T'en vas Pas - Elsa

(Don't go away)

In the end, Sam didn't get much voice to the team composition. Dean was as doubtful as he was about Meg's sudden change of heart but after a call with Cass and some negocation with Bobby and Ellen it was decided Sam, Dean, Meg and Jo would join Castiel in the Horseman hunt.

Worst team ever in Sam's mind. Maybe that's why it might work. Though he had no idea how.

He tried to call Gabriel while Jo was adding her bag in Baby's trunk, to no avail: he ended up onto voicemail right away, he left a message to tell his lover where they were heading and not to worry. He decided to believe the Archangel had turned his phone off to avoid attracting too much attention, he still send Gab' a prayer, just to be sure.

Soon enough, they hoped in the car direction: the next Horseman. A step closer to 'The End of the Apocalypse'.

Since Dean was adamant about keeping an eye on the demon and Sam's legs couldn't allow him backseat, Meg seated shotgun. Dean went behind her, a gun at the ready and Jo behind Sam.

Jo had had a long shift work that day, they were barely into the second half-hour drive and Sam could already see her head on Dean's shoulder in the rear mirror. His brother caught on his smirk and made a rude gesture as retaliation.

He didn't move her though, not even when Meg turned toward him and snickered.

Gabriel looked at the man before him. He looked older than he should be, a bit jumpy, definitely scared by something, and very suspicious of him.

Coming in had been piece of cake : he's made a dummy cop that looked enough like Dean from afar that he could pretend, not enough from up close that the true owner of that sweet face could sue him. Then, he puppeteered the cop to bring him in for a mandatory psychologic evaluation. Five minutes into his speech about being the bringer of the Apocalypse, he was declared fit to enter the psych yard.

That had been the easy part.

That and find the former hunter hauled up into an asylum to escape the horrors from outside. He still was sane enough to tell in five seconds top that the tall man sitting in front of him was not Sam Winchester. And incidentally, squash a little further Gabriel's confidence into his own acting skills.

He had been made quite nicely and had to sit through three different kinds of exorcisms and be grazed by a silver necklace to prove he wasn't a demon possessing Sam, or a common shifter.

So, back to the questions the man just asked him: What are you, and why are you here?

And Gabriel was still pondering his answer to the paranoid hunter named Martin.

_ What you'd call a supernatural being for starters. And I'm here to help, mainly. I didn't want the boys to come near the thing lurking in your residence's shadows. They have enough on their plate as it is.

Martin nodded, even he had heard about the Apocalypse.

_ So, any idea about what kind of monster is killing off my fellows?

_ In fact, I know exactly what it is: a wraith.

The hunter paled, drew his hand over his face, trembling a bit. He knew of it, he wished he would never get the dubious chance to cross one.

_ No worry, I know who it is, and I'll take care of her swiftly. One perk about having a supernatural on your side : things get easier.

Gabriel gave the man credit for not pushing to know what kind of being he was. As long as he was on the 'right' side.

_ And the side reason you came?

The man might be mentally wrecked, he was still sharp.

_ You were a friend of John Winchester. I know bits and bouts about his relationship with Sam and Dean, mostly from the boys or Bobby Singer. I'd like to know more from someone less… invested.

_ An outside eye?

Gabriel leaned backward on his uncomfortable chair with a nod.

_ You still haven't convinced me you are not a threat, to me and to them.

The angel smirked and discreetly fished a phone out of his pocket and put it on the main screen. It was a picture of Sam, spread on a very recognizable sofa in Bobby's living room, reading a book, Gabriel dozing over his belly. Dean had taken the picture, and Gabriel loved it.

_ I'm with them. And a threat to anyone who would want the boys harm.

Martin looked up from the phone and took him in for a while. He handed the phone back, sadly not quickly enough that the rugby player build nurse wouldn't see and confiscate it. Gabriel shrugged inwardly; he would get it back pretty easily on his way out.

_ What do you want to know about John and his boys?

Gabriel leaned forward, elbows on the table, a human gesture he knew tended to get his interlocutor's attention.

_ There is one thing I have trouble understanding. I get the whole, former soldier going down when realizing his home was as a much as a battle ground than 'Nam, hitting the road filled with vengeance, grief and guilt. What happened that night is more than enough to fall into paranoia for anyone.

"I also understand why he would want his younger out of the business as much as he could, let him enjoy school and his studies as long as he stays out of trouble. Especially after realizing Sam is on Hell wish-list. I am bit more confused about why he would get angry at Sam wanting out and go to Stanford, since he didn't want him in, in the first place.

"What takes the cake is why, after telling his son never to come back he would brag about his Stanford boy to every fellow hunter.

Martin considered him for a while before leaning into his chair.

_ Why do you want to know that?

_ Because it pained Sam to learn about the last part. I want to know what's behind; but I also don't want to make it worse for Sam.

Gabriel answered truthfully, seeing no point in trying to play smartass on this. Martin's head nodded, like one of those puppy some people had behind their rear window, for so long Gabriel wondered if he wasn't falling asleep.

_ It makes no sense to you because you are missing a piece: Sam ran away once before. He was about sixteen at the time. John and I were on a wendigo hunt, the boys sat this one out. John didn't think they were ready for wendigos.

"It was a gruesome hunt. We got both pummeled pretty bad, and... we were too late to save its latest victim, a boy, barely twenty. It had hit John hard. We could just watch him bleed out, already half eaten, and burn his remains.

"So, when we got back and the boys weren't there.

Martin made a dramatic gesture, spreading his hands.

_ In one word, John was frantic. Until I pointed out that Sam's things were missing, all of them, when Dean's were still scattered around. It wasn't hard to add up things and conclude Sam took his leave, without Dean the wisest. I have never seen so much anger when realizing one of his sons ran away, nor so much relief when he realized it was just one of them.

A lanky fellow interrupted the story when asking them if they had seen a Miss Kettle, whoever, or whatever, that miss could be. They both denied having seen Miss Kettle, the poor lad looked at them suspiciously a moment, then moved on to the next table.

Martin resumed his story.

_ By the time we finished patching our injuries up, Dean came back. Poor guy was devastated, he had spent the last two days searching for Sam. He probably hadn't slept since he had realized his brother was gone. John, just looked at him_ You could have filled an Olympic pool with the contempt he was dripping._ and said "If you haven't found him, why are you here?". The kid was already pale, he looked like a gosh, torn between wreaking into sobs and murdering his father. Finally he just turned around and left.

Martin hadn't stayed long afterwards. Later, he heard it took Dean two weeks to find Sam and bring him back.

Gabriel mulled over the new informations he had been given, turned them around and fit them into the picture he already had. The boys' codependent relationship, a mostly absent father, an obedient little soldier and a turbulent child.

Now there was a way this all made sense. Not one Gabriel liked, though. Probably not one that would make Sam feel better either.

From what he could see, the most likely reason of all this was that John wanted Sam away from the hunt, any college or sedentary job would have done the trick. But after Sam's first attempt at getting away from his family, Dean would never have let his brother go without him.

John had the choice between cutting all ties with his youngest and turn him into the traitor to his family, or loose both his sons. And since Dean would feel Sam had left him behind for the second time, his pride would prevent him to try and reach out for Sam. Sam wouldn't dare reach out to a brother who would scorn his for leaving the family. It was cruel, but practical.

It also created a rift between the boys that made Heaven and Hell's work all the more easy.

Gabriel nodded. Now he got it.

_ Who are you? And what are you doing there?! Mister. Mister!

Martin was up and on a fighting stance even before Gabriel got on his feet. Upon turning toward the ruckus, his disbelieving eyes fell upon Balthazar of all people, hurriedly strolling toward them, a pair of bulk nurses in tow.

_ Gabey, brother, glad I found you first. Holiday's over, we need to get going.

He was about to whisk them both away when Gabriel stepped back.

_ One moment Balthazar." He turned toward Martin and bit his good-byes to the hunter.

_ And the wraith?

_ It's the doctor who conducts so thorough exams after admission." Gabriel answered flippantly with a suggestive wiggle of eyebrows.

A wave latter, the nurses were called toward more pressing matters than their weird intruder, one of the staff member just stab themselves with a silver letter-opener. Very unrefined, even crude, probably the worst job on Gabriel's book, but apparently they were in a hurry.

He let Balthazar lead them away.

Upon reaching town, after a stop for fuel and one to snack, Dean called Castiel back. The angel was still munching burgers, to the point even the elder Winchester found that nauseating. Well, if that made Cass happy as he said; that was it, at least.

_ Shall we join you now? Or do you come to us?

_ Do you have a plan? To get past Famine's guard and get his ring?

Dean had to admit they didn't have much of a plan.

_ It will be difficult as long as we don't know who will be afflicted with what and how much when we'll get there.

_ Gabriel shouldn't affected at all, his vessel does not have a soul to contaminate.

_ He's not there. Wanted to go on a hunt, hasn't come back yet.

Dean drew the phone from his ear and asked Sam whether he managed to get hold on his buddy.

_ Sam hasn't managed to reach him yet.

_ This is... worrisome.

Dean nodded, even if Castiel couldn't see him.

_ There is a small playground down what looks to be the main road, halfway through. It should be deserted at this time of the day, we might meet there.

Castiel gave them the directions then ended the call.