Heaven's Blessed

by orphan_account

Summary:

Sam finds a way to bring back Gabriel.

Heaven’s Blessed

 

Life wasn’t fair. Sam had always known that. He had come to accept it, and even expect it, but sometimes the pain was just too much to cope with. During those times he wondered why he still carried on; why he refused to give up. He knew Dean felt the same way at times and yet they continued their fight. What choice did they have?

The bunker was empty right now. Jack and Lucifer were bonding and that scared the hell out of Sam. Ketch and their mom were hunting because they needed a distraction. Rowena, of all people, had taken Charlie under her wing and was ‘showing her the world’ as the witch had phrased it. Dean had taken Bobby on a road trip to show him their version of the world. Castiel had volunteered to accompany the angels from the parallel universe to heaven and to help them settle down.

So it was just him at the bunker, and although he should have felt lonely and maybe even abandoned, he didn’t. He actually welcomed the peace and quiet since it gave him a chance to say goodbye.

Dean hadn’t mentioned it. Even Castiel hadn’t brought it up, and so Sam had taken the hint and had also remained silent about Gabriel’s death. Yet, on the inside, he felt like screaming. He had lost too many people, and sometimes their deaths had been necessary, had served a purpose, but Gabriel’s death had been completely pointless. He still didn’t understand why the archangel had chosen that moment to stand up against Michael. The odds had been impossible; Gabriel must have known he couldn’t win and yet, he had faced his brother. And he had died again, and once more at the hand of one of his brothers.

It was so fucking unfair! Sam picked up a pebble, moved it about in the palm of his hand, and threw it away from him. He felt like destroying something, but stopped himself in time. He knew he had to let the anger out at some point or it would suffocate him. He pitied the monsters he would run into next. He would tear them apart, if necessary with his bare hands.

It was so fucking unfair! Sam collapsed onto the grass, rested his back against the trunk of a tree, and stared at the dark sky above. Although a myriad of stars shined down on him, and the new moon cast an encouraging warm light, he still felt like drowning in his own darkness. These emotions were suffocating him.

Until now, he hadn’t realized he had come to care deeply about Gabriel. It had happened during these last few weeks. It had started with Ketch delivering a traumatized Gabriel to the bunker. Sam had taken it upon himself to nurse him back to health. It had taken a lot of time and patience to convince Gabriel to even look or talk to him. During that time, he had started to care about the archangel. He had been so fucking relieved when Gabriel’s had grace kicked in, enabling him to destroy Asmodeus and to heal himself in the process.

Yes, he had been disappointed when Gabriel had ditched them, declaring he wasn’t a team player, but being honest with himself, he had to admit he hadn’t been surprised. He understood where Gabriel was coming from; his family had torn itself apart and the archangel had protected himself the only way he had known how; by never getting emotionally involved again. Had he stayed and joined them, Gabriel would have made himself vulnerable and the archangel hadn’t been able to take that step.

Later on, when they had been tracking Gabriel and the archangel had shown up unexpectedly, Sam had felt relieved. Even through Gabriel had been injured, Sam had been grateful, knowing the archangel was alive and coping. That Gabriel hadn’t disappeared on them after taking out Loki had astonished him, but then again, he might have expected it. Dean and he had come through; they had helped Gabriel when the archangel had needed them to back him up. Maybe it had been the first time ever that someone had actually cared enough to cover his back.

He hadn’t bought Gabriel’s line, that he was done with being the trickster because tricks were for kids. No, Gabriel had chosen to join them because they had stayed at his side. Dean and he hadn’t turned their backs on him like Michael, Raphael and Lucifer had done. That must have changed Gabriel’s perception of them and the archangel had decided to give them a chance. Gabriel had stopped running and look what it had gotten the archangel. It had gotten Gabriel killed.

Sam wished he could go back in time and change things, but he couldn’t. Michael had killed Gabriel with the archangel blade and to Sam’s knowledge that was final. No tricks would bring him back. And he hadn’t thought it possible, but he missed Gabriel. Missed his quirks, the quick wit, the pranks, even the sweet, sugary scent of candy that always seemed to cling to the archangel. He missed Gabriel period. Why had he gotten attached to the archangel? Didn’t he know yet that everyone he cared for died?

He could have accepted that Gabriel was gone if the archangel’s death hadn’t been so fucking hollow. Gabriel had died to buy them a few minutes’ time. And then what? Lucifer hadn’t even bothered to look at his dead brother. Michael had simply ignored his brother’s remains. The two dicks had only been obsessed with leaving that parallel universe. They hadn’t even had the decency to mourn their brother’s death while all Sam had wanted was to hold Gabriel and say his goodbyes, but there had been no time for that.

He‘d had to stop Lucifer from following them home and then he had stepped through the rift. He had been forced to leave the archangel behind. Gabriel’s remains were still in that fucked up dimension and he couldn’t retrieve them because Michael and Lucifer were there and he wasn’t going to give them a chance to escape their prison.

But he was determined to say his goodbyes and to do so here, beneath the starlit sky seemed fitting. The night went dark when clouds obscured the moon and blocked the silver light. Sam raised his head and stared into the night, remembering Gabriel’s teasing. God, how he missed that!

He drew in a deep breath and willed his heart to slow down for it was beating too loudly and way too fast. Mourning was a painful process, but he knew he had to do this. If he wanted to move on at some point, he had to take this step first. He had to acknowledge the anger, the pain and even the longing for something that could never be.

“Gabriel, I…” he faltered, feeling silly, but still urged on to do this, to speak the words aloud and to get it all out into a silent and uncaring night. “Gabriel, I know you can’t hear me, but I’m still sending you this prayer.” Yeah, he was going to do this. He was going to come clean. No one heard him. The angels weren’t listening, Chuck had deserted them and only the heavens above him remained.

“Gabriel, this prayer is for you. Wherever you are, I hope that you’re at peace. I wish I could say the same, but I’m not. I can’t accept this. The way you died… Yeah, you bought us time, but the price was too fucking high. If Michael had found a way into our world that would have sucked, but we would have dealt with him. We always do.”

Sam hung his head, closed his eyes, and tried to continue, no matter how much emotional pain he was in. “I know you’re gone and that you can’t come back. Still, I wished you could. This sounds corny, but I miss you. I didn’t realize how much I cared about you until you were gone. You put Dean and me through hell, and I still hate Tuesdays, but you made up for that by fighting Lucifer when he was going to kill us. You came through. You gave me hope.”

He opened his eyes just in time to see the new moon emerge from behind the dark clouds. “You let me care for you when Ketch brought you in. You allowed me to get close to you and I understand how rare a gift that was. I saw it in your eyes back then; being so damn vulnerable scared you and yet, you reached out. Thank you for that.”

His fingers clawed at the grass beneath him and it helped ground him. “You were annoying as hell at times, but I could never get mad at you. Getting to know you made me understand that not all angels are dicks. Cas is another huge exception, I know that. But in the beginning he was a sanctimonious bastard too, but he changed. You, you were different from the start.”

Sam watched the various star constellations that filled up the night’s sky. “I miss having you about. I wanted to get to know you better. I wanted to get to know the Gabriel hiding behind the trickster and I think I saw a glimpse, but that was about it. We ran out of time. I should let you go, I know that, but I’m not ready yet to do that, I’m sorry.”

He turned his head and looked at the entrance to the bunker. “I still expect you to walk down the corridor, to raid the pantry for sweets and make out in the war room.” He chuckled. “What were you thinking making out with Rowena?” He would never find out. “Was it all an act on your part or was it really you? I would have loved to find out.”

But that wasn’t going to happen. “Fuck, I can’t even pay my respects to your remains.” His eyes had started to close, but he quickly opened them. “I still see you lying there, and your wings, your fucking wings they burned the earth. I still see it. I still see you lying there, with your wings…” He had to stop and calm down his breathing. He had known Gabriel’s death had affected him, but he hadn’t fully realized the extent of his feelings. “I can’t even make a deal to bring you back. You’re gone. You were the only decent archangel out of the lot and you had to die, where’s the justice in that? Your murderer is still alive.” And killing Michael wasn’t an option either. “So fucking unfair.”

Sam realized that he didn’t even have an item to remember Gabriel by. There was nothing to prove the archangel had been real. He was left with absolutely nothing. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, as he slowly got to his feet. For the first time in his life he felt old; like he had lived too long and seen too much. Had he reached his breaking point? “I’m sorry,” he repeated as he turned toward the entrance of the bunker. He didn’t want to go back in there, but had no choice. “I’m not ready yet to let you go.”

With a heavy hart, Sam closed the bunker’s safety door behind him and switched on the alarm system. He couldn’t take any risks now that he was alone. He made his way into the war room and flashed back to Gabriel sitting there just after Ketch had brought him in. The archangel had been a real mess, had tried to hide from them and had avoided all contact. His heart grew even heavier at that particular memory.

Sam went into the kitchen and reminded himself that he ought to eat. It was midnight and the last thing he’d had was breakfast. But he wasn’t hungry. In the end he opted for something sweet, a cinnamon roll because Gabriel had liked them. He made himself some chamomile tea, knowing better than to go for alcohol in his current state of mind and took the mug with him into his room.

After stepping inside, he searched the walls for any hints of the Enochian writing Gabriel had put up there in order to share his story with them. The archangel had taken it down when he had returned to the bunker after joining the team. How Sam wished it was still there; it would have been a tangible reminder that Gabriel had existed.

He kicked off his shoes and stretched on the bed, occasionally nipping from his tea. That evening he had pleaded with a catatonic Gabriel to come back to them, to help them. He had told Gabriel he needed him and it had been the truth. He had needed Gabriel to give him hope and the archangel had heard him. He caught himself looking at the door, hoping it would open and that Gabriel would step inside, being sassy and declaring the rumors of his death had been greatly exaggerated.

But he had seen Gabriel die. He knew it was real. Gabriel was dead. Those words kept spinning in his mind. His heart felt incredibly heavy in his chest and he sighed. He would sell his soul if it would bring the archangel back. But sadly, there wasn’t a single demon willing to even listen to a deal he might offer, and he had to face it, nothing could bring Gabriel back.

In the end, Sam forced himself to finish his tea. He pulled up the blanket, wrapped it around himself. and curled up on his side. He hadn’t slept properly since their return and there was a reason for that. That first night he had woken up in a cold sweat; he had been back there and had been holding Gabriel’s lifeless body in his arms. He had been rocking the archangel, pleading with Gabriel to come back, but those empty eyes had stared brokenly at him. He had woken up with a start, relieved no one had noticed his nightmare. Since then, he’d avoided getting some sleep.

But he was alone at the bunker now and he didn’t have to worry about waking up Dean, or worrying Cas. He feared the upcoming nightmares, but Sam knew from past experience that he had to sleep at one point or else he would go insane. He closed his eyes, hugged himself close and hoped the nightmares wouldn’t cause him to go mad after all.

The end

Part 2

Sam opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. There had been no nightmares, thankfully, but there hadn’t been any dreams either. He had never experienced anything like it before. Ever since he had closed his eyes, nothingness had surrounded him. Everything around him been a big, grey, and empty space. The experience had left him on edge, though why, he didn’t know.

He actually felt rather relieved that he had forgotten to switch off the light on the nightstand when he had gone to bed, as he would have hated waking up in complete darkness.

He elbowed himself into a sitting position. He was going to make coffee in a minute, but he needed a moment to recover from that unsettling experience. It had been unsettling because he had felt cut off from life. It was hard to explain and he decided not to dwell on it much longer. In order to distract himself, Sam reached for the book on top of the little pile on the nightstand. He hadn’t had a chance to get started on them and had forgotten he had pulled them from the library.

Looking at its cover made Sam cringe. He’d searched for books regarding angelic lore, especially texts about Gabriel, as he’d been caring for the injured archangel back then. He’d figured that reading up on Gabriel might give him some insight, but he’d never gotten to chance to follow up on his reading.

He could do so now, but did he really want to drag his misery out into the open? Wouldn’t reading about Gabriel make it worse? There was only one way to find out; maybe he would even find comfort in reading about the archangel.

Sam opened the book and frowned upon seeing his name written at the top of the page. What was his name doing there? This book was old! He quickly scanned the first lines, then had to slow down and go back to reading them all over again. He couldn’t believe what he was looking at!

Sam,

If you’re reading this, I’m dead. And this time, for real, kiddo.

Sam drew in a deep breath, gripped the book really tight, and had a déjà vu, reminding him of how Dean and he had received a Casa Erotica movie courtesy of Gabriel basically telling them the same thing. They’d believed the archangel dead, but had found out later that Gabriel had staged his death. He’d been angry with Gabriel for orchestrating it that way, but had let go of his resentment when he had realized Asmodeus had tortured Gabriel all those years.

To be reading a line similar to what Gabriel had told them back then was uncanny. “How did you do this?” And more importantly, why? Had Gabriel known he’d die in that parallel universe? Had the archangel hid this text in that book knowing Sam would read it? But how could Gabriel have known he’d pick up the book to read it, instead of putting it away again in the library? Those questions had to wait. First he had to read the rest.

I don’t know how I died, but I hope it was spectacular. If not, that would suck. But that’s not what I want to talk to you about, Sammy. There are deaths even an archangel can’t recover from, but sometimes, it might be possible. You know how I died. Maybe it’s permanent, maybe it isn’t. Am I confusing you? You should know by now that I excel at confusing myself too!

Sam couldn’t help grinning. While reading the words, he could almost hear Gabriel in his mind, using that teasing tone when harassing him. In his hands, he held something tangible that proved Gabriel had lived. This book was already precious to him.

There might be a way to bring me back – if that’s what you want. I’m assuming a lot here, thinking you want me back in your life, but hey, hope dies last.

A way to bring him back? Sam was instantly alert. What was Gabriel talking about and how to achieve that? What items did he need and did he have them at the bunker?

I’ll be honest – it’ll only work if you really want me to come back. You can’t fake it. The spell will know the truth. So please consider this very carefully before you continue.

There was nothing to consider. Why was Gabriel stalling?

Also, a word of caution. This hasn’t been tried before. When Castiel returned, it was because dad remade him. Castiel is in a league of his own. This spell wasn’t designed to bring back an angel, let alone an archangel. So I can’t guarantee it’ll work. If you try this and it won’t work, don’t feel too bad, Sammy. In that case it wasn’t meant to be and not something you did wrong, understand me? Don’t blame yourself should this fail, promise me.

“I promise,” Sam whispered and grinned madly. “Now tell me what I want to know.” On paper, Gabriel was equally annoying!

Okay, here it goes. You’ll need a silver chalice. I’m sure you have something similar at the bunker. Next, holy oil. Here comes the not so pleasant part – you’ll have to bleed for me, Sammy.

“Well, I don’t mind bleeding for you,” Sam said smugly. He had no problem donating his blood if that meant getting the archangel back. “Come on, give me the rest of the ingredients.” He was getting excited; he couldn’t help it. There was still hope for Gabriel to return!

Your blood goes into the holy oil. This is why you really have to want it. It’ll fuel the spell.

“No problem, it’ll work,” Sam said confidently. Eager, he read on.

“Then you need something of mine to add to the mix. Turn the page, Sammy.

Sam didn’t think twice and turned the page at once. He blinked in surprise, find a lock of blond hair between the pages. He touched it reverently, retrieved it, and held onto it, making sure it was secure and couldn’t slip away.

Strictly speaking it’s not mine, but my vessel’s, but it should work. Drop the hair in as well and set fire to the holy oil. Then speak the magic words – no, not abracadabra- but the spell listed below. I’ve got the feeling you can read Latin.

Sam easily pictured Gabriel winking at him at that point and giving him a crooked grin. He scanned the spell, which proved no problem. It was basically an invocation to resurrect the archangel. Yeah, it would work! It had to, Sam thought fervently.

As I said earlier, this hasn’t been done before, so I don’t know if it’ll work. I don’t know how it’ll work, either, meaning, I have no idea what form I’ll return in, how quickly, or in what condition. You’ll have to keep that in mind, that is, if you want to do this. This is your decision, Sam, yours alone. I left this for you to find because I thought you had come to care about me, which is a first. You know my brothers hate my guts.

Again, Sam could picture Gabriel looking sad, but hopeful. “I won’t let you down,” he promised.

Sam, as far as I know the souls of angels, and archangels, go to the Sheol, or as Castiel knows it, the big empty. It’s said to be peaceful there. I’d be asleep and I won’t suffer. So, whatever you decide, know that I accept your decision. No pressure, Sammy, none at all, you hear me?

“Yeah, I do, loud and clear.” Gabriel wanted to come back, no matter what the archangel said. Why else would Gabriel have left him this message otherwise? Could it really be this easy? Just create the concoction and execute the spell? That would bring Gabriel back? He found that hard to believe; no way would he be that lucky.

Oh, I should probably say I’m sorry for getting you caught in that time loop. Honestly, I never wanted to kill Dean that many times, but… Okay, I’ll stop justifying myself and just apologize instead. I’m sorry for making you hate Tuesdays and for putting you on that nutcracker show, but your face was kinda funny… Sorry, me bad again. Sam, if this is goodbye, then don’t feel bad about it. You might as well know that I have a little soft spot for you, Moose.

Gabriel.

Stunned, Sam noticed his vision briefly going in and out of focus; was he really crying? No fucking way! He angrily wiped at his tears. He needed to concentrate and couldn’t let get Gabriel’s sentimental crap get to him. “I’m going to kick your ass so badly when you get back, Gabriel! I’m going to make sure you stop those suicide missions of yours. I’ll see to that.”

Sam jumped out of the bed, tightly holding onto that precious lock of hair. If that spell failed it wouldn’t be because of lack of determination on his part!

===

Sam placed the silver chalice on the table in the war room. Finding it had been ridiculously easy, as the bunker harbored a multitude of artifacts. Holy oil was no problem either as Cas made sure they had an acceptable supply. He poured the holy oil into the chalice and grabbed the knife he’d brought along, cutting his arm and drawing blood, which dripped into the holy oil. Gabriel hadn’t specified what amount of blood was needed and Sam decided to add a bit more, just to be on the safe side.

After wrapping up his arm, he reverently picked up the lock of fair hair and caressed it with his fingertips before dropping it into the mixture. Nothing happened; although he had hoped for some sign that he was doing this right.

Checking the text, he found he had to set the holy oil on fire first before voicing the spell. He had taken his time studying the spell, rehearsing it, and making sure he got the pronunciation right. He only had one shot at this since the lock of Gabriel’s hair was burning right now.

Sam exhaled deeply, concentrated, and spoke the words, making painfully sure he got it right. Once he had finished, he waited, hoping for some sign after all, but nothing happened. There was no smoke, no lightning or thunder, no earthquake. Nothing.

Nothing had changed. He still stood in the war room – all alone, no Gabriel in sight. The holy oil burned, creating an appalling stench, but that was about it. Had the spell worked? How would he know?

What if it hadn’t? Gabriel had mentioned that he wasn’t sure if the spell had the power to bring him back. And maybe getting killed with an archangel blade meant a permanent death after all? Would it make a difference that Gabriel’s vessel was still stuck in that alternate reality? So many questions and he didn’t even have an answer to a single one of them.

Getting his hope up had probably been the wrong thing to do. He should have known that this wouldn’t work. Nothing in his life ever did!

“Fuck it,” he cursed angrily. “I want him back!” He wanted the spell to work, willed it to work, but still, nothing happened. He was tempted to lash out at the chalice and sweep it off the table, but he wouldn’t do that, not as long as he felt a tiny bit of hope that it might work after all. Gabriel had said that he had no idea how long it would take for him to be resurrected. Maybe he should be patient instead.

But he sucked at that. He wanted Gabriel back right now. He didn’t want having to wait, having to deal with not knowing if the spell had worked. “Damn you,” he whispered angrily, not even sure whom he was addressing; Gabriel, himself, or fate in general. “I need you, Gabriel. I need you to come back!” He had no idea why he wanted this so badly and wasn’t going to question his feelings at that point. He had to know if the spell worked before he dived into that abyss of confused emotions.

Feeling defeated and upset because the spell had failed, Sam went into the kitchen, grabbed a beer, and settled down in a chair in the war room. The holy oil was still burning and he watched until it finally burned itself out. There was nothing left for him to hold onto now.

Maybe he should just get drunk. Maybe that would kill the pain, but he doubted it. It had never worked before.

TBC

Part 3

Pain suddenly exploded from deep within him. Wings of liquid fire enveloped him and almost caused him to burn. Something kept the fire at a distance though, ensuring the flames merely licked at the surface, but didn’t invade his being. He wanted to scream out in anguish, but found he had no voice. There was silence all around him and not a single sound could be heard.

He wasn’t even sure he had a body, but if he didn’t, why did it hurt so much? His bones ached as they realigned, organs started pumping blood and suddenly he was able to breathe again. He instantly regretting breathing in, as fire invaded his lungs, causing him to choke up in a panic .

Suddenly he was able to see again. Had he even had eyes a moment ago? He opened his mouth, which he hadn’t realized he actually had and screamed out in his pain, but the emptiness around him quickly swallowed any sound he made. Suspended in nothingness, he was convinced that he had finally lost his mind. This couldn’t be happening. Where was he? What kind of hell was this?

He struggled, trying to get back in control of his rebuilding body, but he’d forgotten how to lift his arms or move his legs and he fell into the void below him. There was nothingness above him as well. Disorientated and scared, he fought on. He wasn’t going to simply give up. Someone needed him. Someone had prayed to him and demanded his return. That person cared about him and he had to answer those summons. That need compelled him to fight and so he struggled on.

His back hurt the most. An intense pressure was ripping him apart and the pain originated from beneath his shoulder blades. It felt like someone was tearing him in two and suddenly he was moving up in the air, climbing higher and higher. An upward draft pulled him along and he moved along, desperate to leave this dreadful place. It didn’t matter how he escaped, as long as he got out!

Clawing the air with his fingers, he tried to hold onto something that wasn’t there. Unexpectedly, sound filled the emptiness and he was forced to cover his ears, as the voice vibrated all around him; much too loudly and awfully sharp. It definitely wasn’t pleased with him and he felt like being attacked. It was horrid and frightening, scolding him and telling him to go back to sleep, to stop fighting. But then everything changed. The terrifying voice faded away and another voice called out to him instead. This time, it was demanding, needy, and above all, filled with concern and affection for him.

“Damn you! I need you, Gabriel. I need you to come back!”

His body convulsed; the sound too unexpected and too much to deal with. And who was this Gabriel? Who wanted him back and why?

Gabriel – the name actually sounded familiar to him, as if he should know it. Gabriel.. Wasn’t that his name? They called him Gabriel, didn’t they? And who were they? His head hurt; it started at his temples and the pain radiated all the way to the back of his head, only to spiral down his neck and into his shoulder blades, where the pain was still building.

The pain was almost unbearable, but he didn’t give up. Someone needed him. Someone wanted him back. Someone had prayed to him! Prayed to him? For one moment his movements stilled. The pain paused and the void around him filled with expectation. Why would anyone pray to him? Whom did one pray to?

To angels, he suddenly realized, because that was what he was. An archangel to be precise and his name was Gabriel. Someone was praying to him and urging him to come back. And the emotion behind those summons was strong, incredibly strong.

He had to fight. The void however didn’t want to let him go. It was holding him down and pressuring him into giving up. His agony worsened and he cried out in distress as he started falling again. He managed to catch himself somehow, but the price was high, as another wave of intense pain washed through him, leaving his back aching and bruised.

He had to get out of here. He had to find his way back to…

That voice, he knew that voice; he had heard it before. That voice, to whom did it belong? He had to remember; he had to find his memories! The void was fighting him, trying to hide that information from him, but he persevered and eventually there it was. A name. A single name.

“Sam,” he said and his voice bounced off the empty, suddenly filling it, making the void pulsate with sound. “Sam Winchester.” His voice sounded alien to himself and he wasn’t even sure how he could possibly be talking in here, but he had done it. He had spoken that name aloud, forcing the emptiness to acknowledge it.

He felt its deep anger, sharp and lethal, but he wasn’t going to let it stop him. He had a purpose now. He had to find Sam. He didn’t know how he was doing it, but he was somehow propelling himself through the void, desperately searching for the way out. There had to be a way to escape from this…

And then it hit him. He knew where he was. He had died and his soul had gone to the Sheol, which wasn’t a good thing. As far as he knew, that place had been designed to keep the souls in, not out. But he also knew there was usually an escape from a place like this; he just had to find it. Gabriel forced himself to calm down and fight his panic. Making decisions with a troubled mind like that would backfire on him. He had to be calm and practical.

Suspended in the air, he took a moment to take in the void around him. “Not quite empty,” he whispered, growing aware of a presence; powerful and watching him, studying him. “Show yourself,” he demanded. He didn’t know if the presence would acknowledge his request. He was an archangel though, quite powerful in his own right, and still possessed a trickster’s cunning if necessary. “I’m leaving this place and you can’t stop me!”

“There’s a price to pay. Are you prepared to pay it?”

The voice sounded hollow and uncaring. It echoed all around him, warning him of its power and relentlessness.

“Be careful what you wish for.”

Gabriel snorted. “There’s always a price to pay. Nothing comes for free. As long as I’m the one suffering because of it, I’ll take the deal. No one else needs to suffer because of it.”

“I didn’t take you for the self sacrificing type,” the voice mocked him.

“Well, apparently there’s a lot about me you don’t know. Now let me go.” Sam’s summons were incredibly strong. He’d hoped the young man would care enough to bring him back, but the emotions fuelling that spell went beyond concern. Their intensity stunned him. He’d never realized the truth before.

“Well, it might be quite amusing to see how this will turn out and sooner or later, you’ll come back here.”

Gabriel sensed the presence’s surrender; it would let him go. “I accept and will suffer the consequences. Now let me go. I need to go back. He’s waiting for me.“

“So it will be,” the presence commented in an emotionless voice.

Below him, something changed. The dark grey swirls of nothingness faded and instead the sun appeared. It’s warm, golden light guided him and Gabriel dove toward it. He had no idea how he did that. The only thing that mattered was reaching it and returning to earth.

The sun burned him, caused a sizzling sensation on his skin and ate away at his flesh, but he pushed on and finally, the scorching heat vanished. Instead, a chilling cold assailed him and feeling it on his already damaged skin almost caused him to lose consciousness, but he continued his descend. He couldn’t stop now.

And then he was falling. His body had frozen and he was unable to maneuver it. He surrendered and let the wind guide him. It slowed down his fall and softened the blow when he finally hit the earth. A huge ball of celestial energy filled the sunlight sky and he braced for impact as much as possible.

When he finally came to a halt, his body ached in ways he hadn’t known it could. His mind was liquid and way too solid at the same time. He had to remember how to do that; how to occupy a human vessel. It took concentration; a lot of focus, but he managed. He managed to contain the primordial energy inside him and regained his old control. His vessel was a different matter though. Pain ripped through him and it proved too much. After everything he had just been through, he needed time to recover. Losing consciousness, he gave in to the urge to rest.

TBC

Part 4

Sam listlessly poked at his lunch. He’d made sandwiches and a salad, reminding himself to eat, even though he didn’t feel like it. Four hours had passed by since he had executed the spell and it was fair to say that it had failed. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened and Sam was angry with himself. He must have done the spell wrong. Maybe he had mispronounced a word? Or had he added to little blood to the oil?

But what use was there in driving himself insane like that? He couldn’t try the spell again as he didn’t have anything left belonging to Gabriel. That lock of hair was all he’d had. There wasn’t going to be a second chance, damn it, and it was his fault!

Suddenly he remembered Gabriel making him promise not to feel guilty should the spell fail and he’d made that promise, thinking that the spell would work. He hadn’t allowed himself to think about failure.

Sam managed a few more bites of the sandwich, washed it down with coffee, and shoved the plate far away from him. He couldn’t manage more. He already felt nauseous for having failed Gabriel.

He was about to sip from his coffee again when the earth rocked beneath him. The bunker’s windows lit up with some strange light and somewhere, glass shattered. What the hell? This wasn’t earthquake territory! So what had caused it? Something quite powerful, as it had made the bunker’s very foundations shake.

He wasn’t surprised to find the alarms kicking in. Sam made his way over to the control panel and studied the readings. Whatever the alarm had picked up on, it was still outside of the bunker. Sam was relieved the threat hadn’t made it inside yet.

He picked up his revolver, added an angel blade to be on the safe side, and memorized the parameters showing the disturbance. It was only a hundred meter outside of the bunker. Since he was the only one currently staying at the bunker, it was up to him to check on it, so Sam climbed the staircase and headed for the exit.

===

The degree of destruction was impressive. A large part of the wilderness surrounding the bunker had been destroyed during the impact. Burning trees and bushes told of the severity of that collision. A large hole had formed in front of the bunker. The scorched earth had turned black and smoke was still rising from the pit. He hoped it wasn’t a doorway to hell that had opened and shivered.

Sam slid his angel blade into his hand, just to be on the safe side. Feeling a bit more confident, he advanced on the crash site. He remembered Cas once crashing into the earth and leaving behind similar destruction. But the angel was currently in heaven, helping sort out the mess there. Could it be Jack? Was the nephilim in trouble? Had Lucifer somehow threatened him and had Jack made a run for it? But that didn’t seem likely either. So what was it?

Carefully advancing, Sam hovered near the edge and tried to get a first glance at the bottom of the crater beneath him. The rising smoke made it hard to tell if there was something down there, so he lowered himself into the crater. It was probably a dumb thing to do, but at that point his curiosity had gotten the better of him. The foul smoke caused him to cough and he covered his mouth, already regretting his decision. Still he continued his way down. At times, it felt like descending into hell and he had to remind himself that this was hopefully just a hole in the ground.

The smoke started to clear and Sam made out a form just below him. He didn’t know what to make of it though. He halted, studied it, and shook his head in disbelief. This couldn’t be happening! But yes, large wings covered the form beneath them. The wings had been scorched, blackened by fire, but beneath the damage, he found golden, silver, and white feathers. Some scorched, some still burning and some broken, sticking out at weird angles.

Sam swallowed hard. What the hell? How could these wings be real? So far he’d only seen shadows of wings, hinting at their presence, but their existence had never been confirmed. Even Cas had told them that angels didn’t actually have wings – not the kind humans thought angels possessed. And yet, these were definitely wings!

Sam carefully made his way over to the fallen form, keeping his distance until he knew what he was dealing with. Blond hair showed from beneath the wings and large scale burns covered parts of the body. Whatever had happened, it had almost destroyed the angel.

Angel or archangel? Sam’s heart suddenly missed a beat. Had his spell worked after all? “Gabriel?” His voice shook as he went down on one knee next to the fallen angel. “Is it you?” He cringed; this angel looked more dead than alive. If this was the spell’s work, he had done it wrong!

Although a part of him feared learning the truth, another had to know if Gabriel had returned to him. With the utmost care, he turned the angel onto his side so he could get a look at his face. For one long moment time stood still; then he recognized Gabriel’s features beneath the burns and bruises. What the hell had happened to the archangel? “I’m sorry,” he said, cringing at the severity of Gabriel’s injuries.

He was sorry for getting the spell wrong, but was relieved beyond measure to have Gabriel back. “I don’t know what happened, but you’re safe now.” He carefully touched one of Gabriel’s injured wings and flinched violently, as his fingertips came away with blood. “I have to get you into safety,” he realized, startled.

How was he going to get Gabriel out of the crater? There was only one way; he had to carry him. He counted on the adrenaline currently flooding his system to sustain him. “I’ll be careful.” The spell had worked; he still had a hard time believing it, but Gabriel was back. Hurt and unconscious, but the archangel had found his way back! The next part was up to him.

===

Sam carefully placed Gabriel on the grass and looked into the pit they had emerged from. He had no idea where he had found the strength to get them out, but he had managed. The wings had proven the biggest problem. They were heavy, impossible to maneuver, and Sam had cursed his own clumsiness more than once, causing those wings to smash against the walls of the crater, drawing a painful moan from Gabriel’s lips.

But he’d had no other choice and they had made it. Sam collapsed next to the archangel and needed a moment to catch his breath. Thankfully it was only a short walk back to the bunker. While recovering from the climb, Sam searched the archangel’s body for additional injuries. Parts of Gabriel’s legs had carried severe burns, his right arm and shoulder were a mess and blood flowed from a head wound. The wings were in a bad way too, but Sam had no way of knowing how severe those injuries were.

Gabriel had fucking wings. Sam, fighting a bout of hysteria, chuckled. He had always envisioned angels having gorgeous wings and had been hugely disappointed when Cas had set him straight on that. Then he sobered and calmed down. Yes, Gabriel had wings and parts of them had been burned. Just what had happened to the archangel?

Sam, finding strength and determination he didn’t think he had left, pushed his arms beneath Gabriel’s back and knees, and managed to lift him, even in spite of the weight of those wings pulling him down and almost making him topple over. No, he wasn’t going to let Gabriel down. He was going to take him into safety and tend to those wounds. Nothing and no one was going to stop him.

Once he had a tight grip on the unconscious archangel, Sam started walking, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. All the while, constantly reminding himself not to drop Gabriel, who was growing heavier in his arms. No, he was going to do this, damn it! He gritted his teeth and marched on, entering the bunker after what seemed an eternity.

Descending the staircase presented him with another challenge, since the wings got in the way. They were limp, heavy, and moved whenever Sam did. He had no control over them and neither did Gabriel, who was still out of it. Sam flinched at seeing the tips of those scorched wings drag along the floor. “I’m sorry,” he whispered again. He wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for, but saying the words made him feel better.

Calling up the last remnants of his strength, sheer resolve enabled Sam to reach his bedroom, where he somehow managed to place Gabriel on the bed. He had to settle the archangel on his stomach, as the wings prevented Gabriel from lying down on his back. His knees eventually gave out of him and he collapsed on the floor next to the bed. Sam raised a shaky arm and rested his hand on Gabriel’s shoulder, still marveling at those wings.

“I don’t understand,” he admitted as he carefully touched the feathers, hoping his touch wouldn’t wake Gabriel, and the archangel thankfully remained unconscious. “Cas said you guys don’t have actual wings.” Then why did Gabriel have them?

“It doesn’t matter,” he concluded in the end. “I’m so fucking happy to have you back.” But the condition the archangel currently was in greatly worried him. “I have to take care of those burns.” And he had to sort out those damaged wings. But how? He had no experience in tending to them. Well, he had to be a quick study then, because Gabriel would be in pain the moment the archangel woke up.

===

Sam felt sickened to his stomach when he realized just how badly injured Gabriel was. He tended to the burns, rubbing soothing ointment on them, a recipe courtesy of Bobby’s, which had always worked wonders for Dean and him. He doubted Gabriel would heal fast though. His angelic healing ability seemed repressed at the moment and Sam hoped it would eventually kick in.

Checking on the head wound, he succeeded in stopping the bleeding for now. Then he tackled the injured wings. He had no idea what he was doing and if it was helping, but he did his best. His fingertips trailed along the feathers, smoothing them and trying to remove the ones that had been burned. He was surprised to happen upon bone beneath the feathers, but then chided himself. Those feathers had to be attached to something. Although he felt like trespassing his fingertips moved along and found that the wings sprouted from beneath Gabriel’s shoulder blades.

He disinfected the wounds, smoothed the feathers once more, and tried to right those wings the best he could. After tending to the right wing, he moved onto the left and repeated the procedure. He lost himself in grooming them, losing all sense of time. Once he was done, he felt exhausted. They were heavy and handling them had tired him.

Cringing, Sam realized he wasn’t done yet. He still hadn’t tended to the wounds covering Gabriel’s front. Although he was tired and his hands trembled due to exhaustion, he told himself to carry on. Carefully, making sure he wasn’t putting any pressure on the worst burns, Sam maneuvered Gabriel onto his side.

Gabriel being naked helped him assess the damage more easily. The archangel’s right arm and shoulder, part of his chest, and legs had carried away burns and Sam tended to them as well. He paused regularly to get the tremors shaking his hands back under control. He wasn’t sure what was causing them; exhaustion or the shock of seeing Gabriel in such a bad way.

“No,” Sam admonished himself sharply. “Gabriel wanted me to bring him back. The message said that he didn’t know if and how the spell would work.” Like Gabriel, he had accepted the risks involved and he had to keep in mind that these injuries would eventually heal. He had to hold on to the bigger picture here; Gabriel was back. They had managed the impossible.

Sam had a hard time believing that they had actually succeeded. He still expected to wake up from this dream, to find himself alone in the room with Gabriel still stuck in limbo.

After tending to the last, horrific burn, Sam seated himself on the side of the bed. He rested his back against the head board and stared dazedly at the archangel resting next to him. In an attempt to convince himself that this was real, and not a fucking dream, he solemnly rested his hand on Gabriel’s arm, soothingly rubbing the skin there.

Yes, this was real. Gabriel was warm and soft beneath his touch and Sam let go. His eyes filled with tears, which slowly flowed down his face. “Thank you,” he whispered, his words half a prayer, half gratitude. “Thank you for coming back to me, Gabriel.” Looking at the archangel resting next to him, reality overwhelmed him. “You’re back,” he repeated. “You’re back.”

Gabriel unexpectedly stirred against him and then those eyes opened, staring at him wonder… and pain.

TBC

Part 5

“Gabriel,” Sam whispered and flinched at seeing the amount of pain staring right back at him.

He closed his eyes again, trying to rein in the pain, but his body was on fire. Why did his back hurt that much? And where was he?

“Gabriel, can you open your eyes for me? I need to know how you’re doing. How can I help?” Sam forced himself to radiate calm and control for that was what Gabriel needed right now. Panicking wouldn’t get him anywhere. Sam moved until he was stretched on his side, hoping to make eye contact again. Looking up at him had to be painful for Gabriel.

He opened his eyes because he’d registered the pleading tone. Blinking dazedly, he tried to make sense of what was happening. Where was he? Who was this man? And what had happened? And the pain, why was there so much pain? Tremors shook his body and his hands turned into fists; his fingernails digging into the palm of his hands. The pain was overwhelming.

“Gabriel? Can you talk to me? Can you hear me?” Sam’s worries increased now that the archangel wasn’t responding. “Gabriel?” The expression in those expressive, brown eyes was one of utter confusion. Sam tried to make sense of what was happening; why would Gabriel react in this way? In the end, he reached a startling conclusion. Was it possible Gabriel didn’t know who he was? “Do you know who you are?” he asked. Coming back to life had apparently taken a huge toll on the archangel. Maybe Gabriel had a hard time remembering who he was?

He wasn’t sure. He’d known his name once. They call me Gabriel. The voice echoing in his mind sounded familiar. Yes, that was his name. They called him Gabriel. “I’m Gabriel,” he managed weakly. His memory was frighteningly blank, but at least he’d remembered his name.

“Yeah, you’re Gabriel.” Sam was beginning to understand what was going on. He’d been right; coming back had been hard on the archangel and Gabriel was still recovering from that ordeal. “I’m Sam, remember me?”

Sam… Yes, the name sounded familiar and important. Not so long he had said that name aloud. Someone named Sam had called out for him, had demanded his return. “You’re Sam,” he realized, assembling another piece of a still incomplete puzzle. He knew this man; they had been friends. His memory was only returning slowly, showing him merely bits and pieces and not the whole picture, which was extremely frustrating.

Sam allowed himself to smile in relief. He wanted to touch Gabriel and reassure the archangel that he was safe, but wasn’t sure his touch was welcome, so he kept his hands to himself. “The spell worked. You came back.”

The spell? What spell? Gabriel closed his eyes. He was so damn tired and his entire body ached. He didn’t have the energy to think, let alone talk.

“It’s okay,” Sam said quickly, picking up on Gabriel’s exhaustion. “You need to rest. We’ll talk later.” He should know better than to further drain the injured archangel. “I’ll stay and watch over you.” He’d done so before when Gabriel had been recovering from Asmodeus’ torture. “Rest, get some sleep. I’m here.”

Sam didn’t realize his fingers were moving through Gabriel’s hair until he encountered the bandage he’d applied to cover the archangel’s head wound. His first instinct was to pull away, but then he reconsidered, seeing the tired expression on Gabriel’s face. The archangel seemed to find comfort in that touch and some of the tension lines on his brow lessened.

Gabriel was tired and the constant pain coursing through his body exhausted him further, but Sam’s touch helped bear the discomfort. He sighed softly, made himself as comfortable as possible and stopped fighting, allowing himself to fall asleep.

Sam moved a little closer, needing the contact to ground himself. He didn’t know what Gabriel had been through, but by the looks of it, the archangel’s return had been a hard fought battle. He would find out eventually. Until then, he would watch over his archangel.

===

Sam uncovered his phone at the second beep, quickly checked the caller’s ID, and answered it before the ringtone could wake up Gabriel. Whispering, he said, “Hey, Dean.” He’d expected his brother to check in on him sooner or later.

“Hey, Sammy!”

Dean sounded too damn chipper to Sam. “Where are you?”

“I’ve dropped off Bobby. Ketch and mom are taking him along and I’m on my way home. Just wanted to let you know to expect me at the bunker in forty-eight hours. Man, that was one weird trip!”

“Yeah, I can imagine getting used to Bobby again takes time,” Sam said, understanding Dean’s excitement only too well. “Things have been interesting here as well,” he added, working up to telling Dean about the spell.

“What do you mean?” What kind of trouble had his brother gotten himself into this time and how to get Sam out again?

In the back, ACDC was running – loudly. It looked like his brother was taking full advantage of having his car to himself again, Sam mused. In a constantly changing universe, it was good to know some things never changed!

“Sammy?” Dean was getting impatient. Sam stalling was never a good thing and made him fear the worst. Hopefully his little brother was safe.

“I found a spell that brought back Gabriel,” Sam said, going for the direct approach. He held his breath while awaiting Dean’s reaction.

“What, say that again?” Dean turned down the volume and parked the car at the side of the road so he could focus on their conversation. He must have misheard.

“Remember the video Gabriel left for us back then?”

“Yeah, I do,” Dean admitted. He had never been able to watch Casa Erotica again without his thoughts straying back to Gabriel. “Sammy, spill it!”

“He did something similar this time too. He left me a message; telling me about a spell that might bring him back. I executed it and it worked- kinda. There were some unexpected side effects.”

“Sam, stop beating around the bush, what’s wrong? What happened?” Dean stopped himself just in time; he’d wanted to ask Sam what he’d done wrong this time and how Dean was going to fix it, but if he’d learned one thing, it was that the two of them were in this together.

“Like I said, the spell worked. Gabriel is back. We have a crater in our backyard which looks like it might be a gate to hell, but that’s a minor problem.”

Dean sighed, rolled his eyes, and counted to ten. He didn’t care about fucking craters. “What’s wrong?”

“Gabriel. He’s injured and has trouble remembering. I suspect everything will work out once he starts recovering, but at the moment he’s in a bad way. He’s burned and bruised and his wings –“

Dean stopped him right there. “Wings, Sammy?” Had Sam really said wings?

“Yeah, he has wings, Dean. They’re the real deal, lots of feathers.” Sam chuckled softly and his fingers tenderly stroked the down feathers. He had no idea if each section of feathers went by a specific name. He had to wing it for now. “The feathers are mostly gold, although the ones on the bottom are white and in-between silver and the wings are huge, Dean. They’re beautiful, but damn inconvenient. I had to carry him home and they got in the way.”

Dean had a hard time believing the things Sam was telling him, but knew his brother wasn’t making this up, as he distinctly caught awe in Sam’s voice. “He’s got freaking wings?”

“And they’re damaged,” Sam reminded his brother. “I’ve tried to sort them out, but they’re a mess. Maybe I should give Cas a call?”

“I’m not certain he knows what to do about that, but sure, you go ahead and call him. I asked him a few times about angel’s wings, but he maintained they were just energy and not corporal. I doubt he’s been lying to me, so maybe this is something else? Something new?”

“I’ll give Cas a call then,” Sam decided, but not quite yet. He wanted Gabriel to himself a little longer. “So you are on your way home?”

“Yeah, but it will take me at least two days to get there, so you have to look after Gabriel on your own. Or call in Cas,” Dean added. But Sam sounded like he had this under control. “Sammy, about the spell…”

Sam chuckled, knowing damn well what his brother wanted to know. “No black magic, no deal, nothing to worry about. It was basically an invocation for him to return. Minimal ingredients’ list, some holy oil, my blood, and a lock of hair Gabriel left for me to find.”

Dean felt relieved. “That’s good to hear. Hey, send me a picture, will you? I want to see those damn wings!” Fuck, it was good to have Gabriel back, even battered and bruised. He’d hated losing Gabriel. The archangel had picked the wrong time to stand up to Michael, and although he understood why Gabriel had done it, in hindsight Dean wished he had made Gabriel stay at the bunker, or at the very least, had stopped the archangel from going after Michael.

Maybe he’d still get his chance to tell Gabriel that he had been wrong about the archangel. A long time ago, he had accused Gabriel of being a coward, of being too scared to stand up to his family. Dean now realized that he’d been shooting off his mouth because of his youth. Back then, he’d been way too quick to judge people. Knowing what he did now, he’d gained a more profound understanding of what had made Gabriel choose exile and the archangel had gained his respect. When Gabriel had died, Dean had died a little as well.

“I’m not sure,” Sam replied and studied the sleeping archangel next to him. Those wings felt oddly private and he wasn’t sure he wanted pictures around showing Gabriel’s vulnerable state.

“Come on, Sam, it’s me. I promise to be discrete.” Dean had a pretty good idea what was going on in his brother’s head.

“Fine,” Sam conceded. It took some time getting the angle right, but then he sent Dean the requested picture.

Dean accessed it and swallowed hard. It was true. He recognized Gabriel’s features and cringed in sympathy at seeing the injuries. The burns looked downright nasty and had to be painful. But those wings… Even folded, Dean could guess their span had to be huge. “Why are some of his feathers scorched?” he asked, honing in on details.

“I can only guess,” Sam reminded his brother. “Gabriel hasn’t said much, just his name. But I reckon he had to fight on his a way back and it got nasty. And yeah, some feathers got burned in the process. I tried my best, but I have no experience in tending to wings. Do you?”

Dean shook his head, then realized Sam couldn’t see it. “No, I don’t. Cas says he doesn’t have any, or he’s keeping them hidden. I have no idea! We never met an angel with actual wings before.” Gabriel looked at peace in his sleep, but would be in a lot of pain when he woke up. “You take good care of him, Sam. He deserves a second chance after Michael killing him.” He hated that son of a bitch! Michael had killed Gabriel without giving it a second thought. They were brothers for crying out loud!

“I will,” Sam promised. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Yeah, keep me informed,” Dean said and terminated the connection. Since he was still parked on the side of the road, he closed his eyes. “Thanks,” he whispered to no one in particular. “Thanks for bringing him back. He didn’t deserve to die that way.” After keying the ignition again, he steered the Impala back onto the highway. This time, his heart felt more at peace while heading home.

TBC

Part 6

Calling Cas was most definitely on Sam’s to do list, but he found himself stalling. Once he called the angel, Cas would pop down and his chance to have some time alone with Gabriel gone. So he debated waiting longer, but then he admitted to himself that one of the reasons the archangel was in pain were his damaged wings. And he didn’t know how to fix those, Cas however might.

So in the end, Sam dialed Cas number, hoping there was reception in heaven. He didn’t have to wait for long.

“Sam, what’s happened?”

Sam smiled. The fact that Dean and Cas’ reactions were so fucking similar these days no longer surprised him. Those two spent all their time together and Dean’s mannerisms had rubbed off on the angel. “Can you come to the bunker? I need your help.”

“Is that really necessary? It’s still a mess up here.”

Cas sounded reluctant, which didn’t surprise Sam and he was inclined to give in, but then Gabriel moved his right wing, making the archangel moan in pain. “It’s necessary, trust me. You don’t have to stay for long. I only need some advice.” Sam had barely finished speaking when there was a rustling sound, followed by Cas stepping into his bedroom.

“Sam, I…” Castiel stopped moving, froze, and stared in disbelief at the two forms occupying the bed. He’d expected to find Sam there, but not… “Gabriel?” From where he stood, he easily identified the archangel’s features, but his mind was telling him that such a thing was impossible. Michael had killed Gabriel using an archangel blade. As far as he knew, such a death was permanent.

“Yeah, it’s him and I need your help. He’s hurt and I tended to his burns, but his wings are a different matter.” Sam watched Cas closely and realized the angel hadn’t really registered the wings yet.

Castiel actually blinked. Wings. Gabriel actually had wings! “I don’t understand,” he stammered, taken aback. “This is impossible.” He took a step closer to the bed, then halted again. It was his brother all right; the archangel’s grace felt familiar and burned strongly, but those wings mystified him.

“Cas, we need to sort them out. He’s in pain because they’re injured.” Sam however, feared Cas was equally clueless. Cas’ surprise at seeing them and his stunned disbelief led Sam to believe that the angel had no idea what was going on either.

“Angels don’t have wings, I told you that,” he reminded Sam as he carefully advanced on the bed. “Not in a physical way.” How then was it possible for Gabriel to have them? Castiel knelt next to the bed and his hand hovered above the archangel, trying to assess the damage. “What happened here? Tell me,” he demanded.

Sam sighed and told Cas about the spell, about his fear that it hadn’t worked, and then the crater outside. “I brought him here and took care of his injuries and he’s been resting ever since.” Cas had always told him that angels never slept, but Gabriel had gone to sleep in that motel room after Fenrir had injured him. So it had happened before. Maybe it was because of the archangel’s weakened state?

“I have no idea how to heal his wings. Angels don’t have any!” Castiel repeated, firmly reminding himself of something he had known all his existence. “These shouldn’t be here!” But the feathers beneath his fingertips were real. “How can this be?”

“I have no idea either, Cas, but we need to help Gabriel.” The archangel shifted slightly, his right wing dragged along and deep lines revealing pain appeared on his brow. “Is there anything you can do?” But back then, Cas hadn’t been able to help Gabriel either, claiming their energy was different.

“I’m not sure.” Castiel carefully examined a secondary feather at the bottom of the wing. It was scorched, frayed, and didn’t look salvable. “I just don’t understand,” Castiel muttered beneath his breath as he checked on the other wing too.

Sam waited silently for Cas to tell him how badly damaged those wings were and how to fix them. Hopefully the angel had some ideas.

Castiel reverently rested the wing back onto the other one and stared dazedly at them. “As far as I can tell there’s no permanent damage, but as I said before, I have no experience in this matter. Once his grace has recharged Gabriel should be able to heal himself. Sam, what kind of spell did you use?”

Sam was relieved to hear it. Hopefully resting helped Gabriel recuperate. “It’s in that book over there,” he said and pointed at the book on the nightstand.

Castiel picked it up and his eyes narrowed in thought as he read Gabriel’s message. He turned the page and finished reading the instructions regarding the spell. “That could explain it,” he mumbled privately and looked at the wings again. “Maybe.”

“Cas, what do you know? Tell me, what did I do wrong?” Sam still felt guilty for having failed the archangel.

“Nothing,” Castiel was quick to reply. “You did everything right.”

“Then why is he in such a bad way?” If he hadn’t messed up, then what had caused those injuries?

Castiel nodded once, believing he had figured it out. “The entity that rules the nothing wouldn’t have liked Gabriel trying to escape from that place. I threatened to drive him mad if he didn’t let me go. Maybe he wasn’t keen on letting an archangel getting away as well.”

“You think that entity did this to him?”

“Maybe, it’s hard to say. Gabriel will tell us when he wakes up.” Castiel got to his feet, suddenly looking stressed. “Heaven needs to know he’s back.”

“No,” Sam said decisively. “They don’t. Gabriel’s a mess and needs to recover. If they interfere, it might set back his recovery. This stays between us. You’re not telling heaven.” Sam was putting his foot down and making sure Gabriel got a chance to heal first.

Castiel opened his mouth to protest, but then shut it again. Maybe Sam was right. Heaven was busy reorganizing itself and Gabriel’s return might complicate matters. “Does Dean know?” he asked eventually.

Sam had expected that question. “Yeah, he called earlier today and I told him.”

“What did Dean say?” Dean’s words would mostly determinate his actions.

“Once the shock wore off?” Sam chuckled. “He told me to look after Gabriel and to care for him. Dean is on his way home. I had to send him a picture of Gabriel’s wings. He had a hard time believing me when I told him about that.” He hadn’t considered it before, but the angel wing fetish had to be a family thing. He blamed it on their mother, telling Dean angels watched over him and Sam adopting the comforting idea. And angels had wings…

Castiel scanned the spell one more time before placing the book on the nightstand again. “Maybe I know why Gabriel has wings.”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “Share!”

Castiel briefly searched for the right words, then said, “This spell means to bring back someone you deeply care about.”

Sam blushed; he couldn’t help it. “I care about him, yes,” he admitted weakly.

“Maybe I should rephrase that; a very strong emotion must fuel it. That spell only works if there’s love involved.”

Love? Sam’s eyes widened. He cared about Gabriel, that much was true, but love?

Castiel registered Sam’s surprise, but didn’t comment on it. “It determines the course the spell will take. Apparently when you think of Gabriel, you think of angel wings. Gabriel, being an archangel, might have seemed incomplete to you because he lacked wings. At least that’s the way the spell interpreted your feelings. Hence Gabriel was returned with wings.”

“This is my doing?” Dazed, Sam stared at the wings. “I did this? But…”

“That spell is quite powerful,” Castiel lectured Sam. “You added your own blood to it. Then Gabriel’s hair. When you summoned Gabriel to return to you, the spell engaged and pulled him from the void. The entity was probably angry about that and tried to stop him. It would explain his injuries.”

Castiel paused and eyed Sam closely. Did the young man even suspect the depths of his feelings where the archangel was concerned? Probably not, both Winchesters excelled at repressing emotions. Well, at least Sam had now been clued in regarding his feelings for Gabriel. Castiel was rather curious to see what course of action Sam would take.

“I’ll return to heaven,” Castiel announced. “There’s still a lot of work to be done. Feel free to call upon me if you need me. A prayer will do, but you may give me a call as well.” Castiel nodded toward Sam, but his gaze lingered on Gabriel. His brother was back; he hadn’t dared hope so, but apparently Sam had managed the impossible, and all because of love.

TBC

Part 7

Sam hated leaving Gabriel’s side for even a moment, but he had to. After making sure the archangel was resting as comfortable as possible, Sam stepped out of the bedroom, but left the door open so he could hear Gabriel, should something happen.

First, he checked the bunker’s security system, which was up and running. He cast a quick look at the crash site and cringed. Someone was bound to notice and come investigate. The next time he talked to Cas, he had to remember to ask the angel to take care of it.

Then he made a quick trip into the kitchen, had a bite to eat and collected some bottled water, which he took into the bedroom with him. Thankfully Gabriel was still asleep and Sam decided a quick trip to the bathroom was in order. Once he got back a look at the clock told him it was six PM. He checked his phone and found he had a message from Dean. Instead of texting him back, he decided to call his brother. As he didn’t want to wake Gabriel, he sat down at some distance.

“Dean here.”

“You’re fast!” Sam had a pretty good idea why.

“How’s Gabriel doing?” Dean worried about the archangel. Ever since Michael had killed Gabriel, Dean had felt guilty for dragging the archangel into this. Sure, he’d wanted Gabriel to help, but he’d never suspected the archangel was suicidal, because fighting Michael one on one had been madness. He still didn’t understand how someone as intelligent and cunning as Gabriel could have made such a stupid mistake. Yeah, Gabriel had stood up against Michael, but Dean had never intended for the archangel to die because of it. He hadn’t realized it until after Gabriel was gone, but he did have a soft spot for the archangel, who had pretended to be a trickster for so long. Somehow along the line, Gabriel had earned his respect.

“Resting, sleeping actually.” Sam monitored Gabriel closely, so he could tell if the archangel was waking up. “Cas dropped by.” Sam grinned a little at hearing the soft sigh that escaped Dean at the mention of the angel’s name. Dean had never told him that Cas and he were together, but since the three of them spend a lot of time together it was impossible not to notice what was going on. He did wonder if Dean was ever going to bring it up.

“What did Cas say?” It was good to know that Cas was keeping an eye on Sam and Gabriel. That realization eased some of his worries.

“That Gabriel’s wings are my doing.” Sam stopped himself from saying ‘my fault’. Those wings were beautiful and he refused to think of them as a mistake. However, Gabriel might disagree once the archangel realized what the spell had done to him.

“Sammy?” Dean wished Sam would explain himself, now he had to pressure his brother into it. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t mean for it to happen,” Sam explained, still ill at ease with his part regarding the spell. “Apparently the spell decided that my interpretation of angels mattered. And you know what I’m like.”

“You have an angel fetish,” Dean supplied at once, grinning from ear to ear. “Or to be more exact an angel wings fetish. I’ll never forget how fucking disappointed you were when Cas told you that he didn’t have wings.” He had seldom seen Sam that crestfallen and that puppy dog look still tore at his soul. “So that’s why Gabriel is currently sporting wings?”

“Yeah, I should probably be thankful there’s just one pair of them. I once read that an archangel had three pairs of wings.” Gabriel would probably rip him a new one when the archangel found out what happened. Sam was grateful that the spell hadn’t given Gabriel six wings instead of just the two!

“I hate being unable to help, but getting back will take me at the very least forty hours. So you’re stuck playing nursemaid and babysitter!” Dean was already driving at maximum speed and he did want to get back in one piece.

“You’re the experienced one when it comes down to that, but I’ll try.” Sam drank some water and watched Gabriel sleep. “I think his burns are healing. They look less angry.”

“Good, that’s good. Sammy, I’ve got to go now. I’ll call you later.”

“Sure, take care, Dean.” Sam terminated the call and placed his phone within easy reach. He was tempted to take his place on the bed again, but decided against it as he didn’t want to disturb Gabriel’s sleep. He could watch over his archangel from where he was sitting now.

===

Gabriel was watching Sam sleep, thinking the young man couldn’t be comfortable on that chair, which was too small for his tall frame. He had woken some time ago, but had kept still, mostly due to the pain he was still in. His back felt odd and large parts of his body burned. Overall, he felt slightly better, but he was far from healed; he didn’t worry about it. His grace would take care of it eventually.

His memory was hazy. He still had holes in his memories and he was trying to figure out what had happened, but it wasn’t easy. The last thing he remembered was finding his way back to earth and crashing hard. Before that, he recalled being at the Sheol against his wish and trying to convince that strange presence to let him go. It had demanded he pay a price and Gabriel was pretty sure he was paying it now. The pain he was in was still mind-numbing. He made the mistake to shift on the bed, which caused his back to act up and he found himself rather immobile. Something was pulling him down. Gabriel moaned in discomfort, which was a mistake as it woke Sam.

Sam was instantly alert. He searched for the origin of the sound that had woken him and stared into Gabriel’s brown eyes. Fuck, he had fallen asleep while he had been determined to stay awake and watch over Gabriel! “Hey,” he said softly. “You’re awake,” he knew he was stating the obvious, but he felt shy and didn’t know what else to say.

Gabriel wanted to nod, but stopped himself in time, realizing it might result in more pain. “Sam, sorry for crashing in on you like that.” He tried for some of his old wit, but it sounded hollow and not like him.

“Don’t worry about it,” Sam assured Gabriel and moved his chair closer to the bed. He studied those expressive eyes and was under the impression, that although the archangel was still in pain, it wasn’t the excruciating agony he had been earlier. Damn, this was awkward. Ever since Cas had told him what emotion had fueled that spell, Sam realized he’d have to deal with his emotions sooner or later. Preferably later as he wasn’t up to examining his feelings right now - not where the archangel was concerned. “I’m glad you’re back,” he said eventually, fighting the urge to reach out and touch Gabriel.

“Same here,” Gabriel said and wondered about the strange expression in Sam’s eyes. “Sam, I…” He was at a loss for words too, knowing exactly why Sam had succeeded in bringing him back, but he doubted the younger Winchester was ready to admit the attraction to himself. Hells bells, the intensity of Sam’s feelings for him had taken him aback too. That spell had been extremely powerful!

Sam acted at once, afraid Gabriel would address a matter he wasn’t ready yet to face. “Is there anything I can do to ease your pain? You must be hurting. Parts of your body are burned. I applied some ointment and I think it’s getting better, but—“ He was rambling and told himself to stop. He still had to tell Gabriel about the wings, because he suspected the archangel hadn’t realized their presence yet. He wasn’t looking forward to that one.

“My grace will eventually take care of it. It might take a day or two, but don’t worry about it.” Gabriel made sure to lie still, as his back continued to hurt. “Sam, you brought me back.”

Sam distinctly heard wonder in Gabriel’s voice and horrified, he realized he was growing flustered. “I had to,” he whispered, “You didn’t deserve to die like that.” Which reminded him just how angry he was with Gabriel. “What did you think you were doing, taking on Michael like that?”

Sam’s lecture didn’t surprise Gabriel. Tiredly, he smiled at Sam. “What else could I do? I had to make sure you got away safely, Sam. I couldn’t bear the thought of Michael hunting you and Dean down and killing you. I did the only thing I could; I bought you time.” Talking to Sam was quickly tiring him. He still lacked the necessary energy for a longer conversation; one that was also emotionally taking its toll on him. “Can we talk about this another time?”

Sam wanted to discuss the matter now, but the tired sigh that left Gabriel’s lips told him just how exhausted the archangel was. “Fine, but we WILL discuss your suicidal tendencies!” To his surprise, Gabriel actually chuckled softly. Sam left the chair and lowered himself on his heels, studying Gabriel and establishing eye contact. “Gabriel, I know you’re tired, but there’s something you need to know.” He really didn’t want to do this, but he had to.

Gabriel met Sam’s gaze and grew worried at seeing the uneasy expression in those green eyes. Sam had something unpleasant to tell him. Hopefully it wasn’t that Michael had followed them through the rift after all!

“I sort of messed up on that spell you left for me to find.” Sam cringed and mentally prepared himself for an archangel’s fury, or even worse, rejection.

“No, you didn’t,” Gabriel whispered, fighting to stay awake. “I’m here.”

“Yeah, but…” Sam drew in a deep breath and simply said, “You’ve got wings.”

Gabriel blinked in surprise. “What?” Sam wasn’t making any sense.

“You’ve got wings. I’m sorry. Cas explained the workings of that spell to me and apparently, it gave you wings.” Sam averted his gaze, unable to look at Gabriel. He felt ashamed and like he had failed the archangel after all.

“I have wings,” Gabriel said slowly, trying to comprehend what Sam was trying to tell him. Wings… He knew that humans tended to portray angels as winged messengers and he often used that to his advantage whenever he’d had to interact with them in the old days. He knew the ramifications of that spell, knew what it could do, but he had never imagined it would pick up on Sam’s subconscious desire for him to have wings.

Cautiously, because he reckoned he now knew why his back was aching, he turned his head a little. So, wings. He had wings. Huge wings by the looks of it. They’d suffered some damage during his fall to earth and their presence explained the unfamiliar weight pressing him down. “I like them,” he said firmly, forcing himself to address the matter directly. “Gold, silver and white? I’m flattered. Thanks for not giving me black, bat wings instead, Sam.” He wasn’t sure how much longer he could do this. Carrying on this conversation was exhausting him, but he had to do this for Sam’s sake.

Sam’s eyes opened and he stared at Gabriel in surprise. “What?”

“I don’t mind the wings, Sam. I understand why the spell acted in that way. I’ll get used to them and I’m sure I’ll find a way to deal with them.” It was a small price to pay for being alive again.

“You’re okay with this?” Sam couldn’t believe he was this lucky.

“Yes, Sam, I don’t mind.” Sam’s self-doubt was written all over the young man’s face and Gabriel reached out, extending a shaky hand and patting Sam’s hair. He liked having Sam this close. Maybe his exhaustion was making him light-headed, but he lost himself looking into Sam’s eyes. “Sorry,” he mumbled a moment later, after using up his last energy reserves. “I need to rest.” Unable to keep his eyes open any longer, they closed and he had to give into his fatigue, entering a meditative state that would help him recover from his ordeal.

Gabriel’s hand slipped and Sam quickly caught it in-between his. “Yeah, you rest now and get better.” In the meantime, he would continue to watch over the injured archangel.

Part 8

Sam had reclaimed his chair and this time, he was determined to stay awake. Talking to Dean might help, so he picked up the phone and gave his brother a call. “Hey, Dean.”

“It’s Sam,” Dean said, telling Cas who was on the phone.

“Who’s with you?” Sam frowned, puzzled.

“Cas is here. How’s Gabriel doing? Any improvement? Cas says that his grace should be kicking in and help him heal.”

“I’m not so sure,” Sam told them, having realized Dean had put him on speaker phone. “Gabriel woke up and we talked. He said recovery should take him a couple of days, but that might be a bit too optimistic. I’ve got the feeling he’ll need more time than that.”

“He woke up?” Cas interjected. “Was he coherent?”

“Yeah,” Sam quickly reassured the angel. “He was fine. He knew who and where he was.” He caught himself stalling again, but then said, “I told him about the spell and his wings.” Sam cringed, still feeling bad for screwing up things. It was just like him to complicate matters.

“How did he react?” Dean felt wary. Gabriel’s reaction would make or break his brother, but thinking about it now, Sam sounded okay, so maybe Gabriel hadn’t overreacted?

“He says he’s fine with having wings,” Sam told them, still finding Gabriel’s easy acceptance baffling. “He almost seemed… pleased,” he added in a puzzled tone. “I don’t get it.”

Dean wanted to say something, but Cas beat him to it. “Remember what I told you about you fueling that spell?”

Fuck, had Cas told Dean about that? Sam hoped not, or he would never hear the end of it. He didn’t need his big brother lecturing him right now. Not when he had an injured archangel on his hands! “I do,” he confirmed, hoping and wishing that Cas had kept that piece of information to himself.

“Maybe Gabriel approves of the way you see him?” Cas continued. “If he says he likes them, he’s being honest. He might have been a trickster, but he never was a liar and I doubt he’d start lying now, not to you.”

“What am I missing? Cas, you’re holding back!” Dean had realized Cas and Sam were discussing some details he wasn’t privy to. “Cas, tell me,” he said pleadingly, but the angel shook his head and stunned Dean by denying him. Cas seldom did!

“No, that’s for Sam to tell when he feels ready to do so. Dean, it’s nothing bad, don’t worry about it.” But Cas could tell he had failed to reassure his lover. “We’ll discuss this later,” he whispered, too soft for Sam to hear, but he wasn’t going to betray Sam’s trust.

Sam felt immensely relieved to hear his secret was still safe. He had to examine his feelings first, and if he really was in love with Gabriel, he had to accept that himself before sharing that information with his brother. Dean’s reaction was hard to predict, but he hoped his brother had come to trust Gabriel. At least, Sam had been under the impression that Dean had started to accept having the archangel on their team.

“Cas, can’t you take us to the bunker right now?” Dean wanted to talk to his brother face to face. He had to know what was going on and hated feeling left out.

Sam almost yelled ‘no’ into the phone, but Cas already took charge.

“No, Dean, we’re driving. Gabriel needs time to heal and we’d only be in the way. Sam has got this.”

Privately Sam thanked Cas for understanding the situation he was in. Cas was right; he needed time and so did Gabriel.

“Fine, then don’t,” Dean snapped, showing his frustration. “But we’ll talk, Sammy!”

“Sure we will.” But not quite yet. “Enjoy the road trip,” he said, hoping to ruffle Dean’s feathers a little and it worked, hearing Dean’s ‘son of a bitch’ directed at him. It made him laugh and he quickly ended the call before Dean thought of a comeback.

Sam made sure Gabriel was still asleep and pushed deeper into the comfort of the chair. While Gabriel slept, he intended to do some soul searching.

===

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose and then tiredly rubbed his temples. His head actually hurt from thinking too much. The last hour he had spent searching his feelings and he had uncovered a lot of repressed emotions he had buried deep inside.

It was true, he realized, and felt quite startled. He definitely had feelings for Gabriel. As far as he could tell, it had started when Ketch had brought the archangel to the bunker. Back then, he had seen a side to Gabriel he had never known existed. Gabriel had always been the trickster to him, even after they’d discovered his secret. It hadn’t been until Gabriel had turned up at the bunker, injured and traumatized, that Sam realized why Asmodeus had made Gabriel’s life hell.

Gabriel WAS an archangel and Asmodeus had delighted at breaking him. Looking at Gabriel now, who was still sleeping and occasionally twitching, Sam realized the archangel could have locked him out back then. Gabriel had been lost in his own little world where he had fled to be safe from Asmodeus’ torture. But the archangel had fought himself a way back. Gabriel had been there when Sam had needed him. That had changed things. He had started to trust Gabriel.

That trust had been damaged when Gabriel ditched them and disappeared on him. That had hardly been surprising though. The moment they had called the archangel on his responsibilities and had asked him to join them, he had seen the panic in those brown eyes. Unlike Cas and later Dean, he had asked himself why Gabriel had reacted in that way.

The truth was, they’d gotten too close. Sam reckoned that the four brothers fighting and falling out had shattered Gabriel’s ability to trust and maybe even love. Like so many people before him, Gabriel had decided to make sure he would never get hurt again. He had kept everyone at a distance for a long time. But then Dean and he had backed up Gabriel when he had gone after Loki. That must have upended the archangel’s world and it was the very reason why Gabriel had joined their team later.

Accepting and acting on such a change took courage and Sam admired Gabriel for actually taking that step. He hadn’t actually fallen in love with Gabriel back then, he wouldn’t call it that. It wasn’t that maddening rush of love, unbridled passion or desperate need to be with the other person. No, this was something completely different. This went much deeper.

This had started with a small, fragile flame and they had both nurtured and fed it. Unknowingly and probably even unintentionally, but that tiny flame had grown into a blazing fire, which was strong and burned steadily. Whatever connected them went beyond a mere crush. The two of them were connected in ways Sam couldn’t fathom yet. Apparently, it was love. At least, the spell thought so.

Sam shook his head and chuckled. He knew that angels and archangels were basically genderless and asexual. They easily switched vessels and it didn’t matter to them if the person they were possessing was male or female. Only humans limited themselves in such a way. So far, Sam had only been with women. Oh, he might have had a teenage crush on some guy from college, but he had never acted on it.

Maybe he would have realized the truth sooner if Gabriel’s vessel had been female. He wasn’t sure though if that would have clued him in. This was about the soul and not a body he was attracted to. So Gabriel occupied a male vessel, what difference did that make? None, he admitted to himself.

How odd, to have a spell clue him in regarding his feelings. But Cas had said so himself; love had fueled that spell – his love. “I’m so fucked,” he chuckled and shook his head in amusement. Of all the people he could have fallen in love with, it had to be an archangel.

Sam drew in a deep breath and simply accepted the truth. If this was the way it was going to be, he would make the best of it. He wondered about Gabriel though. The archangel had to know about the attraction. Why else would he have left that spell behind? Gabriel must have suspected there were feelings involved on Sam’s part, but the archangel had never mentioned it, probably leaving it up to him to address it or not.

“I’m in trouble,” he whispered. Gabriel must have realized just how strong that love was, as it had easily pulled the archangel from the void. Sam wasn’t looking forward to that particular conversation and felt in no way ready for it. Hopefully Gabriel would give him the time he needed and leave it up to him when to address it. Or not. But he had the feeling Gabriel would respect whatever decision he made.

That raised another interesting question. Did Gabriel care about him in turn? Fact was that Gabriel had sacrificed himself to make sure Dean and he got away safely. The archangel hadn’t hesitated and had placed himself protectively in front of them. Sam had assumed Gabriel had done that because he had wanted to get it over with, but what if he was wrong? What if Gabriel had done it because he had needed Sam to be safe? What if Gabriel had fought to save the man he loved?

Wow, his head reeled and Sam closed his eyes, trying to keep the room from spinning. That actually made a lot of sense. Sam had sacrificed himself for Dean too in the past and he would do so again for the ones he loved. “Damn it,” he cussed. He had been wrong all along. Gabriel had had a very good reason to fight Michael and it hadn’t been about proving Dean wrong. He hadn’t challenged Michael because he was done running, even though he had said so. Gabriel had stepped up to make sure the one he loved got home safely. And he hadn’t realized it at the time. Damn, Gabriel was good at manipulation; he had to keep that mind.

“You fooled me, and Dean too.” His brother also believed Gabriel had rushed into his fight with Michael because their friend had had enough. “We were wrong.” Sam stretched his legs and slowly rose from his chair. He felt old, too old for his years. He made his way over to the bed and sat down on the side, careful not to rock the bed. Almost reverently, he brushed wayward strands away from the sleeping archangel’s face and slipped his fingers into the blond hair, gently running the strands through his fingers. “You fooled all of us.”

Acknowledging these feelings rushing through him was new and felt odd. He needed time to get used to this, but he wasn’t going to run away from it. He was going to give this a shot, although he didn’t know how Gabriel was going to react.

The wings moved ever so slightly and Sam checked on them, stunned to see a warm, golden light glide across them. Feathers, which had been burned or damaged during the fall, transformed back to their original state. Burned and broken feathers became whole and smooth again and soon both wings had been restored. The warm glow continued to illuminate the wings from within and even the bone started to heal, straightening and repairing itself.

Sam’s breath caught watching the miracle. Mesmerized he stared at those glorious wings, his fingertips aching to touch and to convince himself they were whole again. His right hand moved toward the wings and he let it briefly hover above them, before descending onto them and caressing the feathers. He was at a loss to explain what had happened just now, but he was happy it had. He smiled a little, happy that the archangel was finally beginning to heal.

Gabriel moaned in discomfort and it pulled him from his musings. He quickly checked on the archangel, finding him awake again and watching him.

TBC

Part 9

“You’re healing,” Sam said awkwardly, because he actually felt shy after admitting his feelings to himself. “Your wings are whole again.”

“That’s good to know. I’m dying to test them.” Gabriel winked in an effort to take away any worries Sam might still have about the spell giving him wings. Gabriel wasn’t going to complicate matters when there was nothing to worry about as far as he was concerned.

Sam smiled timidly and fought the blush that threatened to give him away. “You’re still injured though. The burns haven’t healed yet.”

“Give it time,” Gabriel reminded him. “Coming back from the dead is no easy feat as you know.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Sam wondered if he shouldn’t retreat back to his chair and maintain some distance. The constant need to touch Gabriel left him more than a little flustered. “Sorry,” he offered eventually and removed his hands from Gabriel’s person. “I have a hard time believing you’re alive again.”

Gabriel returned that shy smile. “Don’t worry, Sam. I understand. I still find it hard to believe I actually made it back. I royally pissed off the guardian of the Sheol when that spell reached me. I bet he didn’t expect that.”

Sam realized his chance to get more information and to redirect their conversation. The last thing he wanted right now was to talk about his feelings. “What happened? Cas told us the entity didn’t want to let him go either. Thankfully Cas can be annoying as hell, and the entity was glad to be rid of him in the end.”

“The entity, huh?” The fact that he was limited to lying on his side and was practically immobile frustrated Gabriel, but he knew better than to push his recovery. He had learned that the hard way eons ago.

“Gabriel?” Sam wondered about the distant expression in the archangel’s eyes. “What’s going on in that head of yours? You seemed to remember something that caused you pain.” It was the only way to label that expression; Gabriel was hurting in more ways than one.

Gabriel knew that if he wanted to make things work with Sam, he’d have to share. He could no longer hide behind his walls and had to take them down, no matter how painful that might be. “I recalled a time long ago when I was in a similar condition, but back then it wasn’t the guardian of the Sheol that incapacitated me.”

“Who did?” Sam was stunned to feel a rush of anger move through him. He was angry with whomever had injured Gabriel back then and he would gladly seek out revenge.

Gabriel recognized that look and seeing it on Sam’s face briefly baffled him. “It happened a long time ago,” he said, hoping to calm down Sam.

“Who hurt you?” Sam said demandingly. He had to know!

Gabriel raised his right hand, which was still rather shaky. Sam reacted at once, carefully wrapping his fingers around it and holding it gently. He reminded himself that he had to let Sam in if he wanted to make this work. “You know who I am, Sam. What I am, and by that, I don’t mean the trickster. I fought in battles alongside my brothers – in heaven.”

“Yeah, you’re an archangel. I didn’t realize that for a long time, but that was due to you pretending to be Loki. But you still didn’t answer my question,” Sam reminded him. He wanted that answer.

“Tenacious little bugger,” escaped Gabriel, feeling amused, but also awed that Sam cared about him to such a degree.

“Tell me, Gabriel. I won’t stop harassing you until you do.”

Gabriel knew that and didn’t mind. “I was injured fighting Lucifer.” He kept a close eye on Sam after admitting that. Sam’s anger was apparent and Gabriel couldn’t help feeling a tiny bit flattered. “Don’t go after him, Sam. This happened billions of years ago.”

“Still, he hurt you,” Sam stated firmly. “It’s just one more reason to hate him.”

“Oh, Sam,” Gabriel muttered beneath his breath and squeezed Sam’s fingers reassuringly. ”Don’t waste time and energy hating him.”

Not when he could spend that time with Gabriel instead, Sam mused. “Maybe you’re right.” But should he ever get the chance to extract some revenge on Lucifer, he would keep this in mind. “Is there anything I can do to help? Maybe you’d like some water? I can get you some sweet treats, even Dean’s pie if you want it.” He was happy to see Gabriel smile at the offer. They have moved to safer territory.

“No, thanks,” Gabriel declined. Sam looked disappointed and Gabriel knew he had to explain. “My vessel is still healing and eating or drinking would slow down that process. At the moment all my energy is directed at healing myself. Digesting food would pose a serious distraction. Just ask me again when I’m back on my feet and I’ll gladly devour Dean’s pie.”

Sam tenderly rubbed Gabriel’s fingers. “So there’s nothing I can do?”

“You can stay close. You being here helps.” Such was the power of love, Gabriel knew. It possessed a strength of its own. He wasn’t going to bring it up though and embarrass Sam. It was up to the youngest Winchester to make that decision.

“I hope I’m not interrupting?” Castiel remained near the doorway, not wanting to infringe upon their privacy, but when he had dropped by to check on them, he’d heard them talk. Since they were awake, he’d decided to make his presence known. He wanted a word with his brother. Finding them in what appeared a private setting, he kept his distance though.

“Sam,” Castiel said and nodded at the young man, grateful that Sam had brought back the archangel. Straightening his shoulders without realizing it, Castiel stood at attention, fully focused on Gabriel, who appeared to be healing, slowly but steadily. “Gabriel.” Castiel noticed the way his voice shook, but he couldn’t help himself. He had mourned his brother’s death and to have Gabriel back meant a lot to him.

“Castiel,” Gabriel said and smiled warmly at his brother. “I didn’t expect you to drop by.” He hadn’t realized Sam had told Castiel about his return. He should have known though; the Winchesters and Castiel were close and Sam had probably asked Castiel for advice after finding him at the bottom of that crater.

“I worried,” Castiel explained and took one step closer to the bed. Then he halted his movements and kept a respectful distance. Archangels were fierce and unpredictable, and injured archangels had to be even more dangerous. Even though Gabriel looked approachable, he wasn’t going to provoke him while he was still healing. “I had to check up on you.”

Gabriel cursed the fact that he was still healing and his movement limited, but then accepted that he was confined to the bed for the moment. “I’m surprised you didn’t bring Dean.” Castiel had quickly become Dean’s shadow and Gabriel chuckled privately; the fact that both Winchesters were attracted to angels amused him.

“I waited till Dean was asleep to come here. Dean would have insisted to tag along if he’d known what I was about to do.” Castiel realized he had made the right decision when he had happened upon Gabriel and Sam talking softly; these two needed to be alone right now. Dean would only complicate matters by getting involved. “Can I help?” he asked both of them.

“Actually, yes!” Sam nodded enthusiastically. “Can you fix that crater outside? I don’t want anyone finding out about it and checking it out.”

“I’ll take care of the matter.” That was easily done. Castiel looked at Gabriel and wanted to ask the archangel a number of questions. Yet, he didn’t want to trespass. Also he wasn’t sure if Gabriel would tell him what he wanted to know.

Sam watched the silent exchange and wished he knew what was going on in Cas’ mind, but it wasn’t up to him ask the angel.

Gabriel tried hard to lock out their thoughts and sentiments, but failed miserably. Normally his defenses were a lot stronger and then it was easy to respect their boundaries, but his grace was still recovering as well. Gabriel sighed and looked at his brother. He decided to address the matter instead of letting it fester. “You wonder about my wings.”

Castiel nodded eagerly, hoping Gabriel would explain. “Is it because of the spell?”

“You’re smarter than you look,” Gabriel said teasingly, sounding a bit like the trickster of old. “You’re right though. The spell picked up on Sam’s thoughts and desire. Apparently he’s really fond of wings.” His gaze settled on Sam, who looked unhappy and rather guilty. “I told you before that I don’t mind.” The spell could have done much worse.

“You did, but I still feel like I fucked up.” Sam cringed because Gabriel suddenly glared at him and he was tempted to take it back. “I’m sorry, that’s the way I feel about it.”

“We’ll discuss that later,” Gabriel told the young man before turning his attention back to Castiel and taking charge, because that was what his brother really wanted him to do. “I’m fine with Dean knowing I’m back, but that’s where it stops. You’re to tell no one else, Castiel, and certainly not heaven. Not yet anyway. I need time.” Taking charge and making decisions was something he had never been fond of, but it was time to start acting like the archangel he used to be.

“I understand,” Castiel confirmed, never considering contradicting the archangel. “I’ll keep quiet.”

“Good.” That was one thing less to worry about. His secret was safe for now. His eyes however were growing heavy. “Sorry, guys,” he apologized. “I need to recharge.” Sam might think he was going to sleep, but it wasn’t like that. During recovery he went into a meditative state that might resemble sleep as humans knew it, but he was still aware of what was happening around him. He had to, considering he might come under attack again.

“That’s fine. You do that.” Sam pulled up the comforter and covered the archangel with it. He wished he could do more for Gabriel, but his role was limited to watching over him.

“You’re doing plenty,” Gabriel assured him, unable to maintain any barriers now that he was sinking back into that tranquil condition. “Stay,” he whispered at Sam and then surrendered to his fatigue.

TBC

Part 10

Castiel watched quietly and realized something that had previously escaped him. It wasn’t just Sam who was in love. The attraction was mutual. Sam might not realize it yet, but Gabriel cared for Sam Winchester in turn. Castiel was about to take his leave, when Sam suddenly addressed him.

“Cas, can I ask you something?” With Gabriel’s hand safely tucked within his, Sam tore his gaze away from the archangel and looked at Cas instead. Cas nodded and Sam moistened his lips, feeling nervous and more than a bit timid. “Do you know what happened after you left that alternate universe? Do you know how Gabriel died?” He wasn’t sure Dean had told the angel in detail.

The look in Sam’s eyes was serious and Castiel focused on his friend, giving him his full attention. “Michael killed him.”

Sam quickly nodded. “Do you know why? How it happened?”

Castiel considered the question. “Dean didn’t tell me, but I reckon they fought and Gabriel lost.” He hadn’t asked for details back then. He hadn’t regretted Lucifer getting stranded out there, but hearing of Gabriel’s demise had deeply hurt him and he hadn’t wanted to find out any details. He had simply mourned his brother’s passing.

“Lucifer attacked Michael, but stood no chance. Gabriel stepped up and told Dean and me to get back home. He said he was going to buy us time and that he was done running. That he’d run most of his life.”

Castiel nodded. “He did the only honorable thing he could; he ensured your escape.”

Sam briefly looked at Gabriel, making sure the archangel wasn’t awake. Once he felt reassured, he turned his attention back to Cas. “But why go after Michael like that? He must have known numerous ways to stall Michael and to make sure all three of us got away. Going straight for Michael using the archangel blade was madness; he made himself an easy target.”

“Maybe he didn’t want to risk failing at manipulating Michael?” Castiel wondered why Sam was bringing this up.

“Cas…” Sam stopped talking, having a hard time admitting his feelings to himself, let alone his friend, but he had to. He had repressed them for too long. “You know that I have feelings for Gabriel.”

“You love him,” Castiel stated bluntly, puzzled by Sam’s timidity. There was nothing to be ashamed of, so why was Sam acting like being in love with Gabriel was a bad thing?

“Yeah, that.” Sam cringed at hearing Cas actually say it. He was about to continue, when Cas suddenly advanced on him and came to stand in front of him. Sam reluctantly raised his gaze and forced himself to look Cas in the eye.

“Dean and you are more alike than I thought,” Castiel started and shook his head slightly. “When I revealed to him that I had been the one to raise him from hell, I could tell by the look in his eyes that he didn’t think himself worthy of being saved. Sam, don’t do this. You ARE worthy of love. Don’t feel guilty or ashamed for loving Gabriel. You deserve being loved.”

Cas phrasing it like that stunned Sam. Cas actually thought he wouldn’t stain Gabriel by loving him? They were talking about an archangel here. “Do you really believe that?”

“Yes, I do. Must be a Winchester thing,” he added, muttering in exasperation. “And you must accept that Gabriel loves you in turn.”

Sam blinked. “What?” What had Cas said just now?

“Sam, do you really think that spell would have worked the way it did if Gabriel didn’t return your feelings? You added your blood, a testimony of your love for him. You might not have been aware of your feelings, but they existed nonetheless.” Castiel hoped he was finally getting through Sam; both Winchesters could be extremely stubborn. “Then you added strands of his hair. The spell would have failed if they hadn’t held traces of his love for you. You probably don’t realize it, but that spell is a two way thing. Both of you had to have feelings for the other, or it would have failed.” It was important to Castiel that Sam understood and accepted that the attraction was mutual. “Do you understand?”

Sam swallowed nervously. “You think he loves me?” It would confirm his suspicion that Gabriel had challenged Michael in order to protect him, not because the archangel was suicidal.

“Everything points in that direction so why should I doubt it? Yes, I do. And you should believe so too.” Castiel regretted that both Winchesters’ trials had been so brutal. Past events had damaged them and he hoped that it wasn’t too late yet for Sam to accept that he was worthy of love. “Have faith in Gabriel,” he offered at last.

“I do have faith in him,” Sam realized, finally admitting it. “Thanks, Cas, for setting me straight.” However, accepting the possibility that Gabriel had feelings for him in turn would take time. Convincing himself that he was actually worthy of Gabriel’s love would be even harder. He’d lived with self-hatred for a long time and had never fully forgiven himself for past misdeeds.

Castiel nodded and hoped Sam realized there was no more hiding from this. Gabriel might not have gotten actively involved in their conversation, but the archangel had heard everything. “I’ll check on you tomorrow. In the meantime, don’t do anything stupid.”

The angel promptly disappeared and Sam chuckled. He could always count on Cas to tell him the truth, no matter if he wanted to hear it or not. Searching Gabriel’s face, which was at peace in sleep, he wondered what to do with this revelation. In the end, Sam decided that he could do with a nap himself. These last few hours had been exhausting.

He released Gabriel’s hand and wanted to rest it onto the mattress, but the archangel suddenly grabbed hold of his wrist and firmly curled his fingers around it, making sure he couldn’t leave. Sam sighed and resigned himself to his fate. He laid down on his side facing Gabriel and tucked their hands against his chest.

Gabriel, whose eyes remained closed, moved closer and practically draped himself across his chest, using him as his pillow. Sam laughed quietly and moved closer so the archangel could get more comfortable. A distinct sigh escaped Gabriel’s lips and he smiled. Sam tenderly tucked the blond head beneath his chin, buried Gabriel in a one-armed hug, and closed his eyes now that exhaustion was getting the better of him. He was just going to close his eyes for a little while and enjoy this.

===

Gabriel grew alert again and instantly noticed the warm body beneath him. Apparently Sam didn’t mind acting as his pillow and that thought made him grin. Damn, he could get used to this!

“Sleep,” he whispered, making sure the young man wouldn’t wake up during the next hour. He wanted to find out for himself how he was doing and Sam would only hover over him in concern.

He shifted away from Sam and somehow managed to move onto the side of the bed, where he pushed himself into a sitting position and carefully placed his feet on the floor. His back had healed, his wings were whole again, and he had gotten used to their weight. Somehow his body had adapted to their presence. He was tempted to test them, unfold them, and find out about their span, but suspected the bedroom was too small for that. He wasn’t sure he could make it to the war room yet, but he was going to try.

Gabriel slowly pushed himself to his feet and found he was wobbly. He rested a hand against the wall for support and gave his body time to reestablish his balance, once more taking the wings into account. Once he felt fairly steady, he took a step away from the bed.

His grace was strong once more. It had recovered from his recent ordeal, and as far as Gabriel could tell, it was only his body that needed more healing. The mind was strong, but the flesh still weak.

Slowly, he made his way down the corridor, stopping occasionally to catch his breath. The wings rustled impatiently as if they were dying to reveal themselves to him in their full glory and that sensation complicated matters further. He wanted to see them himself, but had to be patient for now.

Several minutes later, Gabriel finally stepped into the war room. Without wanting to, his gaze drifted up to the entrance, where he’d had stood while taking out Asmodeus, who’d been torturing Sam and Castiel. Seeing Sam in such obvious agony had angered him to such an extent that his grace had kicked in, enabling him to destroy the Prince of Hell. Protecting Sam and taking out Asmodeus had been instinctive. He hadn’t thought it through.

Later, when Sam had pleaded with him to stay and help them, to join the team, he’d realized what he was setting them up for; heartache and he’d wanted to spare Sam the pain. Even back then he’d suspected that Sam had feelings for him and once more, he’d tried to protect the young man.

Sam falling in love with him was something he had to sabotage. And if he couldn’t stop that process, he had to make sure those feelings didn’t deepen, so he’d ditched Sam. Nothing good could come out of loving him. Gabriel knew what he was; a coward and a failure. He’d only drag Sam down with him and the young man didn’t deserve that.

He still cursed the fact that he’d sought out the Winchesters at the motel, hoping they had some of his grace left, but he’d been wounded and they’d been tracking him anyway. He’d tried to get away once it became apparent that his grace was gone. But by then his careful planning had gone to hell. Gabriel decided not to dwell on it any longer. They’d taken out Loki and his sons and that was what mattered.

Now that he was in the war room, he experimentally started to unfurl his wings. The sensation was odd and he didn’t know what to make of it. He realized one thing though; these wings were undeniably a part of him. He might be able to make them invisible to the eyes of others, or weightless so they wouldn’t hamper him, but he wouldn’t be able to vanish them. If he did, he would carry away severe injuries, which he might never recover from. These wings were actual manifestations of Sam’s love for him, which made him feel humble. Apparently Sam thought the world of him, though Gabriel didn’t share that sentiment. He had let down both Winchesters in the past and repeatedly at that.

Carefully spreading his wings, he made sure they didn’t bump into anything. Their span was impressive; they easily measured up to six or seven meters, and yet, they weren’t heavy and they didn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable either. They felt like a part of him, like they belonged. Gabriel was tempted to try flight, but the war room wasn’t big enough for that and he worried he might still be too weak for that. As he didn’t want to setback his recovery, he folded them again and started his way back to Sam’s bedroom.

Ever the tactician, he knew these wings could be an advantage, in battle especially. If he made sure they were invisible to most eyes, he could surprise Lucifer or Michael during an attack. But first, he needed to test them and find out what they were capable of.

Gabriel felt fairly drained when he sat back down on the bed. Sam was still asleep and dreaming. Unintentionally, he caught a glimpse of the dream Sam was currently having. Sam was actually dreaming about him. It was an erotic dream, much to his surprise. That wasn’t his doing; Gabriel would never insert himself into a sensual dream like that. Sam dreaming about them making love was all due to Sam’s vivid imagination and he hadn’t tampered with those desires.

Feeling curious, he sneaked another peak at that dream and found himself intrigued, realizing Sam was making love to him. He sighed; he didn’t really know how to deal with the fact that Sam was in love with him and that those feelings were deepening.

It also reminded him that he’d to come clean with Sam regarding certain secrets he’d been keeping, but did he really want Sam to know the truth about him? The truth wasn’t pretty. He’d always acted cocky, bragging about hooking up with porn stars and sleeping around, but it wasn’t exactly the truth. One thing he’d always excelled in was creating illusions and living that way had become second nature to him.

It had started when he’d tried to throw angels off his track, so they wouldn’t know he was still alive. He’d become Loki in every sense of the word. Somewhere down the line, he’d lost himself, creating illusions wherever he went. When Lucifer had killed him, his brother had merely killed an illusion.

After killing Loki and his children, Gabriel had tried to change his ways; he hadn’t succeeded though. He’d still resorted to his dirty tricks. Back then, he’d thought he’d valid reasons to do so.

Making out with Rowena had served a purpose. He wasn’t proud of what he’d done, but it had been necessary. It had been his last resort to destroy any feelings Sam might have still had for him. He’d been under the impression that his dirty trick had worked, but then he’d challenged Michael and one last look at Sam’s face had told him that he’d failed after all. He’d wanted to spare Sam the pain his death would cause the young man, but he’d failed – again. His entire life was one big failure.

He still didn’t fully understand what had made him leave that spell behind for Sam to find. Maybe he’d wanted to give Sam a chance to bring him back, if the young man really wanted that. Maybe he’d hoped Sam’s feelings for him had gone away and the young man could make a new start when the spell didn’t work. What he’d never expected however, was for Sam to still love him and most certainly not to such a degree that had allowed Sam to pull him back from the Sheol. The truth was that Gabriel had never fully realized the depth of Sam Winchester’s love for him.

And now he was back; trying to make the best out of a situation he’d never expected to find himself in. Well, he was responsible for the mess they currently found themselves in. If he hadn’t left behind that spell than he would still be dead and Sam able to move on. Now they were stuck with each other.

Gabriel sighed, feeling troubled. Lucifer had always called him trouble, Michael had found him annoying and complicated because his brother had never understood his contradictive character traits and Uriel had mostly ignored him. Their Father, well, he had no idea what daddy dearest thought of him these days, but doubted His opinion had changed. He’d done nothing to deserve redemption.

Gabriel cautiously lay down, ending up on his front and once more draping himself across Sam, who was still enjoying his erotic dream. Gabriel forced himself to stop invading the young man’s privacy, but he had to admit Sam had found interesting ways to incorporate his new wings into making love.

“You’re quite mad,” he whispered affectionately. “And so am I,” for he was actually considering making this work. However, he’d let Sam decide what course this attraction would run. For the moment, he was content to snuggle up to Sam and to wrap his arms around the young man, holding him close.

TBC

Part 11

Sam wasn’t sure what had woken him. The first thing he grew aware of was a body covering his, warm breath softly moving across the sensitive skin of his throat and a hand resting against his abdomen. Looking at Gabriel, whose eyes were open and staring back at him, Sam noticed the blank expression in them. Whatever was going on, Gabriel wasn’t awake or conscious of what was happening. It had to be an angel thing, Sam decided, sleeping with his eyes open. It was slightly unsettling.

Next, he realized he had just come in his sleep. He remembered the erotic dream he’d had in which he had made love to Gabriel. It also explained why he felt so damn comfortable and satiated. It might have only been a dream, but damn, it had felt good. If making love with Gabriel in a dream got him off, he wondered what would happen should they ever do the deed. What would having sex with an archangel be like? Would he survive it? Sam chuckled; fortunately he had time to think it over and find out if he wanted to go there. Sobering, he realized he did want to go there. He wanted to touch Gabriel and make love to him.

But not right now. First, he needed to clean up. A quick look told him that they had slept the night away and that it was time for an early breakfast, especially since he hadn’t eaten much yesterday in the first place. He planned on having a shower first, but that meant moving Gabriel, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to do that. The archangel seemed stronger, but was far from healed. The burns were fading, but the skin was still tender.

Well, stalling wouldn’t get him anywhere; he had to take action instead. Sam carefully gathered Gabriel in his arms, and after rolling the archangel away from, gently placed him on the bed. Then Gabriel’s expression changed and the archangel grabbed his arms. “Go back to sleep,” Sam said soothingly. “I just need to make a trip to the bathroom and kitchen. I won’t be far. Call me if you need me.” He hoped that leaving Gabriel alone would be okay.

“Don’t take too long,” Gabriel muttered beneath his breath and reached for a pillow, pulling it into his arms, and watching Sam for a moment. He had a pretty good idea why Sam needed to head for the bathroom and he stopped himself from grinning as he didn’t want to embarrass the young man.

The look Gabriel gave him caused Sam to grow flustered. Sam suspected the archangel knew what his dream had been about and hoped he wasn’t going to address it.

“What are you waiting for?” Gabriel pressed deeper into the comfort of the mattress and closed his eyes, just for Sam’s sake.

“You don’t have to do that,” Sam said, moving to the side of the bed. “Your eyes were open when you were resting earlier.”

“It means I’m getting stronger,” Gabriel explained, opening them again. “Normally I don’t need to rest. It won’t be long until I’m fully restored.” And then what would happen?

Sam liked that idea. “I want you to be whole again.” Sam felt torn between spending more time with Gabriel and heading for the bathroom.

“We can talk later. Go take care of matters; whatever it is that you need to do in there.” Gabriel averted his gaze, hoping Sam would get moving. Much like Sam, Gabriel didn’t know what to make of their situation. In his long existence, he had never experienced anything like it. He might have indulged himself in a fling or two, but nothing serious had ever happened. This was the first time in his long life that he had happened upon true love.

“Thanks.” Sam leaned in and caught himself just in time. He had been about to kiss Gabriel’s brow. Quickly, he moved away and got to his feet. It was safest to put some distance between them.

Gabriel didn’t address the matter. That was up to Sam, as far as he was concerned. Sam quickly fled into the bathroom and Gabriel sighed, feeling distressed. This mess was on him. He should have known better than to manipulate Sam into bringing him back. What had he been thinking back then?

Sam shut the bathroom door behind him and drew in a series of calming breaths. That erotic dream still lingered in his thoughts and knowing he wanted Gabriel made him restless. The fact that Cas had been convinced that the archangel returned his feelings, was something Sam still found hard to believe. He knew what he was. Cas had once called him an abomination – long ago, but it was still true. He had done horrible things. He had fed on demon blood, had set Lucifer free and… The list was too long.

Sam took off his clothes and stepped into the shower cabin. What he needed right now was a cold shower which would hopefully set him straight and cure him of his desire. The cold water helped, but his restlessness remained. He dried his skin and cursed the fact that he had forgotten to bring a clean set of clothes with him. While Dean was fond of his morning robe, Sam hardly ever used his, but at the moment he was quite grateful he could shrug into it.

He slowly opened the door, found Gabriel where he had left him asleep in bed and once more staring absentmindedly at the wall. Hopefully that meant Gabriel was sleeping in that weird way of his. Sam quickly made his way over to his wardrobe, grabbed some clothes, and slipped back into the bathroom. He got dressed, ran his fingers through his still damp hair, and brushed his teeth.

After going through his morning routine he finally felt prepared to face the day – or rather Gabriel, and all those messed up feelings involving the archangel. Sam quickly checked on the resting archangel, who still seemed oblivious to the world and made his way to the kitchen. His priority was getting the coffee maker going and he opted for some extra strong coffee. He knew he was going to need the caffeine kick once Gabriel woke.

Sitting down at the kitchen table, he started up his laptop and relished his first sip of morning coffee, which was still too hot and way too strong, but he needed that right now. Checking his phone, he expected to find messages from Dean, but there weren’t any. Hopefully Cas had made sure Dean got some decent sleep instead of worrying about what his little brother was up to. In the end, he felt oddly relieved not having to face Dean yet. He knew his brother meant well, but Sam first had to find out what to do regarding Gabriel.

He ate more than his share, surprised at how hungry he was and even indulged in some bacon. Normally he wouldn’t touch the artery clogging stuff, but today was different. He filled his coffee mug again and carried it with him when he headed for the bedroom as he wanted to check on Gabriel.

The mug almost dropped from his fingers, seeing a soft golden glow envelop Gabriel’s body, wings included. Watching closely, Sam noticed the way the burns faded and new, pink skin formed instead. The cuts healed, bruises vanished, and Gabriel sighed softly. It was one of the perks of having angelic powers, Sam reckoned, healing at a much faster pace than humans did. The glow faded away and Gabriel’s blank expression vanished along with it. Awareness returned to those eyes, which were an odd mix of brown and gold. Until now Sam hadn’t realized it, but he loved the warmth Gabriel’s eyes exuded. “Feeling better?” he said, alerting Gabriel that he was back.

Gabriel stretched carefully and when there was no pain, smiled happily. “Yeah, finally getting there.” Eyeing Sam closely, he found the young man looking rested and smiling back at him. “You got you caffeine fix?”

“Yeah.” Sam sat down on his chair and sipped. “You want some?”

“No, thanks, I don’t like the brew.” Gabriel dreaded discussing the attraction between them and decided to stay as far away as possible from it. “Maybe some hot chocolate later?”

“Sure, I’ll get you whatever you want.” And Sam was serious. He would go to great lengths to please Gabriel. He hadn’t fully realized that yet, but now that he had stopped repressing and denying his feelings, he understood the emotion coursing through him. He loved Gabriel, but how was he going to tell the archangel? And was Cas right? Did Gabriel love him back?

Gabriel fought the urge to avert his gaze now that Sam was looking him in the eye. The young man seemed to be searching for something and Gabriel had to stop himself from picking the young man’s brain. He wasn’t going to trespass, not like that. Sam’s expression changed and his smile broadened. Whatever Sam had been looking for, he seemed to have found it.

Sam was good at reading people. It had taken him longer than usual to adapt to reading angels, or in this case, Gabriel, but he was certain the telltale signs were there. Yeah, Cas was right. The attraction was mutual and knowing that reassured him. Even though he felt scared like hell of doing this, he knew it was up to him, for Gabriel wouldn’t make the first move. The archangel wouldn’t – Sam just knew that, and strangely enough, he found he didn’t mind, for it meant he could do this at his own pace.

TBC

Part 12

Sam closely monitored Gabriel’s every move when the archangel shifted and managed to sit upright. Gabriel placed his feet on the floor and then raised his head, tentatively making eye contact. “Are you sure you should do that?” Sam questioned in obvious concern. He’d long finished his coffee and got to his feet as well.

Gabriel nodded once. “I’m fine. Not perfect, but getting there and I need to start moving again.” Amused, he watched Sam take up position next to the bed, making sure the young man could catch him should he overestimate his strength and fall. Gabriel wasn’t worried; he’d already been on his feet, but Sam didn’t know that. “A tad overprotective, aren’t you?” he teased, feeling rather amused.

Sam responded at once. “Where you are concerned? Hell, yes! Do I need to remind you that you got yourself killed quite recently? And you’re not off the hook yet! Gabriel, I want to make one thing very clear; you’re not doing something that stupid ever again, do you hear me? Don’t get yourself killed again!” Sam was still very cross with the archangel and his frustration was justified in his opinion. “What the hell were you thinking confronting Michael like that? What are you? Stupid? Suicidal?” He moved quickly upon seeing Gabriel getting to his feet. In a protective gesture, he placed his hand at the small of the archangel’s back, beneath the magnificent wings which were tightly folded against Gabriel’s back.

Getting lectured didn’t surprise Gabriel, who had been waiting for Sam to explode. He sought out the young man’s gaze and said in a steadfast tone, “Michael is mine to take care of; my brother and my responsibility.” And his burden as well. ”I had to make sure you got away without him following you.”

“And you went after him only armed with an archangel blade? Gabriel, you fooled Dean and I for years! You even tricked Lucifer into believing he killed you and then… Challenging Michael was rash and foolish!” Sam drew in a deep breath and mentally prepared himself for more evasion on Gabriel’s part, maybe even full on manipulation, but he was ready for it and would get to the bottom of the matter. “Why did you do it? What was the real reason you took on Michael? And don’t give me that crap about having run for most of your life, or finally standing up to Michael. I want the truth, Gabriel. You owe me!” How was Gabriel going to react to that?

“Do I now?” Gabriel stepped away from Sam and found that he was steady on his feet. His body had fully adapted to the wings and was quickly regenerating. “And why is that?” He’d known Sam would be furious with him, but not to such an extent. The young man’s immense anger stunned him.

Sam forced himself to calm down, although Gabriel was making that hard. “You made me watch Michael kill you and there was nothing I could do to stop it! I watched you fucking die!” Sam failed to rein in his frustration, which was a mix of anger and grief. “I fucking mourned losing you!” he exploded in a rare bout of rage.

Gabriel actually flinched. “I didn’t think it through,” he offered and turned away from the young man. He hadn’t considered the way his death would affect Sam, maybe he should have, but... “At the time, my only worry was getting you home safely.”

Sam sighed in relief and slowly his anger faded away. “I know why you did it,” he said; he was done with playing games. Was Gabriel really that insecure? But Gabriel was an archangel and… oh fuck, of course… Sam chided himself; he had made quite some assumptions where Gabriel was concerned without getting his facts straight.

“Sam, don’t,” Gabriel whispered and pleadingly looked at the young man. “Trust me, you don’t want to do this. You know what I am.”

Sam suddenly realized the truth; the way he saw Gabriel and the way the archangel viewed himself greatly differed. It was time to set Gabriel straight and Sam wasn’t backing down. “You’re an archangel, I know that, yes, but do you have any idea how I see you? What I feel when I think about you?” He had been fucking blind and stupid! Just because he thought the world of Gabriel, didn’t mean the archangel saw himself that way too. “No more lies. No more pretense. I want you to listen to me, yes?”

Gabriel forced himself to stand still; he would have preferred to run, but that wouldn’t be fair to Sam. After all, he’d decided to leave this up to Sam, and apparently the young man had decided to address it. Sam was right; he owed the youngest Winchester. “I’ll listen,” he promised and allowed Sam to take his hands in his. The touch was more than welcome, but it did feed Gabriel’s anxiety, as he had no idea where Sam was going with this.

“Cas told me how that spell really works. You know I have feelings for you – the spell wouldn’t have worked otherwise.” Sam knew he was doing the right thing. He’d thought that bringing this in the open would make him nervous, but it didn’t. Instead it felt right. He knew what he wanted out of this and it was up to him to make sure they got there. Who would have thought that the archangel was the one full of self-doubt out of the two of them?

“I do know that,” Gabriel admitted shakily. “But Sam, don’t feel obliged to act upon those feelings. I don’t want to tie you down.”

“You’re such a fucking idiot!” Sam shook his head in frustration and he pulled Gabriel close, using his hold on the archangel’s hands to do so and not giving him a way to escape. “I want this, don’t you get that? I want YOU! Yeah, I might not have realized I love you until recently, but you know how Winchesters deal with emotions they can’t handle; they repress and ignore them! That spell made me face my feelings for you and I’m grateful it did!”

Sam winced at the way Gabriel twitched against him and he wanted nothing more than to take away the disbelief that stared back at him from those amber eyes. “I love you, Gabriel.” Damn it, saying it felt right. “I love you,” he repeated, making sure Gabriel couldn’t deny hearing it. “And I want this. I want you,” he clarified. “If you want me, that is… But I think you do. For some reason though, you have a hard time admitting that to yourself.”

“Sam,” Gabriel whispered and sighed deeply. Of course he’d known about the young man’s feelings for him. It was true; the spell would have failed otherwise. “I believe you when you say that you love me,” he offered, upon seeing Sam’s expression darken, hating what he had to do next and knowing the young man would call him on his bullshit if he dared to deny the truth. “But –“

“But what?” Sam was getting fed up. “Let me tell you something! Cas reminded me of the fact that Dean once thought that he wasn't worthy of being rescued from hell. And Cas was right about that; Dean didn’t think he deserved being saved. And then, only the other day, Cas told me that I think I don’t deserve being loved. And he was right again. Let’s be honest, you’re an archangel and I’m the kid who drank demon blood, freed Lucifer, and is the poster child for bad decision making! How the hell could someone like you want me?” Sam phrased it that directly on purpose, knowing it would get him the response he was after. Gabriel acted as expected; not disappointing him.

Gabriel cringed and his facial features contorted in pain at hearing Sam put himself down like that. He couldn’t let that stand; he had to make Sam see the truth. “Sam, don’t say things like that. You were manipulated from the start and groomed for your part as Lucifer’s vessel from the day you were born. They did the same thing to Dean. I would never blame you for what happened. That wasn’t your fault. Don’t let them manipulate you into thinking that. It’s not your burden to carry, please.”

“Yeah,” Sam muttered and nodded. So far, so good. “I know that! It took me a long time to accept that, but I did.” Sam moved closer and carefully slipped an arm around Gabriel’s waist, pulling him close as he wanted to make sure the archangel couldn’t run. “But what about you? Why do you think you don’t deserve to be loved?” Sam couldn’t believe he was asking this, but looking into Gabriel’s pain filled eyes, he knew he had been right all along. “I’m right, am I not? You think you don’t deserve being loved, do you? What happened to make you think that?”

Gabriel wanted to deny it. Wanted to scream at Sam for reaching the wrong conclusion, but he couldn’t, because it would be a lie. Sam was right about him. He found he couldn’t meet Sam’s gaze, unable to face the loving way Sam was currently looking at him. “You know what I am,” he repeated. “A failure. I skipped out of heaven, hid from my family for millennia, even manipulated you into believing Lucifer had killed me. And after you took me in and helped me heal, I ditched you.”

Sam shook his head repeatedly and felt like shaking some sense into the stubborn archangel. “You’re no failure!” Sam corrected Gabriel fiercely. “You’re way too hard on yourself! Hell, I don’t know what I would have done if I had been in your situation. You had to take care of yourself and you did that the only way you knew how. I get that. I’ve been there and I’m not judging you. But Gabriel, you shouldn’t judge yourself that harshly either.” Sam slipped his other arm around Gabriel’s waist as well and brought the archangel in for a hug.

Gabriel wasn’t sure he should give in. Accepting this scared the hell out of him and running away was the safer option, but he had the uncanny feeling that Sam would track him down and make him discuss this all over again. Maybe it was best to get this over with and explain everything.

“My Father thinks I’m a failure,” Gabriel confessed, shocking himself by admitting something that personal. Why the hell was he telling Sam that? Sam cocked his head and met his gaze head on, making Gabriel wish he was anywhere else, but not here. Not in Sam’s embrace, with those impossible eyes staring at him with so much love, which he didn’t deserve.

Sam frowned. “Chuck? He thinks you’re a failure? It’s not like he has such an impressive track record himself! He ditched his family, which started this whole mess!” How could Chuck tell Gabriel he was a failure when he’d royally screwed up himself? Sam wasn’t going to allow Gabriel to think he was a failure when someone else was to blame!

“You don’t understand!” Gabriel considered pulling out of the embrace so he could get away from the young man. His frustration however was growing. Sam didn’t know what had happened back then and how he’d messed up!

“Then explain it to me,” Sam said firmly. He’d gotten to know Gabriel well and the archangel didn’t strike him as someone who would willingly hurt someone. He knew now what Gabriel was like; Gabriel had tried to reason with Lucifer, maybe even save him, and Gabriel would have done the same where Michael was concerned, had Gabriel been given the chance.

Gabriel sighed and hung his head in shame. He didn’t want Sam to know about his mistakes, but he’d started this and couldn’t stop now. It was time to come clean. “Lucifer always was trouble,” he said, starting his sordid tale.”Maybe I was just the first to notice. Michael suspected Lucifer was up to no good either, but the two of them were close at that time. They merely tolerated me.”

Gabriel needed some space if he was going to share his story with Sam and moved away. Thankfully Sam let him, but the youngest Winchester looked decisively displeased with him for stepping out of the embrace. Gabriel moved further away from Sam, putting some much needed distance between them. “I told our Father that I suspected Lucifer planned to rebel. I had caught Lucifer sneaking into the garden and trying to corrupt Adam and Eve. We all know how that ended,” he said without mirth and wondered for the umpteenth time if things would have happened differently if his Father had believed him.

Sam gave Gabriel some space and also the time the archangel needed in order to tell him his tale. Sam had hoped Gabriel would open up to him, but hadn’t been sure Gabriel trusted him to such a degree. The archangel had surprised him though and it told him there was hope for them yet. “Go on.”

“Our Father didn’t believe me. Lucifer had always been His favorite and Michael was a close second. He told me I was jealous of my brothers, and merely trying to discredit them. He accused me of being envious and power-driven.” Gabriel had tried hard to forget about that confrontation, and for some time while pretending to be the trickster, he had succeeded. But now the painful memories were back.

Sam could very well imagine Chuck reacting that way. Chuck had always had favorites. Sam knew that, as he’d listened in on Chuck and Lucifer’s conversations while the two of them had stayed at the bunker. He vividly remembered Chuck struggling to even admit he might have wronged Lucifer, which had proven to Sam what a dysfunctional family they had been and still were. But this was about Gabriel and he wasn’t going to waste time thinking about Chuck and Lucifer. “What happened next?”

“He told me to mind my own business and warned me it wouldn’t end well for me if I continued to speak badly of Lucifer,” Gabriel said and shrugged, pretending he no longer cared that he’d been hurt. But he still ached – and it hurt badly. “So I did as I was ordered. When Lucifer gathered his army and marched upon heaven, I stayed quiet. Our Father was still in denial, but when Lucifer’s army stood at our gates and readied to destroy heaven, He couldn’t close His eyes any longer. He ordered us to take care of the threat and Michael took charge.”

Sam knew how special it was to hear that particular story first hand. However, Gabriel’s pain caused his heart to ache in turn. “And then what?” He wanted to reach out so badly and pull Gabriel into his arms, but knew instinctively that the archangel wouldn’t allow it. The pain was too raw right now.

“Michael saw his opportunity to gain power and to take Lucifer’s place, and seized it. He desperately wanted to impress our Father and to become His favorite instead, so he fought Lucifer. Michael won and expected our Father to be pleased, but He wasn’t. Our Father mourned losing Lucifer instead and that angered Michael, who felt cheated and then became bitter and power-hungry. The two of them were damn hard to please and impossible to be around, so I skipped out of heaven and made Earth my home instead. Our Father felt betrayed and started to ignore His children. In the meantime Michael was working hard to supplant Him.”

Sam wasn’t sure if it was the smart thing to do, but he walked over to Gabriel and slowly took the hurting archangel into his arms. Gabriel finally made eye contact and Sam distinctly noticed the pain in those amber eyes. Sam was angry, but managed to keep himself in check, knowing Gabriel needed him to be calm and in control of his feelings. “Chuck should have believed you. If he had, he would have been able to prevent Lucifer from rebelling and to avoid an escalation in heaven.”

Gabriel shrugged carefully. There had been a time when he’d thought the same thing, but these days, he was just too hurt to care. In the end, he offered, “I told you before that I never wanted my brothers to fight. I wanted them to get along so we could be a family again. I just wanted it over with.” He hesitated, maybe he shouldn’t tell Sam this next bit, but this emotional bloodletting, although exhausting him, felt good. He wanted this off his chest, as it had haunted him for long enough; maybe Sam was strong enough to accept and maybe even support him..

“You can tell me,” Sam assured him and slipped his fingers into Gabriel’s hair, stroking the strands in what was hopefully a soothing manner.

“I wanted them to stop fighting and I thought of a way to contain Lucifer, and if necessary, Michael too. By doing so I angered our Father,” Gabriel admitted and almost lost himself in the simple, yet gentle caress bestowed upon him.

“What did you think of?” Sam wanted to discuss this in detail, wanted everything in the open, for only then would they be able to move on afterward.

“I’d thought of a way to stop Lucifer – and also to restrain Michael if necessary,” he explained, still wondering if he should follow through, but then he did anyway. “Both posed a danger. They’re the strongest forces out there, save for Father and Amara, and to have them turned loose on the universe frightened me.”

“Rightly so,” Sam agreed wholeheartedly, his respect and admiration for Gabriel growing. “Go on.” Sam felt intrigued. Gabriel had noticed the threat his brothers had presented and had acted on it. Lucifer and Michael might be stronger, but Gabriel was obviously the sly one.

“I suggested that it might be prudent to have a way to contain their powers, to cut them off so to speak. Even to remove their grace, if necessary. I didn’t want them to blow up the universe just because they were fighting over who was Father’s favorite.” Gabriel had never told anyone before. The only one who’d known about his plans back then had been his Father and He had disapproved.

Gabriel must have risked a lot back then, Sam reckoned. After falling out of grace with Chuck, and Michael and Lucifer both powerful enough to take him out, Gabriel had played a dangerous game. Sam cringed, recalling they had called Gabriel a coward when they had discovered his real identity. They hadn’t known the whole story though and Sam felt like apologizing, but he would do so later, as he didn’t want to interrupt Gabriel.

“I created a sword,” Gabriel whispered and rested his weary head against Sam’s shoulder, craving the support and comfort. Physically he was fine, but confessing to Sam was emotionally draining him.

“A sword?” Sam rested a hand between the wings and rubbed Gabriel’s back, which earned him a blissful sigh. “What kind of sword? Or are you talking about the archangel blades?”

Sam’s caress proved to be rather distracting and it took him a moment to react to his lover’s question.“No, not those,” Gabriel whispered against Sam’s shoulder. “It was a scissor-like double sided sword, made of celestial energy and my grace. That sword would have been able to pull an archangel’s grace into its core, where it would stay, safe and sound, until the day it could be returned to its rightful owner. I merely intended the sword to act as a safeguard. That, should the worst case scenario come to pass, I could have stopped them from destroying the universe. I never wanted their power for myself, that’s why I created the sword instead. I intended to give it to our Father for safekeeping. Suffice it to say that Father wasn’t pleased when I told Him about my plan.” He had been furious instead and Gabriel had feared for his life that day.

The picture Gabriel was painting wasn’t a pretty one. Sam had never expected for Chuck to act in that way, but reminded himself that those had been different times. This had happened in heaven. Their situation had been completely different. “I can imagine Chuck overreacting,” Sam admitted after thinking it over. Sam had always liked Chuck, but that didn’t mean he thought Chuck had been a good father. Not after seeing the lordly way Chuck had interacted with Lucifer.

“He destroyed the sword,” Gabriel continued, still shivering at recalling the amount of rage and power that had been involved on his Father’s part. “He could have done much worse than that though,” he whispered, grateful he’d survived his Father’s wrath. ”He could have destroyed me instead.”

Sam was growing increasingly frustrated and even angry with Chuck. “You were the only one who had the courage to tell him about Lucifer and Michael acting up and he punished you instead?” How blind had Chuck been back then? Gabriel had been the good son and Chuck had favored the rebels instead?

“It’s a pity He destroyed it,” Gabriel said, ignoring Sam’s question, as thinking about it would only cause him more emotional pain. “Or else we could have used it to control them now. We wouldn’t have to destroy them. They would live on as mortals – humans. And I could have restored them to their former glory once they had learned their lessons. You do realize they’ll team up and find a way to cross over? They’ll form an alliance and come for us.”

That was Sam’s biggest fear too. “We’ll find a way to deal with them should that happen.” At the moment, his biggest concern was Gabriel though. They had strayed from their original topic, but Sam was grateful it had happened. At least now he understood why Gabriel thought of himself as a failure. “It wasn’t your fault everything went to hell – literally,” he added and chuckled, hoping to do away with some of the lingering tension.

“Maybe,” Gabriel admitted. “But I still failed to stop everything from falling apart.”

“That’s bullshit,” Sam said and realized talking would only get him so far. So, he opted for action instead and counted on the element of surprise to work in his favor when he leaned in closer, claiming Gabriel’s lips and kissing him.

TBC

 

 

Part 13

Gabriel melted against him, there was no other way to describe it. Sam chuckled briefly because of their height difference, but it also allowed him to shift Gabriel in his arms as he pleased and to kiss those lips at leisure. And damn, Gabriel tasted good. The fact that the archangel was kissing him back finally registered with him and he smiled. Yeah, things would work out. Maybe he should have done this right from the start.

Gabriel surrendered to the kiss, lost himself in the love Sam radiated, and wondered what he had done to deserve it. He wasn’t going to question it or fight it though. This had been Sam’s decision all along and he accepted the outcome.

Sam ended the kiss because he was running out of breath. Gabriel didn’t seem to have that problem though. Sam ran his fingers through the messy, blond hair and only realized belatedly that his other hand rested against the archangel’s back; an archangel who wasn’t wearing any clothes and whose skin felt hot beneath his touch. He wasn’t sure he wanted Gabriel to cover up, but maybe he should before this went too far. Gabriel was still healing and he didn’t want to cause a setback. They could have plenty of sex later, once Gabriel was fully recovered.

“Are you sure about that?” Gabriel involuntarily peeked at Sam’s thoughts. He didn’t want to; it just happened because they were so close; physically and emotionally.

“About having sex later? Oh yes,” Sam confirmed happily. “But not when you’re still healing.” That didn’t mean they couldn’t go back to kissing though. Claiming Gabriel’s lips again, the tip of his tongue pressed against his lover’s teeth, and Gabriel opened his mouth, allowing him to deepen their kiss. As far as Sam was concerned this was heaven – his personal heaven. Suddenly, Gabriel pushed and they ended up on the bed; Sam on his back and Gabriel sprawled on top of him, clearly enjoying the position he was in. “You did that on purpose!” Sam laughed and savored seeing the carefree expression in Gabriel’s eyes.

“Guilty, and you don’t mind!” Gabriel caressed Sam’s face, gently running his fingertips down the pronounced jaw line. He still believed he didn’t deserve this, but he wasn’t going to throw away this chance at happiness.

Earlier on, Gabriel had asked him if he was sure about this. Now it was his turn to ask Gabriel the same question. “Gabriel, do you want this? I’m trouble, you know that. Your brothers will turn up sooner or later and I don’t want to put you in the middle.” Quite fascinated by the archangel’s eyes, Sam watched as Gabriel’s expression changed; the pupils glowed with a white-golden light that reminded him of just whom he was dating.

“I love you, Sam Winchester,” Gabriel said, sobering and finally speaking his mind. “I still don’t understand why you want me, but I accept that you do. I want this, yes, but you need to be patient with me. I’ve been on the run for a long time and Michael and Lucifer will try to destroy me and probably you as well, especially once they find out we’re together.”

“Yes, we’re together!” Sam was glad to hear Gabriel confirm it; it meant his lover no longer denied the attraction. “And I’m not letting go.”

“You’ll have to at some point,” Gabriel pointed out teasingly and wiggled an eyebrow. “Or do you want Dean and Castiel to walk in on us and find us like this?”

Sam wasn’t sure that was reason enough to let go of Gabriel. He could deal with his brother’s glare, if necessary. “Maybe,” he conceded in the end. He probably should release Gabriel as his body was reacting rather urgently to the weight pressing him down. He was hard and actually considering making love to Gabriel right there and then, but no, not yet. To his relief, Gabriel was hard too, apparently craving this as much as he did.

His fingertips happened upon the wings and Sam stroked them, drawing pleased moans from his lover’s lips. Imagining the way they would unfold and gain their full glory during Gabriel’s climax, he was tempted to find out what they looked like, but he once more discarded the idea. Later, they needed to take this slow for now.

“You’re no fun,” Gabriel objected with a hint of his old trickster mentality mixed into his voice.

“Maybe, but I want you healed first and if eating and drinking slows down that process, so will making love.” Sam noticed that the glow in Gabriel’s eyes intensified. “What?”

“I love the way you phrased that; making love.” It brought home that this was so much more than sex.

Sam paused momentarily, fully realizing how special their love was to Gabriel and he vowed to make this work. No matter what it took, he would protect Gabriel and show him just how much the archangel deserved being loved!

===

Gabriel objected to getting dressed; he loved the skin-on-skin contact, but Sam was adamant, reminding him they expected Dean and Castiel to show up shortly. So Gabriel snapped some clothes into existence. That was why he was currently wearing black slacks and a white shirt magically fit to suit his wings. Which reminded him… “Sam?”

Sam, who was in the middle of making lunch, looked at Gabriel from over his shoulder. Damn, it was good to have the archangel back in his life. “Yes?”

“About these wings,” Gabriel said, carefully monitoring Sam’s reaction to the suggestion he was about to make. “Do you mind me hiding them when we’re not alone? Let me rephrase that; I don’t mind Dean and Castiel seeing them, but I’m not sure we should extend that circle. It might be awkward for everyone involved.”

Sam nodded calmly and placed a mug of hot chocolate in front of Gabriel, who instantly claimed it and wrapped his fingers around it. Sam was about to warn him that it was still way too hot, but then remembered whom he was dealing with.“I’ve been thinking about that myself and I understand your problem.” Gabriel sipped from his hot drink and Sam winced; if he did that, he would be in pain, but not the archangel. “I’ll leave that decision up to you. I understand they can be a nuisance. Just don’t cover them up when we’re alone, okay?”

Gabriel understood and promised, “I won’t. Actually, I’m not even sure I can.” Seeing Sam frown, he said, “Let’s try this.” He snapped his fingers, making them invisible, but could tell Sam still saw them. “See, it doesn’t work around you.”

Sam felt immensely pleased. “Good!” He loved seeing those wings on Gabriel, who snapped again, ending the illusion. “Do you want some of Dean’s favorite pie too?”

“I can manage some,” Gabriel confirmed. He didn’t need to eat and drink, but Sam wanted to take care of him, and he had no problem with that. “Bring it on!”

Sam put a large piece in front of his lover and settled down at the kitchen table, having coffee and sandwiches himself. He enjoyed seeing Gabriel digging in and eating again. He realized it was show mostly, as a celestial being didn’t need to eat. Gabriel was merely doing it for him. Gabriel’s expression became serious all of a sudden and Sam wondered what was going on.

Gabriel finished his pie, leaned back, and gave Sam a pensive look. “Do you think your brother will accept us being together?” So far, they hadn’t discussed any ramifications, but they should before Dean returned to the bunker.

Sam shrugged, unconcerned. “I believe he will. Dean might be many things, but he isn’t prejudiced. I mean, he’s dating an angel himself.” Sam smiled at catching Gabriel’s surprised expression. “Yeah, I do think those two have been doing the deed for quite some time, but Dean isn’t one to discuss something private like that. Making him admit it would be like pulling teeth.”

“And he won’t mind me staying here? Moving in?”

Sam shook his head. “I don’t think so. I believe you gained his respect, and to be honest, he didn’t take your death well. He was rather upset about it.” Sam vividly recalled Dean calling out Gabriel’s name during the archangel’s death. “Dean sounded relieved at the phone. He isn’t stupid and Cas will have hinted at things in order to prepare Dean. Cas knows better than to spring this upon my brother.”

“I’ll trust your judgment,” Gabriel whispered, afraid to hope everything would work out in the end. “You know your brother best.”

“I do,” Sam confirmed. “Don’t worry about it. Now, do you want to go outside and test your wings? I want to see what they look like and you must be dying to find out what they can do.”

Gabriel liked that idea. It would be good to step outside and get moving again. He had been cooped up in here for too long and needed to be ready in case his dear brothers showed up, especially considering the fact that there was no way he could take on both of them at the same time. Maybe he had to resort to his trickster days and try some of his old mojo instead.

===

The first thing Gabriel did when he stepped out into the open was ward the place against curious onlookers. He made sure Dean and Castiel could enter, should they arrive early, but no one else would find the place. Sam remained at a distance, although maintaining he wanted a first row seat, but Gabriel suspected his lover wasn’t sure about the wings’ span and didn’t want to cause any accidents.

Sam held his breath upon seeing Gabriel uncurl his wings and stretch them. He hadn’t thought it possible, but he felt proud of the way the spell had turned out. Gabriel had earned those wings as far as he was concerned. “Go on, see what they can do,” he urged on the archangel who seemed to hesitate.

That was easier said than done, Gabriel mused. He’d never had such wings before and had to get a feel for them first. The fact that they were gold on top, silver in the middle, and white on the bottom should probably clue him in regarding Sam’s love for him. Could the Winchester possibly have given him more gorgeous wings? Gabriel sighed and moved them, creating the necessary motion for him to float up in the air. This definitely felt weird!

Sam almost forgot to breathe and quickly inhaled, growing dizzy. Gabriel moved higher, those wings creating a current of air and Sam realized just how powerful they were. He loved seeing them on Gabriel and shielded his eyes from the sun so he could watch the archangel fly even higher. The next thing he knew was Gabriel diving toward the earth and coming to a halt in front of him, only marginally moving his wings and almost staying perfectly in place. “You’re a natural,” he chuckled.

“They feel like a part of me.” Controlling the motion came natural to him, Sam was right about that. Gabriel spread his wings to the max, taking off into the air again and showing off a little, testing his limits, and if was being honest, trying to impress Sam. Soaring high, he noticed the black Impala heading for the bunker. Dean and Castiel had found their way home. Gabriel didn’t worry about Castiel’s reactions to his wings or his relationship with Sam, but Dean was unpredictable. No matter what Sam said, Gabriel worried.

Suddenly the car stopped, the door opened, and Dean stepped outside. Dean cocked his head and Gabriel knew he had been discovered. Castiel had probably pointed him out to the older Winchester. Gabriel reckoned it was time to return to Sam. He wanted his lover at his side when facing Dean Winchester.

===

Was he asleep and dreaming? Dean stared at the winged figure and didn’t know what to think. Was that really Gabriel? Sam had sent him that picture and Cas had confirmed that Gabriel was back and that the spell had given him wings. But to actually see Gabriel fly like that... He shook himself and blinked; Gabriel was still up there, but flying back to the bunker.

“Dean?” Castiel left the car as well and now stood behind his lover. He rested a hand on Dean’s shoulder in order to ground him and waited patiently.

“You could have warned me about that,” Dean muttered beneath his breath, finding his voice again once Gabriel disappeared from view.

“What do you mean? I told you about Gabriel and that he has wings.” Why did Dean feel like he needed an additional warning?

Dean cocked his head and looked at his lover. “Cas, do you have any idea what this feels like..?” Damn, how was he going to explain this? “I know you’re an angel. And that Gabriel is an archangel, but just by looking at the two of you, one wouldn’t know. But those wings… They remind me of the stories my mum told me when I was little; that angels were watching over me. Angels with wings.”

Castiel still wasn’t sure he understood, but he was slowly getting what Dean was trying to tell him. When they’d first gotten together, Dean had asked him if he had wings, and his lover had been disappointed when it turned out he didn’t. Back then, Castiel hadn’t questioned Dean’s reaction, but now he understood why seeing Gabriel like that affected Dean. “Gabriel having wings is a good thing, Dean,” he said, feeling the need to point that out to his lover.

“I’m not saying it isn’t,” Dean quickly interjected. “Just that I need time to get used to the idea.”

Castiel nodded and in order to soothe his distressed lover he moved closer, wrapping him up in a hug. It had taken him long before he’d understood that being held calmed Dean down and that it was a way to offer comfort. Once he had realized that, he had taken to hugging Dean a lot, but always out of Sam’s sight as he hadn’t wanted to embarrass his lover. “Does this mean you’re fine with Gabriel staying at the bunker?”

Dean chuckled and moved away slightly so he could look into the angel’s eyes. “Yeah, I am, but you still haven’t told me why you’re so worried that I’ll throw Gabriel out.” Each time Dean brought up that spell, Cas pretended he didn’t know the details, but Dean knew that the angel did. Cas hinted that Sam had been determined to bring the archangel back, but whenever he wanted to find out more, Cas shrugged, telling him to ask Sam instead.

Cas released him and took his seat in the car again, which left Dean no choice but to climb behind the steering wheel himself and start the engine again. Well, it looked like he was finally going to get those answers. He would make sure his baby brother told him!

TBC

Part 14

Sam noticed the Impala driving up to the bunker and knew it was the reason why Gabriel had cut short his flight. Facing Dean together was fine with him. He preferred doing it that way. He understood that Gabriel felt ill at ease facing Dean, but Sam was convinced his brother would pull through and accept this. They just had to go slow and be careful when telling Dean.

“The prodigal son returns,” Gabriel said as he landed next to Sam. He briefly considered hiding his wings from view, but both Dean and Castiel had already seen them, so there was no use in concealing them. “Is it okay if I let you do the talking?” He’d back his lover up if necessary.

“Sure,” Sam said reassuringly, understanding why Gabriel suggested it. “Don’t worry,” he added. “Everything will be fine.”

Gabriel wished he had Sam’s faith in Dean Winchester, but he did have faith in his lover. So he stood at Sam’s side when the Impala came to a halt. Castiel left the car first and headed towards him. Gabriel wasn’t prepared when Castiel pulled him into a tight hug. His eyes widened and he fought the urge to free himself of the embrace. Instead, he brought up his arms and returned the hug. “What’s gotten into you?” he whispered into Castiel’s ear.

Castiel slightly moved away and looked at his brother. “I found that hugs calm Dean down. You seemed anxious, so I decided to try that tactic with you too. Is it working?”

Gabriel shook his head in amusement, but then realized he was merely confusing Castiel. “Yeah, it worked,” he said reassuringly. “But you can let go now.” It took Castiel another minute though to follow up on that advice and Gabriel chuckled because of his brother’s antics.

“Sammy!” Dean followed Cas’ example and hugged his brother close. He couldn’t have Cas hugging Gabriel and poor Sammy not getting any! “It’s good to be back.”

“It’s good to have you back.” Sam let go when Dean took a step away from him. Amber eyes met his and they showed mirth; Sam was relieved that Gabriel seemed reassured. “You got here early!”

“Well, I have to know what’s going on, so I stepped on it,” Dean explained and turned to face Gabriel, who had finally escaped Cas’ hug. Dean knew how claiming those could be and God, how he loved being buried in one. “Gabriel, you’re alive.”

“Thanks to Sam,” Gabriel pointed out. He noticed the way Dean tried to look him in the eye, but instead the older Winchester’s gaze continued to stray to his wings instead. He had been right; it was a Winchester thing, this obsession with wings. “That’s courtesy of Sam too,” he added, wondering how much longer Dean could keep quiet. Not long, he reckoned.

“You’ve got wings,” Dean whispered, “and they’re awesome!” He didn’t care that his enthusiasm showed. “We watched you fly earlier. It was quite a sight.”

Gabriel relaxed slightly now that Dean wasn’t causing problems. He hoped it would stay that way.

“First time he tried flying,” Sam explained and realized they had taken the first hurdle. “How much did Cas tell you?” Sam started toward the bunker and Dean fell into step next to him. Sam knew Dean wanted a word with him in private and was giving him a chance to ask his questions.

“He just hints at things. It’s damn irritating!” Dean followed Sam into the kitchen and gratefully accepted the beer his brother handed him. Dean seated himself at the kitchen table and waited for Sam to join him. “I have questions,” he said, preferring the direct approach. He had certain suspicions, but had to know for sure.

“Then ask them.” Dean was in a good mood and Sam felt fairly confident that there wouldn’t be any problems between them.

“About that spell. Cas said it only worked because you really wanted Gabriel back. He hinted at certain feelings being involved.” Dean frowned, still wondering what Cas had been trying to tell him in that weird way of his. “What kind of feelings, Sammy?”

Sam sipped from his beer and met Dean’s stare head on. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but I’m in love with him. That’s why the spell worked. Cas had to clue me in. Then everything made sense.”

Dean leaned back, quickly sipped and swallowed his beer, and watched Sam closely. “You have the hots for Gabriel?”

“Apparently,” Sam said and shrugged. “Does that offend you?” He hoped it didn’t or else this would get ugly, because he wasn’t giving up on Gabriel in order to please Dean. His brother had better accept this.

“No, it doesn’t. Sam, you know me better than that. Now, if Gabriel had still been up to his old tricks then we might have a problem, but…” Dean sipped again, needing the encouragement he drew from the bottle. “But after watching him die buying us time, I know he’s changed.” Dean however had more questions. “Does he have feelings for you in turn?” Dean hoped so for his brother’s sake. He had pined for Cas for quite some time, never certain the angel was even capable of returning his feelings, and when Cas had admitted he felt attracted to him in turn, he had never been happier. He wanted that for his little brother too.

Sam smiled warmly; his faith in Dean proven once more. “Yeah, otherwise the spell wouldn’t have worked. It’s a two-way thing. Gabriel loves me.” He kept it short and simple as there was little else to say.

Dean nodded repeatedly and wanted to sip again, but he’d already emptied his bottle. So he got to his feet and retrieved another one. Once he was sitting down again, and enjoying another cold one, he asked, “And he’s okay with the wings? Really okay?”

“Yeah, no hidden resentment,” Sam said and winked. “He’ll hide them in public. Perks of being an archangel, you can do whatever the hell you want.”

“Speaking of archangels.” Dean said and considered their topic discussed and closed. If Sam wanted Gabriel, his brother should go for it and make sure he got his archangel. “Lucifer and Michael.”

“Gabriel thinks they’ll team up and find a way to invade our world.” Now that Dean was back to business, Sam knew his brother had accepted Gabriel and him being together. Dean considered it handled and had moved on. “We should prepare for them. They’ll be pissed off, and once they realize Gabriel’s alive…”

“He’ll be next in line,” Dean finished. “We’re not going to allow that though. That fucker killed Gabe once before and it won’t happen again,” Dean said steadfast. He had failed to keep Gabriel safe the first time and he wasn’t going to fuck up again. Michael wasn’t laying another finger on Gabriel. “You already told him to lay low for now?”

“You try telling him that.” Dean wanting to protect Gabriel warmed Sam’s heart. He’d suspected Dean had a little soft spot for the archangel. What had Dean called Gabriel? “Gabe thinks they’re his responsibility; his brothers.”

“I get that,” Dean acknowledged, “and he can help, but he’s not sacrificing himself again.” If only he knew how to deal with Lucifer and Michael! Taking on one of them was already challenging, but if they teamed up, it would be impossible.

===

“You seem improved,” Castiel stated, pleased that Gabriel’s grace had recovered. It was strong and much more radiant than he remembered. He suspected why that was, but was hesitant to address it.

“Sam’s love helps,” Gabriel replied, having mercy on Castiel. “We talked,” he offered, knowing Castiel was dying to ask, but too decorous to do so. “We’re trying to make this work.”

“I’m pleased for you.” Castiel really was. Once he had admitted to having feelings for Dean, a whole new world had opened and he couldn’t imagine living without his lover. His existence would be cold and empty without Dean Winchester in it. The same thing had to be true for Gabriel where Sam was concerned.

“But we have a problem. Two actually.” Gabriel returned to business. “Lucifer and Michael. Have they already found their way here? Lucifer knows how that spell works. He’s seen Rowena perform it. It’s only a matter of time before they succeed in reproducing it.”

Castiel knew his brother was right. “They haven’t shown themselves yet, but I can’t be certain. They might keep their heads down until they make their move. Do you have a plan?”

Gabriel sighed, deeply troubled. “No, I don’t.” He’d had one, eons ago, but daddy dearest had destroyed that sword and there was no way he could create something similar. Back in heaven, in the old days, he’d been stronger – much stronger. These days, he felt like a mere shadow of his former self. “Do we at least have an archangel blade?”

Castiel shook his head. “It stayed behind when you died. They have both blades.” He knew how bad it looked. “Michael will want revenge. He’ll come for Dean – either to kill him or to claim his perfect vessel. If Dean denies him, I don’t know what Michael will do.” The bottom line was that no matter what happened, he would lose Dean. Either to death or to a fate even worse than that, namely being possessed.

“We’ll find a way,” Gabriel said reassuringly and patted Castiel’s back. He was frustrated though; there was so much at stake and he had absolutely no idea how to protect his loved ones.

===

Castiel sat down next to Dean at the kitchen table. His lover seemed relaxed and accepting of their situation. Sam had nodded earlier, confirming he had told Dean about Gabriel.

Gabriel remained near the doorway, too restless to sit down. Watching the three of them, he knew it was up to him to keep them safe. Even though he was the first to admit the Winchesters were formidable opponents, they stood no chance against Lucifer and Michael. Hell, even he didn’t have a chance against his brothers, but he would lay down his life again if it meant keeping the three of them safe. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but there was a distinct possibility it might.

“I don’t like that look on your face,” Sam told Gabriel. “You’re brooding and up to no good. We’ll find a way and we’ll deal with them like we always do, together.” He had a pretty good idea what was on Gabriel’s mind and he would call the archangel on it later once they were alone.

“You listen to Sammy here,” Dean added, resisting the urge to collect another beer, as he needed his wits about him. “No more self-sacrificing crap!” Studying Gabriel closely, Dean noticed the unease the archangel emanated. Gabriel was truly worried. He didn’t blame him, but he had to make some things clear, so he got to his feet and walked up to the archangel. “Gabe,” he said and waited for the Gabriel to look at him.

“Gabe?” Gabriel chuckled at being called that. No one else had ever dared doing such a thing. Dean Winchester was the first. “Is that my new moniker?”

“I like it.” Sam really did. He should have thought of it instead of his brother.

“Well, if you like it… I suppose I can live with it.” Gabriel winked at his lover, letting him know he was fine with it. “So am I getting the big brother talk? Are you going to tell me you’ll make me pay in case I hurt Sam?” he asked Dean, once more focusing on the older Winchester.

“I don’t think that particular speech is necessary, but if you want me to deliver it, I can.” Dean enjoyed surprising Gabriel, who was staring at him in wonder. “I was referring to that other speech, which I had to give Sammy and Cas several times before.”

Puzzled, Gabriel looked to Sam for answers, but his lover merely shrugged. Sam’s expression however told him that his lover knew what this was about. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he told Dean.

“Here it comes,” quipped Sam; glad that for once he wasn’t at the receiving end of Dean’s patented speech.

Gabriel had no idea what was going to happen, but Sam’s grin warned him he was in trouble. But he hadn’t done anything wrong – yet.

“No more dying, you hear me?” Dean warned Gabriel in a menacing tone. “The next time, you let Sammy and me handle it. I don’t want you to die again!” Dean realized he might be coming across a bit too forceful, but he still had bad dreams about Michael killing Gabriel and the way the archangel had lain there, staring blindly at the sky. “It’s not happening again! If you die, there’ll be hell to pay, you hear me?”

“Oh, that speech,” Castiel deadpanned and leaning back. He’d had that lecture directed at him too many times to count.

“But Dean, they’re my responsibility! They’re my brothers. I can’t let you fight my battles!” To some extent Gabriel understood where Dean was coming from, but this was different.

“That’s a whole load of crap!” Dean shook his head, once more pointing at the archangel, declaring him his target. “Lucifer had no problems killing you back then and Michael didn’t think twice about murdering you either. You’re not making yourself an easy target again! You know what those bastards will do to you if they find out you’re alive.”

Gabriel’s anger had been building in turn, but then it deflated, realizing why Dean was lashing out at him. Dean fucking Winchester cared about him and had accepted him as a part of his little family. He hadn’t seen that one coming. Yes, Sam and he were together and Dean wanted his brother’s partner safe, but Gabriel had the feeling Dean would have given him that same speech if Sam and he hadn’t been together. Seeing Michael kill him had triggered this fierce emotion in Dean. “I’ll try to stay alive,” he offered in the end. “I can’t make any promises though,” he added in an even softer tone, hoping to appease Dean.

“You’d better do your fucking best, Gabe.” Dean composed himself again and collected another beer after all. Once he had swallowed a mouthful, he watched all three of them. They were his family and none of them was going to die on his watch!

TBC

Part 15

“What are you doing?” Gabriel found Sam in the study amidst piles of books. He wasn’t sure he should disturb the young man, who was obviously busy. He started to turn around and decided to come back later.

“No, stay. Come over here, will you?” Sam hadn’t heard Gabriel enter the room as he had been studying an ancient scroll. He inclined his head and watched Gabriel closely. The archangel looked worried, which was something he understood. Lucifer and Michael working together was a nightmare come true. “I’m trying to come up with something that will stop them, but I haven’t found anything yet.”

Gabriel sat down on the table, careful not to mess with the piled books. “I could have told you that. There’s no weapon that can incapacitate them.”

Sam grinned. “I’m not used to you using big words,” he teased.

Gabriel relaxed and wiggled an eyebrow. “I can do big,” he hinted mischievously. It was good to see Sam smile, even though their situation was dire.

Laughing warmly, Sam moved his desk chair closer to Gabriel and placed his hands on the archangel’s knees. “Now there’s my trickster.”

Gabriel winked. “I can be both, if you want me to.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Sam moved his chair until he was close enough to slide his right hand up Gabriel’s back, savoring the soft feathers beneath his fingertips. “I prefer you.” He wondered about that though; Gabriel had turned out to be quite different from the trickster he’d come to expect. Maybe it was the archangel emerging again now that they’d put Loki to rest. Gabriel stilled beneath his touch and Sam loved the way those amber eyes caught fire. Deciding against announcing his intentions, he simply pulled Gabriel toward him and claimed his lips.

Gabriel never expected that move and a soft moan escaped his lips, floating toward Sam. He parted his teeth, allowing Sam entry and deepened the kiss. Gabriel rested a hand at the back of Sam’s neck and stroked the skin there. Sam became more passionate, nibbling on his bottom lip and occasionally nipping.

Sam wanted more and got to his feet, pressing up against Gabriel and eager to experience his lover with all of his senses. In the end, he had to break off the kiss because he needed oxygen; he’d grown dizzy. “You’re a good kisser,” he complimented Gabriel, who, surprisingly enough, blushed. To be honest, he was more than a little curious about Gabriel’s timid reactions so far.

Gabriel recognized the puzzled expression in Sam’s eyes and suspected what would happen next. “It’s fine, you can ask me stuff you want to know.” It was important they talked before things went any further.

Sam cocked his head and nuzzled Gabriel’s throat, kissing softly and sucking the skin teasingly. “I’m surprised,” he admitted, after licking his way toward Gabriel’s clavicle, delighted at hearing his lover groan in a needy way. “Considering how much you tend to brag about spending so many nights with porn stars, I’m surprised you haven’t dragged me off to bed yet to have your wicked way with me.” Sam shifted so he could make eye contact and found Gabriel’s blush had intensified. “Why are you this shy?” He’d never taken Gabriel for the timid kind. His hand moved toward Gabriel’s groin and he rested it on the telltale bulge; Gabriel was aroused, there was no mistaking that. So why keep back?

“Well, I might have exaggerated a few details,” Gabriel confessed in a rough voice and coughing to cover up his embarrassment. Sam massaging his erection like that made it difficult for him to focus, and if his lover continued rubbing him like that, he’d be in real trouble.

Realizing he was complicating matters, Sam moved his hands until they rested on Gabriel’s thighs instead. “Explain this to me,” he whispered into Gabriel’s ear and used his hold to pull his lover closer against him. They were getting to the bottom of this as he was done running and pretending this wasn’t happening.

Gabriel cringed, but then admitted the truth. “The porn star thing…Most of it was an act – part of the trickster’s reputation and it was a fun way to mess with Dean.” He felt grateful that Sam’s intimate touch had stopped, at least now he was able to think rationally again. Thinking with his dick would only get him into more trouble.

Sam chuckled, recalling the first time they’d staked the trickster. Gabriel had conjured two porn stars, who had easily succeeded in distracting Dean. “You’re not telling me you’re a virgin, are you?” he asked, jokingly. That, he wouldn’t believe.

Sam being that close and rubbing his skin through the fabric of his shirt made it nearly impossible for him to focus. Sam’s body heat and his lover’s proximity made it literary hard for him to concentrate. He couldn’t recall ever wanting to touch someone like he wanted to touch Sam right now.

“I guess it’s time to confess up,” Gabriel whispered in a shaky voice. He’d never thought he’d have to come clean one day. His act had been good; everyone had bought into him being a sex-driven trickster/archangel.”Even though I acted like the trickster for an eternity, beneath the con I’m still an archangel,” he hinted and hoped Sam understood what that meant. He raised his head and met his lover’s curious gaze.

Gabriel’s habit of merely hinting at something important frustrated Sam. He really had to break Gabriel of that habit.“What aren’t you telling me? Why do I feel like you’re leaving out something huge?” All of a sudden, the fact that Gabriel actually hadn’t denied being a virgin finally registered with him. But no, that couldn’t be! No fucking way!

Gabriel shifted nervously, suddenly wishing for a lot more distance between the two of them. Did Sam really have to continue to run his fingers along his back and flank? It was fucking distracting! Realizing he owed Sam an answer, he said, “You must understand, Sam. There’s always the risk of creating a nephilim when an angel lays with a woman. It’s a huge risk, one I, as an archangel, am not willing to take, so I never did. Not every nephilim turns out like Jack. I simply couldn’t take the risk.” He had never wanted to reveal something that personal to Sam, but it was necessary at this point. “You understand, do you?”

Sam wasn’t completely sure he did, but nodded anyway. “Maybe I do,” he muttered, realizing he had completely misjudged Gabriel; the archangel had worried about the possible consequences of such an affair and had abstained, wow. He needed a moment to fully accept that. “You completely fooled me,” Sam confessed. “I thought you were sleeping with all those porn stars.” Gabriel’s sad smile tore at his heart. “Why did you let me think that?” Sam felt torn between frustration and relief. “You’re an idiot for letting me believe that!” he lectured his lover.

“Guilty,” pleaded Gabriel. “I’m good at that – fooling people. It kept everyone at a distance and I couldn’t afford anyone finding out the truth about me. I was hiding from my celestial family, remember? Becoming the trickster was part of my personal protection scheme. I had to act the part, even around you.”

Sam wondered about that odd statement. It was true; Gabriel had carried on his little act even after he’d joined the team. “What about Rowena? Why did you make out with her?” The fact that Gabriel shifted away from him, alerted him that hearing the truth might upset him. Why else would Gabriel put distance between them?

Gabriel averted his gaze and cringed. “I suspected you had feelings for me. I also knew there was a good chance I wouldn’t survive facing Michael. I made out with her in the hope that you’d realize I was up to no good, that I wouldn’t change my ways. I’d rather have you pissed off at me than hurting because I had given you false hope. I thought you’d hurt less that way. Hating me would be easier on you than mourning me.” Gabriel decided against holding back and wanted to come completely clean with Sam. “I’m sorry if I made things worse by doing that.” He stole a look at Sam, wondering if he’d messed up to such an extent that the young man no longer wanted anything to do with him.

Exasperated, Sam shook his head. “Gabe, you might find this hard to believe, but I get why tried to make me hate you. Hell, maybe I’d have done the same thing in your shoes, but… All of this, it’s mind-blowing. I never suspected any of it. For crying out loud, your first word was porn stars, once you fought yourself a way back from that hellhole. And then you made out with Rowena. So, yeah, your scheme worked, but then you sacrificed yourself for Dean and I, showing your true colors. So, unsurprisingly, your tactic backfired in the end.”

Gabriel looked lost and felt guilty, judging by the way the archangel was dodging his gaze, but Sam wasn’t angry, knowing his lover had had his best interest in mind changed things. “You’re forgiven,” Sam said and pressed a kiss onto his lover’s brow. “Don’t do it again though. I’m the jealous type.” Sam rested his forehead against Gabriel’s and looked him in the eyes, hiding nothing. “I love you, you hear me? I forgive you and I love you. Just don’t leave me.”

Hugely relieved that Sam found it in his heart to look past his mistakes and to forgive him, Gabriel smiled shyly. “I won’t, I promise.”

Sam believed him. Things had changed now that everything was out in the open. There were still some matters to address though and he wasn’t going to shy away from them. Since he preferred a direct approach, Sam said, “I’ve been with women, but not with men,” he revealed, finding it easy to admit now that Gabriel had come clean first. “How about you? Being with a guy meant you didn’t have to worry about offspring.” It would have been safe for Gabriel to take a male lover.

Gabriel slid his fingers into Sam’s hair and cupped the back of his lover’s head. He didn’t want to discuss this, but maybe he should, as it definitely looked as if Sam planned on them making love shortly. And could he blame his lover? They were living on borrowed time with Lucifer and Michael wanting revenge. Who knew how much time they had left before their enemies moved in for the kill? But he had to caution the young man – preferably now before things became too intimate and they couldn’t stop. “Sam, even though I inhabit a vessel, I’m still an archangel.” Fuck, how was he going to explain this one?

Sam frowned. “Will you stop at just hinting things instead of just telling me? You’re giving me a headache that way.” He had absolutely no idea what Gabriel was struggling with. Gabriel obviously dreaded telling him something personal, but Sam suspected his lover was overreacting. So far, Gabriel hadn’t told him anything Sam worried about.

“When you cut me, I bleed grace. What do you think happens when I come?” Maybe that would do the trick? Gabriel certainly hoped it would. He wasn’t good at discussing such intimate details, as he didn’t have much experience in sharing personal matters.

Sam blinked, wondering what Gabriel could possibly be trying to tell him and then his eyes widened with realization. Was Gabriel really telling him that, “It would be grace pouring out of you?”

Gabriel nodded, his expression worried. “And into you if I were to take you. I’m not sure how that will affect you.” He felt bad for complicating matters, but Sam had to know what he was getting himself into. “I doubt I’ll hurt you, but since I’ve never been in that situation before, I can’t be sure.”

Sam carefully considered everything the archangel had told him and wondered why he hadn’t realized the problem himself. While running his fingertips along Gabriel’s jaw line, he realized why Gabriel was this shy – this hesitant to take the next step. Gabriel was basically worried sick that he might hurt him if they made love. But maybe there was a simple solution to their problem. “Might using a condom help?” he said, halfway between being serious and teasing Gabriel in an effort to sooth his lover, who was clearly growing distressed.

“As I said, I have no idea. I haven’t done this before.” Gabriel wished he had all the answers, but he didn’t. “It wouldn’t hurt to take precautions,” he admitted and shrugged, hating feeling this way.

Sam shook his head. Of all the possible things Gabriel might spring on him, this wasn’t on his list. He rested his hands on either side of Gabriel’s head and made the archangel look at him. “Gabe, this doesn’t make a difference and I won’t change my mind,” he told Gabriel in no uncertain terms. “There are many ways for us to make love and I don’t want you to worry about it. I’m sure everything will work out just fine.” It was a good thing he knew Gabriel worried about him to such a degree. At least now he knew what he was dealing with. “I do believe you’re overreacting; Lucifer had sex with Kelly and nothing bad happened to her. Yeah, she ended up pregnant, but he didn’t harm her. ”

“I wish I had your faith and that says a lot, considering I’m an archangel.” Gabriel caressed the young man’s face in turn and when Sam leaned in closer to kiss him, he surrendered, quivering with desire when his lover possessively deepened their kiss.

===

“Cas, what are you—“ Dean came to a halt behind the angel and wondered what the hell Cas was staring at. Cas looked mesmerized and Dean had seldom seen that particular expression on his lover’s face.

“Be quiet and let me watch.” Castiel gestured for Dean to stop talking. He wanted to know what would happen next.

Dean followed the direction of Cas’ stare and cringed at seeing his baby brother making out with Gabriel. “Dude, don’t!” he cuffed Cas on the back of his head and hissed disapprovingly. “I told you that, for one, you don’t watch porn in company and, secondly, you certainly don’t stare at Sammy smooching Gabriel!” Damn, there was no way for him to pretend he hadn’t seen that! The image of Sam groping Gabriel’s ass was now burned onto his retina!

“You don’t understand,” Castiel said, trying to make his lover understand. “Dean, this is good. Gabriel and Sam love each other. They’re meant to be together and they should act on those feelings.” Castiel felt pleased that things were working out for his brother. Gabriel and Sam were evenly matched and well-suited for each other in his opinion.

“Still, you shouldn’t watch them make out!” Dean took hold of Cas’ shoulders and turned the angel toward him instead. “Give them some privacy.”

“Maybe we can go to your room and have some privacy too?” Castiel hinted wickedly.

“I created an insatiable monster,” Dean said, chuckling. “Well, if it means you’ll stop ogling them, sure. Let’s go.” Dean turned Cas in the right direction and the angel quickly walked down the corridor and toward his room. Dean however, turned around and feeling wicked, he yelled, “Sam, you have a fucking room, use it, damn it! And Gabe, you’d better treat him right!” Pleased with Sam’s startled outcry, Dean turned around and followed Cas. His work here was done.

===

“Please tell me that didn’t happen just now!” His heart was going a thousand beats per minute and Sam felt torn between being amused and horrified that Dean had caught him making out with Gabriel. He’d reacted instinctively and had quickly moved away from his lover, creating a safe distance in case Dean would storm into the room.

Gabriel smiled reassuringly. They hadn’t exactly been careful and Dean walking in on them was no surprise. Contrary to Sam, he didn’t feel alarmed. “Dean will survive.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” admitted Sam. “I’m more worried about him pestering me about it.” Dean startling him reminded him that he was still in the study and a pile of ancients texts were still waiting for him. He was desperate to find a way to deal with Lucifer and Michael, as he wasn’t ready to give up on love now that it had found him. “Do you mind if I study a few more books before we turn in? There must be a way to take out Lucifer and Michael!”

Gabriel understood Sam’s need to find a way to protect them, as he shared that feeling. “No, I don’t. I’ll go for a walk and will join you in your room later.” Maybe they’d sleep, maybe they’d make love. If this was going to be their last night on Earth, they should use it well.

TBC

Part 16

Gabriel left the bunker and stepped out into the dark night. The heaven about him was hung in black; starless and without a moon in sight, it was pitch dark, and therefore perfectly fitted his current mood. Now that Sam and he had talked and admitted to being in love, he felt like he was about to lose everything he held dear in the world. Once Lucifer and Michael came after them, all hell would break loose. The best he could hope for was getting Sam into safety and if possible, Dean and Castiel as well.

Raising his head to the heavens, he stared into the dark night for a while, before going down on his knees and bowing his head. He no longer had faith in his Father. God deserted him a long time ago, and yet, there was no one else left to turn to. He’d never prayed to his Father before, why would he? But right now, he found himself hoping that his Father might be listening after all.

His voice sounded rough to his own ears and he knew it was due to the emotions running through him. He’d never loved like this before and desperately needed Sam to survive; it was the only thing that mattered. “Father, You’re my last resort; My last hope. You’re the only one who can keep Sam safe. Do You know that Lucifer and Michael are teaming up and coming after us? Do You even care? I’m not praying for my sake, but for theirs.” Gabriel drew in a deep breath and opened his eyes. Raising his head, he lifted it to the heavens, sending out his plea.

“Michael will destroy this world, he already announced that much. Lucifer will let him, as it suits him best. All they ever wanted was to destroy Your creation. I’ve tried to keep this planet safe. I’ve tried keeping Your creation safe, but right now, it’s hopeless. I’m not as powerful as I used to be. Ever since our family fell apart, a part of me has been missing. Maybe I can fight off Lucifer, but Michael… You know what he’s like. Michael destroys everything that stands in his path; he always did.” He drew in a deep breath and was stunned to find he was crying. Tears slid down his face and dripped onto the grass. He raised his hand and quickly wiped at his tears. Crying wouldn’t get him anywhere.

“So, maybe if You’re listening, maybe You can help? Keep Sam safe, and perhaps Dean and Castiel too, because if something bad happens to those two, Sam won’t survive either.” Gabriel felt helpless, a feeling he had seldom experienced before. Shifting his gaze to the bunker, he realized the only thing he could do was to increase the warding. It wouldn’t keep out his dear brothers, but it would alert him the very moment they showed up and it might enable him to get them out in time.

Calling on his grace, Gabriel strengthened the warding to the max and hated being unable to do more. Then, he sensed it; a ripple in time and space. A rift was being opened and the familiar presence of Lucifer and then Michael shifted into this universe. The two of them had found their way into this reality. It had happened; sooner than he had feared.

“Gabriel?”Castiel walked up to his brother, wondering why Gabriel was kneeling on the grass. “Do you feel it too?”

Gabriel nodded; Castiel turning up like this didn’t surprise him. Castiel felt the change too. “They’re here,” he confirmed and slowly got to his feet. He felt old; old and worn out. For how long had he been fighting his brothers? Too long. Instinctively he knew that the battle was coming to an end.

“Maybe Lucifer won’t join Michael in his attack just yet,” Castiel pondered out loud. “He might want to spend time with Jack instead. Jack was his main reason for following us into that alternate universe.” Castiel carefully considered their options. “Maybe I can talk to Jack and convince him to join us in our fight against Lucifer? He’s strong.”

“I know that,” Gabriel admitted, “but you don’t pitch a son against his father. Don’t do that, Castiel. Jack is already having a hard time dealing with the fact that Lucifer is his father. You don’t want to mess him up even more by making him fight his father. If Jack decides to join us, it must be his decision, or else he’ll never forgive you for manipulating him. And I know you care about the kid, don’t deny it.”

“I do,” Castiel agreed. “And I will do as you say, brother. I won’t contact him.”

“Good,” Gabriel whispered, wanting Jack to have a chance to get to know Lucifer, although he feared that his brother would prove to be a bitter disappointment. But Jack had to realize that for himself. Gabriel hated feeling cornered and having to wait for Michael to make his move. “I doubt Michael will come for us right away. He’ll want to prepare. You know what he’s like.”

Castiel nodded. “He’ll want to investigate his new whereabouts and find out what he’s up against first.”

“It won’t be long though. He’s still at a distance, and at the moment, not yet a threat to us.” Castiel made an odd sound and Gabriel looked at his brother, who was staring at him. Gabriel frowned and then realized he had unfurled his wings without noticing it. Even Castiel seemed mesmerized looking at them and he was an angel for crying out loud! “You should spend tonight with Dean. You might not get a chance to do so again, Castiel. Make it a good one,” Gabriel advised.

Castiel swallowed hard, trying to deal with the fact that Gabriel seemed even more worried than he was. But maybe the archangel had reason to feel like that. Castiel reckoned Lucifer and Michael would have no mercy on Gabriel, whereas the two of them might let him get away alive. “Brother,” Castiel started and rested a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder, offering comfort the only way he knew how, “we’ll find a way to keep them safe.” Castiel knew what was really on Gabriel’s mind. His brother accepted he would probably die again, but couldn’t deal with Sam and Dean getting hurt in the process.

“You make sure they survive, Castiel, and take care of Sam for me, will you? He’ll need the both of you.” Gabriel briefly patted Castiel’s hand and then stepped away from his brother.

Castiel withdrew his hand and nodded solemnly. “I’d die for them.”

“I know that, but I’m asking you to live instead, Castiel. When Michael shows up, don’t get involved. Let me distract him so you can take Sam and Dean into safety. Don’t hesitate, Castiel. Michael will take advantage of that. Just get out.”

“But you… I can’t leave you behind, brother!”

“Someone will have to draw the attention away from our boys. That will be me. Is that understood? Castiel, I’m ordering you to keep them safe. You owe me your allegiance.” Gabriel disliked manipulating Castiel, but he had to make sure his brother kept the Winchesters safe.

“I’ll follow your orders, Gabriel, but I still disagree with you.”

“I don’t care about that,” said Gabriel and sighed in relief. He made a conscious effort to tuck his wings tightly away again. “Just do as you’re told and keep them alive.”

Castiel nodded, but was still unconvinced. Yes, he would do his utmost to keep Sam and Dean safe, but he wholly disagreed with Gabriel’s plan to sacrifice himself again. There had to be a different way. “I don’t want to lose you again, brother. There aren’t many left of us and…” Admitting this wasn’t easy on him. “I’ve come to care about you.”

Gabriel forced himself to smile although he didn’t feel like it. “That’s Dean rubbing off on you,” he teased and decided he could do this; he could show Castiel that he cared in turn. Slowly, giving Castiel time to understand what he was doing, Gabriel wrapped his brother up in a hug. “You’ve grown on me too, kiddo,” he said, but the teasing failed as his emotions threatened to choke him up. “Don’t change, you hear me?”

It took Castiel a moment to fully register that Gabriel was hugging him, but when it did, he brought his arms up behind his brother’s back and returned the embrace. “Just stay alive, Gabriel. We need you.”

Gabriel however remained silent. He would do whatever was necessary to make sure the three of them survived.

====

Sam closed the book and pinched the bridge of his nose. After researching for hours, he’d come up empty. No matter how much lore he looked into, he found nothing. The archangel blade was their best defense, but it had stayed behind when Gabriel had died and Michael had one of his own. In the worst case scenario both Lucifer and Michael, were armed with archangel blades. And they had no defense what so ever. Sam couldn’t remember a time when things had looked so bleak.

“Hey, quit studying and come to bed.”

Sam looked up and smiled at hearing Gabriel’s voice from so close. The archangel had sneaked up behind him and now wrapped his arms around him, softly kissing his neck and pulling him close. “I missed you,” he whispered, because it was the truth. “Where did you go?”

“I stepped outside. I needed fresh air. Come to bed with me,” he whispered, repeating his invitation, and waiting for Sam to realize his true intentions, which didn’t take long. Sam looking at him with a mischievous glint to his eyes told him his lover understood. “If you want that, that is.” He didn’t want to presume he knew what was on his lover’s mind, but he had been serious when he told Castiel to make good use of tonight.

“Of course I want that,” said Sam and pushed his chair back so he could get to his feet. “Are you offering what I think you are?” he asked, giving the archangel a wicked and inviting look.

Gabriel nodded. This might be their last night on Earth and he was going to make it a good one for Sam. He took his lover’s hand in his and led him into the corridor and toward their room. From the corner of his eye, he caught Castiel disappearing into Dean’s room. Apparently his brother was taking his advice to heart.

“You seem different,” Sam pointed out, rubbing Gabriel’s fingers between his. Gabriel’s expression was serious, maybe even solemn. What had happened during the last hour?

Gabriel opened the door to their room and guided Sam inside. After closing it, he turned toward his lover, slipped his arm around Sam’s waist, and brought him in for a kiss. He wasn’t going to waste precious time talking when he could show Sam how much he loved him in a different way.

“Gabe?” Sam whispered in between kisses. He didn’t mind Gabriel kissing him, but he wondered if his lover was alright. Gabriel however raised his hand and placed a finger against his lips. Sam took the hint and remained silent, trusting Gabriel to take the lead.

Gabriel unbuttoned Sam’s shirt, chuckled at realizing there was another T-shirt beneath the flannel, and shrugged. He’d enjoy removing each layer of clothing until he finally got to his prize.

Taking the hint, Sam shrugged out of his shirt and removed his T-shirt as well. The look Gabriel gave him was a mix of pride, lust, and something else, maybe even possessiveness. Sam reached for Gabriel’s white dress-shirt and removed it as well.

They were quite different, he mused. Where he was tall, athletic and muscular, Gabriel was lean and built for endurance. Sam rested his hand against his lover’s abdomen and smiled, even approving of that little tummy, probably caused by Gabriel’s sweet tooth. “Just perfect,” he whispered and leaned in closer to press a series of kisses along his lover’s throat. It was finally happening, and holding Gabriel in his arms and kissing him, made him feel good. His body reacted accordingly, his cock hardened and strained against his jeans.

Gabriel quickly unzipped Sam’s jeans and slid his hand into the boxers, cupping his lover’s erection and squeezing teasingly. A needy groan escaped Sam’s lips and Gabriel reacted by pushing down the jeans and removing the boxers as well.

Sam quickly stepped out of them and placed his hands on either side of Gabriel’s head, bringing him in for an impatient kiss. Gabriel surprised him by pushing him onto the bed and Sam went down willingly, ending up on his back, naked, and reaching for the archangel.

Gabriel quickly removed his slacks and boxers, and considered his next move. Tonight was all about giving Sam what he needed. He wasn’t sure what that was, but he still had a pretty good idea. He hoped he wasn’t wrong and wouldn’t screw up.

Seeing Gabriel crawl toward him made Sam reach for his archangel in want. He pulled Gabriel atop of him and watched, a tad amused as his lover took his time straddling him. If he didn’t know better, he would think the archangel was doing it on purpose, rubbing against him. The friction felt good, but it was going to make him come and he didn’t want that yet. “Gabe…”

Gabriel smiled and bent down to claim Sam’s lips again. He didn’t stop until Sam was running out of breath and then let his tongue trail down the impressive chest, teasing a nipple before moving even lower.

Sam closed his eyes in bliss, but at the same time, praying he wasn’t going to come just yet. They’d only gotten started! “I won’t last long,” he warned Gabriel, who was eyeing his cock appreciatively. Just what the hell was the archangel up to?

Gabriel heard and headed his lover’s warning. He placed his hands on Sam’s hips and raised himself. “Guide me,” he whispered, realizing that since he lacked experience, he could do with Sam’s help.

“Are you sure?” Sam studied Gabriel, trying to figure out why the archangel was doing this.

“I want this,” Gabriel assured his lover. “But I need a hand,” he quipped and wiggled an eyebrow.

“Sure,” Sam muttered eagerly and slid his hands beneath his lover’s buttocks, supporting and guiding him. “Ready?” He knew better than trying to reason with Gabriel during a moment like this.

“More than ready,” Gabriel assured him and bit down on his bottom lip once Sam started lowering him onto his cock. Nothing in his long life had ever prepared him for the invasive sensation that now swept through him. Being a celestial being, there was no discomfort and his body easily adjusted, but he’d never felt connected to another being in this way before. Sam was actually a part of him now. They were connected in a way that was carnal and spiritual at the same time. It was divine, Gabriel didn’t know how else to describe it.

“Fuck, you’re tight! I’m not hurting you, am I?” Gabriel was like a tight glove and Sam held perfectly still, not wanting to climax just yet and he had to make sure his lover wasn’t in pain before moving again.

“Don’t worry about that, Sam. My vessel is very versatile.” Gabriel felt breathless, but for a different reason than Sam probably thought. He was glad he hadn’t slept with any of those porn stars, and that his fear of creating a nephilim had stopped him in the past, because this, this was something he only wanted to experience with someone he loved – with Sam.

Sam wrapped his fingers around Gabriel’s half-erect cock and stroked him into hardness. Gabriel seemed preoccupied for whatever reason and wasn’t moving, so Sam raised his hips a little, thrusting into his lover’s body. Gabriel closed his eyes, threw back his head, and bit onto his bottom lip, drawing a single droplet of blood.

“Come here,” Sam whispered and rested his other hand at the back of Gabriel’s neck, pulling him close, and after kissing him, licked that droplet from lips which were quickly becoming bruised. “I love you,” he whispered, thrusting again and establishing a firm, but comfortable rhythm.

Hearing his lover’s admission made Gabriel open his eyes and search Sam’s face. So this was love. This was what love looked and felt like, and he had Sam Winchester to thank for that. Catching on, he started to move along, meeting each of Sam’s thrusts with a downward movement of his own. So this was what making love was all about? Sam explored his mouth in a slow and lazy way and Gabriel kissed him back, trying to give as good as he was getting.

Sam was surprised he lasted this long, but knew he couldn’t postpone his climax much longer. The thing that pushed him over the edge was Gabriel spreading those incredible wings and his usually brown eyes take on a blue hue. Sam felt lost and surrendered, let go, and knowing that from that moment on, there would never be another. Gabriel had staked his claim and Sam couldn’t be happier. “Gabe,” he whispered needy. His thrusts grew erratic and more demanding until he finally came, crushing his lover against him and holding on as tight as he could. Gabriel was his now!

“I love you too,” Gabriel whispered before sucking the skin just below Sam’s ear. A series of wanton moans tumbled from his lover’s lips – his reward. He raced toward orgasm too, and came, spilling grace all over Sam’s hand, forgetting about his worries now that his climax washed over him.

Dazed, Gabriel found that he had lost control and that his wings covered them protectively, creating their own little private space inside their universe. It was just them, his wings shielding them from the outside world, which would come crashing in on them soon enough. But not right now; he wanted to savor this moment instead. Whatever happened next, this moment in time was theirs, and no one would ever take that away from them.

TBC

 

 

 

 

Part 17

Sam was asleep in his arms and Gabriel felt extremely protective of the young man. He mourned the fact that their love wouldn’t last; not with the threat of Lucifer and Michael hanging over their heads.

After making sure Sam was peacefully asleep, Gabriel reached out with his angelic senses, trying to find out what his brothers were up to. There was a chance they’d pick up on him poking around, but ignorance might cost him dearly.

He was good at spying, but his brothers didn’t know that. Gabriel had learned those skills at a young age. He had to, considering the family he was growing up in. It was also why he caught Lucifer trying to sneak into the garden to corrupt Adam and Eve. Guarding the garden had been Uriel’s task, but his brother hadn’t really cared about their Father’s creation and had been sloppy. Gabriel, on the other hand, had worried and therefore stood guard as well. Lucifer never realized he’d been found out back then. That was why Gabriel was confident he could do this without being discovered.

Finding Lucifer proved easy. His brother never bothered to cover up his tracks and Gabriel found him talking to Jack, promising his son the world and more; even hinting they could improve and change the universe to their liking. He also realized Lucifer was no threat at the moment. He was too busy impressing Jack and swaying his son to stay with him so he could mold Jack the way he wanted. Gabriel hoped Jack would see through Lucifer’s lies, but wasn’t sure it would happen. Lucifer excelled at manipulation; he knew that from first-hand experience.

Next, he concentrated on Michael’s signature. His brother was harder to locate, but he managed. Michael was close; much too close to reassure him. Michael radiated impatience, the need to control and dominate, and above all, to purge the planet from sin. That wouldn’t end well; Michael would inevitably destroy all life on Earth.

Michael had once been the righteous one, had been his hero and champion, but that was in the past. These days Michael was just a pompous ass and way more dangerous than Lucifer. Lucifer wanted to toy with humanity; to be feared or worshipped, whatever suited him best that moment, but Michael wanted to purge the planet, which was bound to end in utter destruction. How was he supposed to stop Michael from destroying creation?

As he didn’t want to alert Michael to his presence he withdrew and pulled his senses back again. It was only a matter of time before Michael made his move and he suspected his brother would attack during the day. That gave them a few hours to prepare, but the end was drawing near and the worst thing was, there was nothing he could do to stop it. Michael would find them, no matter where they went.

===

“Angel radio is dead. Just static,” Castiel told Dean, while the Winchester was whipping up breakfast. Gabriel and Sam were still missing, but he counted on them to appear shortly. Last night had been special to both Dean and him, as he had taken Gabriel’s advice to heart.

“That’s worrying,” commented Dean while pouring coffee into the mugs. Moving into the corridor, he shouted, “Sammy, Gabe, come and get it or I’ll eat your breakfast instead!” That should do it.

“It is,” Castiel agreed, staring at the food and wondering why Gabriel always participated in their meals. It wasn’t like the archangel needed nourishment.

“Sorry,” Sam said as he stepped into the kitchen, looking disheveled with his hair still messed up. “Alarm didn’t go off.” He suspected Gabriel had switched it off, letting him sleep in late. As a result he had startled awake, rolled out of bed, and quickly gotten dressed, hoping not to irritate Dean. Gabriel had simply grinned at him, enjoying his panic a little too much. His stomach growled loudly, and he grimaced. Gabriel had worn him out and he was hungry. He’d gladly eat anything, even Dean’s greasy food.

Gabriel followed Sam into the kitchen and claimed the chair next to Castiel, giving his brother a conspiring look. Castiel nodded, confirming he’d had an interesting night too. “Are they any pancakes?” If not, he’d produce his own.

While Dean put some in front of the archangel, Sam couldn’t resist quipping, “Do you want maple or strawberry syrup to go with that?” Sam grinned diabolically, figuring it was payback time.

Gabriel accusingly pointed a finger at his lover. “Just be very glad I made that mistake, or you would have been stuck in that time loop a lot longer. But to answer your question, today calls for maple syrup.”

Dean studied his brother and arched an eyebrow. “Is that a hickey?” he asked, noticing the discoloration on Sam’s throat.

Sam couldn’t help growing flustered. Next time they made love, he would tell Gabriel to keep the nibbling and sucking below the collar. Dean would tease him mercilessly now that he’d been careless. Judging it best not to answer that question, Sam reached for his coffee instead and sighed blissfully after sipping from it.

“Gabriel, angel radio is dead. Do you have any idea when Lucifer and Michael will come for us?” Castiel was back to business and ignored the glares, grins, and smug looks that continued to pass between Gabriel, Sam and Dean. To him, Sam having a hickey didn’t matter.

“Lucifer is no threat at the moment,” Gabriel said, eating a pancake with his fingers and licking the syrup from his fingertips. Sam groaned pitifully and Gabriel smirked, realizing he was turning on his lover by doing so. Well, to his defense, he wasn’t doing it on purpose! “Behave,” he said teasingly and wiggled his eyebrow.

“Save it for the bedroom,” commented Dean, though he couldn’t quite hide the fact that he was happy for Sam. He hadn’t thought those two would work out, but Sam and Gabriel were proving him wrong.

Castiel shook his head in exasperation; he needed them to focus and his brother was making it worse! “Why is Lucifer no threat at the moment?” he asked Gabriel, trying to get them back on track.

“He’s too busy impressing and manipulating Jack,” revealed Gabriel, who realized there was no hot chocolate around, so he created some. Sipping from it, he noticed their concerned looks. “Guys, trust me, I get it. I don’t want to see Jack getting hurt either, but we shouldn’t get involved.”

“And why’s that? Because I disagree. We need to help the kid,” Dean said and started on his bacon and eggs.

“Because Jack needs to find out the truth about Lucifer for himself. Only then, will he see Lucifer for what he really is. If you try to convince him that his father is evil, Jack will fight you. You don’t want that. Trust me, Lucifer will fuck up, probably sooner than later. There’s no way he can hide his true nature for long.”

Sam and Dean exchanged a brotherly look, both hearing the sorrow in Gabriel’s voice and it reminded them that the archangel knew Lucifer best. Dean sighed; he didn’t like Gabriel’s strategy, but knew it was the best thing to do. Gabriel was right; Jack had to discover the truth about Lucifer himself. “So that’s one down, one more to go. Anything on Michael?”

Gabriel pushed the pancakes away as he was no longer interested in them. “Michael is preparing to strike. He’s closing in on us and it won’t be long before he makes his move.”

“How do you know this?” Castiel hadn’t heard anything on angel radio, so how did Gabriel know what their brothers were up to?

“I have my ways,” Gabriel said, without revealing them. He drew in a deep breath and looked at both Winchesters. “I’ve instructed Castiel to take you into safety the moment Michael appears. I’ll stall my brother long enough for you to get away.”

Sam jumped to his feet, knocking over his chair, and banging a fist onto the table. “No, that’s not happening! We talked about this!” How the hell could Gabriel think he’d go along with this?

“Sam,” Gabriel started. He’d expected Sam to overreact, but the anger in his lover’s voice hit him unprepared. “You must understand. My priority is keeping you safe – Dean and you,” he added. And if he could save Castiel, he would gladly do so.

“No, that’s not going to happen,” stated Dean calmly while placing aside the cutlery. There was no fucking way he was going to allow Gabriel to sacrifice himself again. Watching Michael kill Gabriel once had been one time too many. It wasn’t happening again on his watch!

Dean’s deadly calm tone set off Gabriel’s alarm bells. Apparently both Winchesters disagreed with his tactic. Well, in that case he needed to talk some sense into them! “Guys, get real! Michael is too strong. I couldn’t defeat him back then, and in case you didn’t notice, I’ve not grown any stronger. We need to cut our losses and make sure you get away to fight another day.”

“I can’t fucking believe you’re suggesting this!” Sam glared at his lover. “We talked about this! I’m not letting you do that. Cas, don’t you dare listen to him!”

Castiel cringed, as he was caught in the middle. He was loyal to the Winchesters, but Gabriel was his commander. “I do owe Gabriel my allegiance. He IS an archangel.”

“You don’t want to follow that order,” Dean realized, recognizing that particular tone. “So you won’t.” Cas would probably rebel and disobey Gabriel when push came to shove. He could count on Cas being stubborn and a pain in the ass, and this time, Gabriel would find out just how challenging it was to make Cas follow orders. “That’s good.”

“Sam, I’m doing this because I love you,” Gabriel tried to explain. “I can’t bear the thought of Michael killing you—” Sam, however, interrupted him.

“But you want ME to live through YOUR death all over again and go on?” Sam glared at Gabriel, and although it took a lot out of him, he managed to calm down to some extent. “I know why you want to do this, but it’s not happening. I’m not standing by idly and letting you die again! I’m not.” Sam sat down, angrily grabbed his mug and sipped, all the while giving Gabriel a look that said that they weren’t done discussing the matter.

“Don’t worry, Sammy,” Dean said, trying to reassure his brother. “Cas won’t do it.”

Gabriel was at a loss. Why couldn’t they understand that this was for the best? Would Castiel betray him by disobeying his order? It might happen, he realized. Castiel had told him that his brother couldn’t bear losing him again. Gabriel got to his feet and left the kitchen. He headed for the room which he shared with Sam in case his lover wanted to discuss this in private without Dean and Castiel getting involved. But his mind was set; he would do whatever it took to make sure Sam lived to see another day.

===

Gabriel sat on the bed, surprised that Sam wasn’t joining him. He expected his lover to barge in and lecture him. Probably forbid him to ever suggest something similar again, but Sam didn’t show up. Instead, the bunker’s alarm system, which he had keyed to Michael’s signature, went off. He jumped to his feet, needing to be at his lover’s side now that Michael was trying to break through their defenses, which wouldn’t hold long.

Gabriel made for the doorway, but found the door locked, which was odd, as he didn’t remember locking it. He snapped his fingers, trying to hone in on Sam’s presence and to make his stand at his lover’s side, but for some reason, his grace failed him. Stunned, he needed a moment to understand what had just happened. Michael wasn’t that strong! Yes, his brother’s powers were impressive, but not even Michael could render him helpless. He was close to panicking, realizing he was locked up and unable to protect his lover when a voice echoed to the room; a voice, he hadn’t heard in eons.

“Gabriel, we need to talk.”

TBC

 

Part 18

Gabriel was torn between denying this was actually happening and spinning around to face his Father. In the end, curiosity got the better of him and he turned around, looking upon his Father after what felt an eternity. He knew about God manifesting in Chuck’s form. He also knew that his Father had helped the Winchesters more than once, had recreated Castiel numerous times, and had eventually revealed himself when the Darkness had reappeared. But nothing had prepared him for actually coming face to face with Him again.

“You,” Gabriel whispered, unsure of the feelings coursing through him. It was a whirlwind of emotions, consisting of surprise, relief, anger, and millions of years of hurt. He didn’t know what to say or how to act and kept quiet instead in order not to provoke Him. His Father must have a reason to seek him out and it was best to wait and see what would happen. As long as he didn’t know if he was in trouble, he was keeping his head low, recalling their last confrontation only too well.

“Yeah, it’s me,” whispered Chuck, easily reading the unease on Gabriel’s face. He didn’t know how to approach his son and simply hoped for the best. “I heard your prayer,” he explained; making the first move, but finding it hard to reach out.

“I didn’t think You were listening.” Gabriel might have hoped his Father was, but hadn’t really believed it. Still, it didn’t tell him why his Father was here. He had always found it impossible to predict his Father’s actions and so waited for Him to speak His mind. It was safest that way.

“I wasn’t,” admitted Chuck, cringing because he knew how badly he’d screwed up in the past. “Actually, it was Amara telling me to pay attention to what was going on.” His sister still had a soft spot for Dean and had realized the hunter was in danger. He hadn’t wanted to get involved at first, dreading talking to Gabriel as he had put off that conversation for way too long, but in the end, he’d followed her advice. That didn’t mean he wanted to do this, but he knew he had to, for Gabriel’s sake and his own. This had to come in the open and must be dealt with.

Hearing that didn’t surprise Gabriel, who still remained cautious. So his Father was keeping him locked up and had rendered him powerless. The question was, was that just temporarily or permanent? Was He trying to keep him from attacking Michael? It wasn’t like he presented a danger to his brother. Michael had killed him once and could easily kill him again.

Chuck’s facial features briefly contorted. This wasn’t going as hoped, but then again, what did he expect? That Gabriel would be thrilled to see him? Not after what had passed between them millennia ago. Apparently the first step was up to him, but he sucked at talking to his children, he knew that. He’d needed Sam and Dean’s guidance during his talks with Lucifer. He could have done with their help once more, but the Winchesters were busy fighting off Michael. It was up to him to make his peace with Gabriel.

Studying Gabriel more closely, he realized his son thought he was in trouble. Gabriel radiated unease and shifted nervously on his feet, eager to put more distance between them. How was he going to do this? If only he hadn’t screwed up so badly in the past, then things would be easier between them. He didn’t want Gabriel to fear him and needed to find a way to take away his son’s fears. “Sam loves you,” he offered eventually, hoping finding common ground would establish some sort of basic trust. “Those wings suit you.”

Gabriel merely nodded, desperately trying to think of a way to help Sam, Dean, and Castiel who were fighting for their lives, judging from the sounds coming from deep within the bunker. Being unable to protect Sam tore him apart and made him bolder than he felt. Realizing he had nothing to lose, Gabriel looked his Father in the eye, gathered his courage and said, “I should be out there fighting at Sam’s side and protecting them. Instead, You’re keeping me here. Why? Are You worried I might ruffle some of Michael’s feathers? You must know I can’t possibly defeat him.” Bold words, maybe too bold, since he was addressing God, but he had to. He couldn’t give up without a fight, as Sam needed him.

“Yeah, about that.” Chuck took a step toward Gabriel, who instantly backed away from him. His son’s reaction made him flinch. He probably deserved that, but seeing Gabriel’s obvious distrust still hurt him deeply. It told him that he had to try harder. “I’m sorry about that,” he offered. “I didn’t think Michael would actually kill you.” He might have come to expect it from Lucifer, but not Michael. The fact that both Lucifer and Michael had killed Gabriel without any remorse still shocked him. He hated seeing them fight and knew he was to blame for causing their fall out in the first place. “I’m glad Sam brought you back,” Chuck said, hoping Gabriel realized he was being sincere. He should have intervened earlier, but had hoped the situation would sort itself out, but it hadn’t.

“Is there a point to any of this?” Gabriel was losing his patience; his concern for Sam made him reckless and he decided he was done with walking on eggshells and trying to please His Father. “Are You going to keep me locked up in here until Sam is dead or are You letting me go so I can give them a chance at escape?”

Suddenly, Chuck realized his mistake. Gabriel assumed he was here on Michael’s behalf! “No, son, I’m here to make sure you don’t die again. I’m here to help!” He should have approached this differently; he had failed to realize how Gabriel would interpret his actions. “I’m not here to support Michael or to protect him,” he clarified, hoping to get through to Gabriel. Chuck drew in a deep breath and hoped he was getting it right; he lacked experience in apologizing, something he was terrible at. “I wronged you in the past. I should have listened to you, but I was blind. I put my faith in Michael instead. And you were right from the start; Lucifer was my favorite and I didn’t want you to speak badly of him. I was wrong to treat you like that. I was wrong about you and your motives. That changed though; I know what Lucifer has been up to lately. You were right to let Jack make his own call. I never gave you any credit for being the smart one. I put you down instead.”

Gabriel’s eyes widened, his Father’s words baffled him and he wondered if he was being manipulated. “It’s too late for that now. Please, just let me go. I need to be with Sam.” Hopefully it wasn’t too late to save his lover. He didn’t even know if Sam was still alive! “Sam’s my mate. I need to protect him.” His Father’s apology meant surprisingly little, he realized, not when Sam’s life was at stake. “At least let me go down fighting.” With or without his angelic powers, which mattered little to him at that point. He just wanted to be with Sam.

Chuck moved quickly and covered the distance between them, not giving Gabriel a chance to back away this time. He rested his hands on his son’s shoulders and held on tight, making sure Gabriel stayed in place. “Son, I need you to listen to me. I want you to know that…” Lost for words, Chuck needed a moment to sort out his thoughts and feelings. “I need you to know that I’m sorry for the way I treated you back then. Let me make up for past mistakes, Gabriel.”

Gabriel had no idea what was going on. His Father’s words made little sense. “Don’t play games, Father. I know You… You’ll never stand against Lucifer and Michael. You’ll never take that step. You’ll always back them up.” They would always be his Father’s favorites, and he didn’t care about that. He only cared about saving Sam.

“Gabriel,” whispered Chuck, regretting the many ways in which he had hurt his son. “I can’t take them out myself. They’re my sons too, Gabriel. I can’t do that to them.”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “So You’d rather have Sam, Dean, and Castiel die? Or maybe You’ll rebuild Castiel later?”

“No,” said Chuck, rather shaken by Gabriel’s cold reaction. Was he too late? Came his apology too late? Had Gabriel already judged him? Maybe, but he tried again. With creation, he had suffered several setbacks and yet he had persevered. He wasn’t giving up so easily. “No, I won’t let my friends die, but I need you to take out Michael and Lucifer in my stead. Please don’t ask me to destroy my sons.”

“Does that mean Lucifer is here too and they’re teaming up?” That bit of information drastically reduced the chances that his lover and friends were still alive.

“Yeah, Sam prayed to Jack because he failed to reach you and our newest family addition is currently creating havoc in there, holding his own against Michael and Lucifer, which is impressive and to be honest, a bit worrying. But you’re right; we shouldn’t pitch Jack against his father. That was a wise call on your part. Gabriel, I’ve been watching you and I know you doubt yourself, why?”

“Why?” Gabriel stared at his Father in shock. How was it possible He didn’t know the reason why?

“You’re just as strong as your brothers, but you always doubted yourself too much. Lucifer and Michael, they revel in their powers and relish having them, they don’t doubt themselves.” They were a lot like he’d been in the past. “But you… looking back, I realize you always cared more than I thought possible. I never tasked you with guarding the garden and yet you did. When Uriel looked away, you took action, but with caring too much, you started to doubt yourself. I’m too blame for that, I fully acknowledge that. I should have encouraged you, nurtured you like I did Lucifer and Michael. But you were too different and I couldn’t relate to you.”

Not the way he had been back then, but he had changed too; these days Chuck considered his actions first, before simply carrying them out. These days, he understood Gabriel’s motives and his son’s way of thinking. He realized the terrible mistakes he had made where Gabriel was concerned. “This isn’t about your grace having weakened, or you feeling cut off from your brothers. Castiel is your brother too and you care about him. This is about you doubting yourself. Son, you need to stop doing that!”

Deep down in his heart Gabriel ached. What his Father said was true; he did doubt himself, but he also knew he didn’t possess Michael’s amount of power. His Father was wrong about that. “They’ll never stop,” he said eventually, deciding against contradicting or agreeing with his Father. “Lucifer and Michael will always continue their fight and drag innocents down with them. Innocents, who will pay the price for their hatred.”

“You’re right. I understand that now and that’s why I brought this.” Chuck stepped back, opened his arms, and manifested the sword Gabriel had created so long ago. He easily caught the disbelief in his son’s eyes upon seeing it.

“I thought You destroyed it,” Gabriel whispered, surprised to see it. That sword was a part of him, as his grace fueled the spell work that created it.

“I tried,” admitted Chuck. “But you created it using your grace. I found I couldn’t destroy it, as it is a part of you. Here, take it, and use it well. End this, bring peace.”

Gabriel however wasn’t touching it. It couldn’t be this easy. His Father would never offer the sword to him freely. This had to be some sort of test, and if he failed, he would pay for it.

“Gabriel,” Chuck said in a commanding tone, that resembled the way he had sounded in the old days. “Take the sword, be whole again, and end this war. You’re right. Lucifer and Michael will never stop. I can’t destroy them, please understand that I can’t do that to my children! But taking away their powers and locking their grace inside this sword is something I can live with. I need you to do this for me, Gabriel.”

Gabriel still expected it to be a test, or even a trap. He just didn’t trust his Father- not anymore. He felt frozen, unable to move or even think properly. He wasn’t going to fall for this charade.

“Gabriel,” said Chuck, fed up with his son’s behavior and taking hold of the archangel’s right hand. He forcefully wrapped Gabriel’s cold and unyielding fingers around the hilt of the sword. “I’m sincere. I’m being honest with you. I’m sorry I didn’t realize my mistakes sooner. I’ll back you up during the fight if necessary, but I need you to understand that you’re much stronger than you think. Don’t let those two intimate you. Don’t doubt yourself. Go out there and save your mate, protect the ones you love. I should have done this sooner,” he admitted, regretting his past actions. Out of all his sons, he had wronged Gabriel the most.

The moment his fingers curled around the hilt, a bolt of celestial energy traveled up his hand. The sword recognized him, knew him, and they reconnected, reuniting him with that part of his grace which he had sacrificed in order to create it a long time ago. Realizing his powers were back, Gabriel didn’t think twice and acted; Sam needed him!

TBC

Part 19

Sam stared at Jack in growing concern. Jack confronting Lucifer and reminding the devil that his son was part human wasn’t a smart thing to do. Knowing Lucifer the way he did, Sam expected the worst and wished Gabriel would finally answer his prayers.

What had happened to his lover? Sam didn’t doubt Gabriel’s loyalty; if he could, the archangel would be here. Something had happened to his lover, something bad. Sam only hoped Gabriel was still alive. No matter how badly injured the archangel was, Sam would find a way to fix the damage. But if Gabriel was dead… Was it possible that Michael had taken out Gabriel before forcing himself a way into the war room? That scenario was the only one which made sense to Sam.

Lucifer throwing a temper tantrum and lashing out at his son in an attempt to hurt the boy didn’t surprise Sam in the least. The devil was finally showing his true colors, and although he wanted to protect Jack, the young man told him to stand down.

Lucifer was angry and it showed in the heated, frustrated way he addressed Jack, taunting his son. “No, buddy, we could have been something, you and me.”

Sam felt deeply for Jack, who was obviously hurting. He wished he could spare Jack the pain, but Gabriel had been right all along. Jack must find out the truth for himself. Thinking about his lover and not knowing what was wrong, drove Sam mad. Be alive, Gabe. Don’t you dare die on me. If you can hear me, let me know. Please, Gabriel, just let me know you’re alive. But his silent plea went unanswered, which filled him with dread.

“We could have remade the universe, we could have been great,” Lucifer continued dramatically. “We could have been better gods than dad and I really wanted that, pal, I wanted that, but now if I can’t have that with you… Uh, I don’t need you. I just need your power.”

Horrified, Sam watched the tragedy unfold. Lucifer slipped the archangel blade into his hand and lunged for Jack, who never saw the attack coming and simply stared at his father in disbelief. No, this couldn’t be happening! Jack was defenseless and Sam knew he’d never get to Lucifer in time to prevent Jack from getting hurt.

“That’s not happening, bro. Don’t even think about hurting the kid.” Gabriel arrived just in time to prevent the worst. He blocked Lucifer’s attack and knocked the archangel blade out of his brother’s hand. “That’s no way to treat your son, Lucifer.” Just like he’d predicted; it hadn’t taken Lucifer long to resort to his old ways. Lucifer couldn’t and didn’t want to change, just as he’d thought.

Jack stared at Lucifer in shock. His father had just tried to attack him and then Gabriel showed up, protecting him and deflecting the archangel blade. But wasn’t his uncle dead? And why did Gabriel have wings?

Sam felt ridiculously relieved at seeing Gabriel standing protectively in front of Jack. Thank you, he thought, though he wasn’t sure who he was thanking in the first place. He couldn’t take his eyes off of his lover. Gabriel was alive and well! But his relief didn’t last for long, recalling Gabriel’s plan to make sure they got away, no matter what that might cost him. Gabe, be careful, whatever you do, don’t you dare die on me! Gabriel didn’t react, but Sam was certain his lover heard him.

“This is getting weird,” Lucifer said, shaking his head and looking at Gabriel in obvious disgust. Sarcasm dripped from his voice, poisoning the atmosphere in the war room. “How many more times do we have to kill you? Why can’t you just stay dead?”

Jack hissed in anger; they had told him that Michael had killed his uncle and that his father had tried killing Gabriel back at the Elysian Fields Hotel. But hearing Lucifer complain about the fact that Gabriel was alive and threatening to kill him again, confirmed once more that Lucifer was evil and couldn’t be trusted.

Sam was about to pounce upon Lucifer, uncaring of the damage the devil might do. No one talked to his lover that way – no one!

Gabriel, seeing Sam was about to get involved and attack Lucifer over that threat, reacted at once. It was time to take control of the situation, so Sam didn’t feel the need to do so. “Yeah, that’s getting old, isn’t it? You guys killing me and me coming back. Why don’t we try something new?” Gabriel had learned from past mistakes and didn’t hesitate when he grabbed Lucifer’s hand and sliced open the palm using his sword. The blade’s reaction was instant and it pulled Lucifer’s grace inside its core, sealing it shut once the archangel had turned human.

Lucifer stared at the blade in disbelief. “What the fuck…?” What was that thing? What was it doing? What was happening? He felt terribly light-headed and dropped to his knees, feeling drained and dizzy.

Sam recalled Gabriel sharing the history of the sword he had created in heaven and wondered if this was the blade the archangel had been referring to. But hadn’t Chuck destroyed it? Had Gabriel somehow managed to recreate it? Was that why his lover had been absent? Did it matter, as long as it had the ability to incapacitate Lucifer?

Jack’s gaze shifted from the blade to Gabriel. He blinked, surprised to find his uncle changed. It wasn’t just the wings. The power Gabriel exuded was strong and slightly different. A fierce blue light shone from Gabriel’s eyes, reminding Jack who his uncle truly was; an archangel, much like Lucifer. “What did you do?”Jack asked Gabriel. He wasn’t sure he liked what he had witnessed; namely Lucifer’s grace being drawn into the blade and leaving the devil without any.

“Something that I should have done eons ago, Jack. I bound his grace to his sword. Lucifer is human now – mortal. He can no longer harm anyone.” Gabriel picked up Lucifer’s archangel blade and snapped it to a pocket between time and space so it no longer posed a threat. Now that Lucifer had been dealt with, he turned toward Michael and took in his brother’s wretched state. Knowing Jack was responsible for that, he winked at his nephew. “Wow, kiddo, you’ve got some impressive mojo going on.” The look Jack gave him spoke of confusion and Gabriel laughed. “We’ll discuss that later.”

Sam couldn’t believe his eyes. Gabriel was definitely in control of the situation and seemed unafraid of Lucifer and Michael. Considering the way his lover had just dealt with Lucifer, Sam wondered what had happened during Gabriel’s absence, which was still unaccounted for. Gabriel undeniably seemed changed; stronger.

Sam exchanged a look with Dean, who seemed equally puzzled by Gabriel’s cocky act. But Dean mostly looked relieved, which Sam understood. Dean was Michael’s perfect vessel and now that Michael knew that, mostly a target; not to be killed per se, but to be claimed and possessed. Sam also noticed the way Castiel moved to stand next to Jack, ready to protect him, and to join Gabriel in battle, if necessary.

“And now for you, big bro,” Gabriel said, addressing Michael, who was glaring at him in disdain. Still haughty and still full of himself. He was going set Michael straight though. “You’re not nuking this world and you’re most certainly not killing off humanity. I’ve been watching over Father’s creation too long to let you ruin everything. So you’re going to behave and to grow up. I’m so done with your temper tantrums. The two of you need to stop fighting over who’s daddy’s favorite. It’s getting old!” Gabriel advanced on Michael, who wasn’t going down without a fight and sent a powerful blast his way. Gabriel raised his sword and it easily caught Michael’s energy, safely locking it away inside so it couldn’t do any damage.

“This can’t be,” Michael stuttered, frustrated and angry that Gabriel so easily deflected his attack. “This is impossible. You’re not that strong. You’re weak!”

Gabriel flashed back to Asmodeus calling him weak too. He’d shown that son of a bitch that he wasn’t. “Well, not anymore,” stated Gabriel, wondering what had gotten into himself, taking down Lucifer like that and now stalking Michael. Had his Father’s words caused this change? Or was it the sword, completing him? At the moment, it didn’t matter; what mattered was taking care of the threat that Michael presented to his loved ones. “You’re done waging war on the world, brother.” Gabriel took Michael by surprise, grabbing him by the shoulder and using the tip of the sword to make a cut on his throat, which certainly wasn’t lethal, but big enough to allow the sword to draw in Michael’s grace as well.

Sam watched closely and found that Lucifer’s grace had settled into the bottom part of the scissor- like, double sided sword, turning that part of the blade crimson. Michael’s settled in the upper half of the sword, adding a blue, metallic shine to the blade. It had to be the sword Gabriel had talked about earlier, but his lover had said Chuck had destroyed it. So how was this even possible?

Michael cursed Gabriel, tried to strike and kick him, but then this brother healed the wound and stepped back. Michael’s first instinct was to go for the sword, to smite his brother and take back what was his. But when he reached out to destroy Gabriel, nothing happened. His grace didn’t respond; it was gone.

Now that his work was done, Gabriel commanded the sword to join the archangel blade, where it would remain hidden from everyone except from its rightful owner. Hidden beyond time and space, it would remain safe. Only Gabriel could access it. Seeing Michael’s glare, he knew his brother was going to react most violent. Thankfully, Michael could do little damage now.

“What did you do?” howled Michael angrily. “What did you do? No, this can’t be happening!” Michael attacked, hitting and kicking his brother, and then tried going in for the kill using the archangel blade.

Sam’s hart almost stopped, at seeing that blade make for Gabriel’s chest and he flashed back to Michael killing his lover. No, this couldn’t happen again!

Gabriel however was alert and easily disarmed his brother, taking the archangel blade away from Michael. “You really need to stop killing me!” he yelled in frustration. He was getting fed up with his brothers’ antics!

“Michael, stop.”

Except for Jack, everyone present instantly recognized the voice that now echoed through the war room. Jack looked at the man walking up to them and frowned. Something about him was odd, but he couldn’t pinpoint it. All he knew was that the newcomer’s aura was extremely powerful.

“Chuck?” Sam was the first to find his voice again. What was God doing here? He’d never expected Chuck to show up ever again.

“Not you again,” wailed Lucifer, immediately understanding his father had a hand in what had happened. It made him hate his father even more.

“Sons, you need to stop fighting. Gabriel is right. This is my fault and I’m going to fix it.” Chuck smiled gratefully at Gabriel, who had acted when he had been too much of a coward to take care of the matter himself. “Thank you,” he said, addressing Gabriel and hoping he’d restored some of his son’s confidence and also his faith in him.

Gabriel took a step back to make way for his Father and moved toward Sam instead, taking up position at his lover’s side. By doing that, he sent his Father a clear statement. He hadn’t done it for God. He’d done it for his mate, Dean and Castiel, and even for Jack. His family.

Reaching out at once, Sam forcefully grabbed Gabriel’s hand. He wasn’t letting go anytime soon! “We have a lot to talk about,” he hinted, but he would wait until things had settled down. For the moment he relished having Gabriel close and knowing his lover wasn’t injured.

Gabriel merely smiled at Sam. “If that’s how you want to spend our time together, that’s fine with me, though I can think of better ways,” he hinted wickedly and winked at his lover, leaving no doubt as to what he was implying.

“So you decided to finally clean up your mess?” Dean couldn’t help being angry with Chuck. As far as he was concerned, Chuck should have long dealt with his rebellious offspring. “They’re mortal now? Can I kill them?” He was only half joking after everything Lucifer and Michael had put them through.

“No, Dean, I’ll sort this out, that’s my job. You’re right about that.” Chuck looked at Lucifer, who was giving him defiant looks, and realized his son was going to fight him forever. Michael also glared at him, anger and frustration pouring off of the former archangel and Chuck sighed, realizing he had his work cut out for him. “Jack,” he said, addressing the newest addition to their family. “I’m taking my sons with me for some time. Do you want to come along and spend time with Lucifer?” He wasn’t going to separate father and son.

Jack finally realized who he was dealing with and looked at God in surprise. This wasn’t the way he had imagined God to look like. He took his time to think it over and then shook his head rather determinedly. Lucifer had greatly disappointed him. He’d never wanted to believe that his father was evil, but he knew the truth now. Lucifer had made a deal with Michael and they had divided the spoils. Lucifer didn’t mind Michael destroying Earth as long as he got his son. “This is my family,” Jack said and inclined his head toward Sam and Dean. “I’m staying here, with them.” Growing uncertain if he was still wanted, he asked Sam, “If that’s fine with you, guys?” His gaze drifted off to Castiel, realizing just how much he cared about them. Yes, they were his family – not Lucifer.

“Of course you can,” Sam quickly assured Jack, who looked absolutely lost. “You’re most welcome and you’ll always have a home here.”

Dean nodded his approval. “You’re part of the family, Jack.” Castiel promptly claimed his hand and squeezed tight, showing him how grateful his lover was for so easily accepting Jack back into the fold.

“In that case, I’ll take my sons with me and make sure they won’t trouble you again.” Chuck then laughed. “But knowing you, trouble will find you, one way or another.” And that was the way it was supposed to be. The two Winchesters were his last line of defense. “I have faith in you, boys,” Chuck told them before vanishing and taking Lucifer and Michael with him.

Now that peace and quiet had been restored, they looked at each other, barely able to believe what had just happened. Dean still wondered what exactly had just happened, but was too happy to be alive and to have Castiel at his side to question their good luck.

Jack still felt awkward for not seeing through Lucifer’s manipulations, but was also aware of their acceptance. None of them blamed him for falling for his father’s appalling tactics. Castiel reaching out and squeezing his shoulder comfortingly, merely confirmed that he was welcome here.

“Now for you,” Sam said, addressing Gabriel. “What the hell just happened?” He wanted answers and only his lover could supply them.

“I’m more than happy to tell you, but why don’t we move this to the kitchen first? You can have beer, burgers, whatever you fancy or nibble on some gorgeous candy, enjoy my patented hot chocolate, and relax a little?” Gabriel eyed Sam appreciatively and arched an eyebrow. “Maybe slip into something more comfortable, mon cher?” Returning to his old trickster mode was his attempt to take away the tension that still lingered in the room.

“Not before you tell me everything I want to know,” said Sam decisively. “I want answers first.”

“Sex later?” Gabriel grinned at hearing Dean cuss softly.

“Maybe. Probably,” Sam teased in turn. “Most certainly,” he ended up saying while rubbing Gabriel’s fingers between his. “But we’ll talk first and you will tell us what we want to know.”

Gabriel relented. “Fine, well, talk first and make love later.”

Amused, Jack watched them and wondered about his odd family, but truth be told, he loved each and every one of them and felt blessed for having them in his life.

===
Sam’s gaze settled on Jack momentarily. At Gabriel’s insistence they’d gathered in the kitchen. The archangel offered to snap food and drinks into existence, but Dean started making coffee, pulled some cold ones from the fridge and even put out the unhealthy snacks. Sam knew what this was about; Dean needed to be busy. It was his brother’s way to deal with everything that had happened. Dean even placed a collection of candy and chocolate bars in front of Gabriel, who was sipping his favorite drink, hot chocolate. Gabriel gave Dean an indignant look when offered beer instead.

“I can’t believe Chuck is back,” Dean said as he sat down in between Sam and Cas. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful he finally got involved, but I’m surprised. He ignored us since he left with Amara.”

“Yeah,” mused Sam. “I wonder what made him check on us.” He had an idea though; Gabriel was much too quiet and thus hiding something from them. He was getting better at reading his lover with each passing day. But he wasn’t going to call Gabriel on it – not here, not now, maybe in private later.

Castiel reached for Jack and rested his hand on the young man’s arm. “I’m sorry Lucifer proved to be a disappointment.” Jack was obviously hurting and he wished he could take that pain away.

“You tried to warn me,” admitted Jack who smiled warmly at Castiel, and once more wished the angel was his real father. But that was only a detail and it shouldn’t matter. So far, Castiel, and the rest of his family had come through each time he needed them. He looked at his uncle next. He considered Gabriel part of his family too these days. “I should have listened more closely when Lucifer and you talked back then, but I wanted him to be good.”

“Don’t worry about it, kiddo. I know what it’s like. Took me some time too to understand Lucifer can’t change. I always wanted him to.” Gabriel bit into a Butterfinger and happily munched on it. Castiel gave him an odd look and Gabriel pointed at some of the candy and chocolates. “You should try them, brother.” Adding in a most wicked voice, he said, “Or do you prefer hamburgers?”

“No thanks,” declined Castiel, vividly remembering his vessel’s craving for the food while hunting Hunger and growing nauseous again.

“That still leaves my question unanswered,” Dean reminded them. While enjoying his beer, he eyed Gabriel closely. “How did you do it?”

“What? Dealing with my dear brothers without getting myself killed? Your speech helped; it had me quaking in my boots.” Gabriel quickly looked down and corrected his mistake, “Sneakers, actually.”

“And once more, evasion!” But Dean wasn’t angry with the archangel. “It was a good thing you didn’t get yourself killed, Gabe. I would have a hard time keeping Sammy from doing something stupid.”

“And we don’t want that,” agreed Gabriel easily. He briefly considered answering Dean’s question or not. In the end, he shrugged; it wouldn’t do any harm and Dean would continue to pester him about it. “I prayed to Father. I didn’t think He was listening. Maybe I hoped He still cared, but I didn’t think He did. By the way, it was Amara, who told Him to stop running and to clean up His mess. She was worried you might die again, Dean.” He could tell it wasn’t the answer Dean wanted to hear and the oldest Winchester quickly emptied the bottle.

“What about that sword?” Now that Gabriel was in a sharing mood, Sam was taking advantage of it, knowing it wouldn’t last.

“He returned it to me,” Gabriel said, thinking that one self explanatory.

Castiel, seeing Gabriel go for a bag of M&M’s was tempted to try some, but remembered the odd taste of the hamburger and decided against it. “That sword – I never saw anything like it before.”

Gabriel sighed; they were going to make him explain it after all. “I created it using my grace and it’s a part of me. When Father returned it to me, it was like being reunited with a missing part of me; it completes me.”

“And that thing is safely tucked away?” Dean had to make sure it wouldn’t come back to bite them in the butt.

“No one can find it. Not even Father. It’s with me.” Gabriel finished his hot chocolate and resisted the temptation to conjure another one. “Anymore questions? I can’t promise to answer them, but this is the only chance you’ll get.” And then he was done discussing this. Jack tentatively raised a hand, drawing mild laughter from the others. Gabriel, feeling protective of his nephew, gave them a quick glare. “What do you want to know, kiddo?”

“It’s not a question,” Jack clarified, feeling shy. “I just want to thank you. Lucifer was about to attack me. He was after my power, my grace. You stopped him.”

“You’re welcome,” was all Gabriel said; he wasn’t going to make this any bigger than it was. “You’re family and my favorite nephew!”

Dean snorted in amusement. “As far as you know he’s your only nephew! Ouch,” escaped him because Cas had kicked him beneath the table, and hard at that. “So, Gabe, are you moving into the bunker? Permanently?” He caught Sam wanting to answer instead, but shook his head at his brother. He wanted Gabriel to tell him.

“I thought I’d already moved in? Though, Sam and I might need a bigger room. Maybe I’ll make some changes to the bunker.” Sam reached for his hand beneath the table and Gabriel quickly wrapped his fingers around it, holding it.

“Guess that answers is,” Dean said, satisfied for now. “We should probably enjoy the peace and quiet, cause it won’t last.” One way or another evil would find them and they’d end up fighting it. And that was fine; for that was the way it was supposed to be. They’d made their peace with that.

TBC

Part 20
Epilogue

“Mind if I take a quick shower? I’m beat!” Sam ran a hand through his messy hair and watched Gabriel say goodnight to Jack. Although the young man slept little, Sam reckoned that after today Jack could do with some shuteye.

“Go ahead, I’ll join you in a moment. I’m going to tuck in my favorite nephew first,” replied Gabriel and winked conspiringly. Hopefully Sam would remember he’d promised sex later and Gabriel was already looking forward to getting laid –again.

“Sure.” Smiling warmly at the two of them Sam disappeared into his room. Damn, this had been an exhausting day and a shower was just what he needed. It also meant he’d be naked when stepping back into the bedroom and hopefully Gabriel wouldn’t mind making love – again.

Gabriel waited for Jack to step into his room and then closed the door behind him. He sensed a need to share in Jack and was more than willing to listen. As he was in the mood for something sweet, he treated himself to Musketeers and offered Jack some too, but the young man declined. After doing away with the wrapper, Gabriel buried his teeth in the chocolate bar.

Jack paced the room for a minute, came to a halt, and then started pacing again. He was restless and felt guilty for believing his father’s lies.

“Jack, buddy,” Gabriel said and walked up to his nephew. “Lucifer played you. Don’t feel bad about it. It happens to all of us. I fell for his tricks too when I young. This isn’t your fault.” But he knew about the effect his brother had on others. “Don’t let Lucifer manipulate you into a guilt trip.”

Jack nodded, grateful that Gabriel understood. He slowly raised his head, made eye contact, and managed a weak smile. He might have lost a father, but he had gained an uncle, and something told him, he was better off for it as he really liked Gabriel. “I’m sorry that I didn’t believe you guys sooner. Lucifer… I wanted him to be good so badly.”

Gabriel wasn’t going there. He’d done the guilt trip way too often in the past, mostly thanks to Lucifer. “Well, you have me now and I’m much more fun than Luci.” He let a wink accompany those words. “Seriously, Jack, you’ve done good. Trust me, Sam and Dean don’t trust easily, and for them to take you in and make you a part of their little family is special. You’ve got some great dads in them, as long as you behave.” Teasingly Gabriel added, “Dean will get tough on you from time to time, but in reality he’s a big softie, and in your heart, you know that. Sam is a mother hen so allow him to mother you now and then. Well, Castiel you need to figure out himself. He’s complicated.” As hoped, his teasing caused Jack to smile and softened the blow of losing Lucifer. “Get some sleep if you can,” Gabriel advised.

He would keep an eye on his nephew though as Jack struck him as someone who would take this emotional crap into sleep with him and suffer from nightmares because of over thinking everything. “If you need me, just let me now. Knock on my door or just let me know up here,” he explained, tapping gently against Jack’s temple. “Are we good?”

Jack grinned happily. “More than good.” Maybe now he would be able to get some undisturbed sleep. Knowing Gabriel watched over him helped.

===

Sam ended up taking a cold shower, because experience had taught him it worked best for his stressed system. Michael attacking them and Lucifer threatening Jack had scared him. He’d felt helpless, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop the two archangels from hurting the people he loved. If Gabriel hadn’t showed up the way he did, things would have ended badly. He knew that.

He ran a hand through his hair, still trying to smooth the mess and reached for a pair of boxers. But then he reconsidered. The first time they had made love Gabriel had taken care of him – of everything. The archangel had made him feel like he was at the very center of his universe and Sam knew how special that was. If he was honest, he wanted to do the same thing for his lover, who turned out to be way more of a giver than a taker. Which was quite the surprise. Gabriel was caring and attentive, something he hadn’t expected. Gabriel acting like a trickster had led him to believe otherwise, thankfully the act had proven to be fake.

Naked, he made his way over to the door, opened it, and grinned smugly at finding an equally naked Gabriel on the bed. Stretched on his stomach, eating candy while reading some obscure tome and with his wings uncurled above him, Sam had never wanted his lover more. He was going to make this good for Gabriel, he’d see to that.

Gabriel heard the door open, but didn’t react yet. Instead, he continued to munch on his Big Hunk bar, which was one of his favorites. He fought the temptation to wiggle his butt in invitation, as he didn’t want to come across as too eager. He should allow Sam to work for it. “Hello, cher, you done in there?”

Sam arched an eyebrow. “Are you eating candy in bed?” And a Big Hunk bar at that? He knew Gabriel well enough to know he had chosen that bar on purpose.

“Well, once my very own Big Hunk joins me in bed, I can do without the candy.” He looked at Sam from over his shoulder and licked his lips, hoping for some kind of reaction on his lover’s part. Sam didn’t disappoint him, sporting an impressive erection. “You ready to ravage me, lover?”

Sam couldn’t believe how lucky he was, ending up with Gabriel alive and well, and even better, as his lover. “More than ready. Want me to take advantage of you?” Two could play this game and he loved the fact that they were bantering and teasing each other now that danger had been dealt with. They deserved a little break from reality.

“Mais qui, but what are you doing over there, when I’m over here?” Gabriel vanished the remaining candy bar and book. He pressed deeper into the mattress, hoping Sam would hurry and join him in bed.

Laughing warmly, Sam walked over to the bed and predatorily crawled towards his lover. He wanted this. He’d hoped things between them would be like this; easy and carefree. “You staged this,” he knew with certainty. Gabriel had wanted to find him this way and to make his move.

“Took you that long to figure it out?” Gabriel peeked at his lover from over his shoulder and smiled warmly. “You got hands. I suggest you start using them.”

Amused, Sam shook his head. Things would never be boring with Gabriel around. “In what way? Like this?” He placed his hands on Gabriel’s buttocks and squeezed, drawing an approving mew from his lover’s lips.

“It’s a start,” managed Gabriel, who got comfortable resting his forehead on his hands and wiggling his butt. “Don’t stop.”

Sam figured Gabriel had maneuvered him into the exact position the archangel wanted him in and he could live with that. He was more than happy to make love to Gabriel. Leaning in closer, he kissed the nape of Gabriel’s neck, nibbled, and licked his way down his lover’s spine. Gabriel was rubbing his groin against the sheet, trying to create some friction and Sam let him, but he wasn’t going to help, not yet. Instead, he took his time exploring his lover’s body and learning which spots made Gabriel groan and which had him panting hard.

Gabriel easily surrendered to his lover’s expert touch. He loved the way those hands roamed his body, teased and caressed, and eventually returned to squeezing his buttocks. He bucked, hoping Sam got the hint and moved on.

Sam gently turned Gabriel’s head toward him and kissed him, deeply and demandingly. Gabriel obviously wanted him in charge and Sam aimed to please. “Tell me,” he said, knowing Gabriel would understand what he was asking for.

“Make love to me, fuck me, do whatever you want with me, just do it…” Gabriel raised himself slightly and wanted to slip a hand beneath himself so he could stroke his cock, which was painfully hard, but Sam slapped his hand away. “Hey, don’t,” he complained and glared briefly at his lover.

“That’s my job,” Sam clarified as he wrapped his fingers around Gabriel’s hard on. He delivered a series of slow strokes to the hardened flesh, but made sure his lover didn’t come yet. Mesmerized, he stared at the way those wings quivered, moving along with his strokes and so creating a soft breeze. He could easily lose himself just staring at them.

“Sam?” Gabriel looked at his lover, wondering why Sam had stilled all movement. Realizing what Sam was looking at made him grin. He stretched his wings to the max, relishing seeing the rapture on Sam’s face. “You really have a wing fetish, Sammy.”

Well, there was no denying that, Sam mused. But he was neglecting his lover’s needs and concentrated on the warm and welcoming body in front of him. He took himself in hand, positioned himself, and slowly entered Gabriel, who surprised him by eagerly pushing back. It served to remind him that he didn’t have to worry about hurting his lover. Once he was fully sheathed inside Gabriel, he wrapped an arm around his lover’s waist and pulled him close.

Gabriel ended up kneeling on the bed, with his back pressed against Sam’s chest, and a strong arm wrapped around his waist in order to support him. His fingers curled around Sam’s arm, holding on and allowing his lover to set their pace, which started slow, but then sped up as Sam’s thrusts gained in power. He had never thought there could be so much beauty and pleasure in doing something so carnal and primal, but he’d been wrong. This felt even more intimate than the first time they’d made love and he craved more.

Sam licked and sucked on Gabriel’s clavicle. Thrusting into his lover, he timed the strokes he delivered to Gabriel’s cock, and when he couldn’t hold on any longer, he let go with his lover’s name tumbling from his lips like a prayer. “Oh, Gabriel…”

Gabriel reached his peak a second later and threw back his head, trying hard not to lose control, but failed, as his orgasm took him by surprise. “Fuck…” escaped him, and congratulated himself on phrasing it so eloquently, but at that moment, he wasn’t capable of forming sentences.

Sam strengthened his hold on Gabriel, making sure they remained upright and rested his head against the quavering wings in front of him. “Yeah, fuck.”

Gabriel chuckled and turned his head toward Sam, brushing his lover’s lips in a tender kiss. “That was good,” he said, practically purring. Sam’s hands slid toward his abdomen, holding him close. Those calloused fingers stroked his skin with an amazing amount of tenderness, making him feel humble and foremost blessed.

“Yeah, we’re good together.” Sam deeply inhaled his lover’s musky, yet at the same time sweet scent. “I don’t want to let go ever again.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” said Gabriel truthfully. He was right where he wanted to be and there he would stay! He felt like he had finally come home.

The end

Part 21
Or pick this poison instead.

Sam ended up taking a cold shower, because experience had taught him it worked best for his stressed system. Michael attacking them and Lucifer threatening Jack had scared him. He’d felt helpless, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop the two archangels from hurting the people he loved. If Gabriel hadn’t showed up the way he did, things would have ended badly. He knew that.

He ran a hand through his hair, still trying to smooth out the mess and reached for a pair of boxers. But then he reconsidered. It was way better to ensure Gabriel had easy access. It would definitely improve his chances on getting laid tonight.

Sam checked himself one more time in the mirror. Gabriel had better be pleased with what he was getting! He opened the door, found the bedroom still empty, and headed for the bed. After switching on the lamp on the night stand, he reached for the book he’d been studying and made himself comfortable. He ended up on his stomach for a reason, hoping his lover got the message finding him like that.

He tried to focus on reading up on all that lore, but his senses were trained on the noises around him, as he was eager to pick up on his lover finally entering the room. A minute later the door cracked, telling him someone was joining him and it had better be his archangel. “How’s Jack doing?” he asked, looking over his shoulder and yes, it was Gabriel standing there.

“Hopefully he’ll get some decent sleep. We should probably keep down the noise tonight,” he hinted, practically drooling at seeing Sam all ready for him. He knew he was being set up and loved it. It meant less working less to get Sam out of those fucking clothes. He really should break his lover from the habit to cover up himself up in flannel. “What are you reading?”

“Nothing important.” Sam placed the book on the nightstand and gave his lover a heated look. “So are you going to just stand there or join me?”

Gabriel snapped his fingers, removing his clothes and presenting Sam with his answer. “What does this look like?” he asked and pointed at his arousal. “The things you do to me, Sam Winchester!” Sam chuckled, and that was Gabriel’s clue to join his lover in bed. He took his time crawling onto the bed, enjoying the view. “I could get used to coming home and finding you like this each evening,” he hinted, appreciating the fact that Sam took such great care of his body by working out.

“It’s all yours, if you want it,” teased Sam. He found it hard to remain passive as his cock was telling him to take action instead. But he wanted to see what Gabriel would do next. That one time when they had talked, Gabriel had revealed some of his worries to him. Would Gabriel take him or back down because he worried about hurting him?

Gabriel was struggling with exactly that. He wanted to make love to Sam, but what if he ended up hurting him instead?

A low moan formed in Sam’s throat the moment Gabriel put his hands on him. Hands with were warm, almost hot and seemed to burn through his skin. The fact that the archangel was squeezing his butt suggestively made him rub his cock against the sheet.

Gabriel parted Sam’s legs, knelt between them, and considered his lover. He wanted to give Sam what he needed, but he still worried. Slowly, as he was still making up his mind, he leaned in closer and pressed kisses down Sam’s spine. At the same time, he ran his hands down his lover’s flanks and kissed below the ear. Sam moved beneath him, eagerly and invitingly, but Gabriel was still hesitant to continue. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Sam knew what this was about. This wasn’t about causing him discomfort during the actual act, this was about the archangel Gabriel being concerned about leaving his grace behind inside him, maybe burning or even scarring him. Sam turned his head and made eye contact. “That won’t happen. Just remember Kelly was fine too. And you can heal me anyway, so stop worrying and fuck me instead.”

Sam using the f-word went straight to Gabriel’s cock. “You had to phrase it like that, didn’t you?” He never realized before that Sam was such a damn tease!

“There are condoms in the drawer if that eases your worries,” told Sam Gabriel. “But I really don’t think it’s necessary.” Yet, if you set his lover’s worries to rest, he could live with using them.

Gabriel preferred to take every possible precaution and reached for them. Carefully he slipped one down his cock; better be safe than sorry! Sam’s safety and wellbeing always came first. Realizing the mood was changing – and not for the better--, Gabriel knew he had to do something. “So you want me to fuck you?” whispered he, hoping the words would have the desired effect.

“Oh yes,” Sam replied, knowing he had to say it aloud, although he acted cockier than he felt. After all, this was his first time on the bottom, and although he had watched gay porn in his youth, he wasn’t quite sure what to expect. That didn’t stop him from finding out though. Gabriel had quite enjoyed being on the bottom and he wanted to know what it was like. Also, he wanted Gabriel to experience that.

“I’ll take good care of you,” Gabriel promised. He was nervous about doing this, but at the same time, exited too. If Sam wanted this, his lover would get it. He’d always put Sam’s needs first. That was just the kind of person he was. “I’ll make sure there is no discomfort,” he promised, as he returned to covering his lover’s back in kisses, alternating between caressing the skin with his lips, from biting down just hard enough to make Sam tremble beneath him. His hands strayed back to the mounts of firm flesh in front of him and he massaged Sam’s buttocks, drawing pleased moans from his lover, and to be honest, working up the courage to proceed.

Hearing there’d be no discomfort helped; he should have known the archangel would be that thoughtful and take care of him. Sam wasn’t overly worried about any pain their lovemaking might cause him, as he had been through much worse pain, but it meant he would enjoy the experience even more. Gabriel nuzzled his throat, playfully bit the skin beneath his collarbone and then covered his body with his.

Sam loved feeling that weight atop of him, and when Gabriel’s erection poked against his backside, he parted his legs just a little more in invitation. “I want this,” he assured his lover. “Don’t make me wait.” To his surprise, he found that really did want this. Handing over control to Gabriel, no matter for how brief a period, felt good. For once, he didn’t have to worry about anything and he could let go. He could simply be himself, no worries, no responsibilities, which was pure bliss as far as he was concerned.

Gabriel couldn’t get enough of running his hands down the muscular back and then following the curve of those perfectly shaped buttocks. A part of him was amazed that Sam wanted this, but then again, considering the life his lover lived, handing over control might be a relief. “Get up on your hands and knees for me then,” he whispered into Sam’s ear while cupping Sam’s left buttock in his hand and squeezing it tightly.

That instruction caused Sam’s erection to throb painfully. They hadn’t started yet and he was already yearning for release. However, he suspected Gabriel would draw this out. Sam pushed himself up on all fours, presenting himself to his lover and wishing Gabriel would finally move on.

Gabriel however was determined not to rush this. He grabbed Sam’s waist and inched closer. His cock now pressed against his lover’s entrance and Gabriel reached out, needing to know Sam really wanted this, and also how his lover wanted him to proceed. What he found inside Sam’s mind made him groan. Now that was unexpected, but it was certainly a fantasy which he could make come true! Eager to please, he buried himself inside his lover with one powerful thrust and then stilled.

“Fuck,” escaped Sam, who had hoped Gabriel would stake his claim, but had worried his lover would be too worried to just take him like that. He blinked, trying to get used to the invasive sensation and realized he liked having Gabriel’s cock up his ass. It was a mind-altering realization for a guy who had only been with women until then. The fact that Gabriel didn’t move yet, served to remind him just who was in charge and he loved that.

“Yeah, you like that, don’t you?” Gabriel pressed closer still, tightly gripped Sam’s waist and then pulled out, only to plunge all the way right back in. “Like that?” When Sam had told him to fuck him, Gabriel hadn’t realized his lover really wanted just that; to lose himself in something the primal. Well, it was something he’d enjoy doing.

“Fuck yeah! Do that again, please.” Gabriel moved and Sam immediately pushed back to meet Gabriel’s next thrust, savoring the sensation that spread throughout the pit of his stomach. Eagerly, he moved along and let his lover set a rhythm which worked for both of them. Gabriel aimed for his prostate with each thrust and Sam suspected his archangel was cheating just a little because his lover lacked any experience being on top, but he didn’t mind. He was heading toward the most intense orgasm he’d ever had and at the moment he didn’t care how that was happening. He just wanted to come, and if possible with Gabriel lodged inside him.

Slick fingers curled around his cock, making Sam yelp in want. Gabriel stroking him in tune with those punishing thrusts was quickly getting to much to bear. The sound of Gabriel grunting behind him, the musky scent invading his senses and the feeling of finally belonging was so complete that it proved too much to deal with. Sam leg to and climaxed.

Gabriel rested his upper body against Sam’s back, carefully aimed his next thrust, and at the same time, stroked his lover’s cock matching his thrusting pace. Sam tensed beneath him and Gabriel halted all movement, letting Sam’s orgasm trigger his. They came simultaneously, and as Gabriel was still attuned to his lover’s mind, Sam’s climax moved through him as well, allowing him to experience what his lover was feeling. One of the many perks of having angelic powers, which he was happy to have at that very moment.

Sam suddenly collapsed beneath him and Gabriel went down with him, knowing Sam could easily carry his weight and probably even like feeling him on top like that.

Sam panted hard. A fine layer of sweat covered his body and he trembled all over his body. He needed a moment to come down from the high he had just experienced. His breathing even out and became regular. At the same time he turned his head and looked at his lover’s smug expression. Seeing Gabriel’s wings uncurled and protectively covering them was something he would never forget. “Gabe,” he started, but then grew silent, his voice giving out on him and lacking the energy to continue. What the fuck had just happened? He’d had sex before, had experienced several intense orgasms, but nothing like that!

“Take it slow, Sammy.” Gabriel carefully pulled out, making sure he healed any damage their lovemaking had caused. He removed the condom, tied it, and placed it aside for now. “I liked that very much,” he said, nuzzling Sam’s throat and lapping at the salty skin there. Maybe he’d cheated a little by letting Sam’s desires guide him, but it had worked. They’d both enjoyed this.

“I… that was… I didn’t expect that,” Sam managed after a while. It was a good thing they were open to switching roles in bed, he realized, as it would keep things exciting in bed. Gabriel was versatile that way, and so was he. He had the feeling they would be constantly switching roles, which suited him just fine as he loved being on top, but after what he’d just experienced, also on the bottom. It was a good thing he had suggested using that condom because it convinced Gabriel to make love to him. “What are you going to do about that?” asked Sam, amazed to see grace moving about in that condom.

“We’ll see,” Gabriel said, unconcerned for the moment. He had the feeling he might be able to assimilate that grace later. What he most certainly wouldn’t do was leaving it like that. He’d draw it back into himself later. “Any discomfort?” he asked, needing to know for sure.

“No, just ecstasy!” Sam turned onto his side and brought a disheveled, but definitely pleased looking archangel with him, pulling him on top and burying him in a bear hug. Gabriel’s still slightly blue eyes made Sam wonder if they had been like that the entire time they had made love. “I love you,” whispered Sam, yawning tiredly and reverently stroking the feathers beneath his fingertips. “Don’t ever leave me, Gabe.”

“I won’t,” Gabriel said, determined to make this work. “Why don’t you get some sleep, Sam?” His lover’s eyes started to close and Gabriel stroked Sam’s hair, luring him into sleep so the young man could recuperate from their lovemaking. “You look fucking tired.” That comment made Sam grin and he watched his lover drift off into sleep. The sleep of the thoroughly-fucked, he mused privately. Just the way it was supposed to be.

The end