Sam lay on his back on the sofa staring up at the ceiling. He'd thrown the remote at Gabriel about an hour ago and still it hadn't stayed on one show for more than a few seconds.

"Boring! Boring! Seen it! Boring! She dies! Nope, nope…" Gabriel's comments too, had become like the TV background noise. "Hey Sam!"

"What?" He moaned, not really taking much notice,"

"This woman, have you seen what she's making..." Sam glanced at the telly to see a cooking channel showing what they were calling and 'Xtreme chocolate deluxe'; a cake comprised of so much sugar, cream and chocolate Sam could feel the sugar rush just looking at it.

"As a token of how awesome you find me I think you should conjure me up that cake," Gabriel's eyes glinted with anticipation.

"As my guardian angel shouldn't you be doting on my every whim?"

"Name your heart's desire,"

"And then conjure it myself?"

"Well right now I could work on a long term plan for you, but hey, I'm all about you reaching your potential," Sam thought Gabriel looked far too pleased with himself for the amount of rubbish he was talking.

"Long term plan?" He said, humouring the suggestion.

"I still have my contacts; used to have hundreds who'd jump at the chance to work with me,"

"For you more like,"

"Mutually beneficial relationship allowing for both parties needs to be fulfilled,"

"Sounds like one of Cas' pick up lines,"

"ways and means kiddo,"

"How come they weren't there at Elysian fields?" As Sam said that place's name Gabriel's playful look faltered for a moment.

"besides blowing my cover BIG time, wasn't really my place to tell them who to stand up for,"

"seriously; And it was with us?" Sam shot Gabriel a look and Gabriel scowled half-heartedly and looked away mumbling. "What was that?" Sam asked persistently

"How was I to know you'd be so bloody stubborn?"

"So you still think it'd be just fine to push people around to your own design,"

"Well wouldn't you! If you thought you knew more or knew best!"

"If someone said no I'd respect that enough…"

"Bull,"

"What? You think I'd torture someone like you did just so they'd fit into to the bigger plan?"

"I think you could. I think you would if you thought it was going to help in the long run. I'm not saying I was right, but I was doing what I thought I could to make things easier in the long run,"

Sam was about to answer back but found he was stuck; Gabriel's words had certainly struck a nerve. He could do that. Hurting people in order to keep them safe was practically a default reaction as long he and his brother were hunting. The silence stretched on and the woman harped on about how to melt chocolate to the right consistency. He sighed and was about to concede when the phone on the coffee table began to ring with Dean calling him to check in for the night. He shot a look to Gabriel who was poignantly staring at the television while, he suspected surreptitiously watching Sam. He grabbed the phone and retreated into another room to take the call.

"Heya Sammy,"

"Hey, how's the hunting,"

"looks promising, we scoped out the place looks like an easy one, gonna take it in the morning. Some kids having a huge birthday party right across the road."

"You didn't try to sneak in for free food did you?"

"Cas thought it would be inappropriate to put ourselves in such a notable location in case we're later identified," Sam snorted out a laugh.

"He didn't actually say that did he,"

"Nah, but I kind of expected him to."

"You're both okay though, right?" Sam had to check, and felt the pressure in the back of his mind ease when Dean confirmed that since they'd done 'shit all but drive and take a look round the only thing wrong was how boring the place was.'

"Cas is acting a little weird,"

"Weird weird or Cas weird?"

"He's just smiling and looking at me."

"So?"

"He won't let me in,"

"To the room?"

"No! His head, his thoughts. Just sits there all quiet if I ask,"

"So there's nothing wrong," Dean went quiet, probably frowning at Sam's lack of concern "You're an idiot, get some sleep."

"Hey wait! How's the golden wonder boy? Have you thrown him out yet?"

"We're just watching some TV."

"and keeping your hands to yourself. No funny business."

"Yes mom,"

"shut up,"

"Yeah whatever. Go talk Cas out of smiling and being weird."

"I'll call you tomorrow,"

"Night Dean,"

"See you Sammy,"

After he'd hung up he stared down at his phone and shook his head with a smile before walking back into the living room. Gabriel was still curled up in the armchair but now with a plate of what looked suspiciously like a whole chocolate cake in his lap.

"How come you're got all the Looney Tunes recorded on the box?" Gabriel asked before Sam could ask about the cake.

"Cas likes them,"

"huh," Gabriel nodded, spooning another piece of cake to his mouth staring unwaveringly at the screen.

"He likes the religious analogies," Gabriel considered the thought for a moment before shrugging.

"Never thought of that,"

"and you're watching them because…"

"Timelessly awesome." He raised a piece of cake in salute of the TV.

"right." Sam dropped back down onto the couch. "Uh, where'd the cake come from?"

"We need to work on your control."

"I gave you a cake, while I was on the phone to my brother,"

"Uh, kind of."

"Do I want to know?"

"I'll share if you don't," Gabriel stretched his arm back to where Sam was sat, a huge spoonful of cake dripping with chocolate sauce.

"That bad huh?" He steadied the spoon with his own hand before pushing the utensil back to Gabriel.

"It was very you."

"Tell me tomorrow,"

"before or after Dean and Cas get back?"

"I think they'll be gone a couple of days yet. Dean said Cas was acting weird.

"Cas? Weird? Never."

"Smiling and looking at him,"

"Has your brother been selectively blind the whole time they've known each other?"

"Bobby used to asked me if Castiel had brought him all back right," Sam said, remembering how he'd been pulled aside and asked in all seriousness, 'I know he's Dean all right, but that angel's done something to him.' Sam smiled thinking how it must have been their bond drawing them together all along. He felt sorry for Castiel having to endure the one sidedness of the bond's effects.

"God is in the details… well Castiel is in the details now I guess," Gabriel had moved from his chair as Sam had zoned out and now dropped down next to Sam and offered him more cake

"Dean thinks he had more freckles and a larger dick."

"Funny, just looks like he's been dropped on his head a little more to me,"

"ha ha. He's smarter than you think,"

"Well Castiel thinks he's worth wasting time on,"

"wasting time?" Sam raised his eyebrow disbelievingly and swiped the cake straight from Gabriel's lap. Gabriel shrugged and grabbed a goo-e handful before Sam got it far enough away.

"well no, but one human life seems so tiny. Inconsequential. 7 billion humans; just alive right now, not to mention future and past. I've seen so many lives and faces and choices. But to each his own. Castiel's found his teddy bear to fight off the big bads with. The big plan out there is fixing all the broken pieces and it's all ridiculously incomprehensible," he paused.

"Teddy bear?"

"Not you; you're my moose: Much scarier. Now give me back me cake,"

Gabriel stayed watching telly long after Sam had gone to bed, joking about respecting Dean's wishes but really not wanting to push his luck. With the bond forming he could feel Sam's presence in the room above.

The sooner Castiel came back to explain Sam's random outbursts of control the better. Although Castiel would bring Dean, and once he found out, Dean was more than likely to banish Gabriel for messing with his brother. He doubted reasoning that he couldn't control it, or blame fate would make much headway. Gabriel tried to come up with a plan for getting out of this with the least amount of threats of personal harm. Perhaps he should make Dean-o a cake… or at least replace the bag of sweets.