Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural! (no matter how many times I ask for it for Christmas (and my birthday, and Halloween, and st. Patrick's day, and Easter.))

Notes: Banter, sometimes I hate it, sometimes I love it. I love it this time!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO THOSE IT IS A NEW YEAR TO!

A Swan's Wings

By Mikkal

When Bobby woke up the next morning it was because of the sounds of a party going on downstairs—not one of those loud...things teenagers call parties, but a nice get together of friends...if you could be friends when you're arguing all the time.

"Will you keep it down?" Bobby half yelled, half grumbled in a tone he'd been working on for years. "Some of us have to sleep!"

Anna had the decency to look sorry, but Gabriel just rambled on about one thing or another. Raphael was missing, that must mean he was doing his job (unlike this two idiots) and Castiel was still fiddling with that phoney Death Ring over at the dinner table.

It was still strange to Bobby that he could walk down here, yell at a bunch of angels and only get normal human reactions from them. It was almost as if this was some big, chaotic family. He looked around, but one "family" member was missing. "Where's Dean?"

Gabriel grinned and shrugged, "Talking to Father, I think."

Father? "As in God?"

Anna rolled her eyes, "We have no other Father." The was a beat of tense silence when it occurred to her what she just said, she did have another father—in a sense, the father she knew as a human. A flash of pain lit up her eyes before it was buried back into her mind.

Bobby felt sympathy for her and, for her sake, ignored that awkward silence in favor of asking: "When's he gonna get back? I need to update him."

"Dude, I've been back."

The Hunter jumped and whirled around to face an expressionless Dean. "Don't do that! Hangin' around angels have taught you bad tricks, Dean!" Great, just great, now I have to deal with him being able to pop where ever he wants. My paranoia will never be the same.

Dean just stared at him for a moment, those blank eyes creeping him out. "Dean?" Bobby asked hesitantly, not a normal thing for him but seeings how he was currently facing the most power angel in all of exist (even if he did technically know him best) he thought it would be a good idea not to freak him out.

He burst out laughing—an honest to God laugh—hands on his knees, tears coming from his eyes, the works. "You shoulda seen your face, Bobby, priceless!"

Bobby raised an eyebrow, "You seem," he searched for a word, "Happy?" Hell, the kid was practically glowing with joy.

Suddenly the front door burst open, sending everyone in shock—well, almost everyone. "Deeeeeeaaaan, I'm home!"

"Luci!" Dean squealed, squealed. (In later times he would deny ever doing that). And then launched himself at the very familiar figure at the door. A man in the shape and likeness of Nick Pellegrino, the very man who Lucifer possessed in the first run. And by the look of things (and the fact Dean squealed the name "Luci") Lucifer was again possessing the poor human.

Anna immediately when for her knife, but faltered when she saw her CO hugging the life out of him muttering little thank you's to him and the sky. Also, Gabriel was just smirking in that "I know something you don't" way and Castiel's own smile was brilliantly bright.

"Any one want to throw me a clue to what's going on?" Bobby called out, utterly confused.

Dean froze, then flushed in embarrassment. He coughed a little before turning to his friends (a loose term for the most part). "Everyone, this is Lucifer. Lucifer this is everyone."

Lucifer waved a little, a bit unsure of what to do. "Hiya, everyone."

"Oh, and you just forget all about me, don't you?" Yelled a teasing familiar voice from the porch. In the shocked silence Sam Winchester walked in, all smiles and eyes shining with unshed tears. "Hey," he croaked out, teasing all gone and emotions taking hold. "Long time no see, huh?"

The older brother was the first to react. He backed up a step before inching closer. He knew this was going to happen, but knowing and seeing were two different things. After trying so hard for eighty years it seemed like it was a dream, it happened so fast. "Sammy!"

This time it was Sam he launched himself on, ignoring his "no chick flick" rule in favor of squeezing his brother so hard he probably would end up choking him.

Sam hugged him equally hard, those tears pouring out of his eyes in waves. "I missed you." And he did, the first twenty years was spent following Michael's orders as Lucifer but the last sixty was spent pretending to and conversing with Lucifer on what to do.

He pulled away from him and looked his older brother up and down. While Sam still looked the same and had that same air around him before all of this mess, Dean was a whole different matter. Damn, the man was angelic. "You look good."

Dean smiled wide, "So do you." He clapped the taller brother on the back. "Man, you've missed so much."

He grinned, "Did I miss a new Tomb Raider movie or something?"

Dean chuckled, "No, but I wish."

And with that everyone swarmed the young brother. Everyone but Dean, Lucifer and Castiel, of course.

"So the rumor was true," Castiel stated, inspecting Lucifer up and down. "You really are a Risen Angel."

"Yeah," Lucifer shuffled his feet. He didn't know how he was going to get use to these new range of emotions, he actually felt embarrassed. "I'm...sorry? For everything I—"

Cas waved him off, "I don't apologizing will make up for everything you did. But since Father made your vessel whole again, erased all traces of damnation, and separated you from Sam, all because you came to Dean, I guess I can understand your need to do so." He leveled him with an ice cold glare, "But if you do anything, anything, to hurt them again. I will personally see you are erased from existence."

Lucifer smiled, "Understood."

Dean came up between them, "And now that, that's over with. We've got some planning to do!" He clapped his hands, "Bobby, report!"

Bobby pulled himself away from Sam long enough to say, "I've talked a few Hunters into coming into town and renting rooms until they're called on. But most of them are out in the world, waiting to Hunt anything that I tell them to."

The Arch Angel nodded, "Good. Gabe?"

"And I've talked to even more," he pulled out a lollipop, "They're ready for the angelic signal to start to battle." He glared at Lucifer, "And I still don't trust you, brother. You can try to kill me, but actually killing me? There I draw the line!"

Dean rolled his eyes, "Okay. Anna, you're good. Raphael is almost done talking to most of the Others." He nodded as he mentally checked things off. "Cas, how's the Ring coming?"

Castiel got a sour look on his face (as sour as an angel could feel). "Not so well, Dean. There's something about it, but I cannot find its secrets yet."

He patted his best friend on the shoulder, "I know you'll find out, what ever it is." Then turned back to the other angels. "Okay, that's it. Either go back to heaven for some rest or you can hang out here. Bobby, I want you to sleep more," he ordered sternly to his not-in-blood (third) father.

(Wow, he had three dads now. John, Bobby, and God. What a concept.)

Bobby gave him a heat-less glare, "And what will you be doing?"

Dean grinned and swung an arm around his brother, pulling him close. "I'm going to be spending some quality time with my little brother."

He glare soften (read: disappeared) as he watched the two of them head out to the junk yard, making jokes and laughing.

"So, you're a choir boy now?" Sam asked, watching the shadow of wings follow behind Dean as they walked down to the junk yard.

He shrugged like it was no big deal, "Yeah, Cas made me."

Sam laughed loudly, "After all that time of saying no you actually become one."

Dean glared at him fondly. "Stop laughing, bitch," he said but with no real heat.

"Make me, jerk," he teased back, enjoying the banter. It's been too long since he did this.

The Arch Angel thought for a moment, trying to decide the best way of shutting his brother up.

Slap!

"Ow!" Sam yelped. He covered his arm and stared at Dean in shock, "Did...did you just hit me?" Hazel eyes looked around widely for a witness, "An angel just hit a human!" He yelled, as if trying to get aforementioned angel in trouble. "Is that even legal?"

Dean balled up his fist and smirked, "Oh, I can make it legal. You wanna see?"

Sam looked from his brother to the corner coming up and back to his brother. "Sure, but can you?" He yanked off Dean's glasses and ran like hell!

"Saaaaaaaaaam!"