Title: The New Neighbours
Words: 752
Rating: T
Note: Not beta'd as always. Wrote this whilst waiting for "Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock" to load on my PS3. Enjoy.
"How does this place work exactly?" Balthazar asked as he followed Gabriel out of heaven and down to his creation. "Is it an alternate reality?"
"Nope." Gabriel shook his head. "Not an alternate reality, my friend."
"Well, friend, then explain if you will, how are able to create this place with so many levels of complexity?"
"Simple, really." Gabriel smirked, waving his hand towards the community a few feet away. "It's real." Eyebrow quirked, he started to explain, "We are in New Mexico, bro. The place, buildings, furniture and trees are real, it was an abandoned town that some movie company tore down and rebuilt to use in a movie. But the movie got shut down so instead of tearing it back down they closed it down, set up security and hired a guard."
"And where is the guard now?"
Gabriel turned, grinning widely. "You're looking at him!"
"Alright then," Balthazar said walking away, a look of disinterest on his face. Gabriel followed behind him and almost ran into him when Balthazar stopped suddenly, turning around in an instant. "Why are you doing this, Gabriel? And don't give me because my brothers and my dear old father said so crap. Really, why are you doing this?"
The archangel took a step back and sighed. "I want to see Dean Winchester happy."
Balthazar rolled his eyes and asked, "I'm gonna regret this, but why do you want Dean, of all people, happy?"
"We're a lot alike, Dean and me. And if I can't have a family in peace, then I want Dean to have it. He's sacrificed so much for this planet and for us. He went to hell and purgatory and not once has he called it quits. I just think its time we gave something back."
"Oh," was the other angel's reply.
They kept on walking, the path to the gated community feeling farther that it was for the two angels. Gabriel was trying to think of a good cover for Balthazar and a good reason to explain his sudden appearance to both Dean and Castiel when a thought occurred to him.
"Why are you doing this?" Gabriel asked . "You know what we're trying to do here, right?"
"Yes."
"Then why help?"
"I owe Castiel my life, a million times over."
"Repaying a debt, I get," Gabriel said, his eyes narrowing at the angel. "But that look in your eye, yeah that uncertain look you're currently sporting, is what I don't get. You obviously care about him-"
"We fought together," Balthazar interrupted, accentuating the word fought as if it explained everything. Gabriel thought he saw a sadness pass over the angel's eyes before it was replaced with admiration. "We were in the same trenches for centuries, fighting along each other." A sigh. "Cassie is my brother, nothing else."
"But you-"
"Drop it, archangel," Balthazar said menacingly, his vessel's voice dropping down to an almost bone chilling level.
Gabriel threw his hands up in surrender. He didn't want to cause the angel to back out. "Alright. Just one more teeny-tiny question if you wouldn't mind?" Balthazar made a go ahead sign with his hands. "Do you honestly believe Dean and Cas were created for one another?"
The angel smiled sadly before replying, "Yes. Yes I do. Don't ask me why but I do. I see it in Cassie's eyes whenever he speaks of Dean. He's a different person altogether with that ape." He nodded to himself. "He's better. So yes, I do think they belong together. I'm here to assure that, actually. I promised I would do anything to insure that it happened."
They stared at one another for a moment. Gabriel couldn't resist the urge to ask yet another question. He raised his hand, an annoying habit he'd picked up from the humans he spent time around in the university where he worked – well, pranked. "I know I said it was the-"
"Ask," Balthazar interrupted.
"Who did you promise, exactly?"
The angel pause and raked his hands trough hair. They stood only a few steps away from the gates now and Balthazar looked through the steel bars of the fence and towards the main street where the houses lined up. He then looked up at the sky and mumbled to something himself. Gabriel was about to say never mind when the reply came. "To Castiel. I promised Castiel."