Sam would have been lying if he said that he wasn't nervous about facing Lucifer again. After everything he went through with the Devil in the past – running, fighting, being tortured, having hallucinations – Sam knew what he was in for. Just the thought of being in the same room with him was enough to make Sam sick to his stomach... but if seeing Lucifer was something that Gabriel needed to do – no matter the reason – Sam wanted to go with him.
In his heart, Sam understood that Gabriel didn't see Lucifer the same way everyone else did. To Gabe, Lucifer was his brother. One of his very first friends. Someone who probably protected him and taught him things. And Gabe was one of the few beings who actually knew Lucifer and Michael before mankind was ever created. And Sam wanted to respect their bond as much as he could, because he knew from experience how important a brotherly relationship was. In fact, it was part of the reason he didn't hesitate to go with Gabriel to Hell. Sam wanted to support his husband through this personal encounter, which was bound to be difficult.
Sam and Gabriel gave Dean and Cas a brief heads-up about what they were going to do and made sure that their daughter was safe with them before sneaking out to join Bobby and Crowley outside the bunker. Gabe took them all to Bobby's garage, where the portal they created seven years before was still active behind a workbench. The king himself led all of them into Hell. Sam kept a pretty tight hold on Gabe's hand all the way into the pit. He hadn't been to Hell for a while and was nervous about being immersed in the eery atmosphere again. Gabe, on the other hand, entered Hell with his head tilted down and a look of determination on his face. Sam couldn't remember the last time he saw his archangel behave so seriously. It made him worry about Gabe's time in that cage with Jude in Heaven. What kind of things did Naomi and Raphael say? What did seeing all of those corpses do to poor Gabriel's mentality?
Once they arrived in Hell, Crowley led them down a series of halls that looked like corridors in a dark castle. Again, just as he did the last time he was there, Sam tried his best to tone out the sound of damned souls being tortured. He focused on the feeling of Gabe's small hand inside his own; how warm and soft his skin was. Crowley eventually stopped at a specific door and turned around with a grim look on his face.
"I should probably warn you of what to expect before you go in," the demon hummed, eyes fixed on Gabe, "When Michael and Lucifer were tossed into that cage twelve years ago, it wasn't in the most stable condition. We've put spells around the outside of the cage to accommodate for the reach of their grace, so don't get too close. I would recommend staying five feet back if you want to remain on the outside of the bars. Otherwise, they can transport you inside. A few of my men found that out the hard way..."
Sam gulped and glanced down at Gabe, figuring that the news would make him less eager to see his brothers. But somehow, he only seemed more determined. The archangel gave a stern nod before turning to look up at Sam.
"Wait here, moose. I'll be right back," he said.
Gabriel started to let go of Sam's hand, but Sam gasped and squeezed it tighter.
"No," he denied, "Gabe, I've already told you I'm not gonna let you do this alone. Besides, Jessica would want us to stay together. Buddy system, remember?"
Sam knew that the mention of their daughter would help persuade Gabe to let him come along. And almost on cue, the archangel's golden eyes softened and his planned argument eventually resulted in a defeated breath.
"Alright," Gabe muttered, "Just let me do all the talking, okay?"
"I always do," Sam reminded with a wink.
A smile briefly appeared on Gabe's pretty face, which Sam was so glad to see, but it faded away when he turned back to Crowley.
"Ready when you are, your highness," the archangel mumbled.
Crowley shared a small glance with Bobby, who nodded sagely in agreement, before turning around and cracking up in the door. Chills sprang up on Sam's skin at the screech of metal hinges and he gripped Gabe's hand tighter. He didn't expect the space beyond to be so dark. But, then again, he wasn't sure what to expect. Even though he felt his guts churning, Sam stepped in stride with Gabriel toward the door.
The two of them walked hand-in-hand into what seemed like a dark void. It almost felt like they were wandering into a different dimension. The space around them resembled the outdoors at night, with streaks of lightening zapping overhead and a blanket of fog hovering over the ground. Other than the flashing bolts in the sky, the only source of light in the area was a huge square-shaped wall of fire around a metal cage. This cage was much bigger than the one Gabe and Jude were trapped in, but it was darker too. More sinister and menacing. The spells etched around the box were solid and glowing, but the metal itself was weathered, like it contained a vicious wild animal instead of two archangels.
Even from the distance, Sam could see a pair of shining red eyes staring at him.
Though his heart was pounding and he knew that Lucifer's sight was zeroed on him, Sam focused his attention on the sensation of Gabriel's warm fingers clinging to his hand. As long as he was with Gabe, Sam could face anything. Even the devil himself. Luckily, Gabe seemed to be more comfortable with his brother's ominous presence. His feet didn't stop until he was only a foot from the wall of flames.
Once they were close enough to the cage, the first thing Sam noticed was that Lucifer was completely alone. Adam, who was supposed to be hosting Michael, was gone. Sam's eyes quickly scanned the entire cage over and over, but there was no sign of anyone else. Gabriel must have noticed it too, because he was absorbing the sight as much as Sam. Through the curtain of blazing heat, Lucifer's attention shifted from the man to the archangel beside him.
"Gabriel..." Lucifer breathed, sliding his fingers through the bars to grip them and bring his own face close.
"Hey, bro," Gabe smirked, tossing a quick wave with his free hand.
"I was pretty sure I killed you," Lucifer lightly pointed out, tilting his head to the side.
"Yeah. Not so much," Gabe shrugged, "I've fooled a lot of people with that trick. Always pays off to see the look on my murderer's face when I come back."
Lucifer gave a half chuckle, making the creepy sound echo into the void.
"Clever," he complimented.
"Thanks. I learned it from the best," Gabe nodded.
Sam knew that Gabe was referring to Lucifer when he mentioned the best. And Lucifer himself seemed to recognize the reference too because his red eyes grew soft in the light of holy fire. But the tenderness only lasted a few seconds. Bitter irritation slowly clouded back over his expression when he spared another glance at Sam.
"It's a bit odd, isn't it? You holding hands with my vessel like that?" Lucifer mentioned, gesturing toward Sam and Gabe's tangled fingers.
Sam's first instinct was to tighten his grip. His muscles contracted on their own, clamping onto Gabe's hand with enough force to turn his own knuckles white. Thankfully, Gabe seemed indifferent to the shift of attention. He only raised up their joined hands and smiled a little.
"Oh. You mean my husband," Gabe casually corrected with a giant grin, "No, it's not odd at all. We hold hands a lot, actually."
Sam gulped, fearing that the news of his and Gabriel's marriage would piss Lucifer off or freak him out or something. But to Sam's honest surprise, Lucifer only gave a pitiful smile. The guy seemed totally calm about finding out that his vessel was wed to his brother. Maybe he already knew somehow...
"How endearing," he purred, "To be honest, I was hoping you had brought him as a gift for me..."
Sam's heart wrenched in his chest at the dark tone of Lucifer's voice. A gift? Did Lucifer really think that Gabriel would hand Sam over like a piece of meat? All traces of humor fled Gabe's face and he inched in front of the tall man protectively.
"Keep dreaming, Luce," he spat.
Gabriel's defense of Sam must have been humorous to Lucifer because he chuckled again, seeming entertained. But Gabe remained a stone in front of Sam. The man was starting to feel really uncomfortable. Why were they here, again? Why did Gabriel even want to see Lucifer? Beside Sam, Gabriel reclaimed his calm composure in order to ask,
"Where is Mikey and his half-pint vessel?"
Inside the cage, Lucifer glanced around and dramatically shrugged his shoulders.
"Gone," he replied simply.
Sam's eyes narrowed. Gone? How could they be gone? The cage was supposed to trap them all in there for eternity. Did they break out? Or did Lucifer do something terrible to them? Gabe must have been wondering the same thing.
"Where did they go?" the golden archangel asked.
"Away," Lucifer mumbled.
Gabriel was clearly sick of Lucifer's lousy answers. He shook his head a little bit out of frustration and Sam could sense his level of disappointment just from the tone of his sigh. Was Gabe expecting to get something different out of this encounter? Maybe he was hoping to have an honest and open discussion with Lucifer; something similar to what Sam and Dean did on a regular basis. It broke Sam's heart to think that Gabriel couldn't have the same brotherly bond that he did with Dean.
"Fine," Gabe eventually huffed, "I didn't come here to fight with you... I just wanted to tell you that... Raphael is dead."
Genuine concern and pain flashed over Lucifer's face and he leaned close to the bars again. The red in his eyes flared up, making the orbs burn like rubies in the dark.
"What?" he breathed.
"Raphael. He's dead. Not fake-dead, like I was. But really dead. I was there when it happened... and I thought you'd like to know," Gabriel explained carefully.
Lucifer was visibly upset by the news. He bowed his head for a second, letting his eyes vacantly search the ground, before lifting it again to stare out through the bars. His sight was focused on Gabriel this time, and the sheer amount of concentrated anger in his eyes was enough to give Sam more chills.
"Raphael was one of the few people who stood up for me when Dad threw me out... He was our brother, Gabriel... You're telling me that you were there when he died... But you didn't do anything to stop it? How could you let him die like that?" Lucifer hissed.
Sam knew those words cut Gabe to the bone. He could see the pain in the poor guy's honey eyes. Why did Lucifer have to say things like that? Why did he always have to make things worse? Despite the harsh comments from his brother, Gabriel remained calm and it made Sam abundantly proud. The golden archangel simply took a big breath and tugged on Sam's hand.
"I could go into annoyingly accurate detail about why Raphael brought it upon himself, but there's no use in wasting my breath," Gabe admitted, already starting to back away, "I did what I came to do. Maybe I'll see you around sometime, bro. Enjoy your eternal solitude."
Sam shuffled along with Gabe's hold as they started to walk back toward where they came from, but kept his eyes on Lucifer behind them. He was secretly grateful that they were leaving, but part of him was worried. For some reason, the devil was smiling again, watching Sam and Gabe depart with a pleasantly smug expression.
"So long, Gabriel," he called sweetly, "... Don't forget to tell Jessie that her uncle Lucifer says hi..."
Sam's blood ran cold and his feet stopped dead in their tracks. Holy shit, he said Jessie! How the hell did Lucifer know about Jessie?! They never mentioned her! How did the devil know that they had a daughter?! How did he know her name?! In a rush of fear and adrenaline, Sam spun around to face the glowing red eyes in the distance.
"Wh – what did you say?!" Sam gasped with terror.
Lucifer only beamed from behind the bars, delighting in Sam's horrified reaction. In the meantime, Gabriel was yanking firmly on Sam's hand, physically pulling him toward the door.
"Don't listen to him, Sam," Gabe pleaded, "He's just trying to -"
"He said her name!" Sam breathed, "Gabe, he said her name!"
"He's playing with you. That's his specialty. Trust me, Sam, I know," Gabriel explained, forcing Sam to march along with him, "Tune out his bullshit and come on."
"But, he - !"
"He's royally screwed and trying to use you to get out of the cage," Gabe explained in a hushed whisper, "Go!"
The rest of Sam's fearful argument got lodged in his throat when Gabriel finally pushed him all the way through the door. The sight of the cage surrounded by holy fire – housing Lucifer, who was grinning so eerily toward him – was suddenly shut from his view. Sam and Gabriel were back in the dark corridor of Hell, where Bobby and Crowley were waiting for them.
Sam's entire body was quivering. Thoughts of Lucifer coming near his precious daughter were suddenly haunting his mind. Oh God, no! Sam couldn't let Lucifer put Jessie through the same torture that he endured. Just the thought of Lucifer purring corrupt ideas into her ear and forcing her to see horrible visions made Sam want to vomit and punch something. Shit, what if Lucifer somehow broke out of the cage?! What if he tried to hurt Sam's baby girl? Or worse! What if he tried to use her as a vessel?!
"Let me back in there!" Sam growled, already trying to fight his way to the door.
"No! Hey! Sam! It's over," Gabriel said, grabbing him by the arm.
"He said our daughter's name! He's gonna hurt her!" Sam explained.
"No, he's not! He's stuck in there!" Gabriel barked back.
The archangel took the time to grab both of Sam's biceps and spin him around, making them face each other so that he could bore those golden eyes into Sam's frenzied soul.
"Listen to me, Sam," he almost begged, "If he could hurt Jessica, he would have done it already. But he hasn't because he can't. Lucifer is just trying to get you upset because he knows it makes you vulnerable. The weaker you are, the easier you are to manipulate, the more likely you'll say yes... Don't you see? They're mind games, kiddo. Trust me. Just let it go."
Every instinct in Sam's body was telling him to fight his way back into the void and face Lucifer head on; to protect his child before any harm could come to her. But as he stared down into Gabriel's soft and gentle eyes, Sam could feel his rapid heart rate gradually slowing. Gabe was absolutely right. Sam knew from personal experience the extent of Lucifer's manipulative prowess. The guy could make anyone do almost anything. And he really would have tried to hurt Jessica if he could. Sam had no doubt that the Winchesters would be his first target.
Once his head was in the right place, Sam forced his strained muscles to relax. He let himself go limp in Gabe's arms, after which Gabe pulled him in for a hug. The archangel's hands slowly ran up and down his tall back, comforting him more and more with each stroke. Sam breathed in the sweet smell of Gabe's hair the whole time, remembering that their little girl's curls were the exact same shade of blonde...
"What in the hell happened out there?"
The sound of Bobby's voice made Sam completely snap back to his senses. He coughed and raised back up to face the old man and the demon next to him, who both seemed equally curious and confused.
"Nothing. Just Luci being Luci," Gabriel sighed, turning toward Crowley, "By the way, commander crossroads, did you know that your toolbox is missing a few screwdrivers?"
"What?" Crowley asked, his eyebrows scrunching.
"Michael and Adam. They're gone. Did you misplace them or something?" Gabe prompted, crossing his arms and jutting his hip out.
Crowley's dark eyes widened and he shared a quick glance with Bobby.
"Believe me. No one has entered that void since we put those spells up over a decade ago. If Michael and Adam are missing, I can only assume that they were... obliterated. Reduced to ash or something. God only knows what those angels were doing to each other in there. The screaming was horrendous," he shrugged.
The news of more dead brothers only seemed to worsen Gabriel's already fragile condition. Though he was putting up a brave, carefree mask, Sam could see the pain in his eyes. Gabe was more upset than he let on and Sam knew it. Because he knew Gabe better than anyone, inside and out.
"Great," the archangel mumbled sadly, "That's just... Wow... Can you please put some more security detail on this place? I love my brother... but he needs to be supervised."
"Consider it done," Crowley agreed smoothly.
Though the king of Hell promised to keep Lucifer contained at all costs, Gabe didn't seemed comforted. Sam instantly wrapped an arm back around Gabriel's short shoulder and pulled him close. It was the only thing he could really do to offer him some support. Sam couldn't imagine the weight of Gabe's emotions in that moment and he wanted to do everything he could to help him. Right now, they needed to be with their daughter. They needed to be home; far away from all this horrible bullshit.
"We need to be with Jess, Gabe," Sam said softly.
Gabriel turned to look up at him with the most vulnerable expression Sam had seen him wear all day.
"I know," he nodded, wrapping both arms around Sam's waist, "Take me home, moose."
Dean wasn't exactly sure why Gabriel wanted to visit his brothers in Hell. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was forced to spend some time in a cage of his own. Maybe he felt sorry for them or something. All Dean knew for certain was that Gabriel was set on going, and that Sam was determined to go with him. Usually, Dean would have been dead against letting his little brother going to Hell and getting close to Lucifer without him there to protect him. But with Jude back home and in need of comfort, Dean didn't have much of a choice but to let them go alone. Sammy was a big boy; perfectly capable of handling himself. And he knew Gabe would guard Sam with his life. Still, Dean felt uneasy about it.
Luckily, Jessica didn't seem to notice that her parents were gone. She hung around with Jude talked to him about everything that happened while he was gone – including a short visit she paid to Oliver's house, which nobody knew about. Cas never left Jude's side either. He was like a shadow, hovering beside their son every second. Dean could definitely tell that his 'mother bear' instinct had kicked in. Being without Jude, even for a short time, was enough to recharge Cas's parental worries.
It only took Sam and Gabe a few hours to get back to the bunker. And when they returned, Dean could immediately see that something happened to them while they were away. He met them in the control room, where he was greeted by Sam's pale face and Gabe's thousand-yard stare. They were both shaken to the core. Son of a bitch. What was going on now?
"Just lay it on me," Dean grumbled as he walked up to the two of them, "Tell me what happened."
Gabriel seemed unable to form words, so he looked up to Sammy instead, who easily took the reigns.
"Michael and Adam are gone. We don't know what happened to them. Lucifer is in the cage alone. And he... he mentioned Jessica by name, even though we never told him about her," Sam blurted, his voice sterile and flat.
Dean's mouth actually fell open a little. Lucifer knew Jessica by name? But how? Shit, did he know about Jude too? How the hell did Satan find out about the Winchesters' kids? Was he able to pick up angel radio in the cage or something? And what happened to Michael and Adam? Why was Lucifer alone? What the hell?
"Uh..." Dean mumbled, unsure of which of his many questions to ask first.
Before he could even pick one out, Sam cut him off by stepping forward to place a huge hand on his shoulder. There was a mixture of defeat and anxiety in Sammy's puppy-dog eyes, a kind of heartbroken emotion that Dean hadn't seen for a long time.
"You were right, Dean," the kid breathed, his voice high and full of pain, "We're gonna have to train Jessica and Jude how to defend themselves. They need to know about everything. Spells, sigils, weapons, angels, demons, all of it... Hunting is going to effect them whether we want it to or not. And they deserve to be prepared when it comes."
Dean gulped hard, glancing from his little brother to the motionless archangel behind him. They were both dead serious about teaching Jude and Jessica some hunting skills. And although it was the last thing he ever wanted to put his child through, Dean knew it was the right thing to do. The dangers of hunting were already effecting Jude and Jess. Hell, they were born into it; grace and all. Dean always knew this moment would eventually come. But honestly, he was relieved. He wanted his son to be able to protect himself if something like this ever happened again...
"Okay," Dean nodded, "Let's, uh, have a family meeting and talk it out. I'll get everyone rounded up and meet you in the library."
Sam nodded back and glanced behind him to check on Gabe, who seemed to agree with the arrangement. Sam soberly patted Dean's shoulder a few times before reaching back to take Gabe's hand and lead him toward the study. Dean took a deep breath and started down the hall afterward, heading straight for his son's room. He knew that Cas and Jess were bound to be with him, probably still playing twenty-one questions. Sure enough, Dean peered inside to see all three of them – and Dickie – sitting on Jude's bed. Though he didn't want to disturb what sounded like an interesting conversation, Dean gently tapped on the door to get their attention.
"Hey guys," he said, trying his best to smile at all the eyes staring at him, "Sam and I want to talk to you all in the library."
For a second, Jude and Jessica glanced at each other in confusion and Cas gave Dean a set of suspicious eyes. But one by one, they slowly started sliding off the bed to join him at the door. Jessica walked out first with Dickie in her arms, seeming perfectly content with joining her parents in the study. Cas, though, loitered at the door next to Dean and waited for their son to catch up. But Jude – who was holding his stuffed bee and fiddling with its tiny fabric wings – only made it a few steps before he paused. His sapphire eyes glanced between each of his parents.
"Papa? Can I talk to Dad alone for a second?" he asked timidly.
Cas and Dean shared a small look of concern. Why did Jude want to talk to Dean alone? Was something wrong? Though he was clearly worried, Cas gave Jude a nod and a gentle smile before affectionately squeezing Dean's arm and walking out. His absence left the two of them alone in Jude's room, which looked so much brighter and cozier with Jude in it. Hoping to get to the bottom of his son's distress, Dean carefully squatted down until he was at perfect eye level with Jude.
"What's up, little man?" he asked, trying to keep things cheery.
Jude started by taking a big breath and leaning over to put his stuffed bee down on his bed. It seemed like he was having difficulty trying to spit out his words, because he rocked back and forth on his heels and stared down at his fidgeting hands.
"I, um. I just wanted to say..." he gulped, finally raising his head to look Dean in the eye, "I'm sorry that Grandpa John wasn't there to save you. That wasn't very nice of him... But I'll be there for you, Dad. I won't let you get hurt like he did."
Dean's heart thumped hard in his ribcage, flooding his veins with emotion. The longer he stared at his innocent son, the more tears started to swell in his eyes. Damn. That was the most touching thing he had heard in his whole life. How could his son sound so wise at the age of ten? Jude was so sweet and poetic, just like his papa...
Dean had to look away for a second and clear his throat to keep himself from bursting into tears. But once he regained control of himself, he opened his arms to beckon his son into a hug. Jude instantly leaned forward and wrapped his thin arms around Dean's neck, making the wholesome smell of his hair fill Dean's lungs. The man held his child as close and as tenderly as he could, feeling like all those years of being abused and neglected were finally being redeemed. This was it. This was Dean's reward for making it to this moment. Being loved by his own child in a way his father never loved him.
"I love you too, Jude," Dean whispered, trying so hard to contain it all, "Th – thank you so much."
The two of them stayed in their embrace for a few extra seconds, just holding each other in the middle of Jude's room. Dean focused his blurry sight on the colorful map over Jude's bed to get the tears to stop. He kissed the side of his son's soft head before finally leaning back to smile at him.
"You know Papa and I are always gonna be there for you too, right?" Dean wanted to confirm.
"Yeah, I know," Jude replied, bobbing his head, "Just like Batman and Superman."
"Darn right," Dean agreed with a chuckle, carefully standing up and holding his hand out, "Come on, buddy. The Justice League is about to have a meeting."
Jude's sweet face lit up with a smile and he instantly grabbed his dad's hand. The kid's fingers felt so small and fragile, even though they had the power to break Enochian cages. Dean strolled down the hall with his grinning child in tow, feeling so proud and loved. Jude was the sweetest kid in the world. How did he know that Dean needed to hear those words? Jude may have gotten most of his looks from Dean, but his heart came straight from Cas.
The bunker study was filled with family waiting for Dean and Jude to come in – including Cas, who was loitering near the doorway anxiously. He gave Dean a questioning look, probably wondering what the private discussion was about. But Dean only smiled and gave him a wink, signaling that he would tell him all about it when bedtime came around. Jessica was standing behind Gabe's seat, making him smile by braiding some of his shaggy blonde hair. But Sam was standing nervously by a table, seeming unsure of how to start the conversation. Dean gestured for Jude to sit in a chair near Jess in order to stand by his younger brother and help him get out what needed to be said.
"What's going on, Dad? Is something wrong?" Jess asked, probably seeing the anxiousness on Sam's face.
"N – no, Jessie. Everything's okay now that Papa and Jude are home," Sam tried to reassure, "It's just, um..."
The kid was clearly out of words because he turned to Dean like he wanted him to explain. Luckily, thanks to being the husband of a delightfully clueless angel, Dean had plenty of experience in the 'explaining things' department.
"Okay. Here's the deal," Dean began, taking a big breath and glancing at every face before him, "Jude, Jess, remember how I told you that your parents are hunters?"
Jude and Jessica timidly glanced at each other before nodding in Dean's direction.
"Well," Dean muttered, "Hunters have a pretty difficult job. They get attacked by monsters all the time so they have to learn how to defend themselves at a pretty early age, like Sam and I did... So, because of what happened to Jude and Gabe, we think it's time that you guys start learning a few things too."
"Not because we want you to be hunters," Sam jumped in to clarify, "We just want to teach you a few skills that might come in handy if you're ever in trouble."
"Like what?" Jude asked.
"Like how to recognize angel sigils," Sam suggested.
"And using salt and iron to protect yourself from demons and ghosts," Dean added.
Gabriel suddenly raised his hand, doing a perfect impression of a child in school. Dean rolled his eyes but gestured to the short archangel in the chair.
"Yeah?" he prompted.
"What about vampires and werewolves, Mr. Dean? Will we learn how to kick their butts too?" Gabe asked, encouraging the discussion.
"Yeah," Dean nodded, glancing between his son and niece, "We'll show you how to defend yourself against lots of creatures. It won't be that hard for you guys, especially since you have grace."
"So, we're gonna do training? Like hunter boot camp?" Jessie asked, her eyes shining with hidden excitement.
"Uhh, sorta," Sam nodded, nervously scratching the back of his head, "This is mostly for protection, you guys. We want you to be able to take care of yourselves and each other, because there are really bad people out there who won't hesitate to hurt you... or mess with your head... and you need to be prepared..."
Dean noticed that the last part of Sam's sentence trailed off like he was trying to suppress his own fear. The older Winchester reached over to pat the younger on the back to comfort him before searching the kids' faces.
"Anybody got any questions?" he asked.
The bunker study was really quiet for a few seconds while the Winchester family looked around. Dean expected one of the kids to start rambling off a bunch of questions about creatures and hunting. But to his surprise, Cas was the one that spoke first. The angel looked up from the chair he was sitting in to give Dean the most sincere gaze ever.
"When will this process begin, Dean?" he uttered.
"As soon as possible," Dean answered truthfully, "Probably in the morning."
"Cool," Jessica grinned, still playing with some of Gabriel's hair, "Maybe Aunt Rowena can show me some more spells."
"More spells?" Gabe repeated, "Oh for the love of... What has that witch been teaching you?"
"Just some magic stuff," Jessie shrugged, "She says when I start courting lads, she'll teach me the incantation for seducing men."
"What?!" Sam blurted.
Dean could hear the horror and outrage in his brother's voice. But as shocked as Sam was, Gabriel seemed even more entertained. The archangel chuckled a little bit, accidentally jostling the dog in his lap while he filled the room with laughter. It was the first time Gabriel displayed genuine happiness since they all reunited on that battlefield in Heaven.
"Oh, bunny rabbit. You are gonna completely break your poor dad one of these days. Just like I did. Come here," the archangel hummed, reaching back to pull his little girl close so that he could kiss her cheek.
Though Sam was pretty upset by hearing about Rowena's plans to turn his daughter into a heartbreaking spell caster, the sight of Gabriel and Jess giggling and hugging each other must have made him feel better. The outrage on his face slowly crumbled and was replaced with contentment. He eventually blinked away from his small family to look questioningly at Dean, as if he was visibly asking, 'what the hell, man?' The older brother simply shrugged in response.
"You always said she needed a female role model," Dean reminded with a grin.
When Dad and Papa put Jessie in bed, the little girl noticed that they didn't want to leave her room. They kept stalling by asking her if she needed a drink or if she was comfortable. It was like neither of them wanted to let her be alone to sleep, especially not Papa. He kept fixing the books on her shelf and straightening her things, hanging around in her room long past bedtime. Why were he and Dad acting so weird? Were they worried that Jessie would be stolen like Jude was?
"Are you sure you don't need anything, honeydew? Do you want your Daddy-moose to read another chapter from The Hobbit or something?" Papa suggested sweetly.
Jessie yawned really big before shaking her head on the pillow.
"Huh-uh. I'm too tired to pay attention," she explained, feeling so sleepy.
A few more minutes of quiet went by before Dad pulled Papa toward the door. The two of them stood there and whispered for a little while, talking about cages and whether or not to leave Jessie alone. They chatted quietly for what seemed like a long time before Papa eventually sighed out loud and turned around to give Jess a smile.
"Goodnight, baby bunny," he called with a smile, "If anything happens through the night and you get scared, just fly to our room, okay? I'll be awake the whole time."
"Okay," Jess agreed, "'Night, Papa."
The little girl's parents came over one last time to peck kisses on her forehead before they finally walked out. They left her nightlight on and gave her a few waves as they went, leaving her in the warm glow of her own room. Everything was really quiet for a second or two, so quiet that she almost fell asleep on the spot... but then, she caught sight of Jude's nightlight across the hall and suddenly felt wide awake. Jude was still there, right? He didn't go anywhere, did he?
Curious and worried, Jessie sat up on her bed to look into her cousin's room. She was glad to see that Jude was still there, laying in his own bed and looking at some stuffed animals. Seeing him made Jessie remember how awful it was when he was away; how scared and nervous she was to sleep when he was gone. Now that she was wide awake again, Jessie decided to go and pay Jude a visit.
The little girl slid out of her covers and tip-toed across the dark hall into Jude's room. He was clicking his toy otters' magnetic paws together over and over, and didn't notice that Jess was there until she gently sat on the edge of his bed. He raised his head to see her and quickly sat up with worry.
"Hey, Jessie," he whispered, "Did you have a bad dream?"
"No. I'm okay," Jessie whispered back.
She wasn't sure what else to say, so she joined Jude in staring down at the stuffed otters in his hands. Aww, they were so cute when their paws were connected. Jude was blinking hard at them, like he was thinking some really heavy thoughts. Maybe he was remembering their time at the zoo or something.
"What's the matter?" the little girl blurted.
Jude glanced up at her but dropped his eyes back to the otters. He held them up and clicked their paws again.
"Papa says that one day I can give one of these to somebody special. Somebody I love the same way he loves Dad," Jude mumbled, "but, I can't think of anyone."
"Hmm," Jessie replied, feeling her eyebrows curve, "Well, maybe you just haven't met them yet."
Jude sighed and nodded like he expected that answer.
"If these otters were yours, who would you give one to?" he eventually asked.
Jessie thought for a second about Jude's question. Who was someone that she loved the same way her parents loved each other? There was only one person she dreamed about doing grown-up stuff with all the time.
"Ollie," she answered simply, "He loves stuffed animals."
Jude smiled and bobbed his head again, seeming happy about her answer. The two of them were quiet for another few seconds. Jessie glanced over at Jude's Batman nightlight glowing in the corner that marked the bat-signal on the ceiling over their heads. She was so glad to see his nightlight back on. Having Jude home made her so glad.
"I'm glad you're back home, Jude," Jessie reminded.
"Me too," Jude admitted, giving her another smile, "That cage was awful. I was so hungry, I almost forgot what pie tasted like."
Jessie giggled at her cousin's silly statement. How could anyone ever forget the taste of pie? It was so fruity and delicious. When her laughs quieted down, Jessie leaned far over to give Jude a hug. She loved having him around. He was so funny and sweet. And thinking about him being trapped in that cage made her never want to let go. Plus, she was so grateful that he saved her from that mean Raphael guy. He really was like a superhero.
"Thanks for saving me," Jessie whispered.
"You're welcome, Jessie," Jude replied, patting her back, "That's what buddies are for, right?"
"Right," she agreed, backing up to look at him again, "Hey, did your dads linger around in your room before bed?"
"A little bit," Jude admitted, "Especially Papa -"
As soon as Jude said the word 'Papa,' uncle Cas suddenly popped into the room. Jude and Jessie both jumped at his appearance, looking up to see that he was wearing Pjs and a worried face.
"What's the matter, son? I heard you call for me. Are you alright? What happened?" uncle Cas asked really fast, looking all around.
"Um, n – nothing," Jude stuttered, seeming just as confused as Jessie felt, "Jessie and I were just talking."
Uncle Cassie seemed really relieved to hear Jude's answer. Huh. What was going on with all the grown-ups? Why were they so jumpy and worried? Maybe they were afraid that more of their family was going to get stolen again.
"Alright," uncle Cassie breathed, "Is... Is there anything I can do for you?"
Jessie joined uncle Cas in staring at Jude, who glanced down at the otters in his hands. He was still quietly clicking their magnetic paws together over and over, fidgeting with them while he thought. An idea must have come to him because he looked back up at his papa with a big smile.
"Can you tell us the story of how you met dad?" he asked quietly.
A really happy smile slowly bloomed on uncle Cassie's face, making his eyes look so big and blue in the dim light. He stepped closer and gently sat down on the empty part of Jude's bed. Jude and Jessie both snuggled close to each other, getting excited to hear a new bedtime story.
"Of course," uncle Cas almost whispered, his voice full of love, "It all began when your father was sent to Hell..."
(Author's Note: And that's a wrap on this part, folks! :D I hope that my depiction of Lucifer in this last chapter was close enough to canon. I'll admit, I don't watch very much of the newer seasons, so I'm unsure if I described Lucifer's cage accurately. (I hope I did.) *minor spoiler alert* I know I hinted that Michael and Adam were dead, but they're not exactly dead. That cage isn't the sturdiest container, know what I mean? ;) *end spoiler* The boys will officially be teaching Jude and Jess a few things about hunting, just to keep them safe. I really hope you all enjoyed the fluff I sprinkled in the chapter, as well. I felt like we all deserved a little cuddle time with our babies after that uncomfortable trip to hell. ;) thank you all so much for reading and commenting on this part! I so hope you enjoyed it!
As for part six: It's already mostly planned out! :D My good friend, gothichic, has helped me mold a pretty good piece for this story and I am super excited about it! (Thanks again, darling!) :) I'm hoping to publish it as soon as possble (fingers crossed for Halloween) and I hope you all will stay tuned for it! Thank you so much for all of your loving support and encouragement throughout this year-and-a-half long journey! I love you guys! *hugs all of you simultaneously* :D Part six will be out soon! :)
Destiel's Daughter, Yay! I'm so happy that you enjoyed the Winchester reunion! :D Oh, I loved writing Gabriel's line about Sam, too. Never a good thing for bad guys to hear. Lol. :D I agree, Raphael could have done a lot of things differently. But I guess he was trying so hard to 'fix' his father's broken creation that he was blind to the damage he was actually causing everyone else. Aw, I'm so glad you have faith in our lil' Jude! He's quite the superhero, isn't he? ;D I really hope you liked Gabriel and Lucifer's chat in this chapter. It may have been short, sarcastic, and a bit dramatic, but *spoiler alert* there will be more conversations for them in the future. (Better ones that this). ;) I'm glad that you're having a decent fall thus far! I hope that all your medical tests come out well and that school remains non-stressful. ;) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I hope the rest of your month goes well! Talk to you soon! :)
Ashley Allen 46, Aww, yay! I'm so happy that you enjoyed seeing Sam punch Raphael in the face! (I did too. It was my favorite!) XD Thank you so much for reading and commenting on this story, darlin! I hope you have a wonderful October, and hope to hear from you again soon! :D
GeekGirlForLife, LOL! Dude, I laughed so hard when I read your review! XD yes! Raphael might as well have been on "Friday." lol :D Jude and Gabriel totally have their Winchester family to keep them safe. No worries there. :) Thank you so much for the wonderful compliments, and for reading and commenting! Have a great October!
Sammy's Rose, Omg, yay! I am sooo glad that you liked chapter ten! :D I agree. Raphael was quite the arrogant bastard in this story, wasn't he? Good riddance. ;D Leave it to Gabe to taunt his captor while he's stuck in a jail cell. He has gumballs of steel. Lol. XD I'm actually glad that you thought the Leviathans were scary because I tried my best to make them as intimidating as possible. :) Yeah, mentioning Lucifer is enough to make anyone pale, I think. I'm so happy that you liked seeing Sam punch him in the face! I thought of you when I wrote it, of course. Because I know how much you love Sammy. :D Phew! I'm glad you could see the fight scene in your head too, because I was nervous it would come out confusing. Aww, I know! Jude surprised everybody by breaking out of the cage. Even himself! :D Could you imagine Rowena bustling around a kitchen with an apron on? I love the idea so much. :D I hope this week's trip downstairs wasn't too angsty for you. I promise that the next part won't be as angsty. ;) And yes, of course I loved your story! I can't wait for the next one. Lol. :D thank you so so so so much for reading and reviewing this story, darlin! I hope you have a great October! Talk to you soon! :)
Jawn Lennon Aid, Haha! Well, now that you've read the Lucifer chapter, I hope it wasn't too bad on your emotions. ;) Oh, I think we are always in each others' brains, darlin. It's a friend thing. ;) Awww, sweetheart, you know how much I love writing these things! (I would write them forever if I could.) And I, in return, am very grateful that you take the time out of your busy schedule to read these stories and leave me such beautiful comments! Thank you so much! They seriously encourage me to keep going. (Not only with writing, but with life in general.) You are truly one of the sweetest people ever. And I'm so thankful we communicate on a regular basis. *hugs* I hope the rest of your October is awesome! I'll talk to you again soon! :)
gothichic, Hello there, my lovely and beautiful friend! *hugs* The very first sentences of your comments always make me smile, and the smile stays on my face the whole time I'm reading the rest. Lol! You are too sweet to me, darlin! :D Aww, I'm so happy that you enjoyed chapter ten. Yeah, our lil bumble bee Jude has an assbutt for an uncle (that made me laugh so much!) but at least he still has his really cool candy-coated uncle to keep him safe. Haha! I know, Gabriel just doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut, does he? I love that about him. :D Lol, nope. Gabe would never work with Raphael anyway. Why did Raph even try? He totally deserved to get punched in the face by Sam Winchester. XD Omg, you're right! Jude probably will have nightmares about shark-head Leviathans surrounding him. (Btw, I'm glad that I could give you that visual. It sounds hilarious and gross at the same time. Could you imagine Shark-nado, but with Leviathan? lol!) XD Oh, yes. Raphael was definitely an asshat for bringing up Lucifer wearing Sam as a prom dress. Of course Gabe would never let that happen. Is it possible for archangels to have heart attacks? I'm sure if Lucifer possessed Sam again, Gabe would totally have one! Lol! :D Ha, I bet Gabriel probably was a bit turned on seeing his moose-man knock the lights out of his dick-bag bro. XD I think Sam's hand hurt for a little while after that hard punch, but it was definitely worth it. Besides, Gabe would heal him up real nice later. ;D I'm so glad you enjoyed the tiny Winchester family battle, and how Jude broke out of the cage to save his best friend Jessie. :D Jude actually does have a bit of Godly power. It's probably not as strong as Chuck's, but it is really strong. Bright enough to burn another angel's grace. Jude and Jessie do have a reason for being Chuck's favorite lil kids, and we will find out eventually. ;) Hahaha! I know! Jude couldn't even watch his uncles make out. (He will find out just how great kissing in the next part for sure. Which I am very excited for, thanks to you! Lol!) XD Awww, I teared up a little when Jude was back in his parents' arms again, too. :') It was a very touching moment. And hell yeah! Someone is definitely going to show Jude how special he is! I can't wait! XD But everyone is home and safe and sound now. I don't think Sam let go of Gabriel for at least a few hours. He wanted to cling to his candyman as long as possible. ;) Oh yeah! I totally forgot about Lucifer making Crowley lick the floor. Poor king of hell. Bobby would have kicked Lucifer's ass if he ever saw him degrading his demon hubby like that. (Huh. Maybe I should arrange that to happen later in this story. It would be awesome to see Bobby sticking up for Crowley!) :D I really hope this last chapter was fitting, and I hope you liked it. :) I promise that Lucifer is pretty much stuck in the cage and we won't hear from him for a while. (Which gives us plenty of room to play in the next part. Yay!) XD Darlin, thank you so so so so much for always reading my stories and leaving the sweetest reviews. I absolutely love you so much! *hugs* And I cannot wait until Halloween now! Thanks again for helping me with this plot. You are seriously the best! *hugs again just because I can* I hope you have a great few weeks, hon! I'll talk to you on PM soon! :)
Banana Theft, Lmao! No regrets at all, darlin! I love how you worded that comment! It made me laugh so your attempt to be humorous succeeded. XD Ooooh, I definitely have Jude's love interest planned. We will find out all about it in the next part ;D Your compliments make me blush so much! *hides face and beams red* Thank you so much for reading and commenting on this story, and for being so sweet! (Dean: Don't encourage them. Snhr: Screw you, freckles. I do what I want.) ;D I hope you have a great October, darlin! Thanks again! :)
