22. Chapter 22

In spite of the full night's sleep they had both gotten, Castiel noticed that Dean was looking increasingly sleepy as he finished his fifth pancake. He dragged a sixth pancake onto his plate and slowly buttered it, then cut it up into smaller pieces before pouring on some maple syrup - real, high quality maple syrup, because according to Gabriel if you were going to have pancakes you might as well do it right.

He was tempted to suggest that Dean stop eating in favor of having a nap, but he knew better. His little hunter would only become that much more determined to finish his meal, even if it meant falling asleep in a puddle of syrup. He hid a fond smile behind his glass of orange juice, catching Gabriel's amused glance. He didn't need to feel the brush of grace to know that Gabriel was thinking the same thing.

Even though it wasn't necessary for them to eat, he and Gabriel had joined Dean at the table. Castiel had to admit that the pancakes were delicious. Gabriel truly had a talent in the kitchen. Even the chocolate pancakes were good, though Castiel preferred the plain ones. Dean, it seemed, liked both equally, while Gabriel was all about the chocolate. Between the three of them, the mountain was quickly disappearing.

Dean picked up his fork and lifted a piece of pancake to his mouth. He chewed slowly, lowering his hand, eyes half-lidded. They slipped shut but almost immediately blinked open as he swallowed, and Dean reached determinedly for another piece. The same process was repeated, only this time Dean's eyes remained shut for a fraction of a second longer and it was obvious that he had to force them back open.

Predictably, he only got about halfway through the pancake before he dropped the fork and his head sank forward. Gabriel snagged the fork before it hit the ground and woke him up, while Castiel's quick instincts got the plate out of the way before Dean's head hit the table. Castiel ran an affectionate hand through his hair, not surprised to feel that Dean's skin was a little warm. It wasn't an illness, merely exhaustion that came from the trauma of the past few days.

"Kid takes after you," Gabriel said, setting Dean's fork down on his own plate. "Doesn't know when to stop and take a break."

"Then it's fortunate he can't just push his body's demands aside anymore," Castiel replied, refusing to rise to the bait. They were all feeling better now that Dean was back to himself, and Gabriel was in a teasing mood. "He responded surprisingly well earlier."

That was an understatement. He was still a little shocked that Dean hadn't pushed Gabriel away or truly protested the tickling. Instead, Dean had giggled and enjoyed it, reacting exactly the way Gabriel wanted him to. His soul had flared under the attention, reveling in a way that Castiel had not been expecting. He'd known, of course, that Dean was starved for affection. But he hadn't thought that Dean was at the point where he would allow himself to be indulged.

There had been some residual embarrassment after the fact, particularly over Dean wetting himself, but that was nothing compared to how Dean would have reacted if this had happened back when he first came to the nest. Not to mention that Dean had actually called him 'Daddy' and meant it. That in itself was a major accomplishment. Much as Castiel loathed the demons for intruding on their nest, he couldn't deny that it might have been a blessing in disguise.

"Yeah, he did," Gabriel said, breaking the contemplative silence that had settled over them. "Humans are so sensitive." There was a familiar gleam in his eyes.

"Don't go overboard with it, Gabriel," Castiel said, using his grace to clean the table. He sent the leftovers to the refrigerator, knowing that Dean would probably be hungry for more later, and stood to pick up his little boy, grimacing slightly as the wound in his stomach ached. Dean stirred when he was scooped up, green eyes blinking in confusion.

"Daddy?" he mumbled.

Castiel's heart melted. There was no other way to describe the gooey warmth in his chest. "Go back to sleep, sweetheart," he said softly.

"M'not tired," Dean protested, even though he was clearly fighting to keep his eyes open. "Wanna stay up with you."

"I'm not doing anything of import, and yes, you are tired."

Dean pouted. "M'not," he whined, squirming to get down.

Instead of letting him, Castiel held him tighter and walked into the living room. He wasn't surprised that Dean wanted to be close to him. Truth be told, he felt the same way. The attack had been traumatizing for them both, and just being able to hold an aware Dean in his arms was making a huge difference. He sat down on the couch, shifting them around until Dean was comfortable, sitting sideways on his lap and leaning against his shoulder, but not against his wound.

"There. Now you know I won't be doing anything," he said calmly. "You can stay awake if you want."

"I will," Dean said stubbornly.

Predictably, less than two minutes later, Dean was snoring quietly. Gabriel snorted when he walked into the room and saw that, rolling his eyes with a fond smile. "I have to get back home," he announced, clearly reluctant. "Unless you two need anything else. I want to see if they've found anything more on those demons."

"I think we're fine for now," Castiel said. His brother had been such a help during the past few days that he was reluctant to see Gabriel leave, but he knew that Gabriel was needed in heaven. He probably shouldn't have stayed as long as he had.

"Fine, then. Call me if anything happens, Cassie, I mean it," Gabriel ordered, pointing a stern finger at him. "I'd hate to find out something else had happened to my favorite little brother and nephew, and by that I mean I'll kick your ass if I find out you should have called me and didn't."

"If anything happens, you'll be the first to know," Castiel promised. Both of them looked towards the door when they felt the change in the wards. But it wasn't an intruder. At the feel of familiar grace, Castiel turned back to his brother. "Did you call Balthazar?"

"Who, me?" Gabriel said, all wide-eyed innocence.

"Gabriel..."

Gabriel held his hands up. "Hey, you're the one who wanted to introduce him to the baby."

"Gabriel, I am perfectly fine looking after Dean on my own!"

"Of that, I have no doubt. Believe me, if you weren't, Balthazar is not the one I'd have asked for. But until I find out who sent those demons after you, it doesn't hurt to have back-up, and he's the only other one who has already technically met Dean," Gabriel replied. "It's just until I go home and get a report, okay? If there's no need for him to be here, I'll let you know. If there is, I'll come back and replace him."

"So nice to know I'm wanted," Balthazar said as he walked in without knocking.

"Of course you're wanted," Castiel said, shooting a glare at Gabriel. It was Dean that he was worried about. Despite the fact that Balthazar and Dean had "technically" met, Dean wouldn't remember that and his little boy didn't have the best track record when it came to relationships with angels. The only other angel Dean had actually liked was Anael, and that had gone sideways after a dose of brainwashing. And considering Balthazar's somewhat abrasive personality, he wasn't sure this was going to go well at all.

"Then everyone's wanted and we're all good, so I'm gonna go," Gabriel said brightly. He was gone before Castiel could say anything, making a quick escape back to heaven. It didn't stop Castiel from reaching out with his still healing grace and giving Gabriel a very pointed poke. The only reaction he got back was a strong feeling of amusement.

Balthazar eyed Dean. "Is it sleeping?"

"It?" Castiel echoed, raising an eyebrow. "He's a baby, Balthazar, not an 'it'."

"Gabriel called him a hatchling," Balthazar said.

It wasn't a term that Castiel had thought to apply before, but it definitely fit. Dean was so much younger than the other nestlings, but he slotted in nicely with the other hatchlings that Castiel had seen. He nodded. "That would be the correct term, yes. It will be some time before he is ready to grow up."

"I just don't understand why you'd want to do this, Cassie. I mean, I know you're attached to the human... but this is a level that I didn't think even you would go to."

"I love Dean," Castiel said firmly.

"Yes, yes." Balthazar scrunched his nose up a bit. "But it's so much... effort. You and Gabriel stopped the Apocalypse. Surely you deserve a break."

Castiel sighed. "If Dean was still suffering as much as he was, I wouldn't be able to enjoy a break." He winced, remembering how broken down and defeated Dean had been in that hotel room. He couldn't be sure that Dean would even still be alive if Castiel hadn't stepped in. Dean would never kill himself, but the hunter had been taking on more and more dangerous hunts by himself even though he'd been in no state to be driving, never mind hunting. Even now, Dean was still far from at full strength.

"Maybe you're just not doing it right," Balthazar suggested. "All this time you've spent with the Winchesters, you've never really experienced the Earth. It has more to offer than you realize."

"I appreciate the offer, Balthazar, but I am where I want to be." It was hard for Castiel to find the words to explain. Love and affection were foreign words to most of his brothers and sisters, as way loyalty to anyone other than their Father. "Dean is... caring for him makes me happy. Figuring out how to make him happy is a different kind of challenge, but one I've embraced."

Balthazar stared at him with an indecipherable expression on his face. "And when he becomes an angel?"

"I hope that Dean will stay by my side," Castiel admitted. He didn't know if that would be the case. Plenty of nestlings left to explore heaven on their own, and he would have to accept that if that's what Dean wanted. He met Balthazar's gaze, understanding what wasn't being said. Balthazar was offering a way out, a chance for them both to shirk their duties. But Castiel wasn't interested. Regardless of whether or not Balthazar chose to return to heaven to help Gabriel, Castiel knew where he wanted to be. He added, "If not, he will still be my friend and I will still care for him."

"It all sounds needlessly complicated," Balthazar said flatly after a moment. "You won't catch me taking a nestling."

"No one said you had to," Castiel said. Honestly, he had a hard time imagining Balthazar with a nestling. His brother just didn't have that kind of patience. "I heard that you helped to protect Dean, though. And you brought him his toy to comfort him. Thank you."

"It was nothing."

"Not to me," Castiel said, reaching out with his grace. Balthazar was surprised, but eagerly accepted the touch, though Castiel was still wary about letting their grace meld when he was nursing Dean. For a few seconds, though, he allowed himself to enjoy the feel of his brother's grace when he wasn't anxious about rushing home to Dean, when his little boy was a comforting weight in his arms.

He must have shifted, or perhaps tightened his grip, because Dean's eyes opened a fraction. Just enough for him to see Balthazar and realize that he wasn't Gabriel. Castiel felt it the second that Dean started to become alarmed. He tensed all over, as though he was going to sit up, and Castiel quickly reassured him.

"This is my brother Balthazar, Dean. It's okay."

Dean kept staring. "I remember you," he said finally. "You were there when Daddy got hurt."

"That's right," Balthazar said.

"You killed a demon."

Balthazar inclined his head. "I did."

"And you stayed with me..." Dean trailed off.

"Yes. And when you wouldn't stop crying, I found a pacifier that kept you quiet."

The look on Dean's face was priceless. Castiel was hard-pressed to decide what was upsetting him more: the mention of his breakdown, or the idea of the pacifier.

"I didn't - that's not - you - I don't suck on pacifiers!" Dean sputtered, his face taking on a rosy hue.

"You took it to it rather quickly for someone who doesn't suck on them," Balthazar replied with a smirk.

"No I didn't!"

"Yes, you did."

"No I didn't!"

Castiel groaned. It was going to be a long day.