"Course I'm human kiddo, would I look this bad if I was still an archangel? I don't think so!" Gabriel scoffed, grinning up at the large male, but Sam didn't smile, he stared at him a little longer than necessary, scrutinising Gabriel a little more. "If you died Gabriel, then how come you've still got the same vessel, I mean Raphael changed vessel when he got chucked out of it, why haven't you changed? Surely there's someone of his bloodline that fits your grace?" Sam finally asked, his eyes narrowing impossibly more, searching for the answers that Gabriel just didn't have.

"I dunno Sasquatch, that's a difficult one. I like this vessel, I've worn him for a very long time and he was pretty chill with it. Besides I think, I can't be sure though, but when I came back so to say, I was asked whether or not I wanted to keep this vessel. But this guys soul left a looooong time ago, and I kinda like the height difference between you and me, if you catch my drift boy." He winked, nudging Sam a little bit before stepping back, a shiver cascading down his spine before continuing. "Plus there's a large difference between myself and Raphael, at that point in time the angels hadn't fa-" Gabriel stopped speaking, his mouth suddenly dry when the returning memories flooded his brain, if Sam noticed Gabriel's now shaking hands he said nothing, perhaps a gesture of acceptance from the taller younger Winchester.

But Sam's mind was thankfully elsewhere, his tired eyes that held bags upon bags beneath them were evidence enough of his lack of sight, he'd paid no attention to the flirting Gabriel had offered, instead he gestured towards the door. He decided however that when he felt and preferably looked more awake he'd ask Gabriel to explain again how he was here, alive and human, his tired mind revolving around the confusing details.

"I suppose...you're going to be hungry." He sighed, Sam had been looking forward to a week or so alone, without Dean or Cas around, to catch up on some much needed sleep and possibly just relax, that's all he wanted, but apparently that was too much to ask because now he had a super sexual, candy loving former archangel/trickster turned human in his hands.

"Going to be hungry? Kiddo I'm starved already, where's your candy?!" Gabriel exclaimed, grinning at the taller man before brushing surprisingly lightly past him, heading towards the door the men of letters. Sam followed a few seconds afterwards, already tired of the stupidly hyper small man, with one last glance behind him he shut the door, sealing himself inside with Gabriel.

"Whoa." Gabriel exclaimed, "You've done pretty well for yourself Sammy!" He laughed, peeking at Sam over his shoulder, he got a shrug and a mumble in reply, and he wondered briefly if Dean had been looking after Sam at all since they'd last met. "We don't have much food, take what you want from the cupboards." Sam explained as they walked towards the kitchen, his arms gesturing towards the fridge and cupboards before saying "I'm going to go catch up on some sleep, call me if you need me." he turned to leave the wide-eyed man in the kitchen but his steps were interrupted by an unsteady "...Sam...lend a hand to a fallen angel?"

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Somehow there was flour on the end of Sam's nose, and somehow there was flour all over Gabriel. They stared at each other, blinking rapidly, both wondering how on earth they came to this. Gabriel chuckled and patted his hands together, attempting to get the flour off them, as he watched it flutter onto the floor something inside his chest squeezed painfully, if Sam saw this small wince of pain he said nothing about it. In the end, after attempting to make pancakes and failing miserably, Gabriel ate a sandwich, with just about everything in it, everything sweet anyway.

Sam yawned and he kept on yawning through the hour that had passed since his initial "I'm going to go catch up on some sleep...", he yawned so much that Gabriel almost felt bad. Almost.

Whilst chewing through his sandwich Gabriel began to think to himself about his situation, sure he was safe at the moment, safe with Sam by his side, but he didn't feel comforted by that fact, his guilt overshadowed any true comfort he felt. 'I'm safe and warm but the others, oh father the others are still out there and I don't know how to find them, how do I save them? Father please. Please. I'm begging you...please.' Gabriel hadn't cried praise to his father in a long time, he hid behind the trickster, doing good deeds behind a cruel mask, his father must have wanted him to do that, angels don't have free will. Especially someone as important as Gabriel.

But Gabriel didn't feel very important now though, he felt lost and lonely, torn apart in ways that he didn't want to experience ever again.

"Sa-" Gabriel looked up from his sandwich to see a fast asleep Sam, leaning against the table, his face squished up in a humorous angle, or rather it would have been, if you didn't see the dark heavy bags beneath his eyes, or hear the almost raspy breath he was emitting. Something told him he knew the reason Sam was so tired, but something also told him to not act so ahead of himself, of course he didn't, he wasn't an archangel any more, he didn't have that power any more. But the thought was squirming in his head, and he tried so hard to figure it out, he concentrated until he too yawned.

He devoured his sandwich and practically licked his plate clean before he sat up straight in the chair he'd sat down on earlier, and he stared directly at Sam, and then began reaching his hand forwards towards Sam's forehead.

He paused.

Would Sam class this as violating his privacy? Or would he be cool with it? Gabriel closed his eyes and decided to do it regardless, he had to know, he just had to. His fingers brushed aside the soft floaty hair, a sense of calm flooding him as he did so, 'it's going to be alright son...it's okay to be scared Gabriel...it's okay...' faint flickering images filled his mind, there were so faint that he struggled to comprehend just what they were, colours, he could vaguely make out the colours, 'white...flashes of green...wait was that Dean?...the sense that someone is worried...someone is scared...tubes...Dean...Dean...DE-'.

The images stopped.

Drip...drip...drip.

Something was happening, or rather something had happened, something bad, and Gabriel just could not put his finger on it, and it annoyed him like a scratch he couldn't reach to itch. It took him a moment to pull away from Sam, his fingers curling into his fists like a turtle retracting its head, and as he collapsed even wearier against the chair he realised what the dripping noise was and what the wet on his cheeks were.

He'd cried before.

But it hadn't felt this way before.

And with that thought for the first time, Gabriel drifted off into a nauseating sleep.

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"Dean." The name that meant everything to Castiel, the name that the universe waited in anticipation for, along with his occasionally troublesome younger brother, Sam. They were on a case though, there was really no time for Dean to be so fast asleep, no matter how childlike he may look, it was 8.00am now. "Dean." He repeated, louder this time, his voice echoing around the motel room, but that's how far his voice went, it didn't travel up to the heavens and speak to the grace filled angels above. Not any more. Not for a long time now.

"Dean, we made an appointment with the coroner for 8.30." He said, his voice dipping low and husky, he felt amused when he watched Dean jolt awake at the sound of his voice. He'd been learning since he met Dean about 'amusement' and how he really needs a sense of humour, Cas did have one, it's just his jokes, like Uriel sounded better in enochian.

"Jesus Cas, let a man sleep!" Came the equally deep reply, thick with sleep and slight confusion, he sprawled out a little more, rubbing his face into the pillow, the movement causing his entire body to shake, a motion noted and placed in the forefront of Castiel's brain, left there for later use.

Cas had been ready 2 hours earlier, his sleeping pattern hadn't quite equalled itself out yet, and he rarely managed a 4 hour sleep, let alone an 8 hour one like Dean always seemed to have. He spent most mornings watching Dean as he slept, just like he did when he was an angel, he felt like somehow no matter how human he now was, he could still protect Dean. He had to protect Dean, his sense of duty to the Winchester's had not diminished from his mind, not at all.

Sam was another matter, and Cas was worried for the younger Winchester, the lack of sleep, the shaking hands and the glassy eyes were enough for Cas to say he was apprehensive about Sam's condition.

Dean would call Sam soon though, whilst away on cases, Dean would always call Sam, and Castiel could still feel the worry and the anxiety flood from Dean, he loved Sam so much, anyone could see that and anyone who couldn't would have to be blind.

"Let's get going Cas."

The door closed behind the swish of a trench coat, his thoughts of Sam remaining in the room, allowing the case to take over.