Disclaimer: I don't own a damn thing of Supernatural. None of it is mine.
Warnings: yaoi slash GabrielxSam, blood and gore, mild language
Chapter 7: Questions Left Unanswered
Gabriel landed roughly in...wait this wasn't Stull Cemetery. He looked around quickly, his grip on Sam's limp body tightening in his arms, ready to protect him from any sudden danger.
Crickets chirped around them as a gentle breeze blew by. The most danger they were in out here was a mosquito bite.
Maybe he was over-reacting alittle but the arch angel felt the need to squish every single bug that surrounded them. But then again, he had just escaped Hell with his prized possession right from under his brother's noses. He's ok with feeling alittle paranoid considering he doesn't even know where the horse-men's rings spit them back out. What was the logic to Lucifer's cage anyways? Those keys were almost useless and he had half a mind just to eat them so he'd never have to see them again. After covering them with whipped cream and chocolate syrup first of course.
Sam moaned in his embrace, his face turning towards Gabriel and leaning against him so his face was buried in the crook of Gabriel's neck and shoulder. Sam's dark red blood coated the both of them as Gabriel realized he was right back in his original black button-up that wasn't up to date with his white one that had remained spotless the entire trip through Hell. White shirt should seriously send black shirt a memo that Arch Angel's clothing wasn't supposed to be stained with blood. Especially not Sam's own precious blood.
He gently hugged Sam close one more time before carefully lifting him away from his own body, laying him down on the dead grass that made a slight crunch beneath them. His emerald eyes had returned to their normal olive green flecked with brown as he scanned over Sam's body, getting an up close and personal bit-by-bit review of what Michael and Lucifer had done to his Sammy.
It wasn't pretty.
Gabriel resisted closing his eyes against the gore on his lover's body, who laid limp this whole time without the energy to do more than weakly make pitiful noises and watch the angel with half-lidded glazed over hazel eyes.
He touched his pointer and middle finger together to Sam's forehead and let his pure angelic energy flow through him into Sam sending familiar static electricity feelings humming through the angel's own body as he felt his power healing Sam's battered human form. He'd drain all of his energy without a second thought if that was what it'd take to save Sam's life.
Within seconds hazel eyes blinked aware, opening all the way and scanning his surroundings. A hand went to his shirtless chest skimming over the soft skin below as a reflex, checking for the damages he remembered obtaining.
Confusion blinked in his eyes and he looked up at Gabriel, slowly sitting up, the silence between them growing by the second.
"You didn't die..."
It wasn't a question but a statement, and Gabriel swallowed the lump in his throat before simply nodding instead, not having the words to face Sam with.
"We watched that video..." He flinched as he assumed Sam and Dean had watched alittle too much of the video. He'd only meant to lighten the mood for them after telling them he was dead but he remembered getting a bit carried away with the scantily clad female he'd created. A nagging voice sounded in his head wanting to know if it had made Sam jealous but he pushed it aside as Sam continued.
"If you weren't dead why didn't you come back?"
And there it was. The million-dollar answer that the angel didn't have a legitimate excuse for. He'd been thinking about what to say to Sam when this conversation finally come and here it was and he still had nothing to say. He'd abandoned Sam just like he had Michael, and now poor Andy too just to save his own ass from having to fight his brothers again. Maybe he could start off with the cliche 'it wasn't you, it was me' line but the thought of that had him suddenly wishing he hadn't compleatly healed Sam before this conversation so that he wouldn't have the energy to punch the shit out of the angel for whatever his answer was going to be.
"Dean was right about me...I didn't have the balls to stand up to my brothers." Remembering the hunter yelling at him not once, but twice about that very thing. The first time when he was trapped in the circle of holy fire and the second in the back of the Impala.
Something flickered across Sam's face, momentarily forgetting his anger at Gabriel for lying and faking his death and his breath hitched.
"Dean? Where is he? Is he ok? The last thing I remember...oh god...ohmygod I beat the shit out of him." The words rushed out of his mouth at once as realization hit as hard as he had hit his older brother and Sam leaned forward, a hand over his mouth as if he were about to puke and Gabriel scooted closer, rubbing his hand in circles on the human's back.
"He's fine. Became one hell of an alcoholic overnight and probably sent some guy to the hospital..." Gabriel drifted off, reminding himself to return the rings to Dean and make sure he didn't kill anyone when he found out they were missing. "Last time I saw him he was on his way to see some chick named Lisa..."
Sam sighed in relief for his brother keeping the last promise he'd made him, running a hand through his long locks of hair and Gabriel had the urge to swat his hand away and run his own through instead. He wanted to resist breaking personal boundaries until he was sure Sam wasn't upset with him anymore. He needed to explain everything and make it right...
Wait a second, he shook his head. What was he thinking? He was the Trickster for crying out loud. The legendary Norse God Loki and the 'Heaven-Almighty' Arch Angel Gabriel. When did he ever not do what he wanted or explain things?
And right now all Gabriel wanted was to be close to Sam. In an instant, Gabriel climbed onto Sam's lap straddling him and wrapping his arms around Sam's shoulders, hugging him tight and as close as he could without squeezing all the oxygen out of the human.
For a second Sam stiffened but with a deep breath he relaxed in the angel's grip and let his forehead rest against his chest as he felt Gabriel's chin and soft breath on top of his head, the fingers wrapped around his shoulders fiddling and twirling the ends of his hair that reached down his neck. Sam wrapped his own arms around Gabriel's body, loosely around the waist at first, and then if sudden desperation to be close and feel the angel alive and breathing he gripped it tighter, his muscles flexing around Gabriel's back.
"I can't believe i'm actually glad you lied to me..."
Gabriel smirked knowing the double meaning was that he was glad Gabriel wasn't dead but was caught off guard when Sam roughly shoved him off into the dirt.
"Don't EVER do that again."
The trademark Cheshire cat grin was back on the tricksters face. Him and Sam had been down this long road before of trying to get answers out of the evasive red-head and all it had caused was headaches and half-assed truths after days of poking and prodding with persistent questions. All that had gotten Sam last time he pushed the tricky angel for answers was landing in the middle of an anime convention in full cosplay playing a game of 'Where's Waldo - oh but wait, Waldo's in disguise so have fun with that headache' , which was not something the hunter was wanting to repeat.
The need for answers was pushed aside as the need to be close overcame the both of them and Sam laid down in Gabriel's arms on the dead grass, not even giving a second thought to the dirt pressing into his skin or the bugs crawling around. Gabriel wrapped his arms around him once more, skimming one hand up and down the human's backside and curled his head in to nuzzle his neck and feel the pulse throbbing there and hearing the gentle thump of Sam's heart as he laid close to his own chest. It had been far too long since he'd last felt or heard that familiar sound and motion. Far too long.
Sam silently forgave the arch angel for the moment for his deciet. He remembered the heartache he'd felt, the painful tears that leaked out at night or in the shower when Dean couldn't see him and he couldn't hold back the depression anymore that Gabriel, his angel, was gone. But yet here he was, safe in his arms after rescusing him from Hell itself and all that mattered was right now, this moment, and he wanted this to last forever.
But he couldn't. He'd left his brother bloody and broken and he remembered the pain he'd felt when he'd lost Gabriel. He remembered the desperation Dean had gone through the last time he'd died that had cost him his soul. He couldn't let his brother suffer thinking he was dead again. He had to go see him.
Gabriel sighed, knowing that far-away determined look in Sam's hazel eyes as the look the hunter got whenever he was worried about his older brother, his eyebrows scrunched in a slight puppy dog expression.
He lifted his face to Sam's, green eyes locking onto hazel eyes that looked on the verge of tears. Running one hand down the side of his face he felt the slight stubble that was starting to grow back. Sam made the first move, leaning forward and capturing the angel's lips between his own. A gentle, loving kiss at first that opened turning into passionately kissing each other deeply with a desperate intensity and leaving the both of them laying on the ground in each other's embrace gasping for air.
"I love you." Gabriel whispered in Sam's ear, as he'd always had before the hunter fell asleep at night.
After a moment where Gabriel was expecting the usual silence that followed Sam finally said the words back to him for the first time.
"I love you too."
Gabriel grinned and wrapped his arms tight around Sam once more.
"Damn right you do. You think i'd go to Hell for just anyone? Pfft, I don't think so you lucky bastard you."
Sam smiled back, one of the few genuine smiles from the young Winchester that he'd seen since he'd met him.
"But Gabriel..."
Gabriel sighed and let his head fall back to the Earth with a soft thump.
"Gabe..."
Sam leaned over him trying to make eye contact as Gabriel looked away.
"Gabey-baby, I need to go to Dean."
"Ok, ok fine!" the angel sat up, playfully shoving at the taller human. "Just never call me that again."
"What? Gabey-baby?"
That earned Sam a fake glare. "Yes. That."
And with a snap of the trickster's fingers they re-appeared in the middle of a suburban neighborhood. The street lamp overhead them flickered in protest of the angel's energy around it as Gabriel stood back in the shadows watching Sam.
Sam stepped forward into the light, his eyes on the yellow house across the street with the beloved classic 1967 Chevy Impala sitting in the driveway. He could hardly believe Dean hadn't washed his baby yet and looked away from the dent in the passenger side door as he remembered he was the one that caused it by letting that bastard Lucifer have control over his body and slam his own big brother into it. He was at least thankful that the windshield had been replaced.
Through the window he could see Dean sitting at the table with Lisa and Ben. A beer in one hand and a normal family dinner on the table. He was glad his brother was safe, but he didn't miss the empty, dead gaze in Dean's usually virberant green eyes and felt his heart constrict, fighting the urge to rush through the door and tackle the ever-living-crap out of Dean onto the floor in a brotherly fashion and force a chick flick moment on him to reassure him he was still alive.
But he remembered his own reaction when Dean himself had come back from Hell. The disbelief that turned into anger thinking a demon or worse was possessing his brother and the fury at the thought of his brothers image being used and tarnished causing him to attack Dean with the knife before Bobby had separated them and talked him down.
It wouldn't be easy for Dean to believe Sam was back without being Lucifer's prom dress. It'd be even harder for him to accept Gabriel being alive as well and Sam gave him a backwards glance, feeling re-assured at the angel standing beside him in the dark, arms crossing and waiting silently. He needed time, he needed help, to make Dean accept and understand what had happened. Last time Dean had gone to Bobby...maybe Bobby could help him once again. Maybe he could even find Castiel to talk to Dean, whom he was surprised hadn't shown up yet.
He turned back to Gabriel who looked surprised that he wasn't going to kick down the door to hug his brother.
"I...I need more time." He looked away as if he were ashamed of himself and the angel nodded, snapping his fingers once more.
They vanished mere split seconds before Dean lifted his head to look out the window, almost swearing that he'd seen someone familiar standing under the dim street light.
There would be time to make-up to Dean. Things weren't going to calm down just because Gabriel's little bro Lucy was back in his cage with Michael. Gabriel didn't believe for a second that Azriel was dead - that cage zapped them of their powers as a safeguard to keeping Lucifer from escaping on his own. The most that blast of light had probably done was banish the daughter of Azazel painfully back to another section of Hell. That'd be another bridge they'd have to cross when they came to it. Azriel was a persistent bitch and he was sure he'd see her back on Earth soon enough.
Until that time came, he was going to spend as much time as close as possible to his Sammy that he finally had back, safe in his arms, hearing his heartbeat once again.
SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN
Meanwhile, a truck driver named Mitch Styes cruised down a dark back highway road in Oklahoma. He was behind schedule and his boss was going to give him a harsh talking to in the morning if he couldn't make up for lost time and get the delivery on time.
Under the dim light of the sun breaking the early horizon and the quickly fading stars, he saw a figure walking down the side of the road alone, hitchhiking. Had that kid been walking this creepy highway all night? Well that sucks to be him. Mitch never picked up hitchhikers. He wasn't one of those friendly guys that would slow down and open their doors for just anyone they felt sorry for. No sir, far too many horror movies started out that way and he was not about to become some meat-cleaver's toy in some backwoods hick's run-down house with his inbred children. He had a kid back in Iowa that needed a child support payment by the end of this month. He couldn't afford shit like that. Or to slow down and play taxi for some stranger.
He pressed his foot to the accelerator to speed past the kid when a strange sensation came over him. His thoughts calmed and he found himself thinking, hey, it's just a poor kid down on his luck. What are the chances of getting murdered by a hitchhiker anyway? Slim to none. He slowed down beside the guy who had stopped walking and was now watching the approaching truck. Mitch had a good feeling about this, and it had been a long time since he'd had a good feeling.
Rolling down the window the man on the side of the road called out to him.
"Give me a lift to Guthrie, Oklahoma?"
The strange sensation was back, washing over Mitch and calming him.
"Sure, hope on in!" He called out cheerily as the cab door opened and the kid climbed into the passenger side. He looked to be in his early twenties and his clothes were ripped and dirty as if he'd been walking for days and he looked on the verge of death.
"Hey...let me have that water?" He pointed at a bottle in the cup holder by Mitch's leg as the truck started picking up speed again.
"Sure thing, help yourself!" Mitch picked up the bottle and handed it off to the kid who downed the whole thing in seconds and had Mitch quickly worrying about his health and if he should stop by a hospital for him.
"You ok? You look like you've been through hell."
Andy smirked and leaned back into the cushion seat, watching the scenery whiz by as he headed home.
"Yea...you could say that."
END
Thanks for reading! For the sake of explanations, we'll say that God has a soft spot for Gabriel after all and when Lucifer's cage re-opened, he shooped Andy out as a thank for for helping one of his angel-sons. I couldn't just leave him down there, he was one of my all-time favorite characters right there next to Gabe and Ash.
There probably won't be another GabrielxSam sequel to Fake Reality or this. I figured it was good to stop at the same place the season 5 finale did since this was supposed to take place while Dean was driving to Lisa's house. But i'll probably come out with some little one-shots about Gabe and Sam's time together inbetween Changing Channels and Hammer of the Gods. So keep a look out.
However, since Azriel didn't die, Webber is probably still alive and kicking - in hell or on earth too? There may be a possibility for an Andy/Webber sequal if anyone is interested.