Dean sat down and started organizing his notes, hoping to get the paperwork on their latest case squared away. It had been a grueling one, but finally they had been successful and gotten their perp. Though not without a little help from Bobby's FBI friend, Rufus. Dean wasn't sure how those two grumpy old men forged a friendship, but would have to admit that Rufus was better than his FBI colleague Hendrickson, who had once tried to put Dean away as a serial killer.
But now the case was over and Dean was looking forward to his weekend, and he suspected his teammates were looking forward to some downtime as well. Though they probably had different ideas of what a fun time would be. Dean, well Dean would be heading out to his favorite bar to have a few beers and seek out some female company. Bobby would probably take out a bottle of the good stuff and putter around on one of the many junkers he had parked around his house. Whereas Sam, the big girl, would probably spend his weekend online as an Elf lord. That, or writing about the team under his pseudonym, Chuck Shirley. Dean snorted, he still couldn't picture people paying good money to read that crap about them. And Cas, well, Dean hadn't the foggiest idea what Cas considered 'fun', if Cas even understood the concept.
Dean didn't think that in the whole time Cas had been on their team that Dean had ever seen him so much as crack a smile. Cas was definitely a strange one (total weirdo). Yet in all Dean's years in law enforcement, Cas was the first person outside his family Dean had considered a true partner, even if they had gotten off to a rocky start. Castiel came to them as a soldier from a secret army of another nation. An army respected and feared throughout the world despite its 'unofficial' status. And more, Cas was the son of the head of that army, a legendary figure cloaked in mystery. Cas hadn't joined their team under the best of circumstances. He came to help them capture his older brother, Lucifer, a dangerous terrorist set free from prison with the inadvertent help of Dean's team. It was this, and the knowledge of the damage Lucifer could be responsible for once he had reestablished himself in the outside world, that had forced the team to accept Castiel's presence. The initial working relationship had been rocky, particularly between Dean and Cas. Dean disliked Castiel's dour and disapproving attitude and his laser-like focus on the job to the exclusion of all else, including eating and sleeping (let alone any other diversions). And Cas, well Cas didn't seem too fond of Dean's disrespect for authority and general laid-back attitude. And yet, from the very first, Dean had found himself instinctively trusting Cas to have his back and to do what was right. And the trials they had gone through in the pursuit of Lucifer had caused them to develop a respect for each other and a tolerance for each others quirks. Now Dean found the opportunity to educate Cas about American idioms, pop culture, and junk food (pie in particular) to be fun, and looked on Cas' lack of both social skills and respect for personal space with fondness.
Although he wasn't above teasing Cas about what a fish-out-of-water he was from time to time. Just not too much, because despite his unassuming appearance Cas had been a soldier for what seemed like his whole life and was a total BAMF. Dean had taken to calling him a ninja for his habit of appearing seemingly out of nowhere, which was handy in a firefight but a little disconcerting in the office (and no, he had not squealed like a girl the last time). Dean would have to admit, if only to himself, that Cas and he shared a bond and Cas was part of the family now.
The new family Dean had to create after the downward spiral the Winchester's lives had been on since the tragedy of their mother's murder. That murder had led their father John on an obsessive quest to find the person responsible. The unfortunate side effect of that quest had been that he had less and less time to spend with his boys as his need to find the perpetrator took more and more of his time. This had just strengthened the bond between Dean and Sam as they were forced to depend more and more on each other. Eventually, Dean had followed in his father's footsteps and become a cop. Sam had taken a different approach to the family law-enforcement business, going to school to become a lawyer. But the tragic death of his fiancé had led him to take a more active approach to the pursuit of justice. Ultimately Bobby had taken them both under his wing and gathered them on his team.
Bobby Singer was a tough ex-marine with little tolerance for 'idjits' but who was well known and respected in the law enforcement community, someone others went to for help and advice. He had known their father and had even known the boys when they were younger, which had ultimately led to their teaming up. Bobby made an excellent team lead. He was one of the few people aside from his dad who could give Dean an order he would follow without question. Dean would have Bobby's six under any circumstances and was proud of his position as Senior Agent. Dean also had to admit that Sam's knowledge of the law as well as his minor in computer science at college made him an excellent geek-researcher for the team (and his size didn't hurt in a fight). Surprisingly Castiel was an even bigger stickler for the rules sometimes-he even wore a suit to work all the friggin' time (and Dean could swear it was the same suit-didn't the man have any other clothes?). That and the trench coat -what was up with that? It seemed to be Cas' security blanket because he insisted on wearing it in spite of all Dean's comments on its lack of coolness.
But with Cas' sneaky ninja stealth and bad-ass fighting skills there was only so far Dean was willing to push the subject. And stealing the coat as a prank was out-he didn't want to end up with a beat down in an alley for finally pushing Cas past his breaking point. That and Cas responding with an uncomprehending head tilt and a deadpan request for an explanation made pranking Cas no fun. So Sam was the usual target of Dean's pranks, just like when they were kids. Dean kept his prank paraphernalia (super glue, whoopee cushion, itching powder, fake snake) in his lower desk drawer under some copies of Busty Asian Beauties knowing the magazines would form a deterrent and keep them safe. But while Dean liked to think of himself as a master of pranks, he would have to admit to himself that even he would have to bow before the master Trickster that was their lab geek.
The one and only time Dean had engaged in a prank war with Gabriel had not ended well for Dean. He still woke up some nights in a sweat after a nightmare - seeing the smirk on Gabe's face and what he had done to Dean's precious Impala. But Dean guessed mad pranking skills were part and parcel of being an eccentric geek genius. Gabe was often threatening he could kill someone without leaving a trace. In various macabre and humiliating ways. But he also had the ability to pull evidence seemingly from thin air with just a snap of his fingers so everyone kept him appeased and in a good mood with frequent bribes of candy. It was surprising the guy didn't weigh a ton, although maybe the constant sugar high explained his manic attitude. Dean had to admit, although Gabe had a snarky attitude and an atrocious taste in clothes (and porn) the dude knew how to party. Dean had once seen him cajole two beautiful babes into going to bed with him (and how was that possible?). Maybe Gabe would be up for some action this weekend now the case was over. Dean had a feeling he might make a half-decent wing man.