Chapter 1
What has been... But May Not Always Be
"No... Stop" Sam mutters, tossing and turning. Gabriel hated to see Sam like this. Ever since Sam went to Hell with his brother, Lucifer, he hadn't been the same. He knew it was only a matter of time before he broke, and when that happened all hope would be lost. Sam whimpers again and rolls over to the other side of the bed. Gabriel wished desperately that he could do something, but it just wasn't possible. How can you do anything when you're dead? It's not that his vessel is dead, he's dead. His brother was responsible for that. Sometimes he's able to travel into Sam's dreams. Just for a little while. Sam never seems to talk about those dreams with anybody, but he remembers. Afterwards he always has a slight smile on his face, which makes Dean feel reassured that maybe he will make it through this, but Gabriel knows better than that. This isn't the first time a soul has been tortured by Lucifer, and Gabriel was sure it wouldn't be the last. He just hoped Sam wouldn't be the victim of another one of his brothers rages. To be honest Gabriel never believed that whole spiel about Sam "being like" Lucifer. After spending thousands of years with a person, much less a brother, you get to know them. Sam was different somehow. Sure he had the rage and he was the younger brother who rebelled against his father, but there was something more... He cared. Deep down all Sam wanted was to get away from all of this. All Lucifer craved was for angels to rule the earth, not humans. He didn't care who he had to go through. Gabriel never told anyone this. Of course he didn't have much time seeing as he died before he got the chance to explain. To tell Sam how he truly feels.
"Well brother, I see you're in deep thought," someone whispers close to Gabriel's ear. He spins around backing into Sam's bed.
"What are you doing here? This isn't possible," Gabriel mutters in shock.
"Oh trust me brother, everything is possible when you're dead," Michael soothes, stepping closer to Gabriel.
"But you aren't dead! You're still stuck in the cage."
"No, Adam is still stuck in the cage. Do you really think that an angel like me would let myself fall into the pit? No thank you," Michael retorts, obviously annoyed at him having to explain himself.
"Oh I see so you decide to leave the little human alone in the pit. How did you do it? Did you stop your own heart? Or wait, did you simply decide to use all of your archangel power to kill yourself. How wonderfully righteous you are," Gabriel snarks, backing away from his self-righteous brother.
"You don't know the first thing about righteousness younger brother!" Michael yells.
"Why are you here Michael? I'm sure it wasn't just to flaunt your oversized ego," Gabriel says in a calm voice, shielding Sam's bed, just in case things got ugly. He didn't know how powerful Michael was, but he was sure that even in death he was still not someone to be messed with.
"I'm here to help you," Michael says, taking a few steps back and relaxing his posture.
"And why would my older brother want to help me? I'm sure even in death you have much more important things to do like kill another one of our brothers. You know what I bet you need to go fight Lucifer again just for the fun of it. I'm sure father would be proud," Gabriel whispers in a taunting manner.
"Don't you dare speak of father in that way!" Michael yells with so much fury that the lamp beside Sam's bed starts shaking and falls on the ground. Miraculously Sam doesn't wake up, but he turns over to the other side of the bed. Michael finally realizes who's behind Gabriel, and when he sees that it's Sam he smiles. All was going according to plan.
"Seems Sam isn't doing so well huh," Michael whispers, walking over to sit on the side of his bed. Gabriel flinches in response, but pretends to hide it, hoping his brother hasn't sensed weakness.
"That wasn't my question. Why do you want to help me? And what do you think I need help with?" Gabriel asks, trying to get the attention off of Sam.
"Well that's just what I was talking about. Sam isn't doing so well. Or shall I say your little moose isn't doing so well," Michael chuckles. Gabriel starts to interrupt him in protest, but he continues. "Oh please it's obvious that you love the little guy. You even have a nickname for him. It's too bad he won't be here for very long. Looks like his sanity is going bye bye," Michael taunts back, hoping to get a rise out of his little brother.
"I never knew my brother to be so far from the truth. You know that I think nothing of these humans. I've never done a single nice thing to Sam. I even killed Dean 100 times right in front of him! I don't know where you came up with this absurd assumption." Gabriel stutters, talking a little too fast. He blushes and looks down at the floor trying not to let Michael see.
"It amazes me how bad at lying you are. I would expect you to be better than that. Now, would it surprise you if I told you there was a way I could save him?" Michael states. Gabriel immediately whips around to look at Michael. His eyes sparkle with hope and forgetting what he said earlier he immediately starts asking questions.
"What do you mean "save him"? Is there really a way you can do that?" Gabriel exclaims, excitement filling his voice.
"Well look who suddenly cares. Yes, there is in fact a way to save him, but I'm going to need something in return," Michael declares, getting up off of Sam's bed.
"First tell me how you're going to do it? I can't trust you unless you tell me the full details big brother," Gabriel says cautiously.
"What makes you think you can't trust me?" Michael exclaims, in a hurt voice.
"You haven't exactly been to Thanksgiving with the family in a while," Gabriel retorts.
"That's because there hasn't been one. Look, what I have in mind is far more valuable than what I'm asking you for," Michael says, not at all trying to hide the fact that he has the upper hand.
"And what exactly are you asking for big brother?" Gabriel asks.
"Your soul," he replies nonchalantly.
"My freaking soul! You want my soul! How exactly do you plan on taking it? Your dead!" Gabriel yells.
"Look I'll give it back, I just need it for a little while. It's like you're letting me borrow something. I'll give it back," Michael whines, wanting Gabriel to hurry up and say yes.
"I think you're forgetting something big brother. You're an angel! Angel's can't take souls. Besides hasn't mine already disappeared somewhere," Gabriel objects.
"Not exactly. Your soul is stuck in what I like to call the "limbo-zone" which basically means that it's free for the taking. Second of all, angels can't take souls, but dead angels can. Think about it like this. Now that we're dead we don't have the rules and restrictions that we had when we were alive. That's what I meant when I said "Anything is possible" little brother were on top of the world. This is the prime of our lives!" Michael boasts, raising his hands in the air as if he's preaching a sermon.
"It doesn't seem like the time of my life..." Gabriel mutters, looking over at Sam who is still tossing and turning.
"That's what I'm saying. I can save him Gabriel! Just give me your soul," Michael pleads, reaching over and patting Gabriel on the shoulder. Gabriel thinks for a moment letting all of this sink in. He didn't trust his older brother. He found him to be too arrogant and self-righteous, but then again Sammy wasn't getting any better. Gabriel was already dead, but Sam didn't have to be. He could still live a happy life.
"Alright. I'll do it. I say yes," Gabriel monotonically states. Michael plunges his hand into Gabriel's chest. Gabriel shrieks as Michael takes out a small white orb.
"Yes!" Michael yells, holding the white orb up in the air, letting it flow into his arm. A white light seems to travel underneath his skin from his arm to his heart. Gabriel falls to the ground, unable to get a grasp on his legs. The ghost of pain still shoots from within his chest, and he's not sure if he'll ever be able to get up.
"Whatever are you doing on the ground little brother?" Michael mocks, pulling Gabriel up on his feet, ignoring the look of pain on his face.
"Let's get to work…" Gabriel stutters, choking up in pain.