ooc: this is also a request for enjoythe_ride who wanted a Sam/Bela kiss on the nose. Bela and their children are used with permission and love

"And then Cindy-ella got a purdy dress!"

"Yes."

"And gwass swippers!"

"It's glass SLIPPERS, dufus."

"Daddy! Mickey cawwed me a dufus!"

Sam looked down at the two children curled up next to him. He was sitting in Sophia's bed - just barely able to fit - with his daughter in his lap trying to see the pictures in the big fairytale book he was reading from. Michael was sitting next to him, wedges between the wall and his father's hip, his head managing to sneak over enough to see the pictures as well, even if it was a girly story and he didn't really care.

"Hey guys, do you want to hear the story or not? Mommy's going to be home soon and you both need to be asleep by then."

"Sorry, daddy," they both said, and curled up closer to Sam so he could keep reading.

"and so then the fairy grandmother turned the pumpkin into a coach and told Cinderella that she had to be back by midnight, or everything would turn back to normal..."

***

Bela came back home to a quiet home, smiling as she put the keys on the table and her jacket in the closet. "Sam? Are you awake?" she called softly into the house, not wanting to wake the children. However, when her husband didn't reply, she made her way towards the bedrooms to see where everyone was.

As she opened Sophia's room, her hand came to her mouth to hold back to sound of her intake of breath. Sam was slumped in the bed, half sitting and half starting to slide out as long leg was already on the floor. Sophia was curled tightly against his chest and one of Sam's arms held her close. The other arm was wrapped around Michael and he tried not to fall between the bed and the wall from his spot against Sam's side.

Walking into the room quietly, she picked up the book from the floor and put it on the bookshelf. She then walked over and ran a hand through Sam's hair. "Sam, wake up," she said softly.

He whimpered, his hands instinctively clutching his kids tighter to him as he opened his eyes. He saw Bela and gave her a sleepy smile. "Hey, didn't hear you come in."

"Well, you look completely adorable right now, so I will forgive your lack of hunter instincts this time." She leaned down and kissed his nose. "Though I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous."

He got a goofy half-asleep smile at the kiss, then looked at her in confusion. "Why?"

"Here I am, out working hard to pay for everything, and I come home to find you in bed with not only a beautiful girl draped across your chest, but a handsome young man clinging to you. Maybe I should go back out and find myself someone to snuggle with tonight."

Sam sighed and gave her a pitiful look. "Would you feel better if I told you my neck is killing me from having fallen asleep like this?"

Bela considered a moment, then smiled. "I can make do with that." She moved to pick Sophie up off Sam's chest, and the little girl didn't even wake up as she curled into her mother's arms. "Put Michael to bed, and then I'll help massage that neck of yours before I get some snuggle time with you."

Getting out of the bed, Sam picked his son up, holding him close. He watched Bela a moment as she knelt down to tuck Sophia back in before heading out of the room and across the hall to Michael's. Laying his son down, he smoothed the tousled hair and kissed the boy's forehead before heading back into the hallway. Bela met him there, and Sam wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning down to kiss her gently.

"So now do I need to read you a story before bed as well?" he asked her, taking her hand and they walked towards their bedroom.

"I'm sure I can think of easier ways for you to help me get to sleep," Bela teased, turning to walk backwards into the bedroom. "After all, I already know how this fairy tale ends."

"How's that?"

Bela just smiled. "Happily Ever After."

ooc: in response to this. Michael and Bela (enjoythe_ride) are used with love and permission.

Sam couldn't believe it. He had seen it with his own eyes, but still it was too amazing to have happened.

His baby boy walked. Ran. Right to him.

The pride going through him just wasn't something he could even measure. Mikey was growing up so fast and Bela was the one who witnessed all of the firsts. Dean had told him that it was normal when Sam pouted after missing each one, but this memory was going to be his.

Dinner was forgotten as he spent the next hour putting Mikey on the ground, letting him explore the world now on two legs. He winced the few times his son took a bad fall, but watched him just pick himself up and keep trying.

He had learned months ago now that his son was smart and could figure a lot of things out for himself. But it was moments like this where Sam was reminded about that. However, when Michael was about to take a header into the television stand, Sam was up and grabbed him before anything was broken or bruised.

The sound of keys in the door got Sam's attention and he went into the hallway. Bela was just stepping in, tossing her keys on the table when Sam appeared a few feet away from her, Michael in his arms. "Hey."

"Hey." Bela looked towards the kitchen. "Something happen? I don't see dinner ready."

"You could say that." Leaning down, Sam put their son on the ground on his two feet. "Go to Mommy."

Michael smiled his chubby baby grin and started to walk to Bela with his arms out. Bela gasped, watching as their son made it about eight steps, then fell forward onto his hands and knees. He stayed there for a second, then kept crawling to get to her, laughing.

Sam leaned against the wall, arms crossed as he watched Bela pick Michael up and hug him, then kiss his baby belly. "He did it.. he really did it..." Bela walked over, and Sam pulled them both close, kissing Bela quickly.

"Yes, he did." Sam grinned.

"But that doesn't give you an excuse not to have made dinner."

Sam rolled his eyes, then looked at Michael and shook his head. "We can never win. Remember that."

Michael's only answer was a giggle and clapping his hands together happily.

It had started at the playground. Sam was getting into the habit now that springtime had come of taking baby Michael to the park. He would lather the baby up in sunscreen - no skin cancer on his son - and then sit on a blanket in the grass.

Michael was starting to learn to sit up, so Sam would stretch out on his side, reading a book while he son was propped up against his legs and playing with a swinging toy that Sam had straddling them both.

A few feet away, two mothers were playing with their infants, teaching them a word and then showing them the sign for it. After a moment, Sam put down his book and watched them.

"What are you guys doing?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Sign language." One of the mothers looked at him. "Since Cynthia can't speak yet, it's a good way for her to communicate her needs to me."

"You mean crying isn't enough?" Sam joked... he learned that wasn't something to joke about real quickly.

( . . . )

ooc: for 15_song_lyrics: Morning After

Sam was in the doorway when she answered the door. He was panting hard from having run up the stairs - afraid that the hell hounds had come early. They had fought down to the last minute and Sam had feared the worst.

But now he stood there, bloody and bruised, panting for breath as he looked at the redhead on the other side of the door. The fear in her eyes that shifted to confusion, then understanding.

The sun was starting to rise, and it was Sam that came to her door, and not the hell hounds.

"Sam?" she asked softly, looking past him just in case there were hounds behind him, but there weren't. "What happened?"

Her hand went to cup his cheek, and he closed his eyes, leaning into it a moment. Then he took a quick step in and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close as he kissed her hard. Sam could feel her start a moment, then she relaxed and kissed him back as her hands went up around his neck.

Moving her further into the living room, he kicked the door shut. He leaned her against the wall, just kissing her until he was out of breath and leaned his head back. Bela took a deep breath, then looked up at him. "Sam?"

"We did it," he said softly, looking down at her with a small smile. "We did it, and you're safe now, and I'm home. To stay."

ooc: takes place in justtostayalive verse

Sam rubbed his eyes as he closed another large, dusty book on Bobby's desk. Still nothing on how to stop a crossroad demon deal. Still no way to help Bela. No way to save her. Nothing.

It was driving him crazy. He was a lawyer, and he knew that all deals had clauses in them that were able to be used to make a deal invalid. It was the nature of the beast. But these deals were like nothing he had studied in school.

There was no clauses. No fine print to play with the language. Nothing but cold hard facts.

Bela had sold her soul, and unless they could trick the crossroads demon again like Dean had before, there was no way he could keep his promise and save her.

Sam hated not being able to keep his promises, especially when they involved helping someone.

( ... )