Chapter 7

"Sam Winchester."

Sam looked up at the angel that had responded to his summons and swallowed. He knew that he was going behind Dean's back but… It was like what Bobby had said. He had to do what he had to do. That was all anyone could. Though he wasn't quite sure about this particular angel but he knew that he wouldn't bullshit him.

Balthazar had little love for all things Winchester. He had seen and heard and quite frankly he was not like his brother Castiel. He had a mild tolerance for the brothers and that was only because they knew of one he highly respected though he was certain that would be reciprocated in an ass kicking. So he made it clear that he was annoyed as he disappeared and reappeared behind the younger Winchester and said, "This had better be good."

Sam said nothing at first. He wasn't even sure how this was going to play out. Ever since he had his talk with Haley, he had not been sure about a few things and wanted to curse the juju witch. And yet if he tried anything, Moira would be on his ass and all because he gave her the order to. He really had backed himself into a corner and for what?

"Well here's one for the list of dumbest things ever," Balthazar said once he saw that Sam wasn't responding. He eyed Sam as the possibilities ran through his mind. "Summon the angel who wants to kill you."

Sam finally managed to speak after sizing up the angel. He knew he couldn't kill him since he didn't have a weapon capable of it. So talking it was. "Desperate times. I need your help, Balthazar."

Balthazar looked at Sam, not quite sure what was going on through his mind but he did catch on that Sam admitted that it was desperate. That meant he could get something out of this. "Interesting. Since last time we met, you wanted to, um… What was it?" He started pacing while pretending to think about the last time they met. "Oh yes. Fry my wings extra crispy."

Sam knew he needed the angel on his side and he would say anything. It never occurred to him whether or not it would work. "Well that was a misunderstanding."

Balthazar scoffed at that, "Some misunderstanding." He looked sharply at the younger Winchester and it was so tempting to just smite him right then and there. Then he would be done with this mess and everything could return to normal for him. But then again there was Castiel and little brother would have a fit.

"I know you're angry and believe me listening to this manipulative bastard makes you want to punch him."

Sam shifted and saw the one person apart from Bobby he didn't want to know while he learned about what he needed. "Hale."

Balthazar's eyes lit up as his eyes laid upon the juju witch. He had heard of her and he had wanted to meet her. Yet for some reason she wasn't available. "Ah, so the stories were what they are, stories. A juju witch in the presence of an angel."

Haley stepped forward from where she had come in. Even though Bobby gave Sam his space, she was not going to let Sam get into something that could be worse than what Dean was doing. She suspected that he was up to something and kept an eye on him. She was surprised that Sam had summoned an angel that wasn't Castiel since there was a war going on in heaven. She replied, "Juju is not necessarily evil. You know that. It's the intentions behind it."

"Ah yes, magic reveals the heart thing. That was so prehistory," Balthazar mocked as he grinned at Haley. "But still going strong." He glanced at Sam and added the caveat, "And you're lucky she is here. I'm in the mood to kill you where you stand."

"And risk her wrath," Haley challenged. It was a big gamble since the angel before her probably knew that Angela was not topside but… "You remember the tear."

Balthazar had to hand it to the witch. She was clever in reminding him of that. Like the others, what happened four years ago shook every being in touch with the spirit realm to the core, and had them scared. "I see your point, princess, but just making it clear that your presence is what is keeping this little soiree civil."

Haley made a gracious gesture, "By all means. Carry on."

Sam rolled his eyes at that. He wasn't going to get her to leave anytime soon. He was going to have to take care of Haley another way so she wouldn't interfere since he was certain she would protest. She was too much like Dean. She wanted the other guy back. At least she seemed to care that it was his life they were playing fast and loose with. He looked at the angel and said, "I need some advice."

"Advice?"

"Angel advice."

Balthazar raised his brow in amusement as he pointed with his thumb behind him, "Then go ask your boyfriend."

Sam looked full on at the angel, "Cas can't help me. I need to know if there's a spell, or a weapon… anything, that can keep a soul out forever."

Haley shot a look at Sam. She had a feeling that he was going to go this route. It certainly wasn't appealing to anyone if there was the risk of being turned into a drooling vegetable for life. But he was going down a path that would… She wasn't sure but with her research on souls and what she had learned about mating and bonding… There would be dire consequences and while this soulless version of Sam claimed to not care, he had to care on some level that his actions would have consequences not just for him but for her.

Balthazar was unaware of the thoughts going through Haley's mind as his attention was focused primarily on Sam. He mocked, "Aw. What's going on, Sam?"

Sam paused. He knew that what he was doing was going behind Dean's back and maybe it was wrong but… "It's for me."

Balthazar grinned, "Well… The plot thickens." He took a couple of steps forward and pressed, "Where's your soul, Sam?"

Sam was quiet as he eyed the angel. He was ready to snap at Haley if she said something. So far though she had been quiet. It was unusual for her.

Balthazar looked at Sam and then glanced at Haley. The look she gave confirmed it. So that was the plot thickening. "Good God, no. It's not still…?" He watched and it was confirmed. "It is…" He paused a moment and looked at Sam and grinned, "And she's still there too. Interesting."

Sam inwardly sighed at that, "My brother found a way to put it back in me and… get her out. But I don't want it."

Balthazar watched Sam's reaction and it was rather interesting. There was only the barest hints of emotions whenever she was mentioned. Still he played along, "No, you don't. No, no. Cause Michael and Luci are hate-banging it and her as we speak." He walked past Sam and thought about what Sam was asking while at the same time thinking about what this meant. While he was not in very good graces he still cared.

Sam didn't care about Balthazar's thoughts. All he cared about was whether or not he could keep his battered soul from being put back into him. "Can you help me?"

"Oh yes," Balthazar replied, not quite looking at Sam. "The question is, will I?"

Sam was certain he had a foothold. This was going to have to be a deal. "Set your terms," he said. He glanced at Haley and wondering why she wasn't jumping in with the protests.

Balthazar had to admit that the Winchesters weren't stupid when it came to dealing with supernatural beings. They knew that those with a bargaining chip would want to set terms. It was how things kept in balance more or less. This time though it was a delicate matter and if the witch's countenance and thoughts were anything to go by… He turned to look at Sam, "I'll do it for free."

"Free?" Sam scoffed at that notion. Nothing ever came from the goodness of the heart with beings like Balthazar. "Why?"

Balthazar has to admit that he liked Sam in this state just a little. He was amusing and not doubt he was what Haley thought of him. It was why he asked her to be quiet and listen. "You seem like a capable young man. I'd love to have you in my debt. And I have to say, I'm not a fan of your brother. So screwing him would delight me. However, I have reservations."

"Reservations?"

Balthazar paced a little as he placed his fingertips together. "You see… while I would enjoy screwing your brother over, I would not like doing it to her."

"Her?"

"The one who has you so tied up in knots that you can't understand it except for a primordial desire to kill every man who looks are her sideways because she's yours." Balthazar knew that he was going to be treading on thin ice with this but… "And the only one capable of taking on a Grigori and archangel and giving them a beating before killing them. My earthbound sister."

"She's not here," Sam replied with a shrug that indicated he thought this was a pointless red herring. "There shouldn't be any worries."

"And you, don't grasp the seriousness of the situation," Balthazar pointed out. "Doesn't matter if she is here or not. What happens to you or any of her precious humans… she knows and it will be like hell on earth if she thinks the worst."

"She's in hell."

Balthazar sighed and made a move. He reached out and grabbed Sam on the neck right where Haley had told him. He watched as Sam grunted in pain. At the same time there was a rumble coming from the sky. He pointed up and indicated, "See? Anything you do will bear consequences and more than likely you will never get what you claimed as yours if she stays down there."

Sam glared at Balthazar. He looked at Haley who was watching the whole thing with an impassive look. He looked back towards the angel and demanded, "The spell."

"The spell, yes." Balthazar was a little disappointed but he had made his point and it confirmed a few things. He hoped that would get his earthbound sister to start moving and tapping into the reserve that she never used. "So finding the ingredients should be easy enough. But there's one tricky part, however."

Sam was relaxed now that he was getting what he wanted. "Okay.

"You need to scar your vessel," Balthazar revealed. He looked at the clueless expression on Sam's face and explained, "Meaning something that so pollutes it, it renders it uninhabitable. Calls for something very specific."

"Great. What?"

"Patricide."

"My dad's been dead for years."

Balthazar was amused at how literal humans could think. It was why he liked sticking around. It was also why he appreciated her when she grasped what was going to happen. She was the great tactician. He chuckled, "To be clear, um, you need the blood of your father… but your father needn't be blood. Comprendes?"

Haley had been watching the whole exchange. She couldn't believe that Balthazar was giving Sam the means of tainting his vessel and after all that spiel about the consequences. Deep down though she knew that this soulless version would only weigh pros and cons. He would never weigh the emotional consequences. At least the angel tried and that was after he probed her thoughts and asked for details. She watched Sam and she could see the wheels start to turn. She was going to have to find a way to keep this from happening until Dean got back and it seemed that she was going to have to pull out all the stops with her powers.

You know what he'll do. I wish you luck, juju princess.


Dean had experienced seeing the world but the living not seeing him. He had done it when he had almost died and then when he had the not too brilliant idea of astral projection. And the end result was that Pam died. Now he was playing Death for a day and Tessa the reaper was his guide and she wasn't too happy about the whole thing. As he pointed out it was her boss' idea not his.

That didn't seem to make the difference with Tessa. The reaper was thankful that he and Sam saved her from being killed and the seal was saved but she didn't like him. Her reason was because, according to her, he and Sam had a history of throwing a wrench into the works. Dean knew what was at stake and was willing to play by the rules. The stakes were Sam's soul and a ticket for Angela to get out of hell. He didn't like that Adam was still going to be there but he had a choice. He was going to do this.

"Why?"

Dean looked at the guy he just killed. He looked confused at the fact that he was standing and seeing his dead body there. He couldn't help it, "You think maybe it was the extra cheese?"

The dead guy looked at the pizza and nodded in a knowing fashion, "Yeah. It was good, though."

"Is that a local place?"

"Dean."

Dean saw Tessa looking at him with a look of impatience. She had made it clear that she wanted to get through this with the least amount of screw-ups as possible. He knew Tessa was prickly and figured he could tone it down since he had as much as her riding on this. "Right. Um… Time to go, man. Sorry."

He thought it was going to be easy when Tessa started to guide him to reap him. He didn't expect the guy to turn around and ask him, "Wait. Will tell me what it all means?"

Tessa had warned him that the dead would ask him questions. Of course she had to be annoying about it when he asked if he would magically know. Hell he had no idea what it meant. He sort of asked that when Sam died and he didn't know what to do. He was at a loss for words. It was one of the few times that he wished Angela or Haley were around. It might have been the fact that they were women since they always seemed to know what to say.

Now he was stuck doing it alone and a glance at Tessa told him she wasn't going to give him a hand. Rather she seemed amused at his discomfort. Fine. He could do this. He thought about it and he thought of something that would seem mysterious and would fit. He offered, "Everything is dust in the wind."

He didn't expect the guy to freak out on him when he replied, "That's it? A Kansas song?"

Dean watched with slight annoyance as Tessa stepped in and apologized saying that he was new. Well hell yeah he was new. He wondered if Death was getting his shits and giggles from this. He really felt like an idiot trying to do this and yet he couldn't shake the feeling that Death was trying to teach him a lesson somehow. He watched as Tessa led the guy away.

Sighing Dean muttered, "Damn Angie. Somehow I think you'd be able to say something better."

Truth is Dean, at least how I see it, is that death is just another stage we enter. And as clichéd as it sounds… it is the next great adventure, the grand mystery.

Dean felt his lip twitch at that. He and Angela had been having a chat. It was one of those rare times were Sam was getting the gas for the Impala and it was just him and her. She was leaning against the car and watching the landscape. He couldn't remember what prompted the discussion except maybe the fact that they were neck deep in the Apocalypse and they couldn't see the solution ahead of them and it was a very real fact that they could die from this. He murmured, "You think death is an adventure?"

Certainly better than here where there is certainty. Uncertainty is what tests us. The unknown puts to the test what we know and we see what we are capable of.

"Couldn't you come up with anything better?"

Dean turned his attention towards Tessa. "Hey, you're the one that didn't give any hints on what to say."

Tessa looked at Dean. She knew that she hadn't been forthcoming. She had objected to this whole scheme from the start. She didn't even want to do what Dean ask and summon Death so he could talk to him. She wasn't wrong that Sam and Dean had a tendency to throw a wrench into the works and always with the greatest amount of consequences. She sighed, "Look… just try to get through this."

"I am," Dean protested. "Unless you have a manual with that list of yours…"

Tessa shook her head as she and Dean started walking. "You know you are lucky that you have a close relationship with the only one who can see us."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that it's only because of her that the boss is even considering it."

That thought had occurred to Dean. He just never brought it up. It was like the ace in the hole kind of thing and he respected how she didn't like exploiting things to get what she wanted unless it was necessary. Dean knew Angela wasn't above playing on her guardian charge contract or bond when it came to Kesset and Castiel but he had noticed that she left certain 'orders' open for interpretation. For whose benefit, he didn't have a clue but it went to show that she was all for negotiating and playing by the rules.

I like to play fair.

She had said it the first time she met him and Sam. She was insistent on it. Dean looked at Tessa and could tell she really wasn't in the talking mood but since she brought it up… "And I considered that. Hell before she met me and Sam I'm sure she had favors stacked up to last longer than she's been alive and she won't cash them in unless necessary."

Tessa made a slight sound at that. She knew what Dean was saying was true. She was also surprised that he admitted to knowing that most supernatural beings didn't hold him or Sam high on the greeting card list and that for the most part it was a courtesy. "Then you know this is a courtesy."

"Whatever you want to call it," Dean muttered. This was going pretty well but he wasn't sure as hell happy about it. He was worried and mostly because he wasn't confident that Sam trusted him.

Haley had called his brother a manipulative bastard and he pretty much was. Dean never rebuked her for it since it was pretty much the truth and sometimes the truth hurt especially when he learned that his brother had been brought back without his soul. So he was well aware that Sam could be lying his ass off and only saying what he wanted to hear. He had no compunction to be sincere and he fell for it every time. Haley was the one that called bullshit and essentially shooting down Sam's pretenses. She didn't like it and neither did it seemed for the best.

The past six months or so, Dean missed his brother more than he did the year thinking he was gone for good in the cage. Even though it was physically Sam, it wasn't the brother he knew; the sensitive and geeky one. Everything that made Sam, Sam, was not there. There were times that he wondered what Angela would think of this situation and then was glad that she was not there to see Sam without his soul. She would be broken but on the other hand she would be determined to think of the solution and fix it. He got the feeling she would have not appealed to Death but she wasn't here and he was at a rope's end and it was all he could think of.

A noise caught Dean's attention and he looked up to see a park. There were a bunch of kids playing on the swings, and jungle gym. He paused and saw Tessa looking at the scene. His eyes widened and he was going to protest when a groan filled the air. He shifted to see what looked like a jogger grab his head and fall to his knees. He looked at Tessa and the reaper nodded.

Sighing Dean walked forward and gently touched the jogger. Nothing was wrong with him except for the brain aneurysm that just killed him. He turned to see the jogger looking at him and then at his body. Dean prepared for the questions and silently prayed that he had something better than the previous ones.

"Never saw it coming."

Dean blinked at looked at the jogger who was looking at his body with resignation. "Never saw it coming?"

"Can you think of anything else that would take someone by surprise besides an aneurysm?" The jogger gave Dean an expectant look.

"I think of worse things but… no."

The jogger nodded, "Well I guess I gotta go."

"Wait. You've got nothing?"

The jogger looked at Dean with a raised brow. "Like what? Ask why me? There's no point to it. We all have our own time. Mine is obviously up despite living healthy."

Dean blinked at that. It was like looking at a male version of Angela with the whole acceptance thing. Most people would be freaking out and yet… "You're obviously well adjusted."

"Having a near death experience makes one open their eyes," the jogger replied. "Makes you realize that you really don't know if today will be your last." He shrugged just as Tessa put her hand on his shoulder to reap him.

Dean let him go feeling a little surprised. The guy was really well adjusted to this. It sort of made him better about all this. He waited for Tessa to return and they were on to the next person on the list.


A/N: Sam said he trusted Dean but looks like he is going behind Dean's back while Dean is spending a day as Death. Stay tuned for next time on Let the Games Get Bloody...