Light's Patience

Being a parent was nothing new to Sam. He had helped raise a baby goddess. He took care of his wife when a spell reduced her to a four year old. And he was now a father to his own baby daughter. So he had some experience and he could say that it extended somewhat into the strange and unusual since Hibah was a half goddess and half angel. His wife was a powerful being in her own right and he got to see her do things that she would never willingly show him now. Jess was sensitive to the supernatural and the whole veil thing since she cried when the angels that had been in Castiel's garrison had been killed. While he was somewhat prepared, he was in completely new territory when it came to Jack and his abilities as a Nephilim.

It wasn't Jack's fault that circumstances were as they were. Even though the kid was in a full sized body, he was still a child in many things and needed to be taught the ways of the world. One of the things that he thought was important was to learn the range of Jack's abilities and then work with him on how to control them. He knew Jack was scared and in his mind he thought that the more they taught him self-control, the less he would have to fear about hurting someone. It just didn't help that Dean was being an ass and saying a bunch of negative crap that could make this plan go to hell.

Sam decided to lead the teaching of Jack. Dean didn't much care and thought Sam was an idiot for ignoring Missouri's call for help. Sherlock, the resident librarian only said that the kid better learn the library system since he wasn't going to tolerate shenanigans. Gabriel was actually thrilled to have Jack around. It surprised Sam since Gabriel was full angel and Jack was half an angel and the son of Lucifer. He was wary once he figured that the prepubescent angel figured out that he might have a partner in crime.

The biggest show of trust and indicator for him was his daughter Jess. She was still a baby barely six or seven months old but she already could sense the difference between good and bad. With Jack, she was all smiles and often squealing at the sight of him. Dean thought Sam was being reckless for letting Jack be in the same vicinity of the baby and went so far to say that Angela was insane as well. He failed to notice that Setna had chosen Jack and Sam decided not to point it out since it wouldn't make a difference to Dean.

So Sam set out trying to help Jack. He quickly figured out that being there was making Jack nervous and decided to leave him alone for a break. His thinking was that if he left, it would let Jack become more relaxed and maybe be able to do the simple task of moving the pencil. That didn't work either and Sam realized that pressuring Jack wasn't going to help matters. The kid was scared of what he could do and Sam knew that feeling all to well. There was some logic in what he wanted to do but he wasn't going to force it on the kid. So he was sitting, trying to think of something else while playing with his daughter. She could already sit up by herself and it had become evident that she was sneaky with her crawling.

"You didn't have a bad idea," Angela's soft voice entered as her hands rubbed his shoulders.

Sam didn't take his eyes off Jess as she crawled towards a toy she liked to play with in the playpen that Sherlock had built, stating that it was better than those cheap plastic things people called playpens. It was gruff coming out but it betrayed the affection the Librarian had for the baby. Sam replied, "I am curious as to what he can do and I want to help him so he doesn't hurt anyone because of reflex. But he's scared and I'm not helping any."

"You are by being a friend and being there," Angela prodded gently as she massaged Sam's shoulders. "It's just different for Jack. I am concerned that he is scared and I want him to feel like he's safe."

Sam scoffed a little at that, "Not with Dean being what he is."

Angela shook her head slightly, "Dean has a stick up his rear and it's rooted in anger and fear. He will get over it but I am not holding my breath over it. Just another challenge." She paused in her massage and wrapped her arms around Sam, giving him a hug from behind. "It was part of the reason why I asked Dean about being family when I was four for those couple of months. One of the few things I can remember from that. I was not sure about my position."

"Angie…" Sam breathed slightly as his hand reached up to touch hers.

"I know I had been with you for a couple of years before that but… in all honesty, I was never really sure how you both felt after Wyoming and some of the things I had done coming to light." Angela hugged Sam and rested her cheek on top of his. She took a deep breath. "I knew you cared about me but it felt tenuous until Dean said we were family and you Sam… I could feel it. Even when you off doing your thing with Ruby. I felt it."

Sam sighed as she continued to hug him. He reached for her hand and absently stroked it, marveling that they were soft even with the calluses from centuries of handling weapons and fighting. She was an enigma that he was still learning about every day they spent together through the good times and the bad. He would have said something but Jess started squealing and he recognized it for what it was. He stood up and went to pick her up. He looked at his wife and said, "I'll think of something. Thanks Angie."

Sam did try to think of what else he could do for Jack. At the moment, he left the kid alone but he didn't feel that it was right to do. He found that Angela kept him busy with a list of chores that she had drawn up when they were heading back to the bunker and explained that everyone who lived there had chores that kept the place looking nice. It had made him want to laugh a little since Jack didn't exactly have a clue but Angela had been patient with him and showed him how to take care of his clothes and personal belongings.

Thinking about it, maybe that was what Jack needed most. Training could come later. Right now it was about making Jack feel comfortable and safe. He thought that they were taking the first steps since he trusted the kid with his daughter. It had Sam sitting and making a few lists that could be looked at. They wouldn't have to be followed to the letter but there to give a general direction. Then they could figure out what worked and what didn't. He gave silent thanks, Thank you Angie for being you.

While Sam was working on what to try, he clicked through the cameras that had been set up in the bunker. It gave the impression of a pervert but it was done with safety in mind as well as anticipating where someone was heading if someone had broken in. The camera system had been rigged just before Sam had brought Dean back to the bunker to cure him of being a demon. It helped in staying a step ahead of his brother and allowed for both Castiel and Angela to restrain his brother. Since then, they used it when they were away to check in on Sherlock and Gabriel. Some viewings were innocent and some were necessary. In this case, he was checking in on Jack.

What he found wanted to have him laugh a little but he allowed a slight smile as he saw Angela instructing Jack on what to do and in this case with cleaning. She liked to keep things neat and tidy and it went overboard when she was carrying Jess and it looked like she was still getting a little carried away. Not that it mattered. What mattered was what he was watching.

Jess cooed to be picked up and he did, sitting her on his knee while he peered at what the cameras were showing. He muttered softly, "Looks like your mom found another stray, Jess."

Jess just waved her hands at the screen. She saw her mother and made her sound for her mother. It had Sam smile and reassure her that it was her mother while watching. Deciding to get the full experience, he flipped the audio on. Maybe he was spying on them but he was curious as to what his wife was saying to Jack.

"Why are you teaching me this?"

"Because it is the basics that every person must know."

"Looks like Cat is doing it again."

Sam sat up to find that Gabriel had wandered in. It was still a moment of taking time to adjust to the fact that the trickster archangel that had made his and Dean's life living hell was now like a teenager. That point was made clear when the angel went through puberty and it was quite comical. Certainly Dean had something to say about that. He asked, "Aren't you supposed to be doing your homework?"

Gabriel shrugged at that, "Yeah but I wanted to see the rugrat before I do and Cat is doing it again."

Sam long realized that the angel called Angela by the name she had been born with. It was a special thing between them and he didn't mind. Instead he focused on what the angel was getting at, "Doing what?"

Gabriel shrugged slightly as he tried to find the words to explain. Finally he said, "I guess you could call it skill building of a sorts. And part of it is just being like everything is normal more or less."

Sam studied the screen. Angela was showing Jack the basics of taking care of himself and taking time to explain it. He could see where Gabriel was coming from with that explanation. "Looks like when she would try to teach Cas something."

"That is pretty much her no matter who it is," Gabriel corrected while rotating his shoulders.

Sam recognized the movement and felt bad for mentioning Castiel. Angela explained a few things when they first got Gabriel and some things sort of made sense after everything that happened. Trying to keep things on a positive note, Sam nodded and replied, "She's patience when most people wouldn't be. I can see why things like Cerebus would take a liking to her."

"Nah, that's more because of who she is," Gabriel shrugged off. "But you may be right." He stared at the screen for a few moments before saying, "I remember when she was six years old. Really six years old. There was this kid who was big about a couple of years older than her and not quite right in the head. This was when people were a bunch of superstitious ninnies. Anyway, she talked to him and learned that he couldn't read. She was already learning that so she started teaching him what she learned."

"Did it work?"

"Not exactly, but she kept trying and figured out a few things. Being a friend was one of them. Kid learned the basics in reading because of her." Gabriel started to walk away to the table he did his homework at. "I could point to you. Hell after what you and Dean both done… Now that's true patience."

Sam felt his lip twitch but didn't say anything. Rather, he looked back at the screen and watched his wife interact with Jack. He had noticed that Jack seemed to relax more with her but he was still skittish. Angela was just carrying on like nothing was out of place. She did that quite often, treating everyone that came through the door like they were a guest. Holding his daughter close, Sam muttered, "Your mom is really something, Jess."

He continued to watch until Jess started getting fussy and wanting her mother. Sam carried her through the bunker to where he knew they would be. He was able to hand off the baby citing that she wanted her mother and it left him alone with Jack. He asked, "Feeling better?"

"A little," Jack admitted. "Angie is strict."

Sam smiled at that, "On some things, yeah. And for good reason."

"Because of what she is."

"Partly," Sam admitted. "She's sensitive to smells so there is a reason why she does certain things." He looked at Jack, trying to determine if what he next was going to say was going to have the same result as when Jack refused to explore the range of abilities he had. "Hey um… I know you don't want to train with your powers so… how about training you in other things?"

"Like what?"

"Like how to protect yourself. Without your powers."

It sounded silly but Sam figured that it was necessary. He watched as Jack mulled it over before asking, "So… you'll show me…" He looked confused.

"How to fight, physical training. Maybe learn how to shoot." It was probably playing with fire but Sam figured that it was better to treat it like how he taught Adam. Well who he thought was his brother Adam. He would teach Jack how to protect himself and if he asked, explain about what being a hunter was.

"And this is for protecting myself. So I won't hurt people?"

"So you can protect them."

As soon as Sam said that, he knew that he meant it. If Dean was going to get over himself, he was going to have to have Jack show that he wasn't a threat. The best way was to show him how to protect people. Maybe that's what Angela was getting at with her insistence that there was a difference between the who and what you were. And maybe it was more of reassurance for her. In any case, it was going to take time and work and Sam found that he had the patience for it.


A/N: Sam tried to figure out how to help Jack and what to do about his abilities. Tag to Patience. Enjoy.