A/N- So sorry about the wait. A lot of crap happened and I've gotten behind in everything.

Hope you guys like it!

The drive home was an easy one. Dean relaxed a bit, seeing nobody around. There was hardly ever anyone out on the far side of town, where Dean lived, in the early afternoon, they were still at work or in class. Dean was just glad that on Tuesdays, he only had two early morning classes, meaning he could get home at lunch and have the rest of the day to spend with his son.

Pulling into the nearly empty parking lot of the small apartment complex, Dean let out a tired sigh. He had only been at school a couple weeks and he already felt over whelmed.
He parked the Impala in its unofficial, reserved parking spot; everyone in the complex had one. His was in between a standard government issued black SUV and a sad excuse for a car that looked like it was going to fall apart at any moment. The cars belonged to his neighbors, who were both currently absent from their places. Dean didn't exactly hate his neighbors, but some people named Becky shouldn't be that happy. It was unnatural.

After gathering up his school stuff and a few bags from a supply run the previous night, Dean locked the car and proceeded his walk to the side door of the smallest building out of the three that made up the apartment complex. Dean tried to wave the best he could to Mrs. Perkins, who was watering her dead tomato plants even though it was still the middle of winter, as he passed by her ground level patio.

Although his building was small, it contained the bigger apartments. Each floor housed six apartment spaces instead of the normal eight or ten, allowing a larger kitchen and second bedroom. More square-footage meant they cost more. Luckily, the land lord was an old friend of his uncle, so he was able to get a discount, and if Dean helped out every once in a while with maintenance, his land lord, Rufus, bent the rules on when rent was due. The apartment was located on the far edge of the little college town. Some people even considered it to be in the next town over, which for Dean was an added plus. He hoped the day some desperate girl followed him home would never happen.

Dean hated when he was given special treatment because he had a baby. But if it wasn't for the particular arrangement, he and his son wouldn't have a decent place to live.

The trip from the car to his apartment was short, including the walk up two flights of stairs. Since the cars belonging to he's neighbors were gone, it was likely they were gone too. Only four apartments, including his, were currently occupied. Becky Rosen and her boyfriend Chuck lived diagonally across the hall from Dean. From what he gathered, Chuck was an author who constantly barricaded himself in his study working on the novel that was going to make him famous. Dean was pretty sure it was about a pair of demon hunting brothers, or something along those lines.

One of the residences directly besides Dean's was vacant, and in the other lived a dude named Hendrickson. No one on the floor was sure what he did for a living. Based on his SUV and the fact that he seemed to work odd hours or would be gone for days or weeks at a time, Becky had a theory that he was some sort of FBI agent. Nobody ever bothered asked him.

Lastly there was Anna, the young, artistic red-head who lived directly across the hall. Out of all the tenants, they were the closest friends-wise. Dean and Anna first met the day he pulled into the parking lot with his uncle, brother, and a six-month old James in tow. She had been doing yoga in a strip of grassy lawn beside the open courtyard, and offered to watch the baby while the men unpacked Dean's boxes. Dean had declined her offered until Bobby, his uncle, claimed to be too old for all the heavy lifting and proposed he'd take a break to watch James. Bobby had invited Anna to sit with him, and Dean quickly got over his distrusting of the woman when he saw how much his son liked her. James hated strangers as much as his father, and rarely let anyone who wasn't Dean, Sam, or Bobby hold him.

After all the unpacking was finished Anna had invited them into her apartment for lunch, which resulted in Dean and Anna becoming instant friends. Now they're like the siblings they never had, Anna being a few years older than Dean. She quickly stepped up to be James' practically full time nanny, sometimes spending more time in Dean's apartment than her own. It was nice to have someone right across the hall he could trust and Anna did everything in her power to make Dean's life easier.

As Dean unlocked the door, he could hear Anna's voice wafting though the air, along with the smell of something delicious coming from the oven. She was singing a children's song that was unrecognizable to Dean, while trying to feed James peas and carrots.

"Hey" Dean walked over and set his bags and a stack of papers on the counter.

Anna stopped singing and looked over her shoulder at the man "Hi, Dean. How was class?"

"How do you think it was?"

She turned her body to look at him straight on and gave him an exasperated looked that almost rivaled his brother's. Almost.

"It was fine, Annie. If you don't include the number of times some girl, or guy, asked me to a party and or tried to get in my pants."

The timer on the oven went off. Dean switched spots with Anna, leaving his spot against the counter to watch James attempt to feed himself with a spoon. Anna rolled her eyes at the nickname as they passed each other.

"Don't call me Annie."

"You're the one you made me watch that movie with you."

"I was researching it for my next art piece."

To Dean, it always seemed like Anna was starting a new piece of art, having never finished the one she started before. She blamed it on being an art major.

When James saw that his father was now currently sitting in the chair in front of him, his chubby face lit up and he tried to say "Dada" around the food that was currently in his mouth.

"Hey, Buddy. Did you have a fun time playing with Miss Anna?"

James didn't answer, too enamored by the food rolling around on the tray attached to his high chair.

Dean huffed softly. "I'll take that as a yes."

Anna smiled fondly to herself as she took the baking dish out of the oven.

"I noticed you were running low on adult food, so I called my brother to pick some stuff up at the store on his way to work. I also figured you'd be hungry when you got back from class, so I made lunch for you."

"You know you didn't have to." Dean looked back a James when he fussed to get out of the high chair. "I am capable of feeding myself."

"And you do know heating something up in the microwave doesn't count as feeding yourself?"

Anna handed Dean a damp paper towel to wipe up James' sticky hands and face. For someone who was usually laid back, Anna could have a pretty feisty attitude.

Anna was always trying to doing things for Dean. And it wasn't difficult to see that he was tight on money. Still, Dean felt bad about her working for free, so he always tried to pay her. She refused his offer at first, but when Anna did give in she never kept the money; she would slip cash back into his wallet, buy the man groceries and make him meals, or buy things for James. Once Dean caught onto what Anna was doing, she set up a college fund for James. She even got Sam to regularly put money into the account since Dean wasn't accepting the money Sam was giving him. Even though Dean didn't know about the savings account, it was there if he needed it.

"So Dean, do you have any plans for your birthday" Anna stood with one arm draped along the back of the high chair and one on her hip as a playful smile graced her lips. "It is your 21st if I remember correctly."

Dean nodded. "I don't have any plans."

"Oh come on Dean. You can actually legally drink now. Go to a bar, or even go to one of the parties you've been invited to. Have a little fun."

"Maybe I don't want to get drunk." Dean stopped wiping off James. "Maybe the last time I did get drunk, I got my girlfriend pregnant. Now, I love my son and wouldn't change a thing about what happened. I just don't want to make the same bad decision twice."

The kitchen was quiet and the tension settled heavy, even James had quit fussing.

Anna walked over to the couch and started to pack up the sketch books that she had brought over in her bag. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Dean slouched in his chair and rubbed his eyes. "No, I'm sorry. I over reacted."

"It's fine. I'd better go, so you guys can spend some time together." Anna smiled. "And if you change your mind, I'd be happy to watch James overnight for you."

"Thanks." Dean picked up a now clean James and followed Anna to the door. "I'll think about it."

Anna quickly kissed James and Dean on the forehead. "See you later, boys."

Dean held his son's hand up and waved good bye to Anna while she was unlocking her door.

"Bye, bye, Annie."