A/N: Sorry for the late update and the (very) short chapter. It's just a setting up for the Epilogue though.

Yes, my dears, hold hands to your hearts and bring out your 'kerchiefs out because "the end is nigh." Don't say I didn't warn you first.

Anyways, I missed not-Misha this week, though Bearberry's comeback kinda made up for her absence. Aliniah as always, ever-present. Oh, I forgot to mention Grim1989.

Also, we have reached 115 followers, and we're just one shy of the "50 Favourites" milestone.

P.S. DestielintheTardis has added the story to "Destiel Library" community and I'm really thankful.

Part 11 (Pre-Epilogue)

After returning from his stint at the hospital, Dean decided that enough was enough. If Cas didn't want to give up on him, he sure as hell wasn't going to give up on himself. So he slowly and surely set about getting his life back on the tracks.

First and foremost, he decided was time to stop trying too hard. No more trying to please everybody, no pretending. He was going to do exactly what he should've done a long time ago… what Gabe had always encouraged him to do. Not exactly the way Gabe would've put it, but he slowly and systematically tried to make people understand that he didn't like it when they butted in his business. There was only person he held himself accountable to, and that person was Cas.

Sam was not pleased, neither was Adam… nor Jo. But Jessica managed to reign in both her husband and her brother – Dean knew there was a reason he had told Sam to marry her – and Ellen screamed at Jo until she accepted it.

But he didn't realize just how much he wanted to change… he needed to change, to be the old Dean in a whole new way… until Cas asked to "borrow" one of Bobby's better campers to drive them to California for Johnny's birth.

"C'mon Major, it'll be fun," Cas whined trying to press him into the sofa and straddling him.

"You said that last time, too, remember?" Dean reminded him. "And we both know how that turned out."

They were both silent for a minute before Cas leant in closer. "Please," he mumbled petulantly, nibbling his ear. "It will be different, I promise."

The rest of Dean's half-hearted protests that he wasn't ready to go on yet another road-trip were cut short by Cas' talented mouth and hands, until Dean all but yelled his assent over and over and over. Cas basked in his glory, only long enough till Dean caught his breath flipped them over and proceeded to show Cas just how much he hated being taken advantage of like that.

"I might need to borrow your wheelchair tomorrow," Cas muttered, trying to glare angrily at his husband, rubbing his sore ass.

Dean grinned. "Or you can just sit in my lap," he cheeked and got a tight slap against his chest, before Cas snuggled into it.

"So… is that a yes?" Cas asked softly.

Dean hummed in response, "Only if I drive," he added kissing the dark curls.

Cas was silent for a long time. So long in fact that Dean was afraid he would definitely reject, when, suddenly, he spoke up, "Only as long as you don't over-exert yourself."

Dean gave a loud whoop and drew himself up for Round Two.

So Dean drove them to California. Cas navigated and learnt that "driver chooses the music, shotgun shuts his cake hole".

"But you always choose the music when I drive," he pointed out.

"That's coz it's ma Baby," Dean grinned. "Besides DADT."

"You're going to pay hell for that, Winchester," Cas grumbled, but Dean just continued to beat drums on the steering wheel… and look smug.

They ate lots of greasy fried food, stopped at a cheap motel for the night and reached California in 2 days instead of the usual one-and-a-few-hours.

Dean blamed the Camper for being too slow, but Cas wouldn't have cared either way. He was too happy.

As Dean looked at the widely open grin and the way those blue orbs shone with pure unbridled joy, he made a decision. If Cas wanted to go on crazy road-trips with his Major, he would go on crazy road-trips with his Major.

Jessica's water broke during dinner on their 3rd day. Claire stayed behind with Dee, while Sam, Dean, Cas and Adam rushed Jess to the hospital. 2 hours later, Adam was called for an emergency of his own and, 15 mins after that, Jess' doctor called Cas in "to hold her hand", as they put it.

Dean cleverly tried to soothe his baby brother. He had missed Dee's birth because he was in coma at the time, but he knew that his condition and Dee's complicated birth had his brother up the wall. That… coupled with his intense dislike for hospitals and he had never fully recovered. He just prayed there would be no complications this time.

After 13 hours of agonal waiting and pacing and freaking out and pacing, John Nicholas Winchester was born at 7 pounds and 3 ounces, with brown hair and bright green eyes – a typical Winchester male. Jessica claimed that he had Adam's – her dad's – nose and, if you squinted just right, Cas' mischievous smile. Combine all that, and it made John the most perfect kid to ever be born.

Later, looking at the bundle of joy as Cas cradled their godson in the crook his arm and cooed at him, their dark heads resting together, identical smiles lighting up the room, Dean couldn't help but agree. He also couldn't fight a faint thought of how good Cas looked and how right it felt.

When Cas came out in scrubs, looking deliriously happy and announced that mother and son were sleeping and Sam could go in if he wanted, Dean was stuck by just how perfectly at home Cas looked in this atmosphere as opposed to the redneck jumble of their garage.

"Major, you awake," Cas whispered quietly that night. Sam was still at the hospital with Jess and the baby, and they were staying with Dee, who was currently sleeping in the next room. Claire had gone back to her flat, Adam to his.

"Yeah," Dean replied, opening his eyes and turning around to face him. "You're thinking about going back to school, aren't you?"

"How…?" Cas gaped, then let it go. He would never understand Dean's mind freak mojo thing. Maybe he really was 'Professor X' in disguise. "Yeah," he answered. "What do you think? Should I?" he asked nervously.

"I've been waiting for you to bring it up for a while now," Dean replied with a smile. If by "a while", he meant exactly 5 hours, Cas didn't have to know.

Cas relaxed and snuggled in closer, "Thanks."

-x-x-x-

Next day, they took Dee to meet her new baby brother. And watching his younger brother and his wife with their kids laughing and talking and generally being the bullshit example of a suburban apple-pie family, brought a pang to his chest. He watched Cas looking longingly at the happy unit and knew he too was thinking along the same lines. They wanted too wanted kids of their own.

The thought was extremely abrupt and shocking to say the least. Like a thunder bolt straight out of the sky.

Dean had done a half-decent with Sam and somewhat even better with Adam. And he was more or less long-distance raising Dee too, so he had no doubts that he was a good father material. And he had seen Cas with Elliot enough times to know that Cas was as maternal as him, if not more.

But for the all the love he had for babies, he had never actually thought about having children of his own. He had always thought of himself as "The Cool Uncle" who everyone turned to when they had had enough of their "boring and stuffy" parents. He really was fine with the idea - all the pluses of having kids, without actually having to face the minuses.

But now, he wanted those minuses too. He wanted a little person who depended on them. He wanted to be there for first smile, first laugh, first word, first step… and all those recorded moments that Sam and Jess and Ash and Carmen couldn't stop talking about. He wanted those recorded moments of him and Cas… and their kid, together.

He tapped Cas on the arm and motioned him to silently back out. Cas nodded and followed him to the Waiting Room.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Cas asked keeping his voice low, taking a seat on the uncomfortable sofa.

"Are you?" Dean asked, coming to stand directly in front of him.

Cas shrugged. "I always wanted kids, even when I was a little."

Dean nodded. He had heard from Balthazar how domestic and nurturing Cas was, even as a child. "Some day," he said quietly. "When we're both ready."

Cas smiled and kissed him. "Someday," he promised.