milliways_bar | (no subject)

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The debriefing with Zachariah had not been pleasant.

Fortunately, he had stopped short of taking punitive action. Castiel had, after all, gone to the barn with the honest intent of doing his duty and killing Anna. None of them had foreseen her taking a gamble as big as pitting demons against her brothers.

Still, Castiel has gotten what you might call an earful of biblical proportions.

He is quite relieved to be able to take refuge in Milliways for a while.

Castiel is sitting in a booth. A mug of coffee is on the table in front of him.

It’s full. He just wants to appear occupied.

[Plotlocked: Here there be very focused and powder-keggy angels.]

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He didn't used to distrust his sister.

"I learned how to build a ship in a bottle."

"I learned how to attend a birthday party. How to fold cranes out of paper. I learned to play baseball, and, in doing to, to speak civilly to vampires. I learned that I do not like ice cream for all humans are so fond of it. I learned to take apart an automobile and put it back together again."

He has learned how to have friends here, though it was nothing he set out to do.

"Is that the sort of thing you mean?"

"It's a start," Anna says.

But, oh, he's trying to hide something.

Interesting.

He attempts to stare her down.

He's still not able to do that. Castiel attempts to take refuge in humor.

"I have not learned to cook."

"So I remember."

Flaming Easy Bake Oven.

"I did learn to cook."

She never could quite manage, as an angel. No matter how accomplished her vessel was at it.

"Don't suppose I'll need to know that any more."

"We are facing the Apocalypse. It is difficult to know what we might need to know."

Still, Castiel will admit that cooking is probably pretty far down on the list.

"Caterer of the End Times.

"And here I thought I didn't have a part to play any longer."

Castiel frowns momentarily down at the tabletop.

"It is true."

She'll never be allowed back in Heaven's ranks. Not after all she's done.

"It is a pity. You would have been an asset. Before."

"I doubt it.

"I suspect that what I would have been was dead on Cheat Mountain."

"Or perhaps you would not have led us so far into danger."

Castiel had played 'what if' a lot after that battle.

"Ecanus did not have the appropriate command experience."

"I'm flattered you think that's even a possibility, but . . . based on what I heard, I don't think so. I'm not sure what appropriate command experience for that would have been.

"She went after the leader first. She's Lilith and I'm no archangel.

"Outcome would have been largely the same. I'd be dead, someone else would be alive, and your grief for me would have been a lot cleaner.

"Seal would still have broken."

"Perhaps."

He's not sure if he'd welcome that cleaner grief or not. Though it would be so much easier.

"That was the end of our old unit. What remained of us were scattered to other groups. We were always considered the weaker for your leaving."

Tainted, almost.

Then they were an interesting choice to put on that mountain, weren't they?

"What do you want me to say, Castiel?"

Not that she necessarily say it, of course.

Castiel is quiet for several moment. A couple of times it seems as if he might be on the verge of saying something.

Finally he just sighs.

"I simply thought you might want to know what became of them."

"I heard it happen."

Ran out into the street when he order the retreat.

".....of course."

It hadn't occurred to him that she would have heard that incident specifically.

"How much have you heard? Since you started hearing?"

He's curious.

And it could be important.

Couldn't it just?

Anna looks amused.

"You don't really think I'm going to answer that, do you?"

No, he really doesn't. But he feels duty bound to try.

"Do you really have anything to lose by telling me?"

"I don't know.

"But I'm not going to take the risk.

"Knowledge is power, right? And I'm not exactly in a position to give away of what little of that I still have. Not over cold coffee at the end of the universe."

"Well. We seem to be at a stalemate."

"Neither of us really trusts the other anymore."

It saddens him, more than he expects.

"I suppose it begs the question. Where do we go from here?"

Trust may be lacking, but the habit of asking his sister for guidance is still in effect.

"Disney World."

There's a beat of silence.

Two beats.

Ten beats.

"I do not understand."

"It's all right," Anna says.

"I didn't really expect you to.

"As for where we go from here . . .

"Well, little brother, I guess we'll find out when we get there."

But how will they know when they arrive?

"You still talk like a human."

"Wishful thinking.

"See you at the next stop on the road to where ever, Cas."

And with the faint sound of rustling wings, Anna is gone.

Castiel remains unmoving for a moment, then ever so slightly slumps back in his chair.

He does not say good-bye to the empty air. He wouldn't say it even if she was still there to hear.

There's no need to.

In here or out there, he has no doubt that he will see Anna again.

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