Paradise | Dean Winchester
During a hunt in LA, Dean Winchester stays with an old friend, and his 22 year-old daughter, Carmen.
Warning: Mature themes/language. Age gap. Sexual content.
Part One: Los Angeles, California
Dean was in paradise.
He had never seen a house so nice, much less been asked to stay in one. He was fully checked out when an old friend of their father’s showed him and Sam around out back. They were standing by the pool midday each with a beer in their hand, as Sam had to nudge Dean to keep him in the conversation. Every time, Dean shot him a gruff ‘What’s your problem?’ kind of look, but even he knew he was far gone.
“So you boys are in town hunting a demon?”
“Yes, sir,” Dean Winchester nodded affirmatively. “We’ve been tracking electric storms and cattle mutilations all over. Long drive down from Ohio.”
“Welp, I’m glad I could put you up for a while. Man, I’m really sorry about John. Good Marine. I knew him since boot camp,” a man named Robert Gonzalez told them sincerely. “I haven’t seen him since… I think you boys were about 15, and 11?” he guessed.
Sam chuckled, “Yeah, you helped us out with that water spirit.”
“Yeah!” Robert let out a belly laugh at the memory. “That’s right, damn thing soaked John down to his socks!”
Dean smiled at the funny memory, but couldn’t help but go quiet at the mention of their late father. His drift in attention certainly didn’t improve when a woman entered the picture. Through the glass of the sliding door, he could see a body moving about the house, one in particularly short shorts. He couldn’t see a face, just dark hair and a full figure. Now this was his kind of vacation. But he never would’ve said it out loud. He was this man’s guest.
“Damn. That was 20 years ago. Carmen wasn’t even born yet,” Robert reminisced.
“Carmen?” Sam asked curiously.
“My daughter,” the man said with pride, “I’ve been married to her mom almost 15 years.”
“Wow,” Sam remarked appreciatively.
They bonded, reminiscing about John, and the hunter life. But Dean wasn’t listening to a word. He was still stuck on the woman inside, his eyes widening when the back door opened. Dean was shamelessly staring at Carmen Moreno, dressed for the heat and covered in tattoos. His gaze tracked from her dark hair all the way down to the pedicure on her feet, and the cute little wedges she wore on her feet. Dean tried to reign in his observant nature, but the roses tattooed around her ankle had him a little carried away. Carmen shouted to Robert, empty gallon of ice cream in hand.
“What the fuck is this?!”
“Uh…” Robert mumbled.
Sam stood there awkwardly during the family moment, beer in hand as he turned and caught Dean staring. Oblivious, Dean turned to Robert with a light smirk.
“That your wife?” he asked.
Both of the other men turned to look at him. Sam’s eyes were practically popping out of his head trying to shut him up.
“That’s my daughter,” Robert said.
Dean gulped stupidly. “Oh.”
Luckily for Dean he seemed more confused than offended. But Carmen quickly moved onto something else, spotting the beer in Robert’s hand.
“Daddy, what did we tell you about beer?!” she exclaimed. “You’re getting fat!”
Sam couldn’t help but let out an involuntary laugh at the awkward moment. Dean’s attention turned to Carmen, amused by her sharpness.
“I am not getting fat!” Robert protested weakly. “It’s my winter coat.”
Sam held back his laughs, looking down at the ground.
“It’s July!” Carmen yelled at him. “You’re diabetic! Stop before you lose a foot!”
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry, princess,” the castrated men apologized in front of his friends. “No more ice cream today.”
“This week!” Carmen yelled.
“Carm!” he protested.
“The rest of the week! Now, I’m gonna throw this out back. You can’t buy a new one until Sunday, or I’m telling Mommy,” she warned.
“Okay, okay,” Robert conceded.
“Remember what Mommy said about drinking?” she reminded him. “If you’re gonna be doing it, get the Tito’s.”
Her father nodded. “Vodka. No calories.”
“There’s something I can get behind,” Dean said with a stupid grin on his face.
“I’ll go get the glasses,” Robert headed inside.
“Use coasters!” Carmen called from a distance.
Dean laughed. “This chick’s a grenade.”
Sam shot him one last look before Robert came back out.
“Sorry about that, boys,” he grunted. “She runs this house like the Navy.”
“She’s terrifying,” Sam agreed.
He and Dean watched, entertained as Robert poured shots for the three of them.
“She’s just like her mom,” Robert grumbled, handing Sam and Dean their glasses.
He said it with mild annoyance, but they could tell there was no real malice to it. If anything, it was some affectionate thing Dean observed that made him wonder more about what kind of cool, tattooed menace his father’s old military buddy had raised.
Robert held up his shot glass. “To guys’ time.”
“To guys’ time,” Sam and Dean, mostly Dean, echoed.
Robert let out a shameless gag after taking the shot. The two brothers observed him without judgment, finding his old man mannerisms more endearing than anything.
“I’m constantly surrounded by women,” Robert told them.
“I can see that,” Sam nodded.
Dean looked around the house, from the perfect blue-green pool, to the pristine furnished patio, to the almost opulent waterfall against the stone wall in the back.
“Spoiled rich girls?” Dean smiled knowingly.
“Yeah, man,” Robert expressed, “Carmen just graduated UCLA! We spent 10 grand on her graduation gift.”
“UCLA,” Sam realized.
Dean chimed in, “Impressive.”
“Yeah, we were real proud of her. She’s the first of us besides her brother to graduate college,” Robert explained.
“I would be, too,” Sam considered his own time at Harvard.
“What’d you get her?” Dean wondered.
“Gabriella and I got her a Chanel bag, and a trip to Italy. Guess which one cost more,” the man scoffed.
Dean smiled, imagining Carmen carrying her little designer bag all around Italy as a tourist, “Spoiled girl.”
“That’s more her mom, if anything,” Robert snickered. “But, nah. Both my girls deserve it all. They work hard. Carmen’s way smarter than me to graduate UCLA!”
“What’d she study?” Sam inquired.
“Business Economics,” Robert recited with pride. “She’s been looking for a new job. She’s just kinda been freelance. She helps do books and promote for a couple of car clubs.”
“Really? Car clubs?” Dean’s interest was piqued.
“Mhm,” her father nodded, “You didn’t see that blue Mustang in the garage?”
Dean immediately sobered, “Shit, that was hers? The ‘85 Mustang?”
“Yup. Got it off a friend for just 10 G’s. Fuckin’ steal.”
“Well damn, she’s got a nicer car than you,” Dean laughed.
“Yeah, she does. I let her have it,” Robert said, “All I need’s my truck.”
“I respect that,” Dean replied.
“Carmen loves that car anyway. She models with it and everything,” Robert told him.
“Really?” Sam asked.
Dean’s ears perked up at the word ‘model’, but he elected not to say anything out loud.
“Yeah, she helps promote a lot of car models, so she started doing it herself. It really is impressive. I don’t look at the pictures, though,” Robert grumbled, knowing when to be supportive by not being uninvolved.
“Probably a smart idea,” Sam commended.
“Definitely,” Dean added, his mind wandering.
A smart, tough car model covered in tattoos. Lord have mercy, he thought.
“Hey, I talk shit, but we’re a happy family,” Robert promised. “We didn’t come up like this. We’ve only been in this house a few years or so, since my construction business took off, and I quit hunting for good. We used to live in a shitty apartment in San Jose. Just me, my wife, and Carmen’s brother,” he explained.
“You got out,” Dean realized.
He envied Robert. Like, really envied him. Not only did he live in a house where the backyard might as well have been Hefner’s grotto, but he had been able to make enough mom to move his family somewhere good and get out of the life. For good.
“I did,” Robert nodded. “Say, lemme ask you boys something.”
“Anything,” Sam obliged.
“Speaking of the construction,” Robert proposed. “You know, I’m sure you boys are good with your hands. Got good heads on your shoulders being raised by John Winchester. You two ever think of taking up construction?”
Sam and Dean exchanged knowing looks. Sam genuinely understood how heartfelt the offer was, and Dean knew exactly how much an offer like that really meant coming from a man like Robert.
“Afraid not,” Dean answered on his and Sam’s behalf. “This is the life for us. Too late to back out. We don’t know how to do nothing else. Besides. Who else is gonna kill the creepy crawlies?” he rejected amiably.
“You sure about that?” Robert asked. “I don’t mean to pry. And I get how important the job is, believe me, I was in your shoes not too long ago. But it took meeting someone good like Carmen’s mom for me to make a change. Now, I’m no sweet Latina, but I’m willing to give you boys that option. You’re good kids.”
Dean chuckled. Sam smiled, touched by the thoughtful care in his tone. Neither of them wanted to turn him down, not really.
“Sorry to disappoint you, Rob,” Dean spoke.
“This really is our path. We know how to kill things most hunters haven’t even heard of,” Sam rationalized.
Robert nodded. “I respect that. I do. But you let me know if you ever change your mind, hmm? I could put you up before you get on your feet. Find you something to do in construction. Or, my buddy’s a mechanic,” he incentivized smartly, turning to Dean, “One of the best in town. And his brother owns a gun shop, just 20 minutes from here.”
“You’re one hell of a salesman,” Sam commended.
“It’s what I do,” Robert beamed.
“As… fuckin’ nice as that sounds,” Dean breathed, “I think we’re just gonna stick around for a few weeks or so. And don’t worry, we’ll keep clean and even kick in some rent money if we put you out for too long. And you can kick us out any time—”
“Don’t worry about none of that,” Robert shook his head. “I was in your position over 20 years ago. Lemme pay it back.”
Sam nodded. “We appreciate you, sir.”
“Big time,” Dean pointed with his beer.
Robert smiled. “Well, I appreciate you boys hearin’ me out, taking me up on my offer. Now come on. Don’t tell me you two are letting an old man drink you under the table.”
Sam chuckled, letting him pour more shots.
Dean thought to himself, “You know, I’ve always thought that sounded like a sex thing.”
Robert suddenly let out a barking laugh. The Winchesters enjoyed his company, drinking and talking up a storm. It had been a while since they’d been entertained like that. There were plenty of people that they started to miss right about now. Then the door opened, and Carmen poked her head back out.
“Daddy!”
Robert didn’t flinch. “Yes, princess?” he called, a sarcastic lilt to his tone.
Sam and Dean turned, as Dean scanned her minimalistic tank top, rough bootcut jeans, and black boots.
“I’m going to work! I’ll be back late so make sure you get the grocery delivery for Mommy,” she reminded him.
“Yes, ma’am,” Robert nodded dutifully.
“You two watch him,” Carmen pointed between Sam and Dean.
“Yes, ma’am,” Dean echoed. “No ice cream, no beer.”
“I’ll be back,” she waved.
“See ya,” Sam waved back.
“Love you,” Robert said.
“Love you,” Carmen called.
Dean sat quiet as the two had their moment before she left for work.
“She’s a good daughter,” Sam told Robert.
“‘Ice cream and beer makes Rob a fat boy’,” Robert scoffed, “That’s what she told me.”
Dean let out a genuine laugh. “She’s mean.”
“Just like her mother, I’m telling you,” he nodded. “You think she’s bad. Don’t let Gabriella catch me with a tub of ice cream.”
“What is it, like a World War III kinda situation?” Dean assumed.
“Yeah, something like that,” Robert nodded.
“Where does your daughter work?” Dean piped up curiously. “Looks like she works at a dive bar.”
“She does,” Robert confirmed, “In West Hollywood. Some Harley-themed joint for bikers.”
“Oh,” Dean thought aloud.
Exactly the kind of girl that would’ve drove him crazy 20… 15… 10… no years ago. Robert sounded far too proud of his daughter.
“Here. Have some chips,” Robert said with a mouthful, pouring them into a bowl and offering it to the guys.
Sam chuckled, shaking his head as he considered Carmen’s ire. Robert didn’t seem like he learned. Dean thought back to her, but then shook the idea from his head as fast as he could, rejoining the conversation. That was no way to thank this man for the free food and place to sleep. They all sat around the table drinking, the brothers sipping their beers as Rob took shots here and there. As much as he would’ve denied it, Dean wanted this to be his family more than anything. The thought haunted him from when he and Sam sat around drinking with Robert to late that night when he finally laid his head down to sleep after Sam had passed out drunk.
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Part Two