Five

Dean and Holly were transported to the diner once again. It was still the same people, the same food, but this time Future Dean and his daughter weren't there. Dean felt the slight ache in his chest grow a bit more. Holly motioned for him to follow her and they sat down once again in their booth. The waitress came over to them like clockwork and she took their same orders like she had the two times before. She walked away and Dean was soon expecting a hot and juicy cheeseburger in front of him once again.

"You sure love cheeseburgers," Holly commented. "It's all your subconscious has been ordering."

"What can I say," Dean chuckled. "I love me some cheeseburgers, ones with bacon and all the fixings."

"Same," Holly smiled a bit more than she usually did. "Not many of them up in Heaven. Not like the humans do it."

Dean smiled back at her. He watched her eyes start to light up when they were talking about things other than Dean's future, but just as fast as they'd done so they dulled again. Dean could tell she was thinking about something when they did. Something she desired a lot less than hamburgers. The tired radio blared on the same song it had the past two times in the background behind them and the buzz of words coming from the mouths of strangers became a blur.

"Your food dears," the waitress set their burgers down. "Enjoy."

Dean observed Holly again. There were a few more red spots on her clothes after she had bitten into her burger only twice.

"S'at more ketchup?" Dean asked.

"Oh yeah," Holly said, closing her jacket a bit more to hide the stains. "I'm clumsy."

Dean raised an accusatory eyebrow, but kept his thoughts to himself. How could one girl be so clumsy all of the time? Dean brushed away those thoughts much like the waitress was brushing dirt under the counter where no one could see it, but it was still there. Much like Dean's suspicion. Holly scarfed down her burger and as Dean finished up his last bite she looked to him.

"See you in the next event." She said and then disappeared. Dean rolled his eyes and looked around. The people were frozen again. The radio was given a rest. Dean started on peeling away the glass like usual and found he was in a forest. Holly stood, silent and observing something.

"You know I'm getting real tired of following you around like a lost puppy…" Dean grumbled.

Holly looked to him then back to what she had been staring at. The scene was familiar to Dean. It the woods behind where Bobby's house used to be. Dean could still smell the ash and burnt wood in the air when the breeze blew his way. It tugged at his heart and he yearned to see the old hunter's face one more time. In front of the both of them was the lake that was in the woods. To the left was the tire swing Bobby had put up for Sam and Dean when they were kids and their father would drop them off to stay between hunts. In said tire swing was the same little girl from the diner around the same age, maybe a bit younger, swinging on the tire with a gigantic smile on her face and she was laughing. Future Dean was pushing her back and forth. His daughter's hair was aflutter in the breeze and her smile was shining bright through the darkness that was settling on the land.

"Higher daddy," she cried out. "Higher please!"

"As you wish," Future Dean chuckled and pushed her higher. "Your majesty."

Dean's daughter laughed, her voice echoing through the woods. It was music to his ears. He found he too was smiling at her laughter. It was almost infectious. Future Dean's head was thrown back in laughter, Dean was chuckling, his daughter was laughing her full head off, everyone but Holly seemed to be joining in. Dean would never understand angels' lack of humor in their lives.

"Daddy I'm flying," his daughter yelled. "I'm flying like Papa does!"

"I see that baby," Dean replied. "You're flying!"

Dean's daughter laughed, her eyes closed until she felt her fingers starting to slip and forward she tumbled. She flew through the air and cried out for Future Dean before crash landing in the water. She went under. Future Dean's eyes went wide with panic and he ran over, searching the edges of the water. Dean felt a primal paternal urge. He started hurrying forward, Holly grabbed his arm.

"This is the future Dean," Holly explained. "Let it play out. You can't do anything anyway."

Future Dean dove into the lake and stayed under for a good five minutes before emerging from the depths, his daughter in tow. She coughed up water and sputtered as he placed her on the shoreline. She spat up the water in her lungs and shivered when the air hit her. Future Dean sat by her side and blocked some of the breeze. He shrugged off his jacket and put it over her shoulders, it was big on her but she didn't care. It smelled like gunpowder and leather and her father.

"Thank you daddy…" she sighed.

"You're welcome princess," Future Dean responded. "Why didn't you tell me you were gonna fall? You scared me half to death."

"I'm sorry daddy," she explained. "I-I just wanted to fly…"

"That doesn't mean you should do so before you're ready," Future Dean sighed. "I worry that you're growing up too fast sometimes…"

"Daddy I'm eight years old," she protested. "I'm growing up just the right amount of fast!"

Future Dean laughed. Dean did too. She sounded like his kid. Dean felt a sense of pride which was strange to him, pride over someone who didn't even exist yet. Just the thought that she would exist one day alone made him want to wake up faster.

"Fine," Future Dean chuckled. "You just make me feel old."

"You're not old daddy," she chuckled too. "You're just a big kid like me."

"You really wanna fly sweetie?" Future Dean asked her and she nodded. She smiled even bigger when Future Dean lifted her up onto his shoulders in one swoop and started running off towards where he had parked the Impala. Future Dean and his daughter ran right past Dean and Holly and Dean could feel them almost as if they were ghosts running right through him. A shiver ran up his spine. Holly seemed unmoved. The scene faded they were standing at the house Future Dean had bought, outside the Impala was parked and Future Dean carried his daughter. She was asleep in his arms, her long hair cascading over Future Dean's shoulder and Future smiled down at her.

"She showed up as promised by Annahita on your doorstep after nine months," Holly said. "This is eight years later. She's been a blessing in you and Cas' lives ever since the day she arrived."

"I have a son too don't I?" Dean asked eagerly.

"He comes a bit later after Castiel prays again," Holly explained. "A double blessing really, he keeps you guys on your toes."

"On our toes eh?" Dean asked, confused.

"You'll see later." Holly said alluding to more happiness. Dean couldn't get enough. It was the first time in his life things were going to go right for awhile. He couldn't wait to wake up. Holly transported him to the hallway of the house. It had been fixed up since the time Future Dean had bought it and it looked nicer now. It still had a rustic, vintage feel to it, but Dean could live with that. He'd always wanted an old house, much like his beloved Impala it was something he could fix up and leave his mark on.

Dean stared into his daughter's room. The walls were painted lime green. The windows were white like the rest of the house. The curtains were blue. It was a nice color contrast. Her bed was a double bed with one half completely covered in stuffed animals. The comforter was made of light material with blue and tan fish printed all over it. She had two white pillows and a small side table with a yellow lamp on it. Toys were spread everywhere and a giant dollhouse stood in the corner. All of the dolls were tucked into their respective beds.

"Time for the princess to get her beauty rest." Future Dean whispered into her ear before laying her in bed. His daughter rubbed her tired eyes and yawned as he tucked her in.

"M'not tired daddy…" his daughter yawned again and Future Dean smirked.

"Sure you're not," Future Dean replied. "I love you princess. To the moon and back."

"I love you too daddy," his daughter said. "Further than the moon."

Future Dean hugged his daughter and kissed her forehead, handing her a slightly worn Winnie the Pooh doll that she graciously squeezed and nestled underneath her chin. Dean barely had enough time to see Castiel come along before Holly dragged him off. The last thing he saw was Castiel entering the room and a swirly cursive H hanging on the door of the room before he was whisked away to the next future event.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

The next few events were flashes like the ones Dean saw whilst he was in Hell when Castiel had fought his was down to rescue the hunter. They were fast and a quick glimpse of what was to be.

In one of them Future Dean was cooking in the kitchen and his daughter was peeking over the counter at what was for dinner.

In another Future Dean was carrying his daughter, around the same age as the last vision, tired and asleep up to her room. Castiel's eyes followed him and a smile appeared on the angel's face.

In Dean's personal favorite he and his daughter were dancing. The tune wasn't familiar to him at first, but then he realized that he did indeed know the vocalist.

"This is guy who sings in Top Gun right," Dean asked Holly. "Kenny Loggins."

"I know not what you are referring to," Holly replied. "But yes this is Kenny Loggins. A children's album he produced in particular is what's playing right now."

"So you know who sings this," Dean said. "But not what Top Gun is?"

"I was always more musically inclined from early on," Holly explained. "I did not have the liberty of viewing human films."

Dean shrugged. Who was he to judge? He observed himself. He'd never been the best dancer in his life.

"Play the song about the horses again daddy," his daughter said excitedly. "Pretty please with sugar on top!"

"The last thing you need is sugar," Future Dean chuckled and took his daughter's hand. "Is Uncle Gabriel giving you lollipops before bedtime again?"

"Not in two weeks," his daughter smartly replied and Future Dean laughed. "I pinkie swear!"

"Alrighty then," Future Dean reached over to the CD player boom box. "One song about horses coming up stat."

Kenny Loggins' voice came to life through the CD player's speakers and Future Dean stood still, hoping his daughter would follow suit. She did. She cocked her head slightly and started to step slowly in time with Future Dean. Future Dean was a bit bent over so that he could reach her hands, but other than that the two seemed perfectly content. Soon though, his daughter started to lose time and she stumbled over Future Dean's big hunting boots. Future Dean caught her by the arm, but she sighed and looked up at him, teary eyed.

"I-I keep falling over your big shoes daddy," she cried out. "I can't do it!"

Future Dean pondered for a moment and then broke into a smile.

"Here," he said, taking her by the hands and pulling her towards him so that she was standing, balanced on his feet. "Let's try it this way."

His daughter didn't understand at first, but then as Dean started to dance in a circle she quickly caught on. She could dance with him and not to worry about tripping over his feet. Soon she too was smiling and giggling a bit. The moment was so perfect Dean wished he had a camera or that he could wrap it up in a package that was never meant to be opened again. He didn't want to lose the image he'd just seen.

"We can't stay here forever," Holly spoke up. "Or else it wouldn't be the future would it?"

Dean looked to her, then to his daughter and Future him dancing in the middle of the living room. No other soul could be found. Dean bit his lip and then sighed. He nodded to Holly and she brought him to the next part of his timeline.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Dean stood in a hospital. He looked around, expecting to see himself lying in the bed of his room like Holly had shown him before, but alas he was wrong. He saw doctors mulling about and talking amongst themselves. He saw patients in their beds talking to visitors, some were asleep. Holly stood beside Dean and motioned for him to look straight ahead. Dean turned and his smile drooped. He saw himself and Castiel, worriedly listening to a doctor. He saw his brother Sam and Gabriel sitting nearby, likely there for moral support. The one face he didn't see made his stomach drop to his knees.

Where was his daughter?

Cliffhanger eh? Reviews are appreciated!