Alate (Trans Jack Kline AU)

Epoch

Part One

~*~

"He'll get through this, Cass." Dean said as he held his husband through his shakes. Castiel sucked in a sharp breath and nodded his head into Dean's shoulder.

Castiel wanted to believe him, but as he looked over his nephew's beaten form on the hospital bed, he couldn't help but be unsure.

The door to the room busted open to reveal the worried face of Sam Winchester, Castiel's brother-in-law. "I got here as fast as I could. Is he okay?" Sam let out in a heavy breath. The oxygen he'd already been struggling to collect caught in his throat as his eyes finally landed on Jack.

The boy's face was bruised, his eyes swollen shut. Hand shaped bruises also covered his throat, like he'd been strangled. Sam scrubbed a hand over his face and forced himself to look away.

"I never should have let him go home." Castiel ground out as he shoved himself away from Dean. He was angry at the world, at his own brother for causing such harm to Jack, but most importantly, he was mad at himself.

"This is not on you. It's not on any of us. We had no idea this would happen." Dean tried, but Castiel just scoffed. It was a cold sound that both Winchesters weren't used to hearing.

"Didn't we though? We all saw the signs. Nick isn't called Lucifer out of endearment, after all." Cass pointed out matter of factly. "We knew what was happening and we did nothing, Dean. This is on us. We let this happen."

The couple went back and fourth about who was or who wasn't at fault, both too preoccupied to pay attention to the slight stirring coming from the bed.

"Guys?" Sam called out, but they weren't listening, both too caught up in their own emotions. The youngest Winchester just shook his head and cautiously made his way over to Jack. He put a gentle hand on his wrist, his tone soft as he spoke, "Jack?"

The eighteen-year-old groaned as he turned his head over to where the comforting voice was coming from, "Uncle Sam?" Jack croaked. It hurt to speak, and he couldn't see. Panic filled him as he remembered what happened to put him in that position.

His chest rose and fell with each heavy breath as the phantom feeling of his father's hands around his throat came at full force.

"Jack? Oh-oh, thank God. He's awake." Castiel gasped out. He was at his nephew's side in seconds, his fingers carding through the boy's hair. Jack let out a painful sob at the comforting touch.

"I'll go get a doctor." Dean said in a rush, and then he was gone. Jack knew he was going to be back. The fact that his three favorite people were by his side brought him comfort as a doctor fussed over him and his injuries, even as they repeatedly called him by the wrong name. Jack was too tried to correct them.

Thankfully, he didn't have to.

"His name is Jack." Castiel said, his tone leaving no room for argument. The doctor nodded in understanding. And they never did call him by the wrong name or the wrong pronouns for the rest of his stay.

Jack wished it was always that easy, but unfortunately, he knew better.

~*~

Jack knew he was different from a young age. His mom would say it was okay. And she had been beautiful, soft, and gentle; the textbook definition of femininity. But she had said it was okay that her daughter liked having short hair and despised wearing dresses.

Kelly Kline didn't live long enough to see that her daughter wasn't actually a tomboy at all. She didn't get to see Jack realize that he was actually a boy.