Everyone was dead. Sam was gone, trapped in the cage with Lucifer as long as time could continue. Gabe had died fighting for their freedom. Castiel had disappeared, again. Okay, so he did that a lot, but this time, something seemed different, more final. Dean had nothing. Everything was gone, and everyone had left.
"I told you I wouldn't stand for your insolence." The monotone voice pieced the deafening silence, a desolate chill filling the air. Death was stood peering over Dean's shoulder, a slow grin spreading over his skeletal face. Dean couldn't even bear to face the creature, who had taken his life straight out from under him in a flash of an eye.
"I can bring them back, you know?" He didn't know. Dean looked up slowly, his heart aching from the sudden loss of his entire world. He had never done anything to offend Death. Okay, so he had been Saved far too many times, being dragged back out from the scalding confined of hell by his angel, but that wasn't an offence, was it?
"Do it. Don't ask questions, don't tell me again, just do it." The screech that pierced the air was mortifying. It sounded like a thousand angels calling at the top of their lungs (wait, do those things even use lungs?).
The room smelt musty. It was too hot and it was too dusty. Texas.
Dean opened his eyes slowly, hand tensing on the hand gun hidden under his pillow, loaded and ready to shoot. He could hear someone sat at the table in the shabby motel room, but it couldn't be him. He was gone.
He sat up sharply, gun pointed at the shaggy haired man sat at the table.
"Whoa dude, what the hell?!" Sam jumped back away from the table, hands raised in surrender. Dean lowered his gun from his brother, setting it into the back of his jeans, standing cautiously as he walked over to the centre of the room.
"You're… alive?" Death had done it. No strings, no catches, just, perfection. Wait. Something still wasn't right about this scene.
"Of course I'm alive, what the hell did you…" Sam couldn't even finish his sentence.
"Where's Cas?" Dean's voice was deadly serious, so Sam decided not to try mess with him.
"You mean Castiel? He's with Meg." Sam looked worryingly at his brother.
"Meg?!" Dean grabbed his gun and checked the mag before loading it. "The scheming bitch is alive?"
"Why do you seem to think everyone is dead, lately? Meg's fine. She's always been fine. And why are you suddenly so concerned about her and Castiel? Unless you're forgetting you're the one that encouraged him to ask her out?"
Dean's whole heart shattered. He…Cas wasn't his…Death. Death would pay for this.
He had given them back, but Dean would rather be dead than admit the loss of his angel. This wasn't real. This was all a trick. Gabriel. He was doing this.
"Ha, very funny Gabe… But I think it's time this game ends now, don't you?" Light ruffles of feathers made Dean's heart skip a beat and he span on his heels in hopes of finding his lover. He couldn't have found anyone worse.
"What's funny and why aren't I involved?" The playful smirk crossed the Trickster/Pagan God/Archangel's face as he crossed the room to stand in front of Dean. Great, so he was alive. That's just what I need, Dean thought to himself.
"Hey, I resent that." Gabriel's smile flashed across his face as he hopped over to Sam and perched himself on his lap. "Hey kiddo." He reached his hands to the younger Winchester's chin and tilted his head down and stole a soft kiss. Dean chuckled softly to himself and mumbled I knew it under his breath.
