Dean had come home early Saturday morning, somehow managing to creep into the house without alerting either of the dogs or the kids. Like always, he wheeled his suitcase into the laundry room to deal with before he left for the road again before quietly making his way up the stairs. His first stop was Mariah's room, at first just to check on her but when he saw her sleeping so still he couldn't help but make sure that she was still breathing. He gently sat on the bed, placing his hand on her back like he had been for the past five years just to feel the rise and fall of her little body. One glance up from her face to her first ever soccer trophy made him smile at the fact that nothing could slow her down before leaning down to kiss her head and tucking her in better.

"I love you, princess." He whispered on his way out of the room, fixing her soccer ball in the outlet so that it wouldn't flicker like it once was.

His next step was JJ's room, carefully pushing the door open as to not wake his light sleeper of a son. Carter was asleep at the end of the bed, his head lifting and ears up in alert at the potential threat, but as Dean came closer he relaxed until he finally laid down as Dean pushed his son's hair back. A glance to the left showed him that JJ had the picture of them from Halloween framed and on his nightstand, which made him beam with pride until he noticed all of the Pokémon cards littering the nightstand.

"You've got an addiction, buddy, but I love you." He whispered, kissing JJ's head just like he did to Mariah before making his way out of the room and leaving the door open a bit like JJ liked it.

His last stop was the master bedroom, and he couldn't help but smile at the sight of his wife sound asleep on his side of the bed. Parker was fast asleep at the end of the bed, and didn't even budge at the sound of the door opening and closing, which almost alarmed Dean until he saw that the golden retriever's eyes were wide open and watching him visit. She had told him that she slept on his side of the bed while he was away, but it had been a while since he had caught her in the act.

He quickly stripped down to his briefs and slid into bed behind her, his arms pulling her into his body and holding tight. She made a small noise of discomfort and he hated that he caused her to stirr in her sleep, but he knew she'd go back to sleep without think twice about it. The whole "stay-at-home mom" thing was exhausting with everything the kids were involved in and keeping up on the shows while staying up every night to talk to him and make sure he was okay, she wore herself out and slept like the dead until her alarm went off.

"I love you, kitten."

Casey watched with a smile as Dean walked downstairs in only a pair of pajama pants. His coffee was already made and waiting, and she honestly couldn't wait until Mariah, who was up and watching cartoons in the living room, caught on to the fact that he was home and awake. She had a big question for her father and Casey honestly hoped that he said yes.

"Good morning, honey."

"Morning." He grumbled, obviously only half-awake, while accepting the coffee mug that JJ had made for him at school a couple months ago. "Thanks."

"Not a problem. The kids are so excited to have you home on an actual weekend that isn't the holiday weekend so I figured that you wouldn't have been able to sleep in too much longer."

"They don't know I'm home, though."

"But they knew that we would be picking you up from the airport this afternoon."

"Solid point." Dean conceded, making eye contact with her for the first time that morning. "They're not arguing over the TV so which one is up?"

"The little one. JJ is probably up and just playing Pokémon in his room because his DS isn't in it's place."

"His infatuation with that stupid game is starting to worry me." Dean mumbled, looking to his wife as she sat down beside him at the bar counter.

"He's seven. It's perfectly natural to have an interest in something that's a borderline obsession." Casey commented with a smile, playing with her husband's fluffy blonde curls while she watched him drink his coffee.

"Yeah, I get that. But to this point?"

"How far did you go to watch all the wrestling tapes that you could?"

"I was a bit older-"

"Which makes it worse, babe." She teased, laying her head on his shoulder. He only chuckled once he realized that it actually was worse and rubbed her back, unable to do anything else.

"Maybe you're right."

"Which is your way of telling me that I am right, and I accept it."

"Yeah whatever." He grumbled, unable to stop the smile when Casey leaned over and pressed a lingering kiss to his scruffy cheek. "Has the little one eaten?"

"I wanted us to eat breakfast as a family for once." She murmured against his skin, her hand coming around to stroke his other cheek.

"Mariah go wake your brother up!" Dean called into the living room, knowing that his daughter wasn't awake when he came home from the airport and had absolutely no clue that he'd be home. He was pleasantly surprised when he heard the pitter patter of her feet running across the hardwood flooring to the stairs and three steps up before she stopped abruptly.

"Daddy!" The five year old shouted, running back down and into the kitchen. Dean was on his feet by then, and ready to pick her up once she ran into his arms. As always, Dean lightly tossed her into the air before holding her as close as he possibly could without hurting her while she held onto her father as tightly as her little arms could muster. "I missed you bunches."

"I missed you more, cupcake." He whispered, kissing her temple before setting her on her feet. "Were you good for your mother?"

"I had to get a time out for yelling at her." She admitted quietly, and Dean winked at Casey since they had already talked about how bad her behavior was getting.

"That it?"

"And I hit JJ."

"Why would you hit your brother?" He asked, kneeling down to be at eye level with her and enforcing his eye contact rule for serious conversations. "Mariah?"

"He made me angry and he called me a baby."

"Your mother calls me names all the time and she makes me angry sometimes, but I don't hit her."

"But you're a boy and boys aren't allowed to hit girls." The five year old reasoned, looking to her mother for some kind of escape. Casey only shook her head and pointed to Dean, wordlessly telling her that her focus should be on her father, who was still looking at her. "I said sorry."

"Which is good, but you can't hit your brother, or anybody, just because they make you angry. I'm sure that your mom has told you this."

"But he called me a baby because I missed you and cried." Mariah argued, and Dean sighed as he watched her shift her weight between her feet.

"Cupcake, that doesn't make it right. Two wrongs never make a right and Santa is still watching you."

"Will he take my presents away?" She asked, eyes widening in absolute horror at the thought.

"He might if you don't shape up."

"What does that mean?"

"Act better." He clarified for her, taking her small hands in his. "Your mom and I have Santa's phone number and he'll call us if you start acting bad again."

"What will he say?"

"He'll tell us to mail the presents the elves made back to the North Pole. He called your mom a couple days ago when you hit your brother."

"Please don't send them back, mommy!" Mariah cried running to hug her mother's legs. Casey couldn't help but smile at the naivety of their daughter as she gently pat the young girl's back as a comforting gesture.

"You've gotta stop acting bad, kiddo."

"I will, mommy, I promise!"

"I'm holding you to that. Now please go get your brother down for breakfast." Casey requested, gently patting her daughter's head before sending her off. "That could've waited, y'know."

"Yeah, but I like to address things before I forget about them. You know this." Dean spoke as he stood, pulling his wife into a hug. Casey could really only smile up at him, not wanting to make the moment any less special by talking. Dean had come home in the middle of the night and snuck into bed without waking her, so this was the first time in two weeks that she had been held by her husband and she wanted to savor it while the moment lasted.

"Mariah, get out!" JJ shouted at his sister, making Casey sigh in disappointment.

"And it begins." She mumbled, feeling Dean kiss her head before covering her ears.

"Jonathan Michael, do not yell at your sister!" He scolded, smiling as he heard

footsteps running down the stairs.

"Don't run!" Casey called, smiling up at Dean as he leaned down for a kiss.

"Can we get another pot of coffee on? I feel like I'm going to need it."

"You're going to." She assured, pulling away to do as he asked once both kids were downstairs. JJ ran to his father, and Dean picked him up in the same fashion that he did to Mariah. She didn't pay close attention to what was said between the two, but she knew that Dean wasn't impressed with the way JJ was treating Mariah lately.

"Do me a favor, J." Dean spoke softly, holding his son back and watching as Casey and Mariah headed into the mall for pictures with Santa.

"What's up, dad?" JJ mumbled, avoiding eye contact with his father to express how upset he was about going to take pictures with "Santa". He had the magic of Santa spoiled for him in the first grade by some fifth grader and thought it was stupid that his parents let his sister believe in something so dumb.

"I know that you don't believe in Santa, but your sister still does so don't spoil this for her or your mother."

"Mom knows that Santa isn't real, why would it spoil her-"

"Because your mother made me a promise on our first Christmas as a couple and she tries her best to live up to it every year." Dean explained, enforcing eye contact with his son. "You spoiling Santa for Mariah will ruin her Christmas just like the year Santa was spoiled for you."

"What's going to happen if I do?"

"Then I will donate all of your Christmas presents so some underprivileged kids get some Christmas magic from Santa." He threatened, knowing that Casey wouldn't let him donate all of JJ's gifts. Especially since they had already donated over a thousand dollars in toys, books, clothes and shoes for the various toy drives that had caught their eyes while shopping. "Please, just make this a good day for your mom and sister."

"This isn't fair."

"Life isn't fair, sport." Dean started simply before standing to his full height. "Let's go before your mom starts to worry."

"Too late." Casey called as she and Mariah made their way back to the car. "What's wrong?"

"We just had to find a place to stash a certain device that wasn't supposed to leave the house." Dean lied, smiling at his wife. Casey only sighed; looking down at JJ as he shrugged sheepishly, going along with his father's lie. "Let's go get pictures and last minute presents so we can go pick out our tree."

"Are you home all week?" JJ asked, looking up at his father as they walked through the crowded parking lot.

"I'm home until after New Year's." Dean started simply, not at all surprised when they all stopped walking to stare at him. "Surprise. Let's get out of the parking lot, please."

"When were you going to mention this?" Casey asked, trying to contain her excitement at the thought of extended time with her husband home.

"Soon. Or next Monday when I was still home and you all were confused about it."

"Such an ass."

"No bad words, mommy!" Mariah scolded, to which Casey got Dean's wallet from his pocket and handed her a dollar. She gave one to JJ, too, and couldn't help but smile at the way he neatly folded it before tucking it away in his own wallet.

"You don't think I went overboard with the matching sweaters, do you?" Casey asked her husband, looking up at him as she did. His eyes didn't leave his children as they sat on Santa's lap, Mariah rattling off her Christmas list while JJ looked to his parents in silent prayer that they'd get him away from there.

"I think they look good. Especially J. Combing his hair back was a good idea."

"He looks so much like you, babe." She spoke with a smile, leaning into Dean and feeling his arm around her waist. "I just hope he's smiling in the picture."

"If not we'll stand in line for another one." Dean spoke firmly, looking down at her to see the confusion in her eyes. "I get that he doesn't believe in Santa anymore, but he doesn't need to make this so difficult every fucking year."

"Is that what the car talk was?"

"Yeah. I told him we'd donate his gifts if he ruined this for you or Mariah."

"You're not fucking around this year." She murmured, watching as JJ smiled for the camera.

"JJ was Mariah's age when Santa was ruined for him. I'm not letting her own brother kill this for her." He reasoned and Casey nodded, completely understanding where he was coming from as the kids made their way over. "So we need to shop for your sisters?"

"Just Nicole. I don't know what to get for the woman who almost has it all."

"Can we get Auntie Coco a big picture of me and JJ?" Mariah asked, looking up at her parents as they exchanged a glance. Dean shrugged and Casey smiled, approving of the idea immediately.

"Of course. Your father is going to go pay for the prints, and then we'll put one in a frame for your nana, one for Auntie Coco, and one for Auntie Breezy and Uncle Bryan."

"Mom, I need to get dad a Christmas present." JJ whispered once Dean had walked over to the poor man in an elf costume to pay for the prints.

"And we will. No worries." She assured, smiling down at him until it dawned on her that she hadn't gotten him a Christmas gift either. "I need to get him a gift, too."

"Get who a gift?" Dean asked, pulling his wife into his arms and kissing her cheek.

"You. So J and I are going to branch off and we'll meet outside of the Starbucks in an hour?" She suggested, looking back at her husband with a smile.

"Just be safe, alright?" He requested, knowing that he sounded overprotective but he didn't really care. His family was his whole world and he didn't want anything to happen to them.

"Aren't we always? Besides, JJ knows karate so I think I'm in good hands." Casey assured, kissing her husband before pulling her son away. Dean could only look down at Mariah, not sure what they really needed to get. If they needed to get anything at all.

"Build-A-Bear?" He asked, offering his hand to her with a smile.

"Yes! I wanna make one for JJ." She spoke excitedly and Dean picked her up at the sight of what the rest of the large mall looked like. "I can walk."

"But I don't want to lose you in all these people, princess."

"Okay, daddy." Mariah conceded, snuggling into her father's embrace as he carried her on his hip through the crowds of people trying to get their last minute shopping done. He only hoped that Casey a did alright without him.

An hour and a half later, Casey and JJ walked up to Dean and Mariah laughing about something. As worried as he was about them, he was grateful that JJ was in a much better mood and actually having fun. A gentle kiss was pressed to her temple while he first bumped JJ, not at all caring that Casey was squirming slightly in his embrace.

"Sorry we're late. We started looking at picture frames and then the line got long." She explained, kissing her husband's cheek before looking down at her daughter. "You'll get to help me wrap them since you didn't get to pick out the frame."

"That's cool." Mariah yawned, covering her mouth before leaning more into her father. "Can we go home?"

"We've got to go get the tree, princess." Dean spoke softly, lifting her onto his hip and smiling when she leaned her head on his shoulder once again. "We don't want to be too late and not get a perfect tree."

"But daddy I'm too tired." Mariah whined before pressing her face into his neck. He felt her tears on his neck and frowned, gently rubbing her back.

"Sweetie please don't cry." Casey spoke softly, placing her hand on Mariah's back. "How about we go home and your dad will take JJ to go get the tree?"

"But mom, we always go as a family." JJ argued, watching as his father handed Mariah over to his mother. "Dad-"

"JJ, I'm sorry but this year will just be you and me." Dean stated, his face showing his son just how sorry he actually was.

"What if we get the wrong tree?" The seven year old asked, taking a bag from his father and following him and his mother out. "What if-"

"J, relax. That bag had stuff for your mom in it so be careful."

"I will. But what if-"

"We won't get the wrong tree, I promise." Dean assured, watching Casey walk through the parking lot carefully. "Everything is going to be fine."

"I just- I don't like this. This isn't how this works." JJ rambled as they reached the car where Casey was already buckling Mariah into her booster seat.

"I know, bud, but would you rather pick out a tree in peace with your father or listen to your sister cry about being tired for the next three hours?" Casey asked, looking to her son before smiling. "Enjoy the quality time with your dad."

By the time they had reached the tree farm, JJ still wasn't really comfortable with not having his mother and sister there with him. As much as Dean liked that he wanted Casey and Mariah present for the tree picking, he was getting really tired of telling him that it would be okay to do this without them just the one time. Every tree Dean would suggest, JJ found some flaw in and then said that Casey wouldn't have liked it. Half the time Dean actually agreed, but he just wanted to go home and cuddle with his wife.

"What do you think of that one, J?" Dean asked, pointing to a ten foot tree that looked pretty full. JJ took a cursory glance around the tree and shook his head.

"It's thinning here. Mom wouldn't like it."

"We can put the thin spot facing towards the wall so nobody sees it." He suggested, wanting to speed this along and go home. "It's what your mom would do."

"You think so?"

"I do. It's what she does every year."

"How did you know that you were in love with mom?" JJ asked, catching his father off guard as he waved for someone to tie the tree up for him.

"I'd say that I knew I was in love with her when I asked her to move in with me." Dean answered honestly, looking down at his son as an attendant walked up. "Why do you ask?"

"Because my girlfriend says that she loves me but I don't think I love her back."

"J, you're seven." Dean started, absolutely bewildered by what JJ had said. How could a third grader have a girlfriend? "You guys don't kiss, right?"

"Of course not. Mom says that I have to be a teenager before I kiss anybody but family."

Thank god for that. Dean thought to himself, still unsure of what to say to his son. " You're still so young, kiddo. But don't stay in a loveless relationship. It just wastes time."

"So I should break up with her?"

"If you don't think you love her, then yes. Your mom is much better at these things than me, though."

"She told me to talk to you!"

"Of course she did." Dean muttered under his breath, helping the attendant carry the tree over to where the register was. "Get my wallet from my back pocket and pull out my grey card."

"This one?" JJ asked, showing Dean the card.

"That's blue and my credit card, J. I need my debit card."

"What's the difference?" The seven year old asked, putting the blue card away and looking through the wallet for the right one. It was times like this when Dean wished that his son was older and strong enough to hold the tree up while he could handle it all and they could leave faster. "Why does this one have all of us on it?"

"That's my international card, J."

"What does that mean?"

"That's the card I take with me when I go on overseas tours so I don't have to take all of my cards and pictures of you guys. Keeps my wallet light." He explained, mentally praying that JJ didn't find the one picture in his wallet that wasn't meant for the eyes of his children. "Grey card, J. Don't get off task."

"Why is this folded up like this?"

"Grey card, J."

"You don't have a lot of money in your wallet. How come?"

"JJ, can you pull out my grey card and slide it, please?" Dean requested, grateful that there wasn't a line behind them and that the attendant was having a good time watching them.

"Is this a picture?" He asked, pulling out a folded up piece of paper. Dean kept his poker face strong, more for his sake than anyone else's.

"It's a picture of your mom."

"Why do you have a picture of mom in your wallet?"

"For the same reason I have a picture of you and your sister in my wallet: because I love her." Dean answered, breathing a sigh of relief when JJ didn't unfold the picture and put it back.

"Why is it folded?"

"Because it's too big to fit in the little picture holders in my wallet."

"Where's my- oh no it fell." JJ spoke loudly, picking up a second folded picture and unfolding it. "That's you and mom. Why do you have two pictures of her?"

"Yeah its her, and I keep that one with me because she gave it to me on our wedding day, but can you pull that card out and slide it for me, J?"

JJ finally did as requested of him, looking up at his father in confusion when the screen asked for a pin number. Dean promptly informed him that it was his birthday, making sure JJ put his card back where he got it as the machine printed his receipt. JJ put his wallet back in his pocket and followed his father and the attendant to the car, watching with interest as they worked together to secure the tree to the top of his father's suburban. Having the bike rack on top seemed to make it a bit easier and it seemed like only seconds before he was back in the car with his father and they were on their way home.

"So what's the difference between credit and debit?"

"Debit cards are linked to your bank account, and credit cards aren't."

"How does that work?"

"With credit cards it's like you're borrowing money from the credit card company and then paying them back later."

"Why didn't you use that one, then?"

"Because I like using the credit card to buy your mom presents so she can't see what I bought."

"Why can't she see?"

"Because she doesn't check the credit card statements. Credit cards are my job. The bank accounts are hers."

"You have more than one?"

"We have our checking, our savings, our retirement fund, and both you and your sister have savings accounts."

"We do?"

"For your college fund, so don't get any crazy ideas." Dean spoke, unable to hold back the chuckle at his son's pout.

"Can I have a hundred dollars from it?"

"Nope. You don't touch that money until you're eighteen."

Casey was watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with Mariah when the front door opened. One glance to the door told her that Dean and JJ were home and she smiled as they forced the tree into the house.

"Daddy and JJ are home, kiddo." She spoke softly, not at all surprised when the five year old didn't even budge. She had just woken up from her nap and, just like her father, could be a real grump after a nap. "Tree looks good, you guys."

"Dad picked it out." JJ spoke proudly, watching as Dean and his Uncle Bryan put it in the tree stand Casey had put in it's place. "Aunt Brie and Uncle Bryan are here."

"I see." Casey spoke with a smile, watching her older sister flop onto the sectional beside her. "How have you been?"

"Crazy tired with all this pregnancy stuff."

"What are you having?"

"Twins. Can you believe it?" Brie asked excitedly, rubbing her slightly protruding stomach affectionately. "When Bryan does it, he does it good."

"Have you told Nikki?"

"I don't know how to. I know that she made her choice, but I dunno. I feel like I'd be rubbing it in her face."

"Mom, can I have a hundred dollars out of my savings account?" JJ asked, sitting on his knees in front of his mother and resting his chin on her lap. Casey looked up at Dean, who was shaking his head with a look of disbelief on his face.

"Why do you think I have that power?"

"Because dad said that you did. He handles the credit cards and you handle the debit cards."

"When you're eighteen you can take however much you want out of your savings."

"Ugh."

"Sorry bud. But can you get your sister another juice box? She's not feeling well."

"Sure thing, mom."

"It's amazing how one trip to the mall switches their attitudes." Dean commented as he and Bryan continued to fluff the tree.

"Little one just woke up from a nap, which is why she's like this." Casey explained, rubbing her daughter's back. "But I think she might be coming down with something, too, which is why it's worse."

"Why would that make it worse?" Bryan asked, gently nudging Josie away with his foot.

"Have you seen her father when he's sick? Not a pleasant person."

"I'm just clingy and extremely irritable. Not too bad." Dean defended himself, getting a laugh out of his wife.

"Not too bad at all." She teased, giving a thumbs up to how the tree looked. Dean and Bryan then moved to sit beside their wives, Dean sitting beside Mariah and petting her head.

"Stop touching me daddy." She whined into Casey, making Dean chuckle as he continued to do so. "Daddy stop."

"Please stop whining, Mimi." Casey requested, accepting the juice box from JJ. "JJ got your juice, what do you say?"

"Thank you, JJ."

"Tree looks good." Casey praised from where she laid on top of Dean on the couch. They had intended on watching Santa Claus Is Coming To Town with the kids, but both had fallen asleep fifteen minutes in so they carried them up to bed and went back down to watch the movie without them. Cuddling while watching the movie turned into kissing, which further escalated into getting reacquainted with each other's bodies and the two laid naked beneath the blanket that they were sharing with their children just barely two hours before.

"JJ was really upset about not having you and Ri there to help pick it out."

"That's sweet. He told me about getting to slide your debit card."

"Yeah, he basically took inventory of my wallet while he was trying to find it." Dean spoke with a chuckle, dancing his fingers along Casey's spine. "We'be got to go back to sending nudes over text because I don't think I've ever blushed in public before today."

"Did he see it?"

"No, thank god."

"We can't do that over text because the little ones like playing with our phones." Casey reasoned before kissing Dean's chest over his heartbeat. "But I'm certain with all the sex we'll be having over the next couple weeks, you'll be able to hold over until you get home."

"That's not happening. I just need to keep him out of my damn wallet."

"But not me, right?"

"As my wife, it's your job to be in my wallet."

"My breadwinner." She cooed before yawning lightly. Dean smiled and gave her back a gentle pat before sitting up with her and getting his shirt off of the back of the couch. "Are we going to bed?"

"You're tired, Case. Besides, we can't sleep here while we're naked."

"Wish we could."

"You're the one who wanted kids and all this Christmas tradition bullshit."

"You know you love it." Casey teased, gently poking his cheek as she pulled on her pajama pants. "Carry me to bed?"

"Only because I love you." He stated, pulling her in for a kiss. "And all this Christmas tradition bullshit."