If there was one moment that Castiel recognized as his proudest, it would be the time he was in the presence of a man named Yeshua, a carpenter from a small town in an insignificant region of the Middle East who had become a wandering preacher/healer. Cas, however, knew something that some people talked about but not everyone believed: this Yeshua was the Son of God.

He had been there at the very beginning of the man's existence, but it hadn't been planned that way. Gabriel was supposed to go and make the announcement to the young woman chosen as the mother of the Lord, but he hadn't returned yet.

"He's probably all right," Michael said. "He's probably holed up in some bar in Jerusalem. Or, Father forbid, another brothel."

"What's a brothel?" Cas, who was an innocent in the ways of the world, asked him.

"Never mind what it is. You find him and make sure he's done his duty. Then both of you return here at once. Is that clear? Don't let him talk you into a side trip to the twentieth century like that one time."

"We went to a place called New York. It was . . . interesting."

"Hmm. Let's have no interesting things happening this time. Come straight back here, I mean it."

"Yes, sir."

He went down to the place where Gabriel was supposed to find Mary, a place called Nazareth. It wasn't much more than a collection of mud huts, but he soon found the one he wanted. It was the only one with a frustrated archangel sitting on a rock and swearing.

"Cassie!" Gabe hopped off the rock and went to greet his younger brother. "Is that a new vessel? I like it!"

"Have you done what you came for?"

"What, you don't have time for a little small talk? You, the child I raised from a tiny fledgling?"

"My orders were to bring you right back as soon as you had completed your mission."

"Well, see, that's where we have a problem. She won't talk to me."

Cas cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean, she won't talk to you? What did you say to her?"

"I followed the script! I said exactly what they told me to say!"

"And?"

"She threw the water jug at me!"

Cas felt like laughing, but he held back. "Where is she now?"

"Inside. Don't bother knocking, I already tried."

"Who says we have to knock?" Cas appeared directly inside the simple dwelling. Mary was in a room by herself, and she looked startled to see angels suddenly before her. Then she grew angry as she recognized Gabe.

"You! I told you to get lost! You and your cheap lines! God has found favor with me, huh? I bet you say that to all the girls!"

Cas looked at Gabe, who tried to look apologetic. "Okay, so maybe it didn't come out the way I intended it."

With a sigh, Cas said, "Mary, beloved daughter of God, you have been blessed. God Himself has chosen you to be the mother of His Son, and you shall name him Jesus."

"But . . . how can this be, since I have not yet been with a man?"

"You're engaged, aren't you?" Gabe blurted out. "What do they call it here, betrothed? And you haven't-?"

She looked shocked and outraged. "It is forbidden! We cannot have contact until the marriage has been fulfilled!"

"Mary," said Cas, "you must have faith. God will take care of you and your precious Child. He will change the world. But you must trust in His plan. All that you need to do is say yes. The Holy Spirit will do the rest. As He has done for your kinswoman Elizabeth. She who was thought barren is now in her sixth month."

She looked into his face, and saw only kindness and truth reflected there. "I am the handmaiden of the Lord," she said. "Let it be done to me as you say."

The angels departed from her. They reappeared in front of another dwelling a short distance away.

"Thanks for the save, bro," said Gabe. "I hope this is a bar, cause I could sure use a drink."

"No bars, Gabriel. No drinks. And we're only half done. We still have to talk to the husband."

"We do? No one told me about that."

"We've moved forward in time about six months. Mary has just returned from visiting Elizabeth, visibly pregnant. Joseph isn't sure who she's been with, but he knows he can't marry her now. He plans to dissolve the marriage quietly."

"And we have to talk him out of it?"

"You let me do the talking. You're not messing this one up. It's too important."

Joseph was sleeping when they entered his home, so they decided to visit him in his dreams.

"I didn't know you'd been taught to do that yet," Gabe said. "Took me years to master that trick."

"Really? It's not that hard."

"Maybe I was too distracted, having to chase after you all the time."

Cas touched two fingers to the sleeping man's forehead and instantly found himself in the dream.

"Joseph, son of David," he said, "do not be afraid. Mary has not been unfaithful to you. Her body has not been violated. The child she carries was given to her by the grace of God, and must be protected. God has chosen you to be the guardian of His beloved Son. You are a righteous man, a man of faith. You will serve Him well."

"She has not . . . betrayed me?" Joseph asked, bewildered.

"She would not even think of laying with another man. But she trusts in the Lord, as I know you do. Go to her. Welcome her into your home, as your wife, and together you will raise the Child."

Joseph bowed his head. "I will do as you command, Lord."

"Oh, I'm not Him," Cas said. "I am naught but a lowly angel, the last of the angels. I bring you a message of hope. The Child that Mary carries within her will change the world. His name and His message will be remembered until the end of time."

"We should go," said Gabe. "You can pull us out of here, right?"

"I think so." Cas closed his eyes and concentrated. When he opened them again, nothing had changed. "Maybe not."

Gabe shook his head. "You'll get there, little brother." He snapped his fingers, and the two found themselves on the outskirts of the town.

"And now we need to go home," Cas said.

"Wait a minute. We just got here! Let's hang out a bit, soak up the local color-"

"My orders are to bring you straight home. No bars, no brothels."

"It was one time! I just wanted to see what was so bad in Sodom and Gomorrah that they needed to be destroyed!"

"All I know is, we have to leave now. That's what I was told."

Gabe sighed. "Fine." He looked around one last time before they departed. "We can come back, can't we, and see how it all turned out?"

"I'm sure we will. Gabe, we have to go now." In that last word was a faint whine, an echo of the impatient child who wanted to go everywhere and see everything at once. It made Gabe smile to himself.

"Okay. Let's go."


Several years later, as time was counted on Earth, Cas was again summoned before Michael, along with several other angels from his garrison.

"He's gone too far this time," their commander said, without preamble. "It was bad enough when he tempted Adam and Eve to fall. Worse when he corrupted their firstborn. But now-now-he seeks to tempt the Son of God Himself! He must be stopped."

"What are your orders, sir?" asked Uriel.

"We will go to the place where he is and capture him. The Son must not be harmed. His time is not yet come. Protect Him; take Lucifer alive. Bring him back here. The Father has finally come up with a permanent solution to contain him.

"Half of you will come with me. The other half will remain here to guard the gates, just in case he gets away and tries to come here. Yes, Castiel?"

The young angel had his hand raised. "Can I come with you, sir?"

"You're aware that it won't be easy, right? You think Lucifer is just going to come quietly? He'll fight back. He doesn't shy away from killing anyone who gets in his way."

"I'm prepared to lay down my life for Heaven," Cas said solemnly.

"All right, fine. Any other volunteers?"

A few hands went up.

"All of you step forward," said Michael, as he counted them. "And you, you, you, you, and you. Not you, Uriel; I want you here on the West Gate. Daniel, you take the East Gate. Raziel, the North; and Micah and Judah will guard the Main Gate. The rest of you back them up. It's doubtful that we'll need you, but better safe than sorry. Those of you who are with me, to the portal room."

Cas took his place at the head of the line. At last he was finally getting to be part of something important.

The place where Lucifer had taken the Son to tempt Him was far out in the desert, so far that it took a while to find them. The angels arrived just as the man who would one day be known as Jesus was rebuking the Evil One.

"Get thee behind me, Satan! Away with you, tempter! The power of God compels you!"

"Wow," said Ezekiel. "I expected someone . . . weaker. He looks like he could punch Luci straight to Hell."

"He builds houses for a living," said Cas.

"Look at those biceps!" said Gabe, who Cas hadn't known was coming with them. "He doesn't look like his pictures at all."

"Quiet!" Michael ordered them. "We wait here until he moves."

They didn't have to wait long. Lucifer knew when he was beaten, and he didn't like being told off by someone clearly stronger than him. He started to run-

"Now!" Michael commanded, and drew his blade. The angels moved to surround Luci and cut off his escape.

"Hey, guys," he said nonchalantly. "Any chance of a ride home?"

"Funny you should say that."

Luci looked around, his smile fading as he realized what was happening. He drew his blade. "Yeah, don't think so."

Cas and the other angels drew their blades. "You're coming with us. Whether you like it or not."

"Oh, hey, Cassie. Look at you, all grown up. New vessel? I like it!"

Cas said nothing. He knew how Luci liked to work: he'd charm you, get you off your guard, then move in for the kill. It might have worked when Cas was still a fledgling, but he was a soldier now, and not so easily swayed by his brother's flattery.

"Don't you say a word." Gabe moved in front of his younger brother, his own blade raised.

"Hey, Gabey baby. Ever the protector. I'm not gonna hurt the kid. I just wanna talk to him a bit."

"The time for talking is past." Michael stepped forward. "You've gone too far this time, Lucifer, and Father won't stand for it. He's prepared to deal with you once and for all."

"Oh, come on. He'd never let you kill me."

"I didn't say we were going to kill you. Now!"

At the command, the two angels closest to Lucifer moved faster than lightning to put him in restraints. One knocked the blade from his hand.

"We'll take him away," Michael said. "The rest of you stay here and attend to Him. Do whatever He tells you. I'll let you know when it's safe to return."

Cas locked eyes with him for a moment, feeling the weight of the ring hidden in his pocket. "Should I come with you, sir?"

"If I need you, I'll send for you. Stay for now."

Once they were gone, the angels looked to Cas for direction. And he wasn't even the leader of the squad. He indicated that they should follow him, leading them over to where Yeshua reclined on a rock.

Cas knelt before him. The other angels followed suit. "My Lord," he said, bowing his head, "what do you require of us?"

"My friend, arise. All of you, on your feet, please."

They stood and looked at him uncertainly.

"Those who know me best call me Rabbi."

"Teacher," Cas translated for the others. "Rabbi, do you need food and drink? You must be hungry and thirsty after forty days in the desert."

"Just bread and wine, please. Come and join me, all of you."

Cas waved a hand and produced a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine. He brought them to Rabbi Yeshua and then sat at his feet, feeling a sense of serenity and peace that he had only felt in the presence of his Father.

"Do we tell him," asked a young angel named Zuriel, "how it all ends? That he only lives to spread his Word for three years and then dies?"

"He knows," said the squad commander, Alariel. "It's the divinity in him."

"And he's willing to go through with it?"

"Let that be a lesson to you. He knows what must be done, and He is willing to give His life for the Father. He asks no less of you."

"But we don't have to die, do we?" asked Nathaniel.

Alariel spread his wings out to shade the group from the hot sun. "If that is what He wants of you. We live by His command. We live to serve Him. And the Son as well."

"May I ask what it is you are talking about?" Yeshua asked them.

They all looked up, startled.

"We-that is-my Lord-Rabbi-" Alariel seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Duty," Cas supplied. "Our duty to our Father. Whether or not we are required to actually die for Him."

"Yes, I know how my story ends. I have seen the cross, in the place of the skull[1], and the tomb of rock. And I have seen what happens next."

"What happens next?" asked Zuriel.

"The glory of the Resurrection," said Castiel. "The conquest of the Spirit over death, and the Ascension to the Father's kingdom. All that makes the cross meaningful. It is Father's way of showing mankind that death is but a bridge to be crossed, to a shining country without pain or fear."

"Couldn't He show them that without having to let his Son die?"

They all looked at him.

"Sorry, sorry. Who am I to question the will of the Father?"

"Do not be afraid to ask questions, my friend," said Yeshua. "It is how we learn. If I could, I would let this cup pass without having to drink from it."

"Fine, I'll take it," said Alariel, who finished off the wine.

"But not My will but His be done." He turned to Castiel. "The day will come, my young friend, when you begin to question if all you are told is truly the will of the Father. When that day comes, you must trust in the good and understanding heart that He has given you. Your heart will show you the way."

Cas thought at the time that He was talking about the coming war of the angels. He couldn't have imagined that the time that Yeshua spoke of would be quite some time in the future. "Thank You, Rabbi. I'll keep that in mind."

They sat and talked for some time. The angels didn't need to eat, but Cas took a piece of Yeshua's bread to be polite. It tasted . . . like it needed something, but he wasn't sure what.

Then he heard the call over Angel Radio. They were needed in Heaven. He was needed.

He stood, and his squad mates followed suit. "Rabbi," he said, "we have to go. Will You be all right on Your own?"

The Son of God smiled, and the smile warmed Cas' heart. "Yes," he said. "I will find my way back on my own. Thank you for the food and drink, and for keeping me company while I refreshed myself."

Never again, Cas reflected, would he have to ask to see the face of his Father. He had seen it, reflected in his Son.

The angels bowed before Him again, and then they returned to Heaven.


The first thing Cas did when he arrived home was to go and search out Gabe. He wanted to tell him all about meeting Rabbi Yeshua, and ask what he thought about His advice. But Gabe wasn't in the room they had shared for so many years.

He still lived there; his things were all over the place. Gabriel had never been one for tidiness. There was a paper sitting on the kitchen table which, when Cas examined it, was written in some strange language that he hadn't learned yet. He set it back down and went out looking for his brother.

He found him with the other archangels, in Michael's office.

"Oh, good, Castiel, you're here," his oldest brother said. "I was just about to send for you. You still have . . . what I gave you, don't you?"

"Of course." Cas touched the ring in his pocket, but didn't take it out yet.

"You'll need it. Father has finally created a place to lock Lucifer away once and for all. And we'll need your help to do it."

(To be continued!)


[1] Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified, translates as "place of the skull".