Chapter 3:
Surprisingly Gabriel didn't get them killed on the drive to Pontic. Sam found himself falling asleep in the passenger seat once they left the state, feeling oddly at ease. The problem with hunting alone was that you had to do all the driving. Of course, with Dean he'd mostly sat there reading maps while his big brother drove, because Dean hated not being behind the wheel of his baby.
Sam woke twenty miles out of Illinois, and for a moment he'd forgotten who was next to him. He stretched out his long body, groaning loudly. Once he was relaxed he turned his head expecting to see Dean and almost jumped out of his skin at the sight of Gabriel sat beside him. He then rubbed his eyes, made another groaned. Taking a deep breath he turned to the ex-archangel. The man looked exhausted and Sam felt a stab of guilt. He'd left all the driving to him and it wasn't a short drive.
"Have you stopped?" he asked, already knowing the answer. If Gabriel had pulled over somewhere, he would have woken up and taken over.
Gabriel shrugged dismissively. "No."
"Why the hell not?" Sam snapped. "Why didn't you wake me to take over?"
Gabriel shrugged again. "You just looked too adorable sleeping like that."
"Blow me."
"Seriously Sammy, you need to make up your mind." Gabriel joked.
"Pull over." Sam ordered.
Gabriel's head snapped around, eyes wide with surprise and maybe a little interest. Okay more than a little. "Seriously?"
Sam's gaze narrowed. "I'm driving." he growled, ignoring the light in the ex-angel's eyes.
Gabriel slumped in the seat, releasing a huff of something that very well might have been disappointment. "Is there really any point, we'll be at our destination soon, I may as well carry on."
Sam glared at him and Gabriel sighed, turning the wheel and steering the Chevy onto the side of the road. Sam got out and Gabriel shifted over on the seat, folding his arms over his chest as Sam got back in. He started the engine to pull away from the dirt track but paused when Gabriel spoke.
"You sure you don't want to reconsider?" he winked.
Sam turned half way in his seat and fixed Gabriel in a murderous stare. "If you make any more lurid or suggestive comments like that, I'm going to leave you on the side of the road and you can mouth off to whichever crazy trucker happens to pick you up."
"Jeez." Gabriel huffed, turning his head into the window. "Grouch. Dean was right; you really don't have a sense of humour."
"No, you're just to infuriating to be funny." Sam snapped as the Impala moved away.
"Some say endearing."
The rest of the ride as carried out in silence, mostly because Gabriel fell asleep after a few moments.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
Gabriel was awoken by Sam's large hand shoving at his shoulder as he climbed out of the Impala. Groaning the ex-archangel got out and stretched his back. "I guess we're here." Sam didn't reply as he headed for the trunk, pulling out the demon knife and handing it over to Gabriel. The angel frowned. "And what am I meant to do with that?"
"The pointy end goes into the demon. And try not to get killed."
Gabriel looked from the knife to Sam. "What about you?"
Sam lifted out a shot gun and a bottle of holy water.
"You can't seriously be going in there with just that? I thought you had that Colt."
"I do. - I just don't have anything to fire from it." Sam grumbled regretfully. They'd used up all the bullets years ago with no hope of more in sight.
Gabriel shook his head as he marched after the tall hunter, who was heading straight for the abandoned building. "This is insane!" he whispered at the door.
"No, this is my job. - Though I have to admit, things would be a hell of a lot easier if you weren't a dead battery."
Gabriel glared at the insult. "Blow me, Sasquatch." he snapped.
"In your dreams, midget."
Sam pushed open the door slowly, cautiously looking around for any sign of danger. There was nothing. He listened intently as he moved further inside, Gabriel behind him huffing in protest to being put in danger. Sam waved his hand to the right as he moved left. Gabriel glared at him but headed off in the opposite direction, mumbling under his breath.
The ground floor was quickly found to be empty.
"Maybe she's not here." Gabriel whispered. "Maybe she split."
Sam shook his head and took the first step up the staircase.
"Sure, ignore me. What's new? You never change. I try and keep you from getting yourself killed and you just march on, never listening." Gabriel grumbled to himself.
"Shhhh!"
They crept up the stairs slowly, Sam continuing to listen and watch for any threat. They stepped out into a large open area and Sam waved for Gabriel to go the other way. The archangel once again doing as instructed while still complaining.
"This is a total waste of time. She's not even here. Though thankfully, neither is anyone else." After a thousand years on earth, among humans, he'd think he'd learn never to say shit like that.
A yell had him turning in time to see Sam fighting off three demons. Without hesitation, Gabriel threw the knife across the large expanse of the room to imbed itself in one of the demons backs. Watching as Sam pulled it free and moved to despatch the two remaining demons. Gabriel turned at a sound behind him and was rushed by one of his own. He hit out on instinct, his natural training kicking in. His hand rising to grip the woman's head. Light filled the small space as the demon was burnt out of the host, leaving both dead. Gabriel staggered backwards as his legs turned to jello beneath him. He turned to look for Sam and found him fighting off more demons. They needed to get the hell out of there. He moved towards the hunter only to find his path block by a man with black dangerous eyes. Panic, fear and anger boiled inside him and once again instinct took over as he reached out his hand, grabbing the man by the throat. Gabriel panted as he took hold of the man's head with his other hand and murmured under his breath, casting out the demon.
The body fell at his feet and he staggered again as he continued on his way to Sam. He paused as two figures by a door caught his attention. They were on the second floor and there were no windows on that wall. Gabriel altered his direction and headed over. The moment the demons saw him they had the common sense to vanish. Yanking to door open Gabriel stared down at a blonde haired teenager. It didn't take Einstein to figure out it was Claire Novak. Hold out his hand he whispered. "Come with me if you want to live." it should have been amusing, but he was too tired to care.
Claire took his hand and was pulled to her feet. Gabriel turned and began to drag her towards Sam, who was still fighting off demons. The ex-archangel's eyes grew wide when he saw a large man with huge muscles and a blade in his hand bring the thing down on Sam's back. The hunter yelled out in pain and Gabriel's stomach dropped to his toes. He didn't know where it came from, or how he was able to gather the energy but before he knew it, they were in the Impala. Claire lying on her side in the backseat, Sam slumped against the passenger window. Gabriel looked at the steering wheel and groaned, reaching over his thrust his hand into the hunter's pocket, pulling violently at the keys.
The Impala speed away from the building, side swiping another car as it fled. Gabriel kept drive until they weren't just away from the building but from the city itself. Miles away from the metropolis, the angel saw a dirt road that looked like it hadn't been used in years. Turning the car up it, he found an old abandon farm house that looked on the verge of collapse. He cut the engine and slumped in the seat, glancing over his shoulder to find Claire unconscious, probably from the same come-down that Gabriel was succumbing to as he sat there. His whole body trembling under the weight of what had happened. Before he realised it, he was being pulled under and into the abyss.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
The sun woke Gabriel up with a groan, his head lulling back against the leather of the driver's seat. Cracking open an eye he stared out of the windscreen at the abandoned farm house. His body felt like a lead weight, he could barely lift his head, so he turned it instead to find Sam sat unconscious next to him. Turning further he caught sight of the young girl in the back seat. They couldn't stay out here forever, as much as he wanted too. As he turned forward again he noticed the dark stain on Sam's jacket, and suddenly realised the scent of blood was in the air. Forcing his body to move, he leant toward the taller man, slipping his hand behind his back and coming back with fingers coated in blood. His chest clenched tightly. "Dammit. - Hey, kiddo." he called, shaking Sam's shoulder and cringing when a weak moan was his reply. "Kiddo?" another moan had Gabriel pausing in his attempts to wake the man. Turning once again he reached for the girl. "Hey, kid! Kid…." what was her name? "Claire. Claire!" he yelled.
Claire shot up on the backseat with a startled expression. "Huh?"
"We need to get inside." before he'd even finished speaking they were standing in the middle of the farm house, staring at cobwebs. Well, not all of them were standing; Sam was slouched over on a battered couch.
"What?" Claire looked around in surprised, looking from Gabriel to Sam and back. "You're….?"
"Angel. Go check if the waters running." Gabriel replied, staggering a little on his weak legs.
Claire rushed off quickly, leaving Gabriel to stumble over to tend to Sam.
Claire returned a few moments later with a bowl of water and what looked like clean towels. Gabriel raised a brow but smiled. "In the car's trunk you'll find a duffle, bring it in."
Claire was off again. Gabriel pulled Sam upright and fought to get his jacket off his large Sasquatch shoulders, followed swiftly by the plaid shirt, dropping both items on the floor. It wasn't the easiest task in the world undressing an unconscious man, especially one of Sam's side and build. Epically when Gabriel wasn't exactly built to match and had lost almost all of his grace. With the jacket and shirt removed Gabriel began to tug at the hem of the grey t-shirt. It wasn't any easier. He was about to give up when he heard rushing footsteps. Turning he smiled as Claire appeared with the duffle bags. Dropping them at Gabriel's feet.
"Thanks Kiddo."
"What now?" she frowned.
Gabriel shrugged. "I don't have a clue. I guess you might as well make yourself at home. No. Wait." he stalled her. "Did you see any salt in the kitchen?"
"Right. I'll check. Doors and windows right?"
Gabriel smiled with a nod. As she ran off again, he turned back to his task at hand. He wished he had enough grace to just heal the hunter but that wasn't going to happen, not anytime soon. Bending over the duffle he rummaged through the clothes to find the first aid tin Sam had used on him.
He flipped up the lid and sighed, pulling out a small pair of scissors. Turning back to the hunter he began to cut up the center of the grey tee, ignoring the fusion of heat that seeped into him as warm tanned flesh was revealed to his gaze. When he'd cut it all the way to the neck he pushed it aside, giving himself the opportunity to brush his palms against the warm skin as he did so. With the material hanging loosely on either side of Sam's board chest, he reached for the towel and water. Cleaning the wound in the man's side. He didn't care about being gentle, and while he did received some pained moans but mostly Sam was out for the count.
When the water and towel were stained red Gabriel put them aside and pulled the tin back onto his lap.
"Kitchen and upstairs are done." Claire said rushing back into the window.
Gabriel nodded over to her as she made her way to the large window behind the couch. The ex-angel pulled out a needle and thread. He had absolutely no idea what he was doing. He was a damn archangel-turned-pagan god, when had he ever needed to know how to stitch up a wound.
"Is he going to be alright?" Claire asked, leaning over the back of the couch.
Gabriel looked at Sam's pale features and the wound in his side. "I hope so Kid." Taking a deep breath he went to work.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
Gabriel groaned as he fidgeting on the couch, cracking his eyes open. He didn't know how long he'd slept but it couldn't have been long. He still felt tired, bone wary. His gaze scanned the room. Claire was curled up asleep in the chair, while Sam was laid spread out across the couch with him, the giant's feet resting in his lap. Gabriel had to admit that he didn't at all like the look of the hunter, too pale. Deathly so. Gabriel chewed his lips unsure that to do.
Glancing over at the sleeping teenager Gabriel felt his stomach clench, she had to be protected, and he knew that. He also knew he couldn't do it. Turning he looked back at Sam and shifted closer. It wasn't like he was even meant to be here anyway, right? Closing his eyes, Gabriel reached for that small tiny bit of grace clinging to the corners of his existence. Reaching out his hand, he laid it over the wound. The heat seeping into his bones, his muscles and his flesh, before pouring out of him in a dim light.
The light died behind his eyes before it died in the room. The last thing he felt was Sam taking a deep breath and a heavy hand shaking his shoulder.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
Gabriel opened his eyes slowly, groaning at the dull light that flooded in after an eternity of darkness.
"Your wake." Sam's voice rang in his head like an unwelcome bell.
"How long was I out?" Gabriel murmured, not moving from his place on the bed.
"Three days." Sam informed him matter-of-factly, no feeling or concern in his ton. "How do you feel?"
Gabriel thought about that for a moment. "Empty." he sighed, closing his eyes once more as a fresh wave of wariness over took him.
Sam stared at the ex-archangel. When he'd come round he'd found the man passed out on top of him, his wound healed. He'd figured out what had happened instantly. The damn idiot had healed him and almost died in the process.
"You shouldn't have done it. I would have healed." Sam snapped.
"You were getting a fever." Gabriel replied, his eyes locked shut. "Claire needed to be protected and we both know I'm in no condition to do it. So your life for mine. I'm dead already, remember."
Sam huffed, grumbling nonsense under his breath.
"Where is Claire?" Gabriel asked, eyes still closed to the world.
"Down stairs, watching TV. Reading."
"Why are you even still here? You should be out finding somewhere safe for her. Trying to figure out what they want with her."
"We're safe here. I've demon and angel proofed the whole house. Even got enough bleach to clean the white house for a year. We're staying put for the time being."
Gabriel finally opened his eyes. "For how long?"
Sam didn't answer, instead taking the bowl of cold water and marching out of the room.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
"How is he?" Claire asked the moment Sam appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
"Awake."
"Is he alright? I mean…."
"He's alive. Other than that." he shrugged.
Claire had been fussing over Gabriel for days, worrying about him, asking questions. She'd sat at his bedside for hours until Sam had to drag her away. When he'd asked why she care, she'd just shrugged and said she didn't know, but that she just couldn't help but be drawn to him. Sam had quickly put it down to her small stint as an angel.
"Can I go see him?"
Sam was tempted to say no, instead he just shrugged and listened to her rush up the stairs as he poured the water down the drain. He couldn't explain why but he'd been angry at the man for days. Even before he'd woken up to find him near dead in his lap. Though that had really put the cherry on the cake. He'd thought it was because of the lies in the past and the fear that he might not be all he seemed, but if he was honest, he suspected it was rooted in what had happened between them. In Gabriel's attempted seduction. In that kiss they'd share that made his stomach churn at the same moment as making his body warm. Whatever it was, he couldn't shake it.
With the bowl empty, he set it aside and strolled into the ramshackle living room, grabbing his computer. One thing Gabriel was right about, they needed to know why demons were after Claire. He boosted up his computer for the first time in days and began to search for anything that might lead him to answers, but with little to go on, and with no one to call for help, Sam's research came to nothing.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
Three days later Gabriel was out of bed and it didn't take Sam long to realise that he wasn't an archangel or pagan god anymore when he stubbed his toe on the stairs as he descended on unsteady legs. He'd yelled blue murder, bringing Sam running in front the kitchen, with a shot gun at the ready.
"For crying out loud Gabriel!"
Gabriel hopped over to the ratty couch with his bare foot in his hand. Crashing down on the worn out cushions. "Don't shout at me Sasquatch!" he yelled back. "I think I've broken my foot."
Claire was sat at the open fireplace, watching the pair of them, a look of amusement on her face. She'd been listening to them argue for days and it never ceased to make her want to laugh. She had once received two furious glares from the pair.
Rolling his eyes, Sam put the shot-gun on the couch and knelt to drag the now human archangel's foot into his lap. "Can you bend your toes?"
"Are you crazy?"
"Bend them or I will." Sam demanded.
With his amber eyes boring into Sam's face, he cringed as he forced his toes to bend, hissing at the pain.
"It's not broken. You just stabbed it, it'll be fine in a few minutes." Sam dropped the foot unceremoniously and got to his feet, heading back to the kitchen.
"You could be a little more sympathetic." Gabriel grumbled.
Sam glared at him. "Oh, you mean like you've been."
"Meaning?"
"I don't remember you being too sympathetic when you killed all those people at that university. Or when you killed Dean a thousand times."
"Hey, no fair. I was trying to help."
Sam scoffed and walked out of the room. Gabriel didn't wait a second, he pushed himself out of his seat and rushed after the man.
"Hey, it would have worked if it hadn't been for the demon whore you were screwing. - And I never killed anyone. Those jerks back at the university killed their damn selves, I just presented them with the choice!"
Sam turned to meet the shorter man's gaze. "Watch your damn mouth!" he yelled pointing to the other room. "And it wasn't all down to Ruby. You could have just told me straight out what was planned. Maybe I wouldn't have trusted her in the first place."
"You were already trusting her!" Gabriel snapped. "Would you really have listened to me over the bitch that was yanking your chain? - You didn't even listen to Dean, for heaven's sake. You were so sure you were right! That you knew best and look were it got us? You got me killed, you almost got us all killed! So don't lay that shit at my door!"
Sam's green eyes bored into him, his fingers curling up tight as he itched to punch the little shit in the face. He took a step forward, towering over the ex-archangel, his jaw clenched so tight he could almost feel his teeth cracking under the pressure. Gabriel's gaze was locked with him, not so much as batting an eyelid. The room was filled with an electrifying tension that sucked all of the air out. The only sound was the heavy breaths of the two men.
Then it was broken as Claire came rushing in, face flushed, and eyes wide.
"Sam! I think you need to see this."
Sam stepped back quicker than he probably should have, his eyes flickering to Claire with a hint of guilt, like he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't have. "What?"
"I think….it's a case."
Sam frowned. "A case? Claire…"
_What Doesn't Kill You_
"I can't go on a hunt. I need to…."
"I'll be fine, we'll be fine." Claire insisted, glancing over at Gabriel who sat on the couch watching the exchange. "Right Gabriel?"
"Don't look at me kid, Sasquatch's the boss. Right Sammy?"
Sam glared at him. "He can't protect you Claire."
"You have a job Sam. I know how important it is. We both do." she smiled at Gabriel again, wanting his help, but the ex-archangel just shrugged. "You can't stop hunting. People need you."
"You need me."
"This house is safe." Claire insisted, waving at the Enochian and sigils and devils traps on every available survive. "We'll be fine for a few days."
Sam shook his head. "I can't."
Claire slumped. "So you're just going to give up and do what? Shuffled around the house, going slowing out of your mind and fighting endlessly with Gabriel till you finally kill each other?"
Sam glanced at the other man, clenching his jaw tight.
"Dean would want you to keep hunting."
"She's got you on that one, Sammy."
"Don't call me Sammy." the hunter snapped, narrowing his gaze at the pair. "And Dean's not here."
"So?"
"So I don't have to do what he says or wants anymore." Sam grumbled, getting to his feet.
"And what about when he gets back?" Gabriel said nonchalantly. "How's he going to feel when he finds out you turned your back on your duty?"
Sam's head snapped around to glare at the ex-angel. "He isn't coming back." he said, his voice filled with pain.
"Right, because our brothers don't have a talent for resurrection?" Gabriel scoffed, rolling his eyes. "If I made it out of that place, I'll lay money that those two are already finding a way home."
Sam shook his head. It wasn't that he didn't want believe that, it was that he couldn't to believe it. They'd used up all their chances between the three of them. Their luck had to have run out by now and he couldn't hold on to that hope again, it would kill him.
"Listen Sasquatch, whether you like it or not this is who you are. You're a hunter. Now if you think you can live with yourself knowing that people out there are going to die while you sit back and do nothing, fine. Go ahead. But don't use us as an excuse!" Gabriel snapped getting off the couch and marching out of the house.
Sam watched him go with a frown, his eyes following his exit. After a few moments he turned back to Claire inhaling deeply. "Fine. Print that up."
Claire beamed at him as Sam turned and followed the ex-angel out of the house.
Gabriel was sat on the porch, staring out over the empty abandoned field. Sam lowered himself down next to him.
"What to tell me what that was all about?" Sam asked quietly.
Gabriel shrugged.
"Gabriel?"
"Look. I was just…." he sighed and dropped his head into his hands. "You can still make a difference." he murmured after a few minutes, looking up at the dried grass.
Sam sat silently, watching the wind play with the field. "And what if I just want to…."
"Give up? Quit?" Gabriel whispered.
"Yeah."
"Trust me, running away won't help. I should know. Eventually you'll hate yourself."
Sam looked at him out of the corner of his eyes.
"Eventually someone will turn up on your doorstep and make you see just how selfish you were being, and it'll be too late to fix it."
"You did fix it." Sam murmured. "You help us stop Lucifer. - Hell, you tried to stop it from happening."
"Yeah, too little too late." Gabriel shook his head, scoffing at himself.
Sam watched him, took in the dark rings beneath his once bright eyes. Noticed for the first time the paleness of his features and his stomach clenched. He'd been so focused on being angry at the ex-angel; he hadn't considered how any of this was really affecting him.
"I'll be heading out soon, which means you're going to have to watch over Claire. - You going to be alright with that?"
Gabriel's head snapped around to stare wide eyed at him. "You're going?"
Sam shrugged. "Just this once."
Gabriel smirked. "Yeah, sure."
"Are you going to be okay watching over Claire?" Sam repeated, ignoring the ex-angel's remark.
"We'll be fine. - I may be a dead battery Sammy, but I'm still an archangel, I can kick a little ass when the moment presents itself."
Sam looked him up and down. "Yeah, sure you can."
"Yeah. I have you know, I…."
Sam didn't give him time to finish, he pushed himself off the steps and marched back into the house.
It took him an hour to gather his stuff and talk the pair through the dos and don'ts.
"Yes, honey. We know. No letting in the evil demons that want our heads on a stick." Gabriel chuckled, his arm slung nonchalantly over Claire's shoulders as the watched Sam load the trunk.
"Just be careful. I should be back in three day."
Gabriel rolled his eyes. "We'll be fine, just go already. We've got a party to plan."
Sam's head snapped around to glare at Gabriel.
"He's kidding Sam." Claire laughed, nudging Gabriel in the ribs. "Stop talking or he'll never leave."
Sam looked between the pair, weighing up if he really should go. - Whether he wanted to go. Finally in inhaled deeply and opened the driver's door. "Okay. Three days."
Claire nodded. "See ya soon."
The pair stood watching the Impala distance itself from the house, both of them waving. When the car had finally vanished, Gabriel released a wary sigh. He felt Claire slip from under his arm, but he didn't move from his spot on the driveway, his eyes still fixed on the now empty horizon. A silent prayer going around his head that Sam would return in one piece. - Not that he cared.
A/N: Thank you for following this story. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.