Chapter 4

Rekindling and Reforging

His father and Amara were gone. The pair had vanished in a twisting pillar of black smoke and blinding light, and if they were to be believed, no one would ever see them again.

But before they left, they had restored the last member of their family.

Lucifer had tried to resist, claiming Castiel as his, and refusing to leave even after Father offered to give him another vessel. He became petulant and childish and when he refused to budge, their Father apologized before forcibly ejecting him from Castiel's body.

The four of them spent the next several months doing damage control on Lucifer's resulting temper tantrums.

In a true demonstration of Winchester Luck, things quickly spiraled from bad to worse. It was difficult enough when Lucifer took over the body of an aging music icon. But after that, he claimed the President of the United States as his vessel, which was dangerous in a multitude of ways.

But then . . . then he indulged in some of the more carnal aspects of human nature, and the world shook when his nephilim came into being. The raw power of the conception created a physic disturbance that rippled all across the planet.

They dealt with Lucifer as quickly as they could, banishing him for what they believed to be the final time. All that was left was to track down the mother, Kelly Kline, who had run off to protect her unborn child.

Even knowing what she carried, and who fathered it, Kelly held such hope for her child's future. Perhaps it was foolish, but Gadreel thought the woman very brave in the face of such odds.

The four of them were divided on what should be done once they found her. Dean and Castiel were ready to take decisive and violent action, but Gadreel saw no reason for the child to be punished for the sins of its father. Sam was the only one who came close to a compromise, but even then Gadreel knew that he wasn't satisfied, as it still resulted in the death of both mother and child.

Regardless of their stance on the subject, they all pressed forward and prepared for the unexpected.

And the child imprinting on an adult angel while still in the womb was certainly unexpected.

oOoOo

That was too close.

Sam stared blankly at the empty space where Lucifer had been mere moments before, vanishing right along with the dimensional rip. His heart was still hammering against his ribs. Instinctively, his hand grabbed at the arm next to him, searching out a hand and twining their fingers together.

Sam and Gadreel shared a look, both of them panting and filthy from the fight. Gadreel had a glowing cut from his neck to his collarbone, courtesy of Lucifer's blade, but thankfully it looked shallow.

"You okay?" Sam asked, voice hoarse, and a touch shaky.

"I'll manage," Gadreel replied, and squeezed his fingers lightly.

Sam's lips twitched into a half smile.

"Guys!" Dean barked, harsh and almost panicked. "A little help would be nice!"

They turned, and what they saw sent both of them running.

Dean was crouched over the crumpled form of Cas, hands pressed firmly against his chest. Blood and grace were seeping out from between Dean's fingers, despite the steady pressure, and Dean looked seconds away from cracking, like his sanity was only one moment, one missed breath, away from shattering into a million little pieces.

Cas was drawing in short ragged gasps, squirming and working his mouth like he was trying to speak, but was choking on the words.

Gadreel fell to his knees beside Dean, pressing one large palm besides Dean's hands and resting the other against Castiel's forehead. "Shh, brother, don't speak."

Grace light flared beneath both points of contact, and the grisly wound slowly sealed itself. Cas immediately began to breathe easier, his chest rising and falling in steady rhythm as he went boneless and still against the dirt. No one said anything as Dean sat back and grabbed fistfuls of Castiel's coat and dragged him in close until his head was resting in his lap.

"Castiel will be fine," Gadreel assured Dean quietly. "He just needs to rest." He pulled back then, straightening up to sit on his heels, but he swayed to the side.

Sam steadied him with a hand on his shoulder. "I think that applies to you too."

Gadreel shook his head then stumbled clumsily to his feet. "No, no, I felt Kelly's soul depart. I need to check on Jack."

A sharp pang of - of something zipped through Sam's chest. It wasn't jealousy, the lingering traces of that had faded the more Sam saw his angel interact with Kelly. It was more like apprehension and unease rolled into one.

But Gadreel had promised Kelly that they would look after her son when she was gone, and Sam had made his choice the day Jack had imprinted on Gadreel.

Channeling power from the unborn nephilim, Dagon had been reduced to a pile of ash and Gadreel had turned to Sam. His face was imploring, even as the gold slowly bled out of his irises.

"Please, Sam," Gadreel had begged, low enough that only the two of them could hear. "He will need those who understand. To show him that being different does not equate being evil. And I . . . I can not do this without you."

Considering his own history, what could Sam possibly say to that? And now it was time to honor his word.

As Gadreel pulled away from him, Sam turned back towards his brother. "Dean, we-"

Dean snorted, cutting him off. "We're not going anywhere. Go check on the spawn of Satan."

Sam shot him a disapproving glare before following Gadreel into the house.

It was eerily quiet inside, and coming on the heels of yet another fight with Lucifer, the silence set Sam's hunter instincts on edge. Gadreel had dismissed his blade, so it must have been safe enough, but it still took everything Sam had to keep himself from reaching for a weapon.

When they entered the room, there was Kelly, still and lifeless on the bed. Sam solemnly closed her eyes, noting that her face seemed peaceful. But there was no sign of an infant.

He turned towards Gadreel to comment on it, but froze.

There was a figure huddled alone in the far corner of the room, eyes flashing bright gold in the dark.

Gadreel was approaching the figure with slow and steady steps, then knelt down to eye level. Every motion was easy, and telegraphed, meant to calm, to soothe. "Hello Jack," Gadreel said.

"Father," Jack said in return.

Sam felt ice pool in his chest.

He knew Gadreel had more or less taken up that mantel, but to actually hear it . . .

He thought he would have time to get used to the idea. He didn't know how he felt now. This hadn't been what he was expecting, and being presented with a talking teenager instead of a wailing infant left him completely wrong footed.

Those glowing eyes flickered to him, then back to Gadreel in uncertainty. "Is that . . . Sam?" Jack asked, quiet, almost timid.

Sam's breath punched out of his lungs.

Gadreel glanced back at him over his shoulder before answering Jack with a soft smile. "Yes, it is. As you see, there is no need to be afraid. No one here will hurt you."

And just like that, the gold faded away from Jack's eyes and the tension bled from the room. Gadreel moved to sit beside him, and immediately Jack fell against his shoulder, hiding his face in the crook of his neck.

Realizing that, teenage body or no, Jack was not even twenty minutes old and was therefore was still very naked. So, Sam grabbed a throw blanket from a nearby rocking chair and draped it carefully around Jack's shoulders, and then sat down as well. His back against the next wall, leaving the kid wedged securely between the two adults in the room.

Gadreel smiled wanly at Sam before tucking the blanket more securely around Jack. He murmured into the boy's hair. "Jack. Why do you look like this, little one?"

Jack burrowed deeper into Gadreel's shoulder. "Mother said that the world was dangerous, that there would be people after me. She said I needed to grow up fast, even with you and Sam protecting me."

Sam rubbed a hand over his mouth, not knowing what to say to that heartbreaking truth.

And judging by the look that Gadreel gave him, he didn't know what to say either.

oOoOo

Kelly's words to Jack might as well have been a prophecy.

Angels found them right after they had sent Kelly's funeral pyre alight.

Dean had been inside the house, watching over Castiel while he rested, leaving the three of them to put Jack's mother to rest. Gadreel had been explaining the meaning and purpose behind the tradition of a hunter's funeral when he spotted three angels emerging from the tree line.

Mere hours after their last confrontation, Gadreel and Sam once more stood side by side, blades in hand. They pushed Jack behind them, making their position clear.

One of the angels demanded that Jack go with them, arguing that it was time to go home, to heaven.

Naturally, that did not go over well with anyone present.

Gadreel was still exhausted from his fight with Lucifer, and Sam was only marginally better. But even so, he and Sam always fought well together and were more than capable of holding their own.

When the angels realized that they would not win, one of them suddenly changed tactics, and both of them had been too far away to stop her.

Gadreel had watched in horror as one of his sisters ran Jack through with an angel blade.

Sam had been closer and had given her a blade to match before catching Jack in his arms. By the time Gadreel had taken care of the other two, Jack had taken out the blade himself and was staring at his own chest in confusion, even as Sam patted down the closing wounds.

That was how they learned that angel blades did not work on Jack.

Gadreel prayed that Kelly would forgive him that they found out at all.

Realizing that it was not safe to linger, they rounded up Dean and Castiel to begin the long drive home. They needed to get behind the security of the wards so they could recuperate and lick their wounds.

But time was never on their side, Gadreel was learning.

They didn't even make it halfway home before demons made their own play for Jack.

They had stopped for food. With the five of them all crammed into the impala it made for cramped quarters and they were all in desperate need to get out and stretch their legs.

Apparently, that was the opening that the demons had been waiting for and Jack went missing.

Thankfully, it didn't take long to track the boy down.

After all, there was no mistaking the beacon of raw and untrained power.

Gadreel arrived on scene first, having bolted from the car before it had even come to a stop.

There was Jack, eyes aglow and hands out, using his grace to pry open a portal to a demonic plane. And beside him, hand on his shoulder and shouting encouragement in his ear, was Sam.

Or, rather, someone who was wearing Sam's face.

A demon was wearing Sam's face.

Gadreel called Jack's name, flaring his wings, and pulsing his grace to get the boy's attention. Thankfully, it startled him enough to make his concentration falter, the gateway flickering and closing with a snap.

It took everything within him to keep his voice steady as he held out a hand and beckoned to the child. "Jack, come here."

The poor boy looked confused. He looked to the imposter, and then back to Gadreel. "But, Sam said-"

"That is not Sam."

Gadreel could see below the illusion, the power that fueled it crackled with static as it was never meant to be used by such a dark creature.

And for that moment, Gadreel's world stopped. The energy was corrupted, and tainted, stained with sulfur and scorched by Hell itself, but Gadreel still recognized its source. He stamped down his rage, not wanting to scare Jack by the sheer force of it.

Yes, he recognized it, and this demon would pay for the trespass.

"Jack," Gadreel said again, sharper. "Come here."

Jack's confused expression deepened as he stared at the demon, but did not step away.

It was then that Sam, his Sam, finally caught up to him. He slid to a stop beside Gadreel, followed closely by Dean and Castiel.

"Where the heck did the fake Sammy come from?" Dean demanded.

The demon wearing his lover's face chuckled as he shed the illusion, revealing an older man with a scarred face and a pristine white suit. "Sorry boys, but you're interrupting an important conversation." The demon smirked and twisted his hand.

Sam and Dean started gagging beside him, and before Gadreel could take another step towards them, his body was wrapped within bands of power. No matter how hard he struggled, Gadreel could not move, and if he had to guess, neither could Castiel.

"Jack . . . they wanna stop you," the demon explained casually to Jack. "They wanna contain you. But not me. I can give you the world."

Jack looked at Gadreel, his eyes traveling to the others and then back to the demon. The boy's fists clenched and his wings flared and flapped, the movements instinctual to his emotions and not actually controlled. His eyes flashed gold as his grace reacted to his anger, power coiling to lash out. "Leave my family alone!" Jack roared.

The demon's face twisted with displeasure, and then was gone.

Gadreel was instantly able to move. He took Sam's face in his hands as the hunter took in great gasps of air. He rubbed his thumbs along Sam's cheeks. "Are you alright?"

Sam nodded, and bent to rest his forehead against Gadreel's, covering his hands with his own and squeezed.

"Father?"

Gadreel turned. There was Jack, looking nervous and upset.

"Father, Sam, I'm sorry. I know you're angry but I-"

Jack made a startled noise when Sam grabbed the front of his shirt and hauled him in for a crushing hug. Gadreel draped his wings over the both of them, even though Jack was the only one who felt it.

"I am not angry with you," Gadreel assured him. "But I do believe I need to teach you how to recognize Sam and Dean by their souls."

"Let's go home," Dean rasped, "before anyone else makes a go at the kid.

There was no arguing with that.

oOoOo

Gadreel was tense.

Gadreel had been tense since their encounter with the demon, but whenever Sam caught his eye with a questioning look, all he would offer was a faint smile and a small shake of his head.

Whatever it was, Sam knew his angel didn't want to discuss it in front of the others. So he waited until after they got Jack settled in and were back in their own room before he asked about it.

Now Gadreel didn't look tense, he looked angry. He paced the length of the room once, twice, before turning towards Sam with a hard expression.

"That demon who tricked Jack" Gadreel said, "He was utilizing Gabriel's grace."

Sam froze. That- no, that couldn't be possible.

There was no way.

"Gabriel?" Sam asked, still trying to wrap his head around the possibility. "You mean our Gabriel?"

Our Gabriel.

He hadn't meant to say that. Despite the mark that the archangel had placed on his soul, there had never been a time where Sam could have called Gabriel his. They had never had the chance to be anything.

The same could be said for Gadreel, although their almost had come much closer to something before it all fell apart.

But . . .

But Gabriel had been their bridge, back in the beginning. He had been their link, their common ground. It had been their individual connections to Gabriel that had given Gadreel the courage to approach Sam as himself in order to save his life.

Our Gabriel.

Gadreel's expression softened. "Yes, I mean our Gabriel."

Sam suddenly felt winded and found himself sitting heavily on the bed. His mind whirled, and his chest felt constricted. "Are you sure it was Gabriel's grace?" Sam asked, because he couldn't allow himself to hope unless he was sure. "Is that even possible? Unless he-"

The rest of that sentence died on his tongue, refusing to pass his lips.

"I know Gabriel's grace like I know the shine of your soul," Gadreel told him firmly. "Gabriel is alive."

Gabriel is alive.

For how long? How did he survive? Was he in Hell all this time, and they just never knew? Had his death been a lie? A trick?

Gabriel is alive.

The words echoed and rang, and Sam's vision blurred.

Warm hands cupped his jaw and cradled his cheek, and Sam pressed his lips against a calloused palm and breathed deep. The touch wasn't demanding, just reminding him that Gadreel was there. That he wasn't alone.

Had Gabriel been alone all this time?

"We need to find him."

"We will," Gadreel swore. "We will find him and we will bring him home."

Bring him home.

Sam liked the sound of that.

Everything else could wait until they had him here.

oOoOo

Author's Note: I really need to stop saying when this fix is gonna end, because it keeps making a liar out of me. There is supposed to be only one more after this. But this story keeps giving me curveballs, and the show keeps giving me new material to work with. Until next time! Happy reading! - Shadow