"Dean, it does not have to be like this. We can fight it."

Dean sighed and took another swig of the beer in his hand. Sammy wanted back in, but Dean couldn't shake the feeling that it would be a disaster. As he watched Piper sleep on top of the blankets on their motel room bed, he couldn't help but think this was the best option.

They had fought again in the car on the way here.

"God dammit, Dean, why can you not see that you guys should stay together? You're so much weaker when you're apart!"

"I can't trust him, Piper! He lied to us over and over and over!"

She threw her hands in the air. "Oh, yes, because you've always been so honest with him!"

Dean sighed and took another swig. "Yeah, you're right. We can. But not together. We're not stronger when we're together, Sam. I think we're weaker. Because whatever we have between us… Love, family, whatever it is… They are always gonna use it against us. And you know that. Yeah, we're better off apart. We've got a better chance at dodging Lucifer and Michael and this whole damn thing, if we just go our own ways."

"What about Piper?" Sam asked, without a trace of bitterness. "You gonna let her go her own way?"

Dean sighed. "Sam, Pipes is better than both of us put together. And she's not a goddamn archangel's vessel, so she's not in danger."

"Dean, don't do this."

Dean closed his eyes. "Bye, Sam."

xxxxx

So, future me is kind of a dick.

Dean was staring at himself hard, irritated that he was still chained up, irritated that future him was an asshole, and irritated because he was in twenty-fourteen. Zachariah hadn't told him where Piper was, just gave him a mysterious wink and disappeared.

Everyone in the future is a dick.

"What about Sam?"

Future him looked down. "Heavyweight showdown in Detroit. From what I understand, Sam didn't make it."

Dean frowned. "You weren't with him?"

"No. No, me and Sam, we haven't talked in… Hell, five years."

"We never tried to find him?"

"We had other people to worry about."

Dean was starting to get mad at his future counterpart. "Well, where is Piper? She must have been pissed." A thought crossed his mind, and he grinned. "I bet she looks great. She looks great, doesn't she?"

Future Dean just stared at him for a minute, then started out the door. Dean frowned. "Where are you going? Where is Piper?"

"I got an errand to run."

Dean sat up. "Woah, you're just gonna leave me here?"

"Yes. I got a camp full of twitchy trauma survivors out there with an apocalypse hanging over their head. The last thing they need to see is a version of The Parent Trap. So, yeah, you stay locked down."

xxxxx

Dean wandered around the camp, trying to stay out of sight.

No such luck. "Hey, Dean!" Dean turned to see Chuck approaching him. "You got a second?"

Dean panicked. "No. Yes. Uh, I… I guess. Hi, Chuck."

"Hi. So, uh, listen, we're pretty good on canned goods for now, but we're down to next to nothing on perishables and hygiene supplies. People are not gonna be happy about this. So, what do you think we should do?"

Dean shrugged. "I… I don't know. Maybe, uh, share?"

Chuck squinted at him. "Wait a minute. Aren't you supposed to be out on a mission right now?"

Dean nodded firmly. "Absolutely. And I will be."

Chuck looked behind Dean, and his eyes widened. "Uh-oh."

Dean turned and a fairly pretty woman swung at him. "Woah, jeeze! Easy, lady!" He ducked behind Chuck, dimly grateful Piper wasn't here to laugh at him.

"Hi, Risa," Chuck said timidly.

Dean frowned. "Risa?"

She was glaring at Dean. "You spent the night in Jane's cabin last night, didn't you?"

Dean blinked. "Did I?" He looked at Chuck, frowning. When Chuck nodded, Dean got even more confused. Why wasn't he in Piper's tent? Dread started swirling in his gut.

"I thought we had a 'connection.'" Risa snapped.

"I'm sure we do," Dean said, distracted. He turned to Chuck. "Is Cass still here?"

Chuck rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I don't think Cass is going anywhere."

xxxxx

After Chuck's reaction, Dean had expected that something had happened to Castiel. He did not, however, expect him to be running a friggin' orgy.

Cass spotted Dean in the middle of his little "let's fuck each other" speech. He turned back to the women. "Oh, excuse me, ladies. I think I need to confer with our fearless leader for a minute. Why not go get washed up for the orgy?"

Cass stood and walked over to Dean. Dean frowned. "What are you, a hippie?"

Cass rolled his eyes. "I thought you'd gotten over trying to label me."

"Cass, we gotta talk."

Castiel examined him. "You're not you. Not now you, anyway."

Dean nodded. "Exactly."

"What year are you from?"

"Two-thousand-nine."

"Zachariah?"

Dean nodded.

"Interesting."

Dean was about to bite the angel's head off, but was interrupted by a voice ringing through the compound. "Uncle Cass!"

Cass gave Dean a sharp look, looking more like the angel Castiel than he had this whole time. "This is going to come as a shock, Winchester. Keep it together, she's been through enough."

Then he looked behind Dean and crouched, a happy smile creasing his face. "Abbie!"

A child flew into Cass's arms, laughing. "Uncle Cass! Where have you been?" She asked, wrapping her chubby arms around his neck as he lifted her, his arm under her behind.

"Grown-up time, carrot," he replied easily, pressing a kiss onto the top of her head.

The child turned to study Dean, and he took the opportunity to study her back, wondering what Cass had meant about it being a shock. People are still screwing, surely. It's human nature, right?

Abbie had auburn hair that was in loose waves around her shoulders, framing her high cheekbones and pale skin beautifully. Dean's blood started to run cold when he noticed her pretty emerald green eyes, examining him with an intensity that he'd really only seen matched in one other person.

She tilted her head to the side in a very familiar gesture. "Daddy?"

xxxxx

Dean followed Castiel to the bedroom, in complete and utter shock. Castiel seemed a little unsure himself.

The only person who didn't seem to be too disturbed was Abbie. She was holding Cass's hand and jabbering away. She was shooting shy glances back at Dean, blushing (like her mother) and looking away when they made eye contact.

That worried him. Why was she afraid of him? If he was… Her father, she shouldn't be afraid of him in the slightest.

Cass hoisted Abbie up and onto the bed. "Nap time, carrot."

"But I'm not tired," she protested. She promptly yawned right after, and it shattered Dean's heart.

Cass met Dean's eyes, and the angel's face softened. "What if I tell you a story, carrot?"

She nodded, then sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and looked at Dean. "Can you tell me one, Daddy?"

In that moment, Dean Winchester fell absolutely and completely in love with Abigail Winchester. He was speechless. He dropped to his knees in front of her and reached a hand out to cup her face. She tilted her head into it, gazing at him with those eyes that he saw in the mirror every morning.

Cass watched with a soft smile. "How about I tell you a story, and Daddy lays down with you, carrot?"

Her eyes lit up, and part of Dean lit up, too. She grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the bed. He followed, rendered completely helpless by her. She smiled at him, and without thinking he picked her up and turned, sitting down and plopping her into his lap, then leaning until they were laying down. She cuddled back into him, laying her head on his outstretched arm and yawning again. "Okay, Uncle Cass, story time!"

Cass sat down in a chair opposite of the bed and smiled. "Which story would you like to hear, carrot?"

"The story about Princess Piper!"

Dean stiffened, and Cass's face tightened briefly before smoothing out. "All right, carrot. Princess Piper."

"There was once a beautiful princess with purple hair, named Piper. She was brave, and strong, and kind. She was everything a princess should be. She was the princess of a happy kingdom, where everyone loved her, and she loved everyone, too.

"One day, she met a handsome prince named Dean. He was strong, too, and gentle, and smart. He came to visit the kingdom and pay his respects to King Bobby. But as soon as he saw Princess Piper, they fell deeply, madly in love with one another. He decided to stay with her in the happy kingdom, and they ruled happily together."

Dean's heart was beating hard, his eyes glued to the former angel.

"The world was still a dark place, where the Dark Prince ruled, but he couldn't touch Dean and Piper's happy kingdom. Especially after they had a beautiful baby girl, Abigail Winchester." Cass's face softened further. "They loved Princess Abigail so much, she made their lives complete.

"But Pipes couldn't stand the Dark Prince ruling the land outside the happy kingdom. He was harming many people, including Abigail's Uncle Sammy, whom he had hurt before she was born. The Dark Prince was threatening to come to the happy kingdom next. So Piper decided to go and fight him before he could. Dean was mad, very mad, but he loved her so much that he didn't go after her when she left on her own. He stayed behind, to protect their happy kingdom, and to protect Princess Abigail.

"Piper fought the Dark Prince, and she fought hard. She fought for a long time, but eventually the Dark Prince got her, and she fell in battle." Cass's face was etched in sadness, and Dean felt like he couldn't breathe. "But her death sparked the rebellion, and Prince Dean led armies against the Dark Prince in Princess Piper's name.

Abbie turned in Dean's arms to face him, a too serious look on her young face. "Regular Daddy says that Mama left because she was stubborn, and she loved being right more than she loved us," she said somberly, studying his face.

Dean frowned and put his hand on her face, marvelling at how small she was. "Regular Daddy?"

She smiled, and he fell in love again. "Regular Daddy never has time for stories. You're not Regular Daddy."

He put away his anger at future Dean (who he was going to have a serious talk with) to look at her intently. "Well, Regular Daddy is wrong. Abigail, your mother loved you. She left to protect you, because the Dark Prince was going to hurt you someday, and she left to prevent that. Hear me, kit?"

She nodded with wide, green eyes. "I hear you, Daddy."

xxxxx

Dean was sitting at the table in Cass's kitchen, his head in his hands. "Piper is… Dead?"

Cass, sitting across from him, nodded sadly. "When she got pregnant, she stayed here, running things, while he went and hunted. Then, once the carrot was born, she had… Renewed fervor for the war, you might say. She and he had a big fight, yelling, throwing things. Then she disappeared. She went to try to get Sam. But it was too late. Lucifer kept her until Future Dean got close, then killed her in a town square. It was… Bad."

Dean closed his eyes against the tears that threatened. Dammit, kitten. "Why did he tell Abs what he did? About Piper?"

Cass shrugged, but Dean saw anger on the former angel's face. "He got bitter. It wouldn't be out of the realm of truth to say that he hates Piper."

Dean looked up. "What about Abs?"

Cass's face tightened. "He doesn't seem to have time for her. I think he resents her."

Dean frowned. "She's what, four?"

"Doesn't seem to matter to him."

Dean thought for a moment. "And Sam just let him pull that shit?" The Sam he knew would adore a niece.

Castiel looked sad. "By the time Abigail was born, he was already gone."

xxxxx

Dean spent his second day in twenty-fourteen following Abbie around like a lost puppy. Anytime one of the campers spotted them, he either ignored them, or told them to ask Future Dean.

Abbie was very much enjoying leading him around by the hand, showing him things that only four year olds could possibly interested in. Dean soaked it all up, always either holding her hand or carrying her.

She was just as smart as he suspected any of Piper's children would be. The way she spoke told him she was smarter than the average child her age, and her easy acceptance of his presence told him that her life was far more fucked up than he wanted it to be.

She was chattering as they walked, and he tried to soak up every word. "Sometimes I stay the night with Janey, I love Janey, she always has secret candies for me, but I'm not s'posed to tell Regular Daddy, because he'll get mad. Regular Daddy is always mad about something, Uncle Cass says Mama used to get him to chill out, but Mama's not here anymore, so he's always mad." She looked up at him sunnily. "Did you know Mama, Daddy?"

Dean could barely function beneath the weight of the adoration he felt for Abbie. He just nodded. "Yeah, kit, I knew her."

"What was she like, Daddy?"

Dean thought about that for a moment while Abigail led him away. He bent and scooped her into his arms, craving her closeness. "She was pretty, like you are, kitten. And she was smart like you. And you're right, she did have a way of chilling me out."

Abigail giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, laying her soft cheek against his. "That's funny, Daddy." She was silent for a few minutes, and Dean wandered around the camp, savoring the feel of her in his arms.

"Daddy?" Her voice told him she was getting sleepy, so he changed direction toward Cass's cabin, keeping an eye out for signs of an orgy going on in there.

"Yeah, kit?"

"Daddy, can you miss someone you didn't meet?"

Dean closed his eyes against the emotions storming through him. "Yeah, kit," he said roughly. "Yeah, you can."

She nodded against his shoulder. "I miss Mama."

He hugged her close. "Me, too, kit."

xxxxx

Before Zachariah zapped him back, Dean felt a brief, violent flash of grief for a child who wasn't going to be born.

xxxxx

Dean was suddenly standing in the motel room again after his conversation with Lucifer, who had been wearing Sam.

Zachariah was standing in front of him. "Oh, well, if it isn't the ghost of Christmas fuck you."

"Dean?" Piper's sleepy voice sent emotions cascading through him. Dean walked past the angel to sweep her against his chest. He knew he was crushing her, and he didn't care. She cuddled into him without complaining.

"Enough," Zachariah snapped. "Dean, enough. You saw it, right? You saw what happens. You're the only person who can prove the devil wrong. Just say yes."

Dean turned with Piper in his arms, glaring at the angel. "How do I know that this whole thing isn't one of your tricks? Huh? Some angel hocus-pocus?"

Zachariah rolled his eyes. "The time for tricks is over. Give yourself to Michael. Say yes and we can strike. Before Lucifer gets to Sam. Before billions die."

Dean looked down at Piper. Her faith in him was shining in her eyes, and his resolve hardened. "Nah," he said casually, never looking away from her.

"'Nah?'" Zachariah snarled. "You telling me you haven't learned your lesson?"

Dean chuckled down at Piper, who was beaming at him. "Oh, I've learned a lesson, all right. Just not the one you wanted to teach."

The angel stepped forward, and Dean pushed Piper behind him. "Well, I'll just have to teach it again! Because I got you now, boy, and I'm never letting you-"

The world swirled away from them.

Dean looked around, seeing that they were on the side of a road. He turned around see Piper stepping forward to hug Cass. "Good timing, wings," she was saying as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Dean was amused to see Cass hug her back nervously. "We had an appointment," he said simply.

Dean grinned and came forward to slap a hand on Castiel's shoulder. "Don't ever change."

He looked at Piper, who was holding out his cell phone. He smirked and took it.

"What are you doing?" Castiel asked.

"Something I should have done in the first place," he said, putting his phone against his ear and pulling Piper close to press a kiss to her forehead.

xxxxx

That night, after arranging a halfway point at which to pick Sam up, Piper was laying on Dean's bare chest, drifting away to sleep.

"So… In the future…"

She lifted her head and looked at him. "What happened?" she asked softly.

He didn't look at her, just kept his gaze on the ceiling. "We… You…"

She let the silence settle over them. He would talk when he was ready.

"You were gone."

She frowned. "Where did I go?"

"You went to try to save Sam. But you didn't make it."

She mulled that over, still studying his lovely jawline. Then she shrugged. "Well, we're already changing that. If you and Sam are together, then we'll be all right."

He was silent for a long time, then he whispered, "We had a kid."

Shock cascaded through her. She sat up and looked at him. "We what?"

He nodded. "A daughter. We named her Abigail." He looked at her with tears in his eyes. "She looked just like you, Pipes."

Piper's throat was tight. They had had brief discussions about children, but nothing serious. She was on the pill, so it didn't matter yet. And she knew the life they led would be a terrible place for children.

But still… "How old was she?"

He ran a hand up her back to tangle his fingers in her hair. "Four."

"What was she like?"

He pulled her back down to lay on top of him, settling her head against his chest again. "She was just like you, kitten. Smart and strong and beautiful."

"Did…. Did she have your eyes?" Envy was burning in her, which she knew was ridiculous. But some part of her had been catapulted into grief at the mention of a child she'd never meet.

He nodded, and her breath hitched. "Oh, Dean," she said softly, pressing a kiss to his chest. "I'm so sorry."

He hugged her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Me, too, Pipes."

"I love you."

A beat of silence, then, "I love you, too, Pipes."

They held each other and cried.

xxxxx

Hi everyone! Here's my notes:

I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)

Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.

If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.

**Thank you for everyone who's favorited and followed this story. It means so much to me that you guys love Dean and Piper as much as I do.