Chapter Text
Ordinary people had read of Hunters and the Supernatural back when Chuck still wrote his books. A few found the idea romantic even. The constant war between the Natural and Supernatural worlds, with only a handful of lone gunmen defending those caught in the crossfire, excited the imagination.
Sam Winchester, however, believed one shouldn’t sign on just for ‘the dream’–to rescue the damsel and/or for justice. It required giving up everything in one’s life and getting in the line of fire without so much as receiving a thanks. Sure, it was gratifying to save people. But sometimes, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t save everyone. You just claimed your victories, big or small, wherever you got them; and today wasn’t an exception. With the Corrupted and everything else thrown their way, there weren’t enough moments when one could just sip their coffee in peace without the war map making a sound.
With that said, it didn’t hurt to check on other hunters, especially after losing Ennis and Ricky because of Kokabiel. So, Sam picked up his phone and speed-dialed Garth’s number.
“That’s a surprise,” the familiar voice sounded from the other end of the line. “How are you doing, Sam?”
“Hey, Garth, I was just about to ask you the same thing. I’m guessing things are going well on your end?”
“Good for now. There are those hunters who feel a bit out of their depth. Nothing that I can’t treat by addressing the root of the problem and removing it, though. Get it?”
Sam smiled. “Yeah, Garth, I get it.” Everyone was entitled to their Dad jokes. “What about the Ruiz siblings and Noah Ayers? Did they contact you?”
“Sure did. I’ve got them stationed at the Ocooch Mountains, at the Western Upland area,” Garth replied. “No worries, I’ve got my eye on them. Bonus, it seems they have fitted right in with the others. Then again, they’ve earned their place.”
“They have.” All three young hunters were bright, and had been excellent students in the four weeks they had stayed in the Bunker. Leo and Nina had even got their proverbial baptism of fire in Cappadocia, so they were more than ready to handle any challenge in their way. “What about you, Garth? Bess with you?”
“No. She and her father decided it was time to go through with their own plan in mind.”
“So they’re reaching out to the other packs?” Sam said, almost in wonder. Although he and Garth had talked about it before, Sam wasn’t sure they’d actually go through with it.
“Yeah. There are those who figure two hundred pissed off Corrupted is bad and they might as well get the chance to do something about it.”
“You’re on your own, then?”
“For now. It’s fine. It gives me the chance for some quality time with the little tykes.”
Sam supposed it made sense. “Well, tell your wife I said ‘good luck’. I hope they’ll pull this off.” If there were werewolves or other ‘monsters’ willing to help (the younger Winchester didn’t want to label them as such when they showed such a good grasp of the situation), they wouldn’t turn them away. “Just give us and the rest of the Hunters a heads up if any of them come our way. They shouldn’t get a bullet for their trouble.”
“Will do,” Garth said, his smile audible. “Whoops, got to go. The twins have discovered the joys of walking and have become quite the escape artists.”
Sam couldn’t help but smile at that. “Then I’ll leave you to it, Garth. Talk to you soon.”
“Sure thing! Tell the others I said ‘Hi’… No, Cas! Sam! That’s not a chew toy!”
Sam decided he’d rather not know what the twins had just sunk their werewolf's teeth into and hung up instead. It looked like Garth really had his job cut out for him. Still, it was a good life for him and he wouldn’t change it for the world–Sam could tell that much from the tone in his voice alone. And, honestly? Sam would be more than happy to have something like that with Eileen soon. Preferably once they had dealt with the Corrupted.
His train of thought was cut short when Dean walked in, and he was not alone. The kitties followed him close as if they were his personal entourage.
“Heya, Sammy,” he said, ruffling his brother’s hair as he passed by and made his way to the kitchen counter.
“Yeah, morning to you too,” Sam replied as he swatted the hand away in feigned annoyance. Somebody was in a cheery mood, which was unusual-Dean needed coffee first in order to get him talking. And that wasn’t the only thing unusual, come to think of it. “Cas not with you?”
“Took Miracle for his morning walk, so I can make us some breakfast,” Dean replied, even as he maneuvered to avoid Maizie and Charlie – the two were now practically doing figure-eights between his legs. “Yeah, yeah, yours, too. Pipe down, ya munchkins,” he added gruffly.
Sam’s lips tugged into a lopsided smirk. “Play the ‘not a cat person’ card all you want, Dean. I saw you the other day, dangling that toy mouse for them.”
“I was helping them train!”
“Sure,” Sam said, sipping his coffee. And no, he didn’t believe that for a second.
Dean graced that response with a big roll of his eyes and continued preparing the kitties’ bowls. “What about Eileen? I figured she’d be with you.”
“She was. But I’ll go join Rowena and Twardorwski in a few, so she’s gone to the library,” Sam said.
Dean frowned. “Looking for anything specific?”
“You could say that. When Rowena told her about the Ring of Solomon, it got her thinking. The Men of Letters kept a lot of artifacts around here. If any of them can give us an advantage, it’s worth finding it.”
“I don’t know, Sam. We’ve been researching for all kinds of stuff related to them for weeks. If there was something that could have killed them, I think the previous tenants would have written it in big fat letters,” Dean said thoughtfully.
“It doesn’t have to be a weapon; even something that might help us defend ourselves against them will do,” Sam reasoned. “We’ve got angels, demons, gods, demigods, spirits, you name it, joining the fight and we’re only human. I’d rather I didn’t feel we’ll be firing slingshots when the time comes.”
“We seem to have done pretty okay so far.”
“Sure, but it took team effort, and we only had to deal with one Corrupted at a time. The moment they break out en mass, though…”
“Yeah, I get it,” Dean conceded with a soft sigh. He placed the bowls down for Charlie and Maizie, and the kitties started chowing down, their purrs quite audible. Dean couldn’t help but smile at the sight before turning his attention to Sam. “Which kinda brings me to what I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”
“Yeah?” Sam asked, intrigued.
Dean didn’t reply at once. He first poured some coffee into his mug and then settled next to his brother. Whatever he wanted to say, he wanted to say it in confidence.
“You said it yourself. The moment the Corrupted get out, it’s all gonna come down to how pissed off they are and how well we’ve prepared ourselves against them. We’re talking about full-blown war, and we’re gonna be at the centre.”
“Okay,” Sam said, listening on. This was one of the few times his brother didn’t put on a brave front and simply stated everything as it was with no punches pulled. “We’re still gonna give it our best shot, Dean.”
“Hell, yeah, we are,” Dean agreed. “But we owe a lot of beers to plenty of people and I don’t want to have any unfinished business over my head, you know?”
Sam understood. He and Dean had talked about taking their closest friends and allies out as thanks for everything, but neither of them was sure when the best time was. Now it looked like Dean didn’t want to postpone it any more.
“We can always go for it after we win,” Sam suggested. They had to stay positive, after all.
“Can we? We might lose a lot of good friends when it hits the fan, and I doubt there’s gonna be a do-over this time,” Dean countered gently. “Besides, we’ve been working our ass off these past few months and the world could end soon. We should have the chance to cut loose for one night.”
Sam pondered on it. His brother was right. The Corrupted threat had been hanging over their heads like the proverbial Damocles’ sword these past few months, filling the air with tension which needed easing. Although there had been some brief moments of reprieve before, the constant threat prevented them from actually relaxing.
“Guess things are slow enough for now,” he said thoughtfully. “What did you have in mind?”
Dean grinned. “Glad you asked. Got some time?”
Sam smiled as he saw the spark in his brother’s eyes. “Sure.”
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After deciding to make their relationship work despite their duties on Heaven and Earth, Gabriel and Israel ensured they always had time for one another. It was easy enough for the grigori to spend a few hours with the archangel in Heaven. Time flowed differently in that plane, so Israel was back at the Bunker before being missed. For Gabriel, it was a different matter. Israel’s off-duty hours were early in the morning and the archangel needed to be sure that, one, he didn’t put any urgent business on hold and, two, his absence in Heaven wouldn’t cause a problem.
Naomi was accommodating, thankfully. As his second in command, she promised to cover for him on the condition she’d have a few hours to see to her own matters. It was a fair request, as Naomi and Crowley had the right to make things work for themselves, too; so Gabriel agreed. Thus, this past week, Gabriel teleported to the Bunker on those early hours of the day, during which he and Israel spent their time together, either talking or having their fun. In fact, Israel’s room became a bit of a haven for the archangel. A place where he felt comfortable and safe. After Asmodeus, he hadn’t really felt that till now. Something always gnawed at him at the back of his mind, making him wary even when there was no real danger in sight.
Not in here. Here, it was just the two of them, their bodies tangled together as they held each other close and shared their body warmth. Israel’s calm breathing meant the grigori was fast asleep, while Gabriel rested his head against his lover’s chest, the soft heartbeat lulling him.
It was in that semi-aware state that his mind drifted off to memories from a time long ago.
He caught sight of his brothers sitting on a rock and flew in their direction; then landed gracefully, tucking his wings behind his back. Michael gave him a small, polite smile, but Raphael didn’t even bother to hide the fact that he was annoyed.
“And just where were you?” he asked, regarding Gabriel with a raised eyebrow.
“Greetings to you both,” Gabriel deadpanned, used to his brother’s jabs. “Miss me?”
“You were supposed to be here hours ago,” Michael pointed out.
“I’m here now,” Gabriel said with a shrug. “Do you want my report or not?”
Michael probably decided it wasn’t the time to antagonize his baby brother, as he didn’t push matters further. “Go ahead then.”
“The grigori have confirmed it. Lucifer is creating a demon army, and the moment he has enough forces, he will act against us.”
“Curse it all,” Raphael said. “How far has that fool fallen?”
“It is a matter of pride, brother,” Michael said. “Lucifer has already suffered a defeat, so he wants to prove to us how dangerous he truly is.”
“He’s succeeding,” Raphael replied. “Our brother is going to ruin everything that we’ve wrought, and for what? A caprice?”
“He’s made his choice.” Michael stood up and placed a hand on Raphael’s shoulder. “Go on ahead and gather everyone so I can debrief them.”
Raphael nodded and flew away without so much as looking back. Gabriel watched him go and then turned to Michael.
“Got work for me too, I take it?”
“Not quite. Can we have a word?”
That was intriguing. “Alright. Tell me.”
Michael regarded Gabriel thoughtfully for a few moments, clearly pondering how he should broach the subject in mind. “You have been spending a lot of time on Earth lately.”
Gabriel frowned, wary. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”
“Very well, I’ll have to be blunt then. The Grigori and the other angels? They’re not our friends, and you’re certainly not supposed to share ale and merriment with them.”
“They asked me to join them. Was I supposed to say ‘No’?” Gabriel said defensively.
“Yes, you were,” came the pragmatic reply. “Our father created them as soldiers to serve Him and us. You are their commanding officer. Muddying those boundaries will only get you disrespected when it’s time to lead them into battle, and then what will you do?”
The younger archangel waved his hand. “I know what I’m doing, Michael.”
“I beg to differ.” Michael’s expression softened, though. “I’ve given my advice. Do with it what you will.” With that, he stretched his wings and flew away too, leaving his brother alone with his thoughts.
Fingertips that brushed lightly along his back coaxed him away from his reverie and he looked up, his eyes meeting Israel’s.
“Hey,” he murmured.
“Hey, yourself,” the grigori murmured back. “Everything alright?”
“Yeah. Just got lost in thought, I guess.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Of course Rae would offer a listening ear. Smiling a bit, Gabriel propped himself on his elbow in order to have a better look at his lover, and stroked the curly hair affectionately. “You make me happy, you know that?”
Israel smirked. “I got an inkling when I did that thing with my tongue…”
Gabriel snorted before he could help it and placed a soft peck on Rae’s lips. “I’m serious, smart ass. You’re the best thing that happened to me in a long time. I wanted you to know that.”
“I already do. And I feel the same way.” Israel reached out at the next moment, cupping the archangel’s face. “Which makes me wonder what this is really about.”
Gabriel leaned to the touch, closing his eyes for a few brief moments. “It’s just ironic. Michael, Raphael, even Lucifer, probably deserved a moment like this more than I. They were the bravest, the most diligent... By all rights, they were the most worthy of leading Heaven, because they had the strength of their beliefs. Whereas I? I was always the thoughtless, carefree one.”
A sigh flowed out of his lips, and he rested his head against the pillow, looking up at the ceiling as if hoping the answers he was looking for were there.
“And now I’m the winner. The only living archangel, but, hey… I’m the winner,” he added in a quieter tone.
He felt Israel moving, and, sure enough, the grigori came into his view. “Do you want to hear my opinion?”
Gabriel blinked, surprised at the question. “Always.”
The grigori nodded and complied. “Your brothers were powerful commanders. But when you offered to listen to what I had to say when I needed someone to talk to, I knew I could only be loyal to you.”
“How come?” Israel had never told him of this before, and Gabriel couldn’t help but feel curious now.
“Because you made me see it doesn’t take an iron hand to lead. Your brothers never understood us other angels. Sure, they could order us to fight the enemy or even give up our lives if need be; and we would have. But it would have been their choice, not our will.”
“I’m not sure I follow.”
Israel smiled gently. “When the Wild Hunt threatened the world, there was no reason to believe you’d find Jack on time. We stood our ground and bought you time anyway, trusting you’d make it. It was suicide to fight Jormungandr, but we stood by you. Forging alliances with the Pagan Gods and having everyone working together could have easily gone sideways; but we were there every step of the way, proud to help your cause.” He smiled weakly. “I think Jack understands it, too. That’s why he brought you back; because Heaven needed someone to believe in. Someone with both integrity and empathy.”
Gabriel usually found words easy and was ready to fire away a witty remark or clever comeback. This time, however, he wasn’t sure what to say, so he settled for action instead. He sealed their lips together in a deep kiss into which he breathed his love; then pulled back with a big smile. It felt good. And it definitely felt good for Israel too, the way his cheeks flushed.
“Consider this my promise not to let you down.”
Israel shook his head. “You couldn’t let me down even if you tried.”
The archangel raised an eyebrow, amused. “Did you just steal my line, ace?”
“Guilty. In my defense, it’s a good line.” Israel’s fingers shyly drew light patterns on Gabriel’s chest. “Think you’ve got time to stay for breakfast?”
Gabriel smiled. “Sure. But, as much as I like that look on you, a hint of clothing would be nice.”
“Then let’s get dressed,” Israel said, stealing one more kiss while at it before getting out of bed.
Gabriel admired the grigori’s naked form for a few brief moments and got up as well. Once they made themselves presentable once more, they entered the kitchen and smiled at Dean and Cas. Both angel and hunter were talking quietly over some coffee and waffles, while Miracle was munching his kibble after building quite the appetite during his walk.
“Hey, you two. Plenty more where that came from if you’re interested,” Dean said and nodded toward the counter. Sure enough, there was a dish with several more waffles in it, and the coffeepot was full.
“Don’t mind if I do.” Gabriel sat down and waved his hand once, making a plate with a couple of waffles teleport in front of him.
“Show off,” Castiel said in a half smile.
“I’m just working smart,” Gabriel said with a wink. “So what’s up?”
“Nothing much. I was just telling Cas the idea Sam and I had,” Dean said.
Israel instantly looked up from his task of pouring coffee. “Something wrong with our defenses?”
“Nah, man, nothing to do with the Corrupted,” the hunter said. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and beckoned Israel to come sit down. “We were thinking of throwing a party here at the Bunker. Nothing fancy. Just have a beer, sit around and bull; that sort of thing. What do you say?”
Israel thought about it. “Sure, if we can pull it off.”
The hunter grinned. “Awesome. Gabriel?”
“Why not?” the archangel said, smiling. “Just say the word and I can have everything ready in a jiffy.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Dean said.
“Any idea who else is joining us?” Israel asked.
“Well, I was to talk to you guys. Sam will see what he can do from his end, and when we have an idea on a number, Operation Blowout will be a go.”
“I’m sorry. Operation Blowout?”
“Hey, my idea; I get to name it.”
Cas smiled reassuringly. “Of course, Dean.”
“Operation Blowout it is,” Gabriel said, conceding.
Dean grinned and had another bite from his waffle. He was already looking forward to this.