Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sam took a week off from college after the disaster that was his nephil-napping. He spent his week off with his family. Relishing in training the new guardians, getting to know Lucifer, hunting with his brother. Things had been almost normal again. His father had been ecstatic to learn that Sam had been accepted into Stanford and that he was making friends. He’d been more than pissed to learn what had happened with the hunters. However, much like Dean, he had encouraged Sam to not allow a single mishap to derail his plans and goals. Gabriel understood the urge to run away from his problems. Sam apparently got that personality quirk from his father. Unfortunately, Gabriel also spouted, with all his years of wisdom, how he had learned from his mistakes and that fleeing the drama wouldn’t help. Sam still wasn’t sure he was ready to face Jess or any of his friends.

Gabriel and Dean had also encouraged him to partially move into the apartment in Palo Alto. It would be more believable if he had friends over and then he could really get the college experience. It wasn’t like his family couldn’t just pop in anytime they wanted to. And he could return home should he want. Not to mention weekends could be spent at home easily. Dean had spent a day helping him ‘move’ and make the apartment look more like a home and less like a hotel room. It was a very nice apartment after all, but the lack of personal objects made it look like a model or show apartment, even if it was the penthouse. Sam really hated at times that his father insisted on the best or most luxurious accommodations. Sam didn’t need a penthouse apartment to get through college and he knew it would only make him stand out worse.  Gabriel had argued that it would be much easier to throw house parties in a penthouse than it would be a smaller space. Sam had only rolled his eyes.

Now the apartment was full of throw pillows, movies, and even some of Adam and Ben’s artwork on the fridge. There were family pictures in the bedroom and the bathroom was stocked with his favorite toiletries. Gabriel had over stocked his bedside table with plenty of ‘special condoms’ which made Sam blush, but he was also grateful for. The liquor cabinet was full of different liquors and there was an entire fridge full of beer along with several taps with kegs. The kitchen was full of food, and everything almost looked like a normal human lived there. Just not a normal human college kid.

During the past week of training, Sam had gotten even closer to his adoptive siblings. They’d learned a lot about the new guardians. Ash and Charlie both had the ability to control lightning and electricity. It made sense given their tendency towards electronics. Ellen had an affinity for water, could draw it out of plants and summon it at will. Jo was able to control the winds and air. Between the mother and daughter combo, they learned that they could summon a hurricane should they desire. It was only somewhat frightening. Jo, Ellen, and Charlie could also half-shift much like Bobby and Dean. Sharp claws extending from their fingers and teeth extending to piercing points. Ash’s half shift, much like Sam, Cas, and Adam, was mostly useless. He only manifested a beak and sharp spurs on his ankles. However, like Cas and Adam, his full shift was incredibly powerful as gamecocks tended to be vicious.

The angels had all began creating their flocks, enjoying being able to create fledglings and mate. Lucifer, Michael, and Raphael had returned to Heaven after the family dinner where the newest Guardians had gained their powers, however they returned for frequent visits. Sam and Gabe had even visited Heaven a few times to spend time with the Host. Mary and John had returned to hunting, but promised to return soon to spend more time with Ben. Everything was going perfectly.

Except that tomorrow was Monday and he was supposed to go back to class.

Gabriel and Dean had encouraged him to partially move into the apartment in Palo Alto. It would be more believable if he had friends over and then he could really get the college experience. It wasn’t like his family couldn’t just pop in anytime they wanted to. And he could return home should he want. Not to mention weekends could be spent at home easily. Dean had spent a day helping him ‘move’ and make the apartment look more like a home and less like a hotel room. It was a very nice apartment after all, but the lack of personal objects made it look like a model or show apartment, even if it was the penthouse. Sam really hated at times that his father insisted on the best or most luxurious accommodations. Sam didn’t need a penthouse apartment to get through college and he knew it would only make him stand out worse.  Gabriel had argued that it would be much easier to throw house parties in a penthouse than it would be a smaller space. Sam had only rolled his eyes.

Now the apartment was full of throw pillows, movies, and even some of Adam and Ben’s artwork on the fridge. There were family pictures in the bedroom and the bathroom was stocked with his favorite toiletries. Gabriel had over stocked his bedside table with plenty of ‘special condoms’ which made Sam blush, but he was also grateful for. The liquor cabinet was full of different liquors and there was an entire fridge full of beer along with several taps with kegs. The kitchen was full of food and his car was parked in the garage. Everything almost looked like a normal human lived there. Just not a normal human college kid.

Gabriel had also agreed with Dean that he should tell his friends as much of the truth as possible. They’d prepared and discussed what Sam could explain and what he should avoid. It still felt like lying. But nobody was willing to let him drop out. Bobby had simply called him an ‘idjit’ and left it at that. Ellen was encouraging, suggesting that he talk with his friends before class, but Sam knew he couldn’t face them again. He would simply go to class on Monday and if they wanted to talk with him, they would. Simple as that.

~~

Jess hadn’t seen Sam since that awful day at the library. The arrest had come as something of a shock and horror to her. She never could have imagined a sweet person like Sam being arrested. She was planning to study psychology and felt she had a decent grasp on how people worked. He was too kind and gentle to be violent, but those FBI agents were acting like Sam was dangerous. Volatile. She didn’t know what to think now. She’d expected him to call and let her know everything was okay when he was released, because it had to be a mistake. When she didn’t hear anything over the weekend, she thought maybe he had just been embarrassed by it. She looked for him that Monday, but he never showed up for class. He didn’t come the rest of the week and Jess began to worry that she had misjudged him. Maybe Sam was a dangerous criminal. The agents had never said what the charges were after all. Maybe she should reconsider her degree plan. Now it was Monday again and Jess didn’t have much hope of seeing Sam again.

She could admit to herself that she’d had a slight crush on the guy. He was attentive, smart, kind, and oh so sexy. His eyes were an odd shade of hazel that seemed to shift colors with his mood. His shaggy brown hair always seemed to be perfectly un-styled, liked he didn’t have to try, but it still looked perfect. He dressed like he was an average guy, but Jess could tell that he was at least somewhat well off financially. His clothes may not look all that fancy, but they were well known brands and well made. The leather jacket he seemed to favor she knew had to cost hundreds of dollars due to being genuine leather. Before the arrest situation, Jess had thought that Sam could be the perfect guy. She knew they didn’t really exist, perfection was a fantasy, but maybe he was perfect for her. But now she was thinking maybe not.

She readied her things and rushed to her first class on Monday morning. She didn’t intend to be late constantly, but she always felt like she was rushing from place to place and getting distracted. Maybe she was ADHD. Who knew. Either way she rushed into the classroom and immediately froze. There was Sam. Sitting in the same seat as always, looking just as perfect as he always did. His head was down and he seemed focused on whatever was on his phone. He hadn’t noticed her yet. She could find another seat, sit far away from him. Or she could stay where he was and see if he would talk to her. She huffed. This was stupid, but she’d never been around someone who had been arrested before. Her parents had sheltered her from the rougher side of life. Sure there were kids at her school that had been troublemakers, but mostly they didn’t have consequences due to their parents getting them out of it. Sure, Sam seemed to have money, but he didn’t seem to be spoiled. He’d never mentioned his family. Jess hadn’t initially thought anything of it, but after the arrest and all the overthinking, she realized it was a little odd. Another huff and class was about to start so she made her decision. She dumped her stuff on the floor next to Sam and took her normal seat. Maybe she would get answers or maybe he would ignore her. Either way she would know how to move forward.

~~

Sam felt someone sit beside him and chanced a look in that direction. Jess. He felt his heart speed up and his grace swirl in apprehension. She shot him an odd look, but didn’t speak. He smiled tightly, put his phone away, and then tried to focus on class. For the entire hour, Sam had to actively stop himself from trying to read her mind. He didn’t want to invade her privacy that way, but he was dying to know what she was thinking. By all accounts, she should have stayed away from him, but here she was, same seat, like nothing had changed. He tried to level his breathing, making sure he blinked and everything he normally did without thinking to appear more human. However, he felt frozen. His grace locked up tight. Tense. The hour dragged by, but finally class ended and Sam rushed to pack his items. This was dumb, he was being a coward. He stopped his fumbling attempts to straighten his backpack before facing the girl who had taken up residence in his thoughts.

“Jess,” he called softly, and she looked to him warily. “Can we talk? After class?” She blew out a sharp breath and Sam braced himself for rejection. To his surprise, she nodded once.

“Library? I get out of class at four.”

“Sure.” He attempted to smile, but it felt more like a grimace. He finished packing and they both left the classroom without another word. Throughout the day, Sam noticed several other students looking at him warily. Word seemed to have spread somewhat and now Sam was back on the outside. It was nothing for a college student to be arrested for some stupid stunt they pulled. Underage drinking or the like. It was, however, very uncommon for the FBI to show up. Enough people were in the library for rumors to spread. Luckily (or unluckily depending on how you looked at it) Sam had angelic hearing and could hear what everyone was saying. Rumors were flying and most of them were absolutely ridiculous. Some people were saying he was a psychopathic murderer. Some said that he was serial rapist. Some speculated that he had been dealing high end drugs. His favorite was that he was part of a powerful mob family. If you looked at it the right way, it wasn’t particularly wrong even. His family was powerful and they did have enemies. They weren’t gun runners though. He even had one brave soul approach him after his class asking if he had any blow. Blow. It was absurd. He’d sent the poor kid a glare worthy of Lucifer and then told him that he wasn’t a fucking dealer.

Four o’clock eventually came and he found himself sitting at the same table he’d been nephil-napped at, waiting for Jess. He hoped she actually showed up after hearing all the wild theories about him. He couldn’t blame her if she didn’t. At four-fifteen, Sam was nervous. Jess still wasn’t there and everyone in the library was shooting him looked of apprehension. This day had been long and he just wanted to curl up in his bed to hide away from the world. At four-thirty he finally saw Jess step off the elevator with Brady, Becky, Lewis, and Zach. He couldn’t be mad at her for bringing in back up. They settled at the table silently, eyeing Sam suspiciously.

“Sam.” Brady greeted finally and again he tried to smile reassuringly.

“Hey, guys.”  They all nodded or grinned slightly in greeting, but didn’t talk. Sam scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and hoped he could find the right words to say. “I’m sorry if what happened the other day scared you guys.”

“What uh- what did happen?” Becky spoke up for the first time. Sam swallowed thickly and looked away. He really didn’t want to lie to them, but he knew he couldn’t tell the whole truth. A half-truth would have to do.

“My family uh- my family is… different. We have a lot of enemies. The family business kind of makes things difficult sometimes.” Fuck he was making this sound like the mob thing again. He cleared his throat and tried to start over. “My dad is powerful. He runs a private security business of sorts. People don’t really like the work he does sometimes.”

“People like the United States Government?” Zach asked suspiciously and Sam huffed out a humorless laugh.

“Nah, those guys weren’t real FBI.”

“Not real… Sam. What the hell?” Brady nearly shouted, lowering his voice only when the others shushed him. Sam glanced around the room nervously, but it seemed nobody had been disrupted yet.

“They weren’t really feds. I wasn’t arrested.”

“So you were, what? Kidnapped?” Jess asked, her innocent eyes widening slightly at the realization of what really happened. He nodded and looked away.

“Look, its complicated to explain really. But it’s been taken care of and I’m okay.” Jess and Becky looked relieved that Sam was okay and he wasn’t a criminal. Brady, Lewis, and Zach still seemed a little suspicious, but relaxed somewhat after the explanation.

“So, what kind of private security business gets you kidnapped?” Brady questioned but his face showed more confusion than skepticism. Sam chuckled slightly at the cover story his brother and father had crafted.

“Well, mostly bounty hunting and private investigating.” Dean had decided that was the best human explanation for their work and Gabriel had agreed. His father had even gone on to have Charlie and Ash create a website and legitimate business just in case anybody checked. It would also provide the family with realistic reasons to be poking around crimes without too many questions being asked. The website listed that they specialized in ‘odd and unusual’ cases. They’d already gotten one request from a family member for a case review. They’d named the company Guardian Investigations and Security. “They do some security detail work and stuff too sometimes, but mostly it’s the other stuff.”

“That’s so cool!” Lewis grinned, eyes alight with excitement. Sam shrugged it off. It was his normal or as close to his normal as he could explain to his friends.

“Does stuff like that happen a lot?” Jess’s eyes were full of worry as she asked and Sam felt a hint of guilt. He could never tell her just how dangerous his life was. It was honestly dangerous for him to even make human friends, but his family had encouraged him to try. He shrugged again, this time heavier, the weight of the building lies crashing down on him.

“Sometimes. Not a lot.” He licked his lips and looked away from his friends. “I get it, you know, if you guys want me to stay as far away as possible. Hell, I’d probably stay away from me.” Jess’s eyes softened sadly and Becky seemed to be struggling with words. It would be fine, the rejection, he could take it. It would suck, sure, but he’d be fine. He would still have his family. Jess suddenly grinned a little teasing but wholly earnest.

“You’re such an idiot.” Sam looked at her in shock and her smile only grew. “You really think we would hold that against you? I mean honestly, Sam, you were kidnapped. Sure, when rumors started spreading that you were some mass murderer, I had some reservations.” She laughed at her own snark and Sam felt his little Nephilim heart flutter. His grace was twisting itself in knots at the sound of her laugh and sight of her eyes dancing with mischief. He swallowed thickly, a blush creeping up his neck before he realized it. Jess had captivated him since she blew into the classroom like a whirlwind. The sudden realization that he most definitely was developing feelings for her was enough to freeze his grace. He couldn’t have feelings for her. He couldn’t drag Jess into his hazardous life. She was too innocent, too sweet, too perfect for him to muddy her world.

Not to mention human.

He’d realized quickly that being what he was, he would end up much like his father, jumping from fling to fling. Angels could really only mate with other angels. Sure they could get a special allowance to mate a human, but that brought on many issues that most relationships couldn’t weather. Humans died while angels rarely did. Angels could never have children with a human. Jess would age while Sam never did. It was too complicated to mate with a human.

Angels were no better for Sam. While they only saw each other as siblings much like Christians called each other ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters,’ they all saw Sam as a fledgling at best. Many were still wary of him or showed dislike of him even if none were willing to openly go against God. His pagan side was no better, he was one of the youngest pagans in existence. Plus mating a human as a pagan would help with some of the issues, but didn’t address the angel factor. It was better to just stay to himself. That was a fact no matter how much he hated it.

However, if he could ever see himself settling down with someone, it would be someone like Jess. She was gorgeous, tall and blonde with a smile that made Sam’s knees so weak his wings had to help steady him. She was the personification of organized chaos. Her class notes were immaculate if she could find them. If you managed to get her attention, it was all yours. She understood people on a deeper level than most but let them get to her enough that sometimes her emotions were too much for Sam to process. She had strong opinions of right and wrong but also knew there was a gray area where things were complicated. She loved to dance in the rain and stomp through rain puddles, but complained about how her hair would get frizzy. She never seemed to realize that she was the most beautiful person in the room. She rarely dressed up, more of a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl, but would worry about looking like a ‘frumpy hobo.’ She always made Sam’s head spin with all of the contradictions that were Jess.

“Yeah, we aren’t that stuck up.” Bradey huffed, drawing Sam’s attention back to the rest of his friends. Brady was the trust fund kid, at least more obviously than the rest of them. Jess, Zach, and Becky all came from well-off families but were more down to earth about it. Lewis was a scholarship kid much like Sam might have been. He cleared his throat and grinned a little.

“Thanks guys. Seriously.” The friends all nodded, Becky still looking at him like she thought he was crazy for ever imagining they wouldn’t want to be his friends. “How about we go to my place, dinner and beers on me.” Lewis and Zach whooped in surprise at a free meal, Jess and Becky looked excited to spend more time as a group, while Brady just seemed excited to see Sam’s mysterious apartment. After agreeing to just order pizza, Sam led the group towards his apartment. Brady had asked about needing to stop for beer, but Sam had waved him off stating that he was already stocked.

He knew it would probably be a surprise for his friends to see where Sam lived. The apartment was a bit excessive for a college student, but everything his father did was a bit excessive. The look of absolute shock on his friend’s faces when they stepped onto the elevator and he keyed in the access for the penthouse was worth keeping it a secret. They looked even more dumbfounded as the elevator opened into the apartment.

“What the hell?” Brady muttered as he wandered into the living room. Lewis and Becky were quick to voice their agreement with Brady’s shock. Jess was already wandering around the space taking everything in. He waved in the direction of the bar and told everyone to help themselves. When Dean and Gabe had helped him move in, they had human proofed the space. There was nothing that could point to anything suspicious or anything that could hurt a human in the apartment. Gabe had moved all of his non-human liquors back to the pocket house so ‘no dumb, drunk college human could screw up.’ Sam pulled out his cell phone and asked what everyone wanted on their pizzas. After an intense debate about what kind of pizza was best, Sam simply ordered one of each kind of pizza the friends said they liked. If he had too much left over, he could just call Dean later.

“Sam,” Jess called as she continued to take in the living room, alcoholic seltzer in hand.

“Yeah?”

“Why don’t you have any personal stuff here?” She was staring at a blank wall with such confusion that Sam worried she was having a stroke.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean there’s no pictures or anything.” Oh. He’d put them all in his room, not that he had many anyway. Most of his stuff he just left at the pocket house. He shrugged, aiming for nonchalance.

“I mean, there’s a few in my room. Most of them are still back home.” She was looking at him oddly again. Maybe this was something about being human he missed.

“This isn’t your main home?” Becky asked as she poured herself some type of mixed drink that looked sweet enough his father would probably drink it. He shook his head with a shy smile.

“Nah. Homes in South Dakota. This is just an apartment my dad owns. He said it was dumb for me to live in the dorms or rent somewhere when he already has this.” His friends looked slightly amazed that his father could own this place and somewhere else. Sam had briefly considered if Gabriel owned the entire building under a different name and just built it so he could have a penthouse near a college. It wouldn’t surprise him. They settled into an easy rhythm after that, drinking beer laughing and talking. About thirty minutes later the pizza arrived. It was greasy and delicious. It was the most fun Sam had had in a long time. He'd never really been able to make friends outside of Dean so it was nice to get to know new people better. The longer the evening went on and the more alcohol they drank, the closer Jess seemed to get to him. He tried to keep a distance without being rude.

Around midnight his new friends went back to their dorms. Sam crashed into bed feeling happy and excited. His new friends hadn’t rejected him over the embarrassing situation with the hunters. They had spent the evening joking, drinking, and hanging out like nothing had changed. Things were looking up.

~~

Sam went back to the pocket house for the weekend. He’d told his friends that he was flying back home for the weekend. Jess had pouted, but honestly Sam had needed some space. Jess had been flirting with him nonstop. It had been nearly impossible to resist her charms, but he had to. He couldn’t get attached and he couldn’t lead her on. It didn’t help that everything she did was sexy. It had been a while since he’d gone out with his brother and he rarely went looking for girls alone. He was beyond frustrated. He landed in the living room of the pocket house on Friday after his classes and rushed off to find Dean. He needed a night out. He found his brother attempting to feed Ben a snack in the kitchen. He ruffled his nephew’s hair affectionately as he passed by.

“Hey, little brother. What’s got you so tense?”

“What are your plans tonight?” Sam asked, feeling awkward at asking for Dean’s time when he so clearly had more important things to do.

“Don’t guess I have any. Why? What’s up?”

“Wanna hit a bar?” Dean eyed him suspiciously for a long moment before nodding to himself.

“Sure. Lemme finish up Benji’s snack and I’ll get ready to go. Just us or you wanna ask the others?” Sam shrugged, scuffing his shoe across the floor. Dean eyed him again before seeming to understand what Sam wasn’t saying. “This an ‘I need to drink my sorrows’ night or an ‘I need a wingman’ night?” Sam bit his lip and looked away causing Dean to cackle in response. “Alright then, wake Ash’s ass up and get him in the shower.” Sam nodded once and hurried towards the door inscribed with ‘Dr. Badass’ in the same font as the rest of the rooms. He knocked on the door, knowing better than to just open it. Ash blearily peeked his head out, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

“Whadda’ya want, Skyscraper?” Sam rolled his eyes at Ash’s antics.

“Get a shower and get dressed. We’re going to the bar.” That seemed to wake the man up quickly.

“Aye, aye, captain.” Ash saluted lazily and then slammed the door shut. Sam quickly made his way to his own room and changed into something a little more fit for picking up a girl. His best jeans and a burgundy henley top. Within thirty minutes the three were ready to go. Dean grabbed Sam and Ash’s shoulders and in a blink they were gone.

Sam hadn’t gotten all that used to teleporting, more comfortable with flying. He hadn’t even realized Dean could teleport with multiple people in tow like that. He looked around where they had landed. It was a hole in the wall bar that looked just nice enough to have people inside without STDs. A college bar.

“Where the hell did you bring us?” Sam asked as he tried to get his bearings and reorient himself.

“A little bar I found years ago when I was workin’ a job. Welcome to Tuscaloosa, boys.” Dean grinned as he wrapped an arm around Sam and Ash’s shoulders.

“Tuscaloosa?” Ash asked, eyes wide as he took in the wave of college students entering the bar. Dean nodded, grin still firmly in place as a young brunette eyed him. “Well roll tide roll, motherfuckers!” Ash cheered as he broke away and made his way inside. The brothers chuckled and started forward at a slower pace.

“Ah, Sammy. The home of The University of Alabama. Great college bars and hot southern chicks. One of the best places to let loose!” Sam followed his brother inside and they both ordered beers. Ash was already chatting up a couple of girls near the dart board, wasting no time on his escapades. However, instead of leaving him to find a pool table (Dean was happily off the market now according to Lisa), his brother led him over to a table in the corner. “What’s goin’ on in that head of yours kid?” Sam sighed knowing he needed to at least explain a little to his brother.

“Theres this girl.”

“Awww! Sammy’s got a crush!” Dean mocked, but it wasn’t malicious, a simple tease by a big brother. Sam felt his cheeks pinken and took a fortifying sip of his beer. Something other than his embarrassment must have shown on his face though, because Dean was suddenly much more serious. “Sam?” He felt his expression crumble slightly with his brother’s prompting.

“She’s human, De.” His words were soft, but he knew Dean would hear him all the same. Understanding shown on his brother’s face. He hadn’t exactly talked over the angelic mating rules, but apparently Dean had been talking with Cas about it.

“Sammy…” They were quiet for a long moment, Dean seeming to struggle with words now as much as Sam was.

“She’s…” He trailed off not knowing how to put into words how much Jess meant to him. “I think… I think if I ever was going to find someone, you know, it would be someone like her.” Dean nodded in understanding, taking another big chug of his beer.

“Maybe you should talk to Gabe. Cas said…” Sam shook his head immediately, knowing exactly where his brother was going with this.

“I could never give her what she would want.”

“What couldn’t you give her, Sammy? I mean seriously, you’re practically an archangel.”

“Exactly! I’m not human!” He whisper-yelled, emotions finally starting to boil over. “I could never give her confirmed safety! I could never give her a happy retirement and old age!” He choked back a half sob. “I could never give her kids…”

“Sammy, man…”

“It’s okay, De. Really. It’s fine.” He wiped his hand over his face as he took a deep breath. “But man, she’s killing me. Everything she does is just…”

“So, you need to get laid before you screw up and put the moves on her. Got it.” Dean nodded, a little bit of disgust on his face. Sam watched a small shudder run through his brother. “I really don’t need to be thinkin’ about your moves.” That startled a bark of laugher from Sam, full little brother mode coming out as he poked fun at Dean.

“You sure, De? Don’t wanna know all about my…”

“NO!” Dean snapped, now full-on gaging. “God, no. I do not need details, man.” Sam laughed, honest and real. It was nice to be with his family again. Ash seemed to have struck out and was making his way towards them.

“Another round?” Dean nodded, finishing off his beer. Sam grabbed the empty bottles and dropped them in the trash as he made his way to the bar. He ordered three more beers and tapped his fingers as he waited. He felt someone slide into the empty seat he’d been standing by and risked a glance over.

“Hey,” the girl smiled as she turned back to the bar and ordered a Jack and Coke. She was pretty, not nearly as attractive as Jess in Sam’s mind, but still very beautiful. She had long red hair flowing wildly down her shoulders and dark eyes. Sam tried to subtly rake his eyes down her body without being too much of a creep. She was hot. Curves everywhere and her cut off jean shorts made her butt stand out. The beers were sat in front of him, but before he could pick them up, an arm reached over him to grab two. He turned sharply to glare at his brother slightly. Sam hadn’t even noticed him come up from behind.

“Hello, sexy.” Dean grinned, all sleezy and unfortunate. Sam frowned slightly at his brother as did the girl. Dean winked, but the girl just raised her eye brows at him.

“Does that ever actually work for ya?” She asked in a lazy southern drawl. Sam kind of found it adorable.

“I dunno, it workin’ for you?” Dean’s smirk was bordering on creeping and Sam had to stop himself from cringing away.

“Nope.” Dean took half a second to look offended before he walked away with a wink towards Sam. His brother was an idiot.

“I’m sorry about that.” He said with a sigh. “My brother is an idiot.” He repeated his thought out loud and the girl laughed.

“Ain’t the worst I’ve ever seen.” She looked him over with a wry smile. “An’ I know a good set up when I see one.” Sam snorted slightly in amusement.

“Sam.” He offered as her drink was set in front of her. She picked it up and tilted it towards his beer.

“Lacy.” They clinked their drinks together, tapped them on the bar and then took a sip each. “So, what’s a hunk like you need settin’ up for?” He chuckled a little shyly.

“I dunno. I’m not really great at opening lines.”

“Well, the ‘my brother’s an idiot’ line was a pretty good one.” She smiled back, something flirty slipping into her eyes. He smirked back, allowing his eyes to wander a bit.

“Think so?” She hummed back in response. “So, you here for school or just visitin’?”

“Just passing through.”

“Ah,” she smiled. “Where you comin’ from then?”

“I’m at Stanford currently.”

“Samford?” She asked, but something about the way she said it sounded off.

“No, Stanford. Out in California.” He smiled, finally remembering there was a college in Alabama called Samford University.

“Damn, you are a long way from home, Ivy Leage boy.” Sam laughed at that, he tended to forget how prestigious Stanford was. “What are you studyin’ all the way out there?”

“I’m pre-law.”

“No shit?” He shook his head and took a sip of his beer.

“What about you?”

“Aerospace engineering.” She grinned as he whistled, impressed. “My mama always said to shoot for tha’ stars. I might’a taken that more literally than she meant.” They talked for almost an hour, discussing space and the technology required to see the stars in person. Of course, Sam didn’t need any of that, but he couldn’t tell her. Sam shared his own interests in the legal system and being able to help people who couldn’t afford good representation or were wrongly convicted. The conversation flowed easily between them. Lacy talking more than Sam himself. He added a few drinks for her to his tab as the evening went on. Once she had finished explaining the differences between a sun and a planet, she smiled brightly. “Wanna get outta here?” Sam finished his beer before turning fully to face her.

“Yeah, sure.” Lacy grabbed his hand and pulled him from the bar. Once they were outside she turned towards him.

“You got a hotel room, Ivy League?”

“Not yet,” he smiled as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I was planning to get a room when I left the bar.” She smirked and began tugging his arm, leading him down the street.

“I hope you got a decent budget, cuz I ain’t no pay by the hour bitch.” Sam laughed freely. Lacy was funny, and her blunt demeanor was as disarming as it was charming. She made him feel young and normal in a way he hadn’t in a long time. They walked for a while before they found a decent hotel. It was only a couple of streets over from the bar and didn’t look to be too trashy. He quickly booked a room and before long they were stumbling into the room. She pushed him against the door once it was closed and her lips were on his. It was passionate, heated, but not rushed. He moaned slightly as she plastered her body against his. He allowed his hands to roam her body. He pushed her backwards towards the bed, hand planted on her hips. Lacy started tugging his shirt off before she backed away and removed her own. She quickly slipped out of her shoes and shorts before spinning in a circle. “Like what you see?”

“Very much so.” Sam moved forward and gently pushed her onto the bed. This was exactly what he needed.

~~

“So,” Lacy started once they were both exhausted and tucked under the covers, the smell of sex and sweat hanging heavily in the room. “You don’t seem like a hit ‘em and quit ‘em kinda guy.” Sam hummed softly in acceptance. It wasn’t really his personality to have one-night stands, but unfortunately his life wasn’t accommodating him having a relationship. He ran a hand gently up and down her bare arm as she rested her head on his shoulder. “What got you so worked up you needed to blow off some steam?” He felt comfortable talking to Lacy and he briefly considered telling her everything. She would probably run from the room screaming, but in the end he settled for more half-truths, afraid of ruining her life.

“There’s a girl.” He licked his lips, briefly considering how wrong this situation actually was.

“Ah.” He felt her lips quirk into a small smile.

“I like her a lot, but it would never work between us.”

“Why not? If you love somebody, you can make almost anything work.”

“Maybe.” He agreed, it was possible to make it work, but could it work and everyone be completely happy? “I just don’t think I can give her everything she wants or deserves.”

“Have you talked to this girl?”

“About this?” She nodded against his chest. “No.”

“Then how’d you know what she wants?” He thought it over for a moment. He guessed he really didn’t know, but it was still impossible. “You don’t think you’re good enough for her, do ya?” Lacy was far more insightful than Sam ever imagined after a brief hookup and it cut through his heart like a sharp knife. He swallowed thickly.

“She deserves the world, but she also deserves normal and safe. That’s not something I can guarantee.” She hummed thoughtfully.

“Nobody can guarantee safety, Sam.”

“Yeah, but you can minimize the danger you put yourself or others in.”

“You’re a little mysterious, ain’t ya Ivy Leage?” Sam huffed a laugh as he shook his head ruefully. “So what, you got a few skeletons bumpin’ uglies in your closet. Doesn’t she at least deserve the chance to make that decision for herself?”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Why? Cuz you’re magic?” Sam froze, he thought even his heart stopped beating for a minute. She couldn’t know, could she? There’s no way she could really know that. Lacy laughed a little as she sat up. “Your eyes kinda…” she gestured at her own eyes with a hand as she searched for the right word. “glowed or somethin’ there for a minute.” He looked at her warily, unsure of her reaction. “Don’t worry ‘bout it. My mama’s psychic. I got a few of her gifts.” His eyes widened in surprise. He hadn’t even noticed her aura radiating anything other than ‘normal human,’ too distracted by his own problems.

“What all can you do?”

“I’m telekinetic and… I guess insightful? I just get senses of people or situations, impressions.” He nodded in understanding. “So, the question is now, Sam. What are you?”

“Fox.” He answered softly, hoping that finding out he was a pagan god wasn’t too much for the poor girl.

“Fox?” Lacy’s eyes were curious, but not judgmental or fearful. He nodded, a small smile on his lips.

“You know, like Coyote the Trickster?” She nodded, eyes widening a touch at the realization.

“I’m Fox. Coyote’s my dad.”

“Holy shit.” Lacy looked stunned for about five seconds before she broke out into the most beautiful laugher. “I just fucked a pagan god!” She cried as she fell back on the bed in a fit of hysterical giggles. Sam couldn’t help but laugh along with her. “And your brother?”

“Wolf.” Sam smirked. “The other guy that was with us was Rooster.”

“Wow.” She breathed out in something like awe. “Well check that off my bucket list.” Sam bit his lip, trying to hold in the laughter. “So it is the magic thing?” She asked, turning the topic of the conversation back to Jess. Sam nodded as he looked away.

“I’ll never be able to give her normal. I’ll never grow old. The pagan thing is only part of the complications with me mating a human.”

“I thought pagans could mate with humans?” She asked, rolling her head to look at him.

“We can, but I’m not totally pagan.” Now that he knew she understood the supernatural, Sam felt like he could tell her everything. So, he did. He explained it all. Being a Nephilim, not being able to mate with a human, not being able to give her children. The risk of having Nephilim children. The potential danger that anyone could be in just from knowing him. He told her all about his crazy family, being raised a hunter, being terrified to learn that he wasn’t human, passing Gaia’s challenges. He avoided the topic of the apocalypse for now, afraid he might really scare her off with that. By the time he was done, he was slightly breathless, having spilled every secret he had to this girl he’d just met. Lacy was quiet for a long while, simply staring at him with a calculating gleam in her eye. When he thought maybe he’d finally broken her, she burst into movement, launching herself at him in a heated kiss.

Chapter Text

When Sam returned home Saturday morning, he had Lacy’s number in his phone and a stupid smile on his face. Just like with Jess, it could never go further than it already had, but at least he made a new friend he could be totally himself with. Lacy was also happy to have someone she could talk about the supernatural with. Sam learned that Lacy wasn’t totally in the know on all things non-human, but with her own abilities she had easily accepted magic as a reality when she went to college and met a white witch. It wasn’t a huge stretch for her to accept pagans, angels, demons, or monsters either and Sam had readily agreed to teach her more about their world to help her keep herself safe. He wandered into the kitchen where the family was gathered for breakfast. Bobby and Gabriel were discussing a new case, Dean and Lisa were attempting to convince Ben to eat, Charlie and Ash were both shoveling food in their mouths while staring at a laptop, and Jo was talking with Ellen quietly. It was oddly domestic for a mishmash group of beings. He plopped himself down in his seat and began piling his plate with biscuits, gravy, eggs, and bacon. His coffee materialized next to him seamlessly as he began to dig in. He only realized a few bites in that conversation at the table had totally stopped and everyone was focused on him.

“What’s got you cheesing like that, Samshine?” Sam blushed, nearly choking on the bite of eggs in his mouth. Ash and Dean both cackled at his embarrassment.

“That’s Sammy’s patented ‘Satisfied’ face.” Dean smirked, furthering his little brother’s humiliation. It was bad enough asking Dean to go out with him and now the whole family was in the know about his sex life. Sam reached over with a wing and smack Dean in the back of the head while throwing Bitchface Number Four (why are you like this) his way. Jo and Charlie chuckled while the older beings looked slightly disturbed. “So, how did it go with Miss Scarlette?” Sam couldn’t help the large but shy smile that broke across his face.

“Her name is Lacy, Dean.”

“’Scarlette’ suits her better. Fits the whole southern belle thing she had goin’.” Ash muttered absently as he focused back on the laptop. “And tha’ hair.”

“A southern redhead, huh?” Gabriel smirked as he stabbed another piece of his way too sweet pancake. Sam blushed again as he cleared his throat.

“Funny story actually.” Everyone’s gaze sharpened at the sheepish look on Sam’s face. They all knew him well enough to know he’d done something they probably all needed to know about. “Lacy’s psychic. After we…” He coughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “After. She called me on my bullshit. We spent the rest of the night talking and she wants to meet up again to learn more about how to protect herself.”

“How much bullshit did she call you on?” Bobby asked, his eyes narrowing as he tried to figure out exactly how much Sam had told this random girl.

“Everything.”

“Everything?!” Gabriel parroted, suddenly seeming much less okay with the topic. Sam winced as he took in his father’s flared wings.

“Psychic.” Sam snarked back. “She’s telekinetic, but she also has insight. Kinda like an aura thing best I can tell. She gets impressions, feelings about people and situations. Knew every time I lied or even told a half-truth. Told me to cut the shit because she knew was at least magic.”

“Dayum.” Ash muttered, enjoying the drama around him. “Girl’s got balls.” Dean nodded in agreement. Gabriel sighed, rubbing a hand across his face.

“Fine. I wanna meet her sooner rather than later.” Sam agreed easily and texted Lacy to see when she would be able to meet his family. “Where’d you even meet this girl anyway?” Sam looked to Dean before focusing back on his father.

“Dean took us to Tuscaloosa last night.” Sam shrugged, smirking as his brother glared a little at being thrown under the bus.

“What type of ‘southern’ are we talking about here?” Gabriel asked and Sam just blinked at him cluelessly. He’d never considered there were different ‘types’ of southern people. He guessed it made sense, there were different types of people all over the world in all different places, but Sam had never considered this category.

“Oh come on, Sammy. Everybody knows that people from the south come in different flavors. And that college draws all types.” Sam blinked a little, considering how  to describe Lacy, but he didn’t know the categories of southern people so he wasn’t sure how to explain it. Gabriel huffed with a roll of his eyes.

“Lets start with what state she’s from. Is she Cajun from Louisiana? Cuz then were talking possible hoodoo. A Georgia Peach? Cuz that one’s not bad. Southern Carolina? Tennessee? Maybe she can sing! Or Maryland? I don’t really think they count anymore. Florida’s a craps shoot. She might not even really be southern.” Gabriel suddenly stopped before flipping his eyes towards his son. “Please tell me she’s not from Mississippi?” Sam looked at his father wide eyed at the options and not really following his train of thought.

“She’s uh, she’s from Alabama.” He shrugged again looking from his brother to his father. Gabriel nodded like he understood though.

“So it could go a few different ways, but more than likely she’s tough and smart.” Sam tilted his head slightly in question so Gabriel finally moved on. “It’s an odd state and it kind of depends on what part of Alabama she’s from. They aren’t stupid rednecks like a lot of people think. My personal opinion is that it’s by design. They like their communities like it is and don’t want too many people flocking there like happens in Florida. They don’t try to change the worlds opinion of the state for that reason.” Gabriel nodded again even with the disbelieving looks he was getting. “Seriously, have you seen how many colleges and universities are in that state?” Gabriel huffed out a laugh. “A lot of people from that area are very self sufficient and opinionated, but also some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.” That description seemed to fit Lacy well. He’d been a little surprised by how easy it was to talk with her about everything. She didn’t always agree with him and told him so at times, but she listened and respected his opinions. It was refreshing, honestly, to have someone so sincere and intelligent he could talk with. “And funny as shit to boot.” The disbelieving looks seemed to increase so Gabriel launched into his favorite Alabama story. “I had a job there once a few years back. Real perv. Anyway, I took the guy out in the wood and was in the middle of scaring the shit out of the guy. He’d just been through the same thing he’d been doing to women. Taking them in the woods, doing horrible things to them, and then hunting them. Damn sadist. Anyway, a couple of hunters show up out of nowhere. Normal hunters, out looking for deer. The hunters looked all upset and concerned about me standing over a terrified guy with blood all over him.” Gabriel was having to hold in his laughter now, chuckles escaping every so often. “I just told them I was an angel sent to keep the perv from hurting anyone else.” Gabriel pointed at his eyes. “Let a little grace show through and they didn’t even flinch.” His father was nearly doubled over in laughter now, words coming out in a wheeze. “They…” another laugh. “Once they realized it was the guy who had been preying on the town’s women, they asked if I needed any help. I told ‘em I had it under control.” Another good laugh came from Gabriel and by now everyone at the table was laughing along with him. “They just left. Didn’t even ask any questions.” Gabriel wiped a few tears from his eyes. “They interviewed the hunters for the news paper the day after the guy’s body and all the evidence was found. It was circumstantial evidence at best, but I happened to know the guy was doing it, just couldn’t prove it in a human way. They admitted to offering to help an angel kill the perv, talked about my eyes, and the whole town agreed that they had no right to argue with an angel so the case was closed.” Gabriel was wiping tears from his eyes with both hands now. “That’s not even the best part. The town then had a big argument about if it was really an angel or if it was an alien. They started a whole fucking festival for it.” Now others, including Sam, were wiping the tears of laughter left and right, fits of laughter so loud that Gabriel had to speak up so everyone could hear. “I went the first year they had it in disguise. Everyone dresses as either an angel or an alien and they have competitions to see which one wins. It was- it was amazing. They call it Visitor Fest.” The laughter eventually died down, but Sam had to agree that had to be one of the funniest stories his father has ever told. When he was finally able to breathe again, Sam continued eating his breakfast. A few minutes later, Lacy responded to his text saying she was available tomorrow. Sam relayed the information and the family agreed to meet with her then. Sam groaned, knowing that his family would become overbearing and too much, probably chasing off his one friend that he could be totally open with.

With breakfast over, the family dispersed. Gabriel dragged Dean and Sam to the archangel room to spend some time together. His father was still rather clingy after spending so much time apart. They collapsed into the couch bed thing and his father immediately began grooming his wings.

“Well, Sammy, did last night help with your little problem?”

“What problem?” Gabriel asked, shifting to look Sam in the eyes. The young Nephilim huffed, glaring at his brother for sharing this with his father. Sam licked his lips, trying to buy himself more time. “Sam?” The warning of no nickname got him to cave and he sent pleading eyes towards his father.

“There a girl at school, Jess.”

“Ah.” Gabriel smiled and resumed his grooming. Sam sighed into the comfortable feeling of his feathers being straightened.

“She’s perfect.” He smiled wistfully before clearing his throat and locking his emotions back away. “Nothing can happen though.”

“Because she’s human?” Sam nodded and Gabriel’s grace flared in understanding. “I see.” And Gabriel would. He understood all too well the difficulties of having feelings for a human when you were an angel. Knowing that your mate would die eventually and the risk if children were ever involved. Humans were fragile and there was always the chance you could hurt them. It was the reason that his Grandfather had made rules about mating humans. However, Sam fit in better with humans than with the angels most of the time. “Maybe we could get special permission. You could mate with her on the pagan side.” Sam shook his head sadly. He could. It would take the death part out of the way, but it wouldn’t allow him to give her children. Sadly he knew Jess already had names picked out and dreams for a white picket fence he could never provide.

“I dunno. She’s so…”

“Innocent?” Sam nodded and Gabriel’s grace reached to comfort him. “Where does Lacy fit in with all of this?” He shrugged, confusion swirling in his fledgling grace.

“Jess is constantly flirting with me and she’s so damn beautiful.” Gabriel’s grace shared his understanding once again.

“But you don’t want to lead her on, so you got Dean to go out with you and blow off some steam.” Sam smiled shyly, still not comfortable talking about his sex life with his father.

“I think Lacy could be a good friend, but the same issues apply with her. She just knows more about what’s going on.” Sam huffed out a breath, feeling a little better just talking this through with his father. “It’s okay dad. I promise. I never really expected to be able to mate and I’m okay with that.”

“It’s not okay, though Samshine. You deserve to be happy. Even your Grandfather would agree with that.” Sam shrugged again, understanding where his dad was coming from, but not really seeing a positive outcome with any of the choices. Gabriel pulled him into a tight hug. “It’ll all work out, kiddo. I promise.” Sam nodded sadly as he pulled away from his father.

“Hey!” Dean interjected, finally coming back into the conversation from where he’d melted into the background to allow Sam and Gabriel to talk it out. “Maybe one of these new baby angels will be an option.” The hope in Dean’s eyes was almost heartbreaking for Sam, but he knew the reality of it. He shook his head, refusing to make eye contact.

“A lot of the angels still don’t like me much at best they don’t trust me. They would never agree to let me spend much time with their fledglings, much less mate them.” Dean already knew this of course, they’d talked about it a lot, but his brother was constantly trying to be the voice of reason. To give Sam hope. It wouldn’t work this time though.

~~

When Sunday morning breakfast was over, the family decided to choose who would be meeting Lacy. Dean and Gabriel insisted on going, as did Ellen. Bobby was working the phones and couldn’t go. Jo, Ash, and Charlie wanted to go, but Sam had put his foot down, insisting that a smaller group at first would be best. He didn’t want to overwhelm the poor girl. When they were ready, Gabriel grabbed Ellen by the shoulder while Sam held Dean’s hand tightly, flying them back to Tuscaloosa. They landed in an ally not far from the park Lacy had suggested for the meeting. They were a little early, so Sam wasn’t worried when he didn’t sense her nearby. Gabriel busied himself with creating a picknick area, complete with a large checkered blanket. They sat and talked as they waited, but Sam’s nerves were ramping up the longer it took for Lacy to arrive. He finally felt her growing closer about fifteen minutes later and glanced up. Her long red hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and she was back in her cut off jean shorts. What had him holding back a chuckle was the Batman tshirt she was wearing. He stood quickly and met her part way she smirked at him, but allowed herself to be tugged into a quick hug.

“I think this might be the first time I ever met the family after a hookup.” Sam chuckled and rubbed his neck awkwardly.

“Yeah, this is a new one for me too. Apparently airing the family’s secrets was the deciding factor on that.” She shot him an amused look before bravely walking over to the rest of his family like she didn’t know she was about to meet an archangel or pagan gods. “Dad, this is Lacy. Lacy, this is my dad, Gabriel.” His father stood and gave her shirt an approving smirk before shaking her hand.

“Nice to meetcha.” She smiled and Sam shifted her attention to the other two family members present.

“You remember my brother, Dean.” Sam waved his hand with a roll of his eyes. Dean actually had the good grace to look a little sheepish as he shook her hand.

“Trust me, I won’t be forgettin’ him anytime soon. That had to be one of the smoothest wingman moves I’ve seen in a while.” She smirked at his brother who flushed slightly, while Ellen and Gabriel both seemed equal parts amused and disgruntled.

“The hell’d you do, boy?” Ellen asked as she moved up next to Dean. “I’m Ellen.” She smiled kindly at Lacy and Sam relaxed somewhat. Ellen was always a good judge of character and if she was already being this nice, Lacy was halfway to being adopted.

“Lacy McRae.” She smiled before turning her mischievous look back on Dean. “And he just made himself look like a total sleezeball to start a conversation between me an’ Sam. I might’a been turned off if I hadn’t seen through it.” She winked before settling herself on the blanket and tugging Sam down with her. Her smooth southern drawl seemed to be charming even Ellen now and her confidence was infectious. Dean only looked somewhat offended that she’d called him out. Gabriel chuckled as he plopped down and started pulling out the mimosas he’d prepared. He passed Dean a beer, knowing the Wolf would never lower himself to drink something so ‘girly.’ “Hell yeah!” Lacy cheered as she was passed her own drink. “I like your family already, Sam.” He chuckled slightly as they clinked their drinks together. “So, I guess you’re wonderin’ if Imma go off an’ tell your secret to the world, huh?” Dean’s eyes widened at the blunt question, but Gabriel’s  eyes held a calculating gleam once again.

“Sorry, hon it’s nothin’ against you. We’ve just gotta be careful.” Ellen smiled softly as she took a sip of the mimosa before making a slight face. Lacy simply shook her head, a wry smile appearing on her lips.

“You ain’t got nothin’ to worry ‘bout. I go spoutin’ off that I fucked an angel and they’ll lock me right the fuck up. Padded bedroom an’ all.” She laughed a little and shook her head. “’sides, I’d never do that to Sam. He’s one’a tha’ few I can actually talk about my own shit with.”

“There’s other people that know you’re telekinetic?” Dean asked, tilting his beer back nonchalantly. Sam knew his brother was intentionally trying to gather more information by putting Lacy at ease. They used this trick frequently and usually well, but Lacy saw straight through it.

“You’re wonderin’ if I got hunters on my ass and leadin’ ‘em to Sam?”

“I was more worried you’d trade information on my family in exchange for your life.” Lacy laughed and shook her head. She reached behind her and pulled out a small gun she’d been concealing, laying it between all of them.

“Nah. I’d fuck up anybody who tried. Worst case, I’d just pray to Sam to get me outta it.” She shrugged like she wasn’t worried. Maybe she really wasn’t. “The only person aside from my mama who knows anythin’ about me is my friend Shana. She’s a white witch an’ I ain’t told her jack shit other than I had a fun night.” Dean nodded in approval while Gabriel smirked. “Anythin’ else you’re worried about?”

“I think that just about covers it.” Lacy smiled as she knocked back the rest of her mimosa. Gabriel refilled her glass, a gentle smile crossing his face.

“We’ll train you. Teach you anything you need to know to keep yourself safe. Hunters usually don’t bother with psychics unless you go crazy.” Lacy beamed, her gratitude rolling off her soul in waves. “Figure out some time in your schedule and let Sammy know. He can come get you and bring you back to the house.” Sam’s eyes widened in shock at his father’s easy acceptance of Lacy and offer to train her at the pocket house.

“Well, Ivy Leage, I guess we’ll have’ta figure somethin’ out.” Sam smiled at her and agreed easily.

“Alright, Scarlette, with the interrogation out of the way, tell us a little more about yourself.” She smirked at Dean’s nickname, but didn’t complain.

“My mama’s a psychic, telepathic. She don’t use it much, but it made lyin’ to her as a kid hell. She said we came from a long line of psychics and shamans. I got a lot of Native American on her side. My daddy didn’t believe in none’a that shit. Said mama was a little crazy, but he loved her anyway. His family cut him off when he married mama. He died about a year ago in a car wreck. Mama’s been tryin’ to move on, but hell losin’ someone that way ain’t easy. I got an older brother, Jay. He took over daddy’s farmin’ business. He didn’t get mama’s gift like I did, so he thinks were both nuts.” She shrugged like it didn’t bother her, but Sam could sense the pain flashing through her soul. “He takes care’a her anyhow. I offered to drop outta school and move home to help, but they wouldn’t hear it. I don’t think she’ll be around much longer now. Too broken hearted to keep goin’, and she wasn’t in the best health to begin with, bless her.” Sam could tell that Dean and Gabriel were both trying to hide their grins, knowing the topic wasn’t grin-worthy, but Lacy’s speech and attitude made most of what she said somewhat funny. “Anywho, I’ve stayed in school like they wanted.”

“What are you studying?” Gabriel asked, sipping away at his drink.

“Aerospace engineerin’.” Dean’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head and Sam had to laugh. “Mama always said to shoot for tha stars.” She smirked, obviously noticing Dean’s surprise. “I like it, its interestin’ and I’m minorin’ in astronomy.” Gabriel’s eyes were now sparkling with mischief and joy so brightly it was almost concerning.

“Well, if you ever want to know the real stuff, you just let me know, kiddo. I’ll tell you everything about the universe.” Lacy’s enthusiasm only increased, seeming to suddenly remember she was talking to an archangel that was as old as creation. The conversation flowed easily between the group. She fit into their family easily and wasn’t intimidated in the least. She honestly just seemed to be excited and curious. They talked for hours about everything and nothing. Before Sam knew it, the sun was setting and it was time for them to return home. Lacy left them with hugs each and wink towards Sam.

“See ya around, Wings. Lemme know when you’re free.” Dean and Gabriel stared after her as she walked away, both seeming to be stunned into silence. Sam was afraid to break the silence, unsure of what his family really thought of his new friend.

“Well, I like her.” Dean stated, still not moving his eyes from where Lacy had disappeared. Gabriel nodded.

“She can stay.” Gabriel smirked at him and then in a blink they were all gone.

~~

Monday morning came and Sam was back in class. Things with Jess were back to normal and he felt a little more capable of handling it. Her smile was still breath taking, but he didn’t feel like he was going to lose his mind if she brushed up against his arm during the lecture. They chatted for a few minutes after class and agreed to meet up at Sam’s place to study in the evening. The day passed quickly and before Sam knew it, he was waiting for his friends to show up. He fluttered around his kitchen, fixing snacks and texting with Lacy. She was encouraging him to ask Jess out despite his reservations. He wouldn’t do it though. Couldn’t lead her on like that. It wasn’t fair any way you looked at it, but Sam was being realistic. He’d given his friends the access code to the apartment, not wanting to have to go all the way down stairs to let them up, so it wasn’t a surprise when the elevator dinged and his small group of friends all entered the apartment.

“Hey guys!” Sam smiled brightly as they entered the kitchen. Jess gave him a hug as she dropped her backpack to the floor. Brady and Zach waved as they made their way to the bar.

“Hey, Sam.” Becky greeted as she started picking through the snacks he’d laid out.

“Where’s Lewis?”

“He had to work tonight.” Sam nodded in acceptance. Not everyone had parents like Gabe. He grabbed himself a beer as he set up with his laptop and books on the couch. Jess and Becky wandered over after a few minutes with plates full of food. They studied for a few hours, Sam’s phone dinging every so often as Lucy asked for updates and provided encouragement. He had turned it on silent after a while, not wanting it to continue to interrupt his friends. Jess was reading a section in her textbook, but she was edging closer to Sam throughout the night. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms while they both studied, but he kept himself restrained. Every few minutes, she would flash him a shy smile, but would turn her focus back towards her book. Sam found the smiles endearing and adorable, struggling not to be distracted by her. The elevator dinged once again and Sam didn’t even look up, expecting Lewis to bound into the room after a long shift at the restaurant he waited tables at. He wasn’t, however, expecting his brother to wander into the room looking frustrated.

“Sammy!” He jumped up in surprise, looking around at his friends who seemed to eye Dean warily. His brother’s appearance wasn’t exactly helpful. Dean was dressed for a hunt, torn jeans, flannel, leather jacket, and biker boots.

“Dean, hey! What uh- what are you doin’ here?”

“You weren’t answerin’ your phone, jackass.” Dean grumbled, frustration making him sound harsher than normal.

“Sorry man, we were studying and I put it on silent.” His brother huffed before looking at Sam’s friends, which reminded him of their presence. “Oh, shit. Sorry. Dean, these are my friends Jess, Brady, Zach, and Becky. Guys, this is my brother, Dean.” They waved at each other a little shyly before Dean turned back to Sam, hands on his hips.

“Look, man. You been to Nebraska recently?” The question threw Sam off and he shook his head rapidly.

“No? Why would I go to Nebraska?”

“I dunno man. Did Gabe have a job there?” Sam thought it over, before shaking his head again.

“I don’t think so.” Dean huffed and ran a hand over his face. “Did you ask him?”

“Nah, he’s… out of cell service.” Ah, so his father was in heaven, which was why Dean was asking him all of these questions instead. “Alright, we got a problem then.” Sam nodded, already moving towards his room. If it was bad enough for Dean to come to Sam instead of handling it himself, he wasn’t going to question it. He grabbed his go bag full of stuff he kept hidden at the apartment before locking his bedroom door and heading for the elevator, only to remember his friends still circled around the coffee table.

“Sorry, guys. I gotta go. I’ll be back. Just uh- stay as long as you want.” The brothers left quickly and Sam flew them from the elevator back to the pocket house. He dumped his bag on the ground and followed his brother to the library. “What’s goin’ on?”

“No clue. Small town called Alliance Nebraska has some weird shit going down.”

“What kind of weird shit?” Dean shrugged with an odd look on his face.

“Like weird, weird. That’s why I thought maybe you or Gabe had been there. Looks like a trickster, just a little more random.” Sam hummed in thought, but didn’t say anything. “One girl literally scratched her brains out. A scary ass tooth fairy stole all of one guy’s teeth. A couple kids faces ‘stuck that way’ and a few kids admitted to the ER because of an upset stomach. They claimed they ate pop rocks and coke. One guy was actually fried from a joy buzzer thing. We can’t make heads or tails of it.” It did sound like an out-of-control trickster in a way. The things happening were definitely childish, but most tricksters didn’t really target kids.

“The vics?”

“None of ‘em seem like bad people. Nothin’ suspicious as far as we can tell.” Bobby was on the phone, talking to some hospital administrators or something. The rest of the family was staring at papers looking awfully confused.

“Maybe we should just head over there. See if I can sense anything?” Dean agreed, as did Bobby and Ellen. Sam flew them to Alliance and landed them in the middle of town. Nobody blinked as they kept walking down the street like they’d been there the whole time. He could feel something but couldn’t tell what. It didn’t feel evil necessarily, but wrong. Powerful. “Dean, I think we need to call in dad. Whatever this thing is, its way stronger than it should be.” His brother nodded in acceptance as he continued to look around. They ducked behind a store to give themselves plenty of privacy as Sam tugged on the connection with his father’s grace. There was slight resistance and Sam knew his father must be busy, but he tugged again anyway. Dad, we need you in Alliance, Nebraska. Something’s wrong, but I don’t know what it is.

It didn’t take long after that for Gabriel to show up with Lucifer in tow. Demons had been acting up recently with Lucifer free but not starting the promised war. The archangels had been working together to get a handle on the issue. Lucifer was reluctant to take the throne of hell, seeming not to trust himself enough to do so. However, without strong leadership, the demons were running wild and causing chaos. The archangels looked around the area before looking back at each other.

“Damnit.” Gabriel sighed, running his hands through his hair.

“What is it dad?”

“A cambion.”

“A what-bion?” Dean asked, head cocked to the side in confusion. Sam had never heard of it either.

“Cambion. Half demon half human. Incredibly dangerous. What’s it been doing?” Dean ran through the list of victims again, explaining what all had happened. Gabriel snickered a few times, but tried to keep himself professional. Lucifer’s confusion only seemed to make Gabriel laugh more.

“It’s all things human kids are told.” Dean explained. “Don’t make that face or it’ll stick that way. Don’t mix pop rocks and coke. Don’t use itching powder, you’ll scratch your brains out. Stuff like that. Not sure where the evil tooth fairy came from though.”

“It’s a child.” Lucifer stated sadly, shaking his head. “The cambion is a child and is bending reality without knowing it.” The idea of a child that powerful was slightly terrifying. However, none of them seemed happy about killing a kid, even if it was hurting people.

“What do we do?” Sam asked, looking to the archangels to take the lead on this.

“First things first, we find the kid. Then we talk to them.” Sam nodded, agreeing easily with his father. He felt Lucifer’s grace flare around them, stretching out and searching for the child. It didn’t take him long.

“Follow me.” Lucifer hummed as he took to the skies. Gabriel took off after him and Sam followed quickly, grabbing ahold of Dean on the way. They landed outside of an older-looking farm house. It didn’t seem like anyone was home except for the cambion inside. Sam and Dean made their way to the porch with the archangels following closely behind them. Dean knocked on the door and it didn’t take long for a small head to peek through the cracked door.

“Hey kiddo, my name’s Dean. Can we come inside and talk to you?”

“I’m not supposed to let strangers in.” The boy stated, clearly not trusting the four men on his porch.

“That’s fine.” Sam smiled. “I’ll just sit here by the door and talk, you can listen from safely inside.” The boy nodded in agreement to that plan, but didn’t open the door further. Sam sat down, his back against the wall of the house by the door. Dean sat across from him while Gabe and Lucifer sat on the steps. “My names Sam. What’s yours?”

“Jesse.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Jesse.”

“You too.” Came the small reply. “Why are you here?”

“Well, we’re here because there’ve been some strange things happening in your town.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, kid. Hey what happens when you drink coke and eat pop rocks?” Dean asked, trying to test Lucifer’s theory.

“You’ll get sick!”

“Right! What about itching powder?”

“You’ll scratch your brains out.” Dean nodded with a small smile.

“See, Jesse, all those things don’t really happen. It’s just stories that people tell kids.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh.” The kid looked a little confused, maybe sad that his parents had lied to him. Sam could understand that well enough.

“Listen, Jesse, we think you might be special.” Sam started, trying to ease the kid into this in a way Sam hadn’t been.

“Special how?”

“We think you might have something like superpowers. Anything weird happen around you lately?” The kid looked even more guarded now, like he knew exactly what Sam was asking about, but wasn’t ready to admit it. Sam looked to Gabriel, unsure what a cambion could even do.

“Ever think something and then it kind of magically happens?” Gabriel asked, easily picking up where Sam struggled. The kid almost nodded. It was small, so small Sam might not have even noticed if he didn’t have angelic sight. “Ever want to be in a different room and suddenly you’re there without remembering walking there?” Another slight nod.

“Jesse, you’re something called a ‘cambion’.” Sam stated, unwilling to lie to the child. “You’re half human, but you’re half something else too.” The kid eyed Sam like maybe he could tell Sam wasn’t human himself.

“Like you?” Sam nodded.

“We’re different. But yeah, I’m half human and half angel.” Sam nodded over towards Gabriel. “He’s my dad.”

“You’re angels?” Gabriel and Lucifer nodded, but didn’t offer their names just yet.

“I know this is scary, Jesse. I know how it feels to learn you’re different. I also know how scary it is to think that you could hurt someone without meaning to.”

“Those strange things in town. Did I hurt people?” Sam’s heart broke for this little boy. He couldn’t imagine if he’d done something like this with his powers without knowing. Sam nodded slightly, just enough to answer the question. Tears started welling up in the little boy’s eyes immediately.

“I didn’t mean to! I swear it!”

“I know, kiddo. I know.” Lucifer stepped forwards before crouching in front of the door opening to face the boy. “We want to help you. Teach you how to use your powers so you don’t hurt anyone else.” Jesse looked from Lucifer to Sam, the budding trust causing him to seek guidance from someone like him. Sam smiled at him encouragingly.

“We can teach you, but you have to trust us for that to work.” Jesse nodded, seeming to understand that he would have to put his faith in the four men on his porch.

“Jesse,” Sam started sadly, and the kid smiled at him knowingly.

“I can’t stay here can I?” Sam shook his head, not sure how to tell a child he was dangerous to his own parents. “I don’t wanna hurt my mom and dad.”

“You’ll be safe with us. We’ll teach you everything we know.”

“I don’t wanna hurt my mom and dad.” Jesse said sadly, seeming torn. Sam understood though.

“I get it. If you leave, your parents will be upset.” Jesse nodded, still looking to Sam, but Lucifer answered for him.

“We can make it so everyone forgets you existed. It will be like your parents never adopted you.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Sam asked hopefully. The boy nodded again, a little more determined. “How about you go pack anything you want to keep?” Jesse opened the door wide enough for them to enter before turning and running up the stairs. Dean and Sam cautiously entered the house, the archangels not far behind. To be honest, Sam was excited to have another little brother. Or cousin. Whatever Jesse ended up being to them, it didn’t matter. It was another kid they could help. He couldn’t let his own excitement be taken the wrong way though. Jesse would be mourning the loss of his parents. Sam couldn’t let the kid think he was happy Jesse wasn’t with his family anymore. But he also couldn’t let the kid think they didn’t want him. He noticed his brother fumbling with a few things in the living room, but let him be. Gabriel and Lucifer were talking quietly between themselves, but Sam could tell both of their graces were swirling with excitement. Neither would admit it, but they both loved having a big family. Lucifer tended to spend a good portion of his time on earth now that he can. He had the same issues with the host that Sam did, many of the angels still distrusted him. Just as he heard Jesse start to make his way down the stairs, Sam smirked raising his voice just enough to ensure the kid heard him. “I dunno Dean, do you think Adam would be jealous to know we have a new little brother?” Dean looked at him in confusion, before understanding crept into his eyes. Sam heard the kid freeze on the steps. Dean smirked back, fully prepared to play along.

“Nah, the kid will be stoked to have a new little brother himself. Besides he did loved it when we took in Charlie. Imagine how crazy it will be with both of them running around the pool.”

“You think Jesse ever wanted older siblings?” Sam grinned mischievously, sensing the creeping amount of hope in Jesse’s little soul.

“Dunno if he wanted ‘em, but he’s got more than he ever asked for now.” He heard Gabriel and Lucifer snickering behind him and knew his father and uncle were about to jump into the not-so-secret secret conversation.

“How many ‘dads’ do you think the kid would want?” Gabriel piped in. “’Cuz right now he’s gonna have at least two. Unless you think he’ll end up Bobby’s too.” Dean shrugged, subtly glancing to where he could see tiny eyeballs peeping around the corner.

“He probably will, the old sap. And you know Ellen will adopt him as easily as she did the rest of us.” Gabriel nodded with Dean’s words.

“So, all in all, the kid is going from two parents who loved him and no siblings, to at least four parents and six siblings who will love him and always support him.” Gabriel grinned. “What kind of bedroom do you think he’ll want? I’ve got some ideas.”

“Why don’t we ask him?” Dean winked over Sam’s shoulder at the kid who’s head was now fully visible.

“You’d really ‘dopt me?”

“Course, kiddo. You already got me and Luci here arguing over who get’s to be your dad.”

“How do you have more than one dad?” Gabriel smirked back at the kid.

“You’ll figure it out eventually, but basically, Sam and Dean,” Gabe pointed indicating the two, “have me, Bobby, and a man named John as their father figures or biological dads. They also have moms in two wonderful ladies named Ellen and Mary. Between all us old folks, we have six kids and we co-parent all of them.” Jesse still seemed confused but bobbed his head anyway. Dean moved forwards, a small grocery bag in his hands.

“I got these for you. Thought you might wanna keep ‘em.” Sam had noticed his brother pulling pictures from the walls and figured they were in the bag. Jesse smiled gratefully.

“Thanks,” He sniffled, tears threatening to fall, but the kid stoically held them in.

“Sure, what else are big brother’s for?” This time, Jesse’s grin was a little more real.

“Luci, why don’t you and the kids head home? I’ll take care of everything here.” The archangel nodded, reaching a hand out to the small boy.

“Ready?” Jesse hiked his packed bag up over his shoulder and took Lucifer’s hand. Sam and Dean followed Lucifer and Jesse quickly and soon found themselves in the pocket house. Sam alerted the rest of the family, asking them all to join them in the living room to greet the new member. They filed in quickly, everyone knowing better than to ignore the family meeting call. Everyone eyed the kid curiously, able to feel that something was different about the kid. Castiel’s eyes widened comically when he noticed the boy, but didn’t say anything given that Lucifer still had his hand on Jesse’s shoulder. Adam attached himself to Dean’s side as soon as he entered the room.

“Hey Adam, guess what.” Dean said mischievous grin back on his face.

“What?” Adam asked, peeking around Dean to see the new kid.

“You get to be a big brother now.”

“What?! Really?!” Adam shrieked, excitement oozing off of him. Dean nodded and hugged the boy close.

“This is Jesse. He needed a new home where he can learn to use his powers.”

“He’s like us?”

“Sort of.” Dean shrugged, not really sure how to tell Adam what Jesse was when Jesse himself hadn’t been told just yet. “Everyone, this is Jesse. Gabe and Luci have already adopted him. We warned him in advance that his adoption could include several parents and lots of siblings.” Dean winked at the family, hoping they would all play along. Ellen, of course, was the first to react.

“Well, hey there, Jesse. I’m Ellen.” She smiled her warm, maternal smile that the boy couldn’t help but return. “This ol’ grump next to me is Bobby.” The old grump waved, a gentle curl to his lips.

“I’m Ash, or big brother numero- uh. I don’t even know. Who’s oldest in tha middle?” Sam snorted a laugh, as did Jo and Charlie. The introductions continued until Ellen decided the kid needed a snack and dragged him into the kitchen with Adam. Bobby immediately turned to Sam, Dean, and Lucifer with a questioning eyebrow raise.

“The kids the one that was causing the chaos in Nebraska. No clue he was even doin’ it.” Dean sighed as he flopped onto the couch.

“What’n’tha’hell is he?”

“A cambion.” Cas stated, his gravely voice sounding much more stern than he looked. When several seemed to not know what that was, he continued. “Half demon and half human.” Wary glances were shot towards the kitchen, but no complaints were raised yet.

“He’s not bad, guys. He’s just a kid with way too much power.” Sam tried for reassuring his family. Dean nodded his agreement.

“He’s a good kid. Just needs to learn to control his powers.” With Sam and Dean’s seal of approval, the family relaxed. “Doesn’t have a demonic bone in his little body.”

“So, he’s the anti-Sam?” Charlie asked, speaking up for the first time. Everyone had a laugh at that, but it made Sam a little uncomfortable. He didn’t want anyone thinking of Jesse as bad or wrong. He knew what kind of trauma that could cause a kid.

“He’s just a kid.” Sam smiled, thinking of how happy the boy seemed to have a big family. “But he just lost his parents. He’s going to need our support.” Everyone nodded in agreement and the conversation continued easily. Gabriel returned after a while, assuring everyone that Jesse’s parents and nobody in town would remember the kid existed. With snack time over, the family moved back to their own projects. Sam and Dean helped Gabe create Jesse the best bed room they could. The kid added some input here and there. He liked the ocean and surfing. Gabriel made him a waterbed that looked like it was made out of pieced together surf boards and added a realistic ocean scene fit for a young boy on his wall. They made him a picture collage wall like the rest of the kids had gotten, Gabriel included the pictures Dean had taken from the house. They added a large tv and video game systems like Adam’s. Everything the boy could want or need was included in the room. Jesse seemed a little overwhelmed from it all.

It was late by now, and Gabriel encouraged Jesse to get some sleep. Lucifer even went as far as tucking the kid in. They crept out of the room with the promise of exploring the rest of the house the next morning.

~~

Jess was officially suspicious now. Sam had dropped everything the minute his brother showed up saying there was a ‘problem.’ Sam even left them at his apartment to rush back to wherever his ‘home’ was. Come to think of it, how had Dean even gotten there so fast? Jess didn’t know, but she was confused and upset. It had been another week of Sam missing classes and no contact. It was weird that whenever something came up with his family, Sam just ignored them. She liked Sam, she really did, but sometimes the things he did just didn’t make sense. What was worse was that he seemed as drawn to her as she was him, but he still hadn’t asked her out yet. She couldn’t get her crush out of her mind. He was perfect for her. She knew it. Becky even knew it. They had girls night on Thursday and Jess ended up drinking just enough to spill her guts. Becky was, of course, understanding.

It just sucked that he seemed to push her away as much as he pulled her in. Maybe she was being too subtle. During their talk, Becky had agreed that maybe Jess needed to make the first move. Maybe Sam was just afraid that Jess wouldn’t feel the same as he did. How could he not see it though? Jess had convinced herself to take that leap the next time she saw Sam though. If she ever saw him again.

~~

Sam spent yet another week at home with his family. He couldn’t leave Jesse after he’d just moved in. The kid acclimated quickly and was steadily improving with his powers. Gabriel enrolled the boy in online school under the name Jesse Angelos and he was excelling. As expected, Jesse and Adam loved playing in the waterpark together. The family spent a good bit of time there bonding and getting to know each other. Bobby and Ellen easily adopted the kid as well and by the time Sam was returning to school, the kid had a large family and support system. Monday came too quickly though and Sam was returning back to college. He thought back over the conversation with his father and uncles from Friday as he headed for his class room.

“What’s the matter, Samshine? Still thinking about your girl?”

“What’s this about a girl, Samuel?” Michael asked, a gentle smile on his face. Sam sighed running a stressed hand through his hair.

“Her name’s Jess.” He couldn’t stop the infatuated smile from covering his face. “She’s perfect.”

“And human?” Raphael asked, and his uncles all seemed to understand the issue. Sam nodded, allowing his grace to share his concerns.

“Little one, if you love her you should tell her.” Michael ran a gentle hand through Sam’s feathers. “If it is meant to be, it will work out.”

“Ask her out, Sammich. Give it a chance. You never know what could happen.”

Sam decided then that he would at least tell Jess how he felt. They would need to have some big conversations, but he’d been given all of the archangel’s blessings to at least see where it led. He seated himself at his usual desk and waited for the current center of his world to take the room by storm once again. He didn’t have to wait long. Jess sat next to him, already digging her notes out of her backpack.

“Hey Sam, everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s a long story, but we had a kind of family emergency. I had to stay home for a week, but everything’s fine.” He smiled at her and noticed that she seemed somewhat nervous. He glanced at his watch, still ten minutes until class started. Well, no time like the present.

“Hey, Jess?”

“Hey, Sam?” They started at the same time before both breaking off with an awkward chuckle. She indicated for him to go first with a nod of her head. He took a deep breath and just went for it.

“Would you like to go to dinner sometime?” She smiled brightly, but there was a little trepidation on her face.

“Are you asking me on a date?” Nam nodded shyly, feeling incredibly awkward.

“I’d love to.” Sam didn’t think he’d ever smiled so hard in his life.