A/N: So I decided to make Benny not in Purgatory in this universe. Just to let you know.


San Diego, CA

Cas was on the phone with Ceirdwyn as they crossed into San Diego County "We'll probably be there in another half hour, Mother…um, we were thinking of getting a motel room, why? Mother, that's not necessary, we…I'll ask him." Cas turned his head to Dean "She wants to know if we want to stay with her and Grace?"

Dean cocked an eyebrow and swallowed the drool that formed thinking about Grace's pie "They have the room?"

"Apparently it's a three-bedroom apartment."

"If it's no trouble" Dean said "their walls sound proof?" after all he planned on lots more sex with Cas. Ceirdwyn's laugh could be heard over the phone.

Cas pressed the phone close to his ear "You heard that? Yes, Mother…okay, Mom, if you insist. We'll see you soon. I love you too." He hung up and sighed.

"Well?" Dean asked.

"She said that she and Grace have noise blocking headphones."

Dean laughed "Okay then. She say what's for dinner?"

"No. But she did say their new bartender slash cook will be making something."

"And she insisted you call her Mom?"

"Apparently Mother makes her feel old."

Dean laughed again and squeezed Cas's thigh.

The pub was actually busy when they walked in. "Perhaps we should use the back entrance?" Cas suggested.

Dean couldn't resist "We always use the back entrance, babe."

Cas tilted his head, brows furrowed and then his eyes widened "Oh. You were making a joke."

"There you boys are" Ceirdwyn came up to them and pulled them both into a hug "You're just in time; Benny's jambalaya is almost finished."

Dean's mouth watered, he loved jambalaya "Is that what we're having?"

"Yep, come on back to the kitchen."

They followed her to the kitchen "So," she said "what brings you boys here?"

Dean looked at Cas "You didn't tell her?"

"I thought it would be best to tell the story in person" Cas said.

Ceirdwyn turned and faced them "Does this have to do with why Sam isn't with you?"

Dean sighed and nodded. It must have shown on his face because Ceirdwyn hugged him tightly "Oh Dean, I'm so sorry, sweetheart. What happened?"

"I think it's best if we discuss it later" Cas was looking at something behind Ceirdwyn.

"Oh" Ceirdwyn let go of Dean and stepped back "Boys this is Benny; it's okay you talk freely in front of him. Benny, this is my son Castiel and his boyfriend, Dean."

"Pleasure to meet you both" Benny was Cajun and a tall bearded man who looked very familiar.

Dean took a step closer to him "Do I know you?"

Benny peered closely at Dean "Damn" he breathed quietly "Ms. Ceirdwyn, you tell them what I am yet?"

Dean narrowed his eyes "And what are you?" his hand hovered over the Colt in his waistband.

"He's a vampire" Cas said, "it's quite apparent."

Ceirdwyn stepped in between Dean and Benny "It's okay, he's a good vampire, I promise."

Then it hit Dean "You were part of Lenore's nest" he said to Benny "I thought your name was Eli."

Benny sighed "I was hiding from my old nest, had to blend in. You're Sam's brother, thought I recognized you."

….

Two bites into the dinner and Dean seemed to have forgotten that Benny was a vampire. "Oh my God, this is the best jambalaya I've ever had."

Benny gave a pleased smile "Thank you Dean. I learned the recipe from an old neighbor lady way back. It's got just the right amount of everythin'."

"Sure does" Dean agreed, nodding enthusiastically.

Ceirdwyn looked wistful "I was in New Orleans before the French Quarter was even called that. You should have seen it."

"I'm sure it was a sight" Benny said "You ever meet the Voo Doo Queen?"

"No, but our friend, who should be here any minute, has."

Castiel tilted his head "Do you mean Methos?"

"Yes, he called earlier and said he'd drop by" Ceirdwyn and Grace tensed.

Methos sauntered into the apartment where they were having dinner "Mhmm, smells like Louisiana in here."

"I don't recall giving you a key" Ceirdwyn said.

Methos smirked "I've been on this rock longer than you, sweetheart" at her glare he coughed nervously and said "uh Mrs. Castiel's mom."

Dean snorted and Methos slid into the empty seat on the other side of Castiel.

"You two get much hunting done?" Methos asked them.

Castiel nodded "It was very satisfying on many levels."

"I'm sure it was" Methos said in a tone of voice, Castiel usually associated with Balthazar.

Dean's face turned red and he kicked Castiel under the table.

"Why did you kick me Dean?"

Everyone's eyes were on them. Dean smiled "So, is there dessert?"

Later that night Dean cuddled up to Cas. Telling Ceirdwyn and Grace about what happened had been hard and Dean didn't want to think about it anymore. They were both naked already, even when they didn't have sex (which was rare) they preferred to cuddle this way, both reveling in skin on skin. It had been surprisingly easy to convince Cas to lay next to him all night. Dean didn't mind him watching him all night provided he wasn't hovering over him like a creeper.

Dean trailed a finger down Castiel's chest to the line of hair that to what he was really after.

Cas moaned softly "Something you want, Dean?"

"You know what I want baby" he wrapped his hand around the angel's hardening cock.

"Oh Dean," Cas kicked off the sheet that was covering them. "Don't tease tonight, I'm not in the mood."

"That's good cause" Dean kissed him "neither am I." He crawled on top of Cas so that their cocks were lined up and rubbing against each other. Dean groaned in pleasure.

"Dean" Cas whined.

Dean chuckled "Okay, okay, relax" he quickly worked his way down and took the angel's cock in his mouth. He still wasn't as good at blowjobs as Cas was but Cas wasn't complaining. He seemed to enjoy it just the same—of course, it wasn't like he had a frame of reference. Meanwhile, Dean did and Cas gave the best BJs in the history of ever. He moved his lips up and down Cas's cock and swirled his tongue around. The angel was writhing and moaning beneath him, hands clutching at Dean's hair.

"Deeeaaannnn!"

Dean poked his tongue at the slit and then crawled over Cas again to reach the lube from the nightstand. He wasn't gonna use it quite yet but he needed to have it handy. He moved back down to Cas's parted legs and pushed his knees up and damn near folded him in half, but Cas, well he was so flexible he could suck his own cock if he wanted to. Dean lowered his tongue to the already puckering pink hole. Before he started rimming Cas, he hadn't been sure what it was going to taste like or if he would need Cas to clean it. But Cas was an angel and didn't really use that part of the body, hadn't at all till they started taking turns. Cas probably had the cleanest butt on the planet. It just had the slightly salty and clean taste of the rest of his skin.

Cas put his legs over Dean's shoulder while he continued to lick. Finally pulled back enough to coat his fingers and insert one in.

"Hurry up Dean" Cas growled.

"Patience is a virtue" Dean replied sassily. Cas groaned in frustration. Dean added another finger and began scissoring and crooking, stimulating Cas's prostate, which caused the angel to almost buck up off the bed.

"Pumpkin" Cas whimpered "I want you inside me."

And Dean couldn't hold out anymore, he loved that private pet name. He slicked himself up and plunged into his angel.

The next morning the power was out in the entire building.

They decided to stay with the women for a while, Dean wasn't sure if he felt like getting back on the road just yet. He liked this, living with Cas and Ceirdwyn and Grace. Methos stopped by sporadically which Cas enjoyed even though he often acted annoyed with the man. They bickered a lot too but Dean soon figured that was how their friendship worked.

Dean got along with Benny too, surprisingly. But the Cajun was all right for a vampire and he had decent taste in music and classic cars. Both Benny and Methos remembered when the first Ford rolled off the line—the women did too but they weren't paying attention all that much. Dean wasn't much of a history buff but he liked listening to the stories the men told—so did Cas. As an angel he never paid much attention to things other than wars and Dean and certain animals.

That was another thing, Dean found out so much more about his angel. And it only served to reaffirm that being in love with Cas was meant to be. He also no longer cared when he had chick-flick thoughts because Cas was worth it.

Dean had never been to the San Diego Zoo and when Ceirdwyn found that out she dragged, him, Cas and Methos to it.

"I was here during the World's Fair when it first opened" Methos said after they passed through the gate. The first thing they saw was the big flock of flamingos.

"Such beautiful birds" Cas sounded almost reverent.

Dean sighed "I can't believe that color occurs in nature."

"Nature is a wonderful thing, Dean" Ceirdwyn said, her arm hooked with Cas's.

"Yes," Cas said "you know God didn't create every creature himself. He had the Archangels help. I think Gabriel had something to do with flamingos."

"Well pink was one of his favorite colors" Methos put in.

Dean chuckled "Not surprising."

"I know he made the platypus."

Cas looked at him, expression excited "Do you think they have one here?"

"Come on, boys" Ceirdwyn said "Let's get started."

Castiel, after a long explanation from his mother and Methos, understood the point of zoos. True, the animals were captive but their enclosures were as close to their natural habitats as humanly possible and they served a great purpose: they allowed humans to appreciate the animals' beauty without having to travel far. That and it taught humans (or was supposed to) to save the animals who remained in the wild.

Castiel loved all animals, well except snakes, but his favorites were the big cats. Dean liked them too. "I think you are much like a mountain lion, my love" Castiel told him.

Dean regarded him with an arched brow "Oh yeah? How's that?"

"The mountain lion, cougar, puma or panther often represent leadership, physical grace, strength, cunning, hunting, intention and self-confidence when facing troublesome people. They are also known for their stealth."

Methos leaned into the conversation "Are you quoting something? 'Cos that's what it sounds like."

Castiel glared at him "You are like an ass."

Methos rolled his eyes and muttered "Between you and MacLeod" then he said more clearly "I view myself more like a tiger and you my dear friend are a harmless little kitten."

Dean stepped between them "Dude, he's no kitten, believe me."

"That reminds me" Ceirdwyn said "I need new noise blocking headphones."

Castiel felt his cheeks heat up and he buried his face in Dean's shoulder.

A little later they sat down to dinner at the zoo's restaurant.

"Ceirdwyn, could you pass the salt please?" Dean asked.

Ceirdwyn tilted her head and smiled "Only if you want to, Dean, you can call me Mom."

Dean was silent for a long moment, clearly stunned and clearly thinking. Eventually he came to a decision. He smiled broadly, got to his feet, went around the table and pulled Ceirdwyn into a hug. A warm, buttery feeling spread through Castiel at the sight and he joined the hug too, whispering thanks in Enochian to his mother.

"I don't think I'll need dessert after this" Methos deadpanned.

Except for one thing missing, and since they were doing research on how to get that one thing back Dean was happy. The thought that good times wouldn't last was in the back of his head but ignored it as best as he could. He promised Sammy after all.

He had surprised himself a little when he agreed to call Ceirdwyn Mom but it had made him feel so wanted and loved, not that he didn't get enough of that from Cas. He thought he might feel a little guilty calling someone else Mom but he realized that even if his own was alive Ceirdwyn would have still let him call her that. And he figured that his own mom would have told Cas to do the same for her.

Since the day he and Cas moved in, Ceirdwyn had declared Sundays family time. It was the four of them who lived in the apartment above the bar and quite often plus Methos and Benny since the bar was closed on Sundays.

Tonight the six of them were playing Monopoly. It was Dean's turn and he picked up a card and sighed. He moved his tiny pewter car directly to jail "Does this game ever end?"

"No" Methos rolled the dice "it never does. Really only when you decide it ends."

"I'm not sure I understand the point of this game" Cas stated.

"I don't think there is one" said Benny.

"I think it's to learn business savvy" said Ceirdwyn.

"No, Benny's right" Methos took a drink of his beer "there is no point. You know why they call 'em board games?'

Dean laughed "'Cause you play 'em when you're bored."

"Exactly" they clinked their bottles.

Ceirdwyn rolled her eyes "Methos, I think you drink too much."

Methos groaned "Please, Ceirdwyn, you know how much I have to drink in order to just get tipsy?"

"I drank a liquor store once" Cas put in. Dean was almost sorry he'd missed the brunt of Cas being drunk.

Methos blinked "The whole thing?"

"Yes."

"So that was you? There was a liquor store in Minnesota, I think; the owner came in one morning to find every bottle empty."

"How do you even know that?" Dean asked.

"It was going out of business" Cas said defensively "I was doing them a favor."

The sound of flapping wings echoed around the room signifying the arrival of an angel. Great, that was all they needed.

"Castiel" Oh even better, it was Cas's dad. "We have a situation."

"Nice of you to call first, Sachiel," Ceirdwyn muttered sarcastically.

Sachiel nodded to her "Hello Ceirdwyn."

"Why in God's name are you dressed like you're going to a country club?"

Sachiel looked down at himself "This is what my vessel was wearing."

Cas looked back and forth between his parents "You two haven't made up yet? You're mates. Father, you were supposed to talk to her."

"Cas" Methos stretched his arms "you sound like a teenager whose parents are divorced."

Sachiel sighed and looked at Methos "Son-in-law."

Methos nodded "Father-in-law."

God, this was so many degrees of weird.

"I am aware of your exploits during the Bronze Age."

"My father said the exact same thing to me; isn't that funny?"

"What did you do during the Bronze Age?" Dean asked.

Methos sighed "In my defense it was before I remembered being an angel and I just want to point out that unlike my half-brother Caspian, I never ate anyone."

Cas stood "What is the situation Father?"

Damn that little voice inside his head for being right. Apparently Raphael meant to take over Heaven and by the looks of things, his reign would be worse than Michael's. To make matters worse, he wanted to restart the Apocalypse.

And worse than that, Cas had to return to Heaven to assist those who were against Raphael.

They were alone in the room they'd been sharing. "How long will you be gone?" Dean asked.

Cas sighed and held Dean's hands "I don't know. I wish I didn't have to go."

"Then don't. Stay here."

Cas moved one of his hands up to Dean's cheek "I have to go, Dean. They need my help. But if you need me, pray to me and I will come back. I promise."

What was wrong with Dean? Why was he acting like such a simpering girl? Well he wouldn't have it. He was gonna be a man about this. He pulled Cas into a heated kiss, "You'd better. And be careful."

"I will. Dean, even if you don't need me, I'd still like you to pray to me so I can hear your voice."

"Hmm, maybe a little prayer sex?"

Cas blushed but there was hunger in his eyes "If it pleases you."

Dean sighed "I don't know, it sounds pretty one sided. I mean, how am I supposed to get off?"

"You have a very vivid imagination, Dean, use it."

They kissed one more time.


Okay gang, next chapter we check in with Sam.

Reviews are love. So pretty please?

TTFN