A/N This Story is an AU of the episode Changing Channels (5x08). I loved that episode but I really wanted more of an reaction from Cas seeing Gabriel also just to make more angst, I've add Lucifer in it anyway I hope you enjoy this lines have been taken from Changing Channels (5x08), Abandon all hope (5x10) and Hammer of the gods (5x19). Some swearing because Gabriel and Dean.
WARNING: Depressing/slightly suicidal thoughts
I don't own Supernatural or any of their characters.
Runs in the family, we tend to bruise easily
Bad in the blood, I'm telling you 'cause
I just want you to know me
Know me and my family
It Runs In The Family By Amanda Palmer
"So. Boys. Now what? We stare at each other for the rest of eternity?" Gabriel's sarcastic voiced echoed through the warehouse as the flames that circled him created shadows on the wall.
"Well, first of all, you're gonna bring Cas back from wherever you stashed him." Dean said, glaring at the archangel. He could understand Gabriel's situation with Lucifer and Michael, it was kind of like the arguments with his Dad and Sam but that doesn't mean you have to be a dick.
"Oh am I ?" Dean growled under his breath at Gabriel's sarcastic response.
"Yeah. Or we're going to dunk you in some holy oil and deep-fry ourselves an archangel." Dean threatened, getting ready to get more holy-oil out.
Gabriel sighed, knowing it was useless. It wasn't like he was going to keep him there; once the Winchesters left he would let Cas leave without him knowing it that his older brother was still alive. Gabriel loved the kid, he practically raised him but it was too hard to leave last time so he wasn't going to...won't open old wounds, he snapped his fingers making Castiel appear.
"Cas, you okay?" Dean asked.
"I'm fine," Cas assured Dean, he then turned to Gabriel glaring at him, " Hello Gabriel".
"Hey bro…" Gabriel started.
"Don't you dare call me brother !" Cas shouted, he didn't care that he was letting his emotions get the better than him.
"Cas.." Gabriel sighed, looking down, guilty.
"We all thought you were dead! We mourned for you, even Michael and Lucifer who stopped fighting ." Cas stated, angrily.
"That's the point Cassie, I couldn't handle the fighting anymore. It got to me" Gabriel said sadly, his joker attitude and mask crumbling away.
"It got to everyone, it wasn't just you. We needed you !" Cas shouted.
Sam went over to Cas and put a hand on his shoulder,trying to calm him down because Cas was likely to gank the dick if he didn't calm down. Cas just shrugged Sam off and carried on ignoring him.
"I needed you, Balthazar needed you, Samandriel needed you, Anael needed you" Cas listed off, his anger slowly turning to sadness.
Gabriel ran his fingers through his hair in frustration as tear began to creep through, this was not going like he planned. Cas glared at him one last time; he then turned on his heel and started to walk away with Dean and Sam following behind to shock to say something.
"I'm not Dean Winchester or some vessel's family, you can just walk away from." Gabriel clarified.
Cas could only turn around and glare at Gabriel,
"I didn't want to leave any of you especially you, Balthazar , Samandriel and Anael but Michael and Lucifer fought over everything, Dad went for a pack of smokes and never came back and Raphael became more of a dick."
Cas tilted his head in confusion, " Smoking wasn't invented until 1865".
Gabriel laughed at Cas' confusion,trying to blink away the tears and looked down to the floor " Then Lucifer and Michael wanted me to choose a side and when I argued to Michael don't throw Lucifer into hell,he…" Gabriel looked up into Castiel's gaze, "nearly ripped out my grace."
Cas gasped in shock;he knew how angry Michael got, he had been on the receiving end of it many times but he knew how much he loved his brothers well used to at least
"He stopped when he realised what he was doing and ran that's when I left" Gabriel stated, remembering the fiery, sudden pain that shocked his whole body and the emotional pain of seeing your oldest brother sticking his hand in your chest, " I'm a coward, who ran like child".
Gabriel blinked the tears that were starting blur his vision and sighed, " I just want this to be over".
Cas clenched his jaw and raised his hand up to ceiling, Gabriel looked up to ceiling as the sprinkles were turned on extinguishing the holy oil's flames. Once the flames were out, Cas looked back at Gabriel, " You're not going to help, are you" Cas asked.
Gabriel sighed, " I can't little bro."
"Don't think i've forgiven you." Cas pointed out, turning to leave once again.
"I'm sorry" Cas turned to Dean and Sam who had witnessed the whole thing, " I let my emotions cloud my judgement."
"It's fine, Cas" Sam said.
"We understand" Dean said putting his hand on Cas's shoulder once again as Sam reached for the door however to find it locked.
Dean saw Sam trying to open the door and laughed, " Have you forgotten how to open a door, Sammy. I thought you were the smart one " Dean tried but it didn't open as well. He looked around to find no archangel, " That Son of a Bitch did not just lock us in !" Dean shouted in frustration as Sam tried to kick down the door.
Castiel looked around the room, tense feeling a strange and powerful being in the room the Cas suddenly realised what… who it was, "Lucifer."
Dean and Sam stopped trying to kick the door down, hearing the name. A bright, blinding light filled the room making Dean and Sam cover their eyes as Lucifer appeared in his temporary vessel.
Lucifer stepped forward towards the brothers but was stopped by Castiel with a sword in his hand. Lucifer looked amused at his attempt at protecting the Winchesters , " Loyalty. Such a nice quality to see in this day and age. Castiel, right?" Lucifer asked.
"Yes" Cas answered, his gaze never leaving Lucifer. He noticed Lucifer's vessel and how damaged it was, "What's wrong with your vessel?" He asked.
"Seriously Cas, stop with the chit chat and just get us out of here" Dean hissed, couldn't he just quickly fly them out and to Bobby's. Lucifer turned to Michael's vessel, hearing him and flickered his hand. Dean felt his tongue stiffened as his tried to talk but to no avail.
"I'll talk to you later," Lucifer said to Dean then turned to Sam, " Hello Sam," he addressed.
Sam stiffened at Lucifer addressing him; Cas noticed his friend discomfort and clenched his sword even more making his vessel's knuckles go white.
"You are not taking Sam Winchester. I won't let you." Cas stated making Sam shocked.
"Castiel. I don't understand why you're fighting me, of all the angels" Lucifer said making Cas tilted his head in confusion.
"You really have to ask?" Cas asked.
"I rebelled, I was cast out. You rebelled, you were cast out. Almost all of heaven wants to see me dead, and if they succeed, guess what? You're their new public enemy number one. We're on the same side, like it or not, so why not just serve your own best interests? Which in this case just happen to be mine?"Lucifer stated, Cas thought about it and he was right, with Lucifer out of the picture he'd be on heaven's hit list however that doesn't mean he wants the apocalypse to happen.
"I'll die first." Cas said, glaring. He knew if he was to fight Lucifer, he'd lose but he was going to try while getting his friends out of here.
"I suppose you will." Lucifer said, raising his hand and preparing to snap his fingers. Cas tensed waiting for utter demise when suddenly Lucifer was thrown back into the warehouse's walls.
"Son of Bitch" Dean muttered, gaining his voice back as him,Sam and Cas looked wildly around the room for the culprit to reveal Gabriel standing in front of them with a sword in one hand and a DVD in the other.
"Luci, I'm home" Gabriel announced.
"Gabriel…" Cas stuttered. To say Cas was shocked would be true, he thought Gabriel had abandoned them… him once smirked but Cas could see the fear in his eyes.
"Better late than never" Gabriel muttered and gave Dean the DVD, "protect this with your life."
Lucifer got up to see his younger brother, Gabriel, sword in hand protecting the Winchesters and Castiel. The last time he saw Gabriel was on the sidelines while Michael and him were fighting, screaming at them to stop… begging actually.
Lucifer stepped forward towards Castiel but was stopped by Gabriel.
"Not this time"Gabriel stated bluntly, "Lucifer,you're my brother. And I love you. But you are a great big bag of dicks.
Dean and Sam looked at each other, both knowing that they needed to get out now before this soap opera family drama got out of hand.
"Cas, can you get us out of here ?" Sam asked, whispering so Lucifer didn't hear him.
"No, my grace can't break Lucifer's power over this place" Cas informed, turning back to Gabriel's and Lucifer's argument.
" Wait, what did you just say to me?" Lucifer asked.
"Look at yourself! Boo hoo! Daddy was mean to me, so I'm gonna smash up all his toys." Gabriel said, mickming Lucifer's childish behaviour.
"Watch your tone" Lucifer said, speaking in a manner like an older brother chiding his younger brother, trying to hide the threat behind his words however Gabriel could hear it clearly. Gabriel wasn't afraid of Lucifer like the other angels, never was and had no reason to be.
"Play the victim all you want. But you and me? We know the truth" Gabriel paused, "Dad loved you best." He stated, every angel who had met the big man upstairs at least once knew that but dared not say it because the wrath of Michael. "More than Michael, more than me." Gabriel continued telling the sad truth, "Then he brought the new baby home and you couldn't handle it. So this is all just one big temper tantrum."
Gabriel pointed his blade at Lucifer, " Time to Grow up."
Lucifer eyes grew dark like a demon, hearing Gabriel's words, " Gabriel, if you're doing this for Michael-"
"Screw him. If he were standing here, I'd shiv his ass too." Gabriel said bluntly.
Lucifer looked at him in disbelief, "You disloyal-"
"Oh, I'm loyal," Gabriel cuts him off, " To them !"
Lucifer rolled his eyes and asked, " To who ? Those so called 'Gods' you've been hanging around with recently."
"To people, Lucifer. People" Gabriel stated blankly.
"So you're willing to die, for a pile of cockroaches. Why?" Lucifer asked, rolling his eyes not believing Gabriel answer.
"I take offense of that" Dean yelled. The two archangels just ignored him but Sam looked at him and made a face clearly saying, 'Now's not the time'.
"Because Dad was right. They are better than us." Gabriel stated.
"They are broken. Flawed! Abortions." Lucifer snarled,his calm exterior shattering like a mirror.
"Okay,now that's just rude" Dean said.
Gabriel just ignored Dean once again and pondered what Lucifer said, it was true. They were broken and flawed however a lot of them try to do better and that's what made humans great also their candy… and sex. "Damn right they're flawed. But a lot of them try. To do better." In that moment Gabriel saw a young Sam Winchester pleading him for his brother back just like he had done to Michael when Lucifer striked down into Hell."To Forgive."
"If we could only do that" Gabriel thought sadly.
Lucifer's gaze dropped to ground and Gabriel tried to follow hopefully seeing that he was getting through to him.
"And you should see the Spearmint Rhino" Gabriel joked.
Dean laughed at the comment while Sam cracked a smile despite the circumstances.
Cas tilted his head again in confusion, " I don't understand that reference."
Gabriel laughed under his breath, knowing that if he got of this alive he was going to teach his baby brother about 21th century and it's wonderful things such as Porn. "I've been riding the pine a long time. But I'm in the game now, and I'm not on your side, or Michael's." Gabriel paused and looked behind him to his brother and the Winchesters, a smile tugged on his mouth as he turned back to Lucifer.
"I'm on theirs."
Lucifer kept looking at the ground,maybe he could just that Gabriel was alive and wait until Detroit for Sam to say yes…
However he couldn't and that's what broke his flayed heart even more.
"Brother, don't make me do this." Lucifer shook his head sadly making Castiel grip on his sword tighten, his vessel's knuckles turn white.
"No one makes us do anything." Gabriel responded with a sad tone lingering in his voice. " Castiel".
Cas looked up at the mention of his name as Gabriel continued,his gaze never leaving Lucifer, " Leave."
"No !" Cas shouted with a angry but shocked tone, "I'm not leaving you." He marched towards Gabriel sword in hand.
Gabriel smiled sadly, " Yes... you are."
Cas then looked behind Lucifer to see the real Gabriel, sword in hand, sneaking up to Lucifer. The real Gabriel inched closer and closer to Lucifer, his blade arched back as he prepared to strike when suddenly in a blink of an human eye, Lucifer spun around catching Gabriel's wrist and drove the blade into the young archangel's chest.
Sam and Dean looked on with shock as Cas felt anger surge through his grace at the sight of Lucifer stabbing his beloved brother, " NO !" Castiel screamed, charging forward with his angel blade in hand. Lucifer flickered his wrist sending Cas into a pile of wooden crates in the corner.
"Cas !" Dean yelled as him and Sam rushed to his aid. They helped him up and turned back to Gabriel.
Gabriel's body swayed as his bloody hand latched onto his brother's jacket. He felt like a thousand knives were stabbing his grace as blood dribbled out of his vessel's mouth.
"Amateur hocus pocus. Don't forget, you learned all your tricks from me, little brother." Lucifer whispered into Gabriel's ear.
Gabriel knew he wouldn't have long until Lucifer twisted that blade, ending his life. He turned to Cas one last and mouthed,not having the energy or guts to say it out loud, "I'm sorry," and flickered his using up the last of his power.
As his little brother disappeared, Gabriel felt a blinding pain which catapulted him into a peaceful void of oblivion.
Epilogue
Cas looked for Gabriel, for months.
He didn't care that Dean,Sam and Bobby all thought that he was dead. To him, Gabriel was alive so he kept searching.
He searched everywhere that had any signs of angels,tricksters and pagans but in the end, just like the search for his father.
It was an dead end.
Cas didn't remember flying to Norway, he didn't remember sitting down on the gritty,jagged surface of the shore until he felt like the his grace was splitting apart piece by piece .It had finally sunk in that his big brother was... dead.
The same big brother who taught him how to fly, the same big brother who took him down to Earth for the first time, the same big brother who heal him after a rough day,the same big brother who wiped the tears away, the same big brother who fought for him, the same big brother who abandoned him.
The same big brother who loved his family more than anything… and what did he get in the end ? He got stabbed in the back by the one who raised him.
Castiel's vision blurred as salty tears streamed down his vessels' face like Niagara falls. "How could you let this happen" He choked, he was so angry ...at God, at Lucifer, at Michael and at himself.
He couldn't take any of this anymore, it just seemed pointless. He had lost his family,Grace and Faith.
He gladly get out his angel blade and stab himself to be sent into a restful slumber.
But he couldn't.
He won't abandon Sam and Dean or give up for what Gabriel died fighting, no matter. So in the end, he wiped away his tears and flew back to Sam and Dean. The only thing keeping him going.
In the shadows, a small figure watched Cas leave and just hoped, as his sucked a lollipop,that his little brother could carry on without a second time.