Well, as far as fics go I think I would have to crown this my greatest accomplishment to date. This was written for Amanda (theycallme-gabriel over on Tumblr). For my birthday, I decided to be a hobbit and give gifts to other people and she requested angsty Sabriel. And this is what happened. It took me over a month to finish, but I am thrilled with the result. I hope you guys enjoy reading this and would love any feedback you could give me. Enjoy!

In the entire history of the world, nothing had happened like this. Never before had a being that was killed by an angel's blade returned to the world – certainly not an angel. There were only a handful of angels that had ever been raised from the dead. None of those had ever been archangels.

Until now.

Eve, as she was calling herself, wasn't like most monsters. She did not want power or control. She did not cloak herself in the guise of a mother – she was a mother. She wanted to protect her children. She would no longer stand aside and let her children be killed.

To protect her children, she needed power and control. She needed to be like other monsters.

She was already powerful, but she could only do so much. Her children were everything she wanted them to be. Obedient. Loyal. Weak. Fearful. She needed more. She needed allies – servants that would do her will competently. Efficiently. Unquestioningly.

There were few pagan gods left. Eve knew they were proud beings and would not be swayed easily. She destroyed the ones that refused. She could not risk them running to others before she got to them. The ones who agreed were bound with an ancient and long-forgotten ritual that was almost as old as she was. It was a spell that drew upon the power of the one who was bound. It caged their free will with their own power, binding them to her will. The drawback was that to bind the being to her, she had to have their consent. They needed to want to help her.

It was from the goddess Kali that she learned of the archangel Gabriel.

Of all the gods Eve had managed to bind, which were only a rare few, Kali was both the hardest and easiest to deceive. She was proud and haughty and thought too highly of herself. She was not easily deceived. But Kali had similar goals. She was easy to persuade. And once the binding ritual was complete, Kali gave information of the archangel turned pagan god freely.

More importantly, she passed Eve a vial of the archangel's blood. With Gabriel's blood, Eve could do almost anything. She could bring him back from the dead. She could bind him to her will, even without the pesky nuisance of his consent.

And once he was bound? Well, Eve would be able to do anything. And she would never let the archangel go.

They were close on Eve's trail. Sam and Dean were encountering new monsters more and more frequently. It was getting more and more difficult to find out how to kill them. After the incident with the worm, word spread that there were new monsters appearing. In the past month, Sam and Dean had run into more hunters than they had in the past ten years combined.

They never heard whisper of Eve killing and binding pagan gods to her will. They never thought about Kali and how they had only taken their blood back from the goddess, but not Gabriel's. They had not truly thought of the archangel that died for them. Other things had taken precedence in their mind.

They were in Pennsylvania, close to the Appalachian Mountains. They were hunting another of Mother's newest creations. Dean was calling this monster the "snake-bitch."

Sam had to agree that it definitely was a bitch to fight. It was fast and big and very poisonous. It was about ten feet long and its body was leaking venom. As it shot around the field, moving far too fast for a creature that didn't have any limbs, the grass its scales touched withered and died almost immediately. He and Dean spent most of the fight throwing themselves out of its way and trying to get a few shots off at it. They could only dodge it for so long, though. It was too fast and too strong.

The serpent lunged from the opposite side of the field and Sam only just missed getting flattened. He hit the ground hard and turned over just in time to see the thing rearing up over him, hissing madly. He reached for his gun only to realise that it wasn't in his hand anymore. He heard Dean shout just as the snake lunged forward.

Then something happened. The serpent was still hissing madly, but it was slithering backwards, flat on the ground and twisting as if in pain or fear. Dean was by his side and helping him up.

"What - ?"

He was interrupted by a flash of light and they covered their eyes instinctually with their arms. This was familiar. Too familiar. Almost like –

When they opened their eyes, they weren't alone.

"Gabriel?"

The archangel barely reacted to his name. His face was completely expressionless. And that, more than anything, was what convinced Sam that something was seriously wrong.

"Dude, have you been alive this whole time? What the hell - ?" Sam grabbed Dean's arm before he could take a step forward. He tried to brush Sam's hand away, but Sam just tightened his grip. "Sam – "

"Something's wrong," he murmured, keeping his eyes fixed on Gabriel. A blade appeared in Gabriel's hand, but for many moments it seemed to flicker. Almost as if it wasn't real. He stepped forward, but the movement was odd. It was jerky and restrained. Nothing like the Gabriel he remembered that moved with ease.

"What's wrong is that he's supposed to be dead!" Dean turned to look at Gabriel. "How are you back, anyway? Can't imagine your Dad – "

Sam said his brother's name angrily just before he was flung backwards. He turned to look at Gabriel. His face was no longer a mask, but it wasn't what he expected. He expected Gabriel to be angry, but he looked...surprised.

"Run."

He frowned and looked at the archangel in confusion. "Gabriel, what - ?"

"Run."

And Sam knew that something serious was going on. Gabriel looked afraid. His hand was tightening around the blade which started to flicker in and out of existence again.

He wanted to stay and find out what was going on with Gabriel. He didn't want to run. It wasn't who the Winchesters were. They didn't run. Not often, anyway. But something was happening. He didn't know what, but a chill seemed to have set under his skin and he could swear that the air around him was electrifying.

He turned and ran to pick his brother up off the ground, dragging him to the Impala. Dean didn't struggle and Sam figured he probably had a concussion. He shoved his brother into the passenger side of the car before sliding into the driver's side.

He glanced at Gabriel before speeding away. Lightning was flashing around him and Sam could see the silhouette of his wings. The most striking thing was the look on his face. He looked like he was in pain. The look only grew worse as he took another jerky step forward.

Sam slammed his foot down and sped away.

It didn't take long for Dean to get his bearings again. "Seriously, what the hell?"

Sam shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road. "I don't know, man, but something's wrong."

"I'll tell you what's wrong – next time I see the bastard I'm gonna pour holy oil down his fucking throat!"

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Dude, you were bashing his dad. And it's not like you haven't been thrown around for it before."

Dean glared at him. "He didn't have to throw me into a tree!"

Sam turned to look at him for a second, glaring. "Learn to keep your mouth shut, then." He waited for Dean to grumble viciously for another few minutes before bringing up what he saw. "I think we should call Cas."

"Why? Because his brother's a dick? Like that's news."

"I'm serious, Dean. Something was really wrong back there."

Dean huffed. "Whatever. Not our problem." Sam shook his head and turned the steering wheel sharply, pulling off to the side of the road. "What the hell, Sammy – "

"It's not our problem? Dean, the guy died for us!"

"Yeah, after killing me and sticking us in TV-land!"

Sam opened the door angrily, getting out and slamming the door behind him. He turned around when Dean got out of the car as well. "Are you blind, man? Something wasn't right back there! At all!"

Dean shook his head. "All I saw was that dick throwing me against a tree!"

"He told me to run, Dean! Something – something was making him do that!"

He looked up at Sam in disbelief. "Sammy, the dude's a freaking archangel. What could make him do anything?"

Sam shook his head. "I don't know. But something is. He told me to run. And didn't you see how we was moving? Like – like he was trying to hold himself back?"

Dean shook his head. "Sam – "

He didn't let Dean finish. "Man, I know what I saw. And Gabriel told me to run. If he was really trying to kill us, why would he tell me to run?"

"Maybe because screwing with us is his favourite pastime? Or – "

Sam shook his head and stepped forward, throwing his arm out. "Something's going on here, Dean! Just call Cas already or I will!"

Dean all but growled and turned around so his back was to Sam. "Don't know why you think he'll actually answer, Sammy," he grumbled. "He never does anymore."

Truthfully, Sam did not expect Castiel to answer. But he wasn't about to let this go. Someone had to know what happened. Or what could have happened. And Castiel was their best bet.

To their surprise, the angel appeared beside Dean immediately. "I have been searching for you," he said lowly. "There has been a development with the Mother of All."

"Later, Cas, look – "

The angel's eyes narrowed. "I have news concerning a being that monsters are referring to as Mother and you believe it should wait for 'later'? Even the angels are wary of her. She is older than most of us and is more powerful than you can imagine. There isn't time for 'later.' Whatever you have to say can wait."

Sam winced on his brother's behalf. Dean didn't seem to be in Cas' good books at the moment. Sam stepped forward before his brother could respond. "We just saw Gabriel, Cas."

Castiel frowned and looked down before looking up. "That complicates things considerably."

He didn't understand what Castiel meant, but continued anyway. "Something was wrong with him, man. He threw Dean against a tree and he had his blade, but it kept – I don't know, it kept flickering. He told me to run and was moving like – like he couldn't stop himself."

"She must have raised him and bound him to her will."

Dean raised his eyebrows and looked at Castiel in confusion. "What? You mean that Mother bitch? How could she bind a goddamn archangel to her will?"

He turned to look at Dean. "She has been binding pagan gods using a very old and powerful ritual. I believe that it draws upon their power to force them to her will. It is possible that she did this to Gabriel."

Sam blinked. "Is there any way to reverse it?"

Castiel looked away. Something tightened in Sam's chest. No. They would help Gabriel. It was Gabriel, after all. "So what? We kill the bitch," Dean said simply. "If she's dead, then she can't exactly force him to do anything."

"And how do you suggest we do that, man? We can't even find her! And her monsters keep getting faster and stronger. I don't see how – "

Dean rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to reply, but Castiel cut him off. "There is no guarantee that killing her will break the binding," he said seriously.

"What do we do then? Sit around on our asses and hope for the best?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "We research the damn thing, jerk."

"Bitch," he replied on reflex.

"I will discern what I can," Castiel replied seriously before disappearing.

The next time Gabriel appeared, they did not escape so easily.

It was a week later. They had not had any luck in their research, but Sam refused to stop. He knew that Dean was beginning to worry about him. He knew that Castiel, whenever he took time away from the war in heaven, was confused by his actions. But Sam had to keep looking.

The look on Gabriel's face when he told Sam to run wouldn't get out of his head. He would relive the encounter everytime he fell asleep. He had to find a way to help Gabriel. Dean may not have realised it yet, but Sam knew that if Gabriel really was bound to a monster's will it was because he had died trying to help them.

When they saw Gabriel again, they weren't fighting a monster. They were just leaving a hunt, an angry spirit that was particularly stirred up and wreaking havoc, when Gabriel suddenly appeared in the middle of the road. Dean hit the brakes and the Impala screeched to a halt mere feet before hitting the archangel.

Sam and Dean glanced at each other nervously. "What now?" Dean muttered, keeping an eye on the archangel in front of their car.

"No clue," Sam replied. When he looked back at the archangel, he saw that Gabriel was looking at him. The look on his face was different now. It was colder. Less like the Gabriel he knew.

Sam wasn't sure why he did it, but he got out of the car. He could hear Dean saying his name, but his eyes stayed fix on Gabriel. The silver blade appeared in Gabriel's hand. This time it remained solid and very real in his hand. He heard Dean getting out of the car, but Gabriel's eyes remained fixed on him.

"Gabriel," he said quietly. The archangel did not react to his name. He only continued to keep his eyes fixed on Sam. "We're going to help you. We'll find a way – "

Sam was cut off when he was suddenly flung backwards and held upright against a tree. He could hear Dean shout his name, but Gabriel was in front of him before he could say anything and his blade was pressed against his throat. The blade was like ice against his neck, but it was so cold that it felt like it was burning him.

"Gabriel, please – "

He watched as something made the archangel pause. His muscles tensed and he blinked. The same surprised look was in his eyes again. "Sam - ?" His voice was choked and he had to bite out the word.

"Gabe," he said quickly, shortening his name for the sake of brevity. "She's binding you to her, but we're going to find a way – "

"Kill me."

Sam blinked. "What?"

Gabriel fixed him with a panicked and fearful stare. "Kill me," he repeated. "I can't control – "

A gunshot rang out and Sam looked over the archangel's head to see Dean holding the Colt. Gabriel turned and Sam could see that his eyes were cold again. Before Sam could stop him, the archangel was moving towards his brother. "Castiel!" Sam called desperately. "Help!"

He wasn't sure if the angel would hear his prayer or if he was in even in a position that he could come, but it was the only thing he could do. And he had to do something. Without waiting to see if his prayer had been answered, he ran forward. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he couldn't let Gabriel get to Dean.

Gabriel was moving slowly, but not like he had in the field a week ago. There was no hesitancy in his steps. He was moving like a predator. Dean, of course, was standing his ground. Sam reached Gabriel easily, grabbing the archangel's shoulder and spinning him around.

Whatever he had thought he was going to do after that, he wasn't sure. But suddenly he was flat on his back and Gabriel was on top of him. The blade was lying across his throat once more, icy and fiery at the same time. The archangel looked down at him with cold eyes. He gasped in pain as he felt the blade press against his throat, drawing blood.

"Gabriel – "

Suddenly the archangel's weight was gone. He looked up to see Castiel grappling with his brother, the two moving so quickly that Sam wasn't sure how he and Dean hadn't already been killed yet. If Gabriel could move like that, then why were he and Dean still alive?

"Sammy!" He turned and Dean rushed to his side and helped him to his feet. "C'mon, Cas is distracting him so we can get away."

Sam looked back to Gabriel and Castiel and wanted to do something. "Dean, we can't – "

Dean shook his head. "No, we are getting out of here, Sammy."

Before Sam could argue, Dean was dragging him back to the car and they were driving away. Sam kept his eyes on the angelic fight until they turned the corner. He wasn't sure what he wanted to happen. He didn't want Castiel hurt, but he couldn't deny how his stomach had dropped when Gabriel said –

"Things are worse than we imagined."

Sam and Dean both jumped and turned to see Castiel in the backseat. "Damn it, Cas – "

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, cutting his brother off.

Castiel looked far more rumpled than usual and there was a cut on his forehead that was bleeding. "Gabriel is stronger than Eve believed," he explained lowly. "She is attempting to strengthen the binding spell."

Sam blinked. "That's why he hasn't hurt us. He still has some control."

"Hasn't hurt us?" Dean asked incredulously. "In case you haven't noticed, you're bleeding, Sammy."

He shook his head. "He could have killed us, Dean. But he hasn't. He just told me to kill him!"

Castiel looked at Sam with a confused look on his face. "He was able to speak?"

"Yeah," he replied, "he told me to kill him and that he couldn't control himself. Why?"

The angel shook his head. "He should not have had any control. The binding spell was too powerful. He should not have been capable of resisting its pull."

Sam frowned. "Then how – "

Castiel shook his head. "I don't know. I will look into it."

Without another word, he was gone. Dean swore, but Sam tuned him out. He wasn't surprised that Castiel wasn't spending as much time with them anymore. He was fighting a war in heaven, after all. And now he was trying to find out more about Eve too. What really bothered Sam was Gabriel. Why was he still alive if the spell was so powerful? How did Gabriel resist? And why did he always seem to gain control again around Sam?

Sam knew that he should probably let the questions go. There was only one way he could get the answers. And that one way was monumentally stupid. So stupid that if he didn't die in the process, then his brother would definitely finish the job.

But Sam had never been good at letting things go. So only two weeks later, he found himself in an abandoned warehouse. There was a ring of holy oil in front of him, a lighter in his hand, and a summoning ritual already completed.

Gabriel appeared almost instantly.

His eyes were cold, just as they had been before, but something was different. He almost looked tired. Before Sam let himself think any further, he threw the lighter down and trapped the archangel in fire.

Gabriel didn't even blink. He only looked at Sam with those cold and oddly blank eyes.

Sam hated it. He hated that look. He wanted the real Gabriel back. The one that was more Trickster than angel with the bad jokes and the addiction to anything sweet.

"Cas said you shouldn't have been able to talk to me before."

For many long moments, Sam didn't think Gabriel would reply. He stared up at him, his eyes missing everything that Sam had ever associated with the archangel. Finally, he replied. "My brother is not as informed as he believes."

Sam frowned. He didn't even sound like Gabriel. "So he's wrong, then? She wanted you to talk to me?" Sam took an unnecessary step forward. "She wanted you to say: kill me?"

Gabriel looked away. "I can't control anything anymore," he said lowly.

"Yes, you can," he replied. "You did. You could have killed me three times over, but you haven't. You told me to run. You told me to kill you. Those aren't the signs of someone who has no control, Gabriel."

He looked up sharply. "Flukes," he hissed dangerously. "If you let me out of this trap, she'll force me to kill you."

Sam shook his head. "I don't think you will."

Gabriel glared. "I have no choice."

"If that were true, I'd already be dead."

The archangel did not reply. He looked away and Sam could see that he was tired. "You have no idea what you're up against," he muttered.

Sam had to hide a grin. That sounded almost like the Gabriel he knew. "Then tell me. I can – we can help you. We can break the spell. But you have to help us."

The archangel looked up and there was something different in his gaze. There was something more there. "I can't," he choked out. "She won't – I just – I can't. You have to – you have to stop me. You can't – "

Sam frowned. "Okay. Okay, I get it." He paused before continuing. "But I'm not going to kill you, Gabriel. We're going to fix this."

He looked up and glared. "How?" His voice was hard again. "How can you fix it?"

"I'll find a way."

He watched as Gabriel closed his eyes and his face seemed to screw up as if in pain. "Cruor adstringo," he bit out through clenched teeth.

"What?"

"Kali – "

Sam could only watch as Gabriel tried to tell him something. The archangel jolted as if he had been shocked and when he opened his eyes, his gaze was cold again. Sam knew, somehow, that Eve had done something to prevent Gabriel from saying anything more. He knew that Gabriel wouldn't be able to tell him anything more.

He left the warehouse, hitting the fire alarm as he left.

As he had suspected, Dean and Castiel had been less than pleased with him. "What the hell, Sammy? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Dean – "

"Gabriel is not in control anymore, Sam," Castiel said, fixing him with a knowing stare.

Sam shook his head. "He has some – "

Dean stepped forward, giving him that look. The look that made him feel like he was ten years old again. "He tried to kill you last we saw him, Sammy. Why would you summon him?"

"Because he could have killed me! He could have, but he didn't!"

His brother shook his head and turned away. Castiel fixed him with a stare. "What happened?"

Sam sighed. "Nothing," he replied. "Nothing happened. But..."

Castiel raised an eyebrow and Sam was sure he learned the gesture from Dean. "Yes?"

"He said something about Kali. I think he was trying to tell me something."

The angel looked away for a moment, a confused look on his face. "What did he say exactly?"

Sam shook his head. "He couldn't say anything, really. He said something about Kali and – "

"And what?"

He looked up at the angel with wide eyes. "Cruor adstringo. He said cruor adstringo."

Castiel frowned. "Blood binding? Why – "

Sam's eyes widened in realisation. "Back at the hotel! Before Lucifer came, Kali took our blood! She bound us to her so we couldn't leave! Dean and I took ours back before she left, but maybe she didn't get rid of Gabriel's blood. If Eve is binding pagan gods – "

The angel nodded. "Then she may have Kali under her control. And she could have used Gabriel's blood to raise him."

Dean turned back and shook his head. "And that helps us how? Dude's still going to try and kill us."

Sam rolled his eyes and shook his head. Castiel turned to Dean. "If Eve is using Gabriel's blood to bind him, then the spell is not permanent and can be broken."

He frowned. "And how exactly do we break it?"

It wasn't a particularly good plan. In fact, it was exceedingly stupid. But they needed more information.

Still, summoning Kali was probably the dumbest thing they could have thought of doing. Sam was fairly certain she wanted to kill them the last time she saw them – and that was before she was bound to the will of a creature that definitely wanted them dead. Eve had made it clear that she had it out for the Winchesters, if only for the sheer amount of monsters she sent their way.

Dean was more confident than Sam. Castiel was with them and that was enough for Dean. He didn't think Kali would be able to pull one over on the angel.

Sam wished he could have the same faith, but Kali was a goddess. Even bound to Eve's will, she would be formidable. Not to mention that even Gabriel hadn't been able to trick her when he had spent centuries doing just that to others.

So Sam wasn't as optimistic as his brother. But he didn't say anything because he knew Dean would just call him out for being an idiot about summoning Gabriel.

There was a difference, though. Sam had no doubt that Kali would kill them of her own free will if given the chance. He knew that Gabriel wouldn't. He didn't know how he knew that – the guy had made their lives hell – but he did. He knew that Gabriel would never try to actually hurt them. Not permanently, at least.

But Sam kept his mouth shut. He knew that Dean would just call him an idiot and it wasn't like he could explain it. He trusted Gabriel. He didn't know why, but he did.

Kali appeared just as quickly as Gabriel had. Her eyes were the same as the archangel's. Cold and blank and obedient. But Sam did not think the look on her face would change like Gabriel's had.

Castiel immediately began to question the goddess. She did not look at him. In fact, she kept her eyes fixed on Sam. It made him uncomfortable and anxious. "You are the one Gabriel cannot kill."

Sam blinked, but Dean stepped forward before he could say anything. "Just answer the question, bitch. Did you give Mother, Eve, whatever her name is Gabriel's blood?"

She turned to fix him with a cold glare. "Mind your tone," she hissed, "or I may just rip out your tongue."

Castiel stepped closer to Dean, an action that did not pass Sam's notice. "What do you mean I'm the one Gabriel can't kill?"

When she looked at him again, it was with the same detached and probing look. Sam felt as if he were on display and didn't like it one bit. "He has been ordered to destroy you and has not done so. His usefulness is running out."

Sam took a step closer, ignoring Dean's cautionary look. "And if it runs out?"

Kali raised an eyebrow. "I'm assuming that is a rhetorical question. Even you petty humans must realise what will happen if Eve grows tired of Loki."

Before Sam could do more than glare, Castiel spoke. "Where is his blood?"

She turned her gaze to the angel. "As far as I know, Eve keeps the vial under protection and keeps it close to her."

"What kind of protection?" Castiel pressed further.

Kali shrugged stiffly. "I do not know."

Sam frowned. "You said she keeps it close to her. Does that mean she takes it where she goes? Why?"

She gave him a look of pure contempt. "She has managed to bind an archangel to her will. She is not foolish. She knows if he is freed, he will destroy her."

Castiel glared fiercely and Sam realised that he was trying to see if she was hiding something or not. After a few moments he turned away and began the ritual to banish her. Sam blinked when the goddess vanished, looking at Castiel cautiously.

"Well, what now?" Dean asked as soon as Kali disappeared.

"Unless we can get near Eve, there is nothing we can do," Castiel replied.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Oh, and that'll just be a walk in the park. It's not like we haven't been trying just that for months – "

Sam frowned and tuned his brother out. There was something off about what had happened. He stared at the spot where Kali had been standing before his eyes widened. "She wants us to know," he said in shock.

Dean and Castiel turned to look at him in confusion. Dean raised an eyebrow. "Care to share with the rest of us, Sammy?"

"Don't you think it's a little odd that Kali was able to say so much when Gabriel can barely get three words out?" Sam asked, aware that he sounded far too earnest. He couldn't find the will to care, though. This was big.

His brother looked at him incredulously. "And? Gabriel's more powerful than she is, isn't he?"

"Exactly! Gabriel was only able to say something about the spell in another language. Why would Kali be able to say so much so easily?"

Castiel's eyes widened and his head tilted to the side slightly. "You believe Eve wants us to know of the spell?"

"Yeah, I do," he replied.

Dean scoffed. "Why the hell would she want us to know – "

Sam shrugged. "I don't know, Dean," he interrupted, "but it shouldn't have been so easy for Kali to talk if it's so hard for Gabriel."

"It is possible," Castiel replied, "but it does not help us. If she was ordering Kali to give us the information, it could be false. And now she knows we will plan to try and retrieve Gabriel's blood."

"So, what – you think she's trying to trap us?"

Castiel turned to Dean. "I don't know. But if she ordered Kali to give us information, she did so for a reason. We must proceed with caution."

"We don't have time for that," Sam said angrily. "We know one thing that Kali said is true – Gabriel hasn't been able to kill me yet. Eve can't be too happy about that."

His brother gave him a disbelieving look. "Just because he hasn't killed you yet, Sammy, doesn't been he's not able to." He turned to Castiel. "Cas, talk some sense into him, please."

"It is highly unlikely that Gabriel would be able to resist such a powerful order," he said, looking up at Sam.

Sam shook his head. "But he has. He hasn't killed me yet and he's had the chance to."

Castiel didn't reply, but Sam could tell that he was as convinced as Dean. He didn't care. For some reason, Gabriel couldn't kill Sam. Which was why Sam was completely confident in summoning Gabriel again and not being concerned about dying. This time he didn't even trap the archangel in a ring of holy fire.

Within seconds of Gabriel appearing, Sam was slammed against the motel wall. He was suddenly thankful that Dean had decided to take Castiel out to a bar in another effort to "teach" the angel. He could feel the tip of Gabriel's blade on his throat again. "Y'know, this is getting pretty familiar," he muttered dryly. "You might want to – "

"You keep calling me," the archangel said coldly, cutting him off. "I can't do anything but hurt you. Why do you keep calling?"

Sam looked down at the archangel, surprised by the look on his face. It almost looked like he was desperate. He blinked and lifted his hands cautiously, letting them rest on Gabriel's waist. "We're going to fix this."

The blade pressed harder against his throat. "You can't," he growled. "I'm bound to her will. It can't be undone."

Gabriel glared up at him and Sam lifted his hand to wrap around the archangel's wrist. He watched as Gabriel frowned, looking at Sam's hand as if he had never seen it before. The archangel stepped backwards, but Sam followed him. "You won't hurt me," he said, dragging the blade away from his throat.

Suddenly, Sam was shoved against the wall again. His head banged backwards and he hissed in pain. Gabriel was gripping his arms tightly enough that he was sure there would be bruises. "I have no choice," Gabriel growled. "She wants you dead. I have to do what she wants."

Sam gripped Gabriel's hips and pulled him forward sharply, only able to achieve such a feat by surprising him. "So how come I'm not dead yet?"

Whatever Sam had been expecting, it hadn't been what happened next. He never would have expected Gabriel to kiss him. Then again, Gabriel always relished in surprising him. This went a step further than Sam ever expected Gabriel to go.

But for some reason, Sam didn't pull away. He wasn't gay. Really. He had never considered being with anyone but a woman. Not really. There may have been times when he was curious – Sam was a curious person, after all – but he had never really entertained the idea.

Now he was. He supposed he had been for a while, if only in the back of his mind. He liked Gabriel. He had always liked Gabriel. Even back when they thought he was a Trickster, he was attracted to him. He had brushed it off, especially after they realised what he really was. Every other time he saw Gabriel, he had been too preoccupied with trying to save Dean or the Apocalypse to even think about any feelings of attraction he felt for the archangel.

Sam wasn't going to delude himself any further. He might not be interested in men, but he was interested in this man (who wasn't even really a man – did that even count, then?). His grip tightened on Gabriel's hips and he tried to pull the archangel closer. Unfortunately for Sam, Gabriel was really short. It was impossible to kiss him and pull him close at the same time – he had to bend over too far for it to be a possibility.

He made a sound that could have been a growl and spun around, dragging Gabriel with him and pressing him up against the wall. He lifted Gabriel by his grip on his hips, lifting him high enough so he could reach his lips and press against the length of his body at the same time. He held Gabriel in place by pressing his body flush against the archangel's, surprised when legs wrapped around his waist.

Kissing Gabriel was unlike anything else Sam had ever experienced. It was different and strange, but oddly exhilarating. Sam couldn't help but press harder and kiss deeper. Gabriel did not hold back. His hands threaded through Sam's hair and slid under Sam's jacket and pressed against Sam's back to pull him as close as possible. Sam replied in kind. His hand moved up to cradle Gabriel's face roughly and he found that his hand engulfed the entire side of his head.

When Gabriel moaned, Sam had to pull away to catch his breath. He leaned his head against the wall so that his cheek was pressed against Gabriel's hair. "You've been holding out on me, kiddo," Gabriel murmured in his ear. Sam pulled back to look at him, unable to hide the grin. He sounded like Gabriel again. The Gabriel he knew and –

No. He wasn't going to go there. Not yet, at least. It was too early for those kinds of thoughts.

"Why can't you kill me if it's what she wants?"

Gabriel did not meet his eyes. "I don't know," he muttered, "I just can't – "

Sam's hand was still on the side of Gabriel's face and he renewed his grip, fingers burying themselves in the archangel's hair. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Gabriel's lightly. He could feel the archangel relax against him, fingers gripping the sleeves of his shirt. When Sam pulled back, he rested his forehead against Gabriel's, keeping his eyes closed.

"I can't hurt you."

Sam opened his eyes to see that Gabriel had suddenly become fixated with the buttons of his shirt. He frowned and captured Gabriel's fingers with his hand, holding them still. Gabriel looked up at him. Sam could tell that he was in control, at least mostly, but he looked more serious and frightened than Sam had ever seen him. He squeezed Gabriel's fingers and gave him a small smile.

"You won't have to," he replied strongly. "We're going to fix this, Gabriel. I promise."

He frowned and Sam watched as his face became less relaxed. His eyes seemed to flicker and Sam knew that he was fighting for control. "You know that she's – "

Sam nodded when Gabriel couldn't continue. "She's trying to trap us," he murmured, backing away and letting Gabriel stand again. "She wants us to know about the spell."

The archangel nodded jerkily. "Ihre Halskette," he murmured roughly.

"What?"

Gabriel looked up, a pained look on his face. The archangel touched his neck lightly. "Mein Blut. Ihre Halskette."

Sam frowned. "Gabriel, I don't speak German, what - ?"

The archangel glared and Sam could tell he was annoyed. "I'm trying to tell you something, you idiot," he managed to bite out. "Ihre Halskette. Halsband. Kollier." He punctuated each word by tapping Sam's neck sharply.

He still didn't know what Gabriel was trying to say, but he nodded. He could look it up later. He bent down, pressing his lips against Gabriel's again. "Be careful," he murmured, pulling away.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "You're the one that needs to be careful, kiddo."

Sam smiled, but Gabriel's content expression faded. Sam frowned. "Gabriel?"

"If you can't – " he broke off and Sam knew what he was asking.

"Okay," he replied. "I will."

He looked up at Sam with a frown, quirking his head to the side slightly. "Really?"

"I...I asked Dean to do the same for me once." He paused and bit his lip, his fingers brushing against the back of Gabriel's hand. "But only if we can't fix this." Sam blinked when Gabriel's fingers tangled with his own. "I won't let her use you, Gabriel. I promise."

Gabriel smiled and Sam couldn't help but return it. He had missed Gabriel. "Thanks, kiddo," he murmured. Sam felt him squeeze his fingers before vanishing.

Sam immediately went to his laptop and began researching what Gabriel had tried to tell him. It wasn't long before Dean returned with Castiel in tow. "Find anything, Sammy?"

He looked up, knowing Dean wouldn't be happy. "I summoned Gabriel again," he replied, refusing to look up from the screen of his laptop. Best to just get it over with, right?

Dean gaped at him, but it was Castiel that moved forward. He looked down at Sam with narrow eyes. "This must stop," he said. "Gabriel is not himself. He is forced to obey and will kill you without a second thought. You cannot help him if you are dead."

Sam shook his head. "He can't kill me, Cas," he argued. "But he told me something."

Cas continued to glare, but Dean stepped between them. "What did he say?"

"He said something in German. He was trying to tell me about Eve and the spell. He told me three different words for 'necklace.'"

"You think that Eve has Gabriel's blood on a necklace?" Castiel did not look convinced.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I do. All we have to do is get his blood back – "

Dean shook his head. "And how do you suggest we do that, Sam? We can't even find her – "

"Who says you have to find me?"

They all spun towards the voice to see Eve herself standing in the corner of their motel room. She was wearing the same white dress they had seen in the security footage and Sam could see that there was a thin chain around her neck. He couldn't see if the vial of Gabriel's blood was truly there or not because it was tucked into the front of her dress. She smiled at them in a way that made Sam's teeth clench. He shut the laptop and stood. Dean and Castiel were on the other side of the room, near the bathroom. Eve was by the door and he was at the table. If they could just –

"You've been searching for me."

Dean took half a step forward. "Well, you have been sending your monsters to kill us. Can't exactly expect us to – "

She glared and took a step forward. "I did not say you could speak, boy," she said lowly. "I came to dispose of you myself before being rid of that useless archangel." She looked at Sam. "You ruined my plan, you know. I meant to lure you to me and kill you slowly."

"Why are you so determined to kill the Winchesters?" Castiel asked lowly. Sam noticed that he was on edge.

Eve turned to him. She smiled and stepped forward until she was standing between the three of them. "Yes, you are fond of them, aren't you, Castiel? Well, I'm afraid your pet humans are a nuisance for me. You see, there is...someone hurting my children. The Winchesters have been stopping me from getting to him."

She looked at him levelly. "But you knew that, didn't you?" She stepped closer to him, her eyes narrowing in a glare. "You are too fond of them. You have not told them what you are doing, have you?" Sam and Dean both glanced at Castiel before looking back at Eve. "They are your weakness."

Castiel glared and stepped forward. "You will not harm them," he said lowly. "I will not allow it."

Eve laughed and the sound made Sam grit his teeth. She stepped closer until she was in Castiel's personal space. He continued to glare down at her, refusing to move. She smiled and reached up to touch his cheek. "I'm older than you, angel," she said, dragging her fingers down Castiel's face. "You have no power here."

Dean growled. "Get away from him, you bitch. You gonna kill us or not?"

She stepped away from Castiel and turned to look at Dean. "You should watch your tone with me, Dean. I could make things very painful for you." After a moment, she smiled. "Now, you wait here with Castiel. I have things to discuss with your brother."

Sam straightened and glanced at Dean worriedly as Eve approached him. She smiled up at him. "You have been giving me a lot of problems, Samuel Winchester."

"Yeah," Sam replied sarcastically, "can't say I'm sorry about that."

"Before I take care of you," she said lowly, "I want to know why it is that even though I have Gabriel under my control, why he doesn't seem capable of killing you."

Sam swallowed and looked down at her with a smirk. "Maybe you don't have as much control as you think."

Eve smiled thinly at him and raised her hand to run her fingernails against his neck. "If you don't want to answer me, then perhaps I should just kill you now." She smirked when he stiffened and tried to back away. "I know you've spoken with him, Sam. I know that he has feelings for you." She raised an eyebrow, stepping closer. Sam backed away, but his legs hit the table. "I only need you to tell me what he said. And then I'll kill you and your brother nice and quick. You're going to die anyway – wouldn't it be better to avoid all that pain?"

Sam noticed that Dean and Castiel started to move. He made himself focus on Eve. He couldn't tip her off. "What does it matter? You're just going to kill him once you're done with us."

"True," she said, taking a step backwards. "He has been more of a nuisance than a help. A disappointment, really. I had such high hopes for him." Eve shook her head. "It's a shame that I'll have to kill him."

"And how do you plan to do that exactly?" Sam could see his brother and Castiel getting closer to Eve, but he forced himself to keep looking at Eve. This was their chance to save Gabriel and kill Eve. He couldn't risk screwing up.

"It's simple, really," she replied. "I do still have some control over him, you know." She stepped forward so she was nearly pressed against Sam. "All I have to do is make him summon up that sword of his." She breathed out a small laugh. "It will be so easy, Sam. He won't even move out of the way."

She reached up and put her hand on his cheek and Sam resisted the urge to jerk away. "I'm doing you a favour, really. You wouldn't want to have to live through his death again, would you? Not now that you know you care about him. That you want him." Her hand was suddenly tight and unyielding on the side of his head as her other hand came up under his chin. "Don't worry, Samuel. I'll be quick. I am a mother, after all."

Sam writhed, trying to escape her grasp. Her hands only tightened. He looked over her head at Dean. His brother jumped forward, grabbing Eve's shoulders and wrenching her backwards. Sam felt her nails tear at his skin, but he pulled his head away. As Dean pulled her back, Castiel ripped the necklace from her throat. She screamed and tried to grab at it, but as soon as it was free from her neck Castiel threw it to the ground. The vial, a tiny thing made of glass, shattered instantly.

Eve glared, her eyes glowing red. She threw an arm back and Dean was thrown backwards. She advanced on Castiel, looking more like a monster than they had seen her appear yet. She put her hand flat against Castiel's chest, the veins in her fingers glowing with the same light as her eyes. Castiel cried out in pain and fell to his knees.

She knelt on one knee in front of him, grasping his hair and pulling his head back. "You will die slowly, angel. I am going to tear you apart piece by piece. You will beg for mercy before I am done."

"Think again." Suddenly, Gabriel was standing behind Eve. He looked furious and held his sword in his hand. Eve's eyes widened and she turned, but Gabriel forced his blade through her stomach.

She gasped in pain, but glared up at him, her eyes still glowing. "Your sword can't kill me," she hissed.

Gabriel twisted the blade and she screamed. "I know," he growled, "but that doesn't mean it won't hurt."

Eve glared and raised her hand towards him, but before she could reach him Gabriel grasped the side of her head. Her eyes continued to glow red, but she started to choke and gasp for air. The base of her throat was glowing white and she grasped at her chest as she started coughing blood. Gabriel pulled his blade free and stepped back. She glared up at him as she started coughing up dark sludge instead of blood, the same black liquid pouring down her skull.

"This isn't over," she rasped.

Gabriel glared and bent down, looking her straight in the eye. "Yeah, just try and come back again, you bitch."

She gasped and slumped to the ground. The light at the base of her throat glowed one more time before she stilled. Gabriel kicked at the broken glass of the vial and glared down at Eve. "Next time you try and bind an archangel to your will, you might want to get some stronger glass, sweetheart."

Castiel was still kneeling where Eve had left him. He was looking up at Gabriel, holding a hand over his chest where Eve had been holding him. "Gabriel – "

He stepped over Eve's body and pulled Castiel up by his arm, grinning sideways. "Hey, bro. Let's fix you up, huh?"

"What did she do?" Castiel asked lowly. "And why was she able to block my powers?"

Gabriel moved Castiel's hand, placing his own over the space. "She was screwing with your grace," he replied, his eyes focusing on his hand, "and she's older than you. She knows what makes you seraphs tick."

"But what is she?"

He shrugged. "Long story. But she's dead now and won't be coming back anytime soon." He pulled his hand away and grinned. "Now, you and I need to talk about methods and ethics, but first..." He trailed off and turned to Sam, grinning softly. "Hey, kiddo."

Sam returned the smile. "Gabriel," he replied.

Before he could protest, Gabriel was in front of him and pulling him down by the neck. It was different this time. Slower and sweeter, somehow. Gabriel's thumb stroked the side of his neck and Sam tangled one of his hands into Gabriel's hair. He laughed against Gabriel's lips when he felt Gabriel's free hand slip around his waist to squeeze his ass. He could hear Dean protest and knew that Gabriel was doing it to get a rise out of his brother.

Gabriel pulled away and turned back to smirk at Dean. "What's the problem, bucko? Can't handle seeing your baby brother getting some action?"

Dean glared. "My problem is you molesting him!"

Sam smirked as Gabriel rolled his eyes. He turned back to Sam and grinned. "I'll be back soon, Sammy. I need to have a talk with my baby bro."

"Yeah, leave me with the hard job. Now I get to try and explain things to my brother," Sam grumbled good-naturedly.

Gabriel laughed. "We are going to have fun, aren't we?"

Sam smiled. "Isn't that kind of your MO?"

"True," he replied. Sam squeezed Gabriel's hand and watched as the archangel looked up at him with a smile that was far too soft than the one he was used to. He pulled Sam down again to kiss him shortly. "Really am coming back soon," he muttered when they separated. "Can't get enough of you."

He pulled away and sauntered over to Castiel. Sam had to suppress a laugh. Damn it an archangel had just sauntered for him. He hadn't thought his life could get much weirder. But this definitely took the cake. He was pretty sure he was now dating an archangel.

Well, as far as new developments went in his life, Sam figured that at least this one had perks.