Thanks for the support guys! I finished three more chapters and hope to publish a few more over the holidays. I'm also debating bringing Cas in early and seeing where things head from there. Let me know what you think!
The trip to the diner was quiet and Deanna refused to let go of Sam for an instant, not that Dean blamed her. She was just a little girl and Dean remembered just how bad it had shaken him when he lost their mom. At least he found a purpose in raising Sam, Deanna seemed to be empty and had a lost feeling to her. She just stayed quiet and did whatever Sam told her zoning out the rest of the world.
Gabriel was waiting for them with a table when they arrived and he wondered if she had told them about waking up at his house yet. He already planned to explain that he had taken her to keep her safe before he went after the demon but if she said something he might not get a chance to explain since they were all so fragile at the time. "Heya angel! That's a nice dress you have on there. Remember me? I brought you over to my house before?" He said kindly and Deanna nodded giving him a half attempt at a smile. It made Gabriel want to smite the crap out of all his brothers and most definitely Azazel more then ever but he reined it in.
"She went over to your house?" Sam asked confused and Gabriel nodded looking away from Deanna into the hazel eyes he knew so well.
"Before, ya know what, I was trying to get her out of there do I could deal with yellow eyes without her getting hurt. Brought her over to my place but she slipped out before I even realized she was awake and could explain that I wasn't a bad guy." He told him which was the truth... Mostly. Sam nodded and sat Deanna down at the table before hugging Gabriel tightly.
"Thank you for saving my daughter. I... I don't know what I would have done if I lost her too." He admitted letting go of the shocked archangel and slipping into the booth next to Deanna who immediately cuddled to his side gripping his shirt tightly. Gabriel finally composed himself and sat back down while Dean slipped in next to him sitting where he could see the door and the impala out the window like he always did.
Gabriel couldn't bare seeing Deanna so detached so he decided he needed to put on a show for her. It was his fault she was in this mess, he was her mother and he was supposed to protect her, the least he could do is make his baby smile again. "I don't think we met each other properly before. My name is Gabriel, like the angel, what's yours?" He said to Deanna while Dean ordered. Of course Gabriel knew her name, he chose it after all, but they didn't know that.
Sam was about to explain that Deanna wasn't talking right then but she beat him to the punch making him smile a little. "Deanna... My middle name is an angel name too. It's Azrael. I like it." She told Gabriel quietly not sure why but she felt like she could trust him. He gad the same color eyes as she did and his smile made her happy. She gave him a better smile when he seemed to be in awe over her name.
"Wow that's a very pretty name for a very pretty girl. Are you sure you're not an angel yourself? Have you checked for wings?" He teased her making her blush but was a little worried suddenly. He had checked her over after he had her to see if he could sense any grace in her and she had come back squeaky clean and completely human but he wasn't sure if she'd stay that way. A traumatic event like what she went though might cause the bit of angel in her to spark up to defend her and he couldn't have her sprouting wings out of no where.
"I don't have wings silly. I'm a girl! But mommy Jessica has wings now. She's in heaven... I know it." She said sounding certain of that fact and Gabriel nodded his agreement looking at Sam out of the corner of his eye seeing his lips twitch into a bitter sweet smile.
"Oh yes, she's most definitely in heaven. But if you don't mind me asking, how do you know?" He asked putting on an innocently curious smile. Dean seemed content to let him talk with Deanna and Sam seemed happy she was talking but Gabriel knew that the three of them needed to talk soon too.
"I... I don't know... In my dreams sometimes I see things... Places and people and things that I never saw when I was awake and... I think it's heaven. There was a man there, with the bluest blue eyes. He saw me and talked with me in my dream last night and I made him promise to make sure to take care of my mommy so I know she's safe now." Deanna said and Gabriel was sure all three of them had expressions of shock though his was starting to border on horror. She was crossing into heaven in her dreams? Thank his father that it seems only Castiel saw her, because his littlest brother wouldn't dare harm a child even a nephilim. But if anyone else saw her...
"I'm very happy for you. That is very good that you have an angel to watch over her for you. Here... My big brother have this to me before I left home to keep me safe. Maybe it'll help you too." He said pulling off that only thing he had kept from his days in heaven and placing the necklace around her neck after getting a nod from Sam. To a human it was just a simple golden feather shaped pendant but in all reality it was actually one of Gabriel's own feathers. Lucifer had infused it with his grace so that it would hide the wearer from heaven and help conceal their grace. He knew that he'd have to tell Deanna the truth about who he was sooner then he had hoped but until he got that chance the necklace should keep her from his other brothers.
"You didn't have to do that.., if that's important to you..." Sam said looking at the necklace thinking it was beautiful but something about it seemed familiar to him for some reason. Like he had seen it before but he couldn't figure out when.
"Nah, it's fine. It's just a protection charm. My brother and I aren't... He... Let's just say I come from a very dysfunctional family and that the brother who gave that to me has been dark side for too long to count." He said sadly hating how he couldn't ever seem to keep his mouth closed around Sam.
Dean cleared his throat and decided to get down to business. "Look here Gabe? Can I call you that? Our dad has been after this guy for years and years. Now our dad goes off the map and this thing pops back into our lives? Doesn't sound like a coincidence. So anything you can give us to help is really appreciated." He told him and Gabriel had to really think about what he could say. He knew everything there was to know about Azazel and he also knew that they wouldn't be able to kill him. They weren't ready yet and things had yet to come to light that he was sure they weren't ready to hear yet either. But he wasn't going to let them leave with nothing either.
"I only know what I found. That he's a high ranking demon, no little peabody. He's not choosing targets at random either. There's a pattern to his victims but I haven't figured that out either. Here's what I do have in this folder and those are copies so you can keep them. I really wish you boys the best in finding him and I hope we meet up again on better terms. She's a real special kid you got there, keep her close and don't let any other hunters or anyone know about that gift of hers. Word travels fast and I'm sure you know how hunters handle things they don't understand." He warned feeling that it was time for him to go before he said to much.
Dean stood and let him out of the booth sliding the folder to Sam and Deanna crawled under the table letting go of Sam for the first time since the fire to hug Gabriel tightly before he left. "I know you're a real angel... But I'll keep your secret safe." She whispered in his ear after tugging on his shirt to make him lean down and he nodded at her winking before deciding to let her in on a little more. "You'll see me again, don't worry. I'm here to protect you. If you ever need me just pray for Gabriel and say amen." He whispered back as he ruffled her hair and walked out turning just in time to see the first real smile she had all day break out across her face. One day he'd tell her the truth but for now letting her think he was her guardian angel was enough for him especially if that dimpled smile she inherited from Sam was his reward.