Chapter Text
— 8 October, 1998 / Nazareth, Pennsylvania
𖡡 Nazareth Union College & Nazareth Union High-School
John Winchester again stops his Impala in front of the school. “It’s time to go.”
Sam gets out of the car without feeling the need to say anything. Dean turns to his father one last time and asks, “Don’t take it too long,” and then gets out of the car.
John immediately drives away. Dean watches the car leaving and then puts his arm around Sam’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Dad comes back in two days.”
Even though Sam already knows this, he starts getting tired of the whole situation. Constantly changing towns and schools starts exhausting him. Even if he sees himself as a freak, he keeps all of it inside; neither Dean nor John knows anything. He doesn’t feel the need to tell.
For Dean, this never becomes a problem. He doesn’t even care about studying, he mostly wants to hunt. And this already becomes something like a daily routine; unlike Sam, he gets used to it.
As soon as he steps into the school, Dean’s flirtatious mood activates. He grins at the girls he sees and doesn’t forget to wink. But maybe this time, he is in the wrong school.
Castiel, Cassie, and Benny. They usually aren’t the kind of trio the school likes. They become close friends ever since they end up in the same class in the first grade of the high school on the other side of the university. They get into a lot of trouble together. They have many punishments, but thanks to Cassie’s father, none of them get expelled.
As Dean and Sam walk through the door—well, maybe Castiel wins the jackpot just because he lifts his head from his locker first. With a smirk on his lips, he turns his body toward them and nudges Cassie and Benny as the brothers walk by.
“Not a bad boy, huh?” Castiel starts chewing the gum he forgets in his mouth again, and Cassie chuckles, “You never stay still. And then you cry when you catch feelings.”
Castiel’s smirk drops as he looks at her, and Benny raises his hands. “This time he’s mine.”
Cassie pushes herself off the locker she leans on. “I’m the only girl between us. So the priority is mine.”
Sometimes they choose girls or boys in the school as their entertainment. There were some that didn’t end so well, but that never stopped them. Since Dean is new here, this might become even more fun.
“I offer we go first and see if he responds to which of ours biting teeth first.” Castiel’s smirk returns to his lips and he swallows the gum.
Benny leans toward him and raises a brow. “You know where I get my teeth from, cowboy. You don’t have much luck.” He winks as he walks away.
Cassie actually enjoys their bickering a lot. She rolls her eyes and steps after Benny, extending her hand to Castiel and signaling with her head for him to follow.
Castiel lifts himself to take her hand when suddenly he feels someone’s body on his and his back hitting the locker. “Hey, handsome. I try on the new clothes I buy tonight at home. I think you want to come.”
Marla, as always, keeps her face way too close to Castiel’s. This girl is a huge trouble. Castiel cannot deal with her right now, so he rolls his eyes and pushes her aside. “Get off me,” he says and grabs Cassie’s hand, following Benny.
Marla watches him go. She blows out angrily, pushes her hair back, and fixes her possibly wrinkled clothes before turning around. Her dear stepsister stands there with crossed arms, watching her.
“I get tired of dealing with Dad because of you! Go to your school, this is not your side!” Meg speaks loudly in anger, and Marla walks away toward the high school on the other side without saying anything.
Dean and Sammy arrive around noon, so everyone eats lunch in the cafeteria. Sam asks for a sandwich and a juice, and Dean sits next to him, looking around. “This one is even bigger than the previous schools, hm?”
Sam throws the last bite of his toast into his mouth and looks at Dean. “I research this place. It used to be only a high school, but since it is built too big, they cannot really use the empty areas. In 1970 they separate the part that is the high school now and start using this section, and in 1991 they make that part the high school and this part the university.”
Dean listens and needs to blink several times. “Wh— How do you learn all of this?”
Sam shrugs. “I do research.” Since he predicts the question Dean is about to ask the moment his brother opens his mouth, he continues, “When Dad says we come here, at the motel. I check on the computer before we leave.”
Dean starts clapping mockingly at his brother with a small smirk when Castiel, Cassie, and Benny walk up to them.
Cassie puts both her hands on the table and leans forward, mostly toward Dean. “Do you accept guests?”
As soon as Sam sees them, he sighs and grabs his bag, standing up. “See you later.”
When Dean hears Sam’s voice, he pulls his gaze from Cassie and turns to his already-walking brother. “Huh— Sammy! Can you find your way?”
Sam turns, waves, and soon leaves the cafeteria. When Dean turns back, he sees all three of them already sitting in front of him, and he jumps slightly with a flinch. “Oh—! Hi.”
Benny only nods his head, Cassie smirks, and Castiel waves his hand.
“I guess you come here recently. If you come earlier, we definitely know you,” Cassie says in a slightly deep tone. Dean straightens himself in his chair and lets a small grin sit on his lips. “Yeah. And who are you? The school’s popular trio or something?” He scans each of them with his eyes.
“My dad is the governor here, if that’s what you mean.” Cassie adds the small information and taps Benny’s shoulder. “This is Benny. Even with that cap he always wears, he is a tough guy. It’s the only thing left from his father.” Benny throws Cassie a small but dangerous look.
“At least I don’t have secrets between me and my father, dear Cassie.” Then he turns to Dean. Dean doesn’t really understand their friendship dynamic, but he doesn’t want to push. Cassie’s expression already tells him not to.
“Benny Lafitte, nice to meet you.” With that, Dean snaps back and nods. “Dean. Dean Winchester.”
Castiel slightly frowns at hearing the last name but shakes the thought away quickly; it is impossible.
Cassie turns to him again. “I’m Cassie Robinson.” Then she points at Castiel. “And this is Castiel. The one with the longest name among us.”
Castiel rolls his eyes, already getting back into his old mood. “Castiel James ‘Jimmy’ Novak. Nice to meet you.” When he reaches out his hand, he sees the younger man hesitate but still shake it.
Since introductions end, Cassie tilts her head and speaks. “Who are you? Do you want to tell us a bit about yourself… and that little brother of yours?”
Dean relaxes his shoulders and nods. “Looks like I’m not from around here, but for now I stay here. Little Sammy goes to 10th grade, and I’m in my first year of college. Other than my life being a bit chaotic, I don’t think I have much to say.”
Castiel chuckles. “If you talk about chaotic lives, you stab us right in the heart. We give that name to ourselves.” Cassie elbows him and nods. “Don’t mind him too much.”
Benny, as if he wants more answers, asks another question. “I don’t think many people have a reason to come here. Why do you come?”
Dean shrugs. “I don’t think we stay long. Our dad is a hunter; because of his job he drops us here and there and then comes back to pick us up. But I get used to it. After all, in two or three days that car horn always honks for us again.”
The word “hunter” definitely triggers something in all three of them; they exchange looks. “A hunter, huh?” Benny asks, and Dean nods. “Dad loves his job. He packs us aside and goes to do what he needs to. But a good soldier must do his duty, right? He is my dad, after all.”
Castiel tilts his head, as if thinking. “Nice job. Are you going to be a hunter when you grow up, too? You follow the family profession, huh?”
Dean chuckles lightly (and with this, the little game between the three of them is still active; Cas glances at the others when he hears the laugh). “Hell yes! Looks like it. What about you?”
Cassie leans back in her chair and crosses her arms. “We are not the type of people who answer these kinds of questions. We live in the moment. But if you ask me, I have a long and open road ahead of me.” Castiel rolls his eyes. “Thanks to your daddy, of course.”
When Cassie hits his shoulder, Benny grins at their situation. “You two are like little babies, Cassie and Cassie. I almost believe you are siblings.” He turns his mocking eyes toward Dean.
Cassie clears her throat and focuses all her attention on Dean. Their chaos cannot keep Dean from getting caught up in it. “I get good vibes from you, Dean Winchester. Maybe we hang out. You take us on a deer hunt or something, hm?”
Dean places a grin on his lips, crosses his arms, and relaxes in his chair. “Maybe I get on top of the deer. Who knows? A good hunt is always better. The big ones. A monster big enough so Dad realizes I’m a hunter too…” His last words come out under his breath, slipping between the cracks of a momentary “John Winchester doesn’t take me with him” frustration.
The trio simply freezes. When Castiel remembers where he hears the name Winchester, things might change.
Dean sees their faces and immediately understands what they hear. He straightens in his chair and clears his throat. “I mean, I talk about wolves. The big ones. Damn monsters. One of them bites Dad once.” Even though he speaks with an exaggerated expression, none of their faces look convinced.
“You don’t believe it, huh?” Dean sighs and drags his hands down his face. “Look, we—”
Benny cuts him off with the sentence that shuts him up. “Winchester, all of us have secrets. One should not be ashamed of them. Most of the time.”
Dean doesn’t really understand the meaning underneath that sentence; he only freezes when Benny leans toward him. “I don’t tell anyone. And no one knows except Cas and Cassie. But I see that your blood is spoiled too.”
Benny’s voice is frighteningly low, like if someone hears them, they burn right there with hellfire. After straightening his body again, he continues, “My bloodline traces back to vampires and hunters. Centuries ago, a vampire and a hunter fall in love and run away in secret. They marry and have children. The bloodline continues until my mother. And me.”
Dean stiffens even more at what he hears. His lips part, and he weighs the information in his mind. The possibility of a vampire and a hunter being together is impossible. Or is this guy with the cap lying?
But Benny continues, “It seems I am human. From the marriage of a vampire and a human, hybrids are born, blood mixes, and vampires keep entering my family. But from my great-great-grandmother to me, only human-to-human marriages happen. Yes, I am a human with vampire ancestry.”
Dean cannot figure out what to say; he just stands there staring at him. This is not like the previous two-day-dad-drops-us-off-at-a-school situations. Those are filled with stupid flirting, sometimes fights, and leaving the school without looking back after two days. But now… in front of him stands someone who claims he comes from a vampire bloodline. Is there more?
Castiel scratches his nose. “My family line traces back to extreme religious devotion.” Dean, still stuck on the vampire-human relationship, turns to him when he hears his voice. “Every member of my family worships God, and they show special love to angels. That is why they name me Castiel, apparently the name of an angel. Also the same name as my great-great-grandmother, Castiel Jessa Novak.”
Angels… this doesn’t fall into Dean’s area of interest. Demons may be real, but he never sees any proof that angels are real. They are only fairy tales floating above the dust clouds. In this world, there must only be blood and violence.
“But I guess… as time passes, their devotion decreases,” Castiel continues. “I mean, they still go to church every Sunday and they still pray day and night, but… I don’t think they remain as eager as before.”
Dean tries to gather the information he receives from both sides in his mind. When his eyes turn to Cassie, expecting an answer, Cassie sighs. “I guess I have no escape… Okay, I have family drama like this too.”
She scratches her hair and tucks a strand behind her ear. “A month ago, my grandmother passes away. Lately she always mumbles something. My parents say her mind gets confused or that she loses it, but I don’t believe them. Because whenever we stay alone… she whispers to me about the demon deals my father makes back in the day, and she says his time runs out. According to her, my mother also takes part in it. And I think they are not the only ones in the family who make deals.”
Dean shifts in his chair once again, as if all his hunter instincts activate, and he places his hands on the table. “So why do you tell me all this?”
Castiel smirks. “Because in two or three days your daddy’s car horn will honk for you.”
There is no clear explanation for why they say these things. Benny suddenly starts talking because he gets sensitive about family, and Castiel and Cassie simply continue. But clearly this hunter boy carries too much as well. Maybe this crosses the line of fun. After all, Castiel knows what Winchester means.
Dean only nods, and for a moment a silence falls over the table. “So what if there is more?” Benny suddenly speaks. “There must be things that are not told to us.” Everyone turns to him.
Benny looks at Castiel. “Why does a human not eat or drink and devote his entire life to God and to the existence of angels? What is the reason this belief spreads like a virus in the first place?” His eyes shift to Cassie. “If your family really makes deals with demons, for what purpose do they do it? How many people make deals in total? Does any of it reach you?”
He looks at Dean. “We don’t know your story, but if your father obsesses over hunts this much, then there is surely a story. So what starts this story? Why does it happen to you and not to someone else?”
Dean, Castiel, and Cassie listen to Benny in silence. His words sound so logical that he makes them feel like fools.
Dean always wonders about what kills his mother; he always wants to find it and kill it with his own hands. But this feeling of revenge and curiosity is so strong that he cannot even use his curiosity properly. For example, why is it little Sammy and their mother, and not someone else?
Castiel goes to churches since childhood; he always prays. Even if he has a sense of faith inside, it decreases over time. But he thinks these are normal human behaviors. After all, God is not the only one; there are myths where Greek gods exist too. Humanity constantly finds new beliefs and pursuits for itself. But he never questions what power brings this to his family in the first place. What he sees and hears in his family is always exaggerated.
Cassie thinks her family is normal until a month ago. She believes what her grandmother says and even researches demons, but finally, when she gets nowhere, she gives up.
Benny continues, “I don’t know about you, but I also have a desire to research my bloodline. I feel like there are things they hide from me. You know, still, my blood is shaped thanks to vampires.”
“Then let’s go,” Cassie suddenly suggests, then looks at Dean. “I have a feeling we will get along really well.”
This is a big opportunity. Both for the Mystery Incorporated roleplay and for getting closer to Dean.
𖡡 Castiel’s Home
The four of them run away from school and go to Castiel’s house. They stand in front of the huge bookshelf in the living room. “There are all kinds of books here. Especially about angels and God, but on the lower shelves there are also books about demons, vampires, werewolves, hunters.”
Dean leans down to the floor, running his fingers over the books on the lower shelves, and speaks, “I thought your family’s curiosity only goes to God.”
Castiel grins. “Yes, but they are also very curious. Everything eventually touches God anyway.”
Dean’s finger rests on a book with “GOD AND ALL CREATED MONSTERS & HUMANS” written in Old English font on the side, and he pulls it out and holds it. “This could be useful.”
Then he stands up and turns to them. When Castiel sees the title of the book in Dean’s hands, he sighs. “We cannot handle this without a drink, hm?” Then he rests his chin on Dean’s shoulder and looks at him.
Dean slowly turns his head to look at him, and he can understand their closeness better than the warm breaths on their faces.
Benny, realizing Castiel has caught an opportunity, claps his hands. “Then let’s go to the usual bar.”
When Dean turns his head to look at Benny, Castiel sighs and crosses his arms.
𖡡 Danny’s Bar
They sit at a table and spread the book out, reading its contents. Dean keeps checking his watch to make sure he doesn’t miss Sam’s time.
“We can’t find something like this. There is only information about creatures here. We need to focus on our families,” Castiel says, taking a sip of his beer.
He’s actually right. This can’t be very useful beyond providing information. At that moment, Dean’s phone rings, and he leaves to check it.
The trio looks at each other. “Benny, you shouldn’t have extended this here,” Cassie sighs. “Just charming him would have been enough.”
Benny runs his hand over his face. “The guy is a hunter; they don’t believe most things easily. Besides, this makes it more exciting. We get to have fun in every way.”
“I like him,” Castiel says, putting the last french fry from the basket into his mouth. “I think he has even more than he hides.” Then he shakes his hands and leans back.
Cassie doesn’t seem very pleased with this situation. The idea of doing the Mystery Incorporated roleplay is very appealing, but it prolongs their work, and they don’t have that much time. Dean and little Sammy will leave for a trip in two or three days.
Castiel bites his bottom lip while thinking, “I think Dean is Fred, I’m Daphne, Benny is Scooby-Doo, and Cassie is grumpy Velma.” He turns to Cassie and Benny with a smirk on his lips.
“What do you think? Should we make little Sammy Shaggy too? Their names start with the same letter anyway.” Cassie reaches out and taps his arm, and Castiel laughs out loud.
At that moment, Dean comes in. “Did I miss something?”
Castiel opens his mouth to tell him what just happened, but Cassie jumps in. “No, nothing happened.”
Benny puts his sipped beer on the table and fixes his gaze on Dean. “Who called?”
Dean looks at his phone one last time and puts it in his pocket. “Dad. He wants me to give a situation report.”
Castiel scratches his head with the beer bottle in his hand. “So… does he know you skip school with us?”
Dean sighs. “I don’t feel the need to tell him. He doesn’t need to deal with me.”
Castiel widens his eyes and smirks. “Daddy Winchester must be someone very important. You really love him.” He presses the beer bottle to his lips again, letting the alcohol slide down his throat.
Dean scratches the back of his neck and sighs. “I need to go get Sam.”
Benny frowns and checks his watch. “It’s pretty late.”
Cassie finishes the last sip of her beer and stands up. “Where do you live?”
“Beverly Motel. No 13.”
Cassie nods, and Castiel and Benny also stand. “This might take a bit longer, but we can talk about it tomorrow.” When Castiel suggests an idea, Dean nods.
“Of course. You know where to find me.”
𖡡 Beverly Motel – 23:33 pm
Sam looks at Dean, who’s lying on the bed watching TV. “Who were they?”
Dean does not take his eyes off the television. “New friends.”
“New friends?” Sam sits on the other bed. “I didn’t think you could manage that.”
Dean grins. “Oh, Sammy, you underestimate me.”
For a while, nothing breaks the silence except the TV sound. Until Dean’s phone starts ringing.
As soon as he sees his dad’s name on the screen, he quickly stands up and answers. “Yes, sir?”
John’s voice comes from the other side, slightly out of breath. “Dean, my work takes longer.”
Dean frowns. “What’s happening??”
John’s voice comes in broken sentences. “The thing I’m dealing with is bigger. I killed it, but it doesn’t work. It has a connection to the past. It may take five days or a week. I’m fine, don’t worry. Take good care of your brother.”
Before Dean can protest, the phone slams down on him. Sam stands up. “What happened?”
Dean sighs and puts the phone in his pocket. “The job takes longer. We might be stuck here for five days or a week.”
Even though Dean doesn’t seem happy about this, it doesn’t bother Sam. Without saying anything, Sam goes to his bag and starts arranging his clothes. Dean stands still, watching his brother. “Can you stay here alone for a while?”
Sam nods, “Yeah. The gun is under my pillow.”
Dean smiles slightly, ruffles his brother’s hair, and leaves the motel, locking the door and putting the key in his pocket. About ten minutes later, he appears in front of a familiar house.
For a while, he wasn’t sure, but then he goes and knocks on the door. No one opens at first. After waiting two or three minutes, just as he’s about to leave, he hears the sound of the door opening.
“Dean?” Castiel’s husky, cold voice fills his ears again. He turns his body toward him. “Hey…” His eyes roam over Castiel’s body for a moment.
Castiel wears only an AC/DC T-shirt and black sweatpants, but somehow, this makes Dean pause for a moment. “Is everything okay?”
With the question, Dean meets those blue eyes again. “Yes, I didn’t know where to go to find you guys, and I realized I didn’t get your phone numbers either.”
Castiel leans on the doorframe and grins. “So this handsome face isn’t that smart, hm?” Dean rolls his eyes, not realizing that a very small smile appears on his lips. “Mr. John Winchester’s work takes longer, so we might be stuck here for five days or a week. I thought I should let you know.”
Castiel’s smirk widens. “Ooh, that’s really good news!” He straightens up and looks the boy over from head to toe. “There’s alcohol at home if you want.”
Dean suddenly feels that the atmosphere becomes too erotic, which strangely makes his body react, but he clears his throat immediately and breaks the tension.
“Thanks, Cas, but Sammy is alone in the room. I should go to him.”
Castiel does not miss that pet name; he has never heard anyone say it besides Cassie and Benny. “Alright then. See you at school tomorrow.”
Dean nods. “See you—”
Before he can finish the sentence, someone jumps down from what seems like the roof and knocks him to the ground. The person is covered in clothes, his face masked, completely in black—a shadowy silhouette.
“Dean!” Castiel quickly grabs the person lying on Dean and throws them aside. The light groan the person makes sounds like a woman’s voice, but they might be wrong.
With Castiel’s help, Dean gets up, but the masked person runs toward them, swinging the knife in their hand. The duo steps back, dodging the strikes. Finally, Dean grabs the masked person’s arm and kicks them in the stomach, making the knife drop.
The masked person writhes in pain on the ground. Dean bends to remove the mask, but suddenly, he takes a kick to the groin. Castiel sees the masked person crawling toward the knife amidst Dean’s painful groans, so he pushes the knife with his foot toward Dean and delivers a kick to the person.
Dean, still in pain, grabs the knife from the ground and looks at the masked person. “Who are you?! Answer me! Who the hell are you?!!”
But the person on the ground doesn’t answer. Just as Dean prepares to shout again, the masked person starts chanting words in Latin. Dean and Castiel frown, trying to understand the words, but the mask muffles the voice.
Finally, the masked person shifts their position, trips Castiel with their foot, gets up, snatches the knife from Dean’s hand, and slashes him across the stomach.
Castiel falls to the ground while Dean groans in pain from the cut, stumbling. The masked person presses Dean against the column behind them, collects his blood in a tube, and runs away.
Dean collapses on the ground, his vision slightly blurred. Castiel rushes to his side. “Dean! Dean!!”
Dean struggles to stay conscious.
00:00 – Tuesday