Here have some baby Graces. Because shut up. Extensive headcanon explanation after drabble.
The first thing Dean notices is that Adam hasn't changed much. Not… well, Dean doesn't want to think about it; but, it's a relief, watching him hiss and try to get away from Sam's attempt at being a big brother. Dean kind of wants to laugh at them (mostly at Sam, because Sam just all around fails with anyone younger than him) and at the same time he just wants to sit back and watch. Because they're both out of the Cage now. Finally.
He's just wondering—and getting ready to ask—who opened the cage when he finally notices it.
There's a bright red figure, lurking just behind the truck that Adam pulled up in. It has no facial features to speak of; just a smooth helmet that makes Dean think of those creepy-ass mannequins (the ones they keep in the art department that always end up in the hardware department somehow. Dean swears that Sam puts them there just to freak him out when they're forced to go on supply runs). A hand—or… Dean's going to assume it's a hand to keep from thinking too hard—is resting against one of the tires and the fingers look more like talons; thin and pointed at the ends and even mimicking the general structure of three digits.
Dean's immediate gut reaction is to reach for his shotgun; something else though… something about the creature stops him. Normally, he'd ask Cas; but, Cas had disappeared in a hurry not even five minutes before Adam had shown up. He'd looked… distressed, to say the very least and Dean's still not sure what got the angel wound up.
But, right. Creepy red creature lurking by his baby brother's truck.
Shoot first, ask questions later—
Dean promptly sputters when the creature finally creeps out from behind the tire—revealing limbs that are far too long for its body and three sets of wings folded back in what almost mocks the manner of a wounded animal—and makes a throaty noise at Adam before nudging at the back of his knee with one of its wings.
Sam's startled yelp is what makes Dean finally pull his pistol.
"Adam, move."
The words barely leave his mouth when a fire starts up around the two. Dean and Sam both startle and Adam just looks annoyed now. He's not even looking at the Winchesters; he's looking behind his leg, down at the thing that Dean is going to assume started the fire. It looks… somewhere between murderous and terrified and protective and Dean's more than a little freaked out that he can read emotions off of something like that (judging by Sam's expression; he is, too).
When Adam finally looks back at them, he looks even more annoyed, "Way to go, dickwads. Do you have any idea how long it took me to calm him down to drive over here?"
The thing makes another noise in its throat and presses closer to Adam's leg, moves around him in a manner that's protective—possessive, almost.
It promptly whines when Adam nudges against its shoulder with his knee, "Put the fire out." It looks up at him and starts to make a noise of protest (Dean swears his ears start to ring), but quickly backs down when Adam just continues to give it a pointed look, "Put the fire out, now, Michael."
Normally, they might be impressed when the fire goes out and the thing goes back to being terrifyingly submissive (making pathetic, whining noises and nudging the side of its face against Adam's leg until Adam finally stops glaring and puts a hand on one of the larger wings) and, really, just acting like nothing more than a giant, freakish looking pet, but—
"Michael?" They sound at the same time.
The creature tilts its—his, apparently—head towards them in acknowledgement, before purring and leaning in when Adam moves his hand to the top of Michael's head in an affectionate gesture.
"I told you it was his idea when I called." Adam almost sounds annoyed; at least with them. He's moderately affectionate whenever he looks down at Michael, "He said he wanted to keep an eye on Gabriel. And it was easier to convince me to drive over than to try dragging his brother off, apparently? Hell if I know."
Michael huffs and his wings bristle when he gives another low growl; Adam just rolls his eyes, "I was listening. You weren't making any sense. Did you just magically forget that the only four brothers I've met were assholes? I've never met Gabriel."
"You can understand him?" Sam quirks a brow. Dean kind of wants to echo him, but he's still too busy being terribly distracted and mildly terrified of the lanky, red form crouched by Adam's leg. Even when he's crouching (his shoulders are drawn back and his arms are bent to accommodate the position; the drawn up knees are almost taller than the upper half of the body), Michael can comfortably press his cheek to Adam's hip and only has to raise a little to follow whenever Adam moves his hand. (It's almost like watching a cat lean in to having its ears scratched.)
And, honestly, Dean thinks the only reason Sam's even remotely focused is because of the mention of—wait a fucking second.
"Gabriel? We haven't seen him since the demi-god showdown with Lucifer." Dean's eye twitches.
Adam rolls his eyes at the two, "Yeah, and the last time you saw us was when we were taking a dive into Hell." Both Winchesters flinch and Adam shakes his head, "Mike can explain it better than I can. All I know is that Heaven's apparently been repopulated and, until their mojo kicks back in at full power, the Archangels are stuck at the equivalent of a toddler." He looks like he wants to laugh and is having to bite it down, "You should see Mike's vessel. He seriously spent, like, two hours trying to form an older vessel. I think the oldest they've managed was, what? Eight or ten?"
Michael seems to be scowling at him, but Dean's still stuck on the last bit. Plural Archangels and they.
"How many Archangels are there?"
Sam gives him a curious look (one that says 'Dean, we know the answer to that, what are you doing?'); Adam just kind of looks at him like he's a moron… which is usually the look he's giving him anyways, so it isn't too different, aside from a bit more annoyance.
"Four. I've met three of them. Lucifer's surprisingly civil when he isn't trying to wipe out humanity. …Think that was because he was chewing on Michael's wing though." Michael promptly bristles again and pulls the two smallest wings close; Adam just chuckles, "I met Raphael yesterday. Doesn't say much. Think he was just gathering Mike. Apparently the most powerful of the Heavenly host have a curfew." Adam shrugs again, "And, Michael's damn convinced Gabriel's here, for some reason."
Michael growls something out and Adam just rolls his eyes, "Look, if you want to explain it, go ahead. But you actually have to speak up and speak in English. They can't understand you."
"Why can you?" Sam tilts his head a bit, "He's speaking Enochian? And you can understand him?"
"One, he's standing right next to me; and, two, I've had almost five centuries worth of practice." Adam shrugs, vaguely, "He has trouble keeping to one language. He always slips into Enochian… slipped into Russian once. That was entertaining."
"You let that horrid woman in line pinch my Vessel's cheeks, I do not classify that as entertaining."
Michael's voice makes the Winchesters jump. The volume warbles, uncertainly, like he's used to the hushed whispers and is still adjusting to speaking in front of people. He clears his throat, carefully, one of the talon-like hands curling gingerly around his neck, "Pardon me. Father says our Graces are still adjusting and it may take a while to have proper and total control again. I'm afraid if I speak any louder I may shatter your eardrums." He tilts his head in Sam's direction, "Or, yours, at any rate. Dean was my intended vessel and Adam has been exposed to my Grace before. They're far more likely to survive than you would."
Sam looks properly shocked; Dean just shoots Adam a glare when he chokes back a laugh. He does at least get a small giggle out before he regains his composure and ruffles the feathers of the closest wing, "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Mike."
"Angels do not require sleep—"
"Just go find your brother." Adam tries to nudge him away; Michael immediately, insistently, curls both arms around the human's legs with a stubborn whine, "M'not leaving. But the point of us driving up here was so you could find Gabriel; now, go on. If only so those two will stop looking at me like I'm completely batshit."
It takes a few seconds longer; but, Michael does eventually release Adam's leg and bounds into the surrounding forest a few seconds afterwards. As soon as they can't see him—or hear him kicking up leaves whenever he jumps into branches—Adam turns a terrifyingly pleasant smile on his half-brothers.
"If either of you bother him or try to ask him about the Cage," Adam's voice is far too sweet, especially when he mentions the Cage. Quite specifically, he's looking at Dean, "I'm not going to stop him from breaking every bone in your body. I might even help him before he sets your asses on fire."
Any reassurance (or retort, in Dean's case) they have coming, is interrupted by a high-pitched squawk that leaves their ears ringing. Dean and Sam clamp their hands over their ears; Adam just flinches and glares over his shoulder.
A few seconds later a blur of gold light barrels into Sam and scrabbles to get behind his legs and form a pile out of the leaves that follow it. Michael totters back up to Adam's side shortly after, settles back into his crouched position so he can lean on the human's leg, and tilts his head, "Gabriel. You could say hello. Honestly, you have manners."
"You knocked me out of my tree!" Gabriel's voice is much shriller than Michael's, filled with more of a whine; and, when he tilts his head up towards Sam, there are bright, blue-white orbs where eyes would be, "He knocked me out of my tree!"
Sam immediately starts babbling and trying to get Gabriel to turn off the angel equivalent of the water-works.
The only thing Dean can really process is that he's going to need several drinks to handle this and Cas better get home damn soon with some answers.
The basic idea of this 'verse:
God attempts to bring his family back together and brings his children back. He wants to fix their flaws, but realises he can't (he could, but knows it would be wrong, especially in Gabriel and Michael's cases, as they've grown quite attached to humans). So, he leaves them as is—flaws and all—and hopes that without a Prophecy to dictate their lives, they won't destroy one another, or the world.
He does, however, make their Graces just a little bit safer—at least enough that certain humans can perceive their true forms without burning to death. Specifically so Gabriel and Raphael can be perceived by the Winchesters. [Before hand, all three Winchesters could look at Michael and Lucifer's true forms without burning.]
Michael and Lucifer are relieved—if not a bit tense with one another—to not have to fight. They settle down the quickest, though they still don't spend as much time together as they did the first time around. Michael's more prone to wandering down to Earth to find Adam.
Gabriel immediately runs away again; God worries, but Michael assures him that he's seen Gabriel with the Winchesters.
Michael forgives Raphael for his part in the Civil War and there's a strained peace between them once more; Raphael does not approve of Michael's fascination with Adam at all.
Lucifer doesn't forgive Raphael for the Civil War or for trying to take Michael's place, but he behaves this time around. He still doesn't bow to the humans, but he doesn't start a killing spree. On occasion, Lucifer will wander the Earth with Michael.
Raphael rarely, if ever, leaves Heaven.
They're still coming back to their full power, making them smaller than they would normally be. Dean seems to get a kick out of it. Sam's eventually starts to taking care of a toddler-equivalent-Gabriel.
Michael eventually returns Adam to the Winchesters, only so it's easier to find him and so he can keep an eye on Gabriel at the same time. Lucifer keeps his distance, even when he's visiting with Michael. (He doesn't apologise for anything, but he doesn't antagonise a fight... too often.)
Raphael only travels to Earth for a sense of peace (especially so during storms) and to gather his brothers. Gabriel never comes home, period; Michael and Lucifer are still readjusting to being called home.
Other applied headcanons:
*Each Archangel has an affiliated element: Michael to fire; Gabriel to Earth; Lucifer to water (quite specifically to ice); and, Raphael to the air and weather.
*My headcanon for the Archangels' trueform!Graces can be found on my art tumblr.
I'm happy to answer any additional questions :3