Author's Note: I haven't been updating much on this story, so I'll just add this chapter! Of all of my chapters, this is the crappiest chapter. I'm sorry, and I didn't really have time, so just have this background story on Castiel! Oh, and anyone who gives a review gets an internet cookie! (::)

Being one of nine children, Castiel had always been paid attention to. Of course, that was because he was the youngest. His oldest brother, Michael, was the one to give him his first Bible. Lucy, as she was called, gave Castiel his first beer. Gabriel, of course gave him Cas's first sweet. It was sugar. Literally. Gabriel had given Castiel a bowl of had never tasted it before, and had reached his first sugar high. It had taken over three hours for him to reach his sugar low. Even though he was bouncing off of the walls, his family had been amused. He was the baby of the family, what could they do?

Naomi, his second eldest sister, had given Cas his first black eye. Of course, she was in rehab now, so that made sense. She had been on drugs at the time, and Castiel had been in her way. She was now in rehab.

Uriel had given Castiel... nothing. Uriel was actually very quiet, and had never truly been here, on Earth. He was currently in a mental institution, starting from when he was twelve. He believed he was an angel, and referred to everyone as "mud monkeys". It would be alright if not for his violent nature. He tended to hit people when they insulted him, intentionally or not. But the relationship between Castiel and Uriel wasn't bad.

Castiel's computer had been from Anna. It was a birthday present, and now held most of his memories. He carried around everywhere, save work. It held so many memories that he couldn't bear to leave it at home.

Of course, Balthazar was only a year older than Castiel, and ended up getting Cas his first cocktail at Balthazar's 21st birthday.

And Jimmy? Jimmy had always been there for Castiel. They were twins, and did seem to have an empathetic link.

Of course, this was only the siblings. Their mother had died in childbirth with Castiel and Jimmy, but nobody blamed them. It only made them adore the babies of the family more. Their father died when Michael was 25, and Cas and Jimmy had just celebrated their sixteenth birthdays. A heart attack had taken their father, and the three youngest siblings were taken care of by Michael for the few years it took them to become of age. Their family was struck by grief, but like their father always taught them, they moved on. Jimmy and Castiel got a flat together, and moved in one floor above Gabriel.

Michael had left for California by then, taking his family with him. He now lived the kind of apple pie life he'd always wanted. Lucy was different. She had moved to Florida, getting as far away from Michael as she could. Gabe, Castiel and Jimmy lived in New York, and Anna lived in Maryland. Balthazar was in England, living in a dream. Uriel was in a mental institution in Wisconsin, and Naomi was in a jail in Maine. The Novaks had spread all over the country, moving into completely different lives.

Michael was a corporate lawyer, and Lucy was a defensive lawyer. Gabriel owned a sweet shop, and Balthazar was a doctor. Anna worked with charity groups, part time with the Red Cross, and part time as a nurse in her local hospital. Jimmy was the manager of the Starbucks on Main, and Castiel was just a server. Castiel was occasionally a minister in a small church off of 113th Avenue, but it didn't pay well.

Castiel was always the least successful, but the most religious of the nine children. He took after his mother, unobtrusive, but not vacant. Their father used to say that he had an intelligent look in his eyes. Those blue eyes that everyone said looked like either the sea or the sky. Castiel just thought his eyes looked like Listerine mouthwash. Either way, he would likely never get to more than a server in Starbucks.

Today was Christmas. Of course, it was celebrated everywhere, but Castiel was the only one willing to take this certain shift, so he was alone. Business was slow, and he thought of the eggnog waiting in the fridge at home. Then he saw the man on his phone. Poor guy looked like he needed something to help him cope. Apparently his wife or girlfriend was pregnant with another man's son. Castiel remembers Meg for a moment, and realizes he's not much different from the man. Seeing as there's not much business this late at night, he whips up a hot chocolate with some whiskey in it, topping it with a dollop of whipped cream, carefully placing it upon the foamy exterior of the hot chocolate.

Sliding it across to the man, he finds that after flicking his eyes up to meet the other man's, he can't seem to meet them again. Despite his odd habit of staring at random people, Castiel seems a bit lost.

"On the house," he manages to mumble, and scoots off, grabbing his trench coat and rushing back to his apartment. Even though he forgot to clock out, he knows that Jimmy will do it for him, making up the time. He's done it for Jimmy enough to know that for once Jimmy can cover for him.

Pulling his coat tight to fend off the cold, he nearly slips on a frozen puddle right outside his door, and unlocks the apartment door. Hearing the sudden clang behind him that announced the closing of the door, he sighs in relief. Castiel hated confrontations, and did his best to avoid them.

Walking upstairs, he gets to the sixth floor, taking another key off of the keychain that Gabriel gave him for his twentieth birthday, a blue one with an angel dangling off of it.

"An angel for an angel, eh?" Gabriel had said when he had given it to him. Castiel kept it as a reminder to have faith. Unlocking the door, he wandered into his room. Plopping himself into bed, Castiel doesn't even bother to change. Trying to sleep, he can't seem to get a certain shade of green out of his head.

Author's Note: How was it? Horrible? Good? Not bad? Then tell me! There's a box down there where you can review... Yup! Thanks! :)