The Angel and the Nurse - Moose hunting

[low_key_angel]

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.

Comments

[fromfryingpantofire]

Sam blinks at them both, brow furrowing as he tries to work through that. "That...that wasn't supposed to happen. We were trying to close the gates of Hell."

Had Kevin been translating the wrong tablet? But Sam hadn't even finished things. He hadn't finished the last task so no gates should be shut at all.

It takes so much energy, but he reaches up, brushing his fingers over Gabriel's cheek, just as Jessica had done a moment ago. His hand falls to Gabriel's throat, though, fingers finding the line of something that isn't there any longer. "I...remember. You accepted by collar. And later that scared the shit out of me." He glances up at Jessica. "You both did."

The lives were all jumbled together at the moment. If he hadn't had experience already with walls breaking and remembering everything he wasn't entirely supposed to, it probably would be worse. Instead, though, it makes him feel warm, finally dropping his hand to where Jessica and Gabriel were holding hands. "I can't lose you both again." Even if he hadn't understood why, at the time, Gabriel's death had always hit him harder than it should have. Only now does it make sense.

[farfromstanford]

Jessica bends to kiss Sam's fevered forehead as the trio touch as one again for the first time in... how long? Thanks to Gabriel, she recalls Rome--old, ancient, beautiful Rome, and so many others since. The most bleak times were always when they could not find one another, or perhaps two had but one remained somewhere in the universe; whether heaven or earth she had never been able to define.

"You won't, Sam," she whispers. "We're here. We're together. We'll take care of you; of each other."

[low_key_angel]

As Sam's thumb drags across his collarbone, there's a flash of silver. Gabriel chuckles softly. "I remember. I scared the hell out of you, and you," a wink at Jessica, "knocked me a good one." Which he probably had coming. But it was a fond memory all the same as he curls a little closer to Sam.

"Just hang on Sam. I can heal you but you have to want to stay with us," he pleads softly, his eyes flickering back to the still, dark shadow. "You have to stay Sam. Dean needs you. We need you."

"Don't go. Please, love. It's been so long since we've been together like this. Please. Let me bring you back."

[fromfryingpantofire]

That flash of silver may just be something that Sam wishes was there. Or maybe it's his mind trying to sort out what's going on and seeing what part of him thinks should be there.

Or maybe, just maybe, Gabriel is still wearing it.

Before he can answer, a spike of pain goes through his body, stealing Sam's ability to breathe, never mind answer them. But his hand tightens on theirs, not pulling away.

It takes nearly thirty seconds before he's able to gasp a breath back in, body shuddering as Sam turns his head toward Gabriel. "I...I can't..." He swallows hard. "Need sleep. But..." He manages to flick his eyes back to Gabriel. "I'm not going anywhere. I owe you another punch."

He would fight. He had reason to, now.

[farfromstanford]

The silver glimmer is not missed, and she smiles fondly at Gabriel's recollection of her clocking him a good one. Of course he deserved it--cursing the gods one moment and revealing himself to be one the next.

...then again, he did only reveal himself after he'd had reason to protect their little clan. The humbleness she and Sam had felt was nearly overwhelming, none more so than Sam's. For how could one so divine love a human like him so deeply? While the three of them had been connected for so long, there would always be something that ran so much deeper between the angel and his hunter.

In those tense moments where Sam's body clenches in pain, Jessica finds that she is quite unable to breathe herself. Her heart feels as though it's lodged in her throat, and it's only when the poor man takes that gasp that she releases the air she's holding. She makes a fair attempt to smile for him, lifting her eyes to look over Gabriel for a moment. Sam Winchester was going to fight. For himself; for all of them once more.

"You do owe him a fat lip, Sammy," she says, brushing some of that wild hair away from his eyes. "Sleep well, dear heart. We'll be here for you. Fighting like hell for you."

[low_key_angel]

The collar is still there, on some level. Even after he'd seen both beloved mortals to their rest Gabriel couldn't bear to let go of the silver or the implication. A gift from the two he'd loved best.

"Close your eyes Sam. I've got you both. Just promise me you're going to fight, that you're not going to leave us."

He doesn't even have to wait for Sam's promise before Gabriel is slowly pouring more grace into him, using his power to heal and rebuild the damage that the trials had done. It was heartbreaking to see how the magic had savaged him, but it gave Gabriel enough focus to slowly help rebuild him.

It would take time, perhaps days, but he wouldn't stop until Sam was safe and whole.

[fromfryingpantofire]

Sam lost consciousness almost immediately, dropping to something deeper than sleep. But Gabriel would be able to feel the difference, that Sam was doing his level best to stay with them, to help Gabriel as much as he could.

If either Gabriel or Jessica were looking his direction, they might see the sharp-nosed man chance his stance, taking hold of his cane again. And Gabriel, at least, would feel the touch of power against his mind. You and I need to talk, Gabriel. When there is time.

[farfromstanford]

She notices the shift of the figure from the corner of her eye, and finds herself holding onto Sam just a little tighter. Shifting her focus from him to Gabriel, Jessica watches the archangel do the work he needs to do to help Sam; to help him come back to them. To all of them.

"How much longer?" She shifts her position slightly at the sensation of her foot falling asleep. "Not trying to hurry you or anything, but tall, dark, and gloomy over there seems... restless."

[low_key_angel]

The call is one that Gabriel won't ignore. He gives an absent nod at the statement. Once I can get them to safety. It's still too dangerous here. You don't ignore Death and even someone as casually irreverent as Gabriel knows that you don't blow him off either.

"It's all right." He shifts his attention back to Sam, shoring up failing organs and breathing power back into him. When Sam is stable, he pulls his hand away, bringing both of them back to reality, to the damaged hospital room and a pair of desperately confused and wounded men.

Dean and Gadreel. The angel is staring at Gabriel with something akin to panic and Gabriel decides to bypass human communication entirely - they don't have time. Reaching out to the younger angel, he tangles his grace with his. "Jessica, get the car pulled around front. Deano? Snap out of it and help her. We're going to need to get Sam back home." He levels a finger at him, cutting off the inevitable protest. "You prayed for help moron. So we're here. Now get moving."

Only once they were safe in the bunker and Sam was sleeping would he reach back out to speak to Death. Not exactly a conversation he's looking forward to. But he'd at least swing by that awesome Mercado in Miami to pick up a bag of fried plantains and a medianoche first.

Coming empty handed was just.. rude.

[fromfryingpantofire]

There aren't many who bring gifts to Death. And the place that Gabriel finds him would be familiar to Dean, at least: a pizza parlor in Chicago.

He's sitting at one of the tables in the center of the room, cane settled between his legs as Gabriel appears. Nobody in the restaurant seems to notice Gabriel appear at all. In fact, they don't seem to notice that the table is taken. "You made faster time than I thought you would have. Everybody is safe, then?"

[low_key_angel]

A very long time ago, Gabriel had worked very closely with Death. The Nephilim pogroms, the plagues of Egypt, long before his Father had learned some valuable lessons from Number One Son. But he had since lain down his sword in favor of milder - or just more creative - forms of justice.

He leaves the bags of food - brown paper bags smelling faintly of grease and salt and pickles - on the table before sitting opposite Death. "I may be reckless, but even I know when not to be rude."

"They're safe. Holing up in the bunker and on the mend away from prying angelic eyes."

[fromfryingpantofire]

Death reaches over, picking the bags up to look at them before picking out one of the plantains. "It's good to see someone who doesn't go out of his way to be rude. After all, the one I've had most contact with of late has been Dean Winchester."

He takes a moment to eat the plantain, watching Gabriel for a long few moments. "You seem nervous, Gabriel."

[low_key_angel]

A quiet huff at the mention of Dean as he picks a piece of pepperoni off the pizza on the table. "You've been talking to Deano? I'm impressed." But it makes sense, really. Dean is frank and direct, not to mention a bit of a garbage belly like Winchester.

"Well we haven't exactly had a good sit down and chat since the days Dad was a fan of the old school on the cities of the world." A beat. "I also grabbed someone to help coax Sam back from the brink. Away from the edge."

Away from him.

[fromfryingpantofire]

"Mmm. He first came to me for my ring. And, later, to ask me to raise his brother's soul from Hell." Death levels his gaze at Gabriel. "To be honest, I was looking forward to actually getting to meet the younger Winchester."

Which segues nicely into the rest of it. Or so he feels. "Given the current state of Heaven, I cannot entirely disagree with what you've done. It will have to be undone from this side, if there is a way to undo it." There was, of course. But Death can't give out those sorts of secrets. "And if anybody was to have a chance of bringing Sam Winchester back from the brink, it would be you two."

[low_key_angel]

"Good. At least he got someone to save him from that mess," and it still rankles Gabriel that he'd been too weak to rescue Sam from his brothers.

"Sam didn't deserve to die. And she couldn't be up there alone, unprotected." Because for all the snark, all the anger and general troublemaking, Gabriel hasn't forgotten their mission. Take care of humans. Love them. Protect them.

Pause. Head tilt. "Okay, just like usual you're not sharing everything with the class. What am I missing?"

[fromfryingpantofire]

"It's very rare that people get what they deserve, Gabriel. I would have thought you, of all your Father's creations, understood that." Death leveled his gaze at Gabriel for a moment before he shifted, leaning forward on the table.

"Lucifer's rebellion took your Father by surprise. Not that He would ever admit to it. But once that was put into motion...well. Your Father is omniscient, after all. He could see the potential pathways that were opened up and they all lead to a confrontation. One that could lead to the end of all that He had created. Or would be averted, but only if humanity was allowed to make their own choices.

"But. In order to do that, the ones that it all depended on would need support. More than any other human. They would be soulmates, but they would have other soulmates as well. Not just human, either. Each vessel's soul was connected to another human, of course, but an angel as well."

[low_key_angel]

It was the Mark. The lock. Whatever it was he had used to lock away the Darkness. Gabriel had seen it eat away at his brother until all of them were fighting, at each other's throats. It shouldn't have taken Him by surprise, but it did.

Soulmates. A human bonded to another and an angel. An archangel. Slowly it dawns on Gabriel and he drops his head into his hand, swearing softly. "Dad. Damnit." That's why he'd felt the sudden connection with Sam the first time they'd met, why nothing felt complete or whole unless he was with the two humans he loved most in the world.

Why he didn't hesitate to sacrifice himself to protect Sam.

"That's why we could call Sam back from the edge."

[fromfryingpantofire]

"It is. And the reason why Azazel had Jessica killed and why Lucifer himself tried to make certain you were dead." Because, even if Gabriel hadn't figured out the soul ties between himself and his humans, Lucifer had.

But, then, Lucifer was meant to be more tied to Sam.

"It is also why Lucifer's forces made certain to take out the Harvelle women as well." He couldn't be clearer about Dean's soul ties. "The only reason he wasn't as lost to despair over losing his soulmates is because he was never given the chance to meet the angelic one until now."

[low_key_angel]

Gadreel. Gabriel doesn't even have to hazard a guess in that regard. Dean never let the angel out of his sight, even after it was clear that Sam was alive and Gabriel could help keep him that way. He didn't know as much about the Harvelle women, but sneaking into an unguarded Heaven wouldn't be that difficult. "That poor bastard. Locked away all this time away from him."

"They need her back. Dean and his angel."

[fromfryingpantofire]

Death nods, sitting back again. "They do. And she needs them. Though, I dare say that it will be a difficult sell for Dean Winchester."

He pauses before settling his hands over the top of his cane again. "I don't doubt that, as terrible as his plight was -- and it was terrible. We might be looking at a very different world had Gadreel not been locked away during the near Apocalypse."

Losing both of his soulmates had made Sam near on suicidal. Near enough, at least. For both brothers to lose everything, there would likely not be a world left.

[low_key_angel]

At least it's not a sell that he has to make. Gabriel can spring her from Heaven and let the three of them sort it out on their own. There had been an undeniable sense of completion, of home, the first time he and Sam had welcomed Jessica into his villa in Rome. Sooner or later, Dean would get it through his almost impossibly thick skull.

"Hindsight's twenty twenty, I get that. But it's time that he finally gets the backup he needs. I've watched Dean Winchester try and carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. Sometimes literally. He needs her to help him make sense of things."

Another soul to rescue from Heaven. No rest for the semi-wicked, right?

But now it's time for a question just for Gabriel. "He's still out there, isn't He?"

[fromfryingpantofire]

The sound Death made might have been agreement about hindsight. But, he'd been around this world for far too long. Though he had never agreed with the punishment meted out to the Guardian of Eden, he was never entirely certain that there hadn't been more to God's thought processes in the matter.

What was it humans said? 'The Lord works in mysterious ways', indeed.

The question, though, gets a raised eyebrow out of the sharp-faced man. "Do you worry that I would have taken Him and not tell you?"

[low_key_angel]

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."

[fromfryingpantofire]

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."

[low_key_angel]

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.