A/N: I wish I had more to post for Christmas. I got caught up in a gift exchange and it took all my time. So here it is. I'm just going to put this here, wish you all a very merry whatever you celebrate and a Happy New Year! FYI This is all fluff and Dean being a dad. I hope you like it!
A Merry Little Christmas
The door to the bunker was heavy and usually made a fairly loud, ominous, sound when it was shut. It was the sound of iron on iron - a clang with the deep baritone of church bells tolling. It was the first line of defence if anyone should happen to stumble upon the secret hiding place.
But today, as Sam and Dean sat below at a table, desperately searching for a case to take them away from 'home' for the holidays, the door announced to them that a visitor, familiar with the hiding place, had arrived.
When the door didn't clang shut, Sam and Dean slowly made it to their feet and grabbed ahold of whatever weapon was nearest to them. Guns, knives, vials filled with holy water, and they moved to see who, or what, was trying to make it inside. They caught a glimpse of a strange, yet not all together uncommon, sight and stashed the weapons behind their backs as to not cause a fright.
Cas appeared in the doorway, or rather his butt, as he back through the door holding it open with most of his body gently coaxing what was before him toward the door. He held out his hands, hunched over, and with one sudden movement he stood, twisted, and placed a little girl, no older than three, on the inside platform. She followed him extremely closely, holding onto the pocket of his tench coat and clutching a ratty pink bunny as he gently let the door close. He'd lifted one large bag into the door after the little girl and then scooped her into his arms and picked up the bag to descend the stars to the awaiting Winchesters.
"Um...Cas...When did you acquire a child?" Dean asked cautiously.
"Two days ago," Cas answered as he stood before them and the little girl nuzzled into him fearfully.
"Why?" Sam asked and motioned with his hands to help coax the explanation out of the angel.
"Because she was abandoned by her parents and I couldn't stand for that." Cas answered hastily. "Not now. Not for this sacred time of year. She would have surely perished."
"That's what child protective services are for Cas. You can't just take a toddler!" Dean almost yelled but thought the better of it when his tone frightened the tiny human to near tears.
"I didn't take her, and I wasn't going to put her in that situation after what happened. She is a treasure. She is a gift. She is just the victim of a terrible circumstance." Castiel protested and squeezed her tightly.
"You can't just acquire humans like pets!" Dean said forcefully. "It's unethical."
"I acquired you!" Cas countered. "I have a connection with this one and I have vowed to protect her until her parents can resume their care of her. She is mine and you have to help me."
"But you said the parents abandoned her." Sam jumped in with a hint of confusion. "Why would they resume their care? They sound like unfit parents, just as we would be unfit to care for her. What do we know, what do you know, about taking care of a child?"
"It's a long story Sam," Cas said and lowered his eyes. "One I am not proud of."
"A long story you'd better tell us because at this time you've kidnapped a little girl and we have to figure out how to deal with this." Dean said as his anxiety level grew mainly for the little girl who clung to Castiel. "We can't keep her!" He added with a shake of his head. "This is no place for a little one."
"It will just be for the season." Cas protested. "I have vowed to give her the Christmas she is expecting considering it is the burden of heaven that has taken her parents away from her."
"Are they dead?" Sam asked softly.
"No, they are vessels. Vessels taken at a very inopportune time. Even I know that. I have had words with my brother and sister about the terrible timing but they don't seem to care. There is a battle and the chosen ground is earth." Cas explained down cast and disappointed. "They have vowed to me to return these human to their lives and find other vessels if they are to remain on earth, but they have a mission and have taken this girls parents for the time being." He concluded.
"Those giant D..." Sam threw out his hand and covered his brother's mouth before he could curse out the angels that had taken the child's parents. "Language." Sam scolded as he held his brother's face and motioned with a look of stern consternation toward the child in Castiel's arms. "Watch your language." he added as his brother fought to free himself.
The little girl giggled softly in Cas's arms at the boys tussle and her bright blue eyes shown with something that could have resembled ease if she weren't still so frightened.
"How long have you been in possession of this person?" Dean asked as his features softened and he forced a smile for the little one.
"Nearly two days." Cas answered.
"Well she's not dead, and she looks relatively unscathed, so you've done well so far." Sam said optimistically and looked to his brother.
"Don't encourage him, Sam, he's taken a person from her home!" Dean scolded. "This is not good!"
"Well at least he didn't leave her abandoned!" Sam countered.
"Please keep the angry discussions to a minimum, you're upsetting her." Castiel piped in as the child whimpered and covered her face.
"So what do you propose we do, Castiel?" Dean asked through clenched teeth.
"I was hoping you would have some ideas as you did take a hiatus from the fight when you believed Sam in the cage with Lucifer. You had the opportunity to be domestic and I believe you even dabbled in child rearing. I'm not entirely familiar with the process." Cas confessed. "And didn't you provide most of the rearing for your brother?" He asked and looked from Sam, who nodded, and back to Dean who shook his head.
"But you've had her for two days?" Dean asked in frustration as her ran his hands through his hair. There was a hint of fear and panic in his voice. This panic was different from before. This panic was for the child's wellbeing after having spent two days with an absolutely clueless angel.
"I have." Cas nodded.
"And she's alive," Sam added optimistically. "It's a start. He hasn't completely failed. Calm down Dean."
Dean shot his brother the disapproving look. "Okay, put her down." he said and Cas did as he was told.
The little one was placed on her own two feet. She rammed a thumb in her mouth and almost shrank into a smaller creature as the three men towered over her. Her lip quivered, her eyes met none of their faces and she trembled slightly.
Shrinking down as small as he could get, Dean took a knee before the child and looked her in the eyes. "Hello," he said with a gentle smile. "My name is Dean. What's your name, Sweetheart?" he asked.
"Angel." the little girl spoke shyly.
"Cas is an Angel. Did he tell you that?" Dean asked and pointed at Cas.
"No, Dean, her name is Angel. Her parents are very devout and pray often. This little girl is their Angel." Cas corrected. "They weren't supposed to be able to have children. She is a miracle and a blessing."
"And you know this how?" Dean asked as he looked up at Cas.
"Like I said, I have a connection with this one. Much like the connection I have with you." Cas explained. "She has been under my protection since before she was born. I will take care of her no matter what. It is a bond that you should understand." He added and watched the man before him with a question in his looks.
"There is a difference between taking care of a child and watching over a child." Dean huffed as he stood. "Tell me everything about the past two days." he added as little Angel reached out and took his hand. He gripped it tightly, feeling the uncertainty and trust in the little touch. It melted his heart.
"Her parents were taken as vessels, as I said, and Zuriel and Ariel were not in a negotiating kind of mood. They are not particularly fond of me, after everything I've done, and failed to do, but it had been a condition of the vessels, her mother and father, before they said yes. They are to be returned to their child when the angels are finished with their mission. I've given them until the holiday is over, at which point, and if they do not come to fetch the child, I will be seeking them out." Cas explained.
"Shouldn't you be watching them?" Sam asked and when both Dean and Cas shook their heads he continued. "I mean, what if something happens to them? Shouldn't you be helping to ensure that they are returned or are you that confident that they will win this battle without harm coming to your brethren and their vessels?"
"I understand where you are coming from, Sam, and so long as I can trust Angel to your care, then I may be able to assist." Cas confirmed.
"Great, that's just great," Dean said with a shake of his head. "What did you do with this little girl for two days?" he emphasized the last words to hammer home his growing displeasure and frustration.
"On the first day, which was more like a half of a day, I argued my case to my brethren. I am not counting it as a complete day, I was in shock that they left the child alone with me. I checked her over for ailments. I soothed her. She became receptive toward me. I fed her what I found in their refrigerator. I changed her, as I had learned to do while I was human and I put her to bed." Cas explained in more detail than Dean was expecting but it painted a fairly good picture and put Dean at lease. So far, he had done what was right and saw the injustice in what had been done to the little one.
"I then gathered all that I could find that would help me and I set my resolve to find help. And so it was, in the first few hours of our time together, I decided to bring her here." Cas explained. "By dawn on the first full day, I had prepared her for travel. All night, as she slept, I worked. I packed up her family's vehicle, I struggled with her car seat, and I gathered all that I could think of to make her happy and healthy," he continued and then was stopped when Dean had heard enough.
"Where is she from?" Dean asked.
"Seattle," Cas answered shortly. "We drove until dark on the first day, with stops between for food and rest. She slept. She played with the toys I provided with her. She traveled very well but it was a slow, tedious, process."
"I'll make sure she's not being looked for." Sam said as he dashed to a nearby table and scooped up his lap top. "Last thing we need is a nation wide amber alert."
"Good idea, Sammy." Dean said with a nod and picked the little one up as she reached out to him. "So two days of driving to bring her half way across the country?" he asked as he turned back to Cas and the little one rested her head on his shoulder and cuddled into him. Dean held the little girl tightly and swayed gently.
"We stopped again last night and picked up again at dawn. She had pancakes for breakfast at a Denny's this morning and has been awake and alert ever since." Cas continued as he admired Dean's ease with the little one. "She sang to me most of the morning thought I was not familiar with the songs."
"That's a good sign," Sam said optimistically.
"She's gonna need a nap," Dean said with a nod as she began to into slumber in his arms.
"Things look all clear out of Seattle." Sam announced.
"She is an only child. tThe parents have no family to speak of. Angel has no one else." Cas said and there was finality in the way he spoke. "And so, I will take care of her if you will not help me."
"We'll help you." Dean said and Sam nodded. "What did you bring with you?"
"Everything I could find and fit into the vehicle." Cas answered.
"Sammy, help him unload the car. I'll put her down for a nap and then I'll put all the sharp and dangerous things out of the toddler's reach." Dean doled out the orders and they were agreed to relatively quickly because once they had set their minds to something, it was business as usual.
Taking care of a tiny human may not have been a case, but it was a mission and that mission was to keep this toddler, Angel, alive and well for the duration of the holiday. It would be an all together different pace for the brothers who would usually spent Christmas on the road.
Sam followed Cas out of the bunker and stopped in his tracks at the sight before him. Parked out front was a minivan with a fir tree strapped to the top with bungie cords and boxes and cases on either side of it to hold it in place. The rest of the vehicle was packed to capacity with stuff. The was only room enough in the driver seat and the back passenger seat for the people that occupied them, otherwise the vehicle was filled to capacity.
"Maybe you should pull the van inside the garage before we start unloading it." Sam said once his shock has begun to subside.
"Would Dean permit it?" Cas asked cautiously. "I know this vehicle does not fit into his standard for the garage."
"He'll make an exception." Sam said and continued quickly. "I'll meet you inside." He added and rushed for the door once more.
With a shrug, Cas did as he was told and headed for the minivan to move it.
"Dean!" Sam yelled as he rushed back in and found his brother stuffing weapons into a lock box.
"What?" Dean asked and hushed his brother. "Calm down, Angel is sleeping. You don't want to wake her. I don't know how cranky this toddler will get without a nap so it's better to be safe than sorry."
"Dean, he's brought everything - everything he could fit into a minivan. And if it didn't fit, he strapped it to the top. I told him to bring the thing around back but it may not clear the garage door."
"You've got to be joking."
"I swear, there is a fir tree on top."
"Sammy, he came in with one bag!" Dean protested.
"Probably all he could carry given the circumstances!"
"What have we gotten ourselves into?" Dean asked as he slumped over. "I hate angels. I really hate angels!"
"Come on, we have got to help him and we may not have that much time." Sam said and steered his brother through the halls toward one of his favourite places in the whole of the bunker. "Brace yourself."
"Seriously Cas, did you grab everything but the kitchen sink?" Dean asked sarcastically as the family minivan was pulled to a stop in the garage.
"Do you think that would have been helpful?" Cas asked suspiciously.
"Never mind," Dean shook his head and tried to re-assess the situation. "What is all this stuff?"
"Everything I could find that pertained to the child. Things with her name on them. Things from her bedroom. Christmas things. Cloths. Documents." Cas answered.
"At least he was thorough." Sam whispered to his brother.
"I'm sure he missed something but now we have to sort through everything before we find out. And what are we supposed to do, just take the season off to take care of a toddler?"
"It might be nice." Sam said optimistically.
"Bah Humbug!" Dean grumbled and stepped up to remove the straps that connected the things to the top of the vehicle.
For the following two hour the library was filled with all manner of boxes, baby things, Christmas stuff and whatever else the angel believed would be useful. Baby monitors were found along with clothing, a training potty, and a multitude of brightly wrapped gifts and Christmas decorations.
"I think the tree should go here," Sam commented when he was sure that they had organized the acquired things into piles that made an even bigger mess. They now needed to decide what to do with everything.
"Is that really where your mind went?" Dean asked with a shake of his head and an overly exaggerated sigh. "Right to the Christmas tree, nothing else could possibly need to be done first?" His face twisted into something like disapproval and judgement. "We don't know what she likes to eat, let alone if we have food enough for all of us. We have no cleaning, bathing, medical supplies that may be appropriate for a child of her age. We don't know about allergies. If she can speak relatively coherently or does she just babble and sing." Dean began rattling off all the things that would cross an anxious parents mind. When Sam opened his mouth to speak, Dean threw out his hand to stop him and continued in his list. We don't know what she's going to be like when she wakes up, or who we should settle her in with for the nights because nap time is one thing and over night is a complete different kettle of fish."
Sam and Castiel stared at Dean in utter confusion and he threw his arms up in frustrations. "We are completely unprepared to take care of a toddler for who knows how long and all you can think about is the tree?" Dean picked up the baby monitor from its place on a table and slammed the receiver into Sam's hands. "Keep this with you at all times." He added and turned to leave the room, stomping his feet as he went. If he could have he would have yelled but that might have woken up the child.
"Where are you going?" Cas asked after sharing a concerned glance with Sam.
"I'm going to put this beside the bed she's sleeping in. Then I'm going shopping because someone has to play the part of parent and adult here." Dean replied as he spun around and angrily hushed his voice. "I think you two should worry about baby proofing this place before you put up the tree. At least do something so that she doesn't kill herself falling down stairs or toppling over equipment and when she wakes up put the tree up using her to help and maybe open up to you because she's bound to be scared of this place. I'll be back as soon as I can to baby sit the lot of you." When he'd finished he turned to leave once more but abruptly turned back around, "and please, please, put away anything sharp, breakable, or weapon like." He added as he folded his hands together, almost in a praying gesture, and then slammed a knife, a gun and his lighter down onto a table. "These things are not okay for children." He added with a grand motion over the items. "That will include your blade," he said as he pointed at Cas, "and anything you might use to defend yourself." He finished with a motion to Sam.
"I know that." Sam grumbled.
"Just making sure, because this whole idea of us taking care of a little human being is kinda crazy and I not entirely convinced that you two are in the right frame of mind right now." Dean accused and with that he stormed out.
"How does one baby proof?" Cas asked Sam as Dean left.
Sam shrugged, "Aside for what Dean told us to do, I'm sure we can find some good pointers on the Internet." He replied and both angel and Winchester sat down at the nearest table with Sam's laptop to do what Sam did best: Research.
Dean returned to the bunker after a whirlwind shopping experience that he was sure he'd never want to repeat. The shops and mall had been jam packed with holiday shoppers and hoards of overly aggravated people. And he'd thought gods were cranky. He pulled the Impala into its usual spot and noticed that the minivan had been moved into a parking spot away from the bulk of the vintage vehicles and that the tree had been removed as well.
Loading up with groceries, as he planned meals in his head for the next several days, Dean headed for the kitchen. It would take him several trips and as he walked he heard a great commotion coming from one of the bedrooms. He dropped the bags in a corner and moved toward the sound. Shocked he found Sam and Cas sitting on the bed with the little girl between them and a strangely frilly movie blaring on the TV that was mounted on the wall.
"What are you doing?" Dean asked as he stood in the the doorway. He'd been standing there for several moments but the three strange beings before him were captivated and didn't even notice him until he spoke.
"We're watching Frozen." Sam answered with a smile. "It was requested adamantly when she woke up."
"And is the cleaning done?" Dean asked and folded his arms over his chest.
"No..." Sam answered as he and Dean were shushed by Cas and the little girl.
Sam got up from the bed and followed Dean into the hallway.
"Well, did you put up the tree or put away the things that Cas brought?" Dean asked once more when they were alone.
"Not exactly," Sam said as he threw out his hands and Dean growled at him before stomping away.
Sam followed his brother. "She woke up and asked for the movie so we put it on and because we hadn't figured out how to baby proof everything we thought it would be better that we didn't leave her."
"That's great," Dean sarcastically grumbled as he bent over and picked up the bags he'd dropped in the corner. "Because it takes two people, well one person and an angel, to take care of a toddler. And Dean can just do all the other work because clearly he's the only adult in the building!" His voice rose with anger the closer they got to the kitchen, and the farther away from the child that he got.
"We did some stuff," Sam protested.
"Well at least you did that." Dean huffed and kept moving.
Sam followed him out to the Impala and was loaded up with things, mostly food, before he could protest. Another two trips, just like the first, brought all of the stuff Dean had managed to pick up into the kitchen for sorting. The bags were all different, from different places that Sam didn't recognize at all - except the groceries.
"What is all this?" Sam asked as he pulled bottles and boxes out of a pharmacy bag and Dean popped his head out of the refrigerated.
"Children's tylenol. Children's allergy medicine. A thermometer for children. Do you get the just of it?" The brother's stopped for a moment and held the stares with one another. "Because we have nothing here that is safe for children and in the event that she get's sick, or gets hurt, at least now we have frilly bandaids and antiseptic cream. Plus diapers, if she's not completely trained, and I bought her some slippers and extra clothing because it can get cold in here." Dean listed off his purchases and most of it were things that Sam hadn't even imagined, let alone thought he would ever hands. "If you haven't noticed the bunker isn't really the ideal place for that little kid." Dean continued and unpacked plastic dishes, sippy cups and utensils that looked like spoons but had fork prongs.
A booster seat for at the tables was unpacked and a pair of baby gates leaned against one wall. "I'm going to make you another list, Sam, and I want you to go out and get what I didn't have time for because I had food that needed to get into the refrigerator or freezer."
"We have a freezer?" Sam asked in shock.
"And clearly I'll be doing all the cooking too." Dean shook his head and sighed.
"You usually do all the cooking. You like looking." Sam countered.
"The only reason you eat so healthy is because you don't know how to make anything other than a salad." Dean accused sarcastically.
"All right," Sam said cautiously and watched as parent Dean, a Dean he hadn't seen since he was little, started to shine through his big brother. "No need to get nasty. I don't have any experience and you do. You don't need to rub it in. I will try my best to help, but I'm well aware that I am completely out of my element here."
"All right," Dean echoed with a sigh and a nod as he surveyed the kitchen and was satisfied that the mess in there was well enough in order to proceed. "I can't argue with that. We'll be okay. We can do this." He added and his features softened. "Take me to the library and show me what you've done. Grab one of the baby gates as you go." Dean ordered and Sam obeyed.
Stopping in the entrance to the library Dean sighed to see that, indeed, the tree was standing but un-decorated and some of the stuff Cas had brought was folded, put away, or organized into neater piles on the tables. Also, next to Sam's lap top was a stack of papers that looked like a case.
"Did you catch a case? Are you trying to ditch out on me?" Dean asked furiously.
"No, nothing more than we had been working on before." Sam countered quickly. "These are life hacks on baby proofing."
Dean wanted to bang his head against a table. "Life hacks? Isn't common sense good enough Sammy?"
"It's a big dangerous building, Dean."
"And that's why we're going to limit her access to the space with baby gates." Dean marched to the stairs that lead out of the bunker and placed a gate on the bottom stair. He securing it to the cast iron railing on one side of the stairs and the wall of the other. Then he stepped back and motioned to it. "See, baby proof."
"But what about sharp edges and the marble floors? And you only bought two of these things." Protesting, Sam motioned to the other gate he had been carrying.
"Put it in the entrance to the library and we'll have one space where she will be safe. Anywhere else in the bunker, someone will go with her." Dean said and continued to stare at his brother. "What has got you so clueless Sam?"
"We're hunters, okay, I get that, I've gotten that all my life: I've run away from it, I've come back to it, and I've screwed it all up. This I know, and I'm good at it. But kids? Little people? I was one once and you took care of me, that's the extent of my knowledge. You have experience as a parent. When I was gone you had Lisa and Ben. I've never parented but you're really good at it." Sam explained and then, as he looked around and maybe began to see the dangers in the place, continued. "I really don't have a clue. I don't even know if I want kids or if it's even something I should do if I ever had the opportunity. But we can give this little girl a Christmas to remember. We can protect her here, we can take one Christmas and do it the way everyone else does, and finally have a real Christmas. To do that though, however, you need to be on board because Cas and I are clueless when it comes to children and how to rear them."
"Yeah, you turned out all right I guess," Dean said in defeat, "but you and Cas are proving to be especially useless at this."
"In this particular venture you are the only one with any kind of clue." Sam laughed awkwardly.
"That is a truly terrifying idea, but do you know how I learned and became the baby wrangling master?" Dean asked as he picked up a pile of clothes from one of the tables, "By doing, because you didn't come with a manual Sammy and Dad wasn't around. So I had to figure it out all on my own and I was just a kid at the time too!"
Sam nodded in understanding, "We can do this Dean, we owe it to Cas and all that he's done for us. And to that little girl, after all she's been through, she deserves stability for now."
"All right," Dean sighed, scrubbing his face. "For safeties sake, I think she should sleep in my room. We'll set up one of the military cots and make her a comfortable space. Then we'll make something to eat, for all of us, and after that we'll decorate the tree. I'll take over the efforts from here, you take the minivan and head out to a hardware store. I need about a dozen of those styrofoam pool noodle things, a roll of bubble wrap and probably a few more baby gates."
"... What are the pool noodles for?" Sam asked.
"I'm going to wrap the table legs and sharp corners in this baby death trap with them. Get some duct tape too while you're at it." He ordered in response.
"See, you've got this all under control Dean." Sam laughed and disappeared.
"Sure," Dean said with a shake of his head to no one in particular, and continued with his clean up and baby proofing of the bunker.
When Dean had set up a space in his room, complete with many pink frilly blankets and pillows piled as high as the edge of the cot, he went in search of Cas and the little girl. He found them where he left them, the girl was asleep and Cas was staring, like a creeper, his face filled with wonder and awe.
"She fell asleep again." Cas stated obviously as Dean entered.
Dean hushed him quickly as the little one stirred at the gravely sound of his voice.
"She won't sleep tonight if you let her sleep now." Dean said softly.
"I will occupy her all night if necessary" Cas vowed solemnly.
"That's not the point, Cas. It's not good for her schedule to be messed up. Not that we know what it is, but children need a routine and rules," Dean explained, "and several hours of uninterrupted sleep a night or they can get sick."
"We can't let her get sick!" Cas panicked, jumping out of his seat and rushing forward stopping suddenly to hover over the child. "How should we wake her?" He asked.
"Step aside, watch the master." Dean said as he moved in closer to the child and sat down on the edge of the bed. He laid a hand on her small shoulder and pressed gently. The pressure was comforting but still enough to cause her to stir once more.
"Angel, Honey, it's time to wake up." He said in a calm, soothing voice. The little girl squirmed and squeaked, then opened her eyes.
"Hey there, remember me? We have lots of fun stuff planned while we wait for your parents," Dean said softly as he noticed the uncertainty and insecurity in her eyes, "we're going to take good care of you, I promise, but you have to get up now so we can get going."
Angel sleepily reached out to him and instinctually he picked her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled her cheek to his as he held her tightly.
"Come on Munchkin, time to get up. Are you hungry?" Dean asked cheerily as he stood with the toddler in his arms and carried her out of the room toward the kitchen. Cas followed wordlessly.
"Yes," the word was like a wisp of wind and Dean couldn't have heard it had her little head not been so near his ear. Almost on cue Angel's tummy grumbled.
"It sounds like your tummy thinks so too. And after we eat, we can decorate the Christmas tree with Sammy and Cas, does that sound like fun?" He asked as they moved around the kitchen.
"Ya!" She answered with more enthusiasm.
"But first, what would you like to eat?" Dean asked and this time he moved her so that she wasn't all slumped into him and so he could speak directly to her.
"Hot dogs?" She asked shyly.
"I love hot dogs!" Dean answered with an overly exaggerated and very goofy smile. "Should we have macaroni and cheese too?" He asked the little girl. She nodded her head and smiled for the first time that he had seen.
"That's my girl, you and I are going to get along just fine."
Angel smiled bashfully.
"All right darlin', I'm gonna sit you down right here in this brand new special chair that uncle Dean, I'm uncle Dean, bought just for you. How about you colour a picture while I make dinner? Does that sound like a plan?" He asked as he set her in the booster seat at the kitchen table.
Angel nodded.
"Yes uncle Dean?" He prompted
"Yes uncle Dean." She repeated. The yes was clear but "uncle" got jumbled in her mouth and Dean was more like "Dee" but he decided he didn't mind.
"We can skip the uncle, it just makes me feel old. Dean is just fine with me." He said and smiled.
"Okay Dean." She said with more enthusiasm.
"Awesome!" He said excitedly, "Also I bought this huge brand new box of crayons!" He opened the box and took an exaggerated whiff. "Take a smell of those Angel, don't you just love the smell of fresh crayons?"
Angel giggled as he placed the crayons in front of her face.
"And I bought a few colouring books because I wasn't sure what you like. Now I think I can guess." He said in a teasing tone. "You get to choose between Minions, princesses or Frozen!" He finished with a flourish, fanning out the books in his hand.
"Frozen!" She cheered gleefully.
"I thought so." He said proudly and placed the book before her, "now you get to colouring, I'll make the hot dogs and the mac and cheese. And you can explain the whole concept of art to Cas."
"Yay!" Angel cheered.
"Best day ever, right?" Dean added and clapped his hands and rushed off toward the refrigerator while the little one giggled.
"I've never seen you like this Dean." Cas whispered as he moved in to Dean's space at the counter.
"She's not a demon Cas, I am capable of treating people nicely." Dean said and shifted away from Angel.
"I know," Cas said awkwardly, "but there is a gentleness and grace about you. It's fascinating."
"You were human once, did you forget everything you learned?"
"No, that is why she is here. I couldn't leave her." Cas answered, "and now that I am convinced that you will do well with Angel, I must leave."
"Oh no, you are not ditching me to deal with your problem!"
"I have to keep Ariel and Zuriel to their word and so I must go, just as Sam suggested." Cas stated firmly, "You cannot keep her forever and she will not be another victim of this war. So I will bring her parents home."
"Fine," Dean huffed, "But you better come back and help with her here too!"
"I will be back with updates from the field." Cas vowed.
"You will be back to celebrate Christmas, she will expect you here."
"I am intrigued by the festivities. I will return." He offered as an affirmative statement and walked out of the room.
"Bye!" Angel called after him.
"Good-bye," He said as stuck his head back into the kitchen, "please behave for Sam and Dean until I return."
"Okie dokie." She waved dismissively.
Dean covered up a laugh and watched as Cas left.
Sam returned to find Dean and the little girl curled up on the couch. Angel clung to her blanket and a stuffed pink bunny while Dean read aloud from a book in his hands.
"I'm back." Sam said and dropped the pool toys onto the floor in front of Dean.
"You wanna finish reading this?" Dean asked as he held out the book to his brother, "or shall I?"
"Why do you have to finish? She's already asleep." Sam regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth.
Dean put the book down and moved to shift Angel and then the wailing began. "All right, I'll finish!" Dean said as he picked up the book again. Then, just out of spite, or that's how it felt, Angel snuggled in close and pulled his arm around her. Dean was essentially as trapped as he had ever been, by a cranky toddler.
"All right I get it, you don't mess with story time! You finish here and I'll get Cas to help me."
"Cas left," Dean pointed out unhelpfully, " he said he had to make sure her parents are okay because you suggested it."
"Yes, we do need the parents back but what are we supposed to do in the meantime?"
"Not let the little human die," Dean suggested sarcastically as if it were clearly obvious and it should have been. "And we should plan to avoid the wailing at all costs. Tears are not good. Whimpering is a sign of bad things to come. Crying is an all out disaster."
"Should I be writing this down?"
"If taking notes will help you to turn on your parental instinct, by all means, do that but please let me finish the story." Dean became anxious as the little one in his lap began to squirm and tug at his shirt.
"Okay, I'll head back to the library and wrap table legs in the pool-noodle things." Sam said as he gather the floatation devices up onto his arms and then fled before the wailing began.
"Okay, okay, where were we?" Dean asked as the little girl gave him the most pathetic puppy look he'd ever seen. "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair..." He read and calm was restored to the bunker.
When the story was finished, Dean lead Angel back into the library where Sam was busy with a tangle of Christmas lights. The table legs and other sharp corners and edges were wrapped in Styrofoam, the tree was standing, and Sam looked utterly frustrated.
The Christmas lights were on and Sam looked up with an exasperated look on his face.
"Help me." He mouthed but did not make a sound.
"Should we help Sammy?" Dean asked as the little girl giggled and clung to his pointer finger.
Angel nodded as she looked up, up, up at the giant before her.
"Or we could just decorate Sammy instead." Dean joked.
"No!" Sam protested but Angel giggled and cheered excitedly.
"We'll use you as the angel on top!" Dean hoisted the little one up into the air and plopped her on Sam's shoulders. She wrapped her hands around Sam's head and squealed with glee. "There now the Sammy tree is up. My work here is done," Dean added and mimed wiping his hands as he turned to leave.
"Please help me," Sam sighed as he held onto the little girls legs, still tangled in the flickering lights with panic written all over his face.
"Don't drop her, Sammy." His brother warned un-helpfully.
"I'm trying not to!" Sam said anxiously. "But I'm a little tied up here."
"Hand them over, Sammy," Dean laughed and helped to untangle his brother while Angel stayed perched high above them.
One hour later the tree was lit, the babbles were on it and the angel, not the little girl, was perched on top. The gifts that Cas had gathered from the child's home were placed beneath the tree and Sam, Dean and their holiday charge stood back to admire their work.
"Nicest tree I've ever had," Sam said and smiled at his brother.
"It has been far too long since we've had a proper Christmas tree." Dean agreed.
"Wee!" Angel cried out, and out of the blue she began to run around the library screaming and giggling and babbling to herself.
Sam and Dean stared in shocked disbelief and as the screaming continued they grew more and more concerned.
"Is she possessed?" Sam asked when the child ran at him and rapped her arms around his legs hugging him tightly.
Dean shook his head and shrugged as the child moved from Sam to himself and held her arms out to him.
"Thank you." She said passionately as Dean picked her up and she hugged him. "It's Christmas!"
"Yes it is." Dean's heart melted a little more with every passing moment. "Tomorrow we should go out shopping to get some presents for Sammy." He whispered.
"And you," she mimicked in reply. "And Cas."
Dean smiled, "yes, and Cas."
"Well I think we're finally in order." Sam interrupted as he looked around the room.
"It only took us all day!" Dean laughed.
Angel yawned and cuddled into him more closely.
"I think someone is about ready for bed," Dean said as he swayed with the little one in his arms.
"When is Cas supposed to come back?" Sam asked anxiously.
"Who knows," Dean replied. "He'll be back though. I'm going to put her down. I'll be right back."
Sam nodded his understanding and finally sat down once again with his laptop to continued what he'd started before Cas had arrived and through off the whole day. He could hear Dean over the baby monitor coaxing the child through a routine he was making up as he went.
Dean helped her brush her teeth, get into her pyjamas and hummed Hey Jude as he settled her into bed. Angel was asleep before he knew it and he snuck away, leaving the baby monitor to be his ears.
He found Sam where he'd left him, with the other baby-monitor on the table beside his pile of research.
"She's out." Dean said as he plopped himself into a seat opposite his brother and pushed a beer that he'd grabbed from the kitchen across the table at him.
"So, what's the plan now?" Sam asked seriously.
Dean shook his head and sipped the beer. "I guess we're having a quiet home Christmas this year." he commented and stretched. "What else can we do?"
Sam shrugged. "And what about this?" He asked and turned the laptop around to his brother.
"We can't take a toddler on a hunt." Dean warned his brother. "Just put it out of your mind and let someone else handle it."
"Since when is that our style? We would have been on the road already, chasing this thing down, had Cas not showed up with a curve ball."
"It may not even be a case."
"Since when has that stopped us?" Sam asked.
"If you want to go check it out, go. I'll figure this out myself." Dean grumbled as he motioned to the decorated library and the child things all over the place. "But you're not taking Baby, and you'd better be back for Christmas."
"I'll be back before you know it. It's just two towns over." Sam jumped at the permission.
"Or you could call a couple of other hunters and put them on the scent." Dean offered an alternative to get his brother to stay and help him.
"I will call some and see if they'll lend me a hand but I feel like we committed to this and the sooner it's cleared up the sooner they can get back to their holiday celebrations."
"Fine, go." Dean said as he stood and moved to leave.
"If that little girl wasn't here you would be itching to be out the door." Sam called after him.
"Yeah. Sure. Christmas on the road is just our lifestyle and I'm cool with it but this new responsibility has been dropped in our laps and I seem to be the only one tackling it head on." Dean accused. "But whatever. I've handled vamps and zombies and ghosts on my own. This little girl should be a walk in the park. You just have no clue about parenting, nor do you want to learn, so you're doing to ditch out. Don't pretend that I'm not right and that you want out of this."
"I've never wanted kids," Sam responded with a shake of his head. "But you have and you'll do great. And I'll be back as soon as this is under control. I just feel obligated to check it out."
"Famous last works, Sam." Dean said with another shake of his head. "You better get a move on." He added with a sigh and left his brother to leave him alone with a toddler.