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Claire gritted her teeth as she twisted the tourniquet around her leg and tied it off. She used whatever she was leaning on to pull herself to her feet, putting all the weight she could on her uninjured leg as she hobbled out of the building and back to her car.
As soon as she was in the driver’s seat, she tugged her phone out of the zipped pocket of her leather jacket and dialed Cas’ number. It only rang a few times before he answered.
“Claire? It’s late, are you alright?” she could tell he was concerned and if it was any other time, she might be irritated but considering she might bleed out, she figured he deserved a pass just this once.
“Uh, not really,” she panted, leaning her head back against the headrest. “I’m down in Joplin, there was a werewolf. I killed it, but it got a good swipe at me first.”
“Do you need me to come get you?” Cas asked urgently, and she could hear rustling over the line. He was probably already getting out of bed.
“It’s only about six hours, I can make it to the bunker,” Claire protested, glancing down at her leg which was soaked with blood, along with the seat of her car.
“We’ll meet you halfway,” Cas insisted. “Which way are you going to drive?”
“400, it’ll be the fastest,” Claire took a deep, shaky breath. “Alright, I’m gonna start driving. I’ll keep you updated on where I am.”
“Please do, frequently Claire,” Cas said. “We’ll be on the road soon as well.”
“See you soon, Cas,” Claire said and hung up, dropping her phone. She reached into the backseat, wincing at the strain on her leg, and grabbed her first aid kit. She cleaned the gash in her leg as well as she could and then wrapped bandages tightly around her thigh, slowly removing the tourniquet. She didn’t want to risk losing her entire leg due to a lack of blood flow. She threw everything over her shoulder into the back seat and then started the car, pulling onto the road.
***
Claire was about to switch from 400 to 196 and she texted Cas to let him know when he called immediately to tell her to find a place to wait for him, as he was less than ten minutes from Wichita.
Claire was thankful for the break, her leg was burning and she knew she needed to clean it and put on fresh bandages. She quickly found a larger truck stop and pulled into the lot, parking near the back to settle in until Cas reached her.
She wasn’t there long, at least she didn’t think she had, when the Impala pulled into the spot next to her. She frowned a little at that - there was no way Dean would have let Cas take the Impala on his own. And her theory was proved correct when the man himself stepped out of the driver’s side, hurrying over to her.
“Hey kiddo,” Dean said softly, cupping her jaw. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, really,” Claire said, blinking slowly up at him.
“Of course,” Dean smiled reassuringly. “We’re gonna get you in the back of Baby, and Cas is gonna drive your car back, okay?”
“I can drive, it’s fine, I’m fine,” Claire insisted, glaring up at Dean stubbornly.
“Alright, let’s make a deal. If you can get up and walk to the bathroom, I’ll let you drive,” Dean said with a short nod before moving back, giving her room to stand. Claire took a deep breath and hauled herself up and out of the car. That was when she finally saw Cas standing only a few feet away, looking worried as all get out.
“I told you, I’m fine,” Claire said proudly but as soon as she tried to use her injured leg to walk, she was falling to the ground, though she never made it. Both Cas and Dean had rushed forward to catch her.
“Here’s how this is gonna go,” Dean’s tone left no room for argument. “I’m gonna take you inside so that we can clean your leg and get a new bandage on it. Then we’re gonna get some food in you, cause I can guarantee your blood sugar is way too fucking low.”
“What about your car?” Claire asked, letting Dean wrap an arm around her waist to help her walk.
“What about it, kiddo?” Dean glanced around as they walked, Claire supposed making sure no one was paying them too much attention.
“I’ll get blood on the upholstery,” she murmured, remembering another time he had told her not to do that.
“I’m more worried about you than my upholstery,” Dean said and then they were inside and headed straight to the bathroom. Claire’s vision was going a little hazy and it was getting harder to walk with every step. Luckily, they seemed to reach the bathroom just in time for Claire’s legs to give out under her, though, once again, Dean caught her before she could hit the tile floor. She could hear him muttering to himself but couldn’t make out the words, just knew that he picked her up and set her on the closed toilet. “Claire!”
“Hmm,” Claire opened her eyes, though she didn’t remember closing them.
“I’m sorry kiddo, I’m gonna have to cut your jeans off,” Dean said apologetically. “You didn’t bandage far enough up your leg.” Claire just nodded and watched as Dean used his switchblade to carefully cut the rest of the denim off her leg. She gasped as he began unraveling the bandage, tossing it on the counter once it was all off. “Fuck, Claire.”
“Pretty bad, huh?” Claire smirked a little.
“Real bad, kiddo, you’re gonna need stitches,” Dean said. “We can’t do those here, though. I don’t have the stuff and we’ll need the privacy. I’m gonna clean this and bandage it back up, okay?”
“Sounds good, Dean-o,” Claire whispered. She couldn’t really focus as Dean worked on her leg, though she did feel the sting of the antiseptic and instinctively kicked out, catching Dean in the ribs.
“Shit, kid, what are those boots fucking made of?” he muttered as he rubbed at the spot where she made contact.
“Sorry,” she managed to get out sheepishly, doing her best to hold still as Dean bandaged her back up.
“No hard feelings,” Dean chuckled and stood up, washing his hands of her blood before checking his phone. “Cas is coming in now, grabbed you a change of clothes that aren’t covered in blood.” Claire just nodded and what felt like only seconds later there was a knock at the door. Dean opened it, speaking softly with Cas for a moment before shutting and locking the door again. “He’s gonna grab you some food so we can start driving as soon as possible.”
“Oh good, I’m starving. I think,” Claire wasn’t sure if she was hungry or if her body was upset at how much blood she lost. Probably both.
“Alright, I know you’re not gonna like this, but I’m gonna have to help you,” Dean said, kneeling on the floor to first take Claire’s boots and socks off.
“It’s okay. I’ll be mad about it later,” that got a laugh out of Dean as he tugged her shirt over her head. He didn’t even blink as he grabbed her clean shirt from the pile and helped her get her arms through each sleeve and then over her head.
“Alright, now you’re gonna have to stand for a minute while I get these jeans off and the new pants on, but I’m not gonna be able to hold you up, okay? You’ll have to hold onto my shoulders and keep yourself up,” Dean told her. Claire nodded and, with Dean’s help, stood up so she was on her feet, both hands on either of Dean’s shoulders to keep her steady. She barely noticed Dean cutting off the rest of her jeans and then lifting each foot to get her new ones on, which turned out to actually be a pair of sweats she used as pajamas. He let her sit back down as soon as they were on.
“Feeling better?” Dean asked, once again kneeling in front of her as he put a new pair of socks and her boots back on her feet. She wasn’t sure how, but the clean clothes did help, telling him as much. “Good, now we gotta get outta here before they find the bloody bandages.” He shoved them deep in the trashcan as he spoke, slinging his bag with Claire’s dirty clothes and his first aid kit over his shoulder before helping Claire back to her feet. They left the bathroom to be met with Cas and a bag of food, and the three of them quickly left the rest stop and made their way across the parking lot to their cars. Dean helped her into the backseat of the Impala and she slumped over a little.
“Claire?” Cas spoke, squatting in front of her in the open doorway. “I know you’re tired but you need to eat this before you take a nap, okay?” she looked down to see a sandwich in his hand. She took it and ripped open the plastic packaging, taking a large bite.
She ate it so fast she couldn’t even distinguish what kind of sandwich it was. Before she could say anything, a bag of cookies and a bottle of water replaced her sandwich, both of which she easily downed within minutes. “Alright,” Cas stroked her hair gently. “Dean is gonna drive with you while I take your car.”
“Sounds good,” Claire muttered, giving him half a smile - at least she tried. She’s not sure how well it translated. Cas smiled back all the same and stood. He said something to Dean, kissed him, and then got in Claire’s car. Dean shut Claire’s door and then slid in the front. Soon, she could feel the comforting rumble of the Impala’s engine and they were on the road.
“You doing alright back there, kiddo?” Dean asked a few minutes after they were back on the highway.
“Yeah, I’m alright,” Claire whispered, laying down across the entire backseat. “Thanks, dad.”
***
The next time Claire woke up, she was in a bed in a dark room. She grumbled, sitting up slowly. As her eyes adjusted she realized she was in her room at the bunker. She saw the bottle of water sitting on her bedside table and grabbed it, gulping it down without pause. After a few minutes of psyching herself up, she stood, taking a deep breath at the pain shooting through her leg, though it wasn’t as bad as she remembered. She made her way out of her room and down the hallway. She eventually found Dean and Cas in what everyone but Dean called the rec room - he still insisted it was the Dean cave.
“Claire!” Cas spotted her first, rushing over to her side to help her to the couch. “You shouldn’t be out of bed, you need to rest and keep your weight off that leg.”
“I’m fine,” Claire said stubbornly, though she sank onto the couch gratefully.
“Let me look at your leg,” Dean said. “I don’t know if you remember, but it’s gonna need stitches.”
“Yeah, I remember,” Claire said. “You gonna do it here?”
“Yes, because I don’t want to move you more than we have to. I’ll be right back, I’m gonna get everything.” With that, Dean was up and out of the room, leaving just Claire and Cas.
“Is he mad at me?” Claire asked. “He seemed mad.”
“He’s worried and that’s just how he acts when he’s worried,” Cas explained, kneeling on the floor next to Claire. “I wish I could heal you, or at least take away your pain.”
“It’s okay, Cas,” Claire shook her head. “I’m a big girl, I can deal with some stitches. It’s not like it’ll be the first time.” Cas just looked at her sadly. Claire knew he still felt guilty for everything that went down - essentially kidnapping her dad and his subsequent death, and then essentially dragging her into the hunting lifestyle. But she had made her peace with it a long time ago. Cas could never replace her actual dad, but he tried, and that’s what mattered to her.
“You’re gonna need this,” Dean said as he reentered the room, handing her a bottle of whiskey.
“To drink or clean the cut?”
“Both,” Dean said. “Start drinking, it’ll help numb the pain a bit.” Claire wasn’t going to say no, twisting the cap off and taking a drink. It was awful but she refused to let Dean see her gag. As Dean got everything ready, she continually took small sips, and by the time he was finished, Claire was feeling the effects of the alcohol.
“Ready?” Dean asked, looking up at Claire. She nodded and reached out, grabbing Cas’ hand and squeezing it tight. She let her head fall back so she didn’t have to watch, but she still whimpered and winced with each tug of the sutures going through the skin of her thigh. She could feel Cas stroking her hair, whispering quiet words of encouragement as she clung to his hand, her other moving to grab his forearm as well.
After what seemed like hours, Dean finally announced he was done, wiping her leg clean. Claire finally looked down at her leg, the skin was red and inflamed, but the stitches looked professional - as if she had actually gotten them done in a hospital.
“You’ll have one badass scar from this,” Dean said with a grin, Claire returning it with a brighter one.
“Good, chicks dig scars.” Dean laughed at that, and Claire thought maybe being stuck at the bunker for a bit wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
***
“Are you really not going to talk to me?” Dean asked, sitting across from Claire at the kitchen table, eyebrows raised. “Kiddo, even with your stitches out, you can barely walk. You go out on a hunt like this and you’ll get yourself killed.”
“Well, that’s my choice to make,” Claire snapped. “I’m fine to go hunt, my leg is better.”
“Claire, this is non-negotiable,” Dean said sharply. “And you know Jody will say the same thing. Or do you want me to call her and tell her you’re trying to go hunt on a bum leg?
“No,” Claire huffed and dug her spoon into her cereal. “I can’t just sit around her for another two weeks, though! I have to have something to do!”
“Four weeks,” Dean corrected. “And there’s plenty you can help us do. Cas has his garden that you can help with, Miracle needs a walk every day. We get hunters calling in all the time for some help with lore.”
“Four weeks?” Claire glared at Dean across the table and neither said anything Cas stumbled in. His hair was even more of a mess than usual, and he was still wearing his pajamas which were really just a pair of sweats and one of Dean’s old, worn shirts.
“Cas, do I really have to stay here for four weeks?” Claire asked, turning to face him as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
“If it were up to me it would be six,” he mumbled. Claire let out a frustrated groan and dropped her head on the table. “Anyone got Death’s new number? I wanna make a call.”
***
It had only been a week. Claire had been stuck in the bunker for a week already, but it felt like months. She had spent the first few days protesting by staying locked up in her room but that grew boring almost instantly so she took Dean’s suggestion. She began helping Cas in his small garden, listening to him ramble on about the different types of plants, vegetables, and fruits he was growing and how to care for each one the best. She took Miracle on a walk every morning, and sometimes another one in the afternoon if there was nothing else to do, and she helped Dean man the phones and research any lore that a hunter needed.
On the eighth day, she, Dean, and Cas were sitting at a table in the library when the bunker door opened. Claire was on immediate alert as she didn’t know any besides Sam that could get in and he hadn’t mentioned that he was stopping by.
As the door swung open it revealed a young man, probably around her age, with dirty blond hair and pale skin. He was wearing a cognac jacket with a t-shirt and blue jeans, black slip-ons adorning his feet, which she noticed as he came down the stairs.
“Jack!” Dean and Cas were both out of their seats and rushing toward the newcomer, surprising Claire a bit as they both easily embraced him, Dean even ruffling his hair. The three of them spoke quietly for just a moment before Jack - whoever he was - pushed past Cas and Dean to approach her.
“Hello,” he said, smiling brightly at her. “I’m Jack. You’re Claire Novak.”
“Uh, yeah,” Claire nodded, glancing between Jack and the other two. “I’m sorry, I don’t know who you are.”
“Shit,” Dean mumbled and hurried forward. “Claire, you remember the whole thing with Lucifer’s Nephilim child? That we kind of raised, and then he defeated Chuck and became the new God?”
“I’m sorry, what? This is him?” Claire looked back at Jack with wide eyes. He didn’t look like he had the conviction to kill a fly and she was supposed to believe that he was God ?
“I’m sorry we haven’t had the opportunity to meet yet,” Jack said, the bright smile still spread across his baby-face. “But my new duties as God don’t leave me a lot of free time. But Cas has talked about you a lot.”
“Right,” Claire nodded absently. “I’m gonna give you guys some time to...catch up. I’ll be in my room.” With that, Claire pushed herself up and got out of the room as fast as possible with her leg. She shut her bedroom door behind her, locking it before falling onto her bed.
God. She had just met God.
How the fuck do you talk to God? Especially when he’s the adopted son of your pseudo former angel dad who possessed your biological dad and got him killed?
How was her life so fucking fucked?
Luckily, the three of them left her alone for the next few hours, but just around dinner time, there was a timid knock on her door. Claire got off her bed slowly, watching the door. That had to be Jack, neither Cas nor Dean knocked like that. She crossed the small space and unlocked the door and, just as she thought, Jack was standing there.
“Hello again,” he said, smiling softly at her. “I was wondering if we could speak?”
“Yeah, sure. Come on in,” Claire stepped back, letting Jack into her room. He looked around, at the different pictures she had taped to the walls and all her shit that she left cluttered on her desk. “So what did you want to talk about?”
“Cas thinks of you as his daughter. Dean does as well. They are my fathers, two of them anyway. That makes us siblings,” Jack said happily. “I thought it would be good to get to know my sister.”
“Okay,” Claire said, trying to wrap her around the idea that her weird not quite half-brother was God . “What did you want to know?”
“What’s your favorite movie?” Jack asked, eyes wide in earnest. That’s not what Claire was expecting.
“Oh, I don’t really have a favorite movie but I really like horror?” Claire said.
“Dean’s shown me some horror movies but I prefer Star Wars,” Jack said. “I watched those with Cas.”
“I don’t think I’ve actually seen them,” Claire admitted. Jack’s eyes went wide.
“We can watch them tonight, after dinner!” He said excitedly. “It’s been a while since I’ve been able to watch anything.”
“You sure you don’t have any Godly duties to attend to?” Claire asked, not quite sure how she felt about sitting down to watch a movie with Jack.
“This planet survived centuries without Chuck, I think it’ll be okay for one night,” Jack said just as Dean called for them to come eat. Claire followed Jack out of her room, though they walked side by side to the kitchen.
“Can you even eat? Or do you need to?” Claire asked. “Cas never ate when he was an angel, said everything tasted like molecules.”
“I don’t need to eat, not really, but I still enjoy the taste. I’m still half-human so my tastebuds function as normal,” Jack said, somehow sounding exactly like Cas.
“That’s cool,” Claire said as they reached the kitchen. She winced as she had to bend her leg to sit down.
“I’m so sorry, I forgot that you were injured, let me heal you-” but before he could even take a step toward Claire, Dean was telling him to freeze.
“You’re not gonna heal her,” Dean said shortly. “She got hurt on the hunt, she needs to deal with the consequences and learn her lesson to be more careful.” Jack tried to protest but shut his mouth with one look from Dean, sitting quietly next to Claire at the table. She knew that Jack considered Cas and Dean his fathers, but was he really going to obey them like that? He was God .
Cas brought over two bowls of mac and cheese with bits of broccoli mixed in. Claire looked up at Dean as he sat down across from her. “What? It’s Jack’s favorite.”
“This is your favorite?” Claire asked in disbelief, turning to face him. “Are you serious?”
“Dean makes really good mac and cheese,” Jack said innocently.
“Yeah, and just cause you’re all-powerful or whatever doesn’t mean you don’t need your vegetables,” Dean said definitively, which Claire couldn’t help but snort at.
“That’s rich, coming from you,” she said before taking a bite of her dinner. Jack was right, Dean did make really good mac and cheese. “You ate nothing but burgers and pie when I met you.”
“Yeah, well, when you have a kid sometimes your perspective changes,” Dean rolled his eyes, but Claire could tell it was nothing but fond. She was fairly quiet through dinner, only interjecting a few times or answering a question directed toward her.
“So what are you gonna get up to tonight?” Dean finally asked.
“Claire and I are going to watch Star Wars!” Jack said, eyes practically twinkling. Dean and Cas both turned their gazes to her and she shrugged. It’s not like she had any other plans, anyway.
“Alright then, once you two finish dishes you can go watch your movie,” Cas said, standing to take his bowl to the sink, rinsing it briefly.
“We’ll be in our room if you need anything, okay?” Dean said, standing and doing the same as Cas before coming over to the two of them on their side of the table. He kissed both of their heads softly, bidding them goodnight as he and Cas left the kitchen. Claire got up and walked over to the sink, turning on the hot water and plugging the drain. Jack joined her a moment later, grabbing the dry dish towel off the handle of the stove.
“What are you doing?” Claire asked, looking at him with her eyes narrowed in confusion.
“I’m helping you with the dishes,” Jack answered. “Dean and Cas cooked, so we have to clean. It’s the rules.”
“Can I ask you a question? And I don’t mean it to be offensive or anything, I’m just...really confused,” Claire shut the tap off and began scrubbing the pot so she could focus on that rather than her words. “Why do you listen to them? Like, I really only do it because I don’t have another choice. Dean locked up my car keys, but you’re...you’re God. You don’t have to listen to them.”
Jack was quiet for a moment, taking the now clean pot from her when she handed it over. He rinsed and dried it, putting it back in its rightful place before answering. “Cas and Dean are my fathers. I love them and I respect them. I know that the things they ask of me are things that they believe are for the best. So I listen to them.”
“That’s...really nice actually,” Claire said quietly, swallowing heavily.
“Cas has told me about what you have been through,” Jack’s voice was soft, compassionate in a way she had only ever really heard from Dean. “It’s a lot, more than most people will go through in their entire lifetime. But you are strong, you don’t let those things control your life. That’s very admirable, Claire.”
“T-Thank you,” Claire couldn’t help the blush that colored her cheeks. “I’m afraid I don’t know too much about you, but even just the little bit I have seen...they’re both really proud of you. And they love you. A lot.”
“They love you too,” Jack said simply, as if that didn’t cause Claire’s heart to pound in her chest, so loud she didn’t think she’d be able to hear over it.
“What? How could you know that?” Claire asked, hands clenching around the bowl in her hand.
“The way they talk about you, mostly, and their actions,” Jack said thoughtfully. “I meant it when I said Cas talks about you. He’s told me about how good a hunter you are, that you’re truly a good person. He said he was hopeful that we would one day meet so that you may teach me things that they cannot.”
“Oh,” Claire was quiet, thinking over Jack’s words in hyperspeed.
“And Dean always goes on about how proud of you he is. I’ve heard him brag to other hunters all the time about how well you’re doing. And they’re letting you stay in the bunker. They could have gotten you back to Sioux Falls if they wanted, but they want you here,” Jack paused. “Sorry, that’s a lot. Dean says I need to work on my delivery.”
“No, no that was fine. I just wasn’t expecting all that,” Claire handed over the last bowl, pulling the plug to drain the sink. “Do you want any snacks for the movie?”
“Yes! I love nougat!” Jack said as he put away the last of the dishes as he dried them. “Dean says popcorn is also necessary when watching any movie.”
“Popcorn and nougat it is. Do you know how to work the TV and everything to pull the movie up?” Jack nodded and quickly left the room, presumably going to the rec room. Claire shoved the popcorn into the microwave and leaned against the counter. Everything that Jack told her...she wasn’t sure how to take it. She knew that Cas and Dean cared about her, but she always thought it was more because they had an obligation to, but the way Jack spoke, how he said they acted, it sounded like they genuinely loved her.
She was sprung from her thoughts as the microwave beeped at her. She poured the contents into a bowl, grabbed the package of nougat and then two beers from the fridge before joining Jack on the couch. He already had the first movie ready to go, so as soon as the snacks were situated on the coffee table, he was pressing play on the remote.
They were both quiet for the first thirty or so minutes of the movie, but then Claire had to ask a question, and that set Jack off as he answered, babbling on for minutes about the set design of Star Wars and that’s when Clarie realized -
Jack was a nerd. Just like his dads.
After Claire’s epiphany, she was much more relaxed around Jack. By the end of the first movie, they were done with the snacks and on their third beer each, laughing together at something mundane that had happened in the movie that really wasn’t as funny as they were making it out to be.
By the end of the second movie, Claire was tired, eyes drooping as she fought to stay awake, Jack rambling beside her about some obscure detail of the scene on the screen.
She was asleep within five minutes of the third.
***
Dean woke up first as usual and he left Cas in bed, clinging to his pillow. He glanced into Claire’s room, frowning when she wasn’t asleep on her bed; Claire never woke up early if she could help it. Dean walked a bit faster down the hall, intent on checking the kitchen, but he walked past the open doorway of the rec room, he froze because there, on the couch, were Jack and Claire.
Jack was sitting up on one end of the couch, though he seemed to be asleep, or at least resting, with his head lolled over half on his shoulder and half on the back of the couch. Claire was lying along the length of the couch with her head in Jack’s lap and the blanket Cas kept there spread over her. Dean smiled fondly at the sight and as quietly as he could, crept into the room and took approximately a million pictures of the pair of them. He left them to sleep a bit longer, heading to the kitchen to make breakfast.
He was almost done when Cas joined him, taking the proffered mug of coffee Dean held out to him. “Thank you,” he mumbled, leaning against the counter.
“No problem, sunshine,” Dean said, leaning in to kiss Cas on the cheek. “How’d you sleep?”
“Good. I like having Jack and Claire here, knowing they’re safe for at least a night,” Cas smiled sleepily.
“Did you see them? Guess they fell asleep watching the movie last night,” Dean dropped a few pieces of bacon on every plate and then poured in the eggs, ham, and vegetables into the same pan.
“I did. I am glad that they are already comfortable with each other. I was worried Claire wouldn’t be able to connect with Jack,” Cas admitted.
“Jack’s a good kid, he’d be able to get along with just about anybody,” Dean turned and pulled Cas close, kissing him soundly as he let the eggs cook for a minute. “How long do you think we’ll have him this time?”
“Hopefully through breakfast,” Cas said, resting his forehead against Dean’s. They were both so incredibly proud of Jack and everything he was doing, but he was still their kid and they still missed him deeply.
“Gross.” Both men turned to the doorway where Claire and Jack were standing, Jack looking as innocent as ever while Claire was wearing a faux grimace - they both knew she didn’t really mind seeing them like this anymore, but she liked to make them think she did.
“Morning you two,” Dean said, pulling back from Cas. “Claire, you want coffee?” She just nodded as she went and sat down at the table with Jack, slumping over slightly. Only a moment later, a mug of coffee was sat in front of her while Jack was given a glass of orange juice.
“How’d you like Star Wars?” Cas asked, sitting down at the table across from his two children.
“It was good. Much better than I thought it would be, but to be fair, the only thing I really knew about it was from incels on the internet,” Claire shrugged, smirking a little when both Dean and Cas gave her a confused look, but neither asked what she meant. They truly were peak middle-aged dads. “I can see why you like it so much,” she said, turning to Jack.
“Yes! Han Solo is my favorite character,” Jack nodded. Claire snorted into her coffee.
“What’s so funny about that?” Jack asked, tilting his head exactly like Cas did.
“Nothing really, just makes sense he’d be your favorite,” she looked at Dean then, swallowing down a sarcastic comment. “So, do you have to get back to playing God then?”
“Yes, I will have to leave today, but I can stay for breakfast,” Dean smiled privately at that and soon he had all four plates on the table, ketchup and hot sauce bottles deposited in the middle. Claire and Cas perked up as they ate, joining the conversation the more food they consumed and by the time all the plates were clean and mugs empty, they were all laughing and teasing each other.
Jack cleared his throat. “I’m afraid I have to get going,” he said, and he did sound truly apologetic. Dean and Cas both pulled him into a tight hug once they stood from the table, Dean telling him that he loved him and that he hoped to see him soon. Jack finally turned to Claire with a smile. “It was very nice meeting you. I hope that we can spend some more time together soon.”
“Yeah, me too,” Claire took a deep breath and stepped forward, giving Jack a brief hug that he returned. She didn’t know if it was because he was God or if he was just really good at hugs, but it left Claire feeling warm and safe. “Don’t be a stranger.” Jack nodded and stepped back, giving them a small wave before leaving the bunker.
Dean sighed a little and grabbed all the dishes from the table, depositing them in the sink. “I’m gonna go work on the Impala for a bit, and with that, he was out of the kitchen.
***
For the next few days after Jack visited, Cas and Dean were both quieter, more morose, Claire noted. It was a bit unnerving, especially for Dean. So Claire decided to make an executive decision and, for the first time in a very long time, sat down to pray.
She only sat on the edge of her bed, but she did clasp her hands together. “Hey Jack,” she started. “It’s uh...it’s been a while since I’ve done this but I figure you’re much more likely to listen then the last guy. I know you’re busy, so like, I don’t wanna keep you, but I needed to tell you.” Claire took a deep breath. She wasn’t even sure why she was doing this except she really was - Cas and Dean deserved this. “Your dads...our dads, they miss you. A lot more than they’re letting on. But Dean has been in the garage working on the Impala every day since you left, and Cas has been going crazy in his garden. I know you obviously can’t stay here or anything, but maybe you could come down more often? Something like a weekly family dinner night, I bet they’d like that.” Claire was silent for a moment, though she didn’t really expect an answer instantly. “Just figured you should know.” She sat up, dropping her hands to her legs. Hopefully the prayer got through.
***
Claire was walking Miracle along the road a week after Jack’s visit when he suddenly appeared in front of her. “Holy shit!” she jumped, hand already reaching for the knife in her boot.
“It’s just me!” Jack said quickly. “I am very sorry for startling you, but I wanted to speak with you before going back to the bunker.”
“It’s fine,” Claire worked to even her breathing, Miracle nudging her nose into Claire’s hand. “Just give me a heads up next time.”
“Yes, of course,” Jack agreed and waited for Claire to be standing upright before he continued speaking. “You prayed to me. Said I should come see Cas and Dean more.”
“Yeah man, they miss you. A lot,” Claire began walking again, Miracle trotting along beside her, Jack falling in line on her otherside. “I think it’d be better for them if they knew when they would see you again. It sucks not knowing.” She realized as she spoke just how much of a hypocrite she was being. She checked in with Jody practically every day she was on a hunt, and that was technically her home base but Cas and Dean...they were lucky if she remembered to call once a month.
“I miss them too,” Jack said thoughtfully. “It’s different for me though, as I can check on them whenever I need, but they cannot do the same. I think it would be good if I came to family dinner once a week, as you suggested.”
“They’d like that a lot,” Claire said with a smile. “And maybe I would too.”
“You would?” Jack’s head snapped over to look at her, eyes wide with surprise.
“Yeah, I would. I was always an only child, and even at Jody’s all I’ve got are sisters. It’s nice to have a brother,” Claire explained. Jack smiled to himself at that and they were quiet for a moment.
“I have something I need to admit,” Jack eventually said. “After we met, last week, when I returned to Heaven...I found your parents.”
“Oh,” Claire whispered, fist clenching around Miracle’s leash.
“They are happy and together. They miss you, but they are glad that you’ve found a family and happiness, even if it’s a profession they don’t approve of. And they can’t wait to see you again but they’d rather it be quite a while before that happens,” Jack spoke quieter than normal. “They are proud of you.”
“They are?” Claire asked, and her voice sounded so small, even to her own ears. “Even though I’m a hunter, and I’m…” she couldn’t say the word, but she knew Jack knew what she meant.
“Yes,” he nodded in confirmation. “They want you to be happy.” Claire let a few tears roll down her cheeks as she threw herself at Jack, hugging him tight for just a moment.
“Thank you,” she muttered, squeezing him once before letting go. “Now come on, we better get back to the bunker and surprise our old men.” Jack agreed and they set off down the road again, toward the bunker.
“I’m back!” Claire called as she and Jack walked into the bunker. She unclipped Miracle’s leash, the dog running down the stairs to go find Dean, she was sure. “And I brought back a stray!”
“A what?” Dean shouted from the hallway, his voice and footsteps growing closer quickly. “What do you mean a stray…” his voice trailed off as he entered the room just as Claire and Jack reached the bottom of the stairs. “Jack?”
“Hello!” Jack said with a bright smile, and before Claire could blink, Dean was hugging him tight. Claire bit back a smug smile, glancing up as Cas finally entered the room as well.
“What’s with all of the shouting?” he asked, Dean entirely blocking his view of Jack.
“I found someone on my walk,” Claire said, Dean finally backing off so Cas could see Jack, and as soon as he did, Jack was enveloped in another bone-crushing hug. Dean turned to Claire, and kissed her head.
“Thank you,” he muttered. “I’m not sure what you did, but thanks.”
“No problem, old man,” Claire said with a grin, letting herself bask in the affection for once.
***
A few hours after Jack’s arrival, Dean said that he would need to go to the grocery store. “I wasn’t planning on making anything big for dinner but now I got no other choice!” So he and Cas left in the early afternoon bringing Miracle with them so she could get some more exercise, leaving Claire and Jack alone in the bunker.
“So, Jack,” Claire said, looking up from her spot on the couch. “Have you ever explored the bunker?”
“Not really, not unless we were looking for something for a case,” Jack said. “Why? Did you want to?”
“Yeah, I’ve never really been here long enough for the opportunity,” she pushed herself to her feet and gestured for Jack to follow. They walked down the hallway until they reached the stretch with all the storage rooms. “Which one?”
“How about….that one?” Jack pointed to the second door on the left. Claire opened the door to reveal shelves full of boxes.
“Think there’s anything interesting in them?’ She asked, pursing her lips.
“Only one way to find out,” Jack said, grinning over at Claire.
For the next hour, Jack and Claire dug through different boxes in the storage room, pulling out all manner of objects and artifacts. They had fun reading off the tags to each other and trying to guess what something did if it wasn’t listed.
“What do you think this is?” Claire asked, pulling out a woven leather bracelet with several multicolored beads. There was only a small tag attached by a piece of twine. “It says…’Band of Veracity’ and nothing else.
“Veracity…” Jack looked up from the box he was digging through. “It means to conform to facts and accuracy.”
“Wish you would have said that before I put it on,” Claire said, looking down at Jack with a clenched jaw, bracelet tight around her wrist. “Because it’s not coming off.”
“Oh,” Jack jumped up and reached out, hands glowing as he tried to tug the bracelet off, but it didn’t even budge. “I don’t know why it’s not coming off.”
“Shit,” she mumbled. “We need to call someone but I don’t know who would even know anything about this.”
Jack turned her wrist to look at the bracelet, turning each bead to inspect it as well. “There’s a word on this one..” he said and let go so that she could see it as well.
αλεθεια
“What is that?” she asked, eyebrows raised. “That looks like a completely different language.”
“It is,” Jack said. “It’s ancient Greek, it translates to Aletheia, a spirit or goddess of truth and sincerity. Which explains why I cannot remove the bracelet either.”
“Why?” Claire asked, still unsure herself.
“I cannot interfere with another deity's power,” Jack explained simply. “We should still do some research on it though, to find a way to remove it.”
“Yeah, that would be great. I don’t want to have to walk around with a built-in polygraph on my arm,” Claire said and, after making sure there wasn’t anything else in the box pertaining to the bracelet, they headed to the library to hit the books.
They had only been flipping through for about half an hour when the bunker door opened and Cas, Dean, and Miracle came tumbling through. “What are two crazy kids up to?” Dean asked when he saw what they were doing.
“Jack and I were going through one of the storage rooms when I found this bracelet and put it on,” Claire said before she could stop herself. “And now I have to tell the truth.”
“You were going through one of the…” Dean took a deep breath. “There’s dangerous shit in there, why would you touch anything?”
“Because I was curious and wanted to know more about the bunker without the risk of you finding out until after,” Claire clapped a hand over her mouth as soon as she finished her sentence.
“Perhaps it’s best if we don’t ask Claire any direct questions,” Cas suggested and nudged Dean forward. “Come on, we have to put the groceries away.” Dean left the room reluctantly, looking back at Claire one last time.
“He’s so mad at me,” Claire groaned and dropped her head to the table. “Now I’m gonna get the silent treatment for like a week.”
“I think I found it!” Jack said excitedly. “It doesn’t mention a bracelet specifically, but it does say that any jewelry blessed with Aletheia would only be released once the wearer speaks their deepest truth.”
“My deepest truth?” Claire raised her eyebrows. “I don’t even know what my deepest truth is, how am I supposed to speak it?”
“It doesn’t say anything about that,” Jack said with a frown. Claire sighed and closed the book in front of her. “At least now we know. Now all I have to do is figure out what my deepest truth is and speak it.”
“I am sure that you’ll figure it out soon,” Jack said, and Claire wasn’t sure if his optimism was to make her feel better or if he was just like that, but she was leaning toward the latter. “After all, there are only so many truths you can say before you eventually get to your deepest one.” Claire just rolled her eyes and dropped her head back on the table.
***
For the rest of afternoon, Claire stayed hidden in her room to try and avoid having to reveal anything she wasn’t ready to, but when Dean called that dinner was ready, she knew she couldn’t avoid it any longer.
She exited her room and walked slowly to the kitchen, hoping to put off the inevitable disappointed looks that she was sure both Dean and Cas would shoot her way. All three men were already seated by the time she made it to the kitchen, sitting next to Jack as was becoming the usual when they all ate together.
The table was awkwardly silent for a long moment, just the scratch of metal cutlery against ceramic as they ate. When nobody had said anything for a solid five minutes, Claire was fed up with it.
“Alright, go on and get it over with,” she said, looking between Cas and Dean. “Yell at me for doing something I know I shouldn’t have and for dragging Jack with me.”
“Claire, we’re not going to yell at you,” Cas said, but Dean’s huff didn’t make it very convincing. “We’re just worried about you. We don’t know what’s in all these storerooms, and we don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I was fine, Jack was with me, and he’s God, I wasn’t gonna die or anything,” Claire argued, playing with the food on her plate rather than eating it.
“That’s not the point, and you know it, Claire,” Dean snapped. “Something could have happened to either one of you, or both, and we wouldn’t have known about it!”
“It’s not your job to worry about me!” Claire protested, slamming her hand on the table. “I’m an adult, I can take care of myself!”
“If you really believed that, you would have snuck the keys to your car out of my room that first night,” Dean said. “If that’s how you really feel, why are you still here?”
“Dean-” Cas tried to stop him, but it was too late.
“Because I like being taken care of,” Claire answered, breathing heavy. “Because you two take care of me in a way that I haven’t had in a long time and I miss that.”
“I’m sorry for making you talk, kiddo,” Dean said, glancing at the bracelet wrapped around her wrist. “I didn’t mean to force you into it.”
“It’s okay, it’ll be hard to avoid,” Claire said nonchalantly. “And obviously it’s true anyway. You two...you’re like my dads. And I haven’t one of those in ten years so it’s nice.” She noticed how guilty Cas looked at her statement.
“Claire?” Jack spoke suddenly. “What’s your deepest truth?”
“I don’t know,” she said, shaking her head. “I would have to tell you, wouldn’t I.”
“I think you do know what it is,” Jack said. “It’s what I wanted for a very long time after I was born.” Claire looked over at him and their eyes met and she wasn’t sure how, but suddenly she knew what it was.
“Claire?” Cas asked warily, looking between the two of them. “Are you…”
“I’m good, and Jack is right. I do know what it is,” she took a deep breath, rubbing the back of her neck. “I haven’t really felt like a Novak for a long time, not since my mom disappeared, but I didn’t really have another option. I tried out Mills for a while, cause Jody is like a mom to me but it didn’t really fit either. But, I know what does fit, who I want to be.”
“Claire,” Dean said quietly, and she could tell by his voice that he knew what was coming next.
“I want to be a Winchester.” Claire whispered. “And not just...I want to be Claire Winchester legally.” She didn’t even notice the bracelet falling from her wrist, hitting the table with a light pinging sound.
“Claire…” Cas looked close to tears. “I had no idea you felt that way.”
“It’s pretty new, so,” Claire sniffled and wiped her cheek quickly. “I know Charlie got you guys legal again, no warrants or anything, so maybe she could do that for me too? If you want?” Rather than replying verbally, Dean stood and walked around the table. He took Claire’s hand and yanked her up, pulling her into a hug so tight she thought she might actually break a rib or two, but she hugged Dean back all the same, burying her face in his neck.
“I would be honored to give you the Winchester name,” he murmured into her hair. She felt Cas hug her from behind, sandwiching her between them. She managed to turn her head enough to see Jack, who was smiling as brightly as ever. She returned his smile, mouthing a ‘thank you’ before turning her head back into Dean’s chest.
***
At the next family dinner, Sam and Eileen also showed up. They only lived about an hour away, up north in Hastings. They both worked at the university, Sam in the library and Eileen as an ASL translator, so they weren’t able to come down all the time, but Claire figured Jack visiting was more than enough to get them to the bunker.
They ate in the library, giving themselves a bit more space with two extra people. Sam and Dean were telling stories from when they were young, both on the right side of tipsy. Sam tried his best to sign as he spoke, but the more he drank the sloppier he got, and eventually Eileen kissed him and told him that she could read their lips before he broke something.
It wasn’t long after that that Eileen pulled Sam up to head to bed, knowing there was no use driving back for the night when they had a perfectly good bedroom at the bunker. Cas and Dean only stayed up a bit longer, both men giving Claire and Jack a kiss on the head as they exited the library.
“Just us, then,” Claire said, dishes already clean, dried, and put away.
“Did you want to continue watching Star Wars?” Jack asked.
“I think I have a better idea,” she smirked and dragged Jack to her bedroom. She opened up the top drawer of her dresser and pulled out two pairs of fuzzy socks, tossing them to Jack. “Put those on,” she instructed as she did exactly that. Jack nodded and sat on her bed to pull off his shoes, putting on the socks over the ones he already wore.
“What are we doing?” he asked, head tilted in the way Claire would never admit she found endearing.
“Well, you’re only like, three years old technically, which means you missed out on a lot of kid stuff,” Claire said. “Including running around on a slippery floor with socks on.”
“No, that is not an activity I have ever participated in,” Jack shook his head.
“Alright then, we’re gonna race. Starting and finish line is right outside my doorway, we go down toward the library, circle the tables once, and then continue around the hallway. Three laps total,” Claire said. “No magic allowed, but otherwise all forms of sabotage are encouraged. Any questions?”
“I think I got it,” Jack said with a decisive nod.
“Alright, players to starting position,” she said and opened her door, standing right outside it. She leaned forward, one foot in front of the other, watching as Jack copied her. “Ready...set...go!” Claire took off down the hallway, Jack startling a little but following not far behind her. He was doing well until they rounded the corner into the library and he slid too much and veered off course.
Claire laughed as she easily rounded the tables and was back in the hallway before Jack could steady himself. She passed her door easily but as soon as she made it back to the library on her second lap, Jack had caught up to her. She was coming up to the turn when felt a tug on the back of her shirt as Jack yanked her, causing her to lose her balance and crash into the table as Jack continued sliding ahead.
“Traitor!” She gasped, pulling herself up as quickly as possible to run after Jack. She caught up just as they were passing her bedroom and she shouldered him out of the way to pull ahead, smirking back at him. They stayed close as they made it through the library, but in a last-ditch effort to pull ahead as they entered the hallway, Jack took hold of Claire’s arm and pulled her back. This caused her to stumble and fall over her own feet, but if she was going down, so was Jack. She clung to his arm as tight as she could, and he tripped over her legs as she fell, both of them somehow falling on top of each other, laughing and giggling as they tried to get out of their tangle of limbs and body parts.
“What the hell are you two doing?” Both of them looked up instantly, eyes wide in surprise as the door they were right next to swung open to reveal Dean standing there in a pair of pajama pants and an old t-shirt.
“Uh...we were racing?” Claire said.
“Racing? Around the bunker?” Dean raised his eyebrows.
“In fuzzy socks,” Jack supplied. “Claire said that I missed out on a lot of kid stuff.” Claire saw Dean’s resolve break at that and he sighed.
“Whatever, just...be careful okay? I don’t want any broken bones,” Dean said and waited for them to nod before closing his bedroom door. Claire met Jack’s eyes and they both burst into laughter, Claire carefully extracting herself from Jack before standing.
“Come on, we better go before we get grumpy Dean,” Claire said, pulling Jack back to her room. She collapsed onto her, laughing until her stomach started to hurt. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had that much fun.”
“It was very enjoyable,” Jack agreed, smile stretched wide across his face. “I wouldn’t be opposed to doing something like that again.”
“Well, little brother,” Claire said, patting the bed for Jack to join her. “Good thing we’ve got plenty of time to catch you up.”
***
As Christmas approached, Claire didn’t even realize that she was healed and able to leave the bunker until one day, her keys were left on her dresser. Had she received them a few weeks ago she would have left without a second thought, but now…
She dropped them back down on her dresser and headed out to where Cas and Dean were in the library. “What are we doing for Christmas?” she asked, dropping into one of the chairs. Dean looked at her, and she could tell he was doing his best to hide his shock.
“I don’t know. Sam and I don’t really do anything but since it’s Cas’ first Christmas as a human…” Dean trailed off.
“Can we get a tree?” Claire asked. “Like a real tree? As a kid, we just put up the same fake tree every year.”
“I suppose...a real tree wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world,” Dean said. “Go get dressed and we’ll go get one.”
“Great! But we have to wait for Jack to decorate it, okay?” Claire said and without waiting for an answer, took off down the hall to her bedroom. She changed into some of her warmest clothes, quickly braiding her hair and shoving her hat on her head, meeting Cas and Dean at the entrance to the garage. “Are we taking the Impala?”
“Yeah, I’ve got some stuff in the trunk that’ll work to strap a tree to the top,” Dean said, all three of them heading into the garage. Once they were back on the main road, Claire looked up the nearest tree farm and directed Dean to it. Once there, Claire took off ahead of Cas and Dean, darting through the trees to try and find the perfect one. When she glanced back, the two men were walking close together, hand in hand. She could tell they were talking quietly to each other but had no idea what they were saying. Claire couldn’t hold back her smile as she watched them.
After her dad said yes to Castiel and her mom disappeared, Claire never thought she would have this again, she never thought she would have a family again. But she did, she had her two dads and her little brother who was also God, and somehow it was perfect.
“Find one yet?” Cas asked once they caught up to her.
“No, not yet. You two got any opinions?” Claire began walking down the row of trees again, looking each one up and down. She finally stopped at one, it was tall, taller than Sam probably, and it was big around too.
“You want this one?” Dean nudged her to get her attention. Claire nodded, not taking her eyes off the tree.
“It’s perfect.” They had the tree chopped, wrapped, and strapped to the top of the Impala all within thirty minutes. “Can we get hot chocolate?” Claire asked, noticing the stand as they were about to leave.
“Yeah kid, here, go get three,” Dean pulled a ten-dollar bill from his wallet and handed it over. Claire beamed and practically skipped over. She had the drinks within a few minutes, joining Cas and Dean at the car.
Claire climbed into the backseat carefully, sipping her hot chocolate as they left the tree lot. This was the happiest she had felt in a long time, and the only way it could be better was if her brother was here too.
***
Christmas was mostly a calm affair, besides the wrapping paper war that Claire and Jack got into after all the presents were unwrapped. She didn’t get very much, some books and a new machete with sigils carved into the blade from Sam and Eileen, a brand new leather jacket that somehow fit her perfectly from Jack, but the best gift was from Cas and Dean. Her brand new birth certificate, social security card, and Kansas driver's license that named her Claire Olivia Winchester.
She would never admit it in the light of day, but she cried when she opened that gift.
But now it was a day that might be even more important than Christmas - Dean’s forty-second birthday.
Claire made sure Jack remembered at the last family dinner so that he would come down for the entire day. She also talked to Cas and convinced him to get Dean out of the bunker for the entire day so that she could complete her plan without interference.
She and Jack were gonna bake Dean a birthday cake. She already found a recipe online, a chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream, simple, but that meant it would be easy.
They started the day with breakfast from Dean’s favorite diner, which Claire had to run out to get way earlier than she wanted to be awake. They brought him breakfast in bed, and Jack showed up just at the tail end of their meal. After Dean had gotten ready for the day, Cas easily lured him out of the bunker with a promise of some time alone away from their kids. Claire pretended to gag, Jack simply waving as they left.
“We’ve got a lot to get done but Cas promised to keep him away until we text him,” Claire said. “Let’s decorate and then we’ll start baking.” She grabbed the bags of decorations she ordered off Amazon from her room and dumped them on the library table. Everything was pink, purple, and blue. Claire knew that Dean wasn’t super outspoken about his sexuality and that it was because his dad was a homophobic asshole would have beat the shit out of Dean for liking guys, so she wanted to give him a celebration he deserved while not having that be the focus of the party.
She and Jack got to work, Claire instructed Jack what to do with specific decorations, like liking the railing of the balcony and staircase with the tassel garland while she strung up the fairy lights around the doorways and the tables. They hung streamers from the ceiling and finally, she scattered confetti all over the tables and set out the plastic plates and cutlery.
“Alright, Jackie, ready to bake?” Claire asked, hands on her hips.
“I am!” Claire led the way to the kitchen, pulling the recipe up on her phone. She had already read through three times and she did it again with Jack.
“So first we have to preheat the oven to three-hundred and fifty degrees,” Claire said as she did just that, double checking that it was the right temperature. “Now we have to butter our cake pans and then dust them with flour.”
“Where is the butter?” Jack asked and Claire pointed to the fridge as she pulled down their brand new cake pans. “So when the recipe says to butter the pan?”
“It means we need to rub butter all over the inside of the pans, so the cakes don’t stick, “ Claire explained, looking at the butter for a moment. “I think maybe the easiest way is to just use our hands?” Jack nodded and broke off part of the stick and began to rub it all over one of the pans, Claire doing the same. After all three were buttered, they washed their hands and Claire got the flour out of the cabinet.
“And for this part?”
“We just scoop some in and move it around so it sticks to the butter?” Claire shrugged and dumped a little bit of flour into each pan. By the time they were all covered, both Claire and Jack were covered in flour, though she wasn’t entirely sure how it happened. They began working through the recipe, the mess increasing the further along they got and by the time the cakes were in the oven, they were covered in their dry mixture, Jack had egg in his hair, and Claire had some melted chocolate swiped over her forehead and cheeks.
“Okay, so, I’ll set a timer for thirty minutes and while they’re breaking, we’ll make the buttercream,” Claire said, pulling up the recipe for the buttercream on her phone. They got started on that and only served to add to the mess, with powdered sugar covering absolutely every surface in the kitchen, as well as Claire and Jack themselves.
“We should clean this, right?” Jack said, looking around the kitchen.
“Don’t suppose you could just God magic it clean?” Claire suggested. Jack had confessed to her that he didn’t like to use his powers for human things, especially when with Cas, Dean, or Sam. When visiting, he wanted to be their son, not God.
“I think I can make an exception just this once,” Jack agreed and before her eyes, the entire kitchen was sparkling clean.
“Chill, so now we just need to get ourselves cleaned up and ready, and then we just have to decorate the cake!” They headed to the showers, Jack picking one at the opposite end of the room to respect Claire’s privacy, something she had to remind him of quite often still. Claire took her time washing herself off all the baking ingredients, including her hair. By the time she turned the water off, Jack was no longer in the room. Claire dried off and wrapped herself up in her robe and made her way back to her room to get dressed in a pair of nicer jeans, a Led Zeppelin shirt that Dean had gotten for her, and her usual boots.
“Jack?” She called as she walked down the hall toward the kitchen, frowning when she heard a beeping. She quickened her pace and when she walked into the kitchen she saw her phone sitting on the counter, alarm going off for the cakes. “Shit!” she gasped and rushed to pull the cakes out of the oven, dropping them on the counter. They were dark, much darker than they should be, and very heavy. She shut the oven and poked at one of the cakes, wincing at how dry it felt.
“What’s wrong?” Jack asked as he walked into the kitchen.
“I left my phone in here so the cakes were in the oven way longer than they were supposed to be,” she groaned. “And we don’t really have enough time to make another if we want to actually eat it on Dean’s birthday.”
“I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think,” Jack said, coming over to look at it. “We need to take them out of the pan?”
“Yeah, and let them cool before we frost them,” Claire said, and grabbed the baking racks and turned the cakes over onto them. “You wanna get his presents and set them on the table?” she asked Jack and he nodded, leaving the room. Claire got the sprinkles, candles, and prepackaged icing. She had to use three different color sprinkles, as she couldn’t find a premade mix in the right colors, and she had to use four different packages of candles to get enough of each color.
After they iced the cake and decorated it, Claire covered it in sprinkles and wrote ‘Happy Birthday Old Man’ across the top. The final touch was the candles, only using nine, three of each color, and then Claire carried it into the library, setting it right in front of the seat at the head of the table.
“I’m gonna text Cas and tell him it’s good to come home,” Claire said, pulling her phone from her back pocket. She and Jack went to the war room, sitting at the map table to wait, wanting to surprise Dean when he returned home.
It took almost forty minutes but eventually, the bunker door was opening, Claire and Jack jumping up from their seats to yell “Happy Birthday!” in unison.
Dean looked surprised as he walked down the stairs, Cas following closely. “What’s all this?” he asked, looking around the bunker at all the decorations.
“Your birthday party!” Jack said with a grin. “We made you a cake!”
“You did?” Dean seemed genuinely surprised that Claire and Jack had gone through the effort to celebrate his birthday which made Claire want to punch John Winchester in the face more than ever.
“Of course we did!” Claire took Dean’s hand and tugged him into the library, pointing at the chair to sit. “Do you want to eat your cake or open presents first?”
“Let’s have some cake,” Dean said, smiling down at the plate in front of him. “Are you guys gonna sing to me?” Claire just smirked and pulled a lighter from her pocket to light all the candles. Once they were all flickering, the three of them began singing ‘Happy Birthday’, all loudly and off-key. Claire filmed Dean as they sang, and while this could be incredible blackmail material with the way he was blushing and smiling, she figured she might just keep this one as a happy memory.
Dean blew the candles out once they finished singing, thanking them both profusely for baking him a cake.
“You might not say that once you try it,” Claire said, shame coloring her voice. “We may have overbaked it. A lot.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Dean said, grabbing the knife and cutting slices for all of them. They waited, watching as Dean took his first bite. He chewed slowly, and even though Claire knew it was awful, she would never be able to tell by Dean’s face. “Like I said, it's perfect! Thank you two for baking me a cake.”
Claire could only stomach two bites of her slice before she had to set her plate down but Dean ate his entire piece and even got a second, eating half of it before he called it quits. “Ready for your presents?” Claire asked. She was excited for Dean to open her and Jack’s gift. While they had each gotten him a separate present, they had also agreed on a joint gift.
“Absolutely! Which one should I open first?” Cas volunteered and handed Dean his gift, a vintage Led Zeppelin vinyl, a set of Agathie Christie novels, and a beautifully carved wooden ring with a line of blue that ran straight through the middle, and it seemed to be glowing faintly.
“Cas?”
“Yes, Dean?” Cas’ voice was soft, and he was smiling at Dean already.
“Is this what I think it is?” Dean turned to look at his angel, biting his lip nervously.
“It’s what remained of my grace, yes,” Cas confirmed and Claire held back her gasp. “Jack helped extract it, and I found a jeweler who knew about the supernatural so he wouldn’t ask too many questions.”
“It’s beautiful, Cas, thank you,” Dean leaned in and kissed him, neither pulling away until Claire cleared her throat loudly.
“We’re still here,” she said when Dean looked at them sheepishly. “Come on, you have other gifts to open!”
“Alright, kiddo, sorry,” Dean grabbed the next gift, which was Jack’s. Jack, and Claire wasn’t sure if he was just that lucky or he used his powers, had found a signed first edition Kurt Vonnegut novel. Claire’s gift wasn’t quite so rare, it was a leather journal with Dean’s initials embossed in the corner.
“You guys are too good to me,” Dean shook his head, setting everything on the table in front him to hug Claire and Jack.
“You’ve got one more,” Jack said and picked the box up from the chair next to him, sliding it over to Dean. Claire was a bit nervous for Dean to open this gift, she was sure he would love it but it was still scary.
“If you’re not careful, you’re gonna spoil me,” he quipped as he ripped the paper off. He slid the top of the box off to reveal his gift: a t-shirt, mug, beer stein, and key-chain, all proclaiming in a big, almost obnoxious font “Best Dad Ever”.
Claire swallowed heavily as Dean just stared at the box, quickly reaching back to grab Jack’s hand, squeezing it. “Dean?” Jack’s voice was soft and unsure.
“Come here,” Dean set the box down and stood. His face was stoic, jaw set, so Claire wasn’t entirely sure what he was thinking, but she got up from her seat along with Jack. Before she could think to say anything, Dean had yanked both of them into his arms and was crushing them. Claire could feel his face in her hair and hear quiet sniffles.
“You like it?” Jack asked, face still smooshed against Dean’s chest.
“Kid,” Dean sounded hoarse, and his chest was shaking. “It’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten.”
Claire met Jack’s gaze and smiled, wrapping her arms around Dean and hugging back just as tight.
***
Claire giggled as she could hear Dean muttering to himself about where he had set his car keys, sure he had dropped them on the library table. The keys were currently sitting on Dean’s dresser where she had deposited them after swiping them from the table where Dean had set them after getting home from the grocery store.
*
“Come on Miracle!” Claire cooed as she took plenty of pictures of the dog, dressed up in a very cute cupid costume for Valentine’s Day. Jack stood next to her holding a treat to keep Miracle’s attention. “That’s a good girl! I’m gonna give you so many treats!” Finally, she stood and carefully took the costume off Miracle before Jack fed her a handful of her favorite snack. “Now I just have to print these off and leave them for Dean to find,” she said, scratching Miracle’s head. “He’ll be furious!”
*
“Shh!” Claire held her finger to her lips. She and Jack were hiding around the corner as they watched Cas try and locate his reading glasses. They were currently sitting on a shelf in the library, but he had left them sitting on his bedside table.
***
Before Claire knew it, it had been over two months since she was completely healed and given her car keys back, but she had yet to even try and find a hunt. She needed to, though, she was growing restless, and her daily walks with Miracle weren’t cutting it.
She was looking through some local newspapers from around Kansas online, bookmarking potential cases. “What are you doing, kiddo?” Dean asked as he walked in. He had his ‘Best Dad Ever’ mug in his hand.
“Looking for a case,” Claire said simply. “Feeling like I need to get out for a little.”
“Alright, what you got so far?” Claire explained each of the potential cases, letting Dean look over the articles as well.
“The one in Salina, it sounds like a rugaru,” Dean said. “You should take it. But you should bring someone with you, they can be a bitch to take down.”
“Alright, I’ll take Jack,” Claire said, closing her laptop. “Tonight is family dinner, we’ll leave in the morning.”
“You sure?” Dean asked, eyebrows raised. “Jack hasn’t really hunted that much.”
“He’s also God,” Claire smirked. “I think I couldn’t ask for a better hunting partner.” Dean rolled his eyes as he took a sip of his coffee. “I’ll go get packed so we can head out first thing.” Claire left the library, running into Cas on her way to her bedroom.
“Where are you off to in a hurry?” he asked, looking down at her.
“I’m leaving for a hunt tomorrow morning, gotta pack,” Claire answered, and she could already feel the disapproval.
“Claire, are you sure you’re ready to go on another hunt?”
“Yes, I’m good. I’ve already been here three times as long as we agreed on. I’m more than ready, and besides, I’m gonna make Jack come with me,” Claire said, knowing that would only worry Cas more. Despite his son being God, Cas was still very protective of him - of both of them really.
“Claire…”
“I have to go get ready!” Claire said and kissed Cas’ cheek before continuing down the hall to her bedroom. So maybe she liked teasing her dads, there was nothing wrong with that. They deserved it anyway.
***
Cas and Dean were both up and waiting for Claire and Jack in the kitchen when they got up earlier than usual to leave for the hunt.
“What are you two doing up?” Claire asked, pouring herself a to-go mug of coffee.
“We wanted to see you off, make sure you had everything,” Dean said. Claire hid a smile behind her mug.
“We’re good and we’re all packed. You checked last night,” Claire said and grabbed a couple of granola bars from the pantry. “One of us will text when we get to Salina, okay? And when we kill the son of a bitch, and when we leave, and when we’re almost home? Sound good?”
“Don’t forget to call so I can tuck you in and say goodnight,” Dean said sarcastically as he pulled Claire into a hug. “Be careful. Call if you need anything.”
“We will,” Claire mumbled into Dean’s chest. “See you in a few days.” She hugged Cas goodbye as Dean did the same for Jack and soon they were in their car and on the road south.
“You think they’ll be alright without either of us there?” Jack asked a few miles in.
“I think they’ll be glad to not have to sneak around their kids,” Claire snorted. “They’re not subtle, Dean’s constantly covered in bruises that he can’t say he got on a hunt.” Jack nodded, watching out the window.
“It’s been a while since I have ridden in a car,” he said, and Claire thought he sounded...melancholy.
“You know if you ever wanted, Dean would take a drive with you. I think that’s what he misses most about hunting if we’re being honest. He sometimes just takes Baby and goes out on a drive for hours,” Claire said. “He would love to have company.”
“That sounds nice,” Jack said with a small smile. They filled the rest of the short drive with easy banter and jokes, Claire laughing almost the entire journey. It was a short ways south, less than two hours, so they arrived just in time for the work day to be starting.
“Dean and I talked about the case a little, and we think the rugaru is a janitor at the elementary school,” Claire explained. “So we’re gonna be guest speakers. You are a young man preaching about the importance of combating climate change.”
“What are you doing?” Jack asked, following Claire up the steps to the school building.
“Oh, I’m just sneaking in with you and then I’m gonna go find this son of a bitch,” Claire waved her hand. “You’ll be fine, you know everything, remember? Just make sure it’s dumbed down enough for eight year olds.”
“I don’t like you going after this guy on your own,” Jack said apprehensively.
“I’ll be fine, I’ve got my fancy rugaru killing gun from the Men of Letters, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll set the fucker on fire and pull the fire alarm,” Claire reassured him. “And if things get bad enough, I’ll pray to you, okay?”
“Okay,” Jack said, though he still looked unsure. Claire just dragged him the rest of the way, waiting to get buzzed into the building. They both got their visitors badges and were led to the class that Jack would be speaking to, and just before they could enter, Claire asked where the bathroom was.
“Alright, Jackie,” Claire whispered once they were alone outside the classroom door. “You’re gonna do great. Just be you, you’re awkwardly charming and weird, kids love that.”
“Just be careful,” Jack insisted. When Claire agreed, he turned and knocked on the door, entering with a bright smile and happy greeting. Claire waited for just a moment before hurrying down the hallway. The building wasn’t too big, only one floor, so it didn’t take her long to find the janitors’ closet, knocking with a deep breath.
*
Claire really didn’t know how she kept getting herself into these situations. She was in the boiler room, hiding from this fucking rugaru who had jumped her as soon as the door opened. She had her gun cocked and ready in her hand, she just had to wait for the perfect opportunity. She was staying as silent as she could to listen for footsteps. She could hear them nearing her, but she wasn’t certain which direction he was coming from and she didn’t want to take a shot she could very well miss by a mile.
Suddenly, there was a scuff on the floor to her right and she stood, aiming and pulling the trigger. Her bullet made contact with the rugaru’s head, thankful, but as he was dying he rushed her, throwing her back into the shelves against the wall. The shelves were full of old paint cans and cleaners and as she fell to the ground, she could feel something dripping all over her head and back.
“Please don’t be paint,” she muttered to herself. “Please don’t be fucking paint.” She pushed herself off the ground and wiped a hand on her ass, groaning when it came away covered in white paint. “For fuck’s sake. Alright Jackie, rugaru’s dead and I am ready to get home.” She only had to wait a few minutes before Jack appeared before her.
“Oh...you’re covered in paint,” he said plainly. Claire rolled her eyes.
“Thank you, captain obvious. He threw me into the shelves after I shot him and one of them must have busted open.” Claire narrowed her eyes as Jack began laughing, having to bend over and support himself on his knees to keep himself upright. “You really think it’s that funny?”
“It...it really is,” Jack forced out between laughs. “You look like you got run over by a paint roller, like in a cartoon!” Claire rolled her eyes and wiped both hands up the back of her thighs, coating them in as much paint as she could.
“Can’t be the only that looked like I walked out of Looney Tunes,” she said and grabbed Jack’s face, squishing it together and smearing paint all over his cheeks, forehead, and sides of his head and in his hair. “Now we’re even. Let’s get out of here before someone comes looking for us.”
They got out of the school as quickly as possible, both agreeing to just get back to the bunker and clean up there since it was such a short drive. They spent the entire ride with all the windows down and the radio turned up loud as they sang along. Claire even got Jack to dance a little bit in his seat to some of the more catchy songs.
“What the fuck happened to you two?” Dean asked when they walked into the bunker.
“Got in a fight with a can of paint. It won,” Claire snarked with a smile on her face. “We need to go clean up. Will dinner be ready by the time we get out?”
“Sure kiddo, I’ll make sure it’s ready,” Dean said, leaning back in his chair as Claire and Jack began heading down the hall to the showers.
“Thanks, dad!” Claire called just as they left the room, giggling as they heard Dean splutter and fall back in his chair. “You think he’ll get used to us calling him that?”
“No, I don’t think he will,” Jack said with a smile. “But that makes it more fun for us.”
“Can’t wait to see his reaction when you call him dad for the first time,” Claire said.
“I think I’ll do it tonight at dinner. I want Dean to know that I love him and that I really do consider him my father, but I would also like to see him choke on his beer,” he mused.
“Oh Jackie, I’ve taught you so well,” Claire said proudly, ruffling his hair. “Now let’s get all this paint washed out and then we’ll have dinner and a show.
”After they were both paint free, Claire and Jack walked to the kitchen together. The food was already plated and Cas and Dean were sitting at the table.
“Were you composing a fucking opera in there?” Dean asked. “Took you two long enough.”
“I had paint everywhere. It was in my hair, I had to get it out. Or did you want to watch me have a breakdown while I shaved my head?” Claire raised her eyebrows, grinning smugly when Dean didn’t reply. “That’s what I thought.”
Throughout dinner, Claire kept a careful eye on Jack, knowing he was biding his time for the perfect opportunity to call Dean Dad for the first time. It finally came toward the end of dinner when Dean was draining the last of his beer - in his ‘Best Dad Ever’ stein - when Jack said, “Dad, could we go on a drive in the Impala?”
Dean did, in fact, choke on his beer, but Claire never would have guessed that he would then snort that beer out of his nose,
Claire gasped, leaping back off her seat to avoid any mucus-y beer landing on her, sending Dean a glare he most definitely didn’t see.
“What did you just say?” Dean asked once he had finished coughing, looking at Jack intently.
“I asked if we could go on a drive? I realized how much I missed doing that when Claire and I were on our way to Salina,” Jack explained.
“Of course we can, but I meant...what was the other thing?” Dean asked, Cas rubbing a hand over his lower back. Cas knew that Claire and Jack were thinking of switching over to calling Dean Dad - she had brought it up to him a few days ago. She didn’t want him to think she didn’t think of him as her father as well, but calling Cas dad while he still wore her biological father’s body...that wasn’t something she thinks she could ever do.
“I called you Dad,” Jack said. “Is that...is that okay?”
“Of course it’s okay kid, if that’s what you want,” Dean nodded weakly. “You sure it’s what you want? Me, as your dad?”
“Oh, stow that bullshit,” Claire interrupted. “You’re already our dad. You’ve been our dad for months now. I’m legally a Winchester now remember? Did you even look at who Charlie put on the birth certificate? It’s you two.”
“That’s not the same as actually wanting me to be your dad, though,” Dean protested. Claire rolled her eyes and looked at Jack. They were thinking the same thing, good. She walked over to Dean and hugged him tightly.
“We want you to be our dad, Dean. We want to call you that and we want you to do all the dumb dad stuff we both missed out on,” Claire said quietly, Jack coming up behind Dean to hug him.
“I want that too,” Dean said, kissing Claire’s head. “I want nothing more.” Claire smiled and pinched Jack, signaling him to tighten his arms as much as possible as she did the same, squeezing Dean until he yelped, ducking under their arms to get away. “Jesus Christ, what the fuck is wrong with you two?”
Dean kept ranting, saying something about how he was going call for parental abuse - “of course that fucking exists!” - or drop his two dumbass kids off at Sam’s and make him deal with them for the weekend.
Claire just grabbed Jack’s hand and smiled, basking in the feeling of her family.