Chapter 7 – Things Just Might Be Alright

"I really hope I don't get you in trouble."
"It'll be fine."
"What if it's not?"
"It will be, they always liked you, they'll just be glad you're okay."
"But what if I can't stay here?"
"You will, they'd take in an entire animal shelter if one was shutting down."
"How do you know?"
"Because I've grown up with them and my aunt has raised at least twenty baby squirrels."
"But Cas..."
"Shut up, it'll be fine. Come on."
Cas opened his bedroom door and led the way downstairs and into the hall, stopping just outside the kitchen doorway. He could hear his aunt and uncle talking at the kitchen table, the rustle of the newspaper and the clinking of silverware interspersed through the quiet conversation. He turned to Balthazar.
"Stay here," he mouthed.
Balthazar nodded. Cas stepped into the kitchen.
"Good morning, sweetheart," his aunt said.
"Good morning," Cas replied.
"You sleep alright?" his uncle asked.
"Yeah. Listen, I need to tell you both something," said Cas quickly.
"What is it, kiddo?" said his uncle.
"I... okay, this is going to sound really bad at first, but please just hear me out," said Cas.
His aunt and uncle exchanged a concerned look.
"So yesterday when I was at the Winchesters', I got a text from Balthazar's number telling me to go to the old house on Maple Street at midnight," Cas began.
"You didn't go, did you?" said his aunt sternly.
"I did. Dean and Sam came with me though, so I wasn't alone," said Cas. "The text... it was from Balthazar. He's alive."
His aunt and uncle both looked surprised and a little bit worried.
"Cas, there's no way he survived that fire. I know you miss him, but –" his uncle said.
"It's true, Mr. Novak," Balthazar said, stepping in from the hallway.
The kitchen fell silent. Balthazar was so pale and thin that Cas was pretty sure from the looks on his aunt and uncle's faces that they thought for a moment that he was a ghost.
"But... how...?" Cas' aunt whispered at last.
"I... I really don't know how I got out of there. It was just a blur. All I can remember was the fire and the smoke and the heat and seeing my mother..." Balthazar paused, swallowing hard. "And then suddenly I was out and I ran. I was scared. So I ran and spent all but a few dollars on a train to Denver and I've spent every minute since then trying to get back."
"I'm all he's got now," said Cas. "He needs our help and... a place to live?"
"Cas, you don't even have to ask," said his uncle. "Our home is yours, Balthazar. It always has been and it always will be."
"Thank you," said Balthazar, smiling gratefully.
"Now how about some breakfast?" Cas' aunt offered, standing up. "You look half famished and I know Cas for one is always hungry in the mornings."

Balthazar fit right into the Novak house and he quickly began recovering from his three months on the Denver streets. The Winchesters and Bobby came over for Christmas dinner and Cas honestly couldn't think of a single moment when he'd been happier. He was surrounded by every person in the world that loved him and it was perfect. After that, the rest of winter break flew by and then suddenly, the Impala was pulling up in front of Cas' house to pick up him and Balthazar for the first day of the new semester. As they pulled into the parking lot, Cas turned to his friend.
"You ready for this?" he asked.
"I was born ready, mate," said Balthazar.
"Everyone's gonna freak out, you know that."
"Of course they are. They all thought I was dead. And it wasn't exactly a big to-do when we told the authorities I was alive."
"Well, we might as well just get it over with," said Dean.
They all piled out of the car and walked into Lawrence High. As Cas, Dean, and Balthazar walked to their lockers, more and more eyes turned. Some people looked confused, others shocked, and a few looked a little scared. Balthazar very obviously didn't care. He glanced at one particularly scared-looking girl and winked. Her eyes got wide and she scampered away.
"You sure do have a way with the ladies," Dean said sarcastically.
"Hey now!" said Balthazar, mockingly offended.
"He actually does though, he's probably slept with half the girls in the school," Cas pointed out.
"Yeah, I wonder how that's gonna go now that I'm back from the dead..." mused Balthazar, frowning.
"Hey man, I dunno, the whole undead-romance thing is kinda popular these days, vampires and werewolves and shit, ya never know what could happen," said Dean.
"Well if they're looking for creatures of the night, they won't be disappointed," said Cas.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Balthazar asked.
"You snore like a bear."
"I do not!" said Balthazar indignantly.
"Oh brother, here we go..." muttered Dean, rolling his eyes.
The first bell rang and they hurried to their first classes.

As they sat around their usual table at lunch, Balthazar caught Cas and Dean up on some of the amusing reactions their fellow students had had throughout the morning. He was just telling them what happened in his calculus class when they heard someone approach their table. All three of them looked up at once to see Naomi standing there awkwardly.
"Can we help you?" Cas asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I just wanted to say... I'm sorry. Honestly. For everything I've ever done to any of you," said Naomi. "Ever since what Michael did to you, Balthazar... I've felt just... wrong. What he did was beyond what I ever thought he was capable of. It scared me. And then when I heard about what Ralph and Marv did to you two," she continued, turning to Cas and Dean. "It was totally out of line. Before it felt like we were just following Michael's orders. But when that happened, I realized how seriously they took it all. They were just looking for any reason they could to get at you. And... I just wanted to let you know that I don't want any part of it anymore. I'm through with them. And I'm sorry."
She turned to walk away but Cas stood up.
"Wait," he called after her.
Naomi turned back around.
"I uh... do you wanna sit with us?" Cas offered awkwardly.
Dean and Balthazar stared at him, surprised.
"Are you serious?" Naomi said.
"Yeah. I guess I am," said Cas. "I know what it's like being on Ralph and Marv's bad side and, well... I figure you'll need some support now that you're on their bad side too."
"Are you sure they're okay with this?" asked Naomi, jerking her head to Dean and Balthazar, who still looked stunned.
"They'll get over it," shrugged Cas.
Naomi slowly walked back to their table and sat down.
"Thanks," she murmured.
"You're welcome. And apology accepted."