Chapter Text
Sam was tired as hell by the time he drove up to Dean’s place with Casey asleep in the backseat. She hadn’t needed surgery, but the doctor wasn’t entirely sure what her range of motion would be. Casey had full feeling in her arm and all her fingers, and the doctor was hopeful that time and care would resolve the problem.
Then again, Sam knew how to read doctors, and he had been cautious in his diagnosis, the kind of cautious that said they knew Casey’s family couldn’t pay for surgery, and that while it might be necessary, it might not be feasible, at least not right now.
With luck, she’d be at full capacity in a few weeks. If not, they’d cross that bridge when they came to it.
Cas came out to meet Sam when he pulled the Caddy up in front of the house. And maybe that was the answer, Sam thought. They could sell the vehicle to pay for surgery if necessary.
“How is she?” Cas asked as Sam maneuvered Casey out of the backseat.
“Still on pain medication,” Sam replied. “So she’s pretty out of it most of the time. The doctor gave her a sling to immobilize the arm, and he was hopeful that she’ll fully heal.”
“And if she doesn’t?” Cas asked.
Sam shrugged. “She’ll need surgery. The doctor made it pretty clear that it wouldn’t be imperative, but—you know.”
“Yes, I know,” Cas said with a sigh. “We’ll come up with the money if we need to. Let’s put her on the couch for now. We should be able to keep an eye on her that way.”
“Where’s Dean?” Sam asked.
Cas smiled. “He took the kids into town for another lesson with Julia, although it should be almost over by now. Howl said not to bother going over there until you’ve slept and eaten and seen Julia.”
Sam hesitated. “So, you wouldn’t mind if—”
Cas laughed. “Go, Sam. I’ll look after Casey.”
Sam put her down on the couch, tucking a throw blanket around her, and running a hand over her hair. Casey’s eyes opened, and she looked at him through dilated pupils. “Uncle Sam?”
He smiled at the honorific. “Yeah. You’re home, tough stuff. Cas is going to look after you for now.”
Casey gave him a smile that was equal parts sly and silly. “You going to see your girlfriend?”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Sam replied. “You going to be okay by yourself?”
“I won’t be by myself,” Casey said. “Papa Cas is here.”
Sam touched her unbruised cheek. “That’s right, he is. And everybody else is going to be home soon.”
“Henry, too?” Casey asked.
“Henry especially,” Sam promised. “He’s going to be really excited to see you.”
“He’s my best friend,” Casey informed him seriously.
Sam smiled. “I know he is, sweetheart.”
“I love you, Uncle Sam.”
“Yeah, that’s just because of my pretty face,” Sam replied, touching the tip of her nose. “Go back to sleep.”
“She’s been in and out of it,” Sam told Cas as he rose from his kneeling position next to the couch. “The medicine makes her loopy, and—”
“And she trusts you,” Cas said quietly. “And that’s important.”
“I think I’ll go see Julia,” Sam said. “If you don’t mind.”
“Go,” Cas replied. “Enjoy.”
“Cas—” Sam thought of all the things he hadn’t said, all the things he couldn’t say. Cas had been there for Dean for all these years, helping Dean to raise these kids. Cas had given Dean a home, a partner, and Sam was grateful for it. “Thanks.”
He had no idea how much Cas understood, but he smiled warmly. “Thanks for coming home, Sam.”
Sam headed to town on the bike, grateful to have the wind in his face and in his hair as he drove the familiar road. He hadn’t seen Julia for a couple of days, and he craved her presence. He wanted to fill her in, to tell her all about the last few days, including what it had felt like to be there for Casey and have her trust.
Sam wanted her to understand that he was in this for the long haul. That he was interested in a relationship with her—and her kid.
Sam thought he might finally be ready to put the past completely behind him.
He spotted the WIllys parked out in front of Julia’s house when he approached and knocked briefly before walking inside.
Dean was the first to greet him. “Maryanne said you were on your way back,” Dean said, meeting him in the hallway. “How is she?”
“High on pain meds,” Sam replied. “But hanging in there. She’s a tough kid.”
“Hence the nickname.”
Sam frowned. “What? Tough stuff?”
“Yeah, you know that’s going to stick, right?” Dean asked.
“Is that a problem?”
“No, it’s not,” Dean assured him. “Thanks for taking Casey to the hospital.”
Sam shrugged it off. “It wasn’t so bad.”
He heard Julia’s voice. “Okay, everybody. Next week, Ben and Mary are going to work on chapter 15 of the biology texts. I know we don’t have actual rats to dissect, so pay close attention to the diagrams. Henry, I want you to focus on chapter 12, and Ryan, Cora and Aubrey, we’re going to talk about the scientific method, okay?”
Sam grinned at her instructions. He had to admit that he was hot for teacher under these circumstances. He leaned against the wall outside Julia’s living room, greeting the kids as they passed. Henry bounced when he saw Sam. “Casey?” Henry asked.
“She’ll be happy to see you,” Sam replied. “Really happy.”
Henry nodded eagerly. “Okay. Thanks, Uncle Sam.”
Aubrey danced up to him. “Sam! You’re back!”
“I am,” Sam replied. “How are you?”
“I’m going to spend the night with Ryan!” Aubrey said excitedly. “Mom said I could!”
Sam felt his heart skip a beat, and then he smiled, grateful that Aubrey didn’t understand what it meant for his mom for him to spend the night elsewhere. “That’s great. You guys are going to have all kinds of fun.”
“Yeah, we are,” Aubrey said assuredly. “You have fun, too, Uncle Sam!”
“You can bet on it, bud,” Sam replied, glancing up to meet Julia’s eyes. She smiled, her cheeks coloring just a bit, letting Sam know that her mind was probably going in the same direction that his was.
Dean slapped Sam on the shoulder as he left. “Enjoy your night, Sammy. And thanks for taking Casey to the hospital.”
“Any time,” Sam said absently, his attention already on Julia.
When the front door shut behind the crowd, and they’d heard the roar of the Willys’ engine, Sam held out his arms, and Julia walked right into them.
He held her close. Her hair smelled of lavender, and he could feel her hands burrowing under his t-shirt, her fingers digging into his back, her breath on his neck. “I’m so glad you’re safe,” she murmured.
“Yeah, me too,” Sam said softly. “I’d hate to have missed this.”
Julia smiled, sweetly and shyly. “Yeah, well, Dean said you’d be back today. Maryanne told him. And, you know, I thought if Aubrey was spending the night with Ryan—which he’s been begging to do for a while—we could have the place to ourselves.” She looked away. “You know, if you’re not too tired.”
“Oh, I think I can summon the energy,” Sam replied. “I caught a few winks at the hospital while the doctor was looking at Casey. If you’re up for it.”
“With you?” Julia pulled Sam’s mouth to hers for a deep, dirty kiss. “Any time.”
Sam pushed his hands up under the t-shirt Julia wore, encountering the rough lace of her bra. “You’re serious? You want this?”
“I’ve got condoms upstairs,” Julia said. “If that’s enough of an answer.”
Sam groaned. “I missed you,” he admitted.
“I missed you, too,” she said. “Now, upstairs.”
Sam followed her, happy to be home.
~~~~~
Casey woke slowly. Her head still felt like it was full of cotton, and it took a moment for her to remember where she was, and what had happened. When she opened her eyes, she turned her head to see Henry sitting on the floor next to the couch, on a cushion, paging through his atlas.
“Henry?”
He turned to her with a bright grin. “Hey. How are you feeling?”
Casey had to think about it for a minute or two. “My shoulder still hurts.”
“Yeah, it probably will for a while,” he replied. “But it’s cool. Papa Dean said the doctor gave you a clean bill of health.”
She frowned. “What does that mean?”
“It means that you’re going to be okay,” Henry replied. “No matter how you feel right now.”
Casey grunted and settled back down on the pillows behind her head. “What about my dad?”
“I don’t know,” Henry replied. “I can ask Dean and Cas.”
Casey shook her head, deciding that she didn’t really want to know right then. She wanted to stay here, with Henry and the others, with Dean and Cas as her dads, and Sam as her uncle. She didn’t want the news of her dad to intrude on that. “No, it’s cool,” she assured him. “I just thought if Papa Dean had said anything…”
“No, nothing,” Henry assured her. “You need anything?”
“Maybe something to drink?” Casey suggested.
Henry grinned. “Miss Maryanne sent some of her lemonade for you.”
“Awesome.”
“Stay here,” Henry ordered. “I’ll get it.”
“Thanks,” Casey called after him. She didn’t like the way the drugs made her feel, but her shoulder ached horribly, and she had bruises on top of bruises from when she’d taken a dive out of the moving car. She was probably going to need to take the pills for a while.
Dean followed Henry into the room, holding a prescription bottle in one hand and a plate with a sandwich in the other. “You’ll need to eat something before you take your meds,” Dean said. “They’ll make you sick if you don’t.”
He helped her sit, making sure she was propped up so that she didn’t put any strain on her immobilized right shoulder. Henry carefully placed the lemonade on a small table, within easy reach. The peanut butter sandwich was easy to eat with one hand, and Casey washed down the sandwich and the pills with the lemonade, which was the perfect mixture of tart and sweet.
Henry didn’t leave her side, and Dean and Cas came in and out of the living room, checking up on her. The pills were just starting to take effect when Dean joined Casey on the couch. “You up for a little chat?” he asked.
Casey nodded, glancing at Henry involuntarily. “I can leave,” Henry offered.
“No, don’t go,” Casey said.
Dean nodded at Henry, and he settled back down on his seat on the floor. “Casey, we went through the Cadillac, and we couldn’t find anything that might tell us where your dad is at. We’ll put out the word, and we won’t stop looking but…”
“But you don’t think you’re going to find anything,” Casey said, feeling numb.
Dean shook his head. “I think he’ll come back for you when he’s ready.”
“What if he’s never ready?” Casey asked. “What if he’s dead?”
“You’re one of ours,” Dean replied. “You’re always going to have a home here, no matter what happens.”
Casey swallowed hard, and she had to admit to feeling more relieved than anything else. “Okay. Thanks, Papa Dean.”
“Hey, anytime, tough stuff,” Dean replied with a smile.
Casey smiled back. Tough stuff. She liked that.
~~~~~
When Sam hadn’t returned by the time the sun had gone down, Dean figured he was shacked up with Julia for the night. He’d expected it, since Aubrey was currently giggling and whispering with Ryan in the study. Dean didn’t think they’d get much sleep tonight, but at least if they were downstairs, he and Cas stood a chance of catching some shut-eye, and they wouldn’t bother Casey.
And really, Dean was glad to do this much to clear the way for Sam. Like he’d told Cas, Dean just wanted Sam to be happy, and Julia had put a spring in his brother’s step that Dean hadn’t seen in a long time. He thought they’d be good for each other.
Dean made his usual rounds once the kids were settled in for the night. Stepping outside, he glanced over towards the barn, where Ben and Mary were bedded down in the loft—hopefully in separate beds. With Sam gone, though, Dean wasn’t going to hold his breath.
Of course, Dean had been sleeping with any girl who would have him by the time he was Ben’s age, so he couldn’t blame them, but he knew that if things ever went bad between them, it would tear the whole family apart.
Granted, this attraction had been building for a long time, and Ben and Mary knew each other inside and out, which was more than Dean could say for most couples. There was bound to be some drama, but they’d figure it out, one way or another.
Dean closed the door and checked the wards and salt lines. The thing with Casey had reminded him that they couldn’t afford to get lax in their protections. There were still monsters out there, even if Dean no longer sought them out, and those monsters could find their way here.
He poked his head into the study, where Ryan and Aubrey were still whispering. Cora had insisted on sleeping down there, too, but she was already passed out on the couch. “Don’t stay up too late, boys,” Dean said softly.
They giggled but didn’t respond otherwise, and Dean shook his head. They’d be tired and lethargic tomorrow, but that was part of being a kid and staying up too late—and they could always take a nap.
Dean climbed the stairs slowly, his bad leg aching. Chasing down that shapeshifter had put a strain on it, and Dean had never thought he’d say this, but he really was getting too old for this shit.
He poked his head into the girls’ room, not surprised to see Cas sitting next to Casey’s bed. Cas wore the curiously intense expression he only got when he was praying, and Dean leaned against the doorjamb to watch him.
Casey slept on her back, the only position she could manage with her right arm strapped down like it was. Her cheeks were flushed, and she twitched, whimpering a little. Cas put a hand on her forehead, murmuring softly, his lips barely moving.
Dean still didn’t have much faith in God, but he had faith in Cas, who seemed to wring miracles out of an absent deity that didn’t give a damn otherwise. Under Cas’ soothing touch, Casey stilled and sighed, her breathing becoming deep and regular. Cas stayed where he was for a few more moments, and then he bent and brushed his lips against her forehead.
Cas slipped an arm around Dean’s waist to take some of his weight, and they made their way to their bedroom. Cas flipped the lock behind them, and Dean grinned. “I’m going to make you do most of the work.”
“I don’t mind,” Cas said. “You’re hurting tonight. I could hear you limping as you came up the stairs.”
Dean shrugged. “I always limp.”
“You forget that I know you,” Cas replied, pushing him back on the bed. “I know when you’re in pain.” He cupped Dean’s cheek, his thumb tracing the rough line of Dean’s beard. “Chasing after Jones took a lot out of you.”
Cas’ gentle hands pushed Dean’s t-shirt up and quickly divested Dean of his clothing before stripping off his own clothes.
Times like these, Dean could forget what a badass motherfucker Cas could be. He was so gentle with the kids, and could be so tender with Dean—but Dean never forgot that this was the guy who had threatened to toss him back into hell.
This was the guy who’d stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Dean to face down Lucifer, and had saved Dean’s life more times than Dean cared to count.
This was Cas, and Dean was so in love with him he couldn’t see straight.
As he’d promised, Cas did most of the work, prepping himself while Dean watched, and then working his way onto Dean’s cock. Cas set a slow, languorous pace, and Dean rested his hands on Cas’ hipbones, holding him steady as he moved up and down, riding Dean, every muscle straining.
Dean felt his orgasm building slowly, surely, until he came with a quiet gasp. Cas’ rhythm never faltered, and Dean reached down and grasped Cas’ cock, applying just the right amount of pressure as Cas moved to have Cas coming shortly thereafter.
Cas collapsed on the bed next to Dean, and Dean grabbed one of their dirty t-shirts to clean them off. They both put their boxers back on in silent accord, and Cas unlocked the door and opened it a crack, the better to hear if one of their kids needed them during the night.
When they were both in bed, Dean reached out to haul Cas closer. “You think Casey will be okay?” he asked.
“Eventually, I think she will,” Cas said quietly. “Are we going to look for Jones?”
Dean sighed. “We’re not going to look hard, I can tell you that much. I don’t like the idea, but let’s face it, Cas. We don’t have the resources to be chasing down leads anymore, and we’ve got more than enough to deal with here.”
“True.” Cas turned his face into Dean’s bare shoulder. “Then we go on as we always have.”
Dean smiled. “That sounds just about perfect.”