Disclaimer: Stil not mine

A/N: This is the final chapter.

They decided Dean and Castiel would verify the places where the omens indicated the presence of the demons, and patrol in the city to see if the angel could locate their den. In the meantime, Sam and Gabriel would stay at the motel to pursue the investigation and try to find new omens.

Actually, Sam was the only one to search, because Gabriel had thought it would be a better idea to practice his newfound teleportation skills. That is, until he nearly fainted in the bathroom after a few tentatives and ended up with nothing to do but to stare at Sam over his laptop screen. Which quickly got on Sam's already bad nerves.

"Don't you have something else to do?" He grunted.

"Nope. You got the only computer in the room." The angel replied with a wry face.

"Don't give me that shit, you could make one appear if you really wanted to."

"And for what? I wouldn't even know what to look for."

"Just- Don't distract me." Sam gave up, going back to his computer.

There were some quiet minutes of silence, only disturbed by Sam's fingers on his keyboard, before Gabriel started talking again.

"It was a bunch of lies, right?"

"What are you talking about?" Sam sighed.

"That story you told us, two days ago, about a big bad terrorist, and me saving your lives. It was just something you invented at the moment."

"Well, if you really want to bring this up, no, it wasn't a whole lie." Sam closed his laptop and set it aside. "You did save our lives that day, except we weren't dealing with a criminal. We were fighting Lucifer."

"I beg your pardon? You mean Lucifer, as in... Lucifer? The devil?"

"Exactly. It was the Apocalypse, Lucifer had Dean and I at his mercy, and when we thought we were done for good, you stepped up and saved the day. Even gave us a plan to put the devil back in his cage, as a farewell gift."

"But how did I make it?"

"We're not sure." Sam admitted. "For all we know, you faced Lucifer and he killed you. Maybe God brought you back when the Apocalypse was over, like He did with Cas."

"So, let's get this straight. I sacrificed myself, fighting Lucifer, to save your sorry asses and the whole world?" Sam nodded tiredly. "Dude, I was awesome! And kind of stupid, too."

"Yeah." Sam agreed. "You were a real douche before you decided to help us this one time, though. Made our lives a living hell. Castiel's too."

"How's that?"

"You trapped me and Dean in TVland to teach us a lesson, and when Cas came to save us, you sent him God-knows-where and gave him the beating of his life."

"Ouch. That'd explain why he seems a bit cautious around me... Should I apologize?"

As if on cue, Dean and Castiel appeared in the middle of the room, Dean tumbling forward.

"Cas! How many times do I have to say it? Give me a warning, damnit!"

"So, any good news?" Sam inquired, ignoring his brother.

Castiel turned to him, casting a side glance at Gabriel, and nodded slightly.

"We found them."

"You sure you want to take this? That thing can kill you."

They were packing, preparing their weapons for the coming fight, and Dean watched with awe as Gabriel was balancing his archangel blade. The trickster was slightly taken aback by his question.

"It's a fake, I'm not that stupid. But it feels better than a knife. I like the weight of it."

"Besides," Castiel stated, "it would not make any difference if it were the real one. In his weakened state, any weapon could cause a fatal blow to Gabriel."

"You comin' anyway?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Gabriel replied with a hint of disdain. "Even like this, I'm more powerful than the both of you, muttonheads."

"How many demons did you say there were?" Sam turned to Castiel.

"I would say a dozen of them, maybe a few more."

"And what's the plan?" Gabriel inquired. "Baby bro here zaps us in the middle of the house, and the slaughter begins?"

"That was the general idea, yeah." Dean replied. "Any objection?"

They all looked at each other, but no one answered.

"Let's go, then." Dean concluded, coming closer to Castiel.

"Just one more thing!" Gabriel interrupted. "Whatever happens, no one hurts Clara."

His comrades nodded in agreement, and they all disappeared as Castiel brought them to the demons' lair.

As soon as they arrived in the main room of the abandoned and decrepit house, two demons launched at their little group, trying to rip them apart. Whatever fears the Winchesters may have nursed about Gabriel's ability to fight, they were promptly dissipated as the archangel dodged easily one of the assailants and plunged his blade in the back of the host's head. He then murmured a few Enochian words that Castiel had taught them to expel the demon. Castiel took care of the other one by exorcizing him.

The group then split as more demons came to stop the unexpected intrusion. Sam managed to kill one of them with Ruby's knife before a second flew at his throat and they both fell behind a piece of furniture. Dean had taken down a red haired man and was now dealing with a couple of possessed women, while Castiel was already exorcizing his third demon.

As he was making his way toward the kitchen door, Gabriel faced one of the demons who had been present at Bill's house the previous night. He barely blocked a powerful punch with his blade, the force of the blow sending shivers along his arm. The demon pressed forward, and the angel grasped the opportunity to unbalance his opponent by teleporting just behind him. The man stumbled forward and Gabriel jumped on his back, the exorcism now a formality.

Gabriel then straightened up, assessing the situation around him with a brief glance. Sam had finally killed his second attacker and was already advancing on the next. Dean had knocked down one of the women and was still dealing with the other, sending a warning to Castiel as another demon tried to surprise him from behind.

Standing on trembling legs and strenghtening his grip on his blade, Gabriel tried to clear the slight dizziness he still felt after teleporting. He turned around to resume his path toward the kitchen, only to come face to face with Clara.

"Hi, honey. Missed me?" She asked with a wide smile.

And then she stabbed him in the chest.

Gabriel gasped at the sudden excruciating pain, feeling the knife tearing into his flesh at the very place of his scar. He distantly heard someone shout his name as the demon pushed the weapon even deeper inside him, sending white hot pain through his whole body. He clutched the wrist holding the knife to try to stop it, and grabbed the demon's shoulder to keep his balance, his own legs starting to give way beneath him.

"Cl– Clara... Don't..." He stuttered, his breath coming in tensed rasps.

"Clara's not in control." The demon seized him by the neck with its free hand and whispered in his ear. "But right now, she's screaming, in here."

He didn't quite understand what she said, because her face merged with another one, a male one; the face of the man he had dreamed about, with his ugly scars. And he seemed to smile sadly at him, murmuring,

"Amateur hocus pocus. Don't forget, you learned all your tricks from me, little brother."

He knew this face, had loved this person – his brother – more than anything, a long time ago. And he had already been in this situation, dying by the hands of a cherished one, stabbed in the heart with his own blade, by–

By Lucifer. Oh God.

His attention was focused once again on Clara as she drew back, this demonic smile still on her face.

"It's a pity, you know. I really didn't want to kill you. But hey, no need to be sorry, I still get to end a fuckin' angel."

She twisted the knife and withdrew it violently, already discarding him and heading to the Winchesters.

Gabriel winced and staggered back before falling on his knees, arms hanging limply at his sides. The pain of his wound began to recede as the flow of his memories submerged him. He felt his grace stir deep inside him and a warm light began to envelop his whole being. The familiar sensation almost brought tears to his eyes.

"I remember." He murmured, bewildered.

The demon possessing Clara turned back abruptly, looking disbelieving. The remaining people in the room all stared with awe at Gabriel, whose body was beginning to glow with an iridescent light. Understanding what was about to happen, the archangel shouted,

"Castiel!"

The angel of Thursday just had the time to grab the Winchesters and Clara and surround them with his wings, before the room was filled with a blinding and overwhelming light as Gabriel's grace was finally released, burning away the last demons in the house.

When it was over, Clara quickly moved back, unable to withstand Castiel's proximity. Her back bumped against something soft yet burning, and she turned to face a now fully recovered archangel.

"What the hell?" The demon squeaked in terror.

"Guess again." Gabriel answered menacingly, an unusual golden glint in his eyes.

He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. The demon was immediately expelled from Clara's body in the form of a black smoke and exploded, instead of simply escaping as it normally did. Gabriel caught the unconscious young woman before she fell on the floor and gathered her tenderly in his arms.

The Winchesters seemed quite disturbed by the sudden disappearance of the demons they had been fighting and the execution of the last one, and they couldn't stop watching the archangel with gratitude, mixed with dread.

Sam was the first to break the heavy silence.

"Are you alright?"

He watched the angel and Clara at the same time.

"I'm... better." Gabriel replied. "And she'll be fine, thanks to you." He added, glancing at Castiel.

The younger angel nodded, accepting the acknowledgement. Gabriel had the tiniest of smiles and then he vanished with his lover, leaving two bemused humans and a disappointed little brother.

"Friggin' angels!" Dean snapped when he recovered from the shock.

He turned to Sam and Castiel for support, but only earned a disapproving look from both.

"What?"

When his peculiar brother finally found him the next morning, Gabriel was watching over William Burns.

The archangel was standing quietly in the corner of the hospital room, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest as he observed his sleeping friend. The old man was out of danger now, but he still needed to rest to fully recover, and Gabriel couldn't help but feel responsible for what had happened to him. Had he not been on this road that fateful night, Clara would never have been possessed by a demon, and Bill wouldn't have ended up hurt.

The messenger of God didn't even flinch when Castiel joined him in a rustle of air.

"Hi, bro." He said in greetings, not bothering to face his brother.

"I thought I would find you here. Sam and Dean were pretty worried when you disappeared last night."

"I took Clara back home. Didn't want her to stay in that sordid place."

"Of course."

Castiel seemed to hesitate, slightly flustered by his sibling's indifference, but he continued nonetheless.

"Brother, I am fully aware that my presence is not really well-timed, but I need to know. Will you come with me?"

Gabriel finally looked at him, his eyebrows raised.

"And why would I do that?" He asked, a hint of sarcasm lacing his voice.

"There is a war, Gabriel. A civil war among the Host. Raphael wants to rule over Heaven, and put the Apocalypse back on its rails. We can't let this happen."

"Are you serious?" The archangel scoffed. "I just got my grace back! Because I got killed when I stood up against Lucifer. And now you want me to confront Raphael?"

He made a wide gesture out of spite and turned his back on the other angel, resting his hands on the nearest chair.

"We will need all the help we can find." Castiel confirmed, almost guiltily. "Either way, you can't stay in this town with these people. You will only endanger th–"

"WHO SAID–" Gabriel shouted suddenly, before he remembered where he was and lowered his voice. "Who said I was planning on staying here anyway?"

Castiel stayed silent for a moment, giving Gabriel some time to cool off. He didn't want to upset his brother; even if God had brought him back 'new and improved', he wasn't eager to face a wrathful archangel. So when Castiel talked again, he tried to sound as conciliatory as possible.

"I know I can't force you to join us, but you need to understand. If Raphael wins, all the sacrifices we made to stop the Apocalypse will be pointless. Your death, by Lucifer's hands, will be pointless."

He waited expectantly for his brother's reaction, fearing a scathing reply or a violent move. But Gabriel only turned around with a deep sigh. A sad smile slid across his face as he put his left hand gently on Castiel's shoulder.

"You're right, little brother." And then his eyes lightened with mischief. "You can't force me."

Castiel's blue orbs widened in understanding, but the archangel had already lifted his right hand.

"Goodbye, bro. See you soon."

He snapped his fingers and Castiel vanished in a big rush of air. Someone gasped and Gabriel spinned round to see Clara, standing in the doorway.

"Oh, don't worry, I just sent him... to Tibet, I think."

"Is it true?" She questioned timidly, tears in her eyes. "Are you going to leave?"

His smile faded and he lowered his head, not wanting to see the sadness on her face.

"I... have to. As long as I stay here, you and Bill will never be safe."

Clara closed the distance between them and pulled him in a fierce embrace.

"Please, don't go. I don't know what I'll do without you."

Gabriel caressed her back softly, trying to soothe her pain and stop the sobs that were shaking her frail body.

"I can erase you memory, if you want." He proposed, his voice close to a whisper. "You'll never remember meeting me, or being possessed."

"No!" She stepped back to look at him in the eyes. "No, I don't want to forget!"

"Okay, okay. I won't do it."

He took Clara in his arms again and she rested her forehead on his shoulder, breathing deeply. Gabriel buried his face in her hair, leaving sweet kisses on the top of her head, letting her scent envelop him. They stayed like this for long minutes, clutched in each other's arms.

Eventually, Clara's sobs lessened, and her voice was steadier when she talked again.

"You know, what this... demon... said, when you asked me why I loved you?" He nodded slightly. "It was the truth. No matter what happens, I will never stop loving you." New tears began to pour in her eyes, but she wiped them quickly. "Promise me, Gabriel. Promise that you'll never forget me."

"I promise. I swear on my Father's name that I will never forget you."

Clara giggled at his unusual oath and smiled sadly.

"Go now, my beautiful angel. Go and help your friends."

Gabriel captured her delicate lips in a last passionate kiss, and then he was gone in a flutter of wings.

The Winchesters left New Castle in the early morning. With Gabriel all angeled up again, and the demons gone, their job in this town was completed. Castiel had wanted to stay and try to convince his brother to help him in his war against Raphael, but they knew better than to step in a family discussion. Besides, they highly doubted that Gabriel would go willingly against another of his brothers.

They were crossing the state border when the archangel suddenly appeared in the back seat of the Impala, grinning, a candy bar stuck between his lips.

"So, I've been thinking." He mumbled, his mouth full of chocolate.

"What the hell?" Dean shouted.

The car swerved across the road as he tried to regain control of his precious baby, and Sam turned around in his seat, grabbing Ruby's knife in order to face the potential threat.

"Why are you here?" He asked when he recognized the unpredictable angel.

"As I was saying, until Deano here confused the road with a track of bumper cars, I've been thinking that it would be fun to hang with you guys for a while."

"What?"

"Yeah, and I'm so generous and selfless that I agree to help you with your future cases. Well... some of them."

"We don't need your help." Dean retorted, looking at him in the rear-view mirror. "We're good by ourselves."

"Oh, come on! I know it's a mess up there, and it must be even worse down here for you yahoos. Because honestly, demons attacking a trickster? The situation's gotta be pretty nasty, to carry these sons of bitches to such extremes."

"Why don't you help Castiel, then?" Sam remarked. "I'm sure he'd be more than happy to have you by his side."

"Nah. He's doing well by himself, and I'm not dealing with an angelic war anytime soon. Unless little Cas really gets himself into trouble, of course."

"It doesn't matter, what we say, huh?" Dean resigned himself. "We're stuck with you anyway?"

"Yep!" Gabriel said, popping the 'p'. "Stop brooding, boys! We're gonna have so much fun!"

The archangel then made himself comfortable in the back seat of the car and snapped another candy bar into existence. Defeated, the brothers settled back in their seats, trying to forget his presence by staring at the road and turning the radio on.

Unfortunately, ignoring him proved to be very difficult when Gabriel began to sing along.

THE END

Here it is, I hope you liked it (review if you did). Thanks for reading!

I don't have any sequel right now, but if I write one I'll definitely let you know.