Because apparently the fact that Gabriel is alive, canon divergence, and a few added OCs (and, you know, Sabriel) weren't enough of a clue for one rude reader, I figured I would go ahead and state, explicitly, that yes, this is an AU fic. I honestly thought those things would speak for themselves.

If you don't like AUs, OCs, or talk of possible future Sabriel children, I would appreciate it if you simply exited out of this fic instead of leaving rude reviews. Thank you.

Gabriel the Archangel was many things. Self-sacrificing wasn't really one of them. He was hedonistic, narcissistic, and became easily bored. Anything he did to help others had the end benefit of helping himself.

Until the Winchesters. The two bumbling brats had to come and messed up his fun. But that was okay. He got his payback and then some a few months later. All in the name of helping Sam, of course. The point of the endless Tuesdays was to get Sam to cope with the inevitable loss of his brother. It had nothing to do with the fact that he got to play out his every fantasy of killing the elder Winchester.

But somewhere along the way, he began to care. Enough so that, in the end, he sacrificed himself for them. Oh, he made out to Lucifer that it was for humanity in general, but really it was for them. More specifically, for Sam. As Gabriel felt his Grace condensing around his own blade, preparing for an archangelic supernova, he did something he hadn't done in thousands of years.

He prayed.

"Father...Dad... I know I've seriously screwed things up for most of my life. I mean...remember the platypus? But I'm trying to do the right thing now. I finally understand, Dad. They are better than us. Luci's right; they're flawed, broken. But they have such a capacity for love, and understanding, and all the things that angels know but never truly feel.

I know I'm about to die, Dad. And I know that I don't deserve a second chance like Cassie, but could you...could you tell them to keep fighting? Don't let this be the end for them, too.

And Daddy...let Sammy know... Well, you know."

Gabriel felt the blade twist in his heart and screamed as his Grace exploded. He felt his former vessel collapsing, felt Lucifer start to cradle his fall before stepping away. The smell of burnt feathers was the last thing he knew.

#########

Warmth.

Comfort.

Love.

Gabriel's eyes fluttered open. He expected to be in Heaven, stuck there as a dead soul. Never in his wildest imaginings did he imagine that Heaven would look like a rather rundown house. He tilted his head as he felt what could only be his father's presence. But that couldn't be. Nobody could find God. Not when he didn't want to be found, anyway.

Gabriel jumped when a voice cut through the silence. "You're right. But you didn't find me, Gabriel. I found you."

Wide eyes turned to the right to see Chuck Shurley lounging in a chair a foot away. "But...Chuck?"

Raising a brow, Chuck - or rather, the being using Chuck's form - laughed. "Doubting again, Gabriel? That's what got you in trouble to begin with."

Wincing at the jab, Gabriel still felt the need to correct it. "It wasn't doubt. It was the desire to stay out of the fighting. And even that didn't work."

Chuck nodded. "No, it didn't." Sighing, the man leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "What if I gave you a second chance? Would you make the same decisions? Or would you step up sooner?"

Pushing himself up – painfully – on one arm, Gabriel gaped at his father. "Seriously? You'd bring me back?"

"I already brought you back, son. Now I just have to decide where to put you. Or rather, when to put you."

"2007."

"Oh? And why then?"

Gabriel didn't look at Chu- er...God. "It's when I first met the Winchesters. Before anything of the Apocalypse started."

"I wouldn't say that, but close enough."

"What do you mean? This all began when Sam died and Dean sold his soul, right? That led to the first seal being broken on Lucifer's cage."

"This Apocalypse has been centuries in the making, Gabriel. People and events manipulated to bring us to this outcome. But, Dean going to Hell was the catalyst. So, I will give you that."

Gabriel sighed. Of course it would be utterly complicated. Shaking his head, he turned back to his father. "I'll stick with 2007. I can keep an eye on the boys, make sure Sammy doesn't die and Dean never goes to Hell."

Chuck shook his head. "Dean has to go to Hell. It's part of his Destiny. With a capital D. He's destined to meet Castiel, and it has to be in Hell."

The archangel snorted. "You mean that whole "profound bond" thing Cassie goes on about is actually legit?"

With a knowing look, Chuck smiled. "He's not the only one destined for such a bond with a Winchester."

Groaning, Gabe collapsed back onto the bed and covered his face with his hands. "I, uh...take it you actually heard that part?"

Laughing, the other man nodded. "It's not something to be ashamed of, my son. I saw this coming the day you were created. Not the details, of course, but enough that this was far from a surprise. Now, back to our discussion. If I send you to 2007, it'll be to that same Gabriel. I'll merge you with the past you, so that you will still have the memories you'll need to stop this."

Gabriel nodded slowly. "I'll be reliving everything from that point on. What happens if I fail?"

"Let's just say that Sam won't be the only one with Mystery Spot memories." With a wink, Chuck was gone.

Between one blink and the next, so was Gabriel. Looking around, he recognized the apartment he had stayed in a few blocks from Crawford Hall. Checking the date, he sighed. Two weeks before he found his first victim on campus. A month before he met the Winchesters. Time to start keeping tabs on the hunters. With a snap, he was gone.

The motel room he appeared in – invisibly, of course – was just as dingy as the ones he had seen the brothers in before. After a few seconds, he finally caught Sam's words.

"I really wanted to believe there was a higher power. Something out there looking out for us."

As Gabriel listened to Sam's words, his heart began to ache. This was harder than he thought it would be. Part of him wanted to scream out to Sam – "I'm here! I am watching over you!" But that would lead to too many questions. Questions that Gabriel couldn't answer just yet.

Still, the archangel couldn't help but lay an invisible hand on Sam's shoulder, sending a tiny amount of healing grace into him. Not enough to become apparent immediately, but enough to help him bounce back after this. He didn't stick around long after that. It was too tempting to reveal himself.

When they finally did meet, it was worth it. To see Sam's smile again, hear his deep chuckle – Gabriel couldn't help but smile back.

Maybe that was why he sought the hunter out, even as he knew deep down that it was probably a bad idea. While his doppelganger was getting settled in the auditorium, the real deal calmly walked toward the shining soul he had come to admire. Sam fought so hard against the darkness inside him, even when everything around him pushed him toward it.

Finding the kid wasn't that hard, even without looking for his soul. Of course he would be in the library. Always surrounding himself with books and knowledge. It was cute.

As he plopped himself into a chair across the table from Sam, he waved a hand and willed a sucker into his hand. It took a few seconds for the tall man to notice him. When he finally did, it was rather amusing to see Sam's eyes widen in shock as he tried to bolt from his chair.

A little bit of Trickster magic kept him stuck there as Gabriel quirked an eyebrow. "So quick to leave, Sammy?"

"Where's Dean?" he asked of his brother. He practically snarled the question.

"Whoa, kiddo. He's a little...preoccupied. And besides, we're not really in the same time as he is anymore."

"Wait...what?" Ever eloquent, Sam.

The Trickster came out full force – which was a lot easier for Gabriel than he figured it would be after so long. "I made us a little pocket dimension, right here in the library. Only a few seconds will pass out there. Right this moment, Dean is admiring the craftsmanship of the two very beautiful ladies I'm hoping to tempt him with."

And Sam had to go and do the puppy face – complete with head tilt – that he always pulled when he was confused. At least, that's what Gabriel blamed his next actions on. In the blink of an eye, he was sitting on the table in front of Sam, looking down at the young hunter as he placed his hands on those broad shoulders. His feet nudged Sam's legs together so they could rest on the edges of his chair.

And all the while, Sam stared up at him with confusion. When Gabriel leaned down to rest his forehead against Sam's, the hunter made a surprised noise in the back of his throat. But he still wasn't pushing the shorter man away. That gave the angel in disguise the burst of confidence needed to tilt his head just enough to brush his lips against Sam's. When he didn't immediately move away, Gabriel pressed closer. Sam wasn't kissing him back, but he wasn't freaking out, either. Suddenly, strong arms came around the shorter man, pulling him down onto Sam's lap as the hunter finally reacted to the kiss. One arm banded around Gabriel's back while the other slid up to the back of his head.

When Gabriel rolled his hips into Sam's, the hunter's head fell backwards as he groaned. His neck was free game, and Gabriel took advantage of it. Lips and tongue and a bit of teeth made their way down one side of Sam's neck and up the other. But when Gabriel bit lightly at Sam's earlobe, the Winchester jolted. It seemed to bring him back to his senses.

The next second had Gabriel back on the table with Sam standing a few feet away. The hunter ran a hand through his hair before straightening his clothes. He blushed as he realized his pants were a little tight in the crotch. The angel watched as Sam gathered his things without looking at him, then hurried away as fast as his long legs could take him.

"Well. That could have gone better."