Chapter 17.
Outside Bobby's place, Sam opened the car door for Eileen and said, " You know the drill."
She nodded. "Draw fire from Dean and Anael, from you too, if I can."
"I wouldn't put it like that."
She patted her belly. "We have this little McGuffin right here. We can steer everything our way."
He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close for a kiss. "I love you." he mouthed.
She grinned at him and headed to the door. He followed. Before they reached it, Bobby came out to greet them.
"Hey, it's the best looking hunter in the country!" he said, loud enough to be heard inside. He grinned at Sam and added, "And that guy she married. Come on in, you two ... sorry, three."
John was just inside the door. He imperfectly signed, "Hi, how are you?" then said, "Did I get that right?"
"Almost." said Eileen, showing him the correct version.
"I need more practice." he said, "I'm learning."
"I appreciate the effort." she said.
Sam looked at Dean. He looked a little worried. "Your car's safe." Sam said, knowing that was not the reason.
"Good." said Dean.
"How's my godchild?" said Crowley to Eileen.
"I don't know," she said, "But our baby is fine."
Crowley nodded. "They don't want me taking the honour for granted." he said.
Bobby shook his head. "Completely delusional."
"Coffee?" Jules asked Sam and Eileen.
"Not for me." said Sam.
"Can I have a Coke?" said Eileen.
"Sweetheart, you can have anything you like." said Bobby.
"How come you never say that to me?" said Dean.
"Because you ain't pretty and you ain't useful." said Bobby.
"That's fair." said Dean.
Bobby turned to Eileen. "Love the exorcism you and the girls sent me. Creative."
"Well, gotta pull my weight, now I'm not hunting." she said.
"Have you stopped for good, or just for now?" said John.
"I'll decide that after Mary is born." she said.
To Sam's surprise, he nodded. "Yeah, that's best. See how you feel." He turned to Sam and said, "About now, I wish I had a storage locker full of money. Never really had anything of value to leave you."
"I don't know," said Sam, "Your journal has been useful."
Jules had brought Eileen's drink and she went to take it. John and Sam watched her go. "It's good to see you with someone like that," said John, "Someone so right for you. Take care of her and take care of that baby."
"I will." said Sam.
"Don't screw up, like I did."
"Dad, you kept us alive."
John smiled sadly at him. "That's your bar?"
"Beats the alternative." said Sam.
"You both deserved better and so does Mary. I want her to get to play in the dirt and climb trees and ride her bike for miles. I want her to go looking for frogs in old ponds and creeks. I want her to have birthday parties and sleepovers and ambitions."
"Well, Dean set up a college fund for her." said Sam.
John glanced at Dean. "That's a good start." He returned his attention to Sam. "Look after her, Sam. Give her the childhood I failed to give you." There were tears forming in his eyes. "Break the Winchester curse."
"I will." said Sam.
Dean spoke with absolute certainty, "Sammy, you already did. You married Eileen."
Sam wanted to ask Dean how it had been before they arrived and whether his arrival had broken some father-son bonding or relieved the pressure of an awkward conversation. It was impossible, of course, with John there and Dean's face, as usual, gave little information.
He looked to John instead. From time to time, John looked at Dean with apparent approval and Sam found himself feeling better. Whatever had been said before their arrival, it had not been said in anger.
John said, "I bet you boys had to civilised fast, once you had to share accommodations with ladyfolk."
Dean chuckled. "I think we did okay. Helps that they're so tolerant. Jules came from an apocalyptic wasteland, so our nice, clean bunker was an improvement. We make an effort."
"Dean's not being fair to them." said Anael, "There's nothing wrong with the place."
"Apart from Dean's occasional reluctance to let go of junk food after it conceals." said Sam.
John laughed. "The emergency burrito is still a thing? That's hilarious."
"I never throw away viable food." said Dean.
"You never were one to waste a meal," said John, "But your idea of viable is pretty generous."
A shadow crossed Dean's face and Sam regretted bringing it up. Dean had started the habit in the days when food had been scarce and uncertain, when John might go away for days at a time and Dean had to figure out how to feed them both. Yes, it was annoying when he left burgers around the place until the smell made even Dean give up on it, but Sam remembered many a meal where he had eaten something fresh and Dean had choked down something "viable."
He was a out to change the subject when Dean said, "Hey, microbes gotta live too, right?"
Sam nodded, smiling. "Yeah, I guess they do."
"And they've been relying on the burgers on Dean's nightstand since 1991."
"I never noticed any old fast food around your room." said Anael.
Dean looked awkwardly at her and then away. "Yeah, well, sharing quarters with an angel ... I needed to try harder."
"You changed for me?" she said.
Sam found the surprise touching. He had seen a lot of changes in his brother since Anael had come into his life, but she seemed genuinely not to have noticed.
"He'd be a fool if he didn't," said John, "And my boys were never fools."
"Never?" said Crowley. There was an edge to his tone that Sam didn't like and he darted a look at Anael that was far from friendly.
Before Sam could say anything, Cas said, "Problem, Crowley?"
Crawley shrugged. "You know me. I keep my opinions to myself."
"Probably a wise move." said Cas with polite menace.
Sam saw the uncertainty in Anael's eyes. Dean was hiding his feelings well. Only someone who knew him could see how much he wanted Crowley to shut up. Anael was trying, but she lacked practice.
Sam smiled at her. "seems incredible, doesn't it, Dean, Cas and me, all with beautiful partners?"
"Long overdue." said Bobby, "But it's good to see it."
"Good to be living it." Said Sam, going over to slip his arm around Eileen. He looked at Dean, hoping he might take the hint, but Dean was looking at John.
"Things are okay now, between you and your dad?" he said.
John looked uncomfortable. "The stuff I said about him ... I didn't know. I mean, it's not your first guess that your dad left when you were a kid to save yodidsons in the future."
"He tried to get back to you, Dad. He did." said Dean.
"Did everything he could." Sam confirmed.
"He told me." said John, "And now I feel like a sick for hating him all those years and for teaching you two to hate him."
"I didn't ask about the past." said Dean gently, "Things are good now?"
"Hey, my job to take care of the deceased side of the family. You stick to the living."
"Sounds like a no." said Dean.
"No, it's not." said John, "We're getting to know each other and Mom's so relieved he didn't run off with some other woman. Paradise is trouble-free for now." After a short silence he said, "Your mother's mother is in Heaven, but we can't find her father."
"No." said Dean.
"He make some kind of deal or is he out vengeful-spiriting?"
"It's complicated." said Dean.
"Not that complicated, surely?" said Crowley, "Sold his grandsons to a demon. He earned his place downstairs."
"And which demon was that?" said Dean.
"It was my job!" Crowley insisted.
"Samuel betrayed you?" said John.
"No." said Dean sharply. "Well okay, yes, but this worthless piece of ..."
"Love you too." said Crowley.
"He promised to bring Mom back. Samuel did what he did to save her."
Sam was surprised. He wasn't sure he could have presented the facts so kindly, but he knew why Dean did it. He couldn't ask their father to lie to Mary and nor did he want either parent scouring Hell in search of revenge.
"You're angry with him anyway." said John.
"Yeah, I'm human, but I understand why he did it."
"And you haven't asked your god friend to get him out?"
"No. He still did it."
"Dean's grown a lot in the past few years," said Crowley, but he's still, essentially, Dean. Can't say I blame him. Samuel did sell out rather quickly."
"Sounds like it was your fault." said John.
"I'm sure Samuel will find his way out eventually." said Crowley.
"Is he being tortured?" said John.
"Only by his conscience, which, I grant, for your family is a cruel torture indeed. No, experience has taught me to be lenient with those who have any familial claim on Dean's loyalty, however faint."