Hey, how are you guys doing? This is a continuation of the last chapter, where Dean lost his cool and snapped at Sam.

Dean leans over the banister outside the motel room, taking a swig of beer and breathing in the cold night air. He watches the drops of condensation as they make their way down the bottle and up his arm. The crickets and frogs are singing their night time tune even though dawn is drawing near. The sting of the coldness numbs his nose as he takes in deep breaths to calm himself down from what had happened during the night.

Mary is inside, sleeping under the cosy covers and Sam is typing away on his laptop. The two brothers haven't talked since Dean yelled at Sam for letting Mary leave his sight. Dean's anger has blown over but the tense air between them still lingers. Dean escaped the room as he couldn't stand the silence anymore. Cas has gone, disappearing with a blink of an eye and a soft rush of wings flapping.

The door squeals open behind him but Dean doesn't turn back to see who's come for he knows exactly who it is. Sam stands a distance away from Dean, clearing his throat. It takes a few second for him to form the words in his mouth and Dean has nothing better to do than wait.

"Look, Dean, I'm sorry," Sam starts. "I know I should've kept a closer watch on Mary, I-."

"Yeah, I know," Dean cuts in. "It's not your fault. I don't blame you. I just got a bit worked up. I'm sorry I yelled at you," Dean says. "I didn't mean to. It's just that Mary means a lot to me. That night when she was left on my doorstep, the note said that her name is to be Mary. I think it's a sign, like a chance to somebody and not fail again. I mean, she's so much like Mom. It feels like I'm returning a favour, like I'm finally doing something for Mom. I mean, her birthday's is on the 6th of November," Dean exclaims. "I don't know what's my take on reincarnation but this sure as hell feels like one."

Sam nods, "I understand how you feel and I don't blame you. Any loving father would lose their cool if their daughter is in danger." He looks at Dean, who takes another swig. "You make a great Dad," Sam comments.

Dean huffs at the comment, "Yeah. I never thought that I'd be a Dad for real. Well, she's not my flesh and blood but its feels like we might as well be. You never know what will happen in life, eh?" He raises his bottle in a toast before pouring more of the fizzy concoction into his mouth.

"Do you think you'll ever tell her one day?" Sam asks. "About her mother."

Dean sighs, ducking his head down until his chin touches his chest. "I don't know, man. I guess we have to tell her one day. Right about the time we tell her that she's actually adopted," Dean replies. He shakes his head, saying, "I don't ever want to do that. I don't ever want to remember that she's not actually mine. Even if one day, her no good son of a bitch father comes along and picks her up, I'm never giving her away. Nobody is taking her away. She's family. Me, Mary and you: the great Winchester family, kicking asses dead or alive."

Sam smiles at the show of passion Dean has for Mary. "So are we going to teach her the tricks of the trade? There's no way out of this business once you've stepped into it, might as well get her prepared," Sam reasons.

The light in Dean's eyes grows dimmer at the mention of having dragging yet another innocent life down into the gutters. "When she's older, no way will I make her hold a gun at this age," Dean decides. He remembers how he was only her age when his father first let him shoot a gun. No way would he let her go through that. Maybe when she's ten or so, he would teach her about weapons. "But I guess we can start on the self-defence and safety rules and precautions. Keep her childhood safe for as long as possible."

Sam agrees. Both he and Dean knows nothing of a life apart from ghouls and demons and werewolves. Everyone should have memories of a good childhood. The one that they have to offer might not be the most suburban white bread life there is but with effort, Mary can still have parties, friends, and other little girl fun. All of a sudden, Dean is laughing manically to himself. Sam looks at his strangely, waiting for an explanation.

"Who am I kidding? There's no way she'll survive without a gun," Dean scoffs. "Even if she's young, we have to teach her. I hope I still have that pistol Dad gave to me."

Sam watches sadly as his brother pushes himself off the metal beam and walks into room. The sky is turning light blue and the frogs and crickets have stopped their night song. Their song is replaced by those of the birds, waking up to the new day. Maybe they can still give Mary some of her childhood. Teaching her how to use a gun does not mean the end of her childhood, they can still take her to parks and carnivals and fun fairs. One thing is for sure, Sam thinks to himself as he watches the sun rise, Mary has one thing that he and Dean didn't have growing up. She has a loving father who would put his life on the line for her, who would protect her from the worst of reality, and who most definitely would never leave her to her own devices for days at a time alone in a motel room. With Dean as a father, one would never have to worry about hunger or the cold. He is as good as any father gets and Sam is sure of it.

Word of advice: don't listen to "The Famous Final Scene" by Bob Segers. Especially not on repeat. And ESPECIALLY not when you're thinking about the episode "Road Trip" where Dean was alone in the bunker after Kevin's cremation. Don't think about Kevin, either. Don't think about the lyrics. Just don't do it. Unless you want to reduce your heart to something less than what Dean might feel he has or if your heart is cold and shrivelled up. Then by all means.