Chapter 21: The Battle's End

Gabriel curled around Sam a bit more, clinging to him as Castiel handed him a warm cup of hot chocolate. Lucifer wrapped one of his wings tightly around both Gabriel and Sam. Dean came in a sat the cleaned blades on the desk with a thump. The hunter took a seat on the floor in front of the archangel and pulled Castiel down next to him. In the three hours since Gabriel had been home, the angel hadn't said a single word.

Castiel had healed the blonde's wounds while Lucifer and Sam both fussed over the scars on the angel's body. Dean had helped his mate strip the angel down and then took the clothes out back and burned them and the clothe that he used to clean the shining silver blades. The angel was now dressed in a pair of boxers and one of Sam's long sleeved shirts which dwarfed the small angel.

Dean cleared his throat and drew four sets of eyes towards him. "So can I ask you a question?"

Gabriel sighed but nodded.

"Are those from him?" Dean asked motioning to the visible part of the scaring that was on the angel's neck and face.

The blonde nodded.

"Well I hope he got what he deserved." Dean said. "I just wish it did have to end with another death. It sucks."

"Who said Michael was dead?" Came Gabriel's rough voice.

Lucifer sat up a bit straighter, hope filling his heart. "He's alive?"

"Yeah." Gabriel said softly. "Funny. I had every intention of killing him when I went to heaven. I went as far as combining my Trickster powers with my Grace. I even threaten our brothers and sisters that if they interfered that I would rip their wings off and throw then to earth. It wasn't until I was ready to kill him and he was ready to die that I felt anything other then anger at him."

"What did happen then Gabe? And how come we've never seen your scars before?" Sam asked. "You never even hinted that you had them."

"I keep them hidden with my pagan illusions because I hate them." The Fourth Born said softy. "The only other person that knew about them was our Father. He saw them the night I left, the same night that it happened. Until today he was the only one who ever saw them. Today... Today Michael got to see exactly what he did and so did every angel that was there watching us fight. I just didn't have the energy to put the illusion back up after the fight. I will once I feel better."

"Do they hurt?" Lucifer asked as he reached out and went to touch one only to have Gabriel grab his wrist in a lightening quick move.

"Please...Don't..."

"I'm sorry." Lucifer said softly.

"It's not your fault Luci that this happened to me." Gabriel said releasing his wrist. "It...It wasn't really Michael's either."

"How can you say that?" Dean asked. "He did this to you!"

"Because Raphael made him. There was more then one spell on him. I broke them when I healed him. I don't even think he realized it." Gabriel said. "I guess I need to explain what happened."

"That might work best. Start with what made you change your mind." Castiel said.

"Okay. I can do that."

SSSSSSSSSSSSS

Hours Earlier

Gabriel used all of his strength behind his blow. The archangel blade found it's mark and slammed into the ground behind Michael, making a small crater with the force of the impact. Some of the angels scattered a bit, wary of getting caught in the path of Gabriel's wrath. Michael opened his eyes and looked behind him at the mess before turning wide blue eyes back to his younger brother.

"Gabriel?"

"Don't you get it you fucking bastard?!" Gabriel screamed.

Michael shook his head confused. "I don't. I really don't."

"What will killing you accomplish?" Gabriel asked with a straight face.

"It...You'll get your revenge. For what I did to you and Lucifer. It will make you happy." Michael said, as if it were obvious.

"Despite what you did to the both of us we still love you. Do you think me killing you is going to make us happy?" Gabriel demanded. "Revenge solves nothing."

"What about-"

"LISTEN TO ME YOU STUPID BASTARD! REVENGE SOLVES NOTHING!" Gabriel shouted, throwing his blades down.

"Gabriel-"

"I never wanted this! I never wanted us to fight! I never wanted our family to be so broken! Look at us Michael! Look around! Look at what we've become! We had a purpose once! We were the protectors of man! Now we're becoming nothing more then fairy tales!"

"We are the Host!" One angel called out.

Gabriel turned to glare at the assembled angels. "The Host of what? Cowering behind our pearly gates and watching demons run amok? We used to go to earth all the time! We used to go down there and help people!"

"We still do!"

"No. You've all become no better then the demons you fight!" Gabriel snapped.

"Watch you words Exiled!"

"WATCH YOURS BEFORE I RIP OUT YOUR TONGUE!" Gabriel exploded his power lashing out and ripping apart the ground.

The angels fell silent once more. Michael watched as they seemed to bow and cower under the Fourth Born's power. Gabriel was bringing order to heaven for the first time in thousands of years. All with just his words. He really was the Voice of God.

"You are no better then the demons out there! Humans are not just vessels! They are bright shining souls with hopes and dreams and minds and wills of their own! They are flawed yes but aren't we all? I'll be the first one to say I, an archangel of God, have made mistakes! I've said and done things that I regret." Gabriel said. "But that's the beauty of it! We can learn from what we have done wrong! I've learned a lot from humans and I am proud of what they've been able to teach me. How many of you can say that?"

There was a ringing silence.

"I didn't think so. Looks like your cowardice rubbed off on them Michael." Gabriel announced drawing angry murmurs. "Our Father would be ashamed of what we've turned into. Lost little lambs conspiring with the wolves in our Shepherd's absence. He would be ashamed of what's become of us."

"We do not conspire with-"

"Then why are there angels taking order from the King of Hell?!" Gabriel asked. "I ended one of them myself. Seems like not only are some of you no better then the demons you fight but some of you are serving those same demons! You deserve to Fall for that! It's a worse crime then what Lucifer was exiled for. You don't deserve your wings!"

"You ran! You are a traitor! Michael ordered your death upon your return to heaven!" Someone called out.

"I LEFT WITH OUR FATHER'S PERMISSION!" Gabriel snapped making them cower again. "Even after I left heaven I still carried out our Father's will! Something most of you didn't do even when you remained here! Heaven used to be the one place that I thought I would always call home even if I was never going to be allowed back but standing here now? I'm ashamed to say that I called heaven my home. It's become a place of shame."

"How do we fix it?" Came a timid question.

"Fix it? Start by remembering who we are! We are the angels of God! We are his Warriors! We are his Scribes! We are his Spellweavers! We are his Healers! We are his Messengers! We are the Protectors of Man! It's time we remembered that and started acting like it! Show our Father that we haven't forgotten that task he appointed us with!"

There was a murmur from the angels and it was easy to feel the change in the air. Michael couldn't believe it. Gabriel had done it ten minutes what he had been trying to do since their Father had left. He had united their family under a common banner. Gabriel turned to look at Michael once more. Without even giving it much thought, he bowed his head to the blonde. Soon every angel was bowing before the youngest of the First Four.

"Get up!" Gabriel snapped. "Don't bow to me!"

"Why shouldn't they?" Came a new voice.

Gabriel turned, knowing that voice, he'd know it even if he were deaf. "Father."

"Hello Gabriel." Chuck said softly. "It's been a while."

"Yes it has." Gabriel admitted.

"Why shouldn't they bow to you Gabriel?" Chuck asked. "You've shown them what they've refused to see until now. You've united heaven. I couldn't have ask for more from any of my children."

"No. I'm no one's leader. I never wanted to learn how to lead heaven. That was Michael's job. Or Lucifer's. Anyone's but mine." Gabriel said.

Chuck shook his head. "You are a leader. You've just proved to heaven that you are my strongest angel. You can lead them."

"I'm not a leader!" Gabriel snapped turning away and going over to Michael and placing a hand on his head and healing all of his injuries and feeling the multiple spells that had been cast by the Third Born crumble away into nothing. "I'm a healer and messenger. Nothing more."

Michael gave a sigh of relief as his body was healed and he stood. "Gabriel you just did what I've been trying to do since you left."

Gabriel pulled away. "I don't care. I can't bring myself to care about heaven anymore. This place isn't my home anymore."

"What I said the night you left still holds true." Chuck said. "This will always be your home."

"THIS ISN'T MY HOME!" Gabriel snapped, his power splitting the ground on either side of the vessel of God. "THIS HASN'T BEEN MY HOME SINCE THE FIGHTING STARTED!"

Chuck sighed. "I know. I'm sorry for that."

"No you aren't." Gabriel snarled. "You aren't sorry at all. You are a selfish bastard!"

"Gabriel!" Michael grabbed his brother but the blonde slid out of his grasp

"Fuck off Michael! I am tired of this!" Gabriel got up in Chuck's face. "You could have stopped this! All of it!"

"You are right. I could have stopped it." Chuck said.

"You are the reason we went through hell! If you had stepped up and been the Dad you should have been none of this would have happened! Lucifer never would have Fallen! I never would have broken my wing! Michael never would have been burdened with the fact that he's permanently scared someone he loves!" Gabriel spat coming to stand level with his father. "If you had just taken your head out of your ass then we'd still be a family!"

"We still are." Chuck said. "Even if you hate us. What I did was to make sure that you would be strong enough to survive."

"Is that what you call it?" Gabriel asked backing down. "We didn't survive anything. We just destroyed each other."

"I know. I'm sorry for that."

Gabriel sighed, his anger fading. "I think I've made my point. I'm leaving."

Michael startled at that. "Why? You're home Gabriel. You're with your family here."

"My family is back on earth. I have my older brothers, Lucifer and Dean. I have my younger brothers Castiel and Adam. I have my father Bobby. I also have my mate Sam." Gabriel said drawing shocked whispers and gasps. "They're my family. They're my home."

Chuck smiled at him. "I understand."

"Traitor!" One angel called out. "You should never choose humans over angels! You deserve to loose your wings if you are going to abandon us again!"

"Gabriel don't-" Chuck started but he was cut off when Gabriel summoned, not his angel blade, but his angel sword.

Gabriel turned and held it out the the angel that spoke as he summoned his wings. "You want my wings? Then come and get them!"

The angel didn't move and turned pale and looked sick.

Gabriel let out a snarl. "I thought you wanted my wings for leaving again?"

Michael moved forward to try and stop his brother but it was too late. The blonde flared out his wings and raised his sword. There was a sickening crunching sound and Michael turned and began throwing up as did most of the other angels. Gabriel was pale and panting but he stood tall his blood stained sword held tight in his hand. He leaned down and picked up the two bloodstained golden wings he had cut off and threw them down at Chuck's feet.

"There. You wanted my wings and now you have them." Gabriel spit out as his other two sets vanished. "Anything else you want?"

The other angels backed away, to traumatized by what they had just witnessed.

"I'll cut off the rest too if it means returning to my family." Gabriel said. "That's what I am willing to sacrifice for those I love. Now if you'll excuse me. I need to get back. They are waiting for me to come home."

Gabriel began to walk away but paused and turned to look back at Chuck and Michael. The First Born looked horrified at what had just happened. Chuck looked heartbroken as he stared at the bloodstained wings at his feet. It hurt him to hurt them like this but he needed them, all of them to understand this.

"If you two ever want to apologize to Lucifer, who is never returning to the Cage ever again I might add, and myself who can be found with Sam Winchester, then you know where to find us. Until then you can both go fuck yourself." Gabriel said before turning and vanishing.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Present Time

Lucifer and Castiel both looked sick by the time Gabriel's tale was done. Lucifer's hand went to Gabriel's back and the angel let out a hiss. Sam held tight onto his boyfriend's hand as the Devil felt along the smaller blonde's back before pulling away.

"Feels like you managed a clean cut Gabby. We'll need to remove the rest if you want the other two to function properly." Lucifer said softly. "You are such an idiot."

"But you love me." Gabriel said before letting out a yawn.

"Okay. Sammy, Luci, go get Gabby tucked into bed. It's past the Trickster's beditme." Dean said. "It won't hurt to fix him up in the morning will it?"

"No. It can wait." Lucifer said watching as Castiel came into the living room with a cup of tea.

"Here Gabriel. Drink. I don't like seeing you in pain." Castiel said.

The blonde gave him a smile. "I'll gladly bare this pain if it means I can keep my family. It's why I did it. I'm just glad I have four more to spare."

Gabriel took a big drink of the tea and the other two angels began scolding him for it. The blonde chuckled and stood, swaying madly and four sets of hands steadied him. He leaned heavily into them and realized that he was more tired then he thought. He stumbled a bit and crashed into Dean's chest. He took a moment to savor the human's warmth and the thrum of the mating bond he had with Castiel. With a chuckle he pulled away and this time he fell into Sam.

"Wrong Winchester. Sorry Dean-o." Gabriel said. "Right one this time."

Sam shook his head and turned to Lucifer. "Do you mind taking us up to the bedroom? I don't think he can navigate the steps in this state."

Lucifer nodded and wrapped his wings around all of them, instead of just Sam and Gabriel. They disappeared in an instant leaving nothing more the a single feather that floated down to the floor. The white feather sat innocently on the wood for a moment before it burst into flames leave nothing but a small scorch mark in it's place.