Rating:PG-16

Cassie opened the door to Sam and Sara as they arrived for their holiday stay with them. Sam couldn’t hold back a grin as he saw Cassie’s pregnant belly.
“Cassie you get more beautiful every time I see you.”
“Yeah whatever, Sam get in here,” she said with a smile as she hugged her brother in law. Sara received her hug next as they came in the entryway.
“Hey Cassie, just ignore him he is such a silly goose, though pregnancy does agree with you.”
Cassie shook her head she knew they would tease her they always did but she knew it was good-natured.
Sam dropped the bags as Dee Dee rounded the corner.
“Uncle Sam, Uncle Sam,” she squealed as she went into his arms.
“Hey Dee Dee how is the birthday girl?”
“I’m three,” she replied as she put up three fingers for him to see.
“That you are and happy birthday.”
“Eat cake,” she said as she faced her mom.
“We will have cake after we have dinner; remember we were waiting for your uncle to show up. Sam put down Deana in time for to grab Jason as he came in the room with Dean and Marty.
“Uncle Sam,” the little boy said as he received his hug.
“Hey Jason, oh all of you are getting so big.”
Marty just stood in front of Sam shyly as he awaited his turn for a twirl and a hug. Sam put Jason down before he picked up the quiet one.
“And how is Marty?”
Marty, with his mother’s brown eyes and daddy’s dishwater blonde hair, grinned and hugged Sam as he quietly told him he was okay. It was funny how there was always a shy kid in a bunch.

Dean hugged Sara while his brother greeted the kids.
“Hey Sis, how is the big lug treating you?”
Sara playfully hit Dean on the shoulder after they embraced as she grinned at him.
“Not as well as you are treating Cassie we see.”
“Well, Cassie gets extra love around here.”
“Have you considered roses as opposed to lovemaking?” Sam teased his older brother as he grabbed him in for a bear hug that Dean gave into after a moment.
Dean laughed, “You know Sam, I tried that once but guess how she thanked me?”
Sam grinned, he gave up those two were meant for one another.
Cassie blushed, she would never get tired of Sam kidding Dean and vice versa, she was convinced that Dean lived for the moments he spent with his sibling.

They were all headed to the kitchen when there was another tap on the open door. Cassie looked around and saw Courtney stood there. What the?
“Dean?”
Dean looked toward the door and was as shocked as Cassie to see who was on the other side of the threshold.
“Hey I didn’t invite her and its not time for her visitation.”
Dean went to the door despite Cassie’s glare in his direction.
“We should see what she wants at least,” he pleaded.
“Yeah, lets,” Sam, said as he crossed his arms and they all looked in Courtney’s direction.

Courtney stood nervously wondering if they were going to let her in. Her son was there she should be shown some type of respect, she thought. Dean opened the door begrudgingly and stepped aside for her to enter.
{Flashback-the day in court}
All of the Winchesters were present in court when the hearing day arrived to decide if Cassie and Dean could have full-time custody of Jason. John had finally made it back to the States from his extended stay in Europe and had brought Missouri along as a character reference for Dean. She had given her deposition before court time. Sara was home with the kids but Sam was present for moral support and provided the evidence to the court to show Courtney was an unfit parent at least on her own. Courtney’s parents had cut their visit to Italy short to show up also with the high priced lawyer though there were no other relatives with them.

Courtney sat nervously as she hoped for the best. She knew her nights out on the town that Sam photographed were going to be a problem. She didn’t know how he had gotten any studying done with all the times she had seen him and his fiancé out. She was sure he had followed her though she should have figured that out a lot sooner. However, she had allowed he and Sara to take Jason to the park a few times as well as once to the zoo the other evidence was what damned her. Today was the day and nothing could be done about it now.

Dean had refused to wear a suit and tie because he knew he would have been uncomfortable but had settled for Dockers and a nice buttoned down shirt. Cassie thought he looked exceptionally nice but she was biased when it came to her handsome husband. She squeezed his hand and found it was clammy before she mouthed, “it will be okay,” to him.

Once they were all seated in front of the judge the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, literally.
“I have reviewed the evidence and testimony. Is there anything else anyone would like to add?”
Dean stood up, “Yes your honor I would like to add something.”
Cassie looked at him with surprise.
“Okay go ahead.”
“I just want you to know when I first heard about my son, Jason; I uh never intended to have him in my home full time. Its not that I didn’t care but he was something unexpected in my life, I actually thought he was a complication. Anyway, I fell in love with my little boy right away and I hope you can see we are not doing this out of spite but we believe he will be better cared for with my wife and I especially because she is a stay at home mother. That is all I wanted to add, thank you.”
“Well I appreciated you honesty and will take that in to consideration. Is there anything else?” she asked as she scanned the room one last time.

She believed every one had had their say but before she could leave the room, Courtney jumped up.
“Your honor, I’m sorry can I speak?”
“Sure go ahead,” she said as she took her seat again.
“Okay, I love my son and I know I may not have been around for him as much as I could have been but I hope you will see its better for him to be with me than his father who has so many other children.”
“I will consider what you say against everything else I have seen and heard. Anyone else?”
No one came forward so she retired to her office for a short time.
Everyone went out to the foyer to wait, though the verdict came back in less than an hour.
{End Flashback}
“What’s up?” Cassie said before anyone could speak.
“Um, I know its Dee Dee’s birthday and I was on the way to my parent’s home I thought I would stop in to see Jason.”
“Okay so you know it’s a special day for my daughter, but you want to use it to visit your son?”
“Cassie, please,” Dean said as she rolled her eyes at him.

“Courtney this is not a good time.”
“Mama,” Jason said as he came back in the room.
“Hey baby,” Courtney said as he pulled her in with him to play in the living room.
“Ugh,” Cassie said as Dean put his arms around her.
“It’s okay we don’t want to disappoint Jason now, right?” he whispered in her ear.
“No, of course not, come on Sara help me with the plates.”
Sara grinned as she followed her future sister in law.

Sara got an earful once they were in the kitchen, Cassie was livid. She had hoped having Courtney set to come visit Jason only on certain dates she wouldn’t have to worry about her just showing up. Sara agreed it was an inconvenience and probably something the judge should know about.
“Oh for certain, I will make that call first thing in the morning,” Cassie said before Dean showed up in the kitchen.
“Cassie can we talk?” he asked thoroughly expecting her to comply.
“Oh, sure,” she said as she raised an eyebrow at Sara before she followed Dean.

He pulled her into the bedroom.
“Look Sweetie I know this makes you unhappy, but please relax and let’s make the best of it. I’m not happy either you know how Deana reacts to her,” before he could finish the sentence there was a scream from the other room.
He and Cassie rushed in the living room to find Courtney holding her left hand and Deana looking angrily at her.
“Your crazy daughter just bit me,” Courtney said.
“Dee Dee we told you to stop biting,” Dean said as he picked her up as he tried to hide a grin behind her.
“Mean lady,” Dee Dee grumbled with a pout.
“Maybe but you should not bite people only food,” he said as he kissed her cheek. “Sorry,” she said as she pouted.
Courtney wasn’t impressed by the lack of discipline Dean showed to his daughter.
“Aren’t you even going to spank her?”
Dean put Dee Dee down in front of Courtney, “I sorry,” the little girl said.
“She says she is sorry, what were you doing that your hand ended up in her mouth and don’t ever call my daughter crazy again,” Dean insisted as Deana held onto his leg.
“I took one of Jason’s toys from her,” Courtney said with a frown.
“Courtney all of them share toys now, believe me the entire house is one big toy box,” Dean grinned., of course, his smile was wasted on Courtney.
“My son isn’t playing with dolls is he?”
“If he were it would be fine; besides Deana is three is not like she is into dress up at this stage,” Dean insisted as he grew tired of Courtney’s accusations that they were some how mistreating her son.

Jason took Deana’s hand as he stood in front of his mother.
“My Dee Dee,” he said as he looked at her.
“Jason,” Dee Dee said as she gave her brother a hug.
Courtney couldn’t take anymore as she headed to the door while Jason went back to play with his siblings. He didn’t seem to care too much that his mother had left though she hadn’t even given him a hug. Cassie and Dean tried not to laugh in front of the children they knew Courtney could report what happened and they would need to downplay the incident.

After dinner Cassie and Sara set up the table with the cake and ice cream just before Deana came in to see what was taking so long.
“Eat cake, Mama,” she insisted as she tried to get in her booster chair.
“Hold on miss impatience before you get hurt,” Cassie said as she put the little girl in the chair and kissed her chubby cheeks.
“Okay everyone come on in so Deana can blow out her candles,” Sara said as she went to gather the guys up.
She picked up Marty who was busy playing while Dean and Sam watched the game. She cleared her throat to get their attention.
“Boys, you are needed in the kitchen,” Sara said as Sam took Marty from her. Dean picked up Jason as Sam followed him.
“Yeah, cake,” Jason grinned.

They all sang happy birthday to the little girl and her eyes where big as she blew out her candles spewing spit across the table as she clapped her hands.
“Yeah, yeah,” she said.
Everyone laughed as Cassie was happy she had an extra cake that the rest of them would enjoy after everyone watched Deana eat her piece of the kids small cake with her hands. Cassie brought in the pieces from the kitchen to share with the adults, Dean was appreciative not that he minded the mess but a nice solid Pepperidge Farm Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream cake was better. Cassie knew what he liked though he had to watch what he ate as he tried to stay trim.
“Thanks, Baby,” he said as she finished handing out the cake and sat beside him.
Marty sat in the high chair as Jason was in the other booster stuffing his face. The floor would need a good cleanup once the kids settled down from their “sugar highs” and went to bed for the night.

Deana had ridden on her new Barbie wheels for the last two days but Sam’s gift was a new electronic toy that taught her letters for her age group. They decided she could play with it the next day since it was already late when they had come and she was tired after dinner and cake. Everyone sat in front of the football game though only Sam and Dean were into it. Deana lay across Cassie’s lap while Jason made himself comfortable with Dean. Marty had migrated to Sam’s lap after dinner and there he sat with his thumb in his mouth as he nodded off. Sara smiled at her peaceful surroundings as she longed to have a family of her own with Sam. Sam looked over at her and she hoped he wasn’t reading her mind somehow. He smiled as he put Marty on his shoulder to take him to his bed. Sara nodded then followed him as together they put his pajamas on and laid him down for the night.
“We have a ways to go before we reach this stage, but you still want it, right?” Sara asked Sam as he pulled her close to him as they watched Marty for a moment.
“Absolutely.”

TBC

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