(A/N: My readers are the best! Thanks for the reviews and suggestions, and for not minding that the story grew darker than I intended (and Dean keeps cussing) and I needed to change the rating. We're about half-way through.)

"Well, damnit, Cas. Make it change us back. Or tell us how to find the frikkin fairy connection and we'll do it ourselves." Dean does not want to hear excuses from the angel, he wants to not be stuck in his own 14-year-old body while Child Protective Services pokes and prods him mentally and physically. Plus there is no way on Earth he plans to repeat high school. That's, like, against the Geneva Convention or something – Nope, high school wasn't a happy experience the first time around, he ain't going back.

Proving that Cas can read Dean's mind, the angel huffs "The Seelie Court is not a signatory of the Geneva Convention, Dean. It is completely a human-centric document. Nor is regressing people in age and requiring them to attend secondary school addressed within it." Dean and Sam both roll their eyes at Cas, who continues anyway. "The important point is that fairies do not acknowledge supremacy of Heaven or Hell. That sylph knew exactly who you two are and insists that she has been kinder to you than either angels or demons, that she is indeed rewarding you, and that as far as she is concerned you need to learn to stop being a hero to complete strangers or suffer the consequences. Her words not mine."

Sam is flabbergasted. "Wait, she said we need to suffer the consequences of helping strangers? Is there some kind of lore we don't know that explains why we shouldn't do that?"

Cas tilts his head, "Only that it is not safe to get or give favors to the Fae. And one should never enter into a bargain with a fairy."

"Don't go haring off on tangents, Sam." Dean is the only one still sitting. As a full-grown man, he might call his posture and facial expression brooding, and Sam doesn't want to tell him it just looks sulky right now with his full pink lips pooched out and his arms crossed on his thin chest.

Sam suspects he looks less foreboding than he imagines too, and sneaks a look at his reflection. Nope, not menacing, more like floppy.

"Hey, Samantha, if you're finished primping, I could use some help." Dean pushes his hair out of his eyes, vowing to get a haircut soon if he's going to be stuck this way, and starts sorting his thoughts.

"Shut up, squirt," Sam retorts. Then he snickers. "Sorry about the low blow, but I wanted it to hit…"

Dean glares. "If comedy hour is over, can we make some plans? We've gotta case with a frikkin' fairy and her less than awesome reward, and we got the human problems from CPS. We need to work on both fronts … and we need to get ahead of this, so there's no more surprises popping up." He brings his legs up into Indian style, a position Sam doubts grown up Dean could force his legs into. "So what steps do we need to take?"

As far as the abuse allegations, Cas says he healed some internal problems, but left the outer marks the CPS worker had already seen and photographed. "The problems we'll face there are that you have a tattoo, a brand, and warding carved all over your ribs. These might prove difficult to explain."

"Ya' think, Cas?" Dean snorts.

Sam stifles a smile. "Cas, Dean and I discussed saying our mythical parents were fanatics who tattooed us for religious reasons. We talked about the brand being a birthmark, but I have no clue what to say about the sigils on his ribs. I guess I can just look baffled and ask them what could have caused that."

"Yes. Of course we will lie," Cas says, almost eagerly. "And as your godfather I think I should play a role in this discussion. We will be the Church of Ishmael. I think this is fitting. You can be our new chosen one. That will explain your markings and give us the cover of religious significance to your oddities."

"My oddities?" Dean starts, then he says, "You know you're not really our godfather, right, Cas?"

Cas gets a stubborn look on his face. "I am aware of the role-playing done during hunts. And I have seen you cherish some of your roles, Dean Winchester." Cas narrows his eyes at them. "I am just preparing our back story."

The brothers exchange glances and say,"yeah, whatever." Then Dean tells Sam they may need to see if Charlie can help them set up an identity for Cas. "We need him ready as an adult support system, Sam." Dean insists. "We might not get the fairy thing resolved before the CPS thing, and I don't want to end up in foster care."

"We could just leave, Dean. Go into hiding." Sam is actually starting to like that idea, as much as he had previously been thinking about putting down roots, but Dean stops him.

"No fucking way are we choosing the option that keeps me as your little brother, forever, Sam. It's bad enough that you grew up taller. I refused to be some kind of little sidekick. No, but we need somewhere less of a fishbowl then this hotel full of nosey do-gooders. Maybe we can find a little house or something to rent. Yeah, that'd be awesome."

Dean wonders what Sam isn't telling him when he nervously says, "I'll get on the house thing and call Charlie. There's one more thing we can try, Dean. We can say you tested out of school. Maybe get Charlie to do that too. Man, we are going to owe her so many favors, and money. But let's see if she'll be willing to come stay while we resolve some things."

"That would be awesome, Sam." Dean paces around the living room. "But you know what would be more awesome? If you two 'grown ups' fed the kid's body occasionally. I am starving." Then he does something to Sam that Sam has done to Dean for years. He makes sad puppy dog eyes at him.

Cas says he will stay with them, too. That he feels that Dean's defenses have been compromised leaving him unable to defend himself against demons.

Dean thinks introducing Charlie to Cas may prove interesting, but all he says is, "Sam, I think we're gonna need a bigger house."