Work Text
Jessica took a long, deep breath before stepping up to face the mirror in the dressing room.Her tall, slender reflection greeted her with a smile, beaming from above the most beautiful dress she had ever laid eyes on. The middle hugged her torso, perfectly outlining her slightly curvy silhouette. The flowy, ruffled sleeves laid loosely around her shoulders, extending out from the heart-shaped bust. And the deep V in the back met near the middle of her spine, cascading down into the long train that swooped down around her feet on the floor. It was perfect. Exactly the way she always imagined it.And the best part was that it was entirely white.Jess's heart started thumping again when she met her own eyes in the mirror. Wow, this was really it. She was actually wearing her wedding dress! She had seen it in some of her dreams, but she never thought that it would be this beautiful; so lovely and joy-provoking. Jessica felt like she would burst into a fit of giggles at any moment. Even though her blonde hair was kind of messy and she wasn't wearing make-up, Jess still felt like a runway model. Because her wedding dress made her feel like the most beautiful angel in the world...“Is it mandatory to wear specific garments for a wedding?” Jess could hear her uncle Cas's voice from a distance, “We did not wear white when we got married, Dean.”“You're right, Cas. We didn't. But we also didn't plan it either, remember?” Dean answered, “White clothes are just a traditional thing.”“Oh, our lass is going to be lovelier than sunshine on a winter's day,” Aunt Rowena's voice swooned, before calling, “Jessica, dearie? Are you ready yet?”Jessica appraised herself in the mirror one more time, adjusting her long golden curls around her shoulders and giving her reflection a small wink, before taking another breath and opening the door. She was greeted by the back of Ms. Jane's clothing shop; the larger open space, where most of the wedding and prom dresses were stored on mannequins and racks. The fitting rooms were curved in a circle formation, with comfy seats gathered in the center. And that's where most of Jess's family was. Dad, uncle Dean, uncle Cas, Aunt Rowena, and Ms. Jane were all sitting patiently, watching the door open with anxious eyes.Jess could feel heat on her cheeks as she slowly exited the dressing room to display the dress she was wearing. Jane and Rowena both gasped and blinked at her with awed faces, while Dad and the rest of the guys smiled proudly. Jess looked around for her Papa, but he wasn't in the cluster of her family. Where did he go?“Oh, Jess,” Ms. Jane exhaled, looking like she might actually cry as she rounded the seats to take both of Jess's hands and appraise her, “You... you really are an angel!”Jessica giggled an nodded. Ms. Jane already knew she was a real angel, but she was probably talking about the exceptionally beautiful kind. Dad was the next one to get up. He climbed to his feet, but just stood there; kind of swaying, as if he was gonna fall over. Several times, he opened his mouth to say something, only to close his lips and shake his head like he was going to cry.“J – Jess,” he eventually stuttered, “You are... just... I can't even find the right word...”“Beautiful?” Dean offered casually.“Elegant?” Cas continued, his face void of emotion, “Virtuous? Radiant? Breathtaking? Pure?”“Drop dead gorgeous,” Rowena squealed excitedly.Dad chuckled and nodded, faintly gesturing to everyone sitting behind him.“All of that,” he agreed, gulping hard with a grin.Jess's cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so much. With her family's support and praise, it was hard for her to feel anything but confident.“Thanks, you guys,” she offered, turning to Ms. Jane, “This is the one.”“Are you absolutely sure?” Jane asked, “The store is full of gowns, and I can order a custom one if you would like -”“No,” Jess denied, looking down at the white fabric with a loving smile, “This is it. I'm marrying Ollie in this one.”Ms. Jane took Jess's words to heart, smiling brightly and pulling her in for a large hug. Jess giggled and hugged her back, feeling like she was already Jane's daughter-in-law.“Oooh, Guapa, Oliver is going to be a mess when he sees you! I cannot wait!” Jane giggled into Jess's ear.Jess laughed along with her, feeling her stomach bubble. She couldn't wait to see Ollie's face when she came down the aisle either! His brown eyes were probably gonna pop out of his head, just like a Bugs Bunny cartoon...While Jessica and Jane hugged and squealed, the sound of a door opening and closing caught everyone's attention. Jess, along with the whole family, raised their heads and looked to see Jude stepping out of one of the fitting rooms. He was all dressed up too, wearing a three piece suit and shiny dress shoes. And just like Jessica, his entire outfit was completely white. The contrast between his white clothes and dark hair made his cheeks look really pink, magnifying his shy blush. He avoided eye contact with everyone while his fingers tangled together nervously.Uncle Cas slowly stood up from his seat, mouth open and eyes watering. His blue eyes danced up and down the length of Jude's entire form, circling Jude's timid face the most. Cas and uncle Dean walked up to Jude's sides together, praising him all the way.“Son,” Cas breathed, sounding absolutely stunned, “I... I never knew how handsome you could be until this moment.”“Ditto,” Dean agreed, grinning as he reached up to pat Jude's shoulder, “You'd give Dr. Sexy a run for his money.”Jude squirmed a little, probably feeling uncomfortable with the terms 'Handsome' and 'Sexy.'“It's... it's too much white,” he mumbled without looking up.“Oh, crap. He's right,” Dean nodded, holding back a cringe as he glanced toward Cas and whispered, “Kinda looks like he raided your older brother's closet, babe...”Jess narrowed her eyes a little. Older brother? Was uncle Dean referring to Jess's papa? Or was he talking about a different archangel? Cas's smile dimmed and he gulped, as if Dean's suggestion haunted him.“Why don't you just change the color of the tie?” Jess's dad suggested, “Jude could wear all white with a black tie, and Clare can wear all black with a white tie.”Jude seemed to really like Dad's thought, because he finally raised his head with a smile.“I think Clare would really like that,” he mentioned.“Black tie? No problem! Un momento!” Ms. Jane sang, already dancing back toward the clothing racks a few feet away.Jess smiled as she watched Jane dash away to fetch a new part for Jude's outfit. Everyone was so bubbly and happy today, and it made Jessica feel so good. With two weddings on the way, how could anyone not be excited? Papa was basically the mascot for Jess's wedding... but where was he now?“Dad,” Jess said, reaching over to tug on her father's sleeve, “Where's Pop?”Before Dad could even open his mouth to answer Jess's question, another fitting room door swung open; this time with a loud whack. Every eye in the room snapped in the direction of the sound and they were all met by the sight of Jessica's papa... wearing a wedding dress of his own. The white fabric hugged Papa's tiny body and was long enough to drag on the floor, because he was so short, but his shoulders were completely bare. The dress had a halter top fit, and exposed most of his flat chest and the blond hairs that grew there. But even though he was clearly on display for the whole shop to see, Papa grinned bigger than a Cheshire cat as he pranced out into the crowd to search every face.“I found it!” he called, still looking around, “Where's my baby bunny? I have to tell her – Oh! Jessie-rabbit!” Papa gasped, hobbling over as fast as he could in his dress – and heels, “Look at this gown I found! It's perfect for you, honeydew!”“Gabriel,” Dad hissed, holding a hand to his face to hide it from a few strangers on the other side of the store, “If it's perfect for her, then why the hell are you wearing it?!”“What? I can't give it a test drive before I pass it on to my baby? I have to make sure it fits!” Papa huffed, jutting his hip out for dramatic effect, “And don't try to act like seeing me in drag doesn't turn you on, Sam Winchester. I know this gets your motor running.”“Yeah. Running away,” Dad grumbled.Jessica covered her mouth, trying to stifle the laughter that erupted from her stomach. Poor Dad was always so flustered when Papa decided to wear feminine clothing. But Jess didn't see the problem with it. It was nice not to be the only one in a dress, sometimes. Thankfully, Papa turned his attention back to Jess, looking her up and down and swooning a little.“Awww, J – Jessie,” he gasped, finally seeing what she was wearing, “You look so... so precious, I could... I could just... just...”With a loud, dramatic sob, Papa lunged forward to wrap Jess into a huge hug. Jess smiled as she patted her Papa's back and laid her head on his.“My baby is getting married!” he cried with a sniffle, “How did this day come so fast?!”“Shh,” Jessica smiled, noticing that strangers in the store were starting to give them weird looks, “Papa, it's going to be okay -”“It was only yesterday that I gave birth to you! You were just a tiny baby bunny!” Papa sobbed into Jessie's shoulder, “How can you be so grown up?!”While Papa sobbed, and Dad tried his best to act like he didn't know him, Jessica noticed that uncle Cas was watching with a pained look. His blue eyes seemed to be glistening a little as he looked between Jess's papa and Jude.“I have to agree with Gabriel,” Cas said very quietly, probably only meant for his husband to hear, “I cannot believe how quickly this transition has occurred, Dean. Is – is there something I can do to slow this process?”Uncle Dean sighed and wrapped an arm around Cas, pulling him in for a tender embrace.“Sorry, baby,” he muttered, “All we can do is hang on for the ride.”Cas seemed very upset by this news. And so was Papa, who gave one more loud sob before raising up with a sniffle. Jessica was surprised to see actual tears in his eyes when he looked at her.“S – Sammy? Did you bring the camera?” Papa squeaked, “I need to capture this Kodak moment.”Dad, who had been giving apologetic smiles and waves to strangers, turned to look at Papa wearily.“No, Gabriel. We don't have a camera. Just use your photographic angel memory. And please quiet down,” Dad said in a warning tone.While her parents talked, Jessica noticed something moving on the floor. Dickie had followed Papa out of the fitting rooms and was now sniffing around the train of her gown – and there was a snow white bowtie on his collar. Jessica gasped and bent down to pick up her Papa's dog, being careful not to get his fur on her wedding dress. Dickie was wearing a bowtie! Just like the one he used to wear to Jess's tea parties when she was a little girl! Jess wasn't prepared for the giant wave of bittersweet nostalgia that washed over her when she saw it.“Dickie! You look so fancy,” she squeaked, gently scratching his head.Dickie barked a few times in response, but wiggled back out of her hands to jump down and roam around the store again. Papa noticed the interaction, because he was suddenly beaming with pride.“Oh yeah! I prettied-up the Dickster, too,” he mentioned, planting both hands on his hips and smiling down at the fancy dog, “Can't have him wandering around the party like a common animal, can we? And don't worry. If he so much as thinks about humping anything at your wedding, I'm taking him to get fixed.”Dickie actually stopped to raise his head toward Papa with large eyes, like he understood what Pop was saying.“That's right, hump machine,” Papa warned, pointing at the dog, “You ruin Jess's day, and you'll get the ol' snip-snip... And that goes for you too, Moose.”Dad only gave Papa a flat glare, obviously done with his cheap threats. Dickie, on the other hand, seemed to take Pop's words to heart, because he raced over to hide behind Dad's big boots. Jess wanted to assure her Papa that nothing was going to go wrong on her wedding day, but she was distracted by Ms. Jane and the others. Jane had returned with a black tie, and Dean and Cas were helping Jude exchange it with his white one. Once the new tie was on him, Jane turned Jude toward the mirror and Dean patted out the shoulders of his suit.“How's that, buddy?” Dean asked.Jude actually smiled at his reflection.“Much better,” he nodded.“Oi. The wee cherub is right,” Rowena hummed, gliding over to stare into the mirror with Jude, “Clarence will fall in love with ye all over again, lad.”Rowena's comment made the faint blush reappear on Jude's smiling cheeks. Not wanting to miss out on the happiness, Jess gathered the fabric of her dress in her hands and carefully stepped over to stand next to Jude. Then, both of them were looking into the same mirror, wearing the same excited smiles, glancing between Jess's white dress and Jude's white suit. After a moment, Jude fully turned to look up at Jess.“I feel like a marshmallow,” he admitted under his breath.Jess laughed out loud, having to cover her mouth again to muffle the sound.“But you look like a handsome prince,” she complimented.Jude blushed harder.“Thanks,” he muttered, taking a deep breath as he turned back toward the mirror to stare at Jess's reflection, “So, this is it, huh? We're both gonna be married...”Jessica hummed and nodded, taking in the sight of the both of them all dressed up again. Yep. This was it. Jess was going to marry her Ollie-pop and Jude was going to marry his Clare-bear. This was a new step they were taking toward full adulthood – at least, that's what Dad said. But Jess didn't feel that way. To Jessica, her and Ollie's wedding was the next chapter of her book; one of many milestones that were still ahead for her, Ollie, and their whole family. And she couldn't wait to get there.After a few moments of total silence, Jessica shared a look of confusion with Jude. Why was it so quiet all of the sudden? Where did everyone go? The two young adults slowly turned around to face the store, and met the stares of all the adults. Jess's parents, Jude's parents, Rowena, and Ms. Jane were all blinking at Jude and Jess with tears in their eyes, not saying a word. Jess assumed that it was because she and Jude were standing side-by-side in their wedding attire for the first time ever, and that the sight of it was probably overwhelming for them. But wasn't there something that anyone could say? Poor Jude's face was turning into a bright red balloon...“I think we're ready to check out, Ms. Jane,” Jess said, politely gesturing toward their clothes.All of the parents laughed at Jess's suggestion, finally breaking their stares to look at Jane. The lovely Latino lady only beamed and shook her head, tucking her hands under her chin.“No need,” she grinned, “They're my gifts to you both.”Jess's mouth fell open. What? Jane was going to just give these clothes to her and Jude? As wedding presents? Jess looked to her cousin and found that he was equally awed and surprised. Wow, that was the sweetest thing ever... Jess quickly raced over to clobber her soon to be mother-in-law with a giant hug, wrapping her in grateful affection.“Te amo, Guapa,” Jane whispered.Jessie felt tears threatening to slip from her eyes.“I love you too, Jane,” she replied.As low music and quiet chatter set a calm atmosphere in the restaurant, Jessica swirled the end of her carrot stick in a bit of ranch dressing before bringing it to her mouth to crunch. Across the table, her fiance was digging in to his ribs, accidentally getting barbeque sauce all over the place. Jessie smiled as see watched him make a mess and attempt to clean it up. Ah. This was the man she had chosen to marry...“Well,” Ollie muttered, wiping the sauce off the table, his glass of soda, and the wall at the end of the booth, “Ribs were a mistake.”Jessica giggled as she chewed on her carrots. Oliver was so adorable.“Clearly,” she agreed, “So, were you and your dad able to rent the park for Friday?”“Yep. We've got the whole lot to ourselves,” Ollie beamed, “Tell me again why you want to get married at the playground?”“Because it's where we first met, remember?” Jess smiled, remembering the moment so fondly, “We were three years old. You told me I had pretty hair, and then asked me if I wanted to play Aliens and Cowboys.”“Really?” Ollie asked, taking another bite, “That was such a long time ago. How do you remember that?”Jessie smirked down at her plate and shrugged, reaching over to steal a sip of water from her glass.“I guess it's the angel thing,” she mentioned, “Are you okay with the playground?”“Definitely,” Ollie replied with a mouthful of food, “Dad wanted us to get married at his buddy's baseball field, but I told him no way. Jess wants the playground and that's where we're having it.”Jessica nodded, suddenly grateful. Oliver's dad, Eddie, wasn't a very nice man. He was critical of Ollie, and made fun of her parents and uncles on several occasions. His stout attitude, rude remarks, and generally gross nature repulsed Jessica all the time... but he was still Ollie's dad, and Oliver wanted him at the wedding. Jess was just glad that Ollie was keeping him under control until it was all over. Across the table, Ollie paused eating to take a drink and wipe his mouth – even though he completely missed some of the sauce on the rest of his face.“Where are Jude and Clare gonna tie the knot?” he asked.Jessie took another bite of her carrot before answering.“I'm not sure. I don't think they've decided yet,” she admitted, “but I know that it's going to be a week after ours.”“So, we're getting married this Friday, and they're getting married next Friday?” he confirmed, “Why so close together?”“I think it will make things easier on everyone,” she guessed, “You know, getting all the stressful stuff done all in one go. Plus, it'll give us time to go on our Honeymoon and be back in time for their wedding.”Of course, the mention of the Honeymoon made Ollie perk up. A large smile returned to his messy face and he leaned a little further across the table.“Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that,” he grinned, nudging Jess's foot with his own under the table, “Two nights in France, two nights in Spain, and every one of them together with you. Sounds like heaven to me.”Jessica couldn't help but blush and look away, feeling the butterflies tickle the inside of her stomach. Ollie was so adorable, with his red hair, cocoa eyes, and barbeque-stained cheeks.“Me too,” Jess mumbled, biting the edge of her own grin as she hesitantly slid his foot away with her own, “but remember what we agreed on.”Ollie sighed and nodded, appearing defeated, even though he was still smiling.“I know. No more hanky-panky until after the vows,” he rehearsed, “but I can still kiss you, right?”“Of course,” Jess automatically agreed.Ollie nestled back into his seat to keep eating, but Jess couldn't stand the mess anymore. She shook her head and grabbed a napkin before leaning forward to swipe the sauce off the edge of his cheek. He watched her do it, leaning in so she wouldn't have to stretch so far. While their faces were close, Jess could see that he was searching her face with admiration.“What would I do without you, Jessie-rabbit?” he asked lowly.Jess felt the butterflies in her stomach swarm a little faster.“You would probably be a mess, pumpkin head,” she answered with a wink.Instead of replying with words, Ollie simply leaned forward to meet her lips with his own. They slowly kissed over top of the table, both leaning over their dinner as some of the people in the restaurant whispered and gestured toward them. But Jess didn't care. Ollie was all hers, and she could kiss him wherever she wanted... even if he did taste like barbeque sauce.A waitress eventually came to the table and broke up Jess and Ollie's intimate embrace, smiling as she discretely placed the check on the table and told them to have a nice evening. As usual, Oliver grabbed the check before Jess even had time to reach for it. He glanced at the numbers on the tab before reaching for another drink and standing up from the table, offering his arm like a gentlemen.“Shall I take you home, m'lady?” he said in a playful tone.Jessie giggled and hopped out of her seat to take his arm, giving a slight curtsy.“Indeed,” she said, playing along, “Onward, good sir.”After paying for their meal, Ollie drove Jess home in his red pick up truck; one that he bought with the money he saved all on his own. It was an older model, made a few weird sounds, and had a broken radio, but Jess loved it. Riding around with her fiance in his truck was one of her favorite things to do. They usually talked or sang together, since there was no radio. This time, they gave a heartfelt rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” even singing the orchestral parts.By the time Ollie pulled up to the bunker, Jess's voice was hoarse from singing so loudly. But she found that she didn't want to get out of the car. She wanted to stay with Ollie for as long as possible. But she knew that he had to work in the morning, and that her parents were probably waiting up for her inside. Still, she slid over to hug him and give him another kiss.“Is it Friday, yet?” she asked, petting some of his orange hair as they stared at each other in the semi-darkness.“Not yet,” he sighed, suddenly perking up, “Hey, maybe you can make time go faster. You know, with your grace or something.”Jess smiled at his suggestion, but she knew it was virtually impossible.“Sorry, Ollie-pop. We'll just have to get to the altar the old fashion way. One moment at a time,” she smiled.She pecked Ollie's sweet lips one more time before sliding to the edge of the cab to climb out of the passenger side. The night air swirled her hair around and she tugged her jacket tighter around her, turning back to wave at her fiancé.“I love you, Ollie,” she called.“Love you too!” he replied out the open window, “I'll call you tomorrow!”Jess smiled brightly and continued to wave as Oliver's truck pulled away, watching the taillights slowly dim until they disappeared around the corner. With her fiance gone, Jess turned to make her way into the bunker. The control room was lit, but empty. Dad and Papa were hanging out in the study, probably waiting to make sure she made it home safely before going to bed. Dean and Cas were in the kitchen, discussing wedding cakes and other foods they planned to have for both weddings. And Jude was standing in his and Jess's shared bathroom with the door open, brushing his teeth. Jess was still so full of excitement and eager anticipation of getting married to Ollie that she had to share it with someone. And her equally engaged cousin seemed like the obvious choice to pester. She leaned into the bathroom and smiled, gaining Jude's attention.“In just a few short weeks,” she sighed happily, blinking toward the far wall, “we'll both have husbands.”Jude spit and rinsed his mouth in the sink before raising up to smile back at Jessie.“Yep. Only mine will be cuter than yours,” he joked, winking for good measure.“Ha! You're hilarious,” Jess shook her head, “but seriously, can you believe we're going to be married to the men of our dreams?”“Well, yeah. I mean, that's the whole point of getting engaged,” Jude explained as he led the way out of the bathroom and down the hall to their bedrooms, “I hope Clare doesn't get cold feet...”“Cold feet?” Jess repeated with a chuckle, “There's no way he's gonna chicken out now. Rowena was right today. As soon as Clare sees you walking down the aisle toward him, he's gonna fall in love with you all over again.”The encouraging words seemed to make Jude's whole face light up. He smiled at the floor as he paused near his open bedroom door.“I hope so,” he mumbled, glancing up at Jess, “You really did look amazing today, Jessie. You're gonna be the most beautiful bride in the world.”Jess gulped and stepped forward to wrap Jude into a hug. She appreciated the compliment, and especially the support. She was so grateful that she and Jude went to get their outfits at the same time. It made getting the weddings together a little less stressful.“Thanks, Jude,” she muttered, “Good night.”“Night, Jess,” he replied.As was their usual routine, Jude and Jess both went to their own rooms, dressed in their closets, and climbed into bed with their bedroom doors open. They waved to each other from across the hall before laying down for the night. Jessica knew that sleeping was going to be difficult for her tonight, because she was still full of excitement from picking out her wedding dress and having dinner with Ollie. She tossed and turned for at least twenty minutes, trying to find a position comfortable enough to take her mind off the wedding. But, at last, she curled on her side and felt herself slipping away...… and then, there was a darkened room.
Judging by the furniture and windows, it appeared to be a living room; one she had seen a few times. It was the living room in her house, one she was going to have at some point in the future. But it was dark because all of the lights were off and it was raining outside. Jess looked toward the glass beyond the curtains and could hear the thunder rumbling in the distance. Something didn't feel right. Something was wrong. But what?
Jessica slowly got up from the chair she was sitting in and walked over to look into the kitchen. The furniture was shiny, the dishes all washed, floor clean, back door shut. But where were all the people? Weren't there supposed to be people here?
“Hello?” she called into the vacant room.
Of course, there was no answer. And it really bummed her out. Where was Ollie? Where was Jude? Someone was supposed to be here with her, right? Jess turned to walk all through the house, searching for a familiar face to talk to. But no one was there. The beds were all empty. There were no animals, no noises, no nothing. Jess was all by herself in a tiny house, feeling more lonely than she ever had before.
Jess eventually found her way back to the living room, where the gray furniture sat silently. A deep feeling of loneliness had taken root in her chest and she was practically dragging her feet, slowly making her way back to sit in the chair near the rainy window. This was terrible. She had never felt so alone in her life. Where was her family? Why weren't they here with her? What happened to the bunker? Was it going to be this way forever?
Another crack of thunder startled Jess and made her look toward the window. Rain was pouring down the glass, adding dreadful sound to her already terrible mood. It wasn't until she lowered her head and saw her own hands that Jessica realized something. There was a wedding band on her ring finger. She and Oliver were married... and this was their house. She had a husband now, which meant they had to move into their own place. This tiny, empty house was her home now. No more breakfasts with her family. No more chasing Dickie from room to room. No more going to the library to read. No more late night chats with Dad and Papa. No more sleeping across the hall from Jude. The life she used to know was gone.
When Jess married Ollie, she had to say goodbye to the bunker.
Another crack of thunder shook the room, scaring Jessica awake. She gasped and scurried up in her bed, feeling her heart beating like a humming bird's wings inside her chest. Her first instinct was to look around. She hoped that horrible place was gone; that the dark, rainy living room was all in her head. And when she saw some of her paintings and posters on the walls, Jess exhaled with great relief. It was only a dream. Jessie was still in her bedroom, surrounded by her stuffed bunnies, dresses, books, and music. She was still home.But as she looked across the hall into Jude's room and saw him sleeping peacefully with his batman nightlight on, Jess felt tears threatening to rise up in her eyes. As horrible as her dream had been, she knew that it was actually going to happen one day. She wasn't always going to sleep across the hall from Jude. All those feelings of loneliness were going to surround her in the future. She was going to have to sit in that lonesome house some day. Because it was true.Once Jessica married Oliver, she would have to move out of the bunker. And leave her life behind.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Dean rolled over in bed, shoving the warm pillow further under his head as he tried to hold down a yawn. He could feel himself waking up as a shiver raced down his bare back, but he didn't want to wake up yet. He wanted to get in a few extra hours of relaxation. In an effort to get warm, the man reached out to feel around for his angel. Cas was like a soft, sweet-smelling space heater; Dean's own personal source of warmth. But this morning, Cas and his warmth weren't there to greet Dean. The man's fingers only found cool blankets instead.Frustrated and confused, Dean raised his head and blinked an eye open toward his husband's side of the bed. Cas's usual spot was empty, blankets carefully tucked on the other side as if he had made them before he left. Dean looked around the semi-dark area and found that their bedroom door was slightly open, letting in a tiny sliver of light from the bunker hallway. The sight was kind of reassuring. It was rare for Cas to get out of bed without Dean, but he left their bedroom door cracked open if he did; probably so that Dean would have a little bit of light to see with when he woke up. Cas always was a thoughtful bastard...Eager to reclaim some warmth, Dean eventually rolled out of bed and slipped his gray robe on. He headed out into the lit hallway and toward the kitchen, where he knew at least some of his family would be. Getting coffee was near the top of his 'to-do' list at the moment. Along with taking a leak, glancing over the newspaper, and working his way to being fully awake. But the item at the tip top of the list was figuring out where his husband was.Luckily, Dean was able to cross off the first thing in no time. He found his raven-haired angel sitting at the kitchen table with Gabriel. The two angels were on opposite sides of the wooden surface, facing a massive pile of papers and carefully sorting through them all. Though Dean was curious about what they were doing, his immediate instinct was to properly greet his husband. Dean couldn't start his day without a kiss from Cas. The man carefully sneaked up behind his angel, reaching out to curl his hands around Cas's firm shoulders. And when Cas tilted his head back to see who had touched him, Dean quickly leaned down to capture the angel's mouth with his own. Dean kept it simple, just lips on lips, mostly because he hadn't brushed his teeth yet. But Cas, as usual, seemed overjoyed by the simple act of kissing. When Dean pulled back, the angel beamed up at him with admiration in his eyes and a smirk on his mouth.“Good morning, Dean,” he hummed, deep voice giving Dean another chill.“Mornin', baby,” Dean muttered back.Only after raking his fingers through Cas's dark hair did Dean allow himself to trudge toward the coffee maker across the room. Caffeine wasn't a choice today. It was a necessity. On the way there, Dean shared a mutual nod with his brother, who had already poured himself a cup and was taking a sip. Sam's lengthy hair was a mess, he was wearing his red-plaid robe and moose slippers – both of which were gifts from Gabe – but his weary eyes were directed on the pile of papers on the table. While Dean poured himself a cup of java, Sam wandered over to the angels.“Uh, Gabe? What is this?” Sammy asked, holding up a bundle of papers, “What are all of these names for?”“Oh, that's the guest list Oliver gave me,” Gabe answered, “Cassie and I are filling out the invitations for the wedding. The first fifty-ish people are from his mom's side of the family, and the other thirty are from his dad's.”“Wh – what?” Sam asked, “There are going to be more than eighty people at Jess's wedding?!”“Over a hundred, actually,” Gabe casually corrected with a smile, “Assuming that all the people I'm inviting show up, too. I added their names to the bottom there.”Dean turned to face the rest of the kitchen as he took his first drink of hot coffee. Sam was reading a paper and one of his bitch faces was firmly activated.“Seriously? You're inviting the Pope?” he asked flatly, “Why?”“So I can rub it in his smug face,” Gabe answered, happily straightening up his stack of cards.“Taylor Swift? And the entire cast of Full House?” Sam prompted.“Hey! Everybody loves Tay-Tay!” Gabe pointed out, “And Jessie adores Full House! Could you imagine the look on her face if all the actors came to her wedding?”“The Prime Minister of Canada?” Sam asked.“Oh come on, Sam. He's the leader of Moose-land,” Gabe explained, “Besides, you can't tell me that guy isn't sexy as hell. It's that accent. And those eyebrows. Boy, what I wouldn't do to...”Gabe's voice trailed off when he looked up to see that Sam was glaring at him with both hands on his hips. Sam was clearly – and rightfully – offended by the fact that Gabe was openly admiring another man right in front of him. Gabe's face turned a little pink and he coughed, discretely ending his rant about Canada's Prime Minister.“But he's got nothing on you, of course, sweetheart,” Gabe attempted to correct, his voice a little higher, “No one is sexier than you, Sammy-boy. You're the handsomest moose in all the land. Gorgeous hair, perfect smile, giant dick... Did I mention that I love you?”Sam only rolled his eyes, tossed the paper back on the table, and turned around to finish drinking his coffee. Dean held down a smirk, hiding it with the rim of his own mug. Leave it to Gabe to ruin Sam's happy mood just by opening his big mouth... While the angels at the table went back to their work, Dean noticed that Jessica had walked in. She was still in her Pjs and her blonde hair was a mess, which automatically reminded Dean of Sam, but there was something off about her. Jess didn't seem like her usual, bubbly self this morning. Her smile was gone and her eyes seemed a bit red. Was she okay? Maybe picking out her wedding dress the day before had taken its toll on her or something.Dean was shocked to see the girl reach for a mug and pour herself some coffee. Usually, she only drank orange juice or milk in the morning. She never drank anything with caffeine, not even tea. But now, she was sipping on coffee as if she had been doing it for years. Something was definitely wrong.“Mornin', shortcake,” Dean mentioned, lowering his voice a little bit, “Everything okay?”When Jess blinked up at him, Dean could almost see his little brother staring back at him.“Y – yeah,” she answered, even though it was probably a lie, “I just... didn't sleep well.”Dean's eyes narrowed. He knew there was more to it than that, but he didn't want to pressure his niece to speak. He only wanted her to feel better.“Hey,” he said, even quieter, “If you, uh, ever need to talk to someone, woman-to-woman, I'm here for you.”Dean's tiny joke seemed to work. Jess smiled a bit, probably finding the thought of Dean as a woman pretty funny. She nodded and gave him a reassuring glance.“Thanks, uncle Dean,” she murmured.Dean winked in response before sipping some of his own coffee. The warm, bitter liquid was good, but his mouth was craving something else. After making sure Jess felt a little better, Dean wandered over to the fridge and popped it open, searching the shelves for anything that looked remotely like pie. It had been a good long while since he had eaten some of his favorite food. Why didn't they ever have any pie in the house?”“Who's on grocery duty this week?” Dean asked over his shoulder.“Not me. I had it last week,” Gabriel answered.“Which is why we ended up with fifteen bags of candy,” Sam added bitterly.“They were on sale! I couldn't pass that up!” Gabe defended, narrowing his eyes at Sam, “You're still mad about the Prime Minister thing, aren't you? I'm sorry, okay? I won't invite him. Your massive dick is the only one I want to put in my -”“La la la la la,” Jessica suddenly interrupted, singing really loud and covering her ears as she made her way to sit at the table, “Please don't talk about that stuff in my presence.”“Sorry, baby bunny,” Gabe said, reaching over to pat her back, “I promise I won't mention your dad's 'joystick' in front of you anymore.”“Thank you,” she huffed.“Uh, hello?” Dean said, turning around to face his family in the kitchen, “Grocery duty?”“It's Cassie's turn,” Gabe replied.Cas looked up from his work to look around in confusion, his blue eyes bouncing to all the faces around him.“It is?” he asked.“Yes,” Sam and Gabe said in unison.“Very well,” the angel calmly conceded, “What do we need?”“Pie,” Dean instantly answered, walking over to rest his hand on Cas's warm shoulder, “Any kind. I don't care which. I just want some pie. Feel like I haven't eaten any in ages.”“It's been two weeks, Dean,” Sam replied, still wearing the leftover bitch face from his and Gabe's argument.Before Dean could defend his regular need for confectionery awesomeness, Jude entered the room. Unlike his cousin, Jude seemed as happy as a bumble bee on the breeze this morning; smiling at everyone as he came in, blue eyes vibrant, shoulders relaxed, and eager to start the day.“Morning, everybody,” he mentioned.Calls of 'good morning' came from the rest of the family, each with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Dean's request for pie was soon forgotten when he watched his son enter the room. Damn. When the hell did Jude get so tall? When did his voice get so low, and his chin and cheeks get covered in so much stubble? The kid was a full grown man all of the sudden. How did Dean miss that? Even though Dean was mentally scrambling for an explanation, he still reached up to ruffle his son's hair when he came into the room. Grown man or not, Jude was still Dean's child.“Mornin', little man,” Dean smiled, staring straight ahead into Jude's eyes that were level with his own, “Sleep good?”“Yep,” Jude answered, glancing over to see all the papers on the table, “What's going on in here?”“Gabriel and I are filling out the invitations for your and Jessica's weddings, son,” Cas answered, pausing his work to smile up at Jude.At this answer, Jude's eyebrows scrunched. He walked over to look down at the paper mess, seeming kind of confused.“Um... who all are you inviting?” he asked.“Well, the gingerbread man gave me two different lists for his and Jess's wedding,” Gabe answered, holding up the stack, “One from Jane's family and one from Eddie's. Both of Oliver's divorced parents' families are going to be in the same room. So, that's going to be fun...” he finished sarcastically.“Yeah,” Jude replied, “but, what about me and Clare?”“I've made out an invitation for Bobby and Crowley, as well as two special ones for Jane and Rowena,” Cas explained, holding them up.Jude nodded, but Dean secretly felt terrible. Between Oliver's huge family and the Winchester bunch, it sounded like Jess's wedding was going to be packed with people. But Jude and Clare, on the other hand, didn't have many people in their lives. Jude had his family, Oliver, and Jane, while Clare was pretty much alone. Their wedding was probably going to have a grand total of fifteen people, tops... Dean briefly met eyes with his husband and could tell that Cas was thinking the same thing. The angel reached out to clutch their son's arm with a smile.“Is there someone in particular you wish to invite to your wedding, Jude?” Cas gently asked, scrambling to figure it out, “A friend? Celebrity, perhaps? Superman? Or, um... A Prime Minister?”“No Prime Ministers!” Sam called from across the room.Jude glanced down at the pile of papers with a smile, pausing to gather his thoughts. Dean stole a small sip from his coffee mug, waiting to hear if his son wanted anyone else at his wedding.“Actually,” the kid mumbled, bringing his eyes back to Cas, “I was thinking about inviting Michael and Adam.”It took everything Dean had not to spit his coffee across the room. Instead, he forced himself to swallow it hard, burning his throat in the process. Cas spun around to look at Dean with apprehension, clearly having the same reaction Dean did. Michael and Adam? The angels' oldest sibling and the Winchesters' half-brother? No one had heard from them since the Darkness incident! Why in the world would Jude want to invite them to his wedding?!“Uh, you're talking about Michael Jackson and Adam Sandler, right?” Gabe prompted.“No,” Jude denied, “I'm talking about my uncles.”“Jude, we haven't heard from them in years. We don't even know where they are,” Sam politely pointed out.“I know. But we can find them,” Jude reminded, “I don't know if they'll actually show up to the wedding, but I want to invite them at least.”“Why?” Gabe asked bluntly.Jude paused to shrug his shoulders, still wearing a small, thoughtful smile.“Well, they're family, aren't they?” he pointed out, “and Michael helped us when we needed him to -”“Because of Adam,” Jessica corrected, placing her mug on the table, “He probably wouldn't have helped us if we didn't use Adam as leverage.”“Still. They were there with us,” Jude gently argued, eying his cousin with persuasion, “Michael helped us defeat Darkness. I don't know Adam all that well, but don't you think it would be a nice gesture to at least invite them? If they're anything like us, good things don't come easy to them either. And it would be fun to have some familiar faces around... Please?”Jude probably added the last word because everyone was looking at him with discomfort. Dean could understand why the rest of the family didn't quite agree with Jude's choice. Michael and Adam didn't seem like the type of people that would dance at a wedding. But Jude did have a good point. It was a nice gesture to invite them, since they were, in fact, family. No matter how far away they were. Dean shared another glance with Cas, who seemed equally moved by their son's acknowledgment of their distant relatives.“This is your wedding, son. If you wish to invite them, it will be done,” Cas smiled up at him.The glad relief that sprang on Jude's face nearly lit up the whole room. He leaned down to wrap his arms around Cas's shoulders and peck his temple with a kiss.“Thanks, Papa,” he hummed.“You know what?” Jessica mumbled across the table, wearing a smirk of her own, “I want to invite them to mine, too.”Dean noticed that Gabriel and Sam seemed really uncomfortable with Jess's change of heart. They both shared a look with each other before Sam wandered closer to the table.“Jess, honey, that's a really sweet offer,” he sighed, “but how on earth are we even going to deliver the invitations? We don't know where they are.”“Leave that to me,” Jude offered.Everyone in the kitchen glanced back to Dean and Cas's blue-eyed kid, who smiled back at all of them.“Clare and I can deliver them in person,” he suggested.After Jude's statement, Dean instantly looked back to Cas. The angel was equally as worried as Dean felt. It had been so long since any of them even made contact with Michael and Adam. Would they still be willing to humor the Winchesters? For a couple of weddings? Despite his fervent disagreement with Jude's choice, Cas still managed to hold onto his smile and pat their son's back.“Very well,” Cas murmured, “I'll fill them out right now, son.”Jude slipped both white cards into his jacket pocket before zipping it up and adjusting himself. He was standing in the hallway in front of his room with his parents, who were still wearing their robes. Jude could tell that Dad and Pop weren't exactly thrilled with his decision to invite Michael and Adam to his wedding – as well as seek them out and do it in person, where ever they were – but they were still supportive. That was one of the things Jude loved about his parents the most; that they let him make his own decisions and helped him no matter what.“Jude, I spoke with Crowley over the phone,” Papa mentioned, “He said he would meet you at Bobby's house in ten minutes.”“Thanks, Pop,” Jude smiled.“Are you sure you want to do this?” Dad asked, sounding extremely worried, “I mean, what if Michael and Adam are on the other side of the world, buddy? Are you going to be able to fly that far on your own?”“I won't be alone. I'll have Clare with me,” Jude reminded, “Don't worry, guys. I'll be home before dinner tonight.”The concentrated focus on Papa's face finally broke, revealing the unbridled anxiousness hidden underneath. He suddenly lunged forward to wrap both arms around Jude. Dad copied him, stepping up to curl an arm around both of them. Jude stood in the middle of his parents' embrace, feeling like a little kid again.“Please be careful, son,” Papa nearly begged, “and pray to me if you require any assistance.”“I will,” Jude promised, patting Papa and Dad on the backs, “Love you guys. I'll see you later.”Jude stole the opportunity to fly while he was still in the arms of his parents. Being comforted by their warm embrace – along with the thought of seeing his fiance again – relaxed Jude enough to let his grace work. He hesitantly allowed the flight to happen; closing his eyes as the all-too-familiar inertia made him sick to his stomach. He could feel himself disappearing from under Dad and Papa's arms and popping back up outdoors. As soon as his feet were on solid ground, Jude forced his eyes open to blink.Uncle Bobby's old wooden house greeted him. Jude was standing a few feet away from the back porch, where a breeze was blowing through the brightly lit salvage yard and ruffling his spiked hair. Distant voices drifted to Jude's ears, causing him to turn in their direction. A couple yards away, near the entrance of one of the garages, Bobby was leaning under the roof of a car – next to a slender blonde demon who looked absolutely stunning in the sunlight. Jude quickly made his way over to them, excited to greet his uncle and fiancé.“Carburetor's busted. Gonna have to make another trip to the parts store,” Bobby sighed.“I thought we had one. Didn't we save the carburetor we took off the '86 Chevy a few weeks ago?” Clarence asked, shielding his eyes from the sun.“Yeah, but it won't fit this one. Manufacturing's different,” Bobby mumbled.While they talked, Jude casually wandered up to stand next to them, waiting for his presence to be noticed. In the meantime, Clare sighed and tossed his dirty rag on the open hood, seeming disappointed. But Bobby reached over to pat his shoulder.“Don't let it get to ya, kid. It's not the end of the -” Bobby's sentence stopped short when he looked over to see Jude and it made a large smile spread on his face, “Well, if it ain't the world saver himself...”Clarence's head immediately popped up and he followed Bobby's sight to Jude – where his whole face lit up like a Christmas tree. His greenish brown eyes blew wide and his mouth fell open in gleeful shock.“Jay!” the demon gasped, instantly leaning over to lock both arms around Jude, “Holy shit, I didn't know you were coming over!”Jude opened his mouth to explain what he was doing there, but Clare muted it with his own mouth. He raised his head enough to smother Jude with a kiss, physically stating his joy at Jude's arrival. The angel kissed him back, allowing his tongue to pet and dance with Clare's for a second as they breathed in each others' scents. By the time Clare leaned away, Jude was already lightheaded; blinking at his handsome fiance in a daze. What was he going to say, again?“What are you doing here? I thought you guys were finding outfits for the weddings,” Clare explained.Jude gulped and shook his head.“We, um, we did that yesterday,” he stated, still trying to get a grip on reality, “I came to see if you would go with me to invite a few people in person.”“Hell yeah I'll go with you. I'd go anywhere with you, Jaybird,” Clare grinned, “Who are we dropping in on?”Jude was hesitant to answer at first, because he was afraid that it might upset Clare. Would Clare be okay with letting Michael and Adam come to their wedding? Michael wasn't exactly nice to Clare at first, but he did manage to make up for it, right? The longer Jude waited to speak, the more anxious Clare seemed to become. Jude eventually found the courage to draw breath and speak, but was cut off by a new voice.“Ah, Jude Winchester,” Crowley's voice hummed, slowly growing louder as the demon ventured toward them from the inside of the garage, “It's a nice change of pace to see someone meet me at the right place and the right time. You clearly inherited your gracious manners from Castiel. Can't say your father was ever on time for anything...”The three guys at the car watched the king of Hell walk toward them. He was holding a small globe of the world in his hand, and it was all lit up. As Jude stared at it, he realized it was the same one they used the last time they had to find Michael. Was that same spell still working? Even after all this time? Crowley grinned smugly as he stepped up to place the globe on the hood of the car and gesture toward the round map.“There's your heading, boy,” the British demon purred, “Looks like your archangel is in Windom, Minnesota.”“Archangel?” Clare repeated, slowly turning to face Jude in confusion, “Which archangel?”Jude gulped. Uh-oh. It was confession time...“I was going to invite Michael and Adam,” Jude softly murmured, casually glancing down at his feet.Clare blinked and his smile faded a tiny bit.“Wait,” he said, “You mean those two guys we had to drag into the Darkness situation? The unconscious dude and the same guy responsible for burning down my childhood home?”Jude looked away again and physically cringed. Ouch. When Clare put it like that, it sounded pretty terrible... but that wasn't why Jude wanted them to attend his and Clare's wedding.“They... They helped us,” Jude gently reminded, returning his eyes to Clare's and giving him the softest look possible, “I know Michael wasn't the nicest person at first, but he – Ow!”A sharp, slicing pain echoed through Jude's body and he quickly raised his hand to look at it. There were suddenly four deep, very prominent bite marks on the side of his palm just under his pinky, causing red blood to pool in the cup of his hand. Jude blinked down at his own blood, feeling a little woozy. Being an angel, he hardly ever saw his own blood before, and the sight and warmth of it gathering in his palm kind of made him sick. Clarence, Bobby, and Crowley all stepped closer to look at it in shock, before Clare spun around to glare and swat at the ground.“Angel!” he yelled at the grass, “Bad girl! I told you to stop doing that!”Jude tore his sight away from his own bloody palm to look toward the ground. Oh. The bite had come from Clare's hellhound, Angel. She was invisible to Jude, but Clare and Crowley could see her. And for some ungodly reason, she hated Jude with a burning passion. The hellhound bit and growled at Jude whenever she had the chance. Clare said it was because she was jealous of Jude. But Jude thought she hated him for no other reason than that she simply could... After scolding his invisible dog, Clare immediately turned his attention to Jude, reaching out to tenderly cup Jude's bleeding hand.“Oh my God, Jay, I'm so sorry,” he breathed, sounding so worried.“It – It's okay,” Jude assured.Though he was a little timid, Jude clasped his free hand around his injured one and carefully let his grace shine. It immediately healed the bite mark and – thankfully – got rid of the blood. Jude's hand was back to normal in two seconds flat. Still, even after it was healed, Clare appeared upset by it. He brought Jude's newly healed palm up to press moist, gentle kisses to it, and held it against his own cheek.“That damn mutt needs more training,” Bobby mentioned, giving a stern glance at Crowley, “I ain't lettin' her back in the house 'til she learns not to bite people. You hear me?”“Loud and clear, darling,” Crowley replied, turning to Clare, “She'll stay in the garage until we figure out something to do with her.”“Agreed,” Clare answered before looking down at Jude with deeply apologetic eyes, “I'm sorry she bit you, Jay... And if you want to invite those two guys to our wedding, I don't mind. I only want you to be happy.”Jude, with his hand still cradling Clare's warm, beautiful face, smiled brightly.“I'm fine, Clare. And I love you,” he reminded quietly.Clare smirked back.“Not as much as I love you,” he winked.The two men continued to stare boldly at each other until Bobby gave a subtle cough. Jude and Clare snapped out of their trance long enough to look back to the old hunter, the king of Hell, and the glowing globe on the car hood. Jude quickly cleared his throat and gestured to the round map.“You said Windom, Minnesota, right?” he repeated.“Yes. Michael as been there for five years. Ever since Darkness' defeat,” Crowley answered, “I've been keeping up with his location, just to make sure he's still alive and not plotting against us. As a typical precaution, of course. If I were you, I'd check this address,” Crowley paused to slip a card into Clare's hand, “It's Adam's last known residence... Good luck, boys.”“Thank you, uncle Crowley,” Jude smiled.When Jude turned to face his fiance again, he noticed that Clare seemed a little reluctant. The blonde demon glanced down at his Queen t-shirt, faded blue jeans, and black work boots with his mouth tilted downward.“Should I change?” he asked, looking up to see Jude's reaction.“No,” Jude hummed, stepping up to wrap both arms around Clare's slender back, “You look perfect.”When he felt Clare return the embrace, Jude rested his head on Clare's shoulder and closed his eyes. In his mind, he pictured a map of the United States – namely, the hand-colored map from his bedroom that his parents had given him. He internally explained to his grace that he needed to get to Windom before allowing it to work. Of course, Jude's grace took off like a high powered rocket ship, blasting him and Clare through space toward the location he was thinking of. And though it curdled his stomach, Jude braced himself and waited for the ride to come to a stop, holding onto Clare's warm body the whole time.The moment he felt himself standing on solid ground, Jude carefully blinked his eyes open. The sun was still shining down from the sky, but he and Clare were surrounded by a lively neighborhood. Lawns were freshly mowed, hedges were trimmed, gardens were weeded, a group of small children were riding their bikes near by. Jude and Clare were standing in a comforting, beautiful place. Jude felt right at home.“Do you think we're close to this address?” Jude asked, standing up to gesture toward the card in Clare's hand.The blonde demon glanced from the card to the mailboxes, eying specific numbers. And a smile slowly grew on his lips.“Damn, Jay,” he grinned, “Either you're getting really good with flying, or we're some lucky sons of bitches. 'Cause that's his house.”Jude's jaw dropped as he followed Clare's pointing hand across the street. A lovely gray house with a connected garage was sitting there. And the mailbox at the end of the drive way had “Milligan” painted on it. Holy cow! That really was lucky! Jude quickly shared a look of equal surprise with his fiance before taking his hand and leading him across the street. Though he could feel his shyness trying to creep up on him, Jude tried his best to keep a courageous face as he knocked on the front door. He clung to Clare's hand and waited, listening to the giggles of the children playing down the street. Jude really hoped that Michael and Adam were here. Otherwise, he had no idea where to go next.Luckily, when the front door opened, Jude and Clare were greeted by a familiar face. It was Michael; the same archangel that helped them with the Darkness five years prior. He looked exactly the same as he did back then; dark hair, gray eyes, olive skin. He was even wearing the same denim jacket. Why was he still wearing that? Didn't he realize that denim was way out of style? When Michael looked between Jude and Clare, his polite smile vanished and his eyebrows lowered.“Oh no,” he breathed, shaking his head, “Winchesters... What happened? Don't tell me Lucifer is back.”Jude and Clare gave each other a weird look.“Uh, no,” Jude carefully answered, reaching into his pocket to pull out the invitations that his Papa had lovingly filled out, “We just, um, we wanted to invite you and Adam to our, uh... wedding...”Jude didn't realize how silly this trip was until he saw the look of utter confusion and disbelief on Michael's face. The archangel just stood in the doorway and gawked at Jude and Clare as if they were door-to-door salesmen trying to get him to buy adult diapers or something. The longer he blinked at them, the worse Jude felt. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea...“Invite... to... wedding?” Michael blurted, as if he didn't understand the concept.“Yeah. Wedding. It's where two people get married to each other,” Clare offered in a sarcastic tone, “We're inviting you to the party, so count yourself lucky.”“And Jessica and Oliver's, too,” Jude quickly added, “Um, you remember them, right? We all stopped the Darkness together.”“I recall,” Michael admitted, though his voice was still low and full of apprehension, “but I was under the impression that we would never see each other again unless circumstances were dire...”That statement pretty much deflated Jude's entire mood. His shoulders sunk and he blinked at the archangel in front of him, feeling suddenly forlorn. Oh. Well, that was a terrible way to reply to someone who was inviting you to their wedding... The utter heartbreak on Jude's face must have been enough to change Michael's tune, because he quickly backtracked.“Forgive me. That was rude,” he admitted, inching further out to meet the two men on the porch, “What I meant was that I didn't expect to see you again, let alone be invited to such a special occasion.”“Well, here we are. And here are the damn invitations,” Clare grumbled, taking the cards from Jude's hand and shoving them into Michael's, “Jess's wedding is on Friday and ours is next week. That's all we came to say. Let's go, Jude.”Clare attempted to pull Jude away, but the angel tried to stand his ground. He wasn't done talking. He wanted to ask about Adam and see how things were going with them – but he didn't need to ask. Because a car suddenly pulled up in the driveway. It was a sleek, shiny, silver mustang that growled like a tiger. It rolled to a stop in front of the garage door and the engine cut off just before the driver side door opened. And Adam stepped out.Jude almost couldn't believe that he was looking at the same person from his memories. The Adam he knew was basically a vegetable; thin, frail, and barely alive at all. But now, he was walking and smiling as if he had never been in a coma. The man was wearing a set of light blue scrubs and shoulder bag, looking as if he had just came from the set of Grey's Anatomy. He smiled brightly at the people on the porch as he walked up.“Hi,” he offered, glancing at the archangel, “Mike, who's this?”“Welcome home, Adam,” Michael beamed, gesturing toward Jude and Clare, “This is your nephew, Jude. And his fiance, Clarence.”Adam's eyes grew large as he reached out to shake Jude's hand.“Oh! You're Jude? It's good to finally meet you,” Adam smiled, “Wow, you really do look like Dean."Jude was at a loss for words, but tried his best to smile back. How in the world did Adam know about him? They had never even talked to each other before... Adam offered his hand to Clare next, who also seemed bewildered, but shook his hand anyway.“Clarence, Mike's told me about you, too. You play the guitar, right?” Adam asked with a grin.“Y – yeah,” Clare nodded.Michael slid his arm around Adam's back, subtly pulling him away from the engaged couple.“Adam, they're here to invite us to their wedding,” the archangel explained.And even bigger smile spread across Adam's face as he glanced between Michael and the two men on his doorstep.“Oh, you're getting married? That's awesome!” he beamed, “I'll have to see if I can get some time off work to come. It would be great to see Dean and Sam again. Do you guys want to come inside?”Jude and Clare, both still dumbfounded, gradually shook their heads.“Uh, thanks, but we've actually gotta go,” Clare mentioned.“Oh, okay. I understand,” Adam nodded, “I just got off a twelve hour shift myself. Gonna head in and get a shower... Well, it was nice seeing you guys.”“You too,” Jude replied, finally regaining his smile long enough to give his half-uncle a genuine wave, “I – I'm glad you're doing well, Adam.”“Thanks, man. I am too,” Adam chuckled, “I'll see you again soon!”Adam patted Michael's shoulder and gave Jude and Clare another wave before heading into the house, leaving the three of them alone. Jude was in a strange state of shock and awe; so glad that Adam was lively and happy, but so confused about how much he knew. Luckily, Clare seemed to feel the same way.“How does he remember us?” the demon openly asked, giving Michael a raised eyebrow.Michael took a deep breath and briefly glanced toward the door behind him with a small smile.“Because I told him everything,” the archangel explained, “and I continue to remind him, all the time, of how we are only alive and well because of the heroic actions of our nephew and his family. And how your victory over Darkness, Jude, has allowed us to love each other without fear or regret... So, yes. It would be an honor to attend your wedding. If it is possible, we will be there. Thank you very much for your invitation.”Michael smiled and held up the cards, seeming genuinely grateful for them. Jude swallowed hard, feeling a lump trying to form in his throat. Wow. That was one of the sweetest things he had ever heard... Though he felt the urge to tackle Michael with a hug, Jude simply held out his hand. Michael smiled down at it before taking it with his own and giving it a firm shake.“You're welcome,” Jude smiled, “I hope we see you both there.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Clarence never liked Michael. From the moment he laid eyes on the bastard in that hospital room in Chicago, Clare knew he was gonna be trouble. And for the most part, Clare assumed his first impression was right. Michael was a selfish prick who didn't care whose house he had to burn down to get what he wanted. The demon always had the archangel pegged for an asshole...That is, until Jude invited him to their wedding.Their past tussle with Darkness, plus the few years of peace alone with Adam, must have changed Michael. Because now, the guy seemed... nicer somehow. But Clare couldn't put his finger on what made him different. Maybe it was the respectful and kind way Michael talked to Jude; as if he knew that he owed everything to the blue-eyed man in the Superman shirt. Or maybe it was the protective and loving way Michael greeted Adam and introduced Jude and Clare; like he was proud that they were all meeting. Whatever it was, Clare was glad to see the nicer side of his fiance's oldest uncle. Maybe Michael wasn't such an arrogant dick after all...The thing that really solidified Clare's acceptance of Michael and Adam was seeing the absolute joy on Jude's beautiful face. From the time he shook hands with the archangel until they made it back to Bobby's, the grin never left Jude's freckled cheeks. He was smiling from ear to ear, holding Clare's hand tight and beaming as if he was the luckiest guy on earth. But that couldn't be right. Because Clarence was the luckiest man on earth...“You always know what you're doing, don't you, Superman?” Clare mumbled, tugging Jude closer to him as they stood outside Bobby's house.Jude searched Clare's face, studying his eyes and lips the most. Clare was practically hypnotized by the perfect shade of ocean blue. Rowena might have been pretty good with spells, but she had nothing on Jude's stare.“Most of the time,” Jude nodded, his hands snaking around Clare's lower back.For a minute, Clare couldn't figure out what to say. He was too aimlessly lost in his fiance's eyes to care about continuing the conversation. It was crazy to think that in less than two weeks, Clare would get to gaze into those heavenly blue eyes and offer his entire existence to them.While Jude and Clare stared at each other in the dimming orange sun, Jude's phone rang from his pocket. From the odd ringtone – which sounded a lot like a Disney show tune – Clare realized it was Oliver Thompson. Jude quickly found his phone and swiped the answer button before holding it to his ear.“Hello?” he asked.To be polite and respectful to his fiance, Clare tried not to listen to Oliver's faint voice on the phone. But it was hard to do when Jude was standing so close to him. Clare was able to hear some of what the redhead was saying, and it sounded like he was asking Jude to meet him at the bunker for something.“Uh, okay,” Jude uttered, blinking oddly, “Can I bring Clare?”A string of joyous, muffled phrases followed Jude's question from the other end of the line, so much that Jude had to hold the phone slightly away from his ear.“Al – alright. We'll see you in a minute” Jude smiled, “Okay. Bye.”Clare gave his fiance a questioning look as he hung up the phone, wanting to know what was going on.“Oliver wants us to go with him tonight,” Jude explained, “He said he's almost to the bunker. I'm pretty sure that he planned some kind of... bachelor party.”From various movies he'd watched as an adult – plus a few he sneaked into as a teen – Clare knew what a bachelor party was. It was an excuse for horny men to stare at naked strangers one last time before they were chained to one person for the rest of their lives. Honestly, the whole idea kind of pissed Clare off. Those dudes were lucky to have a person that cared enough about them to actually marry them. Why would they go out before their weddings and get lap dances from strangers? That kind of selfish act couldn't have been what Oliver planned to do, though. He loved Jessica too much. The gingerbread man was too sweet and caring to go out and hit up a strip club... right?“What kind of bachelor party?” Clare asked.“I'm not sure,” Jude admitted, inching closer to slide his arm around Clare's lower back again and glance up at him timidly, “Will you... will you help me get back to the bunker?”Clare instantly revived his smile and circled both arms around his fiance, nestling his cheek against Jude's soft hair. It seemed to be easier for Jude to fly when Clare hugged him. Maybe it relaxed him enough to work his magic or something. Clare held Jude tight, closed his eyes, and braced for the 'flip-flop' feeling in his stomach. And before he knew it, he was standing in the familiar gray-tiled hallway of the bunker. The demon blinked his eyes open and looked around, but didn't let go of Jude. He was enjoying the scent and feeling of Jude's warm hair too much.“Thanks,” Jude breathed.“Mmm,” Clare hummed, taking one more large breath of Jude's smell before backing up to look at him, “No problem at all.”Jude smiled up at Clare's face again just in time for someone to walk around the corner. Both men looked up to see Jessica slowly turning into the hall. As soon as he looked at her, Clare could tell that something was wrong with Jess. She wasn't smiling – which was really weird, because Jessica almost always had a smile on – and her hair was messier than usual. Something was definitely up with Jude's cousin. Did she find out about Oliver's bachelor party? Did it upset her that he was going out? When Jess saw Jude and Clare in the hallway, a lighter expression came across her feminine features.“Hey,” she offered a slight wave, “Did you guys find Michael and Adam?”“Yeah,” Jude answered, beaming again, “Adam is doing great. He's a nurse, now. And they said they were going to try to come to our weddings.”Though Jude was actively sharing happy news, Jessica only nodded to acknowledge him. Still no smile. Man, something was really bothering her. And if it was that stupid bachelor party, Clare was going to put a stop to it. While the three of them stood in a triangle formation, the distant sound of a knock echoed through the bunker. Of course, Jude and Clare knew that it was Oliver, but Jessica seemed surprised.As they started toward the control room, Jude and Jess's parents all exited the kitchen and joined them in the hallway. Dean, Cas, Sam, and Gabe all seemed relieved to see Jude back home safely. Jude briefly explained their trip to Michael and Adam's place on the way to the main entrance of the bunker. And by the time they got to the control room and gathered around the table, Gabriel had already flown up to let Oliver in.“Hey, guys!” the redhead called, racing up to the balcony to wave down at all the people in the roomJessica seemed both comforted and confused by Oliver's appearance. Clare was glad to see that the first thing Oliver did was come downstairs to hug and kiss his fiancé.“Ollie,” Jess smiled, “What's going on?”“Oh, nothing,” Ollie grinned, “It's just the best bachelor party in the history of forever is about to start!”“What?” Sam instantly replied, his eyebrows lowering, “What bachelor party?”“Our bachelor party!” Ollie answered, tugging Jude close to wrap an arm around him, “I spent all day planning it! First, we're gonna go battle each other at the Laser Tag Ranch – I call dibs on team captain, by the way – then, we're gonna catch the eight o'clock showing of 'Die Hard: Atomic Heist' – which is supposed to be the best movie that Bruce Willis has ever made – and to finish off the night, we're gonna go to the midnight arcade in town. Guy with the most tickets by the end of the night gets to help me pick the music for the wedding reception. Who's with me?!”Clare couldn't help but smile at Oliver's enthusiasm. He should have known that Oliver would never include strippers in the 'best bachelor party ever'. Honestly, the party did sound pretty fun. It seemed like even Dean, Sam, and the angels were on board with it. The only face in the room that didn't have a smile was Jessica's...“I'm with you,” Jude smiled.“Yeah, I could go for a Die Hard movie,” Dean agreed, turning to his brother, “and beating Sam in air hockey.”“In your dreams, Dean,” Sam muttered with a nod, crossing his arms, “I'm in.”“Awesome,” Oliver grinned, his brown eyes flashing to Clarence, “What about you, Clare?”Of course, Clarence was grateful to be asked – and very proud of Oliver for keeping the party nudity free – but as tempting as the party sounded, he couldn't possibly go. Not when Jessica looked so upset.“Um, actually,” the demon began, stepping back to hook an arm around Jess's shoulders, “I'm going to attend the bachelorette party taking place in the bunker tonight.”Everyone else in the room gave Clare a surprised look, especially Oliver, who seemed equal parts shocked and excited.“What? Really? You guys planned a bachelorette party at the same time? That's great!” he grinned.“Yeah,” Clare lied, quickly attempting to come up with something just as fun as the boys were doing, “We're going to watch romantic comedies and, um... build pillow forts and...”“Have a karaoke challenge!” Gabriel added with a grin, popping over to stand on the other side of Jessica, “And a Disney Princess Cosplay Contest! And we're inviting Jane, too!”“And Rowena,” Clare quickly offered, “She's bringing wine. And chocolate.”“And voodoo dolls!” Gabe beamed.“Too far,” Clare turned to whisper.“Sorry,” Gabe whispered back.The entire time Clare and Gabe were coming up with ideas, a smile was slowly inching across Jess's face. And by the time they started whispering near her, she actually giggled out loud. The lovely sound was a sign that Clare was doing the right thing. Screw the 'boys only' party. Hanging out with the girls tonight was going to be much more fun. And the proud look on Jude's face made Clare feel completely justified.“Okay,” Dean shrugged, “So, Sam, Jude, and I will go with Oliver. And Clare, Gabe, Jane, and Rowena will stay with Jessica... Cas? What do you want to do tonight, babe?”Every eye in the room gravitated to the angel in the tan trench coat. Clare was trying with all his might to give Jude's Papa a pleading look. He really wanted Cas to stay with Jess and provide even more guests to her spur-of-the-moment party. The angel glanced between the two groups, seeming torn. It wasn't until Cas looked at Jude – and Jude gave a slight head tilt in Jess's direction – that Cas finally decided.“I will remain here with Jessica tonight,” he answered.Gabriel, Clare, and Jessie all celebrated the 'victory', giving each other hi-fives and cheering.“That's right! In your face, carrot-top!” Gabe grinned, “Our party is better than yours!”“Yeah,” Jess agreed, “Girls rule and boys drool! …Also, I love you and please be safe.”“Love you, too. We will,” Ollie smiled, starting for the exit as the rest of the guys followed him, “Have fun, girls!”“We always do,” Clare agreed, waving them off.Clare made sure to meet eyes with Jude, who still seemed exceptionally proud of him for being so nice to Jessica, before blowing a kiss and watching him exit the room with all the guys. Once the door shut behind them, Clare looked to the rest of his bachelorette party guests. Jessica looked among the faces in awe, as if she couldn't believe they were throwing a party together for her.“You guys didn't have to do that,” she mentioned modestly.“Like hell we didn't,” Clare scoffed, reaching into his pocket to retrieve his cell phone, “Hold on to your bras and panties, girls. You're about to have the most fabulous party of your life. I'm calling the world's greatest party queen.”While Clarence dialed Rowena's number, Jessica and Gabriel giggled excitedly. But Castiel seemed confused.“But, not all of us are female,” he carefully pointed out.“Cassie,” Gabe sighed, reaching over to pat his brother's shoulder, “For tonight only, you are a lovely, curvy, sexy lady. Understand?”“I... I am a sexy lady?” Cas repeated skeptically.“Damn right you are, honey,” Gabe nodded, snapping his fingers in a sassy way, “Own it!”Cas still seemed confused by Gabe's commentary, and Clare wanted to help explain the situation, but the velvety Scottish voice on the phone distracted him.“Hello there, wee lamb!” Rowena sang.“Hey, Rowena,” Clare smiled, turning to face the wall, “I'm at the bunker, and I need your help putting together a bachelorette party at the last minute.”There was a slight pause on the phone, in which Clarence could almost imagine Rowena standing up from a chair and straightening her shoulders back.“Say no more, lad,” she hummed, “I'll be there in five minutes.”Sam glanced around, finding himself crammed into the front cab of Oliver Thompson's old red pickup truck next to his brother, his nephew, and the red-haired driver. And seemingly against all odds, he was actually having fun. The other guys were singing 'Come Together' by the Beatles, even though there was no music to back them up, and Sam was humming along. It wasn't every day that he got to go out on a road trip around Lebanon with his buddies, even if some of his buddies happened to be half his age and way better than him at arcade games.The truck had just made it into Lebanon proper when Oliver got a phone call. Though Sam was a little worried about Ollie driving and talking on the phone at the same time, he didn't say anything. He didn't want to distract the kid any further. But Sam noticed that when Oliver glanced down at the screen, his smile instantly faded. Sam, Dean, and Jude all quieted down and listened to Oliver's side of the conversation.“Hello?” the redhead mumbled, pausing for a moment before speaking again, “No, I'm actually in Lebanon right now... To the Laser Tag Ranch... My, um, my bachelor party... What? No, that's okay, I don't want...”Oliver suddenly pushed on the breaks and slowly pulled over to a stop on the side of the road. Sam held onto the passenger side handle and turned to stare at the kid. Who was on the phone? And why did they want Oliver to pull over? Sam could barely hear him over the rumble of the truck motor, but Oliver's face was full of disappointment and worry.“But, I've already planned the whole thing,” Ollie said quietly, staring sadly at the steering wheel, “No, Dad, it's not that I'm ungrateful, I just didn't plan to go to... but... I...”While Oliver timidly argued on the phone, Dean briefly turned to share a look with Sam, and Sam immediately shook his head in return. Damn Eddie Thompson. He was always ruining his son's plans. Oliver's father was a real dick bag. Why couldn't he just let the kid have a good time? After a long, woeful silence, Oliver hung his head.“Fine,” he quietly allowed, “I'll stay for a minute. But then I'm gonna get back on schedule... Yeah... Bye.”The ginger haired kid heaved a heavy sigh as he tucked his cell phone away and put the truck back in drive. Sam, Dean, and Jude were all pretty confused when the kid made a U turn in the middle of the road and headed back the way he came – away from the Laser Tag Ranch.“Ollie, what happened? Where are we going?” Jude asked.“Sorry, you guys,” Oliver muttered, looking severely upset, “Apparently, my dad and his buddies set something up for me at the, um... at the Red Kitty Lounge...”“Isn't that a strip joint?” Dean blurted, giving Oliver a stern look.“Yeah, but we're not going in,” Oliver assured, “I'm just gonna stop by, show my face, and leave. We might miss laser tag, but we are definitely gonna see Die Hard. I promise.”Though Oliver sounded determined now, Sam was certain that his willpower would run out once he was in front of his father. Eddie was the type of guy that expected to be obeyed, especially by his son. Sam sensed it was the main reason for Oliver's awkwardness. His mother was good as gold to him, but his dad was a royal prick. Again, Sam and Dean shared a brief look. This was about to get interesting...The truck full of Winchesters made it to the strip joint fifteen minutes later. Since the sun had gone down, the place was packed; cars in almost every spot and groups of guys loitering near the entrance. When Oliver parked the truck at the end of an aisle of cars, he turned to look out the window and point.“There he is,” he said, gesturing to the small group of guys on the corner of the building, “Will you, um, will you guys walk with me? I don't really want to go alone.”Jude timidly looked over at Dean, and Dean glanced at Sam, all in silent agreement.“Sure, kid,” Dean replied with a nod, “Let's just make it quick.”Oliver sighed with relief before climbing out of the truck and leading the way toward the small group. Even before they approached, Sam could hear the loud, obnoxious laughter coming from the crowd. Eddie – who seemed older and slightly grayer than Sam remembered – still seemed to be his usual, cocky self. There were three other guys around him, and when he glanced over to see Oliver walking up, he got a big grin on his face.“There's my boy,” Eddie exclaimed, reaching back to hook an arm around Oliver's neck and tug him into the circle, “Here he is, the lil champ. He went and got himself an ol' ball and chain.”Sam narrowed his eyes toward the older man in the baseball cap. Ball and chain? Did he really just refer to Sam's daughter as a ball and chain?! Though Sam was tempted to walk up and correct the asshole, he saw that Oliver had it covered.“Her name is Jessica,” Ollie said quietly, “and we're not married yet.”“Better enjoy freedom while you can, boy,” one of the guys said.“No, no,” Eddie said, holding his hand up, “It's a good thing the kid's getting married. It means we get to go in here and have a good time!”The whole crowd whooped and hollered, cheering like rabid animals. Whether it was because of his time spent with rational, well-behaved people, or just plain common sense, Sam found the animalistic yelling kind of irritating. Eddie and his friends were acting like frat bros, even though they were all well over forty years old... The crowd started to pull Oliver toward the entrance of the building, but he deliberately stood still. When Eddie gave him a weird look, Oliver gestured to the Winchesters a few feet away.“I can't go in. I've actually got stuff to do,” he explained as politely as possible.When Eddie looked up at them, Sam, Dean, and Jude all smiled and waved. But the douche bag only glared back at them.“The hell did you bring them for?” Eddie asked, looking to his son in surprise, “There aren't any male strippers in here.”Sam clinched his jaw shut and met eyes with Dean again. Eddie was clearly poking fun at the fact that they were both married to men, but after knowing the asshole for so long, Dean and Sam were used to snide remarks like that one. Luckily, Oliver kept the spotlight on himself.“I'm taking them to see the new Die Hard movie,” he explained, though his voice was frail, “We've got plans to go and -”“The only plan you have is coming in here and enjoying this party with the real men,” Eddie barked, wrapping his arm around Oliver and pulling him along, “Besides, there's somebody I want you to meet.”Oliver only had time to give the Winchesters a fearful, anxious pair of eyes before he was yanked forward into the front door of the lounge. Within seconds, the three Winchesters were left standing outside with their mouths open. Sam was both worried and pissed. How the hell could Eddie force his son to do something he didn't want to do?! What an arrogant dick!“Wh – what should we do, Dad?” Jude squeaked, looking to Dean for an answer.Dean took a large breath and exhaled, shaking his head as he started for the front door with his shoulders squared.“We're gonna rescue the kid,” he answered, “and go see Die Hard, dammit.”Though Jude was visibly intimidated by the lounge, he put his head down and followed Dean into the belly of the beast. And Sam was right behind them, flashing one of his many fake IDs at the bouncers on his way in. The place was blaring with loud music and the lights were so dim that Sam could barely see where he was going. How the hell were they supposed to find Oliver? Though he was momentarily stunned by the noisy atmosphere, Sam did his best to follow his brother and nephew. With Jude at his side, Dean paused to survey the place. Sam copied them, trying his best to avoid making eye contact with the few naked women dancing on the stage in the middle of the room.“Over there,” Jude said, pointing toward the bar.Dean instantly followed his son's direction, pivoting toward the bar and making his way over. As they walked up, Sam noticed that Eddie was introducing Oliver to a tall, skinny brunette woman in a red bikini. Sam strained to hear what was being said as he approached.“Ollie, this is my new girlfriend, Tracy. Tracy, this is my son, Oliver,” Eddie smiled, gesturing to the uncomfortable red-haired young man next to him.The woman in the bikini smiled and reached out to hug him – which Sam found very odd. The lady wasn't just hugging Oliver, she was smelling him too; giving his hair and shoulder a good sniff and licking her lips. It was at that moment Sam knew – the woman in the bikini was a ghoul. Dean must have noticed it too, because he stopped in his tracks and put his hands on his hips.“Really?” Dean grumbled, probably meant for Sam's ears only, “Oliver's old man's girlfriend is a stripper and a ghoul? Could this night get any weirder?”As if Dean had tempted the gods of fate, a barely dressed lady came sauntering up to hook her arm around Dean's. She was batting her long eyelashes, giving him the old sexy look and puckered lips routine, clearly wanting his attention.“Hi there,” she purred.Without even looking at her, Dean clenched his jaw and held up his left hand, wiggling his fingers and making his silver wedding band visible.“Beat it, sister. I like dick,” he stated flatly.The girl's face fell to an irritated look and she immediately let go of his arm. She spun around and trotted away angrily, but Dean didn't even notice. He was too busy stomping up to the bar. Jude, however, seemed to really enjoy his father's dismissal of the stranger, because he covered his mouth and giggled as he followed in his footsteps.As soon as Sam, Dean, and Jude stepped up to the bar, Eddie and the woman looked up to see them – and absolute fear erupted on the woman's face. She gulped and grabbed the bar, taking a step back.“W – Winchesters,” she breathed.“That's right, lady,” Dean growled, discretely hinting that they knew what she really was, “You've got ten seconds to get out of our sight for good.”The ghoul woman was gone before Dean ever had a chance to start at 'one.' She darted further into the club, dodging other patrons to get away from the hunters. Eddie's mouth fell open and he immediately chased after her, sparing a few angry glares back at Sam and Dean. But once Eddie and his 'girlfriend' were gone, Oliver turned to speak.“How did she know you guys?” he asked.“She's a ghoul, Oliver,” Sam explained.“What? Really?” he gasped, “How can you tell?”“Because she sniffed you when she hugged you,” Sam pointed out.“And her eyes are reflective, like an animal,” Dean added.“And her aura is pretty evil. I saw it,” Jude shrugged.Oliver took a deep breath and glanced around before hanging his head.“I'm really sorry about all this, guys,” he said over the loud music, “I swear, I never wanted to come here. Jessica would probably kill me if she knew I went to a strip club.”“Then why are we here?” Dean boldly asked.Oliver looked up at him, but struggled to answer the question.“Because my... my Dad wants me to be here...” he eventually admitted.Seeing the defeat in the kid's brown eyes made Sam feel terrible. And to be honest, he sort of saw a younger version of himself standing there. How many times did John drag Sam on a hunt that he wanted no part of? How many times did Sam have to do things that his father wanted, even when he didn't want to? Sam took a deep breath and reached out to rest a hand on his soon to be son-in-law's shoulder.“Oliver, man, I get it,” Sam nodded, “I know you don't want to upset your old man. But this is your life. If you don't want to be here, you don't have to. No one has the right to make you feel obligated to do anything you don't want to do.”Sam's tiny pep talk seemed to work. Oliver's head slowly raised and he nodded to the rest of the guys.“Thanks,” he allowed, “And, again, I'm really sorry... Do you guys want to get out of here and go see Die Hard?”“Yes,” Dean groaned, “I haven't seen Bruce Willis murder someone on the big screen in years. Let's go.”Oliver and Jude chuckled as the group turned to make their way back toward the front door of the lounge – but they were, once again, caught by Eddie Thompson. The man in the old baseball cap came stomping up with his fists clenched and eyes glaring.“Hey,” he barked over the music, “What the hell did you do to my girlfriend?!”“Trust us, man, it's for the best that she's gone,” Dean spat back.Eddie's eyes shifted to Oliver and surprise mixed in with his anger.“And what the hell are you doing?” he shouted to his son, “I told you the boys and I put this thing together for you! You can't leave!”“I'm sorry, Dad, but I can't stay,” Oliver replied, standing his ground, “I appreciate the effort you put into it, but I never asked for this... I – I'll see you tomorrow, okay?”When the Winchesters started to walk away with his son, Eddie's glare deepened as he huffed a few violent breaths. He grabbed a glass from one of the nearby tables and threw it toward their feet, shattering it on the floor. Though Jude and Oliver gasped and looked back, Dean and Sam quickly tugged them forward, guiding them out of the lounge as quickly as possible.“You're just like your mother!” Eddie shouted toward Oliver's back, “Fine! Get out! We don't need you to have a good time, anyway!”Though Eddie's words enraged Sam, he only tugged Oliver a little tighter to his side and walked him all the way out into the parking lot. The scene outside was much quieter and the dim streetlights made the space feel safer somehow. None of the guys slowed down until they made it to Ollie's red truck. And when they neared the hood, Sam could feel that Ollie was dragging his feet a little bit. His messy redhead was lowered and he was staring sadly at the ground. Poor kid. All he wanted to do was have fun tonight, and his dad couldn't even let him have that...“Oliver,” Sam said quietly.When Ollie lifted his head, Sam could see the red around his brown eyes. The kid was clearly close to tears, but holding them back. In that moment, Sam tried to channel his husband and daughter. What would Gabe say to cheer Ollie up? What would Jessie say?“I just want you to know,” Sam began, “... that I'm a skee-ball legend. I'm going to destroy you at the arcade tonight. And when I do, I'm going to put the Bay Watch theme song on the reception music list.”Sam's seemingly random words made Ollie's face light up. His smile returned and he stifled a chuckle, nudging Sam's side with his elbow.“We'll see about that, Mr. Sam,” he challenged with a raised eyebrow.With Oliver's smile back where it belonged, Sam pulled the kid in for a small hug. He never wanted Ollie to feel like he didn't have a good father figure to turn to. Because he did. Just like Sam always had Dean and Bobby, Oliver had all the Winchesters.“Guys. It's almost eight o'clock,” Dean called wearily, “We're gonna miss Die Hard.”“Not on my watch,” Ollie replied, quickly retrieving the keys from his pocket and dashing around the truck, “Let's go, gents! Blood and gore await us!”Jude chuckled at his friend's sudden enthusiasm and hopped into the cab along with him. Dean, however, paused near the door to speak privately with Sam.“You think we should gank the ghoul?” he asked.“Later,” Sam agreed, “If she's brave enough to show her face again.”After Sam's reply, Dean gave a sage nod.“Yippee ki-yay,” he grinned before climbing into the truck.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Aunt Rowena didn't just come over to the bunker for Jess's bachelorette party. She brought the entire party with her.Jessica was amazed by how quickly the tiny Scottish witch was able to locate, gather, and transport so many items to her home. Rowena arrived twenty minutes after Clare's phone call, carting five large trunks of clothing, several armfuls of decorations – some of which seemed very explicit – a whole banquet's worth of snacks and wine, and her usual bag of witchcraft tools and ingredients. Jess was shocked and humbled by her Aunt Rowena's sudden enthusiasm to throw her such an elaborate party. Jessica would have been happy with just hanging out with the girls and listening to music, to be honest. But she should have known better than to assume that Rowena would never make it anything less than extravagant.Jane showed up just as Rowena and Clare were finishing up the decorations. Ollie's mom seemed excited and glad to have been invited to the bunker for a last minute bachelorette party. She brought a few bags with her as well; two that included a bottle of wine and the movie 'Bridesmaids', and one that looked suspiciously like a gift bag. Of course, Jane didn't let Jessie handle that one. She said it was for later on in the night, after everyone was settled in – and possibly a little drunk. She also brought a large pink and purple sash for Jessie to wear, which said 'Bride to be.' Though Jess thought it was a little tacky, she still put it on anyway. She didn't want to upset her soon to be mother-in-law, especially after all the effort she was helping to put into the party.While Rowena and Jane swapped plans, uncle Cas cleared the tables out of the study and Papa tossed down a bunch of blankets and pillows, creating a nice comfy nest for everyone to lounge around in. Pop told Jess that she could sit in the middle, but Jess wanted to stay toward the edge of the round formation. Even though it was her bachelorette party, the last thing Jess wanted was to be the center of attention – because no matter how hard she tried to shake it off, Jess couldn't get rid of the sinking feeling of loneliness that the nightmare left in her mind.Even when everyone started to claim spots around her, and she was in the midst of her own fantastic party, Jessica still felt distant. How could she have fun now when she was destined to be alone in the future? What was the point of putting effort into a party that wasn't going to last very long? Wouldn't having fun with the people she loved just make it feel worse when they weren't there anymore? Pretty soon, Jess was staring sadly at the floor again, hugging her knees and listening to Papa, Cas, Clare, Rowena, and Jane all laugh and tell stories. Jess was starting to think that they had forgotten about her too, until uncle Cassie held out a glass of wine toward her.Jessie looked up at her uncle as she took the glass, wondering why he – of all people – would be offering her an alcoholic drink. The expression on his face was difficult to read, as usual. But he shrugged a little bit once Jess took it.“Jessica, you seem... distracted,” Cas pointed out quietly, so that no one else would hear, “Dean has often told me that when he gets 'distracted', he drinks alcohol. It seems to help him stay 'focused' on the things that matter.”A smile slowly grew back across Jess's face. Uncle Cas was speaking in riddles, but it somehow made perfect sense. All the worrying about the future was only distracting her from what really mattered, which was spending time with her family while she could. The blonde bride-to-be took a small sip of her wine, letting the fermented taste slip quickly passed her tongue. She smacked her lips a little and nodded up at her uncle.“Thanks, Cas,” she hummed.Uncle Cassie nodded a little before claiming a spot on the blanket near her. The rest of the party guests followed suit, gathering around the fluffy nest of blankets and pillows with drinks and chocolates in hand. It wasn't long before they were all engaged in board games and story telling; playing, talking, laughing, and sipping on wine. By the time she started on her second glass, Jessica was actually starting to enjoy herself. Maybe her uncles were right. Maybe drinking a little bit did help her stay focused on the present moment.One of the first activities that everyone did was paint each others' nails. It was something that Jess really liked to do, even when she was a little girl, and the rest of her guests happily obliged. All six of them partnered up – Rowena with Clare, Jane with Papa, and uncle Cas with Jess – and did each others' nails as they listened to pop music and talked.“Jane, darling, how about you?” Rowena called from across the nest, as she delicately painted Clare's nails black, “What is your dream man like?”“Ah,” Jane sighed, glancing up at the ceiling with a blissful face, “He has the body of Antonio Banderas... With the voice of Marc Anthony... And the sexiness of Fabio -”“Fabio? The guy on the cover of all the romance novels?” Papa asked with a grin.“Si,” Jane agreed with a swoon, “Oh, he is muy caliente.”Jessica giggled along with the rest of her guests as she painted Cas's nails blue. Aw, Ms. Jane was so cute when she swooned over men in her rich Spanish accent.“What about you, Rowena? Let's hear about your sexy dream man,” Jane called.“Oh, dearie, I've had 'em planned out in me head for centuries now,” Rowena purred, “He's got the handsome looks of James Dean, the confidence of Napoleon Bonaparte, Elvis Presley's musical talent, the persuasive gall of Sir Winston Churchill, and the unmatched cosmic power of God himself...”Clare, Papa, Jane, and Jessie all laughed again, amused by Rowena's over-the-top characterization of her fictional dream man. Wow, she had put a lot of thought into him, but the power of God himself? Really? That was a bit much. Still, Rowena grinned smugly and held her head high.“Go ahead. Laugh all you want,” she smiled, “I'll see him made real one day. Even if I have to petition for Chuck's help... It's your turn, Castiel.”Uncle Cassie raised his head, looking away from Jess's work on his nails in order to search the rest of the group.“Me?” he asked.“Yes. Your dream man, Cas. What is he like?” Jane prompted with a smirk.Uncle Cas seemed really confused – by the question, the fact that Jess was painting his nails, and pretty much the entire party – but he was still willing to go along with it.“Um,” the angel in the trench coat began, “He... He has green eyes... And countless freckles... He smells of gunpowder and leather... He enjoys movies about cowboys... And driving an impala...”“That's Dean,” Papa said flatly, “You're describing Dean.”“Yes, that is correct,” Cas replied simply.Again, a few of the girls laughed. But Jessie thought it was kind of sweet. Uncle Cassie loved Dean so much that he never even considered changing anything about him. Jess hoped that Ollie thought of her the same way...“Eh, my answer goes along the same lines,” Papa admitted, going back to Jane's nails, “My perfect man is Sam Winchester... with the accent of Canada's Prime Minister.”Jessie rolled her eyes. Why did her Papa have such a huge crush on that guy? She was secretly glad that Dad wasn't around to hear Papa say that. When the giggles quieted down again, Ms. Jane climbed to her feet and smiled down at Jessica.“Okay, guapa, I can wait no longer,” the Hispanic lady grinned, dashing quickly across the room to retrieve the gift bag she had carried into the bunker with her, “I must have you open your gift.”“Ah! Excellent idea, love!” Rowena commended, finishing Clare's nails so that she could get up too, “I'll get my goodies as well!”“You guys,” Jessie groaned a bit, “You didn't have to get me anything.”“Girl, please. What's a party without gifts?” Clarence asked with a wink from across the room.Before Jessie could continue her dispute, Jane placed the gift bag in front of her and quickly reclaimed her seat next to Papa on the floor. Jessica waited for Rowena to get back – with two separate bags, one large and one small – and sit before reaching out to open them. All eyes were on Jessica as she slowly pulled the tissue paper out of Jane's gift bag and lifted some slinky fabric to hold it up. At first, Jessie thought it was a wedding dress that had been hacked to bits. It wasn't until she found the bottom piece, a pair of lacy panties, that she realized she was holding a set of white lingerie...Heat immediately rose on Jess's cheeks as she looked at the naughty clothes and heard the sexy cheering of her guests. There was almost nothing to the garments, just lacy fabric, strings, and a few white bows for decoration. Oh boy, did Jane really expect Jessie to wear this stuff in front of Ollie?!“Uh, thank you,” Jessie said, faking a smile as she stuffed the fabric back into the bag.“Carrot-top's gonna love seeing you in that, baby bunny,” Papa mentioned with a wink.“Jane, where did you acquire that outfit?” uncle Cas asked, suddenly very serious, “I would very much like to purchase one for – um... for reasons...”“That one came from online, Castiel,” Jane answered.While everyone talked, Jessica moved on to Rowena's big gift. Jess removed the tissue paper and reached down inside – where she felt something strange. What was that long, braided thing? It felt almost like a dead snake. Jessica made a face as she lifted the object out to reveal a long, black whip. Jess's mouth fell open. A whip? Why the heck did Rowena give her a whip?! When Jess looked to her aunt, Rowena smirked and winked, delicately raising her glass of wine to her lips.“For when the ginger boy needs to be reminded of who's really in charge,” the witch purred.A few 'Ooooh's and 'Aaaah's came from the group, but Jessie quickly went about pulling out the rest of the objects from inside Rowena's big bag. A pair of fuzzy black handcuffs, a bit of rope, and a couple of blindfolds came out next, all of which made Jessica's face turn more and more red. These things were literally used to torture people! How could any of this be used for fun? Jessica could never imagine doing anything to actually hurt Ollie, especially not in the bedroom! Everyone else seemed to find the naughty gifts amusing, because Gabe, Clare, and Jane all giggled with each thing presented. Uncle Cas, on the other hand...“Rowena, can you tell me where you purchased those things as well?” the angel in the trench coat asked, his voice still as serious as before, “I, um, I believe I know someone who would enjoy that type of activity.”“Geez, Castiel, is there anything you and Dean don't do?” Papa huffed.A bright blush rose on Cas's face and he immediately sputtered.“N – no, it's – it's not for me and Dean,” he denied, even though everyone could tell that he was lying, “It's for, um... B – Bobby and Crowley.”“Nice try, love,” Rowena interrupted, “but where do you think I got the idea for these gifts? I'll give you a hint. Robert Singer isn't a saint, and Hell isn't the only thing that gets Fergus all hot and bothered...”“Ugh,” Clarence groaned, visibly cringing as he sat down his can of soda, “Row, the last thing any of us want to think about is Bobby and Crowley tying each other up.”“Agreed!” Papa added with a shutter.“I'm going to the next one,” Jessica called.She was trying to free everyone from the discomfort by shifting the attention back to the gifts. There was only one left. A small bag, from Rowena. To be honest, Jess was a little nervous about opening it. What if it was more naughty play things? What if there were gross toys in this one? Luckily, when Jessica carefully dug around inside, her hand only bumped against one thing. It was small; so small that the whole thing fit inside her hand. Jess made a strange face as she lifted it out to see that it was a tube of pink lipstick. The tube was black, with certain markings on it. Hmm. Lipstick. It was a bizarrely ordinary gift from Rowena...“Uh, thanks, Rowena,” Jess smiled, grateful that it wasn't more dirty things.“Ah, that's a special gift, cherub,” the witch said, crawling across the blanket nest to pick it up from Jess's hand, “You see, I enchanted this lipstick. If ye ever find yourself in a big, ridiculous argument with your new husband – say, a fight over the laundry that got way out of hand – and ya need a way to calm the situation down, all you have to do is put some of this on and give him a wee kiss. It's got persuasive properties that help clear the mind. Soon after, you'll be cuddlin' up in bed together, wondering why you were even fighting in the first place.”Jessica blinked between her aunt Rowena and the pink lipstick tube in her hand, feeling suddenly warm and fuzzy. Wow, that was such a sweet and thoughtful gift. Any newlywed couple could get some use out of that. Maybe Rowena needed to start up a business.“Oh, such a lovely gift, Senorita,” Jane complimented, “I could have used that long ago...”“Ditto,” Papa huffed, “I wonder if it would work on a moose.”While everyone else chatted about the gifts, Rowena leaned forward to kiss Jessie's forehead and wrap her into a hug. Jessie hugged the tiny lady back, feeling all sorts of emotions.“I couldn't be more happy for ya, lass,” aunt Rowena hummed, “and should ya ever need anything, I'll be right here for you.”Jessie gulped, tightening her hands around the witch's small back. In that moment, Jess really wanted to mention her situation. She wanted to tell Rowena – tell anyone – about her nightmare, and how she was destined to be alone and far away from home. She wanted to hear some advice on what to do about all of this fear and anxiety building up in her chest... but she couldn't say anything. Jess didn't want to ruin the bachelorette party, especially after everyone had worked so hard to put it together and seemed so happy to be there and have fun. So instead, she just swallowed the emotions down and faked a smile...“Alright, ladies!” Papa called joyfully, “The time has come for the Princess Cosplay Contest!”“Cost-play?” Jane repeated, sounding confused, “What is cost-play, Gabriel?”“Well, it's like a contest, where we all dress up like princesses and the one who looks best wins,” Papa explained.“Pardon me, sir trickster, but I've got a better idea,” Rowena interrupted.The Scottish witch let go of Jess and climbed to her feet, gaining everyone's attention. She gestured to the five large trunks lined up near the entrance of the library; ones she had brought in with her.“I've taken the liberty of bringin' some of the fanciest dresses I could get me hands on,” she explained, “I say we all dress up, as you suggested. But instead of turning it into a contest – because, lets face it, all of us are equally gorgeous – I say we take the party to a new location.”“Uh, new location? Where?” Papa prompted.“Oh, just a little place I like to go and have fun from time to time. A place to drink and sing. Though, it's not your average karaoke bar,” she admitted, “This one has a little more... flare.”Everyone else glanced between each other, all with various amounts of curiosity and confusion. Dressing up for karaoke sounded nice, but what was that extra flare Rowena was talking about? Papa eventually met eyes with Jessie, probably to see what she thought of the idea. Honestly, Jessie was okay with anything her guests wanted to do. She felt lucky just to have a party at all. Seeing Jess's willingness seemed to help Papa confirm his choice.“Okay,” he agreed out loud, “but I've got dibs on the fishnets and feather boas.”Of the six people that were attending Jess's bachelorette party, four of them changed clothes. From aunt Rowena's fancy trunks, Jessie chose a tie-dye dress, thick heels, and a rainbow jacket. Rowena said she had to keep the 'bride-to-be' sash on too, but she didn't mind. The whole outfit made Jess look like a lovechild from the 70s, which she adored. Jane chose a sexy red number with ruffles, which reminded Jessica of something a salsa dancer would wear. Rowena changed into a black corset dress, with big fluffy sleeves and laces up the back. And Papa – true to his earlier statement – put on a purple dress with a black feather boa, and fishnet stockings. Honestly, he looked a little silly, but Jess didn't say anything. If that outfit made him happy, then she wanted him to wear it.Clarence and uncle Cas stayed in their own clothes, though. Cas didn't understand the reason for changing, and Clare had volunteered to be the designated driver so he didn't see the point in changing either. Jessie understood and respected their decisions, but it was kind of a bummer. It would have been hilarious to see uncle Cas stumbling around in heels, or watch Clare fight with a wig for the rest of the night... Once everyone was ready, they all piled into Jude's blue impala. Clarence had called Jude and asked if it was okay if they used his car, and Jude agreed – as long as the keys stayed in Clare's hands. So, with Clare driving and Rowena guiding the way, Jessica's bachelorette party migrated from the bunker to a karaoke bar just outside of town.But Rowena wasn't lying when she said that it had flare. The bar they arrived at wasn't just a normal karaoke bar. The place was crawling with big, beautiful drag queens. When they pulled up to the parking lot and the headlights shined on the people standing in line, Jess's mouth fell open. Those people were so beautiful! How was she supposed to step foot in that place when she lacked the confidence to just be near them? Rowena was wearing a smug look, like always. Jane seemed excited. Cas's eyes were still narrowed in bewilderment. But Papa – Papa looked like he had just arrived at the pearly gates.“I've always wanted to go to a place like this!” he squealed, hooking his arm around Jess's and opening his door, “Come on, baby bunny!”Though Jess was still a little nervous about how she looked compared to everyone else, she followed her Papa out of the car and up to the entrance of the building. All of the ladies in drag were very friendly. They greeted Jess's group with warm smiles and compliments, to which her group responded with the same. Most of the strangers knew Rowena by name and even offered her the front table. Rowena graciously accepted and led the Winchester clan to the table, calling out a drink order as she went. On the way, Jessica gazed in wonder at all the stunning people around her. Where did they get such big, lovely dresses? How did they get their make up so perfect? But most importantly, how did they have so much confidence? Jessica wished that she could have a fraction of their self confidence.“I... I don't think any of these females are actually female,” uncle Cas whispered to the table as he sat down.“No shit, Casafras,” Papa smiled, “That's the whole point!”Cas's eyes only narrowed even more, to the point that Jess was starting to wonder if he could even see anything.“... I do not understand,” he admitted.“Ugh, would ya just look around, puppet?” Rowena said, gesturing to the crowd, “See all of these faces?”“Yes,” Cas replied.“How many of them are smiling?” the witch asked.Cas paused to look around again before answering.“All of them,” he answered.“Exactly,” she said with a sage nod, “The constant flow of good energy in this place is able to elevate even the most exciting of parties. Tonight, we'll all leave this bar drunker and merrier than hobos who've hit the lottery.”Just as Rowena finished her declaration, the waitress came by and placed five drinks – six, including Clare's water – on the table. Rowena instantly took her martini and raised it with a smile.“To our darling bride Jessica,” she beamed, gazing lovingly at the blonde girl in the sash, “May your life with Oliver be filled with as much happiness, beauty, peace, and acceptance as this bar is tonight. We love you, sweetheart!”“Aye!” Jane agreed hardily.“That's my baby girl!” Papa added.“Congrats, sugar!” the waitress clapped.The whole table – and a few people around the table – all clapped and cheered while Jessie's face grew red again with a huge smile. She had never felt so absolutely loved before. And by a few complete strangers, no less! She thanked them and took a drink of her own, realizing that she had been given a strawberry daiquiri, which was her favorite. She gulped down some of the sweet, cool liquid feeling a swelling of pride and gratefulness. Man, she was so lucky to have such amazing, loving people in her life. When the cheering stopped, Rowena rose to her feet and offered her hand to Ms. Jane.“Come, darling,” she smiled, “Let's treat these folks to a little song.”Jess assumed that Ms. Jane would be too nervous and shy to agree to go on stage with Rowena. But Jane must have been a little tipsy from her wine already, because she instantly slapped her hand into Rowena's and stood on her wobbly feet.“Si! Vamos a cantar!” she grinned.Jess giggled as she watched her aunt and soon to be mother-in-law stumble up to the stage to speak with the host. Soon, the lights dimmed and the two ladies started to sing “I Put A Spell on You.” Rowena sounded fantastic, but Jane's voice was a little slurry. They mostly stayed at the microphone and leaned against each other for balance, waving toward the crowd like they were a sister act. When their song drew to an end, they both gave wobbly curtsies and the whole place gave them a huge round of applause. Papa was up on his feet, clapping like crazy. Even uncle Cas was starting to smile.“I believe I understand now,” Cas leaned over to whisper to Jess, “It's not the setting, the clothing, or the activities that matter. True happiness is achieved when you are surrounded by the people you love.”Jessica nodded and giggled at her uncle's response. But then, his words slowly started to sink in, and her smile eventually began to fade. Oh. Cas was right. Looking back, the only time that Jess was ever truly happy was when she was surrounded by all the people she loved. At home. And once she married Ollie, she was going to have to give all that up...It wasn't until Jess raised her head again that she saw her Papa had taken the stage. He had traded places with Rowena and Jane, and was now talking to the man at the piano. His purple dress looked adorable on him – and now, he was wearing a brown top hat to go with it. Jessie stared at her parent in curiosity as he stepped up to the microphone. Somehow, he looked like a character she knew. Why did the purple outfit and brown top hat seem so familiar?Then, the music started. Papa stepped up to the mic, lifted his head, and sang,“Come with me... and you'll be... in a world of pure imagination...”As she stared up at her Papa – who looked and sounded just like Willy Wonka come to life – Jessica's chest tightened and her stomach began to turn. Before Ollie, before uncle Dean and Cas, before Jude, even before Dad, Jessica loved her Papa first. Even before she was born. He was the first person she connected with, because they literally shared the same grace. She was created in his golden light. But more than that, Papa had been her home. He was her safe place; someone who understood her when she couldn't understand herself. Papa was Jessie's first everything.And in a few days, they were going to have to give each other away.Jessica suddenly lurched up from the table and turned to stumble through the bar. Papa's heavenly voice kept singing, ringing through the whole place, but she was trying to get away from it. Because he was breaking her heart. Jessica darted passed some smiling drag queens, feeling her way through the building. She eventually came across the exit and took the way out, leaving behind her Papa's beautiful voice and all the happy people. Outside in the parking lot, it was dark and quiet. The harsh atmosphere eerily reminded her of the terrible dream she had the night before. This was what she had to look forward to. She was going to trade her wonderful, lovely life for this bleak, lonely existence. What an awful deal!“Jess.”Jessica spun around at the sound of her name. Clarence, in his white t-shirt, black leather jacket, faded jeans, and dark boots came racing outside. He slowed down once he got Jess's attention, seeming concerned.“You okay?” he asked, “You were looking a little pale back there. I figured you came out here to puke.”Jessica gulped and shook her head.“N – no,” she breathed, swaying back and forth and kicking at the dirt, “I just, um... I needed some air.”Clare slowly nodded his head, but his eyes grew suspicious. Jude's fiance was clearly unconvinced. Still, he didn't pressure Jessica to talk. He just stuck his hands in his pockets and looked around the parking lot.“I've gotta say, your dad looks pretty cool in a dress,” Clare mumbled, “He's, like, the only guy I know that can look feminine and masculine at the same time. I don't know how he does it.”Clare was probably trying to find something casual to talk about to distract Jessie, but he didn't know that talking about Papa was making it worse. The more Jessie thought about him, the more pain she felt. She bit her lip hard, trying to keep the tears from exiting her already glistening eyes. Clare seemed to notice her distress.“What's wrong, barbie?” he asked simply, “Are you worried about the gingerbread man going to a strip joint? If he does, I swear I'll kick his ass for you -”“No,” Jess interrupted, “I just... I...”Jessie didn't know how to finish her sentence. Clare was going to be getting married too, and Jess didn't want to transfer the terrible thoughts from her head to his. Clare probably had enough worries in his own life right now. What could Jess possibly say? The longer silence stretched on, the more Clarence tried to figure it out.“Is it about the wedding? Are you getting cold feet?” he asked.“... kind of,” Jessica admitted.Having cold feet was one way of putting it. But Jessica wasn't nervous about marrying Ollie. It was everything she was going to have to give up for it. Clare nodded his head.“Well, I guess everybody gets cold feet at some point,” he shrugged, “Getting married is a big thing, I suppose. Especially if there are lots of people there... but getting married isn't about them. It's about you,” Clare explained, “Jess, if you're not ready to marry the pumpkin head, you can wait a while. It doesn't have to happen so fast.”Jessica gulped, feeling the tightness in her chest finally loosen up. Really? She could wait for a while? But, what about all the people? Both sides of Oliver's family were traveling in to see the wedding. Jessica couldn't postpone it now... Still, Clare's suggestion made Jess feel better. If she wasn't ready to give up her life at the bunker, she could always wait. She had plenty of time... right?
Before Jess could agree with Clare's brilliant suggestion, the door of the building swung open. Jess and Clare both looked back to see Papa looking around for them, still wearing his purple dress and brown top hat. Rowena stumbled out after him, followed by Castiel who was helping Ms. Jane walk properly. When Papa spotted Jess, he came dashing over.
“Honeydew!” he breathed worriedly as he reached up to curl some of Jess's hair back, “Is everything okay? I saw you get up and leave, I thought maybe the boys had called to say they were in trouble or something.”“Dumb boys!” a drunken Ms. Jane called, slurring something else in Spanish.Jess opened her mouth to answer, but Clarence cut her off.“Yeah. Actually, we called them to see what they were doing,” Clare flawlessly lied, “Turns out our party was way better than theirs.”Papa, Rowena, and Jane all cheered, reaching back to high-five each other. In the meantime, Jessica gave Clare a subtle look of appreciation. She was so glad that their 'cold feet' talk was kept secret.“Well, what are we doing out here in the parking lot?” Rowena asked, “Let's go refill our glasses and finish off the night right, girls!”Ms. Jane cheered the loudest, stumbling back against uncle Cas with her hands raised in the air. As the girls started back into the club, Castiel assisted Jane but looked back to whisper to Clarence.“I believe this woman is highly inebriated,” the angel mumbled.“No shit, Sherlock,” Clare grinned.“My name is Castiel,” Cas corrected.While everyone else went back into the bar, Jessica deliberately held her Papa back. She clung to his arm until the other members of their group left them alone. Papa searched Jessie's face with worry, like he always did when she wanted to talk to him in private.“What's wrong, Jessie-rabbit? Did I embarrass you?” he asked, “I'm sorry, baby girl, I didn't mean -”Jess interrupted Papa's words by burying herself in his arms and resting her head on his shoulder. The sensation brought her back to when she was a little girl, being carried around by him. Papa always made her feel as light as a feather and taller than the sky; like she could do anything. Why couldn't she go back to that time? Why couldn't she be young forever, instead of having to grow up and move away? She didn't want to leave home. She didn't want to leave her Papa.“I love you so much, Papa,” Jess muttered into his shoulder.Papa patted her back, nuzzling his head against hers.“Aww, I love you too, baby bunny,” he hummed, “and I always will.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Gabe had to admit that his little girl's bachelorette party was one of the greatest celebrations in history. Between the loud singing, heavy drinking, sloppy dancing, group cheering, and the endless praise for his daughter's wedding, Gabe actually started to lose track of time. It wasn't until Castiel pointed out a nearby clock that the archangel realized it was nearly midnight. And that he was probably drunk, because the numbers were all blurred.Normally, angels – archangels, especially – had to drink a shit ton of alcohol for their vessels to even get a buzz. When they left the club, Gabriel knew he must have consumed most of the bar's entire stock, because he was stumbling in the parking lot like a newborn giraffe on an ice skating rink. He was so glad that his daughter was there to escort him to the car – and that the smile had returned to her precious face. Gabe was genuinely worried that his baby girl was embarrassed by him getting up on stage in girly clothes, but talking to Clarence must have helped her. Jessie seemed more like her usual bright and bubbly self by the time they headed home.Jane, who was already on the verge of passing out drunk, was flown home by Castiel, who offered to make sure she found her way to bed. Clarence drove the rest of the clan back to the bunker while Gabe and Rowena loudly sang a mean rendition of 'These Boots Were Made For Walking' by Nancy Sinatra. The two of them sounded really freaking good, too. At least, they did to Gabe's drunken mind. The alcohol might have been effecting his hearing, but he didn't care. Beyonce could eat her heart out.The bunker was dark and quiet when they made it there, so the other boys obviously weren't home yet. Gabe was kind of bummed about that. He was sort of in the mood to get frisky with his moosie husband. Alas, Jessie helped her papa stumble all the way to her parent's bedroom, for which Gabe was very grateful. He was so full of alcohol that he could barely tell where he was going. But when they made it to the door, Gabriel made sure to give his daughter a giant hug.“I love you so much, honey-doo-doo. Ha!” Gabe giggled in Jess's ear, “Just like the song! Scooby-dooby-doo, where are yooou -”“Okay, Papa,” Jessie interrupted, gently pushing him into the dark room, “Go lay down for a while, okay? You need to sleep that drunk off.”Gabe laughed again, even though he obeyed Jess by shuffling into his and Sam's bedroom.“Silly rabbit! Angels don't need sleep,” he chuckled.Jessie smiled, shook her head, and muttered a tiny 'goodnight' before closing the door, leaving Gabriel standing a little off balance in his bedroom. The archangel wobbled around to see that Dickie was on his and Sam's bed – mercilessly humping his stuffed moose. The blurry sight of his dog mating with a stuffed animal both amused Gabe and made him sick to his stomach. Though, the sickness was probably because of the alcohol sloshing around in his tummy. The archangel kicked off his high heals and shuffled over to swat lazily at his dog.“Get your own room, fur-face,” he grumbled.Dickie growled a little in protest, but grabbed his moose in his mouth and trotted off with it. And just in time too, because Gabriel sighed and collapsed onto the bed, still wearing his pretty purple dress and crooked top hat. The archangel laid there and blinked slowly at the plaid comforter, letting the scent of his husband's musk fill his lungs repeatedly. Oh man, Gabe really missed Sam. When was that gorgeous bean pole gonna come home?After what seemed like only a few minutes, Gabriel heard the bedroom door open. The archangel struggled to lift his head and blink toward the tall silhouette standing in the doorway. A low, humorous chuckle found its way to Gabe's ears; one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.“Gabe?” Sam's voice nearly whispered, sounding confused, “What the hell are you wearing?”The archangel watched his handsome husband shrug out of his jacket and lay it on the edge of their dresser, secretly admiring every piece of him. Sammy was so hot! Gabe wanted to marry him all over again! Gabe grinned and held up a swaying arm, reaching out for Sam's flowy hair, adorable face, and rock hard abs.“My moose! You're home! C'mere and lemme hold you,” the archangel whined.Though he seemed visibly confused by Gabe's sexy dress, fishnet stockings, and crooked top hat, Sam still humored the archangel by sliding onto their bed. Once Sammy was close enough, Gabe lazily tossed an arm and a leg over his torso, hugging him sideways on the mattress. That Sam-only smell was extra potent, now. The kid was so warm, and smelled so good, and was so unbelievably sexy.“Geez, Gabe, you smell like pure vodka,” Sam mentioned, “I'm guessing you had fun with the girls?”“We went to a drag club and I drank a lot,” Gabe admitted with another giggle.“That explains the crazy outfit,” Sam smirked, “and the smell.”Gabe hummed and nodded, knowing that he probably wreaked of fermentation. Sammy paused their conversation to yawn, turning his head away and covering his wide mouth. The poor kid seemed really tired. Did he have as much fun as Gabe did tonight?“How was the Ollie party?” Gabe asked.“It was nice,” Sam answered after his yawn, “We watched Bruce Willis kill his way through a gang of human traffickers. And Jude won the most tickets at the arcade, so he put a bunch of Beatles songs on the reception playlist. The boys had a great time... Though, Eddie Thompson almost ruined it at the beginning. By the way, he's dating a ghoul now.”“What? Really?” Gabe smiled, nudging fondly against Sam's chest, “I hope it chomps his dick off.”Sam's laughter rumbled the bed and made Gabe's heart soar. But it was once again interrupted by another yawn. Sammy was rightfully exhausted, but Gabe was still feeling frisky. The archangel curled up closer to his husband's ear to whisper.“Sam,” Gabe tried to purr, caressing the man's warm arms, “Put your hand up my dress and call me Mr. Wonka.”“Uh, no thanks,” Sam instantly denied, even though he was smiling.Gabe pouted a little, making his bottom lip jut out. Well, that didn't work. Still, he wasn't going to give up without a fight.“Then will you say, 'Eh?' In a Canadian accent?” the archangel asked.“Also no,” Sam refused, his smile dimming a bit, “Canada sucks.”Gabriel huffed a large sigh. Clearly, Sam was still upset about this morning's 'Prime Minister' blunder. Geez, was he ever going to let that go? Even though Sam seemed too tired to think about sex, Gabe still didn't want to let go of him. The archangel wrapped himself around the tall hunter like a baby koala holding on to its mother, nestling his face into the groove of Sam's pecs.“Just cuddle me then, Sammy,” Gabe mumbled, making his voice extra needy.After Gabe's request, Sam's long arms slid around his back and held him close. The man turned his head and found the angel's lips in the dark to kiss him gingerly. Gabe closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of their hot tongues rubbing together. Wow. Of all the drinks Gabe had that night, Sam's kiss was the most intoxicating. When his lips slowly pulled away, Sam's fingers found their way to Gabe's hair and raked through it.“Always,” Sam whispered warmly, rolling over a little so that they were both sideways on the bed, “G'night... Mr. Wonka.”A huge smile burst across Gabe's mouth as he stared at his husband in the semidarkness. Aww, Sammy did love him! It wasn't long before the kid was fast asleep. His eyes closed, his long arms grew limp around Gabe's torso, and soft, deep snores started to rumble from his open mouth. Gabe watched it all happen, secretly jealous that he couldn't fall asleep with his husband. All Gabe could really do was lay there and feel the buzz of alcohol slowly leave his system.Through the night, as he gradually became sober again, Gabriel started to recall certain moments from his daughter's wild bachelorette party. He didn't realize that Jessie seemed kind of upset for most of the night. In fact, she hardly smiled at all. Was she not happy with the way things went? Maybe she didn't like dressing up and going to the karaoke bar. The more he reflected on the night, the worse Gabe felt. Ugh, he was terrible. Gabe was so selfishly happy about the party that he didn't even stop to consider his daughter's feelings. Poor Jessie didn't really like it at all, did she? Especially not those racy gifts that Jane and Rowena got her. Gabe sighed as he stared up at the bedroom ceiling in the dark, feeling guilt and shame cloud his heart. Damn. He didn't even get Jessie a gift...While morning slowly approached, Gabriel tried to think of ways that he could redeem himself. After ruining her party, the least Gabe could do was give his daughter something, but what? It had to be a really good present; something that no one else could give her. And it needed to be something that she and Oliver could use together; something that would make them both really happy. Something they could use to grow their relationship... and maybe even their family...A light bulb lit up in Gabe's mind and he suddenly popped out of bed with a bright grin. Oh! He knew exactly what to make for his daughter and her future husband! The archangel sneaked a kiss to his moose's sleeping face before quickly changing out of his dress and into his usual jeans and plaid, and dashing for the kitchen. For once, he was glad that the bunker was still asleep, because he was about to make something that required both human sustenance and angelic properties.Gabriel was going to make an aphrodisiac for Jessica and Oliver.But not just any aphrodisiac. This one would be top notch. Cream of the crop. Brewed to perfection. From his time spent in heaven, Gabe had learned a thing or two about the 'cupid' line of work. Back in those days, aphrodisiacs were mostly crafted for mating and procreating purposes. The stronger the dose, the more likely that the 'dirty dancing' would lead to a chunkier population. But Gabe also knew how to tweak the recipes to make sex almost irresistible. He knew exactly which spells to add that would make orgasm much more intense and last far longer than the run-of-the-mill sex. And since Jessie and Oliver were about to be married and go away on their dream Honeymoon, where was the harm in making them a little gift that would enhance their pleasure and love for each other?Gabriel pranced into the kitchen and flipped the light on, feeling a mischievous grin on his own face. Dickie, who had been eating out of his doggy bowl, lifted his head at the change of light and blinked toward his owner with his head tilted. His stuffed moose was laying on the floor next to him with wet stains and glazed eyes that seemed to beg for help.“Morning, Dickster!” the archangel sang, skipping toward the metal island in the middle of the room, “Wanna help Papa make some 'happy juice' for Baby Bunny and Pumpkin Head?”Dickie tilted his head the other way, but seemed a little interested. He hopped up onto one of the stools at the island to watch Gabe dance around the kitchen. The archangel was currently searching the whole room, looking for some kind of base to use for his concoction. When it came to food, Jessica was just like her dad. She preferred gross veggies rather than delicious candy – something that Gabriel still didn't understand – so he knew that he had to use something that she liked. Fruits were an obvious choice, but which fruit did Jessica and Oliver both enjoy? The refrigerator didn't have very many options. The pantry, however, held a welcome surprise. There were three unopened jars of cherries sitting on the top shelf.“And Bingo was his name-o,” Gabe smiled.He swiped one of the jars from the cabinet and spun around to make his way back to the island. Dickie was wagging his tail and watching as the archangel opened the jar and carefully dumped all the cherries onto a small plate. There were thirteen of them; all shiny, red, round, and just asking to be tinkered with.“Who says thirteen isn't a lucky number?” the archangel asked with a wink to his dog.Dickie only gave a tiny bark in response, probably disagreeing as usual, but Gabe went to work. He rolled up his sleeves and hovered both of his hands over the tiny fruits. The archangel allowed a teeny tiny bit of his grace to shine from his palms – which caused the lights in the room to flicker and the air to shift – and recited the Enochian spell that he had memorized from the cupid scrolls. It was a strong enchantment that fused to the molecules of each fruit, making the red cherries turn almost crimson and plump up thicker than before. The spell itself only lasted a few seconds, but the effects continued even after Gabriel tucked his grace back into its vessel. The cherries were almost throbbing on the plate, glowing a little with fresh heavenly aura. They eventually dimmed back into their usual state and looked as harmless as any other cherries, hiding their true power.For a second, Gabe just stared at the fruit in wonder. It had been a long time since he used that spell in its entirety. Did it work? How was he supposed to make sure that it did the job? The archangel glanced up at his Jack Russel Terrier, who was still watching everything with his tail in a blur. Curious to test his new product, Gabriel swirled his index finger in some of the juice around the cherries and offered it to the dog.“Here. Have a lick of this and tell me how you feel,” he said.Dickie sniffed Gabe's finger before giving it a lick or two. For a second, the dog seemed indifferent to the spell. He only gave a tiny 'woof' and tilted his furry head in confusion. But then, his tail slowly stopped wagging and his eyes grew large. Without warning, Dickie immediately dove back down into the floor and latched onto his moose; whining, humping, and licking the poor thing like there was no tomorrow. Gabe laughed at the sight of his victory. Yes! It worked! Gabe had once again used his heavenly magic to create something amazing. Jessie and Ollie were going to be so pleased!Gabe didn't get to relish in his success for very long though, because footsteps were suddenly coming toward the kitchen. Gabe looked down at the cherries on the plate with a gasp. Oh, no, what if that was Jessie? What if she came in and ruined the surprise? Thinking fast, Gabriel poured all of the cherries back into the tiny jar and screwed the lid on tight. He raced back over to the pantry and hid the jar behind the others, just in time for the guest to arrive in the kitchen.“Gabe?” Sam's groggy voice came from the doorway, “What are you doing?”Gabriel almost slammed the pantry door shut and spun around to greet his husband with a smile. Sammy was still wearing the same clothes he had on the night before, looking so sexy with his messy hair and disheveled clothes.“Good morning, moose!” the archangel sang, sauntering over to greet his husband with a quick kiss to the lips, “Why are you up so early?”“The whole bunker was rattling,” Sam grumbled, “That usually means you're up to something. What's going on?”“Dad? Pop?”Gabe gulped, looking around Sam to see their daughter wandering into the kitchen in her Pjs. Her blonde hair was a mess and she looked exhausted.“Was that an earthquake?” she asked, looking between her parents.“N – no, baby bunny,” Gabe answered, putting on the most innocent expression he could muster as he walked over to wrap her into a half hug, “That was me. I was just... um... flexing my grace a bit.”“What's wrong with Dickie?” Sam blurted.All three people in the room looked down at the dog, who was still madly humping his stuffed animal. The dog was licking the moose's fuzzy antlers and whining, sounding so desperate to have sex with it. He was even bumping up against the wall without being aware. Geez, maybe Gabe had made those cherries a little too strong...“Nothing, he's fine. Just loves his moose,” Gabe chuckled nervously, “Anyways, I was just about to make us all some breakfast! Who wants pancakes?”Before anyone could ask any further questions about his grace shaking the bunker, Gabriel quickly started making breakfast, putting on a flashy display by making the flour, eggs, and milk literally fly through the air. Sam and Jessica watched, both equally confused by Gabe's flamboyant chef skills. But then they both got immersed in talking about last night's events and the upcoming wedding. Gabe listened to his family talk while he flipped some pancakes on the stove. Sam told Jess about everything that happened with Eddie – which made Jessie fairly angry, to the point that she almost flew away to give the bastard a piece of her mind. Luckily, Sam was able to calm her down and keep her seated at the table. They changed the subject to the wedding itself, and when they should go and set up the tent at the playground.When Gabe turned around with two plates for his two favorite people, Sammy's cell phone rang. The kid took one look at the screen and held the phone out to the archangel next to him.“Here, Gabe, you talk. I'm hungry,” he muttered.Gabe willingly took the phone from his husband and saw Jane's name on the screen before swiping the answer button. He put the call on speaker so that everyone in the kitchen could hear it.“Hola, Jane!” the trickster sang.“Aye!” Jane groaned into the phone, “Not so loud!”“Oh, sorry,” Gabe chuckled quietly, “Bad hangover, huh?”“Si,” Jane acknowledged, sounding exhausted and anxious, “but that is not why I am calling, Gabriel. I... I need your help.”Sam and Jessica both raised their heads from their breakfast to share worried looks with Gabe. Gabe was pretty worried, too. Jane needed help? What was wrong?“Uh, sure. What do you need, chica?” Gabe replied.There was a pause in which Jane sighed again. And during the small silence, Gabriel could hear the sound of chatter in the background. It sounded like Jane was in a public place full of people.“Where are you?” Gabe blurted.“I am home,” Jane explained, “There are – Oi! Ya Cállate! Ahora! – Sorry, Gabriel, I can barely hear. There is much of my family here. Almost all of my family. They came in this morning for the wedding, and I do not have the space for them. And we have no money for them to stay in a hotel until after the wedding, so I... I was hoping that some of them could come and stay at your bunker? Por favor?”During Jane's question, Sam's mouth fell open and his half-chewed pancake nearly fell back out. His eyes darted up to meet Gabe's and his head immediately shook back and forth. Sammy was clearly against having strangers in the bunker... but how was Gabriel supposed to deny shelter to Jessica's future family? He couldn't just turn them away!“Um,” Gabe began, feeling torn, “Are you sure there's nowhere else for them to stay?”“Si. I have called all the hotels in Lebanon,” Jane explained, “but my family is poor, you see, and I do not have enough money to pay for their rooms. Please, Gabriel. It will only be a few of my family. And only for one night. Then, I will pay you back! I promise!”While Gabe was listening to Jane's pleas, he was also staring at his husband, who was desperately shaking his head back and forth and waving his hands in a 'no' motion. Sam was dead-set against Jane's family staying in the bunker. Gabriel could understand the kid's hesitation, what with the bunker being full of artifacts and lore books and all, but he couldn't say no to Jane! She was his friend! And future mother-in-law to his daughter!“S – sure!” Gabe said, much to Sam's horror, “Mi casa es su casa! Bring 'em on!”Sam slapped his hand against his bitch face, groaning hard while Jane squealed in delight.“Oh! Thank you! Thank you, Gabriel! I shall bring them over this afternoon! You are amazing!” Jane praised, “I will stop by after I pick up the cake! Bless you!”“Sure thing, Jane! Adios!” Gabe replied.When the line went dead, Gabriel knew he was in for an argument with his husband. He braced himself as he watched Sam's hand slowly slide off of his irritated face. Surprisingly, the kid didn't raise his voice. He only glared up at Gabe like a parent about to scold a child.“Gabriel,” Sam grumbled, voice low, “What the hell did you just do?”“I offered shelter to our friends' family,” Gabriel explained, hoping that Sam would see his point, “They came to Lebanon to attend our daughter's wedding, Sam. I wasn't about to leave them out in the cold!”“First of all, it's sixty degrees and sunny outside,” Sam said, raising an index finger, “Second, this is a Men of Letters Bunker, not a motel for traveling wedding parties! And third, Dean is going to kill the shit out of you when he finds out!”Gabriel gulped. Okay, Sam had some good points there – especially the part about Dean killing him – but Gabe stood by his decision. And luckily, Jessie was on his side, too. Their daughter reached across the table to place her hand on Sam's arm, giving him that 'baby bunny' look that she was so good at.“It'll be okay, Dad,” she assured, her beautiful eyes big and full of persuasion, “We'll 'people-proof' the bunker before they get here. Letting them stay in the bunker is... is only... temporary...”When Jessica's voice trailed off, Gabriel noticed that her eyes were suddenly full of emotion. Saying that the bunker was a temporary place to stay somehow made her upset, but why? Did she want Jane's family to stay longer at the bunker? Or was it something else? Jess's words were able to work their magic on Sam yet again, because the moose exhaled and shook his head.“Fine,” he huffed, “but I'm not the one who's gonna tell Dean.”Castiel was standing directly next to Dean when they heard of the situation that Jane's family was in. Gabriel explained the entire phone call and how desperate her voice sounded, but when he got to the part where she requested lodging for her family in the bunker, Dean laughed aloud. He clearly thought that Gabriel was making a joke. But Castiel could sense that his brother was not lying. Gabriel was entirely honest about Jane's family coming to stay in the bunker. And when Dean slowly allowed the idea to sink into his conscious, he nearly exploded with rage. He yelled at both Gabriel and Sam for even considering the permission of any other people into their home. But toward the end of his harsh lecture, Jessica was able to calm him with a look of innocence and a small phrase of, “Please, uncle Dean? It's for my wedding.” To Castiel's great surprise, Dean's anger simmered to mere annoyance. He was still displeased with the thought of strangers in his home, but allowed it for his niece's sake.With the impending arrival of Jane's family stirring them into action, the Winchesters began to 'cleanse' the bunker. They transferred everything of supernatural origin to the lower levels of their home and sealed it there, hiding it away from prying eyes. With the use of his grace, Gabriel stored all of the bookshelves of the library in the garage, and placed a few rows of beds in its place. He theorized that if they kept all of Jane's family in one place to sleep, they would be easier to 'manage' and keep an eye on. No one disputed the archangel's suggestion. Though, the library looked quiet different with beds instead of bookshelves.With everything in place, there was nothing left to do but wait for Jane's family to arrive. Dean, Sam, Gabriel, Jessica, Jude, Clare, and Castiel all stood in the control room and stared toward the main entrance, awaiting the bombardment of Jane's family. It came in a wave of loud Spanish chattering. Gabriel answered the knock at the door and welcomed several unfamiliar faces into the bunker. There were seven people in all; an elderly man, a man and a woman who were married, three young females, and one woman who looked very much like Jane. Jane herself made her way in to hug each and every member of the Winchester family. Castiel was secretly relieved that she was not sick from drinking the night before.“Hola, my Winchesters!” she sang warmly, “I cannot thank you enough for this! Here, this is my abuelo, Raul,” Jane introduced the elderly man, “My cousins, Oscar and Terri, and their daughter, Olivia,” she continued, gesturing toward the small family who waved, “and this is my sister, Juanita, and her two girls, Becca and Kate.”When Jane got to her sister, Castiel could tell that Juanita was staring very hard at Dean. It was almost as if she was eying a delicious food that she wished to consume; searching his entire form with her eyes while she smiled devilishly. From the moment he saw her, Castiel automatically disliked Jane's sister.“A pleasure, senior,” Juanita said, immediately jutting her hand toward Dean, “Jane has told me all about you.”Dean looked down at the woman's hand, but seemed unsure about taking it. In an effort to save his husband from the overly-friendly woman, Castiel took the liberty of shaking the woman's hand. She seemed confused by the act; her smile faltering a bit when her attention was diverted to Castiel instead of Dean.“Hello,” Castiel said firmly without a smile, “My husband and I have never heard of you before.”The angel let go of the woman's hand as quickly as possible, which dropped it back out of sight. His statement seemed to turn the conversation a little cold, as Juanita and Jane shared a quick, private discussion in Spanish. In the meantime, Dean leaned over to whisper in Castiel's ear.“Easy there, soldier,” he hummed lightly, “I know she's flirting, but don't smite her just yet. I can take care of it.”Castiel gave his husband a strange look. Smite her? Perhaps Dean was trying to prevent Castiel from causing more discomfort with his blunt and forward statements. But Castiel saw no harm in making it known to the flirtatious woman that Dean belonged to him and only him. Jane and Juanita eventually returned to the conversation, both seeming uncomfortable to even be standing next to each other.“Again, I want to thank you for taking in my family on such short notice,” Jane said again, glancing at her watch, “Ah, I'm going to be late getting Oliver's suit... So sorry, but I have to go.”“It's okay, Jane. We can take it from here,” Gabriel agreed, gesturing toward the study with a large smile, “Come on in and pick a bed, folks! There's plenty to choose from!”While Gabriel led the strangers down into the bunker library and Jane said her goodbyes, Castiel caught sight of Juanita reaching up to tap on Dean's shoulder. The woman bent over – which accentuated the breasts in her low cut shirt – to grab the handle on her luggage.“Would you mind helping me carry this, senior?” she purred, acting as though she couldn't lift the small bag, “It is too heavy for me.”Castiel looked to Dean, who sighed with exhaustion before reaching down to grab the luggage with ease. Luckily, the man did not seem persuaded by the woman's figure, nor her overly dramatic weakness. He simply helped her as if it was another job to do, giving Castiel a subtle nod in the process. Still, Castiel felt a strange tangle of discomfort in his stomach as he watched his husband aid the stranger in their home. Cas did not like this arrangement at all...Unable to watch the strangers get comfortable in his home any longer, Castiel fled the area. He slowly made his way down the hall in an effort to capture a different set of thoughts. Was there anything he could do that would keep his mind occupied on something other than the woman flirting with his husband? The kitchen came into view as Cas rounded the corner and he immediately detoured into the large room.As he entered, a single glance at the metal island in the middle of the kitchen reminded the angel of all the times that he and Dean had shared intercourse there; always surrounded by music and the lovely smell of home. Castiel adored this room far more than any other in the bunker. Perhaps there was something he could do here that would help him feel better. Another stolen glance at the refrigerator reminded him of the morning before, when Dean added pie to the grocery list. Cas perked up at the remembrance, feeling a spark of encouragement. Of course. He could make pie. How surprised would Dean be if he came in and saw Castiel making his favorite dessert? The man would be overjoyed to find pie on the table, waiting for him to consume it.Hoping to serve his husband a pleasant treat, Castiel walked over and looked inside of the refrigerator. He was searching to see if they had all the required ingredients to make pie. Milk, flour, eggs, butter – the crust ingredients were all there. But what about the filling? Which sweet confection could Castiel make? There were no pecans, so he could not make Dean's favorite. No chocolate, no apples, no blueberries. The angel moved his search from the refrigerator to the pantry – where a few jars of lovely red cherries caught his eye. Ah! Cherry pie. That was Dean's second favorite... With a deep breath of pleasant determination, Castiel withdrew all three jars of cherries from the pantry and smiled down at them in his arms.Dean was going to be so happy.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Having Jane's family in the bunker wasn't as bad as Sam and Dean made it out to be. Frankly, Gabe was loving the sight of so many strangers – or, rather, new extended family – smooshed inside the study like tamales in a casserole. Most of them were pretty lively and grateful to be housed at 'Winchester Manor.' Gabe tried his best to make sure his guests felt completely at home, offering them drinks, extra bedding, and even access to some of their board games. The archangel was thankful that he had the celestial ability to speak and understand all languages, because Jane's grandfather, Raul, didn't speak a lick of English. Which was probably good. The last thing the poor old man needed to hear was Gabriel and Sam going on and on about their baby bunny's wedding.After securing Jane's family in the study and calling the tent company to check on the progress of the playground display – which seemed to be going according to plan, as the tent was being lifted by the crew when he called – Gabe thought he would make some lunch for the bunker. It was nearly one o'clock in the day time and folks were bound to get hangry if he didn't supply some sustenance for them. The archangel whistled his way to the kitchen in a giddy mood, skipping inside with a huge smile. His daughter was getting married tomorrow! How could he not be the happiest trickster in the world?In fact, Gabe was so happy that he almost didn't notice the open pie sitting on the counter until he completely walked passed it. The warm, sweet smell of it hit him first. Then, the realization of what he just saw slowly caught up with him, making his whistle slow down to a few notes and gradually fade away. Wait a second. Where did that pie come from? The bunker was void of pie the day before. The archangel spun around to inspect the dessert closer, seeing that it was steaming like it had just come out of the oven, but it was already half gone. Four pieces were missing... and it was cherry.“No...” Gabe breathed in disbelief.No, that couldn't be a homemade pie, could it? Those ingredients didn't come from the pantry, did they?! Gabe popped himself over to the cabinet and ripped the door open, searching the top shelf for the jar of special cherries he had stashed there. There was only one jar now, and it only had five cherries inside. Gabe quickly unscrewed the lid and brought it to his nose to smell. The scent of celestial electricity filled his nose and he cringed. Shit. This was the jar of special cherries he had made for Jessie and Oliver. But there were only five left! Where did the other eight go?! Were they in the pie?! The pie was already half gone! Oh, shit! Who ate those cherries?!“Castiel!” Gabriel shouted.It only took Cas a few seconds to show up in the kitchen. The angel flew himself there with a look of confused worried.“Brother? What's wrong?” he asked, probably sensing Gabe's anger.Gabriel spun around and pointed at the pie.“Who made that?! And who ate it?!” the archangel questioned.Castiel calmly glanced at the pie, seeming completely unaware of what was going on.“I made it,” he answered, “I believe I did a fairly good job of copying the recipe.”“You did this?!” Gabriel briefly interrupted.How could Cas make that pie and not smell the Enochian essence in those cherries? The celestial scent was strong as hell! Gabe could have smelled it from miles away! How could Castiel be so clueless?!“Yes,” Cas casually confirmed, “I offered a slice to Clarence just now -”“Clare?!” Gabe repeated in shock.“Yes,” Cas nodded, “and Jessica.”“J – Jessie?!” Gabe gasped, “You gave Jessica a piece?!”“Yes,” Castiel answered, confused by Gabriel's horror, “and Dean had two. Brother, what is wrong?”Gabriel clenched the jar in his hand and briefly closed his eyes. Oh, shit. There was no telling how much of that aphrodisiac was in each slice of pie. But eating two damn slices made the odds even worse. Why – why – did Dean have to be such a pig when it came to pie?!“Dean had... two slices,” the archangel exhaled, shaking his head back and forth, “Great. That's just great... Well, Castiel, you're in for one hell of a night.”Of course, the dumb baby in the trench coat only tilted his head to the side and stared at Gabe in bewilderment. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but their conversation was interrupted by a loud clatter in the hallway. Both angels turned to look at the kitchen doorway, where Dean came stumbling in. He had dropped a plate – which bared a few crumbs of pie – on the floor, accidentally smashing it to pieces. He seemed unaware that he had even dropped anything, though, because his sight was zeroed in on Castiel.Dean was breathing heavily, his eyes were extremely dilated, and his forehead was glistening with sweat; all symptoms of the Enochian aphrodisiac. The dude looked hornier than a celibate jackrabbit, ready to mount and mate his husband as soon as possible. Clearly, he had eaten at least one or two special cherries, possibly more. There was no way to know for sure. Regardless, Dean was going to have to let the spell work its way through his system. All the way through...“Cas,” Dean croaked, shuffling forward to grab the angel by the shoulders and search his whole face, “Oh my God, I – I need you!”“Dean?” Cas asked, sounding so lost, “What -?”Of course, before the angel could finish his sentence, Dean cut him off with a kiss full of tongue. Gabriel grimaced and turned away, glaring at the distant wall of the kitchen in disgust. Wow. Castiel unknowingly jacked up the arousal of three people in the bunker and now gets to have endless phenomenal sex with his husband. Meanwhile, Gabe couldn't even get Sam to say something in a Canadian accent. Unbelievable. Where was the justice in this?Dean continued to kiss and grope Castiel like a wild animal, slowly tugging him toward the hallway. In the meantime, Castiel was stealing glances at Gabriel mid-makeout, still oblivious to what was going on. The angel eventually pulled his mouth away from Dean's long enough to speak.“Gabriel? What has happened to Dean?!” he asked again, sounding desperate this time.Gabriel only waved at his little brother, watching Dean drag him away like a gorilla about to mercilessly bang its mate. But Castiel held onto the door frame long enough to hear Gabe's reply.“You'll figure it out,” the archangel called with a sigh, “Have fun, you lucky bastard.”Dean's desperate hand reached up from beyond the door frame to grab a fistful of Cas's coat collar and yank the angel down the hall. The last thing Gabe saw were Castiel's blue eyes turning large with concern before he was completely pulled away, dragged deeper into the bunker where Dean could have his way with him.Once he was alone in the kitchen, Gabriel glared down at the half eaten pie on the counter. Dammit, there was so much damage control to do! But first, he needed to save the rest of the bunker from the same fate Castiel was enduring. The archangel immediately snapped his fingers to make a large, sealed glass case appear around the pie. Nobody else was going to have any of that dangerous dessert today.“Uh, Gabe? What's going on with Dean and Cas?”Gabe's head snapped up at the sound of his husband's voice. Sam was standing in the kitchen doorway now, staring in the same direction that Dean and Cas left. Seeing Sammy actually made Gabriel feel better – and worse. Better because Sam could help him fix this mess. But worse because he knew that the kid was going to be pissed.“Moose,” Gabe began, trying to wrangle up some courage, “We've got a problem...”Sam instantly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The kid was used to all of Gabe's antics by now – being married to a trickster can do that to a person – but it still seemed to upset him.“What is it this time?” he asked blandly, finally opening his eyes.“I... I made a wedding gift for Jessica and Oliver. An, um... an aphrodisiac. Out of cherries,” Gabe quickly explained, “But then, Castiel found them and baked them into a pie, and now half of the pie is gone, and I -”“What?!” Sam interrupted, “You made our daughter an aphrodisiac? Why the hell would you do that?!”“Because I want grandkids, Sam!” Gabriel groaned back, “It was supposed to be a surprise, okay? But now she's eaten a slice of this stupid pie, and we have to find her before she finds carrot-top. Where is Oliver right now?”Sam exhaled again, looking suddenly worried.“He's at the airport, picking up his dad's family,” he admitted.Gabe's mouth fell open. Shit. Shit. This was so bad!“We've got to get to our daughter right now,” Gabe instructed.Usually, Castiel was thrilled when his husband showed interest in performing intercourse with him. Having sex with Dean was, without a doubt, Castiel's favorite activity. But this time, something seemed very different. Dean was needier; more urgent and desperate. His hands were trembling, his eyes were large, and his voice was shaky as he mumbled against Castiel's mouth between sloppy kisses.“C – Cas,” Dean nearly moaned, his voice echoing in the angel's open mouth, “Oh, God!”Castiel attempted to ask Dean what was wrong, but his question was once again drowned out by another violent kiss. The two of them were currently stumbling down the bunker hallway with their fronts pressed together. Dean seemed to be leading Castiel toward their bedroom, but he had to stop several times to lean against the tiled wall, holding the angel to the flat surface so that his hands could roam freely over him. Castiel tried his best to cater to Dean's yearning mouth as he felt the man's eager hands running all over his clothed body. It was clear that Dean really wanted to have sex. But why so suddenly? And how did Gabriel seem to know that it would happen?Dean was moving again, pulling Castiel around the corner into the corridor that led to their bedroom. This time, an almost inhuman groan burst from Dean's mouth and he had to stop and push Cas against the wall again, grinding his manhood firmly against the angel's. Even through several layers of clothing, Castiel could feel his husband's erection. And the sensation nearly caused him to gasp in shock. Dean was so very hard. He was so very desperate to fornicate with Castiel, but why? Why was he so aroused?“Baby,” Dean muttered between panting breaths, still grinding his hips against Cas's while he firmly held onto the angel's backside, “Oh, baby, I need you so bad.”“Dean, something is wrong,” Castiel attempted to communicate, though he wasn't sure of the cause, “Something has – ahh!”The moan erupted from Castiel's mouth as he felt one of Dean's hands plunge down into his pants to grab his soft member. The man's fingers had bypassed the angel's belt and underwear and was now swimming against his privates, tugging desperately at Cas's limp organ and almost demanding it to harden. And Castiel could feel his body responding. Though he was mindful that some outside force was altering Dean's behavior, Cas couldn't help but indulge in his husband's lustful advances.“Ahh, Dean,” Castiel hummed, rocking further against Dean's jerking hand.Before another word could be said, Dean reclaimed Cas's mouth. The two of them were kissing hard in the hallway, with Castiel's arms wrapped around Dean's neck and Dean's hands groping Cas's front and back. The man was still thrusting against the angel, moving their bodies in a way that mimicked intercourse, though they were still clothed and standing. Castiel responded earnestly to his husband's motions – until he heard a small 'thunk' to his left.Castiel freed his mouth from Dean's long enough to look in the direction of the noise – and found Jane's sister standing a few feet away. A mixture of shock and horror was painted across her face as she blinked toward the two men in the hall. There was an upside down suitcase laying on the floor in front of her as well, which made it seem as if she had dropped it in surprise. Castiel gulped as he raised his sight back to the woman he had only met an hour earlier. Oh. This was probably a terrible first impression...“Cas,” Dean groaned again, panting against the angel's neck as he massaged Cas's ever-growing erection inside his black pants, “Ahh... Baby... I wanna eat your ass like a Thanksgiving feast... and come inside you until my balls run dry...”Castiel gulped, seeing Juanita's mouth fall open in utter repugnance. The angel could feel his own face growing warm with embarrassment. Dean didn't know – or didn't care – that he had just spoken such a vulgar sentence out loud in the presence of a house guest. He simply continued to suck on Castiel's neck and hum low moans. Castiel, however, was fully aware of the impact it had on their female acquaintance. Cas may have wanted to assert his ownership of Dean's affections in front of Juanita, but this was not the way he imagined it happening.Hoping to free himself and the woman from the uncomfortable encounter, Castiel quickly edged along the wall to get to his and Dean's bedroom. Of course, Juanita continued to watch them go, seeming unable to remove her eyes from the shocking sight of the two husbands in such a private embrace. Once he was able to reach the door, Castiel tried to find something polite to say.“Um... p – please excuse us,” the angel stammered, giving a fake smile as he opened the door and pulled Dean out of the hall.Once the two of them were in the safety of their bedroom, Castiel quickly closed the door at his back and took a large breath. He was still battling with the severely discomforting meeting with Juanita, but also deeply concerned for Dean. He wished to know the reason his husband was acting so bizarrely. In the kitchen, Gabriel kept mentioning the pie, so perhaps there was something in it that caused Dean's drastic change in arousal. In an effort to find the cause, Castiel tilted his head to capture Dean's mouth with his own again. While the man's tongue wiggled against the angel's, Castiel focused his senses on the flavor of Dean's kiss to find anything out of place. Of course, the taste of cherry pie had lingered in his mouth, enriching the sweetness on Castiel's taste buds. But there was something else as well; something almost electric, like the faint sparks of a celestial spell. From the hint of heavenly acidity, Castiel realized that he was tasting an Enochian charm. Not just any kind of magic, but a warped version of a cupid's aphrodisiac...“Ahh!” Dean suddenly pulled away to gasp, grinding quickly against Castiel's thigh, “Baby! Gnah!”Castiel also gasped in surprise. From the way Dean's eyelids fluttered, his hips thrust erratically, and the sight of the growing spot of wetness on his jeans, it appeared as though Dean had reached a sudden orgasm. The man moaned and swayed around for a second, panting heavily and blinking repeatedly at Castiel's face. The angel observed his husband, finding it astonishing that he could have an orgasm while fully clothed. Castiel thought that perhaps Dean's lustful urges would subside now that he had finished. Perhaps the spell would be rendered ineffective.“Dean?” Castiel asked.The angel reached up to take the man's head in both of his hands, steadying his view so that they could look at each other. Even though Dean was still in the delirium of orgasm, his eyes were still dilated. He was still panting raspy breaths and clinging to Castiel as if he was afraid the angel would disappear. Once they met eyes, Dean shook his head and pressed forward, meeting Castiel's mouth with his own again.“I'm not done,” Dean panted, kissing Castiel between breaths, “Not even close, Cas... I – I haven't even started.”Castiel gasped once more at the sensation of Dean ripping open his white dress shirt. The angel's bare torso was exposed, revealing his heaving stomach and tight chest. Castiel looked down at his own body long enough to see Dean frantically disrobing him; tugging his tie, shirt, and coats away to leave him completely topless. The angel gulped and slid over to brace himself against the dresser while Dean kissed down his exposed body. Cas couldn't deny that this felt so wonderful... but he couldn't let Dean continue without knowing the truth.“Dean, listen to me. You are under the effects of a celestial spell,” Castiel stated firmly, “Your arousal has skyrocketed because you have ingested a large amount of – gnah!”The angel's sentence completely derailed when he felt Dean's hot mouth cover his growing erection. The man had dropped to his knees, yanked Castiel's pants to his ankles, and was now servicing the angel's member with his mouth. Cas began to pant as he watched Dean's head bob back and forth along the shaft, making it glisten with saliva. Oh, that felt so good. Castiel forgot what he was going to say for a moment. He only watched and listened to Dean whimper as the man sucked his throbbing organ.After a moment of catering to Castiel's erection, Dean removed his mouth and spun the angel around to gain access to his backside. Castiel was suddenly facing his own reflection in the mirror attached to the dresser as he felt Dean's hot, moist tongue find its way to his sensitive hole.“Ahh!” Cas cried, clinging to the wooden furniture as he leaned farther over, “Dean!”Dean was telling the truth when he mentioned 'eating' Castiel like a feast. The man's tongue excitedly licked and prodded against Castiel's tight hole, massaging and coaxing it to open further. Cas could feel himself automatically clinching around the wet muscle, wanting more of it to reach deeper. The angel glanced at his own blissful expression in the mirror before reaching back to run his fingers through Dean's soft, spiked hair.“Oh, Dean,” he breathed, unable to stop himself from rocking back against the man's tongue, “That feels amazing.”Dean hummed in response and gave Cas's hole a stern prod before kissing his way up the angel's back. Castiel watched the man through the reflection of the mirror, seeing him quickly remove his own shirt and pull down his own pants as he rose to curve against Cas's back. The feeling of Dean's hot, rock-hard erection bumping various spots on the back of his thighs made Cas shudder. Dean was still so hard, even though he had just reached an orgasm. But even though Dean was under the effects of an aphrodisiac, Castiel wanted Dean inside of him so badly in that moment. He couldn't wait to feel Dean thrusting into his body.Once they were both standing naked with their pants around their ankles in front of the dresser, Dean kissed along Castiel's bare shoulder and reached over to open a drawer and feel around inside. It was a drawer they had designated for their private stock of toys, lingerie, and lubricants. Dean desperately rummaged inside without looking, until he found a large bottle of lubricant. With shaky fingers, he popped open the lid and squirted some of the clear fluid into his palm before bringing it down to smear it on his solid erection. He coated Castiel's hole afterward, sliding his wet fingers between the cheeks and circling one digit inside. Castiel bit his lip to hold in a moan, raising his sight to Dean's face in the mirror as he rocked against it. Dean looked so determined; so desperate to make love to Castiel. He only prodded the hole for a few seconds before lining himself up and sliding inside.A loud, generous moan escaped Castiel's mouth at the sensation of being filled with his husband's throbbing member. Dean's voice accompanied the sound, creating a beautiful melody. They stared at each other through the mirror, both yearning and begging for pleasure from one another without saying a word. Dean licked and kissed Castiel's neck as he thrust from behind, making chills race down the angel's body. Spell or no spell, Cas was overwhelmingly glad that Dean was currently pounding him into their dresser.“Ah, Dean! F – faster,” Cas groaned.Dean acknowledged the angel by picking up speed, hammering so hard into the angel's backside that their dresser began to smack against the wall, wobbling their reflections in the mirror. Though he could feel his own orgasm approaching, Castiel could sense that Dean was closer. The man's face tightened, his hands fiercely gripped Cas's hips, and his scrotum was slapping hard against Cas's body with each thrust.“C – Castiel!” Dean cried, his eyebrows curving upward, “Oh, shit, yes!”Between the distorted thrusts, the low whimpers, and the look of ecstasy on Dean's face, Castiel was aware that Dean was meeting his orgasm. The angel could almost feel the man's organ pumping fluid into his body, filling him with snow white seed. Castiel observed Dean in the mirror, studying his expression to see if the effects of the spell would be gone now that he had reached orgasm for the second time. But it didn't slow him down at all. His erection never wavered. And though he had paused his thrusts to finish ejaculating, he quickly regained some momentum, eying Castiel's reflection with urgency and a touch of fear.“Holy shit,” he breathed against Cas's bare shoulder as he thrust slowly, “I – I can't stop. I don't want to stop, Cas. I wanna keep going.”“Then keep going, Dean,” Castiel encouraged, rocking back against the man's wet shaft, “I'm yours.”The sound of Castiel's fervent acceptance seemed to excite Dean. The man briefly grinned before sliding out of the angel and spinning him around to reconnect their mouths. Castiel's eyes fluttered shut as he felt Dean's arms wrap tight around him and lift him up. The man carried the angel to the bed and quickly laid down, sliding his hands down to curl them under Cas's thighs and push them back. Dean's heated shaft reentered Cas's slick hole and they both groaned beautifully at the pleasureful sensation. Dean took Cas's erection in his firm hand and began to stroke it as they moved. A steady rhythm picked up between them and Castiel could feel himself beginning the assent to his own orgasm.“Son of a bitch,” Dean breathed, quivering against Cas as he allowed his head to drop against the angel's shoulder, “Baby, I love you so much.”Castiel bit down another large groan, muffling it as he caressed the back of Dean's head. That loving statement seemed to assist the angel even closer to the edge.“I – I love you, Dean,” Cas replied, “Don't stop... Ah! Yes! Dean!”Intense, blinding pleasure coursed through Castiel's entire body, causing his toes to stretch, his eyes to roll back, and his erection to pulse silvery fluid across his stomach. Dean gripped the shaft and stroked it even faster, drawing out the angel's orgasm for as long as possible. And while Castiel whimpered Dean's name a few times and clung to the man's head, he could almost feel Dean's erection pulsing inside of him as well. For the third time in five minutes, Dean was spouting his seed; crying out with the loveliest moans that Cas had ever heard. The realization that they were coming together made Castiel unbelievably happy – but also concerned. Was it safe for a man to have so many intense orgasms so quickly? Would this have any effect on Dean's brain function? Had he taken too much of the spell into his body?After his latest – and arguably most powerful – orgasm, Dean collapsed on top of Castiel in a fit of muttering whimpers. The angel held the man against him, fearing that Dean's body was slowly being drained of energy. Was it over? Was the spell finally gone? Castiel closely monitored his husband from the bed, watching in a horizontal view as Dean lazily kissed the middle of the angel's chest. His wet, plump lips slowly gravitated downward again. Only this time, they hovered around Cas's abdomen. Dean was kissing the jagged scar at the top of Castiel's stomach, bathing it in physical attention and affection. Castiel gulped and raised his hands to rake them through Dean's hair, which was moistened with sweat. Cas secretly adored when Dean kissed the scar he received from giving birth to their son. It showed that even after all these years, Dean was still proud of Castiel for accomplishing that immeasurable feat on his own. Dean's eyes met Castiel's for a second before looking back to the scar and tracing it with his fingertips.“Wow... You had my baby,” he almost whispered between panting breaths.Castiel instantly blinked down at his husband in bewilderment. Was Dean still in awe of that event? Even though it happened so long ago? Perhaps it had something to do with the aphrodisiac circulating in his body. Dean eventually sighed and laid his head against the angel's chest, hugging him horizontally.“You had my baby, Cas,” the man breathed, as if it was an astonishing epiphany, “I had sex with you, and you gave me a son... That's so awesome.”At first, Castiel didn't know how to respond. He only nodded and caressed his husband's bare back, wishing that he could provide some sort of reply. But what could he possibly say?“Y – yes, I did,” Cas carefully answered, “Jude is a lovely young man. Just like his father.”Dean chuckled a little, as if the compliment delighted him. His bulky arms tightened around the angel and he finally raised his head. Their sight reconnected again and Castiel could see that Dean's eyes were still dilated. The spell was still acting in his body, but he seemed to be suppressing the urge to fornicate for the moment; wanting to say something before he lost control again.“Cas,” he breathed, trying desperately to hold his hips still, “... Will you marry me?”A soft smile grew across the angel's expression of confusion. Child-like excitement was present in Dean's eyes, as if he was truly oblivious to the fact that they had been married for so many years. How could Dean be so forgetful? Was his memory being affected by the spell? Or were Dean's orgasms more powerful than Castiel originally thought? Hoping to put Dean at ease, the angel raised his left hand into view, allowing the man to see the silver band on his finger.“We are already married, Dean,” he reminded softly.Dean gulped and nodded, reaching up to take Cas's hand with his own and pull it close to press a kiss to it.“I know,” he mumbled, eying the silver band, “but I... I never got to ask you... and I never got to hear your answer...”As Castiel laid on his marriage bed with his husband and stared up into his large green eyes, he realized that Dean was absolutely right. They never actually proposed to each other, like Clarence proposed to Jude or Oliver proposed to Jessica. Their marriage was set up for them by God himself, along with a little help from their child. And now – even after so much time had passed – Dean was finally asking Castiel the important, severely overdue question; asking if Castiel would share the rest of his life with him. Cas began by reaching up to cup Dean's face with his free hand, wanting to gaze deeply into his soul as he answered.“Yes,” Cas breathed simply, “The answer will forever be yes.”Dean smiled to the point that he nearly laughed, grinning joyfully down at Castiel before lowering his head to press their lips together. Their tongues soon joined in the mix and Dean slowly began to thrust again, starting up another bout of intercourse right then and there. Castiel moaned a slightly behind their kiss, secretly glad that Dean wanted – and needed – to have more sex.“Damn,” Dean groaned, “I feel like I can go like this for hours, Cas.”Though he smiled up at his husband, Castiel was privately shocked. He still had no idea how much of that Enochian spell was working in Dean's system, but he did know one thing for sure.Gabriel was correct. Castiel was in for one hell of a night...
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Once Ollie's bachelor party was over – which ended when the arcade finally closed for the night, leaving Jude as the ticket champion – the ginger groom ferried the rest of the guys back to the bunker. They pulled up to the garage at around one o'clock in the morning, with the bright moon hanging overhead. Jude, Dad, and uncle Sammy sneaked in as quietly as they could, just in case Jessie's party was still going on. Jude's blue Impala was back in its safe parking spot next to Dad's, so he knew that Clare and the girls were home at least.After whispering goodnight, Jude split up from his Dad and uncle to get to his own bedroom. Turning down the hall, he noticed that Jessie's bedroom door was closed, but her light was on. Jude assumed that his cousin was probably changing clothes or something, because he and Jess rarely closed their bedroom doors. They liked to be able to see one another from across the hall – unless their fiances were staying the night, anyway. In that case, doors were closed for obvious reasons.Tonight, however, Jude was surprised to find his own bedroom completely empty. He half expected Clare to be lounging on his bed, waiting patiently for Jude to get home so that they could cuddle. But the handsome demon wasn't in the bedroom. Jude had walked through most of the bunker and there was no sign of Clare at all. Where did the demon go? Did he drop off Jess's bachelorette party and Jude's car and just go home? While questions pestered his mind, Jude shuffled over and turned on his Batman nightlight. The warm, soft yellow glow illuminated the bed – and the small trinkets on the pillow. Clare's stuffed otter, who he affectionately named 'Cotter the Otter', was sitting next to Jude's car keys and a small paper note. Jude finished shrugging out of his jacket before picking up the note to read Clare's messy handwriting.
Jude,
Went to Bobby's with Crowley and Rowena to get a few things. Be back by morning.
All my love,
Clarence
P.S, I filled up your gas tank on the way home. Your car still drives like a dream. <3
Jude smiled down at his fiance's written words and the tiny heart drawn at the end. Clare was such a thoughtful, caring guy. Jude was so blessed to have him in his life... Though he was bummed that Clare wasn't there, Jude was comforted by the sight of the stuffed otter. He moved his keys and climbed into bed, taking Clare's otter in one hand and Bumble Bee into his other. For once, Jude was glad that Jess's bedroom door was closed. He didn't want her to look over and see him cuddling a couple of stuffed animals like a child. It wasn't long before Jude closed his eyes and fell asleep picturing Clare driving his blue Impala around.Morning came pretty fast. It felt like Jude had barely closed his eyes when Papa stopped by his bedroom to wake him up. Pop wished him a good morning and explained that Jane was on her way over with some of her family, who were going to stay in the bunker overnight. The news was kind of a surprise, but it didn't upset Jude nearly as much as Clare's absence did. Jude figured that the demon would have sneaked back into the bunker during the night, but he didn't. And Clare's disappearance made Jude curious. What in the world was his fiance doing? Did Bobby and Crowley have him running errands or something?Though he wasn't quite in the mood for entertaining guests, Jude obeyed his parents' wishes to stand in the control room and greet Jane's family when they arrived. Gabe, Sam, Jessie, Dad, and Papa were all talking as they waited for Jane to show up, chatting about last night's parties and rearranging the bunker to accommodate 'civilians'. Jude yawned as he walked up to stand with the group.“Gabriel, this is the only time we're ever going to do this, alright?” uncle Sam warned.“Yeah, yeah. I know. This isn't a bed and breakfast. Blah blah blah,” Gabe grumbled, “Lighten up, would you? It's gonna be like a big sleepover!”“Sleepover?”Jude gasped and spun around to look in the direction of the deep, purring voice behind him. Clarence was standing near the entrance of the library, wearing his usual jeans, t-shirt, and black leather jacket. His shaggy blonde hair was combed to one side, which accentuated his lovely green-ish brown eyes. A genuine smile burst across Jude's face as he gazed at his fiance. Finally! Clare was back!“Am I invited?” Clare finished his cheeky statement with a grin, his sight fixed on Jude.Before anyone could verbally respond, Jude dashed over to wrap his arms around the demon, crushing the handsome guy in a tight, warm embrace. Ah. After a night of adventure away from his favorite person, Jude was so glad to be back in Clare's arms. He was so glad to be home.“Hey, Jay,” Clare hummed into Jude's ear, only loud enough for the angel to hear.Jude smirked and kissed the demon's cheek before backing up to look at him properly. Man, he was so handsome. He had such a sharp jawline and perfectly pink lips. Light stubble, piercing eyes, warm skin. So much different than when Jude first met him...“Ah, Clare. You're just in time to help us welcome the crew to the bunker,” uncle Gabe smiled.“Crew?” Clare repeated, “Who's coming?”“Some of Jane's family,” Jessie answered.Of course, Clare opened his mouth to ask about specifics but he was drowned out by the sound of Spanish ramblings outside the front door. Uncle Gabe flew up to let them inside while Jude took Clare by the hand. The angel and the demon stood side by side as they helped welcome the strangers in to the bunker. As everyone filed in, Jude noticed that Ollie's three female cousins – the same three ladies he used to have crushes on when he was a teenager – were among the group. Seeing them walk into his home made Jude feel kind of odd. If this had happened when he was younger, Jude would have been excited and terrified all at once. But now that he was older and had the love of a certain demon, Jude didn't really feel any different about the girls being in his home. If anything, he was bummed that he had to waste his precious time with these people instead of Clare.The large group of strangers did make Jude feel a little uneasy, though. The sensation of so many eyes staring at him caused Jude's stomach to twist in nervous knots. Clare must have noticed that Jude was slowly retreating inside his shell, because the demon politely excused them and led the angel out of the control room, toward the more secluded part of the bunker, where the dormitories were. Once Jude was safe in the sanctuary of his own bedroom, he took a large breath and turned to look up at his demonic fiance with appreciation.“Thank you,” he sighed.“Don't mention it, Jaybird,” Clare smirked, shutting the door behind them, “I know how you get around crowds. Besides, I wanted to be alone with you anyway.”The thought of Clare knowing Jude so well made a new smile form on Jude's lips.“You did?” Jude prompted.“Hell yeah. I always do,” Clare admitted, stuffing his hand into his pocket, “Though, this time, I've got some goodies for you.”Jude blinked. Goodies? What kind of goodies was Clare talking about? He didn't have to get Jude anything. Just being around Clare was enough of a gift. Though he wanted to say all of that out loud, Jude only looked down to watch Clare withdraw his hand from his jacket pocket. He was holding a small white box – which allowed Jude to notice his fingernails.“Your nails are black,” Jude pointed out.“Yeah, Rowena painted them,” he smiled, “Last night was... interesting. To say the least.”Jude gave a chuckle. He could only imagine the kinds of things the girls were doing to Clare last night. Then again, Jude's night started out in a pretty interesting way, too... Clare cleared his throat before holding out the white box toward Jude.“Here,” the demon grinned, “This is sort of a wedding present. From me to you.”Jude gulped as he took the box into his own hands, feeling guilty. Clare got him something? For their wedding? But Jude didn't even think about getting Clare anything. Did that make him a terrible fiance? Though he was bashfully ashamed, Jude looked down and opened the box. Nestled inside on a tiny white pillow were two small cufflinks, each bearing a colorful Superman logo. Jude's mouth fell open as he stared down at the shiny jewelry in his hands. Clare got him Superman cufflinks for his wedding suit. That was so sweet.“I figured this could be your 'new' and 'blue' thing,” Clare explained, gesturing toward the small blue, red, and yellow buttons, “and maybe you could wear Dean's shoes, so you could have something 'old' and 'borrowed'. Rowena says it's good luck for a wedding.”Jude slowly raised his head to meet eyes with his fiance, where he could only blink and stare at him in awe. Not only was Clare ready to get married to Jude, he was even planning the whole thing out; adding small details to make it the most romantic event ever. Jude was so lucky to have someone as caring and generous as Clarence in his life.“Clare, I...” Jude trailed off, looking back down at the cufflinks with a smile, “This is so great.”“Oh, that's not all,” Clare announced smugly.Jude's eyes widened. There was more? Seriously? Jude wouldn't be able to repay Clarence with all this stuff! The angel watched the demon reach into his other jacket pocket to retrieve another item. This one was an ordinary set of reading glasses. Clear lenses with thick black frames, which reminded Jude of the ones Clare wore to read sometimes. Clarence raised them up and unfolded them, turning them around in his hands.“I still feel really bad about Angel biting you yesterday. So Crowley and Rowena helped me enchant these for you,” he explained, “If you wear these when the hellhound is around, you'll be able to see her.”“R – really?” Jude gasped.“Yeah,” Clare nodded, “Rowena dipped them in holy oil and did some kind of spell. Apparently, they help you see all kinds of supernatural things. But I really wanted you to be safe around Angel. Here,” he said, holding them out, “Try 'em on, Jay.”A warm smile grew back across Jude's face as he slowly closed the white box and placed it on his dresser. He gingerly retrieved the glasses from Clare's hands, but didn't put them on right away. He paused to show Clare some affection first, reaching up to hook a hand around his neck and pull him down for a gentle, meaningful kiss. The angel savored the taste of Clare's tongue on his own before he pulled back to rest their foreheads together.“Thank you so much, Clare. For everything,” Jude said quietly.“Anytime, Superman,” Clare winked.Jude beamed up at his fiance for another second before stepping back to look at the glasses in his hands. They didn't seem very special at all; just black frames and clear lenses. But Jude knew better than anyone how deceiving looks could be. The angel took a deep breath before slowly sliding the glasses on and raising his head to look around. Of course, the first thing he looked at was Clarence... and his mouth slowly fell open again.With the enchanted glasses on, Jude could see his fiance's true form. And it was eerily amazing.Clare was standing at the end of Jude's bed, but through the glasses, his face was a bit warped. His cheekbones looked higher and slimmer. His chin was pointier, directed at a downward angle. His usually pale skin looked gray and ashy, as if he had rolled around in a pile of soot. And his eyes were more hollow and jet black; darker than a starless universe. Hints of humanity were still visible in Clare's aura, like the softness of his grayish lips and the paleness of his shaggy hair. But Jude couldn't deny that he was looking at a being who was half demon.“Wow,” Clare said, his gray mouth arching into an unholy smile, “They look great on you, Jay. You look just like Clark Kent.”Jude gulped. Clearly, Clare had no idea that Jude could see his true form. Should Jude tell the guy that he was looking at his demonic soul? While Jude struggled to come up with an answer, there was a knock on Jude's bedroom door. Clare's ashy hand raised reassuringly toward Jude.“I'll get it,” he offered.Jude stood frozen by his bed as he watched his satanic fiance step over to open the door. Just as Jude was getting used to the sight of Clarence's strangely dark aura, a burst of light came from the door. Jude blinked harshly toward the source of the shine, trying to figure out where it was coming from.“Hello, Jude. Clare.”It wasn't until he heard the deep voice that Jude realized – he was staring at his Papa. Pop's aura was a bright, gorgeous ray of light. His blue-ish white silhouette was standing in the doorway, surrounded by the two big black wings. Jude's mouth fell open even further as he stared at his angelic father in shock. He could see Papa's wings! There they were, jutting out from behind his brightly lit back! Papa was so beautiful! Jude had no idea that Papa's true form was so breathtaking!“Hey,” Clare answered for the both of them.“I came to offer you a slice of pie,” Papa said, holding up a couple of plates in his glowing, holy hands, “I made it a few moments ago.”“Sure, I'll take a slice,” Clare nodded, turning to look toward Jude with his jet black eyes, “Jay? You want some?”Jude couldn't find his voice. He was too awed by the sight of his demonic fiance and angelic father standing in front of him to actually speak. After a moment of awkward silence, Jude finally forced his head to shake back and forth with his mouth agape. No, he didn't want pie. He was too preoccupied with the view of Clare and Pop to eat anything.“Very well,” Papa replied, holding out a single plate, “I hope you enjoy, Clarence.”“Thanks, old man,” Clare smirked.Of course, Papa gave Clare a strange look, tilting his glowing head in confusion. He probably didn't understand why Clare called him 'old man'. But once Clare had his slice of pie, Papa turned to smile graciously at Jude.“There is plenty more if you change your mind, son,” he assured.Jude nodded to signal that he understood as he watched his Papa walk away. The older angel took his shine with him as he departed, shifting his large black wings behind him as he turned down the hall. With Papa gone, Clare closed the bedroom door and looked back at Jude, bringing the sight of his ashy gray skin and void-like eyes back to Jude's attention.“More for me, I guess,” he grinned wickedly as he looked at the plate of pie in his hand.Jude watched Clare walk away from the door, but then something else caught his attention. It was another light, only brighter and solidly white. The angel glanced back toward the side – where he met his own reflection in the full-length mirror hanging on the back of his bedroom door. Jude's mouth continued to hang open as he drank in the sight of his own angelic aura. Holy shit. His grace was so intense that he could barely see the outline of his own body. Jude shifted a little closer to the mirror to inspect himself and noticed the movement behind him. There were wings back there! Jude always knew that he had wings, of course – he had seen them for himself when he was just a little boy, and they creeped him out to no end – but looking at them now was so different. They were black, just like his Papa's, but each feather seemed to shimmer with a white, glistening hue, like the tips were dipped in glitter. Jude stared hard at his own wings and attempted to lift one, hoping to move it without actually using his grace. And it worked. The large feathered appendage actually rose up a bit and tilted back, making Jude suck in a gasp. No way! He actually felt that! Jude could actually move his wings!“You look good in those glasses, don't you?” Clare asked.Jude tore his sight away from his own celestial reflection to look back at Clare. His darkened fiance was leaning against his dresser, smirking devilishly as he took a bite of cherry pie. As they stared at each other, Jude realized that Clare still didn't know that he could see everyone's true forms. The demon thought that the angel was just admiring his own normal reflection in the mirror. Clare had no idea that Jude was staring at his own holy grace and large black wings...“Y – yeah,” Jude carefully answered, unsure if he should address the fact that he could see more than just hellhounds with his new glasses, “I, um... I like them a lot.”As Jude watched his fiance chew up a bite of pie, he sensed a change in their conversation. Clare's smile slowly slipped away and he was blinking hard at Jude; staring him down with hollow eyes and sharp facial features. The pie he was holding lowered further and further down until it fell out of his hands and tumbled onto the floor. Jude blinked down at the cherry mess before looking back up to his gargoyle-like fiance. Why did Clare drop his pie? And why was he looking at Jude like that?“Clare?” Jude asked.“J – Jay,” Clarence breathed.“Yeah, what is it?” Jude asked.Before he spoke again, Clare took two giant strides forward to grab the front of Jude's shirt. The demon's silvery mouth was open and panting, which frightened Jude a little. Was Clare having some kind of reaction to the pie or something? Did he need help?“I – I love you so much,” Clare huffed, panting as if his heart was suddenly beating really fast, “ Jude, can – can we do it?!”Jude gulped. Whoa, Clare wanted to do it? He wanted to have sex? Right now? In the middle of the day? It was really unlike him to want to have sex on a whim. But Jude couldn't deny him. He looked so desperate and aroused. It was starting to make Jude feel the same way.“Yeah,” Jude nodded, “Let's -”Clarence cut off Jude's sentence by plunging their mouths together. Jude hummed a little bit and closed his eyes as he felt his fiance's hands roaming all over his clothed body. While they kissed passionately, Clare was tugging at Jude's shirt, pulling it up so that he could touch Jude's back and chest.Normally, Clare was a very cautious and gentle lover. He always made sure Jude was comfortable and carefree when they had sex; constantly asking if Jude was okay and making sure to give more pleasure than he received – but this time, things were different. In fact, Clarence was acting like the complete opposite of his usual self. He was forceful with his movements, nearly ripping Jude's clothes away and shoving his tongue into Jude's mouth. He was slightly greedy, grinding himself against Jude's pelvis and groping most of Jude's backside. And he had thrown caution to the wind, tossing Jude onto the bed without a care and climbing on top of him like a rabid dog.Clarence was basically an animal, and Jude loved every second of it.“Ahh, Clare,” Jude hummed as he felt the demon forcing his pants down, “Are – are you alri –?”Again, Clare muted Jude's words by smothering him with a ferocious kiss. Jude was still wearing the enchanted glasses, so his view of Clare was distorted. Between the ashy skin, coal eyes, and deep moans, Jude's sight of his fiance was altered. Jude felt like he was making out with a graveyard statue that had come to life; a smoke and stone version of Clarence that had been taken over by lust.The demon freed himself from all his clothes before reaching over to rip Jude's bedside table drawer open and feel around inside. Clare knew it was where Jude hid his private lubes and condoms; the stuff they used whenever Clare stayed the night. Clare retrieved a bottle of lube without looking, popped it open, and slathered their bodies with it. Most of the cool fluid found its way to Clare's large, solid erection, and the rest drizzled down to Jude's flat stomach. Clarence must have finally noticed that Jude was still wearing underwear because he grunted with disapproval and yanked the superhero boxers down and off. Jude gasped at the forceful jerking and disrobing of his body. Whoa, Clare really meant business...Once they were both finally naked on the bed, Clare slipped his hand down between Jude's legs and cheeks to rub against the angel's hole. Jude flinched on contact, but tried to get himself to relax. He knew it wouldn't be long before Clare shoved inside and he wanted to be ready. Clare whimpered and moaned a few times as he slid a finger into Jude's hole, sounding like he was desperate to feel inside. And Jude moaned a little too, because he loved the feeling of Clare's fingers wiggling through the ring of muscle. When it felt loose enough, Clare immediately lined his hard dick up and slid inside.“Ahhh!” Jude groaned, gripping the bedsheets in his fists.The sound of Jude's voice only made Clare go faster. A moan hissed out from between his clenched jaws as he began to thrust into Jude repeatedly. The constant motion caused Jude's bed to thump quietly against the wall. Jude twisted his legs around his fiance's torso and held on for dear life, trying his best to keep up with Clare's frenzied pace. Through the enchanted glasses, Jude was looking up at Clare's charcoal eyes and hardened expression, staring at the hellish aura that inhabited his lover's soul – but he was also seeing the light from his own limbs. Jude's arms and legs were glowing through the lenses, shining vividly against Clare's darkened skin. In that bed, the two of them were creating a middle ground; a common space where a half demon and a half angel could coexist without harming one another. Jude and Clare were opposite sides of the same coin, but they met in the center and blended like liquid metal.“J – Jude,” Clare barked, clinging desperately to Jude's shoulders as he thrust with all his might, “Gnah, I've gotta have you.”“You've got me,” Jude pointed out, hanging on to Clare's tense arms as they moved in the bed.Clare moaned again and rested his head against Jude's shoulder, thrusting even faster. While he moved, Jude could see his own wings again. They were high up and curled slightly inward, the same way a bird's wings would spread if it was on its back. Jude gulped as he watched his own feathered limbs shake overhead. Though most of his attention was on the sensation of Clare's hard erection sliding rapidly in and out of his body, Jude tried to focus on his own wings, too. With some silent determination Jude forced his large wings to steady and curl toward each other. He was secretly wrapping his wings around Clarence, giving the lustful demon a holy embrace without him even knowing it.“Shit,” Clare panted, reaching up to hold onto Jude's head, “I – I'm so close, Jay! Ah!”When Clare's fingers raked up into Jude's hair, he accidentally knocked the glasses away from Jude's eyes. It rendered him unable to see his own wings, but it brought back the sight of Clarence's lovely human face. His skin was back to its creamy pale color, his face was rounder again, and his eyes – those beautiful jade forests – were back to their usual chestnut color. Seeing Clare's familiar external appearance made Jude even more aroused than before. The angel quickly reached down between them to grasp his own member and start stroking it, using some of the lube from his stomach for better friction.“Me too,” Jude breathed, panting into his fiance's mouth, “Keep going, Clare... ah...”Clarence bit down another moan as he picked up more speed. He clung desperately Jude's shoulder and thigh, pounding into him as fast and hard as he could. Jude braced against each blow, feeling ripples of pleasure grace his body. Though he couldn't see his wings anymore, Jude could slightly feel them. He held them as still as he could, wanting to cradle Clare in a loving, heavenly embrace as they both raced to climax.“I'm gonna come so hard, Jude,” Clare huffed in a high pitched tone, “I'm -! Ahh!”Jude hummed a few whimpers as Clare rocked erratically in and out of him. He didn't realize until that moment that Clarence wasn't wearing a condom. This was the first time they had ever had sex without one, and Jude could almost feel the warm fluid filling him up. Part of Jude was nervous about not having protection, but a much larger part was absolutely turned on by it. Jude's fist moved in a blur over his own dick, jerking it as fast as possible as his pleasure crested. He held onto Clare's sweaty neck with his free arm, groaning loudly toward his open mouth.“Gnah! Clare! Ah, yeah,” Jude whimpered.It wasn't long before hot wet streaks were flinging across Jude's heaving stomach and chest. Specks of white come speckled some of Clare's body too, but Clare didn't seem to mind. He was too busy kissing Jude's neck and holding onto him tightly. Jude lingered in his orgasm for as long as he could before he started to flinch with sensitivity. He had to force himself to let go of his own dick so that he could fully embrace his fiance.For a moment after they came, Jude and Clare just laid on the twin-sized bed and breathed. Clare lazily kissed Jude's neck and shoulder while they caught their breath, and Jude stared hard at him. It was amazing how much different Clare's soul looked from his outside appearance. Both versions of him were equally beautiful, but in their own way. Clarence was like a walking contradiction. A demon by birth, but a saint by choice. Jude loved the dark, seemingly 'villainous' essence of Clare's soul, because it was proof that anyone could overcome harsh treatment and stereotypes to be who they choose to be, not just what they were labeled as. Clarence was more than a jaded, orphaned demon. He was the sun, the moon, and every star of Jude's whole universe... Clare's head slowly raised up and he blinked down at Jude in confusion.“Whoa...” he breathed, gulping slightly, “I'm sorry, Jay. I don't know what came over me... I just had to have you. Maybe it was the sexy glasses, I don't know... I'm sorry.”“It's okay,” Jude instantly comforted, “Believe me, Clare. I enjoyed it.”Clare nodded before laying his head back down next to Jude's. He seemed kind of tired all the sudden, as if that spontaneous bout of sex had taken all of his energy. His hands, though, kept softly trailing over Jude's torso.“... Maybe we can do it again in a few minutes,” Clare mumbled lowly.Jude grinned up at the ceiling. He couldn't wait to do that again.“Hell yeah,” Jude nodded with a grin.While he waited for Clare to regain some energy, Jude subtly felt around the bed for his new glasses. He found the black frames next to his pillow and instantly folded them closed. The angel briefly kissed the specs before laying them on the bedside table next to his stuffed Bumble Bee and Cotter the Otter.Clare's glasses were definitely his new favorite accessory.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jessie tried her best to be as lively, friendly, and welcoming as possible when her future family-in-law arrived at the bunker. She put on her best smile and led Jane's relatives down into the study, saying hello to each one and introducing herself to the people she had never met before. She answered any questions they had, offered them snacks, explained where the bathrooms were, and did everything that any good hostess would.But even with all the joyful excitement of new faces in the bunker, Jessica was still quite depressed.The nightmare of living away from the bunker was still haunting her mind, distracting her from being completely in the moment. And wearing a fake smile and pretending to be happy was only making it worse. Of course she adored Oliver and his family, but Jess just couldn't keep up her emotional strength for very long. 'This could be one of your last nights in the bunker', the voice in her head reminded, 'Do you really want to spend it catering to strangers?'Once Jane's family was settled in, Jess took her aching head and heart back to her bedroom and closed the door, sealing herself and all her emotions inside. There, she was greeted by all her familiar things; rainbow comforter and sheets, tiny porcelain tea set on the dresser, the records and record player in the corner, drawings and posters, and open closet full of clothes. Nearly everything in the room was given to her from her family – and mostly from her parents. Jessie gulped as she walked over to sit on the bed and pick up her stuffed bunny. His floppy ears and pink nose were faded from where she had played with him for so many years, but he was still so soft. Moisture threatened to crest in her eyes as she looked over the toy that had brought her so much happiness. Why couldn't she just stay young forever?There was a knock on Jess's bedroom door.Not wanting anyone to see her upset, Jessie quickly placed her bunny back near the pillows and wiped the tears from her eyes. She fanned her own face to get rid of any color before answering.“Come in,” she allowed.The door carefully swung open and uncle Cassie poked his head inside. Once he saw Jess sitting on the bed, he opened the door the rest of the way, revealing that he was holding a plate with a slice of pie in his other hand.“Hello, Jessica,” he smiled politely, “How are you doing?”“Um, I'm okay,” Jess lied.Uncle Cas nodded before holding up the plate in his hand.“I prepared a cherry pie for your uncle Dean,” he explained, “I just pulled it from the oven, so it is still warm. Would you like a slice?”Jessie looked at the food on the plate and could see a bit of steam rising from the pastry. It looked really delicious, and cherry pie was one of Jess's favorites. Hmm. Maybe having some dessert would help her feel a little better...“Sure,” she agreed, standing up and walking over to gently take it from her uncle, “Thanks, Cas.”“My pleasure,” the older angel smiled, looking as if Jess had given him a huge compliment, “If you wish to have more, there is plenty in the kitchen.”Jess nodded and smiled, this time without having to force it. She was genuinely comforted by the fact that uncle Cassie had offered her something so sweet. The dark haired angel carefully bowed out of the doorway and made his way down the hall back toward the kitchen. Jess noticed that Jude's bedroom door across the hall was closed – which meant that he and Clarence were probably having some alone time – so she closed her own again as well, returning to the uncomfortable silence of her bedroom.With a new treat in hand, Jess wandered back to her bed and sat down, nestling into a comfy position to look at the warm pie on the plate in her hands. It smelled so heavenly that her mouth was already watering. Unable to resist any longer, Jess carefully dug into the red confection, carving a bite out and sliding it into her mouth. The sweet and tangy flavor of cherry exploded on her tongue and she tossed her head back a bit. Ugh, that was so good! Uncle Cassie was a great baker.After her third or fourth bite, however, Jessie noticed something strange. The more cherries she chewed, the more sweat began to collect on her forehead. It was suddenly unbearably hot in her room. She had to put her pie down and slide out of her jacket. Why was she so hot? And why couldn't she stop thinking about Ollie? Jessie's eyes gravitated toward her vanity mirror, where several pictures of her red-haired fiance were taped around the edges. Oh man, Ollie was so sexy; with his orange hair swept to the side and top three buttons of his shirt open. Ugh, was he always that handsome? That sexy? Damn, Jessie wanted him so badly all of the sudden! She wanted to leap into his arms and ride him like a cowgirl on a rodeo horse! But he wasn't there! Where was he?!“Oliver,” Jess mumbled erotically under her breath.With one last look at Ollie's picture, Jessie flew out of her room. She was on an urgent quest to find the man she loved, and absolutely rock his world.Of all his trickster husband's blunders, Sam knew this had to be one of the worst. Leaving a dangerously potent aphrodisiac sitting out in the open was one thing, but letting it be found, made into a pie, and handed out to everyone – including their daughter – was beyond idiotic! Gabriel should have known that something like this would happen! Why didn't he try harder to keep it hidden away?! Better yet, why did he even make it in the first place?!“You just had to have those grandkids, didn't you, Gabe?” Sam hissed as he followed the tiny archangel down the bunker hallway, “Jess and Ollie could be making them right now, dammit! And they're not even married yet! I hope you're happy!”Gabe didn't reply to Sam's comment, probably because he was focused on running through the bunker. But he also knew that he couldn't argue with Sam. This mess was big, even for the trickster.Upon rounding the hallway that led toward the bedrooms, Sam and Gabe raced passed Jane's sister – who was standing and blinking toward Dean and Castiel's bedroom door with her mouth hanging open. There was loud banging coming from Dean and Cas's room too, like the dresser was thunking against the wall, but Sam tried his best to ignore it. He didn't even want to think about what may have been happening in there...When they came to Jess and Jude's bedrooms, Gabriel instantly dove for their daughter's door; ripping it open and calling her name as he rushed inside. Sam faintly noticed another knocking sound coming from Jude's room, which also sounded like furniture banging against a wall, but leaped into Jessie's room behind Gabe. Sam desperately hoped that they would get to her before she got to Oliver – but it looked like they were too late. Jessica wasn't in her room. But a half-eaten plate of pie was laying on the bed. Gabriel gasped and spun around to look at Sam with horror in his eyes.“She's already gone!” he groaned.“No shit, Gabe!” Sam huffed, “She probably flew off to get to -”Gabriel grabbed Sam's arm and disappeared while the man was in mid sentence, cutting off the rest of his rant by transporting them to a new place. By the roaming crowds, travel bags and suitcases, terminals, seats, and the sound of loud jets taking off, Sam assumed that his husband had popped them to the airport. The blonde archangel spun in circles for a second, searching the area with terror and worry before leaning over to tap on a nearby vending machine. A bottle of water fell out of the bottom and Gabe picked it him.“Sammy, you're taller than most of the people here, including me. You've gotta find Jess,” he instructed as his eyes lit up with a slightly golden glow, “In the meantime, I'm gonna spike this water with some healing juice. You lead the way and I'll follow. We've gotta get to her before she makes a scene!”“Alright,” Sam nodded.When he turned his attention to the massive crowd of people around him, Sam felt a little helpless. It was a literal sea of people! How was he going to spot his daughter among all of these faces? One of the overhead screens caught Sam's eye and scanned the words, seeing the small list of planes that had just arrived. Oliver's family had to be coming from one of them, so Ollie must have been near one of the gates, right?“Come on,” Sam said, taking Gabe's arm and carting him forward as the archangel worked, “We're gonna start with the plane from Indiana.”Other than the overwhelming urge to fling herself into the throws of lust, there was only one thing on Jess's mind – and that was a Midwestern redhead with a freckled face, chocolate eyes, and a mile long unicorn fetish. Jessica was suddenly flying without being aware; letting her thumping heart and burning loins lead her directly to Oliver's location. She arrived at a crowded place with her feet planted only a few steps away from the ginger man of her dreams.Ollie was holding a big sign that Jess didn't bother to read, and he didn't notice her when she appeared. His distraction gave her a little time to just stare at him; at his scruffy face, muscular neck and shoulders, veined arms, and – ah – the little curly red hairs popping up from the collar of his Scooby Doo shirt. Oh, just thinking about Oliver's broad, hairy chest and tight ab muscles made her ache. She wanted him so bad! She couldn't resist the urge to have him!“Ollie!” Jess moaned out loud.She all but tossed herself at her fiance, gaining his attention by forcing herself into his arms. Ollie gasped when he looked at her, seeming shocked but happy.“Whoa, hey, Jess,” he grinned, his mouth so perfect and kissable, “What are you doing here?”“I want you!” Jessie panted.She forced one of her hands into Ollie's soft hair and the other up his shirt to feel along his warm skin. Ollie's smile slipped a little and he looked around bashfully at all the people near them, but Jess was too distracted by Oliver's pink lips and wet tongue to notice anything else.“Uh,” he gulped nervously, “What -?”Jess couldn't help herself. She laid a huge kiss on the sexy beast, jutting her tongue into his mouth to meet and play with his. While she made out with him, Jess hiked one of her legs up on his hip, wanting him to hold her thigh so that she could start taking his clothes off – but he didn't. Ollie pulled back to suck in a gasp.“Jess!” he said, his face suddenly blazing red as he tried to push her leg back down, “Wh – what are you doing?!”“I want it!” Jess breathed, wishing that he would understand, “I want you to give it to me! Hard! Harder than you ever have before!”Again, Ollie glanced around bashfully, but Jess didn't understand why. They needed to have sex right now! Didn't Ollie know that?! When his cocoa eyes returned, Ollie blinked at Jess in confusion.“You – you want to have sex?” he whispered, “But what about the pact? The pact that we wouldn't do it until after the wedding?”“Screw the pact!” Jessie groaned.Using her grace, Jessica made Oliver's shirt disappear. She 'poof'ed it away, finally revealing his pale sexy chest, and the sight of it drove her mad. Holding down moans, Jess wrapped her arms around Ollie's neck and backed him against a nearby wall, trying to make out with him again. He was attempting to politely resist her, rambling something like 'my family will see us', but Jess couldn't stop. She had to have sex with Oliver!“Ollie, take me,” Jess pleaded, running her hands all over her fiance's chest before reaching for the hem of her own shirt, “Please! I've gotta have you!”Before Jessica could pull her own shirt up, she felt a hand on her wrist. She grunted and turned to see who was preventing her from making love to her fiance – and found a familiar pair of faces. Her parents were suddenly standing next to her, looking worried.“Jessica, no,” Dad said, holding her arm down, “It's okay. We're here now.”“Drink this, honeydew!” Papa said, holding a water bottle toward her mouth.“N – no,” Jess denied, trying to shake away from her parents, “Leave me and Ollie alone!”“Baby-bunny, just drink this,” Papa urged, tipping the bottle toward her mouth, “Drink some of it and we'll leave you alone, okay?”Though she was thoroughly upset about having her 'Ollie' time disrupted, Jessica glared at her parents and took the bottle of water. She drank a couple of gulps before thrusting it back into her Papa's hands.“There,” she blurted, “Now, will you... just...”As her voice trailed off and she blinked at her parents, Jessica could feel something happening. The desperate urge to have sex with Oliver was going away. The insatiable lust within her was fading out, returning her mind to its usual state. Her body was void of arousal; calmer and less sweaty. Dad and Papa stared at Jess as she took a few deep breaths, studying her as if they were waiting to see how she would react. Wow, that was a fast change of feelings. What just happened? As she struggled to figure out what was going on, Jess looked over to see that Oliver was standing shyly against the wall, his face red and chest completely bare. The poor guy was covering his torso with both hands, attempting to cover up as much of his skin as possible. Oh no, Jessica made his shirt disappear, didn't she? She popped it off with her grace! Before Jessica could apologize to her frazzled fiance, her dad coughed and gestured to the left.Ollie, Jess, and her parents all slowly turned to face the same direction – where Oliver's dad's entire family was staring at them in shock.Jessica gulped as she gazed into the crowd of ginger haired people before her. Where did they all come from? They were all holding luggage and looked so confused and appalled, as if they couldn't believe that Jessica just tried to molest Oliver in public. Around them, a few other strangers were watching Jess and Ollie too, including a few security guards and TSA agents. Color drained from Jessica's face as she blinked at all of the eyes on her. Oh, no. All of these people had just witnessed her attack Ollie like a cat in heat! They probably thought she was a slut or something! No!While everyone stood around in shame and shock, Jess noticed Papa move beside her. Her angelic father slowly unzipped his jacket, slid it off, and held it out to Oliver.“Put this on, Carrot-top,” Papa breathed, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt afterward, “I've got some damage control to do...”As her angelic father stepped forward to get everyone's attention, Jess felt a large hand on her shoulder. Her dad was gently tugging her and Ollie back, getting them away from the eyes of the crowd.“Sorry, you guys,” he said quietly inside their little huddle, “Gabe accidentally left some, um, special cherries out in the open and Cas made them into a pie...”“Wh – what?” Jess breathed, “You mean the food I ate was spiked with something?!”No wonder she wanted to clobber Oliver a few minutes ago! It wasn't her, it was the spiked cherries! Jess really wished that she hadn't eaten that pie, now. These kinds of antics were the reason why she stuck with fruits and veggies instead of desserts. Sweet stuff just wasn't safe with Papa around. Ollie, who was now wearing Papa's jacket, somehow looked equal parts relieved and bummed.“Oh,” he muttered, reaching over to wrap his arm around Jess's shoulder, “Well, at least you're safe, Jessie.”While the three of them talked, Jess noticed a giant golden flash come from behind her. Papa must have used his grace to alter some memories, which she was very grateful for. She didn't think she could face Oliver's family again after what just happened... Papa returned to duck his head into the huddle a few seconds later.“All done,” he sighed, his eyes connecting with Jess's, “They won't remember a thing. Jess, honey, I'm so sorry. I made some cherries and Cas got a hold of them and -”“Dad told me,” Jess interrupted, “It's okay, Pop. It was an honest mistake.”Papa smiled a little with humble appreciation and leaned over to hug her properly. In the meantime, Ollie let go and cleared his throat.“Um, as much as I would love to discuss this further, I have a group full of gingers to get to Dad's house,” he muttered woefully, “I'll see you guys later, okay?”Ollie stamped a kiss to the side of Jess's head before waving and scurrying off to regather his very confused family members. With her fiance gone, Jess turned to her parents, who both looked equally flustered.“Let's get back to the bunker,” Papa suggested, “I've gotta destroy that pie before it does any more harm.”Papa flew Jess and Dad back to the bunker, swearing that he was going to 'destroy the unholy pie spawned by Cas'. He and Dad ran off to the kitchen, which left Jessica alone again. Jane's family was in the study, Dean and Cas were in their bedroom, Jude and Clare were in Jude's room, and Dickie was somewhere with his moose. And being alone – again – made the accumulative emotional weight of stress, wedding jitters, and shame from the airport grow tenfold. Jess didn't want to feel this way. She only wanted to feel better. And there was always one thing that helped her relax when she felt this low... Taking a nice hot bubble bath.It was almost nighttime when Jess wandered down to the bunker shower room and shut herself inside. There was a large tub near the back wall – one that Papa had installed when they first moved in, when Jess and Jude were only toddlers – and it greeted her with its lovely, glossy sheen. Jess ran herself a bath, adding almost the entire bottle of bubbles to the mix, before undressing and dunking herself inside.Once the water stopped running, she was left in total silence. The only company she had was the steamy water and the large mountains of white bubbles floating in the bath with her. Jessica thought that the comforting atmosphere would also comfort her heart – but it didn't. The nostalgia of past showers and baths only made her feel worse. The terrible idea of having to bathe in her future house made her sick. Why couldn't she just stay here? At home, with her family? Why did she have to move away? Why did she have to get married? As she blinked down at the white bubbles all around her, Jess started to feel a little claustrophobic. The white bubbles reminded her of the white dress hanging in her room; the dress she was going to have to wear the next day, when she gave herself away. With a heavy sigh, Jess dove her hand into the water and snapped her fingers. With her grace, the white bubbles instantly faded into a warm purple color. Her favorite. Ah, that was much better.A knock came from the bathroom door and Jessica instantly hugged her knees in the tub.“There's someone in here,” she called to whoever was at the door.She assumed that the person would go away – but the door slowly opened up. Jess hugged her knees a little tighter to shield her naked body from the intruder.“Hey!” she called, “I said there's -”Jessie stopped short when she saw her fiance's familiar face. Ollie poked his head in and smiled before sliding all the way into the shower room and closing the door behind him. He locked it too, before striding toward the tub. Jess exhaled the breath she had been holding, but kept holding her knees. After what happened at the airport, Jess was a little embarrassed to be around Ollie.“There's my lovely bride,” Ollie smiled, stopping near the tub, “I was trying to find you so that we could talk for a minute.”Jess sighed again as she looked up at him from the tub full of purple bubbles. Really? Ollie wanted to talk right now? While she was taking a bath? Couldn't it wait? She wasn't even in the mood to actually bathe, let alone talk.“I... don't really feel like talking,” Jess muttered honestly.Ollie's smile dimmed upon hearing the sadness that lingered in Jess's voice.“Are you okay?” he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.“Yeah,” Jess lied, forcing a smile, “I'm fine.”If there was one person in the world that could see through Jess's best lie, it was the ginger boy she had been in love with all her life. Obviously unconvinced by Jessica's mask of false emotion, Oliver narrowed his cocoa eyes and put his hands on his hips for a minute. He blinked down at her from above before shrugging his shoulders.“Okay,” he huffed.The freckled faced man suddenly started to undress, undoing his belt and pants to pull them down. The bizarre action made Jessica's mouth fall open. What was he doing? Why was he taking his clothes off?“Oliver, what...?”Jess didn't finish her sentence. She was hoping that it would be enough to prompt an explanation from her fiance. But he just kept undressing. He even took off his underwear – which made Jess smile, gasp, and turn away with a blush – before walking over to the tub. Without a word, Ollie stepped into the warm water, inviting himself into the same tub with Jessica. Tiny giggles were escaping Jess's mouth as she watched her fiance sit down in the tub in front of her. The purple bubbles swirled around him and he gathered a glob of them into his hands. He smeared the fluffy bubbles around the bottom of his face, making a purple bubble beard. And once he was sitting naked in front of her, with bubbles all over his face, Ollie gave her a very sympathetic smile and simply said,“What's wrong, Jess?”The ridiculous appearance of her handsome fiance mixed with the very concerned delivery of his question made her laugh out loud. She finally understood what Ollie was doing. He was trying to get her to laugh on purpose; to make her feel better, even though he didn't know why she was upset. Wanting to play along with his silly charade, Jess scooped up some purple bubbles and wiped them across her own face as well. The two of them sat with bubble beards in the tub, facing each other with smiles.“Nothing,” Jess said, swirling the warm water between them, “I mean, I'm okay... I'm just a little nervous, I guess.”She didn't want to come out and say that she didn't want to get married – because she did. Jess wanted to marry Oliver more than anything! She just didn't want to leave her home to do it. Ollie nodded, making his bubble beard wobble around on his face.“Me too,” he admitted, “The idea of marriage always scared me, you know, because of what happened to Mom and Dad. But whenever I start to feel worried, I remind myself that it's you I'm marrying. And it always makes me feel better.”Jessie smirked, feeling warmth seep into her heart. Ollie was such a romantic...“Are you nervous about walking down the aisle?” he asked, “Is it all the people? We can just go to the courthouse and elope, if you want. We'll just tell people that they banned weddings from playgrounds or something.”Jess chuckled a little.“No,” she denied, “It's nothing like that. I want to marry you. I just... worry about the future.”Oliver nodded again and reached underwater to find Jess's hands. His warm fingers found her pruned fingers and clamped them comfortingly.“You don't have to worry about the future,” he said quietly, his brown eyes so comforting above the purple bubbles on his face, “I might not have any angel powers, but I can take care of you. I'll do whatever it takes to make you comfortable and happy. I'll cook for you, clean for you, take you to fancy restaurants. We can go to the water park, and the beach, and visit cities like New York and London,” he went on excitedly, “And wherever we go, we can show off our matching wedding rings. And I can say, “See that hot blonde girl? That's my wife. I married her, like a boss.”A radiant giggle erupted from Jess's smiling mouth, making some of the bubbles slide off her face. The idea of Ollie being so proud to be married to her made Jess feels so warm and fuzzy inside!“Seriously,” Oliver went on with a grin, “We are gonna have sooo much fun together. So don't worry about things that are going to happen in the future. I'll take care of it. Let's just have fun right now.”Ollie's last few words made Jess's heart throb with emotion. He looked so sweet and adorable, sitting there in the tub with her. Unable to contain her love and appreciation, Jessica shifted around in the water to lean forward and plant their lips together. The kiss caused the bubbles on their face to smash between them, but they made out anyway, circling each other with their arms and getting even sudsier. Ollie hummed inside their kiss before slowly backing up.“Um... about that pact...” he whispered.“It's still on,” Jess nodded sagely.“Damn,” Ollie huffed with a smile, “Oh well. It was worth a shot.”Jess giggled and eyed all the freckles on his pale face.“I guess we could make out for a few minutes, though,” she compromised.Ollie sighed with relief and glanced toward the ceiling.“There is a God,” he shouted happily.“Yes, there is,” Jess giggled, “But let's keep my Grandpa out of this.”“Oops. You're right. My bad,” Ollie grinned.Jess smiled again before returning her mouth to Ollie's, kissing him with all the affection she could muster. Though the nightmare was still lingering in the back of her mind, Jessica knew she could rely on Oliver's love, because it was able to heal her in every way. Ollie was everything Jess ever wanted.And everything she would ever need.Castiel carefully rolled his head to the side, attempting to steal a peek at Dean without disturbing him. After what seemed like many hours and countless bouts of intercourse, the man had finally fallen asleep. His arms and legs were still curled around Castiel, but his eyes were closed and he was snoring quietly from his open mouth. The angel in his grasp took a large breath of relief. He was happy that restful silence had gathered in their bedroom.Cas was overwhelmingly grateful that his husband was finally sleeping, but he was still worried about Dean's well being. Castiel had no idea if the spell was truly finished working its lustful magic. Dean still had a fairly large, reddened, throbbing, and very much overused erection, which seemed like a bad sign. The only person who would know if Dean was truly alright was the person that had crafted the spell. Castiel needed to ask Gabriel if the effects had worn off, preferably before Dean woke up and felt the need to penetrate Cas again.Being as slow and delicate as possible, Castiel carefully slipped out from under Dean's arm and leg. He was careful not to jostle the bed, wanting to keep Dean in a peaceful state. Luckily, the man only flinched a little and snuggled deeper into the bed, remaining fast asleep. Once off the bed, Castiel rose to his feet and stretched – which brought a trickling sensation to his awareness. Something hot and wet was running down the back of his thighs. The angel gulped and turned to look at his own body, where he found remnants of Dean's semen slowly gliding down his legs. Cas's mouth fell open. There was so much of it! How many times did Dean ejaculate inside of him? Castiel never realized that a man's body could make so much semen so quickly.With reddened cheeks and a sore body, the angel wobbled over to grab a towel from the dresser and wipe himself clean. His reflection caught his attention and he looked up to study himself further. Small mouth-sized bruises and faint bite marks were all along his neck, his lips were red and chapped from the endless kissing, his chest was red and wet from rubbing against Dean's so much, his manhood was raw and tender, and his dark hair was nearly standing up on its own. Castiel's vessel had been wrecked. But in all the right ways. The angel smirked and glanced back at his sleeping human through the mirror. No other being in the universe could ruffle Castiel's feathers like Dean Winchester...After cleaning up and tossing on a robe, Castiel flew from their bedroom to the hallway just outside of Sam and Gabriel's room where he knocked on the door. The corridor was dark and quiet, which made the angel suspicious. What time was it? Surely it couldn't be bedtime, could it? How many hours did he and Dean spend having sex in their bedroom? The door opened a moment later and Gabriel leaned out. When his golden eyes beheld Castiel at his doorstep, the archangel burst into a fit of laughter.“Holy shit,” Gabriel chuckled, “I figured Dean would give you a rough time, but damn, Cassie. You look like you've been mauled by a pack of wolves!”“Thank you,” Castiel huffed, “Gabriel, Dean has fallen asleep, but his erection has not wavered. I am beginning to fear for his safety. Will you please remove the spell?”The archangel held up a finger and left from the door, returning a moment later with a half-empty bottle of water. He held the clear liquid out to Castiel, who took it with bewilderment.“Have him drink that and he'll be back to normal,” Gabriel explained.Castiel eyed the drink with suspicion. All it took to make Dean feel better was a drink of water? If that was the case, why didn't Gabriel cure him before he mated with Castiel for so many hours?“If... if the solution was that easy, why didn't you give it to him while we were all in the kitchen, brother?” the angel asked.Gabriel made a face and laughed.“What? And deny you two a fun evening together?” he grinned, “No way, Cassafras. I wasn't about to stop you from having a good time.”Castiel gulped as he stared down at his angelic brother. Even with all of the wedding plans distracting them, as well as the strangers taking up residence in their home, Gabriel had given Dean and Castiel the small gift of time to themselves. The archangel could have stopped it before it even began, but he didn't. Because he wanted Castiel and Dean to have a lovely evening. And it was. It was one of the best evenings Castiel ever had...With a rush of emotion, Castiel stepped forward to wrap his arms around Gabriel. The seraph gave his older brother a genuine hug full of appreciation.“Thank you, brother,” Cas breathed.Gabriel groaned in annoyance, but patted Cas's back.“Eh, sure, Castiel. You're welcome, I guess,” Gabriel sighed, “But you need to make Dean drink that water, okay? We don't need anymore leg-humpers around here. Dickie is bad enough.”Castiel smiled as he released his brother, still feeling a rush of emotions.“I will,” he promised, “And... I am sorry about the pie.”“Don't worry. I've cleared it all up,” Gabriel assured, “You go give that to your squirrel and get some rest, okay? Tomorrow is my bunny's big day and I want everyone to be on their best behavior.”“Absolutely,” Castiel nodded, “Good night, brother. And thank you again.”“Nighty-night, Cassie,” Gabriel replied.Castiel waited until the archangel closed the door before turning to look down at the bottle of water in his hands. Gabriel was right. Dean needed to drink this and rid himself of the celestial aphrodisiac...But perhaps it could wait until after he and Castiel had sex one more time.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
On the morning of his wedding day, Oliver Thompson was woken up by the sounds of loud Spanish conversations outside his bedroom door, the distant banging of pots and pans echoing from the kitchen, and the noise of busy footsteps running through the house. Not to mention the extremely powerful smell of coffee in the air; so rich that it burned his nose as he breathed. There was no denying that his mother's family had taken over the house and everything in it. Though, it wasn't until he rolled up to sit, yawn, and look toward the clock on his bedside table that Ollie realized -It was ten o'clock in the morning. Which meant he was going to be married in three hours!Oliver gasped and lunged up from the bed, on a desperate mission to get to the closet and start throwing his suit on. But he tripped over some stray clothes on the way and ended up falling and bonking his head against the closet door. He muttered a few insults at the garments on the floor as he rubbed his head and climbed to his feet to actually get into the closet. His steel gray suit, hanging directly in the center of the rack, was just the way he left it. Compared to his graphic t-shirts, Ollie's wedding suit was the cleanest, most fancy thing in his closet. And it was a little intimidating. Oh, boy. He was going to look like such an adult in that. It was a good thing that everybody would be looking at Jessica instead of him, because he probably wasn't going to be able to keep himself from rattling with nervousness.As Oliver quickly and carefully put on his wedding suit, there was a firm knock on his bedroom door. And from the severity and forcefulness alone, he knew his mother was standing on the other side.“Calabaza,” she eventually called, sounding kind of frantic, “Are you out of bed yet?!”“Yeah,” Ollie replied, hopping on one foot to get his pants on, “I'm getting dressed now!”“Good!” she said, “Vamos. We must take all of this food over to the playground before everyone gathers there. And I must pick up the rest of the family from the Winchester's place.”“Okay. I'll be out in a minute,” Ollie promised.His mom eventually walked away from the door, her footsteps fading in the direction of the kitchen. In the meantime, Oliver finally finished getting his pants on and reached over to grab his socks and shoes from the end of his bed. He sat down to slip them all on, feeling a rush of nervousness take root in his stomach. Oh, man, there were going to be so many people at the playground; so much of his family all in one spot. Would they all be able to sit so close to each other for the whole duration of the wedding without tearing each others' throats out? The last thing Oliver wanted was for his crazy family to make the Winchesters uncomfortable. After all, the Winchesters were his real family; the people he felt most welcomed and loved by.Just as he finished putting on his shoes and stood up to grab his suit jacket, Ollie's cell phone rang. The ringtone was a cheesy Darth Vader theme song and Oliver nearly groaned out loud at the sound. Ugh, it was his dad. Why was he calling so early this morning? It wasn't to congratulate him, that's for sure. Though Ollie was tempted to just ignore the call, he sighed with defeat and tossed his jacket back on the bed. He reached over to pick up the phone and glared at it for a minute before answering.“Yeah?” Ollie muttered into the phone.At first, there was no voice on the other end of the line. Sounds of clashing and muffled grunts came through on the phone – followed by a shout. Oliver gulped and hugged the phone tighter to his own face. What was going on?“Dad?” he said louder into the receiver.“Oliver!” his father's voice finally replied, sounding out of breath, “Come and get me!”“What's going on?” Ollie asked, feeling genuinely worried.“It's Tracy! She's lost her damn mind!” Oliver's dad answered in terror, “I came to pick her up from work for the wedding and she blew up my car! And now she's – ahh!"More scuffled noises came over the phone and Oliver's eyes widened in panic. Oh, God, was Tracy hurting his dad?! Dean and Sam said that she was a ghoul. She could be eating him!“Dad?!” Oliver shouted into the phone, “Dad?!”“Son, you've gotta come and get me out of here,” his dad replied in a hiss, as if he was hiding somewhere, “I tried calling the cops, but they wouldn't listen to me. I'm telling you, son, this bitch is crazy!”“O – okay, where are you?” Ollie asked.“I'm at the Red Kitty Lounge,” his dad whispered frantically, “The psycho bitch locked all the doors, so you're gonna have to bust in.”“Alright,” Oliver huffed, “Just try to stay away from her as best as you can, okay? And don't let her bite you.”“Don't let her bite me?” his dad repeated, “Why the hell would she try to bite – ?”Oliver hung up the phone before he heard the rest of his father's question. He was suddenly in panic mode. How could this be happening? A ghoul had his father locked him in a strip club and was trying to eat the guy! On his wedding day! Fearing that his dad wasn't going to last much longer, Ollie quickly grabbed his suit jacket, swiped his truck keys off the table, and scrolled down the contacts on his phone as he ran out of his bedroom.The house, of course, was so crowded with family members that he had to swerve and dodge his way down the hall. While he stepped over a couple of his little cousins playing on the floor, Ollie quickly looked through all of the Winchesters' phone numbers, trying to figure out which one he should call. He didn't want to bother Jessie – because this was her wedding day, too, and the last thing he wanted to do was add more stress to her already stressful morning. He didn't want to bother Jude or his parents either, because Clarence was staying at the bunker and they were all probably getting dressed for the wedding, too. Everyone was so busy this morning! Who could he call?!“Oliver? Where are you going?”Ollie glanced back at his mom, who was gathering large containers of food in the kitchen with some of his aunts and cousins. Ollie didn't want to ruin his mother's excitement by telling her that he was about to run headfirst into danger just to save his dad. Honestly, she probably would have been glad to hear that his dad was in trouble. It was pretty much karma at work, at this point. But Ollie couldn't let him suffer. Not today. Today was too important.“Uh,” Ollie gulped, “I've gotta go pick up dad. He needs a ride.”Oliver's mother rolled her eyes and muttered an insult about his father under her breath, to which all the women around her nodded in unison.“Be quick, Ollie,” his mother warned, “You should not be late for your own wedding.”“I won't,” Oliver promised.With his mom and her family all safe, Ollie turned to finish maneuvering his way toward the front door. He had to climb around and over family members like a jungle gym, but eventually made it outside. On his way to the truck, Oliver glanced back at the contact list – and saw Sam's name. While Sam was, of course, the father of Oliver's bride, he was also one of the best hunters in the world. If anyone knew how to take down a ghoul, it was Sam Winchester, right?Though he was a little nervous about asking, Oliver forced himself to call Sam's number. He held the phone to his ear with his shoulder as he hopped into his truck and pulled out of the driveway. Sam eventually answered as Oliver sped down the street.“Hey, Oliver,” Sam greeted, sounding rather happy.“Uh, hey, Sam,” Ollie began, “I, um, I need your help with something. It's kind of important.”As if Oliver had flipped a switch, Sam's voice was suddenly low and unamused on the other end of the line.“What?” Sam asked blandly.“My dad just called me,” Ollie explained, turning down the street that led toward the lounge, “Remember that girl you guys said was a ghoul? Well, she has him trapped inside the strip club and she's trying to eat him.”A loud, exhausted sigh came from the phone.“Great,” Sam grumbled.“I'm on my way there, now,” Oliver admitted, “and I was hoping that one of you could help me kill the ghoul. I – I'm sorry to bother you with it, but -”“No,” Sam interrupted, “Oliver, it's no trouble. I'll leave now and meet you at the club as soon as I can. Just don't let her bite anyone, okay?”“Yep,” Ollie agreed, “I'm all over it. Thanks, Sam.”“Sure, kid,” Sam replied, “Stay safe until I get there.”When the line went dead, Oliver tossed his phone in the seat to focus on driving. He wasn't really concerned with the speed limit or weather or not he was wearing a seat belt. All the way to the lounge, the only thing he could think about was how much his dad let him down. It seemed like every time something good was about to happen in Oliver's life, his dad was there to ruin it somehow. Just like the other day when he tried to have a nice bachelor party, only to have it ruined by his dad's love of strip joints. Ollie's dad was so selfish, always putting his own needs and wants before everyone else's, including his own kid. Today was Oliver's wedding day. Ollie was supposed to be on his way to the altar right now, not heading back to the strip club to kill a ghoul. This was total bullshit!The more he thought about all of his father's past transgressions, the angrier Oliver became. By the time he finally made it to the lounge, he was pissed. He jumped out of his truck and slammed the door behind him, making the sound echo around the empty parking lot. From the back of is truck, he retrieved an ax; one he used to chop wood for his elderly boss, but also doubled as an emergency hunting weapon. It had a wooden handle, but the metal ax head was plated with silver – Something that Dean and Sam did for him. Oliver huffed as he glanced at the weapon in his hand. Once again, Jess and Jude's parents had given him protection that his own father couldn't even comprehend.The bright morning sun was shining down on the building, but Oliver knew it was going to be dark inside. He stomped up to the front door and swung his ax at the wood near the handle, chopping out huge chunks. Once it seemed fragile enough, Oliver kicked in the door, ripping the wood away from the handle and allowing it to swing open. He stomped his way inside afterward, pausing to let his eyes adjust to the difference of light so that he could see the inside of the building. Empty chairs near the stage were knocked over, several bottles of alcohol were broken on the floor, and the sounds of a scuffle were coming from the other side of the room. With his ax in hand, Oliver tilted his head down and started for the source of the commotion.Oliver's dad had barricaded himself behind the bar with a few chairs. He was trying to defend himself with a broken bottle; waving it toward the woman on the other side of the counter. The ghoul, still dressed in nothing but a bikini, was trying her best to climb over the bar and get to him. From the first glance of the scene, Ollie noticed that his dad's left arm was injured and bleeding – and there was blood all over the ghoul's mouth. Oliver shook his head. Oh, great. She had already bit him...“Hey!” Oliver shouted.His loud voice got the attention of his father and the ghoul. They both looked toward him, each equally surprised to see him standing there. Oliver gripped his ax a little tighter and gave the ghoul a scowl.“I thought the Winchesters told you to get lost,” he reminded boldly.The ghoul slowly smiled, backing slowly away from the bar with a giggle. Her sight was solely fixed on Oliver now, which gave his dad time to hunker back down behind the bar. Oliver was glad the ghoul was staring at him, though. He knew how to handle this situation far better than his dad did. The ghoul gestured to the empty room around them with a devilish grin.“There are no Winchesters here,” she pointed out.Oliver swung his ax up to hold it with both hands, planting his feet in a defensive stance as he arched an eyebrow at the ghoul.“You're looking at one,” he corrected.The ghoul laughed again, showing all of her sharp, bloodstained teeth in the process.“Oh really?” she said, her grin fading to determination, “We'll see about that.”With a screeching cry, the ghoul bounded toward Oliver. Using some of the skills he had learned from Jess, Jude, and their fathers, Ollie dodged her first strike, ducking low to slice the ghoul's leg with his ax. She must not have noticed that the edge of the blade was silver, because she shouted with pain and tumbled away to hold her calf. She only looked down at her own blood for a second, before shooting Ollie a glare and jumping at him again. Her movements were so fast that Oliver couldn't get out of the way in time. She ended up knocking him to the floor, which caused him to drop the ax. Oliver grunted and fought against the crazy lady on top of him, keeping one hand clenched on her bottom jaw so that she couldn't bite him. They rolled around on the floor for a second – before a gunshot sounded in the room.The ghoul immediately shrieked again and backed off of Oliver, holding her side. Ollie instantly sat up and looked in the direction that the gunshot came from, and saw Sam Winchester standing by the stage. The ridiculously tall man – who was also dressed in a nice suit – kept his gun pointed toward the ghoul on the floor, but quickly raced over to help Oliver up.“Oliver, are you okay?” Sam asked.“Yeah,” Ollie nodded.He quickly climbed back to his feet and grabbed his ax from the floor. Now, the ghoul was kneeling by a far wall, staring up at Sam and Oliver with actual fear in her eyes. It was clear that she knew she was beaten, but she wasn't going to give up without a fight.“Fine,” she huffed, “You think you can kill me?”The ghoul's face suddenly began to morph. Oliver struggled to see what – or who – she was turning into in the dim light. But it all became clear once he saw her hair drastically shorten and turn red. The creature no longer looked like a girl in a bikini. It was suddenly a carbon copy of Oliver's father. The familiar figure looked up at Oliver with a huge smile.“How about now?” it asked, sounding just like his dad, “Son?”Oliver knew what the ghoul was trying to do. It was trying to preserve its own life by any means necessary. And maybe it thought that Oliver wouldn't be able to hurt it now that it looked just like his dad. But the ghoul was wrong. In that moment, as he stood there in a vacant strip club with an ax in his hand on the morning of his wedding, Oliver Thompson was actually glad to have this golden opportunity.Without another word, Oliver hoisted his ax up and swung it in a hard circle, chopping through the neck of the creature in one felt swoop. Its head, which held a face similar to his own father, popped off and rolled across the floor, spraying blood as it went. The rest of its body fell limp against the wall, which finally signaled the last of the fight. The ghoul was finally dead, which meant his dad was safe. But now, Oliver's suit was speckled with blood. He looked down at his own appearance in utter disgust and anger. This was his wedding outfit! And it was ruined!“Ah, dammit,” he groaned, “Mom's gonna kill me!”“It's alright, Oliver,” Sam promised, stepping over to rest a hand on Ollie's shoulder, “Gabe can fix that for you.”“Wh – what the hell just happened?!”Oliver and Sam both looked toward the bar, where Ollie's dad was staring toward them in shock. His face was pale and frightened, but was somehow still holding anger. And that pissed Oliver off even more. His dad didn't get to be angry! No, the only one who was allowed to be angry was Oliver!“You – you killed her!” his dad pointed out.“I just saved your life!” Oliver corrected, throwing his ax to the floor so that he could ball his fists in rage, “I just drove all the way here to save you! This is my wedding day, Dad! I'm not supposed to be here! I'm not supposed to clean up the messes that you make! I'm supposed to be starting the rest of my life with Jessica! But no, you couldn't even let me do that! God, I'm so sick of you ruining everything!”“H – hey,” his dad interrupted weakly, sounding as though he was about to argue, “I – ”“No,” Oliver shouted, cutting him off with a glare, “No, you don't get to speak anymore. I don't care what you have to say. From now on, I choose whether or not I want to talk to you. I'm not a kid anymore, and I don't have to stand hear and listen to you tell me what to do.”The sharp acidity of Oliver's tone seemed to cut his dad to the bone. The man just stood there behind the counter with a look of awe painted on his pale face. Honestly, Oliver couldn't stand looking at him anymore. It was just to damn enraging.“I'm going to go marry the woman of my dreams, now,” Oliver spat, turning to start for the entrance of the lounge, “and I don't care if you come to see it or not. Goodbye, Dad.”Before his father could start talking back, Ollie ducked out of the broken front door of the lounge and walked out into the sunlight. His skin was instantly warmed by the sun, but his heart felt so cold. He meant everything he just said, but part of him still felt upset. All he wanted was a dad that loved him, like Jess and Jude's parents. Was that too much to ask for? Why couldn't he just have a normal dad? A normal family?“Ollie.”Oliver gulped and turned around to blink behind him. Sam jogged up to meet him, and without a word, he opened his arms and pulled Oliver into a hug. A chill raced down Ollie's back as he felt the gentle, loving embrace surrounding him. Holy crap, Sam was actually hugging him. Sam was giving him something that he had never really gotten from his real father.“It's gonna be okay,” Sam muttered against the top of Ollie's head.A sudden tear slipped out from Ollie's eye and slid down his cheek. God, those words made him feel so much better. Sam backed up to give him a comforting smile.“I'm gonna take him to the hospital,” Sam explained, gesturing toward the lounge behind him, obviously referring to Ollie's dad, “Then Dean and I will come back and take care of the body. You don't need to worry about anything, okay? We'll take care of it.”Oliver felt so blessed in that moment. This was the kind of support and love that every father needed to give their children. Sam was such a good Dad. Oliver hoped that someday he could be half the father that Sam was...“Thank you,” Ollie mumbled, unsure of what else to say.“It's no problem,” Sam assured, giving him a soft smile, “Now get yourself to the playground. My daughter is going to meet you there soon.”Oliver gave his soon-to-be father-in-law a giant smile and a nod before starting off to his truck. Sam was right. Jessica was probably already waiting on him...Gabriel didn't sleep at all the night before his daughter's wedding. Not because he was an angel and didn't physically need to sleep – though, that probably played a big part of it. No, it was because he was absolutely, uncontrollably, indescribably excited. He couldn't wait to watch his little bunny walk down the aisle and say her vows! The archangel actually considered using his grace to speed up time, but he didn't. As painful as it was to wait, Gabe didn't want to rush this event. His only child's wedding was something that could not be rushed.Gabe did, however, use the remaining time to finish getting the venue ready. After Castiel's late night visit – which was both hilarious and kind of disturbing – the archangel flew to the playground to make sure that everything looked perfect. A huge white tent was hanging over the large field on the left side, with white chairs placed in perfect rows in front of an arch full of daisies. Gabe smiled at the beautiful display for a second when he got there. Ah, it seemed like only yesterday that Sam was picking daisies in Bobby's salvage yard while Gabe watched from a few feet away, fully pregnant and ready to pop...While the bright moon lowered and the sun slowly rose, Gabe straighten up every chair, rolled out the white runner, placed small bags of bird seed in every seat, even prepared a small dance floor near the large speaker system around the food area. The entire playground was perfect by the time Gabe was done working his magic. And when the clock neared nine on the morning of the wedding, he flew back to the bunker to wake everybody up. The trickster was a blur of happiness, streaking from room to room and knocking on all the doors. How could anybody still be asleep? It was Jessie's wedding day!The rest of the crowd slowly began to stir in the bunker. With yawns and grumbles, they made their way to the kitchen for breakfast and then started to dress for the big day. Gabriel was ecstatic, seeing everyone in handsome and beautiful formal wear. The more people he saw, the better he felt. But as the time neared ten o'clock, Gabe realized that there was one very important face missing.“Where's Jessica?” he asked into the crowd in the kitchen.The only response he got were a few shrugs. Even Jude, Jessie's self-proclaimed best friend, didn't know where she was, and that put Gabriel on edge. The archangel immediately flew down the bunker and landed in front of his daughter's bedroom door, which was shut. But a soft light was shining around the door frame. So, Jessica wasn't asleep, but she was still in her room? Was she putting on her wedding dress already? Gabe tapped on the door with his knuckles.“Honeydew,” he called, voice high and cheery, “Are you getting your dress on?”Gabe expected a happy reply to come from inside – but it didn't. Silence continued for a second, followed by a tiny noise. The archangel leaned closer to the door to figure out what he was hearing, and realized that it was sniffling. Wait, was Jessica crying? Did something happen? Was she okay?Instead of knocking again, Gabriel simply flew himself inside. His daughter's room was softly lit with her unicorn reading lamp, casting a pinkish glow on all of her things. Jessica was dressed in a gray hoodie and sweatpants, laying on the bed, curled up on one side. It looked like she was holding something to her chest and sobbing, and the sight shredded Gabe's heart into pieces.“Jess,” he breathed, instantly stepping over to sit on the bed and reach out to touch his little girl's side, “Honey, what's the matter?”Upon hearing her papa's voice, Jess sniffled loudly and looked up. Her beautiful eyes were full of tears and her cheeks were red and puffy. It was clear that she had been laying there crying for quite a while, and she was holding her stuffed bunny; the one she had since before she was born. The tiny rabbit looked so small in her hands, now. But the innocence and pain on her face made her look like a child all over again.“P – Papa,” she sniffled, carefully sitting up, “I can't do it. I can't marry Oliver.”“What?” Gabe breathed.He couldn't believe it! Jess didn't want to marry the ginger of her dreams? But why not?! They were perfect together! They were soul mates! How could she not want to marry Oliver?!“Wh – why not?” the archangel gently asked.“Because,” Jess said, her gorgeous eyes glistening with more tears, “If I marry him, then – then I'll have to leave the bunker. And I don't want to leave the bunker, Papa,” she wept, shaking her head and reaching out to hug him, “I don't want to leave you!”Gabriel quickly cradled his baby girl, wrapping her in a huge hug and patting her quivering back. While he hated to see her in pain, Gabe thought that Jessica's statements were a little bizarre. Leave the bunker? Why in the world did she think that she had to leave?“Jessie-Rabbit,” Gabe chuckled breathlessly, “Sweetheart, you don't have to go anywhere!”“Yes I do,” she denied, raising up so that she could look him in the eye, “I've seen it. I had a dream where I was in a dark house and there was nobody there. I was alone, Papa. I'm going to be alone,” she muttered, her bottom lip trembling.Gabriel took the time to shake his own head before reaching out to curl his daughter's lovely blonde hair behind her ears. The act allowed him to see more of her beautiful face, which reminded him so much of Sam's. Jessie looked so much like her human dad, especially when she cried. She and Sam shared that devastatingly pitiful sad face, and seeing it broke Gabriel's heart every time.“Jessica, listen to me,” the archangel started, placing a hand over his own chest, “As long as this old vessel is still drawing breath, as long as my grace shines, and as long as the Earth keeps on spinning, honey, you will never be alone.”Jess whimpered and bit her lip, holding in more tears.“Now, you may have had a bad dream – which sucks, I know. Believe me, I used to have them all the time when I was pregnant with you. Maybe that's the reason why you have future dreams now,” Gabe admitted, “But I promise that you will always have a home here. See this room?” he asked, pausing to gesture around at all of his daughter's pretty things, “It's going to stay exactly the way you want it. No one is going to take it from you. Your home will always be here, even if you get a second one with Oliver... I mean, it won't be as good as this one, of course, but I'm sure the kid will do his best.”At that, Jessica giggled and nodded a little, curling her stuffed bunny closer with her free hand.“But, I... I know it's coming,” she whispered, sniffling again, “One day, I'm going to be sitting in that dark living room, all by myself.”“And when that day comes, I want you to remember this moment,” Gabe instructed, giving his child a sweet smile as he reached out to clutch her hand, “I promise, I'll be right here waiting for you, Jessie. All you have to do is fly here. Fly home. And I'll make you feel better all over again.”A warm, loving expression grew across Jessica's tear-stained face and she slowly leaned forward to wrap her arms around Gabriel again. Gabe cradled her to his chest just like he did when she was a newborn baby, holding her as close to his beating heart as possible. He really hoped that she could feel the love and affection beaming from his grace, because he wanted her to know, without a shadow of a doubt, just how much she meant to him.“Thanks, Papa,” she whispered into his ear.“You're welcome, Sunshine,” he hummed back, “Now... Do you really have cold feet about marrying Oliver? Or are you still set on making him your wife?”As he expected, Jessica giggled again, which made Gabriel's heart soar with joy. She leaned back and wiped her own tears away with a smile.“Husband, Papa,” she corrected, “and yes. I do want to be with him forever.”“Then why are we still sitting here?” Gabe asked, hopping up with a grin, “You've got a white dress to put on, girl! That altar is calling your name!”With caved dimples and a glorious smile, Jessica stood up from her bed and finally wiped the moisture from the rest of her face. She gestured toward her closet, where her lovely white dress was hanging on the back. Gabe dashed over to grab it and walked it back over to her.“Here,” he beamed, “You go put this on and I'll do your hair. I want to get it at least half way done before Rowena barges in and tries to take over.”Another lovely giggle burst from Jess's smiling lips as she took the dress from him and nodded. As the two of them stared at each other, a small knock came from Jess's bedroom door. Jess instantly started fanning her face, as if she was worried that whoever was there would see that she had been crying.“Come in,” she eventually called.The door slowly opened and Jude eased in. The kid was dressed in a nice navy suit and black shoes, looking as dapper as his papa Castiel. Once Jude saw that it was only Jess and Gabe, he slid into the room with a smile.“Michael and Adam are here,” he announced proudly.Gabriel couldn't stop his mouth from falling open. Holy shit. Mikey actually showed up for an event that he wasn't the star of. Gabe found it surprising, to say the least. Jessica, on the other hand, suddenly smiled brighter than she had all morning.“What? Really?” she gasped, “Oh, wow, this is really happening! I've gotta get dressed!”The blonde bride took her white dress and dove for her walk-in closet, shutting herself inside so that she could change. Her absence left Gabriel and Jude standing alone together in her room. A small space of silence ticked by before Jude coughed and lowered his head a little. He shifted in Gabe's direction with his eyes on the floor and his hands in his pockets.“Um... Uncle Gabe?” he whispered, sounding kind of embarrassed.“What's up, sidekick?” Gabe prompted.Jude paused again to scratch his reddened face before answering.“Uh... Papa told me that you made those... special cherries,” he murmured, “and I was wondering if... if you could make some more for me and Clare?”Gabriel could tell that his nephew had not only experienced how awesome an Enochian aphrodisiac could be, but also appreciated it more than anyone else that had accidentally tried it. Though, giving the kid more did seem kind of dangerous. Maybe Gabriel could make a new, less potent batch for Jude and Clare to use. Not wanting to disappoint a fan of his work, Gabe winked and gave the kid a sage nod.“We'll talk about it after the wedding,” he promised slyly.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jessica took a deep breath as she adjusted the lacy veil around her blonde curls and bare shoulders. She was completely dressed in her wedding attire, standing next to her equally well-dressed Papa at the playground. Both of them were hiding behind Bobby's pickup truck, waiting for the bridal march to start. It wasn't quite one o'clock yet, so people were still arriving and claiming seats. Papa kept pacing and glancing at his watch, muttering curses under his breath.“You'd think a giant moose would be able to move his hooves a little faster,” Papa spat, “It's almost time for the walk to start! Where is -?”“Hey.”Jess and her Papa both turned to see Dad jogging up to them. His hair was windswept and he was out of breath, as if he ran a long distance to get to their hiding spot. Papa huffed with a mixture of relief and annoyance.“Samuel Winchester, where the hell have you been?!” Papa hissed.“Relax, Gabe. I had to help Oliver with something,” Dad replied.When his large eyes met Jessica and he saw her completed outfit for the first time, her dad actually started to tear up. A smile played at the corners of his mouth before he stepped forward to wrap her into a hug.“Oh my God, Jess,” he breathed, “You are so beautiful...”“Thanks, Dad,” Jess smiled, hugging him back as best as she could while holding her bouquet of daisies.The two of them were lost in their warm embrace for a moment, before a tiny knock came from the hood of Bobby's truck. Jess and her parents all raised their heads to look in the direction, seeing Michael and Adam standing nearby. Jessica blinked repeatedly at her half uncle the most. Wow, he looked so great for someone who was previously in a coma for so long...“Sorry to interrupt,” Michael began politely, carefully guiding Adam closer, “I just wanted Adam to meet his niece in person before the wedding started.”Adam smiled and held his hand up toward Jessica, giving her a subtle wave. As Jessie stared at his lively face, she couldn't help but notice the dimples in his cheeks, the groove in his chin, and the distinctly familiar color of his eyes. There was no denying that he was a Winchester. He, uncle Dean, and Jess's dad all looked so similar.“Adam,” Jessica smiled, stepping over to wrap one arm around her uncle's shoulder, “It's so good to properly meet you.”“It's good to meet you, too,” Adam hummed, backing up so that he could look at her, “Michael's told me all about you and everything you did to help us. And it's nice to finally put a face with the name 'Jessica.”Jess giggled and clung to her bouquet, feeling happiness radiate from her face.“Mikey, is he here?” Papa asked.Jessica had no idea who 'he' was, but Michael seemed to understand right away. He briefly closed his eyes and gave a firm nod.“He's here,” the archangel confirmed, “Fashionably late, as usual, but he's here.”Jessica glanced between all the adults around her. Who were they talking about? Who had shown up to her wedding? Next to her, Dad coughed and nodded his head to the side, subtly and politely asking the two guys to leave. Michael gently took hold of Adam's shoulders.“I, um, think we should go find some seats now, Adam. The event is about to start,” Michael mentioned, carefully tugging Adam away, “We'll see you after the wedding, Jessica.”“Okay,” Jess called with a wave, “See you soon!”As Michael and Adam left, Papa and Dad shared a look of surprise with each other.“I didn't think he was gonna show,” Dad mentioned.“Me either,” Papa replied, “but I guess he always pulls through at the last second.”“Who?” Jessica blurted, “Who are you talking about?”Papa reached over to adjust the back of Jess's dress and gave her a shrug.“You'll see, Honeydew,” he smirked, “Trust me, he's hard to miss.”At that, Dad gave a hardy chuckle. As the three of them stood together, the sound of music started playing – and their calm vibe suddenly vanished. Panic flashed through Jessica's entire system as she listened to the melody coming from the speakers nearby. Uh-oh, this was it. The moment had finally come for her to walk down the aisle and marry Oliver. Oh God! It was happening so fast! Dad and Papa must have seen the color drain from her face in real time, because their smiles dimmed and they quickly got on either side of her.“It's okay, baby-bunny. Don't freak out,” Papa hushed in a loving tone, “Remember what we talked about, okay? Nothing's gonna change. Your home is going to be right were you left it.”“I – I know,” Jess breathed, trying to calm herself down as well as her parents, “I'm just nervous, that's all.”Papa pecked Jess's forehead with a kiss before stepping away from the group.“You guys wait here, I'll go check and see if they're ready,” he suggested.While Papa dashed away as fast as his tiny legs could carry him, Jess took the time to look up at her dad. Of all the people at the wedding, he seemed to be the most relaxed and laid back. And it was kind of confusing. Dad was always dead-set against the idea of her being with Ollie. And now that their wedding day was here, Dad seemed as cool as a cucumber. He didn't look nervous or upset at all. What caused his sudden change of heart?“Dad?” Jess whispered.Dad turned his head to smile down at her.“Yeah?” he mused.“You seem... really calm,” she pointed out as she clung to his arm, “Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're okay, it's just... I thought you didn't want me to marry Oliver.”Jess knew that her words were a little blunt, but Dad didn't seem to mind. He bobbed his head once to show that he understood what she was saying before answering.“You probably know by now that I never liked the thought of giving you away, Jess,” he began quietly, meeting her eyes with a loving stare, “There for a while, I didn't think there was anyone on this planet that would be worthy enough to have you. But after what I saw this morning,” Dad paused to chuckle and shake his head, “I know Oliver is the man for the job.”Jessica tilted her head. This morning? Did something happen before the wedding?“This morning?” Jess prompted, “What did Ollie do?”Before Dad could answer the question, Papa came running back up with a huge grin on his face. He dashed around the hood of Bobby's car, combed his fingers through his hair, and took a deep breath as he held out his arm for Jess to take.“It's showtime, baby-bunny,” he grinned, “Are you ready?”Though her stomach was full of butterflies and her head felt extremely light, Jessica smiled and nodded. Yes. She was finally ready to marry the man of her dreams. The three of them got into position – Jessie in the middle, holding the arms of each of her parents at her sides – and very carefully began to walk out from behind Bobby's truck. The afternoon sun beamed down brightly on the playground, warmly illuminating the path to the large white tent a few yards away.As she looked up, Jessica was suddenly glad that she was holding her Dad and Papa, because she felt weak on her feet. There were so many people! The entire crowd was standing and looking directly at her. Not Dad, not Papa, her. Jessica tried her best to smile back at all the faces, most of which she had never even seen before, and tried to remind herself that by the end of the day, they were all going to be part of her family. The more she looked around, the queasier she felt. She wasn't used to being the center of so much attention.While she glided carefully down the aisle, Jessica tried to find a familiar face. Near the front, she caught sight of Rowena dabbing her face with a tissue, along with Bobby, Crowley, and her uncles Dean and Cas, who were all teary eyed. Jude was standing shyly near the arch – because he agreed to be Jess's 'maid of honor' – and smiled brightly at her as she approached. Seeing him made Jess feel a little better. At least she wasn't the only one that was buckling under the weight of bashfulness. Standing directly under the arch, however, was someone who took her breath away.“G – Grandpa Chuck,” she breathed with a smile.“Mmm-hmm,” Papa hummed back in a whisper, “He married everybody else. I told him he had to keep up the tradition.”A delighted giggle escaped Jess's mouth as her Grandpa Chuck winked and waved at her. It felt like it had been so long since she had seen him! He looked the same as ever; scruffy beard, tight curly hair, and eyes as blue as the ocean. He must have been who her parents and uncles were talking about earlier... As she continued to scan her destination, Jess finally looked upon the pale face of her fiance. Oliver – standing next to Clare, who was his 'best man' – looked more handsome than Jessica had ever seen him before. Not because he was wearing a nice suit or because his hair was nicely combed, although those things were pleasant. No, Oliver looked so good in that moment because the innocent awe in his glistening eyes reminded Jessica of the little boy she fell in love with so many years before. When they first met, in the very same playground they were standing in at that moment, Jessica already knew this day would come. She knew she was going to be with Ollie for the rest of her life. This wedding was only a small stepping stone in their long lives together.Jessica was barely aware that her hands were being transferred from Dad and Papa's arms to Ollie's fingers. She was too lost in the lovely cocoa eyes of her soul mate to pay attention to anything else. It wasn't until she heard Grandpa's voice addressing the crowd that she realized she had zoned out. He was halfway through his speech before she was able to focus on what he was saying.“ - to witness the union of their love. And how they will spend the rest of their lives together... Wherever that may be,” Grandpa Chuck called warmly, gazing between the two people standing in front of him, eying Jessica the longest, “Because, sometimes, home is not a place. Home is found in the company of those we love, especially those that hold our hearts so tenderly. And as long as we have those people, we never need to worry about where we live or what the future holds...”Jessica shifted her sight from her wise Grandpa to the handsome freckled face in front of her. Holy cow, Grandpa was right. Looking at Ollie felt like coming home. And as long as Jessica had him, she didn't have to worry about anything, even the future. Did Grandpa know that she needed to hear those words? He must have. He was omnipresent, after all. Grandpa Chuck gave her a warm smile before turning back to the crowd.“I think it's time for the rings,” he called.Jess and Ollie both looked toward the long rows of pews. Jess expected Papa to stand up and hand the rings to her – but he didn't. Papa only turned in his seat and whistled toward the other end of the tent. Jess, still clinging to Ollie's trembling hands, stared down the aisle – where Dickie came bounding out from behind some seats. The little Jack Russell Terrier, who was wearing a white bow-tie collar, raced up the aisle as fast as he could. He was carrying a tiny white pillow in his mouth, which Jess and Ollie's rings were tied to. Almost everyone under the tent smiled and laughed when Papa's dog ran up to jump up and down in front of Jess. He was so cute and fancy! So desperate to be part of the wedding! Jess momentarily let go of Ollie's hands so that she could retrieve the rings from the excited dog.“Thanks, Dickie,” she whispered, petting him a few times.Dickie barked a little and panted, but was eventually called away by Papa. In the meantime, Jessica stood back up and exchanged the rings with Ollie. He took her tiny opal gem ring and she held onto his large gold band. They were so nervous that they could barely get their quivering hands to function. Jess was so glad that she wasn't the only one with jitters. When they were ready, Grandpa gestured toward the bride.“Oliver, you can start,” he offered.Though he looked paler than a sheet of paper, Oliver visibly gulped and returned his stare to Jess. She tried her best to calm him through their gaze alone, giving him a gentle smile. He slipped the ring back onto her finger and took a deep breath.“J – Jessie,” he said, so quietly that she could barely hear, “I've loved you my whole life. Even when I was little, and I didn't really know what love was, I'm pretty sure I loved you then. Because whenever I thought about you, I got all tingly inside. Not, like... Not in a weird way. Like in an 'I love you' way, you know? I'm sorry,” he breathed, shaking his head, “I'm nervous.”“It's okay,” Jess whispered only for him, squeezing his hand, “Take your time.”Ollie took a second to inhale a deep breath and gather some courage. After that, he seemed much calmer with a clearer mind.“You mean everything to me, Jessie,” he continued, “I literally grew up with you, so I have no idea how to live without you. You're like the foundation of my life. My voice of reason. My cheerleader and my coach. My guardian angel,” he smiled a little, “You're my whole life... And I promise that I'll never take you for granted. I won't put anyone else before you. You'll always come first. Whatever you want or need, you've got it. I'll provide for you, like a good husband should. I'll never make you feel anything but beautiful and loved, because you are. Jessie, you're the most beautiful person on the face of the earth and I love you with all my heart... and I vow to love you, now and forever, wherever the future might take us. As long as we're together, there's nothing we can't do.”Jessica beamed up at her Ollie-pop, feeling a hot tear run down her face. Ollie smiled back as he finally finished slipping the ring onto her finger. Afterward, Grandpa Chuck gestured toward him.“Jessie,” he smiled, “Your turn.”Like Ollie, Jessica took a large breath before shifting her hands around so that she could hold Oliver's large fingers. Once she had them in her grasp, she met his eyes again – but she was suddenly at a loss for words. How in the world was she supposed to compete with everything he just said?”“Ollie,” she began, hearing the crack in her own voice as she spoke, “I... I knew this day would come,” she carefully admitted, “I knew that I was going to marry you. I knew that we would stand here and say these vows... Because you've had my heart ever since the day I met you.”A giant smile burst across Ollie's handsome face. His cheeks reddened to match some of his hair, which only made him cuter. Jess quickly continued.“We've been through a lot together,” she briefly reminded, “We've shared so many good memories. And even some of my bad ones were made better by the fact that you were there. Helping me. Supporting me. Making me laugh. I can't imagine a life without you, either. And especially not a future... Oliver, I promise that I will always be faithful to you. I'll always treat you with respect and honor, and I'll be there for you whenever you need me. There will probably be tough times ahead at some point, but there's nothing that we can't get through together. I promise that I will be there, by your side, through whatever comes our way. And I will love and cherish you forever. You're more than just my best friend, Ollie. You're my unicorn.”By the time Jess was finished, Ollie's grin had softened to a subtle smile and his big brown eyes were full of tears. A couple of small 'Awww's came from the crowd, as well as a chuckle from Clarence's direction. Jess could feel his hands shaking in her own and she could tell that he was on the verge of breaking down. But she held him together by slipping the gold band on to his finger and squeezing his hands tight. With their rings in place and vows made, Grandpa Chuck stepped forward.“Jessie,” he began, “Do you take Oliver as your husband?”“I do,” she instantly agreed.“And Ollie,” Grandpa said, “Do you take Jessica as your wife?”“I do,” Ollie nodded feverishly.“Then by the power vested in me by the state of Kansas... and the holy bible, which I wrote,” he muttered under his breath, “I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Winchester! You may kiss the bride.”Some of Oliver's family sounded a little confused by the fact that Grandpa had chosen to say 'Winchester' instead of 'Thompson,' but Jessie found it quite fitting. Ollie was most definitely a Winchester. Without missing a beat, Oliver's arm swept behind Jess's back and he pulled her in for a huge kiss, dipping her to the side to firmly plant their lips together. While the crowd cheered and the music began to play, the only thing Jess could do was hold on to her new husband and enjoy the ride. Ollie eventually stood her back up on her feet, where she wobbled around with delighted wooziness for a second, before starting the slow walk back down the aisle.As they clung to each other and walked, people tossed bird seed at them – which Rowena said was good luck for newlyweds. Jess only giggled and clung to Ollie's arm as they were showered with seeds. Jess glanced around at all the faces she passed once again, seeing nothing but smiles – except for Ms. Jane, who was a sobbing, blubbering mess. Jess waved at her new mother-in-law as she walked with Ollie all the way down the aisle.Once they were free from the crowd, Ollie led Jess around a couple of vehicles where they could be alone and catch their breath for a second. Jessica couldn't stop giggling for some reason. She laughed and leaned against her new husband, who seemed equal parts happy and relieved to be away from the crowd.“We – we did it,” he said, still holding onto Jess's hand, “We're married!”“I know!” Jess giggled.They only got to enjoy their moment of seclusion for a few seconds. Papa, with a grinning face covered in tears, suddenly popped up next to them with a loud sob. He wrapped both of his arms around Jess and Ollie to hug them both at once.“I – I'm so happy!” he cried, “My babies! You're all grown up and married, now! I can't believe it really happened!”“Th – thanks, Pop,” Jess said, patting his quivering back, “but it's not over yet.”“Yeah. We still have a cake to cut, Papa,” Ollie grinned.Another loud sob came from Jess's Pop and he hugged them tighter. Hearing Oliver call him by that name must have made him feel so happy. It was true, though.Now, Papa and Dad really were Oliver's parents. Just like he always wanted them to be...After the nerve-wrecking vow exchange, the wedding guests migrated to the other part of the play ground for food and dancing. Jess and Oliver lingered by the archway to take a few pictures but eventually met everyone back at the dance floor. Jude, who had somehow convinced Ollie to let him be in charge of the music, picked out a very fitting song for their first dance. 'I Got You, Babe' by Sonny and Cher. The moment it started playing, Ollie tugged Jess out into the middle of the floor and started twirling her around. The whole time they danced, Jessie realized how well the lyrics fit with their love. It was so true. Jess really did have Ollie around for everything that happened in her life...The next song was 'Here Comes the Sun,' by the Beatles. During that sweet song, Ollie danced with Ms. Jane while Jessica danced with both of her fathers at the same time. The three of them made a very terrible dancing trio, but they didn't care. They were too busy laughing and swaying to notice how badly they were dancing. Plus, Dickie hopping around their feet made it even funnier. More and more people started to join them on the dance floor too, including Jude and Clare, Dean and Cas, and lots of Ollie's family members. Jess caught sight of Rowena trying to get Grandpa Chuck to dance with her, too, but he kept politely declining.A few songs played before Jess and Ollie decided to cut the cake. Their wedding cake was made of three tall tiers of vanilla pastry covered in rainbow icing, with a tiny rabbit and unicorn as toppers instead of the usual bride and groom. Of course, Jess and Ollie decided to smash the cake into each others' faces instead of feed each other and everyone had a big laugh. After they ate, they opened some presents from family members. A lot of them were cards full of money, but they did end up with a new coffee maker, toaster, and cookware too. Jessica and Oliver thanked everyone for the gifts and for attending their wedding, but encouraged them to stay for more partying. There were a lot more songs on the playlist that Jess wanted to get through before the sun went down.After the last few gifts were open, however, Jess's Dad came up to the table and whispered something to Oliver. Jess watched the interaction, feeling a little nervous. What were they whispering about? And why did Dad look so serious all of the sudden? Whatever Dad told Ollie made his smile disappear. Jess's husband nodded at her Dad before reaching over to take her hand.“Can you come with me?” he asked.“Of course,” Jess nodded, “What's wrong?”Ollie didn't answer. He just stood up from the table and started to walk toward the parking lot, guiding her toward the cars. The sun was setting and the grounds were barely lit with an orange glow. Jessie didn't know where they were going – until she spotted someone standing near Ollie's red truck. It was Eddie Thompson, Oliver's dad. Looking at him made Jessica realize that she didn't see him at the wedding. Did he forget to come or something? To his own son's wedding? His arm was in a sling and he had speckles of blood on his white shirt, so maybe he was injured or something. Even though she had lots of questions, Jessica remained quiet as she and Ollie stopped in front of him.Eddie looked more humble than Jess had ever seen him before. His head was low, his eyes were full of shame, and his shoulders were dropped. He looked almost too embarrassed to meet Ollie's eyes.“H – Hey,” he began quietly.Ollie didn't say anything. He only stood there, waiting for his dad to say something worthwhile. Eddie scratched his head with his uninjured hand before speaking again.“Sorry I missed it,” he mumbled, “They, um, had to reset the bones in my arm. I told them I had somewhere to be, but hospitals don't care... Besides, I... I wasn't sure if I was still invited anyway...”Jessica glanced between her new husband and his father, trying to figure out what was going on. Something definitely happened before the wedding that she didn't know about. Eddie stared at the ground for a second, as if he couldn't look back up at Oliver.“I'm proud of you, son,” he mumbled, “I know that probably doesn't mean much, coming from me, but it's still true... There ain't much more I can say, other than I'm proud of you... and I appreciate your help today... and I'm sorry.”Ollie took a deep breath. It seemed like he wasn't sure whether to bestow his forgiveness on Eddie or not. Jessica couldn't blame him. Eddie was never a good dad. And now, he had missed his son's wedding. How was Oliver supposed to forgive that? Still, Oliver was a much better man than his father. He exhaled and tightened his hand around Jess's.“Alright,” he muttered.Ollie wasn't fully forgiving Eddie, just acknowledging the fact that he was saying sorry. But it was a good first step. Eddie eventually raised his head back up to glanced at Jessica. It was the first time that Jess could remember ever making eye contact with Oliver's dad.“This is a good man right here,” Eddie mentioned, nodding briefly toward his son, “You're a lucky girl.”Jessica smiled, shifting her sight back to her new handsome husband.“I know,” she agreed.Ollie's cheeks flared red under the stares and he looked really embarrassed.“Thanks, Dad,” he muttered, “See you around.”“Wait,” Eddie called.The man reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a very thick envelope. Oliver's name was written on the front. Eddie sighed and held it out toward him.“Here,” he said, “I sold the Dodge Charger. I think you should have the money.”Oliver and Jessica both blinked at him in shock. He had sold his favorite car? And he wanted to give Jess and Ollie the money from it? Really?! Ollie carefully took the envelope and looked inside, where countless paper bills were shoved inside.“Dad,” Ollie breathed, “Why did you -?”“'Cause I wanted you to have some money,” Eddie interrupted, adjusting his arm sling, “I know how tough it is starting out. You shouldn't have to worry about money, alright? You two do what you need to with it. You don't owe me anything.”“But, Dad -”“I mean it,” Eddie gently pressed, “Go have fun while you're young... Just call me every once and a while, okay? I – I'm still your old man.”Ollie gulped as he closed up the envelope and handed it to Jessica. Jessie took it from him, which allowed him to step forward and give Eddie a small hug. It wasn't anything spectacular, just a quick wrap and pat on the back.“Thank you, Dad,” Ollie said warmly, “I promise I'll call.”Eddie patted Ollie's back and nodded before letting go. He gave Jess a warm smile too, before turning to walk back toward the lane of vehicles. Jessica was amazed. Wow, this day was so full of love... While his dad departed, Oliver looked stunned beyond imagination. He turned to share his wide eyes with Jess, who giggled in response.“Yeah,” she agreed, “That was shocking.”Oliver huddled close with Jess so that they could steal another peek at all the money in the envelope.“There's got to be at least five thousand dollars in there,” he breathed.“Or more,” Jess said, “but let's not count it, yet. Our wedding party is still going on.”“You're right,” Ollie nodded, folding the envelope and tucking it into his suit pocket to hold out his arm, “Shall we, m'lady?”Jess giggled and took her husband's arm.“Indeed,” she smiled, “Onward, good sir.”Oliver and Jessica discretely rejoined their wedding, slipping back under the tent as subtly as they had left it. The music was still blaring and folks were still dancing and laughing. The sight of so many happy people made Jessica feel so warm inside. She couldn't have asked for a better wedding.As she and Oliver made their way back toward the dance floor, however, she felt a hand on her arm. Jess paused and looked down to see Jane's grandfather, Raul, holding her back. He was a very short, elderly man with glasses and a walking cane. He said something in Spanish, but the music was so loud that Jessica didn't hear him.“What?” she asked loudly.The old man repeated himself, but Jessica still couldn't hear him. She shook her head and shrugged to show that she was confused. Instead of trying to talk to her, the small elderly man took her by the hand and began to lead her away. Not wanting to be rude, Jessica followed him through the crowd and back to one of the vacant tables. There, he reached into a bag and began to rummage around. Jessica felt completely lost. She really wished that she understood what the old man had been saying before, and why he led her back to this bag. But everything became clear when he held up what he was searching for.It was a large, handmade dream catcher.Jessica's heart thumped loudly in her chest as the old man smiled and held the round object out to her. Tears were swelling in her eyes as she stared at the beautiful feathers and yarn. How in the world did he know that she needed one of these? Jessie looked to Jane's Grandfather as she carefully took it from his hands.“I... I...” she stuttered, unable to form words.Raul wheezed a sentence with a smile, his rich Spanish accent full of love as he poked the edge of the dream catcher. Even though Jessica couldn't understand his exact words, she knew what he was trying to say. This dream catcher was going to help her with her nightmares... Feeling an abundance of admiration, Jessica wrapped the little elderly man into a large hug, wiping her tears while he couldn't see.“Gracias,” she breathed.“De nada,” he replied.After giving her one of the greatest gifts she had ever received, the tiny old man wandered away, heading back toward the food table. Jessica lingered by the table and stared down at the dream catcher in her hands through her tears, admiring the colorful feathers and string. It was so beautiful! And such a perfect gift! How in the world did Ollie's great-grandfather know that she needed it?While Jess pondered these things, she looked up to see Grandpa Chuck sitting a few yards away. He was at a table to himself and his eyes were already on her, as if he had been watching the whole thing. He smiled and raised his glass toward her, giving a subtle wink. The action made Jessica's smile grow, but her tears flow thicker, too.Of course. Grandpa Chuck was watching over her. How could she ever forget?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The day that Gabriel got to hold his baby girl for the first time – to look upon her precious little face and cradle her close to his heart – was the best day of his life. Her wedding day, however, was a very close second.Everything went as planned. The ceremony was perfect. The photos were perfect. The food, the music, and the dancing were all perfect. Even the sunny weather and romantic sunset created a warm and loving atmosphere. It was as if the whole universe bowed down to Jessica on that day; rearranging itself so that she could have the most beautiful and fun-filled wedding ever. There was nothing that Gabriel would have changed... except, maybe the end.By the time most of the guests had gone, the sky had darkened to night. The bright moon overhead gave them just enough light to start packing away all of the food and decorations. Thankfully, Cas, Dean, Bobby, and Crowley took care of most of it. Gabe, Sam, and Jane were too busy getting their kids ready for their big Honeymoon trip to Europe. Jessica and Oliver changed into more casual clothes and grabbed their pre-packed suitcases, but seemed a little nervous about traveling so far on their own. Jess seemed especially anxious and excited. Though there was eagerness in her eyes, the death grip she had on Gabe's arm spoke volumes about her fear.“You guys did so great today!” Gabriel praised in an effort to relax them, “I couldn't be more proud of you.”“Aye,” Jane wept, sniffling as she patted Oliver's shoulder, “You are both so grown up!”“Thanks, Mom,” Ollie smiled.“Have you got everything? Do you have enough Euros?” Sam asked, glancing briefly at Gabe next to him, “Gabe, did you give them enough money?”“More than they'll ever need,” Gabe nodded, adjusting Jess's cloth jacket and blonde curls, “Now, Jessie, when you get there, tell them that the reservation is under Mr. and Mrs. Winchester. And make sure they give you the top floor suite, okay? It's the biggest one they've got and that's the one I reserved for you.”“O – Okay,” Jess squeaked.Gabriel studied his tall daughter in the dim moonlight for a moment, noticing that her face was void of color. Jess was extremely pale and understandably nervous about her first night in a different country. And as a married woman. Gabriel reached up to take her face in his hands so that she would look directly at him.“It's gonna be okay, Sunshine,” he promised with a wink, “If you need help flying there, I can take you to Paris myself -”“No,” she interrupted, “I – I can do it. I'm just nervous, Papa.”“I know,” Gabriel nodded, “but don't worry. If you ever need anything, all you have to do is pray to your Papa, and I'll be there. So cheer up, baby bunny! You're going on vacation! With your husband! It's gonna be amazing!”Gabe's unrelenting enthusiasm made Jessica giggle out loud. The relief in her eyes mixed with the sound of her laugh assured Gabriel that she was going to be just fine. The archangel raised up on the tips of his toes so that he could plant a kiss to the side of his daughter's face.“We love you, Honeydew,” he reminded.“Love you too, Pop,” she replied.“You guys remember the buddy system, alright?” Sam politely instructed, “You'll be in a foreign country, so don't go anywhere by yourselves. It could be dangerous.”“It's our Honeymoon, Sam. I don't think we're going to let go of each other for a few days,” Ollie mentioned as he reached out to take Jess's hand.Jess and Jane both giggled at Oliver's humorous comment.“Yeah,” Gabe agreed, “Besides, our little girl can smite bad guys with the best of them.”He patted Jessie's shoulder proudly while she hunkered down bashfully. A brief moment of silence entered the conversation as the two newlyweds looked at each other.“Ready to go?” Ollie mumbled.Jessica bit her lip and nodded, before turning her attention back to her parents. Gabe and Sam quickly circled their arms around each other and gave her bright smiles. In that moment, Gabriel was so happy for his bunny. She was finally married and about to go away on a four-day trip with her new husband. It was more than Gabriel could ask for.“Bye, guys,” Jessie smiled, waving with her free hand.“Bye,” Gabe, Sam, and Jane all said in unison.Again, Jess and Oliver looked at each other with a pair of giant smiles before disappearing from the playground, hand-in-hand. And as he blinked at the vacant spot before him, Gabriel's mood suddenly took a downward curve. Oh. His baby was an adult, now. She had Oliver to take care of her. She didn't need her parents anymore...Having that feeling – the feeling of not being required in his daughter's new adult life – was the only thing that Gabriel would have changed about her wedding day.Of course, he tried his 'trickster best' to hide it. Once the kids were gone, he followed Sam and Jane back to the reception area to help everyone else pack stuff away. With his grace, he disassembled the tents, folded all the chairs, and rolled up the white runner. But his smile was gone. Jessica had taken it with her when she left. Gabriel knew that he shouldn't feel the way that he did, especially after the wedding had been so perfect. But he couldn't help himself. His only child was all grown up. His baby wasn't a baby anymore. Jessica helped Gabriel grow just as much as he helped her. He owed her a lot. And now, he missed her terribly.It was nearly midnight by the time the rest of the Winchesters made it back to the bunker. Everyone's formal attire was disheveled and relaxed from hours of dancing and partying. And they were all chatting and laughing, retelling stories from the wedding and of Jess and Oliver themselves. Michael and Adam had followed everyone back to the bunker, too, and Castiel and Dean showed them around. Jude and Clare took a detour to the kitchen to dig into a late night snack. The whole underground palace was quiet and calm... which somehow made Gabriel feel worse.The archangel struggled to keep up with his husband as they wandered to their bedroom. Sam led the way in and Gabe shuffled over to plop himself on the edge of their bed. He didn't know what to say or do. He only sat their and stared at the floor, trying so hard to make his terrible emotions go away. In the meantime, Dickie – still in his handsome white bow tie collar – hopped up on the bed to dig his head under Gabe's arm. The dog looked up at him with those adorable puppy eyes and Gabe could tell that he was trying to make his owner feel better. Gabe slowly pet Dickie, but he still felt like shit...“Gabe.”The archangel sighed at the sound of his husband's voice. Gabe didn't really feel like talking. Could Sam tell?“Yeah?” Gabe asked without turning around.“Gabriel,” Sam called again.With a dramatic huff, Gabe spun around on the bed to see what his husband wanted. Sam had climbed into bed and was now laying shirtless in the sheets. There was a very sexy and suggestive smirk on his pretty face, too; one that Gabriel didn't see very often. Once Gabe's eyes were on him, Sam took hold of the blanket and tossed it back – revealing that he was wearing a pair of boxers that had the Canadian flag on them. The trickster's jaw dropped as he looked down at the red and white maple leaf logo covering his husband's crotch. That was Canada's flag! Where did Sam get that?! When Gabe looked back up to the kid's face, Sam raised up his other hand from the side of the bed, bringing a plate into view that held a slice of cherry pie. Not just any pie. The sexy pie...“Will you help me eat this?” Sam asked, lifting his eyebrow, “... Eh?”Gabriel's mouth fell open with a smile. He did it! He did the thing! Sam actually said something in a Canadian accent! Gabriel's fantasy had come to life! Instantly feeling a thousand times better, Gabriel scurried over to throw himself onto his husband, tackling the moose with a fit of excited giggles and kisses. He curled himself around Sam like a koala again, holding onto the kid for dear life. During his entire pouting session, from the time Jess left until now, Gabriel had forgotten one thing – that Sam Winchester, the very reason Gabriel had a perfect life in the first place, had never left his side.“Sammy,” Gabe sighed, looking up at his handsome face, “You're the best damn moose in the whole wide world.”Sam smirked and nodded, looking extra sexy as some of his long hair fell around his face.“I know,” he winked, “Now, are we gonna eat this or what? My arm's getting tired.”Gabriel grinned as he took the plate from his husband and cut a bite with the fork. He fed the bite to Sam, but immediately kissed him afterward, making the spiked cherry filling smash between their tongues.“I hope you brought the lube, kiddo,” Gabe mumbled between kisses, “'Cause I'm about to mount your flagpole.”Sam's laughter broke their kiss again.“I sure did,” he agreed proudly. After saying goodbye to her parents – all three of them, including Ms. Jane – Jessica turned to her new husband for comfort. Ollie was beaming so brightly, looking so excited to start their vacation that Jess couldn't help but smile back. The weight of her wedding day anxiety was gone, and now she got to go have an awesome Honeymoon with her Ollie-pop. With their hands clasped and faces full of delight, Jess flew them both away from the playground.In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Papa explained everything Jess needed to do in order to transport herself straight to Paris. The flight there was slightly longer – by about three quarters of a second – since it was on the other side of the world, and she had to aim a little lower because of the changes in sea level. But Jess had always been good with flying. She confidently landed with Oliver on a side street, where a few mopeds were parked in a row. By the cobblestone walkways, the smell of freshly baked bread, and the dim lantern street lights, Jessica knew she had come to the right place. She and Oliver looked around in the dark for a moment in astonishment at all the beautiful scenery.“Whoa,” Ollie breathed, “What time is it here?”“Well, it was about nine-thirty back home. So it's probably four-thirty in the morning here,” Jess quickly calculated.“Can we still check in this late at night?” he asked.“I'm sure Papa called ahead and made arrangements,” Jess sighed with a smile, “Come on. He told me the hotel was nearby.”With their luggage in hand, the newlywed couple wandered down the streets of Paris to find their temporary lodgings. A building matching Papa's description of the place came into view and Jess led her new husband inside. Luckily, the lobby was still open. There was a nice lady at the desk who, thankfully, spoke English. She checked the couple in and handed them the key to their room, informing them with a friendly smile that it was on the very top floor. Ollie nodded and took the key before offering his arm back to Jess. The two of them quickly boarded an elevator and headed for the top floor.On the way up, though, Jessica started to feel a little nervous. This was her Honeymoon, which meant that she and Ollie were supposed to 'consummate' their marriage. Jess and Ollie had already had sex plenty of times, but this time it was going to be different. It was meant to be different. This would be their first time having sex as husband and wife. In her mind, Jessica knew that those were just silly titles and that being married didn't really change anything about their relationship. But her body couldn't be convinced of that. Her hands were already trembling with nervousness. 'Relax,' she tried to tell herself, 'It's just you and Ollie.'The loud elevator 'ding' made Jessica jump out of her own thoughts. The doors opened to reveal a long hallway and Oliver instantly tugged her along. The white walls and patterned carpets in the hallway were so lovely. Jess tried to use the sight of the hotel to calm herself further. Maybe she should think of it more as a vacation than a Honeymoon. However, just as Jess thought this, Ollie stopped short at the door to their room and dropped his luggage.“Wait,” he smiled.The handsome ginger used the key to open the door before turning to grin at Jess. Without so much as a warning, Ollie scooped her up into his arms, making her gasp and drop her suitcase with a smile.“Ollie!” she grinned, clinging to his neck, “What are you doing?”“I've gotta carry you across the threshold,” he explained, “Rowena says is good luck.”Jessie giggled, not only because of the adorable way Ollie was struggling to walk with her in his arms, but also because of aunt Rowena. That clever witch had found a way to sneak as much good luck as she could into Jess's wedding day. Even when she wasn't there... Once they were in their room, Ollie sat Jess on her feet and dashed back to get their suitcases out of the hall. In the meantime, Jess looked around at their fancy living quarters. From the light fixtures to the hand rolled towels, everything about their room was absolutely gorgeous. But something on the bed caught Jess's attention.There, sitting side-by-side on the stack of pillows, was Jess's stuffed bunny and Oliver's stuffed unicorn.Jess gasped and dashed over to pick up her familiar childhood plaything. How did her bunny get here?! And Ollie's unicorn! Who put them in their Honeymoon suite? It wasn't until she looked back down at the bed that Jess noticed a little note laying with them. She picked it up to read the messy handwriting, which could belong to no one else other than her Papa.
Home is wherever you make it, Sunshine. Have fun! We love you! - Papa
P.s. I left a jar of cherries in the side table drawer, in case you want to give them another shot. ;)
The note began to blur as tears raised in Jess's eyes. Wow. Papa must have come after their talk that morning. He must have found Jess's bunny and Ollie's unicorn and flew all the way here to put them in their suite before the wedding even started! Papa was so unbelievably sweet! Jessica had the best parents in the world!“Freddie?” Ollie asked.Jess's husband walked up to the bed with his mouth open to pick up his old stuffed unicorn.“H – how did he get here?” he asked.Jessica quickly tucked the note away into her pocket before Ollie could see it. She didn't want him to read the part about the cherries and get any ideas.“Uh, I think Papa brought them,” she explained.“Huh,” Ollie nodded, “That was nice of him and all... but I doubt that Freddie and your rabbit will want to see what's about to happen in this room...”Jessica giggled. If stuffed animals could talk, theirs would already have a lot to say...“We'll just have to cover their eyes, I guess,” she shrugged.Ollie smiled back at her as he tossed his unicorn back on the bed. An odd silence filled the room as the two of them stared at each other. They both knew what was about to happen... but Jess wanted to postpone it for a little longer.“Let's go see what kind of view we got,” she suggested.She turned to head for the other side of the room before Ollie could reply. Though, she heard his footsteps following her. Instead of a window, Their room had a set of glass doors that led to a balcony outside. Jess unlocked the doors and opened them up to see Paris sleeping far below. The city was clear and quiet, nestled softly underneath the giant moon overhead. But in the distance, the Eiffel Tower was all lit up and glowing like a Christmas tree. Jessica sighed with contentment and wonder as she leaned against the metal balcony and gazed out at the amazing sight. It was so beautiful! She couldn't believe she was actually standing there; right in the heart of Paris.“Isn't it the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?” she asked out loud to Ollie.Ollie inched closer to the railing and shrugged.“Um... not really,” he mumbled.Jessica instantly shot him an odd look. What? Ollie didn't think the nighttime view of Paris was beautiful? Was he out of his mind? His deep brown eyes eventually turned to meet Jess's stare and her confusion made him gulp.“I mean, it's nice and all,” he quickly corrected, gesturing to all the scenic grandeur of Paris, “but the most beautiful thing I ever saw... was a little blonde girl running up to me on the playground, with dimples and a huge smile, asking me if I wanted to play on the swings...”Goosebumps sprang up on Jess's entire body as she stared up at the man before her. Oliver was talking about the day they met; the first time he saw Jess, so many years ago. He still remembered it in fine detail, even though they were only three at the time. And Jessica was at a loss for words. Wow. He really thought she was the most beautiful thing in the world...With more tears threatening to fill her eyes, Jessica quickly reached out to clutch handfuls of Oliver's shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. A cool night breeze swirled around them, making her blonde curls and his orange strands toss around their heads. Jessica loved Oliver so completely in that moment. All her anxiety melted away, leaving only the hope, excitement, love she had built up all day. She wasn't afraid to make love to him, anymore. Now, sex seemed like the only way she could properly express how much joy she was feeling.The two of them stumbled back into their fancy hotel room, slowly tugging at each others' clothes along the way. They left the balcony doors open, letting the soft breeze enter the room behind them. The room was still dark, because neither of them had taken the time to turn the lights on, but they made it to the bed anyway. Ollie plopped down first followed by Jess, who hovered over him to keep their mouths connected.Oliver's hands were soft and delicate as he began to remove Jess's clothing. She tried to copy his pace, sliding his shirt up to expose the ginger hair on his bare chest before reaching down to undo his belt. At some point during their eager disrobing, their stuffed animals were knocked off the bed. Jess noticed it, but she thought it was for the best. Ollie was right, they didn't need to see what was about to take place...Between the sensual touching and the desperate kissing, Jessica was already slick. By the time they were both naked and ready to line up, she had already spread her legs and started to tangle them around Ollie's warm waist. The lack of light in the room seemed to make it difficult for him to feel where he was going, though, because his erection kept poking her in all the wrong spots.“S – sorry,” he breathed after a minute or so of searching around, “I can't see a thing.”Instead of pausing their encounter to get up and turn on the light, Jessica simply huffed a breath and let some of her grace shine. Her whole body instantly glowed with a golden light, giving Ollie a perfect view of her splayed out beneath him. He took a second to stare at her form before finally lining up. It didn't take Oliver much effort to slide inside. The hot shaft filled Jess's opening to the max and she tossed her head back with a loud moan. Holy shit, that felt so good! She forgot just how much she loved feeling Ollie inside of her.Ollie whimpered and started thrusting, gently bouncing the comfy bed as he moved. The motion caused Jess to moan again and reach up to hold his freckled face. Her glowing hands must have felt good to him, because he nuzzled deeper into her palms and let out a groan of his own.“Oh – Oh man,” he huffed, already out of breath, “Jess, you're so beautiful like this.”Jessica assumed that Ollie was talking about the fact that her skin was still glowing. She was glad that he found it so enjoyable, because it felt better for her, too. It felt like Ollie's erection was reaching further inside of her somehow; like he was penetrating her soul as well as her body. With a whimper, Jessie raised up to smoosh their mouths together again. She deliberately rolled them over so that she could be on top for a second and stare down at him. Ollie's skin glistened in her golden glow as she began to bounce on his lap. He looked so handsome this way; so vulnerably innocent and sweet.“I – I love you,” Jess whispered between panting breaths.Ollie climbed up to one elbow so that he could hook his other arm around Jess's back. The two of them were grinding together in a sitting position, hugging and kissing while Jess's hair fell around their heads.“Te amo, mi angel,” Ollie groaned deeply.An erotic cry fled Jess's mouth as she clinched hard around her husband's hard shaft. She was used to Oliver speaking Spanish sometimes, but during sex? His accent voice seemed to reach deep inside of her and pleasure her more than physical contact. Jess bounced harder, feeling herself getting closer to the end.“S – say something else,” she whispered, clinging to Ollie's warm face.Oliver practically read her mind, because he knew that she wanted to hear more Spanish.“Mi amo,” he panted, “Mi angel... Mi mujer... te amo...”“Ahh!” Jess cried.She let her head fall back again as she arched her back, letting Ollie hold her steady as she slid up and down the length of him. Between his voice and the constant pounding of his member inside of her body and grace, Jessica found herself on the edge of orgasm. Their inner thighs were soaked from her arousal, which made them slip and slide against each other. Ollie thrust while Jess bounced, creating a perfect pace. Pleasure echoed up from between Jess's legs, growing and mounting until it reached point where she couldn't hold it back any longer.“O – Ollie!” she whimpered, “Ah! Yes!”Jess's moans and shouts filled the silent room, accompanying the sound of Oliver's harsh breath. She could feel herself quaking around him, clenching hard against his sliding member while she lost control. Her mind was momentarily clouded with raw pleasure, taking away all her thoughts and leaving it blank. The only thing she could do was grip her husband and mutter his name while her toes curled.It wasn't until she felt herself being twisted around that Jessica blinked her eyes open. Ollie had laid her back down on the bed so that he could resume the top spot. He was rocking hard and fast into her, making the whole bed shake. Ollie looked extremely close to his own orgasm. Jessica did everything she could to help him along; tightening her muscles, raking her fingers down his back, moaning his name with reverence.Oliver's orgasm came in a sputtering yelp. His brown eyes blew wide and he thrust erratically, slurring more Spanish phrases as he blinked down at Jess. She could almost feel him spurting inside of her, filling her with warm fluid. It was such a strange sensation, because she could almost feel it in her soul somehow. Oliver was so deep inside of her in every way possible...After his roaring assent to ecstasy, Ollie slipped down to lay on top of Jessica. His trembling hands found their way into her hair where they twitched and wiggled around slowly. His hot breath panted against her neck and she breathed harshly under him as well. Their first round of sex as a married couple might have been over, but the effects were still lingering.“That... that was awesome,” Ollie grinned.Jessica giggled as she nudged her legs against Ollie's hips.“Yeah,” she agreed contently, “I'm just glad we waited until we got to Paris to do it. Instead of, you know, in an airport in front of your family.”Oliver's laugh made Jess's whole face light up.“Yeah, that would have been pretty weird,” he chuckled, “Good thing your dads showed up to prevent that one.”The mention of her parents made Jess's smile falter a bit. Her golden grace dimmed until the room was dark again. Even though she was on her Honeymoon, and literally laying with her husband after sex, she missed her dad and papa a lot. Her whole family, even. But she tried to remind herself that they were all fine. They were all back at the bunker. At home. And she would be back with them soon.Oliver's hand untangled from Jess's hair and tilted her chin toward him so that he could find her lips in the dark. He kissed her gingerly before breaking away to breathe.“I meant every word I said today,” he whispered, voice calm and full of honesty.Jessie's smile returned at full power as she recalled the vows they made to each other in front of Grandpa Chuck.“So did I,” she assured.Though it was dark, Jess imagined that Ollie was smiling back at her. His head eventually fell back against the pillow and he shifted his weight off of her so that they could lay side by side. Jess instantly rolled over to face him and curl her arm around his back. They were sharing the same warm breath in the same bed, just like Jess always imagined.Across the room, the balcony doors were still open, leaving Paris within sight. Jess tried to catch a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower from her current position, but all she could see was the dark sky slowly turning purple with daylight. It wouldn't be long before the sun came up on this part of the world. After a few hours of sleep, Jess and Ollie could go out and explore all of Paris; holding hands while they browsed bakeries, museums, historical places. The thought made Jess beam with excitement.Still, after her long, eventful day, Jess's body was tired. She yawned and snuggled in close to Ollie, finding comfort in his familiar scent. She felt more relaxed in that moment than she had all week. The bed was cozy, her head and heart were calm, and every thing was peaceful...But there was a tiny, tingly sensation growing near the base of her stomach. Jess tried to ignore it as she rolled flat and placed her hand over the spot. It was probably just a little leftover pressure from having sex. Even so, it made her wonder...What was causing that strange sensation?