A/N: Hello my dear readers. Let us begin another journey in the lives of the Winchesters in an AU I created for them. About five years has past since the death of Jessica and Dean moved Sam and his daughter to Sioux Falls. I hope I can entertain you with my creation. Reviews are welcome. If you have a moment please leave one. NC

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural and this is my own creation.

Chapter 1

Soft fluffy clouds drifted slowly across the sun as two adults and one child strolled through the forest enjoying the last warm days of summer. Fall was just around the corner and some of the trees were already starting to show their brilliant colors. A soft breeze rustled through the tops of the trees causing random leaves to drop from the limbs and float slowly down to the ground. Fall was spreading across the land as Mother Nature ushered the season in with all her glory. Birds were chirping and singing and squirrels were chattering around them complaining at the intrusion of these humans as they gathered food for the coming winter. The child skipped ahead of the two brothers knowing the way and wanting to get there faster than they were moving. Neither brother bothered to call her back knowing she would be safe and wanting to give her some time alone with her Momma.

"Hi Momma." Deanna whispered as she knelt down beside her mother's grave and plucking the leaves from the rocks that covered it. "Guess what? I get to start school in a few weeks. I'm going into second grade and skipping first. Daddy said I get my smarts from you, but Uncle Dee said Daddy was being modest that he was super smart too. Daddy said I was going to like it and I would make friends and Uncle Dee said I was already smarter than the other kids." Deanna continued to talk to her Mom's grave as she cleared the leaves. "Daddy said we were going shopping for some school clothes and some new sneakers and school supplies. Uncle Dee took me fishing last week and I caught a bigger fish than he did." she giggled sitting back and looking across from the grave toward the tree line nearby. Something out of place caught her attention and she stood for a better view.

Movement among the trees had her pausing and her curiosity led her to go check it out. She stepped into the coolness of the forest and just caught a glimpse of someone stepping behind some trees. "Hello?" she called waiting for an answer as she moved closer. "Are you lost?" Deanna stopped when she saw a man standing behind the tree dressed in a suit and wearing a trench coat. She thought that was strange dress for out here in the forest. "Hi." she greeted him but kept well out of his reach. Dean had started teaching her how to defend herself as soon as she could walk. He wanted to be sure she was prepared for whatever the future threw at her.

"How is it you see me child?" the man asked tilting his head slightly to look at the child more closely. He could see the power within her that had not been touched and wondered if anyone knew just how special she was. He stared intently at her and could see the wisdom in her young eyes as she processed the situation. The child was not your typical five year old and now he understood why she must be protected.

"Why shouldn't I see you? I saw you watching me. I'm not supposed to talk to strangers, my Daddy taught me that."

"My name is Castiel, so we aren't strangers now. But you should listen to what your father tells you, some humans are bad and you should be wary of them."

"That's a funny name, Cas-ta-el. Why are you out here at my Momma's grave? No one comes out here but me, Daddy and Uncle Dee. Is it ok if I call you Cas, it's much easier. I don't remember her because I was a baby when she died, but Daddy's told me about her..." the five year old rattled on.

"I don't see any harm in you calling me Cas. Actually I was sent down here to watch over you. I know she misses you."

"Watch over me? Why? Do you know my Daddy or Uncle Dee? They take real good care of me, so do Papa Bobby and Grandpa. "

"I know of your Daddy and uncle but I've never met them. You see your Momma wanted you to be kept safe so she begged to have someone come down to watch over you since they wouldn't let her do it and I was given that task."

"My Daddy said Momma's in Heaven with the angels, are you an angel? Have you seen my Momma in Heaven? Is she happy up there? " she asked her voice getting excited at the prospect and then frowning in puzzlement.

"Yes, I am an angel of the Lord."

"But you don't look like an angel." she said solemnly staring at him in earnest.

"How are we supposed to look?"

"Well...They wear long white robes and have wings and a halo." she explained looking at his clothes with a critical eye.

"I do have the wings part." Castiel told her standing tall as he unfolded the large, golden, yellowish wings out before her. They spread out behind him in all their glory, glinting brightly in the rays of the sun.

"Wow! They are huge and so pretty! Can I touch them?" she asked stepping closer to see them, her fear gone now. She was enthralled by their beauty and mystical appearance only as a child could be. "Can you really fly with them?"

"Of course." he replied letting them dip low enough for Deanna to feel the softness of the feathers as they tickled her face making her giggle. "And yes I can fly with them." Before he folded them up, Castiel plucked one of the smallest feathers near his body, and then let them vanish. He squatted down to be on her level and held the feather out to her. "If you will let me, I will use this feather to protect you." he told her letting her see it. After Deanna nodded yes, Castiel took her small arm and laid the feather on her bicep then covered it with his other hand. "This might sting for a moment." he said as he concentrated his grace to his hand. A soft, warm glow emitted around it as the feather vanished into her skin. Deanna watched all this in wonder and didn't even flinch as her arm grew warm and prickly for a moment and stopped. She examined her arm when he removed his hand and saw only the barest hint of the feather's impression. "You now have a small piece of my grace in you that will protect you from those who might try to harm you. If you need me, all you have to do is pray for me. I will be nearby, just remember no one else can see me unless I allow it."

"Really? Am I in danger? Should I tell my Daddy?" Deanna questioned a serious note to her voice.

"I don't know that you are child, but since I can not be by your side all the time my grace will ward you some protection. I don't want to alarm your father, so it is best you not tell speak of this."

"Can we talk again? I like talking to you." she asked absently touching her arm gently where the feather was. She couldn't really feel it except it felt slightly warm to her touch.

"Yes if you wish, but I think you should head back now, your father will be looking for you." Castiel told Deanna when he felt the present of the other two humans nearby. "It would be wise not to inform your father or uncle about me, I fear they wouldn't understand."

"I wish we had more time." she said sadly looking back the way she came. "I won't tell, can you tell Momma I love her?"

"Of course little one, now go back the way you came." Castiel encouraged the child watching as she turned and headed back into the woods. He stayed close until she was at the clearing and then disappeared with a slight ruffle of feathers and disturbance of air.

spn

"You heard from Dad?" Sam asked his brother as they slowed their pace so Deanna could have time at the grave by herself.

"Yeah, he called said they should have the hunt wrapped up in a few days." Dean replied as he gave the surrounding area a hunter's sweep. "He's gonna do his best to be back right before Deanna starts school."

"Good, I'm sure Deanna will expect him to be here."

"You know he can't say no to her. Hell, he spoils her worse than I do." Dean chuckled amazed at the change in their father once Sam and Deanna came to live with them.

Sam had disappeared from Stanford University with his girlfriend, Jessica, after getting visions of her dying. He was afraid to stay for fear of her dying like in his vision. They had gotten married and Deanna came along. Unfortunately, they were found by demons and kidnapped. The couple Sam was renting from called Dean and he ended up taking Deanna with him to Bobby's and they started their search for Sam and Jessica. The demons woke up the powers Sam possessed but Jessica was killed before he could save her which sent Sam on a hunt for revenge against the two demons he held responsible, Brady and Azazel. With Dean's help, the two demons were killed but Sam was almost lost in the process. Dean convinced Sam to come stay at Bobby's so he would have help raising Deanna. He refused to allow Sam to start back hunting since he now had a daughter who needed her Daddy, but Sam did help Bobby with research and whatever else he could do to help. He kept in shape and had gone on an occasional hunt with Dean when their Dad was busy and couldn't back him up. Dean made sure he stayed safe during the hunts. He also found work with a research firm that allowed him to work from home and to contribute money into the pot for expenses.

It didn't take baby Deanna long to have all the males in the house wrapped around her little finger, though you would never know it being around her. She was a well behaved, bright, happy child who loved her family very much and showed no signs of being spoiled. They all saw how smart she was at an early age. Dean always said she was a twenty year old in a five year old body. Since Dean, Bobby and their father still hunted, Sam didn't hide the supernatural from her and when she was able to understand told her about the real monsters that were out there in the world. He didn't want her to become a hunter by any means, but he didn't want her to be caught off guard by it either. She took it all in stride and wanted to know more. One thing was certain, she was a Winchester.

"It's amazing she's as well adjusted as she is." Sam commented thinking about their past. He loved his daughter very much and would do anything to keep her safe.

"Dad said Tom and Jeff were right about it being more than one and it was a good thing they called him. He said they would of probably gotten themselves killed trying to do it themselves."

"I'm sure Dad was happy to go. I know how antsy he gets if he's in one place too long. I'm just glad he's cutting back some on hunting." Sam told his brother as they stepped into the small clearing where he had buried his wife. His eyes swept the clearing looking for his daughter but didn't see her anywhere.

"It's like he's a different person since your daughter came into the picture." Dean teased looking toward his brother who had stopped walking and was frowning in concern. He followed his gaze and realized Deanna wasn't in the clearing.

"Deanna!" Sam called stepping toward the grave and seeing that leaves had been cleaned off part of the rocks.

"Where'd she go?" Dean asked walking quickly around the edge of the forest looking for his niece. "Hey Ladybug you playing hide and seek?" he called out.

spn

Deanna turned toward the voices before looking back at Castiel.

"You should go, they're worried about you." Castiel told her seeing she was safe and disappeared.

"Ok, bye." she said turning to run back toward the clearing. "I'm here Daddy!"

"Deanna, you know better than to go into the woods on your own, you could of gotten hurt." Sam scolded her when she stepped out from among the trees.

"I'm sorry Daddy, I thought I saw something and wanted to see what it was." she apologized giving him her best pathetic look.

Dean smirked knowing that look and that Sam would cave because he couldn't help himself. Deanna had learned quickly what worked and what didn't work on her father, but she got it honestly. Sam had been the same way with Dean growing up and he was getting payback.

"What did you think you saw?" Dean asked her.

"Maybe a deer, I'm not sure." she said with a shrug looking away as she talked.

Dean pursed his lips knowing she wasn't telling him everything. He had had enough experience with Sam trying to lie to him when he was young to spot it in Sam's daughter. He wasn't sure what she could be hiding but didn't press the issue. He knew Deanna was much smarter than most five year olds since she proved it all the time. He figured she would say something when she was ready.

"I'm not mad at you; I was just worried about you. Come on let's finish clearing the leaves and we'll put up the cross." Sam told his daughter as he squatted down to toss leaves off the rocks on top of the grave. "Did you have a nice chat with your Mom?"

"Yes, I told her about school and that we were going shopping." Deanna said squatting to help pluck the remaining leaves off.

"That's nice." Sam commented. "Hello my love..." he whispered a look of sadness and grief playing across his face.

spn

Dean stepped to a shade tree and leaned against it giving his niece and brother time to talk to Jess. He never got to know or even meet Jessica, Sam's wife, but from what Sam told him she was a very special person. He watched as Sam took the cross he had made and positioned it at the head of the grave to pound into the ground. He stepped back and hugged his daughter to his side as they gazed at it.

"Hey Ladybug what say we start back, give your Dad some time alone?" Dean called to her after he saw they were done.

"Ok Uncle Dee." Deanna said before leaning over and hugging the rocks and planting a small kiss on a pure white stone near the top of the grave. That was a special stone Deanna had found when she was three and wanted to bring it to put on the grave. "I love you Momma." she whispered. She got up and skipped to him taking his hand.

Dean nodded to Sam before turning and walking back down the small trail leaving Sam alone at the grave. He wiped his eyes before Deanna saw his tears that threatened to leak from them. Every time they made the trek here these emotions surfaced in him. Dean knew even after all this time Sam still mourned deeply for his wife and Dean could feel all of them when he opened himself up and allowed it.

"Can you believe how much she's grown my love?" Sam whispered watching the two until they disappeared from sight. "She reminds me more of you each day. You would be so proud of her, Deanna's growing into her own little person with so much life and love and happiness about her. I wish you were here with us Jess, I miss you so much..." Sam said, his voice cracking and tears filling his eyes as he sobbed softly. It didn't matter how much time passed, the pain and sorrow was still there. The only thing that kept him going was Deanna and her love. "I show her your pictures and tell her about you so she will know you. Would you believe she's starting school? She's going into the second grade, skipping first 'cause she's so advanced. They were shocked when she tested off the scale and when she started speaking in Latin, no one knew what to say. Guess she's the first child that's ever done that." he chuckled. "I'm gonna look into a gifted program for her so she can grow and reach her full potential. I know you're watching over us. It seems like I can feel you beside me sometimes." Sam said smiling as he looked up to the sky. "Guess I better go, we'll be back my love. I'm sure Deanna will have a lot to tell you about school by then. I love you so much." Sam wiped his face on his shirt sleeve and turned from the grave to head back the way Dean and Deanna had gone.

spn

"So Ladybug, you have a good visit with your Mom?" Dean asked Deanna as they made their way back to where the Impala was parked.

"I did. I like coming to see her even thought it makes Daddy sad. I know he feels closer to her when we visit." she said not realizing how grown up she sounded. "He still misses her so much."

Dean looked down at the top of his niece's head wondering how she got to be so wise for one so young. Deanna could pick up on Sam's emotions almost as quickly as Dean did. For that matter, Deanna seemed in tune with those around her, especially her family. She surprised him every time he turned around with some knowledgeable remark or action or just being herself. She was a warm, loving, bright, shining light in a world full of darkness. She had a carefree, inquisitive spirit of a child always wanting to know more about everything life had to offer.

One thing was sure, she was Sam's daughter. He could see Sam in her in so many ways it was spooky at times. Watching them together was like watching a mini Sam with her gestures, facial expressions, actions and her intelligence. Way back in the back corner of Dean's mind there was that tiny, little question that he would not voice because he wasn't sure he wanted to know was, Did she possess any of Sam's abilities? He could swear there were times she could read his mind, but he chalked it up for being a Winchester and the bond that they had.

"I know sweetheart, I know." Dean said sadly knowing that he would have to deal with a depressed Sam for a few days. He always got down and depressed after these trips, but he did his best to hide it from Deanna. Of course that wasn't the case with Dean who could read his many moods and knew what he was thinking before he did. He did his best to get him through these times without too much backwash.