And the results of the almost-Apocalypse are... ((RueMarion + Woofie))
 

Sam sat in yet another hotel room in the middle of nowhere, waiting for Dean to get back from a bar. He preferred it when his brother was off doing something else; it was easier for Sam. He didn't have to keep pretending to care, and pretend to be someone he wasn't. Not anymore.

Oh, he still remembered who he'd been, alright. He remembered everything. And frankly, he was kind of disappointed in himself. Really? Jumping into the Pit to save the world? Yeah, the world had its good points. Like sex. Sex was awesome. But being so self-sacrificing? That was... incomprehensible to him now.

Shaking his head to get his hair out of his eyes, Sam let his attention shift back to his computer. He'd found another hunt for them, a possible vampire hunt. And since they were still supposed to be finding Alphas, he made a point to mark every hunt he saw. Just in case one of them was actually useful. He was a practical man now; it wasn't smart to piss of someone stronger than himself, at least not until he found a surefire way to get the bastard back for everything.

“Another.” Dean thunked the shot glass on the table waiting for the bartender to fill it up. He threw it back quickly enjoying the slow burn as the alcohol made it’s way to his gut. The only real enjoyment he got anymore, he signaled for another two rounds taking time to sip at one. Opening his phone noting that Lisa had called again.

He wanted to call her, say hi to Ben, make promises that he couldn’t possibly keep. Growling softly he threw back his drink. He was becoming John, flighty and always concerned with the hunt. Lisa and Ben didn’t deserve that. They deserved a man who would put them first, to teach Ben how to be a man, not to become a monster who hunted other monsters. The Winchester trade, at least Sam was alive…

But, Sam wasn’t Sam anymore. He didn’t laugh, didn’t smile and Dean got it, he really did. Hell wasn’t a laughing matter, but Sam treated it as if his time there wasn’t anymore than normal day. Dean had called Cas, again and again, though he never got an answer. “Fuck him.”

Dean paid his tab, leaving the hot bartender a sizable tip. As he exited the bar, his phone went off. It was Lisa, better to get this over with. “Hey.”

“Dean! Hey! Were are you? I thought you were going to call.” Lisa’s voice was bright and cheery almost too much for Dean. The hunter slid into the impala, trying not to sigh.

“I’ve been pretty busy Baby. How’s Ben?” He listened quietly even saying hi when she put the boy on. Ben was getting the worst part of the deal. The kid needed a dad…not the guy that rolled through town every now and then. “Yea Ben. Take care of your mom. See ya.”

Lisa’s voice came back over the phone. “When are you coming around again?”

“We’re close, about a day’s drive…Lisa…Look, I got to take care of a few things first then I’ll come. At least for a few days.” He turned the car on getting ready to leave.

“I know Dean. You do what you have to Baby…we’ll see you when you can.” Dean’s stomach dropped out, I’m such an ass. “Dean?”

“Yea Lisa?”

“Love you. Be safe.” She sounded worried, like she knew…knew it would never be the same.

“Alright. Call ya later.” Dean hung up. He couldn’t say it to her, not when he didn’t mean it. He hadn’t meant it in a while, maybe not ever. Running to Lisa after he watched Sam fall into the pit had been his second plan. At first…at first he had planned to find the biggest baddest monster after Sam was gone and fight the sucker until either it was dead or he was. Then do it all over again…suicide by monster. “SON OF A BITCH!”

Dean slammed his palm onto the steering wheel, before heading back to the motel.
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A silent invisible figure watched the hunter pull out of the lot and down the rode. He shook his head.

“Oh Deno…” He disappeared in a flutter of wings.

Sam stretched idly before he resettled himself in front of his computer. Research was boring; yeah, he was good at it, but that didn't mean he liked it. Not anymore. He didn't find pleasure it anything, not really. Satisfaction when he ganked a monster that deserved it, yeah, but no real pleasure.

Of course, even the satisfaction wasn't always enough. He'd seen the looks the other Cambels gave him, watching behind his back. They'd never fully trusted him. Oh well. Their loss.

He heard the distinctive rumble of the Impala a few blocks away, and he swore quietly. It wasn't that he didn't like having Dean around; Dean was decent company, and he was Sam's brother. But that word didn't have the same associations now as it had a year ago. Now it was just a word, an obligation.

Never the less, Sam pulled up the page where he'd found the potential hunt, looking it over again. Definitely a hunt. Okay, that was good. At least now he'd have something to tell Dean. And hopefully his brother (his nose wrinkled a little when he slipped back into that mindset; calling Dean his brother was only cementing the bond) would just want to go to sleep. It was pretty late, after all, and Dean had gotten used to a job. A plain life.

Sam sometimes wondered how he'd managed to live this long without the hunting and the paranoia and the weapons. Sometimes he wondered why Dean hadn't jumped into hunting with such enthusiasm that he'd killed himself. But he didn't have the answers to those questions, and it was pointless trying to guess anything more. So he shrugged and looked at the door to the hotel when the rumbling purr of the engine cut off.

Time to keep practicing his acting skills.

Dean turned off the engine when he parked in front of the no name Motel. He could see the hulking form of Sammy through the window. It took everything he had to not turn the Impala back on and drive as fast as he could in the other direction. But even when Sam wasn’t Sam, he was still Dean’s baby brother and it was his responsibility to watch out for the younger man.

He opened the door, grabbing the burgers he picked up on the way back. Dean still made sure that Sam got a chicken burger with extra veggies and a side salad. “Sammy I got grub.”

Throwing the bags on the table he grabbed two beers out of the fridge. He handed one to his brother then popped the top off his drinking half of it in a few swallows. “So what do we got? Vampires, Werewolves, or a damn ghost, I don't care just get me something to gank." He pulled out his chili cheese burger leaning over Sam's computer.

"Vampires," Sam said, taking out the food designated as his and looking it over. "A few of them, at least. I can't tell how many. But they're preying on girls, mostly."

Reaching over, Sam brought up the map he'd found of the area, pointing out where the girls seemed to be going missing from. "Half a dozen girls in the past two weeks alone. Whatever they're doing, they're taking a lot of girls."

Which he knew should bother him, but it didn't. Honestly, the only thought he had was that if the girls were stupid enough to get caught by the vamps, they deserved whatever they got. Not a very nice thought, but hey, Sam never claimed to be nice anymore. But he still had to pretend.

Dean bit into his burger using the wrapping to catch the chili dripping off. He moaned, nothing beat a good chili cheese burger.

" 'o 'ampi'-" He swallowed trying again. "So vampires huh?" The older hunter looked at his brother. Sam had sounded almost giddy. Years of living together had Dean's ears programed to every nuance and pitch of Sammy's voice. He could tell when the kid was upset, happy or even lying. Sam's usual voice when he talked about a case was empathic, worried, sorrowful even. Dean gave his brother a sideways glance.

"Anybodies found? So the vampires are taking them? Why?" Dean popped his second beer, it was weird vampires were all eat and ditch, not the type to clean up after themselves.
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He watched the two young men from his seat on the car. Dean would have staked him if he could see him. He smile sucking on the swirled lolly pop. They both looked good physically, but there was something wrong with the younger Winchester. His normal light was lacking...missing a piece. Hmmmm...Something to look into.

Smiling the man snapped his fingers and disappeared.

"No bodies yet. Just missing girls." Sam shrugged, eating more slowly and carefully than Dean did. He eyed his brother with something akin to disgust for a moment before he shrugged. Not his problem.

"I don't know what they're doing, but whatever it is, they're not leaving bodies to be found." Sam shrugged. "Maybe they're turning people?"

It made a sort of sick sense. Traveling with Samuel, he'd encountered more werewolves and other creatures that were made rather than born. Of course, there were also more creatures that were born.

Basically, there was more of everything running around. More things for him to kill. Oh goodie.

--------

Castiel paused in the middle of a discussion with some of his followers. He'd felt a brief flicker of power that he hadn't felt for a while, that he shouldn't feel. That power shouldn't be around; it had vanished, been wiped from the earth forever.

He knew because the Winchesters had told him.

Shaking himself briefly (in a metaphysical way because it's hard to shake a non-physical being), Castiel turned his attention back to his warriors. He had other things to focus on.

"Alright. It's about four hour's drive from here. I'm going to shower then sleep, you should get some sleep too Sammy." Dean wiped his hands and face. He downed another beer hoping to get drunk and sleep. Really sleep. Sammy may not be having nightmares but, Dean had been again. He quickly undressed in the bathroom. hopping in the hot water.

Well, they had never really stopped. Lisa had been there through most of the bad ones. The dreams when he first came back from the graveyard. He would wake up screaming night after night, reaching for Sammy. Lisa held him, let him sob into her shoulder. That lasted about a week then he was able to control it. He'd wake up go outside or to another room. Some nights he'd go outside and talk to Sam...even though he wasn't there. Most of the nights he'd talk to Cas.

Cas...the angle was always on his mind, at least when Sammy wasn't. The angel had been a no show then...nothing. He found that he missed the quirky little angel. He'd been there for death when even Sam had abandoned him for Ruby.

Dean sighed turning off the water. Toweling off his hand lingered over the hand print on his shoulder. "Damn it Cas...I hope your ok."

He left the bathroom and slipped into bed. Laying back he watched his brother for a moment, the younger man showed no sign of stopping. "Night Sammy. Seriously dude, get some rest." With that he turned over and fell asleep.
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(totally talking some liberties with God and such...if it bugs u I will change it)
He stood in the lush garden hidden from his brothers and sisters. A few feet away a shorter fluffy haired, bearded man and tall elegant woman. Long auburn hair rolled down her back, trailing on the thick green carpet. She held a small exotic animal in her arms...a red panda he noted. The woman turned to him smiling. "Hello son." Resting her hand on the man's shoulder she pulled her husband's attention to the present. "I believe our boy has question beloved."

The man the Winchesters knew as Chuck looked up. "Oh Gabriel wonderful! How can we help you, son?" He walked forward, flowers, blooming and dying with each step.

"What's wrong with Sam?" Gabriel's wings fluttered. He hated talking to his father. God liked talking to them in human form...it was unnerving. The woman dropped the animal in her arms to the floor laying an elegant hand on Gabriel's arm and guided him to a small stump. She cleaned and pruned his wings as he spoke to his father.

"Gabriel...That is part of the reason I brought you back. There are things happening now...that you will change. I cannot give you the full details, my son...." The all-father sat next to his son. He never looked at the angel just out over the garden, he manipulated the trees and plants around them to change and flow. "Your mother and I need you to stand up for the things you care about...Like you did with your brother. I cannot guide you more than that I cannot do more than that."

Gabriel stood suddenly angrily. "And what about Castiel and the civil war?! Are you really going to let Raphael get away with this...." His six wings arched out behind him, bright and glowing. He stopped suddenly when he heard the laughing.

God had a hand across his middle, "Child..." He placed a gentle hand on Gabriel's shoulder, the archangel fell to his knees at the overwhelming since of love and peace. "All my creations have free will. It is up to them to change. I could stop them with one word, wipe Raphael off the board, but my son...what good would that do? Would you learn, would you grow?"

He let go of the archangel. "I have to stand aside as your father...let you learn. It is for people like you, like Castiel and the Winchesters to stand up and defend the earth. Be brave my son, have faith in yourself...I do." He kissed the top of the archangel's head. "This will be the last time we will speak, my son. Be brave." God turned moving away and took the woman's hand, before snapping his fingers.

A bright light blinded the Archangel. He blinked finding himself in the middle of Stull Cemetery. "THANKS!" Gabriel stood throwing his arms up in exasperation and popping off.

Sam looked over at Dean as he emerged from the bathroom. Sam had been doing some reading, and now he rolled his eyes and kept the lights off. He'd change his clothes an hour or so before sunrise, so Dean would think he'd slept. But he didn't need to sleep. Not anymore. He hadn't slept since he'd been raised from the Pit.

After spending his night reading and idly browsing the internet, Sam got up and took a shower at 6 in the morning. Time didn't make much of a difference to him, but he figured he wanted to get his shower in while there was hot water in the hotel.

He gave Dean another hour to sleep before he dumped Dean's duffel bag on his brother. "Hey. Dean. Get up. We'd better get going if we want to get there at a decent hour." If it was a four-hour drive, Sam wanted to get there early to get a motel room, and then scout out the places where the girls had last been seen. And hopefully they'd get lucky and the bloodsuckers would be out hunting tonight.

-----

That time Cas was sure he felt something. Frowning, he excused himself and vanished to Earth again, to where he'd felt the angelic energy coming from.

He paused when he saw Gabriel, staying back and hiding himself for the time being. There was no way... no way at all. Gabriel had died; the Winchesters had been and had told him so. He'd felt Gabriel's death, the imbalance of power that had put him in his current position.

Frowning deeply, Castiel approached the other angel cautiously. "Gabriel?" he questioned, just to be sure. His voice was cautious, just as he was cautious. Too much had happened in the past years for him to be hopeful anymore.

Dean felt something hit his head pulling him out of a wonderful dream;a stripper name Cinnamon and a large bottle of Johnny Walker Blue. They had just been getting to the interesting part when the bag hit his head. He sat up pulling the knife from under his pillow, before he heard Sam. "There better be coffee Sam, not going anywhere without coffee. You maybe taller but, I can still kick your ass."

Rubbing his face Dean grabbed his bag and got a shirt, throwing it on. All of there gear was packed, the room wiped down. Sam hadn't slept again. Instead of getting worried Dean just shook his head muttering to himself and grabbed his jacket and keys. It was the little things he was starting to miss. The times, when he'd wake up to Sam's smile, a cup of coffee and donuts. Now, he had to remind the wayward man to eat, to sleep

He grabbed their bags following Sam out to the door and sliding into his baby. "Morning Darling, ready to get on the road again?" The hunter rubbed a hand over the impala's dash. "Alright McDonald's for the morning fuel, then onto get some vamps. Whadda say Sammy?"

----------------------

Gabe tensed his wings moving nervously. He wasn't ready to confront his brothers yet. He turned giving Castiel his biggest smile. "Hey little brother!"

He was taken a back by his brother's appearance. Cas looked tired, broken and afraid. It figured, the poor kid had seen his share of hardship in the last few years...but there was something else, something dark around the edges of Castiel's grace. Pushing his own grace forward the archangel reached to touch his brother. It was a simple yet intimate gesture between angels. One he had shared thousands of times with the little angel.

Their mother had given him the task of watching over the little guy, when he was first brought into existence. She had come over the bundle in her arms squirming. Mother had knelt showing the newset angel to Gabriel. "This is your brother. Watch over him...teach him." She smiled at the fledgeling. "He has a great and wonderful journey ahead of him."

Gabe shook off the memory before approaching his brother slowly. "How are you Castiel?"

Sam watched as Dean got up. He'd made some coffee, although he didn't really need it anymore. But he knew that Dean required at least one cup of coffee to actually get in and going in the mornings.

Besides, it was one of the few things he still enjoyed anymore. As much as he could enjoy things.

Following Dean out to the car, he nodded at his brother's plan, putting his bags in the trunk of the car before he got into the passenger seat. This reminded him some of how things used to be. Before Hell, before the pit, before he somehow got out... But things weren't the same. In fact, they were far from. Neither of them really said anything, but they both knew this couldn't last. Dean was pulled in too many directions, and he was too cautious around Sam now. Sam was just wondering when it would be time for him to move on again.

He glanced over at the menu when they got to McDonald's before he shrugged. "Just get me one of those oatmeal things." He didn't really care, and he was pretty sure he wouldn't like the food. But it was something old him would have ordered, and the longer he could keep Dean from suspecting him the better.

------

Castiel shivered briefly at the touch, his grace slowly relaxing and welcoming Gabriel's. It had been a long time since he's been able to be with his older brother. Even before he'd rebelled against Heaven, his other brothers and sisters had been closed off. And now they were either his enemy, or they were serving under him and wouldn't treat him as just another of them.

"I am..." Castiel trailed off. He was unsure how to respond to that. Abruptly his grace pulled back in, hiding from Gabriel. His brother didn't need to know everything. He didn't need to know what Castiel had been through, what he was going through. Castiel could deal with this himself.

"I am fine. And what of you, Gabriel? You were dead. The Winchesters saw it happen; we all felt it. What happened?"

Dean gave a fake smile to his brother as he pulled the bags of grease through the windows. At least Sammy had ordered his normal fare, not some greasy concoction. He was already antsy sitting next to his brother...if it really was his brother anymore. He and Bobby had run every test on 'Sammy', and he tested normal...so why did he feel like he was sitting next to a Rugaru?

He sighed opening the bag and handing Sam his oatmeal and a breakfast burrito. "Don't bitch Sam. You need the calories, barely been eating as it is." The older Winchester tore into his steak 'n egg bagel. Moaning around the mouthful he smiled at his brother then flipped on radio. Journey started up making Dean tap out the rhythm on the steering wheel.

It felt good, normal...well as normal as their lives were. He looked at Sam beside him...a blank hollow mask. "Sam you know...if there is anything you wanna talk about I will listen."

Dean missed Sam's jabber, ever since he came back the man was more than silent. Before he'd tell Dean to turn down the music or talk to him about the next job. Or hell even bug him about the next job. All he got from this Sam was a blank look so reminiscent of the Devil that it broke his heart. Maybe his brother was broken, that Hell had killed the Sammy had grown up and loved with all his heart...what if this Sam wasn't a monster...it was just Sam.
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Gabriel was saddened by the way Castiel pulled his grace away from him. The younger angel had always been so open with him so carefree and loving. Ready to serve their father with a happy heart. The first thing the archangel noticed about his brother was how tired he looked.

He smiled at the other angel. "Father brought me back. Guess I wasn't a complete disappointment in his eyes. Hate to say it Castiel, but you look like crap. The civil war going that bad?"

Sam looked at the burrito with thinly veiled distrust and disgust. The thing did not look edible. So he didn't touch it, just stirring the nuts into his oatmeal and giving it a minute to cool down before he started eating.

He froze at Dean's next words, though. Anything he wanted to talk about? No. There was nothing.

He shrugged carefully. "I'm fine, Dean. Really. Never been better." And it was true. Now that he could see things more clearly, objectively, he wasn't burdened by his former pesky need to help people.

And while that made things easier for him, it made him less human. He couldn't see it that way, but he could tell Dean didn't really see him anymore. Oh well. As far as he was concerned, he was fine. He didn't want anything to change.

-----

Castiel nodded. That made sense. God had brought him back, after all. So it wasn't so hard for him to believe that God had brought back Gabriel.

He was quiet for a few moments at the Archangel's question. Yes, the war was going that badly. He nodded slowly, his eyes sad and serious as he watched Gabriel.

"I killed three of my brothers and sisters in the past day alone," he said quietly. "I have never seen our siblings so divided. But Raphael is determined he is right, and his followers are as staunch as mine." He grimaced very faintly. He'd started slipping back into his emotionless mask ever since the end of the Apocalypse; it was easier for him. Less painful.

They drove the rest of the way without talking. Dean changing the radio or popping in a new tape after each twenty or so miles. He pulled into the first cheep motel on the outskirts of town. Easier for them to keep a low profile. He got two room keys and did some half-hearted flirting with the young thing in reception while Sam waited in the car.

Dean kept his face loose and carefree as he helped the taller man unload the Impala and head in. He threw the bags on the bed, made sure the DO NOT DISTURB sign was on the door and grabbed the files. "Alright so six girls, all about the same age, middle class, good homes. So do we want to start with the home of the latest victim?"

He grabbed their suits and ID's. "So would you rather we be Agents Valory and Cain of the FBI or Rudd and Young of the State Police?" Dean smiled at the names, Journey and AC/DC, classic. Sam had always scoffed rolling his eyes, but now he got nothing. His smile fell, maybe Sam was just worried...He tried to shake it off grabbing his suit and getting dressed.
---------------
Gabe watched Castiel pull his mask down, it broke the older angel's heart. This war was killing his little brother. But there was something else, something dark. Was this what their father had meant? Without another thought he moved forward taking his brother in his arms. His wings, invisible to the naked eye, but easily seen by an angel, circled Castiel.

"I am sorry for thee brother and I morn with thee," He whispered in perfect Enochian. After a moment Gabriel pulled back giving Castiel his patented smile. "I have a few things left to do...or I'd help you. Brother be careful. Winning or loosing this war is not the end of the fight. Don't make promises you can't keep."

With that Gabe snapped his fingers sending himself far away from his little brother. He covered his tracts with a thought then headed to see an old friend.

Sam shrugged. "You can start there. I was going to go to the club they were last seen at." It made more sense to him. He didn't think they needed to talk to the family; he doubted they'd know anything. He figured they'd have better chances at the bar.

Plus then he wouldn't have to deal with pesky people and crying mothers and all that crap.

At the second question, he just shrugged again. "It doesn't matter. You pick." It didn't make a bit of difference to him. An alias was an alias. The names he recognized; he just didn't care. He couldn't care less if Dean wanted to name them after old movie stars or porn stars, for all he cared.

It took him only a few moments to go through his bag, grabbing his machete and setting it off to the side. It wouldn't hurt to have a few guns with him just in case, but he was about 90% sure they were dealing with vamps.

Dean's face fell as he listened to his brother. Of course Sam didn't want to visit the families...this 'Sam' didn't give a rat's ass about the people they were saving. Dammit Sam. He looked away trying not to show the pain on his face to the other man. "Alright the club. But it doesn't open for another six hours. We've got time to get all the facts Sam, make sure it's really vamps taking these girls, maybe figure out why."

He pulled off his shirt, reaching for the button up and his tie. "Get dressed Sammy." The older hunter wasn't taking no for answer.
---------------
Gabriel landed with a silent whump inside the Winchester's room. He was completely invisible. It wasn't time to play his hand yet...he needed to see what had happened to the younger of the pair. Sam had obviously been pulled out by Cas.

His little brother had no style when it came to Sam. He could see traces of the younger angel all over the man. Sitting silently on one of the beds Gabe watched the Sasquatch of a man, Physically Sam was perfect...the archangel popped a dumdum in his mouth tilting his head to get a better view of the younger Winchester's more tantalizing assets. Castiel had done a good job, but something was still off.

Looking over at the older Winchester he could see the man was on the edge of exploding at his brother. Sam's emotionless demeanor was driving him mad. He ignored that looking at the man's physical composition. Since the man had also been put together by Cas he was a good place to compare the angel's work.

Dean was perfect physically as well no imperfections accept there was detail...he was marked. Gabriel's little brother's mark was a bright shining beacon on the man. Cas had marked Dean as his, maybe unintentionally...maybe not. He stood standing as near to the young man's face as he dared before letting his grace probe the mark. It flared pushing Gabriel's grace away, he added feeling of calm to his grace before pushing a little harder. This time the mark opened freely...."Oh Cassy. You've been a naughty boy little brother."

Sam slanted a narrow-eyed look at his brother but he moved to get his suit as well, stripping down silently with his back to Dean. He pulled the suit on quickly. He didn't understand why Dean felt the need to talk to the family. It made no sense to him. They'd be better off canvasing the area and looking for other signs of attacks.

But he didn't say anything to Dean, just dressing quickly before pulling out his fake FBI badge and then watching Dean. He was starting to wonder about Dean's judgment now. Dean was allowing his emotions to rule him; the elder of the two had always been like that, but Sam could see it even more now that he was able to be objective.

"Sure we shouldn't be canvasing the area instead?" he pressed again. "Look for other signs of attacks and things?" Because he really, really didn't want to go visit the family.

Dean turned back to Sam as he finished buttoning his own shirt. "Humor me Sammy. I got a feeling there's something more to this than what we're seeing." He threw the id badge at Sam, then headed to the bathroom.

He tried to not slam the door shut, but the sound as it closed was a little loud. Turning the water on he whipped the cool liquid on his face. "Dammit Sammy...what happened to you?" It came out as a low whisper impossible for the other man to hear in the next room. He took a few minutes to gather himself straightening his tie he left the bathroom grabbing his keys. "Come on Sam...burning daylight."

The older hunter left the room heading for the Impala. He felt a heavy weight on his shoulders like a darkness was descending on their lives...something was going to happen tonight...something bad.
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Gabriel snickered to himself as he finished looking over Dean. It looked like his baby brother had merged part of his grace with Dean's soul, effectively bonding them. That explained the brightness and power of the mark on the older Winchester's shoulder. And how intact the other man's soul was.

He looked closer at the younger Winchester. Sam looked annoyed, that was nothing new. Dean could be infuriating...but there was an indifference, a coldness in the man's eyes that made Gabriel shiver. Hmmm.... He pushed his grace through the younger man and got...nothing. He frowned the sucker hanging out the side of his mouth. What the hell?

There was no echo from Sam's soul...nothing. He could see not getting a response if there was a protection spell, but literally there was nothing. Oh...that's not good. Samuel Winchester was sans soul.

Sam caught the ID badge easily and tucked it in his pocket. His eyes narrowed again when he waited for Dean, but then he followed him out to the car easily. He didn't get the same feeling of impending doom as Dean did, but his metaphorical hackles were raising.

He glanced back at the room once before he shut and locked the door for the moment. He felt like something was watching them, and he did not like that. Sure, he might just be feeling hunter's paranoia, but he didn't think so. His senses were even sharper now than before he'd gone to the Pit. And he wasn't going to question that anymore.

After he'd gotten back, he'd spent some time wondering why that was, and why he was feeling fine when Dean had clearly been broken after Castiel had pulled him out of Hell. Then he'd just shrugged it off; he was stronger than Dean, apparently. And there was no point in spending time wondering over something he didn't have the answers to, and wasn't likely to get the answers to.

The niggling feeling of being watched didn't go away, though, and Sam's eyes narrowed as he sat in the Impala. His hand rested idly next to a knife he had resting in his belt.

Dean shook his head as he drove them back to the hotel. He had to admit it these vamps were good. Using fake teenage heartthrob characters of a girl's wet dream, to seduce said women. "They've gotten smarter," He twitched a little. "The girl's have gotten stupider."

It only took them a few minutes after they got to the motel to get ready for the hunt. Dean filled up a few syringes of dead man's blood, and sheathed his machete. Soon they were back out on the road heading to the club. "So tell me the plan Sam."
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Gabe had left the Winchester's to their hunt...there were much bigger fish to fry. He unwrapped another snickers looking over the boundry between Earth and Hell. They were a lot of thin spots on Earth, spots were you could almost feel the heat of Lucifer's hold. He stood just outside wall street, New York, NY. The area was cesspool of greed, lies, hate and everything else that made New York, NY.

He sighed stretching his wings. It hurt just to look at it...Hell was Hell though and he needed to see if Sam's soul was still in the pit. Gabriel cursed in Enochian. "You boys better be worth it."

Pulling a tight armor of grace and power around himself he lept off into the pit.

Sam snorted. "They're human," he said, disdain clear in his voice. "They don't have a damn clue what's out there, and they're no better than sheep."

Because, to a lot of monsters, humans were just sheep. And Sam could understand perfectly why the monsters thought that. Sometimes he thought humans were no better than sheep. Especially now, since he wasn't so concerned with actually saving people so much as he just wanted to gank things that deserved it.

Pulling his tie off before they even got into the hotel room, Sam unlocked the door and toed his shoes off. Finally he could get back to where he was most comfortable; hunting clothes, about to go out and get some vamps. Tonight was going to be an interesting night.

----------

Castiel felt Gabriel's grace vanish from Earth on some level, and he frowned. Gabriel hadn't returned to Heaven; that was certain. He wasn't even entirely sure how he knew Gabriel wasn't on Earth anymore, but he knew. Maybe the renewed bond between the two?

However it happened, it had happened. And Castiel was a little worried now. Yes, he'd pulled Sam out of the Pit, but he hadn't noticed anything different. And Gabriel's sudden disappearance, especially since there was only one place he could go, was... disconcerting, to say the least.

With a flap of wings, Castiel was gone, down to Earth to wait for Gabriel's return to find out what exactly was going on.

Dean was shocked to hear Sam speak like that it was heartbreaking. He clenched the wheel timed refusing to say anything. Never had his brother been so callous. He'd heard Sam mouth off before about some of the people they'd saved, but never as if humanity was nothing but cattle for monsters, like he was a monster himself...

He watched silently as Sam nearly skipped into their room ready for murder and mayhem. Pulling out his phone Dean dialed Bobby. The gruff man was Dean's last lifeline, the last person he could really talk too. Cas was...gone fighting his war. Lisa,she'd never understand. And Sam....

"Dean, what's wrong son?" Came Bobby's low timbre.

"It's Sam...Bobby."
----------------------
Gabriel wanted to scream. Hell was everything he expected and worse. It was more organized than he imagined. He hadn't been down here in a millenia or two, but things had vastly changed it seemed that everything was under a new regime. Gone were the large bits of writhing tortured souls, the bloody remnants of souls chained to the walls. In there place was long likes monitored by demons in their true forms.

There was still a torture barrak, for the more gentler souls to be broken. He set down on a cliff over looking the main castle of hell, the head demons would be stationed there. He pulled his cloaking spells tighter around himself not wanting to be seen. He flapped his six wings taking back off into the sulfur rich air.

He was hoping to get in contact with one of his friends. A fallen angel who had followed his lover into the abyss, the same angel that had watched over Lucifer's cage since the bastard was locked in. The cage itself wasn't too far he could dsee the outer layer not a stone's throw from....

"SkreeeeeeeasK!" Gabriel's thoughts were interrupted by a pair of winged demons on patrol. They had seen through his cloak and were headed his way.

Sam noticed that Dean didn't come in immediately but he thought nothing of it at first. Mostly he was thinking about what he'd need to get and where the best places would be to keep an eye out for the demons. He tossed his suit onto the bed, intending to fold it later, and had pulled his jeans on before he noticed that Dean still wasn't in the room.

He paused, pulling his shirt on slowly as he strained to hear what Dean was saying. Something about him? Talking to Bobby? Sam's eyes narrowed and he pulled on his overshirt, moving closer to the door to listen to Dean's conversation with Bobby. This should be informative, if nothing else...

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Castiel stood in New York, a little ways away from where Gabriel had been. Humans passed by him without so much as looking at him, which was just fine with him. He didn't need any interruptions right now.

But what was even here to have drawn Gabriel's attention? He knew the Archangel could be rather eclectic, and hard to predict, but even Castiel could see nothing here. There was nothing overly remarkable about the place... Except that the walls between Earth and Hell were very thin here, worn thin by time and sin.

Cas's eyes widened when he realized Gabriel was in Hell. But why? What was the ArchHerald of the Lord doing in Hell?

Curious and worried, Cas pulled his grace tight around himself. Well, if nothing else, at least he'd gotten an open invitation to Hell. No demon would hurt him or even approach him, so he dove down after Gabriel to find out what was going on.

Bobby felt his heart stop for a moment. "What happened?"

Dean looked worriedly out over the motel front. "He's not Sammy, Bobby. Even whacked out on demon blood he was never like this, He talks about people like they are cattle. Worthy sacrifices...somethings wrong Bobby. It's not Sammy!" Dean smacked his hand against he steering wheel.

"Dean, we both tried every test we knew. He's human. Have you tried talking to Cas?"

"He won't answer. I don't know why...it doesn't matter." Dean sighed leaning back into the impala's leather seat. He was running out of options and time. "Bobby I gotta get going."

"Dean! Listen to me, boy. You need to face facts. Sam may just be Sam and you have to learn to deal with that." Dean closed his eyes nodding. He hung up after a moment, then left the car to face his brother.

"You ready to go Sammy?"
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Gabriel gave off a burst of grace pushing the flying demons back for a moment. He pulled out his angelic blade Pushing grace through it to grow longer, a proper blade. It'd been a long time since he'd had to fight, but he wasn't letting some two bit demon stop him. Surprisingly the demons took one look at him and ran, not interested in fighting an archangel or so Gabriel thought.

He turned finding the real reason. Belphegor, the Fallen Angel of Opening stood before him, his leathery wings moving slowly. "Hello Gabriel." The archangel found a blade at his throat. Belphegor's pure black eyes glared at his brother. "What are you doing here angel? Has father sent you to be punished with us?"

"I need to speak with Lucifer."

Sam watched Dean for a few moments after Dean got out of the car again, his eyes narrowed slightly. Dean was having doubts; Sam could see that in his eyes. Maybe it was almost time to go back to the Cambels. At least they didn't look at him like this, like he was supposed to be someone else. Like he wasn't really Sam, just a sort-of filler Sam.

"Yeah. You sure you're feeling up to this?" Sam raised one eyebrow. He wasn't sure if he could trust Dean to cover his ass still or not. Not that Sam really needed it most of the time, but still. If Dean was going to let his emotions keep getting the better of him then maybe Sam should suggest he go back to Lisa and retirement. Maybe Dean was getting too emotionally involved to keep hunting. This wasn't the first time Sam had thought this, but now he was starting to seriously consider it. Dean was useful, sure, but now it was time to start weighing the problems against the uses and see which weighed in.

--------

It took Castiel a few minutes to find Gabriel; the Archangel had masked himself well. But a pulse of grace attracted his attention, and Castiel headed in that direction.

He hung back, just watching Gabriel and Belphegor for the moment. Lucifer? Why would Gabriel need to talk to Lucifer? Confused now, Castiel moved a little closer, his eyes narrowing. Belphegor was powerful, yes, but Gabriel was more than capable of defending himself. Castiel would know.

After all, it was Gabriel who had taught Castiel half of what he knew about fighting.