Putting the Thanks in Thanksgiving

"This has got to be one of the stupidest ideas you came up with yet."

"That's what you said about Halloween and you were a…"

"Don't say it Sam."

"What are you two idjits arguing over this time?"

Dean stopped his ranting long enough to look at Bobby as rolled up in his chair. He said, "Samantha here decided that the best way to cheer Angie up was to actually go Suzie homemaker. As if he could boil water."

"Better than you can," Sam retorted, "And stop calling me that or I won't hesitate to use the nickname she gave you."

Dean gave a terrified look at his brother, "You wouldn't."

Sam grinned as if he had gotten one up on Dean in one of their prank wars. "Yes I would."

Bobby watched as the two brothers argued back and forth being reminded of the time that they had been had by the Trickster. Not that he could blame them this time considering what happened though it was hardest on Angela since she bore the brunt of it. The last two weeks had Bobby ready to come after the boys with a stick to chase them off when he heard her yelling at them to stop asking the same dumb questions. Sam was better at leaving her alone than Dean but the tensions were still high. Now they were arguing over something and from what Bobby could tell, it was over cooking. He decided to nip this in the bud and give some semblance of order. "You two stop bitchin' before I shoot you with rock salt. Now what was it you were thinking of doing?"

"Just doing something nice for Angie," Sam explained.

"Don't ya think she's had enough of that Sam?"

Sam pointed at the wall calendar that looked like it had once hung up in the garage. Bobby looked at it and saw the date and he looked at both of them and asked, "You're kidding me right?"

"I told Sam it was stupid," Dean chimed in.

"It's not stupid Dean. She does it all the time and when was the last time any of us repaid her?" Sam looked at his brother with a raised brow encouraging Dean to really think about it.

"I would say the empty plates say enough."

Sam rolled his eyes while Dean gave a smirk. "Dude seriously you need to see past the obvious. I don't think you learned anything from when the witch did that spell…"

"Hey I get it Sam but you and both know that the only thing you and I can make halfway decent is coffee and that is if she let's us near the pot," Dean shoved a finger in his brother's chest for good measure. He caught a glimpse of the puppy dog eyes starting to form and quickly turned away to look at Bobby and ask, "Bobby, aren't you going to say anything?"

"Don't matter to me. Just as long as it takes both your minds off of pestering her with pain pills and pointless questions. I've had enough chasing you away."

Dean knew he was being outmaneuvered on this one. In front of him was apathy and at his back was the hook, line and sinker. He didn't have to look to know that Sam was using his best weapon. He folded like a bad hand, "Fine but if she attempts to beat your ass Sasquatch, I'm sitting back an watching."

"Fair enough."

Bobby rolled away muttering, "Idjits."

"Couldn't we have just picked up a bucket of extra crispy at KFC?"

"That's not the point Dean." Sam didn't look up from the book he was looking at trying to decipher the flowing script.

"Right because we could get that any time and this is different. Well tell me something Sam, how is this different? I have no idea what the hell I am making and the ingredients look like they are something out of a hex bag. This is seriously supposed to be something that we eat?"

Sam finally looked up to find his brother looking ready to throw what he had been mixing at him and looked like when he fell into that muddy ditch on the first case they did since Sam left Stanford; covered with whatever it was. Sam gave a sigh and replied, "Dean, it's a pie and one of the easiest to make."

"Easy my ass. I can't believe I let you talk me into this. Give me a monster or vengeful spirit any day." Dean grumbled some more as he tried and unsuccessfully dust the flour off. It only made a cloud and settled back on him. "How does she do it?" he muttered under his breath as he glared at the mixture in the bowl. He picked up the card that he had been reading off of and checked the list. "If this is so easy maybe Cas could do it."

"Do what?"

Dean and Sam turned to see the angel of Thursday standing in the kitchen close to Dean. Castiel didn't even wait for Dean to mention something about personal space and took a step backwards. The angel looked at the two Winchesters and the state of various things in pots. Sam was the first to speak, "Hey Cas. What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on Angela." Castiel began walking around, looking for a threat. "She threw a book at me."

"Yeah well you're not the first she's done that to," Dean replied as he went back to reading the card. He grew frustrated and asked, "Sam what the hell is a tsp.?"

"Teaspoon," Castiel replied as he finished looking to make sure that no one was going to throw something at him.

"How do you know that? You didn't even know what I meant about busty beauties," Dean pouted causing Sam to grin as he turned his attention back to the dish he was working on.

"I… was asked to help once."

If Dean didn't know any better, he could have sworn that the angel looked embarrassed. He knew that because it was the same look he wore when they went to the 'den of iniquity' and when he first taught him about pie. Dean got a grin on his face that looked like the cat caught the canary, "She had you cook once didn't she?"

"I assisted." Castiel looked away trying to ward off any other questions but knowing Dean Winchester, it wasn't going to end soon. "You asked for three hours."

Dean remembered that and had always wondered what the angel did while he was wandering around the dick Zachariah's idea of the future. "So she put you in an apron?"

"Dean you're confusing porn with reality again."

"What? Come on Sammy. Cas here seems to know a thing or two about this stuff. Why not?" Dean then dropped his trump card, "You did say that this was something nice for Angie and Cas could make up for the fact that he annoyed her again."

Sam looked at his brother and the angel. It was clear that the angel was not in the mood but then again… "Cas can you help out?"

Castiel contemplated the question with his usual deliberateness. It was obvious that the Winchesters were doing this out of some sort of kindness to Angela. What puzzled him was that when he appeared out of kindness, she told him to stop with the stupid questions and threw the book she had been reading at him. Apparently this was some attempt that was not in that same category. He looked over at Dean who was trying to decipher another ingredient and back at Sam who looked like he was almost finished with what he was doing. The angel had done things that could be considered worse for her but he did them for her. He replied, "I will assist."

"Angie?"

Thunk!

Sam watched as Angela finished beating the crap out of a piece of scrap metal in the area that had been considered hers since well since Bobby let her stay. He watched her swing the sledge hammer even though her balance was seriously compromised by the fact that she was recovering from a ruptured ligament in her left knee as well as a compound fracture of her right tibia and fibula and dislocated right knee. Not her fault since…

Sam tried not to think about that night when he and Dean had busted in to find her barely hanging on and still managing to spew sarcasm and insults like nothing was wrong. The bastards that did their dirty work were taken care of but the results of their work were only just beginning to fade away. The cuts, stabs and burns were almost gone due to her rapid healing abilities though some were slower than others. That much was clear with the ridiculous foot thing that she had been forced to wear and obviously hating every minute of it. It was the emotional and mental scars that he was concerned with. Her snappish behavior was partly because of the excessive mother henning that he, Dean and Bobby gave her along with a few interruptions by Castiel. The other part was he suspected the rage at herself and the bastards that did that to her and he found that he hated seeing her like that and for reasons that he was just beginning to discover.

Thunk!

Sam watched as she raised the sledge hammer a little too forcefully and started to fall backwards. It was pure reaction as he reached out with one hand to grab the sledge hammer and with the other catch her before she fell. The sledge hammer fell to the ground with a dull thud allowing Sam to set Angela upright. He said with a slight edge in humor, "Uh I guess you don't know your own strength."

Angela looked at Sam, the rage finally dissipated, and gave a slight smile. "I guess so." She looked down to dust her jeans off and was faced with the damned thing that she couldn't take off for another week, after the doc made a house call. She scowled at it. Straightening up she asked, "Did Mama Dean send you out here?"

Sam tried hard not to laugh at the nickname she had given Dean. She had a way of picking them. He cleared his throat and replied, "No. Uh… do you know what day it is?"

Angela raised her brows a bit. "Thursday. Is that a trick question?"

"No. Uh… you must be getting hungry, do you want to come in and eat?" Sam knew he was setting himself up for a tongue lashing but it would be worth it if he could convince her to come inside without letting anything slip.

"Trying to tell me something?" Angela replied with smile. Beating on the scrap metal had given her some time to work things out. She knew that the three hunters were just being nice and concerned and at the time she had been pissed because it made her feel weak. Now that she wasn't angry, she was going to try and make it up to them and she decided that the best way was for her to do what she did best besides fighting.

The smile caught Sam off guard for a moment and he replied, "No just…"

"Relax Sam. I'm feeling better about everything. And yes I am hungry so I'm going to go in a make something." She started walking towards the house gingerly since she still had a limp and she never was comfortable walking around in the stupid contraption. She was unprepared for the sudden swoop that Sam did as he picked her up and carried her in. "Sam what are you doing?"

Angela looked at the table and the dishes that were laid out. She recognized them from her own recipe collection even though they weren't exactly like how she made them. She felt the grin threaten on her face as she looked at what was already set on the table and she understood why Sam asked his questions. A glance at the wall confirmed it.

"I know it's not something you would make but…" Sam shrugged his shoulders as he gauged her reaction. It was a running joke that the kitchen was Angela's personal territory and only those deemed worthy could touch the stove even though it was Bobby's house.

"It better be all right after I slaved away making God knows what," Dean said as he came out. He still had some flour stuck on him after washing up and was wiping his hands on the towel.

The giggles then started. Sam and Dean both looked at the woman who was trying hard to keep a straight face and failing miserably while giggles were erupting. It turned to full blown laughter the second Castiel came out carrying a pie and wearing one of Bobby's aprons. All three of them looked at her as if she had gone crazy, a not too far off the mark theory considering the places she had been. The laughter reached a peak and then tapered off as she caught her breath.

Dean couldn't see what was so funny except for the fact that Cas was dressed in a suit, wearing a trench coat and tied up in an apron that said 'Kiss the Cook.' He was sure that he wasn't the cause of laughter since he cleaned himself up and Sam, the pansy, could boil water without making a mess. He looked at Sam who merely shrugged his shoulders while smiling for his own reasons. Dean asked, "Alright Angie, did I miss the joke?"

Angela stopped laughing just as Bobby came in demanding what Sam and Dean did this time. She replied, "Nothing… just being nice." She couldn't help it and started laughing again when her eyes lighted on Castiel. She remembered the last time and she couldn't help it. When she finally got it under control, she went to the angel and gave him a kiss on the cheek and then went to Dean and after wiping some wayward flour off, gave him one. Dean couldn't help it and said, "It's got be my manly looks right Angie?"

"If only all men looked adorable covered with flour." To add insult to injury, she gave Dean a slight pinch on the cheek like a favorite aunt would.

Dean scowled but it turned into a smile as he took the pie from Castiel's hands and directed the angel to a spot after hissing at him to take off the apron. Bobby went to his spot leaving Angela and Sam standing at the door. She leaned against the door frame and said, "Thank you."

"Dean and Cas helped."

"But you came up with it didn't you?" Angela didn't need Sam to say anything. She explained, "If it had been Dean, he would have gotten the bucket of extra crispy and Cas doesn't have to eat. Bobby would have just made his chili." She smiled, "You forget I've been traveling with you two the last few years."

Sam looked at nothing in particular as he replied, "You just seemed so down after… I thought it was a good way to cheer you up and… I remember reading about one time you spent with a family and you seemed happy then." He was aware that he was rambling and knew that he should stop before he said something that he would regret later.

"Not completely. I wasn't a part of that family," Angela replied. She then managed to stand on tip toe to give Sam his thank you kiss on his cheek. She then added in a slight whisper, "But I am a part of this one. Thank you." She then walked towards the table to take a seat saying, "So Dean I assume that busty beauty was your first attempt?"

"Not bad even if what you stick in it belongs in a hex bag."

"Sugar and flour are not standard ingredients in a hex bag."

"You're killing me Cas."

"I would never harm you Dean."

Sam couldn't help but laugh at the conversation going on as dishes were being passed around. The appearance on some were left to be desired but they still tasted good. There was no turkey but there was chicken casserole and there were some other dishes that were met with laughter and criticism. The pies started the dirty talk and lasted until the last piece was eaten.

The night air was chilly but that didn't bother the trio sitting on the roof of the Singer house. It was a nice night to be sitting out and look at the stars.

"I think that was one of the best dinners I ever had."

"Sure Angie. Whatever I made looked like a limp soufflé," Dean replied as he took a sip of beer. He was given a punch in the shoulder for his troubles and splashed some beer out. "Hey."

"I'm being serious," Angela replied with a mock frown. She took a drink of her own beer knowing that sooner or later one of the three mother hens in the house would be lecturing her about mixing pills with alcohol.

"Well really it was to say thanks," Sam replied. "For everything."

Angela looked at Sam with a raised brow. "What did I do?"

"Well…"

Dean decided to help out, "What Samantha means is that you've done a lot for us Angie. It may not seem like it but with everything that has happened and the crap going on now, somehow you manage to…"

"Make things seem normal," Sam finished.

"Exactly," Dean pointed out. "Angie, things could be shot to hell. You just make it not seem so bad." He took a drink of his beer to hide his feelings.

Angela looked at the brothers sitting on either side of her. Maybe it was true. She did try to make things right even in their darkest hour. Now they were trying to thank her and on this day of all days. She smiled and said, "You two really put the thanks in thanksgiving. It was sweet of you."

"Any chance of a repeat thanks from earlier?" Dean asked with a smirk.

Angela smiled and looked upwards as if to think. She countered, "Any chance of seeing you make a pie again?"

Sam laughed, "Probably not."

"And you would?" Dean looked at his brother with a challenging expression.

The three of them continued to sit on the roof for the longest time bantering back and forth. Sam and Dean realized that they had more than thanked the one person besides Bobby that had stood beside them ever since their dad died. The reward was seeing her smile and teasing them. Each brother thought that the ordeal was well worth it. Anything for family.

A/N: Just thought of this little gem as something nice for the Thanksgiving holiday and is set early in Season 5 after the brothers separated and got back together. Honestly I was not sure if I could pull Cas off in an apron but then I figured I would set him up for a pie piece. Happy Thanksgiving to ya' all.