God was livid as he walked through the Silver City. Michael had returned to his quarters over an hour ago with a crying Samael. The boy was inconsolable, worse than he'd been even when God told him he was younger than he should be or that his mother was gone. It had taken him over and hour to get his son calm, and even then, it was just because he managed to cry for so long that it exhausted him. He'd cried himself to sleep.

Once Samael was asleep, he questioned Michael, because Samael had been too upset to coherently tell him what had happened. Michael told him that Gabriel told him that he was responsible for Uriel's death. God was seething. He made it perfectly clear that not only was Samael to be treated with respect, but that no one was to ever tell him that Uriel had died at his hand. Gabriel had disobeyed him on both accounts.

It, of course, didn't take God long to find Gabriel. He was just outside the garden with a few others. God wasted no time making his way over.

Gabriel gulped as soon as he saw his father, as well as the rage on his face. "Dad, I'm…"

"Do not speak!" God growled before taking his son by the arm and leading him away. They walked for a good fifteen minutes before they reached Gabriel's rooms. God hauled him inside and shut the door before letting his son go and unleashing on him. "Was I unclear?! Was I not very explicit with what I expected when it comes to your little brother?!"

"I..."

"Was I unclear?!" God asked loudly.

"No, sir," Gabriel answered.

"No, I didn't think so. I told you that your little brother was to be treated with respect, just like everyone else here," God lectured.

"Well, he's not like us anymore! He's nothing but a little bastard! He betrayed us! He rebelled! He turned his back on us!" Gabriel yelled.

"No, Gabriel, we turned our backs on him. Some of us long before he rebelled," God said with a pointed glare.

Gabriel did nothing but scowl in response.

"But that is irrelevant. All of it happened during a time that Samael can't remember. He doesn't know anything about rebellions or fights. He is just a little boy, and he has done nothing to earn your bullying. No, you're abuse!" God yelled.

Gabriel looked at his father with both shock and outrage. "Abuse?! I didn't lay a hand on him!"

"No, instead you verbally assaulted him! You wielded attack after attack on him knowing that he had no way of defending himself! That is abuse, and I will not allow it!" God yelled at him.

"He deserved it! He's nothing but a little brat! Nothing I said wasn't true! He killed Uriel!" Gabriel yelled back.

"Uriel's death was unavoidable," God said.

"No, it wasn't. It could've been avoided if Samael had done as he was instructed when you brought him back!"

"Is that what you think? You think answering his prayer had a price tag? You think I'm that cruel? I'll have you know that I sent him that vision of your mother escaping to warn him to be careful. I didn't expect him to send her to Hell. Uriel would've known that if he'd asked instead deciding for himself what I wanted. Unfortunately, that cost him," God said.

"It doesn't matter! Samael killed him for a stupid human!" Gabriel said.

"Don't think you can play me, Gabriel. You're not angry over Uriel's death. You simply used that to hurt your brother. Well, I will not let you keep hurting him," he said firmly.

"No, of course not. No discomfort can come to your favorite son," Gabriel said bitterly.

God sighed. As much as he wanted to deny that his son's words held no merit, they did. He had played favorites when he shouldn't have. It was one of his biggest regrets. "Okay, Gabriel. Yes, I showed Samael favoritism. I shouldn't have. It didn't help him or any of you. And if you want to come at me over it, go ahead. But Samael did nothing to you. He didn't ask for any of it. It isn't his fault that I failed as a father. You will not be allowed to take it out on him. You're going to apologize to him, and you will convince me you mean it, because if I think for a second that you don't, you will not stay here."

Gabriel recoiled back with a bit of fear. Was his father planning to send him to Hell if he didn't do what he wanted?

God sensed what his son was thinking and winced. Sending a child to Hell as punishment was his worst decision ever. He wouldn't do it again. He didn't even like the idea of sending Gabriel away from their home at all, but he couldn't have one child abusing another, especially when Samael had no way of protecting himself against it. "No, I will not send you to Hell, but I will not allow this to continue either. If you can't live by the few rules I have, You can't remain in my home. I don't think asking you not to torture your brother is unreasonable. You will cease your treatment of him or you will leave until you can. I will give you time to consider this. I expect your apology or your decision to leave with one week."

Gabriel called after his father, who was walking to the door. "You're still favoring him. You're choosing him over me."

"He's a child. You're not," was the last thing God said before leaving his son alone.

Xxxxxxxxxx

God was seated on the couch in the living room contemplating things. He hated the way things were turning out. It was very likely that he was going to have to turn Gabriel away in order to protect, Samael, and it was mainly his own fault. If he'd been a better father, Gabriel wouldn't be so angry. At the same time, of course, Gabriel was not a child. He should've learned by now that he couldn't blame his brother for God's failures.

God was pulled from his thoughts as he heard small footsteps. He looked up to see Samael in the doorway. He looked very upset, which was to be expected. "Hello, son. I'm glad to see you're awake. How about we get you something to eat? It's past dinner time."

"I don't want anything," Samael said miserably.

God sighed sadly and opened up his arms for the boy. "Come here, child."

That was all the prompting Samael needed. He ran into his father's arms and began crying again.

"Shh. It's alright, little one," he promised as he rubbed his back.

"Daddy, am I bad?" Samael asked in a broken voice.

"No, of course not. Sit next to me here," God said before pulling away and gently guiding the by next to him on the couch.

Samael immediately shifted back into his father's arms.

God just held him for a while, letting him cry a little more. Once it seemed like the child was done, he started speaking again. "You're not bad, Samael. I'm very sorry your brother said that to you. He was very cruel to you."

"He said it was my fault Uriel died. Is it?" Samael asked.

God gently took his son by the chin and turning his head towards him so they were eye to eye. "Son, you need to listen really well right now. I need you to understand what I tell you. Can you do that?"

Samael nodded.

"Uriel was making some very bad decisions. He chose to try to hurt people. That choice led to him dying," God said. It was as close to the truth as he was willing to get. He refused to tell his little boy that he delivered the blow that killed his brother. He didn't need to know that. He wouldn't understand it.

"Does that mean it was Uriel's fault he died?" Samael asked.

"Well, if he'd made better choices, I think he'd be alive, but I don't think it's really anyone's fault. No one wanted it to happen, but it couldn't be prevented. It's not your fault, son. I don't want you to ever listen to anyone tell you it is," God said.

Samael did feel a little better. If his dad said it wasn't his fault, he believed him. He was still upset though over the things his brother said. "Why did Gabriel say it was? Why does he have to be so mean? He's worse than Michael was."

"I know, my boy," God said before cuddling him once more. "I want you to know you didn't do anything wrong. Gabriel is angry about things that aren't your fault and has taken it out on you."

"It's not fair. We were friends," Samael said.

"You're right. It's not, but it's not going to happen anymore. I promise I will not allow your brother to hurt you anymore," God said.

"Okay. Dad, I said something I'm not supposed to," Samael said.

"Did you?" God asked gently, prompting the boy to go on.

"I called Gabriel a bastard. I know you said I'm not supposed to say it, but I was mad. He was being mean and I wanted to say something mean back," Samael explained. He decided he should tell his dad what happened. Gabriel would probably tell on him if he didn't, and his dad might be less mad about it if he told himself.

"I see. Thank you for being honest about it. I'm proud of you for owning up to do doing something you're not supposed to. It certainly wasn't a nice thing for you to say, but Gabriel said a lot to you that he shouldn't have," God said. He had no intention of reprimanding his son for it under the circumstances. He was defending himself the only way he could."

"You're not gonna punish me?"

"No. You've already been punished today, quite unfairly. I don't want you to make a habit of saying things like that though. That word is very rude. You can think of better words to express yourself, I think," God said.

"Yes, Dad," Samael said.

"Do you think you're ready to eat now? You haven't had anything since lunch," God said.

"I'm not hungry," Samael said. He felt better than before, but he was still sad and didn't want to eat.

"Samael, I'd like you to try to eat a little. You don't have to have a lot if you don't want to, but I'd like you to at least have a sandwich or something," he said.

Samael sighed. He knew he didn't really have a choice. "Okay."

"Good boy. Come," God said before standing up, pulling his son up with him. He then led him into the kitchen.