A Stitch In Time (1/6)
Title: A Stitch In Time
Chapter: 1/6
Author: ittle_artemis (AKA balthiersgirl on y!, and littleartemis everywhere else)
Rating: NC17
Fandom: Supernatural
Characters/Pairing: Gabriel, Dean Winchester, Castiel, Dean/Cas
Warning: violence
Summary: Things had been messed up big time the first time around. Opening Purgatory, and everything else that came with it, so maybe a second chance was all the Winchester's and Castiel needed to patch things up. To right the wrongs and maybe a certain pair of idiots would finally see how much they loved each other.
Notes: Was originally intended as my entry for the DeanCas Bigbang on LJ, but I did not finish in time. I still plan to finish it and most of this part of the multi part series is finished! Multi paring, but mainly Dean/Cas, starts from Gabe's perspective but goes on from Dean's after.
Disclaimer All characters, and the world belong to their respective owners. I claim no rights to them, and make no profit from this fan work.
Somehow he knew, after meeting the Winchesters, that things would end like this. It seemed like from the instant they popped into his life that everything went out of alignment. Since surviving the meeting of the gods, the archangel saw this moment coming. Yeah, it was not all that easy making a clone of yourself and replicating wings burnt into the ground, but it had been enough to fool Lucifer.
That night though? That was the moment that everything clicked. Everything up until this point showed just how far from his Father’s path they had strayed. Really, he did not know if he wanted to set things back into alignment.
The way things were headed, if the Winchesters and Castiel needed him to clean up their giant mess and fix everything, he would have to do something big.
He just had not expected this outcome. He had not seen just how much his baby brother was in love with his charge or how much strength seemed to radiate from both boys despite all they had been through. And they would keep fighting - for their precious planet, for the people, for each other, for their family - sacrificing themselves if needed to keep the world safe namely, keep each other safe.
All these things the Winchesters had taught his brother. Damned free will and sacrifice. Love. Compassion. Things he had learned during his time spent among the pagan gods. Oh, he knew love well enough, and free will. Even if he ran from Heaven and made his own way through the world to keep away from his brothers' war. Catch was, he understood all of this from the perspective of something not human - angel, pagan god, trickster, what-have-you -- beings who, when given due consideration, did not actually have free will.
His time with the Winchesters and their little pet angel though -- especially Dean -- that taught him more about the meaning of family, love, and free will. Free will was a damned noose you could tie around your neck and hang yourself with from the looks of it. Which was probably why their Father never allowed the angels free will, or at least, never recommended it. That was what he liked to think, that their absent Father probably had other things in mind.
Either way, it was a gift and a curse.
Since his ‘death’, he had been following them, observing everything from a distance. He watched silently as Sam Winchester leapt into the cage with Lucifer inside him, how he pulled Michael along with him, and thusly Adam Milligan as well.
He watched as Castiel was returned with their Father’s blessing; although, that was more likely so he could heal the bloodied and bruised Dean Winchester, then resurrect Bobby Singer. After that, Castiel’s purpose was unknown to Gabriel; however, a war was likely to spark in Heaven, Raphael being the last of the archangels, and someone would need to keep him from sparking another apocalypse. This was possibly a signal from God for Gabriel to come out of hiding, but he had never been one for fighting. Ever.
When Dean and Castiel parted ways, he wanted to strangle them for it. He was left bouncing around in the shadows while everyone thought him dead. Not to mention he might become an open target for Raphael. If he intervened, he might end up asked to come help with the civil war in heaven and war really was not his thing. His fleeing heaven when Michael and Lucifer had their spat was enough evidence of that. So he just stayed hidden, hating himself for being such a coward and not helping Castiel stop the apocalypse for good. He was such a coward, but he would not get involved. He would not.
Following them, listening in as his brother made a deal with Crowley, and observing as Dean lived his miserable apple pie life. The Hunter was used to fighting demons on the road, not living with a woman whom he respected but did not love, bound to this domestic existence by a promise he made to his brother - Dean was grieving, and he did not belong here. Even the archangel could see that.
When Sam Winchester returned he was not really surprised; after all, the seraph had been the one to pull Dean out. The path was still open - there was just the matter of sneaking past two pissed off archangels. Castiel was more than capable.
He knew something was wrong long before either Sam or Castiel noticed. It was in the mannerisms, the way he did not run to Dean once he was dropped off outside the Braeden residence. He did not seem to be the caring, warm-hearted brother he had been previously. It was disturbing, on so many levels, to watch this seemingly human machine walk around masquerading as Sam. He wanted to go in and see what exactly was wrong, but at the same time knew he couldn’t. Not yet.
Now was not the time to interfere. Doing anything, using his angeling power, he could draw out Raphael. They all thought he was dead. A dead man he should be so Sam Winchester would have to keep going as broken as he was.
Thankfully Dean proved to be smart and resourceful, calling on Death for a bargain. So Sam, complete with soul was on the earths plain now.
He hated himself for only watching, but that was not the time to come out of hiding. No, not until it happened.
Once Castiel had opened the gates of purgatory, he knew he had to intervene. The young angel did not seem to understand just what kind of dangers he was going to unleash. But he had waited too long, he could not intervene when Castiel was this powerful. Not until the souls were released from his body.
Maybe Dean could convince Castiel to release the souls from his vessel, the souls of those who did not belong in heaven or hell. Of course, that would still leave the monsters -- the leviathans.
He was plenty familiar with those bastards; he had helped lock them away. The spell to open purgatory should have been enough of a warning, or at least he thought as much. The leviathans were not just a myth conjured up to keep interested parties from touching purgatory, a story to scare believers during Sunday meals. And Father knew that it was uncontested territory that either side might go after.
Castiel and Crowley both had their reasons, they were both foolish enough or cocky enough - did they not know about the leviathans? Did they not believe the warnings? So be it, that would be their downfall and not his.
When the time came for the angel and the demon to open purgatory, he was not honestly surprised. He was upset though; he was still concerned about Castiel. He was not surprised when the Winchesters and their old drunk of a friend showed up, or by Raphael's sudden presence. Castiel had, at least in his own eyes, attained Godhood, but he was more of a macabre, mutated shadow of his former self.
It hurt to see his brother so deformed, reduced to this madman. Even worse, to know that things would continue to go downhill, that Castiel's vessel wouldn't be able to contain the leviathans - purgatory would be set loose upon the world.
All he could do was watch and wait.
The leviathans used his brother to kill and maim corrupt humans, meting out some personal form of justice. Though it was unwise, something angels should not do, Castiel could not be reasoned with now. And, thinking on it, he realized that Castiel was doing just what he thought the precious Winchesters would do: cull the filth from the population, only he was attacking humans instead of the supernatural.
Castiel struck out against the hunters, beating them down with a cold smile, and that was something he'd eventually regret, Gabriel knew. The archangel did not even want to think of what they could be doing to Castiel inside of there...
When the time came, he was there by the lake. Castiel was finally in control of his own body, the nuclear reactor core made of souls having since been expelled to purgatory. The leviathans would happily eat his brother, but he would not let them have the chance. He waited, watching as Castiel entered the water. The leviathans he knew how to control, but as Castiel sank into the water, he thought this might be the end for his brother. Castiel would die, and the Winchesters would clean up the mess with the leviathans. But as it were...Dean Winchester seemed to have a buttload of bad timing and insane ideas.
Dean Winchester, however, was a pain in the ass with bad timing and insane ideas. Right before his eyes, the hunter started pulling the clothes from his body, then he dived into the lake after Castiel as soon as it became obvious that angel was unlikely to surface. Even after everything that had happened, Dean was screaming "Cas! Cas!" over and over again.
Damn them both.
Gritting his teeth, the archangel moved from his hiding place amongst the trees, watching as the human disappeared beneath the waters surface, pulling the beaten vessel to his body. Neither of them would survive if Gabriel just stood by and watched, the leviathans were already tearing into them, blood staining the water red as the hungry creatures ripped at clothing and gnawed at flesh.
If he was going to act, he had to be quick about it. Otherwise, ending the apocalypse would be for naught, and he could not live knowing he had the ability to save them from something like this.
Yeah, he might be able to beat them back - he dived in, casting his grace around him like a shield; it would not last long - Castiel had pulled the entire leviathan population into himself and they lurked, inky, black beasts eager to tear into him since he was no longer of any use to them. Gabriel and Dean too, giving the archangel only seconds to make this work or they would all die, dooming all of humanity as well.
He had seconds to do this, or risk them all dying with no hope left for humanity. Dean was bloodied and beaten as Gabriel swam closer. The humans body protectively cocooned around the dark haired angel, eyes wide with surprise as they fixed on the other. Not giving either of them any warning, he murmured an incantation that would force his brother’s true form from his vessel.
It was not an easy task, angels were - by nature - cosmic beings made mostly of light, and grace. Something that Gabriel had to be careful with or Dean would be injured in this. To add onto that they were large. The first trick was to pull Castiel’s grace from his body. A murmured apology was all he could give his brother before his hand moved inside the angels body, pulling the glowing piece from him. It took more spellwork to down size Castiel in a way that would make his angelic being transportable. Then ripping grace from angel he stored both on his person.
He had a plan of course, it was just a matter of putting it into action, even if it was completely insane to think of.
After all he had seen, everything Castiel and the Winchester’s had been through, he was going to fix this mess. Even if it meant his brother falling and becoming human.
Seconds later, in a burst of power, he was gone.
He went back through time, before Dean's birth, to when the Novak family was expecting their son. Splicing that child into two beings, identical twins, he settled Castiel's soul into the new vessel.
He bounced between timelines, trying to save and recover as many siblings as he could who had died in the war to begin the apocalypse. Others who had been slain by Castiel in his fight to keep another from beginning. Balthazar - who he regretted not saving - was settled into the Milton family as Anna’s little brother. Three angels who would watch over the Winchester’s. Though they would not know they were angels, he would make sure of this.
Uriel and Raphael were settled as brothers with another family; Rachel set up with another.. While he did not agree with their actions, he still loved each of his siblings all the same. He prayed they would lead a good life, and finally come to understand humanity as he, Anna, and Castiel had. The way Father intended them to.
With that done, it took very little to get the Milton’s and Novak’s to move to Lawrence, Kansas. Conveniently, the homes near where Mary and John Winchester would soon live opened up.
There was, unfortunately, nothing he could do to stop Mary from making her deal with the demon. Some points in time were fixed, but he was able to prevent her from entering the nursery. That, he was thankful for, since Sam and Dean would grow up with a mother and a father instead of moving from town to town hunting monsters. Only Mary would be aware of the supernatural.
They would have friends growing up too. Jimmy, Anna, Castiel, and Balthazar all lived in the neighbourhood. And though he tried, he could not budge the Singers or the Harvelles. His priority had to be his families in Lawrence, trying to make certain things worked out this time, but Mary kept her ear to the ground - the possession of Karen Singer and the death of Bill Harvelle were rare occurrences even in the hunting world - and they clicked like old friends. Bobby and Ellen gravitated toward each other, and Dean, Sam and the rest grew up with 'Uncle Bobby' and 'Auntie Ellen' and their kids, Joanna and Ash.
It made his heart ache, watching the love spread, but it also made him lonely. He yearned for someone to talk with who knew who and what he was, but this was for the best, safer. They needed him right now more than he needed to be the big bad angel, Loki, or a trickster (though that did not not stop him from pulling some pranks now and then.) Watching from the sidelines wore him down, and he longed to reach out to his siblings who were leading happy lives now. In time though, he would talk to them again.
So here he was. Gabriel, archangel, trickster, pagan god, guardian of the Winchesters and three of his siblings, and he was damn proud of it knowing he had done something right, for once. Finally he had a sense of purpose, no more doubt about what he was doing on this planet. He was here, and he was doing what Father intended him to do, though he could not be certain he was going about it the right way.
He got to see his three siblings so happy. Whenever he saw them smile, he felt something swell in his chest. Maybe they could have something like their old lives, when family was family and everyone was happy, when the archangels could play with the fledglings instead of focusing on being Daddy's perfect little warriors - back before Michael and Lucifer started to fight.
Hell, he would still play with them, appearing as someone else entirely to just talk to them or play games, while trying his hardest to seem completely innocent. Sometimes he would appear as a father who had lost his own children so other parents would not be too on guard around him, making sure he and the kids were always within their line of sight. Eventually, they welcomed him in, and he would give the children candy or gifts as well.
He became Ikol Godson, the old man who had lost his wife and child in a fire. Yet took joy in making the children who lived around him smile. The Gabriel of this timeline was safely off in another city, still playing trickster while he acted as guardian angel. They knew of each other, and continued to avoid one another - that was a paradox neither wanted to deal with...
But even guardian angels cannot protect their charges from everything. Mary had made her deal. Free will would get in the way, and the dominoes would fall.
The archangel found this out the hard way when Sam Winchester was about to apply for law school and work to become a lawyer. He knew what was going to happen, he thought he could got her out in time...
He wanted to keep them happy, away from it all for as long as he could. He thought he could stop it all from from happening. Then Sam applied for law school, and the archangel knew what was going to happen, thought he could save her from it. He learned the hard way just how wrong he was.
Jessica Moore had to die, and Sam spiraled down. Some things just could not be changed.
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