Hi everyone! Thank you for reading - I appreciate your time. If you have the time/inclination, I'd love to know what you think of this. There are about four other chapters to follow. That's the plan, at least. Each chapter will focus on moments between different characters. I hope to have a new chapter up every day or so.

Give 'Em a Second Chance

John was home with Dean while Mary ran her errands, so there was time. She felt guilty he didn't know one of those errands involved going to the doctor's office. But the need to be sure overrode her guilt. Mary clutched the piece of paper in her left hand and stroked it with the trembling fingers of her right. Strange how such a small thing could frighten her like no supernatural creature ever had. Positive. It was positive. For the second time in her life, she was pregnant. And while there was joy in it (Dean was the best thing to ever happen to her, and now he would have a baby brother or sister), she was also sick with anxiety. If his drinking was any indication, John was unhappy in their marriage. She wasn't happy either. They were not getting along well. Only a few days ago, she'd asked him to leave the house for a while, to give them time apart so they could both think. If she couldn't find a way to make it work out with him, she might have to be a single mom, which would be hard. Or worse, she'd have to look up her cousins and ask for help. That would mean raising her children in a world filled with monsters and the people who hunted them. The very thing she been trying so hard to avoid.

She shook her head and placed a protective hand over her stomach. "Don't worry, baby. Mommy will figure this out."

The drive home went too quickly as Mary considered and discarded options. No matter what they decided to do, she had to tell John about the new baby.

When she entered the house, it was quiet. At first she thought John might have put Dean down for a nap, but then she heard a squeal and laughter from out back. Dean came pelting toward her when she entered the yard. He was carrying a baseball and had on one of John's baseball caps, backwards, since it was too big for him.

"Mama, I caught the ball. Daddy throwed it real hard, but I caught it, every time." An enormous grin spread across his cherub face.

"You did? How many times did you catch it?"

"So many times!" He laughed, playing along with their personal joke.

"As many times as there are stars in your eyes?"

"More!" Dean shouted.

"As many times as you have cute little freckles on your face?" Mary tapped one freckle with the tip of her finger.

"Lots more!" Dean was giggling now.

"As many times as you'll hear me tell you I love you?"

"Yep. That many, Mama."

John came over and hoisted Dean up against his shoulder. "Okay, slugger. It's time for you to take a nap now. Mommy and I need to talk."

A scowl flashed on Dean's tiny face. "Not tired," he announced petulantly.

"Sorry. That doesn't matter. It's quiet time now, which means you stay in your bed until you fall asleep, or until quiet time is over. Let's go." John tickled his son as he carried him into the house, ignoring cries of "No. Not quiet time! I'm not tired."

"I'll make us some lemonade to drink," Mary called as John headed upstairs with Dean.

"Thanks," he answered.

When John came back to the kitchen half an hour later, a pitcher of lemonade was in the center of the table, along with the pie Mary made the day before. She cut two slices and placed them on plates, then poured lemonade.

"Did he finally fall asleep, or did it take you that long to convince him he needed to stay in bed?" Mary got some napkins and placed them alongside the plates. Then she retreated to the sink where she washed the knife she'd used to cut the pie.

John chuckled, then said, "He fell asleep as I was reading to him. I spent the last fifteen minutes watching him sleep." He sat at the table and indicated everything she had put out. "This is wonderful, thanks, hon." John gave her the charming smile that always made Mary's heart ache for so many reasons, not the least of which was she saw it on Dean's face at least once a day.

"I need to talk to you." She leaned against the counter, wiping her hands with a towel. Long after they were dry, she clutched the towel in her hands.

John frowned. "Mary, please. I know that I've screwed things up. But I want to come home. I miss you and Dean. I yell too much, I'm bad with money, I can't seem to keep a job... None of that changes the fact that I love you. I love our son, and I want to fix this."

Mary finally sat at the table, running her fingers over the drops of condensation on the side of her lemonade glass."I need you to be someone I can count on, John. I deserve that."

"You do. And more than that. Please, Mary. I can't guarantee that I won't make mistakes. Hell, you know I probably will. I'll keep trying to get it right though. I want to be a good husband for you and a good father for Dean." He pleaded with her, looking into her eyes longingly. When she didn't respond after a minute, he put his hand over hers and squeezed.

"Sweetheart. Give me a second chance."

She closed her eyes briefly, and heard her mother's voice in her head. Against the riot of questions and anxieties in her head, her quiet advice sounded. 'It's never a bad thing to give a good man a second chance.'

"Okay." She sighed, then told him, "I love you. And Dean and Sam deserve to have their father in their lives."

John's smile of relief washed away in shock. He sat back in the chair, still holding her hand. "Dean... and Sam?"

Nodding, Mary placed her other hand over her stomach.

"Really? A baby?" He knelt beside her, cupping his hands over hers. "When?"

"In about five months. Can't you tell? I'm getting fat." She rolled her eyes at herself.

"You're beautiful. And Sam. You already picked a name? It's a boy?"

"I don't know if it's a boy or a girl. Samuel if it's a boy, Samantha if it's a girl. Sam."

John pressed his cheek against her abdomen. "Hey there, Sammy. It's Dad. Love you, kiddo. I want you to know that I'm going to do everything I can to be the best daddy for you and your brother."

Mary chuckled and ran her fingers through John's thick dark hair. When he raised his head, she stroked his jawline.

"I'll do everything, Mary. I'll make sure they grow up strong and good. We will. Together. Promise me?"

She nodded and whispered, "Promise."