"Finally ran into the Winchester family did you? Was wondering when you would see them," said Crowley, once his bitch fest was over with.

"And when were you going to mention I had a damn double running around?!"

"Sam Winchester, second youngest of the three. Has a habit of ditching his family to try and be normal. Is one of a hundred kids picked by Azazel of the yellow eyes to fight in some sort of bizarre blood tournament in a few years. Abilities manifest at exactly a month after the twenty-second birthday. Rumor has it that the winner of this tournament Azazel cooked up will open a hell's gate in Wisconsin using the infamous Colt," said Crowley looking up the rumors he had picked up. He had been anticipating this for months. He then added "And that cost you another marker coincidentally."

"Not my problem. Still have over three hundred left. So what's the deal with the Winchester brothers?"

"Look if you want this information you'll have to come meet me at the usual place and you can have their entire biography for five markers. Some of this wasn't easy to get," said Crowley irritably.

"Deal."

Gabriel read the file with interest, making sure to have beer on hand.

John Winchester was a total no-go. The man had taken a running leap off the deep end into full-blown paranoia. While he was an absentee father, he was still a damn sight better than what he had dealing with as a child. At least Winchester never hit his children out of drunken rage like Vernon did once. If he knew about Gabriel's side job collecting early on contracts, he would shoot him without hesitation.

Dean was a possibility, but not while he traveled with his father. He was a man-whore, and a very long list of girls he had flings with...surprisingly no pregnancies though. He was practically a carbon copy of his father attitude wise, though it was tempered with his overprotective nature towards his younger sibling.

Sam was his best bet. His twin, and the second youngest next to his brother 'Gabriel' who supposedly died in the fire that killed their mother, though according to what Crowley found, Azazel killed her first. And he had allowed John to see him. Sam wasn't enthusiastic about being a hunter, and there were several times he had run away for weeks at a time. He came back every time though. According to a small note, he also had a thing for dogs.

The entire thing sounded far too familiar to Gabriel. When his eyes fell on the bible in his hotel, he had an idea why.

John, the absentee father. Dean, the ever-loyal son and protective brother. Sam, the rebellious one and the outcast.

It sounded far too much like God leaving heaven (and the demons were aware he wasn't there right now, but no idea where he had vanished to...or where Gabriel had run off) while Micheal ran the place in his absence while Lucifer rotted in the pit.

Unlike the other demons, Crowley didn't have a high opinion of his boss. If Lucifer thought of humans as bags of pus, how could he possibly think highly of his own creations? Let alone the humans who had turned demon?

Gabriel was fully well aware the only reason Crowley gave him this information was because he hated Azazel and wanted to ruin his plans. Anything to piss off old yellow-eyes was okay in his book. And using his personal bounty hunter to screw over the bastard's master plan to create a leader for an army of demons, including the seven deadly sins, sounded like a fun way to do it.

In Crowley's opinion, it was bad enough crossroad demons that worked under him were allowed out frequently. He didn't need competition if a hell gate opened. Besides, he hated Lucifer anyway. The enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that rot, despite how he felt about humans in general.

So Gabriel, like quite a few other demons, decided to keep tabs on the Winchesters, or in his case Sam mostly.

He watched as the inevitable confrontation between John, Dean and Sam reached it's conclusion as Sam just left them and never came back.

Gabriel had been close enough that he even gave his twin a ride, though he never took his helmet off.

"Thanks for the lift."

"Don't know why you're running away, and I don't care. Sometimes you have to stand on your own two feet to get anything done proper," said Gabriel.

"Don't I know it."

Gabriel heaved a fake sigh before he gave Sam his personal number. Only a few had that, the rest had to go through his 'business' phone like the FBI.

Had he known that Sam kept the number because of a feeling he had, he would have felt a glimmer of hope in his bleak existence. But Sam never used it, so he never found out until years after he gave his own twin a lift to a nearby town.

Gabriel was at yet another bar when he found himself approached by what he could only assume was a Trickster. He preferred human targets...hunting creatures was something he only did when he was particularly bored or something had caught his attention. Something like a wendigo or an annoying ghost in the hotel he was crashing at.

Gabriel turned to the grinning trickster, who was likely going to prank him like so many he had done for years...until he said something that stopped that plan cold.

"What in heaven's name are you? You feel like a trickster but your aura is way, way off..." asked Gabriel confused.

"My...aura?"

"Way too pure to be a demon, and it's like the Trickster's power is masking something..."

"How can you read auras? You're a bounty hunter for crying out loud!"

"Cashed in a marker so I could figure out when a demon was nearby...plus it lets me see my hellhound pack. Though this is the first time I've seen one that pure looking or that strong," said Gabriel, drinking his beer.

The Trickster pouted. There went his element of surprise.

"I'm Loki," he said.

"Loki as in the Loki?"

"The same."

"In that case I have a bone to pick with you," said Gabriel seriously.

Loki gave him an odd look. This was the first time they had ever met. How the hell could he have a problem? The Hound of Judgment was notorious for being a loner!

"The last time I checked your legend, you specifically went after hypocrites and self-righteous idiots who needed a firm reminder who's at the top. So why in the heaven's name did you bypass England? There were hundreds of people for you to play with and not once did you answer the twin's summonings! And I know they tried to call you in!" said Gabriel.

"Twins?" perked Loki.

"Fred and George Weasley. Also known as the second coming of the Marauders and owners of the once popular Weasley's Wizard Wheezes before the Death Eaters burned it down and they were killed fighting them off," said Gabriel.

"Oh them. They didn't use the right materials and I got a major warning against going to England from someone I can't exactly refuse."

"Eh. Too bad, I bet you could have a blast with the idiots who are still running the place."

"You know for a demon's bounty hunter you aren't what I expected..." said Loki in surprise.

"Let me guess. Older, more rugged and with a grudge against the world, along with a suitably tragic past that makes me curse god?" said Gabriel amused.

"How'd you guess?"

"I've gotten that one too many times. I'm barely pushing twenty-two, and it's difficult to hate the world when you honestly don't give a damn. And I find it hard to believe god even gives a crap about humans any more aside from sending angels to go after the odd demon who goes way too far," said Gabriel, waving the barkeep for another beer.

"How can you not care?" asked Loki, curious before he ordered something fruity and had way too much sugar to be healthy.

"I had friends. They found out I was adopted and not a half-blood like everyone thought, but was in fact a muggleborn like the girl I had fallen in love with and all of a sudden they turned on me to someone else without even so much an explanation or reason why. Then when I deal with the idiot causing trouble and killing them off, they had the gall to brand me as evil just because I ended the problem for them like they all but demanded. After dealing with that and over a year of being the communal torture training tool, I just learned not to give a damn," said Gabriel, taking a long pull of his beer.

"Ouch. No wonder you quit caring. So...care to help me prank some uptight bastards?"

"Hmm. Pranks and the chance to figure out what the hell you actually are. I'm in," said Gabriel.

It wasn't until Crowley mentioned something an hour after he left Loki behind that he figured it out.

"What in Lucifer's name is that pit-awful stench? It smells like feathers and divinity!" said Crowley covering his nose immediately.

"Feathers and... So that's what he was. No wonder I had such trouble figuring it out."

"Whatever. Leave and take out this target before that smell lingers!" said Crowley gagging.

"Yeah, yeah...keep your pen on," said Gabriel, deliberately waving his hand near the demon who nearly threw up. He smirked. Baiting Crowley was always amusing.

Gabriel ran into Loki a second time and decided to test his theory.

"So Gabriel, how's it hanging?"

Loki, who had been eating a chocolate bar with Reese's pieces, choked on it. He had trouble dislodging it until the bounty hunter pounded him on the back a little.

"What did you call me?" he said gasping for air.

"Gabriel. That is your true name isn't it?"

"What the hell makes you say that?"

"Something Crowley mentioned. He said I reeked of 'feathers and divinity', and the only thing that I know of that demons absolutely hate are angels. Ergo, I figured you were one. And since last I checked most angels were total dicks, I figured you had to be Gabriel who's been missing since the Dark Ages," he said flatly.

"Why Gabriel?"

"Like I said, your aura was unusually strong, and it lingered even after I went to see my boss long enough to make him gag."

Loki looked really uncomfortable.

"You're not going to tell anyone are you?" he said.

"So you are Gabriel? Ironic," he said amused.

"Yeah, but are you going to tell anyone?"

"Hell no! Why would I cut off my best source of annoying Crowley?"

"What?" said Loki taken aback.

"Crowley hates angel smell. He nearly threw up when I saw him. The only reason he puts up with me and my insults is because he's determined to corrupt me and make the markers he still owes me void!"

"You know he's trying to corrupt you and you stay why?" asked Loki curious.

"Have you seen his face when someone manages to insult him? Whenever I'm hungover I call him the 'son of Micheal and a celibate nun'...you should hear some of the things he yells at me when I say that."

"The son of... Oh my father that is hilarious. Wish Mikey could hear you say that!" said Loki with glee.

"See this is why I love hanging around demons. When you're around them you have to be creative when it comes to insults. Plus you should hear some of the stuff they come up with in return!" cackled Gabriel.

"So why are you a demon's bounty hunter?"

"Two reasons. One, over a quarter of the Death Eaters that had been in service before I made that deal with Crowley had demon deals of their own they were trying to renege on. And two, because it was either that or become a hunter, and frankly I find it more fun to see the look on their faces when they find out that I'm collecting on the debt early. Why should I get my head bashed in by a ghost and declared insane when I can do more as a normal bounty hunter and do the occasional hunts on the side?"

"Point."

"Besides, it's fun to annoy people who are too afraid of you despite the fact that the default setting on the shotguns is set for beanbag rounds."

"Why beanbag?"

"The paperwork for accidentally killing a bounty is not worth the headache, and it gives me plenty of time to stun, bind or knock the target out."

"So...is there any reason why you look so much like one of the Winchesters?"

Gabriel handed over the profile for Sam Winchester. He kept it on him when he was bored.

"Read up to the point where his mother gets killed. That should explain a few things."

Loki read the profile, curious why he had such a thing, before his eyebrows shot up in shock.

"You have a family...why aren't you traveling with them? I thought after the hell you went through in England you would be jumping at the chance to at least meet them."

"John Winchester, paranoid bastard that rivals Mad-Eye Moody with his precautions and known demon-hater. Dean Winchester, daddy's favorite son and damn near his carbon copy. Sam, the only relatively sane one of the lot and the one who at least tries to be normal. Why would any of them want to associate with a bounty hunter who works with demons willingly on the side?" asked Gabriel depressed.

And that right there was the problem. With John's hatred of all things demonic, how would he react to a missing son working for the King of the Crossroad demons of his own free will and not killing them on sight? Or the fact he was on good terms with the FBI and most of the local police?

And Dean...well he would never go against his father. And Gabriel didn't want to see them fight over who was right about him. He had helped Sam, which was actually the most interaction he had with the trio.

"I know that look. Dammit, it's happening all over again," said Loki.

"What is?"

"The older and the younger fighting, the dad not stopping it and finally the youngest splitting off because he was tired of it all. It happened to me. Why did you think I left?"

"Why do I get the feeling we're going to be seeing each other a lot more from now on?"

"Considering that lone wolf act you've got going on, and the potential to prank the Winchesters? Hell yes!"

"Meh. The twins, Sirius and Remus would all kill me twice over if they knew I passed up on traveling with Loki and helping him prank people," said Gabriel musing.

"That's the spirit! But I can't exactly help you on your hunts for demons you understand," said Loki.

"Course. Would it be too much to ask for help with research for stuff outside my job as a bounty hunter?"

"Deal. But you owe me sugar for each time I help."

"Wait till you see my tent then..." chuckled Gabriel. Gabriel had a bit of a sweet tooth, and judging by the looks Loki shot his kitchen he did too.