Raised from Perdition Part 5

 So this is where a really important scene I apparently never wrote where Dani gets bitten by a werewolf should be.  Picking up on the scene after:

Sam pushed the door open and peered inside.  Dani sat on the floor with her back to them, staring at the wall in front of her.  She didn’t react to the sounds of the door, if she heard it.  “Well, we found her,” he muttered.  “Now what do we do?”

            “Uh…” Dean shifted his weight.  “You go talk to her.”

            “Why me?”

            “Because you’re better at the whole, talking thing than me,” Dean said.  “When I do it, it always comes out wrong.  It’ll go better if you do it.”

            Sam shrugged.  He couldn’t argue with that.  “Ok, fine.”  He took a breath and pushed his hair out of his face, then stepped into the room.  “Hey,” he tried, sitting down on the floor next to her.

            “Are you going to shoot me?” she asked, not looking at him. 

            Sam paused, startled by her directness. Did she really think that’s what they’d come here to do. “Why would I do that?”

            “Because I’m a thing now,” she said, no emotion in her voice.  “A monster.  And that’s what we do right?  Kill monsters?  So let’s just get it over with.”

            “I’m not going to kill you,” Sam tried to assure her.  “We can—“

            Dani rounded on him.  “I have less than twenty days before I start tearing people apart.”  She took a shuddering breath and then held something out to him with a trembling hand. Sam’s heart stopped for a beat.  It was her pistol.  “I can’t do it myself.  I need you to finish me before I turn.”  He opened his mouth to say something, but she grabbed his wrist and forced the gun into his hand.  “Please Sam.  Just don’t think about it.  It’ll be just like any other monster.”

            “You’re not a monster Dani.”  They both turned to look at Dean, still standing in the doorway.  “And we’re not about to kill you when you haven’t even hurt anyone.”

            “Yet,” she said.  “But I will on the next full moon.”

            “No,” Dean shook his head once.  “You won’t.”

            “You don’t know that,” she insisted, her voice breaking, unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

            “We can help you,” Sam said, putting a hand on her arm.  “We’ll figure something out.  Dean’s right, you’re not a monster.  We’ll find a way to make this work, ok?  Let’s not do anything—permanent just yet.”  He held her gaze for a minute.  “Ok?”

            Dani bit her lip and nodded.  “Ok.  If you say so.”

            “Now.”  Sam stood.  “Are you coming back with us?”  He held out his hand to her.

            “Yeah,” she almost whispered, taking it.  “I guess I am.”

                                                                             . . .

Also scene I apparently never wrote, sometime after previous scene, where Dani "wolfs out" and attacks a monster they're hunting.

            “No no no. Hey!”  Dean dropped his gun and grabbed her arms with both hands.  “Dani, look at me.”

            She grabbed his forearms like a drowning man would grab a rope, focusing her wide, panicked eyes on him.

            “It’s ok,” he said.  “This is perfect.  If you could do that now, on a half moon, that means you’re a pure blood.  Which means you can learn to change whenever you want; you can learn to control the wolf part of you.”  He looked at her hard, letting that sink in. “You hear me? This is good, we can work with this. Ok?”

            He held her gaze for a minute as her breathing slowed.  Then she nodded and her grip relaxed a little.  “Ok.”

            She was still scared, but at least she wasn’t on the verge of hysteria.  “Ok.”  Dean put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side.  He started walking toward where they’d left the impala, pulling her along.  “Let’s go.”

                                                                        . . .

            “Are you going to send her to Wisconsin?” Sam asked, back in the bunker.  “To Garth’s people?”

            “No.”  Dean shook his head.  “We are not sending her to those crackpots.  There’s got to be somewhere else, somewhere less… weird.”

            Sam took a breath, thinking.  “What about that college girl who got turned a few years ago?” he said after a minute.  “What was her name?  Kate?”

            “Who?”

            “You know, the one with the camera, got turned by her boyfriend’s roommate and then turned her sister.”

            “Yeah, yeah.”  Dean nodded, remembering.  “Kate.  You know she’s been doing pretty good, all things considered.”  He began to warm to the idea.  “If we could get in touch with her, maybe she could teach Dani how to control it.”

            “I think I still have her number somewhere.”  Sam started down the hall to Dean’s room and found John’s journal.  He flipped to the back and started scanning.  “Here it is,” he said, pointing to the page. 

            “All right.”  Dean pulled out his phone.  “Let’s see if she’ll do us a favor.”

                                                                        . . .

            Sam, Dean, and Dani sat in the Impala, waiting in the grocery store parking lot.  Dani had barely said a word since they got up that morning, and had ridden the whole time in silence, sitting in the back, never taking her eyes off the scenery going by out the window.  Dean studied her in the rearview mirror.  Of course, she’d been off since she’d been bitten, who wouldn’t be, but she seemed to have be even more upset today.  Maybe it was just the idea of meeting another werewolf. 

He turned his gaze back to the parking lot in time to see a beat up looking green pickup pull into the spot in front of them.  “That’s her,” Dean said, opening his door. 

Kate hopped out of the truck and waved at him, then Sam.  “I’m not going to lie, you kind of scared me when you called,” she said.  “I was worried you thought I’d done something again.”

“No, if that was it we wouldn’t call ahead,” Dean said.  Then he became serious.  “I really appreciate you doing this for us.”

“Not a problem,” Kate said, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.  “I know how hard it is at first and I wish I’d had someone to teach me.  I’m happy to help her, really.” 

By now Dani had gotten out of the car as well, but was hanging back, watching them warily.

“We’re not sure where we’ll be, but if you need us call,” Sam said.  “We’ll get here as soon as we can.”

“I don’t think we’ll have any trouble,” Kate said.  “But thanks, I’ll remember that.”  She looked around Dean at Dani, trying to catch her eye, but Dani was looking off toward the grocery store.  “She’s taking it kind of hard?”

“Yeah,” Dean answered, turning.  “Kinda.”

“I’m sure she’ll warm up to you,” Sam offered. 

Dean stepped over to Dani and took her arm, leading her to the back of the car.  “All right,” he said.  For some reason, Dani still wouldn’t look at him.  “Hey.” He moved to stand in front of her.  “You’re going to be fine.  Kate has this thing figured out, she’s going to show you how to deal with it.”

Dani nodded.  “So, this is it?” she asked.  “I go to Werewolves Anonymous and you guys,” she shrugged, “ride off in the impala to keep hunting down the bad monsters.”

“Werewolves Anonymous?”  Dean shook his head.  “No, this is more like Werewolf 101.”

“What happens if I manage to graduate?”  She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the ground.  “If I don’t end up killing anybody, me and this chic hunt squirrels for the rest of our lives, and hope no hunters find us?”

“Wait,” Dean said, finally getting an idea of what she was upset about.  “You think we’re not coming back for you?”

Dani’s bottom lip started to tremble and she bit it to make it stop.  “Now that I’m a monster you don’t need me, right?”

“Dani.”  She finally looked up at him.  “We’re not ditching you.  When you and Kate think you have a handle on this, we’re coming back for you.  I’m not sending you away.  You “graduate” this class, we pick up right where we were.  Ok?”

“You promise?”

“Cross my heart.”

“Ok.” Dani nodded, already looking more relaxed. 

“And who knows,” Dean said, grabbing her backpack out of the backseat and handing it to her.  “Having a werewolf on the team might come in handy.”

Dani smiled.  “I guess there could be benefits.”

 “Hi Dani,” Kate said, as they rejoined her and Sam.  “I’m Kate.”

“Hi,” Dani said, shaking the hand the other girl held out to her.  “Thanks for doing this.”

“Like I told them, I’m happy to help.  Believe me, it’s not as bad you think it is at first.  We’ll have you ready to go back to a normal life before you know it.”

“Ok,” Dani said, taking a breath and hiking the strap of her backpack up higher on her shoulder.  “Let’s get started then.”

She hugged Dean and then Sam and then she and Kate climbed into the pickup.     

                                                                        . . .

            Dean drummed his thumbs against the steering wheel, scanning the road on either side of the parking lot.  Sam chuckled under his breath and shook his head.

            “What?” Dean asked, glaring at him.

            “You,” Sam said.  “It’s like she’s past curfew or something.”

            “What? No it’s not.  It’s just they were supposed to be here like fifteen minutes ago.”

            Sam snorted. 

            “All right,” Dean admitted.  “So maybe I’ve missed the kid, is that a crime?”

            Before Sam could answer, Kate’s truck pulled into the parking lot.

            “Finally,” Dean said, throwing open the car door.

            Dani hopped out of the truck before it was in park.  She looked good; all smiles.  They had pulled up on the passenger side so she got to Sam first.  She grinned ear to ear and threw her arms around Sam’s neck, jumping a little to get there.  

            “Good to see you,” Sam said, hugging her back before setting her down on the ground. 

            “Been having a lot of fun while I’ve been gone?” Dani asked, stepping over to Dean and hugging him too. 

            “Oh yeah, loads of fun.”  Dean pushed her to arm’s length and looked her over.  “How about you?  You good now?”

             Dani grinned.  “Oh yeah.”  She raised her hands to eye level, flexing her fingers quickly and claws sprang up in place of her finger nails.  In spite of himself, Dean started.  Dani laughed and the claws retracted.

            “She’s doing really well,” Kate said.  “She going to be fine.”

            “Good.” Dean nodded.  “Thanks again for teaching her.”

            “We owe you,” Sam said.

            “I’ll remember that.”  Kate nodded, then looked at Dani.  “You can call me any time.”

            “Thanks,” Dani said, her happiness dimming just a little.  “That goes for you too.  If you ever need anything.”

            The two girls exchanged a hug for a minute, then Dani pulled back.  “I really appreciate how much you’ve done for me.”

            “Hey, us wolves got to stick together right,” Kate said, forcing a smile.

            “Right.” Dani nodded.

            Kate took a breath and shoved her hands into her jacket pocket.  “Well, I had better get going.”

            “Thanks again.”  Sam said.

            Kate nodded and got back in her truck.  Before backing out, she looked at Dani one more time, who waved.  She smiled and waved back, then started out of the parking lot.

            “See, that wasn’t so bad was it,” Dean asked, putting an arm around Dani’s shoulder. 

            “No,” she said.  “It was good.  You were right, that’s what I needed.  But I’m still glad to be back.”

            “We’re glad to have you back,” Sam said.

            “Yeah.”  Dean nodded. 

            They all got back in the car and Dean started it up.  “Here,” he said, turning to Dani, who sat in the back seat and handing her the shoe box of cassette tapes.  “Pick us something to listen to.”                                                           . . .

            Later that night, Sam stepped out of the motel bathroom, toweling off his hair.  He looked around the room and saw Dean, flipping through the channels without much interest.  Dani would be in the room next door. 

            “It’s a full moon tonight,” Sam said, glancing out the window.  “Maybe we shouldn’t have stopped at the hotel. Do you think she’s going to be ok?”

            “Kate said she was ready.”

            They both jumped as a howl split the relative silence.  Dean pulled back the curtain from the window, Sam hovering over his shoulder to see out as well. 

            There was Dani, perfectly relaxed and human, lounging on the hood of the impala, staring up at the moon.  Her phone sat beside her, and they could just make out the music coming from it. 

            Don’t go round tonight, Well its bound to mean your life, There’s a bad moon on the rise.   

Raised From Perdition Part 4

 Here's a short transitions sequence that kind of bridges two sections of the book. 

Dani leaned against the side of the impala parked outside the bunker, alternating watching the first sliver of dawn light the horizon and Dean rummaging through the trunk, trying to replace the weapons the brothers had used the night before.

            “How does all of that even fit in there?” Dani asked.

            “Sam is really good at Tetris,” Dean answered, straightening and pushing the trunk closed.  “We’ve got the bunker to keep a lot of stuff in now, but I still like to keep the essentials in the car.  Never know when you might need them.” 

            She nodded and before she could ask what was considered ‘essential’ Sam walked out of the bunker and came up to them.

            “I was just watching the news,” Sam said. “The cops found some bodies this morning about 30 miles from here.  They’d been drained of blood.”

            “Vampires?” Dani asked, a little excited in spite of herself.  It had to be vampires right? She couldn’t think of any other monster that drained blood.  Of course she’d never even heard of half the things seen mentioned in some of the bunker’s archives.

            “Maybe,” Sam answered.  “I think we would have known about a vamp nest this close before now, but it could be.”

            “Maybe they just moved to town,” Dean said.  “Not a good choice for them.”   

“Well, if it is, I hate Twilight just as much as the next self-respecting book nerd,” Dani ventured.  “Maybe I could go with you this time.”

            “No, we can’t keep dragging you into this stuff,” Dean said.

            “I won’t get in the way,” Dani promised.  “I’ll do just what you tell me to and-“

            “It’s not a good idea.” Dean shook his head.  “Not with vampires, or anything else that could be draining bodies.  It’s not minor league stuff.”  He looked at Sam.  “Tell her.”

            Sam paused and before he could say anything Dani continued.  “Look I’ve gone with you before and everything was fine.  I even helped a couple of times.  I mean I don’t mind not going all the time, but I’m not doing a lot of good to anybody staying here.” 

 “No, Dani,” Dean said, stepping closer.  “I know we still don’t know each other very well, and maybe I don’t have a lot of right saying this, but this, this life, hunting, it’s not…It isn’t…” he paused to gather his thoughts.  “Look, I like you being here, and I’ve liked spending some time with you, but…I always thought if I had kids that I wouldn’t want them doing what I do.”

            “But it’s what I want to do Dean,” Dani said. “What was I doing before I met you guys? Making enough money to get buy, and for what?  Just to support myself for another week so I could get to the next one, there was no purpose in that.  I tried to do something good with that whole thing with the medications but that was a mess.  And then I found this.”  She gestured at the bunker, the car.  “I know it’s a hard life.  I know it’s dangerous, and comes with a lot of sacrifices.  But don’t tell me you wish you’d never started this.  That if you could walk away, move to some tiny town and never see another monster again that you’d do it.  I’ve seen it Dean, you love being a hunter, because you know it’s right for you.  And I know it’s right for me too.”  She drew herself up a little, folding her arms across her chest.  “This is what I want to do.  If you don’t want me tagging along with you I get it, that’s fine.  I can go my own way and figure this out—“

            “No,” Dean shook his head.  “No you are not running off to fly solo.”  He glanced at Sam, who nodded. Dean sighed. “If you’re stupid enough to be a hunter, we’ll make sure you’re a damn good one."                                                                        . .  .

            Dani threw on her jacket and hurried after Sam and Dean.  She had to jog a few steps to catch up with them.  “Where are we going?” she asked.  All Dean had said was ‘come on, get in the car.’

            “If you’re dead set on getting into this hunting business,” Dean said, pulling out the impala’s keys.  “You got to take some precautions.”

            “Ok,” she said, trying to hide an excited smile.  What kind of precautions?  Actual hunter training or something?  “So where are we going?”

            “Tori’s Design’s.”  Dean answered.

            “What’s that?”

            “A tattoo parlor,” Sam answered.

            Dani stopped, and gave them a questioning look.

            Dean nodded.  “Don’t worry, it’s a good one.  Not the type that’s a hepatitis infection waiting to happen.”

            Dani stopped, her hand halfway reaching for the passenger door handle.  “Why are we going to a tattoo parlor?”

            “Because you’re going to need to get one of these.”  Sam held out his phone to her and she took it.  On the screen was a picture of an all black Star of David, surrounded by a sunburst.  Or at least she hoped it was a Star of David because if not it was a pentagram and she wasn’t sure she liked the connotations of that. “What is it?” she asked, handing the phone back.

            “An anti-possession symbol,” Sam explained.  “It will protect you from demons.”

            So pentagram it is. Dani raised her eyebrows.  “A tattoo is going to protect me from being possessed by a demon?”

            Sam nodded.  “We both got one a few years ago, and like Dean said, if you’re going to hunt, you’re going to need one too.  Some hunters wear it as charms but those can be taken off.  You need something more permanent.”

            “And nothing says permanent like a tattoo,” Dean said.  “You still want to do this?” 

            “Sure,” Dani shrugged.  “I was thinking about getting a tattoo a while back anyway.”  She opened the car door but didn’t get in yet.  “Can I see yours?”

            “I guess,” Sam said, and pulled down the collar of his shirt.  Just under his collar bone was the same symbol from the picture.  It looked like it was placed over a scar of some kind. 

            Dean sighed and lowered his shirt too, revealing the same mark in the same place.

            Dani nodded.  “Ok.  But do I have to get it in the same place for it to work?”  

            “No.” Sam shook his head.  “You can put it anywhere. Ideally not on your arms or legs though, because um,” he hesitated.

            “Because if the demon really wants to get you they can be cut off,” Dean finished.

            “Oh,” Dani said, trying to keep her voice steady, though she felt like some of the color had left her face.  “Ok, that makes sense.  I was thinking wrist but I guess I’ll have to go back then.”

                                                                        . . .

             “Hey Cas, before we get started,” Dean said, leading the angel into the other room.  Sam and Daniella Webster stood around the table, talking.  “I need you to do something for me.” He turned to the girl. “Dani, you remember Cas, right?’

            Dani nodded.  The angel had come along on a hunt a week or so ago.  They hadn’t spoken much, but Sam and Dean trusted him, so Dani had decided she liked him.  “Nice to see you again Castiel.”

            “Turn around and show him your tattoo,” Dean instructed.

            “Ok,” Dani said, not sure why she needed to do that.  She turned and wrestled her t-shirt sleeve far enough down her arm that the top of the sun burst showed. 

            Dean turned back to Castiel.  “I want you to ward her from angels, like you did me and Sam.  Just in case things go south up there again.”

            Castiel nodded, also seeming a little confused. 

            “Can you do the same thing with her tattoo?” Dean asked.  “Devine etchi-sketch it on her shoulder blade or something?”

             “Yes, that would be simple” Castiel nodded understanding.

            Dani was still confused, but was pretty sure she didn’t like where this was going.  “Devine what?”

            “Those only work while they’re on your skin,” Dean explained.  “They can be burned or skinned off.  I don’t want to take any chances with you so we’re going to make it even more permanent.”

            “What?”

            Castiel gently laid his hand over the tattoo and Dani started.  “Ow! What was that?”

            “I have seared the mark into your bone,” Castiel said.  “Nothing can remove that.”

            “Why the tattoo if you were just going to do that?”  Dani asked, rubbing her shoulder. 

            “I wasn’t sure how long it would be before Cas showed up again.  The ink was better than nothing.”

            “Ow!” Dani jerked back from Castiel when he touched the bottom of her sternum.  “What was that for?”

            “That was the warding,” Castiel explained.  “Now no angel will be able to track you.”

            “Didn’t know that was going to be an issue but ok.”  She looked warily from Dean to Castiel and back.  “Anything else?”

            Dean shook his head.  “Nope, that’s it. Let’s go.”

Raised From Perdition Part 3

I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted any of this.  I was going back through some old writing as I was realizing that I needed to get caught up on Supernatural so I could watch the last few episodes live.  (I got behind in season 14 somewhere around episode 7 and had to wait for them to come to Netflix and then I just haven't gotten around to it again.) Anyway, I'm going to finish posting this whole story within the next few weeks. After that I may start a spin off fic from Raised from Perdition, depending on how season 15 goes once I finally get caught up. Again, I wrote this is 2015 so it is taking place then. Hope you enjoy. 

Dean raised the shotgun and emptied both barrels into the Chimera’s lion face. It shuddered, writhed, the other two heads screaming, then shook itself and lunged toward him. He quickly reloaded, slamming two more shells into the chamber. The first blasted off the best’s goat head.  It stumbled, staggering to its knees as Dean finished it off with a final shot that cut the snake in half.   He nudged the chimera with the toe of his boot.  The snake tail was still twitching, but the rest of it didn’t react.  He wiped the blood from his hands on his jeans and walked over to where Dani crouched against the wall.  She grinned at him through the blood and grime on her face, her eyes bright with adrenaline.

            “Not bad little lady,” he said, offering her a hand up. “You’ve kind of got a knack for this.”

            “Thanks,” she said. She took his hand, but winced as he pulled her to her feet, one of her legs buckling.

            Dean’s face clouded with worry as he noticed the dark red stain spreading across the upper leg of her jeans. “You’re bleeding.  Was that the snake?” he asked, helping her sit down again.

            “No, the lion scratched me,” she said, her voice tight. “Is it bad?”

            “Nothing a few stitches won’t fix,” he said after a quick inspection of the injury. He pulled off his jacket and then the plaid shirt underneath, and started to tie that one around her leg to stop the bleeding.  “We’ll get you sewed up once we get out of here.”

            “You know how to do stitchces?” she asked.

            “Sam’s better at it than me,” he said, finished off the makeshift bandage.  He looked up and studied her briefly; she seemed reasonably all right.  “Can you walk?”

            She nodded.  “I think so, it just surprised me a minute ago.”

            “Ok.” He started to help her up again, but paused when his gaze caught on a flash of light glinting off a necklace that had slipped out from under her shirt sometime during the fight.  It was a small pendant with a celtic design, an ancient good luck charm.  Dean stopped short, he’d seen a charm just like that a long time ago.  It even had the same nick cut out of the top where it had been damaged sometime in the past.  Something about the pendant nagged at the edge of his consciousness, something he’d forgotten.  “Where did you get that?” he asked.

            She looked down, startled, and then glanced back up at him but he was still looking at the necklace.  “From my mom.” She took a deep breath.  “She said my dad gave it to her.”

            Dean’s breath caught in his throat.  He hadn’t just seen one of those charms before, he’d owned one, pulled it out of an old druid’s attic after she’d been murdered by banshees.  And then he’d given it away.  He remembered the light brown hair, the pretty blue eyes, the smile that lit up a room.  He looked at Dani, looked hard. The same set of the eyes, same shape of nose. He felt his stomach drop. Oh shit. That can’t be right.  “How old are you?”

            “Nineteen,” she answered softly, almost like she didn’t want him to hear.

He paused, quickly doing some mental math. “What was your mom’s name?”

            “Suzanna Webster.”

            Dean looked away, his gaze a long way off for what felt like forever. Suzi Webster. That almost half a semester at the small town Texas high school.  The warm, spring nights when he wasn’t hunting, together out at the ball field, in the back seat of the impala… Was it possible? Yes.  He was young and stupid back then, he hadn’t been careful but, if it was true wouldn’t Suzi have told him?

  He finally looked back up at Dani, questioning, and she nodded once.  “Did you know?” he asked.

            Dani shook her head, her lips pressed in a tight line.  “Not at first.  I just thought you’re name sounded familiar because of Winchester rifles.  I don’t know, something you said a little while back made me wonder, but I wasn’t sure.”

            “Oh my god.” Dean sat back on his heels, reaching out a hand to steady himself. 

            Before either of them could say anything else Sam came in from the other room. “You guys ok?”

            “Yeah,” Dean said, standing hurriedly. He didn’t look at either of them as he pulled Dani to her feet, and then started out of the room.  “Let’s get out of here before this place falls down on top of us.  We should be able to get to the bunker in a couple of hours and get her patched up.”  He shrugged his jacket back on and stalked out of the room, not turning to see if either of them were following.

            Sam turned to Dani questioningly.  “What happened?”

            She just shook her head.

                                                                        . .  .

            Back in the bunker, Dani pushed herself up onto the bathroom counter as Sam took a makeshift suture kit out of one of the cabinets. Gingerly, she began peeling the blood soaked plaid from her leg.

            “So what happened with you and Dean?” Sam asked, sterilizing a needle with a lighter.

            “I don’t know,” she said, not looking at him.  “I know I’ve been saying this for days, but I’m really going to get that bus this time.”

            Sam nodded.  “Get back to a normal life?”

            “Yeah, something like that.  It’s been an interesting road trip though, that’s for sure.”

            “You ready?” Sam asked, pausing with the needle over her leg.

            Dani set her jaw.  “Let’s do it.”

                                                                        . . .

            “Hey, how long have you been here?” Sam asked, looking up from his computer as Castiel came into the room.

            “Seven and a half minutes,” then without further preamble he stated more than asked, “You’ve brought someone new to the bunker.”

            “Good to see you too,” Sam said. “Yeah, a girl named Dani Webster.  We were supposed to be taking her home after we helped her break a curse, but we kind of keep getting distracted.”

            Castiel nodded.  “Where’s Dean?”

            “He’s in his room, but I’d leave him alone if I were you,” Sam cautioned. 

            “Why?”  Castiel asked, pausing.

            “I don’t know,” Sam shrugged and ran a hand through his hair.  “Dean’s been weird since we finished with those chimera, but I don’t know what he has to be mad about.  We got them, nobody died.  I think something happened with Dani, but neither one of them will say what.”

            Cas sighed and nodded knowingly.  “Perhaps I should speak to him anyway.”

            “Whatever Cas.”  Sam waved a hand dismissively. 

            Castiel slipped into Dean’s room, ignoring the fact that there had been no answer to his knock.  Dean sat at his desk, with a pair of headphones on.  Despite them, Castiel could hear the music’s muted blaring.  Dean’s entire body was tense and his expression hard and distant. 

            “Dean,” Castiel started.  Dean didn’t react.  “Dean.” He repeated, louder. 

            “What Cas?” Dean snapped.

            “You seem troubled.”  He hesitated.  “Is everything all right?”

            “No,” Dean said, jerking off the headphones and throwing them down on the desk.  “No, everything is not.  Apparently…”  He forced out a breath, rubbing a hand across his face.  “Apparently I have a kid.  A daughter, a grown daughter, with a girl I dated for a couple months in high school.”

            Cas just nodded.  “I thought maybe you’d found out about that.”

            “Wait,” Dean held up a hand, before Castiel could continue.  “Are you telling me that you knew about her?”

            “Yes.”

            “For how long?” he demanded, his expression a mix of anger and hurt.

            “Since shortly after I met you,” Castiel answered.  “You were of great interest to heaven at the time.  We learned nearly everything about you and Sam both.”

            “And you didn’t feel the need to share this information before now?”

            “It never came up.” Dean looked like he was about to start yelling at him, so he hurried on, holding up a placating hand.  “And if I had you would have tried to find her.  It wasn’t time for the two of you to meet yet.”

            “What do you mean ‘it wasn’t time yet’?”

            “Dani’s important in the grand scheme.  Or at least she is if plans haven’t changed since then.  They said she has a vital role to play in your family.  I don’t know the details, but I do know that there was a plan and that it was considered vital that certain points needed to come about at certain times.”

            For a minute Dean was quiet, while he tried to organize his thoughts.  He started to begin several sentences without actually saying anything then he shook his head and looked back at Cas.  “Tell me one thing, since you know so much.  Do I have more kids?”

            “No,” Castiel assured him.  “Though that is a wonder.”  

                                                                         . . .

            “Hey,” Dean said, coming into the kitchen where Dani was making a peanut butter sandwich.

            “Hey,” she repeated cautiously, laying down the butter knife.

“So, I guess you and I need to talk.”

            “Yeah, I think we do” she nodded.  “Can I start?”

            He nodded. 

            “Ok,” she took a deep breath and shoved her hands into her front pockets.  “Look, I don’t want you to feel like I expect anything from you.  I don’t need a dad, I’m grown, and I’ve been doing ok on my own for years.  If you want, I’ll go and you’ll never hear from me again.  But,” she paused.  “I don’t need a dad, but, I don’t know, what are the odds that we’d run into each other after all this time. So, since we have met each other, I guess I’d like to get to know you a little bit.  If that’s ok?”

            Dean let out a slow breath. Her request was reasonable, and somewhat tempered the nervous tension thrumming through him.  This was new for her too, he could see in her face that she wasn’t really sure what to make of all this either.  But maybe they could work something out. “Of course it’s ok,” he said. “Look, this all kind of came out of nowhere for me, I’m still getting my head around it.  But I don’t want you to walk and never hear from you again.  I’d like to get to know you too.”