Not Yet

"Cas…" Light blew out from the angel his body flopped to the ground once the blade was removed from his back. Balthazar watched Castiel walk away from his body after stabbing it. He knew that this moment had been coming. He had heard about Rachel's death and how she confronted the power hungry angel. Then he had to open his big mouth and Cassie didn't like it. The middle angel had picked up a lot from his older brothers though and had switched Castiel's sword with a fake. Just for extra incentive he had made a copy of himself too. Can't be too careful after all. Balthazar watched the blood drain from the copy of his body. It wasn't the first time he had faked his own death. He had faked being killed in heaven, tricking everyone. Sadly, Castiel was included, but one angel was not.

"We're making a habit out of this," Gabriel sighed after appearing at Balthazar's side. Balthazar looked up at his older brother, but there was no snark in his eyes this time round. Gabriel just stared at him, looking tired and very much his age. He was worried too. Well, he should be. The middle angel turned his eyes to the fake body with wings burnt out around him.

"He killed me, Gabriel," Balthazar said in almost a whisper. Gabriel squeezed his brother's shoulder. "You were right. Those brothers are poison. They've turned Castiel into this…"

"Castiel chose this. He chose to side with the Winchesters and he chose to let power blind him."

"He's going to get himself killed, Gabe!" Balthazar cried, clutching at his brother's shirt. Tears were running down his face. He was right. He knew that. Cassie didn't have anyone left now. His beloved brothers were dead. The two angels that actually still loved him were gone. Gabriel pushed his brother off of him.

"The Winchesters will help him. They-"

"They are just as blind as Castiel! They've got too much on their plates already and can't see the changes yet! How long until it's too late?" Balthazar questioned, looking more and more frantic. Castiel, had rebelled, fallen, died, and even killed his own blood for those damn apes. What did the Winchester's do for him in the end? They used him as a fucking tool! Balthazar swallowed, trying to calm his tears as he stared into his brother's golden eyes. "We have to help him, Gabe." Gabriel shook his head.

"What can we do, Brother?" Gabe questioned. "Cas' mind is set. We can't go to him. Not yet." Balthazar's face fell into Gabriel's chest and the archangel held him tight. Strong arms rubbed against Balthazar's back and Balthazar watched the green coat he had had his nose buried in suddenly change to a dirty tan. The middle angel went rigid and the hands on his back no longer moved. Slowly, Balthazar looked up into what should have been golden eyes, but instead he was met with a electric swirl of blue. Balthazar gasped in terror as he took in his little brother. Black ooze flooded from every part of his body and blood caked his skin and clothes. Blackened veins ran up the side of the angel's neck and across Castiel's face. The once kind blue eyes were now wide and filled with insanity.

"C…Cassie…" Castiel's smile widened and Balthazar shivered in his brother's hold. The younger angel leaned forward so he could whisper in Balthazar's ear.

"Cassie, isn't here anymore." Balthazar's entire form went rigid, but before he could push away there was a glint of silver and a burning sensation suddenly ripping through his back and out his chest. Balthazar looked down at the angel blade now sticking out of his glowing chest. "We run things now," Cas whispered before tearing out the blade.

Balthazar shot up from Dean's chest, panting heavily as he woke. Startled, Dean instantly grabbed the angel, cooing softly to him in attempt to calm Balthazar at least a little. It did nothing to help the middle brother of the hunter's three angels. Balthazar's eyes rocketed around the room, searching drastically.

"Cassie!" Balthazar called out. "Cassie!" Dean shushed the angel, rubbing his fingers gently into the angel's back.

"He's okay," Dean cooed, bobbing his knee up and down a little to help rock the frightened angel. "Charlie has him," the hunter whispered softly. Balthazar's eyes darted around the room again until he spotted Castiel curled up against Charlie's chest as she rocked him and sung him a lullaby. She was humming the theme to Lord of the Rings again. A soft, comfortable purr left Castiel's lips as she sang for him and Balthazar slowly felt his growing fear die at the sight. Finally, Balthazar sagged into Dean's arms, breathing deeply in attempt to calm himself. He had pushed the memory back for so long. It had only haunted him the first few years of his absence from his little brother's side, but now it had returned. Why? Why now when everything was better again?

"What were you dreaming about?" Dean asked the angel. Balthazar shook his head, not wanting to talk about it. Dean didn't push him and instead went back to watching TV while rubbing Balthazar's back. He was worried for the angel. Whatever had happened in the nightmare couldn't have been good to freak him out like that. It didn't help that the last time an angel had a nightmare that the three almost lost their lives. Dean swallowed. It was probably nothing. The angel had promised to tell Dean anyway if he had any dreams like…like they Balthazar and Gabriel had described months ago.

Just as Balthazar was beginning to calm himself down again, Gabriel trotted into the room. The older angel hummed a soft hello, rubbing his eyes. Dean and Charlie were the only ones that greeted the angel and Dean helped Gabe up onto his lap next to Balthazar. Balthazar gave a sideways glance towards Gabriel to see that the archangel was staring at him with great worry.

"Heard you shout. You alright?" Gabe questioned, whispering so Dean wouldn't hear. Balthazar shook his head, rubbing at his eyes.

"I was thinking bouts when Cassie…k...killed me," Balthazar stated, clutching his knees tighter to his chest. Gabriel frowned, rubbing at his eyes again in attempt to rid them of sleepiness.

"That's weirds. I dreamed a few days ago about Luci killing me." Balthazar's head popped up to that. Worry rolled in his stomach even tighter and the angel wrapped around his belly. He felt like he was going to be sick.

"Why are we dreaming bouts this stuff?" Balthazar questioned. Gabriel shook his head. He wished he had the answers. He really did. The archangel wished he could tell his younger brother it was just a dream or tell him that everything they saw didn't mean a thing, but he couldn't. Gabe knew nothing about what was happening inside his head. Balthazar rested his head against Gabriel's shoulder.

"Do we tell the others?" the middle angel questioned. Gabe considered this. It wasn't like before now. Both of them had had dreams about the past. More specifically, dreams about Castiel. That was never a good mix though was it? Still, he hated to worry the Winchesters after everything just started to get better for them. Dean was slowly starting to calm down after the demon fiasco and hunter's nightmares seemed to have dwindled to only short episodes. Would bringing up just a simple bad dream really be a good idea right now? "Gabe?" Gabriel looked down at the head leaning against his shoulder and wrapped a wing protectively around his brother, glancing in the direction of Charlie and Cas.

"Not yet," was all Gabe said before closing his golden eyes. Balhtazar flinched in his hold. Not yet. The word pained the middle angel's ears. Waiting didn't do a thing before. Maybe this will be different.

Hmmm…why are Gabe and Balthazar suffering from these little flashes? Sadly, you will all have to wait a bit longer. Thank you Flamechild1988 for the request for comforting angels.