*A/N shorter chapter today as I've been working, will try and get a more substantial one up tomorrow :)*
Dean waits for his brother to arrive, but another guest leave him reeling.
The shower had calmed him a little, he was grateful for that at least, but it had also given him time to think about what was happening.
It made no sense that he didn't remember any of this.
Sure, it all felt real.
God did it feel real, but nothing natural could explain him not remembering something so colossal as being Michaels vessel, or setting up home with Cas, or Bobby…. God he would have at least remembered Bobby.
There was a place in his heart that acknowledged Bobby as his, and it seemed like every time his gaze fell on a part of the room, a tiny flicker of recognition buzzed inside him, a touch of the bedspread and it was like tiny static flickers to his finger tips.
But.
Nothing solid.
Nothing stuck.
Slowly he dressed, pulling on fresh jeans, slipping a shirt over his head and relishing the scent of line dried clothing on him rather than the slightly musty smell of hand washed in a motel sink and hung over the shower rail, dried clothes.
So many tiny comforts.
Dean sat on the bed, unsure of what to do next.
He could hear Cas talking to Bobby downstairs and anxiety writhed in his belly at the thought of going down to see them.
One part of him wanted this to be his life, so badly, another knew he wouldn't be able to stop digging.
Could it be that he'd always felt like this?
So undeserving of happiness that he needed to try and find the catch, the snake in the flower garden, the maggot in his apple.
Maybe some people were destined to be that way.
Hell, nearly thirty years in the hunting life would do that to most people.
The door bell chimed, pulling him from his thoughts abruptly.
Sam.
Dean crept from the room and started down the stairs, a lump forming in his throat. What if his brother was different?
What if they didn't get along?
He hesitated and listening carefully, he could just make out the low murmur of Cas talking to Sam.
"How's he holding up?"
"Touch and go. I think he'll be ok though, if we all keep an eye on him."
Eavesdropping was never his style, so Dean started down the stairs more confidently.
Cas had Bobby perched on his hip and they all looked up and smiled at him as he reached the bottom step.
Oh God.
His big, goofy little brother, who, lets face it, hadn't been littler than Dean since he was 16, but here he was, moving towards him, arms open, to embrace him.
The force of it nearly drove Dean off his feet, but he pushed into it, blinking back tears and gripping the back of Sams jacket.
"Hey. Hey, come on Dude. It's ok." Sam gently pushed him back a little and smiled at him. "We're gonna eat some BBQ, drink a few beers, watch some fireworks. It's gonna be good."
"Yeah, yeah I know. It's good to see you man."
From outside a womans voice called.
"Oh crap!" Sam grinned and rolled his eyes. "Better go give her a hand before she tears me a new one."
With a final pat to his shoulder Sam stepped back out of the door.
Cas bounced Bobby a little. "Looking forwards to seeing your cousin again?"
The boys answer was cut off as Cas tickled him and he bent forwards with the giggles.
Sam walked back in with a baby in his arms, younger than Bobby, perhaps eighteen months, he had the wide cautious eyes that most toddlers show when first brought into a room full of adults they don't see much, his chubby arms wrapped around Sams neck.
"Hey Colt! Hey Buddy!" Cas spoke soothingly to the baby, who turned his head and hid his face in his Fathers neck, to Sam and Cas's amusement.
"Aw Colt, don't be shy, it's uncle Cas." Laughed the woman who had slipped in behind Sam.
Dean looked at her properly. Took in her dark hair, wide, generous mouth and most importantly, the fairly large baby bump she was carrying under her sweater.
"Ruby?"
She smiled at him. "Hi Dean." She moved forwards, raising her arms to hug him, but he couldn't help himself and took a step back.
For a moment there was an embarrassed silence.
Ruby let her hands fall to her sides and damn, if she wasn't blushing a little.
"Oh…. I'm…. I'm sorry Dean…" She waved away Sam as he bent to her, touched her arm. "No it's ok." She said quietly. "Um… Cas! I have some beer in the car that moose man didn't bring in, can you give a fat lady a hand?" She took Colt from Sams arms and avoided Deans glare.
"Of course, wanna help Bobby?" He placed the boy on the floor and Dean watched helplessly as Ruby took his hand and led him out the door.
Sam noticed this and frowned.
"What's wrong?"
Dean fought hard to quash the instinctive panic in his chest. He looked helplessly at his brother and all he could feel was the anger and horror he's felt when he'd found out what Ruby was up to with Sam, how she'd manipulated him to be in the right place at the right time to become Lucifers vessel.
Sam took hold of Dean by the shoulders and shook him once, hard.
"If this is going to be a problem I will go. But I need to know. I have my wife… my pregnant wife, and my son here and I'd sooner leave if this is going to be too hard for you."
Finally, Dean shook his head. "Ruby? Really man? Ruby?"
Sam clenched his jaw and let go of him. "What about Ruby?"
"For Christ sake Sam. She's a demon!"
"Dude! What is with you and the casual racism today? Like we haven't all hung out a thousand times before now?"
They both turned towards the door as Bobby walked in, a big bag of chips balanced in his arms.
Sam quickly turned back to Dean. "Are we cool? Is this going to be cool?"
Dean nodded.
Everything in his gut told him it wasn't cool, not one bit.
It didn't seem like he had a choice in the matter though.
