A/N: As this is pretty much an episode rewrite, it contains episode dialogue, which obviously I do not own. Episode: Taxi Driver.


It felt like forever before they reached the rock formation. The silence of Purgatory was bad enough, but it was the fact that Gabe hadn't spoken a word to him in the last few hours and it was making Sam increasingly tense.

Glanced down at his watch and sighed, he registered that it had only been five hours since they'd arrived. Looking up at the sky he frowned, "Does it get dark here?"

"Yes." Gabriel replied sharply, lifting his eyes to the bland grey sky. "There's at least a couple of hours." He informed matter-of-factly.

Sam exhaled a relieved sigh, he didn't think he wanted to be here when darkness fell. Looking back to the watch, he watched as Gabriel marched over and began to shoulder the thing out of the way, releasing a gush of hot air that crashed into Sam and almost knocked him off his feet. It wasn't the pressure of the sudden breeze that had him suddenly unsteady on his feet, but rather, the memory of just where he was going. An ice cold shiver ran down his spine and fear began to claw at him gut.

He'd put his time in hell behind him long ago, but now, as he stood on the precise, it all came rushing back in. The memories of Lucifer, of Michael. Of being pulled toe and fro between them. The sulfur burning his lungs. The confusing mix of blistering heat of his surrounding and the ice cold of Lucifer helping to slowly break Sam down, bit by pained bit.

"Sam?" Gabriel said, his tone softer. "You sure you want to do this?"

It took a few seconds for Sam to pull his mind back from the edge of his nightmares, and he blinked. Turning sharply, his heart hammering away in his chest, he stared at the other man. He could see the concern had replaced anger, as well as his own fear, and it twisted something deep in Sam. If Gabriel can return to his nightmare, then Sam could step back into hell. After all, it wasn't as if it would be forever. It was a flying visit. They'd grab Bobby and leave. He wouldn't even see Lucifer or Michael. They were far too deep in the pit to bother him.

Straightening, Sam pressed his lips into a thin line and gave a quick nod, gesturing for Gabriel to lead the way. The ex-archangel hesitated for a moment before turning and stepping into the dark. Sam inhaled the flat air of Purgatory, before stepping in after him.

_(*-*)_

Dean pulled up outside the strip club Sam had told him about, his heart racing, and shoved open the car door. He didn't pause to wait for Claire, taking off instead alone down the alley with his gun in hand. At the end, he saw the parked yellow taxi, a figure in the front seat. Swallowing his pounding heart, he stepped up slowly. "Hey? Hey, you Ajay?" the man in the front seat said nothing. He didn't even flinch, just lay slumped over the steering wheel. Dean's gut tightened with fear and he reached forward, shoving the body back and exhaling in a rush as he stared at the blood hole in the Reapers chest. "Son of a bitch!" he yelled, kicking at the car door and turning to looked desperately around the alley.

"Dean?" Claire asked fearfully. "What…?"

"He's dead." Dean growled furiously, running a hand over his face.

"Naomi?" Claire spat accusingly, eyes flaring with murderous intent.

Looking over at the teenager, Dean stared at her. He couldn't swear she hadn't set this up, hoping he'd turn to her for help. "Or Crowley and his cronies. It doesn't matter who did it, the fact was Sam and Gabriel are now trapped."

Claire visibly paled, tears filling her eyes. "We have to do something." She pleaded, hands beginning to tremble at her sides. "There has to be another way. How'd you get out?"

Dean inhaled slowly, swallowing the lump in his throat, fully aware of what he had to do and not liking it one bit. "With help." He sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his cell.

_(*-*)_

"Do you know where you're going?" Sam whispered.

"Haven't a clue, I've never been down here before." Gabriel replied quietly as they cautiously made their way through the dark dank corridors of hell. "I'm just following the screams."

Sam frowned, "Seriously?"

"You got another suggestion?" Gabriel snapped.

"Ask someone?"

Gabriel stood still, causing Sam to almost fall over him. "Are you serious? Who do you expect me to ask?" he waved around the empty dark corridor.

"I don't know, but we don't have…." Sam glanced down at his watch and frowned as he noticed how quickly the hands were moving, hours speeding by. "What the…"

"Hell, remember Sammy. Time moves faster down here." Gabriel reminded him with a roll of his eyes, beginning to move again.

"Right." Sam sighed, closing his eyes for a second before dropping his arm. Seconds became hours, hours became days, and months, well they became decades. Hellish dark decades.

Shaking off the haunting memories of his previous visit, Sam forced in a fowl choking breath and swallowed his racing heart.

Gabriel was staring at him, brows pinched when he opened his eyes. "You okay?" he asked and Sam nodded a little too enthusiastically.

"I'm fine." Sam insisted, "Let's just keep going." He brushed past Gabriel quickly, taking the lead while switching out his machete for the demon knife, knuckles white as he gripped its hand.

"You're seriously okay being down here?" Gabriel asked, hurrying up behind him.

"If you're asking if I'm freaking out, the answers yes, okay!" Sam snapped, eyes fixed on the darkness in front of him. "Just as you freaked out about being back in Purgatory." He sighed, "But Bobby needs me."

The walked on in silence for a few minutes for what felt like hours. Cautiously turning corners, desperately trying to ignore the agonizing screams and weeping echoing around them.

"Sammy."

"What?" Sam said, turning to look at Gabriel, brow raised questioningly.

Gabriel frowned at him. "I didn't say anything."

"You called me."

Gabriel shook his head, eyes flickering around them. "No, I didn't."

"Sammy."

Sam's head snapped around, eyes frantically searching his surroundings. "There."

"I can't hear anything."

"Sammy. Sammy. Saaammmmy."

Cold flooded into Sam's entire body as the voice grew louder, more insistent and worst of all, familiar.

"Come back Sam. I'm not finished with you."

"Sam," Gabriel snapped, fingers curling around Sam's arm, tugging lightly. "Sam, don't listen."

"You know you miss me. Come back to me."

Shaking his head, Sam closed his eyes tightly, pressing his back up against the harsh ragged stone, "No." he breathed out harshly. "Not again. No." he shook his head, dropping the knife and reaching for his right hand with his left, pressing against his palm. The wound had long heals however, severing his anchor to reality.

"We both know I'm what you really came back for."

"No."

"Yes. You miss me. You want to feel it again. Feel me inside you."

"Sam!" Gabriel snapped, "Don't listen. It's not real."

"Of course I'm real, you know that."

Sam pressed harder at his palm, digging the nail into the flesh, but it wasn't working, even as he pieced the skin, he could hear Lucifer's voice. He knew if he opened his eyes, he's see the fallen archangel, so he kept them clenched shut.

He jumped at the feel of a warm hand against his cheek, the heat radiating out from the palm to chase away the icy cold that had taken over Sam's body. A thumb brushing in soothing sweeps. "Sam. You're safe." Gabriel said gently. "He can't touch. He can't have you. I won't let him."

Sam swallowed, trying to breath.

"You think he can stop me? I killed him once, I'll do it again."

A fresh wave of fear and anxiety flooded Sam. "No!"

"Yes. You're mine Sam. I killed your mother to have you. I killed Jessica. I'll kill him too."

"No." Sam muttered brokenly, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks. "No."

An angry growl echoed off the cavern walls, "Sam Winchester, you listen to me, right now." Gabriel yelled, both hands burning into the sides of Sam's face. "Look at me. Open your damn eyes and look."

Sam's eyes snapped open at the order and he inhaled sharply as he stared down at Gabriel's rings of red seeming to shimmer around blazing amber.

"You are stronger than him. He only has power if you give it to him. He's locked away. He can't reach you. I swear it. - Trust me."

Sam took a shaky breath, his eyes locked with the ethereal orbs of Gabriel's own, and let the fears ebb away. "Gabriel." He breathed out shakily, his trembling hands lifting to cradle the man's face. "I love you." he pulled the man forward, capturing the ex-archangel's mouth in a hard, desperate kiss.

Gabriel melted into him, wrapping his arms around the hunter's shoulders. When they broke apart, Sam stared down at the shorter man, heart calm once more. Gabriel said nothing, staring up at him with an odd, distant look.

"Let's keep moving" Gabriel said breathlessly, taking a step away. "The sooner we find Bobby, the sooner we can get out of here."

Sam stared at him with confusion and worry, then swallowed and nodded. "Yeah." He muttered, bending to retrieve the demon knife he hadn't even realized he'd dropped, before stepping away from the wall and following after Gabriel. A heavy weight in his chest.

"You can run, Sammy, but you can't hide." Lucifer's voice sung in his mind.

_(*-*)_

"So, who is this guy?" Claire demanded, her shoulders hunched as she huddled deeply into her jacket.

"A friend." Dean grunted, finishing the last of his coffee. The last twenty-four hours had been kind of nerve-wracking if Dean were honest. He knew he had little choice by to call for help, but it was like a knife twisting inside him. Especially considering how they'd left things when they'd last met up.

He knew Benny was growing tired of being Dean's dirty little secret, just as he knew Benny wanted more from him that he was willing to give. What had started as a way to stave off dark lonely nights and become something more complicated. Something Dean didn't understand, but couldn't quite give up.

"What kind of friend?" Claire asked, eyes filled with suspicion.

Dean turned his head away, staring out at the early morning sunrise through the window of the all night diner they'd wandered into in the early hours, unable to sleep. "Just a friend."

He could feel Claire's eyes burning into the side of his face, but determinedly ignored the girl.

"I'm not a fool, Dean." Benny's words rang in his mind.

Dean's gut twisted painfully, and he swallowed. Perhaps he should have called Naomi instead, it would certainly be less complicated if he had. Sure he didn't trust her, but she seemed to want to win him to her side, and if his currently situation with Benny had taught him anything, it was that he wasn't averse to using people for his own ends.

"I know what this is, so don't pretend it's more."

Only, if he allowed the angel to help, she'd probably want something in return. Something like, helping her hunt down Cass, or worse, kill him. The thought made Dean sick. As angry and hurt as he was with the runaway angel, he could never betray him like that. The fact was, Dean's loyalty was 110% with Castiel, no matter what went on between them. – The only person he was more loyal too was Sam, for obvious reasons.

A battered up truck with dirt covered windows pulled up outside the diner and Dean inhaled deeply, his heart beginning to race.

"That him?" Claire asked casually, and Dean nodded.

They slid out of their seats, Dean tossing some cash on the table, then made their way. "You wait by the car." He told Claire, before marching the rest of the way to Benny's truck. The last thing he wanted was her hearing stuff, if the vampire decided to air their dirty laundry.

Benny rolled down the window and stared at him. He looked tired but no worse off than at any other time Dean had seen him. "Brother?"

God, Dean hated that. It made him feel kind of skeezy, and yet he kind of appreciated it. The simple word created some kind of weird barrier between them, separating what they did from what they were. They weren't lovers, they weren't in love. It was just sex. – At least for Dean. "Hey."

Things were tense, Benny barely looked at him, eyes fixed instead on the diner in front. Probably thinking back to his granddaughters place down south. Dean sympathized. That had been a turning point he things, the moment this began to go wrong.

"Why'd you call?" Benny asked, "Can't be for the usual." He added, looking pointedly over his shoulder to Claire, who was leaning against the Impala with her arms folded, watching them intently. "Unless your…"

Dean interrupted before Benny could finish the sentence, wincing with disgust. "God, no. She's my niece. Gross."

Benny lifted his chin, looking back to Claire with recognition, and nodded. "Right. So where's Sam?" he twisted to look over his shoulder, as if expecting the younger Winchester to dive in through the other door and take his head off. – As if Dean would let that happen.

"That's why I called. – Can you…" he swallowed thickly, dropping his gaze to his boots and leaning a little heavier on the door frame, as panic began to take over once more.

"What is it?" Benny asked, the cold distance of his tone giving way to genuine concern.

Dean closed his eyes, "No here. Can you follow us?" he jerked his head back towards the road.

"Sure thing." Benny agreed.

Exhaling a long sigh, Dean pushed himself off the door, straightening he shot Benny a grateful smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, then turned to head back to the Impala.

_(*-*)_

The sulphur was beginning to make Gabriel sick. - Or perhaps it was Sam's words. I love you, had been haunting him for what felt like hours now. Weighing down on him worse than his wings ever had. He'd thought, if he'd ever heard those words from Sam, he'd be floating on cloud nine. That he'd be dancing with joy. Except what he'd been feeling since had been anything but.

As much has he wanted to believe Sam, and father knows how much he wanted it to be true, it was hard to shake his doubts. It hadn't been the first time Sam had let the words slip from his lips, but it had always happened while they were making love, and Gabe had been around humanity long enough to know that what was said in the throes of passion, could not always be believed. – But did that count for things said in the middle of a fear fueled break down? Gabe had no idea.

This time it wasn't a muttered breathless declaration. Sam had looked him in the eyes and said it. I love you. Three words that carried so much weight they could change the world. Sam had sounded so sincere, his eyes filled with truth. – And yet, Gabriel just couldn't bring himself to fully accept it, because he was human now, and with that humanity came fear, doubt and an insecurity that seemed to keep Gabriel constantly questioning not only his own feelings and actions, but everyone else's too. – Especially Sam's.

There was a loud insistent part of him that just couldn't understand why Sam would love him. After everything he'd done. He understood attraction, understood the need to find comfort, but love?

Once upon a time, he'd have been able to look into Sam's hazel eyes, stare straight into his soul and see the truth for what it was. He would have been able to feel Sam's love, if it truly existed. Only now…. Now, he had to try and judge truths from lies, and love from primal attraction, with nothing more than his gut instinct.

"Gabe?" Sam's rough voice resounded behind him, startling the ex-archangel.

Turning, Gabriel glanced up at Sam, only to drop his gaze quickly, unable to look into those green eyes. "Yeah?"

There was a long moment of silence before Sam asked, "You okay?"

"Sure. Why wouldn't I be?" Gabriel dismissed with a flat unamused scoff.

"No reason." Sam replied emptily.

They continued on in silence. Rocky corridor after rocky corridor. Cell after cell. Gabriel wished they could just find the old drunk already, because he needed to get out of there. He needed air and space, and distance. He needed time to sort through his conflicting thoughts and feelings. "Where the hell is he!" Gabriel said snappishly, taking yet another turning.

He was pulled back by Sam, causing his heart to leap into his throat. "What the….?"

"Shhh." Sam whispered, pointing along the corridor to where his doppelganger stepped out of a cell. "That's got to be it."

Sam's hot breath played over the back of Gabriel's neck and he closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. "Right." He whispered, then pushed himself away from the tall hunter. "Then what are we waiting for?"

"The guy to leave." Sam replied tersely, his fingers tight around the ex-archangel's arm.

They watched Sam's double move away while changing into the form of a short Asian man in a black suit. "Demons." Gabriel sighed, rolling his eyes. "Always stealing other people's tricks." He grunted as Sam gave his back a gentle shove, causing him to stumble forward, before over taking hm.

Sighing tiredly, Gabriel wandered after Sam, as the hunter hurried down the corridor. He stopped in front of the door and yanked it open.

Gabriel arrived at the cell just in time to see Sam stumble to his feet, hand rubbing at his jaw.

"Bobby, it's Sam."

Gabriel watched as the old man gave him the once over, before shaking his head. "Yeah, and I'm Elvis, move your ass."

Gabe couldn't help but huff out a laugh as he leant his shoulder against the door frame, folding his arms over his chest as he watched the pair argue.

"Bobby…"

"Get!"

"It's me!"

An amused snort drew Bobby's attention and he looked past Sam to the ex-archangel, brows furrowing.

"Okay," Sam inhaled, seemingly oblivious to Gabriel's presence, and Bobby's confused stare. "Dammit, if I'm not Sam, then how do I know about you and Tori Spelling?"

Bobby's gaze snapped back to the younger Winchester. "What?"

"You're a fan."

Gabriel chuckled heartily. "Who'd have thought?"

"Yeah, or uh… okay, what about your free pedicure at the Mall of America? You made Dean swear never to tell another living soul how it changed your life."

"There is nothing wrong with a little mani-pedi." Gabriel defended grinning.

"That don't prove jack," Bobby spat furiously. "You don't think I know you sons of bitches can read my mind?"

Sam sighed, defeated. "Then how the hell am I meant to prove it's really me?"

Bobby glared, "You can't."

Sam stared for a few seconds, then turned desperate eyes on Gabriel, causing the ex-archangel's stomach to twist with sympathy.

"Me."

"What?" Bobby frowned, looking over at Gabriel.

Pushing himself off the wall, Gabe stepped into the room beside Sam. "I'm your proof. – You know who I am, right?" Bobby nodded. "Well, would you expect me to come rescue you? Ever?"

Bobby watched him thoughtfully, uncertain. "I…."

Gabriel rolled his eyes, "Well, would you believe that me and Sasquatch here, are together? Like together-together. A couple. Shacked up. Having copious amounts of sex."

Sam groaned, "Dammit Gabriel."

"What? Think about it, it's such a ridiculous unimaginable concept that there's no way in hell, no pun intended, it could possibly be true, which of course means it 100% is. Right? Because you wouldn't put us together in your wildest dreams, so there'd be no way for the demonic hoards to use me to trick you."

There was a long moment of silence, Bobby looking between then, considering the ex-archangel's argument. Then he fixed his eyes on Sam and said, "You're shacked up with an angel?"

Sam exhaled a relieved sigh and shrugged. "What can I say," he looked down at Gabriel with a soft smile that caused butterflies to erupt in the shorter man's stomach. "He grows on you."

Flushing, Gabriel cleared his throat and turned back to Bobby. "It's archangel. – Well, actually, its ex-archangel, but…"

"You two?" Bobby frowned, still confused and bewildered. "Does Dean know?"

"Of course Dean knows." Sam said, sounding insulted, despite the fact that he had actually kept Gabriel a secret for months, before Dean eventually found out.

That seemed to cause Bobby to grow cautious again, which sure, considering the amount of secrets the brothers had kept from each other over the years, Gabriel completely understood his reluctance to believe that they'd finally stopped lying to one another. "Look, I know it's hard to believe, all things considered, but it's true, and you can either stay here and rot away, and we'll grab some other poor unfortunate soul to take back top side, or you can take a god-damn chance, trust that demons aren't this imaginative and leave with us. But whatever it is, you need to make your choice now, okay, because I doubt we'll be alone for much longer." Gabriel ranted, growing increasingly frustrated and nervous.

"Bobby?"

After a few seconds of consideration, Bobby slowly nodded and stepped forward. Gabriel backed out of the door, but it was another few seconds before the two hunter's joined him.

_(*-*)_

Claire stared out the Impala window, watching Dean and Benny's heated conversation, something twisting in her chest at the way the pair interacted. The two's familiar intimacy. She knew who the vampire was. Had overheard conversations between Sam and Gabriel, as well as Sam and Dean, concerning the man. She knew they'd helped each other escape Purgatory, and that they'd remained in contact afterwards. – But she couldn't help but wonder if there was more to it.

She knew that Dean was a bit of a lady's man. That he felt no shame in sleeping around, but had never considered that it wasn't just women he was seeking attention from. Now however, as she watched them she had to wonder.

That confusing feeling twisted in her chest once more, and she found her fingers curling into a fist in her lap while her teeth gritted together. There was an odd distant sense of betrayal, hurt and deep sadness at the back of her mind that she couldn't quite reach, nor understand. She almost felt – jealous, except, aw, gross. She didn't like Dean like that, god no. He was… well, he was her - uncle?

And yet it was there. Right on the edge of her mind, teasing against her consciousness. Suddenly she realized she'd felt it before, whenever there was mention of Dean spending the night with random women. – Or perhaps that should be people, considering her sudden realization. – Whenever Gabe or Sam made a snarky comment about him being out all night, there it was, at the back of her mind. It had been so weak before. Little more than a passing sense of a feeling. Now however, it felt stronger. As if Benny was competition.

Sitting there, she tried to focus more on the sensation, reaching out for it, in hopes of better understanding it. As Claire poked at it, tugged it closer to the surface, she was bombarded with other feelings; fear and doubt, confusion and self-loathing, and so much shame. Tears filled her eyes and her hands began to tremble. Closing her eyes, she listened to her heart, the pounding a continuous beat against her eardrums. A warmth growing inside her.

She must have lost track of time, because she only comes back to herself when the Impala door slams shut beside her, startling her out of her own mind. Blinking with confusion, she looked around. "Where's Benny?"

Dean turns his head to look at her, a small trace of blood peppering his cheek and jaw. He doesn't answer her question, not that she needs him to with the obvious evidence in front of her, and instead he leans forward and starts the engine, backing them at speed out of the alley.


A/N: Thanks to you all for sticking with his, and for the wonderful reviews. Feedback is always appreciated. I hope you enjoyed this instalment. Sorry it's a little shorter than usual.