Chapter 10: A Turn for the Worse

Sam must have been dreaming. Balthazar stood over him, staring down at the still hunter. His handsome, god-like form seemed so perfectly at rest. He had exhausted himself so much that he barely stirred when Balthazar finally slid out of the bed a few hours earlier. He had decided to get Sam some food which he assumed would help revive the slumbering giant. He wanted him refreshed and happy when he woke. And food seemed to be Balthazar's only logical conclusion.

When he had returned with some substantial human necessities, the hunter still had not awaked. Balthazar smiled lightly at this. He just had the most incredible night of his life with this man and all he could think about was waking him up as soon as possible so they could do it again and again… and again.

He refused to let Sam leave here without another frantically passionate, crazed romp in the sack. Balthazar wanted him to know that. He wanted Sam awake, gasping out his name as he sucked on his cock until he reached bliss. Balthazar wanted to do all that and so much more. After their love making, Balthazar's heart felt swollen with obscene happiness. He stroked Sam's rich hair until the hunter drifted off to a peaceful sleep. He stayed with him for a long time. Loving the feel and weight of his body pressed against his. The beating of his heartbeat beating against his chest. The rich scent of his skin, which now mingled with his.

Balthazar couldn't explain any of these irrational feelings or emotions bubbling up inside him. He did however realize he must tell Sam the truth. He had to tell him the truth about their debt. He didn't want this to be spoiled by his lies anymore. It didn't matter that Sam couldn't remember that he had already fulfilled his debt prior to his memory loss. Balthazar had to be honest with him. No matter how hard it was for both of them to hear, especially for himself.

Feeling determined now, Balthazar glanced at his watch. It was well past the day and now into the night, nearly early morning. How long did human's sleep? Sure they had a wonderful, thoroughly exhausting roll in the sack, though he sincerely doubted it would deplete all of Sam's energy quite so much.

He sat down besides him on the bed and trailed his hand run through Sam's thick, wavy brown hair, messaging his scalp. "Sam…" he said softly, nudging the hunter awake. He didn't move.

Balthazar pursed his lips, unwavering as he flicked his ear, "Sam!"

His eyes didn't open. Irrational fear suddenly gripped Balthazar. He tried again, shaking the hunter's massive body. "Sam- wake up."

No response just the still breathing from his chest. Balthazar ran a hand through his hair absently, trying to think of something but his own fear was blinding him. Why wasn't he waking up? What the bloody hell was wrong with him?

He dropped the food, tried waking him several more times. But nothing. He was alive- but not waking up. Oh dear God, Balthazar thought suddenly. What if the djin's magic or whatever the hell Sam had ingested earlier never left his system? What if he was still in the throes of that dream root? But Balthazar had killed the woman who would have any knowledge on this. Bloody hell, he thought as guilt ripped inside him. He killed the one person who did this to Sam. He shuddered, unable to move or think beyond the shame washed over him, tearing him to pieces.

Balthazar suddenly knew what he had to do. He had to get help. He had to find Cas. He vanished, reappearing at Sam and Dean's motel room. He heard voices inside. He went in without knocking.

Dean was pacing frantically back and forth while Cas stood statue-like in the corner, looking grim.

"Balthazar!" Cas said surprised when he appeared.

Dean spun on his heel, anger contorting his face. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Balthazar opened his mouth, to retort at the stupid hunter, but the words fell short, feeling pointless. All he could breath out was, "Sam…"

Dean's eyes widened, "Where is he? Is he okay?"

Both Cas and Dean seemed to know that Sam was in trouble before he even told him. Surprised, Balthazar stepped to Cas, "What's wrong with him?"
Cas's grim expression didn't change as he answered, "I went back to the nightclub to look for the missing people…" he turned hesitantly to Dean and quickly looked away as pity reflected in his somber eyes. "Only one of them was still alive. I took her to the hospital. The doctors informed me that she was comatose and they didn't know why or even how to help her."

"So you're saying, what? Sam's in a coma?" Balthazar asked, baffled.

"No you idiot- he's stuck back in dreamland." Dean shot out bitterly. "Whatever the hell that woman gave you guys, it affected Sam differently because…"

"He's human," Balthazar muttered, understanding dawning on him.

"Don't you think it was a bit strange that the drink knocked your ass out too?" Dean asked icily.

Balthazar reeled, surprised that he hadn't thought about this further but he'd been so distracted with his rage that it blinded him to what was really going on.

"Balthazar- the cocktail that she drugged you with was powerful enough to send not only Sam- but you into a dream state." Castiel explained drily. "Whatever was in that potion it managed to affect you but only just. Sam- like the other victims, were not so lucky."

"But he woke up!" Balthazar spluttered out, feeling so damn helpless and confused.

"Only because he escaped the djin's dream world- not the dream root. It was a temporary wakefulness." Cas sighed, "the potion takes affect again once the person falls back to sleep. I don't believe the woman was aware of the side effects when she involved the djin. It made the dream root more powerful and unstable…" Cas hesitated before finishing, "and lethal."

"How do we stop it?" Balthazar suddenly demanded.

Cas titled his head thoughtfully, "We were discussing this when you arrived."

"Where's Sam!" Dean flared out again, this time more determined.

"At my hotel room," Balthazar snapped back emotionally.

A silence descended on all of them. Balthazar wanted to bite off his bloody, stupid tongue. Damnit, he just revealed Sam's location by accident to shut his idiot brother up. But he also revealed their relationship.

Relationship…? Balthazar stilled, his heart furiously pounding. Guilt swarmed him as he pulled himself away from the curious gazes of the men surrounding him. He needed to think- to breathe- to calm the hell down. Sam was just sleeping, they could figure this out. He knew they could.

They had too. He couldn't bare the idea of Sam dying, alone in that dream world- not again.

"He's just sleeping- right? So he'll be fine until we find out how to wake him up." Balthazar said more to himself than the others.

He glanced back to Cas, his grimness beginning to irritate him.

"We don't know if it's gonna be that simple, Balthazar," Dean muttered angrily.

"Why not? One of us takes the dream root, pops in- hauls him out. Simple- effective."

"No," Cas said with a shake of his head. "I tried to revive the woman at the hospital, Balthazar. But her mind was lost to the dream. It's too dangerous. We can't go inside without getting lost ourselves."

Balthazar swallowed the painful knot in his throat. "So what? We're going to sit back and wait for him to die?"

Dean's jaw muscle flexed. "We're still thinking out a plan, you asshole. Sam's not gonna die. Now if you don't mind, can you bring my brother back here where I at least know he's safe, with me. And not in some whore motel room."

Balthazar stiffened, relenting on bringing Sam to them. He was safe where he was, wrapped in the silk sheets of his bed, in his room, with him.

"Balthazar," Cas's hoarse voice interrupted his thoughts. "Bring him here," he commanded with a stern, harsh tone. Yet Cas's eyes were gentle. He was trying to be a helpful friend at the moment. Balthazar stared at him, envious of the strength his fellow angel clearly possessed. Castiel had always been the more resilient one.

He let out a reluctant sigh then decided to release some of festering anger on Dean. "The next time you talk to me with such insolence, boy- I'll rip out your tongue." He threatened it lightly, though the subtle meaning of his words did not go unnoticed by the hunter.

Dean narrowed his eyes, anger burning in his gaze. His chin titled upwards defiantly at him, a clear challenge. But Balthazar didn't have time to waste on him.

He vanished, hating the anger inside him, hating the guilt pushing down on his heart and hating himself for letting this happen to Sam. He should have been more careful. But he was careless as usual. Recklessly endangering the people around him. He should have known when he snapped that woman's neck, killing her, that there would be consequences to his thoughtless behavior.

Balthazar reappeared in the bedroom. Sam still sleeping. A deceivingly tranquil expression on his face. Balthazar felt his heart twist painfully. Numbly, he dressed Sam with a wave of his powers. He was back in his jeans, shirt, shoes and coat, just as before. He knelt down and traced a light hand over Sam's face. Guilt swamped him again. He clenched his teeth, wanting his jaw to snap. But instead he hurled Sam's body into his arms, letting his angelic strength keep him steady as he vanished from the room and back to Dean.

He would figure out a way to save Sam. Because he still had to tell him the truth about the debt, no matter how painful it might be.

Sam would wake up. He would- he had to, Balthazar just knew it. He wasn't going to let their beautifully sweet kiss that night be their last.

TBC