Chapter 5

"Balthazar," Castiel said quietly while Ariel merely remained where she was, hovering anxiously between remaining professional and throwing professionalism out the window to hug one of her brothers.

"It's so good to see you both." Balthazar inclined his head slightly, running a hand through his blond hair. "He told me you were floating around."

"'He?'" Ariel echoed, raising an eyebrow as she replaced her blade into the sheath on her wrist.

"I believe you've flown together." He nodded behind them and against her better instinct, she turned to see the angel who had attacked her and Castiel earlier on the floor, clearly dead. After a moment, a croaking noise came from his direction and a frog crawled out of his mouth before hopping away. Grimacing at the gruesome sight, Ariel turned back to Balthazar with a questioning look. "Oh, you know, the old frog in the throat." Balthazar snapped his fingers and the music let up, the lights turning on.

"Even I know that's a bad joke," Castiel deadpanned, his expression grim. "I grieved your death."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry about that, you know." Balthazar didn't look all that sorry. "I wanted them to think...you know, so they wouldn't come looking for me." He glanced at Ariel, his expression softening. "It's been a long time, sister."

She relaxed marginally, a tentative smile tugging at her lips. "Tell me about it." She crossed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Balthazar didn't hesitate to hug her back, clutching her like a lifeline and burying his face into her hair. "I've missed you," she murmured, squeezing him close briefly.

"And I you."

She pulled back slightly, punching his arm teasingly and earning a slight wince. "Since when have you been dead, by the way?"

"Oh, a couple years now." He definitely looked a little guilty now, much like he often used to whenever Ariel would scold him and Gabriel after the two pulled off a successful prank. "I heard about your return, though. I'm sorry I wasn't there to welcome you back home."

"I'm just glad you're all right," she reassured him, earning a warm smile in return as he kissed her forehead affectionately.

Castiel, though, was not so ready to forgive. "What is all this? What are you doing?"

"Whatever I want." Balthazar's pale blue eyes flicked up to Castiel over Ariel's head as she released him and took a step back. "This morning I had a ménage à..." He frowned thoughtfully. "What's the word for twelve?"

Ariel rolled her eyes. "Dude. Seriously?"

He shrugged back at her. "You can't blame a man for wanting to have a good time."

"You stole the Staff of Moses," Castiel accused and Balthazar smirked.

"Sure, sure. I stole a lot of things."

"You were a great and honorable soldier. We fought together," Castiel protested.

"Yes, too many times to count," Balthazar said bitterly.

"We know you," Ariel said quickly, cutting into the clear tension between the two. "You're no common thief."

"Common? No." Balthazar gave her a wry smile. "Thief? Eh."

"We need your help," Castiel sighed at last, changing the topic.

"Oh, yes, I know. I've been hearing all about you both, and as far as I'm concerned...nothing's changed between us." Ariel's breath caught in her throat in surprise as Balthazar continued, "We're family. Of course I want to help you."

"Thank you," Castiel said even as Ariel threw her arms around Balthazar again in relief, earning a startled chuckle from the other angel. "We need the weapons."

Balthazar huffed in irritation. "Don't ask that."

"You knew we were going to," Ariel pointed out as she pulled back. "Why take them, anyway? Why did you run?"

"Because I could." The answer shocked both Ariel and Castiel into silence as they gaped at him. "What?" Balthazar smiled bitterly. "You two were the ones who made it possible, after all. What you did, stopping the big plan, the prize fight? You did more than rebel. You tore up the whole script and burned the pages for all of us. It's a new era. No rules, no destiny. Just complete and utter freedom."

"So, what, you waste it on ménages à douze?" Ariel raised an eyebrow.

"Douze, that's it!" When she glared at him in response, he sighed wearily. "Hey, screw it, right? Dad's not coming back." She flinched slightly at the reminder. "You might as well blow coke and jump on the bed. You proved to me we could do anything, so I'm trying everything. What difference does it make?"

"What diff-?" Castiel sputtered incredulously. "It's civil war up there! If we can beat Raphael, we can end this! Just give us the weapons."

Balthazar chuckled tiredly. "Do you know what's funny about you? You actually believe that you can stop the fighting."

"Of course we can," Ariel insisted, earning a miserable look from him.

"It'll never stop, Ariel. My advice? Grab something valuable and fake your own death."

"You've gone insane," Castiel said, looking disgusted, "Your little holiday is over. Raphael knows you're alive by now."

"Oh, Raphael can try me anytime. I'm armed." Balthazar's smile faded into something more sincere. "I really am sorry. All else aside, I'm really, really happy to see you both." He smiled slightly. "Even if you've still got that stick up your arse-" He turned to Ariel. "And you're still that naïve optimist."

She huffed slightly. "It's not a bad thing."

"I never said it was." Suddenly, lightning flashed outside the window and thunder rolled, causing all three of them to start. "Was that you?" Balthazar asked Ariel conversationally and she numbly shook her head, cold dread settling in her stomach. "Oh. Well, then, that would be my cue. Tell Raphael to bite me."

"Balthazar, wait-!" Before Ariel could finish her protest, though, he was gone.

"What do we do?" Castiel asked, looking at her as his impassive mask cracked slightly with fear at the next crash of thunder. Even as a grown angel, he was still afraid of storms, especially those caused by Raphael. She couldn't blame him; Raphael had blown him up once.

"I-I don't know. We get Sam and Dean out of here and we run, I suppose." She ran a hand through her hair, agitated as she tried to analyze the situation. There was an angel coming up the stairs, and Raphael was just outside the mansion. "We're surrounded," she realized, "Angels all on the bottom floor, and Raphael himself is here."

Castiel swallowed, his angel blade flicking into his hand automatically, and she pulled out her blade, too. "Then we have no choice but to fight our way out." She nodded with a grimace; she didn't want to fight if she could help it, but it looked like they didn't have any other option. The doors slammed open then, an angel storming in with his blade drawn.

"Wait," Ariel pleaded quickly, backing up as Castiel did the same beside her. "Wait, just listen, please, we don't want to fight."

"You're making a mistake, there's another way," Castiel added desperately, "Brother, please, we don't want to hurt you." As the angel advanced, his expression screwed up in despair even as he threw his blade forward. It embedded itself in the angel's chest and Ariel shut her eyes as he screamed, his Grace exploding outwards as he died. "Why won't any of you listen?" Castiel demanded wearily.

"They don't listen, Castiel, because their hearts are mine." Ariel spun around to see Raphael standing behind her, his expression cold as he threw out his hand. Castiel was flung backwards, out the open doors and onto the edge of the stairs. "This has been long overdue, Ariel." Before she could bring up her blade to defend herself, Raphael punched her hard, sending her sprawling to the floor, her archangel blade skittering out of her grasp across the floor. He stalked past her as she groaned, wiping blood from her lip, and advanced on a stirring Castiel.

"Cas!" Ariel scrambled to her feet even as Raphael pulled Castiel up by his hair to punch him in the face several times before throwing him down the flight of stairs. Castiel collapsed on the landing, moaning weakly. Ariel stumbled forward and down the stairs even as Raphael descended down to the landing to kick Castiel down the remaining steps. "Get away from him!" Without thinking, Ariel tackled Raphael, catching him off-guard as they both tumbled down the steps to land beside Castiel.

With an angry growl, Raphael tossed Ariel off him, slamming her against the wall as Castiel attempted to get to his feet, groaning slightly with each movement. "I should have killed you when I had the chance."

"Oh, but then we wouldn't be having this lovely family reunion," she retorted half-heartedly, grimacing as she tasted more blood. She must have bitten her tongue in the fall.

"Are you joking?" He slammed her head back against the wall, cracking the plaster and earning a cry of pain from her.

"Leave her alone." Raphael looked over his shoulder at Castiel, who was wavering slightly on his feet, before carelessly shoving Ariel to the floor and knocking Castiel down with one punch to the face. He raised his blade, aiming for Castiel's throat.

"Somehow, I don't think God will be bringing you back this time," he sneered.

"Cas-!" Ariel tried desperately to get to him in time, but her head was still spinning from Raphael's attack and she could barely get to her feet, only able to watch helplessly as Raphael began to swing his blade downwards, her heart hammering wildly in her throat.

"Hey!" She froze, as did Raphael, his cold eyes turning to the source of the shout. "Look at my junk." Balthazar held up a glowing crystal, grinning.

Ariel's eyes widened even as Raphael roared in rage, "No!" Even as he spoke, Ariel watched as his dark skin was replaced by pure white salt, his vessel soon disintegrating into a pile of the stuff on the floor.

Chuckling, Balthazar tucked the stone away. "Same thing happened to Lot's wife. Iodize the poor sucker, and your kitchen is stocked for life."

"You came back," Castiel rasped, struggling to his feet as Ariel slumped back against the wall, relieved as she rubbed the back of her aching head.

"Well, now Raphael will have to go shopping for a new vessel. Should give me a nice long head start on him. Until next time." Balthazar inclined his head in farewell, preparing to leave.

"Next time," Ariel echoed and he turned to look at her, frowning in confusion at the grim expression on her face.

"No time like the present," Dean's voice abruptly cut in as the elder Winchester threw a lighter to the floor. A circle of holy fire sprang up, trapping Balthazar within its confines.

"Holy fire. You hairless ape! Release me!" Balthazar snapped, his expression twisting in anger.

"First you're taking your marker off of Aaron Birch's soul!" Dean shouted back.

"Am I?!" Balthazar's lips curved into a cruel smirk despite his furious tone.

"Unless you like your wings extra crispy, I'd think about it," Sam added as he stepped into the room, uncorking a bottle of holy oil.

"Ariel. Castiel." Balthazar whirled around to face his siblings, eyes wide. "I stood for you both in Heaven. Are you really going to let-?"

"I believe the hairless ape has the floor," Castiel cut in calmly. Ariel kept her expression blank so that Balthazar would know not to expect sympathy from her.

Balthazar scowled. "Very well." He clasped his hands and pressed them to his forehead before exhaling. "The boy's debt is cleared. His soul is his own."

"Why're you buying up human souls, anyway?" Dean demanded.

"In this economy? It's probably the only thing worth buying." Balthazar rolled his eyes. "Do you have any idea what souls are worth? What power they hold? Now release me."

"Suck it, ass clown. Nobody said anything-" Dean broke off as Ariel snapped her fingers, the holy fire dimming before it vanished entirely. "Air!" he protested, stretching the nickname out for all it was worth as his tone took on a whining edge of complaint.

"Our debt's cleared to you," Ariel said to Balthazar, ignoring the hunter.

"Fair enough," Balthazar conceded before disappearing promptly.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Dean snapped even as Castiel vanished. He started before scowling at Ariel warningly. "Don't you dare go, too."

She held up her hands in surrender. "It's just that he's our brother, too, Dean. And we did owe him for saving us from Raphael. I trust him."

"He bought a kid's soul," he pointed out before turning to Sam. "You can't tell me that's not a little skeevy."

Sam looked deep in thought. "You trust him?" he asked Ariel, who nodded.

"Yeah, I do."

"Then I get it." At Dean's incredulous look, he sighed. "Look, Ariel knows her brothers. And at this point, I'm pretty sure anyone on her side is better than nobody. Right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, exactly." Sam nodded before leaving the mansion entirely, Dean watching his retreating back warily.

"Does he seem a little off to you?" he asked, looking back at Ariel only to find that she was gone. "Friggin' angels," he grumbled as he shook his head, turning to follow Sam.

-munching on Skittles meant for trick-or-treaters- And that concludes The Third Man, just in time for Halloween! (well, it's nearly the end of Halloween, but details)

Ariel and Balthazar do have a lot of history, just like Castiel and Balthazar do, and I'll definitely try to explore that in future chapters, provided my Balthazar muse cooperates.

Balthy!muse: NEVER. -steals Skittles and runs away-

-sigh- And here I thought once Gabriel's muse died, the candy-stealing would end with him. Oh, well. Enjoy, everyone, and happy Halloween!