Author's Note:

Lo and behold, part 2! I hope everyone enjoys this, and if it does well I could be talked into a sequel. Just saying. I got distracted while writing this by the new episode. How freaking awesome is Charlie, right? Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 2 - A Really Stupid Plan

Sam could feel the rage building within him, and it took every ounce of his will to keep it from Dean. The encounter with Brady had been rough. Rougher than he had expected it to be. It wasn't as if he didn't already know what had happened to manipulate him into the position of being Lucifer's vessel, but having it thrown in his face like that was brutal.

He was just glad Gabriel wasn't there. Sam was fully aware of the directions his thoughts were taking, and the reaction his mate would have to this kind of thought process would not be pretty. Sam had a partial plan already, and he was moments away from putting it into action.

"Hey, Dean?" Sam spoke for the first time since they had started driving.

Dean started slightly before responding. "Yeah?"

"Do you think we can crash soon? I'd rather not drive through the night." Sam tried to sound as casual as possible.

Dean eyed him curiously, but didn't object. "Yeah, sure. Probably the smart thing to do." He followed the exit off the highway and pulled into the first motel he saw not ten minutes later. "Can't say we don't need the rest," he commented.

Sam simply nodded and popped the trunk, picking up their bags while Dean got a room key. Within moments they were in the room and and Dean was in bed, saying goodnight and falling asleep.

Sam couldn't fall asleep, not yet. He waited a solid half hour to make sure Dean was out before he did anything, then grabbed his bag and slipped out of the motel room as quietly as possible. He knew the Enochian on his ribs would make it impossible for Castiel or Gabriel to find him, but it also meant that Lucifer couldn't come to him. Sam would have to find the devil himself.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice was telling him that he was an idiot. Saying yes to Lucifer was just about the worst decision he could make. Well, so what? Hadn't Sam been born to be Lucifer's vessel? Wasn't that all he was good for? Sam dwelled on these thoughts as he jogged away from the motel, slowing as he saw a possible vehicle. It was an older car, which was good. Sam made sure he wasn't being watched and popped the lock, slipping inside and starting the engine. Good, now he just had to get access to Wi-Fi and find out where to go. One way or another, he was going to find Lucifer.

Dean awoke the next morning, having slept soundly all night. He glanced towards Sam's bed and was startled to see that it hadn't been slept in. Where the hell was Sam? A cursory glance told him that Sam's stuff was gone, but the Impala keys were still there. So, Sam was gone, but he hadn't taken Dean's car. Well, thank God for small blessings. Still, where the hell could he have gone? A quick call to Sam's cell indicated that it was turned off.

Puzzled, Dean did what he always did when he was stuck on a problem. Uh...dear, Cas, uh...can you come down here for a minute? Thanks to the connection a prayer provided, Castiel was always able to find him when he prayed.

The whoosh of wings indicated the angel's arrival. "Hello, Dean. You called?" Castiel's eyes drifted to the side slightly as though expecting to see Sam, and narrowed slightly at the realization that the other hunter was absent. "Where is your brother?"

Dean shrugged in response. "No idea. His bed wasn't slept in, so he must have left last night. His cell phone is off, and he took all his stuff. I'm worried about him." Dean briefly explained what had happened with Brady, which Castiel found concerning.

"I cannot find your brother because of his ribs," Castiel mused, "but I shall inform Gabriel of his mate's absence. He will likely find it easier to locate Sam, given their connection."

Dean grumbled at that, but admitted that it was true. "Alright, let me know what he finds."

"Of course." Castiel vanished, leaving Dean to sit in the motel room and fidget while he waited.

He didn't have to wait long, and he suddenly found himself pinned up against the wall by a furious Gabriel.

"What in my Father's name happened to my mate, Winchester?!" Gabriel demanded, his voice low and threatening.

"Easy, munchkin, lay off!" Dean shoved the archangel away from him and straightened his shirt. "I'm not sure what happened, but he took off last night."

"Why?" Gabriel growled, emphasizing every syllable.

Dean explained the situation with Brady again, but he gave Gabriel more context, unsure how familiar the archangel was with Sam's background with Jessica.

Gabriel listened to the explanation in stony silence, and when the hunter finished speaking Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes, and sighed deeply. "Dammit, Sammy," he muttered under his breath.

"What?" Dean demanded, worried now.

"Think about it, Dean-o," Gabriel said sadly, his anger fading into depression. "What do you think this Brady guy symbolized to Sam?"

It took Dean awhile to get to the realization Gabriel had alluded to, and when he had all the blood drained from his face as he stared at Gabriel in horror. "No, you don't think he would...?"

"I don't know if you've noticed, genius, but your little brother has some serious self esteem issues. I've never truly been able to convince him that the apocalypse wasn't his fault, a task which you have not been remotely helpful in, since we're discussing this. Everything, from Azazel's influence to Jessica's murder to Ruby's influence was designed to get him in place to yes to Lucifer, and he feels very insignificant and useless in light of that. It is unbelievably hard to convince him otherwise." Gabriel had managed to climb out of depression and into frustration as he spoke.

Dean bristled at the accusation in Gabriel's tone, but didn't argue because he knew the archangel was right. Both of the Winchesters seemed to have it in their blood to blame themselves for everything crappy that happened, whether not not it was truly their fault. Sam had suffered from the knowledge of the dark manipulation in his life for years, and Dean hadn't exactly been helpful about that.

Gabriel sighed and ran in his fingers through his hair, thinking out loud. "Lucifer can't find him because of his ribs, which means he's probably out hunting for my big brother right now. He'll have to find him before he can say yes."

"So go get him!" Dean blurted, not thinking.

Gabriel glared at him. "I would if I could, chucklehead. Ribs, remember? Hides him from me too, and our bond doesn't provide me with instant GPS, just a good sense of his well being."

"So he's okay right now?" Dean clarified.

"Physically, yeah, he's great," Gabriel said with a glower. "Emotionally the kid is riding somewhere between self destructive and masochistic."

"Dammit," Dean muttered, knowing exactly what that particular mood of Sam's looked like.

"You get online and do research," Gabriel ordered, gesturing in vaguely in the direction of the Impala. "The sooner we know where he's headed, the sooner I can find him."

Dean nodded, grabbing a change of clothes out of his bag. "Alright, let me throw on some jeans and I'll head to the nearest library. I'll pray as soon as I've got a lead."

"You do that," Gabriel muttered, vanishing with a whoosh of wings.

It took Dean approximately two hours to come up with any theories as to Lucifer's location. Gabriel hadn't been able to wait that long, and had materialized behind Dean after only an hour. It was harder for Dean to research with an archangel breathing down his neck, but at least he finally had options to present.

He pointed to the screen as he showed Gabriel the options. "Okay, Denver has demonic omens and freak lightening over only one square mile of town," he offered first.

"That's not him," Gabriel rejected. "Next?"

"Los Angeles, demonic omens again and some kind of typhoon bearing down like it has a mind of its own." Dean looked intrigued by that one.

"That's not it either," Gabriel said with a scowl.

"The only other really weird one is in Miami," Dean said grumpily, pointing it out on the list. "Demonic omens like the rest, and one block of town that's dropped to freakishly cold temperature."

"That's him," Gabriel said immediately, his eyes brightening.

"What, a cold front?" Dean asked, confused.

Gabriel nodded absently. "Lucifer prefers to be cold. He associates heat with hell, which means evil. Cold means snow, which is white like purity. He's funny that way."

Shrugging, Dean zoomed in on a map and showed Gabriel which block to look for. "That's where Lucifer will be then. How do we know that's where Sam will head?"

"Sammy's smarter than every hunter I've met put together, Dean-o. Trust me, your brother will know where to head to get what he wants." Gabriel said this last part darkly before vanishing again, leaving Dean to worry about his missing sibling.

After nearly four hours in his stolen car, Sam had to admit that he missed the Impala. There was something comforting about the familiarity of that car, and Sam could have used some comfort.

The radio was off, since Sam couldn't seem to find any music more recent than 1985, and any song that reminded him of Dean just put him in a foul mood. He didn't want to think about Dean, or Gabriel, or Castiel, or Bobby, or anyone who would have tried to talk him out of this particular trip. He was going to go to Miami, find Lucifer, tell him yes, and just let the cards fall where they may. That was how destiny worked, right?

He knew that they all knew he was missing by now, but he wasn't sure if they would have figured out why. Dean knew that the thing with Brady had bothered him, but not the extent of it. Sam's main concern was Gabriel. The archangel knew Sam inside and out. They were melded in grace and soul. Nobody knew more about the younger Winchester than his archangel. If Gabriel knew about Brady, even through Dean's limited knowledge, it was entirely possible he would put two and two together and come up with Sam's plan.

It was going to take Sam another three hours to get to Miami, and he didn't intend to stop once. He was not giving anyone a chance to catch up with him.

Gabriel had determined the most direct route from the motel Sam had run from to Miami and was flying along the highway at a speed slightly lower than his regular velocity. He had to be able to get a good look at the drivers to be able to find Sam. Based on the time Sam had fled, he knew what stretch of highway to examine, and this was where he was focusing.

"C'mon, Sammy," Gabriel muttered under his breath. "Don't hide from me, kiddo. Not after everything."

The light caught a golden sedan of some older make in just the right way to attract Gabriel's attention, and his heart leapt for joy as he recognized the long brown hair of his mate. In the same instant his heart crumbled as he saw the tortured and determined look on Sam's face.

This was going to end. Now.

"Pull over, Sam." Gabriel ordered from the passenger's seat. "Now."

Sam swore and swerved the car, narrowly missing a Buick in the left lane. "How'd you find me?" He asked, his voice low and sullen.

"Pull over, or I swear we will have this conversation the hard way." Gabriel's eyes flashed when he spoke, indicating the true power within.

Sam sighed and got off at the next exit, heading towards an open field and drifting to a stop. He knew in the long run it would be easier to do this willingly. He shut off the engine and got out of the car, leaning over the top of it to look at his mate, who had exited at the same time.

"What. The. Hell. Were. You. Thinking." Gabriel punctuated each word, fury rolling off him in waves.

While Gabriel had the bulk of the connection from their bond, Sam was sensitive to Gabriel's well being as well, and he winced at the rage he could feel within his mate. "Gabe, I'm sorry, but..."

"No, no buts. I refuse to let you give me an explanation for this, because every single thing that's about to come out of your mouth is bullshit, Sammy. Don't give me that look, I know exactly what you're doing and I know why. Of course I know why, how could you think I wouldn't?" Gabriel was fuming, and the fact that he was a foot shorter than his mate did not stop him from being over to tower over Sam in presence.

"I guessed you'd figure it out, but..." Sam winced at the look on Gabriel's face.

"How dare you give up?" Gabriel yelled at him. "How dare you? After everything! You know what this will do to your family, right?"

Sam muttered something under his breath that sounded like "They'll survive."

"The hell they will. Dean will self destruct, you know he will. Cas will be depressed because Dean will be spiraling, and he'll feel guilty for not doing something to stop you. Bobby's going to end up in an early grave with all the crap you guys put him through, and me? You did stop and think about what would happen to me, right?" Gabriel's eyes were blazing and his fists were firm against his sides to keep from doing something he'd regret.

Sam started to say something along the lines of, "You'll be better off without me," but he was cut off again.

"For such a smart man, you're an ignorant ass, Sam Winchester," Gabriel said scathingly. "You know what happens when Lucifer takes you over, right? It shatters our bond, kiddo. Yeah, permanently. Your soul will be crushed and dragged into the pit because there's no way Lucifer's letting you get to Heaven when he's holding the reigns, and I will cease to exist, my existence perishing the minute my soul mate is crushed by my big brother. Did it ever occur to you that there are other people who value your well being? Screw this destiny crap, Sammy, you know better."

Sam was gaping at Gabriel, finally at a loss for words. "I...I didn't know..." he managed to get out before Gabriel cut him off again.

"Right. What did you think was going to happen? You thought I would just live my life without you and you'd manage to survive riding shotgun to the devil? I've got news for you, Sammy! We share a permanent bond of love, and if I wasn't stopping you right now you'd still be enroute to destroy it. I literally, and yes, dammit, I'm using that word correctly, cannot live without you. Screw Azazel, screw Ruby, and Screw Lucifer. Their taint can't overpower your glowing soul, kiddo, and trust me, it shines bright. You are not a worthless pawn in a war, Sammy, you're my eternal mate, and I fully intend to make sure that eternal actually means eternal for us." Gabriel finished his sentence and continued to glare, his chest heaving from his delivery.

Waiting for a moment to make sure Gabriel wasn't going to keep berating him, Sam tentatively asked, "Are you done?"

Not trusting himself to respond to that, Gabriel merely nodded.

To the archangel's surprise, Sam was around the car in two long steps and had his hands on either side of Gabriel's face, his lips pressed firmly to his mate's. They both responded to the contact, the kiss quickly turning from eager to passionate.

After a moment, Gabriel broke the contact, his eyes searching Sam's. "What changed, kiddo?" He asked softly.

Sam relaxed and sat in the grass, motioning for Gabriel to do the same. "Sometimes I need to be smacked upside the head," Sam admitted quietly.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

"I made a decision without thinking about eternal consequences," Sam clarified. "It was just that I was slammed in the face once again with all this destiny crap about how I was meant for Lucifer, and I can't help but think that maybe I don't have a choice." Gabriel opened his mouth to respond to that, but Sam held up a finger and pressed it against the archangel's lips. "Uh-uh, my turn to talk," he said with a smile.

"I thought that if I made good on my destiny then I could get the ball rolling towards wherever it was supposed to roll. If I played my part, maybe everything would work out, and all my suffering, bad decision, and overall crap would turn into something good, you know?" Sam rolled his eyes at the look on Gabriel's face. "I know, I know, like anything good comes from the devil. I do know that, I do. It's just that I was kind of feeling helpless in the face of forces more powerful than myself."

Sam paused for a second before continuing, a faint smile playing on his lips. "But then you show up, like I figured you would, and you set about smacking me with stuff I tend to overlook. I assume that I'm such a screw up that everyone would be better without me, but I know that's not true. I know how it would impact Dean, and I think even Cas might miss me, and I know Bobby thinks of me as his son. I just tend to think that I'm the weak link in the chain. Dean's destiny it be the vessel for the most respected and powerful of the archangels, which doesn't even sound half bad. Everything about my destiny is just dark." Sam trailed off, before remembering where he was going with that and continuing. "You just know what to say that I need to hear. It's so hard to hear you say that my soul glows, Gabe, I just can't quite believe that. Then again, I know you would never lie to me, and that's how I know I can trust you above all this other crap I say to myself."

Gabriel had visibly relaxed and was smiling softly at his mate.

Concern flickered in Sam's expression as he realized what he had to address next. "I had no idea, you know," he said quietly. "That saying yes to Lucifer would break the bond? I would never in a million years do that on purpose. I love you, Gabe, more than I have any right to. Everything you said about us, please know that I believe that too. Just because I might get it in my head to do something stupid every no and again doesn't mean I don't love you with every ounce of my being."

Finally getting a word in, Gabriel reached forward to tuck some of Sam's hair back. "You have every right to love me, Sammy, just as I have every right to love you. We belong to each other, forever. You are a soul of pure good, kiddo, and that's not going to change. We will defeat Lucifer and stop the apocalypse, and you and I are going to live our lives together."

Sam scooted closer to Gabriel and pulled the archangel close to him, cuddling the smaller man close and sighing. "I am so sorry, Gabe." He whispered.

"Just promise to never go on a suicidal mission to give the devil permission to kill us both again and we'll be square," Gabriel muttered sullenly.

"I swear on my life that I will never again jeopardize our bond," Sam said solemnly, pressing his lips to Gabriel's temple. "And if I do anything monumentally stupid, you have my permission forever and always to knock the sense back into me."

Gabriel chuckled and shifted his head so he could kiss Sam's lips. He paused the action for a moment with a sigh and said, "Do me a favor and call your brother real quick?"

"Why?" Sam asked, surprised at the change in topic.

"Because what I really want to do right now is divert your attention to a particular activity I have in mind, but it would be rude to leave your brother hanging for that long. Call him, tell him you've stopped being stupid, and that you'll see him in a few hours." Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows at Sam as he spoke, leaving little room to imagine what he intended to do next.

"Uh..." Sam had lost his train of thought. "Oh, Dean, phone call. Got it." He whipped out his cell phone and pressed the first contact, speaking as soon as it connected.

"WHERE THE HELL-"

"I'm with Gabe, I'm good, nobody's in danger, and I'll be back in a few hours." Sam said quickly, hanging up the phone and tossing it to the side with a carefree smile.

"Now, how about I remind you why our bond is so valuable?" Gabriel said with a sultry smile.

Sam grinned in response and met Gabriel halfway, the lips of the lovers meeting in a perfect union that left neither of them in doubt of the sanctity of their eternal bond.