Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or any of its characters
A/N: Here's a little bonus chapter.
As the sprinklers let out the flames of Holy oil Gabriel felt is power return to him. His vessel was soaked but Gabriel barely noticed it. He looked to Castiel. The younger angel wasn't looking at but at the door where two Winchesters had left. Like he was complating leaving with them. Gabriel's grace sought out Castiel's. He sorted through it, finding gapes where his memory had been altered and changed no doubt the work of Naomi. His true voice was silent expect for low hum. His dark wings stood out on his vessel's back. Feathers were missing and some were burnt beyond repair. Hellfire, Gabriel could recognize it anywhere. His had tuned out the host's voice. But it took one glance to see it was Castiel that had pulled that Righteous man Dean from hell.
Cas, the man had called his former charge. Gabriel could see the grace burn on the man's soul. A profound bond had formed between them. Gabriel felt envy grow in him but it was stamped out by sadness. When he had envisioned reuniting with Castiel, this was not how it would happen. In his mind Castiel was still the mute little fledgling that clung to his wings for comfort. Not this being that would rather spend time with humans than his guardian.
"Little brother." He said finally and Castiel whipped his head around to stare at him with that intense gaze that apparently he never grown out of. He turned to his former guardian. His black wings swept behind him, large and imitating. Still feathers fluttered to the ground and burned into the cerement. Gabriel urged to reach out and heal the broken wings. He wondered how it was even possible for Castiel to fly. "How's it hangin' bro?" He asked with a good natured smile. Castiel glowered and frowned.
"A millennia has passed since you abandoned me when I needed you most and you ask how I have been?" Castiel's graced sparked and crackled around him and it barely tingled against Gabriel's own. "I thought you would be safe in Balthazar's care." Gabriel said with sigh. "I wasn't. I will tell you 'bro' 'how's it hangin'. As you may recall, Lucifer was sent to hell and Michael was lost to us all. He was not the warmest brother before but now he was just a commander. And we, his own brothers and sisters, were just his soldiers to control. I was lost and confused and needed you." Castiel seethed and Gabriel looked away from his once charge.
"How many times did I call for you?" Hundreds, thousands of times Castiel had called for his guardian. So many times, it had become a constant ache in Gabriel's being. One that no matter how hard he tried never went away, never dulled. Until one day, there was no call and no call since then. "But did you ever answer? No, you were too busy being praised as a pagan god." Castiel said with a hint of disgust. His burnt wings shuddered and more feathers littered the ground. Making Gabriel's guilt grow, he could have stopped Castiel from entering Hell. He would have horded onto his charge and telling his older brother to pull the Righteous Man himself.
"Castiel, you were too young to understand how things were in Heaven. I would have taken you with me but you wouldn't have survived the fall." Castiel just stared at him with the bright blue eyes of his chosen vessel. "I'm surviving now aren't I?" It was like an angel blade to the grace. Gabriel could have prevented this, all of it. If he had just hadn't been selfish. Wasn't that the real point of taking a charge? To learn to care for another? "I'm sorry Castiel." Gabriel said finally. "I believe the human phrase is 'sorry doesn't cut it'." With that Castiel turned and started to walk towards the door. No doubt to join the Winchesters.
"Wait!" Gabriel stepped outside the used ring of Holy Oil and dried his vessel. His golden wings stretched out and filled the warehouse to every corner. He smiled for the briefest moment as Castiel gazed up at the wings that once held so much comfort for him. His true voice raised in pitch. "At least let me fix this." Gabriel touched his fingers to the younger angel's forehead. Like the angel had done to the humans so many times before. But sleep did not come for the angel. Instead grace, stronger, brighter than anything he had ever felt surged through him. Filling the vessel and wrapping around his grace.
Castiel's eyes lit up and his wings flung out to their full size and began to fill with stronger, even darker feathers. His wings became what they had once been. As Gabriel retreated, the high squeak of Castiel's true voice rang through his head. An instinctive whine that made the Archangel grin. As the light faded, Castiel looked at his wings. He stared at them and back to Gabriel. "This charges nothing brother." With that Castiel flew away and Gabriel was left in the warehouse sulking with reopened wounds.
A/N: I hope you weren't looking for a happy ending because that's not Supernatural works haha sadface. I really liked writing about the angel family so keep an eye out for more if you enjoyed this!
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