Title: The Swap
Rated for: T
Genre: Family, Friendship, Adventure,
Fandom/Universe: Supernatural
Characters: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Bobby Singer, Castiel / Pastor Jim, Mary Campbell, Samuel Campbell, Deana Campbell, Christian Campbell, Mark Campbell, Gwen Campbell, Henry Winchester, John Winchester, Adam Milligan, OC's - Diana & Samantha Winchester.
Pairings: NONE
Spoilers/Warning: Mentions or info of some episodes through all 8 seasons. This chapter is taking place in S7.
Disclaimer: Supernatural and all related characters are copyright Eric Kripke, Kripke Enterprises & The CW Network. No infringement intended. Good Omens and all related characters belong to Neil Gainmann and Terry Prachett. No infringement intended.
Summary: They were looking into a forbidden hunt – as per usual.
Status: in-Progress
Author's Note: Figured I would throw in some friends and get another chapter posted before this year come to a close and I'm still where I left off. the Plan is to complete this fic before the year is through, lol. Good luck to me!
Chapter: Legacy
The strained relationship between Father and son is the one regret Henry would desire to change before his final breath. John's rebellion- enlisting being the last straw-, marrying into a Hunter family… all of it, Henry had accepted but where he draws the line was 'accepting' John's refusal to join the Men of Letters. After years of training, teaching- he didn't understand why? Why turn away from 'the family business' as his son disparagingly terms it. They save lives, granted, they don't actually personally save those lives but that's what Hunters are for. The Men Of Letters pass on the knowledge and Hunters do the heavy lifting. Each sticks to what they are good at and that's how it has always been.
The book in front of him goes ignored. He isn't the only one in the library of the bunker-his turn yet again to keep watch. He thinks back on those strained holidays-which wouldn't have happened if Mary hadn't insisted he be there. The sullen silence from John didn't matter much when Samantha and Diana took up all his attention, demanding stories Henry well knew were reason enough for John to fume. Mary never denied their 'calling', hers or John's. The fact it never changed may have been the reason John-
"Winchester."
Henry looks up, brow furrowing with the sight of Hunters walking into the bunker even though its not unusual it just doesn't happen often- the reason they hadn't knocked shows itself a moment later. Without the usual exuberance and that brings Henry to his feet quicker than the stranger in their midst. A stranger that keeps drawing Henry's eye because there's something about the mop of dark hair…
"I don't think I'll like what this 'visit' means."
"That depends." Bobby gruffs, flicking at his faded cap and glancing at the young man towering at his side.
"Samantha…" Henry glances to where his granddaughter has stopped short on the opposite side of the table. She's keeping her distance and that's unusual.
Sammy sighs, her eyes drifting up to the ceiling and the beautiful art deco designs carefully preserved. The bunker is their second home; she's spent about as much time here as she has with Mary and the Campbell's at their compound.
"I lost Diana."
W
He wonders if Sam is doing okay? He wonders why it's Sam who gets to go play in the nice sand box while he is left to pick the shit out of theirs? And then he feels bad for wishing it had been him instead of Sam. But then, Dean has always put Sam first- most of the time anyway- every single time that actually mattered, when it counted and Dean takes the krap that comes of it. He stares at the plain gray ceiling, digs his shoulders into the mattress and wiggles himself into a sort of comfortable position but that stab of guilt won't leave him alone because Sam is lost somewhere in the better version of their lives.
"Can't sleep?" Diana walks in without bothering to knock at his door. "Figures." She strides across the room in her flannel pajama pants and black tank top, her hair threaded into a braid that hangs past her hips. "Scooch it, dude." She smacks his legs hard as she orders and plops on the foot of his bed.
"What the hell…" Dean scowls pulling his leg out of her reach and scooting up on the bed so he sits with his back against the headboard. "No one taught you-."
"How to knock?" Diana finishes with him. She smirks. "Some manners just," she shrugs her shoulder carelessly. "Slip my mind at times."
Dean snorts, eyes narrowing but the smile on her face is a bit strained. He knows she gets a kick out of messing with him- of course it still creeps him out, the resemblance to Sam and then himself… its just too damn weird no matter what.
"You remind me of my sister." Diana says into the silence that stretches between them. "And me. Sometimes."
"It screws with my head too." Dean assures. He leans forward, resting his arm on his raised knee. "You're going home, Diana. We'll figure this out- find the witchling, whatever."
Diana chuckles. "Dude," she shakes her head like he's making lame ass jokes. "Can we stop pretending now?"
Dean frowns, sits back like the extra space will offer him some sort of protection from the weirdo girl version of himself.
"This," she circles a finger at her face. "Is a big fat open book and we both know it."
"Doesn't mean I'm not getting you home." Dean gruffs with something like defensiveness coloring his tone and in his expression.
"Doesn't mean I can't see your bullshit." Diana sighs. She flops sideways across the foot of the bed and stares at the ceiling. "Brother." She sort of smiles, her eyes sliding towards him. "I used to want one. A brother…" she looks away, but Diana is right. Dean can still read her expression.
"Adam…" he clears his throat and just stares at the alternate version of himself- which is weird enough.
"Adam." Diana breathes softly. "I haven't spoken to him since I broke his arm."
"You what?!" Dean exclaims. It barely draws her attention.
"Its not like I was trying to kill him." She shrugs again- he notices she does it a lot, especially when she is uncomfortable with a topic.
"I think you better start from the beginning." Dean orders in his best big-brother voice. Diana doesn't seem affected by it but she does tell him about the last attempt either girl made at babysitting their half-brother who seemed to get a kick out sneaking away from them.
"He got caught in the rope, bent his arm the wrong way and the fall didn't help but he was screaming bloody murder and I panicked." She glances at Dean where he sits listening to her story. "Cut him down and dropped him on that arm. It snapped clean. He passed out… his Mom was at the emergency room. Late shift, which is why we'd volunteered to babysit."
"Where was Dad?" Dean cuts in.
"Working." Diana frowns. "Always working. Looking for his next toy. Another car to restore and auction off… He did it to piss off Pop."
"Henry?" Dean frowns. "Wait, Dad restores cars?" its so far out of the norm for the man Dean knows. Maybe at one time, before the supernatural tore their lives apart, that had been something John Winchester would have done…
"He doesn't Hunt." Diana scoffs rolling onto her side to face him. "He's done everything to deny his legacy- he would've kept us from becoming Women of Letters but Mom gave us a choice. If it wasn't for her, we'd never have met Pop or learned anything. She gave us a chance to be ourselves- whatever we chose."
He nods, like its exactly what his Mom would do though he can barely remember the woman that gave him life.
"I think… I think she'd be proud of you." Diana's soft voice draws his eyes to hers. "She's real big on taking care of your sibling."
"Yeah," Dean cracks a smile. "So was Dad."
W
Sam spends most of his day in the library with Henry, Pastor Jim and sometimes Bobby. He hasn't seen Samantha since she got scolded for taking a book that was never supposed to leave the Bunker in the first place and then for going on a Hunt that Diana had been smart enough to know wasn't good for them and yet dumb enough to go along with her sister. That's when Sam saw the similarity- partially.
"Any luck?"
Sam turns quickly, a smile on his face seeing Samantha framed in the doorway of the archives room he's found a bit more interesting. And quiet.
"Yeah, nice to see me too." Samantha waves aside his unspoken reply and strides towards him. "Lets get to the part where you tell me how I'm sending you back to where you belong."
"Uh," Sam stammers, a little annoyed by her attitude. "No luck."
"It's been a week!" Samantha exclaims throwing her arms up. "How the hell don't you have an answer yet?"
"Language, Samantha Winchester."
"Son of …" Samantha bites her lip cursing under her voice and glaring up at Sam. "You saw him, didn't you?" she hisses.
"How is it my fault?" Sam demands frowning.
"Your Mother -."
"Is going to scold me. Yes, but I really don't care anymore. I just want to get Diana back." Samantha rattled off quickly. She doesn't wait for what either of them has to say and hurries out of the room.
"Wait!" Sam calls after her. He ignores Pastor Jim leaving him in the archive room alone.
"Lord," Pastor Jim breathes. "Please help them."
W
"He's calling for you." A slim, pale finger lightly brushes at the silk jacket, removing imaginary lint. Not that it would dare settle on his person let alone his suit.
"Who is?" Aziraphale looks up from his book, blinking his fallen friend into focus.
"The mortal." Crowley says with a finger pointed to the empty tea pot. "Its empty. Again."
"It's a simple thing to fill it with some water and put it to boil." Aziraphale points out. But he gets up and takes the pot the stove, preparing for another pot of tea.
"How they still pray to HIM is … adorable. Do they even know HE's not listening at the moment?" Crowley picks at the scone on the plate, crumbling it between his fingers.
"Our Father listens to all prayers." Azirapahel states with confidence.
"But when did you see HIM?" Crowley pounces.
"I…" Aziraphale frowns, his eyes straying to the window and the view of London. "There's a reason for all of this, Crowley. We aren't to interfere with the ineffable plan." He assures turning his back to the window.
"We never do, my friend." Crowley assures but his smile makes Aziraphale uncomfortable.
"No, Crowley." Aziraphale warns but the smile on the demons face only grows. "NO." he tries again, more sternly but without his flaming sword there's a decided lack of … 'umph'.
"A nudge won't hurt anyone." Crowley promises. "They'll still have to make their own choices. It's not anything we haven't done before, my friend."
Aziraphale shakes his head. "That was different."
W
Diana is focused on breathing and keeping her balance. Something she's not usually able to accomplish in the Bunker because of its constant traffic. But it's only been Dean and her the past week…
Dean drops his plate of food, choking on the bite of his burrito seeing Diana doing a handstand on the railing overlooking the main room of the Bunker. He gags, smacking at his chest and running towards the staircase when she starts leaning the wrong way.
"Oh krap!" Diana exclaims as she goes over the wrong side trying not to kick her feet and still keep her grip on the railing. "Shit!" she's only got one hand- a finger grip really-
"Diana!" Dean trips on the fourth step from the top landing, cursing the pain as his shin impacts with the floor and hauls himself to the top using the railing.
"I swear!" she scrambles for the railing. "Dean, you dumb as-!" Diana makes a last ditch effort to grab at something but her fingers just grab at air.
"NO!" Dean leans over the side not at all ready to see the mess she's going to paint on the marble floors, his heart caught in his throat … "Cas?"
"You should be more careful." Castiel states. His blue eyes drift from Diana's hazel up to Dean's green and back.
"Talk to your friend up there with the big mouth." Diana points at Dean with a huff and slight glare at her other-me.
"Me?" Dean scowls down at them. Diana looking quite comfortable in the angel's arms. "Put her down!" he orders with a finger pointed at the angel.
"Why?" Diana wraps her arm around Castiel's shoulders, frowning up at Dean. "He caught me fair and square." And she can see right away by the tightening of his lips that it's working; annoying him.
"Now." Dean pushes away from the railing and starts down the stairs. "What the hell are you doing up here?" he demands stomping down the marble steps. "You almost made a Van Gogh on the floor." He snaps.
"Ooh, you finally reading up on art, Dean?" Diana teases. She's heard about Sam and his almost Stanford education but it was like pulling teeth with Dean and then complete shut down any time Diana tries to get Dean to talk about himself without linking himself to Sam in some way. "He lost the last 3 sparring matches." She tells Castiel whose eyes jump back and forth between them.
"I am aware." Castiel states.
Dean's eyes narrow at the implication the angel has been around spying on them even though Diana says the Bunker is warded against all supernatural things.
Castiel turns to Dean who hasn't stopped glaring at them. "You are wasting time. Sam must return-."
"Put her down." Dean interrupts.
Castiel does so; seemingly having forgotten that he was still holding Diana in his arms. "You should be careful." He tells her before turning to Dean.
"Whoa," Diana protests. "I was careful. Its Dean's fault!"
"My fault!?" Dean exclaims. "Did I put you up there?"
"Did you have to make such a racket?" Diana retorts with her hands on her hips.
"I -!"
"Enough." Castiel calls with his 'wrathful' tone. Both Winchesters quiet down and turn to him. "That is better."
"Angel or not, Cassie." Diana narrows her eyes on him. "I don't like being ordered. You want me to do something? All you have to do is ask me."
Dean scoffs, rolling his eyes. From his experience with his other-me, asking Diana to do anything she doesn't want to do or feels like doing only earns a lot of sass and lip.
"You're gonna eat marble, Dean." Diana promises and she's already come through twice so he knows it's not an idle threat.
"You fight dirty." Dean states, he's embarrassed a 'girl' beat him in a fight and its little consolation that said girl is him from another reality- she's still a girl!
"Duh." Diana rolls her eyes. She turns to Castiel. "How else are you supposed to stay alive when the other dude's bigger than you are?"
"She is correct." Castiel agrees much to Dean's displeasure.
"Did you drop in for something?" Dean demands.
"Yes." Castiel answers.
Both Winchesters stand waiting to hear what that reason is but Castiel doesn't seem to be in a hurry to spill the beans.
"And?" Diana prompts when Cas looks comfortable just standing with them.
"The Leviathans are planning something."
W