Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Gabriel had screwed up. He knew that. Knew better than to care for a human. Knew better than to get lost in the endlessly green eyes. She was lovely and wonderful and kind and wild and… helplessly mortal. Knew that while her life burned bright, it would burn fast. She had no desire to settle down. No want for stability or family. Knew she wouldn’t live long enough for that. Just wanted to enjoy her life to the fullest while she still had it. Leukemia. He had offered to heal her one night while he played with her hair soothingly. Give her the full life she deserved. The ultimate mix of gypsy and old soul, she had smiled sadly at him and insisted that this was the course her life was destined to take. “Shouldn’t interfere with nature,” she had said. Gabriel had made love to her that night. A moment of weakness he knew he should’ve never allowed himself and now he was reaping the consequences. He should’ve known better.

Now he’s standing in her living room with an infant in his arms and her quickly cooling body. He had explained it to her, what would happen if she gave birth to the child. She had insisted that their son would change the world. That if God allowed her to conceive him, then he was meant to be born. Gabriel had protested until he felt the flicker of grace and heard the tiny heart beat. He knew he would do anything to protect his son. His son would be killed immediately if any of Gabriel's siblings found out who or what he was. He didn’t care about Heaven finding him anymore, as long as they stayed away from his child.

What was he going to do? As much as it was breaking his heart, he knew he couldn’t keep the child with him. It would only draw too much attention to the baby. The pagan gods would immediately know what the child was and wonder why he had come into possession of a nephilim. He was afraid to do the spell to conceal the child’s grace yet, worried that his tiny body was too fragile to withstand the magic. He didn’t trust any of his siblings with the child, even if the sibling had rebelled. The order still stood to kill any nephilim immediately. He definitely didn’t trust any of The Fallen.

Leaving the child with a human with knowledge of the supernatural would be the only option. It would have to be someone who wouldn’t panic if the child eventually started showing signs of non-human power, but also someone who wouldn’t harm him. Someone who could protect him, but wouldn’t draw too much attention. A psychic would be ideal, but could potentially bring the wrong kind of hunters. However, a hunter that didn’t think all non-humans were evil would be able to protect him if necessary. Gabriel ensured that the woman’s soul had gone with her reaper to the correct destination and then began searching the globe for the perfect hunter. That was when he found Mary.

Mary Campbell was a strong woman who had left hunting behind to raise a family. The Campbells were known to be some of the most knowledgeable hunters on the planet. He promised to alter her family’s memories so they would accept the child as their own. He should have known that she was THE Campbell. He should have paid more attention to her husband’s last name. Should have realized all the other Campbells were dead. She didn’t mention a deal with a demon. Her soul didn’t show any signs of being claimed for hell. He should have known.

He really should have known.

But now, all he can do is make the best of the mess he made.

Gabriel spent the next 17 years keeping watch over his child to the best of his abilities. His Sam. He had left naming the baby to Mary, afraid that he would get even more attached and wouldn't be able to leave him. He had to balance keeping watch over Sam and keeping up with his day job as Loki. Had to keep up appearances. If he suddenly went off grid, people would notice and start poking around. He had only been moments late to save Mary. Sam’s tiny grace had called to him desperately, screaming against the evil that was being forced on him. He wasn't even sure how the demon didn't notice the child’s flicker of grace. Probably just assumed that his soul was that bright to represent the Morningstar. You know where assumptions get you… the same place as Gabriel.

He had only been in time to secretly heal the remaining family of any smoke inhalation and burns. It had all happened so fast.

Gabriel had raged over the demon blood currently in his child. Once he was sure that Sam wouldn’t die from the violation and the mixing of complete opposites in his body, Gabriel fled to the moon. He needed a moment away from Earth to ensure he didn’t accidentally blow Kansas away with his rage. He could only hope that Sam would recover, but knew it would take time.

Gabriel didn’t leave the family alone for months. Keeping watch as they mourned. He considered taking Sam then and altering John and Dean’s memories again, but ultimately decided against it. He did need to nudge John in the right direction though. Ensure that he knew about the supernatural and would be able to help Sam. So maybe he made sure that John saw an advertisement for Missouri Mosley. Made sure that he knew the right questions to ask to get the right information. Whispered hints into his ear.

He watched as John spiraled through alcoholism and desperately sought vengeance against the demon. Saw him become distant and cold toward the children, but ultimately trying his best in unreasonable circumstances. He tried not to interfere, but at times he couldn’t help himself. A bullet a little more accurate, an injury a little less severe, a little more money when John didn’t return when he said he would. It angered him to no end when John left the boys alone for weeks. Expecting Dean to be able to be an adult at 10. The few monsters that even got close to Sam or Dean paid the price and nobody was the wiser. Especially the demons.

Gabriel kept watch as Sam’s fledgling grace grew more slowly than he had expected. The demon blood inhibiting growth and strength. At 16 the child still had not shown any signs of being anything more than being human (as far as Gabriel could tell anyway.) Gabriel was secretly glad that Sam’s grace was growing so slowly, which caused him not just a little self-loathing, but John had been wearily watching the child like he expected a spontaneous combustion at some point. Trying to make sure that the demon hadn’t done anything to Sam. Watching closely as the child stepped over salt lines or walked through devil’s traps. He wasn’t even subtle about the fact that he made Sam learn multiple exorcisms and recite them frequently. "Just makin' sure you're prepared, Sammy. Never know when you'll need it."

Gabriel should have known it would never last.

Chapter Text

Sam had always known something was wrong with him. He didn’t know exactly what it was, but he just didn’t feel… pure. He had never expressed these concerns to anyone. Knew his dad would just put him through the gambit of testing for humanity. Or that Dean would just laugh it off. So he wasn’t THAT surprised when weird stuff started happening to him. He had only just turned 17. Was busting his ass to get into college and make something of his life. He knew he was supposed to be more than what he currently was. Sam had been hiding his test scores, applications, and recommendation letters from Dean for months. Wasn’t sure how to start that conversation. 

His brother being upset that he was leaving for college seemed to be the least of his problems now. 

It started slowly. He had always avoided illness for a child that should be malnourished. Healed a little too fast. Lately though? It seemed to be going even faster. The ghost he and Dean had salted and burned a month ago had thrown him through a rickety wall. He had been scratched to all hell, but they had been completely healed in two days. Dean looked at his arms where the scratches should be oddly, but ultimately brushed it off. Things only seemed to get worse from there. 

Sam started feeling peoples emotions, hearing subtle murmurs in his head in Dean’s voice that seemed to correlate with whatever was happening, and seeing a slight glow around people. The “glow” seemed to tell him what he needed to know about the person (or not-person as he started to notice monsters and witches had their own version of the glow). At first he thought it was his imagination. His dad always told him that he had an active imagination as a child. That theory was thrown out when his highlighter went dead. Frustrated, he knew he needed a new highlighter and one just appeared in his hand. He had just… summoned a highlighter. There had been a few times recently where things he needed seemed to fly into his hand easily, but this was totally new. Luckily, Dean was out for the night with the girl of the week. 

Of course he was a freak. He always knew he was, this just confirmed it. 

Sam immediately started researching. Psychic. He had to be psychic. That was the immediate thought he had. But he was showing signs of several psychic gifts when he should have only had one or two. Three max. He would have to keep this under wraps as best he could until he could leave for college. He wasn’t oblivious to the looks his father gave him at times. Always watching to make sure the bastard that killed his mom didn’t do something to him too. Even if his gifts were natural and not monster-induced, not all hunters saw psychics as pure human. Some would even hunt them. 

Slamming the laptop and books closed, Sam sat back on the bed as he felt tears sting at his eyes and desperately tried to keep them from falling. Why couldn’t he be like Dean? Why couldn’t he just be content with hunting and vengeance? Sam pushed off the bed and began to pace. He was being ridiculous. He just needed to calm down. Sam briefly considered taking a couple of pills from the med kit to help him sleep, but dad would notice and he would feel guilty if they ended up needing it after a hunt only for Sam to have taken it just to avoid an uncomfortable feeling. Then he remembered the bottle of cheap whiskey that his brother kept in the bottom of his duffel. 

Dean claimed that he kept it for disinfectant, but Sam knew it was for when things got too bad. He quickly found the bottle and took a deep swig. The burn was a good distraction from his swirling thoughts and he quickly took a few more drinks. After a few minutes, Sam felt the effects of the booze and his racing thoughts settled into brooding. 

Deciding it was a little too close to John-level bullshit, Sam found a glass to use instead of drinking straight from the bottle. This was just too much. He wasn’t even completely human. How could dad continue to love him? (If he ever did.) How would Dean?

His emotions began to build with each negative thought until finally he couldn’t take it anymore and felt his body begin to burn. A strong wave of something building up inside of him until it exploded outwards with a strangled shout. Sam fell to his knees, breathing harshly and clutching the bottle of whiskey in a loose fist by his side. Swaying slightly, Sam fought to remain conscious. He hadn’t drank that much and it definitely wasn’t the first time he had ingested booze. He felt the bottle slip from his fingers as he lost his grasp on the waking world. 

Sam came to slowly, but kept his eyes closed and tried to keep his breathing even, unwilling to admit to being awake yet. He slowly took inventory of his body and noticed that along with his aching head, he was on the bed instead of in the floor where he should have woken up. Someone must have put him to bed after he blacked out. What actually happened last night? He remembered being upset over his newfound powers. He remembered stealing Deans alcohol. Then….. He wasn’t sure. Speaking of the powers, he felt the presence of two different people in the room with him. Of course dad would return early when Sam had completely lost his shit the night before. As he prepared himself for the punishment he knew was coming, he heard his name being called softly. 

“Sam, I know you’re awake dude.” Dean. Stern, but making an effort to not make the situation worse for him by yelling or even talking at a normal volume. Sam blinked his eyes open and glanced around. He only saw Dean in the dingy motel they had been crashing at for the last month. Huh. He could’ve sworn he felt another presence. Dean looked pale and scared, but ultimately concerned. 

“What happened?” 

“You tell me. I left for a few hours to see Katie and come back to you passed the fuck out in the floor, my stash gone, and the entire room looking like a disaster zone.” Dean grumbled. Sam took a moment to glance around the room and froze. All the chairs were tipped over or upside down, the cabinets in the kitchenette were blown open with everything that had been inside tossed around the room. Every glass and light bulb in the room looked to have shattered. “Every window in the entire motel has been blown and nobody has electricity.” 

“I…” Sam stammered, trying to figure out what the hell happened. He had been upset about his powers and then felt a rush of something flow through him and then… He had no real answer. 

“I called dad. Left him a voicemail to tell him we were heading to the other side of town and getting a new room.” Sam felt a small panic at the thought of their dad knowing what had happened. He would never let Sam out of his sight again. “Nothing to say for why you were shitfaced when something serious went down?” Sam slowly shook his head and pushed himself off the bed, unsure what to even say at this point. How could he tell his brother that he was the one that blew up the motel?  “Whatever, lets just get out of here.” 

Sam packed quickly and hoped that Dean didn’t notice when things slid into his hand too quickly or easily. It always seemed to happen when he was upset or moving too fast.

 By the time they got to the new motel, dad’s truck was already in the parking lot in front of a room. 

“How long was I out?” he asked quietly, knowing that dad shouldn’t have been able to get to them that fast if Dean had only just called when he woke up. 

“About twenty-four hours,” Dean replied sternly. “Come on, lets get inside.” Dean hopped out of the car and grabbed their duffels from the trunk while Sam tried to calm his nerves. Something inside him screaming at him to just jump out of the car and run. “Sam!” Dean barked from the door to their room, indicating that Sam must have been stuck inside his own head a little too long. 

Sam scrambled from the car and approached his brother wearily. “What’s going on Dean?” 

“Nothin’ Sammy. Dad’s just pissed that you got drunk. Luckily, he wrapped his hunt early and was already on his way back.” Dean shouldered his way in the room and Sam followed closely behind, keeping his eyes down and hoping to avoid the wrath of his father. 

As soon as the door slammed behind him, Sam felt arms wrap around his chest, pinning his arms tightly and preventing him from moving. Dean dropped the bags and scrambled back with a shouted “hey!” Sam watched as his father accurately guessed Dean's movements to end up behind the older brother. He held a rag up to Deans nose quickly and held tightly for what seemed like forever (but could have only been seconds), before the chloroform took hold and he slumped to the floor. Sam heard cursing and threats shouted, before realizing they were coming from his own mouth. How dare they attack Dean?

“Easy, Sam.” John commanded and glanced at him with barely contained disgust. The last thing he saw was John holding the fresh chloroform to his face and a quiet “sorry, Sam” murmured from behind him. 

~~~~~~~~

Sam felt like he was underwater. His head swimming and fighting for consciousness. Something was wrong. He didn’t know what, but he knew he had to wake up. Had to get to Dean. He heard a sharp whistle and someone shouting “holy fuck, he’s awake” before he heard a door slam. Sam flinched at the loud noise, but couldn’t convince his body to move intentionally. It took several long minutes before he felt his body starting to respond to his directions and by then he was aware that the hunters had all come inside wherever they were. That was when he realized he could sense around 10 souls in the room. Having been too scared to really try and use his abilities to his advantage before then. 

He glanced around and noticed that he was in a warehouse. Of course he was. Where else would they take him to test him and figure out exactly what kind of freak he is. He finally looked at the men in the room and noticed that Caleb and Pastor Jim were among them, glancing at him sadly. He looked to the side and noticed that against the far wall sat Dean tied to a chair similar to him. He knew that was to keep Dean from protecting him, not because Dean was a monster. He felt his lips twitch in a small, sad smile at the thought that at least Dean still cared. Not like he would for much longer. 

Sam continued scoping out the room, looking for any way out and noticed that they had him seated in the middle of an intricate devil’s trap. Did they think he was a demon? Was he a demon? That didn’t really feel right, but who was he to say what was right or wrong? He could very well be a monster. 

“What are you?” he heard John grumble out, but made no move to respond. He didn’t really know the answer to that himself. “You know Dean called me a couple of weeks ago. All bent out of shape about you healing too quick. Then last night he calls me 42 times, panicking because the motel I left you two in was trashed and you were unconscious. Mentioned that you had been acting weird, talking to yourself, staring at people. Then he said he thought he was going crazy because he swore he had seen shit fly into your hands. Telekinesis.” 

Sam huffed. Dean had noticed more than he thought. There was no way to hide this now. “I think I’m psychic,” he mumbled, hoping that would be enough for his father. It definitely wouldn’t be, but he could hope right? John gave him a hard glance, clearly thinking it over. 

“What all can you do?” 

“Feel emotions, sometimes hear thoughts, move things, and see auras. That’s all I know of.” He definitely wasn't mentioning the highlighter incident now. He couldn’t make eye contact with his father or any of the other hunters. He knew they would see him as dangerous now. A freak. Sure enough, it didn’t take long for them to bring up his mother dying in his nursery and his dad admitting to the other hunters that he now knew it had been a demon with yellow eyes. “So, you think that demon did something to me?” 

“I don’t know, but I don’t believe in coincidence. And I know that chloroform should have had you knocked out for at least another few hours.” It made sense. Even Sam had to admit the evidence was incriminating. He knew the night would quickly escalate from there. Night? He guessed. His sense of time since waking up in bed with Dean standing over him seems to be non-existent. The hunters and his father quickly tested him for every known monster, tried to exorcize him, and poured salt down his throat. He tried not to have any reactions, knew it would only make things worse, but there was only so much he could take. He coughed and sputtered each time salt was poured in his mouth. After a several hours he was miserable and tired and scared and just wanted Dean. Sam tried to be strong. Dean would be strong. Dean would be throwing profanities, full of piss and vinegar, daring the hunters to continue. But Sam wasn't Dean and Sam didn't think he had the right to give the hunters attitude. He could very well be a monster after all. If there was one thing his father hated it was a monster with sass. 

The thoughts of his older brother had him quickly looking in his direction only to see him awake, staring in sleepy confusion and horror at the scene in front of him. The distraction of Dean being awake caused him to miss the hunters approaching with the bucket of holy water. He squeaked in surprise at the cold water rushing over him. He was just humbled enough by this ordeal to admit it was a squeak. It should be upsetting. He should be completely disturbed that his father and people he had grown up with believe him to be a demon, but the water was almost soothing somehow. It was a strange feeling since he thought it should probably be burning like acid. 

“What the fuck is going on?” Sam heard Dean shout from the side of the room, but the hunters all seemed to agree on ignoring him for now. 

“Nothing is happening John. Maybe he’s just a very strong psychic. It could be enough to attract the supernatural,” Jim tried to sooth. At least he had someone in his corner. He had felt since seeing Jim with the others that maybe he showed up to make sure things didn’t go too far. “I can take him back to Blue Earth. He can live with me, finish school, work on controlling his abilities.” Sam felt a small stirring of hope inside him at Jim's offer. Maybe dad would let him go and just be happy to be rid of Sam. 

“No,” Dad replied sharply. Shutting down any hope Sam had at getting around this. “He stays with me. Nothing this dangerous needs to be anywhere near kids. I’ll keep him locked down.” Sam felt his heart shatter at the realization that he really wasn’t a person to his dad anymore. He realized that somewhere deep inside he had still held onto hope that maybe, just maybe, his dad wouldn’t think he was a monster. That hope was gone now. He heard a rustle and followed the noise to see his father pull what looked like a shock collar out of his duffel. “This ought to control it.” It. It. He was an ‘it’ now. Not even a ‘he.’ 

A glance at the other hunters showed that most looked appeased by the idea that he would be contained and kept on a tight leash. Dean seemed to be shocked into absolute silence at the idea that their father would do this to Sam. 

“This isn’t really necessary, John. He’s just a boy,” Pastor Jim continued to plead his case, but John nor the other hunters were hearing any of it. 

Suddenly, the room filled with tension that nobody seemed to be able to identify. “Okay, I think that’s about enough of that,” Sam heard a disdainful voice echo throughout the room and a short, golden haired man sauntered in. He carried himself with an air of power and Sam couldn’t believe just how bright his glow was. And was that the fuzzy outline of wings behind him? Surely not, but clearly this being was much more than the simple man he looked to be. Sam could feel the immense power rolling off the man in waves.

Several of the hunters jumped at the entrance of the man, all of them pulling weapons, which the man promptly ignored. “Look this torture session has been real fun, but it’s starting to really piss me off,” he all but growled at the group. 

John was the first to speak, demanding to know who the being was. The creature just glanced at him with clear contempt and sauntered over to Dean. 

“Get away from my son!” John roared, but when the being ignored him again, Sam heard the first shot and flinched. 

“Dean!” He cried, praying that his father wasn’t stupid enough to shoot the one son he cared for. The bullet seemed to enter the creature, but the only reaction was for him lift his hand and snap. It took Sam a couple of seconds to realize what had happened. All of the weapons the hunters were holding turned into toys. The pistols turned into water guns, knives made rubber, and the shotguns turned into the little wooden guns with a string that made a ‘pop’ sound when you pumped it. All of the hunters looked around baffled for a second before realizing in horror that they were stuck to the floor where they stood. None could move an inch. 

Sam heard one of the hunters he didn't recognize whisper a horrified "trickster" in the direction of the man. The man glanced over his shoulder at the hunter and winked which was all the confirmation Sam needed.

The being leaned down and whispered something in Dean’s ear that had his eyes blow wide and then he glanced at the man in confusion. All of the bindings keeping Dean and Sam both to the chairs were suddenly gone. Sam eyed the trickster wearily, but somehow knew this man meant them no harm. He rubbed his wrists where the ropes had cut into him. A glance at Dean and he realized he was the only one that could fully move. 

“You okay kiddo?” The creature asked him. Who was he and why did he care? This whole day had been so confusing. He didn’t know where to start. The trickster seemed to understand his silence and nodded to himself. He reached over with two fingers and Sam held completely still while the man brushed his wrists, healing them quickly. 

The trickster glanced around the room at the hunters, eyeing each carefully before seeming to come to a decision. He walked slowly towards Pastor Jim and also spoke with him softly. Sam noticed the awe in his pseudo-uncles face and what appeared to be tears building in his eyes. He heard the trickster say "thank you. You tried your best," before gently tapping the man on the forehead in what looked to be something like a blessing. But why would a trickster bless a catholic priest? Sam could barely keep up at this point. 

The trickster glanced back at him and snapped. It took a moment for Sam to realize what the snap did, but then he noticed his duffel and backpack sitting at his feet. "That all your stuff kiddo?"

Sam glanced down and rummaged through his bags before confirming. It was at least enough of his stuff. "Cool," the trickster murmured and snapped his fingers. Before Sam realized what was happening, he felt the floor fall out from under him. It felt like the world folded in on itself and Sam's stomach twisted. It didn't feel bad exactly, but more like the swooping thrill of a roller coaster. With a soft thud, Sam landed back on solid ground. He glanced around, startled at the change of location.

Sam knew he had just been kidnapped by the trickster. 

Chapter Text

Dean flinched at the snap of the seemingly all powerful creature before he felt a terrible, uncomfortable sensation of falling. Dean fell off the couch he felt he had been suddenly dumped on and struggled to get his feet under himself. Bobby's. How the hell did he get here? The trickster must have sent him here. 

"Fuckin' hell, Dean?" He heard the muttered curse behind him and spun to see Bobby startle slightly. He guessed it was a shock to see someone just appear in your living room with no warning. The sight of Bobby was as soothing as it was shocking and he couldn't help but relax somewhat. The grumpy old hunter was already approaching with a flask, so Dean was prepared for the splash of holy water. He knew several other tests would follow before Bobby would be comfortable with him.

Humanity confirmed, Bobby wrapped Dean in a tight hug. It had been a long time since he'd seen the old man. A piece of paper crunched between them and Dean realized there was a note with 'Bobby' written across the front pinned to his shirt like he was some errant child. 

Bobby pulled the note off and flipped it open. Dean had to glance over his shoulder to read along.

Bobby, please look after Dean, he's gonna need it. His father is an idiot. 

~ Love, your friendly neighborhood trickster

Dean sighed and ran his hands over his hair. He decided to get settled in on the couch knowing he would have to walk Bobby through the whole story step by step. Dean blew out a harsh breath and turned to face the older man. "I honestly don't even know where to start, Bobby." 

"It's okay boy. Just start at the beginning." How did Bobby manage to stay so calm in every crisis? The man was a rock and Dean could never admire a man more than he did Bobby in this exact moment. 

"It started about a month ago I guess. Noticed Sam started sleeping less. Then I swear to you Bobby, Casper threw the kid threw a wall an' two days later looks like nothin' happened. Then I started noticing other stuff. Starin' at people too long. Laughing at me when I would say some stupid shit in my head, like he could hear me. Shit flying into his hands when he reached for it. I thought I was going crazy." 

"'K. Then what?" Dean could sense Bobby's weariness, but his voice stayed solid. Dean glanced up when a glass was pressed to his hand and realized Bobby had broken out the rotgut. Dean tossed it back for the strength to continue and held the glass out for a refill. Bobby poured him another two fingers and this time he sipped slower. 

“Then last night…” Dean paused and licked his lips to give himself another minute to figure out what to say. “Fuck was it really only last night? Shit…” he muttered under his breath before sighing once more and attempting to start again. “Last night I went out, kid was doin’ his homework. I came home and the whole room was trashed. Bobby, if I hadn’t seen the kid laying there, I would’ve thought someone had broke in and took him. He was layin’ in the floor, passed the fuck out. My stash of whisky in his hand, blood running out his nose and ears.” Bobby made a concerned noise, but thankfully didn’t interrupt. Dean wasn’t sure if he would ever start talking again if he stopped. “But Bobby, the room was destroyed. Shit thrown everywhere. Not a single piece of glass left in the entire motel. I cleaned him up and put him in bed, but when he didn’t wake up after ten hours I started to freak out a little.” Dean glanced sheepishly at Bobby, knowing this is where he had made his mistake. “I called dad,” he choked out. “I called him a while back to see if we needed to do a purification ritual on Sam. He said just keep an eye out and don’t mention anything to Sam. When I called this time he told me to meet him at the other motel in town when Sammy woke up. Bobby, it was a trap.” 

“You didn’t know, son. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with callin’ your daddy for help. Ain’t your fault your daddy’s a jackass,” Bobby reassured. Dean took a few more deep breaths before continuing. 

“They said the demon that killed mom did somethin’ to Sammy. God Bobby, he looked so defeated. He’s just a kid!” Dean sobbed into his hand, the other still clutching the glass with a small sip of whiskey left. “He tried to tell ‘em he was psychic, but they wouldn’t listen. Pastor Jim offered to take him back to Blue Earth.” 

“Jim was there?” Bobby did interrupt this time. He couldn’t imagine the priest being involved in anything that would harm one of the boys. 

“I think he was mostly there just to stop dad from goin’ too far.” Another deep breath and Dean knew he needed to finish the story. “They tested him more ways than I’ve ever seen and he just sat there an’ took it. None of it did anything. Dad got out a shock collar…” Dean trailed off, unsure how to continue with that portion of the story. He heard Bobby’s muttered “fucking bastard” and couldn’t agree with the sentiment more. Bobby didnt even wait on Dean to ask this time, just poured them a third round. “Then this… guy shows up. I think he was a trickster. He said some shit just to me. That he would always be here for me too, but that he needed to take Sammy…” Dean’s voice finally cracked with the reality of what had happened. “Said if I ever needed him, just to pray. Then he thanked Jim and snapped and I was falling on my ass in your living room.” 

“Alright,” Bobby huffed. “This sure is some shit-storm you boys have found yourself in. Go on an’ take shower. I’ll start dinner.” Dean was beyond grateful that his ‘uncle’ could take charge for now. He swallowed the rest of his whiskey and headed for the stairs. 

~~~~~~~~

The living room Sam found himself standing in was huge and rustic. It reminded him of the old hunting cabins he had stayed in as a child, but much larger and more luxurious. All the wood in the room seemed to be raw edge, a huge wood burning fireplace in the center, and an oversized couch. It was massive and nicer than anything he had ever seen, but ultimately cozy . Nothing had ever made Sam feel so out of place in his life. 

"Come on. I'll show you your room then we'll get some food in ya." Sam was jolted out of his thoughts by the man that had kidnapped him. Sure, kidnapped him from child abuse, but two wrongs don't make a right. 

"Who are you?" Sam demanded, only frowning slightly when his voice came out as little more than a whimper. The trickster sighed, staring out the huge window he was in front of before turning back to Sam. 

“I’m Gabriel,” the man stated. Gabriel? What kind of trickster god was named Gabriel? A sharp laugh echoed around the room and Sam watched the man warily. “The kind that wasn’t originally a trickster.” Gabriel replied cryptically and Sam realized that he must have actually asked his question out loud. He accepted the answer for what it was, but knew he had to ask the next question. 

“What are you?” 

“Think about it, Samshine, I’m sure you already have guesses. What other powerful creature named ‘Gabriel’ can you think of?” he asked. Sam considered it and could only come up with one ‘Gabriel’ he had ever heard of. He had always believed in angels and God, prayed even. He wasn’t ever sure why he had seemed so certain that angels existed. It was like he just knew they did, deep in his bones. 

“Angel.” Sam stated, nearly certain he was correct, but also considering that when he found his way back to Dean (if Dean even still wanted him) he may need to beg for an MRI of his brain. Angels. Real life angels and one had taken an interest in him. Why would anything so wonderful ever try to save something like him?

“Archangel actually,” Gabriel confirmed. Yep. He definitely needed an MRI. 

“Where are we and why am I here?” Sam asked curiously.

“Home. In a pocket dimension I created.” He thought if his eyes had gone any wider at the response, his eyeballs might have actually popped out. A pocket dimension? He wasn’t even on Earth anymore! 

“What?! Why?!” Sam cried. He was completely at Gabriel’s mercy. There was no way for him to get back to his brother by himself. “Look,” he began before Gabriel could even start to answer the earlier questions. “Just get me back to Earth, back to Dean and I’ll be okay. Thank you, really, for getting me out of that shit-fest, but I think I can manage on my own.” 

He heard Gabriel sigh again before the angel moved toward him slowly. “It’s not that easy, Samshine. I wish it was, but that power surge you gave off? That was just the beginning.” Gabriel moved to the couch and sat down, patting the cushion next to him. Sam knew the being was indicating for him to sit down, but he was still weary. Trying to keep his distance from the insanely powerful creature. Gabriel rolled his eyes slightly at the caution the young hunter was showing him. 

“What do you mean?” Sam asked, his confusion evident in his voice. Is that what had happened when he got drunk? A power surge? “Why do you care?” 

“Sam…” Gabriel faltered. Sam could tell there was some type of internal struggle going on inside the man. “Fuck, I’ve imagined this so many different ways in the past. Now that it’s here, I don’t know where to start.” The  man paused again, wringing his hands and looking anywhere, but at Sam. The apprehension on Gabriel’s face gave Sam the courage to close the distance to the couch. He still sat on the opposite end, as far away as possible and still on the couch. Gabriel gave him a small smile before seeming to decide on a path forward with what he was going to say. “I made a mistake. I’ll start with that. I made a mistake and you’re paying for it.” 

Gabriel let out a harsh huff of air before muttering “Just rip off the bandaid,” and standing. He seemed to shake all of the tension out of his body like a puppy, then turned quickly to Sam and said “I’m your father.” 

Sam felt a laugh bubble up out of his chest before he could stop it. He’s gone insane. That’s what happened. All the monster hunting over the years, stress of trying to actually go to school, and achieve the unachievable ‘good enough’ for John Winchester had finally done him in. 

Gabriel seemed to be either offended or completely thrown off by Sam’s reaction, scrunching up his face and frowning. “I know the resemblance is uncanny,” he muttered sarcastically.  

“You’re joking. This is a joke right? You’re the trickster. I get it, I’ve done something horrible and worthy of a lesson. Or I’m just the next monster on your list. So, you’re here to teach me something right?” Sam rambled, hoping if he just submitted to the lesson, the trickster would do what he was going to do and plop him right back with his brother. 

“Oh Samshine,” Gabriel frowned at him and sat back down on the couch, closer to Sam this time. The angel seemed to want to comfort him with a hand on his knee, but aborted the movement. “You are not, nor could you ever be a monster.” Sam didn’t feel so hopeful about that, but he would play along with the game. “You’re my son, so no you’re not entirely human, but never a monster. All those neat little tricks you’ve had lately all come from my side of the family” 

“How is that possible?” Sam asked quietly. His newly developed abilities had been causing him to doubt his humanity already without an angel claiming to be his father. He would still ask questions though. It was instinctual to question everything at this point.

“There was a beautiful woman I befriended a while back. If I had been human, or she had been…” Gabriel trailed off sadly before clearing his throat. “Maybe things would have been different. We had one night of weakness and you were conceived.” 

“So what does that make me?” 

“A nephilim.” Gabriel stated somewhat sadly.

“If all this is true, why leave me with the Winchesters?” Sam asked. That had been bothering him. If he was a nephilim, why leave him with a family of hunters? 

“Your mother… died in childbirth,” Gabriel started, but was quickly interrupted by Sam’s muttered “So, that’s two moms I’ve killed.” 

Gabriel’s eyes became sharp and focused intently on him with a slight flash of blue. He grabbed Sam's face and forced eye contact. “Don’t you ever say that again. Both of those women protected their son like any good parent would. Don’t you dare blame yourself. Your birth mother was dying from illness long before you came along and Azazel is responsible for the death of Mary.” Azazel. That was the name of the demon. John’s white whale that had been the ultimate bad guy. Sam searched the angel's eyes for a moment and found no signs of being lied to, so he nodded softly. Gabriel released his face with a huff before returning to pacing.

“I couldn’t keep you with me, it was too dangerous.” Gabriel paused, seeming to try and figure out his words again. “Most angels believe nephilim are dangerous. Current law states that they are to be killed on sight. I had to hide you from them.” 

“I really am a monster,” Sam sighed sadly, keeping his eyes on his clasped hands. He always knew he was wrong. Something that shouldn’t exist. This talk really wasn't helping his self-worth, but he needed to know the information. Maybe if he could think of it like research for a hunt…

“No, Sam, no. The laws are wrong. You are the most wonderful person I have ever met, despite your upbringing. If my Father didn’t want you alive, then you wouldn’t exist. Unfortunately, not all angels would see it that way and dad's been gone for some time. So, I hid you with humans. Mary was the perfect option. Former hunter with her own child, living a normal human life. She would have known how to help you if you started to develop your abilities. It’s just that somewhere along the way, things went a little sideways.” That was an understatement. Sam’s life had been ‘a little sideways’ for his entire existence. "What the demon did to you, it caused your grace to be stunted. It’s why you never showed abilities until recently. The other night, your grace had finally burned through the last of the demon blood Azazel gave you and with intense emotion it got a little out of control." 

Sam nodded absently. Somehow that made sense in the screwed up mess of a life. Even with the ridiculous events, he somehow felt lighter. Freer. 

"You'll have to stay here with me while you learn control. It's the safest option for everyone." Gabriel stated, trying to ease Sam's concerns quickly. "It will take some time, but I know you'll kick ass at it like you have everything else." 

"Can…" Sam started, but paused to clear his throat when it squeaked somewhat. "Can I go to my room? I think I need some time to process." 

"Of course, kiddo. Come on." Gabriel gestured for Sam to follow with a wave and started off down the hall. He paused by a door and waited while Sam shuffled closer before opening it to usher him in. Sam felt he should have been over being surprised at this point, but seriously was not expecting what was waiting beyond the door. 

Inside was a huge king size bed that looked softer than any bed Sam had ever seen. The room was, of course, huge like the living room had been. The same style decor and color scheme. "Bathroom's through there. If you need me, holler." Sam glanced in the direction Gabriel had indicated and noticed a large ensuite he would have to check out later. He heard a soft snick behind him and realized Gabriel had left him alone. What currently held more of his attention was a shelf full of random objects he thought he would never see again. His soccer trophy from the second grade tournament, the 5th grade science fair badge, the grubby stuffed animal he carried around until John declared him 'too old for toys,' among other treasures he'd thought lost forever. 

Gabriel must have collected them all when they had been lost or thrown away and brought them all here for safe keeping. It was a far cry more than he could say for John. The idea that someone cared enough to keep the trinkets from his childhood caused something strange and warm to grow in his chest. The same feeling he gets when Dean would figure out a way to be there for him when it really should have been John. 

Sam turned away, but his eyes caught on a wall covered in photographs. He stepped over to it and realized he recognized every single picture. Or rather every single moment the pictures were captured. Sam with that kid Barry from that one school, Sam with Amy at the library, and Sam with Dean working on the car last week. Then there was what he could probably assume were his first steps with a much younger Dean holding his arms out ready to catch him if he fell. Just like he always was.21 Some of Mary holding baby Sam, multiple of Dean holding Sam throughout their childhoods, even a few of him with John. Hundreds of pictures containing all of Sam's best memories and some he didn't even realize he would appreciate so much now. A giant collage of his life that still somehow had plenty of space to add to. 

Did that mean Gabriel had been following him around watching him grow up? Sam was pretty sure that's what all of this meant. He wiped a stray errant tear from his cheek and stomped to the bathroom. He didn't want to have stupid emotions for the man that had kidnapped him. He wasn't going to be the poster child for Stockholm Syndrome. The bathroom was even nicer than he could have imagined. A large, marble walk-in shower, an oversized garden tub, and a nice sized vanity. 

Sam decided a shower might help calm his nerves, plus he still had salt caked on him. Stripping quickly, he stepped into the shower which seemed to automatically start when he got inside. It was the perfect temperature and the pressure strong, but not painful. He wasn't sure exactly how the shower worked, but he assumed Gabriel had magicked it up somehow. Sam found his favorite body wash, shampoo, and conditioner on the shelf and quickly began cleaning himself. 

The shower was over much too quickly, but did its job. He felt much better now that he wasn't grimey from the warehouse anymore. Sam hopped out of the shower and dried himself on the softest towel he'd ever touched. Even found a smaller towel for his hair. 

After finishing his bathroom routine, Sam looked for his duffel and rummaged through for some sweatpants and a t-shirt. He chose an Iron Maiden shirt he had stolen from Dean recently. It was threadbare, stained, and the words barely legible anymore, but it was comforting. A small bit of normal in his crazy existence. Well, as normal as he got.

Sam approached the bed and found that it was as fluffy as it looked. Almost like sleeping on a cloud, which he found some type of perverse humor in since he was apparently half angel. He laid on his back and thought about his current predicament. He wanted nothing more than to go to his brother, maybe go to Bobby's for a while, but knew that was impossible. Gabriel wouldn't take him back yet, but maybe that was for the best. He didn't want to hurt anyone if his powers got out of control. 

He didn’t want to be part angel. He wanted to deny it, to say that he was completely human. There was nothing wrong with him. Deep down though, he knew Gabriel was telling the truth. The little spark of… stuff inside of him seemed to hum happily now. He wanted to be angry at Gabriel. Wanted to rage at the angel for taking him from his life. For putting him there to begin with. For ruining Dean's normal human life. Sam wanted to be angry that he existed at all, but right now, he just couldn't find the energy to feel anything. 

He curled up in the bed and closed his eyes, praying for oblivion. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Gabriel rested his head on the door to Sam's room after shutting the door. He'd had a room for Sam since he was born, just in case it was needed. He'd changed the room as Sam had aged, but the photo wall and trophy items had never changed, only been added to. The first time John had left something behind in a motel room, Gabriel grabbed it thinking it had been an accident. Over the next few months he realized John just didn't think the mementos were that important. Gabriel knew they were. He'd gathered all of the items and stuck them in his main pocket dimension home, or the pocket house as he usually called it.  

The photos he had been taking for years. Used them to help him keep going when things got too tough. After seeing the sad look on Sam's face when his father or brother took out the few pictures of Mary, Gabriel started taking more and more to make sure his son had photos of his own one day. When he realized that he had so many he didn't have enough frames for, he started just sticking them to the wall in Sam's room. Over the years, the collage grew and Gabriel decided he liked it more than frames anyway. Even if Sam didn't know about it, he’d had his own room his whole life. 

Gabriel pushed himself away from the door and headed to the living room. That hadn't gone as terribly as he had feared. He'd been worried that Sam would deny reality completely or shut him out in anger. He knew he would eventually have to explain all of the complications with the situation to Sam. He would have to teach Sam to use his grace and hide himself from the Host. He also knew Sam wouldn't want to stay away from Dean for long. 

He had a few contingency plans if Sam or Dean either one had a fit over being separated. Dean, of course, had his own room already at the pocket house just like Sam. He couldn't deny that, while Dean wasn't really his child, he cared for the boy much the same way. How could he not when he'd watched both boys grow up?

Taking Dean from Earth was the worst case option. If Dean dropped off the map, Michael would pay even more attention. He was sure that Michael and Azazel were both puzzled over Sam being AWOL. Each probably figured the other had hidden him. Maybe thought John had gotten smarter or done something drastically stupid. Not like he hadn't done something stupid. The man tortured who he thought was his own son for fuckssakes. 

Bringing Dean to the pocket house also left him open to being injured if Sam's training went off the rails. Which would only make Sam feel worse about himself if he hurt his brother. The ideal option was to leave Dean with Bobby and let Sam stay here to learn. He'd allow occasional phone calls so Dean would know Sam was okay.

Gabriel heard the shower come on in Sam's room and was glad the boy seemed okay for the moment. A few minutes later, Sam was fast asleep. Gabriel knew the stronger his grace, the less need he would have for sleep and food. The less human he would seem. However, he didn't know exactly how this would go. There had never been an Archangel nephilim before. Father had outlawed them and Gabriel was the only Archangel that cared for humanity enough to spend any time with them. Gabriel had never really defied Father until Sam. Had always just run away when something happened that he didn't agree with. 

Gabriel took a deep breath and figured with Sam asleep, it would be a good time to check in on Dean and maybe scope out a new job. He still had to keep up appearances after all. Hopefully, all the major players would just think Sam missing was due to a trickster playing a game. That would stall things for a while. 

Gabriel stretched his wings and prepared to take flight. He briefly wondered if Sam would develop wings and if he did, what they would look like. 

Soon, he found himself in the Singer residence watching while keeping himself hidden from sight, like he had many times over. He had occasionally considered taking John out himself so that maybe the boys would be taken in by Bobby. They would have had a much different life. Ultimately, he hoped that John would be the ‘Righteous Man’ that went to hell and Dean would be able to live his life without that trauma. Gabriel wasn’t sure if he would even be able to stop himself from interfering if Dean did make a deal. Dean looked like a wreck and Bobby didn't look much better. There was only so much a man could take in one day. Gabriel watched as Dean paced and Bobby scanned through a book on pagan gods. Glancing over his shoulder, Gabriel read the passage on tricksters and smiled proudly to himself. Dean was smarter than he gave himself credit for. If they all survived this, Gabriel swore to himself he would find a way to ensure his boys would be together forever. If that's what Dean wanted of course. 

"I dunno, Bobby. The guy just looked normal. Short with blonde hair. How am I gonna pray to the guy and find Sammy if I don't even know who he is?" Dean grumbled. 

"Intention does a lot for ya," Gabriel said as he allowed himself to be visible again. Both hunters startled at the noise and drew their weapons. He stuck a bubble gum sucker in his mouth and rocked back on his heels. The arrogant trickster persona was much harder to present after the emotional day with his son. 

“You sonofabitch!” Dean cursed. “Where’s Sammy?” Neither hunter lowered their weapons, but Gabriel wasn’t at all concerned. 

“He’s back at my house, sleeping peacefully. It was a long day and he needed some rest.” Gabriel reassured the hunters. He hadn’t wanted to cause Dean any distress, but unfortunately it couldn’t be avoided. “I just came to check in on you, Dean.” 

“Of course I’m not okay! You kidnapped my brother after dad… John,” Dean corrected himself with a slight snarl. “Tortured him!”

“He’s fine, Dean. Not a scratch left on him. I made sure of it myself.” Gabriel tried to be comforting, but knew it was hard for the hunters to trust him. He kept himself firmly grounded in place, not making any sudden moves. “As for who I am, you can pray to Loki and I’ll answer. Or you can use my other name, Gabriel.” 

“Gabriel?” Bobby questioned. It was the first he had heard from the older hunter. Always silently assessing the situation. Dean cut his eyes sharply to Bobby, then back to Gabriel. He knew Dean was looking to the more experienced man to take the lead. Gabriel simply nodded his head confirming Bobby’s suspicions. “Why’s an archangel keepin’ tabs on my boys?” 

Gabriel sighed. That was a question for Sam to answer. If Sam wasn’t comfortable sharing the truth about his paternity, then he wasn’t going to spill the beans for him unless absolutely necessary. “That’s between me and Sam for now. I’ll try to keep you both updated as best I can.” 

“You know what’s going on with Sammy?” Dean questioned, his gun lowering slightly. 

“I do and I know how to help. Sam has to get control of all the power floating around inside him. If he doesn’t it could be dangerous for everyone, not just him.” Gabriel calmly walked over to the couch and plopped down with a groan. “There’s a lot I can’t say yet. Some of it is Sam’s business and that’s his to tell. What I can tell you is that you need to keep yourselves safe. People will start noticing Sam is missing and will start poking around trying to find him. It’s best if nobody knows I’m involved.” Gabriel rubbed his hands through his hair, messing it up even more. “Bobby, if it’s alright with you I want to add some extra warding around your property. Nothing will be able to touch it then, except for me.” 

Bobby nodded his head. It seemed any help the archangel was offering, he would gladly accept. Gabriel snapped his fingers and felt the wards settle into the frame of the house. He also ensured there was a perimeter around the property that prevented any supernatural beings save for him and Sam wouldn’t be allowed to enter. Gabriel snapped again and a couple of cell phones appeared on the desk along with a paper that had Enochian symbols covering it. “Get these symbols tattooed on yourselves. I would carve them into your bones, but I know you don’t trust me enough for that. It will hide you from angels, demons, scrying, and tracking spells. Should keep you hidden to the best of my abilities. It will also prevent possession. The cell phones will be handy unless you want to pray your exact location. It’s preprogrammed with my number and untraceable.” 

Gabriel stood and walked over to Dean before pulling a credit card from his pocket. He’d had one made for each boy some time ago, but knew he would have to wait to give it to them until the right time. The cards were platinum unlimited and would ensure they never ran out of money. They could also stop living out of crap motels. Gabriel eyed the card nervously, unsure how this would be received. He had the card made with the name ‘Dean Angelos,’ a last name Gabriel frequently used as an alias. A slight callback to ‘angelos' in Greek translating to ‘messenger.’ Gabriel handed the card to Dean with a hopeful smile. “It's platinum unlimited and it’s yours. No more credit card scams, kiddo. No more sleeping in dumps. Buy what you need and spend what you want. I’ve been on earth a long time. There’s plenty of money to cover it.” Gabriel tapped on a manilla envelope that appeared on Bobby’s desk. “There’s a whole identity in this file with that name for you if you need it.” 

Dean and Bobby looked completely stumped by this development. Of course they couldn’t know Gabriel saw Dean as his bonus son. Dean stared at the card like he thought that it might come alive. “What’s the catch?” 

“No catch. I just want you taken care of. Stay with Bobby and keep yourself safe. Promise me that?” Gabriel shifted his intense gaze between the two humans. “If you need me, call or pray and I promise I’ll be there.” Dean nodded, unable to speak for the moment. Nobody outside of Bobby and Sam had prioritized Dean. Gabriel knew Dean wouldn’t be sure how to react, so he quickly made himself invisible again. He watched as Bobby reviewed the identity and shared that it didn’t look like a forgery, but like legitimate paperwork. He stayed long enough to make sure Bobby found his hidden note that provided some hints about upcoming events and then flew back to the pocket house. 

He landed in the kitchen and busied himself with making a homemade breakfast for Sam, sensing that his son was closer to waking. It wasn’t much longer before he heard the water running in Sam’s bathroom and tried to prepare himself for the upcoming discussions. Sam wandered into the kitchen a few minutes later. “Sleep okay?” Gabriel asked, keeping his focus firmly on the pancakes he was cooking. 

“Best sleep I’ve had in a long time,” Sam replied before they fell into an awkward silence, tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. Gabriel quickly plated the pancakes before setting them in front of Sam along with a large bowl of fresh fruit, every pancake topping he could think of, bacon, link sausage, and three different types of eggs including an omelet. He knew it was way more food than Sam would ever eat.The kid was the pickiest eater, but he wanted to make sure he provided whatever his son could want for their first breakfast together. “This is a lot of food.” Sam stated, looking at all of the food laid out on the breakfast bar in front of him. 

“Well, yeah, Samshine…” Gabriel started looking anywhere but at the wide eyed kid in front of him. “It’s our first real breakfast together.” Sam glanced up at that and seemed to search Gabriel’s face for something. 

“You really do care, don’t you?” What kind of question was that? Of course he cared! Just because the bum that had been pretending to be his father for the past 17 years didn’t show the kid any positive attention didn’t mean all fathers were that way. 

“Of course I do, kiddo. I’ve loved you since I felt the first flicker of grace when you were barely the size of a peanut.” Gabriel sighed, this breakfast was getting emotional before it even really started. “Look Sam, the hardest thing I ever did was leave you with the Winchesters and then sit by while John half-assed parenting.” 

Sam slowly started eating the pancakes in front of him and seemed to be thinking over Gabriel’s words. “You were there for a lot of it, weren’t you?” 

“Yeah, I was Samalam. I was there for as much of it as I could after the fire. I just wish I had gotten there earlier… but by the time I heard your grace screaming for me, she was already dead. Bringing her back would have only brought the wrong kind of attention,” Gabriel said mournfully. “After that, I had to force myself to leave you even for a few days. I knew I had to keep up my trickster day job or the pagans would notice…” he trailed off in uncertainty again. 

“Okay,” Sam sighed. 

“Okay?” Gabriel questioned. Okay what? This kid was almost as cryptic as his grandfather. 

“Okay, I accept that you are my father.” Gabriel blinked up at that, startled. He had thought it would be much more difficult to convince the kid of his parentage. Sam seemed to see the surprise on his face and continued. “Nobody puts that much thought into a bedroom for someone who’s not their child. Plus,” Sam ran his hand through his hair. “it makes sense. That… thing inside me seems to agree with you. I’m not sure how else to say that.” Sam went back to eating his pancakes, almost looking embarrassed. “But I’m not calling you 'dad'.’” He muttered quietly like he thought that might push Gabriel over the edge. 

Gabriel tried to hide the small twinge of hurt Sam’s last statement caused, but quickly covered it and smiled brightly at his son. “Good enough for me, kiddo. Just call me ‘Gabe’.”

Chapter Text

Sam saw the small flinch Gabe gave when he mentioned not calling him ‘dad.’ He just didn’t think he was ready for that yet and wanted to ‘rip the bandaid off’ like Gabe had said yesterday. The word ‘dad’ was still associated with John and held some mixed feelings for him. He returned the angel’s smile and finished his breakfast. He had to admit, he wasn’t expecting this huge meal when he woke up. Gabe had seemed to be trying to make up for lost time, so Sam ate as much as he felt he could. “So, uh… Gabe…” Sam stumbled over the name and winced. It didn’t quite feel right this way either. “What are we going to do to get control of my powers?” 

Gabriel looked at him thoughtfully before seeming to make up his mind. “There’s a lot to this. I have to teach you how to be an angel, teach you our language, and teach you about your grace.” 

“Grace,” Sam repeated carefully. “That's the thing inside me?” 

“It’s part of you, Samshine, as much as your soul is. The thing is, you’ve been denying your grace for so long and it’s been stunted on top of that. You feel like it’s a separate thing. The first step will be something like self-acceptance and for lack of a better term ‘becoming one with yourself’.” As much as Sam wanted this to sound like a bunch of crap, he knew that Gabe was telling him the truth. He needed to accept his grace as a part of himself. Needed to give up on the notion that non-human meant monster. Let go of the hunter mindset. So much of who he felt he was, wrapped up in terms that now directly conflicted with what he knew was truth. He needed to give up on being Sam Winchester. How exactly did he do that? Should he reinvent himself as a different person? He felt like this was something he should talk to his brother about. Was Dean even still his brother? Who would he be without being Dean’s little brother?

“Smoke is going to start coming out of your ears if you think any harder.” Gabriel laughed, jolting Sam from his thoughts. 

“When can I see Dean?” Sam asked hopefully. If he could just see Dean, maybe things would make more sense. 

“About that…” Gabe started before seeming to try and finish the sentence several times. “I don’t think it’s a great idea for you to see Dean just yet. If you accidentally hurt him, you’d never forgive yourself.” Sam deflated at the response, but ultimately knew Gabe was right. He couldn’t be responsible for hurting Dean. “I thought maybe a phone call every now and then might not hurt though. That way you both know each other is okay.” 

Sam felt a small amount of hope return at that. He could be okay with phone calls if it meant keeping his brother safe from himself. “Do you think he would even want to hear from me?” Sam asked in a small voice, sounding much more like a child than he wanted. 

“Of course he does, kiddo. I dropped in on him and Bobby while you were asleep. He was a mess, worried about you. Thought I was gonna hold you for ransom or something.” Gabriel teased. “I left him a new identity, an unlimited card to my account with his name, and instructions to go wild. Call it a ‘sorry, I kidnapped your brother’ present.” 

“He’s not really my brother though, is he?” Sam couldn’t help but throw the information out there. Sam’s whole life had been something of a lie and he didn’t know exactly how to process that. 

“Sure he is, Samster. Dean will always be your brother. Family isn’t just about blood. Bobby’s still your uncle right?” That seemed to make some sense. He wasn’t genetically related to Bobby either, never thought he was, but he had always considered him family. “Here, kid. Use this and call your brother. I’m sure he will be happy to hear from you.” 

Sam snatched the phone quickly and made his way to the living room. The number for Dean was already programmed into the phone so making the call was simple. 

“Yeah?” Dean’s gruff voice came through the line and Sam felt like he could finally breathe. He hadn’t realized how tense being away from his brother had made him. 

“Dean?” Sam responded quietly. 

“Sam? Is that you?”

“Yeah, Dean it’s me.” Sam heard Dean exhale sharply on the other end of the line. 

“Man it is good to hear your voice, little brother.” Sam’s breath hitched on the endearment and felt something inside him tear. He wasn’t sure how to tell Dean about Gabe being his father, but knew secrets would never benefit them. “Are you okay? Where are you? If that smurf does anything to you…” Dean trailed off in a huff, the threat evident. 

“I’m okay, Dean,” he tried, but the lie must have been obvious because he heard a reprimanding “Sam” on the other end of the line. “It’s just a lot, Dean. I’m…” he started but trailed off. There was no good way to tell your brother that you were basically adopted. 

“What’s going on with you, Sammy? You can tell me. I promise. You know I’m not dad.” Dean offered the olive branch and Sam could not have been happier, but he was still nervous. 

“Dean, I’m not…” he started again, feeling a sob trying to rip itself from his sternum. 

“Not what, Sammy?” 

“Human.” It was a simple enough answer and the silence that followed only caused Sam’s anxiety to increase tenfold. It seemed like forever, before Dean responded. 

“What are you talking about? If you’re not human, what are you?” He could tell Dean was trying to keep it together for Sam’s sake, but he could also tell the man was reaching his limit for weird and uncomfortable for the day. 

“Nephilim.” 

“What the fuck is a nephilim? Sammy, come on man, everything’s going to be fine. The little pipsqueak is in your head. That’s all.” 

“Don’t.” Sam snapped. It wasn’t like he was feeling protective or defensive over Gabe, but he wasn’t going to sit here and listen to Dean confuse him more. He took a few deep breaths and then gathered all of his courage and started again. “He’s telling the truth. I know it. I can feel it.” 

“How would you not be human? Mom wouldn’t have cheated on dad.”  And here it is. The piece he felt would push Dean over the limit. 

“John and Mary Winchester were never my parents. Mom…” he started before correcting himself. “Mary agreed to raise me as her own. John never… doesn’t know.” Fuck, he felt like he was fumbling through this entire conversation. How could he be this bad at communication suddenly? He could sense Gabe getting closer, listening to his conversation. Probably trying to make sure Sam didn’t lose control and destroy the house. The silence seemed to stretch on and Sam felt like he was going to go crazy. 

“Okay.” Dean said gently. “Okay, Sammy, we’ll figure this out okay? You’re still my pain in the ass little brother. Still the kid I raised. This changes nothing between us. You hear me?”  Sam felt like he was floating and suddenly realized just how long he had been actually holding his breath. He was beyond thankful he and Dean had always been able to communicate without words. So in tune with each other that he could tell Sam's biggest concern without having to say it out loud.

"Yeah, Dean. I hear you," Sam choked out. 

"That why you were drinkin' the other night?"

"Kinda. I was confused. Didn't know what was wrong with me." 

"Nothin's wrong with you, Sammy."  

Sam huffed out an amused breath at that. This was going much better than he thought it would. "You're taking this well. I wasn't sure if you'd think the same as…" he trailed off knowing Dean would know who he was talking about. 

"Yeah, well fuck John. If what he did to us, to you, is his idea of the right thing then I don't care about his opinion." Sam was taken aback by the venom in his brother's voice. He didn't think he'd ever heard his brother speak with such hatred for anyone. Especially didn't think he'd talk about his father this way. Sam was speechless, had no clue what to say. "I won't tell him a damn thing, Sammy. I promise. You can tell me anything. I can't say I won't fuck up, but I'm gonna do my best. You an' me against the world. 'K?" Sam felt a few tears slip down his cheeks. He should have never second guessed Dean's support. 

"You 'n me." Sam affirmed softly. "I won't be back for a while. I gotta…" he paused to clear his throat. "I gotta figure some stuff out. I gotta get control and Gabe says I gotta learn a lot of cultural stuff. He said we could call each other tho." 

"Alright, little brother. You do what you gotta do. I'll be here when you're ready." With that Sam heard the line go dead. He tried to hold back the tears, but his emotions were all over the map and he couldn't seem to keep them dammed up like normal. He buried his face in his hands as he collapsed on the couch. He felt Gabe sit next to him quietly and rub his back soothingly. Sam couldn't seem to stop himself from leaning into Gabe's embrace and burning his face in his father's neck like a small child. What an odd thought, that he now had a father that was actually fatherly. 

"That's it, Samshine, let it all out," Gabe soothed. 

"I'm sorry," he huffed, feeling embarrassed that he just met his real father a day ago and he's already ugly crying on him. 

"Never apologize for your emotions, kiddo. I know this is a lot to take in." Gabe let him cry for a few more minutes without speaking. Once he felt he could manage himself again he leaned away, wiping his eyes and nose vigorously. "You know what always makes me feel better? Ice-cream and snuggles." Sam glanced at his father curiously. Gabriel snapped and suddenly there was a full ice-cream sundae bar on the coffee table and he felt a small missile land on his stomach. He laughed softly as the terrier excitedly hopped all over the couch, his lap included. 

"Well hello there," Sam laughed. 

"This is Snickers. He's a good boy, but a little overwhelming sometimes. I wanted to wait until you were a little more settled in to bring him here, but he knows the best ways to make you feel better." Sam grinned as the small dog started licking his face. 

"Hi, Snickers. Nice to meet you too." He laughed as the dog got even more excited at being acknowledged. After a few more energetic licks, the pup settled down between the two. Gabe had already made his sundae while Sam and Snickers were getting acquainted and was shoveling spoonfuls into his mouth. Sam eyed the archangel for a second before starting to build his own sundae. Maybe things weren't so bad after all. 

~~~~~~

Dean hung up the phone and took a few steadying breaths before turning to Bobby. "What the hell is a nephilim?" Bobby made a good impression of a fish for a few seconds before his brain seemed to come back online. 

"Nephilim are half angel half human," Bobby replied, scrunching his face in confusion. Dean had to remind himself that despite appearances, Bobby wasn't in fact all knowing and had only walked in on the end of his call with Sam. "Why you askin'?" 

"I just…" he started. Should he share this information with Bobby? He didn't think Bobby would be upset, but this was Sam's story. "I need everything you got on 'em." He sighed and rubbed his hand down his face. He had a lot of research to do and that was usually Sam's job. Bobby squinted his eyes at him, but seemed to understand the reluctance to provide more information. He was always good at reading between the lines. 

"Never thought you'd stop idolizing your ol' man," the older hunter grumbled while searching through the shelves and piles of books for anything angel related. 

"Yeah well…" Dean shrugged as he accepted books one by one. 

"Don't get me wrong, I ain't complainin' about the change of heart, just never thought you'd break the hold he had on ya'." Dean winced at the half-criticism, but knew it was true.  John had controlled nearly every move he's made. He can't remember not being under John's thumb. His good little soldier . He nearly snarled at himself. Looking back, he can see how his father had become more of a drill sergeant than parent. At the time, he didn't understand the difference. It had taken time with Bobby to really see the difference, but by then John had cut ties with the other hunter and refused to allow his sons to contact him. 

"Hell Bobby, you've been more of a dad than he has in a long time." Dean mumbled with a resigned edge to his voice. He needed to stop this line of thinking before he went too far. Dean grabbed the book that looked the most promising and began scanning through. He missed the soft smile Bobby sent his way before the older hunter went back to looking through his library.

Chapter Text

Sam was trying. Really, he was. But finding his stupid grace and connecting it with his stupid self was annoying. He'd spent the last week trying to meditate and 'accept his grace' as Gabe had put it, but seemed to be getting nowhere. He was frustrated and that frustration was making it more difficult, but he didn't know what to do about that. He huffed again and looked around the meadow Gabe had conjured for him. This was hopeless. 

He heard Gabriel sigh and move to sit in front of him. He knew the angel had been watching, making sure he didn't break the dimension accidentally. "Can't you do something to help?" Sam huffed 

"I can," Gabriel replied softly and Sam almost thought the angel sounded anxious. "It's just what I need to do to help…" he trailed off, picking at a blade of grass that he apparently thought was incredibly interesting. 

"What is it, Gabe?" Sam tried to prompt. The name had gotten a little easier, but still didn't feel right.  

"I would need to touch your grace. Sort of like a hug, but with my grace." Gabriel still wasn't meeting his eyes and he got the feeling that this grace touching wasn't as simple as it sounded. It still irritated him though. Gabe could have helped a week ago and Sam would be much further along in his training. 

"Why didn't you do this a week ago?!" Sam felt his voice raise without his permission. Everything about this situation was pissing him off. 

Gabriel finally looked up at him. "It's not that simple, Samshine. To angels, this is something you do with only the closest angels to you, or your ‘flock’. It's intimate. No, not like that." Gabriel must have noticed the odd look on his face. He really needed to get better at controlling that thing. "Like snuggling. Imagine a mother holding her baby or giving your grandmother a kiss on the cheek. Only you'll feel every emotion I feel and vice versa. Maybe even flashes of memories or knowledge. There's no way to hide things from grace. I didn't think it would be something you would be interested in."  Sam could see how much Gabriel wanted this close father/son relationship with him. The last week had made him almost sad to realize what he had missed out on not knowing Gabe the first 17 years of his life.

He thought back over the last week. Gabe had been there for him more than John ever had. Gabe had allowed him to cry, scream, pout, and laugh, all without demanding Sam 'straighten up' or 'act like a man.' Sam could admit that he had been somewhat difficult this week. His emotions were haywire and he had been argumentative at nearly every turn. The first day had been fine, but after that, Sam was aware he had been trying to push Gabe away. It's easier when they leave, if people never got close in the first place. Gabe had been endlessly patient with him. 

Sam thought he could give Gabe this. Should give him this. And maybe it would help with his grace being uncooperative. Taking a deep breath, Sam glanced up at his father (it was still kind of weird to say that) and nodded. "Yeah, we can do that. I'd like that. " He emphasized, knowing Gabe wouldn't do it if Sam was only agreeing to make the archangel happy.  He'd been oddly insistent that Sam do things that make Sam happy. Gabriel beamed at him. A full-teeth smile that somehow managed to be crooked, mischievous, and innocent at the same time. “What do I do?” 

Gabriel scootched closer until their knees were bumping then held out his hands with his palms up. Sam hesitated for a second before placing his hands on top of Gabe’s. “Close your eyes and take some deep breaths.” Sam complied with the instructions and waited. The first thing he noticed was a soft warmth spreading from his hands through his arms. It almost felt like sunshine spreading through him. Then he felt the oddest sensation, that something he’d felt in his chest a few times before connected with the sunshine. He couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face as he felt love, so much love he could nearly drown in it. Love for him. He’d never imagined someone other than Dean could care so much about him. Within the sunshine, Sam felt a safety he’d never known in his life. An absolute surety that nothing would ever harm him, and if it tried, Gabriel would ensure he was between the danger and Sam. He felt every emotion Gabriel had and felt his own grace respond in kind. He felt Gabriel’s sunshine feed his own fledgling grace, building it, giving it power until Sam suddenly understood and realized everything about it. He was it and it was him. It was a 6th sense. Or a few extra senses. He knew exactly how to use it to change his environment. How to move objects and manipulate elements. The best part was he could feel, sense, and see the grace now. If his father’s was pure sunshine, Sam’s was the sunshine felt on a cool autumn morning. Soft and warm, but still sharp and brisk. An odd fire and ice scenario within himself. Soul and grace warring for dominance in a perfectly balanced dance until it melded to become one. He felt elation spread from his grace through to his fathers and a responding joy. He felt 17 years worth of anger, fear, guilt, hope, love, and joy shared by his father.

“Gabe,” he whimpered and the archangel’s arms were quickly wrapped around him. Saying his name felt even more wrong than it had. He felt his grace searching for and calling out to Gabriel's. A child looking for its father. 

I’m not going anywhere, fledgling. I’m never letting you go again. Sam startled somewhat as the thought filled his mind and he knew it was from his father. It was an odd sensation, this thread of a bond that connected the two of them now. The constant reassurances from Gabriel continued to filter through. It was almost like telepathy, but without words. More similar to reading body language, to knowing exactly what someone is asking with a subtle shift in their shoulders or flick of their eyebrow. Like you just know. Sam felt a couple of drops of water land on his knee and realized he was now sitting hunched over and he was crying. He felt stupid getting this emotional over things that shouldn’t have him so worked up. He should be better at managing his emotions. Fledglings always have trouble managing their emotions. It will get better with time, little one. Sam felt soothed and somewhat offended that Gabriel kept calling him a fledgling. He was almost an adult, not a child. But to an angel, you’re very, very young. Your soul may be almost to adulthood, but your grace is still an infant. He reached up to wipe away his tears, but Gabriel was quicker. He pulled out a tissue from nowhere and began wiping Sam’s face and nose. 

“God, you must think I’m a mess,” Sam sniffled, fiddling with his sleeves. He’d not felt this young or taken care of in years. Not since John accused Dean of babying Sam a few years back. 

“No, little one. I think you are a child who still needs time to process everything that has been going on.” Gabriel still had his grace wrapped around Sam, so he could feel the absolute certainty within the words. “Besides, you’re my kid so you were bound to be a bit of a mess.” Gabriel joked while never breaking contact. Sam sighed and laid his head on his father’s shoulder while looking away, out over the meadow. He still felt somewhat uncomfortable allowing anyone to see him so vulnerable, but Gabe seemed content to just hold him like an overgrown toddler. He guessed to Gabriel that's what Sam really was after all. 

“I don’t understand why I can’t stop crying all the time,” he muttered. “Feels like all I do anymore is cry and get angry.” 

“Like I said, fledglings have a difficult time with emotions sometimes.” 

“But I’m not a fledgling, I’m a nephilim.” 

“Baby grace is baby grace. Yours just happens to have a soul twisted up in there. Now that I’ve given you a little boost, it should grow a little quicker.” Gabriel began petting Sam’s hair in a soothing pattern, relaxing the nephilim further. “Does it feel any better?” Sam nodded numbly. He did feel much better now that his grace was stronger. Felt like he had just regained the use of a limb he didn’t realize he’d lost. He’d never been a particularly clingy child, but right now, he couldn't imagine letting his father go. His father. His father. The more he thought about it, the better it sounded. Gabriel was his father and had given everything for him. He couldn’t imagine anyone else being his father. 

“Alright, Samshine let’s get you cleaned up and start dinner. I’m thinking chicken alfredo?” Gabriel snapped his fingers and Sam found himself on the living room couch. Snickers greeted them and was very concerned over the leftover tears on Sam’s cheeks. After a few moments, Sam decided it was time to shower. He spread his new and improved grace to explore the house, spending several moments allowing his grace to brush against the wards. He could feel that he was allowed past them, but that he was the only other angel that would be allowed in Gabriel’s pocket house. He began glancing around, trying to see the wards written, but his attention caught on his father. More specifically the space just behind his father. Sam had thought he’d caught glimpses of Gabriel’s wings in the past few days, but this was the clearest he’d ever seen them. Instinctively, he knew that the wings weren’t on the same plane as their physical bodies, but currently they looked almost solid at Gabriel’s back. Six huge white wings that gently fade into molten gold. They were more beautiful than he could have ever imagined and took up most of the room, making Gabe’s small vessel look even smaller. Gabe caught him staring and smirked. 

“Sorry,” Sam mumbled, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck. 

“Fledglings always were impressed with my wings,” Gabriel laughed, patting Sam on the back. “With your grace stronger, you’ll probably see more and more of my true form shining through.”

Sam nodded before excusing himself to shower and change. Even with his emotional breakdown, he found that he felt much better than before. Not just in that his grace felt stronger than ever, but he felt lighter. More free. He found himself humming as he showered, his mood drastically different than when the morning started. 

He made it back down stairs in time to hear Gabriel singing while plating the chicken Alfredo. It wasn't anything he'd ever heard before, but sounded distinctly Norse. He figured his father had picked up a few things from the pagans. 

Oh my son

Keep your feet amongst the path

Oh my son

Raging Seas will come to pass

Fear shall not deceive

As the lands be filled with shade

Oh my son

You will rise as king someday

Sam glanced into the kitchen and saw the plates already on the table. Gabriel was pouring a wine he was sure would pair perfectly with the pasta. "What are you singing?" Gabe snapped his head up, startled. It was a funny thing Sam had noticed about the archangel. It was nearly impossible to sneak up on him, but if Gabe was deep enough in his thoughts, Sam could successfully startle him. He chuckled softly as he took his usual seat. 

"Old Norse lullaby." Gabriel hummed, glancing back at Sam before starting to look at anything but Sam. He'd realized that was one of Gabriel's typical deflections. The archangel hoping that Sam would just skip over tidbits like this.

"You used to sing it to me, didn't you?" Sam was still learning to interpret what his grace was telling him, but something about the song was making Sam's grace hum with recognition. A deep familiarity it associates with Gabriel's grace and presence. It knew every time Gabriel had been near through his life and it had been nearly constant. Gabe startled again (oh man, this was good. Twice in one evening) and blinked at Sam with owlish eyes. "My grace remembers." 

Gabriel's face softened into something like awe before seeming to realize what he was doing. "Yeah," he coughed out and Sam was surprised to see and feel so much emotion coming from the archangel. "Yeah, I used to sing it to you. You know it's funny, I would show up in the dump John decided was good enough to leave his kids at and you would both be trying to be brave, but secretly you were both scared shitless." Gabe huffed out a humorless laugh. "The first thing Dean would do is make sure the bed was ready for you then make you take a nap. He thought it was the naps that calmed you. The first time I saw him try to put you down for a nap after the fire, I sat next to you and your tiny little grace started reaching for me." This time his chuckle was fond as he sat at his own chair. "You were so upset, crying, four year old Dean was doing his best, but he only knew so much. He was starting to freak out. John was already half through his bottle. I leaned down and brushed you with my grace and you calmed. I started singing the first song that came to mind. After that I would sing to you while you would sleep. Dean would curl up next to you and you'd both fall asleep." 

Sam noticed the fondness in Gabriel's face and grace when he talked about Dean. It wasn't something he was expecting. He'd thought Gabriel's kindness for Dean was simply to keep Sam happy. "You seem surprised that I would adopt Dean as much as they adopted you." Gabriel smirked as he started eating his pasta. Sam guessed that made sense. It would be hard to watch a child grow his entire life without starting to care for it. "For the record, I call him my bonus child. If you don't believe me, check the door next to your room after dinner." Sam did believe Gabriel, but now he was curious. What was in that room? He had wondered what was in the room, but usually brushed it off as storage. He stored the little bit of information away for later use and began eating. Everything Gabriel cooked tasted amazing. He had initially found it weird that the archangel preferred to cook everything ‘on hard mode’ as he called it when he didn’t use his grace to conjure food. Gabriel said food cooked the human way always tasted better, but Sam wondered if the angel didn’t just enjoy cooking. 

“This is really good, thanks.” Sam mumbled through bites, but everything tasted a little… weird. A little too much. He peered curiously at the food and wondered what could make the food taste so… odd. Incohesive. Gabe must have noticed the odd look on his face because he glanced at him worriedly. 

“What’s the matter, kiddo?” 

“Something about this tastes… wrong and I don’t know why.” Sam tried to choose his words carefully. The pasta wasn’t bad, just different and he didn’t want to hurt Gabriel’s feelings. The archangel studied him carefully for a moment. He didn’t seem offended, just curious. 

“Wrong how?” 

“Like incohesive. Like I taste it all separately instead of together.” He could taste the garlic, Parmesan, wheat, salt, pepper, chicken, and all the other ingredients. But he couldn’t taste chicken alfredo . Gabriel relaxed immediately and chuckled softly. 

“That’s your grace. It gives us extra senses. Try this,” Sam felt Gabriel’s grace reach out for him and then instructions for how to dampen his grace while eating flashed through his mind. This new ability for Gabe to info dump directly into his brain was handy, but he didn’t think he would want to learn everything that way. Sam could tell his surprise had passed through his grace back to Gabe and gave a sheepish smile. 

“I can’t do that with large amounts of information. It would probably be too much for your brain. But small instructions can be useful.” Sam was thankful that dampening his grace when eating helped and he was able to eat like normal. “You should start studying Enochian.” Gabriel mused while he finished his meal. “After this afternoon, your grace should be much easier to use. It will still take practice, trial and error, before we know how strong you’ll be. Won’t take whole days to work on now tho. So, mornings will be grace PT and afternoons will be school. Starting with language.” School. Sam hadn’t even thought about school this week. He could feel his mood swing to melancholy with the thought of his past life and past goals. All he’d really wanted was to graduate high school and go to college. “Don’t worry, Samshine, I’ll make sure you know more than any high schooler ever imagined and then we’ll get your diploma. Maybe one day you can even go to college. But right now, I’m afraid it’s not safe for you to leave home.” Home. Another thing that Sam was rapidly associating with Gabriel and the pocket house. An odd, but ultimately good feeling. Gabriel snapped his fingers and a laptop appeared on the table. “You can finish high school online. I already have it all taken care of and everything you should need is on that laptop.”

Sam pulled the laptop toward him and was shocked to find it was the newest model. The best laptop currently available. A quick search showed everything Sam needed to graduate was ready to go. Gabriel had even moved his transcripts to the online school. “Thanks, Gabe.” he smiled brightly. Gabe snapped again and all of the dishes were cleaned off the table. 

“Listen, kiddo. We need to talk about some things.” Gabriel started and Sam immediately felt his grace draw up in apprehension. What could he have possibly done now? “You haven’t done anything, Sam.” He was really going to have to get used to Gabriel being able to read his grace, but he felt reassured anyway. “When I said I fucked up leaving you with the Winchesters, I haven’t had the chance to tell you how badly I screwed up.” Gabriel took a deep steadying breath before continuing. “I chose Mary because she was a strong hunter, who saw the value in peaceful supernatural lives. She was still skeptical, but more open minded than most. It was one of the reasons she wanted out of hunting. I knew the Campbell and Winchester lineages were blessed. I explained that angels need vessel’s right?” Sam nodded, he and Gabe had discussed that a few days ago when Gabe had mentioned his true form. “The Winchester and Campbell blood lines are the strongest two lineages left in existence. Both specifically designed to hold my older brothers. Apparently, I didn’t get the memo that we were going to jump-start judgment day. It’s ironic since I’m The Messenger and all. If Father had wanted the apocalypse He would’ve told me and I’ve heard squat about it.” Gabriel’s frustration only seemed to rise as he talked. “I started getting concerned when I noticed Mary’s husband was a Winchester. Thought maybe it was just the next step or something. I started poking around and realized all the other Campbells had been killed off and John was the last Winchester. I was on a job as Loki, but really I was poking around into Henry Winchester’s disappearance the night Mary died. Came back to your sulfur soaked nursery and started piecing together what was going on.” Sam was keeping up for the most part. Remembered enough apocalypse lore to know some of what Gabriel was talking about. 

“They were making the vessels for Michal and Lucifer right?” He questioned, already knowing the answer from the way Gabriel’s grace dimmed. 

“Michael must be getting desperate, rushing to The End like this. Naturally, the vessels would have been born generations from now. They used cupids to force the bloodlines to mate and my dumb ass stuck you right in the middle of it. John and Mary would have had a second son, but my interference caused them not to have a second child. Azazel assumed that you were their second born and tainted you with demon blood to make your vessel perfect for Luci.” 

“But I won’t work will I?” Sam questioned. Not only did he have his own grace, but he also wasn’t actually from the right bloodline. “Lucifer’s vessel was never born.” 

“Correct.” Gabriel nodded. “By the time I realized what I had done, I knew it would only draw too much attention to the situation by taking you away. I have no idea what will come next or what they will do when they realize that the second vessel is missing, but we need to be ready for angels or demons when they get to be a problem.” Sam nodded again. It made sense that they should prepare and he understood more about why Gabriel would hide him away now. 

"When I said I needed you to learn angel customs, language, communication styles, it's because I want you to be as prepared as possible for when we have to derail the apocalypse." Gabriel spent the next two hours detailing deadlines and goals in Sam's angel education. He would become fluent in Enochian, learn every class of angel and their purposes, different fighting styles, angelic and demonic history, and spellwork from all categories. As the conversation went on, Sam began to realize how long it would take for him to get all of this knowledge. 

“This is going to take forever, what if we don’t have that long?” Gabriel nodded as if he shared Sam’s concerns. He chewed on his lip for a minute before turning to Sam. 

“Sammy…” he started before huffing again. “I’m going to slow down time in our dimension after you’ve finished high school. It shouldn’t take long for you to finish. I can make sure it will give us plenty of time to make sure you are prepared while keeping outsiders in the dark.” Sam thought about that for a few moments before responding. It was a good plan, but Sam wanted more information. Wanted to be part of the plan instead of just having to play catch up.

“How much of a difference would it be?” Gabriel again looked concerned about Sam’s reaction, but didn’t waver. There didn’t seem to be any room for argument on this decision. 

“Maybe hell-time? Roughly ten years per Earth month.” Ten years? Ten years per month ?! This was too much. Sam couldn’t spend that much time cooped up here with just Gabriel and Snickers. Couldn’t spend that much time away from Dean. 

“For how long?” Sam asked, staring at his hands while he picked at his sleeves. 

“I don’t know, kiddo. It will depend on how long it takes you to master everything. I think we could probably be gone six months to a year earth time before we set off any big red flags.” Six months to a year?! That would be 60-120 years that Sam would be trapped here with Gabriel. Years without Dean and Bobby. He could feel his emotions starting to build as he began to panic. He couldn’t do that. 

“How would that even work?! I just go back to my brother as an old man?!” Sam barked out through rough breaths. He was starting to hyperventilate as he stood and began pacing around the table. 

“Sam…” Gabriel began, sympathy written clearly on his face, but Sam couldn’t for the life of him figure out why he looked sympathetic. “I think you may age another year or five…” he trailed off, seeming unsure how to finish that sentence and Sam finally figured out what Gabriel was trying to say. Sam would stop aging at some point. 

“I won’t grow old and die will I?” Sam asked softly. It was a weird thing to realize that the one certainty of human life, growing old and dying was off the table. He would outlive every human he knew. Would outlive Dean, something he wasn’t sure he would make it through. 

“I don’t think so. Most nephilim don’t live to human adulthood, so it’s kinda hard to know for sure. Plus you're a nephilim created by an archangel which has never happened either. My thinking is that it will take an archangel blade or your own blade…” Gabriel trailed off again, seemingly unable to finish that sentence. Sam could feel the pain the thought caused him as it seeped from Gabriel's grace. Just the idea of Sam dying was physically painful for Gabe. Sam decided to leave the topic alone for the night. He knew he wouldn’t get any further with Gabe by arguing with him. 

~~~~~~

Sam glanced at the door next to his bedroom. Gabriel had planted a seed of curiosity and now he needed to know what was inside the room. Sam opened the door quietly. Gabriel had said it was okay for him to go in, but it still seemed somewhat forbidden. The door to the room had been closed the entire time he had been with Gabe. He walked into the room and flipped on the lights before his breath caught. The room was almost identical to his own. He noticed a bookshelf with all of Dean’s knickknacks and things that had been important, but left behind. Sam realized that Dean had never participated in school sports and there were no trophies. Dean’s room had accumulated shelves full of shell casings with small sticky notes explaining what each was from. A shotgun shell from Dean’s very first hunt, (Sam remembered it was some type of ghost) the casing from a silver round from his first werewolf, and the dagger he had used to take out a particularly weird monster Sam couldn’t remember the name of at the moment. He also noted several shot glasses from towns they had been through.

The picture wall was similar to Sam’s and a lot of the pictures were the same. There were some of Dean with Mary and John before Sam. There were plenty of Dean with Sam, a few of Dean with friends or girls, and some of Dean with Bobby playing catch. Sam couldn’t stop the small smile that spread through him. Gabriel was telling the truth, he did see Dean as his son. It made Sam feel better knowing that Gabriel was watching out for his brother, just like he said he would. He could tell how much Gabe cared about choosing and placing all of the items on Dean’s shelves.

Sam also realized just how much Dean had given up to become the hunter he was today. The majority of Dean’s childhood was spent taking care of Sam when it shouldn’t have been his responsibility in the first place. Sam felt anger bubble up inside him again. Anger that Dean’s entire life was ruined over angelic prophecy. Anger that Dean gave up so much to care for Sam. Anger that other beings felt they could step into his brother’s life and manipulate it however they wanted. Sam didn’t think the anger was with Gabriel. His father had explained that what happened to the Winchester family, would have happened even if Sam hadn’t been implanted into their family. It just seemed so unfair. Sam would have gotten the short end of the stick either way, but Dean deserved so much more than hunting. He felt his anger start to ebb and decided he should get ready for bed. He left the room exactly as he found it and smiled at the thought of Dean getting to see his room for the first time.

Chapter Text

It took two weeks for Sam to finish high school. His grace had gotten stronger and he felt he had nearly mastered its use for daily things. He still figured out or learned new things about it daily, but as soon as he learned a new thing, he practiced it over and over ensuring that he had it controlled. He spent the last two weeks primarily focused on schoolwork. Gabriel had offered to snap his diploma into being, but Sam had insisted that he wanted to graduate on his own. So today, after finishing his final test, Sam rushed to find his father and share the good news. 

“Gabe!” Sam called. Over the few weeks Sam had been there, they had decided to add a sunroom, gym, indoor swimming pool, and library. The pocket house already had a small space for books, but Sam had convinced Gabriel to expand it to an entire room with a fireplace and large windows. It was his favorite room now, and Sam spent most of his study time there. Gabe seemed to be favoring the sunroom lately, and Sam could follow his grace to find the archangel, but old habits (like calling out to find the room someone is in) die hard. “Gabe!” he called again as he entered the sunroom, the open laptop clutched in his arms. “I finished, Gabe! I graduated! They said the diploma will be in the mail to Bobby’s.” Sam spun the laptop around to show his father his final grades. He’d used Bobby’s house as the physical address, unsure how to list a pocket dimension as your home for the USPS. 

Gabriel beamed up at him from his lounge chair. “Lemme see, lemme see,” he said, making grabby hands for the laptop. Sam passed the computer to his father and waited somewhat anxiously while Gabe reviewed his grades and test scores. He’d gotten all A’s, so he wasn’t sure why he felt nervous about Gabe seeing his grades, but it seemed important. John had never cared about his grades, and Dean had only ever said “good job, nerd” when he showed off his report cards. Gabriel sat the computer to the side and quickly grabbed Sam, pulling him into a tight hug. “Great job, Samshine. I knew you could do it.” 

“Thanks…” Sam caught the ‘dad’ right at the tip of his tongue. He’d been thinking it for a few days now, but hadn’t been able to say it out loud. Wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to say it out loud. But in the back of his mind, little phrases like ‘let me show dad’ or ‘I wonder what dad would think’ had been playing almost constantly. He was only slightly startled to realize the ‘dad’ in his thoughts definitely wasn’t John. 

“I’m so proud of you, Sam. I want you to know that.” Gabriel said in his most serious tone. Using just ‘Sam’ showing just how important this really was to Gabe. It was always somewhat unsettling to see his father so serious. Sam nodded silently. He knew if he tried to speak, it would only come out all garbled and probably squeaky. Dean was the only person who had ever said those words to him. Sam had never known what it was like to have a father be proud of him. “I’ve always been proud of you. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you before now.” He continued to sooth. Sam was getting more comfortable with Gabriel reading his grace, but it still made him feel somewhat vulnerable. “What do you want for dinner? Anything you want. We're celebrating!” He cheered again and Sam felt his own excitement grow. Sam chose a bourbon marinated salmon that Gabriel made him a few weeks before, with asparagus and cauliflower. 

Gabriel sang while he cooked and Sam was even allowed to stay in the kitchen to help. They settled into a rhythm, Gabriel cooking happily, while Sam handed him spices, plates, and other items he needed. It didn’t take long for them to get dinner ready and they settled in at the table. Sam munched happily on his dinner, content to enjoy the moment. 

Dinner was over much too soon. Gabriel had even made a cake. He knew better than to make pie at this point, it would only remind Sam of Dean. The first time he made a pie, Sam nearly broke down in tears. 

He knew that they needed to start his angel education and wanted to get it over sooner rather than later. He cleared his throat and looked to the archangel. “I think we should start the timewarp now.” The ‘timewarp’ is what Sam had taken to calling their plan to slow down time in the pocket dimension. “I wanna get it over with.” Gabe nodded in agreement before pulling the cellphone out of his pocket. 

“You're probably gonna want to talk to Dean first. For him, it will only be a little while, but for us it will be a long time before you can call again.” Sam agreed it was a good idea to call Dean, but he was nervous. He hadn’t talked to Dean since the first phone call. He plucked the phone from Gabriel's hand and made his way to the living room. 

The phone rang a few times before a gruff “this better be good” filtered through the line. Sam hadn’t actually talked to Bobby since all of this craziness started. Maybe Bobby didn’t know what was going on, just thought Sam had run off again. 

“Bobby?” Sam questioned softly, unsure how Bobby would feel about him. 

“ Sam, son is that you? ” The concern he could hear in Bobby’s voice sent a warmth straight through to his grace. He’d hoped that he would still have Bobby’s support after all of this, but he still felt unsure. It was always a crapshoot with hunters. Never really sure where they landed with their opinion on the ‘What Constitutes a Monster’ scale. 

“Yeah, it’s me Bobby.” 

“ How ya doing, kid? I ain’t had a chance to talk to you myself yet.” 

“I’m okay, Bobby. Things have been okay, weird, but… okay.” He tried to reassure the older hunter, but couldn't seem to be able to come up with another word besides 'okay'. He wasn't making much of a case to support his words. 

“Good. I’m here for ya, if you need me. I know you’re probably much safer with your daddy keepin’ ya up in a different dimension,” Bobby huffed through the phone and Sam heard the message loud and clear. Bobby had figured some things out or Dean had told him, and he was giving his blessing. Bobby knew what was going on with Sam and he wasn’t going to condemn Sam for not being human. He really shouldn’t have underestimated Bobby. 

“How’d you know?” Sam hadn’t even told Dean about Gabriel being his father, so he wasn’t sure how Bobby knew. 

“Archangel shows up, pokin’ around in things, then takes off with you. Next thing I know, Dean’s readin’ every book he can find that might mention nephilims. Didn’t take a genius.”  Sam barked out a laugh, of course Bobby’s just an observant bastard that put the pieces together.

“Does Dean know?” He couldn’t help but wonder if his brother had made the same connections that Bobby had. 

“Nah, don’t think so. He seems so focused on figurin’ everythin’ out about ya’ that he missed the obvious questions.” Bobby states with some amusement.  “Alright, kid let me get Dean. Think he just got out of the shower.” Sam said his goodbye to Bobby and waited on his brother. Sam hadn’t realized how much Bobby’s opinion had meant to him until faced with the idea that Bobby might hate him. A small weight seemed to be lifted as he heard the older man bark “Dean! Phone!” It took a few minutes until he heard his brother pick up the phone. 

“Sam?”

“Hey, Dean.” Sam choked out. He didn’t understand why he felt so emotional about the timewarp. It wasn’t like he wouldn’t see Dean again, it would just be a long time. He hadn’t spent this much time away from Dean in his life and it was making him anxious to not be near his brother. 

“What's wrong, Sammy?” Dean, of course, picks up that something is wrong immediately. How did he explain this without sounding like a whiny child? 

“Nothing’s wrong, Dean. It’s just…” He started, but trailed off. Sam and Gabe had agreed to keep Dean out of the plans so far. Not wanting the information in the wrong hands just yet. He had to figure out how to word this. Maybe it would be best if he didn’t mention the timewarp. “I just miss you.” He stated honestly. He did miss Dean. Missed him more than he thought possible. 

“I miss you too, kiddo. Things going okay over there?” 

“Yeah, it's been okay. I finished high school. My diploma should be in the mail at Bobby’s in a few weeks.” He’d been excited to share this news with Dean and hoped his brother was as happy as Gabe had been. 

“Seriously? That’s awesome, Sammy!” Sam could tell that there was a small strain in Dean’s voice. Something that said Dean was trying to hide a problem from him. It was the same something he’d had in his voice when trying to make the last five dollars stretch a few more days. 

“What is it?” He questioned gently, it didn’t take much to set Dean off when he was in these moods. 

“Nothin’ just wish I had been there to celebrate with you.” Sam knew exactly how Dean felt. He’d wanted nothing more than his brother here to tease him for being a nerd or make fun of his ‘rabbit food’ of a celebration meal. 

“Yeah, me too.” Sam mumbled into the phone. This conversation had taken a turn, and Sam didn’t want this entire conversation to be miserable. “So, Bobby said you’ve had your head stuck in his books.” 

“Ha!” Dean laughed loudly. “Yeah, man. Everything he’s got on angels and nephilim.”

“Why?” He questioned. He couldn’t imagine Dean doing that much research without complaining. Especially if it wasn’t even for a hunt. Unless it was a hunt… Sam let that train of thought trail off before focusing back on the phone. 

“If my little brother is a nephilim, I’m gonna know everything there is to know about it.” Dean was trying to be supportive in one of the only ways he knew how. He knew that his own self-worth issues were feeding into his thoughts. The subtle doubt that his hunter brother would be able to put aside old biases. He shouldn’t doubt his brother and Dean hadn’t given him any reason to, Sam just couldn’t help but listen to the whispers in the back of his mind. 

"Ah, okay," he cleared his throat and tried to calm his pounding heart. If his brother thought he was a monster that needed to be hunted, then nothing he could say would change that. "I'm about to start with Gabe on my angel training." 

"If you learn any kick ass angel moves, you'll have to teach 'em to me."

"Yeah, Dean I'm sure you'll still be able to kick my ass." Sam laughed. This was good. Normal. Teasing with Dean about who could kick who's ass. He could manage this type of conversation. 

"Bobby's found us a hunt. I think I'm gonna stick around, do all the hard work for the old man."  Sam was glad that his brother wouldn't be hunting alone. The idea that Dean could get hurt on a hunt and Sam wouldn't be there to help only made his anxiety worse. He knew Bobby would have Dean's back better than Sam ever would. He sighed. He knew he needed to get off the phone and begin studying Enochian. 

"Good. You keep him company. He gets lonely when you're not there." Sam laughed again when he heard Bobby's gruff retort about 'not havin' no peace' in the background. "I gotta get started on what Gabe wants me to do. Stay safe, Dean." His brother agreed, but also had the same requirements of Sam, who rolled his eyes and reminded his brother he was safer than anyone else in the world right now. 

~~~~

The first year of the time warp went by way faster than Sam thought possible. He had learned a ton and Gabriel was constantly praising him for how well he was retaining the information. It healed a piece of a tiny, broken something inside of Sam each time Gabriel encouraged him, got excited with him, and cheered him on through something as tedious as his angel education. He could never imagine John bothering with much more than an ‘attaboy’ when the hunt was over and Sam’s research had paid off. Never in his life had he thought that research and learning could be more fun. Sure, he enjoyed school and learning, liked to figure out puzzles, and researching through lore books. But it was fun in the same way a jigsaw puzzle was fun. Challenging, rewarding, and somewhat peaceful. Learning with Gabe was more like being on a game show. Exciting, challenging, and goofy. Gabriel had even snapped a version of jeopardy into existence for them to play. He was getting comfortable with Enochian and was fluent enough that when Gabe decided it would be the only language they would speak for a while, Sam was okay with it. He had been concerned about losing the information that he had been concerned about losing knowledge as he crammed more knowledge in. Gabriel reassured that his grace would cause him to have a near perfect memory. His grace had gotten much stronger. Gabriel had started estimating that Sam's strength level would be similar to an archangel by the time he was done 'growing up'. 

He and Gabe had gotten closer as well. He found himself reaching out to lightly tangle his grace with his fathers anytime the older angel was near. He'd been embarrassed about the instinct, but Gabe reassured that it was natural for fledglings to seek out comfort and support from an older angel. Had related it to a toddler holding its parents hand. Sam's inner baby-angel holding onto the bottom of his fathers shirt to keep from getting lost. Just the comfort of knowing his father was close. He still hadn't called Gabriel 'dad' yet. At this point it felt like he had missed the opportunity.

Sam had asked how long he would be in 'fledgling mode,' but Gabe didn't have a definite answer. He'd said he thought it could take a millennia for Sam's grace to mature into an adult. "While being literally older than dirt should make me ancient, compared to some other cosmic beings, I'm still a toddler. Death has a tendency to remind us of that." Gabe stated offhandedly. Talking about Death as if he was a living, breathing person was tripping Sam out. He couldn't even imagine talking to the being. 

Gabriel suddenly sat straight up, seeming startled, before glancing worriedly at Sam. " I'll be back, Samshine. Promise. " He stated in Enochian and then Gabriel was gone. 

~~~~~~

Gabriel landed outside the warehouse, flustered, and on edge. He could sense Dean and Bobby inside, with demons scattered all over. He closed his eyes and took a calming breath. As much as he wanted to smite the demons instantly, he knew it would be a dead give away that an angel was involved. He knew he would have to go in as Loki. Gabriel telephoned inside the room with a snap, then immediately took away Bobby and Dean's voices so that they wouldn't ruin the whole thing by blurting out his angel name.  He whistled sharp and tried to seem amused by the damage the demons had done to Dean. Both Dean and Bobby were tied to chairs in the middle of the large room and bloodied. "You just don't know how to stay out of trouble, do you Winchester?" He smirked with glee, but his eyes held a dangerous promise of violence to whoever had screwed up his bonus child’s face.

"What are you doing here, pagan?" One of the demons snapped. 

"Oh, just in the neighborhood when I noticed you picked up one of my favorite chew toys." He hoped that adding to the 'trickster screwing with hunters' story would be beneficial. It would definitely be easier than explaining the truth. 

"Not your chew toy anymore, pagan." A new voice sneered and Gabriel immediately knew who he was dealing with. 

"Azazel." He greeted, without looking in the direction of the demon. The sight of one of the princes of hell was enough to cause his grace to recoil drastically and he had to keep a tight lock down on it. If there was ever a time to break his rules and take out one of the bad guys ahead of schedule, it would be now. But Gabriel couldn't risk Sam yet. Wouldn’t. Demons he could fool, angels were a touch more difficult. "Whatcha working the kid over for? I mean, I know you've got a stiffy for the family, but I thought your real target was Johnny-boy." 

"Oh, you ignorant pagan. You're meddling in things you have no business worrying about." Azazel's sneer carried through his tone of voice. "If you think you can get the kid to Crack and share where daddy has hidden Sammy, be my guest." He waved a hand in the direction of the humans. So that's what this was about. Azazel had gotten word that Sam was missing. Gabriel snapped his fingers and all of the demons were removed from the room except Azazel. He couldn't smite them without giving things away, but he could put them somewhere else. Tricksters were known for messing with shit like that. 

Azazel snarled at the show of power and removed a long knife from his belt. A scarred and disfigured angel blade that had been melted down and reforged, much like the angels that fell with Lucifer. Most were killed, but a few, like Azazel, had fled to hell. Lucifer had twisted their grace like he twisted Lillith, created extra strong demons out of whatever was left of them. The Princes of Hell. They had lost much of their power in the fall. Apparently, Azazel hadn’t even retained enough to be able to see through Gabriel’s pagan disguise. Each had reforged their blade in hellfire after the fall. Over the years most had wandered off to do their own things, but Azazel remained loyal to Lucifer. Gabriel felt his chest tighten at the sight of the mangled angel blade. It would make this significantly harder since he needed to ensure that Azazel thought a pagan had interfered here. 

He turned to stand in front of Dean and Bobby on instinct, a mistake that Azazel picked up immediately.  "They're not your play things, you're protecting them." He said curiously. "What stake do you have in this, trickster?" 

"None, is it so wrong to want to protect one of my few followers I have left?" Play on the pagan angle. That was good. He noticed some of the demons he had relocated popping back into the room as they teleported back. He needed to get Dean out of here now before this got worse. He turned his attention to Dean and Bobby for a split second before snapping the two back to Bobby's house and healing them quickly. He'd sent Dean's precious car back before coming to the warehouse. 

The split second of inattention was all it took for Azazel to launch the not-quite-angel blade through the air with deadly accuracy. Gabriel snapped to teleport himself back to the pocket house. 

He was only a microsecond too late. 

The blade pierced his stomach as he blinked out of the warehouse. It wouldn't kill him, but it hurt like a bitch. Gabe landed on the living room floor with a rough thud. He heard Sam's voice calling to him. Felt his grace reach out to his son, who was still talking to him.

"What do I do, dad? What should I do?" Gabriel hadn't gone over first aid stuff with Sam yet. Didn't think it was necessary. He felt himself mumble something like 'take it out' before everything went black. 

~~~~~

Sam was pacing. His father had been gone for far too long in his opinion. He'd said nothing more than a quick "I'll be back" before disappearing from the pocket house. Sam figured something important had happened for Gabriel to just leave like that. 

Suddenly, Sam felt a sharp stabbing feeling in his grace. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. He glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Gabriel appear in a messy heap on the floor. 

"Dad!" He shouted as he slid to his knees next to the archangel, not realizing he had switched to English in his panic. He saw a blade sticking out from his fathers stomach and instinctively put his hands on it to apply pressure. "What happened? Wait, stay with me!" The archangel's head was rolling to the side and Sam knew he wasn't totally coherent. He didn't know if he should remove the blade or not. Sam knew human first aid. He hadn't had angel first aid yet. "What do I do, dad? What should I do ?" He nearly shouted, switching from English to Enochian. He couldn't lose his father now when he was just getting to know him. Just now letting the angel in. 

Sam put aside his fears for now.  Focus on now. He heard John Winchester's words flit through his mind. One thing John was good for was managing moments like this. He heard Gabriel's mumbled 'out get out' and hoped he was interpreting correctly. Sam wrapped his hand around the hilt of the blade and tugged it loose before tossing it to the side. Gabriel let out a pained grunt, and Sam saw Gabriel's grace leaking from the wound. Fear, adrenaline, and a feeling of 'no-can'tlosehim-stop' filled Sam as he watched the blood and grace seep between his fingers where he was still applying pressure. He closed his eyes and pushed just slightly more on the wound. In a pulse of power, much like the event that started his trip to crazy town, he felt his grace spread through his hands into his fathers vessel. Felt his grace tangle with Gabriel's. Pushed with everything he had. Wanted, hoped, and prayed for Gabriel to be healed, to be all better. 

Sam felt a crackle of power pierce through the air and jumped as Gabriel sucked in a harsh breath and screamed. Sam felt his eyes burn and knew that his grace was flashing in them. They stayed locked in that moment for what felt like hours, but as fast as the pulse of power came, it went. Sam immediately felt drained and slightly dizzy.  Gabriel had stopped screaming, but was panting out harsh breaths with his eyes closed. He still looked pale, but he was conscious, so Sam counted that as a win. He looked beneath his startlingly clean hand (where did the blood go?) and saw that the skin had healed. His father was no longer leaking grace and blood. Sam noticed the blood was gone from the area and Gabriel’s clothes were clean and mended. 

The archangel coughed a couple of times before he opened his eyes and Sam was immediately clutching his shirt, tangling their grace. “Dad?” Sam questioned. He couldn’t feel anything wrong with Gabriel’s grace anymore, but he wasn’t completely certain. Gabriel blinked up at him, seeming surprised and it took a moment for him to realize why. He had called Gabriel the dreaded ‘D’ word, had been using that term for the past few minutes and hadn’t even realized it. “Sorry, if that was too weird…” he immediately apologized, trailing off to the end, unsure how to end the sentence. He secretly hoped that Gabriel was okay with it and wouldn’t ask him to stop. 

“No, Samshine, it’s not too weird.” He said as he ran his hands soothingly through Sam’s hair. “Just never thought I’d hear you call me that.” Sam was pulled into a tight hug and he couldn’t stop the couple of tears that slid down his cheeks. He felt the shoulder of his shirt dampen and felt a little better knowing he wasn’t alone in being an emotional wreck. 

“I think…” he started before sniffling and trying to gain his courage. “I think I’d like to keep calling you that. If that’s okay…” he trailed off again. 

“Yeah, kiddo, I’d like that.” He soothed. “I’d really, really like that.” They both took another few minutes to gather themselves before pulling apart, but Sam wasn’t about to untangle his grace from his dad’s. He felt joy bubble up through his grace and spread to his father’s as he thought about finally having a dad. A real one. Not just Bobby being the spare uncle that tried to help. Not just Dean trying his best to raise a child while still being one. Not just some alcoholic who cared more for his dead wife than about the live children he still had. A real, honest to goodness dad . Gabriel’s grace responded with a steadfast reassurance and love. 

“What did I do to you? You were screaming and… and…” He sniffled again, wiping his nose on his sleeve. 

“Nu uh.” Gabriel admonished with a stern but kind guidance John had never mastered. “ You know the rules. Enochian only until it’s second nature. ” 

“ Sorry, dad.” Sam wasn’t sure what the enochian word for ‘dad’ was. It seemed they had both been intentionally ignoring it. Gabriel told him the translation now though, smiling brightly. 

“ I think you panicked and healed me. Healing archangel grace shouldn’t be possible, but you did it. ” Gabriel beamed with pride and Sam felt a blush spread to his ears. 

“ I just wanted you to be okay. ” Sam said quietly, somewhat embarrassed by how emotional he had gotten over seeing his father with a blade sticking out of him. “ What is that thing? How can it hurt you? ” 

“ A ruined angel blade. It wouldn’t have killed me, just taken a little while to heal completely. ” Gabriel snapped and the blade disappeared. 

“ Where did you send it? ” Sam asked, eternally curious, always questioning. Gabriel had assured him that it was another ‘fledgling thing’ to be curious and ask a ton of questions. The angelic version of ‘but why mom?’ and only slightly less annoying. Sam felt annoyed by his own self some times, but at least the things that always made him stand out to John made more sense. 

“ Back to Azazel. A sign that he didn’t kill me .” Gabriel stated, but Sam found himself questioning his father’s judgment for once. Giving a weapon back to a monster sounded like a terrible decision. “ If he thinks I’m alive he will know Dean is under the protection of Loki. ” Gabriel clarified and Sam startled as he realized what had happened completely. “ They’re both fine. A little pissed off, but okay. I healed them when I dumped them back at Bobby’s. ” Sam breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone was okay. He felt the world tilt a little sideways and then Gabriel was lifting him off the floor with ease. It was odd, to be carried bridal style, by someone so much smaller than himself. He felt Gabriel stretch his wings and then they were suddenly in his bedroom. Gabriel sat him on the bed gently and began unbuttoning his over shirt. 

“ What happened? ” he questioned as he clumsily tried to help with his flannel. 

“ You overexerted yourself with that trick you pulled. You need a nap. ” Gabriel batted his hands away and finished the buttons quickly. Sam removed his own jeans (his father was not helping with that part) and then curled up in his bed. “ I’m going to go check on Dean and Bobby while you sleep. If you wake up and I’m not here, that’s where I will be. ” The last thing he felt was Gabriel tucking the covers around him. 

Chapter Text

Gabriel was on cloud nine and that was a task considering he is an archangel. Sam had finally called him ‘Dad’ and wanted to keep calling him that. When he left Sam with the Winchesters, he had given up hope that the nephilim would ever see him as a father figure. Then once he did get to build that relationship with Sam, he had been afraid that John had ruined the title of ‘father’ completely. His son not only sees him as a father figure, but Sam actually seeing him as his father, and calling him ‘dad?’ It couldn’t be better. And now he’s tucking his son in for a nap before going to spend some time with the bonus child. He gently brushed his grace against Sam’s one last time before flying in an instant to Bobby’s living room. 

The pair of hunters had broken out the liquor and were hunched over Bobby’s desk. Gabriel made himself visible and snapped his own glass of much better bourbon into existence. “What are we looking at?” He questioned jovially. Nothing could ruin his mood at this point. Dean jumped, but settled quickly when he saw Gabe. 

“Hey, man, thanks for saving our asses back there…” Dean let out a soft ‘oof’ as he was cut off by the crushing hug the archangel pulled him into. 

“No prob-llama, Dean-a-rino. How’d you get nabbed by the bastard anyhow?” Gabriel questioned holding Dean at arms length. That was the current concern, figuring out how the demons even got to Dean. 

“It was a trap. We were following signs of a ghost when they jumped us at the hotel.” Dean grumbled and took another sip of his drink. “They kept askin’ about Sammy. Wanted to know where John hid him.” Dean shook his head. “I ain’t heard from him since the fucker chloroformed me. And I don’t know where you got Sam, so I couldn’t have talked if I wanted to.” 

“Are you okay?” Gabriel asked softly, peering at Dean’s face and checking to make sure he had healed everything. Dean ran a hand over his hair with a sharp exhale then nodded, continuing to look at Gabriel like he had grown a second head.

“Yeah, I’m good.” Gabriel let his arms drop to his side as he realized he had been fussing over Dean like he would Sam. Gabriel and Dean didn’t have that kind of relationship, and here he was touching, hugging, and reaching out with his grace, looking to comfort his child. Dean wasn’t privy to that information though. He probably just thought Gabriel had decided to become a stage 5 clinger. 

Gabriel finished off his drink and snapped the glass back full. “So, Azazel know’s Sam is out of pocket right now, but thinks that John is behind it?” Gabriel summarized as he sipped his bourbon. Bobby and Dean both nodded while sipping their own booze. “And now he knows that I, Loki, am involved in some way.” Gabriel sighed. It wasn’t ideal, but not awful either. Definitely not the worst case. “That should make them second guess picking on you again.” Gabriel rubbed his sternum as he felt a subtle tug at his grace. Sam must be waking up or having a nightmare. He’d felt the tug a few times in the past in both scenarios. 

“How’s Sammy?” Dean asked gently, like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to ask. 

“He’s doing good. Graduated high school, almost completely fluent in Enochian, and he’s making good headway in culture.” Gabriel beamed proudly. He could never get tired of bragging about his child, even if most of the bragging was done to himself since nobody really knew about Sam. 

“It’s only been a couple days…” Dean stated, his face scrunching up in confusion. Sam should not have been able to become fluent in the few weeks that he had been with Gabriel. 

“Yeah, uh…” Gabriel rambled trying desperately to cover his blunder. He had forgotten that Sam didn’t tell his brother about the timewarp. “His grace is stronger, he’ll have a near perfect memory now.” Dean narrowed his eyes suspiciously and Gabriel could tell he didn’t completely believe the story. He felt the tug on his grace again, this time sharper, almost pulling him off balance. Nightmare then. “If the demons or anything else come after you again, then we will have to rework our plans.” He changed the topic quickly, but felt the sharp tug again. This time it did cause him to stumble slightly. “I gotta go. Keep me updated.” Gabriel ordered before returning quickly to the pocket house. Something was seriously wrong. 

~~~~~~

Sam was woken from an absolutely glorious nap by a dull ache in his back. He tried rolling onto his side and stomach, but nothing seemed to help. After a few minutes the dull ache became a touch sharper and Sam’s concern started to increase. He hadn’t felt pain like this since his grace began to grow and manage his injuries. Sam let his grace spread out throughout the house, searching for his father, but he wasn’t here. Must still be with Dean. He sat up and tried to feel his back with his hands, but nothing seemed to be out of place. When getting up and walking around didn’t help, Sam tried the bathtub for the first time. He’d never been huge on baths, but they were beneficial for sore muscles. At first, the warm water melted the pain from his back, but after about ten minutes, the dull ache that was sometimes sharp became the sharp ache that was sometimes dull. He got out of the bath and quickly dried off before putting on sweatpants and returning to the bed. Sam couldn’t stand to feel anything touching his back, so he didn’t even try putting on a shirt. 

He laid down on his side and thought again that he would really appreciate it if his typically overwhelming father would be his typical helicopter self right now. Sam cursed himself again for being so needy and childish, but he was hurting straight to his grace. He could do this. He could. Just a little bit longer and Gabriel would be back. He didn’t want to ruin Gabe’s few minutes with Dean. 

After a few hours, he was completely miserable. He cried out when a stabbing pain went through his grace and Sam decided it was time to call his father. He felt through his grace to the bond attached to Gabriel and tugged . It was all he could think to do. His back was on fire and he was covered in sweat. By the time he felt Gabriel’s grace return a while later, Sam was nearly incoherent from the pain. He’d been sweating for a few hours now and was starting to think he was running a fever. 

“Dad!” He tried to call, but really only got out a weak whimper. Gabriel was by his side almost instantaneously. 

“Sam! What’s wrong?” Gabe immediately began checking Sam over for injuries and illness. 

“My back… it hurts…” Sam panted, his grace swirling in pain and drawn closely inward. He felt Gabriel’s grace poking and prodding before tangling tightly, becoming an anchor in the storm. He felt Gabe run his hand through his hair soothingly before speaking again. 

“It’s alright little one, I think your earlier emotions caused your grace to grow again, souls can do funny things like that. You are just growing your wings. ” Gabriel said in a calming voice. Wings? Wings?! He was growing wings! Sam felt his heart rate spike and breathing become uneven. He would be even more of a freak. " Hush, fledgling. They won't be corporeal." At least there was that. People wouldn't know he was a freak on sight. 

Gabriel continued to sooth Sam over the next few hours. Nothing seemed to be happening, just pain and misery. Gabe assured him it was all fairly normal. Not that they knew what normal really was for a nephilim. The pain came and went through the night and into the next day. Sam barely slept and Gabriel kept him company the entire time, bringing cool rags and whispering reassurances. He felt like the pain would never end. He felt like he was dying. 

Sam felt the pain building again and grabbed his fathers hand for support. Tears began trickling down his cheeks, but he didn't care about being strong anymore. This was torture and he didn't have any dignity left. Suddenly, he felt a ripping sensation within his grace before a large growth seemed to explode from his back before settling into the shape of wings. He could feel them settle, feeling weighed down and exhausted on either side of him. Sam breathed a deep sigh of relief as the pain dissipated into a bone deep soreness. He tried to keep his eyes open, but it was a battle he had already lost. 

~~~~~~~~~

 When Sam woke again he felt the soreness in his entire body. He tried to wiggle slightly, making sure his body was at least still whole. He let out a deep groan of pain when he moved his torso and wings. Sam squinched his eyes closed tightly, afraid of what he would see when he looked to where he knew the wings would be. He didn't want to see what kind of monstrous appendages had sprouted from his grace. He was pretty sure his wings would be bat-like. Wrong like he was. He had been trying to tamp down on thoughts like that, but with the new development he wasn't feeling very positive. He thought he remembered Gabriel saying they wouldn't be corporeal, but he was still worried.

"I know you're awake, Samshine." Gabriel stated from his place in the chair next to the bed. Sam groaned again as he tried to pull the wings close to himself. He didn't want to accidentally see them. "What's wrong, little one?" Sam felt Gabriel's hand running through his hair calmly. 

"Nothing." He mumbled petulantly. 

"Sam." There was a warning in Gabriel's voice that said Sam should start talking. The last time Sam had tried to hide something, Gabriel had threatened to ground him. Sam had laughed it off until Gabriel refused to make him dessert for a month and took away all of the books that weren't lore. 

"I don't want to see them." Gabriel hummed in confusion, prompting Sam to peek one eye open. "My wings. I don't want to look." 

"Ah… well… what if I described them to you first?" He knew Gabriel was trying to force Sam to accept his wings without being too blunt. Sam nodded silently, but closed his eyes tightly. "Well, you just have one set, for now at least. They're larger than an angels, but slightly smaller than archangels. They're pearly, opalescent, and blindingly white, with specks of green, gold, and blue. They almost perfectly reflect your eyes, soul, and grace, Samshine." Sam blinked his eyes open in surprise. That hadn't been what he expected. He sat up slowly and peeked over his shoulder. Gabriel wasn't lying. They were immaculate and so very, very fluffy. Gabriel seemed to notice his confusion at all of the fluff and chuckled slightly. "It's because they are new. You will molt in a few weeks and the permanent feathers will grow in. The colors will remain the same."  Sam ran his fingers over his feathers and marveled at how soft they felt. He grinned brightly as he noticed all the specks of color mixed into the white of his feathers. 

"Why do they look…. Sparkly? I dunno a word for that…" Sam trailed off in English, studying his wings closely. 

"It's your soul shining through." Gabriel smiled at him fondly. Sam smiled softly when he caught the look of pride on Gabriel's face. " Come on, I'll make you some ice cream." Gabriel beamed before strolling from the room.

Chapter Text

Time in the pocket dimension carried on. A year after Sam's wings grew in, Gabriel still hadn't taught him to fly. The first few months, Gabriel had explained they wouldn't be able to do anything until his molt. After that, Gabriel just kept putting it off. Sam was now completely fluent and comfortable in Enochian, so Gabriel had relaxed the rules somewhat and they both spoke something of a mix to each other. Sam's education was progressing quickly. He memorized and retained everything easily with the help of his grace. Their current focus was angelic customs and social skills. He was struggling with the formality of angel culture. Especially where the wings were concerned. The body language of wings was beyond confusing and Sam just wanted to fly, but after the first few arguments where Sam's books disappeared, he decided to keep his mouth shut. Sam wasn't a huge fan of Gabriel's punishments, but it beat the extra laps and push-ups John required. 

Sam missed his brother. He wanted to call, but knew it hadn't been enough time on earth for him to be in contact without Dean picking up that something was wrong. So he focused on studying. The sooner he knew everything, the sooner he could go see Dean. 

"I don't understand why you can't just info dump the stuff on wings." Sam pouted with a huff. This was ridiculous. He was never going to learn this and an angel being all huffy because he didn't position his wings correctly wasn't high on his list of concerns. 

"Because it would fry your brain. Now come on, again." Gabriel instructed. 

“Why do I need to do this anyway?” 

“Because your wings will automatically respond based on your thoughts and emotions, much like your grace and facial expressions, but you need to be able to accurately read another angel’s wings. I’m not going to say it again, Sam, what are my wings saying?” Sam rolled his eyes, but looked up and made his guess. 

"I don't know, happy?" 

"No, Sam! Not 'happy'! If an angel has their wings flared completely, it is a challenge! A threat! You have to take this seriously!" 

"It's life or death. I know." Sam parroted the phrase he had heard on repeat the past few days with only a little sarcasm. "It's ridiculous! An angel is going to kill me on sight no matter what my wings look like! Teaching me to fly is much more important!" Sam argued. It wasn't the first time they had discussed it and probably wouldn't be the last. 

"No, Sam. You're not flying until you learn the basics of wing etiquette." 

"Why?!" 

"Because I'm your father and I said so!" Sam had heard that statement more times than he could count. It never failed to piss him off. Always making him feel like his opinions, choices, and questions don't matter because he's younger. Now it just reminded him of John. 

 "So I can dance like the monkey you want me to be?" Sam knew his smart mouth would eventually land him in real trouble. He knew he was pushing his limits and he knew he was being unfair, but Sam was just so angry. He couldn't seem to stop himself. In his mind Gabriel had just turned into John and all the old resentments started to bubble to the surface. 

"A monkey would listen better!" Gabriel shouted. That actually stung. Gabriel really thought that having a pet monkey would be easier than dealing with him. Why wouldn't it be? A monkey wouldn't argue, or question, or cause celestial wars…

"Oh, good! Maybe you should get one as a pet and leave me the fuck alone!" Sam replied, turning to stomp off to his room. He couldn't be in this argument anymore, it was only bringing up negative thoughts. 

"Get your ass back here right now or so help me Dad…" Sam noticed Gabriel's eyes had started to glow and there was a fine tremor running through his vessel. He also noticed that based on Gabriel’s wings, he was livid. Huh, maybe it was useful to know. Sam was breathing heavily himself, fighting to remain in control of his emotions. 

"All dads are the same! I don't know why I ever thought you'd fucking listen to me!" Sam continued towards his room, hands fisted at his sides. 

"Watch your language!" Gabriel's voice was getting further away and Sam was glad the archangel wasn't following him.  

"Yeah well, fuck you!" Sam yelled angrily. 'Watch your language' like he was some good little angel. He wasn't even a real angel for fuckssakes! 

"Go to your room!" He heard shouted from the living room. 

"I'm already in my room!" He responded and slammed his bedroom door shut. 

"Good! Stay there!" 

"Don't worry I will" he shouted, knowing his father would hear him through the walls. He grabbed his pillow and held it over his face, letting out a soft scream. Gabriel was acting just like John. He was stupid to have thought this would be any different. He flopped down on the bed and felt his wings shift through the furniture. It had taken him a while to be comfortable with his wings moving through objects. He thought back about the fight with his father. He shouldn't have gotten so comfortable with him. 

Sam got up and went to the door. He could probably convince Gabriel to send him to Bobby's pretty easily at this point. He'd rather have a monkey than Sam after all. Sam reached for the door handle and felt a zap of electricity run through his fingers. That was odd. He glanced at the door and looked closer, using his 'x-ray vision' as he called it, to see the wards and magic running through the house. He was shocked to see that Gabriel had warded the door to prevent him from leaving his room. He didn't know that Gabe could even do that, but he guessed it made sense. If warding could manage angels, it could probably manage nephilim as well. 

Sam felt trapped. This was too much like John. Always trapped in someone's net. At someone else's mercy. He couldn't take this anymore. Sam let out a yell of rage and heartache. Now that he knew Gabe really saw him as nothing more than a pet. Just Snickers adjacent. Sam had been put in his kennel for snapping at his master's hand. That was the last coherent thought Sam had for a long while. He raged within his room, throwing everything he could get his hands or grace on, destroying more than he knew. Sam ripped the pictures from the wall, pulled his hair, punched the door, kicked his bed, flipped his bedside table, and knocked over the dresser full of clothes. 

Sam eventually ran out of steam and slumped down on the floor with his back against the wall opposing the door, his wings drooping sadly on either side of him. He'd run out of steam, expending all his extra energy and emotions. Now he just felt empty. Sam wasn't sure how long he sat there mindlessly before he felt the wards on the bedroom drop and Gabriel strolled in. The angel looked calmer, but still angry, but Sam couldn't respond. He still felt too broken. 

~~~~~

Gabriel finally felt calm enough to return back to the house. He spent a few hours outside in the meadow screaming. Children could be so infuriating. Sam had never gotten him that angry before. The jab at fathers stirring up all kinds of negativity in his mind. He didn't want to be compared to John Winchester, much less told he was the same as the man. Gabriel walked back to Sam's room and removed the wards. They had been a last minute addition to prevent him from entering Sam's room and continuing the argument. Something Kali used to use on him that would only allow the wards to be broken when he was calm. 

When he opened the door, he wasn't prepared for the catastrophe that was Sam's bedroom. Everything had been upended and thrown about. Gabriel paid little mind to the mess in the room, he could fix it easily, even the picture collage that had been ripped to pieces. His attention caught on his son, sitting on the floor against the opposite wall, head hung low and gaze unfocused. It was a little creepy honestly and Gabriel wasn't sure what to do with it. It purged every last drop of anger from his system immediately. Something was very wrong with his child. 

"Sam?" He questioned, hopeful that the boy would acknowledge him at least. 

"Yeah?" Came the flat, almost robotic response. 

"What happened, Samshine? I know we were angry, but I didn't think we were this kind of angry." Sam blinked a few times and looked at the room around him, seeming unsure what he was seeing. He shrugged slightly before looking back at the ground. 

"Is that all I am to you? A pet to play with and then lock up when it's no fun anymore?" Sam asked with the same dead tone. How could Sam even think that? And what did he mean ‘lock up’? Gabriel had done no such thing! 

"I shouldn't have said those things earlier, Sam. I was just angry."

"You locked me in my room." 

"What? No, I didn't." Gabriel was so confused. He had locked himself out, not Sam in. Gabriel thought for a moment before realizing that the warding must have kept Sam in as much as it kept him out. "Oh, kiddo it wasn't meant for you." Gabriel sighed before situating himself against the wall beside his son. This was such a mess. Why would Father ever allow him to procreate? "I put the warding up to stop me from coming in to pick a fight. I never thought it would stop you from leaving. I guess you must be enough archangel that the spell recognized you." Gabriel sighed. Yeah, he definitely should not have been allowed to be a parent. Maybe he wasn't much better than John after all. He sat in silence with Sam for a long while before he heard Sam's soft voice. 

"You didn't want to lock me down?" 

"Of course not. If I thought it would stop you from using the door, I wouldn't have put it up."

"An' you like me more than a monkey, right?" Sam's voice was so small and childlike that Gabriel thought his heart might actually break. If he had one. Then he saw one small tear track down the boy's cheek and just knew that his vessel's heart was broken. He had put that look on his son's face. It was easy to forget that Sam was still only 17ish years old. They’d been back and forth on if the timewarp years would count towards his age or not. Either way, he was still practically a newborn to angels and still a child for humans. He could be so mature for his age.

"Definitely." Gabriel confirmed, putting his arm around Sam's shoulders and pulling him gently to rest a head on the archangel's shoulder. 

"You're nothing like John." Sam stated and Gabriel let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "It's just sometimes things remind me of him and it's like I can't stop myself." Gabriel nodded. He understood that better than most. “I spent so long trying to be what John wanted…” Sam trailed off and Gabriel thought he might continue, but after a few minutes it was obvious he was done sharing. 

"I get it." Sam raised his head from Gabriel's shoulder and looked around. 

"I broke my room." Gabriel watched as his gaze fell on the torn picture collage. "I ruined it. I ruin everything." Gabriel snapped his fingers and suddenly everything was back like it had been pre-rampage, even the collage. Sam smiled genuinely and offered his thanks. 

"Listen, Samshine, if I start to remind you of John or you run into a trigger, I want you to let me know." Sam nodded silently. Gabriel rubbed his back, hoping it was still a soothing gesture. "Are we okay?" 

"Yeah, we're okay." 

~~~~~~~

The rest of the timewarp went by as quickly as 7 years could. Sam finally got wing etiquette and as promised, Gabriel taught him how to fly. It didn’t take nearly as long to learn as he thought it would. He wasn’t as graceful or fast as his father, but he was consistent. Gabriel reassured him that grace and speed came with time. Sam had stopped aging and looked around 25 years old. He also only slept an hour or two a week now. He still ate plenty and figured he always would as long as Gabriel was around, but wasn’t totally sure that he actually needed to eat anymore. Sam learned to use his grace to do a ton of things. He could change his clothes, cut his hair, clean himself and others, heal, adjust temperatures, and fight. The fighting was interesting. Gabriel had taught him multiple different human fighting styles along with angel techniques. They practiced with fake swords that Gabriel created. His childhood hunting seemed to give him an edge to learning all of the skills Gabriel taught. He was good, his father said he would be better and stronger than most angels, save for the archangels. That was another “enhancement” as Gabriel had called it, angel strength. Sam was now incredibly strong and would have to remind himself to be careful when he finally did get to see Dean. 

Sam had learned about all types of angels, all angelic weapons, the true histories, learned how to identify an angel based on grace, how to shield his grace, how to shield himself. He felt pretty confident in his angelic abilities. He knew he was still very young for an angel, but being part human, he felt like an adult. He did still have a habit of tangling his grace with his fathers for comfort. 

Sam had called Dean a few times over his years. It was strange to think that for Dean it had only been a month. Sam was a completely different person now. He didn’t even look the same. Sam wasn’t sure what he would even say to his brother when he saw him again. Would Dean even want him back? Sam shook himself from his thoughts, of course Dean would want to see him. Did he want to see Dean? Yes. The answer to that would always be ‘yes,’ but he was scared. Call him a chicken, he didn’t care. He was nervous to see his brother again. However, he had gotten a better grasp on his emotions. 

Today was his last lesson before Gabriel altered the time back to Earth-time. Sam had to learn how to draw his sword. Gabriel had assured him that he would, in fact, have his own angel blade made from his own grace. Once Sam could consistently draw his blade, Gabriel would alter time (Sam hadn’t gotten the time control abilities just yet) and then teach him how to access the pocket house from Earth. Sam was looking forward to being able to come and go from home on his own. Home. It was still a little odd, but ultimately wonderful to finally have an actual home. He couldn’t wait until it was Dean’s home as well. He was sure he could convince Gabe to add a room for Bobby. 

Snickers was still happy as ever. It seemed Gabriel was controlling his lifespan somehow. Sam wasn’t totally sure how old the dog even was. 

He met with Gabriel in the gym. Gabriel had included a large sparing area for them. It took Sam nearly two hours before he found what Gabriel was talking about within himself. He finally found it and a few minutes later he was holding a beautiful golden sword. It was intricately carved, and Sam could feel his grace hum within it. He practiced vanishing his sword and then calling it over and over until it felt second nature. He was glad this was his final lesson. It felt like a reward for all his hard work. Gabriel beamed as he snapped and a huge ‘congratulations’ banner and confetti fell from the ceiling. 

“Alright, kiddo were functioning back on Earth-time. You’ve worked really hard and I’m so proud of you.” Gabriel smiled as he pulled Sam into a hug. Another thing that had changed, Sam had gotten much more comfortable with hugs and platonic touch. Something John had never been a huge fan of. Sam ran a hand through his hair as he pulled back from the embrace. “Ready to learn how to leave and come back home?” Sam nodded eagerly. Gabriel put his hand on Sam’s shoulder and flew them back to earth, landing them in an abandoned meadow. Gabriel gave Sam instructions for a few minutes, but he picked it up quickly. After an hour of practice, Sam could come and go from Earth and the pocket dimension all he wanted. Gabriel instructed Sam to be careful roaming Earth alone. Angels were probably about to start poking around and demons were definitely looking for him. He had learned to smite, practicing on a few low level demons Gabe had rounded up and brought to the pocket house, but he couldn’t use that power yet. It would alert the angels that he was a nephilim. 

Gabriel also said that Sam should go hunting with Dean before long. If he suddenly plopped back into the playing field, maybe the whole ‘trickster stole Sam for a lesson’ story would stay for a bit and buy them a little more time. However, Gabe didn’t want him around Bobby’s house without him yet. He said that angels had been triggering the warning traps Gabriel had set up, meaning they were watching Bobby’s house. They agreed that maybe it was best if he and Gabe hunted together for a while before going to see Dean. If Sam Winchester was seen hunting with a new partner, most of the people they were trying to throw off would probably think he had run away after the chloroform incident as they had been calling it. 

Sam agreed sadly, even with his fear, he wanted to see Dean. He wouldn’t do anything to put Dean or Bobby in danger though. Sam packed the duffel he came to the pocket house with full of hunting gear and prepared for a hunt while Gabriel searched for one. They would be hunting the human way. It couldn’t look like Sam was anything more than psychic. Gabriel had presented Sam with an entire new legitimate alias and bank card (that Gabe had assured him would never run dry) with his new name on it. Sam Angelos. They figured that using an alias wouldn’t be a huge deal since the Winchesters regularly used aliases anyway. The right people (or really the wrong people he guessed) would still pick up on his activity. A quarter of Sam’s high school transcripts hadn’t even been in his own name and Gabriel had had to change a few documents to get all of his information to the online school. Sometimes Sam had wondered if Sam Winchester was even his name at birth. Now he knew even that had been something of an alias. Sam smiled as he packed his new documents into his bag. This Sam Angelos felt real. New. A fresh start. He was leaving the pocket house a different man than he came in. 

“Sam! Looks like we’ve got a black dog in Shreveport!” Gabriel called from the living room. A black dog. That wouldn’t be too bad. It would be nice to get back into the swing of hunting. 

~~~~~~~

Castiel looked at the house across the road. It was just an old farmhouse. Nothing that seemed all that special about it, except it was probably one of the most well warded homes on the planet. And The Righteous Man was inside. Castiel couldn't get any closer without setting off alarm wards and he didn’t want to alert anyone to his presence yet. He was sure if he followed Dean Winchester for long enough, he would find information on the younger brother that had suddenly dropped off the map. His soul wasn’t in Heaven and they had no way of knowing if he was in Hell without meeting with a demon. Castiel felt his grace shudder at the idea of being around a demon. He had been watching Dean since his superiors noticed that the abomination was missing. He had heard what seemed like the brothers talking via a device the humans called a cell phone, but he couldn’t prove Dean was speaking with Sam. He would have to keep watch until something changed. 

~~~~~

Sam and Gabriel were able to finish up the black dog easily without using their grace. It only took a few days and they had gotten a hotel room in the city. Staying in a hotel instead of flying in and out would make the whole hunt seem more normal. Or what could pass as normal for hunters. They had bought a car before starting the hunt. A ‘69 Cutlass Supreme that Gabriel had restored to perfection. They had intentionally taken their time, walked around the city looking for it, tracked down leads, everything that Sam would have done with Dean or Bobby. Sam had called his brother and told him that he and Gabe would be hunting for a little while. Gabe had told Dean the same things he had told Sam and they quickly came up with a plan. Gabe and Sam would hunt together while Bobby and Dean hunted together. Eventually they would meet up. Sam was feeling impatient though. He really wanted to see his brother. Being back on Earth and knowing that he could go see him made it that much more difficult not to. 

Sam and Gabe walked to a bar in town for a late night post hunt celebratory beer and bar food. Gabriel had aged up Sam’s new ID to make sure it reflected the age he mostly looked right now. So he could easily access beer and alcohol.They both kept their grace concealed as best they could, never knowing when they might run into someone. Being around people again had made Sam nervous at first. He was afraid he would hurt someone on accident or knock something over with his wings, but that hadn’t happened yet. He felt that he was doing okay. It had initially been overwhelming and he had to work on tampering his grace to keep from seeing everyone’s souls as blindingly bright. He had just gotten it back down to the aural level it was when he first noticed the ability when they got into the city. 

They ate their wings, drank their beer, and joked. Gabriel seemed to be missing his trickster ways. It had been a while after all. They had agreed early on that Gabriel and Sam could only play small pranks on each other. Anything more and it became an all out war between the two.

“Looks like you’ve got an admirer, Samshine.” Gabriel beamed. Sam knew his father had no desire to even know about his sex life, but ten years was a bit of a dry spell. Gabriel had offered to conjure up some illusion women for Sam a few times, but it always felt a little too weird. Sam had always preferred something of a connection with a woman before being intimate. He was only 17 when Gabriel whisked him away. He had lost his virginity young like any drifter kid, but had kept the number of partners to a minimum. Sam looked over at the blonde that had seemed to be trying to catch his eye. She smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear before looking away shyly. She really was beautiful and it wasn’t like he would ever be able to have a regular relationship now anyway. Sam glanced at his dad awkwardly, unsure how to proceed. They had never done this before, been each other’s wingman. “Don’t forget to wrap it before you tap it.” Gabriel slapped Sam on the shoulder as he stood and finished his beer. (Sam had insisted that Gabe get a beer to blend in as a hunter and not some sweet fruity crap he normally drank) Sam blushed furiously and hid his face in his hands. “Wear a raincoat!” Gabriel cooed, knowing that he was embarrassing the living shit out of him. “Don’t be silly, cover your willy!” He called over his shoulder slightly louder as he moved toward the door of the bar. 

“I hate you.” Sam sent telepathically to his father. He heard his father’s maniacal laughter respond back into his own mind. He felt a flash of grace around him and looked down to find four bubblegum flavored condom packets, a small packet of lube, and a piece of paper with a winky face on it laying on the table. Sam quickly hid the items in his pockets. His father was humiliating. Sam finished off his beer and then moved to the bar to get a whiskey. He was really going to need something stronger after the past five minutes. The blonde moved closer and Sam grinned at her. Maybe it would be good to be normal for once. 

Once the girl had left the hotel room, Sam showered and changed into fresh clothing. He had really needed that, but now he really didn’t know what to do. Gabriel had told him that he was off being Loki for the night. Loki had been absent the entire time that Sam had been in the pocket dimension. Sam briefly considered returning home, but decided against it. He had been a shut-in long enough. He knew his brother was in Maryland with Bobby hunting a witch. Gabriel had said not to be near Dean, but maybe he could just get a glimpse at his brother from a distance. Just knowing that Dean was okay would sooth his grace and calm his nerves. Of course he knew Dean was okay , he had talked with him on the phone, but he hadn’t seen him. With his mind made up, Sam stretched his wings and flew to the city his brother was in. He didn’t want to get too close and he wanted to make sure that there wasn’t another angel around. He searched the area and couldn’t sense any angels so he moved closer. Sam stood in the back of the crowded bar and watched his brother flirt with a redhead in spandex. A sigh of relief left him at the sight of his brother. He watched for a few more minutes before turning to leave out the back door of the bar. He felt so much lighter as he flew from the back alley to his hotel room. 

The next five months went much the same way. Sam and Gabriel would hunt the human way, Gabe would flit off to somewhere and be Loki for a while, Sam would fly to wherever Dean was and watch from afar. Sam and Gabe had run into a few hunters over the months and each time he introduced himself as Sam Winchester if it wasn’t someone he already knew. A few of the hunters had tried to turn him into the hunt, but he and Gabriel had quickly lost them. They hadn’t run into any demons, but hadn’t been actively avoiding them. Gabriel had mentioned sensing them further than Sam’s grace could reach yet. They hadn’t heard from the angels yet. Bobby and Dean both reported that they hadn’t seen anything that seemed supernatural following them. Gabriel had left for his post-hunt prank, leaving Sam to entertain himself. Sam didn’t need to think twice about his activity of choice, he had been progressively getting closer to his brother. He had taken to turning himself invisible and standing in the room while Dean and Bobby talked about their hunt. He never stays for long, afraid that an angel would check in and he would be there. 

Sam did just that today. He made himself invisible to humans and flew quickly outside of Dean’s hotel and when he couldn’t sense anyone but Dean and Bobby inside, he entered the room. Just like every other time, Dean and Bobby were busy researching for their hunt. They hadn’t been back to Bobby’s much since learning angels were keeping tabs on him. Sam felt the tightness in his chest release at the sight of his brother. He lost himself for a moment in the research, forgetting that he wasn’t supposed to be there longer than to see his brother was alive. He felt something in the air shift and then Dean and Bobby startled, pulling their weapons and aiming in his direction. Sam realized with a jolt that he was no longer invisible. He ignored his brother and Bobby’s shouts for the moment to stretch his senses outward, trying to pinpoint what had happened. He felt another grace in the room and hid his grace as tightly as possible, tucking and folding his wings into his grace. This was bad. This was so very bad. He raised his hands to signal to the two hunters he wasn’t armed (that they could see anyway) and then looked to his brother. 

“Dean…” He wasn’t sure what to even say to his brother. They hadn’t seen each other in a long time and Sam had aged a lot since. He wasn’t sure Dean would even recognize him. 

“Sammy?” Dean asked quizzically. “What are you doing here?” Well at least that answered the recognition question, now he just had to figure out how to answer this one. What was he doing there? How do you say ‘I’ve been secretly watching you for months because I missed you’ without sounding like a stalker. Both hunters lowered their guns, but seemed to read Sam’s body language and stayed on guard. 

“I don’t really know…” Sam started, but was cut off when the grace materialized in front of him. 

“Samuel Winchester. We’ve been looking for you.” The angel said in a voice that sounded like the man was gargling rocks. 

“Uh…” Sam started, but wasn’t sure where to go with this. Sam tugged on his bond with his father frantically, hopefully he would get the message and help soon. “I don’t think we’ve met.” He watched the wings of the angel subtly. He didn’t want the angel to know he could see them, but he was trying to read the intent of the angel via his wings. 

“Where have you been, Samuel?” The angel asked again and Sam backed away slightly. 

“Oh, you know. Around.” Sam slowly began working his way between his brother and the unknown in the room, but was stopped when the angel lowered his blade into his hand. Sam had to fight his instinct to bring forth his own blade, but couldn’t give himself away just yet. 

“This isn’t the time for games,” the angel sneered as he raised his blade to Sam’s throat. Sam swallowed hard. This was the first real angel blade he’d had pointed at him. The ones he and Gabriel used were always fake. “We need to know where you’ve been. Azazel’s forces…” Sam interrupted with his usual attitude, rolling his eyes. He knew it was a deflection, a way to hide the fact that he was scared shitless. 

“I haven’t been anywhere near Azazel.” He should have expected retaliation when interrupting the angel, but he wasn’t and when the butt of the angel's blade connected with his cheek he landed on his hands and knees.

“You should show me some respect, abomination.” The angel snarled and Sam could see pure hatred in his eyes. It shouldn’t hurt as much as it did to be hated for something he has no control over. He heard Dean and Bobby shouthing, but couldn’t make out the words. He was too focused on the blade at his throat and trying to figure out how to fix his mess. Sam felt his father’s presence take over the room and breathed a sigh of relief. He was still in serious trouble, but at least his father was there. 

“I would think very carefully about your next words and actions, Cassie.” Cassie? Gabriel knew the angel? Said angel startled and looked visibly shaken at the presence of the archangel.

“Gabriel?” He asked and Sam thought he might have seen something like awe in his face. 

“Drop the blade, Cas.” ‘Cas’ immediately dropped his blade and Sam scooped it up quickly. “ We,” Gabriel emphasized pointing between the angel and himself, “are going to have a conversation. Sam, take your brother and Bobby home.” Gabriel snapped his fingers and everyone in the room flinched. His fury was palpable. Sam had never seen him so angry. “I made Bobby a room next to Dean’s. Stay there until I get back.” He instructed through gritted teeth that Sam thought might actually break off. “And Sam, we’re gonna have a talk when I get home.” Sam ducked his head in shame, but nodded in acceptance. He had screwed everything up. He felt Gabriel and ‘Cas’ leave the room and looked to his shell shocked brother and uncle. 

“What the fuck is happening?” Dean half shouted in frustration. 

“I… I’ll explain… Just… hold on.” Sam stumbled through his words, but laid a hand on each hunter’s shoulders before flying them quickly to the pocket house. He was so screwed.

Chapter Text

Sam landed at home with his brother and Bobby in tow. Snickers seemed to sense that someone was there and quickly made his way over. Sam introduced the little dog to his brother and uncle. 

"Wanna fill us in, Sam?" Dean asked, turning toward Sam, his eyebrows nearly hitting his hairline. "Like telling us why the fuck you look like you're fucking thirty?" 

"I'd say mid twenties," Bobby supplied unhelpfully. Dean shot him a glare before returning his attention to Sam. 

"He altered time here in the pocket dimension so that it moved much faster. What was a month for you was ten years for us. He called it hell time or some shit." Sam ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I stopped aging around twenty-five. Fuck!” he cursed and was suddenly grateful that Gabriel made sure the house wouldn’t explode with his emotions. 

“Were you ever going to tell me?!” Dean yelled and Sam really, really didn’t care about this right now. He probably would later when he was less panicked, but right now, Dean being pissed off was low on his problems. Sam shot his brother a look that expressed as much and then returned to pacing. “What happened, Sam?” Dean prompted again, seeming to lose his patience. Sam let out a frustrated grunt and then turned to his brother. 

“I fucked up.” Sam flopped down on the couch, running his hands over his face. “I really, really fucked up.” Dean moved to sit next to him on the couch while Bobby sat in an armchair near the couch. “I wasn’t supposed to be near you. We knew angels were watching you.” Sam sat forward again, clasping his hands between his knees. “But I…” Sam looked away as he trailed off feeling somewhat embarrassed. Best to just get it out. Sam started rambling, trying to express himself. “I just wanted to see with my own eyes you were okay. Dean, it’s been ten years since I’ve seen you. I know for you it’s only been a month, but fuck I needed to see for myself that you were okay. I started sneaking out and popping in to check on you. I would only stay long enough to see you were okay. I was careful, made sure the angel was gone, but tonight I fucked up. Timed it wrong or stayed too long, I dunno, but the angel caught me. Now dad’s gonna kill me.” He muttered then seemed to realize what he had said, eyes widening with the thought. Sam hadn’t told Dean that Gabriel was actually his father. 

“Dad?” Dean questioned and of course he caught the slip. Sam looked away from his brother. This wasn’t how he wanted to tell him. “Gabriel? You’re calling him ‘dad’ now?” Sam could hear the anger starting to build in his brother's voice. 

“He’s my biological father.” He knew muttering it to the ground wouldn’t make the reaction easier, but at least he wouldn’t have to see the look on Dean’s face. 

“You mean you knew who your angel parent was and didn’t tell me? What else you been keepin’ from me, Sam?! You’ve got a father, house, dog. What else is there? A wife? Do you have a child somewhere?!” Dean’s anger was building and Sam was waiting on a broken nose, but Dean just huffed out a sharp breath and stood. “I just need… space… to be somewhere else.” Sam nodded, not surprised that Dean would want to walk away. This was about the time that Dean would head off to a bar. 

“Upstairs. The middle room on the right is yours. It should have most of what you need.” Dean turned and stomped away and Sam slumped back on the couch. He looked at Bobby. “The last door on the right is your room. I don’t really know what all is there. Dad just made it before we got here. Come on, I’ll show you the library.” Sam was starting to have something of an adrenaline crash. Not that he had many of those anymore, but almost dying by an angel was apparently enough to cause one. Sam led Bobby to the library and couldn’t stop the small smile twisting on his lips at the look of awe that happened. Bobby looked like a kid in a candy shop as he wandered the overly large shelves of books. Sam left his surrogate uncle to peacefully read to his heart's content and headed back toward the living room. Sam spotted Snickers standing at the back door with his tennis ball in his mouth. Somehow the little dog always seemed to know how when Sam needed a distraction. Sam opened the sliding door and let the little dog into the back yard. It was nice to just play with his dog like a normal person. 

Once Snickers was sufficiently exhausted, Sam returned inside. It had been a while and he was hoping that maybe Dean had cooled off some so he headed up stairs. When he got to Dean’s room, he noticed the door open so he peeked inside. Dean was standing in front of the picture collage Gabriel had made for him and Sam thought he might have had tears in his eyes. “You know, he calls you his bonus child.” Dean jumped at the sound of Sam’s voice and quickly wiped his face. Sam pretended not to notice. He inched further into the room when Dean didn’t immediately tell him to leave. “Said it was impossible to not think of you as his own after watching you grow up.” 

“Why? Why would he do this?” Dean asked, turning his attention to the shelves of keepsake items Gabriel had saved. Sam shrugged slightly. 

“He loves us. In his own way of course, but he does.” Dean nodded, seeming to understand that. "I'm sorry, I should have told you everything." Sam wasn't always great at apologies, but he could try if it meant keeping his brother. "Things have been…" he trailed off, looking for the right words. It had been a long time since he had seen his brother and he had screwed up the reunion. Dean ran a hand over his face again before turning and ramming his fist straight into Sam's jaw with a force that should have sent Sam sprawling. Sam's head barely flinched to the side and he could tell there was no damage to his body. Dean began cursing immediately, holding his hand to his chest. 

"Sonofabitch! What the fuck was that?" 

"I dunno. I haven't been punched by a normal human in a while." Dean was still cradling his hand, so Sam reached for it to check for injuries. It was broken. Sam rolled his eyes. 

"Congratulations, you finally broke your hand on my face." Sam sassed, finding the situation somewhat amusing. He ran his hand over Dean's broken one, healing it and fixing all the damage from punching things over the years. His brother's eyes went wide with realization and Sam offered him a sheepish smile in return. "Your bathroom is through that door, and there are probably clothes in the drawers and closet. He's been preparing for us to come here for years." Sam changed the subject, hoping they were past all the apologizing and awkwardness. Apparently not, because Dean grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him into a hug so tight Sam thought he was trying to squeeze the grace out of him. 

"I'm sorry too, little brother," Dean replied softly and Sam felt tension from all ten years drain from his body. He relaxed into his brother's arms like he had when he was a child. Well he tried. He hadn't realized he was so much bigger than his brother until now. "When did you turn into such a Sasquatch?" Dean parroted his own thoughts and they both laughed before pulling away, ensuring the hug was manly enough. 

A few hours and a shower later, Sam was pacing his room waiting for Gabriel to return. Dean and Bobby had both turned in to get some sleep. He really wasn't sure how long it had been, but it felt like forever before he felt his fathers grace enter with a sharp "SAM!" That reverberated throughout the house. Sam quickly flew to the living room and stood in front of his father, but definitely not making eye contact. "Sit." The command was sharp and cold, something Sam had never heard from his father before. He complied quickly, knowing that any form of stalling would only make this worse. "Do you have any idea what could have happened? What almost happened tonight?" Sam nodded sadly in response. "Words, Sam." 

"I disobeyed and put myself and the mission in danger." He tried really hard not to slip back into the robotic response of a soldier when corrected, but John's training was hardwired into him. He was pretty sure it always would be.

"If it has been literally any other angel that caught you tonight. Or if I had been any later. Sam you could have died! And not just human dead, angel dead!" Sam looked at his father for the first time tonight and saw that fear was the prominent emotion. Gabriel looked like a mess, his hair in disarray, eyes red rimmed, clothes askew. He wasn't really sure what the difference between human-dead and angel-dead were, but they seemed drastic. He looked back to the ground, not wanting to see the disappointment. "Luckily, Castiel was always one of my favorite fledglings and we were pretty close before I left Heaven. I was able to sway him to our side and convince him not to report that he saw a nephilim." Gabriel blew out a sharp breath that it seemed he had been holding since the hotel room. "How long?" 

"The whole time." Sam mumbled, knowing exactly what his father wanted to know. "I was being careful, making sure the angel was gone, checking in on Dean and then leaving. He never knew I was there. I just…" he trailed off knowing this sounds something like an excuse. "I just needed to see him. To know he was okay with my own eyes." The tension seemed to finally break somewhat. 

"Come here." Gabriel ordered and Sam stood quickly. He wasn't expecting the hug that nearly knocked Sam off balance; it was so forceful. Sam took a deep breath, the feeling of protection and safety surrounding him. 

"I'm so sorry." He breathed into his fathers shoulder. 

"I know you are, kiddo. Doesn't change what happened and that there are consequences." Sam nodded, knowing some things would be taken away again. Gabriel finally released him and sat down on the couch. Sam plopped into an arm chair with Snickers. "I don't know what to do here really. I think the solution will be enough punishment." Gabriel brushed his hair back from his face and took a deep breath. "You're grounded." Sam rolled his eyes. He was practically 30. He didn't need to be grounded. "Did you really just roll your eyes?!" Gabriel nearly shouted, the lights in the house dimming and flickering. Sam really should have seen that coming, but he was an adult not a child. 

"I'm an adult, I get that I fucked up. Really, but I don't need to be grounded or stuck in my room." 

"Did you forget that you're a nephilim?! You're a fledgling! The angel equivalent of a newborn!"

"But for a human-"

"YOU AREN'T HUMAN!" Every light in the house blew with Gabriel's anger was violent and Sam knew that if the house hadn't been specifically designed to withstand angelic rage, the entire place would be ashes. Sam still struggled with his self worth based on his non-human status and he frequently had trouble understanding he wasn't considered an adult. Being raised most of his life as a human in human society, warped his milestones. Sam's mind told him he was an adult and he wanted to act like an adult and be an adult. Sam didn't respond, just looked down at the ground, breathing hard. He ground his teeth to keep from saying anything he would regret eventually. "Get that through your head now."

"I'm not an infant!" Sam shouted in response. 

"Oh, really? You aren't constantly questioning things like a fledgling? You aren't still trying to figure out who you are, like a fledgling? Your grace isn't still growing like a fledgling? You aren't constantly seeking comfort with your grace like a fledgling?" That stung, but wasn't totally wrong. Sam felt like pouting, but knew it wouldn't help his case at all.

"Until I can trust you again, this is a dictatorship. What I say goes and when I said 'grounded' I meant it literally." Gabriel ground out as he stood and stalked toward Sam. Gabriel touched Sam's forehead and felt a heavy weight on his wings. He looked behind him in confusion, trying to figure out what Gabriel had done to him. "I bound your wings. A skill only archangels were given to keep the young ones in check. No flying until I say so and you won't be out of my sight on Earth. You wanna be an adult so bad, prove you can be one." Gabriel flew off with a flutter of wings and Sam wanted to scream. He felt trapped again. There was too much energy in his body and he needed to work some of it out. 

Sam had been hitting the punching bag and running through training drills for a few hours by the time Dean and Bobby woke. It took another while for either of them to find him. Sam had discarded his shirt and was covered in sweat. He felt Dean and Bobby both wander into the gym, but paid them no mind. They would probably entertain themselves with the exercise equipment. A few minutes later he heard a quiet "Sam?" coming from Dean. He glanced up and noticed both hunters were staring at him in shock, but couldn't figure out why.

"Since when do you fight like that? And when did you get so jacked?!" Dean cried, his eyes wide. Oh. He guessed he and Dean hadn't sparred or anything really since all of this started. 

"Uh…" Sam started, unsure how to answer. "I dunno, for me it's been a while." He shrugged before going back to his punching things. 

"How long have you been doing this?" Dean asked again, slowly inching his way into the room. Sam shrugged again. He really didn't know, just knew it hadn't been long enough. "What's wrong?" He asked and Sam was really getting tired of his gentle kid voice. He wasn't a fucking kid. Sam turned his sharp gaze on his brother and thought he saw both hunters flinch. 

"I'm not a fucking child. You don't have to do that." 

"Do what?"

"Talk to me like I'm about to have a tantrum or some shit. I have positive coping skills." Sam tried to return to his punching bag, but Dean wasn't leaving this alone. Bobby seemed to realize it was a brother moment, so he wandered off. Sam guessed to the library again. 

"Look dude, I'm not trying to treat you like a kid, but you look like you could vaporize me with a thought. So, Imma tread carefully." Dean said, attempting humor, but it only served to remind him of his nonhuman status. Sam laid his forehead against the heavy bag and took a steadying breath. He cleared his throat before trying to settle his emotions back to neutrality and starting his practice again. 

"Sorry." He muttered before his first hit. After a particularly vicious palm heel strike, the bag flew off the chain that was supposed to be angel proof. A frustrated shout ripped out of his throat before everything in him seemed to deflate. Sam sank to the ground and put his head in his hands, still breathing hard. 

"Get it all out?" Dean questioned, coming to sit next to him and Sam had honestly forgotten he was still there. He didn't respond, just kept focusing on his breaths. Once he thought he could breathe, Sam glanced at his brother who had been patiently waiting on him. 

"I don't know how to do this." 

"Do what?" Dean asked, still looking straight ahead and giving Sam something like privacy to work through his emotions. 

"Any of this. It's so confusing." Sam looked back down at his hands. "It's like being two people at once sometimes. Like I feel like an adult and child at the same time. It's like my soul is grown, but my grace isn't." Sam risked a look sideways and noticed his brother seemed to be a little confused, but nodding like he was trying to understand. "Angels age a lot slower than humans. Angel standards I'm still a newborn." Sam made a noise of frustration and pulled on his hair. Dean grabbed his wrists and gently tugged his hands from the tangles. 

"That's gotta suck,"

"And dad-" Sam shot another glance at his brother to gauge the reaction, but didn't notice one. "He keeps treating me like a fledgling. It’s so confusing. My human adult side wants to tell him to fuck off like I did John, but my grace…" He trailed off again, unsure how to explain the feeling of his grace longing for its father. 

"Well that's the problem, Sammy. You're tryin' to be two different people and you really aint either of 'em." Sam looked at his brother in confusion, sometimes Dean could be so wise, but understanding him was the task. "You're tryin' to be an adult human and a baby angel, but you're really not either one. You're just some kind of medium sized nephilim." Oh, well he guessed that made some kind of sense. "Listen, I can't begin to understand how you're feeling right now, but it seems to me like you're still hanging onto your humanity too much. You're never gonna be happy with yourself if you don't accept who and what you really are. If that means you need to be some kind of oversized toddler, well I just reserve the right to make fun of you for your teddy bears and footie pjs." Dean would always follow up a chick flick moment with a joke. It was just written in his code, but Sam knew it meant Dean cared. And he was right, like always. 

Sam shoved his brother as gently as possible, trying to avoid throwing him across the room on accident. "Jerk." 

"Bitch." 

~~~~~

When Gabriel returned, Sam felt a lot calmer. He spent several hours after his talk with Dean (and shower) meditating. It was something Gabriel had encouraged to help with controlling his grace, but this time he focused on his soul and grace. In result he felt them both meld until they were working together instead of fighting each other. He still felt like an adult, but thought maybe he understood more about what Gabriel was telling him about his grace being young. He could see it now, how subtly childlike he could be even when he could also be very mature. Every time he sought comfort from Gabriel, every time he got overly excited from a discovery in lore, every time he acted impulsively, or naively, or petulantly. He learned he could still be mature and also young. Had listened to his soul and grace as they each guided him, but in different ways. An intense duality and relationship. For the first time in his life, Sam didn't feel wrong. He was finishing his meditations when Gabriel entered his room. He felt the shift immediately and opened his eyes. 

"Hey, dad." He said cautiously, but Gabriel was stuck, transfixed, looking closely at Sam's chest. He knew that Gabriel was watching his soul and grace. Sam would look down at himself, but he already knew what was going on inside himself. 

"How did you do that?" 

"I uh.. I had a talk with Dean." Sam scooted so he was sitting against the headboard of the bed, giving Gabriel plenty of space to sit. At this point his bed looked more like a nest of pillows and blankets than a bed. Another thing that landed to his fledgling status. "He told me the problem was that I was trying to be an adult human and a baby angel, but really I'm neither." Sam brushed a hand through his hair, somewhat nervously. "He said I had to come to terms with who and what I am. So I meditated and focused on my soul and grace at the same time instead of separately. This happened." Gabriel nodded, still staring at Sam's grace and soul dancing. "I think I know what you mean now. I can feel it now, that I'm a fledgling." Sam looked down at his legs and picked at a thread on his pants. "I had to figure out how to be a fledgling while still being me." Gabriel sighed, seeming relieved.

"You're still grounded and you're still not leaving my sight unless you're here for a while, but I'm glad you understand now." Gabriel ducked his head, trying to find Sam's eyes hiding behind the curtain of hair. "Samshine, I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you. I can't…" he trailed off, seeming to be unable to finish without getting emotional. Sam nodded. He understood. He didn't know what he would do if something happened to anyone in his little family either. Sam felt his grace cautiously inch toward his fathers, like he was afraid that it might be rejected. Luckily, Gabriel was just as happy to tangle their grace and this time Sam noticed little branches of his soul twisting in as well. Gabriel seemed to notice the difference and looked down confused before grinning. "Well that's new." Gabriel stood and clapped his hands. "How's breakfast sound? Then I have some things I need to talk to you guys about." Sam nodded, breakfast would be good. He followed his father down stairs. Walking. Of course, since he can't fly like he normally would.

They cooked pancakes, bacon, and eggs. It was almost as big a breakfast as their first morning here. Dean and Bobby entered not long after the bacon started cooking, following their noses. Once everyone was seated with the food on the table, Gabriel looked at his happy little family and smiled. Dean was happily chowing down while Bobby seemed a little more picky. "I've got something I've been meaning to talk to you all about, but since we're all together it seems like as good a time as any." Gabriel covered his huge stack of pancakes in too much syrup, chocolate chips, and whipped cream before continuing. "We've got this slight complication of Dean's mortality." Everyone else at the table looked at Gabriel in something like shock. Sam hadn't said it out loud, but it was something that had been bothering him. One day his brother would die and Sam was pretty sure he wasn't welcome in heaven. "Now, we have plenty of time to figure it out, but it's something I have been working on." Sam looked at his brother who had stopped eating and was looking at Gabriel like he had sprouted antlers. 

"What do you mean complication of my mortality?" 

"Well, as it stands now, you'll die one day and Samshine here will keep on living. I'm sure he will be very upset and try to destroy heaven in order to get to your soul." Sam looked down at his plate sheepishly. It might actually do something stupid when Dean died. He wasn't really sure. Dean glanced at him strangely and then back to Gabriel. "Now we have a few options. One," Gabriel held up his hand to count off the options on his fingers. "I call in a few pagan favors and get you into a specialized afterlife. I don't like it, you still die, but Sam might actually be able to visit you. Two, things stay as is and hope Heaven eventually accepts Sam so he can visit." Gabriel wiggled slightly and Sam could feel some nervousness coming from his grace. "Or three, you don't die. Options are also open to Uncle Bobby." 

"How would we not die?" Bobby questioned like he didn't understand the concept. 

"I spoke with the Earth-"

"You spoke with the Earth?!" Dean asked with incredulity thick in his voice. 

"Yeah, Gaia, Tera, Mother Earth. Whatever you wanna call her. She's pretty cool." Gabriel was talking like he checked in with some bartender, not the fucking Earth and Sam found he had completely forgotten his food. "She's not like the other pagans. There's only one her and everyone just has different names for her. Anyway, a long time ago she used to anoint certain people to be her Guardians. People willing to give everything to protect her and her balance. They acted as her avatar sort-of." Gabriel continued munching while talking. "A long time ago when I realized how important you were for Sam, I started looking for a solution. The Earth saw your soul and offered to make you her Guardian if you could prove yourself worthy, but she prefers twos. One brains one brawn. I figure Bobby counts as the brain." Gabriel shrugged again like he didn't just offer Bobby and Dean immortality. Both hunters looked to be unable to speak, trying to process the information. 

"How would we do that? Prove ourselves worthy?" Dean asked softly like he wasn't sure how to accept that he would ever be good enough for this.

"Basically, you already have, kiddo. It involves your soul, intentions, and actions. Both you and Bobby have done it repeatedly. But once you accept the offer, Gaia will visit and give you a challenge or task to achieve. Once you've passed her test, she will give you her blessing." Bobby looked to be deep in thought while Dean just looked lost. 

"I wouldn't be human anymore?" 

"It would be similar to Samshine here. You would still have your soul, but also something more. Not angelic, but earthly. Each Guardian has been different. Some took on plant based powers, some animalistic, others it was more human. It's based on your soul for which characteristics present." Gabriel was the only one still eating now. Sam felt a tiny spark of hope that he might not have to live without Dean, but he knew it would be a hard sell. He and Bobby had both been hunting the supernatural their entire lives. To become what you hunt? Well, Sam knew how difficult that was. "You don't have to decide now, but if you chose this, it would essentially stop the apocalypse." That caught both hunters attention. Sam already knew about this and had been wondering about Gabriel's plans. The archangel spent a while explaining vessels, bloodlines, and big plans to Bobby and Dean. Both listened intently and asked questions when they came up. By the end, both thought the plan sounded good. Solid. Neither sure they could give up their humanity. Sam watched Dean settle himself and then look at Gabriel with steely determination. 

“It would stop Michael from using me like an angel condom?” That is when something Sam never thought he would see happen… actually happened. Gabriel snorted his drink out of his nose. Everything was silent for half a second before the whole table erupted in laughter. Sam had never seen his father look so human as he did laughing his ass off with Coke dribbling out of his nose. 

“Oh, Dad! That was funny.” Gabriel chuckled as he snapped and cleaned the mess. “Essentially, yes. With your own power you wouldn’t be able to house an angel and it would also ‘taint’ you in Michael’s eyes.” Dean was quiet for another long stretch before asking another question. 

“I would be able to help protect Sammy?” It seemed for Dean it would always come back to ‘take care of Sammy,’ but Sam had learned to appreciate the helicopter sibling-ing for what it was. Love and concern. Gabriel smiled a proud smile. 

“You can still help protect Sam as a human, but yes, you would be better equipped. Closer in power level. Stronger. Faster.” 

“Alright, I’m in.” Dean agreed and seemed to be one hundred percent set on this. Sam felt a little guilty about it. Dean was giving up his humanity and chance at a normal life to help protect him and Sam could not be happier. With this plan, he wouldn’t have to live without his brother and maybe not without Bobby. He really didn’t need anything else. Just Gabriel, Dean, and Bobby. 

“Aw, what the hell.” Bobby grumbled, taking his ballcap off and scratching his head. 

“Are you both sure? You would be giving up your humanity and your spot in Heaven. The odds of you dying would be slim, but still there." 

"Ain't like humanity's gonna mean much here soon if what you're sayin' is true. An' I ain't put much stock in my place in heaven anyways." Bobby grumbled and Sam thought it was odd that his uncle didn't expect heaven. Of course Bobby deserved heaven. From the look Dean was shooting their elder, he was thinking the same thing. 

"We will have to go back to Earth for her to be able to reach you. After breakfast we can go back to your hotel." Gabriel reached into his pocket and pulled out two small boxed and two ordinary looking keys. "I've spelled these. Put the box on the door, say the magic words, put the key in the hole and it turns any door into our front door here. Do the same to return and it will take you to the place you came in.” Gabriel handed the keys over to Bobby and Dean, both looking dumbfounded that he would give them access to his home. He gave them the ‘magic word’ which was actually just ‘magic word.’ Gabriel thought it was funny. Sam snapped his fingers and cleaned up the mess from breakfast easily. “Dean, pack some of the clothes from your room. The stuff you have in your bag at the motel is worn completely out.” Gabriel instructed quickly and Dean only grumbled a little about his clothes being ‘broken in good.’ “Sam, I moved your stuff and your car to Dean’s motel room.” Sam nodded in acceptance and shook his head at Dean’s questioning glance. He knew Dean would be confused that he had his own car now. He would probably get Gabe to transport it to the pocket house garage until he needed it again if he was going to get to stay with Dean. “Bobby, anything in your room is yours to keep. So, whatever you guys need to do, do it.” 

After that, things moved quickly. Sam still wasn’t able to fly, so Gabriel had to fly them back to earth. The motel room looked the same as it had when they left. Gabriel made a face and looked at Dean questioningly. “I thought I gave you a card so you could get better places to stay?” Dean looked slightly abashed when he replied. 

“I don’t know how to do anything different.” Gabriel nodded as if he had expected it.

“That’s alright, kiddo. We will work through it.” Sam could see the confusion at the response written clearly on Dean’s face. He’d never had a real dad either. Sam knew Gabriel saw Dean as his bonus child, he just wasn’t real sure how well Dean would do with having an extra parent. The shock of the moment seemed to stun Dean enough to not even reply because he wandered over to his stuff to make sure it was all still there. “Sam, Cas wasn’t able to tell what you were with your masking trick. Keep doing that and we should be fine to stay with Dean and Bobby.” He had learned that nephilim seem to have a natural ability to hide themselves from angels in a book supposedly written by a nephilim. Sam and Gabriel problem solved until they thought they had figured it out, but wouldn’t know until faced with another angel. It had apparently worked. 

“How did he think I managed the invisibility?” 

“Nobody knew how Azazel’s blood would change you. He assumed it was an ability related to that.” Gabriel shrugged, but everyone else in the room winced. 

“So, you got a car?” Dean changed the topic, clearly not wanting to discuss the demon. Sam excitedly showed his car to his big brother who gave his complete approval, but insisted on giving it an oil change. Bobby muttered something about ‘idjits,’ but agreed that it was a good car. Sam laughed Dean off and told him that he could give it an oil change at the house, then asked Gabriel to send it to the pocket dimension. He wouldn’t need it right now. 

They agreed to finish the hunt Dean and Bobby were on before Sam got caught spying. It didn’t take them long. A couple days later, the monster was dead and town safer. Gabriel had refused to stay in the shitty motel Dean had been at and relocated them to the mid-tier hotel across town. Sam had to admit, he had gotten comfortable with comfy sheets and decent water pressure. Returning to the gunky, scratchy sheets and trickle of water in the shower were not something he was looking forward to. He was glad Dean consented to staying in a nicer room. They were all waiting on Gaia to show up and Gabriel had assured that she would when the time was right, but Sam was feeling impatient. He wanted his brother to be as durable as he was. They completed three more hunts. Castiel occasionally dropped by to give Gabriel an update on heaven. The angel had told heaven that Sam was back hunting with Dean, but hadn’t mentioned that he was a nephilim or that Gabriel was with them. Sam was still grounded. It really hadn’t been that long and he knew he would have to continue proving himself and earn his father’s trust. However, Gabriel was leaving Sam alone with Dean and/or Bobby when he had to fulfill his duty as Loki. Dean and Gabriel were even getting closer. Sam had thought they might, they had the same sense of humor after all. Things were looking up, until they weren’t. 

Three months after Sam and Dean reunited, they had just followed a simple lead on a hunt. Bobby was at the hotel finishing some research, Gabriel was off playing trickster, and the brothers had gone to interview a few witnesses. They walked into the apartment of Rosie Jones, the girlfriend of the last victim and both noticed that the woman seemed on edge. Sam attributed it to the recent death of her boyfriend and tried to settle his nerves. He spread his senses out and felt someone else in the home. At least it was a human. 

“Miss Jones, is anyone else in your home right now?” She seemed startled that he would ask, but adamantly said nobody was in the home. Sam knew she was lying. Luckily, he had been working with his brother for long enough that they both knew what the other would be thinking. They stayed on guard as they edged through the house when finally the other person that ‘wasn’t in the house’ made themselves known. Sam should have realized that one day he would probably have to see John Winchester again, but he really didn’t think it would be so soon. Didn’t he have a demon to hunt? 

“Dean.” John greeted in his gruff voice that sounded like he smoked a carton of cigarettes yesterday and Sam was immediately over this discussion. He rolled his eyes and looked around. 

“Is there even a case here or was this all you?” John seemed to just now notice Sam and seemed to startle somewhat. Good. Let him be the one unprepared. Poor Rosie just looked confused about everything. From her lying and acting jittery, Sam figured that John had barged his way in and used brute force to get his way like usual. 

“Heard you had been working with Bobby.” 

“We are.” Dean answered shortly. He didn’t seem to be any happier about this than Sam was. “Let’s get out of here, Sammy.” 

“Sammy?” John questioned, a weird look on his face and Sam actually rolled his eyes again. The man hadn’t even recognized him. 

“John.” He nodded, trying to seem cordial.

“What the hell happened to you?” 

“Long story that's none of your business.” 

“You’re not my son.”

“No I’m not,” Sam full on laughed at the statement. John seemed like he was trying to hurt him or be accusatory with the statement, but Sam just found it entertaining. “Just now figuring that out?” Sam heard Rosie squeak out a “Son?” but payed her no more attention than anyone else in the room. 

“What are you?” 

“He’s Sam. That’s all that matters. He’s the same snot-nosed kid we raised.” When Dean defends him it always seemed like a little bit of a jab at the same time, but Sam was eternally grateful for him right now. 

“I didn’t raise a monster.” Sam recoiled like he had been slapped. He really wished he had his wings right now. 

“He’s not a monster.” Dean growled and Sam had never heard his brother go against John this way. 

“He’s not human!” John cried, like that was enough of an answer for everything. 

“That doesn’t mean monster!” Sam really thought his brother might shoot his own father right now and decided it might be a good time to intervene. 

“Dean, let’s just go.” 

“No, Sam! He doesn’t just get to do this! There are some monsters that need to be stopped just like there are some people who are monsters! I’m tired of you thinking you can tell us what is right and wrong when you have never actually been there for us!” Dean was shouting and Sam knew that if his brother wasn’t trying to stay out of John’s punch radius, he would be in his face. John looked surprised that Dean would dare to speak to him like this and Sam would probably laugh about it, but he was still trying to keep a close eye on John’s trigger finger. Speaking of said trigger finger, John quickly raised his gun, aimed it at Sam and fired. Sam squeezed his eyes shut. He knew it wouldn’t kill him, but he was pretty sure that it would still hurt like hell. When he didn’t feel pain or even a pinch, Sam opened his eyes and looked down at his chest. Nothing. He looked up, but realized that his brother was standing in front of him and John’s face was ghostly pale. 

“Dean!” Sam reached for his brother, barely catching him as he fell to the ground. He laid his brother down flat and looked at the wound in Dean’s chest. 

“S’kay, Sammy.” Dean gargled dramatically, blood coating his teeth. Sam rolled his eyes for what felt like the thirtieth time before placing a hand over the wound, healing it easily. Dean blinked in surprise and sat up. “Forgot you could do that.” He muttered, seeming somewhat put off that his dramatic death scene had been prevented. 

“Dumbass.” Sam pushed his brother back to the floor, feeling rather pissed off that Dean would intentionally put himself in front of a bullet meant for Sam. A bullet that would have done nothing to Sam. But he knew a secret that Dean didn’t. Gabriel had seen the entire thing, hidden away and invisible. John still looked like he was about to vomit and Sam really didn’t want to be there for that. He asked Gabriel telepathically to fly them back to the hotel and was immediately accommodated. 

When they landed in the hotel, Sam made quick work of breaking Dean’s nose. He healed it immediately, of course, but the point still stood. He got his lick in. Dean rubbed his face and grumbled about not knowing what he did to deserve being punched in the face when Gabriel stepped in. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?!” he shouted and the lights in the hotel started to flicker. Only then did he realize that both his and his father’s eyes were glowing with their grace. Anger and fear were so strong in both of them that they were both struggling with control. That was until a deep sense of peace invaded the room. Sam had never felt such a serene feeling in his life and to be honest, he never wanted to let it go. A young woman appeared in the room. Fire red hair that came to her waist, eyes that were somehow more green than Dean’s, corral pink lips, snow white skin, and naked as was possible. She was beautiful and had an airy serenity about her, but moved like water in a trickling stream. Sam thought that somehow she represented every element all at once. 

“Gaia,” Gabriel nodded politely. Sam wasn’t sure he had ever seen his father so polite. 

“Little Messenger, you have delivered well.” Gaia’s voice sounded like wind blowing through trees and Sam was sure he had never in his life heard a more beautiful sound. “My Guardians.” She smiled brightly as she turned to Dean. “Your selflessness has been noted and should be rewarded. Even if it was unnecessary.” Scratch that, Sam has now heard the more beautiful sound and it was Gaia’s laughter, full of birdsong. She turned to look at Bobby. “You have sacrificed much and are willing to give more. It should be returned to you.” Gaia moved her attention to Sam and he felt himself shrink under her gaze. “You have nothing to fear from me, little one.” She reached up and cupped his cheek. Sam felt a warm tingle move from her hand through his skin and into his grace. “Your existence is beautiful. You burn like a wildfire, bright and warm, but dangerous when unavoidable.” Sam was completely stunned and felt so honored, so seen. She was still looking directly into his eyes and he found he couldn’t look away. “I have watched you both grow since Gabriel came to me seeking a solution for a love that should never end. You impress me at every point. I believe it is time that I have my own representation. So long as you are on my surface you will have my favor, my little angel of Earth.” Angel of Earth? Sam kind of liked the sound of that. He could feel the powers she was granting him surge into his grace. The power to control wildlife. Gaia finally removed her hand from his face and looked at the group as a whole. “There must be balance, so there must be four.” She smiled brightly again. “Now my Guardians, are you ready for your challenge?”

Chapter Text

The group all nodded, agreeing they were ready for whatever task Gaia gave them. She smiled at them kindly, "The true test will be stopping Heaven and Hell from destroying me. Once that is done, your gifts will be permanent. However, I fear you will need the gifts to complete the test. A small challenge to gain the gifts and save me to keep them." When Gaia spoke, Sam thought she sounded like a riddle. He was trying to keep up, and he was sure between the four of them, they could manage. "You must seek oneness with me. Live in me. Survive in me. Know my value to the smallest organism. Only then can you truly know. You must gain acceptance from the wolves, protection from the bear, and respect from the stag. Do you understand?" Sam… thought he did. Live in nature and find 'oneness' with her. He hoped the others had a better understanding. "My little angel of Earth," she said, turning back to Sam. "Should you need me, call. You should be able to hear and speak with me now." Sam nodded and knew instinctively what she meant. He could sense her in everything now and hear her words in the wind. "Good luck my Guardians. I will see you soon." With that, she disappeared leaving them all in various states of confusion and awe. 

~~~

Dean thought this was total hippie bullshit. Communing with nature? Pass. He knew the value of nature. His dad had taught him all about surviving off the land. Sammy had thought nature was beautiful, Dean always thought it was terrifying. A healthy respect, that's what he called it, not fear. He knew the limits, but this sounded borderline insane. Accepted by wolves? Protected by a bear? And how the fuck does a deer respect you? Sam seemed overjoyed, he actually liked camping. Dean’s idea of camping was a pretty girl in a tent… but if this was what he had to do to get his magical Gaia power to keep Sammy safe and stop the apocalypse, then he would commune with every fucking flower he passed.  Gabriel had snapped them into the woods not long after Gaia had left, promising he had moved everything to his and Sam's house. Now they were sitting around a campfire in the middle of some national park. Bobby was being his usual unflappable self, just rolling with the punches. Sam was exploring his new Poison Ivy powers and Gabriel was roasting fucking marshmallows to make smores. They had been out here for a day and a half and still hadn't run into any wolves, bears, or stags. Both Sam and Gabriel said they could sense them, but Dean had always been one of those kids that had to touch the stove even when dad said it was hot. He just had to know for himself. 

Dean's focus zeroed in on Sam when he noticed his brother freeze. Then he started talking to something. "It's okay guys, I won't hurt you. No, no, I promise. I just want to get you some water." That was odd. Gabriel was smiling brightly at his smore as Sam walked back towards them with something in his arms. Gabriel still wasn't letting Sam out of his sight, especially not in the wilderness, so Sam hadn't been that far. It was far enough it took Dean a few seconds to register what was in his arms. There were two little fluffy things wriggling around. Dean inched closer and watched as Sam materialized a bowl of water and sat it in front of the pups. Wait, scratch that. The pup and the kit. Sam had found not only a wolf pup, but a tiny fox as well. "The wolf pack killed the kit's mother without realizing she had a baby. Kit ran and then the pup chased it and got lost." Sam explained as he smoothed his hand down each animal’s back gently. "We should get him back to his pack." 

"How did you know that?" Dean asked curiously. He had only heard the little animals make little animal noises, not talk. 

"They told me." Sam smiled at him and Dean really wasn't sure what to do with his brother now. 

"Angel abilities. All angels can communicate with anything on the planet." Gabriel supplied the explanation easily. 

"So, you guys can talk to Snickers?" Dean hadn't noticed that either of them talked to the dog any more than normal owners. Both nodded, but seemed thoughtful. 

"Snickers is old, very old. He hasn't always been a dog. So he doesn't have the same mental capacity a normal dog has." 

"Uh… what was he?" 

"My favorite dinosaur." Gabriel laughed as Dean's mouth dropped open. He definitely wasn't expecting that. "The smartest of one of the unknown dumb breeds that died out not long after being created. But he was kind and sweet. I kept him for a long time in my pocket dimension as a Dino, but he agreed to be turned into a dog so that he could visit Earth again." Gabriel grinned brightly and then moved over to Sam and his strays. He waved his hand and a small amount of food for each animal appeared in front of them. Both yipped and chirped excitedly before scarfing down the food. The kit curled up on Sam's lap, cleaning itself, but the pup began cautiously sniffing its way around the campsite. Dean watched the little thing bravely explore, but not go too far. It had its nose to the ground and was sniffling furiously, walking and wiggling its tail, not realizing it was so close to Dean's legs. The small wolf startled as it bounced off of Dean and then plopped down on its butt, confused. Dean couldn't help but laugh slightly.

"It's alright, squirt." Dean soothed as he picked the pup up and ran his fingers over the soft fur. He smiled as the little creature curled up happily in his arms and drifted to sleep. Nature wasn’t too bad when it was small enough to pick up and carry around. He heard some wolves howling in the distance and saw the little wolf’s ears twitch, but he didn't wake. The pup slept soundly and eventually, Dean drifted off himself. He awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs cooking over the fire. Sam was wandering around the campsite with the little fox following closely behind. He looked around and noticed that the wolf pup was still lying next to him, licking his paws. 

“Morning, kiddo.” Gabriel said from his spot by the fire. Dean grunted, he wasn’t exactly a morning person. He heard Bobby’s returned grunt and looked to see the man holding a coffee mug close. 

“Hey, Dean.” Sam said brightly as he sat next to Gabriel and picked the little fox up, scratching behind its ears gently. Damn, he had forgotten how cheerful Sam could be in the mornings when he wasn’t pissed off about something. Sam scrunched his face for a second then snapped and suddenly there was a large coffee from a shop in New Orleans that Dean had really liked when they passed through a few years ago. He had no idea how Sam even remembered that. The shop was right next to the library and added chicory to their grounds. Dean insisted it was the best coffee he had ever had and hustled a little extra to be able to buy some grounds to take with them when the case was over. 

“Good one, Samshine!” Gabriel praised proudly. “Now get the rest of us one.” Sam snapped again and there were three more coffees. Gabriel and Sam’s both looked to be more whipped cream and sugar than coffee though. That was something Dean had noticed about his brother recently, he had much more of a sweet tooth and frequently stole whatever Gabriel was eating. Dean had been completely confused by Sam eating so much sugar, but he guessed if you didn’t have to worry about diabetes, why wouldn’t you eat what was good. 

Dean picked up a small stick and waved it in front of the pup's face. They played tug with the stick for a minute before Dean tossed it to the side. The pup grabbed the stick and then ran back to Dean, asking to play some more tug. Once he had wrestled the stick away a second time, Dean threw the stick again. Again, the pup returned the stick and Dean marveled at the fact that he had just taught a wolf to play fetch. Before he knew it, the food was done and he had to hide the stick to stop the pup from dropping it on his plate. Breakfast went by quickly and then the group was moving toward where they heard the wolves the night before. 

~~~~

Sam had always loved camping and nature. He guessed that was another angel characteristic showing through since most angels had a fascination with the earth and creation. None of them, however, could control it. Sam could. If the Earth decided that she wanted Sam to be her angel, well he wasn’t going to complain about it. Now he had this little fox kit following him around. She was a cute little thing and needed someone to care for her still. He had decided to call her Vixey after the character on The Fox and The Hound. One of the few cartoon movies he and Dean had watched. Bobby had gotten it for them when they stayed with him one summer. She had gotten tired after a few miles and Sam had sat her on his shoulder, holding her tightly with his grace to make sure she didn’t fall. The young fox curled around his neck and fell asleep quickly. They were still looking for the wolf pack and Sam could feel the wolves getting closer. The wolf pup was trotting along happily, tugging at Dean’s jeans every so often or pouncing on a leaf. The little pup must be able to smell his pack getting closer, because it started sniffing the air and letting out cute little attempts at howls. They came to a clearing that should have been peaceful, but Sam could feel the stress and anxiety in the air. He stretched out his senses and knew immediately what the problem was. He quickly handed Vixey off to Dean and ran into the tall grass with a quickly shouted, “Dad!” He heard all three of the others curse and call for him to come back as he ran toward the distressed bear and her cub. Gabriel caught up quickly, but had instructed Dean and Bobby to stay put. 

As Sam got closer he slowed and started walking cautiously. The bear cub had accidentally stumbled on a venomous snake that lashed out in fear and self-defense. It wouldn’t live much longer without help. The mother bear was clearly distressed over her cub and quickly became defensive. “It’s alright. We want to help. We can help your cub.” Sam reassured the bear. Gabriel quickly found the snake, terrified and coiled as tightly as possible. He could tell his father was trying to help the snake and also make sure it was out of the way to prevent the cub (or anyone else) from being bitten again. The bear seemed wary, but seemed to be trusting them out of instinct. Sam moved toward the panting cub slowly and petted its head, a soft glow emanating from his hand. After a moment, the little bear shook itself out and hopped up to snuggle with its mother. Sam smiled softly at the animals. The bear seemed grateful and moved closer to sniff him. “My name is Sam and this is my dad, Gabe.” He gestured to his father who was currently playing with the snake and letting it slither around his hands and shoulders. He looked behind him, “My brother Dean and Uncle Bobby. Your cub should be fine now.” Bobby and Dean both waved awkwardly. Sam smiled and raised his hand allowing the bear to sniff him on her own terms. He hadn’t been expecting it, but the bear nudged his hand with her nose asking for head rubs. Sam obliged and healed her of an injury in her hind leg. The bear’s eyes widened and she looked to her leg then back to him and this time, she nudged his torso with her head. More like a cat than Sam thought bears could look. He knew she was trying to show her gratitude. Two more bear cubs tumbled into the meadow chasing their sibling around happily. The bear snorted at him one more time before moving her cubs back into the woods. Gabriel moved the snake to the opposite side of the meadow and encouraged it to be more careful. 

“I thought we were supposed to gain protection from a bear, not save a bear.” Dean asked as he set Vixey on the ground. Sam shrugged. He guessed so, but he just wanted to help the cub. He hadn’t really been thinking about a reason behind doing it. 

“I dunno. The cub was dying and it was an accident.” Gabriel patted him on the shoulder, a proud smile on his face once again. 

“You did the right thing.” Bobby nodded, agreeing with Gabriel. A sharp howl caught them all off guard and Sam watched as the pup tried to howl back and ran for the woodline. 

“Wait, pup!” Dean called as he followed the wolf quickly, Bobby and Gabriel on his heels. Sam felt a small bump on his leg and looked to see Vixey cowering against him. Sam picked her up gently and placed her back on his shoulders. He felt her breathe a little sigh of relief at the feeling of safety and smiled serenely. Sam quickly followed the rest of his family as they chased the pup into the woods. 

~~~~

Dean was feeling a little flustered. He had just watched his little brother heal a bear cub and then communicate and pet a fucking bear while Gabriel handled a venomous snake like it was an inchworm. Then he heard a howl from the woods and the little wolf pup launched himself into the woods. He could appreciate that the angels could understand the animals, but he couldn’t and had no way of knowing if they were hostile. He finally caught up to the pup who was attempting to howl furiously. He could tell the little wolf was trying to call his family, but knew that the wolves were still a little ways away. When Sam and Gabriel caught up, they both gave the pup a sad glance. Dean picked him up and scratched behind his ears, trying to sooth the little creature. 

“This way.” Gabriel directed, leading the group through the trees. Forty-five minutes later he heard a branch snap ahead of them. Everyone in the group heard it as well and paused. A large wolf stepped into their path, staring at them with intelligent eyes. The little wolf wriggled, trying to get free from Dean’s arms. Once the pup was on the ground, he ran for the wolf quickly, tail and butt wiggling with vigor. The wolf remained still, staring at Dean in challenge. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt the need to reassure the wolf, much like he had seen Sam and Gabriel do earlier. 

“We found him, kept him safe until we could bring him back to you. We won’t hurt you.” The wolf looked at him suspiciously for another second before looking down at the pup. He sniffed and nosed the pup gently, receiving a yip in response. Dean moved on instinct, sitting down and crossing his legs. He could tell the others followed his lead quickly. The small wolf pup ran back to him, clumsily climbing into his lap and licking his face. Dean laughed, a deep belly laugh he hadn’t felt since he was a child. The large wolf huffed and then Dean noticed several more wolves and three more pups emerging from the woods around them. The pup ran off to play with the others and Dean looked to his little group. Gabriel and Bobby thought it was as good a spot as any to set up camp and were quickly working on building a fire. Gabriel had been weirdly insistent that they do this challenge with as little help from grace as possible. “Hey, Sammy. Think we can get them something to eat?” Sam smiled brightly and nodded. 

“I think wolves would like beef.” Sam said inching closer to the larger wolves and snapping, a large chunk of meat landed in his hands. It looked like a beef quarter, Sam had probably used his grace to liberate it from some butcher shop. The wolves looked bewildered at the meat, but were wagging their tails happily. He tossed the hunk toward the group as gently as possible, then backed away. Sam was so much better at this than he was. Dean was brought out of his thoughts when he felt something drop into his lap. A stick. The wolf pup had brought him a stick. Dean smiled, knowing what the little mongrel wanted and tossed the stick gently. The pup scampered off and grabbed the stick, quickly returning it, then looking to the other pups to see if they were watching. They were. Dean and the pup showed the others how to play fetch and soon they were all bringing him sticks to toss. He lost track of time playing with the pups and before he knew it night had fallen. Dean and Bobby got as comfortable as possible preparing to get some rest. The pups curled up with Dean and he noticed that the wolves had all moved closer to the fire, trusting the angel and nephilim to watch over the pack for the night and not needing to hunt since Sam fed them. They had gained the acceptance of the wolves. 

~~~~~

Sam and Gabriel watched over the wolves and humans for the night. He knew that he would have to sleep again in a few days, but right now he was okay. Vixey curled in his arms, still nervous around the wolves. In the morning, Sam approached the wolf pack alpha about breakfast. The wolf wanted fish, full of nutrients and hard for them to catch. Sam snapped and supplied the pack with all the fish they could eat along with some beef. That much food should help them have enough fat for the winter. Gabriel had passed a blessing to the pack, ensuring long lives, good health, and frequent healthy pups. Sam wasn’t sure if the wolves understood what that was, but knew that they would be happy and healthy. That was what mattered. He gave Vixy a small cut of steak, he would have to better figure out her diet later, but for now she seemed happy enough with the beef and scraps of bacon Gabriel slipped her. He felt the shift in the atmosphere last night as they achieved the first part of the challenge. They had gotten acceptance from the wolves all thanks to Dean. He knew his brother would be the right choice for a Guardian of Earth. After breakfast had been finished by animals, humans, and angels alike, Sam knew it was time for their little group to move on. They said their goodbyes to the wolves and Dean made sure the little pup they had rescued got a few extra pats. Vixey curled around Sam’s neck and they continued on their path with no real destination in mind. Sam could sense the different creatures and reveled in the life moving all around. 

Sam must have been caught up in the feeling of nature around him, because what he didn’t sense (and apparently neither had Gabriel) was the woman stepping out from behind a tree and standing in their path. She was tall and slim with fair skin and dark black hair. Sam immediately knew the feeling of ‘wrong’ associated with her. A dangerous witch with dark magic. “You shouldn’t be here angels.” The woman hissed at them. Gabriel and Sam both manifested their blades. A witch was no match for either of them. He heard Dean curse and knew that his brother was looking for his gun. Gabriel raised his hand to snap her away, but before he could a large brown streak tackled the witch to the ground. It was the bear he had helped yesterday and she was pissed. Sam and Gabriel watched, momentarily stunned as the bear mauled the witch before his father quickly snapped and the witch’s neck was broken. The bear stopped growling before sitting back and licking her lips. Gabriel snapped again and cleaned the mess from the bear and burning the body. 

“Thank you,” Sam told the bear. “But you didn’t have to do that. I’m glad she didn’t hurt you.” The bear shared that the witch had spelled her into attacking to drive the angels out of the woods. When the bear had noticed that it had been Sam and his family, the bear attacked, but the witch hadn’t been specific enough in her spell. She had been able to attack the witch instead. Sam thanked the bear and blessed her like Gabriel had blessed the wolves. He felt the shift in the air again, they had completed another step in the challenge. They had gained the protection of a bear. 

Now they just needed the respect of a stag, but they had yet to see a deer the entire time they had been in the woods. The bear had stashed her cubs in trees for safety when she sensed the witch. Once she was reunited with them, the group made to leave, but she stopped Sam with a nudge. She shared that she had heard bleating and sounds of distress coming from the west. She thought maybe Sam could help. He nodded, and shared that they would try their best, before turning and explaining to the group. Sam felt his father let his senses fan out widely and then he nodded, a small grin on his face. 

“Yeah, there is something in distress about 5 miles west.” Gabriel quickly flew the group near the location of the animal in need. Sam knew he had dropped them far enough away that the animal wouldn’t be more upset by their sudden entrance. They hiked a little further until they reached a clearing that had been fenced off. Probably for a hunting preserve or something. The fence wasn’t really designed to keep anything out or in, more a boundary of wire, but trapped in the wire was a young buck. He had gotten his small antlers tangled and had been trying to free them, but ended up only tangling himself further. The angels both made attempts to get to the deer, but each time they moved forward, he would panic and make the situation worse. Sam wasn’t sure what to do honestly. He had no experience with deer. Bobby rolled his eyes at them and moved forward muttering an “Idjits,” under his breath. Sam remembered Bobby trying to take them hunting as kids, but neither had been able to hunt an innocent animal. It didn’t take long for Bobby to free the deer, but it still seemed reluctant to move which was odd. It should be sprinting off into the forest. Sam reached his grace out to sense the deer and noticed that it had a broken leg, probably the result of his struggles. Sam knew this needed to be done quickly to prevent the deer from panicking and it would need to be done well so the young deer wouldn’t have any residual injury and cause it to get caught by prey. “Dad, his rear left leg is broken.” He knew his father would understand why Sam wanted the archangel to do this job. Gabriel nodded and turned to Bobby. 

“Keep his attention on you.” He instructed the older hunter and Sam watched as Bobby cooed and made soothing noises to the deer. Gabriel quickly flew just behind the deer and tapped the hind leg, healing it easily and solidly. The deer startled, but then calmed somewhat when the pain dissipated. It stood quickly, shaking to release stress, and then trotted toward the woodline. That’s when Sam noticed a huge buck, a stag, stepping out of the trees. It held its head high and stared at them with curiosity and gratitude. Sam smiled and blessed this animal and his family as well. The stag tilted his head and then huffed. It straightened again before ducking his head in what looked like thanks before leaving the clearing. Sam knew the minute the air shifted. They had gained the respect of a stag. 

The wind picked up drastically and Sam moved to stand closer to his brother while Gabriel grabbed Bobby and flew to the brothers side. It wasn’t fear really, more reverence. Awe. But it was still a feeling Sam wasn’t super comfortable with and he wanted to be closer to his family. He recognized Gaia’s presence this time when the ethereal woman manifested, her laughter still sounded like birds singing and Sam was struck with how beautiful she actually was. Vixey hopped down from his shoulders and stretched sleepily before trotting over to Gaia. 

“Hello, little one. You made a very good friend.” She smiled, scratching the little fox gently. She looked back at Sam before turning her attention back to Gaia. “Of course, little one. That is a wonderful idea.” Gaia stroked her hand over the kit and then turned her attention to the group. “My Guardians, you have done exceptionally. I did not expect you to pass the challenge so soon, but nature has accepted you as fast as you have accepted it.” 

She turned to Gabriel first. “My archangel, Lucifer may boast that he loves me, but you truly respect and care for me. My Coyote has long since lost his power from belief, forgotten by the world as a great trickster. You embody the trickster well and have always had a knack for the earthly magicks. You will no longer have to leech the powers from Loki, you are now my Coyote. It will take attacking your pagan and angelic sides to do you in, my trickster." Sam watched as Gaia kissed Gabriel's forehead and a bright light engulfed them both as the archangels' powers became entwined with Coyote, making him one and the same. His father was lifted into the air, levitating in place as lighting erupted and then he was in the shape of a coyote, but his eye were glowing a bright, angelic, blue. 

She then turned to Bobby with a smile on her face. "My Great Bear. Wise, strong, fiercely protective. You are a courageous problem solver and not afraid to stand up for what is right. They will need you to guide them. For this, you are now my Bear." Bobby's eyes were huge and Gaia kissed his forehead gently, a smaller, but similar light show erupting. Bobby was also lifted into the air and transformed into a large grizzly bear. 

Gaia smiled at Dean as she inched closer and Sam thought his brother might actually bolt. "My Wolf.” She rested her hand on his cheek. “You are loyal and intuitive, but have a tendency to want freedom and work on your own. Just remember, wolves may hunt well alone, but they thrive in a pack. One of your greatest strengths will be your pack.” The light spread from Gaia’s hand and then Dean was in the air with lightning shooting out from his body. Sam had to force himself to stay calm seeing Dean at the mercy of something so powerful, but then suddenly Dean was transforming into the largest Grey Wolf Sam had ever seen. Once back on the ground, the wolf huffed, blinking his huge green eyes in Sam’s direction. He threw his head back and howled a haunting deep sound that was so perfectly Dean. Gaia smiled widely before scratching behind Dean’s ears and then turning to Sam. 

“You are a unique case, much like your father.” Vixey sauntered closer and sat next to Gaia. “My current Fox has chosen you as her successor. She is very old and longs for rest.” Gaia smiled down at the little fox kit. “You are cunning, diplomatic, and have a wild temper. While not typically remembered, many times my foxes are quite tricky themselves. My Fox, do you agree to pass on your power to my little angel of earth?” Gaia asked the kit who nodded. Sam felt the magic reach into his soul and grace, winding itself into his very being. He felt himself being lifted into the air, electricity jolting through him. He felt his arms and legs shrink, his head transform, and his spine extend into a long tail. He was a fox. A large American Red Fox. He landed on the ground on all fours and took in his new shape-shifting abilities. Vixey flicked her tail at him happily before nuzzling Gaia and wandering into the woods. "My Guardians, call me should you need me." She gave them one last mischievous grin and said one last thing before blinking out of sight. “My God have mercy on any who get in your way. 

Chapter Text

With Gaia gone, the group all transformed back into their human forms. Bobby and Dean looked completely stunned. Sam couldn't say that he felt much different. He had never considered being more than he already was. He could feel the pagan power melding with his soul. It was weird. Sam knew he could still control nature, plants and wildlife alike. He could shift into his fox at will. He was startled out of his thoughts by Gabriel quickly flying them back to Bobby's. Sam thought none of them really wanted to leave Earth right now to go to the pocket house. He looked to his brother who snapped his fingers and a small flame was dancing on the tip of his index finger. 

"Cool. No more losing zippos." Dean smirked and Sam rolled his eyes. So Dean has pyrokinesis. Oddly, Sam thought that made a certain amount of sense. Gabriel grinned at Dean's antics and figured he was going to have as much fun teaching Dean to use his skills as he did with Sam. Bobby arched an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. It seemed they pretty much all had a good understanding of what they were and what they could do. Gabriel had a thoughtful look on his face for a minute before snapping, but nothing happened. Gabriel smirked, then looked at the group. 

"Well, kiddos. How would you like to be neighbors with Bobby?" Sam looked at his father in confusion. What did that even mean? Gabriel chuckled at the look on Sam's face and then pushed him and Dean out the front door. Bobby quickly following behind. They wandered through the junkyard to the back of the property with Sam grumbling about sneaky fathers making him not like surprises anymore, but when they got to the clearing he and Dean used to play in as kids, a small dirt road continued through it. That hadn't been there before. They continues down the road into the other side of the woods until they saw what Gabriel had done. He had moved the pocket house to Earth and put it practically in Bobby's backyard. Sam felt a huge dimpled smile hit his face as he jogged the rest of the way to the house looking for Snickers. When he and the dinosaur-turned-dog return with a tennis ball, he saw Dean staring at the house with a closed off look on his face. Bobby was scratching the top of his head while holding his ball cap and Gabriel was chowing down on some M&Ms he had snapped up. 

"How'd you do it?" Bobby asked, seeming just as happy about it as Sam, but only because he knew the old man so well. His surrogate uncle could be terribly difficult to read.

"Well, I bought the land behind your property. It didn't take much when you're an archangel. You guys can probably do similar stuff too." Gabriel shrugged like he hadn't just blown everyone's minds. "It's in Bobby's name and nobody will ever know that it wasn't part of the original property. I figured we needed somewhere to train you two and you seem awfully attached to your house. Plus I don't think any of us are eager to leave the planet right now. It’s warded against everything. The only people who can even find the place are us and Castiel. Once we’ve been here long enough for people to notice we haven’t aged, we just move the house." Gabriel grinned brightly. Sam noticed Dean was still looking at the house and walked over. 

"Isn't it great, Dean?" He asked, wondering why his brother wasn't as happy about this as he should be. They finally had a home! 

"Yeah, Sammy. It's good. Now you have a home and you're right behind Bobby…" Dean trailed off and Sam finally realized the problem. 

"What the fuck are you talking about? This is your home too." Dean still looked skeptical, so Sam grabbed his brother's hand and dragged him into the house. He hadn't done this since he was a child, but occasionally he caught himself doing stuff like this more lately. Really, going through the house was not the easiest way to the garage, but Sam felt it would be a better reveal. They wound through the house, it still had a funky feel to it. Like it was bigger than it should be. He reached the door he wanted and pushed it open, allowing Dean the first look. His brother's eyes widened comically and he ventured into the overly large garage. Sam knew it was full of tools and parts for the Impala and his own car. It also held several other classic cars Gabriel had used over the years and a few motorcycles. The cars Sam knew Dean could explain away as Gabriel's, but the tools and workshop part to it, was all for his brother. Gabriel had no need of a lift or any of the other high end equipment. Dean turned to look at him oddly and then looked back to Baby who had her own spot next to Sam's and then an empty spot on the other side. The place even had a paint tint and was clearly one of the rooms Gabriel had bent space to make fit into the large but normal looking house. "Dad always intended for you to live with us. I think it was always his plan for you to become a god or something and become immortal. I don't…" Sam looked away from his brother to the cars. "I don't think he could live without you anymore than I could." He winced slightly at the idea. 

"But why? I'm not his kid or anything."

"That really doesn't matter. He watched over us my entire life. You know, during the timewarp month he was so fidgety. It took me a while to figure out it was because he was worried about you.” Sam shrugged, sticking his hands in his pockets. “I think he would leave when I was asleep to check on you.” Dean looked thoughtful while he brushed his hands across Baby’s hood. “This garage was part of the house before dad brought me here. So was your room.” Sam grinned as his brother seemed to relax. “Like I said, it’s your home too.” 

“We can really have this?” Dean asked carefully, like a child afraid of being told no. Sam realized Dean never really asked for much in his entire life. He only ever wanted Sam to have what he wanted or needed. 

“You can have anything you want, Dean. John was the one who told us we couldn’t have a home or stability. We can still hunt, still keep up with whatever we have to for Gaia, and have a home all at the same time. Hell Dean, once Dad un-’grounds’ me I can fly us anywhere and we can come back here. No more shitty hotels!” Sam thought Dean almost looked hopeful when he looked back at him. “You’ve given everything for me. At least let me share this with you.” Dean nodded slowly then started walking through the cars. 

“Anything?” Dean questioned seriously, eyebrow quirking.

“I mean within reason,” Sam stated, thinking Dean was about to ask for something too much. He probably could bring back Mary, but it probably wouldn’t be a good idea and he would probably get in more trouble than he was already in. Dean was quiet for a second before looking back at Sam. 

“What about some Lucky Charms?” Dean requested only somewhat jokingly, essentially ending the chick flick moment. Sam laughed, leave it to Dean to have access to miraculous powers and request something simple. He watched quietly as Dean assessed the garage and thirty minutes later, he heard tiny little feet announcing Snicker’s arrival just before Bobby and Gabriel entered. Bobby let out an impressed whistle and Gabriel grinned at Dean. 

“If you’re missing anything or if there is anything you want, just let me know Dean-o.” Dean looked surprised and rattled off a few things which were quickly added. “So, I was thinking we should try out some of the new skills.” Gabriel said, clapping his hands together eagerly. 

Sam landed in the gym with his brother and Bobby since Gabriel was too impatient to actually walk to the room. “Now, Samshine and I will have the least amount of changes since we’re just special like that. But you two,” Gabe gestured between Dean and Bobby. “will have some drastic differences. We need to catalog strengths and weaknesses.” Dean looked at Gabriel in confusion. 

“Why do we need to ‘catalog’ it?” He asked, using air quotes around ‘catalog,’ mocking the word choice. 

“Well, normally we would just find them out as we go, but we’ve got an apocalypse to stop. Need to speed it up a bit. So, weaknesses. We know that I can only be killed by an archangel blade, but I can be slowed dramatically by holy fire and wards. Same goes for the spawn.” Sam rolled his eyes at his father’s choice in nicknames. 

“Sam can only be killed by an archangel blade?” Dean questioned seriously, clearly taking Sam’s safety more seriously than his own. 

“It’s the theory. A regular angel blade might, but we aren’t totally sure and I’m not willing to test it. His own blade looks almost identical to an archangel blade, but it’s gold. His own will probably also be able to kill him.” Dean and Bobby both seemed to agree that testing the angel blade theory wasn’t a great idea, so they accepted it quickly and moved on. “There will probably be a way to kill both of you with some wooden stake or something like most pagan gods. We would have to look and see what would harm your predecessors. Again, I’m not really willing to test that theory. Also, archangels will still be able to kill you easily and possibly a regular angel with their blade.” It made sense, that Dean and Bobby would still have some type of weakness. Most things did. “We really need to know your strengths. Some of them you will know instinctively and some you will have to learn or grow. How are you both feeling?” 

“Strong.” Dean stated quickly before looking thoughtfully at Sam. He already knew what was coming, so he steeled himself and prepared for the hit. Nothing Dean did could really hurt him. His brother's hand hit him in the sternum and Sam immediately flew back and hit the wall. Dean was strong. Good. Now they could spar again, Sam had missed that. Dean and Bobby both blinked in surprise but Gabriel was doubled over laughing. “I didn’t even hit him that hard!” Dean protested as he ran to help Sam up from the heap he had crumpled in. Sam landed a hit of his own that should have put a literal dent in his brother’s face, but instead Dean only stumbled back slightly. The brothers laughed, they could have fun with this later. 

“Bobby?” Gabriel questioned and the grizzly kicked the reinforced wall, denting it easily. 

“Guess so,” he grumbled, scratching his beard. 

“Alright, we can all shift at will?” Gabriel questioned and they all nodded again. 

“I think I can half-shift or something.” Bobby added, looking oddly at his hands. Suddenly both hands had huge claws extending from them, his eyes glowed a deep brown, and his teeth elongated into fangs. He held the shift for almost a minute before returning to human form. Dean glanced down at his hands for a moment before the same features appeared, but quickly fell away. “Probably have to work at holdin’ it.”

“I can do the fire thing.” Dean added, displaying a fireball in his hand. Sam grinned at his brother’s antics and then held up fireballs in both hands. “Showoff,” Dean murmured, extinguishing the flame. 

“Any other elements?” Gabriel asked, snapping a bowl of water and a potted flower into the room. Dean looked at the objects for a long moment before shaking his head. Sam watched as Bobby held out a hand and then the metal bowl the water was in crumbled in on itself before reshaping into a small car. Sam’s eyebrows nearly hit his eyebrows in surprise. 

Dean muttered something like, “Holy shit, you’re Magneto,” while picking up the little car. 

Bobby shrugged again.“Think I can manipulate metals.” 

Sam looked at the flower sitting in the pot. He knew it was a Honeysuckle, but somehow he also knew everything about the plant. He extended his hand, palm facing up and then the vine was inching its way toward his hand. The plant wrapped around his hand and then trailed up his arm, the flowers blooming larger than before. Sam smiled gently at the little plant, he could feel its life force now. 

“I could always make plants grow and stuff, but I think she like… enhanced it.” Sam said, running a finger across a soft petal. He snapped his fingers, sending the plant outside to live peacefully. 

“Alright, telekinesis anyone?” Gabriel asked, grinning mischievously. They spent the next several hours practicing skills and powers. Bobby and Dean both gained telekinesis, enhanced strength, enhanced health, and teleportation. Sam had grumbled about not being allowed to fly and only pouted a little. It also seemed that neither Dean nor Bobby really needed to sleep much anymore, since they worked well into the night without need for a break. Gabriel eventually called an end to the day and said that it was time for dinner. The group dispersed to clean up and change while Gabe cooked. He made New York Strip steaks with baked potatoes and a salad. Sam sat himself at the kitchen island to watch his father finish dinner, having gotten his shower and dressed quicker than Dean. He quickly tangled his grace with Gabriel's, happy for something like his routine established during the timewarp. Bobby had decided to return to his house for the night, citing a need for space and his own bed. Sam looked up when he heard footsteps coming from the stairs and noticed his brother had changed into sweat pants and a t-shirt. Sam hadn’t seen his brother so relaxed in a very long time. Typically Dean stayed ready for a fight, sleeping in jeans and boots. The only time Dean ever wore pajamas was when he truly felt safe. He grinned to himself, yeah, he could get used to this. 

~~~

The next six weeks went by quickly for Sam. They trained their skills daily, much like Sam had with Gabriel in the timewarp and spent the evenings studying lore. Dean and Bobby grew much stronger, but still weren’t quite as strong as Gabe. Dean could nearly turn into the Human Torch, covering most of his body in fire. It quickly became awkward when they realized his body may be flame retardant, but his clothes definitely were not. Bobby had learned to pull heavy metals from other substances and the ground before manipulating it. They could all hold the ‘half-shift’ position, but Sam found his half-form to be useless. He simply manifested his fox ears, tail, and nose. Everyone laughed and told him he was cute. Dean had made a joke about kinks that Sam didn’t find very funny. Gabriel didn’t see much use in his half-form either, being ridiculously powerful either way, but Dean and Bobby both found theirs to be useful for combat. Both seemed to be getting stronger and more inhuman by the day. 

Gabriel still hadn’t un-grounded him. 

Sam was starting to get incredibly frustrated with his inability to fly. His wings felt heavy at his back, tightly squished into himself. He hadn’t argued or asked to be unbound, but he was getting close to doing it. The only thing that had kept him sane is his brother being a constant annoyance and support. Dean had seemed to be getting more comfortable with having a home. They still hadn’t seen the angels and Sam was eternally grateful for it. Sam had gotten comfortable with their routine, but he could tell Dean was itching for a hunt. He had done well sitting still for the six weeks, training and learning, but Sam thought his brother might actually die from sitting still. He had built a large garden in the backyard to supply Bobby and hunters with herbs, even some that were extremely rare. It hadn’t taken him very long to grow the plants with his powers and Gabriel was more than happy to bend some time travel rules to get some long extinct seeds. He was working in the garden, pruning his mint when he heard footsteps approaching. He knew it was Dean so he didn’t bother looking back.

“Sammy, I gotta get out of here, man. Let's go get a beer, pick up some chicks, something.” Dean ran his hands through his hair restlessly. Sam knew Dean needed this, but Gabriel was still a little wary about letting him too far away from home alone. 

“I don’t know that dad-” he started only to be cut off by Dean’s arguments. 

“Gabe said you can be alone with me. Right?” 

“Well, yeah, but maybe we should let him know.” 

“Nah, it’ll be fine. I promise. We’re just going to get a few beers.” After all… what could go wrong?

Chapter Text

Dean knew he should have listened to Sam when he said they should tell Gabe about going out. He should have just told Gabe himself that he needed to get out, but he felt like he was going insane and if the archangel had said no… Dean was pretty sure that he would have punched the trickster. He hadn’t stayed in the same place for so long since he was old enough to help his dad hunt. He also hadn’t gone this long without going out to have fun and pick up a girl. He just wanted to have some fun and now… Now he was panicking because Sammy went to take a piss and hasn’t come back. He knew what he had to do, he was just dreading it. Gabriel was going to murder him. They had gone to the bar to get a drink and it was nearly impossible for them to get drunk now. They drank and drank until Dean was nearly tipsy. Sam had made some excuse about going to take a leak and left Dean alone with a girl. They ended up in the back seat of the Impala and by the time Dean got back inside the bar, Sam was gone. Nobody had seen him leave.

Dean hit the steering wheel and almost felt it break. This was so very bad. He closed his eyes and prayed to Gabriel. He'd been off doing his trickster business, trusting Dean and Bobby to watch out for Sam.  It didn't take long before the trickster was in the seat next to him, chewing on some type of hard candy. 

"Hey, Dean-o. What's wrong?" Gabriel seemed to be able to sense the fear and worry in the atmosphere of the car. 

"Gabe…" he started, unsure how to even say this. Sorry, I lost your kid? Right. He'd rather chew off his own arm. This wasn't about him though. This was about Sammy. "I screwed up." He choked out. "I convinced Sammy to go to the bar with me. Now I don't know where he is." 

"What do you mean, you don't know where he is?" Gabriel's tone tilted dangerously and Dean was thanking his lucky stars that he was strong enough to probably take a punch from the archangel now. 

"I came out here with a girl. When I went back inside, Sam was gone. I asked everyone inside and nobody saw him leave. He wouldn't have just left." Gabriel's eyes were glowing bright blue and Dean shrunk in on himself. "I'm so sorry." Gabe seemed to deflate at the words and his eyes dimmed back to the normal whiskey color. 

"It's not your fault kiddo. I wish you had given me a heads up, but you didn't do this." The coyote made a frustrated sound, working his hands into his hair and tugging. "That boy is infuriating. If he ran off.." Huh. So that's where Sam got that reaction. Either way, Sammy wouldn't have just left Dean here. Something else had to have happened. 

"Sammy wouldn't have just run off. Something had to have taken him. We've done this bar routine plenty of times before. He wouldn't have just dipped without telling me." Gabriel snapped, flying the two of them back home. Gabriel called Bobby while Dean set to work putting together a tracking spell. He hadn't really wanted to learn the magic Sam insisted were useful, but right now he couldn't be more grateful. 

~~~~~

Sam blinked and looked around himself. It was dark, but nothing he couldn't still see through. He could sense demons around him. Several actually. It was a miracle that they hadn't noticed he wasn't human. He kept his shields up tightly over his grace, hopeful that nobody could see his wings. He tried to tug on his father's bond within his grace, but couldn't seem to find it. They must have warded the place for angels to some degree, preventing him from being able to make contact. It didn't feel like it was weakening him though, so it must just be for tracking or something. If it didn't weaken him, it probably wouldn't bother his father. He could feel the wards for pagan magic though and knew that might be a problem for Bobby and Dean. That felt something like a weight on his chest. He started to move, but noticed that his hands were bound with chains and there was a thick chain around his chest. Probably tying him to the post he was sitting against. Nothing that could actually hold him, but he was trying to maintain his illusion of humanity. If he got out of this and smote all the demons, he would alert heaven. It was really starting to be an inconvenience. He glanced around the room again and realized it was a warehouse. Again. Stupid. Why did everyone think they needed to do sketchy shit in an abandoned warehouse? The demons must have hit him in the head and knocked him unconscious. One of the few human vulnerabilities he still had and it only worked if something strong hit him. It wouldn't even take him out long, just long enough to teleport him to a fucked up location and tie him up. He had to play the game. Wait on help to arrive so that it didn't look suspicious. He knew Dean would know Sam was missing as soon as he was done with the girl of the day. He leaned his head back and tried to remain calm. It wasn't like the demons could really hurt him. All they could do was call the angels, but that wasn't likely. They just felt… icky in their presence near his grace. Sam waited for what felt like hours before a door opened behind him and he heard footsteps (three demons) and what sounded like them dragging something between them. That probably wasn't great, but whatever. He just had to wait. 

Sam sat with his back against the pole they thought he was secured to with his head leaned back and waited for the demons. A few seconds that felt like eons later, a body was dumped against the pole across from him and bound similarly. Sam could tell this was just a human. Odd. He finally glanced at the other captive and cursed. Of course. Fucking John. He remained quiet and waited for the demons to say something. John was starting to stir slightly, a twitch here or grunt there. It wouldn't be long before he was awake. 

"Now, you be a good boy, Sammy and we won't have to hurt daddy." The small blonde female demon said, trying to seem flirty. Sam had to physically stop himself from snorting. The demons didn't have a clue. They quickly left the two tied up and Sam went back to staring at the ceiling. He dreaded when John woke up, but knew it wouldn't be long. It was somewhat concerning that the demons thought that they would have to use John as leverage. Even if the man was a grade A asshole, Sam still didn't want to see him hurt or killed. He just hoped Gabe and Dean got here on time.

A sharp inhale of breath alerted Sam to his kind-of-father's waking and he bumped his head against the pole in protest of having to deal with the man. It was complicated. It wasn't like he hated John. The man had kind of raised him. Sort of. Almost. Well, mostly Dean did, but John had existed in their orbit and had been 'dad' for nearly 18 formative years. You couldn't just turn that kind of attachment off. Even if Sam had never seen John as a father figure, he was still a person who didn't deserve the bullshit he had been through. 

"Sammy?" He heard the nickname cut through the silence like a jagged knife trying to cut meat. It had been a long time since John showed him any real affection. "That you?"

"Yeah, John. It's me." Sam said to the ceiling, unwilling to look at the other man. 

"Status report." Clearly the man had a head injury. Or something, because he couldn't imagine the man really cared about Sam's well being. He snorted and leveled his former dad with a blank look and said.

"SNAFU, FUBAR, take your pick. Either way we're fucked." John leveled him with a look that was a cross between amusement and irritation before starting to try and get out of the chains. Sam rolled his eyes, but then leaned his head back against the post. 

"Get me out of this shit, I know you can." John snapped and Sam took a deep leveling breath before looking back at John. He couldn't sense the demons, but that didn't mean they couldn't hear him somehow. Best to not give away their secrets yet by being an idiot. 

"It's the warding. I can't." 

"Just some psychic. Right?" John asked sarcastically and Sam leveled the man with a glare, hoping to shut him up. "Warding shouldn't affect a psychic. What are you?" The man couldn't just make this easy for Sam and go with the don't ask don't tell plan he usually did. Sam shushed him sharply.

"Shut. Up. We can talk about this later when we get out of this." 

"Oh, come on now Sammy. We all know exactly what you are." The skinny blonde demon's voice rang out again and Sam was glad he had been thinking ahead. Obviously they didn't know what he was, but they thought they did. That was key right now. 

"Don't call me that." He bit back out of instinct, but the demon just ignored him and continued on her rant.

 "And you're even stronger than we thought you'd be." She beamed happily as she walked closer to them. "Don't worry. We've warded the building against pagan magic, so you're little trickster boyfriend won't be able to get in to save you." Okay, eww. That is what they thought was happening? Sam almost couldn't decide if he should gag or laugh. "But now it's time for all baby demons to drink their medicine and go night-night." Ummm… what? That didn't sound like a good thing. Sam stuck his chin out and shut his mouth defiantly. The demon held up a glass vial full of red liquid and Sam could tell it was demon blood. He could feel the small pulse of power in the vial and immediate revulsion. His grace pulling as far away from the disgusting liquid as possible. "Come on, Sam. You know you want it." The demon shook the vial again and Sam turned his head. "Take your medicine, or we will have to find a way to make it more enticing." Sam glanced at John. Could he really let the man be tortured just so that he didn't have to drink the gross substance? He knew the answer instantly. No, of course he couldn't. John was shaking his head, trying to stop him from agreeing. Always trying to be the hero. Fine. He would hold out a while. Stunt demon number two walked toward John, pulling out a knife from somewhere. The first cut was made and John grunted in pain. Another ten cuts, and John wasn't able to stay as quiet. Twenty more cuts and John started to look pale from blood loss. Sam knew he wouldn't be able to hold out. John didn't deserve this. 

"Alright, fine! Okay." He shouted and the demons turned to him with a smirk. He swallowed hard as blondie walked closer and flipped the lid off of the vial with her thumb. She straddled his lap and ground down on him. His entire being cringing in disgust. She started to lick and mouth her way up his neck and he pulled as far away as possible. 

"Come on. Just get it over with." He ground out through gritted teeth. 

"Aw, you're no fun." She pouted and then grabbed hold of his jaw. "Open wide, Sammy." He opened his mouth, preparing for the foul liquid to be poured into his mouth. She didn't draw it out at least. Pouring it in quickly and clamping a hand tightly over his mouth. He felt the blood sizzle in his mouth. An odd reaction he hadn't expected. It startled him so bad he swallowed on reflex. It burned all the way down and he felt his grace seize in reaction. The demon moved her hand, looking at him oddly, like she hadn't expected this reaction. He choked, trying to spit the blood out. He let out a pained grunt as it twisted into his grace, poisoning him. The demon stood and called the other two before leaving. 

"You shouldn't have done that!" John shouted and Sam knew he was very, very right. He should have never let that demon near him. Sam could feel the taint burning through him, darkness fighting with light inside him. He could feel his wings twitching, trying to fight the bindings Gabriel had put on them. Trying to get away from the pain. He looked down at his arms and could see the grace attacking the demon blood. Could feel the wrongness of it inside of him. He clenched his fists tight and leaned his head back with a groan. This was the worst thing he could imagine experiencing. “Sam?” John questioned in an oddly gentle tone. “What was that stuff? What’s it doing to you?” He really wasn’t sure he could answer with the amount of pain coursing through him. He could feel his fox calling to him, trying to take over and help heal him, but the wards against pagan magic were forcing it down. “Sam?” John tried again and Sam really considered bursting his own ear drums to not have to hear the man’s voice anymore. He knew the pain was making him irritable, but he honestly felt like he might die. He let out a strangled shout as the pain surged. Felt his grace cry out for his father that couldn’t hear him. He just had to hold on. He could do that. He could. Dad would find him. Dean would find him. He could do this. The worst part was that he couldn’t pass out. His grace sensing danger wouldn’t allow unconsciousness to take him. 

What felt like centuries later, he heard a door open behind him and felt an overwhelming feeling of wrong entering the room. It was much bigger and much worse than the original icky feelings of the other demons. He knew this one was stronger than the others. The pain still hadn’t receded and Sam really didn’t think he could manage a conversation with anyone. 

“Well, Sammy. Meg here tells me you’re having some… adverse reactions.” The demon squatted down next to Sam, yellow eyes glaring into his own. 

“Azazel,” Sam whispered, knowing immediately who the yellow eyes belonged to. 

“You!” John shouted, clearly recognizing the bastard demon. “What the fuck have you done to him?” The demon ignored John, clearly not interested in him. 

“Hold his head.” The demon instructed and then ‘Meg’ was straddling him again. Any pressure against his skin felt like knives stabbing into him. She grabbed his head roughly, pushing on his jaw to open his mouth. Azazel slid a knife over his own wrist and then held it over Sam’s mouth. The blood burned just as much, maybe worse and Azazel started down at him in confusion. 

“ Stop! Stop! Please! ” he shouted, accidentally slipping into enochian. The demon was staring at him like a science experiment that had just done something it wasn’t supposed to. 

“Now, how do you know that?” Azazel sneered before placing his hand on Sam’s head. He felt his grace lash out at the demon on instinct. Azazel reared back like he had put his fingers in a light socket. Sam thought maybe it had felt that way for him. Kind of hoped it did. 

“What is it, father?” Meg asked in confusion, clearly not following what was happening. 

“Nephilim.” The demon said in astonishment. Sam thought it figured that now his secret was out, he was too weak to actually do anything. A loud boom echoed through the room and all the demons jolted in surprise. 

“Get your hands off my kid.” 

~~~~~~

Gabriel was almost irate. First someone had been ballsy enough to take his son, then they warded him so that Gabriel couldn't find him. It took fifteen different tracking spells before one finally took. Even then, the spell only showed them a huge area that Sam could possibly be in. By the time they found him, it had been hours. Hours that his son had been with demons. With Azazel. Gabriel crouched just outside the building, Bobby and Dean in tow, watching the building. 

“I can feel the fucking warding like pushing me back.” Dean grumbled, seeming unsettled. He thought that maybe he would too if it was his first run in with warding. That meant he was the only one who would be able to go in. That was fine. He should be more than enough to deal with a few demons. He ran his grace over the warding and broke a few that slowed down angels. He burst into the building, unsure what he would see, but prepared for anything. He wasn’t expecting to see his child writhing in pain with blood dripping down his chin. He wasn’t expecting a demon to be sitting on his son’s lap. 

“Get your hands off my kid.” He seethed, allowing his grace to shine through. Azazel jerked in surprise at seeing an angel. The other demons scrambled away, most blinking out of existence until only the yellow eyed bastard and one brave blond chick remained. 

“What has the naughty little angel been up to?” Azazel smiled a sinister, knowing grin. It was clear becoming a demon had taken away his ability to identify angels otherwise Gabriel didn’t think he would be so mouthy. 

“Ya know Az, you’ve clearly lost a few steps if you can’t figure out who I am.” Gabriel taunted, slowly walking toward the demons. 

“Please, like I’m going to cower in fear because a little birdy decided to sneak out of the nest?”

“Oh, Az… think. How many angels would run away from home and decide to become a trickster?” At this point, Gabriel was nearly nose to nose with the demon. He could see the moment realization dawned on the demon, but it was too late. Gabriel’s blade was already through his chest. He took joy in the look of fear and shock on the demon’s face as he flickered out and collapsed to the floor. Gabriel turned to the other demon, but she quickly disappeared. Good. 

“ Dad!” The name shot through Gabriel like a bullet and he was immediately at his son’s side. 

“What did they do to you, kiddo?” 

“They gave him something. Think it was demon blood.” Gabriel jolted and turned toward the voice. He hadn’t even realized anyone else was in the room. John Winchester sat chained to a post opposite Sam and Gabriel knew he couldn’t just leave the man there. Sam seemed unable to talk and John might be the only one who could say what happened. He sent a quick message to Dean and Bobby that he had Sam and to meet them at the pocket house. He quickly unchained Sam and John before scooping his son up into his arms and flying them out of the warehouse. 

When they got to the house, Gabriel laid Sam down on the couch and began checking him over for injuries. There didn’t seem to be any actual wounds, but Sam still seemed to be in excessive amounts of pain. 

“Dad! What are… uh.. What are you doing here?” He heard Dean stumble over the greeting and Bobby mutter something like ‘hey.’ 

“Don’t know. Demons nabbed me a couple days ago. Brought me into that warehouse and Sam was all tied up. Left us alone for a couple hours then they came back, wantin’ Sam to drink… somethin’. He wouldn’t do it, so they started in on me.” Now that Gabriel looked, John did look pretty roughed up. He reached over with his grace, healing the man easily. He wasn’t in the mood to worry about dealing with an action to make the humans more comfortable. John stumbled back, startled at the change before looking at Gabriel suspiciously. “Thanks.” He muttered before turning back to Dean and Bobby. “After a while he said he’d do it. I tried to tell him not to, but he’d already agreed. Whatever was in the vial, it did that to him. That’s when they called in Yellow Eyes. He cut his arm and fed his blood to Sam. Did the same thing to him. He said he knew what Sam was. That's when you burst in." He said nodding to Gabriel and shit that really wasn't good. Gabriel could smell the sulfur, but had been hoping that it was residual. 

"Fuck!" Dean cursed as he pushed past everyone to Sam's side. "What will that do to him, Gabe?"

"I don't… I don't know. When Azazel did it before he was a baby. His grace was so small. Now…" he trailed off, unsure what to say. Luckily, Bobby seemed on board with keeping John out of the way. "What's going on, Samshine?" Gabriel asked softly. "Come on, kiddo, I can't know unless you tell me." 

"Hurts," Sam mumbled in enochian. "Dad, it hurts."

"I know, little one. I can try to clear it, but it will probably hurt. I need you to be brave for me. Can you do that?" Sam nodded shakily, but seemed beyond words. Gabriel put one hand on Sam's forehead and another on his chest, focusing his grace on the tiny particles of demon blood speckled into Sam's grace. He heard Sam screaming and abruptly pulled his grace away. He wouldn't be able to clean it from the fledgling grace. "It won't work." 

"I… I have an idea." Dean piped up, glancing at John anxiously. 

"Eyes on me, Dean-o." Gabriel instructed, knowing John's presence was making the kid nervous. "What's the plan?" Dean glanced past Gabriel one last time before turning determined eyes on Gabriel. 

"Sammy, you gotta let the Fox take over." Why hadn't Gabriel thought of that? The pagan power wouldn't be warring with the demon blood and would probably filter it quicker. Sam still had his grace as the Fox, but it was dampened as his pagan magic took charge. Sam seemed confused, like he was hearing the words, but not comprehending the meaning. Gabe grabbed his face, turning it toward him so they were eye to eye. 

“Little one, you must shift to your Fox. Allow him to heal you.” Sam nodded, finally seeming to understand. He watched his son close his eyes and take a deep breath. The nephilim let out a strangled shout before his features started to change. It was a long and painful process with everything else going on. Gabriel offered him praise and support throughout, knowing it didn’t really help, but hoping that it was enough to at least show Sam he was there. After several agonizing minutes, Dean was holding a small (well, average sized for a fox, but small for Sam’s fox) ball of fluff in his lap. Sam was still shaking and making some pitiful sounds. “Hold him, Dean. Your bond and the combination of powerful magicks should help speed everything up. Bobby,” Gabriel called, not moving his eyes away from the small red poof. “Can you get him a bowl of water?” Bobby left quickly and that left only John to deal with. Not like he was much of a threat. 

“Anyone want to tell me what the fuck is going on?” John asked in his most annoyingly gruff way. 

“Not now.” Dean snapped and Gabriel had to say he was impressed. The teen had never even questioned his dad until a few months ago, now he’s talking back. Before long he will be as sassy as Gabe and Sam. Dean looked up at Gabe, the question clearly there. 

“What are we doing with him?” Dean had learned to think loudly, allowing Gabriel and Sam to hear him when he wanted them to. It was handy. Both angels and nephilim could push thoughts into others minds, so Dean’s little trick had allowed them to communicate telepathically. The boys used it much more frequently with each other than with him. 

“Dunno, Dean-o. What do you want to do?” 

“We can’t just turn him loose. Lock the doors so he can’t leave and give him a room. Once things are better with Sammy, we can figure it out from there.” Gabriel nodded. That was a good plan. He snapped his fingers with a smirk, knowing it would cause John to be uncomfortable. The snap had locked all of the doors and windows and added another bedroom to the house. Gabriel sat down next to Dean, allowing Sam to scoot over into his own lap. “Dean-o, wanna show the old man around? He would probably enjoy Sam’s gym. I added a guest room upstairs.” Gabriel never took his eyes off John, a subtle challenge and show of power never really hurt anyone. He gently ran his hand down Sam’s back, allowing some of his own pagan power to bleed through. He was trying to use the magic to ease some of Sam’s pain, targeting the part of the brain that interprets pain signals instead, knowing that he couldn’t remove what was causing the pain. The little fox sighed and Gabriel quirked a small smile. Seemed like it might be working a little after all. He watched Dean lead John down the hall and groaned. This was going to be complicated.

Chapter Text

Dean showed his father around the house, but had to be careful. He was suddenly aware of just how weird it was to not be the hunter in this situation. Sure he still thought of himself as a hunter, just with enhancements. That didn't mean he wasn't acutely aware of the very black and white mindset of his father. He pointed out his and Sammy's rooms and started to lead his dad towards the guest room when John stopped suddenly. "Your room?" His tone was deadly and Dean felt his muscles clench. "You've been what? Shocking up with monsters these past few months?" 

"I live here with Sammy and Gabe. Bobby's here a lot too. We're working on something, dad. Something big." 

"I raised you better than this. Hell, I raised Sam better than this." Actually… no he didn't. Dean raised Sam. He turned his own cold eyes towards his father and felt the atmosphere start to thicken.

"There you two are." Bobby. Thank God for Bobby saving Dean from beating his own father to death. John looked a little shaken, like he had felt the change in atmosphere too and couldn't quite figure out what it was. 

"So you're playing house with the monsters too?" John leveled Bobby with a glare that only made Dean's anger worse. 

"Stop being a jackass, John. You don't know nothin' yet. You keep jumpin' to conclusions your likely to hit your head." Bobby seemed completely unconcerned with John ire. "An' we all know you don't need no more brain damage." Dean barked out a sharp laugh before patting Bobby on the arm. 

"Show him the guest room will ya old man? I'm gonna check on Sammy." Bobby nodded and shoved John down the hall. Dean shook his head and wandered back toward the living room. Sam was still curled up in Gabriel's lap whining. It was sad to see his little brother in so much pain. He wanted to help, but wasn't sure how. "Could we do a cleansing ritual or something?" Gabriel looked thoughtful before humming. 

"It probably couldn't hurt." Bobby returned to the living room and as soon as he heard what they were talking about he turned on his heels and headed for the library. Dean wanted to follow but also wanted to stay with Sam. 

"How ya doing, kiddo?" Gabriel's voice was soft, like talking to a scared animal. 

"I'm fine." It was a lie. Completely. And Gabriel knew it because he leveled Dean with a look he usually gives Sam. Dean sighed. He wasn't great. This whole thing with his dad was stressing him out. "I'm not… I don't…" he ran his hands through his hair and huffed. "I don't know how to deal with this." Gabriel nodded like he expected as much. 

"We will follow your lead on this, Dean. I promise." Dean nodded, grateful for the support. He sat down beside Gabe and ran a gentle hand over Sam, hoping to ease his brother's pain even a little. 

By the time dinner rolled around, the mismatched family gathered at the table. Gabriel wanted to keep their routine and insisted on making food. Plus, there was a full blown human in the house now. Sam had napped a few times throughout the day and seemed somewhat better, but he was still hurting and still weak. Dean wandered off at Gabriel's direction to find his dad for dinner. He just hoped he didn't regret it. He knocked softly on the door to the guest room and waited for a response. "Dad?" He called and soon the door was opened. John looked exhausted and Dean figured the man hadn't slept at all. Too busy worrying about being in a house with monsters. He didn't even know the half of it yet. "It's time for dinner. I'm sure you're hungry." John grunted in what sounded like annoyance and begrudging acceptance that his body required food. Dean knew his dad well. Knew the man wouldn't turn down food unless he was afraid it was spiked. If he didn't eat, he would lose strength he might need to fight his way out of the kidnapping. None of that mattered of course, but Dean knew how John was thinking about it. He followed Dean down stairs without a word. 

Gabriel had made a large pot of chili with hotdogs and fries. The table was laid out with the chili, hot dogs, fries, every kind of cheese imaginable (including the liquid nacho cheese that wasn't really cheese Dean loved), crackers, nachos, fritos, sour cream, chives, and about ten other things that Dean wasn't even sure what was. That way they could all make whatever they wanted. Dean was ecstatic as he plopped into his seat and started filling his plate. Bobby wasn't far behind. Gabriel still had Sam in his lap and was feeding him small bits of shredded chicken. Easier for his stomach, he figured. John looked incredibly uneasy as he approached the table, his eyes constantly drifting toward Sam. 

"Dig in, John. There's plenty here." Dean watched his father eased down in the seat before starting to pick through the food. 

"What do shapeshifters even eat?" He grouched, still looking at the food like it might be toxic. 

"Not shapeshifters, dad." Dean never even looked up from his chili cheese fries. 

"What are they then?"

" They are still in the room." Gabriel's voice snapped and Dean grimaced at the barely contained fury there. "Since we've never really gotten acquainted, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Gabriel." John eyed him suspiciously, his face set in a near snarl. 

"Well then, Gabriel , what exactly are you? And what have you done to my sons?" Dean glanced at his dad's oddly possessive tone, unsure how to really react to it. Ever since Sam started acting differently, John hasn't shown any feelings whatsoever toward the kid. Dean was nearly completely ignored. 

"Come on, Johnny. You're smart enough to figure this out. I'll give you a hint tho, because it is a little more complicated answer now. I'm not just one being, but the lore on me is extensive." He smirked mischievously and Dean started to get nervous. When John didn't seem to be forthcoming, Gabe just rolled his eyes and started the 'I'm an archangel' speech. John clearly didn't believe it. What hunter would? It took Dean and Bobby and the wing thing to convince John that he really was in the presence of angels. 

"You said you were two beings." John still seemed to think he was in charge of the interrogation and Dean managed only a small huff of annoyance. 

"That is correct. I'm also Coyote." 

"Coyote? The trickster?" John confirmed, a sneer forming on his lips. "What kind of angel runs off to be a pagan?" 

"The kind in hiding." 

"Hiding from what?" 

"Other angels of course." 

"And why are you hiding?"

"Long story. Tell ya about it later." 

"What'd you do to Sam?"

"Nothing." Gabriel seemed to be getting irritated and Dean felt like he was watching a tennis match with the questions bouncing back and forth.

"Why's he a fox then?"

"Because he is Fox." 

"The pagan?" Gabriel gave a sharp nod. "How's my son end up a monster?" Dean watched as the little fox flinched a small whine squeaking out. Gabriel gently passed Sam over to Dean before standing and bracing his weight on his hands. 

"He is not a monster. And he is not your son." With that Gabriel snapped and Dean looked around for what he had done, but couldn't see anything. John though looked livid. Gabriel must have taken away the false memories he implanted when he left Sam with their family.

"You planted your little monster spawn in my family?! You brought all of this on us?!" John yelled, standing himself and facing off with Gabriel. Sam whined again at being called a monster. Dean put a protective hand over him and tried to sooth him. They listened to John yell at Gabriel for a few more minutes with the archangel trying his best to make a comment. Dean could tell Gabe was trying to be respectful, not push too far, not argue too much, explain the situation, but John wasn't hearing it. Hadn't even listened, just yelled over him. Gabriel's patience was clearly for his benefit and he couldn't be more grateful. 

"Enough!" Dean snapped, causing everyone at the table to look at him in shock. Sam licked his hand, a silent support and giving Dean the confidence he needed to continue. "That's enough, dad. You're not listening to him. Mom agreed to this. Mom took Sam knowing everything. Okay? You wanna be mad, be mad at Mom. Come to think of it, how much do you know about Mom?" John looked shocked, but finally found his voice. Much more level in his responses this time. 

"I know her family was hunters." 

"Mom made the deal with Azazel. Yeah, Gabriel gave us Sammy, but if he hadn't, there would have just been another son. This isn't on Gabe or Sam." John seemed to be thinking things over, and Dean could see the exact minute some memory registered to confirm what was said.  John clenched his jaw, but sat back at the table. 

"Why give him up at all?"

"I had to. If anyone had gotten wind of a nephilim, they'd have killed him. Better him be safe with a human family that could recognize what was happening to him. Mary knew."

"So you just left your kid in the hands of a family with a target on its back and came back eighteen years later when the work was done?" 

"No, John." Gabriel rolled his eyes. "I was there almost constantly watching over Sam and Dean." John narrowed his eyes at Gabriel again, but waited for the angel to continue. "How else do two children raise themselves to be this decent? Ya know…" Gabriel chuckled a dark, humorless laugh. "The first few times I stepped in, it was because you left my child in a hotel where there were actual live STDs on the sheets. Even if he could fight off illness better than others, neither kid deserved to be raised with a pillow that had gonorrhea." Gabriel glanced at Dean sadly, then turned back to John with a righteous fury that made even Bobby flinch. "You wanna know the first time I out-right stepped in and helped them? Stopped something bad from happening? I think Dean was about twelve." Gabriel paused, seeming to steady himself with a breath. "They were running low on cash because you had been gone a week longer than you said. Dean tried to call a couple times, but you didn't answer. Some sick fuck approached Dean outside the motel when he was on his way back in with food. Offered him a hundred bucks for head. Two hundred if Dean went all the way. Of course Dean told him to scram, but the guy gave him his number. A week later when Sam was crying because he was hungry and Dean didn't know what else to do? When your child genuinely considered prostitution to feed his little brother. That was the first hundred that Dean found. The guy had already been dropped on the sun, but Dean didn't know that." Dean remembered that. It had been odd, they were at the end of everything. Dean had actually almost taken Sammy to the cops or Bobby's. He was a little ashamed to admit he also considered the prostitution, but Sammy was hungry damnit. After that, he found money stuck in places sometimes. He figured it had come from Dad and he was just too dumb to find it at first. "It wasn't the only time I stopped a bullet from hitting your child, killed a monster trying to get in their motel room, took care of a pedophile, or, and this is my favorite one, knocked you out to stop you from hitting one of them in a violent drunken rage. So please, tell me how I'm the one that ditched their kid. Tell me how I'm the monster." Gabriel was breathing heavily, chest heaving, hands shaking. Dean didn't even know Gabriel could have that much of a physical reaction. John had a stricken look on his face, pale as a ghost, and his mouth making a good impression of a fish. Gabriel abruptly walked away from the table, leaving the rest of them sitting in shock. Sam was cowering slightly, Dean guessed the pain was still making him somewhat confused. Gabriel came back in as suddenly as he left and picked up Sam before storming back off. Dean was staring at the table, his appetite gone. He saw out of the corner of his eye as John clenched his jaw. 

"It changes nothing. They're still monsters. We're hunters, we take care of monsters." Bobby blew out a hard breath and Dean had to stay quiet to avoid saying something he would regret. 

"Ya know, John. I thought a hunter's job was to protect innocents."

"Like they're not gonna go off and start eating people like other pagans?!" 

"I don't!" Dean shouted before he could stop himself. Bobby looked worried, but John just looked confused. 

"What are you talking about, Dean?" John's voice was one of eternal exasperation and Dean didn't even care that his father was still talking to him like he was an errant child. He turned to face his father, verdant pagan magic swirling in his own bright green eyes. 

"Gaia, when she made Gabriel 'Coyote,' and Sammy 'Fox?' She made me 'Wolf.'" Dean grinned what he imagined was his most wolfish smile, canines elongating as he partially shifted. "She chose us for a reason. So you can sit here in your prejudice, but I'm going to save the world." He pushed away from the table before completing a full shift to his large wolf form and padding away, tail swishing in agitation. It didn't take him long to find Gabriel and Sam in his little brother's room. Both of them curled up together on the bed that was more like a nest, Gabriel in his Coyote form. He wasted no time joining them.

~~~~~ 

Bobby looked at the rapid fire emotions shifting across John's face. "What did you let him do to himself?" 

"I didn't let the boy do anything, John. He chose this so that he was ready to protect the people he cares about when the time comes. Did you ever stop to wonder why your family was a target, jackass?" Bobby took his ball cap off to scratch over his head. "I've been quiet a long time, but I'm fuckin' done. You cause either of them boys any more pain than you already have, and I'll end you myself." Bobby flashed his own blue magic in his eyes before standing and walking to the living room. He didn't have to suffer fools any more. 

~~~

It took two days for the demon blood to be burned out of Sam's system after the cleansing ritual. The third day he slept the entire time. He was miserable. He'd spent the entire time in his Fox. Gabriel had hand fed him little bits of chicken and made him drink some water to keep his strength up. Dean and Gabe barely left his side. Things with John had been tense. The man was angry that both of his children were no longer mortal. Not that Sam ever had been. Gabriel had doted on both boys almost equally. Dean was trying to put on a good front, but Sam could tell he was upset. 

They were sitting on Dean's bed, both in their pagan forms, curled together. Gabriel had to leave for a little while to be a trickster. Sam had teased that his father was getting the itch again. There was a sharp knock on the door and then John was entering, not even waiting for an answer. "Boys." He greeted them sternly. Sam quickly shifted back to his human, closely followed by Dean. 

"Dad." Dean greeted, and Sam instantly felt protection for his older brother rising up inside him. Sam himself had never had much trouble going against John, but Dean had never done this before. Had never questioned John to his face. Always the obedient son. John opened his mouth to speak, but his eyes seemed to catch on the picture collage. He ignored the brothers for the moment in favor of staring at the pictures. 

"Where'd you even get all of these?" Dean cleared his throat before standing to move beside his father. 

"Gabe, uh, Gabe took all of 'em and put 'em up. Sammy has one just like it in his room. Few different pictures." Sam watched John stare at the pictures for a long time. Dean seemed to be getting more nervous as time passed without words. John seemed stuck on the pictures that included Mary. 

"And the ones with Mary? He was keeping them even then?" 

"Dad never…" Sam grimaced as he realized it was the first time he'd called Gabriel 'dad' in front of John. An odd look crossed John's face as well. "He never really said how he got the pictures of her, but I think he went back in time and took 'em. He told me once that he started keeping them after we left Kansas. Time travels the only way he could have gotten them." Dean looked at Sam like he hadn't even considered that. John swallowed hard before looking away, but his 'turned away' direction pointed him directly at the shelf of trinkets that Gabriel saved for Dean. Sam heard a sharp inhale as John must have realized what it was. "He saved things. Brought them here for safekeeping. When he first brought me here, it was like Dean's room was a shrine to me. He warped time in the pocket dimension that this house originally was in. To you guys it was a month, but for me and dad it was ten. He taught me everything I would need to know. Control."

"That's how you aged." John stated like he was putting pieces together. Sam nodded, fiddling with a string on his pants. "And you're really…?" John trailed the question off, seeming unable to respond.

"A nephilim? Or pagan god?" Sam smirked, feeling like he was channeling a little of his father at the time. 

"Yeah." John still looked wary, but seemed more comfortable once the words were out there. 

"Yeah," Sam chuckled.

"And your… mom?" John really seemed to be stumbling around with the conversation. His mother was a tough topic though. Gabriel didn't talk about her much, but did say that Sam reminded him of her from time to time. He wasn't sure he was ready to discuss all of that with John tho. Dean quirked his head like he hadn't even thought about Sam having a different mother. Sam forced a small laugh out.

"Knowing Gabriel? Probably some stripper down in TJ." It was a total lie, but he thought the joke landed. Dean looked like he was about to call Sam on it, but held his tongue. They could talk about it later. John huffed a humorless laugh, but it seemed to drain the tension from the room. 

"He's good to you? Both of you?" Sam and Dean both nodded. "Seems like he might'a done better than me." John ran a weary hand down his face. Sam realized in that moment just how many of Dean's mannerisms were actually John's. "Look boys, I can't… I won't apologize for how I raised you, but I could've…" John looked away and almost seemed to be in pain with the words he was trying to choke out. "I should've been takin' care of you boys, instead of Dean always lookin' after us. I always thought I was doin' my best, it's just my best ain't never been enough." Sam felt like this was one of the few times he could immediately relate to John. Dean cleared his throat and wiped his face. 

"It is what it is, dad, but what's comin'? It'd be a hell of a lot easier if we had your support even if we don't have your help." John nodded emphatically. 

"Whatever it is, it sounds big." The brothers looked at each other before Sam started to launch into the explanation of the upcoming apocalypse. John immediately decided he needed to sit down. And a drink. The three of them made their way to the library. They had been keeping the booze there. Once they met up with Bobby and drinks were passed around, they all began explaining the different aspects of what was about to happen. Sam thought that he might see John cry for the first time in years. 

~~~

Sam felt Gabriel return before he saw him, but instantly knew something was bothering the archangel. He shot a nervous, questioning glance at his father. What was going on? 

"You boys get everybody all caught up?" Sam and Dean both nodded, still watching Gabriel carefully. "You explained about vessels?" Again, the brothers nodded. "Good because we may have problems. Since all three of you went off the grid, the angels are circling a third option for Michael so he can come see what's going on." Sam looked at Gabriel oddly before a theory struck him, then looked to John to see his reaction. John looked like he had been punched in the gut. Theory confirmed then. Dean must have noticed the same look on John's face because he turned to him immediately. 

"Dad, what's going on?" 

"No, he's just a little boy." John whispered, more to himself than anyone else.

"A little boy who is much more likely to agree to anything angels ask and a mother with no clue what is going on. We have to bring them here." John looked like he was going to argue before looking at Dean and crumbling. He nodded, but said nothing. Gabriel was gone in a flutter of wings and Dean was staring daggers at his father. 

"What did you do?" Dean was barely opening his mouth to speak, grinding his teeth together. Before anyone else could speak, Gabriel was back with a woman who was squealing and a little boy who looked to be about nine or ten years old. 

"J…John? Wha… whats?... I don't… John?" The woman was stammering, clearly confused. 

"Dad, he's not…?" Sam left the end of the question hanging. He couldn't say it. He couldn't ask if the demon had… 

"No, kiddo. The demons never knew about him, but the angels felt his birth." Gabriel was reassuring, but Sam reached his grace out toward his father anyway, seeking comfort. He couldn't have imagined a worse thing than for this little boy to be poisoned. Sam looked at the kid carefully. He certainly had John's eyes. And his scowl. The kid was glaring at everybody, seemingly pissed off that anyone had dared to upset his mother. The woman had finally stopped squeaking, thank God, but looked incredibly alarmed by the demons and angels talk. 

"What the hell is going on?!" She demanded, whirling on John. The man at least looked somewhat ashamed. Good. He should be. Start a second family while barely taking care of the original one. It was bullshit. Sam felt his anger and his grace starting to swirl dangerously. How dare he do that to Dean. He hadn't realized his eyes were glowing a steady gold until his own father was in front of him and the bitch was squealing again. Fuck did the woman never shut up? 

"Kate, I can explain. You just gotta trust me for a minute." Sam hadn't even realized that he was only getting fragments of conversations. Or that he was throwing off power waves that were felt by everyone in the room. John had the woman…Kate… and the child behind him, pushing them against the wall. Gabriel was on his knees in front of him, trying to calm him. Bobby was starting to stand, moving to deflect whatever Sam sent flying toward the broken little family. But Dean… Dean looked lost. 

"Easy Samshine, you gotta calm down. You're gonna put everyone in danger if you don't take a deep breath." Put everyone in danger? What did he care if his former father and new fucking family were safe. He'd all but abandoned them in motels to what? Play house with a new family? Fuck that. Sam was livid. "Sammy, Dean needs you. You gotta calm down for Dean." Dean needed him? For what? One look at Dean was all Sam needed to feel his fiery anger being essentially dunked in ice. His older brother was just staring at the floor, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Sam already knew what he was thinking and he had to stop it. 

"Dean?" He called, pushing Gabe aside to kneel in front of his big brother. 

"Hmm?" Was all the answer he got back.

"Dean, I need you to look at me, man." Dean looked up and Sam swore he saw tears forming. "This changes nothing for us. You and me against the world. You and me. It's all we ever really needed." He sent through their telepathic link. 

"Why weren't we enough?" 

"It wasn't about that. We were always enough, he was just too blind to see it."

"I can't believe he would do this. I idolized him and he made us weapons while leaving this kid in an honest to God home."

"I know, Dean. Wouldn't you have left him too? He deserves to be normal."

"So do we."

"You. So do you. I would never have had that." Sam glanced away somewhat sadly. "And I'm okay with that. I've got dad and you. And Bobby. It's all I've ever wanted or needed."

"Do you know anything about your birth mom?" Sam sighed, he knew Dean picked up on his earlier lie and wouldn't let this go. 

"Dad said she was a wonderful woman with leukemia. They were very close friends and she begged him for one night together. She died in childbirth like most mothers of nephilim." Sam looked back at his brother and they locked eyes.  "I don't care about normal anymore. I need you, dad, and Bobby. Our own little family. It just took us longer to find it. It's little and broken, but still good." Dean looked startled for a minute then barked out a quick laugh.

"Did you just quote Lilo and Stitch?"

"You know Lilo and Stitch?" The brothers both laughed together for a few minutes before settling back into silence.

"Ohana?" Dean asked with a small smile. 

"Ohana." Sam confirmed, but his smile turned sad. "Ohana means family…"

"And family means nobody gets left behind…"

"...or forgotten."

Dean sighed before glancing at his dad and the new additions. "Damnit." 

"Did they just… have a whole conversation?" John questioned, still eyeing the boys skeptically. 

"Don't worry. You get used to it." Bobby gruffed then deflated, sensing equilibrium within the Guardians. 

"Can somebody please tell me what is happening?!" Kate nearly screamed again and Sam rolled his eyes. He and Dean stood in tandem. Sam quirked a cocky smirk at John as they reached the door.

"Good luck with… whatever this is." And then they left, knowing that John would have to do the 'monsters are real' speech and neither willing to aid him.

Chapter Text

Twenty minutes into 'the talk' the woman started screaming. She begged for her life. She begged for her child's life. She offered herself instead of her child. You name it, she tried. Sam rolled his eyes each time. He and Dean were in the living room trying to watch some TV, but they couldn't help but overhear. Supernatural hearing and all. The woman seemed convinced that they were all a bunch of psychopaths that had somehow drugged her and brought her to their home. Gabriel had offered to show the woman an example, but John was adamant that he do this. Sam was getting tired of it. That had been three hours ago. The poor little boy was terrified and John wasn't making it better trying to talk about bloodlines and apocalypses. Bobby had already told John to shut up what felt like forty-five times and called him an 'idjit' twice that. Sam was fed up. He'd sworn he wasn't going to help, but he could sense the terror growing in the little boy. He quickly tossed his brother the remote and blanket he'd curled up under before shifting into his fox, but only a small one. Not scary, just cute. He stretched a few times before grabbing one of Snickers tennis ball toys and padding off in the direction of the library. Dean was right behind him, giggling mischievously. It was nice to hear his big brother laugh again. Dean held the door open as Sam trotted into the room, tail wagging slightly, trying his best to imitate a dog. Dean would be so much better at this and he'd considered seeing if Dean would shift as well. But while Sam seemed to have some control over the size of his fox, Dean's wolf was always larger than life. He guessed it was fox's ability alone. Sam dropped the ball in front of the scared boy and nosed it toward him. The boy looked dumbfounded for a moment before gently reaching for the ball. Kate was finally quiet as she tried to puzzle her way through why a fox of all creatures had just offered to play ball with her son. The little boy tossed the ball across the room and Sam scurried after it. It actually wasn't half bad. Kinda fun. He tried to relax and allow his primal side to take over as much as possible. It would make it more authentic for the kid. Gabriel was staring at him with a genuine smile, while Bobby just looked proud. Dean picked up the ball and threw it down the stairs and across the living room. Sam turned to his brother and huffed in frustration (which only made Dean laugh harder) before running after the ball. "Cool! You have a fox that plays fetch?!" Sam heard the kid squeal in excitement. So maybe Sam teleported a little to get the ball faster, but Dean was a great big douche for throwing it so far. He could still teleport small distances when in his Fox form even with his wings bound. He popped back into the hallway outside the door before rushing back to the boys side and dropping the ball. He crawled into the lap of the kid and turned over on his back, chattering happily as his belly was rubbed. 

"Eh, he's not really a pet." Dean scratched the back of his head trying to figure out the best way to explain it. "More like a best friend and a brother all rolled into one." 

"I wish I had a brother." Sam paused in his wiggling, shooting a sad look at Dean. He hopped up and walked to his brother, nudging him toward the child. 

"He needs you, Dean. Just like I did." 

"He needs us , Sammy."

"I'm not his brother."

"A wise man once said…"

"Family don't end with blood." Sam finished with sigh. 

"And it don't start there either." Sam's fox ducked his head before glancing at the others. Gabriel was still grinning at him like he was the most wonderful thing to ever exist and Bobby had a soft smile on his face as well. John looked incredibly nervous and Kate was still confused about where the fox came from. Gabriel nodded slightly. A small thing granting him approval. He looked to his big brother and got the same warm smile and a scratch behind the ears. "What do you say, Sammy. Wanna be a big brother?" Sam shifted so fast back to his human shape that he landed with a thud and started laughing. Dean, Gabriel, and Bobby cackling with him. The child looked amazed that the fox he'd just been playing with was suddenly the man who'd been so angry earlier. Kate screamed. Again. Fucking screamy women. Being raised around tough-as-nails hunter women had made the screamy ones almost unbearable. Sam was tempted to snap and take her voice, but he didn't think that would be a good first impression. Dean glanced at the kid again and held out his hand. "Hey kid, I'm Dean and this is Sam. We're you're big brothers." The child's face lit up like he was watching fireworks and Dean was suddenly hit with the memory of him and Sammy in a field with an excessive amount of fireworks. 

"I'm Adam." The kid grinned brightly. "How'd you do that? Turn into a fox?" Sam scooted forward so he was closer to his little brother. That sounded odd, but he liked it. 

"I was blessed by the Earth herself. She gave me magic so that I can protect her and everything that lives on her." 

"Whoa!" The kid squeaked again. "Magic is real?!" 

"Sure is, kiddo. You just gotta know what's what. There's good magic and bad magic, but if you don't know what you're doing, you can do the wrong kind of magic and get in trouble. So never do any magic without help. Got it?" Dean stated with a smirk. Sam heard John quip about there not being any 'good magic', but a glare from Bobby shut him right up. 

"Can you turn into an animal too?" Adam asked Dean with glee in his eyes. Dean shot a questioning look at Bobby and Gabriel. He could make his own choices, was learning to make his own choices that weren't also orders from his dad, but sometimes it was nice to defer to your elders. He received a slight nod from both of the other Guardians and an encouraging grin from Sam. With everyone's support, Dean backed away from the kid and then shifted into his wolf. The kid looked a little scared at the size of Dean, but when his big brother shot him a wink and lifted his face skyward for his deep, haunting howl, Sam didn't think he'd ever seen a child so giddy. Sam laughed and picked the kid up, flipped him around, and planted him firmly on Dean's back. The wolf was large enough for Adam to solidly ride on his back. Kate seemed anxious, but afraid to upset anyone. Gabriel winked at her and Sam thought maybe he was using his grace to soothe the woman's nerves. "Can everyone do this?" Adam asked, still gripping the fur at Dean's shoulders tightly. Dean slowly and carefully walked toward Gabe before nudging him with his forehead. He laid down and allowed Adam to slide off before shifting back to his human self and holding the child in his lap. Sam watched as his father began making a show of his shift, playing up the trickster role. He lunged to all fours of his Coyote before laying down and rolling onto his back. Sam laughed as his father wiggled toward Adam, begging for belly rubs. "What kinda dog is he?" 

"He's Coyote. The trickster." Sam chuckled, his father was shameless, whining and begging for attention. "And if we want Uncle Bobby to shift, then we gotta go outside." A small bead of paper pegged Sam in the side of the head. Had Bobby really flicked a spitball at him? He sent a tiny bit of magic back to Bobby causing a little zap sensation, but it was really a cover for the true prank. Bobby's baseball cap was now a glittery pink with unicorns and the phrase 'Believe in Yourself' written in Barbie font across the front. Everyone in the room giggled or tried to hide their giggle as Bobby jolted with the shock. 

Bobby muttered something like "jackass" and "I'm too old for this shit" under his breath as he headed out the door of the library, apparently having had enough of their foolishness. He hadn't found the hat yet. As he left, Gabriel shifted back to human, but was still laying on his back. He was laughing a big belly laugh. Actually rolling on the floor laughing his ass off. 

"Oh boy, kiddo. You did not fall far from the tree." Gabriel chuckled, patting Sam on the head. John was even grinning a little. 

"Was that magic?" Adam asked innocently. Sam thought about how to explain that to his little brother. It kind of was. He probably could've used his pagan magic, but he was more comfortable using his grace for things like that. Dean stepped in, knowing the look of confusion on Sam's face well enough to know what he was thinking. 

"Sorta, kid. I think… I think he used a different kind of magic. See, Sammy and Gabe over there," Dean added, pointing to the archangel. "They have special angel magic." Adam's eyes widened drastically. He looked between Sam and Gabriel a few times. 

"You're angels ?" He asked innocently. Gabriel smiled softly at the awe on the kid's face. 

"The archangel, Gabriel." His father said with a swoop of his arm and a very formal bow. "At your service." Adam giggled and Sam was suddenly so glad that Dean and Gabe were so much better at explaining things to kids than he was. 

"Which angel are you?" The little boy turned to Sam, blinking huge innocent eyes. 

"I-I'm only half angel." He stuttered out, suddenly a little embarrassed by the looks of adoration the little guy was giving him. "Gabriel's my dad, but my mom was human." Adam's eyebrows scrunched and he looked thoughtful for a long minute.

"How are you my big brother then?" 

"The same way that Dean's my big brother. Family isn't all about DNA." Sam couldn't bring himself to start talking about blood in front of a child. The kid climbed into Sam's lap, looking up at him like he'd hung the moon. It was odd, but now he understood why Dean had always acted like he had about Sam. He knew he'd never let anything happen to Adam. The boy yawned and Sam realized that it was probably pretty late. Not that he really thought about sleep much anymore. "Do you want to sleep in my room, Dean's room, or your own room?" 

"But my room’s not here." Adam stated.

"No, but I can make you one. Only if you want though." Adam nodded excitedly. 

"Kate can stay in my room." John added and Dean startled like he'd forgotten the man was there. Sam rolled his eyes. Of course John was hoping to get some action. He heard Gabriel mutter something about sound proofing and smirked. Sam snapped his fingers creating Adam a room right between his and Dean's. He'd never messed with the structure of the house before, but he'd been practicing on smaller things. It didn't take much to add the room, but the stuff inside took a little more finesse. 

"What'd ya do that for?" Adam asked, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Sam stood and picked the boy up. 

"Come on, I'll show ya." Gabriel was grinning, beaming with pride. Kate nervously followed behind them, anxious about leaving her child alone with something clearly so strong. Sam made sure he was extra gentle, not wanting to accidentally hurt his little brother. Dean jogged ahead, looking at the five bedroom doors. He knew that Adam and Kate (and even John) would probably get lost at first. He had a thoughtful look on his face, then Sam watched as he waved his hand and their names all appeared on their respective doors. Adam looked surprised for a minute then wiggled his way down. Sam figured ten-ish was a little old to be carried, but the kid looked beat and his nephilm strength made it beyond easy to pick him up. They watched as Adam pushed the door with his name on it open and peered inside. Sam had decorated the room in a forest theme. There was a bunk-bed that was shaped like a huge tree and the bed like a tree house in one corner of the room. It was like having a giant tree fort inside your bedroom. There was a desk underneath where Adam could keep up with schoolwork, a huge closet where Sam would have Gabriel snap up some clothes, and a big TV that was nearly the size of a whole wall. There was an Xbox and Playstation connected to it. Sam looked at the wall in confusion. He hadn't done that. Gabriel sauntered in with a smirk and Sam knew his father was responsible. Sam had also left a blank wall to fill with pictures and start Adam's collage. He watched his father snap and the closet and drawers were full of clothes. He snapped again and a few photos popped onto the wall. One of Adam with both of his parents, Adam with Sam, Adam with Dean, Adam riding Dean's wolf, playing with Sam's fox, hugging his mom. It was a good start and Sam grinned at his father. Adam was searching through the room looking at all of the things Gabriel had added. Dean was looking thoughtful again and Sam knew his big brother was getting ready to do something, but hadn't acted yet.

Adam turned to Sam and asked, "This is all mine?" 

"Sure kid. You guys will probably stay with us for a while, but even if you leave, you'll need somewhere to stay when you visit." Adam hugged them all before climbing up into his tree-fort-bed. Sam, Gabriel, and Dean turned to leave the room, but ran straight into Kate and John. Both humans were staring at the room in surprise. Sam guessed they had kind of gone all out considering John's room was rather barren. Sam and Dean's rooms were both more mature considering their ages. 

"Where did all of this come from?" Kate asked, eyeing the large tree bed in the corner of the room.

"We, uh, we made it." 

"When? You couldn't have known we'd be here that long ago." 

"Just now." Sam shrugged, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. Kate was still enamored with the magic of it all and it always made Sam a little uncomfortable.

"Come on, Sammy. I got an idea." Dean grabbed his brother's sleeve and dragged him out of the room. 

"Oooh I gotta see this!" Gabe chirped, following behind quickly. Dean dragged him down stairs and then to the gym. He walked to the pool room that was rarely used. It had a pool, but it was more like a lap pool for exercise. Sam noticed his father holding back and figured he was supposed to be practicing anyway. He snapped making the room the size Dean asked for and removing the pool. He put a nicer glass door in, connecting the new room to the gym and an extra large door to the outside deck. He turned to his brother, waiting for the next request. When Dean told him the plan, he grinned brightly. They'd always dreamed about this. 

In the end, Sam had made the room four stories. Three tall and one dug into the ground. He turned all the walls into glass and then he and Dean spent the next eight hours decorating, adding, building, and creating. Gabriel even pitched in a few ideas and made the space even larger. Sam knew his father was bending space again and he honestly couldn't have been more excited. He couldn't wait for his little brother to wake up now. Dean and Gabriel looked just as excited, maybe moreso. When they were finally done, Gabe grinned brightly at them.

"You boys have outdone yourselves. Honestly, I'm a little surprised it took you this long." The brothers smirked at each other before heading back up stairs toward the bedrooms. Sam broke off to his room and quickly changed into the appropriate attire. He met Dean (who had changed just as quickly) in front of Adam's room. They woke their little brother like it was the most exciting morning on the planet. Adam rubbed his eyes sleepily, but seemed to realize something big was happening because he sat up quickly and scooted out of bed. Dean tossed the kid what he needed to wear before calling, "Come on, kid" as he headed back out the door. Adam glanced at the shorts in his hand in confusion. Sam caught his eye and winked before following Dean. 

Adam met them at the bottom of the stairs, changed and ready for the surprise. The brothers led him to the new room, almost running in their childlike excitement. Sam covered Adam's eyes as they walked up to the door and Dean pushed it open. Sam guided his little brother through the door before dropping his hands, letting Adam see what they had worked all night on. It was almost an entire water park. A huge pool with multiple large slides. The largest being almost two stories tall. The pool was 15 feet deep where the slides ended and had a lazy river floating all the way around most of it, cutting through part of the shallow end. The opposite side if the shallow end had a swim up tiki bar that Gabriel had added in his own excitement. The opposite side of the tiki bar was a large jacuzzi, big enough for about 15 people. There was a diving board, water volleyball, basketball, and all sorts of pool toys and floats. Gabriel was sitting at the swim up bar, sipping on something that looked like a Pina Colada with an umbrella in it. Sam glanced down and Adam's face was pure joy. 

"Well go on, kid." Dean grinned as he nudged the youngest of them toward the slides. "I'll race ya." Sam laughed as Adam bolted for the slides with Dean hot on his heels. 

"What are you waiting on?" Gabriel asked him with a smirk like he knew the answer. Sam grinned mischievously and Gabe rolled his eyes, snapping and teleporting Sam so he landed at the top of the slide platform right in front of his brothers. Adam yelped slightly, startled by the sudden appearance. Dean muttered "cheater" as he pushed past and launched himself down the tallest slide. Sam waited a moment to hear Dean's splash before nudging Adam go the slide. The kid squealed as he slid down the spiral and then made a smaller splash. Maybe Adam had to be exposed to the supernatural. Maybe he would be scarred and never be normal just like Dean, but at least they could have this. 

After about thirty minutes, Bobby wandered in. He momentarily looked stunned before Gabe snapped the man into swim trunks. Sam and his brothers tried to hide their grins, but it didn’t take long before the older man was chuckling with them and seated himself next to Gabriel with a beer. The brothers played for a few hours, swimming, sliding, diving, and even a vicious game of volleyball that Bobby and Gabriel got into. They had split into teams, ‘kids versus old men.’ Sam, Dean, and Adam won, and Gabriel being the poor loser he was, demanded a rematch of beach volleyball not water volleyball. He insisted that he was much better at the game on sand. The archangel snapped, adding a sand pit with a volleyball net next to the pool. Sam made his own stipulation of ‘no powers’ if Adam was playing. They were about twenty minutes into the game when John and Kate found them. 

“The hell is goin’ on here?” John half shouted from the door. The game stopped immediately when Dean, seemingly on instinct, stood at attention. 

“Sorry, Sir.” Sam shot a questioning look at his brother, but his attention was drawn to the small gasp behind him. Adam seemed to be nearly hiding from John behind Sam, eyes wide and fearful. Apparently he’d never seen this side of John. Sam bumped Dean’s shoulder with his own and Dean seemed to revert back to the relaxed version of himself he’d been the past few months. Sam picked up the volleyball and tossed it up in the air before catching it again. 

“Just playing with the kid. No big deal.” Sam was aiming for casualness, trying to lighten the mood and save Adam from seeing this. 

“No big deal?!” John roared. “People are out there dying and now that you four have all the power in the world you decide to fuck around?” Sam felt Adam grab onto the back of his shirt and his protective instincts took over. The room began to crackle with power and not pagan magic, this was all archangel righteous fury. Dean grabbed onto Adam, tugging him away from Sam and shielding the kid with his body. John pulled Kate behind him, but none of it stopped the ire from rising in Sam as his grace flashed dangerously in his eyes. He slowly walked toward John, head held high. 

“People are always dying. People will always die.” The lights flashed around him and he knew the humans could see the outlines of his wings. Even bound like they still were, they stretched out in dominance and anger. “There will always be monsters killing people and there will always be hunters to kill the monsters. It’s a cycle. A balance.” He continued walking slowly until John was backing away, but he didn’t stop his advance. He felt like maybe he should be shouting, but his voice never raised. A deadly calm. “You never really cared about saving people, just fighting another war, but this one for revenge. You’ve only ever really cared about avenging Mary.” He finally came to a stop, still a good distance from John. “In your quest for revenge, you wasted the childhood of one of my brothers. I won’t let you do it to another.” The lights flashed again, displaying his wings behind him. John looked ready to piss himself and he heard Dean inhale sharply at his words. He turned to look at his brothers sadly, but a sharp, stabbing pain hit him in the back. He shouted in surprise and hit his knees. It hurt. It hurt so badly. He hadn’t felt pain like this since… Oh no. He turned wide surprised eyes to his father and gasped, “Dad!” Gabriel looked just as confused as he felt, but Sam saw the moment realization hit his father. 

“Oh, shit!” Gabriel cursed, flying directly to Sam. He heard Gabriel shout “Close your eyes!” moments before the blinding pain exploded from his back and everything went dark. 

~~~
Gabe realized what was happening half a moment too late. Last time Sam had sprouted wings, he’d been emotional too. It seemed Sam’s soul and emotions fueled his grace somehow. But he hadn’t had his wings bound and he hadn’t been around humans. Gabe leapt into action, knowing he wouldn’t have time to fly Sam away before the grace exploded from his son’s back. He yelled at everyone to cover their eyes and quickly unbound Sam’s wings. He just got the small forcefield around the nephilim before the grace forced its way from Sam’s in the shape of a second bigger set of wings. He felt the grace rock the foundation of the house and he looked around, anxious about what else could have happened. Dean was on top of Adam, a small green forcefield around the both of them. John and Kate were huddled behind Bobby who had a blue forcefield of his own defecting anything from the humans. Gabriel looked down at his son who was lying unconscious. He hadn’t really meant to leave the kids wings bound so long, but it had been so comforting to know the kid couldn’t just up and vanish. It seemed his second set of wings had been trying to grow in for a while now, but the binding kept it trapped and Sam’s anger pushed it past what the binding could hold. 

“What. the hell. was that?” John breathed as he pushed himself back to his feet. Dean and Bobby both shrugged. Gabriel was still irritated by the man. They’d been having so much fun until he had to come in and ruin it. 

“Well good job, John. You pissed him off so bad he grew a second set of wings.” Everyone gaped at the archangel, seeming to struggle with everything that’d just happened. 

“Is he alright?” Dean asked, looking worriedly at the still unconscious nephilim. 

“He’s fine, just needs to rest. Last time took hours and he slept for an entire day afterward.” Gabriel leaned down and picked up his son. It probably looked pretty weird with the size differences, but Gabriel was plenty strong enough to pick him up. He flew to Sam’s room and deposited the boy in his nest. Gabriel snapped, changing Sam’s shorts to pajama pants and cleansing the sand and chlorine off. Sam sighed and nestled into his blankets and pillows. Gabriel didn’t hesitate to crawl into the nest with his son. Angels didn’t have the same personal space or social issues with cuddling that humans do. Or they didn’t before he left heaven. Angels would have a nest for their ‘flocks’ or closest angels. They would spend time being close, sharing grace, and grooming their wings. The oldest angels would spend plenty of time curled up with the fledglings to make sure they knew they were loved. It helped the little ones grow. Gabriel thought that things were probably very different in Heaven now. 

He pulled his son’s head to rest on a pillow in his lap while he fiddled with Sam’s hair, his grace soothing the turmoil and pain within the nephilim. He could sense the humans and pagans moving around down stairs and in the kitchen. He figured Adam had expended enough energy to be starving. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. Hopefully it wouldn’t be long before Sam woke up. 

~~~

When Sam woke, it was to a dull ache in his back, but the rest of him was beyond comfy. He knew his head was on a pillow and that his father was in the nest with him. Sam could feel his grace tangled tightly with his fathers, seeking the comfort of a parent. “D-dad?” He questioned, rubbing his eyes sleepily. What had happened? He almost felt like he’d been hit by a truck. 

“Welcome back, little one.” 

“What happened?” 

“Well, you got so pissed off at John that you sprouted new appendages.” Sam tried to think back to what had happened. John had interrupted their game, made Dean revert back into child soldier mode, and tried to guilt them into giving up one of the few good things they’d had. He’d gotten angry and then… Sam sat up suddenly and spread his wings gently. He had four now. Four. Gabriel was staring at him with pride. “Don’t freak out, Samshine, they’re beautiful. Same coloring as the other two, but a little bigger.” Sam nodded, he wasn’t quite as freaked out by this set as he had been the others. He stretched and moved them, trying to get the feel for four instead of two. That’s when he noticed that the binding was gone. 

“You un-grounded me!” Sam smiled excitedly. “Thanks!” 

“Sure thing, kiddo. I should’ve done it a while back, but I was having a hard time letting go.” His father sighed, running his hands through his hair and he felt Gabe’s grace tighten on his own where it was tangled. “Sam,” he always knew Gabriel was going to be serious when he wasn’t called by some goofy nickname. It was somewhat unsettling. Sam looked at his father sheepishly. He could already guess what was coming. “You have to promise me you will listen to me. Everything I say, everything I tell you to do from here on. I have to be able to trust you.” Sam smiled a small smile. 

“Yes, sir.” He hadn’t said that in a very long time and he especially hadn’t meant it. Gabriel seemed to recognize the significance of the statement, because Sam felt surprise run through his father’s grace. He chuckled slightly, but his good mood fell rapidly. He’d almost hurt his family. “I could have killed them.”

“No, little one. I wouldn’t have let anything happen. You know that.” 

“How can you be so sure? If you hadn’t figured it out. If you hadn’t told them to close their eyes! I could have burned Adam’s eyes out! I could have hurt my little brother, dad! How would I live with myself then?” Sam was starting to verge on panic, but he knew that his emotions tended to cause his grace to go haywire. He closed his eyes and took several calming breaths before peering back at his father again. 

“I would never have let that happen, little one. Remember, time is…” 

“Fluid.” Sam finished, taking another steadying breath. 

“Exactly. And as an archangel, I have better control over it than most. Even if you had hurt someone, I could flit right back in time and stop it. I would never let you hurt someone you care about.” Gabriel ruffled Sam’s hair playfully. “You get some more rest and I will let your brothers know you’re okay.” His father stood and made his way to the door. “Come down stairs in a little while and I will make you that chicken alfredo you love.” Sam smiled softly and laid back down in his nest. He’d come so close to hurting one of the few people he cared about. How could he trust himself around his family anymore? Who even knew what would happen if Dean or Bobby were exposed to his grace? Sam was much better off staying away from everyone for now. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but all he saw were visions of his brothers with their eyes burned out. 

Two days later and Sam still hadn’t gotten out of bed. Gabriel had tried to lure him out with his favorite chicken alfredo, Bobby had tried a new book, and Dean had just given him space. He still couldn’t get the image of his sightless brothers out of his head. He’d even added Kate, John, and Bobby a few times. He knew he was wallowing, having a pity party, but he was so scared of hurting someone. He just couldn’t help it. He was a monster. His bedroom door opened with a slam and he startled upright. Maybe he’d let his senses go a little bit since he’d been depressed. Dean stormed into the room, his magic glowing in his eyes. He ripped the covers from Sam’s nest and then caused a rain cloud to appear over his bed, a freezing downpour hitting his entire body. He yelped in surprise, but didn’t do anything to retaliate. 

“Get. up.” Dean ordered through gritted teeth. Sam didn’t move, just snapped a small canopy into place over his bed to block the rain. “Get a shower. Now.” 

“You already gave me one.” Sam said, pointedly looking up at the rain cloud that was still dumping water over his room. 

“Okay, smartass. Get up and get a shower. Come on. I am not fucking around.” He grabbed Sam by the arm and tugged him from the bed. He landed on the ground with a thump and a groan. This wasn’t how he wanted to start his morning. Dean teleported them into his bathroom and then manhandled him into the shower. His brother started the warm water and backed out of the shower, but didn’t leave the bathroom. He stood with his eyes closed just outside the stall. “Hurry up, princess. I’m not standing here all day.” Sam sighed, the shower really did feel wonderful. He washed his hair and body and heard Dean snort as he smelled the soap. It wasn’t his fault he liked to smell good. 

“Oh, don’t start that shit. I know just what dad keeps your shower stocked with.” He caught the slight blush on his brother's cheeks and grinned. Dean may make fun of him for liking ‘girly soap’ which isn’t girly at all, but he really doesn’t complain about the Dr. Squatch soap or shampoo his father had taken to leaving in Dean’s bathroom under the guise of ‘oops, I got too much.’ Sam finished his shower and turned the water off. He was hit in the head with a large, fluffy towel followed by a smaller towel designed for drying hair. It twisted and had elastic to hold your hair in place, securely off your neck and face. Sam thought maybe it was called a turbi twist or something stupid like that. It did look sort of like a turban and Dean had gotten it for him as a joke. Now, he was constantly tossing one at him when Sam had wet hair. He huffed in frustration at his brother, but knew Dean was trying to make him feel better. He couldn’t be too mad. He quickly toweled off and dressed in the sweatpants and t-shirt Dean had grabbed for him. By the time they got back to the bedroom, Dean had dried Sam’s nest and replaced the sheets with clean ones. Sam climbed into the nest and Dean wasted no time hopping up beside him. They didn’t cuddle like he did with his father, but they sat shoulder to shoulder comfortably. Dean grabbed the remote for Sam’s tv and turned on an old black and white monster film. They watched for a long time in companionable silence before Dean brought anything up. He kept his eyes trained on the tv and Sam was eternally grateful that Dean knew him so well. “So, what’s been going on?” 

“I could have really hurt you. Or Adam. Fuck, I’d even feel guilty if I hurt John. Every time I close my eyes, I just see you guys with your eyes all burned out.” Dean grunted in acknowledgement, but was quiet for a few more minutes. 

“Well, you know that’s total horseshit. Gabe wouldn’t’ve let you do that, even if it was an accident.” 

“I know that. Logically I know that, but it doesn’t matter. I can’t shake this. I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you or Adam.” Dean hummed before hopping off the bed and grabbing Sam by the arm again. 

“Come on.” he said, tugging Sam along behind him. Dean teleported them to the gym and shoved Sam roughly to the ground. “You think you can hurt me? I’d like to see you try, little brother.” Sam stood and brushed himself off. He wasn’t in the mood for this. He spread his wings, preparing to fly back to his room when Dean landed an open hand punch to the center of his chest. Sam flew back, landing against the wall hard enough to shake the entire house. He grunted and picked himself back up off the ground. 

“Stop it, Dean. Cut it out.” Dean immediately teleported behind him and kicked him in the back, sending him sprawling to the ground. Again. He groaned and pushed himself back to his feet. He heard footsteps and looked over his shoulder to see the rest of the family enter. No doubt coming to see what the commotion was. “Fuck,” he cursed as he got back to his feet. Again. Dean was being annoying and now there were humans in the room. Gabriel hadn’t left their side though, so hopefully his father was keeping them safe. Sam felt the room be reinforced by Gabriel’s grace. Dean was approaching rapidly again, not looking like he was going to let up any time soon. Dean kicked him in the side and Sam caught his leg easily, deflecting the impact, but refusing to fight back. 

“Fight me, Sam! Come on, little brother! We haven’t sparred in a few days and you’re gonna get flabby.” Dean was advancing again and this time he threw a haymaker. Sam deflected again, clearly sticking to defensive techniques. “Get pissed! Where’s your fight?” Dean kept coming at him relentlessly. He looked over and noticed that Gabriel had created some type of observation room for them to sit in with a little shield. It kind of looked like a penalty box you’d see in hockey. Sam rolled his eyes, but continued to deflect his older brother's onslaught. He was getting pissed. He’d clearly told his brother he didn’t want to spar. He didn’t want to fight. He didn’t want to hurt anyone. He finally had enough when he saw Dean coming for him with a superman punch. Really Dean? A superman punch? While Dean was still in the air, Sam bolted forward into it, avoiding the fist and landing an open hand strike to Dean’s chest, sending him flying into the wall. Dean popped up with a loud laugh. “That’s my boy.” Dean grinned his deadly, wolfish smile before half shifting and attacking. They sparred for what seemed like hours and by the time they finished, they were both laughing. Sam felt so much better, less concerned with hurting his older brother. He’d even managed to do it with his younger brother in the room. The brothers laid on their backs just breathing and laughing. Gabriel whistled as he and the others walked out of the box. 

“I think that might’ve been one of your best sessions yet, kids.” They both stood back up, already recovered from the session. Bobby agreed immediately. 

“You’re both improvin’ a lot.” 

“That was so cool!” Adam had a look of pure glee on his face, big brother hero worship in full effect. 

“That was impressive, boys. I didn’t even recognize some of those moves.” Praise from John was such a rarity that they both looked dumbfounded. 

“Dad taught me Krav Maga, Mui Tai, Judo, Jiu-jitsu, Sambo, pretty much all the human styles of fighting plus the angelic techniques. I’ve been teaching it to Dean.” Sam shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. 

“Maybe you two can show ‘em to me sometime.” Sam felt his eyebrows hit his hairline out of surprise. Dean nodded dumbly and Sam knew just how important this was for his brother. He was about to say something when a flutter of wings and a new grace was suddenly in the room. Sam knew it had to be Castiel, but he was still nervous around the angel and pushed himself in front of the humans. 

“Hey, Cassie. What’s going on?” Gabriel asked and Sam noticed that the angel’s wings were fluttering in anxiety. 

“Hello, Gabriel. Samuel.” The angel nodded his head politely. “Michael and Raphael seem suspicious that I had reported nothing happening recently and then suddenly Azazel is dead. Killed with an angel blade.” Gabriel grimaced, clearly remembering the day that had happened. “They have called me home for… questioning. I fear that if I return to Heaven I will be sent for re-education.” 

“Re-education?!” Gabriel yelped, clearly offended by the concept. “Okay, yeah. No. You’re not going back to heaven. You can stay here with us.” Castiel looked much calmer after the invitation and Sam couldn’t help but grin at how the younger angel looked so much like a little brother looking for his big brother to fix everything. It almost reminded him of himself and Dean. The angel seemed to notice the others in the room. “John, Robert, Kate, Adam.” He dipped his head at each person like he thought that it was the only way to greet someone and then he turned to Sam’s older brother. “Hello, Dean.” Dean waved awkwardly at the odd angel. 

“Hey, Cas…tiel, was it?” The angel nodded and looked like he was going to speak again, but suddenly they all felt the air shift. A presence entering their space again and they welcomed her eagerly. 

“Hello, my Guardians.”

Chapter Text

Sam was overjoyed that Gaia had decided to visit, but he was also apprehensive. He wasn’t sure why she was there. They hadn’t called for her so clearly she had something to speak with them about. 

“Who the hell is this now?” John grumbled, but Gaia paid him no attention and moved to greet all of her Guardians. He watched as she hugged Dean, Gabriel, and Bobby before turning to Sam. 

“I see you’ve grown, my little earth angel,” she smiled and Sam smiled back at her, lifting his wings to show off the new pair. “They are beautiful.” She turned her attention to the humans in the room and John immediately tensed. 

“Dad, this is Gaia.” Dean explained and Sam hoped John wouldn’t respond in his typical John way. 

“This is who turned you into… whatever you are?” Sam watched John’s eyes narrow and knew immediately that now Gaia was in the same category as Gabriel. Dean nodded before seeming to look to Gabriel and Bobby for help. 

“We call her Gaia, but really she’s just the energy of the Earth. She chose Sam, Dean, Bobby, and myself to be Guardians for her. To help maintain the balance of life. It’s a huge honor.” Sam could tell that John was still struggling with the whole ‘becoming a monster to save the world’ thing, but he seemed to be trying. It was more than he ever thought would happen. “So, what’s up?” his dad asked Gaia in the same easy going tone Sam only wished he could master, but he could sense the anxiety of Gabriel’s grace underneath. 

“I’ve come to provide assistance.” Gaia smiled and Sam was struck again by just how beautiful she was. 

“Help how?” he asked, his eyebrows scrunching together. “And with what?” 

“I will not stand by and allow the Host to use a child as a bargaining piece, so I am here to offer a deal.” John grabbed Adam’s shoulder and tugged the boy behind him. Sam thought he might know where this was going and he was sort of excited, but wouldn’t admit it. Gabriel looked confused and Bobby looked thoughtful. Sam thought maybe they were thinking the same thing he was. “I require balance and my Guardians must be in twos. With the newest addition to your team, this option became possible.” Sam blinked in confusion. Newest addition? Was she talking about Castiel? “I can prevent the angels from using Adam as a vessel, same as I have Dean.” Sam noticed John’s grip on his youngest tightened and Sam thought this might be a hopeless effort. “However, he is very young. I will make him a temporary Guardian until the angels have stopped their foolishness or he comes of age. His powers will be limited and no permanent change will be made. Once he is eighteen, I will offer to make his watch as my Guardian permanent and increase his power or I will remove the power and he can continue his life as normally as possible.” Gaia smiled at Adam softly. “Being my Guardian will not stop you from going to college, having friends, or living your life fully.” She shifted her attention toward Castiel. “I thank you, little seraph, your addition to the team has allowed me to save the child should you also accept. I will make you my Guardian as well. You are strong and have always had humanity's best interest in mind.” She walked toward him and gently cupped his cheek. 

“What of my vessel?” Sam watched as Gabriel winced. His vessel? Shit Sam hadn’t even thought about the angel having a person stuck inside there. 

“That, young one, is the best part. I can create you a vessel much like I did your brother. Humans are made of me after all.” She laughed her soft birdsong giggle again. “James can return home with as much memory of this as you would like.” Sam watched as Castiel’s eyes brightened as he grinned. 

“In that case, I must accept.” Gaia beamed, fucking beamed at him and turned to the rest of the group. 

“Consider the option with the boy carefully. I will return momentarily.” She disappeared in a gust of wind and Sam turned worried eyes on his family. He was so worried that John would allow Adam to be in danger just because of his black and white views. He  watched as John turned to Bobby. 

“You agree with this?” Bobby nodded once. “It would protect my boy?” 

“It would. Gaia won’t won’t do us wrong. She just wants the kid safe.” John nodded, but then turned to Adam, crouching down and getting on the boy’s level. Sam wondered where this man had been his whole life.

“Son, I know this is scary, but this might be the best option.” Adam looked thoughtful before nodding solemnly. He glanced at Sam and Dean before turning back to John. 

“I would be strong like my brothers?” John grinned and Sam was really starting to question who the man really was. 

“Yeah, kiddo. You’d be strong like them and Uncle Bobby.” John glanced over at Gabriel and Sam then turned back to the kid with a weird resolve. “And Uncle Gabe.” Gabriel’s eyes widened dramatically and Sam thought maybe his own face was twisted into a weird look. 

“Well, maybe not quite as strong as Uncle Gabe,” Gabriel smirked and Sam rolled his eyes. Gabriel snapped and made a handful of DumDums appear in his hand. He unwrapped one, sticking it in his mouth before handing one to Sam, Dean, and Adam. “Welcome to the team, little guy.” Adam’s eyes light up and you would have thought the kid was given a second water park. Sam stuck the sucker in his mouth, grinning brightly. He couldn’t be happier with how this was turning out. Kate still looked concerned though. “We won’t let anything happen to him, Kate. I swear. This house is warded against everything except me, Gaia, Cassie, Sam, Dean, and Bobby. Well, I’ll add the squirt too, but nothing is getting in here. Add the fact that the angels won’t be able to use him anymore, they’ll leave him alone.” 

“And what if he chooses to keep the power when he’s older?” she asked, her eyebrows drawn tightly. 

“Then he will be nearly invincible and he will help us protect the planet until he chooses not to. Gaia’s last Fox passed their power on to Sammy. She was very old, likely one of the first Guardians to ever exist.” Kate nodded again and Sam could see the steely determination hit her eyes. Sam knew she would do whatever it took to protect her child. 

Gaia returned moments later with a body in tow. It was eerily similar to Castiel’s vessel, but somehow looked softer, more feminine, while also maintaining its strength. It was much bigger than she was and Sam thought it was almost comical how easily she was carrying it. She passed the vessel to Castiel who took the empty shell before nodding at her and disappearing. They only had to wait a few minutes before Castiel was back and in his new vessel. 

“I thought it best I leave the room to change vessels. Jimmy is now safely back with his family. Thank you, Gaia.” Castiel bowed his head in respect and gratitude. Sam was starting to like the angel, even if their first meeting wasn’t so smooth. He watched as Gaia reached forward and grabbed his face with both hands, much like she had Sam and Dean’s not so long ago. 

“Little seraph, you are a true representation of what He made the angels to be. They’ve lost themselves over the years. You, my brave one, have withstood every challenge they have given you and managed to keep what makes you so unique despite their best efforts to make you mindless. You aren’t afraid to take difficult risks and your continued connection to Him makes you a wonderful addition to my earth-angel’s family.” She smiled brightly and Sam knew what was next. “My Eagle. Maintain your courage and your spirit.” As Gaia passed her power to Castiel he rose into the air and a bright light shone from around him. Just as the other Guardians had, Castiel shifted into his animal form. Sam watched in awe as the angel transformed into the most glorious bald eagle that he’d ever seen. All eagles were large, but Castiel’s Eagle was huge! He let out a deafening squawk and suddenly Sam was overcome with an urge to move he hadn’t felt before. It was odd and he couldn’t stop himself from bowing his head gently and bringing his right hand up to his heart. He cupped his hand in the shape of a half moon and held it over his heart. He wasn’t sure what made him want to do this, but a glance at Dean, Bobby, and Gabriel proved that all three of them were in the same stance. Sam realized it must be something like a salute. Gaia smiled brightly at them before shifting her attention to Adam. The Guardians relaxed and Castiel shifted back to his human form. 

“Come forward little one,” Gaia said softly and Sam watched as his little brother straightened his posture and bravely moved forward. Sam couldn’t be more proud of him and he knew everyone else must be feeling the same way. Gaia repeated the gesture and cupped the child’s face. “Trust your instincts, but listen to your family, little one. Let them be your guide. You will heal them in all ways.” She grinned and then leaned forward to press a soft kiss on Adam’s forehead. “My Hawk.” Adam floated, repeating the same movements as Castiel before the boy transformed into a large red tailed hawk. As the Hawk squawked, Sam and the other Guardians repeated their moon salute. Gaia gasped and held out her hand. “Come here, little Hawk.” Adam landed on her hand and she smoothed a hand down his back feathers. “What an interesting turn.” She smiled again and then set the hawk down. Adam shifted back to human and squealed in delight. 

“I was flying! Did you see me?!” John grinned and nodded. 

“Yeah, buddy. I saw.” 

“What is it, Gaia?” Gabriel asked and Sam watched as she turned her attention toward the archangel. 

“Protect him, Coyote.” Gaia disappeared quickly. Of course she would be cryptic. 

~~

The guardians spent the next few weeks teaching Castiel and Adam to control their new pagan powers. Castiel managed it easily. Being an angel and using his grace helped with managing new powers. The biggest change was learning to shift on command. Adam struggled a little more, but he was young and everyone knew there would be a learning curve. Adam was drastically weaker in power, but still physically strong and still immortal. That's what mattered. Gaia had limited his abilities so he couldn't get into too much trouble as a child. Gabriel and Sam taught the new Guardians to fight. Sam and Dean sparred with John frequently while he spent his own time teaching Kate basics. They taught Adam and Kate basic lore. Adam was enrolled in the same online high school that Sam used to finish his schooling. They trained Castiel in the use of human weapons as a backup plan. Adam ended up being a decent shot, but would still need work. Everyone overruled John and insisted that they also have plenty of play time. Sam argued that they got as much of a workout playing volleyball or chasing each other throughout the water park as they did running laps and doing pushups. John still grumbled about not hunting, but eventually relaxed into the routine when Bobby reminded him that he was now the only available vessel for an archangel. They were keeping a close eye on the demons. Azazel’s death would have left a power void and Gabriel expected that they would try and continue to pursue Sam. So far, nothing, but that didn’t mean a whole lot. Sam could tell that it was making his father anxious. 

It was still kind of a weird dynamic in the house. It was almost like having three fathers and a mom with no clue. Luckily, Gabriel could cook because Kate was clueless. Dean, surprisingly, seemed to take interest in cooking and frequently helped Gabe in the kitchen. Sam had to admit, Dean was getting good at cooking. 

John seemed to be relaxing his opinions on the supernatural somewhat. He still struggled with the idea that ‘monsters’ could be good. He still argued that creatures like werewolves, vampires, and skinwalkers were monsters and needed to be hunted. Dean had laughed at the idea that vampires were real, but was incredibly excited to hunt one now. Sam had to admit that it did sound fun, but decapitations weren’t really his idea of a good time. He was, however, enjoying his time as a big brother. Adam was a good kid and quick learner. Sam wanted the kid prepared if he ever needed it, but also to be able to still be a child. Normalcy. Something Sam had never known and thought Dean desperately deserved. 

Sam wandered into the kitchen in his pajamas. He'd actually slept last night and since he slept less he tended to sleep harder. It seemed to take him even longer to get really awake now. He fumbled with the coffee maker for a few minutes before Dean bumped him aside. He hadn't even noticed his brother enter the kitchen, much less walk up behind him. Sam grumbled and sat down at the island in a huff. John wandered in not long after and Dean sat them identical cups of black coffee on the island. Sam groaned. He really wanted it sweetened with chocolate and cream. Dean rolled his eyes and waved his hand fixing the coffee into what he knew Sam was wanting. He even added sprinkles. Not that Sam really wanted sprinkles, it was more of a dig. A joke because Sam was becoming more and more like Gabriel in his cravings for sugar. Gabriel always had sprinkles on his whipped cream. It didn't matter what he was eating or drinking. Sam hummed and took a sip. It was perfect. Once he was about half finished and awake enough to function he noticed John giving him an odd look. 

“What?” He asked, wiping his mouth and face thinking he had whipped cream all over it. John grunted, not much more awake than Sam.

“Just don't remember you bein’ so into sweets.” Sam shrugged. It was a newer development and it wasn’t like John had ever really been there to notice. 

“The longer we’re here, the more he acts like his dad.” Dean quipped absently. Sam noticed an odd expression cross John’s face and really hoped this wasn’t going to be an issue. John simply cleared his throat and took another sip of his coffee. Sam noticed Dean was starting to make breakfast so he stayed in his seat. He could tell Gabriel was in the library, Kate and Adam were starting to wake. It was nice to have a family, even if it was an odd one. 

Adam wandered in first. He took in the breakfast in preparation and sat at the island with John and Sam. They shared some small talk. How's school? Can you help me with my math homework? What’s the weather today? It was all very domestic. Dean served gravy and biscuits with a side of bacon. It wasn’t their typical breakfast, but apparently he wanted to try cooking it. Kate stumbled down the stairs next, holding her head, wearing sunglasses, and wincing at the noise. She looked hungover and Dean actually asked her if she needed a greasier breakfast. 

“No, I'm fine. Just a migraine.” She leaned over and kissed Adam on the head before grabbing some coffee for herself. Sam was about to offer to try and heal the migraine when he was cut off by Adam. 

“Sammy, do we have any catnip, peppermint, and vervain?” Sam squinted at the odd question. They didn’t have any of that. 

“Uh… I think we can get some. Why?” 

“For mom’s headache.” That got everyone’s attention. 

“Whatcha talkin’ about little man?” Dean asked as he fixed his own plate and sat down. 

“Those herbs made into tea will help mom’s headache.” Adam shrugged, still eating his food like he hadn’t just said something off the wall. Sam and Dean shared a glance before the nephilim snapped his fingers as quietly as possible and the herbs landed in the middle of the island. Dean retrieved another mug and filled it with water before heating it to the perfect temperature for tea. Sam pinched off a few leaves from each plant and dropped them into the water. Adam stood and grabbed the bunch of peppermint. He got a metal pot from the cabinet and put the peppermint bunch inside. He held his hands over the pot and there was a sizzling sound. Sam watched perplexed as his little brother seemed to work some kind of magic. He hadn’t thought Adam had any magic really. After a few minutes, Adam looked back at Sam expectantly. “Can I have a glass bottle?” Sam nodded and created a glass bottle with a cork stopper. He passed it to his little brother with a curious look. Adam poured what was in the pot into the bottle and passed it to his brother with a big smile. 

“What is it?” Dean asked, looking at the bottle in Sam’s hands. 

“It’s peppermint oil. Pure peppermint essential oil.” Sam smiled and remembered Gaia’s words, that Adam would be a healer. It seems she wasn’t wrong. Adam took the bottle again and then moved toward his mom. He unstopped the bottle and dipped his finger inside and then rubbed the oil over her forehead, behind her ears, and on her neck. Adam placed the bottle back on the table and then hopped up in his seat, continuing his meal like nothing had happened. After a moment, Kate sighed. 

“Did it help, mom?” 

“Yeah, baby. It’s helped a lot.” Huh. Well that would be a good skill to have. “How’d you know to do that?” 

“I dunno. I just did.” Adam shrugged as he finished his food. Sam smiled. Healer it was. 

~~~

Sam was sitting in the library with the entire family except Gabriel and Castiel. His father had insisted on cooking dinner and the younger angel was outside ‘standing guard’ as he called it. Sam thought the seraph really just enjoyed watching wildlife. He was reviewing angel lore with everyone and Sam knew Gabriel had a hard time explaining it without getting emotional. Sam didn’t mind. He didn’t really have the emotional connection that Gabriel did. Currently, he was explaining ways to protect yourself from angels. He thought showing the humans how to banish an angel would be important. He used a small dagger to cut his hand and then showed them how to draw the banishing sigil. John insisted that Kate and Adam actually cut their hands and draw the sigil themselves. It wasn’t a horrible idea, but Sam’s stomach still turned at the idea of having his little brother cut himself unnecessarily. John had argued that if the time came for them to really need to use it, they needed to be prepared for the pain. Everyone had reluctantly agreed with the logic. It wasn’t like Sam couldn’t heal them afterward anyway. 

Sam watched as Adam sliced open his little hand and painted the symbol in his own blood. The kid got it right on the first try and Sam couldn’t have been more proud. 

“Where do they go when you banish them?” Adam asked curiously. Sometimes Sam wondered how he wasn’t related to Adam. The kid was always asking questions and had a real desire to learn and know things. Sam couldn’t stop himself from going into in depth discussions about the things Adam questioned. 

“Well, this version sends them back to Heaven. There is a version that sends them to different places on Earth, but it’s a little harder to draw accurately.” It was an understatement. You had to have a full working understanding of Enochian to learn the Earth banishment. Sam would eventually teach it to them, but not just yet. He wanted them prepared as soon as possible and that meant learning the easiest and most effective solutions first. “Once you’ve drawn the sigil, you just slap your bloody hand across the symbol.” Sam knew he’d fucked up when he didn’t specify that Adam should only do this if bad angels are around. He had no idea what would actually happen if someone used the sigil with him in the room. Gabriel had speculated that it would probably work. Sam had enough angel in him that the sigil would at least do something . Everything slowed down, almost like slow motion, but it was still going too fast for him to stop it. 

The last thing he heard was Adam’s childlike voice calling “Like this?” Everything erupted into pain. It was like he was being torn into pieces. His pagan magic and soul trying desperately to fix the grace that was screaming. Or was that him screaming? His magic and soul finally latched onto his grace tightly. A ‘where you go I go’ type thing between the three parts of himself. Everything erupted into bright light and he felt himself being shoved forcefully from his home. He was out of control. It didn’t feel so much like flying as it did falling, but falling laterally or maybe in reverse. When he finally came to an abrupt and painful stop he groaned and lay very still for a few moments. His grace was out of sorts, flickering like it had been electrocuted. He took a few deep breaths and decided to brave wherever he had ended up. Maybe he could leave before anyone noticed he was there. That hope died immediately when he opened his eyes to see multiple angels standing in front of him with their blades drawn.

Chapter Text

Gabriel knew something was wrong even without hearing his child scream in agony. He immediately took flight for the library. It took him less than half a second to get there. He looked around and saw the banishing sigils and his heart sank. “What did you do?” He whispered. 

“I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!” Adam cried and Gabriel looked at the child sadly. He should've made sure he was the one teaching Adam about banishing sigils, but Sam was enjoying sharing his knowledge so much. He wanted to be angry. Who knew what the sigil would even do to Sam? Adam was just a child though and it truly had been an accident. He caught Dean's panicked eyes and took a deep breath. 

“Gabe…” Dean seemed to be as much at a loss as he was. Gabe knew what had to be done. He would have to find Sam and that would probably mean going to Heaven. He didn't want to spook the rest of the family. The only place that sigil could have sent Sam if it affected him was Gabe's former home. He took another deep breath and readied his blade. 

“Stay here. Nobody leaves. I'll be back” and then Gabriel took flight. 

~~~~~

Sam looked up from his position on the ground at the group of angels in front of him. A few had vessels like Castiel or his father, but several were in their true forms. It was eery and Sam really didn't want to think that his father could really look like this inside the vessel. Could he look like that as well? It was an odd moment to have that thought, when he had multiple angel blades pointed at him. A look around and somehow he could identify each angel by name and he could see their graces all reacting with fear. Honestly, what did they have to fear? He could hear them muttering to each other, asking questions. Sam spread his opalescent wings and tried to take flight, but nothing would happen. It was like something holding him in place. 

“Silence.” Sam looked up in fear, searching for an angel whose voice could command angels while speaking so softly. It was unsettling. When the angel came into view Sam knew immediately that he was in so much more trouble than he had been. Michael. In his true form, the commander of Heaven was huge . His wings folded in on themselves in something like a cower as he pushed himself to a sitting position. What was he supposed to do now? “Sam Winchester, a nephilim? I should've noticed sooner.” Michael spread his wings in a threatening way and Sam heard a sound leave his own throat. Did he really just whimper? What did it honestly matter? He was dead either way. He finally noticed a second archangel next to Michael. Raphael. He just hoped his father didn't show up and make this worse. “Now, tell me abomination. Who is your sire?” Shit. How was he supposed to answer that? He jutted his chin defiantly and prayed (ha!) that he pissed the archangels off enough that they killed him before finding out Gabriel was his dad. He remained quiet which seemed to annoy the archangels. “Perhaps it does not speak our language.” Sam wished he could roll his eyes, but they were currently glued on the angels before him. Of course they would think he was a moron. And ‘it?’ Did they not even consider him a person? He scowled.  

“His grace feels familiar, brother.” Raphael shared, his deep voice booming. Sam tried desperately to hide his grace, but it was no use. He could feel Michael and Raphaels graces poking at him, trying to get a feel for his own grace. He pushed himself back as far as he could before his back hit a wall. Suddenly, there was something in front of him. Or someone.

“Stay away from him.” Gabriel growled and Sam was torn between relief and fear. Relief that his father was here and would do what he could to save him, but fear that now his father would be killed. 

“Gabriel?” Michael actually sounded shocked and Sam would've laughed at the dumbstruck expression on his face (faces?) If he wasn't so terrified. “Brother, what have you done?” 

“Oh, just the greatest prank of all time.” Gabriel snarked in response. Sam felt a twinge of pain at that. Was his life really nothing more than one of Gabriel's tricks? He didn't think his father would be that cruel, but maybe he was wrong. Gabe glanced over his shoulder at Sam as if he sensed the doubt radiating from his son. Sam just looked away. This was all his fault anyway. “Come on, Samshine. Time to go.” Sam watched Gabriel beat his wings, but nothing happened. The same thing that had happened when Sam tried to leave. His father cursed under his breath before gripping his blade tighter, preparing to defend them with everything they had. 

“Gabriel, hold on!” Cas! Thank everything for Cas coming to their rescue! Sam saw Michael sneer and wave his hand and then a heavy feeling fell over his body. He whimpered again and grabbed for his neck where he could feel something circling it before Castiel gripped both Sam and his father and took flight. It was bumpy and rough, like flying through turbulence. It seemed to last forever, but then they landed in the living room of their house with a crash and Sam continued to scrabble and pull at whatever was around his throat. His hands couldn't feel anything, but his grace knew it was there. It was uncomfortable and heavy. Instinctively he knew he wouldn't be able to fly. It felt like asphyxiation, but he was drawing breath just fine. He called out for his father hoping desperately that he could fix what was wrong. 

“Shit!” Gabriel cursed as he sat knelt next to Sam and gently grabbed his wrists. Sam was surprised to notice that his fingers were red. He must have been clawing at his neck. He felt Castiel collapse next to him and groan. 

“Gabriel!” Cas cried and now Sam was nervous. He was the last person Sam wanted to be flustered. If Cas was upset then it must be really bad. “What do we do? He's…” 

“I know, Cassie. Damnit. I know.” What? Sam's what? This was killing him. Actually it might really kill him. Damnit why was he such an idiot and get himself caught? This was too much. Too tight. 

“They will…” 

“I know, Cas!” Gabriel snapped and Sam flinched away from the angry archangel. “No, no, shhh kiddo. I'm not mad at you.” Gabriel smoothed his hands over Sam's hair soothingly. 

“Sam!” He heard his name bellowed in Dean's voice and then his brother was on the side of him. “What's wrong with him?” 

“It's… it's a spell of sorts. A nephilim catcher. We used to call them ‘nephil nets.’ They basically lock down a nephilims grace so that the angel that casts the spell can catch up. Kinda like throwing out a net and hoping you catch the fish. Nephilim are surprisingly tricky and usually vicious. It's why Father outlawed them in the first place.” 

“Can you get it off?” Dean asked, concern laced throughout his voice. Sam knew from the look on his fathers face that there would be no way to get the spell off. He dropped his head down to the floor and tried to focus on breathing. 

“There's never been an archangel nephilim though, I have no idea what it will do to him. Maybe… maybe he can break it. Most nephils are powerful, but Sam could easily match me or be even stronger with a fully matured grace.” Sam watched his father run his hands through his hair. He could feel the ‘net’ pulsing over him and after hearing Gabriel explain what it was, the sensations made more sense. It did feel like a net or heavy blanket laying around him with his head poking out the middle. He tried to sit up, but couldn't. He felt too weighed down. “Don't try to move, Samshine. I'll… I'll figure something out. ‘Kay?” Sam nodded. He trusted his dad to handle this. If it was possible, Gabriel would figure it out. He felt himself be scooped up in Gabriel's arms and did his best to wrap his arms around his fathers neck to hold on. Seconds later and he was deposited onto his nest. Gabriel crawled in and pulled Sam's head onto a pillow on his lap. He felt Dean sit next to them and then his hands were being held by his brother. Dean was rubbing his thumbs over Sam's knuckles and it was so weird. Why was his brother doing this? Dean had always been okay with physical affection, but not hand holding. He tried to pull one hand free to scratch at his neck, but Dean held him tightly. Oh. Dean was trying to subtly restrain him. He groaned in frustration. His neck felt scratchy and weighted still. Like wearing a turtleneck that was too tight. Or a collar. As the thought struck him, he realized that was the most accurate description for the feeling. A thick, heavy collar. 

“Get it off.” He groaned, knowing that nothing can be done, but needing to say it anyway. 

“We can't, little one. The only angel that can remove it is Michael and he… he won't. I can guarantee you that.” 

“He's gonna kill me.” Sam whimpered, trying to bury his face in the pillow, but Dean wouldn't let go of his hands. 

“No, Sam. No. We won't let him. I promise you that.” Sam heard the door open and Bobby pushed his way in. 

“Well, at least he's alive.” Bobby grouched before looking at the two angels in the room. “Now, what's wrong with ‘im and how do we fix it?” Thank everything for Bobby. The man immediately went into problem solving mode. 

“Bobby, we need all the information we can find on Nephilim catching spells or ‘nephil nets’ you can find.” Gabriel directed without taking his eyes off of Sam. Bobby grunted and turned to leave. Sam heard Cas agree to help and then he was left alone with his father and brother. The minutes trickled into hours and days. Sam didn't really know and didn't really care how long it had really been. Dean had tried to get him to eat, but he couldn't keep anything down. Gabriel started using his grace to heal and nourish Sam's body, but Sam got no relief from it. At this point he would almost beg for death, but he knew it would only upset his family. He could feel his grace fighting against the spell, trying desperately to get free. He just hoped it would eventually be enough to crack the spell and give him some relief. 

~~~

Michael was furious. He stood and stared at the soul in front of him. How could Gabriel do this? Not only had he created an abomination, but he'd single handedly derailed Father's plans. How did this happen? How did Gabriel insert his abominable spawn into this story so that Lucifer's vessel was never even born? What had caused Gabriel to even want to create the little monster? Not even Lucifer would do that! It was a disaster. And now Gabriel had the most rebellious seraph on his side? Not to mention he could no longer find the other three vessels he could take. The one Winchester went missing long ago when a demon attacked. John wouldn't be the best fit, but it would be okay. He could make it work. Adam, the young one, wasn't really large enough for his purposes, but he might be able to drop the runt off in a pocket dimension and age him quickly. What he really wanted was Dean. His perfect match. Father had promised them that the vessels would be perfect. That they would understand each other. That Dean would see his brother was a monster that needed to be put down as much as Michael's own little brother. It was a kindness really. Lucifer and his vessel were both to be far past saving. Striking them down would only end their suffering. Now though? Now, the child that was supposed to be Lucifer's vessel wasn't even of the bloodline and a nephilim to boot. He couldn't be used as a vessel if he wanted to be. 

Michael growled deep in his chest as he watched the soul. It wouldn't be a good fit, but the vessel would be strong enough for these purposes. Lucifer's bloodline. They always gave him an uncomfortable feeling. A longing mixed with disgust. He guessed that technically his true vessel did have some of Lucifer's bloodline in him, but with Dean it didn't seem to matter as much. He moved to talk with the soul and get permission to use the vessel. He was the only one that could even track the damn creature and that's only because he's the one to cast the spell. He hoped Raphael was having more luck finding a vessel than he was. 

~~~

Gabriel watched his son as he laid on the bed like a stone. Or maybe a stoner. The kid was in a perpetual state of couch lock, but minus the fun feelings. It'd only been a day, but he knew angels would be coming for them soon. He detangled himself from the nephilim and crawled out of the nest. Dean hadn't left his side and Adam had been trying to sneak in for hours now. The child had barely stopped crying, apologizing for his mistake. Gabriel knew he would have to get the humans and Adam somewhere else that was safe now that Sam had an actual beacon on him. He could probably open another pocket dimension, but that would only draw the power away he needed to protect Sam. An idea came to mind. It would be risky and take some planning, but he thought he could pull it off. He snapped his fingers and found himself years in the past at a Men of Letters meeting that was going sideways quickly. Henry was about to use a time spell, interesting. No wonder they'd lost the man. He dispatched the demon quickly and grabbed Henry, taking flight back to the correct time. He knew he'd just screwed something big up in the future again, but honestly all he cared about was the present. 

“Who are you?” Henry called in surprise as they landed. “What are you?” He rephrased the question as wariness crept into his face. 

“Listen, it's a long, long story. All you need to know right now is that my name is Gabriel and I'm trying to help save your son and his children.” 

“Johnny?” 

“Yep. That one. Originally you would've used the time spell and never made it back anyway. I didn't change anything there and John grew up to be a real asshole. His kids are great and angels are after them, so I grabbed you and pulled you to our present. I need the key to the bunker that you have.” The look of shock that crossed Henry's face was enough to make Gabriel roll his eyes. 

“K-key?” Henry stammered.

“Yes, key. The key in that box.”

“I have no idea what's in the box. I'm supposed to protect it.” 

“I get that, Hank I do, but I'm running out of time here pal. I promise you, if you can trust anyone with this key, it's your grandchildren.” 

“Grandchildren..” Henry muttered to himself and Gabriel was really starting to lose his patience with the human. He snapped his fingers and the box appeared in his hand. He slid it open, revealing a key. He wandered down the steps that looked like they went to some piece of government water system and opened the door. The old bunker was warded to the max. Gabriel had only accidentally stumbled across its location and it was only a rumor. He'd done his research until he found the location, but by then Henry and the key had gone missing. Henry looked over the rails of the grand staircase in awe. Again, Gabriel rolled his eyes. He really didn't have time for this. He needed to get John, Kate, and Adam here ASAP. He slammed the door and made sure he would be able to fly in and out, setting the wards like they were at his house. He, Sam, and Cas would be able to fly in and out. Dean and Bobby could teleport. All of their Pagan magic and Gaia could access it, but otherwise you had to be human. 

“Stay here, Hank, or I swear to my Father I will lose my shit.” Henry looked at him again, eyes still wide with shock (fear?) and nodded quickly. Gabriel took flight back to his home. He could feel lower level angels in the area, but keeping their distance. This was escalating faster than he'd thought. He gathered the family in Sam's room, not wanting to explain himself twice. “Alright, here's the deal. Angels are coming. I've set up a secondary location that we can all access. It's an underground bunker with a ton of relics, books, and artifacts from the supernatural world. It's like Bobby's wet dream. We're moving everyone but Sam there. Cas and I will stay and guard Sam.”

“No. Hell no. No way. I'm not leaving my brother.” Dean protested and Gabriel should've known that separating the two would be the most difficult. Gabe snapped his fingers sending all of their personal items and Snickers to the bunker. 

“Look, kiddo. I get it. You wanna protect Sam, but were going up against archangels here. The bunker is the safest place on the planet and if something goes wrong I need you to be the one to protect John and Adam. Odds are that Azazel had a backup plan in case Sam died or refused to do what they wanted. If this goes wrong, you still have to save the world.” Gabriel noticed that Dean was tugged gently and looked to see Sam trying to pull him by the arm. Dean sat down and grabbed Sam's hand. 

“What is it?” 

“Go.” Sam panted and Gabriel winced. It was like whatever weight was on Sam only got worse by the minute. “Please go. Adam needs you.” Dean still looked unconvinced, but reluctantly agree. 

“Okay. Yeah. Okay. Everything's going to be okay. Got it? You guys deal with Michael and then come join us. You stay alive. You hear me, little brother?” Sam nodded weakly and Dean squeezed his hand one more time. 

“Alright, everybody hang on tight. Cas, stay with Sam.” Gabriel snapped his fingers, teleporting the family into the bunker. Teleporting was much easier than flying with five people in tow. Everyone looked around in surprise, but what really seemed to catch them off guard was the man standing in the middle of the room. 

“D-dad?” John stammered and Gabriel almost snorted a laugh. He didn't think he'd ever really seen John look like such a lost child. 

“My God, you've grown up so much.” Henry smiled sadly.

“Dad?!” Dean squeaked as he registered what his father was saying.  

“I'll leave you guys go get all caught up in this awkward family shitfest. Dean, if you need me, pray.” Dean nodded, but didn't take his eyes off Henry. Once Gabriel was satisfied that the kid would at least let him know if something was wrong he took flight knowing he needed to spend every last moment with his son possible.

~~~

Sam tried to lay as still as possible. Nothing really helped. His grace was so stunted he felt nearly human, unable to sense his father or Cas near. Castiel was standing in the room awkwardly, still struggling with forging friendships with the young nephilim. Sam understood. The angel had been told his whole life that Sam was a thing to be put down. He’d struggled with the same thing for a while after learning he wasn’t totally human. 

“Hey, Castiel?” Sam murmured, hoping to make use of the time the rest of the family was gone. 

“Hm?” the angel turned toward him slowly. 

“How did you get in and out of Heaven when dad and I couldn't?” Sam’s voice was coming out as a rasp now. He’d been wondering about this for a while. His original thoughts was it had something to do with being a nephilim, something that shouldn’t be in Heaven in the first place. Then he realized that his father hadn’t been able to leave either. He couldn’t understand how an archangel could have trouble with leaving the gates. 

“Long ago Michael set up a failsafe of sorts to prevent angels who had defected or left Heaven from continuing to come and go as they pleased. If you haven't been to Heaven in long enough then you require Michael’s permission to leave again. Once a rogue angel was found, you could use the sigil and banish them back to heaven, but then they were caught.” Sam hummed in acknowledgement. He was quiet for a while, knowing he needed to speed up with what he really wanted to ask.

“Would…” he licked his lips hoping he worded this correctly. “Would it fix anything if I turned myself over to Michael?” 

“What?!” The angel growled in shock. Sam still couldn’t get over how gravely the angel's voice was. He wondered if other angels sounded that way or if it was just this one. “Why would you think that?” 

“Would it keep them safe? Hypothetically, of course.” 

“Who?” 

“Dad, Dean… If I was gone, would Michael stop pursuing them? Give them a chance to come up with a better plan to stop the apocalypse.” Sam couldn’t look the angel in the eyes as he asked. 

“Hypothetically…” the angel mused. “If you were no longer in the picture, the others would probably be able to hide away and figure out a solid plan while the demons are fighting over who would take the throne of hell, much like we had planned before. Michael can’t do much about the apocalypse until the seals are broken for Lucifer’s cage. I’m sure they would probably try and ensure John went to hell and broke the first seal. Past that, I’m not sure what would happen.” Sam nodded, the wheels in his head turning quickly. He would only continue to lead the angels to his family until the spell was gone and so far there were no leads on that front. 

“Hey, Cas?” he whispered, drawing the angel's attention back to himself. “Tell them ‘I’m sorry.’” Sam revealed his bloody hand and the sigil he’d painted in his blood into the mattress. He slapped his hand across the sigil as hard as he possibly could with his waning strength. 

“No, Sam!” The angel shouted as he disappeared in a burst of light and Sam sighed. He hoped it worked. He tried to use the sigil that only sent the angel to another part of earth and not Heaven. He held his blade in his leaking hand as he pushed himself off the bed with as much strength as he possibly could. His head spun as he staggered to the door. He had to be quick, but it was all he could do to keep himself upright. After several long minutes of struggling, he finally found himself outside of the house and wards. He looked up toward the sky and then the land around him. This was it. This would be the last time he would see the beautiful world he loved so much. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before praying softly, “Michael.”

Chapter Text

It didn’t take long for Michael and Raphael to show up with several other angels. To Sam’s shock, Michael was in the body of his mother. Well not his mother, but Mary Winchester. It brought tears to his eyes. Why did the archangel have to do that? Why would he make Sam’s last sight a look of disdain from the woman he’d dedicated his entire life to avenging. He closed his eyes and swallowed past the lump in his throat. Just breathing was taking all of the strength out of him right now. Sam noted the look of disgust on the angel’s faces as they stared at him. 

“I’m surprised you could stand.” Michael mused as he tilted his (her?) head slightly. “Why did you call us? Surely you knew it would lead to your death.” Sam nodded and tried to think of how to explain what he was hoping for.

“I’ll turn myself over peacefully. You can do with me as you wish, but in exchange you stop hunting my family and stop the plans for the apocalypse.” Michael laughed condescendingly. 

“What made you think you had the right to bargain?” Sam looked away. He had really been gambling here. Hoping that he could get a little more out of his death. He shrugged. 

“It was worth a shot.” Raphael smirked at his response.  

“You really are Gabriel’s.” 

“Please, leave my family alone. You can have me. Just, stop going after them.” Michael actually looked like he was considering it for a long moment. 

“You have to understand, Dean is my match. We are not whole if we are not together. I cannot simply give that up.” Sam closed his eyes as a tear slipped down his face. He hoped that this one last act would be enough to give his family time to stop everything else. He slowly lowered himself to his knees and watched as Michael lowered his blade into his (her?) hand. The other angels followed. Michael lifted his blade by the tip and lifted his arm to throw it. Sam squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the pain. He heard the whoosh of air of the blade being released and heard the thud of it hitting flesh, but he felt no pain. He heard a loud scream and opened his eyes to see his father standing between him and Michael, the blade protruding from his stomach. Sam scrambled to his feet and caught his father’s stumbling body as the grace exploded out of him. He lowered Gabriels’ empty vessel down to the ground and stared in shock. His father was gone. Sam felt the anger, grief, and pain building inside of him like a hurricane trapped inside of a snow globe. He could hear the other angels speaking, but couldn’t understand anything in his anguish. He leaned over the body and sobbed. He could feel his grace building violently and after several agonizing moments it exploded outward, ripping a scream from his body. He arched his back as he felt the grace twist and turn before settling back inside of him. He could feel the weight on his back increase and knew instinctively he’d gotten another set of wings. Three sets now, just like an archangel. He also felt the nephil net had been removed from him. The grace explosion must have been enough to break it. He risked a look around and noticed all of the angels and archangels were unconscious and had been thrown several yards away. Trees around them had fallen in a perfect circle and the area around them looked like a bomb had gone off. How had he done that? He looked down at the body in front of him and the chard outline of wings on the ground. His father was gone. What would he do now? 

A throat clearing in front of him made him look up sharply. There was a small, squirrely looking man standing in front of him with a soft smile on his face. “Who-who are you?” Sam stammered as he backed away carefully. 

“Fear not, grandson. If I’d wanted you dead, you never would have been conceived.” Grandson? Who could… Holy shit.

“G-God?” The being smiled gently again and offered his hand to help Sam to his feet. Sam took his hand carefully and stood. The vessel was short. Very short, but he looked eternally kind.

“I’ve been watching you for a long time, Sam. I thought it might be time for us to finally meet.” Sam nodded, but couldn’t find the words. This was God. The being who ordered everyone like him dead. 

“You know, most nephilim weren’t like you.” Sam looked at him in confusion. “Most angels abandoned their children and the mother’s usually died. The nephilim ran wild without rules or morals. They were destroying the world and humans alike. I had to do something. When I felt your creation, I got a glimpse of what you would become.”  God smiled again. “I knew Gabriel could never abandon you, but I am surprised he left you with John as long as he did.” 

“Can you… can you stop all of this?” 

“I could.” God mused, cocking his head to the side and Sam realized where all of the angels got that gesture. “But then my children would never learn to make their own choices.” Sam nodded. He could understand that, but this was threatening to destroy the world now. “I’m hoping you can help with that.” 

“Me?!” Sam shrieked. “How could I change anything?” 

“You’re very special, Samuel. The only archangel nephilim to ever be created. You are more powerful than even you know and you are very smart. I’m sure you will figure something out.” God looked sadly at Gabriel's burned out wings and then at Michael and Raphael’s still forms. “I love my children very much. Michael is so much like Dean in many ways, but somewhere along the way he forgot how to just be a brother, unlike Dean. I believe Michael could learn a lot from him. Raphael seems to have forgotten his original purpose. To heal. You are much like your father. Braver than you think, but you pick your fights carefully until you lose your temper. Lucifer, I fear, would be the most difficult to help. He and Gabriel are so similar. Their love for family and fledglings causes everything else to fall away and become unimportant. Do you understand?” Sam really thought he did. For once he felt like he knew what he had to do, but nobody was going to like it. God smiled at them. “Very good, little one.” Sam glanced sadly at his father’s empty vessel. “Remember, Sam. Time is fluid.” With that, God left. Time is fluid. That’s what his dad always said. 

Time is fluid! 

Sam quickly dislodged the blade from his father’s body, unsure how that would affect what he planned and looked around the forest. He closed his eyes and used his grace that had grown incredibly strong this expansion to bend time around him. Suddenly he found himself in a moment where everything was frozen around him. Gabriel stood in front of his kneeling body with a look of horror and fear on his face. Michael and Raphael looked equally horrified and the blade was suspended midair. Sam walked carefully toward it and plucked the blade from its frozen position before allowing himself to be pulled back to the present. 

It changed things. Of course it did. He wasn’t entirely sure how he still had the new strength or wings, (or the nephil net was still gone for that matter) but he found himself kneeling behind his father with the blade still clutched in his hands. Maybe his grandfather had helped after all. A quick glance to the side and he saw God standing behind a tree. With a wink, his grandfather disappeared again. Gabriel turned around quickly, seeming to realize something had changed drastically. All the other angels seemed disoriented. “Sammy?” Gabriel asked, staring at the blade in confusion. Sam smiled up at his father. 

“Time is fluid right?” Gabriel gaped at him, but then his father’s eyes got locked onto something behind him. Sam knew it was the new wings. He stood carefully and shook them out. 

“Holy shit, Sam. What did you do?” Sam smiled as he side stepped his still gawking father. He slowly approached Michael and Raphael who looked shocked and confused. He held out the blade to his uncle who seemed mesmerized by the damned thing. Sam could understand. It must be difficult for an archangel who’s used to being able to see and explain things to suddenly have lost control. 

“Michael, Raphael, can I show you something?” Sam asked as he held his hands out to the two archangels. They both seemed hesitant, but nodded in their surprise. Once both had taken his hands, he used his grace to project his conversation with God into their minds. 

Gabriel’s death. 

His grace exploding from him and causing so much destruction. 

“If I’d wanted you dead, you never would have been conceived”

“You know, most nephilim weren’t like you.” 

“Most angels abandoned their children and the mother’s usually died. The nephilim ran wild without rules or morals. They were destroying the world and humans alike. I had to do something. When I felt your creation, I got a glimpse of what you would become. I knew Gabriel could never abandon you, but I am surprised he left you with John as long as he did.” 

“Can you… can you stop all of this?” 

“I could. But then my children would never learn to make their own choices. I’m hoping you can help with that.” 

“Me?! How could I change anything?” 

“You’re very special, Samuel. The only archangel nephilim to ever be created. You are more powerful than even you know and you are very smart. I’m sure you will figure something out.” 

“I love my children very much. Michael is so much like Dean in many ways, but somewhere along the way he forgot how to just be a brother, unlike Dean. I believe Michael could learn a lot from him. Raphael seems to have forgotten his original purpose. To heal. You are much like your father. Braver than you think, but you pick your fights carefully until you lose your temper. Lucifer, I fear, would be the most difficult to help. He and Gabriel are so similar. Their love for family and fledglings causes everything else to fall away and become unimportant. Do you understand? Very good, little one. Remember, Sam. Time is fluid.”

Sam stumbled back as he came back to the present. Both archangels had tears streaming down their faces. Gabriel was at his side instantly trying to support him. He looked distressed, but Sam hadn’t been able to show his father what had happened yet. He would do that later. 

“Did I?” Michael asked softly, looking between the other archangels. “Did I forget how to be a brother?” Gabriel huffed out a humorless sound. 

“Kinda.”

Raphael still hadn’t moved. His eyes glued on Sam. “What does he want?” 

“I think he wants you to be a family again.” Sam tried to smile, but he was quickly losing his strength. He was exhausted. His grace growing, bending time, and then projecting his memories had been more taxing than he’d been prepared for. Michael and Raphael nodded.

“Return your vessel, Raph. We have much to discuss.” Raphael took flight immediately along with the other angels. “Gabriel, return to your flock. I will… I will return when I can.” Sam watched as Mary’s body stood still and Michael’s grace flowed out of her. Once he was gone, she slumped to the ground. Why would Michael just leave her body here? A small noise caused Sam and Gabriel to both startle as Mary started to rouse. 

“Oh, shit.” Sam muttered as he rushed to her side. Mary blinked open her eyes, looking at Sam in confusion before looking back at Gabriel and relaxing. 

“Gabriel?” She asked quietly. Sam knew she must be exhausted from having an angel inside of her for so long. 

“I’m here, Mary. Rest.” Gabriel scooped her up in his arms. “Can you fly, Sam?” Sam stretched his wings and nodded. He could fly, but not for long. “Follow me.” Sam took flight moments after Gabriel. When he landed in this new location, Sam knew he was spent. It was all he could do to not crash into the floor. As it was, the minute his feet hit the ground, the world went black. 

~~~

Gabriel had no clue what was going on. When he’d returned to the house for Sam, his child had been gone. He’d rushed to where he could feel several graces and had nearly died on the spot from the image of his son awaiting execution peacefully. He couldn’t stop himself and landed directly in the path of the blade headed for Sam. That’s when things got… hazy. The blade never pierced his body and when he turned to look at Sam… shock wasn’t even the right word. The nephilim was holding the blade in his hands and spread out behind him were four huge sets of wings. Not three like an archangel, but four. They were beautiful. One of the new sets looked like it was made of pure gold. He’d been so thrown off he hadn’t even remembered his older brothers until Sam gently stepped around him and approached the other two archangels. Sam had done something then. Shown them something that had shaken his older brothers to their core. And then the other angels all left. Michael had even left Mary behind. How was he supposed to explain any of this when he didn’t even know what had happened?

When they landed in the bunker, he knew Sam had spent every last ounce of his energy and he watched helplessly as the nephilim collapsed to the ground. He placed Mary gently on the ground as well and checked her over for injuries before scooting over to Sam. He quickly called out for the others, but Dean, Bobby, and Cas had sensed their return and were already in the room. 

“Sammy!” Dean shouted as he slid to his knees by his brother. Bobby and Cas were too busy staring in shock at the other body on the ground. 

“He’s okay, just exhausted.” Gabriel tried to reassure the young pagan as Dean pulled Sam into his lap. 

“Gabriel, what happened?” Castiel questioned, eyes darting back and forth. That was the million dollar question honestly. 

“I don’t even really know.” Gabriel tried to share some of his grace to speed up Sam’s natural regeneration. Footsteps thundered into the room, but came to a stop abruptly. Sam shot up out of Dean’s hold with a gasp and looked around the room before shaking his head. His son had definitely gotten much stronger. 

“Mary?” He heard John question, confusion and anguish in his tone. Gabriel nodded once, hoping that was enough confirmation and then he watched as John pulled Mary into his lap. Dean glanced over having heard his mother’s name and gaped.

“Dad!” Sam shouted as he launched himself into Gabriel’s arms, clinging tightly with his body and grace. Sam began sobbing gently and Gabe’s heart broke for a moment. He whispered reassurances in his son’s ear and held him just as tightly. 

“Sammy, what happened?” Gabriel murmured and the young nephilim nuzzled closer. “Sam? Do you have enough strength to show me what you showed my brothers?” Sam nodded and then suddenly Gabriel was watching the memory play out from Sam’s perspective. When he saw himself die, he knew immediately what had caused his son to become so emotional that his grace had nearly doubled. Then he saw Father. He listened to their conversation in shock. He knew what had shaken his brothers so deeply. He watched as Sam used his newly strengthened grace to bend time and he couldn’t have been more proud. His only concern was what Father had said about Lucifer. As the memory faded away, Gabriel realized he also had tears running down his face. He pulled back enough that he could see his son’s face. “Sam?” 

“I have to. Not now.” Sam shook his head, but then looked up into Gabriel’s eyes pleading for his father to understand. “But I have to.” Gabriel nodded. He could see that. He didn’t like it, but he could see it. Right now he wanted to hold his son as close as he could. 

~~~~

Sam looked around the room as he sat clutching his father. He knew he was reverting somewhat in his fledgling-ness, but he couldn’t stop himself from tangling his grace with Gabriels as tight as possible. A child hanging on to the hem of his father’s shirt. Everyone seemed to either be in shock or confused. Dean and John were staring at the unconscious Mary like she might disappear. Bobby was pacing and muttering under his breath about panic attacks and idiot nephilim. Ouch. Cas still looked like he was trying to put a puzzle together. Luckily, Kate had the presence of mind to move Adam to another room. There was another guy there though, that Sam had never seen. He didn’t know who he was or what he was doing there, but if Gabe hadn’t… removed him, Sam guessed the guy must be okay. 

“Is she okay?” Dean asked, running his hand through Mary’s hair. 

“Yeah, kiddo. She’s fine. Housing an angel takes a lot out of a person though and she will probably sleep for a while.” John and Dean both looked up sharply in question. “I swear I had no idea. When I got there, Mike was in control of her body. Wrong bloodline, but she is strong enough to house an archangel.” John growled, clinging to Mary tighter. “I think Michael resurrected her to use her as a vessel since I had practically stolen his entire bloodline.” 

“Whose bloodline would she be?” Dean asked, but Sam knew he already knew the answer. 

“Lucifer's.” Gabriel admitted and Sam watched John flinch. 

“Where are we?” Sam asked, getting distracted by the artifacts and books he could see from his place on the ground. He heard Gabriel sigh. 

“A while back there was this organization known as The Men of Letters. They cataloged and documented everything they could on the supernatural.” Sam noticed that while nobody had actually moved, everyone in the room was now listening closely. “They helped hunters at times or priests. A while back, the US version was wiped out by a demon named Abbadon. Henry over there,” Sam’s eyes followed Gabriel’s nod to the man standing awkwardly in the room. “used a time travel spell and disappeared with the only key to get in here. Earlier when the angels were coming, I thought about this bunker and went through time to grab the key and Henry. It would stop Michael from finding him and give us access to the bunker.” Michael? Why would Michael want Henry unless… unless he was Henry Winchester, John’s father. Holy shit. Talk about the family reunion of the century. Sam looked around the bunker, but was perfectly content to stay where he was wrapped around his father. He noticed Henry looking at him oddly.

“What- what are you people?” Gabriel sighed and untangled himself physically from Sam. “Everyone was too worried to be able to explain much.” Sam smirked because he knew what his father was about to do. 

“Well, allow me to properly introduce myself. I’m the archangel Gabriel, also known as Coyote. At your service.” Gabriel said with an exaggerated bow. Henry’s face paled as he realized the power of the man standing in front of him. “This is my son, Sam who is a nephilim, but also Fox.” Sam gave a little wave when Henry’s eyes swept over him. “You already know John, Dean is your grandson.” Dean stood from his vigil at Mary’s side and approached his grandfather with an assessing look. 

“Are you pagan too?” Dean’s response was to shift his teeth into fangs and grin like a lunatic. 

“Wolf.” Henry backed carefully away, but bumped into Bobby. “That would be the Bear that you just bumped into.” Bobby smirked as Henry spun around to look at him. “Or as I like to call him, Uncle Bobby.” 

“Nice to meet you.” Bobby grumbled. “Glad to see you’re not a deadbeat, just got fucked up in true Winchester fashion.” Sam, Dean, and Gabriel snorted in unison at Bobby’s grouchy form of a complement, but Henry still seemed very concerned. Adam ran into the room at the exact right moment to jump into Dean’s arms. 

“Hey, kid. Wanna meet your grandpa?” Adam nodded eagerly, staring at Henry with the wonder only a child could have. 

“I have two grandchildren?” Henry asked as he approached Adam and Dean. 

“Three, kinda.” Dean shrugged, but didn’t elaborate. Yet. “Adam, this is grandpa Henry.” 

“Hi!” Adam smiled. “Who’s the lady on the floor?” Only children and Cas could get away with that level of bluntness. “That’s my mom.” 

“I thought she was dead.” 

“She was, but an angel brought her back.” Adam looked at Mary for a long moment, face scrunched in confusion and Sam realized how much more of a child Adam was than he and Dean had ever been allowed to be. He hated John a little more for that. 

“He’s not a pagan as well, is he?” Henry asked, looking oddly at Adam. Sam noticed Dean’s grip tighten slightly on the boy. 

“Yep! Gaia says I can choose later if I wanna keep it being the Hawk or not when I get older.” Adam smiled brightly and the brother’s couldn’t help but smile with him. 

“And this,” Gabriel started, pulling Cas from the corner of the room where he was standing awkwardly, “Is my baby brother Castiel or Eagle. Whichever.” Gabriel shrugged nonchalantly. Poor Henry, the man looked so far out of his element that Sam almost felt bad for the guy. 

“Johnny, how did your children become messed up with pagan magic? They were supposed to be Men of Letters!” 

“Don’t ask me.” John grumbled, clearly still not happy with anything that had taken place since Sam had been rescued by Gabriel. 

“Look, we can have story time later.” Gabriel stated. “For now, we need to get Mary into a bed. Then I need to go back to the pocket house.” As much as Sam liked the bunker and wanted to continue exploring it, he really wanted to go back home. 

~~~~

After several hours of resting and preparing the bunker for long term stay should it be needed, Sam, Cas, and Gabe returned to the pocket house to make sure it was still safe. None of the wards had been messed with and everything still seemed to be okay, but Gabe wasn’t willing to risk returning to the house full time just yet. Michael and Raphael still knew where it was. He wanted to make sure Sam would be safe from his brothers before moving back in. They moved some personal items to the bunker with only a little complaining from Sam. Once they were back in the bunker, Gabriel encouraged Dean and Sam to resume their training with Adam and John. It would keep everyone's minds off of Mary who was still sleeping. Gabriel was monitoring her sleep carefully and would alert anyone the minute she showed signs of waking. Gabriel smirked as he saw Henry watching Sam and Dean show Adam different techniques. The boy was picking things up well and would be a master in no time. Henry had offered to teach everyone the small amount of magic he knew from his time with the Men of Letters. It wouldn’t be nearly to the pagan strength, but it could be useful. John had grumbled about it, but had eventually admitted that he could see the appeal to some of the tracking spells, but he still hadn’t left Mary’s side. Kate had shut herself in her room and Gabriel was curious to see how that panned out. 

Several hours later, Gabriel noted that Mary was starting to wake. He called Dean and Sam to the room with him and John. Sam was watching Mary oddly, like he wasn’t sure how to feel. He still hadn’t let go of Gabriel’s grace and he knew with the recent experiences it would be a while before the fledgling was comfortable away from him. Dean seemed to be vibrating with nervous energy, but was trying his best to calm himself. When Mary’s eyes blinked open, John was out of his chair in a flash, brushing her hair back and rubbing her cheek with his thumb. 

“Mar?” 

“John?” She mumbled before smiling. 

“Hey, Mar. I’m here.” Mary sat up slowly, pushing her back against the headboard. 

“John, wheres…” She trailed off as her eyes landed on her oldest. “Dean.” She smiled and Gabriel had never seen Dean look happier. Whole. 

“Mom.” He breathed out and then rushed into a hug when she opened her arms. Gabriel knew soft tears were sliding down his face. Sam shifted uncomfortably next to him. 

“We shouldn’t be here, dad.”  His son sent him telepathically. Gabriel looked at him in confusion. Sam had been Mary’s son as much as she had been Dean's, the last Gabriel had talked to her. “This is a family moment.” 

“You are family, Sammy.” 

“Not really.”  Gabriel frowned, but let it go. He didn’t however, let Sam leave the room. 

“Baby, where’s Sammy?” Mary asked, seeming to have not seen the other two standing in the room. 

“He’s right here, mom.” Dean smiled as he pulled away and turned to look at Sam. Gabriel pushed Sam forward gently so that the kid would actually move in the right direction. 

“Sammy?” Mary asked and Sam nodded. “My goodness, you’ve gotten so big!” She smiled brightly and opened her arms to her second son. Gabriel glared when John frowned. Apparently John also didn’t see Sam has his son anymore. Sam leaned into the hug kind of awkwardly like he wasn’t sure how to do it, but Gabriel realized it was the first hug Sam had ever gotten from a mother figure. It made Gabriel sad to think Sam had never gotten to meet his own mother. Mary met his eyes and smiled sadly. “Okay, boys. Tell me everything I’ve missed.” 

Gabriel sat back as the boys and John told basically their entire lives stories to Mary. There were tears and anger. Sadness and grief. Throughout the entire thing, he watched Mary become more and more angry toward John. Gabriel knew the boys were leaving parts out. Like John trapping Sam and trying to kill him. He knew why they hadn’t shared those details, but they were rather important and Mary also seemed to be picking up on it. Mary caressed Sam’s face softly and smiled. Gabriel knew what was coming next, but he couldn’t stop it and he wasn’t really sure he wanted to. 

“When did Gabe come back into your life, sweetie.” John stiffened, Dean looked away, and Sam looked at him helplessly. 

“There, uh. There was a situation. My powers were starting to develop and-” Sam stalled for a moment. “A group of hunters thought I was possessed or a freak or something. They kidnapped me and dad stepped in.” Mary didn’t miss the fact that Sam was referring to Gabe as ‘dad’ and not John. She frowned a little, glancing at Gabriel with the question in her eyes.

“Gabriel, was it John?”  She prayed silently. He nodded subtly and held her gaze. A flurry of emotions passed through them and her soul, but her face remained stony. “Boys,” she said softly. “Maybe I should have a word with your father alone.” Both boys nodded in agreement and left the room with Gabe. At the first shout, Gabriel knew it wasn’t going to be a good night for the pair and he sound proofed their room.

Chapter Text

A week after the archangels had nearly killed Gabriel things seemed a little more settled. John and Mary still weren’t speaking to each other. The fight was long and dramatic. Even through the silencing spell, Gabriel had been able to listen in. Mary had told John everything she thought about his parenting skills and how he had treated Sam. She and Kate were getting along fine though. Henry still seemed uncomfortable around everyone, but was trying his best to be a grandfather even though he’d never really gotten much time to actually be a father. The boys were still working with Adam on his training. Sam was still working to adjust to having four sets of wings instead of the two he’d had previously. Bobby and Sam had worked their way through large portions of the lore books in the bunker’s library. Everything seemed smooth-ish. He should have known that’s when things would change. He received a message from Michael asking him to come to Heaven to talk. Sam had argued profusely about why he shouldn’t go and how dangerous it was, but Gabriel knew if anything was going to change he would have to risk that. After trying to reassure his anxious nephilim, Gabriel took flight and landed himself inside the archangel’s private garden. He’d always loved this part of Heaven. It held so many good memories for him. Michael and Raphael were both there and Gabe could tell they were still as upset as they had been when they left the pocket house. 

“Brother,” Michael greeted as warmly as he possibly could. “It’s been too long since we’ve seen you here.” 

“Yeah, well…” Gabriel scuffed his foot in the dirt. “It didn’t really feel much like home after…” 

“Gabriel, do you think what the nephilim said was true?” Raphael asked softly, seeming much more like the healer he’d once been. He nodded. Of course what Sam said was true. 

“Father really wants us to be a family again? All of us?” 

“I do. We all know if Father hadn’t wanted Sam to exist he wouldn’t.” Gabriel laughed softly. “You know when I found out his mother had gotten pregnant, I begged her to let me terminate it.” Gabe swallowed past the lump in his throat at the memory. “I didn’t want her to die and I didn’t want my child to be hunted for eternity. Thought it would be a mercy.” He shook his head and laughed again. “She refused. Actually told me that Sam would change the world and that if Father had allowed her conception, then it must be meant to be.” Michael’s eyes widened in shock.

“Do you think Father…” 

“I don’t know.” Gabriel sighed again. “I knew if he stayed with me he’d be a beacon for trouble, so I left him with a woman I thought would know how to raise a child who was special. I never realized she was the one destined to birth the vessels. Not until it was too late.” 

“I would-” Michael started and looked off to the side. “I would very much like to get to know my nephew. I never liked the nephilim rule, but I knew it was necessary.” Gabriel had felt much the same way. Had always felt guilty about innocent fledglings dying. “If it would be okay with you. That is.” Michael deferring to Gabriel was new. Well, not really, it just hadn’t happened in so long it felt new. 

“All I ever wanted was our family back together, Micah. You know that.” 

“Then allow us to make it right.” Gabriel looked at his brothers for a long while, but all he could see was sincerity. 

“You’ll need vessels. Preferably empty ones.” Michael nodded. “Lucky for you, I know how to make ‘em.” He smiled as he gestured to his own. Michael and Raphael’s eyes both widened in shock. It was thought to be impossible to make vessels that weren’t living. “It’ll take me a little while, but I should be able to find all the things I need. Raph, do you have any idea where your true vessel is?” Raphael nodded, but looked uncomfortable. 

“Yes, he is living, but Azazel tainted him as well.” Gabriel scowled. He was really over that fucking demon.  He was glad he was dead. 

“Alright, give me a name and I’ll handle it.” The brothers stood in silence for a long moment and then Gabriel knew he would have to share the last bit of uncomfortable news. “You should know, after the little talk with his grandfather, Sam intends to release Lucifer.” Gabriel winced at the betrayed looks on his brother’s faces. He could understand it. “Not soon, but we will come up with a plan. Figure something out so he can’t wreak havoc on the world until Sam can change his mind.” Raphael seemed to settle at that, but Michael still didn’t seem happy. “I need to know, Mike, if you plan on starting the apocalypse should he be released.” Michael was quiet for a long time before shaking his head. 

“No. Father wants us to make our own choices and he wants us to be a family again. That means all of us.” 

“Good answer.” Gabriel smiled and it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He stayed for a while, discussing all of the things that had been happening since Gabriel left Heaven. Michael and Raphael had been infuriated to learn that Azazel had fed demon blood to their nephew and caused him harm. Gabriel left the garden feeling more hopeful than he had in a long time.

~~~

Sam was a nervous wreck with his father in Heaven alone with the brothers who had just killed him a week earlier. He knew it hadn’t been on purpose, but that didn’t matter. He couldn’t sit still and his feathers were rustling anxiously. It took hours and the only thing that kept him sane was the small pulse of reassurance from his connection to Gabriel’s grace. Once his father returned, Sam knew immediately that something good had happened. Gabriel’s grace was brighter and happier than he’d ever seen it. 

“Dad?” He questioned, putting the book he’d been trying to read down. 

“Call a family meeting, kiddo. We’ve got work to do.” Sam smiled knowing that at least part of his plan was working. It didn’t take long for everyone to gather in the library. John was not happy to be involved, but refused to be left out of the loop. Sam was waiting as patiently as possible for his father to share the results of his trip up stairs. Honestly, Sam hoped this meant he got to go back home. Once the large oddball group had all gathered, Gabriel started explaining the plan. Sam smiled when he noticed the amount of enthusiasm his father was speaking with.

“Okay, so Mike and Raph have officially called off the apocalypse thanks to Samshine here.” Gabriel ran his hand through Sam’s hair with pride. Sam felt his grace swell at the positive support. “They really took Father’s message to heart about being a family again and are already making changes in Heaven. They want to get to know Sam and my flock as well.” That made Sam a little nervous, but he wouldn’t turn down the chance to get to know his uncles. “We will be able to return to our home.” Sam smiled brightly at that. He liked the bunker, but it wasn’t home. “I will of course make sure there are plenty of accommodations for anyone who wants to come with us.” Sam noticed Gabriel pointedly looking at Mary as he said this and Sam was grateful. Mary hadn’t treated him as anything except her son and he wanted the chance to know her better. “However, for them to be able to come to earth, they will need vessels and neither want a temporary solution for that so we will be making them permanent vessels like I made mine.” Well that would be interesting, but Sam was always excited to learn about anything. There were questions and concerns raised from Bobby and Dean, but nobody could find a flaw with the plan if Michael and Raphael were genuine. Gabriel had reassured them that he could tell from their grace that the two archangels were honest and simply wanted the chance to have a family again. 

With the meeting over, Sam rushed to pack his things. He was eager to return home. Adam just seemed excited to be able to go swimming again. Sam couldn’t blame him, he was excited about that as well. Everyone packed except for John who decided with the threat over, he would return to hunting for a while, but he made sure they all had a way to get in touch with him. He promised to call Dean and Adam regularly and return before long for a visit. Mary and Kate hadn’t argued. Sam had tried not to let John basically disowning him bother him. It wasn't like he still wanted John to be his father, but he'd still like a step father of sorts. Henry decided he would stay in the bunker permanently and try to restart the Men of Letters somehow, but he would accompany them to help with the creation of the vessels. Bobby and Henry had decided that they could use the Men of Letters as a way to get good information and lore to the hunters when needed. 

Sam still hadn't talked to Castiel. The angel had made his way to the bunker after Sam banished him before throwing himself to Michael. He felt guilty about manipulating the Seraph. He didn't know how to start the conversation either. The angel had kept his distance from Sam and Gabe as much as possible. Sam knew his father didn't blame the angel for what had happened. It was all on Sam. He was honestly still expecting to be grounded again for his stunt.

When Sam got back to his room, he was elated. Dean had dragged Mary on a grand tour of the house and their mother seemed more than thrilled to be able to stay with them. They worked together on creating Mary her own room next door to Kate’s and Gabriel snapped her entire wardrobe into existence. Sam had wanted to take a nap, but Adam insisted on swimming so Sam and Dean changed quickly and chased their little brother to the water park they had built. They had fun. Mary and Kate even came to float in the lazy river for a while. 

After several hours, Adam wore himself out and Kate put him in bed for a nap. That’s when Gabe came to get them to start working on the vessels. As Sam followed his father, he realized that Gabriel had created a new room in the house. A magic workroom of sorts. Sam guessed it was better than working in the living room. It was a large room, full of ingredients for spells, different types of mixing bowls, several bookshelves, and two large exam-like tables and several desks. On the far wall was a large sink or cleaning station. There was a large dehydrator for drying the herbs Sam grew. He knew there would be plenty of space to stock enough ingredients to keep the hunting community going for a long while. Sam looked at the books and noticed they were all of the grimoires that he and Bobby had collected over the years and a few Henry had brought from the bunker. In the middle of each exam table were two large lumps of clay. Sam had to remind himself not to touch anything yet. 

“Alright, kids. You ready to get to work?” Gabriel asked as he pulled a wooden mixing bowl from a shelf. Sam nodded and looked over the book laid out on one of the desks. It was in his father’s handwriting and Sam knew it must be Gabriel’s own journal of things. It made sense. Gabriel was probably the only angel with a homemade vessel right now. The journal was also in enochian, so that should have been his first clue. 

“What do you need?” He asked, looking back up at his dad. Gabriel set the wooden bowl on the first workstation. 

“We will start with Raph’s vessel, but first I need to purify his blood.” Huh? What would be wrong with his vessel’s blood? Gabriel must have noticed the look of confusion on his face, because he answered the unasked question. “Azazel fed him his blood. Some kid named Jake. Probably because he was an archangel vessel. Either spite or as a backup plan.” Oh. Sam looked away in slight shame. He still didn’t know how to deal with any of the whole ‘tainted’ business. “Hey!” Gabriel snapped and Sam looked back at him. “None of that.” Dean glared at him as well. It was okay, he had plenty of time for self-loathing later when he took his nap. Sam watched as Gabriel pulled out two vials. One of blood and one full of grace. Sam could tell from the feeling of the grace that it was Raphaels. Gabe poured the grace and blood into a beaker to make a mixture. It sizzled and burned like Sam had expected and watching that, he now knew why it had hurt so much when Azazel had forced his blood into Sam again. Dean was glaring at the blood like it had personally offended him. Maybe it had, or maybe he was remembering the same thing Sam was. After several minutes the blood-grace mixture settled and Gabriel sniffed it before nodding to himself. It was pure. 

“Okay, now I need some holy oil, sea salt, oregano, wolfsbane, a golden thread from the fates, yarrow, and four grains from the sands of time.” That was quite the concoction, but Sam figured if it was easy, anyone would be able to make a vessel. He quickly mixed the ingredients into the wooden bowl that Gabriel shared was made from a branch of the tree of life. Not to be confused with the tree God had forbidden Adam and Eve to eat from. Once everything in the bowl was mixed well, Gabriel added the blood-grace mixture while chanting in enochian. His eyes glowed with grace as he channeled the magic into the bowl. The concoction swirled and magic filled the air, crackling around them. Sam, Dean, Henry, and Bobby watched in awe as the mixture swirled into the air and Gabriel directed it onto the first lump of clay. It curled around the clay and molded it into the shape of a human. After several long minutes, the magic died down, but the clay was still forming. 

“That will take several hours or days to finish.” Gabriel stated, leaning heavily on the table. It was obvious that the spell had taken a lot out of his father. 

“Dad, you okay?” Gabriel nodded and instructed Dean to clean the equipment well. 

“We need to get Mike’s done too.”

“I can do it,” Sam offered, hoping Gabriel wouldn’t insist on doing it himself. If one spell was that hard on an archangel, Sam didn’t want to see what would happen to his father after two. After a long moment, Gabriel agreed to let Sam perform the next spell. He was nervous. He’d never done anything near this big. Luckily his grace allowed him to remember everything Gabriel had done and said in perfect clarity. Once Dean was sure the equipment was clean enough, he brought the items back and set them on the second workstation. “Where’s the blood we need?” Sam asked, looking around the items. To Sam’s surprise (maybe it really shouldn’t have been) Gabriel tipped his head towards Dean. 

“Dean-o’s Mike's true vessel so his blood will be needed.” Sam wasn’t sure he liked that. He didn’t want his uncle running around with his brother’s face. Again, his father guessed his thoughts and laughed. “Nah, kiddo. The addition of the grace will allow the vessel to form into the perfect human representation of Michael. It might still look a little like Dean, but it won’t be identical.” Sam sighed in relief and got to work. 

“Do I need to mix the grace and blood?” Gabriel nodded. 

“Just in case there’s a little pagan hanging out in his blood.” Dean grabbed a knife and cut his hand, bleeding directly into the beaker. Once he had shed enough, Sam reached over and healed his hand quickly before adding Michael’s grace. It didn’t bubble or boil, but it did swirl oddly. Sam mixed the rest of the ingredients like he had before while he waited on the blood-grace mix to be ready. Once he was sure it was fine, he took a deep breath and prepared himself. Sam performed the spell flawlessly and just like when his father had made Raph’s vessel, Sam’s eyes glowed a bright gold. The magic filled the air again and the mixture swirled into the clay. He continued chanting until he had repeated the spell exactly like Gabriel had done. The clay morphed into a person like shape again and then the spell was done. Sam swayed, feeling drained as he finished. He really needed a nap now. 

~~~

When Sam woke from his nap several hours later, the first thing he did was check on the vessels. Raphael’s almost looked like an actual person. It had dark skin, was tall and muscular, but somehow also soft. What you would expect when you thought of the healer. Michael’s was a big shock. It looked a lot like Dean and would probably pass as a cousin or maybe even brother. The sandy blond hair was longer, almost shoulder length, and the skin tone was the same. It didn’t have freckles though and was beefier than Dean. A thick jawline and would probably be taller. Sam was glad that he’d been able to get the spell right. Gabriel wandered in and hummed to himself as he checked over their work. 

“Probably only a few more hours.” He stated as he checked the eyes and teeth. “Why don’t you help me with dinner, kiddo?” Sam followed his father to the kitchen and together they made a large meal. Prime rib with potatoes and asparagus. Sam made a large salad to go with it. Mary and Henry both commended them on the meal. Sam was too anxious about the vessels to enjoy the conversation or the meal very much. He just wanted it to be over with. His nerves were a mess. He was afraid of what would happen once his uncles showed up. He just hoped that it wouldn’t be too bad. He’d somehow managed to change their mind’s earlier, but he wasn’t sure if they would stay that way. 

A few hours after dinner, Sam made his way back to the vessels. They finally looked complete. Castiel stepped in to view the vessels and froze when he spotted Sam. Well, now was as good a time as any. 

“Hey, Castiel.” Sam called when the angel had turned back toward the door. Cas paused, but didn’t face Sam. “I wanted to apologize for banishing you. I-uh- I shouldn't have done that.” Cas nodded his head once, but didn’t offer a response. He didn't move either, though, so Sam saw it as something of a win. “I just hope that eventually you can forgive me.” 

“You must understand, Samuel. It is not that I don't forgive you, but if things had not… If you had died it would have been my fault. I would have lost my entire new flock. Gabriel and Dean would not have survived your death. You acted recklessly and without forethought into the consequences of said actions. You put everyone on the line and for that, I am angry.” Sam looked away from the angel in shame. He knew it was the truth. “I would have lost everything and it would have been my fault. I was supposed to be watching you.” Castiel finally turned his head towards Sam and raked a cold gaze over the nephilim. “I understand now why the nephilim were outlawed. Clearly you are much too powerful and lack the maturity you believe you possess.” Castiel left quickly and Sam had to fight to remain standing. Everything the angel had said was true. Honestly, Sam thought that was the nicest way he'd ever been called a monster before. He had acted recklessly and put everyone in danger. It hadn’t been his intention, but that’s what happened. His father had died and it was Sam's fault. Sure he had fixed it, but if his Grandfather hadn’t stepped in, what would he have done? Michael and Raphael probably still would have killed him and he would have left Dean all alone. Maybe Castiel was right. Maybe he was too powerful. Dangerous. His thoughts were whirling when his father wandered in shortly after and agreed the vessels were ready. Gabriel eyed Sam like he knew something was wrong but couldn't figure out what. He hoped his father assumed it was nerves about meeting his uncles. He hugged Sam tightly and instructed him and Dean to wait in the spell room while he went to heaven to inform Michael and Raphael tha their vessels were ready. Sam paced. He was nervous and combined with his previous thoughts of self-doubt, he couldn't sit still. These angels had tried to kill him not long ago. Had actually killed his father and now he was about to meet with them face to face. Dean seemed to understand the anxiety as well and fidgeted with a few spell ingredients. Thirty minutes later, Gabriel returned. Each time his father visited with his brothers, he seemed lighter. Happier. 

“Won’t be long now, kiddo.” Gabe smiled and Sam instinctively reached out to tangle his grace with his fathers. He couldn’t stop himself from standing behind his father or his wings from twitching with tension. Gabe sent him a pulse of reassurance through his grace, but continued to hold on just as tightly to Sam. Dean also positioned himself in front of Sam on instinct. A shrill noise filled the room and a blinding light erupted as the archangels descended. Dean covered his ears and Sam wanted to help, but he wasn’t sure how to do that. Gabriel passed him a concerned look, but didn’t move. Sam watched as the archangel’s grace flowed into the vessels and settled. It took them a moment to orient themselves inside of a corporeal body. Michael was the first to move. A twitch and then a shudder before blinking his eyes open. Thankfully the eyes were a golden green and Sam was grateful for that distinction between his brother and uncle. He pushed himself to his feet and moved the body around. 

“It has been a long time since I’ve truly used a vessel.” Raphael murmured as his eyes opened as well. Michael cast his eyes around the room and landed on Gabriel. Then on Sam. He felt his wings tremble and wondered how he had been so steady the last time he’d confronted the archangels. Dean tensed as well and Sam was almost prepared for a fight, until Michael broke out into a bright grin.

“He is so much like a fledgling, Gabriel. I had forgotten how nice it was to see children.” 

“He is a fledgling, Micah. He just spent his first few years believing he was fully human.” Gabriel rolled his eyes and stuck a sucker in his mouth, the white stick poking out like a toothpick in one of those old westerns Dean used to watch. Michael walked forward and pulled Gabriel into a tight hug. 

“I’ve missed you so much, little one.” 

“Little one!?” Gabe balked and Dean couldn’t suppress the chuckle. “I’m fun-sized. Like candy bars.” Raphael chuckled as well, a deep booming sound that took Sam by surprise. 

“I should apologize, Samuel.” Michael said as he released Sam’s father. “I am glad that you have been able to reunite my family.” Sam ducked his head and smiled slightly at the praise. “I don’t want you to be afraid of me, fledgling. We are family now.” Michael walked past Gabriel and cupped Sam’s chin, lifting gently. “None of this hiding. Okay?” Sam smiled and nodded. He had to push down the urge to say ‘yessir’ as had been drilled into his head for so long. Michael surprised him again by pulling him into a tight hug. It took him a moment to realize what he was doing and return it. He was finally released and then Raphael was walking toward him. 

“He is amazing, Gabriel. He will make a wonderful angel when he is matured.” 

“Well, I think he’s pretty awesome, even if I did make him.” Gabriel smiled and Sam felt a small blush creep up his face. 

“It’s like you’re the new baby again.” Dean laughed and Gabriel chuckled with him. Sam swatted his brother’s head. 

“In our terms he is. Father hasn’t created a fledgling in a millenia.” Michael smirked as he turned to Dean. “Thank you for helping with the creation of my vessel. I’m glad to have a strong one that does not require a soul.” Dean waved him off nonchalantly.

“Yeah, yeah. Just don’t make me regret it. We are family now after all.” The smirk on Michael’s face only grew. 

“I have always liked you, Dean. You remind me of myself before…” Michael trailed off with a morose expression and a twist of his lips. 

“Michael, if you will help me, I would like to go to Lucifer. See if he would be willing to listen.” Sam said softly, hoping that his uncle wouldn’t be adverse to the idea. Michael looked back to Raphael and then smiled softly at Sam.

“I would very much like the opportunity to be his big brother again.” Sam smiled brightly at his uncles. 

“I believe with enough time, I would be able to heal his grace. Maybe not completely, but enough that it would no longer be so twisted.” Raphael added with his own smile. 

“How do we know he wouldn’t just go on a rampage?” Dean asked, crossing his arms over his chest and Michael glanced back at Sam. 

“Lucifer loves his family. He loves fledglings. But that love was so easily turned into anger when we failed him. If we can find a way to bind his grace long enough to talk, then I believe just giving him the chance would be enough. We never wanted to fight any more than you two did.” 

“I think Samshine might be able to sway all the humanity hatred as well.” Gabriel added, but Sam wasn't so confident in his abilities right now. “That's all talk for later though. You should meet the rest of the family.” Gabriel rubbed his hands together in excitement and ushered the two newly-vesseled archangels toward the living room. Sam grinned when his father whistled loudly to get everyone's attention. He heard a bang and a curse from Bobby that had him and Dean both chuckling. Adam skipped into the room and then ran towards Gabriel. 

“I'm here Uncle Gabe! Do we have a mission?!” The boy asked excitedly. Gabriel tugged Adam against his side with a mischievous smirk. 

“Sure do, squirt. See these two guys behind me? They're my big brothers and we're gonna prank ‘em real good at some point. I need ideas. Got it?” He whispered and Sam had to force himself not to laugh at the outraged and somewhat fearful looks on his uncle's faces. He watched as Gabriel and Adam masked their faces with identical innocent smiles. “Michael, Raphael, this is the youngest of Gaia's Guardians. Adam, these are my big brothers.” Gabriel grinned brightly. 

“It is nice to meet you, Adam.” Michael smiled with a slight bow. Adam smiled back and leaned into Gabe. 

“When do we get ‘em?” He whispered. 

“Soon. I'll let you know.” Gabriel winked and then Adam scurried off with a wicked giggle. Sam wondered if Dean would have been like that if he'd been given a chance. His own big brother was currently trying to hide his laughter behind a cough. The rest of the family filtered through and made their introductions. Bobby just glared a little, but was polite enough to not warrant a smite. Henry smiled and promptly asked to be returned to the bunker. Gabriel was happy to oblige. Once all the introductions were made, Michael requested time with the archangels alone. Sam didn't mind at all. Gabriel snapped an ‘archangel room’ into existence which was mostly just a giant nest. Once Sam had seen the plush room, he quickly excused himself to his own room. Cas and Dean had decided on a trip to the bar. Kate and Mary decided on girls night at a spa followed by a bar that was more Kate's speed than the typical hunters dive. Adam was having a ‘spin-na-nite’ at Uncle Bobby's. Gabe and Bobby had insisted on knowing where everyone was going and when they would be back just in case something happened. They could all keep in touch telepathically anyway, but it didn’t hurt to have a plan. 

Dean had almost begged Sam to go to the bar with him and Cas, but honestly he couldn't even face the angel. He couldn't force himself to sit around and pretend everything was okay when it so clearly wasn't. He'd only ruin their fun and Dean deserved a night out, so Sam stayed home. Adam had also invited him along for the ‘spin-na-nite,’ but Sam's emotions were everywhere which meant his grace was a little more volatile than normal. He couldn't risk hurting Adam. 

He took a long shower and changed into sweat pants and a t-shirt before collapsing into his nest with a book he'd been wanting to read. It was one Dean had recommended a long time ago when Sam had been particularly upset about his lack of humanity. Harrison Bergeron by Vonnegut of course. He couldn't focus on the story though, too irritated with himself to really understand the symbolism. His mind kept circling back to his mistakes. His choices that had led to the death of his father. That could have gone horrifically wrong if his Grandfather hadn't intervened. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, his mind building a storm outside without conscious thought. A large clap of thunder alerted him to the interference. Of course he was destructive without even meaning to be. He closed his eyes and focused on the storm raging outside. He needed to calm it before it got out of control. At least his garden wouldn't need water for a while. Sam huffed. 

Sammy, what's wrong? 

The thought pushed into his mind in not just Dean's voice but his fathers as well. Of course they would notice. 

Nothing. Everything's fine. 

Bullshit. Do I need to come home? 

No, Dean I've got it. Sam felt Dean's connection slip away and he was left with Gabriel. Sammy, come here.  

No, dad. Everything's fine. I'm fine. 

Samuel.  

Sam sighed. If his father ever used just ‘Sam’ it was serious. Calling him his full name was one step away from getting grounded again. He pushed himself to his feet and wandered down the hall to the newest room. He opened the door and peeked his head in. The archangels were all lounging with snacks and drinks Sam didn't even recognize. 

“Sam-spawn! Co’mere kiddo!” Gabriel's grace was happy, relaxed in a way Sam had never seen. He didn't want to bring his father down with his mood, but he couldn't ignore the order. He pushed his way in and plopped down on the opposite side of the sunken in couch-bed-nest like thing. He really wasn't sure what the protocol was for this. He'd only ever been around his father and Cas, but the younger angel was still very distant. Raphael was lightly carding his fingers through Gabriel's wings, straightening the feathers much like Gabe had done for Sam a while back. “What's got you so down in the dumps?” Sam shrugged, but didn't respond. He didn't really want to get Castiel in trouble. Michael reached over and pulled Sam into his lap like a child. Sam shuddered, but couldn't help reaching for his uncle with his grace, seeking comfort. Michael allowed the tangle with a bright smile and began carding his fingers through Sam's wings. 

“Little one, you caused a massive thunderstorm with the storm in your mind. Tell us, please.” Michael urged. How could the archangels make Sam feel so fucking small when he was around them? Like an overgrown toddler? He hid his face as his cheeks tinted pink with shame. Michael lifted Sam's face by his chin. “I told you, fledgling. I don't want you hiding from us. You are part archangel. You must learn to act as one.” Sam nodded as tears pricked his eyes. 

“Samshine, what's going on? You can tell us.”

“Why haven't you grounded me yet?” It almost came out as a whisper and Sam felt his grace shrink in on itself. Gabriel sat up and faced Sam head on. 

“What are you talking about, kid?” 

“I-I disobeyed. I put everyone in danger.” Sam sniffled a little and rubbed his nose. He wasn't supposed to be crying damnit. “I got you killed .” Gabriel reached out for his son and Michael let go of the nephilim just enough for Sam to scoot into his fathers lap. Gabriel ran his hands through Sam's hair in a soothing motion. 

“Sammy…” 

“No! Listen to me. I'm-I'm dangerous. Im-” Sam sniffled again. “I'm too powerful an-and I don't know how to control myself or ma-make good decisions. I promised I would listen and I didn't!” Gabriel gripped Sam tighter and let him get all of his words out. “I don't even know why I did it. I just knew I had to. I don't know why. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.” Sam sobbed as he buried his face in his fathers shoulder. 

“Where is this coming from, Sam?” He shrugged. “Sam. I need to know why you're thinking this way. I thought we were past all of the self-loathing.” Sam shrugged again. He really didn't want Gabriel to kill Cas. It was better if they thought it was just all in Sam's head. “I won't ask again, Sam. I really don't want to have to put you on suicide watch, kiddo.” Sam shuddered. He didn't want to have to be one on one with his family either. It would only inconvenience them and Sam didn't want to be more of a burden. He couldn't say it though, but he could show his father what happened. He reached up with one hand and pressed his fingers lightly to Gabriel's chest, pushing the memories of Castiel's words into his fathers grace. He felt his father sigh and tighten his hold on Sam. “Listen, Samshine. I've been meaning to talk to you about this anyway. That urge you felt. The ‘I don't know why I did this, but I knew I had to’ feeling? That's generally how your Grandfather gives his suggestions.” Sam looked up at his father and Gabriel brushed a loose strand of hair behind his ear. “Father probably knew exactly what would happen long before any of us were even in that situation. Most of the younger angels, Castiel included, have never felt that nudge. They don't understand it and they probably never will. You followed your Grandfather's plan and it worked out for the best, okay? I'm not going to punish you for something you couldn't control. Got it?” Sam nodded, feeling a little better about the situation. 

“What is it, Gabriel?” Raphael asked and Sam thought it actually sounded a little sad. 

“Cassie seems a little angry about Sam giving himself up to you guys. If Father hadn't been involved, he would've been correct in saying it was reckless and stupid. He didn't have any right to tell you that he understood the nephilim law. That was just a low blow.” Michael scowled and Sam could feel the tension in the room rising. 

“Please don't be mad at him. He was just worried and upset. He doesn't want to lose his new flock any more than the rest of us.” Sam pleaded. The archangels seemed to calm somewhat. 

“We should talk to him together, Sammy. Explain what happened. Okay?” 

“You don't think I'm dangerous?” 

“Oh, you're plenty dangerous, kiddo.” Sam ducked his head again. “But only when your family is being threatened. Trust me. I wouldn't want to get on your bad side. You are good though and that's what matters.” Sam nodded, but continued to rest his head on his fathers shoulder. “That why you didn't go to the bar with your brother?” Sam nodded again. 

“It's just as well. I wanted time to get to know my nephew anyway.” Michael smiled and began grooming Sam's wings again.

“Good thing you have so many uncles now, it's going to take more than one of us to keep all of these wings neat.” Raphael smirked as he began working on Sam's other side of wings. 

“I didn't even know we could have more than three sets.” Michael grumbled good naturedly. Sam sighed and melted into the pile of archangels that were doting on him. It felt nice to have his wings groomed. Gabriel did his best to keep up with them, but it really did take multiple people working on it. By the time they were done several hours later, Sam was almost asleep. His uncles had started on Gabriel's wings and Sam perked up wanting to learn how to help. It had been hard for Gabriel to really show Sam correctly on his own. Michael and Raphel instructed him well and by the time they were done, Sam felt like an expert in wing maintenance. 

They felt Kate and Mary enter the house around three in the morning and they tiptoed to their rooms. Castiel and Dean returned not long after, but were not as quiet. Gabriel silently requested they join the archangels in the new nest room. Sam had been silently grooming Raphel when the two entered and he tried to hide a little behind his uncle. 

“Come here, Cassie.” Gabriel instructed and the Seraph complied, sitting in front of the youngest archangel. Dean plopped down on one of the edges and lounged back, pulling a pillow to his chest. Sam glanced over and noticed his father begin gently redirecting the solid black feathers. 

“Wanna explain what the thunderstorm was about?” Sam flinched and ducked his head, but didn't stop his task. Micheal again lifted his chin with a finger. 

“What have we talked about, little one?” Sam smiled softly but kept his head up. Dean was eyeing him oddly, but thankfully didn't say anything. 

“Samshine was just feeling some big feelings. No big deal.” Gabriel shrugged and continued on the task in front of him. “Seems somehow he got it in his head that he was too dangerous to exist anymore.” Sam saw Castiel's eyes widen in surprise and Dean's glare burning into his face. 

“Where the hell would he have gotten an idea like that?!” Dean barked. “Was it fuckin’ John again?” Sam smiled at his brothers over protectiveness and shook his head. 

“I believe he may have come to that idea because of me.” Castiel admitted with his head ducked. “I was angry and I said things I shouldn't have.” 

“What the hell, Cas?!” Dean turned his angry glare on the angel and his eyes flashed with magic. 

“It is no excuse, but when he banished me and called for Michael, all I could think about was that it was my fault that I would lose my new family. I allowed that anger to influence my words. It was unacceptable and I am sorry, Sam.” 

“It's fine, Castiel. You weren't wrong.” Sam smiled gently. 

“It is NOT fine, Samuel.” Michael growled. “You should be respected the same as any other archangel. I fear we will have to address this with the entire Host.” 

“But Cas isn't just any member of the Host. He's family. It's okay for him to have his feelings just like I can have mine.” Sam shrugged again. He couldn't really understand why they were talking like he should be something special. Like he was one of the archangels. Sure, his father was an archangel, but he was just a nephilim. Michael seemed to be thinking through Sam's statement, but Gabriel was ready to say his piece. 

“Cassie, if Sam had been acting on his own, I would have been furious. He told us he had to do it, but he didn't understand why. That's got Dad written all over it. He knew how it would work out and nudged Sam in that direction. It was for the best. I can't be mad at my child for something that was out of his control. Cas pondered the statement for a moment, but nodded his understanding. Sam finished his uncle's wings and then rested his head in Michael's lap. Feeling this many angels near him was comforting and soothing something in Sam he wasn't even aware was unsettled. Raphael shifted to work on Michael's wings while Gabriel finished with Castiel. Dean eventually dozed off for a while and Sam snapped a blanket into existence around him. Sam thought Dean would probably be the only non-angel allowed in this room. The archangels seemed rather territorial about their nests, but Dean was Gabe's second child so he was an unofficial nephilim. Sam knew eventually they would have to figure out what to do about Lucifer, but for now he was content to relax with his family.

Chapter Text

The next day, Sam's family spent time relaxing and playing in the water park. Even the archangels seemed to have fun. Sam couldn't be happier. Gabriel was playing bartender and supplying enough booze that they might actually get buzzed. Bobby had to leave at lunch to work the phones. Mary was teaching Kate all about hunting and Bobby was keeping an eye out for a simple salt'n burn to get them started. Sam was surprised Dean hadn't gotten the itch for a hunt yet, but figured it was coming. Around three in the afternoon, Adam had worn himself out and was napping on a lounge chair. It had been peaceful. Gabriel was insisting that his siblings go out and spend time with humanity. His father was wanting the archangels to learn to see the good in people. Sam couldn’t really object, but he was kind of nervous. Dean was excited about finally being able to drag Sam back to a bar. It had been a while. 

By five o’clock, Sam was dressed in jeans and a nice t-shirt with a leather jacket that Gabriel insisted Sam have. Dean wasn’t dressed too differently with his typical flannel. Nobody in the family really needed to worry about the temperature anymore, but they still tried to dress somewhat appropriately for the season. Sam grinned when his father and uncles joined them by the door. It was obvious that Gabriel had played dress up with Michael and Raphael, dressing them much like Sam and Dean. Gabriel of course was wearing his typical jeans, t-shirt, and green canvas jacket. Somehow, Michael still managed to look “fixed” and styled. Dean had managed to talk Cas into going, but not into changing from the trench coat. 

By six o’clock the group had flown or teleported their way to the bar Dean frequented in town. It was a dirty hole in the wall type place where people didn’t pay much attention to ID and nobody cared how much you drank unless you started a fight. They had plenty of pool tables and enough chairs to keep everyone happy. They got a table in the back and Dean was quick to order a round of cheap beer and only minimally better whisky for everyone. Sam shook his head at his brother. Some things never changed. Michael and Raph were looking around the bar curiously. 

“What are we doing here, brother? There are at least six different types of diseases on the chairs.” Raphael scrunched his nose in disgust and Gabriel let out a startled laugh. 

“This is a good lesson in people watchin’.” Gabriel grinned and Sam chuckled. “Now Sammy, rule number one of goin’ to a bar?” Sam rolled his eyes. He definitely wasn’t going to repeat his father’s bar rules. Gabriel only glared a little before snapping and suddenly everyone at the table was holding one of his special condoms. Everyone at the table seemed confused, but Dean was cackling anyway. “Came up with these bad boys after the spawn was born.” Sam blushed as Gabriel pointed his thumb in his direction. Sam cleared his throat awkwardly. 

“Thanks for that, dad.” Dean had nearly turned purple from oxygen deprivation, laughing so hard. 

“Not to make this weirder, but you’ve never struck me as a very chaste person, Gabe. How do you only have one nephilim runnin’ around anyway?” Dean asked once he could finally breathe again. Sam watched, to his horror, as his father smirked and wagged his eyebrows. 

“No clue, Dean-o. Probably because most of my previous partners were also gods and goddesses. Usually they didn’t want to reproduce with little ol’ me. Or maybe it’s because Dad never blessed any of my other partners.” Sam snapped his gaze to his dad so fast he felt his neck crack. 

“What?!” 

“Later, Samshine. Either way, there’s only one fledgling running around with my grace and these bad boys,” Gabriel held up one of the golden packets, “are important just in case one special little swimmer gets past a regular dam. Spelled with magic to prevent reproduction of the pagan or angelic type.” 

“Why would we ever want to fornicate with a human?” Castiel asked, brow furrowed as he stared down at the small golden packet. His father shrugged. 

“Ya never know, Cassie. You might just enjoy it.” Michael and Raph still seemed disturbed by the thought, as did Castiel, but Dean and Sam were both quick to pocket the condoms. Gabriel winked and Sam felt a zip of magic and there were now several condoms in his pocket.  Dean smirked and must have noticed the same thing. 

“Come on, Sammy. Let’s shoot some pool.” Sam grinned and pushed back from the table before finishing his whiskey. They made their way to an open pool table and quickly started a game. They drew a crowd pretty quickly due to Sam’s subtle use of magic to cause Dean to miss shots. It was silly and typical for brothers. It wasn’t enough for anyone to really notice. The door opened and Sam felt a shudder run through his grace at the slimy feeling of a demon entering. Stupid demon. This was a very bad time to walk into this bar. Dean seemed to notice Sam’s reaction and cast an odd look at the woman who just walked in before scowling as well. “Ugh.” Dean said as he lined up his next shot. Sam glanced at his father and uncles only to see the archangels glaring at the demon. Gabe looked back at Sam and shook his head. They wouldn’t do anything about the demon right now. It hadn’t seemed to notice them. Sam made sure that his grace was shielded. It was second nature at this point and he usually did it subconsciously, but when facing an unknown being, it’s usually a good idea to double check it. They played another round, both hunters and angels subtly keeping an eye on the demon who had ordered a drink and then steadily kept her eyes on Sam. 

“Hey kiddo, as much as I am against it, go order a drink and see what your sulfur scented admirer does.” He heard his fathers voice float through his mind and groaned slightly to himself. It was a good idea in all honesty. She’d been staring at him for a while now.  

“Hey Dean, I’m gonna get another round.” His brother glanced at the demon and then back to him before nodding. Sam tossed the empty beer bottles into the trash and then made his way to the bar. He didn’t sit right next to the demon, but close enough. 

“Hey,” She smiled brightly, but Sam could see the darkness inside of her. It was unsettling to witness the difference between her human expression and the demon’s true face. He forced himself not to shudder. 

“Hey.” He smiled back hoping to seem somewhat interested. “Haven’t seen you around before.” 

“I’m just passing through.” He smirked slightly, but didn’t reply. Of course he wasn’t stupid enough to think the demon had settled down. “But if I met someone interesting enough I might stick around a while.” Sam turned to face her fully after ordering a beer for himself and Dean. 

“What do you consider interesting?” A dark smirk took over her pretty face. 

“Someone who’s eighteen, looks like they’re in their mid twenties, and has probably lived more years than anyone knows.” So she knew him. He felt tension run through his shoulders at her comment, but tried desperately to remain relaxed. 

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Sure you don’t, Sam.” The demon rolled her eyes, finally sounding like the monster she was. She reached over and grabbed his hand before flipping it palm up. He felt his grace recoil at her touch and struggled not to squirm. She pulled a pen from her purse and scribbled a number on his hand. “I just came to warn you.” She said as she released him. “There’s a demon named Lillith who’s gunning for you.”

“Why are you telling me this?” 

“Lillith is trying to bring on the apocalypse. Not all of us want that. Call me when you’re ready to talk.” The demon stood and finished her drink. 

“You never told me your name.” He said as she headed for the door. He watched her pause before looking over her shoulder to answer. 

“Ruby.” And then she was out the door. Dean immediately dropped his poolstick and made his way towards Sam. The nephilim had already grabbed both beers and was walking to the table full of archangels. They both sat down and took a long drink.  

“So I guess the demons don’t know the apocalypse is off.” Sam commented without looking at his family. Gabriel chuckled. 

“It’s not like we check in with each other, kiddo.” 

“This might actually work to our advantage.” Michael hummed as he swirled his bourbon in the bottom of the glass. Sam looked at his uncle questioningly. “We aren’t against opening the cage, right? Maybe we just let the seals breaking take its course. Maybe even tell Lillith we’re all working toward the common goal.” 

“One problem, brother.” Sam looked back at his father with concern at the serious tone of his voice. “Many of the seals involve massive destruction and death.” That was alarming and Sam’s grace began swirling in trepidation. He didn’t want innocent people to come to harm in this plan. 

“Many do not. Sam should meet with Lillith. Let her know he will only work with her to free Lucifer if she agrees not to break seals involving innocent deaths. We can have the angels stationed on earth to ensure that the demons keep their word.” Michael’s plan actually almost sounded good. “We already know where the final seal has to be broken. We can prepare the location before the breaking. Once Lucifer has been released then we can bind him and talk with him.” Sam felt the anger rolling through his father’s grace and looked over cautiously. Gabriel was fuming, but hadn’t said a word. “The biggest complication will be the first seal. Even if Dean would still count as a Righteous Man, I doubt that Gabriel would allow him to go to hell.” Gabriel’s head snapped up at that. 

“You’re damn right I won't!” Dean seemed surprised that Gabriel would be that defensive over him, but Sam really wasn’t. His father had shown time and time again that Sam and Dean were equally his children even if only one shared his grace. 

“What’s the first seal again?” Dean asked curiously. 

“A Righteous Man sheds blood in hell. It had been initially intended to be you or your father.” Michael hummed. 

“Honestly, the chosen man wouldn’t even need to go through the demons at this point. Just be in hell and shed blood. No torture necessary.” Raphael mused, but seemed concerned. “It might tip them off that something isn’t right though.” 

“Who would count as the Righteous Man now though?” Sam questioned, looking between his brothers. 

“Any of the Winchester lineage aside from Dean or Adam now. The Pagan magic disqualifies it.” Michael shared before widening his eyes in alarm. “Not that we would ever allow Adam’s soul into hell in the first place. Children have no place there.” 

“So, all we need is a Winchester to go to hell and shed blood. Right? Then the other seals will be broken and we can hurry this along.” Sam smiled, trying to bring the discussion back toward planning. “Maybe that’s something I can work with Lillith on. Once we find a Winchester willing to help, we agree to break the seal as fast as possible. No torture.” 

“Sammy, John won’t help us release the devil. You should know that.” Sam’s eyebrows furrowed in thought for a moment before his father’s fist slammed down on the table. 

“I don’t like it. I won’t let Sam work with demons alone or be in danger because of this.”

“Brother, you and I both know Sam would never be in any danger from a demon. Lillith is single minded. Focused only on her goal now and that requires Sam alive and unharmed as far as she knows.” Michael tried to reassure his little brother, but Sam could tell it wasn’t doing much good. 

“None of us knew exactly what Azazel’s blood would do to the vessel anyway.” Raphael shared softly. “It was always assumed The Boyking would be very powerful in his own right. I see no reason why Sam shouldn’t be allowed to use many of his gifts should he need them.” Sam was starting to come around to the idea. It wasn’t perfect, but it was probably the best choice they had. Sam was surprised that Dean hadn’t objected yet. 

“Plus he will have me. I won’t leave him.” Dean reassured the group confidently. Gabriel groaned and buried his face in his hands. Sam smiled at his brother before looking back at his father. 

“I can do this, dad. I’ll be okay.” 

“I know you can, kiddo. I know you can. It’s not that I don’t trust you.” 

“You gotta let him grow up sometime, Gabe.” Dean smirked, but Sam winced when Gabriel’s full angelic-wrath glare was aimed at his bonus son. 

“Yes. Preferably when he’s actually grown up!” Sam blushed while his uncles and Cas only chuckled, not offering their assistance to support the nephilim. “Sending Sam to work with Lillith like this is only slightly better than sending a human toddler to fight a regular demon in my eyes.” Sam huffed, but knew his father was probably right. “If he was in heaven, he wouldn’t even be out of his little angelic diapers for Dad’s sakes!” Sam blushed even harder while Dean seemed to find that image highly amusing. 

“It’s not that bad, dad.” He grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest, thoroughly embarrassed. 

“It is true though, little one.” Michael smiled at Sam softly. “You would not be training for battles for many years now, spending most of your time learning how to be an angel.” Michael then turned his attention back to Gabriel. “But this is not heaven and he is not simply a fledgling.” Finally, someone was on his side now. Sam smiled brightly at his uncle while his father whined again and snapped himself the largest fishbowl drink he’d ever seen. He chuckled at his father, but didn’t fight the urge to tangle his grace with the grumpy, overprotective archangel. Gabriel seemed to perk up slightly at the reminder that Sam still needed him. Everyone relaxed throughout the evening after that. Dean was even able to convince Cas to learn how to play pool. Michael and Raph watched humanity and even admitted to learning a great deal. Sam stayed close to his father though. 

When they returned home for the night, Sam didn’t question why his father dragged him to the archangel nest. He didn’t protest when his father pulled him down into the nest and relentlessly groomed his wings or cuddled him. Sam allowed himself to push his grace forward and just be a fledgling for a while. Allowed himself to feel so very young while his father and uncles cared for him. Gabriel was brushing his fingers through Sam’s hair. He hummed and leaned into the touch gently. 

“Ya know,” Gabriel said softly, not breaking the soothing atmosphere. “The one regret I have is not being able to spend more time doing this when you were younger.” 

“My grace remembers you being there a lot.” His father tightened his hold on Sam’s grace. 

“I should’ve been there more, little one. If I’d kept you, you would’ve been able to develop at a more normal rate for a fledgling.” 

“I wouldn’t change anything.” Sam stated confidently, looking his father in the eye.

“You wouldn’t?” Sam shook his head. 

“I wouldn’t have Dean or Bobby. We might not have been able to stop the apocalypse otherwise. I might not have Micah or Rapha.” His uncles smiled at him. 

“You are very wise to be so young, Samshine.” Sam beamed at his father as he relaxed into the soothing touches. 

“Dad?” 

“Yeah, Sammy?” 

“What did you mean, about my mom being blessed?” He asked sheepishly. They still didn’t talk much about her, but Sam found he couldn’t let this detail go. Gabriel sighed and continued to run his hands through Sam’s hair. 

“I think…” He took another deep breath. “I think your Grandfather knew what was going to happen. How wonderful you would be. She even said that if Father allowed your conception then you were meant to exist and that you would do great things. I think maybe in some way, Father had visited her. I was drawn to her in a way that I never had been before with a human. Something I couldn’t explain.” 

“So, you think Grandfather… blessed her… to make sure I was born?” 

“Something like that, kiddo.” Sam smiled again, content with the knowledge that he wasn’t an abomination and soon he found himself dozing. When he woke several hours later, his uncles were gone, but his father was still holding him close. 

“Where’s Micah and Rapha?” He murmured, rubbing his eyes and even reminding himself of an overgrown toddler. 

“They went back to heaven to prepare the garrisons. We will need most of them to keep people safe.” Sam hummed in acknowledgement. “That brings me to our next topic though.” He looked up at his father in question, but Gabriel seemed to get nervous. “They will be calling a meeting of all angels.”

“Okay?” Sam wasn’t following really. Why did his father seem so concerned? 

“The meeting will be to discuss the plan for the apocalypse, explaining Father’s wishes, and…” Gabriel trailed off seeming so unsure that Sam grew concerned. 

“What is it, dad?” 

“And the plan is to introduce you to the host.” Sam’s eyes widened in surprise and his grace rolled in concern. “We need them to know who you are and we can’t…” Gabriel took a deep breath. “I can’t risk one of them finding out you are a nephilim and deciding to hurt you.” That made sense, he guessed, but he was still nervous. “Your uncles and I plan to make it very clear that you are to be treated as any other archangel and that your Grandfather does not want you killed.” 

“But I’m not an archangel.” 

“You're half archangel. That’s good enough.”

“Don’t you think,” Sam looked away and licked his lips, delaying for a minute. “Don’t you think there will be angels who will be pissed that no other nephilim are allowed to exist, but I do?” Gabriel sighed and ran his fingers through Sam’s hair again. 

“Probably, kiddo.” 

“It’s not really fair.” 

“No, not really.” 

“Will they change the law to allow nephilim again?” 

“I don’t know honestly. Not right off the bat for sure.” Sam nodded and wiggled out of his father’s grasp. “Get a shower and get dressed, kiddo. We need to head upstairs before long.” Sam tried to put on a brave face for his dad and left to get ready. He knew his father was just as nervous as he was. He could feel it in his grace. He showered quickly and stood in his closet for nearly thirty minutes trying to figure out what to wear. Jeans and a flannel seemed… not enough for something like this. He didn’t want to wear a suit either. In the end he decided to say fuck it and wore jeans with a henley shirt. He brushed his hair out and briefly considered getting Dean to trim it. It was nearly shoulder length now, but he really kind of liked it like this so he decided to leave it alone. He made his way to the kitchen, giving Snickers a little pat on the head as he went. Gabriel was waiting for him with a large breakfast. Most of the rest of the family was already eating and discussing their plans for the day. Adam needed to spend some time on schoolwork. Dean was going to be training Mary and Kate in hand to hand. Bobby was working the phones again. It was going to be as normal a day as they got with his family. Gabriel shared their plans to go to heaven and Castiel would be accompanying them. Dean protested initially, but easily admitted that the host not attacking Sam was probably priority one. After breakfast, Sam hugged his brother tightly and tried his best to reassure him. It wasn’t easy given how unnerved Sam himself was by going to heaven. 

“Ready Samshine?” Gabriel asked with a false cheer that Sam saw through easily. He nodded, but couldn’t bring himself to vocalize anything in the face of returning to a place that almost killed him once. “Follow me, Cassie.” His father gripped his hand tightly, giving it a small reassuring squeeze. Gabriel flew them both to heaven and landed in a beautiful garden. Castiel landed right behind them. Sam glanced around warrily, unsure where they were or what angels might be around. 

“ Brother! Nephew! ” Raphael’s voice boomed and Sam spun to see his uncle smiling brightly at him. Sam tried to shake the nerves from his wings and pulled them tighter to his back. He was still slightly self-conscious about them. No angels had wings like his. His father and uncles didn’t have four huge sets of wings. He was a freak even among angels. Raphael hugged them all tightly. “ All of the angels are waiting in the Great Hall. Michael is already there. ” Sam reached out his grace to his father, looking for reassurance and support. Gabriel easily held on tightly to Sam and he smiled brightly when Raphael did the same. “ Come, little one. Let’s introduce you to your family and I believe Micah has a surprise for you .” The nephilim brightened a touch at the idea of a surprise before he scowled at his own childishness. The archangels chuckled, easily feeling his thoughts and emotions through his grace. 

They walked down the stark white halls of heaven together. There were no angels around, but Sam could sense them all near. He tamped town on his grace to hide himself, but Gabriel tugged him closer in response. They reached a large doorway with Michael standing in front of it. He smiled at them as they approached and dragged Sam and his father into a hug. 

“ Gabriel, Samuel! I’m glad you came. ” Michael immediately turned his attention onto Sam. “ Uh uh, little one. No more hiding, remember? ” His uncle soothed while using his grace to readjust Sam’s wings and posture to be more straight and proud. Chin up, full height, wings displayed calmly. Sam took a deep breath and tried to relax into the confidence he carried with him on hunts, even if it was a mask. Gabriel smiled encouragingly at him and readjusted his own posture. Sam finally removed the shield that blocked other angels from sensing or finding him. “ Very good. ” Michael smiled and patted Sam on the shoulder before leading their small group inside. There were gasps of surprise, shouts of indignation, cheers of happiness, and scoffs that let Sam know exactly what they all thought of him and Gabriel entering heaven. Sam stood just behind his father and Raphael as Michael approached the podium. Gabriel had made Cas stay with them, afraid an angel would sense the pagan magic within the Eagle and become aggressive. He did notice the sadness within Cas’s grace when he looked at a certain group of angels. 

“ My former garrison. ” Cas sighed as he looked back at Sam. The nephilim never considered what Cas had given up, only what he had gained when he joined their little family. 

“ I’m sorry. ” He shared and felt his grace creep toward the Seraph in support. He was pleasantly surprised when Cas allowed the interaction and reciprocated eagerly. 

“ Quiet down everyone !” Michael stated in a voice that didn’t allow for argument. Most angels seemed confused and eager to learn what was going on, and thus decided to shut up quickly. Others weren’t so happy and took longer to stop complaining. “ I said settle! ” The second command shut everyone up quickly and Michael was allowed to continue. 

“ I’m sure there are a lot of questions right now. I would like to start answering them. First of all, I would like to apologize to you all. I have not been the older brother I should have been for a very long time now. After Father left us, I allowed things to become too militaristic and forgot the importance of family. It was brought to my attention recently all of the ways that we, as archangels, have let you all down. From now on, we will be encouraging you all to make flocks again. Raphael and I will be working to restructure the angel’s personal nests and gardens. We would like to see The Host return to what we once were. A family. ” Michael smiled over at Gabriel and Sam. “ Secondly, Father has not left us. ” There were gasps among the angels and Sam could see many were hopeful and elated at the idea of God returning to them. “ He never has. He simply wanted to give us the same gift he gave humanity. Free will. From here on out, re-educations will be banned and heavily punished. ” There were a few grumbles at that, but several angels seemed incredibly interested in the idea of free will.

“ How do we know God isn’t gone ?” One angel who seemed to have an entire tree up his ass asked, nose held high in the air. Sam frowned at the angel. Michael scowled as well. 

“ You dare question the archangels? ” The angel seemed to realize his error and shrunk back, offering no further comment. “ Next I would like to welcome our brother, Gabriel back to heaven. He has been gone for far too long. ” Michael smiled and there were cheers from the majority of the host at the youngest archangel’s presence. “ Castiel has also been welcomed back. It was my error to ever question his judgment. ” Cas smiled softly, but his grace brightened drastically at the praise. “ I would also like to introduce you all to our nephew. Samuel, come here. ” Michael smiled brightly and Gabriel grabbed him by the hand and dragged him forward. There were several shrieks of fear and plenty of grumbles. Several shouts of “ Nephilim! ” in English and Enochian and plenty of death threats sent his way as the angels remembered he was there. Sam shrank back at the overwhelmingly negative welcome. He tried to tug himself from his family’s grasp, but they remained firm. Suddenly all three archangel’s and one Seraph’s wings flared dramatically in anger and the atmosphere of the room was overwhelmingly oppressive. “ SILENCE! ” Michael bellowed, but none seemed more angry than Gabriel who was shaking with rage. One angel suddenly flew at Sam, blade outstretched in front of it. It was the same one with the tree up his ass. None of the archangels had time to react before there was a crash of lightning followed by the loudest thunder Sam had ever heard. He blinked and the angel was gone. Nothing left but its blade that had fallen to the floor. There were gasps and shrieks from the display. Even his father and uncles looked unsettled. 

“Dad?” 

“That wasn’t us, kiddo.” As soon as Gabriel had murmured his confused reaction to Sam, he spotted the small brunette man standing to the side of the room. His Grandfather was smiling directly at him. God was smiling at him. It wasn’t anything he ever really thought he would experience before recently. His Grandfather opened his arms as he walked closer and hugged Sam tightly. 

“ Are you alright, fledgling? ” He smiled softly and a warmth spread through him. 

“ I am, Grandfather. ” Because what else was he supposed to call him? It was… odd, but nice at the same time. 

“Good. Good.” His Grandfather released him and then walked toward the archangels who he hugged as well. Then he turned to address the entire Host. “ Hello, children. ” There was a chorus of awed responses in return and Sam smiled. “ If Zachariah’s fate wasn’t clear enough for you all, no harm is to come to my grandson. He is to be loved and respected as would any other archangel. ” The Host all seemed to be on the same page with that now and nodded accordingly. “ Creating nephilim is still outlawed. Should you choose to mate with a human, know the punishment for their creation will still be severe and you will require permission from the archangels to mate with a human. ” Several angels seemed sad and Sam realized that many may have had hopes of their own fledglings after Sam’s acceptance. Sam had never wanted to be a special case. It wasn’t fair. “ I believe, however, that it is unfair to prevent you from enjoying having fledglings. ” His Grandfather smiled and a wave of power was cast among the Host. “ Now you will all be able to procreate with other angels. ” Another wave of power washed over Sam, but this time it was only the archangels. “ Now my eldest and Samuel will have the ability to create you all vessels should you want them. ” There were a few grumbles about humanity and Sam watched as his Grandfather snapped, reminding Sam much of his own father. Suddenly there were a handful of angels in front of them. His Grandfather outstretched a hand and the selected angels shrieked as their graces were forcibly removed and then they were gone. He passed several small containers full of Grace to Raphael and Gabriel. “They may return when they have learned to love humanity. Not before.” Sam gasped in shock as he realized what his Grandfather had done. He’d caused them to fall. To become the very thing they hated. God smiled at all of his angels and cast a wider smile at Sam and his flock. “ Love the earth and the humans. Love each other. ” And then God was gone. Most of the angels had tears in their eyes and many already seemed to know who their mates would be, clinging to each other. Michael walked back to the podium and cleared his throat. 

“ There is still much for us to discuss and to do. First, I want to give our nephew his gift. ” Michael urged Sam back toward him. “ Do you trust me, little one? ” Sam nodded and smiled. He trusted Michael as much as he trusted his father now. It wasn’t just knowledge, but instinctual. His uncle would never harm him. Michael raised both hands to Sam’s head and closed his eyes. Sam followed his lead and allowed his eyes to flutter shut. There was some poking and prodding within his grace as Michael did… something. Sam wasn’t sure what was happening until he felt a click within himself. Like a connection being made. Like Sam was being plugged into something. All of a sudden, Sam’s world became even larger as he heard the thoughts and murmurings in Enochian passed between the angels. He could feel the emotions of the entire Host! The happiness, the anger, the confusion, the awe, the joy. Sam opened his eyes and looked at his uncle in confusion. “ Now you are connected to the Host, little one. ” Sam smiled and launched himself at Michael. 

“Thank you!” Sam’s gratitude and happiness must have spread to the Host because they all responded with a joyful elation. There were whispers of missing fledglings and glee that they now had a new baby angel. Michael chuckled and hugged him tightly before relinquishing him to Sam’s father. The rest of the flock hugged him again and kept their graces tangled tightly as Michael continued informing the angels of their plan to release Lucifer. Surprisingly, it went smoother than Sam had hoped. He was sure that many of them would protest, but apparently many of them missed the Light Bringer. Well, they missed who he had once been. With the reassurance that the archangels had a plan to heal Lucifer once released and that the humans nor earth would be harmed, the majority of the Host eagerly took to their assignments. 

After the meeting was over, Gabriel snapped up enough food, drinks, desserts, and sitting spaces for the angels to spend time with each other. Gabriel called it a ‘meet-n-greet’ or ‘angelic speed dating’ which made Sam laugh. He met a lot of the angels. Most wanting to meet him and welcome Gabriel back. It was actually quite nice and Sam enjoyed himself. There were plenty of angels still afraid of him or still holding a bias against him for being part human, but they easily stayed away after his Grandfather’s threats. It took nearly the rest of the meeting and part of the after party for Sam to adjust to being connected to the Host. Gabriel instructed him on how to block it out or access it as needed. They stayed for a long time until Bobby’s voice floated through their heads. 

“Guys, we may have a problem.” Sam, Gabriel, and Cas excused themselves quickly before making their way back home. Now that he was connected to the Host, Sam easily found his way around, in, and out of heaven. It was nice and Sam was sure he would enjoy spending some time there now and then, but it wasn’t home. He sighed in relief when he was finally in his own home. 

“What’s up, Bobby?” He asked as he looked at the maps that he and Dean had laid out. 

“Demon signs. Lots of ‘em around some no-name town in Indiana.” 

“Ellen called this mornin’ from the Roadhouse. She’s got several hunters that have reported omens poppin’ up. Electrical storms, cattle deaths, swarms of insects, you name it.” Dean added and scratched his chin. 

“Bobby, Cas, and I can handle this.” Gabriel assured with a glance around the room. 

“Dad,” Sam tried to protest, but he was quickly cut off. 

“No, Sammich. Not this time. We’ve gotta keep you two on the down-low for right now.” Gabriel ruffled Sam’s hair and the three left quickly. 

“Dammit!” Sam cursed and threw his arms up in the air. 

“Come on, Sammy. You can help me train mom and Kate. They were taking a short break.” Sam nodded and followed his brother. At least it would keep his mind busy. 

~~~

Gabriel, Bobby, and Cas landed in the small town in Indiana and made quick work of finding the demons. It seemed they had been in town for a while, but hadn’t done… whatever it was they were going to do. There was an uptick though yesterday which prompted hunters to call in support from Ellen who had called Bobby. 

“When I popped over earlier this afternoon, they was all kinda just standin’ around this one house.” Bobby tilted his head toward the house in question. Gabriel cast his grace out and could sense two human souls and several demons inside. 

“Best get to it then.” Gabriel grumbled and lowered his blade into his hand. The three made their way to the house and quickly dispatched the demons. It wasn’t too hard, but the woman inside was a wreck. She was screaming in fear, nearly hysterical, but Gabriel couldn’t really blame her. 

“Who are you guys?!” She shouted and Gabriel turned a kind smile towards her. 

“My name is Gabriel. This is my little brother Cas and the old grump over there is Bobby.” Gabe jerked his head in Bobby’s direction as he released the ropes that had tied the woman's arms behind her back. “Any idea why demons were after you?”

“Demons?!” She shrieked, fear ratcheting up a few degrees. Well, she wasn’t a hunter or anything involved with the supernatural. A shrill cry alerted Gabriel to the second soul in the room. It was bright. Blindingly bright and vaguely familiar. Gabe turned his attention toward the soul as Cas offered to heal the woman. “Don’t you dare hurt him!” She shouted, threatening the archangel in a way only a mother could. Gabe smiled again. 

“No worries, I won't. I just wanna make sure he’s okay.” Gabriel smiled as he moved closer to the crib. Inside was a child, roughly a year old. He was small and had an adorable tuft of black hair on top of his little head. “Oh, Father.” Gabriel muttered as he scooped the child up. “Hey, little man. What’s your name?” The baby cooed and calmed with Gabriels soothing presence. “Bobby, I think I know why the demons were here.” 

“What’s that?” The Bear grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I believe we are grandparents.” Gabriel smirked as he bounced the boy on his hip. He watched as Bobby searched the child’s face and saw the resemblance in the boy’s eyes. 

“Balls!” 

Chapter Text

“Family Powwow time, kiddos.” Sam heard through his head just before he felt his father’s grace enter the home. He looked at his brother oddly and then informed Mary and Kate that they were all needed. They all wandered toward the living room where Sam found Bobby and Cas looking mildly uncomfortable, a woman who looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack, and his father playing with a small child. Dean froze when he caught sight of the group and Sam sent his brother an odd look. 

“What’s going on, dad?” 

“Dean?” The woman asked, looking at his brother in confusion and maybe fear. 

“Lisa, hey. Gabe, what's going on?” 

“Well, I hate to toot my own horn-” Sam barked out a laugh and interrupted his father. 

“No you don’t.” 

“No, I don’t. But anywho. This little bundle of cuteness is why I make the special condoms.” Sam had a moment of panic as he looked at the child before he realized it was Dean who knew the woman. His brother’s face paled and he looked back to the woman, Lisa. 

“Lis?” The woman seemed to not know what to say now that the spotlight was on her. Dean swung his attention back to Gabriel. “What- uh- what- I don’t…” 

“Congratulations, Dean-o. You beat teen pregnancy, but didn’t quite manage to escape an oops baby. Happens to the best of us.” Gabriel winked at Sam before passing the baby back to its mother. “My guess is the demons were looking for Winchester blood and found that little guy. Probably decided to use them to get you to make a deal or something.” A choked off sound escaped Dean’s mouth as he stumbled slightly. Mary squeaked slightly behind them, but luckily stayed quiet. 

“Are-uh-is everything- um- are you okay?” Dean finally managed to stammer out. Lisa nodded and looked awkwardly around at everyone. 

“I didn’t have a good number for you or anything.” She sighed as she walked forward and passed the boy off to Dean. “This is Ben.” Sam looked away quickly as he noticed the tears gathering in his brother’s eyes. 

“Hi, Ben.” Dean smiled as he hugged the child tightly. His brother would never admit it, but Sam knew he’d always wanted children. Sam had felt guilty as hell knowing his brother had given up much of his life and opportunities to be able to stay with Sam forever. A bright smile crossed Dean’s face as he pulled Lisa into a hug as well. “I’m so sorry, Lis. I never meant for any of this to happen.” 

“I know you didn’t.” She sighed and then looked around the room again. “Are you going to introduce me?” 

“Oh, right. Uh. Lisa, this is my little brother, Sam.” Sam smiled and waved at the woman before holding out a finger for Ben. The baby latched on quickly making Sam laugh. “This is my mom.” Dean nodded to the woman behind them that was vibrating with excitement. 

“Mary.” She smiled as she held a hand out to Lisa. They shook hands and Mary quickly changed directions straight for Ben. “Hi, baby!” Ben squealed in delight and they all laughed. 

“Behind you are Bobby and Gabe, but you already met them. They’re practically my extra dads.” 

“Damn straight.” Gabe smirked while Bobby beamed at being referred to as a father figure. 

“Gabe is Sammy’s dad.” Lisa smiled and made a soft ‘oh’ sound. 

“Sammy! Dean! Why’s uncle Gabe say we gotta talk?!” Adam asked as he bounded down the stairs. The group laughed again before Sam pulled Adam close. 

“That’s my little brother Adam.” Dean nodded behind him. “His mom is Kate back there.” Lisa seemed somewhat overwhelmed by the large family, but was polite nonetheless. “Adam, this is my-my son Ben and his mom Lisa.” Adam’s eyes blinked huge. 

“I didn’t know you had a kid.” Adam said bluntly, making everyone chuckle awkwardly. 

“Neither did I, kid.” Adam seemed confused, but everyone laughed at Dean’s humor. 

“Do-do you all… Does everyone here know…” Lisa seemed unable to form words and Sam took pity on her. He reached for his nephew with a smile. 

“Dad and I will go make room for Lisa and Ben while you guys talk.” Sam stated, calling an official end to the powwow. Luckily everyone else agreed with letting Dean and Lisa talk alone. Mary and Bobby followed Gabriel and Sam while Kate shooed Adam back to his room to finish his schoolwork. It didn’t take long for them to make a small suite for Lisa and Ben. One room that split into two just past the bathroom, sitting area, and small kitchenette. It would allow plenty of space for a baby, but would ensure the rest of the inhabitants of the house wouldn’t disturb the baby. Gabe cast a few spells to ensure that he would sleep well and sound proofed the rooms. 

Dean called them back a short while later. Sam felt mildly uncomfortable now that he knew Lisa probably knew about his lack of humanity. He sheepishly entered the living room again while Mary carried Ben. Gabe plopped down on the couch and snapped up a bowl of caramel corn. Lisa startled and gaped at the sudden display of magic, but didn’t say anything. 

“You have the talk?” Gabe asked and Dean nodded. “The whole talk?” 

“If you’re talking about the fact that the father of my child is a pagan god? Yes he said that. I just don’t know that I believed it.” 

“Sammy..” Dean nearly pleaded and he knew immediately what his brother wanted. Sam’s Fox wasn’t nearly as intimidating as the Wolf. He smirked and then shifted to a small fox. He heard Ben squeak and Lisa laugh like she thought she was losing her mind. He shifted back to his human shape before smiling softly. 

“So, what does that make the rest of you?” 

“Wolf.” Dean stated before sharing the animal forms of the rest of the Guardians. 

“Does that mean… Ben’s..?” Dean shook his head adamantly. 

“No, Lis. We met just before… this… happened.” Lisa seemed to breathe a sigh of relief that Ben wouldn’t be a supercharged baby. They continued talking for a long while about everything that was going on and all of the different people who were in and out of the house. Lisa agreed to stay for a while to ensure nobody could use Ben as leverage. Dean showed her to her new room and made sure everything was to her liking. Ben was put down for a nap and Lisa was given a top of the line baby monitor to ensure she could hear him should he wake. She’d seemed dumbfounded that they had even had room for her before Dean assured her that they had more than enough space and she could stay as long as she wanted. Sam watched as his brother shifted back into ‘dad-mode’ as he had done so often with Sam when they were young. Even with everything going on, Sam thought Dean probably hadn’t ever been this happy in his life. 

~~~

Sam looked at his uncle with some hesitation. Ruby had been willing to convince Lillith to meet with them in an old warehouse. Dean and Gabriel hadn't been a fan of Sam doing this with only Michael, but it was the best plan to convince the demons everyone wanted the same thing. Sam had a part to play this time and that's what had him nervous. He was to pretend to be kidnapped by Michael and forced into working with demons to raise Lucifer. He thought he could pull it off and it would be a good cover for his anxiety. It would also ensure that most of the time when Sam was with demons, he would also have backup of an archangel. Dean was pissed that he didn't get to be the backup, but couldn't argue that Sam would be safer with Michael. He had his own part to play anyway. He had his grace hidden and Michael was radiating power to make it more convincing. It didn't take very long before the icky feeling of demonic energy filled the space of the abandoned warehouse. Sam shuddered, but otherwise gave no reaction. Lillith strolled in, flanked by Ruby and the blonde demon who had been there when Sam was taken by Azazel. Meg, he thought her name was. There was also a horde of demons outside if his senses were correct. 

“Lillith.” Michael greeted coldly and Sam shrank in on himself slightly. He'd never heard his uncle so terrifying. It was a far cry from the warm angel he'd grown so close to recently. 

“Mike.” She scowled slightly before turning her attention to Sam. “Samuel.” she purred with a soft smile on her face. He looked to Michael again but kept quiet, hoping it would read as fear. “Why have you called this meeting?” Lillith turned back to Michael, still scowling. 

“I have the boy. He’s agreed to help in exchange for the safety of his family.” Michael cast a scathing look at Sam who shrunk in on himself without it having to be forced. His uncle could be incredibly intimidating if he wanted to. Lillith snorted and shook her head. 

“We already know he’s not the vessel, feathers.” Meg growled with a smirk. This was it. The plan was ruined. Sam paled as he remembered Azazel realizing what Sam was just before his death. Meg must have overheard before hauling ass. He looked to his uncle for guidance, but Michael’s entire focus was on the demons before them. 

“Very well. I’ll put this plainly. We still want the same thing. Lucifer freed from the cage. We’re willing to work together to make that happen.” Lilith studied Michael for a long moment before turning her gaze on Sam. Whatever she saw in them seemed to be enough for her to make up her mind. 

“What of the vessel issue?” Lilith’s pretty face turned into an ugly scowl and Sam had the vague urge to hurl. 

“Leave that to us.” Michael smiled sharply and Sam was reminded of a predator approaching its prey. “Of course,” The archangel eyed the demon suspiciously. “There will be some changes to the original plan. Some restrictions on the seals.” 

“Of course there will.” Lilith rolled her eyes and crossed her arms impatiently. “And those limits are?” 

“You only break seals with the limited number of deaths. We will assist of course.” 

“No! There’s no way to break the seals without innocent lives being lost! You’re just taking all the fun out of it!” As Lilith continued to pout, Sam felt the tension from Michael’s anger like it was a tangible thing. A quick glance showed that his uncle’s grace was shining through his eyes and his wings flared high behind him. Ruby and Meg both began taking cautious steps backwards, but Lilith held her ground. The idiot. 

“We will have the garrisons stationed around the globe to ensure that you are not able to break any of the seals with the highest death counts. Should you decide to pursue those options, we will ensure that you are not successful.” Lilith shrieked in anger and if looks could kill an archangel, Michael would’ve been toast. Luckily took much more than that to down his uncle. “We will take care of the first seal and the last.” 

“Fine!” She shouted before turning on her heels and storming out of the warehouse. Ruby and Meg were quick to follow. Sam took a deep breath, trying to dispel some of the tension he’d been feeling. 

“That went well.” Michael smiled at him softly. Well? Well? Sam felt his wings twitch behind him with restless energy. He didn’t consider that going ‘well.’ Okay maybe. Sufficient even. 

“Why would they even come to me if they knew I wasn’t the vessel?” Sam asked, the question had been bothering him since the demons admitted to knowing about his lack of vessel-ness. Michael made a thoughtful noise and scratched at his chin. An odd gesture of humanity he seemed to be picking up on. 

“Even if you weren’t the vessel, you’d still be a powerful ally if they could get you on their side.” Sam nodded absently, he hadn’t really thought of that. 

The pair returned to the pocket house and were immediately accosted with hugs from their family. They quickly explained what had happened and discussed their next steps. With a plan set in place, Michael returned to heaven with Raphael to ready the garrisons. The rest had a small break to relax, but soon Sam had the hardest job yet. He had to convince Henry to break the first seal. 

~~~

The talk with Henry was difficult. Gabriel had to help convince him, but in the end they received his agreement to help. Sam felt bad about asking so much of the man, but he was their only chance. Sam had explained his conversation with his Grandfather and why he felt he needed to release the devil on the world. Once Gabe had promised that none of them would allow Lucifer to go on a rampage or anything, Henry had reluctantly agreed. 

They were waiting for Michael and Raphael to have all of the angels ready. It didn’t take nearly as long as he had thought it would, but longer than Michael wanted. The angels all required vessels, but with three archangels and Sam, it only took a few weeks to make it happen. The four of them seemed to instinctively know how to make the vessels now. Once they touched the angel's true form, they would be able to create the perfect vessel for that angel. The human representation of that angel. Sam actually found the process quite fun and he made a lot of new friends and family along the way. Gabriel was absolutely beaming at him as they made their way through the garrisons to create vessels. Some angels seemed absolutely taken with each other. Sam found a warmth in heaven that he’d never felt before. It was nice. It felt like what heaven was supposed to be. Michael had said that most angels wanted to wait until after Lucifer had returned to heaven before they started making fledglings. They all knew that a war was possible and none of them wanted to leave behind a child. Only the lower choirs who wouldn’t be involved in the fight were in the process of creating a fledgling. 

Two months after Sam’s meeting with Henry, the angels were all ready. There was nothing left to delay the first seal. Michael and Gabriel would be meeting Lilith in hell with Henry in tow. They would have to take one of the magical back doors that allowed living beings to enter hell instead of just flying down there. Sam and Gabe were waiting anxiously for Michael at the pocket house. Everyone seemed equally as eager to get this over with. Sam looked at his brother who was gently bouncing Ben, trying to get the child down for a nap. It seemed fatherhood suited Dean, but Sam also worried about what would happen when the boy aged. He shook his head and tried to remind himself there were more pressing issues for right now. Ben finally seemed to heave a much too large sigh for a child his size before settling into a deep sleep. Dean smiled softly before placing him in a nap crib that Gabe had placed in the living room. 

“Just like ridin’ a bike.” Dean smirked as he strode towards them and ruffled Sam’s hair. 

“You’re not half bad at this whole ‘dad’ thing.” Sam laughed and wiggled away when his brother swatted at him. He felt his uncle’s grace just before he heard a squawk from his father. The nephilim turned around just in time to see Gabriel launch a counter attack at his oldest brother, attempting to tackle him to the ground. In truth, he just kind of looked like a spider monkey climbing a tree. Sam and Dean chuckled as Michael lifted Gabriel up by the shirt and deposited him down on the ground like a particularly errant child. 

“Are you ready, little brother?” Michael laughed while Gabriel was still pouting slightly. 

“Not in the least. Let’s get this over with.” Gabriel sighed and grabbed hold of Sam tightly. The nephilim didn’t like this. He had begged to go with the group, but his father had firmly denied the request. Actually, Gabriel had threatened to lock Sam down with enochian warding and holy fire if he didn’t agree to stay home willingly. Dean, the traitor, actually agreed to help Gabriel. His father released him before pulling Dean into a hug as well. “We’ll be back soon.” Gabriel offered and then the archangels were gone. 

In total, it took about an hour earth time for the first seal to be broken. The angels and demons all felt it. Sam shuddered and he noticed Dean watching him out of the corner of his eye as they tried to watch tv. It was odd to feel something as cosmically charged as a seal to Lucifer’s cage breaking. Michael and Gabriel returned not long after, both looking somber and morose, their graces twisted up in knots and rolling with waves of emotion. Sam guessed hell would do that to someone. Gabriel grabbed both of his sons before flying them to the archangel’s nest room. Michael was already waiting for them. Gabriel pulled them both close to him. Sam tangled their graces tightly and rested his head in his father’s lap. Dean seemed to sense that Gabriel needed affection and didn’t even complain when the archangel threw his legs over the Wolf’s lap before readjusting Sam’s position. Michael situated himself behind Gabriel and began grooming his wings. It was quiet. Calm. Nobody spoke. Nobody brought up the horrible things Gabriel and Michael had to witness in hell. They didn’t need to. 

“Are you okay?” Sam finally asked, hours later once both archangel’s graces had calmed significantly. 

“We are now.” Gabriel sighed and continued running his fingers through Sam’s hair. 

Chapter Text

Boys, need a family meetin’ . 

Bobby's voice floated through the Guardians' minds and they all immediately dressed themselves with a thought and flew or teleported to Bobby's living room quickly, Michael and Raph right behind them. 

“What's going on, Bobby?” Dean asked and his uncle glanced up at them in relief. 

“Got a mess of demons runnin’ wild in nowhere Minnesota. Your dad's already there. Says there's probably ten of ‘em. Needs some back up. I think he's there with Jim an’ a couple others.” Sam glanced at the other angels and shrugged. 

“Shouldn't be a problem.” 

“As much as I would very much like to smite a few demons, I'm afraid right now it would be seen as an act of war. I will remain behind, but pray should you need anything.” Michael stated. Gabriel and Raph seemed to agree with him, but neither were willing to miss out on a good smiting. 

“Dad, can you get a location on John or did he hide himself from angels?” 

“Nah. I got him, kiddo. You guys ready?” Everyone in the group nodded. “Follow me.” With a smirk Gabriel took off and Sam grabbed his brother's shoulder, following quickly. They landed outside of the motel room John was staying in, Raphael and Cas right behind them. Dean walked toward the room and knocked sharply. One knock, then two in the typical Winchester announcement knock. John opened the door with a scowl. 

“I thought Bobby was gonna send more hunters.” He grumbled as Dean shouldered his way inside. Sam and the angels followed right behind him. Inside the room was Pastor Jim who smiled brightly and hugged Sam tightly before moving on to Dean. 

“Sam, it's so good to see you.” 

“You too.” Sam grinned but glanced at the other hunters. Most had been there the day that John had tortured Sam and Gabe took him away. They all startled at Gabriel's casual entrance. Several pulled guns, but none of Sam's family even paid attention. Raphael seemed confused, but not concerned. 

“Gabriel, why do they have weapons pointed at you?” 

“He’s not fuckin’ human. That's why!” Tim? Sam thought his name was Tim shouted, but his hand was trembling slightly. Raphael and Cas cocked their heads to the side at the exact same time and Sam couldn’t withhold the snort of amusement. “Why the hell did you call them , Winchester? Your kid, I get, but the rest?” John grunted. 

“Bobby sent ‘em. I called Bobby for backup hunters. He sent them to us.” 

“Lucky, for you guys we should be able to wrap this up pretty quickly.” Gabriel smiled and popped some candy in his mouth. 

“Yeah? We ain't workin’ with monsters.” Tim growled and Sam flinched slightly. He still hated that word, but Gabriel just rolled his eyes. 

“Are you religious?” Raphael asked softly and the hunter's attention all turned toward him. 

“Tim, I would advise you to be careful with Sam and his companions.” Jim tried placating. 

“Apologies, father. I should introduce myself. I am Raphael.” Jim's eyes twinkled and his smile grew. “I see my little brother has already given you a blessing, but I would like to offer my own.” Sam smiled brightly at his uncle. 

“What the hell, Sam?” John growled, but his eyes were on Raph. 

“What did the kid do this time, John?” Gabe’s posture turned defensive and Dean crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Look, can we all just stop and focus on the case?” Sam asked and the attention shifted back to him. “Bobby said there were multiple demons.” 

“At first I thought it was around ten, but I'm thinking there may be more.” John growled reluctantly. Sam huffed and glanced at his father. Gabriel shut his eyes and after a moment looked at the group. 

“There's twenty, but they're circling the town next door.” 

“Why would there be twenty demons?” Sam questioned, ignoring the group of humans for the time being. “Are they after Jim? It's his home after all.” 

“They are probably trying to break a seal.” Raphael shared once his blessing on Jim was complete. Sam paled. That probably wasn't good if hunters were catching onto the seals already. 

“The hell’s that mean?” Steve asked. Sam was pretty sure the guy's name was Steve. Damn he needed to actually get these guys names. 

“Can we just get rid of the demons and then worry about the seals later?” Sam asked, glancing between his father and uncle. Raphael nodded, but Gabriel looked like he was coming up with a plan. 

“What seals?” Jim asked. Sam had forgotten that his favorite pastor wasn't involved in any of the planning for this. He smirked and then pushed his voice into Jim's mind. 

The seals to open Lucifer's cage. We're working on some things, but we neglected to let the demons know the apocalypse is canceled.  

Jim's eyes widened and he startled. John eyed him suspiciously. “You okay, Jim?” The pastor nodded, but didn't offer any other response and didn't take his eyes off Sam. 

“Maybe we should call Mike afterall.” Gabriel hummed and a moment later, Michael was standing behind his father. The hunters all aimed their guns at the newcomer who laughed like he thought they were funny. Or cute. It was the most resemblance Sam had ever seen between his uncle and father. 

“You called, brother?” Michael smiled.

“Who the fucks this one?” John growled and Michael turned his attention toward the hunter. 

“John Winchester, it is an honor to see you again. You may call me Michael.” 

“What the hell are you?” Tim growled, keeping his gun leveled on Michael's forehead. 

“An archangel.” 

“Bullshit.” Tim spat but Michael wasted no time. He allowed the lights to flicker in the room and Sam realized that it illuminated all of the angel's wings including his own. The hunters stumbled backwards, but Jim looked awed. He guessed it would be pretty important for him to realize angels were real and he was standing in a room with several. 

“Wait, wait, wait.” Dean grumbled. “Light Sammy's wings up again!” Michael illuminated Sam's wings only this time and Dean smacked him on the arm. “Dude when’d you get four?!” Oh. Sam had forgotten to share that little detail with his brother hadn't he. Gabriel chuckled at their antics, completely ignoring the almost panicked hunters in the room. 

“Sorry, Dean. I must have forgotten to mention it.” Sam shrugged, but had a fake air of arrogance behind it. Just to be an annoying little shit of a brother, of course.

“We can talk about that later.” Dean rolled his eyes, but Sam could see the pride behind the brotherly annoyance. 

“Can we get back on task?” John scowled and Sam rolled his eyes this time.

“Which seal would this be?” Sam asked curiously. The archangels all seemed thoughtful, but confused. Nobody seemed to know the significance of this situation. Why Blue Earth? Why now? 

“There is something you should know.” Jim spoke up since the other hunters seemed somewhat broken after the wing and light show. 

“Jim.” John warned, apparently still not trusting the group. “I'm not trusting a bunch of non-humans with their lives!” Well Sam thought that ‘non-human’ was better than ‘monster,’ but it still stung. 

“Shut up, John. If we can't trust angels, who can we trust?” Jim snapped back before turning his attention back to the angels. “I was away for a week. Called in by a priest a few towns over for a demonic possession. While I was there, I received a call from a hunter friend that thought something was wrong when The Roadhouse was closed the past few days and nobody seems to be able to get in touch with the owner.” 

“And this is unusual?” Castiel asked with another tilt of his head. 

“Very. Ellen would never close down without at least letting someone know where she was going.” Sam glanced nervously at his family, unsure how any of this connected. “The next day I got a call from Ellen saying she had taken a trip up to visit me and was waiting for me to get home.” 

“So the demons have Ellen and are trying to lure you in?” Gabriel asked with a thoughtful hum. 

“It is safe to assume that the demons also have Jo and Ash. Ellen's daughter and pseudo-son. Neither have been seen either.” 

“Ah.” Michael smiled and looked at his family. “The death of four warriors of earth. It is a seal broken by the ritual sacrifice of four humans who would give their lives for innocents.” 

“So as long as we keep the hunters out of this, we should be fine?” Dean asked, glaring at the hunters and daring them to say something. 

“You're a hunter too, boy!” Tim snapped and Sam watched as Dean smirked before showing off his sharp canine teeth and his eyes flashing green. 

“Yeah, but not so much human.” He stated with a nonchalant shrug. Gabriel and Sam both snorted a laugh before looking at each other awkwardly. It was always a little weird when the two of them did something so similar to the other. 

“Castiel, you and Raphael stay here and protect the disgruntled humans. Father,” he addressed Jim directly. “Please stay here. We will retrieve your friends and deal with the demons.” Jim nodded in acceptance, trusting the angels and knowing that him being there would only cause further complications. 

“Thank you.” Sam smiled brightly at Jim's kindness before grabbing his brother and following behind Gabriel and Michael. They landed in the middle of town and followed the trail of demons to Jim's church. 

“Boys,” Gabriel called softly. “Get the humans back to the motel and we will handle the demons.” Sam and Dean nodded in agreement. Now that Dean knew where they were going he had no trouble teleporting himself, he just couldn't follow the angels. They made their way into the church where only a few demons would be able to enter. Sam could sense three demons and three humans in the building. With a quick nod between themselves, Michael pushed the doors open with an understated dramatic flair and marched inside. Sam followed quickly, his blade already in his hand. Dean had opted not to do a half shift, hoping to avoid scaring the kidnapped hunters. 

Sam glanced around the sanctuary. He saw two women and a man bound tightly and bloody near the altar. They were still struggling as best they could, but Sam could tell they were tired, their souls dimmed slightly by fatigue and fear. Even with that, Sam knew exactly why they had been taken. Their souls were exceptionally beautiful and bright. Pure. They seemed even more wary with the recent arrivals, but they didn’t once stop struggling. Sam had to give them credit for that.

“Michael, how lovely of you to join us.” One of the demons sneered, his eyes flashing white. “Come to see our progress?”

“Alistair. I warned Lilith not to break seals like this. Return home and give her this warning. If another is attempted she will be bound until needed and we will take things into our own hands.” Michael waved and the three demons in the room were ripped from their bodies and sent back to hell. The humans flinched at the show of power and Sam winced. He really didn't want more hunters on his trail now, but he couldn't let them get hurt. 

“Boys.” Gabriel commanded and Sam knew what he was ordering. The other demons had noticed them now and we're drawing closer. Sam stepped forward cautiously, with his blade vanishing from sight. Dean was less cautious, knowing he was the best chance at an explanation with the hunters. 

“Hey, we're here to get you guys out of here. My name’s Dean Winchester. Jim and Bobby sent us.” Dean said calmly as he started untying the ropes. 

“No time for gaining trust, Dean-o.” Gabriel growled as loud thumps started sounding from the door. Sam froze as he heard Raphael’s voice in his head explaining that the demons were surrounding the hotel as well. 

“Dad?” 

“Take ‘em home, Sammy.” Sam nodded before reaching forward and grabbing the male and young female. Dean had already disappeared with the older lady that Sam assumed was Ellen. 

“Don't freak out,” Sam warned before he took flight. He landed in the livingroom and snapped removing the gags and rope from all three humans. They backed away from Sam and Dean quickly, Ellen pushing the younger two behind her. 

“What the hell are you?” She growled and the brothers both held up their hands, hoping to calm the hunters. Before they could explain, Bobby came rushing into the room barreling past them. 

“Ellen! Thank fuck.” Bobby sighed as he pulled the woman into a tight hug. Ellen returned it easily and Sam cast a curious glance over at his brother. He’d never known Bobby to date, but maybe this could be a good thing. If Sam didn’t scare her off first. 

“Bobby Singer, you got a lotta explaining to do.” Ellen warned, casting a cautious glance at the brothers. Bobby nodded like he already knew what was coming. “What exactly are you runnin’ with these days?” 

“Elle, this is Sam and Dean Winchester.” 

“John Winchester’s boys?” The brothers both winced at that, but nodded their heads. 

“I dunno about you guys, but I could use a drink.” Dean stated as he walked toward the liquor cabinet and began pouring shots. Sam gratefully accepted his before walking behind the bar and grabbing a different bottle. It would take him twice as long to feel a buzz as a human. Even longer, if he had to wait for Dean to serve everyone else as well. “Don’t kill the liver there, kiddo.” Dean teased knowing that absolutely nothing would happen to Sam’s body due to alcohol intake. Sam hated this part. The part where you never knew if the people you were talking to would be horrified at your existence or if they would accept you for what you were. Most hunters had  a crisis of faith at best, at worst wanted to kill him. It wasn’t ideal anyway you shook it, but Sam couldn’t stop being part angel just because it made people uncomfortable. He also couldn’t change the fact that these three hunters had now seen him use his powers. Well he could, but he was morally against it unless absolutely necessary. Everyone accepted their drinks from Dean gratefully while Sam continued to basically pour whiskey down his throat. Once his mouth was significantly numb from self-medication, Sam cleared his throat. 

“I guess I should start. The Winchester’s weren’t my biological parents. Mary adopted me and had my birth father change Dean and John’s memories so that they believed I was born to John and Mary.” Ellen looked somewhat understanding, but Ash and Jo looked stunned. Apparently neither of them could imagine a hunter taking in the child of something supernatural. 

“And who or what was your birth father?” Jo asked, squinting her eyes a little in suspicion. 

“That would be me.” Sam’s head jerked up at his father’s voice and he breathed a sigh of relief. Gabriel had returned with the other angels landing just behind him. Sam perked up even more when he noticed Pastor Jim was with them. 

“And what are you?” Ellen prodded a little more gently than her daughter. 

“More recently I'm Coyote, but my original name was Gabriel.” The three newcomers looked stunned for about thirty seconds before Jo snorted and shook her head. 

“Bullshit. I call bullshit. Angels aren't real.” Jo seethed. Sam could feel the hurt rolling off of Jo in waves, but he’d never met the girl so he wasn’t sure what it was from. 

“Jo,” Ellen warned, still not trusting the non-humans in the room. They went through the introductions quickly after that. Raphael assured them that they had deposited the other hunters a safe distance away. Ellen and Ash seemed to calm drastically once they realized that Bobby and Jim really did trust everyone in the room. Bobby adding that he’d become a pagan god along with them helped as well. Jo maintained her anger, quietly seething throughout the entire explanation of a failed apocalypse. The rest of the family filtered in and greeted the newcomers. Gabriel created an entire third floor of the house, knowing they would need more space for a while. He moved the flock room, Sam, Dean, Adam, and Bobby’s rooms to the third floor and left the rest on the middle floor. He added several smaller bedrooms and two joint bathrooms to the second floor. It would work well for guests. Ellen was immediately taken with Ben and Adam. Ash had made a beeline for the waterpark the minute the tour was over with Adam quickly following. Jo had declined the tour, stating that she would work everything out later, and refusing to relinquish her bottle of Jack. Sam thought of staying with her, but he could tell Jo just needed some space. He made his way to the flock room with a smile on his face. It seemed his little family was growing again. 

~~

It was about a week later when Sam heard someone talking. Someone he didn’t recognize. Jim, Jo, Ash, and Ellen had all chosen to stay at the house for a few days to let the demons forget about their existence, however two days after their arrival, word came through Bobby that the Roadhouse was burned down. Ellen, Jo, and Ash were distraught until Gabe and Sam offered to flit back through time and save some of their personal belongings that couldn’t be replaced. Pictures, keepsakes, favorite knives, and laptops. Their stay at the pocket house became more permanent than originally planned, so hearing people talking from another room wasn’t a big deal. Their home was becoming increasingly crowded, not that any of them were upset about that. What was concerning though, was that Sam had no clue who the person was. He looked around quickly and allowed his grace to fan out through the home and property. There were no intruders. Mary and Kate had gone on a salt and burn, Bobby was at his house for the evening with Ellen, Ash was at the bar with Dean and Cas who were quickly becoming an odd version of the Three Musketeers, and Michael and Raph were back in heaven. Gabriel was working with Henry on a translation at the bunker, the kids and Lisa were all asleep. Jo was being her typical broody self with another bottle of Jack. It was pretty nice having a quiet night alone. But now Sam was hearing voices and it was unsettling. It wasn’t an angel. Sam knew that much. It was human, but why was Sam hearing it? 

“Please, if anybody is out there. I need… I can’t… *sniffle* I don’t have anybody else. Please. Save her.”  

Sam frowned. Was he hearing a prayer? Why on earth was he hearing prayers now? It had been the one angelic thing Sam hadn’t had to deal with. Now he was. He closed his eyes and focused. He could tell where the person was and quickly flew to the location, but remained invisible. It was a hospital room. There was a woman laying on the bed, but Sam could tell her soul was already gone. She was only being kept alive by machines. The young girl sitting next to the bed had been the one to pray. She was probably sixteen or seventeen with long red hair. In her lap was a copy of The Hobbit and Sam smiled softly. He loved that book himself. He wasn’t sure what to do with this situation. He couldn’t just let the girl sit here and hope that her mother might heal, but he also couldn’t bring the woman back from heaven. Well, he could, but he understood the importance of balance in the universe. He sighed. He allowed himself to become visible and braced himself for the reaction from the girl. She flinched and wiped her tears. 

“Sorry, uh… I didn’t realize anyone came in.” Sam smiled at her kindly and held out his hand. 

“I’m Sam. Sorry, I startled you.” 

“It's not your fault.” She laughed self-deprecatingly. “When I come to visit, I tend to get lost in my head.” Sam nodded in understanding, but then fidgeted a little, unsure how to continue the conversation. “So did you need something?” Sam thought it probably would be confusing for someone to just be there for no reason. 

“I uh… I heard your prayer.” The girl's eyes widened, but she looked away, scratching her arm self-consciously. 

“Uh, yeah. I’m not usually religious, but I thought I’d give it a shot. I’m sorry if I offended you or something…” The girl looked confused and Sam realized that she hadn’t quite understood what he meant. He snorted at the idea of a prayer offending a half-angel.

“That’s not exactly what I meant. I heard your prayer, that’s why I came.” The girl wiggled a little and seemed to clam up even more. 

“Look fella, I’m not sure if you are coo coo for cocoa puffs or just mean, but I’m really not in the mood.” Sam smiled softly at the girl. He figured this would be uncomfortable for her. Angels didn’t really answer prayers like this. 

“Neither actually.” Once her attention was back on him, he allowed his grace to flash in his eyes. The angelic evidence wasn’t as convincing this way, but it was less flashy and he didn’t want to accidentally cause a commotion in a hospital of all places. The girl gasped, but stared at him bravely. “I’m not sure why I heard your prayer, but I’m sure it’s important. I’ve never heard one before.” The girl scoffed. 

“What kind of angel are you if you’ve never heard a prayer before?” 

“A very young one.” Sam smiled again. “I’m sorry, but I can tell you that her soul is no longer here. Her body is only alive because of the machines.” The girl's eyes filled with tears as she turned her attention back to the bed. “My guess is she is in heaven at peace. Bringing her back would only cause her more pain.” 

“I don’t have anyone else.” 

“You could come with me.” Sam wasn’t sure where that came from, but it was out of his mouth before he could stop it. They had been taking in plenty of people lately, so one more shouldn’t be a problem. Plus he was pretty sure there was a reason that he heard her prayer. The girl looked confused and started shaking her head. 

“I’m not ready to die yet and I don’t think you can go to heaven and still be alive.” Sam huffed out a laugh. 

“I live on earth with my family. We have a large house with plenty of space and other humans. You could leave any time you want, but it would give you somewhere to rest and make good friends.” The girl seemed to be considering it and she ran a hand through her fiery long hair. She cast another long glance at the bed. “Who was she to you?” 

“My mom.” Sam smiled sadly at her and put his arm around her shoulder, tugging her close. He already felt something like a connection to her. 

“I’m sorry. We can come back for her soon. Give her a proper funeral.” The girl sniffed and wiped her eyes. 

“You’d do that?” 

“Of course.” 

“Thank you for coming officers, I saw her go in about an hour ago and called you like you suggested. She hasn’t come out.”  Sam whipped his head around to look at the door. He knew he’d only heard it because of his enhanced hearing. Clearly the people talking with police were keeping their voices down to not alert anyone they would be coming. 

“Uh… is there a reason the police might be looking for you?” The girl smiled sheepishly, but looked somewhat panicked by the idea that police were on the other side of the door. 

“I might have hacked NORAD, the CIA, and NSA.” Sam stared at the girl in shock. It was incredibly impressive and completely insane. He must have frozen for too long because she shrugged with little remorse. “What? I was curious!” He grinned at her.

“I think we’re gonna get along just fine. By the way, what’s your name?”

“I’m Charlie.” The girl still seemed incredibly nervous about leaving with someone who claimed to be an angel. He glanced at the book still clutched in her hands. She noticed where he was looking and wiggled it a little. “I’ve always liked to live vicariously through fantasy.” He smirked as he held out his hand. 

“Well Charlie, how about a real life adventure?” It didn’t take her long to take his hand with a smile of her own.

Chapter Text

The house was still calm when they landed. Sam felt lucky that nobody had noticed he was gone and sent out a search party. It was kind of the apocalypse after all and he still wasn’t really supposed to be going off on his own. “What the frack was that!?” Charlie gasped as she bent over and put her hands on her knees. He chuckled and brushed a soothing hand across her back, healing the slight nausea. 

“Flying.” 

“Shit I must be losing my mind for real. I just decided to leave with some random guy who claims to be an angel and now I’m teleporting.” Sam chuckled again before collapsing down onto the couch. 

“Nah, we flew.” He smirked at her groan and dramatic flop onto the couch next to him. 

“This house is frickin’ huge! Who even lives here with you?” 

“My dad, brothers, mom, little brother’s mom, older brother’s baby and baby-momma, a few friends, and my uncles sometimes.” Charlie looked at him like he might have also lost his mind and he shrugged. “Busy times and all. We kinda just keep adding onto the house anytime we find someone else to join the family.” She seemed to understand that at least, but still seemed lost about the odd combination of the Pocket House Crew. “Look Charlie, I know the whole angels are real thing is a lot, but before my brother comes home you should know that there’s a lot more out there than just angels.” Now she just looked at him with open curiosity. 

“Like what?” 

“Everything.” He laughed at her clear shock. 

“So… hobbits?” She seemed to be teetering between panic and fascination. He couldn’t help but laugh at the idea of real-life  hobbits. 

“I’ve never seen one, but there are some trolls that are kind of similar.” That didn’t seem to help as much as he hoped it would. “Another example, I also have pagan magic along with my angelic grace.” This time her face really did screw up in confusion. 

“How the hell does that work?” He huffed a laugh before explaining how he and his family became Gaia’s Guardians. Luckily the distraction of magic was enough to push her over the edge toward fascination. He pulled her towards the library where the young redhead did something she called ‘fangirling’ over all the books. Admittedly, it had grown drastically in the last few months. Bobby had added his more valuable books to the Pocket House library and they’d brought over some of the more helpful ones from the bunker. Sam had been gathering books whenever he could as well. Instead of a small room with a few shelves, the library now had rows of tall shelves and Gabe had even installed a rolling ladder on a few. He insisted Sam needed to have his ‘Beauty and the Beast’ moment. Sam thought he just enjoyed pushing himself on the ladder. He followed her through the library explaining different topics and answering questions. He wondered exactly how he was supposed to explain their new houseguest to his father. They’d never just taken someone into their group like this. Sure, the others had all come along somewhere or another, but they had all been connected somehow previously. Charlie was brand new. She seemed to be taking to everything well though and Sam was excited to see what happened when she met Ash. 

Dean, Ash, and Castiel were the first ones to return home. Sam could tell Ash was totally hammered and heard him stumbling through the house to his bedroom. Dean and Cas, it seemed, noticed Charlie’s presence immediately and made their way to the library. 

“Sammy?” Dean called through the shelves of books. 

“Back here!” Sam called back, knowing Dean would be able to find him without that, but also understanding that Dean would be checking to make sure Sam was okay with whoever was in the house. His brother and Cas rounded the corner with confusion written all over their faces. “Dean, Cas, this is Charlie. Charlie, this is my brother and one of my uncles, Castiel.” Cas tipped his head politely but was still awkward with human social interactions. Dean stuck his hand out for Charlie to shake but was also still trying to size her up and figure out why she was here. 

“So, how’d you guys meet?” 

“I… uh, I heard her pray. I followed it. She didn’t really have anywhere else to go…” He trailed off looking sheepish and hoping his brother would understand. 

“Hey, uh Charlie, mind if I talk to my brother for a minute?” She nodded, still totally engrossed in the lore book she’d found. Dean grabbed him roughly by the elbow and tugged him out into the hallway, Castiel following dutifully behind. “So what? We’re just gonna bring home everybody that prays now?” Dean grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

“No, Dean. This was different. I’ve never heard a prayer before.” Castiel cocked his head to the side and looked at him in confusion.

“Never?”

“Not that I know of.” He huffed and ran his hand through his hair. “If I have, it’s been one of you guys. It’s not like anyone is going to pray to the Nephilim Sam.” He rolled his eyes before looking back at the door to the library. “She has nobody left. She was praying for someone to heal her mother, but the soul was already gone. The cops were there. I couldn’t just leave her.”

“The cops?!” Dean half shouted and Sam immediately shushed him.

“Yes, Dean. The cops. She’s apparently wanted for hacking the NSA, CIA, and NORAD. In high school.” Sam snickered at his brother’s stunned face.

“I assume that would be difficult?” Castiel asked, obviously unsure about what had Dean so impressed. His brother nodded dumbly before picking his jaw up off the ground.

 “She needed to disappear and make friends. I just offered her the ability to do both. Besides if I heard her prayer, I think it was important.” Dean nodded, seeming to finally understand why Sam had brought a stranger into their home.

“Have you told Gabe yet?” Sam shook his head. He wasn’t even sure how to tell his dad he had brought home a new human. “You know he will pick up on it the minute he touches down. You should call him before he gets here.” Sam groaned but Dean was right. He didn’t need his dad going all protective archangel over Charlie. The poor girl might actually shit herself if he did. “Cas and I will keep her entertained and show her around. You give her a room yet?”

“No,” Sam said sheepishly.

“Go call Gabe. We’ll figure this out.” Dean dragged Cas behind him back into the library and shut the door. He decided it might be best just to tell his dad in person so he gathered his wings and flew to the bunker. He landed in front of his father and sort-of grandfather with what Dean lovingly called his “kicked puppy look” already plastered on his face. Hopefully this won’t be so bad. Gabriel noticed him immediately and worry clouded his eyes when he saw Sam’s expression.

“Samshine, what up?”

“The sky,” Sam smirked in response which only got a halfhearted eye roll from his father.

“Sam.” The warning tone again. The single regular name again. Sam felt his resolve starting to crumble immediately. Maybe it had been a mistake to bring Charlie home. Maybe it had been a mistake to answer the prayer at all.

“I uh, so I uh, did something.” He winced at the stupidity of his opening line. “Dean and Cas said I should let you know.” His father’s eyes became guarded and calculating in an instant. Sam felt a small pang in his chest that he still wasn’t totally trusted yet.

“Go on.”

“I made a friend.” Now Gabe just looked confused.

“And?”

“… and I brought her home.” Instantly his father’s wings were flaring in outrage, eyes glowing light blue with green and gold swirls that told Sam every part of his father was pissed. Sam gulped and looked away, his own wings curling in submission to the angry archangel in front of him.

“You brought her home?” Gabriel’s voice was deadly calm, but nothing about his posture had changed. Henry seemed a little nervous, but also confused by Sam’s reaction to what seemed like a minor change in Gabriel. Of course, Sam could see his father’s wings and could see the grace swirling angrily behind the vessel.

“I-I… She… There were cops after her and…” Sam started to defend himself but was quickly cut off.

“You brought a stranger into our home? Our nest?!” Gabriel rounded the table he was standing at and moved closer towards him. “A stranger wanted by the police?! Did you even think about the danger you could have put us in? Put yourself in? Did you even think about Adam or Ben?!” Sam was full on cowering now, his wings drooping pitifully behind him in shame and fear. He hadn’t really considered if Charlie could be dangerous. He just saw a young girl who needed a family and then the police were outside the room. He should have considered his family first. Why hadn’t he thought about his little brother and nephew’s safety? Why had he heard the prayer at all?

“Alright, Sam. Why don’t you start at the beginning? Tell us exactly what happened?” Henry materialized at his side. Sam had been so focused on his father he hadn’t noticed his kind-of-grandfather moving to deescalate the situation. Henry grabbed his elbow and guided him towards a chair. He sat cautiously, perched on the edge like he was afraid he may have to run away. An old habit from hunting that carried over into his current life when he felt he was in danger. Henry sat next to him and shot a pointed look at the still fuming archangel. Gabriel didn’t sit, but he did relax slightly.

“I was in my room when I heard someone speaking. I didn’t know what it was, but it wasn’t coming from the house.” Sam started as he glanced between the older men. “It was a prayer for help. I’ve never heard one before from someone I didn’t already know. I mean who would pray to me? I don’t even hear the general all-call prayers.” Sam shrugged, his face undoubtably scrunched up in confusion about the situation still. “I was curious. I wanted to know why I heard a prayer, so I followed it to a hospital room. That’s where I found Charlie, that’s- that’s the girls name. She was crying over her mother’s body.” Sam frowned as he looked down at the ground. “Her mom was being kept alive by life support, but her soul was gone. She didn’t have anybody. I just wanted to help.” He slumped back in his chair as he finished his story.

“You heard a prayer?” Gabriel asked curiously. He no longer seemed angry, just as confused by the situation as Sam was himself. He nodded, not making eye contact. “And the police?”

“She hacked into some government websites and stuff. Got into some trouble.” His father huffed and all the fight seemed to drain out of him.

“Alright. Let’s go meet her.”

~~

Gabriel and Charlie connected quickly and over the next few weeks the girl seemed to find herself a spot in the family easily. She and Ash got on like a house on fire (no pun intended) and everyone quickly realized they could be very dangerous together. She took to the odd lifestyle quickly and used her hacking skills to help hunters much like Ash. Gabriel had even snapped the pair up a hacking room into the house decked out with the best computer equipment possible. Charlie very quickly became the little sister they never knew they needed in their lives. Gabe adopted her as easily has he had everyone else, and she quickly became Charlie Angelos. A few weeks in, they went back to the hospital and signed the paperwork to remove her mom from life support. They gave her a hunter’s funeral and Sam turned her ashes into an amulet for protection.

Jo was still surly and drinking constantly. Everyone had tried to get her to talk, but she either became angry or outright violent in response each time. Sam could tell Ellen was worried and everyone was on edge around the pair. He wasn’t sure if there was anything he could do about it, but he wanted to try. So far, he was the only one who hadn’t been trying to get Jo to talk. He thought maybe it was because she needed some space to come to terms with working with non-humans. However, as the time dragged on and Jo only seemed to get worse, Sam thought maybe he should give it a shot. He found Jo in his garden sitting on a bench staring at the plants with a glazed look in her eyes and a bottle of Jack Daniels in her hand swinging between her knees. She didn’t even look over when he materialized next to her. Maybe it wasn’t the monster thing then. He sat next to her and watched the flowers happily soaking up the sun. It would be peaceful if not for the stifling tension between the pair. They sat in silence for a long while, only the sounds of Jo taking long swigs from the bottle and birds chirping cheerfully. Finally, she turned to stare at him, and Sam was taken aback by the pure hate in her eyes. “Whaddaya wan’?” She slurred out with a snarl.

“I just wanted to let you know I’m here, if you ever wanted to talk.” He said with a shrug, hoping he sounded surer than he felt. She glared back momentarily before stomping inside with a slam of the door. He didn’t know what he’d done to make this girl hate him so much, but he figured it was the monster thing after the looks she’d shot him. He wanted to follow her, but knew he could do nothing more than upset her further, so he flew quickly to his father’s location. Or adjacent to his father’s location. He’d popped up in the kitchen and been yelled at for startling someone cooking one too many times to fly there. So he landed in the living room, planning to walk the rest of the way to his dad and brother. Unfortunately, he hadn’t realized that’s where Jo had parked herself in front of the tv. Most of the family was here in fact, between the living room and the kitchen. Adam was doing homework at the table with Lisa, little Ben in his highchair, Charlie and Ash were researching lore with Bobby and Ellen next to them. Dean and Gabe working on dinner in the kitchen talking with Kate and Mary who were drinking wine at the island. It was incredibly domestic and peaceful. Sam smiled at the image before he realized that he had landed next to Jo accidentally. She scowled, pretty face screwed up in rage before standing and advancing toward him.

“Why don’t you just leave me alone, you fuckin’ freak?” She shouted at him and Sam stumbled backwards in the face of her ire. Everyone else in the room seemed to freeze as well, staring at the bizarre outburst. He didn’t even have time to defend himself before she was lashing out with a fist that barely made him budge. He intentionally went with the punch, preventing her from breaking her own hand on his face. Everyone leapt into movement at once. Dean was holding Gabriel back, attempting to prevent the archangel from smiting the poor girl. Lisa and Kate were ushering Ben and Adam out of the room. Ash and Charlie were trying to hold Jo back from landing more punches on Sam’s indestructible face. It was borderline chaos. The only people who seemed to have it together were Bobby and Ellen. “Why would you ever think I would want to talk to a monster like you? Momma and Ash might be fine with you, but I assure you, I will find a way to end you and all the other useless so-called ‘angels!’” Jo shouted as she struggled to get free from Ash and Charlie’s grips. Sam just looked at her helplessly. He didn’t know what he’d done to make her so angry.

“Watch who you’re callin’ a monster!” Gabriel shouted as he continued to half heartedly push away from Dean. His brother was smart. Gabriel could get away in an instant, but not without hurting Dean or dragging him along and Sam knew his father would do neither of those things.

“Joanna Beth!” Ellen scolded coming to stand between her daughter and Sam. Jo violently wrenched herself away from the two holding her back.

“No, momma! They’re just monsters like every other piece of shit hunters have ever put down!”

“You know that’s not true.” Ellen defended and Sam was a little speechless. He knew Ellen had taken to him and Dean quickly, but he never thought she would defend them against her own daughter.

“Oh, it’s not?” Jo challenged her voice getting stronger as the adrenaline washed away the effects of some of the liquor. “’Cause they’re ‘holy?’ ‘Cause they’re ‘divine?’ If they’re so great, if they’re really angels, where were they when daddy died? Huh? Where were they when I prayed for them to bring him back safe? Why didn’t they protect him?” Sam felt like his heart hit his toes and his wings dropped in shock. That’s what this was about? “They brought her back!” Jo shouted as she waved in the direction of Mary. “They brought Dean’s momma back!” She swiped at her eyes as angry tears ran down her face. “What about my daddy?”

“Oh, baby girl.” Ellen pulled the girl into a hug as sobs wracked her body. Sam could only stare in shock. He looked over at Gabriel who now had so much sympathy on his face that he looked to almost be in tears with Jo. The young girl pushed away from her mother, anger still evident, but with far much less enthusiasm.

“They’re just another breed of monster. Nothin’ you say is gonna change that.” Jo hurried from the room, leaving behind a group of shellshocked people and beings. Was she right? Sam’s self-worth had been at an all-time high recently. He hadn’t thought of himself as a monster in a long while. Between his uncle’s forcing his head up, his brother pushing him to not dwell in the negative spaces in his mind, and his father being the positive person he was, Sam hadn’t had much time to have self-doubt. Sam looked at the sad and devastated faces of his family unsure what to even say. He needed some time to himself. Time to think and get his head on straight. A quick flap of his wings and he was gone.

~~

Gabriel watched as his son fled. He couldn’t blame either kid. Jo was hurt because her father had died. Nothing Gabriel could do would fix it. Yes, some miracles could be done, but on a cosmic scale, bad things had to happen. It sucked. Gabe hated it. Technically, he could bring the man back to life, but Death would be pissed and bad things usually happened when you skipped out on the natural order like that. It’s why angels didn’t interfere most of the time. It was one thing to help heal someone before it was officially their Time with a capital ‘t.’ It was completely different to heal someone on the verge of death or to bring someone back from the dead. He was surprised that Mikey hadn’t heard from old Uncle Death about Mary yet. Sam, however, seemed devastated by Jo’s little speech. He never dealt well with being called a derogatory name and Jo just hit on two of his big no-no words. Monster and freak seemed to cut deeper than any others. He also knew his son well enough to know that he couldn’t be helped right now. He needed space to get his thoughts in order. Dean seemed to agree. He glanced behind him at the food that was now burned and inedible. Great. Perfect. Wonderful ending to the day. Gabriel huffed as he snapped the food away before snatching up the takeout menus they had accumulated. He didn’t feel like cooking anymore and he figured everyone would also need something sweet after this trainwreck.

Dean was already pouring liberal glasses of whiskey at the living room bar and passing them out. He accepted his glass with a huff and parked himself on a stool. Bobby and Charlie started shuffling through the menus absently. A pang through his chest almost caused him to break his glass. Pain, sorrow, and grief so deep and heavy that it was spreading through the host. Sam was feeling so much that all of Heaven was mourning with him. A quick glance outside showed that the weather had rapidly changed. Where earlier it had been beautiful and sunny, now was only heavy rain. He had barely a moment to notice what was going on before Michael, Raphael, and Castiel were behind him, worry evident on all three faces.

“Brother, is everything okay?” Michael asked as he rushed forward. “Is Samuel okay?” Gabriel cast another pointed look outside before turning back to face his brother.

“My guess is no.” The other angels followed his look at the rain.

“What happened, Gabby?” Raphael asked. “All of Heaven is reacting to Samuel’s pain.”

“Uh.. What?” Dean asked dumbly causing Gabriel to chuckle at his bonus son.

“Sam’s feeling some big feelings again. Everyone in the host is crying with him.” Dean looked so confused by that simple explanation that Gabe had to stifle a laugh again. “It doesn’t happen frequently. Usually, it’s like an alert system so that everyone knows if a fledgling is injured or something like that. Eventually, he should be able to block his emotions from spreading to the host, but right now he can’t. All of the angles are feeling what he is.” Dean looked down at his glass and then back up at the angels.

“I’ll go talk to him.” Dean muttered as he grabbed the takeout menus and wandered away. Gabriel quickly rehashed the situation with his sibling, explaining why Sam was so sad and why Jo had called them monsters to begin with. They all understood, but that didn’t mean they had to like it. Michael however, had an idea for a way to fix it and left quickly without sharing his plan.

~~

Jo sat in her room for a long time. She felt completely and totally numb after her outburst. She didn’t go down for dinner that night. She snuck down for some breakfast before anyone else was up and snuck back down for some snacks at night. She didn’t talk to anyone. She didn’t care to. It had been three days and it hadn’t stopped raining. Who the fuck knew why it was raining like this, but it was. The weather people thought it was some kind of freak storm. One night when she went down to steal food, she overheard Bobby on the phone with some hunters who seemed to think it was some type of omen. She didn’t know what to think, but if it rained anymore, then she thought that they may have to invest in a boat. The rain didn’t seem to help her mood any, but she was starting to get over her tantrum now. She kind of felt bad for yelling at Sam. He obviously wasn’t eating people or murdering people. He wasn’t really a monster, but at the time she’d just been so angry. How could angels exist and ignore the prayers of good people? Why couldn’t they just save people? They were supposed to help people. You prayed and they helped. That’s how it was supposed to go.

When she was a child, she prayed. Prayed for her daddy to come home. Prayed for her momma to stop crying herself to sleep at night. Prayed for monsters to stop hurting people. After a few years without dad coming home and monsters still hurting people, Jo had given up. Obviously, angels weren’t real if none of them answered prayers. She’d come to terms with it. Then she met Sam and his stupid family, and they turned her entire world upside down. Angels were real and they just ignored people. They saw good people hurting and they did nothing. They heard her prayers and didn’t care enough to save her dad. To save a hero. She’d denied it at first then she saw proof and couldn’t stop the betrayal that had lanced through her heart. She’d let it fester while she drowned herself in alcohol and like any untreated wound it became infected with hate. She felt the loathing grow as she spent more time with the rag tag family. They’d brought Mary back from the dead. They’d gone out and saved people. Helped hunters. Done what she always thought angels should do. So why had they done nothing to help her dad?

Like every infection, it would eventually spread and burst from her skin or kill her. She didn’t want to die, so she knew that given enough time, she would blow up on someone. Sam had been the perfect target for her anger. The kind angel had given her space, shown no signs that he would lash out and kill her should she anger him. She hadn’t expected him to just take her wrath and look so sad at her venomous words. After the outburst, she no longer felt angry. Her momma always said depression was just anger without enthusiasm and now she really understood the phrase.

And it wouldn’t fucking stop raining.

The rain only made her depression worse and she didn’t understand why it wouldn’t stop. She’d expected someone to come force her out of her room. Expected her mom or Ash to at least check on her, but they seemed just as content to give her space as everyone else right now. Nobody invited her down for meals, but she always found leftovers with her name on them in the fridge. Nobody came to force her to shower, but her towels were always clean and fluffy the next morning. She’d even found some comforting scented bubble bath in the bathroom the next time she’d gone in there. A day after her explosion, she’d found a new set of whetstones and cleaning supplies for her knife collection outside her door. She had no idea what to think about it in all honesty.

Her stomach rumbled reminding her it was well past dinner time and she wandered down to the kitchen. Again, there was a container with her name on it. Takeout from her favorite Chinese place that she would always beg her mom to take her to when they went to town before the roadhouse was burned down. It was even her favorite orange beef and rice. She grabbed the container and a fork (who the fuck could use chopsticks anyway) and decided to wander to the garden to eat. Honestly, the garden was one of her favorite places here. She’d ignored most of the tour when it was given, too full of anger to pay much attention. She’d found the garden on accident one day wandering around in her drunken stupor. It had a covered porch with a small table and chairs, perfect for her lonely, reheated meal. The garden was immaculate with flowers and plants growing everywhere making it smell nice. The peaceful atmosphere made her feel somewhat better about things and it was perfect for being alone with her thoughts. She slunk outside and shut the door with only a quiet snick. She sat down at the table and began to eat as her eyes wandered over the serene landscape. The plants seemed to wilt with the force of the steady rain, making them seem as saddened by the rain as she was.

She ate in silence for a while, shoveling in what used to be her favorite thing, but now only tasted like ash on her tongue. She didn’t even notice she wasn’t alone until Dean materialized in the garden next to the soaked figure sitting quietly in the garden. Neither paid her any attention, likely not even realizing she was out there.

“What are you doing out here in the rain, Sammy?” Dean asked the lump of angel that still hadn’t moved.

“Leave me alone, De.”

“Come on, Sasquatch.” Dean muttered as he attempted to pull the angel to his feet.

“No. Just stop, De.” She watched as Dean huffed in annoyance before sitting down.

“Guess were both getting drenched then.” Jo watched in amazement as the rain suddenly stopped directly over Dean and then suddenly, he looked completely dry. “Thanks, kiddo.” Why was Dean acting like this angel was a child? It was a fucking angel. Probably older than the earth. How the fuck did that even happen? Or… wait… Didn’t Dean say something about this angel being his brother? She thought she remembered that, but her memories of the last few weeks were hazy. Rage and booze causing things to be splotchy. “You gonna stop the rain sometime soon?” Stop the rain? How the fuck?

“It’s not that simple.” Sam muttered back, still sitting in the rain she noticed. Somehow Sam was keeping Dean completely sheltered without caring about himself getting rained on.

“I know.” Dean stated sadly as he continued staring off into space. “We’ve talked about this, Sammy.”

“I know.” Sam returned, his voice seemed oddly flat and Jo couldn’t figure out why. Maybe it was an angel (monster monster monster) thing. No matter what everyone else said, she just couldn’t stop seeing them as monsters. Useless creatures like everything else hunters killed.

“Seriously, Sammy. Bobby needs some help with research and Adam wants to study more lore.”

“Okay.” Another flat response, but this time the two disappeared between one blink and the next. Stupid angels. Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t say for sure how Dean had gotten outside past her without either of them noticing. She pushed her food away, her stomach revolting slightly as she realized she had just unintentionally intruded on a private conversation. Her brain told her that it didn’t really matter. The damn angels were probably reading her mind anyway and they should have just as little privacy as they did, but somewhere in her heart she knew she should’ve gone inside.

“Samuel’s garden is quite beautiful, isn’t it?” Jo was startled at the voice that was suddenly beside her.

“Who are you?” She asked warily, unsure how anyone could have snuck up on her again. The man (she hoped it was a person) was young, probably around Dean’s age. Now that she looked at him carefully, she could see a resemblance. Maybe a cousin or something. A little older than Dean, but not by much. “Wait.” Her brain just caught up to the guy’s words. “Sam’s garden?” The guy made a little affirmative sound and nodded.

“My nephew has spent a lot of time and effort building this garden to be what it is. I believe it is his sanctuary as much as it is yours, Joanna. When he first started it, he wanted to ensure that there would be enough ritual herbs for hunters. Even convinced his father to go back in time and rescue plants long extinct that were needed.”

“Your nephew? You’re Gabriel’s brother?” Oh shit. Another angel. Maybe she had miscalculated a little.

“I apologize. My name is Michael.” Big miscalculation. This was another fucking archangel. Icy fear raced through her veins as she realized just how dangerous this guy could be. “You have nothing to fear, young one. I mean you no harm.” Jo allowed herself to relax a bit, but kept her guard up. She eyed the being cautiously. Why was he here? Why was he talking to her? “I fear the rain is going to do more damage than he can undo to his little Eden.”

“Why won’t it stop raining? Is Sam the reason we may need an ark soon?” She didn’t mean to ask that. Why the fuck did she ask that? She was talking to a fucking archangel and now she’s just blurting out snarky questions about the weather. She couldn’t get overheard conversation out of her head though. Michael, however, seemed to deflate at the question.

“You must understand, Samuel cannot control the weather exactly.” Now she was intrigued. The hunter in her needed to understand the supernatural just like it always had.

“So, it’s like an omen.” The archangel scrunched his face in distaste at the idea and Jo wondered if she had insulted the being.

“Not exactly. Omens are caused by powerful demons. The earth’s natural reaction to something so vile. They cause destruction without even trying. This is more like the earth responding to Samuel’s mood. Angels are powerful. Archangels even more so. Raphael can cause electrical storms that can wipe out an entire seaboard when he wants or loses control. Lucifer could freeze entire continents, I could burn everything in my wake, and Gabriel could raise sea level without trying. We are forces of nature as much as we are anything else. Samuel seems to take after all of us a touch. As a Nephilim – “

“What’s a Nephilim?” She interrupted and then cringed at her rudeness. Her momma would be ashamed, but honestly, she was so curious at this point she couldn’t stop herself.

“A Nephilim is a child born of a human and an angel.” He smiled at her kindly as if she hadn’t just interrupted him like a spoiled child. “As a Nephilim, his connection to the earth is stronger than ours. Add in that he is one of Gaia’s chosen and the earth seems to feel everything he does.” Michael had a contemplative look on his face before continuing. “Whenever he feels strong emotions, the weather changes with it. It seems this is what happens when he is incredibly sad.” This was all news to Jo. How could a creature be so powerful that the earth itself changes with its moods? How could something like that not be dangerous? How could it not be a monster?

“So, Sam is going to cause mass destruction because he’s having a bad day and nobody is concerned about that?”

“Of course we are concerned. If it continues tomorrow, Gabriel and I plan to take him to Heaven for a while. Nobody will like it, but if he hurts someone it will only make him feel worse. Honestly, the only reason we haven’t already suggested he spend some time in Heaven is because he already struggles so much with his self-worth as it is. We fear it will make him see himself as more of a monster than he already does.” Jo frowned down at the table. The sadness in Sam’s eyes as she called him a freak flashed through her mind.

“Why would Sam think of himself like that?” Like she herself hadn’t just told the guy he was a monster to his face. The archangel sighed, but it wasn’t in annoyance or frustration, it seemed more like sorrow.

“Samuel was born when my brother became very fond of a human. I actually didn’t find any of this out until a few months ago. You see, creating a Nephilim is the worst crime you could commit for an angel. Its disobedience and destruction in one act. They have been outlawed since before the great flood. When a human woman bears a Nephilim, it is too much for their bodies to take and she dies. Angels were bound to their duties and were not able to stay to raise the children and they became wild. Violent. Father outlawed them when it was apparent that they would destroy the world. The four eldest were left to clean up the mess.” Jo noticed the archangel wincing at the memory. “They had to be… terminated.” Michael looked at Jo a little conspiratorially. “I haven’t shared this with anyone but Raphael, but I always felt that it was part of what led to my brother Falling. We were forced to basically murder fledglings. Sure, Lucifer was jealous of Father’s attention on the humans, but he never became vengeful until Nephilim. Family was always the most important thing to him and he saw it as killing his nieces and nephews.” That took Jo a minute to process. She couldn’t say that she wouldn’t have reacted much the same way in the same circumstances. “No other angels dared to create a Nephilim until Gabriel. Even then, he hadn’t meant to bring life into the world. He was so afraid for little Samuel’s life that he left him with a woman who had been raised as a hunter. He felt she would know how to handle it when the boy came into his powers and wouldn’t love him any less for being different. Unfortunately, there were things that Gabriel wasn’t aware of since he’d left Heaven and he left Samuel with a fated family. Mary Winchester died when Samuel was six months old and John raised him without knowing he would be different. He was raised as a human. A hunter who killed anything non-human. Gabriel was with him every step of the way, but nobody knew. Once Samuel’s powers started to manifest, John and several other hunters attempted to figure out what he was. My nephew has struggled with being a ‘monster’ since.” Jo could only imagine how that had gone. She’d heard her mom and Bobby rant about John Winchester’s bullshit version of parenting most of her life and the Winchesters weren’t known for seeing any shades of grey when it came to hunting. It made her only feel that much worse for condemning Sam the other day. She’d basically confirmed what he already thought of himself.

“You should know.” The archangel continued as if he hadn’t just called her out. “An angel’s existence is very difficult. Many of us find it easier to stop feeling emotions we were born to feel.”

“Why?” Somehow, Jo was finding it surprisingly easy to talk with this angel, even if her voice was somewhat choked at this point. The archangel seemed to get a faraway look on his face as he stared at something she could not see.

“Angels hear countless prayers each day. People begging for different things. Many are simple things, but plenty of them are also things we simply cannot help with. It is always hard to ignore the pleas of a child for their family member to return. It is also hard to deal with the cosmic backlash of preventing someone’s fate. I believe humans call it The Butterfly Effect. One small change causes a series of issues later in the timeline. You save one person and then their children grow up fundamentally different people. Sometimes that is good. Sometimes it is not. Saving the Nephilim long ago may have prevented my brother from Falling, but it would have caused destruction on a large scale for the earth. Saving Sam’s mother’s life would have given him his birthmother, but it would not have brought us here and I would still be planning to destroy the planet fighting my brother. Do you understand?” Jo did. She really thought she did. It didn’t make it hurt any less that her father was gone, but it did make her see why the angels didn’t interfere more than they did. “If you must blame someone for not saving your father, blame me or Gabriel or any other angel. But please, do not place the blame on Samuel. He was merely more than a human child at the time of his death.” A loud crash echoed from inside the house causing Jo to jump. “If it is any consolation, your father is in Heaven peacefully waiting for you and your mother to join him should that be your choice. If not, he is content knowing you are safe.” Michael smiled at her warmly and slid a piece of paper across the table to her. Another crash and yelling inside the house startled them both this time. “I will leave you to your thoughts. I believe I am needed inside.” The angel stood and left Jo in stunned silence. Her father was in heaven. He was safe. He was at peace. She sat for a few moments just staring at the odd paper that Michael had passed to her. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what it was, but her curiosity got the best of her. She flipped it open cautiously, but as soon as she saw what was inside her tentative grasp on her emotions crumbled.

Josie.

It was a letter from her father. It had to be real. Nobody else knew that nickname. Nobody else called her that. She’d probably stab anyone else who tried. She took a few steadying breaths as she tried to rein in the whirlwind of emotions inside her. Once she was sure she wouldn’t scream or implode she made a second attempt at reading it.

Josie,

This angel tells me you and your momma made some good friends who are doin’ good things for the world. More than I ever could have done alone. He told me all you’ve been doin’ and all you could do in your future. What you could become if you put your mind to it. I know there ain’t nothin’ you can’t do if you want it bad enough. I’m sorry to hear about the roadhouse, but a home is just a bunch of sticks if you ain’t got the right people in it. It sounds to me like you got the right people now. Don’t let that pass you up just cause I ain’t down there. Everythin’ happens for a reason, babygirl. I know it don’t seem like it, but there’s a bigger picture sometimes. You just gotta have a little faith.

Let your momma know I want her to be happy and do what’s right for her. There ain’t nothin’ in my life that made me more proud than being her husband and your daddy, but that don’t mean you can’t both move on. I’ll hold down the fort until you’re ready to join me. If you’re ever ready for that. If not, that’s okay too, just so you know.

I’m real proud of you, darlin’.

Dad  

Jo took a shuddering breath as she finished reading. She couldn’t believe that an angel, much less an archangel, would take the time to get a letter for her from her father. They weren’t monsters. That much she was sure of. She had severely misjudged this entire situation and hurt many people in the process. She had some apologies to make. Another crash rang through the house, and something told her she should probably go see what that was about. She pocketed the note and wiped her eyes as she stood. Grabbing the takeout container to trash she wandered back into the house. What she found inside was nothing like what she expected. Bobby was holding her mother tightly in the corner of the living room, something like a forcefield between them and the rest of the room. Ellen was crying quietly, her hand over her mouth like if she moved it she might lose her dinner or scream. Mary, Kate, Adam, Ben, Charlie, and Ash were behind the forcefield as well, all looking equally distraught or shellshocked as her mother. Dean and another guy in a trench coat were in front of the forcefield deflecting flying objects as they made their way in that direction. What really held her attention though was Sam. Sam who was in the middle of a mostly destroyed living room fighting Gabriel, Michael, and who she assumed was another angel.

“Just let me go!” Sam screamed as he flung his father across the room and into the dining room table that broke on impact. Michael rushed the Nephilim but was immediately thrown into the opposite wall.

“Let’s talk about this, Samshine.” Gabriel begged, pushing himself back to his feet. The angel she didn’t know made eye contact with Michael before launching himself towards Sam.

“I can do this! I know I can!” Sam yelled as he blocked a hit from Mr. Unknown and immediately swung on Michael. The punch landed and the kind archangel slid back a foot.

“We know you can, Samuel, but this isn’t the way.” Unknown stated as he seemed to try and draw the attention towards himself. “Think of all of the things that could go wrong if you do this.” Michael was moving toward Unknown slowly as he picked up the dialogue himself.

“Stand down, fledgling. That is an order.” Jo winced as Sam’s eyes flashed gold and his anger only seemed to grow.

“I don’t take orders.” He ground out. “I don’t need your permission! Stop blocking my flight!”

“Not a chance, little one.” Unknown stated calmly. Michael advanced again, seeming to grow another inch as he held himself to his full height. A commanding officer firmly in charge. A small flash of movement showed Gabriel edging closely toward Sam from behind and suddenly the odd behavior of the other two made more sense. A distraction.

“I said stand down, fledgling. I will not allow this.” Sam’s anger apparently continued to grow and her hair seemed to stand on end at the stifling static electricity. A loud crash of thunder rumbled outside causing Jo to startle again. Nobody seemed to have noticed her entrance yet. Sam advanced once again on the two angels distracting him while Gabriel crept up behind him. A flash of gold and suddenly Gabriel had his arms around the Nephilim, trapping him in a bear hug. Sam shrieked in his distress as he realized what they had done.

“No! No! Let me go! I can fix this! I can fix it! Please!” Jo finally got a good look at the Nephilim’s face and saw the streaks of tears rolling down his face. They made eye contact across the room as Sam crumbled in on himself, only being held up by his father. “I can fix it! I can save him!” Gabriel slowly lowered them to the ground as the other two angels closed in as well. “I can save him. I can fix it.” Sam sobbed, but finally stopped fighting the tight hold he was in. Who was he going to save? What did he want to fix? What happened? A choked sob brought her attention back to her mother who was being held up by Bobby and Ash. She looked back towards the clump of angels in the middle of the floor and noticed Gabriel looking at her sadly.

“Samshine, sometimes we can’t fix things. Sometimes people die. It’s a natural part of life. We can’t go back in time and save everyone just because they deserve to be saved. It wouldn’t have been right if I had gone to save him and it wouldn’t be right to go back and save him now.”

“We save people all the time. How is that any different?” A deep sigh was pushed past the lips of the archangel as he clutched his son tightly.

“It’s not. Not really. Things are different now. We can save more people without cosmic backlash at times, but there is a big difference between helping hunters with lore, hunting monsters to save lives, playing tricks to teach lessons, and resurrecting a person. Sometimes it’s just a person’s time to move on.”

“I just had this conversation with our friend Jo, little one.” Michael murmured as he ran a soothing hand through Sam’s hair. “We could technically go back in time and save your birthmother. However, it would change so many things that we would never end up where we are now. If you were to go back and save William, there is no guarantee that it wouldn’t change something incredibly important to the timeline. To our future.” Jo stood there in shock. Sam was literally fighting with his family to try and go back in time to save her dad. The guy who she’d called a monster and freak was willing to risk everything just so she would grow up with a father. She didn’t deserve that from him, not after how she had treated him.

“Please, dad. Please. I have to.” Sam was still begging to be released. To be allowed to potentially screw up the timeline in major ways just to fix Jo’s life. She had to do something. She had to stop this.

“No.” She stated as she stepped forward drawing the eyes of everyone in the room. Sam looked up at her in confusion. Like he couldn’t comprehend the word. “You can’t save my dad.” Sam sniffled and shuddered but seemed to relax minutely. “As much as I may want you to, he would tell us his life wasn’t worth the world.” Jo wiped her eyes furiously as she felt tears start to leak down her face again. She took a few steps toward the angels. “He’s at peace. We should leave him that way.” Sam looked down at the floor and took a few deep breaths, visibly trying to calm himself. “Sam, I’m so sorry for how I’ve treated you. I’ve been angry and selfish. You didn’t deserve any of it. You’re not a monster or a freak and I never should have said that. I hope one day you can forgive me.” Sam nodded sadly like he’d already forgiven her, but couldn’t quite bring himself to believe her. “Besides,” she whispered as she crouched down in front of the pile of angels. “If you bring dad back, we might miss out on the chance for a good betting pool on those two.” She shared as she pointed a thumb over her shoulder towards her mom and Bobby. Gabriel and Sam both chuckled at her while the other two angels appeared confused. A harsh bark of laughter from Dean and a grumbled “idjits” from Bobby showed that apparently they’d heard her comment too. “I think we should maybe start over.” Jo murmured as she continued crouched down by the Nephilim. She thrust her hand out towards him in an introduction. “I’m Jo Harvell, aspiring hunter, full time bartender, part time bitch.” Sam clasped her hand and shook it, but didn’t let go.

“Sam Angelos, Nephilim, hunter, occasionally over dramatic.” Gabriel snorted behind him and tugged him closer. Sam still hadn’t let go of her hand and she started to feel a little awkward until he tugged her arm gently and she fell forward into the cuddle pile full of angels. Sam wrapped his arms around her cautiously, waiting for her to stop him. She didn’t. She wrapped him in a tight hug and continued to mumble apologies and reassurances. He held her close as he for a long while before a throat cleared behind them.

“You idjits done with the melodrama? Or do we need to continue to put a pause on the apocalypse currently happenin’ so you can have a pajama party?” Wait? The apocalypse? Shit she needed to pay more attention.

Chapter Text

The next few weeks passed well for Sam and his hodgepodge family. It had finally quit raining after Sam’s little breakdown and his garden seemed to be very thankful for the sunshine. Jo quit drinking and quickly found herself just as adopted as the rest of them. It may not be her birth dad, but Gabriel and Bobby both jumped to fill the hole as best they could. Sam found that he was incredibly blessed to have so many ‘siblings’ now. They all seemed to slot together well, like puzzle pieces. Where Ash, Dean, and Jo could be hotheads who partied, Sam and Charlie were calmer and reined them in. Where Dean, Jo, and Sam could get sucked into negative thoughts easily, Charlie and Ash could bounce by with a joke and lift their spirits. They fit. Each weakness was someone else’s strength. Charlie and Ash were tech geniuses who were already working on ways to better the tech of the hunters. Sam, oddly, had become the muscle and the brains behind the group. Dean and Jo were both the strategic masterminds who planned but were also no slackers on the muscle part. Of course, the rest of the family slotted in just as easily. Ellen, Mary, and Kate took over mothering the group as easily as they breathe. Bobby and Gabe seemed to naturally be paternal despite themselves.

The seals broke. The family had to assist at times to help limit the loss of life. Two witches cast a spell to raise Samhain from hell, Sam and his family killed the demon and put down the zombies and ghosts that the demon brought back. They captured two reapers who had gone rogue and were killing for a price with the help of Death. They were sacrificed for a seal that required their deaths. The ritual orgy/death of forty witches under the light of a full moon was easy. Plenty of horrible witches were willing to give up their lives for Satan. Sam and his family created a forcefield to prevent any rogue magic from damaging the nearby town or drawing any innocents into their chaos. It had been an awkward experience since the entire family had to stand guard and basically watch the witches fuck like snakes. They stopped the demons from breaking a seal involving seven newborns being sacrificed on a new moon. Sam assisted in breaking a seal involving the death of fallen angels. Fortunately, they found several (like Azazel) who were still around and completely evil.

They heard about a young girl who had demons on her tail after being locked in a psych ward for psychosis and hyper-religious delusions. It was easy enough to sneak in and rescue her and her family. Sam learned that day about a second way that angels could fall. Gabriel was able to unlock her memories of her past life and after a long talk with Michael, Anna agreed to take her grace back and become an angel again. It took a few days, but they were finally able to find her grace in a beautiful oak tree. Anna returned to Heaven after ensuring that her parents were safely warded from anything dangerous.

Currently, Sam was trying to figure out a way to approach the topic of the final seal. Technically, it was supposed to be broken by Lucifer’s true vessel, but Gabriel had said any of the possible vessels would work. It’s why Azazel had made so many deals with the Winchester’s distant cousins. They wouldn’t have been a perfect fit, but made for good back-ups. Apparently, there were plenty of children out there with his blood pumping through their veins. Sam just wasn’t sure what the plan for it was. They had started having regular planning sessions as a team. It was time for their next meeting, held weekly and as needed. Sam knew his entire family was already gathered in the library and waiting for him, but he was dreading this conversation. How did you tell someone that they were made to be the vessel for Lucifer? Sam could only imagine the mindfuck that could be for a person. How it would make them feel. He crept into the room as his family talked amongst themselves. Welp, time to rip off the Band-Aid.

“I think we should decide what we are gonna do about the final seal.” Sam stated as he plopped onto a couch next to his brother. The large sitting area in the library had grown with the increasing number of people in the family that utilized it. There was a large table and chairs to the side with plenty of space for full on research sessions, but also plenty of comfy couches and chairs with a coffee table in the middle. Everyone was scattered around the room and the only people missing were Kate, Lisa, Ben, and Adam. Nobody had really wanted them involved in this mess and they were more than happy to sit it out.

“We also need to discuss the vessel and an outline for a plan once Lucifer does rise.” Michael added in almost like he was stating bullet points. Sam was sure if the archangel ever figured out Microsoft Word, he would make meeting minutes or outlines. Everyone seemed to agree with the plan for today’s session since these were pretty important parts they would have to deal with.

“The final seal can be broken by any of the possible vessels.” Gabriel shared, making sure the entire group was aware of that little detail. They had all agreed to avoid calling the possible vessels anything related to Azazel since it only seemed to make Mary flinch and Gabriel’s temper rise. However, Sam thought just referring to them as ‘vessels’ was also pretty horrible, but couldn’t really come up with a better option at the time.

“So, how do we find the vessels?” Jo asked as she flipped her knife around in her hand slowly. It was like the hunter version of a fidget spinner and Sam had noticed she had a penchant for doing it when deep in thought.

“Charlie, Ash, could you search for nursery fires in 1983? The night of the child’s six-month birthday?” Mary asked softly, obviously lost in her horrific memories. Sam reached out to grab her hand for support. He didn’t blame her. Not anymore. She’d been young and desperate. Demons knew how to exploit that. Sam had talked with his mother at length about the entire situation and knew that he couldn’t blame her anymore than he could blame Gabriel.

“On it.” Charlie chirped as her fingers flew across the keyboard.

“Ash, search for any odd occurrences in 1973. Miracles, odd successes, people coming back from the dead, people dying. Then see how many of those people had children in 1983.” Bobby added from his spot in his Laz-e-Boy recliner that definitely didn’t match the rest of the library, but nobody was willing to deny him.

“Aye, Aye Captain!” Ash gave a mock salute before he joined Charlie with a click of the keyboard.

“Once we have a list of names, we should be able to visit them and determine who is the best option.” Gabriel sighed as he snapped a bag of chocolate into his hands. Sam stared at the bag for a long while before waving his hand and the table was full of coffees. Sam had gotten much better at materializing objects with his grace. He could now make everyone’s favorites with little effort and typically supplied them for the meetings. He even figured out how to make Castiel and Raphel herbal teas with honey. Ellen passed out the drinks from memory and Sam happily slurped on his frozen turtle latte. The key was ice cream. Nobody knew that, but all of Sam’s frozen coffees were made with ice cream instead of ice. It made the drink sweet and rich. Of course, his was made with extra whipped cream, chocolate and caramel syrup. Dean and Bobby (the prudes) still drank their coffee black and bitter (sometimes Irish). Gabriel’s extra large birthday cake frozen coffee with sprinkles was probably the funniest drink of the group, but Sam had managed to sway the others to try at least some flavor in their coffee.

“Okay. So, we visit the children once we have the list.” Michael stated trying to bring the group back on track. “Next objective, the vessel. We will be making him one like you did ours, correct?” Gabriel nodded, but something odd crossed his face.

“We will need some of Luci’s grace to be able to make the vessel.” Shit. Sam hadn’t even thought about that.

“So, we will have to get some.” Sam shrugged as he took another sip of his drink. “A few of us can go to the cage and see if he would be willing to hand some over.”

“I believe that may be best.” Raphael added with a hum. “It would give me a chance to see what shape he is in and how much healing he will need.”

“I agree.” Michael added. “I will accompany you, brother.”

“I don’t know if that’s the best idea.” Sam mumbled as he looked away. He didn’t frequently disagree with his family, especially when it was on topics like this.

“What are you thinkin’, Samshine?” Gabriel asked, setting his drink down and becoming serious. An odd look on the usually silly archangel.

“I – uh- I just mean he still thinks the apocalypse is on, right? If just Michael and Raphael go see him, he will think it’s a trap. I think the four of us should go.” He expected the immediate outrage. Everyone in the family was upset with the idea of Sam going to hell to meet a potentially outraged archangel. He sat quietly and allowed them to get their words out, knowing that interrupting it wouldn’t help. Surprisingly, it was Dean to have enough of the arguing.

“Enough!” He shouted standing from his seat and planting his hands on his hips. “I hate to say it, really, I don’t like it more than anyone else, but I think Sammy is right. If it’s just the archangels, Lucifer will think it’s a trick from Heaven. He will never give over his grace for the vessel. Sammy’s presence will be proof that something has changed drastically. Plus, Sammy can do the memory thing again. Show him what God said or whatever.” Sam was completely dumbfounded. He never expected Dean of all people to be advocating for him to go to hell, but his brother was making good points. Sam was the only one who could prove that Michael wasn’t planning the apocalypse. Grandfather did say that Lucifer’s love for fledglings was one of his weak spots as well as his strength.

“The boy’s got a point.” Bobby grumbled from his recliner as he propped his feet up, holding his gross bitter coffee close. The archangels seemed to be contemplating it now at least.

“It’s gonna take all four of us.” Sam murmured as he sat forward. “I can do it, dad.” Gabriel groaned, but it seemed that all of the archangels were relenting now. It was actually easier to convince them than Sam had thought it would be. Once that was out of the way, the final topic was discussed. It was more arguing. Everyone seemed to have their own version of how it should go. Once the seal was broken and Lucifer was released, how were they going to protect the world while the archangel healed? It was finally decided that the three archangels would pool their power to create a pocket dimension for Lucifer and the archangels to go to for family bonding. Castiel would stay and look after Heaven. Sam had fought to go with the archangels, but everyone in the group denied it adamantly. Sam needed to stay and look after the family and nobody wanted him around Lucifer until the second oldest archangel could be trusted. With everyone except Sam in agreement, Gabriel finally relented that he would leave a back door to the pocket dimension for Sam just in case he needed to reach his father in an emergency. That also made everyone else feel better since the pocket dimension would be so far removed from Earth that none of the archangels would be able to hear prayers or angel radio. None of the three (or Lucifer) would be able to leave the dimension until all agreed they were ready. It was drastic and left vulnerabilities on Earth and Heaven, but it was the best way to ensure that Lucifer wouldn’t destroy the Earth accidentally or on purpose. Sam having a back door would allow them to get information to the archangels if needed.

With the meeting officially adjourned, the archangels and Sam prepared to travel to hell while waiting on Charlie and Ash’s research. It wouldn’t really take that long, Sam didn’t think. He figured they could spend a few days in Hell and still be back on Earth by the time the research was done. They didn’t need anything for the trip really, but Michael had to return to Heaven and let the angels know he wasn’t simply disappearing.

“How long ‘till we send the search party?” Dean asked, arms crossed over his chest and a grimace on his face. Gabriel smirked back at him and popped a cotton candy dumdum in his mouth.

“If we’re gone more than two days, send help. Or better yet, don’t. If three archangels and a Nephilim cant handle it, nobody else needs to try.” Gabriel chuckled at Dean’s grumpy face and Sam couldn’t stop the eye roll. “We will be fine, kiddo. Promise. Just gotta to have a chat with my big bro and we’ll be right back home.” Gabriel pulled Dean into a quick hug that his brother would probably deny forever. However taken aback he was, Dean seemed to sink into the hug like it was all the reassurance he needed. Maybe it was. He pushed the angelic father figure away with a manly back slap and then quickly tugged Sam in. Sam wasted no time burying his face in his big brother’s shoulder and soaking up the courage he needed to brave Hell. Even though they would be flying in and out, likely meeting no resistance, Sam was sure he would see some seriously horrific things. It was Hell after all.

“Are we ready to go?” Michael asked as he landed in the living room with the group. Sam pushed away from his brother with one last deep breath and turned to face his uncle. He nodded shakily, unable to hide his nerves. “It will be okay, little one.” Michael soothed as he gently tipped Sam’s face up with a finger. “Remember, chin up. You are part archangel, fledgling.” Sam kept his head up on his own this time and watched as his uncle stepped back.

“Ready brothers?” Raphael asked and received quick nods from the other archangels.

“Follow me.” Michael stated and with a large beat of his massive wings, he was gone. Sam was quick to follow. Michael and Gabriel led the way while Sam stayed firmly in the middle of the group. Raphael brought up the rear, angle blade already in his hand. Sam materialized his own along with Gabe and Michael. He desperately wanted to tangle his grace with his father and uncles, but he knew it was a bad idea if there happened to be a fight. Each time he felt his grace start to inch their way he quickly reeled it back in. He needed to put up a strong front. Not allow anyone else to see how nervous he really was. The flight to Hell was rough. Bumpier than he was used to, like flying through a hurricane. Not that he’d done that, (really he hadn’t, he promised) but that’s what he assumed (knew) it would be like.  There were sharp banks and twists and steep drops before they finally crossed the final plane into Hell.

He couldn’t describe the horrors he saw once they made it into the pit. He expected the torture. It was kind of a given, duh, Hell. He hadn’t expected the psychological part. The souls trapped in cells obviously reliving their worst nightmares. The souls of people with a phobia of drowning, constantly struggling to swim. The souls burning alive. Souls being chewed on by hellhounds. The souls watching their family members die over and over and over again. The begging of souls who still haven’t lost their hope. The blank stares of the ones who had. The demons’ taunts and abuse. The masochists laughing through the pain of torture. The sadistic demons laughing in return. The screams. Oh, Grandfather the screams. It was all horrific. Some things he simply closed his eyes and allowed his grace to guide him, unable to witness the torment.

Slowly, they made their way through the circles. Avoiding the demons who took notice of them and hoping to be as undetected as possible. As they went deeper, the horrors seemed to taper off eventually. They eventually ventured into parts where demons didn’t even go. Sam sighed in relief at the absence of horror, but his grace didn’t brighten yet. There was still one last bad thing for him to see.

They finally settled down on a ledge overlooking what looked like a large crater in the ground. He could see chains wrapped around and in large rocks and spidering around the cavern. The archangels took a collective shuddering breath at what appeared to be their brother’s home. Michael was the first to move again, seeming to steel himself as he marched forwards. Sam trailed behind him and felt his father and uncle begin moving as well. Once they got to the crater, Sam glanced down and saw a large cage hanging in the middle of the hole. There were wards carved in each bar of the cage. His fear morphed into a deep sadness at the misery of his uncle’s life. They leapt inside the cavern to a ledge that was poked out enough you could almost reach out and touch the cage. It seemed to have been created for this exact purpose. He was jolted out of his musings by loud thrashing coming from inside the cage. Snarls and hisses escaped the bars, like a feral animal was locked inside. He stumbled backwards in fear, inadvertently hiding himself behind his uncles and father.

“Brother,” Michael called softly, sadness evident in his voice. Two bright red flashes appeared in the cage and it took Sam a moment to recognize these as the flash of grace in an angel’s eyes.

“Oh look. Visitors.” Lucifer sneered as he sauntered closer to the bars of the cage, careful not to touch them. “I know I’m a monster, but not even I could do anything to deserve your ire from in here.” Sam glanced at his father in confusion. None of them were angry. Why would Lucifer… Oh. The sudden realization made Sam reel. Lucifer didn’t believe they would visit him without being angry. He expected punishment even if he knew he hadn’t done anything.

Lucifer believed himself to be a monster.

Michael’s grace rolled with emotions almost too fast for Sam to recognize them. Anger, fear, sadness, joy, grief. A maelstrom of feelings that being here elicited. He didn’t think his own emotional state was much better.

“Lucifer, you were never a monster.” Michael sighed softly, but Lucifer’s grace only swirled with disbelief. “We’ve come to talk, brother. Father… Father’s plans have changed.” Lucifer’s eyes widened in shock, but it only seemed to cause his grace to flail with fear and hopelessness.

“So, I’ll be here forever then?”

“No, Lucifer,” Raphael spoke up for the first time since entering hell. “No one wants the apocalypse. He wants… no we want to be a family again.”

“Why should I believe you?” Lucifer growled out, looking between the group before those red eyes landed on Sam. He tried to shrink into himself, but he felt like Lucifer could see through him just like his Grandfather could. “And who are you?” Sam cast a quick glance at his father who smiled in encouragement. He scooted further towards the cage, trying to gather his courage.

“I’m Sam.” Lucifer cast his gaze over Sam for several long seconds before the grace seemed to swirl with confusion.

“Who would be careless enough to create another Nephilim?! Why?!” He roared and Sam had to fight to remain standing. Rage, fear, protectiveness, and alarm were flying through the caged grace causing Sam to feel somewhat better about this. Lucifer was angry, but not at Sam. He was angry for Sam. Angry that someone would create a child knowing it would be killed. He saw his father wave sheepishly from the corner of his eye and fought not to laugh at how young Gabriel looked. Lucifer, however, looked distraught even in his mangled true form. “Why Gabby?! Why?!”

“Let him show you, brother.” Gabriel murmured softly. Lucifer looked confused, but didn’t move away when Sam stepped closer to the cage. He extended his hand so that just the tips of his fingers could cross through. Lucifer warily brushed his fingertips with grace, but it was enough for Sam to create a connection. Time seemed to stand still as Sam shared memory after memory with his fallen uncle. He shared his favorite moments learning to be an angel with Gabriel, meeting Michael and Raphael, Gabriel watching over a tiny him and his older brother, Mary taking him in without question, the elation of the host at the possibility of the return of the Light Bringer. He shared Michael talking with and apologizing to the host, his uncles teaching him to groom his wings, Gaia creating her guardians, Adam’s bright laughter, Dean holding baby Ben, the family playing in the water park, Michael lifting his chin when Sam felt self-conscious. He ended the memories with his final two heavy hitters.

Gabriel’s death. 

His grace exploding from him and causing so much destruction. 

“If I’d wanted you dead, you never would have been conceived”

“You know, most nephilim weren’t like you.” 

“Most angels abandoned their children and the mother’s usually died. The nephilim ran wild without rules or morals. They were destroying the world and humans alike. I had to do something. When I felt your creation, I got a glimpse of what you would become. I knew Gabriel could never abandon you, but I am surprised he left you with John as long as he did.” 

“Can you… can you stop all of this?” 

“I could. But then my children would never learn to make their own choices. I’m hoping you can help with that.” 

“Me?! How could I change anything?” 

“You’re very special, Samuel. The only archangel nephilim to ever be created. You are more powerful than even you know and you are very smart. I’m sure you will figure something out.” 

“I love my children very much. Michael is so much like Dean in many ways, but somewhere along the way he forgot how to just be a brother, unlike Dean. I believe Michael could learn a lot from him. Raphael seems to have forgotten his original purpose. To heal. You are much like your father. Braver than you think, but you pick your fights carefully until you lose your temper. Lucifer, I fear, would be the most difficult to help. He and Gabriel are so similar. Their love for family and fledglings causes everything else to fall away and become unimportant. Do you understand? Very good, little one. Remember, Sam. Time is fluid.”

“Did I? Did I forget how to be a brother?”

“What does he want?” 

“I think he wants you to be a family again.”

And then:

“Michael, if you will help me, I would like to go to Lucifer. See if he would be willing to listen.”

“I would very much like the opportunity to be his big brother again.”

Lucifer seemed stunned for a long moment and Sam gave him plenty of time to process. He stayed silent for a long while and smiled softly as the rapid-fire emotions returned to Lucifer’s grace. When there seemed to be no end to the storm of grace inside the cage, he decided it was time to speak up.

“Nobody wants to see the earth destroyed, but more than that, I don’t want to see my family fighting.” Lucifer’s eyes focused back on him for a long moment before the grace seemed to shudder.

“I never wanted the apocalypse, brother.” Lucifer murmured, eyes locked back onto Michael. His eldest uncle smiled sadly.

“I know.”

“I do not believe it would be wise to release me, as much as I may want it.”

“We have a plan for that, Luci. Rapha is going to heal you.”

“It is impossible to heal archangel grace.” Sam slid his hand back through the cage and Lucifer latched on instantly. He sent pulse of healing energy through his hand and into the twisted grace of his fallen uncle. The change was immediate. Lucifer’s grace began straightening out, the gashes and open wounds closing, and his wings gaining more feathers. It wasn’t nearly enough, but it proved a point. Lucifer seemed to gasp in relief as much as surprise and he stared at Sam in wonder.

“Not impossible.” He smirked mischievously and heard his father chuckle. He felt Michael and Raphael’s surprise behind him as well. Maybe he forgot to mention he could do that.

“This is real? I can really have my family back?” Lucifer questioned sadly and Sam replied in an equally somber tone.

“If it is what you want and you agree not to go on a murder spree.”

“I would do anything.”

~~~

Sam and the archangels returned to the pocket house with heavy hearts. The conversation had gone well, but everything they had witnessed was weighing on them. They immediately landed in the angel room and collapsed in on each other. Dean and Cas were quick to join them and Sam figured his father had called for them. While the archangels were obviously saddened, they had seen so much in their long lives that it didn’t seem to bother them as much as Sam. The young Nephilim soon found himself fighting off tears while his uncles and brother doted on him, each murmuring reassurances. He tried to power through and push the horror down deep (there were still so many things for them to do), but each time he tried, one of his uncles would assure him that there was plenty of time for him to process.

When he finally felt he could function again, the family decided it was time to visit the vessels. They decided that it would be best for Gabriel, Sam, and Dean to handle this part alone. Charlie and Ash had compiled a list of possible candidates. The first on the list was a girl named Lilly. She seemed normal enough, but Sam and Gabe could both sense the slight demonic taint to the girl. After watching her for a while, they decided that she wasn’t a good candidate. She didn’t seem to have any powers or anything unusual about her, aside from the demon blood. Gabriel went to her that night and blocked off the powers that he could sense hadn’t manifested, just in case they still showed up at some point. Now, she would be mostly a normal human. The next few kids went the same way. Scott, Jake, Andy (who Dean thought was pretty cool), Ava, and a handful of others. So far, none of the kids seemed like the right choice. They couldn’t exactly put into words what they were looking for, but all three of them agreed that these kids weren’t right. Ansom, however, Gabriel would keep an eye on, even if he blocked the powers.

It wasn’t until they found Max, that they knew they had found the right kid. Well, they had found the right kid to help. Max’s dad was an abusive bastard that blamed the kid for his mother’s death. It wasn’t too far off from John. Max was obviously struggling and it didn’t seem anyone was willing to help. They approached the kid with their offer, help us with something and we can get you out of this mess. Max agreed easily. Whether he was naive or suicidal for going with three strangers was still up for debate. They didn’t tell the kid everything that was going on, just that they needed him to use a special skill he possessed and then they would set him up with a nice family to care for him until he could move out on his own.

Once they were back at the pocket house and introduced Max to everyone, they set him up in a guest room. If Gabriel went back to teach the kid’s dad a lesson, well that was his business and Sam didn’t say anything. Nobody else did either. Max was timid and terrified of everything, but after a few days of kindness he began opening up. Gabriel poked around in the kid’s head and unlocked his ‘gifts’ from Azazel. Once everything was over, Gabe would lock them back down so he could be a normal kid again.

They spent a few weeks training Max on using his powers. He seemed to be a natural at it and Sam thought it was kind of sad to take the powers away again, but ultimately he agreed with his dad. Max would become a target due to how powerful he was. Bobby had already contacted some friends of his that were retired hunters and they agreed to take the kid in once everything was over. The archangels created the pocket dimension. Michael used Lucifer’s grace to create a vessel and all too soon it was time to open the cage. Dean was pissed to be left out once again, but everyone agreed that it would be best if he wasn’t exposed to grace without a vessel.

Sam, Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael flew to an abandoned convent where the cage would be opened. They brought the empty vessel and Max along. Lucifer’s vessel looked nothing like Sam had expected. Where Michael’s was muscular and bulky, Lucifer’s was softer, more lithe. The short blonde hair and ice blue eyes were a perfect human match to what Sam imagined the twisted grace should reflect. The kid seemed anxious, but determined. Sam couldn’t blame him. He was pretty anxious about the situation too. Michael smote the demons guarding the convent and only left Lilith alive. They entered the room to see the demon smiling eerily with a pristine white dress on. The poor vessel must be terrified and Sam felt guilty that she would ultimately be a causality in this mess.

“Now this seems like cheating.” Lillith growled, but with the eerie childlike smile still on her face, it was even more menacing.

“Not cheating. Just changing the plans a bit.” Gabriel smirked back and before the demon could complain further, Max stuck out his hand. It wasn’t easy. Obviously, it was straining the kid to kill such a high-powered demon with his mind, but he looked determined. Sam thought if it was himself in Max’s position, he would probably be more freaked out. It wasn’t much of a fight really. Lillith wasn’t doing anything to stop it, but it still seemed like a fight of some sort and by the time the demon was dead, the kid was panting with the strain. Gabriel quickly sealed Max’s powers back off and snapped sending him back to the pocket house. Bobby and Dean were prepared to ensure the kid was okay.

Sam watched with his uncles, entranced, as the demonic essence swirled on the floor creating an intricate pattern. They backed out of the way and ensured that the vessel was easily found. Sam could feel the pressure in the room increasing. The power of an archangel crying out in joy that it was finally being released. That it’s torment was officially over. The ground began crumbling away and bright streaks of light burst forth. The grace finally shot out of the hole and swirled around the room. Sam could hear his father and uncle’s graces responding with equal joy and hope that their brother was returned. Sam directed the grace towards the empty vessel and watched as the grace poured into it. He smiled brightly as his uncle sat up with a gasp.

“Hello, brother.” Michael spoke first and Lucifer whipped his head around to see the other archangels.

“Brother…” he responded cautiously, obviously still not sure this wasn’t some sort of trap.

“We have the pocket dimension ready.” Raphael stated as he stepped forward slowly. Lucifer backed away slightly, seeming again like a trapped animal. His red glowing eyes landed on Sam and he tried to smile encouragingly. It didn’t actually work though and the undercurrent of fear he was feeling must have shown through. Lucifer winced slightly and looked away.

“I do not want you to fear me, fledgling.” Sam tried to summon all of bravery, but obviously, Lucifer could still see the slight thrum of fear. It wasn’t even that Sam was afraid of Lucifer. More just the anxiety and adrenaline of the unknown. Plus, Lucifer’s twisted grace was making him nauseous to look at. It looked so painful. He smiled and tentatively brushed his grace against Lucifer’s. The archangel took a shuddering breath, still obviously not accustomed to controlling the vessel’s reactions. “He’s so perfect, Gabby.” Gabriel fucking beamed at his big brother’s praise and Sam felt a little more settled.

“We should go. I would like to work on healing your grace as soon as possible.” Raphael also seemed to be struggling with seeing his brother in such terrible shape. Lucifer simply nodded in agreement. Sam could tell from his grace that he was desperately hopeful that he could have his family back.

“Alright, Samshine. You know the deal. We will be back as soon as everything is worked out.” Sam nodded sadly. He knew that his father would return, but this was the first time he would be away from his dad for so long since his powers manifested. Gabriel pulled him into a tight hug and Sam couldn’t help but tangle their grace one last time. All too soon, his father pulled away. “The angels and Cas will handle heaven and demons. If you guys notice anything you can help, just stay safe. Got it?” Sam nodded again.

“You guys too.” The archangels all nodded in agreement before Michael took Lucifer’s hand.

“Ready, brother?” Lucifer nodded and then the archangels were gone.

~~~~

The first week post-cage-opening was odd. Sam though it felt like the entire universe was holding it’s breath. The demons were quiet, waiting for orders or for their god to return, Sam didn’t know. He wasn’t about to complain about it though. Heaven was running smoothly enough that Cas only popped in once or twice a day to check in. Even the monsters seemed to be settling in waiting for destruction. Life at the pocket house moved on. Max was with his new foster family with a new alias. Sam and Dean continued training Adam, Kate, Lisa, Ellen, Jo, and Mary. Mary didn’t need as much training, but they taught her a few new techniques that they had learned from Gabriel. Dean was more than happy to spend more time with Lisa and Ben. Sam couldn’t be happier for his brother. John even came by to meet his grandson. Sam might have accidentally forgotten that he was still alive. Ellen was staying at Bobby’s more and more frequently. It would be funny, but Sam was pretty sure everyone would be pissed that they would all owe Gabe fifty bucks when he got back. Almost everyone else in the betting pool had guessed it would take much longer for the pair to admit their feelings. Charlie had even roped them all into LARPing together one day. It was awkward, but also more fun than he’s had in a long time.

Week two was much the same. Sam, however, decided that it was time to start looking at the colleges he had secretly applied for a few weeks back. When things started looking up after the nephil-net incident, Sam decided he wanted to try his hand at college. He didn’t need to, but it had been one of his goals for as long as he could remember. He didn’t want to give up on that just because so much had changed for him. He had applied to Stanford, Yale, Harvard, Ohio State, Alabama, and just for shits and giggles (and it being closer to home), North Dakota State. He began researching the colleges in depth. Learning what the campus atmosphere was like and what was in the nearby areas.

By week six, Sam had received his admission letters to Stanford, North Dakota State, and Alabama. He could barely hold it together anymore. His excitement was through the roof and he couldn’t wait to tell his dad and uncles. He could tell Dean and Bobby though. Sam spread his wings and quickly flew to his brother’s side. Luckily, Bobby and Ellen were already with Dean in the library.

“Dean!” Sam smiled brightly, but his brother didn’t seem to notice his enthusiasm.

“Hang on, Sammy. Dad’s got an issue were trying to figure out.”

“Dean…”

“Not now, Sam!” His brother’s harsh words collided with him almost physically. Dean hadn’t snapped at him like this in a very long time. He glanced down at the papers in his hand. If he could just show his brother, he knew he’d be excited with him.

“But De…”

“I swear to God, Sam. Sometimes you are such a fuckin’ child. I told you I was working.” Sam winced once again as the criticism washed over him like a tidal wave. “I swear Ben is more mature sometimes.” He heard his brother mutter.

“Now hold on a minute!” Bobby was, of course going to come to Sam’s defense, but was interrupted by Dean’s phone ringing.

“Hey dad.” Dean didn’t sound any happier to be talking with John than he did Sam and he thought maybe his heart broke a little bit at that. His brother stood and wandered away leaving the other three speechless.

“What was it you were so excited about, boy?” Bobby grumbled, still glaring in the direction Dean went in. Sam swallowed back the lump in his throat. He wasn’t so excited about his acceptance papers anymore.

“N-nothing, Bobby.” Neither adult looked like they believed him much and just as they were about to press, Sam smiled a little self-deprecatingly. “I just found a new song I thought he would like.” He knew they didn’t believe him, but luckily they seemed to decide to drop it as they heard Dean headed back. Sam quickly flew back to his room and stared at the papers sadly. He quickly shoved them in the back of his desk drawer and went to work in his garden. He needed time to think.

~~~

After his failed attempt at telling Dean about his college admissions, Sam decided it would be best just to wait for his father to return to break the news. He missed his dad. Bobby was trying (and mostly succeeding) to be there for Sam, but he couldn’t replace Gabriel. However, as summer came and went, Sam wasn’t entirely sure how to proceed. He’d decided on Stanford and wanted to study law. He didn’t need to. Would probably never become a lawyer, but it had been his goal for so long as a child that he felt he couldn’t just give it up. He’d taken a few hunts with his brother and Bobby over the summer, but spent most of his time in his garden. Hunters and white witches always needed more spell components. Charlie and Ash had even set him up a website to take orders for herbs while Bobby and Ellen circulated it throughout the community. Hunters could pick their order up from Bobby or they could ‘mail’ it to them.

It was just as well, Dean didn’t seem to have any time left for him anyway. Something had changed in Dean since the apocalypse that wasn’t. He’d grown colder, harsher, more driven to hunt. All of his free time after the hunt was spent with Lisa and Ben who hadn’t seemed to notice the difference. Bobby and Ellen both seemed concerned, but they weren’t sure how to address it. And everybody had been so busy.

Since Lucifer didn’t immediately go on a rampage after being freed, it seems that every monster out there decided to throw a very bloody party. Monsters were everywhere, demons popping up more and more. They’d even had to call in angels at times to help with what was going on. Sam knew he’d still be able to help with hunts while going to college. He wouldn’t have to study that much given his grace had perfect recall. He also didn’t plan on having much of a social life outside his family.

The first day of classes arrived and Sam couldn’t contain his excitement. He dressed in his typical jeans and tshirt before snapping himself up a coffee and then flew to an apartment Gabriel had owned for a long time that was only a mile away from campus. He had his books, a pencil, notebook, laptop, and anything else he could need in a backpack. He didn’t think he would really need any of it, but it couldn’t hurt to blend in. He could leave everything but his laptop at the apartment as well. While he’d used Bobby’s address on his application, he’d used this address on his admissions paperwork. There would be no reason for him to live on campus and this way they wouldn’t try to force a dorm on him.

He quickly headed off to his first class. He’d chosen to only take four classes this semester. Two on Tuesdays and Thursdays and two that would be Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays. He should only be missing for a couple of hours a day and if he needed to skip a class for a hunt, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Sam made it to his first class easily and soon found a seat. It was English 101, so it should be a piece of cake. The classroom was a large lecture hall with stadium or theatre seating. More students filtered in, but Sam paid little attention to them. He was here for class, not to make friends. The lecture hall filled almost to capacity and soon the professor made his way in as well. Just as the professor was about to call roll, the door swung open one more time and in stumbled the most beautiful, chaotic, whirlwind of a girl Sam thought he had ever seen. She had long blond hair in messy curls and green eyes they took his breath away. She smiled shyly at the professor before quickly finding a seat. Oddly enough, that seat was next to Sam’s. She smiled brightly at him before bending over to dig around in her backpack for her things. Sam tried his best to remain focused on the lecture, but it was little use. This girl had all of Sam’s attention. He’d never felt like this before. He’d heard of people feeling butterflies in their stomach, but he’d always thought it was an exaggeration. Now he wasn’t so sure anymore. After the class was over, the girl put her stuff away and prepared to leave. Sam thought maybe he would finally be able to do something other than think about her, but then she turned to him with the biggest smile.

“Hi! I’m Jess.” She held her hand out towards him and Sam took it gently. He didn’t want to accidentally crush her because he was nervous.

“Sam.” He smiled his best smile, hoping he didn’t look like a total dork. Given that Jess blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear, he thought maybe he did okay.

“I’ll see ya around.” She smiled once more before leaving the room in almost as much of a hurry as she entered with. Sam was still a little stupefied by the encounter, but he needed to get to his next class. He felt like he wandered around campus in a slight daze until he found his biology class. Jess wasn’t in this class and it wasn’t as exciting, but Sam was definitely able to focus better. After his classes were over, Sam returned to the apartment and then flew himself back home. Just as he thought, nobody noticed he was missing. He quickly checked his orders for herbs and decided to get to work.

Over the next few weeks, Sam was able to maintain the schedule. Classes in the mornings and then researching hunts for the hunters or spending the rest of his time gardening. He spent plenty of time with Adam at the pool and even went to the bar with Charlie, Jo, and Ash a few times. Dean still didn’t talk to him much. He still missed his dad. He had officially made friends with Jess. On the second week of classes, she had thrust a paper with her phone number on it and suggested they study together. Sam didn’t need to study, but he really couldn’t turn the offer down. So on Friday evenings, Sam got together with Jess to study their English assignments. So far, they had been meeting in the campus library where Sam supplied the coffee. While he may look like a broke college kid, he definitely was not. As he got ready for his study date, he made sure to look half way decent and used the good cologne that Gabriel had gotten him a while back. He’d been oddly self-conscious about how he smelled since Dean grumbled that he always smelled like ozone a few weeks ago. It was night time in California and the cool ocean breeze would be blowing. He grabbed his leather jacket to blend in and then left the house.

He made it to the library quickly. Something about tonight felt different. He wasn’t sure what the feeling was, but it felt oddly foreboding as he plopped himself down at the table next to Jess. Over the last three weeks, their study group had grown somewhat. A few other people in their class who ended up in the library at the same time and they had quickly connected as a friend group. Aside from Sam and Jess, there was Becky, Lewis, and Brady. Sometimes Becky brought her brother along who wasn’t in their class, but was also studying at Stanford. Tonight it was the entire group. He quickly got his stuff together and began working on his assignment. It wasn’t that difficult and he should be able to knock it out tonight. He helped the others at times, explaining things in a different way than their professor. Sam had quickly found himself being called the nerdy kid of their group.

About half way through the nights study session (and midway through Brady’s third quip about the difference between affect and effect) Sam felt the smile slide off his face. Standing just on the other side of the table behind Brady and Becky was Steve. Hunter Steve. Jackass Steve. I hate non-humans Steve. A tap on his shoulder told him that Steve wasn’t alone. He couldn’t cause a scene, not yet. Not when he’d finally been able to start his goal of college.

“Sam Angelos?” Tim asked and Sam squinted his eyes. Of course, Tim knew who he was, there was no need for him to ask. What was their play? That’s when he noticed that both hunters were wearing suits. Sam nodded and began looking around the library. He noticed another hunter standing near the door. Tim flipped open a really bad fake badge as he continued his “trust me I’m law enforcement” spiel. “FBI. You’re under arrest.” What an odd way to get Sam alone. They couldn’t think he would actually fall for this would they? He barely heard his friends shouts of surprise or indignation as he tried to study their play. “If you go peacefully, we won’t have to bring your friends in as well.” Ah, well. Maybe it was a pretty smart move. Make sure that everything is done in public so Sam couldn’t smite them. He could always get away later without scaring the shit out of his friends. He glanced around again and noticed the other two hunters going for weapons slowly. He needed to defuse whatever this was before it got out of hand. He quietly stood and turned his back on Tim before moving his hands behind his back. The hunter moved quickly and locked cuffs around his wrists. What he wasn’t expecting was for every bit of his power to drain away almost instantly. He glanced back at the hunter in surprise. How the hell had they done that?

“What the hell is he being arrested for?” Jess shouted and he noticed one of the librarians moving their way, probably trying to help contain this mess and shush them.

“The better question would be what isn’t he being arrested for?” Tim smirked and Sam wanted to wipe that smirk right off the bastard’s face. “Come on now, Sammy. No need to make a scene.” He tried to reassure his friends, but they seemed to be torn between defending him and second guessing if they ever really knew him. He couldn’t blame them for believing the fake FBI.

~~~

Charlie was getting anxious. Sam hadn’t come home last night. She knew. She checked. She thought maybe she was overreacting, but it was almost lunch time on Saturday now and Sam still hadn’t gotten home. Dean was off on a hunt with Mary and John and wouldn’t be back for a few more days. Bobby had also left for a hunt leaving only Charlie, Jo, Ash, Ellen, Kate, and Lisa home with the kids. She paced around her room for a few more minutes before steeling herself and gathering the few family members still around. She wasn’t sure if they would believe her, but she had to try. Once everyone was in the library (minus the children) Charlie began pacing again.

“Now what’s got you so worked up, hun?” Ellen asked in her most sympathetic tone.

“Well, uh, you guys know how Sam has been sneaking off for a few hours a day?” Jo and Ash nodded, but Ellen, Kate, and Lisa seemed rather surprised.

“What do you mean sneaking off?” Charlie took a deep breath before launching into her story.

“I noticed a while back that every day around seven thirty am, Sam leaves the house. He returns around ten thirty. Nobody else seemed to notice so I did some snooping around. I set up a small camera in his room. Motion activated, so I would know when he came back and when he left. That’s when I noticed that he is also leaving on Friday evenings.”

“Okay… and?” Jo asked, knowing there had to be much more to this story than just that Sam left sometimes.

“And he didn’t come back last night.”

“Maybe Sambo got lucky.” Ash suggested as he leaned back in his chair.

“No, Charlie’s right. He would have come home or at least called someone to say he hasn’t been home.” Ellen sighed and rubbed her hand over her face. She pulled out her phone and immediately called Bobby and put him on speaker.

“’Ello?”

“Bobby, you heard from Sam today?”

“Nah, figured he was at home today. Why?”

“He didn’t come home last night.” Charlie added, her worry ramping up a notch.

“That’s odd. Yall tried callin’ him?”

“I did, but it went straight to voicemail.”

“We should call Dean.” Jo suggested and already had her phone in hand.

“Go ahead an’ start lookin’. I’ll be there shortly.”  Bobby hung up about the same time that Dean answered.

“Yeah?”

“Dean, have you heard from Sam?” Ellen asked and Charlie could tell she was getting concerned.

“Nope.”

“We can’t get in touch with him and he didn’t come home last night.”

“Damnit.” Dean sighed right next to Charlie and she jumped a little at his sudden appearance with Mary in tow. Jo huffed as she hung up the phone and Bobby teleported in moments later. “What do you mean he didn’t come home?” Dean asked, his voice thunderous. Charlie had never been afraid of the Guardians or their pagan magic, but right now she could barely avoid cowering at the Wolf’s fury.

“We noticed him leaving the house every morning and on Friday evenings. We didn’t think it was a big deal, but he didn’t come home last night and we can’t get in touch with him.” Charlie explained for what seemed like the hundredth time.

“CAS!” Dean shouted and suddenly the angel was in the room with them. “Is Sammy in heaven?”

“No Dean. Sam has not been to heaven since the archangels left.” Cas seemed to instantly understand something was wrong and Ellen filled him in quickly.

“Damn child.” Dean huffed as he began pacing. “Any idea where he might have gone?” Everyone shook their heads except for Charlie. She had a theory and she wasn’t totally sure how everyone would take it.

“I think uh I think he might be going to college.” The entire room froze as they turned to look at her.

“What makes you think that?” Bobby asked, confusion and pride clearly evident.

“I hacked his email.” She shrugged. She was nosey, so sue her. “He has been getting emails from Stanford University.”

“No. No way. If Sammy got into college, especially a college like Stanford, he’d be talkin’ my ear off nonstop about it.” Dean argued as he shook his head, but Jo sighed.

“When exactly would he have been talking to you about it?” Jo’s voice was somewhat cold. Nobody was happy with how Dean had been treating them all lately. They hadn’t missed the kicked puppy looks Sam shot at Dean when he snapped at the Nephilim either.

“What are you talking about? I know Sammy. He wouldn’t keep this from me.”

“Yeah. Dean he probably would have told. Jr. John that’s been walkin’ around with your face ain’t been exactly welcoming.” Charlie had to stifle the laugh that bubbled up at the expression on Dean’s face. “You’ve been emulatin’ your ol’ man so much lately, I though we were gonna have to have an intervention.”

“I haven’t… I wasn’t… what?” Dean seemed completely at a loss and Charlie only felt a little bad that she felt better knowing that Dean hadn’t realized that he’d almost completely turned into John.

“When’s the last time you talked to your brother, Dean?” Bobby sighed in exasperation, running his hand through his hair and then shoving his hat back on his head.

“A couple days ago. Told him I had a case.”

“No, dumbass. Actually talked and spent time with the boy?”  Dean seemed to be thinking hard for several minutes before shaking his head and looking away.

“Alright. So Stanford. Let’s check it out. Everybody gear up.”

~~~

Sam had been dragged out of the car and into another fucking warehouse. Ugh. At this rate he was going to have a bigger phobia of warehouses than clowns. He’d been shoved into a chair that was in the middle of a ring of holy oil. The cuffs were undone on one side and then his arms were cuffed down to each arm of the chair. He finally got a good look at them and noticed that they were engraved with Enochian and pagan sigils for binding powers. Similar to a devil’s trap, he couldn’t use any of his powers or abilities with them clamped around his wrists. After the hunters backed out of the holy oil circle they lit it on fire. Damnit they were prepared this time. He was truly stuck. He looked around the ware house, hopeful to find a way out, but everywhere he looked was another sigil or warding. Once he was secured, the hunters painted a few more wards and sigils. No angel or pagan could get inside now. With that out of the way, one hunter left and the other two seemed to settle in for the night.

Sam wondered what their goal here was. They hadn’t talked to him since dragging him in and they hadn’t even asked him any questions. Simply ignored him. The hunter that left, returned a while later with food for the group and they continued to ignore Sam. He waited for what felt like hours and probably actually was. He could see the sun coming back up through the windows. He hoped that someone had noticed him missing soon. He’d tried to pray to Cas, but he didn’t think any of them were going through. The hunters hadn’t woken up, but it seemed like the holy fire was finally starting to burn out. He’d spent most of the night attempting to pull something from his chair or clothes that he would be able to use to pick the cuffs. It had been no use so far though. Unfortunately, before the holy fire went out, the hunters woke and poured more oil and started it anew. Finally, one of the hunters decided to gloat about their plan. At least Sam might finally be able to get some information.

“Ya know, Sammy boy. That all powerful grandfather of yours just happens to not be so all powerful.” Tim taunted as he walked around the circle of fire. Sam snorted. This guy had no clue about his Grandfather. “Seems an angel fell not to long ago and decided he could be real useful to us.” Sam couldn’t help but tense up. His Grandfather had cast several angels from heaven not too long ago. They had all been supposed to fall and be born as babies like Anna had. However, he knew his Grandfather always planned ahead. Always had something he was working towards. Sam just hoped this was part of the plan. Tim wandered back towards where his stuff had been piled and returned with something in his hand. “Recognize this?” He asked twirling the angel blade in his hand. Sam’s eyes widened in fear. He didn’t think a regular angel blade could kill him, but it might and it would hurt. That was enough for Sam to want nothing to do with being on the sharp end of it. He swallowed thickly and looked away. “Don’t worry. We’re just waiting on a couple of stragglers before the real party can begin.”

Sam waited. He tried not to let his fear get to him, but right now all he really wanted was his dad or his uncles. Even his brother as frosty as they had been lately. Around noon, the door slammed open and in marched a dark man with a bald head. The sauntered into the room like he owned it and hadn’t a care in the world. This must be the angel. He thought his name was Uriel if he was reading the tiny sliver of grace left inside him correctly. He couldn’t cower before this angel-turned-man. He remembered what his grandfather and the archangels had all told him. He was an archangel. Well half-archangel and he was supposed to be treated with the same respect as any of his flock. He lifted his chin high and flared his wings on the off chance the angel could see or sense them still. It didn’t seem he could.

“Hello, abomination.” Uriel sneered before settling in with the humans to wait. After another long round of waiting, the door opened again and in walked John Winchester. Sam wouldn’t be surprised if the man hadn’t orchestrated this entire thing himself. John walked over to the hunters before doing a double take when he saw Sam. His mouth dropped open and he stared for a long minute.

“Tha’ hell is goin’ on here?” He growled as he stared at Sam in something like horror. Sam was somewhat comforted in the fact that he hadn’t known about this previously.

“Oh, come on John. We caught the little bastard for you. Pretty sure we found a way to actually put him down too.” Tim laughed as he continued twirling the angel blade. John moved to grab his gun, but safeties clicked off behind him. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. We were prepared, just in case this piece of shit turned you against us.” John slowly removed his gun from his belt and dropped it on the ground. He raised his hands above his head and just as the other hunters were about to grab the gun, John launched the offensive. The fight was brutal, and John actually had the upper hand until the fallen angel got involved and his sort-of-father was subdued. They tied him up quickly and dumped him against a wall facing Sam. He was completely shocked. He’d never expected John to actually fight to defend him.

“Sorry Sammy.” John sighed as he leaned over and spit out some blood.

“It’s okay.” Sam smiled at him sadly. “Thanks for trying anyway.” The door was slammed open again and this time it seemed to startle to hunters. Sam glanced at the door to see Ellen, Jo, Ash, Mary, and even Charlie rush inside with their guns drawn. Mary moved quickly and deliberately towards John before standing guard over him. She dropped him a knife and he made quick work of the ropes tied around him.

“Fancy meetin’ you here.” John laughed as he stood and grabbed Mary’s extra gun from her boot. The other hunters and fallen angel looked a little shocked to suddenly be out numbered. John raised his gun and aimed directly for the angel’s head. “Guns down.” He growled and most people knew not to mess with an angry John Winchester. Tim, Steve, and Reggie (Sam was pretty sure his name was Reggie) all slowly lowered their guns. The angel didn’t move. Jo was quick to find a fire extinguisher and put out the holy fire. She bent forward to help pick the locks on the cuffs just as the fighting started. Uriel apparently decided not to play nice. He could hear the angel shouting about abominations and mud-monkeys, but he tried to focus on what Jo was doing. He looked to the side to see how the fighting had even started with his family holding everyone at gun point, but apparently Charlie and Ash had decided to try and remove some of the wards leaving only Ellen, Mary, and John to defend the rest. The angel had disarmed John and Mary before knocking Mary unconscious and was moving for the angel blade. Jo’s hands were shaking as she tried her best to hurry. She wasn’t fast enough. Ellen was defending Charlie and Ash as they furiously scratched at the wards, but Steve and Tim were both approaching her and nobody really wanted to kill a human. Jo had finally gotten the cuffs unlocked just in time to see Uriel standing behind Sam, ready to strike. Three things happened quickly. Jo grabbed Sam by the shoulders and spun them, Uriel threw the angel blade with deadly accuracy, and several guns fired. Uriel’s head snapped back as a bullet entered his brain and he crumbled to the floor. Sam looked behind him to see John laying on the ground with his gun aimed in the fallen angels direction. A groan behind him alerted him to Reggie who had been approaching from the other side of him, now laying on the ground clutching at his leg where his knee had been blown to bits curtesy of Mary. Steve and Tim were both on the ground as well, both with bullets in the shoulder and knee from Ellen, Ash, and Charlie. A cough had him spinning around just in time to catch Jo as she crumbled to the ground, an angel blade straight through her stomach.

“Jo!” Sam shouted as he gently sat down with her, cradling her to his chest. Her breathing was ragged and she was gasping in pain. Everyone rushed to their side as they realized what had happened, Ellen and Ash each holding one of her hands. “Stay with me, Jo.” Sam mumbled as he pushed his grace gently through her body assessing the damage. It was bad. Really bad. A gut shot was always bad because the possibility of damaging so many important organs. He kept his calm though as he gently ran his hands through her head, hoping to soothe her somewhat. He sniffled a little as tears gently ran down his cheeks. This was Jo. The girl who had gone from hating his guts to being something like a sister in such a short amount of time and she had just taken a deadly attack for him. To save him. He nodded his head in determination. He wouldn’t let her die. First though, the damn blade needed to be removed. “I need someone to remove the angel blade.” John nodded and moved quickly, but carefully to grab the hilt. This healing would have to be done fast before she could bleed out and John seemed to sense that. They made eye contact and then John counted down from three. When he hit one he pulled the blade out and Sam quickly got to work healing the damage done. It wasn’t even that difficult of a healing, but the fact that it was a wound from an angel blade made it somewhat more difficult.

He pushed his grace through her body, sealing blood vessels and knitting tissue back together. Ellen was crying now, tears of fear and hope streaming down her face. Even Ash looked a little misty eyed. It seemed to take forever, but it was probably only seconds before Jo’s body was back to normal. She took a deep shuddering breath as the pain quickly receded and soon she was sitting up and launching herself at Sam. He held her tightly and thanked his Grandfather for his ability to heal. She finally pulled away and was soon enveloped by her mother. Charlie and Mary finished removing the warding once they had been sure that Jo would be okay and as soon as it was down, Bobby and Dean both teleported inside. Dean dragged Sam into a tight hug, murmuring apologies and reassurances.

“Everybody alright?” Bobby asked as he looked the group over, his arms wrapped tightly around Ellen and Jo. He frowned down at the blood covering Jo and Sam.

“We are now.” Ellen sighed as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

“Well, not everyone.” Sam smirked as he nodded towards the injured hunters that had kidnapped him. He slowly made his way towards Tim, hands raised to indicate that he meant no harm. “Do you want me to heal you?” The hunter growled out an insult about not being touched by monsters. Sam licked his lips and looked away. Before he could back up, Bobby and John were at his side glaring down at the injured dumbass.

“Seems to me you got three choices here, Tim. You can let the kid heal you and you will have no damage left over. We can drop you at a hospital an’ you’ll end up with pain for the rest of your life. Or we can leave your dumbass here and you can hope for the best. My votes for the last option, but Sam here don’t like when people get hurt.” Tim grit his teeth but finally relented to Sam healing him. He did so quickly and then pushed the hunter into a deep sleep. He did the same for Reggie and Steve before turning back to his family with a smile.

“What’d you do to ‘em?” John asked. Sam couldn’t find any hints of accusation in his voice, but his track record with John wasn’t great so far.

“I just put them to sleep. They’ll wake up once we’re gone.” John nodded with a smirk.

“Tell me you gave ‘em nightmares at least.” Sam laughed out loud at that. Head thrown back and full of joy. He smirked back with allowing a hint of his mischievous pagan magic swirling in his eyes.

“Maybe.”

~~~

When they returned home, Dean immediately pulled him outside to the garden. Ash had already cracked a beer declaring the mission a success. The rest of the family were quick to follow. John had accompanied them home and was planning to stay for a while to spend time with Ben and Adam. Having Mary back in his life seemed to be mellowing the man out some with time. Sam was just happy to have most of his family back together again. He still missed Gabriel, but there wasn’t anything they could do about it now. Dean turned to him awkwardly, rubbing a hand through his hair.

“Sammy, I’m sorry.” He mumbled, looking away from his brother. Sam cocked his head to the side in confusion. What did Dean have to be sorry for?

“You got nothin’…”

“Yes, I do, kiddo.” Dean huffed an anxious breath before turning back to his brother. “Why didn’t you tell me about college, Sammy?” He felt his grace draw up in trepidation and although Dean couldn’t see it, his wings drooped, much like when he was about to get into trouble with Gabriel.

“I tried, I did. I promise you, Dean. I wasn’t gonna…” His words tumbled out faster the more anxious that he got and if Dean hadn’t interrupted him, he would have gone into full on word-vomit.

“Slow down, Sammy. That’s my point. You tried. I wasn’t listening. I wasn’t being there for you like I should have been.” Dean stated as he raised his hand like he could physically push the words back inside Sam’s mouth.

“You were busy with hunting and- and Ben and Lisa and…”

“I’m not mad Sammy. I’m not. Stop acting like I’m about to kick your puppy. I’m trying to take responsibility here.” Sam nodded, keeping his gaze on the ground. “I don’t know what happened, man, but I fucked up. Between bein’ around dad more and bein’ a dad myself, I guess I just… reverted back to being what John always wanted me to be. What I’ve always seen a dad be. An’ that’s not fair to Ben, Lisa, myself, or you.” Sam looked up at his brother, a small bit of hope flaring back into his grace. “I know you’ve had a hard time without Gabe around. You should’ve had your brother there for you too.” Sam shrugged. He was a big boy. He could deal with a little abandonment, but it didn’t make it hurt less.

“It’s okay, Dean. I get it.” Dean sighed like he didn’t really believe Sam was getting his point, or maybe it was just exasperation at Sam letting him off the hook so easily.

“So, tell me about it. How’s school going, Mr. Brainiac?” Sam smiled at his brother, a genuine full teeth smile that he hasn’t felt his mouth twitch into in months. He told his brother all about his classes. How he wasn’t learning much he didn’t already know, but enjoyed the challenge of acing everything he did. He explained why he decided to even go to college, what his plans were with different courses, and how he had been pretending to live at Gabriel’s apartment. He told Dean about his new friends and how they had study sessions. He told Dean about Jess and how wonderful she was, but felt his smile fade a little when he brought her up. No chance she would give him the time of day now that he had been ‘arrested.’ He knew it would never go further than friendship. She was still human after all, but it was starting to look like it would be a good friendship. His brother seemed to notice the change in Sam’s mood and gently pushed him to explain what had happened.

“They’ll probably be terrified of me now that the ‘FBI’ has arrested me. If I even go back.” Sam sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to go back to school now. He hated that hunters had taken college away from him yet again, but he wasn’t sure he could ever face the people he had budding friendships with again.

“Oh, come on, Sam. You can’t tell me you’re willing to let those douche bags take this from you.”

“It’s not that big a deal, Dean. I probably wouldn’t have even done anything with the degree.”

“Yeah, but it was one of your goals. An’ it made you happy. You can’t let them win.” Sam shook his head, deflecting how badly this situation actually hurt him.

“Everyone on campus is probably already talking about it…”

“Bullshit, Sammy. You’re just worried about your friends.” Sam huffed again, but Dean kept going. “Look, just tell ‘em somethin’ like the truth. Tell ‘em that your dad’s powerful and some people don’t like it. That the feds showed as part of a bullshit investigation. Not a lie, but not enough to freak ‘em out either.” That might actually work if they ever talked to him again, but Dean was right. He couldn’t let this set him back on his goals. He smiled at his brother again, this time much softer.

“Thanks, Dean.”

~~

Sam decided to take the Monday after his rescue off from school and now he was actually glad that he had. Heaven was rejoicing, cheering, shouting their delight at the archangels return. Sam, Dean, Adam, and their adoptive siblings had decided on a movie day and were midway through A New Hope when Sam bolted upright. Everyone noticed his reaction and turned to him in question.

“They’re back.” He smiled his biggest, cheesiest smile at his siblings. Dean whooped and the other’s all cheered with him.

“Don’t worry, Samshine. We’ll be there soon.” Floated through his head and he flopped back onto the couch in relief. It had been way too long since he had seen his dad. True to his word, it didn’t take long for the archangels to be at the pocket house. Sam and Dean were unceremoniously snatched from the couch and brought to the archangel room. Sam launched himself at his father, tangling their graces furiously. When Sam finally left his father’s arms, he was immediately engulfed by Michael and Raphael while Gabriel tugged Dean in as well. Somehow, they found themselves in a pile of hugs and grace and wings, all tangled up together. Sam noticed there was another archangel in the room, but standing off to the side awkwardly, like he wasn’t entirely sure he was supposed to be there. Sam reached out with his grace and grabbed hold of his uncle before tugging him into the pile as well. Lucifer didn’t resist and Sam noticed how he practically melted into the pile. His smile only brightened.

~~

Gabriel was happy. No, he was fucking ecstatic. He had all of his brothers back together again. He had his son, his bonus children, his ridiculously large family of humans and pagans, and now he had his even larger family of angels back. Everything was almost perfect. He just had the teeny tiny issue of some of his humans eventually dying and devastating everyone in the family, but they could cross that bridge when he got to it. Maybe he could convince Michael to restructure heaven so that the souls could spend time together. Who knows. The world was open to possibilities now. For so long, Gabriel had been on his own. Alone. At the time, he’d thought he was happy. That his life of sugar, women, pranks, and traveling the world was enough. Now, he knew that he had been at his lowest point. Miserable. He couldn’t imagine ever going back.

The time in the pocket dimension with his brothers had been difficult and emotional and healing all at the same time. As they spent time working to heal Lucifer’s grace, they talked and worked through all of their issues. Gabriel finally told his brothers exactly how much their fighting had bothered him. How useless he felt when he couldn’t stop Lucifer’s fall. How horrible it had been to see them all at each other’s throats. Raphael explained how with Lucifer and Gabriel gone, he felt he’d had to change himself to be what Michael needed. Michael had shared how horrible his side of casting his brother down had been. How hypocritical he’d felt and how he’d shut down any and all emotion to try and stop the pain he’d felt at losing his brother. Lucifer had been honest. He’d explained how it had felt to have the Mark pushing him to destroy everything he’d ever cherished. How he’d tried to stop it, but felt he couldn’t control himself. How grateful he was that he had been stopped, but how horrible he felt for his actions. It had been refreshing and by the end of their time there, Gabriel was confident they could return to Earth without any issues. He hadn’t rushed the process along because he missed his kiddos. Nope. Not at all.

He relished the feeling of his son and bonus-son in his arms again. He’d missed them like a fish missed water and he knew that his brothers were feeling much the same. Sam had changed so much with his existence. After an entire day of grooming Sam’s wings and spending time with his brothers, Michael, Raphel, and Lucifer decided it was time for them to return to heaven. They had a lot of work to do upstairs and Cas would be happy to be able to return to earth, but first they would have a family dinner.

Gabriel rounded the whole family up (he was right, Cassie was very happy to return to the pocket house full time) and snapped the dining room table much larger. The only person he couldn’t round up was Kate, but she had apparently taken a  nursing job at the local hospital and was working a long shift. Unfortunately, he didn’t think he would be able to cook enough food for everyone in time, so he snapped up a feast as well. It was wonderful to have everyone around the table together. He was surprised to see John back at the house, but the hunter seemed to be almost a different person from when they left. He would have to ask what all had happened while they had been gone. He was laughing and talking with everyone as if he hadn’t even considered that he was sharing a table with the devil himself. He and Mary were nearly hanging off of each other, as were Bobby and Ellen. Dean and Lisa even seemed cozy together. It was nice to see everyone so happy. Very nice.

They were just about to settle in for the meal when the air shifted around them. Gabriel perked up immediately. Gaia showing up when they were all together could either be good or bad depending on what she wanted, but it couldn’t kill his mood even if it wasn’t a happy house call. Everyone seemed to notice the extra pressure in the room and Sam almost seemed to be vibrating in his seat as the small redheaded appearance of Gaia formed in the room.

“Hello again, my guardians.” She smiled, her voice once again reminding Gabriel of a gentle stream.

“Gaia!” Adam cheered as he jumped out of his seat and rushed her for a hug. Everyone chuckled as she squeezed him tightly.

“Hello, my little Hawk.” She laughed as she lifted him off the ground with inhuman strength. Gabriel was glad she had decided to cover herself this time with clothes that he was pretty sure were made of hemp given that the child was clinging to her so tightly. Everyone stood and made their way to the living room where she had wandered with Adam as they chatted about his burgeoning healing powers. Once they were all settled on the various couches and chairs or standing depending on preference, Gaia got to the point of her visit. She gently set Adam in his father’s lap before moving closer to Sam.  “I see you have successfully saved me.” She grinned brightly. “I am so proud of you, my little earth angel.” Gaia pressed a soft kiss to his forehead and Gabriel thought that yeah, he was pretty damn proud of his offspring himself. “I also noticed you had a little help with a problem recently.” Sam ducked his head and what the hell happened to his kid while he was gone. Nobody would meet his eyes and his anxiety only increased. “Fear not, Coyote. You have chosen to surround yourself well. While you were away, they protected each other valiantly, so I came to offer some gifts.” She smiled gently and gestured towards the humans in the room.

“What gifts?” Jo asked warily, seeming overwhelmed by meeting the personification of the earth. Gabriel couldn’t even blame her. Gaia just had that presence about her.

“Warriors such as yourselves, who have given so much for me, should be given something in return. You all protected my Fox at the risk of your own lives. You have created a family. That is not something I want to see fade with time. I have come to offer you all places as my guardians as well.” Gabriel felt his face fall as slack as the others in the room. Gaia turned to Dean, a gentle smile on her face. “Unfortunately, I cannot make this offer to all humans, but there is always a solution should it be wanted.” She winked at Lisa before turning back to the hunters. Dean sputtered a bit but seemed ultimately confused about what Gaia was suggesting. It seems Gabriel may have to give a pagan style birds and the bees conversation after all.

“All of us?” Ellen asked, something similar to hope in her voice and Gaia shifted her smile to the eldest Harvelle.

“Those of you who saved my Fox and aided in saving me. Yes. I am extending this offer for you, Jo, Ash, Charlie, Mary, and John. You do not have to accept, of course. It is a big decision, not one you can take back or change. I suggest you take a few moments and discuss it amongst yourselves.” Jo, Ellen, Bobby, Ash, and Charlie immediately congregated and began whispering quietly while Mary and John talked with each other. He felt Sam’s grace reach for his and noticed that his boys had their hands clasped. None of them wanted to lose this little family they had created. It didn’t take long for the decisions to be made. John and Mary stepped forward and spoke with Michael before talking with Sam, Dean, and Adam. Bobby was hugging Ellen and Jo tightly and Gabriel felt his grace draw up in apprehension. John and Mary were the first to break free to speak with Gaia.

“Gaia,” John murmured respectfully. “After talking it over with each other and our children, we appreciate the offer, but we must humbly decline. It is an honor, but immortality isn’t for us.” Gaia nodded sadly, but seemed to have expected the answer. She smiled at them and gently touched each of their arms.

“You both still have my favor. Should you have need, simply ask.”

“Thank you.” Mary smiled warmly before they made their way back to their seats. Ellen stepped forward then, the apparent spokesperson for their small group.

“We have decided to accept.” Gaia clapped with glee and smiled brightly while Gabriel let out a breath he apparently had been holding. She stepped forward towards Charlie and cupped the young girls face.

“You, my dear, are a wonderful friend. You keep your friends trust by bearing their secrets. You have a unique perspective and are wonderfully intuitive. My Lynx.” Gaia reached up and softly kissed Charlie on the forehead. Gabriel watched as the young redhead slowly lifted into the air, just like the rest of the guardians, and then with a bright flash of light she shifted into a large Canada Lynx. She landed softly on the ground and released a nearly earsplitting

‘yawl’ like sound before settling into a deep purr. A sharp gasp made him look to his brothers where Lucifer looked completely entranced with the situation. He’d always known that Lucifer loved the earth, but the pure awe on his face only proved the point. Gaia shifted her attention then to Ash. The young man looked somewhat anxious after the display and Gabriel really couldn’t blame him. For a human, this must be somewhat terrifying and exciting all at once.

“My scrappy little one,” Gaia smiled as she ruffled Ash’s mullet. “You are boisterous and sure of yourself. You will never allow a dull moment. However, you are strong and honest. You will make me proud. My Rooster.” There was a moment of almost offended shock on Ash’s face before he was lifted into the air as well. Light flashed around him and suddenly he became a massive gamecock, with a wingspan that must have reached fifteen feet across. He flapped his wings gently as he landed on the ground and then there was a war cry of a crow. He hopped over and immediately pecked at Lynx’s stubby tail while everyone chuckled.

Gaia moved on to Ellen, grabbing both of her hands and squeezing them tightly. “My loyal Ellen. You have proven yourself to be a leader and courageous. You wasted no time becoming a mother figure to many of my Guardians. For that, you have my gratitude. My Cougar.” Just like the others, Ellen was lifted into the air with another light show and when she landed, she was a powerful North American Cougar. She opened her massive jaws and flat out screamed. It was as chilling as it was powerful and even Gabriel shuddered.

Jo was the last to gain her gift and she was almost vibrating in place. Gaia grabbed her face much like she had Charlie’s smoothing her thumb against Jo’s cheek in comfort. “You are strong little one, stronger than you know. Powerful. But you are also unpredictable. It makes you valuable in a fight. You were willing to selflessly give your life for my Fox. Something not many hunters would even consider, much less do. Make sure those who earn your energy and devotion are deserving of it, my Tiger.” Once the light show had died down and Jo was safely back on the ground, where she had once been a slim, blonde girl, now stood a giant Bengal Tiger. Jo roared and the house shook. The guardians all stood at once, Jo, Ash, Ellen, and Charlie each one shifting back to their human forms. As one, they moved to their Guardian Salute, head bowed and right hands cupped into a moonlike shape over their hearts. Gaia turned to little Ben who had been happily babbling in his bounce and play baby bouncer thing. She kissed his forehead and murmured a blessing over the boy. He cooed in delight and she giggled back.

“My Guardians. You all make me so proud. You have saved me and completed the final challenge. Your gifts are permanent.” Gaia smiled one last time and then she was gone.

“Wow.” John breathed out and Gabriel was pretty sure nobody was supposed to have heard it. It broke the tension in the room and soon they were all hugging. Cheers were being shouted, drinks were being passed around, and a few rare tears shed. Bobby pulled Ellen into a deep kiss and Gabriel couldn’t help the wolf whistle that just happened to escape his lips. Everyone laughed and now Gabriel was sure that he couldn’t be happier.

“Dinner anyone?” A few waves of his hand and the meal was reheated. Everyone was seated around the dinner table filling their plates with more food than necessary. Sam was trying to teach his uncles how to moderate their grace to allow them to taste. Adam was bouncing in his seat, excited to have new Guardians to share things with. Ellen and Bobby were snuggled close, relishing in the concept of absolute forever together. John and Dean were attempting to feed little Ben some mashed potatoes, but the boy kept spitting more out than actually ingesting. Jo, Ash, and Charlie were talking animatedly about their new gifts and speculating on elements they could control. Mary was smiling at their children and the massive family they had accumulated. She met his eye across the table and winked. His family was perfect and probably still growing. He had no doubt that Dean would want to discuss bonding with Lisa. Gaia was already blessing Ben, so there was always the possibility of something there. Who knew what the future held for Sam, Jo, Charlie, or Ash. He couldn’t wait to find out. For once in his life he had absolutely no fear or dread for the future.

Gabriel should have known from the beginning that everything would work out in the end. He should have trusted his Father’s plan. Should have known that there was something in the works and that if his Father was involved, he really had nothing to fear.

He should have known.

He really should have known.