"I'm gonna run into town for some groceries and a few things I need to pick up." Bobby told Dean.
"Can I come?" Dean asked quickly.
"You want to go into town?" Bobby checked he'd heard right. Dean had refused to go into town once his baby bump had become obviously noticeable, insisting that Dr Shaw had come to see him for any appointments that were needed. He also hadn't wanted to take Jack into town, until now apparently.
"Yeah. If you don't mind." Dean shrugged. "It's just…I guess after Ellen and Jo visited I realised how isolated I've made myself. I'm kinda goin' a little stir crazy"
"Yeah." Bobby agreed whole heartedly. "Trevor called and said the carburettor for the Camaro's arrived. We can pick that up too."
"Cool." Dean grinned happily. "It'll be good to put a face to the name."
"You would've met him eventually." Bobby replied. "He won't be able to resist coming and taking a look at her."
"I wouldn't either." Dean shrugged. He pulled Jack's pushchair out of the hall closet and stuck it in the trunk of the Impala. Their weapons had been moved inside for safe keeping so there was plenty of space. Bobby settled Jack into his car seat while Dean collected the various things he might need for the baby while in town. "I've missed you, baby." He purred to the car. He'd barely driven it in the six months he'd been under self imposed house arrest, allowing Sam to take the car to work now and then to keep the engine in good order.
The drive to town wasn't a long one and they were soon unloading the pushchair and tucking Jack in securely. He smiled up at Dean happily and Dean couldn't help but smile back, listening to the small gurgling noises the baby had recently started to make.
"You wanna leave or somethin' just let me know." Bobby instructed.
"Leave?" Dean frowned. They'd only just arrived.
"Might be tough getting used to being around all these people again." Bobby replied gruffly. He and Sam had been considering staging some kind of intervention if Dean didn't get himself out of the house soon. Sam had expressed his concerns that if they left it much longer they'd never be able to get him out of there. Bobby had had more faith in Dean's strength of character but he wanted the younger man to know he didn't have to push it.
"I'm fine." Dean replied honestly.
"Ok. Just don't growl if anyone gets too close, ok? This is a small town."
"What's that mean?"
"Means people are talking about my son who's just turned up at my door with a baby and a male partner." Bobby replied.
"I didn't know people have been giving you crap." Dean frowned.
"I didn't say they had. They've just been clamouring to meet you." Bobby reassured him, clapping him on the shoulder. "What with me having lived here so long and Sam working at the college, they've heard a lot about you. Luckily a couple of 'em remember you and Sammy being around when you were kids. Just told 'em you grew up in Kansas with your mom and came to visit in the summer."
"Ok." Dean nodded, digesting the information in case someone brought it up. "What'd you say about Sam?" He asked.
"Just that Sam's mom and your mom were real good friends and I was good friends with Sam's dad." A cloud seemed to pass over Bobby's face as he said that. "Not much else." Dean nodded and they set off walking towards the general store.
"Dean!" Dean turned around to see a petite brunette running towards them.
"Hey, Susan." He grinned at her.
"It's good to see you out and about." She patted him on the arm. "How are you?"
"I'm doing good." Dean promised. He'd only seen her a week ago so she could weigh Jack. She peered into the pram and cooed a little at the baby who smiled and gurgled back.
"I always forget how cute he is until I see him." She laughed. "Best looking baby this county's seen in a long while." Dean blushed a little. "If you're going to be coming to town more often it might be easier for you to pop into the surgery a couple of times a month to get him weighed." She suggested. Bobby knew Sam had raised his concerns about Dean's isolation with her and this was clearly her way of encouraging Dean to get out and about more.
"Sure." Dean nodded.
"You still call me if you have any problems." She insisted. "I better get back." She indicated the surgery over her shoulder. "I just wanted to come out and say hi."
"Ok." Dean nodded. "Shall I call when I want to bring him in?" He asked.
"Nah. I've always got time for you boys. I'll see you in a week or two?"
"Sure." Dean nodded again.
"Bye, Bobby." Susan smiled and rushed back into the surgery. Bobby smiled and tutted to himself.
"What?" Dean asked, beginning to walk towards the store again.
"She sure has a soft spot for you." Bobby laughed. "That woman's feared three counties over but she comes running out just to say hi to you."
"Nah, she just wants to say hi to Jack." Dean argued. "You know what you need to get?" He asked as he manoeuvred the push chair into the store.
"Just a couple of things." Bobby replied. He did his main grocery shop at the supermarket the next town over but he liked to support the local store too. "Hey, Ned." He greeted the white haired man who approached them. Dean couldn't help but think he looked like a storekeeper from some old fifties TV show with his neatly pressed apron.
"Bobby. This your boy?" He asked.
"Sure is." Bobby nodded. "Dean, this is Ned. Ned, Dean."
"Good to meet you, sir." Dean shook his hand.
"A youngster with manners." Ned smiled at him. "That's what I like to see. Must have raised him right, Bobby."
"I hope so." Bobby nodded.
"Your Sam was in here yesterday." He told Dean who couldn't help but be a little surprised at how well he seemed to accept the fact that he and Sam were together. "He's a nice boy. Talks none stop mind you."
"He always has." Dean nodded. That sounded just like Sam.
"Let me get a look then." Ned insisted, leaning over the pram to look at Jack. "I've heard more about this baby in the last couple of months than I ever did about my own kids." Dean looked at Bobby who just grinned and shrugged a little. "Well, if he ain't just the spitting image of you." Ned exclaimed. Jack smiled at him suddenly and he laughed loudly. "You must be proud as heck, Bobby."
"Oh I am." Bobby assured him.
"I'll let you get back to it. Call if you need anything."
"We will."
"I think I remember him from when we used to come here in the summer." Dean murmured, following Bobby around the store.
"Probably." Bobby nodded. "He's had this place as long as I can remember." They paid for the few things they needed and said goodbye to Ned. "Ok, we can head over to the garage and pick up the carburettor now."
"Cool." Dean nodded. The garage was on the way back to Bobby's house so they settled Jack back into his car seat and set off there.
Trevor came out of his workshop as soon as they pulled onto the forecourt. He was about the same age as Dean and built like a lumberjack. He would have given Sam a run for his money in height.
"You must be Dean." He stuck his hand out and Dean shook it. "Damn fine car you've got there. I keep tryin' to convince Sam to bring her in here for a tune up but he says you don't let anyone else touch her."
"Damn straight." Dean nodded. "She doesn't need tuning up. It's just the way Sam drives." He added.
"You gotta nurture a car like that."
"I know." Dean agreed. "That's why he's been relegated to driving one of Bobby's trucks."
"Now, now." Bobby interrupted, seeing Trevor getting ready to ask something else about the car. "We don't got all day, Trev, and this boy just won't stop if you get him started about that car."
"Nothin' wrong with that." Trevor grinned, disappearing into his workshop for a few seconds and returning with a brown paper package. Bobby paid him, ignoring Dean's protests.
"That car's mine when it's done." He reminded Dean. "You're just free labour."
"You mind if I maybe come and help you work on it sometime?" Trevor asked Dean, somewhat shyly.
"Sure." Dean nodded. Trevor knew what he was doing according to Bobby. "I might even let you get a look under the hood of the Impala." He offered. Under his watchful supervision of course.
"Great." Trevor nodded enthusiastically, walking over to the car with them. "That Jack?" He asked, nodding to the baby who was sitting quietly in his car seat.
"Yeah." Dean opened the door and the baby immediately smiled at him.
"I can see the family resemblance." Trevor nodded. "Although I guess you guys must get your looks from your mom 'cause you sure didn't get 'em from Bobby."
"You hold your tongue, boy." Bobby laughed. "Don't forget I know your momma."
"I'll send her your love." Trevor grinned.
"Well." Bobby laughed as they drove away from the garage. "I don't believe it."
"What?" Dean asked.
"You already have half the town wrapped around your little finger." Bobby shook his head.
When Sam arrived home he listened eagerly to Dean's tale of his trip into town, loving how amped up his brother was over such a simple thing.
"Well, maybe if you're feeling up to it this weekend we could go into town for some lunch?" He suggested.
"Sure." Dean nodded. "As long as I'm…"
"Not working on the Camaro." Sam finished his sentence. "Don't worry, I know my place." He grinned at his brother. Dean grinned back before disappearing upstairs to put away Jack's clean clothes. "Did he really decide he wanted to go into town?" Sam checked with Bobby.
"Yup. I mentioned I was going and he just up and asked if he could come." Bobby nodded. "I told you he'd be fine. He's just not as much of a social person as you, Sammy. Your momma was just the same. Happy at home with your daddy and you boys. It was always a fight to get her out of the house."
"Now we just have to get him out of the house without Jack." Sam smiled down at the baby he had in his arms. "You have your daddy just where you want him, huh?"
"One thing at a time, Sam." Bobby warned. Dean had yet to be away from Jack for any significant amount of time.