(1/29/2018) A relatively short chapter, but I hit a literary stopping point and had to hit the brakes. Promise the next chapter will be up soon!

I have a new Supernatural not-a-crossover. If anyone is interested, please check it out! I could use some critiques.

Thank you RHatch89, demon19027, thedarkpokemaster, IoSolUno, philly cheese dude, Sage of Wind Dragons, and Sal the Guest for the reviews! And all you favoriters and followers get baby pandas!


After insuring that both Castiel and the humans had exited the library, Balthazar returned. He stared, irritated, at the new, glowing sigils now set onto the metal. "Bloody hell, Cassie," he muttered to himself as he checked over and over for any errors. His old friend had always been thorough, however, and the security cage was locked tight.

As he was contemplating whether or not to merely destroy the structure the lights began to flicker in a manner that signaled one of his brothers or sisters. Balthazar quickly spread his wings to leave, but hesitated once he felt the enormity of the power that was arriving. Flight was not going to be an option at this point; this sibling could probably pinpoint his presence in a heartbeat.

"I don't suppose you're here to help," Balthazar said airily as he turned towards his elder brother.

"Mmmaybe. Decided to check out why the Hellmouth was giving out such weird vibes." The archangel's tone darkened. "Give me a good reason why I should do anything other than smite your ass for stealing."

"Because I'm fairly certain that you're here on Earth and not up in Heaven for the same reason that I am: neither of us want to get caught up in this feud between big brother one and two."

"Oh, that? That's happening whether we want it to or not."

An ominous statement; Balthazar braced himself for whatever his sibling might have in mind. Out of all the archangels this one had always been known as the most capricious. He decided to take a gamble. "Still. They're—"

"—Family, I know. Total suckage, am I right?" The newcomer sighed. "I guess you do what you can. I'm, you know, assuming that's why you've been walking around with Virgil's favorite toys."

Balthazar sighed with relief. "Quite so."

"You got a lot more balls than I ever gave you credit for, Bizzy. Bravo!"

Still not entirely convinced he wasn't about to be obliterated, Balthazar tried for a nonchalant, "Thank you."

"Well, then!" The archangel clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Let's make a bargain. You keep my secret and I keep yours. Deal?"

There really was very little alternative. Regardless, the proposal was immensely appealing and corresponded with what the angel had planned on doing anyways. "Deal."

The archangel snapped his fingers. Several key sections of woven metal fell away, disrupting Castiel's carefully placed wards while maintaining the integrity of the structure. "Remember, bro. Lucifer and Michael might be the bigger players in this game, but you shouldn't forget that I can still squash you like a bug."

Balthazar swallowed nervously before nodding in acknowledgement. "I appreciate the warning."

"Hey, what are big brothers for?"


Castiel arrived just as Faith was yanking her stake from the back of a vampire. The creature had been holding a red rope around Buffy's neck that immediately fell slack. "Oh no," the creature said, his eyes wide with shock. "No, this is no good at all."

The vampire disintegrated and the pair of Slayers stared at each other, wordlessly concluding their heated pre-battle discussion. Faith spun on her heel to leave and jumped at seeing Castiel. Rather than give her usual quip or inappropriate remark she merely gave the angel a tired glower before continuing on her way.

Buffy, however, sat down heavily on a nearby shipping crate and ripped the vampire's garrote, a silk red tie, from her neck. She rubbed the growing bruise and ruminated darkly at the ground. "Are you all right?" Castiel asked as he approached.

"Dandy," she croaked. The angel tapped her on the forehead and cleared her injuries. Buffy blinked several times, disoriented. "Thanks."

"What happened here?"

"From what I can tell? Trick," she explained as she kicked at the dust now piled at her feet, "decided to put an end to his Slayer issues by taking us out at the same time. Don't know if it was because his boss, the Mayor, said so or if he was just being a dick."

After a few moments of awkward silence, Castiel stated, "You prayed to me."

Buffy cocked an eyebrow at the angel's puzzled tone. "You told me I could. No backsies." When he became even more perplexed, she decided it was time to move on. "Do you know where Giles is at?"

"His home."

"Can you take me there?"

"Yes."

When nothing happened, Buffy did her best to refrain from smacking herself in the forehead in exasperation. "Will you please take me there now?"

"Oh. Yes. My apologies."


Mayor Wilkins spoke with Faith Lehane for about an hour, laying down their future plans and lining out compensation. He found himself liking the girl, much to his dismay, which made breaking the seal surrounding the Slayers even more difficult. Oh well. Perhaps she'd show some dislikable trait sometime soon and make it all easier. After all, the girl was an undisciplined, psychologically damaged mess. No doubt she'd show some disreputable characteristic sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, that flea-infested motel she was staying at had to go. Wilkins opened a drawer and pulled out a folder detailing the properties he'd bought over the years. Yes. This one would be absolutely perfect. In the morning he would have to go shopping and get the place all ready for his newest protégée.

As the Mayor began a neat to-do list, a familiar foulness began to permeate a dark corner of his office. Wilkins put on his most genial smile and cried, "Crowley! It's been a century. How's it been?"

The demon emerged from the shadows, his hands nonchalantly stuffed into his pockets, and gave a wry smile. His current vessel was of average height, brown haired and brown eyed, with an immaculately tailored black suit and tie. "Oh, you know," he said in a gravelly English accent, "here a soul, there a soul, everywhere a soul, soul."

"Yes," the Mayor agreed as he leaned against his desk. "I'd heard you'd become the King of the Crossroads. Bravo! I'm very impressed. It shows drive, gumption. Something very few young people have these days." He shook his head sadly. "They just don't know the value of an honest day's work. But I'm assuming you're not here for a chitchat."

"Lilith sent me. She wants you to hold off a bit on that whole Slayer-seal business."

"Oh? What for?"

"She needs a moment or two to… think about our current course."

The Mayor gave a derisive huff. "I see. Cold feet, I suppose."

"Well, we both know how this little play will end."

"With poor Lily dead as a doornail?"

Crowley smirked as the Mayor contemplated whether or not to acquiesce. When Azazel approached him all those years ago and requested his aid he'd agreed without a second thought. After all, Wilkins owed both the Prince and Lucifer a great deal. Therefore it was only fair, not to mention prudent, to go along with the proposal. Their power would grow, Heaven would be subjugated, and humanity destroyed or enslaved. Cigars all around!

On the other hand, a delay would give him a bit more time to explore these strange paternal urges. Besides, Azazel was dead, and what was a few more years to the millions that Lucifer had already spent in the Cage? "All right," said the Mayor. "As long as you all keep me in the loop."

"Not to worry," Crowley replied. "Just make sure you don't make any… unscheduledmoves."

They shook hands. Their superiors might plot and scheme in their respective realms but Earth was their prerogative and burden. Neither Crowley nor Wilkins, however, denied that their position in the grand scheme of things, while higher than a foot soldier, was certainly not as a high as a General. A lieutenant, perhaps even a captain, but still expendable. To survive they'd played with whomever was most advantageous to their own personal gains. It was a partnership that had lasted for over two hundred years, and they really looked forward to a hundred more.

"We really should catch up sometime!" Wilkins said jovially. "Dinner?"

"Sounds grand. I'll even provide the meal."

"Do try to find some fresher ingredients this time. If I remember correctly… when was it, 1953? Those toddler hearts had gone soft and squishy." The Mayor shuddered. "Horrible texture."

"No worries. I'll make sure we wait until the very last minute."

Wilkins gave a hearty chuckle. "Excellent! You let me know when that pretty Lilith of yours gives you a night off."

"Ta."


Before speaking with Giles, Buffy called her brothers and friends to tell them that she'd found Faith and that things were as settled as they could be for now. The blonde Slayer was still uncertain about her dark haired counterpart's intentions, but at least Faith hadn't run. "I'm not going to give up on her," Buffy proclaimed.

Giles smiled slightly. "Then I think she stands a chance."

Her brothers met up with her outside of the librarian's home. "Hey," Dean said. "We're heading out."

"Where to?" his sister asked tiredly.

"Minnesota," answered Sam. "Friend of dad's called. He thinks there's ghouls in town."

"Neat. What are those?"

"People eaters," Dean supplied, "and not the purple kind."

"Normally they eat the dead," Sam added, "but dad's friend thinks these ones are going for fresher meals."

Buffy looked up from one brother to the other. "You realize we're talking about things that eat people like other people talk about, you know, getting rid of rats in their house. Our lives are weird."

Sam huffed out a laugh. He took a few steps forward and engulfed his sister in a hug. "We'll be back soon. Be careful."

"Aren't I always?"

"No."

Dean embraced her next. "Start salting windows and doors at night if you haven't been already."

"Okay, okay. Mom's going to love that."

Once the Impala had roared off Buffy headed home. Her mother was fast asleep, thankfully, which meant that she could wait until morning to explain the lines of condiments being spread everywhere.

Bed was calling loudly. Buffy did her nightly ablutions and snuggled down into her comforter. Thank goodness for the weekend; she could sleep until noon. She turned over… and someone sat down on the edge of her bed. "Cass," she mumbled into her pillow, "this had better be really important."

"I must ask you something."

"Uh, okay." Curious, Buffy sat up. The angel had his back to her, his shoulders hunched and his elbows on his knees. If she didn't know any better she would have thought Castiel was about to confess to some heinous crime.

"You are defiant. You repeatedly ignore the wishes of your Watcher. You have even defied the wants of your mother and brothers. Disobedience appears to be a vital part of your nature."

Buffy bristled. "Gee. Thanks. I think."

"Why do you do it?"

She blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Why do you disobey?"

The Slayer sighed. "I don't always do that. Just sometimes what they want and what's the right thing to do doesn't exactly line up."

"So you go your own way. Make your own decisions."

"Well, yeah. Don't you?"

"No." Castiel's head lifted as he looked away off in the distance. "But I am considering it."

Buffy's eyebrows shot up. Every previous opportunity the angel had had to go his own way had been rebuffed. "Why?"

"Because what Heaven wants and what is the right thing to do does not exactly line up."

"Copycat." Buffy sighed again. "Why are you telling me?"

"I know no one else who might understand." Castiel grimaced. "Anna… Anna urged me to think for myself, but she gave me no guidance. Sam…" The angel swallowed. "I cannot go to Sam."

"Well, what about Dean?"

Castiel shook his head. "Dean is the Righteous Man. For him, all is worth losing for humanity… or his family. He does not understand that if I do this, if I disobey, I give up all that I have ever known: my home, my family, my place in this world."

Buffy was taken aback. "Just for thinking for yourself?"

With great distaste, the angel said, "Luciferdisobeyed."

"Ah." A piece of the puzzle, the one spelling out the "why" of this whole blind obedience enigma, became clear. "So what's to say that you can't find a new place to be?"

"What?" Castiel finally sat up straight, if only to stare incredulously at the Slayer. The sight was priceless; Buffy wished she could grab her phone for a picture.

"You never even considered that?"

"No." After a moment, the angel looked away, pensive. "Thank you."

"That's me," Buffy said with a yawn. "Comforting-idea-girl." Wings flapped and stirred the air. Relieved to finally get a chance to rest, the Slayer drifted to sleep, only slightly apprehensive over what might happen to Castiel if he decided to forge his own way.


The chest Balthazar dropped onto the floor of the Master's former prison was, in and of itself, nothing special. It was of American military make and meant to withstand a nuclear explosion, but easily obtained through government surplus websites. What was truly extraordinary was its contents. He opened the lid and examined his ill-gotten loot.

The Ring of Nebuchadnezzar was laid on top.

Direct underneath was the Staff of Moses.

Lot's Salt.

Gabriel's Horn of Truth.

A piece of the Ark of the Covenant.

The Sword of Peter.

The tip of the Lance of Longinus.

The Dagger of Ehud.

There were others, but he wasn't sure of their names; it had been eons since some of them had been created. Honestly, nomenclatures weren't quite so important as their purposes, of which Balthazar knew every single one.

He snapped his fingers. Sigils, painted on every conceivable surface, glowed in the darkness. Both demon and angel warding were present, and enough witchcraft had been laid at the doorway to prevent any (intact) human from entering. The angel stuffed his hands in his pockets and sighed.

He'd known the minute that the orders had come down that the Apocalypse was on its way. Rescue the Righteous Man from Hell before the seal can be broken. The end times were nigh, and Balthazar figured the only thing he could do to help things from spiraling out of control was to keep their more hazardous weaponry from the zealots.

During the mission, those brothers and sisters who fell, upon being gravely wounded, would be consumed by the unholy miasma exuding from the Pit. Perfect cover for an escape. Balthazar's plan to allow himself to be injured, plummet most of the way, and fly off before impact had gone off without a hitch. His position in the angelic hierarchy was low enough that he wouldn't be missed. By the time Heaven realized that their arsenal had been plundered he could be in France entangled in several pairs of lusciously soft legs.

Quite unexpectedly, Balthazar discovered that he had been missed. Castiel's woeful expression at discovering his duplicity had been cutting. They'd been friends since the beginning; their natural inclination to question making them fellow outcasts from their happily obedient brethren. Their relationship even lasted after the other angel's martial abilities had shoved him up in rank. Balthazar hadn't been jealous; he'd been proud. Little Cassie, all grown up and off to destroy people.

The angel rubbed his head and sighed. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time, the whole theft and hide thing. Risking himself for the greater good and all of that. Lucifer was going to rise, and, so he had been told, nothing anyone could do would stop it. Balthazar's gesture might very well be meaningless; the power of all these artifacts combined were less than those of a single one of his four eldest brothers.

But he could at least say he did something.

Well, Balthazar told himself as he shut the trunk, it was well past time to be gone. Sunnydale was relatively close to Los Angeles and Hollywood was just the place to indulge in a lengthy bout of hedonism.

Might as well enjoy himself before Lucifer and Michael turned the entire planet to ash.


Acknowledgement : Some lines of dialogue are taken directly from the episode "Consequences"(BtVS 3.15).

Author's Note : Lilith's "deal" with Sam in the Chuck episode made it clear (at least to me) that she didn't want to go through with the whole busting Lucifer out of the box thing. In fact she tells the demon at the altar that they were saving the world. Well, that's my theory and I'm running with it! So, nyeh.