Dean went to check on Sam about five to ten minutes after he disappeared into his room. He decided he wasn't going to let his brother mope over his guilt. He had nothing to feel guilty about. Whatever happened to Cas was because of his asshole brothers, not Sam. Cas was doing what he had to to help Sam, like any family member should.
Dean knocked on the door and received no answer. "Sam."
There was no response.
Dean sighed and let himself into his brother's room. "Sam, come on, I'm not gonna let you…" He trailed off when he realized he was talking to himself. Sam was nowhere to be found. "What the hell?"
Dean suddenly noticed the two pieces of paper on his brother's bed. He went over and picked on of them up. As he read it, his eyes became as big as saucers. It was a freaking suicide note! Or close enough. Sam explained in the note that he was going to surrender to Michael. He wanted Dean to know he was sorry for the pain this would cause him and that he hoped he could forgive him.
Dean could feel nothing but fear as the letter he'd just read dropped to the floor. His brother had gone to get himself killed. No. Dean couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let his brother die. But what could he do. He was locked in and Gabriel was gone. "God, Sammy, no."
Dean started wildly looking around the room, as if trying to find some way to fix this and stop his brother. His eyes finally stopped on the dresser and phone laying on top of it. He immediately went over and grabbed it, examining it carefully. It wasn't Sam's. Neither of them had a cellphone here. There was no need for it since the few people who would contact them had Gabriel's number and they were mostly always with him.
Dean turned the phone on and waiting for it to boot up. The first thing he saw when it was finished was a text message to Gabriel that sounding just like the one Cas had sent to him. This was Cas' phone, but how did it get here.
Realization hit Dean hard. Sam. Sam must have sent that message. He'd taken Cas' phone and sent that message to get rid of Gabriel. He'd been planning this for a while.
Dean searched the call log and hit Gabriel's name before pressing the phone to his ear.
The phone was answered on the first ring. "Castiel, are you alright? Where are you?"
"Gabriel, it's Dean."
"Dean? How do you have Castiel's phone. What's going on?" Gabriel said.
"It was a trick, Gabriel. Cas didn't send that text. Sam did it to get rid of you," Dean said quickly.
Gabriel appeared behind Dean with Lucifer. He'd gone to Lucifer to help look for Castiel. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Dean turned around and shut the phone. Then he picked up the second letter from the bed, the one Sam wrote to Gabriel and held it out for him. "He's surrendering to Michael."
Gabriel quickly snatched the letter and read it, becoming more afraid with every word he read. His kid had been planning to die. He was going to hand himself over to be executed! "No."
"Find him, Gabriel. You told me you could sense him," Lucifer said.
Gabriel nodded and sensed for himself. He was relieved when the connection was picked up immediately. "He's still alive. I'm gonna go get him, after which I will make him wish I hadn't!" Gabriel said before disappearing. Mere seconds later, he appeared back in the room, alone."
"What happened? Where's Sam?" Dean asked.
There was nothing but fear on Gabriel's face. "I couldn't get through. Something's keeping me away from his location. I can't get to him!"
Xxxxxxxxxxx
Meanwhile, Sam stared at Chuck for a couple of moments before asking, "How'd I get here?"
"Teleportation," was Chuck's only reply.
"I know that, but I didn't do it, at least I don't think so," Sam said. He thought he had teleportation down. Was he wrong? Had he accidently teleported away and coincidently made it to Chuck's.
"No, you didn't. Have a seat, Sam. We should talk," Chuck said as he pointed to the couch a couple of feet away.
Sam looked at the prophet suspiciously. In the few minutes that he'd been there, he'd noticed that Chuck didn't act like he usually did. The alcoholic prophet was usually nervous and shaky. He was neither right now. "You're not Chuck, are you?"
"I'm the same person you met last year if that's what you mean. Please sit," Chuck requested again.
Sam was very aware of the way his question was answered. "What are you?"
"Let's say we're family. Now, I've asked you to sit twice. Please don't force me to make it a demand," Chuck said with just a bit of firmness and throwing the slightest bit of power out for Sam to feel.
Sam felt the slight power touch him, or his Grace would probably be more accurate. If he didn't already know, it was definitely proof that he wasn't human. The fact that he said he was family had to mean he was an angel.
Chuck cleared his throat to get Sam's attention and remind him to do as he asked.
Sam pulled from his thoughts and slowly walked to the couch and sat down.
"Thank you," Chuck said politely.
"So you're an angel? Why couldn't Cas tell? Why can't I tell?" Sam asked. He seemed to be able to identify angels, even tell who they were. But he had no idea who Chuck really was, only that he wasn't human, and that was only because the man had all but admitted it and then threw a bit of power at him.
"No, not exactly," Chuck said.
"But you said you were family. My family are angels. Well, angels and…" Sam trailed off as the possibility hit him. But it couldn't be, right? He couldn't have been hidden as Chuck the whole time. "No."
Chuck did nothing but smile in response.
"Oh, my G…?" Sam trailed off again as it truly hit him. He was in the presence of God himself. His grandfather.
"Yes, I imagine I am a bit intimidating to you, as you grew up as human. But you needn't be intimidated. I am your family after all. That is all," Chuck said.
"D...did you bring me here to kill me?" Sam asked finally able to speak in complete sentences again. "I was looking for Michael, but I suppose it makes no difference. Go ahead."
"Why would I do that? If I'd wanted you dead, I would've let you get to Michael. I would've allowed my son to carry out my will. He is quite eager to do so," Chuck said.
"Then why?" Sam asked.
"That isn't clear? To stop you. I'd hoped it wouldn't be necessary. I'd hoped you would come to understand the foolishness in your choice, but I suppose that was too much to ask of such a young fledgeling," Chuck said.
Sam frowned at the term God used for him. Fledgeling seemed to mean the same as child. He wasn't a child. He was twenty-six years old.
He chuckled. "Yes, a man for a human, but so incredibly young for an angel. It becomes more complicated because you're both, but even so, compared to someone as old as me, you're so very young and prone to poor decision making."
"You can read my mind?" Sam asked.
"Yes. I imagine I'm the only being that can. Don't worry, I don't make a habit of it. I would normally respect the privacy of your mind, however, with your lack of good judgment lately, I deemed it necessary," Chuck stated.
Sam bit his lip. He wanted to argue the point, but he was slightly afraid that arguing with God wouldn't exactly end well for him.
"Please, speak freely," Chuck encouraged.
"I didn't have a choice," Sam said.
"Of course you did. No one made you try to sacrifice yourself and leave behind the people who love you," Chuck said.
"You have to know what's going on, since you seem to know everything about me. Gabriel is prepared to go to war with Michael and Lucifer is backing him. If they kill each other, it'll destroy the word, and Heaven too," Sam said.
"Then that is on their heads, as well as Michael's. It certainly doesn't mean you must die to stop it," Chuck said.
"I'm not even supposed to exist!" Sam exclaimed.
Chuck pinched the bridge of his nose. "Outlawing nephilims. That is the one decision that will haunt me."
"Y...you regret it?" Sam asked.
"Everyone makes mistakes, Sam. It appears not even I am exempt from that. When you were born, I was prepared to do what you want me to do now. End your existance. But I got a glimpse of your pure soul, as well as the future that you would one day have," Chuck said.
"Then you should've killed me. I've made so many mistakes. I started the apocalypse. I let Lucifer out," Sam said.
"Hmm. But who is to say Lucifer was not meant to be freed, more to the point that he wasn't meant to be freed by you? Sam, I don't think you realize the way you touch lives, and that includes Lucifer's. Lucifer was quite content to continue on the same path he was set on before his punishment. He was ready to fight Michael to the death," Chuck said.
"He still is," Sam pointed out.
"Ah, but for different reasons. He no longer fights to prove a point. He fights to protect, to save something that is more than worth it. Lucifer hasn't changed his views, but he's begun to return to who he once was just the same. The brother, and now uncle, who always put family first. And of course Gabriel. You can't imagine what you've done for his life. He was broken when he left home. His family had been destroyed. He went on after joining the Pagan Gods, but he never healed. You gave him that ability. He still hurt, but he had a new reason for being. You. As I said, you touch lives," Chuck said.
"Why are you saying this now? Why not change the law years ago, or at least fix it when Gabriel started fearing for my life. We wouldn't have had to live in fear, to stay in hiding," Sam said.
"But so many events would've been different then. Who knows what would become of Lucifer or the apocalypse that has since stopped? But more importantly, your relationship with your father would've never emerged had I just fixed things a couple of months ago. You both deserved that relationship and you have it. You begun to get close to your father in such a short time, partially because you never really had one who was there for you. You have that now, even when you don't want it. I can almost promise you won't want it when you go home to night and face his ire. And make no mistake about it, Sam, you will be going home to your father tonight," Chuck said in a firm tone.
"The world will be destroyed if I don't end this," Sam said.
"Protecting the world is not your burden to carry, however, I can promise you that your course of action will not protect it. Come here," Chuck said before standing up.
Sam hesitantly stood up and walked over to him.
Chuck pointed to the computer.
Sam leaned down and started to read what was on the screen. One paragraph caught his attention and sent him reeling.
Gabriel stalked through Heaven with his blade drawn. He was consumed by grief and rage. His son was dead. He never knew more pain than this in his very long life. But he would have vengeance for it. Michael had murdered his son and now Gabriel was going to murder Michael or be murdered by him. At this point, he didn't care which.
Sam stood up and took several steps away from the computer like it would attack him. "No!"
"I see you didn't see this coming. It really never occurred to you that your father would seek revenge? Your choice won't stop anything, Sam. All it will do is cause pain," Chuck said.
"Then you stop it. You can stop this. You can tell Michael this isn't your will," Sam said.
Chuck shook his head sadly. "I cannot continue to dictate my sons' lives. That is why I left in the first place. I wanted my children to learn to stand up without my help. This is a lesson Michael especially needs to learn. He needs to decide what is the right choice, not the choice he believes I'd make. If he can't, he'll have to accept the consequence. Speaking of consequences, it is time for you to go home and face yours. Your father is worried, extremely so since I have blocked his ability to reach you here. I'll not let him worry anymore. You can feel free to tell him what you want, but I'll be leaving this vessel soon after I send you on your way."
Sam winced at the prospect of facing Gabriel. "He's gonna kill me."
"Were you not ready to face your own death when you chose to go to Michael?" Chuck asked with a smirk before snapping his fingers and sending Sam home.
