A/N Lots of good guesses for Dean's rescuer. There was a hint in the mystery person's last line to Dean, it was a line Dean had used to that person in 5.08.

This was the original last chapter but there will now be a little more with Sam having to get his brother back on his feet properly 'cos there has to be some h/c, right?

Gabriel sat down next to the bed and reached across, pulling up the t-shirt that Dean was dressed in and placing his hand directly over the dead man's heart. "Ok, been awhile since I did this so you might have to bear with me, not that you're likely to be going anywhere." Dean's flesh darkened and raised under the touch, the handprint branding on as easily as the iron had when Bobby had touched it to him.

"Dean. Wake up." The archangel pulled closer to the face of this enigma of a man, who quite frankly fascinated him. Even if Sam hadn't asked, Gabriel knew that he probably would have saved him, just to see what would come of it. What Dean would do next to confound his enemies and confuse his loved ones.

Gabriel waited until he could feel the rise and fall of the chest his palm rested on and then called Dean's name again. Heat started to spread out from the archangel's touch, the skin surrounding it losing it's deathly grey and taking on the fleshier tones of the living.

Green eyes flickered but failed to open.

"Damn it Dean Winchester, for once, do as you are damn well supposed to and wake the hell up!" Maybe it was the tone of voice that the archangel used or maybe it was just time for him to do so but Dean found the strength to open his eyes and turn his head to look at Gabriel. "That is more like it." The hanky appeared in his hand as blood started to run from Dean's mouth and he dabbed gently at it. "He really messed you up didn't he?" Gabriel's resolve not to help further wavered for a brief second and then he recovered. "Don't try to talk Dean, just rest. You need to heal, and for that I'm afraid, you are on your own. This was just a search and rescue."

Unable to talk Dean flexed his hand and waited until the angel took it, then he squeezed Gabriel's own with as much strength as he could muster and hoped that he would understand.

He did. "Your welcome. Rest now until your brother gets here." Gabriel touched Dean's head and gently eased him into a restful sleep. "You've a long road in front of you."

-----

It was three very despondent figures that made their way over the junk yard and up into the house. Sam and Bobby helped Cas into a chair and then the younger man headed off into the back room where his brother was, pausing at the door when he saw the figure that was sitting next to the bed. "What do you want? Come to gloat?"

"Now, now Sam. I know that we have had our differences in the past but I'm here to help. You did ask for help didn't you? Save my brother? Well helps here and I'm it." Gabriel repeated the line that he had said to Dean." I would hate for your brother to say that I never did anything for him." A small chuckle escaped the angel. "He released me and now I've released him. Fair is fair."

"You've released him?" Cas was standing in the doorway, leaning heavily on it.

Gabriel gave Castiel the once over and shook his head. "Brother do you look bad, Hell not agree with you?"

"Answer the question." Cas asked again as he came in and slumped down on the other seat next to Dean's bedside.

"You two are very narky, especially as, like I said, I've come bearing gifts." He waved his hand at Dean and they turned in unison, following it's path.

Sam moved over quickly to sit down on the bed, reaching his hand out and touching it to Dean's neck. "He's warm! There's a pulse!"

"Human beings usually are and do have, when they are alive."

"You fetched his soul from Hell?" Cas looked up at his brother, suspicion clouding his face. "Why?"

"Why?" Gabriel rest his chin on his fist and tapped at his cheek with one finger. "I owed him? Sam asked? Bobby demanded? You couldn't? It's over? Take your pick brother. I've been following this little charade for a while now and I must say it is fascinating."

"How did you find us?" Cas asked. "I hid the boys."

"Ah yes the Rib tattoos, very ingenious little brother but you really should have put one on the maitre d' over there." He hooked a thumb at Bobby. "All these people looking for the brothers and no one seeing that their angel had left the landing light on. I just waited here for them to arrive." He waved his arms at the room. "And they did. Anyway where was I? Oh yeah, so Lucifer is back where he belongs and Michael is once again in Heaven. That means that I get to keep playing in my little sandbox and it's all because of your boy here."

A small groan turned all their eyes in the direction of the bed.

"Dean?" Sam shook his brother's shoulder gently. "Dean can you hear me?"

"He wont wake up just now and there is a little condition to my part in this game." Gabriel looked at the younger Winchester as he spoke.

"Condition?" Sam said coldly, glaring at the angel. "Game?"

"It has to be a game Sammy. No fun for me if we don't play by my rules! You always have to win the main prize with me, you should know that by now." Gabriel smiled and crossed over to him. "Dean will be your penance that you seek. He will be your burden to bear now Sam, just as you were always his. I've brought him back for you, it's your job now to heal him."

Sam looked aghast. "Me heal him?"

"Yes, that's your part in the game. So that you can still get to play your insignificant human role in the saving of Dean Winchester."

Castiel jumped in. "Gabriel you must heal Dean fully, you can't leave him without doing your job." Sam reached across and touched his arm.

"Cas, it's ok. He's right, compared to what he did, this is insignificant. I mean Gabriel pulled him from Hell." He turned to the archangel. "I don't think I can ever thank you enough for that."

Gabriel smiled at Castiel. "See, my plan is working already. First lesson of the game learnt – humility. Being grateful for what you've been given, no matter how much more you might need."

"So how do I heal my brother? What do I need to do?" Sam cast his eyes down to the bed.

"The same way that he has always protected you. Love, care, comfort, devotion. By being his brother Sam. By putting him before everything else. Think you can do that?"

Sam looked down at his brother, this time actually sleeping peacefully on the bed next to him and nodded. "Yeah, finally, I know I can."

"We shall see young Mr Winchester, we shall see."