Eleven
All Dean saw was Castiel, standing in the hallway contemplating whether or not to enter his future daughter's room. All Dean heard was Stone Temple Pilots' "Interstate Love Song" blasting from her radio. Future Dean walked by, a basket of clean laundry in his arms, he looked like a regular housewife.
"Hey get some better music taste," Future Dean joked with her. "Yah little STP nerd!"
"Oh bite me!" his daughter laughed, but there was something deeper hidden behind the laugh. It sounded like pain. Future Dean passed Castiel and touched him on the shoulder.
"She is a bit of a late developer," Castiel explained in a hushed whisper. "I figure now is as good a time as ever to show her where she truly came from. I think she's old enough at nineteen years."
"I think she'll love it," Future Dean smiled a little. "Who knows maybe someday the angel side of her will want to go up there and help you out?"
"It's about whichever side is stronger Dean," Castiel explained. "If the angel side is not as strong as the human side she will live the normal life span of a human and die just as easily as one. If the angel side is stronger, she will live immortally like me. Only Heaven's medicine specialists can determine that, that is why I was going to take her up there."
"Is that really true?" Dean asked Holly, his curiosity looming.
"For Nephilim yes," she explained. "They take on properties of both of their parents. If one gene strain is stronger than the other then that half will take over. They will either be more human or more angelic. There is no in between."
"Interesting…" Dean remarked, turning back to the scene before him.
"Isn't it though?" she replied.
"Ok Cas," Future Dean said. "I mean whatever you think is right. I'll be here with Daniel and Sammy and Gabriel. Just be back before dinner."
"Yes Dean." Castiel leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Future Dean smiled, a genuine smile, and strolled back downstairs after emptying the laundry basket. Castiel turned into his daughter's room and walked over to her. She sat on the bed in a loose tank top and sweatpants. She was hunched over and clearly in a bit of pain. Castiel inspected her back, there were definitely warmer glowing lines going down both of her shoulder blades. An indication of potential wings. "I know it hurts."
"Like hell," she sighed. "I apologize for cussing, but seriously."
"Come with me," Castiel said, standing up and helping her to her feet. "I have something to show you."
"Does it involve a lifetime supply of Aleve?" she whined.
"No unfortunately not," Castiel and his daughter walked down the stairs and out of the front door. "I see your father's humor is what you inherited from him. Where we are going is somewhere better than a medicine cabinet."
"I sure hope so cuz that's all I want right no—"she was cut off and she let out a yelp as Castiel took her hand and flew her upwards into the sky. Her stomach flipped twice before they safely landed in the seventh realm of Heaven and Castiel let go of her hand. She held her stomach and heart and tried not to look back down. "Holy…"
"That it is," Castiel said. "Welcome to Heaven my daughter."
Dean and Holly had been transported as well, Dean figured by Holly's doing. He hadn't been to Heaven since he and Sam died and were brought back. Their Heaven's, however; had differed from this part of Heaven. This was the nucleus of Heaven, everything it was and everything it would ever be.
"Wait," she asked. "As in the Heaven? Like where people go when they die?"
"This is where I work," Castiel said. "And hopefully one day you and your brother will too."
"Woah," she remarked. "It's so…beautiful."
"Come," Castiel said. "We have an appointment."
She followed Castiel and Dean and Holly did as well. Dean looked around at the Seventh Realm of Heaven and couldn't believe its beauty. Castiel had told him about Heaven awhile back, that there were Seven Realms and the Seventh was the center of Heaven where the "Big House", the Distinguished Angel Council: a group of angels that oversaw angelic beings and tried their crimes, and supposedly where God had hung out before he decided to split. Castiel's story didn't do it justice.
"Cathalsis," Castiel said, approaching a building away from the Big House as the angels supposedly called it and walking over to another angel. "I've brought my daughter. I do believe it's time for her appointment."
"Ah the appointment," Dean looked at the angel, he was a bit younger looking than Castiel or rather his vessel was, he had short brown hair and paler skin. His eyes were hazel. He smiled at Dean's future daughter. "You grew up beautifully my dear. You probably don't remember me, but it was me who birthed you up here. Annahita would be so proud of her work."
"Annahita?" his future daughter seemed confused. "What?"
"I have much to explain I suppose," Cathalsis chuckled and motioned for her and Castiel to follow him inside. "Come inside and I'll tend to that ache in your back Miss Winchester."
Castiel, his daughter, Dean, and Holly all entered the building. Cathalsis led Castiel and his daughter to a back room that was filled with shelves upon shelves of medicines and potions. There was a small bed in the corner with a comfortable blanket and pillow. A table next to it was filled with surgical tools and a syringe. His daughter gulped and Holly seemed to visibly shake a bit. Dean took a look around while Castiel stood in the corner and watched as Cathalsis led his daughter over to the bed. He held out her arm and drew her blood, it moved up the syringe and she swallowed hard and looked away. Cathalsis dropped the blood into a vial and mixed it with this clear liquid. The liquid turned a cool and serene blue.
"I can't tell yet," Cathalsis said to Castiel. "She may or may not exhibit more of your grace than Dean's soul, but I can't be too sure. I may have to give her the medicine and we shall see if it causes her wings to burst out or not."
"Wings," his daughter's eyes went wide. "Wait you're saying I may end up with wings coming out of my freakin back?!"
"Potentially," Cathalsis said and Castiel put his hands in his pockets. "It is every angel's dream to have their offspring whether Nephilim or angelic in nature to continue their legacy."
Legacy? That was a lot to live up to, Dean thought. His legacy was certainly nothing to be proud of; if anything he hoped she took after Castiel and took most of his grace.
"Drink this," Cathalsis handed Dean's future daughter a glass of this green colored liquid and she drank it. A look of disgust passed over her face as she handed to the empty glass back to the medicine angel. Castiel waited patiently. "The results should show in the next hour. Then we shall see your destiny young lady."
"Dang," Dean said to Holly. "They really lay it on thick up here don't they? All this legacy and destiny crap."
"It's not crap," Holly defended, glaring a bit. "Many Nephilim go on to do great things."
"Ok," Dean threw up his hands in defense. "I'm sorry."
Dean assumed Holly made the time speed up because when he looked over again he saw a slightly disappointed look on Castiel's face and his future daughter looking slightly ashamed.
"I'm afraid the results were not as you had hoped Castiel," Cathalsis cleaned up his work station. "She has taken more of Dean's soul versus your angelic being. She always can serve Heaven after she no longer lives on earth."
His daughter gave him a funny look; she supposed it was easier than saying "dead".
"Thank you Cathalsis," Castiel replied, helping his daughter up from the bed. "Maybe Daniel will exhibit my angelic abilities."
"Maybe," Cathalsis smiled at Castiel's daughter as she exited. "Do not worry sweetheart. Annahita, Angel of Fertility, has just blessed you with a different destiny than the others before you. You will be blessed with a normal human childhood, but do not despair in the fact that you may do great things one day."
"Thank you." His daughter genuinely smiled; at least someone believed she'd be just as great as Castiel had hoped. Dean was slightly miffed at Castiel for never taking into consideration their future daughter's wishes, at least not in this event.
"He wants this big future for her," Dean ranted to Holly. "But he doesn't see that she's just a kid. She wasn't ready for all of that anyway, even if she had been more like him."
"It is Castiel's Achilles heel," Holly replied. "He knows she's more like you and he's having a harder time accepting it. He loves her though, don't ever doubt that Dean, not throughout any of these events. Trust me; she'll…be a great person one day."
Dean could sense something else in Holly's voice, but once again ignored it. He'd become quite the expert on ignoring things that were strange about her. He, as much as he was enjoying this angelic thrill ride through his future, was still sticking to his original quest on waking up and getting back to reality. He even tried to ignore the three news scratches he saw on her arms. He knew angels had battle scars, but hers seemed to be appearing at a rapid rate. Or had he just never noticed them before now?
Dean followed Holly out of the building and back to the Seventh Realm where he watched his future daughter take a last look at the Big House. Her expression was a mixture of melancholy and relief and Dean couldn't tell which emotion was stronger. Castiel waited for her and slowly as she retreated to where he stood, he extended his hand. She took it and her and Castiel seemingly fell back to earth, but Castiel was flying. Dean and Holly followed. When they all made it safely to earth, Castiel walked off into the house and his daughter stood out front. She looked up at the sky, the clouds racing by low and fluffy. Dean felt for her, he could tell that she felt disappointed. In Heaven, in herself most of all.
"There is no way you could've let your Papa down," Titan, the family Angelhound, came up behind her and startled her. She jumped in her seat on the curb. He sat next her. "No one is ever what they're expected to be."
Dean liked this mutt already, even though he was yet to own him. Dean compared him to the grandmother of every family. Old, seemingly angelic, and wise.
"He worked it up though," she sighed, petting behind Titan's ears as he too looked up at the sky with her. "Acted like I was gonna be the next prodigy or some shit. I feel like I just crushed all of his dreams. Now it all lies on my brother's shoulders."
"Yesterday you were just a child," it looked as though Titan smirked. "I remember it. It makes me feel old; even today you are still a child in my eyes. I was told long ago that you were my charge. I was to watch over you and protect you, but that doesn't mean I can't be a fountain of wisdom as well."
"Hit me." She replied.
"You will potentially go on to do great things yes," Titan explained. "But they will mean nothing unless you want them. You have to do it for yourself, for others yes, but for yourself. The creed for Angelhounds is to help others no matter what the personal cost. At first I thought it was unfair, but as I lived it out I learned that helping others gives me a sense of personal satisfaction and what I thought I'd be losing I gained through what I've done. So, you will do great things that I can assure you, but I know you will because you have the bravest and kindest heart I've ever seen Miss Winchester."
"Did anyone ever tell you," she hugged Titan around his furry neck. "That you're the best?"
"Not until now." Titan nuzzled her head and licked her cheek.
"Thank God for the family dog." Dean chuckled, watching how Titan truly loved and cared about his future daughter. Holly watched the pair, now the sadness was evident in her eyes. "What's up with you? You look like you just lost your best friend?"
"I uh," she stammered. "I had an Angelhound; he died in a battle against some opposes of Heaven."
Dean could sense some fluctuations in her voice, but once again expertly ignored them. He didn't want to delve too deep into his angelic companion's past or thoughts. He only cared about getting out of his own head. Holly looked away from his daughter and Titan. She motioned for Dean to follow. He didn't want to leave once again, but something told him that he was closer than ever before to waking up. With that in mind, he followed Holly again blindly into the next event.
Reviews are appreciated!
Is it possible to love your own character too much, cuz Titan can be my dog any day!