Chapter 98

"Ah, there he is," Gabriel says with a grin. "Where'd he stumble off to?"

"Lucifer," Dean replies, sounding much more indifferent than he did when they actually found Jack there.

Gabriel's expression darkens, but he quickly returns to his usual smiling self. "Ah, Jack, bad idea. I don't know how you made it out alive." He plays it off as a joke, but it's really not.

"Lucifer never harmed me," Jack replies. "Actually, he was kind of fun. He built a dog."

"A ," Gabriel repeats. "He a "

"A robot," Dean clarifies. "In the shape of a dog. Sam destroyed it, though." Dean glances at his brother approvingly.

Gabriel nods just to show he heard that, but his attention is still on Jack. "Alrighty, Jack, usually I go with the 'live and learn' mentality, but 'cause you're new here, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret about good ol' Lucifer, m'kay?" Gabriel gestures for Jack to come with him, just for a little privacy, because this secret that's supposedly about Lucifer says just as much about Gabriel as it does his brother, and he doesn't want the judgement from the Winchesters or Castiel.

"We all hate the guy," Dean reminds him. "No need to make a production of it."

Gabriel hesitates, trying to find an easy way to convince him otherwise.

Dean seems to come to the wrong conclusion from that, because he says, "I hope you know that I'm not letting him out of my sight with you. You're just as bad an influence as Lucifer is, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna have two tricksters here."

"Wow, Dean, have a little faith."

"Not happening."

Gabriel sighs dramatically. "Fine, be like that."

There's a brief moment of silence, until Sam asks, "What were you going to say to him, anyway?"

Dean gives him a surprised look. The two haven't spoken directly to each other in a very long time, and it's just become normal to assume they won't interact. The fact that Sam outright spoke just to him is baffling.

Gabriel knows Sam is wondering if it has anything to do with him or his "relationship" with the older archangel, and it did, in a way, but not exactly. Gabriel decides to just briefly summarize it for them.

"Oh, just a little advice about handling Lucifer. A few million years, you pick up on some stuff." This "stuff" would include never believing anything he says, never trusting him, and really, never acknowledging his existence, because nothing with him ever ends well.

"Hmm."

That's the last thing Sam and Gabriel say to each other for the duration of the group's morning conversation. In fact, it's the last thing Sam says in that time, period. He can't help but feel guilty about what he did to K9. He knows he had to, because Dean would be suspicious if he didn't, and destroy the robot anyway. Either way, K9 was going to die, but the blood is on his hands, and he hates it.

Jo makes them all lunch — a homemade pizza that has everyone much more excited than they should be. Sam is slightly wary of it — she was attempting to show Michael how to cook, and there's no guarantee anything Michael makes using human techniques is going to be even relatively decent — so he's hesitant to join everyone else eating.

He finally decides to slip away and talk to Lucifer, because he knows he owes the angel an apology, and an explanation. He waits until everyone else has left before he starts to walk towards the hallway, then turns back around. What is he supposed to say, anyway? "I'm sorry I destroyed your dog. My brother told me to, and I obey his every order"? He already knows Lucifer hates the precautions Sam takes because of Dean, and this may tip him over the edge. He knows he needs to apologize, but he doesn't want to — not when it could be the last civilized conversation they have.

"Are you okay?"

Sam quickly turns around to see Gabriel watching him, looking slightly concerned.

"I'm fine," Sam lies.

Gabriel raises an eyebrow skeptically. As an angel, he can easily tell Sam is lying without taking into consideration the nervous ticks he's picked up from their time together. He also knows he can't force an answer out of him.

"Alright, well, are you gonna go eat, or...?" Gabriel asks.

"I'm not so sure I trust Michael's cooking," Sam says. It's true, of course, but it's not why he isn't going to eat.

"Well, he didn't burn down the bunker, so that's a plus," Gabriel says with a small smile. It's the first joke he's made towards Sam in months, and he almost seems hesitant to do so, like he's testing the waters to see where they stand now.

Sam gives him a halfhearted smile for his weak attempt at humor. "Is that really a plus, though?"

"Ah, no, I guess not," Gabriel replies.

They lapse into silence. Sam wracks his brain for an excuse to get out of this conversation and to find Lucifer, even though he's still not sure what he would say. It's Gabriel who finally speaks.

"Sam?"

"Hmm?"

"I know this isn't my place, but I just..." He starts again, with, "I've known Lucifer since before your species was even a thought in dear ol' dad's mind. What he does best is hurt people. It always has been."

Sam's gaze hardens at that. He should have known it was more than a social call. They don't know how to have a normal conversation — not anymore. It shouldn't be a surprise that Gabriel just wanted to talk about his brother.

"I appreciate the concern, but Lucifer and I are doing just fine."

"And I'm sure you are," Gabriel replies. "But that's not gonna last. What happens when Dean finds out?"

"He won't," Sam says, but there's a hint of distrust in his voice.

"I'm not going to tell him," Gabriel assures him. "If I was, I would have done it already. But how do you think this is going to end? You're more than capable of holding up your end of your relationship. I've seen that firsthand. So either you and Lucifer are going to keep sneaking around like a couple of bandits for the rest of your life, Dean is going to find out and you'll have to choose between him and Lucifer, or, most likely, Lucifer is going to ditch."

"You really don't know what you're talking about."

"I know you'd like to think that, but I know it better than you. I know better. When it's all said and done, Chuck is going to let us out, and Lucifer is going to go right back to the person he's always been. Maybe he'll string you along for a while, but within a year, you'll be right back where you were when I died, except worse, because not only will the one you think you love die, but it will be at your hands."

Sam turns away, already prepared to leave. "You're welcome to think that."

Gabriel teleports in front of him, blocking his path. "It happened to me. It happened to Michael. It happened to Raphael and Chuck and Amara. Hell, it even happened to Rowena. This is what he does, Sam. He doesn't even try to. It's his nature. It's nothing you can fix. It's going to happen sooner or later."

"And why do you care?" Sam asks.

"Because I don't want to see you get hurt."

Sam ignores the connotations coming with that, instead saying, "And this never occurred to you until now?"

"I wasn't going to talk to you until you spoke to me first," Gabriel explains, "and you actually acknowledged my existence today out of choice for the first time in, like, three months."

"What? Why?"

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to assume that's a joke, thinking back to the last time I tried to talk to you."

"Oh." He can't think of anything else to say to that. It's still awkward to think of their encounter in his dream, and he's still content trying to pretend it never happened. "Okay, well, it's cool that we're on speaking terms again, but we are not on relationship-advice terms, so I'm gonna have to pass on the Lucifer front."

"I figured you'd say that." Gabriel sighs, giving a slight shrug. "Well, can't blame a guy for trying. I'm guessing he's who you were gonna sneak off and find, so have at it."

Sam nods once and turns around to leave once more, actually going to find Lucifer this time, but Gabriel stops him again.

"Oh, and Sam?"

Sam glances over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

"When this all blows up, you're not just going to lose Lucifer. You're going to lose everyone he has ever hurt, and he hasn't hurt anyone the way he did Dean, using you and Castiel as vessels. Be careful, or you're not gonna have anyone left to pick up the pieces."