Family Business

Chapter 1: Next In Line

"Jody settling in?" Sam asked as Dean came back through the kitchen.

"Yeah, her and the girls are all in their rooms. It's nice, actually, I like having people in the Bunker."

Sam scoffed a little and popped his eyebrows. Dean wasn't one to talk about feelings, but Sam knew the older man got lonely at times. Jody and the girls were only staying a few days so Dean could look over their cars (a good mechanic was hard to come by and the cost of a tune up alone was enough to justify a day's drive to the Bunker) and then they'd be out of the boys' hair.

"Glad you're happy about it. Wanna pick up burgers for dinner?" Sam asked.

Dean shrugged and pulled a beer from the fridge. "Sure. Any word from Cas?" The angel had left in a hurry a few nights ago without any indication of when he'd be back or where he was going. Dean and Sam weren't too worried - Cas was a literal angel. He could fly pretty much wherever he needed to, he knew how to ward himself against other angels and demons, and he was a skilled fighter.

"Not a peep," Sam said, standing up and stretching. "I'm going to go see if Jack wants to go on a burger run."

Sam disappeared out of the kitchen and Dean shook his head a little. If you had told him 14 years ago that he'd be living in a secret underground bunker with an angel of the Lord and a nephilim, he'd of called you crazy. Now he was teaming up with a couple of hunter cops, raising a whole team of teenagers, and...

The lights flickered a little. Dean almost forgot about Kevin, the resident ghost.

"Crazy world."

"What's a crazy world?"

Dean looked up at Claire at the doorway. She was dressed like she was going to bed in a pair of sweats and a tee-shirt Dean recognized as decidedly Cas-sized. He just cocked an eyebrow.

"This world. I've been a hunter since I was 4 years old, Claire, and suddenly I'm living with a whole zoo of supernatural creatures and calling the cops for backup." Dean shook his head a little and tipped back some of his beer back into his mouth.

"Can I have one?"

Dean laughed. "Try again, powder puff, Jody would have my head on a plate."

"Cas wouldn't care."

"Cas doesn't know what 'drinking age' means."

The two settled into a calm quiet, sitting at the dining table as Dean took happy swigs of beer and Claire picked at some food on the table. "Where'd Sam go?" she finally asked.

"To get burgers with Jack. Where's Jody and the others?"

"Jody and Donna are unpacking, Alex is in the shower, and Patience is studying for some big test she's got coming up."

"And you're down here hoping to get a lead on a case?" Dean sent her a knowing smirk.

"You know me too well."

The two let out a few chuckles together again, then settled back into a comfortable silence as Dean threw back some more of his beer. Dean loved the girls and Jody and Donna so much, but he wasn't like them. Jody had a family once, Alex was part of a nest, Donna was- well, Donna was Donna. They all knew the feeling of family and chaos and everything that went along with it.

Dean had only ever known dingy motel rooms and quiet afternoons spend reading and researching. Aside from very occasional wrestles with Sam, there had been very little joyful chaos in Dean's life.

And Claire - Claire had known a happy childhood, but since Cas, she'd only known that dark, strange group home and the quiet stalk of a hunt. She and Dean got each other.

Dean cleared his throat and set down the bottle. "Well, you want a hunt, I'll give you one. Sam and I are tracking a vamp nest just outside Napa if you want in."

Claire let out a happy hum and gestured for Dean to go on.

"We're thinking it's at least 7 given how many people have gone missing," Dean looked over the table at Claire. "It's going to be big. We called Garth, but he's got family stuff so we were going to call you guys next. Cas told us not to encourage your hunting, but I won't tell if you don't."

Claire gave Dean a little smile. "So we're going all Deadly Friend on them?"

"Look who's been watching old movies now," Dean praised. "When did you see that old thing?"

Claire shrugged. "It was the only thing not porn in this motel I stayed in one time."

"Double Bliss in Kentucky?"

Claire didn't get a chance to answer. The sound of the bunker doors grating open sent Dean to his feet. It was either burgers or Cas, and honestly, both things were equally appealing at the moment.

"Is that my dinner?" Dean called. Claire followed him out into the main room of the bunker, peeking over Dean's shoulders. "Oh, its you. We were wondering when you'd be getting back."

Cas was looking more tired than usual, his tie loose and his jacket rumpled. Dean was happy to see him in one piece, and there wasn't a spec of blood on his clothes, so as far as Dean was concerned, it was a win.

"My apologies," Cas said quietly. "I know I left abruptly. There was an emergency."

Claire scoffed. "You didn't even pick up when I called."

Cas gave her a sad smile. "I know, I'm sorry. I listened to your message, I knew you and the girls would be here when I got back."

"You going to tell us about where you were?" Dean asked. He leaned against the big oval table, looking up at Cas as he started coming down the stairs. There was something off, but Dean couldn't place it. Cas was only using one hand to hold the handrail and talk. His other side, his right side, was turned away from Dean and Claire, but Dean could tell. His shoulder was stiff, like it was-

As Cas rounded the bottom step, Dean saw it. There was a child nestled into Cas's side.