Title: Hosting Messengers
Title: Hosting Messengers
Author: Hannah Orlove
Fandom: Supernatural
Pairing: None
Rating: G
Notes: Assumes general knowledge of season five as well as Biblical canon. Thanks to pwcorgigirl, ryuutchi, and topaz_eyes for beta-reading.
His presence wasn’t required. The order was only for Gabriel. But an offer was not an order, and accompanying one’s brothers to deliver a message to ensure its safe delivery was simply prudent. Gabriel had spoken to Castiel of his new mission before leaving, and Castiel had listened and reminded his brother of that fact. And Gabriel smiled and nodded and asked Castiel to come along. “I guess if you’re not busy. You don’t have to come if you don’t want.”
“I would very much enjoy it. Thank you.”
The world was hot dust where they arrived, wind slapping up sand into earthbound clouds, heavy and sharp like it was at the very edges of home. He and Gabriel and Nakir could have flown to their destination but walked instead, to practice the skill of moving in a vessel. It was only recently a necessity, still so new to all his brothers that Castiel had requested Nakir come as well since she was younger than Castiel, and this mission would be her first time in a vessel, a skill she ought to learn now that Lucifer’s rebellion was over and such things were necessary.
When they came to the tent, Gabriel stepped forward and greeted Abraham dozing in the shade of the trees. Even clothed in their vessels Abraham could see their faces and rushed to host them, calling for his wife to prepare food, flours and meats. In little time the four of them were sitting together and sharing the foods, all partaking out of politeness with Gabriel the only one to indulge, Nakir finally settling down in her male skin and Castiel watching Abraham when he asked them for news of Heaven. They wanted to tell him of the war and their fallen brothers, but that was too new and too much to be shared just yet, and they were here to deliver a message of joy.
“So what brings you here?”
“We’ve got something to tell you.” Gabriel nibbled at a piece of honeyed bread. “Very big news.”
“Is - have I done -”
“Not you, don’t worry.” He patted Abraham’s arm. “Well, it’s for you, but it’s not really about you.”
“It’s Sarah we need to speak of,” Nakir said. She glanced at Gabriel, who looked to Castiel, who nodded at the offer and turned to Abraham.
“She’s to bear your child,” Castiel told him.
All four looked to the tent as bright laughter tumbled out. Castiel and Gabriel and Nakir peered in when Abraham pulled the door back, revealing Sarah there, listening. She hid her mouth behind her hand. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have laughed.”
Castiel was puzzled, couldn’t see why what he had said was so humorous. There was nothing more serious or important than family. “I’m afraid I don’t understand. I wasn’t making a joke.”
Her hand dropped away and the smile changed, fading down from her eyes. “I’m too old, you see.”
He saw her shining desire for what was to happen, looked at her inner workings closed up tight with age, and knew how easy it would be to move them just right to let her body work as his Father wanted it to. “No, you are not.” He could feel Nakir and Gabriel look inside Sarah as well, with Gabriel the one to reach out and open and reawaken Sarah’s parts and Nakir the one to take Sarah’s hands and promise her that in a year she would be a mother just as she had prayed.
“But Ishmael,” Abraham said.
“Hagar’s son will bring forth a great nation, as will Sarah’s,” Castiel reassured him. “You need not fear for your children.” There was a spark from Gabriel, barely a tickle, which still made him look to his brother. He was smiling at Sarah.
“Oh, yeah, there’s big things coming for your family.”
They stayed for some time and before departing, at their hosts’ request, promised Abraham and Sarah they would receive more visitors. When they left their vessels to return home, Nakir was the happiest, ready to unfurl and return to her garrison. Gabriel was about to depart before he stopped and turned to Castiel and spoke with an echo of his mirth he’d had before the war. “Glad you could come along.”
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“No problem, little brother.” Castiel leaned forward to rub his horns against Gabriel’s, who drew back a little faster than was polite. He turned to go again, then looked back to Castiel almost ready to speak - then shot off faster than Castiel could see, a straight line through Heaven to the Garden. He watched his brother go, then left to his private corner between seven stars where he could think alone, roll his memories around in his hands and shiver as he remembered the kind touches of his brothers. It had been so long since he’d been able to say hello to one of his family for the first time, and he wondered if Sarah understood how blessed she was to soon be able to do the same, how blessed she was for what was still to come to her.
-
Footnote: The horns are in reference to the mistranslation of Exodus 34:29, where the translation from Hebrew to Latin changed a word from ‘radiant’ or ‘sending out light’ to ‘horns.’ Michelangelo’s famous statue illustrates the error.
Author: Hannah Orlove
Fandom: Supernatural
Pairing: None
Rating: G
Notes: Assumes general knowledge of season five as well as Biblical canon. Thanks to pwcorgigirl, ryuutchi, and topaz_eyes for beta-reading.
His presence wasn’t required. The order was only for Gabriel. But an offer was not an order, and accompanying one’s brothers to deliver a message to ensure its safe delivery was simply prudent. Gabriel had spoken to Castiel of his new mission before leaving, and Castiel had listened and reminded his brother of that fact. And Gabriel smiled and nodded and asked Castiel to come along. “I guess if you’re not busy. You don’t have to come if you don’t want.”
“I would very much enjoy it. Thank you.”
The world was hot dust where they arrived, wind slapping up sand into earthbound clouds, heavy and sharp like it was at the very edges of home. He and Gabriel and Nakir could have flown to their destination but walked instead, to practice the skill of moving in a vessel. It was only recently a necessity, still so new to all his brothers that Castiel had requested Nakir come as well since she was younger than Castiel, and this mission would be her first time in a vessel, a skill she ought to learn now that Lucifer’s rebellion was over and such things were necessary.
When they came to the tent, Gabriel stepped forward and greeted Abraham dozing in the shade of the trees. Even clothed in their vessels Abraham could see their faces and rushed to host them, calling for his wife to prepare food, flours and meats. In little time the four of them were sitting together and sharing the foods, all partaking out of politeness with Gabriel the only one to indulge, Nakir finally settling down in her male skin and Castiel watching Abraham when he asked them for news of Heaven. They wanted to tell him of the war and their fallen brothers, but that was too new and too much to be shared just yet, and they were here to deliver a message of joy.
“So what brings you here?”
“We’ve got something to tell you.” Gabriel nibbled at a piece of honeyed bread. “Very big news.”
“Is - have I done -”
“Not you, don’t worry.” He patted Abraham’s arm. “Well, it’s for you, but it’s not really about you.”
“It’s Sarah we need to speak of,” Nakir said. She glanced at Gabriel, who looked to Castiel, who nodded at the offer and turned to Abraham.
“She’s to bear your child,” Castiel told him.
All four looked to the tent as bright laughter tumbled out. Castiel and Gabriel and Nakir peered in when Abraham pulled the door back, revealing Sarah there, listening. She hid her mouth behind her hand. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have laughed.”
Castiel was puzzled, couldn’t see why what he had said was so humorous. There was nothing more serious or important than family. “I’m afraid I don’t understand. I wasn’t making a joke.”
Her hand dropped away and the smile changed, fading down from her eyes. “I’m too old, you see.”
He saw her shining desire for what was to happen, looked at her inner workings closed up tight with age, and knew how easy it would be to move them just right to let her body work as his Father wanted it to. “No, you are not.” He could feel Nakir and Gabriel look inside Sarah as well, with Gabriel the one to reach out and open and reawaken Sarah’s parts and Nakir the one to take Sarah’s hands and promise her that in a year she would be a mother just as she had prayed.
“But Ishmael,” Abraham said.
“Hagar’s son will bring forth a great nation, as will Sarah’s,” Castiel reassured him. “You need not fear for your children.” There was a spark from Gabriel, barely a tickle, which still made him look to his brother. He was smiling at Sarah.
“Oh, yeah, there’s big things coming for your family.”
They stayed for some time and before departing, at their hosts’ request, promised Abraham and Sarah they would receive more visitors. When they left their vessels to return home, Nakir was the happiest, ready to unfurl and return to her garrison. Gabriel was about to depart before he stopped and turned to Castiel and spoke with an echo of his mirth he’d had before the war. “Glad you could come along.”
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“No problem, little brother.” Castiel leaned forward to rub his horns against Gabriel’s, who drew back a little faster than was polite. He turned to go again, then looked back to Castiel almost ready to speak - then shot off faster than Castiel could see, a straight line through Heaven to the Garden. He watched his brother go, then left to his private corner between seven stars where he could think alone, roll his memories around in his hands and shiver as he remembered the kind touches of his brothers. It had been so long since he’d been able to say hello to one of his family for the first time, and he wondered if Sarah understood how blessed she was to soon be able to do the same, how blessed she was for what was still to come to her.
-
Footnote: The horns are in reference to the mistranslation of Exodus 34:29, where the translation from Hebrew to Latin changed a word from ‘radiant’ or ‘sending out light’ to ‘horns.’ Michelangelo’s famous statue illustrates the error.