Warnings: Rituals.

Chapter 20

Arriving back at the house where Sam's family was staying wasn't something Gabriel really wanted to do. No matter how much he knew he couldn't, Gabriel couldn't help but hope he could keep Sam with him in their little house forever. Oh, Gabriel knew it was impossible, Sam wasn't the type to let the world pass him by no matter what the incentive. Still, the past week had been bliss, a complete and utter bliss Gabriel had never experienced before. It was wonderful having Sam in his home, a kind of domestic Gabriel had never known he wanted. They had spent the whole time together, they had held and talked and just had fun.

With Sam's hand in his own, Gabriel brought them outside the house belonging to the older hunter. Everything he needed was in a small bag at Gabriel's side, and before the end of the night he would solve at least one of their problems. Looking up at his human, Gabriel gave the tall man a small smile before opening the door. He was never one to really do the whole 'knocking' thing. Gabriel was only slightly surprised to be greeted with a barrel of a gun pointing at his chest. Quirking an eyebrow at the old man, Gabriel walked past him while still holding onto Sam's hand.

"I'm sorry Bobby, he's a bit… Loki!"

The shout was due to Gabriel letting go of Sam's hand and flopping down on the couch. Gabriel noticed they had kept his upgraded furniture and snapped his fingers changing the armchair and other worn furnishings to his own tastes. While he wasn't about to re-decorate the house, Gabriel was willing to use a bit of grace for a few upgrades. Just in case something had sentimental value he made sure to restore as much as he could instead of simply replacing it. Once Gabriel was finished the home looked far less worn and more inviting. It was still the home of the old hunter, still had the markings of a life well lived but wasn't as well… as lonely any longer.

Satisfied with his work, Gabriel rested his head with his hands folded behind him on the armrest. There really wasn't anything the humans could do to him, and while he did want to make a good impression with Sam, this was how he was. With a thought the bag was transferred to the table, leaving Gabriel some wiggle room to get comfortable on the large couch. Looking up at Sam, Gabriel smirked at the man before moving his feet out of the way in a clear invitation. Getting a huff in reply, Gabriel wondered if he would be denied before Sam easily picked up Gabriel's feet and placed them on his lap while sitting down.

"If you're done rearranging my home do you mind telling us what the plan is?"

Just about to ask where the elder Winchester was, Dean made his way into the living room from the kitchen. The boy didn't seem to even notice the changes in the room, Dean only had eyes for his brother. If Gabriel didn't know any better he would have wondered at the two of them, the way that Dean was watching Sam as if expecting injury. While he should have felt insulted Dean thought Gabriel would allow any harm to come to Sam, he only felt proud that the older Winchester was so protective of his younger brother.

"Was wondering when you and the pixie were gonna show up."

Sam rolled his eyes, and while Gabriel knew he should have been insulted at being called a pixie he couldn't get over how Sam's soul shimmered. It was a beautiful thing to see, something he would never grow tired of seeing.

"I told you I was fine Dean, Loki has been taking very good care of me."

There was a slight twist to his words, something Gabriel wasn't sure he would have caught if he wasn't watching Sam's soul so intently. While Sam had explained his life to Gabriel while they had exchanged stories in the past week, Sam must have neglected to mention the secret language he had with his brother.

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

Catching the eye of the oldest human in the room, Gabriel raised an eyebrow before speaking.

"Do they do this a lot? Because I know every language ever existed… and this? No idea what I just saw."

That both got a snort from the old man as well as a slight shove from Sam. Smiling at his moose of a man, Gabriel reached down and grabbed the others hand. Bringing the hand to his mouth Gabriel placed a kiss on the palm the same way he did on his date so long ago, ignoring the groan from Dean as the other two took a seat.

"It's kind of cute."

Even Gabriel knew better than to mention how Sam's soul sung while speaking with his brother. While Gabriel knew what it meant he didn't believe for a second either brother was up for hearing about sharing a Heaven. Keeping his hand in Sams', Gabriel turned to the others who were sitting in two of the chairs he had snapped up.

"To answer your question the summoning is pretty simple. Light some candles, make sure there's an upgraded trap under the summoned and then I gank a demon. The problem is finding somewhere open enough so we aren't trapped when he brings his backup. The summoning should be able to block out most other demons but if he is close enough he might be able to bring another with him. I'll be in the circle with him, as the one to summon him he will be bound slightly to answer my questions, so you might want to write up a list."

"Wait… you mean you can actually make him talk? Why haven't we heard of this before? Surely Dad would have known about it."

Shaking his head at Sam, Gabriel squeezed his hand lightly. Gabriel hated it when he had to point out to the hunter that he wasn't human, that he wasn't even a god underneath it all. There was always the chance eventually Sam would have enough and leave, Gabriel was always frightened of Sam leaving. Using the hand in his own to ground himself, Gabriel hooked his legs a bit around Sam's own.

"Even if Daddy Hunter could summon Azazel, this ritual means we're both going to be in the ring. While he won't be able to use his powers outside of the circle, if I were human he could easily kill me inside it with him. It's why I need you three stooges playing defense for anyone who tags along. I will of course set up some traps, but if they're smart enough they might get through and I'll be too busy with your Big Bad to really be much help until he's gone."

"So what you're going to be vulnerable to him? Loki, I didn't agree to put you in the line of fire like this, what if-."

Gabriel tried to hold back, he really did, but the fact that Sam was worried about him, with a demon of all things was too funny not to laugh at. Shaking his head, Gabriel couldn't help but lean up to place a quick kiss on the pouting mouth of his lover.

"Don't you worry your pretty head about it, once I finish pumping him of all the info I know he has, he's not going to be a problem. Azazel may be a Prince of Hell, but he's got nothing on me."

"What are you?"

Glancing at the other Winchester, Gabriel opened his mouth to snarl back at him when he noticed something was off. Tilting his head to the side slightly, Gabriel looked at Dean. The man wasn't threatening him in any way, in fact Dean hadn't so much as glared at him since they showed up. It wasn't something Gabriel would normally notice, or care about, but something completely off with the whole thing. If there was one thing Gabriel could be certain of, it was Dean was going to protect Sam until his dying day and there was no reason why Dean should accept him yet. In fact, Dean should still be trying to push him away, far away from Sam. Shifting his gaze to Bobby, Gabriel noticed the same thing as with Dean although slightly more subdued.

Something wasn't right, the two of them hadn't been threating him, weren't trying to rip him apart from Sam and they hadn't even really asked how Sam was. It was like they were putting trust in him, allowing him close to Sam.

Or they were trapping him.

The thought caused Gabriel to sit up and feel around the room with his grace. There weren't any traps as far as he could tell, at least nothing that he could find. The two were tricky though, were two of the best hunters out there and if they were going to pull a trick he would have to be ten steps ahead of them.

"Loki?"

Not looking at Sam, Gabriel glared slightly at the two other hunters. Something was up, and although he couldn't put his finger on it Gabriel knew he would have to tread very carefully here. Still with Sam's hand in his own, Gabriel found he would be willing to at least try not to blow up at the two hunters. They wouldn't do anything to harm Sam, and while he didn't like using his mate as such if he was around the hunter it couldn't be too bad. Pulling slightly on the hand he was holding, Gabriel tried to pull Sam slightly behind him, his look hardening while he regarded Dean.

"What are you playing at?"

Instead of the denial Gabriel was expecting, Dean seemed to almost grin at him for a moment before he spoke again, this time his voice was hard.

"I'll ask again, what are you?"

No. It was the only thought that filtered through Gabriel's head while he gripped onto Sam's hand, his eyes widening. They can't know... nobody knows! But he could see it, in the way both hunters were looking at him, the way Dean was grinning. While he didn't spend much time one on one with humans, he had been watching them since they were created he knew their tells. Gabriel couldn't be sure what they knew was the actual truth, but it was big enough they believed it to be true which caused Gabriel to panic.

"No."

It was the only word he could form, the only one he could think of in his panic. Whatever they were thinking, it would have to be big for them to believe they were right. Not looking at Sam, Gabriel wondered how he could do damage control. The gleam he saw in Deans eye was the same he knew from his own expression when he was right about to deliver a trick. For the first time in a very long time Gabriel was worried about what a human of all creatures was going to say. The last time he had to worry about a human's reaction was back with Mary. Thankfully Gabriel didn't have to say anything else as whatever silent communication Sam had with his brother seemed to be working overtime.

"Don't Dean."

Just those two words and Gabriel could physically see the older Winchester deflate from whatever he was about to say. It was staggering and if he wasn't as panicked as he was Gabriel would have admired how much control Sam has over his brother.

"Sam, we found out-"

Whatever he was about to say was cut off by Sam who shook his head as well as a wounded sound Gabriel never would admit to coming from his mouth. It was a cross between a whimper and a groan.

"No Dean, it's not our place. Not now."

"Sammy..."

"No, he'll tell me when he's ready."

While Sam was arguing for him Gabriel slowly started to relax. He may not understand why Sam didn't want to know, it was something Gabriel would want to know about his bond-mate, but for some reason Sam wanted to wait. Sadly, Gabriel didn't think he would ever willingly tell the human what he truly was, it was enough Sam was believed to be a god… but an angel, and archangel no less? It would crush the kid. When people pictured angels, they pictured cute faces with wings or fierce warriors. Nobody pictured him.

"We can talk about this later, what's the plan for tonight? Did you get everything that you need?"

Glancing at the old hunter, Gabriel couldn't help the rush of gratitude at the interruption. Nodding his head, Gabriel kept his hand on Sam, making sure to keep close contact with the man. While he hated it, he was feeling vulnerable and being close to Sam helped ground him. Even simply having the hunter there beside him was enough to push back his initial panic so he didn't make a fool of himself.

"Yeah, we have everything that we need. Pretty simple, like I said the only thing I really need from you all is to play defense in case he brings someone along. And a list of whatever it is that you need to know."

"It's not like we can trust what he's saying anyway." Scoffed Dean.

"Sure you can."

Getting a grunt of disbelief in response, Gabriel sighed before pressing his side against Sam. The hunter was quick to wrap his arm around him, letting go of Gabriel's hand for a moment to move before pressing them closer together. It was nice being able to press up against Sam when he knew it was probably making Sam uncomfortable in front of his brother. Still, not one to pass up the chance of holding his lover close, Gabriel snuggled in as close as he could.

"By the time I'm asking questions I'll be able to tell truth from lie, he's going to pray for Hell. Now do you have the space outside close enough for me to lay out the circle? Best to get this done and over with, don't you think?"

"I'll show you..." began Sam.

Shaking his head, Gabriel turned to place a quick kiss on Sam's lips to silence him before he could offer to show him where to set up camp. The kiss was short, only a brief peck before he pulled back and smiled at his mate.

"Loki?"

"You and your brother need to talk about what you want to know from the demon, I'm sure Papa Bear can show me where I can set up shop."

"I don't think…" protested Sam.

"I'm not about to gank the one able to bring us yellow-eyes boy. We'll be fine."

With that Bobby stood up, giving Dean a pointed look which hopefully meant for him to keep his silence on whatever they found. Hooking his hand behind Sam's head, Gabriel pulled the hunter down to press his lips firmly against the others. Oh, how he wished they would have been able to spend more time away before everything hit the fan. Pulling back at the sound of a loud cough, Gabriel smirked before standing up. The second he was no longer touching Sam, Gabriel felt the pull to be close to the hunter again. They had practiced with him being away from Sam for a few hours each day, making sure that they would be able to be separated should need be.

Now that he was in the house of a hunter though, one he personally didn't know, Gabriel's grace was aching to stay with Sam. He knew, logically he was the one in danger of the two other hunters, but still it strained his grace to be separated in what Gabriel felt was enemy territory. Still, with no other choice Gabriel grabbed the bag he had set aside earlier and followed the man out of the house. The two walked in silence, Gabriel was fine with not speaking while the older hunter showed them to a spot off behind the many junked cars. The space was open enough that he wouldn't have a problem should more than Azazel show up.

Snapping his fingers, a circle of thin stone surrounded right before Gabriel's feet. His fingers kept snapping as several other designs and sigils were created on the ground. Each new piece would insure the demon would be unable to use his powers outside of the main circle, binding him in his vessel as well as protecting the area from other demons. He couldn't do anything about any other supernatural creatures, not with the main sigils he was using but Gabriel could make sure that the hunters were at least slightly protected.

It took a bit longer than ten minutes for everything to be put together, after which Gabriel walked along the edge of the circle three times to make sure everything was perfect. Once certain everything was correct he opened the bag he had brought with him and placed tokens around the outer edge. For the next five minutes, Gabriel inspected every inch to make sure it was perfect, he couldn't afford to let Azazel loose so close to Sam. Finished he turned to Bobby and spoke for the first time since the two were left alone.

"Now all I need is the list from the boys and we can get this party started."

"Are you an angel?"

The question shocked him enough Gabriel stood there for a moment with his mouth hanging open. He knew his eyes were wide, his body tense and unmoving while he looked at the hunter. He was about to lie when the bond kicked in and he winced at the pain which shot through his blood. While it wasn't overly painful it was a warning, he couldn't lie to the hunter and not answering was just as good as admitting to it.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Still unable to say anything, Gabriel could feel his grace prepare itself for a fight. He hadn't felt any holy oil when he walked through the grass but that didn't mean anything. Quickly Gabriel looked around, but there was no sign of a trap.

"When Dean mentioned what he was researching I nearly blew his head off, ain't no such thing as angels I told him. I expected Sam to believe, but Dean? Turns out that he saw something crazy enough to open him up to the possibility while on a hunt. While looking into it though? I don't think you meant to let slip all you did, but it wasn't too hard to put together once we were open to the idea. So I guess the question I should be asking if you plan on sticking around or are you just here to check up on us humans before you go back to your cloud?"

"We don't really live on clouds."

He hadn't meant to say it, but Gabriel couldn't help himself. The thought of Heaven was on a bunch of fluffy clouds was such an insane notion which had always bothered him.

"That's not the point, are you sticking around or are you going to fly away once your bored of hanging around us humans? Cause that boy in there is head over heals and I don't have any problem hunting you down and deep frying your wings if you up and leave."

Oh. He should have seen it coming, in fact if he was in the mans position he would have felt the exact same thing. This had nothing to do with Heaven, or the thousand questions the man could have asked, knowing what he was. Instead Bobby was worried about Sam about Gabriel leaving Sam alone and heartbroken. Gabriel couldn't hold back the smile as he faced the human. He had never been threatened by a human before, not once they knew what he was… or at least mostly what he was.

"I've been down here since shortly after the crucifixion. I don't plan on ever leaving my moose, wings or no."

Bobby nodded at Gabriel then, and for a while the two of them stood there not saying a word. Gabriel stayed close to the circle, not wanting to go back inside the house, not when he knew the other two hunters knew what he was. While they didn't know he was one of the first four, they knew in general what he was and that was enough. A part of Gabriel, a large part, knew he would have to tell Sam before one of the other two did. It would only be a matter of time before they said something, before they told his human, and then where would he be? Shaking that thought from his mind, Gabriel instead looked back to the man who seemed to be waiting for something, simply looking at him.

"You have to tell him. It's only a matter of time before the kid figures it out on his own."

"I know."

Gabriel's voice was a whisper when he spoke. It was only a matter of time, one thing Sam was, was smart and he had more than enough clues to pinpoint even which angel he was. It would only be a matter of time before he put the pieces together, even without wanting to. Sighing, Gabriel looked to the house where the two brothers were making their way to the circle, a duffle bag slung over Dean's shoulder while Sam held a notebook. It looked like he was out of time before they got this show on the road.

No matter the conversation he was having with the older hunter, Gabriel couldn't help the way his grace lit up at seeing his mate. Sam's soul brightened as well once they saw each other, and it took a great deal of willpower not to fling himself at his hunter. Oh, how he wanted to take them back to house, just the two of them. This was important though, and Gabriel had his own questions he needed answered if he was to protect Sam to the best of his abilities.

"Once this is done, I'll tell him then."

He didn't mean to say the words, but they slipped out as his hunter came closer. There was a familiar gleam in Sam's eyes, a warmth he had only ever seen, never felt directed at him before. While he hadn't meant to say it, the words were no less true, he would tell Sam once Azazel was dealt with. It was time to stop running.

P.S. If you want to keep up to date on my writing add me to Facebook, Tumbler or Twitter as CrowNoYami ;-) Also, if you want to see what I'm reading (I always review so you know what you're getting into) I'm on Goodreads as well, same name as always.