A/N: Hope you enjoy this chapter, I had fun writing it. Thanks so much for all who are following, have favored and left me reviews. I do like to know what you think about the story. Please leave me a review.

NC

Chapter 4

The early morning sun was peaking around the curtain edges of their bedroom as Dean jerked awake not sure where he was. He felt movement and a warm body next to him and looked down at Esmee's sleeping form. Memories came back to him of digging his way out of his grave and coming home. Home, he didn't think he would ever see this again or see Esmee and the rest of his family again.

It was too early for anyone else to be up, so Dean slowly slipped out of bed leaving Esmee sleeping and made his way to the kitchen. He started a pot of coffee and looked out the window into the back yard as it perked. The leaves had changed from green to a multicolored coat draping the trees in colors of red, yellow, orange and brown. He had missed so much in the five months he was gone. He heard the coffee ding and grabbed a cup.

The smell of the coffee was amazing. He took a small sip letting it coat his taste buds and sighed. It was the little things that he seemed to have missed the most. The quiet of the house almost made him uncomfortable. He continued to drink his coffee when he saw movement out of the corner of his eyes and tensed his body to attack until he saw a curly, blonde head slowly move closer.

Dean looked down at his daughter as she slowly waddled into the kitchen holding tightly to the pink rabbit he had gotten her when she was born. She wouldn't go to sleep without it and Esmee made Dean go out and find a backup in case disaster struck and it got lost. She rubbed her green eyes and yawned as she came closer. Dean was afraid to move for fear of scaring her so he remained very still only letting his green eyes follow her movements. He still couldn't believe that he helped make this perfect little person that was his daughter. She walked closer before stopping and studying him with her innocent green eyes that were so much like his. He could see her little mind working as she wrinkled her forehead before she reached her arms out to him to be picked up. He gently leaned over and picked her up sitting her on the edge of the table facing him. She studied his face again with such intensity before leaning forward to cup it in her baby hands.

"Dada." she spoke in her childlike soft voice.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at her with such love. "Hey baby girl." he whispered his voice quivering slightly with emotion as she smiled showing her teeth and dimples that were just like her uncle's. Sadness swept through him when he realized he had missed his baby girl's first steps and where did all those teeth come from?

Sam stood in the shadows of his bedroom door biting his lip to keep quiet as tears spilled down his face. He knew this was what Dean needed, to know his daughter had not forgotten him. He talked to Mary every night about her Daddy, told her stories of them growing up. There was no way he would ever try to replace Dean, he hoped he could convince Dean of that.

"Dada." she said again stronger this time patting his cheeks playfully.

"Yeah, Daddy's home." he mumbled into her hair as she threw her arms around his neck to hug him. "You can come out, I know you're there." he spoke quietly to Sam.

Sam walked out of the shadows but not before quickly wiping his face with his forearm and into the kitchen pouring himself a cup of coffee and automatically getting Mary a sippy cup of milk. He sat it on the table within her reach and took a chair beside his brother. Dean pulled Mary into his lap and let her snuggle in the crook of his arm so she could drink her milk.

"I want you to know that no..."

"Drop it Sammy, Esmee told me everything." he said looking up at him.

"No, I need to say this and you need to listen." Sam said sternly. "Esmee helped me keep it together, we were there for each other, sharing the pain and hurt and sadness. I would never push myself on her, our relationship was platonic only. You need to know I would never try to take your place. I talked to Mary every night about you, I would never let her forget you. I love Esmee, but as a sister, nothing else."

"She made that clear." Dean said touching his lip.

"I take it not before you said something you shouldn't have." Sam nodded noticing Dean's swollen and cut lip.

"She can still pack a punch to be so small." he commended with a half laugh.

"She hasn't stopped training, even with you gone, how did you get out? Bobby, Esmee and me read every book he had and researched everywhere we could to find some way to get you out. I'm sorry..."

"Stop it, I know if you could of found a way, you would. No, I should be thanking you for taking care of everyone, especially Esmee."

"I think she took care of me more, but do you know what happened?"

"No idea, the only thing I have to show is this." he said pulling his tee shirt down from his shoulder and showing Sam the handprint.

"Damn!" Sam said reaching to touch it but didn't. "What would of left that?"

"I don't know, but someone yanked me out of hell and put me back in my body. Good thing you didn't bury me too deep, I had to dig my way out."

"Crap! But your body? It was torn to pieces, how is this possible?"

"I wish I knew."

"I'm going to start some breakfast, the others will be up in a little bit. Chance needs to get ready for school and Tyler for pre-school."

"School? Already?"

"Daddy!" two boys screamed when they saw Dean sitting at the table.

"Here let me take Mary." Sam offered reaching for his niece so Dean could hug the boys. He strapped Mary into her highchair and put some Cherrio's on the tray for her to eat.

Dean pulled both boys into his lap, placing one on each leg and looking them over. It seemed they had grown so much since he had been gone. Both were turning into smart, well behaved, handsome little men.

"You boys have grown a foot. I'm going to have to tie bricks to your heads to keep from growing so fast."

"No you don't." Chance giggled.

"Daddy, me go to 'hool like Cha." Tyler said proudly as he wiggled in his lap.

"I know Uncle Hammy told me."

"It's Sam." Sam called from behind them as he pulled eggs and pancake mix out of the fridge. He decided to make pancakes to celebrate. The boys loved them because he let them decorate their pancakes with fruit.

"Don't listen to him." Dean whispered to the boys hugging them close relishing in their touch.

"You guys ok with pancakes for breakfast?"

"Yeah!" they cheered.

"Keep it to a quiet roar, Momma's still sleeping." Dean cautioned them looking over at Sam. He watched him as he quickly threw together the batter and waited for the griddle to heat up. He now saw the dark circles under his eyes and how much leaner his tall frame seemed to be. "Need help?"

"No, I'm good." Sam said cutting some fruit for the boys. He poured batter on the griddle and as the pancakes cooked and got out milk for the boys. "I'm use to the morning rush. Esmee and I usually take turns with breakfast."

Dean looked over at Mary who was stuffing banana in her mouth and smiled happily at him as she chewed. He was home, he was with his family again, but could he let what happened to him in hell go? The memories were still vivid in his mind even though he tried to shove them in a box and lock it shut.

"Dean. Dean!" Sam called to him bringing him back to reality. "Want to put the boys in their booster seats so they can eat?"

"Right, ok kids you heard your uncle, down you go." Dean helped Chance and Sam got Tyler situated before sitting plates with cut up pancakes and syrup on them. He sat several bowls of fruit in front of them.

"What do you want on yours Ty?"

"'nana and straw'erry."

"Good choice." Sam smiled spooning the fruit on his plate.

"How 'bout you Champ?" Dean asked Chance.

"Strawberries and blueberries."

"Sounds good."

"Here you go Dean." Sam said sitting a plate of pancakes in front of him. "Eat up."

Dean sat back and looked at the food hungerily as Sam placed silverware beside the plate. Dean picked up a fork and dug into the delicious smelling food. He put the first bite in his mouth and closed his eyes savoring the taste and sweetness of the syrup. Food had never tasted so good as it did right now.

"Man Sammy, these are beyond words."

"Glad you like them." he yawned trying to hide it behind his hand. "After you eat guys, go get ready for school."

"Yes Uncle Hammy." Chance mumbled around the mouthful of food.

"Ok." Tyler chimed in too.

"Hey, why don't you go catch some more zzzs, I'll be sure they're ready." Dean said between bites.

"That's ok, we have a routine, but you can feed Mary her oatmeal." he suggested.

"Sure, come mere baby girl, want some oatmeal?" Dean asked pulling the highchair closer to him. Sam sat her oatmeal down by Dean and handed him a small spoon. "Open up for Daddy."

Mary gurgled and babbled slapping her hands down on the tray of her highchair opening her mouth for the food. Dean smiled at her as she had her mouth open for more before he had the spoon filled. He fed her with one hand and ate his pancakes with the other. Mary grunted and pointed to his food begging for some.

"Can she have a bite of pancake?"

"Yeah, but no syrup, she'll be bouncing off the walls with that much sugar." Sam cautioned him.

"Here you go, Sammy makes good pancakes doesn't he?"

Mary chewed happily looking up at Sam when his name was mentioned. She waved at him and open her mouth for more. Dean pulled another piece of pancake off and popped it in her mouth.

"Ok, you need to finish your oatmeal." he told her spooning a heaping spoonful in her mouth. She frowned slightly and blew a big raspberry at him spitting oatmeal everywhere.

Sam looked up at the noise and coughed hard trying not to laugh. "Mary, we don't do that." he scolded her in a stern adult voice as he handed Dean a damp cloth.

Mary looked up at him and pushed her quivering lower lip out as big tears formed in her eyes and leaked down her cheeks. She put her head down and began to sob as Dean looked on shocked not sure what to do. He looked at Sam frowning that he had hurt his baby girl's feelings as he wiped his shirt and face.

"She's hard headed like her Daddy." Sam shrugged. "Mary, finish your oatmeal and maybe your Daddy will read to you while I take the boys to school."

With those words, Mary raised her head and looked at Dean happily opening her mouth again tears forgotten that quickly. He looked from Mary to Sam while spooning the oatmeal in her mouth. Sam turned back to finish cleaning the kitchen and smiling to himself. His brother was back, and things were looking up.