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.

A Supernatural Christmas Carol Chapter 6

Authors: Lady Laran and Tisha Wyman
Warnings: Bad language and violenceSpoilers: Season Five - so if you’ve not seen it, be warned a few things are a bit weird.Disclaimer - We do not own Supernatural nor A Christmas Carol. The show is owned by Eric Kripke and the book is by Charles Dickens. Neither of us has rights to this nor have we earned anything by doing this. We’re just doing this for fun. Oh..we also don’t own Christmas at Ground Zero or any other carols that might be mentioned. This is a story of healing, family, humor, and horror. Sounds like a typical Thursday night on the CW. (Of course, the CW has gone bonkers and moved them to Fridays, now. We shall see.)

In Which Dean Learns Beginner's Luck is All Encompassing


Dean woke slowly, feeling peace of mind and comfort. Both of the sensations were unnatural to him. It took him a few minutes to remember where he was. He sat up and stretched, then turned towards the other bed and noticed that Bobby was not there The hunter smelled coffee and something else. Was that ham? He got out of bed and quickly got dressed. Heading into the sitting room, Dean found no one in the suite. He entered the small dining room of the B&B and found the other three eating.

A full breakfast was ready for Dean to choose from, set up in a buffet style. There were several tables with people eating as well.

The hungry man got scrambled eggs, ham, and biscuits with sausage gravy. He'd never seen that before, but it looked good. He got country fries and a large cup of coffee before he joined the others. "What time is it?"

"Nine," Castiel answered, sipping on a cup of tea. "You slept later than we expected you to."

"I guess I was more tired then I realized. I figured I might sleep to eight but not this late. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Bobby said once he'd finished chewing his bite. "You needed the rest. It's not like we have to be somewhere, you know?"

Nodding, Dean took a bite of the biscuits with sausage gravy. He chewed it slowly, savoring the flavor. "Damn! We need to learn how to make this. Did you guys get any of it?"

"We all did," said a chewing Sam. "It's damned good. We'll have to find a recipe for it and have you make it in the future."

Dean nodded, his mouth full. He was eating like a normal human being, not the Dean Winchester they all knew. They kept commenting in their minds on this because it was so abnormal for the older Winchester brother to behave this way.

They ate and sipped their drinks with appreciation, enjoying the good food like this and each others' company.

Swallowing, Dean asked, "You guys want to go out and do anything today or just maybe hang around the rooms and just talk, watch movies, or play games? If not, we can see what is happening today around the area."

"I'm not sure," Bobby commented. "What sounds good to you?"

"I don't know the area. No idea what's out there. We got the Dickens thing tonight. I saw that they have an indoor Schlitterbahn. Rafting in the winter? They got this Moody Gardens thing that has a big Imax and a ton of other stuff. But to be honest, last night was so nice. Why don't we do it again today?"

Castiel broke his silence, offering his own opinion to what today‘s activities should be.

That sounds good to me."

Dean smiled. He looked at Sam and Bobby with a questioning expression on his face. The two of them agreed, smiling back around mouths full of food.

The older hunter smiled again. "I found three decks of cards. Ya'll want to play some poker? Or would Monopoly be more your taste for today?"

"No reason why we can't do both," Sam replied, sipping at his coffee. "We've got some snacks and can order in for lunch."

"Sounds good to me." Dean was really enjoying himself and taking the time to enjoy the company. It was a nice change for him. He was pretty sure the others felt the same way.

Castiel frowned. "I do not know how to play poker though."

"We'll teach you, Cas. You should be a natural."

Bobby grinned at that. Cas did have an amazing poker face.

When the meal was over, the men headed back to the rooms. Dean went to forage in his duffel and found three decks of cards and poker chips. He smiled as he entered the room and cornered Cas. Taking the angel aside, Dean opened a deck of cards and explained poker, showing him the different types of hands, explaining odds, and what hands could win. He talked about bluffing. Dean knew his poker. Cas had a perfect memory.

Sam watched the two as he poured coffee for the group, tea for Castiel. "You get the feeling we're about to lose badly?"

Bobby watched the two also, "Yeah, boy, I do. Dean just gave his whole way of playing to an angel. What do you think? The ultimate Dean Winchester?"

"We're screwed."

"Man would be an idjit to play for money. Chips only and Dean will have to deal with it."

Sam looked at Bobby, asking the next question that popped into his head.

"Do you trust Dean as dealer?"

"Hell no, do you?"

Sam grinned. "Definitely not!"

“Well I suggest we cut for first deal. Prefer they are already mixed before he gets his grimy little paws on them."

"Agreed," he settled into his chair, waiting for the others to sit down.

"I got a feeling it's going to be a major battle at this table, boy. Dean knows his stuff as he's supported you two with poker and pool for years. I know you can play pool as well as he can, and you aren’t a bad poker player. Dean is just a card shark and a damn good one. Cas knows it now. I get a feeling Dean may have met his match. Big time. Don't care whether I win or lose. This is one epic battle and I'm proud to say I am here to see it." Bobby took a long drink of his coffee. He grinned at Sam.

He grinned back. "Oh yeah. And don't forget, I managed to get the years back for Dean."

"I know you did, boy. I know. Good job, too."The grin softened to a smile, enjoying the compliment. "Thanks Bobby. That really means a lot."

Bobby was about to speak when Dean and Cas joined them. The older Winchester brother sat down and reached for a box of cards. "What are we playing for?"

Sam handed out the piles. "Just chips."Dean frowned. "Why?"

"For one, you're a card shark. Two, you just taught the one individual with the best poker face I've ever seen how to play the game Dean Winchester style." He stared at the two.

It was interesting to watch the knowledge of what he'd done dawn on Dean's face. His mouth opened in an oh, and his eyes glazed over for a minute. He got a tic over one eyebrow for a second. Regaining control of himself, he said, "Yeah...chips would be a good idea." Dean removed a deck from its box and prepared to shuffle. Bobby and Sam snickered at that, watching him carefully.

Bobby touched Dean's wrist. He stopped and looked at him. The older man smiled and mentioned that they wanted to cut for dealer on every hand. Dean looked shocked. "I always deal first, then it goes around. It's just a friendly game, Bobby."

“It's just better to keep it honest, and handing the deal around would make it a bit more fair.”

"That's fine, Sam, but we're still cutting for first deal. Sorry, Dean." Bobby reached for the cards and set them on the table. “Sam, show Cas how to cut.

"Sam did just that, aware of Castiel's eyes on him. Everyone cut the cards. Cas won the cut. "He doesn't know how to shuffle," Dean groaned.

He sighed, showing Castiel how to shuffle. It took a few moments before the angel picked it up and began shuffling it. Dean looked at his cards , thinking it was going to be a long game. Sam looked at his cards as well, arranging them. His brother told everyone to ante up one chip.

Dean looked at Bobby. "He's dealer. He doesn't know about asking how many cards. You're up."

Bobby looked at his hand and asked for two cards. Cas dealt him two as Bobby had discarded two. He looked at his hand. Dean asked for two cards as well. Two cards were handed to him by Castiel. Sam took one card. Castiel took three.

Bobby bet three chips. Dean bet three and saw him with two. Bobby threw in two, and Sam and Cas added theirs.

Dean looked at everyone and laid out 4 kings. Bobby tossed his hand down in surrender. Sam threw his cards down too and then choked when Castiel laid down a royal flush.

Dean froze, staring at the royal flush. He looked at Cas. He looked at the deck of cards. His gaze returned to the royal flush. He turned red, then white. His freckles showing clearly on the pale skin. It took him about ten minutes to comprehend what had just happened. The older brother stood up, walked out of the room. Sam and Bobby stared after him, surprised. A few minutes later, he returned with a Monopoly game, muttering, "You're on you own with this one."

Sam covered his face, body shaking with laughter. Damn, that had been priceless!!!! Bobby had to hide his face. He didn't want Dean to see him, but his body was shaking so hard that it didn't take Dean more then a second to realize that both men were laughing. He gave them a sharp stare and began to open the new game.

Castiel wasn't quite sure why they were laughing so hard. He stared at them for a moment, trying to determine if they needed help.

Dean wouldn't look at Cas for the moment. He could not believe he'd lost. Striving to figure out how that happened, he was truly at a lost. Cas could barely shuffle. A royal flush should never have come from that deck. He shook his head and asked Sam to explain the "basics" of the game. Once he calmed down, Sam did just that as he dealt the money to each player.

They rolled to see who would go first and Cas won. Dean buried his head in a hand

What's the matter, Dean," Bobby asked with a grin as Castiel rolled to move. Dean just stared at Bobby and watched Cas land on a railroad. He bought it, handing the money to Sam. The older Winchester watched Bobby roll and move to one of the light blue properties. He gave his money to Sam and got the deed. Dean rolled and landed on chance. He drew a card which sent him straight to jail. His eyes opened wide, and he moved his piece to the jail and handed the dice to Sam.

"You're not having any luck," he commented to his brother as he rolled his dice.

Dean just grunted, watching Cas. Castiel simply looked back at him, an eyebrow arching in a silent question. Sam rolled and went around the corner to land on a property which he bought. The angel rolled and landed on a card. He drew it and asked where Boardwalk was.

Bobby groaned, pointing to the dark blue property. This was getting off to a lovely start.
A thought dawned in the older Winchester's head. "Cas, um...angels...do they play games very often?"

"Not really. Most of the time, they're incredibly busy."

"Well, do they ever play games with humans?"

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"How good is an angel's luck? Does he lose...ever?"

The angel shook his head.

"I am unsure of that."

“Well, Boardwalk on the second roll. A royal flush in your first hand. Man, someone ought to know about angel luck."

Sam handed Castiel the property. "Next."

Bobby landed on visitation. Dean just stared at him before paying his fifty dollars and got out of jail. He rolled and landed on Free parking.

"Well, that's a start," Sam commented with a grin.

"I am halfway around the board, Sam, with nothing."

"You'll land on something."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

He bit back a laugh and waiting for the next turn.

"It's your turn, Sammy."

Sam rolled and moved his token. Cas took the dice and rolled. He went around go and got his 200. He landed on a card. Dean watched him ask what a get out of jail card did. He lowered his head and waited for Bobby to roll. Which Bobby did, chuckling as he did so.

Dean rolled and got another large number. He swore under his breath as he landed on go to jail. Sam excused himself, heading to the kitchenette to refill the coffee, and started laughing once his brother wouldn't hear him. Bobby excused himself and followed Sam.

"Damn it, Sam, I think the boy's right.”

Bobby was laughing so hard, he was holding himself and tears were rolling down his face. Sam was near doubled over, struggling to breathe through the mild hysterics he was in. The older man was trying hard to gain composure but was finding it hard to do so.

"You know this can be more interesting then poker? My question is how much of this will Dean take?"Bobby snorted as he started laughing harder.

Sam splashed his face with water to regain control...grabbing the coffee pot. "No idea but let's find out."

The two men returned to find Dean in a stare down with Cas. The angel had no idea what was bothering Dean. The hunter knew it was just a stupid game, but no one's luck was that good and no one's was that bad. He looked up as the two men entered. Both had suspiciously red eyes. His brows drew into a frown. He almost said something but tried to remind himself it was just a stupid game.

Sam refilled the coffee. "So, whose turn is it?"Staring and holding up his cup, his brother mumbled, "Yours."

Once he'd finished pouring coffee, he took the dice and rolled. Dean watched Sam buy a piece of property. He looked at Cas, who rolled the dice and landed on another railroad. Dean's eyebrows went up. Castiel purchased the property and handed the dice to the next person. Bobby rolled and landed on Free Parking. Dean paid another $50 to get out of jail. He landed on another card. He just sat there and stared at the deck.

"Aren't you going to take a card, Dean?" Sam tilted his head.

"Hell, no."

"Why?"

“I'm either gonna have to pay somebody or go somewhere where I will have to pay, or I'm back in jail. You pick which one I do. Save the damn card that way.”

"Just pick up a damned card, Dean," Bobby grumped at him.

Dean picked up a card. He had to advance three steps which put him on free parking.

"See?"

Dean looked at his brother and Bobby. "How many rolls now? I've been around the board one and a half times. I haven't even landed on one piece of property, and I've been in jail twice. What are the odds? I think I'm jinxed."

Sam rolled, laughing softly.

"Damn it, Sammy I'm serious," the older Winchester said as he watched his brother buy another piece of property.

"Why would you be jinxed over a game?"

"Come on, Sammy, first hand in poker, a royal flush beats my 4 kings. And look at the Monopoly."

"So you're having a bit of bad luck, doesn't mean you’re jinxed." The dice was handed to the next player.

Cas rolled a double and landed on free parking. He rolled again and landed on a third railroad. Dean turned white but said nothing. He knew he was jinxed and couldn't figure out how it was happening, unless Cas now had their combined luck. Hell, was that even possible? He started to ask Sam and thought better of it. Sam and Bobby would laugh and think he was just stupid. That and Dean did not want to hurt Cas.

Bobby was watching this and having a good idea as to what was running through Dean's head. It was hard not laughing, especially considering that Dean's luck could be, all things considering, pretty incredible. It just didn't seem to compare to Cas's beginner's luck. Bobby rolled and landed on a utility and bought it. Dean was worrying his bottom lip and it was blood red. He reached for the dice, and just sat there holding them. Finally, he shook his head and rolled them. He got a high number and ended upon Boardwalk. Shaking his head, he paid Cas his rent. At least he got by go to jail.

Sam reached over, bopping his brother over the head. "Stop that or it'll start to bleed."

Dean looked at him, shook his head, and handed him the dice. He rolled, giving his brother a look. This was supposed to be fun, and it didn't look as if he was enjoying himself. Dean watched Sam land on Pennsylvania and buy it. Cas picked up the dice and rolled another double and landed on the fourth railroad. Dean stared and said nothing. He just kept staring. Cas bought the fourth railroad to make the first monopoly of the game. He rolled again and landed on Park Place.

Dean muttered, softly. Sam could hear "Damn it!" come out of his mouth, but his brother kept still and said nothing out loud. This was a big win for Cas, and he was not going to destroy it.

Castiel stared at Dean. "Should we find another game?"

"No, it's fine. You've got a good run of luck going, Cas. Have fun with it."

"But you are not enjoying it."

"I am trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Don't worry about me, Cas. I just have this feeling that my luck turned today and nothing's gonna go right."

"Perhaps I am just experiencing beginner's luck?"

"I think so. Enjoy it, Cas. Seriously. It's not your luck I'm worried about. It's my lack of it right now. Yours shouldn't be affecting what's happening to me. Enjoy it, okay?"

He nodded, handing the dice to his left. Bobby rolled and landed on chance. He got 10 for a beauty contest. Dean laughed at that. Bobby handed the dice to the older boy and his eyes grew big. Everyone could see his adam's apple go up and down as he swallowed hard and rolled the dice. He landed on go.

"Well, I finally get my money from it."

"Nice job," Sam grinned.

"You making fun of me again? " Dean grinned at his brother.

"Never," he teased.

"Always were a lousy liar, Sammy." Dean handed him the dice.

"Oh really?!"

"Yeah, really. You'd know it too if you thought about how I always knew when you were."

He grinned at him, enjoying the banter.

Dean grinned back. "Better roll, wouldn't want me lose this fabulous luck I'm having."

The dice were rolled while Sam snickered. Now that Dean was getting into a better mood, it would be more fun. "Dean, we need some tunes."

"Christmas or rock?" Dean was laughing as he headed to the dvd player. He grabbed a cd and in went the flute music, again. With a grin, he put it on replay.

"I think I like that cd a lot" was Sam’s comment when he heard the music that was chosen.

Dean grinned. "Never thought I'd like flute music, but it makes me feel peaceful inside. Wonder what other cds he's got. I don't guess they do rock flute do they?"

"I don't know about that artist but there's a group called Jethro Tull that has a flute player. Also one called the Moody Blues." Bobby sipped at his coffee after answering.

Dean stared. "Really? Gonna have to find them."

Bobby nodded, still nursing his coffee.

"Yup, they experimented a lot with instruments back then."

“Well, when we leave the Strand tonight, I'd like stop by the music store I saw last night...or better, stop there first. I want to hear the groups. "

"All right," Bobby answered.

"Since you know them, will you come in with me and help me find the right ones?"

He grinned at him. "Not a problem."

"Thanks, Bobby. Whose turn is it? Sam, you roll?"

"Yeah, I did."

He handed the dice to the next player. Cas rolled and landed on the first dark purple property past go. He collected his money and bought the property. The angel handed the dice to Bobby, who rolled too. He shook his head when he landed on a railroad.

Dean winced when he saw that. "Man, that's $200. Tough roll, Bobby."

He handed the dice to the next player and paid Castiel. Dean took the dice and landed on a railroad, too. Shaking his head, he gave Cas the $200.

Sam rolled and landed on a railroad as well. "I'm starting to see a trend here."

"Yeah, I'm waiting for him to build hotels."

Castiel started adding houses to the monopoly he had on Boardwalk and Park place when it was his turn. Dean started counting his money and knew his game would soon be over. No income, no money to pay those two properties. He laughed.

Once again, the angel rolled, moving his token. He landed on a railroad, and Dean started laughing. Bobby stared at Dean, smiled , and rolled. He rolled a large number and landed on another railroad. Dean now had tears flowing down his cheeks. It would seem his bad luck was spreading.

Sam rolled as well, snickering as he hit yet another railroad.

Cas rolled and landed on a utility. "Who has the other?" Dean asked.

"I don't think it's been bought yet."

"No, I'm pretty sure one was bought already. Hey, Bobby, it's under one of your other properties."

"So it is," he found it. "I'd forgotten I'd gotten it."

Dean smiled, "Your turn to roll, Bobby."

Bobby grabbed the dice and did just that. He missed the railroad by one number and bought a property. Dean smirked, shaking the dice hard, he rolled, saying, "I'm going for a new record. Losing...without any properties."

Sam snickered at that. "This will be a new one."

"Yup." Dean looked at the rolled dice and moved, landing on jail. "Just visiting? Okay.”

"Better than being behind bars," his brother joked.

"That's for sure," muttered Dean "Your turn, Sammy."

Sam reached for the dice, rolling them and coming up with doubles.

"Uh, Sammy, I think that's go to jail."

"Only after the third roll of doubles.""Move your piece, man. That's go to jail."

He did and cursed. "That sucks!"

"You got that right."

Cas put a hotel on Boardwalk and four houses on Park Place. He rolled and landed on a railroad. Dean looked at Sam and said, "I'd stay in there the three rolls."

His eyes widened. "No kidding!"

"Yeah, you have to get out after three rolls, but hell with what he's got on the board, any reprieve is good."

"Shit, damn, Cas, nice job."

He handed the dice to the next player.Cas rolled the dice and went around past jail buying Tennessee, giving him a third monopoly. Dean looked and started laughing again. “

“If he can build the most expensive properties up this fast, won't take him long with those at all."

Bobby nearly choked on his coffee as he stared at the board. This was getting dangerous fast. He rolled and landed on a railroad. Shaking his head, he paid the $200. Dean rolled and landed on Tennessee. Shaking his head, he paid Cas twice the rent, grateful the monopoly wasn't built up at this moment. Sam rolled and sighed, landing on a property that wasn't owned yet.

"I'd have stayed in jail, bro,” Dean said as Cas put hotels on the three properties Dean was sitting on.

"I should have," he squeaked.

Bobby rolled and landed on the new monopoly.

"Well, hell," he commented, handing Castiel the money.

Dean snorted and rolled the dice. He landed on another railroad. Handing Cas the $200. "I got about 350 left and then I think I’m finished. Not gonna be able to pay." Dean laughed. This was turning into a very crazy game.

Castiel looked at his money. "Do you need a loan?"

"In this game, with no property? Hell, no. Thanks though, Cas."

The angel nodded. "You are welcome."

Cas moved and landed on a card. He won $100.

Sam closed his eyes and laughed. "This is the best case of beginner's luck I've ever seen."

"I shoulda known when he got that royal flush," Dean said as Bobby rolled.

"Maybe."

"Come on, Sammy, you got to build into a royal flush. That meant he had nothing the same, just two numbers in the same suit. What are the odds of a new player taking that risk?"

"Not too high, honestly."

"That's right.”

Bobby moved and landed on go to jail. Dean started laughing harder.

"Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll hit that." Dean rolled and landed on one of the free properties in the green ones. Somebody owned one. He looked at the price and started laughing. "Well, you guys get to bid on the auction. I don't have enough money."

Sam laid a sum out, which Cas countered. Bobby snorted and said “hell no.” The two continued to bicker over the price, obviously getting into the fun. Dean smirked, went and made a new pot of coffee and some tea. The bickering continued until finally Sam backed away and Castiel bought the property.

"That's a chunk of money, Cas," Dean said. "It's your roll, Sammy."

Sam rolled, still eyeing the pile of money Castiel had left. Dean watched Sammy land on Bobby's utility. He paid him, shaking his head and handing the dice over. Cas put a hotel on Park Place.. A hiss came from lighter haired brother...mainly air exhaled between clenched teeth. He was looking over the board.

"Well, Bobby, it's your turn."

The older male rolled the dice, shaking his head. Bobby rolled a double and landed on free parking. Dean rolled, tossed his hands up in the air. He landed on Park Place.

"Well, I’m out." He hand his $350 to Cas and pulled his piece off the board. "You want delivery or should I go get something?"

Sam tilted his head. "We could call in, keep you from going out. Pull the phone book and see who delivers."

Dean went to the phone and grabbed the phone book from below it. "Well, we got Chinese, pizza, and there's a bbq place."

Bobby leaned back. "I'm thinking Chinese or bbq. Pizza gets old fast."

"Yeah, I've eaten a lot of pizza. Don't mind the Chinese. What do you guys think?"

"My vote is Chinese. I don't think Cas would care as long as his stuff isn't spicy."

Castiel nodded his agreement with Sam's comment."Okay. You guys want separate meals or a big family thing?"

"Family thing, it gives a variety of things for people to try."

"Okay, we get three main course choices, a platter with all the appetizers for four and soup."

"Sounds good," Bobby commented, then cursed when he'd landed on Boardwalk.

"I’d like General Tso's. Cas won't want it, but there are three choices. Do you guys like the General Tso's or do we go all mild? You out too, Bobby?"

"Yup, I can't pay even with this mortgaged. One spicy, one medium, and one mild. Chinese spices are different from Mexican so Cas might find them more to his tastes."

"Okay, one Szechuan, one General Tso's and a what mild?"

"What Szechuan?"

"Broccoli beef for the mild, and the spicy will have like a symbol by it."

Bobby thought on it for a moment, trying to figure out a way to accommodate for everyone’s tastes.

"Well, there's a pork and mushroom that is real hot. Maybe we ought to do two mild in case Cas doesn't like it."

"General Tso's isn't that spicy, honestly." Sam sighed, landing on Boardwalk as well. "That's it. Cas is the winner. Great job!"

"Yeah, it's not. I would like the Szechuan Chicken with all the veggies. Forget the General Tso's and get that steak and mushroom that has the mild peppers"

Castiel helped Sam put the game away as the taller one answered his brother. "Sounds good. Fried rice for sure."

"Okay. Egg rolls are on the appetizer plate. I will order it for 4. It has dumplings, dimsun and if it's cooked, sushi."

"Yum," was Sam's answer.

"Well, if it's raw, I'll give you mine. They got a crab one. I thought about maybe ordering a plate of it for all of us. I like cooked sushi."

"Whatever sounds good to you, Dean."

Dean placed the order and gave the card number. "It will be here in about 35 minutes. You want to watch a movie or whatever? We can talk or Bobby could give some more legends. I meant it when I said I wanted to know about them."

"We can talk legends before the food gets here," he answered with a smile, rolling towards the couches.

Dean commandeered his chair, boots kicked off and feet curled up in the chair again, his head leaning back. Bobby thought it was an unusual position for Dean to take. He'd never seen the boy do so until last night.

The older brother was comfortable, which made Sam happy, as he took a seat on the couch.

"What are we are gonna learn about, Bobby?"

"Christmas trees," he answered, picking up the book.

"Always thought they had something to do with Luthor? Is there more to it?”

Bobby opened the book and began reading about the legends behind the Christmas tree.

Dean sat up one point when something caught his attention. "Druids?"

He nodded, continuing reading. Dean leaned back but was more alert. The reading went on with the group learning more about how the Christmas tree was brought into tradition. The smaller hunter kept looking at their tree and then back at Bobby.

"Pretty incredible, isn't it?" Sam was looking back at the tree too.

Dean nodded. He looked at Bobby. "Bobby, is the tree safe? I mean that 's pretty strong whodo magic."

He chuckled. "It's safe."

The younger man nodded, relieved. The tree was beautiful. Dean leaned his head back, listening to the music and the soft voices of his family. Everything sounded muted. Eventually, he dozed off.

Sam was the one who got the food when it came, not wanting to wake his drowsing brother.

Dean slept through the knock at the door, dreaming, for a change, of trees and flutes.

He heard the muffled voices and the sound of glasses and silverware. Slowly, he woke up. Blinking, he sat up and noted that he was alone in the room. Getting off the chair, Dean scratched his head as he walked, barefooted into the dining area. He saw the guys setting the table. He blinked sleep from his eyes, yawned, and asked, "Was I asleep very long? I'm sorry."

"Not long,” Sam smiled at his brother.

“Can't imagine why I did that. I'm not used to sleeping this much. I really am sorry."

"We're always on the go, sleep broken up. Enjoy it, Dean."

"That may be, Sammy, but no one else is doing it. Me sleeping lets the rest of you down. I've gone days on a few hours. Shouldn't need it now."

Castiel smacked the back of Dean's head. "You are doing it again."

"Ouch! Doing what, Cas?"

"You are not willing to accept your own needs over your desire to please others. This is a bad habit that will stop now."

"What the hell? Sammy, Bobby? Would you guys have a talk with him?"

The older man locked the brakes as he settled at the table. "Like hell. He has a point, Dean. You've considered your needs as a burden to everyone, and I'll be damned if it continues."

The older hunter tried to stare the older man down. "This ain't the same thing. This is about being polite, Bobby. About having manners when you are visiting with people you care about. Sammy, it's the same thing we talked about last night. Tell them."

"You're also exhausted, Dean. No one is going to be upset because you dozed off. We were trying to be considerate of you to let you get the rest you need. We've been running hard for too long. I'm worried about you."

"The word there, Sammy, is we. I'm not any more exhausted then you are. You stayed awake just fine. I should've too. I appreciate the consideration but I should have had some too. Okay?"

"All right but expect Cas to whup you good to keep you in line. Now, I'm hungry!"

Dean helped set the food on the table, determined to stay as far away as he could from Cas' hands. Then he realized that Cas could move anywhere just by thought. Damn!

Sam snickered at the look on his brother's face, pouring soda for the group.

Dean was having a hard time trying to figure out what was now okay to do or say and what wasn't.

After a few moments of this, Castiel pulled the hunter aside. "I do not mean to cause you discomfort. I just wish to help you."

The young man looked into the angel's eyes. "Cas, I do understand. I just don't know how to do that. You got to understand. I told Sam it wasn't healthy and it's not, but I've had to do this since I was four years old. That's 26 years, Cas. How do I quit putting everyone before me after this long a time? Other then wanting pie and girls, I never think about me. It's Sammy, was my dad, and it's you and Bobby. It was Jo and Ellen. Cas, every time, I am not watching out for them, they either get hurt or die. You tell me how."

The angel had an answer ready for him, eager to help his friend.

"You trust them. You trust the people around them. Sam has been trained well, Dean. You've done a good job. Now work as a partner and not the full leader. The group holds responsibility for each other...you are not the one to carry the full burden alone. It's time to let go and share the burden."

Dean’s answer was a little bitter.

"Yeah, well that cost Ellen and Jo, Cas. Damn. I want to do that. I just feel like it's all on me. Bobby gets hurt. You're grounded, and you told me it was my fault. Sammy has Lucifer after him. I want to let go. I want to be able to just trust and know you got my back. I'm not sure I know how any more. I'm trying, Cas."

"I made the decision to help you, Dean. I disobeyed my superiors when I realized what they were doing. Ellen made the decision to sacrifice herself when Jo was injured. The hellhounds and Lucifer did that, not you. Azazel is responsible for your brother's suitability as Lucifer's host...again, not your fault. It's a conscious decision you have to make and carry through, Dean." He was quiet for a second. "John Winchester was a good hunter but not as good as you. He did wrong with you two; I acknowledge that. He put too much on you and allowed you to carry the weight for mistakes you should never have had to acknowledge. It's time to bury that side of Dean."

"Cas, I buried my mama last night. I buried Jo and Ellen a couple of weeks ago. I have buried the fact that Sammy is the one like dad, not me. I keep having to tell people that I got too much of my mama in me. In the past few months, everything that I understood and accepted in my world crumbled. I'm trying to learn to trust Sammy. Since yesterday, he's been like home again. I'm better on that. I've had it drilled into me by Zachariah, the demons, and you that it's my job to stop this. Now, I don't want to do it the way everyone wants it done. I've got to find the way without Michael. I need all of you. But I still feel, that because I won't let myself be a meatsuit for Michael, that the burden is mine to find another way. It's why you hauled me out of hell and told me you could put me back. I'm gonna need help to let go of that, Cas.”

Castiel took one of Dean's hands. "And I should never have put that burden on your shoulders. Forgive me for that. As it is, Zachariah and the others - they are wrong. They want the world to end simply because it means less competition. Humans are less than desirable. It would not surprise me that they are aiming for the Throne itself. Right now, you have a team...a good one. The burden to find another way is OURS, not your’s, Dean Winchester."

Dean looked at Cas. He looked at the others who were eating. "How do they feel about that, Cas? They willing to work together? Cause I'm tired. I really am."

"They're here aren't they? Talk to them. That's what they want, Dean."

"You sure?"

Castiel gave him that famous blank stare. Staring back at the angel, the young man nodded. He went back into the dining room and sat down beside his brother. He helped himself to the some of the food but wasn't eating. He drank some of the coke and stared at Booby and than Sam.

Sam paused before forking some food into his mouth, watching Castiel take a seat before looking back at his brother. "Spill."

Dean looked at both Sam and Bobby. "Um, I've had this feeling since Cas pulled me out of hell and I was told that I was supposed to kill Lucifer, that it's been my burden. I think since yesterday, you and I are good. But I blame myself, guys, for everything that has happened lately. It's been my job to lead. I get this feeling that everyone looks to me. I've had things that have been said by different people that puts it all on me. Everyone always looks at me and says what do we do? Damn it, I'm scared. I don't know if I know what to do. I'm flying by the seat of my pants and I keep losing people. I need you guys, and not as followers."

Bobby set his fork down, eyes staring into Dean's. "I ain't a follower, Dean. I've been trying to walk this path with you side by side. They do look to you but not as you think. You shoulder burdens you should be sharing. You've got able people here to bail your ass out of the fire."

Dean returned the older man's look. "How do they look to me then? Who will shoulder burdens? Honestly, Bobby. I want that, but no one tells me that. The last time Sammy said that, he left. Okay? I need all of you. Mostly Sammy."

Sam poked him. "I'm not going anywhere, Dean. I told you, we're stronger together than apart. They look to you because you are an inspiration. You fight when most of us are so damned tired. There's a fire in you that draws everyone in. The burdens you see that need to be shouldered....well, you've got three other shoulders here to dump 'em on."

"You guys mean that? No matter how stupid they may seem? A burden is a burden, man."

Bobby looked at him. "Don't make me go over there and smack you, boy."

His son's eyes glistened. "No, sir. Cas has been enough."

"Good. This is a family, Dean, which means no one person takes all the burdens. You got problems, you lay them out and let us help you sort it."

"Yes, sir."

"All right, that's settled, let's eat before this gets cold."

Dean picked up his fork and took a bite of the Szechuan, and realized he was hungry. The lunch was a nice companionable meal, and he enjoyed it.

Castiel surprised Sam by eating the spicier dish. Bobby had been right in the fact that the spices were different.

Dean grinned at Cas. “Szechuan is good stuff, huh, Cas?"

"Indeed it is." Dean took some of the crab sushi. "It's cooked, and it's good."

Sam nodded around his mouthful.

Dean dipped an egg roll in sweet and sour sauce. "We going to the Dickens thing tonight or tomorrow night?"

"Tonight," Bobby answered, pouring soy sauce on his rice. "We'll want to bundle up though. Sea breeze can be mighty cold."

Dean smiled at Cas. "Yeah, I know."

Castiel gave him a small smile in return, pleased to see that Dean had taken him seriously.

The older brother remembered the walk he and Cas had taken the night before. After today, he was more grateful for the angel, more than he had thought would be possible. He was so thankful for all three members of his family that were sitting here.

Sam patted him on on the back, then stole an eggroll. Dean tried to grab it back but wasn't fast enough. He took Sam's last sushi instead. Bobby chuckled, watching their antics.

"Sam, after the thing tonight, would you like to go somewhere with me?"

Sam nodded. "Sure, Dean."

Dean winked at Cas. "Thought I'd show him what we found last night. I wish we could take you, Bobby, but it has stairs and no ramps. If I can find another spot this week, I'll take you."

"I'd like that, Dean."

"Well, it will be our duty this week to find a way to get you there."

He chuckled at that.

It's worth it, Bobby, and it's got to be at night.” Dean explained a little about where they had been."

He nodded. "It sounds exceptional. That's a view I wouldn't pass up if I could help it."

"Yeah, it was special. Not a word spoken, just a long walk."

Sam spoke up with an idea as to how to resolve the situation so Bobby could go with them.

"If there's no ramps, we could carry him if Bobby didn't mind."

"Would you have a problem with that, Bobby? It's a little slippery but we could do it.”

The older man shrugged as he responded.

"I trust you guys. Hate being carried but if the view is as you say it is, it's worth it."

"I thought it was, Bobby. I hated to leave last night."

He smiled at that, pushing his empty plate away.Dean got up and started to clear the food away. He put the leftovers in the refrigerator. Trash was tossed. He started washing up the dishes.

Cas and Sam rose to help him clean up.

After the boys finished cleaning, Dean took the firewood bin outside. "Someone want to get the doors for me? Thought I’d refill it and bring an ash bin in when I come back. I can clean out the fireplace and be ready for later this evening."

Sam went to tend to the fireplace while Castiel went to help Dean with the firewood. He started sweeping the fireplace, waiting for the bucket. Dean and Castiel went to the back of the garages and loaded the bin with logs, sticks and kindling. The smaller Winchester asked Cas to grab one of the buckets. They headed back to the B&B, and the angel got the doors for Dean. The hazel eyed man set the bin on the hearth and grabbed a shovel and started to shovel the ashes while Sam kept the remainder swept close to make it easier to shovel. When they were through, Dean grabbed the bucket and took the ashes to the dumpster and put the bucket back behind the garages. He said hello to their host as he was entering the building and asked if he was going to Dickens on the Strand.

Ben shook his head with a smile. "No, I've seen it a lot of times. Tonight, I'm planning on curling up with a good book and a glass of wine. I do hope you and your family enjoys it though."

"Thanks, Ben. We plan on it. This is the first Christmas we have had a chance to celebrate together in years. I'm looking forward to it. What book are you planning on reading?"

"I'm in a bit of a mood for Mary Shelley tonight, honestly. A bit macabre for the holiday but suits my mood." He laughed softly.

Dean thought a minute with a slight frown. "Frankenstein?"

Ben nodded. "That's her."

"Yeah, that's macabre. Not my first choice for Christmas, but then there's been others that have written stranger things."

The smile faded a bit. "Well, I'm not the biggest fan of Christmas. I enjoy it, yes, but it's not my favorite holiday."

Dean thought a minute. "To be honest, this is the first Christmas I've ever had that really feels right. I've always hated it before this one."

"In some ways, I don't blame you. Christmas has a way of haunting you." He shook himself. "Anyway, if you or your family needs anything, don't hesitate to ask."

The hunter stood there a minute. Haunting? He shook his head, trying to clear away the hunter in him. "Thanks, Ben. I appreciate that. To be honest, I've had a few haunted Christmases." Dean laughed slightly and headed into the building behind his host.

The host didn't ask because he wasn't sure what the man meant by that. He went off on his own, allowing his guest to return to his family.

Dean entered their suite and put his leather jacket in the closet. "I just had a weird conversation with Ben."

Sam looked up from his straightening up. "How so?"

"Well, he's rather strange. He's reading Shelley tonight. Doesn't care much for Christmas. Finds it has a way of haunting you. Man, I got the feeling there was a hunt in the making. I just jokingly told him I'd had a few haunted Christmases. He didn't seem too happy about Christmas and it seemed eerie. Who reads Frankenstein at Christmas?"

Bobby and Sam stared at each other for a moment. "Someone who really doesn't seem to like Christmas, I guess."

"Look, Sammy, you and I never had good Christmases. I know you've hated them worse then me. We don't read Shelley at Christmas or any other time. Not much chance to read, except when you're injured, but we at least watch a ball game or get drunk, man. Shelley?"

He shook his head, frowning. "We may want to keep an eye on that one, you know?"

"Yeah, something's bothering that guy. Big time. I know the signs, Sammy. Not sure about this, but it's got the feeling."

Castiel spoke from behind the pages of the book he was examining. "Then we shall watch over him and ensure that there is no danger."

"Good idea. I was wondering. You guys think we need to salt the suite?"

"Let's wait and see. It could be a figure of speech and this guy is an emo type or something," Sammy said with a shrug.

"Okay. What do you guys want to do for a while. The Dickens thing doesn't start til dark. I'm played out."

"Why don't you take a nap? We've got time to kill and you look tired. I'll probably do the same honestly." The younger Winchester stretched.

Dean was going to say no, then thought why not. He yawned. "I think I will. Anything comes up, let me know." Dean headed to the room he shared with Bobby. He shut the door, took off his boots, and jeans. He removed his outer shirt, leaving on the t-shirt, Crawling under the heavy quilt, he turned off the lamp and was asleep in minutes. It didn't take long before Castiel was the only one awake; the angel entertained himself by reading from some of the holiday books that had been bought.