Spencer woke to the sound of voices shouting somewhere above his head.

It was like some badly orchestrated symphony playing around him. Sounds that would've been beautiful together felt raw and off key as they screeched back and forth at one another, sometimes overlapping, a cacophony of noise that grated on his ears and had his expression tightening. Someone needed to make it stop. Sweet merciful Heaven, someone needed to make it stop.

Immediately all sound stopped. Spencer only had a moment to be grateful before there was a hand on his forehead and he felt Gabriel's grace brush up against his. There was a wealth of love in that touch and something else that felt life a taste of fear that was being overwhelmed by wave after wave of relief. His voice, though, was calm when he spoke, and full of affection. "Projecting pretty loudly there, little bird."

Huh? Furrowing his brow, Spencer tried to puzzle it out. Then he gave it up for lost. His brain felt fuzzy and, oddly enough, so did his grace. He made a soft mewling sound that he'd later deny and rolled himself towards where he could feel the heat of Gabriel's grace and his vessel. A hand caught him and then he felt a wing as well, bracing him and holding him in place. "Woah there, kiddo. You're gonna roll right off the couch if you keep that up."

Spencer made that same little sound again and tried to press forward. His body wouldn't move, so he reached out with grace instead, wanting nothing more than to curl up right against Gabriel.

He heard what sounded like laughter around him and he could feel affection and amusement twining together in a familiar combination in Gabriel's grace. "All right, all right. Hold your horses there, Sparrow." Then, without giving Spencer a chance to respond, he was being picked up. It only took a second for Spencer to find out why. Gabriel was suddenly right there and Spencer made a happy sound as he was set in what felt like the archangel's lap. He curled himself in and burrowed as close against his father figure as he could. His arms felt like lead, yet he lifted one enough to slip it under Gabriel's jacket and reach in, curling his fingers around his side.

The sound of feathers and a familiar sensation of safety told him that wings had been curled around him.

"Uh..." Someone nearby cleared their throat. "Is he okay?"

That voice sounded familiar. Spencer's muzzy mind took note of that but dismissed it as unimportant. Gabriel was here. He'd keep Spencer safe.

"He's fine." Another voice answered, low and cold like the slide of ice under his feet. "His vessel and grace were damaged. Though healed, it will take a bit for him to fully recover. In the meantime he's reverted to a more natural state for his age."

"Fledglings seek contact when they're young. They seek it for just about everything, but especially if they're upset or hurt." Another voice said.

There were too many voices. Spencer grumbled and pressed his face in closer until it was half hidden under Gabriel's jacket. Why did there have to be so much noise? He just wanted to sleep.

Gabriel pulled him in closer, making it easier for Spencer to get his other arm under Gabriel's jacket as well. Stupid jacket was annoying, in the way of reaching Gabriel, but now that Spencer was under it, it was kind of nice. Like a blanket he could hide in. This was perfect. Or, almost. His ol'alihm was right here holding him close, but where was his al'alihm? Wasn't he… Memories tried to creep in and Spencer furrowed his brow for a different reason now. There had been… something. Something...wrong. Hadn't there? Al'alihm, he'd been… he was in danger. Hurt.

A soft brush of grace against the edge of Spencer's startled him. He didn't yank away, some part of him recognizing this touch even if he couldn't put a name to it. He knew it. "Your al'alihm is fine, little one." That cool voice told him. It was less ice this time – more snow, soft and yet still cool.

"His what?" A voice shouted, right at the same time that Spencer felt a flare of grace in the room and another voice growling out "Get away from him."

That other grace started to pull away, a hint of sadness touching its edges along with something that tasted old and bitter and broken. Spencer couldn't help himself; he reached his own grace back out and grabbed on, much like a child grabbing on to the wrist of an adult. He felt that other grace go still under his touch. Then, hesitantly, it reached back, and Spencer sighed happily. He didn't want that grace to go. He wasn't sure why, he just knew he didn't want it to go. He liked having it there. Faint memories tickled at his mind of this grace being there before. Of it wrapping around him, brushing inside of him – helping, healing. Safe, his own grace whispered.

A soft exhale from Gabriel brushed across Spencer's hair. "Well would you look at that?" he said lowly. Spencer tilted in, trying to figure out if maybe there was something wrong. Was Gabriel upset with him for reaching out? But Gabriel's hand stroked over his back before he could really begin to worry and his guardian hurried to reassure him. "It's fine, little sparrow. You're fine."

That other grace brushed over his, not trying to dislodge his hold, simply reassuring him that it was there. "Samuel." That cool voice said again. "You should join them. It's you that he's looking for. Part of him remembers you being in danger and seeks to reassure himself that his al'alihm is okay."

"Dude, we aren't taking orders from you." A gruff voice grumbled. "An I'm not letting Sammy anywhere near you."

Spencer felt the grace he held give a little ripple of annoyance. "Watch your tone with me, human."

The body under Spencer's went tense and he felt arms and wings curl tighter around him, holding him in place. "Stop it, all of you." Gabriel's voice rang out with an edge Spencer didn't usually hear there. It was angry, yet tinged with a sadness that was as old as time. "You can all stow your crap for five damn minutes or I'm kicking every single one of you out of here. I don't care about any of your bullshit right now."

"Gabriel…"

"Don't you 'Gabriel' me, brother. This is my house and you can all either keep your cool or get the hell out."

The temper in the room was climbing and Spencer's brain and grace both seemed to be waking up a little more underneath the feeling of it. That muzzy sensation was starting to fade away and memories were slipping in little by little. He didn't notice how his body tensed or how the room suddenly went quiet. Oh, God… Spencer felt like he was going to be sick. He and Sam, they'd been stuck in the motel room, waiting for the others to get back from fighting Famine. And there…there were demons. He'd had to fight demons. Then…angels. Zachariah. An old bar. Sam, tied up off to the side. Spencer's wrists held above his head in cuffs that suppressed his grace. Oh, God, Zachariah had had them. He'd had Spencer and Sam and he'd been questioning them. Torturing him. And Sam…Zachariah had told them to stab Sam!

Panic filled Spencer had he could feel his grace pushing out from it, flooding into the room around him without any sense of control. His whole body was locked down tight and his wings were out, trying to curl in around him, the fear and pain that he'd fought so hard not to feel before now crashing down in on him as the memories burned their way through his mind and the remembered pain seared at his grace.

Strong arms held him tightly and Spencer felt a familiar grace gathering around him and pulling him in. Someone was shouting – more than one someone – and Spencer knew that he should pay attention, that he should try and stop this, but he couldn't. A painful cry ripped its way up Spencer's throat and rang through the room with the echoes of his True Voice.

Spencer, a voice called to him, pushing against his grace. Spencer, sweetheart, come back to me. It's okay. You're okay.

Another grace tried to reach in and help and Spencer almost screamed at its touch, shoving himself away, pushing tighter in against Gabriel. Make it stop! Part of him screamed. Make it stop, please! Please!

There was a sharp shout and then that grace withdrew. But there was another there, one that Spencer had been clutching to, and it hesitantly pushed in. When Spencer didn't fight it, it wrapped more around him, brushing against not just his but Gabriel's as well. There was only a brief hesitation before Gabriel's grace allowed it in and the two sort of merged together before wrapping even more tightly around Spencer. Instead of feeling smothered, he felt safe and sheltered. Protected. There, contained by two that Spencer knew would keep him and everyone around him safe, the fledgling stopped trying to fight. A sob broke free past his lips and Spencer just let go.

The whole room watched quietly as Spencer broke apart in front of them. Gabriel had sensed it the instant that the memories had started to come back and he'd tried to prepare for what it would do to the fledgling. Spencer seemed like he was emotional enough on his own, though he'd learned the heartbreaking lesson on how to keep everything locked inside. But this? This was an assault against the very core of his being. Zachariah had held him and tortured him. He'd cut into the grace of a child. No matter how grown up the human side of Spencer was or how in control that part of him was, it couldn't win out against the all-encompassing pain and grief of the child inside of him. With his walls already low, Spencer couldn't control the fledgling part of himself.

It ripped at Gabriel to listen to his boy's sobs and to feel the pain inside of his grace. This was for more than just Zachariah, he knew. That had been the catalyst but this was something that had been building for a while. Spencer had gone through far too much even in the short time that Gabriel had known him. He'd had to deal with way more than any fledgling ever should have to. More than any human, either.

Michael and Raphael both stood off to the side, obviously wanting to help and just as obviously afraid to try. When Michael had tried to reach out to help Gabriel contain Spencer's grace once it started to leak out of him, the boy had reacted so violently that Michael didn't dare to try again and neither did Raphael.

What stunned them all was that Spencer was allowing Lucifer to help.

It'd been amazing enough before when Spencer had reacted positively to him, reaching out and pulling Lucifer back in even as Michael had been snapping at him to get away. But now, at his absolute lowest, he hadn't fought Lucifer's touch. He'd let it in. What else could Gabriel do but allow his brother in as well? There was nothing and no one more important to Gabriel than Spencer. If his fledgling wanted Lucifer here, than Lucifer was going to be here. He'd already proved that he cared about Spencer.

Gabriel faintly heard the low murmur of Castiel's voice over the sound of Spencer's cries. What he heard had him wanting to thank the seraph profusely. Castiel was gathering up everyone and moving them outside. It wasn't much, but at least it would give the illusion of privacy for Spencer. Once the kid became coherent again he was going to hate just how vulnerable he'd allowed himself to be. Having an audience there was only going to make it worse.

In short order everyone was outside of the house – even Michael and Raphael. Michael stayed close; not that Gabriel had expected otherwise. The oldest of them wasn't going to leave them entirely unsupervised with Lucifer present. But, honestly? Lucifer was the least of Gabriel's concerns.

Gabriel looked up over the top of Spencer's head and watched his brother. It was a slightly stunning image to see; the Morningstar, the one who had sworn never to kneel to humans, never to love them the way Father had commanded, was kneeling there on the ground in front of the couch, one hand on Spencer's back and the other on his leg, watching the little fledgling with so much open concern on his face. It was a look Gabriel hadn't seen there in a long, long time, not since long before this war had first started. Lucifer had always cared about the fledglings in his own way. A lot of them had been in awe of him, not quite able to play with him the way they liked to do with Gabriel, but he'd cared about them all the same. He was the one who had helped to teach Gabriel to fly. He was the one who had cradled Gabriel to him a few times and soothed him down after Gabriel had been caught in the middle of one of Michael and Lucifer's fights, that same look of worry on his face back then as there was now. To see it directed towards Spencer was just….Gabriel didn't know how it made him feel.

"I will not harm him." Lucifer said lowly, his words pitched quiet and in Enochian to make them private between the two, an attempt not to disturb the still crying child.

There was a promise in them that Gabriel couldn't deny. Lucifer hadn't hurt Spencer so far and he'd made it very clear in many ways that he didn't plan to in the future either. "It would be the last thing you ever did." Gabriel vowed.

Lucifer gave a small nod, his understanding and acceptance of the promise Gabriel had just made.

Little by little, Spencer lost power to his cries, his tears finally running their course. The two archangels held him and kept him contained inside of his vessel until, after almost ten straight minutes of crying, the boy cried himself out. Gabriel and Lucifer both drew their graces back just a bit, though not completely. They didn't have to contain Spencer anymore but neither one of them seemed willing to withdraw their protection completely. It kind of surprised Gabriel, honestly, to see how Lucifer was acting. This was so strongly reminiscent of the brother he had once known. It made his grace ache to have that brother back again.

The feeling of fingers in his feathers drew Gabriel's thoughts away from his brother and back down to the boy that he was holding. Spencer was still buried against him, still exhausted, but now that the grief and heartache had run their course, it left room for the embarrassment to kick in. Even as it did, part of Spencer still sought out contact – comfort. For him that seemed to be Gabriel's wings. The archangel had noticed how Spencer would play with his feathers when upset or worried or anything like that. Now was no different. Thin fingers threaded between feathers, just sitting there. Really, it was a comfort for them both. Never again did Gabriel want to have to feel the fear that had struck him when Spencer and Sam were missing, nor the pain he'd felt as Spencer had broadcast over angel radio.

Against his chest Gabriel heard the low murmur of Spencer's voice; just one single word. "Sorry."

"Don't be." Gabriel said immediately.

"I didn't mean to freak out on you. I just…I don't know."

It was Lucifer who spoke up first, before Gabriel got the chance. "I'd say that you earned it, little one."

Gabriel watched as Spencer blinked a bit in surprise at the second voice. He turned his head away from Gabriel just enough to be able to look over and see who was talking to him. The trickster would've been lying if he'd said he didn't like that Spencer didn't pull away from him or even try to untangle himself. Having the fledgling up against him was the only thing that was keeping Gabriel from having a freak out of his own.

For a moment Spencer just stared at Lucifer and Gabriel waited with bated breath. After a pause, the fledgling shifted a little more, turning just a bit more towards the other archangel. He tilted his head a little and Gabriel could feel him thinking. "You're Lucifer." Spencer finally said. It wasn't a question - it was a statement, colored slightly by surprise.

Lucifer tilted his own head as well and met Spencer's gaze without flinching. "Indeed."

"You're the one that saved Sam and I, back at that barn. I remember that. It was your grace I felt."

"It was."

The two stared for a moment longer. Gabriel waited, feeling like he was witnessing something big here, something that was teetering on the edge of a knife. Whichever way it went was going to make a big difference on their future. If Spencer wanted nothing to do with Lucifer, it would be hard to get anyone else to agree to have him around - Gabriel included. Convincing the kid of something he didn't want to do was something that Gabriel knew would be almost impossible. Spencer was too silently stubborn.

He should've known the kid would continue to surprise him.

After another long pause, Spencer gave a small nod. "Thank you. You saved Sam's life, and I'm pretty sure you saved mine as well."

The ghost of a smile touched Lucifer's lips. "It was my pleasure, young one."

"Spencer. My name's Spencer." The kid introduced himself quietly. Spencer's wing reached out, hesitantly brushing against Lucifer's in a gesture that had the other archangel actually flinching a little. Not out of dislike, but what Gabriel could see was shock. It'd been a long time since someone had offered that gesture to Lucifer. It choked Gabriel up a bit to see his fledgling be the one to do so.

When Spencer drew back, unsure, Gabriel sent a soothing wave of grace to him, trying to reassure him it was nothing he'd done. He thought he sensed a bit of understanding in Spencer after a second.

"Where is everyone?" Spencer asked, switching the subject. He looked around with tired eyes. "Didn't I hear them earlier?"

"They gave us a moment." Gabriel answered.

He felt Spencer's embarrassment increase a little. The kid didn't like showing off his emotions, especially not that drastically or in front of other people. He pushed it down, though. "We should call them back in. I want to know what I missed before I start to," A yawn broke in and Spencer chuckled when it was done. "Before I fall asleep, apparently. I'm tired."

"It's to be expected. Healing takes a lot out of you. Your grace was already low before I tried to heal it." Lucifer told him.

Thinking of that only reminded Gabriel of what had happened to his kid to begin with, and that had his arms tightening around Spencer briefly.

Gabriel reached out with his grace to let his brothers know that it was time to come back in.

Time to get this conversation started. They had a lot to talk about and there was no putting off most of it. His eyes met Lucifer's over top of Spencer's head and he found himself hoping that things went the way he hoped they would. The way that Lucifer was looking down at Spencer, it brought up so many old memories, reminding Gabriel of a time before his brother had become 'the devil'. Selfishly, he wanted to do anything he could to get that brother back.