Theme Prompt - Thrilling

Dean helped Sam to his feet before moving to Castiel's side. He wrapped an arm around the angel, hugging him close and pressing a kiss to his forehead. This time, death had almost claimed them all, skeletal fingers running down his spine. Dean shivered and turned to Gabriel.

"What are you going to do to him?" Dean asked curiously. Sam limped up next to Gabriel but made no move to touch the furious archangel. With the power crackling around him, Sam was likely to get shocked. Though the thought of the power that Gabriel could wield was oddly thrilling to the younger Winchester. Smelling the blood from Sam's wound, Gabriel turned and pressed a hand to Sam's thigh. The wound closed as if it had never been and Sam gave Gabriel a grateful smile.

"Since he was coming after all of us, why don't we all decide?" Gabriel replied, his head tilted to the side as he studied Zachariah. As he spoke, Gabriel wove the same chains that had held him and Castiel around Zach, making sure the former angel could go nowhere.

"Before we get to that, where's Adam?" Sam said worriedly. The last he'd heard from their brother, Adam had yelled for him to run. And Sam was sure he'd heard a gunshot before that.

"I'll go check upstairs," Bobby said, sending one last glare at Zach before shouldering his gun and walking away. The group in the kitchen waited while Bobby's footsteps sounded through the house.

Adam had finally made it to his room, little drops of blood on the smooth wooden floors evidence of his passage. He hoped that Sam had enough warning to deal with the man he now recognized as Zachariah. Groaning softly, Adam pulled his shirt off and inspected the wound in his upper arm. It was still bleeding freely, red flowing down his arm unhindered by the fabric.

He could feel a hard lump inside the wound and knew that the bullet was still in there. Somehow, Adam was going to have to dig it out. Steeling himself, Adam started to reach into the wound when a knock came at his door. Jumping, Adam turned to the door, suspicion crossing his face.

"Boy, it's Bobby," Bobby said through the door causing Adam to heave a sigh of relief. He walked over to the door and opened it, nodding to the elder hunter.

"Zachariah shot me," Adam said, gesturing to the still-bleeding wound. "The bullet's inside and needs to come out. Is everyone else ok?"

"For now," Bobby said darkly. He shrugged at Adam's questioning look and put the shotgun down on the bed. He grabbed Adam's T-shirt and wrapped it deftly around the younger boy's arm. It didn't really matter what happened to it now since it was already ruined with blood.

"So what's going on?" Adam asked once the wound was wrapped securely. "Is Zachariah still here?"

"He is and so is the demon Crowley," Bobby told him. Adam's mouth dropped open in surprise and no little fear but he nodded. Bobby gave him a tight smile and picked up the shotgun again. He didn't want to be unarmed anywhere near Crowley, though he got a strange sense that the demon wouldn't actually hurt him. And what was with that look he'd flashed him....

"Another demon? What, do the Winchesters like to collect them or something?" Adam asked sarcastically, trying to hide the fear. Another one of those evil creatures was the last thing he wanted to see.

"Not... exactly," Bobby replied, struggling to hold in the laughter. "Sometimes, Crowley helps because our interests align for the moment. But you can't trust the bastard; he'll screw you over in a heartbeat. But we should head downstairs. Gabriel or Cas can heal you."

Adam followed without another word, hoping that Bobby and his brothers knew what they were doing. Though, from what he'd seen before, they really didn't. They just seemed to react to each crisis as it came. It was a strategy that seemed to work and yet didn't all at the same time. At least, it looked that way from the little Adam had been able to glean from Michael while serving as the archangel's vessel.

When he and Bobby made it back to the kitchen, Cas motioned him over. With a gentle hand, Cas pressed on the wound and the bullet came out. With another light touch, the wound healed as if it had never been.

"Thanks," Adam murmured, smiling at the angel.

"You're very welcome," Cas said, a soft smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Adam turned to the display in the middle of the kitchen, identifying Crowley by the simple fact that he'd never seen the man before.

"So, Gabe, you were saying just desserts?" Sam prompted once Adam was healed. The archangel grinned, a savage pull of lips from teeth and Sam felt the thrill go through him again. He and Gabriel were definitely going to have to spend some time together after this was all over, he thought.

"Yes, I was," Gabriel drawled, every inch the fierce archangel of the Lord. "And it's going to be a rather painful lesson. What do you think we should do with him? Fire? Ants? Fire ants?"
"Death would be too quick," Dean interjected. "You need to get more creative, man."

"If I may?" Crowley said, holding up one hand delicately. "I'm no longer needed here and I can sense you are holding something I want captive. How about I leave with Meg and let you decide Zachy's fate?"

"You can leave," Bobby growled. "But we have plans for Meg."

"Do you now, Singer?" Crowley purred, sidling up close to Bobby. "And what might those plans be?"

"None of your damned business, demon," Bobby spat, standing his ground. "So I suggest you leave before I pump you so full of rock salt you crap margaritas."

"Bossy, bossy," Crowley murmured, running a finger over Bobby's shoulder. "You're lucky I like you, Singer. Anyone else said that to me, I would have them tortured painfully." With a wink, Crowley disappeared. Everyone looked at Bobby, surprise and a touch of curiousity in their eyes.

"What?" the elder hunter said defensively. "Don't you idjits have a job to do?"

Gabriel couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him before turning to Cas and Dean. The angel walked over to his brother, staring at Zachariah with sadness and resolve. Dean followed, resting a hand on Cas's shoulder.

"Well, brother?" Gabriel asked. "You made the choice last time to spare him. Do you want the choice now to decide what happens to him?"

"No, I don't," Cas replied, shaking his head. "I showed mercy to him and let him go. Zachariah is no longer my brother nor do I care what happens to him."

"I vote we send him to TV land," Sam said suddenly. "Remember when Dean and I were there and we had to play our roles? Zach here hates humans so what would be worse than having to live among them, playing a role from TV shows and movies? Plus, he'd be safely contained there."

"Sasquatch, you're a genius," Gabriel crowed, his eyes gleaming gold. The archangel snapped before Zachariah could say a word, the former angel disappearing from the kitchen. "And the best part is, we can watch him any time."

"That sounds like fun," Sam said, pulling the archangel close to him. The power crackling through Gabriel made the hair on Sam's arms stand on end but he didn't let go. "You and I have plans."

"I like when you take control, kiddo," Gabriel purred before snapping them to a room in one of his many houses.