A/N: Update popped into my head so here you go.
Cas had a dilemma. He needed to get help and a mate for his sibling yet could not take him away from this place. Flight could very well damage the already weak chances of his brother's offspring. He could not risk doing something so drastic that it would kill the children.
Cas hated the truth but he knew he would have to leave his brother here alone for a bit. He could call the Winchesters to come pick them up but they were a few days away by car and Gabriel needed help much quicker than that. This meant that Cas had to leave and come back.
The younger angel whimpered as he nuzzled his currently fragile brother. He hugged him close, protectively filling him with warmth. Cas' heart ached as he gently laid the sleeping archangel down on the grass once more. Cas removed his suit coat as well and draped it over Gabriel to add another layer of heat.
Cas hesitantly got to his feet, brushing his feathers over his sibling before unmanifesting his wings. He swallowed tightly and stepped away from his brother, walking into the farmhouse. He wished that he could bring Gabriel inside but the ceiling looked like it was about to cave in at any given time. So instead, Cas searched the house and gathered up any abandoned bedding materials he could find and a few other supplies.
His task done after making sure the blankets were clean enough for use, he returned to his brother. He used the wall of the house and the largest of the blankets to make a lean-to tent over his brother. He took the remaining blankets into the tent. He covered his brother with two of the smaller ones and then used the rest to make a nest around him.
He crawled back out of the tent and quickly got to work with warding around the tiny encampment. He secured it with devil's traps, runes to keep out various monsters, and sigils so that other angels would not sense Gabriel's weak grace. He double-checked every ward to make sure that Gabriel was as safe as possible while Castiel was gone.
Once he was done, he crawled back into the tent and slipped his hand under the blankets. He cocooned the pups in a large helping of grace, letting them slowly absorb it. He tucked his brother in again and hugged him once before flying away.
~*~z~*~
It was a surprisingly slow day for the Winchesters but they were not complaining. They had just finished a large hunt the day before and were rather tired. Both brothers were relaxing in the library when their angel returned.
Sam listened to his brother's angry complaints about disappearing and reappearing boyfriends. The younger Winchester ignored his brother and instead focused on Cas' lack of coats and the worry lines creasing his face. He frowned and closed his book before walking over to the angel.
"Cas, what's wrong?" Sam asked softly, making Dean freeze immediately in worry. Cas whined softly and shook his head.
"It is my brother." The brothers froze warily at the sound of an angel being an issue but Cas continued before they could question him, "Gabriel is alive a-and he is unwell. I-I fear for his health." Both brothers were stunned. It had been years since Gabriel had died. How had he come back?
"What's wrong with the little jackass now?" Dean snarled but both of his companions could tell there was more masked worry than actual anger in his voice.
Sam was in shock. His heart ached and fluttered strangely at the news of Gabriel's return. Tears prickled at his eyes but he didn't understand why. He felt a confusing mixture of joy, confusion, regret, and anger twisting his insides. But still, he shook his head to clear it and gently led Cas over to a chair, sitting him down.
"Cas, tell us what's wrong. How can we help?" He urged gently, comfortingly squeezing Cas' shoulder while Dean grabbed them a pair of chairs.
"Gabriel is very weak currently." Cas' lip quivered as he wrung his hands in a very human gesture of worry, "His pregnancy has drained almost all of his grace and Trickster magic. He is helpless and ill."
"Wait, hold on!" Dean yelped in startled shock as Cas' words finally hit home, "His what?!"
"His pregnancy." Cas replied calmly as he cocked his head to the side and blinked at Dean. Sure, it was a bit of a shock but he didn't think it really warranted such an over the top reaction from his mate.
From his chair, Sam was staring at Cas with wide eyes. He flushed slightly at the news, his mind swirling in wonder at the strange notion of the archangel being pregnant. That wonder quickly turned to fear after all Cas had said about Gabriel's health issues. Was he and the child going to be alright?
"Are you trying to tell me that Gabe's vessel has been a chick this whole time?! I thought he was your brother, Cas!" Dean exclaimed, sounding more weirded out by the second.
"No, Dean, it makes sense." Sam cut in before Cas could reply, earning him a dumbfounded look from them both.
"How, Sammy? How the hell does any of this make sense?!"
"Simple." Sam smiled softly at them, flushing slightly, "Back at the hotel all those years ago, Kali called Gabriel Loki. If it's true that he is Loki, it would only make sense that Gabriel is the one that had all of Loki's children from Norse mythology."
"Wait, you mean like that psycho wolf and the six-legged freak of a horse?" Dean's words earned him a glare from Cas. If those creatures really were the children of his sibling, then Cas didn't feel that Dean had the right to insult them so.
"Yes, exactly, Dean." Sam perked up, finding this fascinating despite his worry, "It is said that Loki was the one pregnant for like half the kids. So, it makes complete sense that Gabriel could in theory become pregnant."
"Turns out he's trickier that we first guessed." Dean snickered at his own off-color joke, earning him a glare and slap to the head from Sam.
"Cas, if Gabriel has gotten pregnant before then why is he in danger now? And why not bring him here?" Sam asked, turning his focus back to their angel.
"Gabriel's vessel is not equipped for conceiving offspring, flight could compromise their failing health. He tried to conceive while in a female form but he says that it failed and did not take until he switched, his grace sparking life in his litter."
"Litter?" Both brothers asked awkwardly in unison, thinking Castiel had chosen the wrong word. That thought was cleared away when Cas nodded.
"Yes. There are currently five offspring of canine decent in his womb."
"You mean your brother got himself knocked up by a d-?!" Sam wasn't quick enough to cover Dean's mouth before words started but he stopped anymore from happening. Sam glared at his brother, trying to hide the fact that he found it adorable that Gabriel was having puppies.
"The fact that he's having puppies is not important, Dean." Sam growled at his brother, "What's important is that he doesn't lose them." Cas' gaze snapped to Sam as the words left the hunter's mouth. The angel's ethereal feathers fluffed up in interest at the acceptance and worry coming from Sam.
He made a soft chirring noise in the back of this throat as pieces started to fit together in his head. Sam was an accepting male human with natural gentle tendencies towards equally gentle mates. The hunter was strong enough to protect and provide for Gabriel, large enough to claim and groom him, and had a heart strong enough to love both Gabriel and the pups. The youngest Winchester was the ideal mate for Cas' sibling.
"You are correct, Sam. In order for the litter to survive, they need to be constantly absorbing grace to compensate for being raised in a male body." Cas told them sorrowfully, "But, Gabriel is too weak and he is already giving them all the grace he has. When I finally found him earlier, he was starting to miscarry the entire litter." Cas was filled with pride in his friends when they both gasped in horror. He knew by their reactions that they would both accept his brother.
"A-are they okay?" Dean asked softly, his natural protective nature towards children over-riding all other feelings.
"For now. I was able to save his offspring by providing them my own grace but it is not nearly as strong as his. His pups will require far more grace than I can ever obtain in order to live." Cas' shoulders drooped and Dean quickly took his boyfriend's hand comfortingly, "They need the grace of an archangel if they are to make it to term."
"But how can they get it if he's too weak to produce more?" Sam asked fearfully, trying not to think about innocent puppies dying before they were even born.
"Gabriel requires a mate." Cas informed them slowly, "Being claimed by a loving mate and having his wings groomed throughout the pregnancy will allow him to produce enough grace to keep them alive."
"Where's the son of a bitch who got him pregnant?! Shouldn't he being taking care of your brother?" Dean growled as he gently linked fingers with Cas.
"Gabriel was abandoned by his breeding partner after so many failed attempts and therefore has no one to care for him or the litter." Cas' response had Dean's blood seething. He didn't care who or what a father was, if you knocked someone up then you took it like a man and cared for that person and the baby.
"What can we do then?" Sam asked miserably.
"Gabriel requires a mate to provide for him." Cas looked at Sam imploringly, "Sam, you have all the qualities of the mate he requires." The words made Sam gasp in shock, leaving him stunned. He blinked and looked towards Dean for guidance like always. His brother's green eyes softened and the older man nodded.
"You have to do it, Sammy." Dean pleaded gently to his sibling, "Gabriel was a grade-A jerk but he didn't deserve to die for us and he doesn't deserve to lose his kids now. Plus, it did seem like he always did kinda like you." Sam slowly smiled and nodded slowly to Dean before looking back at Cas.
"Alright, I'll do it. Let me get some things packed and you can take me to stay with him while you and Dean come get us in the Impala." The strength in Sam's conviction lightened Cas' heart. He nodded, relieved that his brother would be cared for by his young friend.
~*~Chapter End~*~
