Author's Note: Upcoming angel-brother interaction. We're getting closer to why I wrote this story :D. Gabriel and Lucifer's relationship intrigues me. Welcome to Chapter 6!

Chapter 6

Castiel

"He can't be dead." Jack paces, repeating the phrase over and over.

Mary and Jack's rebel camp is small, set up in a marshy land surrounded by wooden shacks. Our team is scattered, Dean off talking with Mary, Maggie and Floyd joining the other refugees. Gabriel sits not a foot away from me and Jack, on a log, tearing strips off a thin branch and tossing them into a small pond.

"Jack," I reach out to touch the boy's shoulder, "I…"
"Couldn't you bring him back?" Jack turns on Gabriel who doesn't even look up. "Why didn't you bring him back?"

Gabriel's solemn eyes meet Jack's. "I'm not strong enough."

"Jack," I say. "If we could have, we would have. There were…"

Wind chimes ring from all over the camp, signaling an approach. Everyone looks up, around… to see Sam Winchester pass through the open doors of our shabby shack-like fortress. Joy fills me as I drink in the sight of him. He's dirty, with a thick patch of blood on his neck from when he'd been… I blink, but he's all right, he's alive. There's no wound.

"Sam?" I hear Dean's voice behind me.

"He's alive!" Jack says a large smile spreading across his face.

But how? I look back at Gabriel who's getting to his feet, gazing moving beyond Sam to…

Lucifer.

He enters our sanctuary just behind Sam, smiling as he zeroes in on Jack.

"Hello, son."

Silence.

Sam looks helpless as he walks further into camp, into Mary's arms. She hugs him as Dean looks at his brother. "Sam? What happened?"

Sam pulls out of Mary's embrace, turning around to face Lucifer and to look at the rest of us. "He…um…he brought me back."

"It's what I do," Lucifer says, looking smug. He grins with his hands tucked in his jacket pockets.

Fury turns my vision slightly red at his lies. "It's not what you—" I stop, regroup. Lucifer likes when we lose our tempers. "How did you get in here?"

Lucifer's smile widens as he spreads his arms. "VIP pass. I'm with the band. Come on, shouldn't you be thanking me? I gave Sammy here an extra life! And… besides…" the devil's eyes rake over Gabriel, "with my little bro here being a hot mess, I figured you'd need me. So, I'm here to join the team"

A strange look passes between he archangels, Lucifer's curious, Gabriel's troubled, insecure. Thunder rumbles over our heads and Lucifer seems to shake himself, then concentrates on Jack. "Your name is Jack."

"And your name is Lucifer."

Jack sounds neutral. Dean growls and barrels toward Lucifer. "No! No, you do not talk to him! And you, don't listen to him!" He places himself between Jack and Lucifer, a very dangerous position.

"Um, don't you think that's his choice?" Lucifer asks, pointing to Jack.

"No," I answer, wanting to get Jack as far away from this monster angel as I can.

"Are you trying to keep me from my son?" Lucifer gives a breathy laugh, his tone amused.

"This is Kelly Kline's son," I say. "He's nothing like you."

"Don't say he's nothing like me." Lucifer narrows his eyes, thinning his lips. I'm glad the amusement's gone, but it also means he might be about to make a move on us. We're all way too close, but what can we do now?

"I'm the only one who understands him," Lucifer continues. "This power he has? I'm powerful, dangerous, ruthless." He stops himself as he studies Jack again. "In the best sense though." He softens his tone.

"No," Dean growls. "Kill him."

Kill... I blink and look to Dean to find his gaze on Gabriel. Gabriel's eyes widen as he looks at Dean in shock, then at Lucifer who's chuckling.

"He can't," Lucifer sings. "He's not strong enough. And…" he winks, "he wouldn't do it if he could. Am I right, baby brother?"

Gabriel's lets out a shuddering breath and flashes Dean a hurt look. "Dean…"

"Dean," Sam's voice comes out over Gabriel's. "No."

"You've got the blade!" Dean snarls in Gabriel's face.

"Stop it," Jack utters.

"He's the devil! Kill him!"

"Dean!" Sam shouts again.

"Stop it!" Jack shouts.

The sound of massive wings flapping has us all blinking to the spot Jack once stood in. He's gone.

"Well, great. Does that when he's scared," Dean says, gesturing to where Jack was. "Way to go, 'Dad'!"

Lucifer shrugs.

"I'll…" Gabriel's voice is small. "I'll go look for him."

He walks away before I can reach for him. Someone Jack knows should go after him, but I also know that Gabriel just wants to get away. He's not a flight risk. There's nowhere to go, but I wonder what he'll do if he actually does find Jack.

"Look. I don't understand all of the hostility. You need me. I am a walking weapon. I know this Michael. Heck, I beat him. So how about a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T?" Lucifer gives another smile, I can't stand it, but it's obvious he isn't going away.

If he's truly here for Jack, which I'm sure he is, but not for the reasons he wants us to believe, then he won't mind this. I move to Dean, unzipping his pack and pulling out the angel cuffs on top. I dangle them from one hand and give them a shake.

"In case your innate evil overwhelms your newfound team spirit, you won't mind wearing these, will you?" I ask, approaching Lucifer with the cuffs. "You're not at full power. So, these should hold you,"

"Slap 'em on," he says after a beat.

I steady my hands as I snap the cuffs over his wrists.

"So, if you're here," Sam's voice is rough, "is the rift closed?"

"Nah," Lucifer says, examining the cuffs. "It's open. I left Rowena's some grace. So, you have…I'm thinking… thirty-one hours, give or take?"

Dean automatically looks at his watch and stalks off, Sam following, leaving me with Mary and Lucifer.

"So… who's gonna give me the grand tour!"

"Castiel, can you…?"

"Deal with him?" I finish. Mary looks worn and weary. If I can do one thing to make her day easier, it can be this.

"Of course."

She smiles at me, glares at Lucifer and goes toward on of the smaller shacks, probably to tell people about our new prisoner.

"Where to first?" Lucifer asks, ignoring my glare. "Maybe to wash up? Road grime, yuck. And you know, magic cuffs keep me from doing my…" He mimes snapping his fingers.

I sigh. Why me?

Leaving Jack where he can easily go off and find Lucifer is a bad idea, I know it, everyone knows it, but Jack wants time with him. I don't want Jack viewing me as an enemy, or someone he can't talk to because I don't listen to his wants. We're in a small camp, Lucifer's not allowed to leave the grounds without me, Dean or Sam escorting him, so it should be safe tonight. There are those of us who don't sleep, but Lucifer also being one of those people doesn't comfort me.

I enter the small shack near the very back of camp that Mary gave to me, Sam, Dean and Gabriel, carrying an extra blanket. The only person inside is Gabriel, sitting up on one of the rickety cots masquerading as beds, whittling a piece of wood with his archangel blade.

"I don't think that's what you're supposed to use that for," I say softly.

"I never do anything I'm supposed to, Castiel. That's why I'm the fun one," Gabriel says. He holds his project out on his palm—it's a rose with folded petals.

"Did you use your powers?" I ask, coming closer.

Gabriel looks insulted. "No, I did not. I happen to be artistic. It is a gift, the artsy thing I mean. I can draw too, and paint, and sculpt. Raphael was always better at drawing and painting, though—even got an artist named after him—but," he grins deviously, "I'm the sculptor. Florence was fun in 1400s—and in the 1960s. Lots of models, not so much modesty."

"Really?" I want to roll my eyes, but I'm also curious.

"Dad liked my stuff, but preferred Raphael's. He was the genius," Gabriel says. "Michael and Lucifer didn't care for any art. Michael tolerated human influences, but he didn't want them in his face all the time. So, Raphael's work stayed in his rooms, and I kept most of my work downstairs because I wanted it displayed."

"By downstairs, you mean…"

"Earth," Gabriel says. "The realm of the flesh where all the good stuff happens. Mardi Grau, Feast of Lanterns, Bach festivals, raves, Lady Gaga concerts." He goes back to working on his rose. "So, where's you know who tonight? He's not coming in here, is he?"

"No," I say slowly. I set the blanket on the foot of Gabriel's cot. "I thought you might need this."

Gabriel glances at the extra blanket, then at me with a slight frown. "It's not that bad, Castiel."

"You used a lot of power in the tunnel."

"Not that it did Sam any good," Gabriel says flatly.

"Everything happened too fast. No one could have helped Sam," I say. "You did what you could. If there hadn't been so many of them, you'd have saved him."

Gabriel shrugs, not seeming satisfied with my rationalization. "We all feel guilty. You're not alone in that," I tell him. "But Sam's back. And even though we have Lucifer to thank for it, we're glad he's here."

"Are we going to let Lucifer cross the rift with us when we go back?"

"I…" want to say 'no'. "I don't know the plan on that."

"If we leave him here, the other Michael will get him, and use his grace to get over to our side," Gabriel says.

"Are you saying we should take him back to our world and let him free?"

"Not let him free," Gabriel says. "But you don't have a plan on what to do with him, do you? Do you buy into the stuff he was saying about wanting to be a father to Jack?"

"Not at all," I say, but pause, studying the whittling archangel. "Do you?"

Gabriel puts his blade away, admiring his rose. "Maybe. Maybe not. My brother's a great actor, better than me. If you ask, he'll tell you he taught me everything I know, so he'll always be better, at everything." Gabriel slides his figurine into his pack and reaches for the extra blanket. "I'll use it. Thanks."

I nod, but stay where I am, hovering near his cot. "Gabriel?"

"Yeah?" He doesn't look up at me as he shakes out the blanket.

"What do you plan to do after all this?"

"After all what?" He lays down on his side, pulling the blanket up to his waist.

"This, the rift, the fighting," I say. "Do you have plans?"

"You think I had time to make plans before I got sucked back into this crap?" Gabriel says. "I don't know what I'm gonna do. Haven't thought about it. I… I mean, it's not like I can… I'm not Loki anymore, so being a trickster and playing cosmic pranks isn't in the cards." He looks lost and I pounce.

"You know, Heaven's not in very good shape right now."

He raises a brow.

"It's fading, Gabriel. They're barely able to keep the lights on, due to a lack of angel power. There aren't many of us left," I say.

Gabriel frowns, concern flickering in his eyes. "Heaven's dying?"

"Yes," I confirm. "And last I spoke with the remaining angels, they said they could really use an archangel up there helping out. You, in particular. I-I told them you're still around. They were thrilled."

Gabriel snorts. "Thrilled? Over me? Oh please, I'm such an epic screw up. They don't want me."

"They do," I say, then sigh. "Heaven's been ruined by upstanding, perfect angels. Maybe it's time for a screw up. You certainly couldn't do any worse."

Gabriel shuts his eyes, mouth quirking into an amused smile. "You have such a way with words, Castiel. Don't ever let anyone tell you that you aren't inspiring."

"Uh…"

"Yes, that was sarcasm," Gabriel murmurs, sounding tired. "But hm, you think Heaven wants me."

"And needs you."

"Poor Heaven," Gabriel says, turning onto his other side, away from me. "But I'll think about it, okay?"

I smile. "Thank you."

I sit on the floor by his cot, listening to him breathe, deep and even, asleep. Sam and Dean are helping with the night watch. I'm to switch with them in four hours. It would make more sense to let me keep full watch and for them to sleep, but they have things to talk through tonight. If they could stay awake all night and still function in the morning, they would.

I think about Jack and how he chose to remain in the cabin he'd been staying in with a few other refugees, instead of wanting to bunk with us. It hurts a little that he hasn't missed us so much he'd want to keep near us. It hurts and worries me, because every moment he's not with one of us, I think he's visiting Lucifer in the lock-up cabin.

I lean my head back on Gabriel's cot, running through possible scenarios on what to do with Lucifer and how Jack would take it if he ends up falling for Lucifer's likeable act. I think about all the people Mary, Sam and Dean are plotting to bring through the rift with us and where we'll put them if they come. If they choose not to come, Mary will stay, and Sam and Dead… Who knows what they'll choose to do. If they stay, then so will I, but then what will happen to Heaven in our world.

It's right of me to worry about other angels. We haven't always been on the same page, many of them dislike me, but we should behave more like family to each other. We can start that now, when—if—I go back. I can show them, Gabriel can show them. If he comes with me. He didn't sound too enthused, but he hasn't been to Heaven in a very long time.

Hours pass as I drift in and out of focus, only snapping back to attention at the sounds of heavy breathing and whimpering. I sit up straight, turning to look at shivering mass on the cot behind me. Gabriel. Is he having nightmares? Like a human? He's sleeping like one, so maybe.

"Gabriel?" I call to him. It doesn't stop the crying or trembling. All right. I touch his shoulder and give it a little shake, jumping back as he screams and bolts upright, back to the wall, staring at me like I'm a demon come to suck out his soul. His eyes blaze with angel fire and I hold very still, not wanting to be obliterated by a terrified archangel in defense mode.

"It's me, it's Castiel," I say softly. I don't think he's in the room with me. He stares past me, breathing hitching, body shaking so badly the cot beneath him rattles. "Gabriel, it's all right. You're all right."

The fire turning his eyes blue extinguishes and I rush toward him as he falls forward. I catch him, and carefully lay him on the cot. His face is slick with sweat and his clothing is damp, as are the blankets. If he was a human, I'd try my healing power on him, but I can't heal an archangel.

"Gabriel?" I pat his cheek. "Gabriel?"

His eyes flutter open, blank and vague for a moment before they focus on me.

"Are you with me?" I ask him.

Long lashes lower, eyes closing.

"Gab—"

"Water, please," he croaks.

"Y-yes." I look to his pack, where I know he has canned drinks. I don't know if any of them are water though. I pull out a green and black can, frowning at the label: Monster. "There's no water. There's only… this monster drink."

"Oh yeah, bring me that," he sighs.

I come back to the bed with the can, and help him sit up, hating to see him struggle so much. He scrubs both hands over his face, then runs them through his sweaty hair as I open the beverage for him. The liquid inside fizzes like soda.

"Should you really be drinking this?" It smells strange.

"Everyone should drink it," Gabriel murmurs, taking the can and a sip. His hands shake as he grips the drink between them. He sips again, trying to school his breathing, it's still heavy.

"Are you all right?" I ask.

"Peachy."

"Did you—were you having a nightmare?"

Gabriel drinks and rocks slowly. "Nightmare, flashback, same difference. Just—just need to remember that he's dead. I smoked that son of a bitch. Dead."

"Asmodeus?"

Gabriel cringes.

"Sorry. You were remembering your time with him."

"Geez, Castiel, don't make it sound like such a honeymoon." He finishes the drink and flattens the can between the heels of his palms. "I might need a few more of those. I'm feeling a little light-headed."

The fire he'd been about to smite me with must have burned through his reserves even though he hadn't unleashed it. I bring his bag over and pull out another drink. He gets halfway through the can before he shoves it toward me and scrambles off the cot, stumbling to the door. I follow, half-consumed drink in hand, to find Gabriel on his hands and knees in the grass outside, vomiting like an ill human.

I set the can down on the wooden porch then make my way to Gabriel, kneeling beside him and placing a hand on his back. He retches hard, greenish yellow liquid pouring onto the grass. I catch him again, before he can fall forward, holding him upright as he laughs, the sound slightly hysterical.

"Lu-Lu… he was right. I am a hot mess. He always could read me."

The trembling starts anew, and I don't know if it's leftover from the nightmare, if he's cold, or if he's just ill. "It would be best, if I took you back inside."

Gabriel hiccups, then tries to straighten himself. "Y-yeah. I-I'm cold. Cold, like a human, for weeks." He struggles to get to his feet, and doesn't fight my help as we head back to the shack. I sit him down on the cot meant for me. I don't know if someone who doesn't know me came and set this shack up for all of us, or if the cot was just already in here. Either way, I'm grateful for it now that Gabriel's sleeping arrangements are soaked through. I don't want to waste my energy fixing bedding, but I expend a little to dry Gabriel's clothes, body and hair.

"Do you want to lay down, or do you want…" More food? When humans throw up, they don't typically want to eat again right away. At least Sam and Dean don't.

Gabriel flops down on the cot, turning onto his side, shivering. I fold the blanket at the foot of the cot over him and take another off of Dean's bed. I'll tell him that I'll bring him another when he comes in. I don't want to leave Gabriel right now to search for more blankets.

"Are you all right" I ask. "Does your…stomach hurt?" I never thought I'd ask that of an angel.

"From too much junk food?" Gabriel asks, laugh in his voice. "No, not from the food. The flashback…" He turns onto his back, balling his fists into his eyes. "I keep seeing that asshole. But he's dead. He's dead. I got rid of him." He laughs. "He wasn't expecting it either. The look on his dumbass face, in that stupid suit. He was so proud of that tacky suit."

"Dean called Asmodeus Colonel Sanders."

Gabriel lets out a sharp bark of laughter. "Oh, that's good! Disappointed I didn't come up with that one. Even talked like him. And then I Kentucky Fried him. Oh, that needs to be a meme."

"A meme?"

Gabriel removes his hands from his eyes and studies me for a moment. "Castiel, you've walked among humans for years now. One would think you'd be more with it. You still stick out like a sore thumb when you're in a group of them. Why are you struggling so hard to assimilate?"

"Struggling? I'm not struggling. My best friends are human," I say, then realize I sound defensive. But what Gabriel says isn't true. I… "I do as well as the other angels."

"No, you don't," Gabriel says. "You told me about Anael being Sister Jo, making money as a faith healer while putting humans at ease with her bedside manner. There were other angels out there too, working jobs, blending in. You don't blend."

"Sam and Dean don't complain."

"Ah," Gabriel says with a nod. "So, there it is. Because the only humans you really hang around with are Sam and Dean, and since they know what you are, you don't have to adapt much. They cover for you in public."

"They don't have to cover for me!"

"Tell me other humans you guys run into, that aren't hunters or somebody that knows you're an angel, don't think you're weird."

"A lady hit on me over Dean," I say. "And…and I did have a job at one point, and I was going to go on a date, and…and… I babysat her child, and…"

Gabriel's laughter is genuine and good-natured. "Calm down, Castiel. I'm just curious. If being awkward works for you, then it works."

"Awkward?"

"Oh please, don't act like you don't know it. You're like the angel Celine Dione. Eh, what's with this strange English term I don't know? Though, she really should know it. It's her gimmick, but it's cute. You're not cute, though." Gabriel waves a hand. "You're just weird, but weird is in now."

"Are you feeling better?" I want to change the subject. I don't know how I feel about being called weird and awkward by a fellow angel.

"No." Gabriel grins. "I'm really lightheaded. I needed the boost from that energy drink, but I'll throw up again if I drink more. Think I need to sleep, but I really don't want to. So, what next?"

"If you sleep and have another… flashback, I'll wake you up."

"I don't want to see those things again, Castiel."

"At the first sign of any distress, I'll wake you up," I say. "Have you—have you had nightmares before?"

Gabriel looks at me through eyes that appear bruised, the circles beneath them almost purple. "I don't sleep very well. I thought you knew that. Sam knows it."

"Sam is observant," I say, but I should be too. "How do you usually go back to sleep?"

"I usually don't," Gabriel says. "But I guess I have to try or I'll be more useless than I have been. Ugh, humans count sheep and drink warm milk. I don't want to do any of that. Uh…"

"I could, uh, sing. Jimmy Novak did that for his daughter when she couldn't sleep."

Gabriel squints at me. "No. I don't think I want you to sing me to sleep. Sorry."

"Well…" I'm at a loss. What else had Jimmy and his wife done for Claire?

They had… "I can tell you a story."

Gabriel hums. "A story?"

"Yes," I say, now feeling as awkward as Gabriel accused me of being. "I can tell you about…" What kind of story would Gabriel like to hear? Something boring or interesting. "I could tell you about the time I made a stripper cry."

Gabriel chuckles. "I'm trying to go to sleep here. That would definitely keep me up. Why were you hanging out with strippers?"

"Dean thought it'd be fun to take me to a strip club, and there were rooms in back."

"Dean thought it'd be fun to take an angel of the Lord to a strip club?" Gabriel laughs.

"What happened?"

I know he needs to sleep, but the excited intrigue on his face as he waits for me to tell my story makes me tell it anyway. I want him to smile and be happy, and as I tell the story and his eyes light up, I know that he hasn't been happy since he's been with us. This is what he looks like when he's having a good time or pleased. I've seen brief flashes of it when Dean opens grocery bags with sweets inside.

His joy is refreshing, and I remember what he said, that God had created him not to be a warrior, but to be this: bright, joyful, someone who makes others laugh. Of course he'd trade places with a trickster god. I talk for another hour before Gabriel quiets and I look over to find him asleep, one arm folded under his head. I pull the blankets up to his chin and stand up from where I'd been sitting by the cot.

I hear Sam and Dean's trudging footsteps outside, and head out to meet them with a finger to my lips. "Gabriel just fell asleep. Be quiet when you enter."

"Be quiet?" Dean asks.

"He's having a rough night, and his energy is very low," I say.

"Did you feed him?" Dean asks. "Pop a Twinkie in his mouth or something. Seems to make him feel better."

"He tried to refuel in that manner. He was ill," I say. "He had a nightmare about his captivity, and didn't think he could eat or drink more."

Sam flinches. "I hoped he was getting over those."

"He told you he had nightmares?" Dean asked.

Sam shook his head. "I just figured. He always looks beat, even though we know he sleeps, or rather he needs to sleep. So, if something's keeping him from it, then it has to be bad dreams. Some days he seems worse than others. Before we crossed the rift, he looked awful."

Dean makes a face at Sam. "You're such a good mom, Samantha."

"Hey, you're the one who buys him junk food," Sam says. "Don't think nobody noticed."

Dean shrugs. "Dude had a rough patch. If a few Zingers help, what the hell? And don't think I didn't notice him drinking that Monster crap and suddenly having holy fire in that tunnel. That stuff's more than just comfort food for him, isn't it?"

Sam nods. "He told me it gives him temporary bursts of energy—though I do wonder if the energy would be more long term if the food wasn't junk. Anyway, he claims the power's nothing epic, but he was hoping it'd be enough to help out."

"It didn't help much in that—"

"Dean," I say, warning in my voice, just in case Gabriel isn't as asleep as I think he is.

"Sorry," he grouses. "It's just—Jack—and Lucifer, being here. And Mom, not wanting to go back unless we take all these people with us. And then, they have to agree to it, and even then, we have to figure out a way to get them all through…in less than thirty-one hours."

"You sound like you need sleep too," I say. "Uh—I took your blanket."

"Huh?" Dean stops in his tracks.

"You'll need to get another one," I say. "Sorry?"

"That's just—why didn't you take Sam's? And what the hell'd you take it for anyway?"

"Yours was closer," I say. "Gabriel sweated through his blankets. I put him on my cot, but…"

"That angel better be full of holy fire tomorrow," Dean grumbles, marching into the shack.

Sam smirks, but doesn't follow Dean right away. He stays with me outside. "Did you and Gabriel talk about the nightmares?"

I nod. "Just a little. It's bad, Sam. You're right that he has them a lot. I'm sorry that you're the only one who noticed he hasn't been resting well. It definitely slows down his grace production and is a problem I don't know how to fix. I only got him to try to sleep because I told him I'd be there to wake him up before the dreams get bad again."

Sam sighs. "Dean and I sleep light. We'll wake him up too."

Good. "Well, I guess it's my turn to take watch. Should I check on Lucifer?"

"He's still locked in the shack with guards. Dean and I only walked past every now and again. Mostly we talked to Mom and some of the camp leaders. Some of them are still up. They're hardcore."

Hm. Well, as Gabriel so kindly put it, I'm awkward. So, I don't see myself wanting to talk to camp leaders, and I don't want to bother Mary when she should be trying to sleep.

"Are you going to talk to Lucifer about Jack?" Sam asks.

"Did you?"

"Dean did. They argued. Lucifer got petty and smug, his usual self. Dean got pissed. So, maybe…"

"Don't?"

"Yeah, not about that anyway," Sam says. He looks thoughtful. "When Dean stomped off, Lucifer asked about Gabriel."

"What'd he ask?"

"Just asked how he ended up here with us. He was trying to figure out where he's been, I think," Sam says. "He was really casual about it, but I notice he didn't toss in any insults."

Hm. Interesting. "What do you think it was about?"

"Honestly?" Sam shrugs. "I don't know. He didn't push for any more answers, went back to singing 'Doo Dah' a few minutes later. Ugh, I can't wait until…" His groans. "We can't even stick with our plan to kill him off, can we? How are we gonna get rid of him?"

We stare at each other for a moment, before Sam yawns and tells me he's off to bed. I bid him goodnight, before heading to Lucifer's prison shack. Within ten feet of it, I hear his caterwauling and see refugees with shotguns strapped to their backs tossing cans at the door and hollering "Shut up!"

I approach. "I'm—"

"Coming to trade out?" a man says, sounding eager. "Great!"

The two men run off, leaving me outside of Lucifer's shack. The singing stops and chuckling begins. "Everyone's a critic, eh?" Lucifer purrs.

The shack has a barred window so that I can peer in at Lucifer. He sits on a cot with his feet up, facing me and smiling broadly. "Castiel! I was hoping to get some more of my own kind of company soon! My brother with you?"

Does he sound hopeful? "No."

"Oh," Lucifer says. "Well, that's disappointing. At least Gabe enjoys a good joke, can make them too. At least he could, now he's trying to be all serious."

I say nothing.

"You boys run into some trouble tonight?"

"What do you mean?"

Lucifer grins. "Don't play coy, Cass. I felt some archangel fire. What's my baby bro leveling up for? From what I sensed off him, he doesn't have that kind of power to waste right now."

I stare. "No reason, no trouble."

Lucifer narrows his eyes. "What happened to him?"

"To who?"

A flash of annoyances crosses his face, before he laughs. "The Winchesters wouldn't say much either, but I figured I could talk to you, a fellow angel."

"I'm not your fellow."

"Ah come on, what's going on with my brother? He was gone for years, then suddenly turns up wearing that face, and he's a wreck and hanging out with you lot. None of it adds up for me."

"And why should I care what adds up for you?"

Lucifer sighs. "I don't know. Guess you shouldn't. Whatever. Just making conversation is all. It's been a long, boring night. No one wants to talk. No one will let my son come around much. My own brother doesn't come visit at all. Why is he not on guard duty with you or here instead of the brothers Grim?"

"Why do you care?"

Lucifer doesn't answer and I go closer to the window. He inspects the blanket at the foot of the cot, then folds his arms behind his head and lays back. "I don't."

"Then why ask?"

"I'm bored!"

I sit down, pressing by back against the shack wall, head against the ledge of the window sill. I look out at the camp, noting that most of the shacks are dark. A few lights are still on in the shacks surrounding us. Probably more night watch. To be so shabby and rundown, this resistance is strong, dedicated and organized.

"You know he can't kill me, right?"

Lucifer's voice comes out of the blue.

"Who?"

"Gabriel," Lucifer says. "And it's not just that he's weak, he can't do it. I should have known I didn't kill the real him all those years ago, because the real him wouldn't have had the balls to attempt what he did. Man, baby brother got the one up on me! Guess there's a first time for everything, huh?" He sounds amused.

But why does he keep talking about Gabriel? Shouldn't he be asking more about Jack?

"But seems like he ran into something bad while hiding out from all of us," Lucifer says. "Serves the little chicken shit right. Never really could take care of himself. But that's Dad's fault."

"What's Dad's… God's fault?"

"He made me all buff and strong, you know, the right way. Michael too, I guess. But Gabriel and Raphael, He was just doing stuff, and then He let Gabriel run wild. Never really got on him about being loyal and dedicated to a cause. He never learned responsibility, so he always thought it was okay to run. Did it all the time when something he didn't like happened. Stupid things too. Ran away for years because nobody liked his damn horn playing. And instead of coming down on Him, Dad made that horn all important to lure Gabriel back. And when he did come back, do you know he didn't even play the damn thing anymore. Lost interest. He was a spoiled brat."

Lucifer's words sound flippant, but the fact that he's saying so much on this particular subject has me very curious. He could be playing a game, but I want to try something, just to see what he'll say. "One of your princes of Hell happened to Gabriel, Lucifer. He was betrayed and sold to Asmodeus who held him captive for years."

"Asmodeus held onto an archangel?" Lucifer sounds dubious.

"He had help. I think what was used on you to get you to the bunker—"

"Yeah, yeah," Lucifer sounds irritated. "So, Gabe let his guard down and someone got the slip on him and he ended up with Ass-modeus. The weakest Hell prince, that ain't so weak anymore. I…" he trails off. "Don't tell me." Lucifer crows with humorless laughter. "Oh, that son of a bitch was leeching archangel grace. That's how he got so strong. How long?"

"Since maybe a few months after you thought you'd killed Gabriel."

"That long." Lucifer is quiet for a moment. "Did he tell you anything about what happened in there? Aside from being a grace cow and all?"

"Asmodeus tortured him," I say. "When we recovered him, he was in very bad condition."

"A demon, a lowly, disgusting demon, dares to capture and torment an archangel," Lucifer mutters. "These demons are really getting too big for their britches: Crowley, Ass-modeus. When we get back to our world, I'm gonna pay ol' Assy a visit. Show him what I did to Crowley."

"Asmodeus is dead."

"Oh?"

"Gabriel."

"Oh." Lucifer sounds pleased. "Well, good for him."

"Why do you really want to know about Gabriel, Lucifer?"

"You really are a broken record. Okay, I'll play the same song too. I'm bored."

"There are other things you could be asking about."

"Well, I know you won't tell me about my son. It was a chance to see if you'd talk about my brother. I was kinda hoping he'd come himself, but, after what you told me, I'll bet he's sleeping. It's rough having your grace practically gone. It's like being human. You get hungry, and you're cold, and tired. It sucks. Didja tell him how I fixed my problem?"

"By killing other angels?"

"Why do you always gotta go for the negative like that, Castiel?" Lucifer whines. "Those other angels were peons. They should be honored to have fed me. And they should be honored if Gabriel decided to, you know, have a snack too. I mean, we're archangels. Hands of God. Heck, I was just running Heaven. Listening to prayers, being Dad."

"You listened to prayers?"

"Meh, until it got annoying," Lucifer says. "Humans are such sniveling creatures."

"You would think that."

Lucifer whistles. "Hey, Castiel."

I'm quiet, maybe he'll take a hint.

"Does uh… does Gabriel talk about me?"

What is this? "Does he—yes. Yes, he does. He talks about you, God and the other archangels."

Lucifer hums and doesn't say another word until the sun rises and someone else comes to take my place. I wonder about his last question and why my answer seemed to appease him.

Should I tell Gabriel about my encounter with Lucifer? I'm not sure if it'd do Gabriel any good to know how curious Lucifer was about him, or that I'd told Lucifer about Asmodeus. Maybe he didn't want Lucifer to know. I don't know. Gabriel's feelings about Lucifer, and the fact that Lucifer knows that Gabriel won't kill him is something that they could talk about. Or maybe they shouldn't. Maybe Gabriel should stay away from Lucifer, especially in his current state.

Whatever game Lucifer's playing now can't be a good thing. Nothing that has do with Lucifer is ever good. I walk back to the shack I share with Sam, Dean and Gabriel, entering to find my friends and the archangel fast asleep. I place myself beside Gabriel's cot, sitting down beside it as I had earlier and not planning to move until he wakes up. I just wish I knew what I'm going to say to him when he does.

Author's Note: More angel-brother fun to come :D. Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think. Please review!