A/N: Translations are at the end.

Chapter 10

The two cars pulled into the town limits of Richmond, Missouri mid-afternoon. Dom drove around the town to a small Romania community where his kin lived. He drove down a gravel road and stopped at a small house that was painted a soft blue with flower beds lining a walkway to the front door. Dom stopped his car at the side of the house and waited for Dean to pull in beside him.

"Copilul meu!" an elderly woman called from the front porch as she made her way slowly down the steps. "Uită-te la tine. Arăți ca mama ta binecuvântată."

"Străbunică," Dom greeted the older woman wrapping her in a warm hug. "It is good to see you looking so well."

"And you child. Come, come, and bring your friends," she said motioning for Dean and Sam to follow them. They walked toward the open front door and into the house with the brothers trailing along behind them.

"Thank you for allowing us to sup with you and for the use of your spare beds."

"Of course, my child, my home is your home. The family is preparing our meal at the community center. We will walk there shortly."

"That is fine Străbunică. This is Dean and his brother Sam, they are hunters too," he introduced the brothers to his great-grandmother. "This is my great-grandmother, Mama Rues."

"Hello ma'am," Dean said.

"Hello, nice to meet you," Sam said, giving her a shy smile.

Mama Rues looked at each brother and brought her gaze back to Sam as she studied him. Sam fidgeted under her steely gaze, not sure what she was seeing or trying to see.

"What is she doing?" Sam asked Dom in his head.

"She has the gift and knows you are special like me," Dom replied.

"Mind if I use the bathroom?" Dean asked breaking the silence in the room.

"Down the hall on the right," Dom told him, nodding to the hallway off the living room.

"Thanks." Dean followed his directions and found the bathroom, stepping in and closing the door.

"You are a strong one, young man," Mama Rues said softly to Sam as she reached and took his hand in hers.

Sam looked to Dom not sure how to take her words. He was not sure how to respond or if he should. He looked down at the floor and then back up at Mama Rues as he bit his lower lip.

"Mama Rues, how is the family doing?" Dom asked as he sat down on the couch feeling Sam's discomfort. He motioned for Sam to take a chair beside the couch while Mama Rues sat in a recliner across from them.

"All is good. Your cousin Fila is getting married in a couple of weeks. You should come."

"If I am near, I'd be happy to come. I don't know for sure where I will be. Hunting takes me all over the country."

"I know, I have heard from other families of your visits."

"I'm going to use the…" Sam started as Dean walked back into the room. He got up and hurried down the hall to the bathroom.

"You seemed troubled young man," Mama Rues addressed Dean as he took Sam's seat.

Dean looked up at her as his brow creased for a moment, not sure how to respond.

"Your past has been difficult, and you are trying to find your place again among us. You have lost someone close to you recently."

"Ummm…Yeah, a friend of mine," Dean spoke softly looking down at his clasped hands.

"I am sorry for your loss. There will be hardships ahead that will test you but do not lose hope. Believe in yourself." Mama Rues paused for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. "How did you meet my grandson?" she questioned.

"On a hunt," Dean answered. "We helped him hunt the creature he had tracked to this country and took it out."

"Good to know Dominick has made such good friends in this country. I thank you for that."

"No problem ma'am. He's a great ally to have and he has helped my brother."

"I see the gift in him, it is strong, maybe too strong." Mama Rues looked toward the hall as Sam walked back to the living room and sat down beside Dom thinking he had missed something by the guarded look on Dean's face.

"I hope you like sweets young man," Mama Rues directed toward Dean. "We have some of the best cooks in the county and I know there will be plenty of pies, cakes, and treats."

"Did you say pie?" Dean asked perking up at the mention of his favorite dessert.

"Lands yes, apple, peach, cobbler, pecan, wild berry; all homemade and old family recipes."

"Now you're talking," Dean replied, rubbing his hands together with the prospect of all the pie he could eat.

"Manners," Sam mouthed to Dean, giving him a bitch face to behave when he got his attention.

"Come children," Mama Rues told them as she started to push herself from the recliner. Dom got up quickly and hurried to her side to help her stand. "We shall walk to the center and meet the family."

"Are you sure Străbunică?" Dom questioned. "We can drive down there if you like?"

"No child, it will do me good to walk. It is not that far."

"Alright, shall we?" Dom place his grandmother's hand in the crook of his arm and led her to the door.

Once they were outside, Mama Rues moved to take Sam's arm and walk between the two gifted ones with Dean trailing along behind them. They made slow progress, following a trail behind her house that was a short cut to the community center.

spn

"Străbunică! Come we have a seat for you," a middle aged man called to them when he saw the group approaching the community center. "Cousin, it is good to see you," he addressed Dominick warmly.

The community center was a large building that had a kitchen on one side and an open space for chairs and tables to be put out. There was a covered area to the side that could be used for dining also. There were people moving around in both areas sitting the place up for the meal. The voices echoed in the enclosed space and laughter seemed louder than it should.

Dean automatically stepped in front of Sam as his body stiffened while his eyes searched the crowd for any danger.

"Easy Dean, it's okay," Sam whispered to him as he laid a hand on his shoulder. "No one's going to hurt us here."

"Cousin, this is Sam and Dean, friends of mine," Dom introduced them as his grandmother was led away into the building. "Guys this is Stefan, one of many of my cousins. Don't worry if you don't remember all their names."

"It is nice to meet you. I am glad Dom has made friends here in this country. Shall we go inside, I think the meal is almost ready to be served. We have tables inside with the food and tables and chairs under the cover outside to sit and eat." He led them inside and the brothers glanced around at all the women and men bustling around putting food on long tables, setting out heavy duty paper plates, silverware, bringing chests of ice, and getting a drink station ready.

"Wow, you said the entire community would be here and I think they are," Sam commented dodging kids that ran past.

"Children! Children! No running," a young woman called to them as she tried to round them up. She paused long enough to give the brothers a once over before moving on. She glanced back over her shoulder for another look, liking what she saw.

"If I can have your attention!" a booming voice filled the air, causing everyone to quiet down and look toward him. "We are happy to have our cousin Dominick from Romania visiting with us today. He has brought along two friends. Let's make him and his friends welcome. We will let Mama Rues and our guests go first and then those with children. Come Dom, it is time to start."

"Guys, join me," Dom motioned to them as he walked toward the rows of tables where Mama Rues was waiting.

Sam watched Dean to be sure he had calmed down and was not going to attack anyone. He could still feel his uneasiness with so many people in the enclosed space. They got a plate and silverware and followed Dom down the table looking at all the food that was before them. Neither had seen so much in one place before.

"Help yourselves to everything," Dom told them. "I know it is all good."

"Man kid, I don't know where to begin," Dean replied. He began to fill his plate with an assortment of foods. He looked down the table trying to see what else was there that he might want to try. He was definitely coming back for seconds.

"Slow down there Dean, I think you can come back for seconds," Sam scolded him when he saw how piled his plate was getting.

"Don't spoil this for me Sammy. Oh god! I think I've died and gone to Heaven," he gushed when he saw the table devoted to desserts, many pies.

"We have home brewed beers outside in coolers if you would like to try one," Dom told him as they came to the end of the table. "Or we have tea, lemonade, water, or coffee in here."

"I'm for trying new things," Dean nodded following Dom past the kitchen and out a door that led to where the tables and chairs were set up for everyone to eat at. He took a seat by Sam, letting him sit by Dom on the other side.

"Here you go, there are several kinds, but I think you will like this one." Dom sat a beer in front of Dean and Sam before taking his seat again.

"This is amazing," Sam finally spoke up. "Guess it pays to have a large extended family."

"It does. I usually can get help from any of them when I need it," Dom replied. "Fair warning guys, my single cousins have zeroed in on you, so expect to be accosted before the night is over."

Dean and Sam looked up and noticed the women that were their age all eyeing them and fighting to sit near them. Sam felt his cheeks grow hot as he dropped his gaze back to his food, while Dean gave his best winning smile and winked at them. This was going to be an interesting evening.

"This beer is awesome!" Dean comment after taking a long swallow.

"It is Dom. I think it's the best I've had," Sam added.

"I will pass along the compliments. If you try another, the lighter is mild and the darker is stronger."

"Good to know," Dean nodded taking another sip.

Dean cleaned his plate and got up to go check out the dessert table while Sam took his time enjoying all the new tastes. Some was spicy and others were mild. He huffed a laugh when Dean came back with his plate filled with all kinds of pies. He at least had small slices so he could taste all of them.

"How are we even related?" Sam laughed.

"You don't know what you're missing dude," Dean told him taking a bite of pie and moaning as the flavors exploded on his taste buds. "You gotta taste this," Dean demanded holding his fork to Sam's mouth with a bite of pie on it.

"I can get my own bro," Sam complained dodging Dean's attempt to feed him.

"Suit yourself." Dean sampled the other pies helpless to choose the one he liked best. They were all delicious.

"Stop making weird noises," Sam fussed kicking his foot when Dean hummed and smacked his lips.

Dom watched the interaction between the brothers and could not help but smile. He had felt Dean's initial reaction to being around so many people and was happy that he had settled and was enjoying himself. They all looked back inside when the sound of music began to drift outside.

"They're not bad," Dean said as he nodded his head with the beat.

"Many of my cousins get together a couple of times a month and do a concert for everyone."

"You have a tight knit family," Sam said. He wondered how it would be to have a big family. "I'm going to go check the dessert table out, does anyone want anything?"

"I'll join you," Dean replied getting up.

"Where are you putting all this food?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"I'm a growing boy."

"Keep telling yourself that. I don't want to hear you moaning that you ate too much when you overdo it."

"You're just jealous."

"In your dreams jerk."

"Bitch," Dean grunted when he suddenly burped loudly making Sam roll his eyes and snort at him before moving inside away from him. "Good food."

They ate until they could not eat another bite and moved inside to listen to the music. All the single young women begged the brothers to dance with them, but they politely turned them down with the excuse they ate too much, but that did not stop them from fawning over them. Sam talked to so many different young women he lost track of names and faces. Dean even lavished his charm to the older women who asked if he'd like pie to take back with him.

The gathering broke up a few hours later and the brothers and Dom walked back to his grandmother's house, while a cousin drove Mama Rues home. They got their bags out of the Impala and Dom showed them to a small guest house situated behind the main house. He left them alone as he went back inside. The brothers turned in to get a good night's sleep so they could finish their journey to Sioux Falls.

Translation: Copilul meu = My child

Uită-te la tine. Arăți ca mama ta binecuvântată = Look at you. You look like your blessed mother

Străbunică = Great Grandmother

A/N: The brothers enjoyed the hospitality of Dom's family and a lot of good food and drink. Thanks for coming along on this journey. Reviews would be great. NC