Gabriel let out a low whistle, truly impressed. "Now that is some serious warding they got going on. It's almost like they don't like visitors."

"I believe that goes without saying," was Gadreel's deadpan reply.

There was an amused snort from Dean, and a less-than-amused stare from Sam.

It's sad that Castiel was the closest thing Gabriel had to a neutral party.

The five of them were just down the road from their destination, a small and isolated warehouse that looked like it had its heyday back in the sixties and clearly hadn't seen much love since. It was surrounded by newer buildings, separated by parking lots on either side and one forlorn chain link fence. If something that had that many holes could still be called a fence.

Anyone with an ounce of supernatural ability would have at least felt the wardings once they were within spitting distance of its sphere of influence. Being this close was like constantly brushing against sandpaper. Harsh and abrasive, with the promise of missing skin if you leaned closer.

As it were, Gabriel and Gadreel couldn't come any closer due to the insane amount of no-angels-allowed doodles painted all around the perimeter.

Abaddon was currently holding court in the heart of the building, and if everything went according to plan, not a single demon would be leaving here alive.

Gabriel turned to grin at his flock. "Everyone clear on the plan?"

"Yeah, yeah," Dean brushed off, spinning an angel blade in his hand. "Not exactly our first rodeo."

Gadreel shifted uneasily beside Gabriel, his eyes constantly sweeping over the Winchesters and Castiel. Even though they were currently out of sight, Gabriel knew his mate's wings were rustling and restless. Gadreel was probably resisting the urge to hide them all beneath his wingspan. It was something he used to do when Castiel was new and it was all he could do to keep the fledgling from wandering off.

Gadreel wasn't a fan of them splitting up. Neither was Gabriel, for that matter, but the whole plan hinged on them covering as much ground as possible.

"Regardless," Gadreel said, "Please use caution."

"Don't worry, Zeke. We got this." Dean nudged Castiel with his elbow. "Right, Cas?"

"Right." Castiel gave a curt nod, then turned towards him and Gadreel. "However, we'll work as quickly as we can."

"See?" Dean gave a broad grin. "Alright, let's do this!"

The three musketeers all made to leave. Sam paused long enough to give Gadreel's arm a soft squeeze, and a reassuring smile. Gadreel patted the kid's hand, and just like that, Sam pulled away to follow the others.

Seeing the concerned face Gadreel was making at their backs, Gabriel tugged lightly at his sleeve. "C'mon, babe. Lets go set up shop while we wait."

oOoOo

Gadreel did not like this.

He had long since gotten used to being unable to sense the Winchesters once they were beyond his line of sight, but being unable to feel Castiel set all his nerves on edge.

That Castiel's grace had not recovered enough for the wards to work against him was a bit of a mixed blessing. While it allowed Castiel to give the brothers some much needed backup, it meant that there was one more member of their flock that he was currently unable to reach.

Even Gabriel, with his fully intact wings, could not reach them as long as the wards were in place.

Gadreel did not like this at all.

But now all he could was wait, and he grew more and more anxious with each minute that ticked by.

When the first two wards went down in quick succession, Gadreel let out a breath he was not aware he had been holding. He scanned the perimeter, lightly testing the wards with his grace as he did so. "There is still no demon activity," Gadreel noted, frowning as the remaining wards still held firm.

"Good," Gabriel replied. "Means that those knuckleheads are actually keeping a low profile. For once."

"Small miracles," Gadreel murmured.

Gabriel was kneeling on a small barren patch of earth between two buildings, eyes closed and palms flat against the dirt. An emerald green glow spread out from his hands and into the surrounding landscape, slowly summoning the minerals he needed from the very earth beneath their feet. It bled up through cracks in the pavement and bent beneath Gabriel's power, forming into precise lines.

Luckily for them, the soil in this region seemed to have a solid supply of sodium chloride once you dug deep enough.

Enough to create a warehouse-sized devil's trap.

Two more wards went down, then three, and Gadreel was finally able to detect wisps of Castiel's grace if he concentrated. By four, movement could be seen within the building, the activity stirring up like a kicked anthill.

This time, when Gadreel pressed against the wards, they gave a bit under the pressure.

"Gabriel." Gadreel stressed the name, both a warning and a question.

"I'm almost done," Gabriel said. "I need to reinforce it so Abbie doesn't break through once she realizes what I just did. Go round up the kids babe. I'll be right behind you."

Gadreel nodded and ran.

He barreled through the building, following Castiel's grace like the arrow of a compass, using it to guide him. The information given to them was incredibly accurate. From the change in the guard to the location of specific wards. Gadreel had memorized the floor plans given to them by Raven, and he put them to good use now.

He rounded he the corner, surprising a handful of demons who had both Winchester brothers trapped in the hall. He had impaled one and smote another before the rest even realized he was there. The boys quickly used the shock to their advantage, joining Gadreel in quickly dispatching the rest.

"Damn, Zeke. Talk about timing," Dean panted, rubbing his bloodied cheek with the back of his hand. The red smeared.

"No kidding," Sam agreed. "Have you seen Cas?"

"I am making my way to him now," Gadreel told them briskly, already moving on. The boys fell into step behind him.

The plan was still in effect, still running smoothly. Once they had Castiel, the four of them would leave the bounds of the devil's trap, allowing Gabriel to swoop in and effectively eradicate the remaining demons. Including Abaddon.

All Gadreel had to do was find his fledgling and then the flock could make their exit. Then they could go home, where Kevin and Charlie were waiting for them.

They came across a few more small pockets of demons, but they proved to be little trouble. The three of them together made for an extremely efficient fighting unit, and so each encounter barely slowed them down.

As they got close, Gadreel began to realize that Castiel had become stationary.

Dread began to pool in his chest, but he pushed on, ignoring every horrifying possibility his thoughts tried to push on him.

Finally, they came to a large double door. According to the blueprints, these doors opened up to a large receiving area. According to Raven's children, it was filled with old abandoned trucks and large storage crates.

Gadreel extended his grace to get a proper feed of the room.

Dean made to open the doors, but Gadreel grabbed him by the jacket. "Wait," he choked out, heart lodged in his throat.

"Why?" Dean's tone was impatient. "Cas is there right? So let's go."

"There are three demons with him."

"So? That's nothing."

"Abaddon among them."

"Shit," Dean hissed.

"What do you want to do?" Sam asked, worry painted across his face and coloring his voice.

Gadreel's thoughts raced, and he tried to quell his fear enough to think clearly. Gabriel should be here any moment. That was the original plan, after all.

But Abaddon had Castiel.

Unbidden, he remembered waking to find Castiel slain at the hands of a reaper, and everything in him revolted. His anger flared up, bright and burning and rivaling his fear.

Gadreel quickly came to a decision. Gabriel wouldn't like it, but he refused to think about that right now. He couldn't afford to wait for his mate when their fledgling was at risk.

Instead, he turned to the Winchesters and said, "I would like the two of you to try to find another way out. Pray to Gabriel as you leave. He should be informed."

"What about you?" Dean asked. "What are you going to do?"

"I am going to ensure their attention remains on me. Go."

Something in his expression must have been convincing, because for once the Winchesters did what they were told.

He waited until they were out of sight before he faced the door, jaw clenched, and emotions still at war. He gathered as much composure as he could with a single deep breath.

Then he moved.

Two sure strides and a well placed kick sent the door flying clear of it's hinges, announcing his arrive to everyone on the other side. He let his grace flare as he stormed into the room, and he could feel his wings mantle with his rising aggression.

He rounded the corner of a large stack of crates and was met by the demons lying in wait. They attempted an ambush, the two of them leaping down from the top of the crates. He dispatched them with a cold and brutal efficiency.

"So you're the one who took the Winchesters under wing. To be honest, I'm not that impressed."

Gadreel flicked the blood off his blade and glared.

Abaddon stood at the center of the room, completely unconcerned that he had just killed two of her men. She had Castiel before her, arms bound behind his back and a blade held casually at his throat.

Gadreel's eyes flashed as his grace and wings flared. "Release him. Now."

Abaddon's crimson lips pursed into a moue as she tilted the blade higher, forcing Castiel's head back against her shoulder. "Now why would I do a silly thing like that? Castiel and I were having a lovely conversation, weren't we pet?"

Castiel swallowed, throat flexing dangerously against the blade. "Gadreel, don't," he hissed.

"Gadreel?" The demon sounded delighted. A wide smile spread across her face. "The Gadreel?"

Dread sank deeper into his mind, but he said nothing, gripping his blade tighter.

"Oh, isn't this just precious! Lucifer told me about you, told the whole court, actually. Your story was always my favorite, and it only got sweeter with every retelling. How Lucifer tricked the sweet, gullible sentry that had lured his youngest brother away." She brought her lips to the shell of Castiel's ear, speaking directly to him even though her eyes never left Gadreel. "But the absolute best part of the story was when you got punished right along with him."

Ice poured into Gadreel's gut, chilling him to the core.

"What?" Castiel's voice was no more than a faint exhale.

Gadreel could barely hear over the sudden thunder in his ears.

No, not like this.

"You didn't know? Poor thing," Abaddon cooed, expression positively gleeful. "I can't blame him for not telling you. Imagine how guilt ridden he must be! After all, because of him your memory was stripped from you, and you were packed off to become a good little toy soldier. All your youth erased for a crime he committed."

Castiel's eyes flew to him, wide. "What is she talking about?"

Gadreel opened his mouth, but the words refused to come. What could he possibly say?

"See how he doesn't deny it," Abaddon told Castiel, mouth still at his ear. "You see, they all thought you would grow to be just like him. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree and all that. So the host stole you away."

She aimed her words at Gadreel now, knowing that she had him rooted to the spot. He found he couldn't breathe.

"Poor Gadreel. You truly are a failure, aren't you? An angel incapable of protecting their flock. Not only did you ruin your child's life, but your actions drove your mate out of Heaven. Good thing Gabriel's dead. Can you imagine what he would have to say?"

"Probably something like 'get your hands off my kid'."

There was a snap.

Before he could truly process, a startled Castiel appeared before Gadreel, and he grabbed him, catching him before he could stumble. In the span of a heartbeat, familiar magic had wrapped around them both and sent them flying outside the boundary of the devil's trap.

Author's Note: Hello all, sorry for the wait. I firmly blame Abaddon for the delay (that's my story and I'm sticking to it).

Wanna pester me between updates, or questions in general? You can find me at my Tumblr sharysisnhmoonshadow. Until next time! - Shadow