You asked for more: YOU GET MORE! I'm excited; I've decided to make Gabriel the reason Castiel is so fond of the humans. ALSO: I have decided to continue this story, so it will be multiple chapters; but I have a dilemma; y'see, two roads diverged in a road; and this story could go both ways...I'll explain after the chapter, but I have ideas, and this story IS going places!
This chapter is a mix; baby bro Cas/big bro Gabe, so check it out! I LOVE Baby Cas Big Bro Gabe fan art! If you know of some great ones, let me know! They're my favorite thing!
Disclaimer: All of the wonderful Supernatural goodness is not from me: pretty much if it sounds familiar its not me. I do not own this (but oh the things I would do if I did...hehehe.)
Gabriel remembered when Castiel was very young; just barely walking, his eyes constantly roving, trying to take in everything all around him at once, and Gabriel had taken him to the Garden. Castiel loved to be in the garden more than anything, which was a trait Gabe possessed as well. The Garden was something special; a beauty that rivaled everything and won. Gabe and Castiel often whiled away the time in the garden, enjoying many moments of closeness, but the particular instance Gabe had in mind was not a memory of contentment: it was one of fear.
Gabriel had dozed off, Castiel snuggled gently into the crook of his arm as the two lay curled together on the ground, for Gabriel to wake up hours later with Castiel nowhere in sight. Gabriel had panicked, sweeping the garden with a speed he didn't know that he'd possessed; to find Castiel no longer in the garden. Gabriel made a dash for the exit and began searching frantically for the missing babe.
He found Castiel; but not alone. Uriel and the archangel Raphael stared sternly down at the young angel, who stood on shaking feet, facing them, his feet precariously close to the edge of a cliff. Gabriel watched the exchange for a moment, as Raphael muttered a few harsh word, and Castiel teetered in response; right off the edge of the cliff.
Gabriel's heart lodged in his throat and he prayed that he would make it in time; arms outstretched to reach Castiel before he hit the ground, knowing the babes wings were not strong enough yet to fly.
He reached the babe just in time, his arms cradling the boy close to his chest, Castiel whimpering and holding tightly to Gabe, but no tears escaped him.
Gabriel approached Raphael and Uriel, both of whom smirked insolently, only angering Gabe further.
"What were you thinking?!" He roared, seeing through the two's bravado to know that they were quite frightened of him. "Castiel can't fly yet, why would you allow him to be so close to the edge? What are you playing at?"
Uriel was silent in the face of Gabriel's ire, but Raphael only smirked once again. "The boy is to be a mere foot soldier; he's of no importance; I don't understand why you would coddle the babe so. He should be learning flight with the rest of his garrison, not being spoiled by you. If he were with his garrison, he would already know how to fly."
Gabriel bristled. "Are you saying that I'm not doing right by Castiel?"
Raphael laughed, low and mocking. "I'm saying that the babe is none of your concern; he should be more educated than he is; and that you are doing him no favors by treating him the way you do." Raphael opened his mouth to say more, but went silent; gaze focused somewhere behind Gabriel's soldier. Gabriel turned around to come face to face with Michael, whose face was set in a stern expression: eyes taking in everything; whimpering Castiel who clung tightly to Gabriel, Raphael who smirked again, Uriel who avoided everyone's gaze, looking down guiltily, and Gabriel, face alight in anger, arms curled protectively around the young fledgling.
With a simple jerk of his head, Michael ordered Raphael and Uriel away, and once they had taken their leave, he turned to face Gabriel, who only tightened his grip.
Michael raised a brow at the protective gesture, but spoke lightly. "If you want to keep him, you'd best begin training him. Were he to fall behind, I would have to recommend he be placed in the garrison on a more permanent basis.
Gabriel loosened his grip slightly, watching closely as Michael moved to walk past him, ever so gently brushing a hand over Castiel's hair before flying off.
Gabriel grinned slightly, murmuring softly to Castiel, who had loosened his grip on Gabe once the other angels had flown off.
"It's okay, Castiel. I'll teach you to fly soon, and it won't be scary at all, it'll be the greatest feeling ever. I'm sorry I wasn't there, babe, but I promise you, I'll always be there to catch you when you fall. I promise. I won't leave you."
Castiel had taken him at his word.
And not three years later; Gabriel would break it.
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Changing Channels was Gabriel's favorite prank by far. The prank got about five hundred times better, when the victims, excuse him, participants, went along with it, and Gabriel could just sit back and enjoy the show, (pun intended). With the Winchesters, it was just an added bonus that he could pass along the message, mess with them, and get a good deal of quality entertainment out of it.
He'd known that someone was trying to get through his illusion, but he hadn't put much thought into who that would be; he'd merely snapped his fingers, knowing a few more of his illusions would appear and rough the guy up, then throw him out.
But then the intruder had appeared, and the Winchesters knew him, and someone that powerful was DEFINITELY worth his attention, but then he finally caught sight of who exactly it was…and Gabriel would have recognized those blue eyes anywhere.
His baby bro, bursting out of the elevator, wearing khaki and looking pissed, apparently buddy-buddy with the Winchesters. He would've let the scene unfold if Castiel hadn't attempted to whisk the boys out; no, as much as he wanted to know what his Castiel was doing here, he had a point to make with the Winchesters, and he'd chat with his baby bro later.
His brother was a lot more powerful than Gabriel remembered, jumping into his game for a second time; and this time, he knew too much.
"You okay?" The other Winchester asked worriedly, (which Gabriel would ask about that worrying tone later,)
"I don't have much time," Castiel spoke quickly, scratches on his face, (probably from the guards, who were told to keep him contained, though they weren't supposed to hurt him, another thing he'd have to deal with.)
"What happened?" Sasquatch asked.
"I got out." Was all Castiel said.
"From where?" Dean demanded, but Castiel ignored him.
"Listen: Something is not right. This thing is much more powerful than it should be."
"What thing…the Trickster?" Dean clarified.
"If it is a trickster," Castiel spoke, eyes bright with answers, answers Gabriel didn't want the Winchesters to know.
So he intervened. Threw Castiel into the wall, duct taped his mouth, and popped in, a grin on his face that was entirely fake; though the boys wouldn't notice.
"Hello! Thank you, thank you!" Gabriel turned to face his baby brother, the brother he'd raised and cared for, the one he'd loved above all others, and grinned again.
"Hello Castiel," He said brightly, his insides crumbling. Then he waved his hand; and Castiel disappeared.
Gabriel wasn't stupid, not about most things anyway. His angel protection program had been working wonders; but the only mistake he'd ever own up to, the only one that caused him guilt; it seemed that it would never leave him alone. He'd put Castiel in a lookalike: the garden they'd loved so much. It wasn't the real garden, which was located in heaven, but it had the same feel. Gabriel had thought, maybe, after he'd messed with the Winchesters and sent them on their way, that he could speak reason to his baby brother, not apologize, per say, but convince him to forgive him anyway, and maybe stay with him, on earth. He should've taken Castiel with him when he left; it was his one regret. He foolishly thought that maybe he could make up for it, start over, and he wouldn't be alone anymore.
Then the Winchesters trapped him in a ring of Holy Fire, and demanded Castiel's release. Reluctantly Gabriel snapped his fingers, and Castiel appeared, eyes so angry that Gabriel wasn't sure Plan A would've worked even if he'd had a chance to execute it.
"You okay?" Dean asked. Which just rubbed Gabriel the wrong way. He didn't like the thought of anyone worrying about his brother, his baby.
Castiel glared at him, breathing heavily, before turning to Dean and softening ever so slightly. Which Gabriel did not like AT ALL. "I'm fine."
Castiel turned his glacial glare back to Gabriel.
"Hello Gabriel."
Despite the severity of the moment; Gabriel grinned at the gravelly voice that came from his baby, speaking his name.
"Hey bro." Gabe answered nastily, keeping his weepy girl emotions in check. "How's the search for Daddy going? Let me guess, awful!"
Castiel's countenance grew fierce, and he said nothing.
Outwardly, Gabriel shrugged, but inside, he winced.
"Alright," Dean spoke, breaking up the staring contest. "We're out of here. C'mon Sam."
Gabriel panicked as they started walking away, and he let it show. "Okay, uh, guys? So what, you're just going to leave me here, forever?
Dean stopped and turned to face him. "No. We're not. Because we don't screw with people the way you do. And for the record? This isn't about some prize fight between your brothers, or some destiny that can't be stopped. This is about you being too afraid to stand up to your family."
Gabriel frowned fiercely, knowing he was going to have to think long and hard about what he was doing; (and his revenge, no one gets the jump on him, NO ONE.) Dean pulled the fire extinguisher lever, the water putting out the holy fire and setting him free.
The Winchesters left the warehouse, Castiel the last one to leave. He paused at the door to look long and hard at Gabriel, and Gabe returned the stare, wanting to say something, but not knowing anything that would work. Castiel was the one to break the stare, following the Winchesters out.
Gabriel stood there in that warehouse, free to go, but too busy thinking. He had some decisions to make, he knew, and hard ones at that, but first? He really needed something made of sugar.
SO THIS IS IT! Chapter Two. I have several ideas for chapter 3: I could time jump all the way to season nine and pull a #NOTDEAD or we could go AU from here on out. Anyone have any preferences? Also: anything specific anyone want to see? If not; my muse will decide for all of us! This isn't plotted out; it's still on an as my muse works basis, but by Monday I should have a more general idea of what's going on.
As always, I love you all, dear readers, in that platonic and not creepy (kinda creepy) way that I do so well!