For the Love of Jack

A Winchester Christmas Special

"Papa, it's snow'n" Jack yelled to me from the living room. I was busy in the kitchen fixing together a lunch for Jack. Christmas came faster than I had anticipated, although I suppose I have been busy lately. Between preparing my students and grading their semester exams, these last few weeks have passed by. Jack and I have been slowly adding decorations around the house for the holidays, but I haven't had time to get a tree. I had planned to get one ahead of time, but seeing as it is now Christmas Eve and I have yet to complete that chore, we may have to improvise. Fortunately, Jack is young enough for this year's celebration not to be monumental. Speaking of him, Jack ran into the kitchen bursting with excitement, interrupting my thoughts; I can't recall if Jack had ever seen snow during Christmas before.

"Is that so, Bee?" I peered through the window of the kitchen, slightly peering back the curtains to see a dust layer of snow barely sticking to the ground. It wasn't a storm, but it was something. More importantly, it made Jack excited. "We play in snow?" Jack asked. His puppy dog expression returned but I have somewhat grown immune to its charm. "Sorry, bud, we don't have time today. Sam will be here to pick you up so you can go see Christmas lights. Dean and I have other plans." To this, Jack frowned. I guess he was expecting that Dean and I would be with him, Sam, and Charlie, but we actually had a date scheduled. Sam offered to give us a night off and watch Jack and, of course, when Charlie found out they were seeing Christmas lights in the richer neighborhoods, she had to tag along. They'd be back tonight before us, meaning I'd have a new memory of sharing a Christmas with a toddler and a teenager. Although it would be so adorable to see Jack's face light up at all the lights, this allowed Dean and I to have another, proper, date, which we haven't really since November. What can I say, we live very busy lives.

"Why no lights?" Jack asked. "I told you, Dean and I are going out. Don't worry, Bee," I ruffled his small head, "we didn't forget about you and you, me, and Dean are going to spend Christmas together!" I said this in hopes to cheer him up. "You mean wif Santa, too?" His excitement returned to his face and I smiled. "Yes, with Santa and all his gifts he has for you." Jack melted with happiness, his hair flopping with him as he "ho-hoed" himself back to the living room. From the television, Frosty the Snowman was playing and I heard Jack's attempts to follow the theme song as I finished packing his lunch.

Not even five minuets later the doorbell chimed and Jack called "I got it, Papa" as he waddled himself over to the door. He tried to grab it open, he's been getting better at it, actually, and I decided to only assist him. We both turned the door open to a surprise.

There, the Winchester brothers were standing holding an enormous Christmas tree. They had it slightly propped up against the side of the house, with Dean leaning with a smirk against it. Sam offered his warm smile towards Jack before focusing on me. "Merry Christmas-Eve, Cas!"

I was shocked, I wasn't expecting them to show up with a tree. In fact, Dean and I had agreed that before we left for our date, we'd rush to the closest store to find what was left. "How did you guys find a tree like...this? On Christmas Eve, too?" I asked gleefully yet skeptical. "Dean smiled at me and leaned in for a quick kiss on the cheek before leading Sam into the living room with our tree. "I thought I'd surprise y'a. Besides, we passed a place with some trees on the way here and I thought "Why the hell not!" Dean was joyful, who would have thought Dean could get into the Christmas spirit. "Papa, we have a Charlie Brown tree!" We had just recently watched A Charlie Brown Christmas and Jack couldn't stop talking about it since. "Actually, bud, I'd say she's quite the opposite" Dean laughed. I picked Jack into my arms and we both watched as Dean and Sam placed the tree down. I smiled softly at the scene, I could not have imagined months ago that Dean, the new handsome mechanic in town, would be gifting Jack and I a Christmas tree. After it was firmly in the holder, Dean brushed his hands and smiled back at me, catching my stare. "Hey, you have any ornaments? Sam and I could get started with it, if you wanted."