Child's Destiny Light

"Jackie no cry."

Sam looked down and saw his little daughter had toddled up and gently patted Jack on the leg. Jess was looking up at Jack with an expression of concern. She tugged on his jacket, "Jackie."

Sam recognized that she was going to start crying. Jess has always been sensitive to the emotions that were around. He remembered when she bawled in response to Jack leaving. She had cried whenever the emotions were running high.

He was about to reach for her to try and stop her from crying when Jack reached down and picked her up. Sam was not worried about Jack hurting her. Dean thought he was nuts the first time he expressed he was okay with it, but he had sensed then what his wife knew then. He also took his cues from her; when she was relaxed, he knew he could relax when it came to their daughter.

Jack set Jess on his lap and the little girl wrapped her arms around his neck and repeated, "Jackie no cry."

It was enough to pull the heartstrings if someone didn't know the context of what had happened. Right now, Sam was happy but also confused and a little frightened at what happened. True he had seen strange shit over the years but with them focusing on stopping Chuck from his temper tantrum, as Angela called it, he got the sense that this could be the end.

It was rather reluctance on his end when they decided to work with Billie and her plan. The fact that Angela seemed to endorse it while maintaining her possible dislike of the reaper helped in its own way. He always had trusted Angela from the first day. He didn't know how to explain it especially since they just met and she was disinclined to be friendly with either of them. He understood that now it was a defense mechanism. Angela had loved his mother dearly and meeting them and actually interacting with them…

As it turned out, for the next part of Billie's plan, they needed to find the Occultum. That was a treasure hunt in of itself. Dean had the right idea of asking Angela if she knew what it was or come across it. Her main talent through the centuries was securing objects of power and hiding them away. The one that made him most anxious was the Staff of Osiris. She hadn't been in a position to help but the clues she left behind did. It was a wild goose chase, but that was the intention. In the end, no one mortal at least could get it.

There were other things throughout the years but the Occultum was not in her bag of experiences. Even she said that she had only heard stories and was probably the one thing that could be considered a true myth. They had to try and they had to find another source. The other source…

Sam could admit that he would have punched Sergei if he had been there. Maybe it was a good idea that Castiel went to him. Otherwise they wouldn't have known that Sister Jo knew about it. The downside was that they were quick to take Jo at her word and they went to hell. Sam had no idea why he was so quick to agree with Dean. Experience told them that most angels were not exactly trustworthy, Jo especially. Yet, they charged in anyway.

Castiel's way wasn't much better, but as Angela pointed out, Ruby had no reason to lie. Thinking about it in hindsight. Sam thought that they should have asked both sides and not jump the gun on this one. A mistake but one that seemed to work out in the end since they were able to find the Occultum. Ruby had come through and gave the information to Castiel. What they didn't count on were the hell hounds.

Sam had no idea how he was able to hold them off as long as he did. He had never wanted so badly to have Angela or the dogs there with them. Mostly he hoped for the dogs since he had seen them in action against hell hounds, but that wasn't to be so. He had to admit that he didn't expect Jack to come in and save them like that.

Now they were there back at the bunker and trying to understand the fact that Jack had his soul back. Sam had to admit that he had been concerned about that. He was happy Jack was alive but the whole no soul thing… Now he understood better what Dean went through when he didn't have his soul. Now that Jack got it back, he was faced with the boy reeling and really feeling the guilt over what he had done. He knew that feeling sort of.

It was heart wrenching to see Jack so distraught and begging for forgiveness. Sam knew that the look was directed mostly at his brother. Dean had been reluctant to accept Jack at first but he grew to love the kid and even with what he did, it wasn't fear of him but fear for him. It felt like they were all in a tough bind. At least until Angela and Jess came in.

Sam looked at his daughter hugging Jack like she wasn't going to let go. Jack seemed to have calmed down. Most people were reluctant to get too emotional around Jess mainly because they couldn't stand to see her cry. The other part was that Jess was similar to her mother; she was sensitive to the emotions around her and she reacted accordingly. Not that all different from how Angela reacted to when he and Dean were down in the dumps.

"Jackie no cry?"

"It's okay, Jess," Jack said as he sniffled.

"Jackie sad," Jess said as she looked at Jack. Her expression became serious as she stared at Jack. She looked at him and patted his cheek. She then hugged him again. "Jackie sorry."

Sam glanced at his brother. Dean hadn't moved since it dawned on both of them that Jack's soul had been returned to him. Dean looked like he was torn between giving comfort and his reaction of throwing back all your sins in your face. Not that he could with Angela there. Sam knew she would just give the look and that would be the end of it for now.

It was a game changer now. Jack had his soul. Was this part of Billie's plan to deal with Chuck? It seemed so unfair to do that to Jack. Sam glanced over at Angela and noticed the peculiar expression she had. It hadn't been easy for her either. She loved Jack like she did Jess and she was more than the Vengeful Virago for what Chuck did to Jack. There was also the fact that she seemed to be changing. Like her outlook was changing. Sam couldn't put his finger on it but the closest he could come to was that she was starting to see this like a general would. She was mentally getting ready for war.

It really didn't have to be like this. Chuck didn't have to get insistent and throw a temper tantrum when things didn't go right. He did though and it was screwing with everyone. And he meant even those from the other worlds. Like everything in their lives, things had to be screwed up to make things right. Looking at Jess soothing Jack, Sam thought that maybe to start small was enough.

A/N: Sam thinking about what happened and now where they are at with Jack. Tag to Child's Destiny.