I gave Azazel a list of children, I wasn't going to just tell a demon which child would be me, but he had to know for the plan to work. I had chosen Mary to be born to, a great woman and a great hunter, she would make a great mother but she had been barren- it would be a gift. Then I waited, the blood-shed was unfortunate, but necessary.

I called out to Michael, it was a stupid risk to take; if he had been one of the enemy I would've doomed us all. Even though I was sure he wasn't one of the traitors, things could've gone horribly wrong. I tell you this brother because I will not allow you to make such assumptions as I did, we will tell no one.

Michael ignored me of course, but I continued to speak, I knew he missed me and gave in to his urge to listen every now and then. Even after he had heard my entire story he still refused to believe me- he said I was still quite the serpent- that hurt but I forged onwards. The lie Michael had been told was a different one (he would've spotted the spiel the others were getting as fraud in an instant). But even that story had its holes.

A few months later Michael in his diligence came to the truth on his own. In true Michael style he fought the traitors. Though Michael could've beaten any one of them individually, together he struggled to maintain the upper hand. And after a long battle he was defeated. He got away just before they killed him, severely wounded and unaware of whom he could trust, he reluctantly called out to me. I told him if he came to my cage I would heal him, he laughed wryly at me but came anyway.

I flinched at the trepidation that was rolling off him as he entered my prison. I couldn't really blame him- he had just been beaten near to death by those he trusted, and was now standing (barely) completely vulnerable in the cage of supposedly the most dangerous Angel that ever existed- but we were brothers and it still hurt.

Michael nodded gratefully as I mended his broken wings and uncurled the tattered energy lines swirling around his essence. But I was cut off from the garrison and there was only so much even I could do. He stayed in my cage with me as he rested to regain his strength, and planned extensively on how to deal with it all. He healed incredibly slowly; they had really gone to town on him, although I suppose they would've had to have some new form of power to trap our father.

A few weeks had passed before Michael was well enough to go out into the world, he called out to our brethren, and can you guess what they did? They raised the alarm. When Michael got back to me he was worse off than he had been in the first place.

"Looks like I'm no better than the serpent now." Michael shouted at me bitterly. I stomped down the hurt and fury that arose at those words. He was unused to being so weak and helpless, and he still felt betrayed by me.

"Odd that you should come to a serpent to heal you." I lilted, as I untangled the twisted lines of energy again. I fingered the right wing, running my hand along the silver translucency that lay beyond the wing-shadow. There was a powerful knot in there.

"You can't fix it." Michael said; it was a statement, not a question. It looked like he was grounded for now.

Every time Michael stepped outside they were waiting for him, and they kicked his ass, after all he was a risk to their plan. If he said something was wrong the other Angels would listen to him. The problem was he couldn't get to them, or know who they were. But he still went, still fought, still tried to find a way to fix things, to rescue God.

"I can't just stay here, I'll go nuts." Michael protested one day.

"Sorry." He said in reply to the look I gave him.

"It's ok, I'm leaving soon." I said, I was tired of this; I didn't care anymore for secrets. He looked at me wide-eyed, he knew I had been planning to escape- Michael was smart that way, but we hadn't said it out loud. Saying it out loud meant it had to be dealt with, and Michael had sworn to God that I would be kept here for all of eternity.

"I can't let you leave." Michael's voice boomed as he stood shakily, gearing his battered wings up for a fight. I sent him an incredulous look.

"Ok then stop me." I challenged, we both knew with his strength as it was now he stood no chance. But it looked like we were going to fight anyway.

Oh, hold on Gabriel I have an urgent text from Chuck- he too will be important in our end game, he tells us what the enemy are thinking- and they don't even know it. I must get Dean and head to Chuck, it is nothing more than a ghost, but much must be done for the sake of appearances- plus Dean may learn that his life isn't so sh*t after all; wouldn't that be something?

You believe me now don't you little brother?

"Yes." Gabriel replies solemnly.

Good, I will speak to you from the car. Don't worry; I'll be careful, none of our brethren will hear. There's no more sitting on the side-lines for you little brother, we have a whole new war on our hands now. And too few to fight it.

-----

Yes brother I'm here, sorry I was talking to Dean. From what he has told me about his encounter with Raphael, I suspect we may have another angel we can trust. But we need to be sure, can I entrust you with the mission of finding out? Good, that's good. Yes, Castiel too would be a good idea. He looks like he has left our brothers, but don't under-estimate their capacity for subterfuge- they need Dean, and they're smart enough to know this would be the only way to get him. Yeah, like they got to me with Ruby, your trickster jokes are unbecoming Gabriel.

Who has fallen? How do you know this? I see. The problem is too many angels are realising something is wrong and falling, thus losing the power to fight. We must find their grace, and re-birth them as angels. But not now, do as I have asked, I'm talking with Dean now, I will talk to you later. Of course I love you as I love Dean, we are all brothers Gabe.