Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.

Note: This contains spoilers all the way up to the current episode (kinda), but it mostly deals with the end of Season 6ish and the beginning of Season 10. You have been warned so don't whine about spoilers.


Rip Out the Ending (And Write a New Story)

Let's Do the Time Warp Again

"Dean, we've got proof now!" Sam argued. "He's obviously been spying on us, working for Crowley!"

"C'mon, boy." Bobby said, resigned. "We've got to ask him what's been going on. Something's been off ever since he came back, and now…" He sighed and rubbed his face. "The holy oil is the only way that we can make him stay and actually answer our damn questions truthfully."

Dean refused to look at the two, peering out the window of the abandoned house that they all still stood in. He wanted to protest, to tell them that Cas was still on their side, but how could he?

Castiel "I don't understand that reference" Angel of the Lord had made an actual pop culture reference. The same exact reference that Dean had used earlier to describe what Sam and Bobby were even suggesting. Cas had definitely been spying on them. That means that he must have betrayed them for Crowley.

Even knowing that, there were still so many things that didn't add up.

Dean sighed. Bobby was right. He pushed aside his confusion as he felt anger rise up. How could Cas do this to us? "Alright. Get out the oil, we'll have to set things up so he…"

"Wow, going overboard a bit. Don't you think?"

The three of them stiffened at the familiar voice.

It can't be. Dean thought. He's dead. Then again, when had that ever counted for something in the world of the Winchesters?

They whirled around and there he leaned nonchalantly against the wall.

Gabriel smirked around the lollipop in his mouth. "Miss me, kiddos?"

"Gabriel?" Sam's voice seemed to have a thin thread of hope in it, like he was glad to see the archangel.

Gabriel grinned. "The one and only!" He took a bow.

"Hmph. So you really weren't just a Trickster." Bobby groused. He had only met him when he was wearing the guise of a trickster, so despite the boys' stories he couldn't quite believe them.

"Yep!"

"You were dead." Dean said bluntly.

"Yeah, but Dad brought me back, just like Cassie. It seems supporting you was the way to go." Gabriel smiled as he left the wall. "But now…" He gave a low whistle. "Wow, way to treat someone who's done nothing but protect you."

"Protect us?" Dean asked, incredulous. "He's working with Crowley! Who, I might add, just set demons on us!"

"If you didn't notice, Cas was just as surprised by those guys. Rumor is he threatened to tear Crowley to pieces if he tried hurting you guys again." Gabriel shrugged. "Anyway, you guys have been treating Cas pretty crappy since the Apocalypse. It's no wonder he's cracking from all of the stress."

"But Gabriel," Sam picked up where Dean left off, "he's working with – "

"A demon, yeah." Gabriel finished, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "Bit of pot calling the kettle black from you guys, isn't it? Is there any one of you that hasn't worked with or made a deal with a demon?" He was met with silence. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"Yeah, well," Dean tried to respond, "why didn't he come to me?"

"Would you really have left your so-called 'apple pie life' for Cas? You really expect me to believe that?" Gabriel raised his eyebrows in disbelief and pulled out his sucker. "Besides, you guys have been treating him like crap. Rachel was right when she basically said that you treat him like a tool."

Dean was starting to get pissed. How could Gabriel waltz in here and just start talking smack when –

"And what's your excuse?" Dean crossed his arms, sure that he had Gabriel pinned. "If you've really been alive, then why haven't you been helping him? You're an archangel; you'd be a match for Raphael unlike Cas."

"So you did notice that Cas was outmatched! Gold star for you, Dean-o!" Gabriel gave a few claps. Then he shrugged. "Why haven't I interfered? Let's think for a moment," he tilted his head a bit as if copying Cas, "what happened the last time I stuck out my neck for humanity?" The lollipop went back into his mouth. "Oh, yeah, I ended getting stabbed to death." His voice sounded a bit bitter.

Dean and Sam shared a guilty glance. The archangel had really helped them out in the end by telling them how to shove Lucifer back in the Cage, even if it had cost him Sam. "We did go back and give you a proper burial." Sam said quietly.

Gabriel blinked. "Well, thanks for that, I suppose." He said. "But this isn't about me, it's about Cas." His eyes hardened. "Your planning on sticking my baby brother in a ring of holy fire like he's some criminal, like he's never helped you at all. What kind of friends are you?"

All three of them shifted uncomfortably. "We don't like it, but how else are we supposed to get a straight answer out of him?" Bobby finally asked.

Gabriel looked at all of them like they were stupid. "I don't know." He said slowly. "How about revealing that you know the truth and then actually asking him about it? And then actually listening to what he says? That just might work."

Dean snorted. "If that were going to work, he would have told us already. This is the only way – "

"You know, it's this kind of attitude, this complete rejection of him, that will be the final straw that breaks him." Anger seethed in Gabriel's voice. "Maybe if you guys had a sympathetic or supportive bone in your body, things could turn out differently. Since that is how you normally act with family, or have you just been feeding him a bunch of bull when you say he's family?"

What Gabriel said made them pause.

"What do you mean 'things could turn out differently?'" Dean asked, a feeling of dread suddenly forming in the pit of his stomach.

Gabriel glared at him, summoning a new lollipop to enjoy.

Sam took a bit longer to form his question. "Gabriel, if you're avoiding the war," he started, "why are you revealing yourself now? To us?" He gestured at the three of them.

"You always were the smarter one, Sammy." Gabriel grinned at him, and winked. "Definitely the more attractive one, too."

"Gabriel." Dean barked, ignoring the red that dusted Sam's cheeks at Gabriel's teasing.

"Well, even I can't ignore Dad when he comes calling." Gabriel said nonchalantly. "I am still the Messenger, and there was a message that needed to be delivered."

They were stunned. "God?" Dean finally said. "God left the building."

"Yeah, but he's always had a soft spot for Castiel. And he's apparently taken a peek at the future." Gabriel said matter-of-factly. "He doesn't like how things are shaping up for him." Gabriel's eyes softened. "Personally, I don't like it either. It's downright depressing."

The three hunters glanced at each other. What could be so bad about the future?

"So?" Dean finally said. "What's that got to do with us?"

"The way Dad sees it, this is the point where everything really started to go downhill." Gabriel shrugged. "He thinks that if you all had been a bit more understanding, things wouldn't have turned out so bad because Cas wouldn't have been alone."

"And?"

"So who better to teach you all a lesson than the Trickster?" Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows.

"Well, you've given your message, you can leave now." Dean turned away, still ready to get the holy oil out of the trunk of the Impala.

Gabriel appeared right in Dean's path. "You haven't learned jack squat though. You're still going to go through with your plan."

"Let me through, Gabriel," Dean growled.

"Dean," Sam hissed at his back.

Gabriel's face hardened. "I'm not going to let you treat my baby brother like that." He lifted a hand. "I hate to take a leaf out of Zachariah's book, but at least I'm not a total asshole like him. I suggest you start with your friend Sheriff Mills."

Dean lunged at Gabriel. "Don't – "

"Just remember, time is fluid and it's not all written in stone." Gabriel snapped his fingers and all Dean could see was a bright light.


AN: I think I just threw in some Sabriel. I didn't even mean to do that. Why does Gabriel have to be so flirty with our favorite moose? Anywho. This idea came to me as I was thinking that things have been really crappy ever since Season 6, leading to the the crappiness in their lives in the current season. This is my way of fixing it. After all, when Dean last saw the future, he did everything he could to change it. I'm also sending Bobby and Sam on this trip, but the focus will be on Dean and a bit on him and Cas, so they don't really do much except occasionally offer comments from the peanut gallery. I haven't written a multi-chapter fic in a while, and I've realized it's hard to do things with everyone when you're mostly focusing on one. Also, you'll probably notice hints of Destiel, but I'm not writing this as a Destiel fic. So it's just like the show in that regard. Remember, tis the season to give reviews.