Of course, a beach side getaway could only last so long. Sam wanted to contact Dean, which was completely understandable, since if Gabriel was getting this right, only one of the Winchesters knew about the vessel situation regarding the apocalypse. Honestly, Gabriel was kind of glad that Lucifer had chosen to clue Sam in. It made it easier to talk to him about life altering, world ending things without dancing around delicate subjects.
And this is how Gabriel found himself riding shotgun in a golden car he'd conjured up while Sam drove towards where ever he seemed to think his brother was.
Sam drove, hanging up the phone angrily. "I keep getting his voicemail," he said.
Gabriel said, "Maybe I should try calling him."
"Oh, yeah, that'd go over with him really well," Sam said, dialing again.
"Damn it, Cas, I need to sleep," Dean said angrily when he answered the phone.
Sam glanced over at Gabriel. Why was Dean assuming it was Cas? What the hell was going on with them lately? Why was Sam looking at him like he had something to do with Cas and Dean and their phone calls?
"Dean, it's me," Sam said.
Gabriel decided it was probably for the best to hear both sides of the conversation, just in case he had to do some damage control with Samsquatch afterward.
"Sam?" Dean asked, "It's a quarter past four."
"This is important," Sam pressed.
Sam went into the schpiel about being the vessel and the impending apocalypse. The pain in Sam's voice as he said it stung Gabriel. He put his hand on Sam's knee as a small source of comfort. Sam glanced at Gabriel and gave him a small smile as he waited for Dean's reaction.
"So, you're his vessel, huh?" Dean asked, "Lucifer's wearing you to the prom?"
"That's what he said," Sam said.
"Just when you thought you were out, they pull you back in, huh, Sammy?" Dean said.
Gabriel rubbed Sam's thigh lightly.
"So, that's it?" Sam asked Dean, "That's your response?"
"What are you looking for?"
"I don't know," Sam said, "A little panic, maybe?"
Gabriel could feel the panic rising in Sam's chest. He tried not to worry too much and focused on watching the street lights go by. It was a beautiful night, and he enjoyed spending time with Sam on the road; he just wished it was under better circumstances.
"I guess I'm a little numb to the earth shattering revelations at this point," Dean said.
"What are we gonna do about it?" Sam asked.
Dean asked, "What do you want to do about it?"
Gabriel glanced at Sam. He knew very well there wasn't anything either of them could do about it.
"I want back in, for starters," Sam said.
"Sam-" Dean started.
"I mean it," Sam said, "I am sick of being a puppet to these sons of bitches. I'm gonna hunt him down, Dean."
"Oh, so we're back to revenge then, are we? Yeah, 'cause that worked out so well last time," Dean said.
"Not revenge," Sam said, "Redemption."
Gabriel's hand stilled on Sam's leg. Lucifer had been out of the cage for a couple of weeks. Gabriel had been out of touch with Sam for a couple of weeks. How bad had that kid's head space gotten
"So, what, you're just gonna walk back in, and we're gonna be the dynamic duo again?" Dean asked.
"Look, Dean," Sam pressed, "I can do this, I can. I'm gonna prove it to you."
Dean was silent for a moment on the other end of the line, and Gabriel started to worry that the guy had hung up.
"Look, Sam," Dean said, "It doesn't matter...whatever we do. I mean, it turns out that you and me, we're the, uh, the fire and the oil of Armageddon. You know, on that basis alone, we should just pick a hemisphere, stay away from each other for good."
Sam's eyes widened a little, and his hand gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. Oh yes, Gabriel felt very glad that he listened to both sides of the call. He'd definitely have some work to do later.
"Dean, it does not have to be like this," Sam said, voice full of desperation and anger, "We can fight it."
"Yeah, you're right, we can. But not together. We're not stronger when we're together, Sam. I think we're weaker. Because whatever we have between us-love, family, whatever it is-they are always gonna use it against us. And you know that."
Sam's face betrayed the hurt he was feeling. He stared out through the windshield with a hopelessness on his face that Gabriel hadn't seen since Dean had been dragged to hell.
"We're better off apart," Dean continued, "We got a better chance of dodging Lucifer and Michael and this whole damn thing...if we just go our own ways."
"Dean, don't do this," Sam said.
Dean said, "Bye, Sam."
Dean hung up the phone.
Sam let the phone drop to his lap.
Gabriel didn't know what to say or do to make this better.
"I'm assuming you heard that whole thing," Sam said quietly.
Gabriel said, "Yeah, I heard."
Sam nodded and kept staring out the window with this blank vaguely in shock expression on his face.
"You know what?" Gabriel asked, "How about we go do something fun just the two of us?"
"What?" Sam asked, "I have to figure out what to do about Lucifer and the apocalypse by myself, and you just want to-"
"Sam, you're not by yourself. You've got me. And we can tackle the apocalypse later. It's not going anywhere. It'll still be here when we get back. Since you're not saying 'yes' to Lucifer anytime soon, you can afford a mental health day."
"A mental health day?"
"Yep, a mental health day. No apocalypse. No shithead brothers. Just you and me and whatever you want to do. What do you say?" Gabriel asked.
Sam sighed and said, "I'd say that sounds nice."
"Then, let's do it. Carpe diem, Sammich!"
Sam chuckled under his breath. "You know what?" he said, "Okay."
Gabriel grinned and snapped his fingers.
They stood in the middle of a wooded area. Small pools of moonlight slipped through the leaves of the trees, lighting up the soft earth.
"Where are we?" Sam asked.
Gabriel smiled and said, "I'll tell you in a minute. Follow me."
Gabriel walked down a path that he knew Sam probably couldn't see, but he followed it diligently. Sam followed close behind him, taking in the sight of the forest.
"Y'know, I love nature as much as the next guy, but we've got work to do, and I'm not sure-" Sam started.
Gabriel turned around to face Sam and said, "Oh, no. Right now, there's no apocalypse. Lucifer is safe in the cage. Dean is living happily with Castiel in some small suburb where their biggest worry is whether or not their cabinets are actually made of mahogany."
"What?" Sam laughed.
Gabriel tugged Sam's hand and led him towards their destination. He said, "And you and I are out in the more mountain-y areas of Vermont and just relaxing."
They came to the edge of the woods where the treeline stopped and opened to a small cliff. But that wasn't why Gabriel brought Sam here. It was for the view.
Past the cliff was open, cloudless, starry sky and a small town full of twinkling lights below. There were small bluffs and valleys from the mountain range they were on that continued off into the distance as far as they could see. Honestly, it was one of Gabriel's favorite places to be if he wasn't sitting on a beach. Beaches were always best.
But he figured he'd taken Sam to quite a few beaches. The last thing he wanted was to start being predictable.
Sam looked out over the cliff and said, "Wow. Now, that's a view. This is beautiful. How'd you even know about this place?"
Gabriel sat down in the grass and said, "I come here sometimes to think."
He wanted to tell Sam that he made this place. He wanted to tell him about the games that he and Lucifer used to play seeing who could make the tallest mountain without causing a landslide. He wanted to tell him about how Heaven used to be, how wonderful his brothers were, how beautiful his Father was. He wanted to tell him everything.
But he couldn't. Especially not now. If Sam found out he was an archangel, he'd think that Gabriel was just like the rest of them. Their friendship wouldn't be able to counter the fact that he was the same kind of monster that was currently threatening the world. Sam would look at Gabriel like he was the monster that Heaven wanted him to be.
Couldn't have that.
Sam sat down next to Gabriel, still looking out at the world. Gabriel looked at Sam and distracted himself with just how much he enjoyed seeing the moonlight get caught in Sam's hair.
"It is really relaxing here," Sam said after a while.
Gabriel smiled. "We can stay here as long as you want," he said.
Sam turned to Gabriel and asked, "Why are you doing this?"
"What do you mean? You obviously needed to relax, so-"
"No, I mean, why are you helping me? Why are you always here for me? Even though I know I've asked this before, I guess I still don't get it, but why on earth are you, a demigod, friends with me, a random human?"
Gabriel took Sam's hand in his, looked down at their hands together, and said, "Sam, you are far from a random human."
"That doesn't answer my-"
Gabriel looked up at Sam. "I love you," he said.
Sam went completely rigid, but he waited for Gabriel to continue.
Gabriel took a deep breath and said, "I love you. I don't know why, but I do. No, that's a lie. I know why. I just...it was definitely not a part of my plan. Sure, I thought you were easy on the eyes when we first met, but I never thought...It was the Mystery Spot, okay? I spent way too much time with you during that whole thing, and I started to get...attached. I've never hated myself more than when I did that to you. I-"
"I forgave you for the Mystery Spot a long time ago," Sam said softly.
Gabriel smiled up at Sam. He didn't deserve to be forgiven for that, but he was endless glad that he had been.
"So," Sam said after a moment, "You're in love with me."
"Yeah," Gabriel said, "I'm sorry if that's weird or-"
"It's not weird. It's actually pretty great. But you shouldn't feel that way about me," Sam said.
"Why shouldn't I? I mean, I know we're not exactly the same species, but-"
"The people I love most get hurt. And I can't-I can't go through that again."
"Sam, I'm not following you," Gabriel said.
Sam sighed and said, "The first girl I had a crush on killed her own mother for me."
"I don't have parents, so that's not exactly a deal breaker, kiddo," Gabriel said.
Sam looked at Gabriel with a deep, old pain in his eyes. "I fell in love with a girl named Jessica. She was gorgeous, funny, brilliant. And she died because of me. Azazel killed her the same way he killed my mother," he said.
"Sam, I-"
"I started having feelings for a girl named Madison. She got turned into a werewolf and had me shoot her to keep her from hurting anyone else."
Gabriel stared at Sam, not sure what he could possibly say to that.
"Even my family. I lost my mom, my dad. Even Dean a few times," Sam said.
Gabriel started to feel like he was getting the picture, but he kept quiet.
"And I know you hated Ruby," Sam said, voice sounding thick with tears, "But I loved her. She tricked me, she used me, and I hate her now, but I really did love her. And she's dead, too."
Gabriel squeezed Sam's hand.
Sam took a deep breath and said, "I know I have feelings for you. You've been there for me in ways that no one else ever has. You were there for me when Dean died. You always try to make me feel better, even when I know I don't deserve it. I started the damn apocalypse, and you still look at me like I put the sun in the sky. And there are times when I look at you and you just seem so lost and sad, and all I want to do is figure out how I can help you for a change. But if I say that I love you, I'm going to lose you. I'm cursed, and I'm starting to accept that, but I will never, ever forgive myself if you get hurt because of me."
Gabriel beamed at Sam. He slowly moved over and straddled Sam's lap, legs wrapped around Sam's torso. "Sam," he said, "Is the only thing keeping you from kissing me right now the fact that you think I'm going to die?"
Sam met Gabriel's gaze and nodded slowly.
Gabriel gently pressed his lips to Sam's, deepening the kiss and taking no time in running his fingers through Sam's long hair.
Gabriel broke the kiss and said, "I'm not going anywhere, kiddo. You and your brother thought you killed me, and that didn't work. I've had a few gods get on my bad side, and they've never been able to do a damn thing. I've been around for a long time, thousands of years. Trust me, Sammy. Nobody, and I mean nobody, tricks the Trickster."
Sam grinned and kissed Gabriel back excitedly. Gabriel had dreamed of Sam playing with his hair for years, but none of those fantasies could hold a candle to how amazing it felt when Sam ran his fingers through Gabriel's hair in real life. Gabriel couldn't help but moan, and he really didn't care how it sounded. This was all just too amazing to hold anything back. At the end of the day, it didn't matter if Sam was cursed or if Gabriel still hadn't told him the truth about his identity, because holy fucking hell, Sam Winchester loved him.
They kept kissing and nipping at each other until neither one of them could feel their lips anymore. Even then, their hands picked up the slack, rubbing and exploring until they found themselves cuddling, nuzzled together under the light of the moon and stars.
And that was when Sam's phone rang.
Gabriel had never tried to smite an inanimate object before, but he had the sudden overwhelming urge to give it a shot.
"Hello?" Sam answered, rubbing Gabriel's shoulder as if that would soothe the archangel's irritation.
"Dean?" Sam said, shocked. He sat upright quickly. Gabriel sat up and tuned into the phone call.
"Yeah, it's me," Dean said, voice a bit shaky, "I, uh, I just wanted to apologize for earlier. Umm, could we meet up in the morning and talk?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll meet you. Just text me an address," Sam said.
"Okay, yeah. I'll text you. See you tomorrow," Dean said. He hung up.
Sam looked at his phone and said, "I wonder why he didn't want to meet up now. Morning's only in a few hours."
"Castiel was with him. I've got a few guesses why Dean would want to wait a few hours," Gabriel said.
Sam asked, "How'd you know Castiel was with him? And why do you keep insinuating that he and Dean are-"
Gabriel grinned and said, "I know, because I'm awesome. Also, they're totally in love with each other. You can't tell me you haven't seen how they awkwardly stare at each other all the damn time. If looks were actions, those boys would be naked every time they so much as glance at each other."
"Dude, gross. That's my brother, I don't want to have that kind of mental image. And how the hell have you noticed? You've never even met Cas."
"When I get bored, I like to look at your recent memories and catch up on stuff I miss."
"When you're bored?" Sam asked.
"Or curious," Gabriel said.
Sam smiled and said, "I thought I told you to stay out of my head."
"I don't listen to your thoughts. But you never said anything about your visual memory. Plus, you notice every time I'm in your head anyway," Gabriel said.
"No, I don't," Sam said.
"Yes, you do," Gabriel said, "It might feel more like an itch at the back of your head, but you always knows where I am and what I'm doing in there. It's unnerving."
Sam pulled Gabriel on top of him and said, "Read my mind now."
Gabriel quickly reached into Sam's mind but stopped abruptly at the thought being unfurled at him. 'We have a few hours. What would you like to do?'
Gabriel grinned and snapped his fingers.
They were still in the same position, but they were now in a very large hotel room on a very comfortable bed.
Gabriel whispered into Sam's mind 'I have a few ideas.'
Sam grinned up at Gabriel and said out loud, "Your voice is warm in my head. Is that normal?"
"I just spoke to you telepathically, and you want to talk about 'normal'?" Gabriel said with a laugh.
Sam laughed. "You make a good point," he said. He pulled Gabriel down into a kiss, which made Gabriel's heart sing. The fact that Sam wanted him made him want to spread his wings, fly high into the sky, and shout it to the world. And that is how he knew exactly what he had to do.
Gabriel broke the kiss and said, "I'll help."
Sam looked at Gabriel confused. "You'll help with what?" he asked.
"I'll help stop the apocalypse," Gabriel said.
Sam sat up and looked at Gabriel with wide eyes. He asked, "You'll help us stop Lucifer?"
"Yes. I'll help in any way that I can. Of course, there's a slightly bigger problem we'll have to deal with first. And that would be your brother," Gabriel said.
Sam sighed and said, "Yeah, Dean is pretty stubborn. He's not going to like the idea of working with you."
Gabriel grinned impishly. "I have a plan," he said, "But we'll need to work together to pull it off. First, I cause a little mayhem, create a case for you guys, but I'll make it obvious it's me. Just desserts. Candy wrappers. The works. Then, you suggest to Dean that maybe I can be of some use to this whole apocalypse thing. I'll let you guys find me, and boom, we've got ourselves a team."
"And that way I won't have to tell him that we've been friends this whole time. This works out great," Sam said.
Gabriel grinned. He was a bit terrified about keeping Heaven from finding out about this, and a lot terrified that Castiel would figure out who he was and spill the beans to the boys. But this was the only way he'd have a shot of being with Sam. This was the only way that humanity might be saved at all.
Sam looked up at Gabriel with an intense look. Gabriel wasn't quite familiar with this look from Sam, but it filled him with a fiery want. He wasn't sure which would be more satisfying, snapping away their clothes instantly or taking his time unbuttoning Sam's plaid flannel with his teeth.
All Gabriel knew is that he wanted to devour Sam, and not in the way befitting a pagan god.
"Are you sure?" Sam asked.
"About what?" Gabriel asked.
Sam said softly, "That you love me."
Gabriel smiled and said, "Deadly sure. Are you?"
"Am I what?" Sam asked.
"Sure that you've got feelings for me."
"Yeah," Sam said, "I'm pretty sure about that."
Gabriel grinned impishly and asked, "How sure are you about that?" He nipped at Sam's neck lightly. "Would you say 25% sure?" He ripped open Sam's shirt, buttons clattering to the floor. "50% sure?" Gabriel mouthed his way down Sam's chest to where his lips ghosted over Sam's treasure trail. "Or are you completely, 100% certain that you want me?"
Sam flipped Gabriel onto his back and leaned in close to his face. "I'm sure," he said. He raked his teeth against Gabriel's neck, making the archangel see fireworks. Slowly, Sam brought up a knee between Gabriel's legs, spreading delicious heat through Gabriel's body. "I'm damn sure," Sam murmured, kissing Gabriel deeply.
Gabriel grinned widely and snapped his fingers, making the clothing between disappear.
Sam pressed his bare chest against Gabriel's and said in a low voice, "You know, I liked that shirt."
Gabriel pushed Sam back and sat up with Sam, straddling his hips. "Don't worry. You can have it back when we're done," he said.
Gabriel crushed his lips to Sam's as Sam grabbed a fistful of Gabriel's hair. Gabriel's hands trailed down Sam's back and sides like he needed to touch every single inch of him.
Sam pushed Gabriel back onto the bed, staring at him with lust-blown eyes.
"If you want me, come and get me, Samsquatch," Gabriel said with a grin.
"Lube?" Sam asked.
"Already got you covered, Sammy," Gabriel said. He slicked Sam's dick with a single thought.
Sam looked down for a moment and looked back at Gabriel. "I thought you had to snap your fingers to-"
"Only do it 'cause I can, not 'cause I have to," Gabriel said quickly, "Now, what are you waiting for?"
"Don't I need to prep you? I mean-"
"Trust me, Sam. I'm ready for you," Gabriel said.
Apparently, Sam didn't need to be told twice. He slammed into Gabriel, dragging a long, gasping moan out of the archangel. Gabriel pulled Sam down into a rough kiss. He bit the hunter's lower lip, which only made Sam start moving in and out of Gabriel faster and harder. Gabriel buried his fingers in Sam's hair, and Sam bit the side of Gabriel's neck. Hell, yes.
Gabriel pushed Sam down onto his back and hopped on top of the taller man, making damn sure to keep Sam firmly inside of him. Putting his weight on his knees, Gabriel slowly slid up Sam's length, enjoying the look of elation plastered on that boy's gorgeous face. He slid back down to the base quickly, making Sam gasp.
Sam reached up and grabbed at Gabriel's shoulders. He leaned up closer, making an impressively unfair show of his abs, and kissed Gabriel roughly. Gabriel invaded Sam's mouth with his tongue, savoring the very taste of him. One of Sam's hands dropped from Gabriel's shoulder and traveled down to Gabriel's throbbing cock.
That. That was a game changer.
Sam wrapped his fingers around Gabriel's length, pumping him in time with Gabriel's quick movements. Gabriel stilled, unable to process the sheer amount of pleasure coursing through his system.
Sam sucked Gabriel's lower lip into his mouth, nibbling lightly, as he laid Gabriel back onto his back slowly. He moved his fist along Gabriel's dick in tandem with his rough, deep thrusts.
Heaven. This was Heaven. Gabriel had thought he'd been to Heaven before, but he was wrong. There was a place that he was from, and then there was this. This was Heaven.
Gabriel rocked up into Sam, making Sam shudder from the pleasure of it.
Sam moved faster. Harder. Deeper.
Gabriel kissed Sam harder. Hands moving over his bare skin. Faster. Harder.
Gabriel dragged his fingers down Sam's back.
Sam dragged his teeth over Gabriel's earlobe.
Gabriel arched upwards and sucked Sam's nipple into his mouth.
Sam gasped and twisted a hand into Gabriel's hair.
Gabriel moaned against Sam's chest and nipped and bit his way up to Sam's lips.
Sam kissed Gabriel within an inch of his life.
Just when Gabriel couldn't quite tell where he ended and Sam began, Sam came into Gabriel hard and fast. And that feeling was just enough to push Gabriel over the edge as well. Everything became fire and light and felt so fucking amazing.
Sam slipped out of Gabriel, panting.
Gabriel was afraid to close his eyes just in case this was all some wonderful dream. He rolled onto his side, gasping, watching the rapid rise and fall of Sam's sweat covered chest.
Sam rolled over to face Gabriel. He said softly, "You know, I don't think I've ever slept with someone when I didn't even know their name."
Gabriel scooted closer and kissed Sam gently. "After this is all over, the apocalypse and everything, I'll tell you my name. I'll tell you anything you want to know," he said.
Sam smiled and said, "All I want to do right now is fall asleep in your arms."
"Go for it, kiddo," Gabriel said, grinning.
Sam sighed and said, "I wish I could, but there's sunlight coming through the window. I need to go meet up with Dean."
Gabriel groaned. "Stupid sun," he muttered.
Sam laughed. He said, "Don't get mad at the sun. The sunlight in your hair is absolutely beautiful."
Gabriel kissed Sam again. How could he have possibly gotten so lucky? "I'm going to put you in the car we were in earlier just a little ways up the road from Dean," he said, "Give me a few days, and I'll set up a case for you guys. We'll get the apocalypse taken care of, and everything will be fine."
Sam smiled brightly and asked, "What about this?" He gestured between the two of them.
Gabriel grinned. "If you want me, I'm yours," he said.
"Good," Sam said. He kissed Gabriel deeply.
Gabriel kissed him back, snapped his fingers, and opened his eyes to an empty room. Sam was on his way to meet Dean fully clothed, much to Gabriel's chagrin, and Gabriel was...well, Gabriel was happier than he'd been in a long, long time.
Gabriel stood up and snapped his fingers. In one move, he cleaned up their post-sex mess, put clothes back on his body, made the bed, unlocked the door, and poured some fresh coffee.
And that was when he knew he fucked up.
A rush of wings behind him in the room had Gabriel's heart racing.
Michael. Fuck.
"Gabriel?" Michael asked.
"Hey, bro. Long time, no see," Gabriel said, turning around.
Michael crossed the room quickly and hugged Gabriel. "Gabriel, I can't believe it's really you. We thought you were dead. How are you here? What happened? Where have you been?"
"Are you wearing John Winchester?" Gabriel asked, gently removing himself from his brother's grasp.
Michael sighed and said, "Well, my real vessel is a bit stubborn, so improvisations had to be made."
"How did you find me?" Gabriel asked.
Michael tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Find you? Gabriel, you make it sound as if you're unhappy to see me," he said.
Gabriel tried not to let his brother's words sting. Of course, he wanted to see his brother. His missed his family so badly. He missed having a home, having a place where he belonged. It was a constant ache knowing that he could never go back to Heaven and still have his own free will.
But he kept his poker face in place. These feelings were not something Michael needed to know about.
At Gabriel's silence, Michael said, "So you are unhappy to see me. Is that what happened? You didn't die or fall with Lucifer, you just...ran away?"
"I'm sorry I left," Gabriel said, "But I had to. After what happened between you and Lucifer-"
"What happened between Lucifer and I was what our Father commanded," Michael snapped.
"That didn't make it hurt any less, Michael," Gabriel said.
Michael took a deep breath and said calmly, "But you could come home. Raphael misses you. I've missed you. I'm sure you know Lucifer has been released. We could really use you right now."
"As fun as that sounds, I made other plans, so I'm a little booked. Maybe next apocalypse," Gabriel said.
Michael frowned, studying Gabriel. "Who was here? Someone was in here before I got here. I thought it was Lucifer, but now, I can't tell."
"It was just me," Gabriel said.
Michael ran a hand across the foot of the bed slowly. "I felt a lot of grace being used, enough grace to drain a fledgling dry. I thought it was Lucifer, and it smelled like Lucifer, but I found you instead," he said "You, Gabriel, do not smell like Lucifer. You've never touched Hell. But this smell, this scent is all over this bed, all over your clothes. This scent is steeped in Hell...like a demon."
Gabriel stayed still, trying not to give himself away.
Michael looked up at Gabriel with burning eyes. "But it wasn't a demon, was it? No, not a demon. A human. A Winchester."
Michael slammed Gabriel up against the hotel room wall and said, "You were in here with Sam Winchester. And you tried protecting him from me? I know you've been gone a long time, brother, but there is a strong punishment for disloyalty."
"Who says I was being disloyal? Sure, I lied, but I didn't know you were looking for Sam. I just didn't think you'd appreciate knowing that I was hanging out with Lucifer's vessel," Gabriel said quickly.
Michael narrowed his eyes at his brother. "I don't believe you," he said coolly, "It was you, wasn't it? It was you that took them from the church when Lucifer rose? It's you that shielding them from us, isn't it."
Michael tightened his grip on Gabriel.
Gabriel said quickly, "Well, hey, I mean, that's not-I didn't shield them. That was somebody else."
Michael slammed Gabriel against the wall again. "I can't believe you'd go against your own family like this. We loved you. I loved you. How could you have been so... It doesn't matter. If you ever want to come home again, you'll help us for a change. You'll give us the Winchesters, you'll wait for the end to come, and you'll help us create paradise."
Gabriel shoved his brother away from him and said, "I've been away from home for a few thousand years. I can wait a while longer."
Michael sighed. He turned away from Gabriel and said, "Can't you see that it's inevitable?"
Gabriel regarded his brother cautiously.
Michael faced Gabriel. "The apocalypse will happen. It's been written since the beginning. This is a plan that is playing itself out perfectly. Not even an archangel can disobey the will of God," he said, "Gabriel, I don't know what your attachment is to Sam Winchester, but he will die. There is no way around it. And you know that."
Gabriel said, "I can just bring him back."
"But will he want to live when so many others have died? Will he appreciate paradise knowing that he is responsible for placing the blood in the soil beneath his feet?" Michael asked.
"He's not responsible for what his fate has dealt him," Gabriel snapped.
Michael sighed and asked, "Do you hear yourself? Sam is playing into his fate. Free will is an illusion, Gabriel, and you know it. Why would you prolong the inevitable?"
Gabriel stared at Michael angrily. Why did his brother always have to be right?
Michael put a gentle hand on Gabriel's shoulder. "Think on this, then. By dragging out the apocalypse, more people will die. The more people that die, the more guilt Sam will have. And he's suffering already. Why would you allow him to suffer longer? Come home to your family, to your real family who love you like no other. Play games with the fledglings, train with the garrison, enjoy all the things you used to. Just come home."
Michael disappeared, and Gabriel slumped against the wall, sliding down to the floor awkwardly.
He knew what he had to do. Gabriel wished Michael wasn't right, but he was. The apocalypse wasn't going to stop just because Gabriel fell in love with a human. He'd known from the beginning that liking Sam Winchester was a bad idea. The kid was doomed. He'd known that. This wasn't news.
Gabriel couldn't think about how Sam would react to what he was going to do. He just needed to get it done, and get the ball rolling.
In the long run, this would be better for everyone. If Sam said yes to Lucifer, the apocalypse could just get the hell over with. Sam wouldn't keep beating himself up for things outside of his control. And Gabriel...Gabriel could finally go home.
All he needed now was an asshole whose healthy dose of payback was overdue.