This one was a pain to write! I actually wrote alot of other stuff but then figured it would work better later on... at least I hope it will.

Thanks to Guest and EmilyAnnMcGarrett-Winchester for your reviews and everyone who's followed and added it to your favourites. Your encouragement means the world to me.

I hope you all have a lovely New Year and I hope 2017 is everything you want it to be.

Dean stared at him. The taste of stale milk still lingering in his mouth. What he really needed right now was coffee, lots of very strong coffee.

"What do you mean family dinner?"

"Just that. Laura's grandmother wants to meet us."

Dean rolled his eyes watching as his brother began resorting to some form of puppy dog look.

"C'mon Dean, she's the only family Laura has and she wants to get to know us, I mean you're the one who told me to be a dad and get involved! Technically you're gonna be an uncle. C'mon Dean, please?"

"Fine, but you owe me."

"There's just one other problem."

"What?"

"She wants me to bring Cas too."

They hadn't currently explained to the angel about the unexpected development in Sam's life. Dean's argument was that Sam had to explain, answer any of Cas's questions and he got to watch. Secretly he was hoping for a laugh, he definitely needed one at the moment. He still wasn't used to the idea that suddenly there was going to be small Winchester running around. And all the extra trouble that would come with it.

Meanwhile Sam hadn't quite worked out the words to tell him either. Apart from Dean he hadn't told anyone. Not that there were many people to tell but still, that was beside the point. Telling Dean had been hard enough. And deep down he didn't know whether he quite believed Dean when he'd said it was all going to be ok. He still wasn't sure whether he was fit to be a father.

Still there was no time like the present. He took a deep breath.

"I guess I'll do it now."

Cas was reading when they found him. He looked and watched them approach. Dean was eating toast and carrying a large mug of coffee and Sam looked pale, like he might throw up.

"Cas, I need to talk to you." Sam began. The hunter never exhibited nervous behaviour, it was virtually unheard of and yet, Cas realised, he was.

"Sam, is there something you want to tell me?"

"Yeah, there is. Sit down."

"I am already sat down."

Sam said nothing for a minute, he sat down and then stood up again.

"Do you remember Laura? We met her last October in Minnesota when we were hunting vampires?"

"Yes."

"Well… uhhh…" Sam ran his hand through his hair, pacing slightly, "She's going to have a baby."

"I see. Is there a particular reason you are telling me this?"

"Yes..uh, yes, there is. Because it's my baby… she's going to have my baby."

"I see." Cas looked intently at Sam, contemplating this news, "I assume this is because you two had an abundance of sexual relations that night we all drank together? I believe Dean used the phrase 'banged her like a bongo drum'."

"I did not." Added Dean quickly, although Sam swore there was a hint of a smirk on his face as he shot his elder brother an exasperated look.

"Really? I'm sure that's what you said, when Sam appeared with Laura as you were packing the car after not returning to the motel room."

"Yeah well your memory is too good."

"That's not surprising. Angels usually have better memories than humans given that we are required to remember much more."

Sam stared as the pair of them bickered gently, or at least Dean attempted to retort Cas's straight remarks. So far, so good? At least Cas had asked no awkward questions so far, which was a relief – he wasn't completed sure how good the angel's grasp of human biology was or how far it went…

"This does complicated matters though."

"How?"

"Well, the child of Sam Winchester is something that many people will be interested in and then there is the child itself."

Sam hadn't really been listening, but he did now. His head snapped round and he stared at Cas, who's was looking at Sam intently with his head tilted.

"We do not know whether this child will inherit any it's father's..." Cas paused, as if trying to find a tactful word, "…troubles."

Sam sighed and ran his ringers through his hair, but before he could say anything Dean interjected.

"Yeah but that's not possibly right Cas? It's not like it's the child of a demon or angel and c'mon it's not like it's gonna be a monster!"

"There a possibility, however small, that the child will be special. But that wasn't my concern,"

"Oh joy, you're full of sunshine."

Cas ignored Dean's sarcasm and continued,

"It is Sam's child and a Winchester – there will be plenty of people out there who will wish harm on the child or possibly seek to use it leverage against you. Have you considered that should Lucifer ever return that he may eventually seek to use the child as a vessel? It is not unheard of for demons to possess children and it will have Sam's blood." The angel's tone was calm and cool but there was a distinctive note of concern there.

They all remembered Lillith.

"I assume that Laura will be keeping this child?"

Sam and Dean raised an eyebrow at the angel, who was very calm and rational. Although he did seem to have already jumped to the worst possible scenarios available – addressing all of Sam's nightmares at once.

"What are you suggesting?" Sam asked gently.

"Well assuming this child is born then I believe you have two options. The first is that you completely remove yourself from all contact with them and hope that nobody ever finds out about them, or they will certainly end up dead."

"And the second?" asked Sam, wearily.

"You protect them."

"No shit Sherlock."

Laura was stood in the kitchen, peeling what seemed like a small mountain of potatoes. She felt sick again, and not just because of the pregnancy. There was a gnawing worry in the pit of stomach that she couldn't shake. She desperately wanted this dinner to go well. In the background her grandmother was pottering around the house, muttering darkly.

Please, please, please let today go well.

There was a knock on the door and despite calls of "I'll get it" it was Laura's grandmother who got to the front door first and pulled it open.

On the front porch stood the two Winchester brothers and Castiel, all dressed in dark suits with the angel's addition of his customary trenchcoat.

"Good lord, it's like the arrival of the FBI." She paused, studying them. She was a short, stocky lady with a set expression that seemed particularly unimpressed with the men stood in front of her. "So, you must be the Winchester boys?" she continued, dryly.

"Yes ma'am. I'm Sam and this is my brother Dean and this is Castiel."

"Castiel huh? Who are you exactly?"

"I'm an angel." said Cas, who wondering why they were now being examined like criminals.

The woman nodded and looked the three of them up and down again.

"Well I suppose you better come in then." As they stepped through the door, Dean's shoe caught the edge of the large mat on the inside of the porch, it shifted slightly and underneath he could see the edge of a devil's trap painted on the floor underneath. Laura's grandmother caught him staring.

"I may be old, but I ain't stupid. And take off your damn shoes, I don't want you tramping mud all through my house."

It wasn't as painful an experience as any of them had imagined it was going to be. True, it was awkward to begin with and that awkwardness took its time to dissipate.

It was the first-time Laura had seen Dean or Cas since Minnesota and she seemed embarrassed. Their last memories of her were probably her being carried to a hotel room by Sam and reappearing with him the next morning. The grey sweater she was wearing didn't help matters either because it was now clear that there was a bump there.

The four of them sat awkwardly on the sofas in the living room while Laura's grandmother, whose name was Caroline, disappeared into the kitchen.

"So," asked Sam, trying to break the silence, "how've you been?"

"Good… you?"

"Good."

There was more silence. Dean said nothing but sat on the sofa next to Cas, his eyes roaming round the small house.

"Can I get you guys a beer?"

"Beer would be good, thanks. Do you need a hand?"

Laura laughed,

"I'm pregnant not invalid. I can fetch beer." There was a pointed cough from the kitchen, "and don't worry I'll just have a soda."

Beer, it turned out, made everything a little easier as did the mountain of food which covered the dining room table and the environment began to relax slightly. It was also made easier by everyone's avoidance of the elephant in the room and the reason they were all there to begin with.

It didn't take long for the conversation to turn to hunting and in fact it Laura deliberately tried to steer it in that direction. It soon ended up with Caroline and Dean dominating the conversation which covered everything from favourite weaponry to dealing with werewolves to cars and Dean's baby; Caroline arguing that it was a viable choice because of the number of bodies you could fit in the trunk but that it drew attention to itself, although she relented it was a lot better than "those stupid-ass sports cars that you see some hunters driving". Given that Caroline had hunted for nearly forty years, she had her fair share of tales to tell. She was a gruff, opinionated and direct woman who was very happy to give her opinion and seemed to enjoy disagreeing with Dean when she thought he was wrong.

Laura sat and observed quietly, the knot in her stomach unravelling slightly. Sam was sat next to her and she reached out under the table and squeezed his hand when he rested it on his leg for a second, in what she hoped was a thankful gesture. Sam turned slightly and gave her a small smile and the knot loosened a little further.

October 30th. Laurel Grove Inn, Minnesota.

The time on Sam's phone read 3.06am. At least it would have done if he had read it, but it was tucked in the pocket of his jeans and his clothes were spread out in a trail between the door of the motel room and the bed, laying wherever they'd been discarded.

"Ok, ok your turn."

"Really?"

"Yes, it's your turn. Ask me anything."

The two of them lay next to each other in the middle of the bed. Sam was leaning one side, slightly propped up on pillows and resting on one arm. His other hand was trailing his fingers lightly up and down Laura's back, running his fingers over her soft skin and feeling rows of little scars. The marks of lifetime of hunting. She was resting on her elbows, her long dark hair pulled to one side and pooling on the pillows. The sheets were wrapped across their midriffs, more for warmth than anything else.

Laura watched Sam intently as he considered his question for a moment.

"How did you get that scar on your hip?" He wasn't necessarily one for personal questions, but the copious amounts of alcohol were still working its way out of his system, blurring his internal thought process slightly.

"This one?" She rolled onto her side momentarily, exposing the scar and gesturing to it. Sam nodded.

It wasn't pretty. It was an ugly knot of tissue and skin with swirls of pink and white running through it. It almost had the appearance of a whirl but with added craters and raised patches. It was a least 3 or 4 inches wide and there was extra scarring running off it. Some of it at least looked surgical but it wasn't something he'd ever seen before and it interested him. He assumed it was from hunting but at the same time, it wasn't like any of the scars that he or Dean had.

Laura paused for a second. It was if she was considering her answer. She looked a Sam and wry smile crossed her lips, she shifted slightly moving right up next to him.

"Hunting accident when I was younger. Made a mistake and got impaled with a foot of iron railing."

Sam winced, Laura raised her eyebrows and nodded.

"Ouch!"

"Yeah, it hurt like a bitch. But I was lucky, it went straight through and missed anything important. Still, never made a mistake like it again."

Sam considered this for a second while Laura watched him, running her fingers up his stomach and across the muscles in his chest. What sort of mistake caused something like that to happen, and how the hell did you 'accidently' get stabbed with iron railing?

"But how- " Sam's question was cut off as Laura leaned across and kissed him, her hands starting to re-explore his body. Sam pushed up and rolled her gently onto her back, her head nestled in the middle of the pillows. He rested on his hands, his arms either side of her, feeling the warmth of her body underneath him as he looked down on her.

"You wouldn't be trying to change the subject, would you?"

"Maybe," Laura smiled, desire rekindling in her eyes. "Besides, aren't you bored of conversation?"

Sam leant down and kissed the ugly scar, it was obviously something she didn't want to talk about and he didn't have the right to push it. Even so, it was as if he was trying to remove the painful memory. To replace it with something better, something she would enjoy remembering. He began trailing slow kisses down her hip bone and across the very bottom of her torso. After that there was no more need for conversation.

After the last of the apple pie had been eaten and everyone's clothing felt considerably tighter, Laura fell asleep on the sofa. She sat down and went out like a light. Caroline chuckled and pulled a blanket across her. She looked pointedly at the Winchesters with a deathly stare that implied that waking her would not be good idea.

"Winchester junior, I'd like a word." Caroline added, and beckoned Sam to follow her. Dean jumped slightly and went to stand up from his seat on one of the sofas, "Oh no, just your brother. You and this other chucklehead can stay here a moment. Maybe you'll be gentlemen and make a start on the dishes." There was a slightly threatening air to that last statement, it was not a suggestion but an order.

Sam followed her through to the back door and out into the garden, towards a shed at the bottom of it. Darkness had descended and the inky blackness gave the old, run down building a slightly menacing air. Caroline unlocked the door, pulled it open and waved Sam inside.

"Get inside, I don't have all damn night."

It was dark in here too and there was a bit of musty, metallic smell. When the light was flicked on, Sam could see books lining the walls and a stash of weaponry covering the sides and spilling across the shelves alongside cartridges and boxes of salt. There was not just an assortment of guns but knives, axes, lengths of iron piping and what looked like a scimitar. An ordinary person would probably be frightened but it didn't bother Sam; it was just another hunter's stash. A little glance inside the world of this family.

"We'll talk in here. That girl's got ears like a bat and she'd be listening as soon as I open my mouth. Asleep or not, I don't trust her not to be nosey."

Caroline gestured to two soft, slightly mouldy looking armchairs that were sat off to one side.

"Take a seat. You drink whiskey?"

But she didn't wait for a reply, instead Sam heard a clinking of glass as she produced a bottle from one of the cupboards and two glasses, filling them with dark amber liquid and pressing one into his hands. She took a seat on the edge of the armchair opposite him.

"I wouldn't usually hide it out here but Laura's not supposed to be drinking and she has a powerful love of the stuff, like her father did. So, I figured it was kinder to hide it away rather than drink it in front of her." She sipped at the liquid and continued to look Sam up and down. He took a sip of whiskey. It was strong but warming and steadied his nerves a little.

"First off, I'm gonna say one thing. I know that you didn't intend on this happening, I don't think you imagined being a dad – at least not in this way."

"Not really."

"But I know accidents happen and by Laura's reaction, I know she wasn't intending on this situation either. And the fact that you're sittin here says something about you and I will say that appreciate you being here, especially when you didn't have to be…" she paused a second, swilling the dark liquid round her glass and taking a sip. Caroline looked up at Sam with a piercing look and continued, "and now, I'm gonna ask you some questions as you're gonna answer them for me. And don't bother lying to me, I can always tell. You understand?"

Sam nodded, slightly concerned about the level of interrogation that he was going to be subjected to. It was like one of those awkward first meet-the-parents' situations where they wanted to know about your intentions towards their daughter, except in this example most parents' nightmares had already happened. And how many relatives really wanted the vessel of Lucifer as the father of their grandchild?

However, the questions started small, basic even, but each was asked with a directness that couldn't be avoided, so Sam answered them as honestly as he could. They were just things like his name, his background, questions about his hunting method, about things that had happened to him and Dean. It was as if she was feeling him out or confirming things she already knew from second hand sources or what Dean had said at dinner.

"So, why are you here?" the question caught him off guard a second with its change in nature.

"Excuse me?"

"Why are you here? I speculated why you might be and I know I want to know your reason." She repeated the question slowly, but without patronisation. Sam turned the question over in his head a second.

"Because Laura asked me to be."

"No shit Sherlock." Caroline muttered but didn't say anything else. It obviously wasn't the answer she wanted. Caroline swirled the whiskey around again and gave Sam another deep, penetrating look.

"Did she tell you how she got that god-awful scar on her hip?"

"Yes."

"What did she tell you?" Caroline looked at Sam suspiciously.

"That it was a hunting accident, when she was younger." Sam said slowly, trying to remember everything Laura had said when he'd asked. "That she made a mistake and got impaled with an iron railing. That was about it though, after that she changed the subject."

Caroline raised her eyebrows, she seemed almost impressed.

"How much whiskey did you give her?" She sighed, "You must have impressed her cos that's about as damn near the truth as you'll get out of her. Usually she just says bar fight or attacked by a bear or something else stupid. But there's one thing I'm gonna add to it, and you're not gonna tell Laura that I told you. Understand?"

Sam nodded. Caroline nodded and sighed.

"She got that damn scar when she was out hunting with her father. They were in some factory and he forced her to walk over some metal walkway, I'm guessing to see whether it would take his weight. Anyway, it collapsed and she fell about ten or fifteen feet, got impaled with that railing and broke two vertebrae in her spine. And he left her there while he finished the job, only took her to the hospital when she couldn't get up, told her 'not to get blood on the seats'." Caroline paused again and took another swig of whiskey, shaking her head. "She was twelve years old. Just a little girl. And he was using her as bait."

Sam winced and stared, he couldn't help it. This man sounded even more heartless than his own father, if that was possible. At least John Winchester had attempted to occasionally feel something for his own sons and even though Sam knew most of his anger and frustration had been directed at Dean he didn't think he'd ever been this heartless.

"Look, I met your daddy once or twice and I can make an educated guess about your childhood since you were raised in the life, not that I give a damn, but I'm telling you now her daddy was one of the meanest sons-of-bitches ever to walk this earth and I should know, I raised him."

She poured more whiskey into the glass and looked at Sam, who wasn't saying anything.

"I knew when he died that he was going straight downstairs and from what I've heard, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. That scar is the reason that Laura came here and the reason I gave up hunting and the reason I wanted, more than anything, for her to live a normal life! To get out!

"Do you know why I'm telling you this?"

Sam thought for a moment. It was unusual to meet someone who shared so many elements of his painful childhood. True, Sam had never been impaled with an iron railing or used as bait, but it made him realise why Laura had said that hunters made crappy parents. And why she seemed so scared about having a child. Her grandmother had been a hunter and so had her father and while neither would be up for parent of the year, her father sounded like one of the worst he'd ever heard of. Did Laura think she was destined to relive the same cycle to abuse with her own child?

"I'm telling you this because whatever you feel about your fitness to be a parent and your… experiences and from what Bobby Singer told me-

"- you knew Bobby?"

"Every damn hunter in the country knew Bobby. I've knew him for about thirty years. Anyway, I know a fair bit about the legendary Winchester boys and what you've been through and I'm tellin' you now… whatever you think about yourself, you will be a far better parent than me or my son."

She paused and looked at Sam. For the first time, the harshness in her eyes seemed to have softened and he realised how difficult this must be for her. She reached out and patted his leg in an attempt to be comforting.

"So, you stop worrying. Whatever you believe about your past, it's your past."

"…thank you."

She shook her head and drained her glass, emotional moment over.

"Well, if you're done, we can go back in now. Unless you'd like another drink while your brother and the angel finish the dishes?"

"Sounds good to me." Answered Sam, holding out the empty glass.

Thank you very much for reading, please continue to read and review.