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It’s a calm, quiet night.
The motorcycle sits on the side of the road, a young woman leaning against it. She looks out of place in the suburban neighborhood, torn jeans and faded black tank top doing little to hide her tattoos and scars. Her hair has been tied back in a braid. Suddenly, she smiles.
“Right on time.”
“You called; I came.” A man walks up beside her, dressed in a suit with a trench coat thrown over it. He looks up at the house. “Why here?”
She raises her cigarette and takes a drag. “The mother made a deal a long time ago. Tonight the demon comes to collect.”
“And I’m to stop it?”
“Yep.”
The man nods. “Which demon?”
She grins. “Azazel.”
His lip curls. “That one. Is this one of his children then?”
“The one he wants the most. I have different plans for them.” She tosses the cigarette aside and turns her full attention to the man. “Whatever happens, do not let him harm the family. The house can burn – the mother absolutely cannot. Azazel won’t touch the children. Do you understand?”
“Of course. I won’t fail.” With that he vanishes from sight.
The motorcycle and woman are gone soon after.
/---------/
Azazel isn’t pleased to find he’s not the first one in the room.
When the man in the trench coat steps out of the shadows, standing guard by the crib, he actually takes a step back. His lip curls in a sneer.
“Do you think you can stop me, Castiel?”
Castiel doesn’t bother approaching him. He simply stands by the crib, one hand on the railing while he watches the demon with yellow eyes. “Yes.”
Azazel snarls. “This deal is mine. You cannot interfere!”
Castiel’s eyes narrow. “I can do whatever I am given authority to do. I was ordered to stop this, and I will.”
“Who are you?”
The small voice draws both men’s attention. A young boy, maybe five years old, plastic baseball bat in hand as he glares up at the two men in his brother’s room. Castiel watches as the child assesses the situation and makes his decision. “Leave Sammy alone!”
He swings the bat at Azazel.
Things happen quickly after that.
Azazel vanishes, but the fire he leaves behind begins to consume the room at an unnatural speed. Castiel lunges forward, grabbing the little boy and pulling him to the crib, wings flared protectively around them even as he touches the infant.
A beat of his wings, and all three of them are in the front yard.
Castiel can hear screaming already, a mother’s frantic cries for her child as the father struggles to get her out of the house. He hands the infant over to the child. The parents will be out in maybe two minutes. They’ll see their children are safe, and that will calm everything down for now. He has a few minutes to spare.
“You called him Sammy?”
The boy nods, holding the infant tight to his chest, not bothered by the baby’s crying. “Yeah. I’m Dean. Who’re you?”
He smiles. “Castiel.”
“Sammy! Dean!”
The mother and father rush from the house, crowding around the children as fire engines race down the street and neighbors come out to check on the family. Castiel stands behind them, unseen by all except young Dean, whose eyes never leave him.
/---------/
They put out the fire, but the house needs renovations. The Winchester family stays in a hotel for the night until they can make better arrangements.
The room has two beds. Mary and John share one, while Dean has one all to himself. Sam sleeps in a basket made comfortable by blankets. John snores softly in her ear. Sam went right back to sleep after all the noise finally stopped.
Mary can’t sleep. There are too many thoughts running through her head. The speed of the fire, the way Dean and Sam were already outside –
How did they all survive?
There’s some shuffling from Dean’s bed, and then his soft voice breaks the silence.
“Were you protecting Sam?”
Mary doesn’t hear an answer, but apparently Dean does.
“Thank you. Sammy’s th’ only brother I have.” A pause. “What if the fire-man comes back?” Another pause. “You will? All night?” Pause. “Okay.” There’s more shuffling as Dean gets comfortable, and then he sighs deeply. “G’night Cas.”
The bed is warm, but Mary is suddenly cold.
/---------/
The fire is deemed electrical, a short in the wall socket catching the old wallpaper on fire. The investigator can’t explain how the fire spread so quickly, though.
Mary has her suspicions.
/--------/
Castiel meets the woman again. They watch as Mary and John oversee the home repairs while Dean plays with Sam in the yard. Mary and John aren’t aware of their visitors, but every so often Dean will glance over at them, as if making sure they’re still there. The woman smiles.
“Dean likes you.”
“I think I like Dean.” Castiel admits. “The boy went after Azazel with a plastic bat.” He glances at the woman. “This wasn’t entirely about saving the family.”
“It was – just in more than one way.” She turns her attention from the family and focuses on Castiel. “I’m giving you a new assignment. You are to protect this family.”
“They’re hunters.”
“The best there is.” she confirms. “What happened would have set the course for their lives – in one time, Mary dies. In another, it’s John. In another, all of them. So many variations, and yet this is the only time when all of them survive. All events send the survivors on a path towards hunting – and dying. I want them to live, Castiel. I want them to thrive.”
“Can they be hunters and have long lives?”
“With protection and guidance. And a reason to live.” She turns away. “Just – be there for them. Especially Dean. He’ll be the driving force for what’s to come.”
Castiel nods. “I will.” A pause. “What should I call this incarnation of You?”
The woman grins.
“You can call Me Dallas.”
Then She’s gone, leaving Castiel alone with his new charges.