#and my dad ruined the whole surprise of it by calling customer support on speaker phone with her in the room...and she ofc heard everything

[holocene-sims]

a sneak peek for an upcoming (timeline tbd) update 😊

[kazosa]

A Mutually Beneficial Arrangement - Part 6

Summary: All you wanted was to use your skills in automotive engineering and design to open your own custom car shop. When the rug gets yanked out from under you, one of your regular customers offers you a job that you just can’t resist. Will it stay a mutually beneficial arrangement, or will something unexpected bloom?

Pairing: AU Dean Winchester x Reader

Appearances by: John Winchester, Bobby Singer, Ellen (Harvelle) Singer, Sam Winchester, Jessica Moore, Benny and Laura Lafitte, OC Jack, OC Mom

Chapter Synopsis: It’s finally the day of the Gala. Dean and the reader go check out the ballroom with Bobby. Reader and Jess have a talk. John and the Reader have a mini showdown. The end of the chapter culminates with the reveal of who gets the Family Business!

Word count: eleven thousand, eight hundred fifty

Warnings: Shameless Star Wars reference. Extremely inappropriate behavior. Mild violence. Bad language. Alcohol consumption.

Masterlist

Tagging:  @coffee-obsessed-writer  @closetspngirl  @sorenmarie87   @adoptdontshoppets  @parinarain  @his-paradox  @babykalika2001   @docharleythegeekqueen  @22sarah08  @flamencodiva  @deans-baby-momma   

@collette04  @maralisa124   @mml232   @sympathyforluci   

@superthingsilike   @lookwhatyoumademequeue  @jxnnxbrxwn  @winchest09  @sandlee44  @screechingartisancashbailiff  @31shadesofbrown  

@theconfusedcat​   @cherryofdeath 

It was Christmas Eve and finally the day of the Gala. You and Dean had gone with Bobby to the brewery warehouse in town to check on the party set up. When Dean had said he ran the floor at his dad’s brewery, what you had pictured was completely different. Your imagination had seen a small, mom & pop set up. The reality was a monster of a building that held both the brewery and the warehouse. Each was on it’s own wing with a central visitation/sampling area where people could look into the brewery or the warehouse. How he had run all of that and oversaw the dealerships, with Bobby’s help, you would never know. He had been so young at the time and had so much on his plate.

“You didn’t tell me you ran the fucking Empire! I thought you were like Endor or some shit,” you couldn’t believe the enormity of the place.

“Welcome to Winchester corporate offices and brewing facility,” Dean said in a very professional voice.

“Dude!”

Dean gave a small snort and showed you around. The offices were surprisingly modest in size and made up for what they lacked in size with rich décor. The combination of wood, brick, and steel was visually stunning and was carried to the second floor where the viewing/sampling room was located.

“Wow,” there was nothing left to say as you entered the room.

The floor kept the same square footage as the main floor with none of the walls, only the brick pillars and wooden support beams. The party people that had dressed the room, had hung Edison lights from the support beams, giving the space a glow you hadn’t expected. A small stage at one end of the floor told you a DJ would be providing the music for the gala and had large speaker towers on either side of the DJ booth.

“Thought you and your friend did research,” he kept his voice quiet.

“She did, but she didn’t say it was like this,” you waved your hand at the expanse.

“You need to up your research game,” he said.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he continued. “Like I checked on you. What the hell are you doing working for Chuck with your skills? That … car you have? Holy shit.”

You smiled when he wouldn’t say ‘Tesla’.

“Mom asked me to, you know how it is. Plus, it was nice turning his mess around. Proved to myself I could do it on my own. My Black Beauty goes faaaast.”

Dean held her hand and wondered how he could give her everything she deserved. There was no guarantee that his dad would give him anything, let alone, the business. (Y|N) had her own money and talent to get started tomorrow, if she wanted to. He was impressed with her drive and resistance to anything that would derail her dream. It just made him wonder how he would fit into her life, or she into his, once this week was done.

A bustle of people were coming into the viewing room, carrying decorations and other items, to set up for the gala. Bobby was directing, barking orders at people where to go for the set up and when he was finished, he met up with you and Dean.

“Now that these yay-hoos have things under control, whaddya say we get the cars ready?” Bobby asked, a glint in his eyes.

“Cars?” you parked up.

“The one good thing that came out of Mom dying. Dad uses cars from the dealership to run people to and from the Gala so there’s no drinking and driving,” Dean filled you in.

“Ooo, what kinds of cars?”

“Mostly the big SUVs,” Bobby answered. “Excursions, usually.”

“Oooooooo,” you said again. “You’re gonna let me drive one, right?”

You really only got into fixing cars because you loved to drive them and your dad always said that if you were going to drive ‘em hard, you’d better know how to fix ‘em. Though, your love of cars began way before you were old enough to drive…

“Why do you think I brought ya down here? Need to have a couple at the house to haul y’all down to the office.”

You were practically giddy and Dean just shook his head at you.

“I’m ready, boss, let’s roll!” you said.

“I don’t get why I can’t see you dressed up before the party,” Dean asked again.

You were back at the farm and getting ready with him in his bedroom. You weren’t sure you could exactly explain the ‘why’ of it. There was a sort of honesty that comes in a moment of surprise. You wanted to see Dean’s face. You wanted him to be proud of you. And maybe, if John saw his reaction, he would finally see that Dean really did have feelings for you.

“Don’t take away my fun. I want to surprise you,” you explained. “I want to give you the wow factor.”

“You don’t need to impress me. Trust me, you already got the guy,” Dean was puttering around the room taking care of his last minute details.

You were wearing the dress under his robe, only small hints of green and black lace peeking out from the bottom.

“Stealing my robe now?” He asked.

On an average day, Dean Winchester cut a handsome profile, but it wasn’t an average day. Dean was wearing a tuxedo for the gala, minus his jacket and shoes. A word to describe his look hadn’t been invented yet. The stark white of his shirt in contrast to the black of his slacks only enhanced his already handsome features and appeal.

He caught you staring as he fiddled with the cuffs on his shirt. “What?” He finally got his cuff link to cooperate and laid on the bed near you, not caring if he got wrinkled.

“I didn’t think you’d mind,” you said again in response to him questioning you about his clothes. “I like your things, they’re comfortable. You might wanna get a bag of back up clothes ready, in case we need to bail or just ditch the getup.”

“Oh, good call,” he agreed. He paused for a long while, his finger tracing the zig-zag design on the comforter. “No matter what happens tonight, I gotta come clean to Sam. I don’t want this cloud of lies between us.”

“Are they lies, though?” You thought the feelings were real, even if the circumstances weren’t quite as you’d led his family to believe. Your thumb touched the band on your left hand, absently rubbing the smooth metal. “The only thing not quite true is how long we’ve been together.”

“These last few days with you have been an amazing dream,” he sat up.

It sounded like there was a ‘but’ coming and you tried to ignore the feeling of dread that was building. It had been a great few days with Dean, but it was all a fairytale, wasn’t it? Maybe he just told you what you wanted to hear. He didn’t even hint that he had said ‘I love you’ the night before, he just continued like nothing had happened. What would happen when the magic was over, would he still want you?

“It’s been great,” you agreed. Your voice sounded like it belonged to someone else. You didn’t want to keep him from telling Sam the truth, but would it ruin his chances of taking over the family business?

“No matter what happens tonight, I’m not sorry, not for any of it.” His hand went you your cheek, his thumb stroking your skin.

“Me either,” you whispered. “Speaking of after… how are we doing this? Are we leaving tomorrow? I really need to go see my mom…” you reached to grab your phone, remembering the notifications from the night before.

“You want me to meet your mom?” He seemed a little skeptical.

“I have literally met your whole family,” you said to him, holding down the power button on your phone to turn it on. “I think you can handle one person.”

“What did you tell her about where you’ve been this week?” He was curious.

“Told her my friend needed help dealing with family… and that I would come over when we were done,” you smiled. Your phone kept buzzing with each notification that finally got through. You wanted to look but Dean had your attention.

“I’m not usually the kind of guy that meets the parents,” he hemmed.

“Yes you are. You just haven’t been with the right woman. Don’t worry. She’s easy to get along with. Now my dad…he would have scared the shit out of you,” you snickered.

Dean smiled, his eyes bright, teeth showing through his grin, “Okay. I bet I could have gotten on his good side in five minutes.”

“Well, you would have been the first,” you laughed.

“Then what?” He asked.

Not understanding what he meant, “Then what, what?”

“After your mom’s house, then what?”

There was still so much you had to do and you hadn’t thought much about any of it for days. You’d been working so long to get to a point where you could leave Chuck behind, but then what, indeed. How would Dean fit into your life after this week? How would you fit into his? Before you could formulate any kind of answer, a knock at the door startled you both out of your building panic.

“Dean?” Sam was at the door again. “You ready?”

“Be right out,” he called to the door. “We can talk about it later,” he leaned in to give you a quick kiss. “Sam and I need to do the walk through with Dad but I am going to talk to Sam tonight.”

He’d made up his mind and his expression said that there was no changing it.

“Okay,” you nodded, “I’ll come find you later.”

Dean kissed you again and got up from the bed. He opened the door to the bedroom to reveal Sam and Jess standing outside in the hall. Jamming his feet into the still tied dress shoes, he grabbed the tux jacket and left with Sam.

Once the boys were gone, Jess came in carrying a cosmetics case and hooked her thumb in the direction they’d left.

“Dean looks awful serious,” she noticed. “What’s that about?”

“I guess he needs to talk to Sam about something,” you covered.

Jess narrowed her eyes from just a second, then put the case on the bed by you. “More than what they aired out in the nail salon?”

You only shrugged.

“Okay, lady,” she said, “let’s see the gown.”

Standing up, you pulled the stay on the robe and slipped the garment from your shoulders. Jess let out a long whistle in approval.

“Wow. You are definitely going to turn heads with that dress. Now I wish I’d picked a green one, too,” she said. “Smart move, John will approve.”

“That was the idea when I picked it, but now I don’t give a shit,” you said, spinning for her.

Jess studied your face. Seeing your mix of anxiety, anger, and worry, she asked, “You really do care for Dean, don’t you?”

“What?” You hadn’t expected her to say that and it took a moment for your brain to catch up. “Yes? Why?”

Jess was rooting around to find the perfect shades of green and was holding them up to compare to your dress. When she found ones that looked close to what she needed, she set them aside. She pulled out several pieces of makeup and you had no idea how she would use it all.

“It’s obvious to anyone around you two for more than five minutes that you two are the real deal,” she said. “Close your eyes.”

You closed your eyes, aware that she was beginning to lead you down a path you weren’t sure you wanted to travel yet.

“If you ask me, that’s pretty damn good after a whirlwind romance…” Jess applied eyeshadow.

“It’s been quite a week,” you agreed, unsure where she was going.

“I checked on you,” she said, applying more makeup, “like you kept telling us to do… I also know you and Dean may have known each other for a year, but you haven’t been dating,” she continued, moving to another color palate. “I mean, I get it…kinda. Dean finds out about me and Sam getting engaged and shopping around the business… I warned Sam, but he’s as stubborn as a moose. John has his hangups and Dean was looking to get his position solidified. But what I don’t get…”she blended the colors on your eyelids, “is why you said ‘yes’.”

Your heart sank. Jess had practically figured out the whole arrangement on her own. Jess paused long enough for you to open your eyes and answer her.

“Yes to what?” You stalled.

“Oh, there’s more than just playing his fiancé?” She raised an eyebrow at you. “We can unpack that later.”

She waited for you to answer.

“How long have you known? Are you going to tell John?”

Jess waved her hand in dismissal, “I doubt he would believe me if I did tell him. I knew the day I met you. A simple search on my phone, just like you said. I’m just curious as to why. You don’t need whatever it is Dean offered you, so… what gives?”

You couldn’t answer, not because you didn’t want to tell her, you didn’t know. Impala Guy had caught your eye for his car, but you’d definitely noticed his good looks, too. Maybe it was because he wasn’t like your other customers. Maybe it was the way he ate the donut when he asked you. Jess was right, you didn’t need Dean’s collateral…

“I don’t know,” you answered. “I just felt like, if I didn’t, I would miss out on someone great. I thought about what you said, about maybe I was waiting for him. I don’t know, maybe I was.”

“Hmm,” Jess grabbed the eyeliner, “your secret is safe with me. It’s not really for me to tell anyone, even Sam. What else did you say ‘yes’ to?”

Jess had you close your eyes again so she could apply the eyeliner.

“Nothing I’m willing to admit to right now,” you said.

“Dirty girl,” she teased.

“You aren’t making me look like a painted whore, are you?” You asked.

She snorted a laugh, “No. Promise. I’m going to pat myself on the back, actually. You’re gonna drop jaws.”

“Is it bad that I want this to be a big ‘fuck you’ to everyone?”

“To who? ….specifically.” She was curious.

“I want everyone who ever doubted Dean, or screwed him over, to see that he doesn’t need any of them and that…”

“He has you,” Jess concluded. “It’s not bad at all. Winchesters, in spite of everything, always back up their family.”

You took a deep breath and let it out slowly. You would not cry and ruin your makeup. Jess put on your mascara and lip stain next. You were on such a wild, rollercoaster week, it was starting to wear on your nerves.

“Alright, done.” Jess popped the lip stain stick back in the bottle with finality.

Forgetting you were even holding your phone, it buzzed once, letting you know you had missed messages. You got up from the bed in an anxious daze, curious to see what you looked like now that Jess had worked her magic. The full length mirror in Dean’s bathroom was the only mirror to afford you a full view of yourself. You’d already put on the earrings Dean had bought for you and slipped into your heels. Never one to look at yourself objectively, it wasn’t difficult this time, you looked like a completely different person. You pulled up the camera on your phone and snapped a quick picture.

The only thing that snapped you out of your shock was the opening strains of “Born to be Wild” coming from your phone. Bringing the device’s screen back into your view, the display showed the face of the person calling you.

“Weird ringer for Dean,” Jess said from the door. “You good?”

“Um, yeah, thank you so much, you did an amazing job,” you said.

“I’m gonna head out,” she said and waved so you could answer the phone.

When she was opening the door to leave the bedroom, you accepted the call.

“What do you want, Jack?”

“Merry Christmas to you, too,” he sounded annoyed.

“Merry Christmas,” you groaned. “How can I help you, Jack?” You gave him your best customer service voice.

“Been tryin’ ta get a hold of ye for a few days,” he said.

“And I told you I was going to be away for a week, or more, with probable shitty cell service,” you shot back. This call just proved Jack never listened. “I told you that when I asked you to watch Harry.”

You could hear him sigh heavily on the other end. It had always been a battle with Jack to get him to hear you.

“I know ye did,” he continued. “Something came up.”

The words made your skin prickle and your heart began thumping. When he’d called you up in the past and uttered the same phrase, something bad had happened. If it wasn’t him, it was someone in the club and one time, one of them hadn’t come back…

“What happened? Are you okay? Someone in the club?”

Though you and Jack had parted ways romantically, you still cared about him and his brothers in the club. They’d been like a second family for you in the last five years. You loved Jack, just not the way he had wanted. Club life was rough and every time the phone rang, he would either leave you, or it was bad news, never knowing if he was going to come back.

“Ach, no. Everything’s fine, luv. Me ma sold some o’ her baubles ‘n got me a ticket for a visit,” he explained, immediately feeling bad for worrying her.

“Oh, that’s good. It’s been a while, huh?” You said.

She was a nice woman. You’d been around for a few of the video phone calls Jack had made for special occasions. She still sent you cards for your birthday and Christmas even though both you and Jack had moved on. She even said, in front of Jack, that she still wished the two of you would get back together, or “at least give me a wee gran’baby.”

“Please give her my love, she was always nice to me,” you added.

“Aye, I will. Anyway, since ye’ve been incognito…”

You rolled your eyes.

“…I called yer mum.” He let that statement hang in the air a moment. Jack was not her favorite person ever, but she tolerated him. “Asked her if she would take the laddie.”

“And how did that go over?”

“The usual lecture on being a responsible adult not realizing that’s what I was bein’.” Jack sighed, he’d tried to be civil with your mom, but it could be difficult. “So, he’s with your mum. Thought ye could stop by on the way back ta get him.”

“Good idea,” you said, “That’s exactly what we were going to do.” You softened toward Jack. He was a good man, but he would never leave the club. You would always have been second, no matter how much you may have loved each other. To make things worse, you knew just enough about what happened in the club to scare the hell out of you and wonder what may visit you when he was away. That fear is where Harry came into play. Harry was the 65 pound gray pitbull Jack had gotten for you for protection and company while he wasn’t home, which was often. Jack was never going to settle down, not even for you.

“There’s something else,” his voice had turned serious.

“Oh god, what?”

“Some arsehole came nosing around, askin’ about ya. Got real personal. The lads filled him full a bullshit, sent him on his way. What’re ya gettin’ into, luv? You running from something? What kind of friend gets a private DICK sent after ya?”

Jesus fucking Christ, it’s been an eventful week.

“What did he ask and what did you boys tell him?” You knew it had to be John behind this latest bit of fuckery.

“Ah… well… the boys may have implied that… you were a club bunny. Not in so many words though,” his voice was low. “And that Harry is our son.”

If it had been under any other circumstances, other than Dean’s disgusting dad, you might have laughed. Of course, the boys thought they were covering for you, not knowing the circumstances of why the PI was there.

“For fucks sake, Jack,” you groaned.

“What’s going on, lass?” He asked again.

It took a little while to get through the high points of your visit to Kansas. You didn’t go too deep into detail, but Jack was no dummy. He could hear all of the things you weren’t saying. When you finished telling the story, the other end of the connection was oddly silent, his breath the only thing that told you he was still there.

“Jack?”

“Do ye love him?” He was blunt. “The way ye couldn’t love me?”

“Jack, you know I love you, but yes. He’s the one, Jack,” not for the first time, you felt the twist in your gut with the feeling of failing Jack. The two of you had talked about it many times, and he’d had plenty of ‘bunnies’ to keep him company, but you’d both agreed that it wouldn’t have worked for you two.

“Ach,” he scoffed, “now I’m grossed out. You know who to call if ye need backup.”

“I’ve dealt with some scary and fucked up people in my life. John fucking Winchester is nothing to get riled up about.”

With nothing left to say, Jack said, “Love ya, kid.”

“Love you, too, Ol’ Man,” you smiled. “Remember to tell your mum I said ‘hi’.”

“Alright, ye nag. Bye.”

“Bye.”

As you sat on the bed, you dropped the hand holding the phone to your lap and watched as Jack’s name and face disappeared from the screen.

There was a time when seeing his name gave you butterflies, but there were far more times that it scared the hell out of you. The club never walked on the right side of the law and his calls became something you dreaded. Loving Jack had never been the problem. Living with Jack meant living with the club and everything that came with it. While it had taught you to toughen up, it had also made you a nervous wreck and distrusting. When you finally broke it off with Jack and asked him to move out, you knew you hurt him, but he also understood.

“I’m sorry I can’t give ye the life you deserve,” he’d said, both of you crying by then.

“I know you did the best you could,” you said back.

Jack would always be family, but he’d never stolen your heart the way Dean had. A smile spread across your face as you thought about him and wondered if he would light up when he saw you.

Flipping through the contacts on your phone, you stopped on your mother’s icon and pressed the call button. It took a couple of rings for her to answer and you could hear Harry when she did finally answer.

“Harry! Shut up! Hello?”

“Hi mom,” you said.

“Your dog is here,” she said.

“I know. I just talked to Jack. You okay with him until I get there tomorrow?”

“Oh, he’s fine,” she said then changed her tone to talk to him, “He’s such a goood booyyy. Jack… you know how I feel about him…”

Your mother had made it quite clear over the years. She tolerated him, and sometimes she even liked him, but she would never forgive him.

“Yeah. I do. Is it okay if Dean and I come up in the morning tomorrow?”

“Ohh… I was thinking it was a girlfriend that needed your help this week. Who is this guy, someone special?”

You hated talking about your love life with your mother, but she still had hope for grandchildren, too.

“Yeah, he is,” you admitted. “His family is crazy, but he’s not. He seems like the only level-headed one in the group. Hot as hell, strong work ethic, super smart…” you felt like you were gushing.

“I’m intrigued,” she said. “You going out tonight?”

“Yeah, big party. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.”

“Okay,” she said, “no drinking and driving. Love you. Harry, say bye.”

You could actually hear a muffled ‘woof’ from Harry. Your mom pretended to be put out by his presence, but it was all a show. She spoiled him something awful and he loved being at her house because of it.

“No, ma’am, promise,” you said. “They actually have a car service just for this occasion. Love you, Mom. See you tomorrow.”

Before you left the room, you made sure to grab your clutch and stuffed your phone inside it and went downstairs to find Jess and get to the party.

Dean knew (Y|N) wanted to make an entrance with flair, but he was getting bored. He was barely at the party and he already waited to bail, but he couldn’t do it until she got there so they could both go. People were milling about, mingling, making small-talk before dinner was served. Being early in the night, the lights were only slightly dimmed, the overhead lights would eventually go all the way dark and the twinkle lights would set the mood for the evening. It was quite a sight to see a warehouse lit like the evening sky.

Thankfully, Bobby had seen him loitering near the door and brought over a drink for him and chatted with him to pass the time. He had a lot to say about the dealerships and how well they were doing. Bobby still had executive control over them, despite John’s official ownership. John was the silent owner, and Bobby liked it that way.

“Look, son, there ain’t no easy way to say it,” Bobby had something to say that he’d been holding onto for a while and Dean would probably be leaving in the morning. “I ain’t getting any younger and I’d like to enjoy my golden years while I still can. Maybe take Ellen on a trip.”

Dean patiently waited for Bobby to get to the point.

“No matter what happens tonight with your daddy and the business, I want someone to take over running the dealerships for me. Thought maybe you could do that for me, help out an old man. (Y|N) could do whatever she does in the service department. Designer, ain’t she?”

Bobby had surprised him. Dean didn’t know what he’d been getting at, but he hadn’t expected Bobby to say that. His thoughts spun out in so many different directions, he couldn’t follow one long enough to give Bobby an answer.

“That’s a lot to spring on ya, boy,” the older man admitted, patting Dean’s shoulder. “You think on it. Talk to your lady and get back to me. No rush, but sooner than later. Before next Gala.”

Dean was still stunned when he noticed Bobby do something odd. The older man stood up straighter and pulled down on the hem of his jacket. He wasn’t looking at Dean anymore. Bobby’s gaze was over his shoulder and toward the entrance. Following his line of sight, Dean saw, not what, but who had caught his attention.

He almost didn’t recognize her. If not for the dress and the earrings he’d bought her, he might not have. He was mesmerized by the way she sparkled. It wasn’t until she was right in front of him that he realized she sparkled because she was moving…

On the drive to the warehouse, you’d had time to get your thoughts under control and think of what exactly it was you were going to say to Dean about what had happened with Jack. You just hoped you’d be able to tell Dean before John opened his dumb mouth first.

Once at the warehouse, you carefully got out of the Excursion and made your way inside. There was a canopy over a red carpet with holly garland and lights strung the full length of the canopy and woven through the underside of the canopy. It was beautiful.

You’d made your way to the gala floor and could see Dean talking to Bobby, but you stayed back far enough that the light wouldn’t land on you. Jess had made you look like a movie star and you were looking for your red carpet entrance. Jess was with you only briefly once you arrived at the gala. She’d spotted Sam and excused herself. When you saw your moment, you took it.

The lights had dimmed just enough to make your dress sparkle. Bobby saw you first, and you smiled at the reaction you got from him, but it was Dean that made your stomach flutter. Slowly, he turned to see you. His expression went from confusion to recognition. Then you saw it, the look you’d been waiting forever to see…

You put your hand on his chest and the tux fabric twitched under your hand as you brought him out of his daze.

“See? Now that’s why I wanted to make an entrance,” you smiled up at him. “What do you think?”

“You better marry her quick, son, before I steal her away,” Bobby winked at you and excused himself.

“You took my breath away,” Dean whispered. “You’re like green fireworks.”

“Way right answer,” you said, getting on your tiptoes to kiss him. “What are we supposed to do now?”

He cleared his throat and cocked up his eyebrow, “We go to the table, get together, have a few laughs.”

His Bruce Willis impression needed a little work.

“We need a code word so we don’t go full Nakatomi on this place,” you suggested.

“We?”

“I told you, I have your back,” you reminded. Dean still held you close. “Besides, your dad has a mouth on him and I may need to slap a bitch.”

“I want to be there if you do,” he sounded excited at the idea. “Sounds kinda hot.”

“So what do you think about the code word? Not yippie ki yay… Nakatomi?” You said and watched a defeated look cross Dean’s face, he wanted “yippie”.

“Since you shot that down, Gruber?”

“Argyle?”

“The limo driver?”

You nodded.

“That could work, yeah. Fits into conversation, too. ‘Did you see the argyle socks on that guy?’”

“Yeah, this is okay, we can do this,” he agreed.

You put your arm through his and let him lead you through the crowd of people, stopping now and then to mingle. Though he’d been away, he still seemed to know almost everyone and their families. He didn’t only talk about business with them, he knew them, asked about their kids, their parents. More than one person asked if he would come back, even if he didn’t get CEO.

Dean only gave noncommittal answers and kept you moving until you reached the table that had been reserved for the family. Bobby was there with Ellen. Sam and Jess followed right behind you, and John was already seated middle center.

“I’m not sitting by him,” you said to Dean. You could feel John’s eyes on you. It had been odd before, now it was unsettling.

Dean patted your hand in the crook of his elbow.

“I’ll be to the left of Dad, Bobby on his right, and you next to me. Then Sam next to you,” he explained. “Argyle, remember?”

“Right,” you straightened your body, steeling yourself. “No one is going to ruin this night.” You remembered your phone call from earlier in the night and knew you should tell Dean sooner rather than later, but people were filing in, settling down for dinner. There would be too many ears listening to risk it. “I need to talk to you in private later, okay?”

“Everything okay?” He said to your ear as he pushed in your chair to sit down.

“Yes, just a recurring blast from my past,” you said quietly.

“Good evening everyone!” John’s voice boomed without the need of a microphone.

Sam quickly picked up the microphone and flicked it on to hand to John.

“Welcome to the Family Business annual Christmas Gala!” John was already laying it on thick. “Thank you, all of you, for your hard work. Your family’s understanding has, once again, made this year, our best year yet.” He paused for applause. “As you know, I appreciate what you do to keep the Family Business rolling and this year, that means a 25c raise, on top of cost of living, for our hourly folks and a half day of comp time for our salaried people.” He paused again. “That is my thanks to you all for a job well done. Now, I know there are rumors going around that I’m planning on retiring. I would like to address those rumors. Yes, I do plan on retiring. When may that happen?…I just don’t know. Maybe one of my boys will be up here next year.” John looked at both of his sons, then back to the room of people waiting on him to elaborate. “Truth is, I haven’t decided on my successor. I’ll let you all know as soon as I do. Until then…let’s get this gala going! Bring on the food!”

You put your hand on Dean’s leg. He was doing an okay job of keeping his face from showing what he was thinking. His leg felt like a spring that was wound too tight, though, like the tension might get released at any moment and blast out of control. I took him a second or two to turn his attention to you. You didn’t have to say anything to him, he just seemed to know what was your question.

In response, he put his hand over yours on his leg and squeezed. “I’m good. Listen, I need to talk to you later, need to run something by you.”

“Okay,” you nodded, “Soon as we can steal away. I have something to tell you, too.”

Fortunately, the disappointment from John was soon forgotten as the party got going in full swing. Before you knew it, dinner was done, the dishes cleared, and the lights were dimmed, twinkle lights in full twinkle mode. It truly was a beautiful sight. The light cast a warm glow over the space, giving the room a cozy feel despite the size.

You and Dean got away from the table long enough for the dishes to be cleared away and get drinks from the bar at the back of the room. You’d also noticed a photo booth that you made a point to get him in later. You made your way back to your place at the dinner table, chairs turned toward one another, your knees between Dean’s. His thumb was stroking the soft flesh on the inside of your knee. He was trying to convince you to run away with him, right then and there. He told you of all the places he wanted to visit and you hoped he would, with you on his arm. He told you his dreams for the future.

“We could go to Bali,” you suggested.

“I don’t do planes,” he said.

“But it’s French Polynesia… and hot… naked cabana time… skimpy bathing suits…” you painted the picture for him. “If it’s private enough, skinny dipping, naked all the time. Or if we did a resort, we would have people waiting on us, massages, no worries, at all, ever.”

“Well,” his fingertips were traveling up your inner thigh, “That naked in the cabana thing sounds good…”

He leaned in the rest of the way, his lips telling you that he would go with you wherever you wanted, you just had to say the word. When he pulled away, he had a dreamy look on his face and, once again, you were so glad you’d said yes.

“Bobby pulled me aside tonight. Said if the ol’ man doesn’t give it to me, he wants me to take over for him at the dealership,” he watched you for some kind of reaction. “He said you’d be welcome, too. Thought maybe you’d run the service department, do customs.”

You’d only just met Bobby and were touched by his offer. If there were one person in Dean’s family whose trust you wanted, it was Bobby’s. It was nice to be offered a sweet setup like that, it was pretty amazing, and you could still do your custom work.

“What did you say?”

He shrugged, “Nothing. Bobby said I should run it by you.”

“That’s a generous offer for either of us. Is it a package deal?”

Dean shook his head, “I think Bobby just wants to make sure it’s in good hands before he retires. And I think he likes you and wants you to know you’re included if you want to be. Plus, I think he just really wants me back down here.”

“Or maybe he just knows what’s right and wants you to get a spot here,” you guessed.

“He said he wants to take Ellen places while he still can.”

“That’s kinda sweet,” you said.

“He’s not the only one that’s sweet,” he licked his lips and leaned in to kiss you again.

“Let’s go find that photo booth,” you suggested. It had been far too long since you’d kissed him properly. “Too many eyes are out here.”

It only took a moment for Dean to catch on to what you wanted to do. He pushed back from his chair and helped you up from yours. The gala had shifted back into a more jovial mood and the festivities were back in full swing. When you got to the booth, there wasn’t anyone waiting and the couple in there were just getting their photos out of the finished slot. As soon as they had passed by, Dean pulled you inside the booth and onto his lap. You pulled the curtain closed and gave Dean’s lips your full attention.

The hand that was holding you on his lap squeezed at your hip, his free hand on your ribs just under your breast. His handsome face was barely an inch from yours. Tipping your head slightly, you closed the small distance between you. Your hand went to his face, holding him to you. Your lips parted for him, his kiss more urgent. Your tongue answered his equally and passionately. Your hand raked through his hair. Dean was making sounds that told you he was almost ready to leave the party.

Panting slightly from the make out, you asked, “So how do these things work? I’ve never been in one before.”

“This is what you’re supposed to do in here, sweetheart,” his eyes twinkled.

You smiled at him and kissed him again. Pulling away, your fingers touched the sore spot on his cheek and wished things had been different for him Dean deserved so much better than he got.

“I love you, too, by the way,” you said, your voice low and full of the emotion you felt for him.

“I didn’t know you heard me,” he said.

“Did you mean to say it?”

He nodded. “I know it’s been the worst week ever, but I haven’t regretted a bit of it. And it’s ridiculous to believe that a couple can fall in love in a week, but…”

“Here we are,” you said.

“Will…” he cleared his throat, “Will you marry me? For real, I mean.”

The whole week flashed before your eyes… then it flashed forward through your whole life with Dean.

“When we get all of our ducks in a row and things are going the way we want, I’ll marry you,” you said. “We don’t have to rush. Plus, we’ll have time to talk on the way to my mom’s house.”

Dean pressed buttons on the touch screen to get the photo-booth working. You’d mentioned going to see your mom while on the long drive to Kansas, but Dean probably hadn’t thought much about it since then.

“Your mom is gonna love me,” he said.

“I’m sure she will. It was my dad that you would have had to worry about. Could have killed you with a glance,” you teased.

You barely noticed the flashing coming from the camera.

Dean got a small smirk on his face, “No one is going to scare me away, Mrs. Winchester.”

You leaned in to kiss him again.

A few moments later, the photos were done, but you weren’t done kissing Dean.

“Everything okay in there?”

“Yep, just… talking.”

“Could you talk out here? Got some folks waiting,” it was the booth operator.

You and Dean grabbed your photos quickly and made your way over to the bar. You were far too sober for it being so late in the evening. While you waited for your drinks, you looked at the photos and laughed. Dean’s hair was a mess, but remarkably, the booth had caught the moment when Dean said ‘Mrs. Winchester’ and the looks on your faces. The happiness there almost made you tear up.

“I’ve got something I need to tell you, Dean,” you said, not wanting to ruin the moment, but you needed to tell him.

Dean grabbed your drink and gave you his elbow to take you back to your table.

“I’m listening,” he said.

He brought you back to the table where you’d had dinner.

“Before getting here tonight, I got a call from my ex, Jack,” you trailed off, seeing if he would react.

“One of the biker guys?” he simply asked.

You nodded. “He said there was some “private dick” nosing around the club members asking about me.”

“And what did he tell the P.I.?” he was cautious.

“He and the club members fed him a line of bullshit that I was a club bunny and not attached to anyone in the club. Not the greatest of stories, but they protect the club, former ol’ ladies don’t get much protection. They thought they were helping, honestly.”

“Okay, so… what about this, Jack, guy? Is he going to be a problem? Does he still love you?”

It made your heart hurt to think about it. You didn’t want to hurt Dean, not today, but the truth was what you’d agreed upon and that is what he would get.

“Jack was my guy for almost a year. His club is the one that hangs around in the area. They aren’t even in Bemidji… He lived with me for a while, but even then, I hardly ever saw him. Jack will always be special to me, and yes, I did love him, but not the way people in love should love one another. I couldn’t ever see me growing old with him,” because he might not grow old in his club, you thought but didn’t say. “I loved him, but it wasn’t a lasting love. My mom tolerated him, sometimes she liked him. I was going to go to her house anyway, but Jack was calling to let me know that Harry is there because he needed to leave town.”

“Does he still live with you?”

“Harry does. Jack lives wherever Jack lands for a night, which hasn’t been my place in 4 years,” you explained.

“Who the hell is Harry,” he asked a little more gruff than he intended.

“Harry is the pitbull that Jack got me for company and protection when he was away, which was a lot,” you clarified. “Harry is huge now, but he’s such a sweet boy. Scares the hell out of Chuck. Harry hates Chuck, but loves everyone else…”

 “Is Jack going to be a problem? Is he going to come looking to start trouble?”

That was a question you wouldn’t have been able to answer just a couple years ago.

“No. We’ve talked about it a lot and we both agreed that our lifestyles didn’t match up. He’ll always be in my life. He’s family. He moved on and so did I. Though, I’m still welcome with the club. They’re protective of me and Harry.”

He put his hand on yours and brought your hand to his lips.

“Okay,” he sighed, “we can deal with that.”

He said ‘we’, you thought.

“Hey, um… Dean?” Sam had appeared.

“Dude, your timing. We need to talk about that,” Dean said, not bothering to hide his irritation.

“I thought maybe we could go to the floor and try some of the new product, have a talk,” he said, clearing his throat.

Sam’s glance flashed to you and knew immediately that it was a private conversation not for your ears. Dean said he’d wanted to tell Sam the truth. You supposed it was the perfect opportunity for them and let them off the hook.

“You boys go do your thing. I’ll see what’s going on up here, maybe see what Ellen or Jess are doing,” you said.

“Well, that just figures,” were the first words out of Sam’s mouth after Dean had told him the whole truth. “Leave it to you to try to tip the scales in your favor.”

“Thanks a lot, Sam,” Dean fumed. “How else am I going to get what I’ve earned? Of course, you wouldn’t know what that’s like to have to fight for every inch. You’re the golden boy. Things have always just fallen into your lap.”

They were in their dad’s office after taking a walk through the warehouse floor. The whisky was good, but Dean already had ideas for improvement. He got up from the edge of the desk where he had been sitting, looking for his dad’s stash of the good stuff.

“Things don’t just fall in my lap, Dean. No one took the bar for me. I worked hard for that,” Sam defended. Though, Sam was aware of how lucky he’d been in his life, he hadn’t considered that it may be because of sacrifices from Dean. “Do you really want the business this much or are you trying to prove something to Dad?”

Dean knew it was both. He wanted to run the brewery how he saw fit. He wanted to show everyone that he could do it and be successful. It wasn’t until a few days ago that he was sure that he could do it. When he brought (Y|N) with him, it was like he finally knew that he could and that he wanted it with her.

“Maybe… probably,” he admitted. “It doesn’t change the fact that I need every advantage I can get.”

“Why did you rope (Y|N) into this? Are you going your separate ways after tonight?” Sam continued.

The thought of losing (Y|N) was an unexpected gut punch, no matter what had happened upstairs. But then, she said she would marry him… and a smile spread across his face. She was going to be his wife. He’d given up a lot in his life and had gotten on just fine, but he was not going to lose her. They would overcome anything together.

“I don’t know, Sam. I would see her at the garage… she looks great in coveralls… hair up like Rosie the Riveter… dirt and grease… and she ran the whole thing. She knows more about cars than even Bobby. She’s confident, smart, talented…” he trailed off a moment thinking about how cute she was bossing her employees around, but he could also see it wasn’t her favorite thing to do, either. “She stood up for me, Sam, didn’t back down. Never had a woman do that for me, usually it was the other way around… Then, watching her here, getting to know her, probably better than I’ve known anyone…” Dean found the bottle of the good stuff and poured himself a heavy drink. “Asking her to come with me might be the smartest thing I’ve ever done. I can’t imagine letting her go.”

Dean poured some of the whiskey into Sam’s glass, too. They both let his words hang for a few moments while they drank.

“So, how long have you been in love with her?” Sam asked quietly.

Dean took a thoughtful pause, “All my life.”

He downed what was left of the whiskey in his glass. His dad’s office hadn’t changed much over the years and neither had the location of the secret booze stash. Dean poured himself a single this time and looked at the pictures on the bookshelves. He was in two of them. One was the last obligatory family picture and the other was of him and Benny when the new building was finished.

“You’d be in more if you were around more,” Sam mused.

“That door swings both ways, Sam,” Dean sipped the whiskey without turning back. “Who do you think the old man is going to hand it off to?”

Sam considered the options before answering, “I really don’t know. There’s a good argument for all of us. You. Me. Adam. Benny. Who knows… maybe he won’t even do it this year.”

“Well now, wouldn’t that be something,” Dean pondered.

Dean had barely been gone with Sam before Ellen came over and took the chair Dean had emptied. She looked beautiful in her gown. Her hair was up and it showed off the beautiful jewelry she was wearing, much in the same way you were doing.

“Hey, (Y|N),” she said and looked out at the people on the dance floor for a moment. Then she turned in her seat, leaning on the table so she could look at you better.

“Dean tell you ‘bout Bobby’s offer?” she asked.

You nodded.

“Bobby likes you,” she went on, “and that’s no small feat. The old man and I have gotten real good at reading people. We know you’re not telling us everything, but we trust you… hell, we all have our secrets. Not that you need our blessing, but if it means anything to you, me ‘n Bobby couldn’t have picked someone better for our boy.” She patted your hand, “You think on that offer and let us know when you two decide.”

“I will,” you said. Ellen smiled and stood to leave.

“Ellen?” you waited for her to look back at you. “Thank you. You and Bobby made me feel welcome and I promise I’ll do my best to take care of him.”

“That’s all we want, honey,” she gave you a slight nod with a smile and went to find her husband.

There was an elegance about the woman that was overshadowed by the years of hard work that had shown itself on her face. She worked hard, took zero shit, and it had paid off. You could only hope to aspire to such levels of grace and badassery.

When you finished your drink, you were feeling warm and relaxed. You got up from the table and took your glass back to the bar. The bartender noticed you right away and moved to take your order.

“What can I get you?” he asked.

Normally, you were used to customers hitting on you and it took you by surprise when the cute bartender’s eyes raked over you, licking his bottom lip. Until that moment, you weren’t sure what you were going to order.

“Ice water,” you answered.

“Yes ma’am,” he grinned, eyes twinkling.

You barely had gotten the glass in your hand before an imposing, dark presence made itself known to you.

“I trust you’re enjoying the evening,” John’s voice was close to your ear.

The timbre of his voice and breath, reeking of bourbon, on your bare neck made your skin crawl. Quickly, you stepped away from him and barely acknowledged him.

“I was,” you kept walking.

“Seems to me, you have no trouble finding a good time,” he followed you.

You weren’t in the mood for a fight, but it seemed that was all John wanted from you. If he didn’t shut his mouth, that was exactly what he was going to get.

“Yes. I make a point to enjoy myself, no matter what situation I’m in,” you answered, still not stopping for him.

“Mmm, that’s what I’ve heard,” he said.

Your pace came to an abrupt halt.

“What do you think you know about me?” you asked, sick of his games. “As far as I know, Dean is the only person we both know. What could you have possibly ‘heard��� about me that didn’t come from me or him?”

You were so grateful Jack had called you…

“I did just as you said. Soon as Dean brought you here, I had a PI do some checking up on you. Your ‘cousin’ Chuck doesn’t like you much,” he said.

“Chuck is an idiot and I don’t like him much, either. What else do you think you have?”

“You never said anything about the biker club.”

“And? Once again, my personal life before Dean is none of your damn business,” you were doing nothing to keep your voice down.

“Those guys at the club had a lot to say.”

“That right?”

John moved into an uncomfortably close proximity, but you didn’t budge. He was not going to intimidate you, not today.

“Yeah, I knew there was something about you. They said all of them gave you a ride. Figured, if everyone else had a ride…” his fingertips touched your arm near your shoulder and slid down your arm holding the glass.

Equally angered and repelled by his unwanted, lustful, advances, you felt an unimaginable rage swell inside you. The indignation made you feel like you were, at least, twice your size. You drew back your free hand, balled it into a fist and threw your whole body into the punch that landed squarely on his cheek bone.

The jolt of it send pain through your hand and wrist traveling up to your elbow. You stumbled with John as he pulled your arm when he fell. He let go of you to brace his fall, crumpling in a heap, his head bouncing on the wood floor.

“I warned you,” you stood over John. Then you dumped what was left of your ice water on his face. The small thumps the ice made were pleasing to your ears. The bastard was long overdue.

You knew people were staring and that you had made a huge scene. You really didn’t give a shit. You slammed your glass down on the nearest table and started in the direction you’d seen Dean and Sam leave. You barely took two steps before the crowd began to part and you saw Dean.

“Are you okay? What happened? What did he do?” Dean was furious.

“I’m fine,” you assured him.

“Did he hurt you?”

“No. He just has a mouth on him. Needed to shut him up,” you responded shakily.

“Alright,” Dean said with finality, “I’m calling Argyle on this. You ready?”

He’d already taken your hand and was pulling you closer to the door. You nodded, though he was barely even waiting for your response. The altercation with John left you rattled, your emotions a mess. You wanted to cry, only because you were so angry. Never had anyone treated you so badly out of false assumptions created in their own mind. You didn’t deserve any of what John had done to you and had to remind yourself that John Winchester was not worth your energy.

Nobody tried to stop you and Dean on your way out. If they hadn’t seen what happened, the look on Dean’s face was enough to make a demon cower in fear. A modicum of relief made it into your shoulders as you rounded the corner to leave the gala party room.

“You alright?” Dean asked again, stopping with you just before heading to the elevator.

All he did was look at you and you felt the first sobs start to well up. Dean gathered you close and you lost all control you’d been desperately holding onto. The tears flowed as you sobbed into his shoulder. His arms held you tight while you wept, his hand gently rubbing your shoulders.

Dean as livid. He wanted to go kick some ass but (Y|N) needed him more. He held her as she sobbed, feeling worse about all of the stress she was letting out. He didn’t want the Family Business if it meant having to be around his dad. He damn sure didn’t want to force (Y|N) to deal with his shit. He stroked the soft, warm skin of her shoulders as she began to calm down.

“I’m sorry,” you said pulling out his pocket square. “I didn’t think I had all of that bottled up.”

“No need to apologize,” he rubbed your arms. “You didn’t bring any of it on yourself. I should be apologizing to you. Not to rub salt in the wound…” he indicated his own eyes, “looks like you went ten rounds with Tyson.”

You were already feeling a little better.

“Pfft. Tyson doesn’t have my rage. KO’d your dad in one,” you wiped your eyes with his hanky and spotted the bathroom. “I just match you now. I’ll be back.”

He smirked. “I’ll be right here,” he answered.

Only a few moments passed when he heard the elevator door open. Not wanting to talk to anyone, he turned and leaned on the wall. The group of people surrounded him and he wouldn’t be able to escape.

“Sam and I took your daddy down to his office,” Benny broke the silence.

“All 4 of you needed to tell me that?” Dean saw Laura and Jess with Sam and Benny.

“Someone had to,” Sam grumbled.

Jess noticed (Y|N) wasn’t around and went into the nearby bathroom to check on her.

“Hold on now, don’t need a dustup between you two. Only told you cuz he came to, threw a fit and ordered me ‘n stringbean to come get you back to the office,” Benny explained.

“What the hell for?”

Benny shrugged. He never did understand how John’s mind worked. Benny just took his orders and followed them.

“Who knows, but he sure got a bug up his butt about something.”

Dean looked around the open space to see if (Y|N) had come back out yet.

“I think Jess went in with her. She knows what’s going on and can find us when they’re ready,” Sam offered.

Dean still went to the bathroom door and pushed it open a crack to tell (Y|N) he was going to his dad’s office. He heard, “OK, we’ll be down in a sec,” from her before he left. His family members weren’t high on the trustworthy scale. He got in the elevator with them and a sense of unease filled him as the doors closed.

Your face was a ruined mess. Most of the top of your eyes were still in decent shape, but the eyeliner and mascara were a total loss. With only the bathroom soap and scratchy paper towels to work with, you did your best to clean up the ruins. The cold water felt good on your cheeks. You were calmer now and hoped to save some of Jess’ hard work. The door made a slight squeaking sound as it opened and closed. You looked into the reflection to see who had come in.

“It’s useless,” Jess said, making eye contact with you in the mirror. “No matter what you do, you still look amazing.”

“I’m a mess,” you scoffed.

She put her small purse on the counter and pulled out a compact.

“Stop it,” she said, “it’s not that bad.”

She cleaned up the remnants of eyeliner and mascara still on your cheeks and added powder to your face while she spoke.

“I wish I could have seen it,” she said. “I just came around the corner and he was already down.”

“He deserved it,” you stated.

Jess nodded, “Of that, I have no doubt.”

“Is everyone mad?” you felt like a kid about to be punished for fighting.

“No,” Jess shook her head, “on the contrary. Everyone knows John is a nightmare. He burns bridges so quickly. People only stay because he’s not very present…visible with employees and he throws these parties that are always a good time and the bonuses. John is the only one pissed.”

Anxiety crept back in. What if you ruined everything for Dean. If he lost out on his dream because of you, you would never forgive yourself.

“Uh-uh. Don’t do that. I see those gears spinning. Dean is proud of you.”

The bathroom door creaked again.

“(Y|N)? I’m going down to Dad’s office with Sam and Benny,” Dean’s voice was muffled by the door jamb.

You looked to Jess. She nodded and pointed from you to her mouthing the words, “Us, too.”

“OK! We’ll be down in a sec,” you called. You gave Jess a questioning look.

“John wants Dean, you, Sam, me, Benny, and Laura in his office. He didn’t say why, but I think he might have come to a decision about the business,” Jess explained.

“Oh, shit.”

“Yeah. And no, I don’t know for sure. John is… unpredictable.”

You’d learned as much, though, the only thing you could count on was for him to be inappropriate.

“Let’s go see what he has to say, huh?” Jess clicked her compact shut and tucked it back into her purse.

“Maybe you should have kept your mouth shut and your hands to yourself for a damned change and maybe she wouldna decked you!”

You could hear Dean’s voice booming through the closed door.

“You should learn to keep her under control,” John roared back.

“She did nothing wrong! Nothing! If she hadn’t dropped you, I would have,” Dean yelled.

John scoffed, “Need a woman to fight for you?”

You opened the door with Jess in time to see Benny and Sam restrain Dean and John. Dean was struggling to get past Benny and Sam was pushing John back. Laura was backed into the opposite corner, carefully watching but staying out of the way.

“Whoa, buddy, whoa,” Benny sounded like he was calming a wild horse.

When the men had calmed down, you, Jess and Laura sat on a leather couch that faced John’s desk. Two large leather wingback chairs were between you and John’s desk. Sam took one of the chairs, then Benny took the other when Dean refused. Dean paced a moment then poured himself a drink.

You sat on the end of the couch closest to the door. Jack taught you to never get caught in a situation you couldn’t get out of. Rule number one, always have an easy exit. You watched Dean struggle to keep his cool while you were waiting for John to tell you all why he called you in. Dean was drinking a lot that night, not that you blamed him. The booze just wasn’t helping him relax. When he looked your direction, you caught his eye and glanced at the couch arm.

He had a scowl on his face, but he accepted the suggestion and sat on the oversized couch arm. Dean leaned back, his elbow resting on the back of the couch for support. Dean was going to take a sip from his tumbler, but you reached up to take it from him and had a sip for yourself. Nudging his leg with the back of your hand, he reached for the glass, his fingertips brushing over your hand as he took the glass.

John surveyed his office looking like the smug bastard he is. An odd look crossed his features only further making you wonder what the hell this was all about and what crazy thoughts were running through his head.

“This turned out to be quite the night, didn’t it?” John mused.

It gave you endless pleasure to see him rub his cheek and pop, what you assumed were, pain killers. You’d thrown everything you had into that punch.

“And who’s fault is that?” Dean grumbled.

You patted his leg absently. The office was full to capacity, but you were sure Dean could launch himself over the desk in a blink.

“I’ll just cut to the chase. I’m not retiring,” John dropped the bomb.

Everyone sat in stunned silence.

“Not yet, anyway,” he added.

“If you were going to keep it, why go through all of this? Were you even thinking about it?” Sam was incredulous.

“Hell, it was me that started the rumor,” John seemed pleased. “It was my way of seeing how you and Dean would react, Benny, too. I gotta say you all surprised me. Benny here continued on like nothing happened. Sam, you went out shopping around for possible buyers. Dean… you got yourself a lady. And might I say,” he looked at you, “nice right, darlin’.” He still had an amused look on his face. “Still not sure about you, but, I’m kind of impressed.” John took a moment to let his words sink in. “I’m not quite ready to let the Family Business go just yet. Maybe in a year or two… Dean, you’re my top choice.”

The vibe in the room had changed from anticipation, to shock, to anger, to disbelief. No one, not even Sam, would begrudge Dean the business. It was the way John had divulged his intentions.

Sam sat in silent fury wondering where he had gone wrong. He had been so careful… Jess stared ahead unseeing. Her plans for Sam had been dashed so quickly. Perhaps a new path would still get them to the governor’s mansion. Benny didn’t know what he expected from John. He suspected the rumors were untrue, but how could he have known that was John’s way of checking his interest in running the Family Business? He’d been working so hard… Laura sat watching her husband, wondering if she’d made a mistake all those years ago, and now it looked like Dean would get it all. What would happen to Benny when Dean found out what they’d done?

Dean’s knee-jerk reaction was to tell his dad off and to start his own business. There was no telling when he would actually hand it over. The Family Business had been his goal his whole life. If he said ‘no’ now, it might never be his. Did he want success on the coattails of his father, or was it more important to have success under his own name? His brain spun with the possibilities.

Making his decision, Dean said, “If you’re offering, I’m willing to talk. No more bullshit. If we do this, we start now. I’m not interested in being jerked around anymore.”

John sat cooly in his chair. His elbows on the arms, his hands clasped in front of his mouth. Things were not going quite as he’d expected. Dean bringing (Y|N) with him had thrown in a variable he couldn’t plan for. He’d tried to get her to leave and he’d ended up with a killer headache and a sore tooth. Now Dean was calling his bluff. He would just have to advance his plan.

After a quick search in his desk drawer, he found the business card he was looking for and closed the drawer. Leaning forward, the business card between his fingers, he held the card out for Dean.

“Give him a call at the beginning of the year and we’ll get on with it,” john instructed.

Dean left his spot by you on the couch to step between the two wingback chairs and take the card from John.

“Arthur Charles?” Dean read aloud and Sam stiffened in his chair. “Your lawyer is still alive? Jesus, he was old when I was a kid.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sam didn’t care for Art and was still a point of contention between him and his dad, “he sure is.”

Dean looked from his father to his brother and back again, his own plan solidifying.

“Well. I think we’re done here,” John declared. “There’s still a lot of party to be had and I am far too sober for this shindig.” When no one moved, still stuck in the shock of the moment, “Get the hell out of my office.”

Dean stepped back and turned to you on the couch. He offered you his hands to pull you up from the couch. Tucking the card into his inside jacket pocket, he quickly led you out of the office like if he lingered too long, the dream would fade.

He walked with a purpose toward the main entrance. The space was quiet, only hints of the music from the floor above reached your ears. You noticed there were cars parked a short distance away, ready to pick up anyone ready to leave.

When he stopped, he didn’t turn. You both stood there with your backs to the door of John’s office. Dean’s eyes were wide and he almost looked scared.

“Did that really just happen?!” he asked.

You nodded, “Yeah,” feeling his trepidation.

“Like, really for real? Not some weird alternate universe mumbo jumbo?”

“Yeah!” it shocked you too.

“Holy shit.”

“Dean, you have everything you wanted,” you realized.

Dean looked down at your hand in his.

“I’m all set,” he said softly, his mind finally coming to rest. “You ready to go?”

You nodded. Dean slipped off his jacket and put it over your shoulders. The warmth of him was trapped in the jacket, warming you in the chilly entry. Putting his arm around you, he pushed open the first set of doors. Outside, the big SUVs were lined up, ready to take people home. One pulled up to the awning and Dean opened the door for you. The heat was blasing in the Excursion, but Dean was all you needed. You sat in the center, tucked into his side. Remembering the business card, you reached inside the tux jacket. Feeling the slick paper, you ended up pulling out the photos from the photo booth.

“You look so…”

“Happy? Loved?”

“I am. So happy. So…”

You looked up at him. The week had literally beat him up, but he still looked at you the way he did in the pictures. You put your hand on his jaw. His lips came to yours, filling you with the love he felt but always found so difficult to say.

They were nearly back to the house and Dean pulled out his phone and pulled up Sam’s name.

“Have a plan. Call me later,” he text.