A/N: Okay. So I realize that Christmas is still several months away, but I got the idea for this in the mountains. Don't ask how. I don't know. But anyway… Read and Review, please. Yours truly, Sherlocked Gallifreyan.

Castiel felt out of place amidst the cheery Christmas decorations. He pushed through the crowd, bhin tucked against his collarbone.

A brightly-colored billboard caught his attention. It depicted a happy family sitting around a table, eating Christmas dinner. Castiel looked away from the billboard, not wanting to be reminded of his own emptiness.

A little girl, no more than ten years old, said something to her mother and left her mother's side. Confused, Castiel sat on a nearby bench and watched her. She walked over to the homeless man on the corner and offered him what little money she had left. Castiel tilted his head. Humans made very little sense.

Annie smiled as she walked back to her mother's side. "Can I go talk to him?" she asked her mom, pointing to Castiel. She waved to him, but he looked away. Her mother just waved her hand and went back to talking on the phone. Sometimes, Annie wished her mother cared a little more.

"Hi!" she said. He jumped slightly. "I'm Annie."

Castiel looked over at her blankly. "What do you want?" he asked roughly.

"What's your name?" she asked as if he hadn't spoken.

"Castiel," he said, wishing she would go away.

"Where's your family?" she asked. She had noticed that almost everyone else had either a loved one with them, or they were on the phone with a loved one. Mr. Castiel was sitting alone, and he looked very sad.

"I don't have a family," Castiel said, shifting uncomfortably. He really wished she would go away.

"Don't you have friends?" Annie pressed.

"Why do you care?" he snapped, looking anywhere but at her.

"My grandma always said that no one deserves to be alone on Christmas, no matter what they've done. But then, Grandma died, and now I have to live with my mother," she said.

"Annie!" her mother called impatiently. "Time to go, brat."

"Coming, mommy!" Annie called reluctantly. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Castiel." She walked away, kicking at the snow on the ground as she went.

Maybe she's right, Castiel thought. He knew where Sam and Dean were spending Christmas. They were staying in a little motel a few blocks down. But if he showed up uninvited, he would be interrupting their Christmas. It was probably better that he stayed away. He decided that he would walk to the motel and make his decision there.

Castiel joined the crowd of people waiting to cross the street. When the walk signal flashed, Castiel kept to the edge of the crowd as he crossed the street.

Fifteen minutes later, he came to a small, clean-looking motel. The bell dinged as he pushed the door open. "We're full," the receptionist said bluntly.

"I'm looking for David and Richard Simms," Castiel said, using Sam and Dean's current pseudonyms.

Now she looked up. "You family or something?" she asked.

"Business partner," Castiel said.

"Stationery must be a better business than I thought," the receptionist mused. "Room 12."

"Thanks," Castiel muttered as he walked down the green-carpeted hall.

Standing before Room 12, he hesitated. Would his presence be welcomed, or would he be interrupting something? On an impulse, he knocked.

Dean glanced at Sam. "You expecting company?" he asked in an undertone. Sam shook his head. The brothers grabbed their guns, and Dean cautiously approached the door. Glancing back at Sam to make sure he was ready, Dean opened the door.

His gun slipped from his fingers, and he was dimly aware that he had forgotten to take the safety off. Too much wine, he thought.

Standing before him, looking ready to run, was Castiel. "Cas?" he said incredulously.

"Hello, Dean," Castiel said, glancing toward the exit at the end of the hall. Before he could move, Dean pulled him into a rough hug.

"You son of a…" Dean shook his head. "I thought you were dead!"

"Not dead," Castiel said, standing limply in Dean's hug, not sure what to do. Dean let go of the angel.

"Come in," Dean said, stepping out of the doorway.

As Dean closed the door behind him and he saw the little Christmas tree in the corner of the room, Castiel realized that he did have family. Sam and Dean Winchester were his messed-up family. For the first time in many hundreds of years, Castiel felt safe. He was finally home.