"Raphael!"
The archangel's eyes widened and he turned. "Gabriel?" he asked disbelievingly. "We thought you dead, Michael-"
"Purgatory's a lot of fun," Gabriel grinned viciously. "I didn't come here for niceties. You need to stop."
"Stop?" Raphael questioned, eyes narrowing. "Stop what, brother?"
"This." Gabriel made an all encompassing gesture with one hand, and in the other he loosely held an angel blade. "You were a healer Raphael, and now..."
"Times change. You would understand if you had not run."
"If I hadn't run? If I hadn't gotten out when I could I'd be as bad as Michael!"
"Do not," Raphael hissed.
"Don't what?" Gabriel taunted. "Don't speak the truth? Don't bring up how wrong Heaven has become, how you're becoming as bad as demons with this slaughter, how you've allowed angels to play God-"
"Do not blaspheme like that!" Raphael roared, blade drawn and wings flung behind him in all their glory.
"He's gone," Gabriel said softly, his amber eyes filled with remorse. "And it's impossible for anyone to fill His shoes. Michael couldn't do it, paper pushing delegates couldn't, and neither can you."
"There is dissent in the ranks and it must be stopped," Raphael insisted.
"And you are only one," Gabriel rebuffed. "As you said, times change, and it's useless to resist it. All that will bring is blood. Raphael-"
"You left. You left and then there was only Michael and myself. If you had been here, the Apocalypse-"
"The Apocalypse would have broken us all," Gabriel retorted coldly. "I have lived among them, Raphael. All these years I spent in hiding, I learned more about them than you can possibly imagine." He chuckled. "Funnily enough, it was your upstarts who made me rethink my decision about staying away from this." His expression turned serious. "I don't want to lose yet another of my brothers to worthless fighting."
"My brother..." Raphael's eyes softened in pity and sorrow. "Gabriel, I am so sorry."
A/N: Because when I'm not in denial of Gabriel ever dying, I like to imagine he clawed his way out of Purgatory in one piece cause he's a tough son of a bitch.
I left it open-ended, cause I tried to write more schmoop but failed miserably so yeah it could possibly end w/Raphael attacking Gabe and then Gabe having to kill his brother but let's pretend it doesn't *sobs* Maybe I'll add onto this one day, I like the idea of these two reconciling and then Cas doesn't have to run and so him and Dean (and possibly Sam if you like Wincestiel) can get their act together and everyone can be happy :)