They thought they'd been done with hunting for good. The world was at peace. Monsters were a rarity. There was no need for so many hunters anymore. But after only a few weeks settled in their house, there were signs of a demonic possession just a few towns out. Dean and Cas dealt with it themselves, and after exorcising the demon (who had killed its vessel), the only person left alive was a girl only four years old. Her name was Amy.

Amy had no surviving relatives. The only place left for her was an orphanage. While she cried for her mother, Dean stroked her hair and whispered to her, holding the child to his chest. And when they climbed into the Impala to drive her to the nearest police station, she refused to sit anywhere else but Castiel's lap, sobbing into the fabric of his trench coat as he tentatively and awkwardly put his arms around her.

When they gave her up, each man could feel the tug of something in his chest. They exchanged looks. They'd talked about this before. Dean was amazing with children, but he never wanted any of his own because he didn't want them to become hunters. And after Ben and Lisa, he was hard-pressed to try the Apple Pie Life But hunting was over now. Jobs were few and far between with most of the supernatural predators of the world trapped and locked away, some completely wiped from existence. Not to mention, the idea of a family, of a husband and a child, was incredibly attractive to the angel. Everything about it was so completely human, so wonderfully normal that the very idea of it made warmth flood his chest. And Dean has a hard time saying no to him.

It took almost a year, but Amy Winchester eventually became part of the Winchester household.

She has nightmares, and that's understandable. Whenever they hear her crying, Castiel goes to her room and sits on her bed. He gently rubs her back and brushes the hair from her face, grace leaking from his fingertips to soothe her mind. Dean stands in the doorway when this happens, watching the two fondly before disappearing back to the bedroom before Cas can see him.

One day, Sam, who lives only a few streets away, comes over. Castiel informs him that Dean and Amy are up in her room, and the man nods. It's not long before Cas can hear raucous laughter, and he goes quickly to investigate.

Dean has a much too small nurse's cap on, a tiny stethoscope around his throat. He brandishes a teddy bear at his brother like a weapon, and Amy cries out to stop because he's going to hurt Theo. Grumbling quietly, the man gently pats the bear's head before handing it back to Amy. Sam tries to stifle his laughter, and when Cas enters, he looks between the husbands with brows raised.

"I didn't realize that Dean was still a licensed teddy bear doctor," Sam smirks, biting the inside of his cheek.

Dean opens his mouth to say something, but Castiel cuts him off. "I was under the impression that both you and your brother were of the profession," he replies, barely concealing a satisfied smile when he sees his daughter's face light up.

Amy gasps, "Uncle Sammy! You're a teddy bear doctor, too?"

Sam flinches and looks over at the young girl, giving her a strained smile. "Well, not anymore—"

"Oh, Sammy, don't be so modest," Dean smirks. "Here. You know what? Your Uncle Sammy is actually the best teddy bear doctor in the world. And he's an expert on Lollipop Disease." Before his brother has a chance to protest, the eldest Winchester stands up and pulls the lop-sided hat from his head, sitting it on his brother's. "So, he's going to help you out."

Amy grins, watching as her father (it took nine months for her to start calling Dean and Castiel her "daddy and dad," respectively) hands off the stethoscope. Sam shoots him an unimpressed look, but sits down nonetheless, pressing the chestpiece to the bear's back. Castiel grabs his husband's hand and leads him out into the hallway, away from the eyes and ears of Sam and their daughter.

"She starts school next month," the angel says, lacing his fingers with Dean's. The man nods, pursing his lips together. "Are you nervous?"

They stop next to the stairs, and green eyes turn up to look at him. The man gives a tiny smirk, then shrugs.

"No. Amy's tough. If she can handle herself on the playground, she can handle herself at school," he concedes, then looks down at their hands. After a moment, he moves to gently grip the angel's waist. "It's just a change. I'll get over it."

Castiel smiles warmly and reaches up to cup Dean's face, pulling him into a kiss. They stay like that for several moments, enjoying the gentle and affectionate press of lips. It's cut off, though, but a loud cry of "eww!"

Caught, the two pull away slightly. Cas' hands go to Dean's shoulder as the human turns to look at Sam and Amy who have emerged from her room.

"Hey! Don't 'ew' us. That just means that your daddies love each other," Dean retorts. He sighs, though, and moves to wrap an arm around his husband's waist and pull him in. "Are you guys hungry? We should get burgers."

Amy grins at that and nods emphatically. "Can I ride with Uncle Sammy?" When the men nod, she grabs Sam's hand and pulls him down the stairs, mouth going a mile a minute while her uncle bobs his head and tries to understand what she's saying.

When they're far enough away, the angel smiles and presses another kiss to the Dean's cheek.

"I love you," he says quietly.

"Love you, too, Cas," Dean replies quietly, and Castiel's chest burns at the affection he sees in his lover's eyes. "Now come on. I'm hungry. And I want to try to convince Sam to keep her tonight." He gives his husband a suggestive look, and Cas just shakes his head.

"Yes, let's go, then."