Chapter 3 - The Day We Meet Again
Cas was holding Gail close. After they'd left Crowley to wallow in his misery, Cas had winked the two of them over to their house on Earth, where she was staying. There, he had told her about what Raguel had said, and about the terrifying world that he had existed in as a result of the spell that the Archangel had cast, using the flyleaf from the Book of Life.
"So...what?" Gail said slowly, trying to follow him. "Are you saying that Book can open up alternate universes?"
"No," Cas said, agitated. "It's a lot worse than that. Those Books can alter the fabric of history. Depending on who holds the Book, and what spell they decide to cast, they can change all of our lives irrevocably."
Gail's heart sank. "So, you were really a Knight of Hell, under this Abbadon person? What's she like? Is she good-looking?"
Cas had looked at his wife for a moment and then, somewhat unexpectedly, he threw his head back and laughed. He laughed until tears sprang to his eyes.
When he'd finished, Cas wiped his eyes, pulling Gail close to him. "You are the cutest person I have ever had the privilege to meet, in all my millennia of existence," he told her, kissing her gently on the forehead. Then he looked into her eyes. "If I did not have you, I would not want to live. That was why I was so frightened when you disappeared from the bunker. But there's something that I don't understand. If I had fought Lucifer in Heaven all those years ago and lost, the scenario that Raguel had mapped out for me is one thing. I can even see Abbadon taking the throne instead of Crowley, because there was a time when she came very close to doing so. Dean ended up killing her before that happened. But if I had never rescued Dean from Hell, he wouldn't have had the opportunity. That explains why Sam disappeared from the bunker, and why the bunker was crumbling around us. If Abbadon had gone on unchecked, she would clearly have destroyed every last vestige of the Men of Letters. I would never have met Dean or Sam, or you." He held her tighter, then said, "But, I'm puzzled. You should have had an existence, even apart from me. You said you went somewhere dark, and that was it?"
"Yes," she confirmed. "It was just that. Darkness. Nothingness."
Cas frowned deeply. "You were in the Void. You must have been. That's the only explanation."
Gail didn't like the sound of that. "What does that mean, Cas?"
"It means that you were never born," he said grimly. "But why would you not have been born?"
Her forehead wrinkled. "I don't know," she said, dazedly. "Unless that means in this other time-frame, for lack of a better term, that Vincent doesn't exist. Hmmmm. That's too bad. If you and Dean weren't stuck in Hell, I'd say that's not a bad trade-off," Gail quipped.
"I know you're joking, but please don't ever say that, my darling," Cas said earnestly. "I meant what I said. If you were never born, I would prefer to be dead. Will you please consider coming back to me? Please? The suffering I underwent when I was a Knight of Hell pales in comparison to the suffering I feel when you and I are apart."
Gail shook her head slowly, smiling at him. "I see that being God hasn't taken away any of your charm." She kissed him on the lips. "You know what, Cas? I don't want to be apart from you, either. This was a stupid idea. I'll pack some clothes and come back. What the heck. I'm an otherworldly being. If Jody needs me, I'll just tell her or Frank to call you, or call my office in Heaven."
Cas's face lit up. "Really? You'll come back?"
Gail nodded. "Just don't tell anybody we're living in sin. You'll be setting a bad example."
Cas laughed. What a blessing that she could always make him laugh like this, no matter how bad the circumstances around them were. "I'll help you pack, my love."
He winked them into the bedroom. "Hello, Ralph," Cas said. "I've missed you, too."
Gail was in the middle of taking a suitcase out of the closet when she froze. Ralph. There was a tickle in her brain now. What was it about Ralph?
But then Cas was putting his arms around her from behind, and when he lifted her top and caressed her bare skin, Gail dropped the suitcase on the floor. "What am I doing? You're God; I'm sure you can just zap my clothes to our suite, right?" she said to him.
"Right," he said, leaning down to kiss her neck. "But right now, I'm more interested in removing them than I am in transporting them."
Sounded good to her. They may not technically be married right at the moment, but Gail didn't really care. Cas was unzipping her pants with one hand now, and pulling her top off with the other. Then he waved his hand, and her clothes disappeared altogether.
"I enjoy packing," he said in her ear, and she laughed. "I think I'm about to enjoy it, too," Gail said softly. Then she smiled again. She could feel Cas pressing against her now. "Apparently, you packed your clothes, too," she quipped.
"Well, I believe in being efficient," he remarked in a light tone. He kissed her ear delicately. "Would you like to lay down?"
"Not necessarily," she replied, raising an eyebrow. Not that he could see, of course, from the position they were in now. She winked them over to the edge of the bed. "I think we'll start here," she said. She leaned forward, standing with her legs further apart. Cas pushed gently into her from behind, and she made a sound. He started to move in and out, slowly at first, then faster. Gail was extremely excited now. Their abstinence always made it more exciting, when they eventually got back together in this way. Cas had his hands on her hips, and he was moving her against him. Then he reached around and touched her with a couple of fingers, pushing forward at the same time, and she cried out his name. He wrapped his other arm around her waist, moving his fingers quickly, murmuring how much he loved her.
An hour or so later, when they lay together resting, Cas said, "I need to find out where Felicia is, Gail. It's been weighing on my mind that I can't find her in the Garden."
She eyed him. "You're not still thinking of having a hearing for her once you find her, are you?"
Cas sighed. "No, my love. That was the disease talking. I just want to find her. What Mark did to her was so wrong that it defies description. I just want to make sure that she's all right. I intend to be a compassionate and loving God. Raguel is not going to have his way."
"That's wonderful, Cas. I'm glad to hear that."
"Unfortunately, that means we will have to invite a certain individual over for dinner," Cas said, frowning. "Do you mind terribly if he comes here? I don't believe he would want to go to Heaven to meet with me there, and we have the kitchen facilities here. But this is your home, my darling. If you object, I will not ask him to come."
Now it was Gail's turn to sigh. "A dinner party for Death. Great. You know what, Cas? If my younger self could meet me now, I think she'd run away screaming. Whose life IS this, anyway?"
Cas smiled faintly. "I agree that many of the situations we find ourselves in are very strange, indeed. But as long as we are sharing these experiences together, I would want no other life."
Gail snuggled against her husband. Only Cas could take something like having to invite Death into your home and make it sound like a romantic escapade. "Set it up," she told him.
But Cas had an agenda which extended beyond Felicia, and as they debated what dish to serve, he told Gail what it was. She was impressed with the way he was thinking, but she was afraid that it might be a little ambitious. But it was certainly worth a try, and it would be wonderful if they could pull it off.
When they were ready to receive his company, Cas extended the invitation, and Death rapped on their door a couple of minutes later. Cas answered his knock, swinging the door open. "Welcome to our home," he said formally, dipping his head in a small bow.
Oh, wow, Gail thought. What was she supposed to do now? Curtsy? As Death moved past Cas into the house, she looked up at him and said, "Can I take your...stick?"
Death looked down at Gail, and she swore she could see his mouth twitch, just for a moment. But then again, that might have been a trick of the lighting in the hallway. He walked on past her, and she gave Cas an apologetic half-shrug.
Cas was trying not to laugh. His wife was just too adorable. He supposed he should have given her a bit of advice on the old-fashioned code of conduct that ancient beings like himself and Death generally employed. But even though he and Gail had had brief existences together in other eras, this Gail was a modern woman, a product of the Internet era. Her offer to make Death comfortable had been a genuine one. She would have no way of knowing that Death never relinquished his walking stick, because it held a tremendous amount of power. Cas hoped that Death hadn't held that little breach of protocol against his wife.
"Please, have a seat at our table," Cas said to Death. "We have something for you that I am fairly confident you will enjoy."
Death sat down at the end of the table. Gail had set the table with care, using their nicest china and silverware, and cloth napkins. Then, when she was in the kitchen getting the wine glasses, Cas had deftly switched the silverware around, smiling gently. Gail didn't play hostess very often, and when she did, it was for their human friends. Men like Sam and Dean and Frank wouldn't notice or care if the table was properly set. But Death would.
Death looked at the surface of the dining room table. He didn't show it, but he was pleasantly surprised. He hadn't seen a properly set table in aeons. When you dealt with individuals like the flannel-shirted, gun-toting, jeans-wearing Winchesters, the rules of etiquette generally went by the wayside.
"We will be joining you this evening, if that is all right," Cas said, sitting across the table from Death. "I find it to be more civilized when you dine with company." He picked up the bottle of wine that was sitting in the middle of the table, gesturing. Death gave him a slight nod, and Cas began to pour.
"I think you'll really enjoy the dish," Gail said. "Tonight, we're serving drob de miel."
Death's eyebrows shot up towards his hairline. "Is it authentic?" he asked.
Gail felt a quip coming on, but she bit the inside of her cheek. What did he think? That they had used Drob De Miel Helper, or something? "Yes, it's homemade," she replied politely. "I'll bring it out now, if you'd like."
Death inclined his head. "Please do." As Gail went to the kitchen, Death looked at Cas. "I was glad to see that there was no Holy War," he said pointedly.
"Nor will there be one," Cas said hastily. "Not coming from my corner, at least. I am not interested in aggression. I am interested in compassion."
"That's a novel approach coming from you, Castiel," Death remarked dryly. "Still, it is probably the most sensible one to take."
Cas pursed his lips tightly together. He didn't really appreciate that little dig, but since he was looking for a couple of favours, he let it go. He raised his glass in a toasting gesture and Death had a sip, then Castiel followed suit.
Gail brought out the casserole dish and set it down on the table by Death. "Would you like me to serve you, or would you like to help yourself?" she asked him deferentially.
Death looked at her curiously, and then he looked at Cas again. "Whatever the two of you are looking for from me, it must be a very big favour. I haven't had drob de miel in centuries. Please, take your seat," he said to Gail. "I know it goes against your grain to serve a man. Besides, I want to savour the experience."
Gail took her seat beside Cas, and her husband poured her a glass of wine. Then he took her hand under the table and gave it a brief squeeze, for reassurance.
Death used the ladle to spoon some food onto his plate. He inhaled the aroma deeply, then he picked up his fork and took a taste. Then he put his fork gently down on the plate. He chewed slowly, swallowed, and then said, "It's very good. This reminds me of a simpler time. In many ways, life is too fast these days, isn't it, Castiel? No one takes the time to just sit down and enjoy a good meal, or some decent conversation. Everyone is looking at their cellular phones, or other hand-held devices. Do you do that?"
It took Gail a moment to realize he was talking to her. "I don't even own a cell phone," she told him. "Although I have to confess, I play Candy Crush on Castiel's phone. Actually, now that we're on the subject, I'm considering asking you to send one of your Reapers to the home of whoever decided to put bombs in that game," she quipped nervously. Oh, God. She was babbling.
There was that almost imperceptible twitch of his lips again. But he said nothing, just picked up his fork again and started to eat. Gail grabbed her wine glass and took a long drink. She'd better keep her mouth shut, before she started babbling again.
After a couple of minutes, Death dabbed his mouth with his napkin. "My compliments," he said. "Ask your favour, Castiel."
Cas explained that he had been unable to locate Felicia in the Garden, and Death nodded. "That is because I took her to Limbo," he said. As Cas and Gail exchanged surprised glances, Death explained how he had taken Felicia's essence as she lay dying in the alleyway, and then transported her vessel to Limbo.
"I thought it best that she be taken off the board, in case either Mark or Lucifer got hold of her," Death told them. "The main goal at the time was to eradicate Lucifer. So I transported her there, because only God or myself can access that realm. I was going to let the sitting God decide on her disposition. But when Patricia was elected and I received word that she was behaving like a tyrant, I decided to wait. Then when you took over, Castiel, word reached me again that you were contemplating a Holy War. Therefore, I continued to wait, until such time as things seemed a little more...stable. I was in no hurry. Are you looking to ascend her?"
"I'm looking to talk to her," Cas said evasively. "I might have something else in mind, if you are agreeable."
Cas explained what he had been thinking, and Death's eyebrows rose. "That is quite a proposition," he remarked expressionlessly, placing his napkin on the table beside his plate. "I will consider it, because I enjoyed the drob de miel so much. Thank you for making it, Gail."
"You're welcome, but it's actually Castiel you should be thanking," she told him. "He's the one who made it."
Death's eyebrow rose even higher. "Really?"
"Yes," Cas confirmed. "I received the recipe in Romania, from a very kind woman named Klara. When Gail and I were trying to decide what you might like to eat, I remembered, and I thought you might enjoy it as much as I do. I gathered the vegetables myself, and slaughtered and eviscerated the animals so that the ingredients would be fresh."
Gail pressed her lips tightly together again, against all the quips that were clamouring to get out. Good Lord. Most people would be a little grossed out by what Cas had just said, especially at the dinner table. But Death merely tilted his head in appreciation of Cas's efforts. Holy moly. She felt like her head was going to explode. She would have to remember to tell Frank about all of this, later on. They could have a contest to see which of them could come up with the best jokes.
"As you know, I am not long on sentiment," Death said, sitting back in his chair. "However, I do have a highly developed sense of what is fair. Many people believe that it is not fair for children to die, for instance. But I submit to you that it is entirely fair. That may make it seem that I am a heartless individual, but I do not care. If it is one's time, it is one's time. It does not matter one whit if the individual in question is one day old, or one hundred years old. Every soul has value. That is why beings like Crowley have been able to flourish over the centuries, and it is a big reason for the contention between the realms. As the ultimate arbiter, I provide a sense of balance. There are those who seek to unbalance things, to suit their own personal agendas. Beings like Lucifer. That was why it was so important that he be dealt with. But, there are others, who seek to do the same. The two of you are starting to find that out now. Soon, you will be charged with the daunting task of preventing them from acquiring the Books. Raguel was right, Castiel. If he is allowed to get his hands on the Book of Life, what you experienced is just a small sampling of the ways that he can alter the fabric of time. I suspect his endgame would be to go back to the very Beginning, and change things to the way that he would have liked them to be. To elevate his own status. Maybe even usurp God, himself. Which does not bode well for any of you, of course. Since you were unwilling to be his blunt instrument when you reneged on the Holy War, Raguel will double his efforts now. I suggest you make finding him a priority, Castiel, or you will surely regret it. You've seen what he can do, with just a flyleaf of that Book."
"Could you please tell me where I went?" Gail blurted out. "Was I in the Void?"
Death turned his head slowly to look at her, and for a moment, she thought he was going to strike her down, right then and there. But then he said, "Yes, you were. In that particular reality, you were never born."
"But why?" Cas pressed him, agitated. "Does that mean that Vincent did not exist?"
"No. Not at all," Death replied, dabbing his mouth with his napkin again. "He does not factor into this particular equasion. It was Gail's mother that wished her not to be."
"Abigail?" Gail asked, puzzled.
Death gave her a baleful look. "As pleasant as the meal has been, I did not come here to be interrogated. Let us get to the business at hand. As I believe I was saying, I don't hold with sentiment, but I do understand the concept of fairness, and rewarding certain individuals for their sacrifice, if the sacrifice was warranted. Therefore, I will grant your request, if Felicia is amenable." He laid his napkin down on the table again, looking at Gail once more. "You will both be facing many challenges in the coming years," Death told her. "It is not my place to discuss your lineage, Gail. Any more than it is your place to question my decisions. Make sure you remember that, when the time comes. Having said that, I may just be looking for a favour from you, in the future." He rose from his chair. "Let us go, Castiel."
Cas got up from his chair, and he looked down at Gail uncertainly. "Go ahead, my Lord," she said, her lips twitching. "I'll clean up here, and then I'll wait for you in Heaven." She glanced at Death. "I don't suppose you'd like some leftovers, if I find any Tupperware in the kitchen?"
This time his mouth did twitch; she was sure of it. "Thank you for your hospitality," he said, inclining his head. Then Death and Cas disappeared from the house.
Felicia stood stock-still, contemplating the proposal that Death and Castiel had just made to her.
She'd been overjoyed when the two of them had shown up. Finally, deliverance from this grey place of nothingness. But then, when they explained to her why they were here, she was a little dismayed. That hadn't been what she was expecting at all. But Cas made his case fairly eloquently. What would Felicia do in Heaven, anyway? This way, she could still be with family, and she could help to reunite another family.
"I want to see my son," she said to Cas.
Death's lips tightened, but Cas looked at him. "I feel it is a reasonable request," Cas said in an even tone.
Death let out a short breath. "Fine. I will meet you back at the Portal in fifteen minutes. Do not be late." He disappeared without another word.
"Let's go," Cas said to Felicia. "He's not kidding." But he gave her a quick smile that he hoped was reassuring, and she smiled back. So, it was Castiel who was God now, not Bobby. He hadn't explained the circumstances to her, nor had she asked, in Death's dour presence. But Felicia noticed that Castiel seemed different now than when she'd seen him last. He was calm and professional, but he also seemed a lot warmer and more friendly than before. Impulsively, she took his hand, and Cas winked them to Earth.
"Are you really OK, Mom?" Rob was asking Jody. He was sitting at the kitchen table in the breakfast nook, eating a quick fruit plate before he had to dash out to work. Jody had been bemused to see her son eating fruit for breakfast. Barry must have him on a healthy diet. Secretly, she hoped Rob was sneaking a bit of junk food once he got to the newspaper, though. He was young, and life was too short.
"Yeah, I'm all right, Rob," she replied. "As you can see, I'm still bald. But at least I'm not puking all the time any more. The doctor says I should only have a couple more chemo treatments left, and then if everything looks clear, I can begin my radiation. I told him your Dad and I want to come up and see you, and he said he'll refer me to somebody at Vancouver General Hospital for the radiation treatments, if I want. We're late for your birthday this year, but after I'm done the chemo, I'm gonna feel like celebrating. So, we'll keep you posted for the all-clear, but start saving your nickels and dimes now. You can buy your Dad a beer when we get there. I'm probably going to have to stick to non-alcoholic, for a while."
"OK, Mom. Say 'bye to Dad for me. I've gotta go, or I'll be late for work," Rob said to her. They exchanged "I love yous" and Rob closed the Skype window, then shut the laptop down.
Felicia and Cas had been watching from the corner of the kitchen nearest to the refrigerator, but they were invisible to the young man. Rob took his cell phone out of his pocket, sent a quick text, and then cursed softly under his breath once he saw what time it was.
As he leapt from his chair, Carolyn came into the kitchen, carrying Peter. "Want some fruit?" Rob asked her, tickling Peter's chubby little cheek. "I've gotta get to work."
Felicia was watching her son, open-mouthed. He was a man now! He was tall and gangly, with a few whiskers on his chin. Whiskers. She couldn't believe it. She looked at Cas. "My Robbie is a man now," she said quietly. No one but Cas could hear her, of course. Then she looked at Carolyn and Peter. "Are they..."
"No," Cas replied gently. He explained the relationships between Carolyn and Tommy and Barry, and Felicia was astonished.
"He has a very loving, extended family, Felicia," Cas went on to say. "As you could tell from their conversation, his adoptive parents have faced some challenges, but everyone helps everyone out. Rob has grown up to be a fine young man."
Felicia watched as her son walked to the fridge and grabbed a zippered lunch bag from the middle shelf. "Tell the guys I'll be late, please," he said to Carolyn. She was strapping Peter into the high chair, and he was wriggling, kicking his little legs. "Yeah, sure," she said distractedly. "We'll see you later, Rob. Have a good day."
"I'm gonna have a GREAT day," he said happily. "The editor's going to have a look at a couple of my stories later, and give me his professional opinion. But don't tell Tommy about that. I want to surprise him. And then, I'm meeting Tina after work for coffee."
Carolyn turned her head to look at him. "Tina? I thought you were seeing Briana."
"I was, but she started to get really high-maintenance," Rob replied. "She wanted to know why I didn't have a car, and then she started to hint around that she wanted me to buy her stuff. So I talked to Sam and Dean about that, and they told me to cut her loose."
Carolyn grinned. "They were probably right about that. If a girl doesn't want to see you unless you can get her things, she's not a quality girl, Rob."
He smiled. "I know. I'm holding out for a relationship like my Mom and Dad have. Or Barry and Tommy."
Carolyn continued to smile. "How about Cas and Gail?"
Rob laughed. "Nobody's got a relationship like THEY have. They're too... I'm looking for rom-com, not science fiction." Then they both laughed, and Rob rushed out of the room as Carolyn looked skyward. "Sorry, Cas," she said.
Cas's lips were twitching. "I don't know whether I should tell Gail about that, or not," he said to Felicia. "Should we be flattered, or insulted?"
But Felicia was watching Rob leave the room with a sad expression on her face. Her Robbie was all grown up now. He called other people "Mom" and "Dad". He lived in a different country, had a job, dated girls, and was probably shaving. Tears formed in her eyes. He didn't need her any more.
Cas touched her arm. "Yes, he's grown now. But you raised him all of those years with good values, Felicia. Frank and Jody offered to take him in when you died, and then they took him the rest of the way. You can be very proud of the job you did with him. I can tell you from personal experience that he is extremely loved, by everyone."
Felicia cried for a minute or so, and then she said, "Thank you, Cas. Thank you for your kind words, and for letting me see him. I will agree to the exchange."
Cas winked them both back to the Portal, and a moment later, Death appeared. "I will go with you," Felicia told him.
Death nodded curtly. "I'll return in a moment," he told Cas. He went to touch Felicia's arm and she said, "Just a second, please." She hugged Cas impulsively. "Please tell him I love him," she said, sniffling back the tears.
"I will, Felicia," Cas said, nodding. "And please give your father my regards."
Then Death touched her arm, and the two of them vanished.
Cas stood by the Portal to Heaven, waiting impatiently. He couldn't even imagine how Felicia must have felt to see Rob like that, years later and all grown up. But he was very glad that she had acquiesced. Death had a very strict set of rules about these kinds of things. He couldn't be swayed by sentiment; that fact was well-established. But he was a huge proponent of order, and balance. If Death had a sign of the zodiac, it would probably be Libra. And if he'd had an Earthly profession, it would likely have been something in the field of Accounting. One in, one out. Everything in balance.
"Hi, Cas," Linda said.
They were all gathered in the library area of the bunker, Angels and humans alike. Cas had told everyone that he had something very important to talk to them all about. Gail had popped over to Frank and Jody's place to find out if Jody was up to it, and Jody was so intrigued that she'd said she wanted to come. So Gail had left Liz there to babysit, and she winked her brother and sister-in-law over to the bunker.
"How are you doing, Jodes?" Sam asked their friend.
"Good enough to kick your ass," Jody said happily.
It still freaked Bobby out to see Jody's bald head, but as he leaned down to kiss her on the cheek, he had to admit that he really admired her courage. Even without hair, she looked like a strong, confident woman. Frank had confided in the men that she still had her blue days, but she was hanging in there, a lot better than he would have been.
"Hey, I didn't appreciate that dress you drew on me in that stupid colouring book," Dean told her. Jody snickered. She'd e-mailed her masterpiece to him as soon as she'd finished it.
"Why? Did you want a different colour?" Frank wisecracked. "Maybe a green one, to bring out your eyes?"
"That would be nice. I've always thought that green was Dean's colour," Bobby said sarcastically. "But, let me tell ya something, Frank. If I'm in the next one after the new movie comes out, and if you try to put a dress on me, just remember that I can pop into your house at any time. Any time. Just so ya know."
"When IS the new movie supposed to come out?" Jody asked Chuck.
He shrugged. "I don't really know. It's amazing how much work goes into these things. They're in Romania now, filming that whole Hell Tablet thing. But, they had the makeup for the Leviathans all wrong. So they had to go back to the drawing board for the makeup and prosthetics. Which means that Nicole and her team have been working overtime, but it also means that they won't need me for a while. That's why I'm back right now. But after they finish in Romania, I think they're going back to Madagascar, and I can see some rewrites in my future."
"I wonder why Cas called us all here like this," Kevin speculated out loud.
"I believe I have someone here who can answer that question," Cas said, smiling.
Kevin bolted from his chair when he saw his mother standing beside Cas. "Mom?" he said in a hushed voice.
Linda walked over to her son and put her arms around him. "Kevin, it's so good to see you."
"What...how...?" Kevin stammered. He looked at Cas, open-mouthed. He wrapped his arms around his mother and held her tightly.
After a moment's silence, Linda pulled out of the embrace and stared adoringly up at her son's face. Then she smacked him, hard. "Why haven't I heard from you?" she berated him. "I thought you would at least have given Quinn a message to pass on to me, if you were too busy to come yourself."
Kevin rubbed the spot on his cheek where she'd hit him. "Ow! Mom! I'm sorry. I - "
But then Linda laughed. "I'm only kidding, Kevin. No more Tiger Mom, I promise. You're a man now. I'm not going to treat you like a boy any more. I thought I was never going to see you again. Any of you," she added, looking around the room at the others. Her eyes lit briefly on Jody, but she didn't react. Cas had given her a quick briefing before they'd arrived, so she would know what to expect. Jody's bald head and Frank's grey hair were about the only immediate visual surprises. Linda was dying to meet little Angela, though. Since she would never actually get to be a Grandma herself, maybe Frank and Jody would let her babysit, sometimes. Cas had also described to Linda how grown-up Rob was now, but Cas had decided to let Rob alone for the time being. After they got Linda settled back into Heaven, Cas was going to arrange to see the young man privately, giving him his mother's message and explaining the transaction that had taken place here today. Cas was confident that the young man that Rob had grown up to be would understand why things had to be this way.
"How in the hell did you manage to pull this off, Cas?" Bobby said in amazement, as Linda began to move around the room, hugging all her friends.
"Have a seat, and we'll tell you," Cas said with a smile. He walked around the table and put his arm around Gail, giving her a squeeze. She looked up at him admiringly. This was arguably the best thing he had ever pulled off as God, to date. Just look at Kevin's face. His eyes followed his mother around the table as she greeted everyone, as if he was afraid she would disappear if he looked away. Then when Linda got to Dean and Dean teased her about being a "helicopter mom", Linda punched the elder Winchester on the arm, making Kevin laugh out loud. When was the last time Gail had seen him laugh like that? It had been years, she was sure.
When Linda got to Gail, she gave Cas's wife a big hug, and a kiss on the cheek. "Cas tells me you had to have Death over to your house for dinner in order to get this done," she said to Gail.
Gail shrugged. "Apparently, in our world, you can't just e-mail the guy."
Linda grinned. "Well, I hope you made him do the dishes, at least."
Gail laughed. "I'd forgotten why I like you so much. Welcome back, Linda."
They all sat down and looked at Cas expectantly. He gave them all a brief description of his and Gail's dinner with Death, and the proposition that he had made. "Death was amenable to the idea, but I wanted to make sure that Felicia was all right with it, as well," Cas said. "As you are all aware, I'm a big believer in Free Will. So, Death took me to Limbo, and I made my proposal. But first, Felicia wanted to see Rob, so I took her to Vancouver - "
"What?" Frank interrupted sharply.
"He couldn't see her, Frank," Cas said patiently. "She just wanted to see him, and I thought that she should be given that chance. She saw what a fine young man he has become, and she also saw that he was well taken care of. She needed to have that peace of mind, in order to feel free to move on without him, and to let him move on without her. Then, when I told Felicia about my desire to reunite Linda with her son, Felicia agreed. There was an upside for her, too. Because Death required one soul to enter the Netherworld in exchange for one coming out, Felicia was taken there to live with her father, Ignatius. Then Death brought Linda to me, so I could return her to Heaven. Even he was able to recognize that Linda had received a raw deal, as the expression goes. He claims he is devoid of sentiment, and I believe that is largely true. But when I appealed to him on the basis that she had provided a tremendous service to our team, leading to the eradication of Lucifer, he agreed to the transaction."
"You know, it's funny," Linda said, taking Kevin's hand and giving it a squeeze. "He came to my cottage door and just stood there, staring at me. Then he told me that he was there to take me to God, if I wanted to go. If I wanted to go? Was he nuts? But I didn't say that to him, of course. I just followed him up the path. But then, a strange thing happened. Suddenly, we were in the suburbs, and I saw Felicia walking up the path to a house. The front door opened, and - "
Ignatius could sense his daughter approaching the house, and he rushed to the front door, opening it wide.
"Felicia, my dear," he said softly, and she launched herself into his open arms, laying her head on his shoulder like the little girl she'd once been, centuries ago. They both had a bit of a cry, and then Felicia said, "I made a huge mistake, Father. I'm so very sorry."
Ignatius pulled out of the embrace, looking at his daughter with compassion. "None of that matters now," he told her. "You're here with me. That's all that matters. But, please: call me 'Dad'. I'm not an old fuddy-duddy any more, Felicia, and I promise that I do not judge you. Tell me, do you have any news of my grandson? How is little Robbie?"
Felicia smiled sadly. "Not so little any more, Dad. But he's grown up to be a wonderful young man. He was adopted by loving, human parents. Actually, the husband is Gail's brother, and he and his wife have raised Rob to young adulthood. But you don't need to worry that he's being raised solely human; he also has many Angels in his extended family. Castiel and Gail are his Godparents. Which is funny, because Castiel is God, now."
"Is he?" Ignatius said mildly. "That's good. I'm happy for him."
"He's the one who arranged to have me brought here," Felicia continued. "And he took me to Canada to see Rob for myself before I came here, to give me the peace of mind to see that he was happy and healthy."
"Canada?" Ignatius echoed, curious. "Gail's brother lives in Canada?"
"No, Dad. Apparently, Rob went there to get a job for the summer. He's staying with another couple, good friends of their family."
"Oh," Ignatius remarked. "Do you know anything about the man and woman? Are you sure they're respectable?"
"The couple he's staying with are very nice people, Dad," Felicia said evasively. "Castiel assured me of that." She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell her father about the actual nature of Barry and Tommy's relationship. He may have come a ways, but Ignatius was still an old-school Angel, who had served Heaven under the ancient rulebook. He might not be able to handle it.
Ignatius eyed his daughter. He could usually tell when she was trying to hide something from him. Then, he sighed. This could only mean one thing. "I think I know why you're being so evasive, my dear," he told her.
Felicia's eyes widened. "You do?"
"Yes," he said, nodding. "I suppose you are going to call me an old fuddy-duddy now, but I still think a man and a woman should be married, before they can live together. That's how things were, back in my day. I feel that they set a better example for the younger generation if they are joined in holy matrimony. But I can see from your expression that this man and woman must not be married, but you are not telling me that, because you feel it will upset me."
Felicia pursed her lips, bemused. "Well, Dad, as the saying goes...I have some good news and some bad news for you. Rob is staying with two men, by the names of Barry and Tommy."
"Two men?" Ignatius repeated, puzzled. "I thought you said that he was living with a couple." There was silence for a moment as Felicia continued to look at him. Then she could see the look of comprehension come across his face.
"But on the bright side, they ARE married," Felicia joked weakly.
Ignatius was astonished. "Two men? Married to each other?"
"I know, Dad," Felicia said, putting her hand gently on his arm. "It'll take a bit of getting used to. But I can tell you that our boy is happy, and he is loved. It's a brand new day now, Dad, in Heaven as well as on Earth. Castiel told me that he and his wife have worked very hard to make Heaven a more inclusive place. This Barry and Tommy couple of theirs are good men, and they helped take good care of Rob when his adoptive parents were helping Castiel to rid the Earth of Lucifer. I hope you're OK with it, Dad, but even if you're not, the world has moved on. Rob is a young man, but he is a man. He doesn't need us anymore. We've done our job, Dad. Maybe one day we'll be lucky enough to see him again, but in the meantime, at least we have each other."
Ignatius thought about it for a minute. He supposed she was right about that, anyway. He had been here in this house, all by himself, for so long. When he had first arrived, he had wondered why he'd been given a larger house, when there was only him. Now, he wondered if Felicia's arrival had been preordained. The circumstances of her death had been truly horrifying, but ultimately, the Father had been merciful, because He had brought them back together in the end.
"I think God the Father would approve of the changes in Heaven, though, don't you, Dad?" Felicia said tentatively. "You always taught me that He loved us all very much, and I don't doubt for a minute that is true. And if that is the case, doesn't it stand to reason that He would love all of the people He created equally? Black, white, straight, gay...it wouldn't matter to Him, as long as they practice kindness, and love for each other."
"That is true," Ignatius mused. "Father always said that He wanted to see more love, and less hate. He used to tell us that of all the things He ever created, love was far and away the best."
"Well then, I guess that's my point," Felicia said softly. "Even if the couple Rob is staying with are two men. Apparently, they're very much in love with each other, Dad, and they love our Rob to pieces, just as Frank and Jody and all the Angels do. Castiel said so. He also said that the Angels in Heaven are very happy now, because they can feel free to love whoever they love, no matter what race they are, or what gender they are."
Ignatius thought about what his daughter was saying now. It was a lot to take in, especially for a long-serving Angel such as himself. But, a part of him was glad. Ignatius knew that he had been guilty of prejudice way back when, as a member of the Upper Echelon. But clearly, he and Xavier and the whole lot of them had been small-minded, and they had been wrong.
"I'm very proud of you, Felicia," he said warmly, touching her cheek.
She was surprised. "Really, Dad? Why? I messed up. I did everything wrong. I rebelled against you, left Heaven, took up with a lieutenant of Lucifer's - "
He interrupted her. "But you did stand up to him when it counted, my dear. You didn't desert your principles. And that's what matters, in the end. Mark will get what is coming to him, Felicia. If our Father will not mete out justice, I am sure that Castiel will. We had our differences of opinion over the centuries, Castiel and I, but I have every confidence that he will do what needs to be done."
Felicia was eyeing her father. "How do you know what happened with Mark and me, Dad? Who told you?"
"No one," he replied calmly. "I saw it, on the television set here in the house. Every once in a while, it will switch on of its own accord, and show me an event. Luke told me that his does that, too. He was also able to witness Lucifer's demise. He and I discussed it, when we happened upon each other in the street one day. I believe the Father allows us to see certain things that are of particular interest to us. As painful as it was for me to watch, the Father showed me Mark's true nature, and betrayal of our family. But He also showed me how strong you were in your rejection of Mark, and in that moment, I was confident that you would ascend. But, at the risk of sounding selfish, this is even better. Now we can be together for eternity, my darling daughter. So, it would seem that both Gods are merciful; the original one, and the current one. Castiel has helped me to connect with you a couple of times, now. He's been far kinder to me than I deserve, considering our history."
"Where is Mark now? Do you know?" Felicia said fearfully.
"Do not worry, my daughter," Ignatius said serenely. "He is not here. He is being held prisoner by the Demon Goddess Ammit, at the Lake of Fire. He'll never bother you again, Felicia, nor harm anyone we care about."
Felicia was puzzled. Ammit? The Lake of Fire? She had no idea what her father was talking about. But, quite frankly, she didn't care. She had washed her hands of her husband. Hopefully, that Lake of Fire place was a place of torture and misery.
"Am I being presumptuous, or can I assume that you will move in here with me?" Ignatius asked her, his tone tentative. "There's lots of room, and I've been so lonely. But, I'll understand if you don't want to live with an old curmudgeon such as myself."
"Don't you mean an old fuddy-duddy?" Felicia said, but Ignatius saw that she was smiling. Then, her expression turned serious. "I'd love to live here with you, Dad. We have a lot of lost time to make up for."
She linked her arm with his, and they entered the house together.
Everyone in the bunker was silent as Linda finished her story. Then Bobby said, "Ya know, when I was God before, I got a look at the list of people who were slated to go to the Netherworld. But, I can't remember a damn thing about it, any more."
Cas was frowning. That was right; he'd forgotten about that. When he and Gail had been separated and she and Sam had been involved in that automobile accident, Bobby had told them that Sam was on that list. Bobby had received a severe reprimand from God the Father for telling Dean about that, and subsequent to that incident, the list had vanished. Cas supposed that none of them would ever be able to look at it again. And maybe, in a strange way, that was for the best. You couldn't live your life worrying about an invisible Sword of Damocles hanging over your head, or you would never be able to enjoy your life. They would just have to deal with that issue when the time came.
"Wait a minute, though," Frank said suddenly. "Cas, you said that Death agreed to swap Linda out for Felicia because of all the contributions Linda made behind the scenes helping us get the Tablets, right?"
Cas nodded. "That's right, Frank."
"That must have been one hell of a dinner you made him," Frank said to his sister. "Guy's not exactly the kindest, gentlest - "
"Why does everybody keep assuming I made it?" Gail interrupted in a slightly annoyed voice. "Actually, Cas rolled up his sleeves, and he made it himself. I didn't lift a finger; I just watched him, in the kitchen."
And it was true, too. Once Cas had assembled all the ingredients, he'd told her to sit down and relax. He'd seemed excited at the prospect of cooking from a recipe, confessing that he'd never done it before. Gail understood; there hadn't been too many kitchens in those cheap motels she and Frank had had to stay in, either. Before they'd had to leave their home, Gail had been a little bit too young to learn how to cook, and besides, she and Christina hadn't exactly bonded the way that Christina had hoped they would, back when she'd adopted Gail. When Frank's sister had been watching Cas cook, these thoughts had occurred to her, and she had felt sad. What would her real mother have been like? Now that Gail knew that Abigail was still alive, she was becoming more and more curious about the woman. What was she like? Would they get along? Would it be possible, after all these years, for them to bind? Her mother would be an older woman by now, but maybe there was still time.
Cas had been bustling around the kitchen getting everything together, but after a few minutes, he had stopped and looked at Gail. "What's the matter?" he'd asked her.
Gail was brought out of her reverie. He looked concerned. She told him what she had been thinking, and he had rushed over to her, wiping his hands on the apron he was wearing. He was wearing an apron, she thought with amusement. And, Lord help her, he had his sleeves rolled up to the elbow. There was just something about Cas with rolled-up sleeves. Gail had seen him in every state of dress and undress there was, but the rolled-up sleeves and the apron might just be the best combination of cute and sexy yet.
He sat down at the table and pulled her onto his lap. "I'm very sorry that you never had the experience of being loved and nurtured by your parents," he told her softly. "You should have. I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't love you with all of their heart, as I do."
Gail kissed him on the forehead. "That's because you're the sweetest person in the known universe," she said, smiling. "But you'd better let me up and get cooking now, or that dish is never going to get made."
Cas had wrapped his arms around her waist now, and he was nuzzling her neck. "I'm God; I'm sure I can employ a few shortcuts, if I have to," he murmured. Then he started to kiss her neck, and she happily gave up. She ran her hands through his hair, and he lifted his face to hers. She kissed him deeply, and his arms tightened around her as he returned her kiss.
Gail was sitting at the bunker table now, smiling as she thought about that occasion. She looked at Cas, and he was smiling at her. He took her hand, giving it a squeeze. Of course he knew what she was thinking. God could read really strong thoughts. Or maybe it wasn't even a God thing. She and Cas had almost always been able to communicate with each other on a non-verbal level. They looked into each other's eyes, remembering a very hot encounter that had begun with Gail on Cas's lap, continued on the kitchen table, and ended up on the floor, after Cas had waved his hand and conjured up a down-filled blanket for them to lay on.
"Hey! Earth to the Angels!" Frank said, raising his voice.
"Huh? What?" Gail said.
Frank rolled his eyes. "I'm asking you a question! What'd you make?"
Cas gave Gail's hand another squeeze, and then he looked at her brother. "Drob de miel," Cas responded. "But it wasn't 'offal', Frank. It was good."
Frank looked at him blankly for a moment, and then he smiled. "Way to go, Cas. That was one of my better ones, wasn't it?"
"Anyway, he really seemed to like it," Gail chipped in. "Well, as much as he can like anything, anyway. So we made the point to him that Linda was mostly an unsung hero in that whole Tablet business. I mean, let's face it: if she hadn't gotten all that intel about the locations of the Tablets for us, who knows where we would be right now? Lucifer might even still be around."
"He seemed to respond to the logic," Cas added. "Death is a big proponent of the natural order. He always has been. It was Lucifer who upset the natural order when he came here to Earth and began to murder people at his own whim. I happen to know for a fact that Death whole-heartedly supported our efforts to eradicate Lucifer. Death even came to me personally in Egypt to pass along some information about where the Tablet in Italy was."
"I'm extremely grateful to the two of you," Linda remarked. "I'm going to be much happier in Heaven with my son and all of you than I was there, all by myself. I can help you at one of your Academies, if you want, Cas."
"I'd rather have you on my board," Gail interjected, "but if you want, maybe you could split your time. You're smart, but I remember how much you enjoy kicking ass, too."
Linda laughed. "You're right. I do. But I'd kind of like to sit on the board, as well."
"I'll tell you what, then," Cas said. "Why don't we all have a toast to our friend Linda, and perhaps one for Felicia, as well? Then we'll return to Heaven and get you set up, Linda."
"Sounds good to me," Kevin's mother said. "Pour me a drink, Dean. And while you're at it, pour one for Kevin, too. I want to drink a toast with my son."
Kevin looked at her, incredulous. Wow. She must have really meant what she'd said about treating him differently now.
Linda smiled. "I told you, Kevin. No more Tiger Mom. I'm happy to be reunited with you, but we're both adults now. We have our own interests, and our own goals. My door will always be open to you, but I won't be hovering over you any more, trying to live your life for you. You've obviously been doing just fine without me. I want you to WANT to spend time with me, not because you feel an obligation to. That's something your father never really understood, and maybe I never did, either. But now, I do."
Everyone was silent, and then Dean raised his glass to Linda. "Here's to the scariest woman I ever met under five and a half feet. Well, next to Gail, that is."
Gail nodded, raising her glass to him. "And don't you forget it," she said, as everyone laughed.
A short time later, Cas and Gail accompanied Linda to the boardroom and introduced her around to the sitting members who weren't acquainted with her. Kevin's mother looked around, smiling with approval. It appeared that things had gotten a lot more diverse than when she'd been here last.
Gail was smiling. "Now, THIS was what I always envisioned the board to look like when I ran on an inclusivity program," she said.
Cas was pleased, too. He didn't really need to be here, because Gail was in charge of the board, and he didn't want her to think he was encroaching. But now, he was glad that he had come, so he could see for himself. How far they had progressed since he had been sitting in this room with the old guard Upper Echelon.
"I'm so happy to see all of you here together," Cas blurted out. "Back in the days when this board was called the Upper Echelon, it was an elitist clique made up of older, male, Caucasian Angels. I was the one who was considered different. I was ostracized because I believed in freedom of choice, and that a lot of the ancient laws were narrow, even Draconian, in their applications. But now, as I look around this table and see women, and people of colour, I think it's wonderful. And Father would too, I'm sure. He never meant for Angels to become what the Upper Echelon became. Welcome to the board, Linda."
"Yes, and it's about time we had a woman who's also a woman of colour," Gail added. "It used to be Hashtag #HeavenSoWhite here, in more ways than one. But that's sure not the case anymore."
Everyone around the table laughed, and Linda smiled. She had been discreetly briefed by Chuck back at the bunker not to expect Heaven's rooms and hallways to be pristine white any more. Linda had been in the Netherworld on Cas and Gail's wedding night. She had looked at Chuck sharply when he'd pointed that out. What the hell did that have to do with anything? Chuck had raised an eyebrow to her, and she had nearly spit out her mouthful of wine. He had to be pulling her leg with that. But sure enough, they were back in Heaven now, and everything was in vibrant colour. Huh.
"Well, I'll leave you to your work," Cas said to everyone. "I have more souls to ascend."
"I'll walk you out," Gail said quickly. The two of them walked out the door and into the hallway.
Cas took her hands in his. "I'm so proud of you, my darling," he told her. "You're setting a shining example for all of the Angels."
"Well, except for that whole 'living in sin' thing, maybe," she quipped.
Cas put his arms around her. "Don't you worry. We're going to address that, very soon."
"Hey, if you don't mind, I don't mind," she said lightly. "As far as I'm concerned, nothing's different, really."
"Nevertheless, I want us to have another wedding," Cas said, pulling her closer. "It'll be romantic."
Gail smiled. "I agree, but it might be a hard sell to our friends and family. We'd better tell them 'no gifts'."
Cas smiled. "I'll gladly tell them that. If you'll agree to remarry me, that's the only gift I'll ever need."
Gail shook her head slowly. Cas always said things like that, and he always meant them. "I must be the luckiest person ever," she said to him. Cas shook his head, too. "No, I am," he said softly. He leaned down to kiss her, and the kiss lasted for a minute or two.
"I love you, sweetie," Gail said breathlessly. "Let's get back to work. The sooner we do, the sooner we can finish."
Cas laughed. "I may have to issue a law that shortens the work day," he joked. Then he gave her another squeeze and a look that made her knees go weak, and then he was gone.
Gail walked back into the boardroom on a cloud of air, and all the board members started to applaud and whistle. She stopped and looked at them all, a puzzled expression on her face. "What?" she said.
"Why'd you leave the room?" Linda asked her, grinning.
"I just wanted to talk to Cas for a minute," Gail said evasively.
"What about?" Paul piped up. He was grinning, too.
"Ummm...God stuff," Gail said vaguely.
"Well, the next time you want to talk to him about 'God stuff', maybe you should close the blinds, first," Linda teased, pointing to the big picture window that overlooked the hallway. All the Angels laughed.
"Oh," Gail said, but she couldn't help but laugh, too.
"It's good to see that, even though some things have changed, others haven't," Linda said softly, giving Gail a warm smile. "Yours and Cas's relationship is the kind of relationship we'd all like to have."
Kevin looked at his mom again. She had really changed since she'd been away. It was kind of weird, but he was glad, too. She seemed happier, somehow. More at peace with herself. Kevin would have been happy to have her back under any circumstances, but this Linda was a Linda he felt like he could be friends with, and Kevin was glad about that. He'd been fairly lonely here since Chuck and Laurel had gotten together, and Chuck had started to work on the movie script. And now, Ethan had his wife and son here, and his Academy duties. The three of them would always be friends who were perhaps closer than others, but they would never be the Musketeers again. Change was a necessary part of life, Kevin knew, even for otherworldly beings. But recent events had led him to ponder exactly where he fit in the scheme of things. He guessed it was quite an honour having been selected to serve on the Suicide Board, and he knew that it was important work that they did there. He'd also been studying the ancient language in his spare time, wanting to stay sharp in case his services were needed in that area, as well. But, aside from work, Kevin's life had felt empty; devoid of meaning. Maybe he needed a girlfriend. Maybe he could even talk to his Mom about that. She seemed to be the type of person he could talk to about those kinds of things, now.
"Let's go, Kevin," Bobby said, giving the young Angel a nudge. "We've got a few cases to deal with before the end of the day. We'll see ya later, Linda," he called out to Kevin's mother.
"Yeah. Later," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. Linda had taken a seat between Henri and Paul, and both men were showing her the documents the board had been working on. She was interested to see that they had been working on a proposal to send groups of Angels to Earth to live alongside humans, as a sort of pilot project. Gail had long since held the belief that there were a lot of things that they could, and should, be doing for their fellow men and women. Even though they would be unable to stop things like disease and natural disasters, in her opinion, there was far too much misery on Earth in the form of things like extreme poverty, and hunger. Couldn't they do something about things like that? And, more importantly, SHOULDN'T they? So, with the help of her fellow board members, she had been working on putting together what she hoped would be a persuasive presentation to Cas on the subject. And she felt that, with just a little tweaking, they were very close to the final draft.
Gail took her seat at the head of the table. "If everybody's ready, we'll begin," she said.
