If Sam thought he'd seen it all when he first spotted Gabriel with a fish tail, he was sorely mistaken. Because now the archangel was back on dry land, with two perfectly normal human legs with no explanation. And Sam still couldn't help the feeling that he'd heard something similar happening before; it niggled at the very back of his mind, infuriatingly close yet out of reach. And to top it off, he was still utterly clueless at how to get them out of this mess. Gabriel now was his only hope.
"Sam? Did you hear me?" John Winchester's voice shook Sam from his thoughts with a jolt, and he turned to look at his father.
He had managed to get used to a lot of things since discovering his life as a prince in this messed up reality, like everyone in the town bowing when he walked by, or being allowed to do what he liked, when he liked. But there was plenty that still felt completely alien to him. Seeing Adam and his father, for one, and having his every whim catered to at a moment's notice. But stranger still was his father's insistence that three times a day, they all ate together just like a normal family. It was so bizarre, so different from the John Winchester he knew, that Sam just couldn't become comfortable with it and so distracted himself during these times by focusing on more important matters; escaping, Gabriel, where Dean and Cas were, and what havoc the Leviathans were wrecking in their absence.
The others tended not to notice his glazed, distant look and silence throughout meals. They were a constant bustle of servants bringing assorted food heaped on spectacular silver platters to each of them individually, while others hung around the long gleaming table with jugs to ensure their cups were never empty. Bobby, who in this screwed up reality was the king's personal adviser, often dined with them and both he and John tended to be enveloped in a quiet private conversation of their own. So Sam was usually allowed to inhabit his own personal bubble, undisturbed. Not tonight, though.
"Huh?" Was his first response. He cleared his throat as John raised his eyebrow, and tried again, "Sorry, what did you say?"
John fixed him with a stern look that sent an unpleasant shiver racing down Sam's spine. "I asked who your new friend was, and if he will be joining us?"
"Uh.." Sam trailed off awkwardly, his cheeks heating up when he spotted Dean opposite him catch Adam's eye before they broke out into identical smirks. "He's uh.. He's with Ellen. She's cleaning him up."
Sam had had to do some very serious, very quick thinking as he lugged Gabriel's unconscious body up the stone slope and back to the castle, Bones barking madly around his feet. By the time he ran into someone – who happened to be Adam – he had a story half-formed; the archangel was a complete stranger who had happened to wash up onshore, clearly the victim of a shipwreck or something similar. Adam had helped carry Gabriel to Ellen, their housekeeper, who promised to fix him up as best she could. And then, before Sam could stop him, Adam had spread the story like wildfire.
A servant chose then to approach John, and Dean took the moment to lean over and hiss, "Hey Sammy, maybe he's your mermaid!"
Adam snorted as the back of Sam's neck flushed. "First of all, he was a merman. And second, he was real."
Just then, the door swung open. Dean swivelled in his chair to look, and even John glanced up from the servant's platter of food. Ellen stood in the threshold, ushering someone just out of sight towards her. And slowly, Gabriel walked into view. Sam was immensely relieved everyone's attention was fixed on the same point – it gave him all the more reason to stare. The sail Gabriel had been wearing had been thrown away and replaced with a white cotton shirt that hung open, revealing a large expanse of the archangel's chest. He was also wearing a pair of navy blue shorts, and his feet were bare. His amber eyes glanced left and right up the table, finally coming to rest on Sam, and the hunter could swear he saw the archangel relax marginally.
"What's your name, son?" John's voice snapped Sam out of his trance. He had almost forgotten the others were there.
To Sam's amazement, Gabriel didn't answer. He just turned to look at John, pointed at his throat and shook his head. Sam exchanged a puzzled look with Adam, who shrugged. Ellen came to the rescue, her hand patting Gabriel on the shoulder.
"He hasn't said a word since he awoke, sire." She explained gently.
"Probably the trauma of the shipwreck." Sam interjected quickly, and saw Gabriel breathe a sigh of relief. When John nodded in understanding, Sam visibly relaxed as well, but didn't take his eyes off the archangel. So Gabriel had lost his voice on top of everything else? As Sam sat back in his chair, that infuriating feeling that he'd heard a similar story before swelled up inside him, and he scowled in frustration. If only he could remember why this felt so familiar, he'd stand a chance of figuring out how to break it.
"I understand," John said, indicating to one of the spare seats around the huge table. "Well son, feel free to join us. You must be famished."
As Gabriel bent his head in a bow before taking a seat between Adam and Sam and immediately disappeared behind the sudden horde of servants carrying silver plates, Sam resisted the urge to groan in despair. Somehow, between Gabriel saving his life as a merman and turning up on the beach with legs, the archangel had managed to lose his voice. Something like that didn't just happen, there had to be a reason for it. But Sam was stumped, and just how the hell were they supposed to communicate? They were running into brick walls everywhere they turned, and Sam was beginning to lose patience.
"So what am I supposed to do with a mute archangel?"
Gabriel glared at him, scowling, and Sam could practically hear him snap, 'Oh, bite me'.
The next day, Sam used the masquerade of taking Gabriel on a guided tour around the castle when in fact he just wanted a chance to talk to the archangel alone. And the best place for that in Sam's opinion was the library. It seemed that even in this reality, Dean's personality and traits was spot on and as such Sam doubted he'd ever set foot in the room. Adam was much more of a problem, but he was certain his alternative-reality-half-brother had left the castle as soon as their first meal was over. And John, of course, would be busy running his kingdom.
"Seriously, Gabe," Sam sighed, "How'd you manage to go and lose your voice? I kind of need your opinion here. Although I'm not gonna pretend the silence isn't a welcome change."
Gabriel's glare only intensified, and he responded by flipping Sam off as the hunter laughed for what felt like the first time in ages.
"Sorry, sorry! I'm kidding!"
The archangel heaved a silent sigh and sat back in his chair, arms folded over his chest and pouted. He'd gone through a nightmare of a time to get to Sam, and all the jackass could do was crack jokes at his expense? Part of him wished he'd told Ruby, Meg and Crowley to stick their deal, and was still in the ocean. At least then he'd be able to speak, which would make this whole thing a lot less difficult. At least then he could actually tell Sam to fuck off.
"Sorry Gabe. Seriously though, what the hell?"
Gabriel paused for a moment, chewing on his lip. Although Crowley hadn't specifically forbade Gabriel from talking about their deal, it still didn't strike him as a particularly clever idea. Minus the bizarre situation, it was essentially Gabriel making a deal with a demon. And hadn't Sam and his older brother condemned Castiel for doing the same thing not all that long ago? Despite the situation, Gabriel couldn't see Sam approving. But on the other hand, could he think of anything more convincing as to how he was suddenly tail-less and unable to speak? He'd lied every day for most of his impossibly long life, and even he couldn't think of something good enough that would answer all of Sam Winchester's questions.
Rolling his eyes, he grabbed a sheet of paper lying abandoned on the table and a steel-nibbed pen and scribbled a very hasty summing-up of what had happened between himself and Crowley – leaving out Castiel and the demons-come-mermaids – before shoving it to the hunter. Sam took it and read it quickly, his eyebrows rising higher and higher with every passing second before he dropped the note and stared, open-mouthed, at Gabriel.
"Wait, let me get this straight," He began sharply, "You made a deal with Crowley who -" He glanced at the note again, "- has tentacles?" When Gabriel nodded, he went on after pausing to shudder. "And you traded your voice for three days of humanity?" When the archangel nodded again, Sam rubbed his forehead with his hand and sighed heavily, crumpling the note up in his hand.
Well, this was just fantastic. Gabriel, in a completely reckless and stupid move, had signed himself over to an underwater demon that, if he was anything like his real-life counterpart, was going to be cunning and clever and almost fucking impossible to kill. Not only that, but it seemed Gabriel had agreed to such a deal without an exit clause; all they had to work with was three days of silence – well, one and a half, now – to find an answer to get them out of this angel's curse before Gabriel would be dragged back to the sea and Sam would be well and truly alone.
"So that's it, is it? All we have is today and tomorrow, and then you go to Crowley? And there's nothing we can do about it?"
Gabriel paused, debating whether or not to tell Sam about Crowley's 'kiss of true love' escape route, but he decided not to when he caught the hunter's concerned eye. Yeah, he liked the kid, but he wasn't like Castiel; utterly besotted and sickeningly in love. And he highly doubted Sam felt that way about him. A kiss of true love wasn't something they could just fake, and all it would amount to was a waste of their precious time. There wasn't a point. So he shook his head and gave Sam a look that plainly said, 'If there was, wouldn't I have mentioned it?'
Sam obviously got the message because he frowned and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you'd have told me if there was." He sighed again and ran his hand through his hair. "So, any thoughts on how to work this out before you become part of an octopus demon's collection?"
Gabriel's expression hardened at that, before giving the library around them a glance. The room was large and warm, full of golden sunlight that lit up every inch of the castle. Each shelf was highly polished, and each book looked as though it had been thumbed through at least twice. Through the windows just in front of the table they currently sat at was a beautiful view of the same beach Sam had found Gabriel on, the ocean a soft calm blue. Gabriel found himself staring at it almost wistfully, wondering how his Father had taken Castiel's story, or what the young merman was doing now.
He turned back to Sam suddenly and jerked his head towards the shelves of books before catching the hunter's eye again and shrugging as if to say 'What hurt can it do to look?'
Sam followed his gaze and back again, before raising one eyebrow sceptically. "You really think we're gonna find an answer here?"
Gabriel shrugged again. If he had been behind this whole thing, he would have made sure to leave at least one clue for his victims to find. Therefore, in his mind anyway, it made sense for them to at least search during their allotted time, just in case. But, of course, he couldn't say all this and he'd be damned if he became chained to the archaic means of writing it all down, so he just slumped in his chair and raised a hand to Sam; 'You got anything better?'
The hunter's lips twitched in a smile, and he raised his hands in a placating gesture. "No, I haven't got any better ideas. Well, if you're okay with reading the whole library, we'd better get started."
For the next few hours, they barely moved other than to grab a different book or flip a page or slam another useless book on the tabletop with a frustrated scowl. Well, Sam did. Gabriel worked adamantly for two hours or so, then predictably became bored. It was frankly remarkable how distracting he could be without being able to make a single sound. He flipped the pages of books, stacked them in increasingly dangerous-looking piles, or just sat staring out of the window, drumming his fingers on the table to different tunes.
Sam finally snapped when he had just finished scanning through yet another useless book. He'd dropped it back onto the table with a yawn and had tried to talk himself into taking another when something hard bounced painfully off the centre of his forehead. Starting, he sat up straight and caught sight of Gabriel, who was twiddling his thumbs and looking altogether far too innocent. That's when Sam caught sight of the ball of paper nestling in his lap.
Feeling frustration bubbling up inside him, Sam grabbed it and took aim, ready to fling it straight at Gabriel's now grinning face, when the door to the library opened and Adam entered.
"Having fun?" He asked rather uncertainly, eyeing the teetering piles of books surrounding them. Then, without waiting for an answer, ploughed straight on. "Sam, it's time for dinner."
"Oh, right. I'll, uh, be right there."
"Better hurry. Dad's already a little vexed that you missed lunch." And with that, he turned and vanished. Sam got to his feet quickly, muttering curses under his breath, when he noticed that Gabriel hadn't moved a muscle.
"Are you coming?" The archangel shook his head and with a resigned frown pulled the next book towards him. Sam couldn't help it; he grinned. "I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"
Gabriel caught his eye and smirked before turning back to the book in his lap. Sam hurried to the door but paused on the threshold to look back. The sun outside was sinking, casting the room with a brilliant orange glow. And from where Gabriel was sat just in front of the glass, it caught him perfectly, making it seem as though he were glowing from the inside out. Oh yeah, Sam was royally screwed.
Hoping desperately that the archangel hadn't noticed him hanging around or the sudden heat in his cheeks, Sam took off down the corridor at a furious pace, his hands curling into fists as he walked. And as he did so, something sharp bit into his palm, making him jump. Confused, he opened his hand and examined the ball of paper Gabriel had lobbed at his head, and felt an involuntary smile curve his mouth. Thinking back on another time where Gabriel had used the same tactic, Sam unravelled it to find another hastily scrawled message.
'Entertain me, Sammy!'
"Guess he doesn't have his archangel powers in this place." Sam said to himself, tucking the note into his pocket, mind still stuck on Gabriel's wake-up-call-via-paper-ball back at the motel. "Probably for the best. At least he can't zap himself gum any-"
And in that moment, one of Gabriel's innocuous comments came back to Sam, hitting him so hard he came to a complete and utter halt, frozen, halfway down the hall. 'Hey, someone's gotta be here to watch over you, Sleeping Beauty'. Sleeping. Beauty. And suddenly, the pieces began to chunk slowly and slot into place in Sam's brain; the previous cases, what had transpired so far and why he'd felt he'd heard it all before. It was because he had, but not in a case. In a fairy tale. The Little Mermaid, to be exact. And if he remembered correctly, Ariel made the deal with Ursula because..
Sam's brain suddenly exploded in a rambled mess of 'Oh God, he's the Little Mermaid, oh my God, does that mean I have to kiss him to turn him back? Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck' and he was seriously debating turning on his heel, marching into the room and kissing Gabriel until he was completely breathless. But then thankfully, rational thought began to seep slowly back into his mind. He'd specifically asked Gabriel if there was a way of breaking Crowley's deal, and he'd insisted there wasn't. And that meant one of two things; either Gabriel didn't think Sam would find that particular piece of information credible or informative, or..
Or Gabriel didn't want that to end up being a choice.
Ice settled in the pit of Sam's stomach, and he suddenly didn't feel quite as hungry as he thought he had been. In fact, he felt physically sick. Was this Gabriel's answer to the plea Sam had never voiced of wanting an answer? And just why the hell had he ever thought the archangel's rejection could possibly hurt less than not knowing? He'd somehow been stupid or naïve enough to think Gabriel considered him more than a friend, if he was even that in the archangel's eyes. Just for a moment, he'd hoped there was a chance Gabriel would return his feelings.
Reality stinging deep in his chest, Sam continued to the dining hall. Hopefully together they could find a way out of this quickly, and he could forget this whole thing had ever happened.
Gabriel was confused.
Sam had returned a long time after he'd left, and when he did he was silent and sullen. Any attempts Gabriel made at making contact were completely ignored, and Sam only flicked half-heartedly through a single book before he mumbled something about being tired and sloped out again. Gabriel sat at the table, utterly stunned for a minute or two, before he slammed his own book closed and left. But he didn't return to the room Ellen had shown him to the night before. Instead, he left the castle altogether, down the stone pathway and out onto the beach.
The night air was blissfully cool after the stuffy warmth of the library, and he relished it. He didn't like feeling trapped in the castle, even though it was massive. He was still chained to it, unable to just click his fingers and be on the other side of the world whenever the mood so took him. And to make matters worse, he now only had a day of humanity left before he'd be back in the ocean, tethered to Crowley for however long it took Sam to find an answer. And speaking of Sam, just what was his problem? Kid had been fine when he'd left, and come back like he'd been served live kittens for dinner or something.
Gabriel frowned as he reached the pier at the far end of the beach and climbed onto it, the wood rough against his bare feet. He'd give Sam a piece of his mind tomorrow. Well, as much as he possibly could in his condition, anyway. He was at least owed an explanation, right? He deserved that at least, didn't he? He hadn't gone through all of this for fun. But he was wasting precious time brooding. What he should really be doing was settling in for a whole night in the library, making up for time they just didn't have.
But before Gabriel could move off back to the castle and more tedious hours of reading, he spotted something breaking the surface in the water just in front of him. His body tensed at first before he recognised the untidy wet mop of dark hair and blue eyes, and then his face split into a wide grin and he dropped to his knees to lean over the edge of the pier.
"Hello brother." Castiel said rather more warmly than the last time they'd spoken, actually managing a small smile. "I brought somebody with me."
Gabriel could only tilt his head but he didn't have long to be confused; the next moment, Balthazar had bobbed into view beside Castiel, his expression one of disbelief. "I've got to say Cassie; I still thought you were making this up until now."
Gabriel grinned as Castiel shot Balthazar an unimpressed glare. "Why would I lie about this?"
Balthazar shrugged. "Guess I always thought our older brother had more sense than running off to the sea witch to join the humans." But he was grinning as he spoke. "So, how goes it? Castiel told me about your deal. Any luck?"
Gabriel raised a hand and tilted it left and right, then pointed at them; 'So-so. You?'
"Father believes you to be deeply upset about your promise to never see Sam again and thus believes you to be avoiding Him." Castiel explained. "He suspects nothing else, yet."
"Yeah, that's the main word isn't it?" Balthazar grimaced, and then turned back to Gabriel. "Do you need some help convincing the prince to give you that kiss?"
Gabriel only just about managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes, and instead just shook his head. Finding a way of kissing Sam was kind of right at the very bottom of his list of priorities. He needed a way out of this universe, not a way of staying human in it.
"Alright," Balthazar looked unconvinced, though. "Well, we'll be here to check up on you tomorrow, so if you change your mind, you know where to find us."
Sam felt like a stalker, and he kind of was acting like one, hiding as he was behind one of the castle's stone walls and watching Gabriel as he made his way down to the beach. But Gabriel was bound to be furious with him, having a meltdown like that and all but running away, tail between his legs, so he couldn't just approach and ask if the archangel wanted company. But this was ridiculous. Sam was a full-grown hunter; he and his brother were probably the stuff of nightmares of demons and other evil. And here he was, crouching behind a wall like a frightened child.
That didn't stop him hiding there until he was three-hundred-and-fifty per-cent certain Gabriel had gone out of earshot, though.
Finally squeezing out of his hiding place, Sam stretched his numb limbs. He was being ridiculous. Hadn't he convinced himself ages ago that it would be nothing short of a miracle if Gabriel returned his feelings? Hadn't he been over this a thousand and one times in his head? Hadn't he always known that the likeliest option was the archangel's rejection? And despite all of that, it had taken a slap from reality to remind him just how stupid he'd been.
He was wasting time. He should be making his disappearing act up to Gabriel while he took a nighttime stroll, not hiding behind walls in a pathetic attempt to avoid having to talk to the archangel. He was an adult, after all. Maybe he should start acting like it.
"Sam?"
The hunter froze where he stood, the familiar, warm voice floating around his head, filling him with a sudden desperate, aching desire. Hadn't he fallen asleep listening to that voice for months? Hadn't those soft, kind notes once filled him with warmth and want and love? Hadn't he heard that voice haunting his nightmares for weeks, her screams ringing in his ears along with the roar of a fire?
"Sam? Are you there?"
He promptly turned on his heel and began to march towards the gardens without making a conscious decision to do so. Jessica's voice filled his ears, drowning out any semblance of rational thought, making him utterly deaf to any voice other than the one currently calling to him. He had to see her; he had to hold her, why had he ever dared to move his affections on to someone else? He loved her, he needed her, and she was alive, she wanted him.
And there, just in the distance, appearing out of the mist just ahead, there she was. Her hair a tumble of perfect golden curls, her eyes warm and loving and alive, a simple white dress fluttering in the gentle breeze. She opened her arms to him, a smile twisting her beautiful lips, and Sam didn't even hesitate to fall into their familiar embrace, his heart feeling like it was swelling inside his chest and his mind, for once, blissfully blank.