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Chapter 5

The rest of the journey to Bobby's passed in a whirlwind of Metallica, Led Zeppelin and cries of "are we nearly there yet?!" "Dean! I need a wee!" "I feel sick!" "Dean, I think Gabe is serious about feeling sick, he's green." "Stop being such drama queens!" "BLEEEUGH!" "We told you he was actually gonna puke!" "Sorry…"

After the first sick incident everything seemed to calm down, with comments on the weather and Dean's taste of music filling the silence. However, after half an hour, Gabriel, - who was curled up in a ball of misery, mumbled that he was going to be sick again.

Dean only listened to the latter of those comments from the angels, immediately pulling over so that Gabriel could stumble out of the car and throw up all over the side walk. This car sickness thing was so last year and although Dean felt sorry for the little guy, Gabriel had puked on the Impala's seat – that was one crime he wasn't ever going to fully forgive.

Gabriel's periodic puking had held up proceedings a lot, what with Dean having to pull into every other service station to change the sick-covered angel. The poor little guy was sobbing and dry heaving miserably after his third time throwing up and he was constantly whimpering that his stomach hurt and that he wanted to go home. In heaven he had never gotten sick like this…his vessel was so weakened prone to illness. It really was an impractical costume.

After a lot of persuading Sam let Gabriel ride on his lap in the front of the car – it may not be legal but it helped with the car sickness a little.

…SN…SN…SN…SN…SN…

"Ok kids, we're here." Dean hollered, parking up outside Bobby's salvage yard with a grin. None of the angels replied. Cas was slumped over with his chin on his chest, fast asleep in his car seat with a trickle of drool oozing down his face. Balthazar was also asleep with a pencil still in hand and one of his puzzle books spread out on his lap. Even Gabriel had managed to get some shut eye, one hand fisting Sam's shirt and the other resting against his face. It seemed as though the middle angel had discovered sucking his thumb. But if it helped him calm down and relax, Dean wasn't going to complain.

This left the Winchesters to carry the angels to Bobby's front door, where they were met with a large splash of holy water in the face.

"Sorry, I just had to check." Bobby announced gruffly, sniggering at the death-glare Sam sent him. God, those puppy dog eyes could be evil at times.

However, his smile soon vanished when the three angels woke up due to the cold water. Cas and Gabriel burst into tears whilst Balthazar glared angrily, his wings puffing out irritably under his top.

"Shhh, don't cry kids, c'mon, lets just go inside and get you warmed up and dry." Dean hauled Cas and Gabe further up into his hold and carried them upstairs to the bathroom, Sam lagging behind with Balthazar holding his hand – he offered Bobby an apologetic glance before following his brother. Bobby looked totally bemused until Sam mouthed that the kids were tired and therefore grumpy.

While Sam ran a hot bath with extra bubbles and rubber ducks that he had bought from the kid store, Dean set about removing Cas' dirty diaper and cleaning him up with some baby wipes. Then, the Winchesters set the angels into the warm water, Dean washing Cas and Gabriel's hair whilst Sam did Balthazar's. The angels didn't think much of the water, Balthazar whining that he didn't like his wings getting wet but in the end they put up and shut up. None of them would admit it, but the bathing reminded the fledglings of being groomed and washed in heaven by the other, older angels. It was actually quite nice.

Gabriel and Balthazar hummed contentedly when Sam ran shampoo through their feathers, which were splayed out and quivering slightly at his touches. Cas had even begun to make soft purring noises, occasionally chirping and giggling when Dean washed the base of his wings – they turned out to be rather ticklish.

"Right, now that you boys are all cleaned up, how about we meet Uncle Bobby properly."

"No! He wetted us!" Cas pouted, tilting his head in confusion. Why would Dean want to spend time with someone who had just doused them all in water?

"He was just making sure we weren't possessed, I promise he's a good guy. A little rough around the edges but he has a soft spot for rugrats. He practically raised me and Sammy for a good few months of our childhoods."

"Wadda rugrat?"

"It doesn't matter Cas, c'mon." Dean carried the littlest angel downstairs, clad in a fresh diaper and baby blue onesie – no, Dean had not picked it out because it matches Cas' eyes.

Gabriel tottered behind them, having been listening in to Dean and Cas' conversation. Eventually Balthazar followed, only grumbling a little under his breath.

"Hey kids, sorry for scarin' ya."

"Why you hairy?" Cas piped up, squirming in Dean's grasp until he could reach out and grab a handful of Bobby's beard.

"Cos I'm a real man, kiddo."

"Sam and Dean no real man?"

The Winchesters tried to feign hurt looks, but ended up bursting out laughing at Cas' signature tilt of the head and bemused expression.

"Why laugh me? Mean!"

"S-so-sorry Cas," Dean sniggered, "we're not laughing at you, we're laughing with you." Cas once again looked confused but seemed to loose interest in the conversations after a few more seconds of everyone around him laughing. He wriggled free from Dean's arms in favor of toddling around the room. He stumbled a couple of times but never hit the ground too hard so the adults left him to it.

Or at least they did until there was a loud scream and a wail.

"Cas? What's wrong?"

The little angel burst out from behind the sofa, sobbing in fright.

"Moner!"

"What?"

"Moner!"

"Sam, what is the kid sayin'"

"Do you mean monster, Cas?"

Castiel nodded and sniffled, flinging his arms around Dean and trying to scramble up the hunters legs and out of harms way.

Sam and Bobby pushed Balth and Gabe back, advancing with guns poised towards the sofa.

And then Rumsfeld walked out, leisurely wagging his tail with his tongue lolling out.

"Hey boy, did you just give Cas a shock? That wasn't nice, was it?" Bobby smirked a little, patting his dog affectionately on the head and stroking his ears absentmindedly.

"Don't worry Cas, that's Bobby's dog. He's as soft as a brush, he won't hurt you."

"Scared!"

"You don't need to be kiddo, here, why don't we get you some food?"

Dean set about bustling in the kitchen making burgers for the adults and the two older angels, and porridge with honey for Cas.

Over dinner they discussed different theories Bobby had come up with for how to send the angels home but by the end of the meal they were no closer to having a conceivable plan.

Bobby had also phoned up Rufus, Caleb and Garth but they all called back during the night saying that they had nothing.

Things were not going well.

Soon it was time for the angels to go to sleep, so with Dean, Sam and Bobby in tow they set about making a new nest. Dean moved a queen sized bed to the corner of the room to create two walls around the bed whilst Sam and Cas piled up two walls of pillows to create a boxed in effect. Meantime, Balthazar and Gabriel wandered around the house taking all of Bobby's spare beddings, four soft cushions, five fluffy towels, some of Sam's plaid shirts, Bobby's jacket and a couple of Dean's band shirts.

Now that the children trusted the hunters, they had sort of adopted them into their flock. The Winchesters and Bobby were family now and their items of clothing provided an extra security blanket.

When everything was put into place the angels snuggled into their new nest with Ellie the elephant, Teddy and Dragon. It wasn't long before they were fast asleep, curled up like kittens in a fetal position. The angels were all cuddling each other and their wings were spread out and wrapped around each other.

It was warm.

It was safe.

It was home, for now.

Once back downstairs, Sam hopefully suggested that maybe if they couldn't send the kids back to the other angels, the angels would come and retrieve them themselves.

"Yeah, but if they were going to do that, why didn't they do it immediately rather than leaving three kids with strangers. I mean what are we? Goddamned babysitters?"

Bobby snorted, downing a third shot of whiskey and beginning to pour another.

"I don't think we exactly pull off the 'good with kids' vibe. There must be something stopping them from coming down here. Maybe they are busy?"

"Too busy to protect their family," Dean scoffed.

"Well I dunno do I?"

"This is truly ridiculos."

"Yep."

"Balls. What now?"

"Well, I'm gonna turn in for the night."

"Night."

All three dejected hunters went back to their rooms, Sam and Dean sinking into their twin beds with a groan.

"At this rate we're gonna have to look into pre-schools and day care centers!"

"Don't even joke about that Dean, we'll sort this."

Dean grumbled a sarcy response before stripping to his boxers and drawing up his covers. Sam followed suit, turning out the light before settling into a deep and dreamless sleep.

Or at least, it was dreamless until there was a sudden scream.

Sam rolled, flinching away from the high pitched sound in his head until he realized that this wasn't a dream, he was awake.

Fumbling blindly he managed to turn on the night light, scrambling to his feet and shaking Dean awake.

His brother could sleep through a hurricane!

"Dean! DEAN! One of the angels is screaming, wake up!"

Dean slid out of bed groggily, grabbing his knife from under his pillow before running to the children's room and turning on the light.

Cas and Balthazar were sat bolt upright, their eyes wide with fear whilst Gabriel lay in the nest, wrestling with his sheets and thrashing around over the bed. The kid was deathly pale and his eyelids were fluttering as the boy slept.

"Gabe? Gabe! Wake up Gabriel, it's just a nightmare, c'mon kiddo!"

The acrid scent of urine filled the room but nobody commented, silently watching as Sam leant over the sobbing boy and shook him by the shoulders.

Gabriel woke with a jolt, immediacy trying to pull free from Sam's hold and jerking wildly.

"No! NO! LEMME GO! DON'T WANNA! NOOOO! STOP IT! LEMME ALONE!"

"Hey, hey, hey, Gabe it's me, Sam, Sammy. You're safe, shhh, don't cry Gabe. It's just me and Dean. Shhhhhh." Sam cuddled the middle angel close when the boy stopped struggling, allowing him to crawl up onto his lap and bury his face into Sam's bare chest. Snot, sweat and tears ran down his skin but Sam didn't comment, choosing instead to run his hands through Gabe's wings as he continued making soft shushing noises and insisted that Gabriel was safe.

"T-t-the – he – the b-bad man – he…" Gabriel was cut off by another shuddering sob and he whimpered softly, burying his face in the crook of Sam's neck and taking comfort from the soft brush of Sam's hair against his wet cheek.

"Were you dreaming about the man in the park?" Dean asked softly, sinking onto the bed next to his brother and wrapping an arm around Gabriel. The little boy nodded in response, leaning into Dean's touch and sniffling.

"He was arrested, Gabe, he can't hurt you anymore. I promise we'll look out for you."

"I wanna go home."

There was nothing for Dean to say other than "I know."

Once Gabriel had cried himself out, he lay lucid in Sam's arms, still resting on his body gently but no longer having the energy to cling on.

"Ok, lets get you cleaned up, and then we can get you back to bed, yeah?"

Gabriel nodded sleepily, allowing Dean to bathe him and wipe him clean before helping the boy into a fresh set of pajamas.

Sam set about taking the wet items out of the nest, filling the gap with the quilt from his bed.

He then laid himself down in the nest, curling up his lanky body so that he fitted.

Cas and Gabe, who had been watching in horror at their brother's distress, curled up against his back becoming a big spoon – which was somewhat ironic, and when Gabriel returned he snuggled into Sam's chest.

It wasn't an ideal set up but at least this way Gabriel would feel protective and if he woke up from another nightmare, Sam would be there to help him through it.

Even Dean didn't comment on how chick flick the scene was as he flipped off the light and went back to his room.

Earth was no place for an angel and Dean was now more determined than ever to send the angels back to their safe haven.

TBC…

Don't forget to feed the plot kitties on the way out, they are mewling at you and pawing at your feet.