Title: A Hunters' Christmas
Author: BlazeorFade
Rating: T
Summary: A Hunters Christmas one-shot. Extended Epilogue of Dare To Dream.
Disclaimer: I own Jack, that's why I get to dress her as Santa's little Elf for Christmas.
"You are such a pain in my ass." Dean said flicking soda at Jack with his straw. Next to it is a half full beer bottle.
"You wish I was a pain in your ass." Jack retorted stealing another fry form his plate.
"I want more." She said gesturing for the passing waitress.
"More? What the hell?" John massaged his temples. It was getting later and later and now the four of them were the only patrons left in the open all day everyday diner. He had a sneaking suspicion that if they would just leave the few employees left would get to go home early.
But alas, Sam, Dean and Jack were making up for lost eating time and running his phony credit card into the ground while doing it.
"I'm getting another drink." He said with a sigh. John wasn't worried about getting drunk, being off his game. The restaurant's bar watered down the alcohol.
John looked across the restaurant at his family. They'd gotten their fair share of stares since walking through those doors. Then there was Sam and his 'Pen cap of Terror'. John chuckled, gesturing to the glowering bartender. He held up his shot glass and held up three fingers, nodding his thanks when the young man poured it out.
"And three beers at our table." John said, leaving the guy.
A tired silence had fallen over the table in his absence, the food had yet to arrive and as had become common in the days since the Dream, Jack, Sam and Dean seemed to have closed off from one another and him. That worried him, making him wonder how far gone the young hunters really were, how deep the hurt went. He didn't know how to handle these lapses.
They did.
Dean rolled up his sleeve and pointed to a hook shaped scar on the inside of his elbow.
"Poltergeist when I was fifteen, threw me into a wall with an exposed nail." Dean said. "I had to get a tetanus shot right after. Think that hurt more than the fall. Hottest fuckin nurse though."
Sam rolled his eyes, it was on now. He reached down on hauled his injured leg up on the table. Sam rolled his jeans up to his knee, disregarding the fresh stitches to point at a quarter sized knot of scar tissue right above his knee. "First year at Stanford, a warlock living right on campus, he was a pre-med student there. Guy was using a lust spell on young girls."
"You never told me you went hunting there." Dean said with a brief look of hurt, totally defeating the purpose of the game.
"It was only the one time." Sam said by way of apology.
"I got this bitch," Jack said to break the tension. She tugged down the collar of her short sleeve hoodie and pushed down the long sleeve shirt underneath to reveal a thin slash above her collar bone. "Shape shifter in Boston."
"That's nothing." Dean said after an appraising look both at Sam's still exposed leg and Jack's scar.
"Got this one grappling with a Sidhe three years ago." Dean said turning around to pull up his shirt enough to see a fist sized old burn.
"I can top that. Remember that skin walker when we were kids?" Sam asked. He lifted his hair up in the back to show the puckered reminder of violence long past.
"Sonuvabitch got his though." John said. Dean nodded enthusiastically.
"Like to give him a piece right now." Jack said wrinkling her nose. "But I'm afraid I can still top both of you in my sleep,"
John sat back, sipping at his beer as he watched the three show their Medals of Honor, telling war stories.
Jack pulled off her ever present bracelets and leather cuff, revealing the deep gnarled scarred wrists.
"You said you'd tell that story one day." Sam said remembering Tuscon.
"Okay, so me and Chris are staying in Atlanta for a few months, nose to ground, while I finish up school," Jack started. "And these girls in my class started going MIA, I knew one of 'em so I looked around."
"And?" Dean asked leaning forward as she took another drink.
"And this witch is pulling an Elizabeth Bathery. Full on too." Jack said shaking her head. "Crazy bitch. So anyways, I poked too close and she caught me, chloroformed my ass."
"She got the drop on you?" Dean asked raising an eyebrow.
"I plead the fifth." Jack replied. "Don't interrupt me though."
"She had this rig up, where she'd bleed ya, over a tub. Bard wire handcuffs." Jack took another gulp tracing the lines.
"How long did she have you?" Sam asked.
"A week. I was fifteen and stupid though, so it aint my fault." Jack defended.
"Chris must;ve been going crazy." Sam stated.
"Oh yeah, when he found me, he was ballistic. Cut me loose and got me the hell outa Dodge." Jack said with a proud look.
"What happened to the witch?" John asked.
"Chris went back and she just disappeared. He never did tell me what he did." Jack said. It was obvious to her though. Chris had killed the woman. She loved him more than anything, but Christopher Fontenot was not someone to be fucked with or taken lightly.
"Jack wins." Sam said raising his beer to their comrade.
"This round. Too tired to strip down and t ally the rest of my victories." Dean added with a smirk.
"I don't think they'd like you to do that.: Sam said gesturing to the employees.
"Hell, they hate our guts anyway. They can't go home until we do." Jack said.
"You wanna go?" Dean asked.
"No." Sam said. Jack shook her head.
"Waitress another round." John said.
The woman glared daggers at them and reached under the bar top for something.
She came back with a sign stating they reserved the right not to serve certain customers, "Merry Christmas." She said setting it down.
"She's subtle." Jack said.
"C'mon, they probably have families to go to, lets settle the bill and go." Sam reasoned.
"Yeah." The others agreed.
"You guys go out, I'll settle up, meet you at the car." John said pulling out a new credit card that had come just a couple days before.
The name, Dean's idea of a joke, read Nick Saint.
Outside the snow was falling softly, more wet drops than flakes.
"This was kinda nice." Sam said, walking slowly out to the Impala.
"Yeah." Dean agreed, bumping Jack's shoulder with his own. She returned the gesture, hands shoved in her pockets.
Cash was a no-go, all of it spent on supplies and getting each other gifts with the stolen cards had felt wrong somehow. Jack for her part, couldn't care less about that stuff. This was the first time in a long time she had somewhere to be and someone to be with during the holidays. That was more than enough. Sam sneezed just a droplet landed on his nose.
"That's what you get for poking me." Dean said accusingly.
"Oh yeah, your evil plan for making me sick is working so well." Sam sniffled.
"Power of will, soon you'll be in bed, bitching for your chicken noodle soup." Dean promised.
"Nu-uh." Sam said.
"Yes, you are the whiniest sick person. I swear." Dean said.
"Cause you're a barrel of laughs when you're sick." Jack said wickedly. She ducked behind Sam as Dean reached for her.
"That's right you better hide, traitor." Dean warned.
"Psychic solidarity." Jack said, peeking from behind her human shield. "Its always the macho ones that are the boggest babies when they're sick."
Dean feigned left and dove right, grabbing Jack's arm. He hauled her from behind Sam, who wasn't showing much Psychic Solidarity laughing as Dean threw Jack over his shoulder.
"What was that bitch?" Dean asked.
"You're a little girl when you're sick." Jack said kicking to try and get out of his hold.
"Let me go!"
"Alright." Dean let go and she tumbled to the ground, barely catching herself in time.
"Oh, you are so dead." Jack said crouched in a slushy puddle.
"Can't catch me." Dean taunted. He took off for the last few feet to the car, knowing full well Jack couldn't run.
"He's such sneaky son of a-!" Jack picked herself up limp trotting towards the car.
"I could have told you that." Sam called following suit.
"Dean open the door." Jack said when she pulled on the handle to find it locked.
"Can't hear you, the music's too loud." Dean said reaching for his keys to turn on the radio as high as it would go.
"Looking for these?" Sam asked holding up the car keys. He shook them with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
"That's m'boy!" Jack whooped.
"Damnit all!" Dean swore watching Sam unlock the door. Rat bastard sneak.
"What were you saying, bitch?" Jack asked as she dove right for him. She pulled her wet jacket off and rung out the wetness from her fall onto him.
"That's cold!" Dean exclaimed. He backed away from her till he had no more car to back into.
"That's kinda the point." Sam said. He came around the other side and faster than Dean could track he caught his hands over his head so Jack could get her revenge. She wrung any water she could onto Dean's head while he tried to buck her off, trying not to laugh.
"What t he hell are you doing?" John asked happening onto the scene. The three froze and turned to look at the impatient, annoyed hunter.
"Um." Dean said.
"These are the crack hunters I've been telling people about." John muttered under his breath.
"What dad?" Sam asked.
"Nothing, get in the car and lets get back." John said shaking his head.
"You know you love us Johnny." Jack said getting off of Dean. Sam let go grudgingly.
"Don't call me that." John told her.
"How bout John-boy? Papa J?" Jack continued.
"You want to die, don't you?" John dead panned.
"Gonna kick both your asses later." Dean promised snatching his keys from the door.
"It was worth it." Sam said.
"Merry Christmas to you too." Dean huffed.
"Its almost midnight." Jack pointed out.
"Still counts as Christmas though." Dean, in his infinite wisdom, told her.
"Lets go home and get drunk." She said with an official nod.
"I second that." Jophn stepped into his car while the kids piled into the Impala.
"Its cause I'm so smart." Jack said.
"Must be such a burden, being so farseeing." Sam said dryly.
"Its a gift and a curse. Like my good looks and winning personality." Jack said with a sigh.
"And oversized ego." Sam said.
"Keep your eyes off my ego, pervert." Jack said punching his shoulder form t he backseat.
"Felony." Dean said just to rub at Sam even more.
"I feel sorry for you Sam." John said, "I do."
"You wanna take them?" Sam asked hopefully.
"Hell no." John replied closing his car door. He started the engine, letting it heat up before pulling our of the parking lot behind the Chevy.
As he was driving he noticed someone was writing it the foggy back windshield in Dean's car.
The words, Merry X-Mas appeared in the window, dissipating as soon as they were written.
Then, Sammy is a redheaded woman.
Yup, this was the crack team, that struck fear into the hearts of evil everywhere.
-FIN
AN: MERRY CHRISTMAS!