Twins Turned Triplets
Dean pounded on the door of a small house in the middle of the country. Gabriel, Balthazar, and Castiel stood by Dean's feet and Sam stood to Dean's right with Abner in his arms. The little guy was wrapped in the angels' blue blanket and his eyes were still droopy from his long nap. His body was sore from the bruises decorating his skin in purples and yellows and the bumpy car ride over to see the twins didn't help him much. Still, the little guy told them that he was okay. He didn't wanting to get left home. He wanted to see Gadreel and he wasn't going to lose that chance over how well he was feeling.
After knocking a second time, the door swung open. Betty stood behind it and the group almost didn't recognize her. She wasn't her usual peppy soccer mom self. Her hair was a mess and she looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep in several days. She hadn't even bothered to put on her makeup yet. It was strange, foreign even.
"Oh thank goodness you're here," she sighed. "It's getting worse. Zeke won't even –" Betty trailed off, eyes falling onto the angel wrapped up in Sam's arms. Abner stared back, looking her over warily. He turned his head a little to get a better look at her and Betty's eyes widened when he revealed the dark bruising decorating half his face. Betty let out a little gasp and she looked to Dean, hand over her mouth from the shock. "Is…is this…" Dean nodded and Betty leaned a little closer to the angel. Abner watched her with big eyes, pressing closer to Sam and puffing up his wings to make himself look bigger. Not noticing Abner's fear, Betty kept reaching out. When her fingers were only inches from him, Abner quickly hid his face against Sam's chest. Betty stopped moving on noticing Abner's reaction to her. She was so used to comforting her own boys by touch. Seeing a child like Abner scared to be touched broke her heart.
Sam cooed at Abner, adjusting his hold on the angel a little so Abner was closer.
"Hey, Abner, it's okay. This is Gadreel and Ezekiel's mom," he whispered, carding his fingers through the pair of wings poking out between the toddler's shoulder blades. Abner refused to move and Betty's heart ached guiltily.
"Hey, Sweetie," Betty whispered, giving Abner her warmest smile. "I'm sorry that I frightened you. Please don't be frightened." Abner still didn't move.
"Abwer?" The group looked past Betty at the angel standing unsteadily behind her. It was Gadreel; that much was obvious. Though he and Ezekiel were twins, their wings were slightly different. Posture was one of the first differences. Ezekiel always held his wings up proudly while Gadreel let his droop. Their patterns on their wings were different too. Gadreel's wings were speckled with light colors and Ezekiel's were speckled with simple whites and creams. Other than that, their wings both looked like they were dipped in a mix of brown and black coffee.
Abner's eyes held Gadreel's and time seemed to stop. He pulled away from his hiding spot in Sam's arms, forgetting about Betty or the strange new place he was at and just took in the sight of the angel he saw as his brother, cellmate, and closest friend.
"Gaddy…" Abner whispered, face going red as tears heated up his face. The last time he saw the other angel they had been separated when their guard Thaddeus took Gadreel to be tortured. After that Abner remembered the sound of screaming angels and a bright light before waking up in the home of a troubled couple. Abner never thought he'd see Gadreel again, but it seemed that fate was ready to prove him wrong.
Gadreel slowly moved towards the door, picking up more and more speed and stumbling clumsily on his weak legs. He was still a child and only just learning walking from crawling. Still, he made it to Sam's feet and Sam crouched down, setting Abner down in front of Gadreel. The two enveloped each other in a tight hug, clinging to each other like their lives depended on it. Their wings wrapped around each other and their eyes stayed locked. Gadreel muttered something in enochian and Abner whispered something right back in the same language, face spit in two by the happy smile gracing his face.
The three grownups watching the exchange looked to the three angels still standing by Dean's feet. Dean waved a hand at the two angels blabbering, expressing their curiosity on what the two were talking about.
"Their business," Balthazar stated, smiling as he watched the smaller angels talk back and forth. Nobody pushed for anything more and Dean took that moment to bring up the real reason they were all there.
"So where's Zeke at?" he asked, turning his gaze to Betty. Betty jumped out of her stupor, and the worried mother look returned to her face, aging her a little. "He's with Ed. Follow me." She turned into a doorway, quickly leading the boys to the living room and leaving Abner and Gadreel alone to catch up for a moment.
They found Ezekiel stretched out in his father's lap on the leather couch seated in front of a widescreen TV. His wings were spread out wide as his father massaged the aggravated skin beneath his feathers. They were clearly itchy and his feathers were falling out. The rash had clearly spread since Betty's phone call. Instead of just being a small patch by the joint of his wing, it had traveled to the rest of his wings. Patches of the rash were everywhere, leaving the angel uncomfortable and achy.
Betty knelt down by the couch and smiled at her two boys.
"How's he doing, Honey?" Her husband looked up from where he was gazing at the ugly spots all over Ezekiel's wing. His eyes were sad and laced with worry.
"Worse," Ed told her. "You guys have any idea what this is?" Dean and Sam leaned in close to the wings stretched out for them.
"Ezekiel?" Sam called. "Zeke, can you look at me please?" Ezekiel let out a tired moan and looked up from where he had his face buried into his father's thigh. Sam reached out then, clasping a hand over the angel's forehead. When he pulled his hand back Ezekiel turned his face away again, folding his itchy wings over his head in some sort of comfort. Gabriel, Balthazar, and Castiel flew up onto the couch and folded their own wings over their brother to provide some extra comfort.
Ed's eyes widened and he tried to push their wings back.
"Don't! You could get it too –"
"It's not contagious," Gabriel stated, pushing his wing back into place over Ezekiel. Ed and Betty both shared a look of surprise.
"You…you know what it is," Betty asked. Both Winchesters and the three angels nodded. Dean ran a hand through the feathers of Ezekiel's left wing, taking some loose feathers away when he pulled back.
"We've dealt with it a few times now," Dean admitted. "He's molting."
"Molting?!" both Betty and Ed gasped. Sam nodded in agreement, but his face was creased in a tight frown.
"Yeah, but he's really little to be molting. That's probably why Gadreel didn't know what was wrong with him. Our angels only molt when they grow in stronger feathers, but Zeke shouldn't need that." Sam ran his fingers over a few feathers, searching for some sort of clue to the strange molting.
"Has he hurt any feathers?" Castiel asked, running his fingers over a few feathers too. Betty and Ed both shared a look, thinking over the past few days. Gadreel and Ezekiel were always getting into trouble with each other, but they were careful not to get hurt. When nothing sprung to mind the two shook their heads and Dean got up from his spot, walking out of the room. When he came back Gadreel and Abner were in his arms. Abner tensed when he saw the two strangers and tried to hide behind Gadreel's wings. Gadreel smiled sadly at his brother and adjusted his wing to wrap around Abner comfortingly and protectively. Dean set both angels down next to Ezekiel on Ed's lap and the two stared at the molting wings. Abner's eyes widened at the sight and Gadreel cringed.
"Gadreel?" the angel looked up at Dean. "Zeke's molting." Both Abner and Gadreel looked at him with wide eyes. "Do you have any idea if he hurt his wings recently or did anything that could cause them to need to be molted?" Gadreel went silent and he looked at his twin carefully. The sickly angel peaked out from his father's thigh and the two stared at each other for a long moment.
"Don't know –" Abner smacked him over the head with his wing.
"Liar," the smaller angel grumbled. Gadreel glared at him and Abner glared right back, arms folded and wings puffed up again. After spending years in Heaven's dungeons with unimaginable tortures together both angels had learned when the other lied to hide their pain or other things. There was no hiding between the two and Gadreel knew that. Lying in front of Abner was impossible. Just like it's impossible for Abner to lie in front of him.
"We were playing in the wain and his wings gots wet and he didn't dry them off right away like me and we were twired and fells asleep so they got icky and…and…"
"You're telling us his wings caught a cold because you didn't dry off properly?" Dean huffed. Gadreel nodded, lowering his head and Dean shook his head. "Is it bad that I expected something more…"
"Less normal?" Sam offered. Dean nodded.
"I told you boys not to go outside during storms," Betty sighed, glaring at her two sons. Both flinched.
"Sorry, Mommy," they muttered. Abner looked between the two and their mother, wings shaking. Nobody noticed though. Everyone's attention was between the Winchester's and Ezekiel's wings.
"So what do we do?" Betty asked, dropping her glare from her adopted sons. Dean smiled at her, clapping his hands together.
"We've got some shampoos and cream leftover from Balthazar's last molt," he stated, turning on his heal and heading for the door. "Give us a minute and we'll show you what to use. Come one, Sammy!" Sam jumped up after his brother, disappearing through the door.
Sighing in relief, Betty sat down on the couch next to Ed and the angels piled there. Something tugged at her sleeve and she looked down to see Abner looking up at her shyly.
"What is it, sweetie?" she whispered softly so not to spook the little angel. Abner licked his lips and his wings pulled in tight to his back.
"No mad at…Gaddy and Zekey?" he whispered. Betty frowned in confusion and opened her mouth to question the angel, but Ed stopped her, pointing at Abner's wings. She looked, watching as the bruised and battered wings shook and how the angel's fingers had reached back to hold a few feathers almost protectively. Something clicked then and Betty's face softened.
"No, I'm not mad, Abner. I was just worried, but it's okay now. I'm just glad it didn't turn out to be something more serious." Abner nodded, but he was still tense. "Did your…old family get mad at you lot?" she asked carefully. Abner nodded again, wings shaking a little more.
"Well, you know what we do when we're mad, Abner?" Ed questioned. Betty glared at her husband, raising a brow when she noticed his playful smile. Ed only winked at her and turned his attention back to Abner. The angel in question shook his head, watching the two human's carefully, looking ready to bolt. Ed reached out with lightning speed, grabbing Gadreel and tickly the angel's sides. Gadreel squealed under his father's hold, laughing hard and pleading for mercy. Abner's eyes widened in shock and his wings relaxed, losing their tension. Ed reached for Ezekiel and Abner then. Abner squeaked uneasily, but the fear in his voice was replaced quickly by laughter as Ed attacked the arches of his feet. He giggled and squealed, tickling Ed himself when he got the chance too. Betty laughed, steeling Ezekiel away from the tickle fight so he wouldn't hurt his feathers or get too worn out. Gabriel, Balthazar, and Castiel cheered on their brothers. Balthazar and Castiel waved flags Balthazar had mojoed up and Gabriel mojoed a foam finger with 'Angels Are #1' written on it.
That's when Sam and Dean returned with a bag full of everything needed for molting feathers. The two Winchesters smiled when they saw Abner giggling loudly with his wings flared out and fluffed. Dean set the bag down and stepped over to Betty's side.
"Well, looks like he's warmed up to you two," Dean chuckled. Betty nodded, watching how happy Abner and Gadreel were together. She glanced down at Ezekiel too. He was still clearly sick, but he was smiling for the first time since getting sick and the itchiness of his feathers had been momentarily forgotten. Betty found herself wishing for the moment to never end. She wanted to see all those bright smiles every day. All four of them.
"So what's your plan for Abner?" Betty questioned, glancing towards Dean and Sam. Sam and Dean both shrugged.
"Make some more room. We can't take him back to that awful place." Betty nodded, fiddling with the hem of her shirt a little.
"Think you'll have enough room to give? I mean…you guys have one hell of a big family already and well…Ed's been thinking about adding to the house anyway so…"
"Are you asking to adopt Abner?" Dean questioned.
"He's a sweet kid, Guys. I just…want him to be happy." Sam and Dean both smiled and turned their gaze towards the angel giggling as Ed tickled his sides. Sighing, the two both shared a look before nodding between each other.
"Okay, Angels, time to get ready to head home. We've got a long drive after all. Once we show Betty and Ed what to do with the molting stuff we're outa here," Dean called to the angels. Castiel, Balthazar, and Gabriel flew from the couch to the Winchesters' feet, making sure their flags and foam fingers were cleaned up. Abner lifted his arms up to Sam to be picked up, but Dean gently pushed Abner's arms back. Abner frowned in confusion and Betty chose that moment to step forward, kneeling in front of the angel so she was a little closer to his height.
"Abner, would you like to be adopted?" Abner's eyes widened and his mouth fell open.
"B…by yous?" he stammered. Betty nodded and Abner glanced towards the twins. Both were grinning ear to ear at him, nodding their heads. Abner's eyes teared up and the angel looked back to Betty. "No…no hurting?" he asked. Betty's eyes went dark then and she cupped the angel's face with both hands.
"Abner, I swear to you on my own life that I will never let anybody hurt you again." She pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I will love you, sweetie, just as much as the twins."
"Same goes for me," Ed joined in, getting up from the couch and kneeling next to Abner too. Abner's bottom lip wobbled and he let out a loud sob as he reached out, hugging at Betty and then quickly moving to hug Ed.
"Yes! Yes, pwease! Pwease!" he chanted, smiling through the heavy tears falling down his face. Ed and Betty hugged him tight and Gadreel helped Ezekiel over to the three. The two angels joined in on the hug, welcoming their little brother into the family.
Sorry for not posting for a week. I was stressed out and needed a break from everything, but I'm back now and posting should go on as normal.