Gabriel

He grinned, “And if you had, I’m sure Ellen would have made sure that you toed the line with her.” Never mind that Jo would have been more than able to take care of herself. When he’d gotten to know them, Gabriel teased Ellen that he’s sure her other form was more a bear than wolf. She might have been born Omega, but she was a Mama Bear right down to her bones and Jo was just as fierce as her mother.

Craning his neck over at the table, Gabriel laughed. Only Sam, his wonderful Sam, would have immediately gone for a book in preparation. “Once I’ve had time to recover. Should be about a week or two, depending on how things go. It’s risky for the baby, so no furry time until it’s all said and done and I’m back on my feet.” He was going to be so careful, take every precaution there was to make sure their child was safe and healthy. “Doc already gave me a pretty hefty list of do’s and don’ts.”

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"Mmm, I can imagine." Sam rubbed his hand down Gabriel's back. "We'll make a date. As soon as you feel ready for it, we leave the cub with my grandma for a few hours and go running. It doesn't have to be long, but you'll definitely deserve to have a good run about then."

It would be winter and there would be snow on the ground. And it would still be absolutely the best run for them both because of what it would mean. "I'll want to see that list, though. Just so I can be certain I don't push for something that isn't allowed." He paused a moment, then, "Is sex still on the table?"

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He arched easily into the touch, nodding. "Sounds like a good plan to me. Something to look forward to when I'm about ready to pop."

Snow on the ground, a winter child, a Christmas as a family. He couldn't wait. Of course that also meant that grandparents and Uncle Dean would go a tad bananas with gifts, but that was half the fun.

"Brought everything with me. I figured you'd want to look over everything the doc sent me back with. And yes, sex is absolutely still on the table. Maybe not the last couple of weeks, but until then, it's completely and utterly okay." Gabriel kissed his jaw.

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Frankly, it wasn't like THEY weren't likely to go a tad bananas with the gifts, too. But with their own children, Sam figured it was allowed.

Sam's hand moved up to card through Gabriel's hair. "By the time we get to those last few weeks, we'll probably both be far too nervous for sex, anyway." Assuming, of course, the doctors waited that long. He was pretty sure he'd heard that they sometimes had male Omegas give birth a little early to save strain on parent and baby. "You wanna nap for a little bit? I don't know about you, but I didn't sleep all that well last night."

And his gun was still nearby, in case it was needed.

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Gabriel cuddled closer to his mate, tucking his head just beneath Sam’s chin with a pleased sound. “Mhm. Sleep sounds good. Think I slept most of the drive, but could stand a nap.” He’d be just as happy laying awake beside Sam, but the baby apparently had other ideas. Content with his mate close again, Gabriel closed his eyes and let himself drift.

“I love you Sam.”

Parents. They were going to be parents. In a few weeks, when the fatigue began to subside, that thought would probably have him wide awake with attacks of nerves. But right now, he wasn’t going to argue with what his body wanted.

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He hummed softly at that, dropping his head a bit so that his chin rested against Gabriel's head. "You're probably going to feel like that for a while. Body's making all sorts of adjustments right now. Takes energy." It wasn't as difficult for female Omegas, of course. While both were built to have children, it still took more adjustment for the males.

He couldn't help but grin, though, bringing his hand up to lay over the back of Gabriel's neck, right where the bonding mark was. "I love you, too, Gabe."

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The touch was comforting and Gabriel sighed, rubbing his cheek against his chest before drifting off to sleep. Family. They were going to be okay.

A long, baying howl cut through the predawn quiet, snapping Gabriel awake instantly. He choked on a whine, curling in against his mate. Lucifer. His brother. He'd found them.

"Sam. Sam he's here."

If he hadn't been pregnant, Gabriel would have gone out to meet his brother, deal with whatever consequences were to come. But he couldn't shift, not without risking the life of the baby and that wasn't an option. "It's Lucifer."

A fist pounded on the bedroom door. "Sammy!"

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Sam jolted straight up at the sound of the baying, reaching for his gun before he'd even stopped to think about it. He knew that sound couldn't be good, even before Gabriel confirmed it.

"Fucker's fast." There's no way he should have made it there so quickly. Unless, of course, he'd decided to shift back to human and actually drive. Sam gritted his teeth, sliding out of bed and opening his arm for Gabriel to come with him. "I'm up," he called out to Dean. "Call the police. I alerted them earlier that there was a pack dispute that might make its way here. I'll get hold of building security."

He'd wanted this out in the open and ready to deal with if Lucifer made it necessary. Which, it seemed, he just had.

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"He knows the law, Sam. He's going to try and bait you into the first move." Gabriel went to the window, tugging the curtain aside. Lucifer was standing calmly across the street, watching the building. "Don't give him the chance."

He followed the Alphas close. For the next few months he was vulnerable, and he'd have to count on them to keep both him and his child safe from his brothers. "I'll call them."

Dean was bristling, radiating tension as he stood at the door. "I'll stay here." What he really wanted to do was go out there and tear Lucifer limb from limb. But he'd stay behind, protect Sam's mate and his child and defend them with his life.

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Yeah, Sam knew what needed to be done. Somebody had to deal with Lucifer. Sure, Sam could hide and wait for the police, but there wasn't a lot they could do. This had to be sorted out and it was Sam's mate that Lucifer was threatening.

He turned, pulling Gabriel close to kiss him again. "I'm not going to let him draw me into a fight," he murmured, brushing his fingers through Gabriel's hair. "If anything starts, he's going to be the one on the line for it."

He looked to Dean, then reached out and clapped his brother on the shoulder. "Let Grandpa and Dad know that Lucifer is here. I'm sure they'd love to be able to pull that one out on Michael." Whether it would mean much, he didn't know, but Sam tried to have faith.

Straightening his shoulders, Sam left the apartment, tucking his gun into the shoulder rig and heading out to the parking lot. He only stopped on the way out to let security know to keep the blond man in the parking lot out. Then he stepped outside, narrowing his eyes against the early morning light.

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He waited calmly in the dawn, waiting for one of them to come out. It was safe to say that Gabriel wouldn't be coming, not if what Michael had told him was true. His brother, who should have been an Alpha like them, stronger that he'd been.

Pack disputes were touchy territory, and he'd proceed with care. The Winchester elders were reaching out to Michael and he knew that negotiations would be perpetually stymied by his elder brother's determination to drag Gabriel unwillingly back into the fold.

"Hello Sam. I hear congratulations are in order."

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It was safe to say that, as long as Gabriel didn't want to see his brothers, Sam was not about to allow it to happen if it could be avoided. Especially not alone.

Still, he couldn't help a flash of almost humor when Lucifer actually spoke. "Thank you. Though I hear Michael's not as thrilled about it as we are."

And he still remembered too well the way Gabriel had sounded telling him, how hesitant he'd been, expecting Sam to be angry or upset. "If that was all you wanted, though, you could have sent a card. Or some flowers."

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Gabriel might eventually want to see his brothers, but not while he's so vulnerable, and Lucifer knows it.

His lips twitch. "At least he allowed Gabriel to live? Michael viewed his pregnancy as a bit of a betrayal. If Dean hadn't intervened, we might have been meeting at a funeral."

"A card seemed rather underwhelming. I came to see my brother."

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Sam's fist clenches, the only outward sign that he hadn't been told that much. Though, really, Sam supposes he can't be that surprised. Michael chained his own brother for his heats, refused to allow him to find a mate.

It's just a reminder of how much Sam would like to throttle the other Alpha himself.

"You'll understand if Gabriel's not exactly wanting to see many people right now," he said after a moment, forcing himself to calm. He'd have to have some words with Gabriel and Dean about keeping information like that from him. Not that there was much that he could have done from school. "While I don't doubt that you mean well, Lucifer, he's had a bit of a rough day."

Which was a lie. He wasn't certain Lucifer meant well at all. But for the sake of being politic, he had to say it. Had to make himself believe it.

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The reaction was all the opening he needed and Lucifer rocked back on his heels. "Gabriel didn't tell you. That's to be expected. My little brother always wanted to protect people, despite his status as an Omega."

"I'm sure he has, Sam. But shocking as it may seem, he's not the only reason I'm here. Given half the chance, Michael will kill Gabriel. Negotiate all you like but you and I both know that it won't resolve the problem and it won't protect my niece or nephew from him."

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It might not have gotten the response that Lucifer wanted. Sam's temper was legendary, but he'd had much better control over it since he'd reached his twenties. "See, that's the problem. You see it as 'despite being an Omega', without realizing that protection is one of the basic desires of both Alphas and Omegas. That an Omega concentrates their protection on home and family doesn't make it less than an Alpha's protection."

He took a breath, letting it out slowly. "I'm not going to kill Michael. I could. I might not even get locked up, even if it's definitely past the point of it being considered anything other than premeditated." He looked at Lucifer seriously. "For the moment, I'll trust my father and grandfather to make the decision best for the pack. But if anybody comes around Gabriel looking to threaten him and our children, I will take matters into my own hands. No matter how much Gabriel still loves them."

Which was warning to Lucifer as well. Because while Lucifer might not have fully participated in the abuse that Gabriel had received because of his Omega status, he hadn't stopped Michael, either. Which, to Sam, meant he was every bit the danger to Gabriel that any of Gabriel's old pack could be.

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He wasn't there to debate pack politics or status. Gabriel should have been born an Alpha and he should have taken Sam as his years ago. But there was nothing for it - Gabriel was the Omega and he'd chosen Sam as his. Michael still posed a danger to both of them, and it seemed that it would be a danger he may have to deal with on his own.

Sam's reaction seemed to satisfy Lucifer. The threat didn't bother him, what mattered was Gabriel had someone to protect him. An Alpha who would tear apart anyone who threatened his brother. Reaching into his pocket, he extracted a cell phone, bending to set it at his feet.

"Tell Gabriel I'd like to speak to him one day. When he's ready."

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Sam glanced down at the phone, noting it was a pre-paid one. Probably something that Michael wouldn't have access to. Given everything, probably a good idea. His nostrils flared, breathing in and trying to detect if there was a trick involved.

Finally, though, he nodded. "I'll give it to him and let him know. The only promise I make is that if he wants to talk to you, I won't stop him." He had a feeling that, yes, Gabriel would probably reach out to his brother eventually. Lucifer was the one he'd always been closest to, after all. But Sam wasn't going to force anything either way.

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A pre-paid phone going to a number that Michael knew nothing about. Lucifer was careful about such things, especially as he started to make his move. A move that would either see him in control once and for all, or a move that would mean his death.

Either way, he owed his little brother that much. A chance for Gabriel to have some peace.

The Alpha glanced up at the building again before turning his eyes on Sam. "That's all I ask. A chance to talk to him." His lips curled in a dark smirk. "I suppose I don't have to offer up the cliche 'hurt my brother and I'll rip you apart', so I'll be on my way. Take care of my brother Sam."

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"If I ever hurt him, Lucifer, I'd let you do it." He shook his head. He knew that was the nature of the bond talking. While it wasn't impossible for one side of a destined bond to harm the other side, it was rare. "All I want is the same that you do. For him to be safe and happy. For our children to grow up the same way."

He had no doubts that Gabriel was watching them. Probably with Dean ready to jump in and stop it if things came to blows between him and Lucifer. "He's pack and my bonded mate. To cause harm to him would be to cause harm to myself."

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While Lucifer didn't know about the bond before coming, he honestly didn't care. What mattered was his brother safe and far away from Michael. Where he belonged. For a long moment he simply looked at Sam, blue eyes assessing before giving a single nod.

"Not how I expected any of our lives to turn out, really. But here we are." Another glance towards the building, the faintest nod at a shadow that was most likely his brother.

"I'll do what I can to keep Gabriel safe from Michael, Sam. As I always have." His smile darkens. Keeping him safe meant challenging his brother, which meant that one of them would likely wind up dead. "So long as you do the same."

And without another word, he turned and started down the sidewalk, away from the building.

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Sam watched him go, hands in his pockets until the man was far enough away that he felt safe stepping forward to pick up the phone. He turned it over, checking it for anything untoward. He'd have to give it to Dean for a better looking over, but for some reason, he didn't think Lucifer would actually endanger Gabriel.

It was an odd feeling, the fact that he and Lucifer might be on the same side. Especially after all the worry that he'd take this even worse than Michael had. Sam frowned, watching the direction Lucifer had gone before he headed back inside, telling security to keep an eye out for Lucifer but that they could stand down.

He kind of hoped Dean hadn't actually called the police. That was going to get awkward.

Instead, he headed upstairs, going back to his apartment and thinking things over on the way. He rapped the door in rhythm to the opening of "Ramble On" before he opened it. It was an old signal, but mostly used so Dean knew it was actually him at the door. "Hey. You guys can stand down."

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Expression tense, Gabriel opened the door, letting Sam inside before closing it swiftly behind him and turning the lock. “Dean’s in the bedroom, on the phone with your Dad about what’s going on, what the plan is.”

There hadn’t been a fight, and the relief had nearly dropped him as he watched the entire confrontation from the window. He’d been closest to Lucifer and he didn’t want to see his mate and his brother battle over him or any other point of stupid pride.

“He left. Is he.. okay? I mean, what did he say?”

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Sam nodded, holding out his arm to Gabriel. Letting him be close if he wanted to, despite the adrenaline that was probably burning off through his pores. "He's...well, I'm no sure how happy he is about the whole thing. But he's more angry with Michael about it than you." He reached into his pocket, pulling out the phone. "I want Dean to have a look at this, but...he left this for you. If you ever wanted to talk to him. I'm assuming it's because Michael doesn't know anything about it."

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