Chapter 3 - Family Portraits
The first couple of days since Cas returned from the desert were going to be reserved for making up for lost time with his friends and family, and his main priority had been to reconnect with Gail. They had had plenty of conversations about their relationship, and they were having another one now.
Gail was becoming amused. It had always been her understanding that men hated to talk about their feelings, and the status of their relationships. Look at the other males in her life: Frank, Dean...even Sam, although he was better at that kind of thing than most of them. But Cas was different, of course. He had always been different. He loved to talk about those kinds of things, probably because historically, Angels had not been allowed to feel those kinds of things.
He was apologizing to her once again for having treated her so coldly before he'd gone away. "Patricia had me convinced that our physical expression of love was a Sin, and I was under the influence of the poison she had been injecting into my bloodstream," Cas said, speaking softly. They were lying in bed together, facing each other. They had spent the better part of two days here now, making love and talking, talking and making love.
"And then, because my psyche was already fractured, when the powers of the Office were transferred unto me, I struggled with them," Cas went on. Boy, that was an understatement, Gail thought. But they'd been over this ground before, multiple times, since he'd returned.
"I know that, Cas," she said, brushing an errant lock of hair back from his forehead.
"I know I hurt your feelings, and I must apologize," Cas said earnestly.
"You already have," she told him.
"I wasn't myself," he persisted stubbornly.
"I know, Cas. It's OK," she assured him.
"I never stopped loving you, even when I was behaving as if I didn't," he said.
"I know that too, Cas," Gail replied softly. "You're sweet, but you really don't need to keep apologizing. I admit, I appreciated it the first ten times, but now it's just getting silly," she added, smiling.
Cas began to caress her lightly, but he still felt as if he had more to say. "Thank you for never giving up on me, my love."
"I could never give up on you, sweetie," she replied. "Neither did Sam and Dean, or Frank, or any of them. We're all family, Cas, and we all love each other. I love you more than anything, Cas. I always have, and I always will. I would never give up on you, no matter what. Never. After all, it's only fair. You said the same thing to me, remember? When I was Sarah, you found me, and then you stayed with me until I got my memory back. Even way back, when we first met, you rescued me from Crowley. Twice. Not to mention all those other times." She pretended to consider: "Actually, now that I think about it, maybe that Holy War isn't such a bad idea after all," she quipped dryly.
Cas smiled, because he knew that she was joking. "I'm just glad that I came to my senses, before I did something that we would all regret. And you helped me with that, too. You always help me when I'm wrestling with difficult decisions, whether you know it or not."
"Laminated card," she said pertly, and they both laughed.
"There are so many things I want to do," Cas told her. "So many things I need to put right."
"I'm glad to hear that, Cas," she said. "And, I know you're the Almighty and everything, but if you need my help for any of it, just let me know."
"I will," he said, and now his caresses were becoming firmer. "It doesn't matter how much power I have, I will always need you."
Gail snuggled against him. "Speaking of which, can I ask you a question?" she said shyly.
"Of course, my love. You can ask me anything."
"When we were making love a little while ago, were you using any...ummmm...extra Godly ardour, shall we say?" she asked him, with a raised eyebrow.
Cas's lips twitched. "I don't know if I should say," he responded evasively. "Strictly speaking, I'm probably not supposed to do that." Now his hands had wandered, and he was stroking the inside of her thigh. She had automatically opened her legs to afford him better access. "Why, did you enjoy what I did?" Cas asked her. He nuzzled her neck, and he was stroking her lightly with his fingertip now.
"I did," she said, wriggling her body to move closer to his hand.
"Then it'll just be our little secret, then," he murmured against her neck. The white glow went through his hand to the lower part of her body and she clung to him, riding the wave of pleasure. Wow. This went on for a little while until she asked him to please let up, or she was going to be too exhausted to move any more. But she was smiling when she said it.
An hour or so later, the Angels were showered and dressed. Cas took his wife by the hand and popped her over to the boardroom. To their surprise, the meeting had already started. But then, Chuck had always been an early bird.
Everyone looked up when they entered the room, and a moment later, Chuck started to applaud. Then the other Angels joined in, and then, they all started to rise from their chairs.
"What brought this on?" Gail asked them all, puzzled.
"Our elation is twofold," Chuck said in a formal tone, and Gail did a double-take. He grinned. "Sorry. I've been writing some old-timey Angel dialogue for the movie, and I lapsed there, for a minute. But what I was gonna say was that we're very happy to see you back, and we're even more happy to see the two of you holding hands. It's been way too long for both of those things."
"I'm sorry I quit on all of you," Gail told them, "but as you all know, I had my reasons. But Cas is back now, in every sense of the word, and we're going to fix everything that Patricia broke."
"You quit the board," Ogden said sourly. He was in his usual seat, at the opposite end of the table. Chuck and Laurel had taken over, co-chairing the board in Gail's absence, but neither of them had had the authority to get rid of him.
Cas let go of Gail's hand and stepped forward, glaring at Ogden. "She did not quit the board. She was otherwise occupied, dealing with my unlawful containment and systematic poisoning at your former employer's hands. Now, Gail is back. Therefore, she will be resuming the chairmanship of this board immediately, and the laws will be rewritten in accordance with the decisions made by her, and this board. But, you are hereby relieved of your obligation to sit the board, Ogden. I know how much it distresses you to have to take orders from my wife."
"According to the laws that SHE wrote, I am entitled to my seat here, until the board goes up for re-election," Ogden retorted.
Cas looked at him, half-amused and half-outraged. "Really, Ogden? Let me tell you everything that's wrong with what you are saying right now. First and foremost, I am God now, and I can fire anyone, as I see fit. Secondly, Patricia stood right here in this room, and she burned the laws that Gail and this board worked so hard to re-write in the first place. Therefore, there are no laws in place right now. We are starting from scratch. The law is what I say it is, Ogden. If you like, I will have several of my lieutenants provide you with an escort out of the room. And if you still refuse to go, I would invite you to test me. My hand is just itching to smite someone, and since Patricia is gone, you would do quite nicely."
Ogden sat there for a moment, stunned. The temerity of Castiel, standing there and talking to him like this. But like it or not, Castiel WAS God now, and Ogden did not dare go up against him. The tide had turned, and Castiel and Gail were the New Order in Heaven now. Ogden gathered up his papers and stalked angrily out of the room.
Gail was trying not to smile too widely. "I WOULD like to come back, but only if everybody here is okay with it. I promise my husband won't smite any of you, if you have an objection."
"Nobody has an objection, I can guarantee you that," Chuck said, handing her the gavel. "Welcome back, Madame Chairman." Everyone clapped again as Gail took her seat.
Sam and Quinn were sitting at the breakfast table in her kitchen, having coffee. They had been seeing a lot of each other ever since they'd made up after their fight at Christmas, and Sam had spent quite a few nights here by now. Quinn had spent just one night at the bunker, but after that, she had refused to stay there anymore. When Sam had asked her why, she had made up some lame-ass excuse about the "vibrations" of the place, and Sam had bought it. After all, a lot of weird things had happened in the bunker over the years, and there were a lot of occult books and objects there. And Quinn had been able to feel a lot of things in relation to those, too, but that alone wouldn't have deterred her. Look at what she did for a living, and at the things she had in her own house. No. It was Dean that was her problem.
After a lot of deliberation with herself, Quinn had decided to break her cardinal rule and tell Sam's brother what she had seen when she had touched Nicole at Jody's baby shower, and when she had, it had made Dean mad.
The next morning, after she had spent the night with Sam in his room in the bunker, Quinn had woken up, craving a cup of coffee. Sam had mumbled something and rolled over, so she'd decided to just let him sleep. She'd borrowed his robe and put it on over her underwear, and padded down to the kitchen to put a pot of coffee on.
To her surprise, Dean was already there, and the coffee was already made. So, after the initial moment of awkwardness that was almost inevitable in this type of situation, they had sat down and had a cup of coffee together.
"So, you and Sammy. Getting pretty serious, I guess?" Dean had teased her lightly.
Quinn had smiled. "Well, I don't know about that, but...I really like your brother, Dean."
"He obviously likes you, too," Dean said, raising his mug to her in salute. "Not too many people get to wear his Hogwarts robe."
Quinn looked down at herself. "Is that what this is?" She laughed.
"Yep." Dean smirked. "He thinks I don't know, but I know how to Google stuff, too. He's such a nerd."
And, because they were having such a great moment, Quinn blurted out, "I saw something that I think you should know about." Dean raised an eyebrow as she haltingly told him about her vision of Nicole, ripping Dean's heart out of his chest. "I really like Nicole," Quinn went on, "but, how much do you know about her? Are you sure she doesn't mean you any harm?"
Dean had smiled indulgently. "Look, Quinn. I know you mean well, but if Nicole was some kind of monster, I think I would know about it by now. It's kind of what me and Sammy do. Believe me, if she'd wanted to give me a heart-ectomy, she's had lots of chances. Well, maybe not lately, but...you know what I mean." Then he had frowned. "I hope you're not pulling any of that crap on Sam. Are you?"
Quinn had looked at him coolly. "What crap would that be, exactly? Psychic visions? That's kind of what I do, Dean," she retorted.
Dean said, "Don't get mad. If you wanna sit there in your house and tell a bunch of housewives about the hot affairs they're gonna have with their favourite movie stars, or tell Aunt Kate that her Pomeranian says hi, you go for it. Make as much money as you can. But Sam believes in that kind of stuff, so don't go messing with his mind, okay?"
Quinn was so angry that she was speechless for a moment. "I can't believe you would say something like that to me," she said at last. "You don't even know me. I have a genuine gift, Dean. How dare you accuse me of being a fake, and how dare you accuse me of messing with Sam?! I have real feelings for him! Just because you're jealous, that's no reason for you to behave like an ass. Good luck getting your heart ripped out!" She stood back from the table and stalked back down the hall.
Dean sat there quietly for a moment. Then he lifted his coffee cup, regarding it for a moment. "Too late," he said softly.
So now, if Quinn and Sam wanted to hook up for the night, Sam came to Quinn's house. Neither Quinn nor Dean had ever told Sam about their argument.
Sam was just about to take a sip of coffee when Oliver popped into Quinn's kitchen. Sam and Quinn flinched a bit, but Sam was pretty much an expert in having beings regularly popping into his own house, so the sudden appearance didn't faze him as much as it probably should have.
"We would appreciate a little privacy, Oliver," Quinn told the ghost, as if he was a misbehaving child.
"I need to ask you about my journal," Oliver said to Sam, ignoring her. "Has she read it yet?"
Sam explained about what had happened to Oliver's journal. "You know, I don't know if Gail had read everything I gave her, and I don't know if any other pages have been found. Now that things have settled down a bit, I guess I could follow up." He looked curiously at Oliver. "Why didn't you tell us that you were Gail's uncle? Or, why didn't you tell HER, at least?"
"Because I didn't remember," Oliver replied. "I know that sounds hard to believe, but it's true. I only remembered about my journal after I died."
"OK, then, why don't you just tell us what's on those pages, instead of having us go through all this b.s.?" Sam asked him, furrowing his brow.
"Because I can't remember!" Oliver shouted in frustration. One of the kitchen cabinets opened, and a stack of dishes fell to the floor, smashing to bits.
"Oh, thanks a lot, Oliver! My grandmother gave me those!" Quinn exclaimed angrily.
"I'm sorry, Quinn," he said, agitated. "I can't always control it. I'm just frustrated, because I can only remember what he allows me to remember."
"Who's 'he'?" Sam asked.
"I told you, I don't know!" the spirit shouted. He stamped his foot in frustration, and the fridge door flew open. The coffee cream went sailing across the room, and a carton of eggs overturned onto the floor, creating a sticky mess.
"I guess I'm taking you out for breakfast, then," Sam quipped, but Quinn glared at him. It was easy for him to joke around, wasn't it? He didn't have to live with it.
"I'm sorry," Oliver said again. "She needs to read the journal, in its entirety. Maybe if she does, I'll finally be able to move on. Please, Sam. Tell her."
"OK, Oliver, I will," Sam told the fretting ghost. "Actually, we'll be seeing Gail and Cas tonight. Now that everything's calmed down, we're finally gonna have that party to celebrate Cas's big promotion." He looked at Quinn. "Can you come?"
She smiled. "Sure, Sam. I'd like that."
"Great. Have a drink for me, too," Oliver said irascibly. "Just get the rest of that damn journal and have Gail read it, and then maybe I can finally get the hell out of here!" He popped out of the kitchen as Sam and Quinn looked at each other.
"I'll get the paper towels; you get the dustpan," Quinn sighed.
The party was in full swing now, and the mood was exuberant.
"Hey, Cas! Get your holy exalted ass over here! Jody wants to take a few pictures," Dean called out to his Angel friend.
"Wow. You really HAVE been promoted," Sam wisecracked. "Now, your ass is 'exalted'."
"I've always thought so," Gail said with a wicked grin.
"What kind of talk is that for the First Lady of Heaven?" Chuck chided her, grinning.
"She can say anything she wants," Cas said, putting his arms around his wife and giving her a squeeze. His lips twitched. "Besides, I'm flattered by the compliment."
They posed for a few group shots, with baby Angela on Bobby's knee, and baby Peter on his Uncle Tommy's lap. This was the first time that the whole group had been here together, and everyone was very excited to see everyone else. Even Nicole was there. Now that Chuck was back to writing the script again, the production staff on the film was working long hours, but Nicole had appealed to Richard for the day off. Once she'd told him what the party was for, he had given her his blessing. Her staff could cover for her the next morning, too, if she partied a bit late. Then he had told her to give Cas his best wishes. Richard couldn't believe that the same individual who had worked as a body double on their TV show was now God, and that their little TV show was now a blockbuster movie franchise. How far they had all come.
Jody had wanted everyone in the group picture, so Frank had set up a camera on a tripod across the room, and Jody had arranged everyone close together, tallest in the back. Cas was in the middle as the Guest of Honour, and he had his arms around Gail's waist. Gail was standing in front of him. The guys were on either side of Cas, and they were teasing him about being the Supreme Being.
"I guess now if there's a tornado or something, they'll just call it an 'Act of Cas'," Sam remarked.
"Cas help anyone who messes with Gail now," Frank quipped.
"Stand still, you guys," Jody admonished them. "You can horse around in a minute. I just want to get a couple of good group pictures, here."
A minute later, Jody gave them all the green light to disperse. Dean leaned down to baby Angela, touching her face with his hand.
"Got your nose," Dean said to Angela.
"She's not gonna know what you're doing, Dean. She's way too young," Frank told him.
But baby Angela laughed, and she reached out and grabbed Dean's finger with her tiny fist. Frank shook his head, smiling. Just like her Aunt Gail.
"Now, pull my finger," Dean said, smirking, and Tommy laughed. "Don't be gross, Dean," he said. "Besides, if she's anything like my little nephew here, she can probably outperform you in that department."
"And there's usually a wonderful surprise at the end of that transaction, as well," Carolyn added dryly.
"Not that YOU would know much about that," Barry said good-naturedly. "I'm the primary diaper-changer at our house."
"Can't you do something about THAT, Cas?" Jody said, smiling.
"I'm sorry, Jody. There are some things that are beyond even my powers," Cas said mildly. "That's the way our Father made babies."
Jody sighed. "Yeah. I figured as much." She looked at Dean, who was still playing with Angela.
"I've got your nose," Dean was telling the baby again, and she laughed once more. "What are you gonna do about it?"
"Geez, I wish you could do that with her father's mouth, sometimes," Jody said, smirking.
"Hey! What'd I do?" Frank objected.
"Angela definitely got her mom's looks," Bobby said warmly, handing the baby back to her mother. Then he looked at Frank. "Hopefully, she's got her mom's brains, too."
"What is this, National Pick On Frank Day?" Gail's brother exclaimed.
"Yes, it is, Frank. I made a Divine Proclamation," Cas quipped.
Frank did a double-take. "That wasn't bad, actually," he told his brother-in-law. "I'd high-five you, but I'm afraid you'd take my arm off at the shoulder, with all that Godly power you've got now. I don't want to get smited. Smote? Smitten?"
"Hopefully it's not 'smitten', or Jody and I are going to have a problem," Gail teased her brother.
Liz giggled, and Gail whirled around to see her friend, who had just appeared in the library on Gabriel's arm. Gabe had a bottle of champagne in one hand, and a wrapped gift in the other. He handed the present to Cas, and put the bottle down on the table. "Now, if you touch your finger to that, it'll be bottomless," he said to Cas, and then, the Archangel laughed. "Never mind; look who I'm telling. Congrats, Brother."
"You're supposed to call me Father, now," Cas deadpanned. But then he smiled, to show that he was only joking.
Gabriel stared at him for a minute, and then he laughed again. "You know, you're a hell of a lot funnier than you used to be, Cas."
"I was always funny," Cas said mildly. "I don't know why no one seems to believe me."
"That's because you weren't," Dean told him. He extended his hand to Gabriel for a shake. "Hey, Gabe. Welcome to the party."
Gabriel nearly looked behind him. He had never been welcomed this warmly by a Winchester before. He shook with Dean.
"I know you guys don't drink, but - " Frank said to the Archangel, but Gabe interrupted him. "I don't know what you've heard, Frank-en-furter, but today, I do. My Brother is God now, and Heaven is a happy place. Set 'em up, barkeep." He gave Gail a hug. "Hey, Kitten. Congrats to you, too. I can see a lot of good things in your future."
"That's my girlfriend's job," Sam said, bringing Quinn over to where Gabriel was standing. The men shook, and Sam introduced Quinn to the Archangel. Gabriel grinned. "I see a lot more pretty women around you guys than there were before, too," he remarked, taking her hand. "I might have to hang around here a lot more often."
Meanwhile, Liz walked up to Frank and said, "Hi, Frank. Remember me?"
"Aww, geez," he groaned. "Cas, what the hell, man? I thought you were my friend!"
"I am, Frank, but Gail is my wife, and Liz is her friend," Cas responded, "so you can see that I had no alternative."
"What I can see is that God is a wuss," Frank grumbled under his breath.
"You must be Liz," Jody said to Gail's friend. She shifted Angela to one arm, and stuck out her free hand. "Nice to meet you. Any tormentor of my husband's is a friend of mine."
Liz giggled again, and Angela laughed. "Who's this cutie-pie?" Liz said to the baby. "You obviously got your mom's looks."
Everyone laughed, because Bobby had just said the same thing before Liz and Gabriel had gotten there. And then, an extraordinary thing happened: Angela reached out to Liz, squirming in her mother's arms.
"Do you want to hold her?" Jody asked Liz. "It looks like she likes you."
"Babies love me," Liz said, smiling. "They always have. I was going have at least ten myself, before I died."
"Well, it'd be kind of hard to have them after," Gabriel cracked. He had moved on to Barry now. "You must be one of the gay guys," Gabe said, offering his hand.
Barry was bemused. He took Gabriel's hand. "Well, yes, I am," he said, "but, how did you know?"
"You're clean, and you're stylishly dressed," Gabriel said, smirking. "Not a hint of flannel."
"Standing right here, dude," Sam protested.
Cas and Gail were holding hands and kissing. This was the happiest they had felt in a long time, since before the election. Their whole family was here, and everyone was healthy and happy and joking around. Things simply didn't get any better than this.
"Open your present, sweetie," Gail said to her husband. She looked at Gabriel. "It was really nice of you to bring it."
"I didn't know we were bringing gifts," Tommy said. He smiled at Gabriel. "Please let go of my husband's hand. I'm the other gay guy, and I'm starting to feel jealous."
"Yeah, but what kind of present can you get for God?" Rob mused aloud. "Doesn't God have everything?"
"I certainly do," Cas said happily. "I certainly do."
"Open it," Gail prodded him. "I want to see what it is."
Cas unwrapped the gift and opened the box. He looked at what was in the box, and then up at Gabriel in astonishment.
"What is it, Cas?" Frank asked him, curious.
Dean craned his neck. "It's...a stick? You gave him a stick?"
"No, I didn't give him a STICK," Gabriel said, annoyed. "That's the olive branch."
"I can't believe it," Cas said, astonished. "How did you come by this?"
Gabriel shrugged. "Let's just say I know a guy."
Cas turned the box around so that he could show its contents to everyone. "This is the olive branch that was brought back to Noah at the conclusion of the Flood. The one that signified that the time of tribulation was over."
"I know you always felt bad about that incident," Gabriel said in a quiet tone. "So I wanted to give you that as a gift, to remind you that there's always hope."
Tears formed in Cas's eyes, and he rushed over to Gabriel, opening his arms. Gabe was taken aback. He was experiencing a few firsts tonight.
"Better hug him," Dean said in a gruff voice. "He won't leave you alone till you do." He had a lump in his throat now. That had been one hell of a thoughtful present, and the fact that it had come from Gabriel had been nothing short of amazing.
Gabriel returned Cas's hug, and tears sprang to Gail's eyes now. "I will never yell at you again," she told the Archangel softly.
He grinned, pulling out of the embrace. "Yeah, you will. I'm incorrigible. Isn't that right Liz?"
"No kidding," she answered with a smile.
"Nope, I can't be corridged at all," Gabriel said cheerfully. He looked at Frank. "Hey, Gail's brother, pour me a drink."
Frank shrugged. Why not? Any guy who would do such a nice thing for Cas was OK in his book. "Why is it that you can be disgruntled, but not gruntled?" he asked Gabriel. "Why do we park in a driveway, but drive on the parkway?"
"Why do they call it jumbo shrimp?" Gabriel responded in kind. "And how about 'military intelligence'?" He waggled his eyebrows at Sam and Dean. They'd all had some personal experience with that one.
"Oh, Lord help us," Jody said, rolling her eyes. "Whose bright idea was it to get those two together?"
"Rob, I'd like you to meet Gabriel, the Archangel," Frank said to his son. "A man whose sense of humour is almost as refined as my own."
"An Archangel? Wow," Rob said, impressed.
"Hello. God, standing right here," Cas quipped, and everyone laughed.
Gail came over to stand by her husband's side as Frank said, "You're coming up the list fast, Cas. You're way funnier than you were when we first met."
"You're just sucking up to him because he's the Supreme Being," Gail teased her brother, putting her arm around her husband.
"Supreme Being, my ass," Dean said, rolling his eyes. "He owes me about a thousand bucks, at least, for all the money I've spent on his wife over the years."
"'Blessed are the poor, for they shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven'," Gail said, affecting a pious expression.
"Forget the Kingdom, just give me the cash," Dean grumbled good-naturedly.
"I'll tell you what," Cas said. "I'll make sure you're in line for Sainthood when you get to Heaven. How would that be?"
Dean smiled. "Saint Dean. I kinda like the sound of that."
"Hey, if putting up with Gail qualifies a guy for Sainthood, I should move to the head of the line," Frank quipped.
"You can be Saint Francis of ASS-isi," Gail retorted. "Emphasis on the first syllable, of course."
"Hey, Gail, can I talk to you for a minute?" Sam said, touching her arm.
She moved away from the group, following him to the other side of the room, where they were out of earshot.
"Sorry, but I didn't know when we'd see you next," Sam said apologetically. He told her what had happened at Quinn's that morning. "So after I left there, I stopped in to see Thane, and he said he'd been about to call me, because they found the rest of the journal pages. Oliver seems to think that if you read them, he might be able to move on from Quinn's place."
Gail was trying to keep a straight face, but she could only imagine what that must have looked like in Quinn's kitchen. Food and dishes flying all over the place. "Poor Quinn," she said. "OK, give me those pages, and I'll read them as soon as we get back to Heaven."
Sam frowned. "I've gotta warn you; Thane read them, and he said there's some really disturbing stuff in there. He doesn't believe a lot of the things Oliver alleges in there about Vincent, but he said to remind you there's no statute of limitations on murder."
Gail's blood ran cold. Oh, crap. "OK, Sam, thanks," she said, sighing. "We'll talk again, after I read them."
"How about if you come and get them now, before we forget?" Sam suggested.
"Sure, Sam," Gail said affably. She followed him down the hall to his room. Sam opened the bureau drawer to retrieve the pages as Gail walked over to his bed to look at the robe he had laying across the foot of it.
"Hey, is this a Hogwarts robe?" she asked him, picking it up to have a closer look.
Sam turned around, smiling. "Yeah," he told her. "Pretty cool, huh?"
"Yes, it is," Gail said sincerely. She held the robe up against herself. "In fact, I would totally steal it if there wasn't an extra three feet of robe below my knees."
"Dean makes fun of me for wearing it," Sam remarked.
She shrugged, putting the robe back on the bed. "Of course he does. That's what big brothers do. You and I need to form a support group for younger siblings."
Sam grinned, handing her the journal pages as Becky looked on from her vantage point in the hallway. She'd seen them leave the library and walk down the hall together, and she had been fuming when she saw the two of them go into Sam's room. Not that there would be anything going on, of course. The door was wide open, and all the two of them were doing was talking. Still, it made Becky mad. Gail already walked around the bunker as if she owned the place, and now she was walking into Sam's bedroom as if she belonged there, too. The nerve of her.
But Becky had better be really careful, here. Cas was God now, and Becky knew she'd better not say anything negative about Gail, or she'd be in big trouble. That didn't mean that Becky couldn't talk to Cas about her own situation, though, did it? Now that everything was OK again, there might not be a better time for Becky to cash in on her friendship with the reigning God. So she walked back out to the library area and asked Cas if she could talk to him alone for a minute.
Cas was surprised. He'd had no idea that Becky was so unhappy as an Angel. "But you realize that if you were a human again, you would be mortal?" he asked her hesitantly. "You would need to eat, and drink, and sleep, and urinate. That last thing was the thing I disliked the most."
"Yeah, I realize all that, Cas," she replied. "But it would be worth it to me."
His eyes were narrowed. "Why do you want to do this, Becky? What is the real reason?"
Well, Cas was no fool, that was for sure. But Becky knew him pretty well by now, and she was pretty sure she knew what would work on him. So she made herself start to cry.
"I worked for Patricia for a long time, ever since Bobby brought me to her office when I first got to Heaven," Becky told Cas. "She was a strict boss, but she was fair. But then, her personality changed. She became a real bully. Ask anybody, Cas. She was so mean to me, all the time. And then, when she became God, she was even meaner to me, because I was friends with you and Gail. But I didn't care. I wish I could have done more for you guys, but, did Gail tell you that I helped her get into Patricia's house when you were in jail?"
"Yes, she did," Cas responded with a tight smile. Becky was reminding him now of the fact that Gail had never given up on him. The last couple of days since Cas had been back, he and Gail had talked at length about the ordeal they had suffered at Patricia's hands. He had confided in his wife everything he could remember about his imprisonment, and Gail had told her husband about her attempts to free him. He'd had no idea. And she had finally succeeded. But if Gail hadn't persuaded Patricia to allow her to bring Cas to Earth to stop the rain, who knew where they would be right now?
Now Becky was reminding Cas that she had defied Patricia to help Gail, and she was asking Cas for a favour in return. But it was one hell of a big favour.
"I'll tell you what, Becky," Cas said to the girl now. "I'll talk to Gail about your request, and we'll get back to you."
This made Becky even angrier, and now, just to add to the fun, she saw Gail and Sam coming back into the room, and they were laughing together. What did Cas mean, he had to talk to Gail? HE was God, wasn't he? Why did he have to talk to HER? Becky made herself take a deep breath, and wisely, she held her tongue. He hadn't said no, so she'd better make sure to stay on Cas's good side for now. Correction: THEIR good side, she amended, mentally rolling her eyes.
Quinn had seen Gail and Sam coming back into the room too, and she was also struggling with her feelings about it. Sam had told Quinn that he was going to talk to Gail about Oliver and the journal, and Quinn was all for that, of course. If Oliver believed that he would finally be able to move on once Gail finished reading his journal, she might get her house back at last. But Quinn knew that deep down, Sam was still infatuated with Gail, and that part was hard for Quinn to handle.
"Hey, Quinn, how are you? I'm glad to see you here. We hardly ever talk anymore," Nicole said, approaching Sam's girlfriend. "Of course, it's hard to keep in touch when I'm constantly in different parts of the world. Lots of times, my time zone is pretty much completely opposite to this one. It's Bizarro World. Even Dean and I hardly ever talk these days." Then she lowered her voice, gazing pointedly at Quinn. "But when we do get together, I almost never try to rip his heart out of his chest and eat it."
Quinn's heart sank. "He told you about that, did he?"
"Yup," Nicole said, and then she smiled grimly. "I thought it was kind of funny, actually. But where the hell would something like that even come from, Quinn? I thought you liked me."
"I do," Quinn insisted, and she sighed. "See, this is why I don't have any friends, or can't sustain a relationship. I always end up saying something I shouldn't."
"Why would you even see something like that, though?" Nicole asked the psychic, puzzled.
"I don't know, Nicole," Quinn said uncomfortably. "It's not like I decide what to see, or anything. I see what I see." She was silent for a moment, and then she said, "Do you think there's any way we can try to forget about it, and move on?"
Nicole considered for a minute, and then she shrugged. "Sure, Quinn. Why not? If I can forgive those guys for not telling me that Dean was alive sooner, I don't see why not." Then she smiled slyly. "And I plan to forgive Dean's brains out, later tonight. It's been way too long for us." She appraised Quinn over the rim of her glass. "How are you and Sam doing in that department?"
Quinn looked across the room to where Sam and Gail were standing, talking to Cas now. Gail was giving Cas the journal pages and he was stashing them in the inside pocket of his blazer. Quinn realized she was being silly. Why shouldn't Gail and Sam have a laugh together? They'd been friends for quite a few years now. There was no way that anything could be going on between the two of them. Just look at the way that Gail was looking at Cas. Like he was the only man in the universe. Besides, Cas was God now. He'd have no choice but to smite Sam's ass a little if he found out that Quinn's boyfriend was having those kinds of thoughts about his wife. That mental image made Quinn feel a bit better about the whole thing.
"We're doing just fine," Quinn said in answer to Nicole's question. Nicole saw where Quinn was looking, and Dean's girlfriend laughed. "I wonder what it's like, having God for a husband," she said in a mischievous tone. "I wonder if there's a little more 'oomph' in the bedroom for those two, now."
"Look at the way she's looking at him. I'd say that's a pretty safe bet," Quinn replied with a faint smile.
Sam had finished talking to the couple now, and as he made his way back to where Quinn was standing, Nicole wandered over to talk to Chuck about the latest scenes he had sent them. Ethan was talking to Carolyn, and playing with baby Peter. He felt the familiar tug at his heart, and he listened with great interest when Bobby asked Cas, "So, what's the first order of business when we get back to Heaven, and how can I help?"
"I'll be going to the Garden, right away," Cas answered promptly. "There are a multitude of souls there that deserve immediate disposition."
Ethan's heart leapt. Unlike Patricia, Ethan was sure that Cas would send Ethan's family to him as soon as they were located.
Frank was listening avidly, too. He was planning to have a little chat with his brother-in-law on that very subject. But not tonight. This was a party.
Dean wandered over. "So, did Gail tell you that she nearly killed me and Rob and wrecked your car, the other day?" he asked Cas.
"Oh, no," Cas said, feigning surprise. "Is the car all right?"
Frank laughed. "You just moved further up the list, Cas."
"Oh, har, har," Dean retorted. "Your wife is one of the worst drivers I've ever seen."
"That can't be true," Cas said mildly, slipping his arm around Gail's waist. "She probably just needs to learn from someone who's got a little patience," he said to Dean. "I can teach them, if you like."
Dean snorted with derision. "Sure, if we want them to drive like my grandmother," he scoffed.
"It's OK, Cas. You're going to be busy in the Garden, anyway," Gail said to her husband. "I'll just tag along with Dean and Rob."
Dean groaned. "I thought you said you were giving up on learning how to drive."
Gail shrugged. "I think I've changed my mind. I really would like to learn how. And the fact that it torments you is just a wonderful bonus."
Liz elbowed Frank. "Hey, speaking of tormenting people, have you seen any good TV shows lately, Frank?"
Gail laughed, but the others looked puzzled. "What are you guys talking about?" Dean asked the female Angels.
"When we were growing up, there was a TV show that Frank liked a lot. Anyway, to make a long story short: One year, they had a murder mystery on the show. A bunch of people turned up dead, and it was said that there was a monster that was doing the killings," Liz explained.
"Really?" Rob remarked. "Cool. Even way back then, you were watching shows about monsters, huh, Dad?"
"Yeah, even wayyyyy back then, when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth," Frank said dryly. "It was just me, Cas, and a couple of protozoa."
"You realize you're talking about evolution with God standing right here, don't you?" Gail teased her brother.
"So, anyway, what about the TV show?" Dean asked, trying to bring them back to the topic.
Liz and Gail exchanged smiles. "Frank pulled a lot of stuff on us too, when we were kids. He used to hide in dark corners of the house and then jump out and scare us, for one thing. A lot. And he did other rotten stuff, too. So Gail and I got together and decided we weren't gonna take it anymore. So I came up with the theory that Frank's favourite character on the show was the monster that was doing all the killing, and when the season ended on a cliffhanger, we ran around all summer telling him that his hero was the monster."
"Drove me nuts," Frank said, rolling his eyes.
"Why?" Dean asked, puzzled. "It was just a TV show, and the guy was just a fictional character. So, so what?"
Frank glared at him, but somewhat unexpectedly, Cas said, "I can understand that. Now that I have been associated with the Supernatural franchise, however peripherally, I have noticed that the characters mean very much to their fans. They form emotional attachments to them, and they sometimes feel that they live or die with them. You can belittle that fact if you choose, but who are we to tell those people that they are wrong? Yes, there is a certain element who are delusional and cannot separate fantasy from reality, or who send death threats to the writers if things do not go their way..."
Chuck looked startled. He exchanged glances with Nicole and Laurel. Laurel smiled and took Chuck's hand, giving it an affectionate squeeze. She was so glad that Cas had let her come here with Chuck. Now, she could see why Cas and Gail had been so miserable when they had been banned from visiting Earth. They had a wonderful family here. There was a lot of teasing, but she could tell that it all came from a place of love.
Cas continued, "But, for every fan like that, there are many, many more for whom the show has been a transformative and mainly positive experience. The actors have told me that they have met many fans who have presented them with works of art that the show has inspired them to create, and there are thousands upon thousands of stories online that these people have poured their hearts and souls into. And the principal actors all have charitable foundations, which have done a lot of good in the world. Even the actor who plays Crowley has one," Cas added, his lips twitching in amusement. "For instance, the actor who plays my own character has made a real difference for his fellow men, and women, on Earth." Cas smiled gently. "So before you go too heavy on the criticism, Dean, please try to remember those things."
Everyone was silent for a moment, and then Chuck piped up, "What KIND of death threats, exactly?" This broke the mood, and everyone laughed.
Frank and Gabriel were standing by the bar, having a drink together. "So, was that THE olive branch? Really?" Frank asked the Archangel.
"Of course it is," Gabriel said, with a hint of coolness in his voice. "What, did you think I just went to some forest, picked up a stick, and gift-wrapped it?"
Frank looked at him speculatively. From what he'd heard about ol' Gabe from Sam and Dean, a part of Frank thought the Archangel might just have done that very thing. But then, he relented. Cas's reaction had suggested that the branch was the real deal.
"No, of course not," Frank responded quickly. "But, I've gotta congratulate you on a classic pun. That was epic, buddy."
Gabriel frowned slightly, puzzled. "What pun?"
"Now you're just being modest," Frank commented. "I 'Noah' guy'? Come on! That was fantastic! Worthy of me."
Gabriel nearly choked on his drink. That hadn't been a witticism on his part; at least, not consciously, anyway. Unbelievable. Not that he was ever going to admit to that, of course. "Thanks, Frank and beans. I was rather proud of that one." He lifted his glass in toast to Gail's brother.
"How many of those Frank-isms have you got?" Frank asked him, shaking his head with amusement.
"I don't know. I guess we'll find out," Gabe replied affably. He put his empty glass down in front of Frank. "Set me up again."
As Frank was making Gabe another drink, the Archangel was looking across the room at Liz. She had moved over to talk to Jody and Carolyn, who were each holding and feeding their babies now. Liz touched each child on the head, smiling gently.
"You know, now that Cas has given me the green light to visit Earth any time I want, I'm available to babysit," she told the women. "The great thing about having a celestial babysitter is you don't have to pay us, and we won't raid your fridge." The babies looked up at Liz, wriggling and gurgling happily.
"I'm totally gonna take you up on that," Jody said. "Frank and I need a night out, just us adults. We'll talk."
Gabriel smiled. He was watching Liz with the babies, watching the way they were reacting to her. There was just something about Liz that really appealed to him. She was sassy and mischievous, like Gail, but she also had a benevolent, Earth-mother quality about her. Gabe pretended to be a letch around her because that sort of thing was built into his personality, but in an ideal world, he would love to take her out on a date. But Gail had made it quite clear that Liz was still married, and she wasn't the kind to be unfaithful. And maybe it was just as well. Liz was almost a damn Saint. She ran around Heaven, helping her fellow Angels and volunteering for extra duty in the sectors of Heaven that most needed it. Not even Gail knew what Liz got up to half the time. But when Gabriel had mentioned that he wanted to get Cas something very meaningful as a gift and told her the kind of thing he had in mind, Liz had known exactly where to take Gabriel to get it. She was a beautiful soul, inside and out. And she was stacked, too. Although he'd better not ever say that out loud, or she and Gail would team up to knock him into next week. And, Archangel or not, he might just have to let them.
Gabriel smiled again when he looked at Gail. His little Kitten. She had been more like a tiger recently, but it had all been for a good cause. Now, things were the way they should be. Well, except for Raguel, and Ammit, and that other guy, of course. But that was a discussion for another day. Look at how happy everybody was right now.
Cas had his arms around Gail again, and the two of them were kissing. But, for a change, no one was giving them a hard time about it. It was just so great to have the two of them here, and to see them back together. Back to normal.
"A toast: to the new Boss of Heaven," Dean proposed, lifting his beer.
"And to her husband, too," Frank quipped, and they all laughed.
Everyone toasted, and the party continued.
"Wow, what a story, so far," Gail said. She was holding the journal pages, reading avidly. Every time she would finish a page, she would give it to Cas, and he would read what she had just read.
After the party had started to break up, they had returned to their suite in Heaven. They were on the couch at the moment, quietly reading. Sam had been fairly insistent that he thought they should read it as soon as possible.
Gail was reclining on a small pile of pillows at one end of the couch, and her feet were in her husband's lap. They had both been enthralled by the story thus far, but a slow sense of dread was building, as well.
"So, let's recap, so far," Gail said, holding the remaining pages in her lap. "One uncle I didn't know I had, Andy, got out of the mental institution, only to have him sign himself back in, a few years later. Oliver, who I met that one time with Sam, was also my uncle, but apparently, he forgot that little detail. That's what Sam said Oliver said. So, Oliver moves to Kansas, and he and that Cathy Scanlon get married. Now, the mystery man Vincent has come back, and he's been away in the Caribbean this whole time. Oliver sure doesn't seem happy to see him. But who can blame him? Vincent's the creep who killed their neighbour's dog, and pinned it on poor Andy."
Gail put the pages down in her lap, looking at her husband. "I'm a little scared to read any further, Cas. Sam's FBI guy was talking about there being no statute of limitations on murder, and I'm pretty sure he wasn't talking about a dog."
Cas's jaw set. She was right; he was sure of it. "Whatever happens, we'll handle it together, my love," he said, putting his hand on her leg and giving her a reassuring squeeze. "This man Vincent seems like a horrible individual, but he is just a man. Besides, he must be an older man, by now. Oliver was in his 70s when he died, was he not?"
"But that's the other thing, Cas. There's something about this whole chronology that doesn't add up. You saw Cathy. She's, what, in her thirties? How long ago is all of this stuff supposed to have taken place? What was she, a child when they got married? There's something really fishy here, Cas."
"Well, there's only one way to find out," Cas said. He gestured. "Here. Give me those pages. I will read to you what's contained in them, and then we can talk. Okay?"
"OK, Cas," Gail said, handing them over. She stretched her legs out across his lap, making herself comfortable. She always loved it when Cas read to her; although, she wasn't looking forward to hearing what was in those pages. They were about to find out about her father, the mysterious, sinister man who seemed to be in the background of everything.
Cas cleared his throat, and began to read.
VIGNETTE - STRANGE VOODOO
Vincent had been having the time of his life traipsing around the Caribbean.
After Andy had been committed to the looney bin and Oliver had moved out on his own, it had been just Vincent and the parents. But he was damned if he was just going to sit around rotting in their quiet suburban house. There was a whole world out there, and there were a boatload of pleasures to experience.
So, he had tied the couple up in the upstairs bedroom and threatened the old man until he told Vincent where all the assets were, including the safe in the office downstairs. Vincent had thanked him for the information, and then he had slit both of their throats. He'd always hated them, anyway. Then he had stood there in fascination, watching the life's blood flow out of their bodies. He'd been tempted to dip his fingers in it and taste it, just like he'd done with the neighbours' dog's blood. But in the end, he'd decided against it; not because of any crisis of conscience, of course, but simply because he'd been so eager to get started on his new adventure.
When he'd been a bit younger, Vincent had been an avid reader, whose tastes had leaned toward the darker side of things. Big surprise. He had read books about vampires, and black magic, and serial killers. But the subject that fascinated him the most was voodoo. He'd gone to the library and gotten every book he could find on the topic, and he had vowed to himself that when the time was right, he would go down to the Caribbean and investigate the art for himself.
So he'd flown down there with one suitcase full of clothes and the old man's life's savings, and he'd had to grease a few palms and charm a few people, but he'd finally started to make a few inroads.
Then he had met Placida, and his whole life had changed. He'd been sitting on a lounge chair on the beach watching the sun set over the water when she had come to sit beside him. He'd looked at her curiously. Vincent had seen her a few times around town here and there, but they'd never actually spoken, even though he had felt her eyes on him during those casual encounters. Vincent was accustomed to females checking him out by now. He had grown into his body and his looks, and now he was a lean, very handsome man, with an easy smile and a smooth line. He had bedded quite a few island girls since he'd been puddle-jumping from island to island, and the way that this woman was looking at him now, Vincent expected to be adding her to the list in a few minutes.
But she surprised him. As the sun was sinking over the horizon, she took a long drink from the bottle of rum she had nestled between her legs, and then she offered it to him. Vincent accepted the bottle from her, looking at the label.
Wow. This was almost straight-proof alcohol. True firewater. Yet she had taken a huge swig, without coughing, or sputtering. Interesting. He took a drink as well, but a smaller one, and then he passed the bottle back to her.
"So, you're interested in the local occult scene, are you?" she asked him, stretching out her legs on the chaise lounge. The lights on the boardwalk behind them had come on now that the sun had gone down, affording him just enough light to see the skirt hike up her leg when she did that. He appreciated the view.
"Yes, I am," Vincent told her quietly. "How did you know that?"
She shrugged. "Barnabas told me."
Vincent nodded. That didn't particularly surprise him. Every place he'd gone, Vincent had given one of the locals some money to put him in touch with the people who flew under the radar, and most times, the locals delivered. When Vincent had first gotten here, he had walked into a little hole-in-the-wall joint with the oddly quaint name of The Embarrassed Tiki, and there, Vincent had made Barnabas' acquaintance. He was a large black man who was both the bartender and the proprietor of the place. Once Vincent had bought a few drinks and dropped a few larger-denomination bills on the bar, Barnabas had told him that he could put him in touch with the right people.
But Placida laughed now, when Vincent told her that. "He runs a tourist trap, and he gave you a white man's answer," she said, taking another drink from the bottle. But she didn't offer it to him this time. She wanted him sharp, in case he gave her the kinds of answers she was looking for. Then she looked at him. "If you are really interested in learning the ways, I can teach you. But first, you have to tell me something: How far are you willing to go?"
Vincent was intrigued. "Who are you?" he asked her.
She shifted to look at him, and as she did so, she moved her leg, lifting her skirt even more, higher up towards her hips. "My name is Placida, and I am a voodoo Priestess," she told him.
"Placida?" he remarked, smirking. "That's an unusual name. Does that mean you're calm?"
"Sometimes," she said, her lips twitching. She took another drink. "Sometimes not. I think you would enjoy the other side of me more, if you're the type of man I think you are. So, I repeat: how far are you willing to go?"
"All the way," Vincent said, staring at her intently.
"How do you feel about the sight of fresh blood?" she asked him.
"Excited," he answered honestly.
Placida's heart quickened. "Would you be willing to do whatever it takes in order to live forever?" she persisted.
"Yes, I would," Vincent responded. "That's why I'm here."
"Really?" Placida said, raising an eyebrow. "What if I told you that I could help you become a High Priest, and that once you did, I could take you someplace that would make you immortal? What would you say then?"
"I would say give me another hit off that bottle, and then get over here and share this lounge chair with me," Vincent replied with a smile.
She got off her chair and approached him, looking down at him for a moment. Then she climbed on top of him, straddling him, pulling her skirt up on either side. Then she handed him the bottle.
"You will speak to me with respect, and you will follow my instructions to the letter, or I will end you," Placida said calmly. "Now, take a drink."
Vincent would normally be irate at being spoken to this way, but he could feel the power emanating from her now, and if she could deliver on her promises, he might be on the verge of something big, here. Either way, it promised to be a fun ride. She ground herself against him as he lifted the bottle to his lips. He took a sip, but then she cupped the bottom of the bottle with one hand and tilted it upwards. "I said, DRINK," she repeated. "If you can finish the rest of that bottle and then give me what I need, I will propose you for initiation. If not, I will make you march out to sea and drown yourself."
Vincent drank and drank, until the bottle was finished. Then she took it away from him and smashed it on the side of the chair. Placida grabbed the biggest shard of glass. "Unzip your pants," she said sternly. "Then tell me when you're ready, and I'll cut us both. Once our blood mingles, you will be beholden to me until we get to the Golden Cove. This is your last chance to back out."
He smiled.
"Ewwww," Gail said. "I can't believe that Vincent told Oliver all this stuff. So, he chased his brothers out of the house and then killed their parents. Wonderful. And now, he's going to become a voodoo Priest? Fantastic. Ladies and Gentlemen, my father. I feel so proud," she added sarcastically.
Cas's heart hurt for his wife. It was unbelievable. Every bit of information they were learning about her father was more horrifying than the last. "Do you want me to go on, my love?" he asked her softly.
"No," she replied. Then she sighed. "Yes."
Weeks passed, and once Placida deemed Vincent to be ready, she set up the initiation ritual. As soon as he was anointed a High Priest, they would be equals, and then they could proceed with the other part of the plan.
She smiled at him as he put on the tunic she had given him to wear for the ritual. "Papa Legbo would be proud," she said warmly. "You are indeed a worthy successor to the Crown of Skulls. And, after your initiation, I will take you to the Golden Cove, so that you and I can perform our own ritual there, the one that will make us both immortal."
Vincent smiled. How he liked the sound of that. A small part of him still had his doubts that she could really make them both immortal, but he had seen so many impossible things in the last few weeks during his tutelage that he supposed he couldn't rule anything out. He looked at himself in the mirror as Placida draped the necklace of skulls around his neck. He was young, and handsome, and in the prime of his life. If Vincent could just stop time at this point, he could go on to accomplish great things.
He strode over to the bed to put on the pants that he'd tossed there before he and Placida had had sex. "What are you doing?" she asked him.
"What's it look like?" he said irritably. Suddenly, he clutched at his throat. His airway was blocked, as if someone was strangling him. But Placida was still across the room.
"What did I say, the night we met?" she said sharply. "You will speak to me with respect. I will be the mother of your first child. I don't care how you will treat the others, but I will be giving you untold riches today. Now get down on your knees, and apologize to me."
She waved a finger, and Vincent sank down to his knees, still clutching at his throat. "That's better," she said, smiling, even though she'd made him do it. But she was so close, now. She really didn't want to kill him and start out with a fresh one, not if she could help it. She'd put so much work into this one. But he had done everything she'd instructed him to do, and he had done it all with gusto. She guessed she couldn't expect an Alpha male not to be an Alpha male. Frankly, that was the reason she'd chosen him in the first place. If he hadn't been virile and aggressively male, their arrangement would never work.
She waved her hand, approaching him. "Now, apologize."
"My most humble of apologies, Madame High Priestess," Vincent said hoarsely, once she'd opened up his throat again. His mind was reeling. The mother of his first child? What did she mean by that? Did it have something to do with the ritual? But he was so close, now. He'd find out soon enough.
"There you go," Placida said softly. "I merely meant that you will not be wearing pants, or underwear, during the ritual. But, do not worry. After the unbearable pain, should you live through it, will come intense pleasure. I promise."
Vincent's eyes widened slightly. The unbearable pain? What the hell did she mean by that? Did he really want to go through with this?
Placida smiled wickedly. She'd thought that might get his attention. "Are you still willing to do whatever it takes?" she asked him.
Vincent did not hesitate. "Yes, of course I am," he replied.
"Good. Now rise, and let's go," Placida said crisply.
They left the room and walked down to the beach. They stood near the spot where they'd first met, but further down the beach, out of sight of the boardwalk. More people began to arrive, and as the sun started to set, they built a bonfire. Once the sun was all the way down, the small crowd parted to admit an old black man into the circle. He waved his cane in the air, and all the lights on the boardwalk went out simultaneously, leaving them all with only the firelight and moonlight for illumination.
Placida knelt before the old man. "Thank you, Papa, for blessing us with your presence today," she told him.
"You're welcome, my child," he responded. "You may rise." As she did, he looked at Vincent. "So, this is the one you are proposing," the older man said, scrutinizing Vincent's face. "A white man. That's different." He moved closer to Vincent and straightened up, continuing to stare at Vincent until they were almost nose to nose. "Lift up your tunic," the old man instructed.
Vincent's forehead wrinkled. "What?!" he exclaimed. "Why? Longing for your younger days, old-timer?"
Papa Legbo smiled humourlessly. "Placida told me you have a smart mouth on you. Now, lift up your tunic, before I touch you with my cane and make you into a woman."
Vincent looked into the old man's eyes, and decided he wasn't kidding. Was this man the Papa Legbo that Placida had talked about, the grand old patriarch of their group? If so, he must be thousands upon thousands of years old.
Vincent's heart began to race as he lifted his tunic. Papa bent down to inspect Vincent's equipment. He seemed to approve, because after a moment, he straightened up and nodded his head.
"We will drink rum, and make the sacrifices," Papa announced to the group. "Then we will do the blood ritual, and then the initiation will begin."
The bottle was passed around, and then, the knife. Several of the cult members held live chickens upside down and cut off their heads, collecting the blood in buckets which were then passed around. Each member drank from the bucket and then dipped their fingers in, painting each other's faces and bodies with the warm, sticky substance.
When the bucket reached Vincent, he reached for it eagerly, but Papa Legbo said, "No. You are the initiant. Let the true ritual begin. Phineas, please come forward."
A very large black man came out from the middle of the group to where Papa, Placida and Vincent were standing. He had a sinister-looking black and red snake in one hand, and a large knife in the other.
"Take off your tunic, and lie down," Papa instructed Vincent. He looked at Placida. "Give him the bottle," the old man said to her. Vincent stripped off his tunic and grabbed the bottle of rum. He took a swig, then lay down naked on the sand, eyeing Phineas uneasily. He got the feeling that this next part wasn't going to be pretty.
"In order to become a High Priest, you must have the dark spirit within you," Papa said, looking down at Vincent. Phineas knelt down beside him, holding the knife at the ready. Vincent could see the snake squirming in Phineas's large fist. Its glittering eyes seemed to be staring at him speculatively.
"Begin," Papa said, and Phineas stabbed Vincent in the stomach. Then he brought the knife down, opening up the wound. He stuffed the snake inside, as Vincent screamed. Then Phineas crushed the snake's head with his powerful hands, milking its venom into Vincent's stomach. Then he withdrew the snake, throwing its carcass into the bonfire. Papa stepped forward and touched his walking stick to the wound, sealing it instantly.
Vincent lay there for a moment, breathing heavily. Wow. Placida hadn't been kidding. That HAD been excruciating. But it was over now, and as he got up slowly from his prone position, he could see that he was none the worse for wear.
Placida handed Vincent his tunic and he put it on. Then she kissed him, using her tongue. "You are strong, and you are worthy," she said reverently. "And, in a few moments, you will be a God."
"It's time for the final test," Papa announced. "Feel the darkness course through your veins, and then you will be happy to do what needs to be done. Close your eyes."
So Vincent did, and he could feel the rush from the snake's venom go through his body. It felt like someone had injected him with about ten vials of high-grade amphetamine. He felt himself getting aroused.
"There will be time for that in a moment," Papa said, bemused. "But, your own blood ritual must be performed now. Phineas?"
The man had retreated back to the outside of the circle, but he came back now, carrying a travel bag. He set it down on the sand and bent down to open it.
Vincent knew what was in the bag even before he saw it. Phineas handed the baby to Papa Legbo, who held it out towards Vincent. "Once you do this, you will achieve the rank of High Priest, and become Papa Legba. You will be my Son, and you will be my successor."
Phineas handed the knife to Vincent, who took it and slashed the baby with it. The infant was wriggling in Papa's arms. It was strangely silent, though, even as Vincent began to carve up its little body. Placida put the bucket under the baby to catch the blood, but of course, there wasn't much of it. It was just a newborn, after all...
"Stop it, Cas!" Gail exclaimed, agitated. "I don't want to hear any more! I can't stand it. Next, you're going to tell me that he drank that poor baby's blood, and then he bathed in it, and then they danced around the fire and had a damn orgy, aren't you? What is the point of all this, Cas? What's the point?" She was crying now. He put the pages down and drew her to him, embracing her.
"I don't know," he said soberly. But, Cas was wondering now: If this man went all the way through the initiation, which he surely would have done, he would be a high-ranking practitioner of the dark arts, all right. But it was the allusion to immortality that was bothering Cas now. "I must read the rest, just to see what we might be up against," he told Gail softly. "But I do not have to do so out loud. You have been through enough." He wiped a couple of tears from her cheeks with his thumb.
Gail smiled tremulously, kissing him gently on the cheek. "Thank you, sweetie. But, no. I can't hide my head in the sand and pretend this guy doesn't exist. He's out there somewhere, and if he's this evil, I'd better find out what we're dealing with, too."
"I will protect you with all of the powers of the Office," Cas told her solemnly. "Immortal or not, he will not touch you. I swear it."
Gail kissed him again, and then she sighed. "Read on, please."
Cas glossed over the remainder of the ritual, which was recorded on the pages exactly as Gail had surmised. "This is rather interesting," he said impassively. "Vincent told Oliver that he spoke in tongues after the ritual was concluded, and he had visions. He also believed that what he had experienced that night gave him the ability to make better decisions, to persuade people to do his bidding, and to feel physical sensations more intensely."
Gail frowned. "Well, whoopie-doo. I guess the next time I'm trying to decide what to wear, or talk you into something, I just need to kill a baby, then, and then my decisions will be easy." But she put her hand on his arm immediately after she'd said it. "I'm sorry, sweetie. That was harsh. I just can't believe that guy. Sorry. Go ahead."
Cas nodded. He guessed he'd sounded a little callous, as well. But he had lived through many eras of religious persecution and inquisitions, brutal wars, and torture. Naturally, he was appalled by what Vincent and those people had done, but he'd seen similar things before. In fact, he'd seen worse. He'd even seen his dear, sweet wife pick up a knife and plunge it into a child when she'd been under the influence of Crowley's Demon blood, way back when she and Castiel had first met. They'd found out later that a Demon had been inhabiting the child's body, but it had torn Gail up inside for years afterwards. Cas wasn't about to bring up the parallel his mind's eye had conjured up when he'd thought about her, being her father's daughter. But there were a multitude of questions bouncing around in his head now. Every time they turned around, Crowley's name seemed to be associated with this man, be it through fact, visions, or supposition. Also, Cas made a mental note to ask Sam to do some research on voodoo cults in the Caribbean.
But the biggest surprise was yet to come, and it was the most astonishing thing Cas had ever heard of.
After the ritual, Placida had taken Vincent by the hand and led him further down the beach. "Now I will show you the secret, Papa Legba," she said. She slipped out of her dress and extended her hand to him. "Let's go for a swim."
Vincent took off his tunic and dropped it on the sand beside her dress. He took her hand and they waded into the water together. "Follow me," she said. It was extremely dark, but now that they were Priest and Priestess, their bodies were in sync with each other, and Vincent knew automatically the direction she was heading in.
They swam quietly for a while until they reached a secluded cove. Placida stopped, treading water, and she put her arms around his neck. "Join with me now," she told him.
Vincent was puzzled, but he had absolutely no problem doing that. Ever since he had completed the ritual, he'd felt energized, like he could go for days. He grabbed her by the hips and entered her, and after a couple of minutes, he was amazed to see that the waters around them were turning gold in colour.
Placida was smiling. "Once you finish, and put a baby inside of me, the magical properties of the water will combine with your seed. Then we will drink of the waters, and then, we will be immortal, as long as our child lives. And then, going forward, every child you sire will extend your life exponentially. As long as your progeny live, so will you. Your fluid will heal, and it will also prolong life. Now, let's make a baby."
Gail's head was reeling. This was the biggest load of..."Do you believe this stuff?" she asked Cas, incredulous.
He was frowning. "I'm afraid that I do," he acknowledged. "It sounds to me as if they swam in the waters that were originally discovered by the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, during the early Age of Exploration. In later years, the explorer Juan Ponce de Leon became associated with the search for those waters, but he was misled, and he ended up looking in the wrong place."
Her mouth fell open. "You're talking about the Fountain of Youth, Cas."
Cas smiled, despite the subject matter of the discussion. "Yes, I am. I'm impressed that you would know that, but I shouldn't be surprised. You are a very intelligent, well-read woman."
His compliment warmed her heart, even as her blood ran cold when she thought about the implications of what they were discussing. "So, let me get this straight," she said, still trying to wrap her head around what she had been hearing. "This scumbag is basically going to live forever, as long as his children do?"
"So it would seem," Cas said soberly.
"How many kids has this guy fathered?" she said, alarmed. Cas was frowning. He wasn't sure there was even a way to find that out. How long ago had this incident they were reading about taken place? The journal didn't say, exactly.
"I'M one of his kids, Cas," Gail pointed out in a hushed tone.
Cas shook his head quickly. "That should not matter. You are an Angel now. So, technically speaking..."
"I'm not alive," Gail finished for him. "OK, fair enough. But, Cas...as far as we know, Rob is one of his kids, too."
Cas tensed. He had not thought of that. "We don't know that for a fact, Gail," he said gently.
She let out a frustrated breath. That was true, but Rob's visions had never been wrong, not to her knowledge. "What do the rest of the pages say?" she asked her husband.
There were only a few pages left. Cas scanned them now. "When Vincent came back from the Caribbean, he tracked Oliver down. He told Oliver everything, and his brother made note of the story here in his journal. Their brother Andy was already back in the mental hospital at this point in the narrative. Then Vincent had an affair with Cathy, Oliver's wife, and when Oliver found out about it, he forced Cathy to leave their home. But he did not confront Vincent. I suppose he was afraid of his brother, and of his powers. Apparently, Cathy had wanted a baby, but when Oliver could not or would not give her one, she turned to Vincent, instead. But Cathy must have been barren, because Oliver records here that she never became pregnant." Cas frowned again. "However, according to Oliver, Vincent struck up a deal with Cathy to broker the babies he brought her, and Vincent told Oliver that if his brother ever told anyone about any of this, Vincent would skin Cathy alive. Oliver was so frightened by Vincent and his threats that his last entry here says that he would no longer keep a written record of anything. I suppose that's why he ended up redacting these pages. But now, I think we have the answer to one of the questions that we had. I posit that is why Cathy looks so young: Vincent must be keeping her so. He is probably using a formula to keep her youthful, because she is of use to him. Obviously, she is farming out his unwanted children to desperate couples."
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Cas realized how insensitive that must have sounded. Gail had been one of those unwanted children. "Oh, my darling," he said, reaching out to hold her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that. I didn't mean that at all."
Gail snuggled against him, enjoying being held by him. "Thank you, sweetie," she said. "But I have to say, that doesn't hurt my feelings as much as it should, if I'd had some normal parents." She sighed. "I wonder if I even want to know anything about my real mother, then. Who do you suppose SHE is? Eva Braun?"
Cas frowned deeply, but he said nothing for the moment, mainly because there was nothing to say. But after a few minutes, he did speak again. "I had intended to go to the Garden first thing in the morning, to start liberating some souls who have been stuck there for entirely too long. But if you tell me you need me, I will not go."
She touched his face. "You're very sweet, but, no. Those poor people need some resolution. I'll be fine, Cas. I think I might go to Earth and have a talk with Rob. Or maybe I'll take a few minutes and see if Sam and Dean can take me to Quinn's, so I can talk to Oliver. I'd love to have you with me, but I can't make all those people wait just because I need my hand held. I'll be OK, Cas. Really."
He took her hands in his. She was so brave. "All right, my love. But if you need me, please call me on our frequency, and I will come immediately. Okay?"
"OK, Cas," she said, smiling. "I pity anyone who tries to mess with God's wife."
"That's right," he said firmly.
"I love you, sweetie," she told him. "Let's go watch some TV." Then she took his hand, smiling. "Eventually."
Cas smiled back, and then he winked them into the bedroom.
