There was a silence that seemed to both Deans to stretch for hours if not days… but in fact barely an instant had passed before the shout was taken up around them by hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of attendees in the Park: "We are omega: we have a voice!"
It wasn't only the omegas chanting: it was the betas and the Alphas who supported them: they waved their placards and stood side by side with their friends or mates and the sound echoed around the buildings and on through the streets around Kansas City, and then on via the large screens set up in other municipals to be being taken up by other demonstrations and rallies.
(Over the following years the chant would gradually become corrupted, becoming first of all 'we are omega: we have one voice,' and then settling to its forever rally of 'we are omega: we are one voice,' and it would still be joined in with by the other Presentations as a call for peace for all.)
The omega Dean was still so angry, and so stunned by his own new-found courage, that he felt that he almost forgotten how to breathe… but he also knew that he would have stood beside his 'brother' no matter what at that moment. Whether the blade had fallen and caused one or both of their deaths, or not, he would not change that feeling of taking a bit of power back for anything.
He felt insanely proud of himself… and he had never known that feeling before ever.
He caught Dean smiling at his expression, and smirked back.
Then suddenly they were surrounded as the crowd broke all semblance of order but in a good-natured way, all but submerging the 'twins' beneath a human mass of crying and laughing hugs and embraces and pats on the back, and pats on the arms, and tears being shed at both of them and thanks given and praises to Our Lady being cried aloud as the realisation that She was shining bright above them… indeed had been doing for the last few moments but the events on the ground had held all their attention… but now they were praying to Her that this be the start of something good, or at least the end of something bad, and thanking Her for finally giving them a voice…
People began to dance where they stood, still simultaneously sobbing and laughing and the brothers each got pulled further into the melee as more and more people wanted to touch them and give hugged thanks, all the time the chant echoing around them loud enough to be heard by the Lady herself: "We are omega."
The Alpha who had tried to attack 'his' omega found himself also in the midst of this confusion, but not a single person tried to hurt him or cause him any further injury in any way. He finally seemed to get a bit of sense and carefully began to make his way back to the safety of the outskirts of the throng, still clutching his broken and deformed arm close to his body: the people, even in the crush that it had now become, somehow managing to make enough room between them from somewhere and part enough to create a route that allowed him to pass safely through (although he would later try and claim that he had been brutally beaten all the way and had barely escaped with his life: yet another lie that would be exposed by the always present multitude of cameras.)
(The vicious-looking blade was never found when the police looked for it after the event. But to just about everyone there that evening, it didn't matter anyway. All that mattered was celebrating the moment: of celebrating their new-found voice.)
The omega Dean looked around where he now was and fought panic down. Now that the exhilarating stress of that moment was gone and the resulting surge of adrenaline was wearing off, he was suddenly realising that he was on his own in the sea of bodies around him, having been separated from the other Dean by the sheer mass of people around them.
For just an instant he felt the signs of a full-blown panic attack coming over him and closed his eyes to try to dissuade the tears of terror from beginning before he had a melt-down in the midst of all these people…
"Dean? Are you alright?"
The omega's eyes popped open to see, to his intense relief, the calm angel standing right next to him. More than next to him: Castiel had his hand on Dean's arm and it felt incredibly reassuring after all the hundreds of unrequested touches, however genuinely intentioned they were. He felt that he could burst into tears: indeed, his eyes were already filling. "Cas! I'm so glad to see you! How did you find me in all this crowd?"
The angel tilted his head. "I have never been more a couple of foot away, with the exception of when you ran across the water, that is. D… Johnny asked me to protect you no matter what happened this evening: it's important to him that you were to be kept safe. Do you need me to remove you from here?"
The omega felt calmer just from seeing someone that he knew, and also had to blink more than a few times at what he had just been told before his tears really did overflow. "No. I'm just so very glad to see you, that's all. Is the oth… is Johnny okay? We got split up in the crowd. And have you seen Sam? My…? Have you seen him?"
Castiel looked around them both, never once releasing his gentle hold on the omega's arm, for which the latter was insanely grateful.
"I can see Sam," he suddenly declared. "Sam! Sam! Here!" And waved his arm to try and attract attention in a gesture that 'his' Winchesters would have probably laughed at as being out of character for the usually stoic and reserved angel. However Castiel could feel the rising tension again in the omega beside him, and was determined to get the other's mate to be at his side as soon as possible, even if he did feel a little ridiculous.
Luckily the tall Alpha, who had been staring desperately in all direction for the last few minutes, unsure of which way to try to go, and would never admit later that he had been more than close to tears himself from the anxiety of losing the love of his life in such a huge crowd of people, heard his name being called even through the tremendous noise and turned to see where it was coming from.
Upon seeing the angel's frantic waving, and realising that Castiel had found and was protecting his mate as he had promised to do, he rushed to try and make his way through to where they were, only barely resisting the urge to growl at everyone in his way, (but only just!)
Dean, who, being slightly shorter than his mate and therefore didn't have the advantage of being able to look slightly over the crowd, couldn't really see which way that Sam was coming from. It didn't stop him from trying to push back through the crush of people to go to him but unfortunately in the slightly wrong direction. The angel stopped him: "It's better we wait. He can see where we are. If we move, he might not be able to."
The omega nodded, but then couldn't help but press into Castiel's side as the hands kept reaching for him: even though they were friendly and only wanted to acknowledge the massive achievement of the last half hour's events, he was now feeling seriously overwhelmed and just wanted to be with his mate.
The angel understood, and calmly batted a lot of outstretched arms away, himself reaching to handshake them instead with the pretence of sharing the general excitement while giving the omega just that vital few seconds to calm himself…
A female omega standing behind them couldn't help but lean forward, scenting Castiel with more than an eager interest: "His scent is faint but soooo Alpha!" She shamelessly shared with the horrified Dean, uncaring that the angel could hear every word. "I'd like to get to know him better…!" She winked lewdly at the omega, expecting him to laugh with her…
"No." Dean was so disgusted at her that his fears instantly dissipated: "All this scenting strangers and all these coarse comments stops. On both sides!" His angry voice cut through the cheers of those close to him and they all paused their celebrations to listen.
"How can we expect them to behave themselves when we act just as bad? This is my friend." He indicated the surprised Castiel to all the people around them. "And he's a man. And it should make no difference no matter what Presentation he is! If we are calling for them to stop treating us as nothing more than objects, then we have to do the same. Pass that around: tell all the others. It all stops."
The female omega teared up and slunk away into the crowd looking extremely subdued. But the whispers recanting what had just happened and what the omega Dean had ordered spread like ripples into the night and far beyond.
Sam had managed to push his way through to where Dean and Castiel were waiting just in time to hear the end of his omega's words and nodded in proud approval. Then Dean was all but falling into his arms with relief and taking a deep long breath in of the accustomed aroma of his mate. This time he couldn't stop the tears from falling, and his Alpha understood and held him close…
… he felt that he was never going to let go of him ever again.
They hugged and took comfort in each other for a long minute, even while the crowd surged and ebbed around them, still wanting to congratulate one of their hero omegas and his Alpha who had stood up so much for their rights in the last few years. Sam looked over his mate's head to where the angel still stood on guard in case something else should happen that night and nodded his head to him: "Thank you, Cas."
It was heartfelt. It was genuine. And it was meant.
Castiel nodded back, with equal respect. The past was past: they would be friends going forward from now.
Finally the omega had inhaled enough of his mate's scent over him to relax a little. "Where's the ot… where's Johnny? We lost each other. And Samuel."
"I don't know," his Alpha admitted. "Cas, please can you try to find them? I'll try and get Dean through this crowd and back to the car. The last time I saw Samuel was right after we waded across the pool, and I haven't seen the oth… Johnny at all since then…
Speaking of which, did you realise that you two both ran across the top of it? How by Our Lady did you do that?"
"I… we what…?" And then the omega was looking at his mate, really looking, and realising that the effect of Sam's usually smartly-suited choice of attire was being completely ruined this once by the bottom of his suit trousers below the knee being absolutely soaked through: enough so that water was still dripping from them and causing the usually carefully pressed material to flap and crease. "Why are you all wet?"
"Because we waded through the pool!" Sam found himself repeating. "But you and Johnny ran straight across the top of it!"
"I… how?" His green-eyed mate stared up at him in bewilderment.
And indeed that question was being asked now by all the studios up and down and around the nation.
Now that the rally… demonstration… event… seemed to have finished, and with seemingly for the moment a peaceful outcome… and more importantly, the two main protagonists had been completely lost to view in the massive crowd by the cameras… all the channels and all the networks and all the reporters were getting down to business: repeating the 'main' points of what most people had just witnessed happening first-hand anyway, over and over again and rehashing it numerous times, highlighting or erasing what went against their own opinions.
But one thing that was consistently being played on repeat, was the slowed-down version of the two Deans running hand-in-hand over the water and through the mass of people on the other side, twisting and turning as they sped but seemingly never contacting a single person, not even to knock against an elbow or knock a placard from a hand...
The consensus was that it was impossible. But everyone had just seen it with their own eyes.
Not that some people even believe their own eyes.
Back at the house, Sam, Annie and Johnny flicked through the numerous channels, (Evie now being sound asleep on her uncle's lap but still determinedly gripping tightly to his arms, and Cassie having been put to bed some time before by Mary-Anne and Lauren with the bribe of a bed-time story), picking up on the hundreds of different arguments… erm… analysis's that were now occurring between all the 'experts' that had suddenly been magically produced by the studios: self-proclaimed authorities on anything to do with anything that might or might not have happened that evening, and who proclaimed their expertise by mentioning their latest books that no one has ever heard of, before or since.
Even the news hosts were making their points and positions clear: "It must have been Our Lady Moon's doing," the devout programs proclaimed. "It's Her miracle."
"It was a trick somehow," The Supremacists of whichever stance declared. "It's impossible."
"Bad camera work," decided others. "Impossible. We just couldn't see the splashes."
"Their speed just didn't even leave time for the water to be displaced: simple dynamics," other experts were definitive. "Nothing amazing about it."
"That may account for the pool but how did they run through the crowd? There were no gaps between the crush of bodies yet you can see clearly how they went through and around them…"
"You're imagining things…" "That's impossible." "Omegas couldn't do that…" "It's inconceivable for a mere omega to be able to…" "It couldn't have happened… we've all been misled." "No omega could ever…"
"Oh for Our Lady's sake!" the usually calm news-anchor had reached the limit of her self-control. "Have you ever even met an omega? A real one? Not the sex or porcelain dolls of your Alpha imaginations, but a real omega?
My little sister was one. Our parents kept her safe on our farm, or tried to...
I remember, once she'd Presented, watching her jump from a stand-still on the ground to the flat roof of the garage to retrieve our basketball! And she could run fast: I bet she would have left Usain Bolt standing at the blocks! She and her girlfriends used to race up and down the fields and she and Sophia, the other omega, would always be ahead. They loved to run and swim and laugh and…" She broke off, her face showing intense emotional sadness, but then she was remembering where she was and continued.
"And yet you won't let omegas play sports because it's 'unbecoming' and they'd be 'useless'. They're too delicate. Or it would just be a waste of time as omegas 'aren't physically capable'… Well, Johnny has shown you just how capable they are! And Dean! They're absolutely amazing. All omegas are. Really, really, naturally athletic and agile and just, just incredible to be around! She was my best friend…"
Again she paused as tears filled her eyes, then but forced herself to say what she thought openly: professionalism be damned! "You Alphas put them down. You always have. Perhaps that's why you hide them away! Because you're really just afraid that they'd show you up for how useless and unnecessary to this world that you actually are…"
"What… what? How dare you speak to me like that…?!"
And the arguments went on and got even more heated, some even coming to blows, which were then classed as newsworthy in their own right and shown on repeat during the next dozen or so segments… until gradually all the channels ceased to show the 'live' scene of the Park, where the celebrations and cheers went on albeit gradually sounding weaker and the voices ever more husky…
Johnny had finally conceded defeat and gone to bed. So had Annie, who had eventually gotten Evie to release her tenacious grip on her uncle and had taken the child up to Cassie's room to spend the night: the two children instinctively huddling against each other in the little bed for comfort. The two elder girls had also excused themselves some time before, but the frequent 'bings' of their cells could still be heard from each of their rooms to give the lie that they had gone to sleep.
Sam sat on the couch and waited, desperate for news of his brother. And of Samuel and Cas. And of the rest of his new family.
He waited and waited and then eventually fell asleep where he was, still lit by the flickering television screen.
It was early the next morning that he was finally awoken by voices and startled awake instantly.
It was Castiel, who had flown back with Samuel and the original omega Dean: both of whom looked exhausted.
The younger Winchester was instantly alarmed: "Where's Dean? My Dean, I mean. And the other Sam?"
Samuel more grumped than sighed: "There's so many interviews been clamoured for, all wanting to talk to 'Johnny', that he and dad thought they might as well stay in the city and get them over with. But they wanted us out of there, given what was happening…."
"What? What was happening?"
Two pairs of tired green eyes turned to look at him. Three pairs, if the blue of the angel's were counted. "You haven't seen…?"
"What? What?" And Sam was turning hastily back to the TV and the new… News… that was now being covered.
Which was all images of burning automobiles and small packs of men with bandanas over their faces charging at riot-gear covered police. "Oh my God!"
"It's not as bad as they're showing," the younger man told him. "But they're going to try and emphasise it like they always do: bad news makes better business for them.
But our MPV was ones of the ones torched when we eventually got back to it. Along with a few others along the street, so dad doesn't think that it was a direct attack against us." he added hastily, "but he asked Cas to bring us back here in case anyway…" He was really in a bad mood about being forced to leave.
"What about… that?" Sam was staring at the images of the fighting with horror on his face. "Are anyone… is anyone hurt?"
"Not from the parade, no. Not that I know of." Castiel responded. "But it might well have been different…
By the time I had managed to find our Dean and Samuel in the crowd, they were almost right to the end of the Park: I think Dean must have shaken every single person's hand! But at least they were together by then…"
"I wasn't not going to be with him." The young Alpha grumbled. "He's my mate."
… "And the people were finally beginning to disperse," the angel continued as if not even noticing the interruption. "It was all still very good-natured if exhausting. Even for me. But they just wanted to see Dean… 'Johnny'… and thank him, and then they were happy to just go home…
But then as a large group of omegas and their Alphas began to walk away to down past the Court House, Dean suddenly went after them and told them to cut across to Charlotte Street instead and go around. He was quite insistent about it: really determined that they take the longer way. But at least they all listened to him. They'd have walked straight into the other group and this else." He motioned at the television.
"His eyes flashed. Didn't you see?" Samuel cut in. "The idiot Alphas down at the far end of the rally were out for full-on trouble by that time. They were hoping for easy targets of omegas and betas, but got the police instead. They're not helping their case at all."
"But, as you say, there'll be a spin put on it." His mother commented, although by that time he could hardly keep himself awake where he was standing. "The Alphas that hold power won't want to give it up: not any of it."
"You sure you don't want to head for Bobby's, mom?"
But the omega shook his head: "Actually… he's coming here! I didn't want to worry your dad, but Bobby texted me earlier: he's had reporters at the door already, offering to pay him well for his story so he wants to get out of there for a while. Reckon we can make room for him somewhere…?"
It was the first time that Samuel had managed to smile since their return. "Definitely. But in the morning… well, later on, anyway. Will you keep a watch please?"
This was to Castiel, who took his responsibilities very seriously: "Of course."
"Then" The young man sighed. "I might as well go to bed, then, if I'm useless there. And mom, you look like you could fall sleep on your feet! C'mon, I'll help you up the stairs. Where's Evie sleeping so I don't disturb her…?"
"I'm right here, daddy-Sammy!" And the child was running into his arms from where she had been listening intently from through the banisters, seemingly fully recharged and full of energy, despite it being only about four o'clock in the morning. "When's daddy coming back?"
"Soon, I hope," the Alpha told her as he picked her up and started across the room. "Come and watch me as I fall asleep: it's a new quiet game I just invented."
She pouted a little. "I want him here."
"I do as well." Samuel sighed. Really sighed. "I wish he was here or I was there, so I could at least be keeping an eye on them..."
"Them?" Sam was confused.
The young man's face reddened.
"Oh, Unca Sammy!" the little girl giggled from her father's arms. "Daddy-Samuel's talking about the new baby in daddy's tummy!"
There was a stunned silence from all the adults in the room. Even Samuel.
Eventually he found his voice: "How… how did you…?"
"Silly daddy-Sammy! Of course I know!"
He stared at her in disbelief. His eyes and mouth were so wide open that his mother, the omega Dean couldn't help himself from laughing loudly: "Welcome to parenthood, son. You never know what's going to come out of the mouths of pups! And believe me", as he reached to take the child from her father's arms, "You never get anything past them. Don't even bother trying!"
Now his son was gaping at him. The omega and his grand-daughter laughed louder even as they moved towards the first step.
But it wasn't only Samuel who was practically speechless: Sam was nearly as lost for words… "How… when…? You and Dean have only been together again for about a week. I mean… he was looking after Johnny practically all the time…"
But then it was his turn to turn red as the younger man couldn't help but smirk momentarily: the green eyes glinting with amusement in a way that reminded the younger Winchester completely of his older brother. "Dean knew which room in the Bunker has the thickest walls…"
"Ew. Ew! I don't need to know any more! Ew." But even as Sam took his chance to also head out of the room, his hands held over his ears for comedic effect to make his (hopefully) oblivious to the innuendo, niece laugh even more, he couldn't help but reflect that the Samuel was undeniably the perfect match for Dean.
It was a long and strained next few days. Dean and Sam's Alpha counterpart didn't come back to the house at all. But they couldn't say that they didn't know where they were, as the television was full of images of them: interview after interview; meeting politicians and other dignitaries; making impromptu speeches to the adoring crowds that gathered wherever they were; yet more interviews...
The only difference, Samuel told Castiel and Sam with a big proud grin on his face, was that Dean was speaking up and answering back if necessary, often to his tall Alpha father's obvious annoyance, whereas previously his more timid omega look-alike had stayed in the background of interviews, smiling when addressed but otherwise hardly speaking a word.
The said omega had watched all the first day's events with increasing evident frustration… and then the end of the first night had asked Castiel to take him back to join them: "This is my fight as well. Dean's right: we should be standing as the two of us. As omega brothers.
I'm not going to hide anymore. I'm not going to stay silent."
"It might be dangerous," the angel had tried. "Dean wanted you safe… "
"I've never been safe. This world has never been safe: that's why we're doing this." The omega was adamant. "Please take me to them."
And so the very next interviewer had had the good fortune to be an Exclusive with a capital 'E': the two omegas sitting side by side, one gripping the other's hand so tightly that his knuckles were white while the other silently was convinced that he was going to hear his own bones crack at any moment… but they argued, and defied, and determinedly put their points across and kept putting them across…
… and they did the same with the next interview, and the next meeting… and the next Saturday demonstration…
… and although they did come back to the house as often as they could, (the Alpha having now negotiated the problem of the loss of his car into being offered a just about permanent and much better all-paid rental SUV and an accompanying driver/private bodyguard just in case…), there seemed to be always something else important for the two Deans and their mates (for Samuel had argued and argued and was not going to be left behind anymore) to be asked to do.
Though at least the house, and the other people in it, were being left alone. Both by the Press, and by the conspiratorial silence of their neighbours.
In fact, the only change had been the arrival of Bobby.
Samuel (who had still been there with his daughter that first day) had opened the door and all but dragged his surrogate grandfather into a huge hug. Immediately joined by his younger siblings who were also ecstatic to see the old man.
Then he and Sam were staring at each other.
"By my Lady," Bobby had eventually broken the short silence: "I know what you all told me, and I saw the two Deans together on the 'box', but… Damn…!"
"We know!" And everyone was bursting into laughter, with the exception of Sam, who felt that he could burst into tears at the sight of (or near enough) his much-missed friend… uncle… father-figure…
At least he didn't cry, he told himself.
Unlike Dean, who the first that he finally managed to come back into the house and saw the Bobby look-alike, stopped momentarily in shock , (them all having forgotten to tell him about the new arrival), and then rushed to greet the older man with tears already glinting in his eyes.
Bobby, even despite never having met Dean, understood, and hugged him back just as hard: only loosening his grip long enough to let the other Dean into the embrace as well.
By the time they let go, Dean's cheeks were openly wet. He wiped roughly at them in embarrassment: "Damn hormones!"
But the beta only smiled: "Ya damn idgit. I feel just the same, and I ain't got your excuse!"
He paused and looked Dean square in the eye: "Thank you for looking after these morons." He glanced at the original omega Dean, who grinned, and at Alpha Sam, who looked exasperated but bemused all in the same expression, "I don't know what I'd had done if you hadn't been there to stop that bastard…"
His own eyes were now welling up as well. "Dang it! I'm just being a pussy! C'mon here: you and this other Sam are every bit of family as they are!"
And all those present were going into a group hug.
With the exception of Castiel, who stood a bit awkwardly to one side.
Dean glanced across at him and twisted enough to hold out one hand: "You as well!"
"C'mon, Unca Cas!" Evie also shouted, and the angel found himself being engulfed by loving arms, all happy to be there: all grateful to be still together.
Time went on.
One week. Two weeks. And into a third…
By now, other News events had taken over: an earthquake here; a war there. The fight for omega equality had slipped down into the second, or even third, segment of most of the television stations' main updates.
Which meant that the two Deans and Samuel, at least, were now back at the house with their respective families a lot more.
Which Dean was grateful for, as his morning sickness was now kicking in: he had forgotten how bad it had gotten before with Evie. But to his relief (not that it was much), it wasn't quite as rough this time, possibly due to his body having had four more years of getting used to his adaption to being a were, and also that he had grabbed all the herbal remedies etc that Benjamin had taught him immediately he had sensed the change in his own scent, and had made sure to bring them along in his bag.
And also… this time, he had two living, breathing, caring omegas also in the house with him who had a lot of other suggestions for him and his anxious young mate, as Samuel was not going to miss a moment of this pregnancy, no matter how gross. They had even managed to contain it enough for his to do the interviews without having to suddenly race off to find the nearest receptacle to throw up in, (although a couple of times it had been a close thing.)
But he was glad to finally be able to curl up with his mate and daughter in the house and let all the insanity in the outside world die down for the time being. As were they all...
Not quite all.
Sam slipped into the garden through the back gate, and collapsed wearily into the seat of the nearest bench.
It hadn't taken him more than forty-eight hours to get completely fed up with being forced to stay inside all the time, so he had raided not only his own bag but also Samuel's wardrobe and unearthed training clothes, and more importantly, a few beanies.
With his long hair tied up and hidden up inside them, he could risk at least going outside to have a run and work off some stress: the Alpha's reputation and renown for his style, and his trademark sharply cut suits, working in Sam's favour as it made it less likely that anyone would look at him for more than a basic glance as he sped past them in slightly scruffy sweatpants and damp-pitted t-shirts.
(That's what he had hoped anyway, but although he wasn't aware of it, he was definitely noticed! More than a few people stopped what they were doing to enjoy the sight of his tight ass as he raced past!)
It helped him cope. A little.
But Sam still felt that he was going stir-crazy.
And to make it worse, he had only seen his brother alone a few times since their arrival in this world. He understood it…
But…
Dean seemed to always be with Samuel and their excited- to-soon-be-a-big-sister daughter, or he would be with the other Dean on his own (the two had grown a worrying close bond, especially as it turned out more and more each day that they shared the same slightly skewed sense of humour and both equally loved cooking as a way of relaxing), or he would be with the other Dean and Annie discussing either omega rights or omega's pregnancies… and if it were the former, then Sam's Alpha counterpart would usually join in if he were there, to explain the latest interview or event that he had organised…
When he did manage to see Dean, then there would be other people always around: the noise and bustle of a busy and thriving family; quarrels and companionship in equal measures, but never silence…
… and to his sight chagrin, although he was ashamed at himself for feeling so, Castiel seemed to have been adopted as the guardian and protector by all of them, especially the newly presented young omega who always seemed to be behind the angel every time he turned around, and Sam…
… well, he felt that he didn't belong…
… and he missed home. Their home. His and his brother's home: Dean's house in the other dimension. And he missed his job. And he missed the Bunker. And Jody. And Charlie. And Claire.
Even Garth.
"I know what you mean," He looked up as Annie slid into the garden chair beside him. She sighed: "They've been so good to me and Lauren. They took us in when we had absolutely nowhere to go when Sara abandoned us but…"
"But?"
"But," She considered her words carefully: concerned that they might come out wrong and make her sound entitled…"But. It's not my home. I'm still a guest. Even my room is their furniture, with memories of when that was all they had in their first tiny little house. I can put up a couple of pictures but that's it."
She looked around at the oasis of plants that surrounded them and continued: "If this were mine, I'd put a summer house over there. It would catch the sun every evening and I'd sit out in it. And perhaps a small pond in that corner; see if it could attract some wildlife: perhaps even dragonflies…
But I can't.
Because it's not mine to do anything with…"
Sam nodded. And steeled himself, ready to ask what he had been building up to try to ask…
"What are you two up to?" And Dean was striding over to join them, herbal tea in hand.
He grabbed one of the other chairs and pulled it across, even as Sam fought with his instincts to fuss over him: his brother had his mate for that this time, he though snidely to himself… "What's got your panties in a twist?"
"Dean!"
"Well, I can see you! You're obsessing over something! Things are finally calming down: they ain't perfect, sure, but at least there hasn't been any further trouble for the last week, and more importantly, at least so far it doesn't seem to have followed us here.
Besides, the ones caught doing the trouble were all Alphas, which has helped our argument a lot. People don't like when it's their belongings getting destroyed. They lose money. So if every Alpha idiotic act alters an opinion, it could mean an omega possibly being spared in the future…"
"Enough talking about it! It's still a long way off!" Sam couldn't help himself. He sighed at his own unfair outburst and tried to continue more calmly: "It might never 'get' there! We might never get there…"
Dean eyed him knowingly. And decided to address the elephant in the room… or in this case, the garden: "We might never get home, you mean?"
His younger brother didn't respond.
"Sam." Dean sat forward. "You probably already know this. But I won't be going 'home'. There's too much to do here, and this is where I need to be."
His little brother sniffled, and tried to hide it, pulling the beanie off quickly and undoing his sweaty hair so that it fell loose and over his face.
Dean chuckled, and shuffled his chair forward until he could get close enough to put his arm around the younger man. "You don't realise it, but your scent has been getting stronger every time I've come back. Strangely Cas's hasn't: he must be immune," he mused. "Although Johnny's not seeming to care. But perhaps you should…"
"I'm not going back without you!" Sam burst out. "I know. You warned me when we came here, but I'm staying! I'm not living without you in my life! I'm not!"
"I know, little brother, I know." The omega hugged him tightly and Sam felt all his rage and despair ebbing away at the soothing touch. "But I was going to say… that I've found my place here. Perhaps it's time you should find your place as well…"
"What?"
"Tell you what," Dean rapped him on his leg and got to his feet to return to the house. "Why don't you take this lovely lady beside you out for a meal or to a movie? I've just got to go and check something… and then we'll talk later. Okay, Bitch?"
"Jerk." Sam automatically responded. And felt better for doing so.
Even though his brother had basically just asked Annie out for him!
"Erm… where would you like to go…? I mean… would you…?"
"I'd love to!"
"You would?" Sam gazed at her in relief. And appreciation. She was so beautiful. "Erm…" He fumbled for something else to keep the conversation going. "I've been meaning to ask. What's the perfume that you use? It smells heavenly."
Her face flushed a perfect pink colour. "I'm not wearing anything. That's my scent."
"Oh." He paused. And blinked. "Wow. I didn't notice it at first. Too much going on, I suppose…"
Annie lent forward and put her hand on his knee, exactly where his brother had just a few moments before but much gentler. He liked her touch better.
"Dean's right," she told him. "Your scent is really coming through now. As strong as the other Sam's but slightly different now that I can smell it properly. Yours is more…" she considered: "fresh ground black pepper; or costus; more manly…" She blushed. "I really like it."
Sam stared at her. And then it was his turn for his face to redden. "Shall we go…?" he forced himself to speak again. "Where would you like to go…? I should get changed… Or would you prefer to…" Hastily he fumbled at the beanie as he didn't know what the hell he was saying, and went to tuck his hair back into it.
Annie caught at his hand: "I like your hair like that as well."
And then somehow they were staring at each other as they sat on the bench…
… and somehow they were still holding hands.