Castiel had never felt so… conflicted. He was happy to see Dean. So very happy. But also angry. Dean left him when he was in high school, pregnant, and with his insane traditionalist family who were planning on selling him off to an entitled egotistical alpha with no way to get in contact. But, of course, Dean wasn't even aware of any of that. So he couldn't be mad. Above all else, he was terrified. Scared that Dean won't want anything to do with him or Jack. Scared that he has moved on and was here to tell him so, or even take his pup.
But would he have tracked him down after all this time just to claim a pup he never even knew about?
Six years have passed, did he even know Dean anymore?
"How did you find me?" Cas asked, he and Dean were sitting on the bench while Sam took Jack to the swings.
"Gabriel told me you were in Kansas." Dean told him, still staring at the pup awed and smiling wistfully. "A policewoman in my pack found you after that."
"You have a policewoman in your pack?"
"Two of them, actually." Dean smirked. "And an accountant and a dentist. There are all kinds in my pack."
Cas nodded, looking to his son.
"Dean I-"
"Cas," Dean shook his head, rubbing a hand over his face. "Whatever you're going to say, you don't… I… Cas I'm so sorry."
Castiel looked at him, brow furrowed.
"Gabriel told me about Barthalumul."
Cas stiffened at the name, his scent souring just slightly.
"This is why he was angry wasn't it?" Dean asked. "Because you were pregnant with my pup."
Cas managed to nod.
"I'm sorry." Dean shook his head again, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't think this would happen. I had every intention of coming back for you."
"I know that." He assured, suddenly aware that he did. He always knew, in his soul, that Dean would come back. "That's why I came to Lawrence, so you could find me."
Dean gave a dry chuckle at this.
"Well, you weren't far off. I live in Lebanon."
Cas cocked his head letting that little bit of information sink in. All this time they were so close. In the same state anyway.
"But things are different now." Dean told him, making him freeze in terror.
"How so?"
"Do you even want to join my pack?" Dean asked, looking torn and hollow. "I left you, pregnant and at the mercy of your family with no way of getting a hold of me. I'm a poor excuse for an alpha let alone a mate. Do you even want me here now, around our pup?"
At this Cas's hearts lept.
"Dean," he started. "I've always wanted you."
A look of shattering relief and awe spread across Dean's face as the words reached him letting Dean deflate on himself and breath naturally again.
"And I don't blame you for what happened six years ago. But you're not wrong, things are different. I'm not sure how Jack will handle all this and it's not like we can pick up where we left off. We need to reintroduce ourselves to one another. This is all gonna take time."
Nodding, Dean rubbed his chin and catching sight of Jack just as he leapt from the swing only to rush back and pester Sam to push him again. He smiled as the boy giggled and beamed. Cas watched him, seeing the torrent of joy and fear swirl in his eyes.
"So how do we do this?" he finally asked, looking back to Cas. "What does Jack know about me?"
Cas sighed looking back to his pup.
"Not much." he said. "I wasn't sure where to start."
Pursing his lips Dean looked from his pup to his old flame.
"So we tell him the truth."
Cas shot him a look that clearly asked if he was nuts.
"And what would that be?"
"That I left before he was born to find a better life for us, and that I'm back to take you home. As long as you want to come home."
Looking between his pup and the alpha Cas weighed his options. There wasn't much in this town for him and Jack. He was planning on homeschooling him and kept him at the store while he worked thanks to his boss being so cool. It was a merical that child services hasn't come pounding on his door. Leaving wasn't going to bring any bad. They didn't have friends besides his boss. Even she didn't really need him. She gave him the hours he needed but they were overstaffed and it pissed off the other workers. If he left it wouldn't hurt anything. Even his aunt left after he got his job. So his best chance was to leave, for him and for his pup.
"Dean Winchester," He began. "I would like to formally ask to join your pack."
"Sorry about the mess." Cas called over his shoulder as he bustled around his studio apartment. "I wasn't expecting company."
"Your fine, Cas." Dean told him.
"Jack, go and pack up all your things." The omega told his pup.
"Mommy, where are we going?" Jack asked, glancing between the two alphas and his omega.
Cas looked from him and to the brothers before sighing and kneeling down so he was on Jack's level.
"Jack, do you remember how I told you your daddy would come back one day?" he asked the pup who nodded. "Do you know why he left in the first place?" he shook his head. Cas looked up to Dean, who nodded then continued. "He left so that he could find a better life for us. A home, a pack so we would be safe and loved."
"Really?" the pup asked, looking quizical. "Is that where we're going?"
Cas nodded, looking to Dean offering for him to jump in then.
"Hey Jack." Dean started, kneeling with the omega to face his pup. "My pack, we got lots of cool people in there. You and your mom will be happy there. There is even a pup close to your age."
"Will I see my daddy?" Jack asked.
Dean and Cas shared a look.
No time like the presant, best to jump on the boat now and see whether it'll sink or not.
"Jack," Cas started. "Your daddy kept his promise. He came back for us, and is taking us home."
Jack studied him for a moment before it clicked and he spun on his heel facing Dean who was holding his breath.
"You?" Jack asked unable to say much else.
Dean could barely manage a smile.
"Yeah, pup, I'm your dad." he said tensely, waiting for the explosion, possitive or negative, he was prepared for both.
What he wasn't prepared for was the pup launching himself at him, wrapping his arms around his neck and burying his face in Dean's scent gland.
The scent was as failure to the pup as ever, with this he knew for sure the alpha was telling the truth.
"Daddy!" he cried, gripping the alpha as tightly as his little arms could. "Where were you, why weren't you here when mommy cried? Where were you?"
Dean, carefully pressed the boy closer, catching Cas's downcast glance.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Jack." Dean hushed, petting his hair gently. "I wanted to make the perfect home for both you and your mommy. Find the best packmates so we'll always be happy."
"And you did it?" the pup whimpered.
"Yeah." Dean smield, nuzzling the pup. "I'll take you home, you and your mom, we'll be happy now. I promise."
"But first we have to pack." Cas told the boy, standing to his full height and heading for his dresser. "Why don't you ask your daddy for help."
"C'mon kid, let's get your stuff so we can go meet everyone." Dean smiled as he ushered the boy to his toy chest.
Cas watched them before going back to his own packing, taking the very few bits of clothing and books he had.
"Were you studying medicine?" Sam asked, suddenly next to him.
Cas eyed him, confused.
"The books." Sam gestured to the one in his hand. "The study of healing herbs. And all the other books you have here on medical properties and such. Were you going to school to be a doctor?"
"Oh," Cas breathed, an uneasy smile crossing his lips. "No, it's just a hobby. I like remedies and modern medicine, it fasinates me."
Sam nodded, handing him another book.
"Why didn't you go to school? If I'm remembering correctly, you were like an honor student."
Pausing, Cas turned to him, a look in his eyes that clearly said 'are you kidding me, don't ask stupid questions'.
"I was." he conceeded. "But then I got pregnant and had a pup. School became less important."
"Right." Sam huffed, feeling like a total dick. "Sorry."
They packed in silence, with Jack's excited explanations about his toys to Dean being the only sound around them.
"You could, you know, now I mean." Sam finally said.
"What do you mean?" Cas inquired, taking a sweater riddled with holes from the giant.
"Go to school." Sam clarified. "We are more than happy to watch Jack in the pack while you attened classes, and if it's something you really want to do, I say go for it."
"I can't just dump my pup on his alpha and pack like that." Cas shook his head. "Once I became a mother, his dreams were all that mattered. Mine were put away."
"They don't have to be." Sam insisted. "I'm not saying Jack's are less important, that couldn't be further from the truth. But you shouldn't have to put your dreams away just because of that. And now you have a chance to work on them. We won't mind watching Jack, it gives us all good practice for when the rest of us decide to have pups. Which I hope is soon so Jack can play with kids his own age. Plus he should be starting school himself soon. And Dean already figured that you'd either be in school or want to go to school. I'm sure he wouldn't mind more time with his pup since he missed out on the first five years of his life."
"Sam…" Cas sighed looking back at his son who was laughing at something Dean had said. "He's my life, everything I've done has been with or for him. I don't know if I can leave him like that."
"Okay, then we'll work out online classes or something." Sam shrugged. "Look, before Dean met you, our lives weren't looking so good. We would still be with our dad or following his path, hunting rouges and hopping from hotel to hotel living by the skin of our teeth. When Dean met you he wanted to be better, for you, for your future. He wanted to give you everything he didn't think he would have. So he became better. He started to talk about starting a pack and imspiring me to do what I wanted. He encouraged me to go to school and did so himself. He owns this bar now, and volenteers as a firefighter. He worked hard to build a place we could call home. I have a home now, and a career in my future. I'm studying to be a lawyer and have a good shot of becoming part of this firm once I graduate. And all this is thanks to you, thanks to you making Dean realize he could be more than what our dad wanted." he took a moment to catch his breath after that, letting it all set in for Castiel. "So… I want to help you; I want to pay back the blessings you gave us. I mean, you did all that, and now I find out I have a nephew." he smiled looking back to Jack and Dean, who were just finishing up. "I couldn't even begin to thank you enough, for doing all this for us and for making my brother so damn happy. But I want to try. So, just think about it, alright. Talk it over with Dean, then let me know what you want to do. I'll help you in whatever way you want. Kay?"
Cas had to look away from the younger Winchester. It had been a long time since he was shown such concideration. All his life, he wanted to be more than what his parents and pack wanted. He wanted to be more than a breeding mare for some tool of an alpha. So he worked hard. Worked till he became valdicorian and graduated with high honnors earning a schoolarship to a good school where he could start pre-med. Then, right before the last week of school his parents pulled him out of school and started preparing him for Barthalmuel. He had never felt so sick in his life. Part of that may have been the morning sickness setting in though. It had been a month and a half since he had said 'see you later' to Dean by then, so he was well into his pregnancy. He wanted to rage and cry at his pack, at his spineless brother and his horrid mother and father. But instead he met the alpha, already knowing now that he was with pup, and knowing that Barty would do all the raging against his family he needed. In a way, Jack saved him from a life of missery. Which is just one of the thousands of reasons he didn't mind not going to school and devoting his life to raising his son.
But now…
Now he had a chance to go after all those hopes he thought he had to give up on long ago. Now he may be able to open that clinic he wanted and dive into natural rememdies and healing and use his earnings to fund his pup's future. Now he had the support of a pack, a pack that supposedly had been waiting his arival for a while now.
Now he may just be able to start living.
"I'll think about it." he told the alpha.
"Think about what?" Dean asked coming up behind them, holding Jack's hand, the pup's pack slung over his shoulder.
"I'll tell you later." Cas promised.
"Alright." Dean shrugged. "You ready to go?"
"Yes." the omega smiled.
"How about you little man?" Dean asked his pup.
"Yeah." Jack exclaimed, jumping up and down.
The pack house was nothing like Cas was expecting. He was expecting an actual house, not a lodge. As they drove up he had to keep himself from staring slack jawed.
"Wow." Jack ooh and awed.
'You said it, buddy.' Cas thought.
"It took the whole pack like half a year to build it, plus the extra cabins." Sam snorted as he was trying to help Jack out of his seat belt- which wasn't easy since the boy wouldn't stop squirming.
"You built this?" Cas blurted now unable to keep his amazement under wraps.
"Yeah, had to make sure it was perfect for when I brought you back." Dean smirked. "There's an area for a garden in the back, you know, so you can watch the bees."
"You… You remember that?"
"Of course." Dean smiled gentely then. "I remember everything about you."
Cas had to look away, not ready for them to become so gentel with each other yet.
"Dinner should be ready by now." Sam called from outside the car, with a very hyper Jack on his arm. "Say we eat, introduce them to the pack, then show them around the lodge."
"C'mon mom, I want to meet everyone." Jack called.
"We best go," Cas said. "Before he breaks your brothers arm."
Dean laughed at that and got out, helping Cas with his bags.
The inside was open and roomy. Walking in Cas was greeting with a large sitting room with a fireplace in the wall and a large with a wrap around sofa. And a kitchen and dinning room big enough for twenty. Lastly, there was a grand staircase that led up to the second floor.
"Dean," A woman in the kitchen called, stirring a pot of something that smelled delisious. "Welcome back. I see you brought guests."
"Ellen," Dean smiled, looking to his pup and friend realizing this was either gonna be really good or really awkward. "Castiel, this is Ellen, our pack mom and ass kicker. Ellen, this is Castiel, and our pup Jack."
Ellen, paused in what she was doing, turnning to him and eyeing the company.
"Well, Castiel," she said coming around the kitchen island cabinets to see the boys. "I've heard a lot about you. Dean has talked about little else. But your pup…"
"Well, it's um… complicated." Cas coughed.
"Hmm." she nodded, looking down at the pup who stared at the alpha woman with intrigue. "Hello Jack, you are definaitly the cutest little pup I've seen since mine."
"Thank you ma'am." he murmured softly.
"Sam, why don't you take little Jack here to the bathroom to wash up for dinner, while I talk to our pack alpha and Castiel."
"Yeah, sure Ellen." Sam nodded taking the pup and rushing off up the stairs while his brother gave him a pleading look.
"Boys, what's going on?" Ellen demanded as soon as Sam and the the pup where gone. "You told us you were going to Illinoe to get Castiel, and then you call up Jody to get an adress for an omenga in Kansas and come home with your mate and a pup? What happened?"
"Ellen, he's not my-"
"You better give me an answer that doesn't have the words 'I left him pregnant in school' in or so help me." She snapped.
Dean may be the alpha of the pack, and a stuborn ass of a man, but he could never challenge Ellen even on his best day or her worst. So rather than snap back and snarl at her, he backed up and bared his neck in surrender.
"He didn't know." Cas jumped in, worried this woman may actually kill Dean. "I found out a while after he left. He didn't know."
"Boy," she snarled. "You didn't give him a number to call?"
"I didn't have a phone, and I was living with dad, do you think he would have let me take Cas on the road with us? Do you think I wanted that for him?" Dean shot back.
"Don't you snap at me boy." She chastised.
"It wasn't his fault." Cas urged. "Please, he didn't-"
She put up a hand, shutting the both of them up effectively.
"Start from the beginning." she told them, and they did.
They told her everything, when and how they met, how their love story went and when they parted. They told her about Cas's familiy and Barthalamuel and Amara. They ended with how Gabriel told Dean where to find Cas and how he met Jack.
"I see." she sighed, hands on her hips. "Well, your here now. And Dean has already made you part of the pack and of course we have room for Jack. But this is gonna probably piss off a lot of the pack."
"Is my son not acceptable?" Cas snarled getting deffensive.
"Cas no." Dean assured.
"We have rules." Ellen clarified. "Rules that Dean put into place. You never force yourself on someone or use your pharamones to ensare them and if you make a mess you cleen it up. Take responisbilty."
"And that's what I'm doing." Dean told her. "I brought them home, my pup is part of the pack just like Cas."
"Still, you tell Bobby how you left your pregnant mate in Pontiak." she snorted.
"He's not my mate." Dean shook his head.
She looked to him, her eyes burning a hole in his soul.
"You have got to be kidding me." she laughed. "Well no wonder that Barty putts was so pissed."
"Ellen-"
"I'm not saying he's not welcomed." she assured. "Quite the opposite really. I'm just… pissed that this happened the way it did. But," she sighed, throwing up her hands. "It's in the past. We all have baggage, and all we can do is move on. So, let's start over. Hey, I'm Ellen."
"Castiel." Cas smiled nervously.
"Mom!" Jack called running down the stairs. "The bathroom in Sam's room is huge. It's bigger than our house."
"Really." Cas smiled.
"Anyway," Ellen called getting their attention. "I'm gonna set the table, rest of the pack will be here in a minute. Jack, do you want to help me?"
"Yeah." Jack smiled following the alpha.
"I need to send out a message." Dean told his brother and friend. "Warn everyone about Jack so we don't have another blow up."
"Sure thing." Sam nodded. "Cas, do you want to clean up or anything."
"I should stay with Jack." He shook his head.
"Alright." Sam afirmed looking at his phone. "I got to go get Eileen. See you in a minute."
"See ya." Dean waved him off.
"Dean," Cas looked a bit worried.
"You gonna be alright?" Dean asked. "Do you want to hold off on meeting the pack, I mean, we haven't even really-"
"Are they gonna be mad at me like Ellen was?" Cas interuped.
"Cas, she isn't mad at you." Dean assured. "If anything, she's a little disapointed in me. She is super protective of her packmates, espesially those she sees as her pups. Through all my stories and promises of bringing you home, she thinks of you as pack already. She's just worried what this did to you, becoming a parent so soon."
"I'm fine." Cas assured.
"I know." Dean smiled. "You're stronger than most people give you credit for."
"Boys, enough chit chat." Ellen called over. "Cas, you wanna help serve up some plates. I can hear the cars rolling in. Packs home."
The house became super lively after that. Most all the people that came through the front door welcomed Cas with a hug and 'finally', then gushed over Jack like he was the cutest thing they've seen since they were born.
"Alright, let's start with introductions." Dean said standing at the head of the really long table. "All you know this is Cas and Jack. Cas and Jack, starting on my left after Ellen is her daughter Jo and her Mate Ash, then Jody and Donna and their pups Alex, Clair, Paictents and Kaya." they all waved to the pup and omega, letting off the most comforting scents they could. "Then we got Garth and his mate Bess and their pup Gertie. Sam and his girlfriend Eileen."
"Hi." Eileen said, while giving him the sign.
"Hi." Cas smiled back.
"Hello." Jack gave a wave.
"Then we got my bar's cook and fellow volenteer Benny and his mate and Sam's friend Amy." they waved to them before digging into their dinner- spicey spegetti, with a side of garlic bread. "Then our accountant and his mate, Crowly and Billy, plus his mom and her mate, Rowena and Catch." they all nodded to him.
"Good tae meet ye dear. Dean talks non-stop aboot ye, doesn't he?" Rowena smiled.
"Mother, your embarassing our fearless leader." Crowly sighed.
"Pish tosh." Rowena waved him off.
"And right next to you we got Charlie and her mate Dorothy."
"And we're going to be the best of friends." Charlie told Cas, bumping his shoulder getting an awkward smile out of him.
"You all started dinner without me."
They all looked up just as the sureliest, most good natured redneck alpha walked through the door.
"Bobby." Dean addressed, his back straightening just a bit. "Good to see you finally made it."
"Dean." Bobby nodded, going to his mate and pecking her on the forehead. Standing back up to his full height he locked eyes on Cas and Jack. "And these must be our new members."
"Bobby, this is Castiel." Dean said, gesturing to the omega. "And our pup, Jack."
"Hello." Jack said, putting up his hand in a wave.
"Pup, huh." Bobby said, eyeing Dean then glancing to Cas. "And you're okay with being in our pack, with bringing your pup into our pack."
"Yes sir." Cas told him, looking completely serious.
"Well, at least we don't have to worry about our pack alpha's heir." Bobby snorted taking his seat next to his mate and getting a chuckle out of everyone. "Now, are we gonna sit here gawking or are we gonna eat?"
This was something Cas wasn't used to. Dinners and meals were a somber afair at his pack family home. You didn't speak unless you were given premision by the alpha and it was always more of a report session than an actual time with family. Here, here it was chaos in the most fun way. Everyone was talking over each other yet somehow still getting the story across. Everyones laughing and smiling. It was nice. His pup loved it anyway. Everyone loved him. They cooed and awed over him, and Gertie. Pups in general, everyone saw them as a blessing. So having two was great for the pack.
The pack was great for Cas and Jack, this he knew for sure now.
"Jo, Ash, and Charlie will clean up." Ellen told Dean, waving off her pup's complaints. "You and Sam show Cas and Jack around."
"Yes ma'am." Dean nodded leading Cas and his pup to the stairs. "C'mon. Most of the pack lives on second floor, those who don't live in the cabins with their families. Garth and Bess, Jody and Donna and the girls. Rowena and Catch have their own cabin but that's because we forced them to. Their loud."
"Really?" Cas snorted. "And where do you sleep."
"I sleep on the third floor."
"All by yourself."
"Bobby was the one who designed the house. He said that the alpha should have a cabin or a floor all to himself and his family. I wanted to stay in the house with the pack so I got the third floor. There is my room and my office, plus four other rooms for my pups."
"How many pups did he expect you to have?" Cas laughed.
"Enough to fill the whole house really."
"Not happening." Cas shook his head enthatically. "I've got maybe two more in me but that's it."
Dean chuckled at that, mostly to cover up the glee he felt at the fact that his possible mate was willing to have more kids with him.
"There is also a room for my mate, could be an office or a nest room. Whatever they need really." Dean told him. "But the second floor also has-"
"Whoa, mom, come look at all the books." Jack called from a room ahead of them. "There are lots."
"We have quite a few bookworms in this pack." Sam smirked. "So a library seemed like a good idea. Plus a few of us are still students, so it's a good place to study."
Walking in Cas's eyes got bigger again. The room must have taken up the whole back side to the top two stories in the lodge. The shelves were floor to cieling needing a ladder to reach the top. plush chairs and couches littered the floor, some crowded a fireplace. There were also tables by the grand window outlooking the mountain side. Just glancing at the spines of the books he noticed they were a mix of fiction and nonfiction, though lore and mythology seemed to take up most of the shelf space.
"You're still interested in the supernatural I see." Cas smirked at the nearest lore book.
"They're interesting." Dean shrugged. "Still have nothing on Sam's obbession on the supernatural or sirial killers."
"I like what I like." Sam snorted.
"They even have the Star Wars books." Jack cried, taking one off the shelf.
"You like Star Wars?" Dean smiled.
"Oh don't get him started." Cas sighed.
"I love Star Wars, Obi Won is the best." Jack smirekd.
"Those are Garth's books, but I bet he'll let you read them." Dean assured. "Why don't you and Sam stay and do a little reading before dinner, he needs to study anyway and I'll finish showing your mom around."
"Sound good, little man?" Cas asked.
"Okay." Jack said already lost in the pages of star battles.
"C'mon." Dean said, prompting Cas into the hall.
Cas followed, looking back long enough to watch as Sam plopped his pup into an armchair before going to his own books.
They headed up the last set of stairs up into the thrid floor where Cas could arleady tell Dean, and only Dean had really been. The scents downstairs were muddled and mixed, it was hard to distinquish between them since he was unfamilur. But here, here he could only smell Dean. Something in him calmed at this, had him deflating in a way that he didn't even know he had to. He didn't know he had been holding himself tightly together for six years. Being here, surrounded by the scent of the alpha who he had loved so wholely before all this. At that moment, he knew where he and his pup would be staying for now.
"Which one is your room?" he asked.
"This one." Dean told him, heading for the door at the end of the hall. "Do you want to see it?"
He hesitaited.
He… he wasn't ready to see that, to be somewhere that was soely Dean's. To be so completley surrounded by his force of pressence. Not yet, not until after they came to an understanding of how they felt for each other.
"Not right now." Cas shook his head.
"It's fine." Dean nodded. "I get it."
"But…" Cas took a breath, bracing himself emotionally for what he was going to say next. "I think, it would be best for Jack and I to take a room close to you. Which one do you think is big enough for the both of us?"
Dean, had to look away from him to keep Cas from seeing the pleased smile he now wore at hearing that. It wasn't polite, since it was his alpha more than anything else that was pleased to have his pup and prefered mate so close. Dean was just happy to have Cas on pack grounds, this just made it better.
"Yeah, how about the one right next to mine." Dean nodded. "C'mon, I'll show you."
He opened the door on his left, letting Cas in first before joining him.
The room was bare, which made sense since Dean didn't know he had a pup and he did kind of expect that Cas would want to sleep with him in his room. But still, it had a walk in closet and an ensuit with a tub and shower and it was definately bigger than the studio apartment he had back in Lawrence. About twice as big.
"If your room is as big as this, you must have splurdged for luxury." Cas snorted.
"Like I said, Bobby desgined it." Dean shrugged. "And actually, all the rooms are this big and have their own bathrooms and such. I made sure of that, if I was getting my own floor for my family, then the rest of the rooms better be that same size as mine. And all the walk in closets are lager than standart so omegas or whoever else can make nests when they need it."
"I see." he looked around again, unable to stop himself from envisioning the way he wants the room set up.
"I already asked Bobby and Benny to go get a queen size bed, it should be here soon, we know a guy. So at least you'll have a place to sleep, and we'll get the rest tomorrow. I bet you want a shelf for all your books."
"That would be nice." Cas nodded.
"So, this is where you want to stay?"
"Yes." Cas nodded again.
"I'm glad." Dean nodded back. "So, how about I show you the surprise I had planned for you."
"Surprise?" Cas raised a brow.
"C'mon." Dean ushered, placing a hand on his shoulder, before taking it away.
"You can touch me, Dean." Cas told him. "If I am going to be part of your pack, scenting and touching is going to be common."
"You're right, I just…" Dean sighed, scratching his neck. "I don't want to over step. Not when we're still so…"
"I understand." Cas nodded. "But you are also my alpha now. Just… just ask me before you do something you think is overstepping, okay."
"Yeah." Dean smiled, a small smile before guiding Cas back down the stairs.
He followed the alpha out onto the pack grounds and to the back.
"This is where the garden was going to go, once you decided to start it." he said, opening the gate to the little enclosed area. "I figured you wanted to plant herbs for your medical studies, and some flowers for the bees. We can also put a green house in the corner for all the plants that can't be left to Kansas's changing seasons. And over here," he said, directing Cas to the little shed toward the back, leading the omega there and opening the door revealing a little lab of sorts. A desk, a table, and rolling chair. "Is where you can work on your remedies, so you can open that clinic you wanted."
Cas looked at the room in a forlorne kind of way before looking down.
"I, I don't think…"
"You will." Dean assured. "I heard what you and Sam where talking about. Cas, I'll respect whatever descision you make, but I want you to live not just for Jack and the pack, but also for yourself. All you've ever talked about was that clinic, back when we were in school. I want you to have that. I'll support and help you in whatever way you need. I'll take care of Jack while your in class and I'll make sure you have study sessions with Sam so you can get all your work done. So please, we'll do whatever we can, so please follow your calling. I never wanted you to be a stay at home omega. You're not like that. I want you to thrive here. So please, talk to the university here and see what is availible."
"Dean…"
"I know you don't want to be too far from Jack, I get that, trust me." Dean sighed. "But please, just, go with Sam tomorrow and talk with someone."
"You're going to force me into this?" Cas growled.
"Of course not, Cas." Dean hissed back, ressisting the urge to snap his teeth. "I just want you to be happy here, and I know that you've always wanted to study medacine and open up a clinic that uses mostly herbal remedies rather than man made chemical meds. I won't force you, but just…"
They sat in silence staring each other down, not wanting to be the one to back down. One sticking with his insitincts to stay with his pup, while the other, wants nothing more than his family to be happy.
"Cas-"
"Do it mommy."
They both spun around, surprised to find their pup standing in the doorway of the shed with Sam.
"Jack-"
"You always tell me that you want me to be happy and that you'll support me, I want that for you too." the pup expressed in the best way a five year old could. "Be happy."
"Jack," Cas sighed, going to his pup and kneeling so he was eye level. "I can't just leave you."
"I'll be okay." Jack insisted. "I have dad, and Sam, and the rest of the pack. I'll be okay. I want you to be happy. Please. I'll be okay."
"Just go with Sam tomorrow," Dean urged. "Just try, if you can't get in at all, then that's that. But just try, for yourself and our pup. Set an example for him."
Cas looked back and forth between the alphas and his pup, feeling a little cornered but also like… shouldn't he give this a shot? He's got people to help him with Jack, most of them are parents, and if Dean trusted them enough with his pup...He could open that clinic, he could work and show his pup that no matter what his second gender he could be whatever he wanted.
He could do it.
"... okay, I'll go." Cas nodded. "I'll try."
This began a new life for Castiel Novak. He did go to Sam's college and was now taking classes for pre-med. His life consisted of school work, garden work, working a few shifts with Dean at the Buch and Sundance and spending time with his pup and Dean out on nature walks and at parks. Every now and then, he and Dean would have little date nights- whenever they could con Ellen or Sam into watching Jack. Eilleen would often just come up and steal the pup from them though, she and Jo would fawn over him. Cuddle and gush, buying him toys and feeding him sweets. It helped Dean and Cas and it made Dean happy that his pack loved his pup. Chairlie for some reason would verbally kidnap Cas whenever she could. If she wasn't nerding out with Dean, Sam and Cas, or Cuddling with Dorthy she was talking Cas's ear off about whatever she wanted while fiddling with her tablet. He didn't mind, he liked the company while he worked.
The pack was one of the greatest things to happen to him, a family that actually cared. He loved it.
Everyday he was getting closer and closer to Dean. He could even see them taking the next step in their relationships soon. Things were so good. He was so happy, his new family and his bond with the alpha. Things were going great.
So of course it had to go bad after a while.
Cas had just got home and was spending time outside with Bess watching the pups play on the swing set. Gertie was still a bit too small to do much, but Jack was gentle with her and pushed her slowly on the swing. Catching her if she started to wobble.
"He is so good with her." Bess smiled, sipping on the herbal tea Cas made. "He would be a great big brother."
"Well maybe one day." Cas hummed.
"So does that mean things are going good with you and Dean?" Bess smirked.
Cas couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face at the thought of the alpha. Looking up he could see him in his office, watching Jack when he should be doing paper work with Sam.
"Things are really good." he nodded.
"Does that mean you'll be moving into his room then?" she raised a brow.
The blush that bloomed across his face had him looking away and coughing on his tea.
"Bess." he chocked. "We haven't even been here for a month. It's a bit soon."
"Maybe." she shrugged. "Or maybe you're worried that things won't be like before."
Cas only rolled his eyes.
"Of course it won't be like before, we have a pup and we're not even mated." Cas said. "I just, I just want to find the right moment."
"Mmhmm." she smirked, going back to watching the pups, but something else caught her eye. "That isn't one of ours."
Following her gaze he looked down the drive and saw a car coming toward them, and she was right it wasn't one of theirs.
But he knew that car.
"Jack!" he called, standing in a panic. "Get Gertie, come here."
Jack knew that tone and did exactly what his mom told him. He grabbed Gertie around the waist and dashed for the front porch as the toddler screeched the whole way. As soon as he reached his mom and Bess the beta grabbed her pup and looked to Cas, confused and scared.
"Cas, what's going on?" she asked.
"Take the pups inside, get Sam and Dean, go now." Cas told her, ushering all of them towards the door.
"Cas, what-"
"Just go." Cas urged.
The door slammed shut just as the car came to a screeching halt right in front of him.
Narrowing his eyes he readied himself for the onslaught that was coming his way.
"Castiel," Naomi Novak snarled as she stomped out of the blue Auzmobile. "It's time for you to come home, now."