Two more chapters again today! Things are starting to heat up now, as Heaven and Hell prepare for war.

Huge thanks go to darkumbreon9, MeemeBear, and two anonymous guest reviewers (if you sign in, I can reply to you personally)! I always love getting reviews! This story unfortunately will end long before the show. It will be over when Gabriel leaves Heaven. However, I am working on a sequel which will take us right up to the 1990s, if I do it right. I don't have any plans to write this universe set during the show, but there may be some snippets and drabbles. I do have some ideas for scenes set during the show.

RECONNECTING

Gabriel found Raphael in the Borderlands between Heaven and Earth, in conference with several of his Seraphim. Zachariah stood at his left side, looking very puffed up and proud. Gabriel shuffled his wings in irritation—Zachariah was actually lower ranked in Raphael's choir than he had been in Gabriel's, but he was allowed to order his garrisons to fight things now, so he was far more pleasant to be around. Gabriel didn't like that one of his angels was so excited by the prospect of war.

Many of Raphael's angels were glowing with excitement, just like Zachariah. These were the strongest of their brothers, the biggest, the most disciplined. They excelled at sweeping wide swathes of destruction across the land. This war was giving them a chance to show off.

"You have a message?" Raphael asked, glancing over the heads of the Seraphim at Gabriel.

The Messenger shook his head. "Father has still been silent. I had a request."

Raphael looked intrigued, waving his Seraphim aside to step toward Gabriel, accepting the paper Gabriel offered him. "This is for you," he said, scanning the first line and trying to hand it back to Gabriel.

"I know. Read the whole thing." Gabriel folded his arms and looked around him. The other angels were watching the Archangels curiously. Raphael in a good mood while in Gabriel's presence was an uncommon event. It had been happening more often lately, once Gabriel gave in to Raphael's insistence that the choirs needed to be reorganized. Gabriel hated the feeling like this was Raphael's way of patting him on the head and calling him a good boy.

Why would Michael want you to talk to Lucifer? Raphael's next question was whispered between their minds, a cord of his grace wrapping around Gabriel's to keep them in contact.

It very well could be a trap, Gabriel answered.

Michael wouldn't send you to your death.

Not Michael.

Raphael scrutinized Gabriel for a moment. Azazel? Gabriel just shrugged. He'd already been over this with Cariel. He didn't have anything new to add, nothing Raphael couldn't figure out on his own.

"You want a guard. An escort."

Gabriel nodded. "They can't follow me all the way, but I'd feel better knowing I had trustworthy angels at my back in case things go sour."

"A wise move, coming from you."

Gabriel flexed his wings in annoyance but didn't rise to Raphael's bait. He could be mature and serene when he felt like it. Not that he felt like it now, but it was good practice.

"I'll send a garrison with you. Zachariah, is Anael rested?"

"Yes sir," Zachariah answered. "Her angels are due to come off their respite today."

"Summon them now. I want them to escort Gabriel to Earth."

"Yes sir." Zachariah turned away, his eyes glowing as he called to his angels over a frequency Gabriel didn't automatically hear. Zachariah truly was no longer his angel.

Anael, though, Anael led Gabriel's favorite garrison out of all of Raphael's. She had once been Gabriel's Dominion, and he had been most afraid of handing her and her Angels over to his brother. Gabriel was glad Raphael had picked her for his escort. He trusted her the most, and would feel safest with her garrison at his back.

When Anael and her nearly four-hundred-Angel-strong garrison appeared to report to Zachariah, Gabriel didn't have to fake the bright smile on his face. A ripple of happiness spread through the combined grace of the garrison when they saw Gabriel standing beside Raphael, but their responses were muted, their faces impassive. Raphael was shaping even this cluster of angels into the same emotionless machines as the rest of his choir.

"Your garrison will be escorting Gabriel today, Anael. Obey him as you would me, as you would Raphael. Keep him alive at all costs."

Anael accepted her orders with a sharp salute to Zachariah and barked a few commands to her Angels. They slipped into place behind Gabriel, and Anael stepped up to his side. "We're ready when you are, sir."

"Then let's fly." Gabriel gave a nod to his brother as he spread his wings. "Thank you, Raphael. I hope to return them all in one piece."

"Your return is their only objective," Raphael answered. "So long as you come back, they were successful."

Gabriel resisted the urge to growl and instead launched himself into the air, followed by the garrison. He didn't want to be leading any of these angels to their deaths.

Four Angels darted ahead of Gabriel to grab at the seams of the Borderlands, pulling open a portal to Earth. This was a much smoother transition than Gabriel usually opted for, punching between the worlds with no patience for opening doors. He slipped through first, but he waited just inside, on an empty island, for the entire garrison to gather around him.

"Sir?" Anael asked, once they were all accounted for and the portal closed.

Gabriel just grinned and held out his arms to her. "I've missed you, Anael. And all your Angels."

Anael let out a bright laugh, flinging herself into Gabriel's arms for a hug. That broke Raphael's spell over the garrison, and the younger angels all pressed in close to the Archangel. He tried to wrap his wings around as many as possible, grinning when he saw Castiel's familiar spirit worming under an arm. "Castiel! I'm so sorry you're back under Raphael's wings!"

"It's not so bad this time," Castiel said. "This garrison is much nicer than my old one. We hardly see Raphael at all."

"We're the best garrison," Balthazar insisted, draping himself over Castiel's back. "But we don't have the best choirmaster anymore. And we get in trouble for being too rambunctious."

"We're much more focused under Raphael," Uriel pointed out, beneath the curl of one of Gabriel's wings.

"Just means we can't have as much fun!"

"Maybe when the war is over, I can talk Raphael into giving you back to me," Gabriel said. "I can't promise anything, but know that I will do what I can. Just stay loyal to each other, and to the Host. Obey Raphael, and pray to Father. Things will get better."

"Yes sir," Anael said, giving Gabriel a salute that was far less somber than the one she presented to Zachariah earlier. "Did you really need an escort, or was this just an excuse to speak with us?"

"I really do need an escort," Gabriel brushed his wings over the garrison one last time before folding them in carefully. "I am headed to Lucifer's realm today, to speak with him personally."

"You can't do that! He'll kill you!" Castiel's wings were flared widely in concern as the words burst out of the Angel. Gabriel ran his hand over Castiel's back, smoothing his feathers and trying to calm him.

"I am the Messenger," he reminded Castiel. "Lucifer may allow me entrance as a neutral negotiator."

"May?" Anael asked quietly.

"That's why I'm bringing you." Gabriel turned slowly to look at the gathered garrison. "I want you to wait for me just outside his realm. Do not engage any of his creatures in battle unless they attack you first. If you are attacked, retreat."

"Not without you," Anael declared.

"Without me, if necessary," Gabriel countered. "If I'm killed in his realm, you may never know. If you are attacked, assume the negotiations have broken down and I'm lost. Save as many of yourselves as you can. That is an order, Anael."

Anael held Gabriel's gaze for a moment before dropping her eyes. "Yes sir."

"Good." Gabriel reached out to smooth his fingers down his sister's cheek. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Shall we fly?"

"Form up!" Anael slipped back into her position at Gabriel's side, while the garrison fell into neatly organized ranks behind her. The angels all followed Gabriel's lead as he spread his wings and took off into the sky, headed for the corrupt realm of Lucifer.