Chapter 7
Castiel bowed his head and frowned as if Dean had spoken in a different language and Castiel was rummaging through his entire repertoire of languages to translate what Dean had just said into Enochian or any other language that he had a better grasp of. "That doesn't make sense. Even if I were to believe the torture is the result of some dispute, why would my brother or sister allow Abaddon to bear witness?"
"The why isn't so much important right now," Dean said. "If we're going to save that poor bastard in there, we need a plan." Dean looked to Sam for help.
Sam shrugged. The best they had ever done against Abaddon was temporarily immobilize her. Even that had taken a great sacrifice, and they had the advantage of surprise then. "We could try carving another devil's trap on a bullet, but that's going to take some time. Unless…" Sam paused, uncertain if he should voice his idea; it would only work if Gabriel was nearby and/or listening.
"What is it Sam?" Castiel asked, leaning in a little too close for Sam's comfort.
Sam leaned away from Castiel. He figured it was better to see if Gabriel responded to a prayer first than let Dean or Castiel get their hopes up. I pray to the archangel Gabriel, if it's within your power could you please carve devil's traps onto our bullets?
Sam waited, not sure if Gabriel would magically appear or if the archangel would do something ridiculous such as rain confetti upon them to tell Sam that he'd fulfilled the request. When time passed with no such thing, Sam pulled his gun out. He took out a bullet from the gun and held it up for examination.
A devil's trap was carved across the bullet.
Dean cursed in surprise, his hand rushing to grab his own gun and check the bullets.
Sam reloaded his gun. "Looks like Gabriel is at least listening in."
"Be nice if the ass would show his face, but I'll take what I can get," Dean grumbled, as he slid his bullets into place. When he finished he gestured at Sam and Castiel with his gun. "All right, Sam give Castiel your gun. Cas, I saw a window in the other room, and it looked like it was near a fire escape. Go through that room," Dean pointed at a nearby door that neighbored the room where Abbadon and the angels were, "and see if you can find another window. If we're lucky, it shares the same fire escape."
Castiel nodded and hurried to check the neighboring room, leaving Sam and Dean alone.
"You want me to give Cas my gun?"
Dean nodded. "Abbadon won't be expecting him."
"And how am I going to defend myself?"
"Like you always do."
Sam bitchfaced.
Dean made a face of annoyance. He shifted his glare around the hall, as if expecting someone to attack them at any moment then focused on Sam. "Listen," his voice was hushed and serious, "I'm trusting you about…you know…" Dean glanced around the hall again, but this time Sam knew the gesture was just Dean indicating Gabriel. "So if things go to shit in there and the worst happens, I don't care if I have to go to Hell to do it, I will kick your ass." Dean dropped his volume even more and glared at the shadows on the wall. "After I fry a certain angel."
Dean's confession hit Sam like a snowball to the face. Dean was trusting his judgment about Gabriel—he was expecting Gabriel to interfere if things got too hairy or if Sam was in trouble. "Thanks, Dean."
Dean scoffed. "Just try to stay behind me after we banish the angels to their corners to cool down."
"You may not want to do that, Hubby."
Sam jumped an inch in surprise.
"What?" Dean asked.
Sam held up a hand to silence Dean, as he turned his head up to the ceiling. "Why?"
"Well, you lucky bastard, guess who the victim is? Here's a clue: Starts with a J and ends with an A".
"Joshua," Sam said.
Dean's face scrunched. "What about him?"
Sam explained what Gabriel had told him.
Dean cursed, admitting that he hadn't gotten a good look at the victim, but from what he glimpsed it was possible.
Castiel popped out from the room where he'd gone in search of a second window. "I found a window sharing the fire escape I believe you saw."
Dean and Sam didn't say anything about Joshua, both were stumped as to what to do about the angels.
"Dean?" Castiel moved to Dean's side, tilting his head up in inquiry.
Dean sighed and explained the situation to Castiel.
Castiel's eyes flashed with thought and narrowed as he mulled over his idea. "Perhaps, since Sam has given me his gun, I should give him my angel blade? If we move quickly I can take Abaddon from behind, which could serve as a distraction for my sibling and allow Sam time to attack."
Dean frowned, and Sam did not begrudge him for it. The plan was risky, and Sam would be in the line of fire with the angel if the distraction didn't work. Knowing that, Sam was not surprised when Dean nodded but then said, "Give me your blade," while shoving his gun at Sam.
Weapons were passed around until everyone had the one they were supposed to possess. With a quick exchange of glances and nods to signal everyone was ready and knew what to do, Castiel disappeared into the other room, while Sam and Dean pressed themselves against the sides of the door barring them from Abaddon and the angels.
Sam mentally counted to thirty seconds before turning his head toward Dean. His brother nodded. Sam returned the action, then in one move he whirled, kicked in the door, and shot at Abaddon.
Abaddon leaned to the side in her rusted metal chair to avoid the bullet. There was a clatter as the bullet rebounded off of a support beam and embedded itself in one of the walls.
A quick glance to the right let Sam see a teenage boy holding a burning torch with a bucket filled with oil—holy oil, Sam was certain—at his feet. Bound in metal cuffs with intricate symbols carved into them was Joshua, his skin littered with burns and lacerations that should have healed long ago. Joshua's head bobbed as he struggled to maintain consciousness.
The teenage boy tensed, an angel blade appearing in his hand from his bomber jacket's sleeve.
Abaddon raised a halting hand as she rose languidly like a cat from her seat. She smirked. "Well, this day just keeps getting better. It's the two people who can tell me where I can find Crowley. Please tell me you have brought him with you like the good delivery boys you two are."
"Sorry, but you got the wrong guys. Might I suggest trying Dominos or Pizza Hut?" Dean said, sticking close to Sam. He held Ruby's knife as a distraction. He had hidden Castiel blade in his back jean pocket. His jacket was long enough that it hid the handle of the angel blade from Abaddon and the teenage angel.
Abaddon smiled, holding up one of her hands in a flourish and creating a fireball in her palm. "That's all right. I can make do." She licked his red lips as she leered at the Winchesters. "Two brothers, one girl, what more could I ask for?"
Sam clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as Abaddon drew near. His gaze locked on the window behind the she-demon.
Castiel stepped into view and aimed his gun.
Sam shot again.
With a laugh, Abaddon dodged to the right, the bullet whizzing past her. "That's not going to—"
Another gunshot rang out. Abaddon jerked forward as Castiel's bullet embedded its self into her, her eyes widening in shock and rage.
Dean dropped Ruby's knife, grabbed the angel blade, and lunged at the teenage angel.
Dean and the blade passed through air.
Sam's vision of an enraged and howling Abaddon was obscured by a pimpled face youth with plump cheeks and eyes that glowed an inhumane blue. Sam felt fingers curl around his shoulder and yank him forward as Dean and Castiel cried out in warning. He didn't see or feel the angel blade sink into his abdomen, but a distant thought told him that was what had happened as his knees buckled and he found that the only thing keeping him steady was the angel's grip on him.
Sam curled his hand into a fist and swung, trying to punch the angel, but the teenager-possessor released Sam, and the young hunter stumbled backwards. He tripped, his back colliding with the ground. Pain exploded across his back and head. Finally, he felt the searing sting of his stab wound.
His hand flew to his stomach to cover the gash at the same time the angel was flung backwards into a wall. There was a loud crack as fissures spread like a spider web across the brick where the angel had landed. With a groan the angel slumped to the ground and fell on its face, unconscious.
Sam blinked as everything blurred. Darkness spread from the corner of his eyes. He tried to blink it away, but to no avail.
Gabriel's face appeared in his dwindling vision. He scowled and his mouth moved, but his voice was little better than white noise. A weight settled on Sam's stomach, and he flinched as threads of pain shot through his body at the contact. Soon warmth replaced the pain and there was a soft tug on his skin as it was pulled together. He blinked and the darkness that had threatened to steal his sight vanished.
"All of you are just incompetent, aren't you?" Gabriel shouted at Dean. "I give you what you ask for, and you guys still manage to get yourselves almost killed."
"Well, maybe you should have been fighting with us instead of just watching!" Dean knelt behind Joshua's chair, and pulled out his lock picks from his jacket pocket. He fiddled with the cuffs, locating the lock and inserting a pick.
Joshua grumbled something that was incomprehensible to Sam.
A feminine guffaw interrupted the argument that was sure to continue between Gabriel and Dean if it went unchecked. Sam grunted as Gabriel slid a hand under his shoulder and eased him into a seated position. Even after he was upright, Gabriel kept his hand on Sam's back in a gesture that seemed almost protective and/or comforting.
The action earned another laugh from Abaddon, who stood paralyzed in the middle of the room. "An archangel slumming with humans? Well, isn't that just precious? Although, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. You were always far more fascinated with your father's creations than your brothers were, eh, Gabriel?"
Gabriel rose to his feet, keeping his hand on Sam's back as long as he could before he was forced to let it slip away in order to obtain his full height. "Abaddon?" He spoke in a casual, almost friendly voice, like he was talking to an old acquaintance he hadn't seen in years. "And here I thought Michael had killed you. He must have pawned you off on Raphael. As organized as Ralphy likes to act, he has a bad habit of letting things slide if he doesn't think it's worthy of his time. Don't take it personally, though." Gabriel flashed a white-tooth grin. "It's the only reason why you are alive now."
Abaddon smirked. "Really? Because here I thought it was because you were too busy coddling that human." She pinned her stare on Sam, her eyes gleaming with glee and promised malice.
"That too." Gabriel twisted his wrist and his angel blade slid out from his jacket sleeve into his hand. He marched toward the she-demon, and for the first time since Sam had meet her, there was a flash of fear in the demon's eyes.
She laughed drily at Gabriel's approach. "Really? You're just going to stab me? Where's the sport in that? And here I thought you overgrown pigeons were about righteousness and honor."
"Doesn't mean we're stupid." Gabriel smirked, and with one thrust he ran his sword through Abaddon. The blade sunk into the she-demon's stomach, causing tiny rivets of blood to gush out. Sam did his best not to put much thought into how the wound was the same one he had received from the teenage angel just moments prior.
There was a literal blaze in Abaddon's eyes as she screamed. Bits of skin darkened and singed along her arms, elbows, and neck, as if she were being burned from the inside out. With her head thrown back, the flames extinguished and she fell forward. Gabriel unsheathed his blade from her body and she hit the ground with a resounding thud.
No one moved. Dean was still knelt behind Joshua with his lock pick in hand, and Castiel stood on the fire escape with his gun poised to shoot. Sam internally gaped at the carcass of Abaddon. She had been one of their strongest foes yet, and all Gabriel had to do was ram a sword in her gut and as easy as blinking or snapping his fingers, Abaddon was dead. It was so surreal and anticlimactic that Sam had trouble believing his eyes.
Gabriel looked around the room and scoffed, tucking his blade inside his jacket. "You guys are acting like I just canceled Doctor Who or something."
Castiel recovered first, blinking away his shock, and pushing aside the cracked and broken window so he had more room to step inside. He eyed the corpse as he drew closer to the group, naturally gravitating toward Dean. Like a trigger, once Castiel was within arm's reach of Dean, the older hunter hurried to free Joshua from his bindings.
Sam jumped in his skin when a hand appeared in front of his eyes. He followed the appendage up the arm to Gabriel's face. Sam blinked at the offering for a few seconds, then wrapped his hand around Gabriel's. With little effort, Gabriel yanked Sam to his feet.
"Well, now that Abaddon's gone, looks like we're going to have to interrogate teenage angel over there to figure out what the hell was going on in here," Dean said as one cuff clicked open and fell off Joshua's wrist.
Joshua sighed. He said something so softly, Sam leaned forward to hear. "What did he say?"
Castiel crouched in front of his tortured brother, setting a comforting hand on Joshua's knee. "He said he knows the answer." Castiel scoured Joshua's face then turned to Gabriel. "Can you heal him?"
Gabriel stepped forward, frowning as he examined the remaining cuff Dean was working on. "Until that cuff comes off whatever I do won't have much effect."
A rustle came from the angel who had stabbed Sam, and the younger hunter jerked a step away. His eyes immediately darted to the bucket of holy oil. Dozens of ways to defend himself against the angel popped into mind. He never got to act on his plans, though. Gabriel strolled past Sam, the archangel's shoulder and hand brushing Sam's side, toward his fallen sibling.
Gabriel crouched in front of the fallen angel and frowned as he studied his sibling. His lips were pressed together as he mulled something over. With a nod, Gabriel snapped his fingers and his brother disappeared. "That should keep him occupied for a while."
Sam opened his mouth to ask what Gabriel had done to his brother, but Dean beat him to the punch with a huff. "So you want to explain why you decided to sit on the sidelines again?" The second cuff opened and clattered to the floor.
"Quite simple my addled-brain brother-in-law." Gabriel grinned at Dean's wince of annoyance. "I didn't know if we would kill Abaddon, and if I don't want my family knowing I am alive, a certainly don't want all of Hell knowing. Demons are like stereotypical Jewish mothers when it comes to gossip." Gabriel snapped his fingers.
Joshua sighed in relief as the burns and lacerations disappeared from his skin. He let his head loll backwards. He closed his eyes as if basking in the sun even though the only sunlight in the room poured in from the fractured window. "Thank you, Gabriel. It is good to see you after all of these centuries." He returned his head to its normal position, letting his brown soulful eyes turn on Gabriel.
Gabriel waved off the comment. "Wish I could say the same, but Dean has a no chick-flick moments rule, and also you were always really boring."
"Nevertheless, I appreciate your help."
It was almost imperceptible, but Sam noticed the ever so slight rise of Gabriel's shoulders and the dust of pink across the archangel's cheeks as he feigned nonchalance. It was the first time Sam had seen Gabriel embarrassed or humbled. In that moment Gabriel was once again human in Sam's eyes, and he found himself stepping in to take the attention off of Gabriel so the archangel could maintain his privacy. "You said you know why your brother and Abaddon were here?"
Joshua's gaze flicked to Sam; it was just as deep and piercing as it had been when directed at Gabriel. "It would seem Abaddon was gathering angels to her side. Some came to her of their own volition, and others she coerced. Either way, they joined her, and to prove their allegiance they must torture another angel until aforementioned angel joins or dies."
"That's just sick," Dean said.
Castiel frowned deeply and nodded in agreement with Dean.
"Okay, I can understand if they were forced to join, but why would any angel join Abaddon willing, especially if they know about the initiation rite?"
"Loss of faith," Joshua intoned sorrowfully.
"Not like it makes much of a difference who they join," Gabriel said under his breath. "All of the angels are fighting each other, so joining a demon who wants to kill angels isn't much different."
That just made getting all of the angels back in Heaven all the more important. "Joshua," Sam began, "you must have heard our prayer. If you could get us in contact with God, or persuade him to help us, then—"
Joshua raised a silencing hand. With a grunt, he stood from his chair. He adjusted his shirt, which was speckled with dirt, and there was even a twig sticking out of his breast pocket. "I have heard your prayers, and I know what it is you seek, however, God will not help you until the faction matter is taken care of."
"What?" Sam and Dean asked in unison.
Gabriel tensed and Castiel cocked his head in curiosity.
"It is not enough to return the angels to Heaven. Doing so now wouldn't end the internal conflict. A true leader must step forward and guide us." Sam didn't miss the subtle way Joshua's eyes slid toward Gabriel. "When that one steps forward and accepts responsibility, then God shall bestow upon you what you ask for, until then the angels shall remain on Earth."
"I say we trap him in another ring of fire until the asshole gets over his issues and fuckin' helps already," Dean said, as he switched lanes to get out from behind a slow driver. Sam hadn't been the only one to notice Joshua's subtle glance toward Gabriel, and Dean was taking the archangel's lack of action very poorly.
Sam internally sighed. Almost as soon as Joshua had revealed God's conditions, Gabriel spirited the Winchesters and Castiel (although, technically, Sam had to remind himself, Castiel was now legally a Winchester too), away to the hotel where they had spent the night. Gabriel hadn't appeared in the room with them, and Dean spent a good five minutes shouting curses intended for Gabriel at the ceiling. Now they were driving back to the bunker.
"I don't think that's going to help, Dean," Sam said.
"It worked last time. The guy needs a dose of reality."
"Last time also led to him sacrificing himself. Call me crazy, but I don't think he wants to repeat that."
Dean scoffed. "Not like we're asking him to kill any of his siblings this time. Heck, you'd think the guy would be jumping up and down at the opportunity to be the leader. He can save his family, and spend the next century tormenting them with pranks without anyone to stop him since he'd be in charge."
"Okay," Sam said, acknowledging Dean's point. "Let's say we do trap in him in a ring of holy fire. What if his reaction is the opposite, or he lies and runs away the moment we let him go? Unless you know some way to keep him honest, there's no way to predict what he will do until he does it. By then it may be too late to correct it if we make a mistake."
"Gabriel's Horn of Truth would keep him honest if we blew it in his presence," Castiel supplied from the backseat. "However, it was lost during the raids after the apocalypse."
"Balthazar didn't get his hands on it?" Dean asked.
Castiel shook his head.
Dean cursed.
"And if Gabriel knows where it is, I doubt he would give it to us," Sam added.
A terse chuckle escaped Dean as he took a turn at eighty miles per hour. "Yeah, unless you seduced it out of him." The car was silent as the words hung in the air, and suddenly Dean straightened. His head snapped toward Sam before returning his gaze to the road.
"No." Sam recognized that look in Dean's eyes and could gather from the conversation what Dean wanted him to do. "I am not seducing Gabriel into becoming King of Heaven, or whatever he would be called. I can't believe you would even consider it."
"We don't have many choices, Sam." Dean's grip on the steering wheel tightened and his jaw clenched. "Listen, as much as I hate to admit it, the guy definitely has some sort of interest in you if he's invading your dreams, healing us when needed, and revealing himself to angels and demons when all he wants to do is hide."
"It is abnormal and contradictory behavior," Castiel threw in his two cents.
Sam sneered. His fingers curled around the knees of his jeans as he did his best to keep his temper at bay. He wasn't sure why it bothered him so much that his brother wanted him to seduce Gabriel. It just didn't feel right, though, like some creature gnawing at his intestines and crawling under his skin.
Like getting hit by a baseball to the back of the head, realization dawned on Sam. He had just started to open himself up to a relationship with Gabriel—with no want for anything in return, except patience for his slow adaptation. To suddenly actively pursue Gabriel with the desire to obtain anything from him felt like a taint to the tentative relationship he had started. "I'll see what I can do, but I'm not going to ask him to do anything."
"Sam," Dean started, but Sam refused to be bullied into accepting Dean's plan.
"No. You and Cas got five years to figure things out, so leave me and Gabriel alone."
Dean made a face of anger and confusion. He spluttered. "That's totally different, and the lives a billions of people and thousands of angels weren't dependent on one of—"
"I suggest you don't complete that sentence Dean." Sam whirled. Dean wasn't thinking, it was the only explanation for how he could forget that the very reason why Castiel and him met and were soul mates now was because of Lucifer and Michael's destined battle.
Dean clamped his mouth shut, not looking one bit happy. His silence was only temporary. "I still told Cas when I thought he was doing something stupid."
Castiel bit his bottom lip and bowed his head as he pondered Dean's words.
"But I'm not you, and Gabriel is definitely not Cas."
"Sam is right, Dean."
Dean's head whirled, and Sam cursed as the car slid slightly over into the left lane. Dean was quick to correct his course.
Castiel raised his eyes to met Dean's in the rear view mirror. "You and I are not Gabriel or Sam, and their situation is different in many ways. While I would like to return my siblings to Heaven as soon as possible, I cannot deny that having a reluctant ruler would not be beneficial to Heaven. If forced into such a position, I believe it will only be a matter of time before Gabriel flees again. Heaven needs stability now more than ever. Its leader must be one who will not desert it in a moment of weakness."
Dean didn't say anything, although by the slight grit of his teeth, Sam could tell that Dean really wanted to.
"However," Castiel continued, "I do not think that means you should be silent on the topic, Sam. Sharing your support would aid us in achieving our goal."
Sam nodded. He was still bitter about the way Dean had asked him to go about things like a gold digger or a prostitute, but he could admit to the validity of Castiel's request.
He tucked his hand under his chin and stared out the window as hills and signs went by. The car was silent, and usually he would enjoy the serenity, but his thoughts roiled in his skull. There were so many ways that he could encourage Gabriel, but more than half of them felt forced or like he would be shoving Gabriel toward the decision. He also could picture Dean interfering with most of them, or vocalizing his thoughts every time Gabriel and him would meet. Sam wanted to avoid that at all costs.
A sign welcoming them into a new state flew past the window.
Sam had an idea.
Sam laced up his boots and stood up from his bed in the bunker. He pulled his cell phone out from his jeans' pocket and stared at the illuminated screen. It was just past two in the morning. Dean, Castiel, and Kevin were probably all resting by then. Sam picked up the backpack he'd packed soon after he'd arrived at the bunker that day. He strung his arms through the straps and went to his desk. He opened the top drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper he'd scrawled on prior. He read over his letter to Dean, checking for any mistakes and making sure that his wording was perfect. He laid the paper on the top of his desk and took a step back.
Sucking in a gulp of air, Sam closed his eyes for a second then opened them again once he felt ready to enact his plan. "Gabriel, hey, could you come to my room? I want to ask you something important." Sam paused, thinking over what he had just said. "It has nothing to do with what happened earlier. Just a favor…" Sam trailed off, his stomach sinking with each second Gabriel didn't show up.
"What do you want?" Gabriel's voice came from behind.
Sam whirled, his heartbeat skyrocketing in surprise. Sam waited for his heartbeat to return to normal before he nervously bit the inside of cheek and forced himself to speak. "I was wondering if we could hang out?"
Gabriel raised one eyebrow. He placed a hand on his hip and eyed Sam. "Exactly what do you mean?"
Sam sighed. The conversation would be so much easier if Gabriel wasn't on guard from what Joshua had said. "That's just it. I want to hang out, spend some time with you without Dean, Castiel, demons, and whatever else interfering."
"Really?" Gabriel titled his head to the side.
It appeared he'd need to be more honest and blunt if Gabriel was going to take him seriously. "Yes. Listen, Dean wants me to convince you to bring all the angels together and become their leader, but I don't want to. If you don't believe me then go through my memories."
Gabriel eyes widened, and his hand dropped from his hip, swaying at his side. "You're giving me permission to read your mind?"
Sam nodded.
Gabriel just stared at Sam, which was rather disconcerting, but Sam told himself not to be alarmed. He just wished his muscles would get the memo and stop tensing.
A small smile spread across Gabriel's face. "All right. I believe you."
Sam's brow pinched. "Believe me? As in, you're taking my word and not reading my mind?"
Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Yes, Hubby. Man, you're slow. You're lucky you got your looks." He poised his fingers to snap. His mischievous and wicked grin replaced his contented smile. "So where shall we go first? You haven't been out of the country, right? We technically haven't had a honeymoon yet, so how about France or Sweden? Italy has got some great food, although you gotta see Japan. It has got some things that will blow your mind."
Sam winced, and held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Nothing too extravagant, please?"
Gabriel vanished from in front of Sam and reappeared next to him with his arm slung around Sam's shoulder, pulling Sam down to his level. "Oh Sam, you have no idea what you have gotten yourself into."
Gabriel snapped his fingers, and Sam was whisked away.