Gabriel was sitting in the living room contently, watching old Doctor Sexy reruns. It was almost midnight, so Sam had been sound asleep for hours. Things had been going well in the last few days with Sam. He loved being around that little boy. Many would find it hard to believe, but he took great joy in being around children. That was what he missed the most of Heaven, back when his father was still making new angels. It hadn't been his primary responsibility to take care of the fledglings, but he still spent a lot of time around them, playing with them and teaching them. He loved it. Sure, he found some happiness when he became a trickster. He found it entertaining to play deadly pranks on those who deserved it, but it was a far cry from giving him the same joy.

Gabriel was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of some soft whimpers from upstairs. He immediately got up and rushed upstairs. From there he went to Sam's room. When he got there, he found the boy thrashing and crying from some kind of nightmare.

Gabriel ran to the boy and shook him. "Hey, buddy, wake up. It's okay."

Sam's eyes opened after a minute, but he was still crying. In fact, his cries only got louder.

Gabriel picked him up and held him close. "Shh, Sammy. You're okay."

"I want Dean!" Sam cried as he held onto the man tightly.

Gabriel continued to make shushing sounds as he rubbed the boy's back. He did so until the child's cries began to stop about five minutes later. Then there just a few whimpers. "You okay now, kiddo?"

"I want Dean," Sam repeated. Dean made him feel better when he had a bad dream. He made the monsters go away. He always felt safe when his big brother was there.

Gabriel sighed. He knew this was going to come eventually. Sam hadn't asked for Dean until tonight, but Gabriel always knew it was going to happen. Dean was too important to Sam, especially as a child. Unfortunately, Dean was the one thing Gabriel couldn't give Sam. Gabriel doubted Dean was even alive, and if he was, there probably wasn't anything left of his mind after being possessed by Michael.

Gabriel sat down on the bed and sat Sam on his lap. He snapped his fingers and a small cup of water appeared in his hand. "Can you drink this for me, little one?"

Sam took the cup and took a sip.

"Good boy. You had a pretty bad dream, huh? Do you wanna tell me about it?" Gabriel asked gently.

"There were monsters and they wanted to hurt me. I want Dean. He makes them go away," Sam said.

"That sounds pretty scary, but there are no monsters here," Gabriel assured him.

"Yes! Monsters are real!" Sam said in a tone that just dared the man to tell him he was wrong.

Gabriel chuckled a little at the confident way the boy spoke. "You're right, they are real, but they're not here. No monster is ever going to hurt you again."

"But they could without Dean. He's the one who keeps them away. Why isn't he coming? Is it because he's mad at me?" Sam asked.

"No. Why would your brother be mad at you?" Gabriel asked.

"Because I was mean to him," Sam said. He didn't understand some things from when he was big, but he remembered saying mean things to him right before Gabe took him away.

Gabriel sighed sadly. He knew that the words Sam said to Dean when they left was going to end up hurting the boy later. That's why he had tried to urge Sam not to let things be left like that. But what was done was done. "Sometimes we say things we don't mean when we're mad. Dean knew you were very upset. I know he wouldn't hold it against you."

"But I was mean and now he's gone," Sam said.

"I know. Look, I know you don't remember everything that we talked about after I made you like you are now, but we told you then that you wouldn't be able to see your brother anymore. That was before you said what you did to him. It's not because he's mad at you," Gabriel told him.

"Why then? Why can't I see him?" Sam asked with a quivered lip.

Gabriel took a minute to try to find a way to explain it. It was very difficult to figure out how to explain to a child that he would never see his brother again. "Remember how you said a few minutes ago that Dean protects you from the monsters?"

Sam nodded

"Well, remember, there was a really bad monster who wanted to hurt you right before I changed you," Gabriel said. He hated calling his own brother a monster, but in the end, that was what he was. He couldn't consider anyone that would come after Sam anything else. "Dean wanted to protect you from that monster, but he couldn't do it the way he usually did. He needed help. He needed me take you away so you'd be safe from him."

"And Dean's gonna fight him?" Sam asked.

"Sort of. He made sure that bad man can never hurt you again," Gabriel said.

"If he made him go away, why can't Dean come back?" Sam asked.

"He... He had to go somewhere else after. Sam, your brother's in Heaven," Gabriel said. Even if that wasn't true, and Gabriel had every reason in the world to believe it was, it was best for Sam to think that. This way he wouldn't keep asking for him or assume he'd be back.

Sam started to cry. "No! You can't leave Heaven!"

Gabriel hugged him and rubbed his back. "I know, sweetheart. You know, Heaven's a really nice place though. He'll be surrounded by the people he loves and all his best memories. He'll have so many memories of the two of you. You have that too. You'll never forget your brother. And one day, when you go to Heaven, you'll see him again."

"But that won't be for a long time," Sam cried.

"No, it won't, but that's okay. You're gonna have a really happy life. You won't ever stop missing Dean, but you can think of your memories every time you miss him," Gabriel said.

"But Dean takes care of me," Sam said. If he didn't have Dean, he was all alone now. Dean was the only one that was always there. Dean was there even when his daddy wasn't. What was he supposed to do without him?

"I know he does, and I know that it's not the same, but I'm gonna take care of you now. I promise, I will always be here. You never have to worry about someone being around to take care of you," Gabriel assured him.

"You promise you won't ever leave?" Sam asked. That was a little better he guessed, but it wasn't the same as having his brother.

"Yes, I promise."

"I still want Dean," Sam said as he cuddled against the man's shoulder and cried some more.

Gabriel just held him as he cried. It was the only thing he could do for him right now.