Zophiel growled and stomped down the hallway. Fuckin' pineapples, the whole thing. What he needed was out, or back the way he came, or on the moon. Levi always managed to turn his head around until he didn't know which way was up. He loved that human with everything he had, but some days, Zophiel wished his lover was a little easier to deal with.

A flash of red caught his attention as he passed through the living room and Gabriel stepped out from the kitchen, a commiserating look in his gold eyes. That tripped him out, the eyes his brothers had, all three of them. Made him happy he had chosen plain brown. Zophiel stopped though, and waited. His brother had something to ask, the intent simple to discern because Gabriel dripped it all over where he stood.

"You busy?" Gabriel asked, heavy and piteous. For a righteous asshole, Gabriel loved to get a little dramatic in his innocent expressions. Still, how could he be mad at the short shit?

"Not anymore. What's up?" Zophiel crossed his arms. This had to be good.

"I gotta favor to ask." Gabriel straightened up to his full height, not even five and a half feet, serious. "We need to tell the Host what happened to us, and since we're trapped, I was wondering if you'd be willing to help a guy out?"

Ah. Yeah, he knew this had to come up at some point. He'd do it, no question. How could he not? "Sure, but how do you know the rest of us aren't stuck too? I might be just as jammed up as you are."

"Doesn't hurt to try." Gabriel spread his arms in front of himself, determined but pleading. "They need to know what happened to us. And we need to figure out what the problem is, so we can get back. What if we'll always be stuck down here, way after we're dead?"

Zophiel went to Gabriel and rested his hands to his brother's shoulders. He waited until Gabriel looked up and met his eyes. "Gabriel," he said, firm and sure. "No one has ever been trapped here after they've died, not even us. It's not possible and you know it. Stop freaking out about this."

"I really can't help it," Gabriel whispered, broken. "I hate this mortality shit. I just want to take my mate and go home, never come back here."

"Ah, man, I know what you mean." Zophiel wrapped an arm around Gabriel's shoulders and hustled him back down the hall. "I promise, after this one, you and me are done with this shit. But right now, I want you to enjoy what you've got with your mate and not worry about this shit no more. I'll handle it."

Gabriel breathed out, deep and weary. "Everyone keeps saying that, but fuck me if I can figure out how to drop it. It's like some dog chewing at my brain. Nothing shakes it."

"Bet Danny feels the same way," Zophiel pointed out to his brother. "He's got all that war stuck in his head like you do, but no Michael to wipe it clean. I know you love him, so why don't you two push each other through all this bullshit?"

"We are." Gabriel shrugged. "Some days it's harder, right? It helps a lot to know we aren't doomed to this two bit planet after."