Gabriel watched Sam from the window as the young hunter sat outside on the front porch. He'd excused himself right after Dean left, saying he needed some air. He was obviously hurting from the conversation with his brother.

Gabriel wanted to throttle Dean. Even now, he was still acting like a selfish dick. The way he stormed out looking put out was a prime example. He acted like Sam had created some sin for defending Gabriel and for trusting him over Dean himself. It was Dean's own fault that Sam couldn't trust him. He needed to get over himself.

While Gabriel was watching Sam, Bobby was watching Gabriel. He didn't really know what to make of him. Before today, he only saw this guy as an evil trickster, but that was not the man he saw today with Sam. It wasn't an archangel either, though admittedly, Bobby had never met one of those before today. All he saw today was a man who had Sam's back. He saw that now as the archangel watched Sam too. He was clearly concerned for him as he watched him.

Sam felt the same way, Bobby knew. The way he'd spoken to Dean right before he left was proof. Before that, Sam had been nervous, even if resigned. He was hurt and scared of being rejected, so much so that he just wanted Dean to leave him. He seemed to think it would happen anyway and wanted to get it over with. But the second Dean went after Gabriel, Sam had come alive. He'd defended the archangel ferociously. Not only did he not hate this man, he cared for him deeply. Bobby had a feeling that no matter what happened, Gabriel would not be leaving Sam's life anytime soon.

Feeling eyes on him, Gabriel turned around to see Bobby staring at him. "Didn't anyone teach you that's impolite to stare?"

"What would you know about what's polite?" Bobby retorted. It wasn't said nastily though. His tone was relatively friendly.

Gabriel smirked. "I can be polite when I want. I just usually choose not to."

"Same here," Bobby said before looking towards the door, where Sam was sitting not far behind. "One month and he already trusts and cares for you. You're good."

"Not really. Well, of course I'm good. I'm amazing. But I didn't have to do much in this instances. All I did was help him, and treat him like a person while I was helping him," Gabriel said with a bit of irritation.

Bobby looked down guiltily. He hadn't treated Sam the way Dean did. He never made him feel unwelcome or told him he couldn't be trusted. But he never went out of his way to make Sure Sam still knew he was wanted, and he'd had on occasion made his own remarks that might have dragged the younger man down, like saying he deserved a medal for not turning on Sam. He was just as responsible as Dean. "There's no excuse for the way Sam was treated."

"You're right, there isn't. Telling Sam he screwed up is one thing. I even told him that. But metaphorically beating him over the head with it doesn't change what happened. All that managed to do was destroy his self-esteem, convinced him he deserved to be blinded," Gabriel said.

Bobby nodded, remembering Sam telling him just that. He hated that Sam felt that way. Nothing Sam could ever did warranted what happened to him, and it broke Bobby's heart that his boy could actually think differently. "We screwed up."

"Well, it really wasn't you, was it? It was Winchester. He's the one that decided to act like a holier than thou jackass. And it seems he can't stop acting that way," Gabriel grumbled.

Bobby wanted to, but he couldn't really say anything to defend Dean. The way he'd acted today was childish. He'd stormed out because he was hurt that his brother turned to someone other than him for help, someone Dean didn't like. Well, that was too damn bad. Bobby wasn't the biggest fan of the Trickster/archangel either, but the man had saved Sam's life and had helped him every day after that. They needed to be grateful for that and grateful that there was someone Sam felt he could turn to. Bobby couldn't understand why Dean couldn't' get that, especially after how afraid he was that Sam was in the hands of Lucifer or another angel like Zachariah. This whole thing could've been much worse. "Thank you for everything you've done. I'm glad he wasn't alone with all this. I know how hard a disability can be."

"Yeah, about that. I can fix it. I can make that chair of yours useless," Gabriel said.

Bobby stared at Gabriel for a few minutes, as if he was contemplating what to do. Then he uttered a response that even he would've called crazy a few months ago. "No."

Gabriel looked surprised at the answer for a minute and then simply rolled his eyes. Despite his spoken gratitude, the hunter apparently still didn't trust him enough to let him help him. "What do you think I'm gonna do to you? If I wanted to hurt or kill you, I wouldn't even have to touch you to make it happen."

"That's not it. Believe me, I would've welcomed your healing touch after this first happened. Hell, I would've let the devil himself heal me if he offered," Bobby said. He had nothing against Gabriel healing him, other than it just wasn't right, not when he couldn't do a damn thing to help Sam.

"Oh," Gabriel said as realization hit. This was not about who did the healing. This was about Sam. "Making yourself a martyr isn't going to make Sam see again."

"I know that, but how right is it for me to get to walk when he'll spend the rest of his life in darkness. Now, they said I'd never walk again. I can live with my disability, just like he has to," Bobby said.

"It's not your fault I can't heal Sam. Sam would never see it that it is and he'd never resent you for getting the miracle he can't. But if you refuse it, I promise you, it'll eat him alive," Gabriel said. He knew Sam well. The kid would not respond well to Bobby's refusal to be healed. "He's gonna ask me to heal you. I'll have to tell him you declined and then he will know why."

Bobby hadn't thought about that. Gabriel was right. Sam was smart. He would know why Bobby wouldn't allow himself to be healed and then he'd hate himself for it. Sam already had enough he was needlessly blaming himself for. Bobby would not add himself to the problem. "Alright, do it."

Gabriel walked over and bent down slightly. He placed his hand on one of Bobby's legs and it twitched seconds later.

Bobby stepped out of the chair a moment later. "Thanks."

Just then, Sam walked back into the house.

"Hey. You alright?" Gabriel asked.

"Yeah, sorry. I just needed a few minutes," Sam said.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for," Bobby said firmly as he walked over and placed a hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Bobby, is that you? How are you touching my shoulder? How'd you walk over?" Sam asked.

"I healed him," Gabriel said.

Bobby looked at Sam intently, waiting for the younger man's face to twist with bitterness and maybe even some anger. He wouldn't blame Sam one bit for it. But it never happened.

Sam slowly started smiling. "Good. Thanks, Gabriel.

"You're glad," Bobby commented.

"Of course. What? Did you think I'd be upset because I can't be healed? You didn't make me blind, Bobby. You deserved to be healed," Sam said. Bobby didn't deserve what happened to him. It had happened because he was possessed by a demon trying to gain information after the apocalypse was started. So, no, Bobby didn't deserve his injury the way Sam did.

Bobby caught the double meaning to his boy's words. "Neither did you."

Sam was quiet for a minute and then cleared his throat. "So Dean's probably not gonna come back for a while. He's probably hitting another bar," Sam said. He knew his brother well. Dean was upset and when he was, he chose to deal with it by drinking, and he wouldn't care that it was before noon. "Maybe I shouldn't be here when he comes back.

"Sam, you don't have to go anywhere. You will always be welcome here, and I should've told you that before," Bobby said guiltily. Clearly Sam didn't even feel welcomed by Bobby, otherwise he would've called him when the worst happened. Bobby couldn't blame him for it either. It was his own actions and inactions that caused Sam to lose faith in him.

Sam could guess what Bobby was thinking. "Bobby, I didn't ask to come to you because you would've had to tell Dean. I didn't want him to know. He would've either felt obligated to help me or he would've rejected me and wanted you to do the same. It wouldn't have been fair to make you choose. And to be honest, it was easier to be around someone I didn't particularly like at first than a family member who'd both feel sorry for me and was still angry at me."

"Sam, you're wrong about Dean. He was an ass today, especially regarding Gabriel, but when he found out what those bastards had done to you, all he wanted was to find you help you through it. He hated himself for the way he treated you," Bobby told him.

"He feels bad because of what happened to me. He wouldn't otherwise and I don't blame him. Deep down, he still hates me."

"He doesn't hate you!" Bobby said in a firm and slightly raised tone. It just killed him that Sam felt his brother hated him, and even more so that Sam felt he deserved to be hated.

"He doesn't want me around, and I can't be around if he doesn't. I thought I could. I thought I should. Before I got here, I was determined to convince myself of whatever Dean told me and stay with him, but I just can't. Eventually, I'll hear the resentment in Dean's voice and I can't deal with that. If he doesn't resent me enough because of the apocalypse, he will for feeling like he has to take care of his handicapped brother," Sam explained.

Bobby sighed. He wasn't going to get any further with Sam right now. The kid had come here prepared for rejection, probably so he wouldn't get his hopes up, and he couldn't hear anything else right now. "Alright, if you have to go, I get it, but at least give your brother a chance to prove you wrong. Don't cut us out. At least call once and a while."

"Okay. I…I can give you my new number too," Sam said.

"I got it," Gabriel said before snapping his fingers. A pen and piece of paper appeared in his hands.

"You could've just gone into the living room to find that stuff," Bobby said.

Gabriel shrugged and went over to the kitchen table for something hard to write on.

"Bobby, I'm sorry for worrying you. If I had known you were worried, I would've called you," Sam said.

"I know. You just make sure to call now, and to answer when I call you. I'd appreciate a few visits too.," Bobby said.

"I promise."

"And you seem to be happy where you are, but if it ever happens that you're not anymore and need somewhere else to go, you'll always have a place here," Bobby said before pulling Sam into his arms. He wasn't much for hugs and all that crap, but after worrying about this kid for over a month, he was making an exception.

Sam was caught off guard by the hug, but he quickly recovered and hugged his surrogate father back. "Thank you, Bobby.

Bobby pulled away just in time for Gabriel to come over and hand him a piece of paper. "Thanks. You damn well better take care of my boy. Archangel or not, I will find a way to kick your ass if you hurt him."

Gabriel chuckled. "Glad to hear it," he said before turning to Sam. "You sure about this, kid. I could go find your brother so you can at least tell him you're going."

Sam shook his head. "That would be a disaster. Dean would put up a big fight and I don't think I could deal with that right now."

"Okay."

"Bye, Bobby," Sam said.

"See you later, boy," Bobby said.

Gabriel snapped his fingers and they both disappeared.

Once they were gone, Bobby grabbed his keys from the kitchen table. He was going to find Dean. He was going to pull that little idjit's head out of his ass if it was the last thing he did.