"So, do we have any idea where we're headed?" Dean asked, looking at Sam in the passenger's seat. "Or are we just going to drive until we feel like stopping?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders and took a drink of the Coke he had gotten from McDonald's. "Maybe we should find a library and do some research. Try to find a hunt nearby."

Dean grabbed his own Coke and took a sip, flicking on his turn signal and getting in the fast lane. "Sounds like a plan to me." He glanced in the rearview mirror, looking at Castiel. "Cas, you gonna help with the hunt?"

Castiel blinked his owlish eyes. "I don't see why not."

Liam sipped his orange juice and looked at Dean. "Can I hunt, too?"

Dean looked at Sam, worried, and then looked in the rearview mirror again. "Uh, it's pretty dangerous, buddy. I think we'd rather have you stay at home base."

Liam frowned, confused. "Well, if it's so dangerous, why are you doing it?"

Sam took over then, turning in his seat so he could face Liam. "You remember me telling you that hunting was my job, right?"

Liam nodded twice.

"Even though it's dangerous, it's a job that has to be done," Sam explained. "Not a lot of people know how to hunt, so it's up to those of us who know to do what we can to help."

Liam nodded again. "That makes sense." He took another drink of his orange juice and then spoke again. "Can I learn to hunt when I'm older?"

Dean looked at Sam, wondering what his answer would be. To his surprise, Sam smiled and said, "I think you could learn to hunt when you're older."

"Okay." Liam turned his head to look out the window, seemingly satisfied.

Sam looked at Dean, a smile still lingering on his lips. "I think Liam will make a great hunter, don't you?"

Dean was still stuck on Sam actually encouraging hunting, but he quickly nodded. "Of course he will. He's a Winchester."

Liam smiled to himself, still looking out the window.

Dean opened his mouth to say something more on the topic of hunting, but he stopped short when he saw Sam start to wrestle with his phone in his pocket. "You gettin' a call?"

"Yeah." Sam pulled the phone out and looked at the caller ID. "It's Bobby." He flipped the phone open and put it to his ear. "Bobby?"

Dean looked between Sam and the road, keeping an eye on both as he drove.

"What's going on?" Sam squinted slightly, nodding as he listened. "Okay. Where are you?" He nodded a few more times. "River Pass, Colorado?" He looked at Dean and confirmed, "River Pass, Colorado."

Dean nodded. "Got it." He started looking for signs on the highway.

"We'll be there as soon as we can. Just hang in there." Sam nodded again. "Got it. See you soon." Sam pulled his phone away from his ear and hung up. "Bobby said Rufus called him in on a town that is completely infested with demons. It's more than they can handle. I know we just left a week ago, but…"

Dean nodded his head, understanding the need to hunt, but he couldn't deny he felt a chill run down his spine at the thought of Liam in a demon-infested town. We'll just have to keep him safe. Immediately, the more critical side of his brain went, You mean like you kept him safe from the angels?

"Even though I'm not hunting, I'm still gonna be there." Liam scooted forward and leaned between Sam and Dean's seats, looking between them curiously. "What should I know about demons?"

Sam shifted in his seat. "Well, demons possess people and make them do things. When someone is possessed, their eyes turn black. Demons are sensitive to salt and holy water."

"Yeah, and we've got an anti-possession charm that you're gonna wear," Dean interjected. "It looks just like the tattoos Sammy and I have."

Liam nodded seriously. "Okay. How do you get rid of them?"

"We have an exorcism that we recite, and it makes the demon leave the body." Sam shifted in his seat, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "We also have a demon-killing knife which… does what the name suggests. We try to avoid using that because it kills the host body, too."

Liam nodded again and looked at Sam. "And you can make them leave people, too, right? With your powers?"

Sam looked at Liam in surprise. "Uh…" He shifted awkwardly. "I can exorcise them when I drink demon blood, but it, uh, it makes me really sick." He squinted slightly. "How did you know that?"

"I overheard you talking about it the night you two fought." Liam leaned back in his seat, his gaze drifting downward. "When Dean hit you, remember?"

Sam bit his lip, and Dean felt a rush of guilt.

"Yeah," Sam said, giving a slight nod. "Yeah, I remember that."

Dean almost snorted. How could we forget? But he didn't say that out loud.

Sam cleared his throat. "Uh, anyway, that's how you deal with demons. But you'll be staying with the people we're trying to protect." He smiled faintly. "They're gonna be scared, and they're not really gonna know what's going on. You can help calm them down and let them know that everything's gonna be okay."

Liam nodded his head a few times. "I can do that."

Dean smiled to himself. On one hand, he didn't want Liam to have a hunter's life. He wanted something better for Liam. On another hand, he couldn't wait to teach the kid how to hunt. It wouldn't be too long before Liam was old enough. Maybe… fourteen? Fifteen?

"Castiel," Dean started, looking in the rearview mirror. "Can you still smite demons?"

Castiel didn't respond at first, and when he did, he started speaking slowly. "I… don't know. I haven't tried." He shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose this is the perfect opportunity to find out."

Dean snorted but didn't say anything. He knew Castiel was still pretty injured from the torture he had undergone, so he wasn't going to push the issue.

"How long until we get there?" Liam asked, taking a drink of his orange juice.

Dean's face scrunched up as he considered the question. "Not sure, buddy. Why?"

Liam took another drink of his orange juice. "I was wondering if we could stop somewhere for food."

"Food?" Sam laughed, turning in his seat so he was facing forward again. "We just ate!"

"I know." Liam drooped a little, his shoulders hunching slightly. "We don't have to. I was just wondering."

"Hey, if you're hungry, you're hungry." Dean shrugged his shoulders. "We can stop somewhere if you want, buddy."

"I'd really like some french fries," Liam said, shifting in his seat.

"We can get you some." Dean kept his attention on the road. "You're a growing boy."

Castiel hummed softly. "I, too, would like some more french fries."

"You can have some, too, Cas." Dean smiled to himself and kept driving, keeping an eye out for signs with fast food on them.

"Why?" Liam grinned, looking at Castiel. "Are you a growing boy, too?"

Dean couldn't help but laugh a little at the question and the subsequent look of confusion on Castiel's face. "Maybe it's all that angel mojo," he suggested, glancing in the rearview mirror. "You need something to fuel those powers, right?"

Castiel blinked. "I do not need sustenance. I simply like the taste." He blinked again, looking at Liam. "Normally, I can't taste anything but molecules, but since I've been cut off from Heaven, things have been tasting a little different. I like it."

Sam shook his head. "Man, an existence without food would make me miserable. Even if I didn't need it."

"I'm beginning to understand the appeal of food," Castiel said. "I'm especially fond of ice cream and its by-products."

Sam chuckled. "We can stop somewhere that has ice cream by-products."

Castiel blinked those wide eyes of his again. "I would like that."

Dean shook his head with a smile. He couldn't believe how accustomed he had become to having backseat passengers, and he was even more surprised to find he liked it. Liam had sort of been shoved on Dean once he got out of Hell, and Dean hadn't been given any say over whether or not Liam stayed, but it hadn't taken long for him to realize he liked being Uncle Dean. He couldn't imagine not being Uncle Dean. And he was getting used to Castiel tagging along, too.

It was weird, but it was his family, and he liked it.

He liked it a lot.

"Liam, are you sure you're okay?"

Liam looked up at Sam, forcing a smile and a lie. "Yeah, Sorzie, I'm fine." He looked down at his feet and then looked back up. "Why did Ellen slap Dean?"

Sam smiled softly. "We made her worry about us, and she was angry."

Liam swallowed hard, unable to get the image out of his head. "But you said people who love each other don't hit."

"Yes, I did, and that's true." Sam looked at Liam for a long moment, and then he let out a heavy sigh. "Liam, you and I know it's not good to hit people you care about, but not everyone agrees with that. Ellen is one of those people. It doesn't make it right, but…" He sighed again, running a hand through his hair. "But sometimes, you have to be the one to set boundaries. You say, 'Ellen, I know you feel differently than I do, but you can't hit me,' which is what Dean did. Then you have to forgive that person and move on. Does that make sense?"

Liam looked at his feet for a long moment, and then he offered a faint nod. "Yeah, I think I understand."

Sam leaned down and kissed Liam on the forehead. "Castiel, Dean, and I are going to get some guns and salt to fight these demons. We're also gonna look for Jo and Bobby and Rufus while we're out. I want you to stay here with Ellen and the townspeople, alright?"

Liam nodded affirmatively. "Got it. Be safe, okay?"

Sam gave him a thumbs up and turned away, walking out the door and joining Castiel and Dean.

Liam watched him go and then let out a sigh, turning to look at the group of people gathered in the church. He didn't know how he felt about staying with Ellen, but it didn't sound like he had much of a choice. Still, it left an uneasy feeling in his stomach, and to make matters worse, there was a pregnant woman in the group, which had Liam thinking about Timmy for the first time in a long time. Liam hadn't thought about Timmy since he was running from the angels with the ghost of John Winchester.

"And he used to talk sometimes… about how his mom said she wished she had aborted him… or that she had miscarried…"

Liam shook off the thoughts and looked at the group. Ellen was showing them how to load a shotgun, and after a moment spent in bitterness over her hitting Dean, Liam realized he should know how to load as shotgun, too.

So, Liam walked over to the group and sat down on the floor, looking up at Ellen and watching the demonstration. Maybe Sam and Dean weren't ready for Liam to hunt, but Liam was ready, and he was going to learn as much as he could while he had the chance. Even if he wasn't all that fond of the teacher.

They'll let me hunt someday.

And Liam was determined to be good at it. Then he could help them on their hunts instead of being a burden. He could stay by their side instead of getting left behind. He could make them proud.

I might even be as good as them.

But only time would tell.

"Woah, woah, woah. Slow your roll. This is not a demon thing."

Liam moved closer to Dean, not liking the way the atmosphere in the room was changing. "Dean, wh—"

"Look at their eyes!" The man who had called himself Roger pointed at Dean and Ellen, looking terrified. "They're demons!"

Dean immediately grabbed Liam and ran for the door. "Go, go!"

Someone fired a shotgun as the door slammed shut behind them, the wood splintering under the impact.

"Move!"

Liam felt his feet touch the ground, and he immediately started running, sticking close to Dean and Ellen as they ran. "Dean?" He saw Dean's eyes were black and he swallowed hard. "You have an anti-possession tattoo, right?"

"I do, buddy. It's not a demon." Dean hurried up the stairs, occasionally grabbing Liam by the arm to pull him along and keep him close. "I know we told you demons have black eyes, and they do, but this is something different. You gotta trust me, okay?"

Liam bit his lip and nodded his head, taking the stairs two at a time and following Dean out the church doors. "Where do we go?"

Dean stopped for just a second, looking around frantically. "Ellen? Thoughts?"

Ellen stopped next to Dean and also looked around, slightly out of breath. "If we can talk some sense into Rufus, Jo, and Bobby, we might have a chance."

"Dean?"

Liam looked into the street and saw Castiel standing there with a confused expression on his face. That's right. Castiel was standing guard.

"Cas, they're trying to kill us. They think we're demons." Dean grabbed Liam's arm and started to move again. "Come on, Cas. We're going to the safehouse where Bobby and the others are."

Castiel immediately left his post in front of the church and started running behind Dean. Ellen also ran alongside, and even though Liam was still upset about her hitting Dean, he was worried she would be left behind and hurt, so he kept an eye on her.

"They have Sam, right?" Liam looked to Dean for confirmation, running as fast as his legs would take him.

Dean nodded once, his eyes still solid black. "Yeah. If we can convince them that this isn't demons, we can get Sam, and then we might be able to do something about War."

"How are you going to stop War?" Liam asked, figuring something like War wouldn't be as easy to stop as a demon or ghost or shtriga.

Dean didn't answer Liam's question. Instead, he came to a stop behind a broken-down car and took Liam by the shoulders. "Liam, I need you to stay here."

"I can help," Liam insisted.

Dean immediately shook his head. "I can't be worrying about you while I'm trying to fight, buddy. I need you to stay here and wait for me to call for you."

Liam wanted to argue, but he knew there was no point, and if he was understanding the situation correctly, Dean didn't have a lot of time. So, Liam nodded his head and crouched down behind the car.

"Go, Dean. I'll be safe here."

Dean gave Liam a brief smile and tousled his hair. "Thanks, bud."

Liam stayed close to the ground and watched as Dean, Castiel, and Ellen approached a nearby house. Dean pointed in different directions, and he must have said something, because Castiel and Ellen dispersed.

There has to be something I can do.

But what? He didn't know how to fight War—he didn't really know how to fight, period—and he was no match for someone with a gun. Even if it was only rock salt, it still packed a punch, and Liam had no defense.

I can't do anything. I'm useless.

That wasn't exactly new, but it did make him feel bad. He knew Dean and Sam had to jump through a lot of hoops to keep Liam with them; the least Liam could do was make up for it by helping on hunts in any way he could. But there was no way to help, and he felt completely worthless. Just another hassle. Just another burden.

What if they don't want me anymore?

What if they somehow survived this hunt and Sam and Dean decided Liam was too much of a problem? What if they decided it was just too much trouble to deal with Liam while they were hunting? What if they got rid of him? What if he was alone again?

Liam startled when he heard an explosion, and he saw smoke rising from the house Dean and Castiel and Ellen had gone to. He felt a twist in his gut, fear taking him over as he watched the black soot rise into the sky.

Did something happen? Or did they set that off on purpose?

He had no idea, but he felt even more useless than he did before, and the feeling was getting worse with every second that passed. He was just sitting there like a bump on a log, doing nothing, waiting to be rescued.

They need someone who can help them. They need an adult, not a little brat who gets underfoot. They don't need you. You heard what Dean said. He can't be worrying about you while he's hunting. You're getting in the way.

"Hey!"

Liam whirled on the spot and saw the townspeople coming toward him. Uh oh. He backed up until he hit the car, holding one hand out with a shouted, "Stop!"

The man leading the group—Austin, Liam was pretty sure his name was—leveled his shotgun at Liam. "How did you get away from them?"

Liam wet his lips and decided to take the plunge. If he was lucky, he might actually end up helping somehow. "They're not demons! There are no demons here, it's War."

"Look!" It was Roger again. "Look at his eyes!"

Liam put his hands up. "Even if my eyes are black, I'm not doing anything to try and attack you! If I were a demon, I would be super strong, and I would be able to fight you, but I can't, because I'm not."

Austin actually hesitated at that, and his gun lowered slightly.

The pregnant woman, Ellie, clutched her gun and shifted nervously where she stood. "He's just a kid, Austin. Maybe… maybe we should stop and think for a second."

Liam swallowed hard, feeling a flicker of hope in his chest. "Dean and Ellen ran away from you. If they were demons, they would have used their powers to hurt you instead."

"He's lying!" Roger shouted, aiming his own weapon at Liam. "It's all part of their plan to get us to drop our guard!"

Liam felt a jolt in his veins, adrenaline skyrocketing as he stood with his back pressed against the broken-down car. "This isn't helping!" he tried, looking at Austin imploringly. "Everyone fighting is not helping!" He looked over his shoulder, but he couldn't see anyone he knew, so he looked back at Austin. "Dean and Castiel and Ellen all went into the house to try and stop everyone in there from fighting. If we just wait a little while—"

"If we wait, we'll be dead!" Roger shouted, leveling his weapon and firing.

Liam dodged, just barely missing what was not rock salt, and the car window shattered, showering him with glass. Liam took off in a dead run toward the house. "Dean!" He ran from blacktop to sidewalk to front yard, dodging a tree and making his way to the porch. "Dean!"

Dean was on the porch pinning a black man to the ground, but as soon as he saw Liam, his attention shifted. "Liam? I told you to w—"

"They're coming!" Liam jogged up the stairs to the porch. "They're coming, and they are not shooting rock salt. I'm pretty sure they're using real bullets."

Dean stood up, releasing the man he had been pinning down. "They shot at you?" he demanded, anger twisting his features.

"It was Roger," Liam rushed, looking over his shoulder at the street he had come from. He could see Austin and the others walking toward the house. "We should get inside!"

Dean nodded and held out his hand for the man on the ground to grab. "Rufus, where's Sam?"

"Upstairs," Rufus said, taking the hand and pulling himself to his feet. "Bobby and Jo are in—"

"Cas and Ellen should have gotten to them already." Dean wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "Come on, Liam. Let's get you inside."

Liam darted into the house, going for the staircase right away. "You said Sam's upstairs, right?" he called over his shoulder.

"Right!" Rufus called back.

Liam took the stairs two at a time, and once he got to the second floor, he started poking his head into various rooms. Dean was right on his heels, looking in all the same rooms, and soon enough, they found what they were looking for.

"Sammy!" Dean rushed into the room and crouched in front of the chair Sam was tied to. "Hold on, let me—"

"Dean, it's not demons," Sam started. "It's—"

"War," Dean finished for him, pulling the ropes from his ankles and standing up. "We know. We just don't know how he's doing it."

"His ring," Sam said, watching Dean undo the ropes around his wrists.

"That's right," Dean said, pulling the bindings away. "He twisted his ring right before the hallucinations happened."

Sam stood up and looked at Liam, worry creasing his brow. "You brought Liam with you?"

"Well, I didn't have much of a choice," Dean put his hands on his hips and looked over his shoulder at Liam. "They freakin' took a shot at him. I tried to keep him out of the way, Sam, I swear, but—"

"It's okay," Liam said, looking between them and the open doorway they had just come through. "I'm fine, and we gotta focus!"

"Liam's right." Sam looked at Dean. "We need to focus. We need to get that ring."

Dean nodded his head in agreement and then looked at Liam. "You have to stay in this room, okay?"

Liam nodded his head. He wanted to help, but he was in no hurry to be shot at again.

"We love you, buddy. Stay down and stay safe." Sam grabbed Liam by the shoulders and planted a quick kiss on his forehead before hurrying out the door.

Dean tousled Liam's hair as he followed after Sam, and then Liam was alone.

Liam walked over to the corner of the room and sank to the floor, wrapping his arms around his legs. He rested his chin on his knees and let out a heavy sigh, flinching at the sound of gunfire from outside.

They're shooting at them. Liam bit his lip and slowly stood up, creeping toward the door. If I'm gonna be a hunter someday… But Sam had told him to stay in the room. It might be bad to not help, but it's really bad to disobey. I don't want Sam to be mad at me. So, he sat back down on the floor and waited.

And he waited… and he waited… and he waited. Worrying, of course, the entire time. What if Sam or Dean got hurt? What if they got killed? Or what if something happened to Castiel? Would he be able to heal himself? What about Bobby? Ellen? Rufus?

Would you rather be at the group home? a voice asked.

His brain responded with a resounding, No.

Crouching in a corner worrying about his family was better than not having one. Despite everything, he still preferred life with Sam as his dad.

They're gonna be okay. They have to be.

He waited some more, listening to the sounds of gunfire, and as time passed, things started to quiet down. When that happened, he wanted nothing more than to go downstairs, but he stayed put. He would wait until someone he knew came to get him.

It took a while, but eventually, Sam came through the open door and scanned the room, quickly finding Liam in the corner.

"Hey, buddy."

Liam stood up, rushing over to Sam and wrapping his arms around Sam's waist. "Is everyone okay?"

"I think so, buddy." Sam returned the hug.

Liam savored the embrace for a moment, but then he stepped out into the hall, looking around for more family members. "Dean?" He walked down the hallway and then went down the stairs, spying Dean by the front door to the house. "Dean!"

Dean turned around just in time to receive Liam's hug, a big smile lighting his face. "Hey, buddy. We're all okay. Someone got shot, but Ellen is with them, and we think they're gonna be fine."

Liam looked out the doorway, still slightly frantic. "Castiel? And Bobby?"

Dean nodded emphatically. "Yes, yes, they're fine. Everyone's fine." He put a hand on Liam's head. "We're all okay."

Liam looked back over his shoulder and saw Sam coming down the steps. "You're sure?" he asked, looking back at Dean.

Dean smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah, buddy. We're sure."

Liam wrapped Dean in another hug and then turned to Sam, hugging him, too. "I'm just glad you guys are okay." He looked up at Sam hopefully. "Can we get out of this town now?"

Sam smiled. "Yeah, Liam. We can leave now. Bobby, Rufus, Ellen, and Jo can handle things here."

Dean jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "I'll grab Castiel, and then we can hit the road."

Liam kept his arms around Sam, a faint smile pulling on his lips. "I like that idea."

Sam hugged him back. "I like that idea, too."

Liam leaned into the hug and closed his eyes, letting out a soft sigh of contentment. He felt Sam's hands on his back, and the contact made him feel at ease. Everything is gonna be okay. He buried his face in Sam's stomach. Everything is gonna be okay.

"So, pit stop at Mount Doom?"

Sam looked across the picnic table at Dean, snorting softly. "Yeah." He leaned forward, folding his arms atop the table. "Dean, I—"

"Sam." Dean shook his head, shoving the Horseman's ring into his pocket. "Let's not."

"No, listen. This is important." Sam took a deep breath, glancing at the nearby playground where Liam was swinging with Castiel. "I know you don't trust me."

Dean looked away, reaching up to rub the back of his head.

Sam wet his lips and kept going. "Well, I've realized something." He stopped for a moment, anticipating a bad reaction. "I've realized that I don't trust me either." He slowly shook his head. "From the minute I saw that blood, the only thought in my head…" He trailed off and sighed again. "And I tell myself it's for the right reasons, and that my intentions are good, and it, it feels true, you know?"

Dean nodded a few times, a thoughtful expression crossing his features.

"But I think, underneath… I just miss the feeling." Sam let out a bitter laugh. "I know how messed up that sounds, which means I know how messed up I am. The thing is, the problem's not the demon blood. Not really. I mean, what I did, I can't blame the blood or Ruby or… anything. The problem's me. How far I'll go." Sam shook his head a few more times. "There's something in me that… scares the crap out of me, Dean. Today, I caught another glimpse, and…"

Dean looked at Sam expectantly. "So, what are you saying?"

Sam shook his head and sighed. "I'm in no shape to be hunting. I need to step back because… I'm dangerous." He sighed again, hesitant to finally make his point. "Maybe it's best if we just… go our separate ways."

Dean was shaking his head before Sam got the last word out. "No. No way." He shook his head again. "No way am I leaving you when you're struggling like this." He rested his arms on top of the picnic table, leaning forward slightly. "Look, Sam, you've made some pretty big mistakes lately, and I think you're right about needing to take a break from hunting, but we're sticking together."

Sam wet his lips and tried to argue. "You shouldn't have to stop hunting just because of me. Just—just because I can't handle it."

"Sam, I'm only going to worry about you more if we split up." Dean shrugged his shoulders. "Makes sense to take a break."

"Dean, this is my problem."

"Sammy, you're my brother. Your problems are my problems." Dean turned his head to look at Liam and Castiel on the swing set. "Besides, what would Liam do if we split up? He needs his Uncle Dean." Dean gave Sam a smirk.

Sam looked at Dean for a long moment, and then a weak smile slowly began to pull on the corner of his mouth. He shook his head and huffed out a little laugh. "You're not gonna let me talk you out of this, are you?"

Dean shook his head. "Nope." He looked at Liam and Castiel and then looked back at Sam. "Family sticks together, Sammy. We don't split up when things get tough."

Sam's smile grew a little bigger and he conceded to Dean's insistence with a nod. "I know." He looked down for a moment, and then he looked Dean in the eyes again. "Thanks, Dean."

Dean spread his arms. "What are brothers for?" He looked at the swing set again. "So, what are we gonna do instead of hunting?"

"Well, I actually have an idea for that." Sam looked at the swing set, too, a fond smile pulling on his lips, "Liam's birthday is June 3rd."

Dean looked back at Sam and blinked. "Dude, that's like a week away." He spread his arms. "Why are you just now telling me?"

"I didn't plan it that way, it just happened. First he was kidnapped by the angels, and then we were trying to kill Lilith and—" Sam stopped short and waved a dismissive hand. "That's not the point. You know how Liam likes musicals?"

Dean nodded his head. "Yeah."

"I was thinking of taking him to a Broadway show. I was hoping we could take him to see Wicked. It's his favorite one."

"Isn't that the one about the Wizard of Oz?" Dean asked, arching a brow.

"That's the one." Sam smiled. "Too girly for you?"

Dean gave Sam a judging look. "It's not too girly for Liam. That's all that matters."

Sam only smiled wider. "I couldn't agree more." He looked back at Liam and Castiel. "So, are we gonna do it?"

"Of course we are." Dean stood up from the picnic table. "Let's go tell him."

Sam stood up, too, feeling like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He had secretly been hoping Dean would refuse to split up, and while a small part of Sam felt guilty about Dean's blind dedication, a bigger part of him was relieved to know Dean hadn't given up on him.

"Hey, Liam!" Dean called, walking over to the swing set.

"Yeah?" Liam kept swinging, a curious tilt to his head.

"Sammy and I were talking." Dean slipped his hands into his pockets and came to a stop in front of Liam's swing. "How would you like to go see a show on Broadway for your birthday?"

Liam came to an immediate stop, both feet plopping into the dirt as he stared at Sam and Dean with wide eyes. "Are you serious?"

Sam smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah. We want to take a break from hunting, and we thought a good way to spend our time might be to see a Broadway show."

Liam clapped his hands together and squealed. "Oh my gosh, this is so cool!"

Castiel put his own feet down in the dirt and stopped swinging, looking between Liam and the brothers. "What is a Broadway show?"

"Broadway is a theater," Liam explained, gesticulating excitedly as he spoke. "They perform musicals there, and everyone is really talented, and it's awesome!"

Castiel nodded seriously, but it was clear from the expression on his face that he didn't really understand.

Liam looked back at Sam and Dean, unable to stop smiling. "Are you really serious? Are we really going to see a Broadway show?"

Sam laughed and nodded his head. "Yes, we're really going to see a Broadway show."

"What show?" Liam questioned, squirming in place.

"Well, we have to find a library and use their computer to look at tickets and showtimes." Sam jerked a thumb over his shoulder, indicating the Impala. "Do you want to go now, or do you want to swing some more?"

"Now!" Liam hopped off the swing and started for Baby, grabbing Sam's arm as he ran by. "Let's go, let's go!"

Sam laughed and let himself be pulled, trusting Dean and Castiel to follow them. "Hold on, buddy, the tickets aren't going anywhere."

Liam just kept running through the park, making his way over to the Impala. He opened the back door and crawled inside, bouncing in his seat and grinning up at Sam. "I know they're not going anywhere, I'm just excited!"

Sam walked around the car and opened the passenger side door, getting in. "Well, then, let's go!"

Dean and Castiel both got in the Impala, Castiel leaning forward and tapping Sam on the shoulder. "Am I also going to this Broadway show?"

"Yes!" Liam shouted, grabbing onto Castiel's arm. "He is, right? He has to!"

Sam chuckled and turned slightly in his seat, looking at Liam. "Of course Castiel is coming." He looked at Castiel then, giving him a questioning look. "I'm assuming you don't mind?"

Castiel shook his head. "No. I would like to see one of these Broadway shows."

"You'll love it," Liam assured, letting go of Castiel's arm so he could put his seatbelt on. "Musicals are lots of fun."

Castiel furrowed his brow and leaned back, copying Liam and putting his seatbelt on. "What exactly is a musical?"

Liam happily explained, still visibly excited. "A musical is like a movie, but they sing songs to relay the story." He pulled his legs up onto the seat, sitting cross-legged. "You know what a movie is, right?"

Castiel cocked his head to the side. "I am familiar, yes. It's the telling of a story, isn't it?"

Liam nodded. "Pretty much."

Sam looked at Dean. "Never thought I'd be introducing an angel to Broadway musicals."

Dean snorted a laugh and pulled onto the road. "Never thought I'd be going to a Broadway musical, but here we are."

Sam smirked. "You're gonna love it."

"Yeah, you are, Dee!" Liam piped up from the back.

Dean gave Liam a thumbs up. "I believe you, buddy."

Sam leaned back in his seat, a wave of content settling over him. Sure, the future was uncertain at best and coming to a violent end at worst, but Sam was with his family. Amazingly, Dean hadn't left, and he wasn't going to, and they were all going to step away from hunting together. Sam couldn't ask for much more than that. As long as they were together, then somehow, someway, they were going to figure out how to deal with the Apocalypse.

We'll make things right again. Sam looked out the window, doing his best to keep the frown off his face. We have to.