Plot: The boys are getting used to being each other and are working out how to work with each other's styles. Gabriel makes a few changes to the boys and Bobby volunteers for them too.

Please read on.

Warning: This is a Wincest storyline but there isn't any in this chapter, there will be in the next one though, so be warned. Some language will be said, they are getting some news they don't like and that always brings out the bad language in Bobby and Dean.

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Sam and Dean worked over the next few days to adapt to the others bodies, and some parts were easier than the others. The first thing they worked on was fighting styles. Sam was more into martial arts with some physical fighting mixed in whereas Dean used more physical with some martial arts. After messing up a few times, they tried a different approach. They tried to think how the other person used to fight and these boys had seen each other fight enough to have seen all the others moves, they had been fighting together since they were small kids.

Once they figured that part out, it went a lot smoother. Sure it meant them having to integrate the others moves for themselves but once they put in several intensive training sessions, the moves clicked and they became fluid again. The next obstacle was the weapons training. This was easy. Both men used guns a lot, so basically they switched guns and that was it for that. The knife throwing and archery stuff was more problematic for them because they were not used to the others hands yet. They had to physically reposition each other's hands on the weapons a few times until they got the grips and sighting issues fixed. Then they had to work on actually using the weapons, and shooting the arrows, which eventually led to working with the grips and sighting issues again, and then practicing the actual use of the weapon. They repeated this process until they got it right and could hit every target again and not miss at all. That part was taken care of.

Now they had to work on walking and stuff like that. It's a good thing they both were right handed. The walking involved just basically that, walking, and running and other actions. They tried to picture the ways they had seen the other do those things before and then copied that, and that helped let them get their own working style for those actions. Walking became fairly effortless and running too. It was easier when they tried to put themselves in the others place.

They figured out something important here. That their fighting styles suited their body types, Sam was longer and leaner, a body that worked best for the martial arts style he was used to, and Dean was more compact and muscular, a body built for physical fighting and power attacks. They were different in that way but they complimented each other as well, as most soul-mates do. The weapons issues were just basically retraining their brains to fight a different way, something they had to do since they were kids. The walking part proved interesting.

Dean walked in Sam's body with his own usually cocky strut thrown in. Sam walked in Dean's body with a more fluid and confident, not the way Dean was used to seeing his body more, it was just so…pure Sam in that walk, the sexiest thing Dean had ever seen.

In fact, the man had dragged his lover up the stairs grinning evilly afterward and they had made love for an hour. Apparently Sam had been just as affected as Dean had been! Bobby pulled in and saw them on the porch sipping beers and smiled. They looked so pleased with themselves. He knew the training had gone well and made a mental note to give them clean sheets later; these were probably messed up pretty badly.

He went in for a beer and joined them.

"So how did the training go?" Bobby asked, this was their second day working on this.

"Great, think we got it down. Want to see?" Dean asked Bobby, obviously wanting to show off his new skills and his brothers.

"That would be great." Bobby said smiling, Dean wanted this and also he was curious how they looked fighting together now.

They put on a demonstration for him and he applauded it. Sam was using more physical fighting but the martial arts were more pronounced in it. Dean was using more martial arts but his physical fighting style somehow was more pronounced anyway. They walked normal now, no slow step or hesitance. However, the person in the body definitely showed in the way they walked, Dean was cocky and self-assured, Sam was more fluid and showed a quiet confidence.

No matter what body they were in, the real person in there showed through. It was nice to see them adapting so well to their change. He sipped his beer with them until he went in to eat, Dean had made supper for them after the demonstration.

They were happier now and he was glad they had found a balance in their relationship now.

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Later that day, after helping Bobby with research of course, they went out to the Impala and called for Gabriel. Gabriel came, even though they had said, "Loki!" and not Gabriel, he knew who they were calling. They didn't want to blow his cover.

"Yes." Gabriel said smiling and eying his entirely too pleased with themselves charges.

"We need to talk to you and we need you to take it seriously. It's important." Sam said firmly, the guy was not the serious type but they had to ask him.

"You have to be honest with us. We are willing to go to the mat for you here but you owe us that much." Dean said getting serious.

"Fine, ask away." They wanted honesty and a serious discussion, he could do that. He didn't have to like it though.

"Why did you switch us? As a joke or to save us?" Dean asked.

Gabriel managed to look offended. "To save you, of course. I had to do something and it was the only way I could think of to save you two."

"Are you ever going to switch us back? Is this permanent?" Sam asked, not mad, he actually kind of liked it this way at the moment. Dean nodded at him and basically let him know he felt the same way. "We are fine with it now. We know we are still here and together and that is all we need to know. The rest is easy fix. We just need to know if this is going to change later or not."

"Yes, I will switch you back and no, it is not permanent." Gabriel said smiling, "Unless you ask me not to. If you decide you are more comfortable this way later then I will let you stay that way."

"Thanks." Dean said and looked at Sam, who looked back, both were actually considering staying this way if it went on for a long period of time. It depended on how long they were stuck this way.

"How long do we have to be like this? Why didn't you switch us back after the Hellhound incident?" Sam asked and Gabriel sighed. It couldn't hurt for them to know, maybe forewarned was forearmed.

"In three years from now. You see, there is an apocalypse coming and you are the true vessels for the key players that start it, Lucifer and Michael. You are supposed to fight to death, Michael kills Lucifer and the apocalypse starts. So I just switched you in the hopes that when the time came, you would say no for the other person rather than yes and that maybe once they saw you were not yourselves they would back off. It's the only plan I could come up with that might work." Gabriel explained truthfully, noting the shocked looks on their faces.

"You mean those Angels expect me to kill Sammy? Or him to kill me?" Dean asked, getting pissed.

"Exactly, this way you may not be chosen. Father told me to do what I had to, to stop them from starting the apocalypse, and protect you two at all costs. I am doing my best here." He said firmly, clearly worried the boys would fight him on this plan.

They appeared to be going over what they had just learned and then got the most admiring look on their faces, smiling at their Guardian.

"It's an ingenious plan actually, Loki. It works on all levels. We'll do it." Dean said nodding, he liked this plan and he could see it working in the end.

"Me, too. I like it." Sam said smiling proudly at Gabriel. "We can work with it."

"They will throw all they have at you to get you to say yes, I have to warn you. Especially Zachariah, he's a sneaky and cold one. He is good at coercing others to do what he wants and trust me, he will want you both to say yes." Gabriel warned, it was not going to be an easy plan at all but it was the right plan for them all.

"We can take it. We always have beaten the odds before, we can do this. We just have to say no, right?" Sam asked, just checking.

"Just say no. That's it." It sounded so simple but it wasn't, it really wasn't.

"No problem, we got 'No' down pat, we say it all the time and well, 'yes' is harder for us. So we can do this. Will you be there helping us?" Dean asked serious, would they have to lose him in this plan?

"Yes, I will have to pretend to go along with my brother's plans but I will only be acting, that's all. You have to play along or the plan will go to hell. Along with your brother or both of you. I will be helping you all the way, please don't doubt that." Gabriel hated he would have to pretend to betray them but he wanted them to know he wouldn't really be doing that, he was going to help them the whole time. "On the other hand, they may just decide you are unfit to be vessels since you were switched. I'm hoping that works. My brothers are picky that way. Your souls fuse with your bodies, giving them the feel of the person inside them, it happens with all humans. I'm hoping that by switching your souls so late in life, it short circuited that. It could work even if that happens but the odds aren't so great if that happens. There are so many new variables now that I switched your souls. I'm sorry I couldn't come up with a better way but this plan really stands a chance at working, it really does." Gabriel pleaded and relaxed as the brothers approached him, smiling and trusting him.

"We think so, too. It could work and sounds like it will." Dean said looking up at him and took Sam's hand. "Besides, three years is a long time to decide if we want to stay this way or not, so we won't even be considering switching back until then. However, we have to know when does this whole vessel thing kick in?"

"In about four months. It will start with some angels asking you to help stop the apocalypse and end with you having to say yes to the others to be their vessels. There will be rings involved and a hole to the cage opening. The one who starts it will be opening Lucifer's cage, that is guaranteed. Unless Father steps in ahead of time, of course. He was always unpredictable that way. Always does things his way. He's more impulsive than humans give him credit for." Gabriel explained, this part was important, this is how they would stop it. This was the vital step they would have to do to fix it.

"Oh, so long?" Sam said, sarcasm sliding into his tone. He was not mad at Gabriel but damn, that wasn't very long.

"I know it isn't very long but maybe I could help." Gabriel approached them and put a hand over each of their anti-possession tattoos. They felt the burning pain of a thousand needles pouring into their skin for a minute and then he removed his hands with an apologetic look. They breathed a sigh of relief and looked at where he had touched.

There were now small letters and symbols in the middle of the tattoo and the filled in flames were now just outlines that held more symbols inside them. More solid flames surrounded the inner circle than before.

"What do the symbols and stuff mean?" Sam said, touch Dean's tattoo as Dean touched his, in wonder and curiosity.

"They are Enochian, I changed your anti-possession tattoo to include keeping Angelic beings from possessing you now too. It may keep them out, it should, but my brothers are the most powerful of all us so there is a chance they may not. They will make it harder for them to possess you, that part is definite. Do you like them?" Gabriel noticed them examining each other's tattoos, they seemed to like them.

"They're great, we like them. Here's hoping they work. Oh, and soon I will be branding your ribs so that no demon or Angel can find you. It will take you off their radar for good, except for me. I will be able find you no matter what. I get a pass since I am the one who will be putting them on in the first place." Gabriel explained.

"Why later? Why not now?" Dean asked and Sam nodded in agreement. It would come in handy when they got back to hunting anyway.

"Because it is extremely painful for you. It will involve me touching your skeletons and branding them with angelic power, every inch of your skeleton will be covered. It will hurt you badly." Gabriel knew it would be agony for them.

"Let's do it now. Get it over with." The boys were sure this was best. Get it done and over with. It scared them and they weren't afraid to admit that but it sounded like a good idea.

"Are you sure?" Gabriel's brow furrowed and looked worried. Were they ready for this?

"We're sure." Dean said then had a thought. "Can we get some pain pills first and lay down upstairs when you do it? In case we pass out."

"Can Bobby be there? We'd feel better if he was." Sam asked, really wanting Bobby there.

"That's fine." Gabriel nodded, he wouldn't be able to keep the older man out once they started screaming anyway. "I have to warn you, the pain pills won't help. It will still be agony for you."

"Let's try them anyway." The boys nodded as Sam said this. It may take the edge off the pain.

"Okay, when do you want to do it?" Gabriel asked and looked for Bobby mentally.

"No better time than the present." Came Bobby's voice from behind them and suddenly felt Gabriel's hand on his chest, over his heart. Sharp needle like pains formed there and the Archangel removed his hand. "What was that!" He looked pissed and Gabriel just smiled widely.

"I gave you one just like the boys now have. It will protect you in case they try to use you to get to the boys." Gabriel watched as the older man relaxed and nodded at him.

"Thanks, I appreciate you doing that then. I wouldn't want to do anything to hurt them." Bobby was touched that Gabriel had done that, it meant he really wanted to help the boys. "Do I have to do the branding of the ribs thing too?"

"I should but it's up to you. You don't have to." Gabriel said, having an idea that Bobby should probably get one too, to protect himself and the boys if they were with him somewhere. They couldn't use Bobby to find the boys that way.

"Then sign me up." Bobby said enthusiastically, he knew they would use him to force the boys to say yes and he hated that part. This would fix that issue.

"Okay, pain pills?" Gabriel asked and Bobby went to get the strongest ones he had. He prayed they would work but was pretty sure if would hurt like a bitch anyway.

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They all took the pills and Gabriel had them lay down on the bed in the boy's room, it was the largest one in the house. He waited for the pills to kick in and they assured him through slurring speech and glazed eyes that they were ready.

Gabriel started with the boys. He put his hand into their chest and wrapped his hand around their skeleton and poured the protection words onto them, searing them deeply into the bones themselves, scorching the flesh around them and causing the boys to scream in agony over and over again as he did it. Bobby held Sam's hand and tried to soothe them, the drug making him feel woozy at the same time.

Two minutes later, he withdrew his hands and the boys passed out in relief as the agony in their chest stopped suddenly. The pain pills kicked in and they slept. Gabriel moved over to Bobby.

"Are you still sure you want this?" Gabriel was concerned about him, the older man nodded resolutely, fighting the drug's effects to make sure the Archangel knew he was ready for this. He knew it would hurt and didn't care, as long as it protected the boys. He would do anything for them.

Gabriel nodded and paused. Bobby gritted his teeth. "Get it over with, Idjit!" he growled out. Gabriel complied and put his hand into the man's chest and wrapped his hand around the man's skeleton, sending the power and the words into them, searing, branding, and carving them deep into the bone, scorching the flesh around them. Bobby writhed in agony the whole time, screaming out the pain but not telling the Archangel to stop. It had to be done and damned if he would back out now!

Gabriel withdrew his hand and looked down at the man. He looked sober now, no drug effects left in his system at all. "Thank you." Bobby smiled at the man and held out his hand. Gabriel held out his hand and helped Bobby up. He had to help him to his room and help him lay down there. He made him comfortable and watched as the man drifted off.

"Protect the house while I'm out, please." Bobby asked as his eyes closed and he began to breathe softly.

"I will." Gabriel said fondly as he gazed down at the older man. He was a tough old guy and a good father to the boys. He could see where they got their tenacity from, he had taught them a lot over the years and it showed in the way they hunted and the way they kept coming back to see him.

They were lucky to have such a man watching over them. He had taken on pain he didn't have to for them. All he did for them was out of love. They felt the same way about him.

This plan would work now. He just had figure out a way to use Bobby in it. A warm feeling burned around his heart suddenly and 'Good work, Son.' popped into his mind.

"Thanks, Father. I tried." He said, looking upward to Heaven. His Father approved of his plan so far so he felt it should work. All of his Father's plans always did in the end.

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Well, they are branded and marked up right and proper, all of them. The plan is now out in the open and surprisingly the boys did not freak out. Maybe the plan would work after all.

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