Dean did not like today. He had a bad feeling about it. Too much family in the same place is bad for business. It's why so many drink their way through the festive season. His brother, Adam, was in town and long lost Gabriel was back so all the Ritchings boys were sure to be in town. Sam, Jesus Sam. He could be a little… unstable when it came to Gabriel. Loki got on everyone's nerves to be sure but the way he got to Sam was just not healthy. So when his phone started buzzing, he did not expect good news.

"Cas," he answered in a low voice.

"Where the hell are you?" Castiel growled.

"Why?" Dean asked.

"I'm at your apartment," Castiel answered, "I have been knocking for the past three minutes and on the one night I needed Las Vegas to be the bone dry fucking desert it usually is it's fucking raining."

"You're in a good mood," the blond man mumbled.

"Gabriel is holding a stripper convention at my place," the gravelly voice replied, "I feel like I'm going to get herpes sitting on my couch. I need a place to sleep."

"I'll be right there," Dean replied then put the phone down before Cas could ask where he was.

"I'm going out," he told Lisa as he shoved his keys into his pocket.

"Not before Ben goes to bed, you're not," she said in a level tone.

"Lisa."

"Dean."

"You've missed four bedtimes this week alone," she put her hand on her hip, "Your boy toy can wait."

"He's not a toy boy," Dean pulled his phone out.

"If your relationship weren't as shallow as I think it is you'd have told him that you're married," Lisa went back to wiping the dishes.

"The only way that would do any good is if I could actually explain the situation to him," Dean paused in his dialing.

"You would risk Ben for a piece of ass?" Lisa's hand landed on the kitchen island harder than she would have liked.

"Okay one) Castiel isn't a piece of ass, two) and you always skim over this one, he is not a risk," Dean said the last part of it staccato.

"Everyone is a risk Dean," Lisa argued.

"He's twenty two, pre-law, knows absolutely no one, anywhere because he's from the ass end of nowhere," her husband reiterated his earlier points, "You didn't know which state Walden County was in until you googled it, neither did I. He's trying to save money, working for Sam, for Christ's sake. No one sticks to that job for the joy of it."

"I will not risk Ben," Lisa ignored them all like usual, "Tell him you don't love, tell him you married me because you knocked me up when day when you were drunk, I don't care, tell him anything but the truth."

"What kind of relationship is based on lies?" Dean threw his hands up.

"Ours," Lisa answered then she chuckled lightly. She couldn't help it, Dean had asked for that one.

"This is real for me Lis," Dean pleaded, "I haven't been in an actual relationship since Michael and we split up because he wouldn't own up to our relationship. I don't want that to happen here."

"It's not like you're really going to hide him," Lisa tried, "Everyone knows what you do."

"And everyone will keep whispering in their corners but Cas will know the truth, that's all I ask," Dean pleaded.

"I'll consider it when you guys have been together longer," she was really trying to be understanding.

"He is not going to stick around that long," Dean shook his head, "He may not flash it in everyone's face but Cas is out, okay? He won't want to be with me if he thinks I'm in the closet, which he will."

"I'm sorry Dean, I am," she looked at him sadly, "But you knew what you were signing on for when we got married."

"I never thought I'd want anyone like that after Michael," Dean sighed.

"You were right," Lisa smiled, "Just fourteen years off," she shrugged.

"What?" his brow scrunched up in confusion.

"If you'd held out fifteen more years then you'd be in the grave before you ever proved yourself wrong," she explained.

"You think I'm going to die at fifty one?" Dean looked at his wife.

"I am generous," she smiled at him like he was an infant, "The way you eat, drink and, um, sleep, you'll be lucky not to keel over by fifty."

"Celibacy has made you judgey," Dean shook his finger at her, "If you're not careful you're going to try to do it one day only to find that thing has sealed up," he pointed.

"What thing?" Ben walked into the kitchen with a glass.

"The zipper," his dad answered.

"Why would that seal up?" Ben gave him a confused look. Lisa covered her mouth to hide her silent laughter.

"Uh, well, Mommy doesn't undo her zip when she takes off her pants," Dean answered.

"But mommy you told me that wasn't the right way to take off my pants," the little boy turned to his mother with a pout. If she could just shove them down and stomp out of them why couldn't he.

"Mommy doesn't do that Angel," she wiped the white residue off the corner of his mouth and opened the fridge to get him more milk when he presented his glass, "Daddy is telling tales."

"But Dad," he turned to Dean with a sly smile, "You told me that telling was for bi- babies."

"He told you that telling was for what?" Lisa's head poked out of the fridge.

"What was it again Daddy?" Ben's eyes went right back to wide-eyed innocence.

"Babies," Dean brushed Ben's back, "I'm out of dollars," he said between his teeth.

"Babies," Ben nodded, "I can break a five," the young boy smiled when his mother went back to retrieve the milk.

"Oh you little bastard," Dean said pleasantly as he brushed Ben's hair, "No one will ever doubt that you're mine."

"Thanks mom," Ben stood on his toes and kissed Lisa's cheek, "Dad's tucking me in tonight, right?"

"Yes he is," his mother smiled.

"I'm right behind you," Dean gave him a reassuring smile. He texted his neighbor at his apartment building that someone would be coming over for his emergency key then he texted Cas the apartment number where he should pick it up. Ben might be lurking somewhere waiting to get paid. These weren't conversations he could risk having out loud. A home away from home was not something he did not want to explain to his eight year old.

"You are so thirteen right now," Lisa rolled her eyes as she walked past Dean's stupid grin. Cas texted back that his neighbor had a very friendly cat, smelled like patchouli and was apparently growing ferns. Was this really who Dean trusted with his keys?

Hippies don't judge he texted his boyfriend.

Even better, her name is Sequoia.

What is with you and names?

You wouldn't understand, DEAN!

Screw you CASTIEL and please excuse me while I go get manipulated out of some money.

I would mock you for working too much but, as I work for Satan, I don't have that luxury.

Stop calling my brother Satan.

I can't help it because HE IS SATAN.

What did he do now?

Made me stand in the cold (and not to mention the stinging wet) for a cup of his disgusting coffee (the stupid coffee maker's broken and he doesn't like vending machine coffee but he drinks STREET coffee?) then he dropped it ON MY FEET and I had to run around with wet socks all day. Did I mention I've managed to catch a cold?

Hence the extra gravel in your voice.

Fuck you.

Please do.

Fancy a Rhino virus?

No one said we had to kiss.

Ass.

Thinking of yours.

And I of yours.

Goodbye.

In my life I've never met a man so shy about bottoming.

Goodbye Cas.

"Hey slugger," Dean slipped into Ben's room.

"Can we go back to 'champ'?" Ben asked.

"You hated that last week," his dad answered.

"You hadn't called me slugger last week," his son replied.

"No backsies," Dean wagged his finger, "Now, to sleep with you."

"Business first," Ben stuck out his hand.

"Here," Dean gave him a five, "I don't want the change. Next time you want money, my little blackmailer, refer to this note."

"Score," Ben slipped the bill under his pillow. Dean shook his head then he pulled the blanket up to Ben's neck and tucked it under his sides.

"Angels are watching over you," he brushed his son's hair back and kissed his forehead. Ben was too old to be kissed of course, except at bedtime. Dean made to leave the room.

"Daddy?" he said in a small voice. What did you do? Dean asked in his head. "Are you and mom getting it on?"

"Ah," Dean turned around, "Getting what on?" he asked.

"I don't know," Ben shrugged, "Russell said daddy's are in a good mood when they get it on with women, in a bed or on a bed, and something about ass. You're in a good mood and mom's always snapping the dishcloth at your ass and laughing."

"Ben you must be the only naïve kid who swears," Dean sat down.

"What?" his son didn't understand.

"Yes," Dean lied, "But listen… 'Getting it on' (and Dean had to shake his head at this) is what mommies and daddies do when they love each other. And yes, it puts them in a good mood. The details, I cannot share with you before talking to your mother lest I provide you with more blackmail ammunition. But hear this, it's something you should treat with the utmost respect and if you ever have another question about it come to me."

"What about two mommies?" the thought just occurred to Ben, "Bianca has two mommies and they're always happy."

"Two mommies can get it on too," Dean nodded, feeling a painful awkwardness that his son was completely oblivious to.

"Okay," Ben nodded, "Night Dad," he rolled over and closed his eyes.

"Night," Dean smiled, "Guess what our son just asked me?" he sprang over the couch and landed next to Lisa.

"Child," she slapped his leg.

"Are we getting it on?" said Dean.

"What?" Lisa asked with that look that told him to say something that made better sense the possible meanings swimming around in her head.

"He asked me if we're getting it on," he told her.

"Why?" she looked worried and perplexed.

"Because some kid at his school was talking about it," Dean explained, "Ben must have overheard."

"What kid?" she asked.

"You can't go mommy 911 on this Lis. Not only would it not help one damn bit, Ben would most likely get his ass kicked for telling and would never tell us anything ever again," Dean put a hand on her shoulder, "I told him you would explain everything tomorrow."

"You what?" her hand inched up his arm, towards his neck.

"Relax, I talked to him but you're way better at this stuff than I am so you should talk to him to," he suggested, "I mean you handled 'where babies come?' from like a pro. I didn't even know if I should tell him it had something to do with 'planting the seed' or if 'getting it on' meant 'sex'. I just. I'm not really good at this stuff."

"Yes you are," Lisa corrected, "You're the best father Ben could have."

"Bachelor number two was not much contest," Dean shrugged.

"That's not what I mean," Lisa shook her head, "You're a great dad and you're great guy, no man would ever have signed up for this just to save an irresponsible friend from a stupid, stupid mistake. Ben really looks up to you. He couldn't have picked a better role model."

"Thank you," he kissed her cheek, "I'll be back before school. If he comes down before I do, tell him I went to get pancakes because neither of his parents is good at making them."

"Plain pancakes," Lisa called after him, "Not those things they drown in syrup and coat in sugar. There may be no getting you off the junk food train but there's hope for Ben."

AN: Family moments, there's nothing like them. Sorry, I'm headed to class, no porn. i always wind up deleting chapters or havin two even after replacing one so i decided to tell u in this little note that it was Zackariah no Lucifer who graduated with Dean and Gabriel. Lucifer's role as big brother to Loki is kind of important. Next: Gabriel and Sam reunion (and Gabriel and everyone else reunions). And of course the resulting fallout. We all know he's a trouble maker, right?

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