Definitely A Winchester {1}

CHAPTER SEVEN

"Who are you?" Dean questions, making sure his daughter is safely behind him. He finds her watching the man in an almost awe-like state. Her eyes wide, not in fear but in fascination.

"I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition." The man answers in an almost casual tone, unaware of the child staring at him.

"Yeah. Thanks for that." Dean says sarcastically before slamming the demon knife in the man's chest.

The man stares at him unflinchingly before lowering his gaze to the knife in his chest like it was an unfortunate thing. He grips the handle and pulls it out of his chest slowly before dropping it to the floor like nothing happened. Dean's eyes widen and he looks at Bobby in panic. The older man swings his machete but the man grabs the blade, and places two fingers on Bobby's forehead. The hunter's eyes roll into the back of his head and he falls to the ground limp. The man watches Bobby collapse with an expressionless face. Dean looks at Bobby with a surprised face, his mouth gaped open and his eyes blown wide.

"Bobby!" Dakota shrieks, trying to run to the man but Dean catches her, snapping out of his shock and holding her behind him. The man turns to the Winchesters.

"We need to talk, Dean." The man says, speaking for the first time. Dakota's attention is drawn back to the mysterious man, she tries to break free from her dad-not trying to get to Bobby but to the man. Her expression turns dazed. "Alone." The man continues after shooting a pointed look at the unconscious hunter on the ground.

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After a while the man allows Dean to go to Bobby, his attention is stolen by a book laying on the table. Dean keeps a hand around Dakota's firmly, pulling her with him as he checks Bobby's pulse. Dakota finally pulls her hand free and she walks to the man, seemingly dazed and unaware of the danger.

"Your friend is alive." The man assure, not noticing the child walking towards him.

"Dakota." Dean hisses under his breath, too quietly for the man to hear but Dakota ignores him, not showing any reaction as if she heard him. She tugs on the man's coat and he looks down at her.

"Who are you?" She asks at the same time as her dad.

"Castiel." He answers staring at her with confusion, almost like he can't figure out what she is. Dean quickly pulls her back to him, breaking their stare and forcing the man to look up at him.

"Yeah, I figured that much." Dean hisses angrily, he didn't like the way Dakota seems drawn to the man with wonder. "We mean what are you?"

"I'm an Angel of the Lord." He answers seriously, Dakota gasps quietly.

"Get the Hell outta here." Dean says, standing up and pushing Dakota behind him again. "There's no such thing."

"This is your problem, Dean." Castiel says, staring at Dean with calculating eyes. "You have no faith." He continues, glancing down at the little girl behind Dean. Lightning flashes and lights the whole barn up brightly, a silhouette of two wings sprouts out from behind Castiel's back. Dean nods his head a little, Dakota's awe seems to grow and she struggles to get back to him but Dean tightens his grip on her.

"Some Angel you are." Dean spits. "You burned out that poor woman's eyes."

Castiel looks down, almost seemingly regretful of his actions before opening his mouth to defend himself. "I warned her not to spy on my true form." He speaks mournfully about Pamela. "It can be overwhelming to humans. And so can my real voice...but you two already knew that."

"You mean the gas station and the motel?" Dean questions without blinking. "That was you talking?" Castiel nods in agreement. "Buddy, next time, lower the volume."

Castiel glances down again. "That was my mistake." He apologizes quickly. "Certain people--special people--can perceive my true visage. I thought you would be one of them, I was unaware of the child's presence in the room. I was wrong."

"And what visage are you in now, huh?" Dean scoffs. "What--holy tax accountant?"

"This?" Castiel questions. "This is...a vessel." He continues without waiting for a reply.

"You're possessing some poor bastard?" Dean asks, Dakota gasps and hits her dad's arm harshly. She confused as to why her dad would swear in front of an angel.

"Don't swear!" Dakota hisses, Dean looks down at her in confusion when she hit him. He rolls his eyes at his daughter before looking back at Castiel.

"He's a devout man. He actually prayed for this." Castiel answers without showing any reaction to the child scolding her father, but a small smile is curling at his lips in amusement.

"Look, pal, I'm not buying what you're selling." Dean snaps. "So who are you, really?" He presses.

Castiel's eyebrows draw inwards in confusion. "I told you."

"Right." Dean clicks his tongue and nods his head in a mocking manner. "And why would an angel rescue me from Hell?" Dean asks, purely bewildered at the fact.

Dakota looks up at her dad sadly, knowing that he felt like he didn't deserve anything good. "Good things do happen, Dean." Castiel says, walking forward a couple steps. His eyes narrowed, not in a rude way but in a calculating way.

"Not in my experience." Dean says through clenched teeth. Dakota looks down.

"What's the matter?" Castiel questions, squinting at Dean and tilting his head to the side. "You don't think you deserve to be saved." Castiel answers himself still studying Dean.

Dean's jaw clenched and his lips twitch angrily, he lowers his head a slightly and looks up at Castiel through his lashes. "Why'd you do it?" Dean asks tensely.

The air around them turns tense as Dean's words hang around. Dakota keeps her eyes on the floor, she doesn't understand what her dad meant by good things don't happen to him, she thought she was a good thing to him.

"Because God commanded it." Castiel answers. "Because we have work for you."

Edited 4/4/19