two - steps towards redemption

[dowhatimust]

[The general is sitting against a brick wall of a warehouse, his fingers steeped together after he has turned the video on. He is quiet for a long moment, before he finally spoke, his voice soft

Comments

[bladedfeathers]

Action because I can

[Jo pops up next to him, surveying the bodies with a bit of disappointment.]

I think you misunderstood subtle, Castiel.

[And why didn't she get to help?]

[dowhatimust]

[He clicks off the camera, and turns to his most trusted ally in this - in all this. His face is firm, but there is regret.]

Well ... then I suppose the lesson will stick more.

[A long pause.]

... I apologize, for not informing you of my decision.

[bladedfeathers]

I do need to know about these kinds of things.

[How else can she help him save the world? How else can she avoid letting him down?]

But I'll forgive you this time.

[dowhatimust]

I ... lost my temper. I talked with Gabriel today.

[He folded his hands again on his knees, looking around at the carnage.]

I am grateful. I have a feeling your forgiveness may be the only I will be offered, when Father returns.

[bladedfeathers]

He wants you to react like this, to lash out. He hopes you'll make a mistake.

[She gingerly moves a body aside so she can settle onto the ground with him.]

You don't know that.

[dowhatimust]

He will be sorely disappointed then. I have finished making mistakes. Now I make solutions.

[He looked over at her, blue eyes grave.]

I do not know much, but I know this ... everything I have done, everything I have sacrificed, everything we have both sacrificed -- it will be worth Father's rage. If only because we have done His will, and saved billions. That is worth everything.

[bladedfeathers]

[She hopes Father will not be upset. They are trying to save billions. Why would He disapprove? He left them to do this.]

It will be worth it, if we succeed. So, what now?

[dowhatimust]

[He did indeed left them to figure this out on their own. So that is what Castiel was trying to do, with Jo at his side,]

Now ... we continue our work on the Winchester brothers. If we are to save the humans, and our own Family, we must save them first.

[bladedfeathers]

[She will believe in him to the end.]

They don't seem to want to be saved. [It's inordinately annoying. Why must the fate of humanity be in the hands of such stubborn and twisted men?]

[dowhatimust]

[And it is that faith, that keeps him fighting. No matter what.]

I am sure we will find a way to appeal to what they really want. Sam wants power, and Dean wants whatever Sam wants.

[bladedfeathers]

Can we actually give Sam the power he wants?

[Doesn't he already have it?]

[dowhatimust]

Of course we can.

[Castiel arched his eyebrow.] Whatever else Gabriel is - he is right about one thing. Sam is only the King of Hell. He is not Lucifer, and he is not safe until he bargains with our brother.

[bladedfeathers]

So we're to convince him to turn himself over to Lucifer. Is that for the best?

[dowhatimust]

Only after we have extracted Lucifer's promise, as we have from Michael. The fight stays between our brothers ... and when they are done, we all return to Heaven. Together. Leaving Dean and Sam to fend for themselves as humans.

[That was the greater plan, after all. Difficult as it was to sculpt to life. He sighed again.]

... there is no other answer. We must not allow any other way.

[bladedfeathers]

[She quite liked being on Earth. She'll miss it.]

Do you think we'll be able to be a family again? [Even without Father? It was what they were fighting for...]

[dowhatimust]

[As would he, but the important part was to deal with family first ... and their friends later.]

I ... do not know. But I believe our older brothers have been parted long enough, and they have made enough grave mistakes. Let us take them, and ourselves, and leave all these innocents with free will.