Chapter 13 – Merry Christmas everybody!

Once again, Samuel Winchester woke up drenched in sweat and it did take long for him to question his sanity. Wearing nothing but a t-shirt and gym shorts, Samuel Winchester left the room and followed the smell of oranges. He found Marie laughing about what Castiel was telling her and him with the hugest smile in the world mixing the dough of something while Marie finished one of the four pies that were waiting for their turn to go to the oven.

"Hello, Sam." She said when she saw him in the kitchen's entrance, with the same smile she always greeted him with. Teeth showing, eyes sparkling, she always looked like a teenager in love when she saw him.

"Hi." He said, walking towards her, hugging her from behind and kissing her on the cheek. "You got the angel cooking."

"Yes I did." She replied. "Is something wrong?" She whispered.

"No, nothing's wrong, why?"

"You don't seem fully rested. Did you have a bad dream?"

"Yeah, but it's fine."

"Are you sure, baby? You can sleep in a little more, if you want to, in order to rest your mind a little."

"I'm sure."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, there's no need."

"Do you want me to toast you some bread and warm you a glass of milk, or make some coffee?"

"No, I got it, just keep cooking."

And so she did. At thirty minutes pass noon, Sam went out to buy some burgers or something, so Marie wouldn't have to worry about cooking lunch. When he got back, Marie ran upstairs and knocked on the guest's bedroom door.

"Dean, come on. Get up, it's almost 1pm, get up you lazy ass!"

"I'm going, I'm going." Dean got up, put on some pants, and joined them in the dining room table.

Sam ate the usual healthy salad, Dean a cheeseburger and Marie had a healthy salad shake, but with tons of sauce and some French fries as a side dish. Sam and she drank mango ice tea, but Dean drank a beer. Castiel ate nothing – angel's don't eat – and stayed in the kitchen advancing some of the cooking.

By three o'clock everything was ready but the actual dinner. All the pastries and cakes were on its proper table. And it was exactly by three o'clock that they heard two cars pulling over. Marie immediately outlined a smile that wasn't just visible on her lips but on her eyes as well. She ran to the door and, when she opened her, she found her brother holding the house keys, ready to unlock the door. His green eyes started glowing like an emerald when he found his little sister waiting for him by the door.

It was January, 1997. The snow was falling outside and Kyle had gone with his dad on a hunting trip, he was still 15, he was still at the age when he wanted to grow up and be a hunter too and, for the first time, Balthazar let his son join him on a small hunting trip, following the tracks of an angry ghost, but not one of the worst kind. They were gone for three days and Kyle had just phoned home warning them they would be back that exact same day.

The darkness had taken over the skies, the night had arrived. Kyle got out of the car, his shoulder still hurting from the small beating he took, his dad did the same, wishing he had never taken his kid with him. Kyle ran up the porch stairs and, when he unlocked the door and opened it, he found his little sister, with 11 years old, sitting on the floor. She immediately got up, her eyes make of gold and her lips red as blood drew a smile that lit up her whole face. «Kyle!» she said, hugging him immediately, «I've been waiting here, the whole day, for you. I missed you, don't you ever leave again.»

Kyle hugged his sister and it felt nice, especially after all he went through that year, being possessed by a demon for almost a week and being saved by two dudes he never heard off in his life until he was under the demon's control and was able to find out one of them was his sister's boyfriend.

"I missed you, Kyle." She said, almost crying. She only noticed how much she missed him when she actually saw him, right there in front of her, with his eyes glowing.

"I missed you too."

She let him in and behind Kyle came Rose and Balthazar, their parents. She hugged them both for she had not seen them in almost a year.

"Hello, my darling." said her dad when he found himself in his daughter's arms. "And who does that marvelous car belong to?"

She closed the door behind them and smiled, almost laughing.

"Well thank you; she's my joy and pride." Said Dean, as soon as he heard Balthazar compliment his baby. "I'm Dean."

Balthazar shook Dean's hand. That name was familiar.

"And you're damn right to be proud, she's a beauty." Dean smiled when he heard Balthazar's words: he liked that 50 year old man. "And who are you too?" He asked, looking and walking towards Sam and Castiel that got up the couch as soon as he came in: Sam did it as a teenager boy that is about to meet his pseudo father-in-law and wasn't supposed to be in that house at that time, Castiel did it because Sam did it, in a more calm way, as if it was just polite not to be the only one sitting when Balthazar came in.

"I'm Castiel." Said the angel. "How do you do?"

"I'm doing just fine, boy, thank you. And you?"

"I'm good. Thank you."

He then turned his eyes to Samuel Winchester. "And you are?"

"I'm Sam. It's nice to meet you, Sir."

"Oh, is it? And why is that?"

Sam looked at Marie, having no idea what to say.

"I'm just joking, boy." He said. "This is my wife, Rose, and my son, Kyle. Welcome to our shack."

"It's pretty far from a shack, sir. You have a very nice home. Shack was what the roman people slept in." Said Castiel.

Everyone looked at him and Cas was the only one who did not realize how weird was what he had just said.

"Honey, haven't we heard those names before? Sam and Dean. They are not totally unfamiliar. What is your last name, my darlings?" Said Rose, in a motherly tone in her words.

Sam and Dean traded a look and Marie swallowed pure air and nothing else, when she heard her mother's question. Please God, may my parents not remember that name right now.

"Winchester." Said the brothers, at the same time.

The Lazarus parents stopped immediately what they were doing and looked at each other and then looked at the brothers:

"Winchester? As in the two nitwits that started the Apocalypse?" Asked Balthazar, in a very angry tone.

"Yes sir."

"How nice." Said Rose. And she actually wasn't being sarcastic. "Two hunters joining us for Christmas. I bet there won't be a dull moment. Welcome boys." She smiled, a smile almost as beautiful as her daughter's.

"Welcome?! Those two idiots started the Apocalypse, Rose!"

"Let bygones be bygones, honey. Haven't you learn already not to hold grudge against people?"

Balthazar rolled his eyes, but… well… his wife was right.

"Alright then." He said, after a few seconds of pondering on his wife's words. He grabbed his bag that he took to the hunting trip, while his son, tired of listening to his father's questions to the guests, took his luggage to his room. Right before climbing he first step of the stairs, Balthazar stopped. "Just one more question, boys."

"Yes sir?"

"You two boys are hunters; and your friend Castiel?"

"I'm an angel of the lord."

Balthazar stayed in silence for a few seconds, maybe three or four, and then started to climb up the stairs and left Marie and her friends a simple sentence:

"This ought to be a fun Christmas."

Balthazar and Rose went upstairs to unpack and Dean looked at Marie.

"They seem like a nice bunch."

Marie smiled.

"So, my brother is Kyle Alastor, call him Kyle or Al. My mother is Rose and my dad…" She smiled, she thought her father's name was something… peculiar. "Let's just keep it at Balthazar."

"Why? What's his full name?" Asked Dean. Sam smiled: he already knew the answer.

"Balthazar Baal Zebul."

"Baal Zebul? As in Beelzebul?" Asked Dean, his eyes wide open and his words soaked in surprise.

"He's from Greece, Dean. Balthazar Baal Zebul Lazarus is a pretty normal name. I mean, not too normal, but…"

"So, you are name after the hunting goddess, your father after he king of flies and your brother is what?" Dean asked.

"Baal Zebul means lord or possessor of the high place, it has nothing to do with any demon." Said Samuel Winchester.

"My brother's name is Alastor; meaning avenging spirit. There's a spirit with that name, actually: the daemon spirit of family blood feuds and the afflicter of vengeance upon children for their fathers' crimes."

"I see you're the family's favorite." He said.

"Just shut up, boy." Responded Marie, laughing at what he had just said.

The cabbage, cod fish, carrots and potatoes were cooking, as the turkey and all its side dishes. The açorda was already ready. Dean showed up in the kitchen looking for the eggnog Marie asked him to take to the dining room.

"What's that delicious smell?" Inquired Dean, appearing next to her.

"It's açorda: cod fish, bread, spring greens and coriander. Do you want to try a bit before I take it to the table?"

"I'm not such a fan of fish, but yeah, why not?"

Marie took a little bit and Dean looked at it and pulled a face: it looked like a mush of a bunch of unknown things.

"I know it looks terrible, but just try it." She said, putting the spoon in front of him, just ¼ of an inch away from his lips. He opened his mouth and ate the peace she gave him to try. He chewed, although it was not needed because it had the consistence of baby food, releasing all the flavors that spoon contained: it was marvelous and his face expressed that. "I know right? It's delicious."

"I'm so going to eat a bowl of that for dinner." He responded, leaving the kitchen and taking the eggnog to the dining room.

She turned off the oven and the stove. Her mother walked in.

"Sammy, could you come here, please?" She called.

Sam excused himself from the living room, abandoning the conversation Castiel was having with the two Lazarus men; he walked in to the kitchen and smiled:

"What can I help you with, Miss Colt?" He asked, pretending to be super cordial around her, but no one else was in the kitchen besides them.

"Well, first: it's seven o'clock, dinner time; I need you to help me take the turkey and all to the table. Secondly, it's 7. I haven't seen you properly in 4 hours."

"I'm sorry." He hugged her by the waist and just stared at her for a little while and then kissed her gently.

"You'll have to do much more than that later."

"I bet." He smiled.

They took all the food to the table and everyone took their places. Dinner had as side dish a very nice conversation about hunting and about Marie's and Kyle's life during that year, but Marie's new boyfriend's name was left out. After the Christmas meal, Rose and her daughter took the dirty dishes to the kitchen, put them in the washing machine and joined the men in the living room. The tv was on, but four of the five men were not paying attention to the movie that was on the screen. While the hunters and the angel traded words about their adventures and Balthazar told the Winchester's about the only time he met John Winchester, Kyle Lazarus was sitting down, looking at the tv, watching the Smurfs Christmas movie, sipping a cup of eggnog.

Rose and Marie joined them, the youngest holding a cup of butter beer as the oldest was drinking some eggnog, like everyone else. And Marie, wearing her striped red and white long socks and a large and very long musk green knitted dress, sat down on the couch, next to Sam, and pulled her legs up, getting all comfortable and cozy in her little corner, next to her love. She wanted to lean her head on her shoulder, but did not want to make him uncomfortable and putting him in the possible situation of having to explain the situation to the older Lazarus family members. Therefore, the little tiny space between them both was used to hide their holding hands from everyone else's curious eyes. They would stay like take for hours, except for a couple of breaks, when he or she would get up to get a pastry or a desert to eat, or some more eggnog.

By the time the clock reached midnight, Marie smiled. In the Lazarus house, every single Christmas, although with some (but little) American tradition, fell under the Portuguese tradition. You had all these pastries covered in cinnamon and sugar, cod fish for dinner, never meat; the Christmas tree was always an artificial one (in order to save the planet, because one fake tree could last years and years) and it was decorated on the first day of December; and the presents were always opened at midnight when the 24th day of December was replaced by the 25th.

Rose looked at her watch, but she did not need to: by the smile on her daughter's face, she knew it was already midnight. Samuel was no longer holding Marie's hand, but had his hand on her leg, almost on top her ankle.

"Oh, look at that: it's one minute past midnight; time to open our gifts."

Marie knew her mum had spent the whole afternoon knitting three Christmas theme shirts, but they were not done yet.

"I have not finished your gifts, boys, because I only met you today. But" She said, as she walked to the Christmas tree and picked up three gifts. "They will be ready tomorrow before lunch, I can promise you that." She was a machine, an ace at making knitted sweaters.

Marie ran to the Christmas tree and picked up the gifts she had to offer. A new knife for her dad (made of silver and with a handle so beautiful that seemed like it was made by God, a necklace to her mother, a Le Paul guitar for Kyle, a new tie (Christmas themed) for Castiel, a cassette of one of Dean's favorite band, very rare, that he did not own yet so he could listen to it in the Impala, and a book for Sam, written in the early 1000s, about monsters: some well-known in the current days, others not so much, because they were extinct and also to Sam a very beautiful watch. She had no idea if they would like it, but well…

When the gifts were opened, everyone seemed to enjoin them a lot. Kyle gave to Marie the first edition of "A Serra e as Cidades" by Eça de Queiroz; her parents gave her a poncho: she liked ponchos a lot, since she was a little kid; Dean and Cas and Sam bought a gift to everyone in the house: a scotch aged 70 years, it was said to be one of the most wonderful scotches in the world. All the other gifts were open, and then, at the end, Sam followed Marie to the desert table.

She grabbed a bowl of aletria and put a spoon full of it in her mouth and then looked at Sam:

"Yes, may I help you darling?"

"Did you think I came here and offered only a bottle of scotch?"

"It's a damn good bottle of Scotch; I might drink it all by myself when they are not looking." She smiled.

Sam gave her a little red box that had a pretty bow around it.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Open it."

And so she did. Inside the little box was a bracelet, made of silver, with all the protection charms you could ever imagine and all the little medals with catholic angels on them. It was so beautiful, antique looking. She covered her mouth with her hand, in amazement, caught by surprise with such present.

"Do you like it?" Asked Sam, while she just stood there, moving her eyes between Sam and the bracelet, still quite unsure on what to say. She moved her head in agreement, with a smile that showed itself only through her golden eyes. "Marie, are you okay?"

She woke up from her little trance and, with a very lost look on her face, a very shocked expression, as if she was a deer on headlights, she said "Yes, I'm fine, Sam". Marie quickly kissed him, in order not to let anyone see it – although they were away from everyone else's sight, she could not risk them being caught, Sam might not want to be introduced to her family as her boyfriend.

"Thank you, baby, it's… beautiful." Sam took the bracelet out of the box and Marie extended her arm to him; Sam put the bracelet on her wrist, smiled and then gave her a kiss on the lips, quickly and softly. And as that happened, Kyle caught them. She looked at him, very nervous, as if she was a teenager kissing a boy behind some bushes so no one would see them.

"Oh, don't mind me; I'm just here to grab some more pie." Marie glanced a confuse look at him. "What?" He asked "You think I didn't already know?" And leaving them with those whispered words, Kyle went back to the living room and joined the rest of the people.

Marie rolled her eyes and then hugged Sam. She felt the smell of him hair, it smelled like some fresh shampoo made of a many herbs; the touch of his skin against hers; her lips kissing a very small scar Sam had on his neck since God knows when; she felt his arms around her, trying to ease her from some of the effort necessary to stand in the point of your toes.

"I so want to go to sleep right now."

"I'm sure. You must be exhausted; you've been up forever cooking dinner and all of this." He said, kissing the top of her head.

Marie smiled, and Sam felt the contraction of her facial muscles against his chest, the quick breeze that her giggle created and that tickled his skin even though he was wearing a shirt. "It's not because of that." She said grabbing his hand and just moving very slowly, from side to side, both of them, as if they were dancing to the sound of a song only they could hear, something smooth and calm, like the chant of the wind between leaves and the sound of a wave crashing into a cliff.

"Then, what is it?"

"What do you think? Only when we go to sleep can we have a little time of ourselves. I'm tired of being all strict and not touching you and sitting in my little corner."

"Look at that: you miss me. I'm right here and you miss me." He joked.

"Those are the consequences of dating a hunter. The distance will create brain damages that cause constant absence of total satisfaction." She replied, in the same coin. "Come on; let's get back to the room." She kissed him one last time and her words expressed exactly what they did next.

She sat on the table and found Castiel already wearing the funny time she gave him. It wasn't an actual present, it was just a souvenir; a green tie with reindeers on it.

"Don't you look so sharp?" She said, playing, and all Castiel did was smile: he actually liked his new tie. Marie sat on the couch and her mother looked at her.

"Oh goodness, such a beautiful bracelet you are wearing; who gave it to you?"

Marie suddenly wish she wasn't wearing it: now what?

"No one."

" 'No one' doesn't hand out gifts on Christmas eve." Answered her father, with his eyes set on the TV. Kyle tried his best not to laugh.

"Was it Matthew, my darling?"

Marie stared at her mother for a little while and Sam stared at Marie with a very surprised face: why would they think Matthew gave it to her?

"No mother, it was not Matthew."

"That's too bad. I was hoping you finally changed your mind and settled down with that fine doctor." Her mother said.

"Oh for God sake!" Shouted Marie, bumping her head into a pillow next to her.

"You dated Matthew?" Asked Sam.

"Yeah, for a couple of months. No big deal. My mother just fancies him."

"Now I'm curious. Who gave you the bracelet Marie?" Asked Kyle, just trying to be a pain in their asses.

Dean rolled his eyes.

"Dear lord." He whispered, and then said: "Sam gave it to her! Are you all really so blind?"

"Thank you." Said Kyle.

"Why are you thanking him?" Asked Balthazar.

"Because I've known it all along, since those two exorcised me. Demons know stuff, man, it's… freaky."

"You were possessed?!" Yelled his father and his sister, at the same time.

"Yeah, but it's cool now, I tattooed the protection symbol on my neck."

"You got yourself a tattoo?!" Yelled his mother, awfully angry.

Balthazar drank a glass full of eggnog in just one sip:

"Oh God. My son was possessed and my daughter is dating a Winchester." He whispered. "You know he started the Apocalypse, right?" He asked Marie.

"Off course I know."

"And you know his Lucifer's vessel right?"

"Did you also know he stopped Satan before the earth was doomed for good?" Inquired Marie.

"You know earth was doomed for good from the first moment it was created, right?" Said Balthazar.

Marie rolled her eyes.

"Alright then; better than getting tattooed." Said Rose looking to Kyle as if he was a little kid and was about to be grounded. "How long have you been dating them?"

"Two months." Said Marie and Sam at the same time, while she was distracted with her bracelet, watching every little detail of her new bracelet as Sam smiled just by glancing at his girlfriend.

"How did you two meet?"

And the conversation went on for a little while. By the time the clock indicated 30 minutes passed 1 am, people started to leave to their rooms. First went Balthazar and Rose; then Kyle, then Dean and finally Sam. Marie looked at Castiel sitting in the couch with the TV on – he would spend all night there, watching all the shows that caught his attention – and smiled:

"Merry Christmas, Cas, see you tomorrow."

She climbed up the stairs and as she caught up with Samuel, Marie jumped on his back, getting a ride to the room. He smiled when she did that and immediately grabbed her legs so she wouldn't fall back.

"My goodness! How much do you weight? 300 pounds?!"

"Ahah, very funny." She slapped him, slowly, in his cheek. "I'm 101."

"I had more weight than that when I was 14." He made fun of.

He opened the door and they both entered the room. Marie jumped out of his back and smiled. Sam grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him and quickly tried to kiss her lips, but, as she was laughing, she turned her head away and he kissed her neck.

"Baby, let me just go change."

"I can help you with that." He said.

"Seriously, I'll be right back."

She ran into the bathroom and closed the door. Hidden in a drawer was a gift she bought to herself: a little lingerie dress, made of a transparent and soft fabric, in purple, as well as a purple and black lace lingerie. Sam was sitting on the bed, wearing nothing but his boxers and a t-shirt. He was holding his new book. He read all words, turned the pages slowly, for the paper was old, with a huge smile on his face. He then heard the bathroom door opening and was surprise by Marie, leaning against the door. When he looked up, he found her wearing a very short night dress and looking just amazing and sexy, with her long never ending legs naked, smooth and skinny. Her long red curls and her eyes made of pure gold. His lips drew a smile on his face, uncovering his perfect teeth.

"I know, that present sucks." She said, looking at the book he was holding.

"No it doesn't." Said the youngest Winchester. "It's awesome."

"I had no idea of what to get for you. I gave you a crappy book that probably has typhoid fever on its pages and you gave me a silver bracelet." She walked towards him and then sat by his side.

"I don't want gifts, I don't need them. Having the chance to spend some days with you and not thinking about hunting or monsters… that's what I really want, what I need."

She hugged him and made him lay down, as she stared into his eyes, their faces only inches away. Her fiery red curls fell around his head, creating a curtain of beauty between him and the rest of the world, a curtain that kept them separated from everything else. Her right hand rested on his face, her thumb stroking his cheek, slowly and gently, causing it to go numb with the warm of her skin. Without her glasses, her eyes were much prettier; they were sincere, filled with light and were a gate to her soul, a portal to discover her intentions. Her lips weren't fully closed and he could feel her warm breath that smelled like strawberries, from her toothpaste. Her skin emanated heat and the perfume of all berries that existed in that world. Samuel smiled; he could not contain it, but only with his eyes: she looked so damn dazzling without any make up, and with her eyes sparkling.

"I must have done something right in a previous life to deserve you."

"That was so gay."

He laughed and she smiled, kissing his cheek. She loved to hear him laughing like that. She kissed his lips very gently and then smiled again.

"Merry Christmas, baby."