Snippets Ten: The Fourth of July Picnic

Snippets will be little bits of life. Lady Laran and Tisha Wyman wish to thank Eric Kripke for the creation of Supernatural and Sam and Dean Winchester. We neither own nor make money from Supernatural, the characters, or the actors, although Dean would be welcome by me. Thank you for reading. Comments are appreciated.

Laran and Tisha

Castiel had pretty much stayed in Dean's line of sight since the incident in the car.  The little boy was very subdued, even when they reached the picnic and Mary had set out the delicious looking food she'd prepared for her family.  Usually the sight of his favorite foods had the child eager to eat but not this time, and it had the angel very worried.

Dean had taken some of his Legos and was building a fort for his toy soldiers.  He was sitting beneath a tree in the park, about ten feet away from his parents.  His mother had not noticed the slight red mark on his cheek and Dean had not talked about it.

The angel sat beside his charge.  "I know it's hard to understand, little one, but your father does not hate you."  Though there were times he wondered at it.

The blond raised his head and hazel eyes gazed into the angel’s.  "What...?" He stopped the question before he finished asking it.  The small boy lowered his head and went back to his Legos.

"Dean, you are allowed to ask questions when I'm with you.  I will never hurt 

you for asking me anything.  I promise," he told the boy.

"Hate?" was the only word that came from the hesitant child.

"Hate is an emotion that people feel," he said, falling into teacher mode, which 

he seemed to do more and more lately.  "You remember how your mom was teaching you about 

opposites the other day?  Hot and cold, wet and dry?"  Basic terms but easy for a bright child Dean's age to comprehend.

The young child’s head bobbed in a nod.

"The opposite of love is hate.  Hate makes you feel all bad inside because you 

can't see the good things around you," he said softly.  "Your father loves you very much, never doubt that.  However, his life has been rough and things have happened that have made him more aggressive to people than is normal."

Dean was having problems understanding some of the big words the angel used.  

Castiel could see his little mind working  in the way the eyes focused.  He stared up at the angel, "Agesive?"

Ok, too big a word.  "You know how, when you're tired and it's close to nap 

time, you get a bit mean to your mother sometimes?"

"I dun hit Mama."

"No but you do yell at her, right?"

"I not mad at Mama.  Dayey was mad at me."

"Well, when you yell at her when you're tired, that's being aggressive.  People 

do wrong things when they're upset.  Sometimes, they yell and say mean things.  Other times, they hit and later feel bad because they did.  When people hit, they may not be aware of just how much they hurt the one they've hit.  Dean, I want you to remember this, ok?  When you're upset, try to talk it out but never..ever...hit a child or a woman.  They can't protect themselves as well as males can."  He stroked his fingers over the soft hair, reassuring his charge.

Dean nodded and turned looked at his parents, both of them seemed happy and contented.  His daddy didn’t look  upset to him.  He knew the angel was right, but he would be careful around his daddy, anyway.  He liked being daddy’s boy.

Dean smiled.  The twigs and ants were bothering him.  He walked over to the Impala with his Legos and climbed into the front seat and began to play with the small connecting blocks on the dashboard.  He never noticed that several pieces slid down into the vent.  His mama called him to come eat.  Leaving the Legos where they were, he hurried over to join his parents, leaving one angel with a wide-eyed stare at the vent.

Castiel began to raise his hand to draw the toys out of the vent when Father 

intervened."The Legos must remain, my child.  They are important in the future."

That didn't make much sense but the angel complied.  "As You wish, Father."  He was quiet for a moment, watching the little family.  "Did I do all right there?  I have no comprehension as to why John Winchester is so abusive to his child."

"John Winchester does not recognize it as abusive, my son.  He is a strict man.  In a few years, Dean will come to worship him.  He will dress like him, listen to the same music, and he will own the Impala.  Whatever John Winchester says will be law.  John’s attitude will not change..  He will use that to control Dean, but the younger brother will see it for what it is.  Dean is a hero, Castiel, but he will never recognize that side of himself.  neither will will his family.  I promise you that there will be those who see it."

 "If he will mimic the man that closely, Father, then I will have failed because 

Dean is unique as are all humans.  John Winchester's only redeeming point is that he sired such a child," he whispered.

"You will not have failed.  Dean is not completely blind, Castiel.  He loves and 

worships his father, but when he is reaches his twenties, he will be deserted by his family. It will hurt deeply, and he will do all he can to win them back.  John Winchester will do things  that some might consider to be a fatherly thing to do, but there will be repercussions  and he will use Dean at the end of his life.  Dean will have to bear great burdens, but he will make most of the right choices.  Not all of them will be, but you will become a vital part of  his life again, at that time.  You will never leave him,  Castiel....not permanently.  He will lose sight of you."

"I never thought to say this, Father, but I wish that he will not.  He has 

become..special..to me."

"I will give you other errands at times, my child.  You may have to find ways to 

understand what has gone on during those times.  Until I send you back into the fight for his soul, safety, and sanity, you will not always know what he has been up to.  You will have to find ways to know.  It will be important that you do."

The sound of a car backing and tires screeching to a halt brought  an end to the conversation.  Castiel could hear John Winchester yell, "Damn it Dean, they’re in the vent!"

Snippets Nine: Dean and Women

Snippets will be little bits of life. Lady Laran and Tisha Wyman wish to thank Eric Kripke for the creation of Supernatural and Sam and Dean Winchester. We neither own nor make money from Supernatural, the characters, or the actors, although Dean would be welcome by me. Thank you for reading. Comments are appreciated.

Laran and Tisha

Mary had been busy  with things for the Fourth of July picnic.  John told her he’d keep an eye on Dean.  He put his son in the front seat of the Impala and headed to his job to pick up his paycheck.  The mechanics would always tease him about having such a fair haired son  The teasing seemed to mainly be about how the boy looked like such a beautiful girl.  This worried Dean’s father a  good deal.

The worry didn't make sense to Castiel, who was currently seated in the backseat so he could keep an eye on his charge.  They had come to a stop and being such a hot day, the windows were down in order to cool off the vehicle.  The holiday didn't make much sense to the angel but it seemed to have everyone outside and as scantily clad as was morally possible.

John had pulled into the bank and was filling out a deposit slip to put into the drop.  Dean was standing up and looking out the window.  A very skimpily clad woman walked up to the drop and was putting a money bag in it.  Castiel watched his charge get very still.  A small grin appeared and Dean Winchester leaned out the window and yelled, "Wow!"  John’s head jerked up as the woman walked past Dean’s window to his.  The slap was loud and  hard, and the woman turned away.

John rubbed his face and looked at his son, realizing that he was no ‘girl.’  

Castiel watched the scene and then did something very rare for him.  He laughed.  Not the gentle chuckle kind but a full deep belly laugh.  Oh, he could foresee a great deal of trouble for this one and it seemed John Winchester was just now starting to realize it.

Dean leaned out the window and pointed to another skimpily clad woman.  Before he could say anything, John dragged him back inside and sat him down, sternly telling his son, "No!"  

Dean asked, "Why?"

The angel couldn't stop the laughter as he watched John deal with his first bout of the infamous 'why' when told something.

"Because women dressed like that get angry at men when they yell something like ‘wow.  You got me slapped for something you did.  It hurt."

Dean asked, "Why?" 

For once, that was a good question Castiel mused to himself.  He couldn't claim to understand the female species but wouldn't dressing like that mean men would ogle and treat them like objects?  Why would they be angry?

"I don’t know why they dress like that and get angry, but I sure as hell know why it hurts, Dean."  John reached over and slapped the boy on the face.  "That’s why it hurts.  That’s why you stop something when I tell you no.  You didn’t learn from the last time you got in trouble.  Learn this time and quit asking me why!"

Dean did not cry which surprised the angel.  His hand touched his cheek and the hazel eyes turned turned almost gray with distress, but he kept quiet.  There were no more questions.

Snippets Eight: Who, What, Where, When, and Why

Snippets will be little bits of life. Lady Laran and Tisha Wyman wish to thank Eric Kripke for the creation of Supernatural and Sam and Dean Winchester. We neither own nor make money from Supernatural, the characters, or the actors, although Dean would be welcome by me. Thank you for reading. Comments are appreciated.

Laran and Tisha

Mary sat down the evening John left in anger and explained the word, ‘stubborn,’ to her two year old son.  Castiel listened and thought that Dean might actually have a good mother after all.  She took the time and put it into words a very young child would understand.

What Castiel and Mary had not expected was the string of questions to follow.  She thought it would come at a later age, but Dean was very inquisitive.  The angel realized that his charge was very intelligent.  He came to one more realization.  He seriously disliked  the words, ‘who,’ ‘what,’ ‘where,’ 'when'  and the most irritating word of all......’why.’

Of all the words in the multitude of human languages, Castiel was certain that "why" was the one word he disliked the most.  He would've said hated but it was simply not acceptable for an angel to hate something.  Supposedly, it was very unangelic like or so he'd heard.  However, the constant use of "why" when his charge was told something was, in a word, frustrating.  "It's time like this, Father, I have to ponder the creation of the world 'why.'  If I'm hearing it this frequently, I can only imagine how much You hear it," he said in private communication as he watched his little charge.

"Why is an important word in the human vocabulary, Castiel.  Humans do question everything and it is often that they do it, my child.  Sometimes they do  not understand my wishes or decisions.  As long as they ask me, they are communicating with me.  That is good.  When Dean stops asking, worry.  Give him the best answers you can.  His parents may fail in it.  We do not want to fail him too."

But they would fail him if something wasn't done to alter the destiny of this family.  However, he couldn't ask why because that wasn't allowed by his kind.  The angel sighed.  "I suppose so, Father.  I answer the best I can but it is difficult.  Young minds are so limited in what they can understand.  It's like Mary trying to teach him why the stove is hot."

"Teaching that things are dangerous is difficult, my son.  Remember that it is important that he comprehends that things are dangerous.  He will be a great hunter, but only if he understands that many things cause pain."

Castiel’s conversation was cut short when Mary screamed, "Dean do not touch the stove!"  He heard Dean’s scream and immediately was in the kitchen.

The angel teleported himself into the kitchen to find his little one on his knees, holding his hand and crying.  He could hear a mix of a cry for his mother as well as the mangled form of his own name.  Castiel knelt beside his charge, resting his hand on his back. "This is why we do not touch things that are hot, little one.  Hot can hurt when not mixed with cold."

Mary, getting ice out of the freezer, and Cas both  stared as Dean asked, "Why?"

Castiel thought he heard laughter from heaven again, but was not sure.

Snippets Seven: Potty Training

Snippets will be little bits of life. Lady Laran and Tisha Wyman wish to thank Eric Kripke for the creation of Supernatural and Sam and Dean Winchester. We neither own nor make money from Supernatural, the characters, or the actors, although Dean would be welcome by me. Thank you for reading. Comments are appreciated.

Laran and Tisha


When Dean turned two, John informed Mary that it was past time for diapers. He saw no reason the boy couldn’t use the big toilet.  Mary stared at him and said there were special made potties for training and they had a cup in front for little boys.  John snorted and told her to get the boy a small stool and make him stand like a man.  He was a boy, not a girl.

At that point, Castiel had the distinct pleasure of watching Mary go out and buy the proper training tools for Dean, including a special potty just for Dean.  He was very happy for that, especially given what John had done over the last nudity issue.  She was learning to stick to her beliefs when it came to helping Dean through certain phases in his life.

The arguments started when John got home.  He left the house and did not come home that night.  Dean had pottied during the argument.  Dean had actually done both in the potty and was very proud of himself, but did not know how to wipe.  He could hear mommy crying in the kitchen.

Castiel knelt beside his charge.  "You have done so well, Dean.  Your mother will be so proud of you."

"Mommy is crying," Dean pointed out the obvious to the angel.  Castiel could see, in the bright hazel eyes, the brain working.  Dean was not a stupid child and he was trying to find a way to make Mommy stop crying.  Before Castiel could stop him, the little boy, training pants still around his ankles, reached into the potty and grabbed what Castiel was sure was something that should have remained where it was.  He headed to the kitchen to cheer his Mommy up.  Castiel had said she would be proud.

 The angel facepalmed as he followed his charge into the kitchen.  Fortunately for Dean, Mary didn't react negatively and knelt, asking her son if he'd done his business in the potty when she saw the 'gift' in his hand.

Not for the first time was the Winchester charm shown in a bright smile.  Father had said the smile would get the boy into lots of problems later in life, but it would also help him.  Castiel had problems comprehending this in the innocent face before him, but Father was never wrong.

Mary beamed at him, calling him a good boy and then guided him to the bathroom to help him put the 'present' back into the potty and then taught him how to wipe himself properly.

Dean smiled up at his Mommy, when she picked him up and took him to the sink to wash his hands.  He put his arms around her and whispered, "Don cry, Mommy.  I luv you."

 "And I love you, my precious boy," she told him, kissing his little face.  "And my little one, if I cry, it's never your fault.  Remember that, ok?"

"Daddy made you cry," Dean’s little voice just sounded like he was stating a fact.

 "Sometimes daddies can make mommies cry," she told him.  "They don't mean to but can be quite stubborn."

"Wuz subborn?"  Castiel  thought the question was cute, as Dean yawned.  It was past his bedtime.

"Let's brush our teeth, little man, and I'll tell you," she said, getting his toothbrush wet and a dot of paste on it.

Castiel watched a sweet scene between mother son, marveling at how much the young man looked like his mother.  Little did he know that one simple question would open a part of childhood he had never dealt with.

In later years, most people would think that Dean was not that smart.  His younger brother would be credited with the brains of the family.  Dean started asking questions, nonstop, at age two.  Castiel, being his invisible guardian, and Mary would get the brunt of it.  The angel was going to learn patience.

Snippets Six: Dealing with Nudity

Snippets will be little bits of life. Lady Laran and Tisha Wyman wish to thank Eric Kripke for the creation of Supernatural and Sam and Dean Winchester. We neither own nor make money from Supernatural, the characters, or the actors, although Dean would be welcome by me. Thank you for reading. Comments are appreciated.

Laran and Tisha

Winter hit Kansas hard in 1981.  John and Mary kept the house warm for Dean, who hated shoes.  He was always losing one.  That winter, Dean developed a new habit that embarrassed his parents greatly.  He discovered his naked body and wanted to show it everywhere.

   For the angel, it was rather amusing  to watch the two year old streak around the house, giggling as his parents chased after him with one kind of garment or another.  In truth, to Castiel, there was nothing wrong as the boy was innocent in all things and to be unclad was no sin at all.  He really didn't understand mortals at times.

The Winchesters had gone to the mall so Dean could see Santa.  John swore he would never do so again when Dean pulled the old man’s beard off, climbed off the man’s lap, and gave the beard to a little girl close to his age.  Castiel’s brows went up when the young Winchester kissed the little girl on lips and left the beard with her as a gift.

Once the child had gotten home, he had stripped out of the red candy cane sweater and jeans that Mary had declared as perfectly adorable and had hurriedly gone running around, snickering gleefully.

The next day an event occurred which made Castiel realize that maybe mortals were right about nudity in children.  The Winchesters went to the local pond to ice skate with friends.  Dean was playing on the ice as his parents kept an eye on him, while skating.

The sound system that was set up played a Christmas waltz and John took Mary’s hand.  They were caught up in the moment when they heard someone scream.  Turning they saw Dean sliding across the ice and his bare butt disappearing into a snowbank.  John swore and took off after his naked son, with a distraught Mary right behind.

The celestial being was grateful it had been a snowbank and not  the ice the naked boy had fallen into.  He did have a feeling that Mary and John would not be thinking of the same thing, however.

The Impala pulled into the drive, John got out, grabbed his naked son, and entered the house.  Mary gathered Dean’s things.  When she entered, she could hear  John’s belt strike their son.  Mary ran and yelled at John to stop.  He told her it was the only way to make a boy learn.

John and Mary had a large argument and John left the house.  Mary sat in the kitchen, trying to figure out what should be done about Dean.  Castiel could hear the child crying.

The angel went into the small, cheerful room and knelt beside the bed.  "It's all right, Dean.  Adult humans don't always understand things sometimes."

The young boy climbed into the angel’s lap and laid his head on an angelic shoulder, sniffing.  After this, the boy tended to be more quiet and not as playful as he had been.  Castiel decided he did not like John and Mary Winchester.  She had not gone to her son to comfort but sought solace in her kitchen trying to figure out what to do.

Castiel was glad for the first time that Father had sent him to guard the older Winchester boy.

"Never fear, Dean.  Even if you cannot see me, know that you are in my thoughts and I will watch over you, Father willing," he whispered to his charge.

The boy whispered the name he always called the angel, "Cas."  The angel held him until he fell asleep and placed him back in his bed and remained there.

Snippets Five: Trick or Treating

Snippets will be little bits of life. Lady Laran and Tisha Wyman wish to thank Eric Kripke for the creation of Supernatural and Sam and Dean Winchester. We neither own nor make money from Supernatural, the characters, or the actors, although Dean would be welcome by me. Thank you for reading. Comments are appreciated.

Laran and Tisha

Castiel had to restrain the urge to laugh when Mary was trying to get her overly excited son dressed to partake in the odd ritual of "trick or treating."  Dean was bouncing, ecstatic to be able to go and get candy.  He and his mother had gone shopping for an outfit earlier, and the boy had chosen one that had surprised the angel.

He refused every cute, plastic masked costume in three stores.  His mother was shocked when he picked a make up kit for a werewolf.  He was upset that the clawed gloves were for adults and his little hands could not fit in them.  Mary bought two kits so he would have enough hair for his hands.  The former hunter in her concerned over a two year old’s interests.  Where had her son learned about werewolves?

The angel simply smiled.  It was a harmless fascination for now and after hearing the song "Bad Moon Rising," he'd had to explain about werewolves as best as he could to his ward.  Dean knew they were dangerous but was interested, and the heavenly warrior knew the interest in the supernatural would only serve him well in the future.  He smiled as the make up was applied.  "I know this day is a pagan celebration, Father, but I have to say that he looks rather adorable."

"At least he will not be eating too much candy with adult vampire teeth in his mouth," Father mentioned.  They both listened as Dean asked his normal questions about tricks and treats and the difference in them.

 "No, we just have to worry about that after he gets home," the angel said with a laugh.  John was staying home to hand out candy, so it was just mother, son, and the angelic guardian.  "He looks like a big puppy more than a fearsome creature," he admitted, large smile curving his lips.  

The next hour, mother, son, and angel walked the neighborhood streets.    Dean learned that no light meant no candy.  He walked by his mother’s side.  They stopped at a local grocery store.  It was closed but the outside lights were still on.  Mary opened the door and Dean ran to the counter.  The owner frowned when he saw the child.

"Oh goodness!  What do we have here?"  The owner seemed to act properly afraid of the miniature wolfman.

The child growled as best as a mouth full of adult teeth would let him.  At this time, the door opened and two teenagers entered.  The man looked up and said, "We’re closed."  The boys laughed and started taking chips and drinks, enjoying their plunder.

One walked up and tried to get into Dean’s candy bag.  The younger Winchester spit out his teeth, and said, "You tricked.  No treat."  The teen started to reach down to him.  Before Mary could do anything, the little boy was on his knees with a mouth full of calf.  The teen was screaming, Mary was trying to stop the situation, and the storekeeper was on the phone talking to 911.

Castiel reacted, using some of his grace to encourage the boys to leave the child alone.  Mary could fight but seemed to have forgotten how to at this moment.  He nudged her, trying to get her to embrace the fighter's instinct even for this moment.

Dean dug in deeper, gnawing the calf and the older boy fell to the floor, screaming louder.  The other teen stopped staring and ran to his aid.  Dean let go and looked up at the boy running towards him and bared bloody teeth that showed through the blood covered hair.  He raised his hands like claws and yelled, "I got wabies!"  

Both boys stared, wide-eyed at the two year old as a police car pulled up front.  Castiel and Mary were trying to figure out where Dean learned about rabies and canines.

Castiel looked at the scene for a moment before breaking into full laughter, nearly hitting the floor.  Oh merciful Father, life with this Winchester was NOT going to be dull!  Rabies indeed.

Snippets Four: Chasing an Angel

Snippets will be little bits of life. Lady Laran and Tisha Wyman wish to thank Eric Kripke for the creation of Supernatural and Sam and Dean Winchester. We neither own nor make money from Supernatural, the characters, or the actors, although Dean would be welcome by me. Thank you for reading. Comments are appreciated.

Laran and Tisha

Ever since Dean had become more mobile, Mary couldn't figure it out what it was that was keeping her son so entertained.  She'd often watch his little body hitching around on the floor, giggling as he tried to reach for something just out of his grasp.

When he started crawling, he was everywhere in the house. He seldom played with John.  His eyes were always on a far away spot in the room.  He would sometimes bump into furniture when staring far off into the distance. At first, Mary considered an eye doctor, but than realized that Dean could see just fine.  He was not paying attention to his surroundings. Those beautiful hazel eyes were always watching something in the distance.

The way he acted only made her wonder if her suspicions were correct.  That there was something else in the room with them, something that her little one had befriended.

She saw no signs of anything evil.  Mary Winchester knew her monsters.  She was a Campbell, after all.  She guarded her son carefully, not wanting him to live that lifestyle.  Dean was a gentle soul. He never got into anything.  ‘No’ seemed to mean something to  him.  He just had an invisible friend. John did not understand.

Castiel knew that Mary had somewhat figured it out and had informed his Father about it.  He had no reason for concern but Dean following him like this was annoying...annoyingly adorable as it was pointed out to him.

"What do we do, Father, when both parents realize I am here?"

"Both of them won’t figure it out.  John is not alert to the supernatural, Castiel.  Mary will say nothing to him because she does not want him to know.  Dean will not remember this in a couple of years.  Horror and fear will blot it out, but you will always be there to protect him.  As he ages, that will be not be allowed as often.  His course is set before him, but right now, he needs you.  Actually, he always will, but he won’t recognize it.  He will not believe, Castiel , and he won’t feel worthy of salvation."

"I don't want to question you," he said as he watched the little one crawling towards him again.  "But it doesn't seem right to determine his fate with something bloody and horrible."

"Because of his fate, Castiel, his brother’s fate will alter. This will prevent the destruction of mankind.  Dean Winchester is important.  Azazel has no idea, and he won’t. You are here because a time will come when others will understand.  At that time, you will give all you are to help him.  You will be his friend, my son. Not just a guardian."

"Wouldn't it be better just to have us take Azazel down?  Save them from this pain?"  He was terribly fond of the baby.

"No, Castiel, we have to let man have freedom  of choice.  Where Azazel is, there is Lilith, Ruby, Alistair, and many others who follow or lead.  Your brother, Lucifer, will be the cause, as he has been in the past.  Sometimes someone we love has to hurt to prevent even greater pain.  I am sorry, but it is something I have felt myself.  Be there for him.  It will not be all pain, but most of it will be.  Guard him, and keep the enemy from killing him.  For the time being, my son, he will not die, but a time will come.  Free will, Castiel.  I believe he is fixing to try to walk."

Castiel was watching his charge.  "Forgive me again for questioning, Father, but this isn't freedom of choice.  You're allowing the demons a chance to do what they want and Dean will be hurt by it.  I don't find it to be fair, Father."  Oh..he was walking a thin line but it had to be said.

"It is foreknowledge, Castiel, but man does the choosing on his own.  Seven years ago, Azazel killed John Winchester.  Mary could have let it be.  Azazel offered her a deal.  He would come visit in ten years, and if she allowed him to enter unopposed, John would live.  Mary made the deal, Castiel.  Because of this a second son will be born, and he will be the weapon of Lucifer.  It will be his choice.  Dean will raise him, protect him, fight him personally and for him, and make choices that will affect both of their lives and the future of mankind.  All of these decisions that happen are man’s chioices, not ours."

"This isn't Dean's choice," he objected.  "Nor is it the brother's that will come."

"It is not always the choice of the one affected, Castiel.  The sins of mankind fall upon others all of the time.  If Mary had not tried to run away that night, she may have died with her family.  Instead, John Winchester was brought into the battle.  He died.  She is only the first in this family line to make a deal with a demon to save a life.  It becomes a precedent among them.  The brother will die, Castiel.  Dean will sell his soul to return him, following in John Winchester’s steps, who did the same to keep Dean alive.  Dean will go to hell, Castiel.  You will free him, but  the damage is done.  If it helps, Dean does change for the better after Lucifer is freed.  You will be there at the final battlefield, but all will be scarred or lost."

"It isn't fair," he told him. "They need to be able to make their own choices, not tainted by what the others have done.  You could stop this..stop them before anyone else is harmed."

"It is freewill, Castiel.  I can not interfere.  These things are prophesied and some will be prophesied.  He may not know you are there, but you will still guide and comfort him.  He will need you, because he will not believe and will seek comfort in wrong things.  Be there, Castiel.  He actually will turn into a very good man."

"Dean!  What are you holding on to?  Who is holding you up?"  

Dean giggled, arms wrapped around one invisible angel leg.  He had walked across the room and held on to the one that only he could see.

"It is a sign, Castiel, that even when he rebels, he will cling."

The angel looked down at the child, voice soft.  He'd seen the little one's first steps, amazed that the frail limbs could hold up such a chubby little torso.  "All this way to me, Dean?" It wasn't fair.  He didn't want Dean to hurt.

Snippets Three: First Word

Snippets will be little bits of life. Lady Laran and Tisha Wyman wish to thank Eric Kripke for the creation of Supernatural and Sam and Dean Winchester. We neither own nor make money from Supernatural, the characters, or the actors, although Dean would be welcome by me. Thank you for reading. Comments are appreciated.

Laran and Tisha

There were times when watching over an infant wasn't too bad.  Dean could be rather..cute..when he wasn't fussing or dealing with a disgusting diaper.  Castiel found that he rather enjoyed the giggles from the boy as he occasionally made an appearance and talked to the baby.

It never occurred to the angel that repeating his name to a young child could have consequences.  Castiel thought it would be important for the baby to know who he was.  If he had to guard the child for the rest of his life, the kid ought to know his name.

So..one sunny Saturday morning, the family was in the living room while Dean gummed on his blocks.  Castiel was watching from near a window, aware of the hazel eyes watching as he was given an occasional drooly smile.

John was reading the newspaper, while Mary watched their son.  She noted that Dean kept smiling at the window and assumed he was fascinated by the sunbeams that touched the floor and moved because of the wind blowing through the tree limbs in the yard.  Dean started giggling and dropped the block that was now covered in baby drool.

It still amazed Castiel just how much babies could see.  He knew that cats and other animals could see the supernatural but human babies were something he hadn't expected.  "So you're watching me today, hmm?"

The baby’s eyes looked like a cat’s eyes  as they widened.  Cas loved the myriad colors Dean’s little orbs could change into.  His charge surprised everyone at that moment when he raised his arms towards the window.

The angel moved closer, kneeling by the infant. "What is it, Dean?"  It was moments like this that made working with his little charge so incredibly special.

Dean’s chubby hands touch the angel’s face as he squealed.  A pin drop could be heard in the living room as the little boy called out, "Cath!  Cath!"

Castiel froze while Mary looked at John.  "Did he just say cat?"

John frowned, "I don’t know how you got him to say it, hon, but I’ve told  you before.  No cats in the house."    

"It could be cartoons or the books I read him," she said.  The angel chuckled at this discussion. 

"We'll let them think that's what you're saying, hmm?  I cannot believe you chose me as your first word though, Dean."

Dean continued to touch the angel’s face, saying "Cath!" over and over again.  Mary wondered what her son thought he was touching.  Her eyes widened and she smiled.  Maybe Dean did have an angel watching over him.

Snippets Two: Dirty Diapers

Snippets will be little bits of life. Lady Laran and Tisha Wyman wish to thank Eric Kripke for the creation of Supernatural and Sam and Dean Winchester. We neither own nor make money from Supernatural, the characters, or the actors, although Dean would be welcome by me. Thank you for reading. Comments are appreciated.

Laran and Tisha

Castiel winced at the shrill cry of the infant.  Dean was a few months old now and the child's cry was still piercing to the angel.  During the time he'd been with the family, he'd learned to discern the types of cries the baby gave:  hungry, bored, in pain, scared, and bodily needs.  The one the angel hated...dirty diapers.

The heavenly defender had faced all sorts of things during his long life but never had he come across anything so...foul in stench as this.  Merciful Father, it could be used in warfare against the demonic legions!

Mary was on the telephone in the kitchen talking to John at the mechanic shop.  Castiel knew he could take on angelic form and change the diaper but he was not sure if Dean could handle his form.  He heard a whisper from Father telling him to tend his charge. The angel groaned.

"And what of the child?  He cannot handle me in my true state," he told his parent.  In truth, he didn't want to do this and mentally begged Mary to get off of the communication device to tend to her child.

"The child is important, Castiel.  He will be more important than his brother.  He will have great sin his life, but love and self sacrifice will save him.  At this point, he is an innocent.  Innocents can see angelic forms and not be harmed.  Tend the child, Castiel.  He is your charge for life.  He will not know you yet, but one day he will.

Blue eyes turned skyward.  "And his mother will not suspect when she finds her son in a fresh diaper?"  He knew of Mary's background.

"His mother believes in angels, Castiel.  She tells him every night that angels watch over him because she believes in you.  She knows that a demon would not change him.  Let her know her son is guided and protected.  And if it helps you any, you can use this story one day to silence his big mouth."

Castiel said nothing more, materializing into a more corporeal form so that he could manipulate the squalling infant. It didn't take long before he had the 'onsie' off of the squirming baby and opened the diaper to remove it.  Ancient Enochian flowed from him as the stench wafted up, making his eyes water.

The baby’s hazel eyes turned almost green as a calmness overcame him.  One small  hand grabbed an angelic finger and tried to pull it into a mouth where young Dean could chew on it and ease the pain of teeth breaking through his gums.  Castiel had never had his finger gnawed on by anyone in any form.  He stood  mouth open, his eyes wide, as the stench made them water, but the mouth gumming his finger stopped all movement.

"What in Heaven's name are you doing, little one?"  Ok..diaper wasn't even changed but Dean seemed to think he was some sort of..food?

Dean’s legs kicked in the air and he squealed around the mouth full of finger.  Castiel finally pulled it out of the baby’s mouth and went to work on the diaper.

The little boy pouted at having his 'treat' removed and sniffed, giving the angel puppy dog eyes.

Castiel stopped changing the diaper and stared at the begging eyes.  He shook his head.

"Father told me you would have a lot of sin in your life, Dean.  If you keep staring like that, women are in trouble.  Do not chase after the fairer sex, Dean. They can hurt you."

The baby simply cooed at him in answer to the angel's comment.  His little hands reached out, grabbing at the diaper.

The angel ducked as a small handful of baby poop almost hit his face.  The baby squealed in delight.  An angelic head lifted from below the crib.

"Should you have that good an aim at your age, Dean?"

The baby simply squealed again, waving dirty hands at the angel.  The eyes were full of love and mischief.

Castiel smiled, but had a sense of foreboding. This one was going to be a charmer, but a deadly one.  He thought back over his past, trying to figure out what he had done wrong to be placed in this position.

The angel managed to get the squirming baby cleaned up and into a fresh diaper before anything else could happen.  "Why do I have a feeling you are going to be one massive headache in the future, young one?"

He lifted the young boy and held him against his shoulder, feeling the young heartbeat. Suddenly young Dean Winchester belched and spit up all over the angelic form. Castiel swore he heard Father’s laughter in the distance, but thought he had to be mistaken.

Snippets One: Cas and Dean

Snippets will be little bits of life. Lady Laran and Tisha Wyman wish to thank Eric Kripke for the creation of Supernatural and Sam and Dean Winchester. We neither own nor make money from Supernatural, the characters, or the actors, although Dean would be welcome by me. Thank you for reading. Comments are appreciated.

Laran and Tisha

Castiel, in his heavenly body, stayed invisible as he watched the young couple enter the nursery and place the infant in the crib.  He hovered over the three, trying to comprehend why Father felt he needed to watch over this one small child.  It seemed a long waste of time to him.  He went into the corner of the ceiling as the parents went to lie down and others entered the room.  The angel was protected from the demons at this time  They would not be able to sense him.  Castiel frowned as he noted that Azazel was telling several others that this was not the expected one

"Did you know this one would be born, father?", asked a female demon.

"No, but the expected one is four years away.  This one is worth nothing.  We will return at the time I was invited to come.  I wanted to see what this one was like.  He may be an influence over the other, and it may not be what we want.  We will watch and see.  He can always be removed."

The demons disappeared and the angel softly landed by the crib, staring at the small baby with curiosity.

"Your future brother would seem to have a fate, young one?  Is it possible Father expects you to have one too?"  

Mary Winchester entered the room and leaned over her son, "Angels watch over you tonight, my love."

Leaning over the crib, the young blond gently kissed her fair haired son and left the room.

Castiel stared at her and thought about what she had said.  He looked at the blond haired infant.

"We will.  I promise."

Supernatural Death Note Chapter 152

Laran and Tisha Wyman Warnings: Bad language, violence, and some sex. Spoilers: My favorite show is Supernatural. Anyone who knows me will say I am almost obsessed, unless they happen to be Laran, who knows I am. Laran loves Death Note. We both love to write. Never in our wildest dreams did we ever think we'd be writing an alternate universe/crossover between the two. What started as a several chapter story has turned into a novel. The story had a life of its own. This saga begins towards the end of season 4 and before L truly got involved with the Death Note. This is a story of healing, family,friendship, humor, and horror. We do not own either show or its characters, but I'd take Dean in a heartbeat. We make no money from them. Thank you for reading. Comments are highly appreciated.

Thanksgiving

The silence woke  Dean.  It had been a restless night with the alarm going off every two hours.  Most of the group plugged their ears with the cotton balls that Dean had in his first aid kit  Not wanting to leave the entire job to Sam, the older brother got up every time and got wood out of the large  tub they had placed on the patio.  Dean would grab a  bathrobe, and put on is slippers.  Donning  his coat on the way out, he would go to the patio, fill a bucket with wood and kindling and head back to the main room.  Sam would be tending the turkey, doing what Watari had said to do.  Dean would remove the old coals that had died out and shovel the newly burnt wood to where the Dutch oven would go. He waited for his brother to finish.  The large iron cooker was covered and surrounded with the glowing wood coals.  Putting the shovel down, he would back up and let Sam set the new wood and kindling  and get the fire going. They would both go back to bed.

This morning, Dean yawned, and got up, slowly walking towards the bathroom.  Coming back into the main room, he couldn't figure what was bothering him.  He realized there were no high winds or the sound of ice hitting everything.  Moving around pallets, he looked through a window at a snow covered world.  It looked like a blizzard without the wind.  Dangerous, due to the ice underneath it and the stalactites hanging from the eaves.  Perfect for impaling vampires, he thought.  Dean stood there, watching  the gray light of early      morning and the thick snowfall.  Looking down at the watch on his wrist, he noticed that the time was actually 9:47. The darkness was due to the storm.

 Near padded up beside him, looking out the window.  "It looks bleak outside," he murmured.  "Near has seen gray skies like this in England, but it seems worse here."


:There's no wind to blow it into drifts  It's coming almost straight down.  It means a pretty even blanket of snow everywhere.  If it lasts very long, we're gonna have trouble digging  out. I wonder how thick the layer of ice is under it," Dean spoke sofly, so only Near heard him.


"Unsure," he said.  "Near has no means of tracking it so it could be a treacherous walk outside once the snow stops."


"Well, I hope not. I don't imagine any  of the roads are passable right now.  If somebody slipped and broke something, we'd be on our own.  I want to be able to go out and knock those icicles off.  They're deadly.  I bet there's a bunch all over the property...the clinic, mobile homes, and the shop."


"Probably," he murmured.  "An attempt should be made once the day is over if tomorrow proves to have weather that will allow it."


"I agree.  It wasn't that bad out back because we've been knocking them off with a broom every time we've gone outside, but the rest of the place is gonna be bad."


 Near nodded.  "It will go faster with the whole group working once the weather breaks."


"Yeah, it would, but not today.  We're gonna make this day as special as we can.  Hopefully it will  slow down by tomorrow.  Everyone's still sleeping.  I'm gonna take care of the fire and the turkey.  I'll see what I can do towards the rest of the meal."


Dean put some clean clothes on and headed toward the colder part of the house to get wood, grabbing his coat as he went.


 He was joined a short while later by Sam, Watari, and Bobby.  The older man smiled.  "I have the boys working on prepping the potatoes and the like."


Dean returned the smile, "Thanks, Watari.  That saves time.  I'm glad to see the three of you.  There's not enough wood left.  This container is too big to carry out and carry back.  It's too heavy.  We got to make trips for the wood.  Everyone be careful.  There's a windless blizzard right now.  We won't see the ice patches."


 They nodded, making fast work of loading up the wood.  "We needed to get things moving.  Near is replacing oil in the lamps as we do this."


Dean filled up his small bin and went to shovel out the dead coals and ashes into the second bucket he had.  Sam had gone past him, removed his winter clothes and started the final preparations for the turkey.  It was almost done. 


Dean looked over his shoulder and sniffed.  "Damn, it really can cook that way."  He grinned at his little brother and hauled the two buckets back to the patio. He dumped the ashes in the trash can he was using for the that purpose.


 The group was now entirely awake and working on getting the meal ready to go.  Laughter filled the room as jokes and silly stories were told.


The older Winchester returned, and stood in the doorway, coat still on, and silently watched every thing that occurred in front of him, taking everything in.


Ben grabbed his dad's hand, tugging him in.  "You can help us get some of the food ready," he said with a grin.


Dean shook his head to clear it and stared down at his son.  "I can do that," He said softly.  He went over to the large dining table and grabbed the cheeses and a knife.  He found a cutting board and began to slice the different cheeses into large slices and then sliced the slices to make cheese sticks.  He found the platter Sam had brought in for the relish tray and laid the cheeses on it .  Looking around he found a can of black olives, a jar of green olives and a jar of Polish dill pickles.  He took the olives into the bathroom and drained them. Entering the main room he noticed that Sam and Watari were removing the turkey and putting it on a platter.  Grinning, he popped two or three black olives in his mouth and headed back to the relish tray.  Dean was excited.


Matt was serving up the potatoes and other veggies they made on the propane stove.  while L and Mello were setting up the drinks to get everyone ready.


Dean settled the black and green olives on the relish tray and opened the.   jar of pickles, carefully removing them a little at a time.  He moved the relish tray to the far end of the dining table where the other food was being placed.  Watari was carving the turkey and Leaving it on the platter.  Lisa pulled several foil wrapped loaves of bread from off the coals and opened one and sliced it.  


Watari had Ryuuzaki and Ben set the plates and utensils up so the meal could be dished out before having them set up the tv trays and smaller lap trays for those who didn't have a seat.


Dean leaned over Lisa's shoulder, placing his arms around her while she cut the bread.  He leaned in and whispered, "Want to sit on our pallet and eat together?"  


Lisa smiled, smelling the black olives on his breath.  Dean waited for a reply.


"You've been  into the olives," she teased.  "And sure, we certainly can.  Just don't be messy," she said, giving him a playful kiss.


Dean responded to the kiss and replied, "I can vaguely remember Thanksgiving, Lis, but I do remember my Mama telling me not to make a mess.  Then she would tie a clean dishtowel around my neck." He grinned at her and  teased back, "Olives aren't half bad without pizza."


"Maybe I need to find you a dishtowel," she giggled.  


Grinning, Dean leaned in again, "Why don't you just ask Sam if he knows of anything big enough for me."  He gently bit her ear and went to ask Watari if there was anything that needed to be done when he saw Sam bring in the cans of cranberry sauce, with and without berries. Grabbing two can openers, he headed towards his brother.


Sam had six cans, three of each.  Dean grabbed three cans, handing a can opener to his brother..  He turned and headed back to the table.  There were two fairly large bowls left.  He pushed one towards Sam and snagged the other for the sauce with berries. He moved down the table more when he notice Watari draining juices from the Dutch oven into the pan Sarah was making gravy in.  His brows went up.


"They put grease in gravy?"


 "That's not grease; it's the natural juices of the bird with the herbs that was used to cook the turkey," he told him.  "Some use grease say like in chicken fried steak."


"The cream gravy for chicken fried steak is made of grease?"  Dean stood there staring at his brother a look of disillusionment on his face.  "Damn, that's why no one's been letting me have it."


 "Exactly," Watari answered.  "We're using the healthier alternative here for gravy," he said.  "This way you can enjoy the meal and not worry about health issues."


"Okay, so it will still taste like turkey gravy?  I don't guess it matters much.  I can't remember what it tastes like anyway."


"It will," he reassured him.  "You'll enjoy it a great deal."


Soon everything was ready.  At that moment, Cas reappeared with a basket.  Inside was stuffing, baked sweet potatoes, and a pound of fresh butter from a dairy. 


Watari blinked.  "Nice, Castiel.  Thank you."


"These are the things I felt you might not have.  I know you had boxed dressing.  This is a corned bread dressing.  I did not think you would have been able to get the butter or the sweet potatoes.  I would have brought fresh made pies and bread, but I did not know what you had."


"That is wonderful, Castiel," Lisa said with a gentle smile.  "It means a great deal that you brought dishes to the meal.  Come, it's almost time to eat."


Soon everyone had a plate piled with food and glass of either soda or tea.  many sat on the pallets with a lap tray in front of them.  Those on the furniture had trays on stands.  Dean sat, staring at everyone for a few minutes.  He reached over and squeezed Lisa's hand.


Matt stared at the plate for a moment before speaking up.  "Granted, some of us aren't Americans and most of us aren't religious...so...Thank you.


Dean looked at Matt, "You are welcome, Matt.  You're family, and whether you are an American doesn't matter.  The first people who celebrated a day of Thanksgiving were British Pilgrims who survived a harsh winter and made it through a year and finally had a harvest.  The Native Americans helped them survive.  Well, we've all helped each other survive in the past year.  I never considered myself to be a believer because I had to see to believe.  But Castiel is real, so God has to be. Our family is all here together. So, happy Thanksgiving to everyone."


 There was an answer in return before everyone began to eat, conversation flowing freely as the delicious meal was devoured by the hungry group.


Everyone helped to clean up.  The food was placed in the kitchen refrigerator  Dean grabbed his coat and took the trash to the incinerator and placed it in bin.  He came back inside the patio.  As he walked back into the warm room, he smelled hot cider being steeped.  Wrinkling his nose in appreciation , he smiled and headed towards his wing.  "Anyone want a book to read or a game to play?"


 Near looked up. "Games were brought down by Near and Matt earlier," he offered.  "Ryuuzaki felt that it might be appropriate to have such items on hand for after the meal."


"Thanks, Near, Matt....Ryu, I appreciate that.  Well, does anyone want a book or are we all playing games?"

 "We thought games," Sarah piped up.  "Keeps the noise level going and atmosphere festive."


"Sounds great.  What games do we have?"


"Sarah and Matt were naming the games when Sam started laughing and said, "for some reason we have Candy Land and Cootie."


Dean grinned, "Which of them are you playing?"


Sam tilted his head.  "I always wanted to try Candy Land," he said with a shy smile.


"I don't know if I remember how to play it.  Four years old was a long time ago.  Mom always understood the rules.  It's bound to have instructions, right?"


Mello grinned, holding the item up.  "Yep, that they do."  It was just for fun and anything with candy was always welcome by them.


"Sarah and Matt were naming the games when Sam started laughing and said, "for some reason we have Candy Land and Cootie."


Dean grinned, "Which of them are you playing?"


Sam tilted his head.  "I always wanted to try Candy Land," he said with a shy smile.


"I don't know if I remember how to play it.  Four years old was a long time ago.  Mom always understood the rules.  It's bound to have instructions, right?"


Mello grinned, holding the item up.  "Yep, that they do."  It was just for fun and anything with candy was always welcome by them.


Dean returned the grin.  "Are you gonna play, Mello?  Anyone else?"  Dean walked over and took the box from the blond.  He winked at Mello and strolled back towards the pallet he shared with Lisa.  Sitting down next to her, he opened the box.  Looking across the room at his brother, he said, "Sam?"


Sam grinned, sitting down.  "I'm game."


Dean started to ask again if anyone else wanted to play, but everyone who was going to play had settled down with others with a board game.  Neither Dean nor Sam realized that the group was allowing them time to be kids and brothers.  The two were doing something they had never had the chance to do...be children.


The younger brother read the instructions, wanting to make sure he had this right.  This was one game he'd never learned how to play.


Dean was struggling to shuffle the small cards that were used instead of dice. "Damn, I give up."  He laid the cards on the game board and moved them around, mixing them.  "That works."  He placed the cards in a stack on the board and and said, "I got dips on the blue gingerbread man.  You want red, yellow, or green?"


Mello sat down and  chose yellow while Sam grabbed the red one.


"Hey, Mello.  Welcome aboard.  We're going to Candy Land.  You know what?  Some of this stuff looks almost good enough to eat."


No one noticed that Watari and Bobby had video cameras out. Watari was scanning the room getting everyone. Bobby was concentrating on his boys.  They needed these kind of memories.  Dean had been upset earlier and mentioned that he needed to talk to him.  The boy seemed much more relaxed now.


Everyone played, having fun with the game and teasing each other.  Laughter filled the room as various groups played their games, enjoying the company.


"What the hell is a molasses swamp?  Damn it.  I'm no longer winning?"

 "A swamp made of molasses," Mello snickered.  "I think it's pretty sticky stuff.  Not as good as chocolate though."
 
 Watari heard that comment from where he was playing a game with Near, L, and Matt and laughed.  "Mello, to you, nothing is better than chocolate," he teased gently.


"What do you make with molasses?  I mean I've never heard of eating anything made from it.  Let me think...'Slow as molasses' is the only damn thing I know about it.  That and putting me in last place."

 "Candy," Lisa answered.  "Cookies and breads.  It's a thick syrup that flows a lot heavier and slower than honey."


"Does it taste like honey?"


She got up and headed into the kitchen, dashing back out with a bag.  After opening it, she offered one to Dean and Sam.  "Here.  They're rich but very good."


Dean held it in his hand.  It felt frozen from being in the kitchen.  He sniffed it and it had a strong smell.  He looked up at Lisa, a question in his eyes.

 "It's ok," she told him.  "In the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, her family would take molasses outside and make candy by pouring it into clean snow.  It'd freeze into treats for the children."  She nibbled on one as well.


"So, this is frozen molasses?"  Dean watched his brother bite into the treat.  Sam had no expression as he chewed.  Frustrated, Dean  asked, "Well?"


"It's good.  It's a cookie," he told him.  "It's a bit strong in flavor, definitely not what I'm used to but it's good."


Dean gingerly took a bite and his brows went up.  "It's not bad  I bet it would be better made into a regular cookie, but for that time period, I can appreciate it. Who thought of doing this?  It kind of suits our Thanksgiving more than what we got baked for later.  Thanks.  Can I have a couple more to munch on while I try to make a come back here?"


"Actually, that is the cookie," she told him with a smile.  "I was sharing a bit of history in regards as to what the older generations would do with the molasses since it was more accessable than honey."


Dean swallowed, "I'm sorry, Lis.  I guess I misunderstood that.  This is really strong for a cookie. I thought it was the pure molasses because of how strong it is and the lack of sweetness.  It's there, but I'd swear it had a bit of pepper sauce in it."  Dean had finished the cookie and wasn't sure it he should ask for couple more again after making such a stupid mistake.  He thought a moment, "It's not that I don't like them.  They're just different from anything I've had before.  To be honest, when it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas, I haven't really had much of anything."  Sam and Mello grinned at the almost hopeful sound in Dean's voice.


"Probably some added spices," she said, looking at the bag.  Sarah overheard and giggled.  "Dean, the sweets are out that we made for today if you want to indulge.  Most have been made with a special sugar substitute," she said,whispering in his ear so as not to offend the sugar addicts in the house.


"I would have been fine with  these, but that would be wonderful, Sarah.  I was waiting on everyone else."  Dean stood up and headed towards the large table and the section that had pies and cookies laid out.  He leaned over Sarah, and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Thank you for the sugar substitute.  I'll thank Lisa  in a little bit.  I know she and boys made the cookies.  You did the pies?  What kind you got over there?"   


"Apple, pumpkin, mincemeat for our British guests, chocolate for Mello," she laughed.  "And I tried a new version of apple, a caramel apple type.  All of these were made with sugar substitutes and other healthy alternatives."


"I've never had mincemeat.  I haven't had pumpkin since Mom died.  Can I try a little sliver of all five?  I'm curious about the caramel apple and the mincemeat."  Dean had a mischievous look on his face.

 "As long as you think your stomach can handle it," she teased back.


"I'm only talking slivers. I figure five slivers would equal one slice of pie.    Maybe....if you cut them, I'd be guaranteed just slivers and Watari, Lisa, Sam, and Bobby won't yell at me.  You can't yell if you cut them,"  Dean winked at her as his grin got wider.


She giggled at that.  "It's thanksgiving Dean.  It's expected to indulge a bit today so go ahead," she handed him the knife.


Dean looked over at Sam, pensively.  He knew that his brother would consider his indulging to mean at least one slice of all five, with possible seconds.  He looked at the knife Sarah had given him, then stared at the pies.  His gaze returned to his brother.  Dean thought, 'What the hell.'  He cut a small slice of each pie.  The slices weren't slivers but they weren't his typical idea of a slice of pie either.  He grabbed a fork and headed back to the pallet and the Candy Land game.  When he sat down, he found Sam and Mello looking at his plate.  He tried the caramel apple first.  Holding it up to  his mouth, he stopped and said, "What?"  The pie followed the word, and he slowly chewed it.


Sam just grinned.  What the hell, Thanksgiving was only once a year.  He got up to get himself some sweets too.


Dean was chewing a bite of the mincemeat when his brother grinned and got up to head towards the sweets part of the table.  His eyes grew wider, but he seemed to calm down a little.


Sarah set her plate down, cup of soda beside her as she plopped onto her pillow.  "It's thanksgiving and the holiday season.  This is the one season a year where we can indulge and have fun.  The self castigation starts after New Year's," she grinned.  "Besides, we worked to make it as healthy as we could."


Dean, eating a bite of the chocolate pie, grinned a big grin at the younger eyes that stared askance at him.  There was a slight smear of chocolate on his face, but he didn't seem to notice it.  He figured that if he couldn't tell they'd made this so he could enjoy it, then the others wouldn't either.  


He was still in third place in the game, but didn't seem to mind it when Sam won.   "Another round or another game?"

 "Let's try another," Lisa suggested,putting candy land away and laughing when Mello came back with a huge plate loaded with chocolate.  

Sarah brought Scrabble over and sat down next to Sam.  "I'll play this one with all of you.  Dean just sat there staring at the game.  "Now, please explain to me how I have a snowball's chance in hell of beating Mr. Stanford University?"

"You're doing very well in your online classes, Dean," Sam murmured.

Dean stared at him.  "You got a full ride at Stanford and you got the offer of one for law school, Sammy.  I entered an online school with a  GED.  I am in my second semester."


Mello spoke up, staring at his friends. "You are also older and have been out in life more," he pointed out.  "Chances are good that you have more stored in your brain than you realize," he said, grinning as Lisa brought a dictionary out.  


"What's the dictionary for?"  Dean stared at it as Lisa sat down.  "I can at least use words like, 'Demon, bar, drunk, and ummmm, oh yeah.  sex.'  I think those are in there.  I bet you that everyone here knows them."

 "Because of the blond brainiac," she teased and Mello playfully turned his nose up at her, making her laugh.


The game had been going quietly when a loud argument ensued.  Mello commented that Dean's word was not a word.  Dean had argued that it was.  Sarah supported Mello, claiming that you could not add a word to a legitimate word and create a made up word.  She grabbed the dictionary.  At this point, Sam got involved and told Dean it was not a real word.  


"How the Hell can you say that, Sam?"


"Because it's slang in hunter talk," he told him.  "It doesn't fit in 'normal' vocabulary or in the dictionary."


"My job may not have been 'normal,' Sammy, but it's kept billions of people alive.  It cost a lot of hunters their lives.  Our 'language' isn't good enough for that damn dictionary?  Do you know what slang terms are good enough for it, Sam?  'Aint' is good enough for it. Think of the sex terms you know and look under 'F'.  It might just surprise you. "


Mello leaned back, looking at Dean.  "Hunters are under the radar so their terms for things won't be in the dictionary, Dean.  It's probably a good thing because do you have any idea what the general population would do if they knew that stuff was real?"


"How'd you feel, Mello?  When You, Ryu, and I went up against Lilith?  That's what I hope people would do and feel."

 "Truthfully?  Part of me wanted to crap my pants and freak out," he told him.  "We're taught to accept logic and fact, to make decisions based on the evidence in front of us.  Then all of a sudden, there was this thing that defied every sense of known fact and logic out there.  It's not a comfortable place to be when you're confronted with this."


"In spite of that, knowing that Ryu and I were severely injured, you got that gun out of my leg holster, and killed that damned bitch.  No blood was left  to raise Lucifer from that cage.  That's what I would hope for, Mello."


 "You would get it from some people but not all," he said, looking at his friend.  "We're not exactly normal, are we?  Me, Matt, Ryu, and Near.  We're raised differently, taught to see and think differently.  Most people aren't taught that and would run away screaming."


Dean just stared at him.  He slowly began to remove 'suit' from the game board.  "That's the problem with the world, Mello.  We have to sacrifice our lives for people who either don't know or they do and don't give a damn."  Placing the letters back on his tray, he muttered, "It still ought to be a word." He looked at the board and grinned.  The word 'metric' was on it.  He place 'sym' at the beginning and 'al' at the end.  "Triple word."


"We do but we don't do it for the gratitude," he pointed out.  "We do it because we want to see justice done when all other avenues fail."


"You're right, Mello, but it's nice when it happens.  It has...a few times.
A lot of the time people don't know or they think you're the bad guy. A few of them actually fight back with you.  Sarah's one."  Dean smiled at the lovely brunette sitting next to his brother.  He looked at the board and counted the letters.  "That's 60 points, Sammy."


"Damn, Dean, nice one," he said, tallying the score.  "And you were worried about not keeping up."


The older man grinned, "I still think meatsuit ought to be a word, but since it's not, symmetrical at a triple word will do."


 "I should think so," he laughed.  "You're almost even with Mello."  The blond had been leading the game so far.


"There's not that many letters left.  It's sure getting dark fast," he said as he looked up towards the closed windows.  


"Another storm possibly," Ryuuzaki muttered, staring at the chess board.  He was playing Near, who looked to be tied with the other male.


Dean looked over at the two geniuses.  "Yeah, it could be.  It is a quarter to six.  It might just be getting dark because nightfall is coming on,"  he said softly as he got up and walked towards the same window he and Near had stared out of earlier that day.  Pulling the drapes back, he stared at a white world, but the snow had stopped.  The sun was down and the sky was quickly turning dark.  The hunter could see stars appearing.  He took a deep breath of relief and closed the drapes.  "It's nightfall.  I saw some stars,"  he said with a grin.


 "That's good," Matt said, grumbling as Ben made another move.  "Darn it," he groused.  Parcheesi sucked sometimes.  


Dean sat back down and noted that everyone had played and it was his turn again.  He used five letter and got twenty points, still behind Mello.  Taking the last three letters from the bag, he frowned at them.


 Mello made his play, using most of his letters and getting a few bonuses as well.  He saw the frown.  "That bad?"


"Yeah.  How in the hell did the Q, X, and Z end up as the last three letters in the damn bag?"  Everyone around him laughed.


"No idea but glad it's not me," he joked.


Dean looked over where Castiel was intently watching the chess game.   "Hey, Cas?  Did you just play a  whammy on me?  You know?  Practical joke?"


The angel looked at him intently.  "No, I have not rigged the game.  You simply did not shake the bag well enough."


"Are you trying to tell me that whoever put the letters in the bag put the Q, X, and Z in first, and the bag was just shaken gently to leave them down there?"


 "No, it was just one odd random thing that occured when it was not shaken well enough," he told his friend.


"Okay, then I'll shake harder every time I take letters out."  Dean waited for everyone's turn.  He managed to play ABATE off a BAT but knew it was over for him.


Lisa and Sarah both had to pass, leaving Mello to finish off abate with an s, leaving him without a tile.


Dean started laughing.  "You managed to hold onto an S this entire game?"


Bobby stood up and asked if everyone would like supper?  There was plenty of turkey left for sandwiches and a large amount on the relish tray. 


The group agreed on that and got up to help put the plates together as well as drinks.  


Dean finished putting the Scrabble up and asked Near and Ben to take care of the remaining games.  He walked around, raising the wicks on the oil lamps to give off more light.


The games were neatly put away, kept within the room so they could play later after the meal had finished.


Walking over to help with the food, Dean spotted his brother coming towards him with a tray.  "Looks good,"  he commented.  Sam smiled, "I hope so.  It's yours."  The shorter of the two looked up into his younger brother's hazel eyes, a question in his own?


"You were working on the lamps, so I decided to get your plate together.  Turkey sandwiches the way you like it, potato salad, and some cheese and vegetables to eat with it," he told him.


"Thank you, Sammy," was the soft answer from the older of the two.   Dean walked over  to his pallet and sat down to enjoy the meal.


 "No problem," he said, going to work on his own plate.  It didn't take too long before everyone was sitting down, enjoying their dinner.


Dean finished eating first and took his plate and fork into the kitchen and tossed them in the trash.  He yawned as he walked back into the living area.  Stretching out on the pallet, he listened the conversations going on around him, his eyes slowly closing.


 "Falling victim to the curse of Thanksgiving," Lisa giggled as she picked up trash from those who were finished.


Sam handed her his plate and fork and smiled up at her.  "That, and he stayed up with me every time I got up last night.  He got the wood, and shoveled the coals for the Dutch oven, and hauled the ashes.  I built the fire afterwards.  He didn't go back to bed until I was done.  No one knew this except me."


"Then let him rest. We'll put some of the sweets back for his dessert later," she said with a smile.


"If you don't mind putting some back  for me too, I'd appreciate it, Lisa.  I'm as tired as he is."  Sam laid back on his pallet and was soon fast asleep.

 "No problem," she said, going to do just that.


Everyone played games and ate desserts.  The two Winchesters were both in a deep sleep.  When it hit 11:00, Bobby said that if the snow stayed away, it was going to be a very busy day and they should all get some rest.  The entire group got ready for bed, leaving the two young men alone.  They did not want to bother their rest.


The night was a quiet one.  The entire group rose the next morning to find that Cas had cleared everything on the property and gone out on a case.  


The work to the get electrical going began.  By late afternoon, the lights were back on.  Dean spent the remainder of the day demanding that the generator he had ordered be found and shipped.


The first Winchester Thanksgiving had ended.  Those who were used to Thanksgivings thought it was the best one they'd ever had.