A banshee. Of all things it had to be a screaming woman that caused ears to bleed. Wincing at the thought of going up against something like that, Dean took his time getting out of the Impala. Claire was meeting him at the local bar with the information she had scrounged up. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself for just about anything. Scanning the eyes of the patrons, he ignored the pressing eyes of the waitresses and made a beeline for the corner table. Claire was bent over her phone, her thumbs all but flying across the screen.
Raising his eyebrows as he sat down, he motioned the waitress to bring two shots. Claire seemed to finally recognize his presence, and looked up from her phone. A slow smile spread across her face as she leaned over the table to give him a tight hug. They had had quite the history, and had finally settled into a normal routine with each other. Eyeing the Manila folder that contained all the details of the case, he folded his hand under his chin.
"It's good to see you," Claire remarked. "For awhile, I thought you had disappeared off the face of the earth."
Dean shrugged. "Close enough."
"How's suburban life treating you?"
"Downright boring."
Dean would never admit that he secretly lived for the apple pie life that was now his. The times that he got to grill out when Sam and Eileen would drop by. Or when he hosted Super Bowl parties for the neighbors. Even being a sounding board for Cassie's latest writing was not half bad. Taking a long drink from the shot, he shook his head when Claire took a more slow approach.
"I heard something through the grapevine. Well, more like through Krissy. She said the Winchesters have gone paternal."
"Guilty."
With just over a month to go until his baby girl was due to arrive, Dean knew this would be his last case until the baby had time to settle. Not that he minded when he would transition to a consulting role to other hunters. Already, he had his contacts all lined up. Now all that was left to do was to put the finishing touches on the nursery. Instead of acquiring a professional, Dean had taken it upon himself to make the crib and the other fixtures for the room.
"That's really good, Dean. And Sam?"
"Oh, Sam," Dean hid his snort in his drink. "He's a walking billboard for infant safety. Seriously. The man's only had a kid for a few months, and he's the new super manny."
"I bet you love it."
"Yeah..."
Dean could not deny the sweetness of being able to hold his nephew, who also had his name, and spoil him rotten with everything he could think of. It made him just the slightest bit excited for the arrival of his own little baby, even if he harbored secret fears of his ability to be a good father after his upbringing.
"So-"
About to engage in the case, his phone distracted him. Giving Claire a look, he fished it out of his pocket, not surprised to find Cassie's name flash on the screen. As he listened to her fill him in on the details of the baby shower her mother was planning, a groan escaped him when he listened to the end of her plan. He was required to show up, and help set up the baby shower games she would play with her friends.
Life was about to get terrifying.