Big Bang: Where We're Heading To: Prologue in Heaven
Prologue in Heaven
Sunday was the day of rest. As such, Castiel spent every Sunday in his own little corner of Heaven, away from the rest of the Heavenly Host. He was momentarily free from the burdens of being the "sheriff in town," but he didn't spend his time seeking revelation, as most of the other angels did. Instead, he peered down at the dull, boring life of Dean Winchester.
It wasn't hard, a mere matter of conjuring a suitably reflective surface -- Castiel preferred a calm pool -- and commanding it to show him images of Earth. He couldn't ask it to show him Dean, precisely, but he knew where Dean should have been, and he could find that well enough.
Sure enough, Castiel watched Dean and Ben and Lisa settle around a table that was a little too small for the three of them. Lisa dished out food, and, even from this distance, Castiel could see the disappointed look in Dean's eyes at the salad that now sat on his plate. If he had cared to look, Ben had the exact same reaction, but, frankly, Castiel was inclined to ignore anything that was not Dean Winchester right now.
"What are you doing, Castiel?"
Castiel did not jump out of his skin at the sudden interruption. (He could have, though. Here in Heaven, his ties to his vessel were very loose.) Instead, he turned to the owner of the voice and frowned. "I am resting. It is Sunday, after all."
Raphael frowned back. "If you were truly resting, you would not be so distressed."
"Why are my feelings of any import to you?" Castiel asked.
"I am merely showing concern for our fearless leader," Raphael answered. Castiel felt a bit of chill at that, an echo of a future that might have been, but Raphael continued nonetheless. "I had believed you to be a bit distracted at the last -" he broke off, staring past Castiel. "What is this?"
Castiel looked down, then back up at the other angel. "It is a pool of water," he said flatly.
"Why does it show images of Dean Winchester?"
"I have been watching him."
Raphael tsked. "Then it is no wonder you are distressed. Dean has odd effects on you," he said, ignoring the way Castiel furrowed his eyebrows. "Is his life so very fascinating, then?"
"No. As of now, he leads an absolutely ordinary human life."
"Then why do you watch him?"
Castiel thought that over, choosing his words carefully. He was not sure how to make the other angel understand, especially considering Raphael's previous encounter with Dean. "I am hoping that he will realize that he was not meant for this life. A great man like himself cannot be content to settle with a woman he hardly knows and a boy who is not his son."
"Why do you only watch? You could easily take a much more direct action."
Castiel narrowed his eyes. "I could not abandon my duties here in Heaven."
Raphael smiled, and eagerly assured, "You need not abandon them, merely take breaks to guide Dean onto a better path."
Despite the source, Castiel could not deny that the idea was appealing. "What would you suggest that I do?"
"You ought to find a way to convince him to return to his old ways." Raphael's shrug was at odds with his certain tone.
Castiel turned his head, in order to look at Raphael sideways. "I should get him to hunt again, and that will solve my problems," he affirmed.
"It is a possibility."
His decision made, Castiel, Angel of the Lord, left Heaven and flew back down to Earth. To Dean. Next