New chapter! Yay! I ran out of lyrics to use from Let Me Down, and since the tone of the story is going to change, I figured I'd put in a part two with a different song, Dead In The Water

Part Two-Dead In The Water

"The ice is thinning out

And my feet brace themselves"-Dead In The Water, Ellie Goulding

Gabriel knew he was being really creepy, watching Sam sleep on his bed, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to make sure Sam didn't run off again, and wanted to reassure himself that his friend was safe.

Gabriel had never felt more afraid than when he pulled up to Sam, who was too weak to stand. Of course, Gabe had suspected that Sam was homeless, but knowing it was so much different than just suspecting. So much different. All he wanted to do was murder John for doing this to his own son, and for hitting him at the hospital. Gabriel looked over at Sam sharply. How often had he been abused before he was abandoned?

Gabriel wanted to cry and scream just thinking about it.

Sam woke up an hour later, when Gabriel was in the bathroom. He looked around, clutching the sheets, he wanted nothing more than to escape, but Gabriel walked back in, and the determined set of his face told Sam he wasn't going anywhere soon. He sat down next to Sam, holding a large plate of waffles. "Eat."

Sam did, figuring he would wait to make his case. Besides, the waffles were fucking amazing. He was halfway through them before Gabriel said anything.

"What the fuck, Sam?" he seemed to like that phrase, Sam noted, shrugging. "Answer me! My best friend's homeless, and barely let me help."

Sam's eyes widened, and he looked down at his food. "It's better that way."

"What the hell does that mean?"

Sam shrugged.

"No." Gabriel snapped. "You don't get to do this, Sam."

"Why the hell not?" Sam shot back.

"Because I know there's more you're not telling me."

"You're wrong." Sam lied.

Dean glared at his father, who ignored Dean and continued to pull book after book from the library shelving. All Dean wanted to do was return to Sammy, but he knew that for now, that wasn't an option. So he took in a deep breath and copied John's actions, flipping through hundreds of pages when they had gathered enough reading material. John eventually pulled out his laptop, and looked there.

Dean sighed. Oh, Sammy.

Sam, Gabriel, and Castiel returned to school the following Monday. No matter how much Sam protested and fought the Novaks, all but Zachariah insisted he stay with them. Sam wasn't able to get in contact with Dean, so unless he ran away, which he didn't really want to do, he was stuck.

Gabe and Cas hunted Sam down at lunchtime, and Gabriel pressed food into Sam's hand after seeing that the boy, for whatever reason, didn't have any with him. He silenced Sam's attempt at arguing, and the three of them sat there in awkward silence for a minute.

"Why did you not bring food with you, Sam?" Cas asked, his eyes confused and questioning. Sam shrugged but didn't say anything.

Gabriel didn't get it. Sam had never been happy accepting help before, but ever since it was revealed that he was homeless he absolutely refused any help unless it was forced onto him. He almost seemed embarrassed, but that didn't make much sense. They'd known each other for a while now, why didn't he trust Gabriel, at least? Why wouldn't Sam even admit that something was eating at him at least, and what was it? All Gabriel wanted to do was help. He wanted to see Sam smile again, a real smile, not the sad twitch of the lips or the obviously fake happiness on his face.

"I think I found something." Dean looked over at his father, trying not to get his hopes up. John walked over to his son, looking over to the section of the book Dean was pointing at. John's lips rose in a smile, and he looked at Dean with pride.

"Good job, son."

"Now what?" Dean asked, feeling a sudden bolt of panic for his brother. What would happen to Sammy during this?"

John did nothing to shake Dean's dread. "Now we go find Sam."

Sam really didn't want to go back to the Novaks, so he used the excuse of needing the school library to do research for a project, which while it wasn't a lie, it wasn't the truth either. He had finished the project the day after it was assigned to him, and ended up just sitting in the library for a few hours before returning to the Novak's house. Gabriel was waiting for him with food and a disapproving look.

"You barely ate at lunch today."

Sam grumbled and took the plate of nachos, sitting with Gabriel on the couch. Cas and Michael were upstairs doing whatever the two of them did, and Sam squirmed under Gabriel's watchful eye for a few seconds before it started to piss him off.

"What the hell is up with you?" Sam asked.

Gabriel looked ready to punch Sam. "Why won't you talk to us anymore?"

Sam wasn't sure how to answer that one, so he didn't.

The shit is going to hit the fan pretty soon, but before that happens, I'm curious. Does anyone have ideas of what John and Dean are planning? And why Sam's acting strange? Let me know!