Dean is going to have a serious talk with his boyfriend thanks to UNIT. Kate Stewart came to his room to give him a folder worth of messages, all from the past couple of days. Dean's shoulders dropped briefly then took on a rigid posture when he realized UNIT has been keeping his messages from him. He had wondered why neither Steve nor Sam had called him the entire time he was in London. Now he has his answer.

He held the folder in his hands in a tight grip. Anger built as his hands shook slightly from the sheer force of keeping his emotions in check, and to not actually hit the woman standing in front of him, looking sheepish and guilty.

"He told us we better give you the messages we've intercepted during your stay." There is no need to ask who exactly 'he' is. "I hope you realize it was strictly protocol and nothing personal. It is our job to make sure any contact with people outside the country is monitored closely, especially concerning guests who are here to meet the Queen," Kate explained, hoping the Doctor's soul mate wouldn't sic the Time Lord on them.

"Nothing personal?" Dean asked to make sure.

"Absolutely business," Kate assured him.

Dean looked slightly mollified. "You're going to call Lieutenant Command Steve McGarrett of Hawaii Five-0 and Sam Winchester of Hartelius & Braxton Law Firm, and you are going to tell them why you withheld my messages and you are not going to tell them about the Doctors, Gallifrey, Zygons, or time travel, you hear me?" Dean asked, getting into her personal space.

Kate quickly nodded her head. "They don't know about him?" she asked hesitantly. At his frown she rushed to explain, "I mean, I need to know what they do, so I know how to handle this."

"They know about the Doctor. They know who and what he is to me, and in general."

Kate nodded her head slowly, absorbing the information. "Okay. Got it. Anything else?" she asked like a soldier waiting for their superior's orders.

Dean doesn't know how react with this new realization. "Go. Save my hide," he joked tiredly but she beamed back at him, her phone already out.

He kind of liked her efficiency. Handy. He locked the door behind her and collapsed on his bed, fully intending to sleep away the next couple of days. Today has been so incredible, borderline impossible, heart-warming, heartbreaking, and a bout of sudden clarity that had Dean surprisingly feeling okay about his revelations. He's going home. Sam is going home, and Dean is not going to let Steve or the Doctor keep him from doing so.

His heart aches at the thought of hurting Steve like that but, damn it, he wants to go home. Steve has to understand that. If Steve truly loves him, he'll let him go, and he won't fight him every step of the way. Intellectually, Steve already knows this, but Dean knows in the SEAL's heart, he won't let go without one hell of a fight.

He's not looking forward to that particular battle. Steve will lose because Dean won't accept failure as an option. There is no other alternative for the archaeologist, and Dean's willing to do anything to go home.

He doubts Steve is willing to do the same.

Aargh! He's supposed to be sleeping not fucking thinking. He needs rest. His little unwilling adventure was taxing physically, mentally, and emotionally. Plus, he hasn't had any time to sight see, and there is no way he's going back to Hawaii without exploring London. So, sleepy time now, tourist time later. Good plan, he thought with a sleepy grin and fell into Morpheus' embrace without a fight.

The next morning Dean woke up feeling rejuvenated and excited. No Doctor, no Queen, no Clara and Kate. Just Dean in the big city. Dean grabbed the hotel pen and pad and wrote down the places he planned on seeing. Surprisingly, only a couple of museums were on the list. He wrote down the Coca Cola London eye (for Danny and Kono), Trafalgar Square (for Sammy), the Sea Life London Aquarium (for Grace), the National Maritime Museum (take a wild guess), the Science Museum (for Chin), and the Borough Market for himself. He heard about the market and he wanted to check it out. It'll be the last thing he sees. He also heard that it's best to set aside a whole day for it.

Dean cannot wait! All that food. Dean read that they have a pastry section. Piiiiiie!

Giggling inanely, Dean rolled out of the bed, onto the floor, landed with a thump and a muffled "ow!" He wondered about his own intelligence as he crawled to the bathroom where he ran the shower to a suitable temperature. He shucked off his own clothes, clothes that were covered in dirt and the faint smell of gunfire. Dean shuddered as he quickly got out of them. He's burning them. He never wants to see those clothes again.

Dean thoroughly washed off yesterdays events, scrubbing until his skin was pink. It hit Dean all at once and he crumpled to the floor of the shower and cried his heart out. Great, powerful, shuddering sobs spilled out as he keened his loss in a high-pitched wail. Only stopping when he had nothing else to give. Cas, Ten, the War Doctor, Rose, Bad Wolf, Gallifrey frozen somewhere in a parallel universe, and his decision to leave Steve. He's said it before but this is the first time he truly means it.

A memory of fire and brimstone, screams of fear and agony, the red hot edge of a sharpened knife carving into him, cruel laughter, a knife in his own hand as he carved intricate designs on bleeding flesh, and finally, the sounds of beating wings and a bright light came towards him. It's hand stretched out and grabbed his shoulder, hefting him away from all the pain, agony, and learned sadism. The light burned but it also felt comforting and screamed salvation.

A knock on the bathroom door had Dean gasping for breath, so lost in the memory that he had forgot how to do the basic bodily function of breathing. His vision cleared and found that he's shaking, violently enough to rattle his teeth.

"W-wha-what?" He called out as loud as he could, which was barely above a whisper.

"Dr. Winchester, do you need assistance?" one of the hotel people asked just outside the door. He can hear them rattling the doorknob.

A brief internal debate had Dean saying, "Y-yes, please."

The door is immediately thrown open and a young man runs over to him, grabbing a towel along the way and wrapped it around him, covering his dignity. A quick assessment has the young man running into the room and pulling the blanket off of his bed and covered, hoping to warm him up.

"Th-thanks," he stuttered.

The young man waved away his gratitude and continued warming Dean up, going as far as wrapping Dean up in his arms, sharing body heat. Dean appreciated it. Thankfully, the tremors slowly stopped and he quit feeling so brittle and scared. When Dean felt strong enough to pull away from the warmth of the other body, he turned to express his thanks but blushed bright red when realized how attractive the bellhop is.

Blond hair, startling hazel eyes, almost golden, and a grin that screamed mischief. When they stood up, Dean found him that he's quite a bit taller. The short blond is a little bit taller than Danny. So, he guesses the bellhop isn't that short, and he's older than Dean. Why is he a bellhop at his age?

"Thank you," Dean repeated, sans stuttered and blushing, and kept his wonderings to himself.

The bellhop grinned at him, looking slightly puckish. "It's alright," he chirped. "Got quite a view by helping you." A flirty wink had Dean fighting another blush.

"Well, thanks for waiting until I had control of myself before teasing me," Dean said dryly. The bellhop only grinned in response. He looks familiar. A flash of him with wings and eating candy sent Dean reeling and the bellhop steadied him with a worried look. Another flash of the bellhop wearing a fake mustache, slicked back hair, and he was wearing a waiters uniform. Porn music sounded and he felt inexplicably sad. Odd combination.

"What's your name?" Dean asked after he collected himself.

The bellhop smirked at him, and Dean felt himself tense in response, an almost Pavlovian reaction. Nothing good ever comes from that smirk, Dean thought for some reason.

"Gabriel Shavie," he replied, holding his hand out in greeting. "Nice to meet you Dr. Winchester."

Dean grabbed his hand and shook it. "You don't have an accent?" he inquired politely.

Gabriel shook his head and explained, "I grew up in the States. I came here for backpacking with my younger brother Balthazar, he grew up here, and I fell in love. Didn't go back. Worked numerous jobs until I found this one, and before you ask, let me ask you one." At Dean's hesitant nod, he continued, "Do you have any idea how many women come here? And I don't mean just international women either. This place is smorgasbord of women looking to have some fun. I adopt the appropriate accent and show them how fun London really is."

Dean snorted and hugged the blanket tighter around him, suddenly cold and he started to shake again. Gabriel immediately wrapped an arm around his waist and led him to the bed. He maneuvered Dean under the covers and curled around him to keep him warm.

Once again, the tremors slowly dissipated and Dean smartly refused to leave the comfort of his blanket cocoon. Gabriel let him go when he stopped shivering.

"I'm going to go get you some hot coco, yeah?"

Dean nodded his head and Gabriel took off. He watched the familiar bellhop leave and Dean snuggled deeped into his blankets, wishing for Steve...his Steve. His best friend. He always knew how to make Dean feel better. Steve knows him best. Just as he knows his Steve best.

His heart ached at the thought of his friend. He missed him so bad. Almost as much as he misses his dad. They would know how to comfort him, how to make him feel better with just a touch or a word.

Gabriel returned with the promised chocolate drink and Dean happily accepted the proffered beverage and took a cautious sip to keep from burning his mouth. Warmth spread through him and Dean let out a low moan of appreciation as he continued drinking his hot coco. It tasted so good and it helped soothe his suddenly skittish nerves. He drank all of it and thanked the blond.

Once again, Gabriel waved Dean's thanks away.

"It's part of my job," is all he said in response.

Dean watched as the older man puttered around his room, casually digging through Dean's stuff, and Dean let him. Gabriel stopped when he dug through Dean's wallet, looking through the pictures.

"Who's this guy?" he asked, showing Dean a picture of a teenage Dean and Steve. They were at an amusement park dad and Vala took them too during their first summer together. They were cheesing real hard at the camera, it sent his dad and Vala into hysterics.

"My best friend," Dean answered softly, eyes glazed over in memory. It was a fun summer. The best.

Gabriel gave him a funny look. "Old boyfriend?"

Dean shook his head. "Best friend," he corrected distractedly, still lost in his memory.

Now he quirked his eyebrow at Dean, who was still replaying that day over in his mind. "Your best friend?" he asked skeptically. "This guy was only just a 'friend?'"

That brought Dean back to the present. "Yeah. Why is that so hard to believe?"

"This guy, this guy right here, he was just a friend?" Gabriel asked again, waving the picture of him and Steve around.

Dean frowned in confusion. What is up with this dude? "Yes."

"What are you stupid? A guy this good looking should not be 'just a friend,'" he said with air quotes. "This is the kind of guy you bang and keep forever."

Dean felt his jaw drop. Him and ...and Steve? He actually laughed at the thought. "No. No, no, no," Dean laughed. "Hell no. Me and Steve? Never going to happen?"

Gabriel flipped through the pictures in his wallet and frowned in confusion. "Are you sure you and this guy will never get together?" Dean nodded, still chortling at the thought. "Then why is there a picture of you and him cuddling on the beach?"

That brought Dean up short. Oh, right. He guess they did end up together, just not the way Gabriel is thinking. Timey-whimey, Dean thought with a secret grin, and spacey-wacy.

"He's older," Gabriel observed, staring intently at the photo. "Almost a decade older. Oh, Dean," he said softly. "Always going against the flow, aren't ya? I feel bad for this reality's Steve. You love him but he doesn't have your whole heart. Oh, no. That belongs to this Steve here in the photo, the one at the amusement park. Your Steve, that's what you call him in your head, don't you? Every time you meet a soul mate, one that is meant for your next life, you grow incredibly close long before you're supposed to. Cassie was the one you fought hard against the second time around. Nope, you fought tooth and nail against your guys' bond but eventually you gave in and the next two years was pure bliss.

"Then there was the thing with the Campbells, Crowley, and Raphael, which reminds me, I need to kick his ass later. I like to call that year, 'The Year Castiel Lost His Damn Mind'. Kind of has a nice ring to it, no? Seriously, now. He thought leaving you just after you lost your brother to the Pit for basically all eternity and decided that was a good time to take off. I took back every nice thought I had ever had about him when I found that out.

"I am so sorry, Dean, for what he put you through. I swear, if I had known little Cassie was going to kill Balthazar, take out most of Heaven, and betray you, I would have stayed with you and Gigantor," Gabriel said with genuine regret.

Dean reeled back when he got slammed with memories of who this guy is. The Trickster, later known as Gabriel, Archangel of Heaven, and Loki of Norse mythology. He remembered finding Gabriel's burned wings in the hotel, and he remembered the grief that accompanied it.

"Gabriel," he breathed out, though with more meaning.

The shorter man nodded his head. "Hey, Dean-o," he waved.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He demanded harshly. "I saw the burned wings! You're supposed to be dead. Wait. Balthazar is here too?!"

At Dean's scandalized cry, Gabriel started laughing. "I saved him. He told me everything Cassie had been up to. And I knew Luci would find out I was going to use an illusion, so I planned this as a back up to the back up plan. I sought out the only universe without the Winchesters. That lasted, oh, 26 years. I felt your arrival the second you crossed the veils. I knew something was going to happen."

"Like what? I wasn't even supposed to come here!"

"I know that. Why do you think I chose this universe? No Winchesters. Or at least there wasn't supposed to be. Though now I understand why I was drawn here," Gabriel mused. At Dean's quirked eyebrow, he smirked. "Once touched by a Winchester, you're theirs. You Winchesters always go against the flow, don't you? Making up your own rules as you go. In this life, you were supposed to have a normal life. Well, as normal as a Winchester could have."

"A normal life that is still filled with tragedy," Dean muttered bitterly.

"You're the Righteous Man," Gabriel said glibly as if that explained everything. He flipped through Dean's pictures a little more thoroughly, paying close attention this time around. "Oh, look it's Gigantor!" he exclaimed excitedly. "A picture of an adorable little girl with a short blond man. Father and daughter?" Dean nodded. "Cute. And two very good looking Asians. I'm guessing friends. Beauty finds like," he mused aloud, making Dean flinch and his heart ached. Rory. It was one of the first things he ever said to him.

Gabriel noticed but didn't say anything.

"What do you want, Gabriel?" Dean snapped after collecting himself.

"I felt your fear. It rolled off your room in waves. I had to come help. I couldn't not, ya know? I had to help Dean freaking Winchester. What did you remember?" he asked in a kind, soothing voice; unperturbed by Dean's tone.

It sounded odd coming from the Trickster. "Uh, Hell," Dean said flatly. "I remembered Hell. I had a...close call, I guess you can say, and I was in the Void."

Gabriel's eyebrows shut up, almost flying off his face. Dean giggled at the image. "You were in the Void?" Dean nodded. "Shit. Freaking Winchesters. You guys can survive anything, can't you? What even drew you there?"

"Gallifrey."

"Oh, of course," Gabriel said in exasperation. "Fucking Time Lord. Doens't he know you're not supposed to know this shit? He fucked up. He fucked up good. I hope you and he realize that you will always get flashes of your past lives whenever triggered. Seeing me, explaining crap, and boom! You remembered with crystal clarity. That can't be healthy, mentally at least."

Dean shrugged it off. "I haven't had any negative side effects." At Gabriel's skeptical eyebrow and snort, he shrugged off his concern. "That whole remembering Hell thing doesn't count. That was a fluke."

Gabriel didn't seem pacified. He gave Dean an intense once-over, his eyes lingering for some reason on his shoulder before roving over the rest of his body. "You saw Cassie," he observed, eyes once again landing on his right shoulder.

Dean found himself clutching his shoulder, hand slotting over where a certain hand print would be. "How'd you know? In this life, I mean."

"I can still feel him on you. His grace is unmistakable." A small laugh/sob escaped him. Dean frowned in worry but the former archangel held his hand out to stave off any concern. "I missed it. His grace clinging around you in a palpable shroud, it's like being home...without the apocalypse looming over us."

Dean laughed. "I missed you, Gabe," he admitted softly.

"I missed you too, Dean-o," Gabriel said back, soft smile in place of his smirk. "Never thought I'd miss your little angsty ass."

Dean shoved him in retaliation and Gabriel rolled with it. They looked at one another before surging forward and hugging each other tight in bruising grips.

When Gabriel let go, he had this sad look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Dean," he said before reaching out with two fingers and placed them on his forehead. "You can't remember any of this, not even Cassie saving you from the Void. You can't remember the Void either. Too dangerous. I really am sorry, Dean-o. It was fun meeting the new you." Dean knew what he was going to do and tried to stop him.

A sudden pressure, a flash of light, and when Dean opened his eyes, the bellhop who helped him stared at him in worry.

"Are you okay, Dr. Winchester? Do you need me to call a doctor?" He asked, concern etched on his face.

Dean shook his head and gave him a reassuring smile. His head felt funny but it didn't hurt. The bellhop gave him a little bow and a cheeky wink before leaving and Dean felt like he lost something that tied him to Cas, which odd. Must have been because of Gallifrey's summoning yesterday, for some reason it brought up memories of his angel.

Dean furrowed his brow in thought as he tried to figure out just why the bellhop reminded him of Cas, or even why he thought of Cas in the first place.

Shaking his head, Dean finished getting dressed and called up Kate Stewart to give him a guide and to ensure he gets into every place he wants to go to. If either of his dads or his family saw him throwing his weight around, they'd all slap them upside the head. Whatever. Dean's so sick of playing the "good guy" and playing by the rules. He hopes his next life will be different.

At this point he really doesn't care if he's the bad guy or the villain next time around.

Dean got dressed and met the town car outside with his London guide inside. He gave her a sunny grin, one she hesitantly returned.

"London Eye, please," Dean said politely. The driver and the girl nodded their heads and they were off. He dug through his backpack and grabbed his camera, getting it ready. They arrived rather quickly, and Dean smirked in appreciation at their efficiency. He got led to the front of the line, without paying, and he hopped into one of the carriages, patiently waiting for the ride to move. His heart thumped as he got higher and higher from the ground but he also had a smile on his face as he took pictures from his vantage point for Danny and Kono. He only rode around once before telling them he'd like to go to Trafalgar Square.

Another nod and they were off to their next destination.

Dean actually had a lot of fun and his odd morning faded from memory as he enjoyed the sights and sounds of London, and he dutifully took pictures of each place, making sure he captured everything that summed up the place. He took special care at the Sea Life London Aquarium, he hoped doing this will put him back in Grace's good ...graces. Dean snorted at his wording.

He ended up spending the rest of the day at the aquarium. The place was amazing and Dean couldn't make himself leave, too enthralled with the sights.

Before Dean crashed for the night, he called Kate and tol her to keep blocking Steve and Sam's calls and to deliver his messages each morning he was here. She agreed readily and once again Dean felt funny at her deference to him. He hadn't earned it. Just how terrified are they of his Doctor?

Dean woke up to someone knocking on his door. Groaning, Dean got out of the comfy nest he made out of blankets and pillows and lumbered over to answer the door. The bellhop from yesterday greeted him with a wide, toothy smile that had Dean on edge for some reason. The bellhop had a cart of food for him that had Dean frowning in confusion but gestured for the shorter man to enter. Which he did with great aplomb and it brought an amused smirk on his face as he watched the bellhop uncover all the plates. Dean's jaw dropped at the assortment of food. They were all his favorites, and quite a few of his favored comfort foods to indulge in whenever he had a nightmare.

"Thanks," he told the older man who waved it away.

"It's my job," is all he said in response. And when Dean tried to pay him for his services, he looked affronted at the gesture. "It's my job," he repeated with intensity. It had Dean feeling comforted instead of worried or freaked out by his behavior.

So instead of paying him with money, Dean dug into his backpack and pulled out a 5 lb bag of candy and handed it to the other man. He lit up and swiped the candy out of Dean's hand before he fully extended his arm. It made Dean laugh and felt the pain in his chest from the past couple of days' adventures, loosen at the sight of the bellhop digging into the bag with child-like glee.

"Someone likes candy," Dean teased then outright laughed when the shorter man flipped him off.

"Shove off, Winchester," he shot back, voice muffled from shoving a handful of candy into his mouth. "I bet if you lift off that last cover you'd react the same way."

Dean stuck his tongue out at him before walking over and lifting the lid off the tray. His eyes widened. Pie. Delicious apple pie with a flaky crust with vanilla ice cream piled on top. He felt actual drool form and drop at the sight. Dean grabbed a fork and dug in with relish. The only sounds the room were them indulging in their foods.

By the time they were done, the food was almost gone and the bellhop's candy bag was almost depleted. They grinned at each other before the bellhop, Dean really needs to remember his name, parted ways. The bellhop saluted him then left the room, leaving Dean with that horrible lost feeling again. Maybe he really needs to go back to Sam and Steve to ground himself.

God, Steve, I need you now more than ever, Dean thought as he deeply wished for his best friend.

He shook himself vigorously. He's not going down that particular melancholic road because every time he does, his dad's words echo in his head and he gets so pissed off at his Time Lord for taking him away from his family. The Doctor's fine, he's proven that over and over again. His dream self would have helped him more than his physical actual self...and isn't it weird that he's the only one who can say shit like that?

Dean called his driver and his guide, they said they'd meet him out front in twenty, asking politely if that was sufficient for him. Dean said it was and hung up so he could shower. A nice warm shower. God, it's so cold here. It's official, Hawaii has made him soft. He needs to go somewhere cold. Alaska? Antarctica? He's heard of some archaeological finds down there. Maybe he could head down there for a couple of months. Odds are there will be some physicists down there he talk to as well. He's been doing his own research, especially with M Theory and Dark Matter. Dean feels close to finding the answer to going home.

Exotic particles, however, are proving difficult on finding ways to harness and control. No one has actually performed an experiment with them or opening a doorway into space. No one's willing to take the chance yet, at least not until they've calculated the possible ways things could go wrong and plan accordingly. That could take years. Dean's not waiting that long.

What he needs to do is find someone just slightly off their rocker who would be willing to perform the experiments. The Doctor is out of the question. Sure, he said he'd help Dean and Sam get home but, like Steve, he'll subconsciously sabotage them every step of the way, and Dean cannot handle that right now. If Dean does it just right, neither the Doctor nor the TARDIS will be needed. No chance of subversion of any form.

For now though, Dean has a shower to take and more sights to see before he heads back to Hawaii.

DWSPN

Dean's heading back to Hawaii where it's nice and warm. He visited every place he said he would, not having to pay was awesome! He cut through lines, got free souvenirs, didn't have to pay at the Borough Market, and he had another conversation with the Queen before heading for Heathrow for his plane ride home.

The Market was by far his favorite place. Food, food everywhere. It was a dream come true. Some of the delicacies were most emphatically not for him but he tried them because he couldn't not. He has a whole duffle dedicated to all the souvenirs he's acquired over the past couple of days and another suitcase dedicated to some new books he's picked up, not all of them were about quantum theory or physics. He met Dr. William Roark, the world renowned anthropologist, and had quite a conversation with him. The most fun he's had since he met his Steve. A conversation filled with witty banter and thought provoking questions that had him thinking more thoroughly about the subject.

Dean really liked him. He was actually sorry to say goodbye, though not as much when the good doctor hit on him and invited him over for the night. He respectfully declined and returned back to his hotel...alone.

He's excited to go back. He missed it, the island that is. He actually missed that floating (yes, he knows it's not actually floating) rock. Actually, he missed his yacht the most and his library, they're about even on the scale of things he misses in this reality. Oh, and his TARDIS bed. That comfy, wonderful bed. Maybe he could steal it when he goes back to his reality?

A thought for another day. Right now, he needs to take a sleeping pill for the plane ride home. When he wakes up, he fully plans on sleeping for a week and getting pampered by his boyfriend and little brother. Then he'll drop the bomb on them that he has plans on going to Antarctica for a couple of months, okay, maybe a couple of weeks. Oh, give him a break, he's been living in Hawaii, he's entitled to be a baby about the cold.

Dean dug through his bag and found the sleeping pills and swallowed them before hopping into the town car taking him to the airport. A few hours later he's in the air on his way back to blissful, warm Hawaii sound asleep before the plane even leveled out. He woke up minutes before the plane touched down late night Thursday, Dean had a teeny tiny panic attack before the initial stop, and once again, Dean is the first person off the plane despite protocol. Luckily the flight attendants are used to him and let him practically sprint down the debarkment tunnel thing.

He grabbed his bags and walked out to find his ride, he told Sam and Steve the time his plane would arrive but found no one waiting for him. Dean decided to allow them twenty minutes before flagging down a taxi.

Forty minutes later, Dean walks downtrodden to a taxi, hopping in and tells them he's staying at the Kahala. The cabby dropped him off and Dean left him a generous tip, earning a wide-eyed look and a stuttering thanks. Dean shrugged off his gratitude and waved the guy off. He lugged his luggage (Dean gigged at his wording) and checked into the Winchester Suite. Dean laughed at them actually naming the room after him and Sam. The hotel staff recognized him and already checked him in before he even reached the desk, holding the key out for him. Dean grinned at them and continued his journey to the elevator.

He swiped his key and let himself into his room for the night...for the next couple of days. Dean blinked back sudden tears and got to work unpacking as he harshly shoved his hurt feelings away. He told them his arrival time and the date, why weren't they there?

Dean mentally shook his head as he focused on unpacking his stuff, faltering slightly when he got to the souvenir bag. All that time and trouble he went through to acquire them for his so-called friends and family, was nothing but a waste of time. He could have used the time to sit in on some lectures on theoretical quantum physics. Dammit! Anything would have been better than going to places he had no interest in seeing and looking for the perfect keepsake for people who couldn't even be bothered to pick him up after a long ass flight.

Whatever. He can't wait to go home.

Dean changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed, fully planning on sleeping the next couple of days away and the jetlag. Once he's all rested up, he'll just head back to his villa in Laie, maybe take out his yacht. It'd be healthier than moping around his place and feeling the tell-tale signs of depression returning. Happy with his plan, Dean closed his eyes and zonked out.

DWSPN

Four days later, Dean is in his home away from home shoving his clothes into the washer. It felt good to be back. Everything is how he left it before he left for Steve's to do more research on string theory and dark matter. It soothed his frazzled nerves.

Dean checked his messages, most of them were the same old, same old until the last one.

"Hey, Dean, it's Sheppard. I'm just calling to check on you. It's been a while, yeah?" He heard Sheppard huff out a laugh. "I miss you, Dean. I figured you already moved on or even got back with whoever stole your heart but I just wanted you to know that I still love you and that I'm here if you need me. I mean it, Dean." Dean closed his eyes as Sheppard spoke, relishing and hearing his voice again. "I took your advice and opened myself up and actually made some friends. I know, I was shocked too." Dean grinned and chuckled. "They're pretty cool. My best friend, believe it or not, is a theoretical physicist by the name of Dr. Rodney McKay. He talks a mile a minute, most of which involves insulting anything and everything, complaining, and crowing about his own brilliance."

Dean straightened up. Rodney is here? Are you fucking serious? Rodney's here. He could have been seeking out the brilliant, admittingly high maintenance, physicist for help in establishing a connection with a parallel universe. He knows this is right up Rodney's alley.

"Anyway, we have vacation time coming up and I, stupidly mentioned you having a place in Hawaii for me to use whenever I want, and now Rodney is demanding that's where we go for out time off. I know you said I could use it any time I want but I wanted to make sure you were okay if we came down and stayed at your place. If not, that's okay, we can go somewhere else. If it's fine, there will be nine of us coming. Uh, you can reach me at my cell, it's still the same. I can't wait to hear from you. Love you, Dean," Sheppard mumbled the last part and Dean could practically picture his blush, a goofy smile of his own is dotting his face. God, he missed Sheppard.

Dean replayed the message, listening closely to the date it recorded and looked at the calendar, they'll be coming in nine days. Better call Sheppard and tell him it's okay.

He didn't know what he was more excited for: seeing Sheppard again or seeing Rodney, the one man in this universe, other than the Doctor, who could open a doorway into another reality. It's a toss up in all honesty.

Sheppard, home, and Steve and his dad. That's all that is running through his head.

Sheppard.

Home.

Dad.

Steve.

Kind of short I know but I'm trying to finish this damn thing so I can start others. Don't worry I won't rush it.

Tell me what y'all think, yeah?