It was a little after noon when Dean and Cas made it to the Campbell house. It wasn't long before they were both gushing to Mary about the perfect little Morgan they'd met last night and Dean hadn't seen her smile so brightly since their wedding day. Ben of course, was outside in the stables out of earshot. Mary decided that moment that she was traveling to Moseley Farms with her boys to meet this precious little one they'd fallen for.
Ben left just a little more easily than before. It was when Dean looked him in the eye and promised he would see Maple again very soon, that their son had resigned to not be difficult about it. He was still pretty unhappy but he hoped it really wouldn't be too long.
They spent the ride back to Lawrence playing typical car games hoping to distract him from the distance he believes to be between him and his first love which is apparently a horse. Dean assumes it could be worse, could have been a kid.. boy or girl it certainly didn't matter but people, people were the worst. There was always the chance of heartache or unrequited love.
Kids could be cruel even when not trying to be. Dean knew that better than anyone from his own personal experience, and what he'd done to Cas. He never meant to hurt the young boy, and it wasn't really something he'd thought about. That was until he saw his husband in tears over the look in his son's eyes the other night. That was when he knew the true pain he'd put Cas through.
Dean reassured himself by thinking that at least he knew the horse felt just as strongly for Ben. They were loyal, much like dogs.. It's not like she was just gonna up and decide she wanted to be best friends with birds all of the sudden, No Maple would certainly love Ben just as fiercely as the young Winchester loved her.
Samuel Campbell followed only fifteen minutes behind them with his horse trailer and an excited and slightly confused Duchess and Maple Syrup. He smiles as he thinks about all those times that Dean had spent on his farm as a child and how independent he was. It was nice to finally be able to help his grandson with something. Young Dean Winchester was certainly not someone to mess with. Samuel fondly remembers more than once offering to help Dean with his farm chores and promptly being refused.
Mary had spent a brief time there, putting the pieces back together after John's death. Even then, Dean was determined that he didn't need anything from anyone. Samuel had to respect it even though it scared him a little. Kids should cry, they should get mad and throw a fit, Dean was unlike anything he'd ever seen. The boy shed his fair share of tears, but always when he thought no one was looking and Sam wasn't within a hundred feet of him.
He even remembers one time accidentally overhearing Dean giving himself a pep talk at four years old. Telling himself to be good and strong, not to question his mother because she'd always known what was best, and to look after Sam and keep him safe. There was no denying that brought a tear to the Campbell man's face, he'd never seen a child be so...old. Dean was four and acting more mature than most grown men he knew, it was unsettling at best.
He'd offered to help him with things a few times but Dean looked more offended than grateful. It didn't take long to notice that his grandson thought him offering to help was his way of saying he thought that Dean was weak or couldn't do it. So he stopped, and tried to stay close by just in case he'd change his mind and ask for a hand. Yeah, it was nice to finally do something for his grandson, it had been a long time coming.
They stopped for dinner at Benny's diner and waited for Samuel to text saying he'd gotten the horses settled into their new home. Mary even called Sam and asked him to join them, so he was there waiting on them. They made small talk until their meals arrived. Dean noticed Sam smiling a bit more lately, he'd been broody after the honeymoon because Jess was going on a four week road trip with her girlfriends. She offered to stay with him but he didn't want to deprive her when he could clearly see she wanted to go. She called and checked in with him a couple times a day but it had been nearly three weeks since he'd seen her and he wasn't too happy about it. Well that was until he teamed up with Gabriel to prank their brother's. That filled his mind with ideas on what to do, and then how to improve their pranks. Now it was just waiting. He wanted Jess to be home for it but wasn't sure his partner in crime would want to wait a whole week longer.
Dean looked down at Ben with a somewhat disgusted face as he saw him dip his fries into his milkshake.
"Cas look what you've done to him!" Dean exclaimed.
Castiel and Ben just smiled as they both continued dipping their fries into their milkshake. Sam and Mary joined in to try it and soon Dean was the oddball out.
Castiel leaned in toward his husband whispering in his ear.
"I distinctly remember you trying it once and not thinking it was so bad."
Dean nearly choked on his burger as he remembered precisely what Castiel was talking about. The time they were sitting in nearly the same exact place and he'd bit off a fry and licked the dollop of milkshake from Cas' neck. His face may have reddened just a bit but he smiled even bigger than he had originally. He bribed Ben with extra fries to cover his eyes and ears and laughed before repeating the gesture all over again.
"You're right maybe it's not so bad." Dean said smiling after he passed his plate to Ben.
When they got back in the car they headed toward Missouri's and Ben quickly noticed the change in direction.
"Home is that way!" He demanded like his father's had lost their mind.
"We've got to do something before we can go home Ben, it won't take long."
"Oh.. okay."
They managed to get back to Missouri's just before dark and Dean stopped the Tahoe in front of the barn.
"What are we doing here?" Ben asked, not recognizing the place.
"Ben we need your help, do you mind?" Castiel asked.
"Sure papa!" Ben said diving out of the car.
They walked through the door and Ben could smell the horses.. His eyes lit up before he even saw Duchess or Maple.
"They've got horses here papa!"
"Yes they do, very special ones.. would you like to see them?"
"YES! Bet they aren't as special as Maple though." He says still smiling.
They tell Ben to open the door and all three of them including Mary take in the sight as he jumps up and down in excitement when he sees Maple and Duchess. The foal trots up to him immediately with recognition and licks his face.
"I missed you girl" he said as his arms wrapped around the horses thick neck.
He pets her for nearly ten minutes before his father's can bring themselves to ask him to stop.
'Ben, can we talk to you for a minute?"
He turns around smiling and runs and hugs them both. They smile even bigger as they pull him in closer.
"With her being so close now, you're gonna have to be really responsible and take care of her. Papaw Campbell won't be here to do all the work for you. Your papa and I will do what we can to help but you're gonna have to do almost all of it on your own." Dean said.
Ben began on a repetitive spiel of Thank you's and I will's.
"Okay, okay .. Duchess has to feed her now and we need to go see Miss Missouri."
"This is Miss Missouri's house?"
"Well it's her barn, but yes this is her land." Cas answered.
"Does she have our baby yet?"
Dean and Cas looked at each other in shock. Their eyes unbelieving, their bodies still, and their minds nearly shut down.
"What do you mean have our baby yet?" Mary asked.
"Miss Missouri told me she was gonna help us get a baby, wonder if it's here yet. LET'S GO!" Ben said excitedly.
It took nearly three minutes of Cas and Dean staring at one another before they moved toward the house. Mary chased after him, while they were still standing in the barn.
Sam picked up his phone when he pulled into the driveway of his childhood home.
"Hi Sammykins!"
"I've told you enough with the nicknames Gabe!" Sam scolded.
That didn't stop the corners of his mouth from turning up though. Gabriel was quickly becoming one of his best friends, despite how often they teased one another.
"What can I do ya for?" Gabriel said clearly not apologizing.
"I was wondering when you planned on pulling phase one."
"Well I got the jello molds in the mail today.. so… next week?"
"Next week?" Sam asked confused but still hopeful.
"Yes, wouldn't want that beautiful fiance' of yours to miss out on all this epicness.. She will see how amazingly funny and charming I am and then we can run away together."
Sam sighed in relief. He knew Gabe was joking about stealing Jess, mostly.
"Thanks Gabe, Wanna come over tomorrow and help me make cardboard post-its, stapler, and a printer?"
"Might as well with all this spare time, I'll bring the boxes. See ya tomorrow Sammoose!"
Sam just shook his head as he hung up the phone.
When Dean and Cas came in the house Ben was holding Morgan on Mary's lap, with her arms under him for support.
"I love her! Is she ours?" he whispered toward his fathers, obviously trying not to scare his new sister.
"Ben we don't know if we can have her or not, but if you're okay with it we are gonna sign some papers and ask some people to let us have her."
"YES!" Ben said that a little louder but Morgan just cooed in his arms.
A few minutes later she started to fuss just a little and Missouri produced a stuffed pony and handed it to her.
"Shekinah Morgan, you're a precious little thing." she said as she walked away.
"I know that name somewhere, .. shekinah… I know I've heard it.." Dean scratched his head.
"And here I thought Angel boy would recognize it first, Just goes to show you I guess I don't know everything." Missouri replied.
"ANGEL!" Dean said like a lightbulb went off.
"It's an angel name!" He continued enthusiastically.
Castiel looked at him in confusion.
"An Angel name?" he whispered in disbelief.
"Well I wasn't sure if you'd want to carry on the family tradition passed down from your daddy but I figured, this way you had a chance." Missouri smiled.
"Shekinah… Shekinah Morgan." Castiel said still in disbelief.
"It sounds perfect to me." Dean said.
Castiel smiled brightly and agreed quickly. Yes, the odds were not something he was going to question. He loved this little girl and if there was a chance that she could be his daughter, he would do everything in his power to make sure she was.
They all took turns holding her each one leaving part of themselves there with her.
"I think I'll like having a sister, even if she is just a baby."
"Ben out of curiosity, when did Miss Missouri tell you she was gonna help us get a baby?" Dean asked as he pulled into their driveway.
"She told me at school, that's why I kept asking when we were gonna get a baby."
"Of course she did.."
Dean and Castiel both shaking their heads at the woman. They didn't know how they would ever repay her. She'd done more for them than they'd ever imagined, she was more than a teacher, a friend, she was… she was family. Just like that beautiful Angel waiting for them.
"Guess you're not the only one I'll get to call Angel." Dean teased.
"I guess not." was all he could say in response. He kissed his husband goodnight and prayed to a God he wasn't sure he believed in. There was something or someone looking out for him and his family, and he wanted to say thank you for making their lives so wonderful and blessing them so much.
A/N:Ahh you guys are killing me with all your awesomeness.. I can't help but write I'm like a worker elf or something I don't know.. anyway I wanted to take a second to say thank you for reading and apologize if you weren't interested in the Samuel stuff.. I wrote it because I thought he was a huge dick in the show and I wanted to make him better... like so much better.. and you know .. stuffs. So sorry I was scratching an itch of mine.. hope it didn't throw you off but know that I'm gonna grab about 8 hours and more than likely I'll be back at the keyboard.. This thing is like a fountain of fluff.. can't wait to share more with you! Enjoy
xoxo reviews would be luvely!
All of my luv
-Swlfangirl