Definitely A Winchester {1}

CHAPTER EIGHT

Dean moves Dakota so she's sitting on the bench beside him, he sifts through his jacket pockets. He moves John's journal before grabbing his phone.  He sighs heavily when he can't get any service. Dean tries lifting the phone up to gain service but is unable to.

"Perfect." He sighs again, Dakota looks up at him. A car passes by them with it's music blaring, Dakota grimaces at the volume before Dean stands up, grabbing his jacket and her hand. "Come on, baby." He says, pulling her along with him gently. She skips beside him, humming absentmindedly.

Dean crosses the street quickly after looking to make sure it's safe. Dakota checks before allowing her dad to pull her with him. They head towards the diner before Dean slowly pulls the door open. Dean heads to the front counter, taking a seat and lifting Dakota to rest on his knee. The guy a few seats down glances at them briefly but dismissing them. 

"Hey, where the hell am I?" Dean says gruffly, wiping at his eyes. He was disorientated and very confused.

  "Jay Bird's diner." The man replies, smiling kindly at the little girl. She grins shyly before hiding her face in Dean's chest.

"Yeah, thanks." Dean says, glancing at Dakota. "I mean, uh, city and state." He clarifies.

The man chuckles breathlessly, he gives Dean a strange look. "Lawrence, Kansas." The man answers in an obvious tone.

"Lawrence." Dean says sarcastically turning his head away and looking towards the door.

"Are you okay, buddy?" The man questions, giving the child in Dean's lap a concerned look.

"Yeah." Dean sighs, placing his head in his hand. "Tough night." Dean looks down at his daughter who's half asleep against him.

"Hey, uh, coffee here, Reg." The man calls out to one of the workers. "She okay?" She questions, glancing pointedly at the kid.

"Yeah..."Dean says before noticing the judgmental look cross the man's face. He easily places together what the man thinks. "She had a bad dream last night, it was hard to put her back down." He quickly lies.

"Oh, I bet." The man says awkwardly, not really knowing how to reply to that. He gives Dean a sympathetic look.

"Can you tell me where I can get reception on this thing?" Dean asks, pulling out his phone. Dakota sits up, now awake.

The man takes on look at the phone and scoffs. "The U. S. S. Enterprise?" The man jokes.

The worker, Reg, places a mug of coffee in front of Dean. "Thanks." Dean replies. "Nice threads, you know Sonny and Cher broke up, right?" Dean adds, taking a look at the worker's clothes.

The man beside Dean looks up in confusion, leaning closer to him. "Sonny and Cher broke up?" He questions. Dean looks over at him, wondering if he's kidding. Upon seeing the man's confusion they both glance at Reg before Dean moves his gaze around the diner.

He looks at everyone's clothes with confusion, they're all dressed in older styled clothes. Dean looks back over the man beside him, glancing at the newspaper in his hands. The hunter leans over to look at the date. Monday, April 30, 1973 is written across the top.

"Hey, Winchester!" A man calls as he walks in. The man, Dean, and Dakota all look up at the man in confusion. "Son of a bitch!" The old man says again, walking past Dean and Dakota. "How you doin', corporal?" He asks the man beside the two.

"Swear." Dakota mumbles to her dad.

"Hey, Mr. D." The younger man grins, shaking the older one's hand.

"I heard you were back." the old man, Mr. D, says. Dean and Dakota exchange confused glances before watching the conversation.

"Yeah, a little while now." The younger man says.

"Good to have you home, John--damn good." Mr. D says, Dakota gasps at the name.

"Grandpa." She says in surprise.

"Dad?" Dean questions at the same time.    

"Say hello to your old man for me." Mr. D says, patting John's shoulder and walking away.

"You got it, Mr. D." John promises before turning back around to the counter. John glances at the other Winchesters, noticing them staring at him with wide eyes.

"Do we know each other?" John finally questions, spotting the recognition in their eyes.

"Yes." "I guess not." Dakota and Dean say at the same time. John looks at Dakota with confusion. "No, we don't." Dean says again. Dean turns to his coffee, taking a drink as John stares at him for a couple seconds.

"Take it easy, Pal." John says, standing up. He notices Dakota saddened look. "Bye, kiddo." He smiles at the young girl.

"Yeah." Dean agrees, taking another drink. Dean watches John walk to the diner door but turns away when John glances back in confusion. "Come on, baby." Dean says, standing up and holding Dakota to his hip, following after John. He waits a couple seconds so he's not right behind him.

Dean turns a corner, following John but stopping when he nearly runs into Castiel. Dakota grins at the angel, having missed him.

"What is this?" Dean questions, Dakota reaches towards the angel but Dean quickly tells her no.

"What does it look like?" Castiel responds in a deep voice, glancing at Dakota and nodding hello.

"Is it real?" Dakota asks in confusion, she doesn't understand. Dean explained to her that grandpa wasn't coming back, but that man had the same name as him.

"Very." Castiel answers.

"Okay, so, what, angels got their hands on some Deloreans?" Dean asks sarcastically. "How did we get here?"

Castiel looks away before almost sighing the answer. "Time is fluid, Dean. It's not easy, but we can bend it on occasion."

"Well, bend it back. Or tell me what the hell we're doing here." Dean snaps, Dakota looks at  him upset, she doesn't like how mean he is to Castiel.

"Be nice, daddy." She scolds, scrunching up her nose.

"I told you." Castiel responds, not showing any movement towards Dakota's words. "You have to stop it."

"Stop what, huh?" Dean hisses angrily. "What, is there something nasty after my dad?"

"Is grandpa in trouble?" Dakota asks after Dean's question, she looks wildly between the two men.

A car honks it's horn and tires screech against the ground, drawing the two Winchesters attention, when they turn back Castiel is gone from sight.

"Come on." Dean sighs, Dakota looks sadly at the spot that the angel was just at. "What, are you allergic to straight answers, you son of a bitch?!" Dean calls at nothing.

"Don't swear!" Dakota reminds.

Dean continues walking, trying to figure out which was John had gone. The young Winchester looks around for the young version of her grandfather.

Edited 4/4/19