This is a Christmas fic I'm working on. Updates will be added directly to this post so please check back.
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Dean sat on the hood of the Impala nursing the last of his beer. His booted feet resting on the front bumper as he unconsciously rubbed his hand over the left headlight. He glanced at the hotel room door and sighed. He really should get some sleep but he couldn’t close his eyes; not just yet. After he spilled his guts to Sam about Hell, he hadn’t been sleeping much. The dreams were getting worse and he just didn’t want to relive that every night. Draining the last of his beer, he tossed the bottle into the dumpster along with the other five he’d consumed. Hearing the crash of broken glass, he huffed quietly and hung his head.
“Nice shot.”
Dean jumped off the Impala, his hand going to the grip of his 9mm as he whirled around and came face to face with Castiel. Exhaling loudly, he licked his lips and shook his head. “I’m going to buy you a bell. It’s not polite to sneak up on people like that.” He returned to his place on the hood of his car and stared at the ground again. “What do you want Cas.” It was more a statement then a question. He wasn’t in the mood for much of anything.
“You told him….about your time in Hell.” Castiel sat on the hood next to Dean but at a respectful distance. He interlaced his fingers and rested his elbows on his knees. Glancing to his left, he could see the pain on Dean’s face, the way his shoulders sagged and the unshed tears that threatened to betray him.
Running a hand over his face and taking a deep breath, Dean nodded. “Yeah I told him. I just couldn’t keep it in anymore ya know? Not after Alastair….” He let his voice trail off as he again stared at the ground. Turning his head to the right, he raised his eyebrows and licked his bottom lip, slowly running his top teeth over it. “What do you want Cas? You and Uriel have been scarce the past few weeks and here you are all of a sudden.”
Blue eyes met green in a mini staring contest that neither was willing to be the first to look away. “It’s almost Christmas.”
Dean laughed and slowly slid off the Impala and began to pace in front of it. “You’re kidding me right. You came here to tell me something I already knew.” Running a hand thru his spiky hair, he turned and stood in front of Castiel. “What. Do. You. Want.” Each word was spoken slowly and carefully but the anger was rising with each one.
Castiel simply looked at Dean, his head tilted slightly to the side. After a few minutes, he stood up and walked over to Dean. Standing as close as he could get without touching him, he smirked at the unease that crept over his face and into his eyes. “Merry Christmas, Dean.”
Before Dean could react or say anything, Castiel brought up his hand and touched Dean on the forehead with two fingers. Catching the sleeping hunter easily, the angel carried him to the Impala and settled him behind the steering wheel as if he weighed no more than a babe. Closing the car door as quietly as he could, Castiel looked down at Dean and sighed. “Maybe this will help you.” Turning to the hotel room door, Castiel blinked and he was standing next to the sleeping form of Sam Winchester. The young hunter was sleeping soundly but maybe not peacefully. His eyes darted back and forth behind closed lids and his forehead furrowed as jaw muscles twitched under the skin as if alive.
Fingers hovered just over Sam’s forehead as if the angel was afraid to touch the boy with the demon blood. In truth maybe he still was…..just a little. Slowly, he lowered his hand and touched his forehead. The hunter relaxed immediately under the angels touch as a sigh left his lips. “Maybe this will help both of you.” With a slight breeze and the distant sound of fluttering wings, Castiel was gone.
[align=center]Chapter Two[/align]
The sunlight was annoying and the man tried desperately to roll away from it but he was stopped by another body. Freezing where he was, Dean slowly opened his eyes and glanced around. He was not in the hotel. Shit. Slowly, he turned his head and came face to face with a very large and very hairy Saint Bernard. “Nice Cujo. Good doggy” He cajoled as he slid his hand under the pillow to grab his Bowie but found nothing; his Bowie was gone. [I] Damn it [/I] he thought. No sooner had his hand re-emerged then the dog was on him. Dinner plate sized paws held him down as the dog gave him the tongue lashing of his life. Dean was sure he was going to drown.
“SAM!” He yelled while trying to not get French kissed by the brute. “SAM!” He yelled louder this time as the dog did its best to crawl on top of him. From behind the dog, Dean heard the bedroom door crash against the wall.
“No Scooby! No! You know you’re not allowed in here when Dad is sleeping.” The voice belonged to a young boy. Dean felt the mattress give as he climbed on the bed and pulled the beast off him. “Sorry Dad.” With one last slobber, the dog jumped down and followed the boy out of the room. “I’ll tell Mom you’re up.” The door slammed shut before he could even move.
[B] DAD [/B]. Dean grabbed the blanket and wiped his face and neck free of the dog slobber. Gross. [B] MOM[/B] He sat bolt upright as his heart began to pound so hard he thought it would break free of his ribs. What the hell was going on? Dean reached to his left for his cell phone but stopped as it hovered in mid air. There was a ring on his left hand; on his ring finger. His breathing increased as he slowly brought his hand closer to inspect the ring. His heart hitched as recognition kicked in. It was his father’s wedding ring.
The ringing of his cell phone had him on his feet before he even realized it. The blanket pooled at his bare feet as he stared at the phone as if it had come to life. Muse’s Super Massive Black Hole sounded again before he grabbed the phone and checked the caller id, it was Sam. Flipping open the phone, Dean sighed in relief. “Dude! What the hell is going on?” The same phrase echoed in his ear.
“Where are you? I woke up and I’m not in the hotel and you weren’t here.” Sam was sounding a bit panicked.
Dean sat down heavily on the bed and sighed. “I have no idea where I am. Someone’s house evidently, mine I think. Apparently, I have a dog named Scooby.” He smirked and chuckled. “Wonder if my wife is Daphne.”
“WIFE?!” Sam yelled in his ear. “Dude what the hell?!”
“Calm down Sam will ya?” Dean began before he was interrupted by Sam.
“Uhh Dean, I have one of those too….and more.” Dean heard his voice break with emotion.
Taking a deep breath, Dean stood up and began to pace the room. “Alright Sam listen up. You do some lookin’ around on your end and I’ll do the same here. Keep your phone with you and we’ll meet up in a little while, ok?” There was silence on the other end and it was beginning to unnerve him. “Sam….SAM!” He called louder into the phone.
“Yeah man….I’m here. Meet up later…got it.” Dean could hear the softness in his voice and before he could ask him what was going on, Sam had hung up. “Great. Just freaking wonderful.” He tossed the phone on the bed and ran his hands thru his hair and scrubbed at his face. The door opened behind him and he whirled around to face whomever or whatever had entered.
The woman walked in and shut the door behind her. She smiled at him and he felt his heart clench in his chest. As she walked closer, her eyes glanced down then back up to his face. “Why Dean Winchester are you happy to see me or are you happy to see me.” She stopped just a few feet in front of him and crossed her arms over her chest grinning.
Dean glanced down and saw that he was stark naked and apparently very happy to see her. Rightfully so he had to admit. She had long black hair that fell to the middle of her back. Her eyes were hazel and they sparkled when she smiled. Oh that smile. The sun that shone thru the window was nothing compared to the light that came from that smile. She was just tall enough that she’d have to get on tip toes to kiss him.
“Dean? Honey? Are you ok?” Her voice pulled him from his thoughts and he shook his head quickly. She had a hand on his left shoulder and he pulled away quickly and looked down at it. The hand print, Cas’s hand print was gone. What the hell was going on? Where was he…better yet….[B] WHEN [/B] was he?
Rubbing his shoulder, he smiled at her and nodded. “Yeah…I’m great. Drowning in my….in bed isn’t the best way to start the day.” He bent down to pick up a robe from the end of the bed and put it on. There went that mood.
She looked at him for a minute then nodded, clearly not convinced. “You know that dog won’t let you sleep in. He knows how to open the bedroom door. Anything short of locking him outside is the only thing that keeps him outta here. You know that. Besides, the kids would have a fit if you did that.” Closing the distance between them, she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. “Morning hot stuff.” She whispered against his cheek.
His eyes closed as he inhaled the scent of her hair; cucumber/melon, it was her favorite. Pulling back quickly, he frowned. How did he know that? He backed up a few steps and swallowed. “I need a shower and get dressed.” He looked around and found the bathroom door. Walking away quickly he closed the door behind him and leaned against it. “What have you done Cas?”
“You better hurry up in there! Sam and Mindy are gonna be here soon.” He heard his….wife call from the other side of the door. [B] Mindy [/B]? Dean turned the shower on and let the robe fall to the floor as she continued to talk. He could hear drawers opening and closing and in the distance Scooby barked. He looked at his watch; 8:30am, and laughed. Mail is right on time. He stopped soaping his body shook his head. This was getting weirder and weirder. A few minutes later, he was out of the shower and had a towel wrapped around his waist as he reentered the bedroom. His usual attire of jeans, t-shirt and over shirt were laid out on the bed.
He was still very skeptical. His reflection in the bathroom mirror hadn’t changed much. A few more wrinkles but he was still the same. He felt the same anyway. He got dressed and began to look around for his boots. They weren’t under the bed or in the large walk-in closet. Scratching his head, he looked at the bedroom door and sighed. He needed his boots and he had to leave the bedroom at some point, might as well be now. Taking a deep breath, Dean walked to the door and his hand hovered over the knob. Counting to three in his head, he turned the knob and stepped into the hallway.
[align=center]Chapter 3[/align]
Stopping dead in his tracks, Dean gawked. He was in his old house in Lawrence. The door across from where he stood was ajar and he quickly pushed it open looking to the ceiling. There was nothing there, just paint. He looked around the room and smiled to himself. It belonged to a young boy; his son from the looks of it. There were model cars on the shelves, a baseball and glove resting against the closet door and on the wall were a picture of Dean and the boy smiling proudly. Walking closer he read the caption. “Father and son little league”. Next to it was another picture that brought tears to his eyes and made his heart tighten in his chest. Encased in a wooden frame was a picture of the Winchester men; all of them, Dean, his son, Sam and John. All of them smiling and looking very happy. The boy in the picture was younger, maybe five or six.
“I miss ya Dad.” He whispered as his fingers ghosted over the photo.
“Hey Dad. Uncle Sam and Aunt Mindy are here.” The boy walked over and stopped next to him. “You ok Dad?”
Dean nodded and ran a hand over his face. “I’m fine dude.” He replaced the photo on the wall and turned to his son. The boy was the spitting image of himself at that age. Same hair, eyes, and build. The corner of his mouth quirked in a smile and his hand reached out and messed up the boy’s hair. “Let’s go see your uncle huh?”
The boy gave him a strange look then nodded as if he wasn’t sure but then he shrugged and led the way. Dean paused at the door and looked back at the picture again. No djinn had done this this time. Glancing toward the ceiling he whispered. “Cas! Get your angelic ass down here!”
“DEAN!” Hurrying down the hall, he flew down the stairs and again hit the brakes. There was his brother holding a baby and from all the pink and frills it was a girl. He looked up at Sam and they locked eyes. Tears were brimming his brothers’ eyes and he’d never seen him so….happy in all his life. “Hey bro. This is my daughter, Mary.”
Dean’s eyebrows rose in unison. Slowly, he crept closer and peeked at the sleeping infant. A smile slowly crossed his lips as he nudged Sam in the ribs. “Way to go Sasquatch.” Putting an arm around Sam’s shoulders he leaned in and whispered. “We need to talk bro and soon.”
Sam nodded and was about to say something when his wife walked in smiling. “Here let me take her so you two can talk.” After taking the baby from Sam, Mindy turned to Dean and smiled. “You want to hold her Dean?”
Backing up a couple steps, Dean held his hands out in defense. “No way…I’ll break her or something. She’s too little.”
Mindy laughed and turned toward the kitchen. “You said the same thing when Sammy was born and you didn’t break him now did you?”
“That’s different!” Dean called after her. “He’s a boy and he was bigger than Mary at that age.” He stopped short and shook his head. Looking up at Sam he growled out “How the hell did I know that?”
Sam shook his head and scratched the back of his neck. “Man I don’t know but I knew where everything was at my house. I even knew how to make a bottle and change her.”
Dean leaned in and whispered. “Christo!”
Sam huffed and gave him a shove. “Be serious!”
“I am! I’ve got a kid named Sam, a hot wife and a dog named Scooby.” Moving to the window he slid the curtains back and pointed in relief. “No picket fence, thankfully.” He saw the sheepish look on his brothers face and he huffed. “Let me guess. You’ve got a white picket fence.”
Sam nodded and shrugged, smiling that goofy grin of his that irritated Dean to no end. Turning to the kitchen Dean yelled. “ARIE! Where are my boots!”
“Arie?” Sam asked from behind him.
Dean turned and glared, pointing a finger at him. “Don’t. Just…don’t.” The kitchen door swung open and Arie walked in holding Dean’s boots out in front of her.
“They were in the garage where you left them. I swear you’d lose your head if it wasn’t attached.” She dropped the boots at his feet, leaned up and kissed his cheek. “You boys going out?” She asked.
Dean nodded as he picked up his boots and walked to the couch to put them on. “Yeah…Sam and I are gonna get some ice.”
“Ice. Dean if you want to go down to the garage and tinker with the Impala just say so. The getting ice trick is so old.” As she turned to walk away but, paused and looked back. Her face suddenly filled with grief. “I know it’s hard for you two. This being the first Christmas since the accident but we’re gonna get thru it.” She smiled and left the room.
Dean looked at his brother mouthing the word [I]accident[/I]. Sam shrugged his shoulders as he fished a set of keys out of his pocket. “I’ll drive.”
Standing up, Dean retrieved his jacket and was halfway out the door when his son ran into the room. “Can I go to the garage with you? Please Dad? I want to help with the Impala.”
Dean gave his brother a look and Sam shrugged and tilted his head to the side. “I’ll wait in the car.” Nodding, Dean knelt down in front of the boy and brushed the bangs out of his eyes.
“Listen dude, your uncle Sam and I need to talk. You know adult stuff. You can come with next time, ok?” He had no clue about ‘the next time’ but, he didn’t need the boy hearing what they were going to discuss.
The boy sighed and nodded. “Ok.” Without warning, he flung his arms around Dean’s neck. “I miss Grandpa and Grandma.”
Dean was at a loss for words? [I]Accident?[/I] The boy [I] missed [/I] them? Dean put two and two together and his heart broke. His parents were dead. Slowly, he drew the boy closer in his arms and returned the hug. “I miss them too.”
Dean stood up and messed the boy’s hair again. “You need a haircut.” He smiled as his son….HIS son rolled his eyes and huffed. “We won’t be gone long ok? Keep Scooby out of the kitchen and don’t let him eat your niece.”
The boy laughed and wiped the tears from his cheeks. “You got it.” Without another word, he turned and ran back to the kitchen.
Wiping away his own tears, Dean turned and left the house. He found Sam sitting behind the wheel of an S10 Blazer complete with car seat in the back. Laughing, Dean opened the passenger door and slide in. Sam just shook his head and chuckled. “How every responsible of you Sam.”
“Shut up man. So…the garage. You thinkin’ its Dad’s garage?” Sam asked as he backed the Blazer out of the driveway and headed down the street.
“Yeah I’m pretty sure. What other garage is there in the Winchester family?” The pair sat in silence for a few minutes, each knowing what the other was thinking without having to ask. They were home living the lives they would of lived had their Mom not been killed all those years ago. Why though. Why were they here?
After driving for a while, Dean felt the Blazer come to a stop and he looked up. His breath caught in his chest. The sign over the large oversized garage doors read. [B]WINCHESTER & SON GARAGE [/B]. Without looking at his brother, Dean climbed out of the car and walked to the front door, his hand digging into this pocket for his keys and finding the right one. Stepping inside, the smell of car oil and grease assaulted him and he grinned at the memories.
“So where’s the Impala?” Sam asked as he walked out of the office.
Dean hooked a thumb towards the bays. “Must be in there.” The brothers walked into the garage area and froze in their tracks. The Impala looked like it did after the semi hit it; a crushed tin can. They walked around the car in silence, glancing at each other every once in a while. They came together near the hood and stopped and stared into the missing windshield, neither one saying a word. They just stood and stared in silence. The dinging of the gas pump bell made both men jump and reach for nonexistent weapons. They turned to look toward the door and saw Castiel leaning against the wall.
“What?!” He asked walking toward the pair. “ I rang the bell.”
