Jessica took both of their coats upon entering the house, told Sam firmly to wait there, and she ran back upstairs. An older, but very beautiful woman, peeked her head into the living room where both Sam and Dean were standing.

"Sam? Are you going to introduce us?" she asked as she came closer, her hand extended towards Dean. He extended his hand as well and tried to affix a happy, not nervous, smile to his lips.

"Mrs. Moore, this is my brother Dean. Dean this is Jessica's mother Abigail Moore."

"Pleasure to meet you ma'am," he said and shook her hand.

"You are the one responsible for the beautiful candles?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you so much. They are beautiful." Dean nodded, and found himself at a complete and total loss. What did you say to someone who didn't know you but invited you to dinner because…well…he had really no firm handle on why exactly she allowed Jessica to invite him for dinner. He was positive that Sam had told Jessica stories about him that were probably not exactly nice, and truth be told that made him even more nervous. "Come, come. Food is just about on the table."

"Jess told us to wait for her." Sam said looking up towards the coat room.

"I'm her mother, you do what I say, not what she says." Sam gave a small grin and Dean followed his brother's lead. They went into the dining room and Dean almost took pause and breath when he saw it. He thought meals like this only existed in the movies. Or at least that's what he had convinced himself. All of those years, when he was small, when they barely had food on the table and Dad was on a hunt, Dean had made himself believe that real people didn't have long tables, filled with home made food, and friends, and family, conversation, candles, and love. It made him feel better and helped him with Sammy. Helped him in the sense that he could tell Sam that what he saw on TV were just TV families and that normal people had something closer to what they were having.

But here it was in all of its glory and it almost took his breath away. Jessica came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder, smile on her face and then went and sat beside his brother. Dean sat down where Jessica's mother pointed. The whole family stopped when they realized a stranger in their midst. Dean couldn't help but wonder when one of them was going to yell 'get him out of here. He doesn't belong at our table. He's nothing more than a motherless hoodlum.' He licked his lips at the sudden stop in conversation and looked around at all of the people nervously.

Jessica smiled and reached around Sam and grabbed Dean's arm and said, "Everyone this is Sam's older brother Dean. Dean this is…" Jessica went through every single person at the table, and for all of Dean's skills, he was having a hard time remembering names, they seemed to fly right through his ears. When the introductions were finished everyone was still starring and silent. Dean wanted to run; the impulse was so strong that his legs ached with the need.

"Well, Jessica, I'll be damned." Came the voice of a woman, wearing an expensive suit, sporting an expensive hair cut, and startled Dean. "If I would have known that Sam had such a handsome older brother, I think I would have held out." She said and patted her husband's arm. Everyone at the table laughed and Dean took a breath and laughed as well. He caught the eye of the woman at the end of the table and noted her wink. He acknowledged it. He was thankful that she was trying to put him at ease.

"So, where are you from Dean?" James, Jessica's father, asked.

"Right now I'm living in Colorado." Dean said and glanced towards Sam, who was signaling that Dean was fine.

"You like it there?"

"It's good. I like it."

"What do you do?" Another woman on their side of the table asked.

"I, uh," he gave a nervous laugh and cleared his throat. "I help people." He said simply, deciding that it wasn't a gross lie, and it was vague enough that he didn't have to remember the lie.

"What exactly do you do for that?"

"I work with various programs that help people."

"Well, that's sounds very noble."

"Just what I'm good at." He replied easily and took a sip of the water that was sitting at his place setting.

"Well, we're going to be family real soon here, if your brother ever gets around to popping the question that I know he's going to pop eventually, and I like my family close. So, if you aren't married to Colorado, I would love for you to come up here, and I could use you at the firm."

Dean licked his lips and suddenly felt incredibly self conscious. "Sir, that is very nice of you, but I don't have a college education."

"You won't need one. I just need someone to help me manage my pro bono work. You know, work with the clients, that sort of thing."

"Thank you sir." Jessica's dad smiled and raised his glass to the younger man. Jessica sighed.

"Daddy, you promised no shop talk."

"I didn't…" he grinned at his daughter. "I'm sorry baby." Jessica's grin seemed to signal the beginning of twenty different conversations at once. Dean was pulled into a conversation about cars with Jessica's brothers, then with her grandmother about Colorado, and then with her mother about the food, which he was doing his best not to appear like a pig. He could have stuffed all of her good home cooking in his face and not thought twice, but with Sam beside him, who he knew would get mad if he ate like he usually did, he did his best to keep his consumption equal with his brother's.

They had pie afterwards and that was the only time when he splurged and allowed himself to be persuaded into a second piece of pie.

The family finished eating and the conversation continued, and Jessica's mother and grandmother got up and began clearing away the dishes. Dean stood and began clearing as well. His hands were batted away and he was sent to go back out and sit with his brother.

Dean heard the clock strike midnight and looked around at the family that he was surrounded by, and realized that despite their warm welcome, and their acceptance, that he didn't really belong here. This was Sammy's family now. He pursed his lips.

"Thanks everyone for the wonderful food and conversation. I'm going to head out." He said and stood. Abigail looked at Dean confused.

"I thought you were staying the night."

"No, ma'am. I can't impose on anyone's Christmas like that."

"You going to spend the time with your dad?" One of Jessica's brother's asked.

"Yeah. I am." He lied.

"We really can't convince you to stay?" Abigail asked again.

"No, I'm sorry ma'am." She stood and gave him a hug.

"It was a pleasure to meet you. You have to come back again." Dean nodded and headed towards the living room and his ears rang with a chorus of "Merry Christmas" and "Bye!" Sam was the one to give him the coat and he looked his brother in the eye.

"Thanks."

"You have a great girl."

"I do."

"Take care of her." Dean slipped on his coat.

"I will." Dean nodded and turned for the door. Sam spun him back around. "I'm sorry about…" Dean put a hand up.

"Forgotten."

"You going to be okay?"

"Yeah, of course."

"You and Dad really gonna be together?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"I'm glad you came." Dean just nodded once, and opened the door to leave.

"Bye Sammy." And he closed the door behind him.

That night, in a secluded snowy spot in Wyoming, Dean Winchester pulled blankets around his shaking form in the only home he had ever known---the Impala.

That night, in a warm house full of love and comfort, Sam Winchester pulled the blankets up over his and Jessica's bodies and slept in the first place he considered home.

End