Written for downfall35. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Dean sighed and sipped on his cocoa. He was trying to enjoy their little Christmas celebration. He really was. But as Sam pointed out last year he'd never been that big on the Christmas spirit in the first place. Last year's excitement was really just a way to cling to the little bit of home and comfort he could get before being hurled into the pit.

This year instead of standing on the edge of his own damnation he was standing on the edge of the world's. Would tomorrow morning be the last time kids came running downstairs screeching with excitement at the sight of new bikes? Would tonight be the last time Christmas Eve midnight mass was held around the world? It was hard to contemplate that this could be the last Christmas ever for anyone and it was putting a serious damper on anything Dean might have resembling Christmas spirit.

But Sam was trying so hard. After the past year and all the turmoil between them the kid was putting in a real effort to give them some kind of celebration. He'd been collecting stuff for weeks for a little party for two and even erected a half ass Christmas tree in the room they were renting in some backwoods Georgia town. So Dean had agreed to go with it to make him happy and here they were watching It's A Wonderful Life and drinking hot chocolate on what might be the last Christmas Eve for all mankind.

He wondered what Jesus Christ, wherever He was, thought about that. Did He weep for the poor souls who were celebrating His birth for the last time? Or was He glad to be done with it - fed up with the way He'd been cast aside and taken for granted by the creatures He'd suffered for? Castiel would probably say it was the former. He had a lot of faith that strange little angel.

Dean realized suddenly how much he wished Castiel was with him tonight. He'd come to care for the angel deeply and had been missing him lately. Cass hadn't appeared for weeks, off on his hunt to find his Father. There were some nights when Dean actually laid awake worrying about whether the angel was okay.

Dean was snapped from his reverie when the late night news teaser came on.

-Freak snowstorm is the first heavy snowfall on Christmas in Lake Pauntaga in ninety seven years. More at eleven.-

Sam and Dean's eyes shot towards each other in an instant, both wearing worried faces. Freak weather occurrences were omens of the end and they'd seen enough lately to know it was never, ever a good sign. Sam was up and moving to the window in a heartbeat and as he threw back the curtain Dean was right behind him.

"Jesus," Sam breathed as he took in the sight. As much as half a foot of snow had fallen while they were watching the movie. Six inches? In two hours? In Georgia on Christmas Eve? Yeah, no way that could be good.

"Uh, Dean," Sam glanced over his shoulder. "Is that who I think it is?"

Dean leaned over to the window and through the flurries he could see a lone figure standing near the snow covered Impala….wearing a trench coat.

"Cass!" Dean cried a little too loudly and happily.

Sam raised his eyebrows at Dean and gave him a little smirk, "Happy to see him?"

Dean shrugged and blushed while trying to play it off, "Well you know, if it's an omen or something he'll have the down low and all that."

"Yeah, uh huh," Sam smiled knowingly.

Dean simply ignored him and ran out the door to greet his angel, barely able to restrain himself from throwing his arms around the guy. He'd been worried for his angel for weeks now.

"Hello Dean," Castiel nodded. "Sam."

"Hey Cass," Sam said as he came up behind his brother. "So what's going on here?"

Castiel cocked his head then looked up at the sky. Holding his hands up as if to catch the snowflakes he looked back at Sam and said simply, "It's snowing."

"Uh yeah, we got that part," Sam started.

"He means why is it snowing, Cass," Dean broke in gently.

"It's not an appropriate gift?" Castiel frowned. "I thought humans liked snow for Christmas."

"Wait, you did this? You mean, it's for us? Not a bad sign or an omen or-" Sam asked excitedly.

"Yes. It is Christmas Eve and I couldn't think of any other gift to bring you," Castiel nodded solemnly. "But if it's not appropriate I could make it stop."

"No!" Sam barked now giddy as a schoolgirl. "I love snow!"

Dean chuckled. When Sam was a kid he'd wait up all night in the winter time hoping the forecast would be right and they'd get enough snow so he and Dean could make snowmen and have snowball fights. They were some of the better memories the two of them had of childhood Christmases they'd spent mostly alone.

Also, there was the huge relief that this was just Castiel's doing and not the devil's. As Sam tromped off to enjoy the white Christmas like an overexcited twelve year old Dean was still standing there staring at Castiel.

He just couldn't believe it. Not only had Cass shown up to celebrate Christmas with him but he'd actually brought a gift, and not some cheap keepsake that could be found in a store of course. He'd brought something special, beautiful, and one of a kind. But then to Dean Castiel was all those things, and never more so then now standing before him in the silent, peaceful snowfall watching Sam with amused and satisfied eyes. It was the most serene moment Dean had experienced in some time and despite the cold he could feel his heart melting in his chest.

Til Sam nailed him in the back with a snowball as big as his head.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean barked and turned to find Sam laughing his ass off across the abandoned lot on the side of the building. "Oh that's it dude! It's on!"

"Bring it you bow legged midget!" Sam challenged him with a grin.

Right before Dean hit him in the cheek with his own snowball.

For the next ten minutes Dean and Sam laid down their burdens and were kids again – taunting, competing, laughing like they'd done years ago before the yellow eyed demon had stolen everything from them. It felt so good to laugh and be normal that even if it was just for a few minutes to Dean it may as well have been eternity.

And all the while he could see Castiel out of the corner of his eye, watching and smiling at them fondly.

Until Dean ducked one of Sam's throws and the younger Winchester nailed the angel instead, right in his face. Sam froze, gaping in horror at what he'd done. Hitting a warrior of the God in the face was probably gonna get him some payback….and not of the snowball variety.

As Castiel shook the snow from his shoulders and coat looking a little appalled, Dean intervened, "It's a game, Cass. You're supposed to throw snow back at him now."

Castiel bit his lip for a moment and looked down at the endless white drifts as though he were trying to figure out exactly what to do. Sam had not moved a muscle the whole time and was still standing across the lot with his mouth hanging open in horror.

So when Castiel with a wave of his hand sent an entire snow drift flying in their direction and knocking them both on their asses, Sam got a mouthful.

Then while they were sitting there looking down at themselves, covered from head to toe in snow crystals the angel cocked his head and asked curiously, "Like that?"

Sam just spit out a mouthful of ice while Dean burst out laughing, "Yeah Cass! Just like that!"

"Ew, dude. I think that snow was yellow!" Sam shot him a grossed out look.

"Aww shut it Sam," Dean chuckled as he flopped on his back in the snow. "Just be glad he didn't turn you to a pillar of salt or something."

Sam nodded at that then excused himself to go dry off in the room. They were both soaked to the bone by this time and it was freezing out. Strangely though, Dean didn't feel cold. In fact, his insides were suddenly feeling all warm and fuzzy. He couldn't see Cass from his position on the ground as he gazed up at the stars, but he could sense his angel's eyes on him.

He waited until Sam was safely inside the room and grunted lightly, "C'mere."

A second later Castiel was at his side staring down at him.

"Little closer," Dean smiled.

Castiel knelt and Dean took the opportunity to grab his arm and yank him down til his body was sprawled over Dean's, their faces inches apart.

"Thank you for the snow," Dean said gruffly as he gazed up into Castiel's eyes. From this close angle they looked like a mosaic made up of tiny bits of every shade of blue in Creation.

"You're welcome," Castiel smiled affectionately down at him. He didn't seem at all bothered by the way Dean had wrapped an arm around his waist to hold him close.

The hunter held his angel like that for several minutes, enjoying the intimacy of the contact and the way Castiel's grace seemed to spread out over him like a security blanket – keeping him warm, keeping him safe. Then his mind drifted to his earlier worries and Castiel's smile changed to a frown.

He'd forgotten the angel could read his mind if he wanted to.

"This will not be the last Christmas," Castiel assured him without being asked. He made his statement with such fierce conviction Dean couldn't bring himself to argue.

Maybe there would be another Christmas for this beat up old world. Maybe the Lord hadn't given up on them all just yet. And just maybe, He was the one who'd sent this particular angel to save Dean from Hell in the first place. If it had been any other angel Dean wouldn't have made it this far. No one else in Heaven or on Earth could move Dean the way Cass did because Castiel had enough faith for both of them.

He made Dean believe.

Slowly, Dean raised his hand and brushed a lock of hair from Castiel's forehead as he whispered, "Merry Christmas angel."

"And a Happy New Year," Castiel smiled confidently down at him in return.

THE END