Title: Into The Woods
Chapter 5
Notes: ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’ is by Foreigner.

~~~~~~~~~~

While firmly suspecting Uzziel of lying about grilling, Dean couldn’t quite catch him in it, so he abandoned his efforts and concentrated on finishing lunch. He was getting antsy for some fishing time and the sooner they were done eating, the faster they could get fishing. What were the chances that this was as weird as the weekend would be?

He cast a lingering glance at the angels. Low chance, he decided. The chance for something even weirder was high just by them being around.

Jo sighed, an overly loud sound, and rifled through the food containers. “What happened to all the M&Ms, Dean?” Her tone indicated that she already knew the answer to that question.

Dean glanced at Jo and finished adding ketchup to the last burger. “I had a couple handfuls earlier.”

“Yeah. A couple handfuls in each bowl you had,” Gwen replied, trying to coax Sean into taking his bottle.

“I didn’t eat all of them,” Dean protested with a tiny guilty twinge of his conscience. Maybe he had eaten most of the bag by himself. It was just so easy to eat a handful and another handful and another….

“That’s technically right. You left three single M&Ms in the bag.” Jo tipped them out into her palm and handed them to Jack. “Here, sweetie. You can have a s’more later, okay? Eat them all before you leave camp and stay with Abigael. Don’t wander off.”

Jack popped the treat in his mouth and announced he was ready to go. The two started down the path towards the water. Abigael would keep him out of trouble.

“If we need M&Ms so much, I’ll go buy more.” Dean stood, ready to go if she really wanted him to.

Jo shrugged a shoulder. “Send one of the angels.”

He saw Uzziel perk up at that suggestion. The danger with letting him go would be that he might get distracted by himself and somehow end up back at Bobby’s house pestering Ellen.

“Aren’t we still trying to minimize how often we use their powers? I’d swear we covered this earlier with the whole Hawaii discussion.” Sam reached out his hands. “Here, Gwen, let me try.”

She handed Sean to him.

“We use them in emergencies. Besides, have you seen the price of gas lately?” Jo put the trash away.

“I don’t think an M&M run constitutes an emergency,” Sam told Jo, “and yes, I’ve seen the price of gas. Our SUV uses just as much as the Impala. I think we average about fourteen miles a gallon with it. If that.”

“If I’m PMS-ing and want chocolate it’s an emergency,” Gwen replied. She looked relaxed and happy. “Although my indulgence tends to run to peanut butter cups and Snickers bars more than M&Ms.”

“Are you,” Dean asked, not that he particularly wanted to know.

“No, but that does constitute an emergency.”

“Got that right,” Sam muttered, shifting Sean and jiggling the bottle. “I keep emergency chocolate on me at all times.”

“You’re such a good husband.” Gwen smiled at him.

“I try.”

Dean made a retching noise, then pointed at them. “You two? Totally sickening sweet sometimes.” It was a good sight and sound though. Sam had had too much pain in love for so long that they’d assumed for awhile that he’d never be able to settle down. That Sam had Gwen at all was like a miracle in many ways. Sean was a miracle, too, because Sam had sworn more than once that he’d never have kids. Dean was glad that had changed. Sam was a good dad and was obviously enjoying being one. His face seemed to light up whenever he held Sean and a peace came over him.

“Like you and Jo aren’t?” Sam frowned. “Come on, Sean. Eat.”

“Name one time when we were sickeningly sweet.” Dean quickly went on before Sam could say anything. “See? Can’t do it.”

Sam’s jiggling of the bottle managed to produce a belch, at which Sean began to suck at the bottle. “There we go,” Sam said with a tiny smile. “I could name plenty of times, Dean. Like the time Jo was talking about wanting a Dilly bar on the phone and that there were no Dairy Queens close. You packed a cooler and drove five hours to take her Dilly bars.”

“You’ve got the gassiest kid in both ways,” Dean observed. He’d thought Jack a prodigy at belching, yet Sean gave him a run for his money. “Like father like son, and she needed help on that case.”

“No I didn’t,” Jo denied, crossing her arms. “That was the time my car wouldn’t start.”

“No, you needed help.” He remembered very clearly that she’d needed help.

“No, my piece of crap car wouldn’t start. Remember? You told me to jack a new one and one that didn’t have duct tape holding it together. I told you I actually owned the car and paid for it with my hard earned money and you laughed. You laughed at my piece of crap car.”

He could swear he was right. “I’m not remembering that. I’m remembering the Dilly bars….”

“You would. You watched me eat them with your mouth hanging open. Perv.” Her smile was a fond one.

Reaching out, he cupped her hip and tugged her to him. “You like it when I perv.”

“I do.”

“You deliberately ate them in a provocative way.”

“Maybe.” She shrugged one brow up and down.

“Speaking of sickening sweet,” Sam called out. “Case in point and Jo’s right, Dean. It was her car that time. The case was about a week later.”

“How do you two remember things like that?” He snapped his fingers. “It’s that whole female thing, isn’t it. You’re too in touch with your feminine side, Sam.”

Jo spread her hands across Dean’s chest. “Okay, well, back to the topic. If we have no M&M’s, the only dessert we have left are the s’mores and those are for later. No one gets dessert.”

“I’m okay with that.” Gwen glanced up at Castiel, who stood behind her with the baby backpack still strapped to him. He hadn’t removed it after handing Sean to her to be fed. “You want Sean back when he’s done eating?”

“I’d like that. Thank you, Gwen.”

“Fine with me and I don’t need dessert.” Sam looked over at Dean again. “I know you’re antsy. You could go set up the chairs and start getting ready. We’ll be down in five or ten minutes.”

“I’ll be fishing in five.” Dean picked up his chair and found Uzziel and Jael there to help carry the rest. As they walked to the spot he, Sam, and Gwen had picked out earlier, he asked, “So you two really want to fish?”

“Most definitely.” Uzziel grinned. “I’m ready to be taught. I always look forward to learning new skills.”

“Uh-huh. How about you, Jael?”

He adjusted his glasses. “I’m willing to attempt to fish, but this is your camping trip, Dean. I won’t intrude long on your fishing.”

“Not even if Jack wants you to?”

“Um….”

As the angel floundered on how to answer, Dean chuckled. “Don’t worry. I predict Jack has completely forgotten he told you you were joining us and that he’ll be bored within five minutes at most.”

It actually took twenty minutes to get the chairs set up, teach Uzziel and Jael the basics, and corral Jack so he could try too. Everyone except Jo was present. Castiel assured him she was set up in the camp and back reading by the time he’d left to come down to the water.

Dean settled back in his chair and let himself relax. The sun felt good on his face and he tipped his head back a little.

“What now, Daddy?” Jack kicked his feet back and forth. His smaller fishing pole was held like Dean’s and it warmed Dean’s heart to see his son trying hard to imitate him. This right here was the good part of their lives.

“You sit back, close your eyes, and wait for a nibble on the line.” He ignored Gwen’s super soft snort from his other side. She’d chosen to fish while Sam kept an eye on the cooler and pretended he wasn’t going to be napping in his chair in-between Uzziel and Jael’s inept tries at fishing. Neither one of the angels had fishing in his skill set.

About fifteen seconds after Dean closed his eyes (he counted), came Jack’s voice in a loud whisper. “Daddy?”

“What?”

“I’m bored.”

He opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder at Sam. He was finishing up removing the second hook from Jael’s thumb and was telling him he probably shouldn’t try again, because the third time wasn’t always a charm. “Go up with Sam. Be good and do what he tells you.” Dean handed his own pole across to Gwen while he took care of Jack’s pole.

“That didn’t take long,” she observed.

“Longer than I thought. I was sure he’d be bored before we got the worm on.”

She gestured down the lake a short ways. “Did you see that?”

With a glance that way, he nodded. Castiel and Abigael were walking together. Sean was strapped to Castiel’s chest in a baby backpack again. “Now that’s a sight I never thought I’d see. Cas carrying a baby on his chest. Blows my mind every time.”

“He seems to like kids.”

“No, not all kids. He likes our kids,” he corrected. “Mine and Jo’s, yours and Sam’s. He wants to be an angel uncle.”

“Nothing wrong with that.” She leaned over a fraction closer to him. “He’s trying, Dean. He is. This is as hard for him as it is for you. Maybe even harder because he’s caught between his friendship with you and his job in heaven. They don’t always match in ideals.”

“I know that and I forgave him. Pisses me off that Death used us all against him to force Cas to do what he wanted him to.”

“You won’t change Death. That’s how he is. He’ll use any of us whenever he needs to.”

Turning his head, he studied her. “You know, Gwen, I don’t get how you can be so laid back about what Death did.”

She met his gaze and replied, “He let me live. That’s how I can be so laid back. I’m grateful for that. For the chance. He didn’t have to let me live. He could have snuffed my life out and never looked back, but he allowed me to keep going.”

“Only because he needed you to help right the balance in the world.” That was the reason Death had let Gwen live. She should have died from that car accident with the Soul Stealer, but Death had foreseen what was needed to defeat that creature: blood from all their lines. Winchester, Harvelle, and Bennett. If that hadn’t been needed, she would have been gone and Sam would have closed himself off from getting close to anyone ever again.

“The reason doesn’t matter. I’m here now and I’m grateful I’ve had the chance to keep living. Honestly, I try not to think about the big picture too much. It’d give me a headache to think about all that stuff. Death, the Fates.” She shook her head and returned her attention to the placid surface of the water. “No, thank you. I’ll just look at my own world and let Castiel and the angels worry about the rest. It is their job after all. Ours is to hunt and live our lives in the process for however long we have.”

“I’ve seen too much to do that.”

“And I’ve seen too much not to. The more I see, the more I want to focus on this, us, on what’s close. This is what’s important. Our families. I don’t want to save the world. I just want to save a few people while I’m here.” She slid her gaze to him without turning her head. “And kill a few ugly monsters. I really like that part.”

“That is a good part of it.” Dean got comfortable in his chair again and closed his eyes. He thought if nothing else happened he might be able to get a good doze going. He’d been able to feel every rock under their tent against his back even with the air mattress.

~~~~~~~~~~

“How do you know if your boyfriend loves you?”

Jo looked up. The woman who’d appeared was young and dressed in slacks, a dress shirt, and jacket that were rather inappropriate for camping. It looked like she’d taken a page out of Castiel’s camping wardrobe. “Um…I don’t know. Who are you?”

Crossing to the chair beside Jo, she sat. “I’m Atropos,” she said, as if Jo should already know her identity.

“Oh.”

“Well? How did you know Dean loved you?”

“Why?”

Her sigh was impatient. “Tell me.”

“That’s a pretty personal thing to ask.”

“Is it? Why?”

“Because…. Do you think Balthazar loves you? I thought angels were generally emotionally retarded.”

She snorted. “He’s retarded all right.”

Balthazar chose that moment to saunter into the campsite. “My ears were burning.”

“I’m surprised something else doesn’t burn,” Atropos snapped with more than a little anger in the words.

Jo pursed her lips and crossed her legs. What had Balthazar done?

“Did you call me retarded, my love?” Balthazar dragged over a chair to sit on the other side of Jo.

Atropos crossed her arms. “Yes.”

“That’s not very PC of you.”

“That’s a human thing. Screw being PC. You’re retarded.”

“And you’re a manipulative, arbitrary bitch, but I don’t call you names.”

“You just did,” Jo pointed out.

“She started it,” he replied. “Honestly, I don’t know why either. We were having a lovely afternoon delight --”

“Spare me the details,” she begged, not really wanting to hear about Atropos and Balthazar’s sex life.

“--and she got mad, dressed, and left in a huff.”

Closing her eyes, Jo sighed. Wonderful. Two powerful beings with the emotional maturity of teenagers were having a lover’s spat. How could this not happen? And how could she not be their chosen counselor? She reopened her eyes. It didn’t look like she was going to get to finish the book she’d started. Too bad. She was curious what creature the author had chosen to use.

“You know what you did.” Atropos turned halfway away from Jo in the chair. “He knows what he did.”

Balthazar’s expression was bewildered. “I swear I do not.”

“Liar.” Atropos looked at Jo and raised her brows. “Well?”

“Well what?” With a sinking feeling, Jo realized that Atropos really was expecting her to be their counselor.

“Aren’t you going to ask us questions?”

Jo poured herself a cup of tea. Castiel had freshened it up for her. He’d been very concerned that she be comfortable and even suggested she rest in the tent for awhile. She then cast a longing glance at the container of cheese popcorn Castiel had retrieved from their pantry for her before he’d left to join everyone at the water. Somehow, she suspected the Fate wouldn’t appreciate Jo snacking on popcorn like they were entertainment. “Why me? I’m not a shrink.” If she’d hoped in any way to deter Atropos by telling her that, she was disappointed.

“No, but you’re in a stable relationship with Dean Winchester. That gives you far more real insight than any psychiatrist.”

“That is an excellent point,” Balthazar agreed, crossing his arms.

She took a sip of her tea and considered that a moment. “Um…. So?”

Atropos blinked and spoke slower with added emphasis, the way people sometimes spoke English to non-English speaking people, as if speaking slower and with emphasis would make them understand the language. “Dean Winchester.”

With a narrowing of her eyes, Jo reached for the popcorn anyway. “Again I ask, so? Why does that give me insight?”

“Because. He’s unhinged and dangerous.”

“Very dangerous.” Balthazar nodded. “Emotionally crippled.”

“You’re one to talk about being emotionally crippled,” Atropos spat with a glare. “He’s very unstable, Jo. Dean, I mean, though Balthazar isn’t exactly the poster child for stellar emotional health.”

“Supernatural beings always say he’s unstable and dangerous. We hunt supernatural beings so,” she shrugged, “pardon me if I don’t consider your opinion on my husband’s emotional health to be valid.” Was it really a bad thing for supernatural creatures to think Dean was crazy?

Atropos adjusted her glasses. “The fact that you even have a lasting, stable, and even somewhat normal relationship is a wonder.”

Jo thought that Atropos looked smart and generally appeared smart, so why didn’t she seem to get that she was insulting them?

Balthazar leaned over. “What she said.” He sniffed. “Is that cheese popcorn?” One hand slid towards the container. “May I….?”

Jo clutched the container to her with a frown. “No, you may not. Get your own and if you two continue to piss me off by acting like my marriage is a miracle, you’re both on your own.”

“There’s no need to be peeved over this.” Atropos crossed her legs and frowned. “It’s a fact. Your lasting relationship to Dean has to be a miracle because he is unstable. Why are you upset by the statement of fact? Everyone knows it. Even Dean himself.”

“Unbelievable. You really are unbelievable.” When Jo turned her attention back to Balthazar, he’d somehow gotten his own container of popcorn, one twice the size of hers.

He smirked and tapped at it. “Mine is bigger.”

Definitely the maturity level of a teenager…and Dean on some days. She had to admit that. With a roll of her eyes, she asked, “You want questions, I’ll ask questions. How long have you known each other?”

“Known or known of?” Balthazar opened his container and tossed a few pieces into the air, catching them with his mouth.

“Known.”

Atropos cleared her throat. “We met for the first time a couple centuries ago, but it wasn’t until he decided to try and get information on why Castiel was behaving oddly awhile back that he even looked at me with any interest.”

“You mean he seduced you for information?”

Her frown deepened, as if she hadn’t thought of that before.

“Hey now.” Balthazar sat up a bit straighter. “It may have begun with that intention, but it quickly became more. She was a challenge and I adore a challenge.”

“Was?”

He waved a hand. “Is. These periodic emotional outbursts tire me, but as I’m never quite sure where they’ll lead, I am constantly intrigued by the mystery that is my lovely Atropos.”

Jo nodded and translated, “You have absolutely no idea what you did wrong and you’re hoping a little flattery might help the situation.”

He pursed his lips.

“Not only that, but you’re a little afraid of what she might do while angry, so you kiss her ass until she calms down.”

Balthazar turned his attention to his popcorn and held up one piece, studying it. “Is this real cheese in any way?”

“Nope. Cheese flavored chemical dust and don’t feel bad, Balthazar. It’s okay. Dean does the whole flattery thing, too. I’ve even heard Sam do it. Guys never get it. It’s a guy thing.”

He closed his container and set it down on the ground. “Angels are gender non-specific until we take our vessels.”

“Uh-huh. Sure.” Jo nodded and turned her attention to Atropos. “Atropos, why are you upset?”

She hesitated. “I told him that I think I love him and he said ‘thank you’ like it was a compliment.”

“What else?”

“What do you mean ‘what else’, Jo? A compliment. Isn’t it obvious that he’s emotionally retarded?”

“He’s an angel. They all are. Or at least, that’s been my understanding.”

Atropos didn’t seem comforted by that. “Abigael and Castiel feel things. They love your family. Other angels feel things, but he says ‘thank you’ and continues to nuzzle my breasts.”

“Are you sure he heard you right? Guys tend to get stupid around breasts.”

“Does Dean?”

Jo thought the answer was blindingly obvious for anyone who’d ever seen Dean check a woman out. “Uh-huh. He’s a breast man.” And an everything else man. “He can get pretty stupid over them.”

“At least Dean tells you he loves you. Balthazar can’t be bothered.”

“But darling….I don’t really know what love is.” With a snap of his fingers, Balthazar’s popcorn container disappeared. He turned in the chair and leaned over Jo, staring at Atopos with what Jo recognized as the same soldering expression Dean used. “But I want to. I want to know what love is. I want you to show me. I want to feel what love is. I know you can show me. Let’s talk about love, the love that you feel inside.”

And now that song was ruined for her. Jo tried hard not to roll her eyes again and succeeded. He would quote song lyrics.

Atropos turned her head to look at him. “I want an expression of your feelings for me.” She appeared to be softening, leaning over slightly.

“I give you expressions all the time, my darling.”

Jo pushed herself up from the chair. “Okay. You two continue to talk out here. I’m going to take my tea, my popcorn, and my book and go in my tent awhile. I might nap, so keep it down.”

At a last glance, as she was closing the flap, the two were sitting close and whispering to each other. Atropos had a goofy expression on her face and Balthazar had a hand high on her leg. Jo closed the flap.