Disclaimer: I do not own SPN.

Summary: Family moments, destiel moments...some good stuff.

Notes: So. This is the moment you have all been waiting for...

The chapter after the destiel kiss. ENJOY! ^.^

Chapter 10

The next morning, Cas woke up with a smile on his face. He couldn't believe that Dean had kissed him let alone several times. Besides getting jealous over Dean's friend and Ben getting hurt, yesterday had been a very good day. He'd helped Dean find the perfect house for them, he'd gotten to spend lots of time with him as well as Ben and Sam. He'd cheered on Ben during his game. He'd found out Dean was attracted to him as well. And, best of all, he'd been kissed by him.

He rolled out of bed and took a shower, letting the hot water run down his body, soaking into every pore. He didn't want to get out, but he did. He was excited to go see Dean, but nervous at the same time. Was it going to be awkward after kissing him the night before? What were they exactly? They weren't together, but they weren't just friends anymore either. They were in that awkward phase between something more and something less.

Cas got dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, opting out of his usual attired of dress pants and white collared dress shirt. Today was Saturday and it was more relaxing. He didn't have to work, so he wanted to be comfortable and still look good. He tried and failed to tame his hair. He ended up with this mess that looked like he'd just had sex.

Once he had brushed his teeth, got his shoes and socks on, and was ready to go, he grabbed the keys to the impala and walked out the door. He had to make a stop at Dean's house to pick up some clothes for him. He figured he'd also pick up his phone charger so he'd still have his phone if he needed it. Maybe he'd pick them up some breakfast before he got to the hospital. Before he started the engine, he sent a quick text to Dean asking if he and Ben wanted him to pick up any food, assuring him he didn't mind at all.

He drove the fifteen minutes to Dean's house, tapping his thumbs on the steering wheel the entire way. He was getting antsy. He pulled into Dean's driveway and climbed out of the impala. He walked up to the front door, unlocked it, and walked inside. He thought he might feel weird being here without Dean or Ben here but he didn't. He'd been in this house so many times that he felt at home.

He pocketed the keys as he walked through the house to Dean's room. His room was tidy as always. He'd never seen Dean's room a mess and he figured he never would. That's the kind of person Dean was. He was a bit OCD about his room, but Cas thought it was a good thing. It meant his room would never be disgusting or disorganized. It made things very efficient.

Cas found a bag sitting in his closet and pulled it out. He'd use it for Dean's clothes. He wasn't exactly sure what Dean would want to wear, but he decided to pick the clothes that Cas thought looked exceptionally good on him. He pulled out a blue plaid button down with a black t-shirt. He grabbed a pair of dark-washed jeans, a fresh pair of socks and a clean pair of boxers. He folded them neatly into the bag so that they wouldn't wrinkle and then went into the bathroom. He'd only said clothes, but he knew Dean would feel better if he could brush his teeth.

He grabbed his tooth brush and toothpaste as well as his hair gel in case he wanted to fix his hair and his deodorant. He stuffed all the items into the bag, as well as his charger, and zipped it up. He felt his phone go off, so he pulled it out and saw he had a text from Dean. It was a food order for himself and Ben. At the end it said that he would see him soon with a smiley face.

Cas smiled at the text. He pushed his phone back into his pocket, deciding not to respond as he would be at the hospital soon. He picked the bag up and walked out of the house, locking the door behind him. He dropped the bag into the passenger seat and started up the impala.

He pulled out and drove to one of Dean's favorite fast food places. Dean didn't get fast food often, but when he did this was one of his favorites. He read off the order from the text, throwing in his own order and pulled to the next window. He paid the girl and pulled up to the next window, waiting patiently for his food. It took a couple of minutes, as it was a good-sized order. He placed the food on the seat next to him, thanked the girl and drove away in the direction of the hospital.

Pulling into the parking lot, he spotted a parking spot near the door and pulled into it. He stepped out of the car and walked around to the other side, opening the door. He slung the bag over his shoulder and picked the food up. He made sure to leave a hand free for a moment to close the door without scratching it.

It only took him a few minutes to reach the correct floor and then find the room that Ben was staying in. He knocked softly on the door before pushing it open. He found Dean passed out on the couch, an arm hanging off the side. Ben was sitting up watching tv. He looked up as Cas walked in and smiled.

"Hey, Cas. Oooh, food. Is some of that for me?"

Cas chuckled and nodded, setting the bags down on the rolling table for Ben's bed. "Yes, it is. I got all of us some food. I hope you are hungry."

Ben nodded furiously. "Are you kidding? I'm starving! And when Dean wakes up, he will be too. Guaranteed."

Cas chuckled and sat down in a chair near the bed. He split up their food, leaving Dean's in the bag to stay warm while he slept. He thought about waking him, but he figured Dean had stayed up pretty late and needed his sleep.

They ate their food and talked about the show that Ben had been watching when Cas walked in. He'd been watching an episode of The Big Bang Theory. Ben admitted that he'd had a hard time keeping his laughter from waking Dean. Another episode came on and the two sat there watching it, laughing and talking together about it. Both of them found it hilarious at times.

It wasn't too long before Dean began to stir. He opened his eyes and immediately smelled food. He turned his head and found Cas sitting there with Ben watching tv.

"Cas. When'd you get here?"

Cas looked away from the tv, smiling. "About half an hour ago. I didn't want to wake you as I figured you barely got any sleep last night."

Dean chuckled, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Yeah, you're right about that. Usually I can sleep anywhere, but this couch isn't exactly the most comfortable. Do I smell food?"

Cas chuckled and leaned over, grabbing the bag and handing it to Dean. "Here you go, Dean. It might still be warm."

Dean shrugged. "Don't care if it is. I'll still eat it. I'm starving."

Ben laughed, "Told you, Cas. I knew he would be."

Cas smiled widely at Ben, nodding. "Yes, he is very predictable in that way."

Dean grumbled around his sandwich. "Hey. I am not predictable."

Ben and Cas both turned to Dean, smiling. "Yes, you are."

"Well, I see I'm outnumbered. You win. This time."

Ben turned back to the tv as Dean was practically devouring his breakfast. Dean looked up from his sandwich and realized for the first time that Cas wasn't wearing his usual outfit. "No trench coat today?"

Cas chuckled, shaking his head. "I did not feel like wearing my usual attire. Since I do not work today, I thought it appropriate to wear jeans and a t-shirt."

Dean nodded, looking at his hair. "What did you do to your hair? It looks like you just rolled out of bed from having sex."

Cas frowned. "I have not had sex, Dean. I tried to…tame it slightly, but it didn't work that well."

Dean smiled softly at him. "It did work, Cas. It looks good. Trust me."

Cas blushed slightly and looked away, making Dean's smile grow. Dean finished his food and cleaned up the trash, throwing it into the small trash can at the end of the couch. He looked around and spotted the bag that Cas had brought his clothes in. He stood, stretching his back.

Cas looked over when he caught movement at the corner of his eye and was greeted with the sight of Dean raising his arms above his head to stretch his back out. His shirt rose a bit, revealing a strip of tanned skin that had Cas's nether regions squirming at the sight. He gulped and forced himself to look away before he did or said something to embarrass himself.

Dean had seen the look on Cas's face when he'd looked over at him and seen the strip of his stomach that had been revealed. He couldn't help the gigantic smile that graced his face at the sight. He picked up the bag, smiling in Cas's direction. "Thanks for the clothes, Cas. I appreciate it."

Cas looked up at him and nodded. "It was no problem, Dean. I understand the need to feel comfortable."

Dean took the bag into the bathroom in the room and shut the door. He unzipped it and found more than just a change of clothes. He smiled to himself, wondering how he'd gotten so lucky.

SPN

Dean's eyes were fixed on the tv, but he wasn't paying any attention to it. He'd zoned out quite a while ago after Cas had left. He'd needed to run a few errands and had promised to be back in a couple of hours. Of course, he'd taken the impala, but Dean didn't mind. He wasn't using it and Cas's car was at home.

Dr Isles had come in and told them that Ben was being released shortly, but that had been over an hour ago. Sam and the rest of the group, including Ellen, Bobby, Charlie, and Ash, had stopped by at different times to see how Ben was doing. Dean could tell that it made his day every time a different person walked through the door to say hi.

Dean's mind kept wandering back to Cas and the kiss they'd shared the night before. He definitely didn't regret it. He'd wanted to kiss him for a long time. He wanted to kiss him again, but didn't know exactly how to accomplish that. He wasn't sure what they technically were. They weren't dating, but they weren't friends, so what were they? He definitely didn't want to be friends with benefits. He respected Cas and cared about him way too much for that to happen. He wanted something more.

That thought struck him hard. He hadn't wanted 'something more' with anyone since he'd been with Lisa. There'd been no one appealing to him since they'd broken up until Cas had appeared in the bar one night thanks to Sam.

There was one more thing that he had to think about when it came to Cas. He had to think about Ben first before himself. First he needed to talk to Cas and find out what exactly they were doing and then he'd talk to Ben. He needed to see how Ben felt about a possible relationship between him and Cas. He wouldn't risk Ben's wellbeing for his own happiness. Ben came first, that's just the way it would always be. He knew that Cas would understand, he just hoped that Ben would as well.

He pulled out of his thoughts by Ben calling his name. "Dean. Dean? Hello? You in there?"

Dean snapped back into reality and turned towards him. "Did you say something?"

Ben chuckled. "Thinking about Cas, huh?"

Dean sat up a little from his slouched position. "What makes you think I was thinking about Cas?"

Ben smiled knowingly. "I'm smart like that. So, was I right?"

Dean cleared his throat, looking down at his hands for a brief moment before looking around the room awkwardly.

"I knew it. So, have you guys kissed yet? The tension has been unbearable."

Dean's flew up to meet Ben's. "Seriously?"

Ben shrugged. "What? You guys obviously like each other. Everyone can see it. You just need to admit it to yourself and to each other, then everyone will be happy!"

Dean tilted his head the slightest bit, staring at Ben trying to read him. "So, you're okay with Cas and I? Together?"

Ben rolled his eyes. "Why wouldn't I be? You guys are great together. And you make each other happy. That's all I want."

Dean smiled softly at him. "Yeah, we've told each other."

Ben's face lit up. "Finally! It's about time! Did you kiss?"

Dean rolled his eyes at him. "We are not talking anymore about my love life."

"You did! Yes! Does Sam know yet?"

Dean shook his head. "No, you're the only one as far as I know."

Ben nodded, "Okay. I'll keep my mouth shut and let you know everyone. Just let me know when you do."

Dean smiled, nodding at his son. "You got it, kid."

Ben looked down at his hands. Dean could feel the air turn serious all of a sudden. "Dean…can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, of course you can."

Ben played with the hem of the blanket currently covering his legs. "Do you really think of me as your son?"

Dean smiled softly at him. "Yeah, I do."

Ben looked up into Dean's eyes and found complete honesty.

"Ben, blood doesn't mean anything. It may mean you're related, but it doesn't make you family. What makes you family is when you love someone and you care about them. Genes have absolutely nothing to do with it. The only ones in our little family who are related are Sammy and I, and Ellen and Jo. I've been taking care of him since he was just a baby. I practically raised that kid and he means the world to me. When Sam and I moved here, I put out an ad to hire people for the bar. That's when I found Ellen and Bobby, Jo, Benny, Ash…Jo is my little sister. Benny's my brother and Ash…Ash is like the weird cousin that everyone loves, but thinks is weird. We've been a family for a long time. Then I met you and your mom and you both became my family too. Even after your mom and I broke up, you were always going to be my son, no matter what. Then Charlie and Gabe came into the picture. Charlie's definitely my little sister, no doubt about it. Gabe…I don't even know. He's definitely family, but…he's the comic relief, we'll leave it at that. Hell, one day he'll probably be your uncle if the looks I've been seeing ever pan out."

Ben smiled. "And then there's Cas who has made you happier than Mom ever did. And don't say it's not true because I see the way you two look at each other and how you interact. You're happier with him. He'll be my step-dad someday."

Dean chuckled. "Maybe. But you see, blood means nothing. We're all family because we all love each other, we protect each other, and we'd do anything for each other."

Ben nodded, "They all went to my game to support me. That…meant a lot when I say all of you sitting up in the bleachers. I figured it'd only be you and Cas."

Dean smiled. "They all love you. Jo's ecstatic that she now has someone to go to sporting events for. Benny is too. You should have seen his face when the game started. I don't think Gabe really knew what was going on, but he was watching you out there."

Ben nodded, "So…what about your dad? I know your mom died, but…I never hear anything about your dad."

Dean thought his words over carefully. "My dad is a drunk who has wasted his life and pushed everyone who ever cared about him away after my mom died. He was a horrible father. He's the reason I had to raise Sammy myself. He's not my family. He…He's tried to kill me twice. The first time I wrote it off as him being drunk and not in control of his actions, but the second time…I'm not making excuses for him anymore nor am I ever bailing him out of jail again. If I ever see him again, I'm going to call the cops and have him arrested. As far as I'm concerned…Bobby is my father."

Ben frowned. He'd had no idea. "Why did he try to kill you? You're awesome."

Dean chuckled, shaking his head. "I have no idea. And it doesn't really matter because it's over." A thought came to him suddenly. His brow furrowed and he looked up at Ben. "Hey, Ben, how did you know I think of you as my son?"

Ben shrugged. "Cas told me last night that you told the refs that you were my father, that I'm your son."

Dean smiled to himself. "Of course he did. Good ole Cas."

Dean signed his name on several papers before finally handing them back to the nurse and turning towards Cas and Ben. Ben was finally being released.

"You guys ready? We're all set here."

Ben nodded, "I am definitely ready to get out of here."

Dean chuckled and wrapped his arm around Ben's shoulders, steering him down the hallway towards the elevators. "I don't blame you. At all. How about we go home and I'll make us some supper."

Ben smiled. "Yes! Your special burgers?"

Dean laughed, "Of course."

Ben looked over at Cas who was walking on Dean's other side. "Have you had Dean's special burgers yet, Cas?"

Cas shook his head. "I do not believe that I have."

Dean intertwined his fingers with Cas's, smiling at him. "Well, you're about to. If you wanna come over, that is."

Cas smiled at him. "Of course, Dean, as long as I am not intruding."

Ben scoffed. "You're never intruding. I don't think that's in your personality."

Dean laughed, nodding along with him. "I agree with Ben. You're never intruding."

Cas's smile widened at the two of them. He loved Dean's cooking almost as much as he loved spending time with both of them.

Dean smiled at him, squeezing his hand slightly. "It'll be great. I'd invite everyone, but…we won't have the room to do that until next week."

Cas chuckled. "When do you get the keys?"

"She said Friday at the latest, so we'll probably move in Saturday or Sunday depending on what's going on and what everyone else is doing."

Cas nodded, "Well, you know I will be there to help, so you have at least one person."

Dean's smile widened. "That's good to hear. The more hands the better. I plan on buying everyone food who helps. I'd just make it myself, but who knows what the state of the kitchen will be like at that point. It'd be easier to just order something."

"I agree, Dean. I would say ordering the food would do just fine."

The elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. Dean let go of Cas's hand to press the button for the floor they were going to and then immediately returned his hand to Cas's.

It didn't take long for them to reach their destination and they stepped out, walking in the direction of the parking lot. They kept up a steady conversation as they walked through the hospital and then out to the impala. Dean and Cas climbed into the front while Ben stretched out on the back seat.

It didn't take long to get to the house. Once inside, Dean took off his boots and then immediately got to work whipping up some of his special burgers. Cas walked up and leaned against the counter where Dean was cooking. "Do you need any help, Dean?"

Dean shook his head, smiling at him. "Nah, I'm good, but thanks."

Before Cas could respond, Den's phone started to ring from the table. Dean looked up. "Hey, Cas, could you get that for me? My hands are covered in hamburger."

Cas nodded and retrieved the phone, looking at the caller ID. "It's Sam."

He accepted the call and held the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Cas?"

"Yes, Sam. Your brother is currently making burgers."

"Oh! Are they his special burgers?"

"Yes, they are."

"I was calling to see if Dean minds if I stay tonight. If he's making his burgers, then I'm definitely coming over."

Cas pulled the phone away from his ear slightly. "He's calling to see if you mind if he stays tonight."

Dean snorted. "Tell him of course I don't."

He turned back to the phone. "Dean says of course he doesn't mind."

"Awesome, okay. I'll pack a bag and then go catch the bus."

"Okay. Oh, Sam! Why don't you go to my apartment and get my car. There is a house key in the driver's side wheel well of my car and the spare car key is by the front door."

"Okay, sounds good. I'm guessing you've been driving the impala then. Well, I'll see you guys soon!"

There was a click before Cas could respond signaling that Sam hung up. Cas set the phone down and leaned back against the counter. "Sam is going to bring my car so you do not need to take me home at some point."

Dean nodded, keeping his eyes on what he was doing. "Since Sam is coming over for the night, this will probably be the only chance we'll get to talk."

"Talk about what, Dean?"

"About us."

Cas paused. His nerves grew and Dean seemed to sense it because he looked up at him. "Don't worry, Cas. It's nothing bad. I just…I don't know exactly where we stand and I'd like to know."

Cas nodded, looking down at his hands. "Yes, I would like that as well."

Dean inhaled a breath. "Okay, well…First, I want to say that I talked to Ben about it because I wanted to make sure he was cool with it before anything did happen."

Cas continued nodding. "Understandable as he is your son."

Dean smiled softly, glad that Cas understood. "Well, he was very okay with it. He was even excited about it."

Cas chuckled. "That does not surprise me. I think he has been conspiring to get us together. He probably has had help too."

"Yeah, probably, but I don't really care because…Well…I have you now." He looked up and met Cas's eyes. They were shining with happiness at that comment. Dean's smile faltered the slightest bit and Cas could sense his nerves.

"Uh, speaking of, Cas…I was wondering…Would you, uh, wanna go to dinner with me sometime? You know, as a date?"

Cas grinned. "Of course I would, Dean."

Dean's face lit up and he leaned over to Cas, pressing his lips to his and relishing in the feeling. When he pulled back, he was still smiling. "Good."

Cas chuckled, tilting his head in amusement. "What should we tell the others?"

Dean thought it over for a minute, considering his options. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to keep it between the three of us for a few days. I want to tell them all together and not at the bar."

Cas smiled. "I understand your reasoning. I feel the same way. Maybe while we are at your new house a good time will arise."

Dean nodded, thinking it over. "That's a good idea, Cas. That way we're all together and not out in public. It's perfect. Just one more reason why I can't wait for this weekend. I'll get to tell everyone I care for about my new boyfriend."

Cas's chuckle vibrated through Dean's back. "Yes, I cannot wait either. It'll be interesting to say the least."

Ben stuck his head into the kitchen. "Hey, Dean, do we have any boxes?"

Dean looked over his shoulder. "Uh…we might in the basement, but I doubt it. I'll pick some up from the bar."

Ben nodded and walked out, back to his room to get busy doing whatever it was he did. Cas looked back at Dean. "I'll see if I can find any. I may have some at my apartment."

"Awesome. I appreciate it, Cas. Hey, remember when you asked if I needed any help?"

Cas nodded. "Have you changed your mind?"

Dean's smile could be heard as he spoke. "Yeah, uh, could you start the potatoes? And go ask Ben how many burgers he'll eat?"

Cas stepped away from the counter. "Of course. I will be right back."

Cas walked down the hall towards Ben's room. He knocked lightly on the door before peering inside. "Ben? Dean would like to know how many burgers you will eat."

Ben looked up from his laptop. "Uh…two. But have him make me an extra one for later, please."

Cas nodded, shutting the door and returning to the kitchen. "He says two for now and an extra for later."

Dean chuckled. "The kid eats like I do. How many do you want? I already know that Sam will eat one and a salad."

"I will eat two, I think. If I cannot finish, I can always take it home and eat it tomorrow."

Dean nodded, forming clumps of hamburger into patties. He'd added different ingredients to make them better than just plain hamburger. It was a special recipe from a box he'd found. It had belonged to his mother.

"So, Dean, how did you learn to cook?"

Dean paused for a moment before answering, a soft smile playing with his lips. "My mom taught me before she died. I would always help her make dinner. Sometimes I'd even help with breakfast during the week. On the weekends, I'd help her with lunch if I wasn't busy doing something. Sometimes I think…that maybe she knew she was going to die. That's why she taught me everything she did…so I could take care of Sammy in case Dad did exactly what he did."

Cas looked up from preparing the potatoes, watching Dean carefully. "How did she die?"

Dean concentrated on forming the patties. "I never got any details. I was only six when she died. I guess everyone thought I was too young to know more than just she wasn't ever going to come home again."

Cas was silent for a moment, taking in his posture, the slight tension in his shoulders, the concentration on his face. "You miss her a lot."

Dean nodded. "Yeah, I do. She was the best. She, uh…She would sing to me every night before bed. Hey Jude by the Beatles. It was her favorite song."

Cas tilted his head slightly. "That's your favorite song."

Dean smiled softly. "Yeah. Every time I hear it, I think of her. She was so happy. She taught me how to play the guitar too. Well, she was starting to show me…we'd only made it through a few chords before she died. I continued with it though. I knew she wanted me to know how to play, so I made sure I knew."

"Do you still play?"

Dean nodded, "Yeah, sometimes. I haven't in a while with everything going on, but when Sammy was little, he'd ask me to play him a song so he could fall asleep."

"What did you play for him?"

Dean looked up at him, a small smile on his face. "Hey Jude."

Sam walked through the door to Dean's house about half an hour after he'd gotten off the phone with Cas. He heard sizzling and knew that the burgers were being cooked. It wouldn't be too long before they were done and he could dig in. He set Cas's keys down on the small table where Dean kept his keys before walking into the kitchen. Dean was standing in front of the stove, flipping burgers, while Cas was preparing the salad for the two of them.

"Hey guys. How's supper comin'?"

Dean looked up from the burgers. "Heya, Sammy. The burgers are almost done, the potatoes are done, green beans have just a minute or two left."

Cas looked up. "The salad is done as well."

Sam nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Awesome. Should I go get Ben then?"

Dean nodded, "Yeah, might as well. The burgers will be done any minute."

Sam headed down the hallway and poked his head into Ben's room. "Hey, Ben. Food's just about done."

Ben looked up, confused. "Hey, Sam. When did you get here?"

Sam stepped into the room fully. "Just now. I came for the night, figured it's been awhile since I've hung out with the two of you outside of being at the bar. I didn't realize Cas would be here, though I should have guessed."

Ben's face lit up a bit. "Yeah, of course Cas is here. Are you kidding? They're practically inseparable!"

Sam chuckled, "Yeah, that they are. Hopefully soon they'll get together. They're showing signs of getting close."

Ben bit his lip, not wanting to betray Dean, but not wanting to lie to Sam either. Sam saw the look and narrowed his eyes. "What do you know?"

Ben shook his head. "I told Dean I wouldn't say anything…"

Sam stepped forward and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I won't tell Dean you told me. He'll never know. What's up? What don't I know?"

Ben bit his lip again, glancing at the door. It only took him another moment to completely give in. "Fine. If Dean finds out I told you though, I'm dead."

Sam held up two fingers. "Boy Scout's honor. Now spill."

"Okay. So, while we were at the hospital earlier today, Dean asked me how I felt about the two of them seeing each other. I told him I was perfectly fine with it. I was all for it. I mean, really, we've been trying to get them together for a while now. Turns out they kissed yesterday!"

Sam's eyes widened. "What?! Really? When?"

"I'm pretty sure it was after you guys left. Cas ended up leaving and taking the impala home. Dean walked him out. I fell asleep, so I don't know how long he was gone, but…my best guess is they kissed when he walked Cas out to the car."

"That's huge! Are they together then or what?"

Ben shrugged. "They were holding hands while walking out of the hospital. Cas sat up front with him coming home. They've been standing awfully close today too. You should have seen some of the looks they were throwing at each other before I was released. I pretended not to see them, but I was keeping an eye on them."

Sam nodded, taking in the information. "Okay, good. Wow…Are they going to tell us?"

Ben nodded, "I was kind of eavesdropping a little bit on accident. I went to ask Dean a question and caught the end of their conversation. They're going to tell everyone when we move into the new house. Dean wants everyone together and not while they're out in public."

Sam chuckled. "Sounds like Dean. Okay, if we don't get back out there, they're going to get suspicious and then Dean's gonna come in here."

Ben nodded, hopping up off his bed and followed Sam out of his room and down the hallway towards the kitchen. When they walked in, Dean looked up from taking the burgers out of the pan. "Where have you guys been? Took you long enough."

Sam shrugged. "Just making conversation. Asked him how school was going, you know…that sort of thing."

Dean nodded suspiciously. "Okay…Well, the food's done if you wanna grab something to drink and sit down."

Cas grabbed a beer for himself and Dean before sitting down. Dean set the plate full of burgers down on the table next to the potatoes and green beans before sitting down next to Cas. Sam and Ben grabbed a pop each and sat down. They all dug into their food, mumbling to Dean how good it was.

They ate supper, keeping up conversations about the bar, school for Ben, Sam, and Cas, and then Sam brought up a topic Dean hadn't been expecting.

"So, Dean…have you heard anything about Dad?"

Dean looked up from his beer, looking at Sam for a long moment before answering him. "No. I haven't talked to Jody for a few weeks. She said she'd call me if she had anything."

Sam nodded, playing with his can of soda. "Do you…uh, Do you think he'll come here?"

Ben was looking back and forth between the two brothers, feeling the tension in the air growing. He didn't know what they were talking about, but it didn't seem good.

"I don't know, Sammy. It's been weeks, so my guess is he's in some bar getting wasted. Again."

"What about the two guys he was with?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't know. Jody has a warrant out for them, but who knows if they'll ever get caught. If they do end up showing up here, none of them will know where I live because we're moving. So there's nothing to worry about."

Sam nodded, "Yeah, but they could easily figure out where the bar is. You're not there alone at all, are you?"

Dean huffed. "Sam, I can take care of myself."

"Obviously not against them given what happened last time. I just don't want anything happening to you, Dean."

"Nothing's going to happen to me, Sam. No, I'm hardly ever there alone. The only time I am is when I'm opening it up or sometimes when I'm closing everything down. Lately, Benny and Gabe have been staying and helping me close. They're probably just as worried as you are."

Sam was nodding again. "Good. You shouldn't be there alone. You're responsible for more than just yourself now, Dean. You have to think about that."

Dean glanced in Ben's direction who was looking at him confused. "Dean, what's Sam talking about?"

Dean sighed, shaking his head. "Nothing you have to worry about, Ben."

"I'm not going to lose another parent, am I?"

Dean's heart just about shattered at the fear in Ben's eyes. He smiled softly at him. "No, you're not going to lose anyone. I'm not going anywhere. Why don't you go find us all a movie to watch, hm?"

Ben nodded, standing up. He left the room, glancing back in Dean's direction. As soon as he was out of sight, he braced himself against the wall to listen to the rest of the conversation.

Dean turned his eyes on Sam, glaring at him. "How about you drop it? He's not coming after me. If he were, he would have already done it by now. He's probably just hiding out in a bar somewhere waiting for the heat to die down on him before he goes crawling back home only to get thrown in jail again and need me to come bail him out again. Which I'm not going to do. Everything's going to be fine."

Sam bit his lip, not wanting to upset neither Dean nor Ben. He just wanted Dean to be a bit more careful so that nothing happened to him.

Dean ran a hand through his hair. "Sam…I understand that you're worried. You don't want anything happening to me, I get it. Hell, I've been doing that with you for your entire life. But I can't live my life looking over my shoulder constantly, worrying that he's going to just show up. Do I need to be cautious until he's found? Sure. But I'm not going to stop doing what I've always been doing just because our dad is a drunk prick. I'm doing what I need to do to keep a roof over Ben's head and make sure he has everything he needs. Ben lost one parent, but he's not going to lose another. I refuse to let Dad or those men do anything to take me away from him."

Cas looked at Dean. "When you move into the new house, you should install a security system."

Dean nodded, "Yeah, that's a good idea. Dad's not smart enough to be able to figure out how to disable it."

Sam frowned. "When this semester is over, I was thinking about moving in with you if that's okay."

Dean nodded, "Yeah. We'll have plenty of room."

Dean stood from the table and started clearing away the plates. "I'll get started on the dishes. Sam, how about you get the leftovers into containers and put them into the fridge."

Sam nodded and stood to start helping Dean. Cas stood as well, grabbing the empty soda cans and beer bottles. He threw them away and then started to help Dean with the dishes. Dean washed while Cas rinsed. They had themselves a good system. Sam watched them from the doorway, a small smile on his face. It was only dampened by the worry that something might happen to Dean and this might be one of the last times he saw his brother just doing what he did best: taking care of his family.

Okay! So...I have the winner(s) of the contest! I'll refresh your memory for a moment. The first place winner(s) will help me write a chapter of the story. The second place winner(s) will get a good character named after them. The third place winner(s) will get a bad/neutral character named after them. SO! On to the results...Drum roll please. *drum faintly rolls in the background followed by a clash from a cymbal*

The 3rd place winner(s):...GuiltyBystanders (Congrats! ^.^)

The 2nd place winner(s): ...Huntress79 (Yay! Congratulations!)

Now...for the moment you have all been waiting for...the announcement of the first place winner(s):...

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cmc557 AND darkbloddynightmare38!

Congratulations to all of the winners! I want to thank all of you for participating in the contest! I hope it was as fun for you as it was for me. I will need GuiltyBystanders and Huntress79 to give me a name they would like used to represent them in a chapter. I also would like to discuss with cmc557 and darkbloddynightmare38 how they will contribute to helping me with a chapter. I assume you are wondering how two people will help me. I thought about it and came up with the idea for one of them to help me with one chapter and the other to help me with another. It was the best option for it.

I put the announcement at the end of the chapter so as to build anticipation as well as so you can enjoy the chapter with minimal distractions on my part, haha. So, I hope you enjoyed the chapter as well as the contest.

Tell me what you thought of the chapter! I look forward to hearing from the winners! ^.^ Thanks again for the participation!