That night after the get together Cassie and Dean tried to explain to Deanna why she could not go around blurting out that people were bad. She looked up at her father as she sat in his lap and Cassie sat beside him.
“Why, daddy she isn’t nice,” she asked with sad eyes.
“In life sometimes we have to keep our mouths shut even though we may knows something about someone, especially with your gift,” Cassie said as Deanna bit her lip.
“It’s okay, you weren’t bad I guess we should have told you before,” Dean conceded.
“That’s true, um Dee Dee why did you say she was bad?” Cassie asked since the little girl had not seemed adverse to Vickie before.
Deanna shrugged. Cassie thought maybe it was based on what she felt from Vickie at the time. Deanna wasn’t old enough to know when to react and when not to react. Dean hugged Deanna before they got up to take her to her bed for the night.

Meanwhile, Vickie met with a couple of members of her coven though she had told John she was going back to work for a while. They sat openly in the hospital cafeteria as they discussed the Winchester situation.
“So you think John has finally caught on to what you are all about?” the nurse with the bright red hair asked Vickie.
“He has begun to give me the feeling that he suspects something is different about me.”
The only man at the table chuckled before Vickie glared in his direction.
“Can I ask why you married a ghost hunter? You had to have known he would figure things out,” the man said in a low whisper as he dared to lay his blue eyes on Vickie who was a leader in their coven.
“Don’t question my motives,” she said gruffly almost under her breath.

Vickie was inwardly upset. She loved John though their life views were totally at odds. She had hoped to change her ways but her ex husband showing up had interfered with that. He had never understood why she stayed in the coven. She had not been forthcoming about her past and he simply thought she was evil. Maybe she was evil, twisting people’s minds to do as others chose. The group was not always about helping like the “Charmed Ones” her daughter watched on television she actually wished they were at times. Instead they chose to dabble in getting political leaders to do their bidding or there was always hell to pay, literally. The ideals of the group had changed many times since she was introduced to the life by her mother when she was only a ten year old girl. Her mother had dreams that the witches would come back as a strong force for good in the world. Vickie came out of her reverie when she felt a tap on her shoulder.
“Did you hear me?” the red head asked, “Your phone is ringing.”

Cassie walked in to the house as she carried a fussy Cassidy. The little girl acted as though the world had ended as she sniffled. Cassie was surprised to walk in to the kitchen to see Dean at the table as he shared a snack with their other three children. Cassidy upped the volume of her sorrowful cries when she saw her daddy. Dean grinned at his wife as he spoke to his youngest.
“Careful with her arm Dean, she had a shot earlier,” Cassie said to him.
Dean nodded before he looked down at his daughter.
“What’s up with my little angel? Does your arm hurt?” he asked she pulled her hand free from her mother to go into her father’s waiting arms as he reached to pick her up to sit with him at the table. Her tears seemed to have momentarily dried as she gave all her attention to her father.
“Pawk,” she said as the tears ran down her face anew as she pouted for him. Dean’s heart melted. She was so spoiled but he couldn’t help it, he hated when his children cried even if they were just being brats. Deanna sighed loudly. Cassie bit her lip as she shook her head, Cassidy had learned from the best, her sister Deanna.

Cassie explained that after they had finished with Cassidy’s immunizations the little girl had wanted to go to the park and was disappointed that they needed to instead come home. Cassie also expressed that she had hurried home to relieve Sarah who had been watching the children, with no idea that Dean would be home early.
“No problem, I will take them all to the park as soon as they are done….”
“YESSSS,” Marty interrupted as he lifted his arm in an excited gesture that went array when it hit Jason’s arm allowing his sandwich to land with a plop on the floor.
Cassie tried not to laugh as Dean raised an eyebrow at his excited son. Deanna rolled her eyes, that kid.
“Oops, sorry,” Marty said to his brother who frowned forlornly as Marty picked up the sandwich before he slapped it back on his brother’s plate.
“I’ll get you a new peanut butter sandwich,” Cassie said as she raised a curious eyebrown in the direction of Marty before she went behind the counter.
“Okay so when the snacks are done I will take them down to the park for a while and you can get dressed.
Dean ran his fingers over Cassidy’s pigtails as she smiled at him. Now that she was getting her way, she felt good. Dean kissed her nose and her entire face which made her giggle, then hugged her before he put her down.

When Dean arrived back from the park, the children went to play quietly in their rooms as they awaited the arrival of the sitter for the night. He walked in the bedroom to find Cassie in a short black silk dress that hugged her curves, and sported a deep vee in the front between her breasts.
“Oh I like that, is it new?”
“Don’t ask,” Cassie said with a smile as he pulled her into his arms with his nose in her neck before it moved down to her throat. Cassie sighed.
Dean pressed his lips to hers as he savored her scent. His hands went up to the back of her dress to unzip it.
“You still need a shower and shave if you don’t hurry you will be late to get your award.”
“Oh I have my award right here,” he teased her as he cupped her head in his hands while the dress fell to the floor. Cassie sighed she didn’t want to fight him she wanted him as much as he wanted her. She giggled as she thought of how horny they both were.
She opened her mouth for him to play with her tongue while her hands were busy pulling his shirt from his jeans as she explored his muscled back. His mouth devoured her lips and she knew the kiss had been a time mistake. When he realized she was without pantyhose, their kiss went from an innocent moment to a quickie against the wall near the dresser. Cassie could only laugh ten minutes later as she watched Dean finally head into the shower to rush and shave with a smirk on his face.

When he came out in only a towel to go stand in the closet to gather his shirt and slacks Cassie considered they might be a bit later but chose to control her urges. His skin was tanned and smooth, his body was taut from neck down to his toned calves, and he smelled fresh and clean as he passed by her. She thought she needed to sit down. Dean smirked again when he saw her reaction, it wasn’t as though it where the first time but he still enjoyed that he could make her swoon with his physique. Being married isn’t half bad.

On the other side of town John spoke with Missouri over the phone.
“So you’re going to come right?” he asked.
“Sure I need a change of scenery and you seem to be doing well.”
“Oh that’s great, I think you will enjoy teaching. This entire paranormal field needs experts especially in this college level. Between the two of us maybe we can gather more people with hands on knowledge.”
“Get that there is something in the dark message to the masses,” Missouri said.
“Oh absolutely.”
“John, I’m proud of you, and I think Mary would be also.”
“Yeah about that,” John said, “There are some things I need to tell you.”
He explained to Missouri about Vickie, his suspicions, and what he had been told by Vickie’s ex plus all the things he had seen himself.

When he finished Missouri insisted she should have let him know.
“Oh God, Missouri, you felt it when you met her and you never said a word?” “John, I meant to tell you but I thought with your background you would have been aware of what you were dealing with. I’m so sorry.”
“Well no harm done except Deanna thinks she is bad,” he said with a laugh, “ I guess I wasn’t totally innocent but I do feel like she is trying to change.”
John confessed to having an idea about his wife’s past. He also had fallen hard for Vickie and believed it would all work out in the end.
“Oh.”
“Yeah, kind of like a Catholic marrying an abortion doctor, huh?”
“Uh huh.”
“Come on tell me how you really feel,” he teased her.
“John Winchester, you let me apologize,” she said with a smile in her voice. John laughed then things turned serious when he shed light on the current Vickie situation.

Sam was concerned when he arrived home to find Sarah and the twins missing. He reached to call her on her cell only to hear her in the garage a second later. He smiled when he saw her take Izzie out of the car seat.
“Hey.”
“Hey Sweetie, I was over watching your niece and nephews earlier then I had to go pick up some things,” she said as Sam removed Stewart from the car seat. “Oh, no problem I just arrived.”
Sarah smiled again as they took the twins inside. They sat them in the high chairs before Sam returned to the car to gather the groceries. Once the groceries were on the counter Sam pulled Sarah into his arms. She thought she would melt as he put his mouth to her neck just before the sound of a baby crying could be heard. Duty calls.

****
Dean and Cassie arrived at the Award dinner only twenty minutes late. The event had begun but the salads were still being served. The occasion was the semi-annual award ceremony for Dean’s job. He was receiving a productivity award for his position, that involved not only supervising but encouraging those under him to do quality work and sell services based on need, not frivolous add-ons. Cassie laughed when Dean came around to open the door for her.
“Thank you,” she said before he pulled her close for another kiss.
“What you take some Viagra today? You are awfully frisky.”
“Don’t need the stuff, it’s that damn dress it’s driving me crazy. Let’s get in here and get this over with,” he said with a smile as he took her hand, “So we can get back home.” “Great idea,” she laughed a she took her hand.

When Dean walked in with Cassie most of his fellow employees smiled and gave nods of their heads as the couple found their seats at the center table.
“Hey sorry we’re late,” Dean said as they sat down.
His boss grinned and smiled as he welcomed them. Dean introduced Cassie to the one person at the table she did not know and that was Colleen the new receptionist/cashier who happened to be leaning over speaking to the bosses wife, Erica.
“Nice to meet you,” Colleen said with a slight frown.
“You too,” Cassie said softly though she could feel the coldness in the woman’s eyes. Cassie thought they looked almost dead when they landed on her.
Dean had begun to talk to his boss and didn’t notice the chill at the table. Cassie reached for her dressing cup and poured the Italian over her salad. She munched daintily as she waited for Dean to be done with his conversation. She refused to allow the lady’s attitude to ruin her night. She looked up to see Monica smile at her and mouth that she was sorry. Cassie felt better that she had not imagined the frosty reception Colleen had given her.

After the meal but before the dessert and the award ceremony Monica met Cassie in the ladies room.
“Hey kiddo, you okay?” Monica asked with sympathy in her eyes. “Um I’m fine.” “Cassie come on I have known you a while, you walked in with a gleam in your eye now you look near tears.”
“No it’s nothing.”
“Cassie, honey, I know Dean would not cheat on you, that b*tch Colleen is a liar and maybe a slut, but ….”
“What?”
Monica shut her mouth that was flapping open. “What did you say?” Cassie demanded.
“I …. I, thought you were upset because you heard rumors, I’m sorry.”
“No, tell me what rumors?”
“About Dean and Colleen, but they aren’t true. Colleen was ….”
Cassie reached for a piece of tissue off the roll so she could pat her eyes.

“Carry on,” she said to Monica who bit her lip when she realized she may have been ruining a perfectly good evening for her friend with her gossip.
“She tried to say that she slept with Dean but he blasted her out about it. He is being nice tonight by allowing her in his presence I heard at work they are totally at odds.”
Cassie looked in Monica’s brown eyes, she believed her. The woman had welcomed her with open arms into the circle of wives. She just wished that she had not heard the gossip.
“You okay?”
“I’m good, funny, I thought she didn’t like me because of my color, silly me.”
The two shared a laugh on the way out the door.

“Well girl, that man loves you, I’m sure he didn’t mention it because it was work related and he has been quite forthcoming about his lack of feeling for Colleen. All the guys envy Dean…”
“Why?”
“Oh silly because he is the happiest guy they have met. He always talks of you and the kids. He one of only a few of the men that rushes home after work the others go hit the bars or go bowling,” she laughed.
“You are joking he worked late for weeks and weeks….”
“Yeah but it was out of need, surely you know that.”
“Yeah, I guess when Sam and Sarah left he had to make up for the loss of income in the household. My earnings most often only pay the credit cards, the few we have,” Cassie said as she bit her lip.
“See you know I’m right, he is crazy about you, everyone wants to know you secret.”
“I uh have no secret, but I guess in the back of my head I knew he was happy at home, I’m so stupid at times…”
“Don’t say that whatever you are doing don’t stop,” she said as she hugged Cassie.

Cassie was glad she knew about Colleen, she felt armed, but a bit unhappy that Dean had not warned her. Of course, as a man he more than likely assumed he was taking care of the situation no need to bring in his woman. The woman he wanted to protect from the bad things in life. The woman he constantly underestimated.

Dean smiled as he kissed her cheek when she sat back down at the table.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Fine Sweetie,” she replied before they began to call out the names for awards.
Dean’s turn came near the end, he walked up with his confident stride to grace everyone with a wide grin. Cassie smiled too, she was very proud of him. Their lives were blessed despite the beginnings, the strife, the kids, the timing and the obstacles. She felt a tear land on her cheek before she pushed it back with her finger.
“I’m not certain why they give awards for something that a person should do out of pride of self but I appreciate it,” Dean began as the people in the room laughed softly.
They all knew of his self-deprecating manner. He never treated anyone with disrespect, he was a believer in the customer being right and that quality was king. His speech was short but he thanked his family, Cassie in particular for bringing him to a place of peace so he could work and enjoy being alive. Then he pointed to her so everyone could clap, Cassie blushed as she tried to smile tear free in his direction.

***
Vickie hesitated as she stood in the garage facing the back door. She took a deep breath before opening the door to see John stood in the kitchen. She was torn, she loved John Winchester but something inside her was goading her to cause him harm. She closed her eyes as she tried to relax. She felt nauseous for a moment, but shrugged it off. But this was her destiny she married John to get rid of him, NO, she married him because she wanted to love him, to give him a time of joy after all his struggles. She bit her lip, she realized something was very wrong, she didn’t feel in control of herself.

He was setting the mircrowave but turned to face when she came in.
“Hey you, you are just in time. I’m making a fun microwave pasta dish, just enough for two.”
Vickie smiled at him as she felt sick to her stomach, “Sounds good, when will Alexis be back from Dean’s?”
“Um, they called to ask if she could stay til eleven I hope it was okay, I agreed.”
“Yeah that’s great.”
But when she turned around again her normally hazel eyes flashed black. John saw it right away but didn’t let on. Vickie still seemed to have some control. He went to the sink and poured himself some water, that in reality was holy water. When Vickie turned her back to reach under the counter John threw the water on her. The immediate reaction was that she screamed in pain, the sound broke John’s heart but he needed to know for certain what he was dealing with. When he was in mid air flying across the room, he called out her name, “Vickie, NO.”
Vickie looked at him helplessly.
TBC

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