Great Chuck! Never thought this fic would grow this big! 50 chapters, and counting... Well, enjoy!

Cas sat on the bed he and Dean had shared and he sighed. How did humans do this? He knelt, folded his hands and looked at the ceiling. "Gabriel... brother. Please. I know you must hear this. I have to believe you do. Please, help us. Help me..." So many feelings churned in his chest, that Cas slumped and let go of any and all pretense. "I miss you Gabriel... please answer... I'm confused as to what is expected of me." He sighed and sat there, on the cold wooden floor, not sure of what would happen. "Castiël. As I live and breathe. Hello little brother." Cas snapped his head up and a smile graced his face. "Gabriel!" Cas hurridly got to his feet. "I never thought you would be the one to call me, Castiël. Honestly, I'm surprised, and honoured." Cas tilted his head in confusion. "Honoured? Why would you be honoured? I'm nothing but a low soldier. Yes, I saved Dean Winchester, but only by chance." Gabriel smiled and shook his head. "Low soldier indeed. Castiël, you are one of a kind. You were meant to get the Righteous Man out." He scoffed. "Who'd have thought it, huh? Dean friggin' Winchester, the Righteous Man... that boy has a lot on his plate... Righteous Man... Michael's vessel... boy oh boy... he is a full barrel of trouble, with a capital T." Cas fidgeted. He always was a bit overwhelmed by Gabriel's chatter.

"Anywho, babybro... why are you confused?" Cas hung his head and sat back in the bed. "I have found a chance to stop the Apocalypse from even starting, but when I told Michael about it, he basically ordered me to keep my nose out and let the Winchesters start the stupid thing." Gabriel pouted in thought. "Hmmm. Ever think that he might want it to happen?" Cas gasped in shock. "Why ever would he want that? It would destroy at least a third of the planet!" Gabriel scoffed. "So? Mr. High-and-Mighty Michael doesn't give a rat's ass about the planet. He just wants to be right, and so does Lucifer. So when those clowns get their grubby claws on he Winchester boys, all Hell will indeed break loose." Gabriel sighed. "Too bad the planet will burn over a temper tantrum from two overgrown toddlers, but... whaddaya gonna do?" Cas balled his fists. "Stop it. The Winchesters and I, we found a way. But we need a trick to lure Lilith into a Seal of Solomon. That's where you come in." Gabriel raised an unbelieving eyebrow. "Excuse me? I'm sorry, baby bro, but I refuse to have anything to do with this little tiff between Mike and Luci."

Cas bit his lower lip. "But Gabriel, we are trying to prevent the last seal from breaking. So there won't be any fighting..." Gabriel pouted in thought. "Could be wholesome for those arrogant jerks, if humanity spoked their wheel... make them see humans aren't all that bad." Manifesting a sucker, he winked at Cas. "You got yourself Trickster-aid." Exited, Cas jumped up and hugged Gabriel, who was taken aback a bit. "Whoa, Castiël... when did you become a hugger?" Grinning, Cas let go. "I learned a lot from Sam and Dean. I'll go get them." Alarmed, Gabriel grabbed Cas by the arm. "I'd rather you didn't." Surprised, Cas stopped. "Why not?" Looking a bit ashamed, Gabriel glanced at him. "I might have, erm... messed with them a bit..." Cas sighed and cast a weary look at his big brother. "You are joking... what did you do?" Gabriel smiled his Trickster smile. "Oh, too much to explain..." He floundered at Castiël's asture gaze. "But mainly I threw them in a timeloop. In which Dean died..." Cas gasped. "Aaaand when they caught me, I stopped the loop, but still let Dean die. Sam hunted me for months after... When he caught me, I set back time to the last time Dean died, but now he didn't. So.. all is good, right?" Cas shook his head. "If you were 'just a trickster' I would stake you myself. How dare you mess with their hearts like that!" Gabriel cast a sheepish look at him. "I didn't know Dean would be the Righteous Man... I though he'd go down and stay there... I wanted to help Sam accept..." Cas shook his head. "Oh, you had better apologise... and grovel. I am certain they would skin you if they would get the chance. And I cannot fault them." Gabriel hung his head meekly. "Yes, Castiël... just... don't tell them I'm me." Cas rolled his eyes. "I won't lie." he said adamantly. Gabriel sighed and scuffed his shoe. "Fine..."