Author's Note: Hello dear readers! It's good to be back with a new fic for you all! I hope you enjoy this fic!

For the residents of Lebanon, Kansas today was just another day in their lives. It was ordinary, plain, and unsurprising. But for three of the city's residents today would be anything but. Beneath an abandoned power plant in the Men Of Letters bunker, Sam and Dean Winchester and their friend Castiel were going about their business. Dean was in the kitchen getting a beer while Sam was in the library reading. That left one member of their group out.

Castiel was wandering the corridors of the bunker aimlessly. He had a sneaking suspicion that something was going to happen today. Something big. Thus he paced from room to room, trying to outrun his anxieties. When pacing didn't soothe his frayed nerves, he decided he needed a drink and ended up in the kitchen with Dean. He scoured the kitchen, looking for something stronger than beer. During his search Sam also entered the kitchen. After an all nighter doing research, he needed to wake up, and started brewing a pot of coffee. Finally, Castiel found a bottle of Whiskey. He didn't bother with a glass and just started drinking, savoring the flash burn of the whiskey going down his throat. Dean and Sam looked at one another when they saw this, but said nothing. If Cas wanted to talk, he would.

Abruptly, there came a knock at the door.

Dean and Sam looked at each other once more, confused. Castiel felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. This was it. He couldn't explain the knowing that came with it, didn't think it could ever be understood, but he went to the door. Whatever this was, he was going to face it head on. Instantly, he was by the door, preparing himself to attack if necessary. He didn't realize that he was still holding the bottle of whiskey as he opened the door. He was hopelessly unprepared for what he saw.

Dean and Sam heard the shattering of glass and ran for the door. Castiel stood frozen in shock as he stared at the woman at the front door. She was of average height with long, glossy black hair, piercing blue eyes, Flushed cheeks, ruby lips, and pale skin. Her teeth were perfectly white and straight as she smiled at Castiel. Her eyes were large and pretty, and surprisingly intense, but the intensity was overshadowed by the kindness shining in them. Dressed in a black suit with matching pumps, she seemed overdressed and out of place in their current environment. The only jewelry she donned were a solitaire diamond necklace, matching earrings, and an intricate and exquisitely crafted diamond wedding ring that sparkled on her left ring finger.

Not even a minute had passed, and no one had any comprehension of what was going on. None but the smiling woman in the doorway. Dean immediately assessed her, as did Sam. She didn't look like a threat. Then again, many of the monsters they faced never did. However, the chain of the necklace around her neck appeared to be silver, so that did eliminate a couple of possibilities. He wanted to go over to her, but the fact that Castiel had dropped a bottle in surprise and hadn't moved a muscle since seeing her gave him pause. He knew her, that much was certain. But enough to lead her to the bunker? That remained unclear. He decided to wait and see what Cas did. Sam however, didn't see her as a threat and grabbed a nearby mop to clean up the whiskey. It didn't take long, and Sam quickly swept up the glass. Castiel was frozen in place. It seemed as if he'd never move. Finally, the woman at the door spoke up.

"No hello? Is that any way to greet your-"

"Mother..." Castiel whispered, awed.

Dean and Sam exchanged shocked looks. The woman at the door smiled at him warmly.

"I didn't think you recognized me." She said, slightly saddened.

"I-I I... I thought that..."

"That I was dead? You thought what your father wanted you to think. I've just been in hiding. But I have been here, Castiel. And I have watched your every movement."

At her words, Castiel broke eye contact with her. He felt ashamed that she had seen some of the things he had done. She gently lifted his chin to make him look at her.

"And I have loved every second of it."

Confusion clouded his eyes and he looked at her, dumbfounded.

"How can you say that after everything I've done?" Her blue eyes were sharp, not missing a thing, and he was certain that she was looking right into his soul.

"Darling, I may not approve of every decision you made but I know you did the best you could. That's what matters." She said with a smile.

Somehow the words lifted an invisible weight from his shoulders, and made him believe her. Maybe he wasn't such a screw up after all. Staring into her eyes, he felt an unfamiliar emotion rise up in his chest: Hope. This wasn't a dream. She was here- she was real. Joy, relief, and love burst open inside of him, The feelings seemed to have burst from a dam, walled up for years as the sentiments built up inside of the barriers, now were set free, and it took all of his strength to not throw himself at her and burst into tears. Before he realized what he was doing, he pulled her into a tight hug, unable to find the right words for the lethal cocktail of emotions slamming through his body. She didn't hesitate to hug him back, and he was met with the unmistakable scent of his mother's favorite perfume. It took him back thousands of years, back to his childhood, where he was simply a son and nothing more. His love for her, his missing of her, and the empty place in his heart that only she could fill had helped to shape him. It had hardened him to the world, made him colder and jaded. But her love had allowed him to love others and forgive them. So much of who he was had been shaped by her. Now, to see her again, to be holding her in his arms, it was overwhelming.

His mother sensed his feelings and inner turmoil and gently stroked his hair. There was a feeling of completeness that came with holding her child again after so many years apart. She reveled in the moment, knowing that this was why she had fought to stay alive. Each of her children were so special to her, each had their own unique gifts and talents, but Castiel had always held a special place in her heart. Her youngest child, he had needed her more than the rest of her children did. When she had had to go into hiding and leave him behind, it was the worst thing she had ever had to do. But she had watched over him throughout his entire life, and couldn't have been more proud of the man he had become.

"Mom..." Came the disbelieving whisper.

"I'm here, baby." She said in Enochian, hoping that hearing his native tongue would calm him.

A lump formed in Castiel's throat. "I missed you, Mommy." He replied in the same fashion.

"I missed you too."

For a long time, there was quiet in the room.

When mother and son parted again, both were smiling. Finally, Castiel remembered that they weren't alone. He stepped aside to reveal Sam and Dean, who were looking at them with carefully masked curiosity.

"Sam, Dean, this is my mother Abrielle."

Abrielle smiled at them. "I finally get to meet the famous Winchester boys. It's an honor." She said, reaching out to shake Dean's hand. He smiled at her and shook it, and Sam followed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Dean said.

"And you." She replied.

"If you don't mind my asking, how did you find us?" Asked Sam. Abrielle laughed.

"My husband documents every day of your lives. It wasn't difficult to find you."

"Husband?" Sam repeated as if he hadn't heard her correctly. "You mean God's married?"

"Not in the traditional sense. I was created to be his wife and to be a mother to all the angels. But I've been more of a mother than a wife. I had to go into hiding some hundred years back, but even before that we were never really a couple. Our relationship was never one of equals. But it doesn't matter. I'm a mother first. That's what counts."

Sam nodded, impressed. Dean happened to glance at Castiel, who was staring at his mother in the most innocent way. He had to do a double take to make sure what he saw was correct. It was. When she turned back and saw the look on his face an invisible flashed through her eyes and she gave her son an almost imperceptible nod before turning to Sam and Dean.

"I hate to intrude, but do you boys mind if I have some time alone with my son?" She asked sweetly.

"Not at all." Dean said quickly. He showed them to one of the bunkers many bedrooms. He closed the door and quickly dragged his brother away so that the two of them could have some much needed quiet time.

The second that door shut, Abrielle turned to her son. Although his vessel was a thirty-some-year-old man, the innocence and fear in his eyes made him look like a little boy. A net of shared memories passed between them, peeling back the years they were apart. For Castiel, time with his mother was something he had sorely needed more of as a boy. When she had left him when his development was that of a little boy, he had been left to the care of his father and many brothers and sisters. He had been forced to grow up so quickly with them. Only with his mother had he ever had the chance to be a child, and although the memories were clouded and fogged with age, he remembered her. He had cried for her so much in the beginning, unable to fill the void she had left in his heart. With her, his emotions were allowed to fly free instead of being contained and restricted. There were no orders to follow. He was just her son, and that was perfectly fine with her.

Castiel, normally stiff and uncomfortable around others, was perfectly relaxed as he sat with his mother. Abrielle smiled at him and pulled him to her.

"Mommy's here now." She said.

The words, just like the physical contact, were an invitation for him to drop his mask and just be her son. He leapt at the chance like a hungry dog being offered a steak. He clutched her close to himself, like a security blanket or a life preserver, fearing that she might disappear if he let her go. He could feel his eyes welling up with tears. He didn't know if they were relief, happiness, or fear, but he didn't question it. He just let them flow. Abrielle stroked his hair, singing to him in enochian, remembering how she'd used to do it when he was a small child. The motion calmed him almost instantaneously. He ended up with his head in her lap, snuggled into her. He was safe with her. Finally safe.

When the song ended, they stayed in that position for a long while. Castiel longed to find words to express the utter completeness and contentment he felt at that moment. There weren't any, so he just curled up into her even further, hoping the nestling would be enough to convey it. It did.

"My sweet baby boy." She whispered. "I missed you."

He closed his eyes, savoring the words, and felt her press a gentle kiss to his forehead. He giggled instinctively. The action brought back some cloudy, distorted, little boy memories and feelings. Before he really gave any thought to it, he started sucking his thumb. When he realized what he was doing, he was about to stop when he realized that it didn't matter. His mother wouldn't care. He happily continued sucking, nuzzling her. She laughed, and the sound warmed him from the inside out.

The sight of her son so innocent and vulnerable stirred up something inside of her. An instinct as old as time itself. She felt a desperate need to recreate those moments she missed with him. An idea struck her, and her eyes grew bright with excitement.

"Baby, would you like to go with me to my home and spend some time together there?" She asked. She sensed a lack of privacy in this place, and the two of them needed some for what she was about to ask him. He nodded, unable to make himself stop sucking his thumb. She smiled and went to find her son's best friends. The two of them were sitting in the library, talking quietly. The two of them looked up when Abrielle entered the room.

"I apologize for interrupting, but I wanted to see if I could take my son with me to spend some quality time with him."

"Absolutely." Said Dean without hesitation. She smiled a glittering smile at him.

"Thank you."

"Absolutely."

When she had left the room, Sam turned to his brother in confusion.

"Why did you say yes so quickly?" He asked. Dean looked at him, green eyes bright with a deep sadness that Sam needed a second to understand.

"If I had a second chance to be with mom again, I'd take it in a heartbeat. Cas deserves the same."

Sam nodded, and that was the end of the matter.

Abrielle went back to the room where her son sat waiting for her. When she entered he jumped to his feet, eyes happy and joyful. He reached out to hold her free hand so that she could fly them to her home. Castiel was forced to take his thumb from his mouth on the off chance that they landed outside, but the second they appeared in what seemed to be a luxurious penthouse, he shoved it back in, calming him instantly. He looked around curiously. The shag carpeting was a deep red color, and all of the couches were Snow White. There was a chandelier in the foyer, and a flat screen TV in the living room. There was a chrome kitchen not far from where he was standing. An entire side of the wall was made of glass, looking out over the city. Across from him was a pair of French doors. His mother walked over and opened them, waving him toward her. He followed her into the master bedroom, which was probably the size of the bunkers library. She went over to the closet and opened up the doors. It was a walk in closet that looked half as big as the room itself. Castiel stared at his mother curiously. She sat on a nearby ottoman and patted the seat next to her. He sat down, looking at her. She smiled at him, and took a deep breath in.

"I want to ask you something, darling. I'm just not sure how you'll take it."

He looked at her in a way that told her to go on.

"I had to go into hiding for my own safety. If people had known who I was or what I could do, I could have been taken advantage of. Leaving you and your brothers and sisters was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Every single day I watched all of you suffer because of me, and it broke my heart. You were so young when I left and I never got the chance to take care of you the way I wanted to and the way you deserved. I want a second chance if you'll give me one. To give you the childhood your brothers and sisters had. You could be my baby again... I've wanted that for so long. Will you give it to me?"

For a moment Castiel just stared at her fixedly. His face gave away nothing. It was tactfully emotionless, no doubt as his father had intended. For a moment she felt fear ice her blood and she wondered if she had just made a terrible mistake. Then, he smiled at her and nodded, half hugging her with one arm. Relief swept through her, and she hugged him back.

"Alright then, sweetheart. Let's get started."

She snapped her fingers, and suddenly the entire room changed.

It was a nursery that was exactly the same as he could remember having as a small child, except on a singular scale. the nursery he remembered was set up for a dozen babies. This was set up solely for him. There was a crib, a changing table, a rocking chair, a bookshelf, a toy chest, and two dressers full of clothes. There were microwaves and bottle warmers set up on a table, and even a refrigerator that was filled with milk and fruit. The walls were a cream color, and just looking at it soothed him. His brain was overwhelmed trying to process all of his new surroundings. He didn't notice his sucking becoming more intense and fast. It wasn't until Abrielle gently pried his thumb from between his lips and stroked his cheek.

"You'll hurt yourself if you keep doing that." She admonished gently. He blushed.

"Sorry, Mom."

"Mommy." She corrected.

"What?"

"In here it's Mommy."

He nodded. "Sorry Mommy."

She smiled. "That's my baby boy. Now then, let's get you dressed in something more comfortable."

He didn't even have time to think about it before his mother was going to pick something out. He decided to just go with it and sat down in the crib. While her back was turned he slipped his thumb back into his mouth, sucking greedily.

Abrielle was quick to change her son into a fresh diaper and some new footed pajamas, and quickly replaced his thumb with a silicone pacifier. At first he grimaced at the taste, but quickly grew accustomed to it. When she was satisfied with that, she went to the toy chest, obviously digging around for something. Castiel watched her curiously, but smiled when she turned around and handed him a stuffed bee. He cuddled it to his chest.

"Do you like it?" She asked hopefully. His enthusiastic nod made her laugh.

"Good." She said, ruffling his hair.

He reached for her with his free hand and she gladly picked him up and sat down in the rocking chair, cuddling him close to her. She pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead and started singing to him. He closed his eyes, and just reveled in the moment. Abrielle almost thought he was asleep because he was so still. The only movement was from his lips as he suckled his pacifier. The moment was so perfect and picturesque it couldn't have been captured better by Hallmark. When her song ended, Castiel took the pacifier out and looked up at her.

"Mommy?"

"Yes baby?"

"Can I watch TV?"

"Sure." She instantly conjured a TV and turned it on, letting him find a show he liked while she fussed over him in a dozen little ways. She wanted to make this as special as possible for him. Ways to do that flashed through her mind. She was so focused on that that she wasn't paying attention to her son. Castiel had settled on a sitcom. Reruns of the show were playing on the TV, and he happily watched the show. However, when one of the characters made their first appearance, he froze. The man greatly resembled Gabriel, and it made him miss his brother terribly. Before he could stop them, two tears streamed down his cheeks. One of them landed on his mother's hand, drawing her attention away from her thoughts. At his tear stained face, she frowned.

"What's the matter, baby?" She asked, stroking his hair.

Castiel sniffed and wiped at his eyes. He looked up at her with wide blue eyes and pressed his hand to her cheek. He'd done it often as a child instead of talking. She looked into his mind and saw the painful resemblance between the actor and her son. It broke her heart.

"You miss your brother, hmmm?"

He nodded, looking up at her like she could solve his every problem. She took a deep breath to steady herself. She found conjuring objects easy, but reviving her own son? That was a bit of a stretch. But she had to try. She closed her eyes, picturing every last detail of his face. With a breath out, she attempted to revive her son.

For a second, nothing happened. And then, Gabriel appeared in all his glory.

"What the hell?" He asked.

"Gabriel! Language!" She chastised.

"Sorry, Mom." He said, automatically. When he realized what he'd said, he looked up, doing a double take to make sure of what he was seeing. "Mom...?" He asked, shocked.

"Hello, love." She said. The way his face lit up was something she knew she would never forget. Castiel moved off of her lap so that she could give Gabriel a hug.

"How are you even alive?" He asked.

She briefly explained what had happened to her, while Gabriel nodded. Castiel sat in the crib, impatient. When he felt left out, he made an annoyed noise. Abrielle turned to him with a smile and picked him up with ease.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I didn't forget about you." She promised, kissing his forehead.

That was the first time Gabriel noticed his brother. More so, it was the first time he noticed the room they were in. He didn't react negatively. In fact, he tried very hard not to react at all. He was curious, but knew better than to question it while his brother was present. He watched his brother giggle and laugh as their mother kissed him repeatedly and tickled him. It made him smile unconsciously. When was the last time he had heard his brother laugh? It had been decades. To see him happy and smiling was a gift in itself. And to see him with their mother was an unexpected blessing.

He could easily recall the day when they had all been informed of Abrielle's passing. He had been in his early twenties developmentally, but Cassie had only been around two or three. He hadn't been able to understand right away that their mother wasn't coming home. When he did, he had cried for days. He and Lucifer had attended to him in those first dark days, playing with him and trying to get him to smile. Gabriel had always had a sneaking suspicion that Lucifer's hatred for their father had begun on that day. Whether consciously or unconsciously, he blamed his father for their mothers death. With a start, he realized that since she had never really died, there would be no reason for any hostility between them. Perhaps there was too much bad blood between father and son to clear the air, but maybe as brothers they had a chance.

They could be a real family again.

The idea was like a cancerous cell, replicating itself into a large mass that slowly consumed his mind. The hope that sprang up in him was so dizzying that he had to sit down. Maybe there was a real chance for them yet.

Abrielle was cooing Enochian to Castiel when Gabriel stood up.

"Mom?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Will you come with me somewhere?"

"Where?"

"To see Luci. He's not going to believe me if I tell him you're alive without proof."

"Honey, I can't just leave here. Your brother needs me. Why don't you bring Lucifer here instead?"

Gabriel mumbled something under his breath. Abrielle sighed.

"What was that, Gabriel?"

"I said it would be pretty hard to bring him here since he's locked in his cage."

Abrielle almost dropped the toy she'd been offering her son. Slowly, she handed Castiel the toy, picked him up in her arms, set him in his crib, and pulled up the sides. She walked over to her other son in a way that made him nervous.

"Did I hear you say cage?" The last word was spat out with the purest venom.

Gabriel nodded. "After you passed away Lucifer disobeyed Dad so he locked him in a cage."

Slowly, Abrielle's face contorted into an expression of rage.

"I am never leaving you kids alone with your father ever again!" She said. She whirled around and scooped Castiel into her arms. "Come on, baby. We're going to see your big brother."

Instantly, Castiel began to struggle against her, whimpering quietly. His attempts to struggle his way from her arms were fruitless. Her grip was too strong. Still, she looked at him curiously. "What's the matter, baby?"

He reached up and put his hand to her cheek. When he felt her enter his mind, he sifted through all of his encounter with his brother, and watched her eyes become confused and sad. While she wanted to keep her son close, she now understood his reluctance and set him down.

"You can stay here if you want. Your brother and I won't be gone long." She promised.

Castiel was torn. He didn't want to go visit his older brother, but he couldn't bear for his mother to leave him behind. He visibly hesitated before reaching for his mother again. She smiled at him and kissed his forehead.

"That's my boy." She said. He smiled at her and his brother and watched as she turned to Gabriel. "We'd best be going if we want to free your brother from his cage."

Gabriel nodded. "Let's go."

Abrielle used her magic to redress her son in his usual attire, but left the diaper on and slipped his pacifier into his trench coat pocket as a subtle reminder that he would always be her baby. Then, as a family, they made their way down into hell.

At the sight of Gabriel, most of the lower level demons hid or made way for him. Many of them gave less-than-thrilled looks to Castiel, but he was so focused on protecting his mother that he didn't even notice. Gabriel navigated the corridors so well it was like he had a GPS chip installed in his brain. Finally, the three of them came to the final hallway, and Castiel ran ahead to stop them from going forward any further.

"Let me start this." He pleaded. Gabriel and Abrielle looked at one another before nodding. Taking a deep breath, Castiel took one of the most frightening steps of his life and came within his brother's line of sight.

Lucifer had been busy dealing with demon contracts when he caught a glimpse of movement out of his peripheral vision. He looked over to see Castiel standing before him. A grin stretched across his face. He crossed the cage and stood before his brother.

"Hello Lucifer."

"Little brother. To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from heaven's most wanted?"

Castiel stepped closer to him. "I came to see you."

"Obviously. But that doesn't answer my question."

"I'm not the only one here." He said. Gabriel stepped forward. Lucifer looked unsurprised.

"Gabriel. You're back from the dead I see."

"No thanks to you."

"Who do I owe the credit to, then?"

"You'll see in just a minute. But I have to ask you something."

"I've got all eternity for questions."

"What really made you leave home, Luc? We both know it wasn't just Dad's creations. It was what happened to Mom that made you go, wasn't it?" He asked solemnly. Lucifer looked at him, surprised. Castiel didn't miss the flickering of emotion in his eyes, but it was quickly covered up with sarcasm.

"Like it matters now. I made my choices and you've made yours. What's done is done. There's no turning back."

"You're wrong." Castiel found himself saying. He looked up at his older brother, eyes the picture of innocence. "It doesn't have to be like this."

"We could be a family again." Gabriel continued. Lucifer laughed.

"Like Dad would ever let that happen."

"We aren't talking about Dad. We're talking about Mom."

"What's the point in talking about her? She's gone."

"No, I'm not." A ringing voice said. Gabriel and Castiel parted to reveal Abrielle standing there in front of the cage. "Hello, Lucifer."

Lucifer's face was inscrutable. He squinted like he wasn't really sure what he was seeing. Castiel was watching him so intently that he actually saw his brother's sharp intake of breath as he realized that it was really her. His eyes widened and his body stiffened.

"Ma?" It was barely a whisper, but the word was so filled with hope that it made itself heard. She smiled and nodded, coming over to the cage and stroking his cheek affectionately. He trembled at her touch, afraid that she wasn't real. But then, when he felt her hand against his cheek and smelled her distinctive perfume, he relaxed and smiled at her. "I don't understand. What are you doing here?"

"I came to bring you home." She said gently.

"What?" He asked, completely shocked.

"We don't want you suffering down here by yourself anymore." Castiel said.

"We want our family back together." Gabriel finished. "We want our brother back." He amended.

"So now I'm your brother?" He retorted sharply. "Where were my brothers when I was facing Dad on my own? Where were you when he kicked me out and locked me up? Where were you when I needed you? Am I supposed to just forget about that now that you want to be brothers again?!"

"We've always been brothers, Luci. Even when you didn't know it." Said Gabriel quietly.

"And we both made mistakes with Dad." Castiel piped up. "That's why we left. We may have not done it when you did, but we both left eventually. You were right, and we're sorry if we ever made you feel like we weren't supporting you."

"But we're here now. And we're asking you to forgive our mistakes and be a real family again." Gabriel finished.

The gift of the words "I'm sorry" was one he had been waiting for for centuries. In that moment, the old wound of his brother's abandonment finally healed completely, and he let go of all his anger and hate for his brothers. He smiled at them, and it was a real, genuine smile instead of the ones riddled with greed, sarcasm, or fake happiness. Finally, he let out the three words that had been locked inside of him for years:

"I forgive you."

The four of them exchanged smiles. Abrielle stepped up to the cage and started working on the lock. When it hit the ground with a clatter, she smiled.

"Come on, let's take you home."

Home. What a way from cage that was! Smiling, he stepped out and hugged his mother, and both of his brothers. There was a sense of completeness that surrounded them, and they left hell walking side by side as a family.

When they left, Abrielle took them back to her home. As soon as they arrived Castiel switched back into his little boy mindset and instantly had his pacifier back in his mouth. He went off to the nursery, excited about all of the new things that had happened today. He ran and grabbed his bee from its place in the crib and started playing with it on the floor, not realizing that Mommy hadn't followed him in.

Abrielle took the opportunity and pulled both of her sons aside. Lucifer was still staring at the door Castiel had went through, bewildered by what he'd seen.

"What the-" before he could finish the thought, Abrielle clamped a hand over his mouth to hush him.

She took a minute to explain to both of them what was going on and how it came to be. When she told them about how guilty she felt for not being there when he was little, and the both of them understood.

It was just after this that Castiel realized that his mother wasn't there and frowned. "Mommy?" He called, uncertain. The worry that coursed through him was to the adult brain ridiculous, but to his childish mind it was very real. When he didn't hear footsteps coming toward the room right away, his fear escalated, and tears pricked at his eyes. "Mommy!" He called again. Despite himself, tears started streaming down his face.

At the sound of her son calling her, she turned to go to him, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see both of her sons looking at her.

"We want to help." Said Gabriel. Lucifer nodded, and Abrielle smiled.

"Come on, then."

She rushed into the room to see her son crying on the ground with his bee clutched tightly to his chest. She easily scooped him into her arms and sat down in the rocking chair. She hushed him, but he wouldn't calm down. When she tried to give him the pacifier he loved so much, he spat it out. His anxiety was so high that he wouldn't let himself be calmed. Abrielle knew she needed a plan. She looked at her sons who were staring at them, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. She opened her connection with them and asked them to make him a bottle. Although it seemed strange considering that none of them ate, but nonetheless they complied. Gabriel handed her the bottle, and she gave him a grateful smile and put the nipple into her son's mouth. At first he thought it was a pacifier, but when he took one suck and a few drops of milk hit his tongue, he was shocked. In his surprise, instinct took over, and he kept sucking on the bottle. The warm milk relaxed him, and he closed his eyes as he focused on drawing out the milk. Abrielle breathed a sigh of relief.

When the bottle was empty, Castiel felt strangely tired. His mother sensed it, and put a hand to his forehead, and gave him the capacity to sleep. She changed him into a footed sleeper and started singing to him. Quicker than she expected, he was asleep. She set him into his crib and pulled up the sides. Then, ushering Gabriel and Lucifer out, she headed to the living room to bond with her two older sons.

The three of them gathered on the couch and talked about their lives for a long time. Three hours seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye. By the end of them, the three of them felt the way they did before she went into hiding. They were a normal family again.

Well- almost.

Castiel awoke from his nap not long after and turned onto his side. His bee lay next to him and he pulled it into his arms. He was about to call out for his Mommy when he got the niggling sensation that something wasn't quite right. And that's when he realized something unexpected- he had to go to the bathroom badly. He started squirming uncomfortably, whimpering to himself. How on earth did humans deal with it? The whimpers grew into cries and the cries to wails. Abrielle dashed to the nursery, but by the time she arrived it was too late. He had already wet his diaper. She took him into her arms and planted gentle kisses to his forehead, but was stumped when he kept on crying. There was something else going on there. She offered him his pacifier and another bottle of milk, but he refused them. That's when the idea of what was really going on hit her, and she quickly checked to see if her suspicions were correct. As was often the case, they were. She quickly went about changing him, relieved when his tears began to subside. Once the wet diaper was off of him, Castiel calmed down significantly, sucking his thumb and staring up at the ceiling as his mother finished changing him. Once he was dressed again, she scooped him up and showered him with kisses while he giggled delightedly.

"There now. That's better, isn't it sweetheart?" Castiel nodded. "You can come in now, boys!" She called over her shoulder. Gabriel and Lucifer entered the room. Castiel squealed happily and reached out to his big brothers. After some tickling and laughter, they played together for the first time in years. It was the most fun they'd had in a long while. It was those small moments in that first day together that made it so memorable- from Gabriel making silly voices while they were playing with toys, to the way Lucifer held him while reading stories, to the way his mother kissed him goodnight. He went to sleep that knowledge that he had a loving family once again.

Those first few days and weeks of age play were ones of trial and error, of trying new things and enjoying old ones. But the four of them developed a routine that cemented with time. Abrielle would wake Castiel up every morning, change his diaper, and feed him a bottle. She would stay with him until either one (or both) of his brothers showed up. Then she would head off to work at the courthouse while Gabriel or Lucifer watched over him. They would play together until lunch time, where he was fed once more. After lunch his brother would read him a story and then settle him down for a nap. He would sleep until three in the afternoon. When he woke up he was changed again, and was allowed to play or watch TV until his mother came home. After she got home the four of them had dinner together in her apartment before his brothers left for the evening. The rest of the evening was spent playing with his Mommy until bedtime loomed. He was sung a lullaby and put to sleep. Then he would wake up and start the cycle all over again. Of course things weren't that way all the time. There were times when he went to visit the Winchesters at the bunker or help them on the hunt, but otherwise that was his life, and he loved it. He kept his lifestyle a secret from the Winchester brothers. He couldn't bear the thought of them looking at him like he was different. So his secret festered inside of him. Although he had drawn a very clear line between his two lives, the line was growing thinner every day. His infantile habits were beginning to spill over in his adult life. The two hardest things to remember were to not to use baby talk when talking about his mother, and to not suck his thumb. He had told them about Gabriel's revival, but he hadn't told them about Lucifer. He didn't think he would ever get them to believe that he had really changed- Sam especially. So he kept his mouth shut and silently developed an incredible relationship with his older brother.

When her son was sleeping Abrielle often liked to write him letters for all sorts of situations. Although she kept them all to herself to give to her son at a later date, there was one letter that she entrusted to Lucifer, giving him strict orders not to open it unless something happened to her. Although he was a little surprised, Lucifer followed his mother's instructions to the letter and kept the envelope in his shirt pocket. It rested right by his heart.

It was about six months after that first day of seeing his mother again. Castiel was sitting, talking with the Winchesters about their latest hunt in the bunker's kitchen. The TV was on, providing a comforting background noise for when there was a lull in the conversation. Castiel was saying something to Dean when his phone began to ring. He answered it without looking to see who was calling.

"Hello?"

"Baby..."

"Mom?" The tone of her voice instantly had him on edge.

"I need your help." It was barely a whisper.

"Where are you?" He demanded sharply.

"In a warehouse... Downtown... The abandoned one half a mile from the old dive bar on first street."

"I'm coming!" He said. He hung up the phone and ran out the door, not even bothering with a goodbye. He ran to his Lincoln Continental Mark V, put the keys in the ignition, and drove. He ignored the speed limits, ran red lights, and drove 80 miles per hour the whole way there. He would have flew if it had been possible, but his wings were bare, stripped of the lustrous feathers that once covered them. They looked like a newborn angel's wings. He found it ironic, considering what he'd been doing recently. All of these thoughts flitted through his mind, but he didn't make sense of them.

When he finally reached the warehouse, his heart was thundering inside of his chest. He leapt out of the car and ran to the doors at full speed, not bothering to prepare for what might have been on the other side of the door. All he cared about was reaching his mother.

He opened the door to a dark, empty space. The floor was concrete, but was covered with so much dirt that it seemed like the floor was made of gravel. There were steel light fixtures hanging from metal rafters, but when he tried to switch on the lights he discovered that none of them worked. The only light came through the open door. He stepped to the side of the door, hoping to illuminate more of the room. The light cast a shadow on something too far away for him to see clearly, so he went to investigate. When he got closer, he saw that it wasn't a shadow he had seen.

It was a pool of blood.

His heart skipped a beat as he drew closer to the blood puddle. When he finally got to it, he froze completely.

There, lying on the floor, was his mother's crumpled body.