Disclaimer: Supernatural isn't mine!
(Several Chapters ago.)
Sam had been on this new ship, The Cage, for two days now.
The slaughtering of The Daemon had been quick and efficient. Sam hadn't liked the crew, they'd all kidnapped him after all, but that didn't mean Sam had wanted them brutally murdered. Hung perhaps, but not the violent deaths he'd seen inflicted upon them as The Cage turned on them.
"Hey."
Sam looked up, one of the guards, actually the only guard right now, was talking to him.
"What do you want?" Sam asked, not bothering to get up. This brig was different than the Daemon's, this one resembled a jail.
The guard studied him. "Look Sammy."
"Sam." Sam snapped.
The guard sighed. "What, my cousin call you that?"
"Your cousin?" Sam asked in confusion.
"Yeah, Gabriel." The guard shrugged. "Name's Balthazar."
"He calls me that occasionally." Sam confessed. "But what do you want, Balthazar?"
"Oh to know how Castiel and Gabriel are."
"They were okay last time I saw them. Of course I was kidnapped later, I'm sure that's had a negative impact on Gabriel."
Balthazar rolled his eyes. "Quit snapping at me, I didn't do this."
"Well you're here aren't you?" Sam demanded. "Do you even care about Gabe and Cas?"
Balthazar flinched. "Yes. I haven't seen them in nine years though Samuel." He glared at Sam. "Therefore I'm rather curious."
"Maybe you should've gone with them." Sam replied. He wasn't sure who to trust and a random pirate on the second crew to kidnap him, who claimed to be a cousin to his lover wasn't on the top of his list.
"I wish I had." Balthazar confessed. "I hate this bloody fighting. Lucifer became a pirate to spite Michael. He's a Navy Commander you know."
"Actually I think I do." Sam gave a dry bark of laughter. "I think he works for our navy."
"Winchester Bay Colony?" Balthazar checked. "Sounds like his kind of place."
Sam shrugged. "What does this have to do with Gabe?"
"He never told you about his brothers?" Balthazar asked.
Sam hesitated. "He mentioned them, said they fought a lot. That he and Castiel left because of the fighting. Anna, their sister, had already left."
"Right you are." Balthazar nodded. "They left out Raphael, the adopted brother. He sided with Lucifer."
Sam whistled. "Talk about a family feud."
"No kidding." Balthazar muttered. "Lucifer forced me into this. Otherwise I would've headed off to find Gabriel and Castiel."
Sam nodded, "I can't say I'd blame you."
Balthazar nodded. "Lucifer's always pissed off when it comes to Gabriel, but when he heard about you, I have no idea how, he decided to take you prisoner and finish off Gabriel and Castiel."
Sam froze. "What?"
"He wants them to join him or be killed. Something like that." Balthazar explained. "He's a bit on the crazy side."
Sam stared at him. "Then why me? Why is he trying to break me?" he'd visited a few times, trying to convince Sam to join his side, leave Gabriel behind.
"I guess he thinks you're attractive." Balthazar shrugged as Sam made a disgusted face. "That or he wants to hurt Gabriel. Like I said he's a little on the crazy side."
"I'm getting that." Sam agreed. "I got that when he slaughtered The Daemon."
Balthazar nodded. "Well, do you need anything?"
Freedom. Gabriel. Dean. None of which you can give me.
"Umm… some writing supplies might be nice." Sam confessed. "It would keep me from getting bored."
Balthazar grinned. "I think Lucifer intends for you to get bored. That way you look forward to his visits." His grin became a smirk. "So I'll be happy to help."
Sam smiled back slightly. "Thanks."
Dear Gabriel,
You'll probably never get this. I doubt you got the last ones, but you know, it's worth a write. I miss you. It hurts a little. I hope Dean never reads this… Anyway, your cousin Balthazar, if he is who he says he is, and not a spy for Lucifer, has been helpful. He's the one that gave me this quill and ink. I have no idea how you and Castiel are related to Lucifer. He's cruel and violent. He scares me more that the crew of The Daemon ever did, because Jake wasn't so bad. He'd been in the Navy but was framed and had to join The Daemon. He helped keep the others away from me. Lucifer rules with a bosun's whip and I've heard punishment for most things can kill you. That's according to Balthazar though.
Sincerely
Sam Winchester
Sam folded the note and hid it under his bunk. Along with the note to Dean, telling him about Lucifer's cruelty, Sam just wrote whatever happened, because he missed them. He missed the crew too, and added that, telling Gabriel he wouldn't mind Matt right now, imaging his sarcastic replies to Lucifer was enough to make Sam grin, once Lucifer had left.
Sam stashed his things, as he heard footsteps. Lucifer entered the brig and walked over to Sam. "About Gabriel. Why do you love him?"
Sam was stunned. Lucifer had always done nothing but talk, and Sam had, for the most part, been able to ignore it, as Lucifer's evidence was nothing but lies in his head.
"Because of who he is." Sam replied.
Lucifer sneered. "A pirate? A thief?"
"You think highly of him." Sam stated dryly, "You're no better."
"I was the best son! The best child out of all of us! But no one ever saw that." Lucifer glared at Sam. "I was father's favorite, it made Michael jealous. When he left, it was because of them."
"Then why'd he leave you behind?"
"Because he died before he could come back for me." Lucifer stated firmly.
Sam had to agree with Balthazar about the crazy thing. Lucifer had lost it.
"But why Gabriel? He's a coward, who ran from his family. He stole Castiel from us too." Lucifer studied Sam. "You're attracted to a cowardly thief."
Sam raised his head. "Gabriel's braver than you."
"What makes you think that?" Lucifer sneered.
"He's admitted his mistakes." Sam retorted.
"I don't make any."
"He never claimed to be perfect."
"He knew I was. The perfect son, the perfect brother, but Michael stole all the glory."
Sam finally sighed. "Maybe because he loves me more than he loves himself."
Lucifer stood still for a moment before managing a reply. "What's there to love?"
"If you have to ask, you were never a good brother to Gabriel, let alone a perfect one."
Lucifer gave Sam a savage blow to the side of his face, and stormed off.
Sam had slammed his side into the cage bars and flinched.
"He was once."
"What?" Sam looked up.
"He was the perfect brother once." Balthazar watched where Lucifer had walked out. "He used to give a damn about his siblings."
Sam swallowed. "I think those days are gone Balthazar."
"I know." He nodded. "They're long gone."
Sam looked up as Lucifer walked in, carrying his dinner. "Here I didn't poison it."
Sam ate it, but watching Lucifer carefully. "Thank you." He said softly.
Lucifer blinked and grinned, before walking out. "Not a problem Sammy."
Balthazar glanced at Sam who shrugged. "Let him think he's making progress."
Balthazar grinned. "You're smart Sam. No wonder Gabriel likes you."
"Someone on that ship needs to have brains and Castiel is too quiet."
Balthazar tried to hide his laughter or at least laugh quietly so Lucifer wouldn't hear. "Hear that."
Sam grinned back at him, but he pain in his chest doubled. Oh how he missed Gabriel.
Balthazar shifted his weight. "You need more writing supplies?"
"No, I'm good." Sam shook his head. "Thank you though."
Balthazar's lips curled slightly. "No problem. I'm doing it more for Gabriel, but you know."
Sam nodded. "Still, thank you." It didn't really matter why he did it, the action was nice enough.
Balthazar sighed. "Again, don't mention it." He leaned back against the doorframe, and let out a long breath.
Sam studied him, but Balthazar said nothing, so Sam went back to his bunk, to write. It eased his longings for Gabriel a little.
XXX
Me: PB!
PB: What?
ME: YOU TRIED TO HAVE ME WRITE BALTHIFUR?
PB: Lucizar sounds cooler but yes.
Casey: That's creepy.
Balthazar: Considering I said I was his cousin that's disgusting.
Me: EW!
PB: Please, Lucifer has a British cousin. * skeptical * Balthazar a family friend that was close enough they called him cousin. That's all.
Me: Still…
PB: Yeah well, deal with it.