A/N: I know, I know! It's been five years! In my defence it's been a busy five years, but that's no excuse to leave you all hanging like that, so huge apologies go out with this chapter. I'll try not to make the next chapter as much of a wait – I just reached the point where I just couldn't pick it back up easily because it had been so long. I hope this chapter was worth the wait, but you have my most sincere apologies for any typos of poor grammar, and any slips in character - I'm out of practise, and out of contact with my previous beta for this story. (Open to offers on the beta front, by the way.)

Anyway, you've waited long enough, on with the story!

Sam and Gabriel were 'off the grid'.

That's what the demon had said, when Dean asked.

It seemed that keeping them all under one roof for any length of time was far too much to ask for, and so now he got to worry about his little brother again.

It was a sign of the trust he was placing in Gabriel, in his ability to watch out for his brother, that the worry for Sam couldn't quite outstrip the uncomfortable anger he couldn't shift towards Castiel. Anger for the lies, and anger on Gabriel's behalf too – Aziraphale had told him how desperately miserable the Archangel must've been, for it to be over-flowing into Sam as it had. Whatever was in the past between them, Cas had done that, and after the guy had just nearly died for him.

He knew he was the last person who should be judging anyone, but Dean like to think that he generally had the decency to be grateful when someone saved his ass. And the lies…

How was he supposed to trust the angel not to lie to him now, after he'd hidden something so huge? It was like Sam and Ruby all over again, except this time it had nearly ended with a dead angel, and the thing that toppled said angel over that metaphorical cliff? Doing something for Dean.

Was it possible to be selfish and selfless in the same act? If it was his angel had managed it. If not, well maybe he'd managed it anyway. Why didn't he tell them? Why didn't he tell him?! Did he think Dean wanted his death on his conscience? That he needed that?

His head was pounding and he'd been going around in circles on it since they got back. Cas was all about respecting Dean's privacy right now, despite Dean's reassurances that the bond was not unwanted. The problem was that his restraint was leaving Dean's mind with free rein to confuse and perplex and just generally infuriate him.

What he needed right now was a distraction.

Bobby was on the phone to Rufus in the other room, his muffled words too faint for Dean to make out. Cas was off with the new angel, looking at some books on warding that Bobby had dug up – literally – which were apparently ingenious. The demon had gone out into the yard to set up some extra warding outside of Bobby's main wards – in his words, "Better safe than screwed, Squirrel!"

Crowley was possibly more paranoid than anyone Dean had met, although given the demon's usual crowd Dean thought maybe he could understand nurturing a healthy level of paranoia.

So until Sam got back with Gabe, Dean could either keep driving himself nuts, go join the book club, or work with a demon on wards.

Yep, his life was awesome right now.

With a sigh, he picked up his beer and rose, heading for the front door.

SPNSPNSPNSPN

Led on his back, staring silently at the blue skies above, Gabriel was in no hurry to get back to the salvage yard, not with Cas there, waiting. Nothing was going to change his mind, short of an imminent threat to life or limb…well, life at least…for anyone they'd left back there. Led beside him, Sam had given up trying to talk him around about an hour ago.

He still hadn't quite gotten his head around exactly how Sam was here with him, but as the minutes rolled on into an hour, and then two…well, he could only put off what he needed to tell the hunter this time for so long.

What he wouldn't give to be done with the life-altering revelations part of this millennium.

"Sammy…?"

The hunter raised his head slowly from the rough wool blanket that currently separated them from the cold snow-covered rock below.

He could see Sam bite back his initial reaction – he only caught half the thought before it was buried with purpose beneath a carefully constructed response. At this rate reading Sam's mind was going to get boring real fast.

*Oh now he wants to…* "Yeah Gabe?"

"I know just how selfishly I'm acting right now Sasquatch, but this isn't about that," Gabe started, deciding that however he might be trying to ignore the issue, Sam maybe needed to hear it one more time after all. "All that pain you were drowning in before? That's still there, barely restrained. I can't go back there yet."

"You think I don't know what's there, under the surface? Shit Gabe, I saw it…I can still see it now if I look…"

That was as far as Sam got. Gabriel couldn't have asked for a better opening than that.

"And that's what we need to talk about." He sat up, swivelling to face the human beside him.

Sam rose to face him, folding his ridiculously long legs in front of him. Really, how did the kid manage to be so generally unobtrusive when he needed to be, at his height? Shaking his head, Gabriel paused considering how best to continue.

"You could just say it – that's worked so far.".

"Well that's worryingly on point, kiddo." Because Gabriel knew he hadn't been quiet anywhere near long enough to merit that comment. "Either I'm losing my poker face, or you're going to get some nasty shocks eventually if you keep that up – my mind is far from sunshine and rainbows."

He watched as a string of emotions flitted over Sam's face, and resolutely refused to peek into the hunter's mind – who knew if that was exacerbating the issue?

"I don't…I mean…wait."

Sam trailed off, and Gabriel fought to keep his peace and patience. He was very visibly processing something in that quick mind of his, and Gabriel didn't really have answers so much as theories anyway, so what could it hurt to let the kid come up with a few of his own?

"Your Grace, back at Bobby's with the fight, it was…it burned. I mean it really took it out of me, and that was with you shielding me, wasn't it?"

SPNSPNSPNSPN

Sam saw Gabriel's wince, but there was no denying it had happened, and he'd made it clear to the Archangel that he didn't blame him for the hurt. It wouldn't help to apologise again, but he didn't stop himself from reaching a hand and laying it comfortingly on a knee, mirroring his action from the earlier dream.

Before he could respond, Sam pushed on.

"How long was I out, when I got here?"

"What…? Nearly five and a half hours Sasquatch. Where are you…"

Sam cut him off.

"When we realised Cas was gone it was all I could do to stay awake again, I was still so drained. Since then I managed to get here, and let me tell you that was not easy…"

"It shouldn't have been possible…!" Gabriel's interruption went unheeded as Sam continued.

"...and apparently passed right through your Grace, and I wake up after less than six hours feeling this refreshed? Surely I should feel worse, being that much closer to it, than I did the first time?"

"Fucked if I know kid!" Gabriel exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration. "From everything I know, and thank Dad I'm apparently wrong, you should have been obliterated."

Sam was reminded of Gabriel's fury at Aziraphale. He hoped the Archangel could get past that, the angel and his demon seemed like good allies to have, so far.

Still, with everything they'd spoken about earlier, about what that sort of death would mean for their bond and for Gabriel, Sam felt sick that he had – even unknowingly – taken such a risk. Had Aziraphale known the risk he was letting Sam take?

"Why wasn't I?"

Sam's voice was barely a whisper now, but he knew Gabe heard him. He wasn't sure why he'd even asked, as if the being opposite – however ancient and powerful – could have gained some mysterious insight in the few seconds since he'd spoken last.

A part of Sam didn't want to voice his next thought, for fear that Gabriel would hear it as an accusation. Especially since he wasn't entirely sure how he would feel if the answer turned out to be yes. Was it worth the risk? The Archangel had been respecting his mental privacy – or putting on a pretty good show of it, as Sam had definitely been thinking a few things that should have got a reaction – so it was possible he could keep it quiet, not rock the boat…

…if he could live with the uncertainty.

And that was assuming the Archangel didn't just out and tell him anyway, in the spirit of honesty which he seemed to be so keenly embracing these days.

Besides, Sam thought with a flash of wonder and hope that he viciously squashed down…he couldn't hope, not now – he wasn't strong enough to see them crumble again. But, curiosity called, what if…

Sam bit the bullet.

"Am I still human?"

SPNSPNSPNSPN

Gabriel froze. He'd thought it earlier, but now, with Sam saying it, it suddenly felt too real, too possible. Before he could form a response – he could feel the snark on the tip of his tongue, ready to try and break the serious atmosphere – Sam continued.

"Completely, I mean?"

He couldn't help it, his resolution to keep out of the hunter's mind dissolved. What he saw there startled him. Sam wanted him to say no. He couldn't see why, but it was crystal clear that that was what the hunter was hoping for.

He let the breath that had caught in his chest escape in a sigh, and answered.

"I'm not sure Sammy. A normal human would've burned up with a fraction of the exposure you've had to my Grace…I'm honestly not sure why you haven't. There could be any number of reasons though, things that make you different enough that you could survive it."

He saw a look of consideration on Sam's face, followed but a not quite there nod as the hunter made a decision.

"Your pain drew me here."

Gabriel couldn't help it, he winced. Shame at his lack of self-control, at the hurt he'd inflicted on his bond-mate, shot through him.

"Don't, Gabe - that's not…I'm not trying to make you feel bad. I need to tell you something – something I did – that may change your opinion. I need to know if it made a difference."

The look on Sam's place was softly pleading, an expression Gabriel found impossible to ignore. He gestured for Sam to continue.

"It was spilling over, and when I tried to get to you I couldn't. It was too strong."

Now Gabriel was curious. The hunter was here, sat beside him, the hand still resting on his knee proof of his presence. So how, if he couldn't…?

"I thought maybe, maybe I could borrow the strength I needed, from you."

What…?!

"Well, the bit of you I could reach anyway, the only bit not saturated with pain…I used the Grace you bound us with. I don't even know how. I imagined grabbing at it, I thought if I could just push that little bit harder then I could get through. And it worked. I don't know how, but suddenly there was no current. Suddenly it was like nothing, to go the extra distance, to pull through to the end."

Sam paused, and Gabriel could do nothing but stare at him in wonder.

"What did I do, Gabe?"

What did he do?

What did he do?!

"You rewrote the rules, kid."

Because really, what else could he say?

That perfect, shining whole soul, in place of the strong, beautiful but obviously battered one patched by Grace?

Gabriel had no idea how he'd done it, but through sheer force of will Sam Winchester had blended Grace and Soul to create something…something new.

Was that why he was still in once piece after his second close encounter with Gabriel's Grace in as many days? Because it wasn't just bound to him, but actively a part of him now?

He didn't know. He didn't even know how to find out, not yet, but he'd sure as hell be working on it. For now though?

"I'll say this – you sure know how to keep life interesting, even for a guy who thought he'd seen everything!"

That got a cautious grin from the…human? Yeah, Gabriel decided, we'll stick with that for now.

"I wonder…"

Gabriel trailed off, not wanting to raise the hunter's hopes. But there was a chance… He envisaged lots of testing in their future.

"What Gabe?"

"Maybe nothing…we need Zira's help to test a theory though – on your feet kid."

Gabriel leapt up with a smirk, extending a hand to the man on the ground as the blanket separating him from the cold wet snow disappeared suddenly.

He bit back a chuckle as Sam scrabbled to his feet, wiping furiously at the cold damp patch that had appeared on the seat of his pants as he shot Gabriel a glare.

"…whoops?" He offered, completely unrepentant. The atmosphere had needed lightening anyway.

Gabriel wondered if that bitch-face had a number yet, but before he could label it it disappeared, replaced with an uncertain and vaguely worried look.

"…uh, Gabe?"

"Yeah Sammy?"

"You're not going to do anything…rash…to Aziraphale for helping me get here, are you?"

"Sammy, if this works out how I'm hoping, I'm throwing a party in his honour!"

At Sam's puzzled look Gabriel just grinned, and snapped his fingers, dissolving the wards he'd raised and whisking them back to Bobby's with a thought.

Please review, at this point I need all the encouragement I can get to get going properly again! Thanks for still reading!