"Dean. Where are we going?"
Dean was half tempted to ignore Jack's question. It was easy to fall back into old habits but Cas was back and he was starting to see Jack in a new light.
"Sioux Falls. We're gonna be spending the Christmas over at a friend's house."
"Jody Mills, she's the sheriff in the Sioux Falls police department." Sam supplied helpfully, "and Alex."
"And Claire," Cas added on from the back seat, beside Jack. Jack nodded and stared out the window as they pulled up the driveway to Jody's cabin. Light shone from within and a glimmering Christmas tree was visible through the window.
"Guys! You're here earlier than expected." Jody opened the door upon their arrival.
"Merry Christmas to you too, Jody," Dean remarked and made his way in, followed by the rest.
"You must be Jack!" Jody gave him a quick hug, who in turn looked at Castiel awkwardly; only stiffly wrapping his own arms around her when he seemed to grant unnecessary permission. "I see you're well Cas." She lightly smacked his arm and quickly exchanged hugs with the boys. "Claire and Alex are probably bickering in the living room. You guys settle in, I need to finish up the turkey."
When they reached the living room, they expected the two girls at each other's throat, but instead, they were greeted with the complete opposite. They chatted like long lost sisters, which, in a way, they are.
"Hey. You two seem to be chattier each time we see you. What's hot?" Dean set down the two 6-pack he brought with him. They lifted their heads in surprise, not noticing their entrance. What surprised them even more, was the new blonde boy that accompanied them.
"Who's that?" Alex raised an eyebrow.
"This is Jack." Cas gestured towards the boy that awkwardly stood out in the group. The girls raised their eyebrows even higher. Before they could ask any questions, Jody came back in hands full with a plate of turkey and various other Christmas-y foods.
Jack sat between Dean and Castiel, making sure he was surrounded by familiar faces, feeling like the stranger and the odd one out. Sam was left to sit beside Alex and Claire, on the other side of the table, with Jody at the head.
They dug in, gratefully bringing food onto their plates and stuffing themselves, leaving Cas and Jack to awkwardly sit there (actually, Cas was used to it) and watch them eat.
"Uhm," Jack began, unsure of what he should do, "I don't eat much."
"What, you an angel too?" Claire offhandedly asked.
"Actually, half." He corrected, "My father was an angel." Claire nodded, letting the information sink in and slowly looked over at Castiel.
"Lucifer," Cas stated as if that answered all of their answers. This caught Jody's attention.
"Ah," She turned to Dean, accusingly, "Would've been nice to know you were going to bring the spawn of Satan to be eating dinner with us." Her words struck a spot and Jack looked down.
"Jack isn't what you think." Cas jumped in, feeling the need to defend his basically adopted son.
"Yea, we're practising to control our power and to use it for good, right?" Sam piped up. Jack nodded enthusiastically.
"Yea!"
Thus began the barrage of personal questions that Claire and Alex threw at him.
"Why are you with Dean and them?"
"If the devil is your dad, where is he now?"
"Does this mean you're an orphan?"
"If you're half human as well, what human things do you do?"
"What about your mom?"
"Uh-Uh…" Caught off guard, Jack looked at Sam and Cas in panic. They simply offered him a supportive smile.
"W-Well, my mother died when I was born, but she said that Castiel would take care of me so I have chosen Castiel as my father." Jack seemed proud, "I give no thought to my other father whatsoever." A moment of silence washed over them as Claire and Alex struggled to take it all in.
"Wait, so Castiel is basically your dad," Claire asked.
"Ah, yes, that's right." He confirmed, "Both of your parents are deceased correct? That's why you're staying with Aunt Jody."
Jody almost choked upon hearing her new title, but Dean helped pat it down. Alex and Claire nodded.
"Well, I was kidnapped by vampires when I was just a kid, until I got rescued by them." Alex glanced at Sam and Dean, who in turn gave her a smile. Jack looked over at Claire, waiting for her story.
Claire, unsure how to proceed with something so personal, looked over at Jody and Castiel. "Erm, well, my family used to be relatively normal. Until my dad got possessed." The supernatural piqued Jack's interest.
"By a demon?"
"An angel." She glanced over at Castiel, unsure whether or not she should continue. He simply smiled at her, as if to say, 'no hard feelings', but she didn't know who they were for.
Jack blinked, surprised. "I didn't know angels possessed people." Dean let out a laugh that ended in a choke when he met Cas' glare.
"Ah yea well, after that he disappeared for a year and my mom went missing and long story short, they're both dead so." Claire cut her story short and stabbed at her meat. Jack respectfully nodded.
They continued the dinner in silence until Jody, thankfully, changed the topic, "So what are you guys up to these days? Still running away from Lucifer?" She slapped the table before Sam and Dean were able to finish exchanging that look. "No lying in my lobby!"
"Erk…" Dean distractedly stuffed his mouth and left Sam to pick up where she left off.
"Uh, actually, Lucifer's trapped in another dimension."
Jody's mouth dropped. "Another dimension." She echoed.
"Yeah, and the gap closed so he's never coming back. Never." Dean confirmed. He pushed Mom into the back of his mind. He didn't need to bring her up and ruin everyone's mood.
"We should be celebrating," Claire said.
"We are celebrating." Came Jody's reply. Claire scoffed.
"Yea, celebrating the birth of Jesus."
"Actually," Cas began to interject, earning a moan from Dean, "He was born in August-"
"Cas, they don't need to hear your hour-long lecture. I'm sure they can just google it themselves if they're really interested."
"Hey! I like his informational sessions." Sam retorted.
"Hah, yeah, 'cause you're both nerds." Dean countered, Sam delivered his well-practised bitchface. Cas failed to shrug it off and his face slightly fell. Dean felt a small pang in his heart. He'll make it up to Cas later, he decided.
"Hey! No fighting!" Jody snapped them in place. She felt like she was handling Alex and Claire again; she really did when Alex and Claire started snickering. Sam and Dean shared a small smile, rolling their eyes they simultaneously said,
"Yes, Mom."
Castiel watched Jack laugh with Alex and Claire, bringing a strange warmth to his heart. Pride? Delight? He didn't know but it felt good. Suddenly, strong arms grabbed him into the hallway, the walls around them, hiding them from the others that had formed a circle to read stories. For a moment, Cas panicked but regained his rhythmed heartbeat again when he felt Dean's breath rest on his shoulder. Remembering Dean's remarks earlier, Cas ignored him. He watched Sam and Jody exchange stories, searching for funny moments to tell Jack, Alex and Claire.
"Come on, are you still angry about earlier?"
Cas continued to pretend Dean wasn't there. When Dean pressed a kiss into the crook of his neck, He couldn't help but tilt his head. Sighing, he turned around to face Dean.
"I'm not a nerd." Cas frowned when Dean laughed, "I have also never understood your use of the word as an insult. The use of the word frequently means an expert in a particular field- "
"I was joking, Cas, joking." Dean held him around the waist. When they heard soft Christmas carols float through the cabin, Dean guided them down the hallway for more room. Grabbing Cas' hand, Dean couldn't help but sway to the light and slow tune of Silent Night- Despite being the non-chick flick moment of a person he is.
"Dean, normally your jokes do include the insult and downgradation of others but-" Cas began to sass him when Dean cut him off with a kiss. When he pulled away, Cas simply looked more annoyed than before, "Don't interrupt me." Dean slowed the swaying and looked close to tears.
"Dean rasped, "You sound like a dissatisfied wife." Cas frowned.
"I will leave." Cas threatened which only seemed to fuel his laughter more. When he turned around to leave, a pair of familiar arms reached around and easily carried him to the end of the hall. Cas let out a small squeak when his back met the wall and he looked up to see that Dean has trapped him.
"Geez, I was joking again Cas." Dean smiled lightly and a pressed a light kiss on the other's lips. Cas let out a small amused huff at his boyfriend's joy; it was rare for Dean to be so carefree. Laughter from the living room seemed to vibrate throughout the cabin. Outside, the snow lightly touched the ground and the contrasting temperature clouded up the windows, which only seemed to make the inside that much cosier.
"I know." Cas smiled and his heart felt much lighter than it has in a long time. Dean laughed, bumping their foreheads together. He brought their faces close, giving Cas all the time he wanted to lose himself in Dean's vibrant green eyes. He wasn't sure whether it was because someone he loved was in his arms, or because the Christmas festive joy was infectious, he couldn't help but laugh as well.
"Merry Christmas Cas."
"Merry Christmas Dean."