Sam was sitting at the table with his father finishing up breakfast. Once he was done, he started to get up. "I'll be back later."
"Hold up. We need to talk about something," Gabriel said.
Sam sat back down and eyed his father cautiously. For a second, he wondered if his dad had found out about the training sessions with Michael. He soon realized that couldn't be it. If his dad knew about that, and about Sam hiding a power from him, he'd be livid. There was no way he'd be speaking so calmly. It had to be something else. "What?"
"I have to leave for a little while. I need to make a trip to Earth," Gabriel said.
"A…are you going to see Dean?" Sam asked. He knew it was selfish, but a huge part of him didn't want his dad to get to see Dean. It wasn't fair that he got to see him, and Sam couldn't.
"No. I promised Dean that I would keep my distance and not get involved in his life unless he did something stupid. He's kept his promise, so I will keep mine," Gabriel told him.
"Why do you have to go then?" Sam asked. He still wasn't happy. His dad got to go where he wasn't allowed. He got to get away from this place.
"I'm going with Lucifer to speak to an angel who left here around the same time I did. Lucifer wants to try to convince him to come home.
"Oh, okay. I guess I'll see you when you get back then," Sam said before getting up again. He was a little more eager to leave for training now. It bothered him that his dad was going to Earth and he couldn't. He needed to blow off some steam, and trying to set the archangel who was responsible for all this on fire seemed like the best way.
"Nope, not done. I'd like you to stay here until I get back," Gabriel said.
Sam plopped right back down into his chair. "Why?
"I just don't want to chance something happening," Gabriel said. Honestly, he didn't really expect anything. Even with both him and Lucifer gone for the day, he figured most wouldn't be stupid enough to go after his son, however, he didn't want to take any chances.
"Dad, nothing's gonna happen. Everyone here knows Lucifer's in charge. They won't go against him. I've come across a lot of angels since I've been here. Nothing's ever happened," Sam said. Well, nothing happened other than a few of them expressing their hate for him.
"I would prefer that you stay here while I'm gone," Gabriel told his son again. His tone left little room for argument.
Sam sighed. "Fine."
"Thank you."
"When are you leaving?" Sam asked.
"Now," Gabriel said as he stood up. "Hopefully, this won't take long."
Sam nodded and watched him disappear. He then went to the living room and laid down on the couch, grabbing a book he'd left on the table the night before. He probably should've gone to let Michael know he wasn't coming, but he really didn't care about inconveniencing the archangel, so he didn't bother.
Xxxxxxxxxxx
Gabriel walked into an internet café with Lucifer. It was where they were supposed to find Metatron. "Let's get this over with. I need to get back."
Lucifer could tell that his brother was concerned. He'd seen it the moment his brother showed up to his office. He could only guess it was because of Sam. "Gabriel, relax. Sam will be fine. Michael's not gonna do anything while we're gone."
"Yeah, and what about the rest of the dicks that hate my son?" Gabriel asked.
"They'd be stupid to do anything, and they know it," Lucifer said.
"Yeah, you're probably right, but it's my kid. Even the possibility worries me. Let's just do this," Gabriel said. He noticed a man towards the back reading a book. He could tell from the Grace coming from him that it was Metatron.
"Let's go," Lucifer said before leading the way. He went and sat down on one side of the angel while Gabriel sat on the other side. They both made sure to hide their Grace until they were sitting down.
Metatron looked up and prepared to tell off the humans that were keen on disturbing him. Then he caught the magnificent Grace that was the two archangels.
"Hello, Metatron," Lucifer said.
"Lucifer, Gabriel. I'd heard the buzz that you'd both returned to Heaven. And Lucifer is now the head honcho. I would've thought I misheard if I thought that was possible," Metatron said.
"Much has changed in Heaven, Metatron," Lucifer said.
"So I've heard. You people are breaking all the rules," Metatron said.
"Not all of them. We may be changing some of them," Lucifer conceited.
Metatron laughed. "A Nephilim not only allowed to live, but to reside in Heaven? No bigger rule was ever broken."
"Watch your mouth, Metatron," Gabriel said in a dangerous tone.
"Yes, that's right. You're the one who created the little abomination," he said with a sneer.
Gabriel was up in seconds. He roughly pulled Metatron up and slammed his head into the table.
Lucifer waved his hand to make sure the humans didn't pay any attention. He didn't stop Gabriel though. If Metatron was stupid enough to goad Gabriel, he deserved what he got.
"I said watch your damned mouth! Don't you ever speak like that about my son!" Gabriel growled.
"Alright, Gabriel, let him go," Lucifer said.
Gabriel held Metatron there for a minute. Then he pulled him up and forced him back into his chair before sitting back down.
"Metatron, you'd do well to remember who you're in the company of," Lucifer warned.
"What do you want?" Metatron asked.
"As I was saying, things have changed in Heaven. Michael is no longer in charge. I realize that he was so harsh that it has caused some of you to flee Heaven," Lucifer said.
Metatron laughed. "You want me to come back."
"We're giving you the option," Gabriel specified. He wanted to make it quite clear to Metatron that they did not need him back. The last thing he wanted was to feed Metatron's ego. It was already way too big.
"Right, but we would prefer you come back. Any angel I can get to come back, I will. This place wasn't meant for angels. Our home is Heaven," Lucifer explained.
"Coming from the archangel who planned to destroy humanity and take over the planet," Metatron said.
"Yes, well, priorities change," Lucifer said.
"All because of some little…" Metatron trailed off as he caught a look from Gabriel. They all knew he was about to bring up Gabriel's offspring. As much as Metatron enjoyed goading his siblings, he decided antagonizing him this way might not be the best course of action right now. "Why should I come back? You people drove me away. Why would I come back for you?"
"Make no mistake about it, Metatron, you won't be hurting us by refusing to come back. I promise you, we won't waste so much as another thought on you if you choose not to. You really should stop thinking your more important than you are," Gabriel said coldly. He meant what he said to Lucifer. He would not beg Metatron to come back, and that was clearly what the asshole wanted.
"We're offering you a chance to come home. I want you to come home, but I will not force you, and I definitely won't beg you," Lucifer said firmly.
Metatron mulled everything over for a few moments before speaking again. "I'll come back on the condition that no one try to force what Father may have said out of me."
Lucifer stood up and watched as Gabriel followed suit. "I really don't give a damn about what the old man had to say, even to his scribe. He's gone. It's time for everyone to accept that and move on."
Metatron nodded. "Fine. I'll return.
"See you soon then," Lucifer said before he and Gabriel walked away.
Xxxxxxxxxxx
Sam got about halfway through his book when there was a knock at the door. Sam could only assume it was Cas. Aside from Lucifer, Cas was the only one who visited.
Sam got up and answered the door. Much to his surprise, and Chagrin, it was Michael, not Cas. "What the hell do you want?"
"I can only assume you've forgotten that we had an engagement. I do not appreciate being kept waiting," Michael said irritable.
"Yeah, well, I didn't appreciate being forced from my home. My dad asked me to stay here today," Sam said.
"And why's that?" Michael asked.
"Because he's afraid of assholes like you trying to hurt me when he's not here," Sam said coldly.
Michael sneered. "I have made it very clear that I won't go against Heaven. I've also made it clear that you need training."
"Well, it's going to have to wait. I'm not going to go against my father's wishes on this. I'm already doing that every day when I meet you. He'd kill me if he found out about us training," Sam said.
"Gabriel being parental? Please," Michael scoffed.
Sam glared. "Screw you! You don't know anything about my father!"
"He's my brother."
"Yeah, whom you forced out thousands of years ago. You don't know him now," Sam said.
"I didn't force him to do anything. He left because he wanted to. He abandoned us, leading many to think he was dead!" Michael growled. He was never sure if Gabriel was alive or not until he learned that he and Lucifer were working together. That unknown almost drove him mad at times.
"You and Lucifer drove him away!" Sam yelled. He didn't absolve Lucifer. He didn't hold as much resentment at him for it because he knew Lucifer regretted it, but he was responsible to. "You tore him apart! You put him in the middle of your fighting. It killed him! But you didn't stop hurting him there, did you? No, you made it worse. You forced him to give up his own kid, just by being who you were. He knew what you'd do if you knew about me.
"What should've been done," Michael said.
"You're the reason I never knew my father until I was an adult," Sam said resentfully. Sam wasn't sorry he grew up a Winchester, if for no other reason than Dean. He could never wish for a life without his brother. But that didn't mean he didn't wonder what it would've been like to grow up with his father. He wondered all the time. It was because of Michael that he had to wonder.
"You're not an adult now. I expect to see you tomorrow at the scheduled time. Be well rested because we will go twice as long to make up for today," Michael said before walking away without another word.
Sam yelled out angrily and slammed the door closed.