Falling for Him (Sabriel AU)

Terror in His Eyes (25)

Gabriel's POV

After our little date, I drove us home and we went to bed after dropping the stuff off in the kitchen.

The next day was pretty uneventful, other than Dad announcing that he was going on a business trip and was going to bring Uriel with him. While Sam was busy reading in the library and generally just hanging out with everyone, I met Michael in his room. "Were you able to fix it?" He looked up from his desk, glasses on.

"Not quite, but trying to wrap and fix this film is a pain." I walked up next to him and looked at the black film and casing on his desk. "Why do you want to see this so bad?"

"I have to know what made him have a panic attack like that." He sighed. "I know, it won't be pretty considering what we saw in that basement."

"Gabriel, I think that's a vast understatement..." My face hardened.

"I know." We sat in silence as we began to wrap the film back into the new casing. I finally popped the casing closed and gave my brother a pat on his shoulder. "Thank you Michael, I owe you." I started to leave.

"Wait, Gabriel." He grabbed my wrist. "I don't think you should watch it alone." He took his glasses off and stood up, letting go of my wrist. "I'll watch with you."

"Michael I don-" He held up his hand.

"Don't even start." He walked to his door. "Come on. Cas already is okay with us using the player."

We headed to Cas' room, the tape feeling heavy in my hands. Michael started up the TV and I let out a deep breath. "We cannot unsee what may be on here." I put the tape in and just... Sit down next to Michael. The first thing that popped on the screen was the asshole we both hate so much and I growled.

"Samuel. You found the tape. Congrats." His grin grew. "But it's not just for you. It's for what ever fuckers that took you away from me. I just want to show them a little something."

I frowned. "This asshole already knew we figured our his abuse?"

"No, look, he's younger in this video. I'm assuming he already knew what was going to happen eventually." He was right, he was younger, but not any less fugly.

The screen cut to black for a few seconds before cutting to him setting up the camera. Once he was satisfied, he backed away from the camera and it was Sam. He looked around 14 or 15 and was on his knees, his hands tied over his head by a rope hanging from a wooden beam. His hair was covering his face and  was breathing heavily.

He walked over to Sam and lifted his head by his hair. "You see that camera. It's going to record how submissive you are to me. It's going to remind you that you can never escape me."

"Y-Yes father..." He took a nearly completely melted candle and poured the entire thing on Sam's back, making him moan loudly. He let his head hang down and he grabbed a whip from the mount on the wall.

Both Michael and I watched in horror as we saw how he was treated. At one point in the video, his hair moved from his face and I could see that all of the light was gone from his eyes.

The tape ended and we sat in complete silence before Michael stood up quickly. "I think I'm going to puke." He rushed out of the room holding his mouth and I just sat there, mortified, but also very very angry. How could he live like that? How did he live like that? Did this happen everyday? What would've happened if I hadn't left? These thoughts ran through my head as I slowly lifted my hand to my mouth and let out a sob.

Then I heard John's words the night he tried to take Sam away. "You should tell them Samuel. Tell them how you scream."

"Gabriel!" I looked up at Lucifer. "What the hell happened? Are you okay?" I opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn't. I finally became aware of the tears streaming down my face and I just looked down at my hand, unable to do much else.

Michael came back into the room just as Sam rounded the corner. "Hey Gabrie-" I watched as Michael blocked the door. "What's going on?"

"I thought Gabriel was having an allergic reaction to the honey I gave him in his coffee this morning so I called Lucifer. Don't worry he's fine." Sam just smiled and shook his head.

"Dork. I'll be in the kitchen with Amara." He left and Michael collapsed onto the floor and Lucifer ran to his side.

"Michael!" He was shaking and his breathing was harsh, I'm sure I looked the same.

"We-We shouldn't have looked at it..." I stand up and make my way over to the tape player and eject the tape. "I shouldn't have fixed it...."

"Michael, what're you talking about? First of all what the hell was with that lie? You and I both know that he isn't allergic to honey!" I tap Lucifer's shoulder with the tape and he looked up at it, then me. "What is that?"

"Burn it." My voice came out hoarse and I just placed it in his hand and left the room, everything starting to fade out.

Sam... How could he endure something so horrible? Why didn't we realise sooner? Why did this go on for so long?

I hadn't realised I was in my old tree house a few miles away from the house until I started to climb up the latter. I sat down on the crooked floorboards, put my head in my hands, and screamed.

***

It was dark when I finally made my way home and everyone was asleep. I made my way to the living room and grabbed the liquor out of the cabinet and drank straight from the bottle. My eyes hurt from crying and my throat burned from the liquor and the screaming. The light flicked on and I looked up to see Amara with an understanding look on her face. "That's not going to help you forget." I looked away from her and placed the bottle on the coffee table, not wanting to drink any more than I already had. "Gabriel, sit down." I just drop to my knees and let out a sigh.

"I should've known..." My voice came out as barely a whisper. She sat down on the floor next to me and placed her hand on my shoulder. "I should've known to stay..."

"If knowing all of it before hand, do you think things would've changed?" I nodded. "Listen, it's not your fault, it never has been. No matter what you could've known won't change the past." I look up at her.

"He tortured him Auntie... He killed his soul..." My hands began to shake as my emotions overcame me. "I promised that I would keep him safe all those years ago and I failed him..." She smiled grimly and rubbed my back.

"I know. You couldn't protect him then, so don't break down now and not be able to protect him in the present. You must also understand Gabriel, people's experiences shape them, but don't define them. Sam will heal and he will do it with all of us, but he can't if you aren't there for him completely." She pulled me into a hug and I hung onto her tightly. "Everything will be okay now Gabe, don't you worry." I gripped her night shirt and began to sob silently.

Okay, yes I know I've been gone a long while and I said I'd discontinue this story unless I had ideas and I do now. It just took a small rereading to find a detail that I'm sure I planned to go somewhere with, but didn't quite get there so I got burnt out. Anyway, I should be back now, but don't expect consistent updates (sorry about that).