Dear Friends and Followers! I have returned! Hopefully you are still with me after my long hiatus! I once more have a computer and am rolling out chapters! HUZZAH!

WIthout further delay here is the next chapter of Shaded (Grace)

~ Noxy

Chapter 16: Temper, Temper

"Excuse me?!"

"You heard me." Gabriel said, digging into his bowl of chili.

"After everything he did to you and you want to let him live?!" Lucifer asked, nearly throwing the pot down on the stove.

"I don't see how it's any of your business." The youngest archangel retorted darkly, glaring at his once lover.

"Lucifer if you let Gabriel explain then I'm sure-"

The Devil's burning blue eyes landed on his mate. "Are you serious Michael? Don't tell me that you're taking his side!"

Michael seemed taken back by the sudden anger being directed at him. "No! I just think that you should let Gabby explain before you decide to jump to conclusions."

"I am not jumping to conclusions!" Lucifer snapped.

"Actually you kinda are mate." Crowley said, looking up from his tea.

"Not another word Crowley!" The blonde snapped, his blue gaze turning to the demon.

Crowley turned to look at the youngest archangel. "Sorry. Looks like you're own your own for this one. I know that this is a battle that I can't win. Best of luck."

"I know how to fight my own battles but thank you for supporting me." Gabriel said. "I honestly didn't expect it."

"Damn it Gabriel!" Lucifer yelled. "Stop playing around! This is serious!"

"What would you have me say Lucifer?" Gabriel asked, glaring up at him.

"I want a reason for this madness!" Lucifer demanded.

"I have my reasons. None of which are your business." The youngest said turning back to his food. "This is between Raphael, Xaphanel, and myself."

Lucifer blazing eyes turned to his immediate younger brother, who cringed. "Raphael! Did you put him up to this?!"

"No! Gabriel said he wanted to talk to me about it but I didn't say anything. He said it was his choice and I'm going to respect that."

"Respect it?! You created that monster! It almost killed him multiple times! How can you even think about letting him near that monster again?!" Lucifer screamed.

Raphael cringed and suddenly there was a golden wing blocking the Third Born from the blonde archangel's sight. Raphael, recognizing the action for what it was, beat a hasty retreat and fled for the safety of hiding behind their father. Lucifer's blue eyes turned to his younger brother once more. Gabriel was glaring at him, his gold eyes blazing and there were hints of blue beginning to show; his Grace was flaring up and in the Fourth Born's still weakened state that was not a good thing.

"Gabby I-"

"I have had enough Lucifer!" The smaller blonde snapped. "I am not a fledgling! I am old enough to take care of myself. Not only that but I have been taking care of myself far longer then I should have been! I was mostly alone growing up despite the fact that as my older brother it was your responsibility to see that I was taken care of! Instead you guys left me alone more often then not because I was the youngest! How was that fair?!"

"Gabriel we didn't-"

"Shove it Michael!" Gabriel snapped. "I wasn't old enough to be left alone! I was too young! I was your responsibility! One that you ignored! That is if I was lucky! Most of the time you'd just dump off where ever you thought would keep me entertained! I came to loathe Madagascar and their monkies because you'd dump me there every chance you could get! You made me feel like I was nothing more then a burden to the three of you! How was that right?!"

"Gabriel you were never a burden!"

"You made me feel like it!"

"It was never our intent! You were just so young that we were terrified you'd get hurt!"

"I had the same training as you! You should know! You trained me Michael!"

"Gabriel you are our baby brother and-"

"As such I should never have felt like I was in the way! I hated the fact that you never let me try to be myself!"

Michael stepped back, shocked at the anger coming from his younger brother. Clearly there were things that Gabriel still needed to get off his back. One of those appeared to be their treatment of him. If Gabriel wasn't so upset then they might be able to to work things out by at this point the youngest archangel was too upset to be rational.

"Gabriel-"

Gabriel suddenly snarled and flipped his plate, the remains of his food covering Michael. He stood and turned and left, leaving behind a very shocked audience. Sam rushed out after his mate, intent on finding out why he was so upset and calming him before he managed to hurt himself. Crowley seemed more entertained then anything while the elder archangels were in shock. Castiel seemed confused while Dean was struggling to hold in his laughter at the sight of the First Born covered in mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, and bits of cube steak. Chuck however seemed more pensive about the matter.

"What just happened?" Michael sputtered.

"Feathers let you have it." Dean said between chuckles. "Can't say I blame him either. It's about time he let some of that rage out."

"Rage?" The First Born echoed. "Gabriel has never had a temper."

"Like hell he doesn't." Dean replied. "I should know. I managed to get it going when he had us trapped in tv land."

"Gabriel has never showed a temper to any of us before." Lucifer said. "Not even when we were dating before my Fall."

"I can't remember him having one either." Raphael confirmed. "He may have been a bit of a cry baby but never angry. I don't think I even heard a hateful word fall from his lips."

"I think that proves his point then." The hunter said. "You just proved that you still don't know him, even after all the shit that's happened. Gabriel is still a stranger to you even though he's your baby brother."

Michael glared, looking less intimidating then normal since he was covered in various foods. "How can you say that?!"

"How can you just stand there and deny what you just saw happen?!" Dean snapped back at the eldest archangel. "Feathers just showed you how pissed off he can get and you are standing here denying it! Chuck I need a favor. I want to show your sons something."

Chuck came over. "What do you need?"

"I want to show them a memory. One of Gabriel and his temper." Dean said.

The deity held out both hands, palms up, to the human. "Just think about the memory and it'll appear so everyone can see it okay?"

Dean reached out and placed his hands over Chuck's and suddenly they were standing into front of a studio audience. Sam w standing next to a table staring at Gabriel. Dean was right next to the archangel, staring at him with a knowing look. The hunter knew something and he was making sure to confront the blonde about it.

"Heaven or Hell? Which side are you on?" Dean asked.

Gabriel gave a slight pause but his expression didn't change. "I'm not on either side."

The look on Dean's face was one of smug disbelief. "Yeah right. You're grabbing ankle for either Michael or Lucifer. Which one is it?"

There was a gleam of anger that appeared in Gabriel's gold eyes and his voice grew tight as he strode forward. "Listen to me you arrogant dick, I don't work for either of those S.O.B.'s. Believe me."

Dean made an amused noise; he had gotten under the blonde's skin and he knew it. "Oh you're somebody's bitch."

Gabriel's face morphed into a snarl. His hands were fisted into Dean's shirt and he swung the hunter around and slammed him hard into the door. The look in his eyes was dark and when he spoke his voice was low and full of anger.

"Don't you ever-Ever!-presume to know what I am." Came the fury laden voice as he glared at the hunter in his grip. On that note Gabriel turned to glare at Sam, one hand releasing Dean but still keeping the hunter easily pinned, making him let out small noises of pain and discomfort. "Now listen very closely, here's what going to happen: You're going to suck it up, accept your responsibilities, and plays the roles that destiny has chosen for you." The archangel growled out.

"And if we don't?" Sam asked tightly, the worry for his brother clear.

The smile was back and just like that it seemed like the anger was gone. "Then you'll stay here in tv land...forever. Three hundred channels and uh...nothing's on." He said with a snap.

Dean pulled back and glared at the archangels. "How's that for a temper?"

The three archangel were in shock. It was easy to see that they never knew about Gabriel's temper. Michael seemed upset that he never knew while Lucifer was still in a state of disbelief. Raphael seemed like he was contemplating what to do with this new information. Castiel seemed proud of his mate for standing up for his favorite brother, as did Chuck. Dean shook his head at the archangels.

"I know that you guys think you know best but take it from personal experience..." Dean said. "The hardest thing about having a younger brother is knowing there will come a time where you will have to step away and let him stand on his own. It took me a long time before I was ready to let Sam do that. Even after he came back and started hunting with me again I fell right back into being the protective older brother. He called me out on it to just like Gabriel is doing with you. The issue is that you are still refusing to let him go. After all this time you are still treating him the same."

Michael looked up. "We are not."

"Yes you are." Dean stated.

"You can't be serious Dean. We've been treating him better since we've found him." Lucifer said, disbelief coloring his voice.

"You've been treating him better but you are still treating him with kid gloves." The hunter pointed out. "You're questioning every move he makes."

"Gabby is our baby brother." Raphael said. "He needs our protection."

"Not from where I'm standing." Dean said with a glare. "Right now all you three are doing is pushing him away. Gabriel is old enough to make his own choices and to know what he wants. You questioning him is making him mad. If you want to be good brothers then the best thing you can do is to support Gabriel's decisions even if you don't agree with them. Just support him and be there to catch him once he falls. Do you understand?"

The three looked at each other and Dean made a pissed off noise. "No wonder why Gabriel gets so pissed off with you three! You're so dense that I'm surprised that you idiots can even fly!" The hunter snapped before walking out with his mate hot on his heals.

There was silence for a few moments before Chuck began to laugh. "Dean is right. He just said it before I did. You three need to learn to respect Gabriel's choices. He is old enough to know what he wants to do. If you don't want Gabriel start hating you again then I suggest getting yourselves together so that you don't lose him again."

"How?" Michael asked.

"Simple." Chuck said. "Stop treating your brother like glass and start treating him like he's your equal. I think he's more then proven that he can be there to stand with you no matter what challenges comes your way. After all...Could you have survived the hell that he has lived through for so long without breaking down or wanting to take your own life?"

Silence answered the deity's question and Chuck let out a sigh.

"I didn't think so." God said. "Maybe it's time you stop seeing Gabriel as your younger brother and start seeing him for the archangel he is."

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Gabriel growled and Sam rubbed gently at his back, trying to keep his husband from expending anymore Grace then he already had. "I can't believe them! How dare they!"

"I know Gabe. Believe me. I understand." Sam said.

"No you don't!" The archangel snapped, trying to pull away.

Sam grabbed the blonde and pulled him close, wrapping his arms tight around him. "Yes I do Gabe. I'm a younger brother too in case you forgot. I know exactly what it's like. I have Dean for an older brother and sometimes he gets just like Michael and Lucifer."

Gabriel began to relax in Sam's embrace, melting against his hunter. "I'm sorry Sam. You're right. I'm also sorry for yelling at you."

"You needed to snap." The hunter said with a smile. "I'm just glad that I can help."

There was silence for several long minutes before Gabriel let out a heavy sigh. "Do you think I'm being stupid Sam?"

"No I don't." Sam said. "You need to do this to move on."

"Thank you." The angel said. "I'm glad that at least someone understand."

"You need to face your demons. Or should I say demon?" Sam said with a light tone. "Although for most people their demons don't have a physical form that's being kept chained up in Hell. I have to admit that I'm a little nervous about it too."

"You're nervous?" Gabriel asked in disbelief. "I'm terrified. I really don't want to do this but I don't have a choice."

"You do have a choice Gabe and I think you're making the right one." The hunter said kissing him gently.

The blonde let out a snort. "Glad you think so. Lucifer seemed to be pissed about the idea. I didn't even get to finish telling him the other part."

"To be fair Xaphanel did torture, feed from him, and seal him away in Hell. Not to mention he took away Razael's feather and then kidnaped the both of us and almost killed you. Lucifer has plenty of reasons to hate him." Sam pointed out.

Gabriel sighed. "Xaphanel has done a lot worse to me. You'd think Lucifer would remember that. Or maybe he's just purposely ignoring it in hopes of pretending that it never happened."

Sam pulled Gabriel over to the bed. The human carefully stripped the archangel out of his shirt before taking off his own shirt. That done Sam laid down on the bed and pulled Gabriel down on top of him. Gabriel made a happy noise and his wings appeared, laying over them like a huge golden feather blanket. One of Sam's hands slid into those blonde locks while the other hand stroked the sensitive skin right between the angel's wings where his scar was.

"There. Now while I am sure that Lucifer would rather forget what happened to you I'm fairly certain that it's not what he's doing." Sam said.

The Trickster was letting out a soft purring noise at the touches. "Then what is he doing? Because right now he's agitating me."

Sam chuckled. "Lucifer doesn't want to forget. It hurts him that he knows how you suffered and that he wasn't able to do something to stop it. He's your older brother and he feels like it's his responsibility to protect you. Knowing what he does and knowing that there was nothing he could have done to save you probably hurts him. What's happening now is nothing more then him trying to make up for his failures. He knows that this could possibly hurt you again so he's trying to stop it before it happens. That's all."

"Does he have to go about it while being a dick bag?" Gabriel asked, his voice somewhat muffled by Sam's chest.

The hunter laughed. "Aren't you the one who said that he was a great big bag of dicks?"

"True. I just didn't expect him to keep being one after he got with Michael." The blonde admitted. "I was hoping he would lose some of that dickiness."

"Is that even a word?"

"It is now."

Sam laughed again and kissed the top of his husband's head. "Feel better now?"

Gabriel let out a content sigh and nodded. "Yeah. I'm calmer now. Thank you. You always did know my weak spots."

"That's a good thing then." The brunette said. "It just means that I have an archangel under my control that does what I say."

"Bullshit." Gabriel snapped.

Sam laughed and rubbed at the angel's back and scalp. "I want an edible fruit bouquet. Make it two dozen chocolate covered strawberries."

There was a quite snap and vase appeared with said fruit making the hunter laugh.

"I think I just proved my point." Sam said.

"Well fuck." Gabriel said with a whine. "Figures. A Winchester with an archangel at his command. What is this world coming to?"

"It's being made into a better place." Sam said. "So when are you going to do this?"

"Next week." Gabriel said. "By then my Grace and body should be fully healed. If I'm going to face Xaphanel again then I want to be at my best."

"Are you sure you don't want me in there with you?" Sam asked.

"I'm sure Sammich. You can watch though. It'll make me feel better knowing that you're close by." Gabriel confirmed. "Crowley said that the room has a wall with a one-way glass all along it. And it's warded so Xaphanel won't be able to sense anyone watching."

Sam frowned. "What about our bond?"

"It won't interfere. I promise." Gabriel said grabbing a strawberry. "Now...I have to ask Sam. What did you have in mind for these?"

The hunter grinned and suddenly Gabriel found himself under his husband. "Oh I can think of quite a few things I can use those for." He said popping the button on both their jeans. "How about for now I spoil you?"

Gabriel let out a whimper. "Please by all means...spoil away."