Gabriel frowns at the question. Before, he'd told Sam that he was killed by Lucifer and showed up in New York not long after. That's kind of the opposite of the truth. "Will you sit back down? This is like talking to a flannel covered Sequoia. Without the comforting shade and the fresh scent." He huffs out a breath, trying to think of a work-around for Sam's question.

"Last time you saw me in the flesh was back at the big showdown, right? What do you think I was up to before I got dragged here?" The implication here (hopefully) being that he was completely and utterly dead. "I wasn't exactly having the time of my life, I'll tell ya that much." That much is true. He'd mostly spent his time after that confrontation feeling uncertain and listless.