Author's Note: Major feels ahead! Grab your tissues, folks! May you enjoy this chapter and please review it!
When dinner was finished and everyone was satisfied, Castiel and Gabriel used a bit of their power to switch out the center table to one holding dessert. Specifically, the one holding every flavor pie imaginable. Dean grinned idiotically when Castiel set his favorite in front of him, stuck with two candles for him to blow out. It only took a snap of the fingers from Gabriel to light them up. Then, in classic fashion, everyone began singing Happy Birthday to Dean while he sat awkwardly in his chair, unsure of how to respond. When they finished, Daddy put both hands on his shoulders.
"Make a wish, sweetheart."
What did he need to wish for? His life was perfect. Dean shut his eyes, and then blew out the candles.
Everybody clapped their hands and waited to be served their piece of the pie. Dean didn't hesitate to dig into his portion. The second it hit his tongue, he smiled. It was amazing. He looked over at his Uncle, instantly suspicious that he was the one who made them. He was, after all, the ultimate connoisseur of sweets. When Gabriel saw his nephew looking at him, he wiggled his eyebrows in silent reply and Dean giggled. He went back to his pie and ended up eating four pieces before he decided that he was finally done. When he figured out what came next, he could hardly stay seated.
It was time to open presents.
Castiel and Gabriel helped clear the table of the dishes before they moved the presents onto the table. Castiel let Dean pick which present he wanted to open. Then he handed it to him. The first present he chose, not surprisingly, came from Sam. The two of them never bothered with the formality of giving each other a card, so he didn't have to go through that step before opening the gift. When he opened it, he smiled.
It was a picture of the two of them with Gabriel and Castiel, taken on a trip they'd taken to a park. It was perfect. He set the picture down and gave his brother a hug.
"Thanks, Sammy."
"Anytime."
The next present he chose was from Bobby. It was a few new books on lore. He was excited to read them, and grinned.
"I can't wait to read these." He said earnestly. Bobby nodded.
After that was Claire's gift. A DVD of Caddy shack and a chocolate bar. He laughed aloud at the gift. It was a part of their friendship that they spoke about the book and movie when they were together. Now he had a personal copy.
"Thanks Claire."
"Anytime."
Next were Ellen and Jo's gifts. There were some new clothes, a few toys, and some extra hunting supplies.
Then, it was Gabriel's turn.
Dean had driven himself up the wall trying to figure out what his Uncle might give him. He couldn't wait to see what it was. Gabriel handed him a small, flat box, and Dean didn't hesitate to open it. Four pieces of paper fell out, and he picked them out. When he saw what they were, he grinned.
"Wow! Tickets for a Metallica concert! Thanks Uncle Gabe!" He said, giving his Uncle a tight hug. Gabriel grinned.
"You're welcome, Dean-O."
When he finished hugging his Uncle, he looked back at the table and frowned, then turned around to where his Daddy stood.
"Daddy, what did you get me for my birthday?" He asked. Castiel smiled at him.
"I was hoping you'd ask." He pulled out a Manila envelope from behind his back. "Grandpa helped me with this one." He mouthed for Gabriel to get the camera, and waited until it was recording to put it within Dean's reach.
Dean smiled and grabbed the envelope. He opened it up and pulled out a stack of papers. He frowned, confused by what they were until he saw the title. His eyes grew wide with surprise, and his mouth hung open in shock. He looked up at his Daddy, afraid to believe what he was seeing.
"Really? You mean it?" He asked, timidly. Castiel nodded, smiling broadly. Dean's face scrunched up and he started to cry, flinging his arms around Castiel's neck and sobbing.
"What happened? What was it?" Asked Sam.
"I don't know... Why don't you tell me, Sammy?" Said Gabriel, holding out an identical envelope. Sam took it and opened it up, reading the title.
"Adoption Papers." He said. It took a minute for the words to sink in. When they did, Sam was perfectly still. He flashed down to where the names were written and Saw his name with Gabriel's. "With my name on them..." He whispered and looked up at Gabriel, completely shocked.
"I couldn't let Cassie and Dean-O have all the fun." He said, beaming. Sam wrapped his arms around Gabriel's neck. There were no words to explain the feeling.
Everyone watching the four of them were smiling. It was a privilege to witness something like that. It took a while, but eventually both of the boys calmed down. Dean wiped his eyes and then let go of Castiel, who kissed his forehead. Dean went over to Chuck and led him to where his Daddy was standing.
"Ready, Grandpa?" Dean asked. Chuck nodded while Castiel eyed them suspiciously.
"What are you two up to?"
"Grandpa's giving me my birthday present." Dean explained. Chuck stepped up to Castiel.
"Trust us." He said. Castiel looked over at Dean, and he nodded reassuringly. Reluctantly, Castiel shut his eyes as Chuck pressed two fingers to his forehead.
"Shut your eyes!" Called Dean. Everyone but Gabriel and Chuck did so. There was a blinding flash of white light, and then it was gone.
The light around him vanished, and suddenly Castiel felt more powerful than he had before. But how was that possible? He didn't know. When he opened his eyes, he saw Gabriel staring at him in shock.
"What?" He asked, confused.
"Cassie... You're an archangel..."