Can We Keep Him? - Epilogue

"Was breakfast to Madam's liking?" asked Bobby, smiling at Rumsfeld as she offered him a tired but happy 'whuff'. He picked up the empty bowl, and turned his attention to the three squirming bundles sharing her whelping box. At almost three weeks, their eyes were open, and they were becoming aware of a world beyond their mother.

Janis, Joni, and… well, it had to be Jimi, didn't it? Jimi Junior. Already, at this age, he was showing signs of being big.

One tiny bundle lifted its nose, yipped, and crawled towards him, nudging under his hand, demanding his attention. She'd been doing that since she was just a few days old, when Bobby had carefully checked the three tiny pups under Rumsfeld's watchful gaze. Janis was going to be a daddy's girl, he grinned to himself. He would end up keeping her. She'd be good company for her mother.

Joni was the explorer, and had been trying for the past few days to make it out of the whelping box under her own steam. Unfortunately for her, her tiny, wobbly legs didn't have the co-ordination yet. She managed to get her front feet over the rim, but fell back, squealing, more in indignation than hurt. She would never be content to be a yard watchdog; half a dozen Hunters Bobby knew would kill for a chance to train a dog like her to the Hunt.

At the sound of her squealing, her brother disengaged himself from his mother's washing - he didn't like being bathed much, either - and made his way over to his litter-sister, where he sniffed and licked at her until she quieted. He did that a lot; Janis would yip insistently for Bobby's withdrawn attention, Joni would give herself another fright, and Jimi would be there, whuffing and offering play and company to distract and soothe. You get that from your daddy, thought Bobby, and we know where he got it from…

He picked up the pups one at a time. Their eyes were open now: Janis gazed adoringly at him, Joni stared fearlessly at him, and Jimi, well… Bobby had never seen such a contained, patient look on a dog's face, especially so young.

"Why do I get the feeling you're waiting for something. Or someone," Bobby asked him. The pup suddenly broke into an adorable happy puppy grin, and a crackle of red highlights flickered briefly in his eyes then was gone.

He put the pup down as his phone rang, ignoring Janis's outraged squalling for more Bobby-cuddles.

"Dean," he answered, smiling hugely, "What you boys been up to these last months? Uh-huh… uh-huh… okay, I'll see you soon. Actually, your timing is pretty good. I got something here I want to show you. No, no, nothing to worry about, but I think you'll find it interesting. Yeah. You too, idjit." He shut the phone, and wondered how best to spring the news of Jimi's paternity on the Winchesters.

Whatever he did, he planned to have a camera at the ready – he wanted to preserve Dean's expression for posterity. And Little Jimi's, too, for that matter.

He had a feeling that they were both going to grin until their faces looked fit to fall off.

THE END

Phew, finally made it! I had NFI that this story would end up so LONG. Well done to anyone who's made it this far - award yourself lots of chocolate-coated internets! To all those who offered encouraging reviews, thank you for taking the time to comment - I'm glad you had a bit of a giggle. I may yet take to the keyboard again sometime, if the Chocolate Powered Inspiration Fairy strikes again. Will the Winchesters take Jimi Jr on the road when he's a bit older? That might be fun: I just can't decide which brother would be the Stern Parent and which would be the Soft Touch. Maybe they'd both feed him fried chicken under the table... I hope everybody had a great Christmas, and you got lots of good presents and ate far too much Sometimes food!