Once Dean and Cassie came back from their vacation, their life went back to normal. Missouri returned to Kansas, the newlyweds arrived from their honeymoon and Sam and Sara began to get used to having twins around.

When Vickie and John came to see the new babies all the older kids gathered around to watch Grandpa John as he held one baby in each arm while he awed over them.
“They are so beautiful,” he said with a grin.
“Double trouble,” Sam said with a smile.
“I bet,” Vickie said.
Alexis was speechless she could only grin while she held Cassidy in her lap while Deanna sat quietly beside her with the hope they could talk or watch a video.
“They are actually very good,” Sarah said from her stance beside Sam.
“Not noisy at all,” Cassie teased them.
“Nope,” Dean said as he held Cassie in his arms.
Everyone smiled at the two of them, they still glowed from their time spent alone. It was obvious Missouri’s gift had done them good. It wasn’t as though they fought all the time but they just needed a chance to get away from the kids for a while. John had insisted it should be a requirement for parents to be child-free at least once a year. He also told Sam and Sarah they would soon understand his recommendation.

Dean watched the kids as they played in the room before bedtime that night. Marty and Jason pretended to wrestle while Deanna played at brushing her sister’s hair, she was happy because her wish for Alexis to hang out with her had come true. The teenager had stayed behind while John and Vickie had gone home. She watched a movie with the kids before Dean had taken her back because of an early class the next day.

Dean smiled, that was an improvement. Before Cassidy would scream if Deanna touched her hair let alone put her hands in it.
“That’s enough you two time for bed,” Daddy Dean said as he picked up the book to read before he left them for the night.
He sat on the floor and they all gathered around him. Cassidy took the spot in his lap as she smiled up at him. Dean read as he made careful gestures to avoid hitting her in the face, while the bigger kids laughed and enjoyed the story. Cassie stood at the door as she watched them, before Dean motioned for her to come in. Jason moved from his place beside Deanna to sit in his mother’s lap. Cassie grinned as she smiled at Dean. Jason was her son for all intent and purposes and he loved to be near her. It was something that calmed her at the oddest times. He leaned against her chest as she put her arms around him. Dean could not imagine Courtney being half as good with Jason as his Cassie. He smiled at her with approval in his face.

After they put the kids down for the night, they took a slow shower with more than a bit of lovemaking thrown in before they got in bed. Cassie lay in Dean’s arms with a grin on her face.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing, I am just happy.”
“I saw Jason snuggled up with you. I think I may be jealous,” he teased.
“He is a sweetheart, he gets it from you, you know.”
“Oh ma’am you’re making me blush.”
She laughed. He pulled her closer to his side. She bit her lip.
“Sometimes I think of, when I almost died and it makes me sad that it took that for me to see our lives clearly.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t explain…, but the incident changed my way of thinking about us. I don’t want to waste time fighting with you, I just want to enjoy our time together with the kids. I want us to really get to know them. It’s important to understand how special they are and always let them know we love them.”
He held her closer as she put her head on his shoulder. “I agree.

Two months later
Sam and Sara had come back from the doctor’s appointment with the twins just before dinnertime. Sarah was upset as she insisted that Sam was never around to help her and she was exhausted. Sam had begun school, work and did not have energy for much else after studying when he came home. They rarely talked because Sarah was asleep by the time Sam got into bed after his studies. Then Sarah got up for the babies feedings in a daze but tried to be quiet to keep from awaking Sam.
“So this is it? This is going to be our lives from now own?” she asked quietly to avoid waking the babies.
“Sarah, you knew I was going to be busy, we discussed the options forever. I do the best I can to help out but I am being stretched to thin right now,” Sam said as he tried to pull her into his arms.
She pushed him away with anger in her face.
“Yeah I guess I knew but it just feels like I am in this alone, Sam. I don’t like that feeling, these children are both of ours not just mine,” she said.
He should have been studying instead of arguing but he did not think it was the best idea to bring that up to his angry wife. Sarah looked at Sam, before she sighed. She loved him so much, he had brought love and joy into her life. Until Sam, she had not thought she would find a man that wasn’t after her money. Maybe she was being a nagging wife. He had taken on a lot of responsibility, she did not want to drive him away. She would hate it if he found solace with another woman because of her attitude.
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean for you to feel alone. Sarah you know I love you. I will do better, I will do whatever possible to show you I am here for you, okay,’ he said as he stroked her face.
“You are right, I guess I just miss you being around all the time. It’s selfish.”
“No its not, oh Honey, you have every right to want me here but keep in mind I am trying to give us a future.” “Sam I have money you don’t have to work, you could just go to school.”
Sam shook his head.
“I really want to be the one to bring home the money. We can use yours for fun stuff like trips if you don’t mind.”
“So we are saving for our own place?”
“Absolutely.”
“I like that idea,” she said with a sigh as he kissed her.

They made love quietly and gently. Sam knew it was okay to have sex but he was afraid of hurting her. Sarah could sense that Sam was holding back.
“Sam, it’s okay, relax. I am fine I will not let you hurt me,” she said as she moved to get on top of him.
“That’s better now you can make the rules,” he said with a grin.
Sarah smiled, how could she be angry with him. He was her hero.

When Courtney found out that Dean had moved to California with his family she was ecstatic. She didn’t know how she was going to do it but her plan was to find them and get her son back. Her first plan of action was to get a place to live out of country. She considered Mexico or Canada but chose Panama because there were not extradition laws there. Of course, if she was caught she would end up in a Panamanian jail but she would avoid that at all costs.

Courtney did all of this planning from a state mental institution that she had been placed in after she was picked up for drunk driving. At the hearing, they had declared her unstable and her parents had her institutionalized. The fact of the matter was she was delusional but far from insane. She spent her time on the internet researching and she had full access to her funds because her family did not think she was in any condition to bother with such things so they had not had her accounts closed.

Vickie and John had settled in nicely as a couple though he had begun to keep things from her concerning her ex-husband. More than once the man had shown up at his lectures to talk. He had been amiable but there was an anger about him that made John uneasy. He would come and sit in the back of the room but when all the students were gone, he would speak with John as if he was an old friend. John felt as though the man was testing him to see how he would respond. He decided next time the man came by to chat he would ask him straight out why he bothered. He wasn’t a man to be frightened but something nagged at the back of his mind about the conversations they had. Why was he hanging around? Either he was up to no good or not.

Sara was at the store with Cassie and the kids when she saw someone watching her. He looked familiar but she could not place the face so she ignored him the first few times they passed one another. The third time Izzie was crying and she did not realize that the man stood beside her until he said something.
“Sarah Blake?”
Sarah looked up from the crying baby as she put her on her shoulder.”
“Why? Oh my gosh, Clint?”
“Yes, you do remember now?”
“I thought I recognized you, I was distracted,” she smiled as she motioned at the baby.
“Oh I understand, they are so cute,” he said.
“We think so,” she beamed.
“So you are married?”
“Yes, actually I am here with my sister in law and her kids. She is around some where.”
“I saw her with you earlier, she is a biracial lady with three little ones?”
“Yeah, that’s Cassie.”
“You two have a lot on your plate it looks like.”
She nodded. Clint had been in college with Sarah years ago. They dated briefly but he broke it off after a couple of months, she was never sure why. He looked good in his khaki’s and off white polo shirt. Maybe a bit dull but very sharp. He was tall with blonde hair, glasses and nice even teeth.

Cassie walked up as they were exchanging phone numbers. She raised her eyebrow at Sarah.
“Hey, you ready?”
“Um, yeah. Cassie this is Clint an old friend, …from college.”
“Hi,” Cassie said as she grabbed a back of chips from Marty as he took them off the shelf.
“We are done shopping, kiddo,” Cassie said to her mischievous child.
Sarah said good bye to her friend before they took their little group to the counter to check out.
“Good friend?”
“We dated,” Sarah said shyly.
“I figured.”
“What? Why would you say that?”
Deanna stood between them as she looked from one to the other. She was not feeling the love it made her uncomfortable.

“Mommy don’t be mad at Aunty Sarah.”
Cassie looked down at her child.
“I’m not mad.”
“You’re not happy,” the little girl insisted.
Jason pulled Deanna’s hair.
Sarah hid a grin.
“Well, we can talk later,” Cassie said to Sarah as Deanna crossed her arms over her chest.
Sarah bit her lip. What was Cassie thinking? Just because she saw an old friend that she would be unfaithful to Sam. She put Izzie back in her seat so she could put the groceries on the conveyor. She watched Cassie as she went to move the car closer so Sarah would not have to walk so far. Cassie always tried to help her out, the twins on a day to day basis were draining her.

Sarah liked Cassie she was her best friend, especially since she had been in the Winchester family. She used to talk to a couple of girl friends from school but they were not close and she would never tell them about Sam’s real life. It was all too weird. Sarah dared to read Cassie’s mind as they rode back to the house. She hated to do it, it felt like betrayal so she stopped. She did know her friend thought that she had been too friendly with Clint. Sarah felt guilty about that without Cassie bringing it up.

Later that night while Sam and Dean where in the basement shooting pool and drinking beer Cassie spoke with Sarah in the kitchen.
“I’m not your judge, Sarah, it just didn’t seem right when I saw you with Clint.”
Cassie sat down at the table as she put a cup of tea in front of Sarah before she set her on cup down.
“You are right, but I promise I was only glad to see him because we used to be friends. I wouldn’t fool around on Sam. Hell, I don’t have energy to make love with Sam let alone with an extra man.”
“I hear you but woman who have been in your situation tend to ooze with energy when it comes to affairs, despite their hectic lives.”
“I think you watch too much Lifetime tv,’ Sarah said as she tried to lighten the mood.
Cassie didn’t go for it.
“I am being serious, but its your business. I just do not want either of you hurt. I love both you and Sam like the siblings I never had.”

“I know you do and I feel the same so does Sam.”
“So does Sam what?” Sam asked from the doorway with a grin on his face.
It was the first time in a long while that he didn’t have to study since it was between semesters. “Hey Sweetie,” Sarah said as she gave Cassie as pleading look.
Sam went to her to pull her in his arms.“You two discussing us numbskulls?”
“Something like that,” Cassie said as she got up from the table with her cup.
“See you in the morning, love birds,” she said as she left the kitchen.
“Night Cas,” they both said to her retreating back.
Dean was in the shower when Cassie got into the bedroom. She undressed quickly to join him. He smiled when he saw her as she slid in behind him.
“You must have shower radar,” he teased as she pulled her to him for a watery kiss.
“You could call it that,” she said.
TBC

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