First Winchester Noel

"Dean, what are you doing?"

Dean gave a final push and the troublesome tree he had been wrestling with was set upright. He finished his under the breath muttering before replying to his brother's question, "Putting up the tree."

"I can see that," Sam replied. "But what are you doing?"

Dean looked at his brother like he was an idiot and repeated, "Putting up the tree. You do know that it's Christmas right?"

"Yeah," Sam replied wondering what Dean was getting at. The last couple of days his brother had been going in and out of the bunker at weird times taking no one but his dog Shadow with him. He didn't say anything since no harm came to it and Shadow pretty much let them know if Dean was in trouble. "So?"

Dean for his part rolled his eyes at Sam. Sometimes he wondered if his brother played dumb on purpose. "So… I got us a tree. For Jess."

At the sound of her name, Jess stirred from where she had been napping in her father's arms. She opened her hazel green eyes and looked around. Seeing the tree behind her uncle, she stared at it wide-eyed.

Sam adjusted his grip on his daughter, helping her sit up. "Dean, she's four months old."

"Yeah so?"

"She's a bit young to remember." Sam didn't mind his brother wanted to do something for baby Jess but he felt it should be done when she was older and could appreciate it more.

"Nah," Dean brushed it off as he moved in and plucked the baby from his brother's arms. "She's not too young. She's more like her mom. Aren't ya Jess?"

Jess looked at her uncle and cooed and giggled. She lifted one of her little hands and splayed her fingers on Dean's cheek. She smiled a gummy smile at the elder Winchester and started to wriggle, her prior sleepiness forgotten.

Dean grinned and looked at Sam, "See Sam? She agrees with me."

"She's only laughing because of gas and to humor you," Sam deadpanned, not at all put out at the attention his brother was showering on the newest member of the Winchester family. After everything they had been through as a family, his brother had a ray of sunshine, that light that Sam believed still existed at the end of the tunnel.

"It's because I'm the most awesome uncle ever," Dean retorted as he adjusted his hold on his niece. His face was almost a pout towards his brother as he walked to where the stack of boxes he brought in earlier and pulled out a strand of lights. "Here get to work bitch."

Sam shot a look at his brother. Dean was determined to do this so he wasn't going to spoil it. Snatching the lights from his brother's hand he replied, "Fine, jerk. And don't swear in front of Jess."

"Relax Sammy," Dean replied as he jostled Jess to make her giggle some more. "See? No harm, no foul. Now get to work."

"Jerk," Sam muttered as he started attempting to put on the lights. "You know she won't remember."

"Hey, give the lady more credit." Dean turned to look at Jess as she watched her father put on the lights that were glittering in bright colors. He pointed out Sam's work and cooed at her, "Yeah let Daddy here take over since I went to all the trouble of getting everything."

"If you really want to be the awesome uncle, you would have put it all together yourself," Sam countered as he took a step onto the stepladder to reach near the top of the tree as he continued to string the lights.

"Putting you in the spirit Sammy."

Sam shook his head as he continued putting the lights up. Occasionally he paused to see his daughter watching him and then cooing at the lights. They turned to giggles when Dean would show her various things he managed to get. He had to roll his eyes when his brother pulled out mistletoe and hold it up for Jess to see.

Sam almost laughed when Jess leaned forward and planted a drooling smack on his brother's cheek while Dean was still holding up the mistletoe. The movement stunned Dean and Sam couldn't help but laugh out loud. He managed to get out, "I guess you're right in that Jess is like Angie. She just kissed you under the mistletoe."

"Shut up," Dean muttered gruffly but there was a grin on his face. He didn't see there was someone behind him until he felt the peck on his cheek and nearly jumped. He turned to see the newcomer. "What the… Angie!"

"Mistletoe." Angela pointed up at the still suspended mistletoe like it was the most obvious thing.

Sam was laughing as he finished the last of the lights. He laughed harder when Shadow reared up and starting licking his brother and Dean started telling him to quit it. It was funny to watch as Dean batted away the dog that had a mischievous streak a mile wild but was loyal to Dean. Jess was giggling at his brother's antics, completely happy while Angela was just smiling in a bemused fashion before rescuing Jess to give Dean a chance to get some semblance of order.

"Never thought you'd result to mistletoe to get a date," Angela teased while Jess settled into her mother's arms.

"Very funny Angie," Dean scowled. He gave a halfhearted glare at Shadow who went to go sit with Gideon and his mate Holly. He looked at the female dog that looked like a grey and black German Shepherd and at Angela, "You really had to bring it here?"

"Holly is Gideon's mate. No changing it Dean," Angela replied with a smile, reminded of when she purposely let Dean walk into the trap of getting shot down by a friend in the FBI in Texas. It had her and Sam laughing and Holly saying that he had an A for effort but he really needed to work on how to spot his type.

Dean grumbled and it made Jess coo at him. She was waving her hands at him and Angela held her out. Dean accepted the baby and let her run her fingers through his hair in an attempt to soothe his grumpiness. He conceded, "Fine Angie… but I still protest at its name."

Angela merely chuckled before asking, "What are you doing?"

"What's it look like?" Dean gestured around and at the tree. "Thought you'd be happy to see Sasquatch here doing something productive."

"And that requires an evergreen in the middle of the main hall?" Angela was amused and knew what Dean was up to. She just wanted to make him squirm a little.

"It's for Jess," Dean replied after shooting a look in her direction. "But Samantha here says she's too young."

"Maybe for a few things but it seems to me she picks up on things. She did kiss you." Angela paused to smile at her daughter as she cooed at her.

"Then explain it to Sasquatch."

"Don't need to." Angela looked at the tree and the lights already covering it. She studied it with a bemused it. "Well I think the tree is a wonderful idea. So why don't the both of you finish while I take care of Jess."

Sam felt his lips twitch in a grin as he watched his wife carry their daughter towards the kitchen. He could smell the various smells of whatever she was cooking up whether it was an herbal concoction or dinner. He knew Jess liked being in there though he suspected it had more to do with being with her mother. He looked at Dean who was looking flabbergasted at what just happened and said, "Looks like you have to get dirty too."

Dean turned a gimlet look at his brother after acknowledging the almost agreeing look the three dogs were giving him. "Shut up Sam," was all he said as he picked up a box full of ornaments. He thrust it at Sam.

"No way. You're in this too." Sam avoided taking the box and moved to pick up another one. He opened it and noted the contents. He looked up at his brother, "Seriously?" He pulled out what appeared to be an ornament shaped like an anti-possession charm.

Dean turned to look at his brother and what he was holding up. He offered, "Can't be too careful."

Sam made a face at that as he put it back in and then pulled out another thing. "Oh and I suppose this is being careful too?"

"Relax Sammy," Dean replied waving off his brother. "It's not like I'm expecting the tree to become possessed or anything. It's… well it's more about what we are."

Sam raised his brow at that. It was intended for a prompt for his brother to talk. "Care to explain?"

Dean sighed but a look told him that Sam wasn't trying to play dumb or anything like that. "Look I know we haven't really had the best of things and were not really normal. I mean ten years ago we would have ganked someone like Angie but… look you're married to her and have a daughter. We're not normal."

"I think that's subjective," Sam offered. Over the years he had time to think about things. Most people's definition of normal was the apple pie life. Theirs was hardly that but… it was normal enough in that they were a family and they did the best for each other. "If anything, we have a normal life with Angie and Jess."

"And that's what I'm getting at." Dean shuffled a bit on his feet. "You know people have themes for their trees so… this is ours. At least it's what we know. I kind of want Jess to know where she comes from."

Sam could understand that. He wasn't anxious to let Jess know that there were things out there that could kill you that were as fierce as her mother. Yet he was strangely comforted because of his wife was a part of that world, she worked in it but it never affected the family life. He looked at his brother as Dean turned abruptly away and started picking up a box full of stuff and started putting them on the tree. He looked at one that was molded into exact likeness of Angela's tattoo on her shoulder. "You made these?"

"It's not like you can go to Macy's and buy em," Dean countered. He pulled out one with a grin and hid it behind his back. He waited until Sam put the devil's trap on the tree. "Except this," and he flung out a clown shaped one in Sam's face.

"Jerk!" Sam spluttered as he stumbled back from the ornament dangling in his face. He glared at his brother while Dean was laughing and holding up a Harlequin ornament. It wasn't even like the stupid clown that chased him at Plucky's. "That's so not funny!"

Dean was chuckling even though he knew that it was a serious thing for Sam. He had been chased and nearly killed by his childhood fear but there was an interesting result from it. He twisted it around and let the light catch the glitter. "It's got glitter," he offered with a grin and watched his brother's face.

Sam glared at Dean. He still didn't like clowns and Dean never let him live it down when he came covered with glitter along with Angela. But he could appreciate Dean's ingenuity at the design of the ornaments. It certainly explained why his brother would be gone for hours in between the jobs they had. He picked out one that looked like a fluffy wolf but looked almost like Liam. He put it on the tree as Dean put on a couple of baubles that had a sort of rustic look.

They continued to put ornaments on the tree except a few that Dean said not to. Sam was okay with it and let Dean dictate. They managed to get the tree decorated until all that was left were four ornaments and the star, though Sam wasn't sure it was a star. He had no idea what it was until Dean unwrapped it and he asked, "Seriously?"

Dean unwrapped the topper to reveal the symbol of the Impala that he picked off a modern model. It was stuck to a star made from the rim of a Camaro. It wouldn't have surprised Sam if it were from a similar make and model to Angela's car. Dean looked at Sam and said, "Goes with everything else."

Sam couldn't deny that. "So you wanna do it?"

"I should make you," Dean retorted. "Took me forever to make this thing."

"Looks nice," Angela said coming in with the baby. She smiled when Jess cooed her agreement and grabbed at the topper in the box. She kept the baby from pulling it out since Dean did do a lot of work. "I guess that makes two of us that like it." Looking at the tree she observed, "I guess there is only one left right?"

"Uh actually," Dean left Angela with the box to go over and pick up the box he shooed Sam away from. "There's actually a few more. Thought maybe Jess would like to put her first on." He blushed a little at the thought since he knew that Sam was right. Jess was only four months but ever since she had been born, he was more compelled to make things right and even help Sam out in that regard.

The world they lived in sucked at times but looking back on it, it started getting good the moment Angela officially walked into their lives. And she was more emotionally damaged than they were. Took her and Sam long enough to get together and it still made him laugh because of the two stepping and the like. Yet despite whenever one of them wanted to pull back, the other was there to stop it and then Jess was born… They really were a family and Dean simply wanted to make it so for the little girl that was like a ray of sunshine.

Angela understood where Dean was coming from as she smiled at Dean and said, "I like it." She offered the baby to Dean. "And I think she should put it on with her favorite uncle."

Dean accepted Jess and she giggled happily when he held her. He then showed her what he made for her. It would have been easier to buy one of those picture frame ornaments but Dean figured it would be better if he made it. It was a frame designed like a locket and the picture was one he found among Angela's collection and one was a recent one that he had done when he volunteered to babysit. The one from Angela's collection was a family photo and included the three adults plus Bobby and Ellen and Jo. The other was of Jess and her with his dog Shadow and she was on Santa's lap.

Jess looked at it and batted at it like she did with things that caught her interest. Dean chuckled and showed it to her, "This is yours Jess. On the left is your family. Some aren't here with us anymore but… they're a part of you. And of course you remember this one."

"Thought you didn't believe in Santa," Sam teased when he saw the ornament Dean had made.

"I don't. But we got a kid here." Dean tried to be tough about it but only earned a giggle from Jess. "Don't start like your mom," he warned her only to have her giggle some more.

"As Sam has told you multiple times, she's only humoring you," Angela teased, "As much as I do."

"Yeah well I still made you do a few things."

Angela chuckled as she and Sam watch as Dean helped Jess put her ornament on the tree. She gave a slightly raised brow when Dean handed Sam something that looked like a moose. She shook her head at it. Hers she looked at thoughtfully since it was her family's coat of arms, the de Medici family coat of arms but on the other side… "You really did put thought into this Dean."

"Hey you did for us, Angie. You didn't have to many times over but you still did and… this is thanks and…"

Sam noticed his brother starting to get sheepish and teased, "You can say it you know."

"Oh yeah and how long did it take you," Dean sputtered back knowing what Sam was getting at.

"At least I said it." Sam gave a mock glare at his brother since he didn't want to really start a fight in front of his daughter.

"Two years," Angela piped up, effectively bringing both brothers to a halt. She looked at them. "Two years and yet actions speak louder than words." She walked up to Dean and gave him a kiss on the cheek along with a hair ruffle. "I still remember the 'cold day in hell'."

Dean relaxed knowing that Angela got what he meant and shifted Jess in his arms. Sheepishly he got out, "Love you too Angie." He shot a look at Sam who was grinning at him like he played a prank on him but he turned it into a smile when Jess started wriggling and reaching out for one of the ornaments on the tree.

They were not a normal family. No way in hell were they even close. Yet they were a family. That wasn't going to change any time soon. After everything they went through, things seemed to be looking up. At least that was what Dean was thinking holding his niece while standing next to his brother and sister-in-law celebrating Jess' first Christmas.

A/N: Celebrating baby Jess' first Christmas. Merry Christmas folks and thanks for all who have read, favorited and alerted my work. Your support is a big encouragement.