Dean thought he knew his husband inside and out and the couple had long ago ceased keeping secrets from one another. He wondered why in all their conversations that Castiel never mentioned this person. The Alpha was very open about the people he met at work.

Castiel gestured to the stranger, "Dean, this is Renee. We were friends back in college. He just started as the office administrator."

The Omega felt hurt that Castiel glazed right over the fact that they had dated. "We were a little more than friends, Castiel, but that's water under the bridge."

Castiel noticed his wife's jaw tighten, not a good sign. He touched Dean on the shoulder, "That was a lifetime ago. The food is getting cold, we should eat."

Dean grabbed Renee by the hand and shook it furiously, "Nice to meet yah." He pulled him closer, made eye contact then turned and headed for the door with Castiel following like an obedient dog.

During lunch under their tree, the mates ate in relative silence. Any plans Dean had to fool around with his husband were ruined. Castiel reached over and slipped a finger inside a hole on the knee of Dean's jeans, rubbing it in circles. "Talk to me."

"Why didn't you mention an old fuck buddy worked here, or should I say your old boyfriend? He was your boyfriend, right?"

"I didn't think it was relevant. He has his job and I have mine and that's all there is to it, nothing more, nothing less."

Dean stretched out on the grass. He caught glimpses of clouds through the maple leaves. This would normally be very relaxing but it would take a stiff drink to relax him now, "Tell me about college."

"I was nineteen and had just started college. I met Renee during a protest for Omega rights. Back then there were only a handful of Omegas lucky enough to go to college and in fact many didn't finish high school. It was very brave for the campus Omegas to do this because the backlash could be brutal. I stood in solidity with them along with some of the other males and a few females. Only an Omega with rich parents with a lot of pull could get their children admitted. Are you sure you want to hear all this?"

"Yeah, I really do."

"Renee was the leader and he electrified the crowd. I confess I was very taken with him. We talked afterward and hit it off. I was a naïve, awkward young Alpha and Renee was this fearless, fiery young Omega." Castiels voice drifted off, "he was my first relationship."

Dean studied his husband's features and it seemed as if years had melted from Castiel's face and he was that innocent young man all over again.

Cas snapped out of his trip to the past, "It didn't last very long because his parents transferred him to an all Omega college about four months later. Renee never even said goodbye. We haven't seen or spoke to each other until he started his job here. It was long ago, Dean. All I care about is the present, you and our children. You're the one I love."

The Alpha jumped a little when Dean suddenly sat up and scooted next to him and got up close to his face. It actually made Cas a little uncomfortable.

"Did you mark him?"

"No, Dean, I saved that for when I found "the one" and that has always been you."

"You said you could count on one hand the times you've messed around with someone besides me, now I find out you fucked this guy for four months? What else haven't you told me?"

Dean got up and headed toward Baby but Cas swung him around, held his waist and kissed him hard. The Omega was unyielding; it was like kissing a brick wall. Flushed and breathless, he pushed the Alpha away. The fear in those blue eyes almost softened Dean but he was just too upset.

The Omega pushed him away and tried to leave but the desperate Alpha grabbed his denim shirt in an attempt to stop him, "Dean, stay."

Dean's phone vibrated and Castiel's right after that.

…

Clark was confused as hell by the warm, welcome hand on his dick which didn't match with the angry girl pressing against him.

"I hope you're scared just like my little brother was that night when you grabbed him, you piece of trash." She squeezed harder and Clark let out a gasp.

"He came on to me. You know how Omegas are!"

Enraged, Grace dug her nails into his tender flesh while Clark moaned in pain. "If you ever touch my little brother or anyone else against their will, I swear to god I'll stake you on some crossroads in the middle of nowhere and let a demon deal with your sorry ass right after I beat you black and blue."

"W-what?"

Grace knocked his forehead against the refrigerator then let him go. She turned to leave and that's when Clark bashed her in the head with the pitcher. Trouble was, Grace didn't go down as he'd thought she would. She ran straight into him and they both fell to the kitchen floor. She sat on top of him pummeling Clark with her fists. Blood pouring from a head wound obscured her vision but she kept on going.

A surprisingly strong Isabelle grabbed Grace's wrist, "Enough, you made your point."

With Grace's rage spent, she allowed her friend to guide her to the car and help her inside. Exhausted, she curled up on the passenger seat. Isabelle grabbed a t shirt from her gym bag and pressed it against the open wound on her friends scalp. She was worried Grace might have a concussion.

"Don't close your eyes. I'll be right back."

Isabelle went back inside and confronted Clark who was already sweeping up glass. He was bleeding from a cut below his eye and by tomorrow the Alpha would look like ten miles of bad road from the bruising.

The Alpha slid a knife from the butcher block and waved it wildly at Isabelle, "Get out!"

She slapped the knife from his trembling hand. It clattered to the tile floor.

"Listen, you tell your parents someone broke in and was robbing the place when you woke up and confronted him. You guys fought then he ran off and you get to be a big hero."

He growled, "Why should I do that?"

She took two steps toward Clark and he backed away from the petite girl.

"Because if you don't I'll make you pay but it won't be me you'll have to worry about. My dad knows all sorts of people, ones who would haunt your nightmares. These guys, they don't give two fucks how old you are." She stabbed him in the chest with a long, manicured nail, "Leave my friend and her brother alone. Got it?"

He nodded like a bobble head.

Isabelle got back in her car and buckled up Grace before taking off for the hospital against her friend's objections.

Grace's head lolled to the side because lifting it seemed like too much effort at the moment, "Why'd you go back in?"

"To put the fear of the devil in him."

"Don't you mean god…put the fear of god in him?"

"God, the Devil, put 'em in a bag and shake 'em up and they all come out the same."

….

Dawn's Pawn

Sam looked over every tray of wedding and engagement rings in the joint before finding rings that spoke to him. The set he chose was vintage white gold with tiny diamonds in the wedding band and one slightly bigger one in the center of engagement ring. Sam also picked out a white gold band for himself. He knew Alfie would appreciate him wearing a band after they were married to let the world know Sam Winchester was taken.

Sam paid for the rings by pawning his share of their dad's interesting daggers. The daggers were unimportant from a Hunter stand point but still intriguing to an average collector.

In a way, it also made John a part of this huge event in Sam's life. Most of his memories of John weren't good ones, especially after what happened to Dean but Sam still thought of him every now and then. Even at age twenty five, Sam still wondered what could have been. If there had been no demon, no fire and Mary was still alive. Was this dark part of John always inside of him or did the cracks in his mind begin that fateful night.

Dawn reached out and touched the slightly nervous Alpha's hand, "Are you going to need these sized?"

When he nodded, strands of hair fell over his eyes which he brushed away, "Yeah," he handed over a ring he pulled from his shirt pocket, "you can size the wedding set off this. I need to do something first and it might seem weird but humor me."

Dawn cocked a painted eyebrow, "How weird are we talkin'?"

"I just need to do a quick cleansing…you know, because the rings had previous owners and you can't be too careful." He won her over with his dimples and boyish charm the minute he walked in the door so she agreed to his odd request.

Sam pulled some items from the worn duffle bag over his shoulder and set a tiny cast iron pot on the counter. He lit a small charcoal disc and once the edges turned white hot, Sam sprinkled what he said was his own blend of Sumatran resins over the hot charcoal and puffs of white smoke appeared. Sam held the rings over the smoke and muttered some words the woman didn't understand.

The old lady had seen a lot in her years but this was her first time witnessing a cleansing. Sam after a few minutes opened his eyes and handed the rings back to her.

"That's it, you're done?"

"That's it."

"Say kid, you wanna do that mumbo jumbo for other stuff?" Dawn gestured broadly to the plethora of old objects that filled her shop, "we could split the money, I hand out your card, someone calls you and you cleanse their purchase for them." She slid her business card across the counter, "just think about it, a guy can always use extra money, am I right?"

Sam tucked the card in his pocket, "I'll think about it."

…..

Dean hauled ass to the hospital with Castiel at his side. They rushed into the emergency entrance and Dean demanded to see their daughter. A doctor was stitching up her scalp when her parents burst into the small room.

The nurse stopped them, "You need to fill out paperwork."

Dean handed the clipboard over to Castiel, "Is she going to be ok?"

The doctor finished the neat stitching as he answered the upset Omega, "I've stitched the wound closed but your daughter could have a concussion. I want a CT scan done to be sure. She has contusions but no broken bones."

Dean touched the angry bruise on her face, "What happened, who did this?"

Grace just shrugged. She felt like utter shit and didn't feel like talking. When someone from medical imaging came with a wheelchair she was relieved to get out of there.

TBC