Easter, PA, not actually Sunday or March in this universe
Castiel stepped into the parlor apparently occupied by his old friend, noting the flashing lights, the opulent decor, and the piano.
Balthazar had never been known for his taste.
"Cass. You're here."
Castiel looked up, pulling out his sword. "Balthazar."
"It's so good to see you." Balthazar stood up from the piano and walked towards Castiel, his hands spread. "He told me you were floating around."
Castiel frowned. "He?"
"I believe you two have flown together." Balthazar gestured to his right. The flashing lights stopped, and a gentler, yellow-white glow filled the room. The vessel of the angel that had attacked Castiel back in Sam and Dean's motel room lay on the floor, his eyes open and unseeing, his mouth open. A strange lump made its way up the vessel's throat, emerging with a "ribbit" to hop across the floor. "You know, frog in the throat."
Castiel sighed. "Even I know that's a bad joke." He stepped up, tilting his head as he tried to get a better read on his old, presumed dead friend. "Are you from an alternate world?"
Balthazar apparently hadn't been expecting that sort of question. "What?"
"One where angels participate in the immoral trade of human souls, perhaps." Castiel started circling him. "Certainly not this one. Our Balthazar died in the fight for the Apocalypse. I grieved his death."
"Ah," Balthazar turned, opening his mouth. "I can explain --"
"Tell me, is there a Sam and Dean in your universe? Do they also appear destined to live horrible lives filled with pain? Or have they and their father found new homes and families? Grace Winchester is quite the little girl, I would hope to see her in other worlds as well."
Balthazar frowned. "Hang on, are you having me on?"
"Dean actually found a god he preferred to follow rather than kill. That's quite an accomplishment for him, you know. Though I'm not certain that god likes this dimension."
"Seriously," said Balthazar. "Has Raphael hit you very, very hard over the head recently?"
"And Sam. He has a boyfriend, I believe. Whom I'm fairly certain actually hasn't been attacked by demons. Of course, he's young yet, there's no telling if Azazel will make his way back into their world and try to continue his plans."
"You're really starting to worry me," said Balthazar.
"No," Castiel said, much more to himself than anyone else. "No, you wouldn't know Chuck."
"The prophet?"
"Only if we're very, very unlucky."
Balthazar put both hands on Castiel's shoulders. "Look, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. I faked my death, Cass."
Castiel sighed. "Then you are not the angel I believed I knew. You took the weapons from Heaven?"
What followed was pretty much exactly what happens in canon, thank you very much, and I don't feel like rehashing it terribly exciting, full of excuses and bargains and attacks and turning Raphael's vessel into a pillar of salt. Well, more of a pile of salt, really. They didn't make pillars like they used to. It all culminated in Sam and Dean trapping Balthazar in a circle of holy fire and threatening him until he released his most recent soul acquisition from his contract. At which point, Dean still refused to release him, but Castiel stepped in, lowering the flames himself.
"My debt to you is cleared."
Balthazar nodded. "Fair enough." He paused then, giving Castiel a searching look. "What you were saying before, about other universes. . . ?"
Castiel inclined his head. "I had a cat."
"Ah." Castiel wasn't certain Balthazar understood at all, but it didn't matter as he went winging off to parts unknown, anyway. Dean rounded on Castiel.
"Are you insane? Not only do you just let him go, but you also have to bring up that crazy stuff about the other world --"
Castiel wasn't interested in listening to another of Dean's rants, and he still had pressing business in Heaven -- he always had pressing business in Heaven -- so he left.
Dean could just go ahead and deal with that.
[ooc: NFB, natch. Could be open to phone calls if anyone wants to.]
Balthazar had never been known for his taste.
"Cass. You're here."
Castiel looked up, pulling out his sword. "Balthazar."
"It's so good to see you." Balthazar stood up from the piano and walked towards Castiel, his hands spread. "He told me you were floating around."
Castiel frowned. "He?"
"I believe you two have flown together." Balthazar gestured to his right. The flashing lights stopped, and a gentler, yellow-white glow filled the room. The vessel of the angel that had attacked Castiel back in Sam and Dean's motel room lay on the floor, his eyes open and unseeing, his mouth open. A strange lump made its way up the vessel's throat, emerging with a "ribbit" to hop across the floor. "You know, frog in the throat."
Castiel sighed. "Even I know that's a bad joke." He stepped up, tilting his head as he tried to get a better read on his old, presumed dead friend. "Are you from an alternate world?"
Balthazar apparently hadn't been expecting that sort of question. "What?"
"One where angels participate in the immoral trade of human souls, perhaps." Castiel started circling him. "Certainly not this one. Our Balthazar died in the fight for the Apocalypse. I grieved his death."
"Ah," Balthazar turned, opening his mouth. "I can explain --"
"Tell me, is there a Sam and Dean in your universe? Do they also appear destined to live horrible lives filled with pain? Or have they and their father found new homes and families? Grace Winchester is quite the little girl, I would hope to see her in other worlds as well."
Balthazar frowned. "Hang on, are you having me on?"
"Dean actually found a god he preferred to follow rather than kill. That's quite an accomplishment for him, you know. Though I'm not certain that god likes this dimension."
"Seriously," said Balthazar. "Has Raphael hit you very, very hard over the head recently?"
"And Sam. He has a boyfriend, I believe. Whom I'm fairly certain actually hasn't been attacked by demons. Of course, he's young yet, there's no telling if Azazel will make his way back into their world and try to continue his plans."
"You're really starting to worry me," said Balthazar.
"No," Castiel said, much more to himself than anyone else. "No, you wouldn't know Chuck."
"The prophet?"
"Only if we're very, very unlucky."
Balthazar put both hands on Castiel's shoulders. "Look, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. I faked my death, Cass."
Castiel sighed. "Then you are not the angel I believed I knew. You took the weapons from Heaven?"
What followed was pretty much exactly what happens in canon, thank you very much, and I don't feel like rehashing it terribly exciting, full of excuses and bargains and attacks and turning Raphael's vessel into a pillar of salt. Well, more of a pile of salt, really. They didn't make pillars like they used to. It all culminated in Sam and Dean trapping Balthazar in a circle of holy fire and threatening him until he released his most recent soul acquisition from his contract. At which point, Dean still refused to release him, but Castiel stepped in, lowering the flames himself.
"My debt to you is cleared."
Balthazar nodded. "Fair enough." He paused then, giving Castiel a searching look. "What you were saying before, about other universes. . . ?"
Castiel inclined his head. "I had a cat."
"Ah." Castiel wasn't certain Balthazar understood at all, but it didn't matter as he went winging off to parts unknown, anyway. Dean rounded on Castiel.
"Are you insane? Not only do you just let him go, but you also have to bring up that crazy stuff about the other world --"
Castiel wasn't interested in listening to another of Dean's rants, and he still had pressing business in Heaven -- he always had pressing business in Heaven -- so he left.
Dean could just go ahead and deal with that.
[ooc: NFB, natch. Could be open to phone calls if anyone wants to.]