Chapter Text
Sam sighed, running a hand over his face as he cautiously walked around the riff Ketch and his brother had disappeared into only moments before. He shouldn’t have let Dean go, not alone—or rather with Ketch but it wasn’t like that was much better. Another sigh escaped his lips. There wasn’t anything else he could have done, that he knew. His eyes fell to the ‘busted up Archangel’ huddled in the chair. Sure, Gabriel and he had had their differences but he had to admit that the sight before him broke his heart. The figure before him wore the same face as the angel he once knew, give or take a few wounds, but the snarky confident man he remembered was curled up in a fetal position, making himself as small as he could manage. His eyes would dart about the room periodically, frantically, and he would flinch at any sudden movement or touch. Sam knew the feeling. He knew what is felt like to be dragged to the surface after years of pain, how everything seemed brighter and louder. He remembered the overwhelming fear that consumed him. Chuck, what had Asmodeus done to him? Sam cleared his throat, trying to shake the thoughts from his head, and sat down opposite Gabriel. Gabriel flinched as he did so, pulling his legs in tighter. His ears perked up as a small clang emanated from the circular tin Sam had placed on the table beside the wire cutters and stitches he had painstakingly pulled from his lips.
“Hey, Gabriel, it’s alright,” Sam tried to soothe him after seeing how big his eyes got, “It’s salve, you know, for your lips,” He wasn’t sure Gabriel even heard him. If he did, he showed no sign of it, “It will help them heal,” Sam tried to further explain. After a moment of silence, Gabriel’s panicked expression seemed to lessen and his grip on the legs loosened ever so slightly. Sam slowly removed the lid and dipped two of his fingers in the salve. He held his other hand up as he moved his fingers carefully to Gabriel’s lips. Gabriel’s eyes watched them and a flash of panic shown in their whiskey hue but he didn’t move. Sam lightly spread the salve over his lips, whispering a quick sorry when Gabriel flinched in pain. When he was satisfied, Sam wiped the remainder of the salve on his pants and returned the lid on the tin.
“Gabriel,” Sam’s voice cracked slightly, “What happened to you, man?” There was no response. Sam sighed again and got up from his chair, too quickly. Gabriel jumped at his action and Sam held his hands up once more, “Sorry, everything is fine.” Sam reached out his hand to place it on Gabriel's arm but he pulled back quickly at the touch, turning his head up at Sam, his eyes wild with fear, “Woe, Gabe,” he said in defense, trying his best to make his voice soft and non-threatening, “I’ve set up a room for you down the hall. It’s more comfortable than this chair. I promise.” He, ever so slowly, placed his hand on Gabriel’s arm again. He flinched but he didn’t pull away. He allowed Sam to guide him out of the chair and down the hall. Even when he was standing, he still seemed to pull himself in. He walked hunched over but that wasn’t it entirely. He seemed like who he was, who he truly was, was buried deep inside.
The room wasn’t anything grand but Sam hoped it would do. He had made the bed and the room was empty other than a dresser and a small table. No, it wasn’t homey by any means but it sure did beat a cell in a dungeon. Sam let go of Gabriel’s arm and the angel just stood there in the center of the room, eyes darting everywhere. Sam wondered what was going on in his head. Did he understand that this was his room? Did he understand that he was safe?
“Look, ugh, Gabriel,” Sam spoke from the doorway and the archangel turned quickly to look at him, “Um, this is your room,” Sam gestured around to the space, “I’m gonna close the door and step out but,” Sam closed the door with him behind it only to open it again and step through, “I want you to see that the door isn’t locked. You are not a prisoner. You are safe now,” His eyes pleaded with the angel to understand but there was no sign of recognition in his eyes so Sam retreated from the room, closing the door as silently as he could behind him. After he was well out of earshot from the door, Sam plucked out his phone and dialed Cas.
“Hello, Sam,” came the gruff voice on the other end of the line
“Ugh, Hey Cas.”
“Is everything alright?” Cas always assumed something was wrong when he called him but to be fair he was right more often than not.
“Not exactly, um, Ketch showed up he had...He had Gabriel with him.”
“Gabriel?” The word came out of Cas’s mouth like a question, “No, that can’t be, my brother is dead Sam,” there was just a hint of sorrow in his tone but it was masked mostly by confusion.
“That’s what me and Dean thought to but apparently we were wrong.”
“May I speak with Dean?” Oh crap, Sam coughed slightly into the phone.
“Ugh, Dean opened the riff and went through with Ketch.”
“What?” Cas was angry as he bit out the word. He mumbled something but Sam couldn’t quite make out what it was, “I’ll be there in,” there was a slight pause and Sam imagined the circular loading signal on a computer, “6 hours, give or take 17 minutes,” With that he hung up and Sam walked into his room and ducked under his bed. He pulled out a dark red blanket. He had found it at a Goodwill a while back and decided to buy it. They didn’t have many luxuries in their lives, so why not buy a soft blanket when you find one? After the short walk down the hall (Sam had wanted Gabriel close to his room in case anything went wrong) he found himself knocking on Gabriel’s door. He tried to knock gently but he was sure, even though he couldn’t see him, that Gabriel had jumped at the noise. There was no answer. Sam laughed at himself, of course, there was no answer. Sam opened the door, the blanket tucked under his arm, and his eyes fell to Gabriel, curled up in the fetal position on the floor next to the dresser. His heart sank again.
“Gabriel,” the angel kept his intense gaze forward, staring at nothing at the foot of the bed as Sam made his way to stand beside him, “I thought you might want this,” Sam tentatively held out the blanket but Gabriel still didn’t recognize him, “Alright, I’m just,” Sam placed the blanket on the floor next to Gabriel, cringing when Gabriel flinched, “I’m just down the hall if you need me,” WIth that, Sam made his way out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.
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“And you just let Dean go through the rift alone?” Cas questioned him, his tone bitter and thoroughly condescending.
“ Ketch went with him,” Sam tried to argue but Cas through his hands up
“Cause that makes it so much better.”
“Look Cas, I don’t like it either but we have other things to deal with. Dean can take care of himself, you know that” They had stopped in front of Gabriel’s door. After he had tried to give him the blanket, Sam decided it was probably best if he left him alone for a while, until Cas got there at least. Castiel gave a reluctant nod and Sam opened the door with his hand that wasn’t holding the plate of food he has brought for Gabriel. He wasn’t sure if Gabriel needed to eat but when Castiel had lost his grace he had needed basic human necessities. Even if Gabriel still retained some of his grace, the food could help. That familiar pang in his heart set within him as he looked at Gabriel, still in the same position he was in hours before. Castiel’s frustrated expression had turned to one of sorrow as he looked from Gabriel to Sam.
“Sam. you didn’t tell me it was this bad.”
“Well, years in torture and solitude with Asmodeus draining his grace-” He stopped talking as Cas made his way to Gabriel with Sam quickly behind him. He set the food on top of the dresser and leaned down to take Gabriel by the arm, “Gabriel,” panic once again overtook Gabriel as he pulled back from Sam, turning his eyes to him frantically, ready to defend himself, “woe,” Sam held his hands up again, “We just want to get you to the bed,” This time Gabriel allowed Sam and Cas to guide him up onto the mattress. Sam could feel Gabriel shaking under his grasp.
“Gabriel,” it was Cas who spoke this time as he waited for a response. Sam gave Cas a consoling smile when Gabriel didn’t respond or acknowledge him. Cas lifted placed his hands on Gabriel’s head and to Sam’s surprise he didn’t flinch or pull away. Cas closed his eyes, trying to concentrate but after a moment he pulled his hands back with a frustrated groan, “I can’t heal him, Sam. He is blocking me. I’m not sure he means to but I can’t get through.” Sam nodded and walked to the plate of food he had left on the dresser. They were only heated up fries from the night before but he figured something is better than nothing and fries would probably be easier to eat.
“I don’t think he’ll want the food,” Castiel decided, his eyes still fixed on Gabriel. Sam paused and pulled his hand away from the plate. He wasn’t sure what he was planning on doing, feeding him maybe.
“Well, I’ll leave it here anyway,” Sam stated and walked back to the open door with Castiel behind him. He gave a small to Gabriel, not that he noticed, before leaving once more.
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“I’m not sure how to help,” Castiel offered up, in his usual mechanical tone, however, that hint of frustration and sadness was still very prevalent.
“Well, that makes two of us,” Sam had no idea what to do. This wasn’t his brother, hell Gabriel wasn’t even human. He didn’t know how to comfort him, how to help him. He was beginning to grow frustrated. Things being out of their control was nothing new to Sam but with his mother, Jack, and Dean in another universe and a broken Archangel he desperately wanted to help in the bunker, it was enough to get to him. Without another word to Cas, Sam pushed himself up from where he sat and made his way to his room. Rummaging through his sparse, flannel filled, wardrobe, he managed to find an older shirt of his from before he left for college. It was Dean’s shirt at one point, but their clothes often got mixed up until it was just considered both of theirs. Sam wasn’t sure why he still had it. It didn't fit either of them anymore but it would work nicely for Gabe. Sam found a pair of Dean’s sweatpants before walking back to Gabriel’s room. Just as he reached for the door, a blinding light shown from beneath the doorway.
“Cas,” Sam yelled, watching the light fade. He waited until the angel was beside him before venturing in, “Gabe, what’s goi-” Sam’s question trailed off as he looked around the room at the Enochian letters that were covering them. Gabriel still sat in the same position of the bed, eyes forward as usual, “Cas, what is this,” Castiel was eyeing the markings, carefully, before turning to Sam.
“Enochian, his story,” He explained to Sam, “I think he’s trying to tell us who he is or remind himself.” Sam placed the clothes beside Gabriel on the bed and knelt before him.
“Gabriel, we know who you are, don’t you remember me. I’m Sam Winchester. You sent my brother Dean a video after you supposedly died. You helped us but your brother Lucifer back in the cage.”
“Sam, he doesn’t-”
“I know,” Sam cut him off, still kneeling. He couldn’t help that his voice broke as he did so and he knew Castiel had noticed, “I’m just gonna...I’m just gonna talk to him for a bit, Cas, then maybe we can see if there is something in the library or the archives that could help us,” Castiel shifted where he stood but didn’t move, “besides, someone should keep an eye on the rift,” Castiel nodded and Sam listened to his footsteps retreating down the hall as he got to his feet.
“Gabriel, I know how this feels. I know what’s it’s like to be hauled up from hell after,” Sam caught himself, mentioning specifics were far from a good idea right now, “all of that but you are safe now. I know it may not seem real but I’m real and we need you man,” Sam tried to lower his voice but he was getting passionate, trying with everything to get through to him, “Your family needs you, your nephew Jack needs you. Gabriel,” Sam’s voice cracked again, he was pleading, he knew that but he didn’t care, “I need you.” Sam let the words hang in the air but no response came. Sam sighed and ran a hand over his face as he turned to face the door. Just as he stepped over the threshold he heard a rustle of the sheets.
“How sappy of you, Sammy,” came the hoarse voice from behind him. It cracked and faltered in places, and Sam smiled wide as he turned to face the angel.