Three Men, an Angel and a Teenager

Chapter 4

"So Cas a kid huh?" Dean said as he put the Impala into drive and pulled out of the parking lot.

"So it would appear."

"She seems like a really cool kid Cas, it looks like you and her mom have done a good job with her." He pressed, hoping to get his friend to open up about how this was affecting him. To go from being a warrior for God in the midst of a Civil War to a dad of a teenager in the space of a few short hours had to be confusing for him, if it was him he'd be freaking out.

"Yes, she appears to be very...cool."

"Cas, come on man, aren't you freaking out, a teenage angel does a Marty Mcfly and goes all Back to the Future and-"

"I do not understand that reference Dean." Castiel interrupted, a look of confusion marring his features, before he added quietly "I am conflicted."

"Conflicted?"

"It is one of the most sacred laws of Heaven. Angels are forbidden to produce a child with a human woman. The punishment of doing so is severe; the angel stripped of its grace and forced to become human living out our existence here on Earth. The child would be banished to the pit."

"I sense a but."

"Mary has been allowed to live, to grow to maturity. I have felt her grace; it is untainted she is as she has claimed a unique being, a blessing from Father..." trailing off, Castiel turned to Dean his gaze serious "she is not safe here."

"Not safe?"

"In her time, Mary is accepted but here she is nothing more than an abomination, the angels will smite her without thought, with Heaven in such turmoil Raphael will attempt to use her as a pawn to undermine all I am attempting to achieve."

Remembering Castiel's comments in the motel room he asked "So what happened with Raphael?"

Castiel looked at Dean, the intensity in his blue eyes increasing as he too recalled the incident in the field, reminding him that he still needed to deal with Mary's reckless actions "Mary was duplicitous and ordered him to return to Heaven."

"What! How the freaking hell did she do that, she's just a kid why didn't he just kick her butt and send her back to bible camp?"

"Mary is ...different she is powerful, more powerful than an offspring from an angel of my power and a human should be. She was able to conceal her humanity, to project the power of an Archangel, Raphael seemed to know her...I have many questions for Mary."

"Damn straight" Dean responded, as he turned into the diner car park and pulled the Impala to a stop. Turning in his seat he looked straight at Castiel "Cas, can you stay?"

He watched as Castiel tilted his head, appearing to listen intently "Things are quiet, Raphael has called back his followers. The threat of another Archangels return to Heaven has caused him pause. I can stay for now."

Raising an eyebrow in disbelief "She did that?"

"Yes she did"

"Right, let's get the food and have us a little chat with baby Cas"

Dean got out of the Impala, his strides long as he walked quickly into the diner and gave his food order to the waitress. Glancing out of the window he looked back at the car to where Cas was still sitting in the passenger seat. There was vulnerability about the angel that he didn't like; Cas was clearly confused with the recent developments Hell who could blame him Dean only hoped that Mary's explanation brought peace to his friend.

"There you go sweetie" the waitress said as she handed him the bags of food.

"Thanks sweetheart" Dean said as took the bags of food and left the diner and made his way back to the car.

The drive back to the motel was done in silence Castiel staring out of the window lost in thought. Dean decided that there was probably nothing more to be said until they could get the full story out of Mary so left his friend alone for the time being.

"Honey we're home" Dean called as they walked back into the room. He glanced between Sam and Mary, noticing the obvious tension between them. Mary was sitting cross-legged on the bed her shoulders slumped dejectedly as she stared at something in her hand; Sam was still at the table on his laptop, his posture tense as he worked.

"Okay, what's going on?" Dean asked, his question directed at Sam.

Sam looked up briefly, eyebrow raised as he met Dean's gaze "It seems that Mary's mom is our sister."

Dean blinked his face frozen as he processed Sam's statement "Sister?" he said softly, his body tensed as he turned to look at Mary "Is this some sort of a joke Mary? cos I gotta say I'm failing to get the punch line."

Mary raised her eyes to her Uncle Dean, who was now looking at her like she had grown another head. She could feel the tears well up and spill over, as she replied "I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything to Uncle Sammy, it's just..." trailing off with a sigh "I'm sorry..."

She lowered her eyes not knowing how to proceed, she knew that they didn't remember her mom; her grandpa Winchester had hidden her away when she was only a little girl. Nothing she could say would convince them that she was telling the truth. Trembling she stood up and crossed the room to stand in front of her Uncle, who was looking at her with a look utter disbelief on his face. She glanced at her dad, his expression unreadable as he stared at her intently.

Handing him the photo of Sam and her mom "I know that it's hard to believe, but I am telling the truth. My mom is your sister and Uncle Sammy's twin. It's a very long story, and not really mine to tell. Everything here is different... something, someone has altered the timeline, Uncle Gabe was supposed to put it right."

"Wait the Archangel Gabriel! The Trickster?" Dean asked, stunned as he looked at the photo of Sam, his arms wrapped around a young brunette a look of complete and utter happiness on their faces as they smiled widely at the camera. He felt something clench deep in his gut as he looked at the photo, he didn't recognise the young woman, but Sam was happy, happier than he could remember having seen him in a long time.

"That picture was taken the summer after mom pulled Uncle Sam from Hell..." Mary said softly as she watched a flash of emotions pass over Dean's face.

"Pulled him from Hell?"

"Yeah."

Dean ran a hand over his face and turned to Castiel "Cas, any of this making sense to you?"

Castiel inclined his head for a moment, his gaze travelling quickly between Dean and Mary "I believe that I know why the timeline has been altered."

"Well, care to enlighten us Cas?"

"Gabriel came to me one day not long after we trapped him in the ring of Holy fire, told me how he had arranged for the one person who could stop Sam from saying yes to be taken away, said that we would need her."

"You never told me about this Cas." Dean said, his eyes shining with disbelief.

"No I believed that Gabriel was lying, that this was another of his tricks. I didn't do as he requested." Castiel replied his gaze searching out and meeting the eyes of his daughter, if what she said was true, he was responsible for altering the timeline.

"and what was that Cas?"

"He wanted me to travel to the past to a time prior to your father's death and have him write a letter to be sent to your sister in five years time. He didn't give me any details"

"Why not?"

"Because I punched him and left, I never saw him again."

"So you're saying that Gabriel told you that we had a sister and you didn't think to tell me" Dean said slowly, his mind reeling as he stared at his friend, how could he not tell me? He thought

Castiel watched the confused expression pass over Dean's face "I'm sorry Dean, it is as I said, I believed Gabriel to be deceiving me." He responded "Perhaps we should hear Mary's story from the beginning if we are to determine how to restore the timeline and send Mary home."

"Yeah." Dean responded with a sigh, he needed to hear everything. Crossing the room he sat down at the table opposite Sam; then turned to look at Mary who had not moved from her spot in the centre of the room.

"Mary?"

"I'm sorry I can't" she responded, her voice trembling as she looked at him, her eyes darting to where the soulless version of her Uncle Sam was sitting. She couldn't help it; there was something so wrong with him, she could feel a coldness roll off of him as he just sat there. He may be appearing to look interested, but she knew that it was an act. She could see the dark void where his soul should be, his words and actions whilst her dad and Uncle Dean had been at the diner had shown her that he really didn't care and that scared her.

"Why not?" Dean asked, not missing the uncomfortable glance she sent in Sam's direction. He wondered just what Sam had said to her whilst him and Cas had been at the diner.

"Um..." Mary didn't know how to respond, how could she tell him that she couldn't stand being in the same room as Sam, how she didn't believe that he was really her uncle.

Castiel watched as Mary underwent an internal struggle, as a flash of fear crossed her face when she looked from Dean to Sam. Something had occurred between. He stalked across the room and stood directly in front of Sam.

"What did you do?" he growled quietly, his blue eyes flashing dangerously as he loomed over the younger man.

"What!" Sam said, as he stared at Castiel, unconsciously leaning away from the angel who looked like he wanted to smite him "I haven't done anything."

"Cas man, what the hell!" Dean said as he stood quickly and stepped around the table to lay a hand on his friends shoulder. He realised that Cas had picked up on Mary's discomfort around Sam and his protective instincts were kicking in. It didn't matter that Mary could probably kick Sam's T1000 ass, she was his kid and dads didn't like people messing with their daughters.

"Dad no!" Mary called startled by the sudden aggression emanating from him "It's not his fault."

"What did he do Mary?" Castiel said his eyes never leaving Sam.

"He didn't do anything; he's just not my Uncle Sam ...he just feels wrong." She replied, before turning to Dean "I'm sorry."

Dean's heart sank as he realised that Mary was confirming his worst fear, that Sam was not really Sammy and he wouldn't be until they got his soul back. "Mary ..."

Standing, Sam pushed past Castiel and grabbed his jacket "I'll go for a walk; let you three talk it out. Call me when you're done."

The trio in the room watched as Sam walked out of the motel room, closing the door firmly behind him.

"Right Mary I'll take that explanation now." Dean said as he once again sat down.

Mary crossed the room and sat down opposite Dean and waited until her dad had sat down beside her uncle. Taking a deep breath she looked at two of the most important people in her life "My name is Mary Diane Winchester, I'm eighteen, and my mom is Haley Winchester and my dad the angel Castiel. I'm from the year 2038, we live in Sioux Falls-"

"My mom is Sam's twin. When they were eight Uncle Gabriel told my Grandpa Winchester that my mom was in danger that she was a major part of a prophecy. He convinced him to take her away and gave him a pendent to shield her from creation. For twenty years my mom was separated from her family, until she received a letter from Grandpa Winchester telling her that she had to return to the US to help her brothers. When she got here she found out that Uncle Sam was in Hell and Uncle Dean wasn't trying to get him out." Looking over at her Uncle, Mary grinned and said "From what you told me, you pissed her off big time. You didn't believe her, kicked her out of Lisa's and got put on your ass for the trouble. Then you called on dad he told you that it was true, that Gabriel had told sent him to the past to convince your dad to write the letter. The key was the pendent; as soon as it was removed your memories of her came back. Then both of you pulled Sam from Hell, her link to Sam allowed dad to send her soul into hell and the connection that you shared as siblings pulled them both back."

"You're saying that my dad sent away our sister, then she comes back into my life and I sent her into hell to drag Sammy out of the cage?" Dean asked incredulously. Mary's story was so fantastic that he had trouble believing what she said, but looking down at the photo in his hands he knew that there was something there a little sister he thought his mind reeling.

"Yeah, you didn't really have a choice, mom is a Winchester through and through, and you couldn't have stopped her." Mary replied softly, she wasn't sure that she should be telling them this, but she didn't know what else to do.

"and I let my sister hook up with Cas?"

"Let wouldn't be the word I'd use, but ... that's not a story I'm going to tell and besides it's not going to happen that way now" she said quietly, her eyes lowered to the table.

Dean sat for a moment, processing Mary's words. In her future he had a sister, a soulful Sam, a home, an angel for a brother in law and a half angel for a niece. He glanced over at Castiel who was simply watching Mary with an unreadable stare, she hadn't really told them anything that would clear up the angels confusion over breaking Heaven's rules. "Mary you said that Cas hadn't broken Heaven's rules by hooking up with your mom."

"No" she replied glancing over at her dad "you didn't get together until after Father gave his blessing. My birth was unexpected and unplanned, you were never to have children for fear that a nephalim would be born, were very careful but ..." Mary said, blushing slightly, what child wants to comment on her parents love life "Father blessed them for their faithfulness and I was born."

Castiel listened intently as Mary spoke, her words bringing reassurance that he had not committed a serious crime in the future, that he hadn't fallen so far from grace. He looked at Mary and saw within her the truth of her words, she was definitely his daughter and she needed his help to get home. "Mary, you have an archangel's sword. You are more powerful than you should be?"

Mary looked at her dad, her eyes widening as realised the one thing that she couldn't tell him "I am as Father wished me to be dad. We don't really know why he made me as powerful as I am or as I will be. My powers haven't fully matured, but I'm sure his reasoning will revealed when he is ready. As for the sword, a gift from Father on my sixteenth birthday, it just appeared with my other gifts."

"There is more that you are not telling me?"

"Yes." she replied softly, her blue eyes imploring him to not question her further.

Castiel understood that with every word Mary was revealing events which had yet to occur and by omitting certain things she was attempting to protect her timeline as best she could "I understand."

"Well I'm glad that you do." Dean said as he stood up and crossed the room. Picking up the bottle of scotch he poured another glass and took a long swallow, before retaking his seat at the table "you called me DeeDee?"

"Yeah, when I was little I couldn't say Dean so I called you DeeDee. It kind of stuck." Mary said with a grin, her eyes lighting up with laughter as she recalled running around the salvage yard calling for DeeDee.

"So we're close?"

"Oh yeah, really close." Mary replied as she reached into her back pocket and pulled out the key her uncle had given her only a few hours before and placed it on the table.

Dean looked down at the key, before raising his incredulous gaze to Mary's sparkling blue gaze and asking "Why the freaking hell do you have the key to the Impala?"

"Because you gave her to me three hours ago as a gift to take to Stanford, you said "Can't have my favourite baby girl go off to normal without my other baby to look after her now could I?""

"I said that?"

"Yeah"

Dean looked at Castiel and said "She's not lying is she?"

"She is not."

"Well hell!" he cursed softly, his gaze passing between both angels "So what now?"

Mary looked from her dad to her uncle, her eyes luminous as she said "I guess we find my mom."

TBC

A/N Thanks for reading please review.