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Summary: Post 5x19 season five ending AU, starts in 5x22. The Winchesters are angry at Gabriel-for leaving them when he died-giving them a bare scrap of hope-and for just being himself, Gabriel is angry at them, and himself, and Heaven and Hell won't leave things well alone. Demons run when a good man goes to war...

Chapter One

Xxx

Driving to Detroit in the middle of the night during one of the biggest storms was rolling off the Great Lakes probably wasn't a bright idea, then again going to challenge the Devil wasn't a smart plan either. Not like they had anything else to do. No better plan had presented itself.

The silence in the Impala was almost deafening, until it was broken by soft snores coming from behind the brothers. Both turned, seeing Castiel sprawled across his seat, head tipped back and sound asleep.

"Aw. Ain't he a little angel?" Dean's voice was tired and slightly sarcastic, but his brother knew the hidden concern in his voice.

"Angels don't sleep."

"Sam, I got a bad feeling about this."

Sam snorted slightly, "Well, you'd be nuts to have a good feeling about it."

"You know what I mean. Detroit. He always said he'd jump your bones in Detroit. Here we are."

"Here we are."

The silence stretched out fro several minutes, only broken by the swish of the wipers and distant thunder that could be heard over the Impala's engine.

"Maybe this is him rolling out the red carpet, you know? Maybe he knows something that we don't. "

"Dean, I'm sure he knows a buttload we don't. We just got to hope he doesn't know about the rings." Sam paused, tone shifting in a direction his brother didn't like, "Hey, um... on the subject, there's something I got to talk to you about."

"What?"

"This thing goes our way and I...Triple Lindy into that box... y-you know I'm not coming back. "

"Yeah, I'm aware. "

"So you got to promise me something."

Dean wasn't liking where this was going, but Sam would bitch about it until he finished so might as well let him say it, "Okay. Yeah. Anything. "

"You got to promise not to try to bring me back."

That got his attention, "What? No, I didn't sign up for that."

"Dean -"

He wasn't finished, "Your Hell is gonna make my tour look like Graceland. You want me just to sit by and do nothing?"

"Once the Cage is shut, you can't go poking at it, Dean. It's too risky."

"No, no, no, no, no. As if I'm just gonna let you rot in there."

"Yeah, you are. You don't have a choice."

"You can't ask me to do this. " Dean was almost desperate in his tone, but something was making him hold back from really fighting.

Sam sighed loudly, rubbing at his face, "I'm sorry, Dean. You have to."

"So then what am I supposed to do? "

Of course his brother had a plan, since when did the baby brother take care of the older one? "You go find Lisa. You pray to god she's dumb enough to take you in, and you…*sigh*...you have barbecues and go to football games. You go live some normal, apple-pie life, Dean. Promise me."

Xxx

The quiet that had settled over the Impala was soon only broken by Castiel's soft snores and Sam's deep breathing, normally he'd have stayed awake and keep Dean company but right now sleep was more important to the younger Winchester.

Dean didn't mind, left him to his thoughts and the open road, mind reeling through possible outcomes of the day ahead of them. He wasn't thinking much past the next few hours.

The road was empty other than the black Impala and Bobby's car behind them, head lights barely cutting through the rain.

Well...almost empty.

Dean slowed as he neared the person walking right on the edge of the road, just off the muddy shoulder. They were heading in the same direction as the hunters. The guy must have been out in the rain awhile, mud was splattered over most of his jeans and the jacket he was carrying over one shoulder. He had to be soaked to the bone, hair dark and plastered to his head as he stuck a hand and thumb out in the tell-tale sign of needing a ride.

"Great a hitch hiker in the friggin' apocalypse…" Dean's low mutter didn't stir anyone in the can with him as he slowed to a stop next to the person.

And just about choked on air.

The last person he expected to see walking on the back highway leading to Detroit right now was someone he'd seen killed just a week ago.

Gabriel didn't look too happy either, got one look at Dean when the Impala stopped next to him and kept walking, ignoring the two cars now following him.

With a sigh Dean sped up, passing the former Trickster when the hand went down, Gabriel shifted the his jacket slung over his shoulder, completely avoiding eye contact when Dean glanced back at him through the rear windshield and then when Bobby slowed down a bit before following the Impala that was pushing the sound barrier speed wise.

Dean made it barely a mile further down the road before what was left of his sanity and conscience this far into the game kicked in. With a growl he spun the car around, narrowly missing clipping Bobby's car as he did so and somehow avoiding waking his brother and the human-made angel in the back seat. The older hunter must have been cussing up a storm as he copied and followed Dean back the way they came if his flashing headlights were any indicator.

Pushing the speed limit was nothing new to the Winchester, but this was different, he wasn't urgent to do this at all, but he drifted into the other lane as soon as he was close enough to the still walking Gabriel, putting the Impala in park and reaching behind him to open the back door. After a moment's hesitation the soaked man took the unspoken offer, slipping in out of the weather and into a car where the heat was now blasting warm air.

Dean passed a blanket and towel back to him, glad Sam had moved some up front before they'd taken off from Sioux Falls. Gabriel made a soft noise that may have been a growl as Dean started driving again, this time at a more sane speed, the sounds of him drying himself off the best he could made it up front before he just gave up, wrapping up in the blanket and leaning back against the seat and window.

Neither spoke, for one it would wake up Same who would throw a fit which would then wake up the exhausted Castiel, and two because right now it wasn't worth it.

After another hour of silent driving, Dean managed to make himself look in the rear view mirror, one he'd adjusted to watch the seat instead of the road because initially he'd been worried about Cas. Now he glanced at the trickster in his back seat. Gabriel hadn't moved at all, staring at the window with almost unseeing eyes, that's what got to Dean. The trickster/archangel's eyes had always been lit with a passion akin to fire, whether in mischief, self-defense, teaching a lesson, teasing, or that emotion that can't be described in one word that explained how you felt about family. The light in the amber eyes was one that had driven Dean and Sam mad with their cockiness and in turn help in the end.

Now all the hunter saw were a pair of eyes that looked like the world itself had ripped the fire out. Not even dying sparks remained.

Xxx

The run down motel they found on the outskirts of Detroit wasn't much, but it had hot water and mostly decent beds. Sam woke up enough to go check them in, going ahead and opening the brothers' and Bobby's rooms up while Dean got Cas out of the Impala.

The humanized angel was barely conscious, leaning on Dean in pure exhaustion as he just about dragged Castiel into the motel room and eased him onto a bed. He was out like a light again a minute later.

Sam was already moving their duffels inside when Dean headed back out to the Impala, his brother watching closely as Dean motioned for his last passenger to join them.

If he'd had a camera or the will power, Dean would have loved to take a picture of Sam's face the minute he saw the Trickster. The moment was short lived as Sam opened his mouth to question and received a glare that was downright murderous.

While there was something definitely different about Gabriel, the look of sheer anger in his eyes when they tried to speak to him ensured at least for the night there would be no talking. That and they were too damned tired to care.

Sam went ahead and changed into sleep clothes as they headed back inside, collapsing on the bed next to Cas' and was soon snoring while Dean cleaned up himself. The eldest Winchester had to be cautious as he watched Gabriel in the mirror, still silent and still staring off at nothing.

Gabriel's stone cold face shifted as he lowered himself onto the couch, stretching into a pained grimace as he gripped the arm and back of the couch to steady himself as he sat down, head falling back in relief once he was down and able to stop moving.

Dean let it go, it wasn't worth fighting at this point, he'd figured the moment he'd helped Cas onto the first bed that he'd be sharing it for one night. Honestly it didn't bother him as much as it would have even a few months ago. By the time he'd checked the salt lines on the windows and door and ensured their weapons were within easy reach, Sam's and Cas' soft snores weren't the only ones in the room. Gabriel was down for the count when Dean turned around and with a smirk that was out of place given the apocalypse and everything, the hunter dropped a blanket over the shorter man. It was the closest he'd get to comforting someone who'd put him and his brother through hell over and over.

Then again, that was basically the Winchester way of life.