Castiel finds all the kids hanging out in the living room and all the "adults" in the kitchen. Well, if you can consider Lucifer an adult. Castiel has a feeling he was dragged into it, probably in an effort to look somewhat good in comparison to Raphael. Why he's the standard, Castiel will never understand.

Castiel attempts to sneak by the adults and towards the kids, where he knows Gabriel will doubtlessly be hanging out, but Chuck sees him anyway.

"Oh, Castiel, you're home," Chuck observes. "Where's Gabriel?"

Where's Gabriel? But Gabriel is here. He's supposed to be here. He was in front of them. He should have gotten home sooner. And it's not as if he doesn't know the way home. So where did he go? Did he decide to ditch?

Knowing Gabriel, that's exactly what he did. If only Castiel could have ditched as well. But what does he tell Chuck to make sure Gabriel won't get in trouble for not being here? Especially if he didn't ditch, which isn't very likely. Castiel decides to just stick with the truth, because that always ends better for him. Well, usually.

"I don't know," Castiel admits. "He didn't walk back with me and Dean. Like, not right with us. But I'm sure he'll show up soon."

"Dean?" Raphael repeats in that low, accusing voice of his.

"A friend," Castiel clarifies. He knows Raphael assumes they're dating now; he does with every boy Castiel mentions and he disapproves immensely.

"Destiel?" Lucifer asks, his voice hopeful like that of a child's.

"No," Castiel answers immediately. "It's never gonna happen. You might as well give it up now."

"We'll see," Lucifer says mischievously. "On another note, you're ignoring Aunt Amara."

"Oh, sorry," Castiel says. "Hi, Aunt Amara." He gives his aunt a hug, as he does every time he sees her. He doesn't really like hugs, but he does it anyway, for her sake.

"Hi, Castiel," she replies with a kind smile. Amara is the nicest person Castiel has ever met. The thought of her ever being mean to anyone is impossible to imagine. It's probably where Raphael got his strict personality from. He likes things in order, and Amara clearly wasn't doing it herself.

"I'm gonna go hang out with the little kids," Castiel says awkwardly before walking over to the living room.

Instantly, Castiel's cousins run over to greet him. They're mostly younger — Hannah is in second grade, Ambriel is in third, Hael is in sixth, and Balthazar is in ninth. What that equates to in age, Castiel doesn't know, nor does he care.

Balthazar is the only one who doesn't hurry over to hug him. Instead, he watches with an amused grin as Castiel is overrun by girls.

"Hi, Castiel!" Hannah squeals. She lets go of him and begins jumping up and down energetically.

"Hi!" Ambriel adds with a big grin.

"Heya, Castiel," Hael says, not squeaking like the other girls. It must be part of the new middle school mind frame. It's probably also why she settles for a high five and not a hug.

"You should play with us!" Hannah tells him. "We're playing with dolls!"

Castiel has never wished for Gabriel to be here more.

"I'm gonna go talk to Balthazar..." Castiel tells her, then walks over to his cousin. He had been chatting with Samandriel; there's only a one year difference between the two, just as there is between Balthazar and Castiel. It makes it much easier to hang out with family when you have bearable cousins and siblings.

"Hey, Castiel," Balthazar greets him.

"Hey, Balthazar."

"Where's Gabriel?" Samandriel asks.

Castiel shrugs. "No clue. He should be here already. Probably just didn't want to subject himself to this."

Balthazar chuckles. "You think this is bad? Try living with them when Raphael isn't around. That's rough."

"I'm sure it is," Castiel agrees.

Castiel's phone vibrates. He pulls it out of his pocket, seeing that he's got a call.

"Dean?" Samandriel teases.

"Gabriel," Castiel replies uncertainly. He answers the call. "Hey, what's up?"

"Just wanted to let you know that I am, in fact, alive."

"Where are you?"

"Relax. I'm hanging with Sam."

"Dad is going to kill you," Castiel hisses.

"Not if he doesn't find out. Look, I'll be home in a few, but just cover for me, okay? I don't want Raphael on my case this early."

"I told them you'd be home soon. Just hurry up."

"I will," Gabriel says. "See ya."

"Yep. Bye." Castiel hangs up the phone and puts it back in his pocket.

"What happened?" Balthazar asks.

"Gabriel's hanging out with his friend," Castiel replies. "He said he'll be back soon. Here's hoping."

"Hopefully before Raphael chews him out," Samandriel adds.

"We'll see," Castiel replies.

"Until then, what do you want to do?" Balthazar asks.

"Xbox?" Samandriel suggests.

"Xbox," Castiel and Balthazar confirm.

And there begins the annual fight for the games.

~~

Gabriel comes home half an hour later. It's a very interesting definition of soon, Castiel thinks. But no one gets mad at him. It's part of his Gabriel charm. You can't get mad at Gabriel.

He struts into the living room like he owns the place. Hannah and Ambriel are fighting over Barbie dolls, Anna and Hael are about five minutes away from an epic showdown just from chatting about school, and the eldest three of the group are yelling at each other about who was responsible for everyone dying.

"Can't we all just get along?"

This gets everyone's attention. Gabriel often does. There's something about him that's just eye catching. Immediately, Hannah, Ambriel, and Hael run over to him.

"Gabriel!" Hannah and Ambriel squeal at once.

"Hi, Gabriel!" Hael adds.

"Hey, guys!" Gabriel greets them with a grin. "Do I get my hug?"

Instantly, Hannah and Ambriel wrap their arms around him. Gabriel chuckles and hugs then back for a moment before looking down at Hael. "Still waiting for my hug, Hael."

"I don't do hugs," she replies.

Gabriel gives an exaggerated gasp. "You don't do hugs?"

"No," Hael replies. "I'm too old for that."

"You're not too old!" Gabriel protests. "Who told you that? You're never too old for a hug!"

"I'm in middle school now, Gabriel," she tells him. "I don't need hugs."

"Everyone needs hugs!" Gabriel protests. "I'm in high school and I like hugs! You should meet our friend Charlie. She lives for hugs. And Garth? The hug master."

"Seriously?" Hael scoffs. "How immature are you?"

"Very, but that's not the point. Everyone still hugs in high school. Castiel's friend Dean hugs him, and he's the most popular kid in the school."

"Yeah, right."

"What?" Gabriel asks, confused as to which part that's a response to.

"Castiel is friends with the most popular kid in school? No offense intended, but I'm not buying it."

"It's true," Gabriel says. "Dean Winchester. Super cool football guy. Castiel, do you have a picture of him to emphasize why he popular? Of course you do. You're, like, besties. Come on, show her."

"One, we aren't besties," Castiel tells him. "Two, no, I don't have a picture of him."

"Then get one."

"What do you want me to do?" Castiel challenges.

"Text him and — No, wait, let's FaceTime him!" Gabriel says enthusiastically.

"No, we aren't interrupting him in the middle of god knows what," Castiel replies.

"Then I will." He tackles Castiel, which isn't very hard because the younger boy in already siting on the floor. He manages to get Castiel's phone, despite Castiel's best efforts to keep it from him, and calls Dean on FaceTime. As they wait for a response, Gabriel says, "Guys, let's chat with Castiel's friend!"

Everyone gets in the shot by the time Dean finally answers. Dean gives them a puzzled look.

"Um... Hi?"

"I believe it!" Hael says immediately.

"You better," Anna laughs.

"What's happening right now?" Dean asks.

"We're proving to Hael that you're never too old for hugs," Gabriel replies.

"That's Hael, by the way," Balthazar adds, pointing at her.

Hael waves. "Hi!"

"Hey," Dean replies, a nod of his head as a greeting.

"So, hugs, yay or nay?" Gabriel asks.

"Hugs are awesome," Dean replies.

There's a faint laugh on the other side, one that Castiel recognizes as Sam's laugh.

"What are you doing?" Sam asks.

"FaceTiming Cas and co.," he replies.

"Ooh, I want in." After a moment, Sam appear as well. "Hi, I'm Sam, Dean's brother."

"Oh my god," Hael whispers.

"Now all we need is Adam," Gabriel says with a laugh.

"If you don't mind me blowing your speakers, want me to get Adam?" Dean offers.

"Who's that?" Samandriel asks.

"Their half brother," Castiel replies. "He's your age. Maybe you'll see him at school."

"In that case, you should go find Adam," Samandriel says.

"Adam!" Dean calls loudly.

"Yeah?" comes the faint reply.

"We're stealing you!" Dean turns back to the camera. "Any moment now... There he is."

"Yeah?" Adam's uncertain voice comes through the speakers.

"We're face timing Cas and his family," Dean tells him. "You should join us."

"Alright then..." Adam appears in the frame as well. "Hi?"

"Hey, Adam," Castiel greets him.

"Hey," Gabriel adds.

"Hi," Adam replies.

"This is Samandriel," Castiel introduces him, trying not to hit anyone as he gestures to the boy.

"Hi, Adam!" Samandriel greets him.

"Hi."

"Are you going to Sioux Falls Middle School?" Adam asks hopefully.

"Bobby said so," Adam replies.

"What team?" Samandriel asks, referring to the three "teams" of kids that have the same teachers that the kids alternate through. There's one class of each level in each team.

"Um... The Wend... Wend-something."

"Wendigos," Samandriel offers with a grin. "That's my team, too!"

"What's a wendigo?" Adam asks.

"I don't know," Samandriel admits. "Some sort of weird monster thing."

"Cool."

"This FaceTime thing is annoying," Dean says. "There are, what, ten of us? Eleven? And there can only be one conversation at once. Just pointing out how inefficient this is."

"True," Gabriel agrees. "Sam should FaceTime me and Adam should FaceTime Samandriel and then it's like you're here even though you're not."

"We don't want to interrupt your family time," Sam protests.

"No, please do," Balthazar tells them. "These people are really annoying."

"Great, thanks, Balthazar," Gabriel says sarcastically, but he clearly knows it's a joke. "Anyway, FaceTime anyone?"

Adam and Samandriel exchange numbers so they can FaceTime as well.
"You know," Chuck calls from the kitchen, "if you're going to be chatting with them anyway, you could always just invite them over."

Gabriel turns to his own phone, which he's FaceTiming Sam on. "Yeah! You should come over!"

"Are you sure?" Sam asks hesitantly.

"Obviously," Gabriel replies. "Come on, come over! The three of ya! And Bobby, too, if you feel like having him come."

"Alright," Sam agrees. "I doubt Bobby will come, but we'll see. Bye! See ya!"

Gabriel grins as Sam and Dean hang up the FaceTime call. Castiel feels the same way. What better way to spend a Christmas Eve than with your friends?