When Gabriel awoke the next day the door was wide open and a lamp was placed upon a bedside table. He had no memory of what happened before and barley even registered when Cas had taken him away. Gabriel looked down to see his rag gone and in it's place was a pair of jeans rolled up at the bottom so he didn't trip on it and a oversized T-shirt that fell to his knees.

Gabriel sniffed the air as the sweet smell of pancakes made his stomach almost digest itself. He couldn't remember the last time he ate, so raising from the bed he followed the smell warily. He made his way through the corridors keeping close to the wall like a scared spider, making himself as small as possible when he saw the light coming from what he assumed was the kitchen. To him the warmth felt foreign after so many years being in the damp and cold, the ex-angel shied away but the promise of food drove him to sneak a peak around the door frame.

It seemed his attempt to go unnoticed had failed when Sam turned to place another pancake on a huge stack. Cas had been eating... wait, Cas was eating? Gabe's mind although supplying him with the observation wouldn't let him analyse when there was food he now needed. Gabe stared longingly at the pile of pancakes smothered in syrup just the way he liked it, mouth watering and stomach growling he couldn't look away. That was until he saw the face smiling behind the promising food, "Hey, you're up."

Gabriel's heart hammered in his chest as fear coursed through him and his eyed widened in fear that he would be punished for leaving the room. Quickly he ducked around the door frame again. His hands clutched at his chest trying to get breath into his lungs "Brother. Brother it's ok." Cas said as he cautiously walked around the door. Gabriel's hand reached out to pull Cas to him still struggling for breath, "Calm down Gabriel. Breath slowly, in through your nose out through your mouth."
Gabe nodded frantically trying to do as Cas said "Is he ok?" Sam asked keeping his distance, which Gabe was thankful for. Gabriel began to control the breath that tried to escape his body and gave a weak nod, "He is ok for now." Cas said still staring at his elder brother with concern.
Suddenly Gabriel's stomach rumbled.
"Maybe you should eat something." Cas suggested with a small smile "Sam made you pancakes with lots of syrup, just the way you like it." Sam gave a smile, but Gabriel didn't say anything. He just let Cas pull him to the table and sit him on a wooden chair in front of a plate full of pancakes he assumed was for him.
Sam went to sit next to Gabriel but seeing the man flinch went to sit on the other side of the table. Instantly Gabriel felt bad, here he was in Sam's home eating his food and using his bed. But it seemed Sam understood and didn't press the issue, of that Gabriel was grateful. Cas sat next to the broken archangel on his left side and Gabriel's left arm latched on to Cas' right hand sleeve. Cas said nothing.

"Hope you like the pancakes, it's been a while since I last made then." Sam said softly so as not to trigger another attack. Cas gave a small chuckle .
"Yes, he burnt the first few." Gabriel stayed silent, watching Sam expectantly. Cas continued to eat his abandoned food as did Sam, but Gabriel wouldn't stop looking at him. It took Sam awhile to realise he was waiting for permission. "Uh...Gabe." Gabriel lowered his eyes in submission ""You can...uh..you can eat you know."
Gabriel whispered a small thank you and proceeded to shove mouthful after mouthful at top speed in to his mouth.
The sweet intoxicating syrupy substance mixed with the plain pancake burst on his tongue, like a waterfall of life it filled the hole gnawing in his stomach. How humans could do this he didn't know, but that didn't matter when his body was swimming in the bliss of warmth where the pit had been. He reached for his cup and drank like a man who'd been lost in a desert. It didn't matter that the brown liquid inside was steaming hot, it still quenched the fire burning his throat. Once done he went back to the pancakes, forgetting to use the fork in his hast, golden stickiness coated his hands.
Faintly he heard a "Brother please, stop before you hurt yourself." but he ignored it.

Suddenly a hand touched his wrist...

Gabe leapt back, chair falling and head hitting the floor. But the pain in his skull didn't stop him as he scrambled away until his back hit a wall. Gabriel's fingers grabbed on to his hair causing the sticky syrup to glue his already greasy and matted hair, and he shielded his face with his forearms. "Please, I'm sorry, I'll be good." he chanted in a whisper.
Warm gentile hands encircled his wrists and pulled them slowly away, Gabriel tensed but let his hands be pulled down. He looked up in to the smiling face of Sam "It's ok Gabriel. You are good, I was being stupid." Gabriel stared up at him, mouth moving to form Sam's name silently. "I'm sorry."
Gabriel stopped and frowned, but seemed to have calmed considerably. Sam looks at Cas "He needs a shower, could you help him?" Cas nodded and took Gabriel's hand.

While Gabriel was in the shower Sam went to find clothes that fit the ex-archangel. He found some of Dean's clothes and tried to ignore the sad feeling rising in his chest at the reminder Dean was gone. He busied himself getting boxers, a brush and one of Dean's old cargo jackets knowing how he loved the damn things. Sam left the things on Gabriel's bed and left to clean up their plates.
As he washed the dishes by hand he couldn't help wondering about Gabriel. What had they done to him to break him so badly, to make such a powerful, snarky archangel turn to a crying heap on the floor? Sam wasn't stupid and knew what some of those stains on his body and in his hair was. It made him sick to think of Gabriel begging and trying to be good just so they wouldn't hurt him. From the reaction Gabriel had from being in the same room as Sam, they must have used his image to torture him.

Anger rose at the thought of a double of himself hurting Gabriel, his hand tightened and the plate nearly cracked until he put it on the draining board.
Suddenly the sound of humming caught his attention. Turning he followed the melancholy melody to the couch where he found cas sat on it, Gabriel in-between his legs humming as his wet hair was brushed. Every time Cas brought the brush down the crown of Gabriel's head he would push his head more into it and smile.
Sam marvelled at the site as Gabriel started to almost purr, and Goddamnit he did not think that was cute...he didn't!
Cas glanced up at him "It calms him." he said smiling "It's also a trust building exercise, would you like to try?" He held the brush out to him pulling a whine from Gabriel at the loss of contact. Sam nodded taking the brush.

Gabriel tensed when Castiel's weight was swapped out for Sam and he whimpered. "Shh, It's ok Gabe. It's only me." Sam whispered lightly brushing his hair. After a few strokes Gabriel was pushing in to the strokes but the tension in his shoulder didn't relax, neither did he start up his humming again.

But Sam counted it as a win.

xxx

Three days since Gabriel had been rescued and four more until Cas had to leave. Sam didn't know how Gabe would react to not having Cas around anymore, Cas had left a couple of times since his stay and Gabe had been stiff, tense. Cas had to sleep in Gabe's room or Gabe would wake screaming and he always sought confirmation that he was allowed to eat before he did. For some odd reason he always waited for Sam's ok instead of Cas. So here they were in the library; Sam researching while Gabe and Cas sat near the fire reading.

Cas looked up from his book and sighed. Closing it he looked apologetically at Gabriel "Forgive me brother, I am needed." Gabe just nodded holding up his book as if to say 'I'm occupied' and Cas smiled. Cas walked out of the library and as he passed Sam told him he'd be back soon. Sam nodded absently at him while flicking through an old journal from the men of letters archive. Sam was so engrossed in his researching he didn't hear Gabe's chair scrap against the floor to move closer to him.

But despite that the hunter still felt his presence and looked up to find Gabe looking at him, but as soon as Sam's eyes fell on his Gabe had turned his gaze to the ground. He had been getting better at being in Sam's presence but still seemed to shrink into himself or turn away if Sam looked at him in the eye.
From the first day Cas had brought the broken Archangel to him and Gabe had screamed when Sam touched him, he knew they did something to him to make Gabe scared of Sam. It had nagged at him.

Even now it poked at his mind until Sam put down his book with a sigh and looked at Gabriel. Gabriel looked at him for a spilt second before his eyes fell to the floor. "Gabe?" Sam said watching the Archangel fidget "What happened? Why are you afraid of me?"
Gabriel shifted away and frowned at the floor as if debating weather to say anything; Gabe hadn't said much since the first two days and Sam could feel his heart break for a creature that thrived on making chaos and talking non-stop. Gabe swallowed, opened his mouth as if to say something then shut it again.
Sam knew he had to be patient with him, had to take things slow.

Gabe's hand went to the burned in sigil and traced it as he often did when nervous; the sigil could only be burned off and Sam didn't want to stress Gabriel out any more then he already had, they would find another way.
Finally Gabe glanced back up to him, his voice almost a whisper when his throat worked enough to get sound out "They pretended to be you."
Sam couldn't fathom why they would do that, "Why would they pretend to be me and Dean?" it just didn't make sense.
Gabriel gave him a look that he then hid upon realising it; these were rare moments his old self shone through and left Sam wondered if he was faking it, but the screams at night and the way he shook when someone was too close soon dispersed those suspicions. But Sam's confusion cleared from that look "It was just me wasn't it?"

Gabriel immediately stood, holding his book against his chest as he turned and fled out of the library.
Sam needed answers and to make sure Gabe was ok, so he to sprang from his chair and after Gabriel. He saw the look of absolute terror when Gabe glanced back to see how far Sam was to him, Sam reached out "Gabe, wait."
Gabriel fell to the floor, book thrown at Sam and missing his mark, Gabe's shaking arms pushed him up as he scrambled to his room and locked the door.
Sam had been distracted by the flying book at his head and had slowed enough that it allowed Gabe to get away. Dammit! He'd screwed up, he shouldn't have chased him. Gabe obviously didn't want to talk about it and Sam should have left it.

Sam lent his head against the door "Gabe." he whispered "Gabe I'm sorry." he was met with silence. Sam sighed and banged his head lightly against the door "I'll be in the library if you need me."

But Sam doubted he would.