This chapter is for the wonderful JanusTheUnlucky7! Poor Chuck! I wonder what all he has seen the brothers do? O-o That could be why he is trying to drink himself unconscious all of the time.
Cjabbott, I agree with you. Lucifer is adorable and I think he knows it. After all, being the most beautiful angel in Heaven probably has given him a rather large ego.
Yes I have added elements from Soothe My Pain in this. If you enjoy a little Dean and Cas loving check it out. If not then it's not that important.
That's right gents, your favorite Trickster, and mine, is back to stir up some trouble! We can't have Sam and Lucifer living happily ever after just yet, can we? Of course not, there hasn't been enough trials yet! Sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Chapter 10: The Trouble With Tricksters

Zachariah was furious! He did not even think about Chuck! How could he have been so careless? Of course Chuck would know, after all it was his job to write the Winchester Gospels so naturally he would know what the Prophecy was. If Sam knew so did Lucifer and that left the angels alone in the dark.

He paced the front of the Gates of Heaven, anger boiling inside of him. Peter, on the other hand, was just as calm as always.

"You should have known this would happen." Peter said, watching the angel pace. "After all, The Winchesters do hold a place in God's good Graces."

It was true. For some reason or another the Winchesters were important in God's plan, whatever that may be. Both boys had died on numerous occasions and yet they still walk the Earth. Hell, they had both been to Hell and managed to come out remarkably unscathed. The nightmares were nothing compared to what could have happened. Even having Lucifer himself running around in your grapefruit wasn't as bad as it could have been.

It was all Castiel's fault. Of course, why hadn't he seen it before? God had sent Castiel to save both Sam and Dean. initially it had just been Dean but when Sam had agreed to be Lucifer's meat suit and jumped into the pit, Castiel had been the one to drag first his body then his soul out of the Cage. Hell, even Death was on their side! Zachariah could not understand the draw the idiots seemed to have. How was it that two of the biggest morons he had ever had the pleasure to meet managed to get in good with everyone. Including demons! If Crowley had really wanted to he could have ended their lives, set up a special torture for them in Hell but no. Whether he was going to admit it or not, he liked them too.

Sam had Lucifer by a string! If he wanted it done, Satan himself would spoon feed him!

He was just going to have to take out the one thing that stood in his way. Castiel.

...

The angel in question was currently on Earth with the brothers. They both knew Castiel's true loyalty was with Dean, he had proven it countless times before, but he still kept an eye on the goings on in Heaven. To his surprise it was Peter, of all angels, to inform Castiel about Zachariah's plans. The higher up did not think twice about talking things out with Peter because he had always come across a bit dim to him. Peter was peaceful and loving and did not want a war. He had to warn Castiel of their brother's plans. If he didn't, his guilt would eat at him.

Castiel could not say he was surprised. It made sense that God would bring back Zachariah to make sure his plans for war went as planned. The Apocalypse had back fired, after all. It appeared his father wanted the world to end. If evil won Lucifer would walk the Earth he loved with Sam, humans cast aside as animals. If the angels won God was going to make it Heaven on Earth. No sickness, no death, just bliss. Why couldn't the humans just have the world? Yes they were destroying it but so would the war.

When Castiel had filled the brothers in, Dean had declared he needed a drink while Castiel explained how Zachariah was still alive after Dean had killed him.

"So, what your saying is, the Sons are the angels?" Sam asked.

"It would appear so." Cas nodded, solemnly. His face devoid of emotion.

"That still leaves the first line though." Dean interjected, downing the glass in a drink. He grimaced, shaking his head. "On the night when the Stars are no longer in their place."

Castiel paused a moment, his head turned to the side, staring at Dean. "Stars, Dean. The angels."

A light of understanding shone behind the hunters eyes. Of course.

"Am I missing something?" Sam asked, squinting slightly at the two.

"That is irrelevant." Cas looked away from Dean who was sporting his deer in headlights look. "What you need to know is that the stars in the sky were made with the Grace of the angels."

"Really?" Sam asked, shocked. He had never really thought about the Earth being created let alone the rest of the universe. Like most humans, it was here so why worry about it? Who cares how, as long as it is here that is all that matters.

"Yes." Huh, what did you know.

"So the Stars not being in their proper place means the Angels doing whatever the hell they damn well please." Dean summed up. It wasn't pretty but that was just about the jest of it.

Damn.

...

Lucifer had been gone for a long time. He wasn't something that Sam had ever thought he would miss but he had grown attached to Lucifer. He was actually worrying about him somehow finding a way to leave him when he reappeared.

"Oh, Sammy! I'm touched!" Lucifer put a hand to his heart. They were alone in the kitchen. Sam had claimed he also needed a drink while Dean and Cas filled in Bobby and Chuck about Zachariah and his plan.

Sam nearly jumped out of his skin. "Make some noise, would you!" The hunter clutched at his chest.

"Oh, I'll make all kinds of noise for you Sammy but I don't think this is the time or the place for that. Maybe later." He winked before becoming serious. "I was in the Cage. Michael is gone. Adam is still there but not my brother."

"Zachariah is back as well." Sam informed him. Lucifer was quiet for a moment, lost in thought.

"Who else has been brought back by my father?" Lucifer asked. Sam did not know. He had thought it had been only Zachariah but if Michael has been sprung from the Cage as well what did that mean?

"We should probably ask Cas." Sam reasoned. Lucifer followed the hunter to the panic room where everyone was standing around the doorway. With Castiel being an angel he could not be in the angel proof room and they did not want to make him feel left out. Sam guessed the only reason Lucifer was able to was because his Grace was intertwined with his own soul. He would have to ask later.

"Hey, Cas, can I ask you a question?" Sam walked up to the angel, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

"Of course." Cas gave him a polite look.

"Who else has come back, other than Zachariah?" He asked, trying not to look at Dean. "Lucifer said Michael is not in the Cage anymore. Adam is but Michael is nowhere to be found." He knew Dean wanted to demand what he thought he was doing talking to the devil but he kept his mouth shut. Castiel looked at him as if he had never seen him before.

"What do you mean?" Cas asked, his featured tight.

"Well I am king of Hell, no matter what Crowley thinks. I can go back and look around if that is what I wish." Lucifer scoffed, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. "Something felt wrong so I decided to check it out."

"Lucifer said he is able to visit the Cage. He felt something was wrong and went to see what it was and found Michael gone." Sam explained. Looking at Lucifer, he noticed the fallen angel looked a little like a pouting child.

"I am no child, Samuel." Lucifer stuck out his tongue. Nope, not a child at all.

"If God it bringing back the dead angels then he brought back Gabriel." Dean cut in, his face contorting in something between disgust and admiration. Sure, he was a dick but he had to admit the angel had a flair for dramatics that he couldn't help but like.

"Then we need to get ahold of Gabriel." Bobby said, looking to Chuck. "He is alive isn't he?"

Chuck nodded nervously. "Raphael too."

This day just could not get any better.

...

Gabriel, as it turned out, did not like to be called. He had been trying to hide out until he knew what was going on but of course the boys had to blow his cover.

"Oh God!" Gabriel groaned, finding himself in Bobby's living room. Everyone was surrounded around the bowel they had used to summon the trickster. Even Chuck had decided to venture out of the panic room to meet the famous Gabriel. He knew him from his visions but that wasn't the same thing as being able to meet him in real life.

"You guys again?" He kicked at the rug at his feet. Letting out a sigh, he gave them a bow and asked in his most sarcastic voice, "what could I do to serve you my liege?"

"Gabriel, we need to ask you who's side your on and then you can go." Sam stepped forward, offering a smile.

"Sam! In the flesh, no less! What a surprise!" His trademark trickster grin firmly in place. "Lucy didn't get to you after all, huh?"

"Not exactly," Sam began but Gabriel cut him off.

"Lets cut to the chase. What exactly do you mutton-heads know about the prophecy? Judging by the way you unceremoniously brought me here you know something." Was it Sam's imagination or did Gabriel wink at him? He would have thought not but the way Lucifer got closer to him and the look on his face told him he had seen it too.

Chuck explained to Gabriel about the Prophecy, leaving out the part about Sam and Lucifer's rendezvous. The angel just laughed.

"Aw, Sammy has fallen in love with my brother? How cute!" Sam could feel the mans eyes baring into him, a smile on his face that was more flirty than anything else. What the hell? Sam could feel his ears beginning to burn with embarrassment.

"Whos side are you on, Gabriel?" Cas asked, his face blank and voice solemn.

"Yours, of course, Cassie! I don't want to be around those douches longer than need be." He rolled his eyes as if it were obvious.

Sam couldn't help bur feel sorry for Booby. How many people can complain about having an archangel, a warrior from the Garrison, a Prophet of the Lord, and Satan staying in his house? It was a good thing that angels don't need to eat or sleep because the already cramped conditions could have gotten awkward.

Luckily angels don't need to sleep and therefore the sleeping conditions were the same as they had been in the beginning. On the downside, Castiel and Gabriel decided they were going to wait out the night in the kitchen making talking to Lucifer difficult. They weren't stupid, they knew Sam and Lucifer were becoming close and hearing a one-sided conversation could tell them just how close they were getting. If that wasn't bad enough, having Gabriel walking in on him kissing a hallucination would most likely be the most embarrassing thing that could happen.

"Sammy," Lucifer sat beside his vessel on the couch. "You can't tell me my brothers being here is enough to go back to getting the cold shoulder." Sam did not know what to do. Talk to Lucifer and be there for his friend- more than friend? He wasn't sure- or let Gabriel keep them apart. Maybe he was being ridicules. Maybe Gabriel wouldn't do anything but accept what was going on between his brother and the human and keep out of their business.

Of course not.

Gabriel walked into the room, a smile on his face. Sam knew he shouldn't be surprised, there was usually a smile on his face he was a trickster after all. He sat beside Sam, in the place Lucifer was but of course he couldn't know that. Lucifer kind of flickered out out of focus, disappear for a moment, then reappear on a chair on the other side of the room.

"Hey Gigantor, hows it hanging?" The angel asked. "Low I assume." He laughed at his own joke. Lucifer glared at his brother.

"Hey, Gabriel." Sam smiled, it was forced and tight. "Nice to see your not dead."

"Living is always a nice thing." The angel agreed. "Hows my brother doing?" He looked around the room as if he could find the other angel.

"He's giving you a dirty look." Sam admitted. Lucifer stuck his tongue out at him.

"He's just jealous. We can't all be this good looking." He winked.

Sam did not know what to say but the Archangel did not seem to mind sitting in silence. He laid an ankle on one knee and put his hands behind his head.

'Did you ever think my brother could be using you?" Gabriel asked out of nowhere, breaking the silence. "After all, the devil is known for lieing. How do you know he wants you to fall for him so that he is not condemned tot he Cage again?"

Sam gaped at him. Why would he assume something like that?

"Don't listen to him Sam. He doesn't know what you mean to me. Nobody does. How could they?" Lucifer reassured him, getting out of the chair to make his way back to the couch. He kneeled before his vessel. "I love you Sam. Don't forget that."

Gabriel tisked. "Whatever, don't listen to me. Just think about it. You are the only deciding factor whether or not he goes back home. If I were him I would be willing to do anything to make sure I was not cast back into Hell." He took a moment to pat Sam's knee before standing. "I bet Cassie will agree with me." He looked around the room before leaving.

What the hell was that about?