low_key_angel | The Angel and the Nurse

The Angel and the Nurse - Moose hunting

The Angel and the Nurse.

Sheltering in Heaven after barely escaping Lucifer was probably one of Gabriel’s more brilliant ideas. No one would think to look for him there – if anyone was even bothering to look. As far as the Host and the world at large knew, every archangel was dead or locked away and he was more than fine with that assumption. It kept him out of the line of fire which is what he preferred to begin with. So when Metatron started moving, Gabriel started acting as well. He’d never trusted the little prick, so as the magic in Heaven began to coalesce, he threw himself into action.

In desperation, Gabriel reached out to every angel he could trust, all of the old guard that had survived the civil wars and purges, bodily shoving them out of Heaven before they were ejected, before their wings were burned away into nothing. The fall would hurt, and he was rewarded with more than a few startled cries as he shoved them out of Heaven, but at least they could heal.

Faster. Faster. He has to warn them and his calls grow increasingly frantic as the power begins to build like a gigantic pressure wave. Not enough time. He won’t have enough time and there’s still one stop Gabriel has to make. One soul he has to rescue and take back to Earth with him.

They land hard, leaving a crater in their wake, but Gabriel shakes it off. The world could do without one more Starbucks. After all, there was one right around the corner anyway, right?

She’s still wearing the blue dress they’d buried her in, her blonde curls in disarray and her shoes lost somewhere in the disaster of coffee filters and overturned syrup bottles. Gabriel slides her hands into hers, helping Jessica to her feet. “I know, I know. A thousand questions, but let’s stick a pin in those for a sec, okay? You and me? We’ve got us a Moose to save.”

Sam was dying and Dean Winchester just sent up the biggest flare since Bethlehem.

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That's really all the answer Gabriel needs. "No. I think if you had taken Him, I would have felt it on some level."

After all, he'd felt his brothers trapped in the Cage, felt the way Raphael had been blown apart by a desperately overclocked Castiel. "Dean needs Gadreel. He needs him and he needs her. There's no way he and Sam can set things right without them. Without us."

Death gives him the faintest slice of a smile. "Your Father is still out there," he says after a moment. "Too much yet relies upon free will for Him to step in. Too many choices to be made but the best choices exist when He isn't here. His great experiment coming to fruition."

And, truly, humanity was His creation but it was an experiment as well. Just as the angels were their own experiment.

"I think, perhaps, that you may see Him sooner than you would think. A generation, maybe two more." He pauses. "Assuming, of course, the American politicians don't piss Him off more."

Gabriel had always thought that He was still alive, still out there somewhere. It didn't make things easier, knowing that He had walked away but never quite understanding why. But it was all right. He had found Jessica and Sam and they were together again. For now.. that was enough.

At least until he sprung one more soul from Heaven.

"I'm pretty sure that's what they're aiming for at this point." Most of them were such tempting targets, if he took anyone on anymore it had to be subtle. One can't simply prank an entire political party and not wind up making CNN, the BBC and every other news feed on the planet.

"Mmm. But I think that they would be very surprised to find what He actually thinks." Though, given who God was running around as now, Death wouldn't put it past Him to find a way to get his point across in writing.

On the other hand, the prophet Chuck seemed to have disappeared. For the time being.

"Well. They can hardly live forever, anyway. I know that Tessa in particular is looking forward to a chance to give them a piece of her mind."

"Dad always had a sense of humor about things like that. If he wants to make a point, I think he will," he chuckles to himself.

Mention of Tessa gets another short laugh, "I have no doubt that she will." Fierce, determined Tessa. He liked her.

"And as fun as this has been," or at least enlightening, "I should get back before those meatheads find more trouble to get in since I'm leaving them unsupervised." Death keeps his own schedule, so he shouldn't exactly keep him either.

"Yes. It would likely be a wise idea not to leave them on their own for very long. Especially not Dean Winchester and Gadreel." It's not like he doesn't know what you're about to go do, Gabriel. He also doesn't disagree with it, though he probably should. "I have my own duties to be getting back to as well. I wish you all luck. And, personally, am looking forward to perhaps having my own chat with Metatron sooner or later."

Because the angel was dangerous. It was something they'd have to deal with eventually. "Safe journey, Gabriel."

Clearly he's getting sentimental in his old age if he's suddenly becoming that transparent. But now that he's back with Sam and Jessica together - Gabriel understands what Dean is missing out on and what he needs so badly.

Gadreel is free from prison and he can sneak back into Heaven to take Jo to the two that needed her so badly.

"Thank you." And he's not stupid enough to snark at Death. Gabriel does have a sense of tact, it's just selective deployment of it. "I should get back there and make sure those two nutjobs haven't killed each other yet."

"That you should. Though I can assure you that none of your charges are dead." A flash of a faint smile to go with the dry humor. "I'm certain I will see you eventually."

And, like that, Death just isn't there any more. Though, to be fair, neither are the sandwich nor the fried plantains. The pizza is something Death can get at any time. Gabriel's gifts, however, aren't as common for him.

"That will never stop being weird," Gabriel mutters to himself. The talk has already given him enough to think about and before he heads home he has a soul to spring from Heaven.

Once one Joanna Beth is safely laid in bed with Dean Gabriel can return to Jessica and Sam, curl himself around his soulmates and finally, finally rest.

Sam's exhausted and hurting and, frankly, sleep is a very nice place to be.

It's not somewhere he can stay indefinitely, though, because being human means all sorts of problems from time to time. Including having to use the bathroom. Which means that, some time after Gabriel slips into bed with him and Jess, Sam finds himself coming around to his bedroom. And the fact that he's definitely not alone in bed.

He holds his breath, taking a moment to take stock of his surroundings. While others might think that the bunker would be a strange place for his heaven, they'd be people who didn't realize that his only real home before had been mobile. And with the Impala in the bunker, it's the best of both worlds.

What he knows of Heaven, though, says that this shouldn't be possible. Because he recognizes both sets of breathing in the room. And neither Jess nor Gabriel were ever in the bunker. So for them to be in his Heaven, made up of memories of the bunker? Well, it doesn't make sense.

Sam shifts, then stifles a groan as aches and pains make themselves apparent. And, beyond that, the fact that he really needs to pee.

Which, honestly, makes even LESS sense. Why should he have to pee if he's dead?

One of Jessica's greatest (though very least attractive) talents is her ability to snore like a chainsaw attached to a lumberjack when she's utterly and completely exhausted, when she's utterly and otherwise completely schockered, and when she's sick. She had learned years ago to sleep on her stomach or her side, and this night had been no exception. Sam will find her with her face mostly buried between his shoulder and the pillow with her hand resting on his chest.

It's his attempt to move that rousts her, and her head (complete with some very exciting sleep-styled hair) pops up as she breathes in her wakefulness, worried that she'd hurt him somehow in the night.

Jess peers at him through blurry sleep-vision. "Sam? You okay?"

At least she's more coherent than he is. Following a rather enlightening chat with Death and springing another soul from Heaven, Gabriel is sacked out hard on the other side of Sam, barely aware of any movement going on around him. His grace is still piecing itself back together and for the next few days he'll have to go in search of more quiet, natural places to recharge.

Then it registers that Jessica said Sam's name. He was shifting against him which meant he was awake. Sam was awake. Gabriel forces his eyes open, thumb brushing along his cheek. "Heya kiddo. I know, I know, took long enough for the cavalry to get here but you know how much I like to make an entrance."

Sam looks from one of them to the other, trying to understand what's happening. Because the only time anything like this has happened?

He closes his eyes, clenching his fists. "I'm not going to fall for it. Not again."

Too many memories of Hell and how Lucifer would use either face to break Sam down further. He's not going to let it get the best of him again.

"...Fall for what, Sam? What do you mean?" Her brow furrows in both confusion and concern, and Jess makes a reasonable attempt to blink the sleep away. Sort of. There's still a healthy amount of squinting and blinking as she props herself up on an elbow to get a better look at both Sam and Gabriel.

To say that Sam felt tense next to her would be a little bit of an understatement. She reaches over to brush a few strands of his mop of hair away from his face. "I was hoping you might have slept better," she murmurs, the idea in mind that he'd had a nightmare or his internal healing had bothered him.

Jessica might be confused, but Gabriel can read the damage done to his soul, damage that could have only been done by another archangel. He rests his hand on Sam's clenched fist.

"It's really us, kiddo. Managed to spring Jessica before the fall, before Metatron locked everyone out of Heaven." His smile softens. "You were dying, so we had to save you."

There's no way that this could be happening. Sam knows he was dying, of course. And some part of him remembers that in between place, where Gabriel and Jess were both begging him to remain with them.

It just...doesn't make any sense, though. And as much is obvious in his face as he looks between them. "I'm...not sure I understand."

Gabriel had laid out the overview. Jess is still trying to piece things here and there, but it all boiled down to just one point.

The backs of her fingers caress Sam's scruffy cheek. It makes her smile to be able to feel that again. "Something happened that ended up closing up Heaven. Angels were booted out--nobody else can get in, but souls are mostly still there." She glances up at the archangel, their angel, mostly still in some disbelief that any of this is actually happening. "Dean sent out a prayer. To save you. The angels heard. Gabriel heard. He..." She smiles gently. "He found me before he fell from heaven.

"We, heh..." Her eyes close as she shakes her head with a small chuckle. "We landed in a Starbucks in Louisiana." Dumb way to end that, Jess, but it's something you'll not soon forget. "And drove all night to save you."

Gabriel's smile is no less fond as he smooths his hand gently through Sam's hair. "I know kiddo. It's a lot to take in. Just breathe. You remember us, you did the first time you woke up." And for a beat, silver glimmers around the base of his neck, a reminder of a life they'd shared ages ago.

"Our souls are bound together. Every lifetime we find one another, Sammy. You get into trouble and here we are, ready to pull you back from the brink, just like always."

It was slowly filtering back. Sam's brain had been prepared for the memories by having all of his memories of Hell returned to him and Castiel taking on the worst of the broken edges. These memories, at least, weren't of pain and torture. These were memories of love and trust and, most of all, a feeling of home that he's never had anywhere other than lives where Jessica and Gabriel (or whatever names they happened to have that lifetime) and Dean were all in his life.

"Not every lifetime." There had been a few where Sam was alone but for Dean. Or where, like this life, he'd only ever had one or the other at a time. But they were few and far between, really.

He reaches up, brushing his fingers against Gabriel's throat again and tilting his head into Jessica's touch. "You get that it's going to be a while until I believe this is real, right?" Because sleep fogged and exhausted even now. "Though, even if you might be a hallucination, if one of you guys could help me to the bathroom, that would be great." Because he absolutely isn't sure he could make it on his own.

The latter bit results in an amused smile, and Jessica takes Sam's hand to help him sit up; a hand resting behind his back helps keep him a little more sturdy. "If you are dreaming... or hallucinating? Having to pee means that you really should pee. Else you'll end up a wee bit damp." Oh, terrible jokester you are, Jessica.

"That said," she says, putting his arm over her shoulders. "Take the time you need to believe it, SammySam. We'll be here." At the last bit, she smiles up at Gabriel.

Gabriel smiles at Jessica and nods, leaning to dip his shoulder beneath Sam’s. “Come on kiddo, let’s get you to the facilities and back into bed. You need rest and I’m going to need some time to recharge before we go another round of putting you back together.”

It’ll take time, for Sam to wrap his head around the idea that they had returned from Heaven simply for his sake. But for now they can take baby steps. Getting Sam to and from the bathroom. Settling him back into bed with a sip of water. Gabriel smooths a hand across his forehead, easing his pain and stress to help him sleep. “It’s all right kiddo. We’re here and we’re not going anywhere.”

Getting from the bathroom and back certainly cements it enough in Sam's mind that, somehow, Gabriel and Jessica are back. Are somehow no longer dead and if he hadn't been so exhausted, Sam might have more to say about it.

As it is, he settles down in bed again, looking from one to the other with an expression still more shock than anything. The only thing he does, though, his reach his hands out to them each, winding his fingers into their clothes. "Just...stay touching me, all right? I'm going to wake up and think this is a dream as it is."

She brushes back the hair away from his face as she gets settled in next to Sam for the long haul. A soft kiss is pressed against his temple, glad that his skin feels far less feverish than it had some hours before. Her fingers find the ones Sam's wound into her shirt and Jessica smiles.

"If this is a dream? You're so stuck with us. Not going any damn where."

"You got it kiddo," his lips brush his forehead gently. A benediction as his hand settles on Sam's chest, warming him with another wash of grace. Sooner or later he would have to find a river to recharge, but for now he could afford a little extra healing and offset it with a long nap. Baby steps.

"Sleep for now. This isn't a dream and I promise you, we'll be here when you wake up," he vows.

Healing Sam was going to take some time - a few weeks by his estimation - but they'd manage. Sam was going to live and he finally had his soulmates to make damn sure that this time he stayed that way. No more grand sacrifices because there was nothing worth fighting for. If they were going to fight, it was for a future together.

It's understandable that Sam doesn't look entirely convinced, even as he falls asleep again. Nothing good ever lasts for him, after all.

Except this one does. When he wakes up again later, Gabriel and Jessica are still there. And when he wakes up the time after that. And after that. And, slowly, Sam begins to understand that this is real.

While it doesn't translate to him relaxing much, it does mean that he sleeps a bit deeper and doesn't look as desperate each time he wakes up.

It takes time, but eventually Sam's better able to move about on his own. Though, sitting up in bed and looking between them, Sam still frowns. "Okay, wait. So...it's not just you guys back?"

So he might have run into Jo in the hallway and it had been...interesting.

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