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“I’ve told you,” Sam said as patiently as he could to the three-year-old. “I don’t know how you’re managing to summon me, but I can’t help you.”
Can’t or won’t? Dean’s voice was clear in the back of his head, but it was easily told to shut the hell up, that it didn’t matter. Sure. He had the power to either provide a demon or force a human to be this boy’s daddy, but he refused to force a human into anything, and the few demons who might be actual decent choices for the role, he refused to force into it or force the boy’s father to accept.
“But I have an idea!” the boy persisted. “No demon. No human. You!”
Sam was so thrown by that he couldn’t think of any retort. For starters, depending on who you asked, he was either a demon or a human. Then there was the fact that as King of Hell, he was just a little busy to be adopting a child and coparenting with a fallen angel. And that was before getting into the six hundred sixty-six reasons why Castiel would absolutely refuse unless Sam magically compelled it, and why he would never do that to Castiel.
“Jack.” Castiel’s exasperated voice came from the doorway. “There you… oh.” He drew his blade. “What are you doing here, Winchester?”
“Your son’s been summoning me,” Sam explained as non-threateningly as he could say it. “He wants a daddy to help you raise him, since you’ve been struggling on your own, and…”
“He can be my daddy and your partner!” Jack finished. “He can handle my outbursts! He keeps answering summons!”
“Jack. A summons, for a creature of Heaven or Hell, is not easily disobeyed. You’re not asking your friend Maggie to come over after playgroup, you are commanding them to obey. Do you understand?”
“Yes. No. I know it’s not an invitation.” Jack looked up at his father. “It’s a wish. See?” He held out a dandelion stem. “I wished for a daddy and blew, and then Sam was here.”
Castiel took the dandelion from his son, studying it intently. He held it out to Sam. “Do you know any reason why this would compel you…?”
Shaking his head, Sam took the stem and let his power flow into it. “There’s none. Not even a cambion’s reality warping where what they believe comes true even if it’s otherwise nonsense.” He had some research to do when he got back to Hell, it seemed.
Castiel took the stem back, fingers brushing against Sam’s. “I assume that you could, if you chose, force a mate on me. Summon a demon, pick a human, possibly even snare an angel.”
“I could. Dean would help me get an angel, if I really wanted one. Not doing it, though. I know I’ve explained free will several times to Jack. It may not come naturally to you, but then again, you fell.”
“For Jack!” Castiel shouted. “He needed…”
“Castiel.” Sam reached out a placating hand, stopping just short of putting it on Castiel’s arm. “I agree with your choice. I’m just saying that free will doesn’t come naturally to angels, so for you to have chosen to fall, you have to have found it somewhere deep within yourself. I can’t take that away from you now, no matter how badly Jack wants a daddy and wants you to have a partner.”
Castiel stared at Sam for what felt like ages. “Jack, go to your room. You’re not in trouble. I just need to speak with Sam about adult things.”
“Okay!” Jack ran off, turning around to hit Sam with some of the most hopeful puppy eyes he’d ever seen. “Bye, Mr. King of Hell!”
“Jack overheard me talking to Dean,” Castiel began as soon as the door was closed behind Jack. “Dean thinks that if I’m going to live a human life, I need to explore all humanity has to offer. Specifically, he encouraged me to ‘go get laid’, and I told him I didn’t see that happening. I have no interest. Dean said that would make it hard to find someone to help me with Jack, and that’s when Jack began seeking a way on his own.”
“Ugh. I’ll tell him off for you. First off he’s wrong, you totally can find someone…” Sam even had an idea. A demon. She might not take well to the lack of sexual interest, but the rest of it she’d probably be okay with.
“That’s not why I’m telling you that.” Castiel glanced at the doorway. “I’m telling you because although Jack is far too many steps ahead with wanting you to be his daddy, it seems he might have been onto something with the idea that you might be a good choice for the role. I know you’re busy, but I also know that much of your work is busywork you can hand off to lieutenants whenever you feel like. Supervised, of course, but I think it could work.”
Once again, Sam found himself flabbergasted and struggling for something to say to that. “Let’s start with a date? And since there’s no point in waiting to introduce me to your son, perhaps taking Jack out to McDonald’s?”