Messaggeri Bella

The ring of Holy Fire, though dying from the emergency sprinklers, was still evident and strong enough to kill an angel. Gabriel stood there watching his brother Castiel leave with the Winchesters. The last to leave was one he had managed to avoid seeing when he first latched onto the Winchesters two years ago. Gabriel gave a pensive look as she left the building watching him the entire time. Before she left, she made a closing motion with her hand and the ring of fire disappeared completely.

Gabriel remained where he was standing long after they had left. All he could see was her and her act of compassion before she left. It was like they had never parted ways. Looking down, he saw his reflection and something inside caused him to scowl. He needed to go away. He needed to go somewhere. Then it occurred to him. He had just the place.

It had been a long time since he walked the canals of Venice. Even though more recent centuries had him enjoying more carnal pleasures and some with his own invention, he could still appreciate the beauty of the simple and the oldness of it. He walked right into the one place that hosted a favorite painting of his and one that frequently amused him.

The Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari was home to the Titian work the Assumption. Gabriel had been around long enough to witness humans and their trying devotion to his father. Some of it was way off but he could tell that they were good people and they did try. He found the piece he was looking for and stood there looking at it for the longest time. Titian broke with tradition with his work and maybe that's why the painting appealed to Gabriel if not the subject matter.

"Thought I would find you here. It's been a long time Gabriel."

Gabriel didn't have to turn to see who it was that spoke to him. Yet to find her here… it couldn't be a coincidence. "What brings the Malachi of Absolution here?"

"Must you be so…?" The question was left hanging in the air.

Gabriel knew that he had hurt her feelings. Even after all this time and she had gotten better at not showing it, when her feelings were trampled, it showed. He glanced at her and saw that she was staring at the painting. "I'm sorry. I thought you were coming to gloat about…"

"It is nothing."

Gabriel sighed recognizing that she was deflecting again but then maybe she meant it. He asked, "So why did you come?"

"To see an old friend." She then turned and looked at him and Gabriel saw that she was neither angry nor sad but concerned. "Why would you think otherwise?"

That was a good question and Gabriel thought about it. The last time they spoke, it was the end of their relationship. He remembered the look of betrayal she had on her face when she walked away. "I thought you would still hate me after all that."

"I forgave you a long time ago. Right after we parted ways." She then looked at the painting he had been staring at. She smiled. "Titian was a rebel. Then again all the greats were. Even tricksters incognito."

Gabriel looked back at the painting. "So how long have you've known?"

"Long enough Gabe. I remember your sense of humor. I figured it out when I stumbled across the mystery spot and then we got blasted into TV land. We had good times back we first met. We were just like family then."

Gabriel nearly flinched at the mention of family. If he really thought about it, he was actually jealous at the relationship she had with the Winchesters. His brothers were squaring off for the celebrity death match all because of one brother thinking the other betrayed him. She had no blood siblings and yet she and the Winchesters acted as if they were, though he suspected there was something more between her and Sam and that was something he wasn't willing to touch at the moment. What did it really mean to be a family? "Were we?"

"You watched out for me and I did for you. If that's not what family is, then I don't know what is."

"What about what Deano said?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "He's right in some ways. Sometimes you have to stand up to your family because they are hurting you. They need to know that."

"And what if they won't listen?"

"At least you've said your piece. Then maybe you can have some measure of self respect."

Gabriel continued to stare thoughtfully at the Titian painting. He had always encouraged her to rebel against the destiny crap that she had been given by the others. Now that he wanted it to be over, he was forcing her back into the role that she had been chosen for and she took up with reluctance but was willing to see it through. Titian was one of his favorites since he defied tradition with his artwork in order to make a more dynamic painting.

"Remember when you first came to me?"

"I remember. You screamed at me and tried to stab me until I spoke in Enochian and your dearest daddy begged me to shut up. You didn't flinch."

"Who'd have though that a Halfling like me would tolerate your screeching," she replied with a slight laugh. "And being raised under Catholic teachings, I'd never thought that the Messenger of God would come to see me."

"Only because I didn't want you to fall under Michael's sweet talk." Gabriel gave the retort automatically. It was true that he didn't want her to be swept up into her role without knowing all the facts. For whatever reason then he was unsure but now he understood. Maybe he didn't get all the bells and whistles of what being a family meant but he did look after her even after they parted ways. Didn't he set it up so Deano and Sammy could appreciate what they had when it came to her? Granted it didn't go quite as smoothly as he wanted but it did the trick.

"I didn't know you cared."

"I don't."

"Pity," and she smiled, not fooled by his tough talk. She looked back at the painting.

"Oh dry your eyes," Gabriel replied with his own smile.

"Says the archangel who cried over me when he thought I was dead."

"Hey."

"It was sweet," she teased. She was incorrigible with it.

Gabriel gave a slight scowl but it was marred by the smile. Thing was it made him feel even guiltier about what he had done to her even though that was not her intention. He sighed and asked, "How can you forgive so easily?"

"I would think that would be a question even you could answer Gabe. You've been around a lot longer than I."

Gabriel turned away from the painting and started walking through the Frari. He knew she was walking with him so he didn't have to completely look for her. "I don't understand it."

"I forgave myself for a lot of things. Some you know about. To forgive others, you have to let go of the fact that there are things beyond your control. It took me a long time to see that and it all started the night I saved the Winchesters and a persistent set of puppy dog eyes." She laughed a little, a genuine laugh and Gabriel was pleased. She hadn't laughed in ages and Gabriel missed hearing the laughter that seemed to make life seem perfect. She continued, "Sure things come up and occasionally your family becomes a pain in the ass but you deal with it. An angel with a stick up his ass told me that one can run away or face it."

"Cassy always was a stickler for them wisdom quotes," Gabriel replied sarcastically but it failed to cover up the affection that was buried for the angel of Thursday.

"It certainly has been fun with him in terms of hanging around us."

"At least it's him and not some other dick brother."

"Cas has his moments but it certainly isn't the same as it was when you were around."

"Yet you like him better."

"No. You both are different. That's how it works especially with family. Just because one appears to be loved more, it is not so if it is given equally in a different manner."

That made some sense to Gabriel. "So…"

"Gabe, you are family still to me just like Cas is. That is why I came here tonight. To tell you that you are still family." She then looked out the window as if to sense something. "You once told me that family is where you find it and that was after my father died. I am just giving it back to you mio fratello and Dean is right. You need to make a stand Gabe."

"I'm not on anyone's side."

"I'm not going there with that argument but just think about it." She then gave a kiss to his cheek. "Think about it mio fratello."

Gabriel opened his eyes and realized that he had been dreaming. Funny thing was angels didn't need to sleep. They could run on like a robot as Deano would say. And that place was so real… He frowned as he looked around the apartment he squatted in and the goods he conjured up. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

His eyes then alighted on a reproduction of Assumption on a nearby table. Looking at it, he thought he heard something in his heard. It repeated itself but clearer, Think about it mio fratello.

Gabriel was called the Messenger. In the old language it was known as Malachi. He gave a smirk/smile and shook his head. He was once the messenger to her and now she was the messenger to him. It then occurred to him why he sought her out that long ago. He knew she was to be a messenger just as he had once been. Never had there been a stranger pair since they were pretty much screwed in one form or another and yet they still had that bond.

Messageri bella mio fratello.

Gabriel smirked when he heard the thought. That's exactly what they were. He then whispered, "Thanks… sis."

A/N: This was a plot demon that wormed its way into my thoughts when I was constructing plot lines for a Season 5 setting fic. I never gave a name to the woman but for those that have read the Chronicles series so far, there's the hint. I always wanted to do a fic starring my favorite trickster/archangel Gabriel so now here we go.

Italian Translations

mio fratello- my brother

messageri bella- beautiful messengers