The next day found the stressed out household with something new to focus on. Not information about the Horsemen, but … "A case?" Sam said, looking up from where he was reading on the couch to focus on his big brother. He'd spent most of the morning there, at least, once Gabriel had had made sure he'd eaten a full sized breakfast, one that Dean had cooked. The younger Winchester knew that that was his brother's way of trying to take care of him after feeling helpless last night.

The trickster had pampered Sam for most of the morning—without actually admitting that was what he was doing, of course. He'd made sure Sam ate, that he was comfortable on the couch and not still feeling last night's chill, and he made sure that no one came and bugged him about his dream. When Sam mentioned that, he'd just smiled and told him "I took care of it last night. They know what's up; no need to bug you about it."

Protective, possessive bastard. Sam didn't let him see him smile over that.

That would explain why the air of the house had been subdued. Not just because he'd had a vision dream that had scared the hell out of everyone, but also because they all knew now that Death had risen.

The remnants of that dream left Sam just slightly chilled still. Not enough to worry about, or to cause him to do more than add an extra sweater, but it stayed on his mind and wouldn't quite let him go. So far he had seen so many sides of Lucifer. But last night, seeing the madness that lay in his mind, feeling how utterly alone Lucifer was in ways Sam had never known before, it made Sam ache for him even more than he had before. He could feel the raw spot inside of Lucifer that screamed from the emptiness. A place that Sam instinctively knew the Host had once occupied. When Lucifer had been cast down, he'd also been cut off, no longer able to feel his brothers and sisters, and there was such a vast pool of loneliness it had Sam wanting to just wrap him up in his arms and reassure him that he wasn't alone the way that Gabriel had done for him last night.

That definitely wasn't a thought he planned on sharing with the house. The last thing he needed was for Dean or Bobby to find out that Sam had sympathy for the devil. He doubted they'd be okay with that.

With how they were walking on eggshells around him, he really hadn't expected Dean to come up to him today with a case.

"Yep, a case." Dean told him. He leaned back against Bobby's desk and laid it out for him. "You remember Dad's old friend, Martin?"

Sam's eyebrows went up with surprise. "Yeah. He saved Dad's ass more times than I can count. He's a great Hunter."

"Was. Until Albuquerque."

They both winced a little at that. Yeah, that…that hadn't been great. It was one of those things that Hunters didn't really like to talk about. One of those instances that showed what could happen to a Hunter in this life. Sam saw Gabriel's curious gaze out of the corner of his eye and he pulled up a sort of mental rundown of who Martin was and what had happened, letting those memories drift to the surface. It took only seconds and he saw Gabriel give a small nod of understanding.

The whole exchange was lost on Dean. He crossed his arms over his chest and either saw nothing, or just ignored what he saw. "Well, anyways, the facility he's staying at, I guess they're having some problems there. He's not sure what it is, but he's sure it's something. Now, all things considered, I know he's not the most reliable of witnesses, but his instincts used to be spot on. I figure it's at least worth checking out, y'know? And it might do us some good to get out of here. Go hunt something."

Sam knew his brother better than pretty much anyone. He knew exactly what Dean was offering here. This was a way for them to reconnect in the only way that either of them knew—through a hunt. It was what they'd known their whole life. The common thing that drew them together over and over as they got older. This was what their life had been about since the night that their mother died. But while it warmed him, it also worried him. This would be the first hunt they'd gone on together since their split. Was he ready for this? Could they do it? Could they work together?

A warm hand settled on his leg and he looked over to find Gabriel giving him one of those rare, softer smiles. "You should go for it, Sasquatch. A hunt would do you good." The softness faded and a hint of his usual smirk peeked through. "Even if it is in the loony bin."

"What about you?" Sam couldn't help but ask.

The hand on his leg patted before letting go. "I've got some things to take care of anyways. We can leave Dog here with Singer; I'm sure he'll love the company."

"Shouldn't we be here helping him try to find the Horsemen?" Sam asked his brother.

It wasn't Dean who answered, nor Gabriel. It was Bobby. "I'm fine doin' research." He told them as he wheeled his way into the room. "Go. Get outta my house."

Well, that settled it. Sam closed the book he held and tried not to let his nerves show on the outside. No need for anyone else to know just how nervous the idea of riding in a car with his brother and working a case with him made him feel. He lifted his chin and made himself smile slightly. "When do we leave?"

Hours later, the brothers were together in the impala, heading towards their case without any angelic companions. There was AC/DC on the radio to cover up the silence that had fallen once they finished talking about the case. Sam had been surprised by how that had gone. If they ignored all the personal things lying between them right now, it was easy to just focus on the case ahead of them. Neither brother was all that inclined to do anymore 'caring and sharing' after their talk out at the tree. Sam was content to just focus on the case. The rest of it, he was still too unsure, still a little on edge after his vision dream, to really want to start with anything else emotional. They were both practiced at pushing aside issues for the hunt. It was easy to slip back into that old mindset and do it here.

Still, it felt a little odd to once more be sitting in his seat in the impala. He'd gotten surprisingly used to his own car lately. To driving. It felt weird to be the one in the passenger seat. To look over and see Dean driving instead of glancing over to find Gabriel curled up near him. Or to hear the music playing instead of either the silence or the incessant chatter that came with riding with the trickster. Sam's lips curved a little as he thought of it. Gabriel could be quiet if he wanted, though Sam had originally been shocked to realize it. But when he got going, when he was in the mood to talk, he could really talk. He'd fill the car with stories of the past, detailed accounts of bits of history or of the pranks he'd played over his existence, and his hands would gesture wildly. If he had a sucker in hand, he'd use it to jab the air to stress a point, or wave it off to the side, and Sam had ducked countless times to avoid getting hit in the arm or the cheek with the sticky treat.

"Been a long time since we've this." Dean said suddenly, surprising Sam out of his thoughts. He looked over at his big brother and arched an eyebrow. Okay, so maybe they weren't avoiding personal conversation. That was…odd. Sam twisted his hands together briefly before he forced them flat in his lap. "Yeah, it has."

"Probably feels weird after flying all over the place with Loki."

Gabriel had insisted that they refer to him as Loki if they had to talk about him at all. He was still technically undercover and Sam had to admit that it was a good idea to keep him that way. Best if no one knew he was alive and working with them until it was too late to do anything to stop it. Sam didn't have any problems with it. Sometimes, he still had a bit of issue thinking of Loki as Gabriel. There were still times that 'Loki' came to his lips instead. Luckily, it never seemed to bother his lover. He'd answer to either one from Sam without hesitation.

Tipping his head a little, Sam shrugged. "We don't really fly places."

"What?"

"At first, he just kind of showed up, inviting himself along wherever I went. I'd just find him in the passenger's seat in the morning no matter what kind of wards or such I tried to put on the car. Then, when he started spending more time with me…" Sam paused and shrugged one shoulder. "I don't know. He's never really protested the car. He doesn't even really drive unless I need it."

"You're telling me he's just content to ride around all the time in the car with you?"

Sam nodded. "Pretty much."

"I would've thought he'd be trying to snap you guys all over the place."

"No, not really." A small smile touched Sam's lips. "I think he likes having the perfect audience—one that can't escape."

"Dude. Cas can't stand riding in the car. He wants to fly us everywhere."

"Loki likes indulging in human things more than most. It amuses him."

Dean shook his head at that like he couldn't quite understand it. Then again, he probably couldn't. Sam had a feeling that the only reason it was so easy for him was that he'd grown used to it. Back when Gabriel had first joined up with him, a lot of it had amazed or amused him, or straight up confused him. Now they were just the little quirks that helped make up a being he cared about way, way too much. A being that I'm apparently engaged to, he thought to himself, remembering the conversation at Bobby's about being claimed by Gabriel. Or, more accurately, by Loki, by his pagan half. Sam smothered a snort of amusement. It was like dating someone with multiple personalities. Only, both the personalities wanted him, both of them were extremely powerful, and both were amazing and dangerous in their own ways. Why was he so attracted to dangerous partners? He'd had a type, once. Sweet, kind, funny, strong. Jess.

He'd changed from the man he'd been back then. Back then, he'd needed that sweetness, that light. She'd been like a beautiful beacon of calm and beauty after a childhood of chaos and darkness. But life since he'd lost her had changed him and shaped him into who he was now. The man he was now, they never would've been together, he and her. He was too messed up, too dangerous. Someone that innocent—he couldn't taint someone like that.

That wasn't an issue with Gabriel. Archangel he may be, he was tainted in his own way. He'd run away from Heaven so long ago and threw himself into the life of the pagans. Sam knew that he'd done some pretty dark things as Loki. The life of a pagan wasn't all sunshine and daisies. He'd found his darkness, embraced it, reveled in it. There was blood on his hands that wouldn't ever wash away and that he knew left him feeling so guilty sometimes. He'd seen it in those golden eyes on the few occasions that they'd talked about some of it. He and Gabriel were so much alike in those aspects. Both runaways, both hurt little brothers who'd idolized their big brothers. They'd both lost themselves in the dark, did horrible things while they were there. Granted, not on the same scale, but still.

Sam slid down in his seat a little and watched the trees go past, not even noticing that he'd drifted in his thoughts and left his conversation with his brother behind, a brother who kept casting worried looks his way. He was too caught up in his own thoughts.

Yeah, he was different from the boy he'd once been, just as Gabriel was different from the archangel he'd once been. Their time in the darkness had changed them. They were healing, though. Making amends. They were both trying to find their way back to the light.

This was the first time that they'd ever taken a case in a mental hospital like this. Sam had to admit, it was amusing to get into a case by telling the truth instead of a lie for once. Instead of concocting some crazy story to get into somewhere, they had set up a meeting with the doctor at the hospital and all Sam had needed to do was tell the truth. He told the doctor about his depression, about Lilith and Ruby and the apocalypse—all of it. Then Dean had told the doctor "See what I mean, Doc? The kid's been beating himself up about this for months. The apocalypse wasn't his fault." It wasn't that hard for Dean to get admitted right along with him.

Even if it had just been a line, a part of their story to get them in here, hearing Dean say it wasn't his fault had warmed a part of Sam.

Once inside, they found Martin, and the trio talked quietly away from others about the suicides that Martin suspected were more. It was kind of hard to believe someone whose only witnesses were, well, for lack of a better term, crazy. It really didn't help that Martin wasn't all that there, either. The man wasn't who he'd once been.

Things didn't take long to go south. Their first death happened that night, with Sam and Dean right there outside the room unable to get in in enough time to help.

Slipping down to the morgue to take a look at the body was a little easier than Sam had expected inside a hospital that was supposed to watch its patients' every move. What he found there wasn't something he'd come across before. What kind of creature sucked a person's brain dry?

There wasn't time to look at more than that. They'd been caught, luckily once they'd hidden the evidence of what they'd been doing down there, and after some quick thinking on Dean's part—Sam was never, ever, ever going to let his brother forget that he'd yanked down his pants and cried 'pudding'. He was going to have so much fun springing random pudding cups on him for the rest of his natural life—they were escorted back to their room with less than half the night left to sleep in.

Sam honestly didn't expect to see Gabriel at all during the case. The way his trickster had talked—and wow, when on earth had he started labeling him as his trickster in his mind?—he was going to be busy while Sam was working. Plus, mental hospitals weren't exactly somewhere a person could randomly join them and not really be noticed. They were all watched pretty intently.

So when he fell into bed, just barely getting himself tucked in, it was a surprise to feel a sudden weight behind him only seconds after he'd pulled the blankets up. Hunting instincts had his body tensing almost immediately, only to relax as he heard an extremely familiar chuckle. He let his body melt down into the bed as a warm kiss was pressed against a bit of skin peeking out through hair on the back of his neck. "Hey, handsome. Didn't think I was gonna leave you alone in here, did you?"

When Sam opened his mouth to answer, he was cut off by a nip against his neck. "Shh. No one else can see or hear me, but they can you."

They already think I'm crazy. Sam thought with a hint of humor.

Gabriel echoed his humor with a smirk that Sam could feel. "True." Pressing forward, he moved more over Sam instead of beside him.

The feel of him draped over Sam's back was a familiar weight that had the hunter relaxing. It was a way of laying that Gabriel seemed to truly enjoy. Sometimes he liked to reverse it, lying on his back and pulling Sam over his front like he was a big blanket, but more often than not they ended up like this with Gabriel draped over his back, his lips against Sam's neck or his shoulder or sometimes trailing over the pearl string of his spine. It was a good thing Sam preferred to sleep on his stomach anyways. He gave a low hum of content as Gabriel settled over him now. I thought you were busy?

"I haven't seen you since you left. That's all day, Samshine." And that was almost sweet, until he added "Dad knows what kind of trouble you could get yourself into in that kind of time." One hand slid down under the blankets to give a good grope. "Gotta make sure the goods are safe."

Sam was far too used to that to do anything other than chuckle and burrow down a little more into his pillow. Perv.

"Aw, but I'm your perv."

So you just came here for a few gropes and some innuendos?

Warm breath tickled his neck as Gabriel chuckled. He nosed at Sam's neck, brushing past hair until he had a better angle to taste the skin there. "I think it's cute how you sound surprised by that. Though," He huffed, shifting around a little in a way that was just promising enough to make Sam lament their location. Then Gabriel continued to speak and Sam forgot all about the interest his body had taken in things and his mind went fully back to the case. "I didn't really expect to have to clear out Wraith crap from your system. Don't you know better than to let them touch you?"

A Wraith? We've never come across one before.

There was a pause and then he felt Gabriel sigh. "I just ruined my own cuddle-and-tease-Sammy time, didn't I?" His shook his head and nipped at Sam's skin. "It's what you're hunting here. That hole you found in dead guy's head? Wraiths have a long, organic spike in their wrists that they shove in a person's head to feed on their brain juices. Crazy brains are extra juicy. You'll need some silver to kill it."

What did you mean by Wraith crap in my system?

"Really? You've never even read about them?" This time his sigh was bigger, like it was so hard to answer Sam's questions, like Sam asked so much of him. Quick fingers pinched his backside and made him jump. "Shut up. I'm only answering your questions because you're an idiot and you don't have access to resources here. A Wraith touches you, they sort of poison you. It messes with your emotions, makes you see things, builds up all the crazy in your head so they get a better dinner."

Sam wrinkled his nose at that. Gross.

"Meh. There's grosser out there. But, I happen to like your brain the way it is, so try not to let it get turned into a five course meal for her, all right?"

How strange was his life when a comment like that made him chuckle? I'll try. Mentally, he logged away the information Gabriel had given him, plus the little bit he'd let slip. There was nothing more that could be done tonight, it was unlikely she'd kill again in the same night, and he had faith that Gabriel would tell him if she was planning on it. Though he wasn't the type to help out on a hunt, he wouldn't withhold information and let people die. Sam was sure of that. He was too good to let innocents die.

He felt Gabriel go very, very still against his back. Like, not even breathing still. Which, okay, he didn't need to breathe, but he still did it. Sam was stunned completely when he felt Gabriel's face press against him and heard the soft words whispered against his skin like a shameful secret. "You have too much faith in me. More than I do."

That's okay. Sam thought, smiling a little though he knew Gabriel couldn't see it. I can have enough for both of us until you find yours again.

"Sap." There was a thick note to the teasing word, though, that told him he'd touched his lover more than Gabriel was ready to admit to. The weight on his back snuggled impossibly closer and Sam's body felt warm and heavy with the sleep that was creeping over him. "Go to sleep, Samshine. I'll pop in and clear out your brother's system before I leave and then you two can figure out a way to take out your nurse." Fingers came up and ghosted over Sam's temple. "Sleep." There was no chance he could fight against that little push of grace. Seconds later, he fell asleep, comfortable and safe under his own personal angel.

The next morning at breakfast, Dean dropped down at the table where Sam was already sitting and glared at him over their trays. "I'm pretty sure your boyfriend's the one that needs to be in here, not us. He popped in on me this morning while I was freaking getting dressed, tapped my head, and vanished with a laugh."

A chuckle escaped Sam before he could stop it. He could easily picture that. He'd kind of figured Gabriel wouldn't just pop in while Dean was still asleep. No, not him. He'd want to weird him out or annoy him as much as possible. "You'll be thanking him in a minute." Sam told him, digging in to his bowl of yogurt and fruit that he had noticed wasn't being offered to anyone else. He sent up a quick mental thanks to the one he knew was responsible for that before turning his focus back to his brother. "He was clearing Wraith poison out of your system. Got it out of mine, too."

Dean's eyebrows shot up and he paused in the middle of scooping eggs up onto his toast. "Wraith?"

"Yeah." In short order, he summed up what Gabriel had told him about Wraiths, including how to kill them. He finished it by telling him "He used female pronouns when talking about it, and before I went to sleep he told me he'd pop in and clear out your system before he left so we could figure out how to take out our nurse. There's only one nurse I can think of that touched both of us."

"Son of a bitch."

Sam nodded. "Yeah. So, we spend today trying to find something silver and sharp enough for what we need, and then we take out the nurse and get out of here."

"There any particular reason he couldn't just take care of this problem for us, seeing as how he already knew what it was, who it was, and how to kill it?" Dean demanded.

A small wince crossed Sam's features. He'd known Dean wasn't going to be happy about that part of things. It was something he'd noticed in his brother with Castiel, too. He seemed to be under the belief that anything that had the ability to hunt, should do so. Especially the angels on their side. Castiel and Gabriel had the ability to hunt, they knew how to figure out what creatures were there, they were equipped with the ability to smite or stab and kill pretty much everything evil that walked the earth, and so Dean couldn't understand why they didn't. To him, the world was just that simple. Evil monster? Kill it. Demon? Kill it. He couldn't comprehend why someone would have those powers and not use them for good. Remaining neutral, or ambivalent, was an option for him. It was one of the things that made him such a great hunter. Sam figured it was also one of the things that had earned him the label of Righteous Man.

Sam, however, had always had a different view. His world wasn't just black and white but a thousand shades of gray. After first meeting angels and realizing that they were nothing like what he'd expected, he had a very different view on them. He didn't expect them to help anymore. Not even Castiel. Not unless it furthered their own agenda.

Instead of answering straight out, Sam asked "You really want him coming along finishing all our hunts for us?" He pushed around the fruit in his bowl and tried to think of how to word this so as not to set Dean off, while at the same time keeping his voice low and careful enough that others around them wouldn't hear or understand him. "Loki helps me on cases when I need it, but he never does my job for me."

"People are dying, Sam, and he could stop it."

God, Sam had hated hearing that line growing up. He'd hated how it had become an excuse for everything. No, Sam, we're not staying. I don't care if you have a game! People are dying. It was the reason used to explain why nothing could ever change, why they couldn't have anything. Your brother's fine, Sam. He can heal on the road. There are people dying and they're not going to wait just so we can hang around a motel for a few extra days. He'd heard that in so many variations over the years. Hearing it parroted now from Dean's mouth had him closing his eyes briefly and drawing in a careful breath to keep from exploding at him. Only when he was sure he was calm did he open his eye again. He found Dean watching him cautiously; the older man knew just how much Sam hated hearing that. Licking his lips, Sam steadied himself and made sure his voice wasn't at all confrontational. They didn't need a real argument right now. "If anyone was at risk, Loki would've stopped it, or he would've provided me with the tools to stop it right then. Much as he likes to pretend otherwise, he cares about people, and he won't let innocents get hurt if he can stop it. There was no risk of anyone else dying last night—she's shown no signs of multiple kills in one night so far. So he provided me with the information I needed and now he's trusting me to do my job. I don't need or want him to do it for me."

Sam was braced for Dean to argue with him. He was prepared for him to insist that Gabriel try and help them somehow, that he use his skills because that was the right thing to do or whatever it was that Dean felt. What he absolutely didn't expect was for Dean to look at him with something akin to pride on his face, or for him to smile a little and nod. "All right. Where do we find some silver?"

For a second Sam just looked at his brother, a man he thought he knew front to back, and he couldn't help his own small smile. Sometimes, just when he thought he knew how Dean would react in any given situation, the man had to go and surprise him.

Feeling a little lighter than before, Sam started to explain his plan.

Once they knew who and what they were up against, and with the added help of Gabriel having cleared out the poison from their systems, taking down the Wraith was as easy as cornering her in a small room late that night. With silver plated knives that had taken three different nurses' stations to find, they went after her together. They got thrown around for their troubles, as all supernatural creatures seemed to love to do, and they were going home with some extra bruises, but they managed to kill her, and they did it together.

The alarm going off signaling patients out of their room—that, made things a little more complicated.

They had to make a mad dash from the hospital before anyone caught them and linked the out-of-bed patients with the woman now lying dead in one of the rooms. Thankfully, none of their real clothes carried anything important, so leaving those behind were no big deal. Still in the hospital garb and robes, the two raced down the halls and out the doors, following the escape route they'd planned ahead of time, running like mad through the night to get to where the car was hiding. Dean reached it first, pulling open the door and yanking off his robe before tossing it into the backseat and then dropping down into his own seat. Sam went to the passenger's side and practically fell in as he tried to find a way to breathe past his laughter.

The strange look Dean gave him only made him laugh all the more. He barely held it in enough to shut his door so that they could leave.

Dean flashed him a look of confused concern as he started the car. "Are you all right over there, Sammy?"

One arm wrapped around aching ribs, Sam snorted, trying to stem his laughter. All it took was one look at Dean to set it off again. "Oh, man, Dean, look at us! We just booked it out of that hospital in robes and slippers!" Sam snickered as he looked down at the muddy slippers on his feet. He pulled one off, holding it up for Dean to see and laughing at his brother's glare before tossing it, as well as the other, out the window.

Dean watched him for a moment before seemingly deciding that it wasn't worth his time to worry about. There as just a hint of a smile on his lips, though. Sam's laughter was infectious and it had been a long time since he'd seen his baby brother let go like that. Still, he couldn't resist teasing him. "You're insane."

His choice of words only set Sam off even more. The two took off into the night, the sound of Sam's laughter echoing behind them.

They arrived back at Bobby's the next evening. Sam climbed out of the car and was greeted by Dog first, who tore across the yard and leapt right at him. Sam was smiling broadly when he bent enough to catch the energetic little canine rocket. Immediately Dog set to licking his face while wagging his tail so hard it was shaking his whole body. Sam was laughing and Dean was rolling his eyes as the door ahead of them opened again. What they were greeted with this time was enough to have them freezing in place. Bobby was there—and Bobby was standing.

Sam and Dean both froze at the bottom of the porch steps. "Bobby?" Dean said slowly.

The grizzled hunter flashed them a grin. "Hey, boys. Bout time you two got back."

There was only a moment longer of stunned silence and then the two were striding forward and the next few minutes were spent with laughter and hugs and back slaps and, damn, did it feel good to see that huge grin on Bobby's face, to look at him and not have to look so far down. When they all finally pulled back, Dean was the one to ask "How? How'd this happen?" his expression changed and his voice turned just a bit hesitant. "Bobby, you didn't…?"

"No!" Bobby exclaimed. "I didn't do nothin'! Woke up this morning and just, had feeling where I hadn't before."

That was all it took for Sam's mind to start to drift a little. He watched Bobby and Dean debating—Bobby couldn't seem to hold still, moving his legs every few seconds like he still couldn't quite believe they were there and working—and he drew himself back a little, just enough to slip inside without them noticing. He wasn't all that surprised to find Gabriel sitting at the kitchen table drinking from a big mug of what must be hot cocoa, judging by the mound of marshmallows on the top. Golden eyes met Sam's across the room and the twinkle in them gave him the answer before he even asked the question. Because of that, it came out more as a statement instead. "You fixed Bobby's legs."

A corner of Gabriel's mouth quirked up in a mocking smirk. "Oh, no, don't get all sappy on me now, Gigantor."

"It was a nice thing to do."

"It wasn't nice." Gabriel wrinkled his nose up in disgust as he said that. "Ew. No, it was practical. How's he supposed to keep you safe when I'm not here if he can't even get up out of his chair? Besides," Leaning back, he kicked his feet up onto the table, crossing one over the other and smirking over at them. "I get the added bonus of pissing off Zachy once he realizes I undid his little bullshit mojo he laid down to keep the old coot from healing. You know how I love pissing off my brothers, Sambo."

Sam grinned and shook his head fondly. Idiot. He couldn't just admit that he'd done something nice and accept the compliments for it. Sam remembered how appalled he'd been when he'd first found out that Bobby was paralyzed, and why. Sure, pissing off Zach later might be a bonus for him, and it was practical to have Bobby whole and healthy, but Sam wasn't stupid enough to believe that those were the only reasons that Gabriel had done this.

A scowl stole away Gabriel's smirk. "Don't ruin my fun by trying to make me sound like one of the good guys, Sasquatch."

"Oh, no, of course not." Sam said with amusement. Strolling over, he bent down and stole a kiss, smiling against Gabriel's lips. "We wouldn't want anyone to think you were nice."

Gabriel's lips quirked against his. "Heaven forbid."

His choice of words made Sam snicker. When he pulled back, there was humor dancing in Gabriel's eyes, along with something else that he'd started to see more and more often, something that left a warm feeling in his chest. He ignored it now just as he had every other time he'd felt it. Right now was not the time to think about those kinds of things. Instead, he just grinned down at him. "Right. You're just some evil, selfish little bastard who only does things that somehow benefit him and who would never do something just to be disgustingly nice."

"Oooh, keep sweet talkin' me, Winchester." Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows at him. "Flattery gets you everywhere."

"Do that somewhere other than my kitchen." Bobby grumbled at them, finally coming in from outside.

Gabriel grinned. "My pleasure." With a snap, the two vanished to their room upstairs.

It was the middle of the night when Sam woke. He couldn't say what woke him, or why, only that he was suddenly very much awake and alert. Behind him, he felt Gabriel press a little closer, his lover feeling him wake and already seeking to try and soothe him back to sleep. Down at the foot of the bed, Dog was awake as well, looking up at him with one of his ears quirked up. Sam watched him for a moment as Dog pushed up from their feet and made his way up towards Sam's face. The terrier licked over his cheek and then nudged under his chin with a soft little whine. Sam scratched at his ears, trying to quiet him. No need for everyone else to be awake just because he was. This wasn't the first time Sam had ever woken like this in the middle of the night and he knew he wasn't going to be able to just go back to sleep.

Just as he started to move, Gabriel nuzzled in against the back of Sam's shoulder and murmured his name lowly. Sam smiled a little at that. Carefully, he drew away, twisting enough to press a kiss against Gabriel's head when he tried to hold Sam there. "I'm fine, Gabe. I'm just gonna go take Dog out real fast. I'll be right back." Maybe that would give him enough time to get rid of this weirdly edgy feeling that was running through him.

Gabriel grumbled, but he too was used to Sam waking up at odd times, and he'd learned that sometimes it was best to pull him back in bed and force him to sleep and sometimes it worked out better just to let him move for a bit and come back on his own. The fact that his lover knew that about him, that he'd taken the time to learn, had Sam smiling a little to himself as he ushered Dog out of the bedroom and the two headed downstairs.

He snagged one of the coats from the closet in the hall before heading over to the door. They always kept extras of things here at Bobby's place, including coats. He pulled it on while he stopped off at the door to slip his feet into a pair of sneakers, chuckling at the dog dancing around his feet. "All right, all right, hold your horses there, buddy. It wasn't even that long ago that you were out last! I think you can wait a few more seconds." Crouching down, he quickly did up the laces, having to swat Dog away more than once when the playful animal kept nudging at his hands and making him laugh.

The minute the door was open, Dog took off like a shot, racing for the nearest bit of grass. Sam chuckled and shook his head. Adjusting the coat, which was more sweater than coat, he hooked the zipper and pulled it up to block out the chill of the night. A glance up at the sky showed him that the stars were all still out and bright and he wondered to himself what time it was. He hadn't thought to check on his way out.

Whatever that edgy feeling was that had woken him up, it was still there, skittering along his spine. He stepped down off the porch and that feeling grew a little stronger the further that he wandered. Sam wasn't sure what it was. His eyes scanned the darkness around him like there was some kind of threat out there while he wandered down along the line of broken cars, getting further from the house with each step. What was going on?

He was starting to worry that this was more than just the usual worried feeling that could hit at night. There was something about all this that wasn't right. Even Dog seemed to feel the same. He'd left behind the grass and was wandering now at Sam's side, pressed in close to his leg. Just as Sam was making the decision to head back into the house, or maybe to call out to Gabriel, when he saw something just ahead that had him stopping in place. Standing over near a stack of cars was someone he hadn't expected to see at all. "Anna?"

The familiar woman smiled at him. "Hello, Sam."

What was Anna doing here? They hadn't seen her in, well, in a while. Not since they'd helped her become an angel again. Why was she here? Here, alone, in the middle of the night, while everyone else was asleep in the house. That edgy feeling grew a little stronger and Sam fought the urge to take a step back. "Wow. It's been a while, Anna."

"I've been trying to find you guys." She told him. There was a strange quality to her voice; just a bit sad it seemed to him, yet firm, too. "You're pretty well hidden. I was about to seek out Dean's dreams, but I took a chance and checked here first. I'm glad I did."

Yeah, that didn't really help his worry. Instinctively, he took a step back. "Are you all right?" Even as he felt the wrongness about this all, he still worried, still hoped that maybe she just needed their help.

"No." She shook her head, and the sadness grew, but she also straightened herself a little more and took a single step towards him. "You have a good heart, Sam. You were kind to me. I remember that. So please, remember, this isn't personal…" She moved her hands and a nasty looking blade slipped down into her hand. "I'm sorry."

With that last apology, she lunged.