Chapter 9: Rescue Plan

Dean finished his pie and sat the plate aside. He had to hand it to the archangel, Gabriel really knew how to cook. Everything from breakfast to dessert and everything in between. There was never a lack of a home cooked meal if you asked the angel. The only reason Sam had wanted to go out to get food was to get poor Cas out of the house. Gabriel had warned them before they even came close to the house that Cas would have problems. They just didn't realize that it would be constant thing, which lead to Gabriel needing to kiss the younger angel every six to twelve hours to renew the shielding he had put up around Cas to help with the energy influx.

With a sigh Dean reached for the remote when he felt a sense of fear rush into him.

^DEAN!^ Came Castiel's panicked scream.

^CAS?!^ "GABRIEL!"

"Dean?! Whats wrong?!" The archangel appeared in a flash, worry etched on his face.

^It's Crowley! He's here! We were in a crash! Sam is hurt bad!^ Cas's fear was nearly palpable and left a bitter taste in his mouth.

^Hang on Cas!^ "Gabriel! Crowley went after Sam and Cas. He made them crash the car. Cas said that Sam's hurt."

"Where are they?!"

^Dean you won't get here in time. Use our bond to track us. Hurry!^ Castiel sounded almost terrified.

^CAS!^

The angel's pain erupted and flooded into him. His shoulder-or what that Cas's shoulder?-was burning. It felt like someone was taking a hot knife and severing his arm from his body. Warmth suddenly filled him and the pain faded very slowly. He reached for his bond with Cas and panicked when he ran into a wall of resistance. He slammed into the wall over and over but it didn't budge. The wall suddenly wrapped around him and he began to calm down.

^Are you back with me Dean?^

^Cas?!^

^Guess again. Now are you calm?^

^Gabriel?^

^Do you have many other angels willing to root around in your head?^ Came the chuckling response. ^Seriously Dean. Are you back under control?^

^Yeah. I think so.^ Dean thought feeling his body ache but it was quickly being washed away by the warmth of angelic healing and a strange tingling feeling on his lips. ^What happened?^

^Hold on. Open your eyes slowly.^

Dean did as commanded and he slowly opened his eyes only to find himself staring into a pair of gold ones. Gabriel pulled back carefully but his hands remained locked tightly on both sides of his neck, keeping him still. Seeing the angel so close, Dean realized why his lips had been tingling. The angel had been kissing him.

"You kissed me?" Dean asked confused.

"I had to block off your bond with Castiel. The pain you were feeling was his. He must have gotten knocked out and was unable to close his half." Gabriel said, still holding on to the hunter tightly. "It was the only way I could access your bond with him without having his permission. I'm going to let go now. Tell me if anything still hurts."

The angel slowly let go and pulled away carefully not to jar him. Dean tried to sit up but he had to wait until the angel got off him; Gabriel apparently had him pinned down. The reason became apparent when he looked around the living room. It looked like there had been a struggle and blood was splattered across the tile and the glass sliding door was shattered.

"Son of a bitch. Was this all me?" Dean asked before he reached up to touch the stickiness he felt on his face not surprised to find that it was blood.

"Yeah. Castiel's pain was seeping into you without his control. I had to act as quick as I could." Gabriel said. "Now answer me. Does anything else still hurt?"

Dean gave himself a once over. "No. I think I'm okay."

"Good. That took longer then I thought it would. You are so much stronger then you look." The angel admitted. "It's no wonder you were Michael's vessel. Two damn hours wasted."

The hunter glanced at the clock. "You were fighting with me for two hours?! Why didn't you just leave me alone and try to find them?!"

"I had to get you under control! Without you I can't find Sam or Castiel! Your bond to your mate is what is going to help me find them!" Gabriel yelled, before he managed to calm himself. "I'm sorry. Yelling won't do us any good. I need to take a moment and figure out what we need to do."

"Take a moment?!" Dean snapped. "We just lost two hours and you need a moment? Do you have any idea what Crowley could be doing to them? He could be killing them!"

Gold eyes locked with his and Grace crackled over the blonde's skin like little lightening bolts. "I have plenty of ideas of exactly what that demon scum can and will do to our brothers and believe me I want nothing more then to get them out as soon as possible however I am also one hundred percent certain of two things. One; This is nothing more then a trap to get me out in the open before tomorrow night ends. And two; Crowley will not kill them because if he does then he loses his one chance to get me to do what he needs me to do.

"Believe me when I say that I know exactly what is on the line here and at this very moment I can only see one outcome and it does not end with us coming out on top. All I can see is this ending in blood and pain and not just mine. If we follow Crowley's plan then there is no way that everyone comes out alive. Do you understand that?! So, yes, I do need a moment to make sure that we can walk away with as few casualties as possible. Is that alright with you?!"

Dean nodded and took a step back. "I'm sorry. I just..."

"I'm sorry too." Gabriel said softly, getting his Grace under control. "I do need a minute. I have to find a way to make this work. I just wish that I really had another archangel I could call on." The angel said as he cleaned the room up with a snap and headed out the sliding glass door to the beach.

Dean watched him go and he could see the defeat in the archangel's frame. He knew exactly what the blonde was planning. He would come up with a plan to try and save everyone but himself because that's what a big brother would do. Gabriel was playing big brother to both him and Cas with a bit of mother hen mixed in.

"Mother hen..." Dean whispered to himself before the thought struck him. "Fucking hell Gabriel why can't you just say something you feathered asshole?!"

You want to adopt him huh? I always did want more siblings.

Gabriel wasn't playing big brother. Gabriel was playing mother. Mother to a young angel who adored him. Mother to a human who reminded him of his only son who he thought dead. Gabriel was trying to protect his mate, being Sam, and his two children, being Cas and himself.

Dean scrambled for his jacket pulling out his cell phone and scrolled through his contacts looking for the name he needed and all but crushing the send button when he found it.

*Gabeson. Speak.*

Dean hesitated. "Razael?"

There was a strange noise from the other side of the phone like someone being tortured. *Dean Winchester right?*

"Yeah. Listen I wouldn't call unless it was something really important. Do you have a minute?"

The sound of a scream being cut off came through the phone. *I'm all yours now. What's up?*

"We need your help. We've got no one else to turn to." Dean said his voice cracking.

*What happened? Tell me everything.*

Dean spent the next twenty minutes explaining about everything. He started from the very beginning and left nothing out. Castiel's slavery, Gabriel poisoning him, them sending him away, the things Crowley did to him, and finally saving and healing Gabriel. He asked if the angel had heard of the prophecy and when met with a yes explained Crowley's obsession with the archangel and how the demon had just injured and kidnaped both Cas and Sam. He also made a mention that he knew Gabriel was going to offer himself like a sacrificial lamb to the Hell King. When he was done he was met with silence.

"Can you help us?"

*...*

Dean took the silence to heart, he had known it would be a long shot but it still hurt. "Thanks anyway." He said hanging up.

Taking a deep breath he turned to head outside to Baby to get some weapons. The sudden vibration of his phone had him jumping. He glanced at the screen to see that it was a restricted number. Feeling a sense of foreboding he flipped his phone open.

"Yeah?"

*Make a cup of tea and use the blue tin hidden at the back of the cabinet next to the fridge to sweeten it. Use one level spoonful. Make sure Gabriel is sitting down when you give it to him. It will knock him out for the next twenty four hours. Do it soon. I'm already tracking Sam and Castiel right now. These next twenty four hours will give me enough time to work out a plan to make sure everyone gets out alive. Can you do that?*

"Yeah. What made you change your mind?" Dean asked as he began making a pot of tea.

*You might want to say that I'm a lot like my mother. No one can make me do anything either.* There was a long silence. *Besides I miss him. More then you could possibly know. Now that Michael's no longer holding my leash I think I can make my own choices. I'll join you as soon as I work something out. Keep your phone ready.*

The line went dead and Dean stared at it. Had that really just happened? Slipping his phone into his pocket he decided he wasn't going to question it. He opened the cabinet by the fridge and found the blue tin. As he reached for a spoon another thought struck him. Razael had known exactly where to find a hidden tin in Gabriel's house. It seemed like the angel had been desperate enough to sneak in to see his mother against Michael's orders.

Grinning he fixed the cup of tea and dumped one leveled spoonful of the strange green powder into the cup and gave it a good stir before placing a couple cookies on the saucer with the cup just as he head the sliding door open and shut.

"Hey. You were out there a while." Dean said. "I just made some tea. Want some?"

"Please." Came the weary response.

Dean brought the cup into the den, pleased to see that Gabriel was sitting in his oversized armchair, and sat it on the table next to him. "I even brought cookies."

Gabriel gave him a weak smile. "Thanks Dean. I think I figured out a way to make this work. It's going to take some fancy footwork but I think we can pull it off."

Dean watched as the archangel took a big sip of the warm liquid. "I have a plan too Gabriel. And it involves you staying safe as well. I can't..." Dean felt his voice stick. "I can't lose my new parent. I've lost two. Don't make me lose you too. Please."

Gabriel looked up at him a look of wonder. "I didn't know you felt that way Dean."

Dean nodded. "I'm sorry Gabriel."

The archangel frowned and suddenly looked down at his cup before looking back up at him. "Dean what did you do?!"

"I did what I had to to protect you! You and Sam and Cas!" Dean said. "Hate me if you will but I never got the chance to protect mom and Sam and dad died to save me. This is all I can do."

Gabriel gave him a small smile. "I could never hate you."

Dean nodded and made a quick grab, catching the cup of tea before it spilled. He glanced up at the angel and couldn't help but smile at the peaceful expression on his sleeping face. He hated doing this but it was for the best. He could only hope that Razael could hurry.

Gabriel knew he was dreaming. This couldn't be anything but a dream, just like every other time. Razael was sitting across from him, staring at him with a soft smile. He never changed. The same leather clothes and the silver angel sword hanging at his side. The same messy black hair and bright neon blue eyes that matched his wings perfectly. The scaring on his chest was from Lucifer ripping him to shreds and his eyes had been Gabriel's own fault. He had lost control of his Grace and blinded his son because of one of Lucifer's punishments.

"Razael... I've missed you."

"I've missed you too mother. You are happier then I ever remember you being." Razael said fingering the sword at his side.

"Dean, Sam, and Castiel have been a good influence on me. I really wish you could meet Dean. You'd love him." Gabriel said. "Tricky little bastard that he is."

Razael turned and looked over his shoulder. "I think I already do. He may not be your son by blood and Grace but he does seem to take after you quite a bit."

Gabriel's eyes went wide. "D-Dean?"

"Morning." Dean said softly.

"T-This is real?" Gabriel asked. "No this can't be real! I watched Lucifer rip you apart!"

Razael came forward and took Gabriel's shaking hands. "You can thank Michael and Grandfather. They managed to save me and put me back together. Now that Michael is gone I can come back. Dean explained everything. I came to help. I've spent the day planning and I have a way to save everybody. You've always protected me. Now it's my turn to protect you. Will you let me help?"

Gabriel threw himself at Razael hugging his son tightly and struggling to hold in his tears. "You don't have to ask. I would do anything to have you in my life again."

Razael smiled as he hugged Gabriel back just as tightly. "Then we need to leave now. It's time to save my new dad and younger brother."

Dean grinned and grabbed his bag. They were going to get Sam and Cas back and give the King of Hell an ass kicking he'd never forget.