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Castiel woke with a gasp, the Empty pressing in around him as usual. He sat up, quickly, trying to get his bearings. He was met with a watery smile on a face he thought he’d never be lucky enough to see again.
“Hello,” Jack said, fingers half curled into a wave.
“Jack,” Cas breathed, pulling his son in for a fierce hug. Jack clung to him just as hard, the two of them huddled on what passed for solid ground in the Empty.
They pulled back, just looking at each other. Castiel kept his hand on Jack’s shoulder, not wanting to let him go just yet. He looked at Jack’s face, at the tiniest hints of tears in his eyes, and felt his heart sink.
“Jack, what happened?” Jack didn’t reply immediately, and Cas felt even more dread building, dripping down his spine like a melting icicle. “No. You’re not- you can’t be-”
“I’m not dead,” Jack assured him. Cas could feel his whole body slumping in relief. “I’m… I really missed you, Cas.”
“Well, I missed you too.” Cas squeezed Jack’s shoulder, rejoicing when a smile flitted across Jack’s face. Dying without saying goodbye… it was one of the most difficult things Cas had ever done.
“Wait, I don’t- I don’t understand. How are you here?”
Jack shrugged, and in the shift Cas could see something different. If he really looked, there was something more, something bright and powerful and ageless burning under Jack’s skin. More powerful than his soul and his grace combined.
“We defeated Chuck,” Jack said. “We didn’t kill him, but I- I took his powers, and I sort of took over from him.”
Castiel remembered sitting with Kelly before Jack was born. And he remembered that one little word that had kept them going.
Paradise.
And Castiel smiled, wider than he’d ever smiled before. “You did it,” he whispered. Jack returned his grin, and the two of them laughed, the sound echoing off of the Empty around them, beating the sorrow back. “You did it. Oh, Jack, I’m so proud of you. I always- Kelly and I always knew you could do this. We always believed.”
“I know.” Jack nodded. He stood, reaching down a hand to pull Castiel up with him. “Come with me.”
Jack tugged him along by the sleeve of his coat and started to run, the gesture so young and childlike in contrast to his new position as the universe’s caretaker.
“Jack, where are we-”
There was a sudden flash of light, and Castiel gasped, back straightening as if he’d been struck by an electrical current. When the roar of his grace subsided, he realized it was- it was there. It was all there, his wings, his grace- and the Hellfire scars and charring on his feathers were gone. Jack beamed at him, hands tucked behind his back.
“Jack, I…” Cas didn’t have the words. He spread his wings, flared them out and reveled in how free it felt. There wasn’t pain anymore. He looked around, suddenly taking in where they were.
“We’re in Heaven,” he said, looking back to Jack.
“Yes.” Jack lifted his chin. “I know Heaven isn’t what a lot of people expect, or want. I know it’s not what my mother, or Sam and Dean, believed that it should be. So- I’m going to fix it.”
Jack snapped his fingers, and all the doors and walls came crashing down, the compartments folding away. And the people, all the souls in Heaven, they rejoiced.
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Cas half expected chaos, but he should have known better. Somehow, Jack made it all make sense. The people were milling about, all those souls trying to find their loved ones and choose a place to settle. Or keep on going, always traveling. It didn’t really matter.
He and Jack were walking through the crowds, guiding them on their way and explaining the situation as gently as they could.
“Hey, you. Shoulda known you’d have somethin’ to do with all this.”
Cas whirled around, coming face to face with an old comrade-in-arms. “Bobby,” he said. “It’s- it’s good to see you again. Are you alright?”
Bobby shrugged. “Seems like. Are my idjits with you?”
“No. They’re, uh. They’re not here yet.”
“Guess I should be grateful for that,” Bobby grumbled. “I do have to ask, though, what’s with the sudden change? There a management shift I should be aware of or somethin’?”
Jack came bounding over, grabbing on to Castiel’s arm. “Cas, I found her! We- oh.” Jack looked at Bobby, recognition and realization igniting in his eyes. He straightened, putting on a front of godly power. Cas would have to tell him later that he didn’t need to do that.
“Hello,” Jack said, unnecessarily nervous.
Bobby looked at Cas from under a furrowed brow, then to Jack, and back to Cas. “Well, feathers, didn’t know you had it in ya.”
Cas shook his head. “Oh, no, it’s not what you-”
“I’m Jack,” Jack cut in. “I took the power of God, and now I’m fixing Heaven! It’s nice to meet you. Sam and Dean have told me a lot about you.”
Bobby’s confusion only deepened. Castiel sighed, and started explaining.
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“So, you got a kid.”
“Yes.”
“And Sam and Dean helped raise him.”
“Yes.”
“Well, I’ll be damned.”
Cas huffed a laugh, eyes trailing after Jack where he stood a little ways away, helping a man who’d died in 1432 reunite with his mother.
“No. We’ve all been saved.”
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Never let it be said that Kelly Kline was not a patient woman. By the time Cas caught up with her, millions of souls having been helped, it might well have been weeks. She was standing hand in hand with Jack, the two of them in animated conversation.
“Kelly,” he said, and she smiled at him as she brought her arms around him.
It felt like home.
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Jack kept busy. He and Cas swept through all of Heaven, the remaining angels having been assigned sections to comb through as well. They needed to make sure no souls were still lost without their families or their chosen place having been found.
The two of them spent plenty of time with Kelly, who had designed a little cottage like the one Jack was born in.
Jack worried about her getting lonely, and every time she had the same reply.
“I’m waiting for my parents to come. And I’ve got you two- my angels.”
One day Castiel and Kelly sat on the porch of that cottage, staring out across the lake at dawn. Jack had gone down to Earth to collect the wandering souls, those stuck in between. Like Kevin Tran. And he would bring them home.
“You were right, Kelly. You were always right. Jack changed the world.”
“He did.” Kelly smiled. “But we were right, Castiel. Both of us.”
They held hands and watched the sun rise.
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Jack was still Jack, despite the changes. He’d gone off in search of Mary Winchester, to make things right, as he said, and promptly threw himself into Castiel’s arms upon his return. They flew around for a while to calm him down, and eventually Jack smiled again.
Castiel was more than willing to be whatever Jack needed. That was his purpose- to aid in maintaining paradise, and to aid in maintaining Jack.
He’d never been happier.
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“I’m leaving,” Jack said. They’d always known it was coming.
Kelly hugged him goodbye, assuring Jack that she’d be waiting for him, and Cas walked him to the part of Heaven that remained free of human souls- the Lobby, as it had been dubbed. The throne had been removed, and in its place was a list. A list that always grew, of every soul admitted to Heaven. He let an anxious eye linger on the W column each time he passed by.
“Where will you go?” Castiel asked.
“I don’t know yet,” Jack answered. “But Amara says she’ll take me to see space. Like Star Wars, Cas!”
“Well, I bet you’ll enjoy that.”
Jack nodded, his eyes earnest. “I will.”
Castiel nodded back, feeling as if there were a knot inside him. Everything about this was bittersweet, pride dancing with sorrow in his heart. It was, he supposed, how every parent felt watching their child start a new chapter.
“Cas.” Jack settled a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll be back. You don’t have to worry.”
“I know. I just- I’ll miss you, Jack.”
“I know. Me too.” Jack tucked himself into Castiel’s arms, burying his face in his shoulder. Cas just held him for a while, feeling the thrum of Jack’s grace and the effervescence of his soul.
They pulled apart.
“Bye, Cas,” Jack said, hand raised in a wave.
“Goodbye, Jack.”
And he was off. Absent from here, yes, but he was around, and he would be back. And really, what was a few decades when you had eternity?
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Castiel had tried to lead Heaven before, and he’d failed each time he tried. Now, though- now, the people were happy. Cas still visited Kelly, and he visited Mary and Bobby and the Harvelles and even found that the remaining angels were starting to open up to him again. When Jack got back, Cas would have to ask him about bringing more angels back from the Empty. Balthazar, Hannah, Samandriel, Gabriel… what he wouldn’t give to see them again.
He took a page out of Jack’s book, and hoping to have an inkling of Jack’s courage, found the Novaks. He’d known forgiveness was impossible, but at least he’d said his piece.
Then, one fateful day, a new name appeared on the list:
Dean Winchester.
And Castiel watched, waiting for Sam’s name to join it, but it didn’t. It wouldn’t for years.
And somehow, he knew that was alright.
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The decades passed, and Castiel waited. He waited for Sam’s name, and he waited for Jack’s return.
Sometimes he could hear Sam praying. It varied, the things he’d say. Sometimes he just prayed to Jack, and the only reason Cas heard was because he happened to be standing in the Lobby. He was glad to know Sam was happy, and living a good, quiet life. Like he deserved.
Hey, Jack. Cas. Dean. I hope you guys are okay. I’m just- I’m really missing you. I love you.
Eileen and I got married today. I didn’t have a best man, I just couldn’t- yeah. It was a little offbeat and quiet, but it suited us, you know? Anyway. I love you guys.
I have a kid. I have a baby, and he’s- you’d all love him. I wish you’d gotten to be a big brother, Jack. You would have loved it.
Hey, Cas- Dean Jr. loves PB&J. It, uh- it makes me think of you. I miss you, buddy.
Jody passed. Bad hunt. I feel like you guys should know. I hope you’re taking good care of her up there, Jack. She deserves it.
Dean started middle school today, and I can’t believe it. Time goes by so damn fast, doesn’t it? But I, uh. I still miss you. Love you guys.
Claire and Kaia are engaged. Dean Jr’s gonna be the ring bearer. He’s so excited.
Jack- happy tenth, bud. Double digits is a big deal. I miss you.
I never thought I’d be an attendee at Sam and Castiel Fitzgerald’s grad party, but here I am. Garth insisted. Eileen got to skip out because Dean’s got a school thing this weekend, but man, are they missing some good stuff. Garth throws a killer party. Who knew?
Eileen- she’s, um. She’s sick. I just- if you’ve got a miracle in you, Jack.. I know it’s probably a lost cause. But I don’t want Dean to lose his mom. And I can’t- I just can’t. Not again.
I love you, Eileen. Give your brother-in-law a big hug for me, okay?
Dean graduated from Stanford today. I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder.
Happy 65th, old man. I miss you, jerk.
I think I’ll be seeing you soon, Dean. Hopefully you too, Jack. Cas- I don’t really know where you are, but I hope I’ll get to see you too.
I love you. Jack- make sure my son’s okay. Watch out for him, okay buddy? And keep doing great. You got this. Thank you- thanks for my life.
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Castiel watched as the name he’d been waiting for joined the list, after all this time. And he sent up a prayer of his own.
When Jack came back, as Cas knew he would, they had some family to visit.