Reunion

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

Characters which belong to Eric Kripke the creator of Supernatural who feature in this chapter are:

Sam Winchester and Dean Winchester

Characters that belong to me Ava Brett who are featured in this chapter are:

Tansy Winchester, James Winchester, Mia Meade and Maisie Pittman… you don't actually find out Mia's and Maisie's surname in the chapter but I'm nothing if not a perfectionist when it comes to my own characters so I have placed what their surnames are.

Please do not use any of my characters without first asking my permission.

As usual I am merely using these characters for my own entertainment purposes and I make no money from this at all. It's all for fun

Author Note

Confession time… This chapter was never meant to be in the story but I really wanted some more brotherly moments and I really, really wanted a chapter where you could see Dean in full Daddy Dean mode so you could see what he is like with James. Every other time Tansy has been there so I thought it would be interesting to see how father and son react. Not only that but I wanted to show Sam and Dean interacting without Tansy as well… though its pretty clear she's never far from Dean's mind.

This story has been so much fun to write, I'm actually saddened by the fact that it's nearly at an end but I suppose all good things must eventually end!

Thank god I decided to make it into a saga because I really don't want to abandon Tansy and James… I really like them!

Anyway please enjoy the chapter!

Overall Summary

When Sam Winchester left for Stanford University to study law it never occurred to him that life for his brother Dean would go on without him, now his brother is back, needing help to locate their missing father but he isn't alone. Sam needs to figure out where he stands now and decide once and for all if he's a Winchester or not.

Chapter Summary

The Winchester boys spend some much needed time with each other while they wait for Tansy's call…

Overall Romances

Main Romances

Dean Winchester/Tansy Winchester (OFC) and Sam Winchester/Jessica Moore

Mentioned Romances

Troy Squire/Amy Hein, Joseph Welch/Constance Welch, John Winchester / Mary Winchester and unrequited Troy Squire / Constance Welch

Romance for this chapter

Dean Winchester / Tansy Winchester and Sam Winchester / Jessica Moore

Chapter Twenty Five

1st November 2005

16:10 PM

Echo Park Diner

Interstate 280

California

Sam Winchester's Point of View

"This looks like a good place for us to stop" Dean announced breaking the silence in the car as he hit the indicator, waiting for a car to past before he twisted the steering wheel, bringing the impala off of the main interstate they had been travelling down and into a small area which had clearly been placed there in the hope of attracting tourist. It was full of motels, different diners and restaurants offering a variety of different foods as well as several tacky looking shops selling pretty much everything imaginable.

Sam stretched awkwardly, wishing not for the first time that the front of the impala offered him more leg space to use. He reached up, hiding a yawn behind his hand before he rubbed at a crick in his neck, his eyes moving around the surrounding area taking in the layout and the number of cars around them, he wasn't surprised when he saw Dean ignore several spaces to park up in a quiet area which only had one or two cars and trucks already there.

Sam frowned slightly realising that his throat was dry and his eyes dry. He seriously needed something to drink and he needed it now. He glanced up at the clock in Dean's dashboard, his eyes widening when he realised that it was already past four in the afternoon. They had been driving for well over an hour which means that Tansy had been gone for about an hour and a half, perhaps slightly less.

His gaze ended up on his brother, narrowing slightly in concern when he noticed the way his brother was acting. Sam knew that if a stranger happened to glance at Dean at that moment in time then they wouldn't see anything wrong. They would simply see a young man, squinting in the low sunlight, looking thoughtful. Only someone who knew Dean would notice that Dean was tense and that he had grown tenser with each and every mile they had placed between themselves and Jericho.

Sam opened his mouth to ask Dean if he was feeling okay but he swiftly shut it again. Dean wasn't known for participating in moments of emotional sharing, in fact he normally ran a mile at the mere suggestion of one. If Sam asked then he would be met with a sigh which would swiftly be followed by a sarcastic comment and a smack round the back of the head or a punch in his arm before Dean told him to man up and to stop being such a girl.

It was going to be hard enough to come up with an excuse which Jessica would buy to explain the injury on his chest without having a bruise from his brother added to it. He frowned slightly as his chest gave a sharp throb of pain, he was seriously going to have to take those pain killers his sister in law had offered him if he was to have any hope of sleeping that night.

"I think you're right for once" Sam remarked with a half sigh at the sound of outrage Dean made at his comment. "It's large enough and crowded enough that we can get lost here if need be. Did you know it was here or what it a fluke that you found it?" Sam asked curiously.

Dean shrugged his shoulders, twisting his head to the side so he could meet Sam's eyes with a half thoughtful, half amused look.

"I saw it on the way here when you were asleep and snoring your head off so loudly that you drowned out the radio" he replied, grinning when Sam stuck up his middle finger at him. "But you're right, that's one of reason I picked it" he confessed, looking away from Sam and looking through the window at the complex as he reached down and undid his seatbelt.

"What's the other reason then?" Sam remarked with a raised eyebrow. Dean shrugged as he reached for the door handle and answered.

"The second reason is because it's still fairly close to Jericho so you shouldn't have any problem when you drive back to pick up Tansy. We're out of the Jericho police jurisdiction now Sam which means that they can't come and get us now without a hell of a lot of hassle and a shit load of paperwork to deal with. If there's one thing I've learnt it's that police forces don't like other police forces entering their territory. If they could get away with scenting their area with their piss then they would" Dean remarked with a smile at Sam before he climbed out of the car, slamming the door behind him.

"Your Daddy is something else James" Sam remarked with a sigh, glancing back at the small boy who was watching him with a serious expression. He smiled at his nephew before he followed Dean out of the car, slamming his own door behind him. He frowned slightly, pulling his hoodie closer to him and zipping it up. It was surprisingly cool considering that the weather had been fairly warm back in Jericho. He twisted round so he was facing the car and Dean.

"You hungry?" He asked his brother curiously, leaning his torso against the impala, folding his arms over the roof as he waited for an answer. Dean smiled again as he opened the back door, bending down and disappearing for a moment before he remerged from the interior with James held securely in his arms. Sam watched as the small boy's face lit up at the sight of Dean.

"Daddy!" he said happily, throwing his body forward and wrapping his arms tightly around Dean's neck, his head fitting into the crook of Dean's neck, the ease which Dean adjusted to the change in position made Sam think that Dean had held James this way hundreds of times before. Sam watched as Dean closed the door using his hip before he spoke.

"Stupid question there Sammy boy, when have you ever known me to turn down the chance to eat?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as he quickly locked the car up. He checked the driver's door to make sure it was secure before he walked around to the trunk and opened it, pulling out James's baby bag which he rested on the floor.

"Well that is very true," Sam answered with a thoughtful expression, tilting his head from side to side as though he was seriously considering Dean's question. "You are a pig when it comes to food which would explain the small belly you're beginning to sport though that could always just be down to old age" he commented, keeping his face serious with difficulty as he moved to Dean's side.

"You're lucky my son is here or I'd kick your ass for that remark" Dean answered with a roll of his eyes as he adjusted James so he was resting against his hip before he bent down and picked up the baby bag, putting the strap over his other shoulder.

"Do you want me to take James for a while?" Sam offered, surprising him self when the words came out of his mouth. Dean glanced at him, searching his eyes for a moment before he slowly shook his head.

"Normally I'd jump at the chance but I've got him Sammy. He's wet, he's hungry and he's grumpy which means Jago is probably about five minutes from screaming the place down. Let me feed him and change him and then he's all yours, you can hold him as much as you like as long as you eventually give him back to us." Dean said a rare softness to his expression which Sam hadn't seen directed at him self for years. If he was being honest to him self then he could admit that it was a look he had missed and one he had never expected to see again.

"I'll hold you to that" he commented, following Dean towards the nearest diner to them. He glanced up at the sign before they entered before he turned his attention to the warm room. It was fairly large and pleasant. The air smelt of freshly cooked food which made his stomach rumble. He scanned every face looking for anything which looked out of the ordinary but he couldn't see anything. As far as he could see everyone in there were simply there to eat and take a weight off of their feet.

"Go and grab that table towards the back Sammy" Dean said quietly, his gaze tightening on James. "I'm going to head to the restroom to get James sorted out before I put him in the highchair."

"Okay, take your time" Sam remarked, heading towards the table which Dean had indicated, he kept his gaze fixed on his brother and nephew until the pair of them had disappeared through a door and were out of his sight.

He slid into the booth, frowning slightly at the garish yellow colouring of the seat, a colour he knew that Jessica would have hated, before he pulled at the diners menu and glanced at it, his eyes automatically searching for the healthiest options which the diner offered. He used to eat all the same unhealthy food as his father and his brother had but Jessica's expression of sheer horror when she realised the kind of shit he ate had been enough to make him try and ear healthier if only for an easier life. The effects the change in diet had, had on his body had certainly been noticeable as had the look of sheer appreciation and desire which came to his girlfriend's eyes every time she viewed him without a top on. That look alone was enough to make the effort worthwhile.

"Welcome to the Echo Park Diner, can I get you something to drink while you decide what to eat or have you already decided?"

Sam glanced up at the pretty feminine voice which had spoken to him. His eyes focused on a tall slim girl who looked as though she was about his age with long blond hair and big pale blue eyes, she had a wide smile on her face as she caught sight of his eyes, a smile which reminded him of Jessica producing a sharp ache of longing in him. God he couldn't wait until tomorrow when he could see her again and have her back in his arms where she belonged. His eyes dropped automatically to her name badge as a warm smile came to his face.

"I'm just waiting for my brother to return with his son so we aren't ready to order food yet Mia" Sam remarked, ignoring how strange it still felt to mention Dean having a son out loud. "But I will have a large white coffee and Dean will have a large black coffee if that's ok, and-" his voice trailed off , he dropped the menu to the table surface and rested his forearm on it as he realised that he had no idea what Dean or Tansy gave James to drink when he wanted one. Did they give him juice? Or was it water? Hell maybe they still gave him milk. He tried to remember what it was but he just couldn't picture it in his mind.

"And?" Mia prompted breaking Sam away from his thoughts, she watched him with a patient look for him to continue with his sentence.

"And would it be possible to get my nephew a high chair and maybe some crayons and paper for him to draw on?" he asked watching as Mia's serious expression softened at the mention of a baby. She nodded her head, reaching up and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"How old is your nephew exactly?" she asked curiously with a slight frown.

"He's two and a half now" Sam answered promptly. Mia nodded slowly before she smiled at him.

"In that case I know just the thing to get him" she remarked "I'll be back in a moment with the high chair and your coffees." She flashed him another polite smile before she turned and headed towards the counter. Sam smiled at her back before he dropped his gaze back to the menu trying to decide what the hell to have.

"Damn Sammy, you should be thankful that I'm such an awesome brother to you and didn't make you change that nappy. How the hell someone so small could produce what Jago just produced is beyond me" Dean announced attracting Sam's attention. He watched with a raised eyebrow as Dean dropped the navy blue bag on the spare seat next to him with a sigh.

"Here's the high chair, sorry about the delay in getting it" Mia said as she appeared from behind Dean, holding the high chair which she placed at the end of the table. Her eyes flickered to James, her face breaking into a smile. "Oh my what a complete and utter little cutie, look at that smile and those curls" she cooed, leaning slightly towards James, who merely watched her, his grip tightening on his father's shirt. She looked up at Dean consideringly. "He must be yours, you can tell, you look a lot alike" she stated, taking a step back.

"Thanks" Dean said, a wide smile coming to his face as he glanced down at James as the small boy looked up at him with a smile. "But he takes after my wife more then me" he said.

"Well she's a lucky lady then to have you both." Mia remarked before she pulled her self together and placed the pack of crayons and a large picture book she had been holding under her arm on the table connected to the high chair. "This" she said tapping the book. "Is given to every child who comes here who can colour, they each get a picture and they colour it and sign it and then the manager takes a colour photocopy of it and places it on the wall for everyone to see" she said, waving a hand towards the entrance where Sam could see the wall she was talking about. "Perhaps your son would like to add to it" she said directing her comment to Dean. "I'll be back in just a moment with your coffees" she remarked before she turned and left them alone to get settled in.

"Well check that out little man" Dean said as he placed James in the high chair and strapped him in so he couldn't escape. "A chance at fame, we can show the world how talented you are at colouring" James grinned widely, instantly opening the book and looking at it. Dean sat down in the booth opposite son, his body turned towards his son as he took the book from him, flicking through the pages until he came to the first blank one and placed it back in front of James. "This one is for you Jago. See the train is being driven by the teddy bear?" Dean pointed out, reaching across James and picking up the box of crayons which he opened, placing them on the side so James could reach them. "Show Uncle Sammy what a big boy you are and how well you can draw in the lines" Dean said, running his hand over James's dark curls before he turned and opened up the baby bag peering into it with a thoughtful frown.

Sam leaned back in his chair, a smile coming to his mouth as he watched Dean in full Daddy mode. He realised that this was the first time he had seen Dean alone with his son and interacting with him, every other time Tansy had been there with him and they had shared the responsibility easily with each other, a clear routine up and running between them. Seeing Dean like this brought back memories to Sam, memories which he had forgotten.

"Anything catch your eye on the menu" Sam asked, shaking him self out of his thoughts. "Oh wait" he said when Dean opened his mouth to answer "Don't tell me, you're gonna order the cheese and bacon burger with a portion of chips" Dean raised an eyebrow.

"Close but no Sam" he replied "If you really want to know then I'm going for the salmon this time around."

Sam's mouth fell open in surprise; he ignored the grin which came to Dean's face at his expression before speaking.

"Right who are you and what have you done with my brother?" he joked with a shake of his head.

"Bite me bitc-" Dean's voice suddenly trailed off, his eyes quickly flickering to James with a guilty expression "I mean be quiet Sam" he amended, before he reached over and grabbed the children menu, looking down at it as he absently fished his mobile from his jean pocket, placing it on the table and glancing at the screen with a frown.

"I wonder how much longer Tansy will take in Jericho" Sam remarked breaking the silence between them. He bit the inside of his mouth, mentally slapping him self when he saw the way Dean's jaw tightened at the question, his eyes moving back towards the mobile screen again. The action made Sam's eyebrow rise as he realised with a shock that Dean was actually worried, it was either that or the fact that he really didn't like being separated from his wife even for a short amount of time. Knowing Dean though Sam was pretty sure that option one was the most likely one.

"She shouldn't take much longer" Dean said, his gaze back on the menu he was still studying.

Sam pulled a face, breathing out silently as he looked passed Dean to see Mia approaching holding their large mugs of coffee with an ease born of constant hours of practising. She placed them down in front of tem before she glanced towards Dean.

"Can I get your son anything to drink?" she asked. Dean glanced at her before he turned and rummaged through the bag, making a sound of satisfaction as he pulled out a child sized carton of apple juice.

"Nope we're all good here for the moment thanks" he replied, taking the straw off the back of the cartoon and pulling it out of it wrapper. Sam watched as Dean pierced the top of it with the bottom of the straw and handed it to James who took it eagerly from him, taking a sip from it, smiling around the straw in a way which made Sam want to take a picture to send to Jessica, he could see her reaction to it now.

"Right in that case are you ready to order food and if so what can I get you all?" she asked, pulling her notepad and pen from the pocket of her apron. She waited with an expectant look on her face. Sam waved his hand at Dean, indicating for him to go first. Dean nodded at him and looked back at the waitress.

"I'll have the salmon with a jacket potato and a side of salad and James will have the children's fishcakes, peas and chip meal please" he said with a flash of a smile before he glanced at Sam. "Sam?"

"I'll have to same as my brother thanks Mia" Sam replied with a smile of his own. She wrote their order down with a flourish before smiling at them.

"I'll place the order now and it will be with you all shortly. If you need a refill of your coffee or anything then just flag me down" she said with a nod.

A slight silence followed her departure before Dean broke it, a slow smile coming to his face.

"Soooooo" he remarked, bending down and picking up a blue crayon which James had knocked to the floor, placing it back on the high chair table. "First name basis with the waitress"

Sam rolled his eyes at the comment.

"Don't be jealous Dean that she likes me better then you, I thought you would have been used to it by now" Sam answered back with a bored expression on his face as he lowered his eyes to study his fingernails. He could feel his mouth twitching with the need to smile but forced him self to maintain the bored look.

"Now Sam, we both know that she liked you right up to the moment she saw me and James and then it changed, it's not your fault, we're just an unstoppable force together aren't we little man?" Dean asked, smiling at James when the small boy looked up and grinned.

"Yes Daddy" he stated before he continued with his colouring, a look of concentration coming to his face as he dropped the red crayon he was holding and picked up a green one instead.

"Keep telling your self that Dean" san said "And what's the hell is with the healthy eating by the way? Since when did Dean Winchester pick Salmon and jacket potatoes with a side salad when there was a burger and chips on the menu? I mean come on Dean, a freaking side salad?" he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for Dean to answer him.

"Since I got married Sam" Dean replied with a heartfelt sigh. "It seems easier to just eat healthier to avoid yet another lecture from my wife about heart conditions and getting fat and having clogged arteries and god knows what else she talks about when she proper gets going on one." Sam stared at him for a moment with wide eyes before he suddenly snorted, laughter erupting from his mouth. "Care to share the joke with the rest of the table Sam?" Dean asked with a raised eyebrow and a bemused expression on his face.

"Nothing" Sam said, waving a hand in Dean's direction as he wiped at his eyes wondering when the last time he had laughed so much was. "I just never thought that I'd live to see the day when you would be well and truly whipped by a woman. I mean eating healthy food? Come on Dean, Tansy has you wrapped around her little finger completely" Dean shrugged.

"And what, Jessica doesn't have you wrapped around her little finger?" Dean countered looking amused. "Tell me Sammy boy why didn't you go for the burger and chip option like you used to every time we came to a diner like this?" Dean demanded his face lighting up when Sam hesitated. "AHA" Dean said loudly, ignoring the looks the sound attracted as he jabbed his finger in Sam's direction "Could it be because Jessica has given you a similar lecture? Who's whipped now!" he said before he shook his head and sighed, dropping his head against the back of the seat "Women Sam, what can you do?"

"Nothing, except to sit back and enjoy the perks" Sam sad, catching Dean's eyes when Dean lowered his head back down and met his gaze, a warm smile coming to both their faces. "You know this is kinda nice" Sam remarked suddenly when Dean looked away to James when the boy made a noise of frustration.

"What is?" Dean asked absently passing another crayon to James which had ended up on their table surface.

"You know, actually seeing each other and spending time together when there's not a hunt involved, I can't remember the last time it happened."

Dean stared at him for a moment, emotions crossing his face quickly, too quickly for Sam to be able to identify what they were. His brother opened his mouth as though he was about to say something but stopped when his phone suddenly vibrated on the table. He glanced towards it automatically, a relieved look coming to his face as he picked it up.

"It's Tansy" he said. Sam watched as his brother hit the connect button and brought the phone to his ear, speaking into it. "Hey Tansy" he remarked "You ready to be picked up from Jericho yet?" he asked, falling silent after his question, listening to whatever it was his wife was saying to him. Sam wished that Dean would put the phone on loudspeaker since he hated listening to one sided conversations but Dean didn't. "Yeah, we've just got to the diner complex off interstate 280 and ordered our food about five minutes ago" Dean remarked, frowning slightly before he spoke again "Fishcakes, peas and chips, it looked the healthiest thing on the menu" Dean fell silent again ignoring Sam for the moment. "Yeah I gave him one of the apple juice cartons in the bag, yeah he's drinking it, he's drank-" Dean reached over and picked up the carton before placing it back down. "Half of it now, if he finishes it and he' still thirsty then I'll give him the orange one." He blinked "Of course Tans, which one did he have yesterday? The yoghurt or the fruit pot because I'll give him the other one today for variety, we'll have to pick up some more stuff when we drop Sam off tomorrow" he fell silent again "Okay fruit pot it is then.. Hmm, oh he's colouring in at the moment, you want to speak to him quickly?"

Tansy must have agreed because Dean placed his mobile next to the side of James's head and spoke when James looked up at him with big blue eyes.

"Say hello to Mamma Jago" he remarked.

Sam watched as James's face lit up.

"Mamma" he said excitedly into the phone. "Mamma I miss you"

Watching the scene in front of him Sam was suddenly struck by the fact that this right here was his brother's life now, nothing had brought it home quite as much to him as watching Dean holding out his mobile to his son so the small boy could speak to his mother who would soon be joining them again, Dean's white gold wedding band glinting in the bright lights above them. His whole attention fixed on his son. It was such a change from the Dean, Sam used to know that it took his breath away. The old Dean would have been stuffing his face with bad food, making crude comments and flirting with every waitress in the joint. He certainly wouldn't be having a conversation with his wife over whether to give their son a fruit pot or a yoghurt for his dessert.

How had she done it? What had Tansy done to bring out the best in his brother like this? There were parts of him which were definitely the same, the banter between him and Dean for example was the same and yet where was the flirting? Sam hadn't seen Dean flirt once with anyone who wasn't his wife since he had seen him again, not with Jess, not with Mia when she took her orders. Hell apart from the polite smile he gave her Dean had spent the time dealing with James.

Sam felt his curiosity grow as he thought about it. He would have to find out now or it would end up driving him mad.

He sucked in a sharp breathe, wondering whether there would be a place for him and Jessica in Dean and his family lives or whether his own bad choices and decision had placed him firmly on the sidelines as one of those relative who they would see only on special holidays.

The thought made him cringe.

He blinked when he saw Dean take his phone away from James and bring it to his own ear instead.

"How much longer do you need there to finish up?" Dean asked with a trace of impatience coming to his voice. "Me and Sammy are just waiting for our food to be delivered but he could leave to come and get you as soon as he's finished, we're like an hour away from you at the moment." He went silent again before he nodded glancing out the window towards the complex. "Yeah they've got motels here but I'd be more comfortable with travelling further on before we settled down for the night. The more miles we can out between us and Jericho the better it will be, at least until Abbie works her usual magic with their computer system." A smile came to Dean's face. "Yeah I know, love you too, bye."

Sam tilted his head to the side as Dean hung up and placed the phone back on the table looking as though a large weight had been pushed off his shoulders. His brother glanced at him. "She needs thirty minutes or so to finish everything up and then she'll be ready for a pick up."

"What took her so long to get everything ready?" Sam asked curiously "We didn't have that much stuff with us."

"She was getting more supplies for Jago; you know food and nappies, the usual stuff a small kid of two needs with him."

"It took us an hour to get here Dean" Sam pointed out with a sigh thinking of the journey ahead of him. Dean shrugged.

"Hey she knows it's gonna take you a while to get here so she's gonna go and grab something to eat. Tansy's the only one who didn't flag up as trouble to the police so she'll be fine. Just give her a call when you're twenty minutes away and she'll head back to the motel and gather the stuff so she's ready to leave straight away" Dean replied calmly.

"Here you go" Mia said, appearing beside them holding two large plates which she placed in front of them. She twisted on the spot taking a smaller plate from the red headed waitress who had accompanied them. She hesitated for a moment, glancing at it before she held out the plate to Dean who took it with a smile at the pair of them.

"Thank you Mia and-" his eyes flickered to the red head. "Maisie"

"Thanks, it looks delicious" Sam said with a smile of his own, shooting Dean a quick smug look when she blushed in reaction. Dean rolled his eyes.

"Do you need anything else?" She asked.

"No this will do nicely thanks" Sam answered for them since Dean was now preoccupied with cutting up James's fishcakes. She nodded at them both.

"In that case enjoy your meals" she said before she headed off again leaving them alone.

Sam picked up his knife and fork and cut into the salmon, a small smile coming to his face, he hadn't been kidding when he said the food looked damn good.

He glanced up, watching as Dean took the colouring book away from James, ignoring the annoyed cry James made and wrapping a brightly coloured bib round him neck which had an orange giraffe on it, to protect his t-shirt and shirt combo. Dean straightened it before he placed the plate of food in front of James who clapped his hand together and grinned, bouncing up and down in his seat.

"Don't forget to blow on the food Jago because it's gonna be hot" Dean commented, running his hand through James's hair before he turned his attention to his own food, cutting into it as he spoke. "Why don't you take a freaking picture Sammy, they last longer after all" he remarked causing Sam to laugh as he shook his head, focusing on his own food though his eyes moved regularly to watch his brother and nephew's interactions with each other.

Now this was definitely something he could get used to.

Author Note

Thanks for taking the time to read