Huzzah! I managed to get this chapter finished within the week. It's a little light on action and a bit short, but things are about to accelerate towards the end of this story. Only 3 or 4 chapters to go. Special thanks to Shazza19, SilentDragon02 and shadowhauntingdauntlessdemigod for the kind reviews.

When Fiona pulled her car up the drive to the house, the first thing Sam did was scan the jumble of parked cars for the shiny blackness of the Impala. Dean had promised that he wouldn't leave, but Sam hadn't been 100% certain that his brother wouldn't sneak away in some misguided attempt to spare him a painful goodbye. So, when he saw the car and Dean walked out onto the porch to greet everyone, Sam smothered a sigh of relief.

He was glad to see Dean, but he really didn't get a chance to speak to him until after lunch when they were back in their room changing into the T-shirts Fiona had provided.

"Why can't we have black or grey or some less weird color?" Dean whined after he pulled the shirt over his head. It fit him well and despite his complaint Sam thought the blue looked good on him.

"First off, it's not weird, it's royal blue. And secondly, Jonathan picked it. Apparently it's the same blue as Superman's costume, and Superman is his favorite superhero." Sam had heard all about this on the way home from church.

"Batman is way cooler than Superman," muttered Dean under his breath, but other than that, he stopped his grumbling. Sam pulled on his own t-shirt pleased that it was long enough.

"So what did you do while we were gone," he asked Dean who was shoving the shirt he'd taken off into his bag.

"Jacob and I just took a drive." He paused and looked thoughtful. "That kid has been through a lot, you know." No, Sam didn't know but he wondered at what Jacob could have told Dean to put that fierce look on his brother's face. Zipping up his bag, Dean slapped Sam lightly on the shoulder. "C'mon, let's get this show on the road."

Sam trailed Dean back to the kitchen where April, Maureen and Peggy were helping Aunt Kathy put away the remnants of lunch. Dean snagged a chocolate chip cookie from the tray Maureen was wrapping in cling wrap. She laughed at his mischievous look and handed him a napkin.

"Here, don't get chocolate on your shirt before the photos." Maureen was dressed in a hot pink T-shirt, April had on light purple and Peggy was in a bright green tee that actually went well with her red hair. Aiden ushered his daughters into the kitchen. They were all in hot pink like Maureen. Dean's mouth was full of cookie, so Sam asked the question he could read on his brother's face.

"Uh, so what's with all the different colors?," Sam asked. Aiden caressed Irene's silky head with one hand as she leaned against him. He gave his wife a quick kiss before putting down the case of soft drinks he'd carried in and started loading them into the fridge.

"It was our mother's idea. When the twins were little, they looked almost identical, so she used to make a point of not dressing them alike. When they got older, after Declan was born, Brian and Colin used to argue over which color they got, so she decided that everyone got a different color for family photos." Aiden shrugged and broke down the packaging for recycling. Colin strolled in and propped a hip against the counter.

"What are we talking about?" he asked his older brother.

"The shirts," Aiden replied, plucking gently at his.

"Oh, yeah Mom's thing. I think she saw it in a shampoo ad. One time she told me that she did it because she wanted us each to be an individual. Anyway, we've continued the tradition as the family has grown. Now every time we get together, we take a picture of everybody. Each family gets to pick it's own color." Sam thought that was an unusual tradition, but who was he to judge. There were very few pictures of his family, and his mother hadn't been there to coordinate family photos and establish traditions. Suddenly it registered that by giving him a shirt, Fiona had claimed him and Dean as family. He faked a cough to cover the sudden sappy smile that threatened.

Sharron bustled into the room and began shooing her husband and Aiden towards the living room.

"C'mon you two. We're doing the original kids first." Sam left Dean flirting with Aunt Kathy for more cookies and followed them into the other room. Fiona, Ethan, Brian and Declan were chatting at the bottom of the staircase as a stranger with a camera around her neck adjusted her equipment. Declan ducked under an umbrella shaped reflector and joined Sam and the others.

"I see you weren't spared the indignity of our family craziness," he said with a laugh. Declan was dressed in a black t-shirt similar to the kind that Dean usually wore.

"Did you get to pick?," Sam asked hoping that Dean wouldn't walk in and begin complaining again.

"One of the advantages of being single. I can wear whatever color I want. Usually people let their kids pick." He smirked and nudged Sam with his elbow. "Aren't you glad you didn't get Aiden's Barbie pink?" Sam shrugged. Not that Dean wouldn't call him "Samantha" for a month if he wore such a feminine color, but Aiden seemed happy enough, especially when his youngest daughter tugged on his pant leg and told him he looked "Bootiful Daddy!"

The photographer stopped her fussing and motioned them over. Sam stayed behind to watch as the MacCallums arranged themselves in age order on the stairs, one on each step. You could tell that they had been doing this for years. Aiden was at the top, then Brian, Colin, Declan, Ethan and finally at the bottom, Fiona. Lined up like that you could see both the family resemblance and the close bond the siblings shared. Brian in particular looked like a different person, laughing and teasing his twin brother, relaxed in a way Sam was surprised the Sheriff ever allowed himself to be. Dean appeared at Sam's elbow, cookie in hand.

"They look ridiculous," Dean said under his breath, standing close enough that only Sam could hear him. He just shrugged, it didn't look like that to him. It looked normal and comfortable and safe.

xxxxxx

Dean was trying not to pace. They were waiting for the photographer and her assistant to set up some more equipment around a space by the front steps. Everyone was milling around in the early afternoon sunshine looking like a kaleidoscope that had smashed into a myriad of colorful pieces. Sam was nearby chatting with Carlos. It looked like a happy scene, but Dean couldn't feel it. A mental clock had begun to tick the moment he'd woken up this morning and realized that in 24 hours or so, he'd be saying goodbye to Sam. He'd been doing his best to keep occupied to help muffle the countdown in his head, so standing around was making him antsy.

Jonathan thundered down the steps and threw himself against Dean's knees.

"We're gonna have our picture taken, Uncle Dean!" The kid was practically bouncing with excitement, but Dean was momentarily dazed at the honorific. Of course he'd known he was the boy's uncle, but this was the first time he'd heard Jonathan say it and his heart gave a strange leap. Ruffling the child's soft hair he smiled down at Johnny who was practically vibrating, one hand clutching the leg of Dean's jeans, the other gripping Sebastian.

"Okay, you guys get to go first, since you're all here and ready to go," Sharron announced. Fiona motioned him and Sam over, so he pointed Johnny towards where his mother stood and tapped his brother on the shoulder.

"We're up. Let's get this over with."

Dean was uncomfortable standing there, sweat starting to make his stupid shirt cling to his back. He hated to be the center of attention, it went against every lesson his father had taught him about blending in and being as invisible as possible. Everyone was staring at him and he caught himself clenching his fists as the photographer gave instructions he couldn't hear over his thundering heart beat. Sam's arms were full of a squirming Jonathan, but he nudged Dean with his shoulder.

"Hey, calm down," he instructed in a whisper. Dean forced himself to take a deep breath. This was just a stupid picture, he'd certainly faced worse. He still felt stupid, why was he even in it in the first place? He wasn't really a part of this family - tomorrow he'd be gone. Fiona was in front of him and the photographer scurried over to push them all even closer.

"Fiona, step back a little and turn a bit to your right. Sam, turn Jonathan towards the centre more." Dean was two seconds from bolting in frustration when Fiona, whose back was practically pressed up against him tilted her head back and gave him a smile.

"I'm glad you're here, Dean," she said bumping softly against him. She stepped on his foot, trying to find someplace to stand and he put a hand on her elbow to keep her from falling.

"Just like that - perfect!" Finally the woman put the camera to her eye and started to shoot. "Big smiles everyone," she chirped cheerfully. Dean couldn't prevent the growl that rumbled through his chest hard enough for Fiona to feel. She started to giggle.

"Okay, everyone look at Jonathan." Dutifully doing what he was told, Dean turned slightly to his right. Sam was looking at the boy in his arms, and everything, the unnatural position, the sweat trickling down his back, his self-consciousness, all the little annoyances faded away as he saw the love in Sam's eyes as he stared at his son. Something inside him softened and he could only stand in awe, grateful that he had a chance to see his brother so happy.

"That's great - I've got it. Thank you!" The photographer's words broke the spell and the little group broke apart, moving out of the way for Kate, Alan and their kids to take their place. Now that he was free, he wanted a whiskey or three, but he settled for grabbing a bottle of water and wandered farther across the lawn to sit in the shade of a big tree.

Sam was lumbering around like a fool with Jonathan on his shoulders, pretending to be some sort of animal or something. The little guy was laughing, head thrown back, practically radiating joy. Even from here Dean could see how carefully Sam held his son's legs so that he didn't fall. Soon the other children were tugging on Sam's jeans wanting their own ride. It was strange to see his gigantor brother surrounded by small children, his grin flashing as he swung Chloe up onto his shoulders for her turn. Over the course of the past few days Dean had noticed that Sam smiled more easily, that he laughed more frequently. Something Sam hadn't done much of over the past few years. As he watched, he twisted off the cap and lifted the bottle in a silent toast before taking a swig of the cool water.

"You're going to be a great Dad, Sammy," he said to himself. The bitter ache that had settled deep in his chest was made slightly sweeter in seeing his brother so happy and carefree. Nothing was going to make leaving in the morning easier, but at least he'd have these memories to take with him.

Fiona headed his way and Dean carefully arranged his expression so that none of what he was feeling showed.

"Mind if I join you?," she asked even as she flopped down to the grass beside him. Since she was already here, he didn't bother to reply, just continued to watch his brother play with the kids as the various family groups got their photos taken. Fiona was silent, doing the same for a long time. Finally she spoke.

"So, Sam tells me that you're leaving in the morning." Her tone was conversational and friendly, putting Dean at ease despite the topic.

"Yeah, well I've got to get back to work. I've got some unfinished business." An image of Amara, as she had appeared to him in the billowing smoke, sprung into his mind. The strange pull he felt towards her had slowly been growing. This extended visit was like a vacation, but the Darkness was out there. It will be far more difficult without his brother by his side, but he needed to find a way to stop her.

"You know, Sam never told me exactly what you two do," Fiona stated, making eye contact and peering at him intently. Dean kept his face purposely casual. "Somehow I think "pest control" is a lot more dangerous than it sounds." Dean just shrugged, he certainly wasn't going to reveal anything. Realizing that no answer was forthcoming, she leaned back against the tree. "Well, regardless of what you do, I just want you to know that you're family now. You're always welcome. Anytime."

Her words warmed his heart, but he knew that once he left, he likely wouldn't ever be back. Oh sure, he might drop in occasionally, check on Sammy and make sure he was okay. But he was never going to show up for an extended visit, or come spend the holidays. It would be too hard to see what he knew he was never going to have. More importantly, he would never want to bring danger to their door. Dean had no illusions about himself. He was a killer with an ocean's worth of blood on his hands. He'd tried to settle down, live the civilian life and it had almost got Lisa and Ben killed - even when he wasn't with them anymore. There was no way he'd do anything to risk Sam's new life, much less his nephew and the kind woman beside him.

"Thanks, I appreciate it," he said. He didn't want to make promises he knew he wouldn't keep. She got to her knees, but before she stood, Fiona leaned in close and unexpectedly kissed his cheek.

"You're a good man, Dean Winchester," she stated, before getting to her feet and strolling back to where the photographer was trying to gather everyone for a group photo.