Chapter Text
The Saturday after Thanksgiving brought in snow and the excitement of the Holiday season. Evergreen boughs, twinkling lights and the warm scent of freshly baked cookies seemed to hang in the air all over town. Even the Winchester-Novak household found themselves caught up in the spirit of the season. They found themselves starting their preparation for their own celebration. The crisp air of downtown Lawrence brought a rosy glow to their faces as they worked their way down Main St. to shop and to see the annual Holiday Window Display Contest.
Downtown was full of cheerful shoppers. Holiday music issued from every store and the festive mood kept the chill of the air at bay. Dean and Cas held hands as they walked down the snow-melt sidewalks, Sam and his long legs outstriding them both. More than once Cas tugged Dean over to the display in a store window, marveling at it with child-like wonder. Dean smiled fondly at him.
Bela watched with trembling hands.
Cas pulled Dean along to the next window, and the next. Without more than a shy glance at the display of rings in the window, Cas dragged him passed the jewelry store. Dean smiled to himself. Sam trudged back to the two men, impatient to get to Heavenly Delights and see Jess. The bakery was only a few stores down, but Sam got antsier the closer they got.
“I'll meet you guys there,” he finally said.
“Go on, Sammy,” Dean said to him, laughing, “We'll be there in a few.” Dean and Cas were both eager to look around the little shop next to the jeweler that sold all manner of kitchen gadgets. They marveled at avocado spoons and delft tableware, fresh ground coffee of every kind and cookie cutters in every shape imaginable. Cas teased Dean with the frilly aprons, much like the one Dean wore at Thanksgiving. They bought a variety of the coffees and a cookie cutter that vaguely resembled the Impala. Purchases in hand, they stepped out of the little shop and headed toward the bakery.
They didn't get more than a few steps before a women stopped in front of them on the sidewalk.
Dean froze.
Cas looked up at him, then over at the woman.
“Bela.”
She only had eyes for Dean.
“Darling, why haven't you called me?” Her voice made Cas' blood run cold. Dean's jaw clenched, and he gripped Cas' hand hard.
“We've been through this, Bela,” Dean's voice shook. Cas couldn't tell if it was from anger or fear. Either way, it terrified him. “I'm not your darling. We AREN'T together. For god's sake, I have a restraining order against you!”
“Don't think we won't be having a discussion about that later,” she raised an eyebrow at him. Cas' gaze flicked back and forth between them. This woman was completely out of touch with reality! Dean reached for his phone. “Please don't.” Bela said calmly.
Bela's hand moved inside her jacket, and Dean's heart stopped.
“There's a little something we need to take care of first,” Bela said as she raised a pistol and aimed it at Cas' chest. Dean stepped in front of Cas, his arms out in front of him, palms toward Bela.
The people on the sidewalk noticed the trio, and screams issued from their retreating figures. The fear spread quickly and the crowd fled from them. Dean, Cas and Bela stood still on the sidewalk.
“Bela, please, don't do this!” Dean implored. “Put the gun down, let's...let's talk about this. Please, you don't want to do this...” Cas was trembling against him.
“Don't I?” Bela seemed almost amused. “He's keeping you away from me, Dean.” Her eyes turned cold and malicious. “Doesn't he know you're MINE? You've always been mine. You always will be.” She gripped the gun with both hands. “Move, Dean!”
“Bela!” He put one hand behind him on Cas' hip, “Bela, please. I'm begging you.”
“Move!”
“Please!”
“Darling, I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I must. You'll understand one day.”
Sam leaned against the counter, swapping smiles with Jess while she rang up customers and passed out pastries. Gabe laughed and joked with the stream of customers coming and going through the shop.
Sam heard the screams first. He stood up and turned toward the door, watching holiday shoppers race past, panic in their faces. Running to the door, Sam looked in the direction the crowd came from. The blood drained from his face. There was Dean, facing him, shielding Cas. Between Sam and where Dean stood, her back to him, stood Bela. Gun raised and voice ringing.
“Shit.” He turned back to Jess and shouted at her, “Call 911! There's a woman with a gun!” Sam slipped out the door before Jess or Gabriel could stop him.
Creeping down the sidewalk, weaving between people fleeing away from the scene, Sam made his way to Bela without her notice. He caught the desperate panic in Dean's eye, set his jaw and sent his brother a look of absolute determination.
He heard the click of metal on metal as she cocked the gun. He was still twenty feet away. The sound of the shot echoed along the quaint street. Sam saw the recoil and leaped.
Dean watched in slow motion as Sam's arms came up over Bela's and thrust the gun to the ground. Watched as Sam wrenched the firearm from her grip as he knocked her down, pressing her to the brick walkway and holding her there.
“Sam!” Dean shouted. Something burned. Dean's hands were shaking. When did he sit down? Why was Cas crying? Bela and Sam were both shouting at him, but he couldn't understand either of them. He heard his blood pounding in his ears. His head began to swim. Something ached. Dean looked up at Cas. He was weeping. Dean wanted to tell him everything was alright, but the words wouldn't happen. For some reason, he couldn't hold himself up. Everything was hazy; he couldn't focus. Cas loomed over him, his eyes pouring tears. Dean reached up to stroke Cas' cheek. Was that blood on his hand? Before he could wrap his brain around any part of what was happening, everything went black.