Chapter 14

"That boy was Sam and Dean's half brother?" Mary asks John later that day. "Adam, I think?"

John nods. "Yes."

"I know he's not mine. Who's the mother?"

Knowing there's no use in keeping it from her, he tells her. "Kate Milligan. She's a nurse from Minnesota that I met during a hunt."

"Is she a hunter?" Mary asks.

John shakes his head. "No. As far as I know, she doesn't even know about the supernatural world. Then again, with Adam here, something must have happened. I'm sure the boys didn't meet him by any normal circumstances."

"How old is he?"

"Born 1990, so 26," John replies.

"He looks a bit young to be 26," Mary observes.

John shrugs. "People age differently, I guess."

"He looks more like 20," Mary says. "There's got to be something supernatural going on there."

"If there is, I don't know about it," John replies. "I've been dead for ten years, and a lot can happen in a decade."

"Apparently," Mary agrees. In the span of a decade, Mary died and John had a kid. Yeah, looks like a lot can happen in ten years. "Where is he, anyway? He's been gone for a long time."

"Yeah, he has," John agrees. "And that other kid. Knowing these guys, they're probably dating too. Seems like every boy here has a boyfriend."

"John..."

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing," he protests, knowing what she was going to say. "It's just... weird."

"I think it's sweet," Mary replies. "Both our boys have a guardian angel."

John smiles at that. "That's a nice way to put it."

"It's true," Mary replies.

Her eyes find Dean and Castiel, who are chatting together at a very close distance. She looks around for Sam and Gabriel, but she doesn't see them. It doesn't matter, though. Sam's in his thirties. She can't be all protective mother anymore. She never got the chance to be, and she never will.

"I don't like him," John decides.

Mary laughs. "Do you even know him?"

"No, but I don't like him."

Mary shakes her head at him in amusement. "I think he seems nice," Mary replies. "And I've met him, so I think I'm qualified to say this."

"Fine, I'll trust you in that one. But I don't like the other one, either. Gabriel, is it? Have you met him, too?"

"No, but I'm sure he's nice, too," Mary replies.

"Whatever. I still don't like him."

"You're being such a dad right now," Mary laughs.

"It's about time I started doing that," John replies. "And you're the mom, so shouldn't you be doing the 'use protection' speech?" he jokes.

"I don't think they can have STDs," Mary replies. "They're angels."

"Oh, true," John agrees. "But they could probably do weirder stuff, like get a guy pregnant or something."

Mary laughs. "Is it wrong that I actually think that's possible?"

"You know the supernatural world as well as I do," John replies. "Everything is possible."

"But apparently it's changed a lot since I was young," Mary adds. "I mean, the ? And angels in general, really. Sam and Dean make it seem so normal. Was it normal with you?"

John shakes his head. "I've never seen an angel before in my life," he replies. "Not until yesterday, anyway. How do you think they got tangled up with Satan, anyway?"

"I don't know, but I can't imagine it was nice," Mary replies.

"When are things ever nice for hunters?"

~~

"This is nice," Sam says, lying next to Gabriel on his bed.

"You're nice," Gabriel replies.

"I wish I could say the same about you," Sam jokes.

"I'm nice," Gabriel protests. "Well, maybe not, actually. But you can't be a trickster if you're nice."

"You're not a trickster, you're an angel," Sam reminds him.

"Which now everyone knows," Gabriel says, pouting.

"Why do you care if people know your real name?" Sam asks.

"Because I do," Gabriel replies vaguely.

"Why?" Sam asks again.

"Because I do," Gabriel repeats.

"Why?"

Gabriel sighs. "You're just going to keep asking, aren't you?"

"Yep. So you might as well tell me now."

"Fine, but you're gonna think it's stupid," Gabriel replies. "I don't like being thought of as Gabriel. I don't want people to think of me as the disloyal archangel. I'd rather be remembered for my better moments, like sticking you in TV land."

"That's a better moment for you?" Sam repeats.

"That was one of my moments," Gabriel replies. "You should have seen your face when you saw you were in ."

"Well, yeah! I'm not a doctor! If anything, I'm a lawyer!"

"Which is ironic, considering the number of times you've broken the law," Gabriel adds with a laugh.

"But I always have a good reason to," Sam adds.

"A reason? Sure. A good reason? Maybe not."

"When have I ever broken the law without a good reason?" Sam challenges.

"I don't know. I don't watch your every move. But I'm sure you have."

"Well, I can think of one time," Sam says.

"When's that?"

"I broke the hunter's law by dating you," Sam replies with a smirk. "Definitely not a good reason."

"Hey!" Gabriel whines. "I am the reason!"

" you are," Sam says sarcastically.

"You're a jerk," Gabriel pouts.

"I a jerk," Sam agrees. "But I'm jerk."

Gabriel grins. "Yeah you are," he agrees, pressing his lips to Sam's for a few seconds, enjoying their kiss before it ends. "I wish we didn't have to wait until we were alone for this," Gabriel murmurs.

"I know, but we do. You don't know my family like I do. I don't want them to flip out again."

"Don't you think it will be different now that Dean is dating Cas?"

"I don't know. How'd that happen, anyway? I didn't see that coming."

"The apocalyptic fight," Gabriel replies. "I don't know how many people saw it because most people were watching Michael and Lucifer, but Dean and Cas were fighting and then confessing their love and then making out."