"...but I'm in the game now, and I'm not on your side, or Michael's. I'm on theirs."

"Brother, don't make me do this."

"No one makes us do anything."

"I know you think you're doing the right thing, Gabriel. But I know where your heart truly lies."

Lucifer swiveled on his heels and grabbed Gabriel's fist, using the momentum to arch the blade down and back into its wielder.

"Lucifer!" a deep, clearly pissed shout echoed off the walls of the conference room.

The sword's path was halted, as if suddenly striking concrete, only centimeters away from piercing the skin of the shorter archangel.

The sudden twisting path of occurrences left Gabriel's head reeling. He was expecting to die, pretty much supposed to die when his brother saw through his plan.

His eyes locked with Sam's, "Dammit, kiddo, you were supposed to be miles from here by now!"

A cold shot of grace slammed into his vessel as a warning. His face winced in agony while his knees threatened to buckle.

"Sam!" Lucifer purred, "It's been too long since we've had our last chat."

Even from this distance, Gabriel could see Sam clench his teeth together.

"Let him go," Sam growled.

Lucifer's lips tilted upward in a cruel smirk, "And what would be in it for me, young Samuel?"

"Sam..." Gabriel tried, but another blast of cold shot through him as his brother tightened his grip on his shoulder.

"Anything. Except me, Dean, and Castiel."

Lucifer let out a low chuckle, "You know I only want you, Samuel. So, if you are not offering yourself, there really is no incentive to keep my annoying little brother around."

The blade in Gabriel's hand was pushed forward into his vessel's stomach. Fire raced up through the tendrils of his grace until his whole core felt as if it would burst into flames. He couldn't hold back the scream as it was ripped forcefully from his throat, his hand reflexively tightening around the handle.

"Stop!" Sam cried, "How can you hurt your own brother?!"

The blade stopped its descent, allowing Gabriel to draw in harsh, ragged breaths as his grace retreated from the organs of his vessel. Every slight shift caused a whimper of pain to escape.

"What kind of brother helps lock his own brother in the Pit? I have no family," Lucifer sunk the sword in another half-inch.

Another scream was torn from Gabriel, his left knee finally collapsing with the strain. He was being held off the ground solely by Lucifer's bruising grip on his shoulder.

"Stop..." Sam commanded weakly, "You're killing him."

"Run," Gabriel managed to gasp out.

Lucifer shot an annoyed glare at his brother before locking his eyes back on Sam, "Yes, that is the general idea. However, if his life means that much to you, I'll make you a deal."

"Sam... no," but more importantly, the one question Gabriel couldn't voice, why?, why even consider...?

"Your puny, short, miserable, human life," Lucifer continued, "for an archangel's—a being that can live till the end of time."

"NO," Gabriel gritted through his teeth. He wanted to spout off how stupid even thinking that was a good deal, how Lucifer's word meant jack-squat, how no angel should be trusted, but all that came out was another choked scream as the sword sank deeper.

"Tick tock, Samuel. I'm not in a very patient mood today, and the sword is so close to my brother's heart. One careless slip and you won't even have the choice to make."

Sam's entire body was rigid, his fingers curled up into tight fists. Hazel eyes were darting back and forth, looking for a way out of this mess.

Gabriel's next blood-curdling scream broke the young hunter, "Yes! Yes, I accept if you let him go!"

"SAM!" Gabriel screamed even as Lucifer ripped the sword from his stomach and out of his hand, stalking towards the hunter like a predator—exactly like a predator.

Gabriel collapsed onto the floor, his head causing a sick crack as it hit the wood.

What have you done?

The bright light that filled the room sickened Gabriel to the point of wanting to vomit for the first time in his long life.

Long, slow strides echoed off the floor until a pair of familiar, worn boots came into view.

Gabriel closed his eyes, his first ever tear gliding down his skin. He whispered, "Sam."

"I am afraid Samuel is no longer with us," it was Sam's voice, but... not. Twisted and cruel, and cold where life had once been. The wound in his vessel was nothing compared to how his heart was being ripped from his chest.

A hand was waved over his body and Gabriel barely understood he was flying through the air before being forced into a wall. Lucifer was instantly in his face, hand around his throat to keep him pinned. Everything about Sam was gone. His crooked smile was dead, his dimples filled in, even his hazel eyes had changed color. Gabriel couldn't stand those eyes, how Lucifer could take someone so full of good and love, and just destroy it.

"It's time you got out of my way permanently, Gabriel."

Just as he had known, Sam's sacrifice was for nothing.

Gabriel locked his eyes with Sam, not his brother, but Sam. He looked passed the dulled irises, into the body, hoping... praying Sam could hear him one last time.

"It's alright, kiddo. You did good. You tried," Gabriel took a deep breath, "I love you, Sam."

Lucifer sneered, his free hand that was wrapped around Gabriel's sword coming up to sink into his chest.

Gabriel refused to close his eyes, refused to leave Sam even one second before he had to.

A strong burst of energy enveloped the room. The hand holding Gabriel by the throat released causing him to fall back to the floor. The blond archangel could only stare in wonder as Sam's body jerked around, two similar yet distinctly different voices coming from the same throat.

The devil's vessel bent over, hands clenching at his scalp, then the erratic movements stopped. The conference room was so quiet that Gabriel didn't dare move.

Lucifer slowly straightened up, body standing to full height before he locked eyes with Gabriel and smiled. No, Sam smiled.

"Oh, Father," Gabriel's soft voice sounded volumes louder in the silence.

"Gabriel," Sam whispered. Sam.

He reached down carefully and helped Gabriel to his feet. The archangel could hardly feel the wound, whether from his grace already beginning to heal or just from complete shock.

Gabriel was jerked forward into a bone-crushing hug which he returned readily. Strong hands slowly leaned him back until Sam was staring him in the eyes. These were Sam's eyes, hazel and warm and safe. A warm hand slid up his face as a thumb rubbed tenderly beneath his eye. Gabriel leaned into the touch, his eyelids automatically shutting.

Warm lips settled on his for too short a moment, barely a taste before Sam drew back.

"I've loved you for a long time, Gabriel," the words glided over his grace, "I'm so sorry, but he's too strong."

"Wha...?" was all Gabriel was able to get out before Sam raised the sword still clutched in his hand and buried it right into his own chest.

"No!" Gabriel screamed as light filled the room.

The archangel didn't think as a second light filled the hotel room, his grace exploding from his vessel and expanding in an infinite number of directions.

That one-tenth of a second was the longest moment Gabriel had ever experienced. Strands of grace shot out searching, relieved when thin threads wrapped around the younger Winchester's soul and slammed it back into his body.

"Where do you think you're going, Winchester?!" Gabriel growled in a voice he hadn't used since he left Heaven.

Pure, unfiltered grace made little work of the hole in Sam's chest, but Gabriel poured himself into every nook and cranny of the young hunter's body: healing, purifying, marking... whoops.

Sam coughed, stirred, and groaned while Gabriel quickly folded himself back into his vessel so he didn't burn the human's eyes out.

"Is this hell?" Sam's rough voice asked.

"Close!" Gabriel snarked, although it was missing its usual bite, "But not quite."

Sam shot up, wincing as his body protested, "Gabriel?!"

Gabriel was quickly at Sam's side, helping him hold himself up, "Don't strain yourself there, princess. You kind of just died. Although, for you Winchesters, I guess that isn't much of a shock anymore."

Sam's eyes widened, "Yeah... I, I stabbed myself... with Lucifer in me! Why didn't it work?!"

"Oh, it did, kiddo. Take a look behind you," Gabriel nodded to the ground.

Sam glanced back to see two large, black wing prints burned into the floor.

"Those are...?"

"Luci's?" Gabriel finished, "Yep."

Sam had turned back around to stare at Gabriel.

"Congrats, kid. You just derailed, blew up, danced around, and stomped on the ashes of destiny while flipping it the bird as you left."

"Why am I not dead?"

A valid question, and one Gabriel really didn't want to answer.

Gabriel rolled his eyes, "Can't you just be grateful that you're not. Winchesters, always have to go poking at things that don't need to be poked at."

Sam bit his lip in concentration, staring at the archangel like he was the one that could read minds.

"Gabriel, please?"

How the hell was an archangel supposed to resist fucking puppy-eyes?

Gabriel ran a hand through his hair, "I caught your soul midflight and shoved it back into your body. I'm awesome, I know. Please, keep the worshipping down to gifts of sugar and mint. I'm not fond of tiny animal sacrifice."

Sam was staring at him quietly, again, doing that whole 'I'm thinking about something important... something about you' face.

It made Gabriel want to squirm, "What?"

A bright smile lit up Sam's face. He grabbed the front of Gabriel's jacket and pulled him in, his lips firmly settling on the archangel's.

"You love me," Sam grinned.

"Heard that, did you?" Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck, "Well... you said you loved me, too."

"That I did, and I do," Sam's eyes softened to a familiar warmth as he cupped Gabriel's cheek.

Gabriel's grace tingled with the knowledge as their lips crashed back together. The archangel nipped at Sam's bottom lip pushing a hand up under the layer of plaid.

Sam gasped, "What the hell was that?!"

Gabriel froze, feeling the singed handprint over the hunter's chest. ...so that's where that went.

Sam pulled up his shirt to display the healed welt, "Gabriel! What the hell happened?!"

"Funny story, uh..." Gabriel forced a smile, "Got a bit carried away making sure your soul stayed attached to your body."

"So you marked me?" Sam huffed.

"Well, kiddo, you know me," Gabriel shrugged, "I don't share."

Gabriel was expecting Sam to erupt into a bitchfest of anger, so he was shocked when Sam started laughing. The hunter was doubling over himself, holding his stomach as barrels of laughter racked his body.

When he finally got a hold of himself, he gently cupped Gabriel's face between his hands, "Can't say I don't know what I'm getting myself into."

"Oh, babe, you have no idea," Gabriel waggled his eyebrows.

Sam smiled, "Then, I'm looking forward to finding out."

The promise was sealed with another kiss.