The Meaning of Family

by The Threads of Atropos

This is my first time writing fan fiction. I was watching Changing Channels (again) and was inspired to write this story. I incorporated some of Gabriel's dialogue from that episode into my story. This is about Gabriel wondering what happened to his family and deciding what he's going to do about it. One-shot.

The Meaning of Family

Closed doors did nothing to muffle the sounds of yet another argument. The sound of angry shouts and furniture being thrown against the walls echoed throughout the empty halls of the palace. Everyone knew better than to get between Michael and Lucifer when they were fighting. Everyone except Gabriel of course.

He was the mediator, always trying to stop the fighting. He couldn't just stand back and watch his brothers tear each other's throats out. He wouldn't. They used to be a loving family before his Father brought the new baby home. Those humans. They were nothing more than hairless apes, flawed and fumbling, always making a mess of things. He was surprised that mankind had lasted this long. They wouldn't have without the angels cleaning about after them, making sure that the toys they could choke on were out of reach.

They were the reason his family was falling apart. They were what had started all of this. The second God created man he abandoned his other children. He was too busy looking after his precious humans to even give a damn that up here in Heaven his children were destroying each other.

And Gabriel was scared.

He was scared that he would not only lose the Father who had already forsaken him, but his beloved brothers as well. Lucifer with his talk of rebellion and Michael with his righteous belief in God's plan, they would never stop fighting. They were too damn stubborn and pig-headed to just forgive and forget. This was going to end bloody, of that he had no doubt.

Whatever happened to family? Family was supposed to love each other and stick together no matter what, not try to stab each other in the back. They were supposed to forgive because in the end love was all that really mattered. They definitely don't abandon their family when they need them most. Somehow, here in Heaven where it was believed to be paradise, the meaning of family had become twisted and unrecognizable.

He was tired of it. He was tired of watching his family tear itself apart. He knew he was kidding himself if he ever thought that he could stop the fighting between Michael and Lucifer. The only one who could was nowhere to be found. It was time for this to stop.

Gabriel had thought it over. This was his only way out. He couldn't watch his brothers fight, but he couldn't stop it either. So he walked away and didn't look back.