The Mockingbird and the Oriole

Nov 11, 2012 21:13

Title: The Mockingbird and the Oriole
Author: darth_firefly
Artist: usarechan
Fandom/Genre: AU, drama
Pairing(s): Mentions of Dean/OFC
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, mentions of character death, deaf!Dean
Summary:Castiel fully expected to die when he went into that warehouse in Van Nuys. He was ready to die. What he didn't expect was to land in the home of a Dean Winchester who had no idea who he was, who had never been to Hell, who wasn't a Winchester - and had never heard a single sound in his entire life. All that considered, the fact that this Dean had a seven year old daughter was hardly surprising at all. Oddly enough, the kid might be the LEAST of the surprises waiting for him in this other reality he now found himself in.


Dean untied the surgical mask from behind his head and tossed it into the bin. It had been a horrible day. No matter how many times he saw it, death was still not easy in the operating room. He went over to the sink to scrub his hands, knowing that, down the hall, a father was going to get a message that made his heart ache for the unknown man. He'd watched his beloved Ignacia slip away - and the widower down the hall hadn't gotten the chance to say good bye. Right now, Dean just wanted to go home and sleep. A six hour surgery to try and save the mother of four children and it had ended in death. He walked out of the OR and went down to the nurse's station to sign out. He would go home, take a nap, have a late dinner, and then do the paperwork.

It was crazy, letting death still affect him the way it did. He lived with it everyday in his line of work. How many patients had gone into the OR and not come out? He did have the advantage in that he never had to walk down that hallway to the waiting rooms. He was as faceless as the nurses at times. He glanced at his watch - it was already after six. Jay had probably already gotten Liesel her dinner and heard her spelling words. He sighed and went into the locker room, changing out of his scrubs into his street clothes.

Just getting home sounded good right now. He finished tying his shoes, shut his locker and headed back down to the nurse's station to double check his schedule for tomorrow. The woman behind the desk looked up as he approached, giving him a worn smile.

“Evening Dr. Coulter.”

“Hello, Janice,” he replied. “Has tomorrow changed at all?” He leaned against the desk, watching as she checked her computer screen.

“There's just that tonsillectomy at eleven.” She paused. “Oh, and Mr and Mrs Abernathy wanted you to stop down and see them in the PICU before you went home.”

“The twins' parents?” Dean frowned. “Did they sat what it was about?”

“No. But they didn't sound upset.” She picked up the phone, and he turned away and went to the elevators. The PICU was just two floors down, so it was on the way, so to speak.

He adjusted his name badge on his lanyard as the elevator doors swung open, and he stepped into the hallway. The stringent smell of Lysol and oxygen hit him before he even reached the door of the PICU. He rarely came in here, but each time he did, he said a silent thanks to that professor at Stanford who convinced him not to become a pediatric surgeon. As it was, Dean had issues putting kids under for surgery at times. Mr and Mrs Abernathy weren't hard to find - they were sitting between two beds in the room near the end of the hallway.

“Dr. Coulter,” Mrs Abernathy said as he came to the door.

“You said you wanted to talk to me?” He signed as he spoke, catching the attention of the woman's husband.

“Yes,” she started to reply in kind, “we just wanted to thank you for what you did for our girls.” She turned to the two beds where the girls were sleeping. He could see the monitors' even beeping on both of the children, measuring their heartbeats. Even though they were both well on the road to recovery, the hospital wasn't taking a lot of chances.

“I'm just an anesthesiologist; I was not seriously involved in the surgery.”

Mr. Abernathy came to stand next to his wife. He was likely the same sort of deaf that Dean's dad Michael was - he could hear a little, but not much. “They told us you were modest,” he signed. “You made sure Hallie and Jennifer had sweet dreams during surgery and that they didn't wake up too soon.”

It was on the tip of Dean's tongue to tell them that almost no one ever dreamed while under the influence of anesthesia, but he decided he'd let it go - the twins were only five, after all. “You're welcome,” he replied. “Is there anything else I can do for you tonight?”

“No, and again - thank you,” Mr. Abernathy replied, and then he returned to his seat between the beds.

“Yes, thank you,” his wife replied and went to join him.

Dean nodded and headed back out into the hallway.

*
When he let himself into the house, Dean wasn't surprised to find that Jay was sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for him. The man always seemed to know when his work day had been a horrible one. He should have expected this. He hung up his keys on the small rack next to the door and stepped into the room. “Evening.”

“Hey.” Jay stood up and went to the fridge. “I think it's better if you eat now, rather than wait.”

“I'm not hungry.” He got a glass out of the cupboard and then some ice from the freezer.

The man squeezed his shoulder. “I've known you for too long; that's not going to work with me. You get your water, and have a seat.”

“You don't have to do this.” He tried to ignore the containers the man had just gotten out and set on the counter.

“Hush up. You sit, I'll heat this up and go.” He turned away to get a plate.

“Fine.” Dean walked resolutely to the island and sat down after filling his glass with water. “How was Lis today?”

Jay filled the plate with leftover meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and gravy and put it in the microwave before turning around to respond. “She's fine. Though she has asked me to tell you to try and stop waiting until Friday to ask how her school week went.”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, staring down into his glass for a moment. “Friday's family dinner night, no matter what.” He rubbed his face. “I know I need to make a better effort, or one of these days I'm going to be surprised when I come home to an empty house and wonder where the time went.”

“You've got a ways to go before that happens.” He turned to get the food from the microwave and then set it and a fork in front of Dean. “As far as single parenting goes, I think you're doing a fantastic job. Liesel is just feeling a little... ignored right now.”

“Did she tell you that?” He made no motion to pick up the fork. “Is something wrong?”

Jay held out his hands, his expression pained. “She's been a little upset since her teacher told her this week she can't invite you to the Mother's Day tea party her class is having.”

“Why not?” Dean looked stunned. “Isn't her teacher aware of the fact that Liesel lives in a single parent home?”

“Yes, she knows.” He took a breath. “I was pretty annoyed when Lis told me. Her idea is to get an empty chair and scream at anyone who tries to sit in it.”

“I can't believe she didn't tell me about this.” Dean picked up the fork and stabbed at his food. This was only their second Mother's Day without Ignacia. He couldn't blame her for being upset and the idea of having some teacher tell his daughter she couldn't invite the person who was both her mother and father to a party seriously annoyed him. “When did all this happen?”

“It started back on Monday.” He took a breath and started speaking and signing at the same time again. “I'm sorry, I should have brought this up sooner.”

Dean ate for a few moments, going over what his friend had told him. He hated to think about the fact he'd not noticed what a lousy week his own kid was having. Was that one of the reasons Castiel had gotten up and made them breakfast this morning? Was the angel aware of what was going on? He put his fork down, annoyed more with himself than anything else. “Is Liesel mad at me?”

“She knows you're busy. She's not mad - I think she's just disappointed you seem to have to work all the time.” Jay frowned. “Why don't you go up and talk to her after you're done eating?”

“I should.” He ate a few more bites of food. “I'll be able to pick her up from school tomorrow; I only have one surgery to attend.”

“I know. You planned on that, remember?” Jay's eyes suddenly lit with amusement. Clearly, he remembered something Dean hadn't. “Your parents are coming, they're going to spend almost two weeks here. Liesel's making her First Communion next weekend; your mom needs to alter the dress?”

Dean covered his face with his hands, shocked. He had completely forgotten about his parents' visit with everything that had been going on. “My mom is going to say the house is a mess.” He lowered his hands, panic setting in. “What am I going to tell them about Castiel?”

“That's already handled. I talked it over with him; he'll stay with me since I don't have to come here for a while.” He came over to the island. “Just until you're ready to introduce him to your parents.”

“You say that like he and I are more than just friends, Jay.” He shook his head and turned his attention back to his dinner. He'd be able to think things through a little more clearly with a full stomach.

*
“Now, you'll have to excuse the slight mess,” Gabriel said to Castiel as they came into a small ranch home. “And don't worry, nothing bites.” He flipped on the light and there was a sound of scurrying feet. A limping coyote came out of the kitchen, looking as eager as any puppy dog. “Oh, hello, Alice.” The archangel knelt down and the animal bounded-limped across the room to lick his face. “What a good girl.” He ruffled the creature behind the ears before standing up.

Castiel looked down at Alice, who was sniffing at his hand. “Did you do something to the person who hit her?”

Gabriel laughed. “Just their car.” He headed for the kitchen. “Put your bag on the couch; I'll introduce you to everyone.”

“Everyone?” The angel frowned as he set his bag down and followed Gabriel.

'Everyone' turned out to be two racoons, a badger, and a stray cat - all of them in various stages of healing. Though as to why the archangel hadn't fixed their injuries instantly when he found them, Castiel had no idea.

**
Elisa Coulter wasn't too surprised when her son called, not even bothering to hide his flustered manner over the video-phone, apologizing about forgetting their impending visit. Her son had a habit of working too hard - and her granddaughter hadn't realized that it was okay to tell her dad that he might have forgotten something. She went back to finishing her packing, carefully wrapping the small lace dress in tissue paper. The same dress that she had worn on her First Communion many years ago, and her own mother before that - and even her grandmother had worn it. The dress had been made by her grandmother's mother. She set a pair of cream colored ribbons into the box with the dress and then closed it, hoping that she wouldn't have to alter it too much on her granddaughter. Liesel was a tiny thing, she had noticed that at Christmas when Dean and her were here, in Maryland. Then again, the girl's mother had been small, so it was to be expected. She added a few more things to her bag and zipped it closed, sighing softly.

Michael came out of the bathroom, carrying a toiletry bag. He set it in the suitcase that was open on the bed and then frowned. He tapped the case, catching his wife's attention. “Where's the dress?”

“In my carry-on, I don't trust baggage handlers.” She shook her head at his silent laugh and waited for him to look at her again before replying, “Do you remember what happened to that shirt of yours?”

Michael rolled his eyes. “That was twenty years ago!”

“Exactly! Think what could happen to our belongings now!” She chuckled and zipped the suitcase closed. “Do we have everything?”

“I believe so.” He picked up the large suitcase and set it on the floor. “Will you please bring my carry-on down?”

“Of course.” She replied and picked up both bags while Michael wheeled their suitcase into the hallway and downstairs.

*
Dean watched the students file out of Holy Family school in a sea of blue and white plaid. He hadn't slept well last night; he'd been mulling Jay's words over in his mind. When, exactly, had he started to shut Lis out? It wasn't a secret that his deepest fear was turning into a father like John Winchester - and ignoring the fact that his little girl had been in a lot of emotional pain for almost a week was enough to make him a little concerned. Okay, so it was a long way from being too busy to notice to being an abusive asshole, but still - he shouldn't ignore the girl.

The warm April breeze caused him to turn and look into the backseat as Liesel dropped her bag onto the floor of the car and buckled herself in.

“Hey, Lis.”

“Hi, Dad.” The girl smiled weakly. “What time does Grandma and Granddad's plane get in?”

“In a few hours - just enough time for us to go home and change clothes before heading to the airport.” He gave her a small smile. “Do you know where you want to go for dinner tonight?”

“Can't we just eat at home?” Liesel shifted in her seat and suddenly ducked her head as a group of kids passed their car, pointing.

Dean glanced at the kids and then back at his daughter. “What is it?”

The girl looked up, tears in her eyes. “They think it's funny I still have to sit in a booster seat.”

“You're not four feet tall yet - and just barely over fifty pounds. There's nothing to be ashamed of for that.” He turned around so he could see her more clearly and not rely on the rear-view mirror so much. “Not to mention that half of those kids who aren't using boosters should be.”

“I think it's a matter of that they think I must be unaware of the fact that I'm little.” She sat back, folding her arms.

“Well, that's perfectly all right if you aren't. They clearly aren't aware of the fact that they're creeps.” Dean saw the serious visage on the girl's face crack for a second. “Oh, you're not going to laugh, are you?”

Liesel covered her face for a moment and then grinned at him. “Dad...”

“That's what I wanted to see.” He gave her an identical smile. “Now, how about we go get ready to see your grandparents, huh?”

“Okay.” She turned her attention to the window, a signal to Dean that it was okay to turn his attention away from her and to getting them out of the parking lot.

*
Michael Coulter shifted in his seat, currently envying his wife, who was reading the latest Patricia Cornwell novel, completely unaware that behind them, a small girl was screaming her head off. Between her and the engines, he was half tempted to turn off his hearing aides and sink into the world of silence. However, due to the fact that it was highly unlikely that none of the flight attendants were ASL certified, he had to endure the noise along with the other hearing passengers. Of course, thanks to the engines, it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

He looked over the crossword he was working on, certain that the damn thing was sending him some kind of crazed message. The answer to the first across clue was John and, for twenty-nine down - Winchester. Michael couldn't think of that man without a foul taste in his mouth. The man was the reason that Dean spent the first six months in their house terrified of messing up. Michael couldn't imagine laying a finger on a child for making a mistake any child could. The only time he could remember getting swatted in any way himself was when he was six and had run into the street after a ball. The spank had been to reinforce the message to stay out of the street and not for any true anger.

Michael set the pencil down and closed his eyes. Sam and Adam Winchester had talked to him about the fact that John wanted to talk to Dean, wanted to try to fix things - or something. Hearing that only made him angry. Couldn't the man just let go and accept that fact that Dean wanted nothing to do with him?

*
The single most frustrating thing for Liesel when Grandma and Granddad visited was the fact that the two of them and her dad starting signing rapidly and she couldn't keep up. It wouldn't be so bad if Dad didn't insist on going out for dinner on the first night. She hated watching people stare at her family - but at least the wait staff at the places never seemed to say much of anything. Playing catch up and eating with people staring at her was never fun. As glad as she was to see her grandparents, her day had been pretty bad - and she would have much rather stayed at home and escaped to the freedom of her room as soon as she was full and had been excused. She reached over and put a chip into the salsa bowl in front of her. At least the restaurant was busy enough that most people were too caught up in their own conversations to stare at them openly. She nearly dropped her food when she looked at the two people who had just come in the door. It was Mr. Jay and Mr. Cas.

“Liesel?” She felt a tap on her arm and she turned to her dad. “What is it?”

“It's who just came in the door, Dad.” She shrugged. “It's not important.” She knew that the two men hadn't seen them - they'd been taken to another part of the restaurant. She picked up her fork and ate another bite of her dinner. She half focused on the conversation her dad and grandpa were having - something about Baltimore’s upcoming season and how they were hoping it might finally be the year of the Orioles. Last year it had almost been painful to watch the St. Louis Cardinals turn the Texas Rangers into hash. Baseball was the only sport that all the Coulters could agree on - they all loved to watch it, and if she could, Liesel would play it. Really, if she and Dad could just play catch in the yard every now and then, it'd be great.

“Mom, what are those people doing?” A voice called from across the isle, and Liesel whipped her head towards the sound, hoping that the girl in question was talking about someone else.

“Hush, Allie. It's not nice to point.” The woman looked embarrassed. “Besides, I think that little girl heard you.”

Liesel guessed Allie had to be her age or close to it. She tightened her grip on her fork, suddenly feeling three more pairs of eyes on her. She glanced up from her plate and made eye contact with her grandmother, who was frowning.

“More ignorant people, Liesel?”

She nodded in reply, not trusting herself to speak with her hands or her voice.

“Yeah, and that girl's probably in kindergarten.” The girl, Allie said, loud enough for half the dining room to hear.

It took all her strength not to say something back. The girl was just a brat or something. Liesel stabbed a few more vegetables on her plate and ate them, keeping her face as calm as she could. All she wanted to do was go home.

*
Dean took a deep breath and knocked on his little girl's door. He knew full well that what had upset her at school and again at the restaurant went deeper than her having a bad day. He should have talked to her more this afternoon with all that Jay had told him, but somehow - things kept getting pushed back. His parents were already in bed, tired from their trip. “Lis?”

She looked up from the book she was reading. “Yes? You just said I had to be in bed by eight thirty and...”

He came into the room and sat down on her bed, taking the book from her and putting the marker in it. “All right, Funny Face, you want to tell your old man what's wrong?”

“Wrong?” She bit her lip and looked away.

“Hey.” He tapped her arm. “You can't hide the truth from me; I can tell when you're lying.”

“It's not fair.” She hugged her knees, resting her chin on them.

“What's not fair?” Dean smoothed her hair down. “Just tell me honey, please.”

“I'm the only person in this family who isn't deaf, I'm the only girl in my class who only has a dad, I can't do any out of school activities because it's too much of a hassle and I don't want to learn anymore Romanian!” Her face scrunched up and she sniffled. “How come I have to be the one to adapt to all of this?” Her face broke. “And don't say it's because I'm a kid!”

He let out a breath and moved a little closer to her, setting his hand on her shoulder. “I don't have an answer for all of that, Liesel. I know I've told you hundreds of times how glad I am that you're not deaf. Your grandparents feel the same way. I guess...” He sighed. “I can remember being the only deaf person in a family... so I suppose I didn't think of how it would feel if it was reversed.” He gave her a small hug. “I also tend to forget that you act a lot older than your age.”

“I just... it's not fair.” She huffed.

“I know.” He shook his head. He honestly didn't know how he was supposed to be able to fix something like this. “I guess I put a little too much on your shoulders.” He hugged her again. “Jay said your teacher doesn't want you inviting me to that tea party thing next month. Is that true?”

She nodded. “I tried to explain, but she doesn't.... I don't think she...”

“Well, she's only your teacher for another month.” Dean smiled. “What if I just showed up anyway? Do you think she'd throw me out?”

He watched as she thought for a moment and then shook her head. “No.”

“I have to go to a meeting on Tuesday for the second grade parents. I'll have a word with her then.” He let out a breath. “Lis, I don't want you thinking you can't come to me if there's a problem, okay? I know my work keeps me busy, but you're still my number one priority.”

“What about when you get home from work after I'm asleep?” Liesel sat back against the headboard.

“Then you leave me a message.” He sighed. “You're not wanting to do gymnastics, are you?”

“No.” She bit the corner of her lip, the look Dean recognized as the same thinking expression her mom had. “I wanted to try baseball or something.”

“I'll think on it. Not making any promises, but I'll look into a few things, how would that be?” Dean hadn't brought up sports or any other such things because there never seemed to be time for things like that. But he couldn't let his life and thus, his little girl's life, be dictated by someone else. He'd lived like that once before and it had been hell. “Now, before I tuck you in for the night, is there anything else you want to tell me?”

“Uh... we've been having hang up calls again. Or did Mr. Jay already tell you about that?” She picked up her stuffed cat and hugged it. “I don't know if there were any today, but there was one yesterday and a few days ago - Mr. Jay might have gotten a few others, but I know I answered two.”

“I keep meaning to check if our number is similar to a delivery place. My cousin Jenny had that problem in college - which was particularly amusing considering people were calling to order Chinese food.” He stood up and Liesel got under the covers of her bed. “Good night, Lis.”

“Night, Dad.” She yawned and closed her eyes as Dean flipped out the light and quietly left the room.

**
“Well, I found that to be an enjoyable meal.” Gabriel stretched out on the couch, smiling widely. “You apparently haven't had decent Mexican food before.”

“I fail to see how the copious amounts of fried ice cream, stuffed jalapenos and cheese sauce you indulged in count as a meal. I would also greatly appreciate it if you would not laugh at my dislike of ground beef.” Castiel sat stiffly in the easy chair, hardly showing any movement when the cat jumped into his lap and sat down. “I have my reasons.”

“I still can't figure you out.” The archangel rubbed his eyes. “Though you did seem to enjoy that fajita salad.” He pulled himself up to sit. “I'm not trying to pick on you Castiel. I'm just - I'm confused.”

“What is so confusing to you, Gabriel?” He frowned as the cat turned around on his lap, making herself comfortable, and then stretched out before closing her eyes. “Apart from the fact that your cat seems to have chosen to nap on me.”

“That's not confusing.” He waved his hand dismissively. “I know you've noticed that your Grace is strengthening. It's got a very long way to go before it's completely healed, but yet you haven't asked me if I can help you get back to where you came from.”

“I didn't feel it was proper.” Castiel swallowed. “I got myself here; I should get myself out of my own mess. The Gabriel where I come from would tell me that.”

“I must be a total dick.” The archangel ran a hand through his hair before continuing. “Let me ask you this - do you want to go back?” He held up a hand. “Now wait a minute before you answer me. I want an honest answer. I don't want you telling me you want to go back because you feel you have to, or because it's some kind of duty thing. Because the odds of you landing here, randomly, of all places, after what you did, are so impossible I can't even think of what the chance would be. I'm pretty certain you're where you're supposed to be.”

“Destiny can be changed,” he replied flatly.

“And I think yours has. I'm not omnipotent; I can't tell you why you're here. I just believe you're supposed to be here.” He covered his eyes. “Is this place that bad, compared to what you left?”

“This place could have ended up the same way had John Winchester not abandoned Dean.”

“You're wrong.” Gabriel stood up. “If John hadn't abandoned Dean, he would be dead. And not at a monster's hand, but at John's.”

“What do you mean?” Castiel frowned. “I do not see how John would murder his eldest child.”

The archangel let out a low whistle. “I think you need to rethink that. Even in your own world - there's more than one way a human can be killed. John had a good start on the boy's spirit already by the time he left him behind.”

He looked down in reply. “I do not deny that there was always...” His eyes narrowed slightly. “It was always a great frustration of mine how the Dean I pulled from Hell placed his brother above everything else. While the love is admirable, it was....”

“I get what you're saying.” His companion sighed. “I'm still trying to think what would have happened if things went the way here that they did where you came from...and what would have happened when Dean got yanked out of Hell and could hear all of a sudden. Of course, I try not to think about a world without Liesel, so that's a subject best left alone.”

“She is - an amusing child.” Castiel set a hand on the cat, who started to purr. “I don't suppose you can tell me what you are doing playing - I believe the best term would be nanny, to the child.”

Gabriel snickered. “Nanny works. I would have thought it obvious. I'm playing guardian.” His smile widened at the look on Castiel's face. “What, is that so hard to believe?”

“I find it hard to believe that Dean and his child are being guarded if there is no threat of the Apocalypse.” He titled his head, thinking. “Or are you just keeping all the monsters away?”

“Something like that - and before you ask, yes - Sam and Adam are being watched too.” He closed his eyes and winced. “I think I need to take it easy on the spice next time.”

“I don't understand.” He shook his head. “Why are you watching over the sons of John Winchester?”

“Call it making sure some idiot doesn't try to start anything.” He coughed. “It beats running around the bureaucracy of home, that's for sure.”

“I can understand that to some degree.” He leaned back in his chair. “Are you also keeping John Winchester away from here?”

“Doing my damnedest to, yes.” He sat up, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know that blood is blood and all that - but Dean doesn't want to see him, I don't want John seeing either of them - but there's one little hitch.”

“John wants to see Dean.” He frowned. “Or is it really Dean he wants to see?”

“Liesel is the only grandchild - Sam's not one for kids, and neither is Adam. Well, Sam will be as soon as he meets the right girl, but as for now... one grandchild equals one very - well, when you only have one of something, you tend to be a little... possessive.” He stood up and started to pace. “Although if he thinks he's got a right to call himself the girl's grandfather, I've got some ocean front property in Kansas to sell him.”

“If I can correctly assume what transpired between John and Dean, I believe the best expression for this is that is that the Sahara will freeze over before Dean lets John be within a hundred mile radius of his little girl.” Castiel looked back down at the cat, who had fallen asleep. “Is that a fair assessment?”

“That's pretty close.” Gabriel ran his fingers through his hair. “I already know he's gotten a hold of the Coulter's phone number. Trouble is, I'm not allowed to say anything to him - it wouldn't exactly... make sense to him; he'd freak out, and there goes the whole safety net.”

“John Winchester is an atheist,” Castiel said flatly.

“I know that.” He knelt down by the cage that held the badger, who was sleeping. “That's the other reason why, even if I could tell him, it wouldn't do any good.”

“Perhaps someone should put the fear of a higher power in John Winchester.” He shrugged absently. “If you believe in demons, logic dictates that you have to believe in angels.”

“And I suppose you think you're the one who could do it?” He snorted. “Believe me, I've tried, Daniel's tried and so have Adam and James Murphy. It's not happening.”

“I could not do it right now - or next week. I need to regain some strength before I should even attempt it.” He yawned. “I would also need to make a plan.”

“You're serious, aren't you?” Gabriel stood up. He hadn't been expecting this sort of response from Castiel. He hadn't even planned on something like this happening.

“I know that you are going to accompany the Coulters on their trip to Romania, you told me as much. But I seriously doubt John is going to be aware of that vacation taking place.” A small smile played on his lips. “I might also need to do some research. What is the name of that awful book again about the vampires that sparkle?”

“Wait wait... this I can't believe.” The archangel stood up. “You're going to trick John Winchester into somehow coming down to Austin, convince him angels exist and scare him away from Dean and Liesel permanently? What are you going to do, trap him in a warehouse and take him on a trip through what could have been like it's freaking TV Land?”

“Why not?” The angel shrugged. “You did it for a different reason in my world.”

“I think I'd like to meet this Gabriel. He sounds like a riot.”

“You would need to supply him with a lot of chocolate - and from what I have seen, you don't eat even a tenth of what he does.” He closed his eyes and rubbed the cat behind its ears. He wasn't sure what had made him even bring something like this up. Put the fear of his Father into John Winchester? He was currently angry with his Father.

Castiel had a feeling he was going to have to add himself to the list of all the other things in this world he didn't understand.

**
Sam's hand slithered out from under the blankets to grab his cell-phone laying on the bedside table. His hangover was already starting and the last thing he wanted right now was to look at the screen of the phone and see that Mr. Alder was calling him in to work on a Saturday. When he saw that the caller was Adam, he didn't know if he should brace himself for good or bad news. He coughed, cleared his throat, and flipped the phone open. “Morning, little brother.”

“Hi Sam.” His brother sounded far too chipper for seven o'clock in the morning.

“What's up?” He sat up, careful to not wake up the girl sleeping next to him.

“Kelly and I are getting married!” His brother nearly shouted it and he held the phone away from his ear.

“Have you even slept?” Sam covered his eyes and groaned. “Seriously, Adam...”

“Uh... not the reaction I was looking for... oh, shit - I woke you up, didn't I?” His brother's voice instantly sounded contrite.

He yawned and rubbed the back of his head. “It's not the first time.” He smiled. “Congrats, Adam - that's wonderful. So tell me, is Kelly already planning things?”

“She's on her phone in the other room talking to her mom.” He made a small sound. “You'll be my best man, right Sam?”

“Of course I will.” He reached over and ran his fingers over to stroke the hair of the woman sleeping next to him. “I don't have to wear pink, do I?”

“Well, not a lot of pink, if that's the color Kelly chooses.” He sighed. “I uh.. Sam, what am I supposed to do about Dean?”

“What do you mean?” He pulled his hand back and stretched. “Oh.” His face fell. “I see what you're saying there.”

“He's my brother too.” Adam sighed. “and well... it'd feel wrong not to invite him and yet - I don't want to know what would happen if he and Dad were in the same room together. I know for damn sure Dean wouldn't let Dad be in the same county as Liesel, let alone the same room.”

“I think Dean would understand if you don't invite him.” Sam let his head fall slightly. “I know it sounds awful when I say that - but seriously? Considering what could happen?”

“I know, I know.” Adam's voice sounded pained. “But I want all of my family to be there and our family on Dad's side is small enough as it is.” He coughed. “I wish we could just make them get along... or...”

“Adam, Dad nearly killed Dean.” Sam said it louder than he intended and the woman sleeping next to him turned over and yawned. “Trust me, we need to keep them apart.”

“What would you do, if you were me?” There was that sound in his brother's voice that Sam loathed. The one that he had when he just wanted someone else to help fix something he had to do that seemed impossible.

“I think I'd first have to find someone I'd think about marrying for me to make that kind of choice.” He scratched the back of his neck as the woman got up from the bed and walked to the bathroom. He had to look down at the bedspread so he wouldn't watch her very fit rear. “I'm going to take a shot in the dark at this and guess that Kelly wants Dean and Liesel there.” The sigh on the other end of the line told him all he needed to. “Well, you're going to have to be blunt - I think the last thing the two of you want is for a fight to break out during the reception - or the ceremony.”

“It sucks,” Adam groaned. “I'll try and explain it. I don't want to call Dean while his parents are visiting.”

“I'd suggest that you two love birds elope, but there's no way Kelly would do that.” He heard water run for a moment in his bathroom and then shut off. “Look, can I call you back a little later?”

“You've got company.” Adam snickered. “It's about time you got laid, jerk.”

“Bitch,” he replied. “I'll call you this afternoon. If Dad doesn't charge over here once you call him with some harebrained scheme to make things better between him and Dean.”

“I wouldn't count on it. I'm going to call Daniel - given the fact that Kelly's got about half a dozen best friends, I'm going to have to find some groomsmen.”

“Aw, my little brother being all romantic and shit.” Sam laughed. “Talk to you later - and congratulations.”

“Thanks,” Adam replied and ended the call.

He put his cell-phone down as the woman came out of the bathroom and came back to bed, sliding into Sam's lap.

“Sounds like your family life is Hell.” She wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his shoulder.

He hugged her around the waist, letting out a low sigh. “It's not bad - just complicated.”

“Complicated I get. My parents divorced when I was ten - and then they both got remarried - since then it's been the blame game between all four of them. My mother's livid I'm out here in Ohio instead of with my father's firm in New York. Some bullshit about how he should do a little nepotism or something.” She kissed the side of Sam's neck. “I like it out here. Even if Mr. Alder is weird.”

“Weird is an understatement.” He slid the two of them back down under the covers. “I'm just glad that they put us in different departments - so we don't have too many repercussions from this.”

She laughed and folded her arms on his chest and watched his face for a moment. “I suppose the question now is, do we want to stay here or have breakfast?”

“You hungry, Becca?” He leered at her.

“Maybe in a bit.” She leaned forward and kissed him.

***
Dean wanted to tell himself that it was nerves or something else that was preventing him from sleeping more than three hours at a time. He'd go to bed, sleep for three hours, be awake for an hour and a half, and then fall back asleep for another two. The week had been far too long because of it and work had been rough. That stupid resident doctor in the OR really needed to learn to shut the hell up about Dean being deaf. It was getting to the point where the resident didn't want Dean in his operating room because he was obviously defective. His fellow anesthesiologists at the hospital hadn't said much about the guy, other than he was an arrogant prick who also disrespected nurses and the aides but as soon as a fellow surgeon showed up? The man went from asshole to ass-kisser.

He threw back the covers and got out of bed. It was just after two in the morning as he stuffed his feet into slippers and quietly left his room. He paused in the hallway, looking into the room that Castiel had been using. Dean actually wished the angel was there - he missed his presence. The door to the room his parents were sleeping in was closed, and he glanced in through the crack of Liesel's door and saw that she was deep in slumber. He shook his head and went downstairs to the family room. He ran his hand along the bookshelf and then pulled down a small stack of photograph albums and sat down on the couch, clicking the lamp after setting the books down and opening the first one.

Ignacia's face beamed up at him, that sweet, sweet smile that their daughter inherited that could warm up an entire room. His own smile was just as big next to hers, both of them flushed pink with sunshine from that day spent at Six Flags in Maryland. Annie had never been to an amusement park until then and it'd been quite the trip. It was also her introduction to funnel cakes. The next few pages were the same, the two of them with friends, his family, and then there was the first trip to Romania. Dean could clearly remember that visit - even without the photographs. Annie's mother acted almost exactly the same as his own mom, Elisa did - disparaging over how little he was - which was hysterical considering that when he met his mother in law he was a hundred and ninety pounds of pure muscle. Ignacia's father reserved his judgment until the end of the visit - after Dean had helped the man build a few pieces of furniture for his business. He declared that Dean was, in fact, a good provider and protector - and he was worthy of marrying his little girl.

Dean's parents had only made sure Annie could cook and knew how to laugh before they said she could join the family. He chuckled at that - his mom had been teasing for the most part about the cooking. He closed the first album and opened the next. The wedding had been relatively small and it had been wonderful. The wedding pictures almost immediately went to those weekly pictures Annie insisted on when she got pregnant to track the progress of her baby bump. Then came the long slew of Liesel's baby pictures. It was nothing outside of the typical first child - as they always thought she would be the first of at least two - including one he always liked of him asleep on the couch, a pile of text books on the floor next to him and his five month old dozing on his chest. He let out a shuddering breath and picked up the third album - the one devoted almost entirely to Lis's first birthday.

A flicker of shadow caused him to look up from his reverie. “Dad?”

Michael Coulter sat down on the couch, his face drawn in worry. “I saw a light on, and I came down here to investigate. Are you okay?”

“I don't know.” Dean leaned back and set the album down between them. “I haven't been able to sleep lately and well, I didn't feel like lying in bed and staring at the clock.”

“Did something happen at work?” Michael frowned slightly before continuing to sign. “Another dumbass saying that deaf people need to be kept from the world so as not to upset the hearing population?”

He managed a weak grin before answering. “Does it count if the person in question is an asshole not just to me, but to the nurses, aides and any female doctor who isn't his superior?”

“Sounds like a classic asshole to me.” He looked down at the album and pulled it towards him a moment, his finger tracing over the image of Liesel covered in ice cream and cake and her parents beaming at the camera from either side of her. “You know what I think?”

“What?” Dean shifted in his seat, his focus not on the album at all.

“I think you're missing Annie more lately.” Michael felt a twinge in his chest at the pained expression on his son's face.

“Maybe.” He shook his head. “I think at times I miss her more for Lis's sake than my own. All the other kids in her class still have their mother. And I know that's just going to get harder and harder for her as time goes by.”

He took a deep breath before replying, “I know one thing that she has that the other kids in her class don't. Liesel already sees the world differently than any of them. She'll be far better prepared for the real world when the time comes.”

“She's almost eight Dad. I don't want her growing up too fast.” Dean reached over and shut the album. “I just worry that I'm going to do something to mess her up.”

Michael sat forward and set his hands on Dean's arms, looking his son straight in the eye. “You won't.” He cleared his throat. “And you won't end up like him. I know that for a fact.”

Dean nodded slowly. He knew that his dad could never bring himself to say John Winchester's name. “I just...” He shook his head and held up his hands so his dad could release his hold. “But can you blame me for worrying?”

“No.” Michael took the album and set it on the pile on the small table. “I think it's time you went back to bed.”

“What am I, thirteen?” He grinned.

“Long weekend ahead of us and you need your rest.” He clapped his hands, and waved towards the stairs.

“Fine. Good night.” Dean stood and Michael followed, turning out the light behind them.

**
John Winchester felt his heart turn over as he crossed the state line from Nebraska into Kansas. He had no idea why he was going to Lawrence, one of the last places on Earth he ever wanted to see again, but for some reason, he knew he had to go back - just once. One last trip and never again. Even with Mary's killer dead, something else might have cropped up. He leaned back in the seat of the Impala, frowning. Perhaps in some twisted way, with going back to where the whole ordeal started he could some how find a way to at least talk to Dean.

“You want to explain about the bruises on Dean's wrists, John?” Mary's voice cut through his mind as clear as it did that warm June evening when Sam was almost two months old. “Don't lie to me!”

That was the night he stormed out of the house, angry for the first time. He had always blamed himself for Dean being deaf, that little rogue gene running around in his DNA waiting to strike. He never told Mary how he feared that Sam would be deaf too - and never told her how glad he was that their youngest wasn't. But as soon as Sam was born, something clicked over in his mind, and Dean suddenly became a lot less important - and unfortunately, he'd started to be a shitty father even before he became a single parent.

“If I find another mark on him, John, I'll take the boys and leave. I'll go somewhere and you'll never find us.” Mary's voice had been so full of threat and anger, it was a miracle it hadn't burned him. He didn't doubt her words. Instead, like a petulant child, he'd turned and left her alone in the house with the boys for two weeks.

At the end of the separation, he'd returned very contrite and told Mary he was sorry - and he wasn't going to hurt Dean again. And he didn't. He didn't lay a finger on his eldest for six months. The first time John ever actually hit his son was on the boy's fifth birthday.

And he wanted to make peace with Dean why, exactly? He had no right to do so - and at the same time - those pictures of the boy and his little girl taunted him when he saw them at Sam and Adam's homes. Mocking him that Dean and Mary had gotten the better of him. Dean had won despite his attempts to break him. He could never explain to Kate; he never could explain to Sam or Adam. All he knew was that he couldn't completely let go. It was far too hard to just stand back. He just couldn't bring himself to say I'm sorry and I'm proud of you.

*
Mary Winchester watched unseen as one of the girls who now lived in her home came down for breakfast. She hadn't been as active lately, doing nothing more than occasionally locking and unlocking doors. She had long thought that once she knew Sam was safe, she could let go. She could move on - but something held her here, in Lawrence. She didn't know what it was, and she couldn't figure out how to make the girls who moved in and out of the house understand what she needed. That was one reason she hadn't been so noticeable - she knew she had to reign in her power and keep her temper in check so she didn't cross the line into vengeful spirit. Whatever was keeping her here, she wanted to figure it out quickly - so she could move on, like she should.

A Reaper had never come for her in the first place; Azazel had made certain of that, she was sure. But you'd think they might come back and check.

Chapter Four

dcbb, rating: pg-13, deaf!dean verse

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