Chapter 31

Gabriel would certainly never forget the shocking expression on Crowley's face, when he had to watch as he and Sam brought Castiel and Dean past him toward the bedroom.

A bit spiteful he had already been, when he could see the fear that threatened to spread throughout the body of the demon, and he had almost felt immensely gratified to know how much Crowley feared Castiel.

The crossroad demon didn't like this situation.

Not at all!

"Are you out of your senses?!" he had pressed out behind clenched teeth and a shudder went through his body, at the mere idea of what would happen if Castiel would wake up and see him.

The Seraph would certainly have not forgotten to whom he owed those ugly scars on his wings...

But Gabriel, Sam and Bobby didn't care at all for the opinion of the demon.

The only thing that mattered for them was the fact that they had Dean and Castiel back.

A small victory in this great battle...

Cautiously the Seraphim was placed on the large double bed of the bedroom and Gabriel made sure that his injured wing wouldn't be further affected. It looked awful and he could not even imagine how much pain his little brother had to endure when he would wake up.

Dean didn't look any better.

He was just next door, housed in the small guest bedroom and Sam and Bobby took care of him.

The body of the hunter looked terrible!

And when Sam took off his shirt, the younger Winchester and even Bobby couldn't resist the frightened sounding gasp and Gabriel knew why, because Dean's body looked as if he had fallen into a shredding machine.

His upper body was covered with deep scratches and only God alone knew from whom he got them. When Gabriel cut the robe of his little brother and undressed him carefully, he gasped in horror, because Castiel looked not a whit better. Quite the contrary, because his body looked as if someone had tried to skin him alive!

Again, there were deep scratch marks on his torso, partly still heavily bleeding and Gabriel was glad that his brother was an angel, because a human would have probably died long ago at the immense loss of blood and the severity of these wounds. But at its worst it had caught him on his back, and particularly on his wings. The extent of these wounds he could clearly see, when he very carefully turned his little brother on the side. One of his black wings looked as if it would fall off of his back any moment. Only scantily the wing hung on his shoulder and the Archangel could clearly see that the bone of the wing was broken.

Feathers had been plucked and bald spots were full of blood.

Gabriel felt how tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.

He sat down on the bed, on Castiel's side, took his head gently and placed it on his lap.

And when the messenger angel stroked his little brother through his hair, he could no longer hold back his tears.

His pride no longer mattered; he was just glad to have his little brother back.

But that's not how he had imagined their reunion...

"What happened Castiel? What did he do to you and Dean? What did Lucifer do to you?" he whispered softly and gently into his ear.

"If this would have been Lucifer, then the two would be dead now Gabriel."

The messenger angel flinched slightly when Crowley's voice came to his ears.

When he turned around, he saw the demon standing in the doorway.

His eyes betrayed nothing of what he was thinking.

He looked at Castiel blankly.

"What do you mean by that?"

Gabriel's voice trembled with the force with which he tried to control his tears.

"If Lucifer had gotten his fingers on them, then they would not be here, but dead or worse: In hell, in his personal torture chamber!"

The crossroad demon began to move and walked slowly toward Gabriel to get a better look at his brother.

"That was not the work of the devil. This was the work of a demon."

Gabriel grimaced and growled.

"What kind of demon would be able to harm an angel of the Lord?! Castiel is a Seraphim! Not even Lucifer would have a chance against a Seraphim and his full power!"

"And that's the point Gabriel. Our little Cas here has not yet regained his full strength. Lucifer doesn't seem to have taught him everything in fear Castiel would turn against him and betray him. And it looks like that this happened."

Crowley's eyes darkened.

"And I don't want to be here when Lucifer leaves out his anger on you!"

Gabriel narrowed his eyes at him.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I want to say that it's better for me if I go now. You started it so you finish it! But without me!"

And before Gabriel could say anything to him, Crowley disappeared.

"Coward!" Gabriel hissed in his rage.

From the beginning on the Archangel had the feeling that Crowley would betray them and use them only for his purposes, so he was hardly surprised at his flight. When it became too dangerous, the crossroad demon fled, like the little coward he was.

And probably this was also better for them, because who knew what Crowley may have planned behind their backs?

It was better if he now fled and left them alone.

But one problem was still there: Crowley didn't disappear without a reason.

Something big was coming and Gabriel couldn't get rid of the feeling that Lucifer was on his way to them.

If that was the case, then they had to bring Dean and Castiel immediately in security, because none of them knew whether Lucifer was not already on the way to them or not. And he would certainly seethe with anger and be out for revenge, because Castiel and Dean seemed to have dealt with one of his strongest warriors and Gabriel knew how strong his little brother was, and he knew that he had killed the demon that had attacked them.

Something that Lucifer would never forgive him, not to mention his betrayal.

But Castiel and Dean were too weak and the two were not even conscious.

How should they leave Crowley's house?

Gabriel could try to zap them to another location, but it would rob him of a lot of power when he did so and he had to bring them one by one to safety and what would happen if Lucifer would arrive and he wouldn't be in the house at this moment?

That would be Castiel's certain death, not to mention Dean and Bobby...and Gabriel knew that Lucifer would get Sam if he got the chance.

His big brother was capable of anything at this moment.

But no matter how much Gabriel racked his brain about it, there was no other solution.

If they wanted to survive, they had to act quickly now.

Castiel and Dean were unconscious, but stable and they would survive a transport well.

They could take care of their wounds when they were in a safe place.

But where should they go?

They couldn't go to Bobby's house, because Lucifer could track them there just like he could do here in Crowley's house.

He had to come up with something else. He had come around much when he was still a Trickster.

Here and there he had passed empty houses, institutions and even asylums, but he just couldn't remember where those buildings stood.

"Gabriel? Is everything ok?"

Sam's voice brought him back from his thoughts.

God's messenger winced briefly and looked at him with frightened eyes.

"Where is Crowley?"

Gabriel didn't need words to tell Sam that they were in trouble and that Crowley had fled, because he himself was scared of what was coming to them.

"We have to get out of here, Sam! How is your brother?"

"He is doing well. What's going on Gabriel?"

"Lucifer."

Sam didn't need to know more.

He turned around and quickly disappeared in the guest room and the Trickster heard how the young hunter talked with Bobby and shortly afterwards he heard how the two of them packed their bags.

The Archangel followed suit and he quickly grabbed a few things that they could possibly use. Above all, he plundered out Crowley's cupboard and took medicine and bandages. Gabriel didn't want to know why Crowley hoarded these things in his house.

He, as a demon, would hardly need that because nobody would dare to attack him...

He didn't think twice about it and so he stowed his things quickly in a bag and threw everything on the big bed, in which his brother lay. Just a few minutes later, Bobby was beside him and Sam arrived in the bedroom with his brother in his arms.

"Where shall we go Gabriel?"

"I don't know. We need to get as much distance from this place as we possibly can. Lucifer is probably following us!"

"How do you know that he is on his way to us? I mean, he doesn't know this house, right?" Bobby wanted to know and he threw the Archangel a questioning look and Sam did the same.

"Trust me, I know my brother better than you. He will already know where we are and he will be already on his way to us. We have to get out of here!"

"I know a place where we can go."

Gabriel and Bobby turned their heads to Sam.

"What place?"

"It is an old school, at the other end of the state. Dean and I were there once for a case."

"Is it safe there?"

"Yes, we've taken care of the problem. There we could hide until we know what we should do."

"Oh really Sam? Are you sure about that?"

Sam, Bobby and Gabriel almost froze to ice, as the deep voice reached their ears.

That couldn't be true!

Not here and not now!

But it was true, because when they turned around, they looked directly into Lucifer's face...