A/N: It makes me seriously happy that people are reading this story. Personally, I adore it, or else I wouldn't keep writing it, but it is nice to know I'm not alone. Oh and if anyone is wondering what Jake looks like, well in my mind he is kind of a loosely interpreted mix of Ryan Gosling and Michael Rosenbaum :)
Disclaimer: Cassie and Jake are mine, everyone else I am simply borrowing.
Makeshift Family
As happened so often in his house, instead of being awoken by the clean crisp sound of classic rock blaring out of his phone, it was the pitter patter of tiny feet carding through the hallway upstairs that caused him to stir. Moving to stretch his arms out he became aware of two things. One he was so not in his bed with Jake, two he was on the couch with Gabriel. Fuck. He felt legs shift under him as soon as he began rubbing a hand over his eyes and damn, it was not safe to be this close to Gabe this early when he was still so tired and confused and all he wanted to do was cuddle into his friends' warmth and never leave.
He looked up to see clear hazel eyes glaring down at him as if he somehow held the key to this whole mystery, as if he was keeping some pertinent bit of information from him that would make everything that was murky clear again. He sure as hell didn't, though, and if he did he did not have it this fucking early in the morning. Instead of immediately jumping up, like he should do, like he would do in just a second, he shifted softly so that he was laying close and next to Gabriel instead of on top of him. In the morning light he felt kind of bad for squishing him, dude was only 5'8 compared to his 6'1, after all.
He was about to comment on it when he heard the sink shut off upstairs, which meant that Cassie had brushed her teeth and was going to bumble downstairs any second, way too chipper for seven in the morning. Scientists should study little kids ample amounts of energy, because at 28 he was already pathetically unprepared for such enthusiasm in every waking moment.
"Hey, Gabe, do you remember last night when I said she was going to flip her shit when she saw you?"
Gabe lazily rubbed the sleep from his eyes and mumbled something that vaguely resembled the word yes, so he took it as initiate to continue talking.
"Well, get ready because here she comes."
Almost as soon as the words left his mouth a loud thumping came from the direction of the stairs. Dean thought it was probably time to move from his position on the couch, but it was only Cassie and she was three, he was pretty sure she wasn't going to freak out if she saw them laying on the couch together, she had no clue there would be anything strange about that fact, anyway. So he stayed. It wasn't justification, he didn't have anything to justify, it was just he was still kind of tired and Gabe was seriously fucking comfortable.
As soon as Cassie rounded the corner her screech of, "PAPA GABRIEL!" came. Damn his kid was loud, he made a mental note to ask Sammy if he had heard her from across the street later, it wouldn't surprise him at all if he had.
Gabe smiled wrapping his arms around her when she flew at him like some kind of projectile object, "Munchkin, how are things hanging?"
Dean laughed when Cassie simply gave him a look that said, 'what are you talking about?' and said, "Do you live with us now? Daddy said you lived here now and we could see you as much as we wanted. If you don't like your room you can always sleep with me. Daddy has to share with Jake, or else I'm sure he would let you sleep with him."
Dean counted his blessings that he had not yet had the presence of mind to make and be in the process of consuming coffee because he would have just spit it everywhere. What was that show with Bill Cosby that used to come on? The one about kids and all the shit they say? Whatever it was, it was right. Kids have no filter.
As it was Gabriel simply smirked and said, "I am actually going to have my own house, Cas, but it is going to have a room in it just for you and I will even let you help me pick out everything you want to go in it."
Cassie looked like someone had just told her she was going to have a personal chat with Santa himself. Dean couldn't help the smile that spread across his face when his little girl looked like that. He'd have to thank Gabe later for being able to put that look of unbridled joy on his kids face.
"Really, Papa Gabriel?"
"Of course, sweetheart. It's your room; you can do whatever you want with it!"
"What about Daddy? Does he get his own room too? Can we have sleepovers at your house?"
Dean looked over to Gabriel, ready to intervene whenever the other man was overwhelmed, though, really he doubted he would be needed, he was even tempted to just get up and start the coffee. After all Gabe had been with him through it all. He was at the hospital when Maria gave birth, he was there when Dean brought Cassie home and cried on the floor of the living room because Maria had left with only a note. Cried because he was 25 and not ready to grow up yet, cried because how the fuck was he supposed to raise a baby when he barely took care of himself most of the time, cried because his little girl who he already loved more fiercely then he could ever have imagined was going to grow up motherless, all because of him. Gabriel had been the one to rub soothing circles in his back as he rocked back and forth scared to death to even breathe too loudly around this little girl who looked up at him with such trust in her eyes he could barely even form coherent thoughts.
He was torn from his reminiscing when Gabriel turned to him and winked before saying, "Daddy can have his own room if he wants, but he could always sleep with me, I might get lonely in my bed all by myself after all."
Dean narrowed his eyes, but Cassie shot even further into Gabriel's personal space and threw her arms around his neck once more, holding on like her life depended on it. She sighed and said, "We can both stay with you then and we can all sleep in the big bed like we used to in the pictures from when I was just a little baby."
Gabriel smiled, "I would like that."
Dean huffed, "I bet you would."
He was just about to say screw it and actually move his lazy ass, because like it or not, this was not summer which meant that he had to take Cassie to pre-school and even if he didn't work started in two hours and he didn't want to be late, some big shipment was supposed to come in today, which really meant he was going to waste half the day waiting and not working on paperwork that needed to be done, like last week, but so was his glamorous life these days.
He was heaving himself up when he was thrown back by the force of a three year old hug and kiss attack, "Good morning, Daddy, I love you this much!" Cassie screamed as she covered his face with kisses and held onto him like he was the last life boat on the Titanic.
This was always one of his favorite parts of the day. When Cassie would wake up and be all giddy, even and maybe especially when he wasn't, and just kiss him and hug him and remind him that he had a pretty damn amazing life. Sure, sometimes he missed the endless arenas full of adoring and screaming fans, but this, waking up and being smothered with love from his daughter, picking her up and listening to her insane stories, and having a place to call home that he could bring her every night, this life he had built. This little girl, she was so much better than any of that could ever hope to be. He still had his guitar; he still played every night and sang to Jake, Cassie, Sam, and Carmen, all of them. Still played little mini-concerts for his family. And the crowd that cheered for him at the end of those nights, well, they were the best crowd he could ever hope to have.
Dean chuckled, "Oh good, I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me. I may need a few more kisses to feel better."
Cassie looked at him with wide eyes before saying, "I would never forget about you, Daddy. You are my number one guy in the whole wide world!" And then she smothered him with even more kisses.
Dean kissed her on the cheek and said, "Well, you know, you happen to be my favorite girl in the entire world. And I love you all the way to the moon and back, and that's a pretty long way."
"I love you that much too! Even more!"
He ruffled her hair, "Ehhh afraid that's not possible, kiddo."
"Uh-huh, I do love you more, ask Papa Gabriel!"
Dean looked over to Gabe with a smile and he heard him say, "Got to agree with your old man here, honey, only because he's older and has had more practice."
Cassie seemed to take this into consideration before huffing a small amount and turning her full gaze on Dean again before saying, "Well fine, but I love Daddy a whole lot."
He smiled and pulled her into a hug, "I know you do, babe."
"And if I had to choose, Papa Gabriel is my number two guy in the whole wide world because I love him lots too," she said pulling back and looking Dean dead in the eye, "you don't think Uncle Sammy or Ja-Ja will be mad do you?"
Dean laughed and he could see a genuine smile cross Gabe's face, "No, Cas, I think Uncle Sammy and Jake will understand."
"Good, cause I love them too!"
"I know, but look I got to go and take a shower and make coffee and breakfast now, though, and you need to get dressed so how is this going to work?"
Gabriel sat up and said, "How about I turn on the coffee and take her to get dressed, you hop in the shower really quick and then hasten yourself down and make some eggs and toast for everyone."
"Sounds like a plan, what do you say, Cassie?"
She crossed her little arms and Dean shuddered to think if she was already this adorably controlling at three what her teen years were going to be like, "As long as I get to pick out what I'm wearing."
"As long as you don't wear a cape I'm going to go with okay."
"What about a tutu?"
"Which one?"
"My red one."
"Well what shirt are you going to wear?"
Gabe cut in then, "Oh for God's sake, seriously? Is this conversation happening? What the fu…dge, come on Cas, sweetie we are going upstairs and you can wear whatever you want, Daddy is going to take a shower so he doesn't make everyone late!"
Dean huffed and watched as Gabe swooped Cassie up with one arm and carried her toward her bedroom laughing the entire way. He didn't even notice until he was in the shower that Cassie hated it when Jake tried to help her get dressed. He tried not to wonder what it meant that his daughter loved Gabriel only second to Dean, didn't care if he helped her get dressed, and wanted them all to have sleepovers. It didn't mean anything, anyway, right? She was three; she didn't know what she was suggesting. And she loved Jake, she really did. Granted, clearly not as much as Gabe, but that didn't mean anything. It didn't.
It wasn't until Dean had gotten out of the shower, dressed, and was downstairs cooking the eggs that Gabriel and Cassie appeared in the kitchen both laughing at something that Dean wasn't even going to bother asking about. He noticed that Cassie had decided on her red tutu, AC/DC shirt, tiny red sparkly converse and a dark pair of jeans. His own little tiny rock star. The idea made him laugh.
After a moment Gabriel took on a fake British accent as he sat Cassie in her booster seat and said, "Manservant, is the food prepared yet?"
Dean rolled his eyes, "And the pathetic part is that you actually think that's funny."
"Nope, Deano, I know I'm funny."
"Again, sad thing is you believe it."
Dean put the tiny plate of eggs and toast with a small cup of orange juice in front of Cassie, before grabbing the big plate of eggs and the pitcher of milk and sitting down beside Gabriel.
"I am funny, aren't I angel?"
"Yep!" Cassie chirped from Dean's left.
"I don't think that counts, Gabe."
He mocked offense, "I'm deeply upset you would even imply that Cassie's impeccable taste, both in men and humor, is anything short of completely spectacular."
Cassie just looked at them both with her wide eyed expression, did the thing where she cocked her head slightly to the side, which never failed to remind Dean of Castiel, and went back to eating. Their confusing conversation clearly boring her past the point of caring.
"Gabriel, I'm sure you are tired of hearing this by now, but stop being a dick and eat your breakfast."
Cassie looked up at him with wide eyes, even though he knew she had heard him say it before, having a kid didn't change who he was, sometimes he cussed, he couldn't help it.
After a moment she piped up, "Daddy, what's a dick."
He smirked,"It's what your Papa Gabriel is."
She nodded as if considering if she should ask for more information, apparently she decided against it because she said, "Oh, okay."
Gabe, however, looked offended, "Dean! Don't tell her that, she's going to get in trouble if she says it at school."
Suddenly Dean remembered why Gabe and Sam got along so good at times, they were both secretly big fucking girls. He shoved a forkful of eggs in his mouth and said, "Cas, honey, are you going to tell anyone that your Papa Gabriel is a dick."
"No, 'cause you said before that I isn't supposed to say that word."
He kissed her on the head as he got up to put his dishes in the sink, "That's right, sweetie."
Gabriel looked kind of pissed though so he added somewhat jokingly, "Okay, fine, Papa Gabriel isn't a dick all the time, sometimes he's Prince Charming on a white steed come to sweep us off our feet."
Cassie's eyes lit up, "Like in a fairy tale?"
Dean laughed, "Exactly, like in a fairy tale."
The smirk returned as Gabriel put his own dishes up, "You do realize that would make you the damsel in distress right?"
Dean smiled, "As long as we live happily ever after I'll be the fuc…umm the fairy god mother."
A mischievous glint appeared in Gabe's eyes and he said, "Does that mean you'll grant me any wish I want?"
"You wish."
Gabe winked at him, "What my wish is your command, right?"
Dean rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to Cassie, "You done, baby, because we need to get on the road pretty soon."
Cassie nodded, but then turned her huge eyes on him and got that puppy dog look that he knew Sam had taught her and said, "But Daddy, do I have to go today? Papa Gabriel just got here!"
"And he's not going anywhere, besides isn't there some kind of party for that one kid in your class, today…or something?"
He could see Gabriel roll his eyes at him when he muttered, "How observant, Deano."
Cassie sighed and crossed her little arms, "But I don't even like Shelby, she told me I was a freak because I was supposed to have a mommy and I don't."
Dean took a deep breath and tried to control his expression before he turned around. What the actual fuck. Cassie hadn't said anything before.
Dean leaned down so he was face to face with his little girl. What the fuck was wrong with people nowadays that he had to tell his daughter that love was love regardless of gender when she was still in damn pre-school. He rubbed a hand over his face and spoke softly, "Cassie, you never said anything before. When did this happen? Has this been happening?"
He was about to keep asking questions when he felt Gabriel's hand on his shoulder. It shouldn't feel as comforting as it did. He briefly allowed himself to think that of course Gabriel would be here for this moment, he'd been there for every other difficult moment in his life that involved the angel sitting right in front of him. Without thinking he reached back and let his hand intertwine with the one Gabriel had on his shoulder. Just in case.
"She said it on Friday, Daddy, and it was the first time. I told her she was being a stupid face and she said that I was the stupid face and I didn't even know it. She said kids are supposed to have a mommy and a daddy and since I doesn't then that means that I am weird and she doesn't want to be friends with me anymore."
Dean sighed. He hated prejudice more than anything. He had dealt with his fair share of it, hell his own father shunned him for being born in a way that he sure as fuck couldn't control. But what he remembers from adolescence, isn't being shunned or hated at school, though a fair share of bully's had tried to beat him to a living pulp, what he remembers the most is a kind of overwhelming kindness. He remembers the principal reaching out and letting Gabriel take him to prom. He remembers anonymous letters of support in his locker. He remembers acceptance more than ostracism. It was one of the reasons he had chosen to come back to Lawrence of all places, because as weird as it seems that a tolerant town would exist in the South-ish area of Kansas it did. And he hated to think that his kid was forced to deal with ignorance when all she had done was be born. He had chosen to come out, chosen to live his life and accept whatever may come, but his little girl didn't get a choice in the matter and he hated it for her that his life made hers even a smidge more difficult.
Dean reached his free hand out and took his baby girl's face in his hand, "I'm sorry, Cas."
She looked at him with wide, honest eyes and said, "Why?"
"I'm sorry that you lost your friend."
"I don't want to be her friend anyway, shes the stupid face, Daddy, not me. Kids doesn't has to have a mommy and a daddy. I told her I had two daddies and that they were way better than her just one mommy and she was just mad because my daddies were so much most awesomer than hers."
Dean couldn't help but laugh at that. He could see Gabriel crack a smile too.
"So it doesn't bother you that you don't have a mommy?"
'No, Daddy, Aunt Carmen is good enough for me!"
Dean smiled, "If you are sure kiddo."
Cassie just nodded like she didn't understand the conversation that was happening anyway. And in a lot of ways he figured she probably didn't. Not yet. One day she would come and ask about her mommy, one day she would have a million questions. He just hoped he would be able to answer them when that day came.
After a moment Gabriel said, "Well what did she say to that? I mean when you told her your dads were awesomer?"
Casie sighed, "She said my daddies weresn't awesomer, but I told her she didn't even know my daddies so she didn't know and she said she had seen Daddy and Jake before so she knew, and that is just silly isn't it Papa, that she thinks Ja-Ja would be my other daddy."
Dean took a moment to appreciate just how fucking awesome his kid was before her words sunk in, he looked back at Gabriel who looked just as confused as he felt before he said, "Wait, hun, who is your other daddy? Besides me, I mean"
Cassie gave him this look that said he was actually the three year old in this equation and she was clearly superior before saying, "Duh, it's Papa Gabriel!"
And Dean heard a strangled noise come from behind him, which he knew was probably Gabriel tearing up and trying not to show it so he squeezed his hand a little harder and turned back to Cassie.
"Of course it is. Now, next time someone says something to you tell the teacher okay. And maybe no more name calling? That'd be nice. And yes, you still have to go to school, but how about today Papa Gabe and I both walk you in, that way you can show Shelby whats-her-face that your daddies really are the best? Now run go get your backpack so we can head out."
Cassie nodded enthusiastically and ran upstairs. Most likely just excited that her time with Gabe could last a little longer.
Dean figured now was as good a moment as any to get up from his kneeling position on the floor so he let go of Gabriel's hand and turned to face him. He could see that his face was alight with the knowledge that this amazing little girl thought he was important enough to place in the same category as her Daddy. If Dean was honest he was proud of his baby girl too. He knew she was smart enough to know who would be a permanent fixture in her life. What he didn't know was why the thought of Cassie thinking Gabriel was her daddy too, made his chest feel warmer.
He smiled up at Gabe and said, "So congratulations it's a girl."
And when Gabriel looked in his eyes with all the warmth and compassion he knew had always been there it wasn't his fault that he had to reach out and hug him. Guy looked like every wish he had ever had was just handed to him on a silver platter and he had no fucking clue what to do with it. And when he heard a soft, muffled cry come out of Gabriel's mouth he just held him tighter against his chest, murmuring softly and rubbing his back.
So he whispered, "I know, Gabe, believe me I know." Because he did. Gabriel loved Cassie as much as Dean did, loved her for just as long as Dean had and to be told by this amazing little girl that she loved him too, just as fiercely, well hell that was something. Really, it was everything.
After a moment Gabe pulled away and smiled, wiping his eyes and Dean could tell chastising himself for acting like such a girl, but really, Dean wasn't about to mock him. At least not quite yet. There would be plenty of time for that later.
They went into the hall and saw Cassie standing by the door, "I'm ready!" she yelled and Gabriel bent down and scooped her up, carrying her to Dean's Impala and sighing.
"I love this car, Dean, you know I do, but are you ever going to get over it? You aren't sixteen anymore."
"Are you high?" Dean questioned shooting Gabriel a look before bending down and running a soothing hand along his baby and whispering, "Don't listen to him, baby, he's still bitter about prom night and what he didn't get to do in the backseat."
Gabriel glared, Cassie smiled and Dean thought if his life was filled with moments like this one it would be perfect. And if when all three of them walked into Cassie's pre-school that morning a few of the parents made hushed whispers and not-so-discreet points then Dean pretended not to notice it, because really he was too fucking happy to give a shit.
What is this chapter? I don't even know…I really don't. It, yeah, it's kind of random, I realize but it was necessary to further this story, so I hope you enjoyed it. Also random side note the only three year old I've ever been around is my nephew and he's legit so if my impression of Cassie are way off of what is typical, just assume she is legit and move on. REVIEW?
