Sat In The Mud

Summary: When Sam was only a toddler, he met Gabriel the mysteriously invisible boy. As he grows up, Sam is forced to deal with the consequences of having a friend no one else can see.

AU: Imaginary Gabriel

Set: Pre-series

Sam sat in the mud just outside Bobby's house. The first drizzles of rain in what would later be a heavy storm where trickling down Sam's forehead as the young boy sculpted monsters from the wet dirt. Bobby was inside the house, and John had taken Dean out for some extra training, leaving Sam to play with his mud monsters alone.

"Slice off a vampires head, salt and burn ghosts bodies, burn a wendigo" Sam recited supernatural lore under his breath as he crushed each monster individually in some new or exciting way.

Suddenly, Sam spotted something moving from the corner of his eye. He swivelled, scooping up a handful of mud as ammo in case this new visitor wasn't anything friendly, which is Sam's experience it never was.

"Who are you?" Sam asked forcefully, the angry spark in his eyes contrasting his babyish face.

A boy about Sam's own age was sat only a few meters away, his amber eyes scanning his surroundings.

"I'm Gabriel" the boy said, finally, handing Sam a new pile of mud to work with.

"Are you a monster?" Sam still hadn't let his guard down.

"No" Gabriel didn't elaborate, and Sam didn't know how to pry for more information without being invasive.

"My name's Sam" Sam said, simply, smudging mud onto his face as he brushed his wet hair away.

"Can I play?" Gabriel grinned as he heard Sam's name, and moved closer. Sam nodded, ignoring the steadily falling rain.

"I'm practising my hunting. Like Dean and Daddy. Do you have a brother or a daddy?"

"No" Gabriel built up a more accurate but still blobby depiction of a vampire, mimicking Sam's movements.

"That's ok. Lots of people don't. I don't have a mommy" Sam looked up "Do you have anyone?"

"No" Gabriel looked sad, making Sam uncomfortable.

"You have me now" Sam handed Gabriel some more mud, and they played together as the rain pounded down on them with new force.

"Sammy?!" Sam heard a familiar voice through the noise of rain "Sammy where are you?!"

"That's my brother, Dean" Sam explained to Gabriel, who was peering into the sheet of falling water, trying to see this mysterious brother of Sam's.

"Sam Winchester! Answer us!" John's voice joined the frantic cries.

"I'm here!" Sam yelled, not detecting the urgency in their voices "Over here! Dean?!"

"Sammy?!" Dean caught sight of his little brother covered in dirt. "Dad I've got him!"

John joined Dean and scooped down to pick up his mucky son, who was still concentrating on his artwork.

"Sammy, don't go out and play by yourself" John scolded lightly.

"I wasn't by myself. I was with Gabriel" Sam waved to Gabriel from his father's arms.

"Who?"

"Gabriel. He's right there" Sam pointed and frowned at his father.

"Oh ok" John decided not to point out that there was obviously no one there, deciding to investigate into Sam's new friend later.

"Bye Gabriel" Sam whispered, as he was carried away from his new friend.

_._._._._._._

Sam opened his eyes to the usual sight of his brother leaning over him, shaking him awake. His gaze lazily skipped over the furniture in the motel room, until a more unusual sight caught his attention.

Gabriel was sat cross legged on one of the beds offering him a weary smile.

"Morning sunshine" Gabriel laughed, making his way over to beside Sam. It had been just over 10 years since Gabriel had first offered him a mud pile, and Sam was beginning to realise just how abnormal it was to be seeing someone as vividly as he saw Gabriel at 15 years old.

"Up ya get Sammy" Dean hadn't noticed Sam's distracted glance yet.

Sam considered alerting Dean to Gabriel's presence for a moment, but decided against it after his brother's reaction to the idea of an imaginary friend at any age older than about 5. The only issue was that Sam was becoming less and less sure that Gabriel was imaginary as he grew older. This hallucination was too real and had too much personality to be any figment of imagination, he thought to himself.

"Sammy?! I'm over here, buddy" Dean clicked his fingers in front of Sam's face, snapping his attention away from Gabriel's easy charm.

"Yeah. Sorry Dean"

"If you keep doing the whole distant distracted thing on me I'm gonna have to let dad know there's something up" Dean pulled on his jacket with a suspicious glance at Sam, whose eyes widened in denial.

"There's nothing wrong. I'm just tired"

"Dude, you're in a trance 24/7. It's freakin' me out"

Sam rolled his eyes and went to get dressed with childish energy to please his brother. Dean looked defeated, but left Sam alone for the time being.

"Sorry if I get you into trouble, Sasquatch. I just can't help being this captivating, you know?"

"Oh shut up" Sam scoffed, without thinking.

"Who're you talking to?!" Sam heard the panic in Dean's voice and winced.

"Myself" Sam called back. He heard footsteps coming towards the bathroom door and sighed as Dean pushed open the door and looked around, straight through Gabriel who pulled funny faces at him for his own amusement as much as Sam's. Sam let out a small giggle and Dean swivelled with an angry look on his face.

"I'm telling dad" he stormed off "You're a nutter, Sammy"

"Dean" Sam didn't even bother going after his older sibling, and turned to Gabriel instead.

"I blame you for this. We are so busted" Sam grabbed his school bag and checked to make sure Gabriel was with him before hurrying out of the motel room, past his dad's bedroom where Dean was detailing Sam's weird behaviour. He'd be in even more trouble when he returned home that night, but for now he focused on getting to school.

"You'll always have me though, right Sam?" Gabriel's eyes sparkled mischievously.

"Yeah" Sam moved his hand slightly so his fingers were intertwined with Gabriel's even if only they could see it. Sam liked it that way anyway.

_._._._._._._

That evening, Sam snuck back into the motel room, gently pressing the door closed. As he went to put his bag down, Dean stepped out with John not far behind him, grabbing Sam's arm.

"Sammy" Dean warned as Sam attempted to twist away.

"Looks like you've got yourself into quite a pickle, Sasquatch. And all because of my attractiveness too" Gabriel leaned against a wall and winked at Sam who glared back.

"See? Now he's giving that wall there a bitchface" Dean moved so Sam faced John.

"I think we need to talk, Sammy" John's face remained passive, but Sam could see the panic behind his eyes "And Dean, even if he's acting a little weird, it's nothing to freak out about"

"But dad" the younger Winchesters whined.

"Sammy" John rested his head in his palm "start talking"

"I don't know what you're talking about" Sam innocently addressed his father.

"Don't make me force you, boy" John would never be violent, but there was a threatening air to him that made Sam a little nervous.

"Maybe you should come clean" Gabriel suggested, running his fingers through Sam's long hair, making him relax slightly.

"What good would that do?" Sam muttered to himself, earning him a worried look from both his family members.

"I'll be right here" Gabriel rested his head on Sam's shoulder.

"Alright" Sam's shoulders sagged "You guys remember Gabriel?"

"They'd better" Gabriel whispered, making Sam grin.

"You're imaginary friend?" John recalled, but Dean shook his head.

"Yeah. Gabriel. Well the thing is, he's still here"

Dean and John adopted identical looks of confusion for a moment, but as they realised what Sam was saying they scowled.

"Are you trying to say all this is about your imaginary friend? You're too old for this, Sam" John shook his head at his youngest who blushed.

"It's not my fault. He's just... here" Sam waved his arm to Gabriel who had moved to stand behind Dean.

"You mean you're not imagining him?" Dean tilted his head.

"Not intentionally" Sam admitted, softly smiling at his best friend, ignoring Dean's troubled glance in the same direction.

"That's not so good" John admitted, pulling out an EMF meter "And there's nothing in the room. Are you sure he's not just messing us around?" John looked at Dean who shrugged.

"I'm still here, you know" Sam mumbled darkly.

"I thought I was the invisible one" Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"Sammy, maybe you need some help or something" Dean looked mortified at the suggestion.

"No!" John and Sam yelled simultaneously, Sam's face reddening with embarrassment "I'm not crazy" he insisted.

"Imagining people doesn't sound nuts to anyone else?"

"It's just a phase" John put the EMF reader away, pouring himself a drink.

"It's not" Sam's eyes burned with tears of frustration "This is why I didn't tell you! You'd either think I'm crazy" Sam directed this at Dean "Or stupid" Sam looked at John.

"Tell me more about Gabriel" John said, ignoring Sam's pain.

"He's-"

"Amazing, gorgeous and totally hilarious" Gabriel interrupted, spinning for effect.

"Shut up for a sec" Sam snapped back, but had to fight the smile threatening to light up his face.

"He's here now?" John looked more concerned by the second.

"He's almost always here" Sam continued "He only leaves me alone to go to the bathroom and stuff. Or if I ask him to"

"So what's he like?"

"He's egoistical and energetic" Sam looked at Gabriel who imitated swooning "He makes me laugh, sometimes"

"Only sometimes?"

"I don't need your head getting any bigger" Sam grinned at Gabriel who laughed.

"What does he look like?" John asked, ignoring the banter between his youngest and the invisible figure.

"He's short" Sam began, noting Gabriel's scowl "And a little stockier than me"

"How flattering" Gabriel sighed.

"He's got these goldish-brownish eyes and light brown hair. Almost dirty blonde, but not quite"

"Anything else?" John asked, softly.

"Um... He likes me a lot, I guess, but I've never seen him warm towards someone else. And he always says I should eat more sweets" Sam chose not to mention how Gabriel currently had his arms around him.

"How do you know he likes you?" Dean was sat in an armchair, remaining silent until now.

"He sometimes compliments me and stuff" Sam's cheeks were red.

"And stuff?"

"He's a hugger" Sam shrugged.

"Sam... Do you like Gabriel?" John asked, suspiciously.

"Well obviously he-"

"No. Do you like him like him?" John said, squirming uncomfortably.

"Dad" Sam and Dean looked equally shocked.

"W-Well I think... I-" Sam blushed furiously "He's nice but I... um... I-"

"Well shit" Dean rested his head in his hands, leaving the room to discuss Sam's fate with John, who looked shaken.

"Smooth" Gabriel whispered in Sam's ear, making his face take on a new shade of red.

"Now I'm on my own" Sam whimpered.

"You have me, remember?" Gabriel hugged Sam again, making him smile through his tears.

"Yeah. I've got you"

A little inconclusive... Maybe a sequel at some point?

Anyway, school had been crazy as all hell, so I haven't been updating like I should. The reviews are the only thing keeping me running at this point, I swear.

The poll on my profile has some good answers so maybe I'll start working on a little something else soon, but for now it's still open and ready for your opinions ;D

Adios x