Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or any of its characters!
A/N: New angel!family fic because I couldn't resist. ;)
All the mistakes are mine!
Laughter, Lucifer loved the sound of laughter. Especially when it came from one of his many younger siblings and the Garden was filled with it. Lucifer smiled contently as he watched over the little fledglings play with each other. Some flew with their newly created wings, some choose to run on two human feet. Some even choose to take the form of an animal. Yet the sound of the host happily singing with giggles was still clear to his ears. He watched as the ever present guardian as they tried out games that they had picked up from the Archangels. Groups ran about, playing tag while other searched for hiding place for their game of hide and seek. Lucifer would be content just to watch them like this always.
Even with the chatter of the host buzzing in his ears. The Morning Star could still hear the suppressed giggles behind him but for the sake of the fledgling, he remained obvious. A sharp tug at his back caused Lucifer to wince and he felt several pair of small hands grasping at his wings. He grimaced and unfolded his luminous wings to reveal several of his siblings tangle in his many wings. They froze in shock as they were caught but Lucifer smiled gently at them and they grinned back widely and continued their inspection of his wings.
As fledglings they were created with pure white wings. As creatures of born without any intent, only pure innocence, it was fitting. Years of them making their own choices would change their color. The Archangels were the only ones created with colored wings and Lucifer's was the most loved by the fledglings, with the exception of one.
A joy filled laugh, not so light as a fledgling's but not so deep as a fully grown Archangel, filtered through the many giggling fledgling. Lucifer looked up just in time to see his younger brother be tackled to the ground by a horde of happy cherubs-in-training, hugging him tightly as was their custom. Gabriel threw his head back and laughed under the many cherubs. His golden wings, filled with the morning sun's rays, lay out and the cherubs descended from his body to the bright wings still warm from the Earth's sun. Not that Gabriel minded his younger siblings pulling at his wings. Whispering to each other with their soft voices about how pretty and strong they were. It was always an easy way to boost the youngest Archangel's ego.
Lucifer chuckled and caught the attention of his younger brother. Gabriel looked over with a grin and stood, shaking off the last few stubborn cherubs playfully. Lucifer felt the fledgling squirm in his wings and settle down, realizing that they were intending to nap there and Lucifer would be stuck sitting till they woke. Gabriel grinned wickedly as the same realization came upon him.
"Stuck being the nest for sleepy little birds again brother?" Gabriel, being the fastest in the host and therefore the most restless, view the idea as a punishment. Not that Lucifer did, he didn't mind letting his tired siblings sleep safely tucked away in his wings. "It appears so, through I'm sure I have room for one more." He grinned impishly at Gabriel and swiped him with a large wing. The soft, silky feathers brushed against his face and Gabriel closed his eyes in a moment of bliss. Remembering when he had sought rest in the soft down of the Morning Star's wings. Lucifer lowered the wing and the moment was gone.
Gabriel scoffed. "I'm hardly a fledgling anymore Lucifer. I don't need rest." Lucifer couldn't stop the smile at Gabriel's stubbornness. Even now the golden wings on the Messenger's back seem to drupe with tiredness. "Well, at least humor your big brother and sit with me while I wait." Gabriel grumbled half-heartedly in annoyance but relented to the request. The Garden was becoming quieter as fledglings fell to the soft ground to sleep. Gabriel stifled a yawn as he looked over his sleeping siblings.
"How do you do this all day?" He asked and shifted to lean against one of Lucifer's wings. "It's not that bad, they are joyous to watch. So innocent and pure, if only they could stay that way." He commented more to himself and wrapped a wing around Gabriel's ever tiring form "Seems pretty boring to me." The golden winged angel said. His head buried within the warm feathers of his brother. Lucifer smirked as Gabriel fell asleep just like the many young fledgling.
He watched Gabriel and was content for a moment. He tore gaze away from his peacefully sleeping brother to the Garden that had become a playground to the fledglings. Out of habit he counted them all, knowing seven were hidden among his wings.
'Uriel, Anael, Balthazar…' Lucifer named them off one by one in his head. He furrowed his brow and counted a second time. 'I'm one short.' He thought and panicked. Fledglings never wandered off from the rest of the host. There was the risk of falling if one did that. He counted a third time and fourth. Running through the names of all his young brothers and sisters and stopped dead. 'Castiel.' He realized too late, the younger among the fledgling, Castiel, was missing.
"Gabriel." He shook the younger Archangel. Gabriel grunted but remained asleep. Lucifer didn't want to risk rising his voice and scaring all the sleeping fledglings. "Gabriel." He growled out but Gabriel ignored. Quickly he was losing his patience and temper. Lucifer zapped his younger brother on the head with a hot bolt of grace. Gabriel shot up and away from Lucifer, narrowly missing a sleeping cherub.
"What did you do that for?" Gabriel hissed and rubbed the sore spot on his forehead. "One's missing." It was all Lucifer had to say and Gabriel spun around, counting each and every brother and sister present the Garden. One was missing. "Castiel." Gabriel came to the same result and fear built in him. "What do we do?" He asked with panic growing his voice. With the sleeping fledglings still resting among him, Lucifer couldn't hardly comfort his brother.
"We need to remain calm, let's not risk a mass panic attack from the young ones. You're the fastest. Search for Castiel before it becomes a problem." Gabriel seemed to calm as the reassuring orders came in. He could handle orders, not panicky little siblings. His wings uncoiled and Gabriel was about to take flight when a high-pitched, soul shattering screech wrenched throughout the Garden.
The fledglings woke a start and all panicked and stumbled around in fear. Lucifer stood and let his grace flare out like a beacon and the young angels swarmed him for protection He comforted them as Gabriel ran without thought towards the sound. Heading towards the Gates that led to Earth which for some reason was open.
"No Gabriel!" He heard Lucifer shout behind him but Gabriel didn't listen. He bursted through the Gates and dived down towards Earth. Fire burned him and his wings, hotter than any amount of grace could ever do. It burned down to his core and bit at his grace. It scorched away the feathers. Melted away the grace. Leaving almost nothing behind in its wake. This is what it was like to fall from Heaven. Gabriel sped only faster and ignored the pain. He reached for the shooting star that was no a star but a falling angel. He grasped the small fledgling in his arms and Gabriel let his grace seep through the fledgling to sooth his burned grace.
Still with the effort of the fall and his grace being taken by Castiel, Gabriel continued to plummet towards the ground. Gabriel closed his eyes and braced himself for the hit. But nothing came, instead a light, unyielding in its power wrapped around Gabriel. For a moment, the thought of his absent father floated into his mind. But it was not God.
"I have you, little brother." The soothing voice of Michael caused Gabriel to relaxed and drift into sleep, letting the pain recede into his mind.
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