Summary: Angels have no concept of money. So Sam is surprised, but not really, when Hannah asks him a rather strange (for an angel) question. For a Supernatural k-meme prompt.

This was originally on the Supernatural k-meme.

Link to prompt: (ht)tp(:/)(/)spnkink-meme. livejournal .com(/) 90403 . (html) ?thread=35807267#t35807267
(delete parentheses and spaces)

Prompt: This fluff and feels prompt rather than a smut request. Can someone write a fic based on the song 'Christmas Shoes' by Newsong? Personally my favorite character is Bobby, but it can be foc used on any character or pairing that the filler wants.

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How Do I Buy a Hamburger?

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Angels had no concept of money.

It should have been self-evident, since they were beings that, even when in vessels, had no need for sleep, food, shelter, clothes, or any other human necessity.

It should.

But it was all too easy to forget angels were essentially aliens. Too easy to forget not all angels were Castiel. However much Dean had once complained about having a 'baby in a trench coat', the fact of the matter was that Castiel was surprisingly quick on the uptake, and grasped the concept of "worth"—not that circumstances had given Castiel much of a choice, turning into human and all that.

It had started in the morning. Sam had gone out of the motel while Dean was asleep, to buy some food and miscellaneous things for the current case they were working on—they hated witches—and was humming while walking about town, when he noticed he was being followed.

He froze on his tracks, mentally checking his weapons and cursing his luck. He was being followed by an angel. He turned around.

'Hannah, was it?' Cheery, but cautious.

'Sam Winchester', she greeted, still clad in the same drab grey suit he met her. 'I hoped we could talk some'.

'This is—well. Unexpected'. He frowned. 'Is there anything we can help Cas with from down here?'

'Actually, I was hoping you could help me'.

Sam raised his eyebrows at that.

'I don't see why should I. Look, Hannah, we're kind of busy here', he started to turn, but he wasn't lowering his guard for a second, 'so I really need to get on with what I was doing'.

'So', she said after a bitter short laugh, 'this is what Castiel's humans are worth'.

Sam refused to raise to the bait, and kept on briskly walking. He could feel when she huffed, frustrated. Winchester specialty, making angels exasperated.

'Look', she said appearing besides him, 'I just need to know how to buy things'.

Sam stopped bewildered at that.

'That's—actually, that's fine'. He looked at her pointedly. 'What would you like to buy?'

'Are there any specifics to whichever I would like to buy?'.

'Yeah'. They started walking again. At her quizzical look, he elaborated. 'For instance, if you're buying clothes, you'd like to check the materials and if they fit right; and if you are buying from the internet—', but one look at Hannah stopped that line of thought. 'Never mind. What'd you need to buy?'

'How would one go about buying hamburgers?'

'Hamburgers'. Sam mouthed under his breath.

'I went to the place humans buy food from, and asked around, but I was just directed to . . . hamburger meat'. She talked dispassionately, as if giving a report. 'I know hamburgers can be bought ready-made, but I don't know where that would be'.

"Too bad angels don't know the internet", Sam mused.

'I also', and she frowned, 'don't seem to have enough money'.

She huffed, as if the very idea of money was offensive to her. It probably was, she hadn't seem too comfortable with the idea of Castiel being friends with humans. He could read the writing on the wall.

"Right", because she couldn't really grasp it. Angels had no concept of money, after all. She acted more human than Castiel, but it was moments like this that reminded him how well adapted Castiel was.

He wondered if she had assumed coins were more valuable, like some of the angels who fell, since metal was "worth" more than paper.

'I'll lend you some', Sam assured her. 'Easiest way, if you don't mind quality, would be to go to a fast-food place. Come on, I'll show you. Anyway, why would you like to buy a hamburger? It's not very… angel-like'.

'Castiel has spoken fondly of the foodstuff before.'

'Oh, so this is for Cas?' Her expression was enough answer for him. 'You are in luck, there's a White Castle nearby'.

His memory felt like itching.

'Is this good?'

'Dunno why, but Cas likes—', he reeled, and nearly tripped himself over. 'Cas is eating? What—is Cas OK?'

The angel hesitated.

'Castiel is—his Grace—'

She choked. She pursed her lips and looked at Sam Winchester straight in the eyes.

'Castiel is dying'.

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FIN

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Song lines that inspired the fic:

"It was almost Christmas time
And there I stood in another line
Trying to buy that last gift or two
Not really in the Christmas mood
And standing right in front of me was a
Little boy waiting anxiously"

It seemed just like Sam.

And:

"Sir I wanna buy these shoes
For my mama, please
It's Christmas eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry sir
Daddy says there's not much time
You see,
She's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes will make her smile
And I
Want her to look beautiful
If mama meets Jesus tonight "

Well, Castiel is sort of acting like the angels' daddy and big brother all rolled into one these last two seasons, plus Hannah is really protective of him. It just made a lot of sense.

(Because apparently I can't do fluff without being absolutely heartbreaking about it.)

Do you like it? Review!

I'll PM you in reply :-)