"Alright, Samsquatch, where to?" Balthazar asked the seven year old after Dean had left.

"Balty, why'd you call me that?" Sammy asked, screwing his face up in confusion.

Balthazar laughed sadly. "I learned it from a friend a long time ago," he explained, much more subdued than usual.

"Did your friend know me a long time ago?" Sammy asked, still confused.

Balthazar sighed and knelt down next to Sammy, ignoring Bobby's warning glances. "A long time ago, Sammy, there was an angel named Gabriel. He was a very special angel called an archangel, but one day, he ran away and became a trickster."

"Why?" Sammy interrupted.

Balthazar smiled. "Because he didn't like fighting. He liked candy." Sammy giggled. "Gabriel was a trickster for a long time, but his vessel was very short."

"What's a vessel?" Sammy asked curiously.

"Well, humans can't see an angel's true form," Balthazar began patiently.

"What's 'humans'?" Sammy interrupted.

Balthazar laughed and poked Sammy's chest. "You're humans, Squirt!"

Sammy's jaw dropped, and he ran toward the table. "Uncle Bobby, is I humans?" he asked.

"Am I," Bobby corrected. "Yes, Sammy, you are a human."

"Am Dean a human?" Sammy asked earnestly.

"Is Dean," Bobby answered with a slight smile, "and yes, he is."

Sammy cocked his head but then seemed to accept it. He ran back to Balthazar. "Is this a vessel?" He poked Balthazar in the chest.

"Well, Sammy," Balthazar settled back on the floor, "I never did think that humans were beautiful enough for an angel to inhab- like in. I would have preferred to be a unicorn with a rainbow tail," he admitted, ignoring Bobby's muttered cough, "but my Father told me to at least look like a human. What is it?" he asked, realizing that Sammy was about to burst.

"What's 'gay'?" Sammy asked, looking between Bobby and Balthazar.

"It's when a boy really, really likes another boy," Balthazar answered, glowering at the culprit (who hid behind his books).

"Like when Dean kissed Cas?" Sammy asked.

Balthazar snorted, but Bobby's head shot up. "Say what now, boy?"

Sammy sighed and gestured wildly. "I was 'sleep, then Dean was crying, then Cas came, then Dean kept crying, so Cas hugged him. Then Cas got really, really still, and then Dean yelled, but Cas stayed really still, then Dean kissed Cas right on the mouth, and then I thought it was really yucky so I hided."

Bobby blinked slowly. "So Dean kissed Cas to bring him out of shock? That idjit! Did he at least admit why?" he asked Balthazar, who shook his head.

"They're both pretending it never happened," he explained. "Now, do you want to hear about Gabriel?"

"Yeah!" Sammy jumped enthusiastically.

Balthazar reached out and pulled Sammy onto his lap. "One day, when he was being a trickster, Gabriel met a man named Samuel. Samuel was very tall, and he was a very special man called a hunter. Hunters make sure that people like tricksters don't do bad things," he summed up, again ignoring Bobby. "Gabriel was being bad, but Samuel made his stop."

"But why did he call him Samscotch?" Sammy asked.

Balthazar grinned a snapped his fingers, flying them to a forest. "Hey there, Jake," he greeted the outdoorsy man stepping out of a trailer. "This here is Sammy," he made the introductions. "Sammy wants to hear all about the Sasquatch you're hunting."

This was a Christmas present for both the outlandish adventurer and the inquisitive young learner. While they talked, Balthazar slowly touched up some Enochian warding sigils and prepared an elaborate memory charm, but when he finished, their conversation was far from over.

He sighed and wandered outside the wards, daring something to come at Sammy. It had been a stressful week, and the angel needed something to kill.

"Hello, boy," greeted the demon, appearing as if on cue.

Balthazar groaned. "I asked for a monster, not a douchebag!"

Crowley gasped in mock offense. "I should make you take that back!"

"And I should smite you, you reprehensible salesman, but we can't always get what we want, can we? Why are you here?"

Crowley sighed. "I didn't realize that our little-"

"Shut up!" Balthazar interrupted sharply.

Crowley shrugged. "Have it your way! Regardless, I don't think that I can stand the idea of being associated with someone who would kneel in front of a Winchester."

Balthazar froze. "What are you talking about? Me? Kneel? Are you daft?"

"You tell me. But anyway, you know where to find me. Or, rather, how to find me. I think your little charge should be finishing story time by now. And before you ask," the demon turned back around with his most charming smile and spread his arms, "I know everything."

Balthazar shook his head at the cloud of smoke. "Theatrics." With a swish of his hand, he reappeared next to Sammy. "So, what do you think, Samsquatch?" he asked, ruffling Sammy's hair.

Sammy looked up with a grin. "But I'm little, Balty! And I'm not all hairy!"

"Really? Then what's this?" he asked, lifting a long blonde lock. "Maybe we should get it cut, huh? How does a barber shop stop sound?"

"No!" Sammy squealed, running (in circles, thanks to Balthazar's hand on his head).

"Thanks for the story," the angel called to Jake, spiriting the two of them away and wiping Sammy from Jake's memory.

"Balty, where are we?" Sammy asked excitedly, bouncing on his toes.

"This is a laser tag...place," Balthazar read off a tag. "Go, have fun, shoot people, make good choices!" Sammy was already gone, but he called out, "Use protection!"

***SPN***

Dean shrugged off the last piece of his costume and grinned at Tyler. "Hey, first day back! How'd it go?"

Tyler grinned back. "I'm not going to lie, this is the best job! I mean, the kids love me, and it's all so rewarding! I mean, do you know the look on a little kid's face when they finally meet their hero? The guy who takes away all their monsters?"

Dean sighed and stretched his back a bit. "You don't see that, really, when you are the monster," he admitted.

Tyler nodded. "This must be different for you, being the bad guy, not getting the attention and praise."

"Okay, what exactly did Samuel teach you?" Dean asked incredulously.

"He said it's a hard life but his family's the best, and people know who they are," Tyler answered. "I mean, they must be, what with the whole big deal about-"

"Has he taught you anything about how to hunt?" Dean interrupted. "You know what, come by my motel after about 8:30 and my old man and I will help you out."

"Your old man?" Tyler questioned.

"I'll explain later. The dick angel probably brought my brother back by now, so I gotta go. See you later?"

"Yeah, man, whatever," Tyler agreed.

***SPN***

"Dean!" the energetic kid propelled himself across the room and launched himself at his brother.

"Hey, Sammy," Dean chuckled, holding the little guy close. "What did you do all day? Did you watch Peter Pan?"

"No," Sammy giggled. "Balty taked me to laser tag and the library and I learned all about a Sasquatch! Did you ever meet Gabriel, Dean? He was a super awesome angel! Balty says he met a hunter named Samuel and he called him Samsquatch. Did you know Samuel? Was he as tall as you? Did he have a lot of hair? Balty says hunters make people play nice, Dean, can I be a hunter? Oh! Maybe I want to be a vessel! Balty! Balty! If I be'd a vessel, would I be good enough for you? Can we always go see Jake?" Sammy didn't look like he had any intentions of stopping, and Dean looked at Balthazar over his head.

"Believe me," the angel shrugged, "if I'd known he'd be so talkative afterward, I wouldn't have taken him to the library!"

"Sammy." Dean efficiently stopped the prattle. "Did you eat dinner yet?"

Sammy shook his head. "We're waiting for you!" he explained. "Balty too! We're gonna have hot dogs and ice cream!"

"Together?" Dean was only half playing.

"No!" Sammy yelled between giggles. "We're eating hot dogs now and then we'll get ice cream! Balty's bringing it special! Can Cas come? Does Cas like ice cream? Where is Cas, Dean?"

"Uh, I don't know, Sammy," Dean rubbed the back of his neck and stood up.

Sammy tugged on the end of his jacket. "Dean?"

"What, Sammy?"

"Don't you like Cas?"

Dean groaned, ignoring the teasing adults. "Of course I like Cas, Sammy. Why?"

"Because," Sammy stated innocently, as if that summed everything up.

"Because what, Sammy?" Dean prompted.

"You don't know where he is, even after you kissed him!"

Dean promptly choked. "Sammy," he gasped much to the amusement of Bobby and Balthazar.

"Dean? Are you okay? Dean! Dean, stop coughing!" Sammy patted Dean's back anxiously.

"I'm fine, Sammy," Dean choked out. "Let's get some, uh, hot dogs and ice cream."

"Yay!" Sammy crowed.

Dean rolled his eyes and pointedly did not look at Bobby, worried about what he might see in the hunter's expression. "Oh, Samuel isn't teaching Tyler crap, so I invited him to come over tonight."

"Alright," Bobby agreed, "but don't go kissing him too. I'd like some of our visitors to come back!"

"Shut up," Dean growled.

Balthazar laughed uproariously. "What do you say, Sammy? Is it dinner time now? He caught the energized seven year old and tickled him mercilessly while Bobby laughed at Dean.

All in all, it was a very confusing scene that Cas popped into.

"Brother?" The room got quiet, and three heads turned to look at the curious angel. Sammy chose to take this chance to escape, and he bolted for the door.

"Hey, Cas," Dean tried to greet the angel casually, knowing that Balthazar was doing something ridiculous behind him. "What's up?"

Cas pointedly ignored Dean and focused on Balthazar instead. "I don't understand. If the object of our presence here is to ease Sam's transformation, why would you torture him?"

Balthazar laughed lightly. "Torture, Cas? Tickling isn't torture! It's more," he trailed off, as if looking for the right word. "Oh, it's hard to explain, but I'm sure Dean would be more than happy to show you." He gave an exaggerated wink that was totally lost on his little brother.

Cas frowned for a moment, then looked around. "Where is Sam? It's almost time."

Balthazar froze and slowly turned in a circle. "Dean?" he asked.

"Sammy!" Dean hollered. Silence. "Balthazar? Where's my brother?" he asked.

Balthazar winced. "I don't know, but he's in pain. It's starting."

"Then find him!" Dean snapped.

"Dean," Castiel interrupted tensely, "he can't. I hid both you and your brother from all supernatural beings."

"Why would you do that?" Dean groaned. "Where the hell is my brother?"

"Dean!" Cas answered, "I just told you-"

"I know what you said!" Dean yelled.

"I'm an angel of the lord, you will not yell at me!" Cas yelled back.

"I'll yell at whoever the fuck I want to, don't tell me what to do!"

"I raised you and your brother from perdition! You will respect me!"

"Bullshit! You lost my brother, you don't deserve respect!"

"Both of you," Balthazar cut in, placing a hand on each of their chests. "Shut up!"

For a moment, Dean and Cas glared and huffed at each other, then Dean broke and turned to Balthazar. "Where's my brother?" he asked, and obvious waver in his voice.

Balthazar moved his hand to Dean's shoulder. "He has my grace. I traced it while you two aired your feelings. Sammy's asleep on the bed behind me. Now, are we good here?" He looked between Dean and Cas. Both nodded. "Hug it out, then," Balthazar instructed, shoving the two together.

Dean awkwardly wrapped his arms around the angel and resisted the urge to melt into the embrace. The whole fiasco must have worn him out more than he realized. He dropped his head onto Cas's shoulder briefly. "I'm sorry I yelled," he muttered. He felt the angel nod.

"So am I."

There was a flutter of wings, and Dean found himself alone beside Sammy's bed. He stroked Sammy's hair tenderly, ingnoring the pain and betrayal that he hadn't asked to feel, and focusing on his baby brother's peaceful expression instead.

"Thank you, Balthazar," he murmured.

"You can't wake him till it's over," Balthazar assured him, speaking in a normal tone. "Don't bother whispering."

"I've been yelling all day. Whispering is fine for now," Dean answered.

"How do you not have a migraine?" Balthazar asked.

Dean frowned. "I did."

"And now you don't?" Bobby asked.

"I guess Cassie came through, eh?" Balthazar teased. "Even when you're fighting, he can't stand you being in pain! How sweet."

Dean turned around deliberately. "Can we not have a chick flick moment while my baby brother is undergoing a potentially excruciating process? I dont need any angel's concentration slipping."

Balthazar snorted. "I'm not the one wondering if Castiel's wings are as soft as Sammy's hair," he threw back.

Dean narrowed his eyes wordlessly, although the tell-tale blush on his face gave him away.

"For Christ's sake, boy!" Bobby huffed. Dean stiffened and stalked toward the door.

"Come get me when he wakes up," he called as the door swung shut behind him. He listened for the click of the lock before slumping against the wall and dropping his head into his hands.

"Cas?" he asked, cursing the break in his voice.

The angel appeared immediately. "Dean? Are you alright?"

Wet green eyes met worried blue ones. "We need to talk, man."

So sorry that I didn't post this sooner. It's been written (on paper) for a week now, but due to unforeseen circumstances, I couldn't get to the Internet. I still don't have my laptop (frowny face), but I managed to type this whole thing up on my phone, so I apologize for any strange autocorrect instances.

Now for the fun part!

What happens next? Leave a review with the right answer, and I will PM you a sneak peek of the next chapter! I already have the first scene written, and reviews would really encourage me to finish it faster!

Hmmm... My "Represent" shirt came in today, so I'm in a good mood!

If you guess incorrectly, I'll PM you a crack style scene featuring your review (although it might take a little longer).

Love and hugs (and chocolate, of course)

-Hailee