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Jack was wandering around the bunker, trying to find something to busy himself with. Everybody else in the bunker seemed busy so the boy was left unattended. He tried colouring, building with blocks or even sneaking into Dean Cave and looking for something to do there but nothing seemed interesting enough. There was one thing on his mind that had been bothering him for quite some time but he already knew the answer.
"Hello, Jack, you seem troubled," Castiel noticed as the boy entered the war room.
Jack made his was to the angel and crawled into his lap, burying his face into Castiel's chest after letting out a whine.
"I'm bored, Papa."
Castiel frowned and brushed the Nephilim's hair softly. It wasn't anything surprising that Jack had nothing to do in a bunker filled with books, weapons and other dangerous or boring objects. Not much to do for a child. Usually, it wasn't that big of a problem since Jack was going to school and had a lot of fun there. The issue was when the weekend came or any day off school. The brothers and Castiel tried to keep him entertained as much as possible but sometimes it was difficult.
"Would you like me to read you a book?" Jack was particularly fond of Castiel's reading since he was really good at doing voices. Unfortunately, that didn't sound amusing enough since the boy quickly shook his head. "No? Are you okay, darling?" The angel got a bit worried.
"I wish I could do something fun... like..." The rest of the sentence was muffled by Castiel's chest so the angel pulled the boy away a bit and watched him closely.
"What was that?"
"I wish I could go on a hunt with Daddy and Uncle..." Jack mumbled, knowing what would his dad say to that.
The brothers and Castiel weren't hunting as actively as before but from time to time they would take up a simple case. It wasn't anything complicated but still taking Jack with them would be more than irresponsible. The boy might have seen a lot in his life but that didn't mean there was any place for him on a hunt.
"Jack, you know that hunts are really dangerous, these monsters are a real threat." Castiel felt like he was giving Jack the same answer for the nth time. He knew that there was no real desire for him to go hunting. The only reason that was making him keep asking was the feeling of being useless. Which was obviously very untrue, yet, that was something Jack was struggling with a lot since he'd let himself regressed.
"I know, I know... But I could be really useful!" Jack's big eyes were doing their best to convince Castiel but the angel was unbothered. One thing about Castiel was that out of the two of Jack's dad, he was the one whose mind Jack could never change. That was why, when he really wanted something he would go to Dean because he had that magical power to talk Castiel over.
"Jack—" Unfortunately, the angel couldn't finish his sentence because the boy just let out another groan and got off of his lap and wandered off to his room.
Only a few minutes after that Castiel, who'd decided to give Jack some time to himself, was joined by Sam and Dean who walked in with bags filled with weapons. They announced that they would be going on a hunt. Garth had called them that somewhere nearby there's an abandoned house with a vampire killing teens who had made the house their hanging out spot. Truly, not a difficult case but it had to be to dealt with.
Castiel decided not to mention Jack's earlier complaints in order not to stress out either Dean or Sam. That could wait.
"Be careful." The angel helped Dean put his jacket on and received a quick peck on lips in return.
"As always." Dean winked at him and made his way to the exit with Sam. "We'll get McDonald's for Jack on our way back!"
With both brothers gone, Castiel went back to reading his book, remembering to check on Jack later. For now, everything seemed to be peaceful. However, for some reason Miracle didn't want to leave the garage and kept barking from time to time but the angel decided to leave it for now.
In the car, the Winchester brothers seemed rather peaceful about the case. They were prepared and knew well how to deal with the vampire. They simply chatted about some random things, most of them too complicated to Jack who had hid in the backseat of the Impala and curled up between the front and back seat. He had overheard the three men talking about a hunt in the kitchen and the boy took it as a great opportunity. When nobody was watching, Jack snuck to the garage and got in (Dean never closed the Impala when it was in the garage). When the most difficult part of his plan was over, which was praying that Sam and Dean wouldn't notice him before getting in themselves, the only thing he had to do was to wait.
After approximately thirty minutes of driving, the vehicle stopped, giving Jack so much time to get out of the car unnoticed. Fortunately, once the brothers took all the necessities with themselves, Jack was also ready to go.
The first look at the house made shivers go down his spine. It was an old and tall building with damaged walls and broken windows. It looked like one of those Jack had seen in Scooby-Doo. The scariest ones. But he couldn't go back now. Since he'd already got there, he had to go in.
Each step closer made Jack feel more and more uneasy. He'd managed to take an angel blade from Dean and Castiel's room so he had some weapon on him. It didn't mean that it was making him feel at least a little bit more confident. The inside of the house was deadly quiet. The only sound that was getting to Jack's ears was the creaking under his feet as he wandered around the corridors trying to find the vampire.
The more time the boy spent in the house, the more lost he felt. The corridors were making a one big labyrinth without an exit. At some point, Jack thought that maybe he would find Sam and Dean somewhere there but that didn't happen. When he reached another dead end, he let out an exhausted sigh and turned around in order to find a way out.
"Hello, little boy." A raspy voice reached Jack's ears, making his whole body tense. A tall and thin man was standing in front of the boy, slowly making his way towards him. "A dessert came early today." Once the man showed his teeth Jack knew who he was facing. The vampire.
Immediately, Jack's grip tightened around the handle of the angel blade. He took a few steps backwards until his back touched the cold wall. He was trapped.
"Oh, don't you worry, little boy," the vampire chuckled coldly. "I'll make it slow and painful."
"Daddy! Uncle! Help!" Jack screamed at the top of his lungs. Screaming was really the only thing that he had left. "Daddy!" Tears started running down his cheeks as he curled up in the corner, hugging knees to his chest. The angel blade was now laying next to him. Jack didn't even notice when he'd dropped it.
The only response that Jack got was a growl and he could swear he felt the cold breathed on his face. His eyes were closed tight, that was the only thing that was able to make the moment of his death a little bit more bearable.
Suddenly, the growl stopped when Jack heard a swoosh and flesh being sliced.
"Jack!"
The second the boy opened his eyes, he saw Dean standing with a machete covered in blood and the vampire's head and body now separated laying on the floor next to him. Sam stood behind him and they both shared the same look of shock and worry. Dean, immediately ran up to Jack and knelt in front of him, looking for any possible injuries. Fortunately, it seemed that the boy was just terrified.
"Jack, hey, buddy, it's okay." Dean wrapped his arms tight around the boy and picked him up as he clung to his jacket, burying face in his shirt. "I've got you, you're safe." Dean gave Sam a worried but relieved look. With no unnecessary words, they quickly made their way back to the car.
The whole walk Jack couldn't calm himself down. He kept sobbing and sniffling against Dean's chest. It was obvious that the damned vampire successfully scared the shit out of him. There were some mumbled coming out of him mouth and the only words that Dean could understand were 'home', 'Papa' and 'sorry'. It was obvious, that Castiel and him would have to give Jack a serious talk about that whole situation. So far, that was the dumbest idea that Jack had come up with. But there was a place and time to do it. Now, the main job was to take Jack safely back to the bunker.
"You drive." Dean threw Sam the keys and took a seat in the back with Jack in his lap.
Around halfway back to the bunker, Jack had managed to fall asleep so the brothers could also calm down a bit more. They couldn't believe how they'd missed Jack sneaking in the car and in the house.
"If we were a bit later—" Dean started.
Sam quickly interrupted him. "But we weren't, Dean. Jack's safe. Focus on that."
The moment the three of them entered the bunker, they were met with Castiel's frantic pacing around the war room with Miracle sitting by the table, looking with worry at his angelic owner.
"Dean! I was calling you but— Jack!" The angel came up to both of them and moved a hand up and down to check on Jack's with his grace. "Don't tell me that..."
Sam nodded slowly. "We found him cornered by the vampire we were hunting..."
"I'll put him to bed," Dean announced and disappeared in one of the corners, quickly followed by the dog who needed to make sure his little friend was safe.
Castiel and Sam were left there alone but neither of them dared to say anything. Knowing that Jack was safe gave him some relief but the fact that they'd let him sneak out without anybody noticing filled them all with guilt.
Soon, Dean joined them and rubbing his face, sighed.
"Are you sure he's not hurt?" Castiel asked the hunter as soon as he saw him.
"Physically no... Emotionally... That's a different story." Dean wasn't able to forget the sight of his son crying, almost choking on his tears. "But he's safe."
Castiel glared. "He could have died! How didn't you notice him back in the house?!" The angel's scare was understandable.
"Are you trying to blame me?! How did you not notice him sneaking out, huh?! You were the last one talking to him!"
"Guys!" Sam interrupted them and placed hands on each of theirs chests to keep them away from getting to close to one another. "Calm down, okay? What Jack did was extremely dangerous but blaming each other for that won't do us any good." Castiel and Dean obediently took a step away and took deep breathes. When it came to Jack they were both incredibly protective. "We'll talk to him later when he's awake. For now, let's calm down too."
After the brothers ate something and cleaned themselves, they followed Sam's suggestion and decided to wind down. Sam put on some random show so the three of them gathered in Dean Cave and enjoyed some more peaceful time before the big talk with Jack.
Dean and Castiel, despite being comfortably cuddled up to each other on the couch, couldn't stop their minds from repeating the images from the day. One main thought was bugging them constantly. That they failed as fathers.
"Hello..." A quiet voice drew their attention away from the TV and looking at the door they spotted Jack, shyly standing in the entrance, holding his Scooby plushy close to his chest. Miracle was standing right behind him. The silence on the men's side indicated for Jack to come closer so he stood in front of the couch, his eyes focused on his feet. Now, he was in real troubles. That wasn't the same as sneaking out in order to buy a pie for Dean.
"How are you feeling, Jack?" Sam asked, giving him a soft smile. He didn't want the kid to be more stressed than he'd already been.
Jack shrugged. "I'm okay... Just a little hungry."
"I'll go make you something to eat. Cookie Crush sounds good?" Sam stood up and waited for a nod from the boy before he left the room.
Now, there was only Jack and his dads who had been biting their tongues in order not to let their emotions out too much. After all, they knew that Jack already told himself off as he was usually doing when he realized he did something wrong.
Eventually, Castiel was the first to speak. "Jack, do you want to tell us something?"
And with those words, he broke down. "I'm so sorry, I was so dumb, I didn't mean to, please. I just wanted to be useful. It's all my fault," he rambled to the point when both men got worried that he wouldn't be able to take a breath.
"Woah, woah, woah, Jack, calm down." Dean spoke firmly but softly, doing his best to ground his son. "We're just talking." Jack nodded as his little body trembled from all the emotions. "Come here." Dean and Castiel shuffled a bit on the couch to make a cosy spot for Jack to sit on, joining them in the middle.
As soon as he did that, his dads wrapped each arm around him, keeping him in a safe cuddle. The proximity made Jack feel a bit less stressed. He knew that no matter what happened his dads wouldn't push him away.
"How many times do we have to tell you that you don't have to be useful, Jack?" Castiel asked softly. He knew very well that their son was particularly afraid of becoming a burden to his family. Too many people had suggested him that in the past and it stuck with him. "The world is not in danger. You don't have to save anybody from anything. You can simply enjoy being a child."
"Besides," Dean added. "You're pretty useful, bud." It drew Jack's attention who looked up to his dad with hopeful eyes. "Nobody can set the table faster than you. I've never had a better soccer buddy. Uncle Sammy says that wheneve he has to find a particular book he always asks you because you always know where to find it. And Papa here won't admit it but..." Dean lowered his voice. "I'm pretty sure your Enochian is better than his." Jack chuckled at that and recieved a hair ruffle from Castiel.
"You're very useful, Jack." Now, the boy turned his face to look at the angel. "You our ray of sunshine. Your presence itself is important to us. You brighten up our lives."
"And you're my bestest friend!" Dean said with Scooby voice as he grabbed the plushy and tickled Jack with its nose.
The kid's laugh sucessfully defused the atmosphere. In the end, all that mattered was that everybody was safe.
"However," Castiel spoke again. "We can't let you go without a punishiment." Jack looked down sighing. He didn't say antyhing, though. His Papa was right. "How about you'll be helping us or Uncle Sam wash the dishes after eating, huh?"
"But we have a dish washer!" Jack groaned and dramatically flopped with his back against the back of the sofa. "Fine..."
"Cereals are ready!" Sam yelled from the kitchen which, immediately, made Jack jump off the couch and ran out of the room with Miracle who was barking happily after him, hoping he would get something to eat too.
Castiel and Dean only shook their heads at the boy with a chuckle. He was indeed their son.