"Dean Winchester. I should have known. Who else would summon me while I'm enjoying a sunset, a glass of champagne, and a sultry brunette?"
Dean turned to face the angel he'd just spent the last hour and a half summoning, in no mood for an attitude. "There's a war going on for control of Heaven and you're worrying about getting laid" Didn't Lucifer get the boot for that?"
The angel shrugged nonchalantly. "Lucifer got the boot because he defied God, but as you well know, God is....What's your term for it' AWOL" MIA" It's every angel for himself. Or herself, as the case may be. Free will and all that."
"I thought you were part of Team Cas," Dean pointed out, referring to the angel who had pulled him out of Hell and saved their asses on more than one occasion.
"Given the choice between Castiel and Raphael, I find Cas a more....benign leader," the angel replied.
"Benign. I'm sure Cas would love to hear that."
"Yes, well....He's rather tied up at the moment, so I don't think he'll be eavesdropping on our conversation."
"Tied up with what?" Dean asked, not liking the sound of that.
Balthazar waved his right hand in a circular motion. "Plans, problems. It takes a lot of time and energy to lead a rebellion, you know."
"Maybe you should do more to help him."
"What do you think I'm doing here" Do you think I come running at your beck and call because I want to' Because you called" You may be important to Castiel, for whatever reason, but you're not important to me. And since you and your brother are out of harm's way for a little while, I don't have to spend every moment watching over your pathetic little selves."
Dean arched a brow, a little surprised at the angel's reply. "If your job is to watch over us, you've been doing a pretty piss poor job of it lately."
The angel sighed impatiently. "Let me explain something to you, Dean, since you seem unable to grasp this on your own....Did it ever occur to you that perhaps you aren't here just to play hide and seek with Raphael" That there is more going on than meets the eye?"
Dean glared at the angel suspiciously. "Like what?"
"I am not at liberty to say, but I will tell you that Castiel chose this place for a reason."
"What reason?"
"What did I just tell you? It's a secret, but you're a smart monkey....I'm sure you'll figure it out sooner or later. And don't bother asking if I can take you home because I can't."
"Can't or won't?" Dean asked, accusingly.
"Trust me, Dean....You and your little brother are much safer here. Consider it a vacation."
"I don't have time for a vacation."
"On the contrary, while you're here, you have all the time in the world."
"What do you mean?"
"You haven't noticed, have you?" The angel sighed again. "No, I suppose you wouldn't."
"Noticed what?"
"Time is at a standstill, at least as far as you're concerned. You aren't aging, Dean. You came here as a boy, and you stopped aging when you reached your proper age. You won't start aging again until you return home, and it will seem like no time has passed there. You could spend twenty years here and still return home the same age as you were when you left. On the very same day, the same hour, the same minute."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You were touched by an angel, Dean. Your brother, too." The angel grinned, as if it was a good thing, but Dean wasn't so sure.
"Are you saying we're immortal?"
"I'm saying that as long as you stay on Rhydin, you won't age and no time will pass back on that rock you call Earth. But that doesn't mean you're immortal, not in the true sense of the word. As you may have noticed, you still bleed. You can still be killed, so you have to take care."
"How comforting," Dean muttered, sarcastically.
"It is, isn't it' So, just kick back, have a brew, and enjoy the scenery. I hear the women are particularly desirable on Rhydin. You should enjoy that. All that variety to chose from. It's a playboy's dream."
"I'm not a playboy," Dean denied, narrowing his eyes.
"Don't be silly. Of course, you are. How many women have you slept with since you got here?"
"That's none of your damned business," Dean snapped.
"That's what I thought," the angel replied. "I rest my case. Now, if you don't mind, I have a glass of champagne to finish and a brunette name Mimi who requires my attention."
"Wait!" Dean exclaimed, not even half his questions answered yet, but it was too late. The angel was gone. "Son of a bitch," he grumbled to himself. Obviously, Balthazar wasn't going to be any help. It was back to Square One.
Dean turned to face the angel he'd just spent the last hour and a half summoning, in no mood for an attitude. "There's a war going on for control of Heaven and you're worrying about getting laid" Didn't Lucifer get the boot for that?"
The angel shrugged nonchalantly. "Lucifer got the boot because he defied God, but as you well know, God is....What's your term for it' AWOL" MIA" It's every angel for himself. Or herself, as the case may be. Free will and all that."
"I thought you were part of Team Cas," Dean pointed out, referring to the angel who had pulled him out of Hell and saved their asses on more than one occasion.
"Given the choice between Castiel and Raphael, I find Cas a more....benign leader," the angel replied.
"Benign. I'm sure Cas would love to hear that."
"Yes, well....He's rather tied up at the moment, so I don't think he'll be eavesdropping on our conversation."
"Tied up with what?" Dean asked, not liking the sound of that.
Balthazar waved his right hand in a circular motion. "Plans, problems. It takes a lot of time and energy to lead a rebellion, you know."
"Maybe you should do more to help him."
"What do you think I'm doing here" Do you think I come running at your beck and call because I want to' Because you called" You may be important to Castiel, for whatever reason, but you're not important to me. And since you and your brother are out of harm's way for a little while, I don't have to spend every moment watching over your pathetic little selves."
Dean arched a brow, a little surprised at the angel's reply. "If your job is to watch over us, you've been doing a pretty piss poor job of it lately."
The angel sighed impatiently. "Let me explain something to you, Dean, since you seem unable to grasp this on your own....Did it ever occur to you that perhaps you aren't here just to play hide and seek with Raphael" That there is more going on than meets the eye?"
Dean glared at the angel suspiciously. "Like what?"
"I am not at liberty to say, but I will tell you that Castiel chose this place for a reason."
"What reason?"
"What did I just tell you? It's a secret, but you're a smart monkey....I'm sure you'll figure it out sooner or later. And don't bother asking if I can take you home because I can't."
"Can't or won't?" Dean asked, accusingly.
"Trust me, Dean....You and your little brother are much safer here. Consider it a vacation."
"I don't have time for a vacation."
"On the contrary, while you're here, you have all the time in the world."
"What do you mean?"
"You haven't noticed, have you?" The angel sighed again. "No, I suppose you wouldn't."
"Noticed what?"
"Time is at a standstill, at least as far as you're concerned. You aren't aging, Dean. You came here as a boy, and you stopped aging when you reached your proper age. You won't start aging again until you return home, and it will seem like no time has passed there. You could spend twenty years here and still return home the same age as you were when you left. On the very same day, the same hour, the same minute."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You were touched by an angel, Dean. Your brother, too." The angel grinned, as if it was a good thing, but Dean wasn't so sure.
"Are you saying we're immortal?"
"I'm saying that as long as you stay on Rhydin, you won't age and no time will pass back on that rock you call Earth. But that doesn't mean you're immortal, not in the true sense of the word. As you may have noticed, you still bleed. You can still be killed, so you have to take care."
"How comforting," Dean muttered, sarcastically.
"It is, isn't it' So, just kick back, have a brew, and enjoy the scenery. I hear the women are particularly desirable on Rhydin. You should enjoy that. All that variety to chose from. It's a playboy's dream."
"I'm not a playboy," Dean denied, narrowing his eyes.
"Don't be silly. Of course, you are. How many women have you slept with since you got here?"
"That's none of your damned business," Dean snapped.
"That's what I thought," the angel replied. "I rest my case. Now, if you don't mind, I have a glass of champagne to finish and a brunette name Mimi who requires my attention."
"Wait!" Dean exclaimed, not even half his questions answered yet, but it was too late. The angel was gone. "Son of a bitch," he grumbled to himself. Obviously, Balthazar wasn't going to be any help. It was back to Square One.