Now that Dean had Sam and Ayden out of his hair, he could focus on what he felt needed to be done, without anyone thinking for him, telling him what to do, or making him feel guilty. He'd decided that the first order of business was answers, and though he trusted angels about as far as he could throw them, there was one he thought might give him the information he needed without dicking him around, and it wasn't Castiel. Summoning an angel wasn't quite the same thing as summoning a demon. All he really needed was the angel's name in order to call him and hope the angel was listening. He also had to hope he only got that one angel on the receiving end, but even if Zachariah was to show up, Dean was confident the angel couldn't do dick without Michael's say so. It was a risk, but a calculated one.
Before calling on the angel in question, Dean had taken precautions, spray-painting Enochian sigils on the doors and windows and pouring out a circle of Holy Oil on the floor, just in case he needed to contain his guest. He had drawn a banishing sigil in blood in an inconspicuous place, just in case he needed it. Once that was done, next came the awkward task of summoning the angel in question. Dean cleared his throat and gathered his courage. He wasn't big on praying, and this summoning business always felt like praying to him.
"Um....Gabriel, if you're listening, uh....I'd like a word." He waited, shuffling his feet awkwardly as he waited for something, anything that would tell him the angel had heard his summons.
Perhaps surprisingly, he got a prompt response. One moment the cabin was empty but for Dean and his preparations; the next, Gabriel, Archangel of the Lord and sometime Trickster, was standing beside him. "Would you mind keeping it down?" he demanded, flicking a finger toward Dean's throat to essentially shut off the hunter's vocal chords. "What part of "I'm in witness protection" didn't you understand the last time around, muttonhead?"
Finding himself suddenly unable to speak, Dean only glared at the angel, eyes narrowed in annoyance, wondering if he was even a little bit curious why Dean had called him in the first place, or if he was too busy worrying about his own safety.
Apparently quite pleased with himself, Gabriel turned his back on his summoner, moving through the 'borrowed' cabin. "Dean, Dean, Dean ..." he sighed mockingly, looking up at what seemed to be a bear's head mounted on the wall. He turned back to the hunter. "Nice digs." The sarcasm was palpable. "If you're looking for a way to end it all and save that sweet little sister of yours, you called the wrong angel." His fingers flicked in Dean's direction again, ending the spell. "Please, try to keep announcing my presence to the cosmos to a minimum."
Dean gasped as he found the use of his vocal chords restored, looking relieved for about half a second before his face darkened again. "I should have known better than to call you. You've got your head too far up your own *ss worrying about your own skin to be any use to me. Is there anything else you care about deep down, other than your own family squabbles?"
For a moment, there was a flicker of anger in the archangel's eyes. "You don't know jack about my family." It was a warning in itself. The world might be ending, but to Gabriel" His family was on the verge of tearing itself apart. How many youngest siblings could cope with that with any kind of dignity' Yet a moment later, he was back to his usual smart*ss self. "But seriously' You wished for me" Want another round of Nut-a-Cracker?"
"I know a lot more than you think. I know you're the baby of the family who ran away from home when your siblings wouldn't stop fighting. Well, boo f*cking hoo. What gives them the right to pull us into their squabble" But then, your whole family is dysfunctional, starting with Dad, isn't it' You know what you should have done" You should have gotten them some family counseling sessions. Works wonders, I'm told."
"Shoe's on the other foot now, isn't it?" Gabriel snapped back at the angry hunter. "Where's Gigantor, Dean' Or your other little friends and so-called family' Nowhere to be found. Now who's the one running away, from your family, from your responsibilities?" His arms spread wide as he glared back at Dean. "You and your brother are the only ones who can stop this from turning into the annihilation of the human race, and you're too busy weeping into your soda, like a couple of geeks at the prom."
Dean didn't let Gabriel's insults bother him; he'd heard them all before. He didn't so much as flinch, his only reaction a slight narrowing of his eyes as he moved a step closer. "Let's cut the crap and get down to business, shall we" I called you here because I have a proposal."
"Sorry, I'm not into dudes." The reaction was automatic, but Dean should have expected it. "Unless you're proposing I take innocent little Ayden somewhere and ....protect her from all this nasty end of the world business." It was a low blow, and Gabriel knew it. There was just enough hesitation in the pause to declare his wariness, too. "But enough of this foreplay. Like I said, you're talking to the wrong angel."
"Maybe it's time you grow a set of balls and take a little of your own advice. Oh, that's right. I forgot. You're an angel. Not just any angel. An archangel. Biggest bad*ss in heaven, and you've got no balls. You want me to talk to someone else? The buck stops with you, Gabriel, just like it stops with me."
The archangel had no come-back for that, quieting into silence. All he could muster was a dull-eyed stare, as much invitation as Dean was going to get to offer up a reason for his summoning.
"You already know what I think of your big brothers' squabbles, but as I see it we're both stuck between a rock and a hard place. You don't really want your brothers to go through with this anymore than we do. You think this is destiny' That's a load of crap, and you know it. Who decided it was our destiny' Michael" Lucifer" God?" Dean stepped closer, coming to a halt just outside the circle of Holy Oil.
"You were born for this, Dean, you and your brother," the rebellious archangel pointed out for the thousandth time. "Dad set it up millenia ago, you think I know why' I've got big brothers trying to kill each other over Dad's new baby, that he doesn't even play with anymore! And you know the worst part' Lucifer wanting to kill you guys I get, but Michael and the God-Squad don't even care how many of you get iced. How is that a rational response to sibling rivalry?"
Before calling on the angel in question, Dean had taken precautions, spray-painting Enochian sigils on the doors and windows and pouring out a circle of Holy Oil on the floor, just in case he needed to contain his guest. He had drawn a banishing sigil in blood in an inconspicuous place, just in case he needed it. Once that was done, next came the awkward task of summoning the angel in question. Dean cleared his throat and gathered his courage. He wasn't big on praying, and this summoning business always felt like praying to him.
"Um....Gabriel, if you're listening, uh....I'd like a word." He waited, shuffling his feet awkwardly as he waited for something, anything that would tell him the angel had heard his summons.
Perhaps surprisingly, he got a prompt response. One moment the cabin was empty but for Dean and his preparations; the next, Gabriel, Archangel of the Lord and sometime Trickster, was standing beside him. "Would you mind keeping it down?" he demanded, flicking a finger toward Dean's throat to essentially shut off the hunter's vocal chords. "What part of "I'm in witness protection" didn't you understand the last time around, muttonhead?"
Finding himself suddenly unable to speak, Dean only glared at the angel, eyes narrowed in annoyance, wondering if he was even a little bit curious why Dean had called him in the first place, or if he was too busy worrying about his own safety.
Apparently quite pleased with himself, Gabriel turned his back on his summoner, moving through the 'borrowed' cabin. "Dean, Dean, Dean ..." he sighed mockingly, looking up at what seemed to be a bear's head mounted on the wall. He turned back to the hunter. "Nice digs." The sarcasm was palpable. "If you're looking for a way to end it all and save that sweet little sister of yours, you called the wrong angel." His fingers flicked in Dean's direction again, ending the spell. "Please, try to keep announcing my presence to the cosmos to a minimum."
Dean gasped as he found the use of his vocal chords restored, looking relieved for about half a second before his face darkened again. "I should have known better than to call you. You've got your head too far up your own *ss worrying about your own skin to be any use to me. Is there anything else you care about deep down, other than your own family squabbles?"
For a moment, there was a flicker of anger in the archangel's eyes. "You don't know jack about my family." It was a warning in itself. The world might be ending, but to Gabriel" His family was on the verge of tearing itself apart. How many youngest siblings could cope with that with any kind of dignity' Yet a moment later, he was back to his usual smart*ss self. "But seriously' You wished for me" Want another round of Nut-a-Cracker?"
"I know a lot more than you think. I know you're the baby of the family who ran away from home when your siblings wouldn't stop fighting. Well, boo f*cking hoo. What gives them the right to pull us into their squabble" But then, your whole family is dysfunctional, starting with Dad, isn't it' You know what you should have done" You should have gotten them some family counseling sessions. Works wonders, I'm told."
"Shoe's on the other foot now, isn't it?" Gabriel snapped back at the angry hunter. "Where's Gigantor, Dean' Or your other little friends and so-called family' Nowhere to be found. Now who's the one running away, from your family, from your responsibilities?" His arms spread wide as he glared back at Dean. "You and your brother are the only ones who can stop this from turning into the annihilation of the human race, and you're too busy weeping into your soda, like a couple of geeks at the prom."
Dean didn't let Gabriel's insults bother him; he'd heard them all before. He didn't so much as flinch, his only reaction a slight narrowing of his eyes as he moved a step closer. "Let's cut the crap and get down to business, shall we" I called you here because I have a proposal."
"Sorry, I'm not into dudes." The reaction was automatic, but Dean should have expected it. "Unless you're proposing I take innocent little Ayden somewhere and ....protect her from all this nasty end of the world business." It was a low blow, and Gabriel knew it. There was just enough hesitation in the pause to declare his wariness, too. "But enough of this foreplay. Like I said, you're talking to the wrong angel."
"Maybe it's time you grow a set of balls and take a little of your own advice. Oh, that's right. I forgot. You're an angel. Not just any angel. An archangel. Biggest bad*ss in heaven, and you've got no balls. You want me to talk to someone else? The buck stops with you, Gabriel, just like it stops with me."
The archangel had no come-back for that, quieting into silence. All he could muster was a dull-eyed stare, as much invitation as Dean was going to get to offer up a reason for his summoning.
"You already know what I think of your big brothers' squabbles, but as I see it we're both stuck between a rock and a hard place. You don't really want your brothers to go through with this anymore than we do. You think this is destiny' That's a load of crap, and you know it. Who decided it was our destiny' Michael" Lucifer" God?" Dean stepped closer, coming to a halt just outside the circle of Holy Oil.
"You were born for this, Dean, you and your brother," the rebellious archangel pointed out for the thousandth time. "Dad set it up millenia ago, you think I know why' I've got big brothers trying to kill each other over Dad's new baby, that he doesn't even play with anymore! And you know the worst part' Lucifer wanting to kill you guys I get, but Michael and the God-Squad don't even care how many of you get iced. How is that a rational response to sibling rivalry?"