Part 1 of the "Gabriel Returns" series
Summary: The reader leaves the hunting life behind after the apocalypse. When Sam calls her eight years later and tells her Gabriel is back, what will happen next?
Pairing: Past Gabriel × Reader; eventual Gabriel × Reader again
Warnings: Post-Asmodeus Gabriel
You hadn't seen Sam or Dean in years -- about eight, to be exact. The first year had been quiet -- Sam was dead, and you figured that Dean was either killing himself hunting or really trying to make a go of it with Lisa and Ben, like you knew he'd promised Sam. Even odds, you figured.
You'd been surprised when the phone started ringing again after the first year. Maybe Dean had been with Lisa but that hadn't worked out? You didn't know -- you never answered. You were out of that life now. When you saw that Sam's phone had called yours, you were almost tempted to call back -- but it was apple pies for you now on. After a while, the calls stopped coming in. You missed the boys, but it was better this way. You knew that they would be hunters till it killed them, and you were out. But still, even if you were never going to answer their calls, you carried the old phone with you.
You were surprised when the phone rang for the first time in years. You looked, and immediately recognized the number as one of Sam's. Sure that it was against your better judgment, you answered.
"Y/n?" You couldn't blame Sam for sounding surprised.
"Hey. I, uh, I wasn't expecting you to answer."
"I didn't know that I would."
Silence. Sam seemed just as surprised as you were. Neither of you were quite sure what to say.
"So, uh, did you call me for something, or --?"
Sam cleared his throat. "Right. Uh." You heard him inhale. "Gabriel is back."
You heard Sam talking, but you weren't really listening. "Sam, I was there. He -- he died, he's not... I mean, it can't be --" You let the sentence trail off. You weren't sure how to end it.
"I know. I thought the same thing, but, uh. It's really him, we -- we made sure, only he's -- he's in pretty bad shape, and, uh. I remembered you saying when he died that you'd met him before and, well, I'm calling anyone that I thought might be able to help."
You nodded. Okay -- Gabriel was back. In bad shape: what did that mean? How did they make sure he was himself? Why had Sam called you? Sure, to help them out, but all you'd ever told the Winchesters was that you'd met Gabriel before, and Sam himself had admitted that he hadn't been expecting you to pick up.
"What, um. What does bad shape mean? Wait, how did you make sure it was him? Why did you call me?" You swallowed, thinking of your new life, the life you had now. "Sam, I -- I can't come."
More silence. "Well, uh. Do you know anything that could help us, then? How did you meet him, anyways? All you ever told us was that you'd met him before."
You didn't know what to say to that. It was complicated to try to explain. Was Gabriel really back? "Sam. Tell me that you're sure it's him."
"Give me a couple hours. Let me get some, um. Some things sorted here, and then I'll be on my way. Text me the address, okay?"
You hung up before Sam could say anything. Before you could change your mind. Your phone buzzed. The address.
You packed a bag in record time. Only one thing left to do now. You went to your neighbor's door and knocked.
"Y/n? Is everything alright?"
"Hi, Mrs. Smith. Listen, I had a, uh, family emergency come up, and I was wondering if you could watch --"
"Oh, of course!" Mrs. Smith was like that -- she never let you finish a sentence.
"Thank you. There's a note on the table, so she'll know to come here, and --"
"Of course, of course! I hope that everything's okay, dear."
You nodded, and promised to call soon with more details. With that, you grabbed your bag and left.
It only took a couple hours to get to the address Sam had sent you, but you were fairly sure you were speeding most of the way. What was this place? Some kind of bunker? You grabbed the bag from your backseat, and went to knock on the door.
"Hey, Y/n. It's been a while."
"It sure has been." You smiled. "It's good to see you, Sam. Really." You hugged him, and he hugged you back. He pulled back and stepped aside, and you followed him into the building.
"Where is he?" You weren't sure why you were whispering.
"Y/n, you just got here. Do you want to put your bag down, or--?"
You handed him your bag. "Where is he?"
Sam led you to a closed door. "Y/n, I know I mentioned, but... it's bad. It's real bad."
You weren't sure what you were expecting, but this wasn't it. Gabriel had always been larger than life. To see him curled in on himself in an empty room broke your heart. "Gabriel." You turned back to Sam and nodded, and he left you two alone.
"Gabriel, it's me. Y/n." Nothing. You weren't sure that you had really expected anything, but still. "Gabriel, can you hear me?" More nothing. You slowly walked to the edge of the bed. "Is it okay if I sit?" You knew he wouldn't answer, but you still wanted to ask.
You sat -- slowly, watching Gabriel. You didn't want to startle him. But still, he didn't react. "I'm just gonna sit here a while, okay?" And so you did. You sat, in silence, watching Gabriel. He still hadn't even lifted his head to look at you.
You waited about an hour before you figured you should regroup with Sam. "I'm gonna leave you alone now, but I'll still be here if you need me, okay?" You stood and went to the door. "I've missed you, Gabriel."
Once you'd left the room you weren't sure how to feel. You'd thought that you would never see Gabriel again - on the one hand, you were glad to know that he was alive. On the other hand, you were furious that he had left you the way he did. How could he do that to you? It was hard to be mad at him the way he was -- so... broken. But the anger was there, buried under the heartbreak you felt about the state he was in.
You weren't sure where Sam was, or even how to find your way around in this place. Eventually, your wandering led you to a room that looked like a kitchen. Sam was there.
"I didn't know it would be so bad."
Sam looked up when you spoke.
You nodded at one of the chairs, and he gestured for you to sit.
"How long as he been here?"
"Not long. A day or two, maybe. You were my first call after Cas." So Castiel was still around. You wondered what he had said. Before you had the chance to ask, he continued speaking. "He came by, but... there wasn't much he could do. You saw." You nodded. "Y/n, how have you been?"
You looked at Sam. "Better than you, by the looks of it. What's been going on with you and Dean?"
Sam shrugged. "You know, a little bit of this, a bit of that. Some ghosts, some demons, some angels. What about you? Have you been, uh, keeping up with things, or...?"
You should have known that Sam wouldn't have fallen for the bait. He was always good at directing conversations to where he wanted them to go. It had proved helpful on the hunts you'd teamed up with the Winchesters for, but you found it particularly annoying at the moment. "I'm out, Sam. But I'm sure you know that."
He chuckled. "I didn't peg you as the type."
"Things change." You were thinking of a way to end the conversation -- maybe asking where the bathroom was -- but Sam spoke before you'd composed enough of a way to end the conversation.
"Sam." You shook your head.
"Oh, come on, Y/n. I mean, I know we didn't work together all the time, but we'd teamed up a few times. And then all of a sudden you stop answering Dean and I's calls? And you said you weren't gonna come but here you are!"
You sighed. "I'm only here for a couple days, Sam. I can't stay. Really," you added, seeing the look on Sam's face. "I can't leave the life I've built."
Sam looked away. "What kind of life is that, Y/n? I mean -- you know what's out there! You could be helping people and you're, what, baking apple pies instead?"
You sighed. "She's seven, Sam." When he looked confused, you clarified. "My daughter." Understanding crossed his face.
"You didn't want to raise her in the life."
He chuckled. "No." He looked at you. "No, I wouldn't."
"I can only stay a couple days, Sam." You didn't want to give Sam the chance to ask more questions.
"Where's my stuff?" You stood. The conversation was over. This time, Sam followed your cue.
"Come on, I'll take you."
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