Hey everybody! Thanks so much for the reviews, follows and favorites! I decided to post this chapter a little earlier this week. I'm working on a couple more ideas for the domestic life of the Winchesters so I should have something new for you again about the same time next week. Hope you enjoy!

Dean opened his bedroom door and stopped. An older black labrador with a greying face was sitting in front of him, it's nose wiggling as it sniffed his pajama pants and it's tongue wagging out of its mouth. Dean grimaced as the dog licked his pant leg and looked up at him with loving, curious eyes. He stepped around the dog and jumped when the dog barked at him. The old thing stood up and trotted down the hallway, leaving Dean to stand there wondering where the hell a dog had come from.

Dean followed the dog through the headquarters, it's claws clacking on the floor as it trotted through the hallways with a clear destination in mind. It turned down the hallway to the left, the room opening up into what they had turned into their dining area. Sam sat at the table, a cup of coffee from the nearest coffee shop and a stack of newspapers sitting in front of him.

"Morning," he called without looking at Dean. He slid another cup of coffee across the table in Dean's direction. Dean eyed the dog as it went up to Sam, plopped down on its back legs and placed its head on Sam's leg.

"What is that thing doing here?"

"It's not a thing, it's a 'he.'" Sam patted the dog on its head, scratching the fur behind its ears. "I went out to get some coffee this morning, and he was just sitting next to the Impala when I came out of the coffee shop. He didn't have a collar or any tags. I couldn't just leave him there!"

"Well it's not staying, is it?"

"Well..." Sam looked down at the dog and patted his head again. Dean glared at the dog, still standing on the other side of the room. "I was hoping we could at least hang on to him until we find out if he has a home or not. Who knows? A dog might be good around this place."

"Are you kidding me? We're gone all the time, they eat and poop and eat some more. They're messy!"

Sam grunted, shutting the conversation down so Dean couldn't further discourage keeping the dog. Dean eyed the thing as it followed Sam when he stood up and walked to the kitchen. He could have sworn he saw a trail of fur floating through the air as it trotted along behind his brother. He grimaced as he thought about the mess a dog could make, especially an old one, shuddering at the thought of following it around cleaning up after it. Picking up his coffee from the table as he turned, he left the dining room and took quick strides back to his room.

He shut his bedroom door, leaning against it deep in thought. He didn't like pets, they were just another form of commitment that made you weak. They're messy, they make you feel attached, and then they die. Not to mention the fact that the only thing big dogs made Dean think of were hellhounds on his heels, tearing into his flesh, dragging him back to Hell. He was not a dog person, and Sam couldn't change that.

"What's going on in that mind of your's?" Cas was sitting in the chair on his half of the room, a book resting on his lap. Dean's eyes snapped open, unaware that Cas was still in their room. Dean walked over and slumped on the king-sized bed.

"Sam brought home a stray dog."

Cas smiled to himself, he knew how Dean would feel about a pet even though he had also tried to convince Dean several times that they needed another addition to their family. "What do you think about it?"

Dean lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, "I hope Sam gets rabies." Cas chuckled. He lay down on the bed next to Dean, looking up at the ceiling with him. The two stayed there in silence for some time, Cas listening to Dean's breathing slowing as he fell back asleep.

...

Dean cracked his eyes open to the sound of something scratching at his door. A slight whimper woke him up completely. Still facing the ceiling, Dean looked up and tried to make sense of the sound. Why would Cas or Sam be making noises at his door? A small high pitched bark slipped under the door as if the dog had heard his thoughts. Dean turned his head and glared at the door. He could see the floor under his door steaming up as the dog shoved its nose in the small gap.

He rolled over, his back to the door. "Go away." A small yip came in reply as soon as he spoke. Dean rolled back over, exasperated. "FINE." He jumped out of bed and flung the door open hoping it would scare the dog away. It didn't. The dog sat up, tail wagging, panting up at Dean.

"What do you want?" The dog barked at him again. He sighed and shut his door on the dog again. Maybe if I'm quiet, it'll go away. He tiptoed to his bed and sat down very slowly. The dog scratched at his door again.

"You should probably do something about that." Cas made Dean jump when the angel popped in next to him on the bed.

"Dammit Cas. Stop doing that."

"Would you rather I had opened the door?" Dean humphed, rolling his shoulders. "Why does the dog bother you so much?"

"I just don't like dogs, Cas."

"That's quite evident," Cas paused and stared at the sliver of the dog's nose he could see under the door. "I will talk to him for you." Cas stood and opened the door, the dog sitting up once again to stare at the angel.

"Hello, there," Cas patted the old, handsome lab on the head and sat down next to him. The two stared at each other for some time, Dean looking on with a look of doubt. Cas nodded and looked up at Dean, "He needs to go outside."

"Oh, is that all it has to say? Tell it that it can go bug Sam for that." Dean pulled on the old robe he had found when they first arrived at the Men of Letters headquarters and grabbed the now cold coffee.

"He would also prefer that you don't call him 'it.'"

Dean sighed and pushed past the angel and the dog. As he walked down the hallway he could hear that familiar click clack of the dog's claws. He looked behind him and saw both the dog and Cas following his footsteps. Cas tilted his head and smirked at Dean. He decided to ignore them both.

...

Sam's head was resting on an ancient book, probably another collection of hunters' reports on new monsters they encountered and new lore they discovered. Dean tossed a wad of notebook paper at Sam that he found on the floor. Sam jumped up looking around for whatever woke him and glared at Dean when he saw he was the culprit. Dean pointed his thumb behind him as the dog followed on his heels, "Your stray needs a trip outside." He dropped the cup of cold coffee in the trash can and headed toward the kitchen in hopes that he could escape the dog and Sam's own puppy dog eyes.

Sam sighed, rubbing his hands across his face, eyes still half closed, "Can you take him for me? Just this one time."

Dean considered protesting more, but his little brother really did look pretty ragged around the edges. His shoulders slumped as he resigned, "Fine." Dean turned to find the dog sitting right behind his legs, staring up at him. Cas, however was no longer standing near him. He looked around, wondering if Cas had taken off without a word again. Turning back around to Sam, he found him sitting at the table with his brother. "Aren't you coming?"

"I think the two of you should get to know each other." Cas looked down at the piles of books on the table, trying to make himself look busy. Sam tried to hide a smile as Dean turned and stomped down the hall toward the front door, grumbling under his breath the whole way.

Cas got up after Dean left and went into the kitchen, and Sam soon heard several crashes and bangs. When Cas emerged he carried two cups of coffee, one large one filled to the top which he handed to Sam. Sam looked up at him with thanks and took a giant gulp of the piping hot drink. Cas sat down across the table and looked across the heaps of papers and books on the table.

"I think we should call him Bildad," nodding in the direction the dog had followed Dean when Sam looked confused.

"What the hell kind of name is that?" Sam looked at Cas doubtfully from his fresh cup of coffee.

"It means 'old friend.' I think it's very fitting since that dog is older than either of you."

"Dog years aren't the same, Cas."

"Well Bildad is quite convinced otherwise." He took a sip of small cup of coffee he had made for himself, "I'm also quite sure he'll be staying here for some time."

Sam raised his eyebrows, "Oh, really?"

Cas nodded into his cup of coffee, "He likes you two."

...

Then next morning, Dean woke to scratching on his door again. Cas rolled over, turning his back to Dean and the door. Dean jumped out of bed and flung the door open, "Why won't you go harass Sam?!" The dog looked up at him expectantly.

"You're not gonna go away, are you?" The dog licked its chops and sat down in Dean's doorway. Dean looked back at Cas hopefully, maybe he could convince Cas to take the damn dog outside. Cas rolled onto his stomach, avoiding turning his face toward him. Dean turned and grabbed his jacket, grunting and grumbling as he threw his boots on half laced up. He closed the door behind him and stormed past the dog, although it quickly caught up with him and licked his hand before he pulled it away and opened the front door.

Dean leaned against the Impala, hands shoved in his pockets and breath clouding in front of him. The old black lab paced around on the other side of the private road in front of their home. He watched the dog as it went about exploring the grass and trees, although it didn't wander too far and it looked for Dean every couple minutes to make sure he was still there. Dean couldn't help a small smirk as the dog finished its business and pranced through the grass toward him, its ears flopping on each side of his face. He stopped in front of Dean and barked at him, leaning down on his front legs, taking a playful stance ready to run at a moment's notice. He barked and took off again, running into the grass and whipping his head around as he picked up a stick and ran back to Dean.

"You're kind of a charmer, ain't you?" Dean looked down at the dog and the stick skeptically. He picked up the stick and tossed it across the road. The dog took off and brought it back quicker than Dean would have expected from a dog that looked so old. He tossed the stick a few more times for him, forgetting about the cold and his dislike for the dog at the same time.

Finally ready to go back inside, Dean patted the side of his leg and called for the dog to follow him back to the door. The dog bolted past him and sat patiently, staring at Dean as he slowly approached. Dean caught sight of what looked like a large scar on the inside of one of the dog's front legs. Dean bent down to rub his hand across it, the cheerful lab now tensing up. The fur was a little thinner on the inside of his right leg, a pink scar that hinted he had been bitten and torn at in the past. He looked the dog in the eyes, and they were full of sorrow and embarrassment. Dean spotted another scar underneath his chin, a long line that stood out a little more among the grey hair on his face and neck. Dean could feel his heart sink; another war torn soul.

As soon as Dean took his hand away from the scars and patted the dog on the head, his bubbly demeanor returned. Dean opened the door for him and followed him inside. The two walked together down the hall, returning to Dean's room. The dog stopped in the doorway and watched Dean as he removed his jacket and boots. After sitting back down on the bed next to Cas, he looked back at the dog that sat obediently at the threshold. Dean lay down and whistled quietly to call him into the room, dropping his head over the edge of the bed to encourage him. The dog stood up and took a few cautious steps into the room, unsure what to think of this invitation. He walked up to Dean, nuzzled his nose on his hand and lay down on the floor next to Dean's side of the bed.

Cas rolled over and faced Dean, "I thought you didn't like dogs."

"Yeah. Well I guess this one's kinda growing on me."

There it is! What do you guys think of the new addition? As always, please leave me reviews and any thoughts you have. I love constructive criticism as well as chatting about Supernatural.