"Yes, Crowley. I think that we're both confused here. See, what I don't get here, is why Castiel, summoned me. Care to explain." Cas picked the demon knife up off of the table, pointing it at Crowley's throat. "We both know what's going on here. What I don't know, is how you got hold of the extra power to make it happen."

"You know, part of the deal was that I wouldn't kill you, and you wouldn't kill me. And as an assurance that you wouldn't kill me, because we both know that you desperately want to. So if you kill me, then I'll send hundreds of my boys to have a not- so- friendly chat with your boys. How do you like the idea of that?" Cas stepped forward, "Yeah, but you know what? I don't really care anymore. If you were to send your demons to kill them, I wouldn't raise a finger to help them. And I think that you know why."

"Cas. What the Hell? Deal? Crowley? You made a deal with Crowley? This isn't how we do things." Crowley leaned out from behind Cas so that he could see Dean, "Sorry, Squirrel, but it kind of is how you do things. John and Azazel? You and one of my crossroad demons? Sam and the same crossroad demon? You see, you boys are all tripping over each other just to be the next in line for sacrifice. But Cas here, he's smart enough not to make an actual demon deal, we shook hands. No kissing involved, so don't get jealous."

"I'm not-!"

"Dean! Why aren't we asking the more important question here? Uh, why is Crowley alive?" Sam threw himself into the argument, trying to get some answers before one of them killed another. Probably Dean killing Crowley. Sam just wanted answers. "Listen. I think that we'd all like some answers here, and it looks like Cas understands everything right now. So let's just stop arguing, stop trying to kill each other, and let Cas explain. Thank you." Cas shifted nervously, and Crowley lowered the knife with his finger while Cas was distracted. He glared at Crowley when he realized what he was doing, bringing it back up to his neck. "I summoned you because I want answers. I want to know why you're doing all of this. I just don't get it."

"Doing all of what? All I've done today is... make a deal, work on our project, torture a couple souls, and drink some scotch. Very typical day if you ask me. So I don't get why you decide to summon me here, allowing your PETS to see me. You are atypical thing here! Not me. So I'd like answers from YOU!" Cas stared at him, appearing slightly surprised that Crowley genuinely didn't appear to know what was going on. "But- the time loop. That wasn't you?"

"You think it was Crowley, though? I just don't think that he would be able to pull it off."

"Yeah Cas." Dean was the one to speak now, "I mean, it does seem a little crazy, like-"

"I swear to God, if you say dingo- ate- my- baby- crazy I will chop off your head right now." Dean looked a little taken aback by Sam, "Geez, Sam. It's just a phrase! How many time did you hear me say dingo- at- my- baby- crazy on Tuesday?" Sam just sighed, "Too many times, Dean. Too many times." Dean shook his head, and turned back to Cas. Dean was about to open him mouth to say something when Cas spoke instead, "I'm sorry Dean. I can't do this. I just can't. And I'm sorry for this. I'm sorry for everything Dean." He slowly reached up his hand, and set it on Dean's forehead. There was a flash of bright light.

Angel with a- Cas turned off the radio. He wasn't in the mood for that anyway. Okay. Let's go through this logically. This could only be an Angel. And they must be close, somewhere they can watch us. Where they can blend in. The diner. Cas left the hotel room with a fluttering of wings, appearing in the middle of the diner. "I know what you are! Just- let me out. Why are you doing this? Why?" Nobody said anything, just staring at him with slightly blank expressions, "I can do this by talking, or-" He slid his Angel blade out of his coat sleeve. "If I kill everyone here, one of you is bound to be the one I'm looking for."

"But you think that it'd be over then?" The man in the corner booth stood up. setting his strawberry syrup down on the table. Strawberry. "You really think that I'd be stupid enough to just be here. Especially after the near disaster with Luci?"

"Gabriel. Gabriel? Gabriel! You died. Lucifer killed you." Gabriel (been figured out) morphed back into the vessel that Cas had learned to call Gabriel. Gabriel abandoned his pancakes, and walked over to where Cas stood. "Cas. I didn't die at that hotel. You really think that I'd be stupid enough to literally walk right into the danger zone, as myself? No! I like life too much! You know that. I mean, seriously Cassie, you never once considered that I'd survived that? Come on! I thought that you were smarter than that!" Cas sighed, "It was the Apocalypse, Gabriel. We kind of got used to our friends dying. We didn't want to get false hope that, maybe, one had survived." Gabriel scoffed. "I forgot how depressing you were. Lighten up, Cassie!" Cas glared at Gabriel, "Stop calling me Cassie. My name is Castiel. Cas is fine." Gabriel smirked, "Oh so you like that name that Dean-o gives you, but when I give you a nickname you shoot it down? Come on. Oh, I heard from Sammy about you two. I mean, I created the loop for a different reason, but if it gets you two knuckleheads together then..."

"Then why did you create the loop?"

"To get your attention." Cas looked murderous now, "You got my attention. Now break the loop." Gabriel laughed, "Ha! You think that that's it? You think that all I wanted to do is say hi and we'd both be on our merry way? No, to break the loop, you've got to break the deal." Cas tilted his head, interested now, "What deal?"

"You know what deal, Castiel! The deal with Crowley? The deal that'll open friggin' PURGATORY?! Unless you've forgotten about that little deal, you know exactly what deal, and exactly WHY you can't go through with it!"

"It'll be fine, Gabriel. I can handle the souls." This made Gabriel angry, "You can handle the souls? Oh, five million souls, and you can just HANDLE THEM? No you can't. I couldn't. You'll go mad with power, and oh, what am I forgetting? Oh yeah, LEVIATHANS! Leviathans Cas. Unless you'd forgotten about the stories, there's gonna be Leviathans in the mix with all those souls, cause if you hadn't thought, they're not gonna like being trapped up in Purgatory for millennia. And if you say that you can HANDLE the Leviathans- just- you can't Cas. I know you can't, you know you can't. We all know that Cas. What I don't get is why you're just IGNORING that."

"There's no other choice, Gabriel. There's no other way to defeat Raphael. Unless I have the power of more souls than I can get ahold of on Earth and in Heaven, I won't be able to defeat Raphael. Unless you want him to win. Because last time I checked, you were helping us stop the Apocalypse. And that's what will happen if Raphael wins and gets his way."

"Yeah Cas, but the thing is, if you win using Purgatory and the souls- huh, that sounds like a band name, Purgatory and the Souls. Anyway- if you win using them, then the Leviathans will have been let free, and that's not winning. That's destruction. Because the Leviathans are smart- God, I must sound like a broken record- and if they get loose, they're not getting back to their dimension. And I don't think that you want that to happen. They'll wipe out the humans, Cas. All of them. In less time than I'd like to admit. And then they'll eat us. All of the Angels. Me, you, Bath. Michael and Luci too, once they invade Hell. And then they're gonna eat everything on Earth. And then they're gonna eat each other. And then- then the world will be completely dead. Nothing. Cause face it Cas. If you screw this one up, Dad's not going to be there to save you! Dad's missing, or gone, or something! I don't know, but he's not going to save your ass on this one! So go away, and come back later with your answer. There's no way that you're going to break the time loop unless I do it. The only way that I'd do that is if you decide to try to defeat Raph some other way. Without the band experience. We don't need Purgatory and the Souls."


A/N: Deep, deep, deep into AU territory now. I think that this chapter;s the last chance to jump ship before things go wacko. But, longer chapter today, I decided to be nice to my 20 followers. I just love you all. But, yeah. I enjoy writing Gabriel. I feel that I can channel him well. I don't know why... Anywho- I just want you all to know that there's going to be maybe, two to three to four to five more chapters. What I'm saying is that we are more that halfway done with this story, and if I had to guess, then I would be a total of three more chapters. Next story'll be great though. New update on the stories.

Jinns and Soulful Staring
Conventions and Awkward Questions
Blades and Drunken Confessions
Tuesdays and Forgotten Kisses
Trees and Fluffy Cuddles
Witches and Adorable Children
Gabriel and Persistent Pestering

And that's the lineup for now. I will give you one little thing though- or not, I don't know, should I? Would it ruin something? You guys choose. Tell you or not tell you. Please like and comment! Thanks!