Hello! This chapter is a bit short because of finals and graduation. I hope still like it.

Sam stared at the computer in shock. His hand flew to the now blank screen as if he could reach through and pull Gabriel home. With desperation and just a bit of foolish, unrealistic hope, Sam typed rapidly as he tried to bring the comms back to life. He knew it was useless. Gabriel wouldn't have wanted me to see him d-. Sam stopped the thought. He continued to try even though he knew it was useless. If he gave up it would mean his agent was... "No!"

Sam struggled as he felt himself being pulled away from his desk. He only had one goal. Get back to the computer and he went into fight mode thrashing, kicking and even biting because he needed to get back online. Sam needed to hear Gabriel making fun of him worrying so much and talking non-stop over the comms and just being there, alive, breathing, coming back. Nothing could get him to stop until a calm voice, so out of place in his hysterics said, "Sam calm down." He looked up from his new spot on the floor at Castiel.

The mission was over and Castiel had logged out. He glanced at Sam's computer and took a sharp breath. Sam felt a stab of guilt. Castiel had just lost his older brother. Sam couldn't imagine what he would do if he lost Dean. Castiel calmly got up and walked quickly out of the tec unit and away from the stares of pity and shock. The youngest Noviak would've appeared completely in control if not for the silent tears that fell as he left.

Some part of Sam urged him to follow but, he felt as if all his energy had abandoned him. Sam sat on the floor, hugged his knees and stared at his computer with tear filled eyes. He didn't move until Dean came to get him. He was still like the dead. Somehow it seemed fitting. He wouldn't move if his agent couldn't.

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Dean ran through the halls and finally reached his little brother. Just as he expected, Sam looked awful. He was curled up on the floor and had a vacant look in his eyes as they stayed fixed on the computer screen. Long dried tear tracks ran down his cheeks. Dean sighed and crouched next to Sam. "Sammy?"

Sam didn't even look at him. His eyes never left the black screen. As if it could change if he just kept watching it. Dean frowned and shook Sam. "Come on Sammy." He took Sam's arm and helped his shocked brother off the floor. "Let's go." Sam nodded and didn't fight Dean. His previous attack of emotions had ended and had slaughtered them all.

Sam felt nothing.

Why should he? He had just lost everything.

/

"Luci?" Gbariel's weak voice cut through the silence as he stared at the traitor in front of him. Lucifer smirked. "I haven't been called that in a long time Gabe." He looked at his younger brother and smiled. He had know Gabriel had become an agent since two years ago when his men returned from a failed mission, reduced by half their original numbers, in a panic, and screaming about about golden eyes and laughter on the battlefield. "You've certainly come a long way."

Gabriel was struggling to keep his eyes open. He put pressure on the wound but he still felt his blood flowing between his fingers as it joined the growing red puddle on the floor. He kept his eyes on his older brother and looked at him with distrust. There was no visible fear in his eyes but if one looked closely they would see the slight tremble of his hands.

Gabriel knew he was in trouble and his chances weren't looking all that great. Lucifer was a traitor and he had never been all that sane to begin with so Gabriel wasn't feeling the brotherly love. "And I bet you're still your backstabbing self."

Lucifer turned his back to his little brother and Gabriel wished he was strong enough to stand. His eyes flickered down the hall towards the exit. Lucifer ordered his men, "Prepare a get away car with our best medic. This base is lost." His gaze then traveled to his little brother's shooter who began to struggle fruitlessly against the men holding him captive. Lucifer tilted his head. "You aren't one of my men and for a hired hit you have crappy aim." He pulled out his gun. "Sadly, well sadly for you, no one is allowed to mess with my brothers but me so..." Lucifer's eyes flashed with insane glee as he shot the assassin.

He walked over and picked up Gabriel who had lost his battle for consciousness. Lucifer was feeling good. He had lost a base. So what? He now had the perfect weapon against Michael. Lucifer laughed as he walked past the dead and out of the base. He had the golden child of the family. Michael's little protégé would soon be his perfect weapon. Gabriel was the key to his plan and it would be perfect.

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Sam had thought that when someone died they just disappeared from the world like they had never existed.

Apparently, he was wrong. Gabriel was everywhere. It had been two days and Sam couldn't leave his room without having memories ripped to the front of his thoughts. He heard his agents voice like a song that had gotten hopelessly stuck in his head. To top it all off Sam couldn't stop watching it.

He didn't know why he kept the footage, let alone watched it but there was something about the last few minutes of Gabriel's life. Maybe, it was the way neither of them were aware of the timer hanging above their heads. There was something in seeing how alive Gabriel had been. Something in hearing his agent's voice and laughter and after that there was something else. Something not quite right. After almost the fifth time watching it Sam was convinced he had missed something.

So, he broke down the video. He clicked through the shots taken every .2 seconds. Needless to say, it took a long time and he worked into the night. Not that it really mattered, Sam didn't sleep much anymore. And then, sometime around 4 AM, Sam found it.

When Gabriel had been shot, he had fallen backwards and the camera pointed up. That's how Sam saw him. The numbness receded just enough so Sam could hate again. He hated this man with his whole being. On his computer screen was Gabriel's shooter. The man was tall and blond. He wore casual clothing. In the shot he was just beginning to lower his gun. Sam glared at the screen for a few minutes before running a face recognizing program.

Sam hadn't expected to find much. Probably the typical evil henchmen who had gotten a lucky shot. He was very wrong.

There were full pages of information on the guy. His name was Xavier Nieto. He had been on the agency's top ten most wanted list and he would still be if his body hadn't been found. Sam found the time of death and frowned. It was a half an hour after Gabriel had crushed their comms. Assassins usually make a hit and leave quickly. So why was he still there?

Sam continued to scroll and found something that made no sense. This guys calling card was a shot through the eye. He could make shots like that from a hundred meters away. Xavier had been so much closer than that to Gabriel and he had missed. It didn't make sense. Why would someone hire this hit man only for him to not finish the job. Why?

Sam put his head in his hands and began to really think. Xavier was a pro and never missed before on record so missing had been deliberate. Someone had to have hired him and then killed him, maybe not wanting to pay, maybe because of the bad shot. Then, the last piece of the puzzle fell into place and Sam felt a much stronger emotion than hate. Hope. It sent him running down the hallway yelling for Dean.

They hadn't found Gabriel's body.

Yay! I finally got this chapter up! Finals sucked and I had to study. Please let me know what you think! I try to reply to all comments. : )