After a week on the road, the Impala finally rolled into San Francisco.
The city was buried in Christmas atmosphere. Lights hung across streets and buildings, stores were covered in decorations, and crowds moved along the sidewalks carrying bags and wrapped presents while music played from nearly every corner.
Tomorrow was Christmas.
Dean drove through downtown traffic while glancing around at the decorations outside the window.
"You know," he said after a while, "why the hell shouldn't we celebrate Christmas like an actual family for once?"
Sam slowly turned toward him from the passenger seat.
"Hmmm… Dean," he said carefully, "is that really you talking right now?"
Because growing up, Dean had never exactly been excited about Christmas.
Most years John dragged them across states hunting something, and holidays usually ended with cheap motel rooms, takeout food, and another job waiting the next morning.
Dean noticed the look Sam was giving him and frowned slightly.
"What?"
Sam gave a small shrug. "Nothing. It's just weird hearing you say that."
Dean scoffed immediately. "What, I can't enjoy Christmas now?"
"I didn't say that."
Sam adjusted the file resting on his lap before speaking again. "But technically we only came here because Henry said there was a case in San Francisco."
Dean frowned slightly hearing that.
"Yeah, what the hell was he even doing out here?" he asked. "The guy disappeared for almost two weeks after the Hand of Glory case." He shook his head lightly. "No calls, no updates, nothing. Then yesterday he suddenly calls and says there's a case."
Honestly, that behavior was annoyingly normal for Henry at this point.
"So where's the address again?" Dean asked while slowing the Impala near another intersection.
Sam checked the paper once more. "Should be somewhere around here."
A minute later the Impala rolled into a quiet high-end neighborhood filled with large decorated houses and expensive-looking lawns covered in Christmas lights.
Dean eventually slowed the car in front of one particular house.
Sam stepped out first and immediately noticed strange symbols hanging near the entrance and windows.
Small charms.
Magic signs.
"Hmmm…" Sam muttered while studying them more carefully. "These are old protection symbols." He glanced toward Dean. "Some people believe they bring good luck."
Which immediately told him something weird was definitely connected to this house.
Dean, however, wasn't looking at the symbols anymore.
"Sam," he said slowly, "you might wanna look up."
Sam turned toward the backyard—
and froze slightly.
Henry was standing near a large barbecue grill wearing an apron while casually cooking meat like some suburban dad preparing for a holiday party.
"…Henry?" Sam asked, genuinely confused.
Henry looked over after hearing his voice and immediately pulled the apron off.
"Yeah," he replied casually. "Welcome, guys."
Dean and Sam walked through the side gate into the backyard while both looking around suspiciously.
The place was huge.
Christmas decorations hung across the patio lights while music played softly somewhere inside the house.
Dean looked completely lost. "Okay," he said slowly, "what exactly are you doing here?"
Before Henry could answer, another voice came from inside the house.
"Henry, there's sauce missing for the barbecue and—"
Madison stepped outside carrying a cooler box.
Then she saw Dean and Sam standing there.
Madison blinked once.
"Dean… Sam?"
Both brothers stared back at her in equal shock.
"…Madison?" they said at the same time.
"I invited them for the Christmas party," Henry said casually while wrapping one arm around Madison's waist. "Can't really have Christmas without family."
That was the moment Dean and Sam finally understood.
This entire "case" had partially been bait to drag them here.
Dean stared at Henry with disbelief. "You manipulated us into attending Christmas?"
Henry looked completely unapologetic. "Yes."
Madison laughed quietly beside him while Dean looked around the massive backyard again.
The place honestly looked expensive enough to belong to some celebrity. Lights hung across the patio, decorations covered the garden fence, and the smell of barbecue filled the cold evening air.
"So…" Dean said slowly, "this whole place is yours?"
"Yeah," Henry replied while checking the grill. "I mean, I have money, so why not buy a big house and turn it into a safe house too?"
Sam looked around more carefully now.
Honestly, the place was ridiculously secure. The symbols near the entrance, the wards hidden around the property, even the layout itself—
Henry had absolutely turned the entire house into a supernatural fortress.
Dean folded his arms. "So for Christmas you lied to us."
"Hmmm, not exactly," Henry replied. "There is actually a case nearby." Then he pointed at the barbecue behind him. "But unless something's actively murdering people right this second, it can wait until after Christmas."
Dean opened his mouth to argue—
then stopped when Henry opened the cooler beside the grill.
Inside was enough expensive alcohol to make Dean immediately forget half the conversation.
"And," Henry added calmly, "this is premium meat specially prepared for tonight."
Dean visibly switched sides in real time.
"…You know," he admitted while looking into the cooler, "maybe waiting until after Christmas is the responsible decision."
Sam let out a quiet sigh, though honestly this was probably the closest thing any of them had ever had to a normal Christmas.
Dean grabbed one of the beer bottles from the cooler and popped it open before casually asking.
"By the way, what happened to Bela?"
The moment the name left his mouth, Madison's smile faded slightly.
Sam noticed it immediately.
The atmosphere shifted just enough to matter.
Before either brother could question it further, arms suddenly wrapped around Henry's side from behind.
"Well," Bela said smoothly, "I'm obviously doing perfectly fine."
Dean nearly dropped the bottle.
Sam blinked slowly while staring at the scene in front of him.
Bela Talbot stood there comfortably attached to Henry's arm like she belonged there.
*****
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