| (no subject) |
[Oct. 14th, 2009|05:17 pm] |
Next story starts the offical countdown to 3mil and it's gonna be a bumppppppppy ride.
Title: When Daddy Ain't Happy.
Author: ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) bitchandjerk
Characters: Sam/Dean,John/Mary/OFC OMCs OFCs Jared/Jensen
Rating :R
Words10,300/2,931,600
Warnings: Wincest,
Summary: John decides that Sam isn't stressed enough over his perfect Thanksgiving.
Notes::AU, rest are here.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.
Feedback: Makes me hard
It was pretty rare for Mikey to get upset when he was a baby but it happened a couple of times usually when he had to wait for a diaper change. He didn't yell or cry but he did do an awful lot of pouting and sighing like a dirty diaper was more of an inconvenience than anything else. After he was all cleaned and changed he'd cheer right up and maybe sneak a couple of kisses from Dean or Sam if he happened to change him.
When Ethan and Evan were babies their favorite thing was screaming as loud as they could whenever they were upset. Most of the time they weren't screaming together but one would start and the other would very quickly follow. They screamed when they were tired, bored, hungry, or messy. Sometimes Dean even thought they were screaming when nothing was wrong just for the hell of it. They had nearly driven Dean to having a cocktail in the middle of the day and he was secretly dreading what their fourth child would be like.
Fortunately Ollie came along and didn't do much of anything. If he was hungry he waited patiently for something to eat and if he pooped he might blabber a little but he was so above fussing. When he got tired he just went to sleep instead of crying or yelling and apparently he had never been uncomfortable which Dean assumed was because of the amount of bellies and toes he was getting.
Mary was a lot like Ollie because she was pretty easy going about most things. She knew if she was hungry she was going to get fed and if she was bored someone was going to play with her. The only time she ever really got fussy about was if she made princess poops but that was only because she was very fancy according to Evan and didn't like to be messy. As long as her diaper got changed quickly she was as happy as could be, which Dean thanked God for everyday because Milo was anything but.
Normally he was very easy to deal with because all he needed in life was Sam. He could be exhausted with a full diaper and starving and he didn't care as long as Sam was around to love on him. Sometimes he accepted Dean as a semi-adequate temporary substitute, but most of the time he wasn't playing that game. Without Sam around he was completely miserable and made sure everyone knew it. Sometimes Sam just had to leave and when that happened he'd explain to Milo where he was going and give him an estimate of when he'd be back. That suited Milo just fine and he'd patiently wait for daddy to return home while only yelling a little.
On Wednesday Sam not only left without talking to Milo first but he left more pissed off than Dean had ever seen. Sam was yelling and cursing and Milo heard everything from the living room where he was chilling out with Mary. After Sam stormed out of the house and slammed the door behind him Milo walked right into the kitchen and started yelling because he was under the impression it was all Dean's fault. Dean tried to explain that it wasn't his fault at all and he was attempting to place the blame on John where it belonged but Milo wasn't having it.
He screamed so loud Dean's ears actually rang and then he ran over and tried to push him down. That was one of his favorite things to do, and because he was so upset Dean decided it was best for him to fall over just to appease him. That did make Milo happy for about two seconds but then he started slapping Dean on the stomach and yelling for his dahdah, who was going to be gone for a while.
"Dahdah!"
"I'm sorry, baby." Dean frowned. "Daddy had a complete mental breakdown and left me, much like he did several years ago when you were still in his sack. You know I used to kiss you pretty often back then."
"Dahdah!" Milo screamed. "Bwahdah!"
"Your mommy used the dark magics to seduce me and steal my seed, but this time it's all grandpa's fault. Do you understand?"
"Boppa!"
"Exactly. He's an asshat and I'm going to stab him in the face."
"Bwah!"
"What are you…Oh, my goodness."
"Abah, dahdah!"
"If you say so!"
Milo pulled up his shirt and then chucked it across the kitchen. Dean was almost positive he was stepping into a trap but he had never been able to resist any baby belly and sadly he didn't get Milo's as much as he would have liked. He gave it a quick kiss at first and then backed away even quicker, but when Milo didn't kill him with his brain he went for it and smooched all over that pale little trim tummy.
"Delicious." Dean smiled. "He's going to come back after he gets help for his mental problems."
"I thought he said he was going shopping." James said as he walked in with Mary. "Or, more accurately, going to get his m-fing shop on."
"Better than therapy." Dean sighed. "God, he is pissed off."
"This is why I'm better than John."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not an ass for brains. He knew what Sam wanted and as always he thought of himself first and his own needs. He's selfish and I'm not a fan. I may even un-friend him on facebook."
"That's not really fair." Ann said as she walked in behind him. "You can't just blame John."
"No, we can." James nodded. "I'm comfortable with that. He's a terrible role model for me."
"You look really pretty, Ann."
"Thank you, Dean."
"Dahdah!"
"Yeah, he's hotter." Dean nodded. "Less up front but more in the back."
Ann really did look particularly beautiful and though she was far from showing Dean knew she was pregnant and that was enough. Women just got better looking when they were pregnant and Ann was pretty easy on the eyes to begin with. She was dressed pretty causally in jeans and a sweater which Dean thought looked very nice. James most certainly approved but that had more to do with her being there instead of what she was wearing.
She had arrived on Tuesday morning surprising everyone. Sam didn't have a problem with that because he loved having Ann around and he knew how much James wanted her there with their baby. It was James' first Thanksgiving with his new family and he had been pretty upset when Ann wanted to stay in Westport. She had actually done pretty good alone for a few days but then the craving set in and she got on a flight out to be with James. On Tuesday night she said that she had spent so many turkey days with her parents and she wanted to start a new tradition with her new family which was very sweet.
Having another person around wasn't what set Sam off because it was just another mouth to feed. He was fine on Tuesday but then the doorbell rang on Wednesday and he flipped the fuck out. John knew damn good and well why Sam wanted to keep Thanksgiving small, but apparently he decided to ignore that since he had spent a week begging Carol to come. The whole reason she hadn't come was because she spent Thanksgiving with Bruce and Nick so John invited them too which meant Anthony, Nathan, and Charlie were coming as well.
Sam loved all of them, but since Monday night he had been working his ass off just feeding everyone and keeping them comfortable. He had to start breakfast on Tuesday morning an hour earlier and pretty much as soon as the last dish was washed he was making soup and sandwiches for lunch. Dinner was the big meal of the day and by the time that was done Sam was positively exhausted. He practically passed out when they went to bed and didn't even wake up when Milo was yelling for him over the monitor in the middle of the night. It was too much for him and then John had added an additional six people just because he wanted to get laid.
That was probably what pissed Sam off the most because when asked why on earth he would invite everyone John said he missed Carol and needed to get his nut. Sam banished him from the house after a lot of screaming and then he said he was going shopping and no one was to disturb him. Carol had no idea Sam wanted to keep dinner on Thursday small so John wasn't getting any nookie anytime soon since he had been less than honest when he invited her and everyone else.
Anthony, Bruce, and Nick all felt horrible and they even offered to go back home, but that was incredibly inconvenient since there was nothing worse than two flights in one day and shopping for a meal the day before Thanksgiving. Since Sam had run off Dean was just going to have to tell them to stay out of the way and not enrage the beast. That went for everyone else as well. He didn't want them asking Sam for anything and John was officially in charge of lunch, dinner, and laundry.
"So, my mom always makes this really fantastic breakfast casserole for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We can make it tonight…well, we can make six of them and then put them in the oven tomorrow morning."
"Or!" James said. "Leave them in the oven tonight and set them to start baking at eight so we can stay in bed and do things to each other."
"You two have those refrigerator ovens?" Ann asked. "Really?"
"Three of them. The other two are regular ovens. What's in the casserole?"
"Sausage, cheese, and…"
"Perfect." Dean sighed. "James, you go with Ann to get everything and buy those disposable pans so we can throw them away."
"Do we need anything else from the store?"
"Booze and lube."
"I'll see what I can do."
"Hand me Milo's shirt too. He'll get cold."
Milo had just about the cutest belly button Dean had ever seen. Since he was in a sharing mood Dean snuck in a few kisses before pulling his neato owl shirt over his head. He obviously was too young to understand why Sam had left and why there was yelling, but he had gotten his outrage out and like Dean he settled on just being sad. Sam had barely been gone for fifteen minutes and Dean was already missing him so it must have been torture for Milo. Mary even seemed a little bummed out but she was perfectly content to sit on the kitchen floor next to Dean and Milo while they sulked.
Aside from handling breakfast Dean didn't know what else he could do to help Sam out. Carol had said she'd handle cooking for Thanksgiving but Dean didn't want that. She was a great cook but no one could cook like Sam. The kids had been looking forward to his feast all week and he wasn't going to disappoint them by serving Carol's turkey or mashed potatoes. They were good, but Sam's were great and for the past eight years they were ingrained in Dean's mind as quintessential holiday food.
Dean was so tired and stressed out about everything that he couldn't even find the strength to push himself up off the kitchen floor. He felt like he needed to get up and do something but there were more than enough adults around to watch the kids and he was dealing with the babies. Mary had her doll with her so she was happy and Milo was so depressed he was actually lying on top of Dean which was something he never did. Dean would have been worried but he knew it was completely normal for Milo to emo out without Sam around to love on him.
Being emo seemed like a great idea so Dean tried to play along with pouting and sighing but Milo was just better at it so he eventually gave up. Staring at nothing was just as fun and Dean actually felt a little better once he let his eyes go out of focus. He probably could have stayed like that all day but then the backdoor opened and someone had to bother him. The person Dean wanted to see the most was Sam and the least was John. It wasn't either of them and Jensen was right in the middle which made Dean neither happy nor sad.
"Are you okay?"
"No." Dean sighed. "What's up?"
"I called my mom and…"
"Mrs. Bunny Sr.? Did she ask about me?"
"Yeah…before she asked about me. She wanted me to tell you that she misses you and loves you and that I'm supposed to pick up after myself and not get in the way. Also to remember to say please and thank you and to not leave Jared unsupervised around breakables and that she's very proud of all your many accomplishments."
"Neat."
"And there's room for me and Jared, so we're going to catch a flight tonight and we can have dinner there."
"No."
"It's fine." Jensen nodded. "We don't need to be here and…"
"No, Jensen. You two are here and you're staying. It'll be fine."
"But Sam is really upset."
"That's not your fault at all. It'll be okay, I promise."
"Anything I can do?"
"No, but thank you for offering."
"Handjob?"
"No." Dean laughed. "But see if Michael wants one."
"Will do."
Jensen sort of shuffled back and forth on his toes for a second before he leaned down and gave Dean a kiss on the head. After that he was pretty quick to get out of there which was awfully cute since he had turned bright red. Dean thought he was just a great friend because he'd totally leave and not hold a grudge about it, but it was obvious he wanted to stay. If he did leave with Jared, Sam was only going to get more upset because the only thing worse than being exhausted was being a bad host.
"Bahbah."
"Hungry?"
"Bah." Milo nodded. "Wabah."
"Marybelle?"
"Bwah…" Mary said before she sighed. "Bwahbahdah."
"I'm gonna get me a bottle and fill it with Southern Comfort."
Before he could get the babies a little something to eat Dean needed to get Milo his book. Mary had her doll to play with, but Milo didn't have anything. He accepted it when Dean handed it to him but he was still in a pretty bad mood. He was just kind of sitting against the cabinets looking lost and Dean was determined to help out with a little something delicious.
After fixing two tasty sippy cups of juice Dean broke out some little biscuits which always made Mary and Milo very happy. As soon as they heard the rustling of the package they both turned to see what was going on. Dean went out of his way to make a huge deal out of their snack and they got more and more excited. Milo almost looked like he wasn't about to start sobbing on account of Sam being absent so Dean didn't feel silly about such grand fanfare for such little treats.
Mary and Milo had a little table in the pantry that Dean pulled out just for them. They weren't really interested in the little chairs it came with but they had a place for their biscuits and their cups of juice. The cat even came in to investigate but Milo shot him the shady side eye and he got the hell out of there as quick as he could. Dean was tempted to get himself a beer and sit down at the little table as well but he grabbed a juice box instead and leaned against the counter.
When Ryan came in the backdoor he was obviously trying his best to be very quiet. Not everyone had been around for Sam's big blowout but they had heard about it and were all on eggshells. Dean didn't say anything to Ryan only because it was sort of funny to see him scoping out the area just in case Sam was going to leap out of the pantry and attack him.
"Coast clear?"
"He went shopping."
"Oh, cool. Why are you in here alone?"
"I'm with the babies." Dean said. "And I'm afraid if I got outside I might rip dad's head clear off and then pork his throat hole."
"Ah, better to stay inside then."
"Did you need something?"
"Just a Mountain Dew. There's some in the refrigerator I think."
"I didn't know you drank Hillbilly Juice too."
"I don't. I said I'd get one for Jason." Ryan said before he paused. "Isn't he nice?"
"He's great." Dean smiled. "He's really nice and…"
"He's smart too. Not like Michael is, but he's really smart and so polite. He's funny too."
"Yeah and…"
"He's just a really nice guy…you know what? He's a lot like Michael."
"Oh, boy." Dean sighed. "Why don't you grab yourself a beer?"
"Um, it's like ten in the morning, I'm eighteen and I weigh ninety-five pounds."
"You totally want to stick him, don't you? You want to do him in the style of the ancient Greeks."
"What!" Ryan yelled. "You're crazy!"
"Mmhmm. Listen, it's okay. I've been known to have gay sex on occasion."
"Maybe…I might want to get…stuck. Greek style."
"By Jason."
"Not…not necessarily…I mean, he's just nice and handsome and he always smells really good and…"
"And?" Dean smiled. "Go on."
"I totally might be in love with him."
"Sit down." Dean said as he pointed at the bar stool. "Let's have a talk."
"'Kay."
Dean really should have gone outside to get Bruce since he had been through the whole straight boy crush thing before with one of Nick's friends in high school. He was young at the time and everyday was the end of the world because he was completely invisible to whoever the lucky bastard was. Bruce got over it eventually but sometimes the pain of unrequited love still got to him. Dean considered himself lucky because the only straight guy he wanted was Todd and that wasn't love, that was sweaty and filthy buttsex on top of a pottery wheel, which would have made a bitchin' porno.
"He's straight."
"He is?"
"Well, yeah…I think so. I'm pretty sure."
"I think I knew that." Ryan sighed. "I've just been spending so much time with him since he moved in with Michael and it's…"
"Mr. Dean knows a thing or two, Ryan."
"About what?"
"I dunno." Dean shrugged. "Maybe when you started school you made a really good friend, your first gay friend, and he's not on the market. Jason's a lot like Michael."
"I know that's a big part of it, but I like Jason too for who he is, not just because he looks like Michael."
"I sort of thought you were talking to Kevin."
"I was, but I'm not sure he likes me. He's so…sophisticated. He lives in the city and interns with big time designers. I'm just…"
"Wonderful." Dean whispered. "Don't think you're not because you are. You're fantastic and there's someone out there for you. Trust me, I know that better than anyone."
"Thank you, Dean. He is sort of hot though, right?"
"Mmhmmm."
"Really hot." Ryan said before he turned red. "There's nothing wrong with maybe thinking about him before bed when I'm alone."
"Not at all."
Dean didn't know if Jason was really hot but he was very cute and sweet and if things were different he might be a perfect match for Ryan. Unfortunately Jason wasn't gay as far as Dean had heard. Gabe had even said he wasn't but then he wasn't much of anything really. He never talked about guys or girls so there was a good chance that unlike Michael he'd never really be able to move on from his past. That was something Dean filed away for another day because currently he had an emo baby and a missing daddy on his plate and that was his priority.
"Dahdah!"
"I'm coming, baby." Dean sighed. "Maybe daddy needs to ditch us more often."
"Whuh!" Milo yelled. "Uh whuh!"
"Dude." Ryan whispered. "Did he just say…"
"He so did…"
Milo offered Dean a little bite of his biscuit and then promptly pulled up his shirt again. Ollie was outside so Dean had another nibble and then did the same to Mary when she peeked out the situation and pulled up her dress. Dean didn't get really worried until Milo removed his boots and held his foot up in the air, after that he knew he was a goner and couldn't have cared less.
Sam didn't understand the world sometimes. He was a good person and tried his best to do good things, but the world just wanted to kick him right in the balls. Sam donated a lot of money to people who needed it and he was personally responsible for several big world changes that had happened over the past few years. He made the world a better place and it just kept bitchslapping him for no reason. He was totally one of the nicest people ever and he was sick and tired of being treated badly.
"Let me explain this to you again." Sam said very calmly. "You listening, Robby?"
"Ye…yes…yes sir, Mr. Winchester."
"Okay." Sam smiled. "No one else matters but me!"
"Please stop screaming at me, sir!"
"I am the only person who matters!"
"I know, sir! I'm sorry!"
"Was that so hard?"
When Robby nodded Sam released the death grip he had on his collar and lowered him to the floor. He had him pinned against the wall because he was a short guy and if Sam was going to scream at a lowly salesman he had to do it face to face. The rest of the employees seemed to clear out when Sam first started yelling which he didn't really understand because he barely threatened anyway and it wasn't like they should be taking death by brain power threats seriously.
"Sir, as I was trying to tell you. We don't…"
"There's that word again." Sam laughed. "I came here to buy a boat. I want a boat and I want you to give it to me so I can take it home with me to my husband. If I give him a present then he will make like a turkey and gobble gobble."
"We don't have boats here sir, especially not…"
"Come with me. Come on, see that boat? That's what I want. Now give it to me! Give it to me now!
"Ahh!"
"I want it! I want it now!"
Sam knew he was about three minutes away from having a swat team show up to take him down but he was sure he could deal with them. In fact he was seriously considering tracking down some big baddies and ganking them with his brain. He wasn't sure if he could actually do that, but Clark could and though that ended badly Sam needed to let off a little steam. Not only had John pissed him off but then a fucking boat dealership apparently didn't sell boats despite there being a magnificent one right in the marina.
"That one isn't good enough for you, Mr. Winchester."
"What?"
"We can build them with a crew's quarters and an area for laundry."
"Re…really?" Sam asked. "And then you can attach it to my car?"
"Sir, this sixty foot yacht weighs seventy thousand pounds. I don't think you can tow it with a Ferrari."
"It's red." Sam frowned. "That means it goes faster than other colors."
"That's nice, sir."
"Do you take American Express?"
"Mr. Winchester, the base model of this boat is nearly three million dollars."
"And?"
"Um…and we take American Express."
"'Kay." Sam nodded. "Let's do the paperwork. I want it to be really nice for Dean."
"Yes, sir. The very best."
Just a half hour later Sam handed over his black card and bought Dean a very nice five million dollar yacht. It was pretty damn spectacular and Sam had a whole packet of literature to bring home. Robby ended up redeeming himself because he said he knew of several places near Westport where they could send the boat once it was finished being built. Unfortunately he sort of ruined Sam's plans of having it in Vermont since apparently you couldn't just throw a huge yacht in Lake Champlain. Sam didn't understand that at all because he owned the lake and he should have been able to do whatever the hell he wanted with it. Lake George was another option but Robby thought it best to keep the boat in the ocean.
Sam had driven for about two hours just because he wanted to get out of the house for a while. When he saw the boat dealership he just decided to stop but he had been gone for long enough and he had a long trip back. His plan was to mope for the entire two hours while he was driving but then he spotted something out the corner of his eye. It was a billboard on the side of the interstate and if Sam hadn't been driving so slowly he most likely would have passed it up. It was a good thing he didn't because that billboard changed Sam's life for the better which was something he needed after John had completely ruined his life and Thanksgiving just hours earlier.
After following the short directions on the billboard Sam took the exit for Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, which he thought sounded like a very nice place to be. He drove through town slowly and waved through the tinted windows at several people until he arrived at his destination which was pretty much like stepping up to the pearly gates. Sam parked and then rushed towards the big automatic doors that slid open as soon as he stepped in front of them. It felt like home, and though Sam wasn't looking forward to cooking extra his life and South Carolina just got a whole lot better.
"Welcome to Whole Foods, sir. Would you like a cart?"
"Yes." Sam beamed. "I would."
"It would be my honor, Mr. Winchester."
"You're beautiful."
"Thank you, sir…so are you!"
Sam gave the woman who greeted him a great big hug and then took the cart from her. He really felt a hell of a lot better because he could do some big time damage at Whole Foods. The biggest problem he had with more people coming for thanksgiving was that he'd need more food and the thought of another trip to the Piggly Wiggly was just too much to bear. Sam couldn't handle that again, but Whole Foods had solved that little problem.
Before he did anything else Sam went straight for the produce and started filling bags with all the most beautiful fruits and vegetables he could get his hands on. He didn't care what anyone said, organic produce really did taste better and though Sam had enough onions and celery for his world famous stuffing he bought more because they were nice and tastier. He got tons of fruit for the kids and then boxes and boxes of dried fruit for Dean and Michael who were on a bit of a kick with the stuff. Sam even got some really beautiful specialty lettuces which meant a fancy salad was back on the menu for tomorrow. He was just about to buy a case of pomegranates to decorate the table with when he heard his name being said very softly behind him, which made everything even better.
"Sam."
"I thought you left." Sam said without turning around. "For good."
"I was in a meeting."
"For three days?"
"Yes."
A big part of Sam never wanted Gabe to come back but only if it meant his body was his own and he was back with his son. Sam had sort of started to believe that on Tuesday night when he was still missing in action. The other angels didn't come down to say anything but Sam assumed he was still talking to the big guy in what had to be the world's longest business meeting. Apparently it had gone well because Gabe looked better than ever and happier than ever which Sam loved to see.
"What's your real name?"
"Ian."
"Would we be friends, you think?" Sam asked. "Like if we met at the store."
"I think so, Sam."
"And what about when you're gone? Am I going to see you anymore or will I just see Ian?"
"You've come a long way from throwing me across the room."
"That was wedding stress."
"Of course." Gabe smiled. "I won't be around once Ian pays off his debt, but if you need me I can come back."
"You can't let him go and then slip back in so we can hang out."
"We won't need him after this is done."
"After what's done?"
"After you deal with Joe."
"Meeting went well then?" Sam asked. "What am I supposed to do?"
"That's something you have to decide for yourself, Sam. Those were my orders. When he's dealt with as you see fit, Ian can return to his son."
"Let me get this straight. You just had a powwow with God, but for some reason I have the final say in what happens to this guy? Why me?"
"Because whatever needs to be done is only something you can do. He's too strong for us."
"What about…"
"All of us. You're going to be tested Sam. You're going to be presented with choices and we all need you to make the right ones."
"Why not just tell me what to do?"
"Mysterious ways." Gabe whispered. "So, Whole Foods. Should I run to the gas station next door and get you a pack of cigarettes?"
"You're making jokes now?" Sam asked. "Nice."
"Well, I try."
Gabe was almost always all business so it was nice to have him get the business out of the way before they could just hang out. Sam had a lot of things to think about and at least a dozen questions to ask, but it was going to have to wait because with all the extra people Thanksgiving was even more important. Apparently Gabe had a few minutes to spare so Sam completely unloaded on him while they shopped which made him feel even better. He was almost completely rage free, but he realistically knew he wouldn't get there until he was back home and got kisses from Dean and the kids.
"Are you sure your father knew why you didn't want anyone else around?"
"Yeah." Sam laughed. "I get that he wants Carol around, but it's like a trade off. If they were coming we wouldn't have invited Justin and Craig. We're almost to thirty people. That's big."
"Yes, it is."
"If I buy another turkey can you use your powers to defrost it?"
"Um…yes, I think I might be able to assist."
"And I think you should eat with us tomorrow."
"I don't eat."
"Ian does." Sam shrugged. "I'm sure he'd enjoy a nice meal."
"You ran away from home because of too many people, Sam." Gabe said. "Why invite another?"
"What's another place setting at this point?" Sam asked. "And…I…I like having you around. If he can't be with his son, he should be with people who care about him, you should too."
"I'd be honored, Sam. Thank you."
"You’re welcome. I guess you have to go, huh?"
"Yes." Gabe nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow though."
"Okay." Sam said before he paused. "Any chance you know how to cook?"
"I'm good at mixing things."
"Fantastic."
Gabe inclined his head just slightly and then he was gone. More than ever Sam wanted to see when he went when he left them. Jeremy had said they were all still there just in another place and Sam wondered what it was like. He sort of had wild ideas about harps and things that smelled like fresh laundry all the time which sounded pretty damn good. He also wanted to see where the angels went so he could prepare himself for going where no angel would dare tread.
After Sam had everything he could possibly need he paid and then loaded up the car. He had bought so much stuff that it was a tight squeeze but after so many years with Dean, Sam managed to get it all in. Whole Foods had cheered Sam up quite a bit but the ride home was a little lonely. He could have called Dean to keep him company, but Sam sort of wanted to be alone with his thoughts which were all of Gabe. Sam thought about his debt to the angels, his son, and even the way Gabe made him feel sometimes. Dean was the only other person who could make Sam feel safe and warm and above all else loved. Sam liked the way Gabe made him feel but at the same time it worried him because there were some things only Dean should have been able to do.
While he drove Sam also thought about the ridiculous meal he was going to be responsible for. He needed to do some planning but just thinking about it got him all angry at John again. Sam knew that John wanted Carol there and she wanted to be with her sons and he understood that but he was so vocal about not wanting any more people at the house. It John had just invited them without knowing what Sam wanted that would have been a different matter entirely but he knew exactly what he was doing and did it anyway. The thing that pissed Sam off even more was that John was about as useful as tits on a bull in the kitchen. He wasn't going to help at all, he was just going to watch the parade with the kids, eat dinner, and then maybe sit down and check in on the game with Justin and Todd.
After about an hour and half Sam was back home where he belonged. He parked on the side of the house but he didn't really feel inclined to get out of the car. He had stuff he really needed to get in the refrigerator but it was nice and cool out and he figured he could enjoy the silence for a few more minutes. He didn't even have the radio on because DJ blather was too distracting and Sam preferred just his own voice in his head. He probably could have stayed alone for another hour but someone had been watching the driveway and patiently waiting.
When Dean slipped into the passenger's seat he looked a little frazzled which made Sam feel bad since he had left him all alone with the kids. They had other people to watch them but if Sam wasn't there Milo wasn't going to go by anyone except Dean. He might have hung out with Michael for a little bit, but he was a baby who loved having his daddies around. He was partial to Sam, obviously, but he loved Dean just as much.
"I thought I was the one with the fast car."
"I'm sorry."
"For what, Sammy?"
"Storming out." Sam sighed. "I'm just really tired."
"I understand that. Dad shouldn't have invited them. If it makes you feel any better pretty much everyone has offered to leave since you left."
"How many of them left?"
"None of them…" Dean said before he paused. "And Brandon's here."
"From camp?"
"Yeah, Ethan and Evan wanted to see him. His dad's hanging out with Tony."
"They're not staying for dinner, are they?"
"No, Sammy."
"What'd you guys have for lunch?" Sam asked. "Something good?"
"Dad made soup and sandwiches."
"Hmm. Where is he now?"
"He said he needed a nap." Dean smirked. "Lesson learned maybe."
"As if that will ever happen."
When Dean nudged him, Sam grinned and then sighed. He was glad John was exhausted after one simple meal, which for the record was the easiest meal of the day to prepare since it was all just assembly, but he'd never learn his lesson. Most of the time Sam was fine with that because he didn't want John to change even a little bit, but it would have been nice for him to be maybe a tad more considerate.
"Do you think I'm being totally dramatic?"
"Not at all."
"A little?"
"Sammy, no. We have a shitload of people here and they're all staying until Monday morning. That’s…" Dean paused. "Something like fourteen meals. Actually less because we're getting pizza on Friday and Ann is making some kind of breakfast casserole for tomorrow."
"You know how I feel about casseroles."
"I do." Dean whispered. "But while it's in the oven cooking tomorrow morning, I plan on sucking your cock until it's hard enough to fuck me."
"And they say romance is dead."
"Not in my house." Dean winked. "Come on, let's unload these groceries and then I'll give you a preview."
"Fabulous. Was my little man okay without me?"
"Um…you know what? He took a nice long nap."
"Oh, that's good. A Mawy?"
"Sorta tight with mom."
"And the rest?"
"Have been running around all day!"
Sam knew the rest of the kids were going to be fine, but he sometimes worried about Milo. He really was okay though and seemed to be enjoying a little snack in his big boy high chair. Carol was in there with both of the babies and though Milo didn't get the whole grandma thing he was enjoying the company. He was laughing and giggling along with Mary and petting Carol's face a little until he saw that daddy was back.
"Whuh! Dahdah!"
"Hey you!"
"Dahdah! Whuh!"
"He's got a new word." Dean whispered. "Wit a whuh!"
"Whuh!"
"Anbahwah!" Mary yelled. "Dahdah!"
"Aargh!" Sam grinned. "Kisses for both of yous!"
Sam's favorite thing to do with the babies was to kiss all over their heads until they yelled even louder about what a good time they were having. Most of the time Mary had enough after about a minute but Milo could have been kissed all day long. He was even helping out and turning his head in all different directions so Sam wouldn't miss an inch. He had to catch his ears a couple of times and he also had to get Mary right on the top of her head since Dean had once read a very scientific article about kisses causing hair growth.
"Hey, mom."
"Hey, Sammy. You okay?"
"I will survive. As long as I know how to punch old guys in the face I know I'll stay alive."
"Awesome. I was thinking that tomorrow I'll go with John and the boys to have Chinese food and then he can come back here and eat again with you guys."
"Huh?"
"Me and Nick, Bruce, Anthony, you know, we'll go eat and then he can just eat again."
"That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard."
"Yeah." Carol sighed. "Yeah, it is, that's what I told him when he suggested it."
John didn't just want everyone together he wanted them all sitting around one incredibly long table and eating at the same time. Unfortunately that wasn't going to happen because all the extra adult guests had just booted the kids from the dining room table which Dean apparently didn't realize yet because he'd raise hell. It was going to take some maneuvering and a lot of hard work, but Sam knew it could be done. People leaving or eating in restaurants wasn't a workable solution at all, they were all going to stay and they were all eating together.
"We'll figure it out." Sam smiled. "What's the total?"
"You sure you wanna know?" Dean asked. "I can just pretend like it's eight."
"We're a family of nine, Dean."
"Oh, right. Well, it's twenty-one adults, six kids, and four babies."
"Twenty-two, I invited Gabe."
"I thought he didn't eat."
"Well, Ian, his...the guy does. I thought it would be nice."
"Yeah, that will be nice." Dean smiled. "That was nice of you."
"I thought so." Sam sighed. "So, dinner for thirty-two. This should be interesting."
"I can cook." Carol shrugged. "I can do everything."
"Sammy wouldn't expect you to do that mom! No, no, it's better for you to just handle chopping and stirring…oh! You can make the tea."
"Wow, subtle. I cook very well."
"Yes, you do." Dean said as he patted her head. "You're a big girl, aren't you?"
"Hey!"
"You're a great cook, mom, but ya ain't no Sammy."
"Well." Sam blushed. "Cooking for thirty-two just got a little easier."
Dean and Carol both gave Sam little encouraging kisses on the cheek. He knew he could do it because he did like cooking and it was easy for him. The hardest part was going to be resisting the incredibly urge to punch John in the face and then figuring out how to tell Dean he bought him a yacht, which could probably wait until Christmas.
John just never learned his lesson. Pretty much everyone Dean had ever met was terrified of Sam although he hadn't really given any of them anything to be scared of. John knew he had pissed him off and instead of keeping his distance until things cooled down he was determined to make nice which Sam had absolutely no interest in. He didn't even want to talk about John much less talk to him. John insisted that Sam was just being gay dramatic and he pushed and pushed until Dean organized a sit down.
It happened in the office while Sam was relaxing with his email, a cup of Tummy Tamer tea, and maybe a quick round of Slingo. Dean brought John in there and then sort of positioned himself between the two of them because someone was bound to get gay slapped or at the very least bi-curious-older-gentleman-slapped. He wasn't going to say anything about loud, but Dean was really hoping that Sam laid the smack down on John just once. Not only was it going to give Dean a stiffy but he'd no longer be the only Winchester prone to punching dear old daddy right in the face.
When they walked into the office John apologized in the most insincere way possible which didn't even register with Sam. He kept on reading his email and sipping his tea which Dean knew was going to happen. John then tried to make a difference by reminding Sam how nice it would be for him to have Anthony around and Milo was a big fan of baby Charlie. He even mentioned Dean enjoying having Bruce around which was totally irrelevant. It was all irrelevant because John didn't seem to get what the problem was. He was focused on Sam hanging out with Anthony and Dean spending time with all his best friends at once. Sam didn't care about any of that and he didn't even care about cooking anymore. He was stuck on John deliberately doing something he had asked everyone not to do. It was very simple, but maybe too simple for John who was as dumb and he was poundable.
"Male gays love to cook and you'll get to wear an apron, that's almost like a dress!"
"You are digging your grave deeper and deeper." Dean whispered. "You're like nine feet under."
"And Anthony can not only hang out with you, he'll be kissing your ass. I know how much you like that." John said. "Hmm? Feeling better than everyone around you."
"Dad…"
"And you know what? I need my wife around sometimes. I've done so much for you and…"
"Such as?" Sam asked as he finally looked up. "I'm listening."
"Oh, hamburgers." Dean muttered. "This isn't going to end well."
"I've done plenty! I…there was that time I….when we…okay, anyway, I want to spend Thanksgiving with all my kids. If I went back home I'd miss Thanksgiving with Aaron and Jeremy, my first Thanksgiving with them. Thanksgiving means a lot to me."
"Now."
"Now what?"
"Now it does." Sam said as he stood up. "Maybe I'll go to the store and buy frozen dinners for everyone and we can eat cranberry sauce out of a can and freeze our asses off because the motel heater doesn't work and we can't call the front desk who might inquire as to why two children are un-chaperoned."
"Jeez!"
"Here we go, I was such a neglectful father! You know cooking wouldn't be so hard if you didn't have to overdo everything!"
"Was? I don't overdo anything." Sam said as he walked towards John. "I give my children what they deserve so one day they can tell their own kids about our fabulous holiday meals, instead of being stuck with shitty ones like me and Dean."
"Sammy, uh…"
"I told you we had too many people here and you turned around and invited more. You deliberately disobeyed me and now I'm under more stress which you will be unable to alleviate in any way, shape, or form."
"I'll do the damn cooking!"
"Well that'd be an excellent plan, dad." Sam smiled. "But we live in a small town and there's not enough ambulances to rush us all to the ER after eating what you think passes for food."
"You little bitch."
"Learned from the best."
"Okay!" Dean said after pushing them apart. "Dad, go away."
"Why should I go away!"
"Because this is my house."
"And you have dinner to make." Sam added. "And it's not going to be pizza."
"Fine!"
John apparently didn’t think he was in enough trouble because when he passed the sofa in the office he paused and knocked one of Sam's decorative pillows on the floor. Dean had totally thought about doing the same thing a hundred times because they were always in the way if he wanted to sneak in a quick nap, but he wasn't stupid. Knocking over something Sam had decorated the house with was sort of like waiting until Evan wasn't looking and then knocking him over. Sam's face was already pretty red but it got even worse and he was obviously gearing up for a showdown.
"Okay!" Dean smiled. "You sit down and I'll get you a Ferrero Rocher!"
"Yeah, that's a good idea."
"More tea?"
"Thank you, Dean."
"Just relax, baby, it'll be okay."
"Of course it will." Sam said as he sat back down. "I have you."
Dean kissed Sam on the head and then grabbed the mug because he was in desperate need of more tea and of course a little spot of chocolate. What Dean really wanted to do was take the mug and throw it at John's head but that wasn't going to solve anything. John would be in pain and Dean would temporarily feel better but it wasn't a real solution. Dean thought that showed tremendous growth on his part because normally beating the crap out of John was the solution to all his problems.
After fixing the cup of tea, Dean went into the pantry to get Sam's little piece of candy. The box was on the top shelf and shoved all the way to the back because it was Sam's and he didn't want a troublesome twosome to get their hands on it. He wasn't big on sweets at all, but sometimes Sam just needed chocolate which Dean understood. Apparently that was something that ran in the family since someone else was in the pantry with an accomplice looking for something sweet to eat.
The pantry was a ten by ten room with a big island in the middle of it which Sam was using to store extra dishes and linens. The walls were all lined with shelves and all the good stuff was at the top where the kids couldn't just grab it. Ethan and Evan were always trying to sneak cookies and more than once Ollie had been in there looking for bacon or some other form of pig. Mikey was the last person Dean expected to see in there and he never thought Charlie would be helping out by steadying the chair he was standing on.
"Mikey!"
"What!"
"What are you two doing?" Dean asked as he grabbed him. "What if you fell and broke your beautiful face?"
"We were getting Oreos." Mikey pointed. "To eat before we go play Elebits."
"You are a bad influence!"
"Me?" Charlie asked. "I was just going to pop them off the shelf with my brain, he went to get the chair."
"Dude, don't be a narc."
"That's what happens when young boys don't have any strong male role models." Dean said as he grabbed the cookies. "Like you."
"Uh, I have Craig."
"Oh, right. Well, your father is still a punk!"
"That's fair." Charlie shrugged. "I can handle that."
"Can you give us a second?"
"Sure. I'll go pour some milk."
Charlie left after Dean handed over the cookies and he actually closed the door to the pantry behind him. Mikey had his hands behind his back and he was kicking the floor like he thought he was in trouble. Dean didn't care about the cookies even a little bit and Charlie was steadying the chair so it wasn't like it was going to fall over. That was fine, but Dean did have something he wanted to say just to make sure Mikey knew.
"I'm sorry, daddy, we're just tired of playing outside and I wanted a cookie."
"I don't care about that, buddy. You can get cookies if you want."
"What's wrong?"
"Come here." Dean said before sitting down and patting his lap. "I want to talk to you about something."
"Okay."
"Mikey, I'm not perfect. I'm far from it and I want you to understand that so you never expect me to be perfect. I mess up a lot, me and Sammy both and just because you don't see it or hear about it doesn't mean it doesn't happen."
"I know that, daddy."
"Do you really?"
"Of course I do." Mikey smiled. "And I see and hear stuff sometimes."
"Like what?"
"Like when you told Evan to tell daddy he loved him. I knew you shouldn't have said that to him because of how he is with daddy. When we came here after daddy's birthday you weren't talking to anyone and I knew you should have. I know you're not perfect, no one is."
"You got that right."
"You know what I expect?"
"What?"
"Food." Mikey said. "And I like having my own room at home. I need a coat when it's cold and when it's hot I like the air on. Sometimes I want to just hang out with Charlie. I need food for Apple Juice and some new books every now and then. I need my brothers and my daddies and everyone else, that's it. That's all I expect."
"Well, I'm doing pretty good with this being a daddy thing, huh?"
"Yep." Mikey nodded. "I think so. Better than Justin, but really how hard is that?"
"You're right. Anything else you need?" Dean asked. "Just…since we're talking."
"I need you to let me be a regular kid. Just a regular boy like everyone else."
"You are, Mikey."
"No, daddy, I'm not." Mikey laughed. "Kids younger than me don't have chaperones at school. I know you feel better with Alex there but I'd feel better without him and…maybe…"
"What?"
"Maybe me going to school should be about me."
"Done."
"What?" Mikey asked. "What'd you say?"
"You're right. Alex can still bring you, but he can go do something else until it's time for him to pick you up."
"You trippin'?"
"No, now get out of here before I change my mind."
Mikey didn't need to hear that twice because he jumped off Dean's lap and ran like hell. Dean half expected to see a puff of smoke in his absence but there wasn't any. Mikey just bolted and then just as quickly he was back. He had such a cute little smile on his face and since Dean was still sitting in the chair he had to get up on his toes to kiss him on the cheek. He left again after that which was just fine with Dean because he thought their conversation went very well.
When the rest of the kids were older Dean was going to have to sit them down too and make sure they understood that they were being raised by imperfect people. Ollie and Evan would most likely completely disagree but Dean still wanted them informed so one day they wouldn't be expecting perfection. That wasn't what Sam was doing with John, but it was close enough and expecting so much just made things harder. Even if John made all the right choices he had still spent so much time making all the wrongs ones. He could make that hurt fade some but it was never going to go away and when he hurt Sam, like he had by inviting extra people, it opened up all those old wounds that would never really heal.
When Dean came out of the pantry Mikey was already munching on his cookies with Charlie. Dean had seen them together so many times and it was still affecting him in the best possible way. He loved that Mikey had a best friend his own age and there really wasn't anyone better for the job. When Dean passed and picked up Sam's tea Charlie shot him a little knowing glance which Mikey didn't notice. They may have been best friends and Charlie was Justin's son, but Dean had a very special relationship with him, one that he wouldn't trade for the world.
Armed with two chocolates and the tea Dean made his way back to the office. They still had a while until dinner so he thought it might be best to spend time alone with Sam to help him calm down. If he was still pissed at dinner the kids were going to pick up on that and if they schooled John he was going to be very upset. He had done wrong but Dean didn't want him to be hurt.
Sam was still sitting at the desk, but his posture had changed. He wasn't upright anymore and he was sort of slumping. Dean thought that was strange because Sam was such a stickler for proper posture. It wasn't until Dean was placing the mug on the desk that he noticed Sam was leaning with purpose and apparently had been doing it for a while.
"Sammy. Oh, God…"
"It's okay." Sam whispered. "I'm okay."
"What the hell happened?"
"I…I don't know, my nose just started bleeding. I think it stopped."
"Lemme see, Sammy."
"No, it's…"
"Don't make me ask again."
Sam probably had ten Kleenex in his hands and they were soaked bright red. Dean's nose bled sometimes when they were in Vermont because of the weather but Sam's never did. He didn't pick it and it wasn't particularly dry in South Carolina. He hadn't just bled a little either, he had gushed and it was actually making Dean a little nauseous, but he still took over so Sam wouldn't have to do anything.
After he got the tissues out of the way Dean tried to see up Sam's nostrils which made them both laugh a little. He had dried blood all over his face and really needed to be cleaned up. The only way to do that was in the bathroom, which meant they'd have to pass through the living room. Luck was on Dean's side though because Mikey and Charlie were still having cookies in the kitchen and wouldn't be upset to see Sam in such a state.
"You feel okay?"
"Just a nosebleed." Sam said before he leaned against the counter. "That was weird."
"Sammy…um…"
"I'd tell you, Dean. I think you probably would have heard me too."
"I wasn't implying you wouldn't tell me. I just wanted to know if you had a vis…"
"No."
"Were you pickin' boogies?"
"No." Sam smiled. "I'm just…"
"So stressed you have nosebleeds?"
"Maybe."
"I'll clean you up."
"Okay."
Sam's face was all stained where he had been holding the tissues but Dean got him all cleaned up and handsome again with a hand towel. His first thought when he saw Sam in the office was that he had a vision and Dean was incredibly relieved he hadn't. He was a little worried about why Sam had the nosebleed but it just might have been one of those things that happened. As long as he didn't have a vision Dean could deal with just about anything including stressed caused by John.
"Who's the best looking guy in the room?"
"You."
"I disagree." Dean whispered. "I'm second best, maybe."
"I shouldn't be this upset, Dean."
"Sammy, you're tired. This will be so much better after tomorrow And you know what?"
"What?"
"Everyone is going to have a great time, and you make Easy Mac taste fantastic, so I know this meal is going to be great even if you don't give it your all. The kids won't care if it's not perfect."
"Thank you."
"And I'll help. I'll do as much as I can and so will everyone else without getting in the way."
"I told you I needed that gigantic kitchen."
"I told you I'd buy it for you as long as you cook for me."
"Always." Sam smiled. "Can you believe mom thought she could cook?"
"Pft." Dean said as he rolled his eyes. "She's wang deprived. That does stuff to you."
"I wouldn't know about that."
"And you never will."
Since Sam was all cleaned up, Dean gave him a long kiss to hopefully make everything a little easier. Dean didn't think he was overreacting to John's insensitivity, but he was really into Thanksgiving for some reason. It seemed like the closer it got the more stress Sam was under. It really was just a meal and they had all day to prepare it so it wasn't like they were on some kind of schedule. Sam was acting like it was their last meal ever and Dean still couldn't figure out why.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course. I'm gonna pee while we're in here."
"Hot." Dean whispered. "All over my face?"
"I was thinking in the toilet."
"Well, my birthday's coming up."
"I'm aware." Sam laughed. "Freak."
"I was wondering what's with the perfect turkey day." Dean said. "You've never been this stressed about a holiday. This is like wedding stress."
"I just want it to be nice for James and Jason."
Dean was so distracted by the tone in Sam's voice he barely paid attention to him peeing which was one of his favorite things in the world. Sam really did want it to be nice for the first timers, but that wasn't it, that wasn't the only reason at least. They had done the same thing last year with Michael and Sam didn't stress out nearly as much. He just cooked and that was it. It wasn't for as many people either, but doubling or tripling recipes wasn't that difficult.
"And?"
"And nothing."
"Sammy." Dean said. "Please tell me so I can help."
"I…I need it to be perfect because as soon as it's over I'm tracking Joe down and killing him. I'm putting a bullet through his head and sending Ian home to his son."
"You want it more now, don't you?" Dean asked. "Now that you know about his son."
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Because he's away from him right now." Sam smiled. "And he'll never get that time back."
"Sammy…"
"Don't, Dean. You've been trying for eight years now to make it better and you can't. It's the only thing you can't do so you're still doing pretty damn good."
Dean sighed and nodded because he really had been trying since Mikey was born to convince Sam that he didn't miss anything during that first month. It was probably Sam's biggest regret in life which just proved he never did anything small. He had the fake memories and they probably helped some, but all Sam could ever focus on was that there was a whole month of Mikey's life he missed out on.
"What does you taking care of Joe have to do with Thanksgiving?"
"I want it to be perfect because I know this is going to be hard and every time something like this comes up it keeps getting worse. This is going to be bad Dean, and I want really good first, I want perfect."
"Sammy, are you saying you don't think you can take this guy?"
"I don't know, Dean. I do know it took me a good long while to get over the last guy I killed."
"I can do it, Justin can, dad…James, you don't have…"
"Yes, I do. This is on me and I have to do it. None of you are going to be around."
"Why you?"
"Why me?" Sam laughed. "I've been asking myself that for the past twenty-nine years. This is just how it is. I can feel it in every cell of my body. I go in alone."
When Dean shook his head Sam leaned down and kissed him on his closed eyelids. Dean wasn't going to let Sam take someone on by himself and if he thought he was really going in alone he was sorely mistaken. He didn't care what Sam said or what he wanted. When they faced off against Joe, they were going in as an army and all of them were making it out alive. That thought made Dean feel so much better, but unfortunately he forgot that Sam always got what he wanted in the end. |
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