Rating: PG-16

Sam and Joshua left the room when Dean entered to speak with John.
“I feel like I need to apologize again for giving you such a hard time about putting your family in front of everything else,” John volunteered.
“Don’t worry about it; I didn’t mean to be disrespectful to you before either,” Dean said as he cleared his throat.
“Have a seat,” John said as he pointed to the chair closest to the sofa where he was sitting.
Dean handed him the papers that Cassie had given him to review.
“What are these?”
“Information that may help us get rid of this curse,” Dean said as he looked at John for the first time closely.
The lines around his eyes were more pronounced and dark circles were under them. He looked tired though he had plastered a smile on his face for his middle child.

Sam sat at the kitchen table re-reading the note from Missy while Joshua put together a snack for them in the kitchen.
“Do you want to talk about it you’ve already read it at least five times.”
Sam hesitated he knew Joshua didn’t need any thing else on his plate right now.
“Whatever you have to deal with Sam, I am here to help you, besides I haven’t had the chance over the years,” Joshua said with a grin.
Sam told him about the note and Joshua wasn’t surprised; he let Sam know that whatever decision he made would be fine with him. Sam left to go call Missy after he ate his sandwich and thanked Joshua.

Joshua was the first to hear the high pitch sound of Jessica’s cry, the sound that would make you think someone had poked her with a diaper pin. He rushed up the stairs two at a time, a few seconds later Sam came up behind him. They knocked on the door.
“Cassie, you okay in there?”
Cassie opened the door with the crying baby in her arms; she looked upset.
Jessica reached for Sam as soon as she saw him. Her affection for him was only second to that of her father, they both were close to her little heart. She immediately settled down to a whimper as she put her head on his shoulder. Cassie went to sit on the bed just before Sharon opened the door across the hall. “Everything okay?”
“It’s fine,” Joshua said before convincing her to go back in the bedroom.
“You okay?” Sam asked Cassie.
“That thing was here again; he harassed me saying that Jessica will die, that I should have chosen some other family to marry into. I tried not to respond with anger but it just pisses me off."
Joshua smiled at her.
“We all have a right to be pissed off don’t feel bad about that; I’m just glad you two are okay,” he said. Sam agreed as Jessica began to fall asleep on his shoulder. Sam smiled at the baby as she looked at him. She’s so innocent.

Sam’s phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out with one hand and gave to Cassie to keep from dropping the baby.
“Hello?”
“Are you okay up there?” Dean asked.
“We’re fine, that thing was here again. Joshua and Sam are up here talking to me.”
“Good I was just checking.”
“Thank your Dad for having you call,” she said with a smile.
Dean laughed.
“I will; see you in a bit.”
Cassie looked as Joshua as he was hovering while he watched Sam put the sleeping baby in the crib. “Thank you for coming to our aid,” Cassie said as they were leaving.
They both gave her a hug at the door.
“We’re here for you; no matter what that thing says we’re all glad you’re part of our family, Cas,” Sam said.
“I know,” she said with a weak smile.
Joshua agreed before he went across the hall to explain things to Sharon.

“You should have gone up Dean,” John said as he frowned at his son.
“Joshua and Sam were closer she doesn’t need all of us up there just to see that thing has already gone after scaring our child half to death,” Dean said angry that is father would start on him again.
“Dean, I know you think Cassie is a strong woman but she is still a woman. I feel like you have spent way to much time Not giving her your time its what women need most. The thing is I know you love her but, son, women need that to be demonstrated to them and not just physically.”
Dean looked at his father for a moment all the while biting back the things he wanted to hurl at him verbally. It’s been twenty two years since he had a woman and he wants to give me advice. Children also need their parent’s time.
“Maybe you’re right but the reason she and I have had so little time together is because I was off following your orders instead of taking care of my own wife and daughter. The last month we have had that chance to spend time together and as much as I hate what happened to her I don’t regret being there for her. When you lost your wife it was over she died; but my wife had to go through the pain and guilt of wondering what she could have done to avoid being violated; you have no idea what it’s like to watch someone you love go through that besides I vowed to always have her best interests at heart. She understands that but at times when I fear she has forgotten we deal with it again. Don’t ever think that I’ve neglected her or don’t realize that she is a vulnerable woman,” Dean said as he angrily wiped tears from his eyes while he stood with his finger in his father’s face.
John was quiet.
“I’m sorry, you’re right. I have seen that you love your family and I’m proud of you for it. You have done better than I ever did,” John said.
Dean sat down and ran his hands through his hair as he took a deep breath.
“We should go over these pages,” John said trying to ignore the fact that this was one of the few times he had seen Dean cry.
Caring doesn’t always make one weak because it can also make you strong.

Joshua didn’t know where to start in explaining things to Sharon. Here their home had been invaded by his relatives that he barely knew but he felt closer to all of them including Cassie than he did to his own wife. She just stared at him.
“I know you may not believe this,” he began. He told her everything from what he had read in the journal that night to why the Winchesters where all gathered in their house. The only thing he left out was his gift because he still wasn’t sure if he and Sharon were headed to divorce court and he needed his ammunition to keep his children. After he was done telling his story Sharon just looked at him before she began to pace the room. She had one hand on her hip the other to her lips.
“So we are all in danger here?” she asked.
“No real danger we just have to remain calm as we work out the solution.”
“They want to kill our son and I have to be calm….?”
“Sharon, we will get this figured out.”
“What was going on with that poor baby over there?”
He explained about Jessica’s gift hesitantly. He really wished he had consulted with one of his brothers before telling her; Sharon might panic and make things worse. He took her hand and led her to the bed.
“Look at me please.”
She raised her eyes to his. “I will not let anything happen to you or the kids, I promise,” Joshua said as he saw a glimpse of the woman he married.
Sharon went into his arms as Joshua tried to turn off his mind. He didn’t want to know whether she was thinking of him or her lover. It hurt his heart that she was “fooling around” on him. He wanted to kill the scrawny SOB that was screwing his wife; but he had mixed feelings about her because he still loved her despite her treatment of him.

“So the legal rights come into play because of Mary’s involvement in the Coven?”
“Not just because she signed the papers but because what it stands for its against God and all that is good,” Dean said reading the sheet.
“Okay, so those in the Coven spoke this curse?”
“From what I’m reading here is not a particular curse but it can be anything; like Joshua and I discussed earlier that they have had to make changes best on what we have done. But since they have the Legal Rights because of the sins in the family, they were able to do that.” Dean said.
“Yea, it actually doesn’t look that complicated as far as the why’s of how it happened,” John said. “But Dad, we were wondering, do you know if Mom was raised in the Coven maybe her mother was in it also which would account for the continuity of this thing. I mean they took two people that have connection with our family already. Why do they still want more of our blood?”

John shook his head.
“I’m sure your mom never thought that her activities would have such a profound effect on her family. I don’t think she meant to hurt anyone,” John said. Dean nodded. He knew his mother for only four short years and she had seemed perfect to him, of course, he was young.
“So by the time I was born only a year later you and mom thought everything would be fine?” John nodded unable to express what he really thought. “Why would you think that? After what you went through to hide Joshua you really believed everything would just fall into place?” Dean asked surprised by his parent’s ignorance.
“Dean, I was still in the dark your mother would leave for hours at a time but she insisted we would be fine. I wanted to believe her; I hope you can see I…..wanted to trust her I loved her so much. She wasn’t evil; when she was around we were a regular happy couple.
Back then we were normal.”
“So you shut your eyes to what was going on for the sake of normal then we had to live the most dysfunctional life possible to compensate?”
John hated this but he knew Dean was right. He had literally tortured his boys trying to get vengeance when he could have simply talked some sense into his wife over twenty years ago. Dean looked at his father he knew John was hurting, he was hunched over on the sofa looking down at his hands, he should stop badgering him but the feelings had built up inside him all these years. His obedience had been a mere reverse reflection of the anger against his own flesh and blood.

Sam got up the next morning early to go pick up Missy at the airport. He had missed her so much. Their engagement seemed to be going on forever he needed to just go ahead and marry the only other woman he had loved besides Jessica. Her face lit up when she saw him. I can’t believe I waited this long to see him; it’s been almost a month. I missed him so much. She was wearing a pair of khaki slacks with a red top that brought out her green eyes. They embraced right away then he kissed her for so long she began to get embarrassed afraid that people were watching.
“Feeling amorous are we now?” she teased him as they headed to the car.
“Yes I am,” he said as he took her hand.
Sam had the perfect set up at Joshua’s since he had been moved out to the pool house with the appearance of Dean, Cassie and the baby. Him and Missy would have time alone for the two days she was visiting. Cassie had been glad that Missy wanted to visit Sam and Joshua was happy for his little brother, he hadn’t hesitated to tell Sam it was fine to have her come stay. They had plenty of room in their home.
In the car, Missy stopped him before he started the engine.
“Can we talk for a minute?”
Sam nodded.
“I don’t know how to say this other than to just spill it.”
“Go ahead,” he replied unsure if the news would be something he wanted to hear.

Dean went up to the bedroom around six a.m. and found Cassie lying in the floor near Jessica’s crib. “Cas?”
Then he shook her; she looked at him strangely before she realized she was on the floor.
“Why are you on the floor?”
“I was watching Jessica sleep I must have fallen asleep myself,” she said as he helped her up.
Dean guided her to the bed as she assured him she was fine.
“You have to be exhausted you should rest,” she said before the both heard Jessica moving around.
Dean got up to go get her out of the crib. She smelled like a wet diaper so he reached to the diaper bag.
“No, just hold her for a moment so I can get the water ready to give her a bath."
Dean hugged her close despite the smell she was still his little “Sweet Cakes.” He kissed her forehead as she smiled at him making noises to imitate his sounds. Then he saw a strange read mark on her chin he at first thought she must have slept on one of her toys but as he looked closer his hazel eyes darkened. That thing marked my child?

TBC