Must Assure You

Sequel to Hang a Noose

There were moments in his ridiculously long existence that he wouldn't trade for anything else.

His pride and the unbelievable power he felt when he left heaven, went into hiding, that feeling of independence that was indescribable and tasted so damn good. The beautiful sensation of feeling like he truly belonged somewhere when he found his new family. They weren't so demanding as his brothers had been, they weren't quick to judge and they brought him in out of the shadows, taught him all the wonders and faults of humanity, explained to him how to make them worship him, how to punish them. How to lead them into temptation. He had been in disguise, but that didn't matter a bit. He had been home.

Then there was that time when he started something up with Kali. You know, romantic dinners, red roses, expensive bottles of champagne. And of course, just the freedom itself was happiness. The fact that he could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. That right there, was the life.

But meeting Dean Winchester, was a miracle. Dean was a completely different story. He had never felt anything like what he felt for Dean before, not even his love for Kali and his ambition to make her love him could outdo the place in his heart he held all for Dean. And Dean alone.

With Dean it was undying, the urge to protect his humanity, the temptation to come when he called and hope he would call when he never did. With Dean it was meant to last forever, because Dean was beautiful and something he had never seen before. The human was both someone he wanted and someone he prayed never to corrupt. And was it too much to say that he was perfect? Or was it not enough?

By being close to the Winchester, he would no doubt taint him. He knew this just as well as he knew that Dean could never love him. But considering all the situations he got himself into, it would also be fatal for him if he wasn't around. So he was hanging so dangerously in the balance, halfway near him, craving to be all the way there, close enough to touch, to caress. He wanted too much more that he wouldn't allow himself to have unless Dean wanted it that way.

Right now though, he's thinking that maybe he had been wrong. Dean had called for him. His dying wish. And Gabriel wasn't one to disappoint the ones he loved. The one he loved.

So of course, the second he heard Dean say his name, he pasted an image of him smiling in his mind, so his eyes could see nothing else. And this gave him the courage to pursue his should be charge.

There was nothing else he'd rather do anyway.

XxXx

Gabriel…

Dean…

There was a blinding white light surrounding him as he entered the dark room, and he could see Dean struggling to stay upright as he was blasted with it. He was worried about Dean, but he knew to save him he would have to turn his attention towards Castiel, who he could see clearly now, directing the light at Dean.

All he could feel was Dean's pain, his screams threatening to pour out of his mouth, his pleas for Gabriel. He pushed his thoughts towards the human, begging for him to hear him. He could only hope that it would work, to give Dean the hope he needed to hold on a little while longer.

I'm here, Dean. I'm right here.

Dean's soul quieted its screaming a little, but the pain was still growing to be far too much. Gabriel had to be quick. He pushed back his relief and walked right up to Castiel, focusing on his figure within the light.

"Castiel! Let him go!" He commanded.

The corrupted angel turned to him but didn't take his attention off of Dean. Gabriel wondered what hope he really did have. But he had to try, he'd rather die than let Dean down.

"Gabriel?"

"You don't know what you're doing, Castiel. Please, stop."

Castiel grinned, power and light and the voices of so many souls pouring out of every pore, every inch of his vessel's skin. He didn't even seem to be having minor difficulty in keeping all those souls inside of him. And that was what worried Gabriel most of all. What if he wasn't strong enough? Strong enough to protect Dean?

"I cannot. He has refused to bow down to me. And I will not take no as an answer."

Gabriel wanted to cry.

"Dean Winchester is too stubborn for his own good, Castiel added, and I warned him one day it would be the death of him."

Okay, now Gabriel really was crying. And he wished Dean could see it, wished he could see how much he did care about him.

"Castiel please…"

"No", he turned back to Dean, whose soul had started screaming in agony again.

He wanted to calm him down, talk to him again, tell him to hold on. But he didn't have the time. He had to do something now or it would be too late. Everything was crashing down around him, and he wouldn't lose Dean in the midst of it all.

"I would advise you to leave, Gabriel. Leave or you'll be dead as well."

Gabriel took a deep breath and prepared himself, "I won't let you do this to Dean. I wish it hadn't come to this, Castiel."

Castiel looked over at him in shock, which caused some of his concentration on the elder Winchester to dwindle. The light dimmed and faded like mist, and he could almost see Dean clearly, but not quite. He looked back at Castiel and shut his eyes, focusing on his one and only goal.

"What are you doing?"

He knew Castiel had grown confused, scared even, and this was a good thing. It allowed him some more time, took a little of the pain away from Dean. He smiled instead of answering him, allowing it to fill him completely, forcing himself to wait patiently until it was strong enough. Until he was strong enough.

He would only have one chance at this, and he couldn't blow it. If he did, Dean would be gone. That wasn't a maybe, it was a sure thing.

He stole another deep breath from the suffocating air and took the plunge.

XxXx

He lost it for a few seconds, lost himself in memories with Dean. They weren't the happiest, but if he managed to pull this one thing off, he'd have the rest of eternity to make new ones with him. Because now he knew Dean needed him, wanted him.

And that was something worth fighting for. Worth dying for.

He pulled himself back to the surface to hear Castiel screaming, golden light pounded endlessly into his body, crushing the souls and ripping them out of the angel. Then the pain came for him as well, and Gabriel held on tight, focused all his grace on stopping Castiel. He tried to block out the pain, but he knew he wouldn't be able to do it too much longer. He let out a cry of rage towards his victim, the monster who was hurting Dean, and he directed his last bit of energy at Castiel with that rage so it spiraled nearly out of control. He finally let go a few seconds later.

Castiel was clearly wounded, almost mortally wounded. But it still wasn't enough, and Gabriel didn't have any remaining energy to make it enough. Castiel had grown to be far more powerful than he had ever imagined. Gabriel had wanted to make Dean proud, but he had only gone halfway there. He had stopped Castiel, but not for good. And he had to get past that now and accept it. It was time to focus on Dean now.

Castiel was now unable to control his grace, and it flowed out of his vessel in ripples. Some of the souls continued to scream as they fell from him to the ground. They were no longer alive and an immense loss of grace for the angel, considering he'd never be able to gain them back. He was dying without those souls, and it was a beautiful thing to watch.

Gabriel wanted to smile but he couldn't manage to, he was still trying to get his breath back, still waiting for the pain to recede.

The angel looked up at him and without saying a word, without lingering for a moment longer, he vanished. He vanished and the archangel wanted to collapse to the ground in utter relief and exhaustion.

Dean…

His eyes slid over to see the hunter miraculously still standing, but not for long. He sprinted to him and lowered him to the ground slowly, watching his eyes slip shut as he wrapped an arm under his legs and another behind his neck. He could feel Sam and Bobby hovering nearby but that didn't matter, they were rendered speechless and even if they hadn't Gabriel would have ignored them anyway.

His Dean was too precious not to take care of now. His full attention was, and of course would always be, on him.

"Dean, no. Open those pretty green eyes for me, okay? Dean?"

Responding to his voice, the human's eyes slid open and focused on Gabriel. The archangel sighed in relief and slumped further onto the ground in happiness, pulling Dean a little closer to him so he was now lying in his lap. Everything around him stopped at the exact same moment, Dean was alive. Alive.

"Hey."

Dean blinked a few times, as if not believing Gabriel was really there, "Hey."

"I'm so sorry, Dean."

His face was even beautiful when it was lined with confusion. How much more temptation must Gabriel take until he could have what he wanted?

"For what?"

"I should have gotten here sooner, I should have been able to kill Castiel. I should have stopped this from even happening."

There were so many more reasons that he didn't have the strength to speak.

"Not your fault. S' mine. My fault."

Gabriel shook his head because he didn't know what else to do. He just wanted Dean to be okay now. There was no blood coming out of him but he was still dying, his body failing. Castiel's remaining grace ripping his body to shreds and strangling his soul. Gabriel pulled him even closer, knowing the fight wasn't over yet. Soon, very soon, he would have to heal the love of his life.

"I heard you."

He breached Dean's personal space and stroked his face, and he didn't even complain. Whether he was too weak to do so or wanted it in the first place, Gabriel didn't know. But he certainly did hope it was the latter.

Dean licked his lips and a grimace flashed across his flawless face, causing Gabriel to go dizzy for a few seconds in panic. He stilled himself and held onto his eyes.

"I held on."

"I know you did. And I'm so proud of you. So proud."

Dean smiled and his eyes started to slip closed again. Gabriel now knew this was the time to act.

"We'll talk later, okay? You rest now."

He gathered all his remaining strength, and pressed one of his hands on the human's forehead and the other on his chest. Then he channeled his grace, every bit of it he could without killing himself, into Dean. It hurt like hell but it was all worth it, so long as he could see Dean's smile again. Just never again in a situation like this.

He heard Sam walk closer to the two of them, but he couldn't worry about him now. He had to focus. Dean was everything now.

"Gabriel? What are you doing to my brother?"

It was more concern than anger, which Gabriel didn't have the time to realize how much of a good thing that was. It meant that Sam had moved forward in trusting him, at least enough not to rip Dean out of his arms.

"Quiet Sam, I'm healing him."

Sam must have backed off for not another sound was heard from his lips.

Two minutes later and the archangel lifted up his hands and drew a deep breath. Having your grace drained twice in one day was no walk in the park, he was shocked he was still alive and kicking. He just had to focus on breathing in and out, cause he was pretty close to passing out after all of that.

And from what he could see, it had paid off. Dean's chest was rising and falling, a little shallowly but he would live. Gabriel had done what he had come here to do. And now he allowed the relief to flood through every inch of his body, as he satisfied himself by looking over at his Dean. He was so beautiful when he was breathing.

He let himself relax for a few minutes, but the pressing matter of getting out of there consumed his thoughts before long. And he found himself standing, lifting Dean up into his arms and walking out the door. He supposed they would crash at a motel until Dean woke up. Where they went, he couldn't really find himself to care.

Dean was alive. And he was all his.

And it didn't matter what would happen next, whether they'd be forced to go after Castiel and stop him by killing him, or if it was even possible to start up something with Dean Winchester. But he'd die trying.

And he knew Dean would too.

FIN