Loving all these new reviews :) keep them coming.

### ###

Dean opened the door to Bobby's house and held it open for Taylor. He made eye contact with Kate and shook his head.

Kate wanted to talk to Taylor but it was clear that Dean was against that.

"Head up to your room." Dean said. He sighed. "Kate, Lacy is going to pick you up for a girl's day."

Kate chewed her cheek. "Weren't you planning on spending time with her?"

"Yeah, I was but plans changed. Do you need anything from your room?" Dean asked.

Kate shrugged. "I can get by without it."

"Bobby, did you let dad know what was going on?" Dean asked.

"Yes, he wants a word with Taylor." Bobby said.

Kate cringed. "Thanks for not letting me go over there this weekend."

Dean snorted. "Stop gloating. Your good streak won't last forever."

"Maybe it will." Kate said.

Dean ruffled her hair. "Your older self sold you out."

"How rude of me." Kate said.

"Just get ready. She is on her way over here." Dean said.

Kate ran up to the bathroom and brushed her hair back and made sure she didn't look like she had spent the morning being lazy. She ran back down and hugged Dean and Bobby. "If she asks for dirt, I'm telling her what she wants to know."

Dean tugged her ponytail. "Just remember the dirt I have on you."

Kate scrunched her nose. She saw Lacy's car and ran outside. "Dean said we are having a girl's day."

"Yep. How would you feel about pedicures?" Lacy asked.

Kate smiled. "That sounds fun. I also want to get some temporary dye."

Lacy tilted her head. "What kind?"

"Something crazy like blue or pink. I want to ruffle Dean but still live to see my 20s."

Lacy laughed. "That sounds fun."

Dean paced around Bobby's office. "Have I mentioned I hate being the parental figure?"

"A few times." Bobby said.

Dean groaned. He was waiting on a call back from John before he went upstairs. He couldn't help thinking back to a similar situation that he had been in a decade ago.

(Flashback to the spring of 1992)

Dean was soaking wet from running through the woods during a rain shower. His teeth were chattering and the small heater beside the officer's desk did little to remedy the chills.

"What is your name, son?" The officer asked.

Dean looked at the floor. "I'm not your son."

The officer sighed. "I've got you on trespassing and breaking and entering. Cooperation is about the only thing that is going to help you right now."

Dean didn't want to give up his name. It was the first time he had been in handcuffs and the officer had clamped them tight around his wrists.

"How old are you?" The officer asked.

Dean shook his head.

"You are a minor. You need a parent to come pick you up." The officer said.

Dean twisted his wrists to see if he could slip the cuffs but his jacket sleeve was caught. Newly nine-year-old Sam was in a motel room, probably scared out of his mind because his brother wasn't back yet. "I'm 13."

The officer studied the boy beside him. "What is your name?"

"Look, isn't it against the law to talk to a kid without a guardian or something?" Dean asked.

"You'd have to give me someone's name so that I could call them in."

Dean gritted his teeth. He was not about to have John Winchester called into a police station to pick him up. "If you uncuff me, I can dial the number."

"If I uncuff you, you are going to try to run again." The officer said.

Dean slumped. "I won't. You can cuff me after."

The officer unlocked the cuffs and handed Dean a phone.

Dean dialed Bobby's number and rubbed the side of his face where a limb had caught him.

Bobby answered the phone although he didn't know the number. "Hello?"

"Hey, Uncle Bobby." Dean managed to say.

Bobby could tell by the added name and the tone of Dean's voice that he was in some type of trouble. "Dean?"

"Yes, sir." Dean said.

"Where are you? What is wrong?" Bobby asked.

Dean shifted in his seat. "I need you to pick me up." He protested when the officer took the phone from him.

Bobby spoke to the officer and grabbed his keys. If John was gone and Dean was at the station, Sam must be in a motel nearby. He knew the aliases and places that John liked to stay. He called a motel that he thought would be the right one and asked for one of John's aliases. He got through to the room and sighed when Sam answered. "Hey, Sam. This is Bobby. I'm on my way to pick you and Dean up. Yeah, he's alright. He just got himself into some trouble. It will take a little bit for me to get there. Are you hungry? Okay, I'm going to order you a pizza. When the delivery person gets there, you tell them your dad is in the shower and you want them to put the pizzas next to the door."

Dean knew that Bobby would take care of Sam. He felt like a fool for leaving Sam in the first place. His clothes were mostly dry by the time Bobby showed up with Sam in tow. Bobby had spoken to the police officer and had gotten the charges dropped. Dean was so glad to be out of the police station that he didn't catch the look on Bobby's face.

"Uh, thank you, Bobby." Dean said.

Bobby grumbled. "Don't be thanking me yet, your daddy is on his way back."

Dean's face paled. "What?"

"He called me when he didn't get an answer from the motel room phone." Bobby said.

"What did you tell him?" Dean asked.

"I told him the truth, Dean." Bobby said.

Dean felt himself starting to shake. "What... what did he say?"

Bobby shook his head. "Let's get you back to the motel room and get you some dry clothes. Then, we will go back to my house. He will meet us there."

Dean remembered that incident vividly because it was the first 'real' whipping he had gotten from John. The others had been over jeans and just a few licks to get the point across. No, that time was different in a lot of ways.

(end flashback)

Bobby whistled. "Have I been talking to myself for the last five minutes?"

Dean blinked. "Oh, sorry. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Do you remember the first time I got picked up by the police? I was 13 and you had to come get me and Sam." Dean said.

Bobby nodded. "Yeah, I remember." He rubbed his face. "These kids are reliving all of your greatest hits."

Dean cringed. "God, I hope not."

Taylor ran the events through his head. Why had they gone out there in the first place? What were they hoping to find? Why had they gone in, although the notice was posted on the door? He knew those were questions that would be asked by Dean but he didn't have any answers. He started thinking about the barn from a hunter's perspective. Even if humans weren't around, there could have been spirits or demons. He walked right in without thinking about that. Nate could have been possessed by something and he wouldn't have known. One of his abilities was sensitive to demons but could a demon know that and adjust themselves? He put his head in his hands and took a deep breath. The more he thought about it, the more he knew he had messed up.

Dean heard his phone ring and took a moment before answering. "Hey, dad. Yes. He is out without charges. I sent him to his room." He closed his eyes briefly. "Yes, I'll give him the phone."

Taylor felt like he was going to pass out.

Dean held his hand out. "He wants to talk to you."

Taylor took the phone and put it to his ear. "Yes, sir?"

Dean sat down on the top of the stairs. He knew much of what John was going to say and he didn't want to sit through it. He wasn't sure how much time had gone by when Taylor walked out of the bedroom. He got a look at Taylor's face and felt bad for the kid.

"He wants to talk to you now." Taylor said.

Dean stood up and took the phone.

Taylor walked slowly back to his bed and picked at a thread in his jeans. If he had any shred of hope that his adventure wasn't 'that bad', John destroyed it with a rather intense lecture. Craig would scream and degrade him until he felt like dirt. John wasn't degrading. He was stern and could put the fear of God into someone but it was different.

Dean got off the phone with John and went in to talk to Taylor. "Has your ear fallen off yet?"

Taylor shook his head.

Dean sighed. "I don't think you all realize how much I hate doing this."

Taylor swallowed. "I'm sorry."

Dean studied Taylor. He was certain that Taylor did realize what he did. On the surface, hiking over to a condemned barn wasn't unforgivable. If Taylor had no idea about the supernatural, the transgression would be small. However, that was a barn that David's cult was involved with. There were demon sigils and any number of things could have popped up. He did wonder where the holy oil came in. He or Bobby would need to go up to the barn to figure that bit out. "I had my first run-in with the police when I was 13."

Taylor furrowed his eyebrows. "Really?"

"You act surprised. Is that because you expected me to be older or younger?" Dean asked.

Taylor gave him a sheepish look. "Younger."

"Something happens when those teenage hormones set in. You feel invincible and like you are smarter than anyone alive. You get cocky and overestimate your ability to sneak around." Dean said.

Taylor looked down at the floor.

"There were a few times I swiped things like eggs or candy bars. Don't do that. You have plenty of food. Dad was gone on a hunt and Sam and I were in a motel room. I got the bright idea to check out this abandoned house. There wasn't anything interesting in there. I don't even remember why I went to that house. On my way out, I ran right into a police officer. A neighbor had seen me climbing through a window and called the cops."

Taylor grimaced. "What happened?"

"Bobby picked me up. Dad ditched the hunt and met us here." Dean said. "He made a lasting impression, I'll give him that."

"Haven't you been arrested a few times since then?" Taylor asked.

Dean blew air through his nose. "Well, yeah but I had a better understanding of how badly I wanted to avoid that after the first time." He got up and rubbed his face as he paced. He hated that type of deja vu. "I can feel myself aging. Okay, let's get this over with."

Taylor eyed him.

Dean motioned for him to stand up. "Dad saved me a lot of wasted air. I'm assuming the lecture was up to par with his usual."

Taylor nodded.

"Stand up."

Taylor complied. Dean had a determined look on his face that made Taylor worry.

"Drop 'em and get over the foot of the bed." Dean said.

Taylor flinched. "What?"

Dean pointed to his jeans. "Drop them."

Taylor looked at his legs and then back at Dean.

"Just the jeans." Dean said.

"Dean, come on, man." Taylor said.

"Don't 'come on, man' me." Dean said.

Taylor took a step back. "That isn't necessary."

"Yeah, it is. Trust me, I didn't like it when dad did it to me. It does leave an impression though." Dean said. He sighed. "You have boxers on, right?"

"Yes." Taylor said.

"So, you're golden. I'm not going to argue with you." He looked at his watch. "I have all afternoon but I'm going to add on licks the longer you wait."

Taylor very reluctantly did as Dean asked. He held his breath and turned his back to Dean.

Dean unbuckled his belt and pulled it through the loops on his jeans.

Taylor's breath hitched. "You are using that?"

"Yes. Bend." Dean said.

Taylor was so concerned with the embarrassment of the pants thing that he didn't think about the difference that material made in protection. He sucked in a breath of air and gritted his teeth.

"I know dad gave you the rundown on what you did wrong but I'm just going to go back over that." Dean said and hit him below the previous stripe. "You left Nate's without telling any of us." He landed three more. "You went somewhere that you knew you shouldn't have." He landed two more below the other, catching Taylor across the thighs. "You got the police involved." He paused. "That is the minor stuff."

Taylor had been silent up to that point. The licks hurt but he had kept his composure. Knowing that Dean hadn't even got to the root of the issue made him nervous.

Dean took a page from John's book and started laying down licks at a quicker pace. "You ran straight into a building that you KNEW had demonic ties. You didn't bring any kind of weapon. You didn't check the place first. It was a place your brother went to which I'm assuming clouded your judgment."

Taylor's brain was all over the place. He twisted slightly and tried to breathe through what he had decided was the worst belting he had gotten. "Dean."

Dean put a hand on his back. "I'm going to give you a second because you are going to burst a blood vessel if you don't take a breath."

Taylor let out the breath he was holding and started to break down.

Dean jingled the belt in his hand and tapped his own leg with it a few times to give Taylor some form of a warning. "You have been trained to avoid those situations."

Taylor sniffled and tucked his arms under his chest.

Dean sighed and gave him a few more licks. "What was your plan if there were demons there?"

Taylor groaned. "I could use my abilities."

Dean gave him a harder lick. "Weren't you trying to not use your abilities in public because you have a hunter that is suspicious of you?"

Taylor hissed. "Yes."

"Does Nate have any type of training?"

"No." Taylor said, regretfully.

"So you took a civilian into a known hub for supernatural activity, without weapons, without an adult, and without telling anyone where the hell you were?" Dean said.

Taylor stiffened. "Yes."

Dean tapped Taylor's back. "Scoot up."

Taylor had hoped Dean was done.

Dean reminded him to stay where he was and finished the licks out on Taylor's sit spots and upper thighs. "Do not put civilians in danger for no damn reason."

Taylor completely broke down and sobbed into his blanket. He could have gotten Nate killed. Anything could have happened and he was so focused on his own teenage angst that he didn't even see it.

Dean put his belt back on and gave Taylor a few minutes to regain some form of composure. He pulled on his shoulder and told him to pull his jeans back up. Once he was righted, Dean pulled him into a hug and prevented him from pulling away. "Nope, you are accepting the hug."

Taylor hiccuped and gave in to the hug. "I'm so sorry."

"Me too, kid. Me too." Dean said. He let Taylor take a step back and gave him a sympathetic look. "Would you believe that hurts me more than it hurts you?"

Taylor used his t-shirt to wipe his face. "No."

"I always thought it was a stupid saying. Just, make better choices. Learn from my mistakes." Dean said.

Taylor nodded. "Please tell me that John won't double up."

"No, I told him it would be like it was when I did it at 13." Dean said.

Taylor grimaced. "Was it?"

"Yes." Dean said. "I didn't go easy on you. Even if you are rebelling or doing whatever the hell you were doing, you've got to be mindful of what is out there." He could see Taylor was still trying to keep it together. "I'm going to go downstairs. Make sure I didn't overlap the wrong way or something. You can come down when you want to."

Taylor's cheeks turned slightly pink. "Okay, thank you."

Dean spun on his heel and went down the stairs. He got a bottle of water and fell into the chair across from Bobby's desk.

Bobby looked up at him. "Is he going to be alright?"

"You should be more worried about me." Dean said.

Bobby smirked. "Are you going to be alright?"

Dean sighed. "No. Older Kate said there would be plenty more dumb things being done. No one prepared me for this. At least, with the majority of the shit Sam pulled, I was an accomplice."

Bobby snorted. "I think you mean Sam was the accomplice."

"I wish they'd learn from us instead of copying us." Dean said.

"I know I told you stories about myself as a kid. Your dad did too. Did any of that deter you from anything?" Bobby asked.

Dean sat up. "No, when I was a kid, I thought I was untouchable and could get away with all of it."

"How much did you get away with?" Bobby asked.

"More than you and dad know about but less than I'd have liked." Dean said with a chuckle.

### ###

Kate picked out nail polish to match Lacy and sat back in the salon chair. Her feet were ticklish and she giggled through much of that part of the spa day. She was worried about Taylor but tried to focus on herself.

"I have a friend that does hair. She can dye your hair with dye that will wash out." Lacy said.

Kate was excited about that. "Can she straighten it too?"

"If you want her to. I love your curls."

Kate sighed. "They are a pain most of the time."

"People pay to have their hair permed. Mine is just wavy and sad so I have to curl it for work." Lacy said.

Kate thought Lacy was pretty and hoped she was like that when she got to be an adult.

They finished up with pedicures and got a bite to eat before going to the hair salon.

Kate sat back in the chair and let the stylist do what she wanted with her hair. It was nice to be pampered. Having her hair washed was something she wouldn't mind having done more often. She almost fell asleep during that. The stylist finished drying and straightening her hair and turned the chair around so she could see herself. She sat forward. "Whoa!" Her hair was blonde at the top with color on the ends that went from pink to purple. Her hair was so much longer than she thought it was.

Lacy smiled. "Do you like it?"

Kate grinned. "I love it!" She wondered if she could keep her hair dyed because she really liked it.

Dean checked on Taylor. "How are you doing?"

Taylor was laying on his bed reading a book. "I'm alive."

"I will need to pick up Kate. I just don't want to ditch you if you are still working through something." Dean said.

Taylor rolled over and hissed. "I'm okay. I'm really at the point where I want to face people right now but I'm okay."

"Okay. I'll be back. I'll tell Kate to leave you alone." Dean said.

Taylor smiled. "Thanks."

Dean drove over to the mall to meet Lacy and Kate. He saw Kate and a look of horror crossed his face.

Kate laughed. "What is wrong?"

Dean blinked rapidly and spun her around to get a better look at the hair. "What did you do to your hair?"

"Temporary dye and a straightener," Kate said. "Do you like it."

Dean looked at the color. "It is interesting. The color suits you."

Kate wasn't sure what his face meant. "Are you actually upset?"

"No. I was shocked. You just... you look like a teenager." Dean said.

Lacy laughed. "That was the horrified look?"

Dean nodded. "It is like getting a glimpse of you when you are older and I'm not ready for that."

Kate hugged him. "Don't worry. It washes out."

Dean smiled at her. "If you are trying to make me freak out over dye, you are going to have to do better than that. I'm of the mind that women can do what they want with their hair."

Lacy scrunched her nose and kissed him. "I've been working on him, Kate."

"He's almost civilized," Kate said with a grin.

Dean messed up her hair and chuckled when she screeched and smoothed it back down. "I need to get you back to the house."

Lacy said goodbye to Kate. "Are you coming over tonight?"

Dean shrugged. "I plan on it but it depends on if this one plans on going off the deep end."

Kate rolled her eyes. "I'm committed to good behavior."

Dean winked at Lacy. "I'll be over in a little bit."

### ###

Sam squeezed Jess's hand as her mom bragged about her cousin.

"Stacy is top of her class. She already has an internship."

Jess stabbed a piece of chicken with her fork. "That is good for her."

"Samuel, do you have an internship?"

Sam had told her to call him Sam but she insisted on calling him by his 'proper' name. "No, ma'am. This is my first year here. I haven't applied for law school yet."

"Stanford is very competitive. I'm not sure what you are waiting for."

Jess slammed her fork down. "Mom, enough. Sam is the smartest person I've met. He got into Stanford on grades. I don't care if Stacy is the president of the United States. Stop comparing us. Nothing I do is good enough for you and I'm done." She got up and left the table, running out the door to the garden.

Sam awkwardly got up and followed her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and let her cry into his chest.

"I hate it here." Jess said.

"We don't have to come to these dinners." Sam said.

Jess hiccuped. "You don't understand. They'll cut me off."

Sam rubbed her back. "Don't let her get to you. You are amazing. Stacy sounds like a bit of a bitch."

Jess cracked a smile. "She is."

"So, I know how amazing you are, and you know how amazing you are. Your mom is just trying to get at you. She probably thinks she is motivating you." Sam said.

Jess asked Sam to make sure her eye makeup hadn't smeared. She took a deep breath and went back to the table.

"Oh, you've returned."

Jess simply went back to her meal.

"I would have thought you'd have outgrown the childish tantrums by now."

Sam flicked the side of Jess's leg to remind her he was right beside her. "My eleven-year-old sister is interning at a lab. She is interested in science and medicine. She knows how to suture a wound and her stitches are impeccable."

"Why is she interested in that at such a young age?"

"She is bright and gets bored. She is hoping to be the one that cures a rare disease one day."

That seemed to intrigue her mother enough to get her off of Jess's back.

"His brother is amazing at sports as well. Wasn't he on an all star team?" Jess asked.

"Yes." Sam said. Taylor had been on an all-star team before the shit hit the fan. "He's the best pitcher on this side of the US."

"Sadly, we don't have any sporty people in our family." Jess said.

"Well, your father was a wonderful lacrosse player before he was injured."

Jess fought the urge to roll her eyes. Her dad would launch into stories of his glory days any chance he got. Her mom always had to be the best. She had to have the best husband and the best things. She always wanted the best daughter and Jess never quite measured up. She got through the rest of dinner and back to the apartment before breaking down.

Sam held her and let her cry. "Talk to me."

"I'm not good enough." Jess said.

"That isn't true. You are too good." Sam said.

"No, my grades were never perfect enough. My hair was too stringy. My teeth were too crooked. Stacy was perfect. Your family is awesome. They save the world. I can't measure up to that." Jess said.

Sam sighed. "Everything your mom said was wrong. I happen to like your hair. My family can be awesome and can save the world but you can't compare yourself to them. That is apples to oranges. You are pure and kind. You are my escape from that kind of stuff."

"Why do you stay with me?" Jess asked.

Sam squeezed her. "Because you are way out of my league. I'm lucky you gave me the time of day."

Jess wasn't sure why she was so emotional. Maybe her mom had just broken her resolve. "Please promise you'll take me away from here one day."

"I promise." Sam said. He got what it felt like to be the black sheep of the family. He had wanted to run from his own family for years but now that he was away, he got homesick. Had John fought him over college, things would be a different story. He knew how that story was supposed to go and couldn't cope with losing Jess. Maybe, after law school, they could settle somewhere new Sioux Falls. He could open or join a practice and Jess could have the stability and family she wanted.

### ###

Kate checked on Taylor and asked him if he wanted her to bunk with Dean.

"No, I'm sorry I wasn't the nicest to you." Taylor said.

"We are good. You can be annoying sometimes too."

Taylor chuckled. "Thanks, Kate."

Kate sat back down in front of the fire and doodled in her notebook. Each day, throughout the day, she thought about each person in her life. She didn't scry on them but she could tell when someone's heart was heavy. It was fuzzier when they were close by or maybe the emotions were stronger and drowned each other out. John's heart felt heavy. Could it be from Taylor? She continued to doodle. He wouldn't be a fan of her reading him. Except, she wasn't reading him. She spun her cell phone on the floor and chewed her cheek. Just do it, Kate.

John was sitting in his motel room with an opened bottle of beer. He answered his phone. "Hey, Katie."

Kate frowned at his tone. "Hey."

John waited for Kate to say something, unsure of why she called.

"Um, how are you?" Kate asked.

John sipped his beer. "I'm good. How are you?"

"Uh, good. I uh... just wanted to check on you." Kate said.

John scratched his scruffy chin. "Kate."

Kate sighed. "Okay, fine. I didn't scry. I can feel some emotions when I focus on people and I do it every day to think about people I know. I can't see or hear anything. I just feel."

John put his beer bottle down. "So you decided to call me?"

"Well, I think your heart is heavy." Kate said.

"What makes you think that?"

"Your tone of voice. You sound tired but not sleepy tired. I know you are stressed because of Taylor and stuff. I don't know, these abilities don't come with a guide." Kate said.

John thought it was sweet that she'd call based on a feeling. "I'm not stressed because of Taylor. Dean handled that."

"Well, what is on your mind?"

"Nothing you need to worry about." John said.

Kate shifted so her feet were closer to the fire. "The party line the last few months has been to talk to someone before bad things happen. Maybe I don't need to worry about it but you are worried about it and who else are you going to talk to?"

John chuckled. "You are like a dog with a bone."

"Persistence is one of my good qualities," Kate said.

John fidgeted with the beer bottle and closed his eyes. "I am thinking about Mary. That is probably what you picked up on."

"Spill, I'm all ears." Kate said.

"She was a wonderful mother. She never wanted the hunting life for Sam and Dean. She had this vision of a big family with plenty of kids running around. She wanted pets and a small garden. Sometimes, I start thinking about that and feel like I'm failing her. I think she'd be pissed with what I've done." John admitted.

"You made the choices you did because of the hand you were dealt. That vision was made on the assumption that the things she hunted wouldn't show up after she left the life." Kate said.

John sighed. "Taylor caught me off guard. I didn't expect him to be that careless."

Kate smirked. "I know. That is usually my move."

John chuckled. "You do have that habit. I'm impressed with you lately though. Dean swears you've been nothing but sunshine and rainbows."

Kate warmed with the compliment. "Don't worry, I'll be right back to my regular antics when the shock of Taylor's adventure wears off."

John couldn't help but smile. "I don't know if I have ever told anyone this but Dean was a good toddler. When Sam was born, he was the best big brother. Then, Sam was an easy baby. Mary swore we needed a girl to liven up the family. She said that Sam and Dean were far too mild."

Kate grinned. "Huh, guess she was right. You got the 'plenty of kids' part of it all. You just went about it in an unconventional way."

"Four is plenty." John said. He thought about how much Mary would have enjoyed each of the kids' personalities. "I don't think she'd forgive me for raising the boys in this life."

"I think she'd come around to the idea. I wouldn't be the token girl of the family if you hadn't. Actually, I would have burned up in that nursery fire had you not become a hunter." Kate said.

John let his shoulders relax.

"Wasn't Mary pretty spunky?" Kate asked.

John smiled. "Yeah, she was."

"So, if she were around, she'd probably give you an earful about your parenting choices, and then she'd forgive you and try to mother the rough edges off of us." Kate said.

John chuckled. "You are probably right."

"I know you are a hunter at your core but maybe you could be here more often. I am totally well adjusted and not needy at all but Taylor would probably like that." Kate said.

John took another sip of his beer. He heard Kate's silent plea although she blamed it on Taylor's needs. "I will try."

Kate felt like she was getting through John's tough outer shell. "You know what happens to girls with no solid father figure around? I'd hate for that to happen."

John laughed. "If you tried to become any of those stereotypes, Dean would lose it."

Kate snorted. "Lacy took me to get my hair dyed. The ends are pink and purple. This is just part one of my impending rebellion."

Oh, Mary would love Kate to pieces. John pinched the bridge of his nose. "You had better stifle the rebellious tendencies. That isn't a game you want to play. I'll finish up this hunt and then stop in for a few days."

Kate put Millie in her lap. "I'll put my rebellion on hold." She started to say something but kept stopping herself.

"What are you wanting to say?" John asked.

Kate groaned. "It is nothing."

"Go ahead and say it." John said.

Kate licked her lips. "Well, um, does it seem disrespectful when we call you by our name since you adopted us. I know it isn't the same and I don't want to make it weird. Taylor never had a good dad. I had my dad. He was a good dad."

Kate's rambling was so mixed that John took a bit to understand what she was saying. "Kate."

"Nevermind. That was stupid." Kate said.

"Katelyn." John said.

"Yes, sir?" Kate asked in a squeaky voice.

"Either is fine." John said. He finished off the beer.

Kate cleared her throat. "Oh."

"I would be honored but I'm not going to force that on either of you." John said.

Kate chewed on her thumbnail. "Um.. its probably late where you are.."

John looked at his watch. "It is getting that way."

Kate looked around her to make sure no one else was around. "Um goodnight, J.. d.. jo.. um dad."

John chuckled. "Goodnight Katie."

Dean was on the other side of the wall and heard the ending part of that conversation. He tiptoed away, not intending to encroach on their moment. He poured himself a drink and a second for Bobby before going back to his office.

Bobby raised an eyebrow. "What does that face mean?"

Dean lifted the glass to his nose and swirled the liquid, savoring the smell. "Kate got under dad's skin the only way little girls can."

Bobby snorted.

Dean rolled his eyes. "I've spent 23 years with the man and she comes along and digs right in and finds the soft center." He downed the whole drink and cleared his throat. "Those damn kids."