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"Oh so now I'm the child?! You know what? Screw you, Dean!" you stormed out of the war room and went straight to your room to pack your things.
"What happened this time?" Sam asked wearily from behind you, he was way too used to this.
"Same as always, your brother's being an asshole..." you replied.
You had moved in with the Winchesters a few months ago. As a rookie hunter, you were mainly putting yourself in danger and not really helping as much as you had hoped. So when you met them on a hunt in Illinois and nearly messed everything up because of your irrepressible urge to prove yourself to them, they decided, for some reason, to take you under their wings and give you a proper training. You felt insulted at first as it looked an awful lot like pity, then, you were reluctant as you were used to living and working on your own. But as you thought about it more, an apprenticeship with the Winchesters would actually look good on your resume. Also, the bunker and the water pressure in the shower were very nice. And the guys themselves were pretty cool, you had to admit. Well, Sam was, at least.
"He is an immature child", you continued, "who always thinks he knows better and whose pride is the size of three times the Empire State Building. I've never seen the Empire State Building but the comparison seems appropriate..."
Sam looked at you and chuckled knowingly about something you failed to grasp. You zipped up your duffle bag and headed for the stairs. Sam followed you with more questions.
"Did you argue about who secretly finished the cereals again? Because full disclosure, that time? It was me!" he smiled, trying to diffuse the situation.
"Knew it! You could have said something, then!"
"No, it was too entertaining... Sorry."
"He told me I always put everyone in danger because I 'lack focus and fight like a blind bat'," you said, imitating his voice, "can you believe that shit?"
"Come on, don't do this! It's Christmas! Plus, you know how he is, he just said that to provoke you, he didn't mean it, just give it time..."
"Yeah, I'm giving it time and space."
As you walked up the stairs to exit the bunker, you heard Dean from the table, raising his glass to you: "Have a safe journey, sweetheart! Try not to cause the end of the world on your own, thanks!" You slammed the door behind you and walked to the nearest bus station.
You got on the first that came along and got off at the last stop. You had no idea where you were exactly but you walked a little longer and found a cheap motel by the road. You went to your room and turned on the old tv without really watching it. Outside, the bright Christmas lights kept blinking in rhythm. On your phone, 5 missed calls notifications appeared. They were all from Sam.
You called him back to let him know the name of the motel you were staying in and that you were ok, no need to worry. Next thing you know, you heard angel's wings behind you.
"You were with Sam just now, weren't you?" you asked without even turning.
"You were on speaker," he replied in a flat voice.
"What do you want, Cas?"
"I want to know why you are here."
"Because I hesitated between going on some holidays to a five star hotel by the beach or the Diamond Motel. The motel won, free cashews," you smiled waving the little bag of nuts in the air to show him.
He looked at you, not smiling and not having it.
"Do you want to talk about what happened?"
"There's nothing to talk about Cas, cashew?" you offered.
He sighed heavily.
"I was with Dean earlier..." he started. You turned your head to the tv to show how not interested you were on this conversation. "He looked pretty down too. I tried to talk to him and, oddly, he also turned his face to the tv, offered me whiskey and tried some jokes."
"But mine are a little funnier, right?" you smiled.
"You two are very similar..."
"Ok, there's no need to become insulting here!" you laughed, raising your hands in the air.
You were successfully annoying the angel, you always found it fun to do so.
"All right. This isn't going anywhere. I'll try with you the same thing I tried with him." He got up and reached for your forehead.
"Wow magic boy! What are you doi-?" You hadn't even had time to finish your sentence that you were already in another motel room. Way darker and seedier than the one you were just in.
"What the hell..." you whispered.
Suddenly, the door opened and a woman walked in. Well, limped in. She looked old and exhausted and her leg seemed badly hurt. As she sat down on the bed and turned on the nightstand lamp, it hit you. She was you. The future you. She massaged her leg and leaned back on the bed, "Well, Merry Christmas to me..." you heard her say. You looked at her and felt the loneliness and sadness in her face. In your face.
"Ok, I think I would like to leave now please," you said to the angel. He nodded.
Back in your room, you tried to get yourself together, "What the hell was that?!"
"That was you. Or will be you if you and Dean keep being so stubborn and let your relationship wither away!" his voice rose up a little, maybe you shouldn't have annoyed him earlier.
"You sent us to the future... That is so dramatic, Cas, I dig the style though... So it's Christmas time and now you turn into what? The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come?" you smirked. You couldn't help it.
"Dean said the same thing and I'm going to answer the same to you! I don't understand that reference!"
"Sorry Cas, I'll stop now... He saw his future too, huh? How was it? Or how will it be, I guess."
"Let's just say it was as joyful as yours. Or will be..." he said, starting to be a bit confused himself. "You two were supposed to cross paths, to meet and argue and most importantly, to learn from one another. To grow together and become better. So, maybe stop making your little jokes and provoking each other and really listen to what you two have to say?"
You crossed your arms on your chest and sighed.
"Whatev-" Once again, Cas zapped you before you finish your sentence.
You were back in the war room. Dean walked by and jumped when he saw you two there, putting a hand to his chest.
"Hey," you said, still mad, "how was your future Christmas?"
"Peachy, yours?"
"You weren't there. It was sooo relaxing!"
"Hey! Come on! Be nice!" Castiel said with the look of a father trying to get his kids to patch things up and apologize. But you and Dean just stared at each other without saying a word.
"Oh for the love of..." Cas smacked the table hard, making the two of you flinch, "Dean, tell her what you told me!"
"That her hair will never be as beautiful as Sam's no matter how hard she tries?"
"Well, at least I don't look like a lumberjack." you said, a fake smile plastered on your face.
"All right, I'm done. I lead armies, armies, in heaven, but you two? You are too much for me. I did my part, you two figure it out." In a second, Castiel disappeared and left an uneasy silence in his trail.
"Poor Cas... he must think we're complete idiots..." you sighed.
"Well, he's half right, one of us is..." Dean said.
"Yeah, spoiler alert, it's not me..." you replied.
"Well, I'm not the one who overdid it..."
"Like your burgers?"
"How dare you?! My burgers are always cooked to perfection!"
"Yeah... They are..." you admitted.
He took the bottle of whiskey and brought two glasses to the table, sat across from you and poured your drinks in silence. After a small grunt, he started.
"I didn't mean to hurt you..." he said, looking at his glass, "I'm just trying to protect you..."
"By telling me how always wrong I am? Nice method, man..."
"By showing you what to do and what not to do! But I never was a good teacher... Maybe I should take it a little easier on you and not be so, hum, confrontational."
"Confrontational, huh?" you raised your eyebrow.
"Yeah, the word's from Sam but the meaning's from me though, " he laughed softly.
"OK. I will be less confrontational too," you said, scratching your head, "and listen to you more. Because, in the end, most of the time," you sighed heavily, not wanting to admit what came next, "you're right... and most of the time, I'm just trying to impress you, old man..."
"Yeah, been there..." he chuckled, "but you don't have to, I'm already impressed. By your lack of talent." He smirked and raised a glass to you.
"Good one." you laughed, mimicking him.
"To us kiddo, we make one hell of a team," he smiled as your glasses clinked.