Title: la familia (the family)
Series: "Supernatural"
Disclaimer: Eric Kripke owns, yessir.
Warnings: SPOILERS. Language.
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Dean, Sam, Castiel – mentions of Gabriel and others.
Rating: PG-13/T.
Other: Tag to "Changing Channels." Wonderful episode, btw.

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Dean was breaking probably every road law but he didn't care. He just wanted to get the fuck out of dodge, now, okay? When it turns out a pain in the ass you've known for about three years is actually an archangel (something labeled "asshole" or "avoid now, dumb ass" already, without the additional headache of what this guy did to his family) and is probably not all too happy with you, you want to get as far away from it as possible.

Beside him, Sam leans his head against the window of the Impala. "Today sucks," he declares.

"You can say that again," Dean mutters and glances up in the rear-view mirror. Sitting in the backseat, staring up at the roof is Castiel, the cut on the bridge of his nose slowly healing. He looks tired and stressed, like his day sucked, too. Dean supposes it did and once again wonders where Gabriel had sent him.

"Your brothers are assholes," Dean tells him.

Castiel lowers his gaze to meet Dean's in the mirror. His mouth presses into a hard line, but he doesn't disagree.

"I'm serious," he continues, making a right at a stop-light. "Every single one of them I've wanted to punch in the face. It's a fluke that you haven't turned out so screwed up. You know what." He pulls into the parking lot of a gas station, pulling up to the pump. He turns off the Impala and twists around in his seat to come face to face with Castiel. "You're getting adopted."

Sam snorts, but Dean ignores him.

"Adopted?" Castiel echoes, frowning.

Dean nods firmly. "Yep. From today onwards, you're a Winchester. See, you already fit in. You've died and you were brought back. Just—" he pauses. "Just don't go makin' any deals with the devil. Or any demons. In fact, just don't make any deals, 'kay?"

Sam's giggling (honest to god giggling! What was he, five?) in the passenger seat and Castiel looks bewildered. Uncertain, he nods. "Okay?"

"Good." With that, Dean slips out of the car, heading towards the gas station entrance.

Laughing, Sam shakes his head as he looks at Castiel. "Cas, you're screwed. You're stuck with us for the rest of our lives." He grins. "Good luck," he says and leans his head against the headrest.

Castiel cocks his head to the side, contemplating. A member of a self-sacrificial family who loved each other fiercely, going literally to Hell and back for each other. Well, he thinks and smiles slightly, there are worse families to belong to.

-

No excuse. Bed time!