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Ok. So I’m either super stressed from all the wedding planning… or I’m losing my mind. Claire thought as she looked at her blue tinted skin in the bathroom mirror. Giving up on trying to figure out what exactly her dream had turned her into, she turned and stepped out the door into what she could only deduce was some kind of enchanted forest.
“Go on without me,” Kaia called out to her. When Claire looked back to where the bathroom had been there was now only a large tree trunk, with an opening covered by a makeshift door of leaves and sticks. “I’ll meet you there.”
“Ok and — Uh — where exactly is… there?” Claire asked.
Kaia peaked around the door, looking almost annoyed. “Are you sure you’re ok?” Claire nodded. “The race… Babe? The one you—”
“Oh — oh the race! The race, yes. I remember… now. Totally.”
“So… I’ll see you there, right?”
“Of course! I’ll – uh – I’ll see you there!” Claire smiled, as convincingly as possible, until Kaia closed the door. The race?! She thought, confused, wondering if it was the same race she had gotten them tickets for months ago— when still planning the trip— and why it was taking place in her dream. She saw something move out of the corner of her eye, and looked up just in time to see Jack dip behind a tree. “Hey!”
There were sounds of scurrying as Claire chased after him. She came around a large tree and there was nothing. No sign of Jack… until she heard some muffled heavy breathing from the other side of the massive trunk. Slowly she inched her way around so she wasn’t heard, and then jumped — “AGHH!!” Jack screamed, as Claire grabbed him so he couldn’t run away.
“Gotcha, twerp!” She laughed, victoriously, then looked at him — still looking very much like himself — confused.
“What angels are mythical.” He said, eyes widening, as he instantly realized his mistake.
“Hey! How are you in my dream?!” Claire gasped.
“I’m… not. I’m — dream? What dream? This isn’t a dream… it’s real actual life. N- Nothing strange going on here…” Jack stuttered, trying to free himself from Claire’s grip.
“ Twerp… ” Claire said, narrowing her eyes at him.
“Claire stop torturing Jack.” Sam called, but Claire couldn’t see him — until he galloped in front of her, of course.
“A centaur. Why am I not surprised.” Claire laughed.
“I’m not sure what you mean by that, Claire, but come on… we’re going to be late for the race.”
🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃
Claire followed behind Sam — still trying to pry whatever Jack was hiding out with a death glare that he was doing his best to avoid looking at — as he trotted through the forest. They finally ended up at a large clearing filled with many types of creatures. She wasn’t sure whether she was captivated or concerned about her mental state, but either way she was ushered into the crowd by Sam.
“Dean and Eileen are saving our spot.” He informed her, as he searched the many beings for their family. “Ah, there they are.”
Claire followed his gaze and spotted Dean, raised up on his hind legs so he could wave them down over the crowd. “Whatcha gawkin’ at, Blondie?” He asked, when they reached him and Eileen — and Little Dean curled up asleep at her feet.
“Huh — me?” Claire said, snapping out of her daze of what the heck is going on in this dream.
“Yeah, you .” He laughed, bumping her with his (humorously) long backside. “You still feeling the effects of whatever you drank last night?”
“I didn’t drink anything last night.” She groaned.
“Aw, don’t feel bad about it, kid. I was doing the same thing at your age.”
Claire rolled her eyes, but before she could argue back Kaia swooped gracefully down from the sky and landed beside her. “Hey babe.” She smiled and pecked her on the cheek.
“It’s about to start.” Eileen informed them, so instead of trying to wrap her head around all the nonsense of everything happening, she just focused her attention on the drag strip. At the end of the dirt track, the first racers lined up. Two dragons. Claire couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it. A short grumpy looking troll with warts all over his face waddled out to the track and in a loud deep voice he started the race.
They were off. Large wings flapped and lifted them into the air a few feet over the track, as they flew towards the finish line as fast as they could. The next race was between a griffin and a sphinx, and the next was a Pegasus and a Unicorn. All in all it was far more interesting than the actual drag race was going to be.
“And for our last race, going toe to toe with the undefeated Phoenix, we have a special guest racer.”
“Aw man!” Dean sighed looking around the crowd. “Cas is gonna miss the whole race. Where is— oh.” They all watched as Cas — looking as normal as Jack — was led out into the track, looking very confused.
“Oh, Cas…” Sam laughed, pulling out his phone.
Huh, a phone? Claire wondered.
“Uh — I — I think there’s been a misunderstanding.” Cas said to the troll. “I was just looking for my seat.”
“What’s your name?” He grunted in response.
“ Whoo leave him in the dust, Angel!” Dean cheered over the roar of the crowd. Cas sighed and looked up at Dean.
Claire laughed and began chanting, “Angel, Angel—” with Dean and Sam quickly joining her.
“ Angel, Angel, Angel!”
“ Alright, Angel, wings out and take your mark.” Cas watched the troll waddle back to him post, and hesitated for a moment before finally giving in and to (seemingly only) Claire’s surprise unfolding a beautiful pair of black wings.
“Wow.” Claire gasped, louder than intended.
“Show off.” Jack whispered beside her, smiling at his dad.
“On your mark.” The troll yelled, lifting a flag into the air. The Phoenix glared over at Cas and raised his wings into the air, Cas doing the same. “Get set!” The crowd got so quiet you could hear a pin drop as they waited for the final call. “And, Go!”
The roar of cheers was deafening, but Claire was sure she heard the roar of motors over it. And when the dust finally settled from the initial take off she could see the now paved track and tail lights of the two race cars. It was neck and neck for most of the way. But just as they approached the finish line Cas took the lead and won.
The crowd went wild.
Eileen bounced Little Dean in her arms, holding his noise canceling ear muffs on so the cheers wouldn’t scare him. “That’s my Angel!” Dean cheered proudly.
Cas crawled out of the car and they all made their way out onto the track, Dean and Sam – painstakingly – lifting the angel onto their shoulders, as he held up his trophy. “That was awesome! ” Dean said, setting Cas down and pulling him into a deep kiss that surprised apparently even Dean, as he released Cas and immediately turned a deep shade of red. “Come on!” He leaned in and whispered. “I’ll congratulate you properly back at the hotel.” He winked and slipped an arm around Cas as they walked off the track.
🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃
The journey back to the hotel – and everything that took place after they were all settled back in their own rooms – seemed so realistic, by the time Claire was showered and in bed she had pretty much forgotten she was supposedly still in a dream.
When she woke up the next morning, however, curling herself under the plush blanket she was wrapped in. She remembered she was in fact still in a crumby jail cell.
Wait. What?! She gasped and sat up in the hotel bed, that was in fact the hotel bed and not a stiff smelly cot. “Kaia! Wake up!”
“Mmmph… No. It’s too early.” Kaia groaned and turned her back to Claire.
Claire pushed the blanket off her body and jumped out of the bed, throwing on some clothes before rushing out of the room. Jack was sitting cross legged in front of the TV next to Miracle, watching Scooby-Doo. Or rather what was supposed to be Scooby-Doo, but the TV was frozen on an empty scene. “Jack!”
“ Hey, Claire…” Jack said, nervously.
“What the heck is going on, dude!”
“I don–”
“Don’t give me that crap! What happened the other night? With the alcohol… and the jail… and the weird dream-turned-not-dream! I know you know!”
“Claire…”
“Wait.” Claire thought for a moment. “Oh… he’s good.”
“Who’s good?”
“Dean, of course!” Claire laughed, and shoved Jack playfully. “Sneaky son of a bitch is behind all this isn’t he! Even wrangled you into it!”
“Uh – Actually… Claire–”
“Alright. He wants to play sneaky… I’ll bite.”
Jack groaned.
“Hey guys–” Dean said, as he walked into the room. He was grinning ear to ear. “Remember when I told y’all about that cursed TV we got sucked into? Well… you are never going to believe who we ran into at the breakfast buffet.”