The glass slipped out of Dakota's left hand and shattered onto the ground, Splintering into a thousand pieces at her feet.
"What?" She breathed into her cell phone, clearly not believing what Sam had told her. Tears slowly falling down her face, her heart skipping a beat and her mind was trying to process everything.
"Gabriel isn't dead." Sam said again before changing the topic to the shattering noise "Are you Okay Dakota I heard something breaking?"
Dakota did not answer him or even hang up the phone as she sprinted out of her house. She was on her way to see them, whether they wanted her there or not.
"Dakota?" Sam spoke into his phone and then he heard the beeping noise as the woman finally decided to hang up the phone on him. Sitting back in the chair he let out a soft sigh.
"What did she say?" Castiel asked, standing in the middle of the room like a misplaced statue.
"Nothing but I guess she is on her way," Sam answered him with a smile on his face.
Not even ten minutes after the phone call the bunker door was flung open and the sound of light but quick footsteps hurried down the stairs. With sharp, heavy breathing Dakota stopped in front of Sam with her Black and Silver bike helmet in hand.
"Where is he?" She asked as she placed the bike helmet on the table, Turquoise and lavender hair splaying down her back in a long braid. She had to see if it was true, and Sam was not pulling her leg to get her back into hunting.
"In your old room," He answered as he went ahead of Dakota, she followed behind him when he spoke again, and then he stopped at the door. "Do not get scared though Dakota he is in a really bad way."
Dakota had prepared for the worse on the way here but the moment the younger Winchester had opened the door her heart dropped. The walls were covered in hinochec language and She saw Gabriel sitting in the corner of the room, hugging his knees and rocking slightly back and forth.
"Gabriel…" Dakota whispered; shocked she walked over to him and kneeled, so she was at eye-level with him. Slowly he looked up at her and Dakota noticed the injuries, the archangel had two big cuts on his face, he had blood all over his face, his nose was broken, and he had a cut on his left brow.
His usual golden whiskey-colored eyes were dark and full of fear, pain, and unbridled hatred. As Gabriel looked at Dakota in the eyes, she could see a small glimmer of hope, it was a short flash, but she had seen it.
Trembling in fear he leaned forward and lay his head on her shoulder. Carefully, and in she hoped she would not spook him too much, she placed her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
"What Happened?" Dakota asked, finally finding the courage to ask but the archangel did not answer her, but he hid his face in her shoulder so Castiel answered for him: "He got captured and was tortured by Asmodeus, he took his grace and used it to make himself stronger."
Dakota's tears fell on top of the archangel's head upon hearing this and all she could do was caress his back.
"That is why you will not heal yourself?" she asked.
"It is not just that Dakota," Sam spoke up as he kneeled next to her "He could if he wanted to, we still have some of his grace, but he does not want to take it." He showed the young woman the small silver vial that was filled with the light blue grace inside.
"Maybe you can convince him to take it." Sam gave the vial to Dakota and when she had taken it, she felt him flinch it was like he was trying to get away from her; Dakota tightly grabbed his hand with the hand that did not have the vial in and once she managed to put the vial into her jacket pocket, she gently held his face with her other hand and their eyes locked.
"Why not?" She asked clearly not understanding why.
Gabriel did not talk but his eyes spoke volumes; looking at his soulmate with pain in his eyes he was begging her not to make him do it. Even so, he would do it if was for Dakota and her alone, yet he begged silently, and Dakota could feel his sadness.
Standing up Dakota turned to face the Winchester brother and the angel.
"He does not want to take it and I am not going to force him," she explained before sadly smiling. "Bring me some towels and warm water, I'll try and get him cleaned up."
Some minutes later Dakota was sitting on the bed with Gabriel and gently she cleaned his face of blood. The archangel flinched every time the wet towel touched one of his injuries, but he did not tell her to stop. His hand was on her leg and his gaze was fixed on her face the entire time, watching every moment.
"What?" She asked as she noticed he was watching her and chuckled "Do I have something on my face?"
A smile crept onto Gabriel's face. "No," He spoke with a raspy voice. "I am just so glad to see you again."
"Me too," Dakota admitted before she looked away as she wrung the towel out in the bowl, feeling the anger rise again; given the fact he had let her believe that he was dead for the past year.
"I thought you were dead," Dakota spoke softly before she placed the bowl and towel on her old writing desk.
Gabriel's eyes got sadder when he heard what Dakota had said: "I am so sorry about that Dakota I ran away from this, I am a coward."
Dakota could not handle that he was talking bad about himself even if he were right, so she pulled him into a tight hug. "You are but I have forgiven you."
"You shouldn't forgive me." He admitted as he hugged her back, with so much guilt in his voice that he hurt her.
"Shut up, I am happy that you are still alive right now," Dakota replied before she just placed a sweet kiss on his forehead. Gabriel suddenly had the silver vial, that housed his grace, in his hand and stirred it around; he opened it and his eyes followed his light blue grace as it flew out and into his mouth.
His eyes lit up in a light blue hue and all his wounds had vanished…
Before Dakota could ask why he had done this he grabbed her face with his hand and pressed his lip on Dakota's kissing her softly.
Shocked, and furiously blushing, it took Dakota a second to kiss back.
"I do not deserve you." He whispered and he pressed his forehead against hers, staring at her with his whiskey-colored eyes into Dakota's blue ones.
"No, you do not." She chuckled and in response to that, the archangel pinched her nose.
It had been a few minutes of silence before Sam suddenly stormed into his room with his cell phone against his ear; a scared look on his face, slowly he lowered his hand which held his phone and glanced at Gabriel.
"Asmodeus," He began "He has found you."