Gabriel saw that and decided to shuffle car arrangements around completely, herding Sam over towards Kyra's car. Dean and Cas and Runa could have the Impala.

Dean took a few moments once he and Cas and Runa were in the Impala. He really, really hated this idea. Really.

Kyra was silent as she got into the car, starting it without a word and not looking at either male as she headed back to the hotel. She figured Michael had just flown back.

Runa didn't say anything once she slid into the back seat of the Impala, just letting Dean have a few moments and letting Cas take shotgun.

As soon as they got back, Gabriel went to find his brother.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked once he found Michael. "What in the name of everything we hold sacred was going through your head to make you suggest something like that to Sam?"

Michael looked at him for a moment. "Do you have another suggestion?" he asked. "Any other solution? Because I cannot think of anything that would remove the threat, perhaps simply delay it or cause new problems."

"Do you have any idea what Sam is like?" Gabriel asked. "Of course he would have taken that suggestion. Anything to absolve himself of that blood addiction he had. Anything to balance out the fact that Lucifer was using him from the beginning. Of course he would consider conquering Hell to be his absolution."

Michael shrugged. "That is not my problem," he said. "How he sees himself is not my concern. If anything, it should be yours."

"It should be your concern, Michael," Gabriel said. "It really should be, considering Hell is just as necessary to this world as Heaven is, and you just told Sam to take over the throne."

"How is that different from what was planned?" Michael demanded. "Hell has taken many forms over the millennia, I doubt Sam taking over will change anything essential. Besides, he was meant to rule. It was Written so, and you know it."

"It was meant to be Lucifer," Gabriel seethed. Golden feathers littered the ground around him. "Lucifer was the one Written to rule, not Sam."

"Yes," Michael agreed. "But I am not in a hurry to let Lucifer out again." He surveyed Gabriel for several moments. "You let yourself get attached."

"It's hard not to, when you've been down here as long as I have," Gabriel retorted. "Not to mention they're Mom's favorites. I'm fine."

"You're worried," Michael said, shaking his head a bit. "About Sam. About what will happen." Not that Michael blamed him; he doubted Sam would come out the same.

"Of course I'm worried," Gabriel snapped. "Sam's got it in his head now that he has to become the King of Hell, and he has no idea what that will do to him."

Michael shrugged. "Then come up with another idea. Nothing will be done until at least tomorrow. You were always the most unconventionally creative of us."

"We couldn't all have sticks up our asses," Gabriel muttered. "Don't you think that if something else could be done, I'd have thought of it already?"

Michael stayed silent. Sure, he could tell Gabriel "I told you so" and be smug about it. But that would just piss of his brother even more.

Gabriel barely resisted the urge to punch the smug look right off of Michel's face.

"Mom won't be pleased," he warned. "Mom is going to be so less than pleased."

"I just presented the option," Michael said. "I didn't push him into it. I exerted no persuasion whatsoever."

"You planted the idea," Gabriel argued. "When you knew very well he would latch onto it. You're not worming out of the blame on this one, Mikey, this is your fault."

"It's not entirely my fault," Michael said. "Partially, yes, but not entirely."

"Mostly," Gabriel insisted. "The vast majority."

Michael raised his eyebrows. "I did nothing to interfere with free will, so I am only half to blame. The rest is on Sam. And Dean. Really, he should have known that telling his brother not to was the fastest way to make him try something."

"He wouldn't have been tempted if you hadn't said anything," Gabriel pointed out. He glared at his brother. "I blame you for this. Now, I'm going to see if I can talk Sam out of it."

Michael shrugged. He didn't care if Gabriel blamed him. He just settled on the rooftop again.

Gabriel failed to talk Sam out of the plan. By that night, Sam was determined to go through with it, and nobody would tell him otherwise. He knew that it was their best chance of winning, after all.