So I got a couple of ideas, mainly because I was reading over some chapters in The Accidental Vessel and I feel like there was a lot I didn't properly get across? Or maybe just a couple holes in the plot. Anyway, I don't want to keep going back and editing/changing stuff on you guys, which means you get this instead. Basically, since Gabriel narrates The Accidental Vessel, this is what he wasn't there for - stuff that happened that he didn't notice or couldn't have known. I figure it might help with some parts of the story.

Of course, there will also be original scenes, stuff I wrote that never ended up in the story, and 'how-it-could-have-gones' for those of you who like that stuff. This chapter is one of those.

It's actually the original scene where Michael recovers nir Grace. As in, the very first version I wrote of it in like October 2014 or something. I think it was in the middle of a Driver's Ed class. It was a while ago and not that great. I'll be posting it verbatim since I can't copy the notebook I wrote it in to the computer - the only changes will be to fix pronouns. It's pretty obvious what stayed the same and what I ultimately changed.

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or Harry Potter

The white light died down. Gabriel lowered the arm he'd thrown up to block his vision and saw Michael still standing, frozen, with one hand against the ridiculously tall tree.

Michael spun around, except ne wasn't really Michael Corner anymore.

"Gabriel!" Gabriel told himself he was imagining the note of relief.

"Michael."

They were standing about ten feet apart, Gabriel having been pushed back slightly from the tree. Michael took a step forward.

"I thought you were dead."

"Strange, I could have said the same for you." Gabriel kept his voice even.

Michael frowned. "Gabriel-"

"So what was this?" Gabriel interrupted. "A plan? Trying to get me on your side while disguised as a human so that when you got your Grace back I'd help you restart your little slap-fight-"

"I didn't even know you were alive." Michael cut him off angrily. "Do you really have so low an opinion of me that you think I planned this?"

"Well, what else am I supposed to think?" Gabriel scoffed. "You? As a human? Something made you really desperate."

"This was not an attempt to force you to take sides!" Michael took another step forward and Gabriel found him[self?] taking one back internally cursing himself for showing how nervous he was.

They stood there for several moments before Michael straightened, having frozen mid-step when Gabriel went backwards.

"Let's go somewhere else," Was all ne said. "I don't want to accidentally destroy anything."

Which meant that they both could tell that this conversation wasn't going to end well.

Gabriel nodded curtly and spread his wings, landing near a planet illuminated by two suns. Michael followed quickly, white wings temporarily filling the space in before ne tucked them away.

"So how'd you end up as human?" Gabriel asked. "Matter of fact, you might as well tell me what the Winchesters did, since I was a bit out of the loop."

Michael scowled. "Dean Winchester," Ne said. "He used the Horsemen's rings to lock Lucifer back in the Cage."

Gabriel laughed. "Ha! So they did take my advice."

"Your advice?"

"Michael, come on." Gabriel smirked, nervousness still running in a current in him because Michael was still his older sibling, and here Gabriel was, taunting nem. "You thought you could throw an Apocalypse without me to to kick it off?"

Michael didn't seem to have an immediate answer for that. It was several moments before ne spoke. "And did they follow your advice with me as well?"

"With you?" Gabriel frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Sam Winchester had taken control from and suppressed Lucifer," Michael explained heavily. Gabriel's eyebrows shot up. Sam had said yes? Not only that, but he'd managed to wrest control from an archangel? "I attempted to stop him from jumping into the Cage, and he-" Michael took a breath. "He pulled me in with him."

Oh.

"Sam wouldn't do that to Dean."

Something flickered in Michael's eyes - disappointment, maybe, that Gabriel hadn't immediately asked how ne was? "Dean Winchester didn't say yes."

What? "Then who was your vessel?"

"There was a third Winchester - Adam, their half-brother."

"Ah. A loophole." Gabriel shook his head. "Sorry. That wasn't my idea."

"I can hardly believe that using the Horseman's rings was."

"Speaking of that-" Gabriel swung his hands behind his back, energy seeking an outlet. "If you got dragged downstairs too, how'd you get out?"

Michael actually grinned slightly, the corners of nir mouth lifting. "Divine intervention."

"You're joking." Gabriel could feel the fake grin slid off his face.

"I'm not."

"Okay-" Gabriel held up his hands. "You expect me to believe that Dad got off His ass, wherever He is-"

"Don't talk-"

"I'll talk about Him however I damn well want," Gabriel snapped. "He didn't show up for the damn Apocalypse, why come just to drag you out of Hell?" His finger stabbed accusingly at Michael.

"I don't pretend to know what He thinks, but-"

"But what? He wanted His little General back in the field, couldn't let them stay in Hell for too long or they might go the same way as Lucifer-"

"Do not ever say that to me!" Michael and Gabriel were suddenly nose-to-nose and Gabriel had to stop himself leaping backwards.

Michael's eyes were narrowed and nir hands fisted in Gabriel's shirt. "If you think that I would ever turn against Heaven-"

"I never said that." Gabriel tried and failed to slip out of nir grip. Michael, as if ne had just noticed what ne was doing, abruptly let go.

"Surprised the Winchesters managed to stop you," said Gabriel, smoothing out his shirt. "I mean, the fact that they managed to stop you two having your little slap-fight - impressive, considering how determined both of you were to go through with it-"

"I was ordered," said Michael quietly. "That didn't mean I wanted to."

Gabriel stopped completely, staring at Michael in confusion.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Did I just hear you - the General of the entire Host - say you didn't want to follow orders?"

"Lucifer was my brother - our brother," Michael retorted. "Of course I didn't want to kill him. You wouldn't."

"Yeah, well, considering he tried to kill me, not a whole lot of love left."

"He what?"

Gabriel scoffed. "Don't act so naive, Michael, you know the rules as well as I do; you thought I was dead, and only an archangel can kill another archangel."

Michael seemed near speechless. "I don't believe that he would seriously-"

"What, didn't you talk it over in the pit before Daddy dearest pulled you out?"

"Stop it, Gabriel."

"Stop what?"

"What made you so angry at our Father?"

"Who says-"

"You can't lie to me, Gabriel." Michael didn't look at all smug, and not even angry anymore. "Maybe to Michael Corner, but not to me."

Gabriel didn't reply, instead bending down to look at the colorful planet, which was floating around his midriff.

"Gabriel." He heard Michael sigh, and damnit it was like he was a fledgling again and had fucked something else up. "It is because He talked to us?"

"I'm not mad at Him."

"Yes, you are." Gabriel knew Michael had come closer but he didn't look up. "He didn't just pull me out, you know. He gave us a choice."

Gabriel did look up at that. "Both of you?"

"Yes. He said we could stay in the Cage until the next time someone broke the seals, or we could become human."

"And you...chose human." Michael making nir own choices. Pigs would fly.

"We both did."

Gabriel leaped to his feet at that. "Bo - you're telling me that Lucifer's running around somewhere?"

"Don't get so dramatic, Gabriel, he can hardly do any damage."

"Why are you so calm about this?" Gabriel asked after a moment of surprised staring. "Last I knew of you, you'd have been jumping at the chance to catch Lucifer off-guard."

"No, I wouldn't have." Michael said firmly. "And the deal to become human was for more than just fifteen years."

Gabriel got the idea immediately. "Reincarnation." Michael nodded.

"And Lucifer took this deal?" Gabriel asked disbelievingly.

Michael shrugged. "It was a chocie between that and staying in the Cage."

Gabriel gave Michael a considering look. "What about your vessels?"

Michael had obviously not expected this line of questioning. Ne tilted nir head as ne considered it. "I don't know," Ne said. "Castiel managed to pull Sam out fairly quickly, all things considered, but I've got no idea what happened to Adam."

"So he's either wandering around somewhere, or he's the only one still in the Cage." Gabriel pressed his lips together. "You know, I think I remember this kid. You pulled him out of Heaven, didn't you?"

Michael nodded shortly, looking slightly guilty.

Gabriel shook his head. "Some reward."

"Yeah." Michael blew out a breath. "You don't think he's really still down there?"

"Who knows?" Gabriel spun around, easily stepping over the planet and its twin suns. "Why do you look guilty, anyway? Did time served as a human give you a conscience?"

"Maybe it did," Michael said quietly. "Is that a bad thing?"

Was it?

"It shouldn't be," Gabriel replied easily, but internally he wondered. How long had Michael been human to affect nem to that extent?

"You said Lucifer tried to kill you," Michael began after the silence had begun to drag on. Ne had an unreadable expression, but Gabriel could have sworn ne looked worried. "I felt it when it happened. How did you survive?"

"Please." Gabriel scoffed. "I was up against Lucifer. You think I'd be stupid enough to let him get my real blade?"

"He would have noticed it was a fake."

"I know. I took precautions. That led to, well-" Gabriel gestured to himself and his vessel. "Unexpected consequences."

Michael didn't look like ne fully understood, but ne didn't ask further - which Gabriel was glad for, because he didn't feel like explaining again.

"So." Gabriel let his hands swing at his sides. "Now what? You track down Lucifer, find his Grace, duke it out like you originally planned?" Please, Michael, use that conscience of yours and say no.

Michael looked conflicted, and even a little reluctant. "I don't know," he said eventually. Gabriel closed his eyes for a brief moment.

Damn it.

"Really?" He asked, looking at Michael angrily. "You're just going to go back to that old plan?"

"What else is there to do?" Michael demanded. "If you've got a message that says differently then by all means, share it."

"I don't need Dad to give me a message to know what it's a stupid idea," Gabriel snapped. "I thought you didn't want to?"

"I don't!" Michael had drawn nemself to nir full height and ne and Gabriel were back to glaring at each other, wings fluffed in and bristling. "But I don't see anyone telling me to do otherwise!"

"Do you have to have someone tell you to do everything?" Gabriel spat back.

"At least I didn't run and hide!"

"So what if I did!" Gabriel jerked his hand away from where it had unconsciously strayed towards his angel blade, and Michael's eye caught the movement. "At least I must have figured out something you didn't, you blind idiot! If Dad really wanted to you two to end the world, then why didn't He make you fight when He hauled your asses out of the Cage?!"

Michael hesitated, stiffening. Ne didn't reply immediately, and instead turned so that nir back was to Gabriel.

"I'm going back to Earth," Gabriel said when Michael showed no sign of turning around. "Good luck with your existential crisis."

"No - wait." Michael turned sharply and Gabriel was tempted to leave anyway, just to piss nem off.

"You're mad at me, too."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, more of this?"

Michael didn't do anything other than frown slightly. "Gabriel-"

"If you say anything about expressing my feelings, I'm leaving."

"No, I-" Michael made as if to come closer, but seemed to think better of it. "Gabriel...I'm sorry."

What. The actual. Fuck.

"What?" Gabriel stared at Michael, completely forgetting to try and look intimidating. "Who are you, and what have you done with Michael?"

"Is it really that surprising that I'd apologize? You've heard me-"

"I've heard Michael Corner," Gabriel interrupted. "Not you."

Michael opened nir mouth and then closed it again without saying anything. Ne looked away from Gabriel and down at the colorful planet.

"I remembered everything I'd ever done in a heartbeat," ne said. "I was all the sudden Michael, the Michael, again, and...there was a part of me that said there was no way I could have done something like that." Ne paused for a moment, wings shuffling around and drawing around nem almost protectively. "So...I fucked up. And it took hundreds of years of being human to make me see that. So I'm sorry."

In all of the years Gabriel had ever known his sibling, he'd never seen Michael looking so vulnerable. It was almost wrong; ne was Michael, Gabriel's eldest sibling and Commander of the Host and ne was standing there with nir wings wrapped around nem like ne was afraid of what Gabriel might say.

Gabriel made a disgusted noise and looked away. Damn nir apologizing skills, because Michael wasn't lying and Gabriel couldn't stay mad at nem when ne was acting like that.

"Gabriel?" He could tell Michael was looking at him.

"I accept that you're sorry," Gabriel said resignedly.

"...I guess I can't expect anything better." Michael glanced up from the planet. "Should we head back?"

"You can. I'm not going to explain to a load of wizards what's happened.

"You never did like doing things like that," Michael muttered.

"That's why it was your job," Gabriel retorted with little real heat.

Michael nodded lightly, a nonverbal agreement. "I'll see you later, then."

"...Yeah." There wasn't really a reason anymore for Gabriel to avoid nem, after all.

With twin movements, both archangels vanished.

Yeah. Kinda OOC Michael. I think you can see why I rewrote it. Reviews, anyone?