(no subject)

[bitchandjerk]

Every time I sit down to explain what caused my absence I end up getting really upset and then ignoring everything for the rest of the day. Life happened and it sucked, but I'm still alive. I never stopped writing, it's just been EXTREMELY slow going. That, paired with health/life/financial/computer/dog/family problems has made it impossible to finish a story, but I finally did, so here it is...14 months later.

As a recap:

Aaron has become the caregiver for six month old Max after his parents are killed. Thanksgiving has just passed and the gang's all excited about a new member of the family.

Title:Max
Author: bitchandjerk
Characters: Sam/Dean,John/Mary/OFC OMCs OFCs Jared/Jensen,
Rating :R
Words10,000/3,578,900
Warnings: Wincest
Summary: Sam and Dean field an interview from a very thorough social worker.
Notes:: AU, rest are here.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.
Feedback: Makes me hard



Thanksgiving wasn't one of those easy holidays like Valentine's day or Halloween. It was a lot of work to cook, feed, and clean up when you had a large family so it was even more work for Sam's super-large family. He had spent at least five solid hours cooking, two cleaning up afterwards, and then two more making sure his china was properly hand washed, dried, and put back in the closet. He had help of course, but by the time he was done he was ready to crawl into bed and rub Dean's tummy until they fell asleep. That had been the plan, but once all the kids were asleep, Sam was in the barn completely ignoring Jeremy, who for some God forsaken reason was under the impression he could clean up by himself. Sam had never heard anything more ridiculous so he chose to pretend he didn't hear it.

Though he was tired and so stuffed full of turkey he could barely move, Sam was actually looking forward to cleaning the barn. It was where Jeremy and Aaron lived, so it was their house, but Sam still thought of it as part of his house and it killed him that no one Windexed the light bulbs, cleaned inside the A/C vents, and drained the toilets then refilled them with vinegar at least once a week. Aaron and Jeremy kept the barn up, but they didn't do it correctly, which to Sam meant they didn't do anything at all.

When Sam did a thorough cleaning, like what he was doing in the barn, he went room by room starting from the back and removed everything. In the bedroom, which was now just Aaron's bedroom, Sam moved books and drawers filled with clothes, he moved the mattress, cleared off the nightstands, and took down the curtains to be washed. During the process Sam found several completely inappropriate things that he put in a box and set outside because nice priests didn't have any need for lubes, handcuffs, rolling papers, marital aids, and most obscene of all, The Twilight Saga.

Once the room was practically clear Sam dusted and vacuumed, he polished the furniture, put the bed back together and then brought in everything he had removed. He did the same thing with the bathroom, and then the kitchen before tackling the living room, which was relatively neat and tidy, it just needed a little deep cleaning and reorganizing. The last room was the spare bedroom, which was being used as an office. Sam completely emptied it with Jeremy's help and set up the desk on the other side of the living room. He moved the bookcases to the little dining room and temporarily moved out the comfy reading chair. Once the room was empty Sam dusted and vacuumed, he wiped down the walls, scrubbed the moldings, and opened up both windows to let the room air out a little. At that point Jeremy had completely given up bitching and disappeared, which Sam was fine with since he was really just getting in the way.

When Sam went to get the reading chair to bring it back into the spare room he found Jeremy sitting on the sofa with Max propped up next to him. The baby had been sleeping for a while and Sam didn't even hear him wake up. Jeremy apparently had because he changed his diaper, leaving the soiled diaper on the coffee table, and was presently dousing himself in formula. Jeremy had seen Dean test a bottle thousands of times, but for some reason he thought he needed a shower on his wrist instead of a few drops. Once he was satisfied with the temperature he handed the bottle to Max and then kicked his feet up to relax. Max held on to the bottle, but he was still too young to really hold it up and drink, which Jeremy apparently didn't know.

"What are you doing?"

"Feeding the kid." Jeremy said as he cracked his knuckles. "I'm a natural. Look at me, I'm making Jensen look like a chump. Probably gonna win me an award."

"Probably…I'm sure there's a really good explanation as to why your feet are on the coffee table."

"It's called cold chillin'. Hey, pick that bottle up and drink it. Sam, something's wrong with him."

"What do you think it is?"

"He mustn't be hungry." Jeremy said as he looked at Max. "What channel is Elmo on?"

"I don't think Elmo's on at midnight."

"Hey, what's he doing?"

Max was sort of trying to lean forward and get the nipple in his mouth, but he was too fat and really lacked the coordination. Sam said nothing and it only took Jeremy another minute to realize that he actually had to hold him and the bottle. He looked very proud of himself and yet vaguely concerned that Max needed so much "help". Sam really thought the whole thing was pretty funny, but he was a little worried too because Aaron couldn't be a full time dad with a full time job, which meant Jeremy was going to have to pick up the slack. Everyone was going to help out, but eventually Jeremy might have to fly solo.

"I guess he's not old enough to hold the bottle himself."

"He will be soon."

"Sam, um…Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How did you really feel when you found out about Mikey?"

"Really feel?"

"Well, I know what you wrote." Jeremy said. "I know what you've said to Dean, but how did you really feel?"

"That I was too young to be responsible for someone besides myself. That Dean's choices were now my…problems and that if I wanted Dean…I'd have to take the baggage too."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Then he handed him to me."

"And then what did you think?"

"Well." Sam laughed. "I thought that my whole life was leading up to having a child I loved as much as I immediately loved Mikey, that's Dean's choices were our blessings, and that if I wanted Mikey I'd have to deal with his baggage for the rest of my life, which made me happier than I've ever been. What do you think?"

"I think he'll never be ours, he'll always be Aaron's. I think I didn't ask for this responsibility, I think I'm not ready for it, and I think I have to deal with it because it's what Aaron wants and I owe him."

"For leaving?"

"Yeah."

Sam tossed his dusting rag against the coffee table before plopping down on the sofa with a sigh and putting up his feet. Jeremy looked horrified, but Sam needed to relax too, especially if they were going to talk. He completely got where Jeremy was coming from, but Sam had learned long ago that in really good relationships no one was keeping track of who owed what and that raising a child was no way to make up anything to someone else. If Jeremy wasn't one hundred and ten percent committed he had to talk to Aaron about it and he had to be brutally honest.

"Mikey was six before I told Dean what I really thought when he brought him out."

"What did he say?"

"He wasn't surprised. I mean I left because he was with Jenny and now we had this constant reminder. He thought I resented Mikey which I never did."

"Are you sure?"

Sam was almost positive he had never had a single negative thought when it came to any of his children, but instead of answering right away he took a moment, just a moment, to really question himself. He had resented Dean for a whole fifteen or so seconds and before he held him Sam wasn't thrilled with the idea of being thrust into parenthood. The only time he even came close to resenting Mikey was weeks after he had first met him. Dean had just starting working again and Sam was home alone taking care of a very fussy baby who had a terrible case of diaper rash. He was tired, he was frustrated, he ached for Mikey, and for one split second Sam let himself embrace the fact that the life he was living wasn't something he had signed up for. About thirty seconds later Mikey found Sam's nose and spent the day playing with it, at which point any other path in life became utterly inconceivable.

"Never. He was a baby, he had no choice in what Dean and Jenny did. I got tired, I got frustrated, but before I fell asleep each night I thanked God for giving us Mikey."

"What about after God tried to kill you?"

"I still thank someone every night." Sam smiled. "You need to sit down and have a long talk with Aaron. This isn't something you can just rush into."

"I know. We're going to talk when things calm down."

"Good." Sam said. "Now get your feet off the coffee table."

Jeremy tried to make a case for keeping his feet up, but Sam eventually knocked them off just moments before Aaron and Dean walked in the door. If Dean saw Jeremy putting his feet up he'd inevitably want to do the same thing and then Sam was going to have to spank him and maybe grease him up real good and wrestle him into submission. Either way it wasn't going to end well, for Dean at least, so Sam didn't want him getting any ideas.

Dean had left with Aaron about two hours ago to get some more supplies. Sam had figured they'd go back to Wal-Mart since there wasn't much else open so late at night on a holiday. When Dean walked in he was straight up carrying bags from Babies-R-Us, and Aaron was dragging in a rather large box o' crib. There was no way that the store was open so Sam knew Dean had gone and done something naughty and would have to be spanked and wrestled regardless of where he put his feet.

"Dean."

"Yes, Sammykins?"

"How'd you get into Babies-R-Us?"

"Anthony made a few calls for me and got the manager to open up after I agreed to give him a Christmas bonus."

"Sam, look at this! It's a onesie with a puppy on it and then there's a puppy on the butt of the pants!"

"Wow, that's super cute…"

"And this is the crib we got. It was a set with the dresser and Dean said we could get a changing…uh…"

"Changing pad."

"Yeah, for the top of the dresser. Was he okay while we were gone?"

"He just woke up." Jeremy smiled. "Got him changed and fed."

"Did he ask about me?"

"Yeah, he had some questions of a theological nature and neither Sam or I felt equipped to answer them so he's decided to become an atheist."

"As long as he doesn't vote republican we'll be okay.

"You wanna take him?"

"Give him to Dean, I could use some help with the rest of the stuff and…"

Aaron sort of looked over at Dean and raised an eyebrow instead of finishing his thought. Dean was dancing back and forth on his toes and wringing his hands together. He looked like a fat kid waiting for a slice of cake and when Jeremy handed Max over he actually squealed. Sam was a little worried that the lethal combination of Max's fatness and Buster's all around perfection would give Dean a fresh bout of baby fever, but hopefully he could get vaccinated before it got too bad.

"Me yah-moose Uncle Dean!"

"I don't think that's right, he's…"

"Yo soy latte es la abulina Sammyrita!"

"Dean, they didn't speak Spanish at home."

"Well, we can't let him grow up ignorant of his culture. Jared speaks Polish to Austin and Dallas everyday."

"He reads them the ingredients on a package of kielbasa."

"Yeah…that's called culture. It's the same thing when you and Milo read Vogue."

"I guess…"

"Sammy muy gusto chorizo!"

"El Dean es un burro, Max. Burro!"

"Hey! What does that mean and when did you learn Spanish?"

"I still have some secrets."

"Rolling those R's is sexy. Muy…sexito!"

"Stop talking butchered Spanish to him." Aaron said as he backed in the door. "And go to bed. We can handle this."

Sam had no doubt that Aaron and Jeremy could continue on throughout the night without a problem, but it was going to be a lot easier with two more sets of hands. Dean tried his best to convince Aaron to let them help, but he wanted no part in it. He was actually very adamant that they go and get some much deserved rest. Sam, for a second, was a little annoyed, but then he realized that Aaron hadn't had much alone time with Jeremy to talk and neither of them had spent any alone time with the baby. They needed that so Sam eventually agreed to let them finish Max's room on their own and left the barn with his hand in Dean's.

"Did you remember your lines?"

"Mmhmm." Dean nodded. "You?"

"Didn't have to."

"Aaron said…"

"Shh." Sam whispered as he looked back at the barn. "Inside."

Before Dean left with Aaron, Sam had coached him a little. He hadn't given him a list of things to say, but he had brought up some key points to discuss with Aaron and then Dean came up with a couple to discuss with Jeremy. Sam hadn't actually had to bring anything up because Jeremy did that for him, but Aaron was less upfront about his feelings and especially about his fears. Sam really wanted to know what had been discussed, but he knew better than to discuss it before they were inside the house away from supernatural hearing.

After they were inside and the house was all locked up Sam went straight up to the bedroom, with Dean behind him so they could crawl into bed and talk. That was easier said than done because someone had to watch the kids while they were in the barn and that someone had completely occupied the bed. John was fully dressed and sprawled from one corner to the other. Buster was in bed next to him kind of under his arms, and he was wide awake and staring at the ceiling with a look of utter bewilderment on his face. It disappeared as soon as Dean picked him up and kissed all over him.

"Get up you crazy queer!"

"Nuugh." John growled as he rolled over. "Mmm."

"Dean, do something. If he sleeps in the middle I'll end up kissing him all night instead of you."

"The hell you will! Buster, use your freaky powers to move grandpa back to his house. Go on, baby. You can do it!"

Buster let his head roll completely around before he stuck his hand in his mouth and relaxed on Dean's shoulder. Sam was pretty sure that was part of the mojo, but John didn't disappear. It took a swift kick in the ass from Dean to get him on the other side of the bed, but they still cheered for Buster, who looked confused, but grateful for the attention. He was the sweetest little man ever and Sam reward him with a couple of kisses and a firm pat on the butt.

"So." Sam said as he took off his clothes. "Why didn't he heal her?"

"It was too late and too bad."

"But she was conscious enough to tell him to take care of Max?"

"Sammy, please don't go down this road."

"I'm just asking."

"Well, don't." Dean said. "He said he knows what he's signing up for, he's willing to stop working if he has to, and he's raising Max regardless of what anyone thinks."

"Jeremy?"

"That's what it sounded like. In six months once he's able to adopt him he's doing to. That kid's not going anywhere."

"That's what I figured. Jeremy's not ready, he's scared, he thinks Max will only be Aaron's and that regardless of how he feels he owes him."

"He sure the hell does."

"Dean…"

"This is all Aaron wants. He's gave up a lot to be with Jeremy, who just took a sweet vacay from this entire family."

"I guess."

"You guess?"

Sam did a weird half nod, half shrug, half grunt thing and then crawled into bed next to John. Dean was absolutely entitled to his own opinion, but Sam wasn't sure he liked it. Jeremy had left and then Aaron had come home with a baby just a few weeks later. Sam had done almost the exact same thing, for different reasons of course, and he didn't like the idea of Dean thinking he had owed him anything at the time. Sam left for a reason and he sure as hell hadn't stayed because he had left. He stayed because he loved Dean and Mikey and he wanted a family again.

"If Jeremy feels like he owes Aaron something he's going to eventually resent him and Max."

"What does that mean?"

"That you can't pay someone back with a child."

"You think I trapped you with Mikey, don't you?"

"Excuse me?"

"When you found out about him you had to stay and we had to get back together."

"This has nothing to do with us. I stayed because I loved you, if I hadn't I wouldn't have even left the hospital with you."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure." Sam said. "I remember it quite clearly."

"Hmm."

Dean looked embarrassed for even suggesting something so ridiculous and Sam was just a little annoyed that he had jumped to such a far fetched conclusion. Normally Sam would have said something but Dean made a quick peace offering by handing over Buster who was in the middle of the biggest yawn of his young life. Sam snugged him against his body while Dean stripped down to his underwear and crawled in next to them. He attempted to move Buster closer to him, but Sam wasn't having it. He didn't get to sleep next to his sweet baby boy enough and Dean would have to pay for being so dumb.

"Well, this would be perfect if that orangutan wasn't hogging half the bed."

"Agreed." Sam sighed. "Are we going to talk?"

"About Aaron?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know, Sammy." Dean said as he stroked Buster's stomach. "It's all really sudden and it happened under horrible circumstances, but…"

"What?"

"Aaron's not really a happy guy, you know? He's got this persistent cloud over him, and today…I don't think I've ever seen him so happy. You see how he is with the kids."

"Yeah."

Like most people Aaron was really phenomenal with the kids. The kids had a lot to do with that, but Aaron brought something new to the table that few others had. He played with them and could spend hours talking with them, but he didn't do it the way Jeremy or Bruce did. Aaron had the amazing ability to sort of become a kid himself when he was with them, something few adults could do, with the obvious exception of Dean. Aaron may have even been better at it than Dean because he never had to be the daddy or the voice of authority. He could just have fun. When he did have to be strict, mostly with Ethan, he was always calm and fair which made him an ideal caregiver, at least in Sam's opinion.

"We can worry about it tomorrow. Right now we have more pressing concerns."

"Such as?"

"This baby." Dean said as he patted Buster's tummy. "Is too fat."

"I don't think that's the problem."

"Well, he's skin and bones and belly."

"That's true, and he looks more like you everyday."

"Poor kid."

"Yeah." Sam smiled. "I'd hate to be crippled by devastatingly rugged handsomeness."

"It's a lifelong struggle. You have a fat belly!"

Buster turned his head towards Dean's voice and then looked back at Sam with a clear look of bewildered amusement on his face. He gurgled some, smiled a little, and then quite clearly rolled his eyes before closing them and promptly drifting off. Sam thought that was a perfect way to end the day and he slept quite well, even if John did sleep hump his ass a few times throughout the night.

When Dean woke up the next morning he decided he needed at least thirty-two more hours of sleep. Unfortunately his bladder was in disagreement. Even though Dean had to pee he stayed in bed with his eyes closed because it was so warm and comfortable. He really felt like he deserved to sleep in and the only thing that would make that better would be snuggles from Buster and Sam. Dean carefully scooted over in bed, but he only snuggled up to one of them, and it wasn't the one he really wanted. He was a little bummed, but then he felt Sam's hand on his head gently stroking his hair. That was almost as good as waking up next to Buster and Dean decided to take what he could get.

Dean slowly opened his eyes and saw that his sweet little man was still around, but otherwise occupied and unable to snuggle. Sam was sitting up in bed with Buster in the crook of his arm looking quite content with a bottle in his mouth. Not only was Sam holding and feeding Buster, but he was using his free arm and hand to scroll through his cell phone. He was an amazing multi-tasker, but he sure had stopped rubbing Dean's head quick enough to get back to his phone.

"Email?"

"Mmhmm." Sam said. "Good morning."

"Morning." Dean groaned. "How my baby boy?"

"Disappointed and mad at me. He wanted to go to breakfast with his grandpa and I said no because he can't eat sausage biscuits."

"Aw, baby." Dean said as he sat up. "You can go when you get teeth. How long have you been up?"

"A little while. Dad took everyone to McDonalds, so I grabbed a bottle and crawled back in bed."

"Any interesting email?"

"Larry sold The Futurists and Todd sent me fifteen pictures because he's worried Beau is too cute."

"Hmm."

"Don't you have to make peepee?"

"Yeah, I just want to see what's going on under these socks…"

"He doesn't like when you…"

"Psshaw!"

Dean pulled off Buster's sock and quickly kissed his tiny little toes before backing off. Sam was looking particularly scornful, but Dean ignored him and went in for another kiss and maybe a nibble because baby toes, especially extra tiny toes were undeniably delicious. Buster accepted the second kiss without much of a reaction, but when Dean went in for a nibble he got kicked right in the nose. That hadn't stopped him yet so he decided to go in again at which point Buster squirmed in Sam's arms and held his legs in the air to protect his tiny feet.

"You are going to let me eat those toes!"

"He's not into it."

"Do you think something's wrong with him?"

"Yes." Sam said. "He thinks you're annoying."

"I'm just going to eat them when you fall asleep!"

"Why don't you get under the covers and eat my ass."

"Ser…seriously?" Dean asked. "Right now?"

"I wish." Sam sighed. "I'm stressed out about this social worker and assplay is the only thing that relaxes me."

"Consider it done!" Dean said as he started to crawl down the bed. "Good eating down here."

"Dean…"

"What?"

"Go pee. I laid out some clothes for you in the closet."

"But…ass…"

"It'll still be there later. You done eating, baby? Let's go get you dressed."

"But…my urges! My throbbing tumescence! And perhaps most important, my baby!"

"You have my permission to give it three extra shakes after you pee, but no more!"

After Sam and Buster exited the bedroom Dean rolled over on his side and pulled the covers over his head. He was in quite a predicament and to tantalize him with the possibility of ass for breakfast and not deliver was just cruel. In order to teach Sam a lesson Dean decided to stay in bed and nap all day, which he did for the next thirty-two seconds before running to the bathroom to piss. It wasn't as satisfying as ass play, but it did feel pretty good and after washing his hands and his face and running a brush through his hair Dean left the bathroom with a smile.

Sam must have really been trying to impress the social worker because he had laid out some geek chic in the closet. Dean pulled on his favorite pair of jeans, buttoned up a plain white shirt and topped it all off with a fancy soft gray sweater he didn't even know he had. Sam hadn't picked out shoes so Dean just put on his most comfortable pair of black boots and called it a day.

As soon as he was done getting dressed Sam came back and promptly handed off Buster who was looking cuter than ever. He was dressed in a sweet little polo shirt, some comfy pants, and an impossibly tiny little pair of soft sneakers that looked like Converse. Dean had to give him about fifteen kisses which he really seemed to enjoy. He seemed a bit skeptical about having on shoes, but they were so cute Dean didn't even think about taking them off and kissing his toes some more.

Once Sam was dressed they all headed downstairs for a little adult breakfast. Dean was really hoping for some eggs maybe with sausage and biscuits, but at some point Sam had put on a big bowl of oatmeal and dressed it with lots of dried fruit. It wasn't what Dean was in the mood for, but it was really good, and Buster seemed to enjoy gumming three or four of the soft oats. Dean was tempted to give him more, but right when he was about to the doorbell rang and not thirty seconds later Sam was welcoming the social worker into the kitchen.

When Katie properly introduced herself Dean realized it was nearly nine in the morning and he had slept a lot later than he intended to. He immediately felt worried that he had cut it kind of close, but he was sure Sam would have woken him up in time for the appointment if he hadn't woken up on his own. Katie was really very cute. She had closely cropped curly hair, bright blue eyes, and seemed absolutely pleasant, but she had a bag with her stuffed full of paperwork and she wasted no time in getting down to business.

"Can I get you a cup of coffee?"

"Thank you, Mr. Winchester. I'd love that."

"Sam, please."

"You can call me Dean." Dean added. "This of course is Buster. I'm sure you've noticed his fat little belly."

"He's precious. Norris told me he was premature?"

"A couple of weeks…his due date isn't until December 10th."

"And when was he born?"

"End of September."

"Are you expecting any developmental delays or disabilities?"

Sam had just set the coffee mug on the counter in front of Katie and he looked like someone had just kicked him square in the balls, which was exactly how Dean felt. He honestly couldn't remember the last time anyone, especially a complete stranger, had asked something he personally found incredibly offensive considering she wasn't at the house for Buster. Dean was downright furious and scared because it wasn't like he hadn't thought about Buster's health. He didn't like thinking about it though and he sure as hell didn't appreciate a reminder out of the blue. Dean was very tempted to tell Katie to mind her business, but he wasn't going to jeopardize Max's eventual adoption.

"No." Dean answered calmly. "There's nothing wrong with him."

"I only ask because I work with several families that have children with disabilities. You already have a very large family and Aaron was insistent that you'd be assisting him with Max's care."

"I've been up for three hours and have already made at least five hundred thousand dollars doing absolutely nothing. Our children and Aaron's will always be very well taken care of."

"In my experience, Mr. Winchester, money has very little to do with one's ability to raise children."

Dean swallowed hard and then gave Buster another tiny taste of oatmeal. Katie was a small woman and up against Sam she looked positively miniscule, but she was standing her ground and unfortunately, so was he. Sam didn't take shit from anyone, but Dean was honestly a little shocked that he had come back at Katie so swiftly and so fiercely. She was absolutely right that rich parents could very well be terrible parents, and poor parents could be great ones, but Sam obviously resented the implication that they couldn't handle everything thrown at them and he had to retaliate by reminding Katie that she was in the presence of a self made thirty year old billionaire.

"We're both stay at home parents, my parents and my adult son live next door on one side, and my brother, a pediatrician, lives on the other. Aaron will have more assistance than he ever needs considering it's unlikely he'll need any assistance."

"Okay." Katie smiled. "And how is Aaron with your children? How often does he watch them on his own."

"He's amazing with them." Dean said. "When we need someone to watch the kids he's always great."

"Has he cared for Buster on his own?"

"Well, Buster's one of the kids."

"I meant because he's so young."

"He has." Sam lied. "Just last week we were needed in the city and Aaron watched all the kids overnight. He handled dinner for the kids, fed Buster, gave him a bath and got up during the night for feedings and diaper changes."

"Yeah…Aaron is…he's pretty awesome."

Dean was feeling increasingly uncomfortable and the more Katie talked the worse he felt. She was just doing her job, but she seemed to have an awful lot of questions about Aaron, which made Dean wonder if she thought he wasn't going to be a good caregiver. Sam seemed uncomfortable as well, at least at first, then he started to get aggravated. Sam was incredibly protective of everyone in the family and in the last twelve hours he had become more and more protective of Aaron and of Aaron as a father. He knew how badly Aaron wanted a child of his own and he surely was not appreciating the ton of questions which all seemed to be coming back to how young he was, how didn't have a house of his own, and most bizarrely the fact that he was a priest. Katie seemed way too interested in that and Sam seemed very close to losing his fleeting level headedness.

Just when Dean was sure Katie was about to get bitch slapped and exiled from the planet the backdoor opened and Aaron arrived with Max in his arms and Jeremy at his side. Max was dressed in some of his new clothes and he had just gotten a bath because his hair was neatly combed and he looked quite dapper. Dean took the temporary lapse in the inquisition to flee to the other side of the kitchen with Buster who was getting a little sleepy. He put him in his swing, strapped him in, and turned it on. Within a minute Buster was sound asleep with a happy little smile on his face. Dean really wanted to sit on the ground next to him and maybe hide under the table, but Sam was giving him the eyes so he reluctantly moved back over to the counter and sat back down.

"This is my other brother, Jeremy."

"It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Jeremy said as he shook Katie's hand. "Aaron and officer Norris have said very nice things."

"That's always good to hear. You're a social worker as well?"

"For the time being. I'm going back to school in January."

"Psychology?"

"Yep."

"Wonderful." Katie smiled. "Aaron, how was your first night with Max?"

"Tiring." Aaron laughed. "He woke up around four and it took me a while to get him back to sleep…I think he knows…well, I think he knows he's somewhere else now."

"I'm sure he does. I'd like to see where he's staying and Jeremy, if you don't mind, I have some questions."

"No problem."

"Sam, would you mind watching Max for me?"

"Of course not. Come by me, buddy."

Once everyone had cleared out the kitchen Dean held his breath and waited to see how Sam would react. When he was upset it could go one of three ways. He was either going to start sobbing and saying no one liked him, get really pissed off and threaten to have Katie thrown out of the country, or get super hood. Dean didn't want to see Sam cry and he didn't really want to have to tell him yet again that he didn't have the power to expel people from the country, which he should have known after all the times he tried to get Jared sent back to the mother land. Out of the three options Dean was hoping for hood, but unfortunately it wasn't what he got.

"Who the hell does she think she is asking all those questions?"

"I think Aaron was probably really adamant about us helping."

"There is nothing wrong with Buster!"

"I know that, Sammy. Calm down, she's just…"

"He's perfectly fine! Like it's any harder to deal with him than it is with any of the other kids!"

"Sammy."

"What the fuck is her problem!" Sam said as he walked over. "Take Max."

Without so much a as a brief seconds pause Sam basically thrust Max into Dean's barely opened arms and immediately crossed the kitchen. Buster was sleeping and swinging peacefully so Sam didn't dare disturb him. Instead he folded his long legs down and sat right on the floor next to the swing. He was so big and he made Buster look especially tiny. When Sam hovered Buster basically became miniscule which was cute as could be, but Dean would have preferred there be no need to hover.

During those first few weeks Dean had spent a lot of time and lost a lot of sleep worrying about Buster. He worried less when it became obvious that size was the only indication that Buster had been very premature. He was turning out just like all the other kids except he was little bitty with a fat round little tummy. Dean knew in his heart that his baby was going to be just fine, but Sam still worried, and he didn't like anyone to ask questions, express concerns, or comment on his son. In his eyes Buster was the most perfect child ever born, which Dean did sort of agree with.

"It's time you learned the C-word."

"Sammy."

"What?" Sam asked. "He's going to have to learn it sooner or later."

"Yeah, but Ethan called the cat a cunt the other day. I agreed with him, of course, but I still had to tell him to never use that word again."

"Was the cat being a cunt?" Sam asked. "What am I saying, of course he was. Buster, that cat and that social worker are both raging cunts."

"Sammy!"

"Stupid cat."

"Go on." Dean sighed. "You can do it."

"Well…if you insist."

Buster was still peacefully sleeping, but Sam was upset and needed some special comfort. He expertly removed Buster from his swing and held him close inside his open shirt. For just a second Buster opened his eyes and looked around before sticking his index and middle fingers in his mouth and drifting back off. He was such a sweet baby and Dean needed to get close too, so he plopped down and sat Max up between his legs where he fit sort of perfectly.

"You know that social worker I met with after Mikey was born?"

"The one who was so impressed that he was a honkey?"

"The very same." Dean laughed. "She seemed so burdened and downright disinterested in Mikey."

"And?"

"Well, Katie doesn't care what we look like, how much money we have, or how big our house is. She doesn't care about any of us, all she cares about is this baby."

"I know."

"She's here for him to make sure he's going to be okay and she's really just doing her job."

"I know that." Sam sighed. "I just wish Buster was like the rest of the kids and he's not and he's never going to be. He's always going to be the one that came way too early."

"Don't you think maybe you're defensive because you were never like the rest of the other kids?"

"Yeah…"

"Sammy, he is different. He's our baby and he's always going to be our baby no matter now old he is or how big he gets. I don't want him to be like the other kids. I want him to be different, like you, so he'll always know that he's very, very special."

Dean got a tiny grin out of Sam that soon enough turned into a full blown smile. As soon as he smiled Dean could actually feel the tension melting away. Sam was actually relaxed and after a long sigh his body relaxed as well. He let his shoulders fall and he wasn't sitting up as rigidly anyone. He was back to the Sam that Dean knew and would always love. They were excellent parents, Buster was the most special and normal baby in the world, and Max was going to be a fantastic Winchester with a fantastic daddy.

"Yo padre es un fanny bandit."

"I really want an Asian nephew now too."

"I think we might have to wait a while for that."

"Dean, I want to handle the services for his parents."

"Of course." Dean said. "I don't want Aaron to have to deal with that either."

"A nice service." Sam nodded. "And we'll find a really nice spot in the cemetery for them…maybe make a donation. I want Max to be able to have a nice spot to visit them. Somewhere with trees."

"That's a plan. We can do that when dad gets back with the kids."

"Sugar?"

"Absolutely."

Dean leaned over and got a very nice good morning kiss from Sam, which Max seemed to find hilarious. He giggled so loudly that Buster woke up for a second and scowled before closing his eyes again. Dean didn't think the kiss was that funny but Max just kept on giggling until he fell over, rolled over twice, and began to smile and blabber at the ceiling. Dean thought maybe he was talking to his mom and dad who would never have to worry about their baby being taken care of.

When Sam went to get his hair done he wanted the star treatment. He wanted photographers outside, minions inside, a fresh robe, a glass of champagne, and enough ass kissing to make his hiney sore. When he went out with his fancy city friends to fancy restaurants he liked being able to use his celebrity to get the best tables, the best wine, and often times something made just for him that wasn't on the menu. At parties, which were admittedly few and far between, he liked being the most famous and most of the time the richest person there. Celebrity was very nice except when it wasn't.

When Sam went to the grocery he wanted to be a normal man buying food for his family. The same went for taking the kids to the dentist, having a private dinner out with Dean, and running errands around town. He just wanted to be left alone to wait in lines, pay full price, and put his own groceries in the back of the car. It was a nice feeling, one that Sam really needed to balance his life out.

The trip to the nicest funeral home and cemetery in Westport was one of the few times Sam wanted to be a regular guy who was just there to do business and a celebrity. He wanted to be a regular guy because he didn't expect special treatment and he certainly didn't want to put anyone out, but he needed his celebrity to really honor Max's parents. Once Max got older he was going to have so many questions and Sam wanted Aaron to be able to answer all of them. Above all else he wanted to be sure that Max knew that Aaron had done everything he could for his parents.

The funeral director was a very nice man, who knew who Sam was, but seemed to be an actual fan of Dean's work or Dean's pants to be more specific. He was a sort of wispy man close to sixty and he was very taken with Dean, which didn't surprise Sam in the least. Dean was cute, everyone thought so, but Sam was going to have to choke a bitch if they tried to take his property. He didn't want to be bitchy, but he did made Dean sit down as soon as they were in the office and there was no way he was leaving him alone.

Because Sam had never planned a funeral before he really had no idea what to expect, but he soon learned that things went a lot quicker when you were really straight forward about money not being an object. The director seemed very pleased with that and immediately produced several packages they offered. The cheapest with just the bare minimum with no frills and the most expensive, as far as Sam could tell was reserved for only the most flamboyant of dead people. It came with top of the line gaudy as hell caskets, several obnoxious floral pieces, a two day wake and funeral, and catering. Dean was all about the catering, but Sam thought it was a bit much. He didn't care about the price at all, but he couldn't imagine dragging a service out for two days for a handful of people.

In the end Sam chose one of the more expensive packages with matching dark wood and silver caskets, a floral piece for each casket, a one day service, and two matching floral sprays, just because they were included in the price. The package also came with standard burial plots, which was when Sam had to flash the pearly white and Dean had to turn on the charm. He actually had the director giggling like a sixteen year old girl and not ten minutes later they were all crammed into a golf cart, with Dean driving, while they toured the cemetery.

Ten minutes after that Sam was standing on what were apparently called two premium plots. They were on a bit of a hill, a mound maybe, under the shade of a maple tree. The leaves looked like they were on fire and some of them had already fallen to the ground. The director seemed awfully embarrassed that they hadn't been raked up yet, but Sam loved leaves on the ground in Fall, it was a nice reminder that cold and nice hot cocoa were just around the corner.

After some more paper work was filled out and all the details were finalized Sam handed over his Black card and got several assurances that everything was going to be perfect. It was a very strange thing to have to do, but Sam was glad he did it, and once they made it back home Aaron was very grateful. He was also very conscious of Max listening and made sure to avoid really saying what they were talking about. It was cute to see him be so protective mostly because he was acting exactly like Dean.

That night the long few days caught up with Sam and as soon as all the kids were in bed he was in bed with Dean. He barely had the strength to perform his husbandly duties before falling asleep with Dean's lips on the back of his neck. It was a great way to end the day and Sam was praying for at least eight hours of sleep, but he only got five before he woke up feeling like the room was way too empty.

It was just after two in the morning when Sam woke up groggy and disoriented. The bed was empty, Buster's bassinette was empty, and there was a very dim light coming from the bathroom door. Sam also heard the shower going when he got closer and when he opened the door he heard Dean singing very quietly. The entire bathroom was filled with steam so thick Sam could barely see two feet in front of him, but he still made it to the shower door and opened it up.

Dean was sitting inside on the tile seat dressed only in his soaking wet underwear while he sang quietly. Buster was as naked as the day he was born and when he saw Sam had come to pay him a visit he coughed twice and then pouted. The cough was the tiniest most adorably heart breaking thing Sam had ever heard, but the pouting was what made him frown back. Sam immediately stripped off all his clothes and then climbed into the shower next to Dean so he could hold on to Buster for a little while.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked as he took him. "Hey, baby boy."

"My arm is completely numb." Dean sighed. "Ow."

"How long have you been in here?"

"Since around midnight. I woke up when he started coughing."

"Croup?"

"Sammy, I don't think I can handle that."

"Calm down. When Mikey had it we had no idea what was going on or what to do."

"But he made seal noises." Dean frowned. "And he was so sad."

"He feels like he's breathing okay."

"Bruce is coming over, I turned off the alarm after I sent him a text. He should be here soon."

"It'll be okay."

Dean furrowed his eyebrows and then stood up to pee in the corner. Normally Sam didn't allowing peeing in the shower since he felt like it set a bad example in a family where nearly everyone had a penis, but he opted not to say anything since Dean was absolutely petrified of croup. Mikey had gotten it when he was about eight months old and was honking like a seal for a full twenty-four hours. Dean convinced himself if was seal flu and that Mikey was done for, but then they headed into the doctor and things cleared up over the next few days. Buster wasn't Mikey though and Sam had a feeling they were going to have at least three or four sleepless night just because of Dean's worrying.

"It's okay, baby, uncle Bruce is coming and…Dean?"

"I know I'm not supposed too, but I had to pee real bad!"

"What's that by the drain?"

"I don't know. I think it's a tootsie roll."

"It looked like a tiny baby poo."

"Probably from the cat."

"Did he poop on you?" Sam said as he tried not to laugh. "Did…uh…"

"It was an accident!" Dean said as he spun around. "He coughed so hard he pooped himself. My poor baby!"

"I see…"

"Then I didn't want to leave the shower so I sprayed the hose on his butt and he really seemed to enjoy it!"

"Well, at least we know he's yours…"

"Sammy, this is serious!"

"You just stepped in the poo."

"Aw, damnit!"

While Dean tried to clean up the poop situation Sam patted Buster on his adorable fat little butt. He was still so small, but he had a belly and he most certainly had his daddy's butt. It was all bubbly and chunky and cute as could be. Buster seemed almost apologetic for pooping in the shower, but Sam gave him a kiss to let him know it was okay. At least he wasn't like Ethan who had once been in the shower with Sam when he decided to just crap for the hell of it. He was two years old at the time and Sam still remembered how Ethan pretended like he had no idea where the turd had come from.

About five minutes later once Sam felt like Buster had been exposed to enough steam and heat, Bruce and Nick arrived. Sam had just put on his robe so they missed the show, but Dean was still walking around in his wet underwear. Sam could tell he was freezing, but he couldn't even be bothered to slip into his own robe. He wanted to consult with the doctors immediately and make sure they could do everything in their power to make Buster feel better.

"He had a little fever before we went to shower." Dean said. "Little over 99."

"Sounds like croup." Nick said. "Take a big breath for me."

"How does he sound?"

"A little wheezy. Nothing to be worried about I think. Oh, there's a bark!"

"Wow." Bruce chuckled. "That's a mighty cough for such a little guy. Was he better in the shower?"

"Yeah."

"I'm going to give him a really low dose of steroids. Then we're going to bundle him up and go get some fresh air."

"You can't put that mask on my baby!"

"Dean."

"We wave it in front of his face." Nick laughed. "Put some clothes on."

"He's scared of that machine!"

"Dean." Sam said again. "Go put on some dry clothes."

Dean seemed very apprehensive, but Buster couldn't have cared less about what was going on. Sam was holding him in his lap and he seemed only vaguely interested. When Nick turned his magic machine on he became a little more alert and he seemed to like the pleasant buzzing sound it made. The breathing treatment lasted for about five minutes during which time Buster blinked around seven hundred and fourteen times. He was smiling why he did it, but Sam mostly attributed that to Nick and Bruce both making funny faces at him. He was a trooper and Dean only had a mild panic attack.

Once they were done Sam put on a fresh diaper and a long sleeved onesie before wrapping him up tightly in his favorite warm blanket. When they got outside and the cold air hit him he became very alert and it felt like he was breathing a lot deeper. Dean was still looking like he might completely freak out and kill everyone so Sam hoped the cold fresh air might do him some good as well. It was in the mid forties and although Sam only had on his robe and a pair of slippers he liked the cold because it meant it was almost Christmas.

"Look at him squirming." Dean frowned. "You gave my baby roid rage."

"He's fine." Nick laughed. "For the next few days make sure everyone washes their hands extra well and try to limit his exposure to the other kids."

"Looks like you have this under control!" Bruce said as he nodded his head. "I have to go home and rescue Anthony who was wrestling with Charlie when I left. He didn't want to sleep."

"Oh." Sam said. "Okay…well, um, thanks for coming."

"No problem, bye guys."

Bruce kissed Buster on the forehead and then very quickly disappeared into the darkness to walk back home. Sam found that extremely suspicious and he was still confused as to why Nick had come to the house at all. He didn't live that far away, but Bruce was still closer to the office. Nick must have left home, stopped off at the office, and then picked up Bruce before coming to the house. Sam appreciated two doctors but they really only needed one.

"What was that about?" Dean asked. "Is it his night to top?"

"Me and Julie were over there for dinner. Charlie's been…well, Charlie. How'd it go with the social worker?"

"Good. We were a little upset that she had so many questions, but I'd rather too many than not enough. She was just doing her job and hopefully in six months Aaron will be able to legally adopt Max."

"I called her a bad name." Sam frowned. "But she was okay."

"Good…good…"

"So." Dean said before clearing his throat. "Why exactly are you here?"

"Because I love my nephew and wanted to make sure he was okay."

"Mmhmm. Then why did Bruce bust ass out of here."

"Because…" Nick said before he sighed. "I had dinner with them to ask them something about you guys and when you texted Bruce he said coming to help Buster would be a great excuse to talk…but I would have come anyway, obviously."

"We know that." Sam smiled. "What's up?"

Sometimes Sam didn't really get Nick. He loved him, he was a great guy, and a really fantastic doctor, but he was just a little strange to Sam and not really in a bad way, just a different way. Sam always attributed it to them being much closer with Bruce, but the only reason they weren't as close with Nick was because he was very busy and he didn't live a mile away. He clearly needed to talk to them about something, something he didn't really want to talk about, which made Sam sad because they were family and he hated Nick not being comfortable enough to say what was on his mind.

"I work really hard." Nick started. "I work hard to pick up the slack for Bruce and our practice is growing and I put a lot back into it. I leased the office next to ours so we could have a little more room."

"You need money?" Sam asked. "I can write you a check right now, you know that."

"No, it's not about money. You two have already done so much. I want to…I need to do this on my own and I can. It's just tight right now."

"We can pay off the house for you." Dean suggested. "How much do you owe?"

"I…I need the ring back."

"What ring?" Sam asked. "Oh…the engagement ring?"

"Bruce said he thought you gave it to Todd."

"We tried." Dean laughed. "He said it was too cotton pickin' fancy pants falutin for Belle."

"It's in the safe." Sam said. "Though I refuse to allow you to give Julie a used engagement ring."

"I was going to sell it or trade it in."

"Okay." Dean smiled. "Julie's the one then, huh?"

Nick took a deep breath and then exhaled very slowly. Sam was a little worried when he didn't answer right away, because if someone had asked him if Dean was the one he would have started hootin' and hollerin' and swinging from the chandelier with a pair of cowboy boots on and nothing else. Nick just stayed quiet for an almost uncomfortable amount of time, but it was obvious he was thinking long and hard. That didn’t make Sam feel any better about the silence, but it was a little more understandable.

"I'm jealous."

"Of?"

"I'm jealous of you guys, of Anthony and Bruce…and I'm angry at myself."

"Why?" Sam asked. "What would you be angry about?"

"My brother's my best friend. Always was and always will be. I got so close to Bruce that I expect other people to make me feel the way he does."

"Uh." Dean said before clearing his throat. "When you say close are you talking about…"

"I'm talking about my brother. Not about anything we did, I enjoyed it obviously, but it's like Ethan and Evan, you know? One breathes out and the other breathes in. They're close. They make each other happy just as two brothers. Like how I'd think you two would be if you weren't together."

"What a horrible world that would be." Sam said. "I get what you're saying. He's your little brother, he's unconditionally always loved you."

"Exactly. I didn't think anyone could make me feel like that until things got serious with Julie."

"Then she's the one."

Nick smiled at Dean and then started down at the ground for a few seconds. Sam completely understood where he was coming from. Bruce adored him, in much the same way Sam adored Dean. If you took sex out of the equation they were still going to love each other no matter what because that's what families did in good times and bad. If Nick had found happiness like that with someone else then Sam thought they were most certainly worth joining the family. They were someone worth starting a family with.

"I guess I just…I need someone to ask those questions and it can't be mom. It's bad enough she knows. I know she knows."

"She does." Dean said. "Should I ask then?"

"One of you should."

"Are you absolutely and completely sure that Bruce is just going to be your best friend and brother? Julie's really fantastic, she's beautiful and smart, and kind. She would make a great wife and mother, but that ring is staying in the safe unless we're both sure you and Bruce are done. You can't hurt her. You can't go into this unsure."

"We haven't done anything in a really long time."

"That's not what I asked."

"I know." Nick nodded. "I'm positive that he's just my best friend and my brother and that I want her to be my wife and the mother of my children."

"I'll go get the ring right now."

Sam had never heard anyone speak so confidently in his life, except for Dean when he was telling other people how to raise their children. Dean shook Nick's hand and then disappeared inside after taking Buster who had finally fallen asleep in Sam's arms. It was still cold out but Sam stayed on the back porch with Nick who seemed very relieved. In the end the ring was his and he was entitled to it, but he needed someone to ask the hard question and there was really no one better than Dean.

"There wasn't any other option for us."

"Excuse me?"

"We had no choice." Sam said as he laughed quietly. "We were never going to know happiness without each other. You're lucky that you have two people you love with everything you have, but you're better off with just one."

"I know that now."

"She's awesome. When are you going to ask?"

"I heard you're having a big Christmas eve party this year."

"Yes." Sam nodded. "As you're aware Buster is gravely ill most of the time and traveling for five hours to get to Vermont will surely do him in."

"Then I have a plan."

"You tell that girl to plan the wedding of her dreams. Whatever she wants. Our gift."

"Sam…"

"Don't talk him out of it." Dean said as he came back from inside. "Bitch loves planning weddings."

"It's true!"

"Here you go. One fancy ring."

"Thank you, both. Anyone want to go ring shopping next week?"

"Oh…" Dean whispered. "I am so getting laid tonight."

Jewelry shopping and a wedding was just about enough to send Sam completely over the edge. Since they were free most of next week they decided to work around Nick's schedule and after a few last minute instructions for Buster he left to go back home with the ring in his pocket. Sam was all kinds of excited and Dean was right, he was totally getting laid.

"What's uh…" Dean said as he undid Sam's robe. "What's under there?"

"Let's go inside."

"Baby boy's asleep. I don't want to wake him."

"Out here?" Sam laughed. "It's freezing."

"I'll keep you warm, baby brother."

Sam laughed again and then got down on the ground with Dean. It was nice to be outside and definitely exciting. While Buster got some much needed rest Dean kept his promise and made sure they were both plenty warm, and then hot, and then hotter.