Chapter 57.

Sam went into the library, where Charlie and Eileen were looking at Charlie's phone. "Something interesting?" he said.

"Something cute." said Charlie, "Take a look."

He took the phone from her and saw a selfie, taken by Anael, of her and Dean with a couple of scimitar horned oryx behind them. Dean's arm lay casually around her shoulders and both were smiling. They looked completely at ease with each other and most unexpected of all, Dean seemed to have been happy to be photographed. In fact, he looked very pleased with himself.

"Looks like love to me." said Charlie.

"Definitely." Eileen signed.

"Did you say anything to him, Sam?" said Charlie.

"I told him to stop thinking about everything that could go wrong and just enjoy a day at the zoo." he said.

"Obviously good advice." said Eileen.

"Yeah, looks like they're both having fun." said Sam, "I bet Dean didn't know I'd get to see the picture."

"Is he still pretending it's nothing?" said Charlie.

"No, not nothing," said Sam, "In fact, before they left, he was very honest wit h me, but photos of him usually freak him out and one like that, showing his feelings too clearly, will not be something he wants to share."

"He still feels he has to hide it." Said Eileen sadly.

He was taught not to show vulnerability, not to express need and not to give anyone anything they could use against him," said Sam, "But it's more than that. He's afraid of admitting, even to himself, that she makes him happy."

"That doesn't make much sense at this point, does it?" said Charlie.

"Does to him for so many reasons. Hope makes him nervous, because if you have hope, you can have it snatched away and he still has issues with her being an angel."

"But he doesn't want her to be human." said Eileen, "Because that would be his fault."

"Yeah and if he gets past that, there's still the fact that he doesn't think he deserves her, or anyone and that he feels like he doesn't get to be happy, that his life is one long sacrifice for others. It all adds up to a lot of reasons to keep his head down and hope nobody knows he's ever even thought about it."

He looked at the picture again, at how comfortable Dean looked, how proud he seemed to be of the woman at his side. Things were moving fast, the honesty earlier had shown that and maybe Dean was changing faster. "Or maybe things are different now," he said, "Dean keeps surprising me, these days."

"I hope he's okay with the picture being seen," said Eileen, "Because I'd love to have a copy of that for the nursery."

"If you ask him, you'll probably get one." said Sam, "He can't say no to you."

He liked the idea of his baby growing up seeing those happy faces, getting to know the more carefree Dean they were now getting to see. It wasn't certain that things would work out between them, but Sam believed that they could and he wanted that for Dean and for Anael.

He gave the phone back to Charlie and she looked at the photograph again, as pleased as he was. He loved the way she took such delight in good things happening for anyone else and he was glad that she had also found love, because she deserved it.

Eileen was smiling at him and he knew his feelings were obvious to her. She knew how he cherished the family they had gathered over the years and how glad he was that his kid would never feel alone or abandoned. Even if, Jack forbid, something happened to him and Eileen, there was a large, loving family to turn to.

And it didn't matter that the family wasn't blood. They had all bled for the others at some point and that made a bond stronger than biology. He said and signed, "I love you both. I'm glad that we get to share the happy times, after all the horrors we lived through."

Charlie put the phone down on the table and said, "Seeing you all settled down with Eileen and heading for fatherhood is so great and now it looks like Dean's headed the same way. It was worth coming back from Heaven for this."

"And for Lydia." Said Eileen.

Charlie gave a sweet, embarrassed smile. "Early days yet," she said, "But it's looking good for us."

"I need a picture of the two of you together for the baby." said Eileen.

"I don't usually love appearing in pictures," said Charlie, "But I'm another one who can't say no to you."

"What is this power you have over hunters?" said Sam, also signing the words, as had become a habit.

"She loves you." Charlie explained, "She makes you happy. For that, we love her. You're pretty important to Dean and me, Sam."

"Yeah, well, you're pretty vital to us, too." he said. He looked at Eileen. "You see? They love you almost as much as I do."

"They have good taste," she said, "And so do you."

"Oh yes," he said, "Known for it."

"We have no photos of Sarah." she said, "We need Sarah."

"Cas will have one." he said, "Cas went through a phase of collecting pictures of everyone."

"Cute!" said Charlie.

"Not when we realised why he was doing it." said Sam, "He saw being around us as a temporary thing. He was making memories for when he had to be lone again."

"Poor Cas!" said Charlie.

"He's over it now, I think. He has faith in Jack and Jack promised that wasn't gonna happen, but he has an impressive collection of photos, including one of him and Jules at his birthday party."

"I know the one you mean," said Eileen, "With the cowboy hat."

"That's the one."

"I need to see that." said Charlie, "Cas doing cosplay sounds adorable."

Sam smiled. "Yeah, I wish you'd been there. That was a good party. He really had fun and that was the first time he kissed Jules." He laughed. "Of course, it took him a while to know what to do about that. He was clueless about humn emotions."

"As bad as Anael?" said Charlie.

"As bad as Dean." said Sam.

"Do you think those two will figure things out?" said Eileen.

"Cas and Jules did." said Sam.

"Look at the photo," said Charlie, "I think they already have."

As she was talking, his own phone announced the arrival of a text. It was from Dean and it simply said, "Butterflies act a lot like bees around angels."

He sent back, "Having a good time?"

The reply was just, "Yes."

"Sounds like they're in the butterfly house." he said, showing the girls.

"Kinda hard to picture Dean around butterflies." said Charlie.

"Harder to imagine him voluntarily hanging out with an angel," said Sam, "But he is."