A/N: Chuck will not be evil in this story.
John was pacing his motel room. It had been days since whatever monster had appeared out of nowhere and took his son away. He and Dean were researching and looking for Sam. He had Dean going to the library every day to do research on what took Sam. Of course, it wasn't really about the research. John didn't expect Dean to find anything, given how little they knew. He sent Dean away to get him out of his hair. Dean kept asking questions about what happened, and he could tell that John wasn't telling him everything.
John could not tell his oldest that this thing took Sam after John hit him, and that that seemed to be the reason it took him. As if that evil thing had any business telling him how to parent his own son. It was none of its business how John dealt with his son.
Dean, however, would also have a problem with it. Dean lived to protect Sam. John made sure of that, and it would backfire on him if Dean found out that he struck Sam. It wouldn't matter that Sam could've avoided it by following orders. John, knew he shouldn't have hit his son, but the kid pushed all his buttons. He needed to learn to do what he was told. He needed to be more like Dean. John would make him see that and stop whining about being normal when he found him. He would also have to start more hardcore fight training. Sam didn't even attempt to fight back when that thing took him. "Can't believe he was so stupid as to go with a complete stranger."
"You're one to be calling someone stupid, aren't you, John?" a voice suddenly asked.
John turned and saw the strange man standing about ten feet away from him. Or at least he looked like a man, John knew better, and as such, he took out his gun and shot him. Other than causing a hole to go through his clothing, it didn't seem to faze the man at all.
He ignored John Winchester's attempt to kill him and went on with what he was saying. "And the fact that he trusts a stranger should tell you something."
John shot him a couple more times.
The man looked down at where the bullets would've entered if he had been human and sighed. "You really are dumb for a hunter. I mean, you'd think after the first shot, you'd get that bullets don't do anything to me."
"What are you? Do you have my son?" John demanded to know. This thing didn't look like the one that took Sam, but it could be a shapeshifter or some other creature that could alter it's appearance. In any event, it seemed too coincidental that it showed up just days after his son disappeared.
"Interesting that it took you this long to ask those questions. You decided to shoot me first. Had that actually been able to kill me, I couldn't answer your questions. Of course, I may not now either. I suppose I'll answer at least one. The name's Gabriel," he said.
"Where's my son?" John asked angrily, reluctantly lowering his gun. It wasn't doing him any good, so there was no point on holding it on the thing.
"Dean? Well, you'd know better than me, wouldn't you? Well, maybe not. You're not exactly very attentive. Last time I saw him, he was at the library. I wanted to make sure he wasn't nearby while we had this conversation," Gabriel said. He was toying with the hunter. He decided to have a little fun with him before he made him suffer.
"You know damn well I meant Sam! You took him, or someone you work with did! I want my son back now!" John yelled.
"Why? So you can keep taking your anger out him and smack him around? Sam is none of your concern."
"He's my son! And I'm not gonna take parenting advice from a monster!" John snarled.
"No, he's not," Gabriel said calmly.
"What?" John asked in confusion.
"He's not your son. I realize now that you never should've been allowed to believe he was. That was my mistake," Gabriel said. While both Mary and Dean had been good for Sam, John had not been. If he'd realized the way things would've turned out, he would've found another way, because the good Mary and Dean did for Sam didn't outweigh the damage John had. "But the mistake has been fixed, and you will never touch my child again.
"You're a liar! My wife would never…"
"Oh, it's a lot more complicated than that. Mary loved Sam. She died to protect him. She was his mother, but not in exactly the same way she's Dean," Gabriel said.
John shook his head. "I would never believe anything that came from an unnatural thing like you! Sam is my son!"
"I suspected you wouldn't take my word for it, not that I care all that much, but I suppose you should know the truth. After all, you should know why I intend to make you suffer," Gabriel said with no trace of humor left in his voice. He walked towards John and placed his hand on his forehead. He replaced the memories he'd taken from John when he'd left Sam with Mary. He would still remember the fabricated ones, but he would also remember Mary not being pregnant with Sam, and he would know which ones were accurate.
John gasped in shock as he moved away from the creature in front of him. "You bastard! You manipulated us into taking your spawn!"
Gabriel raised his hand and sent John flying into the wall. He then made an upward motion with his hand, picking John up off the floor and suspending him in mid-air. "You really think it's smart to piss me off, John. I could end your pathetic existence with a finger snap! And for the record, the only person I manipulated was you. Well, and I suppose Dean a little too. I did alter his memories, but I doubt he even remembers much from before Sam was born at this point. Mary knew everything. You see, she was a hunter."
"That's a lie," John said as he tried and failed to move from the position he was in. He couldn't move anything besides his head.
"You really didn't do much research when you entered this world, did you? The Campbells were all hunters. Mary wanted a normal life, so she left the business when her parents died. She chose never to tell you about it. I suppose she hoped never to have to deal with that life again. I suppose I brought her back into it," Gabriel said regretfully. He felt bad about what happened to Mary. She died to protect his son. Then again, he wasn't sure it would've mattered. If he hadn't gotten involved, she may have had another child, and both her kids would be vessels for his brothers. She may have died anyway.
"If Mary had been a hunter, she would never accept a supernatural child," John said. Hunters didn't help the supernatural. They stopped them.
"Not all hunters are like you, John, though I admit that most are. Some realize that the supernatural are no different for humans, at least in the respect that there's the good and the bad. It's just that hunters mostly only find the bad because they're looking for them. They don't come across the others often. Unfortunately when they do, most hunters act like you," Gabriel said in disgust.
"That's because they're unnatural. You and your brat…"
"Watch your mouth!" Gabriel said before making a twisting motion with his hand.
John yelled as he felt his insides begin to tighten as though someone was squeezing them.
After a few seconds of letting John suffer, Gabriel suddenly heard a gunshot. He looked down to see a bullet hole in his clothing by his chest. He spoke without even bothering to turn around. "Hi, Dean."
"Shoot him again!" John ordered through his pain.
Gabriel waved his hand, ending John's pain before turning around to face the gun toting twelve-year-old. "You could, but it won't do you any good. You'd think your father would've learned that from trying to shoot me himself.
"Who are you?" Dean asked as kept his gun trained on the man.
"Put the gun down, kid. You've got no business having it," Gabriel said. He'd always found it very stupid that Winchester would teach children to fire weapons and hunt dangerous creatures.
"I know how to shoot," Dean said with a glare.
"Oh, I know, but that doesn't mean you should be doing it, and it's not gonna make a difference right now. That won't hurt me," he said.
Dean hesitantly lowered the gun. "Let my dad go."
"Sorry, but I can't. He acts stupid when left to his own devices. I'm glad you're here. There's a lot I need to talk to you about," Gabriel said.
"Who are you? Did you take my brother?" Dean asked.
"No, but he is with me. My name's Gabriel," he told him.
"Bring him back or I'll kill you!" Dean yelled. He would kill him anyway, actually. He wasn't sure how yet, but he was sure he could find something that would kill this thing.
"You love your brother. I know you do. You'd do anything to protect him. I've seen that. I think you'll understand that we had to take him when I tell you that your father has hit him more than once," Gabriel said.
"What? That's a lie!" Dean exclaimed before turning to his father, who wasn't saying anything to refute the creature's words. "Dad? Aren't you going to say he's lying?"
"Dean, things are a lot more complicated than you know," John said. Normally, he might have lied and said that he didn't hit Sam, but when Dean realized the truth about Sam, he'd understand. He knew the supernatural were evil.
Dean looked like he'd been slapped. "You hit him? You hit Sam?!"
"Don't you yell at me, boy! He deserved…" John was suddenly cut off when Gabriel raised his hand and cut off his vocal cords.
"What did you do?" Dean asked Gabriel.
"I just quieted him for a while. There are some things you need to know, and I don't think you would've appreciated hearing them in the way he was going to tell you."
"What are you?" Dean asked.
"I'm an archangel, one of the first four sons of God," Gabriel answered.
Dean's mouth dropped in shock, but he recovered relatively quickly. "No freaking way. There are no such things as angels or God."
"Step back and brace yourself," Gabriel said. He waited for Dean to do so before a white light shined in his eyes and the outline of his wings could be seen behind him.
Dean gasped. Angels. His father had always said they weren't real, and Dean believed that because he figured angels wouldn't allow the world to be like this.
Behind them, John was also shocked. He never believed in angels, but he'd read some lore on them. There wasn't a lot, but there was some. They were said to be very powerful creatures, particularly archangels, and he'd just pissed one off.
"You're really an angel?" Dean asked in disbelief.
"Yes," Gabriel replied.
"Then why the hell is there so much evil around. Why do we have to hunt when you exist? You won't stop the supernatural, but you come and kidnap my brother?" Dean asked angrily.
"Sit down, kid. There are things you need to know," Gabriel said as he pointed to a table and chairs.
Dean was reluctant, but he felt he didn't have much choice. This angel had Sam.
Gabriel sat with Dean and gently explained things to him. He told him about meeting Mary, about her being a hunter, and how she'd agreed to take Sam, Gabriel's son, in. He tried to break it all to him as easily as he could, but he knew no matter what he said, it would break Dean.
To say that Dean didn't take it well would be an understatement. He immediately jumped out of his chair and glared at Gabriel. "You're lying! Sam is my brother!"
"Of course he is. You love him. You look out for him. He is your brother, and he was your mother's son. You guys just don't have the same blood. It doesn't mean your bond isn't still strong," Gabriel told him.
"No. You're lying," Dean said again. This time, instead of anger, there was mostly pain in his voice.
"I'm sorry, kiddo, but I'm not." Gabriel said sadly. He hated that he was hurting this boy. Dean didn't do anything to deserve this.
"I remember my mother being pregnant. I was there when Sam was born," Dean said. Granted, he didn't remember much, but he did remember his mom telling him he was going to be a big brother, and seeing Sam in the hospital for the first time.
"I altered your memories. I returned your father's and I can yours too if you want," Gabriel told him.
Dean definitely didn't want that. He didn't want his mind being messed with, even if it might have been already. He did need to know if it was true though, and he could see only one other way of finding out. "I want to talk to my dad."
Gabriel waved his hand and returned John's voice. He also lowered John back to the floor, but kept him immobile.
Dean walked over to his father. "Is it true?"
"Yeah. The bastard showed me how things really were. He left his kid with us. It's no wonder Sam was never like us. He was never one of us," John said.
"Everyone's different. Sam isn't like us because he's his own person, plus he doesn't remember Mom," Dean said.
"He was not one of us. He isn't human. He's the reason your mother died," John said. He'd never blamed Sam for Mary's death before, but that was before he knew that the kid wasn't human. Mary probably died because of what Sam was.
Gabriel wanted to kill John on the spot, but he knew he had to let Dean have this conversation with his father. It was, after all, the last time they'd see each other.
"That's not true! Sam was just a baby! He didn't kill her!" Dean yelled.
"He may as well have. She died because he was there! That thing should've never been in our house!" John yelled back.
"Don't call him a thing!"
"Dean, I know it hurts, but Sam is not a part of his family! He's not even human! Do you get that! He's evil!" he said angrily.
Dean felt like he was looking at a stranger. How could his father say these things about Sam. In the past, Dean had believed his father when he said that everything supernatural was evil, but he couldn't believe that was true anymore. Sam was not evil. That kid could never hurt anything. "How can you say that? How can you act like he wasn't with us for eight years! He's your son! He's my brother! I don't care what you or this guy says. He's my brother!"
"No, he's not, and he's gone now, and good riddance!" John snarled.
In that moment, Dean did something he'd never done before. He punched his father. He was a bit short to reach his face, but he got him good in the gut. He was young, but he'd been training hand to hand since he was Sam's age. It helped that his father couldn't defend himself. "Don't you ever talk about my brother like that!
John yelled out in pain. He might have smacked his son if he was able to move his body. He couldn't even double over to try to stop some of his pain.
"He won't be able to for much longer," Gabriel said before walking over and gently pushing Dean aside. He then glared at John. "The only reason I don't kill you is because of your wife and son. I owe them for what they did for Sam, but that doesn't mean you won't suffer. Enjoy the rest of your miserable life in a mental institution after you tell anyone who will listen that you hunt the supernatural." He used his powers to compel John to do just that before snapping his fingers and sending the man away.
"You're gonna have him locked up?" Dean asked. He hated his father right now, but he wasn't sure he wanted him locked away like that.
Gabriel turned back to the young boy. "I'm sorry, Dean, but I can't allow you to continue living with him. I know you like the way you live, but I also think a part of you knows that it's not right. Plus, I can't be sure he won't turn on you, like he did Sam. I can't let him become a threat to you. Bobby Singer has already agreed to have you live with him."
"What about Sam?" Dean asked. He still had concerns about his father, but his brother was his biggest concern.
Gabriel sighed, knowing he was going to devastate this kid yet again. "I'm sorry, Dean, but Sam needs to stay with me. Your father wasn't completely wrong when he said that Sam doesn't belong here. He can never fit in. People like your father will come after him if they find out about him, for one."
"I can protect him. I always have," Dean said firmly.
"I know you'd do everything you could, but even if you could, he still wouldn't be able to fit in. He will be different than everyone else. And it's also dangerous for him to be here. Sam will be very powerful one day, and for a long time, he won't be able to control it. He could hurt someone, and I think you know that that would devastate him. He needs to stay in Heaven. It's what's best for him," Gabriel said.
"Then take me with you," Dean said after a minute. He didn't care that Gabriel was supernatural anymore, or that he didn't know him. He only cared about being with Sam.
Gabriel looked at the boy sadly. "I would if I could, Dean. I would do anything to spare you boys from this pain, but I can't. Humans can't enter Heaven until after their deaths. Besides, it wouldn't be safe for you for the same reason it wouldn't be for Sam to be here with you."
"It's not fair," Dean cried. He knew this man was right. If Sam was that powerful and accidently hurt someone, he'd hate himself. Dean couldn't let that happen, but it would kill him to lose Sam.
"I know," Gabriel said before pulling the inconsolable boy into his arms.
Dean cried in the angel's arms. He knew he shouldn't let a stranger hug him like this or see him so weak, but he also couldn't bear to pull away.