Sorry this took me so long. I've been a bit more paranoid than normal lately. I've gotten a few comments about how I need to learn to show and not tell in my stories (which I totally do need to learn LoL) and it made me a bit paranoid as I wrote. Especially when I looked back at how long it's taken me just to get here. Whoops. O.o Hopefully you guys like this chapter, though!

The house was quiet by the time Gabriel got back. He and his brothers had left earlier to try and find Zachariah and deal with him, only the smarmy little dick had somehow managed to hide himself out somewhere and they couldn't find him. It left Gabriel with a nasty feeling in his grace and the need to be back with his family. He'd said as much and hadn't missed the pang from both his brothers at hearing him speak of a family that wasn't them.

They were still his family – they would never stop being his family, no matter how angry they made him. But Gabriel had made a life for himself down here on earth. He had other families now. And this one, here, was small, but it was special. Castiel, Dean, Sam, Spencer.

A smile touched Gabriel's lips as he saw one member of that family sound asleep on the couch. Apparently Spencer hadn't gone to find a room to sleep in. No real surprise. It looked sort of like he'd crashed where he'd been reading. There was a book folded neatly by him and someone had tossed a blanket over him. Gabriel took a moment to lightly brush some of the fledgling's hair back off his face. His hair was getting long.

It warmed him to see the way that Spencer turned in towards his touch. The kid looked so much younger while he was sleeping. Gabriel stood there for a long moment and just looked down at Spencer's face, so soft and sweet in sleep. So damn young. And so, so important. Not because of what he was doing here with the apocalypse or because of what waited in his future. He was important to Gabriel simply because he was him.

Gabriel wanted to keep him safe, yet Spencer seemed content to throw himself head first into everything. What was worse was that there was no reason whatsoever for Gabriel to draw him back. Spencer didn't give him any reason. He was too damn smart and too useful. The breakthrough that Spencer had made in tracking Famine was absolutely amazing and he swore that he could do the same with Pestilence with just a little bit of time. That it would, in fact, be easier because he had all the illnesses to follow and track. Gabriel felt an amazing amount of pride over his fledgling's accomplishments even as he worried more.

Smothering a sigh, the archangel shook his head and pushed away from the couch.

He made his way out to the front porch of the house. Out here it was a little easier to relax and think. Plus it was easier to sit out here while he checked over the wards. He made his way to the porch railing and climbed up on the corner, leaning his back against the post that connected the railing to the roof. His right leg dangled in while he drew his left leg up and let his bare foot rest on the railing as well. Closing his eyes, he tilted his head back until it rested against the post and he opened himself up to the wards that he had over this place and began to check them, reinforcing them where he felt they needed it.

He was still sitting there when he felt someone coming his direction. When he felt who it was, he smiled inside.

There was no real surprise when there was the sound of the door opening. Only a second later Sam's warm, easy voice filled the night air. "Is this a private party or can anyone interrupt?"

Gabriel was already smiling even before he'd fully looked up. The sight that met him only made his smile grow even more. Sam was leaning against the doorframe, looking like he'd just rolled right out of bed. It put delicious images in Gabriel's mind that turned his smile into more of a smirk. "For you, Princess? Always."

The kid chuckled at the nickname, yet didn't protest it. He pushed off the doorframe and made his way over to the edge of the porch where Gabriel was perched. He came right up to him and leaned against the support beam nearest Gabriel's feet, giving himself a place to rest while also leaving him comfortable and close enough to turn and smile over at the archangel. "It's a beautiful view."

"Of course." Gabriel didn't bother looking out at the forest around him. Far as he was concerned, the best view was the adorable dimpled smile that was flashed his way. "Go figure, hm?" Sam teased him lightly. "I suppose if you can just snap up a home, why bother snapping it up somewhere ugly?"

"What can I say, kiddo?" He let his eyes run down Sam's body, nicely showcased in those sleep pants and thin t-shirt, and then back up to his face so he could wink at him. "I like pretty things."

The blush that stained his cheeks was just a bit too adorable to really be fair. It was cute to watch this giant puppy of a man flush under the simplest compliments. He liked even more that he was the one here to give them to him. It was just one of thousand other things he wanted to be able to give him.

Gabriel's smile softened a little without him realizing it. Even his voice gentled a bit as he pointed out "You're up late, Samsquatch."

Sam shrugged, giving Gabriel one of those half-smiles of his. "Not that tired. Couldn't really stop thinking."

There was just a hint of something in his voice that had Gabriel tilting his head. Then a smile spread over his lips. "Aww, Sammy, were you worried about me?"

"Of course."

The immediate reply threw Gabriel off just slightly. He hadn't expected Sam to actually admit to it. He couldn't deny how it made him feel to hear it, though. When was the last time he'd had someone worry about him? Honestly worry about him because they cared, not because of any other ulterior motives? It was nice. Strange, but nice. "I'm all right, Princess. We didn't really get a chance to do much. Looks like Zachariah decided to do a bit of a runner. We'll find him, though. He can't hide from us. An we won't let him get to you guys."

"I know you won't. Is there anything we can do to help?"

It didn't escape Gabriel's notice that Sam said 'you', not 'you guys' or anything like that. He was putting his trust in Gabriel and that was scary and wonderful and amazing. Part of Gabriel wanted to tell him not to. To not be stupid. Why would someone trust him? He was the runaway – the screw up. Gabriel shoved those thoughts down and shook his head. "Nope. Just, stay safe. One of us will watch over you guys at all times. If we aren't there, you'll still have Cas or Spence. They'll keep an eye on you guys, too."

"We don't need babysitters." Sam said dryly.

Gabriel flashed him a grin. "Humor me."

The hunter rolled his eyes, but he didn't argue it. He just turned his attention out towards the forest and stared out at it. A quiet fell between them that wasn't strange or strained or uncomfortable. Gabriel didn't feel the need to fill it with pointless conversation or any sort of noise whatsoever. He was content to just sit there, feeling the power in the air around him, feeling the net of safety woven over his little family here, and watch Sam as the hunter watched the forest. He let himself look his fill. He'd watched over Sam plenty of times, had studied him often, yet he would never get tired of it. The man was far too handsome for his own good.

When Sam turned and caught him staring, he flushed a little but he smiled. Then he surprised Gabriel by pushing off the post and making his way over to him. The railing that Gabriel was sitting on put him a little higher than normal. Not much, but enough to make the height difference between them not so drastic. Gabriel liked it, though. He really liked that difference in height. Who wouldn't? There was just something about the idea of being wrapped up in this giant moose of a man that made him shiver ever so slightly.

There was something on Sam's face that was just a bit hesitant. Like he wasn't quite sure if this was okay or allowed. Gabriel solved that problem by opening up his one arm and holding it out. Sam perked up almost instantly and moved right up to his side. Gabriel's arm slid around his waist and he tugged the man in until they were pressed together. It was the easiest thing in the world to tilt his head up in silent appeal for a kiss that he usually would've just taken. There was just something about the peaceful stillness in the air around them that asked for something a bit gentler.

It was well worth it. When Sam's lips brushed over his, they were soft yet sure, and oh so delicious. The two traded gentle kisses for who knew how long. Gabriel lost track of it. For this moment, he wanted nothing else except this man who he was holding close and who was cradling his head like he was holding something so, so precious.

When they broke apart, Gabriel kept his arm around Sam's waist and ended up resting his head against his shoulder. In return, Sam's arm went around Gabriel's shoulders. Together, they stood there and watched as the sun slowly started to come up on the far horizon.

The sound of his cell phone ringing woke Spencer from his sleep. It was buried down in the pocket of the pants he'd fallen asleep in and he had to fight against the blankets to get to it. Finally he found the annoying ringing, vibrating, stupid thing and he yanked it out of his pocket. Flipping it open, he dropped it over his ear, too sleepy to actually hold it. "Mm. Dr. Reid."

There was a brief moment of quiet before Derek's voice came over the line. "Dude, where are you? Don't tell me you're still asleep! I've been sitting outside for five minutes. Everyone's waiting for us at the jet!"

Spencer swore low and long in Latin as he shoved at the blankets cocooning him. They wrapped around his arms and legs and almost sent him crashing to the ground before he managed to throw them off. Eyes half open, phone cradled now between face and shoulder, he rubbed one hand over his face and was reaching the other hand out for the shoes he knew would be nearby. He had it yanked on and was almost done tying it before his eyes finally opened just enough to actually see around him. When he did, he froze.

Michael, Gabriel, Dean, Sam, Castiel, Anna, and even Raphael were all sitting there staring at him with varying looks of confusion or amusement.

This wasn't his apartment. He hadn't fallen asleep on his couch.

Derek Morgan was an asshole.

Spencer told him exactly that, followed up with "I hate you."

The laughter that bubbled down the line was probably enough for the others to hear. "You're so easy, kid! I swear!"

Yanking off his shoe, Spencer dropped it back down beside the other one and slumped a little back into the couch. "I hate you." He repeated flatly. "You are an ass and I cannot understand why on earth I ever agreed to be friends with you." Across the room he could see Sam smothering a smile and both Dean and Gabriel openly chuckling at him. Michael watched him in that strange, just slightly creepy way of his, a hint of a smile touching his lips, and Raphael looked a bit lost. Anna just shook her head, though Spencer saw a smile on her lips as well. A blush stained Spencer's cheeks and he let his eyes fall closed.

"We're friends cause I'm awesome and you know it." Derek said cheerfully.

"Or maybe because I pity you in your fragile mental state." Spencer shot back. Being woken up always set off the snarky side of him that Derek said was his favorite. He liked a bickering Spencer.

Proving that, Derek laughed again. "Good to know I can always count on you."

"Was there a purpose for this call or were you simply looking to inflict your presence on me for punishment of some perceived crime I've committed in the past?"

"Ouch!" Derek cried out mockingly. In his mind's eye, Spencer could see the hand he'd lay over his heart and the pretend offended look he'd wear. "Dr. Reid, you're positively asshole-ish this morning."

Rubbing a hand over his face, Spencer tried to ignore the sniggers nearby. "That's not actually a word, Morgan. Or an answer." It was almost like he was stalling. The instant he had that thought, Spencer found himself sitting up a little straighter. If he hadn't been mostly asleep before he would've realized it sooner. Derek was stalling. Something was going on. Something serious. "Morgan. What happened?"

"Reid…" Derek paused and sighed.

The eyes in the room felt like a little too much in that moment and Spencer pushed himself up off the couch. He went in the opposite direction, his back to them, and focused instead on the windows at the far end of the room. "Morgan. What happened?"

There was another sigh and then three words that ripped straight through Spencer. "Frank came back."

A chill ran down Spencer's body and he stumbled slightly. One of his hands shot out to catch against the wall and brace himself. Suddenly uncaring of the eyes he knew had to be watching him, he pressed his hand against the wall and stared blindly in front of him. "What?"

In short, simple terms, Derek laid out the whole horrifying story for him. "Jane left him and came to find Gideon, but she didn't get here fast enough. Frank got here first and he…an old friend of Gideon's was at his apartment when Frank got there. He left her as a message."

Oh, God. Spencer curled his fingers against the wall, not even noticing as they dug into the plaster.

"We found Gideon and we tracked Frank down but he, he took a few pages from Gideon's book while he was there. His survivors. We weren't fast enough to save all of them but we saved the last one he had. And Frank's done. He and Jane jumped in front of a moving train rather than be taken in. He's done. There's no coming back. I just… I would've called you sooner, but we were moving fast. I felt you needed to know, though. You had the right to know." Another soft sigh. "The others thought we should wait to tell you. I knew you'd be pissed if we did, though. You deserve to know."

"Gideon?" That was the only word Spencer could get out past the lump in his throat.

Luckily, Derek knew him well and he knew what he was asking. "He's on leave right now. I'm not sure how long. I don't know where he went, either. He wasn't going to, but Hotch made him take the time. We'll see if he actually does."

Spencer curled his fingers tighter and leaned forward to press his forehead against the wall. Inside, he was screaming, everything in him wanting to be in two places at once. He wanted to be there but he knew he needed to be here. Both places needed him and it ripped at his insides until he thought he might be sick. "I...Morgan, I just…"

"Hey," Derek cut in gently. "Breathe, kid. Just breathe. I didn't call to tell you because I wanted you to come rushing back home. Trust me, we all get that you've got your own shit going on right now and I'm not trying to make you feel like you need to leave that behind to come and deal with this."

"I should be there."

"You should be exactly where you are. Gideon – kid, you know him. He's not gonna want anyone around right now. Even if you were here, there wouldn't be anything you could do for him. You stay where you are with your family and your own stuff. I just, wanted you to know what was going on. You deserved to know what was going on."

The rest of the conversation was sort of a blur for Spencer. He knew he promised to call Derek at some point in there. Whatever else he said or was said to him, he had no idea. It wasn't until he'd carefully folded his phone once more and put it in his pocket that he finally seemed to snap out the daze that had fallen over him. A deep, slightly shuddery breath helped him claw back control over the grace he could feel buzzing against his skin. His light wanted to spread out in an echo of what he was feeling inside. Years of suppressing his own emotions had him yanking it all down underneath a tight control. By the time he turned back to face the room once more, his face was calm and composed. No one would buy it, he knew. They'd been watching him much too closely for that. It didn't mean that he had to give them anything, though. This was his pain. His grief. It was none of their damn business.

Spencer's spine was straight when he made his way back over to them. It was a mask the likes of which he hadn't put on since early on with the boys but it was one he'd worn enough in his that he could maintain it fairly easily. Even his voice was normal and in control. "Are you guys finalizing plans to go after Famine? Or has something else cropped up while I was sleeping?"

"Spencer," Sam said lowly, almost hesitantly.

"No." Spencer cut in. One word, hard and firm. That was all he gave them. It was enough to make it clear, though. This wasn't something he was going to talk about.

It almost looked like the angels – minus Gabriel – weren't going to give it up so easily. Spencer could see the worry on Anna and Castiel and he saw the way Michael straightened up, eyebrows furrowed, and how one of his white wings moved as if to reach out for him. Spencer immediately shifted his course a little to the right and ended up standing by Dean and Sam. The older Winchester must've taken that as some sort of signal. He shifted his weight right when Spencer got to them and nudged him discreetly until he was standing right by the table with them, Sam on one side and Dean on the other. "We're ironing out plans and divvying up responsibilities." Dean told him. With a thumb he gestured over towards Michael and Raphael, who stood side by side at the other end of the table. "The archs over there are gonna go after Zach, it seems, which leaves the rest of us going after Famine."

"I'll be going with them to act as bait for Zachariah." Anna added in.

Spencer nodded. That made sense.

"I'll be traveling with you." Castiel said from the other side of Dean. "As will Gabriel. We will offer whatever angelic protection we can against Famine. It neatly splits our forces and ensures us the highest chance of safety."

Again, it made sense. Spencer nodded agreeably. However, much as he was trying to focus on this, it was apparent that not everyone was so willing to let go of what had been going on earlier. Michael hadn't stopped staring at him. As soon as Castiel was finished speaking, the oldest archangel called out Spencer's name, worry and demand both easy to hear in his voice.

Spencer ignored it. He tilted himself enough to look over to Sam's other side, where Gabriel was reclining easily in a chair, his head propped up against Sam's hip. It was sort of sweet to see; Sam was stroking almost absently at Gabriel's hair, like he was a cat or something. "Bobby should have the protection done that we were discussing. Last I spoke with him, he was ironing out a few last minute details. We should stop by there first and gather what he's made. That'll help protect us and leave us free to devote a bit more energy to other things."

"Sounds good, little bird." Compared to everyone else, Gabriel sounded completely at ease. He didn't fool Spencer – there was enough of a connection between them that he knew his guardian was worried about him. But Spencer had made it clear he wanted space and Gabriel was granting him that.

Michael, however, still was not. "Spencer." He repeated his name a bit sharper this time, much more demand in it.

Once more, the archangel was ignored. This time it was Dean who spoke over top of him. "Hey Cas, why don't you and Doc fly on over and see about getting that stuff from Bobby? We'll let you know once we're on the road or at our motel or whatever and you can bring it over."

Both Raphael and Michael watched in stunned amazement as Castiel didn't even bother checking with either one of them. The most he gave was a look over to Gabriel, who nodded minutely, and then he reached a hand out towards Spencer. The fledgling was so relieved at the chance to escape that he didn't even flinch at the feel of Castiel's grace. He leaned into the touch and, a second later, the two were gone.

Almost all eyes went to Michael as he straightened himself up the instant Spencer vanished. Grace flashed in his eyes and to those that could see, his wings were lifted high behind him in a sign of his temper. Gabriel didn't move from his position against Sam. He did, however, put himself on alert, prepared for the temper his brother was known for. Across the table, Dean's eyes met Michael's and the archangel spoke in a low, furious voice. "Who are you to issue commands here?"

A flash in Dean's eyes showed that he wasn't immune to the dominance display that Michael was putting off. Only, he didn't back down the way that the archangel had most likely hoped for. Instead he straightened up and squared his shoulders in a way that those who knew him knew meant he was digging his heels in. "This isn't Heaven. You may rule up there, but down here we have free will. It's what our little group has been fighting for. It's what your Daddy gave us."

"Spencer is not one of yours. He is one of mine and, as such, my responsibility." Michael said flatly.

Off to the side, Gabriel bristled, but Dean beat him to it. "He's a grown man; he can make his own decisions. If he didn't want to talk about that phone call, it was his right. If he wanted to go, he's free to go."

"He's a child!"

"That's where you keep crewing up with him." Dean shot back, surprising him. Everyone watched quietly as the two faced off against one another. "By your standards he's a kid. But he's lived a human life, dude. In his mind, he's always going to think of himself as an adult, and he's not gonna let you treat him like some kid. Not to mention, he doesn't even know you. You're just some stranger to him. He's not just gonna open up and spill. That's not how humans work and it's definitely not how the Doc works."

"He doesn't trust people." Sam added in. In contrast to Dean's sharp tone, his own was low and steady. The calm to his brother's anger. He looked at Michael and didn't flinch from him. "From everything we've seen with him, trust doesn't come easily for Spencer. You've got to work for it."

"And even if he does trust you, he's not gonna open up to you about whatever that phone call was." Dean said.

The way that Raphael and Michael looked at one another showed their confusion. The fact that they were listening, that they weren't yelling or smiting or anything like that was a pretty amazing thing in Dean's books. He'd expected a lot more temper. Instead, they were both staring at the Winchesters in a curious way, like they were actually listening. "Why?" Raphael asked. "We're his family."

"We're angels." Gabriel said, finally speaking up.

Sam spread out the hand that wasn't in Gabriel's hair palm up, a gesture of peace and almost a plea to listen. It was the same gesture he gave Dean when he was really trying to make his point sink home with his brother. "He doesn't know you as family. But even if you were – I get the impression Spencer doesn't let anyone in, really. He's not the type of person to let someone take care of him. He takes care of everyone else. Opening up and sharing his problems just doesn't seem like the type of thing he does. He's definitely not going to do it if you demand it from him. If you want him to trust you and confide in you than you're going to have to work at it and earn that trust from him."

Pulling away from Sam a little, Gabriel pushed up to his feet. "I warned you, Mikey. He's not like other fledglings. He didn't grow up in Heaven. That means he doesn't know how we're used to things being. He's not gonna do the things you think a fledgling should do. Until you realize that, you're gonna get nowhere with him." Turning to look at Sam and Dean, the archangel smiled. "C'mon, boys. We've got some things to go set up."

With a snap of the fingers, they were gone.

The next chapter is Famine, I promise you, and things move fast after that. This is way longer and wordier than I'd intended.

A lot of you keep asking about when/if they're going to meet the team. I just wanted to let you know, the team as a whole doesn't make a real appearance in this story. Just bits and pieces like this. However, right now my plans have the next story as Spencer, the CM team, and the archangels, no Winchesters. Sounds interesting, right? ;)