Meeting for lunch at a diner didn't mean that it was a date.

She kept repeating that to herself, if she said it enough times she was sure that it would come true and she'd believe it.

Fighting the urge to pace outside of the diner Mary settled for fidgeting, putting at her fingers and picking at the skin around her nails.

It didn't make sense that she was nervous like this, it wasn't a date. It was just two grown adults meeting with one another and just...talking. Talking over lunch. Nothing had to happen and nothing had to come out of it.

It didn't help the pit in her stomach and it didn't help the tightness in her chest.

She knew that it was completely stupid but at the same time...it almost felt like cheating. Like she was cheating on John and that made no sense. They're weren't together like that, they weren't exclusive and neither had a claim to the other.

This wasn't cheating.

It wasn't.

Mary rubbed at her lower back, biting back a groan at the pain that was giving a dull throb and spreading. She wasn't sure if it was regular pain or pregnancy pain but either way, it meant she had to relax and stop panicking like she was now.

"Mary?" an almost hopeful voice called out to her, getting her attention immediately.

Mary turned, swallowing hard, at the sight of who could only be Bobby Singer. He was looking at her, a small smile tugging at his lips, holding a small bouquet of flowers in his hands.

"Hi, Bobby." Mary said, managing a smile of her own. She blinked when Bobby suddenly all but thrust the flowers into her hands. "Oh, thank you."

"You're welcome." Bobby said, nodding, smiling nervously. "I wasn't sure if you liked flowers but I figured, better safe than sorry."

They entered the diner and she slid into her seat, putting the flowers next to her, glancing at Bobby. A waitress came over and she ordered a tea, Bobby ordered a coffee, and she hesitated, not entirely sure where to start.

"Samuel told me that you have a son?" Bobby prodded.

Dean. She could talk about Dean. She could talk about Dean for hours. Going to her bag she pulled out her wallet and slid out the picture of Dean she had.

"Yeah, his name is Dean." she said, holding the picture out to him. Dean was grinning widely in the picture, a very photogenic child. "My pride and joy."

Bobby smiled at the picture, a fond look on his face. "Looks like a good child."

"He is, he's just amazing." Mary said with a smile of her own. "Very emphatic, very cuddly, and as you can see, very cute."

"Takes after his mama in that." Bobby said, before he colored slightly. "Sorry, I mean-"

"Its fine." Mary assured him. "Its fine, don't worry."

"Not that I don't think you're not pretty." Bobby said quickly. "You are and I just mean that-"

"Bobby. Stop." Mary said firmly, cutting him off. "Its fine. I promise."

Thankfully the waitress came over with their drinks at that moment, giving her a bit of a reprieve. Thanking her she curled her hands around the mug she wished, not for the first time, that she could have either a real drink or coffee at the least.

Bobby started to talk, what he was talking about she didn't really know, didn't really hear what he was saying. Her mind kept wandering in various directions, one direction did tell her that she should be listening to him, if only out of politeness, but she really and honestly couldn't make herself.

She kept thinking about Dean, he was with her parents who were all too eager to take him off her hands so that she could go out and meet Bobby. She hadn't told Dean, she wasn't sure if he'd understand or if he would say something to someone that she didn't want anyone to know.

And then of course her mind went to John.

Not for the first time, she wondered what he was doing at that moment, wondered what the studies for the men of letters were and how they differed. She knew sometimes they'd request a hunter so that the Letter could have some sort of field experience, more often than not they requested someone from her family, and she couldn't help but wonder if the same would apply to John.

What if John was partnered with a hunter from her family for field experience? It wouldn't be her, she was pregnant and officially out of the hunting game for a while because of that and due to her raising Dean.

Not that there hadn't been nudges and whispers for her to get back to hunting once she had given birth and a few months later. A part of her wanted to get back in the saddle but then she'd look at Dean, never more than a few feet away from her, and all that desire immediately left her. She knew that if something happened to her her parents would take Dean in, raise him, and love him unconditionally.

But they'd also push him into hunting, and the thought of her little baby, the baby boy who teared up when she wanted to squash spiders and plead for their lives so she'd release them outside instead. The thought of him going out with a gun in his hands determined to kill the monsters out there before they killed him...

It made her want to grab him and run away somewhere where there were no monsters, where'd he be in no danger whatsoever.

Mary blinked, realizing that Bobby wasn't saying anything and was actually looking at her, and that based on the look on his face he had been quiet for a while.

"Sorry, I'm sorry." she quickly said, putting a hand on her stomach. "Pregnancy brain, makes my mind just...stop so many times."

Bobby gave her a small hesitant smile and nodded, the waitress coming back with their orders. Mary hadn't even remembered ordering anything but she was staring down at a salad that she wasn't quite sure that she wanted.

She hated salads, just because she's been forcing herself to eat more of it, mainly because of the health benefits for the baby, Staring down at the mess of leaves and goop she looked down at her stomach once more, the bump almost sassing her, and breathed out through her nose, picking the fork up.

"You look like the salad personally offended you." Bobby remarked, picking up his burger. Mary zeroed in on it and debated to ask if she could just smell the meat. Meat, being one of the things she loved but apparently the baby didn't because she would throw up if she ate it.

"It kinda did." Mary told him, ignoring how the goop made her want to shudder as she ate it. "I'm not a fan of them."

"I'm sorry." Bobby said, laughing softly. "So to distract you from the horrendous salad, tell me a bit more about yourself?"

"Actually." Mary glanced at the clock hanging over the diner above the cooks window. "You mind if I make a call real quick? I just want to check on my son."

If Bobby wasn't a fan of it he didn't say anything, just nodded and leaned back in his seat, watching her get out of her seat and go towards the phone booth in the back.

She just...she did need to call Dean and make sure that he was okay.

But she also just needed a moment to herself and gather herself mentally.

I do not own Supernatural.

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