bitchandjerk

bitchandjerk @ 2009-11-10T17:29:00

2009-11-10T23:30:24Z

Lemme put an actual disclaimer before I post this story. I've been planning this for...well, at least since 1.5mil and this was always going to happen exactly as it's written. That said I have no control over what happens in the real world and if you're upset about the events that happened at Fort Hood last week you might want to let more time pass before reading this arc leading to 3 mil. I don't expect anyone to have a problem or draw any similarities (because there are none...well, one) but I don't want people to think I'm insensitive.

There, that's out of the way.

Title: Vitamin G.
Author: bitchandjerk
Characters: Sam/Dean,John/Mary/OFC OMCs OFCs
Rating :R
Words10,500/2,973,100
Warnings: Wincest,
Summary: Sam and Dean go home to Connecticut and prepare to face off against their biggest threat yet.
Notes::AU, rest are here.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.
Feedback: Makes me hard

On Sunday everyone was back where they belonged but Dean felt more lost than ever before. It was so cold when they landed in Connecticut and he wanted to go back to South Carolina where it was warmer and things made more sense. Sam probably would have been happier there too but they had a lot of work ahead of them and in just a few hours they were going to be ready for some kind of showdown. What kind of showdown it was remained to be seen though.

The reason Dean was so lost was the same reason he had no idea what they were going to do with Joe. When they told Jeremy and Aaron about their late night visitor they both expressed serious doubts that it was actually Mary. Aaron was actually pretty nice about it, but Jeremy said it was total bullshit and that Joe was playing them. He was rude about it and his insistence that someone had fooled them made Dean feel like he was an idiot. He was certain that Mary had come back to help, but then the doubt started to grow and fester.

She said everyone was okay in the future and that just made Dean feel so happy because it was probably what he worried about the most. He was always so scared of something happening to the kids and though death was inevitable knowing that John still had another seventeen years had done wonders for Dean. He was also thinking about what they'd do as a family when John died and knowing he didn't have to worry about it for a long while was incredibly comforting.

When Jeremy called bullshit Dean started to worry about what the future held for the kids and whether or not John really would be around to meet his great-grandchildren. As if that wasn't bad enough Sam seemed like he was starting to doubt his plan to not kill Joe. If Mary hadn't come back and they didn't kill Joe it was very likely that he was going to get stronger and become a bigger threat. If Sam did kill Joe they risked the future Mary had warned them about. Dean fell asleep on Thursday night thinking everything was going to be fine and then it all unraveled again like it always seemed to do.

Dean was pretty sure that if Jeremy had been in the kitchen when they found Mary that he wouldn't have had such serious doubts. He was already sleeping when she showed up so he didn't get to feel what Sam and Dean both had. When Dean was hugging her she felt just like the daughter he had wanted so badly, and she looked so much like Sam and Jenny. She made Dean feel so warm and happy and then it got taken away from him simply because Jeremy refused to believe.

"Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"May I sit with you?"

"You may." Dean laughed. "Come on."

Dean was sitting on the back porch all by himself because he wanted to be alone, but James had a blanket over his shoulders and two mugs in his hands. It was cocoa which was okay even if Dean really needed a gigantic cup of coffee. He wanted to go to sleep after the kids were in bed but Sam still had some work to do and when that was done they were all leaving to find Joe which in itself was pretty funny.

Sam wanted to leave after midnight so they could take care of things while it was dark which seemed like a pretty good plan. The only problems they had was still not knowing who Joe was or where he was at or what to do when they found him. Dean was pretty sure the plan was just to drive around Long Island yelling the name they gave him out the windows until he showed up to explain his actions.

The things Joe had done over the past few weeks were worth killing him over, but Dean was still mostly on Mary's side. Joe had apparently been partly responsible for Sam getting shot and for killing a dozen child molesters one of which ended up across the street from their house. He had somehow managed to dispatch dozens of angels, made Jenny and Justin dream of the demon, and he had sent Dean to a place worse that hell. He needed to pay for those things and maybe the penalty was death but Dean wanted to listen to Mary because she always listened to him.

"Did you know Jason was going to be an angel?"

"Yes." James said as he sat down. "Gabriel told me."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because neither of you will understand. This was his choice to make and he understands what…"

"He can't possibly understand. If he's got so many angels protecting him they're saving a big player for him. Sammy says it'll hollow him out."

"Dean, don't spend all your energy worrying about Jason right now. It'll all work out in the end."

"Yeah, that’s what I keep hearing." Dean sighed. "Let's go over what we know again."

"That's why I'm out here." James smiled. "Well, and I figured I might make out with you a little."

"Surprisingly not in the mood."

Dean wasn't just freezing his ass off outside because he wanted to be alone. He had to be outside to watch whatever the hell was going on in his super best friend's clubhouse. Sam had asked permission to use it and he had been in there with Gabe for quite a while. Dean was invited as well, but he had opted to stay behind which was probably the dumbest thing he had ever done. He knew something major was going down or about to go down and he had purposefully distanced himself from it. He trusted Sam completely but it still had him on edge. Dean was mostly worried because he had no idea how someone as strong as Sam went about getting stronger and he doubted they were lifting weights.

"Cooper mentioned Joe in September." James said. "Sam was shot in October and the next day the bodies started piling up."

"Last one in the front yard." Dean nodded. "And then Jenny and Justin…uh…"

"I know the had dreams of the demon, Dean. Not much gets by me."

"Okay, they had dreams of the demon and then that same Thursday he blips off your radar."

"Only to come back last Thursday when…"

"I got the high-def surround sound director's cut of me raping Sammy whenever the mood struck."

"I was going to say when you were dreaming." James whispered. "Then when you woke up I couldn't feel him anymore."

"And you haven't since?"

"Exactly."

"It doesn't make any sense." Dean laughed. "If he's as strong as Sam what the hell is he waiting for?"

"He's not as strong, he has the same strength."

"Sam sent Jeremy to freakin' Seattle and ripped that snake bitch apart without breaking a sweat. If Joe's that strong…What?"

James had the oddest look on his face and though he was trying he couldn't actually hide inside the mug of cocoa. Sam favored really big mugs, but it just wasn't working out for James. He knew something and he was keeping it to himself which was sort of pissing Dean off. The number one rule after not getting killed was making sure everyone went into a fight knowing everything. If Dean was going to be a part of handling Joe with James and Sam they couldn't keep any secrets.

"I don't believe that was Sam on Thanksgiving."

"Excuse me?"

"It was him of course, but…Dean, the things he did so effortlessly aren't exactly in his power to do. Knocking Aaron out of the way is absolutely something he could manage, but sending Jeremy away was…"

"Demon power?"

"Close."

"Angel power." Dean whispered. "Are you saying they dosed him?"

"I'm saying that Sam saw that you were unresponsive and reacted badly. That gave any one of the angels a chance to test him. Gabe said he'd have to make choices."

"Choice being?"

"What he did with the power he had." James said. "Or what he would do with it once he was sure you were safe."

"Do you think they're behind this Joe stuff?"

"Absolutely not."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because no one could fake missing their son like Ian does. I can feel his grief in every word he says. They're the good guys…we're the good guys…and I guess perhaps Joe might even be a mass murdering good guy."

Dean laughed because it was all just so funny. He had what seemed like ten different people telling him ten different things. Sam had been on the kill Joe team since the first time he was mentioned and now he was ready to save him. They didn't know what they were saving him from or how to do that but Sam was still thinking about saving him unless of course Mary was a clever trick and he should actually kill him.

"Wait."

"What?"

"We're sure Joe was responsible for me dreaming?"

"I felt him for the first time in a week." James said. "It's unlikely he was up to something else at the exact time you were out."

"He said to kill him. He said he couldn't stop them. If there was a fake Mary that he sent shouldn't she have been saying to kill him?"

"I suppose…So do you think that means a person or group is forcing him to do something against his will?"

"Them…more than one." Dean sighed. "Maybe a couple of demons found their way back and they know it's too risky to take Sam on themselves."

"Maybe "he" came back."

"I won't let him hurt you."

"It's not your job to make sure I'm okay." James said as he squeezed Dean's hand. "Except in a sexy fashion."

"You don't have to make jokes, James. I know how scared you are."

"It would be fitting." James said. "To have to deal with him again now that things for me are going so well."

"Again." Dean smiled. "I won't let him hurt you."

"And I'll watch your back."

"I think the three of us together can handle just about anything." James said before he whispered. "And your father is listening at the backdoor, so I'm going to let him talk to you."

"You'll check the rifle and the Colt, right?"

"That's where I'm headed."

As soon as James started to stand up Dean heard the backdoor open. John was sort of stuck in the middle of everyone again and he didn't know where he wanted to be. He really wanted to support Sam, but at the same time Jeremy was so fucking insistent that he was right. John was even a little pissed off that no one had come to get him when Mary showed up because he had a lot of questions for her like whether or not future grandpa was covering the gray or letting it take over. John was thinking about some manly alternatives to cover his gray and having quite a hard time so some reassurance about what he was going to eventually do would have been nice.

"Hey."

"Hey, dad."

"Got some blanket for me?"

"You know it." Dean said as he held it up. "Get under here."

"All right." John smiled. "It's nice out, little cold though."

"Yeah."

"Any word from Sammy?"

"No, he hasn't been out there too long."

"He knows what he's doing, right?"

"He's doing what's best for our family." Dean nodded. "We have to trust him."

"I do…I do…I just…" John said before he sighed. "Dean, he was really fuckin' scary on Thanksgiving and he's going to come back to this house even stronger."

"Were you scared of him?"

"No…no, he was just scary, that's what I meant."

"James thinks the angels were testing him."

"Oh, so it must be true if James said it."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing." John said as he looked out at the garden. "Forget it."

"Tell me, dad. Do you not trust him?"

If John had any reason at all to not trust James then Dean was just going to have the complete nervous breakdown he had been putting off for the past few weeks. James was sort of the glue holding everyone together because he could stay calm in any situation which Dean couldn't count on with anyone else. John was so emotional when it came to the demon and if Sam went all power trip again Dean was going to need James. He could keep his cool which was something all big boy Winchesters were having a problem with lately.

"Of course I trust him. He's perfect. Why wouldn't I trust him?"

"He's not our dad."

"Then why am I watching the kids while you three run off to be heroes?" John asked. "I can still fight, you know I can. You think I should just sit at home with my robe and old man slippers."

"Did anyone actually say that to you?" Dean asked. "And that robe was nine hundred dollars."

"The silk inside gives me a hardon."

"That's why we got it."

"Why haven't you two asked me to help? Strength in numbers."

"Dad." Dean said before he stood up. "You don't…"

"Tell me what it is or I'm just going to think I'm all old and useless like Bobby. Bobby sucks!"

Dean laughed and then turned away from John because in the dark he could hide. If he kept looking at him he was just going to laugh until he cried and Dean really couldn't handle much else. He was barely keeping it together and saying things he never wanted to say to John wasn't going to make things any easier. Dean did have a reason for excluding John and it went far beyond needing someone strong to watch the kids just in case.

"Come on." John said as he stood. "What is it?"

"Mary said you're still around when she's eighteen."

"You're damn right I am!"

"What about when she's twenty?" Dean asked as he turned. "Or thirty? I know you'll be around when Michael and Alex have kids, but what about when Mary has one or Milo or Buffy. Dad, after tomorrow we could have a completely normal life and you're still going to check out first."

"After Bobby!"

"I can't…I can't and the kids wouldn't be able to handle it if anything happened to you. I don't go a day without imagining what happens when you're gone and I'm not going to let you put yourself in a position where you could get hurt."

"Dean…"

"So you're staying here tonight because you're less expendable. If James doesn't make it…we'll grieve and move on, but if you don't…"

"It's okay, come here."

Dean choked back his tears and then let John hold him up. It hurt like hell to say it out loud, but in a way it actually made Dean feel a little better. He talked it over with James already who completely understood and agreed but Dean needed to really tell John how him and Sam both felt. He was never going to be the perfect father, but he was the patriarch of the family though James had a couple of years on him. James held them all together when things got rough, but John was doing it the rest of the time which thankfully was most of the time.

"I love you."

"Me too, dad."

"And if I do die." James said as he walked out of the house. "My first act as a ghost will be to have anal sex with you."

"James…" John said as he shook his head. "What Dean means is…"

"I know what he means and I agree with him. You mean more because you've been around longer. In a few years I will most likely be more important to everyone as I have more friends on the FaceyPlace."

"We do get hotter as we age." John frowned. "Promise me you won't take Anthony or Mikey."

"Anthony's first?" Dean asked. "Before your grandson?"

"Hey, I can only color so much before I need a little relief."

"I have my eye on Justin." James whispered. "He's…"

"And!"

"Oh, and Dean of course for I find short men attractive."

"And!"

"And he has a very thick penis."

"That's better." Dean smiled. "See, now you really better hope we're all okay or he's going to ghost sex you."

"I've never had sex with a ghost." John said as he scratched his chin. "Demon a couple of times…werewolf once."

"Wha…What!"

"You didn't know that?" James laughed. "It's really a very good story."

"Dad, you nailed a werewolf?"

"Well, I didn't know at the time." John scoffed. "I found out later."

"What happened to her?"

"I dunno." John shrugged. "She just sucked me off anyway, it's not like I fucked her in the stinker."

"When was this?" Dean asked. "And why didn't you tell me! What's the point of knowing everything that's ever happened to our family if you leave out the good shit?"

"It slipped my mind."

"This was like a really long time ago." John laughed. "Yeah, I think Bobby might have hit it…I'm not sure. His standards are a lot lower than mine."

Dean's eyes were still a little raw from crying, but he had a nice long laugh with John and James. He was probably never going to be able to close his eyes without imagining a werewolf gnawing on John's rod, but then it might be worth it because he'd get to tell Sam who was probably going to throw up from laughing so much. It seemed more appropriate to get sucked off by a vampire but then John was never really conventional what with the bare backing a demon and all.

"I can't wait to tell Sammy." Dean laughed. "Wow."

"She was pretty hot, right?"

"From what I remember." James nodded. "Not bad."

"Yeah, she wasn't bad…anyway, do we know how much longer Sammy's going to be?"

"No clue." Dean sighed. "What do you think they're doing in there?"

"Ann said she read an article on the online about how angels can make you stronger through sodomy."

"Um…"

"Also, there was another article about how women who have fancy jewelry bear healthier babies."

"Listen." John whispered. "The next time someone calls you dumb you know who to blame."

"Mmhmm." Dean nodded. "James, I'm pretty sure there's not any sex going on."

"I suppose they're just training."

"Yeah." Dean said. "Probably learning a few new moves."

"Or…

"Holy shit." Dean whispered. "What the fuck is…"

"Get down!" James yelled. "Close your eyes!"

Dean was trying to get down on the ground, but James didn't give him much of a chance. He knocked him and John down so they were both eating grass. When James gave orders Dean almost always tended to follow them but he couldn't close his eyes or even look away. It would be like passing the Northern Lights and not looking up to check them out. Closing his eyes would have been like wearing earplugs to listen to the greatest piece of music ever written.

Hopefully Alex was sleeping because he was going to raise hell if he saw what was going on at The Honeybunch Hideout. Dean was going to have to have a stern talking to with Sam as well because there were rules and though blowing the joint up wasn't written down it was pretty much a given. The cabin just got a little bright at first and then came the tremors and a blinding pillar of light that stretched out of the trees, past the clouds, and maybe straight up into heaven.

It was so painfully bright that Dean could see everything like another sun had appeared in the sky. Dean could see little bugs walking along blades of grass, bugs that were too small for anyone to see with the naked eye. He saw a couple of birds way off in the distance scavenging before winter rolled in and Dean could even see all the stars in the sky made visible by the light that very quickly started to fade out.

"What the fuck was that!" John yelled as he jumped to his feet. "Sammy!"

"Dad, it's okay. I'm fine."

"Sammy?" Dean asked as he turned around. "How'd you…how'd you get here so fast? You're…you're hurt."

"No, I'm not." Sam said as he shook his head. "It's fine."

Sam had a long cut up his left forearm from his wrist to his elbow and it sure as hell didn't look fine. It looked so bad that Dean thought a trip to the emergency room might be in order, but as soon as Sam said it was fine that's what it was. The blood was all gone and the firm taut skin didn't have even the slightest mark on it.

"Sam." John said. "You okay?"

"Yeah, dad. Keep an eye for the kids for us, we'll be back before sunrise."

"We know where we're going?" Dean asked. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Dean." Sam smiled. "I promise you, I'm fine."

Sam looked like himself and he sounded like himself but at the same time it seemed like he was a little too calm. In what was probably an effort to prove he really was okay he reached out and very gently touched Dean's cheek which was like licking an electrical socket. It was intense but not painful and for just a second Dean thought that nothing else in the world really mattered and that everything was always going to be okay.

"Where are you three going?" John asked. "How'd you find him."

"I had a vision."

"When?"

"I'm finishing it up right now. He's at Camp Hero in Montauk being held against his will along with two demons."

"De…demons?" James asked. "Is he there?"

"I'm not sure. They're contained, all you two have to do is kill them. I'm going to get Joe. There's hundreds of people working there, I'm going to move everyone off the base when we get there. Kill anyone left if they get in your way."

"Whoa, whoa!" John said. "You're just going to kill a bunch of people?"

"They're responsible for hurting him." Sam said. "Everyone else will be removed when we get there."

"Who's responsible, Sammy?"

"Agent Eagan, four doctors, and six guards. If you see them, kill them. I'll get Joe out."

"Did you see who he was?" James asked. "Do you know him?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "I know him."

"Who…"

"I don't have time for questions." Sam said. "He doesn't have much time, Dean."

"I know, and we'll…oh fuck…"

"Take a minute to recoup while I shift everyone out."

Dean fell to the ground next to James and started clawing at the grass trying to fight whatever was tearing it's way through him. He felt like his inside were bring ripped apart and stitched back together all out of order. It was excruciating, but after a couple of incredibly deep breaths, Dean felt a lot better, but then that faded as well. Just thirty seconds ago he was standing in the back of the house in Connecticut and then he was in thick woods next to what had possibly been a military installment at one time or another.

"What the fuck was that!"

"It's too long of a drive otherwise." Sam said. "You want the Colt or the rifle?"

"Good heavens." James coughed. "What a wild ride!"

"James, do you have a preference?"

"Rifle." James nodded. "Thank you."

"Sammy, you need to fill us in a little more, I can't go in there without knowing what's going on."

"I will just let me get these people somewhere safe."

"Okay."

"Do you trust me still?" Sam asked. "Tell me the…"

"With my life." Dean smiled. "With my everything."

Dean smiled a little bigger when Sam leaned in because if he was about to kill a demon he needed as many kisses as he could get. It would have been nicer if they were alone in the moonlight, but Dean was still glad James was there even if he was complaining about not pooping for a week.

The cabin in the woods had really come along since the last time Sam saw it. Dean had hung up some wooden blinds to block out the sun and he had a few paintings from the kids tacked up on the wall. Alex had apparently contributed to the décor as well because there was a poster sized print of Michael without his shirt on that was hung crooked. Dean probably enjoyed that as well but not nearly as much as Alex did.

There was a dartboard and a couple decks of cards around, but that was about it as far as recreation went. It seemed like the only thing Alex and Dean were doing in the cabin was drinking beer, smoking cigars, and having farting contests. There were half empty bottles all over the place and between the two recliners was a big ashtray that was nearly overflowing. Since Sam had the FrussyBritches gene he really wanted to clean up but it was Dean's special hangout and he was going to bitch and moan if he found it all nice and neat.

Sam was really just going to straighten things up and toss the bottles out because he didn't want to break out any cleaning products which might rid the cabin of it's wonderful manly smell. It was like sour beer, smoke, and men which was really doing something for Sam. It smelled so much like Dean in there and Sam sort of wanted to roll around on the ground to get that scent into his own skin. Instead of doing that he just made a little mental note to fool around with Dean in the cabin once they were back to fooling around.

Since it was dark out the inside of the cabin was dark with Sam rectified by lighting a few unscented manly candles. Dean and Alex had a couple of flashlights and camping lamps, but Sam thought the candles would be nicer for the occasion which he has also showered and fixed his hair for. He realized he didn't have to do any of that because it wasn't like he was going on a date. He knew his meeting with Gabe was strictly business and should be handled as such. Sam was sure Gabe understood that as well until he arrived with a modest bouquet of grocery store flowers.

That was weird enough but for the first time since they had met Gabe was wearing different clothes. He still had on a suit and his famous trench coat but everything looked a little neater and his tie wasn't all loose and relaxed. Even his hair was fixed differently and he had obviously shaved for the big event. Sam hadn't been nervous about anything but seeing Gabe all spiffed up made a big knot form in his stomach.

"Flowers?"

"I thought it appropriate."

"Uh…" Sam said as he took them. "Thanks."

"You lit candles."

"Because it's dark outside."

"Is that a new sweater?"

"No…well, yeah, but that's only because I don't really wear the same thing twice. I didn't get dressed up for you."

"Nor I for you."

"Good, then…I'm glad we cleared that up." Sam said as he stepped out of the way. "Come on in."

"Thank you…you look very nice."

"Um, you too. Thanks."

"You're welcome." Gabe smiled. "This is my first time."

"I'd hope so." Sam chuckled. "Can I just say I'm sort of the world's wet dream so you could do a lot worse."

"I suppose I could." Gabe said as he walked into the cabin. "Well, it smells like farts in here."

"At least you know I'm not trying to seduce you."

Sam made the mistake of leaning in a little too close and Gabe nearly jumped across the entire room. He was way too nervous and he really had no reason to be. He didn't really have to do much of anything and seeing him jump convinced Sam that maybe jokes were a little inappropriate. He really couldn't help himself though because the idea of popping Gabe's cherry really suited him.

Gabe had been missing since after Thanksgiving dinner, but Sam assumed he knew about all the excitement with Mary coming back to talk to them. He really wanted to ask if she was the real deal, but if Sam did that he knew he'd just have more doubts. It was like if he actually said it out loud again the experience would become a little less real and he didn't want to give it up. He really wanted to believe that Mary was eighteen years old and in the kitchen with them just a few days ago. Not only did it prove that she was eventually going to have lots of lush gorgeous blonde hair, but Sam wanted to give himself and Dean a happier future.

"We should do this thing."

"Uh…" Gabe said before clearing his throat. "Well, before we do uh…"

"I'm ready."

Sam pulled the dagger he had in the back of his jeans out and very gently set it down because he didn't need Gabe to get more jumpy. Seeing the dagger did exactly that because Sam didn't just head over to Justin's house and pick from his collection of blades, he went up into the attic and got the same knife he had offed Jeremy and Aaron's mother with. It made Gabe even more nervous but Sam wasn't taking any chances. He trusted Gabe, but he wasn't stupid.

"Why…why do you want to use that dagger?"

"Let's just say I play safe with everyone except Dean."

"You think I'm a demon?" Gabe asked. "This was your idea and I'm fairly certain I said it was a bad idea."

"I just want to be sure."

"Where is Dean anyway?"

"He didn't want to join us. He didn't even want to know what was going to happen."

"And you still want to do this?"

"I have to save him, Gabe." Sam said. "I need to keep Jason from getting fucked up the ass by one of your friends, and I need to send you home to your son."

"You've decided to save him then? This is now a salvage mission?"

"Yeah."

"You were so intent on killing him."

"I was." Sam smiled. "Now I save him…from what I don't know, but I gotta do this with you first."

"There are risks, Sam. I know you don't want to listen to them, but you have to."

"Then tell me so I can do this anyway."

For the first time ever Gabe took off his trench coat and slung it over one of the chairs. He rolled up the sleeve of his shirt next and just as quickly dragged the dagger up his forearm. There was no spark at all, not even a tiny little glimmer where the candle light hit the razor sharp edge. He wanted to prove he was someone who could be trusted and he had done it with a little blood, unfortunately a few drops against his pale skin wasn't going to cut it.

"We have no idea what will actually happen."

"Best guess?"

"I think that my blood will seek out the demon blood in your system and eradicate it. So your connection to Dean and your other abilities will end, but you'll have our powers."

"I'm fine with not having any demon blood in me." Sam whispered. "I'm completely fine with that."

"But this is borrowed power, Sam. You'll have to give it up after you find Joe and…you'll be…"

"Normal." Sam smiled. "I'll be a normal boy."

Sam really hated that someone as stoic as Gabe managed to even look sad for him. His eyebrows were kind of folded down and he was frowning as he nodded. Sam didn't really think that was such a bad deal because he spent his whole life wanting to be normal and he finally had a chance to really do it right. If he was left powerless when all was said and done he even entertained the thought that all those big baddies would go looking for the kicks elsewhere and they might be able to stop fighting once and for all.

"That's best case scenario."

"What's worst?" Sam asked. "There's a worst, right?"

"There always is." Gabe said. "Because this has never been done before especially with someone like you, there's a chance my powers will simply be lumped in with yours. You'll have the powers you currently possess from the demon and mine as well."

"That's sort of what we're going for here, right? I mean you give me the mojo, I save Joe, I give it up. I'm okay with that too."

"We're not entirely okay with that."

"Why?"

"Sam, you're already stronger than any man should be, once you have my blood coursing through your veins you'll essentially be unstoppable."

"But I'm going to give it up when I'm done."

"Are you?" Gabe asked. "You can say that now, but there's a reason we have vessels, Sam. This strength is too seductive for most people. I worry about what it would do to someone as…driven as you are."

"Driven?"

"You know anyone else who wants to be the president?" Gabe asked. "Or became a billionaire before he turned thirty?"

"I'm not a…"

"Yes, you are."

Sam laughed a little and then sat down in the recliner opposite Gabe. Since he made his first measly fifty thousand dollars from 302 Sam had been talking about becoming a billionaire. Dean thought it was better to work towards a million bucks first but Sam called that pocket change. He wanted that billion not because he could buy anything he wanted or impress the entire world. He wanted it as proof that he had succeeded at something and that he was one of the few people in the world who could make that much money.

The president thing was so over and done with but Gabe did have a point. Most people went through life and wanted to be doctors or lawyers. That wasn't enough for Sam because he wanted a bigger whiter house and a whole country under his thumb. He knew the kind of politician he'd be and he didn't want input from the rest of the country, he wanted to rule them like a king so they'd stop fucking everything up. He wanted that absolute power which was dangerous when he was about to be given absolute power.

"Dean believes in me." Sam said. "Do you?"

"Ninety percent." Gabe smiled. "I'm not saying you'll have all this power and use it to kill the world, Sam, but you might get a taste and not be so ready to give it up."

"I understand that. What about the rest of you?"

"The majority of us believe you can do this."

"What about God?"

"You'd have to ask him yourself. This is another choice you have to make on your own."

"Ain't that always the way?" Sam asked as he took back the dagger. "This is going to hurt."

"I know."

"Just think tomorrow you can tuck your son in yourself."

When Gabe nodded Sam stabbed him right in the crook of his arm and dragged the dagger forward to his wrist. He split his whole forearm open because they needed lots of blood to get the job done and Sam wanted it to flow so they could get it over with quicker. He absolutely refused to drink someone else's blood and though he could have gotten a hold of some syringes Sam didn't exactly like the idea of repeatedly injecting himself. If he was going to go all the way, Sam wanted contact, and he wanted Gabe to have as close to a sexual experience as he could ever get.

Though he was dealing with a rather major wound Gabe didn't yell, scream, or cry. He was panting some, but he was surprisingly composed which really comforted Sam because he thought Dean would have reacted the same way. He was in immense pain, but he stayed quiet and suffered in silence to not ruin the moment.

Sam wasn't as strong as Gabe or Dean when it came to pain, so when he split his own forearm open he did wince very quietly and there were some tears falling down his face. When he was about halfway to his wrist he thought about backing out because the pain was so unbelievably intense, but he had to see it through. He kept right on dragging and then let the bloody dagger fall to the floor on Dean's manly gray rug.

"Ready?"

"I should be asking you that." Gabe said weakly. "Take a deep breath, Sam. It's my birthday."

"Don't tell Dean I let you top."

"I'm going to tell everyone. Hurry, I heal quick."

"Here goes nothing…and maybe everything."

Sam pressed his bleeding and gaping wound into Gabe's and then pushed out ever ounce of breath he had left. Over the past few months Sam hadn't really come in contact with Gabe that often and he had no idea if he was always so warm. It might have just been his blood but he was downright toasty and very comfortable. Sam even closed his eyes and let the warm wash over him and apparently picked the perfect time to do so because the room was getting a little brighter.

The worst thing that could have happened at that point was Dean barging in right when they were in the middle of doing the damn thing. The second worst thing was something Sam wouldn't have even considered because it had been such a long time since it happened. While he was bleeding into Gabe and apparently lighting up like a fucking Christmas tree Sam had a vision that rocked him from the tips of his toes straight out through his head. It wasn't the least bit painful at all, in fact it was actually a little pleasant and if some angel blood saved him from the skull splitting agony he just might have to try that whole syringes idea if the visions became a regular thing.

"Camp Hero." Sam whispered. "They're holding him against his will. Dad's old boss."

"Holding him? How?"

"Dave, he has him in a hundred different traps and…oh God, they have his son too. They're hurting his son to make him come after us."

"Dean said he knew him." Gabe whispered. "Do…uh…do you know him?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "I do. I know the two demons there too."

"Which ones?"

"Azazel…and Lilith."

"Impossible. Any demon being alive without us knowing it is impossible and those two…"

"Gabe?"

"I think you've had enough."

When Sam pulled his arms away he got knocked across the cabin as the beam of light got even brighter. It was so bright Sam couldn't see anything except what was playing out inside his head. The other visions Sam had were just flashes but the little boost had made everything crystal clear. John's old friend and boss, Dave, who was also responsible for sending Jeremy to hell was behind everything. He was a hell of a lot more dangerous than any of them could have expected because he had a vast knowledge of the real world and an endless budget to make the impossible very possible. Joe was completely innocent in everything and Sam was more determined than ever to help him before he made Dave Eagan pay.

"Heal up." Sam said as he stood. "We'll be at Camp Hero in Montauk when you regain your strength."

"Okay." Gabe whispered. "I need…a while."

"You'll have a while. He's guarded with some heavy duty magic."

"Can you get to him?"

"Shouldn't be a problem after I tear the whole fucking place apart." Sam said. "I'll see you soon."

"Wait."

"What?"

"Who is he?" Gabe asked. "We need to know."

"No. You don't need to know. This has nothing to do with any of you."

Sam trusted Gabe, but there was a good chance they had an audience who might view Joe as more of a threat than we really was. There were most likely a few well meaning angels out there who even thought Montauk was better off being erased from above to eliminate multiple threats. Sam wasn't risking that. He was saving Joe and his son, and letting James kill the demon that had killed him and the bitch that started it all.

Dean was very glad he hadn't asked how Sam was going to get stronger. Had he known he was basically going to have a little mystical bareback sex with Gabe he wouldn't have allowed it. Not only were some things just wrong, but Dean would have been way too scared about Sam becoming so incredibly powerful on account of already being incredibly powerful. James just thought it was his most clever idea ever and commended Sam on using an angel's blood to beef up the power he got from a demon's blood. Dean wasn't so sure about any of it, but he was sure that Sam was the same person he had been before he went into the cabin, at least on the surface.

He told them about what he had done while he was focusing on moving innocent people to safety. Dean didn't know what he was doing or where he was putting them, but it all seemed very effortless. Sam just looked like he was concentrating on a crossword puzzle but no one was actually leaving which worried Dean a little. He also had a lot of question about how an air force base in complete disrepair could house what had to be a massive facility where hundreds of people worked. The buildings in front of them were probably big enough but they were clearly abandoned and had been for some time.

"Sammy, there's nothing here." Dean said. "And this is a state park, don't you think if there was a secret government facility it'd be hidden a little better."

"James." Sam smiled. "What do you think?"

"I think the best way to keep something hidden is to pretend like you have nothing to hide. They let the people in to prove there's nothing here because there isn't."

"Exactly."

"I'm lost." Dean shrugged. "You're moving hundreds of people out from…where?"

"Camp Hero was an Army instillation established prior to world war two. They built the Air Force station when the Army phased out in the fifties and in 1984 the government turned the property over to the state."

"Which they turned into this state park?" James asked. "Right?"

"Right, they turned it over free of charge with the stipulation that the government maintains control over everything beneath the surface."

"Shut up." Dean said as he looked down. "Are you saying there's a secret…lab underneath us?"

"Twelve levels."

"We're…we're going under the ground?" James asked. "Where are the demons?"

"Level eleven."

"Oh, excellent."

"Are you scared of going underground?"

"No, no, Sam." James said as he shook his head. "Not at all, but perhaps we should get John to take my place just to be on the safe side and I can…change diapers!"

"Mary said you need to be here."

"You'll be with me." Dean said. "We'll be okay."

James nodded but he so clearly wasn't completely on board. Dean really was getting a little nervous too because going underground wasn't like entering a building and going up. When they left, hopefully all of them, they'd pretty much be crawling out of the earth since it seemed like Sam wasn't going to leave any little bit of evidence behind. That worried Dean, but if he stuck with James they could keep each other safe.

"I'd like to know more." James said. "Why didn't the angels or Jeremy know about these demons?"

"I need a break anyway." Sam sighed. "I'm guessing your probably not familiar with Project Rainbow?"

"Of course I am! Anthony told me that we're to go to the gay club at least once a month and I have to take off my shirt so men will buy us free drinks."

"Not that Project Rainbow. The Philadelphia Experiment?"

"When Forrest Gump had AIDS?" James frowned. "Such a sad movie."

"No more talking." Dean whispered. "The Philadelphia experiment had to do with making a Navy destroyer invisible."

"Nice, baby."

"Thanks!"

"This was in 1943, and it worked once making the ship invisible to the human eye and to radar, but the crew on board ended up embedded in the hull. Like they were fused with the metal of the ship."

"Ew." James said. "That's…ew…"

"So that was a big failure, but it gave all these scientist hope that one day we might be able to use science to do stuff like that including time travel, advanced weaponry, portals, and psychotronics, thus…"

Sam motioned to the buildings in front of them and Dean actually felt a little nauseous thinking about what had gone on underneath them. He got that scientist needed to conduct experiments, but he seriously doubted people were volunteering to be thrown into portals to see if they were working properly. The whole vibe of the place was really freaking Dean out because if they were involved in such extreme research there was no telling if the gun is his hand was going to do any good.

"Psychotronics?" James asked. "What is that?"

"Interfacing mind and machine." Sam said. "See, they had all this research and they got pretty far on their own, but science has nothing to do with opening portals to other dimensions or time travel. The most success any scientist had in this place was blasting radiation at people in an attempt to boost psychic abilities."

"Fantastic, now I'm really looking forward to going in there."

"Those people all died, but they weren't like us. They were working with people like Chris or Missouri, until Dave came along."

"I see." James said. "You're saying that when he got involved they were able to further their scientific experiments by using the power Joe had."

"Exactly. You can build as many machines as you want, but they're not going to work until you have the right battery. They used him to open a portal and rip the demons out of another place and another time, they're not demons like the angels here know them. They're different.

"Sammy, how the hell do you know all of this?"

"I had a vision."

"And got seventy years of top secret government history, I…"

"Other dimensions." James said interrupting Dean. "Is…Sam, do you think there's a place where the demon was never born and I got to live my live with Sarah and the boys?"

"I hope so." Sam smiled. "That'd be nice."

"It's him, isn't it?"

"James…"

"Dave knew what the yellow eyed demon did, if he was trying to see what made us work he'd want him…and Mary would want….no…you would in the future make sure she told you to include me so I can kill him because John already got to."

"Yes."

"And who else?"

"Lilith."

"From your dreams?" Dean asked. "Re…really?"

"Yeah."

"Where do we go in?" James asked. "Where's the entrance?"

"Let me finish clearing everyone out." Sam said. "And then…"

"No. There's an entrance around here and I want to know where it is right now, Sam."

"James…"

"Dean, you'll fall in line or stay behind."

"By the radar tower." Sam said. "I unlocked it."

"I'll give you two a moment."

Dean had never gotten the brush off like that before in his life. Even when John spit out orders there was a little bit of caring and compassion behind it. James had none of that and he addressed Dean like he was only a soldier which hurt so much more than it should have. It actually made Dean feel even worse about the whole thing and that didn't seem possible. He felt like a child again and utterly useless since he wasn't giving orders and he didn't have the power Sam did.

"Don't feel like that."

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's got a history with both of them." Sam said. "And…Dean whatever happens down there with him isn't anything to be scared of."

"See, when you say that it means I'm probably going to be terrified."

"Don't be. I can get to you in a second."

"I used to take care of you, Sammy."

"You still do. I've got everyone out now. Anyone left inside is fair game, if they get in your way you take them out."

"Okay. You're coming with us?"

"In a minute. I have some other stuff to do first."

"Okay." Dean said before he kissed Sam's cheek. "I love you."

"Half as much as I love you."

"You wish."

"I want to…"

"No." Dean said as he shook his head. "Don't say anything else because it'll sound like goodbye. Meet me here when you're done."

"I'll be here."

Dean squeezed Sam hand and then turned away from him. It would have been nice if the three of them could have gone in and stayed together but Joe had become a personal matter that Sam had to attend to. It really did seem like it should have just been another job they had to get done, but after all the explanation about what had happened Sam still hadn't said who Joe was. Dean wanted to know because it was important but at the same time he knew he was better off not knowing. Sam was saving him either way, but if Dean knew the truth he thought he might not be as understanding. After that terrible dream Dean really wanted blood, so in the end it probably was better they separated in order to avoid an unhappy future.

James had already found the entrance and apparently it wasn't as opened as he would have liked it to be. Dean absolutely believed everything Sam said but he was having trouble imagining a massive underground base until he saw the metal door that was built into the side of the radar tower. It looked like top secret spy shit from shows that aired in the sixties which totally blew Dean's mind. He was still nervous but his sense of adventure was starting to win out.

Since the door wasn't totally torn off it's hinges James was slamming the end of the rifle at it which was a great way to accidentally shoot your face off. Dean actually laughed some because James was so frustrated but he didn't stay laughing for long. When he tried to stop him from battering the whole damn tower down James turned just right in the moonlight and Dean could see the tear streaks down his face. Killing two demons that were trapped seemed easy enough, but it was so much more than that to James. It was more than Dean could ever pretend to understand.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you."

"It's okay." Dean said as he took the rifle. "Let's switch, you're probably a better shot with the Colt."

"Yes, you're right."

"And I think pulling the door open would work better."

"Again." James said. "You're right."

"You know sometimes I have dreams about this."

"The only dreams you have about me usually very heavily feature rough gay sex."

"You got me there."

"But for the record." James said before he sighed. "I have dreams about this too."

The closest Dean ever got to seeing James in action was last January when little big dick kidnapped Sam and tried to make out with him. That wasn't even really seeing him in action because they hadn't done what Dean would call active hunting. They were mostly accosted by phantom demons and then it was all sunshine and puppy dogs. Dean just got a little glimpse and he was really looking forward to working a job with James.

The door on the side of the building led to a very dark and small room which didn't exactly make Dean feel optimistic. It looked like the room had once held electronics of some kind which was what one would expect if they entered a building with a giant radar dish on top of it. There were no other doors and nowhere else to go which made the trip inside Dean's shortest hunt ever since they had already hit a brick wall.

That brick wall was opposite the door they had just entered from and Dean spotted the tiniest little sliver of light running in a perfect line from the floor to the ceiling. Props went out to the bad guys again because they were tricky in all the best possible ways. James noticed the little line of light as well and since he was older he went first and pushed gently against the wall. Dean figured that under normal circumstances there was some kind of lock in place but that was before Sam opened everything up for them.

"This is some Buffy season four bullshit right here."

"Dean, my priority is keeping you safe."

"I know that. I'm Xander, a know."

"You may think of me differently before morning comes."

"I doubt that." Dean smiled. "After you."

James had more to say but the handholding and ass play was going to have to wait because they had other things to attend to and Dean was pretty sure Sam was waiting for them to get inside. The line of light was coming from a very long and very bright hallway that threw off Dean's entire sense of equilibrium. He felt like he had a little bit too much to drink and was wearing new shoes on a slick floor. Dean had no idea what was making him feel that way until James tossed a penny to the ground. On a level surface it would have stayed put and even on something un-level it wouldn't have slid far before stopping. In the hallway it started to slide and didn't stop. They were on a very steep ramp that was basically going to lead them right into hell.

"There's a door at the other end." James whispered. "Why would there be a ramp and not a set of stairs of an elevator?"

"This area is really visible. They must have built the base underground further back and then put the entrance here since this tower has been here a while."

"I guess that makes sense. There's just the one door so we'll know if anyone comes out."

"Yeah." Dean said before he took a few steps forward. "If I don't puke up my dinner then…"

"What on Earth is that noise?"

"I uh…I think that's the sound of metal bending…"

"Sam?"

"I think so…maybe."

"I am so hot for him right now."

"Hey!"

"In a paternal way."

"Dude." Dean said. "You're a Winchester. Repetitive much?"

"What is he doing! He'll wake the dead!"

Dean actually had to cringe and duck when he heard a particularly loud groan followed by what had to be metal snapping. The whole underground operation the government had going on was going to be completely destroyed by the time Sam was done with them, but Dean knew that wouldn't be enough. He'd want to tear everything down like he had done to his old apartment building. That was a beautiful park now and Sam had made that happen. He liked to completely erase things which Dean got because no one liked bad reminders.

After a very loud boom Dean nodded towards the end of the hallway because Sam was done whatever he was doing. Nothing would have made Dean happier than seeing Sam rushing in to join the party but he never showed up. If he had that badass angel mojo he didn't have to take the long way down and probably went straight in to the big showdown in the basement. Thinking about that actually made Dean wonder what exactly Sam was going to do after saving Joe since Dave was most likely around somewhere. If he was in charge Dean was sure he wouldn't leave his little pet project for long.

"James?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think Sammy's going to kill Dave?" Dean asked. "I mean I get that he's a really bad guy, but he's still human."

"He'll kill him."

"Wow, you didn't give it a lot of thought."

"Dean." James said before he stopped and turned. "You do realize why Sam is suddenly so insistent on saving Joe and making these people pay."

"It's wrong and I doubt they're using Joe to make world peace."

"No…Dean, it could be any of us, and we're not always going to be around. One day someone like Agent Eagan could do this to one of the children or your grandchildren. This isn't about saving someone or being the hero, Sam's not going to stop until every part of this is obliterated."

"What…what do you think they've been doing to him? What do you think they'd do to the kids?"

"I don't know." James smiled. "I don't want to know, but I hope it helps you understand why no one can ever find out about this."

"Yeah, I do. Of course."

"Good. Get ready, two guards are coming."

"What do I uh…I just have this big ass gun."

"Stay behind me, you'll be safe."

Dean felt so stupid for asking what to do but he honestly had no idea. He liked the rifle but it wasn't exactly the best weapon to have on hand when people came running in out of nowhere which the two guards did. Dean kept the rifle by his side because it was built for killing demons and that's obviously what they were saving it for. James was apparently saving the Colt for that as well because he didn't fire a single bullet but he did kill both guards in a matter of seconds which completely horrified Dean.

The first guard didn't even get a chance to draw his gun. He looked like he was about forty years old and he was a big guy with dark hair and eyes. It was like he knew what was about to happen to him because right before James held up his hand the man's eyes went wide and terror and then blank. He had a confused look on his face which Dean only saw for a second before his entire head twisted so far backwards it nearly popped off. That was almost as gross as Sam splitting the Crone in two, but he still won out.

The second guard was much smaller, but he looked like a bigger threat because he was faster. He got his gun out and fired twice but Dean had no idea where either of the shots landed. James still had his hand out and the guard rose just an inch off the ground before he was slammed to the left and then the right. That first impact had shattered half the bones in his body and the second killed him. There were two great big blood spots on the wall where he had had made contact and they were person sized. That was all Dean could think about until the dead man fell to the ground.

James had just shattered his bones and he fell to the floor in a pile. It wasn't like the other man who just had his neck broken, he sort of slumped like bodies were supposed to. The younger man looked like he was slipping out of his skin and there was more blood pooling around him than Dean even thought possible. It was sickening, but Sam had gotten his flare for the dramatic from somewhere and James really meant it when he said no one could ever find out.

"What the fuck was that!" Dean yelled. "Since when can you do that?"

"When I'm upset…"

"James?"

"Stay…stay behind me."

"What's wrong?" Dean asked. "Why are you…James?"

"Please don't, Dean."

"Look at me."

James had his head down which was something Dean had seen before. He didn't know if James had picked it up from Jeremy or if it was the other way around and he really didn't care. He had to see Jeremy and he had to see James as well. It wasn't going to change anything about how Dean felt, but he just had to see for himself.

"Come on…It's okay."

"I'm so ashamed."

"You have nothing to be ashamed of." Dean said as he lifted his chin. "Just let me…your eyes are blue."

"Pwned."

"Wha…what?"

"Young man, I am no devil!" James said as he stood up straight. "These poor bastards on the other hand."

"Don't fuck with me like that! God damnit!"

"I couldn't resist. I'm sorry."

"Fucker."

Dean felt like his heart was trying to claw it's way out of his throat. He really wouldn't have cared if James' eyes had been black, but he did care about being fucked with. He briefly considered beating the shit out of him, but then James went and flashed the pearly whites and all was almost forgiven. Dean was still going to spank him the first chance he got but that was after he found out what the hell had just happened.

"When did you start doing that?"

"A few months now."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Dean asked. "Don't you think you should have mentioned that?"

"Possibly, but it's not something that I need to use."

"You've got to be nearly as strong as Sam is regularly."

"No." James laughed. "I don't think so. We've never seen how strong Sam really is."

"Have I seen how strong you really are?"

"No." James smiled. "You have not."

"Am I going to?"

"Unfortunately you are."

James handed the Colt over so Dean had both weapons capable of killing the two demons downstairs. He passed the dead men on the ground without even paying them even the slightest bit of attention. He was completely detached in a way that made Dean a little jealous. A few years ago he would have done the exact same thing but that's when he was hardened against the world. Seeing James kill without any regret or remorse made Dean think he was really made for the job and with that amount of power it was a shame he wasn't out there helping more.

"Are you ready to save the world, Dean?"

"You're very dramatic for an Englishman."

"My entire family is gay. I have a flair for the dramatic."

"Lead the way." Dean smiled. "To infinity and beyond."

James kicked down a door that was already opened and proceeded to trip down a half flight of stairs before landing flat on his face. He was only down for a second before he popped back up and tried his best to pretend like he hadn't just completely spazzed out, but Dean saw it and surprisingly it didn't make him feel any less safe with his big dorky grandpa.

bitchandjerk @ 2009-11-04T17:26:00

2009-11-04T23:26:46Z

If you want to help me out you could all do me a big favor and peruse my Etsy shop and/or tell everyone you've ever met about it. I'd like that a LOT. No time for a big intro because this story is a biggin'.

Title: Thanks Pt. 3
Author: bitchandjerk
Characters: Sam/Dean,John/Mary/OFC OMCs OFCs Jared/Jensen
Rating :R
Words11,000/2,962,600
Warnings: Wincest,
Summary: Thanksgiving day finally draws to a close but not before one more visitor arrives.
Notes::AU, rest are here.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.
Feedback: Makes me hard

In a week Sam planned on sitting down with Carol and making his very first scrapbook. It was something she suggested to get him out of the house more and as an activity he might be able to use to make some new friends. Sam was really looking forward to that and while he didn't relish the idea of his mommy helping him make friends he did think it might be nice to meet some other adults who had kids and if those kids came over to play with his kids that would be just fine.

Before Sam went to his first scrapbooking class he still had to finish Thanksgiving dinner, kill a monster, free an angel, and prevent Jason for turning into one. Even though it was a week Sam thought that was an awful lot to do but he wasn't worried at all. He was already pretty damn strong and since he had taken on the Crone he wasn't that worried about Joe especially since he intended on being much stronger by the time that happened. With Joe dead Ian would be free to go back to his son and Gabe would go back to heaven or wherever it was angels hung out with they weren't on the clock. Helping Jason was really the only thing that had Sam concerned but Gabe did mention that he'd be safe as long as Joe didn't become a bigger threat so one solution took care of a different problem.

That was a lot of shit to do, but Sam couldn't do a thing on Thursday besides cook and he had been doing it pretty much nonstop with brief supernatural intermissions. Because his class was coming up Sam decided that while cooking he might take some pictures, that way he'd have something to scrapbook and all the women in the class with him would be super jealous of his adorable floppy haired assistant who had to be the only four year old in the world who could peel an asparagus stalk within an inch of it's life. Sam had bought big jumbo asparagus and Evan was shaving off the stalks to keep them tender, and he also thought that maybe the stalks were what made Dean complain about stinky pee.

Sam had no idea if that was true or not but when Evan told Dean all about the hard work he was doing just for him he made a huge deal out of it. Dean absolutely loved asparagus but he didn't eat it as often as he would have liked because it made for stinky tinkles. Sam had actually caught him once mid-stream trying to take a whiff which was adorable and probably a little gross. It wasn't like piss was the best smelling thing in world to begin with so Sam ate asparagus whenever he wanted without caring what it did to him. He was a little concerned about it making his spunk funky but Dean had never and would never complain about how that smelled, tasted, or felt inside of him.

Thinking about being inside of Dean was something Sam didn't need to be doing so he very quickly busied himself with taking more pictures. He got a really cute one of Evan, with Dean's denim covered ass in the background and Sam was right back where he started from. He wasn't going to say anything to Dean about wanting sex, but it seemed like as soon as it was off the menu it was all Sam wanted. He really wanted to get fucked most of all but he knew that was going to be weeks if not months off on account of the dream, which Joe was going to pay extra for.

"Sammy, are these supposed to pop?"

"Whuh?"

"I guess they get so juicy they just pop." Dean said. "When I'm poking them they're popping…erupting I guess."

"What…what are you talking about?"

"The cranberries I'm stirring."

"Oh…Oh! Yeah, they pop when they get all hot and…juicy."

"That's some excellent stirring, daddy."

"Thank you, baby." Dean smiled. "Uh, babies."

"That's us." Evan whispered. "We're the hottest and we cook the best. We're totally the most helpful."

"That we are." Sam said. "Very true."

"Milo is less helpful."

"You're telling me."

Milo had come into the kitchen with Mary to see if they could help, but there were too many pots on the stove for him to be underfoot and Sam couldn't work and hold him at the same time. He told both babies that and Mary yelled until Carol came to get her, but Milo stayed right where he was and decided to take a nap on the kitchen floor under the table. It looked incredibly uncomfortable but Ollie got him his book and a little blanket before shoving a pacifier in his mouth. He had been out for about thirty minutes and Sam really thought he was being at least as helpful as John had been with the ten pounds of potato peeling.

"He's distracting is what he is." Sam said as he looked over at him. "Dean, is Mary taking a little nap too?"

"Yeah, Carol said she was. It's good they sleep since we're eating lunch later than usual. They're not as patient as some of the chirrens."

"Me!" Evan smiled. "It's weird how you call grandma Carol when there are people around but when we're alone you call her mo…"

"Hey!" Dean yelled. "Wow, look at that asparagus!"

"Hmmm." Evan muttered. "Not really worth interrupting me over."

"We can talk about that later." Dean said as he squatted down. "Maybe tonight when I sing you a song and daddy gives you kisses."

"Sweet, bitch!"

"I thought you'd like that."

"Maybe you could both give me kisses."

"Me?" Dean asked. "I thought you were all about daddy."

"Well I am." Evan said before he paused. "But daddy, you've been so helpful today. Daddy and I wouldn't have been able to do it without your help."

"Are you making fun of me!"

"No, I only do that when it comes to your height issues."

"He's serious, Dean." Sam smiled. "You've been extremely helpful today. Amazing, really."

"You really think I'm more helpful than Jason?"

"No." Sam laughed. "No way, but still thank you."

"You're welcome baby…babies!"

Evan giggled quite loudly and then struck a very cute pose with Dean that Sam had to capture on his fancy new camera. Jeremy had said he paid way too much for it, but Sam bought it after he was shot and Dean had him on lockdown. It was a wildly known fact that homosexuals would wither and die if they didn't shop so Sam did it online and the camera was one of his extravagant impulse purchases. That reminded him of another impulse purchase that might make Dean feel a little better. He wasn't really feeling bad anymore but things were still a little stressful for him.

"I bought you a yacht."

"You did!" Evan gasped. "Daddy, that's so sweet of you! I'm going to keep it on my side of the room."

"Oh…I was talking to daddy."

"I see. Oh well, Ethan would have yelled anyway. Making noise about how he needs a boat and you know he's the bad one, like Milo."

"You bought me a yacht?" Dean laughed. "Why?"

"Well, when I went off the other day I stopped at this dealership and they were just so nice…I think you could take classes and then we can like…sail to New Orleans."

"New Orleans?"

"Yeah, it's just a few hours from there to Monroe." Sam smiled. "We can go see Amy and Auden…and there could be muffalettas."

"Could…I mean…" Dean said before he cleared his throat. "I'd have like a jacket and a hat, right?"

"I actually think that comes with it."

"And I'd be the captain."

"Of course!"

"And I can name the boat." Dean said. "I think I'll call it The Honey Button."

"Totes apprope, daddy."

"Thank you." Dean laughed. "Wow, Sammy, that's really nice of you, but it's like a family yacht, right?"

"Yeah, it's for all of us, but I bought it for you."

"That's very sweet. Now how much did you spend?"

"A nickel."

"Wow, how big is it?"

"Like sixty feet." Sam said before coughing. "Eighty or something."

"Hmm…is there a reason you're telling me now? Seems like it might be a good Christmas present."

"I just thought…"

"Oh." Dean whispered. "Oh, I get it."

"Did my clever plan to make you feel better work?" Sam smiled. "A little?"

"I think so Sammy…but now I'm all distracted by wondering how I'll look in a captain's suit."

"More bangable than ever obviously." Evan said. "Daddy, were you feeling bad?"

"I was a little gassy."

"It because you don't let him fart in bed. He has to hold it in all night!"

"Well, maybe I'll have to make an exception." Sam laughed. "Dean, you may fart in bed as long as you pull back the covers first. Deal?"

"Only took me eight years to get a little freedom in this joint!"

If it kept him happy Sam was going to let Dean eat and fart in bed, maybe even both at the same time. He had been through a terrible experience just a few hours ago and he was giggling and whispering with Evan like nothing had happened. He was still just the tiniest bit off and a boat wasn't going to fix that but it gave him something else to think about and thankfully Mikey was just about to do the rest.

When he walked into the kitchen Dean was busy tickling Evan and Sam was getting some good pictures. Mikey stood right on the other side of the counter and cleared his throat about six times in a row. Normally when the kids wanted attention Sam always dropped whatever he was doing to give it. Mikey was so insistent and dramatic Sam completely ignored him for a few seconds and so did Dean. That made him clear his throat even louder which gave Dean a chance to run over and scoop him up. He wanted them to pay attention to him and he got it because Dean grabbed him and turned him upside down so his blonde head was on the kitchen floor.

"Daddy!"

"Yes?" Dean asked as he spun him around. "Hey, I bet if I spun him fast enough I could keep him balanced on his head."

"Don't you dare!"

"You better not risk it." Sam laughed. "What's going on, Mikey?"

"Well…daddy, I'm for real!"

"Fine." Dean said before he flipped him over. "What is it? Did Alex try to marry you?"

"No." Mikey said quite seriously. "I'm going to ask you both a very serious question and I want you to say yes before I ask it."

"Yes."

"Dean." Sam said as he shook his head. "Don't fall for that. He's going to be a teenager soon. This is some kind of test."

"Do you need us both to say yes?"

"Yes." Mikey nodded. "Come on, daddy."

"I think I need to know what the question is first. Is it a sleepover with Charlie?"

"No."

Sam was sure that Mikey was about to say something really cute but he wasn't just saying yes to any question the kids asked without hearing it. Dean would do it no problem and in a few years Ethan was going to use that as an excuse as to why he stole a car or broke into a liquor store. It was all about setting examples and since Michael was such a bad role model that beat off actors it fell on Mikey to be a good boy.

"Jeremy asked if I wanted to go with him and Aaron later to help out at the shelter in Beaufort."

"Um…"

"And I want to go and help. Can I?"

"I'll be right back!" Dean said as he put Mikey down. "Stay here."

"Where are you going, daddy?"

"I'm going to punch Jeremy in the face and then I'm going to staple uncle Aaron's butt shut."

"Daddy!" Evan yelled. "What if they wanna do the wild thang?"

"They should have thought about that earlier."

Dean was just about to march out of the kitchen when Sam grabbed him by his sleeve. Clearly Aaron and Jeremy would have to be punished, but Sam really thought that could wait and that it wouldn't have to involve any staples. Jeremy had mentioned volunteering to feed the homeless dinner which Sam thought was a very noble thing to do. He was proud of Jeremy and Aaron for wanting to do it, and he really had no problem with Mikey tagging along. What he did have a problem with was still not knowing how to answer the questions Mikey would have when he got home about why some people had three turkeys and some people had none.

"I'm sorry, buddy." Dean said. "We don't want you to do that."

"May I ask why?"

"Ugh." Dean groaned. "Why couldn't you have just yelled like Ethan would have? Did you have to be polite?"

"I think if I'm polite you'll change your mind…or I might blackmail you."

"With what?" Sam asked. "Wow, you went from polite to blackmail awfully quickly."

"I'd hate to really look into that earthquake this morning." Mikey said. "Maybe by doing some research and calling the local meteorologist…"

"You make me so proud." Dean nodded. "You're finally starting to act like a real boy!"

"Hey!"

"That actually helps daddy a lot!"

"Mikey." Sam sighed. "I know why you want to help and I think it's really nice, but those people might upset you."

"Good."

"You want to be upset?"

"Maybe if I saw stuff that upset me…other stuff wouldn't upset me so much." Mikey said. "And I want to help."

"Like when we watched television?" Evan asked. "When Jensen gave that speech about being a homo?"

"Yeah." Mikey nodded. "Like that."

"Is Charlie going with you?"

"Yes, daddy."

"Okay." Sam smiled. "Yes."

"Me too." Dean said. "You may go and help out."

"I think it'll be fun and Jeremy said there's lots we can do in the kitchen."

"I'm sure he's right." Sam said. "You'll have fun and be a big help."

"Okay, thank you. Come on, Evan, Ethan was wondering when you were coming to see us."

"I'll be back, daddy!"

"Okay, baby."

There was a very good reason why Mikey never acted like a real boy and Sam thought that was because he was already a little man. The shooting had been the hardest on him out of all the kids because he understood what had happened but he still couldn't really wrap his mind around why it happened regardless of how smart he was. In a way being so sheltered really was a big handicap for him because stuff would come up that he just didn't get. Sam wasn't completely on board with him hanging out with a bunch of homeless people, but at the same time he had to learn life lessons no one could teach him. He had to see things first hand and if he was supervised and with people who could take care of him some things wouldn't come as such a shock like the shooting had.

"You okay with that?"

"Yeah." Dean laughed. "They're probably just spooning out pudding or something."

"I meant him going when he knows it'll upset him."

"I'm less okay with that, but I get it. He's not our little boy anymore. I should have seen this coming after he asked to go to school alone."

"It's not a bad thing to let him be a little independent."

"You're right. As long as he doesn't find out everything."

"He won't, Dean. Real world absolutely, but nothing else."

"This is good I think. It's like helping people…but you don't have to kill anything."

"Absolutely." Sam laughed. "And he won't resent us when he's older."

"I heard that." John said as he walked into the kitchen. "You've seriously been cooking for like three weeks."

"I would have been done two weeks ago if someone hadn't invited forty extra people."

"He's always bitching." John whispered to Dean. "How's my big boy doing?"

"I'm good, daddy."

John started poking and tickling Dean which made him erupt into a fit of giggles much like Evan had. Sam still didn't have all the details about what happened when Dean was dreaming, but it made him even more thankful for John than usual. Seeing them together made Sam feel all warm inside and he was so glad that he had patched things up with John. When they were arguing all they did was make things worse for Dean and Sam didn't want to do that. He wanted him to be happy and judging by the big smile on his face he was getting closer and closer.

"So, Mikey's going to some kind of hobo parade?" John asked. "Better than the homo parades he's usually at."

"He's helping at the shelter." Sam said. "With your kiss ass sons."

"I told Jeremy to ask you two before he asked Mikey. I don’t know what it is about him not listening to people when they tell him what to do."

"Mmhmm."

"I thought you forgave me." John said as he moved over a little closer. "Come on…lemme see you smile."

"A don wanna." Sam said. "I'm busy."

"Why don't you just…" John said before he paused. "You know, like…Windex Laviosa!"

John rather spastically waved his hands around and somehow managed to slap Sam right in the face. Sam totally resented the implication that he'd ever use mojo for cooking and Mikey was going to raise hell if he ever heard John mention some kind of fucked up Harry Potter magic. Harry Potter was pretty much Mikey's nemesis and though Sam wasn't sure why that was exactly he was going to support his son.

"Ow!"

"Oh, shit, sorry, Sammy, I…Ow! You slapped me!"

"You slapped me first, shit for brains!"

"Windex Laviosa…" Dean muttered. "That's what we need to clean the windows in Vermont that are so high up."

"I'm not going to use mojo to cook dinner." Sam said as he rubbed his face. "I think I've done enough today."

"Jeremy said that chick was like a dragon snake demon bitch." John whispered. "Was she hot?"

"Looking to nail another demon in the stink tube?" Dean asked. "Dad, she was eight feet tall and her tits were leaking."

"Shut the fuck up…she showed you her tits?"

"They were covered in scales and slimy." Sam said. "Also, aren't you the big no mojo poster boy? Not to be confused with my Bunny the pro-homo poster boy."

"Well, Jeremy explained that nothing would happen to you. So if you're not going to go all evil and rape me then you should just…expedite the cooking process."

"Who said anything about you getting raped?" Dean asked. "Did Jeremy say something about that?"

"No." John whispered. "I just naturally assumed."

"You know what, dad? When you're around I do sometimes feel a little evil."

"So…you don't need help?"

"No." Sam smiled. "But thank you."

"How much…"

"About an another hour. Go watch television with the kids."

"You wanna come with me?"

"I'm helping out in here." Dean laughed. "I'm not going to leave Sam alone to watch television."

"You can if you want to, Dean."

"Sammy, I'm right where I want to be."

"So am I."

Normally John would roll his eyes after an exchange like that but he just grabbed a carrot and rather quietly snuck away. Since they got back from killing the Crone Sam kept having little moments with Dean where it was like there wasn't anything else left in the world but the two of them. He was in the middle of one when Dean walked over and proved him right. He was kissing him again and it felt so normal. It felt like it always had and for the ten millionth time Sam's whole body swooned and he let himself go a little limp in Dean's arms.

"Can you get dinner done in a half hour?"

"Can you kiss me like that again?"

"I sure can." Dean smiled. "I'm starving."

"Half hour then."

"For how many kisses?"

"All of them."

Twenty-eight minutes and six kisses later Sam put the turkey down on the dining room table and let his handsome husband carve it in front of all their family, most of their friends, and an angel who Dean decided needed a whole leg to himself.

Last year Mary and Milo were just about three weeks old and only had a little dot of gravy and some mashed potatoes from Dean's fingertips for Thanksgiving. They seemed to enjoy it at the time but Dean knew they were really looking forward to actually eating a little something more substantial. They had pretty much anything anyone could want in front of them so Dean fixed two little plates with a bit of everything they could have and then he just waited. Mary picked up a green bean and had a nibble, but Milo scooped up all his mashed potatoes with his hands and promptly placed them on his own head.

Dean thought about doing the same because it was a very fashion forward look, but he sure as hell wasn't going to waste even a spoonful of what had to be Sam's most incredible meal to date. The tradition was for everyone to take turns and say what they were thankful for but no one was talking. They were all gobbling up the food like it was the last meal they were going to get. Sam was a damn fine cook, but he had really outdone himself, which was something he was apparently aware of. He wanted his perfect meal and nothing said perfect like silence around the dinner table. While he cleaned up Milo he had a big smile on his face which Dean really loved seeing.

That smile was more than just happiness over friends and family sharing a meal. It meant that after the morning they had things could be normal again rather quickly and relatively easily considering. Thanksgiving dinner around one big table was like something Norman Rockwell had painted and it just so happened that he made a career out of capturing normal moments. That was all Sam really wanted out of life most days and unfortunately it was the one thing all the money, influence, and power in the world couldn't buy.

"Sammy?"

"Yeah?"

"Is this something like what you had in mind?"

"I think so." Sam said as he looked around the table. "Less potato heads."

"Bwahbahdah…" Milo whispered. "Abah, dahdah!"

"You know he only did that so you'd give him a bath later."

"Like father like son."

"Well." Dean said as he leaned over. "At least he's paying attention."

"Happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving, baby."

When Milo was in the middle of them Dean rarely got the kisses he thought he deserved. As soon as he'd be close to closing in on Sam, Milo would either yell or slap him in the face. Not only did Dean get his kiss, but Milo didn't say a word or do anything besides be especially cute. He was sort of checking out the situation and trying his best to get most of what was on his plate in his mouth. Dean thought for a second he was going to get the shifty side eye, but Milo just played it cooled and flaunted his big blue eyes.

"Is he feeling okay?" Nick asked. "Want uncle Nick to poke you with some needles?"

"Wha!" Ollie yelled. "You don even know!"

"He doesn't let you two get away with that often."

"No, he doesn't." Sam smiled. "But every once in a while he lets us slide. How's your food?"

"Oh, man." Nick grinned. "There's a reason you're my favorite brother, Sam."

"Uh…" Bruce said before he coughed. "Hi, I'm sitting right here."

"Yeah, and if you want to move up a spot you should be eating and reading a cookbook at the same time."

"Snap!" Dean laughed. "It's nice to finally spend some time with you, Nick."

"Someone's got to take care of sick babies."

"I agree." Carol nodded. "It's a shame you're the only pediatrician in the entire state and have to work so much."

"Mom…"

"Just a shame, that's all I'm saying."

"I wonder who he got that from."

"Hey, I'm retired, enjoying the good life with my hus…John!"

"You're a bad boy, aren't you?"

"Uh, dad…"

"You're such a bad boy." John whispered. "Yeah, you are."

John was biting down on his bottom lip and totally putting the moves on Sam. Milo had allowed one kiss between daddies but he sure as hell wasn't going to sit idly by while Boppa tried to get a butt. He was pretty quick too because before Dean could even toss a roll Milo grabbed a brussel sprout off Sam's plate and chucked it in John's direction. John was pretty fast too because he swatted it away and ended up hitting Justin right in the middle of the forehead. That made Jenny nearly spit wine across the table and it made Sam smile even bigger.

Dean thought dinner was going really well and after a few minutes he thought that just maybe it could be even better. He had to wait for all the appreciation of the food to die down first but once conversation resumed he tapped his glass and told everyone it was time to share what they were thankful for. He always likes to go last right after Sam so Dean let Ollie lead who was sitting right next to him and Mary. It would have been nice if Mary could tell them what she was thankful for but Dean thought they'd probably have to wait another year to hear that.

"Well, The Beans is thankful for so many a thing." Ollie said dramatically. "But a guess, a wocks and Elmah. Oh, what a mean is a wocks in genewal, but wit daddy still a best."

"Good to see you have your priorities…"

"Oh! Wit Oinkahs, and then wit a Be Curly kit from Aveda and a guess like wit a family?"

"Fair enough." Dean laughed. "Ethan?"

"Lady Gaga."

"Anything else?" Sam asked. "Besides someone you probably shouldn't even know about?"

"Um…" Ethan said before he took a sip of tea. "Dancing, and my family."

"I'm thankful for my family too!" Evan smiled. "And dancing, and cooking and having my own puppy!"

"We also enjoy having Mr. Watkins as our teacher as he's not a bitch."

"Currently." Justin muttered. "Ahem."

"That's sweet, Ethan." Alex smiled. "Thank you."

"Mikey." Dean laughed. "What about you?"

"I'm thankful for this food we have when some people aren't as lucky and that I get to eat it with my family and friends. There's a lot more people than we had last year!"

Dean laughed again and then really took a moment to take in Mikey's observation. Becca and Charlie hadn't been born last year while Justin and James were still six feet under. Jeremy admitted to lurking outside in the bushes most of the day but he wasn't sitting at the table where he belonged and neither was Aaron. He didn't really even know who he was a year ago. It was sort of amazing and Dean knew that seeing everyone together made Sam completely forget about all the justified complaining he had done.

"Mifoo? Your turn."

"I'm thankful that I get to sit down to this big meal with my whole family and all my friends old and new and…uh…having my…my family."

"Wha's a mattah, Mifoo?"

"I'm jus' real happy today."

Jason had put out the place cards and Dean wasn't the least bit surprised that he was sitting very close to Michael. Alex was between them since couples got seated together but they didn't let that bother them. Having Jason there was enough for Michael and probably a lot to deal with. He had to reach over Alex to give Jason's hand a light squeeze so he could make sure really was there.

Seeing that simple little exchange further convinced Dean that they couldn't lose Jason in any capacity. If something else shacked up in his body he wasn't going to be Michael's big brother anymore. He'd still look like him and sound like him but he'd be a completely different person. It wasn't fair to Michael at all to get him back only to lose him again. Dean wasn't working with the same massive mojo Sam had but he was going to do everything in his power to make sure no one slipped inside Jason unless it was Ryan and it was consensual.

"Is it my turn?" Alex asked. "I actually have some pretty big news."

"Even better." Sam said. "What is it?"

"Well, first I'm thankful everyone who matters to me is sitting at this table…and that Jensen is here too."

"Hey!"

"He's just jealous." Jared said as he patted his hand. "Because Michael likes you more."

"Anyway." Alex laughed. "Um…I bought a church, it's small and rundown, but it's just perfect for a little school. I'm going to open my own school for kids who need more help."

"Oh, wow." Dean whispered. "Alex, that's like your dream."

"That's not like your dream." Justin said. "That is your dream."

"And your Beans gets to go!" Ollie smiled. "And then wit some new fwends!"

"Like us." Mikey said. "Other kids who aren't challenged by regular school."

"That sounds fantastic." Sam nodded. "How many kids were you thinking?"

"Ten, around ten I think, maybe more if I had someone helping."

"It's gonna be great." Michael smiled. "Amazing I bet!"

Dean had to agree with that because it seemed like Alex having his own school was going to be great for all those involved. The kids could still have the attention they needed from Alex, but they'd get the added benefit of having some other kids to socialize with. Sam was always going on and on about the socialization so he looked like he was about to do the happy dance on top of the table. Dean was pretty happy too and not just for the kids. He knew how badly Alex wanted to make his own rules and though he loved teaching the kids, he missed having a whole classroom.

"Your turn, Jason." Alex smiled. "What'll it be?"

"Ya'll just say what you're thankful for?"

"Yep." Michael nodded. "It's my second favorite part of Thanksgiving after the food."

"And football!" Dean yelled. "I like to watch football and…"

"Dean." Sam said as he shook his head. "You don't have to pretend."

"I like the parade…" Dean frowned. "And naps."

"I like the parade too." Jason said. "I like…I like how they stop and perform and then people all over the world can see it. I'm thankful for this…for second chances and spending the day with my brother and his family."

"Your."

"Excuse me?"

"Your family." Sam said. "You're a part of our family, Jason."

"I…I am?"

"Yes, you are. I don't want you to feel like Michael is all you have because you have all of us."

"Thank you, Mr. Sam."

Dean nodded and then grabbed Sam's hand under the table. He had been so intense all day especially when it came to Jason and his new career as a carafe. The last thing they needed was to have all of that come out during dinner. Dean didn't want that to happen and luckily Sam managed to smile and sigh a little with the hand squeeze. They hadn't talked to Jason about what he was in for and Dean didn't think they were going to. Sam had a whole vibe about him that sort of told Dean that Jason and the angels were about to become a non-issue.

As was tradition everyone had their turn at what they were thankful for. Jenny and Tony both talked about Becca and Jared mentioned his thick luxurious hair. Craig, despite some still fresh bruises under his sweater was thankful for Justin and Charlie as well as the best friends anyone could want. John somehow managed to not alienate anyone when it was his turn and Carol was positively thrilled with having all her sons at the same table.

Everyone else was pretty damn predictable in what they were thankful for with no surprises but then it was Jeremy's turn and like Alex he had some news. He went with the thanks first and as Dean expected it was family first and then some new friends. It really seemed like things were sort of hard on him which may have had something to do with Sam bippity boppity booing him all the to the other side of the country.

"News?" John asked. "You opening a school too?"

"No…" Jeremy said before he laughed. "Um…"

"Take your time." Aaron smiled. "It's okay."

"Yeah…uh…well, I quit my job at the center."

Dean actually dropped his fork right out of his hand which sent some mashed potatoes flying onto the table cloth. Ollie was pretty fast and managed to scoop them up with his fingers before he joined everyone else in staring at Jeremy. He could have said his big news was getting his dick cut off in favor of a sparkly new vagina and Dean honestly would have been less surprised. Actually he probably could have said he was going to rape them all to death before dessert and Dean still would have just shrugged and kept on eating.

"What?" Sam asked. "You…you…you quit?"

"Before we left."

"Jeremy…" Carol said before she paused. "You…you love your job more than anything, why would you quit?"

"I…well, I enrolled for next semester to go back to school. I don't want to split my focus."

"A big boy school!" Ollie gasped. "Like me, next year?"

"Like Michael."

"Yale?" Michael asked. "You can ride with me!"

"Norwalk." Jeremy laughed. "Not quite ready to be a Bulldog."

"Your big brother went to Norwalk!" Dean yelled. "Me!"

"I remember. I'm going to go into child psychology."

"A doctor?" Mikey asked. "That's so neat, Jeremy."

"And it'll be awesome to have a doctor in the family!"

"Dude!" Bruce said. "We're sitting right here!"

"Oh." Dean whispered. "Right…a doctor!"

Dean totally got that Bruce and Nick had worked extra hard to become doctors and he was proud of them, but with Jeremy it was something completely different. He went to college straight of high school knowing he wouldn't make it to twenty-five on account of the demon that would inevitable get him killed. He didn't have time to do what he wanted so he did what he could and got a job at the center. That job ended up completely controlling every aspect of his life and though Dean knew how badly he wanted to go back to school he also knew that was never going to happen. Jeremy couldn't work full time and go to school so something had to give. He had chosen the right thing and now he was going to be able to follow his dream. Thinking about it actually got Dean all choked up because he was very proud to call Jeremy his little brother.

"Wha! You make daddy cwy cuz' ya wanna split open The Beans' head and feast on a goo witin!"

"Ollie." Michael said as he shook his head. "That's not what psychologists do."

"Wha in a world…"

"He'll talk to people when they're sad and find out why." Sam said. "Isn't that neat?"

"I think that's very cool, Jeremy." Charlie nodded. "And it's a good idea."

"Wha…what?"

"I think you'd be good at that."

"Dude…"Justin whispered. "Did you get into the booze again?"

"I just think it's nice."

"Mmhmm."

Justin narrowed his eyes and then switched glasses with Charlie just to be on the safe side. Dean thought maybe he had gotten a little drunk because he never said anything nice about Jeremy. He actually sort of seemed to enjoy constantly busting his balls, which Dean always thought was a little funny as well. The encouragement struck him as strange until he remembered Sam mentioning how much Charlie wanted to help that morning. Jeremy was following his dream and it certainly seemed like Charlie wanted to follow his which just so happened to be fighting evil. Things with Justin were definitely a little tense so Dean made another note on his big long mental list to discuss it with him.

"Your turn." Jeremy said. "What are you thankful for?"

"You." Aaron smiled. "And my family, my friends, and my faith."

"And." Sam coughed. "Sorry, I think I'm getting that pig flu."

"That's so retro, Sammy."

"Right?"

"And a brother who will go so far out of his way to make me…"

"Um…" Evan said before he paused. "Pretty sure he was just walking around all day looking hot."

"Okay." Aaron laughed. "A brother and a very cute nephew who will spend all day making me bolognaise."

"Much better." Sam said. "Your turn, Big Jimmy."

"Well, there are so many things for which I am thankful. I…"

"You feel that?" Jeremy whispered. "What…"

Jeremy, Aaron, and James all looked like someone had just set their asses on fire. They were all sensing something that Dean knew had to be bad news. If one of them got agitated it wasn't anything to worry about but when all three perked up it was a sure sign that something was going on. Jeremy looked like he was very close to getting up to investigate but Gabe was up first and actually pushed him down to keep him seated when he passed.

Whatever was going on seemed like it had to be outside because Jeremy was looking towards the window and it was exactly where Gabe headed. James looked pretty concerned as well, but he was in the middle of giving thanks and the kids wanted him to finish. Mikey actually suggested it, and he suggested so pointedly that Dean thought maybe he knew something as well.

"Mikey, is there something out there?"

"No, not that I know of."

"You didn't feel that?" Jenny asked. "Sam?"

"No, nothing."

"There's nothing there." Gabe said. "Perhaps…James, would you mind?"

"Not at all." James said as he held up his hand. "I don't freeze you because of our special baby."

"Uh…neat." Ann said as he looked around the table. "Your not hurting Belle's baby, are you?"

"Good heaven's no!"

Todd and Belle were all the way at the other end of the table and just as frozen as the rest of the muggles. Dean hated when they had to use mojo on their friends, but Jared was already so skittish and there was no way Nick would understand what was going on. Dean didn't understand it either but he wasn't alone because Gabe looked totally lost.

"You felt it too, right?"

"Yeah." Aaron nodded. "Like magic?"

"Oh boy, wit a mojo!" Ollie laughed. "A feel it a lil while ago."

"When?" Sam asked. "When did you feel it, baby?"

"A guess after ya bwing a cookies."

"When you guys left." Charlie said. "To go do stuff…when you weren't here."

"Oh!"

"Ripple." Jeremy laughed nervously. "It takes a while for everything to catch up."

"What does that mean?" Dean asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes." Gabe nodded. "Everything's fine, there's nothing there."

"When you do something big it makes like shockwaves." Jeremy said. "And we just got a little aftershock from our fieldtrip."

"Are you sure?"

"He's right." Gabe said before he went back to the window. "James?"

"As I was saying." James said after flicking his wrist. "I'm thankful for my beautiful family, my baby, and my gorgeous soon to be wife. Most of all I'm thankful for a life I get to live with all of you."

"That is really sweet, James." Dean smiled. "Really…"

"Oh, and my iPhone!"

"Why don't you use that thing to add me back on Facebook?" John asked. "I only have like three friends now."

"Perhaps when you're a better man you'll have twelve hundred and sixty-three like I do."

"Excuse me?" Sam asked. "How is it possible you have that many friends?"

"I'm a friendly person."

"Yeah." Anthony laughed. "Friendly. His profile picture is him soaking wet in a speedo with you behind him in that leather Armani bathing suit."

"James! You put a picture of me half naked on the internet!"

"No one is looking at you, Sam."

"Oh!"

"I need to get on Facebook." Dean whispered. "Sounds like fun times."

"Will you add me?" John asked. "And not delete me every time I piss you off?"

"Yeah, dad, I will."

"That's hot."

"What are you two thankful for?" Carol asked. "This is my attempt to end conversations about Facebook."

"It's really important." John said. "You have no idea, if I get a few more neighbors on Farmville I can…"

"John."

"Oh, right, right, go on boys."

"This." Dean laughed. "This right here."

"I was going to say the same thing." Sam smiled. "The exact same thing."

They both had so much to be thankful for, and Dean had actually worked on his list a little in the shower earlier, but when he got right down to it he was most thankful for all the moments that made up a good life. He was thankful for the kids and the rest of their family and friends, but the experiences they gave him were worth more than anything else in the world.

Instead of rattling off everything everyone already knew Dean kept on eating the best meal of his life while he helped Mary with her food. Sam didn't say anything either, but he did lean over for one more kiss which was just enough sugar to hold him over until dessert.

When Mikey came back from the shelter all the rest of the kids were already in bed and dreaming sweet turkey laced dreams. Ollie was so full he said he couldn't even wear his pajama pants and the twins barely even made it to their beds. The babies had been out the longest and Sam knew they weren't going to make a peep until morning. Mikey was really tired as well and he was just as upset as Sam expected him to be.

Charlie was mostly unaffected by the homeless shelter and he hugged everyone goodnight before Justin carried him out to their guest house. Seeing how unfazed he was sort of made Sam a little jealous that Mikey couldn't be the same way and for a minute he sort of doubted himself as a parent. Charlie wasn't upset by homeless people because he knew about all the awful things in the world and Mikey was so sheltered that he just didn't really get it.

He understood that some people didn't have homes to live in or money to buy food, but then he understood a lot of things when he read them or it was explained to him. Seeing homeless people in person was an entirely different experience because Mikey could see their ragged clothes and smell them. He saw how hungry and cold they were and he didn't like it at all. Sam thought it was a good idea for them to sit down and talk but Mikey said he was too tired and needed some quiet time to think about things.

Jeremy and Aaron had already talked it over with him so Sam was feeling pretty okay about not having a full conversation. As long as the issue had been partly addressed Sam was going to be okay with Mikey thinking things over. He was sort of looking forward to when they actually talked because given a few days there was a very good chance Mikey might just come up with a solution to completely end world hunger and poverty.

After Mikey was tucked in bed Sam still had other things to do. He wasn't just being a dick about the cooking thing for no reason, he was being a dick because he knew exactly what was going to happen once dinner was over. Everyone had sort of snuck back to their houses to have a little nap and that nap had ended up becoming bedtime. The kitchen was still covered in pots, pans, and dishes and Sam knew Dean was probably the only person who was going to help him out. They were going to talk while they worked but first Sam wanted to shower and put on his pajamas so he could fall into bed the very second the last dish was put back in it's place.

He was standing naked under the scalding streams of water when he felt the shower door open up. Sam was almost shocked because he thought a shower with Dean was still a few days off. They showered together all the time without doing anything sexual, but Sam thought the whole experience of being hot, wet, and naked might be more than Dean wanted to deal with so soon.

"Dean, are you okay with this?"

"We're just showering." Dean shrugged. "Brothers do this all the time."

"Um…"

"Okay, well, I think about brothers doing this all the time."

"You don't have to do something you're uncomfortable with for me." Sam said. "I know you're confused and…"

"No, Sammy, this is for me. This is what I want to do."

"We can talk now if you want." Sam smiled. "So when we're cleaning up you won't have to stop eating all the leftover pie."

"No."

"Well, you're not going to eat all of if, but if you wanted to…"

"No, Sammy…I mean I don't want to talk about whatever it is you're going to do to get stronger."

"Why not?"

"Because I trust you."

"You…you trust me with something this big and scary?"

"Implicitly." Dean said. "Do what you have to, but I'm coming with you."

"I was actually going to talk to you about that." Sam smiled. "I want you there."

"You do?"

"Yeah, on one condition."

"What is it?" Dean asked. "Tell me."

"You have to wear your leather jacket."

"Done."

Sam nodded and then moved closer just so he could hug Dean. There was something very sexual about the two of them being naked and pressed together but Sam just wanted to get close. All day he had been thinking about how he had to protect Dean and everyone else from harm, but solitude would only make Sam weaker and he needed to be strong. If he went in alone he was going to be so worried about Dean at home with the kids that he'd end up slipping and letting Joe gain the upper hand. If Dean was with him he could help and Sam sure as hell did have a thing for old leather.

"I have a boner."

"I wasn't going to mention it." Sam whispered. "But it's very nice."

"Sammy, I hate feeling like this."

"It'll get better, I promise."

"I want it better now. I want to tell you to get down on your knees and take care of it for me."

"You never hurt me."

"I know."

"Let's just get cleaned up so we can do those dishes."

"Okay, Sammy. I'm sorry."

"Hey." Sam said as he pushed back Dean's hair. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Sam thought the joint shower was a big step in the right direction but it was obviously one Dean had forced himself to make and he was getting very close to backsliding. Sam couldn't let that happen so he backed away and kept his eyes above the waist which was pretty much damn near impossible. Dean was looking a lot, and he made no attempt to hide it so Sam thought it was best they cut their shower short.

Once they were back in the bedroom and away from all the heat Dean seemed much better. He wanted to take some big boy steps but Sam could tell that baby steps were better. While they got dressed Dean was still peeking but his excitement was starting to dwindle. Sam did get a peek of that and instead of being embarrassed or turning away Dean grinned a little and then threw his towel across the room.

"Dishes?"

"Dishes." Sam sighed. "God, there are so many dishes."

"We can leave them." Dean shrugged. "Are you pissed everyone bailed?"

"No. You know what? I'm not even pissed about there being so many people here. It was a really good day…well…afternoon at least."

"One day we'll be totally done dealing with this bullshit."

"You think?"

"Yeah, Sammy." Dean said as he held out his hand. "But for now there are dishes."

"Lead the way."

When Sam took Dean's hand he felt a little hopeful that maybe they'd really have a normal life one day. He was less hopeful when they walked into the kitchen and found a complete stranger sitting at the counter eating a slice of pumpkin pie. Sam immediately went on the defensive because he knew better than anyone that strangers in a locked house was never a good sign.

The woman, or girl because she looked rather young didn't seemed bothered by their presence at all. She went right on eating her pie without even looking over. She wasn't doing anything besides eating but Sam was still threatened and he wasn't going to take any chances. He held out his hand and threw all his mojo into knocking her into the wall so he could hold her still but to his utter horror nothing happen. When he pushed even harder he felt some tiny little spark but it was basically nothing. The Crone was supposedly the biggest big bad left and Sam had torn her into pieces so he had no idea what kind of monster was in his kitchen or how long she had been there. It even made him thing that Joe was maybe a Joann.

"Who the hell are you?"

"You're really a ask questions later kind of guy." She said as she turned to face them. "What's with the mojo?"

"I don't take kindly to strangers in my house." Sam said. "Dean, go check on the kids."

"They're fine."

"You better pray they are." Dean said. "If you hurt them…"

"Wow, overprotective much?"

"Go, Dean."

"What are you going to do?"

"Mojo might be useless." Sam said before he cracked his knuckles. "But I made it pretty far without it."

"Game on!" The woman said as she stood up. "This is going to be fun!"

When Dean ran towards the kids Sam ran towards the woman. She was a little blonde thing and Sam thought it seemed unlikely she'd be stronger than him. Jenny was blonde and smaller but it wasn't like there were a bunch of little Buffy's running around South Carolina. Sam was pretty sure he could hit her hard enough to knock her out and then they'd be able to tie her up while they got reinforcements like the Colt that Jeremy and Aaron were keeping safe in their guest house.

Sam pulled back his fist when he got close and put every ounce of strength he had into his punch. If he had hit her he was pretty sure he would have done some damage but in the span of a blink she had bent backwards to avoid his fist. Jeremy was the last person Sam had seen move like that and even he was a little sluggish when compared to super girl. There was even an amazing fluidity to her movement that convinced Sam she wasn't just some cute blonde chick.

"Come on, you can do better than that."

"What are you?" Sam asked before he spun around. "You're not…"

"Bite your tongue and calm down. I'm obviously stronger than you are and if I wanted to fight I wouldn't have been having some of your delicious pumpkin pie."

"If you hurt my kids…"

"Dude. I picked the lock on the backdoor and had a piece of pie. That's it. I'm going to sit back down and you can relax a little."

Sam didn't even consider relaxing until Dean was back in the kitchen next to him. The kids were all fine and so were James and Ann. Sam sort of wished that Dean had gotten James but he probably couldn't have done much good. He was a strong fighter, but Ms. Congeniality so obvious had everyone beat.

She seemed very interested in Dean and smiled at him before she sat down with her hands in the air. That just pissed Sam off even more because Dean was his and he didn't appreciate anyone looking at him without his permission. Even worse than that was the way Dean was staring back. He didn't exactly look interested but he was obviously intrigued and Sam hated that it was with good reason.

They had established a few months ago that James' wife Sarah was the best looking chick ever with Ann in a very close second. The woman at the counter made them both look downright dowdy. She was dressed in jeans and a plain black shirt that was just slightly unbuttoned. She had that whole reserved sexiness thing going on that Sam knew Dean was a total sucker for. He also had a thing for blondes and a total weakness for braids. The woman had her long blonde hair in two French braids on either side of her head and Sam could see how jealous Dean was of all that thick shiny hair.

"Why are you here?" Sam asked. "Make it quick."

"Right to the point?"

"If you know what's good for you."

"Very well." She smiled. "On Monday morning you go to take out Joe and by Monday afternoon half of Long Island is reduced to a pile of rubble."

"Wha…what?"

"Yeah, it's crazy. It's just gone as in having to redraw maps."

"There are eight million people living in Long Island." Sam said. "I'd never do anything that would hurt that many people."

"Who said anything about hurting them? You killed one person that day and I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen."

"Of course you are." Sam laughed. "Wow, this is really a desperate move. Why don't you go back where you came from and tell your boss or your buddy or your bitch that I'm coming for him and it's going to end bloody."

"You need to listen to me."

"Why?"

"Because I…"

"You…" Dean said before he laughed. "Sammy…"

"What?"

"Don't…don't you see?"

Sam didn't want to take his eyes off their new friend but he looked over very quickly at Dean. He had tears in his eyes and he was very slowly and cautiously making his way across the kitchen. Sam wanted to hold him back because there was a whole world of wrong going on, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't hold Dean back when he had such a happy look on his face.

"Mary?"

"Dean, that's…"

"Mary?" Dean said again. "Sammy, it's our baby."

"Hi, dad."

"Holy shit…" Dean said before he paused. "I know I didn't let you leave the house dressed like that!"

"Dad!"

"And you're wearing way too much makeup!"

"Not even!"

"Even!"

"What the fuck…" Sam whispered. "Mary? Really?"

"Mikey's going to be so mad at me. We had this whole thing worked out where I get in and out without either of you figuring it out."

Dean laughed like he was completely psychotic and then gave what was without a doubt the biggest hug of his life. He didn't need any actual proof because he knew what he saw and more importantly what he felt. Sam wasn't so sure they weren't dealing with another surprise from Joe, but once Dean backed away Mary smiled. That was really all it took for Sam to be completely convinced that she had come back to help them out. It also made him feel all icky for thinking she was checking Dean out, but then she was a Winchester.

"Oh God." Sam said as he hugged her. "It's really you."

"In the flesh. Wow, you're both so…young and hot."

"We're not hot anymore?" Dean asked. "I must be."

"Distinguished I'd call it."

"How old are you right now?" Sam asked. "What uh…"

"Right now I'm a baby and sleeping in my room with assface. You need to be careful with the questions. I have to go back home and I don't want it all screwed up."

"Assface?"

"Milo." Mary said. "He's an assface."

"No, he isn't!" Sam yelled. "He's a sweet precious angel!"

"When we're six he convinces me we can fly and I jump off the balcony and break my arm."

"Aw, that's cute!"

"Sammy!"

"Well, he's a cutie." Sam shrugged. "Wait, I mean how old are you right now?"

"Eighteen." Mary said. "Just to get it out of the way we're all fine, everyone's alive, everyone's happy and yes, there are spoiled fat grandchildren."

"Dad's still around?" Dean asked. "I know you shouldn't…but…"

"Yeah, dad. He is."

Sam had so many things he wanted to ask, but he knew he couldn't and he was almost positive that Mary was short on time. Jeremy had already given them the crash course on popping back in time and Sam knew that it was extremely dangerous. Dean had been there for the conversation but apparently he wasn't paying attention since he was firing one questions off after another and Mary wasn't really answering any of them. Seeing Dean so excited about what seemed to be a bright future for their family was kind of cute, but unfortunately Mary hadn't showed up for a social visit.

"Did I braid your hair like that!"

"Yes, dad, you did."

"You don't call us daddy." Dean said. "Do you hate us?"

"I call you both daddy sometimes." Mary laughed. "You do know I'm here for a reason, right?"

"To show us how pretty you are! Sammy, isn't she gorgeous?"

"Always was."

"Hey, in the future do they have an invention that lets you pee without getting out of bed?"

"Dad, seriously, I have about ten minutes and you need to understand."

"Tell me." Sam said. "What happens on Monday?"

"Okay, I don't know everything because you two don't talk about it. No one does. I don't know who he is, or what he is, but he's somewhere on Long Island and you can't kill him."

"Do you know what he did to us?"

"Bit and pieces. I know it's hard for you to understand, but you can't kill him."

"Why?" Sam asked. "I don't…"

"Dad, I don't know, you just told me to tell you to not kill him no matter what. If you do…you're going to end up like what I have to go home to."

"Which is?"

"I think this is the first time I've ever seen you two actually happy." Mary smiled. "Neither of you are happy and it's because you killed Joe."

"Are…are we in love?" Dean asked. "We're supposed to always be in love."

"Mikey says…Mikey says when he was a kid it was so different and Michael he won't…well, you're still in love but I don't know that you'd be together if it weren't for us. Dad, please tell me you won't kill…"

"I won't." Sam said. "I…uh…I won't hurt him. I won't do anything."

"No, you have to find him on Monday, do everything you planned on doing but when you get the opportunity to kill him you need to let him live and listen to what he has to say."

"Okay." Sam nodded. "Anything else?"

"You need to bring James."

"Yeah, uh…I will, we will…uh…"

"Sammy." Dean said as he sucked up his breath. "No matter what happens in the future, you know we'll always love each other."

Sam wiped at his eyes and nodded but he couldn't think of anything to say. If Mary wanted to really convince him not to kill Joe she really should have led with the whole unhappy and only together for the sake of the kids thing. Sam really didn't know why on earth he shouldn't kill Joe, but he did know he trusted Mary with his life and that it really was her.

"So remember." Mary said. "Don't kill Joe, do everything you planned on doing, and make absolutely sure that James is there."

"I got it." Sam smiled. "Thank you."

"Thank yourself. It was your idea to send me back."

"If I do kill him I'll regret it for the rest of my life, won't I?"

"Like you wouldn't believe." Mary nodded. "I'm going to take the rest of this pumpkin pie. I barely got any before Buh…um, before it was gone."

"What was that?" Dean asked. "Who is…what were you about to say?"

"Buh-ryan. Brian. My friend Brian."

"Your friend Brian who spent Thanksgiving with us and really likes pie?" Dean asked. "Seriously?"

"Yes?"

"You're grounded."

"I'm already grounded." Mary said before she picked up the pie. "Until time stops."

"Why?" Sam asked. "What'd you do?"

"Went back in time dressed like this." Mary sighed. "Lame, by the way."

"Just button it up." Dean said as he buttoned her shirt. "You've totally got Amy's boobs."

"Who else's would I have?"

"Well, Jenny doesn't have a lot up front." Dean shrugged. "Well, not much."

"Jenny." Mary said through her teeth. "Amy's my mother."

"Is…" Sam said before he paused. "Is Jenny not a part of our family anymore?"

"She never was."

"But…"

"I can't stay, this is…this is the stuff we're not supposed to talk about. You've got to just stop talking."

"Okay." Dean said. "It's okay, calm down."

Mary looked very upset but Sam knew it wasn't because she was afraid of messing up the future she had to go back to. When Dean brought up Jenny, Sam could feel something in Mary change. It was like her entire body went on the defensive and that beautiful smile faded from her face. If Jenny wasn't a part of the family anymore Sam had to assume that she had tried to get custody of Mikey or the babies because there was really nothing else that they couldn't get over.

"I have to go." Mary smiled. "I love you both so much, we all do."

"And you promise everyone's okay?" Dean asked. "Not specifics, just tell me again."

"Everyone's okay."

"I love you."

"Me too, dad."

"Okay, then give me a hug and get back to where you belong and…you're not wearing heels."

"No."

"And you're taller than me." Dean sighed. "Is anyone in this family shorter than me!"

"Milo." Mary whispered. "He's about five foot ten."

"Thank God!"

Sam thought it was funny that out of everything Dean was more concerned with being the shortest and what Mary was wearing. She was taller than him which Sam had noticed but didn't feel like commenting on and she was dressed very appropriately. When Sam hugged her again he also got to feel just how strong she was, so she could probably dress anyway she wanted to and take care of herself.

"Promise me, dad."

"I won't kill him, I promise."

"I know you like to kill people!"

"You know everything about…I mean you know about this life we live."

"Yeah."

"We'd never tell you that." Dean said. "We always say we'll never tell you."

"That's what you two say." Mary laughed. "You change everyday. You tell us when we need to know."

"But we didn't want you to know." Sam said as he shook his head. "We never wanted you to know about monsters."

"Dad, you know why kids are scared of things under their bed?"

"Because that's scary."

"Exactly." Mary smiled. "And they know their parents aren't heroes. Our parents are. We've never been afraid and we never will be. I have to go."

"Okay." Sam whispered. "I love you."

"I love you both. See you in about seventeen years."

After she kissed both of them Sam blinked the tears out of his eyes and then she was just gone. He felt so empty for a minute, but then Dean started laughing and smiling which was just about the best sound in the world. Not only did he have some kind of proof that he'd be the tall one eventually, but he had what he thought was confirmation that their next child would be his little girl.

"Buffy." Dean said. "That's gotta be it."

"What?"

"She said Buh. We must name the next one Buffy!"

"Are you totally retarded?" Sam asked. "Buffy Winchester is the most fucked up name ever."

"What else could it be?"

"I don't know, but I'll cut you before I let you name our daughter Buffy."

"Weak." Dean sighed. "What was that about Jenny?"

"I have no idea and I'm too tired to worry about it now." Sam said as he looked around the kitchen. "You know what? Fuck these dishes."

"Oh, thank God!"

"Let's go to bed."

"Lemme just get one thing."

When Sam got into bed that night he wasn't next to Dean like he was hoping for but having Mary and Milo between them wasn't so bad. Sam thought it best to keep him close and she had certainly earned a special comfy sleep in the big bed wrapped up in Dean's arms. The next few days were going to be hard on everyone but on Thanksgiving night Sam planned on falling asleep with a smile on his face.

"Goodnight, Sammy. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Night Mary." Dean said before he yawned. "Goodnight, Assface."

"Hey!"

"Oh come on. That's classic."

"Still." Sam said as he pulled Milo closer. "That's my little guy."

Sam kissed on Milo and hugged him just a little tighter before offering his hand to Mary. She was sound asleep but she still took his finger and held on tight.

50k

2009-10-28T00:06:27Z

There's a joke made in the next chapter that Sam's been cooking for three weeks, and it's so true.

Title: Thanks Pt. 2
Author: bitchandjerk
Characters: Sam/Dean,John/Mary/OFC OMCs OFCs Jared/Jensen
Rating :R
Words10,300/2,952,600
Warnings: Wincest,
Summary: Sam and Dean go after the Crone to get information about Joe.
Notes::AU, rest are here.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.
Feedback: Makes me hard

The house was a disaster area. Dean checked everything out very quickly before he went to see the kids and he really couldn't believe it. Things had been knocked off shelves and furniture had been turned over. The lights in the kitchen were in shards all over the floor and one of the fixtures had even come loose. There was no real major damage that couldn't be fixed, but it was still a mess and it was going to take a while to clean up. Dean was really most concerned with the fixture, but Todd was pretty good with everything and screwing it back in wouldn't be a problem for him.

Dean's other big concern was Anthony who had really been through more than enough in his life. He had a pretty deep slice on his bicep and his shirt was so far beyond ruined, but he was actually okay though obviously a little shaken. Jeremy had helped him out a little but he needed to reserve his strength so they let Justin take over after a minute or so. He wasn't as strong, but he could stop the bleeding, start the healing, and leave the scars for Jeremy and Aaron once they were better.

Jason had moved the babies into the kid's room where they were all waiting for Dean. When Dean was dreaming it all felt so incredibly real. He didn't feel like he had ever become a father or someone's husband. He felt like an ordinary guy who had lost everything. That feeling was still sticking around even though he was awake and Dean hated himself for it. He didn't feel connected to Sam in any way, and he really felt like he should keep his distance. He didn't really feel connected to the kids immediately either, but then they noticed he had come to see them and their eyes all lit up at once. It was so easy for him to become a father again and that gave him hope that he could get back on track with Sam.

They were all perfect fine and absolutely real. Mikey was so excited about there being an earthquake on the East coast and he was already thinking about writing a paper for school. Ethan and Evan were a little concerned about the earthquake interrupting Sam cooking them pies, but Dean assured them that was something that was going to get done no matter what else was going on. Ollie didn't say anything about the earthquake, he just pulled up his shirt and gave Dean what was easily the best belly of his life. It was still early for the babies, so they were sleeping again, but Dean still gave them kisses and made sure they were extra warm in Evan's bed.

Michael was watching over them with Alex, Jensen, and Jason. They all knew it wasn't an earthquake and Dean wasn't about to get into it with them. He reminded everyone yet again that everything was fine and there'd be breakfast as soon as the kitchen was cleaned up. It seemed like Sam had only blown the lights in the kitchen and the bedroom, so they'd be fine in the rest of the house once the glass was swept up.

Dean really wanted to thank Jensen for thinking so fast on his feet, but that was going to have to wait. He had other things to do and Dean didn't want to keep Sam waiting. He came into the bedroom just when Dean was giving the kids extra kisses and talked to all of them again. He was so obviously distracted which just further convinced Dean that they'd need some real information on Joe because if Sam stayed strange the kids were going to notice.

Sam came with juice boxes and a little plate of cookies to hold the kids over until breakfast. They loved that and got right into it while Dean left the room with Sam to do some incredibly fucked up shit. That was how Dean had been thinking of it since Aaron first brought the Crone up because she sounded like one messed up bitch. Dean didn't really like associating with those kinds of unsavory characters but he sure as hell didn't think their family or their house could handle Sam getting cranky again.

Before the went outside Sam had a very strange and tense moment with John. They were just sort of staring at each other across the kitchen and though Sam apologized and John accepted it, it was just totally fake. Dean felt really awkward and he didn't know what side he was going to come down on. Sam shouldn't have lost his shit so easily, but then John should have known better than trying to get through to him. He was the last person Dean would have sent in there to deal with Sam, but for some reason he thought he should be the first. It was another thing to deal with later and another thing that could wait.

When they got outside Dean was alone with Sam and waiting for the wonder twins. It was really cold out and Dean was wondering if he should have grabbed a jacket since he had no idea how long they'd be out there. Sam looked extra cozy and actually pretty damn cute since he was in a baby boy blue sweater and a matching blue shirt. He had told Dean just last night about how he was really into matching his shirt to his sweater and dressing Milo the same and it was a very nice effect even without a red headed baby around.

"I like the sweater and the shirt."

"Thanks."

"I'm thinking I'll wear that turtleneck sweater you got me."

"You look cute in that." Sam smiled. "This shouldn't take long."

"Are you scared?"

"No. Are you?"

"No."

Dean was telling the truth because he was standing next to Sam who could so obviously handle anything he came up against. Dean didn't get scared until Aaron and Jeremy came out of their guest house with the box they kept the Colt in. They didn't technically need it, but Jeremy had still popped back home to get it which worried Dean a little. Dean made sure he loaded it and was holding it because Sam had his own weapons and so did Jeremy and Aaron. Dean was the weakest player, but he had a gun in his hand which made him feel a little more at ease.

"Here's the rules." Jeremy said. "You're going to see some fucked up shit. Shit you'll want to kill, take my advice and don't kill anyone or anything."

"Why?" Sam asked. "What about her?"

"Her you can kill." Aaron nodded. "But don't start a fight we won’t be able to get out of."

"What can we expect to see?"

"This is where the things you hunted came from, Dean. It's not pretty and it's scary as hell."

"We should take Gabe with us." Sam said. "Why didn't he come down earlier?"

"I assume he had other things to do." Jeremy said before pausing. "And he can't go where we're going."

"Why?"

"Because he's not a demon."

"Neither are…"

Dean decided it was best to not argue with Jeremy over what they all were or what they weren't. Whether he liked it or not they all had something in their veins that shouldn't have been there. It made Dean feel dirty but he took some comfort in knowing that he was the least polluted and the kids were even better off. Even Sam was better off than Aaron and Jeremy since they had a lot of leftovers.

"Now in order to get there, we'll need to concentrate. It may take an hour or more to…"

"Jeremy…" Aaron whispered. "We are there."

"I have dinner to cook." Sam said. "I don't have any time to waste."

"How'd you do that?"

"I just did it." Sam smiled. "So…this is terrifying."

Sam had picked the perfect word because Dean's whole life was flashing before he eyes. They were still in the back of the house, but everything had gone sort of dim and dark. The sun wasn't in the sky and all the grass and trees were dead and bare. Dean had been so insistent about tagging along, but he was thinking it might have been best to stay in the real world where it was nice and warm with cocoa and kisses.

"What the fuck is this…" Dean whispered. "Oh, God, what's that smell?"

"Rot." Aaron sighed. "I don't miss this place."

"You've been here before?" Sam asked. "When you were kids?"

"This is our vacation home." Jeremy said. "Remember what I said. Don't engage and be ready when you see her."

"How will I know?"

"You'll know, Sam, trust me. She's physically stronger and faster than you and you need to stay focused."

"When should I shoot?" Dean asked. "Is there like a sign I should be looking for."

"Mmhmm." Jeremy smiled. "If the three of us are dead you should shoot her."

"You should get a job where you like make people feel better, Jeremy."

"Can we focus?" Sam asked. "What else do we need to know?"

"She'll lie. She'll lie and tell the truth in the same breath, but you've got to know what she's doing. Don't let her entangle you."

"Sammy…do you know where you're going?"

"I feel her. She's coming."

Sam was moving towards the woods and he was doing it with incredible purpose like there was a big neon light out there that only he could see. Jeremy and Aaron were supposed to be the experts but they were hanging back and playing follow the leader. Dean really wanted them in front, but Sam was just too in charge of the situation. He wanted to be on the front line because he knew he was the strongest and he wanted to protect everyone.

While they were walking and staying quiet Dean made the mistake of really taking in his surroundings. The house itself and the outbuildings were all there and for the most part they looked the same, everything else had drastically changed though and seeing the grass so dead was killing Dean. He was watching it as he walked and he actually had to pause to get a closer look. There was something else down there just below the brown blades and Dean knew there shouldn't have been much of anything besides roots or maybe worms.

"What…Aaron, what's this down here?"

"Dean!"

Aaron grabbed Dean by his shoulder and yanked him backwards so hard it hurt. Normally Dean would have complained, called him a devil, and then cried to Sam, but that was in the real world. In wherever the fuck they were he thanked Aaron and then stuck a little closer. Whatever the hell had just popped out of the ground nearly took Dean's whole fucking head off and they really couldn't risk Sam going nuclear again especially in such a strange place.

"What the hell?" Dean asked. "What was that?"

"Don't go looking for anything." Aaron said. "Don't think about anything."

"How the fuck am I going to do that!"

"Dean." Jeremy said. "Use your in hell voice, please. Let's not draw attention to ourselves. There are things here that don't want us here and they're going to try their best to get to you."

"That doesn't answer any questions. What was that thing?"

"Whatever you thought was under the ground."

"Okay." Sam whispered. "So whatever's here can manifest itself as…anything?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I thought about worms, not some…I don't even know what the fuck that was."

The thing that came out of the ground wasn't a worm at all or anything close. It was black and slick with it's bones on the outside and razor sharp teeth snapping in the air. It made Dean realize after four years why Ethan and Evan were so terrified of worms. They were some scary bitches and Dean thanked God his babies would never have to see anything like what he just saw.

"You ain't seen nothing yet." Jeremy whispered. "Stay behind me."

"I have a gun, I think I can handle myself. I can…"

"You were saying?"

"We're gonna need a bigger boat." Sam said. "Much…much bigger."

Dean looked around Sam and swallowed hard because the little gun in his hand wasn't going to do a damn bit of good. Maybe if he talked to James about some sort of demon killing missile they'd be okay, but one bullet wasn't going to get the job done. Dean doubted even dozens of bulls all centered on her forehead would have done anything other than make her flinch.

Jeremy and Aaron had really only said how scary the Crone was while leaving off the important details like that she was mammoth and probably eight feet tall. She even made Sam and Aaron look small which was really saying something since they were great big barrel chested bitches. Dean's life flashed before his eyes again and he was really surprised at how much time he spent on his hair which was something he wanted to rectify if they made it out alive.

The being before them was quite obviously female, but she wasn't anything close to human, so Dean didn't want to call her a woman. She had large exposed breasts that were leaking from the nipples and covered in what appeared to be scales. It was incredibly disturbing and Dean didn't like the whole lady snake thing she had going on. She was all slick and slimy and still in a way a little beautiful. It was mostly in the face which was the most human feature she had to offer. Everything else was something else and Dean was seriously considering washing out his eyes with soap when they got home.

"My boys."

"It's nice to see you again." Jeremy said. "You look well."

"Is that Aaron?" The Crone asked. "You're a bad boy, aren't you?"

"I learned from the best."

"Charming…And Sam Winchester, the boy who would be king."

Dean didn't think it was possible to get more freaked out, but her voice was setting him on edge something terrible. It was like three people were speaking at once and all overlapping. She had the voice of an angel but it was coming out of the mouth of demon or at least something really fucking close. Even worse than the way she looked or the way she talked was that shadows were circling them and it seemed like running away was no longer an option.

"Here's how it's going to work." Sam said. "We need information and you're going to give it to us."

"And why, my dear sweet boy, would I do that?"

"Because that's the only way you're going to live to see another day."

"Aren't you a force to be reckoned with."

"I…"

"I don't take orders from anything as human as you."

In just a second the impossibly large figure managed to move and position herself right in front of Sam. She was leaning down so they were face to face and Sam didn't look the least bit concerned. She was huge, incredibly powerful, and scarier than straightened curls, but Sam had the advantage and everyone knew it. Even when she opened her mouth to reveal a gleaming set of pointed teeth Sam didn't so much as flinch or break eye contact. He had really pretty eyes, but hers were sunken and black as night.

"Then a favor." Sam said. "As a friend of the family."

"The family?" She laughed. "You killed their mother. Your father killed the rest of their family. Why shouldn't I get a little revenge?"

"Because you know you'd never get the chance before I killed you."

"Sam." Jeremy whispered. "Do not piss her off."

"I'm not scared of her."

"No." The Crone said before backing away. "You're really not. We could make a deal."

"Seems unlikely, but what are the terms?"

"I'll tell you everything you want to know if you do something for me."

"What is it?" Sam asked. "If this is some incident proposal bullshit, I just might puke my face off."

"Tempting, but all I want you to do is to take that gun and put a bullet in Jason's head."

"You want me to kill Jason?"

"With that gun."

"Fuck you." Dean said. "We're not doing that you fat snake bitch."

Dean barely had time to raise the gun before she was lunging for him. He knew he shouldn't have said anything but the idea of killing Jason really upset him. It was made worse by the fact that she didn't want him coming back. There was something very strange about Jason that Dean was almost certain Jeremy and Aaron knew because they exchanged a worried glance.

Though she had lunged she didn't make it even close to Dean. Sam stopped her and sent her flying backwards into a tree. That was sort of like swatting a charging rhino with a rolled up newspaper and she was preparing to strike again before she was even completely upright. Dean thought about shooting, but he didn't have the chance because before the gun was leveled she was screaming and missing both of her legs. Dean hadn't even seen them being ripped off but they were missing and thick black blood was pouring out into the ground.

The shadows all around them began snarling and though Dean didn't look he could hear them tearing at the flesh Sam had thrown their way. If anyone else would have had their legs ripped off so brutally they probably would have passed out and quickly bled to death, but the Crone stayed conscious and pushed herself up using her arms. Sam hadn't even left her with stumps, but she wasn't going to lie down and die in the dead grass.

"I can't have you hurting any of my brothers." Sam said. "It makes me a little irritable and I don't think you'd like that."

"Sammy, what did you do…"

"You need to tell us what you know or your arms can end up like your legs."

"You're so protective of the three of them." She smiled. "And yet you cared nothing for your other brothers, not worth shedding any tears over."

"I just have the three." Sam said. "Dad's a slut, but he's not that slutty."

"You had five." Aaron said. "That's what she's talking about."

"Excuse me?"

"The demons. They were a part of dad. Mine's dead, Jeremy's is in hell."

"Was."

"You're lying!" Jeremy screamed. "He's in hell and there's no way he's getting out!"

"It's okay, Jeremy, it's okay."

Jeremy looked like he was ready to fight, but Dean held him back. Even without legs the Crone was still too much of a threat for him. Sam could handle her just fine, but he had moved so far beyond just being supercharged. He had a glimpse of what life might be like without someone to love and Sam was going to do everything in his immense power to guarantee that didn't happen.

"He's in hell." Sam said. "There's no way for him to get out."

"There is if he never went there."

"He went there." Aaron said. "He's still there. We can feel him."

"You two didn't used to be so naïve." She smiled. "From your time he may be rotting, but there are legions in history waiting. There are others."

"What the hell does that mean?" Sam asked. "Are you saying someone went back in time and plucked him out?"

"Maybe."

"I'd like a straight answer."

There was another piercing scream when Sam tore off her left arm. He didn't even move when he did it or show any kind of remorse. Dean knew they needed information and that it wasn't going to be pretty but Sam was really starting to scare him a little. He was just so blank and Dean would have liked to see him express something even if it was happiness or fear.

"If someone or something took him out of an earlier time, he wouldn't have been around for Dean to send to hell." Jeremy said. "You change the past, it changes the future. There's no way around that."

"And no one except the angels can go back." Aaron added. "So you're lying."

"You should trust the angels." She whispered. "They have no ulterior motives at all."

"What do you mean by that?" Sam asked. "Keep in mind that after I tear off your next arm I'm going to move on to your head."

"The angel's foreseen your death. You'll go after this man and you won't make it out alive."

"Have we met?" Sam laughed. "I think I can handle myself."

"Isn't that funny? I thought today would be the day I killed you and it's the day I die."

"Oh, sweetheart, this is how it was always going to be. I planned on killing you before I even saw you."

"Why'd you want him to kill Jason?" Dean asked. "Tell us."

"Dean." Jeremy said. "Don't ask that question."

"They don't know!" She laughed. "I can see why you want to protect your brothers and the angel, Sam. They trust you so much."

"This is your last chance." Sam said. "Tell us what we want to know, about Joe and Jason or…well, it's not going to be pretty."

"I'll see you in hell, Sam Winchester."

"Save me a seat, bitch."

"Sam!" Jeremy yelled. "Don’t…"

"And thanks."

Sam had obviously had enough and even Dean could tell the bitch wasn't going to give them any real information. She was bad through and through and needed to be dealt with just in case she ever decided a little payback was in order. If it was Dean with massive mojo he would have popped her head off and called it a day but Sam had always been just a tad bit more dramatic.

When Jeremy yelled for him to not do anything Sam took a step back and then finally leveled his hand. The Crone had to have known what was coming but she still had a smile on her face because if she died there were still hundreds if not thousands of things out in the shadows that were snarling, slithering, and screaming. Sam probably had plans for them as well, but he had to take care of big mama first.

She was on the ground still bleeding and smiling when her rib cage split open and her entire body was ripped in half right down the middle. Aaron promptly turned his head and vomited and Dean was tempted to do the same, but he held it back because he wanted to watch. Sam was looking down and Dean couldn't see his eyes and after that grotesque display he really needed to.

"Okay, so…" Sam said before he looked up. "That was a bust."

"Oh, thank God."

"What?"

"You uh…you didn't get blood on your sweater."

"His eyes aren't going to turn black, you spaz." Jeremy said. "You know better."

"You thought my eyes were going to turn?"

"Sammy, you are incredibly scary right now."

"I thought you were dead, Dean. I'm sorry."

"I'm fine."

"Yeah, which is why you didn't kiss me, and you pulled away when I tried to hug you."

"I don't think this is the time and it's certainly not the place." Aaron coughed. "They saw her die and they'll want blood."

"Fuck 'em." Sam said as he threw back his hand. "What happened to you in there? What did he do to you?"

"Holy shit." Jeremy whispered. "Did you just…"

"Yes."

Aaron turned and threw up once more for good measure, but Jeremy actually smiled a little. Sam had just killed everything but the four of them without breaking a sweat or talking his eyes off Dean. Aaron was sort of a lightweight when it came to blood and gore so him throwing up wasn't that big of a shock. Jeremy smiling wasn't either because they were in a bad place with bad things and a ton of bad memories that Sam had pretty much just paved over.

"You and dad were dead." Dean sighed. "And I thought…I still sort of think I molested you when you were a kid."

"You didn't."

"Dean." Jeremy said. "That's ridiculous, you know you'd never do that to anyone."

"It felt like I did…I still feel like I did. You know how real those dreams feel."

"You never hurt me, Dean." Sam said as he offered his hand. "You never will."

"Can we get the hell out of here?"

"A fantastic idea." Aaron said. "I need a shower."

"Come on." Sam smiled. "Let's get you back to the kids."

Dean smiled back and then took Sam's hand. It still felt a little strange and Dean knew it'd take some time to get over the dream but it could be done. When Sam went on his scary dream ride it took him a few weeks so Dean was looking at a solid month or so before he shook it off. No matter how long it took Dean was determined to get over it because Sam's hand felt so good wrapped in his.

One of Sam's little butterscotch glass turkeys lost it's head in the big shakedown. It was amazing none of the other china had been broken so Sam couldn't feel too bad about one headless turkey. It could still function as a soup tureen but Sam wasn't sure that jagged glass was the look he was going for on his Thanksgiving table. The damn turkeys meant so much to him that Sam wanted to mope and pout but instead he wrapped it up in tissue paper so he could have it fixed once they got back to Westport.

As much as Sam hated having so many people to cook for they certainly came in handy when it came to putting the house back together. The glass was all swept up and Todd had the light fixture back where it was supposed to be in under five minutes. They were down a few light bulbs, but James and Ann had gone looking for a drugstore or something else that would be open on Thanksgiving day. It was almost like they could pretend nothing had happened, but Sam was never going to be able to do that.

After he killed the Crone and her minions Sam needed to shower and change his clothes. He hadn't gotten dirty or been sprayed with any blood, but he didn't feel clean. Dean said he felt the same way and instead of sharing the shower he went into the hall bathroom to get cleaned up. If he had just gone without an explanation Sam really would have been better but Dean needed to make sure he knew why they weren't showering together.

Dean said he wasn't going to be ready for any kind of sexual intimacy for a while which Sam understood completely and he was fine with waiting. He knew firsthand how real the dreams felt so he wasn't going to push it, but the thing that bothered him was that Dean seemed to be having a hard time separating fantasy from reality. While they were talking there was a moment when he said that he'd never get over what he had done when Sam was a child. He caught himself quickly, but he still thought he had done something even if it was just for a second. The only thing he had done when Sam was a kid was be the best fucking father, brother, and best friend he could. Dean didn't have it in him to hurt anyone and Joe was going to pay for making him think he did.

Carol had kept an eye on things in the kitchen during the short time they were gone, but Sam had to get back in there and he wasn't the least bit surprised that he was alone. The kids all had their morning animal related chores to do so Sam knew that Evan would be joining him soon enough, but he missed his friends who had all been so eager to help out. He was feeling pretty shitty about scaring everyone but then Anthony who had reason to rest up was the first one back in a fresh shirt and a fat baby.

"So listen, if we're going to stay friends and I'm going to keep getting hurt we're gonna need some rules."

"Rules?"

"Every time I get hurt I earn a point." Anthony said. "We'll get a chart and you can get some gold stickers from Alex. I think when I accumulate five someone has to beat me off."

"Sounds fair."

"But! If I let those roll over until I have ten then I get to nail one of you."

"I'm sorry you got hurt." Sam sighed. "I didn't…I thought he was dead."

"I heard." Anthony said before he put Charlie in the playpen. "So, taking that into consideration I guess a little broken glass and a busted wall isn't so bad. You wanna talk about it?"

"You know how I don't poop?"

"I know how you pretend you don't poop and usually wait until you have to shower so no one knows what you're doing in the bathroom."

"Okay, the poop thing isn't going to work. You know how sometimes you have to piss really bad?"

"Yeah."

"And when you finally get to it feels incredible like everything in your whole body relaxes?"

"I'm familiar." Anthony nodded. "Are you trying to say that this morning was you taking a much needed psychic whiz?"

"I think so."

Sam felt like the whole world had ended when he thought Dean was dead but he was in control of his power. He had worked all summer to get it under control and he didn't want to think that he'd just lose it again whenever something bad happened. The last time he had really done anything was the day he got shot and maybe he went too long without letting out a little juice. The worst part of the whole thing was that he knew exactly what he was doing while he was doing it and he didn't want to stop because the world without Dean was too dark a place to live in.

"Do you feel better now?"

"I feel fine. I just…I wish I didn't have this."

"I wish I wasn't so handsome and charismatic. There's nothing I can do about that, it's who I am."

"But this isn't who I am." Sam laughed. "I hurt you and Aaron, I nearly killed dad. I just massacred some giant snake woman and weird shadow monsters."

"And now you're trimming Brussels sprouts. You think this morning defines who you are?"

"No, you're right."

"I usually am." Anthony said before he looked down at Charlie. "He's totally fatter than he was yesterday."

"I think so too." Sam laughed. "Totally."

"Hey, Chunky."

"Wahhhhhh."

"He's yours, isn't he?"

"Ours." Anthony smiled. "Maybe a little more of mine."

The older Charlie got the more he looked like Anthony. They'd probably never know for sure but Sam really thought he was his biological father which was really completely unimportant to everyone. Anthony had just put him down but as soon as Charlie's arms were in the air he picked him back up. He was wearing a little onesie with a turkey on it which looked like it was a size too small since he was dangerously close to busting out of it.

"You're okay?"

"With him being mine? Yeah, I think I'll manage. He's totally got Bruce's ass though."

"I meant your arm."

"Oh, Sam, don't worry about me, I'm fine. I consider any day where I don't get gutted a good one. There's a scar but Jeremy said he can fix it before I go back to work. I can deal with a little scar while he rests up."

"Okay, good."

"But if it happens again, I will sodomize you."

"I'll pencil you in."

When Jared came into the kitchen Anthony just had to explain that he was going to have sex with Sam as soon as he narrowly avoided death one more time. That made Jared remember that he had also been hurt in the kitchen and since he was prettier and richer than Anthony he didn't really feel like he had to accrue any points and demanded someone lick his nuts. Sam completely ignored him as did Anthony since he had a fat baby that needed to visit with his other daddy.

"Typical." Jared sighed. "Listen, I'm going to take a picture of us together for my blog."

"You have a blog?"

"Sorta." Jared said as he took out his camera. "I mentioned spending Thanksgiving with you on my website and my many, many, fans asked for pictures."

"You have a website?"

"I'm a highly paid film actor."

"Huh." Sam whispered. "What is it? ConsummateTop.com/notifigetdrunk?"

"P-licky.org."

"I see. Make it quick and don't get any of my kitchen in the shot."

"Why not?"

"Because my private life stays private…unless someone is paying me."

"So typical."

Jared was really mugging for the camera so right before the flash went off Sam gave him a kiss right on the cheek. If that didn't enflame the fangirl's panties nothing would and Sam was even considering getting a copy of it for his office since they were some good looking guys. Jensen came into the kitchen next and he wanted to get in on the picture taking as well though he had no desire to tease people like Jared was planning on doing.

"Now take out your cock and put it on Jen's forehead."

"Yeah! Do that!"

"I don't think so." Sam laughed. "Jensen, I wanted to thank you for helping out this morning. Aaron said you were very quick thinking."

"I remember my first earthquake, it was scary."

"I still don't understand how we had an earthquake in South Carolina."

"That's funny, Jared, re…"

"I told you that it's global warming." Jensen said interrupting Sam. "It's hot so those plates are shifting more. Remember when we met Al Gore?"

"Yes…" Jared whispered. "I do, but I thought…"

"What does thinking do to you?" Jensen asked. "Come on, you know this!"

"Gives me wrinkles."

"That's right, it does! Instead of thinking I want you to go see if Michael will beat you off."

"I was going to help by licking all the spoons clean!"

"No." Sam said. "You were going to stay out of the kitchen and not get bitchslapped into next week."

"Fine!"

It was common fact that Jared wasn't the brightest crayon in the box and that box was one of those weird generic packs, but there was no way he actually bought the earthquake excuse. He'd have to be dumb as shit because Sam was pretty sure Mikey, who was a child, didn't even really buy it. He was pretending for everyone else's sake but he knew that the East coast simply didn't have earthquakes.

"Um…is he serious?" Sam asked after he left. "You were joking, right?"

"No. It's better that he thinks it was a earthquake."

"Why?"

"Because." Jensen said before he shrugged. "We…we found a surrogate we really like and we're going to nail down some dates pretty soon. We need you guys to help us out and I don't want him to be…concerned."

"You mean afraid."

"I prefer my wording. I hope you understand that."

"Yeah, of course. That's good you guys found someone. Does Amy know her?"

"Yeah, she's nice, we're almost totally sure we're going to ask her."

"That's great Jensen. You'll love having kids, they're the best…"

"Whuuuuuh!"

Sam was very close to feeling like shit again because he was someone to be afraid of but Milo made that all better. He ran into the kitchen without a stitch of clothing on and John was chasing after him with a bright blue towel. Milo wanted no part of that and after trying to knock Jensen over he hid between Sam's legs which was coincidentally the same thing Dean did when he was a little scared. He was all cleaned up and ready to get dressed in his special brown sweater and shirt which was what Sam had changed into after he took off the blue.

Mary wandered into the kitchen next and promptly plopped on the floor. She had her own bath, but she actually let John dress her which Milo didn't feel was necessary. Mary was wearing a little brown velvet dress with some very cute tights and John had somehow managed to even get a bow in her hair. It wasn't much, but it was one little thing that would make a world of difference for Dean.

"Dahdah!"

"What did I tell you about cute naked butts in my kitchen?" Sam asked as he picked Milo up. "And penises!"

"Bwahbah!"

"He took off as soon as I took him out of the tub."

"You've got a cute butt!" Jensen smiled. "Very cute!"

"Whuh!"

"I think he knows." Sam said before he took the towel. "Thanks for giving them a bath, dad."

"No problem. I'll go see what the rest of them are up to."

"Wait…Jensen, can you give us a minute?"

"Absolutely. I think maybe I'll take Mary so everyone can see how cute she looks."

"Thank you."

Sam figured he had two choices. He could let things get worse with John or he could take a few minutes to make things better. Sam really wanted to make things right but he wasn't sure he could actually do that with just one quick conversation while he was holding a naked baby. Milo was probably going to help a lot though because he was suspiciously cute all wrapped up in his big fluffy towel.

"I'm sorry."

"You said that already."

"Not for knocking you through the wall." Sam said before he paused. "Well, for that too."

"What else are you apologizing for?"

"Giving you a hard time about inviting Carol and everyone. I know how important this family is to you and I'm sorry I overreacted."

"Yeah, well, thanks."

"I don't think you understand what just happened, dad. I don't apologize to people unless there's some kind of court order. I said I was sorry and I'd like you to take it in the spirit in which it was intended."

John was just so unmoved by the apology and Sam was being as sincere as he could possibly be. He wanted to say he was sorry because he really was. He had overreacted to the whole extra guests thing when he shouldn't have expected John to be perfect. He knew he wanted them there because he loved his family and Sam should have just put on his big boy panties and complained to Dean before they went to sleep.

"You think I give a shit about that?" John asked. "I try to help you and you knocked me through a hole in the wall. I was unconscious."

"I thought he was dead."

"And it's real comforting for me to know that if that ever happens I'll be completely useless. You didn't want anything to do with me."

"Dad…"

"You wonder why I have such a hard time believing you when you say I wasn't a shitty father."

Sam was so tired of the ride they were on yet again. A few weeks ago when John had yet another worst father in the history of the world pity part Sam had told Dean they really needed to start keeping track since it was such a regular thing. He thought for sure that John boo-hooing was like a woman getting her period and something that happened once a month and was completely unavoidable.

"All I can do is tell you that I'm sorry."

"Why wouldn't you let me help you?" John asked. "You probably would have let James in."

"James has been more open with me over the past year than you've been in the past thirty."

"Wow, you don't even care about making me feel any better. It's like you don't even listen to me when I'm talking."

"Pisses you off, doesn't it?"

"Yes."

"So when I say I don't want people here you should probably listen to me. I was angry at you dad. I'd hope you could understand why you might not be the best person to calm me down."

"So…what if you weren't angry at me?" John asked. "I could have walked in there and you would have calmed down?"

"Of course."

Sam wasn't sure if that was true but it was what John needed to hear. Sometimes lies were better than just saying he didn't know for sure. The one thing Sam was certain of was that he wanted John to be able to make a difference. He probably would have been a great help a few hours ago, but Sam was still just a wee bit perturbed about all the extra guests. He sure as hell was over that because he wanted everyone around more than ever especially after going off.

"That's what I wanted to hear, Sammy."

"Good."

"I'm sorry I invited them, I knew you'd be pissed, but I wanted everyone here."

"It's okay. I'm sorta glad they're here."

"You've uh…" John shrugged. "Probably got some potatoes that need to be peeled."

"Ten pounds. Can you handle that?"

"I was a Marine."

"They're in the pantry. I'm going to go get this monkey dressed."

"Okay. We're okay, right?"

"Yeah, dad. We are."

Thanksgiving was a day for food and families and Sam wanted both to be perfect. John realized he had done wrong and he actually accepted Sam's apology so it was time to put it behind them and move on. Just to expedite the process some Sam gave him a kiss when he passed and then spent five minutes convincing Milo to do the same. He smooched John right on the lips and then promptly peed into his fluffy blue towel.

After an hour of intense study Dean decided that all the kids were absolutely real. He had also talked it over with Jeremy and decided that Sam and John had never died. That was pretty good progress but nothing Dean did could convince him that he hadn't hurt Sam when they were kids. It was a very strange feeling because he knew he would never do that but in the back of his mind he had something nagging at him and telling him he had.

That made Dean feel like he was a monster and he really wanted to be alone. The kid's all went inside to watch the parade and everyone else was sort of doing their own thing while Sam cooked. Dean decided to stay outside alone and just walk around for a while trying to clear his head. He knew the best thing he could have done was to go inside and force himself to spend time with Sam, but that seemed way too hard and something he didn't really deserve.

It was actually really nice outside and Dean was enjoying his walk. Everyone was so busy that no one even noticed him walking around by himself so Dean got to have the solitude he was craving. He thought about checking in with everyone to see if they had laundry that needed to be done or maybe glazing some pots but walking won out in the end. Dean really expected to run into Todd, but he had obviously listened to reason and was taking Thanksgiving day off. He had fed the animals, but the birdfeeders were going to have to wait which was just fine with Dean.

After walking around alone Dean made his way back to the house because he really had to pee. He briefly considered just pissing on a tree but he knew as soon as he took his dick out Jenny, Carol, or Ann would pass by and want to talk to him. There were also all kinds of wild non-demonic animals in the woods and Dean didn't want them sneaking out and munching on the peacocks.

When he got to the house Dean paused to look through the kitchen window. That made him feel like more of an outcast, but what he saw really did a lot to cheer him up. Sam was in the kitchen with only Evan and they were hard at work making sure that dinner was going to be absolutely perfect. Evan, like the rest of the kids really liked the parade so Dean knew he wasn't going to stay for long. He had probably actually been in there a while because it was only a minute or two before he kissed Sam on the cheek and ran off to the living room.

That left Sam completely alone and even after everything that had happened he still had a smile on his face. It wasn't as big or as bright as it could have been, but he had spent some time with Evan and that could cheer anyone up. Dean had attempted to do the same with Ollie but he knew if he really wanted to feel better he'd have to just bite the bullet and talk to Sam. He'd have to be completely honest about everything because that was the only way things were ever going to be okay again.

"Hey, you." Dean said as he walked in the back door. "Smells great in here."

"Hey, baby. Evan was just busting up some bread for me, will you finish it real quick?"

"Yeah, of course."

"You look so nice in your sweater. I love that color on you."

"Thanks."

"Feeling any better?"

"A little, maybe." Dean said. "You could maybe help me feel better."

"Anything, Dean." Sam said as he wiped off his hands. "Just tell me."

"When…when you turned twelve, what…what did we do?"

Dean knew exactly what they had done when Sam turned twelve but needed to hear it out loud. He needed Sam to back up his story because Dean had other thoughts running thought his head, awful thoughts. He saw Sam turning twelve and crying about doing things he didn't want to do. He saw Sam pinned down on a filthy motel mattress sobbing and bleeding.

"You stole money from dad." Sam smiled. "Forty dollars and we spent all of it at the arcade in town. You got sick from way too many cheap hotdogs and I walked to the drugstore to get you Pepto."

"That's it?"

"You never hurt me, Dean. I wouldn't be with you today if you had. You know that."

"Why am I like this then?"

"Like what?"

"Why do I come so much harder when you pretend like you don't want it?" Dean asked. "Why do I want you to do sick things to me that I know are wrong? Why do I want you to hurt me when we fuck?"

"Let's uh…the kids are in the next room." Sam whispered. "Let's not drop the f-bomb."

"Why'd he make me think I hurt you?"

"I…I guess he knew this would affect you the most just like Jeremy knew what would get to me. Come on, come with me."

"Oh, Sammy, I saw the dining room already. It's beautiful."

"Come on."

When Sam took Dean's hand it felt a little more normal and less awkward. Once they were in the dining room which was further away from the kids Sam wanted to know everything and Dean told him. It was incredibly difficult but Dean had to get it out so he could have some kind of proof that it didn't happen. He didn't know how Sam was going to prove it to him, but he always came up with something.

"Okay." Sam said before he sighed. "You think you spent our entire childhood from the time I was twelve until I left for school molesting me?"

"Sort of."

"I've been bigger and stronger than you since I was fourteen."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Don't you think I might have fought back?" Sam asked. "Kicked your ass?"

"Sammy, I'm not crazy, I know this didn't happen, but it feels like it did."

"We can work on that, I just need to be sure that you know it didn't happen. I wouldn't have let it and dad wasn't that absent."

"I know."

"We don't have to…we…"

"What?"

"We don't have to be together for a while." Sam said. "Does that make you feel a little better?"

"I don't want to leave, Sammy. I don't want you to leave."

"Sex, Dean." Sam said as he held Dean's hand tighter. "We don't have to have sex. You tell me when you're ready and it's a non-issue until then. I won't bring it up at all. That's what you want, right?"

"Yeah. Are you sure?"

"I'm sure…but I'll still needed kisses."

"Well, I can do that."

"Show me."

Dean hesitated at first before reminding himself he didn't get where he was by being shy. He still had a lot of fucked up shit running through his head, but he had to push all of that aside since no day could really get started without kisses. Sam looked very expectant so Dean just bit the bullet and kissed him as hard as he could. There was a slight carrot taste in Sam's mouth, but other than that it was just about the best kiss Dean had ever had.

It was going to be a while until Dean was ready to throw down again, but the kiss was so good that it was enough to tide them both over. When Dean finally let go Sam sighed rather happily and then slumped some like he was sort of drunk. That was the best sign of a job well done that Dean could think of and it actually made him feel pretty good as well. Obviously Joe had set out to completely fuck everything up, but he failed because things were just a little out of order and completely fixable.

"Thank you."

"Thank you, Sammy." Dean smiled. "One of the turkeys is missing."

"It broke, I'm going to have to get it fixed when we get back home."

"You can't fix it, like the wall?"

"No, I don't feel strong like that anymore. Not currently."

"I heard it was pretty wild."

"That's one way of putting it." Sam said as he walked back to the kitchen. "Now my perfect Thanksgiving ain't gonna happen because everyone's scared of me."

"Just Aaron and that's only because you threw him through the wall without making out with him afterwards."

"Did he say anything? Either of them?"

"He just said it was a little intense."

Aaron actually said terrifying, but Dean liked his wording better. Jeremy was absolutely fine and if anything he was impressed with Sam's incredible power. The only reason Aaron was so scared was because he was still on the sidelines of the whole mojo experience. He kept hearing all the stories about how strong Sam was and he never got to experience it first hand. He'd get over it eventually and he wasn't actually scared of Sam, he was just scared of how quickly he went off the deep end.

"I should cope better."

"We all should." Dean said. "And for what it's worth I actually think you showed some restraint."

"You do?"

"Well…they're still sort of working on the city and that was a year ago."

"Hey, you're right." Sam smiled. "That makes me feel a lot better."

"See, it's all good."

"Yeah."

"And you did something really good for Jeremy and Aaron today. That bitch was scary as hell, Sam and she was a big part of their old life. I think you did a good thing…in the grossest way possible."

"Yeah…that was pretty icky."

"I think that's why you'll never go bad, Sammy."

"Why?"

"Because what big bad actually says icky?" Dean smiled. "Baby."

Sam laughed a little and then chucked a tiny piece of carrot at Dean. He awkwardly caught it and then popped it in his mouth. They were going to be just fine in a week or so and Dean sort of liked the idea of not having sex. Whenever they went through dry spells the sex that followed was absolutely incredible and that was something to look forward to.

After a quick trip to the bathroom Dean stood on Evan's helper stool and resumed busting up bread for stuffing. Sam had already had a very full day and Dean was really impressed with how much he had gotten done. To be fair to Carol she had helped out a little bit while they were gone, but Sam's handiwork was all over the kitchen. Everything just smelled so good and Dean couldn't wait until they sat down to eat.

Dean worked with Sam for about a half hour and things kept getting more and more comfortable. Dean no longer felt like he didn't belong around Sam, it was just like it had always been with just a touch of new anxiety. That really wasn't anything to worry about because Sam had said they could wait a while and sex was what was causing Dean the most stress. Knowing he wasn't going to be expected to perform for a while really calmed him down. He was actually feeling pretty good about things until Gabe made a very tardy and unexpected appearance.

His main job, as far as Dean knew, was to make sure their family was kept safe. It seemed very suspicious that when they really needed help he was nowhere to be found. He was always very punctual when nothing serious was happening which sort of pissed Dean off. Gabe seemed like the only person strong enough to even get through to Sam and he was nowhere to be found even after James had yelled for him to get his ass down there.

"Happy Thanksgiving."

"You too." Sam said. "Where were you?"

"I had other matters to attend to."

"Such as?" Dean asked. "We could have used some help earlier, both of us."

"I'm sorry that happened to you, Dean. If it were up to me I would have been here helping you both."

"That doesn't really answer any questions."

Dean waited a few seconds but it was pretty damn obvious that Gabe had said all he had to say about his absence. It certainly seemed like Sam would have demanded an answer but if anything he looked completely fine with Gabe's lack of information. He was just kind of measuring and stirring and staring with the most peculiar look in his eye. The last time Dean had actually seen Sam looked all disoriented and goofy was seconds before he admitted he had a man crush on Jensen.

"Whoa, now." Dean said. "Sam, are you into him?"

"What?"

"You're totally into Gabe." Dean whispered. "Wow, at least I keep it in the family."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Why are you looking at him like that?"

"Because he's my friend." Sam said before he looked down into his bowl. "And I want to know if he really had a vision of me dying."

"Of course he didn't." Dean laughed. "That's something he would have told us as soon as…"

"Yes, I did."

Dean really wouldn't have cared if Sam said he was totally in love with Gabe because he was staying put regardless of what hot angels came into their lives. The only thing Dean was worried about was whether or not Gabe ever had plans of telling them about his vision. He got that it was sort of a private thing but Dean was old fashioned and he thought that if you foresaw someone's death you might want to tell them about it.

"Were you going to tell me?"

"Yes."

"When?" Dean asked. "After he died?"

"After Thanksgiving." Gabe sighed. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I planned on telling you both, but I knew how important today was."

"Is." Sam said. "It's still important and it's still going to be perfect."

"She asked us to kill Jason." Dean whispered. "You've got to know something about that."

"I…I can't…"

"Gabe, please. Please tell us because…you need to tell us because if he's what I think he is we have to warn him."

"What do you think he is, Sammy?"

Sam just barely shook his head before he quickly looked back at his bowl again. When he looked up his eyes were just about to spill over. Dean really had no idea what the hell was going on, but whatever it was had affected Gabe or more likely Ian as well. His eyes were full of tears too and with a heavy sigh he sat down at the counter and tried to compose himself. Dean didn't like anyone crying, but he had to comfort Sam first even if Gabe had probably never cried before in his life.

"Say it."

"Why do I have to if you already know?" Gabe asked. "You have to believe me when I tell you that this has nothing to do with me and if I could change it in anyway I would."

"Say it." Sam said again. "I need you to say it."

"He's a vessel."

"God damnit!"

"Sam…"

"I knew it from the first time he showed up. We even asked and you…"

"I said nothing." Gabe said. "It's none of your business and it was his choice to make."

"You mean it is his choice to make."

"He said yes weeks ago, hopefully we'll never need him."

"I am so completely lost." Dean said. "What's…Sammy?"

Sam was crying so hard he looked like he couldn't even breath. Gabe had the most apologetic expression on his face and Dean just wanted to smack it off. Dean had never heard anyone referred to as a vessel before, but he did recall Sam stopping Aaron from saying that word. If Jason was one that meant there was an angel upstairs waiting for a place to set up show and Sam obviously didn't want that to happen. He was crying so hard that Dean even had to hold him up to keep him from slumping.

Nearly destroying the house and getting his brain kill on hadn't ruined Thanksgiving for Sam, but Gabe just had. There was no way he was going to bounce back and pull a glistening turkey out of the oven. The entire day was ruined and the way Sam was acting Dean sort of thought everything might be ruined.

"We might not need him."

"How do I make it so you don't need him?"

"I don't know. Sam, if you go up against Joe you will die. I've seen it."

"No."

"I've seen the future."

"I make my own future." Sam said as he stood up straight. "And I die if I go in like I am."

"Like you are?" Gabe asked. "You couldn't possibly get stronger, Sam. There's no way you could…"

"That's a theory I'd like to test."

Dean was still beautiful and oblivious so he took a step back. Even if he knew what was going on he thought it was best to get the fuck out of the way because Sam and Gabe looked like they were gearing up for one hell of a showdown. Sam really did trust him and Gabe had come through for them before, but something had just changed. Sam looked like a man with a plan and Gabe looked like he was trying his best to run. Normally that was easy because he could just disappear but Sam was holding him in place and it was as effortless as breathing.

"I'm holding you." Sam said. "You can't leave."

"Apparently not."

"Gabe, we can do this one way or the other. I'm going to kill Joe, I'm not going to die, and you're going to help me."

"You have no idea what you're suggesting."

"Join the crew." Dean muttered. "Sammy, don't hurt him."

"I'm not hurting him." Sam smiled. "If you take Jason…Michael will never get over and I'm not going to sit idly by and let my son get hurt like that. I know you don't want this for him, Gabe. Michael's all he's got. You want my son to be like yours?"

"No…I'll help you."

"Don't try to back out of this."

"I won’t." Gabe said. "We'll find Joe and then…then I'll help you."

"Thanks."

When Sam released whatever hold he had on Gabe he slumped forward and almost looked like he was going to pass out. Sam on the other hand just took a deep breath and went right back to cooking. Dean was promised an explanation about everything as soon as they went to bed and he was really looking forward to it because he was completely lost. He sort of wanted to know right then and there but Sam had been through enough for one day and Dean was almost positive there were no more surprises in store for them and they could all just have a fantastic dinner with family, friends, devils, a vessel, and an angel.

bitchandjerk @ 2009-10-21T18:21:00

2009-10-21T23:22:04Z

I've had the longest day ever. I'm out of insulin and all the stuff I need to manage my diabetes and apparently my insurance doesn't feel like they should pay for it...you know because it's not like it's keeping me alive or anything, but I went to a new doctor today and he sorta looks like a chubby Sammy. You're jealous. (okay, now I do have my insulin so I'll live to post again)

This is part 1 of 3

Title: Thanks Pt. 1
Author: bitchandjerk
Characters: Sam/Dean,John/Mary/OFC OMCs OFCs Jared/Jensen
Rating :R
Words10,700/2,942,300
Warnings: Wincest,
Summary: On Thanksgiving moring Sam wakes up early to get a head start and Dean doesn't wake up at all.
Notes::AU, rest are here.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.
Feedback: Makes me hard

On Thursday morning Sam was dressed and ready to kick some serious ass before the sun was even up. He woke at five in the morning and put on his special big boy Thanksgiving outfit in silence as to not wake Dean who was sleeping with his ass in the air. Normally Sam would have face planted or at least smacked it a little but he was a man on a mission and he had three turkeys to get into the oven so they could get cooking.

The secret to the perfect turkey wasn't the brand or whether it was fresh killed or not. None of that mattered as far as Sam was concerned and the only thing that did matter was the brining liquid. He had been perfecting it for the past four years and he was pretty sure he finally had it perfect though he wasn't going to know for certain until he sat down to eat. His top secret liquid, which he only shared with Evan, contained an exotic mix of fresh and dried herbs, salt, vegetable stock, and the most important ingredient of all, Winchester sauce. It was actually Worcestershire sauce but Sam thought Winchester sauce sounded a lot better and there was no way Evan was going to even attempt pronouncing Worcestershire.

The three turkeys were in the laundry room in three separate big orange buckets. They had been there since last night and Sam knew they were just about perfect. Gabe had really saved Sam's ass because he was an excellent defroster and had the newest turkey thawed in a matter of seconds with what Dean deemed angel eyes heat vision. Sam didn't know what mojo he had used and he didn't really care because the damn bird wasn't a solid block of ice anymore. It was supple and ready to be cooked and then devoured. Just to be on the safe side Sam was serving that one last and he was making John eat it first in case angel juice caused sonic diarrhea.

After checking on the turkeys Sam took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen so he could get started cooking. All the casseroles were already waiting in the oven so breakfast was taken care of, but Sam needed to get started on the big meal. He wasn't going to put ten pots on the stove at five in the morning but there was a lot of chopping that had to be done and several pie crusts that had to be rolled out. Sam decided to get the chopping out of the way first so he wouldn't be worrying about it while he rolled out the pastry dough.

The celery was in the refrigerator along with some bell peppers and herbs to supplement what Todd had grown. Sam needed onions chopped as well but he was putting those off as long as possible because he always cried. He could handle celery though and decided that was first on his list. He opened the refrigerator ready to wash and chop for at least the next hour but it was all already done.

Every vegetable that needed to be chopped had been chopped. The celery was so beautifully diced Sam thought something must have invited a new kitchen gadget he wasn't aware of. Even the onions were done and in their own plastic container so they wouldn't be stinking up the entire refrigerator. It was pretty amazing and Sam was a little overcome with emotion that anyone would do so much work in the middle of the night for him. He wanted to think it was John but there was no way he could dice so beautifully and evenly. Dean probably could have but it would have taken him three days to do it. He was good with a knife but he was slow as molasses. Sam really had no idea who his helper was, but he was grateful.

Since the chopping was done Sam decided to roll out the pastry and get started on the pies. He had several to make because a certain handsome hubby really liked to get his pie on. The dough needed to warm up for a few minutes at room temperature and then Sam would make short work of it. He was just about to pull it out of one of the refrigerated drawers in the kitchen when he heard a very tiny tinkering sound coming from the dining room.

The house was set up with a breakfast area in the proper kitchen and because it was so big Sam usually had no problem seating everyone in there. For Thanksgiving dinner they were going to have to be in the real dining room which thankfully could fit them all. Sam was a little worried about needing a second table, but Todd came though with an extra leaf and an extra dozen chairs they had in storage. Sam didn't even know about that which made him feel a little silly since he still hadn't visited all the building on the property.

It was still dark but there was a faint glow coming from the dining room. Sam followed it and the little noise until he was standing in the doorway and fighting the urge to not get completely hysterical. The table was beautifully set with Sam's special Thanksgiving china he had bought specifically to match the house. All the glass turkeys he found in Vermont were lined up down the center of the table with tiny pumpkins, pomegranates, and pears. Little candle holders were all set up and Sam knew it was going to be beautiful when they sat down to eat. Even the place cards were out and Sam was particularly proud of them since they were little frames with each person's picture. It was the dinner table his family deserved and Sam couldn't have done a better job himself.

"You're not mad, are you?"

"No." Sam said as he shook his head. "You did the chopping too?"

"Yes, sir, Mr. Sam. I didn't know if I should come in during the night but I couldn't sleep and there's no reason you have to do it all."

"Thank you, Jason. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"You're welcome, Mr. Sam. We can move the place cards later. I probably didn't get them right."

"Did you separate Justin and Jenny?"

"Mmhmm." Jason said before he laughed. "I also made sure that Jensen Ackles is far away from my baby brother."

"Anthony?"

"Next to Mr. Winchester."

Jason really must have paid attention because he did everything Sam would have as far as seating was concerned. Sam wasn't going to make an obvious choice to separate Michael and Jensen, but he did think it was pretty funny. It was just what he needed to have an early morning giggle. That and the fact that Jason had gone out of way to help already made the day so much easier to deal with and Sam knew it was just going to get better.

Since he was already ahead of schedule Sam thought it best to relax for a few minutes with a cup of coffee. Jason thought that was an excellent idea and admitted he hadn't started it because he didn't want to wake anyone. That also explained why he had set the entire table aided only by candlelight. Apparently he had used the same candle when he was chopping which sounded pretty dangerous but all digits were still firmly attached.

After they both had a cup of coffee loaded with Splenda, Sam patted the barstool next to his so Jason would know to sit down. They had time and there had to be a reason Jason was up all night instead of sleeping in his very comfy bed. He had helped so Sam wanted to return the favor by lending an ear if he wanted to talk. He was normally pretty chatty but when Sam asked he stalled and his cheeks flushed with color. It was a little cute, but Sam thought it looked more like shame than bashful embarrassment.

"While you were gone we all sort of moved around." Jason said. "Everyone needed their own guest house…you know…if they wanted to be tender."

"Oh, I didn't know everyone moved again. I hope you stayed put, you shouldn't have had to move twice."

"I stayed, yeah…Ryan, he's in the other room cuz' we're both singles and you know Michael worries about me."

"Oh…"

"I think he might be sweet on me." Jason whispered. "You know, like he likes me maybe."

"Maybe." Sam shrugged. "I guess that might…maybe…"

Sam knew there was no maybe about it because that was some of the big gossip Dean just had to tell him all about. Apparently Ryan had said loved which really didn't surprise Sam too much, but he sort of thought there was some transference going on. Ryan sometimes looked at Michael like he was personally responsible for hanging the moon. They were best friends and Ryan had a hell of a lot of respect for him, but Sam thought maybe it went a little beyond that. Obviously since Jensen hadn't come between them Michael and Alex were in it for the long haul which Ryan had always known and accepted. With a very cute new brother in the mix it was only natural for him to start feeling something non-platonic.

"He's nice."

"But?" Sam asked. "Sounds like there was going to be a but."

"I don't like him like that. I have a lady friend and…"

"Whoa! You have a girlfriend?"

"Yes." Jason smiled. "Back in Westport."

"Since when? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I dunno…I just….well…"

"What's her name?" Sam asked. "Do we know her?"

"See, I don't actually know her name." Jason said. "But she's got shiny brown hair and she wears a ribbon that always matches her dress. Okay, well she's not technically my girlfriend, but I think if things were different she might be. She might like me, I got real pretty hair."

"If things were different?"

"I can't…Mr. Sam, I know I'm never going to get married or have babies. I was just joking about her being my lady friend, I just like to think about it when I'm at church, what it might be like."

"Why wouldn't you be able to get married or have children?"

"'Cuz I wouldn't lie. I'd…well, I'd have to be honest and no one would want to be with me if they knew what I did. I think maybe I can just be the best uncle in the world because Michael says I'm already better than Jeremy and Aaron's way too bulky."

"Don't settle for just being an uncle if you want to be a father, Jason."

"I…"

"Do you want to have kids?"

The father or uncle thing hit way too close to home for Sam. Jason was in a completely different situation but Sam didn't want him to settle for one thing on the off chance some woman wouldn't understand. When he first met Mikey, Sam thought he'd only be an uncle, but making the choice to be his father with Dean was the best thing he had ever done. He really felt like he was born to be a dad and nothing was going to get in the way of what he really wanted. Jason deserved the same chance and Sam wasn't going to let him give up without even trying.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Most likely."

"Few Wednesdays ago when Alex was in the city and Michael was at school I was home alone. I went up to their room, you know they got that closet that I swear is as big as the house we grew up in."

"He is my son." Sam smiled. "Makes me proud."

"He's got such beautiful things and I was wondering how I might look in a fancy suit. I know I shouldn't have, but I don't think he'd mind."

"He wouldn't care at all. Is that your secret? You tried on his suit?"

"And shoes." Jason said before he nodded. "There's a box in the back of the closet…had books in it and you know how much I like readin'."

"Yeah, I do."

"He had all these books hidden back there…they were all about people like him, you know…"

"Gingers?"

"People who were abused as children."

Sam knew that was where Jason was heading and his little joke did nothing to make the conversation any easier. Sam even knew about the books though he had never seen them. The only reason he knew Michael had them was because of a particularly hefty charge on his credit card and a shared account on Amazon. Sam went looking and saw the order for a dozen books all about people who were molested as children and then went on to have their own kids. That was as far as Sam wanted to look because he knew the statistics and apparently Michael and Jason did as well.

"I read some…you know people who are abused, they're more likely to abuse someone else. It's like a take back the power thing. They took it from me, I can take it from someone else, like that? I'm not gonna, but it worries me, worries him too but he won't let it get in the way of being a daddy."

"Jason…"

"But with me, Mr. Sam. There's somethin' in me. There's somethin' rooted deep that made me do wrong. I know it's there, I can feel it and if I had kids I might hurt 'em."

"I understand that."

"Do you?"

"When I was six months old a demon killed our mother after he fed me his blood. When I was in college I started having visions and I thought I might be bad. I thought I might be meant for bad things."

"But you're not."

"No." Sam smiled. "Because what happened to me, what happened to you, doesn't define who we are. I was so scared…I…I was so scared that I didn't want to have kids of my own because I didn't want them to be like me, and now when I think about what I almost gave up I literally feel like I'm dying."

"They are like you though, in a good way. I can feel 'em sometimes."

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes I can just feel them, right in the core of myself. Ya'll all make me feel safe."

"That's what we do." Sam said. "Jason, just promise me you won't give up what you want because of fear."

"You think I'd be a good daddy?"

"Yeah." Sam smiled. "I do, just stick with me and Dean and ignore everything dad does."

"Okay."

"Okay." Sam sighed. "Wow, that was cathartic."

"It sure was." Jason said before he wiped at his eyes. "I wanna help today."

"I'd love that. So, we got a little sidetracked. You were up all night because Ryan's into you?"

"Yeah and then I was thinking about that girl and having a family of my own. Can't sleep when I think too much, but I'm sure it's just a little crush."

"I'm sure it is too."

"They're harmless." Jason laughed. "Everyone has 'em."

"Believe me I know…um…I mean…uh…on Dean!"

"Uh-huh. Spill it, Moneybags!"

Sam could feel himself turning six different shades of red so he hopped off the stool and tried to busy himself with rolling out the pastry. Jason wasn't giving up though, and he managed to shame the hell out of Sam without saying anything. He was just sitting still with his head in his hands and waiting, which was so obviously something he had picked up from Michael who could get anything by saying and doing nothing.

"Come on! I told you about fartin' in Michael's ver-sace suit."

"Versace." Sam laughed. "And you farted in it?"

"He yelled at me for…playin' with myself on his fancy sheets and I didn't!"

"He told me that your sheets are worse than James'."

"Mr. Sam, I have to stick my head out the window to sneeze I'm so nervous in that house. I sure as heck ain't playin' with myself in bed. Come on, oh! Is it Jensen Ackles?"

"Well, obviously."

"No." Jason said. "You wouldn't have turned so red. This is a real crush on…hmmm."

"It's no one."

"It's Gabe."

"How the hell did you know that?"

"Oh, my gosh." Jason whispered. "I just picked the most ridiculous person I could think of. That's naughty even for you."

"Hey! It's not even like that."

"You jus' wanna make babies with him."

"I think you're sleep deprived." Sam laughed. "I just really like the way he makes me feel. I feel safe and warm when he's around…he makes me feel like Dean does which confuses me, but…I don't want to feel bad for feeling good."

"You can feel anyway you want, Mr. Sam. We all know you ain't going nowhere."

"Yeah, you're right."

"It happens sometimes. Now you got another rolling pin I can use?"

"In the pantry." Sam smiled. "And don't think you're off the hook for touching my china without asking first."

"I can help with the dough, right?"

"We'll see how you do."

Jason had to be the fastest learner ever because it took him about thirty seconds before he was rolling out pastry like a pro. Sam was very impressed particularly because the dough had sat out a little too long and it had gotten kind of soft. That made it a little more difficult to roll but Jason didn't have a problem with it at all. He was flattening out the rounds and filling the tins just as quickly as Sam was.

Before Sam knew it, the tins were all lined and ready to be filled. Pumpkin was the favorite pie of the household but Sam was making apple, pecan, cashew, and a cherry one for Dean who always said something very nasty while he ate it. Since Jason had done such a bang up job with cutting the onions and celery, Sam gave him a new knife and a big bushel of apples which he got done in record time. Sam was still sort of struggling with the cherry pie and Jason was already onto pecan which he needed no instruction on since he was a good old southern boy.

By the time all the pies were made and being chilled it was just after six in the morning and Sam heard some whispered arguing right outside the window. When he went to investigate he was pleasantly surprised again because Anthony was at the backdoor giving instruction to Craig, Jensen, and Aaron all of whom were still half asleep. Aaron actually looked like he hadn't slept at all, but that was most likely due to Jeremy pounding on him all night long.

"What's going on?"

"We're here to help." Anthony smiled "All your best friends and Jensen."

"I'm like a replacement Jared." Jensen sighed. "We tried to wake him up and somehow I ended up giving him a handjob."

"We want to help, Sam." Craig smiled. "Because you'd do anything to help us, but I have to leave in like a half hour to wake up Justin by making him happy with my mouth."

"Hot."

"And as dad's newest illegitimate son, Jeremy felt like I should help out on dad's behalf as he's a douchebag."

"That's really sweet, guys. Thank you."

"Okay." Anthony said before he clapped. "I'm pretty sure we're gonna get started on the pies, which means Jensen can set the table with Craig and Aaron you're on chopping detail. How's that sound?"

"Lovely." Sam nodded. "That sounds just perfect."

"But it's been done." Jason said as he peeked over Sam's shoulder. "Ya'll can all go back to bed, I'm handling it."

"Oh, hell no…"

"Anthony." Sam laughed. "Don't."

"Looks like ya'll was too busy with your significant others."

"Said by the boy who has a fairy hot for him." Anthony said as he walked into the house. "Isn't that what we heard?"

"Mmhmm." Jensen yawned. "I heard you were nearly as rimmable as Dean."

"What's rimmable mean?"

"Oh, God." Anthony whispered. "He lives with Alex and he doesn't know what rimming means?"

"Ryan said he was as rimmable as Dean?" Sam asked. "Wow, he's like the most rimmable person on the planet."

"Second, cutie." Jensen said as he pinched Sam's butt. "Mmm."

"Stop that!"

"Rimming?" Jason asked. "Aaron?"

"Well." Aaron sighed. "Ryan would like to bend you over the kitchen counter and lick your button until you climax, then he'll have anal sex with you and call you names."

"Oh, my goodness!"

"He's not going to do that." Sam laughed. "If anything he'll rim you and then sit on it. Jeremy calls you names?"

"He calls me Mr. McNasty sometimes."

"Huh…"

"I'll have you all know that I am not gay."

"Yet." Anthony whispered. "There's still time."

Anthony and Jensen both kissed Jason on the cheek at the same time and he turned red all over again. Obviously nothing was going to happen with Ryan and Jason was a little concerned about the vibe he was giving off, but Sam still thought he enjoyed being the object of someone's affection since he was particularly giggly while they all worked together to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner.

It was cold and dark when Dean woke up. He could deal with the cold but he just hated the dark. Even when he slept late it always seemed to be dark outside and when the blinds were open the light still couldn't get in the way it needed to. It was a terrible way to start each and every day, but there was nothing Dean could do about that. He had to get out of bed eventually and step out into the cold dark to start the day which kept getting harder and harder.

In the bathroom Dean went through his morning routine which involved pissing, brushing his teeth, and washing off his face. He hated the mirror in the bathroom because he thought it made him look so much older than he was. He knew it was just because he was always exhausted but it was easier to blame the mirror. It was always covered in smudges too and though Dean had tried to clean it off after he showered it just got worse.

After he was done in the bathroom Dean walked out and took a seat at the little table so he could wait. He was on such a strict schedule that he always managed to wake up right when he needed to, which was coincidentally about five minutes before breakfast was served. It came right on time and was delivered by one of his favorite people in the whole world.

Maggie was in her fifties and routinely brought Dean extra food when she was his nurse. Sometimes he got a whole second sandwich, but that didn't happen too often. Most of the time it was just a more generous serving of pudding or a few extra pieces of sausage. Dean liked the sausage because it was so much better than the dried out bacon that was usually burnt.

"A bacon pig…it's a sausage pig today."

"Dean." Maggie said. "You have an appointment today. Talking like that isn't going to get you out of here."

"What's today?"

"Thursday."

"It's Thanksgiving and I…"

"That was months ago. Remember? I got you an extra slice of pie."

"Pumpkin."

"That's right." Maggie nodded. "Down the hatch."

Dean sighed and then accepted the little paper cup filled with brightly colored pills. He hated taking them but his doctor kept saying that if he took them he'd make progress and maybe get to go home one day. Bobby kept saying there was a room just for him and that was what Dean was aiming for. Bobby's house wasn't nice at all, but Dean would have his own room and he planned on making sure there were no curtains, blinds, or shades on the windows.

Just like he did every morning Dean hesitated before he swallowed the pills. He knew it was for the best and that the pills might give him a shot at a normal life again, but it felt wrong. He felt like they were numbing him and confusing him so he wouldn't know what was what. Cutting back on his dosage just wasn't an option Dean's doctor was willing to discuss since it was better to fine tune what he was getting.

"How'd you sleep last night?"

"Good." Dean said. "Cold, it's still cold."

"Do you want an extra blanket for tonight?"

"Yeah, I'd like that."

"Any dreams?"

"No." Dean lied. "I had a long day yesterday, I was sort of wiped."

"And maybe those pills are helping."

"Maybe."

"I hope so, Dean. Twenty minutes and then I'll be back so we can go to your appointment."

"Okay, thanks, Maggie."

"No, problem, sweetheart."

Breakfast was just terrible and though Dean was starving he couldn't even finish it. The eggs were overcooked and way too yellow. They just looked fake and they were more rubbery than any food should be. The sausage wasn't that bad but it was obviously the cheapest they could find. Dean ate it all anyway, but that was only because he knew Maggie would make a big deal out of sneaking him extra he couldn't finish. The biscuit was probably the worst thing on the tray because it was like a rock that crumbled into pieces as soon as Dean tried to put a little strawberry jam on it.

"Stawbewy…gwape." Dean whispered. "Daddy…"

After Dean frowned at himself he got up from where he was sitting to get dressed. His going out clothes weren't any different from his pajamas but he still changed into a fresh pair from the cabinet on the side of the room. He had a few pairs of slippers as well and he thought it kind of seemed like a gray slipper day instead of black or blue. After he dropped them to the floor and stepped into them Dean walked to the window and parted the blinds just enough to look outside.

As always there wasn't anything beyond the blinds. It was just empty and where there should have been another building or empty land there was nothing. There wasn't even a sky overhead which always made Dean wonder where the gray light was coming from. He could still see it, but there wasn't a source like the sun hiding out between some thick clouds. Dean was smart and even with the drugs in his system he knew that what was outside the window wasn't right but for the life of him he couldn't remember what it was supposed to look like. He knew there should be sun, rain, and at night the moon should come up, but he couldn't visualize where they might be in the blackness.

The twenty minutes went by quickly and before Dean knew it Maggie was back and offering her arm to him. There were times when they switched up his medicine and Dean couldn't find the strength to walk. She'd come with a wheelchair and make quick work of getting him into it. He always felt helpless when that happened but it was a little fun too and the rides made it easier for Dean to prepare for his appointments.

As they walked down the hall Dean was paying very close attention to how clean everything was. The hallways were painted white which matched the tile underfoot. The fluorescent lights on the ceiling were even in white casings and brighter than Dean thought they should be. It almost hurt his eyes to look at them, so he chose to stare at the floor since Maggie was leading the way.

"Why are the floors so clean?"

"This is a hospital. Dean. We have to keep everything clean or else we'll be fined, maybe even shut down."

"They're too clean."

"Nonsense, there's no such thing as too clean. You're just nervous."

"There aren't doors either. Where are the rest of the rooms?"

"That's enough, Dean."

"You're hurting my arm."

"Shut up."

Dean's whole body lit up with pain when Maggie's long nails broke through the skin on his arm and dug right into the flesh. He was younger and he should have been stronger, but struggling only made her tighten her grip. The pain got so bad that Dean thought he might pass out, but then it just faded and Maggie wasn't hurting him anymore. She was just walking with him down what had to be a mile long hallway. It was like a loop with bright lights, clean floors, and no doors anywhere except for the red one at the end where the doctor waited.

When they were standing in front of it Dean tried to struggle away again, but Maggie was just too strong. She wasn't hurting him, but she was holding him firmly in her grasp. Dean thought he must have weighed ten pounds since she was handling him like a rag doll. She managed to get the door open without ever letting him loose and she didn't care that the office was the last place Dean wanted to be.

"It's time for your appointment, Dean."

"Maggie. What do you look like?"

"That's not important. You need to focus on getting better."

"I think you used to have a face."

Dean wanted to touch her and he actually got close but she was too strong and fast. When his fingers were closing on her featureless face she grabbed him by the chin and then shoved hard so he fell into the dark office. Dean knew he had a face because he had just looked at it, but Maggie was blank. She looked like those robbers who pulled stockings over their heads before hitting up banks. Her hair was there and her little white hat, but there was no nose or eyes and even though Dean could hear her talking she didn't have a mouth.

"Dean."

"Doctor." Dean said quietly. "Good morning."

"Good morning. Have a seat. How are you feeling today?"

"Good, I'm a little cold."

"That's from the pills."

Dean sat down and then put his hands in his lap like a good little boy. He knew better than to ask any real questions because he always ended up getting answers he didn't really like. He didn't like the sessions with the doctor much either, but he knew if he kept going and really trying to make progress that one day Bobby would come and visit him and then take him home. That was going to be a great day and something Dean was always working towards.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Fine." Dean said. "I was so tired last night. I went to bed early."

"No nightmares?"

"No."

"We won't make any progress if you lie to me, Dean." The doctor said. "I know you're lying."

"They're not nightmares."

"Then did you dream?"

"Of course I did." Dean whispered. "It's Thanksgiving and Sammy's…"

"Your brother was killed seven year ago, Dean. You know that."

"I…I know, but I'm telling you in the dream he got in this argument with dad…"

"He's been gone for eight years."

"I know that!" Dean yelled. "I'm telling you what I…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to raise my voice."

"That's okay, Dean. I know how real these delusions are to you."

"Yeah." Dean smiled. "My delusions."

They had been over it a hundred times and Dean was getting pretty sick and tired of listening to the same thing everyday. The doctor kept saying that the dreams were delusions but they felt more real than anything else in Dean's life. Sam had loved him and the built a life together with beautiful children and real friends who they could always count on.

The doctor said that it was a coping mechanism that Dean invented after Sam was killed. He thought that under circumstances Dean would have handled it better if John hadn't died just a year earlier. He invented a fantastic world of wonderment to make everything better where Sam and John were still alive and the kids gave Dean some purpose in life. That was what Dean heard in every session and he knew if he really wanted to get out of the hospital he'd have to believe it.

"These feelings you had for your brother are partly responsible for this world you've created."

"Because I love him."

"Victims of incest often…"

"No, there weren't any victims. I didn't do anything he didn't want. I didn't do anything he didn't love."

"So why did you invent a son who was a victim of incest for you to save if not to alleviate your guilt over molesting your brother when he was a child?"

"Mi…Michael."

"Anthony wasn't enough for you, Dean. That's why you brought in Michael. You needed someone more damaged."

"No, that's not…"

"Then you had to make his life perfect. You even went so far as to give him what you think is the most important thing in the world. Bring in a brother out of nowhere so he can have everything."

"It wasn't Jason's fault."

"That's right." The doctor said as he looked through his files. "Jeremy made him do it. The demon."

"Yes."

"This is the same brother who you saved all by yourself. A brother who was the epitome of evil in your world. Don't you see how your story works, Dean?"

"He needed me to save him."

"You invented Jeremy because you needed someone to save, like you wanted to save Sam. Then once you saved him you brought in Aaron so you could be the hero again by giving them a place to live, a real family, by giving them you as a big brother."

"How am I supposed to know they're not real?" Dean asked. "They could be real. I could be dreaming right now."

"Dean, what makes more sense?" The doctor asked. "This world we live in or the fantasy land where you're a millionaire with special powers? You've given yourself everything you want including a replacement for your mother and seven children all of which have their own superpowers, are healthy, and incredibly intelligent."

"It could happen."

"Yes." The doctor said. "In fiction."

Dean hated his sessions with the doctor because they always made him feel not only crazy, but wrong as well. He felt like he had spent his entire life making bad choices and those choices were why John had died and why Sam had been killed. If Dean had been smarter or faster he knew he could have saved them both. He had his gun on him and he still couldn't react fast enough to save Sam.

"I want to go live with Bobby."

"That's what we all want, Dean. We want you to get healthy, and leave here. Didn't you say all you want to do is go for a ride in your car?"

"I do, real fast with the windows down and some loud music."

"I think that sounds very nice and it's a realistic goal for you to have, but you know what you need to do before that can happen."

"Live here." Dean nodded. "And now."

"I'd like to try again."

"Me too." Dean said. "I want to do it, it's just so hard."

"Just focus, Dean. Just repeat after me."

"Okay."

The doctor got up from where he was sitting and leaned against the edge of his desk. He was a tall man with big hands that always looked so clean. Dean didn't do anything during the day and he still sometimes got little bits of dirt under his nails. The doctor was probably doing stuff, but he stayed perfectly clean like the hallway, the walls, and the floors. It was all so obscenely clean, but Dean didn't smell bleach or other disinfectants, he smelled sautéing onions and maybe bacon that never got burned.

"Your brother and father are both dead."

"My father and Sammy are both dead."

"Your father had a heart attack and your brother was murdered."

"Dad had a heart attack in the hospital." Dean said. "And…and Sam was killed."

"Good, Dean. What else?"

"I'm not a millionaire or a writer. I'm not getting a degree and there are no movies or contracts."

"You're doing so good, Dean, keep going."

"I…I molested Sammy when he was a kid. I hurt him, I used him, violated him…" Dean whispered before pausing. "And Michael's not real. I made him up, just like the rest of my friends."

"And?"

"And my kids. I don't have any kids. I never met Jenny, and Sam died before the twins were born. Amy's not real anyway and she didn't have my…Ollie's not real. Mary and Milo aren't either. I just…I pretend to have so many kids so when they turn six months old I can save them, I'm big enough now and I wasn't big enough to save Sammy when he was a baby."

"I'm so proud of you, Dean. This is what you have to admit to yourself if you want to live with Bobby."

"Thank you."

"There's one more thing."

"No." Dean said as he wiped at his eyes. "That's it."

"You need to admit this to yourself. If you can do this we'll see about getting you some more privileges. Bobby could come visit you more often, wouldn't you like that?"

"I…I would, but I'm so tired."

"Then just say it and you can go back to your room and take a nap."

Dean shook his head and tried to summon up the strength but he just didn't have it. All of it left his body when Sam died and there wasn't anything left to fight for. After that Dean's whole life meant nothing because his only real job was looking after Sam and he screwed that up like he screwed up everything.

"I can't."

"You can, Dean." The doctor said as he squatted down in front of him. "Just repeat after me. My brother never loved me."

"My…my brother never lov…Sammy never love…"

"He left you, Dean. He had to go across the country to get away from you after what you did to him. He left you. He died to get away from you. He never loved you."

"He did, he still does, wherever he is I know he still loves me."

"You're never leaving this hospital."

"This hospital?" Dean asked as he looked around. "You're the only doctor here and Maggie's the only nurse. There are no doors anywhere and you don't have a fucking face either. This…this is what's not real."

"Dean…"

"You can convince me that I hurt Sam or never became a father. Hell, I'll even agree with you that me being anything more than a skirt chasing chauvinist is a bit of a stretch." Dean said before he stood up. "But my brother has always and will always love me."

"Sit down."

"No. I'm not listening to you anymore."

When the doctor shoved him, Dean shoved back and he wasn't weak anymore. He was strong again and determined to figure out what the fuck was going on. He had a pretty good idea, but he needed some kind of proof which wasn't easy considering he was dealing with people without faces who still somehow managed to look scared of him.

"Joe." Dean said. "That's what we call you. Sammy's gonna kick your ass so hard you'll taste if in your fucking throat and that's if you're lucky."

"Listen to me, Dean."

"I think we've established I'm not going to be doing that anymore. Whatever mojo you're working is fading, which I'm pretty sure means that in just about a minute one of my brothers is going to bust down that door. You better pray it's not Sam."

"You don't understand."

"I don't want to." Dean smiled. "I want you dead and…"

"He'll come for me, Dean. You need to not stand in his way. Let Sam kill me, he has to."

"What?" Dean laughed. "I think we already wrote this story. Demon wants to die?"

"I'm not a demon, but this is so far out of your control, my control."

"Right. Is this where you tell me someone's making you kill people and someone's making you leave bodies where my children could have seen them. Did someone make you drag me into his office?"

"Yes. You have to find where I am and kill me. I can't stop them."

"Stop who?"

"The…"

The doctor or Joe, whoever he was didn't get a chance to finish talking and even if he did Dean wouldn't have heard. He was standing in front of the red door when it got torn off it's hinges and the noise of splintering wood was deafening. Dean couldn't hear a thing, but he did get to see Joe fade and for just a second his eyes were visible. They were so familiar and Dean was sure he had seen him before at some point in his life. They weren't overly familiar like Anthony's or Alex's might be, but Dean had seen Joe before, that much he was certain of.

When the door exploded there was a bright white light behind it and Dean was so grateful that someone had come to his aid that he didn't even worry about how blindingly severe it was or that it still tasted funny. His money was on Gabe and then Sam, but it was Jeremy who came through like he always seemed to do when things got scary.

"Jeremy."

"Who is he?"

"I don't know." Dean said. "I…he didn't have a face, but I saw his eyes and I want to see yours."

"No."

"Open your eyes, Jeremy, please."

"No." Jeremy whispered. "You just need to get up and…"

"Please."

Jeremy's head was down but Dean lifted him up and waited. He knew he just had to wake up but he was staying put and probably making everyone worry more until Jeremy opened his eyes. It was well over a minute before he stopped being stubborn and just did it. As Dean expected they were pitch black and scary as hell, but they were still his brother's and Jeremy was still there as he always was.

"Thanks for not letting Sammy come."

"He couldn't anyway. We need to get back."

"What's wrong?"

"We just need to get back."

"Jeremy." Dean said as he grabbed his arm. "You need to tell me what happened before I get out of here."

"You remember that day in the city?"

"When Bruce got hit? Of course I do."

"I think that was Sam just warming up."

"Wake me up." Dean said. "Now."

The last Thanksgiving Aaron actually celebrated was when he was seventeen. He knew he was leaving in May for Rome so he wanted to have one last big Thanksgiving dinner. His parents were all on board with that and they planned something truly massive and extravagant which Aaron decided not to feel bad about because if he was going to spend years away from his parents he wanted lots of good memories. Ten minutes before they sat down to eat both his mother and father got called away to the hospital and he spent the day with the housekeeper.

In Italy no one actually observed Thanksgiving, so for years Aaron didn't even really pay any attention to it. It was just Thursday there and he didn't eat or do anything special. He thought that was something he'd spend the rest of his life doing until he remembered. He remembered Jeremy and found out he had a biological father and a whole family in America who did Thanksgiving right. It was apparently one of John's favorite days right after Grandpa's day which happened every other Saturday and the first Wednesday of each month.

That got Aaron all excited for a big family feast and for the longest time he had been hearing fantastic tales of Sam's skills with a turkey. At first it was just Dean, who praised everything Sam did. The turkey could have tasted like broiled rubber and Dean still would have thought it was the best thing in the whole entire world. John then mentioned that a full on pilgrim platter from Sam was sort of like a religious experience and Jeremy said something similar though his comparison was a little more vulgar. Jeremy hadn't had proper Thanksgiving with them, but apparently Sam had done a little something in Vermont right after he showed up.

"Wait a minute." Jensen said. "You're talking about actually sucking on it?"

"Yes."

"After you come, right?" Anthony asked. "I mean you come and then felch him."

"Not necessarily. I mean sometimes it's before." Sam shrugged. "Though I don't mind after…don't mind even a little bit."

"Jar-Jar told me that makes you conceited if you like being tasty."

"What the hell does he know?" Anthony laughed. "He's from Texas."

"Hey!"

"Jackles, are you saying you enjoy self sampling?"

"Dude, I'm fucking adorable."

"Perhaps we could talk about something else." Aaron whispered. "Something a little more appropriate for seven o'clock on Thanksgiving morning."

"Just us gays." Anthony said. "Why does it…Oh…Jason, I don't suppose you have anything to add."

"No! I asked one question and Aaron answered and now ya'll have been talking about licking butts for…over an hour!"

"You know you're a little uptight for someone who has a brother that beat me off."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Anthony asked. "Nothing I bet."

"I'm just saying." Jensen shrugged. "I heard that one time he was going to sleep with you and then he turned you down to beat me off."

"He turned me down to date Alex."

"Alex…I don't know who that is…most of my friends have won an Oscar…"

"I think we should talk about Friday plans." Aaron nodded. "Shopping, perhaps?"

Aaron had to do something because every time the word "taint" came up Jason turned greener and greener. It was obvious that he was extremely uncomfortable but he wasn't going to leave because he was helping. Sam wasn't participating in the conversation much, but Anthony and Jensen were having a little too much fun talking about inappropriate subject matter. They had both tried to get Aaron to participate but when he got eaten out he didn't feel the need to discuss it mostly because only Sam had it as good as him.

"That's the only problem with Thanksgiving down here. There's nowhere to shop. I wouldn't go anyway, but Dean loves it."

"Where is Dean?" Jensen asked after glancing at his watch. "I haven't seen him since he tucked me in and read me my bedtime story."

"He is being a lazy bones." Sam said before wiping off his hands. "And I'm going to wake him up."

"No!" Anthony whispered. "Leave him sleeping, he's so cute when he's all flustered from sleeping past seven!"

"Be that as it may, he'll be upset if we let him sleep while you guys are helping. I'll be back. Jason, can you watch those onions on the stove?"

"Yes, sir, Mr. Sam."

"Thank you."

"Anyway." Anthony said once Sam had left. "Sam's totally lickable, but I think there's something about Dean that would be downright delicious."

"Right?" Jensen grinned. "I'd fuck him."

"Cupcakes."

"What?"

"Cupcakes." Aaron said again. "We're going to talk about cupcakes."

"Sam made these cupcakes once…" Jensen said. "They were like…man, they were awesome."

"I like those ones from Magnolia bakery."

"Right around the corner from my house!"

Jensen and Anthony started what had to be the most focused cupcake discussion on record. Aaron didn't play mind tricks often but sometimes it was so necessary. Jason, understood what had just happened and he locked eyes with Aaron for just a moment before he nodded. Aaron nodded back and then smiled a little because he sort of enjoyed being able to change the topic so completely.

That was Aaron's last smile of the morning because things fell apart right as his face was relaxing. He felt it before anything happened, it was like clouds gathering and funneling before the storm started. The air was charged, it was crisp, and Aaron could see Jeremy in his head as he pushed back the covers and tried to make it to the house as quickly as he could. He was incredibly fast, but still not fast enough.

"What's wrong with the lights?" Anthony asked. "Is there is…"

"Earthquake!" Jensen yelled. "You two get in the doorway! Now!"

"There's no earthquakes in South Carolina." Jason whispered. "Aaron, what is it?"

"It's Sam."

The human animal really was an amazing creature because in times of crisis instinct always won out. Anthony was the only father in the kitchen and he acted quicker than anyone which Aaron assumed was because his chubby baby was always trying to eat whatever he could get his hands on. The whole house was shaking and as the lights overhead shattered into hundreds of jagged shards it was Anthony who managed to push and then shield Jensen and Jason.

Sam's rage had already blown all the light bulbs, but they were still in the fixtures. The tremors coming from under the house had shook one of those fixtures loose and the sharp pointed bulb crashed directly into Anthony's shoulder. He screamed because it obviously hurt, but it wasn't going to be fatal like it would have been had it landed on Jensen's head.

Jensen was the second closest thing to a father in the room and after he got Jason in the doorway he grabbed a towel for Anthony and then took off running. He didn't go out the backdoor at all, like a smart person might have done. He ran further into the house like a good friend was bound to do. Aaron didn't want him anywhere near Sam, but Jensen surprised him by heading straight for the kid's bedroom. He was still thinking earthquake and as an expert he wanted them safe.

Aaron had grown up in California and he knew that the tremors were about as far from natural as they could get. He could feel Sam's fury radiating towards him in massive waves and more was coming at him from outside. Aaron felt like he was getting crushed and he prayed no one else was feeling the pressure of being stuck between his two brothers. It faded when Jeremy busted in the backdoor, but Sam was still going at it and he felt a hell of a lot stronger than Aaron thought possible.

"Anthony."

"I'm fine." Anthony panted. "Jason, go check on the babies."

"What the hell happened?" Jeremy asked. "Sam's…"

"I don't know…"

"Why are you just standing there?"

"Because I can't feel Dean." Aaron said. "I can't…Jeremy."

"I need you."

It took a particularly brutal reverberation for Aaron to snap out of it. Jason was already gone because he was so much stronger. He had orders and he was going to follow them. Aaron was almost jealous of him because he got the job done no matter what. He didn't shut down when something bad happened, he had been through worse and he wasn't going to let anything happen to the babies.

Jeremy got to the bedroom first and Aaron was right behind him. Everything looked so normal, but it was anything but. Dean was in bed and looked like he was only sleeping, though Aaron knew that wasn't the case. Sam had obviously tried to wake him up and when he didn't get a response he went off the deep end. He was just standing at the side of the bed without any expression on his face at all. He was the blankest thing Aaron had ever seen and quite easily the strongest.

"Sam…" Jeremy whispered. "Calm down."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know, but we'll find him."

"You'll find him." Sam said as he looked over. "Now."

"When we figure out what we're…"

"Now!"

For someone who was all about choices Sam didn't really practice what he preached. Aaron was thinking of ways to intervene, but there was no time to waste as far as Sam was concerned. He screamed and it seemed like the whole world went light for a moment. All Aaron could make out was the grief all over Sam's face before he felt like he was flying. He felt weightless and happy for a moment, and then came the closet doors, the closet walls, and one very sturdy two by four.

Never in his life had Aaron been in such incredible pain because he was strong enough to just ignore it most of the time. That was before Sam thought he had lost Dean though and everything changed. Aaron was in agony and though he tried his hardest to hang on he ended up passing out against the living room floor, while the whole world kept on shaking.

When Aaron came to he wasn't sure how long he had been out, but things had gone from bad to worse. The shaking had stopped and Anthony seemed okay, but John was lying on the living room floor with his arms both twisted at an incredibly awkward angle. They were obviously broken, but bones healed. Aaron was more concerned about the little pool of blood around his mouth. John was and had always been human, so a trip through the wall wasn't going to be as easy on him. If it had caused Aaron to black out there was no telling what it might do to a normal person.

"Help him." Anthony whispered. "Aaron, help him."

"Where's Jeremy?"

"Gone."

"What do you mean?" Aaron asked as he got his hands on John. "Where did he go?"

"Char…Charlie said Sam sent him away."

"Has anyone else been in that room?"

"No one would go once John…"

"He's fine. I promise."

"What about Sam?"

"He's fine too. You're bleeding a lot." Aaron said. "Let me…"

"No, save your strength." Anthony said. "Tell me it'll be okay."

"It'll be okay."

It was a good thing Anthony could deal with the pain because healing him would have taken just about everything out of Aaron. He didn't even have enough strength left to fully heal John. He was unconscious and a few bones were broken, but he was alive and that was all that mattered. Jeremy and Dean were alive too which Aaron really hoped Sam could feel. Whatever had happened was about to end, and if Jeremy was involved it was sure to end bloody.

When Aaron got up from the floor he noticed Justin visibly struggling to hold Charlie back. He wanted to get into it to help out, but there was no telling what they were actually dealing with. Dean wouldn't want him to help anyway and Justin would never allow it. Had he been just a little stronger Aaron would have attempted to calm him down, but he couldn't waste anything since Sam had gone nuclear.

The bedroom door was still open and James was crouched outside. He looked exhausted as well which meant he had most likely tried to do something. Aaron wasn't sure what he could have accomplished since stopping Sam was like swatting a fly with a feather. No one stood a chance against him, which made getting Dean back more important than ever.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Aaron nodded. "You?"

"Yes. I told John not to go in there. Why can't he feel Dean? He's not dead, he wasn't ever dead."

"He must have tried to wake him." Aaron whispered. "And when he wouldn't wake up, Sam…just assumed…"

"Did you know he was this strong?"

"No. Did you?"

"No." James sighed. "Gabe won't come."

"I don't expect him to." Aaron said. "With Sam like this…they're all protecting Jason."

"Do you think…"

"No, not yet. That's total last resort for them."

"Okay." James said. "Um, we have to go in there."

"Agreed. Give me your hand."

"Yes." James laughed quietly. "I'm sure the two of us together will have no problem talking him down."

"Need some help?"

When Aaron heard Jeremy's voice from behind them he had never in his life been more relived, that was until Sam finally fell to his knees at the side of the bed. Everyone was completely drained, but Sam looked just fine. Aaron knew he wasn't anything to be scared of but it was still so damn scary since they had no guarantee that their whole family would live forever. It was bad when Bruce was dying, and worse when Sam thought Dean was dead, so there was no telling what might happen if it were ever one of the kids. Aaron hated himself for thanking about that, but he couldn't help it.

James hugged Jeremy first which Aaron sort of thought wasn't fair. He got to go second though which meant got to hold on a little longer since Sam was busy making absolutely sure that Dean was okay. He was awake and he looked okay, but there was no telling how his experience might affect him since Aaron knew firsthand how real those dreams could be.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Jeremy smiled. "How awesome is Sam?"

"Where…where'd he send you?"

"A fucking hospital in Seattle." Jeremy whispered. "It was abandoned, but whoever did this…they did their research."

"It was Joe." James said. "Right? First strike?"

"Yeah. After he sent me there I made myself fall asleep."

"Jeremy…"

"Don't, Aaron, I can't talk about…"

"We need to." Aaron whispered. "Don't you think they're both smart enough to put the pieces together?"

"We have to wait and see if this is anything to be concerned about."

"Jeremy." James said. "I understand where you're coming from, but either way, if either of them found a way to come back it's not your fault."

"He killed you, James."

"And yet here I am today."

"We have to assume they're not back." Aaron said. "He would have come for dad, you know that. Your…"

"Demon."

"Yes. It would have come for Dean. This is something else and we'll figure it out, but not alone. We need help."

"Gee." Jeremy said before he stood up. "Wonder where we could get some of that from."

Dean was sitting up in bed and Sam was sobbing with his head in his lap. For all the good they did, all the lives they saved and bettered, it just wasn't fair for them to have to go through anything. Parking tickets seemed a little much and still the world kept on testing them. The amazing thing was that they kept on getting up and staying strong. They were going to do that again, but Aaron really thought they should get a nice long break from coping.

"Jeremy…"

"Sam, it's okay. I'm fine."

"I didn't…I didn't mean to…I'm sorry."

"I'm fine." Jeremy smiled. "You're fine too."

"Anyone want to tell me why I can see the living room through the closet?" Dean asked. "Did Ollie do that so he could sneak in here while we're sleeping?"

"Is dad okay?"

"He's fine." Aaron lied. "Few bumps and bruises."

"I need to see the kids." Dean said. "Um…for like the rest of my life twenty-four hours a day."

"What happened there?" Sam asked. "It was Joe, right?"

"Yeah, Sammy. It's not important right now."

"I'd say it is, Dean." James said. "You need to tell us what you know."

"Um…well, first of all he said to let Sam kill him and uh…I know him."

"Who is he?" Sam asked. "What's his real name?"

"Not like that, Sammy. I saw his eyes right before we left. I know him. I've seen him before."

"Perfect." Sam nodded. "Scary ass dream world and people showing up we know but can't remember."

"I didn't do anything."

"Jeremy…I know that. I know you'd never do anything, but this isn't the first time we've dealt with this. I'd never think you were responsible."

"See." Aaron said. "Jeremy's demon did do this often and I don't think I have to mention who he learned it from."

"Neat." Dean nodded. "So it's like a take your worst pick clusterfuck."

"We'll deal." Sam said before he stood up. "Dean, let's go check on the kids."

"Jensen told them it was an earthquake, Mikey's very excited."

"And the babies?"

"With Jason. They're going to stay in their rooms for a while until things are cleaned up. Anthony got hurt."

"Hurt?" Sam asked. "What do you mean?"

"The light fixture over the island fell. He's okay, he's tough."

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Okay, um let's handle the kids and the mess and then mom can take over cooking for a while. You two need to get dressed."

"Are we going somewhere?" Jeremy asked. "Last minute shopping?"

"No. The four of us are paying a visit to your old friend. She's going to tell us everything she knows about Joe and then we're coming back here to have a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner."

"Sammy, um…we have no weapons. I think we're going to need to wait until we get home."

"He's right Sam." Aaron said. "He won't try anything again so soon."

"No, we need to go now."

"No weapons." Jeremy laughed. "Steak knife ain't gonna cut it."

"We don't need any weapons."

Sam leveled his hand at the closet and Aaron watched in utter astonishment as he pulled the wood back together. He wasn't even breaking a sweat and it didn't seem like he was going to anytime soon. Aaron or Jeremy could have possibly accomplished the same thing but it would have taken a very long time and more energy than they had. Sam mended it all in just about fifteen seconds before he sighed and brushed some stray splinters off Aaron's shoulder.

"Questions?" Sam smiled. "Comments?"

"I guess not…" Jeremy whispered. "Um, I'll go help Anthony and then get dressed."

"Thank you."

"I'll clean up…" Aaron said before he paused. "In a more conventional manner."

"Again, thank you."

"And I'll do my job as mannie." James nodded. "And stay here while you four are gone."

"Sounds like a plan."

Everyone went out of the room with their orders but Sam stayed behind with Dean. He could have had thousands of things to do and nothing was making him leave his side. Sam had scared himself a little and he knew that Aaron was scared of him, but he just couldn't deal with the idea of Dean being gone. It was like the whole world had ended and though Sam wasn't proud of himself he did like the way he felt.

"Not how you planned the day to go, huh?"

"Well." Sam shrugged. "I believe right about now you said you'd be sucking my cock to get it hard."

"Yeah…yeah, I guess I did say that."

"Maybe later tonight." Sam said. "We can get in bed and…"

"Yeah, maybe."

Sam was trying to put his arms around Dean's waist but he pulled away very quickly and awkwardly. There was normally nothing awkward about him, but the act of pulling away from a hug and a kiss was foreign and his body looked strange doing it. Dean looked strange as well because at the mention of sex Sam was almost positive he looked a little nauseous.

"Dean?"

"I need to get dressed if we're going to do this. I need to go see the kids."

"What happened to you?"

"Nothing, um…he just said to let you kill him. It's out of his control and he can't stop them."

"Who?"

"Dunno."

"Did anything else happen? Why were you in a hospital?"

"I don't uh…I dunno."

"Where was I?"

"School I think." Dean shrugged. "I really want to see the kids, Sammy."

"Okay, sorry."

"It's okay. We'll talk later."

Dean slipped into a pair of jeans in record time and left the bedroom holding onto his shoes. Sam stayed right where he was and wondered why Dean was lying and why he hadn't given him even a little kiss before he left.

bitchandjerk @ 2009-10-14T17:17:00

2009-10-14T22:17:27Z

Next story starts the offical countdown to 3mil and it's gonna be a bumppppppppy ride.

Title: When Daddy Ain't Happy.
Author: 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.

A Mikey Special Event.

2009-10-07T19:57:26Z

Aaah. I've been talking about writing this story since at least pre 1 mil. I didn't know how to go about it and I still don't think it's written the way I imagined it, but it's still pretty good without being a total departure from the actual story.

I think maybe Jensen has the best bit on this one, execept of course for Sam, but he didn't make me giggle nearly as much

You can click the links as you go or save them until the end, either way it's gonna be fun!

Title: Home School Musical.
Author: bitchandjerk
Characters: Sam/Dean,John/Mary/OFC OMCs OFCs Jared/Jensen
Rating :R
Words10,300/2,921,300
Warnings: Wincest,
Summary: Something strange is going on in South Carolina and Sam's determined to get to the bottom of it.
Notes::AU, rest are here.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.
Feedback: Makes me hard

It was commonly accepted that Evan was the sweetest out of all the kids. Sam hadn't always thought so and Dean most certainly hadn’t, but Evan got sweeter and sweeter as he aged sort of like a cantaloupe according to James who said he was the undisputed expert on fruits. Saying that Evan was the sweetest didn’t mean the rest of the kids didn't have their moments, but he stayed sweet all the time regardless of the situation. Even when he was ragging on Jensen for being a butthead he was still just precious and Sam was sure he'd always stay that way.

Unfortunately on Monday morning Evan decided that he was sick and tired of being sweet. He was standing on his helper stool squeezing the life out of some tomatoes and he finally had enough. He dropped the wad of tomato into the bowl, threw his hands into the air, and quite loudly proclaimed that Aaron and all other Italians by association were nothing more than total cocks which Sam agreed with in part. He didn't know enough Italians to call them all cocks, and he also didn't have the heart to tell Evan that Aaron wasn't Italian at all. He was at best a transplanted surfer boy who just ended up in Italy.

Even if Sam had told Evan all that it wouldn't have changed his opinion. Sam was okay with that and he didn't say a thing about not nice words because sometimes it was appropriate. If John played favorites he was a cock, if Dean complained about what they were eating he was a cock, and if Jeremy went all evil he was a cock and also a devil. Aaron however was normally pretty well behaved but if he requested an elaborate meal and then proceeded to give helpful hint and tips he was most assuredly a cock. He wasn't even giving the hints in person, he had spent the weekend telling Sam everything he already knew over the phone.

Those phone calls really fucked up Sam and Evan's plan for project Bolognaise because they were just going to used canned tomatoes. It was November and the tomatoes weren't looking so great at the store. The ones in the cans were put there during their peak season and Sam always thought they were delicious especially if they cooked all freakin' day. He mentioned that to Aaron who went into a ten minute speech about how it wouldn't be authentic if it came from a can. He said some other stuff too after that but Sam mostly just heard cock noises through his phone.

Aaron also requested homemade pasta which Sam absolutely refused to do. He didn't care how much he loved Aaron, he wasn't even making fresh pasta for Dean who regularly kissed him right on the button, usually for a really long time. Aaron agreed that fresh pasta wasn't necessary a little too quickly and as soon as Sam hung up Jeremy ran into the kitchen and started yelling at him. Aaron had tried the whole get a devil to beg in person for you trick but Sam wasn't falling for that and neither was Evan who told Jeremy to leave them alone or no one was going to eat ever again.

Jeremy tried even harder to sway Sam but it just wasn't happening and once he was gone Evan called him a total douche. Sam agreed with that as well though he didn't say anything. He just wiped off his hands and turned to stare at Evan who was taking all of his frustrations out on the tomatoes. Saying someone was a cock was one thing, but then hearing him say Jeremy was a douche struck Sam as a little odd. Neither of them were very nice names to call people and he wanted to find out where Evan had heard such words.

Apparently he knew that Aaron was a cock because Jeremy had mentioned it to Dean several times. He also knew Jeremy was a douche because Dean had told Justin at least twice that Evan had heard. He seemed to get what cock meant but when Sam asked what a douche was he just shrugged and went back to squeezing the tomatoes. Sam was so sure Evan was being bad but he was just repeating what he heard and he couldn't even yell at Dean or Jeremy for not watching their language. They were probably having a private conversation and Evan was so polite that he'd never want to interrupt them. Sam had caught him several times just sort of standing around and waiting for an appropriate time to interject. If Ethan had done the same thing it would be eavesdropping but Evan was just being considerate and waiting his turn to talk to Dean and because he was small and quiet no one had noticed him and held their tongue.

Since there was some miscommunication Sam felt like it was his job as a daddy to make sure Evan knew it wasn't nice to call someone a douche. If he felt the need to express himself he was to call Jeremy a devil and Sam also recommended not calling Aaron a cock even if it was particularly apt. Evan's foray into being a bad boy was awfully short lived and Sam was very thankful for that. He was also a little proud particularly when Evan said he just might make Aaron and Jeremy special cards that he would then force Dean to sign under penalty of withholding kisses.

Even after he got the name calling out of his system, Evan was still a little peeved and Sam really couldn't figure it out. Spotty was chilling out on the rug next to the sink so Evan wasn't missing him and Ethan was outside "screaming at stuff" which was an activity only he really enjoyed. The recipe was complicated and time intensive but it really wasn't that bad, at least not bad enough to annoy Evan who was incredibly patient thanks to having Ethan and Ollie as little brothers.

Sam was considering asking what was going on but then a little light bulb went off. He had been complaining about the bolognaise for a solid week or even longer since it wasn't the first time Aaron asked for it. Sam was mostly joking, but Evan must have thought he was completely serious and if something bothered his daddy it bothered him. After Sam figured that out he made a conscious effort to not complain and Evan picked up on it right away by saying that all the peeling, cutting, shredding, and stirring wasn't really that bad, but they did earn a break.

That was actually an excellent idea because Sam had finished cooking breakfast and started cooking with Evan right away. He had been on his feet for a while and before they did anything else he wanted to rest for a second and maybe go check on the kids who were all outside playing. Before he could do that Sam wanted to clean up some. He liked to clean up as he went to save him the hassle of a big clean up when he was done. It always went pretty quick and Evan was a great help with the actual cleaning and his humming.

"Baby, what's that song? It sounds familiar."

"Lady Gaga."

"Lady Gaga." Sam said. "Where did you hear that?"

"Craig." Evan smiled. "We dance to it, but I like to sing too."

"Oh, well…"

Evan jumped off his stool and tossed his towel onto the counter so quickly Sam didn't realize what was going on. He actually backed up some and it was a good thing he did because Evan needed a lot of space to do his very elaborate dance moves which were damn impressive. Sam was even thinking about breaking out the iPod so he'd have some music to dance to.

"I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me! Papa, Papa Sammy!"

"Oh!" Sam clapped. "Yes!"

"Baby there's no other superstar you know that I'll be your papa-paparazzi!"

"Yes!"

"Promise I'll be kind, but I won't stop until that boy is mine! Baby you'll be famous, chase you down until you love me, Papa, Papa Sammy!"

"That was fantastic!" Sam laughed. "Very nicely done, Evan!"

"Thanks, daddy! I like singing, but sometimes I worry it might conflict with my dancing." Evan said and then paused. "But I guess you can write books and still be a highly paid wiener model."

"That's um…that's true…who said I was a wiener model?"

"Uh…" Evan whispered before playing with his hands. "I think I heard that when we were in France…someone on the internet, maybe...wienermodels.com/daddy."

"Did daddy say that?"

"Maybe…don't hit him daddy, he's so short!"

"Don't you worry, baby. I won't hit him even once!"

"Wow!"

"Let's go see what the husbands are up to."

"That's a great idea, daddy. Let's hold hands."

"That’s an even better idea!"

Sam took Evan's hand and then decided that skipping was in order. The little bit of dancing and singing had put him in a pretty good mood and he wanted to enjoy it before getting back to work in the kitchen. It was really nice out and just cool enough to be comfortable so Sam was thinking he might take an extended break since dinner was still hours away and he had worked pretty hard with Evan.

Everyone was off in the distance and they seemed to be very involved in something. Sam wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but Ollie was front and center and everyone else was behind him moving together. Ethan was most definitely dancing, but Mikey and Charlie looked like they were maybe having sneezing fits because they weren't nearly as coordinated. Evan didn't approve of anyone dancing without him so he picked up the pace while never letting go of Sam's hand.

"Dean." Sam said as they got closer. "What's going on with…"

"Shh!"

"A wanna take a wide on a disco stick!"

"Ollie!" Sam yelled. "Where did you hear that!"

"Hol' me an love me, jus' wanna touch ya wit a minute! Maybe in a butt is enuff for a heart to quit it!" Ollie sang. "Les have some fun a beat is sick, a wanna take a wide on a disco stick!"

"Ollie!"

"Wha?"

"Don't…um…don't sing that."

"You are so jealous." Dean whispered. "No one sings you songs because you're awkwardly proportioned."

"Dean." Sam sighed. "Shut up. For your information Evan just sang me a song."

"Was it Gaga?"

"Actually it was."

"That's weird…you don't strike me as someone worth busting out into song over."

"Well…"

"Every night is disco night!" Dean sang. "With you I'm living every moment for you, seeing things in a different way and oh, my God…"

Sam covered Dean's mouth with his hand and then squinted just as hard as he could. Evan had sung and then Ollie and Dean followed which wasn't so weird, but Sam felt a little something strange and then he saw something so terrifying he was sure he'd never sleep again. John was way off in the distance taking the babies for a stroll and he had paused to entertain them with singing and dancing. Sam had seen a lot of fucked up shit in his life, but watching John leap through the air was just about the worst.

"Something weird is going on!"

"Is dad singing?" Dean asked after pulling down Sam's hand. "What a queer for brains."

"Daddy, be nice." Evan said. "He's expressing himself."

"Why is everyone singing!" Sam yelled. "Jeremy!"

"Oh…this is so something he would do." Dean whispered. "On account of him being a devil."

"Jeremy!"

"Daddy stop yelling." Ethan sighed. "That's completely unnecessary."

"There's something really weird going on and…"

"Your butt is mine, gonna tell you right just to show your face in broad daylight!"

"Oh, God."

"I'm bad, I'm bad, you know it!"

Ethan spun in the grass, grabbed his crotch and then moon walked right past Sam. Evan had to get in on that and Sam let him go even though he really didn't want to. He sort of felt like he needed to keep the kids close since clearly there was some kind of musical demon lurking in the woods. That was bad enough but even worse was that they'd probably have to get Anthony to stop him. Sam was just about to suggest it, but Dean broke into a very disturbing rendition of "Hangin' Tough" with Ollie. There was even a lot of choreography which was pretty scary since Dean wasn't much of a dancer normally.

Sam had to scream Jeremy's name three more times before he decided to grace them with his presence. He walked out of his guesthouse and Sam totally had to do a double take. Aaron was going to be arriving in just a few hours and Jeremy was more than ready for their reunion. His hair was blindingly shiny and straight and he was more dressed up than normal. He was wearing a pair of jeans that were obviously a size too small in all the right ways with a tight little black shirt which Sam was sure he stole from Dean. He looked pretty scrumptious but it didn't excuse turning their lives into a musical for shits and giggles.

"I'm gorgeous!" Jeremy smiled. "I'm the best looking Winchester on record and…is dad dancing?"

"Yes!"

"That's cute. Justin must have blown him."

"Everyone is singing and dancing!" Sam yelled. "What'd you do now, devil?"

"I didn't do anything!"

"I'm so sure." Sam hissed. "You're behind this and…"

"I want a freak in the mornin' a freak in the evenin' just like me! I need roughneck brother than can satisfy me, just for me!"

"You gotta be fuckin' kidding me…"

"I got a freaky secret!" Jeremy sang. "Everybody sing cuz' we don't give a damn about a thing!"

"Done!" Sam yelled. "I'm so over this."

"I will be a freak until the day until the dawnnnn!"

If Jeremy hadn't looked so cute Sam would have pushed him down into the grass and then kicked him. If he was joining in the sing along there was a good chance he was telling the truth for once in his life and he wasn't responsible. Someone was though and Sam was going to need big help to get over a big problem. John and Dean were useless and Mikey looked like he was planning a really big number so Sam went looking for James and found him in the workshop being completely quiet while he sanded down a piece of wood. He wasn't singing or dancing which Sam took as a good sign.

"Dude."

"Sam."

"Dude!"

"What?" James asked. "What's wrong?"

"Everyone's singing and being weird! Dad's dancing! Ollie was singing Lady Gaga and Jeremy says he didn't do anything even though he's quite clearly a devil!"

"Sounds like a party."

"No, it's terrible! It's freaking me out." Sam frowned. "I just…what are you…"

"I hopped off the plane at LAX with a dream and my cardigan!"

"Gabe! Get your ass down here!"

"I put my hands up, they're playing my song, you know it's gonna be okay! Yeah, it's a party in the USA! Yeah-eee-aaaah yeah, I settled the USA!"

"Stop it!"

"Noddin' my head like yeah, movin' my hips like yeah!"

Sam grabbed James by his shoulder and shook his as hard as he could. That stopped the singing but he was still noddin' and movin'. He didn't stop until Sam slapped the shit out of him and knocked him into the wall. He gasped when that happened and then frowned before going back to his piece of wood. Sam was pretty sure the backwards gay slap should have fixed everything but James was still humming and obviously waiting to continue his song in private.

Not only was the song and dance routine just plain weird but Sam was really worried there was something sinister behind it. He didn't want to be a negative Nancy but he really couldn't help it. Maybe if John hadn’t been dancing Sam could have pretended it wasn't much of a big deal but it so obviously was. The only thing Sam actually had going for him was that he seemed to be immune. That was a good thing because he sang Milo and Mary to sleep and that was it. Sometimes he sang to Dean too but it wasn't anything he was going to win awards over.

Before he could figure out what was really going on Sam thought it best to see if everyone was affected and unfortunately they all seemed to be. Jenny was on her phone and it sort of looked like she was having a meaningful long distance duet with Tony who would be in South Carolina by the end of the day. Alex was belting out Celine Dion with Michael and Ryan singing backup. It was getting scarier by the moment and Sam just prayed that someone would have a normal conversation with him without any singing.

"Sam!"

"Hi Jensen." Sam sighed. "You're looking totes fuckable today."

"Have you noticed everyone's singing?" Jensen asked. "I tried to wake Jared up but he yelled at me, but it was angry melodic yelling!"

"You'll start singing in a minute and then I'll be all alone and the only one not crazy. Then you'll probably cocktease me some more and never actually let me rim you."

"Maybe we should research!"

"I'm waiting."

"Sam, I think I'll be able to control myself and not sing." Jensen laughed. "Really."

"Really? I think there might be a musical demon in the woods. We should go kill it with our freaky powers. You down with that?"

"Yes, that's a plan! Nothing phony don't hate on me, what you get is what you see."

"Oh Jesus." Sam sighed. "I got my hopes up."

"Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got!" Jensen sang. "I'm still, I'm still Jenny from the block! Used to have a little now I got a lot!"

Sam actually had to sit down in the grass and wait out the rather long version of Jenny From The Block which of course wouldn't be complete without elaborate dance moves. It was a shame Ethan and Evan weren't around because they probably wouldn't have busted Jensen's balls anymore about the dancing. He wasn't half bad but Sam knew once the demon mojo wore off that he'd go right back to being another awkward white guy who was not from The Bronx.

When he was done dancing Jensen cleared his throat, looked over his shoulder, and then hightailed it back to his guest house. That was the smart thing to do since he'd be alone in there with Jared and no one else would see him dance or sing. Everyone else was still going at it so Sam decided to scream Gabe's name one last time in an attempt to figure out what the hell was going on. He was normally pretty punctual and when he didn't show up Sam got nervous. He was even more nervous when a woman walked into his line of sight with a very pleasant smile on her face.

"What the…" Sam said as he scurried to his feet. "Who the hell are you?"

"Gabriel is currently occupied."

"You're an angel?"

"Yes."

"Right." Sam whispered. "Um, I was sort of under the impression he was always around like one of those helper monkeys."

"He is, but something more urgent came up."

"More…more urgent than us?"

"Yes, sir. Some meetings are very difficult to get."

"What does that…oh…Oh!"

"Yes."

Suddenly all the singing and dancing didn't seem that important. Just a few days ago Gabe had said that talking to God wasn't something that happened very often. Clearly he was currently in a meeting with the big guy which excited and terrified Sam at the same time. He was really hoping Gabe might come back with some info about Joe, but at the same time he was hoping he didn't come back at all and that he got to be with his son.

"May I ask you a question?"

"Of course, sir."

"Sam."

"Sir." The woman said. "If I am at liberty to answer I will."

"Good." Sam smiled. "Why do you need the body Gabe's in?"

"Because of his abilities of course."

"Angel power?" Sam asked. "Doesn't that get installed like internet service?"

"No, sir. He's a rather powerful psychic. I'd say one of the most powerful we've ever seen present company excluded."

"You're using him."

"Personally? No. We're all in service of a higher power Mr. Winchester and we all came willingly."

"I need you to do me a favor."

"Anything, sir."

"Go tell you friends that they need to put the word out. You're going to let him go or I'm going to get a little upset."

"I'll let them know."

"Thank you." Sam said. "Now, any idea why everyone's singing?"

"That's a question for your son."

"My…" Sam said before she disappeared. "Come on there's like twelve of them!"

Sam was still weirded out by the singing thing but little Ms. Angel had just slipped up which he loved. It seemed like Sam wasn't meant to know about Gabe's human life and she had just told him everything he wanted to know. Obviously they really did need his body and with another little piece Sam was just a bit closer to solving a puzzle. He was really hoping all the angels watching were buzzing with his news because Sam was absolutely determined to get Gabe back to his son.

He was also determined to figure out the whole singing thing and he was pretty sure Mikey was maybe responsible. When Sam asked he said he absolutely was not, but he was watching Ollie pretty closely who was being romantically serenaded by Dean.

By the time Aaron arrived the singing and dancing had sort of tapered off which upset Dean a little since it was pretty much awesome. He loved singing and it made the kids so happy. He didn't get what Sam's problem was but Dean assumed most of it was just residual spaghetti rage. Everyone had sung a song but Sam just wouldn't do it and it seemed like Ollie was really pushing hard to make it happen.

When the singing started Dean sort of thought Ollie was behind it but he couldn't figure out how on Earth he was doing it. He got the whole special hug to make a happy thing, but Ollie hadn't hugged on anyone. The singing just sort of started out of nowhere which in turn made everyone happy. It was a special little gift Ollie had and unlike a certain Mr. FussyBritches Dean really enjoyed the singing and the dancing. It was a nice way to waste some time for everyone especially Jeremy who was teetering on the edge of completely ballistic.

He had been waiting for a week to see Aaron again and he was anything but patient. He had fits of all consuming depression followed by psychotic episodes and a hell of a lot of gay dramatics. It was actually a little cute but at the same time Dean was dreading what kind of state he would be in if he ever had to go a week without seeing Sam. That was one of the worst kinds of torture he could imagine and the only thing worse would be not seeing the kids. Luckily it wasn't something Dean was ever going to deal with because they both worked for themselves and could come and go when they pleased which Aaron unfortunately couldn't do.

John had gone to pick him up because Jeremy was too nervous to drive. At first Dean thought he was just joking but he really was nervous, so much so that he was shaking. He could have gone along for the ride but Sam thought and Dean agreed it'd be best if he stayed behind and calmed down. It was actually sort of cute to see him so flustered but nowhere near as cute as he was when Aaron was actually in the house.

He walked in alone with his bag since John was smart enough to stay outside. He was doing a lot better with their relationship, but he still wasn't comfortable enough to watch them kiss, which Dean and Sam were more than okay with. It happened really quickly and Aaron barely had time to drop his bag before Jeremy was on him. If Dean had to go a week without Sam he would have wanted some sloppy teenager style making out, but Aaron and Jeremy were surprisingly reserved at least at first.

"You look so handsome." Aaron said. "I like your shirt."

"You look nice too."

"Wow." Sam whispered. "Conceited…"

"Sammy, what do you think about Jared?"

"Jared? He's the second most beautiful man in the world."

"And we're conceited." Jeremy said as he rolled his eyes. "I missed you."

"I know you did. I'm here now."

"We're here too." Dean said. "Right here on the other side of the kitchen and…okay, go back to making out, we'll wait."

"Wow, look at 'em go."

Jeremy and Aaron were both motioning with their hands to clear out, but they were in Sam's kitchen and Dean wasn't going anywhere. He was going to stand there and watch his two little brothers make out with each other until they were done or he shot his wad, whatever came first.

"Come on, sing!"

"Dean." Sam sighed. "Don't encourage that sort of behavior."

"Hmm?" Aaron asked once he came up for air. "Sam, it smells wonderful in here. I really appreciate you cooking for me."

"It's my pleasure."

"It'll be a while until dinner." Jeremy shrugged. "You can see the kids and then we'll put your bag away."

"Yeah." Dean scoffed. "Sure."

"Yes, we should do that and then put my bag away."

"I don't guess he's going to sing."

"Thank God." Sam said. "I'm still trying to…"

"I'll take you to the candy shop. Boy, one taste of what I got. I'll have you spending all you got, keep going til' you hit that spot."

"Oh, sweet Jesus." Dean whispered. "Everything else that happens in my life is awesome from this point on."

Aaron was doing some very sexy whisper singing while nibbling on Jeremy's earlobe. Dean had been so sure that Sam was being a buzzkill but once he saw Aaron singing and doing a little bit of dancing he got why he was so freaked out. It was still cute and Dean was still very happy about it but it was weird and he could see why Sam was so worried.

"I'll let you lick the lollipop, keep going….ah!" Aaron yelled. "What on Earth is going on!"

"Ollie sort of worked his mojo on everyone." Jeremy laughed. "Oh, and you were right about Gabe!"

"Shut up! He admitted he's in love with Sam and I missed it?"

"What!"

"Wait." Dean said before pausing to yell. "What!"

"No, not that, he's a psychic."

"Oh, I knew that." Aaron said. "So Ollie's working the mojo and making everyone sing?"

"It's awesome."

"What!" Dean yelled again. "Gabe isn't a homo and Sam is so mine. I own him, me and Evan, right down the middle!"

"He's got the papers and everything."

"Start talking! Did he mention being in love with Sam at your crusaders for Christ meeting?"

"No." Aaron said. "But it's painfully obvious."

Apparently to Aaron it was painfully obvious but he couldn't remember a single instance where Gabe was anything but all business. Dean was sure that Gabe probably was in love with Sam in some fashion because everyone was but he wasn't about to bend over the kitchen table and take it like a man. That image was a little interesting to Dean though and Sam was obviously thinking about it as well which was just nasty and maybe totally appropriate.

"You knew Gabe was psychic?" Sam asked. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I know plenty, Sam. It's none of my business. I wouldn't tell other people about you or the children. I didn't really see why it mattered."

"Why is that?" Dean asked. "He's a psychic, it's not like there's a lot of them."

"Well, yes." Aaron smiled. "The human is, but he's got all that angel power which must eclipse any of his ves…"

"Ahem!" Jeremy said quite loudly. "Sorry."

"Eclipse any of the powers the body he's in may have."

"What were you going on say?"

"It doesn't matter." Sam said. "We get what you mean, the body he's in...his host, if you will."

Dean narrowed his eyes and tried to figure out what was going on and why everyone looked so strange. Aaron had almost said something else and Jeremy stopping him was clearly for Sam's benefit. Sam looked incredibly nervous which meant, as it always did, that freaky dream world was edging in on real life again. Sam got weird about that stuff sometimes and Dean knew not to ask because if he needed to know someone would have told him.

"How did you find out?"

"Another angel came down earlier because he's in a meeting with God."

"Wha…what?"

"Yeah, he's in a meeting with God. Sorta neat. I hope he's not in any trouble, I guess it could go either way."

"You okay?" Jeremy asked. "They probably talk to God pretty often."

"I suppose they do." Aaron smiled. "That's very interesting."

"You'd really like that, wouldn't you?" Dean asked. "To have a face to face with the big guy."

"I think I would." Aaron nodded. "And it actually reminds me of an idea I had to find out about this Joe person."

"It can wait." Sam said. "Let's go check on the kids, they want to see you."

"Re…really?"

"Mmhmm."

Aaron seemed a little surprised by Sam not wanting to do anything about Joe or even talk about it but Dean wasn't at all. It was Monday and Thanksgiving was on Thursday. Sam was going to have his perfect family holiday no matter what it took and Joe wasn't going to get in the way of that. Dean got that Sam wanted it to be nice for everyone but he had a sneaking suspicion that there was something else behind the holiday frenzy.

When they got outside Dean expected the kids to all run over because they had been missing Aaron and normally they probably would have but that was before Ollie put the whammy on everyone. The kids and everyone else was gathered around watching a truly one of a kind performance. The singing stuff had gone from cute and fun to awkward with Aaron and then downright terrifying with Jared who could neither sing nor dance even if he was trying really hard to do both.

"Kill me." Sam sighed. "Or at least shove pencils in my ears and burn out my daddy colored eyes."

"What is he doing?"

"He's murdering one of the best songs ever written." Mikey frowned. "A classic, if you will."

"I know there ain't nobody perfect, I give props to those who deserve it and believe me ya'll he's worth it!"

"He so is." Michael whispered. "Trust me, I know."

"So here's to the future cuz we got through the past!" Jared sang. "I finally found somebody who could make me laugh!"

"Aw." Jensen blushed. "Jar-jar!"

"You so crazy! I think I wanna have yo baby!"

"Aw! You are so romantic when you wanna be!"

When Jared ran over to get his smoochies Dean had to hold him back. All the kids were standing right there and Jared was so rarely able to behave appropriately or kiss his number one girl without playing with his butt. Whenever they kissed it was like Jared was trying to eat Jensen's face which was sort of hot but it always made Dean hungry for delicious sandwiches.

"Well, look who it is!" Ollie said once he noticed Aaron. "A guess a have time to see The Beans aftah a spend so much time makin' out wit a Jesus!"

"Ah." Aaron said after looking at his watch. "I've made it five minutes before hearing my first bit of blasphemy. A new record. Hey guys!"

"I bet Jesus is a top."

"Ethan!" Sam whispered. "I don't think that…"

"Clearly he is." Mikey added. "I heard that Aaron is what's refer to an as uberbottom, even worse than grandpa."

"Someone's more of a bottom than me?" John smiled. "Awesome!"

"Aaron we spent all day cooking dinner for you." Evan said. "And tomorrow you're going to give Spotty his bath and wash daddy's car."

"Will you assist me?"

"I guess I'll have to."

"Then I'll be more than happy to."

"Come and do a play!"

"He will in a second." Jeremy said before squatting down. "We need to put his bag up and I need to talk to him about important big boy stuff."

"A lies."

"What?"

"Ya lies." Ollie said. "A do a butt, The Beans can tell!"

"How?" Dean asked. "How do you know that?"

"Daddy." Ollie sighed. "A know a thing or two about a bad boy brothas."

"Me!" Jeremy yelled. "I'm the good one!"

"Pft." Charlie scoffed. "Devil."

"Hey!"

"I done told you once you son of a gun!" Charlie sang. "I'm the best that's ever been!"

Jared had nearly ruined the sing-along fun with his disturbing version of a love song, but Charlie made Dean forget all about it. He was hopping back and forth playing an imaginary fiddle and Jeremy was turning redder and redder. The rest of the kids didn't get it, but Dean did and he laughed so hard he thought he might pee a little. Sam was even giggling some but he still wasn't singing. Dean just wanted one little line, he didn't have to perform an epic ballad but Sam just wouldn't give into the good time fun.

"You are awesome." Dean whispered. "You're like…you're just awesome."

"Right?" Charlie grinned. "It's true."

"About as awesome as a two by four upside the head…"

"What was that, Jeremy?" Justin asked. "What'd you say about my boy?"

"I said that was a touching duet of Cat's In The Cradle you two did earlier."

"How appropriate was that?" Charlie asked. "Again with the awesome."

"Agreed." Dean smiled. "Sammy, I'm going to help Aaron with his bag and see if Jason needs help with the relocation."

"Alright, Evan and I are going to resume cooking, right, baby?"

"You know it!"

Since it had been a week Aaron and Jeremy needed some privacy. Jason had been staying with Jeremy but he was moving on out to a guest house of his own. Michael wasn't on board with that and didn't want him alone at all. He had actually convinced Jared and Jensen to let him stay in their house but Jason was ready to do something on his own. He didn't want to be watched over twenty-four seven and Dean was thinking he'd probably enjoy the privacy a little. It if was too hard on him all he had to do was tell someone and they'd figure something else out.

Dean wanted to help Jason move his stuff if he needed it but he was more interested in hearing Aaron's solution to the Joe problem. Jason wasn't even in the house when they got there and his bedroom was all neatly picked up. He had already moved out on his own and Dean figured he was probably getting set up in another house with a little help from Michael and Alex. That worked out well because it meant Dean could talk to Aaron and not worry about anyone overhearing him.

"Get out of here you weirdo." Jeremy said. "We're gonna do it."

"Is that what you want?" Aaron asked. "You don't want to talk for a while and be non-sexually tender?"

"Gross, I already have two brothers that don't put out. I wanna eat that open and then do a tappy tap."

"Lovely." Aaron smiled. "You're very romantic."

"You're one to talk, Fiddy. What's your Joe plan?"

"Oh! Yes, we know someone who could find where he went."

"We do?" Jeremy asked. "Who are…oh, no…no, no, no."

"Ugh." Dean groaned. "Is this some kind of devil thing?"

"In every sense of the word." Jeremy said as he shook his head. "Not an option."

"I think that's for them to decide."

"I so don't want to have sex anymore."

Dean was intrigued and a little worried as well. Aaron really was the good one and he never suggested anything that could even be considered remotely bad. If Jeremy, who was a total badass, wasn't in board that had to mean that Aaron was about to say something truly horrific. Sam probably knew that on some level which explained why he was so quick to change the subject in the kitchen.

"When we were children we had a…nanny."

"Oh, don't make it sound like we had a James." Jeremy said before collapsing on the bed. "And she wasn't our nanny."

"There's a demon nanny?" Dean asked. "Seriously?"

"No, that's not her job, she was an…associate of our mother. When she went on business someone had to keep an eye on us because we were…rambunctious."

"The demons?"

"Yes." Aaron nodded. "Anyway, we can go to her and ask for help."

"Awesome, if you think you can handle that."

"We'd need Sam's help. She's sort of somewhere else."

"What the hell does that mean?" Dean asked. "You need a plane ticket?"

"The angels that are watching you." Jeremy said. "You can't see them because they're not really here. They're on a different plane. When Gabe disappears he just steps back to where he came from."

"And this demon nanny is with them?"

"No." Aaron laughed. "The angels are, let's say, north of here…she's a bit further…south. Does that make sense?"

"Not a lick." Dean said. "She's not a demon, is she?"

"No, she's a Crone."

"A witch?"

"Ha!" Jeremy laughed. "That's like calling Darth Vader a storm trooper. Little problem big brother. We'd need Sam to get there and as soon as she sees him she's going to try to kill him."

"What!" Dean yelled. "Why?"

"He sort of stabbed our mom in the skull."

"That doesn't matter." Aaron smiled. "She'll help us or else."

"Or else what?"

"Sam will kill her."

"Look at you all dressed up in my clothes." Jeremy said. "They look terrible on you."

"I'm not saying it's the most noble thing to do, but she can help and I feel like it's better to take care of this before it gets worse."

Dean really liked to think of Aaron in a certain way and hearing him say Sam could just gank a bitch left him feeling very nervous and a little scared. He was scared that Aaron had suggested something Jeremy didn't approve of but even more scared of Sam not having a problem with it. Everything about Joe and the angels was really way too scary for Dean but Aaron had a point and things were most likely going to get worse before they got better. Dean felt a little better that they had some sort of workable plan but it was still going to have to wait until after Thanksgiving.

"I'll uh…" Dean said before clearing his throat. "Let you guys unpack."

"I'm not much in the mood for unpacking anymore."

"Then maybe you two can talk."

"I think that's a good idea." Aaron said. "I missed you, Dean."

"I missed you too." Dean smiled. "Oh! Did Bobby say whether or not he was going to get off of work for Thanksgiving?"

"I'm not sure. He left on Thursday."

"Oh, we thought he was still at the house."

"No." Aaron said. "When I got back from work he was gone and had left a note in the barn for me. I assumed he told you he was leaving."

"Maybe Dave wanted him in the city. I'll call him later."

"Okay."

"You two talk!" Dean said. "Don't get all pissy and ignore each other. You gotta talk."

"We will Dean." Jeremy said. "Dinner's at six?"

"Always."

Dean got a hug from Aaron and then very quickly exited the guest house. When normal couples disagreed about something it was always a little awkward to be around them, but when Jeremy and Aaron got into it, it was like being struck by two lightening bolts simultaneously. They didn't just argue with their words, it was like a battle of the wills which just so happened to be perfectly matched. Dean had to get out of there and back to the good times outside in the backyard. He didn't mention anything to Sam about Aaron's plan, but that was only because it could wait.

John declared dinner Sam's best spaghetti and meat sauce yet which made Evan reach across the table and smack him. It saved Sam the trouble of doing it himself and he made a little mental note to give Evan double ice cream with dessert for taking care of business. John didn't get what the problem was and once again Evan handled it by making sure he knew they most certainly weren't eating spaghetti and meat sauce. That was easy and involved some ground meat and maybe a jar of sauce. Bolognaise with tagliatelle was something else entirely. It involved long slow cooking and the perfect blend of ingredients which apparently Sam had done correctly since Aaron was moaning and eating even louder than Dean.

All in all fixing the meal wasn't that big of a hassle and Sam loved spending the day with Evan in the kitchen. They weren't likely to make it everyday or even once a month but the next time Aaron asked Sam was just going to do it which Evan also agreed with since he got most of the compliments on the meal. Everyone thought that he made the best dinner ever and while Evan would never take full credit he did enjoy all the attention while making sure they all knew that Sam had helped some.

The topic at the table after everyone had talked about the food was their newest guest who had arrived just before dinner. Tony had rented a car since they were in short supply and he found the house just fine and then spent about ten minutes hyperventilating. He was a really nice guy and great for Jenny and Becca but Sam always had an overwhelming urge to slap the shit out of him. He was so nervous all the time and it was so bad that it made any interaction with him incredibly awkward. Jenny had warned them that it was going to be bad for the first night there but she promised he'd chill out some once he became more comfortable.

The main reason he was so uncomfortable was because of Dean who was without a doubt one of the nicest guys Tony had ever met. He was always very nice to him and he went out of his way to welcome Tony into the house and even the family. Dean could have gotten down on his knees and sucked his cock and Tony still probably would have thought he was seconds away from getting his ass kicked. He was actually scared of Dean which Sam thought was maybe a little cute since his handsome hubby was about as threatening as a fuzzy gray mouse, at least when it came to Tony.

Out of everyone Mikey seemed the most interested which Sam knew was because he didn't really get him. He had admitted to it several times and even sought advice from Sam, but there really wasn't much to get. Mikey understood Tony's role in Jenny life but he was a completely ordinary guy. There weren't a lot of those around and for some reason it confused Mikey but Sam knew where he was coming from. Jenny and Tony weren't married yet and a certain someone had told Mikey over and over again that marriage was the very best thing a person could do. The overwhelming nervousness was confusing Mikey too but Sam never attempted to explain that.

"Age ain't nothin' but a number." Michael sang. "Throwin' down ain't nothin' but a thang."

"Wow." Alex whispered. "I so need a cigarette."

"Wha!"

"Baby." Dean said. "Michael is singing a song about how it's okay to be in a cross generational relationship."

"Like you and gwampa?"

"Exactly."

"I'm sorry." Michael whispered. "I can't seem to control myself. I just really want to sing."

"I need more wine." Sam sighed. "Anyone else? Tony?"

"No, thank you."

"When a gonna sing, daddy!"

"I sang three times!" Sam laughed. "I sang enough I think."

"You were faking it."

"What?"

"You were faking it, daddy." Mikey said. "You need to just let loose and….I used to rule the world! Seas would rise when I gave the word!"

"Work it, make it, do it, makes us…"

"Dad! There will be none of that in my house or I will strike you down."

"You hate Kanye West, don't you?" Tony asked. "Like you really hate him. I read something about that on your wikipedia page."

"Shut up." Jenny whispered. "Aaron, I see you don't have on your priest costume. What a sensible choice."

"Well, no, I…"

"Why do you hate him?"

"Dude!" Jenny said. "I just told you to shut up."

"I never forgave him." Sam said wistfully. "For what he did to Taylor Swift."

"Here we go." Dean sighed. "Good job, Tony."

Normally Sam didn't preach at the dinner table but Tony had asked and it was important he know all the facts. It actually seemed to work out pretty well because he calmed down and was talking at a normal rate while Sam outlined all of the atrocities Kanye had committed directly against him and Taylor Swift. Dean rolled his eyes a couple of times but that was just fine because he was going to get smacked on the ass when they went to bed anyway.

Mikey was actually right and Sam had faked it earlier because he just didn't feel the urge to sing. Dean described it like having to tinkle and if he didn't sing he might make a sissy in his pants. Sam didn't feel that at all and even though Ollie glared and then hugged extra hard he just wasn't getting it. Initially Sam had been worried and annoyed by all the signing, but then Ollie really wanted him to and he couldn't. He had sung but it wasn't like everyone else. They were just bursting into glorious song and Sam couldn't get it up. It was probably just performance anxiety which wasn't helped any by the fact that Dean, Jensen, Michael, and Jeremy could sing like Whitney brought to life. No one was expecting Sam to give a earth shattering performance but that was sort of his whole deal and he didn't want to let anyone down.

There were plenty of people to let down too. Sam was feeding Milo who needed a little break after a few spoonfuls. When he refused his spoon and had a sip out of his little plastic cup, Sam went around the table and did a headcount. Everyone had officially arrived which meant that the grand total for his small intimate Thanksgiving came in at eighteen adults, five kids, and three babies. Realizing how many people it was made Sam feel even less like singing because sixteen adults wasn't intimate at all. They were all sprawled out down the long dining room table and Sam fought an incredible urge to tell them to get the hell out of his house.

He felt bad about it but cooking gigantic meals for the rest of the week and then a super gigantic meal on Thursday was going to be exhausting. He wasn't looking forward to that at all and unfortunately there was only so much Evan could help with. John was okay in the kitchen but he was pretty slow and clumsy and with so many kids around Dean mostly stayed outside keeping all of them in line. Michael might help some but he was on vacation from school and Sam wanted him to relax. Jason would totally lend a hand if Sam asked but he was spending a lot of time helping out Todd who loved having his own personal assistant.

"I'm sorry." Dean whispered. "Sammy, I'm…I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I heard that. I just wanted to have a good time with all my friends and I forgot that you'd be cooking for twenty plus people three times a day."

"Dean, it's okay."

"No, it's not. I shouldn't have…"

"Hey, it's okay. It's just one week and I'm sure everyone will pitch it to help."

"I can tell Jared and Jensen to go. You know they won't mind and maybe…um…hmm."

"No, we're not telling anyone to go. It's okay, we'll order out one night, pizza maybe."

Dean was scanning the massive crowd too but it wasn't going to do any good. They couldn't ask Jenny to leave because Becca was there for Mary. Justin couldn't leave because Craig was there for the twins and Mikey wouldn't want Charlie to go. Jared and Jensen were the two who could have gone but that wasn't fair to them and cooking for eighteen wasn't much different than cooking for sixteen. Sam was just venting to himself inside his head while forgetting that most of the time his thoughts weren't exactly private.

When dinner was over several people offered to do the dishes but Aaron had called dibs on that soon after he arrived. It was his special meal and he wanted to do the cleaning which was just fine with Sam. Dean usually helped too, but he cleared out of the kitchen a little too quickly after snapping his fingers at Jeremy who had been very quiet during the entire meal. Jensen tried to stay in the kitchen too, but Sam sent him outside with everyone else because he wanted to spend some time alone with Aaron. John was apparently thinking the same thing but Sam threw glances his way until he cleared out. Sam had no problem with John being there but sometimes talk between brothers got a little sexy and it was probably better he not be there since the topic at hand was going to be doing a naughty.

"Well." Sam said. "How was it?"

"The flight? It was lovely."

"The sex. He's been obsessed about you coming in since we got here."

"Oh, we didn't do that yet."

"Why?" Sam laughed. "God, if I was away from Dean for a week that's the first thing I'd want to do. I'd tear it up."

"He didn't want to."

"Say what?"

"Jeremy didn't want to." Aaron said as he cleared off the table. "He wasn't in the mood because I upset him. I can't really talk about it with you, Sam, it's an idea I had about Joe."

"Oh…you can tell me, I'm just not going to do anything until after Thanksgiving."

"We know someone who might be able to help. She'll most likely try to kill you, but you're stronger and if she doesn't help you could just kill her."

"Um…I don't really kill people as often as we all pretend I do."

"She's not a person, Sam. She's someone we can use to help us."

"Awesome." Sam nodded. "Hey, um, you don't by any chance know what happened to my brother, do you?"

"Sam."

"What the fuck, Aaron? We're using and killing people now? That's not you."

Aaron looked so ashamed of himself and he just wouldn't make eye contact with Sam. He kept his head down and resumed washing the dishes like he hadn't just said something really horrible. Sam didn't care if they were talking about killing someone or something. If it meant keeping himself and his family safe Sam was totally on board but he couldn't handle Aaron treating life and death so casually. Jeremy didn't even do that any more and Sam wasn't going to let Aaron do it either.

"Do you know something?"

"No."

"Aaron."

"No, Sam." Aaron said. "I don't know anything more than you do, but…"

"Oh." Sam whispered. "I get it."

"Get what?"

"We might have a problem with this guy, a big problem that you want to take care of so Jeremy doesn't have to, so he won't be expected to."

"You're stronger than he is. We need to handle this without involving him. He's doing really well, Sam, and I won't let him slip."

"I understand that."

"Now he's angry with me for suggesting we seek help and all I want to do is protect him and you, Dean, and the kids."

"I guess the two of us together could kick a little ass." Sam smiled. "You ready to do that?"

"I'm ready to do anything if it means I can still fall asleep holding him."

"What…what would happen if he…slipped."

"I don't know, I don't want to know. I assume he'd either turn or whatever's inside of us would take form outside his body."

"Like a demon?"

Aaron nodded and looked away again so Sam completely dropped the conversation. Normally Aaron was pretty good at staying composed but he was struggling. If something did happen to Jeremy, Aaron wasn't only going to lose his brother, he was going to lose the man he was in love with. They were never going to have the really conventional relationship Sam had with Dean, but that wouldn't matter if Jeremy lost it or himself.

Thinking about it made Sam appreciate Aaron much more and if it was possible he appreciated Dean more as well. Jeremy was a bigger concern for everyone, but there were times when Sam's own future was uncertain. He was a little concerned about himself and though Dean never said anything Sam knew he was worried for a while when they first got together. All that had changed though because Sam had really been through the wringer and he was still the same man he had always been which was probably entirely due to Dean. He was his tether much like Aaron was Jeremy's.

When Dean came back into the kitchen he had Jeremy with him and they had obviously had a heart to heart as well. Aaron made a pretty big dent in the dishes and that was good enough. Dean sent him out of the house with Jeremy so they could actually talk and then maybe do the hanky panky which was going to make both of them feel so much better. It always made Sam feel better but just standing next to Dean and washing dishes felt pretty damn good as well.

"They can find out about this Joe guy and you need to help them."

"I will. Aaron told me."

"Jeremy says this woman is bad news, so we go in with the Colt. You can be backup."

"Worried about me mojoing?"

"Not really." Dean sighed. "I just haven't killed anything in a really long time."

"You're adorable."

"Apparently not too adorable." Dean said. "If that was the case someone would sing me beautiful love songs."

"I did!"

"Singing "Baby Got Back" while you're changing Milo isn't a love song."

"He's got ass for weeks!"

"Wonder how that happened."

Dean smacked Sam on the ass with a damp towel and then went right back to drying off the dishes. Milo was getting a very bubbly little butt and that was all Sam's fault, but it was Dean's too since he had a very nice piece of something in his jeans. It didn't really matter who had fathered Milo because things like Winchester butts didn't play by any rules. John was probably the one they should have thanked for Milo's cute little pumpkin butt, but Sam was tired of him getting so much credit.

With so many people staying with them Sam really had come to enjoy his quiet time with Dean. It was so nice when it was just the two of them together and while doing the dishes never got Sam hot and bothered it was a hell of a lot of fun doing them with Dean. He was always so incredibly careful because he knew how much the dishes meant to Sam and there was no way he'd risk breaking or even chipping one by being careless.

Dean was so fucking considerate in every aspect of their relationship and after a very long day Sam felt something rising up inside of him. He didn't feel like he had to excuse himself to make a little piddle, but he did feel like he might explode if he didn't sing just one little love song to the man who made him believe all the shit people wrote in love songs.

"Maybe we can roast marsh…"

"You got a fast car, I want a ticket to anywhere. Maybe we can make a deal, maybe together we can get somewhere. Anyplace is better, starting at zero got nothing to lose. Maybe we'll make something, me myself I got nothing to prove."

"Sammy."

"I know things will get better. I'll find work and you'll get promoted. We'll move out of the shelter, buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs." Sam sang. "So remember when we were driving, driving in your car, speed so fast felt like I was drunk."

"City lights." Dean smiled. "Lay out before us."

"And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder."

"I had a feeling that I belonged and I had a feeling that I could…be someone."

"That was good, Dean."

"Somebody's gotta take care of him." Dean whispered. "So I quit school and that's what I did."

"Dean…"

Dean blinked some tears out of his eyes and tried to put on his brave face while he turned away. Sam wasn't going to let that happened because he was the most handsome man in the world even when he was upset. They both had a bit of a trip down memory lane and it felt good but it stung a little too. Sam just wanted to focus on the good bits from the song but good songs always had a bit of the bad as well. Ollie was going to be happy that Sam finally sang, but he would raise hell if he knew it made daddy cry.

"Hey."

"I tried so hard to get us out of that shelter, Sammy."

"Dean, we never lived in a shelter. We had a very nice house. You had a fast car and a job that paid all our bills."

"I think you two deserved better."

"We had a place for our son to sleep and a roof over our heads. You made the money, I cooked dinner and on the weekends we went to the park. How could it get any better than that?"

"I'm sorry, Sammy, I'm just worried about Aaron and Jeremy."

"What'd you two talk about?"

"Just this shit with Joe. Jeremy's all ready to lay down and die to protect Aaron who I assume is ready to do the same for him."

"Pretty much."

"That's not healthy."

"Really?" Sam asked. "Sound like young love to me, and yeah, maybe it's a little more serious for people like us, but they're not so different from you and me, how we were."

"You're right."

"So maybe one day in nine years." Sam smiled. "They'll have a perfect relationship like we have and they'll be worrying about our other brothers."

"Other?"

"Dean, come on. You know dad probably had like six more bastard kids. He's a whore."

"He totally is." Dean whispered. "He sang that Cazwell song to me earlier, All Over Your Face."

"How does he even know that song!"

"Don't attempt to understand how Ollie's mojo works. I think we had a fun day."

"Mmhmm."

"Come on, Sammy! You know you had fun."

"I did enjoy Jensen singing Jennifer Lopez."

"What!" Dean yelled. "When did that happen and why didn't you spank me off during?"

"There's still time." Sam laughed. "You know what? These dishes can wait."

"Wow…you feeling okay?"

"I feel like hanging out with the kids…maybe doing a little dancing."

"You better do some private dancing later, Sammy."

"I just might."

Before they went outside Sam thought it best to make out som since Dean's eyes were still a little bloodshot. For the record that was the only reason they were doing it and certainly not because it had always and would always be one of the most incredible experiences of Sam's life. Dean was a fantastic kisser and Sam had yet to get enough.

When they got outside no one was singing or dancing but they were all just hanging out and having a good time. Everyone was in agreement that the singing and dancing had really made for a fantastic day and Sam decided to agree as well before joining Ollie for an old fashion father son duet of My Humps. That made Ollie very happy and he decided to cut back on the mojo before reminding everyone that they just might sing again one day.

bitchandjerk @ 2009-09-29T16:51:00

2009-09-29T21:51:24Z

The move went...well..."well" that's better. I'm tired and not entirely thrilled about the house but it's growing on me slowly. Anyway, here's new Mikey

Title: Straight Talk.
Author: bitchandjerk
Characters: Sam/Dean,John/Mary/OFC OMCs OFCs Jared/Jensen
Rating :R
Words10,300/2,911,000
Warnings: Wincest,
Summary: Michael and Alex arrive at Auldbrass with Jared, Jensen, Ryan, and some scandalous news.
Notes::AU, rest are here.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.
Feedback: Makes me hard

Waiting for Michael and company to arrive was driving Dean crazy. It was like waiting for a kid to be born or for Sam to put dinner on the table. It hadn't even been a week since Dean saw him last but that week felt like at least a month. He understood that Michael had other obligations that were a priority in his life but Dean wanted to be selfish and he wanted him around all the time.

The week without him was really supposed to prepare Dean for June when Michael would be gone for a month but it didn't really do that. If anything it made Dean more nervous because he didn't think he could do it. Michael wasn't like the rest of the kids and as much as he trusted Alex, Dean was never going to be completely relaxed unless he was keeping an eye on him. He realistically knew Michael could take care of himself and Alex could do the rest but Dean still worried and impatiently waited.

During breakfast he was tapping his feet a lot and drumming his fingers which Mikey and Sam both asked him to stop doing. After breakfast he started pacing some but then Sam wanted help with the dishes so he had to stop. All Dean wanted was something fun to occupy himself with and luckily Jeremy came through like he always did. Dean was just about to change his clothes to throw pots for a couple of hours when Jeremy ran into the kitchen in a complete state of disarray. Mikey actually called him a hot mess but Dean begged to differ because he was just a mess that negated his inherent Winchester hotness.

Not only was Jeremy still in his pajamas which consisted of a pair of baggy pants and a paint splattered and torn t-shirt, but half of his hair was wild and bushy while the rest was perfect smooth and straight. Ollie nearly had a complete breakdown to see Jeremy with such unmanageable curls and Ethan and Evan were horrified at the mismatched pajamas. Dean sent all the kids out of the kitchen with James after that because clearly he had to protect them.

Apparently Jeremy had been up late "talking" with Aaron. He said that were just talking but Dean knew damn good and well that every self respecting queer wouldn't just talk when their bitch was in another state. Talking meant spanking it all night long or at least four times which Sam thought sounded like an appropriate number. That explained why Jeremy had slept so late but it didn't explain why his head looked like nine cats had been sucking on it.

Dean never really figured Jeremy for serious displays of dramatics but he was really upset and when he explained what had happened it mostly came out in mumbles and whispers while he pointed at the flat iron in his hand. Dean had no idea what the hell was going on so he just assumed Jeremy had used the flat iron to get himself off and now it and his hair by association smelled like butt. He was a little tempted to ask if that's what had happened but then he'd want to know if Jeremy had the iron on while he was working the back door for a little painful fun.

During the second explanation Dean sort of heard Jeremy whimper about his iron being broken but it was still a little unclear since he was practically sobbing. Seeing someone cry wasn't ever really funny, but Dean had to laugh about Jeremy crying over his broken flat iron, if that's what was going on. Sam obviously understood because he started to comfort Jeremy who whined a little more and showed off his broken toy and it's sad limp cord.

He actually sort of looked like Milo when he couldn't figure out how something worked. He had a few little toys where things had to fit in specific spaces and if he couldn't get it he'd become so upset and have to turn to Sam for help. Milo would hold up his little star shaped block and pout until Sam showed him where it went. He was great at that but unfortunately he had no idea how to fix a straightening iron and banging it on the counter was just making Jeremy more upset. Dean tried to fix it too, but his attempt was basically just him hitting the iron with a big heavy griddle which elicited more cries of anguish.

"Can I borrow yours!"

"I..I don't have one." Sam said. "I have one at home."

"Why don't you have one here!"

"It's South Carolina…" Sam said before he paused. "I could not shower for a week and still be the most glamorous person in the state."

"Dean?" Jeremy asked. "Did you bring your iron?"

"No! I brought my testicles though!"

"Dean…come on now. We all know you make yourself into a pretty girl each day."

"I so don't spend like twenty minutes each day with that contraption…whatever that is there…some kind of devil tool looks like…for devils…"

Jeremy and Sam were holding on to each other but they both took a moment to give Dean the shady side eye. Dean did spend a lot of time on his hair but that was only because Billy had given him a ridiculously expensive millionaire haircut and it had to be maintained. Some days Dean missed his short little spiky hair, but then Sam or Ollie would make sexy faces at him and he'd spend some time tossing his mane around like a magnificent stallion or at least a pony. Dean had considered cutting his hair short again a few weeks ago but then Sam pouted and Ethan and Evan freaked out since they liked to play chic New York salon.

"Did you really not bring your straightening iron?" Sam asked. "What if we go out to dinner?"

"It's South Carolina."

"What about for Thanksgiving?"

"I assumed I'd borrow Jeremy's iron so…"

"Corky."

"Excuse me?"

"Corky." Jeremy said again. "His name is Corky!"

"Uh…" Sam said before clearing his throat. "Why don't you and James take a ride to the Wal-Mart in Beaufort? You can buy a new one."

"Wal-Mart!"

"Now you done it." Dean whispered. "Would you use a straightening iron from Wal-Mart?"

"Well, no…" Sam said. "But then I'm so rich that an iron from Wal-Mart wouldn't work on me."

"And it'd burn out those highlights…"

"What'd you say!"

"Nothing." Dean smiled. "Jeremy, we'll order you a new one, it'll be at home when we get back."

"I need it now!"

"Why?"

"I…I just need it. I'm going to look online and see if I can find one…before Monday…"

"Oooh!" Sam whispered. "I see!"

"Shut up!"

Sam was always a little sharper so he was already dancing around the kitchen by the time Dean figured out what was going on. Jeremy was all upset because without his iron he wouldn't look his best and he had to look his best on Monday because that's when Aaron was arriving. Dean thought that was really cute and maybe a little sweet but like Sam, the big brother in him won out. Sam was dancing and giggling so Dean joined in which made Jeremy's face turn bright red.

"Hey!"

"Your boyfriend's back he's gonna wanna get a butt!"

"Hey now!" Dean sang. "McPriesty's back he's gonna further soil your reputation!"

"You guys are dicks!"

"Aww, do a want me to do a tappy tap and find you a new flat iron?" Dean frowned. "Baby brotha?"

"I would appreciate that because…"

"And then you can make yourself all pretty for a big stwong Awwon! He'll bust in here and sweep you off your feet and carry you to your room…"

"And gently lay you down on the bed." Sam said. "Gurrrrl! He gon break that ass in like a new pair of Pradas!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yuh-huh!" Dean yelled back. "Lemme tell you, when you go without for as long as you have all kinds of crazy stuff can happen. Sammy and I had a dry spell and when we got it on again I was a total top."

"And I was a power bottom." Sam grinned. "That was an awesome seven minutes."

"It's only been a week."

"That's like six years in gay." Dean nodded. "He's the top now and that dick is…"

"I really miss him."

"We know." Sam smiled. "We've noticed."

"You're not going to make fun of me?"

"Later." Dean shrugged. "In private."

Dean could have very easily kept on making fun of Jeremy with Sam, but he really felt for him. Two guys in love being apart was one thing but Jeremy was missing a brother as well and it just so happen to be a brother he had previously lost. Dean understood how much he was missing him and why he wanted everything to be perfect when Aaron arrived on Monday. Dean didn't have a straightening iron with him, but if he had to he was going to drive all over the place looking for the best one South Carolina had to offer.

"I've had this for ten years and now it's broken."

"Maybe you shouldn't use something for so long." Sam laughed. "You were straightening your hair when you were fourteen?"

"Sam, I'm really good looking." Jeremy said quite seriously. "It's important my hair is also really good looking."

"And a can't do it wit a curls!"

"You are a racist." Dean whispered before he turned around. "Hey, baby!"

"Did a say he don like a curls!"

Dean nodded very seriously and then took a step away from Jeremy because there was no way he was getting his ass kicked as well. Ollie had been ushered out of the kitchen with the rest of the kids but he came back and he was packing. He had a bucket that was filled with all his favorite products for making nice curls because if Jeremy was going to look busted up someone had to help him out.

"It's not that, it's that your curls are so utterly fabulicious that…"

"Wha! Don spit on a cupcake and say is fwosting!" Ollie screamed. "A shame, devil!"

"Help." Jeremy whispered. "Sam?"

"Don't drag me down with you, devil."

"Baby, what do you have in that bucket?" Dean asked. "Is that the Be Curly kit from Aveda that daddy got you?"

"Wit a hair potions!"

"I ran out last week." Sam said. "Beanie, can daddy use some of your…oh my…nevermind."

Ollie's jaw had pretty much just hit the floor because he was never ever going to help Sam with his hair. When it was rainy or particularly humid Sam's hair wasn't as straight as it normally was. It got a little wavy which looked a little too close to curly. That was the last thing Ollie needed because Milo had those sweet little baby curls and no one liked competition. Dean was actually a little surprised he wanted to help Jeremy but he figured he was only doing it because in his current state he was giving a bad name to people with a curls everywhere.

"Only when a blow dwy!"

"I promise."

"And not too much!"

"I just need a little." Sam smiled. "Thank you."

"Ya welcome, daddy."

Ollie gave Sam the little bottle of product he obviously didn't really want to part with before he grabbed Jeremy's hand and dragged him away. Jeremy looked panicked but he was in good hands. No one could style a head of curls like Ollie and Dean really did think that Jeremy needed to spend less time working on his hair. He totally got that he liked to look nice but the whole wanting straight hair thing was because of his myriad of mothers growing up. They all had curly hair just like Laura and Jeremy wanted to be different which was understandable.

It took Ollie a while but eventually he came back into the kitchen with Jeremy and presented what was clearly his best work yet. Jeremy even admitted that he liked it and everyone told Ollie what a good job he had done. He was Dean's son and always got a little embarrassed with lots of praise so he ran right out the backdoor to hang out with the rest of the kids. Jeremy went to join them to show off his hair and Dean resumed waiting impatiently.

Sam was just as impatient, but he had projects planned which included backing some delicious fudgey brownies. Dean really thought that maybe he should make Michael's favorite cookies, but Sam was quite insistent on making the brownies. Again Dean was a little slow on the uptake and it took him a few minutes to remember that a certain Oscar winner liked brownies with lots of chocolate. That particular Oscar winner wasn't Jared who was Sam's best friend, it was Jensen who was so totally spoken for. Problems always got worse if he ignored them so Dean had to make sure Sam knew that Jensen was his best friend and nothing was going to change that.

"You're ridiculous! You're a Ricky Ridiculous."

"Am I!" Dean yelled. "You want him to be your best friend."

"I do not." Sam laughed. "I'm just making brownies because the kids like them…if Jensen eats one and then gives me a kiss…well, that would be okay."

"Oh! You have a boy crush on him!"

"Dean, you're being ridiculous. Go put on your glasses."

"I don't wear glasses!"

"I bought you a fake pair." Sam smiled. "They're cute…maybe you could wear a cowboy hat too."

"How dare you!" Dean whispered. "When we were making out earlier were you even thinking about me?"

"Of course I was…seventy percent."

"Blasphemy!"

"He's just so cute!" Sam giggled. "So sweet and cute!"

"I…" Dean said before pausing. "Is that a new sweater?"

"I was cold this morning."

"Liar! Why must you test our love, Sammy?"

"My toe." Sam whispered. "Your butt."

"All is forgiven!"

"Thought so."

Dean hadn't noticed earlier but Sam was a little dressed up and very cute. That was pretty much how he rolled but Dean was sure the sweater really was new, his jeans looked a little snugger, and his hair was sort of perfect and bouncy. A toe in the butt had temporarily caused a ceasefire, but Dean wasn't letting Sam or Jensen go without a fight. No Hollywood pretty boy was going to steal his husband and no highlighted money bags was going to steal his best friend. Jensen was his best friend and that was that.

Unfortunately Jensen only stayed Dean's best friend until he arrived with Michael, Alex, Jared, and Ryan. Dean was all over Michael before he even went to see the kids and he got some of the best kisses ever. Sam kept trying to squeeze in, but Dean "accidentally" shoved him out of the way six or seven times. He'd have to wait his turn because Dean had missed Michael the most.

Dean made the rounds when he was done with Michael, but everyone's hugs weren't as tight or excited as they should have been. Things actually felt a little tense and Ryan looked extremely uncomfortable. He always had a lot of stuff going on so Dean just chalked it up to those things and didn't put much thought into it. He didn't think something was wrong as a whole until Michael and Alex went off to see the kids and Jared scurried out of the kitchen with Ryan to do the same. Jensen was left behind and he was standing clear on the other side of the room. Dean was behind the counter with Sam and Jensen seemed to be inching backwards even more to get behind the table and chairs.

Sam was flirting with him a lot and while Dean pretended to be annoyed it was sort of sexy. If things were different Dean totally would have encouraged Sam to sleep with Jensen because that was just hot and any man in his right mind would jump at the chance and apparently Michael and Alex were any men and had jumped. Jensen admitted it under his breath and then backed away some more until he was against the opposite wall. Dean stayed where he was and laughed because he had surely misheard.

"Again?"

"Dean, I…"

"What did you just say?" Dean asked. "I'd like you to repeat it."

"I slept with Alex and Michael last night."

"Come here."

"Huh?"

"Come here." Sam said. "Come see this."

"What…what is it?" Jensen asked as he walked over. "There's nothing…"

As soon as Jensen was close enough Sam grabbed him by the front of his shirt and slammed his face into the counter. Dean was really too shocked to say or do anything so he was glad Sam had acted first since what he might have done wouldn't have been so nice. He was actually thinking about killing Jensen, beating Alex, and then punishing Michael by taking away everything he had.

"Ow!"

"You slept with Michael!" Sam screamed. "What the hell!"

"It's not what you think!"

"Did you touch him?" Dean asked.

"No, no, of course not!"

"Did he touch you?"

"Couple times, I…Ow! Sam!"

"Tell me exactly what happened."

"You're really scary right now, Dean."

"Tell me everything." Dean ordered. "Right now."

Jensen sort of tensed up for a second and then he just went a little limp. Sam let him go though he obviously didn't want to. Dean was furious and his mojo showed it because he said everything and Jensen delivered with a ridiculous attention to detail. The description of his evening sounded like something Sam had written and he was well known for going completely overboard.

Because they were all leaving on the same plane Alex suggested Jared and Jensen come over for dinner. He was going to cook and then they could stay over since they were leaving early. Aaron even came over, but he had a very long day and called it quits after half a glass of wine. He was the only who did that though. Alex had just found a fabulous vintage and they just kept on drinking.

Somehow Jared and Ryan ended up falling asleep in the guest room while watching the masterpiece that was House of Wax, and Jensen went upstairs with Michael and Alex to help them pack. Dean thought that sounded highly dubious, but apparently he was helping Michael decide what to pack by telling him what looked cute on him. The last bottle of wine went upstairs as well and one thing led to another.

Jensen was sitting on the bed and it was so comfortable and he was getting a little sleepy. Alex was a little more tipsy, but he still offered a backrub which Jensen thought was very nice of him. Michael got in on it next and then they were all sort of lying together and there was a lot of heavy petting going on. The petting led to some making out and then Alex busted off in his britches. Jensen knew he was a bad man, but he didn't touch Michael inappropriately and he stayed dressed the entire time.

"You seduced our son!"

"Dean…"

"How could you do that to him?" Dean asked. "Totally inappropriate!"

"Dean." Sam said again. "I'm pretty sure my bunny man is the one that got seduced."

"Alex!" Dean hissed. "I knew he was going to try something like this, he's always been jealous of you."

"He only kissed me when Michael told him to."

"You son of a…" Dean said as he grabbed Jensen again. "Don't lie about my baby!"

"I'm not! He's a hoochie!"

"What!"

"Dean, come on, calm down." Sam said. "Let's just take a deep breath."

"I am calm!"

"You're holding a really large knife." Jensen whispered. "Really close to my face area…the general area of my face which is where I keep my handsomeness."

"You think I won't cut you!" Dean yelled. "That would make my whole day! I'll cut you right in your pretty face!"

"Ah!"

"Dean! You are not cutting someone's face with my three hundred dollar chef's knife!"

"Fine." Dean said calmly. "I'll get Jeremy to use his devil powers to psychically castrate him."

"Can…can he do that?"

"We'll see…oh, we will see."

Dean stabbed Sam's big knife into the cutting board and then went off to find Michael and Alex. Jensen got a few points for being honest about it, but Michael and Alex were in big trouble for running and hiding. They were going to regret that and Dean didn't plan on spanking them even if they were both very bad boys.

Sam loved to get his bake on, but it was sort of sad when he was doing it by himself. Normally Evan would be more than willing to help out, but he had been banned from the house along with the rest of the kids while Dean handled some very special big daddy business. The kids all thought that sounded terribly important, but they didn't know that Dean's daddy business involved screaming at Alex and Michael about being dirty in their pants. Sam had elected to not participate but it was like he was right there since Dean was yelling so loud. He was in Michael's room and Sam could hear every word from the other side of the rather large house.

The reason Sam chose not to participate was because he didn't really see any harm in a little drunken petting. Obviously Michael shouldn't have been drinking but Alex was always very careful about stuff like that. If they were having some wine with dinner it was only when they knew they weren't going to be leaving again. Michael knew to never drink when he was out and he was pretty responsible for the most part. He had his own money and his own house and it would have been very easy for him to get drunk fairly often and he didn't really.

Sam sort of saw the drinking as celebrating because he was off of school and about to leave for a fabulous week long vacation. He was okay with that and he trusted Michael enough to not worry that it was going to become a regular thing. Dean however was screaming about the scandal it would cause when they had to pull Michael out of Yale to send him to some fancy rehab clinic. It was a good thing the kids weren't inside to hear that especially when Dean yelled that they were going to get a discount by sending Michael to the same place they sent Jenny to dry up while hoping Perez Hilton didn't find out.

The other thing Dean was yelling about was monogamy and how people fooled around with their significant others and that was it. He sort of tried to make Michael and Alex feel bad for seducing Jensen while Jared was downstairs but that didn't really work. Jared had been absolutely honest when he said he didn't care. Sex was out of the question but if Jensen wanted to get rubbed down by some hot young thing and his sugar daddy that was just fine. Jensen loved Jared and he came home to him at the end of the day which Sam thought was a very enlightened way of looking at it.

That just made Dean yell louder because Jared being a slut for brains didn't mean that Michael could pet his wife. He was really pissed off and he wasn't cutting Michael or Alex any slack. Apparently the big problem, besides the boozing and molestation, was that Dean felt betrayed by all of them because they were his two best friends and his son and all three were to blame at least in part. Michael was probably the most to blame though which secretly made Sam giggle a little because his son went for what he wanted.

Unfortunately it wasn't all cut and dry and while Dean was yelling Sam was thinking. He was finishing up the brownies too, but most of his energy was devoted to thinking hard but not so hard that he gave himself wrinkles. Dean was pissed off and Sam understood why, but as always there was a little something else under the surface. He had screamed all his reasons from across the house, but Sam thought that maybe Dean was a little jealous. He didn't like thinking that but all the quiet reflection eventually convinced him it was true. Not only was he jealous, but Sam thought he was jealous of all three for three different reasons.

Dean was very honest about his attraction to Jensen so it was expected that he'd be jealous about not petting him. He was less open about his feelings for Alex, but that tended to be more towards a big brother thing and not in the normal way Dean was a big brother. He cared about him and that sometimes translated into intimacy, which was sort of the same thing Sam had going on with Anthony. Then there was Michael who had once upon a time just been a friend that Dean had really enjoyed flirting with. It was all very complicated but as always someone managed to trump Dean.

Sam understood Dean being jealous of all of them and it wasn't something he thought they'd have to discuss to death. Something that was probably going to come up was why Michael was so attracted to Jensen. Sam was too, so he got it, but it was different with Michael, very different. Sam saw Jensen Ackles, Oscar winner and president of the national "Gay and Glad!" organization. He knew that Jensen was Jensen, but he was pretty sure that Michael saw a chance to be with Dean and he had acted on it.

"Well, you can't hold it against him. Honestly who can ever compare to Dean?"

"Gabe?" Sam said as he looked up. "What are you doing here?"

"Forgive me, I knocked several times."

"Oh." Sam whispered. "Hi."

"Hello, Sam."

Sam hadn't heard a thing but then he was pretty lost in thought. Gabe did make an excellent point, no one could compare to Dean. No one had ever taken an interest in Michael when he did, and no one was there for him like he was. Sam had tried so hard but he wasn't as comforting as Dean and he had the rest of the kids to worry about. Michael was so incredibly damaged when he came to live with them and Dean stayed by his side constantly until he was okay. It was really amazing that Michael's attraction wasn't more obvious because Dean had pretty much saved his life even before he came to Connecticut.

"You can just…pop in if you want."

"Thank you." Gabe smiled. "How are you?"

"Good, great…Oh, I signed up for a scrapbooking class next month with mom!"

"That sounds fun."

"Yeah, we have like a million pictures, I thought that would be kind of cool."

"I'm sure you'll enjoy the process and spending time with your mother."

"Mmhmm." Sam nodded. "Can we keep up the small talk?"

"No."

"That never works." Sam sighed. "Whatever's wrong it has to wait until after Thanksgiving. It's too important to Jason and James."

Sam didn't care if Gabe was there to tell them hell's army was marching up the driveway. If that was the case he was going to go outside and politely explain the circumstances before offering sweet treats if they'd wait a few days. Enough shit was already going on and Sam couldn't deal with much else and expect Thanksgiving to still be perfect. It was going to be the first one James had with his new family and like Michael's last year it was going to be Jason's first real one. Nothing was going to get in the way of that if Sam had anything to do with it.

It was also their first Thanksgiving in South Carolina and Sam was looking forward to it. He got that the world didn't stop turning just because he wanted to have a nice meal with his family and friends, but just for once he really wanted it to. It didn't seem like he was asking for much either because it was Saturday and Thanksgiving was just a few days away.

"Nothing's wrong." Gabe said. "Not really."

"Then you just showed up to keep me company?"

"Not really." Gabe said again. "Sam, we'd appreciate it if you kept us in the loop."

"There's a loop? Loppy loop."

"I thought we had an understanding that you weren't to engage this person in New York."

"Um…we did." Sam smiled. "I didn't do anything."

"Excuse me?"

"I didn't do anything. Jenny and Justin were having dreams and then James said Joe was just gone."

"Joe?" Gabe asked. "How did you find out his name?"

"We didn't." Sam shrugged. "We just needed to call him something. Why did you think I did something?"

"Because people don't just disappear. He's not dead, he's just…gone."

"And what do I have to do with that?"

"Sam, you're the only person strong enough to make someone disappear like that."

"I find that hard to believe."

"No." Gabe said. "You don't."

"I think you're a little bit racist. I'm sort of ashamed to call you my friend."

"And I find it hard to believe that two award winning writers don't know what that word means."

Sam sighed and then made a very obvious display of rolling his eyes. Normally Gabe was pretty one dimensional and he wasn't a big fan of facial expressions, but Sam saw something he liked and something that was also a little alarming. When he rolled his eyes as hard as he could Gabe cracked a little smile. It wasn't much but the corners of his mouth did pull up some and Sam saw just a touch of the pearly whites.

Since Joe had first been mentioned Sam had been thinking he'd most likely have to take him out one day. He was also pretty sure that he was the only one who could since that seemed to be how things were working. Sam didn't know everything about Joe, like what his real name was, but he was working with the theory that pre-coming out day he wasn't much of a big deal. After a little sip of the Sammy sauce he had certainly beefed up and someone pretty buff would have to make him gone for good. That person wasn't Jeremy or Aaron who were incredibly strong, it was Sam who was apparently some kind of superhero but really all he wanted to do was bake and maybe have seven or eight more kids.

"What do you think happened?"

"I just told you, I thought you handled it."

"I didn't." Sam laughed. "You asked me not to, so I was waiting."

"James said he was gone?"

"Gone, just…well poof and he's gone."

"I have to say this whole thing has me very curious."

"Why is that?" Sam asked. "Shouldn't you be a little more omnipotent."

"Probably."

"Why don't you just ask God?"

"That's not as easy as you'd think."

"Of course it isn't." Sam sighed. "Why would it be?"

Gabe made a full on expression again and Sam was a little tempted to see if he was feeling okay. That was twice in a matter of minutes and just to be on the safe side Sam made him sit down in case he passed out from overexertion. It certainly seemed like talking to the big boss would solve all their problems but Sam wasn't the least bit surprised that sending a message to God's MySpace wasn't an option.

Apparently Gabe was thinking of other options because he got strangely quiet and began to stare at nothing. Sam thought about doing the same but staring at nothing wasn't going to get the brownies done. The kids and Jensen were patiently waiting and Todd had said his tiny baby wanted one as well. Belle said she needed at least three and then another for their tiny baby so Sam had to get them done.

The silence with Gabe wasn't really awkward even though it went on for a good five minutes. Sam actually felt comfortable not saying anything, like it was the right thing to do. He realized how true that was when he took a moment to think about how very few people ever saw angels let alone had them in their houses. It was sort of special and Sam was just a little bit honored and no longer annoyed like he had once been by Gabe.

They were still being quiet when Michael and Alex sulked into the kitchen and then right out the backdoor. Dean was right behind them and he looked ridiculously hot in all the most wonderful ways. He was all puffed up like a big man and he was a little sweaty too. It was sexy as hell and Sam bit down on his bottom lip to stop himself from saying filthy things in front of Gabe.

"He totally jacked Jensen off through his pants. Had his hands all over that cock."

"Dean!"

"Okay." Dean sighed. "He didn't jack him off per se, but apparently he touched him right in the wiener. You know what his excuse was?"

"What?"

"He thinks he's hypoglycemic! Sup' Gabby?"

"Hello."

"Go Wildcats!"

"Excuse me?"

"Dean." Sam said as he shook his head. "Can we not talk about this in front of…you know."

"No, I want to. Listen to this. My son, who I tried to raise right, totally felt up my best friend while he made out with my other best friend. I feel like I just got ass fucked three times in a row."

"Your son is twenty years old and engaged to be married." Gabe said. "He got into a relationship with Alex that progressed very quickly. They're going to spend the rest of their lives together, don't you think it's better for Michael to experiment with someone he trusts that loves him."

"Say what?"

"Wait a minute." Sam laughed. "The angel's down with the threesome?"

"No one was hurt and considering what other young men Michael's age are doing I'd say one indiscretion with a friend isn't that bad."

"You are a racist." Dean whispered. "A bad man! I'm a little ashamed to call you Sam's friend right now."

"I think he has a point…"

"Of course you do." Dean sighed. "Maybe I do to."

Gabe apparently wasn't just good with the staring and talking himself in circles, he had actually just said something that made a lot of sense. Michael was young and he was already in a serious relationship that was hopefully going to last him the rest of his life. He probably wanted to sow his wild oats a little and Sam had to give him credit because Jensen totally would have poked him if it came to that. Michael hadn't let that happen though and really there wasn't much wrong with a little drunken touching especially since Jared didn't care. There was still the matter of why Michael has chosen Jensen, but Dean looked like he was calming down some so Sam didn't want to bring it up just yet.

"Good advice."

"Thank you, Sam."

"You have some experience with stuff like this?" Dean asked. "With your own ki…"

"Dean."

"What? You…you said you have a son, right?"

Expression number three on Gabe's face was one of sadness and confusion. Technically he didn't have a son, but whoever he was shacked up in did. Sam had told Dean so many times to not bring it up, but he just had to. Not only did he want to know for the sake of knowing, but he wasn't going to trust Gabe completely if he was keeping a father away from his son. Sam thought it was best they not ask because the one time it came up, Gabe spoke of his son in past tense. Sam didn't want Gabe to have to talk about it and he sure as hell didn't want Dean talking to someone that had lost a child.

"Colin."

"That's nice." Dean said before he sat down. "Sammy floated that a couple of times when Amy was pregnant with Beanie."

"I remember." Gabe smiled. "He's…he'll be five in January."

"Do you still see him?"

"Everyday."

"He's with his mother?" Dean asked. "Your wife?"

"My parents. She…my wife…"

"Gabe?"

"I'm not supposed to remember." Gabe whispered. "You make me remember."

Sam's brownies still weren't in the oven but for some reason they didn't seem so important anymore. Dean was working his ass off to get just a little information out of Gabe and he was succeeding. The whole possession thing was really foreign to Sam but he was pretty sure that Gabe and the body he was in were two completely different entities and there shouldn't have been any crossover. Remembering looked like it pained him some, but at the same time talking about his son made him happier than Sam had ever seen.

"There was an accident in June. They were coming back from the grocery store and the other driver wasn't paying attention. It was quick for her, that's what they told me. I believe it, she was gone without any pain."

"And Colin?"

"He was hurt badly and the doctors said it would just be a matter of time, so I prayed."

"He's okay now?" Dean asked. "They helped you?"

"Yes."

"But only if you helped them." Sam said. "Right?"

"Yes."

"That's fucked up." Dean said. "They save your son and then you can't see him anymore?"

"I see him, he doesn't see me, but one day he will when my debt is repaid."

"When does that happen?"

"When I'm no longer in the service of you and your family, Sam."

"Then go. Go, right now. Just let him go, we'll be fine without any help from any of you. Just go home to your son and…"

"Sammy."

"Just go take care of him. You can go. We don't need you."

"It's not that simple." Gabe smiled. "You do need me."

"You can pop into another body." Sam said. "I know you can."

"We need this body."

"Why?"

"Because we do. I'll be in touch."

"Gabe, don't…"

Sam didn't even have time to blink before Gabe was out of there. He just left a cold wind in his wake and an ache in Sam's stomach. He had really convinced himself that Gabe and his friends weren't like the angels he had dreamt of, but they were. Sam knew they didn't have to step in to save Colin, but they had just so they could get something back which just wasn't fair. Not seeing the kids or not being able to interact with them would have been torture for Sam and he had no idea how any father could do it. It had to be even worse for Gabe since he had come so close to losing him.

"Why was uh…" Dean said before he paused. "Why was he here?"

"He thought I took out Joe."

"Does he know anything?"

"Nope."

"Let's go um…let's go outside with the kids."

"That's a good idea." Sam smiled. "Your best yet."

"I thought so."

Sam took Dean's hand and walked out the backdoor to join everyone else outside. It was a gorgeous day that was just brisk enough for light jackets and snuggly hats for the babies. The kids and Jensen all wanted to know how much longer they were going to have to wait to get their brownies and Sam told them they'd have to wait until dessert because something more important had come up.

Dean was exhausted and he hadn't done much of anything besides yell for a little bit and listen to a story. He probably would have been less exhausted if he ran a marathon because he could handle physical exertion, but listening to Gabe's story was a little harder. Dean ached all over and though he tried his hardest he couldn't get close enough to the kids. He had hugged all of them and let Ethan sit in his lap for a while but it was like they were on the other side of the country.

Having Michael and Alex back along with Jared and Jensen proved to be too stimulating for the kids and they didn't want to stay still. They wanted to run around and play which left Dean feeling even emptier. Luckily Mary and Milo weren't really much for running so Dean got to hang out with them or at least one of them. Mary got nice and comfortable in Dean's lap, but Milo had to hang out with Sam and pet him right in the sweater. They were both wearing blue sweaters which Dean thought was awfully cute and Milo definitely approved of it since he was happier than usual.

Sam was being pretty quiet which Dean appreciated because when things got a little scary there was nothing better than being together and not talking. It was comforting to just have Sam around even when he wasn't saying anything. He was even comforting when he wasn't doing anything, though he was gently stroking the back of Dean's hand with his knuckles which Milo couldn't see and therefore wouldn't yell about.

The silence went on for a while until Dean finally had to break it because he could handle one problem at a time. He didn't do so well when he had a bunch of them piled up and he figured the smart thing to do was deal with the easiest thing which was Michael. He was an adult and capable of making his own choices. On top of that he realized he hadn't used his best judgment and he promised to never do it again. Dean felt that he had done his job as a father by telling Michael what he thought of his actions but there was still something nagging him that he had to talk about with Sam.

"Sam, this thing with Michael and Jensen…he only did something because he looks like me, right?"

"Um." Sam said before he sighed. "Jensen is very handsome, polite, and an all around great guy."

"But?"

"But if he didn't look almost exactly like you Michael and Alex would have slept alone."

"You think Alex was maybe thinking about me too?"

"He'd be crazy not to."

"Michael definitely was though, right?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "I'm positive of that."

"I'm totally scrumptious."

"Bwah!" Milo yelled. "Dahdah."

"Agreed." Sam laughed. "You okay with that?"

Dean sighed and then shrugged because he didn't know what to say or how he really felt about it. It had come up before and he was always a little flattered but it never really seemed like something Michael had a problem with. It wasn't like he was crying alone in the shower and singing songs about unrequited love which incidentally Dean had never done himself. It wasn't until Jensen got groped that Dean started to wonder if maybe it was more than just admiration and a little hero worship.

Michael was off in the distance with the kids and they were running him ragged. Dean could see him stopping every so often to catch his breath and he obviously needed a little break. Instead of letting things sit stagnant Dean decided the best thing to do was to have a mature talk with Michael in order to find out how he felt. He wasn't going to judge him or shame him in anyway, he just really wanted to talk to make sure he was okay with everything.

Because Dean had been in big daddy mode all day the kids didn't put up a fight when he called Michael over. They didn't know what happened and hopefully they never would, but they knew something was up. They were just smart like that and in Michael's absence they all ran back to John who could no longer sit on the sidelines. Charlie grabbed Justin too who had been going strong with all the kids for about a week and doing much better with Craig as well.

"I'm gonna sleep tonight."

"Alone I hope." Sam whispered. "Or are you and Alex going to a swinger's party?"

"What's a swinger's party?"

"You poor thing." Dean laughed. "Last night was as sexually adventurous as you'll ever get, isn't it?"

"There might be costumes." Michael said before he paused. "More costumes. Dad, are you mad at me too?"

"What?" Sam asked. "Neither of us are mad at you, Michael. I actually think you showed a great deal of restraint. If it was me…well…Jensen might have arrived here in two separate pieces."

Michael laughed pretty hard at that and Milo did too because as Dean suspected he was obviously a top, either that or he wanted to get rid of Jensen which was also a valid life choice. Dean sort of hated that Michael thought he was mad at him because he really wasn't. He was a little disappointed in some bad judgment but that was it. He had made a mistake and everyone made those eventually. Dean had and Sam had and John even went and did a demon up the butt so maybe Michael wasn't that bad at all considering.

"This is becoming a habit with me." Michael said. "Like with grandpa having kids popping up and Jeremy being a devil."

"What's a habit?"

"Making really bad choices."

"Twice." Dean laughed. "Getting drunk and yelling in the snow, and now this thing with Jensen."

"And Jason."

"Look behind you." Sam said. "We just thought that was a bad choice, we were wrong."

Michael had just sat down but he turned and then was about to jump to his feet again. The kids were all still running around, but as Dean's son Ollie was the shortest and he tired the quickest. He was also Sam's son and wasn't going to let something like being tired get in his way. He had instructed, or more likely, ordered Jason to carry him around so he wouldn't have to run. Maybe a week or so ago that would have been something Dean wouldn't have let him do but he was fine with it because Jason had proved he meant no harm to anyone especially the kids.

"He doesn't know he shouldn't be holding him, dad, it's not…"

"It's fine." Dean smiled. "He watched the babies for a little while yesterday and went for a walk with Mikey and Charlie. Don't think that we have any problem with him being or that we still don't want him around. We do."

"We do."

"Really?"

"He's holding the baby." Dean whispered. "Come on."

"Waaaahhhhhh!" Mary bellowed. "Anbwah!"

"You are the princess!"

"And this one?" Sam asked. "A perfect prince?"

"I'd call him a butt blocker. Every time I want to get a butt he's in the way."

"Mahn!"

"Yours?" Dean scoffed. "Hardly!"

Milo pursed his lips and then held on to Sam extra tight which just made Dean give him kisses. That didn't go over so well with Milo who started to yell just as loud as he could until Mary reached over and hit him. She was really started to be a completely no nonsense princess and Dean loved that someone was on his side. Normally Milo would just start crying so that Sam would coddle him some more, but he was a fighter and slapped Mary right back. She didn't bother retaliating, but Dean was almost positive he saw just a little bit of a twinkle in her eye which coincidentally made Milo back off before burying his head in a soft nest-o-Sam

"Aww, baby." Sam frowned. "I'm going to take a bath with you later!"

"And we wonder why he's still single." Dean sighed. "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you a little more."

"Dad, you really don't have to. Nothing is going to happen ever again. I promise."

"Not about that. I'm not going to tell any of you how to run your lives. I told you what I expect and that's all I'm going to say about it."

"Okay, but I'm not gonna do anything."

"We know." Sam nodded. "We trust you."

"But…I do have to ask why Jensen?"

"He's just so funny and nice. Good lookin'."

"Lookin', eh? Were you thinking about him last night?"

"Who else would I…Oh."

Dean really wanted to make a joke in order to lighten the mood some but for once in his life he thought it might not be appropriate. Michael was obviously under the impression they weren't going to discuss his reasons why he chose Jensen and when he realized they were he seemed to panic a little. He had been pretty relaxed especially after hearing Jason really was welcome, but just as quickly he tensed up and turned just a little red in the face.

He looked ashamed which he shouldn't have been. It wasn't like it was Mikey who had feelings for Dean because he had always been just his son. Michael was Dean's friend first and then his son which blurred the lines of their relationship some. It did make things a little weird, but Dean was ever going to regret that he was friends with Michael first or that he had spent a few weeks joking inappropriately with him over the phone and through email.

Besides looking ashamed, Michael also looked very apologetic. Dean didn't really get that either until he followed Michael's eyes which were fixed on Sam. That was actually a little cute since he was seconds away to apologizing to his daddy Sammy for sexualizing what was essentially his property. Sam was going to be a lot like Jared when it came to that because he completely fine with people looking and admiring Dean. If they tired to touch there'd be hell to pay, but looking was okay.

"Don't look at me like that." Sam said as he nudged him. "Trust me, I completely understand."

"I don't think either of you do. I don't know how you could."

"Trust me." Sam said again. "I can."

Sam didn't just sound like he had an idea of what was going through Michael's head. He sounded like he totally understood everything before it was even said out loud. There was a little moment between him and Michael that Dean didn't really get, but it seemed to relax them both. Sam was really okay, but it did wonders for Michael who sighed a little and then let his shoulders droop down some. He was trying to get comfortable and Dean took that as a good sign.

"I don't wanna run off and get married."

"Okay." Dean smiled. "I assumed as much."

"And I do love Alex and I think he's sexy."

"In a geeky sort of middle aged way." Sam said. "Agreed."

"But sometimes when we're together, I just feel like…I feel like Mikey must on Wednesday. He doesn't need a chaperone at Julliard, none of the other kids have them. I feel like maybe Alex is chaperoning my life and I don't need that either. I want him to tell me no sometimes and I wanna be challenged."

"Like us?"

"Yeah."

"Finally." Sam whispered. "Someone who realizes I don't get everything I want."

They all laughed together again and Michael relaxed a little bit more. Dean really got where he was coming from because Alex was a little too accommodating sometimes. Dean was the same way, but every once in a while he had to put his foot down which was completely expected of him. Sam got a lot of what he asked for, but he gave just as much and when Dean had a problem with something he said it and they talked. That was always in private so most people just assumed that Dean caved in to Sam's every whim which wasn't true at all. He was at about ninety percent and Sam sometimes talked him up to ninety-five, but when it came to things like building a two thousand square foot addition solely as closet space Dean had to say no.

"So that's a big part of it. I like that you both challenge each other and even if you fight it's still okay at the end of the day. The other big part is…well…"

"Go on." Sam said. "It's okay."

"No, it's not, dad."

"Is it because I'm so nice?" Dean asked. "Because I'm a nice guy? A Friendly Freddy if you will?"

"What? No."

"Oh…I see."

"No, dad, you are, but…"

"Because I do such good stuff and I saved Jeremy?"

"Um, well, I do appreciate that, but it doesn't do much for me…in that way."

"You're hot Dean." Sam said before muttering. "And denser than daddy Sammy's brownies."

"Oh! Right, right! I'm hot! That gets you all hot and bothered, I get it. Makes your pompoms all fluffy."

"Yeah, I…"

"That turns you on. Further enrages the fire in your valley."

"Dean, I think he gets it, can you…"

"Gives you a boner." Dean said. "Makes you want to get a…"

"Wabah!" Mary yelled before covering Dean's mouth. "Bwahbahdah, dahdah."

Dean tried to eat Mary's fingers but she was too quick and gently slapped him before withdrawing her hand. Honestly Dean was hoping that Michael was attracted to him because he was a nice guy, but being hot wasn't such a bad thing. At first he was feeling a little objectified but then he had a moment to think and things made a little more sense. Dean was smart and funny. He was a nice guy and he did help people, but those were all things Michael could be proud of in a father and he obviously was. Those things had probably helped foster a little crush, but Dean's stunning good looks and rockin' bod had obviously kept the fires burning.

"I'm sorry."

"Michael, it's okay." Dean laughed. "Really. I get it."

"Do you really? Both of you?"

"I do."

"Me too." Sam nodded. "And we all known Jensen's been dying to get a piece-o-Winchester for a while now."

"He couldn't have made a better choice."

"Hardly. He didn't even touch me."

"I would kill him dead." Dean said. "And made sure no one brought him back for shits and giggles."

"Oh, dad, don't joke about…oh, you're serious."

"As a blow dryer." Dean whispered. "Now go talk to him and make sure he knows he can make eye contact with you without me killing him."

"Are we okay?"

"Always."

"Dad?"

"You know we are." Sam said. "Always."

Sam leaned forward and gave Michael a kiss on the cheek and Dean did the same. In a perfect world he just would have been their son after they adopted him but the world was far from perfect. He had been a friend first and Dean knew first hand that sometimes people had no control over their feelings. If that was the case he wouldn't be sharing his life with Sam which would have sucked more than anything else in the world. Dean was glad he couldn't stop loving him and he was even glad that Michael loved him in any way he wanted to. It was even secretly a little gratifying since Sam had been bragging about Milo and Evan being his boyfriends. Dean had Ollie and Michael so he wasn't doing so bad either. He had John too but that was like bringing a grenade launcher to a fight after school near the flagpole.

"What was that about?" Dean asked after Michael left. "You understand?"

"Yes."

"What happened with you two?"

"That's none of your business, Mr. Winchester." Sam said. "We had a moment."

"Tell me, Sammy." Dean laughed. "I might need to know."

"You have to promise not to freak out or obsess about this."

"When have I ever done that!"

"Dean."

"Fine! I'll try my very best. What is it?"

Sometimes Sam got a funny look in his eye that always made Dean nervous. He obviously wanted to say whatever was on his mind, but he was afraid to. Dean made it easier on him by scooting over some and then completely ignoring the look and shove Milo gave him. It seemed like Sam had maybe shared his secret with Michael or at the very least Anthony because that look in his eye was familiar. Dean tried to make it even easier on him by reading his thoughts but loud pop music was blaring inside Sam's head which meant he was working his ass off to keep his thoughts private.

"Remember that night in Caribou?" Sam asked. "In Maine, when we…wow, I just realized that's the dumbest question I've ever asked."

"Second dumbest. You asked me to marry you once."

"Couple times if memory serves."

"What about Caribou?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, Dean, and please don't question me about it once I tell you."

"I can't guarantee no questions, but I'll try."

"Okay." Sam sighed. "When you told me you loved me, that you had feelings for me…if I…if I hadn't felt the same way…shit."

"Sammy, we've been together for nine years, you can tell me anything."

"If I hadn't felt the same way I would have slept with you anyway."

"Oh…" Dean whispered. "Why?"

"You gave up everything for me, Dean. Your childhood, your everything. You went without so I didn't have to. You kept me safe, you were a father, a brother, and a friend all at the same time and never complained about it once. How the hell else was I ever going to repay you for that?"

"Sammy…"

"I'm sorry." Sam whispered. "I didn't mean to…"

"Hey, hey, it's okay, Sammy, come here."

Milo never really liked Dean moving in on his territory but with Sam crying he didn't say or do anything. He was kind of looking up and watching while Dean pulled Sam close but he stayed quiet and so did Mary. She was watching too and again looked like she was trying to understand. She couldn't understand it though and even once she was older Dean doubted she'd really get it. No one would really get it except for maybe Michael and he had to come at it from a completely different angle.

"I did feel the same way, Dean."

"I know that, Sammy. I've always known that."

"But if I didn’t, I would have still slept with you."

"I can live with that and not freak out." Dean laughed. "You think Michael wanted to pay me back with sex?"

"I think growing up like he did he didn't think he had anything else to offer. I think before he left Alabama he knew he was going to do anything to stay with us."

"Oh, I flirted with him and he saw an opportunity."

"And maybe he was preparing himself for that and eventually realized having sex with you wouldn't exactly be unpleasant."

"Well, we're all very complicated, aren't we?"

"Totally." Sam sighed. "I'm very emotional lately."

"It's been a rough, long day. What do we do about Michael?"

"Nothing. I punished him already."

"You what?" Dean asked. "You punished him for touching Jensen in the wiener? What's next punishing the kids for good grades and hygiene?"

"You're damn right I did." Sam said as he sat up. "He knows to ask permission before touching my things."

"I…"

"We have to set boundaries. Today he's touching my Bunny's wiener and tomorrow he could be wearing my shoes."

"How'd you punish him? You weren't too hard on him were you?"

"Well." Sam smiled. "Let's just say that he'll think twice before he invites anyone else to his bedroom, and I'm still the best brother there is."

"Oh, because you punished him and now I don't have to?"

"Hardly." Sam said before he nodded into the distance. "Check it out."

Pretty much everyone was outside so it took Dean a second to follow Sam's eyes. They were fixed on Jeremy who had emerged from his guest house with a full head of beautiful, dark brown, shiny, pin straight hair. He ran right to Michael and was flipping his head all over the place to show it off which Ollie didn't appreciate either. Michael probably appreciated it a little less because he punched Jeremy in the stomach, knocked him down, and then instructed all the kids to pile on top of him for tickles.

"Sammy! He just jacked off Jensen, it's not like he took my car for a joy ride!"

"He's gotta learn!"

"You made him give his straightening iron to Jeremy? Dude, harsh."

"Just for the weekend." Sam said. "Aaron went to pick up a new one today and he's bringing it on Monday."

"Remind me to not piss you off."

"You like it when I get pissed off."

"Eh, guilty." Dean sighed. "I sort of miss Aaron. I haven't been molested in a really long time."

"Well, that won't do."

"It's not the same when you do it, Sammy." Dean frowned. "You never get the catholic guilt right and you encourage me to tell dad after it's over."

"Oh, gimme another shot."

"Fine!"

"Call me Father Winchester."

"Sammy…"

"Blessed is the fruit of thy womb." Sam whispered. "Lead us directly into temptation and deliver us from sex with people not in our immediate family."

"Nasty!"

"You love it." Sam said before pausing. "Dad! Come get these penguins."

"Dahbwahdah!"

"It's okay baby." Sam said. "Daddy just needs a few minutes to make sure this altar boy isn't as dirty as he looks."

"I'm very dirty. Not in a jacking off a guy in front of the future husband kind of dirty, but still."

"What is it?" John asked as he walked over. "You want me to beat him off for you?"

"No, I can do it." Sam said. "Can you watch the babies for a while?"

"I suppose so. Come on you two. You're far too young and impressionable."

Mary and Milo both put up a fight but eventually John tickled them until they let go. Dean was finally alone with Sam for the first time since they woke up and the privacy was nice because he really needed to confess all of his sins before being punished accordingly and hopefully repeatedly.