Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own Supernatural or its characters. Maria, George & Nelly Lauerman, and Karla Hein are mine, however.
Under Normal Circumstances
Chapter 1: An Unannounced Appearance
The boys had a system. Albeit the system was chaotic and in constant disarrays it was a system nonetheless. Just as the brothers liked it to be.
Thus, the Winchester brothers always found themselves put on edge any time Castiel made an unannounced appearance in between cases.
"Cas! What the hell?" Dean barked when he laid eyes on the newly-arrived angel.
Skipping over any pretenses and common courtesy greetings, Castiel got straight to the point. "I have information for you."
Both Sam and Dean rolled their eyes at Castiel's frank statement.
"What is it, Cas?" Sam kindly inquired.
Dean kicked back and relaxed on his bed in the dingy hotel room. After a particularly strenuous and emotional case laid to rest, all he wanted was to eat a cheeseburger and sleep until the sun went down the following evening. Cas had a habit of showing up at the worst times. Dean grunted in annoyance. Was one free evening too much to ask?
"The angels all agree now is the best time to tell you-"
Sam leaned forward enthusiastically. "Tell us what?" Cas fell silent, fidgeting uncharacteristically. "Cas? Tell us what?" Sam repeated.
The brothers let Castiel pace in peace while he gathered his words. Finally, "There is another Winchester."
Dean opened his eyes, suddenly interested. Sam let his jaw hang open in amazement. Cas took a seat in a nearby chair.
"A- Another Winchester?" Sam stammered.
Dean raised an eyebrow. "You mean like a Winchester? Same name, same blood, same genes? We have surviving family?"
"Who?" Sam leaned yet further forward, eyes wide, placing one hand on Castiel's knee.
Cas looked down at Sam's hand and shifted away from his touch. "We believe this Winchester will be a valuable resource for you two, someone to rejuvenate your spirits and your faith."
"Cas," Dean rasped, pulling himself up to a sitting position. "Who is he?"
Sam, still filled with child-like wonder, asked, "Is he a hunter, like us?"
"No, Sam," Cas answered thoughtfully. "Though she could be, with your help. If she joins you in your journey, she would be a great hunter."
"'She'?" Dean scoffed. "It's a girl?"
Castiel nodded. "Yes. A girl."
This time it was Dean's turn to lean far forward, although with less awe and more intimidation. "You still haven't answered my question, Cas. Who is she?"
"Her name is Maria. You can find her in Minnesota, with her parents."
Dean lowered his voice. "'With her parents'? Cas, how old is this kid?"
"Sixteen years."
"Whoa! Hold on a minute, Cas," Dean spluttered. "You expect us to turn a sixteen year old girl into a hunter? No can do, Cas. We're not taking an innocent girl with us on a case. She can stay with her parents."
"Taking the girl would be the best thing for her. And for you as well. You must find her," Castiel reasoned.
Sam spoke up, "Hang on, Cas. You haven't told us how she's related to us yet."
Castiel smiled at Sam. "She's your niece."
At this Dean laughed aloud. "'His niece'? What, did Adam get some chick pregnant when he was five?"
The smile left Castiel's lips. "No. You did, Dean, when you were seventeen."
"I what? Cas, don't you think I would know if I had a child," Dean gawked. There was no way he had a child.
"No," Cas simply answered. "Not when you weren't supposed to know about her. Not until now, at least."
"So, you're saying you hid my kid from me until just the right time?"
Not understanding the source of Dean's anger, Cas replied. "Yes." When Dean's fist began to ball up, Castiel added, "She needed to grow up under normal circumstances."
"Who's the mother?"
Cas answered, "Karla Hein."
A small grin grew on Dean's face when he recognized the name. "I remember her." He though back sixteen years, to the day he and Karla had met. She was beautiful and interesting and so damn sexy. Their one night together had been special, almost magical in its thrill. Sam, Dean, and their father had skipped town the following morning. "Good times… What happened to her?"
"She died in child birth." The grin immediately faded from Dean's lips. Cas continued, "After her death we switched the child with another baby, one that had died in its birth. You certainly couldn't have taken care of her then. So, Karla's child, your child, has grown up believing she is the offspring of George and Nelly Lauerman. Maria's gotten a good education, participates in school activities, and has a close-knit group of friends. She's stubborn, determined, headstrong, curious, and, most importantly, has a strong faith in God. She is what you would consider to be 'normal'. But she is destined to leave her home in Minnesota to take up hunting with you."
Sam and Castiel waited patiently for Dean to react to the news, but his face was a blank slate.
"Dean? Dean, did you hear that?" Sam prompted.
Still, Dean did not stir.
"Dean! You have a child! A daughter! Right, Cas? And we should go find her!"
Still no change in Dean.
"Minnesota, you say? Come on, Dean, we're not working a job right now. Let's go."
This brought Dean out of his ponderings. "We can't take the kid," he declared with forlorn vigor.
"We don't have to take the kid with us," Sam nudged. "But don't you want to see her? Don't you want to meet your daughter?"
Dean stood up quickly from the bed, his reaction akin to being punched in the gut. "Of course I want to meet her, Same! But…"
Sam gingerly laid a hand on Dean's shoulder. "Let's just go to Minnesota. Just see her, that's all we have to do. You can decide whether or not she should join us then."
Author's Note: So, what'd you think? Its the first fanfic I've ever posted online, so I hope it wasn't too terribly awful. Feel free to read, review, comment, criticize-praise is cool too, just sayin'-share, or whatever else floats your boat!
~Lynx
