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It would've been better had it been a hunt that kept delaying them. But it wasn't. It was Baby. Sam and Dean had pushed her off the road together while Dean worked on her. So often you'd hear him try and sweet talk her, "C'mon Baby, we got this. Open road, me and you. If you start right now we'll ditch the other three." A couple times it seemed liked she was genuinely going to start with that promise but she'd die out again.
They also kept getting shouted at, "Quit looking at her! You're making it worse!" So the three looked away at the long stretch of road. Sam looked at the road and wondered how they'd fair walking. Mostly to get away from Dean. His relationship with his car was getting weirder by the second.
As if Castiel could hear Sam's thoughts he looked at Sam, "Closest civilization is over an hundred miles away. You can not walk it." Sam rolled his eyes and kicked a rock.
"No, but you can carry me when I can't keep going." He teased and Castiel's mouth quirked upwards.
Their moment was interrupted by the sound of Dean getting the Impala's engine running again and he cheered just for her to die out again. His tank was empty. "Fuck!" He shouted, getting out checking the trunk for extra gasoline and finding the gas can empty. "You've gotta be kidding me!"
"I can fill it up," Jack said taking it and disappearing. Dean stood there staring at the empty space and looked at the other two. Eye twitching.
Dean pointed to the spot Jack had just been standing, jaw clenched as he gritted out, "He has wings and we've been here for hours, why?" Dean demanded.
Sam shrugged, "Maybe because you yelled at us every time we tried to talk. Jack tried to offer it a few times but you were too busy being…you about Baby. He's disappeared a few times, how did you think we had cool drinks?"
"The ice chest!" Dean shouted, and Sam rolled his eyes. "We haven't put ice in the ice chest in weeks. It's not even here." Dean turned around expecting to see it somewhere in the car and Sam was correct.
Jack reappeared with the gas can and handed it to Dean who took it and didn't say anything as he refilled the tank. "Jack, after this. Bunker."
"Finally," Jack muttered, and pulled out a cookie. Dean's eye twitched but said nothing as he closed the gas cap on both his car and the canister. He put it back into the car, along with his tools and closed the trunk and hood.
While everyone else got back in the car and Jack dropped them back into the bunker's garage. Just as quick as they filed in they filed out.
"Next time, tell me before the six hour mark." Dean muttered and Sam laughed.
"No promises."
Dean rolled his eyes and they all walked into the bunker where the AC hit them, finally. They all went off to decompress and change. Jack was the first one back at the tree to no one's surprise. Sam found him trying to discreetly shake a box. Dean filed in next eating a cookie, "Can't believe you started eating them without me." Dean muttered and Jack didn't look a bit apologetic.
"You didn't let me speak when I tried getting one for you too. Or when I was trying to get us back." Jack said, sighing as Sam took the gift out of his hands.
Castiel came back looking the exact same, "How were you last?" Dean asked and Castiel ignored him. He walked over to Sam and slipped a small box into his hand. It had Sam's name printed on it along with Castiel's name as if it was a mystery who it came from.
"Open it last," Castiel requested and Sam nodded, and nudged the gift back to Jack. Who eagerly grabbed it, just to be meticulous about opening it where the tape started, careful to not rip the paper. Dean frowned and grabbed one of the gifts labeled with his name.
Dean knew instantly it was from Sam and quickly ripped the paper. "A new knife collection," Dean said, taking one, "Wait, throwing knives?" He scanned the room for something to aim for and tossed it towards the leg of a table and it stuck. "Awesome!"
Sam chuckled, "Figured you'd like them." Dean was giddy collecting it and looking it over. "Thanks, Sammy." Sam nodded and they looked over to Jack who had revealed one side over so far. Sam nudged Castiel a gift since he made no move to grab one.
He looked surprised to be included in the festivities apart from watching. Castiel had a similar method as Jack, finding the tape. But he sliced where the tape started and lifted the edges. Pulling the gift out. It was a teddy bear that adorned a trench coat, suit and tie. Jack looked up with excitement, "Do you like it? I asked Sam to take me to the place they build bears and we made that! It has a heartbeat, but it's mine since we didn't have your heartbeat to put in it."
Castiel pressed a button and held it up to his ear and indeed heard the familiar heartbeat. He smiled at his son, "I love it. Thank you, Jack." They looked at Jack's progress and he had three sides free. "You're welcome." Jack said, already refocusing on his task.
Dean sighed, "That kid's going to be unwrapping gifts into the New Year. Sammy, catch!" Sam caught it without thinking, and looked up surprised. "It's a gift, not a bomb." Dean told him.
Sam ripped through it in the same manner as Dean. Revealing a box. Sam opened it and found more wrapping paper, "Dean how many boxes am I open to open?" Dean shrugged. Sam rolled his eyes.
"Don't worry you'll get to your gift before Jack does."
Sam ripped through that paper and opened the second box, finding…more wrapping paper. And another box. Sam was going to throw the gift back at Dean's head if when he opened the box he found more wrapping paper. But he didn't. He found a note. "Behind tree, hidden gift." Sam frowned, and looked at Dean. He pointed to a spot and Sam walked past Castiel and found a tall but skinny box wrapped.
Sam pulled it out and unwrapped it, hesitant for the same trick to be played. Especially as the box he unwrapped was blank. But he opened the box, revealing a sword. Sam's eyes widened, and Dean's smile increased, "You didn't."
"Oh, but I did." Dean said, "That town sucked but that bad boy was too gorgeous to leave it behind." Sam should've guessed with how disgusted Dean looked at those bars, which is something. Sam didn't think it was possible until then. "And Cas cleared it, it's not cursed or anything."
Sam smiled, "Thank you, Dean."
Jack finally was holding his gift in his hand, he looked at Sam. "The Falcon?" He was holding up a Lego set and Sam nodded. Jack jumped up and hugged Sam, who hugged back. "I can't wait to build it with you!" Jack said, and Sam paused. Dean laughed at Sam's surprised face.
"Uh, you want…you want me to help you build it?" Sam asked, and Jack nodded. "Of course!" Sam slowly nodded and shook out his hair, "Wow, and I picked the one with the most pieces…" Dean clapped Sam on the back, "And to think, it'll be the first set you've ever put together. How fun." Dean said smiling too big.
Sam swatted Dean away, "Yeah, yeah…" Sam sighed and looked back over at Jack already reading the box over and smiled. It'll be tedious. But it's also an excuse to bond with Jack so he wasn't truly all that upset.
Sam looked down at the box Castiel had handed him, "Can I open it now?" He asked Castiel, he had more gifts he knew that. But he was too curious about what was wrapped inside. Castiel nodded, and Sam smiled. He was more careful about unwrapping this one. It's careful bow was pulled freeing the box. Sam lifted the top of it and inside was an amulet. Sam carefully picked it up and held it in his hand.
"Rowena helped me find it for you. It's a protective amulet of sorts, when you're wearing it…" Castiel took it out of Sam's hands and looped it over Sam's head, Sam ducked down to help him. Castiel straightened it out, sitting in the middle of Sam's chest, "Whatever hit, physical or magical comes your way, the amulet absorbs it and shoots it back out. Dean, throw a punch." Dean frowned.
"You throw a punch, I was listening. I'm not getting knocked out by my own punch."
Castiel rolled his eyes, "It doesn't have to be a strong punch, as I would hope someone telling you to punch your brother you wouldn't aim to knock him out." Dean sighed and punched Sam's arm, Sam's arm moved with the punch but he didn't feel it. But he felt something, and heard Dean's, "Ow!" While he rubbed his arm.
"Wow, I didn't feel that at all."
Dean glared at him, "Good for you!" He mocked and sat down, grumpy. Sam rolled his eyes and hugged Castiel, "Thank you." He pressed a kiss against the angel's face and ignored Dean's fake gagging. Castiel smiled and nodded. "Merry Christmas, Sam."
"Merry Christmas, Cas." Sam echoed back. Dean scoffed, "It's not even Christmas Day anymore, we're a few days late."
Sam shrugged, "Close enough." Sam's eyes trailed up and his head tilted to the side. A mistletoe hung above Castiel and him. Dean noticed it at the same time, "Jack, you betrayed me!" Dean said, and Jack smiled.
"It's festive." Was Jack's only defense as Sam cupped Castiel's face, kissing him on the lips this time. Normally, Jack isn't a fan of his parents kissing. It's gross. But, there were occasions where it was slightly less gross. Dean disagreed and shook his head. "Next year, you're off the decoration committee."
Jack frowned, "I wasn't on it this year."
Dean point upwards, "And that's why." Jack rolled his eyes, looking like Sam.
They continued to open gifts, Dean disappeared bringing the plate of cookies out for him and Jack to share. Sam and Dean bickered some more. Castiel stole more kisses from Sam since the two never moved spots. And Jack kept finding ways to include his family in his presents. His lightsaber resulted in Dean and him needing to battle as Jack knew about Dean's from last year. Jack's new camera meant Castiel and Jack could take pictures of the birds they see on their nature walks.
All in all, it was a nice way to end the holidays. Even if it was a bit delayed. They didn't care too much, they had each other. And their new toys. It was better than they could've hoped.