Author' Note: Thanks for all the reviews, Corgimom! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Castiel had taken a walk through the forest to try and come to terms with what had happened to both him and his son. The sun was just beginning to set below the mountains, but it was still warm out. The birds were still chirping, as were the crickets. It all combined to make a relaxing atmosphere. Cas came across a tree that had fallen over, and went to sit on it. He went through everything that had happened in his head over and over again. He broke everything down piece by piece and spent a long time convincing himself that there was nothing he could have done to prevent this from happening, and that he had made the right call in the end. When he finally made peace with himself, it was well into the evening.
He got up to start going home, when he felt his father calling to him. He was torn. He wanted to go back home and see his son, but he knew his father wouldn't call without a reason. He opened his connection with Gabriel to tell him what was happening, only to find Gabriel telling him that their father was calling to him too. Castiel made the executive decision to go on behalf of the both of them and with no hesitation disappeared into the black and starless night.
Gabriel headed down the hall to wake the boys up from their nap. He began with Dean, rubbing his back gently.
"Dean-o, time to wake up, buddy. It's dinner time."
Dean squirmed a little and opened bleary eyes. Gabriel smiled down at him, and he smiled back unconsciously. Gabriel picked him up and changed him quickly before settling him on his hip and going to wake Sam. Gabriel knelt down to him and stroked his hair.
"Sammy, it's time to get up."
"No it's not." He mumbled, turning over.
"Yes it is. Come on now, it's dinner time." Sam opened his eyes and yawned tiredly. "Do I need to carry you too?" He joked. Sam shook his head, instantly awake.
"No Daddy. I'm a big boy."
"Alright then big boy, lets go eat."
Gabriel carried Dean out to the living room while Sam ran ahead of them. When Dean didn't see his Daddy anywhere, he frowned and pressed his hand to his uncle's cheek. Gabriel patted his back soothingly.
"Don't worry Dean-o. Your Daddy will be back soon, he just had to take care of something first."
Dean nodded as Gabriel sat him in his chair. Sam sat beside him, swinging his legs happily.
Gabriel was in the middle of serving dinner when he felt his father calling. He was so busy with the boys that he didn't answer. Luckily, Cas had heard the call too and had volunteered to find out what it was about. That gave Gabriel the opportunity to focus on dinner. He fed Dean bites of his dinner and made sure Sam ate all of his before treating himself to a few candy bars and giving each of the boys a slice of cake for dessert.
When dinner was done Gabriel only needed a few seconds to clean everything up. Then he took both boys to the living room to play. He left the room for only a second to retrieve a thermometer. He really did need to check Dean's temperature. He had Dean stick it under his tongue and waited until it beeped. 100.2. Not necessarily great, but better. He gave Dean some Tylenol to try and combat his fever, before letting him play with Sam.
It was about twenty minutes later when Castiel finally returned. Dean eagerly reached up to his father and snuggled him once he was picked up. Castiel gave him a kiss and put a hand to his forehead. He did feel better than earlier. Once he was satisfied, he set Dean back down on the floor (much to his protest). Castiel quickly hushed him and pulled his brother aside in the other room.
"What did Dad want?" Gabriel asked. Castiel looked over at Sam and Dean to make sure that they were occupied before whispering the news into his ear. Gabriel's eyes widened.
"But they never-" Castiel put a hand over his mouth to shut him up.
"I know they never said anything. But it's true. Dad had no reason to lie about this. We have to think of a plan. They can't know about this."
"We'd need them out of the house. How are we going to do that?"
"We'd need someone to babysit..."
"How about Ellen and Jo?"
"That could work. I'll give them a call. What are we going to tell the boys?"
"We'll say that Dad needs us upstairs. It's just for a little while."
"Alright. I'll go make the call." Castiel went into the next room and took out his cell phone, dialing Ellen's number. The phone rang, and he waited impatiently for her to pick up. Finally, she answered.
"Hello?"
"Ellen? This is Castiel."
"Hey Cas. What can I do for you."
"I need a favor. Do you think you could watch Sam and Dean at the roadhouse tomorrow?"
"Sure. Can I ask why?"
Castiel quickly explained the situation. "Of course you and Jo and Bobby are welcome to come once this is over."
"Sounds like a plan. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Thank you, Ellen."
"Anytime. Bye, Cas."
"Goodbye."
He ended the call and put his phone away before going back into the living room. Sam and Dean were rolling a ball back and forth to one another. Cas smiled at them and then went over to Dean, who was looking at him with a huge grin on his face. He kissed the crown of his son's head and knelt beside him, smiling brightly. He ran a hand through Dean's hair affectionately.
"Guess what, buddy?" Dean stopped rolling the ball and cocked his head to the side curiously. "You and Sammy are going to visit Aunt Ellen tomorrow!"