I'd tell you my excuses for not writing but they are numerous and not very good so I'll just leave it. I ended up expanding this part anyway I was going to do something with Samhain in this chapter but now its the next one.

"There is no way in hell I am letting you out of my sight, and even less if you think I'm letting you go back with this angel!"

Bobby shouted this was an ongoing argument. One Dean was beginning to question if he would win. They were in the kitchen Cas was sitting uncomfortably in the library, pretending he couldn't hear their heated conversation. Bobby insisted that if he was going to be unchained the least they could do was keep an eye on him. Bobby ran his hand over his head pulling his hat off so he could run his fingers over his hair.

"What did he say to you in eight hours that made you lose your goddamned mind?" he demanded.

It was early morning it just coming up on three days since he escaped Cas's villa, and he was making plans to go back. It was the 30th of October; before he went to hell he would have been making plans to hit up a bar on Halloween it was always a treasure trove of semi-naked people looking for a good time, that he was usually more than ready to provide. Today he had bigger decisions on his mind.

"He told me the truth," Dean growled emphasizing each word; it wasn't like it was the twentieth time Bobby had asked him or anything

"Don't try to con a conman." Bobby insisted frustrated.

"I told you everything that happened." Dean insisted throwing up his hands in frustration, feeling a twinge of doubt as he said it, he hadn't mentioned his lapse in judgment, but that was none of Bobby's business and he was sure that he would rather not know about it.

"How can you be sure he isn't lying?" Bobby wondered pointedly Dean sighed Bobby had a point, and he wished he could explain it in a way that made sense. Every rational part of his brain screamed that he shouldn't trust Cas, but it was also his brother

"Its Sammy." Dean insisted

Bobby's face softened for an instant. "You have the biggest blind spot when it comes to your brother." He said quietly.

"I know," Dean whispered, "I still gotta go after him," he maintained

"Not with this angel you don't, let me get ahold of Ellen and Jo…"

Dean paused there was unfinished business between him and Jo, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that, but then again when did he ever have a relationship that worked out even just a little.

"No," Dean insisted. Last time Jo went out with him she nearly died, and while their relationship ended before it ever really started there was no way he was dragging her back into this.

Bobby must have gotten some inkling why he was upset because he continued.

It was the same look he gave Dean when he told him Sammy went off on his own, a pitying but dismissive look.

"A lot has changed in the past four years Dean; Jo is an amazing hunter."

Dean knew that Bobby must believe it, he wasn't exactly easily impressed, and he had been around from the beginning fighting angels, if Jo could hold her own Bobby would know it.

"It's better if I go in alone less risk to the resistance." He said firmly.

Bobby gave him a dirty look. "If you want you can maintain a visual in the city, set up shop there and keep an eye on me, as you put it."

If Dean had his way, they wouldn't get one hundred feet of Cas's villa he wouldn't give them a reason to,

"I still think you need to quit being an idjit." Bobby groused, but it was more out of worry than actual disapproval.

Dean knew he should be easier on the man he had thought he was dead and while Dean wasn't being self-important, Bobby had lost the same amount of people as he did it was a shock to get one back.

"Listen Bobby, I'm going with my gut on this one cause its Sammy, but you know I can handle myself."

Bobby nodded slowly like he didn't want to agree. "It still doesn't add up," Bobby complained

"What doesn't?" he asked noticing that Bobby was switching gears somehow.

"The angel took your necklace off a demon who must have taken it from Sammy, but now an angel claims to have him. One angel is lying and if you believe your angel…" his stomach did flip flops at Bobby's words. His angel?

"That means the other one might be lying, and that doesn't make a lick of sense."

Dean nodded. He knew in his gut that Cas was telling the truth, but it didn't make sense that the other angel would lie to him like that.

"I don't know Bobby," Dean admitted sadly. "But it's our only lead."

Bobby nodded. "We've gone in over less info."

I'll just call Ellen and Jo and have them meet us there. " Dean made a face and flinched when Bobby noticed. It was going to be a long drive back to California.

Balthazar was dreaming, he rarely dreamed, too much alcohol, too many late nights.

When he did dream, he was usually drowning in the loving arms of some woman, or man. When you live thousands of years, you like to keep your options open. This dream was something different it had the taste of a memory. He was walking through some large open corridor. There were windows and through the windows he could see the stars. He was back on the Nevaeh, the ship that brought his people to earth. He was in handcuffs, and he wasn't in the bedroom, so it didn't bode well.

He knew where the memory dream was taking him, and he tried to turn back, but some invisible force pushed him forward.

The hall of justice on their ship Nevaeh filtered into view. It was the most impressive part of the ship, where they wined and dined dignitaries or sentenced prisoners. It was an open hall with massive ornate dark columns. The ship was made of a metallic alloy native to his homeworld that looked like air brushed deep midnight blue steel. It added darkness to the room only lit by a few halogen torches.

The raised dais where the archangels sat in judgment held a conspicuously empty seat.

Lucifer had fallen; his rebellion had been quashed with a series of bloody battles on neighboring planets as they made their way towards earth. Castiel had been sentenced and beaten Haziel, and the other Lucifer supporters had been executed; now it was his turn for sentencing.

"You Balthazar Roché stand accused of providing false information that resulted in the death of your fellow angel, Haziel" His brother spoke the words with no emotion utterly toneless, but there were deep accusations in his eyes.

"How do you plead?" Raphael asked sounding mildly bored. He wasn't looking at him he was inspecting papers on his desk, this sentencing meant absolutely nothing to him, Balthazar was a nuisance nothing more than an insect buzzing in his ear, he wanted this proceeding over with there were still many more to reach. Gabriel didn't watch him as passively as Raphael His brother knew the details from his own mouth it was pointless to lie.

"Guilty." He admitted though it was more complicated than that.

Michael stared down at him; his eyes were like silver daggers glaring at him, while he was the eldest archangel he looked little more than a teenager, no one knew why or how he managed this feat, there were rumors that he used Demon stasis technology to preserve his body and stop aging, although many doubted it.

His sandy brownish hair and young features belied his coldness; this man would easily sentence his own brother to death for treason if it came to that. Rumors had it he almost had, but Lucifer had been sentenced to life imprisonment orders from the Oaid himself.

Balthazar prepared himself for a harsh sentencing he was not opposed to death; it beat life imprisonment the answer he received, surprised him.

Rather than kill him outright, they chose, beating. If he survived he would be branded a traitor, if not it his death would be quick.

While he wasn't grateful for his sentence, he could not regret that they had left him alive, if the court had been a more understanding entity perhaps he would have received leniency for while his actions were that of a traitor betraying a fellow member of the angelic army, his intentions had not been for anyone to be harmed.

The punishment hurt, more than anything in his life it hurt, two angels took turns whipping him from every conceivable angle. He was lucky on so many levels that he hadn't lost his favorite bit of anatomy, but they had been more interested in cracking the whip so hard against his chest that it broke his ribs.

To think an errant quip spoken in a drug induced jealously-warped rant landed him here.

He had been intoxicated, what his people lacked in alcohol they made up for in mind altering drugs, and jealous of what Haziel had and he spoke out of turn, he accused the man of affiliations he wasn't sure were true and ended up being patently false. He accused him of a great many things, including cowardice, insincerity, stupidity and whatever insult his numbed brain could conjure and yet all that mattered was he accused him of being a traitor when perceived loyalty mattered more than truth.

He confessed his crime to his brother unable to cope with watching Castiel suffer believing the worst of his lover and the best of his immoral friend.

Castiel didn't know while he might have accused Haziel of being a coward in truth Balthazar knew he was more so, he couldn't risk Castiel's hating him.

He woke with a gasp his breathing irregular his body soaked in sweat.

Ever since his conversation with Gabriel the dreams were back, languidly he stood and stalked naked to the liquor cabinet, whoever was in his bed stirred at his movements, he didn't care. If they woke up it would be easier to tell them to leave. He wasn't sure what time of day it was, probably early morning, but it didn't really matter.

He reached for the first bottle he found and took a lengthy swallow. The scars had mostly faded from his long ago punishment. Little whispery white lines appeared scattered randomly across his skin only visible in certain light. The only damning evidence was the brand on his shoulder.

Still Balthazar was fine being a traitor to the angelic state, there was a war coming and he needed to start choosing sides, his betrayal to Castiel ate at him more than anything else.

He had long ago come to the conclusion that, his feelings for Cassie were… complicated and Balthazar preferred things to be easy.

Castiel had his friendship and his loyalty; that was the best he could offer, so it was all he offered.

He could only hope that one day when the truth came out, because the truth always did; Castiel could forgive him.

"Come to bed." Someone ordered. Balthazar ignored them taking more swigs from the bottle

The emptiness that ate away at his heart was restless, drinking usually quieted the pangs for things he knew he never really could have, he wasn't the type of person to settle, he was a wanderer and maybe it was time he moved on.

Dean shifted uncomfortable in the seat, god he hated not driving, he knew he should sleep that was the reason Bobby took over driving, but he missed his baby, he knew the rhythm her wheels made against the road the hum of her tires, the feel of her seats, he wish he knew what happened to her, Bobby said Sammy took her when he was arrested.

He only hoped she wasn't somewhere collecting rust.

He could hear Cas shift uncomfortably in the back seat. They had been driving all day; he was sure the angel was cramped and tired of being awkwardly handcuffed in the back seat.

Dean didn't want to worry about the angel's comfort; he wanted to hate him, like he did with the other angels, but he didn't.

"You still alive back there?" he barked trying not to let his concern come out. Bobby gave him an odd look yet said nothing.

Yeah, ok he was starting to like the guy, sue him. He wasn't half bad, for an angel.

He seemed smart and loyal, if to the wrong people, he was dedicated, and kind, Dean had to admit he always used violence as a last resort with him, he couldn't say the same thing about himself, sometimes he used violence as his first and second.

For most of his life, it was easier to shoot first and ask questions later.

It was hard to ask questions if you were dead, admittedly it was hard to answer them as well, but Dean knew it wasn't a perfect system.

"Yes, I am alive." Cas replied in his stiff gravelly voice. He always took things so literally; Dean wondered if all angels were like that or if it was just Cas.

As much experience as he had with angels he didn't exactly have a lot of conversations with them that didn't involve someone screaming out in pain.

"Are you…" Dean cleared his throat trying to fight back the embarrassment his line of questioning would bring him with Bobby here.

"…comfortable?"

There was a soft metallic clink Dean glanced back in the rearview mirror, he was sitting in the middle of the back seat a lapbelt kept him strapped to the seat, his arms partially akimbo as his hands were still cuffed behind his back. There was a curious expression on his face. Finally, he answered very precisely

"The cuffs are not cutting off any blood flow to vital areas."

It wasn't the answer he was expecting, but he nodded.

"Not exactly what I asked." Cas met his eyes in the mirror as if trying to judge his intentions. Hesitantly Cas continued very quietly. Dean had to turn down the radio to hear him.

"My shoulders ache." He answered in a very small voice as if voicing complaints was new to him.

Dean assumed as such, he had been in that position before they had been driving like that for nearly twelve hours and they still had another fourteen or so to go.

Dean looked at Bobby who seemed to easily accept the fact that Dean had a civil relationship with the enemy without questions; Dean assumed the questions would come later without said enemy nearby.

"I'll pull over at the next stop," Bobby grumbled. "Need gas," he offered ostensibly

Dean wasn't sure if they were in Utah or Nevada, but Bobby was able to pull off the highway and into the darkest dingiest gas station.

Dean leapt out of the car the instant it stopped moving, he never felt trapped when he was driving his car, but as a passenger he always had to fight the urge to get out and stretch his legs.

Dean walked to the back seat and reached back to help Cas out of the car.

Cas jumped slightly as Dean's fingers ran along the inside of the lapbelt reaching for the buckle awareness prickling at his senses. Once that was done he helped him lean forward so that he could undo the cuffs.

Feeling returned to his numb arms in a series of jabbing stinging needle like sensations Dean watched him knowingly as he tried to shake away the feelings.

Cas watched him suspiciously; Dean's compatriot Bobby had agreed in part to his plan, but he still had many doubts, and these doubts left Cas a prisoner until they reached their destination.

Cas was not sure of their current location; he didn't have much to go on, as far as a way to identify the location. The stars simply told him he was in North America a fact he already knew.

"Where are we?" he asked Dean shrugged. "Half way back to California," Cas nodded disappointed. He was not looking forward to another "half" of the drive he had just experienced.

The terse silence and the hum of the wheels was only broken up by an occasional song on the radio, which more often than not dismissed it because Dean deemed it unworthy.

His arms and legs were a bit stiff, but it was to be expected, he had been transported under worse conditions, if perhaps more spacious.

"Come on," Dean said with a jerk of his head in the direction of the store.

With trepidation Cas followed him, Dean strode confidently towards the store assured that he would follow him. The storefront seemed questionable; the gas pumps were not well illuminated, and trash littered the parking lot, in the bottom corner of the window there was a small circle surrounded by flame. It might have gone unnoticed by many, but Cas recognized the symbol. This establishment supported the revolution.

Dean nodded slightly to the cashier, but there was no recognition on his face. Instead, he began walking amongst the isles.

"I wonder if they have pie?" he asked absently to no one in particular. Cas watched as he looked through the bags assembled before him on the shelves.

Casually he grabbed one and tossed it towards him. "Catch," he called out.

Awkwardly he caught the object, rotating it so that he could see the front. "What is a ding dong?"

Dean grinned wolfishly "I think I've waited my whole life for you to ask" he teased with a wink. "I will introduce you to the wonderful pleasure of junk food."

Cas was still confused but rather that ask he just followed him.

He piled a few other bags in his arms Cas followed him dutifully not sure of the point.

Dean was trying to keep it casual, but Cas looked like such a cute little lost puppy buried under the pile of necessary junk food. It didn't help that he kept wondering what kind of food the angel would like. He didn't know that much about him.

Bobby finished filling up the tank and came inside. He eyed the stack of snack goodies dubiously.

"Is there anything that won't kill me in there?" he asked resigned.

Dean pulled forth a piece of jerky. "Maybe this?" Bobby just shrugged and took the food.

Dean placed the items on the cabinet, the man behind the register shot Cas a suspicious look. Even all rumpled Cas looked like an angel with his white shirt askew blue tie and slacks. It was still very formal. Dean scanned the store and found a solution tossing the item on the register with the rest of his purchases.

The man rang up everything all the while watching Cas. Finally Dean grabbed the collar of his shirt pulling it forward to expose his tattoo. It was convenient in times like this if not all the time.

"He's with me." He insisted meeting the guy's eyes. He nodded.

Cas marveled at their interplay. It was obvious the man found him uncomfortable somehow. Likely he guessed that he was of angelic origin, his people didn't exactly take pains to assimilate. Dean defended him.

He was still struggling with the idea as he walked out with him to the car when Dean thrust something into his hands. It was some sort of tan cloth. He unfolded it slowly; it was a tan trench coat. The fabric was still a little stiff since it was new.

"Might help you blend better." Dean murmured.

Cas frowned down at the garment. Dean gave him something; he couldn't recall a situation where an enemy fed their enemy and gave them gifts.

"Thank you." Cas pulled the jacket on over his clothing. It felt warmer.

"Balls," Bobby exclaimed drawing his eyes over to the man.

Dean frowned obviously knowing the reason for his outcry.

"Hey, Cas why don't you get in the car," Dean his eyes on Bobby. " Bobby and I gota talk."

Castiel waited for Dean to replace the handcuffs but when he did not he carefully returned to his position in the back seat.

"Care to tell me what is going on between you two?" Bobby asked. The moment Cas closed the car door.

Dean stalked a few feet away from the car, still in sight, but not close enough that Cas could overhear anything being said.

"Like I said before Bobby there is nothing going on between me and Cas… tiel."

"Bullshit," Bobby sworn "If you're not lying to me you're lying to yourself."

"What are you saying?" Dean asked nervously

"Something I should have said years ago." He groused.

Dean's heart pounded faster. "I've known you were gay bi whatever you wanna call it since you were sixteen, and that's never mattered before. You like who you like and maybe your daddy wasn't supportive which is why you've always felt the need to keep it quiet around me, but if you're having trouble keeping a clear head because your attracted to him I need to know about it. I'm not prying into your life, but he's the enemy." Bobby reminded him.

Dean felt emotion build up in his throat nearly choking him, bobby accepted him, but of course he would, Bobby wasn't his dad, he just wanted him safe. Still Dean was having trouble thinking of Cas as the enemy.

"He is on our side." Dean reminded Bobby. The older man nodded. "Yeah, that may be true for now, but this is a war Dean what makes you think if push comes to shove he won't choose his own side."

Dean said nothing; he wasn't sure why he believed in Cas, but he did he just hoped he wasn't putting his faith in the wrong place.

Cas watched them argue, they were obviously talking about him he could tell by the looks Dean sent his way. He wasn't sure what that meant for him. Likely Bobby was still mistrustful of his plan.

If he had to admit it, he had a few doubts of his own. Suddenly there was a loud buzzing coming from the compartment in the front.

It was likely coming from his cellphone. Someone had taken it off him when he was unconscious, and he had seen Bobby place it there when he got in the car.

Cas shot a look outside to verify that they were still talking.

He stretched forward and reached into the compartment. He grabbed the phone and answered it, "Castiel?" he heard Raphael asked

Knowing that the archangel would not call him without very important reason he replied.

"Yes," "I won't ask you where you have been there is no time for that. I need you to stop the demons." "What must I do?" Castiel asked.

Dean threw himself into the passenger's seat emotionally frustrated. Bobby went back inside to settle up, for the gas. "I need to make a stop," Castiel said firmly.

Dean noticed that he was holding his cell phone. "What?" he asked confused.

Cas was staring at him, "Someone is going after the seals, he said meaningfully but the meaning was lost on Dean.

"What?"

"Before Lucifer, was imprisoned he was helping the demons fight his own people as a way to gain power and an army, and yet many of the populace supported him in spirit if not in action." He paused. Watching to be sure Dean was absorbing what he was saying.

"When he was captured and imprisoned there was an analysis performed on what people or situations would cause the populace to demand his freedom. Imprisoning him was not a popular decision; the analysis flagged certain seals or more appropriately certain people and events that would trigger a vote calling for his release or dangerous members of his civil war army that would free him with violence."

He shifted uncomfortably moving the phone guiltily in his hands glancing away and back again. "Someone is going after the seals; the most recent one is Samhain, a demon who worked with Lucifer, if he is freed there is an army of demons that would gather at his side to help free Lucifer."

"What makes this my problem?" Dean asked already fairly sure he knew. "Whoever is going to free Samhain their goal is to free Lucifer," "and that means bloody civil war on my planet yeah I got that the first time you explained it." Dean finished.

Cas nodded. "And where are we going?"

"Eureka, Nevada"