All these months later, it still sent a grin on Dean's face whenever he received anything from this phone number. She'd been like the sister he had always wanted back when they were little, but that had also been close to ten years ago and apart. He'd honestly didn't know how she would take his impromptu gift for staying in touch. It actually had been for Anthony as a way to keep in contact with Allison when he was sent out for work. Which, Anthony, per usual, called him out on. Hermione coming to America to see him from the book signing hadn't been expected. Not unwelcome, but unexpected.

Hermione called it brilliant. Dean puffed up his chest in remembrance. By the time she'd gone back to Britain, it was like no time had gone by and he was annoying her in stating his awesomeness.

Dean froze as he grabbed snacks off the shelf. He pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it for a moment, hesitating at Hermione finally finishing her rambling to boldly burst out her request. She wanted him to do what? He put the phone back to his ear. Hermione was back to rambling reasons again, voice trailing off into an uneasy silence. Purpose filled him up and he told her not to worry, she wouldn't be able to stop him from doing it now. He let her have her tears on the other end of the phone, knowing there wasn't much he could say on the topic of her father or mother. It wasn't something easily fixed. But he would do his damnest to try and stand in to give her away to Ron.

Peeved and even more highly concerned, Sam forcibly shoved Brady out the door. The sounds of the party muted, but not by much. This was not like his college friend. Ever since the break, something had happened to cause his friend to go down a deliberate path of destruction. Brady laughed and teased Sam about not being able to have fun. He spun and shook Brady. The lecture he gave did nothing except to cause Brady to snicker at him.

Before Sam could tear into Brady again, someone else raced up to them, her face lighting up at seeing Brady was found. Jessica Moore. Sam froze as she hurried up to him and Brady.

Brady nudged him and Sam shoved back, not looking at the self-assured face he was sure to find. Jessica's lecture was far more effective than Sam's had been. They led Brady back to the dorms and Sam didn't completely believe Brady's Boy Scout promise to stay put. Then his friend waggled his eyes at Jessica Moore's back as she left. Sam glared, but looked away as he felt the heat in his cheeks. Brady annoyingly reminded Sam he'd introduced them from the party three nights ago and Sam should stow his grievances with him. Then shoved Sam after the pretty blonde, smirked and disappeared into his dorm.

Anthony could hear the question and see the smirk far beyond when he told Dean he was bringing a date along for the Weasley/Granger wedding. He could potentially live with it because it got his friend's attention off of the portkey and his hatred of flight. Except this was a girl Anthony was looking at for long term. And Dean would never let his hand in this relationship go once he found out.

Darcy Fitzgerald had been a girl he finally had reason to get up the nerve to speak casually to outside of work due to her being the person he knew in magical patents. The same girl he went to see about the Allison named creation of Dean's handiwork.

Sure enough, Dean recognized her and asked the question Anthony knew would come out of his friend. He scowled darkly when his sister spouted out how awesome her uncle was and gave Dean a high five. Darcy laughed with them though, so it was still good. He shook his head at his friend and sister, shrugging at their antics. She kissed his cheek. More smirking and laughing from Dean and Allison, but Anthony was all right with it.

John watched his eldest across the dinner table. Dean's posture was stiff, uncomfortable looking against the battered red cushion of the booth. It wasn't due to the hunt he'd called him here to help him out. With two men working it, it had given neither father nor son any worthwhile injury. Being able to relate to his eldest outside of a case was straining. Dean was so reserved and guarded with John that it hurt and left him without words until his temper lashed out about it. He was at least trying to win against his anger of failing Dean as a father, right?

The rock ringtone of his son's cell phone broke the tense silence, startling John. Who else called Dean other than him? Had he interrupted another case Dean was looking into?

Dean glanced up apologetically, but John motioned for him to hurry and get it. An excitable child's voice was easily heard without the speaker function and he nearly choked on his coffee. Wide eyed, John jerked his head up at his eldest who had frozen fearfully at what his father had just overheard. Uncle Dean? His temper burst and Dean flinched back at his yelling before trying to calm him in public. John shouted at Dean trying to manage him when neither of his sons bothered to tell him he had a grandchild. Dean stared, stunned silent at the accusation. The child's voice piped up from the phone again to say they only called Dean uncle. Baffled, John gruffly ordered for Dean to explain. What followed was the closest conversation John was able to have with Dean that wasn't about taking care of Sam or the job, the closest conversation they had as father and son. And it revolved around magic.

Dean never questioned where Allison got her need to be cute from when Anthony offhandedly suggested the three of them fly to the magical reservation. She took the chance to pipe up using the Impala instead. The girl had always been trying to get invited inside of the vehicle ever since she first realized how beloved it was to him. She'd always be welcome to it, along with Anthony, but Dean enjoyed messing with her and watching her attempts of convincing him. Anthony knew full well, encouraging his little sister's antics and them grinning at each other when she wasn't looking.

But Dean scowled at his so-called best friend. Anthony raised his eyebrow, his lip twitching. The suggestion of an airplane was definitely not humorous.

Allison leapt wildly onto him, cheering loudly as he gave the Impala affirmative. He shouted and grumbled at her, ineffectively, as she giggled and hugged him rather than continue hanging off of him like a monkey. Then he went into lecture mode, informing her of how long the drive would be and how long they would be stuck in his baby. She just grinned, loudly declaring that was going to be the best part. Anthony snickered at Dean's flabbergasted face. That is until Dean and Allison made a battle stand, attacking him with table snacks.

Anthony felt out of his element. Research in the library he was okay with, paperwork was fine. Heck, he held no issue in going after witches or wizards who created some of the paperwork. But Dean's fascination with magical creatures held no flame to the responsibility Dean felt on the supernatural kind. Once his friend heard rumors from the magical reserve caretakers, they stopped to research at the local library, and then dropped by to question the family. But this figured when dealing with Dean. Family wasn't home, except for the reason for this all. Panicked, he yanked his little sister back from the edge of the salt circle. Allison's face pinched sourly up at him, then worriedly where Dean fought off the supernatural ghost with the fireplace poker and trying to get at the locks of hair the family had kept.

It was only now Anthony's brain finally clicked on why Dean's more unique wand had been made of petrified wood. The iron. It wasn't just a nod to his friend's more mechanical abilities.

Allison loudly told the ghost off for attacking Dean, diverting its attention. It flickered and appeared in front of them. Shouting, she wound back her arm and threw salt at it. The ghost flickered and came from another angle, strong air currents destroying the protective circle. Anthony pulled his sister behind him, whipped his wand out, whirling salt grains up around them, and called out for Dean to hurry up. Dean crowed as the ghost went up in flames with the locks of hair. Anthony scowled, then rolled his eyes when his best friend slapped him on the back, giddy with the success and how good Anthony was to have around on a basic ghost hunt. The birthday girl cheered, happily skipping alongside Dean. At least Dean gave an apologetic look back at Anthony for how questioning the family turned out.

Flirting with her to open her up probably wasn't the best idea. Dean followed along, continuing the charade of needing the help to find the place. He wasn't on game, she actually looked more amused as they kept walking, and he was putting his foot in his mouth.

He may be thinking she appeared amused, but he damn well knew Sam was at him.

Dean had to get back into the swing of things, this was not working. He was too thrilled at stringing this along and keeping his brother with him as long as he could possibly get away with right now. A year, he'd have to get his head on straight for a year. If Sam brought it up, Dean could maybe sway Sam to a year away from school and the tragedy of his girlfriend, Jessica Moore, dying like mom did. It was selfish and Sam knew Dean didn't need him, but Sam went along with it anyway. Dean had hope this road trip was helping his brother. That maybe Sam needed him right now. And Dean was determined to be there for Sammy.

"Kids are the best?" Sam repeated the last line Dean tried on Lucas's mother. "You don't even like kids."

Dean scowled at being Sam's entertainment, sorely tempted to knock him over the head. "Yeah I love kids."

"Name three children that you even know."

Dean stuffed down his first answer, Allie. Just turned ten and full of enthusiastic spunk. Ready to show him off whenever he got dragged in for instructional help, updated books, and his latest patent he'd let her name again. She still had the adorable face at ten, but he kept insisting she'd grow out of it. Sam would want to know how he knew her. The next one on the tip of his tongue was James, Pitcher's first kid.

But Sam had been told long ago that all those stories where just stories, magical versions of supernatural didn't exist. The kid had long since questioned out everything on Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, mermaids, and other fantastical creatures all children were told about. So when Sam was told that about magical witches and wizards, his disappointment was sharp and nodding in acceptance. Questioning it hadn't come to younger Sam's mind.

Dean had fallen back into the lives of wizards during Sam's time at college, back to a time he had gotten normal when Sam had not. Sam had sent him away from Stanford with hopes of normal for him. Dean didn't want to admit to any of that though. Sam deserved a normal life more than Dean did. Dean had tried as best he could to protect Sam and give his little brother the best.

Right now, together again, Sam was everything. Even when apart, Dean had done all he could for his brother. Putting money earned from his books and patents to Sam, disguised as scholarships and shaving off enough on rent so Sam wouldn't know but would be paying less than needed.

Dean wasn't going to tell Sam any of that.

Sam would either feel abandoned and betrayed, adding to the emotional mess he was going through on top of being an emotional guy. Or Sam would shove Dean away back to a chance at normal. Sam was too nice to people. Sam would be left alone with his grief and no one but dad to come close to understanding about his dead girlfriend. And Sam would never go to dad like that.

Anthony had his new wife now. Hermione busy too as she was looking forward to her and Ron's first kid. He twitched at the thought of missing them next time they visited, but they'd all be okay. Anthony and Darcy wouldn't hold it against him. Nor would Hermione even if he knew he'd be getting a telling off about it. Sam needed him more.

Dean looked up from scratching his head and realized Sam had took that as his answer to knowing any children. His brother was nearly laughing as he walked away.

"I'm thinking," Dean shouted.

He'll just tell the little bitch later that he couldn't think of any other kid when his kid brother was grinning at him. That'd get Sam's emotions up and assure him on how his big brother was going to stick with only him at this time. Not that Sam would realize the assurance when Dean pissed him off. Dean hurried after Sam, wanting to call him out on being the 'little' brother and a 'kid' and 'bitch' and making sure 'Sammy' knew it.

Dean snickered. Sam was too easy. Especially after four years apart.