Book 33 - Girl In Trouble

by GailDunn2

WARNING: MAY CONTAIN VIOLENCE, AND ADULT CONTENT. Gail will go to just about any lengths to get what she needs. But, will Death be willing to help her, or has she used up all his good will? Some people from the past make an appearance, for better or for worse. And some who have remained in the dark emerge, making things extremely complicated

5. Love Lift Us Up

Chapter 5 - Love Lift Us Up

It was late when they got back to Heaven. Cas and Gail thanked their friends and, once the men left to go wherever they were going to go, Cas popped Gail into their suite. He was physically tired and emotionally exhausted, and he was sure that she must feel the same way.

Gail had given Cas his cell phone back, and he used it to call Dean now.

"Cas," Dean said, his voice laden with emotion. It was funny how much feeling he could put into just that one little syllable.

"I just wanted to call and say that Gail and I will come down to see everyone tomorrow morning, if that's all right," Cas told him.

"If that's all right?" Dean echoed, incredulous. "What are you, nuts? Of course we want to see you guys. You scared the crap out of me, man. I really thought you were gone. Gail, too. So, how'd she do it? How are you back?"

"Tomorrow, Dean," Cas said wearily. "We'll tell you everything tomorrow. Okay?"

"OK, Cas. OK," Dean sighed. "We'll see you in the morning. I'll make sure Frank's here, too. He was really worried about Gail, when she took off."

They hung up, and Cas turned to his wife. "We need to talk," Cas said to her. "I want to hear about your time in Hell."

"It was way too hot, and there were a lot of black-eyed people there," Gail quipped.

Cas continued to stare at her. "Do not think that you can be evasive with me. I'm extremely familiar with that tactic."

But just as Gail was thinking about how much or how little of her experience there she wanted to tell him about, Cas held a hand up. "Crowley," he said.

Gail was puzzled. "Of course; who else would we be talking about?" she asked Cas, but he frowned, shaking his head.

"No, I mean that he is sending me a message," Cas told her. "Hold on."

"Well, well," Crowley was saying in Cas's head. "So, you're back. Colour me unsurprised."

"We were just talking about you," Cas said coolly. "All about how my wife was a guest of yours for a brief period of time recently."

"What did she tell you?" Crowley asked, keeping his tone steady.

"Not much, but we've just begun our conversation," Cas replied. "In the meantime, what do you want?"

"I understand there was a little incident at the Lake of Fire a short time ago," Crowley said. "I was interested to hear that you were there. I want to know why."

"I don't believe that's any of your business," Cas said calmly.

"It's entirely my business," Crowley said, with an edge to his voice. "I am the King of Hell. Therefore, the Lake is under my jurisdiction."

"Then you must know that Ammit has been stealing the souls of the Righteous," Castiel shot back. "Are you saying that she is doing so at your direction? Because if that is the case - "

"No, she's not," the King said in a clipped tone. "I was as surprised as you were."

"Well, where is she now?" Cas demanded.

"Never you mind," Crowley replied irritably. "And, just so you are aware, I have relocated the Lake, just in case you're feeling especially Godlike about it. The activities that take place there are my concern, not yours. Tend to your knitting, Castiel, and let me tend to mine. Besides, I thought that you and the missus would be far too wrapped up in your sweet and loving reunion to be prying into my affairs. Pass along my congratulations to Gail on her accomplishment."

Crowley signed off, shutting down the frequency immediately. He knew that Castiel would be angry, and rather than have his brother nattering away in his ear, the King simply chose to terminate the conversation.

Castiel wasn't the only one who was angry. Crowley was furious. Suddenly, Ammit had apparently just gone off her nut. He'd received the report that the Lake had been breached much too late to do anything about it. By the time the King had snapped himself down there, everybody was gone. But he knew that Castiel had been there, and he also knew that Ammit had been poaching Righteous souls. The stench of Good was all over the place. Then, a very frightened Demon slave had come out from hiding and told the King all about the scene which had taken place there. The slave boy had vividly described the action for Crowley as if it were a movie. The King could picture in his mind the tug-of-war that Ammit had forced the unfortunates to play, and the desperate struggles of the Angels. Then had come the heroic appearance of Paul, and then, Mark's fiery descent and Ammit's sudden disappearance. Crowley was enthralled. This slave boy's talent was wasted here, being Ammit's toy poodle. He should be writing scripts for movie studios. He thanked the slave boy for the information, and then cast him into the Lake. Just because.

Crowley had been gobsmacked. In fact, he still was. After Bathshear had been killed by that pesky avenging Angel, the Lake of Fire had been abandoned for a couple of centuries afterwards. But then, when Crowley took over the Kingdom, he had reactivated the place. The thought of throwing all of those wretched souls into a lake of flames appealed to his sadistic side. And he had put Ammit in charge of the place, for reasons that were none of anyone's business. But it seemed that she had gone rogue now, and Crowley had no idea where the little bitch could be. There was no way he was going to admit that to Castiel, though. In point of fact, the King was planning to stay as far away from Castiel and Gail for as long as he could, strategically speaking. Hopefully, his warnings to Gail would serve as a deterrent. He supposed that his little lecture about the tattoo he had given her was weighing on her mind. Crowley had been deliberately ambiguous when it had come to that spell, leading her to believe that its purpose was twofold. But truthfully, if Castiel or any of her other people were to come after Crowley with both barrels, the little mark he had placed on the back of her head would do nothing to prevent that from happening. He'd simply allowed her to assume that it would, in the interests of self-preservation. It amused Crowley to think that Gail would have to beg her husband not to attempt to kill the King, once God was to inevitably find out what Crowley had subjected Gail to in Hell. He could just picture the look of abject frustration on Castiel's face. That was, if Gail even told her husband about the mark, of course. The Angels were pretty much Winchesters by extension, and Winchesters were experts at keeping secrets from each other. If she was smart, she probably should keep as quiet as she could about that whole unfortunate episode. The last thing any of them needed was a foaming-at-the-mouth Castiel, with Godly powers, on the rampage. Hadn't they all just survived a Holy War scare?

However, even though the mark on Gail's head was ineffective as an assassin repellant, it would work very effectively if he were to ask her directly for a favour, and she were to refuse. It was a one-and-done thing, though, so he was holding out for the proper occasion.

But until then, Crowley had a Lake to re-staff, and a Demon Goddess to find.

Cas told Gail about his brief conversation with Crowley, and she let out a frustrated breath. "Great," she fumed. "You know he's not going to help us find her."

Cas was looking at her, his gaze penetrating. "What exactly happened after you...died?" he asked her. "I want to know everything."

"I told you, Cas," she said mildly. "After I committed suicide, I thought I was going to see Death. I thought he was going to take me to be with you in the Netherworld. But instead, I landed back here in Heaven, in front of my own Suicide Board. That was pretty embarrassing," she added, making a face.

Cas took her hands in his. "You shouldn't have done that, my love. You shouldn't have taken a chance like that. But, if you ended up back here, why did you not just stay here?"

"Without you?" she asked him softly. "What would you have done, if the situation was reversed?"

He sighed. "The same."

Gail nodded, giving his hands a squeeze. "There you go. Anyway, I made Bobby send me down. He didn't want to, but I didn't give him a choice. I figured I'd try to see if I could get Crowley to revive you."

Cas frowned. "You were trying to strike up a deal with the King of Hell to revive God?"

Gail shrugged. "See, now, when you put it that way, it just sounds silly," she quipped. "What can I say? That's how much I love you, sweetie."

Cas's lips started to twitch. He was trying to be stern, but she was just so cute. Besides, he'd been telling the truth: he would have done exactly the same things as she'd done. He would have done anything to get her back. There was no way that he could even consider an existence without her. It was unthinkable.

"But you don't need to worry," Gail continued, rolling her eyes. "He said no. So, I didn't do any deals with him." OK, now they were getting into more of a grey area. Strictly speaking, she and the King of Hell hadn't actually struck up a deal. He had just stuck a mark on her, and warned her not to renege on the favour he was GOING to ask of her in the future. Therefore, she wasn't lying, was she? Really?

Her hand strayed towards the hairline on the back of her head, where he'd placed the mark. She couldn't feel it, but she had no doubt that it was there. She should just tell Cas about it now. But she knew he would be furious, and they'd recently had the close call with that whole Holy War thing. So she pretended like she had an itch there, scratched quickly, and then returned her hand to his. It was so good to be sitting here holding hands with him, looking at his face. She'd been so afraid that they would never be together again.

"So then what happened? Did he send you back up to the bunker, then?" Cas inquired.

Another tricky spot. But once again Gail rationalized to herself that she wasn't lying, just omitting a whole bunch of facts. So she nodded. "Yes, Cas. But he made me into a human, because he couldn't ascend me, of course. That was fine with me, though, because at that point, I'd thought about using the revival spell on you. But of course, I've grown so used to you in this body by now that it never occurred to me that those aren't your bones. So then, I went back to the original plan. Because I was a human, I got Riley to pop me around, trying to find Death. Rob helped us, too. Eventually, Death received the message that I was looking for him, and he came to the house. And you know the rest."

Cas shook his head slowly. She was amazing. How many women could have done all that? How many WOULD have? She had gone through all of that, just for him. She had gone through all of that because she loved him that much. A lump formed in his throat, and tears prickled at his eyes. Cas couldn't believe how lucky he was. "My poor darling," he said in a strangled voice. He put his arms around her and cuddled her.

Gail burrowed her face into his chest. She could hear the reassuring sound of his vessel's heartbeat. No, she corrected herself. Of HIS heartbeat. How could she not have done all of that and more, to get him back? And she would do it all over again, if she had to. Every bit of it.

"We will go see our family in the morning and reassure them that we're all right," Cas said to her, gently disengaging from their embrace so that he could look at her face. "Then, I will excuse myself to request a brief meeting with Death. I will ask him if he will give us a bit more time to find Ammit. I will tell him how we were able to break her enchantment together, you and I. Hopefully, that will help to convince him. Then, if I can get his agreement, I want to take you to visit Patricia, so that we can get the first step of the annulment done. Is that all right with you, my love? The sooner we begin the process, the sooner we can remarry."

"That sounds good to me, Cas," Gail agreed. "Well, except for the part about seeing Patricia, of course," she quipped. But then, her expression turned serious. "I hope she's getting the help she needs, Cas."

"I hope she is, too," he said, nodding in agreement.

The two of them were silent for a moment, and then Gail said, "So, what do you want to do until the morning?"

"Let's go into the bedroom and not watch TV," Cas said, smiling.

They'd spent a very intimate night together, and had a very loving and hug-filled reunion with their family at the bunker in the morning. Cas had discreetly popped out to take his meeting with Death, but he and Gail had agreed that they were going to keep that particular mission to themselves. They'd just said that Cas had had something Godly to take care of, and everybody had been so glad to see them that they hadn't questioned it.

Now, the couple were waiting in a small sitting room at the mental hospital for the nurse to bring Patricia there. "She has good days, and bad days," the woman advised the Angels. "It's good of you to visit, though. You're friends from her workplace, right?"

"That's right," Cas confirmed.

"OK, I'll go get her, then," the woman said. She exited the room as Gail looked at Cas.

"Friends, eh?" Gail said dryly. "That's a stretch."

Cas gave her a half-shrug. "I know, but it was the only way they would let us see her." He was frowning. "I wonder what it would be like to be in a place like this, without your Grace, after having been violated like that." Then his expression brightened a little. "But, on the bright side, my conversation with Death actually went very well. I assured him that we will make every effort to find Ammit, and I told him about the rope. Then I told him that when we do find Ammit, I will kill her immediately. He accepted that. So, it would seem that we are off the hook, for the moment."

"And that was it? He just accepted it?" Gail said, surprised.

"Even a blind squirrel finds a nut, every once in a while," Cas said, and she laughed delightedly, kissing him on the cheek.

"Well, well," Patricia said sarcastically. "If it isn't the fornicators. What are you two doing here?"

The nurse who had been talking to the couple a moment or two ago made a face. "I'm sorry. Patricia seems to be having a bit of a bad day, today. Maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"No, no," Patricia said quickly. "I'm sorry. I'll behave. I'm anxious for news of our...workplace. I've been so lonely here."

She sat down in a chair opposite the couple as the nurse looked on nervously. "It's all right," Cas said to the woman. "OK," the nurse said, "but I'll be right outside if you need me." She looked at them once more, then exited the room, closing the door softly behind her.

"I had to promise her I wouldn't try to kill you both with my bare hands," Patricia said wryly. "You know, in rape counselling, they try to tell us not to blame ourselves for what happened to us. But, I don't. I blame you."

"What is the point to this, Cas?" Gail asked him, frustrated. "What's this visit supposed to accomplish?"

"Let me answer that," Patricia interjected. "It's the first step of the annulment ritual. Am I right, Castiel? You have to face the person who has wronged you. In the ancient days, the only reason that seemed acceptable for a marriage to be annulled was adultery, and it was always because another man had seduced the wife. The men were allowed to bed as many women outside the marriage as they wanted, though. Isn't that true, Castiel?"

He was still frowning. "Unfortunately, that is true," Cas told Gail. "So, this first step was designed for the husband to confront the other man, and threaten him, telling him to stay away from his wife - "

" - Because she was his property," Patricia finished bitterly. "And to think, I was once a proponent of the ancient ways."

"The other man would either acquiesce, or he would refuse," Cas explained to Gail, "in which case, the two men would fight to the death."

"It's a pity we can't do THAT," Patricia said, inspecting her fingernails casually.

Gail turned to her angrily. "Is being here helping you at all?" she asked the woman. "Because it sure doesn't seem like it to me. You seem like you're just as bad as when we saw you last."

"Of course it's helping me, Gail," Patricia said calmly. "When we have our group therapy sessions, my story always makes everyone cry. How I was raped in the workplace, but none of my co-workers cared, or lifted a finger to help me."

Gail gasped. "How can you say that? We never even knew about it, until your hearing!"

Patricia shrugged. "I like my version better. It gets me a lot more sympathy."

"You shouldn't be lying to these people," Castiel admonished her. "They're trying to help you."

"Oh, yes," Patricia retorted. "They're very helpful. They tell me that it's not my fault. But I already know it's not my fault. They ask me if my rapist is in jail. I tell them no, he's dead. And then, they say that's good. At least I know he'll never hurt me or anyone else, ever again. But I want to scream and tear my hair out when they say that to me, because the damage has already been done! Do you know what one of them said to me? She said: 'One bad chapter doesn't mean your story is over!' Can you imagine? If I'd had my Angel blade, I would have taken it and cut off one of her fingers with it! Then, I would have said, 'One missing finger doesn't mean you have no hand.' See how she would have responded to that."

Gail was staring at Patricia with wide eyes. Good God. If anything, she had gotten crazier.

But incredibly, Cas was nodding. "I understand," he told Patricia. "No one here can possibly ever empathize with your experience. You were violated by Lucifer."

Patricia's mouth twisted into a smile, but it was a grotesque one. "Exactly. And you can say 'rape', Castiel. Let's call it what it was. So, for that tiny crumb of understanding, which is more than anyone in here has given me so far, I will apologize to both of you for nullifying your marriage. There. Now we don't have to duel to the death. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm late for the daily platitudes. Good luck with the other steps, Gail. If I know Castiel, and I'm fairly certain that I do, he hasn't told you about those, yet. Goodbye." Then she got up and abruptly left the room.

A minute later, Cas and Gail were standing outside the mental hospital, enjoying the sunshine and the cool fall day. As Cas lifted his face to the sun and Gail marveled at all the colours of the leaves, Cas's cell phone rang.

It was Sam. "Could the two of you come to the bunker?" he asked Cas, once he established that the couple were together. "It's kind of an emergency."

"What's the matter, Sam?" Cas said the instant he and Gail appeared in the bunker, hand in hand.

"Sorry, Cas. That was just a trick to get you guys here," Sam confessed. "OK, they're here. You guys can all come out, now."

"We're already out. Didn't you get the bulletin?" Tommy said, emerging from behind the bookshelves holding Barry's hand. The couple rushed over to where Cas and Gail stood.

"It's so good to see you both, alive and well," Tommy said, pulling Cas to him for a hug as Barry embraced Gail. "Please, don't ever scare us like that again."

"Are they here yet?" Frank said. He was coming down the hall from the kitchen, carrying a big cake in both hands.

"You guys really suck at surprise parties, you know that?" Sam said, trying to be stern. But he was smiling now, watching Cas and Gail exchanging hugs with their friends. Then Carolyn greeted them, and Baby Peter reached out to Cas to be held. Cas took Peter gingerly from Carolyn's arms, and gently bounced the baby a couple of times. Peter reached out with his little fist and grabbed Cas's nose, and everyone laughed.

"Hey, I'd watch that if I were you, Pete," Dean said affably, carrying forks and plates for the cake. Rob was behind him, carrying a bottle of champagne. "How old do you have to be to get your first smiting, anyway?" Dean asked Cas, smirking.

"Do you mean chronologically, or in terms of maturity?" Cas said, handing little Peter back to Carolyn. "I'll let you know, when you get there."

"Not bad, Cas," Frank said to his brother-in-law. He came over to where the couple stood, giving Gail a one-armed hug as he licked icing off the fingers of his other hand.

"Uh, thanks for the gesture," Gail said to her brother, "but you remember that we don't eat cake, right?"

"The cake's not for you guys," Frank told her. "That would just be stupid. Plus, when you go to a bakery and ask them to write 'Glad you're both not dead' on a cake, they look at you funny."

Gail laughed, shaking her head. "Only you could get away with a line like that," she told Frank, giving him a squeeze.

"Good. Remember you said that, 'cause I've got some more," Frank said, smirking.

"Never mind," Jody said to her husband. "Bobby just called. They'll be here in just a second."

As Cas and Gail glanced at each other, confused, Bobby popped in with a group of Angels: Chuck, Laurel, Kevin, Linda, Riley, Ethan, and Karen.

"Surprise!" Jody and Rob called out. The people in the room all started to clap as Jody showed the Angels the writing on the cake: "Congratulations, Chuck and Laurel."

"Welcome to your engagement party," Jody said to the couple.

"What?!" Gail exclaimed. "Since when?"

Chuck and Laurel walked over to where she and Cas were standing. Laurel held out her hand to them both, showing them the ring.

"It happened when you guys were...away," Chuck told them, putting his arm around Laurel's waist. "I took my inspiration from the two of you, and decided that life was too short not to tell Laurel how I felt about her." Chuck gave his fiancee a squeeze, smiling at her. "And, luckily, Laurel felt the same way. Although why she does, I'll never know," Chuck added.

"That makes two of us, Chuckster," Dean said. "Come on, you guys. Cut the cake, already, so Frank can open the champagne. I always liked a little taste of the bubbly in the morning."

"Dude, who ARE you?" Sam asked his brother, rolling his eyes.

"Chuck, Laurel, that's wonderful news," Cas said. "I'm sure the two of you will be very happy."

Gail gave both Angels a hug, and then Bobby said, "There's someone else here that wants to congratulate you both."

Chuck turned around to see a plump woman with brown hair and plain features standing beside Kevin. The young Musketeer had popped out and gotten Chuck's sister while her brother was otherwise occupied.

"Hester?" Chuck said, open-mouthed.

"Charles!" his sister exclaimed. She moved forward, opening her arms to hug her brother.

"Aw, geez," Dean said under his breath. He rushed over to Cas, grabbing his friend by the arm. "Come on, Cas. Help me get some champagne glasses from the kitchen."

"But I could just - " Cas tried to say, waving his hand in the air. Dean grabbed Cas's hand to stop him. "Come and help me get the glasses," Dean said again, through gritted teeth.

Cas looked uncertainly at Gail, who let go of his hand, shrugging. "Go get those glasses, sweetie," she said, looking curiously at Dean.

As the two men headed down the hall, Chuck brought his sister over to Gail to introduce them. As the women shook hands, Hester said, "By the puzzled look on your face, I can see that you know that Charles and I were estranged for a number of years. But when you and your husband, the Lord God, died, Chuck proposed to Laurel, and then he came to my house and told me that he wanted us to reconnect. That life was too short, and family was too important. Then he explained to me about all of you, and that everything he'd been writing about all of those years was true. Needless to say, I was more than a little bit skeptical. Charles used to run cons here on Earth years ago, to make money to finance his...other, dubious activities. But then, he took my hand and popped me over here to meet Sam and Dean, and then I had no choice but to believe."

Gail was bemused. She could just imagine what that had felt like for Chuck's sister. But, the way that Hester and Chuck were smiling at each other now, it looked like they were happy to have been reunited.

Hester craned her neck. "Where did Dean and your husband, the Lord God, go?" she asked Gail.

"It's Cas," Gail said, her smile widening. Now she was starting to get an inkling of why Dean had reacted the way he had when the woman had shown up.

"Have you set a date, yet?" Barry asked the couple.

Meanwhile, Dean was clutching at Cas, in the kitchen. "Cas, buddy, you've gotta help me," he beseeched his friend.

"What's the problem, Dean?" Cas asked, wrinking his forehead.

"Chuck's sister. She's the problem," Dean replied. His eyes kept shifting to the doorway. "She's got some kind of a crush on me, or something. Ever since he brought her over here, she keeps following me around, and she keeps...undressing me with her eyes," he said primly.

Cas smiled gently. "I'm sure that's not the case, Dean. She probably simply likes you. You're very likeable."

Dean's lips twitched briefly. "Thanks, Cas. But, you're not getting it. When she stands close to me, she...touches me."

Cas was puzzled. "You and I are touching, right now," he said, putting his hand on Dean's arm.

Dean rolled his eyes, but he was smiling now, too. "I really missed you, Cas," he said to his friend. "Don't ever do that to me again. OK?"

"I missed you too, Dean. I love you," Cas told his friend.

"Geez, you guys, get a room," Frank joked as he entered the kitchen.

Sam was right behind him. He grinned. "Hey, don't be so hasty. Maybe you guys should declare your love for each other in front of Hester. Then maybe she'll get the message, and leave Dean alone."

"See?" Dean said to Cas.

"You'd better deliver the message quick, though," Sam said, nudging the both of them. "Laurel wants an engagement album, so the women are conspiring to take group pictures."

Dean groaned. "Do we have to? Cas, can't you start some kind of a disaster, or something? An earthquake, maybe? Come on, help me out, here."

Cas smiled. "I'm sure you're exaggerating, Dean. But if it will make you feel any better, I will stand near you in the photos."

"Thanks, Cas," Dean said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Hester The Molester isn't gonna dare to feel God up."

"'Hester The Molester'?" Frank said, breaking into a wide grin. "That's pretty good."

"Be nice to the woman," Cas chided the men. "She and Chuck have just reconciled. I'm sure she just wants to get to know his friends."

"If she'd gotten to know me any better, that'd be OUR engagement cake," Dean grumbled. Frank and Sam grinned at each other. This had the potential to be a lot of fun.

"I want a picture with Dean, Sam, and Cas," Hester told Jody, who had been designated as the official photographer. "Chuck's best friends." Frank nearly spit out his beer, but he said nothing, just grinned.

Dean and Sam took Cas by his arms and put him in the middle, next to Hester. She frowned, but as she put her arm around Cas in back of the men, Hester somehow managed to get her hand on Dean's rear end, giving him a squeeze. He jumped, and Jody said, "We're gonna have to take that again. Stay still, Dean."

Now Gail was grinning, too. The look on Dean's face was just too funny. When the men had come back out from the kitchen, Chuck had introduced his sister to Cas, and then, as Jody was getting the camera ready, Cas had told Gail quietly what Dean had said. Predictably enough, she had found it hilarious, and the fact that Cas thought that Dean was overreacting made it even funnier.

"What do you mean, 'stay still'?" Dean fumed to Jody. "Easy for you to say."

"Have a little patience, Dean," Cas admonished his friend. "We want Laurel to have a nice engagement album." He looked at Gail. She had a Wedding Memory Book, thank goodness, but now Cas regretted that she did not have an engagement album, as well, especially under the circumstances. It was a lovely, old-fashioned tradition that not too many people employed any more. Perhaps, when they were finally set to remarry, Cas would ask Gail if she would like one.

Dean was getting mad now. Nobody was taking him seriously. If Hester was a man and Dean was a woman, everybody would be raising holy hell about it. If Dean was a woman and Hester was a man, Dean would have decked her/him by now.

"Fine," he said to Cas. "See how you like it." He reached around behind himself and grabbed Hester's hand, putting it on Cas's rear end. Cas's mouth dropped open as Jody said, "Now YOU look weird, Cas. Come on, you guys. Get it together."

Dean was smirking now. "What's the matter, Cas? Have a little patience," he said innocently.

"Here, let me help you out, Cas," Sam said.

"Thank you, Sam," Cas said, giving Dean a momentary glare.

But then, Sam took Cas's hand and put it on Hester's behind, as Hester gave Cas's bum a tentative squeeze. She couldn't believe her good fortune. The Almighty was almost as good-looking as Dean, in Hester's opinion.

Cas was becoming outraged now. "Sam, Dean, stop it," he said sternly. "Behave yourselves."

Dean was laughing out loud. This was too funny. He was just so happy to have his friend back. Besides, it served Cas right. "I'm sorry, Cas. You're right. We'll behave, now," Sam said contritely.

"Good," Cas said, removing his hand from Hester's backside. "I'm sorry," he apologized to Chuck's sister. "My friends can be very childish, sometimes."

Hester removed her hand from Cas's rear end, looking up at him. "That's all right," she said, smiling slyly. "I'm willing to stay here as long as it takes, to get a good picture for my brother's fiancee's album. As long as it takes."

Gail and Frank were hanging onto each other now, trying to hold in the laughter. "Ready?" Jody said to her models, sighing.

"Ready, Jodes," Sam said earnestly. Then, he took Hester's hand and put it on Cas's rear end again, just as Jody snapped the picture.

Cas wheeled on the brothers. "Dean, stop it!" he exclaimed. "It wasn't me," Dean protested, gesturing to Sam. "It wasn't me, Cas," Sam said innocently.

"Are you sure you want to be lying right to God's face?" Frank called out, still laughing.

Sam was reaching around Hester now, poking Dean, and Dean was smacking his hand. Cas was still apologizing to Hester, and Sam tickled the back of Cas's neck. Cas looked around angrily, but Sam had his arms folded, looking innocent again.

"See, this is what happens when your husband is made an honourary Stooge," Gail said to Frank, throwing her hands up and rolling her eyes. But she couldn't help but smile, too. It was so good to see the boys together again, being silly, after the ordeal they had been through recently. Gail had been so wrapped up in her own feelings of loss, when she had been racing around here trying to get Cas back, that she hadn't really stopped to realize how badly Cas's friends would have been missing him, as well.

"I give up," Jody announced. "It's like being a Kindergarten teacher."

"Actually, our kids are better-behaved," Karen said teasingly, smiling.

"That's because they're - wait for it - little Angels," Ethan wisecracked. He elbowed Frank. "Eh? What did you think of that?"

Gail's brother rolled his eyes. "Amateur," he said good-naturedly.

"Hey, Chuck, where's Hester been all this time?" Linda asked him. "How come we've never met her before?"

Chuck looked sheepish. "She and I had a falling-out, when I was a human," he admitted. "Basically, she washed her hands of me. But I completely deserved it. I'm just happy that she gave me another chance."

"The things we do for you damn Angels," Dean groused. He came over to the bar area now, pouring himself a half-glass of whiskey. Hester was right behind him, and her eyes were looking at him walk, as if she was trying to figure out how she could touch him below the waist again. But Hester clucked her tongue now, at what Dean had said. "You shouldn't talk to Angels like that," she chided him.

Cas came back to where Gail was standing, reclaiming her hand. "You should hear how he talks to ME, sometimes," Cas said mildly. He gave Gail an apologetic look for all the photo shenanigans, but she waved him off, smiling.

"Ahhhh, Chuck's OK," Dean said, lifting his glass to the Angel. "Well, for an Angel, anyway."

Chuck smiled, lifting his glass to Dean in reply. When Frank had poured the champagne and they had passed it around, the Angels had all taken a glass, for the formal toast. Chuck hadn't had any more than that initial sip, but he understood and appreciated Dean's gesture. "I think that's the biggest compliment you've ever given me," Chuck said to the elder Winchester.

"I'm glad you and Chuck were able to reunite," Cas said to Hester. "Family is extremely important to all of us. And you will be happy to know that Chuck is a wonderful asset to Heaven. We rely on him for many things."

"And he's writing a terrific script for the new Supernatural movie, too," Gail added.

"I'm very proud of him," Laurel said warmly, kissing Chuck on the cheek. He beamed.

"Would you like some more champagne, Hester?" Sam offered, bringing the bottle over. He felt a little bad about the mischief he and Dean had pulled on the woman a few minutes ago.

She smiled at him, extending her glass. "Yes, please. Thank you, Sam," Hester said, and then she remarked, "I haven't had champagne in years. It's so fancy. I don't know if Charles told you, but we weren't very well-to-do, growing up."

Chuck smiled thinly. "I think the word my sister is looking for is 'poor'. We were poor. It's OK, Hester. These are my friends."

"Hey, there's no shame in growing up poor," Dean remarked. "When our dad went out on Hunts, Sammy and I had to fend for ourselves. Sometimes he wouldn't come back for a few days, and I had to get really creative about our meals. We used to have condiment sandwiches, sometimes. Remember, Sammy?"

"Do I ever," Sam said, patting his stomach. "Yum, yum."

"No wonder you eat so much now," Frank wisecracked.

"Look who's talking," Dean retorted. "Besides, compared to us, you had it easy. Two parents, nice house...you were living in Little House On The Freakin' Prairie."

"Yeah, until the day I found my parents splattered all over the living room, like a Jackson Pollock painting," Frank said acidly.

Everyone was shocked into silence. Frank took a pull on his beer, and then he said, "Sorry." A moment later, he stalked off down the hallway.

Sam started in that direction, but Gail said, "No. Let me." She let go of Cas's hand, giving him a glance, and made her way down the hall. She got to the kitchen just in time to see the garage door close, so she popped in there, heading him off.

"What's going on?" Gail demanded of her brother.

"I said I was sorry," he mumbled unconvincingly. "Hey, that's the way I talk. Everybody knows that."

"Not everybody does," Gail argued. "Hester doesn't. We're just meeting her for the first time today. And how about people like Karen, and Laurel? They barely know you. You know, saying 'that's the way I talk' isn't a license to talk like a giant ass."

"You're selfish," Frank blurted out.

Gail stared at him. "What?"

Frank sighed. "I'm mad at you, Gail. I kept it to myself because everybody's so happy, but now that we're talking, I think you owe me an apology."

She was confused. "Wait a minute. How did we get from A to H, all of a sudden? What are we even talking about, now?"

"We're talking about you, committing suicide. Telling Bobby to send you to Hell. Like I don't have any friggin' clue what goes on there. Then you blow back in here looking for that stupid spell book, no apology, nothing, for what you put us all through. Then you bring my son over to your house, and introduce him to Death, and then you let Death kill you all over again! Then you and Cas waltz back in here holding hands, and it's just supposed to be business as usual. Well, forgive me if I don't do the dance of joy. In case you haven't noticed, the year hasn't been particularly kind to me, either. My wife had cancer, and my son got shot. You're a selfish little brat sometimes, you know that? What made you think that it was okie-dokie for me to lose you, after the year I've had? What you did really sucked, Gail."

Gail stood still for a moment, nonplussed. She was frozen in place. "But - " she started to say. "I didn't - " Then she stopped again.

Frank leaned against the nearest parked car. "Go ahead. You're dazzling me with your eloquence. If those were the points in your debate for the Office, no wonder you lost."

Gail let out a frustrated breath. The thing was, he wasn't wrong. But: "If you were me, and Cas was Jody, wouldn't you do exactly the same things?" she said softly.

"You can't compare the two," Frank countered. "I sincerely doubt, if Jody was given the option between killing herself and killing me, that she would kill herself."

"Please don't be funny now, Frank. I'm trying to be serious. Wouldn't you do anything to get her back?"

"OK, kiddo," Frank replied. "You want me to be serious? Then I'll be serious. Before Jody went in for her mastectomy, she and I talked about it. What if she didn't make it? What if she died on the table? What if the cancer had spread? It just about killed me, Gail, but she wanted to talk about it. So, we talked about it. And she told me to just let her go. She said that wherever she ended up, she would wait for me. But she didn't want to be like you guys, popping in and out of Earth. Being an Angel, but acting like a human. She said it wouldn't be fair to the kids, and it wouldn't be fair to me, in case I wanted to remarry one day. In case I wanted to remarry. Can you imagine?" So, no. I wouldn't have done all that crazy stuff. There's a difference between love and obsession, Gail."

"Obsession?!" she exclaimed, but her brother held up his hand. "Just wait. I'm not finished," he said. "What would you have done, if you couldn't get Cas back? If he was really gone? What would you have done?"

Gail was speechless. She had no idea. She had refused to consider that that could even be an option.

"Look, Sis," Frank said, his expression softening, "I'm not saying that I'm not freaking thrilled with the way things turned out. I love Cas. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear. We all love Cas. I'm just saying that maybe you should think next time, before you break our hearts. Okay?"

"Ok, Frank. I'm sorry," Gail said. She moved forward and put her arms around his waist. After a second, he hugged her back.

As the siblings were hugging it out, Linda was watching Kevin. He was having a laugh with Laurel and Chuck, and Karen and Ethan. It was good to see him laughing like that. But Linda wished that Kevin had a girl of his own. The only girl he had ever dated was Becky, and Becky had been all wrong for him. Linda was glad to see that Becky wasn't here. Gail had told her that Becky was a human now, and she lived halfway across town. Good. Good riddance, as far as Linda was concerned.

But Linda had a dilemma now. She wished that Kevin had a girl for a couple of reasons. The first reason was because she didn't want him to be lonely, of course. But the second was that Linda had been asked out, herself.

"Hello, Linda. How are things going on the Board?" Cas asked her pleasantly. "As you are aware, I've been a little bit out of the loop lately, as the expression goes."

Linda gave him a small smile. "It's funny you should mention the Board right now," she said to him. Then, after a pause, she said, "Can I ask you something, Cas?"

"Yes, of course," he said.

"What do you think Kevin's reaction would be if I were to tell him that another Angel has asked me out, and I'm considering it?"

Cas's brow furrowed. "I don't understand the problem, Linda. You and Kevin's father were divorced before you died, were you not?"

Linda waved her hand. "Yeah, yeah. Years ago. That's not the problem, Cas." She took a deep breath. "There are a couple of potential...challenges. There's the racial thing, for one."

"Oh. So, the person who is interested in you is not Korean?" Cas asked her in a mild tone.

Linda smiled. "Not even close. And there's an age difference, too. Although I guess that last point is kind of moot, in a way. I'm just not sure how Kevin would feel about it."

Cas looked at her. "How do YOU feel about it, Linda? I think that's the more important question."

"I like him, Cas," she said simply. "We sit beside each other in the boardroom every day, and every day, he pulls my chair out for me, just like an old-fashioned gentleman. Like you, Cas. He treats me like a lady. It's been years since a man has treated me that way. If ever. He suggested recently that we could see each other socially, if I would like, and I think that I would."

"Then you should," Cas said softly. "I wouldn't worry too much about what Kevin thinks. If this man makes you happy, I'm sure that Kevin will be happy, too."

Gail and Frank came out from the hallway with their arms around each other. They had talked for a few more minutes, had a bit of a cry together, and then, when the serious had gotten a little too much for the pair, they had let loose with the laughs and the jokes they'd been holding in during the photograph session.

Now they were smiling, and the siblings walked over to where Linda and Cas were standing. Frank slung an arm around Cas's shoulders. "I love you, bro," he said to his brother-in-law. "I just wanted you to know that."

"How much have you had to drink, Frank?" Linda asked him suspiciously.

"Not nearly enough, my lady," Gail's brother said happily. "Not nearly enough. Come on, I'll buy you a drink." He extended his arm for her to take.

Linda was about to protest that she didn't drink, and he should know that, but then she looked at Cas and Gail. Cas had taken both of Gail's hands in his, and the couple were looking at each other in such a way that suggested they weren't interested in talking to either her or Frank at the moment. Linda could only imagine what torture it must have been for the two of them to be separated as they had been, believing that they might never see each other again. Having spent a significant amount of time in the Netherworld herself, Linda understood very well what a lonely, sterile existence it could be without your loved ones. She thanked her lucky stars, and Cas and Gail, every day that she was back in Heaven now. Every single day.

Linda put her hand in the crook of Frank's arm. "Lead the way, then," she said good-naturedly.

As the two of them walked away, Cas put his arms around Gail. "Is Frank all right?" he asked her.

"Yeah, he's OK. He's Frank," she said, shrugging. "What were you and Linda talking about?"

Cas smiled, lowering his voice. "Well, I don't mean to gossip, but...I think she and Henri may be interested in each other."

Gail was delighted. "Oh, Cas! That's great!"

"She's concerned that Kevin might not approve," Cas continued.

Gail looked over to where Kevin stood, laughing with his friends. "Why? Because Henri is black?" she said doubtfully. "I would find that hard to believe."

"Or, it could be the age difference," Cas remarked. "Although, as Linda pointed out, when it comes to Angels, that's not really relevant. Besides, I don't think Henri is that much older than she."

"Well, in any event, I'm glad," Gail said, smiling. "It's good to see so much love in the family."

"Everyone's just following our example," Cas said, smiling gently. He bent down and kissed her on the lips. "I love you, Gail."

"I love you too, Cas," she replied. "I want to talk about the next step in the annulment process. What is it, and how soon can we do it?"

Cas frowned. He had been thinking about that for a while now, but he had not mentioned it to her yet, because the second step was going to be very tricky to accomplish in their particular situation, and he had not yet figured out how they were going to do it.

"Hey! Lovebirds! Group photo! All of us, this time," Dean called out. Jody set the camera on a tripod, and they all gathered together to take the happy family photo.

Gail was glancing surreptitiously at Linda and Henri now, from her seat at the head of the boardroom table. Linda was sitting in her usual seat between Paul and Henri, and she was peering at Henri's notes. Linda had confessed to her fellow board members that, while she was in the habit of taking notes for herself at their meetings, by the time she got around to looking at them, she had trouble reading her own handwriting. Henri had laughed, and said she was welcome to look at his notes, any time. Now Gail was thinking that there might be a little more to that arrangement than simple kindness, and she smiled.

Bobby rapped on the door, cracking it open. "Gail, could I see you for a minute?"

She excused herself and slipped out into the hallway. "What's up, Bobby?"

"I think you need to come to the hearing room," he said to her. "We've got a guy there I think you need to weigh in on."

Gail looked at him, curious. But she went back to the boardroom and asked Henri to take over the meeting.

They popped over to the hearing room, and as Gail sat in her seat in the front row, she looked at the young man seated in the witness chair. Bobby hadn't told her his identity, but the instant she saw him, Gail realized she did know him. Didn't she?

The young man was hanging his head, and his long hair was in his face, obscuring his features. But as soon as Bobby rapped his gavel, the youth lifted his face, and Gail gasped. Corey!

Her mind flashed back to that cabin in Europe, and a very frightened young man at the end of her Angel blade. They had ended up releasing him, but later, Lucifer told Gail that young Corey had committed suicide once he had been brought back to the compound.

Corey was staring at Gail now with wide eyes. "It's OK, Corey," she said to him. "You have nothing to fear from us here. I promise."

"Where am I?" he said nervously. "What am I doing here?"

"You're here to tell us your story, Son," Bobby said, with compassion in his voice. "Then, after that, we take a vote and decide where to send your soul. You're in Heaven right now, Corey. Depending on what you tell us, you might get to stay."

Corey's jaw dropped open. "You mean, I might actually get to live in Heaven? Even after what I did?"

Gail heard the hearing room door close softly behind her, and she turned around in her chair to see Cas, entering the room. He came to sit quietly beside her.

Now Corey's eyes were even wider. That was the badass guy who had scared the crap out of Corey after the woman had threatened to torture him within an inch of his life. And he was supposed to be in Heaven?

"Please speak freely, Corey," Cas said to the youth in a soft voice. "We are not here to harm you. Hopefully, we will be able to help you. But you will have to tell us the entire truth about who you were in life, and what you did. And I'll know if you lie. I'm God."

"Yes, Sir," Corey said in a small voice. He was quaking now, but then he cleared his throat and started to speak.

"When I got to high school, I was still a good kid," Corey began. "I went to church with my parents every week, and I used to go up and down our street mowing the old folks' lawns and shoveling their sidewalks in the winter, for free. Stuff like that. But once I got into my teens and went to that high school, I started hanging around with the wrong kind of kids. But that's not meant to be an excuse," he added hastily.

"Go ahead, Corey, you're doing fine," Chuck said encouragingly.

Corey sighed. "Anyway, I started to grow my hair long and smoke pot outside the school with the slackers. Then I quit caring about my grades, and then I started talking back to my Mom and Dad. By the time I met the Satanists, I just didn't give a - " he looked nervously at Cas " - a you-know-what about anything."

"The Satanists?" Kevin asked him.

Corey smiled ruefully. "Yeah. You probably know the type. Guys with long hair, piercings, skull tattoos...They listen to metal music, and they're always saying how they worship Satan. But, they don't. Not really. They just identify themselves that way to be rebellious. To be cool. And, let's face it, a lot of girls in their teens are just trying to find their identities, too. Many of them think they're attracted to bad boys, because they're just starting to experience their sexual awakening at that point in their lives."

Gail was surprised. "That's a very articulate way of putting it," she remarked, and Corey looked at her. "Believe it or not, until I started to act out, I was a very gifted student," he said sadly. "I was on an accelerated program. My parents were so proud of me."

Kevin was staring at Corey now. Sounded very familiar to him. If Kevin's mom hadn't kept after him the way she had, this story could have been Kevin's, maybe.

Corey's eyes blurred with tears. "I really blew it," he told them. "I just wanted to fit in with the other kids." He tried to smile. "And I wanted a girlfriend. But, look at me. I'm no prize. I didn't have much money, and I couldn't afford a car. What did I have to offer? So, I became a Satanist. And then, one night, I was doing one of the spells we got off the Internet in my room, and I heard a voice, telling me to go to Lucifer. It was so weird. I couldn't stop myself. I threw some clothes in a duffel bag and left the house. I didn't even leave my parents a note. They must have been worried sick."

The young man was silent for a moment, and then he looked at Cas and Gail. "It was horrible there," he said in a hushed voice. "The second I got there, I knew these guys were the real deal, and I was terrified. But, I couldn't leave. I tried sneaking out that night, but there were Demon guards all over the place. So I laid down in my sleeping bag, and I prayed. I'm surprised you didn't hear me. I prayed like mad."

"I wasn't God at that time," Cas said to the youth. "It's a long story. Please, continue."

"Oh," Corey said. "Anyway, you guys pretty much know the rest. But I never killed anybody. I swear I didn't. I know you didn't believe me then, and I don't blame you. I wouldn't have believed me, either. I went around with my squad and carried a knife, and I tried to look all tough, because I was afraid. But my knife was always clean, so I would dip it in some of the victims' blood and show it to those guys, so they would think I was one of them. But I wasn't, I swear!"

He took a deep breath to compose himself, and then he looked at Gail. "When you took me that day, it was kind of funny, because it felt like you were rescuing me. I didn't mind it when you said you wanted me to rat Lucifer out. I wanted him gone. But I couldn't tell you where the compound was! Then you said you were going to torture me, and I didn't even mind that, because that's what I deserved. It's what I deserved."

Then Corey started to cry, and Gail felt sick to her stomach. Bobby's expression was neutral, but Chuck, Kevin and Laurel were all staring at her incredulously.

"But it didn't matter," Corey went on, sniffling back the tears. "You saved me, anyway. When you decided to take mercy on me and let me go, I was going home. I was gonna apologize to my parents, ask them for their forgiveness, beg to change schools, and burn all that so-called Satanist crap. I had a little change in my pocket, so I walked and walked until I found a bus stop. I was going to take whichever bus came along to wherever, and see if I could borrow a phone, to call my parents in the States. Beg them to take me back. If my Dad would wire me the money, I was gonna work at whatever minimum-wage, part-time, entry level job I could get until I paid him back. I was gonna go to church three times a week, and go to confession. Whatever it took. I prayed the whole time I was standing at that bus stop."

Corey took another deep breath, then let it out slowly. This had been tough to talk about, but he kind of felt like he was in confession right now. They always said that the truth would set you free. Well, he guessed he was about to find out.

"But they caught me at the bus stop, and they forced me to go back with them. I should have refused. I should have fought them. Let them kill me. But, I didn't. I was too much of a coward. And then finally, it happened. They were attacking people in the park, and I was hiding behind a tree, too chicken to either call for help, or run away. One of the Demons must have seen me, because he just appeared there all of a sudden, grabbed me, and took me over to this older, bald guy, laying on the grass. The guy was begging for his life, telling us not to hurt him, please." Corey started to cry again. "The Demon said to look at that guy and picture my Dad, or the principal, or my priest. He said he represented every authority figure I'd ever had in my life, telling me what to do. He said to picture anybody I'd ever hated while I was stabbing him. Then he grabbed my hand, the hand with the knife in it, and he stabbed the man with it. I dropped the knife after that, but it was already too late. I WAS picturing the people I hated when I looked at that poor man. I was picturing Lucifer, and all those pieces of crap who were killing for him. I looked down at the man, and I said I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Corey buried his face in his hands, and all the occupants of the room were silent. Gail hitched in a breath, and Cas took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Then we got to the house where the baby was," Corey said suddenly, and Gail looked up sharply. No. Oh, God, no.

"They wanted me to kill that baby, but I said NO!" Corey shouted. "No! Some things are worth dying for! I told them to kill me, right there and then. I was done. So they took me outside, and they beat the crap out of me. But they refused to kill me. Oh, no. Said they were going to take me back to Lucifer, and let him deal with me. Then they killed the baby anyway, and his parents, too. They killed a baby! Why would they do that? What could the baby have done to them? What could it do to anybody? It was a baby!" Corey started to cry again. Had he ever stopped?

"I finally stood up to them and said no," Corey said after a moment, in a more subdued voice. "At least I did that much. I said it was wrong, and I won't do it. So then, those Demons popped me back to the compound. It was night there, and Lucifer had sent word he didn't want to see anybody until the morning. So they shoved me back in the tent and told me to go ahead and pray if I wanted, because nobody was listening, and nobody cared. I would be praying for death once Lucifer got a hold of me, they said. They were standing guard outside, so I couldn't take off, even if I'd wanted to. But like I said, I was done. There was no way I was going to stay with those guys another minute. What if Lucifer had a way of compelling me to hurt other people? He called me to that compound in the first place, and I went, without a second thought. What if he made me kill a baby? I couldn't stand the thought of that. So I took the earring out of my ear and ripped my wrists open with it. It took a while, but I kept at it. And, you know what? At first I was crying, because after all of that, I was still afraid to die. But then I ended up smiling, 'cause I knew I was doing the right thing. Finally, I was doing the right thing."

Corey looked at Cas. "Go ahead, my Lord. Do whatever you have to do," he said, with as much dignity as he could muster. "I'm responsible for my own choices, and I'm ready to accept your punishment."

Cas stood and walked towards where Corey sat, bringing Gail with him. "We have to deliberate," he told the youth. Then he waved his hand, and Corey disappeared.

"I sent him back to the holding area," Cas told the panel. He led Gail over to the table where they were sitting, conjuring up a couple of chairs for them to sit in to join the panel.

Gail sat down heavily, taking a shaky breath. "Oh, man," she moaned in a quiet voice. "Holy crap."

Laurel was staring at her. "Were you really going to torture that young man?" she asked her incredulously.

Gail's lips pursed tightly together. "It's not that simple, Laurel."

"What do you mean?" Chuck chimed in. "Sure it is. Either you were, or you weren't. Or did you just tell him that, to try to scare him into talking?"

Gail was silent, but her silence was their answer. Now Kevin was giving her the same look. Really? "You guys weren't there," Gail said defensively. "You don't know what it was like. Although I'm surprised at you, Kevin. From what Frank told me, it was hardly all rainbows and puppies where you guys were, either. Laurel, you and Chuck weren't out there, fighting, every day. Wading in mud and blood. On constant alert for murderers, rapists, and Demons. And then, they started using chemical weapons against us! I was responsible for dozens of people by then, and they all died because Lucifer decided to go all Agent Orange on our asses. So don't you look at me like that. It had to end. I was doing my best to make sure it did. Do you think that dead baby he's talking about was the only one we saw? How much of that can you take, before you just snap?"

"Frank's hair turned grey when Matty and those guys died," Kevin said suddenly. "Tommy had nightmares. Sometimes he would wake up screaming. Jody used to hide herself someplace where she thought nobody could see her, and she would cry. She'd probably kill me if she knew I was telling you guys about this, but it's true. And I was depressed for months afterwards."

"So was I," Bobby said quietly. "I drank too much, and I made some really bad choices. I don't think there's any one of us who were out there who didn't suffer some kind of PTSD, after. But right now, we're here to decide on the disposition of that young man's soul. I suggest we stick to the point."

Chuck sighed. "You're right, Bobby. OK, I vote we ascend the kid. Give him another chance. I'm kind of a poster boy for second chances."

"I agree with Chuck," Laurel stated.

"So do I," Kevin added. "If things had gone a different way, that might have been me. I knew some Goth kids who used to listen to what they called 'the Devil's music', and they kept inviting me to these parties they called 'Sabbaths'. I have no idea what went on at those parties, but they had some cute girls that hung around with them. So I can relate to what Corey was saying. I used to complain about my mother watching me like a hawk, but if she didn't, who knows what kind of mistakes I might have made?"

Bobby was nodding slowly. "Well, I guess we're all in agreement, then," he stated.

"No, we're not," Cas said. "I am using my veto." He waved his hand, and Corey was back in the witness chair. Cas stood and walked over to where the young man sat. He looked down at Corey.

"What I am about to do is what you deserve," Cas said grimly. He put his hand on the youth's head, and the white glow came out.

"Allison, can you answer the door? I've got paint all over my hands," Gordon called from the living room.

His wife moved to the front door of the house, and she opened the door.

"Hi, Mom," Corey said.

His mother stood there for a moment, rooted to the spot in shock.

Corey laughed. "I know, I know. I look different. I wanted to be presentable for you and Dad. So I got a haircut, and these new clothes." He pointed to his ears, where Cas had sealed his piercings. "No earrings, either. I wanted to look good for church."

"Gordon!" Allison called out. "Gordon! Come here!" She started to cry. "Is it really you?" she said to her son, opening up her arms. "Gordon!" she called out again.

"It's really me, Mom," Corey said. He was sniveling like a baby now, but he didn't care. He took his mother in his arms and laid his head on her shoulder.

Gordon came running out from the living room. He hadn't even bothered to wipe the paint from his hands. He stared at the two of them.

Cas and the Angels were standing in the house, watching the family reunion. They were invisible to the humans, of course.

"I wanted to give him a real second chance, to live his life the right way," Cas told the group. "Corey is still very young, and I believe he has learned a valuable lesson. His parents believed that he had simply run away. Now they can be together again, and Corey will get the opportunity to grow up as a good and kind man."

"I'm sorry, Dad," Corey said to his father now. Gordon came forward slowly, putting his arms around the both of them.

"Gordon! You're getting paint all over us!" Allison exclaimed, but she was laughing and crying at the same time.

"Who cares? Our son has come back to us," Gordon said. He kissed Corey tenderly on the forehead, and Corey smiled.

"Thank you, God, for all our blessings," Allison said, sniffling back her tears.

"Amen," Corey and Gordon said at the same time.

"Jinx, Dad. You owe me a soda," Corey joked.

"Fair enough," Gordon said affably. "Come into the kitchen, and we'll talk. We'll talk about a lot of things."

"I love you guys," Corey said, giving his parents another hug. "Thanks for being here for me."

"Of course. We'll always be here for you, Corey. We love you, too," his mom said. "Come on. Let's get you something to eat." She patted his face. "And I don't see why you can't have that soda, if you want it. It looks like your skin has cleared up nicely."

As the family made their way towards the kitchen, Gail looked at Cas.

"I may have helped Corey out with his appearance a little," Cas said innocently. He took Gail's hand. "I know first-hand how much it improves one's outlook to have a girlfriend."

She smiled up at him admiringly. "What you did here was wonderful, Cas. I'm very proud of you."

Then suddenly, the group was back in the hearing room in Heaven.

"Do ya have a second, Cas, Gail?" Bobby asked the couple. They glanced at each other, and then they had a seat at the chairs that were still sitting by the panel table.

Once everyone was settled, Bobby cleared his throat. "I just wanted to add my two cents," he said in a gruff voice. "Thanks, Cas, for what you just did there. When I was God before, I didn't do the job; I let the job do me. I got all hung up on the paperwork, and the rules, and what I was and wasn't allowed to do. But now, I get it. You've made the job your own, Cas, and everything you've done, every decision you've made about the souls, has been the right one. And Gail, you should be very proud of yourself. Ever since you instituted this panel, there are a lot of people who are being given a fair shake now. In the old days, people who committed suicide went to Hell. Period. End of story. I should know. My mother was one of them. I've made my peace with that, but I knew there had to be another way. A better way. This is the more compassionate approach, by far. Sometimes, people deserve a second chance to get it right. Some people can achieve redemption. A lot of us are proof of that. I guess what I'm really trying to say is that we're awful damn glad to have the both of you back, and that I'm proud to call myself your friend."

Gail was touched. Bobby didn't often talk like this, so when he did, it meant a lot. She smiled at him, and Cas dipped his head in acknowledgement of Bobby's kind words.

Chuck grabbed Bobby's gavel and rapped it on the table. "Hearing adjourned," he said, to lighten the mood. "Now, let's talk about something vitally important. Let's talk about the wedding."

VIGNETTE - HISTORY LESSON

"Uncle Cas, can I ask you a few questions?" Rob said.

Cas and Gail were sitting on the couch in Frank and Jody's living room, holding hands as usual. After Gail and Frank's talk at Chuck and Laurel's engagement party, Frank's sister had told Cas she felt like she owed it to Frank to spend a bit more time with her brother and his family. What Frank had said to her about breaking his heart when she'd chosen to commit suicide had really hit home. Not to say that she wouldn't do exactly the same thing if given a do-over, but Gail didn't necessarily have to tell her brother that. But now that she and Cas were back, and together, she thought it couldn't hurt for the both of them to bond with Frank and his family a little more.

So they'd had a nice visit, but Frank and Jody had eventually told the Angels that they needed to go out shopping.

"We wouldn't necessarily expect you to remember, but it's Angela's first birthday tomorrow," Jody told Cas and Gail. "Frank and I wanted to go out and get a few things for her."

"Yeah, but nothing fancy or elaborate," Frank added. "Let's face it; the kid's only one year old. She's not gonna know the difference."

"Oh, so I should cancel that ice sculpture I commissioned?" Gail quipped.

Frank smirked. That had been a good one. It was pretty transparent what Gail was trying to do with her and Cas's appearance here today, but he didn't mind. At least she was here, and she was trying. He gave her major brownie points for that.

"You know, I could just - " Cas started to say, but Frank held up his hand. "No. Nope. Look, Cas, I know what you're gonna say. But, no. Don't get me wrong; it's great having God as your brother-in-law. But I don't want you to just wave your pinky finger and give Angela presents. I want her to learn from the start that that's not how things work in the real world." But then he smiled, so Cas wouldn't take offense. "I'll tell you what, though. If you want to do something for us, you and Gail can babysit Angela while Jody and Rob and I are gone. How's that?"

"I'd love to," Cas said quickly. He looked at Gail. "I mean, we'd love to. Wouldn't we, my love?"

"Sure, I guess we could do that," Gail said, but there was a note of trepidation in her voice.

Frank was eyeing his sister. "What?"

"I don't know anything about babies, Frank," she said nervously.

"You don't have to know anything," Frank said, rolling his eyes. "She's a baby. Goo goo, ga ga. You shove some food in her face, change her diaper, and put her in her crib. Boom. You're done."

"I'm very good at changing diapers," Cas told his wife. "Remember?" Gail looked at him. Yeah. He'd changed one, once. "OK, how about the formula, then?" she challenged him. "How much do you feed her? What temperature should it be? Do you have to burp her afterwards? Or is it like feeding Dean, and then it just happens naturally, on its own?"

Cas's lips twitched at that last part, but now, he was doubtful. She was right; there was a lot more to it.

"I'll tell you what," Rob had piped up. "I have some homework to do, anyway. So why don't I just stay home with you guys? I can show you how to do all that, for next time. What do you say?"

So that was how it had worked out. Frank and Jody were gone now, and Rob had been sitting on the floor of the living room, using his laptop. As it turned out, homework had not been a euphemism. Rob had started night classes.

"I decided a little formal education probably couldn't hurt," the young man told them. "So I'm starting out with a couple of classes a week. I don't want to load myself down too much, though, because I'm trying to convince Dad to let me go out on a Hunt with him, or to let me go with Sam and Dean. So I want to keep my options open. I'm taking a History class, just because I think the subject is interesting. And - you guys'll like this - Theology."

Cas's eyebrows rose, but he said nothing. Then, Rob had helped them with Angela. To Gail's relief, it had all been pretty easy, after all. So now the baby was down for her nap, and Rob was looking up from his computer.

"Can I ask you a couple of questions, Uncle Cas? Unless you don't want me to call you 'Uncle Cas' anymore," Rob continued.

"No, of course I want you to call me that," Cas said, frowning slightly. "That's what I am. I like being an Uncle to you and little Angela."

Rob's lips twitched. "Well, technically, if Gail and I are brother and sister, that would also make you my brother-in-law."

Gail smiled faintly. "That's why I told you to just call me Gail. It gets too confusing."

"Well, you don't have to call me Uncle, but I like it when you do," Cas told the young man. "You said you had some questions?"

"Yeah," Rob said. He hesitated, and then he said, "Did Moses really part the Red Sea? Did he really bring the Ten Commandments down from the mountain?"

Cas sat back on the couch, surprised. He'd thought for sure that Rob's questions were going to be about important historical events. After all, Cas had been there for...well, all of them. But the young man had said that he was taking Theology too. And it would only stand to reason that an intelligent individual like Rob would have questions about the stories in the Bible. Now, the question was: how much should Cas divulge? He looked at Gail, and she was looking back at him, smiling. "You know what?" she said. "I would love to hear a Bible story from someone who was actually there. Here, let me get into story time position." She kicked off her shoes and arranged a couple of throw pillows on the opposite end of the couch. Then she lay down with her head on them, putting her feet in Cas's lap. "Go," she exhorted him.

"Moses heard the voice calling to him from high up on the mountain, and he knew he had to go to it," Cas began, as Rob and Gail stared at him, listening attentively. "So, he..." Cas faltered.

"Go ahead, Uncle Cas," Rob said, nodding encouragingly. "He what?"

"He..." Cas sighed. "I'm sorry. I can't do this. I can't lie to my own family." He put his hands on Gail's feet absently, avoiding her and Rob's puzzled stares.

After a moment, Cas looked up. "Moses never existed," he told them in a hushed voice. "There was never such a person. God did write those Commandments on a slab of stone, and the Hebrew people stumbled upon it, in their meanderings. But those Commandments were meant to be a first draft, only. Father was going to tinker with them some more, maybe add one or two more or do some edits. But before He had the chance, the people took what was written on the stone and began to use it as a code to live by. And because that worked out so well, God decided to leave it be. When some of those stories were written, the ones for the Bible, the authors decided that a hero figure was needed. To have the people just sort of find the Word by accident just seemed so..."

"Random," Rob supplied, open-mouthed at what Cas was saying.

"Yes. Thank you, Rob," Cas said, nodding. "It just seemed so random that it made the authors nervous. They were attempting to convey that everything that happens has a logical purpose, and that we must do as we're meant to do. What the Lord God means us to do. Needless to say, these men were not big believers in the concept of Free Will." Cas looked at Gail apologetically. "There were no women, I'm afraid." He sighed again. "The Bible is a remarkable book filled with memorable stories, and it intends well. But many of those stories only serve to advance the agenda of the group of its writers, who had decided that oppression was preferable to expression. 'Thou shalt not' definitely has its place, but what about 'Thou shalt'? 'Thou shalt love each other beyond measure'? 'Thou shalt be kind to one another'? How about a counterbalance?"

For an instant, Gail had a vision of Cas, sitting in the boardroom with those Upper Echelon men, talking like this. Wow. No wonder they sought to crucify him. It made her heart hurt to think that they had taken this beautiful heart and soul of his and crushed it nearly to bits by ignoring Cas, then ostracizing him, making him feel like an outcast. At one point, Heaven had even turned him into a soldier's soldier, an unfeeling automaton who blindly followed orders. Mistaking obedience for devotion. But that could never have lasted. Eventually, the cocoon burts open, and the butterfly emerges to fly free. And this particular butterfly's flight had included a pit stop through Hell to retrieve a very important passenger, Gail thought warmly. Maybe THAT story should be in Genesis. Because, in a lot of ways, it was Dean Winchester's rescue at Cas's hands that had really been the Beginning.

"Wow, Uncle Cas. You just blew my mind," Rob said softly. "Maybe I shouldn't be taking Theology class at all. Maybe I should just talk to you more often."

"No, I think it's always important to consider all points of view," Cas said thoughtfully. "Then you can decide for yourself what your belief system is. The idea of a Moses can be very comforting for some people. The concept of a very strong and confident leader is desirable in many contexts."

"I agree," Gail piped up. "And I think we definitely have one in Heaven right now." As Cas smiled warmly at her, she couldn't help herself: "But it's a good thing that Charlton Heston wasn't still around to hear that story," she added, "or he'd be mighty pissed off."

"Good one, Aunt Gail," Rob said, nodding approvingly. "He'd probably shoot you. Wasn't he the one who was all about guns?"

"I'm surprised you would know that," Gail said to Frank's son. "Isn't that a little before your time?"

Rob shrugged. "Google," he said simply. Then he looked at Cas. "Oh, that thing about guns reminds me, though. In History class, we were reading about Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Do you know anything about that, Uncle Cas? Did that really happen the way they said it did?"

"No," Cas responded matter-of-factly. "Lincoln's wife was the one who actually shot him."

"Oh, come on!" Gail exclaimed. She sat up quickly, accidentally digging the heels of her feet into a very sensitive area. Cas made an "Oof" sound, then lifted her legs off of his lap for a moment.

"Interesting," Rob encouraged Cas. "So tell us, what really happened?"

"John Wilkes Booth did go to that balcony to assassinate Lincoln, but when he got there, the President was already dead," Cas told them. "Lincoln's wife was seriously unbalanced. The signs had been present for some time, but her condition was ignored, as it was considered unseemly at the time. She had a small gun in her handbag that night. Her husband's men didn't search the First Lady, of course. So, when her mental illness overwhelmed her, she shot her husband in the back of his head just before Booth got there. When he burst through the door onto the balcony, Booth was just in time for the uproar. So he panicked, and ran. He told people subsequently that he didn't commit the act, but no one believed him, of course. But that gave Lincoln's aides the perfect scapegoat for the murder. It was much more preferable that way, for all concerned."

Rob was grinning now. "I wish I could bring you to class, Uncle Cas," he said. "Then we could throw the textbooks in the garbage, and then just listen to you talk, instead. Hey, I've got another one for you: Did Lady Godiva really ride through the streets naked on a horse?"

"Not really," Cas responded quickly. He was enjoying the boy's rapt attention. It was so seldom that anyone asked Cas these types of questions. It was kind of fun to show off his knowledge on a myriad of topics. Cas glanced at Gail. She had laid back down now, so he tentatively shifted her feet back into his lap. He supposed he couldn't blame her for her reaction, though. It would be very difficult to go for years and years, believing one version of events, only to be told that the truth of the matter was quite a bit different.

Now they were on safer ground, though. This topic wouldn't be nearly so controversial. "Lady Godiva was wearing an extremely diaphanous gown. I think she had wanted to be nude, but lost her nerve at the last minute. However, she may as well have been, because the gown was all but transparent, and it kept slipping off her shoulder." He paused for a moment, reminiscing, with a small smile playing on his mouth. Oh, yes. Castiel had been there, silently cheering her on. He had admired her activism, and early-onset feminism at the time. He told them this now.

Gail was eyeing Cas suspiciously. Yeah. She could just bet that was what he had been admiring. Cas saw her look, cleared his throat, and said, "Anyway, her ride served its purpose, which was to convince her husband to abolish the taxes he had imposed on the poor at the time."

"And that's why more women need to be in positions of power. Fully clothed," Gail said to Rob, somewhat dryly.

Her nephew grinned again. "If it's all the same to you, I'll just keep that mental image for a little while. I think I need a girlfriend," Rob joked.

Gail did a Dean-like double-take, and then she shook her head. "Well, I think that was a pretty frivolous question. You've got an individual sitting right here who's seen literally everything since the Dawn of time itself, and you ask him about a naked woman? Maybe we'd better be talking about you, and your role models."

"Sorry, Aunt Gail," Rob said, chastened. "You're right. OK, I do have a really important question for you, Uncle Cas. I just don't want you to get mad at me for asking it."

"I won't get mad. I promise," Cas said mildly. "What is it, Rob?"

"Can you settle the big debate, once and for all? Creationism, or evolution?" Rob asked bluntly. "Which is the truth?"

Gail made an "O" shape with her mouth. Wow. When this kid asked a serious question, he didn't screw around. She looked eagerly at Cas's face, awaiting his answer.

Cas was looking admiringly at Rob now. That was the kind of question that Cas would be asking, if he didn't already know the answer. He'd read somewhere that it was not only the right of young people to question things, but it was their duty to do so. Castiel used to be the same way. He had asked all kinds of questions centuries ago. Some answers, he had received, but many, he had not. Still, you could learn a lot just by observing, and he'd definitely had an inside track on the subject matter, being the fourth individual ever to have existed.

"Both," Cas told Rob. "Creationism came first. God absolutely created everything to begin with, just as people have always been told. But, once He had created certain creatures and organisms, they just sort of...took things over for themselves. Many species evolved from lesser species, after God had created the original copies. He thought that was wonderful. My parents used to tell me stories of the flora and fauna in the Garden, stories that were nothing short of astonishing. I regret that I never got to see it for myself."

Now Cas was looking sad, and Gail felt badly for him. It wasn't Cas's fault his family had been kicked out of Eden. He hadn't even been born yet. It wasn't his mother's fault either, although Eve had taken the yoke for her family and, indeed, for all of womankind. The whole thing had been Crowley's fault. Well, maybe not the whole thing. Lucifer had tempted a greedy, temperamental brat into doing something he shouldn't. But Lucifer was dead, and Gail was still pissed off at Crowley.

"Maybe we should ask another frivolous question," Gail said now, in an attempt to cheer her husband up. "The Loch Ness Monster: true, or false?"

Cas looked at her. Then he smiled, and gave her feet a brief squeeze. He knew what she was doing, and he appreciated it. "Once again, both," he stated softly. "It's actually a pair of sea horses, one male and one female. They're the only two remaining of an ancient species. They're too old to reproduce now, of course, but those beasts have happily resided in that lake for thousands upon thousands of years. They are of no danger to anyone; they merely want to be left alone, to live out the remainder of their existences there, together."

"Awww. That's sweet. The two of them together like that, for that long," Gail commented, smiling.

Cas gently squeezed her feet again. "Sometimes, our Lord God can be merciful that way. As He was with us, recently."

The two of them stared lovingly at each other for a minute. That probably would have made any number of the adults in their lives feel uncomfortable, but Rob merely smiled and said, "So, my Aunt Gail and my Uncle Cas are like Loch Ness Monsters. There's a headline for the tabloids."

Gail gave him the side-eye. "Yeah, maybe don't compare us to monsters, there, kiddo. People tend to be a little bit sensitive about that kind of thing, especially in our family. But for the record, I know what you mean. I'd be very okay with existing with your Uncle Cas for thousands upon thousands of years."

"Good, because that's exactly what's going to happen," Cas told her, smiling. He had decided: as soon as Frank and Jody got back from their errands, it was time for Step 2 of the annulment. The entire process was going to take long enough, as it was.

"You know what?" Rob mused aloud. He got up and went over to the bookshelf in the corner of the living room, pulling out a copy of the Bible. "We've been reading designated stories in here and discussing them in class. But I've gotta tell you, Uncle Cas, there are some really weird things in here. The Professor skimmed over some of them, but it's almost like somebody was drunk when they wrote some of these things."

Gail's forehead wrinkled, but Cas was nodding. "That's very astute of you to notice, Rob," he said. "Not drunk, just...bored. Let's see if you can deduce who may have decided to insert a few stories of his own into the compilation process? Someone who has been around as long as me, and likes to be funny?"

"Uncle Gabriel," Rob breathed. Then his face broke into a smile. "That explains so much."

"What are you guys talking about? What stories?" Gail asked, puzzled.

Rob was leafing through the Old Testament now. "Well, like...like this one. It's the story of David, who's young and in love with Michal, Saul's daughter. He offers Saul anything he would want, anything, to let him marry her. So what does Saul want?" Suddenly, Rob's face turned red as he looked at Gail. "Wait a minute. Maybe this was a bad idea. I don't know if I should say this in front of you, Aunt Gail."

"Well, you can't start the story and not finish it," she objected. "If you're worried that it's sexist, don't. I know that's how things worked back then. So what did Saul want for her? Fourty acres and a mule? A few goats, maybe? What?"

Rob and Cas looked at each other, each of them daring the other one to tell her. Finally, Cas gave the young man a half-shrug, and Rob cleared his throat. He supposed it was only fair. After all, he'd brought it up in the first place. "Uh...foreskins," Rob said hesitantly.

Gail looked at her nephew blankly. "Say what, now?"

Aww, geez, Rob thought. He really shouldn't have brought this up. "You know...foreskins," he repeated uncomfortably. Gail continued to stare at him, so he looked to Cas. "Help me out here, Uncle Cas."

Gail looked at Cas, who was squirming now, too. "It's when a man..." Cas started, and then he stopped. "It's when there's a little extra..." He stopped again, frustrated. How did one explain the term without sounding crude?

Suddenly, Gail laughed. "Sorry, you guys. You should see your faces right now. I know what it is. I was just having a little fun. Go on with your story, Rob."

Both men let out sighs of relief, and then Rob continued, "OK, well, anyway: Saul wants a hundred foreskins, by tomorrow. Don't ask me what on earth for, because I have no idea. So David goes out and gets two hundred, figuring Saul will be twice as impressed by that. He is, and David gets the girl. End of story. Weird, right?"

Rob flipped some more. "Then there's the story of Moses, meeting God for the first time. We know now that Moses didn't actually exist, but this story's got him in it."

"That's because the character was already created by that time," Cas chipped in helpfully. "Gabriel knew that, of course. His use of the fictional character in this portion of the story only served to confirm its validity, as far as he was concerned. And I suppose he had a point, seeing as the manuscript went to print with Gabriel's bizarre little tales included."

Rob nodded in comprehension. "Anyway, this story says that God was concerned about showing Himself to Moses, because apparently, no man could see His true face and live. So, God says He'll show Moses His rear end, instead."

"Get out of here!" Gail exclaimed incredulously. "You're making that up!"

"No, I'm not. It's right here," Rob protested, showing her the page he had his finger on. "See? In Exodus."

"Or, you could ask Gabriel," Cas said to her. "I'm sure he'd be quite proud to tell you."

Gail thought for a minute. She was remembering the time that Patricia had been in the High Office. Gail had sent Gabriel to Heaven while they were trying to figure out how to free Cas from Patricia's clutches, and Gabe had helped to keep Patricia distracted by somehow substituting photos of his own naked behind for her official portrait. She laughed now. "I don't think I will ask him," Gail said, shaking her head slowly.

"Are you afraid he won't give you an answer?" Cas asked her.

She made a face. "No, I'm afraid he WILL," she said dryly.

Cas smiled at her, and she smiled back. He gave her feet another gentle squeeze, resisting the urge to take off her socks and massage her feet. He knew that Gail liked that, and he loved to do it for her, but it seemed a little too intimate an activity to be doing in front of their nephew.

"Oh, and then, there's my favourite one yet!" Rob said excitedly. He was flipping pages again. "Where is that story? Oh. Here. Get this, Aunt Gail: Again, in Exodus, there's another story, about Jacob. It's one of the funniest things ever. Apparently, Jacob wanted some striped cattle. I guess boring old one-colour cattle weren't good enough for him. Anyway, what did he do? He painted stripes on some sticks and planted them next to his cattle field, so they could look at the stripes when they were...you know, getting romantic. That's the most ridiculous thing you could ever imagine, right?"

Gail smiled. "Pretty much."

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" Rob said cheerfully. "But you'd be wrong, because if you keep reading, the stupid thing works! It actually works. Jacob's cattle give birth to striped calfs!"

Cas was shaking his head slowly now, and his lips were twitching furiously. Rob and Gail were looking at him. "What do you know about this, Cas?" Gail asked her husband, curious.

"To tell you the truth, I didn't think it was so amusing at the time," Cas remarked. "After all, Gabriel was messing around with the Word. That was my viewpoint back then, anyway. But now, I can see the humour. Especially because I was the inadvertent inspiration for that particular story."

"Really? How's that?" Rob asked him, fascinated.

"One day, Gabriel and I were talking," Cas replied, the smile still playing on his lips, "and I mentioned something to him about thinking that it would be great if my sheep came in different colours. I told him that I would love to have a rainbow flock. Not only would the colours be a nice change from all of that white, but then, we wouldn't have to go through all the trouble of gathering the plants, cutting them up, and heating up the water to make dye for our clothes. We could just shear whatever colour sheep we wanted to wear. We had a laugh about that, Gabriel and I. That was back in simpler times, before all of the Angel Wars, and the ills that beset Heaven. I had a fanciful mind, even back then. I was more of a stickler for the rules than Gabriel was, but because I had so much time to myself, my imagination tended to wander, sometimes. He clearly used that bit of whimsy for his story about the cattle."

Cas was still smiling from the reminiscence, and he was kneading Gail's feet gently now, through her socks. It was as though he couldn't help himself. She thought it was so cute, but it was also making her want the real thing. This was neither the time nor the place, though, so she swung her legs off of his lap and sat up straight on the couch. The two of them exchanged glances. What they were both thinking about would have to wait.

Rob put the Bible down on the coffee table and sat on the loveseat that was extended on an angle to the couch where his Aunt and Uncle were sitting. The young man was thrilled. His Uncle Cas had to be the most interesting guy he'd ever been around. It was too bad he couldn't be a guest speaker at Rob's Theology class. And his History class too, come to think of it. But Rob knew that he could hardly walk into his classes and tell everyone what Cas was telling him now. Nobody would believe a word. What was Rob supposed to say, that God had sat on Rob's living room couch and told him all these things? Yeah, right.

"What about Jesus?" Rob blurted out, and Cas looked at him sharply. "I beg your pardon?"

Gail looked curiously at her husband. There was no way he hadn't heard Rob; they were sitting less than three feet apart. Cas's mind must just be elsewhere at the moment. Not that she could blame him. So was hers.

"What about Jesus Christ?" Rob persisted. "Did he exist? Was he a real person? Where is he now?"

Cas opened his mouth to speak, but before he was able, the front door to the house opened. "We're back," Jody called out. "Rob, can you come here and help me with the bags, please?"

Rob sprang to his feet and left the living room, passing Frank, who was just entering. "Yeah, we're not making a fuss about Angela's birthday at all," Gail's brother said, smirking. "Jody just bought about a hundred presents for Angela, a cake, and a whole bunch of food that Angela can't eat. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a pony in one of those damn boxes. Go. Save yourselves. I'll call you later." Then he left the living room, and the Angels smiled at each other again. Cas grabbed Gail's hand, and he winked them out of the house.