The Bond

Summary:

Iris Watson is something of a rare breed when it comes to the human species. For all purpose, she is perfectly average. She enjoys the little things in life, has hobbies in photography and music. She comes from a middle class family, with familial issues all too normal. There is but one thing that sets her apart from other people.

Something even she isn't aware of until the form of a battered man in a tarnished trench coat passes out on her front porch.

Being pulled into a world filled with supernatural creatures had been the last thing Iris ever thought would happen.

Though, Fate itself is a fickle thing.

Author's Note:

Yet another beginning to another plot bunny running through my head that I just need to get out. Please, leave a review. This is a work in progress, and I'm not particularly sure how it will play out yet. Each chapter title is associated with a type of bond people share with each other. Something that connects them in a way. In this story, every character, no matter how minimal, shares a certain level of a bond. This will be a slow building Cas/OC fic, as I want to focus on the way many people grow comfortable and familiar with each other. Let me know what you all think.

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, but Iris and any OC's you might see are of my own creation. I will most likely take requests in supernatural creatures that will be used in future chapters and confronted by team Free Will (Winchesters and Cas). Requests before the chapter is written will be foot-noted at the end of the prior chapter, so I encourage your ideas.

Thanks again!

Chapter Ten
Christmas Surprises

"I thought you knew we don't celebrate holidays," Dean states, watching the hope slowly dim in his friend's green eyes.

Iris looks down. Christmas had been the only holiday that carried meaning to her. Memories of putting a smile on her little sister's face. Memories of snowball fights, snow angels and endless amounts of hot chocolate. Their parents usually attended some high-brow charity function during the holiday, leaving them on their own. It made living in their childhood house bearable during the holidays.

"You wish to visit your friend Mac," Castiel states suddenly.

Iris brings her gaze from the floor, smiling weakly, "Mac is the only real connection I have left to Violet's memory," She ignores the curious gleam in their eyes, her own gaze glazing over with thought, "I had been tolerable of Mac in the beginning. He often protected Violet when I couldn't. He kept an eye on her while I was away. I...I just don't want to leave him by himself, knowing that Christmas was Violet's favorite holiday."

The two brothers share a glance before a sigh leaves Dean's lips, "Fine. We'll spend Christmas in Boulder, but we leave out the day after."

Thanking them softly, Iris slips into the bathroom. Leaning against the sink, she finds her reflected gaze, still feeling the torrent of disbelief. Would anything in her life be easy? Would she ever be able to accept the idea behind the revelation she received a week ago? Had her life always been so twisted with lies? Is anything real? She snorts to her reflection.

"This friendship thing is probably all a lie too," she spits at her reflection.

Isn't that true? If she had never helped Castiel in the first place, this friendship would never have happened. She would still be home, living a life she had grown accustomed to. She wouldn't be bothered with the series of emotional turmoil the Winchester's bring to the plate. She wouldn't feel the torrent of grief and guilt.

A knock sounds on the door, "Dean insists we hit the road now."

Inhaling deeply, Iris buries the emotional chaos within her and flashes her angel friend a smile as she exits the bathroom.

Pulling up the driveway of Iris's house, the four pile out of the car as Iris approaches the front door. Entering welcoming warmth, Iris feels a sad smile form on her lips as she inhales the familiar aroma of hot chocolate. Hearing the guys follow her hesitantly, Iris takes in the green garnish decorating the banister of the staircase, the sparsely decorated tree, and the small amount of presents sitting beneath the tree. Leading them to the kitchen, she is greeted by the sight of Mac placing mugs of fresh, milk-brewed hot chocolate on the island.

"Nice to see you all in one piece," Mac greets, hazel eyes gleaming with good nature.

Catching sight of the clock on the wall, Iris sighs as she dismisses the drink, "Thanks, and while this is short notice, I need to head out for a short while."

The brothers and the angel turn startled gazes on her, Dean immediately asking, "What? We just arrived!"

"I know, but I need to go pay my sister my respects and pick something up. You think you can keep them company, Mac?" Iris asks, quirking an eyebrow, giving her friend a loaded look.

Mac grins widely in response to her look, "They will be fine. Go, do what you need to do, but hurry back. We have much to talk about."

Confused, the trio watches their friend leave the house.

"Shouldn't worry so much about her," Mac states, gaining their attention, "Ever since Violet turned sixteen, she always got a tattoo the day before Christmas Eve. The only time she didn't was the Christmas before she died."

"Why the change of heart?" Sam asks curiously.

"She insisted that Iris needed to get one. Quite a beautiful piece if you ask me," Mac says, waving his left arm in the air mildly, "If you look close enough, you will see those swirled lines are actually old Celtic runes."

Castiel's eyebrows perk at this information, "Why would she get that tattooed to her body?"

"Violet drew them. She had quite an interest in languages. Took Latin one year just for the hell of it," Mac says, smiling at the memories, before he shakes his head.

"Can you explain the sudden guilt and despair Iris seems to be feeling?" Castiel asks suddenly.

Mac quirks an eyebrow in surprise, "You mean, you guys don't know? I admit, I was curious by the casual conversation."

Dean tenses at the suggestive tone, "What do you mean?"

Iris smiles to herself, thankful that something good came out of the trip. Carefully removing the packages from the compartment under her bike's seat, she head back up to the house. Inhaling the warm air as it breezes against her face, she giggles softly. It always felt good paying Violet's memorial stone a visit. Her thoughts freeze at the sight of three pairs of eyes glaring at her from the kitchen.

"Is something wrong?" she asks, carefully setting the two slim, slightly long, packages on the island as she pours herself some hot chocolate.

"You brought us here under false pretenses?" Hearing the dejected anger in Dean's voice, she feels her shoulders tense.

Turning her gaze on Mac, she hisses, "You told them?"

"Of course not, dearest," Seeing the genuine truth in her friend's gaze, she groans as she runs a hand through her bangs.

Turning to the trio, she smiles weakly, "It's not what you-"

"You lied to us. Again," Dean sneers, standing up from his seat, "Is anything you say really the truth, or just half-truths? You didn't bring us here to celebrate the holidays."

"Of course I did. Will you calm-"

Dean's fist bangs on the table, "No! You gave Sam so much shit about 'omission of the truth' bull, but you're so damn hypocritical, you think it's okay for you to leave out truths with us? Have you ever told us the complete truth?"

"Dean, will you stop yelling at me?" Iris tilts her head, looking to the others for help, but even the sight of Castiel's stoic gaze causes her to sigh, "I see. Well, if you all are going to jump to conclusions, you know where the door is. Mac, I'm afraid our conversation will have to wait," A curious feeling coils in the pit of her stomach, Iris's hand immediately pressing against it. Overwhelmed by the oppressive influx of the strange feeling, Iris steps backward, "I-I don't think I will be up for that talk."

Dean's hand lashes out, grabbing her arm, firmly keeping her from escaping the kitchen, "You have lied about your name. You've lied about who you really are. You are most likely hiding other things and now you lie about this? About wanting to spend some holiday together? You know, I thought you were starting to care for us, like we cared for you, but maybe I was just hopeful that someone wasn't out to shit on our lives once more."

Iris's eyes widen at the callous words. Is that what he thought of her? Due to one misunderstanding? Something he won't allow her to explain? Seeing a drop of water hit the tiled floor, Iris tilts her head in a baffled manner before looking up at the ceiling. Surely it is too cold for rain. Maybe there is a leaky pipe somewhere? Inhaling, she curses the cold wind for the sniffled sound that resonates through the sudden silence. Shaking her head, she carefully yanks her arm from Dean's grip, stepping back a few paces.

"As I said," Iris pauses, clearing the hoarse, broken sound that echoes from her lips, "You can go if that's what you believe. I..." Licking her trembling lips, she looks away as Mac's figure suddenly springs from the chair, "I am sorry for the inconvenience I have caused you all."

A heavy silence falls over the kitchen as the occupants watch Iris's somber figure retreat from the room. Sam, opens his mouth to speak up for Iris, but closes it at the sight of Mac making his way over to the two packages left on the counter of the island. Wordlessly, he slides them both to the Winchester brothers. Hesitantly, they simultaneously open the packages and stare wide-eyed at the two daggers nestled in each of their boxes. The handles appeared carved out of an Ashe tree, the very base inscribed with their initials. The pure silver blades gleam with symbols.

"See the symbol embellishment on the hilts?" Mac states, pointing out the gold symbol on one hilt and the black symbol on the opposing one, "The one with the golden symbol is a demon knife, the other, fashioned with Enochian banishing sigils."

It takes a moment, as both brothers look over the new weapons, before they both tense. Slowly, turning to face Mac, they take note of Castiel already staring at the man intensely. Instead of showing any trace of fear, Mac appears to be amused.

"Oh, you Winchester's sure are quick on the uptake," Turning to Castiel, Mac smirks, "Although, I'm a bit hurt you don't recognize me," The angel's eyes widen as Mac's light hazel eyes flash an impossible blue, the familiar Grace tickling at Castiel's senses, "Uh oh, looks like little Cassie figured me out."

"Balthazar," Castiel says, and the brothers were sure if he has been human, it would have sounded more shocked, "How is this possible?"

"I'd ask you the same, but we both know that answer to that," the accent bleeding through his words.

Dean shakes his head, "I don't understand. Is this why we are here? Did Iris know?"

"Not until a few days ago, and she wasn't sure which angel I was," Balthazar's eyes soften, "You see, after I died, I found myself waking up in this body," Balthazar motions to Mac's body, "Andrew Macintosh is a new vessel so to speak. With it, I gained all the knowledge of his relationship with Iris Watson, and more importantly, her sister Violet."

"Why would Violet be of importance?" Sam questions.

"It seems as though our Father carried a bit of a sense of humor. To prove my worth as an angel of the Lord, I was made a Guardian of Andrea Violet Hastings," Balthazar states, his eyes growing dim.

"A lot of good you did there," Dean retorts.

Castiel on the other hand realized what his fellow angel was saying, "Your charge was meant to die. Why?" Balthazar doesn't need to respond, the look he gives Castiel is enough, "Violet had to die in order to have Iris be here, for when I came. This bond, Iris and I share, it has been Fated for years."

Balthazar nods slowly, "Once my dear Violet passed, I had been given a chance to return to Heaven, but...it did not feel right, leaving Iris in such a state. I tried to help her cope, but the girl has a knack for closing herself off."

"Why Iris? What makes her so special? Why is she bestowed a bond that carries no record of its existence?" Castiel urges, wanting the answers so badly.

Balthazar shakes his head, "I wish I knew. She only knew of me because of the mark I gave her sister three years ago."

"That would explain her over-zealous study of the Guardian sigils. Balthazar, do you have any idea of who might know of this bond?" Castiel asks.

The other angel shakes his head, "The only one's that would carry such knowledge would be higher up the ranks."

"The archangels are dead," Sam states.

"Ah, yes," Balthazar gasps mockingly, grinning at them, "But then again, so were we. It seems as though God is choosing to bring some of us back, and it appears to be centered around Iris Watson, though no one can be sure why."

"Then we need to figure out if God has brought back any other angels," Dean comments, standing up.

The three, already mentally planning their next tasks, hears the deep clearing of Balthazar's through, the cheerful angel grinning at them again, "Yes, as lovely as this sudden revelation is, I believe you have something that needs to be fixed."

Seeing the confusion, Balthazar sighs before pointing up at the ceiling.

Blank green eyes stare at the single droplet of water resting on the pad of her index finger. Had it been worth it? Feeling such anguish over harsh words? To be thought of as someone so lowly? Did she do something wrong? Maybe, it's just her that is wrong? It isn't like she fits anywhere.

"Iris?"

Curling her finger back into the palm of her hand, Iris turns her black gaze up to the trio standing in the doorway of her room. Inhaling deeply, she stands from her bed, bowing her head curtly, "I believe I made a mistake."

"We know. We-"

"I believed I could be anything else other than what I've always been," Iris states curtly, cutting Dean's response short, "I promise to never hold any information that may come to me in the future, regarding supernatural occurrences, from you."

"Iris, it's fine. I over-"

"I apologize, Castiel," the angel tilts his head at the use of his full angelic name, as green eyes turn on him, "I have not been as devoted to finding a way to dissolve our bond, not as devoted as you have been. I will strive to do better." Iris doesn't wait to turn her gaze on Sam, "I apologize for the hypocrisy I have shown in regards to truthful notions."

"Iris, will you stop?" Dean steps closer, watching her tense instinctively, "Will you accept my apology?"

"You have no reason to apologize, Dean," Iris states as if it is obvious, "You were righteous in your anger for my negligence in offering the truth."

"Why are you speaking in such a manner?" Castiel wonders aloud, trying to feel anything from their bond.

Sam, having remained silent through the exchange, steps forward and shoves pass his brother. Without saying a word, the tallest of the two brothers embraces their female companion. Odd? Iris did not expect this. As Sam pulls away, he looks back to his brother and their angel friend for a brief moment before nudging Iris for her attention.

"Lying just means your one-step closer to being more...imperfect," Sam states.

Awareness floods Dean. Remembering the conversations with her friends at the bar. Iris is bound to make mistakes because she's never truly lied before. She's...trying to be more human and less than a puppet. Dean takes a step forward and places a firm hand on her shoulder. A silent apology flashes in his gaze and he waits for her to recognize it. Slowly, the empty void in her eyes fades and they soften gently.

Castiel, pleased as the emotions flood through their bond, finds a curious feeling wash over his mind. He had never met a human that can remove all traces of emotional stress from their facial features, let alone their mind or their soul. A small dose of affection causes him to break his thoughts and he meets softened green eyes.

What about Iris makes her so important? What is her destiny?

Yes, I'm evil. I'm stopping here, because my fingers and toes are starting to freeze over. lol...too damn cold for my hot-blooded self.

Thanks for those who reviewed.

Kit-Cat99: I was just as excited as you about everything that occurred in 8.07.

Winterfellsfallenangel: hahaha...I had to laugh at your suggestion. Silly, silly Winter.

Guest: I'm guessing here, but are you my Ravenclaw Slytherin? Reviews are so familiar...lol. Thanks again!

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Until Next Time!