Author: TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel

Title: Hidden Grace

Summary: There's a reason no one can find Michael. Oh yeah, and Dean's not just a Vessel. AU.

Spoilers/warnings: Uh… season five? In general? You know who Gabriel is, you're good to go. If not, DON"T READ THIS. Instead, go watch the episode 'Changing Channels' like, right now. No real pairings, although maybe a slight suggestion of Dean/Castiel.

Author notes:

There will probably be a sequel. If you're lucky.

HIDDEN GRACE

Part Two

Surprise flared in Gabriel's eyes, like he hadn't expected Michael to have a shamed or humble bone in his body.

"I failed. After Father left and Lucifer rebelled I was supposed to keep the Host on their rightful path. But no one listened."

Each sentence was a painful, secret shame, and Michael had to dredge up the words with effort, but once he had they spilled out, eager to be heard at last.

"We were supposed to be righteous and just, to protect humanity and carry out our Father's will, whether he was around or not. Instead everyone got fixated on the fucking Apocalypse. No one gave a damn anymore, it was all just 'hey, let's kill some time until we can sanctify the Earth and kick Satan's ass' no matter what I did, and I tried so hard. Everything was falling to pieces, and I was the only one trying to hold it together, and I couldn't do it."

Michael rubbed a hand over his face, and pressed on with his explanation.

"I couldn't deal with it, so I decided to rip out my Grace and be human until the Apocalypse rolled around. I figured that when the time came I'd blunder across my Grace somehow, and head off and do the whole 'fight to the death' thing with Lucifer. The Host had become a corrupted shadow of itself, but I couldn't get anyone to listen to me, like fucking Cassandra. You don't know what it's like."

Michael looked into Gabriel's eyes to see his own pain reflected back at him, the same anguish and futility mirrored on Gabriel's face. Gabriel understood his desperation at the situation perfectly.

Castiel was listening intently. Michael had no idea what he was thinking or feeling right now.

"I didn't expect any of what happened afterwards. I didn't expect to care. I didn't know they'd try and kick-start the Apocalypse early, and I didn't expect to find myself trying to make sure it didn't happen, or that I'd love Lucifer's vessel far too much to let him go," Michael finished wretchedly. "It's such a fucking mess."

He could see Sam walking back across the grass towards them, although Sam wasn't quite in hearing distance yet.

There was a silence.

"Huh. You're as lost and messed up as the rest of us, aren't you?" Gabriel asked, with his usual bluntness. The bite was missing from his tone though, and his expression had gentled into something soft and so real that it made Michael's Grace ache to look at him.

Michael gave a snort.

"I guess my natural awesomeness and majesty hides it really well."

"You? Majestic and awesome?" Gabriel scoffed. "Please. Lucy was the majestic one. You're just Heaven's boy scout. I'm the awesome one."

Michael flared his wings in playful intimidation.

"Is that right?"

"Yup." Gabriel raised his eyebrows, daring Michael to challenge him.

"Okay, I admit you're not as much of a ham as Raphael is, but awesome? Seriously? More like delusional."

"Um," said Sam, hovering uncertainly, and biting his lip like a thirteen year old girl.

He and Michael stared at each other.

"So. You're Michael," Sam said.

"Yeah," Michael agreed.

"You've always been Michael."

"That's right, Sam."

Sam took a deep breath.

"Okay."

Michael studied him, not convinced that Sam really was okay with it.

Gabriel interrupted before he could talk to Sam further.

"So, what now?"

Michael looked at the sky.

"Well, time to derail this crazy-train, I guess." His expression resolved into one of determination. "It's my fault, so I'll fix it."

"What, all by your lonesome?" Gabriel raised a sceptical eyebrow, and snapped up a lollipop to stick in his mouth. "I thought you said they weren't listening to you."

Michael glanced at him sideways.

"Well, some help would be nice. But I figure I'll kick their asses until they get behind me on the whole 'stop the Apocalypse' thing."

"Sounds like a plan," Gabriel approved nonchalantly.

"You're going to stop the Apocalypse?" Sam burst out. "But you're Michael. Aren't you supposed to fight Lucifer?" He hesitated. "I mean… that's why I'm supposed to be Lucifer's Vessel."

Michael looked into his uncertain, afraid eyes, and heard Sam's thoughts as clearly as if they'd been spoken aloud.

His Grace crackled with rage, and before Michael realised it he was in his brother's face, furious and glaring as he wrapped gigantic wings around him.

"I am not letting him get his hands on you Sam!" he said fiercely, while Sam stared with wide shocked eyes. "I don't care what they do, or what they say, no one is convincing me to let you be Lucifer's Vessel, do you understand me?"

There was so much love for this breakable little human burning beneath Michael's skin, for self-doubting, caring Sam, somehow still innocent despite everything they'd been through, and Michael would fight every angel in existence to the death before he let Sam be lost.

"I – I understand," Sam said shakily, wonder and awe blossoming in his eyes in the face of Michael's protective fury.

He'd thought Michael would abandon him, now he was an angel again, like Sam was tainted or worthless, and it was so far from the truth.

Michael took a calming breath.

"Good," he tried to say more normally, and folded his wings back behind his back. Sam frowned momentarily, as though he sensed their loss.

Maybe he did. Michael's wings had blazed with the fire of his Grace.

Michael turned to Gabriel, who was looking at him like he'd never seen him before.

"So," Michael asked casually, "am I going to get any help with the 'kick their asses' plan?"

Gabriel paused to consider, in a way that was theatrical and not at all genuine.

"Oh, what the hell? Should be fun, right?" the other archangel smiled. "We should go after Raphael first, see if he's willing to listen to reason after a smiting or two."

"Or we could talk to him first," Michael suggested blandly.

"Where's the fun in that?" Gabriel objected.

"You've got a point. Besides, I owe him for exploding Cas, anyway."

Gabriel paused.

"Wait. 'Exploding Cas?'"

"Yeah."

"He doesn't look very exploded to me," Gabriel pointed out.

"Dad's been doing some resurrection on the side, apparently."

"What, and none of you told me?" Gabriel looked disgruntled. "You're hopeless."

Michael cleared his throat. He'd sorted things out with everyone else. One more person to go.

"What do you think, Cas?"

"About what?" Castiel had his head tilted, watching Michael with an expression he found difficult to read.

"You know. The whole plan thing." Michael found himself watching Castiel with anxiety. "Planning on tagging along?"

"Of course," Castiel said simply. "You are Michael."

Gabriel winced and mouthed 'oooh' as Michael involuntarily drew his wings in closer.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Michael asked harshly.

Castiel looked like he didn't understand.

"You command the Host," he said, as though that explained everything.

Michael let out a frustrated breath.

"Uh, Cas," Sam said.

"Fuck the Host!" Michael snapped. Gabriel tilted his head in apparent consideration of the idea. Michael ignored him. "The Host has nothing to do with it!"

"I don't understand," Castiel said, his eyes trained on Michael.

"You – you followed me because I was Dean," Michael tried to find the right words.

"And now you are Michael," Cas supplied helpfully, waiting for Michael's explanation.

"Yeah, but – I'm still Dean, kind of. Dammit, Cas, you're my friend, not my subordinate."

"Hear that, Castiel? Michael wants to be BFFs," Gabriel translated.

Michael rounded on him.

"Gabriel –" he said warningly.

Gabriel rolled his eyes like they were all being dense.

"Oh, fine. Let me spell it out. Castiel, what Michael's trying to say, in that unbearably Winchester way, is that he loved you as Dean, and he still loves you as Michael. There, real simple."

"Oh." Castiel fixed warm, wondering eyes on Michael's face. "I love you too, Michael."

"Oh God," Sam muttered.

"Awkward, aren't they?" Gabriel asked him jovially. "It's cute."

"Shut up, Gabriel," Michael ordered. "Come one, let's get back to the motel to make some proper plans."

"Sounds good to me," Gabriel agreed. He reached out for Sam and the two of them vanished, Sam looking surprised.

Michael smirked knowingly and followed, Castiel right behind him.

FIN