AN: A big, big thankyou to my lovely reviewers. And welcome to my new reader 1little shadow!

I have no excuses, so here it is...

Chapter 19

Seven steps to the right…turn around…seven steps back…turn around…and repeat…

Castiel followed his brother's erratic movement as he paced the confined cell. His emotional revelation earlier had spurred Gabriel to concern. But after assuring his brother of his well being, repeatedly, Gabriel had commenced his march again.

They had been here for a while, Gabriel deduced, though he didn't care to recall if it had been hours or even days since their capture. And that was the main cause of his anxiousness…the anticipation. It was killing him, the expectation of the future.

'What would Lucifer do?' he wondered. 'Would he demand our loyalty? Would he use us as puppets to do his bidding? Would he force his will on us and compel us to murder our own brethren? Or…or would he just kill us?...Kill me? But no…no…surely not…He wouldn't kill me…he wouldn't…'

Sure, Lucifer had proved himself to be a cold hearted bastard by killing several of their siblings. But he couldn't be so far gone as to kill him, Gabriel, by his own hands. The youngest archangel, the tiny fledgling that he had held in his own hands, and played pranks with, and saved from Michael's righteous anger upon those pranks…surely his grace was not so tainted as to murder his own little brother in cold blood.

Ah…Michael…But Lucifer was so hell-bent on killing Michael, their eldest brother. Michael had been to Lucifer what Lucifer had been to him. Michael was the first archangel, the eldest. Michael had raised Lucifer just as Lucifer had raised him. And yet he was so willing to kill his little brother all in the name of righteousness.

And Lucifer was ready to have the prophesied showdown and kill Michael too. And if he was willing to kill Michael, would he willingly kill Gabriel too? Could he?

If the ancient bond between his elder siblings had been severed and ripped, then what hope was left for him? The archangel's had once been a close-knit family of their own, long before the birth of their other siblings. And now, they were so eager to rip each other's throat out.

His beloved family, his brothers…they had forgotten everything…forgotten him. So consumed were they in their anger and hatred that they had so easily dismissed the bonds that had united them into a loving family.

Did they even remember the time when they were together and happy? When Father had not yet disappeared and heaven was the glorious paradise it used to be? Did they even remember that they were brothers?

And then Lucifer rebelled and everything went down the drain. Father left, Michael became cold and detached, Raphael became even more militaristic and stuck-up than before and he…he ran away.

He had just been so horrified and overwhelmed. Brother killing brother, sister killing sister, heaven drowned in blood and despair…he couldn't take it anymore. He had to get away.

He convinced himself that it was for the best, that no one would miss him. He told himself that his family…his family was dead. That his brothers, devoured with hate, had ceased to be the siblings they had once been. He had promised himself that he would disappear forever and never come back.

And yet, somehow, he had let himself be dragged into this mess again. He had to face this all over again.

He couldn't even run away, not this time. Not from Cass. He had a purpose again, a reason to exist. He had a new family, albeit a smaller one. He had to protect them.

But could he do it? Could he go against Michael and Lucifer? Could he forsake them, just as they had carelessly thrown him aside?

No…no, he couldn't. He couldn't hurt them, not his brothers. Because they would always be his brothers, even if they had forgotten. They were brothers. They were family. Blood was thicker than water, or in this case, grace.

Unbidden, an image invaded his mind, so suddenly, that for a moment, he lost control of the tightly lidded emotions he had buried inside. The Winchesters, the straggling dynamic duo that had floored demons and angels alike with their dedication, stubbornness, resilience and most importantly, their love for one another. The startling image that had pervaded his mind, the two brothers, sitting beside each other in the familial impala, content in the feelings of camaraderie and brotherhood.

He had laughed at their foolishness, mocked their perseverance and envied their bond. He had burned with jealousy, and longed for the family he had once had, before it was mangled with hatred and blood. He had even tried to break them apart, punish them for possessing the love of brotherhood that had been denied to him.

Yes, he had been petty and childish. But eventually, even he had been forced to his knees by the love and devotion that the Winchesters shared; not just between themselves but, for some inexplicable reason, with Castiel as well. Oh, they were still bloody idiots for thinking they could march against Michael and Lucifer and stop heaven's game of 'Kill thy Brother'. But they had taken his little brother in, cared for him like he had failed to do. And for that, he was willing to help them in their crazy, insane and totally unachievable quest.

And probably die along the way. At the hands of his big brother.

Awesome. It had happened. Just like he knew it would. Damn it. He had let the god-damned Winchesters suck the last traces of self-preservation out of him and turn him into some sappy, mushy, martyrdom-loving idiot. He should have just stayed away.

Too late for that now. Hmm…on the bright side, he could finally die and be done with it. It would finally be over, for himself anyway and he could just drift away into nothingness. Peace…

Castiel. Damnit, he couldn't let Cass die. Not like this. Well, there goes that plan.

Maybe Lucifer would let them go. Right…maybe he would give up on the apocalypse and then hug it out with Michael too. Fat chance of that happening.

"Gabriel?"

Maybe he could convince Lucifer to…

"Gabriel…?"

Or maybe…

"GABRIEL!"

"What Cassie? I'm a little busy trying to plan our escape, you know"

"He's coming."

"…what?"

"He's coming. Lucifer."

'...'

"Planning to leave so soon, little brother?" came the fallen angel's voice, just as he remembered it. Silky, smooth like honey, wrapping around him like a blanket, enveloping him with long-forgotten memories of heaven. It was a beautiful sound, he recalled, and he had longed to hear his brother's voice for so long…

"Lucifer." So overwhelmed with emotion was he that he could not even muster up enough embarrassment as his voice cracked with emotion.

"I thought you'd be happier to see me, Gabriel. It's been a while. I apologise for the accommodations, but I feared that you would leave too soon." Lucifer said, completely unassuming and at ease.

"Let us go, Luci. You'd gain nothing from capturing up." Gabriel looked at the ground as he spoke, unable to meet those strange yet painfully familiar eyes.

"Oh but I will! You're an archangel, Gabriel. One of the most powerful beings in existence. You could be a game changer!"

"I don't wish to be involved in this war, Lucifer. You can't make me. I don't want to fight you or Michael! Don't you get it? We're brothers. We're family. We shouldn't be fighting each other. Don't you remember, Luci, when we used to be a family? We were happy! We could still have that. If only you…"

"You're still a naïve child, I see, Gabriel. Time has not taught you anything. I care nothing for the family that cast me out. I care nothing for the brothers that thirst for my death. All I care for is my war, my revenge. And you'll be a part of it, whether you like it or not."

"I won't fight, Lucifer. Not for you or Michael. I refuse to be a part of the bloodbath caused by our family…"

"I'm afraid it's too late for that now. You cannot avoid this war. Think about it…wouldn't you like to be able to go home again? To be able to set foot in heaven without fear, to be revered as an archangel again, to be powerful again…"

"Greed has blinded you, brother. Heaven is not home without all our brothers and sisters in it; the same brothers and sisters who you are intent on killing . I have no wish to return to heaven."

"Are you content with the life you live now, then? If you can even call it a life. Losing your identity, your name stripped from you, playing pathetic jokes for a living…is that the life you so adore, little brother? How far you have fallen! I pity you."

The words struck a deep blow on Gabriel, though he would never admit it. His descent from a powerful archangel to a lowly Trickster had carved at his heart for so long. He had indeed fallen far. The despair of being separated from everyone he had cared about had nearly driven him insane, if not for his tricks and pranks. He had searched for a reason to his existence, found a new family, gained a new job, and yet his life had been incomplete and unfulfilling.

"You can regain what you lost, Gabriel. Together, we can both return to the home that had been taken away from us. We can reclaim heaven, punish those who took away our home, rule heaven the way we want to without being restraint by useless rules. I understand your pain, brother, for we have both suffered in the same way. Join me, Gabriel, and we will reclaim that which is rightfully ours."

For a moment, all was silent. Gabriel, overwhelmed by emotion, was truly moved. Not because of Lucifer's promises, nor because of the longing to see his home again. His heart ached for the brother that he had never accepted to be truly lost. His heart went out to Lucifer as he had once been, magnificent and kind, the brightest angel of all, and to the sad excuse of an archangel he had now become.

He finally admitted to himself that his brother was really lost, that there was no hope of bringing him back from the chasm of greed and revenge he had fallen in. The brother he knew and loved was no more.

The grief was torturous, the despair insurmountable. For somewhere, he had held on to the hope that his brother would see reason, that Lucifer would be unable to actually spill the blood of his brethren and return, in repentance, to the forgiving arms of his brothers.

But, he knew now, that there would be no repentance from Lucifer and no forgiveness from Michael. There would only be a war amongst brothers and an apocalypse to end all life.

'Do I really want to live to see that day? Perhaps being killed right now by Lucifer is for the best. To be gone before witnessing the carnage wrought by my brothers. Perhaps, dying might not be the worst thing to happen…"

When the silence stretched on, as Gabriel was lost in his own thoughts and Lucifer anticipated an answer, Castiel, fearing the effect of Lucifer's words on Gabriel, broke the tentative silence.

"Gabriel?"

It was enough to snap the preoccupied archangel from his thoughts. The voice of his little brother brought a surprising clarity to his thoughts. And just like that, that hesitant voice, like a little child's, gave him the epiphany he had been waiting for.

Perhaps dying was the best option right now, but he still had unfinished business. Castiel, his little brother, had given him what he'd been searching for; a reason for his existence, a reason to do something worthwhile after so long of being lost at the sea of idleness and insignificance.

His mind was set. He knew what he had to do.

"I accept."