms awkwardly around the angel. "Thank you," she whispered. "Really." Cas closed his eyes as they embraced, opening them when they pulled back. He smiled at Claire and Amelia both.

"Take care," he told them. The two nodded and Dean turned back around, leaving the Novaks with their angel and Jimmy's letter.

Jimmy sat on his bed in his and Amelia's room, looking through the photo album once again. He brushed his fingers over the pictures of his family. It was all he could do while he waited for the ones in the pictures to come and meet him. It didn't bother him as much anymore though. He knew his baby girl and wife would be okay. They would keep on fighting like always and now they had a piece of him in both the note and sweet little Hannah. Jimmy closed his eyes and closed the album, holding it tight to his chest.

"I love you, girls," he whispered, a single tear running down his cheek. "I love you."

Thanks, GingerTyPerior, for the request. In my eyes, Hannah kind of parallels Cas in a way so I figured she'd be a perfect angel for the Novaks. Also, she's too adorable for words and that family needs some cuteness after what they've been through.