Title: Family Means Everything

Fandom: Supernatural

Summary: Completely AU. Set pre-pilot. Dean's got his hands full raising his two kids on his own, hunting, trying to please his father, and checking up on his baby brother Sammy. Is there anyway he and Sammy will ever be close again? Will the fact that Dean has kids help them mend their fractured relationship? Don't worry there will be hunting for both Sam and Dean. After all they still have to find John.

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or any of it's characters, but I sure as hell wish I owned Dean and the Impala. A girl can dream can't she.

Chapter 2: Dinner and John

Dean rolled his eyes at his father's ranting as he placed each twin in their respective high chairs. Then he walked over to the microwave and pulled out the Gerber Graduate lil' meals, the kids loved the pasta with meat sauce. He let them cool off a little before walking over and placing them in front of Alec and Asha. Alec smiled as he picked up some pasta and held it out to Dean. "Daddy eat!", Alec screeched, happily.

Dean smiled back, wide and bright, "You eat it kiddo."

"Ehhh", Alec screeched, frustrated. Daddy eat pwease!", he said, his lower lip jutting out in a pout, wide green eyes pleading with his daddy.

Dean couldn't help it, he melted. The puppy dog eyes always got to him, had since Sammy was a little guy. Sammy had learned pretty quickly that puppy dog eyes and pouting worked to his advantage. Well, he could at least always get Dean to cave, unless whatever it was that he wanted wasn't safe. Dean had the feeling it wouldn't take Alec and Asha long to figure it out, either. He smiled brightly and spoke enthusiastically, "How 'bout Daddy eats…Big Al!"

Dean leaned forward, nuzzling the side of Alec's head, pretending to eat him up. Listening to Alec and Asha's hysterical laughter had Dean smiling contentedly, god he loved his kids. Speaking deeply, loudly, "Or maybe Daddy should eat… Asha up!" Another fit of giggles erupted from his children as he proceeded to pretend to eat his daughter up.

"Daddy's silly!", Asha squeaked, giggling happily. Alec just smiled and thrust the pasta up at Dean.

"Oh, how silly of me, I'm supposed to eat the pasta.", Dean said, making an exaggerated display of figuring it out. He opened his mouth wide and Alec dropped some pasta in. "Mmmm's good!", Dean said, loudly, "You eat now, 'kay."

They both nodded and turned their attention to their food.

Suddenly John yelled, causing Alec and Asha to stop eating, and Dean to jump a few feet in the air in shock. "Dean are you even listening to me?!"

Dean bowed his head before looking up at his father through lowered lashes. "No sir, sorry sir.", he answered, softly.

"Dean this is important.", John huffed, impatiently.

"Oh yeah, 'cause me takin' care of my kids is so unimportant right?", Dean spoke, sardonically.

"Dean you better change your tone of voice, because I'm so not in the mood.", John spoke, sharply.

Dean spoke, softly, "Sorry sir."

"Good. Now, like I said before this is really important, it's a favor to Jim. Three people have died already and one of them was a hunter, a friend of Jim's. The guy had been hunting for a long time, so it's not like he made any rookie mistakes. Which means this is gonna be a tough hunt, and I need your help. So you're going, and that's an order." John spoke, firmly, his voice raised.

"Sir, can you please lower your voice, you're scaring the munchkins okay?", Dean asked, softly.

John nodded and walked into the living room. Dean turned back to his kids and said, "Keep eating kiddos, I'll be right back."

The he turned, following John into the living room before saying, "Look sir, you know I love Pastor Jim. If I could help you on this hunt I would, but I already have a hunt lined up in Berkley. I really owe this guy okay, he did me a huge favor, got me this great job. I really need the money, I have to provide for Al and Asha."

"Where's the job Dean?", John questioned, running a frustrated hand through his already ruffled hair.

"Dad please don't be mad…", Dean pleaded, softly.

"Dean, where is the damn job?", John asked, his voice carrying a steely edge to it, olive green eyes flashing with anger.

"It's in Palo Alto, but it doesn't have anything to do with Sammy. Marissa's sister Rachel, you met her, well her neighbors moved and I'm going to rent the place. Rachel's offering to help me out with the kids and I need the help. Plus she wants to get to know her niece and nephew, and Asha and Alec deserve to get to know her. So, my friend got me a job as a mechanic at this Auto Dealership in the area. He had to fight really hard to get it for me and all he asked from me in return was to take care of a problem he's having.", Dean answered, his hazel-green eyes assessing John warily. His father was acting like more of an ass than usual, which meant he was drunk.

"Damn it Dean! You know, we wouldn't be in this situation if you used protection when you were screwin' around with Marissa! The next time you talk to Rachel you tell her to tell that bitch to get her act together and help raise her goddamn kids!", John screamed, his eyes ablaze, and his chest heaving.

"I wasn't screwin' around with Marissa, I love her, and don't you dare insinuate that my kids are mistakes! I love my kids' dad! THEY'RE NOT A GODDAMN MISTAKE, THEY'RE EVERYTHING TO ME!", Dean roared, his voice full of pure venom.

Dean sucked in a harsh breath, and exhaled slowly, heavily. He ran a shaky hand over his face as he tried to control his breathing. He roughly wiped his sweaty palm on his jeans and looked up at his father, eyes blazing. "Dad I'm sorry I yelled like that, but don't ever talk about my babies that way again.", Dean spoke, sharply.

A moment later he spoke softly, running a tired hand through his hair, "Um you… you should eat something dad. Come in the kitchen, I'll make you something."

"Jesus Christ Dean, I'm sorry! I didn't mean any of that. Shit! I just… I'm stressed about this hunt and I'm taking it on you, that's not fair. God, if somebody talked about you and Sammy like that in front of me I'd punch them!", John exclaimed, pacing around the room and running a hand through his already ruffled hair.

"Dad it's okay, I know you didn't mean it. Now come on, I'll make you something to eat.", Dean spoke, firmly.

"Dean it's not okay, I mean they're my grandchildren and I barely know them. I… I should just go.", John said as he headed for the front door.

Dean ran in front of his father, putting his hands in front of him, the universal sign for stop. "Whoa, dad slow down. Look you've been drinking, you shouldn't be driving."

"Dean I'm fine, just let me go.", John said, sharply.

"Dad please stay, I… I'm worried about you. Just please I'll make you something to eat and then you can relax for awhile. I'll call Bobby and see if he can hunt with you, okay?", Dean pleaded some-what desperately, hazel-green eyes shining with concern.

John's face softened considerably at his son's thinly veiled distress. Sighing heavily, he moved closer to his son, hand reaching up to cup Dean's neck. He rubbed his thumb up and down on Dean's neck soothingly, shooting his son a half smile saying, "I can do that kiddo."

God, Dean was the only one he could calm him down, steady him. He was so much like Mary that it sometimes hurt John to be around him. He had Mary's hair even if it was darker now than it had been when he was a little boy, he had her sparkling hazel-green eyes, her nose, her freckles, which were especially noticeable in the summer, he had her lips and her smile. He also had a lot of her personality, they had the same laugh, the same sense of humor, and that smirk. They both loved music, the same kind, too. Dean had Mary's ability to feel things deeply, he loved wholeheartedly, he felt such compassion for people. He'd do anything for his family, he always put them first, just like Mary had. He had her passion and zealous for life, no matter how many times it knocked him down Dean would get back up and make the best of it. He'd never complained about the life he'd been dealt, he just took everything in stride. 'Oh Mary, if you were here I know you'd be so proud of him. Everything he's done for this family, everything he's sacrificed. You have every right to be mad at me because both our baby boys deserve so much better. But I still know you'd be proud of him, he was always such a good boy and now he's an amazing man. Oh Mary, I hope you can forgive me.', John thought to himself.

Just then a loud splat sounded from the kitchen and John watched as his son's body grew tense. He resumed the soothing motion on his son's neck and said, "Relax Ace, I'll clean up whatever the mess is, you get your kids cleaned up, okay? Then you can make dinner for you and I, and I can put Alec and Asha to bed."

Dean nodded shooting his father an appreciative glance and they both headed for the kitchen. When they got into the kitchen they saw the Gerber Graduate container along with a bunch of meat sauce on the floor. Dean turned to look at his children, Asha was sitting quietly in her high chair, spreading the sauce around on her tray. Alec was waving his spoon around and humming something softly. They were both covered in meat sauce. So, Dean took off both his shirts so he didn't get any sauce on himself. He took the spoon out of Alec's chubby little hand and then picked up both of his messy children. "It's bath time kiddos.", Dean told them, smiling.

He turned to John saying, "Thanks dad.", before heading out of the worn down kitchen.

TBC…

AN: I hope you enjoy this, I'm kind of out of it right now because I'm in a lot of pain, so I don't know how good it's going to be. Please review, it's very much appreciated. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Thanks,

Alaina