The others probably thought my squeaky voice was caused by shock about the risks. Sam looked at me with sympathy, and Cas sighed. "Just one more... We will need your feather." he said, his gravelly voice sympathetic. "My... My feather?" I barely recognised my own voice. My feather... My last link to my wings. I still kept it safe, at the moment it was tucked in my bra. 'Gwenny... Honeybuns... You don't have to, if you don't wanna...' My mind went back to that moment when he and I had been lying on my bed, and he had wished that my wings were still whole. I felt a lump in my throat. "I... I'm not sure." Both angels nodded in understanding, but the hunters looked puzzled. "C'mon, Gwen. You'll get your wings back." Dean said. "I know... But what if something goes wrong and I don't get them. I won't even have my feather then." A tear slid down my cheek. "I can't have that." Sam looked stumped. "You're not worried about dying in the process?"

I pretended to think about that. "I guess not. I won't know, right?" I sounded small, and I guess I felt scared, but not of dying. I just wanted to know I'd either have my wings or my feather. "Could... Could you guys give me a moment with the angels? They know about wings and stuff." I could hear the tears in my voice and felt the panic rise in my throat. The brothers shared a look and in unison stood up and said "Sure thing, Gwen." I giggled, despite feeling scared as Hell. They smiled reassuringly at me and left. I turned my head towards Gabe and he just silently got up and hugged me. I breathed in his cottoncandy smell and felt myself relax a bit. "Gabriel... I know I'm not one to talk, but are you being carefull?" Cas said, concern colouring his gravelly voice. Gabe turned his head towards his brother. "Care to explain, brother?" I cringed at the venom in his voice. Cas tilted his head innocently and replied: "I merely meant that you might get too close to your charges. I got shunned from Heaven for that." Gabe protectively held me closer. "Thanks for caring, Cassie. I'm ok, though."

I knew that I should stop this conversation, before the angels fell out. "Guys... Could we get back on point, please?" Cas looked abashed, but Gabriel merely held on. "Of course, Gwen. What would you like to know?" Cas asked in his deep voice. "First things first, Cas, you can see my..." I sighed. "... My stumps, right?" He nodded, his eyes full of pity. "Do you think that the damage done could ever be repaired?" I felt Gabe's shock at the question and the indignation at being passed for that particular question. 'Why wouldn't she ask me?' I tried to reach out to his mind with mine to answer. 'Because you might want to spare my feelings. Cas won't.' I felt him stiffen as the thought reached him. 'Whoah missy, you're going fast! Settle down!' Cas sighed, his eyes sad. "If I hadn't seen the spell Sam found, no. But our big friend has done some amazing research, and if there is anything that can heal your wings, it's that spell."