There Until the End
Balthazar startled awake as someone pounded hard on the front door downstairs. He sat up; stretching his wings and watching his brothers slowly wake. Cas was still latched around Gabriel's wings, a puddle of drool under his mouth and sticking Gabriel's feathers in odd angles. Gabriel tried to move his wings when he tried sitting up, but quickly realized a heavy blanket wasn't the thing holding him down.
"EW! That's gross, baby bro!" Gabe squealed, shaking his wings hard in attempt to shake his brother off. Cas let out a loud whine as he fell off Gabe's wings. He reached for the gold feathers, eyes hooded with sleep yet. Balthazar sat back and watched the two, memories of the previous night coming back to him. He remembered waking up to Sam's screams and finding Castiel –no. Whatever that was last night was not his brother. The sleep hungry angel in front of him was Castiel or…it looked like him at least. The black eyed creature sneaking through the halls during the night was something else entirely than the angel in front of him.
"Uh, Cassie…" Balthazar trailed off, stopping himself short. He couldn't say anything. The last time he'd accused Cas of being possessed no one had believed him. They told him he was dreaming. No, he couldn't say anything yet without proof of his findings. Even then could he? Would the others believe him? Would they want to believe him?
Another loud pounding sound from the door downstairs startled Balthazar from his thoughts. He frowned towards their door.
"Wander who that is?" he muttered.
"Too early," Cas yawned, flopping across Gabriel's lap. Gabriel rolled his eyes at Castiel, slapping the angel with a gold, spit slimed wing. Cas let out a yelp and sat back up, rubbing his head and glaring at his older brother. Gabriel smirked at him and jumped off the bed, gliding towards the door and pushing it open. "Come on, let's see who's here," he called to his brothers. Castiel and Balthazar jumped from the edge of their bed and flew out the door and down the hall with their brother, spotting Sam and Dean walking down the stairs along the way. The angels floated down onto the hunter's shoulders, getting a ride the rest of the way downstairs.
"Morning," Dean hummed with a yawn, patting at the black wing Cas let flop over his right shoulder.
"Morning," the angels greeted back.
"Who's here?" Gabriel asked. Both Winchesters shrugged.
"Have no idea," Sam sighed, rubbing at his eyes. "We weren't expecting anybody." Both Winchesters' eyes became dark and hooded then and the angels each shared a wary glance. Dean stopped short while Sam made his way to the doorway. The older hunter stood by a picture frame, ready to yank it off and reach into the secret compartment beneath it to find a stash of various weapons to protect his family. Sam peaked through the little window on the door, eyes widening. "Well, what do you know…"
"What? Who is –"
"Dean Winchester, you stab at me with that knife and I'll put my foot where the sun don't shine!" a familiar voice called through the doorway. Dean's eyes widened.
"Missouri?" he called. Sam pulled open the door and Missouri Mosely stepped over the threshold with Piper in her arms.
"Who did you expect?" she questioned, smiling at the boys and their three angels. "Now come here and give us a hug." Sam and Dean both gave the woman a tight hug, stepping back for the angels to have their turn before hugging at little Piper.
"What are you two doing here?" Sam asked. Missouri smiled, patting at Piper's head.
"Piper here has been missing your angels lately. Plus, we haven't heard from you much since…" she trailed off, glancing towards Cas. "…the incident."
"Shit. Sorry about that," Dean cursed, fingers brushing at Cas' wing again. "How about some breakfast to make it up to you? You guys have had one hell of a drive." Missouri grinned at him.
"That'd be wonderful, Dean," she said. Missouri set Piper down by her feet and the little girl with dark wings looked up at her. "You have fun with your friends, honey," she said. Piper nodded and ran to Gabriel, Balthazar and Cas. The four greeted each other with tight hugs before running outside to play.
"Oh, Balthazar?" Missouri called. Balthazar stopped right before he was about to join his brothers and friend out in the yard. Can I talk to you for a second?" Balthazar frowned, but nodded, stepping over to the woman while Sam and Dean made their way into the kitchen.
"I feel some distress in you," she whispered. Balthazar looked at his toes. "What's bothering you?" Balthazar shook his head, glancing towards the open doorway at the three playing in the grass.
"You wouldn't believe me," he whispered. "Nobody would." Missouri's lips quirked up and she lifted Balthazar's chin with a finger, forcing the angel to look at her.
"Try me." Balthazar swallowed hard, glancing around the room briefly before finally giving in.
"Something's wrong with, Cassie." Missouri nodded, pulling back and looking towards the open doorway.
"Yes, his body is being shared with another," Missouri stated. Balthazar's eyes widened. "Piper and I could feel it the closer we got to the house. This place feels…wrong."
"What is it?"
"I think you know, Balthy." Balthazar looked out the door towards his brother. He bothered at his lip.
"A demon…the one from our dreams," Balthazar sighed. "We've all had them." Balthazar shook his head, the distress Missouri had detected from him growing. "Why couldn't we feel it? How could we not notice? There are traps all over the place and holy water –"
"Balthy, honey, calm down. It's not your fault you didn't realize. This demon is buried very deep inside your brother to the point where he's not even there. I'm bet Castiel doesn't know he's possessed, am I wrong?" Missouri questioned, eyes flicking towards the angel playing with Piper. Balthazar shook his head, tears building in his eyes.
"It's like one of his nightmares only this time he's living it! Dean should have listened to us. Popping into Cas' head to help did nothing just like when we tried it! Now, Cassie's gone!" Missouri reached out to the angel, hushing him softly.
"He's not gone, sweetie. Remember what I said before? That demon is hiding deep at the back of Cas' mind. He's lets your brother keep the reins to hold off suspicion. I don't know how he bypassed all your traps, but you need to know that your baby brother is still in there." Balthazar pulled back a little then, looking up into Missouri's warm eyes.
"What do I do though? Nobody will believe me if I say anything," he whispered.
"You have to talk to your brother, baby," Missouri instructed. "He's the only one that can really change this. Make him believe you. Make him fight the demon." Balthazar nodded, bothering at his lip again as he thought over her words. "You should tell the others too," Missouri added. Balthazar's eyes widened and his body stiffened.
"I can't," he muttered softly, glancing towards the kitchen in fear that Sam or Dean were listening. He glanced at the stairs too just in case the others had woken up too. When he was sure no one else was listening, Balthazar turned back to Missouri. "You didn't see them when Cassie was hurt," he started. "They were hurting so much. Nothing could make them happy again, but then Cassie woke up and everything was okay." A tear ran down Balthazar's cheek at the sad memories and he wiped at it slowly. "If I tell them about Cassie they'll get hurt again and…and I don't want to see them like that again…" Balthazar's tears fell quickly then and Missouri pulled him into a tight hug. She rubbed at his back, hushing him softly as he cried. "Please don't tell them," he whimpered. "Please, Missouri."
"Okay, Balthazar. I promise I won't tell them," Missouri hushed. She pulled back a little, brushing away Balthazar's tears with a finger. "You won't be able to keep it a secret forever though. Just promise me that when the time comes you'll tell the others, okay?" Balthazar nodded, smiling up at Missouri.
"Yeah, I promise."
"Balthy!" Missouri and Balthazar startled. They turned from each other and looked back towards the door. Castiel was running at them with a giant grin on his face. Atop his head sat a crown made of yellow dandelions and in his hand was another made of daisies. Balthazar forced a smile at his baby brother.
"Hey, Cassie," he called. "What're you up to?" Cas held up the daisy flower crown, grinning ear to ear.
"Here," he said, standing on his tiptoes and plopping the crown down on his brother's head. Cas stepped back, surveying the crown and his brother. He fixed a few stray flowers and then looked his brother over happily. "There," he hummed. "Piper's teaching us to make crowns out of flowers. Want to come?" Balthazar nodded at his brother.
"Yeah, Cassie, just give me a moment." Cas grinned ear to ear and rushed back outside, waving to Missouri and Balthazar as he went.
Balthazar watched his brother go. Missouri had to be right. That smile and those eyes couldn't be fake. They couldn't be an act put on by some cold demon.
Thoughts and questions bombarded his mind and worry laced its way through Balthazar's heart.
"What will happen to him if he fights?" he asked, not looking at Missouri. "Will it kill him? Will he go back into a coma again? Will he be okay?" Missouri watched Cas too for a moment, before shaking her head.
"I wish I had all the answers, but I don't," Missouri sighed reluctantly. "This could either end good or bad, but do you know what I think, Balthy?" The angel looked to her and Missouri smiled. "I think Cas'll fight this like he's done with every challenge he's been thrown into." Balthy snorted and held his arms out to Missouri, hugging her tight. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He made a little vow right there and then, swearing to do whatever he had to in order to save his little brother. Missouri was right. If anybody was going to get through this it was Cas, but he wasn't going to do it alone. No, Balthy would be there until the end no matter what.