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Aww! A little Bobby/Balthy bromance!

Now, will Sam and Dean succeed? And can Balthazar keep her safe from Crowley and Castiel?

Sit back and find out!

Love always,

Avoline

It had only been a few hours when the duo heard the rumble of a car pull up outside the house. Bobby glanced through the blinds before nodding at the angel. Balthazar leaped to his feet and darted for the door. He turned to the black sedan, heart pounding against his grace.

She was in the back seat, hazel eyes focused on the Winchester boys. Her light brown hair was matted, and in dire need of washing. Her shirt was torn, barely covering her breast, and horrible bruises tattooed her skin. But she was alive. That was all that mattered to him.

"Maria," he called as he jogged to the Impala. She turned her head to him, and he saw the fear and anger disappear to be replaced with relief and joy. She opened the door just as he reached her, falling into him and burying her face in his neck. "Oh, Maria, thank Father, you're okay. I was scared to death that I'd loose you." A few tears escaped his eyes, and he all but crushed her against him. "I'm so sorry, my dear. I promise, it won't happen again. I'll help you get clean, but then we have to run." She pulled back and met his stare.

"What do you mean by run," she questioned.

"Darling, as long as we stay in one place for too long, you're in danger," he informed. "It's my fault; I'll admit that. And running until all this blows over is the only way to keep you safe. I won't loose you." He kissed her forehead before pulling her against him again. "I can't loose you. I need you." Her arms came around his neck, and the sudden change in roles took him by surprise. "I never meant for any of this to happen. I never meant to put you in danger. And if you want nothing to do with me, I'll understand. Oh, Maria, I'm so sorry. I'm such a fool."

"It's okay, Balthazar," she murmured in his ear, her fingers combing through his hair as he wept. "It's okay. We'll get through this. We always do. We've dealt with worse." She gently pushed him back, their eyes meeting again. "We'll figure this out, and soon. The guy in the trench coat won't be happy." He burrowed his face into her hair, taking an unnecessary breath just to inhale her scent. "We'll be okay, Balthazar. Come on. A bath sounds nice right now." He nodded and lead her to the house, keeping his arm around her.

His heart was still heavy with guilt.

"Damn. And you managed to win her over?"

Balthazar smiled before taking a sip of whiskey. Now that the Winchesters knew Maria's story, they had mixed reactions. Sam seemed to pity her, much as Balthazar had, while Dean was angry and hiding it with humor. Despite how far they had come, he still gave her privacy when she bathed. She deserved at least that much, and he was more than happy to give it to her.

"Took some time," he crooned. "She threw quite a few perfectly good lamps at me for a while." He sighed and took a sip of the amber liquid. "Took me by surprise when I poked my head in and wasn't greeted by flying ceramic."

"When did you realize you were in love with her," Sam inquired. The smaller blond sighed again, a content smile settling on his face.

"It was a few months ago," he answered. "Right before I went and cause a little trouble." He shot the younger men a look, silently reminding them that Bobby didn't remember the unsinking of the Titanic. "She was chattering on about something, and I was pretending to listen. She knew I wasn't really interested, but I let her rattle on. There was something about the way her eyes lit up, and the way her smile made her seem so young. And I remember thinking whoever got to call her theirs would be one lucky bloke." He laughed softly and drained the glass in his hand. "That thought was followed quickly by some odd feeling in my chest. And I realized I wanted to be that lucky bloke."

"Balthazar," Dean piped in. "You are the lucky guy." The angel raised an eyebrow at the hunter. "If we hadn't been in a time crunch, I would have taken a picture at how bright her face lit up when we mentioned you. The whole way here, she kept asking if you were okay. She's crazy for you, dammit, and you're too busy being everything you usually aren't to see it!"

"He's right," Sam added. "She was more worried for you than herself. And you saving her proved to her that you care. Yeah, she was a bit pissed that you couldn't do the job yourself, and that she had to trust us even though we were basically strangers to her, but she quickly realized that if things were different, you would have done it yourself." The Brit stared into the empty glass, attempting to process what he was hearing. "Go to her. It'll calm her nerves more to know that you'll be there." Balthazar nodded and rose from his seat.

He chuckled when he saw that she was almost asleep. The bath must be just that relaxing.

"Maria," he called softly. Her eyes cracked open, and a smile crossed her face. "The bath must feel good." She laughed gently as he shut the door.

"It does," she responded, reaching a hand towards him. "Balthy, I don't blame you for what happened. Don't beat yourself up about it." He sat on the floor next to the old tub and laced their fingers together.

"I made a promise to you, Maria," he reminded gently. "I promised you that I would protect you from anyone and anything, no matter what. Castiel and Crowley taking you was because I was too careless. It won't happen again. I'll work harder to keep you safe." He gently kissed the back of her hand. "You mean too much to me, my dear." Her gaze filled with love, and he felt his heart do the same.

"And you mean the world to me," she responded softly.