I'm Forever Yours, Faithfully

Faithfully - Journey

Author's Note: A little stocking stuffer to all my readers. Merry Christmas!

It was during the rare, quiet moments like this one that Mary took the time to write an entry in the old, leather-bound journal she'd had since her youth. What used to be documentation of how to spot the difference between demon indicators and a death omen had been replaced by the irreplaceable joys of the havocs of motherhood. Placing down some photo tape, she pressed down the Polaroid she'd taken last weekend and titled it John, Dean, and Sam with Banner Castle 2.0.

The moment ended shortly after as Dean wormed his way onto her lap. "What do you want?" she demanded playfully.

"Whatcha doin'?" he inquired, ignoring her question.

"None of your business, mister," she teased.

"What's your problem?" he shot back.

"You're creasing my dress," she retorted, gesturing to her red, satin attire.

"You're creasing my..." but his words faltered as he failed in his comeback, instead breaking into a wide grin. "Hey, that's Banner!" he exclaimed, pointing at the critter in the picture. "He was so cute," he sighed longingly. "But not a cute as you!" He bat his 1,000 watt smile at his mother.

"Yeah, but you're cuter," she responded, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear.

"Yeah I am," he agreed.

"And smart," Mary added.

"And funny."

"And in my way," she said, picking up her pen again.

"I wanna write my name," he declared, disrupting her again.

"Let's see it," she obliged, handing him the pen.

"D-," he said slowly, messily spelling out his name on the page opposite the picture. "E-," this letter taking a little longer to write, the four lines difficult to place correctly. "A-," he continued, drawing a simple mountain, squiggly line for the snow and everything. "N!" which turned out to be nothing more than a glorified scribble.

"Very good, ba-"

"S-," he interrupted with a sideways N. "A-," another snowy mountain. "M-," two mountains roughly connected together, without the snow. "M-" He had to continue the remainder of the name on the next line. "Y!" he said proudly as he wrote a V with a line down the middle.

Mary smiled. Of course he had to include Sam in this, like he did everything. "Julie should be here any minute," said a voice from the doorway, both of them turning to see John in a black suit. Mary's breath caught and heart fluttered at the site.

Dean smiled up at her and giggled. "I think Dad's the cutest," he commented, bringing back the earlier conversation.

"No, definitely you, kiddo," he said, walking over and planting a kiss on the top of Dean's head. Just then the doorbell rang, and Julie entered shortly after being prompted by John and Mary to come in.

"How my favorite little monster doing?" she smiled at Dean.

He looked up to his mother. "Why are you leaving me and Sammy?" he accused.

"Because Mommy and Daddy will go crazy if we don't." Dean pouted, but understood his mother was only playing. She lifted him off of her lap and onto the floor, getting up and adjusting her dress. "Be good for Julie, you like her, remember?"

"No, I love her," he corrected.

"Darn right you do," Julie said, ruffling his hair.

"Sam's already asleep," Mary informed Julie. "Fed him thirty minutes ago, you know the drill. Call if you need anything. Thanks, love," she said, pecking her on the cheek.

Embracing both parents by their knees, Dean ushered them out the door. "Be good, don't stay out too late!" he called as they entered the car.

"Yes, sir!" John saluted as he backed out of the driveway.

Eight years ago on this day John and Mary had held a quiet ceremony in Reno, bonding the two of them together for life. Now they were headed to Marino's Diner, where they'd had their first official date three years before that. Their attire was far too fancy for a place like that, but it was as good a day as any to dress up. John insisted on opening Mary's door for her when they arrived, and again when they entered the diner. She blushed when John revealed he'd even reserved the same booth they'd been seated at all those years ago. As she looked through the menu, she happened to glance up at John, who's eyes were practically sparkling with admiration.

"What?" she asked, blushing again. God, she had such a school-girl crush on the handsome man before her.

"Do you remember what we ordered the first time?" he asked, taking her hands in his.

Mary grinned. Of course she did. "I had a grilled salmon with a cheap whatever white wine they had, you went the super classy route and had a cheeseburger with extra onions. Extra onions on a first date! I couldn't believe you," she laughed.

It was John's turn to blush. "Hey, I like what I like, and I wasn't gonna change that for some girl," he teased.

"Except I wasn't just some girl!"

"No," he said, rubbing circles on her hand with his calloused thumb. "You're the girl."

"Stop it!" she laughed, lightly hitting his arm. "Don't get all sappy on me, John Winchester."

"What can get started for you folks today?" approached a young female waitress, notepad in hand.

John didn't take his eyes off his wife. "She'll have your best white wine with the grilled salmon, and I'll have a cheeseburger."

"Alrighty, sounds good!" the waitress replied.

"Oh!" he added before she could walk away. "Hold the onions. Thanks." She flashed a smile, but his gaze was already back to his wife.

"Wise choice," Mary said. "Trying to get lucky tonight?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

John sat back and gestured to his outfit. "I'm wearing a suit, aren't I?"

Mary sighed longingly. "I don't want to keep Julie waiting..."

John had thought this out way in advance, immediately replying, "Already paid her extra, she'll be there all night. Already got a nice motel room for us too."

Mary titled her head back to laugh. "I guess we have to now, don't we?" John nodded enthusiastically.

After dinner, John surprised her with a drive out to the country, laying down a blanket on the vast plains as they gazed up at the starry night. There was no way they could wait until they got to the hotel, so they made sweet love in the back seat of Impala, where only the stars above could hear their cries of passion. Then again at the hotel, where the surrounding rooms, and probably floors could hear, but they didn't care. As John held his sleeping wife in his arms, he realized how truly blessed he was to have his beautiful wife who loved him in spite of his flaws and his two boys who were his world.