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Castiel and Gabriel made small talk with one another until Dean woke up from his nap. Castiel appeared instantly at his side and plucked him out of the crib. He changed his diaper rather quickly before making sure the boy was latched onto his hip and carrying him back out to the living room. Castiel bounced Dean on his lap and spoke with his brother about matters going on in heaven while Dean looked around, mindlessly sucking his thumb and cuddling his blanket. When he started to get bored and whimper, Castiel set him down in his playpen and let him play with his toys.

Time passed by achingly slowly for Gabriel as he waited for nightfall to come over Georgia. He didn't have to leave his brother and nephew yet- not until Sam was asleep. And, judging from the time it was there, that wouldn't be happening for a while yet. So he busied himself with helping Castiel around the house. Between dealing with being tortured in his own home and dealing with a brain damaged little one, his brother had more than enough on his plate. So he decided to take care of the cooking and cleaning while Castiel kept watch over Dean.

When the time finally came for Gabriel to go to Sam, he couldn't kid himself anymore. He was afraid. He found it ridiculous- he was an archangel of the lord with all the powers of heaven at his disposal, and yet he was afraid of one human's reaction. It was absurd. And yet, he couldn't even laugh about it because he was too nervous.

Castiel wished him luck with his endeavor before he left. He took one last look at his brother and nephew together, and straightened up. They reminded him what he was fighting for. With a deep breath, he snapped his fingers and was gone, appearing in Sam's motel room. It was pitch black and the dead of night, but Gabriel knew he had to be extremely cautious. Sam was a hunter first and foremost. His instincts were honed to act at the slightest disturbance. Thankfully, being an angel gave him an advantage over the average Joe and he appeared right beside the boy.

Gabriel steeled himself for what he was about to do. He wasn't ready for it, and he was still completely terrified that he would be rejected, but he knew if he didn't try he's spend the rest of his life regretting that choice. He steadied his shaking hands and took a deep breath in. When he let it out, he knew this was as ready as he was ever going to get.

He shut his eyes and focused on his connection to Sam. Going over moments they spent together helped to forge that connection. He mulled over their first meeting when he was the trickster, their meeting during Dean's dozens of deaths in mystery spot, the moments they spoke when Gabriel trapped them in the television, and their final meeting before he supposedly died.

Then, like opening a door, the portal into Sam's mind was open. Before he let any of the dream Castiel showed him come through, he checked to make sure there were no identifying markers that could be traced to either himself or his brother. When he was satisfied, he started to let the dream play out like a movie in his mind. Then he sat back, watched, and waited.

Like any pair of brothers, there were some definite differences in reaction from what Dean did when he saw the nursery and what Sam did. Dean took to it like a duck to water. Sam on the other hand was less enthusiastic. He didn't find the crib or stuffed animals entertaining like his brother had. Instead, the bookshelf grabbed his attention. Every book from his childhood was on that shelf. He recalled Dean reading him those books many times and found himself nostalgic for those days when everything was simpler. So he went over to the shelf, grabbed a book, and started reading.

Then, like a ball to the face, it hit Gabriel. Maybe it wasn't that Sam wasn't interested in an arrangement like this. Maybe it was that Sam didn't regress as far back as Dean did. So Gabriel decided to test the theory. He replaced the crib with a race car bed, removed the diapers and replaced them with pull-ups, and loaded the room with books and every toy a little boy could possibly want.

Now that got Sam's attention.

Gabriel watched delightedly as Sam started playing with some of the toy soldiers on the floor. He got so involved with watching Sam have fun that the longing to be a part of it trumped the need to let him figure this out on his own. He slowly decided to let himself enter the dream, just to see what would happen. Sam was still laying on the floor when Gabriel came quietly through the door. Sam looked up at him, a little surprised, but he most definitely did not have the same level of shame and embarrassment that his brother had had over the subject. Maybe because little boys didn't need as much care as babies did. Sam acknowledged Gabriel's presence with a look, but didn't stop playing. Gabriel took that as a good sign, and stayed to watch over him. The hours went by faster than he anticipated, and before he knew it he was booted out of Sam's dream as he woke up.

Gabriel didn't bother trying to hide. He knew Sam would want to talk to him.

Sam sat up in bed, looking at him. "Did you...?"

Gabriel nodded. "Yes."

"Okay... Why?"

"Call it a hunch. If Dean wanted something like this I figured you wouldn't be far behind."

"So what, you just invaded my dream to test me?"

"That was the plan."

"Why didn't you just ask me."

Gabriel shot him a look and Sam relented. Okay maybe he had a point.

"This is Dean's thing. Not mine."

"It's okay if you want this too, Sam. I'd be more than willing to give it to you. If you'll have me, that is..."

"I... I don't know what to say..."

"Say yes."

Sam paused for a moment, every single possible disaster running through his mind. But he shoved the thoughts away and focused on his feelings. The safety he felt in the room, the calm that Gabriel's presence gave him, the joy of letting his cares go. He took a deep breath, and Gabriel tensed.

"Okay... Yes."