"Into the nothing, faded and weary,
I won't leave and let you fall behind."
"Dean! Dean, we have to go back!" Sam pleaded desperately, voice cracking and higher pitched as they fled the hotel. He helped the goddess, Kali get into the back of the Impala before slamming the door shut and giving his brother a determined frown.
"No," Dean shot sharply, yanking the driver's door open and giving a quick look back at the doors. "No way! You saw what Lucifer did to those gods, Sam! What makes you think we stand a chance?" He had a point, one that he was sure Sam could see. There was no way in Hell he was running back in there to help the motherfucking Trickster! "No, no, no way! Sammy, you're nuts!" Dean continued to shout as Sam went around to the trunk, watching in dismay as his brother started to rummage about.
"Why do you care so much anyway? He's just another bastard angel!" Dean felt exasperated, now just as desperate as his mission-driven brother..
Those words seemed to create a painful moment of silence as Sam pulled an even more concerned expression. His jaw tightened, keeping him from speaking as he gathered what he would need before shutting the trunk with enough force to make Dean cringe. Looking back at Dean, they stared each other down for a long moment. "Take Kali somewhere and get the hell out of here, okay?"
"Sam!"
"You can't stop me, Dean!" Sam growled with enough venom, giving his brother one of his many faces before running back into the hotel.
Sam was right, Dean couldn't stop him. His brother was on a mission, fueled by some unknown fire deep inside of him and Dean knew there was no way to get in the way of that. Besides, its not like Lucifer would kill him... right?
~.~.~
"Lucifer," Gabriel sighed, dropping some of the lively persona he had created for himself as he stared his brother down. They were alone now, the Winchester's having escaped with Kali. "You are my brother," he continued with a downward tone. "And I love you... but you are a great big bag of dicks."
"What did you say to me?" The older archangel frowned, pointed into his chest with confused accusation, taking a step closer despite the blade Gabriel held between them. He wasn't expecting to see his little brother at all - much less be scolded by him. When did baby Gabriel grow a back bone?
Gabriel waved the blade as a warning, chin jutted out as he held his ground against Daddy's Favorite Fuck-up. "Look at yourself!" His heart was heavy, frown replacing his usual cheeky smirk. "Boo hoo, Daddy was mean to me, so I'm gonna smash up all his toys!"
Lucifer's eyes glassed over, expression hardened. "Watch your tone," he warned evenly, quietly - no longer amused by his brother's little outburst.
"Play the victim all you want," Gabriel's brows rose as he watched Lucifer carefully. "But you and me - we know the truth. Dad loved you best - more than Michael, more than me... Then he brought the new baby home and you couldn't handle it! So all of this is just a great big temper tantrum - time to grow up!"
Just as Lucifer was gearing up for his response, the doors burst open and Sam stood breathless in the entryway. "Hey!" he panted, partly because he was out of breath but also because he was charging head on into one of the most dangerous situations he had ever been in. A family fued between two archangels. Not waiting for the two of them to register his presence, Sam held firm to his frown and braced his shoulders. "Hate to break up the reunion, guys but..." Sam's eyes made contact with the unruly Trickster and he felt a sharp pang in his chest before he shook it off to yank the door open; revealing the Angel Banishing sigil he had quickly hashed out of his blood. The blood they hadn't noticed dripping from his finger tips had easily smeared onto the panel and covered his hand, his palm slamming down in the middle before they could stop him - sending both archangel's off to who-knows-where in a blinding white flash.
Standing there in the aftermath, Sam's widened eyes blinked a few times before it sank in what he had just done. Oh, Lucifer was going to be pissed when he found his way back... Not that it mattered. Gabriel was now safe from harm. For the moment, anyway. Stepping into the room, Sam swallowed and clenched his jaw as he leaned down to pick up a lone candy wrapper.
"Hurry back, you bastard," he mumbled, pocketing the crinkled wrapper before tensing at the sound of someone coming down the hall.
Dean came stumbling in, pausing a moment to catch his footing after tripping over the mutilated bodies of the gods in the hallway. Swallowing and trying to pull the color back to his face, Dean couldn't help but look surprised as his green eyes fell on Sam. "Sammy!?" He croaked, looking around with a frown now. "What..." Dean blinked. "What happened?"
Sam pointed deftly to the sigil he had finger painted, eyes downcast as he sucked back up his emotions and straightened his shoulders. "We should get out of here - see what's so important we had to guard it with our lives..." His tone was rather embittered, actions stiff as he brushed past Dean and out of the room.
Gabriel had given them something and he'd be damned if he didn't find out what it was.
~.~.~
After being torn between being utterly disgusted and completely confused, the Winchester's finished the 'enhanced' porn video that the MIA archangel had given them. Scowling to each other, they decided that even though Gabriel wasn't actually dead, they should go ahead with his plan. Find the other two Horsemen and take the rings, because he was right - without him, they stood absolutely no chance at killing Lucifer.
"I feel dirty," Dean muttered, clenching the steering wheel tightly as they drove back to the main drag. "What was with you back there, anyway?" The elder Winchester shot Sam a questioning scowl. "Gettin' all fuzzy for the Trickster?" That was really the last thing Dean needed, yet another complicated relationship.
Sam rolled his eyes dismissively and snorted softly. "It's not what you think Dean," he started, sighing at the frown the other gave him. "Look. Gabriel saved our lives back there and sure - he's an asshole and pretty much a giant dick-"
"Pretty much? Dude, he killed me! Many times!"
"Yeah but he's also our best bet at killing Lucifer okay? And... he's not all bad."
Dean took his eyes off the road to look his brother in the eye, watching as Sam's eyes dropped and he cleared his throat. "You know what? Not gonna ask on this one."
"Good," Sam groaned.
"Bitch."
"Jerk."
Getting that out of the way, Dean cranked the music up and pressed his foot down on the gas. This was going to be a long trek and he didn't want Sam talking the entire time. It always gave him a headache. After a long stretch of the road had passed behind them, the shorter 'Chester suddenly turned the music down.
"Sam."
"What?" The other groaned, still curled against the window with his eyes closed.
"You're not bangin' the Trickster, are you?" There was a tinge of urgency in Dean's tone as he swallowed and braced himself.
"What? - No, no way," the response was too quick though, making Dean slam on the brakes as he threw the Impala into park.
"DAMN IT SAMMY."
Sam shot up from his relaxed position and frowned, put on the defensive as Dean dropped his head on the steering wheel with a low whine. "Hey, hey," he started, puffing out his chest and raising his chin. "Don't you 'damn it Sammy me' when you've been shagging at least three angels, Dean! One of which is currently cozying up with Lucifer right now!"
"Ohhh," Dean waved his hands. "Oh no, no! You don't get to throw that back on me, Sam. How was I supposed to know that damn kid would go darkside, huh? - Besides! Look at all the chick's you've had! Meg. Ruby-"
"I never had sex with Meg!"
"They were demons, Sam! Demons!"
"Hey-a boys, hope I'm not interrupting anything~" It was a familiar drawl, with the touch of a coy lisp.
"Gabriel!?" They both shouted, whipping their heads back to gawk at the sly angel who had suddenly appeared in the back seat.
Gabriel snapped his fingers and promptly stuck a lollipop in his smirky lips, his chest shaking with muted laughter. "Oh you kids - you crack me up!"
"Get out of my car!" Dean's voice cracked, lips pursed slightly as he felt like his blood pressure was through the roof by now.
"Aw," the angel twirled his tongue around the hard candy toyingly as his brows rose in a way that made the older Winchester cringe. "You missed me, didn't ya Dean-o?" Not waiting for a response, Gabriel shifted to get more comfortable as he chuckled. "Look, I'm flattered - really. But its a waste of time~ My heart yearns for another," his voice became more dramatically emphasized as he rolled his eyes. Smirking at the look of disgust, he shrugged. "What?"
Sam gave the angel-trickster a scolding frown, hand on Dean's upper arm to keep from from launching himself into the back of the Impala. "How'd you find us?"
"After you blasted me and my bro to the four corners? Oh~ I have my ways, Sammy bear," the jovial angel smirked, brows raised as Sam slowly frowned and pulled out the candy wrapper he had picked up back at the hotel. They exchanged a knowing look before Dean smacked the steering wheel.
"Can't we just have one damn week without all you angel's crawling up our asses? One week! You bastards are like cockroaches!"
"Deanmiester, you should really calm down," Gabriel stifled a chuckle, a playful glimmer in his eye despite the tense situation. "Besides, I'm only here to chat~"
"So chat," Dean growled.
Gabriel exhaled a huff of protest as Sam felt his brother relax back into his seat, letting go with a sigh. "Gabe," he ignored the scoff. "You said we could trap Lucifer back in his cage if we had all four rings..."
"You got it!"
"But how are we supposed to get him in there?" They couldn't exactly just... ask Lucifer nicely, now.
"A big stick might work..."
"Gabe."
"Alright, alright! I'll help you crazy kids out."
There was a long pause before Dean let out a heavy and slightly forced sigh. "So... what do we do?"
"It's simple," the archangel smirked around his sucker. "We... trick, the Batman."
AN: Okay so. Sooo sorry about the massive delay! Life has been an absolute madhouse and like always, the fun stuff gets thrown to the back burner lol I've got so much more left to write so hope you guys feel its worth the wait! (I promise it is! 3) Also, yay Gabriel ;3
