The Link

Balthazar bolted upright, ears ringing as a scream echoed throughout the house. Balthazar glanced around, finding Gabriel fast asleep with a pillow over his head and Cas' side empty. The scream came again and Balthazar jumped from the bed and rushed out of his room. He peaked into Dean's room, finding the hunter sprawled out on his bed with his headphones on as he blasted Metallica. Balthazar peaked into Bobby's room, finding the old hunter asleep in his bed with the static of his bedroom TV playing loudly. Balthy turned it off and rushed to the other rooms, finding both Kevin and Charlie fast asleep in their rooms too. Another scream had Balthazar running. There was only one other in the house it could be. Balthazar ran towards Sam's room, stopping in his tracks when something shuffled out of the open door and into the hall. Balthazar squinted hard at the figure, eyes tracing the outline of a tan coat and tiny black wings. Relief flooded through the angel.

"Cassie! Cassie, what are you doing up. It's late –" The words caught in his throat. Ever so slowly, Castiel turned around. The light hit his face, revealing a set of black demonic eyes instead of blue. Balthazar took a step back, a scream bubbling in the back of his throat. He was about to shout, but then Castiel started seizing. His body shook and his wings snapped out. Balthazar watched on in terror until Castiel's eyes rolled back into his skull and he collapsed with a loud thud onto the floor. Balthy couldn't help what happened next. He knew the dangers, but he went for it anyway. Balthazar ran to Cas' side and hovered over his brother. His fingers brushed against cold skin as they checked for a pulse, but the check was unneeded. Castiel's eyes popped back open a second later and Balthazar jumped back. Castiel's eyes were back to a normal shade of blue.

"Balthy?" Castiel whispered, rubbing at his eyes. "How'd I get here?" Balthazar stared at him. 'He doesn't remember?' Balthazar cleared his throat and forced himself to act natural.

"Uh…I heard a noise and found you wondering around," Balthazar informed the angel. Cas' eyes widened again and a blush crept across his nose and cheeks.

"Oh…" he whispered. "I was sleepwalking again." Balthazar stared at his brother. 'Sleepwalking? Again?' Castiel licked his lips and met his brother's gaze. "You won't tell anybody, right?" the angel asked, his blush darkening. Balthazar just stared at him, still trying to soak in everything he's just witnessed and heard. Cas started to fidget under his brother's gaze and Balthazar quickly shook himself.

"H…how often has this been happening, Cassie?" he asked. Cas paused for a moment, trying to think, but in the end he just shook his head.

"I don't know," Cas admitted. "A lot. I've been waking up in places I don't remember falling asleep in for a while now." Cas started to fidget again. "You won't tell anyone, right?" Balthazar stared at his embarrassed little brother for a moment. He stared at him, trying to see traces of what he saw before in his brother, but he could only see or sense his little brother. It was like nothing had happened.

Sighing, Balthazar wrapped a wing around his brother.

"Let's get you back to bed, Cassie," he whispered. "And I promise I won't say anything. I doubt anyone would tease you about it anyway." Castiel relaxed under his brother's wing and let Balthazar take him back to their room. Balthazar tucked him in and said a quick goodnight to his little brother before dashing back down the hall to Sam's room. When he got there, Sam was sitting up in his bed, hair covered in sweat and body shaking. "Sam?" he called. The hunter tensed, but calmed on seeing the angel.

"Oh, hey, Balthy," Sam sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Sorry, did I wake you?" Balthazar only nodded, climbing up into the bed with Sam and hugging him. Sam hugged back. "I just had a nightmare, but I'll be okay." Balthazar nodded and Sam slipped back until they were both resting against the pillows.

"What happened in it?" Balthazar asked in a hushed voice. Sam's eyes darkened a little as he stared up at the ceiling.

"Dean," he whispered. Balthazar glanced over the younger Winchester, spying the long fingers clutching at the bedsheets and his shaking shoulders. Balthazar sat up a little and looked into Sam's eyes.

"You should go talk to him."

"I'm fine, Balthy –" Sam cut himself off as Balthazar gave him a long look. He smirked, closing his eyes. "Not going to work on you, huh?" Balthazar shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No, Sammy boy, not today," Balthazar stated. "Now go be with your brother. I'll even tuck you in." Balthazar wrapping his tiny hand in Sam's then, tugging the hunter up and out of the bedroom and down the hall. When they got to Dean's room, Balthazar pushed open the door, finding Dean still on his bed with his headphones on. He tugged on Sam's hand again, dragging the hunter over to the empty side of Dean's bed. Sam hesitantly climbed onto the mattress and Dean snorted, startling awake. Dean looked around in confusion, eyes focusing on Sam after a second.

"Sam? What are –"

"Nightmare," Sam answered, lowering his head. He felt like he was six years old again having nightmares about monsters under his bed and asking his big brother to share his bed.

"Oh." Dean pulled off his headphones and set them aside. He scooted farther back on the bed and held the covers open for his little brother. "Come on you big moose," Dean sighed. Sam curled up beneath the sheets and Dean settled down next to him, patting his shoulder. "Gets some sleep, Sammy," whispered Dean as he watched Sam's eyes slowly fall shut. He smiled, swiping a strand of hair from Sam's face before closing his own eyes. Balthazar watched them sleep for a second or two before sneaking back out of the room and down the hall to his brothers. He stopped short by the edge of the bed, looking over Castiel's sleeping form carefully. Cas had curled himself around Gabriel's wings like a burrito and was drooling all over the gold flight feathers. Balthazar's lips quirked a little in the corner and he crawled up next to his baby brother. He sat there, watching his baby brother's chest rise and fall, his mind wondering. He thought about Cas and the thing he'd seen only moments ago. He thought about the 'nightmare' he had had not too long ago. Most of all, he thought about the nightmares the others were having, realizing that they were similar in more ways than they had all thought.

When Dean had his nightmare Cas had somehow known that Dean was having one and was right there. After they returned from their trip at the lake, Balthy had overheard Bobby talking to Sam about having a nightmare. Bobby had said that Cas was stumbling around in his office when he had his. Charlie had woken up from a nightmare after falling asleep with Cas on the couch. Balthazar didn't know about Kevin, but he was sure that if the prophet had a nightmare yet or was going to have one soon Cas would be somewhere near him. Last, but not least there was Balthazar's own 'dream'. Was it really a dream though? The nightmare with the demon was a dream, but what about the 'dream' of Cas with black eyes? Balthazar swallowed hard and buried his face into the pillow he shared with his brothers. Now this thing with Sam happened. Maybe he'd been right all along? Maybe Cassie wasn't the same Cassie they believed him to be? In their dreams they saw a demon, but there was something outside the dream that linked them all together.

Cas.