Work Text:
“You look exhausted.” Jody came in and sat on the desk nearest Sam’s desk. “Wild party over the weekend, kids being little shits, already three weeks behind on grading two weeks into the semester, or just Monday in general?”
“None of the above.” Sam ran a hand through his hair, trying to figure out where to even begin to explain his weekend. If it hadn’t happened to him, he’d never believe it. How could he expect people who weren’t there to believe him? “I’ve told you my father-in-law is somewhat… eccentric?” he finally decided to start off with.
“You might’ve hinted once or twice, yeah,” Jody agreed. “I’m not even going to try to guess what he’s done this time. Tried to genetically engineer a dragon again?”
“No.” Sam grinned at the memory. Chuck worked with genetic manipulation, moving genes around and seeing what happened. For the most part, the idea was to try to make better disease resistance for plants or create drug-resistant good bacteria, but one time, he’d gotten bored and decided to try to create a dragon. If he weren’t so darn good at his job, it would have gotten him fired. As it was, he was forced to watch every Jurassic Park movie and read every book. “No, this time, it directly affected my family.”
“Hoo boy. What happened?”
“He decided we needed a kid to raise.” Sam bit back the laugh at the look on Jody’s face. “Yeah, I know, right? Not a fan of my father-in-law right now.”
“Where did he even get a kid? Or do I even want to know?” Jody frowned at Sam. “Do I have to call my buddies from my old career…?”
“No. No, do not call the cops. The situation’s complicated enough, and the cops are already involved.” Sam leaned forward, elbows braced on his desk. “The kid’s mother is dead. His father’s the main suspect and Chuck was able to convince the police that until things had been cleared up, Jack was not safe at home alone with his father. Castiel was the closest family with the ability to care for a small child who didn’t have some kind of drug addiction or anger management issues, so we get to be the ones to look after the kid until things get sorted out. If Lüc did it, then we get to keep the kid permanently. If Lüc didn’t do it, I’m still scared what happens to Jack when he goes back, but somehow I don’t think the courts will see it that way.”
“No, I wouldn’t think so,” Jody said. She got up and walked around Sam’s desk to give him a hug. “If you ever need a babysitter, I know a couple girls who could use some extra money. If you ever need advice…”
“Thanks, Jody.” Sam leaned into the hug. “Dean asked me a question that I didn’t know how to answer. Why is it bad for kids to jump on the bed? The only smile I saw out of the kid all weekend is when he was jumping on the bed, and I hated to make him stop.”
“Well, there’s a few reasons. It can wear out the springs in the mattress, or if they’re jumping hard enough might even break something, and of course if he falls off he could get hurt or break something in the room. If you want to redirect the behavior, get him something else to bounce on. Otherwise, make sure there’s nothing too breakable within reach and be prepared for tears if he does fall off, because kids love bouncing and you can’t be there all the time to stop him. Biggest thing, though, don’t let him get away with it now if you’re not going to let him get away with it three months from now.”
“Yeah, I know. Two-year-olds aren’t any different from teenagers there. I did my teacher training, I know the importance of consistency.” Jody laughed and let go of him, straightening back up. “I was more wanting to be able to give Jack a reason beyond ‘because we said so’, because of my dad.” Chuck was a truly bizarre father-in-law, but Sam would take him over John any day. Dean disagreed, but when it came to John, there wasn’t much Dean and Sam agreed on. The one thing they did agree on was not raising any of their own kids the way they’d been raised.
“Not a bad idea. Especially with you teaching them. I know some of the other teachers hate you for making a big part of your lessons to question authority. Like Ruby.”
“Okay, I did not get her fired. That was her choice, not mine.” Ruby had gone to the principal and demanded that Sam be fired or she was quitting. Bobby told her not to let the door hit her on the way out; Sam was one of the best teachers he’d ever employed, and he approved of telling kids to question authority.
Jody swatted his arm. “I didn’t say you did. I just said she hated you. Anyway, if you don’t mind replacing the mattress more often than you might have to otherwise, I say go for letting him jump. If he falls, he’s not likely to hurt himself too badly, and he’ll learn.”
“I’ll talk to Dean and Cas about it. Thanks.” Sam got to his feet, gathering up papers. “I should probably get home before Cas decides to divorce me for sticking him with the kid all day.”
“Cas wouldn’t do that, he loves you,” Jody teased. “But yes, you should get home to your kid, however temporary he may be. Although I gotta say, when you said your father-in-law decided you and Cas and Dean needed a kid… I was terrified to hear how he created it or what he did to the kid.”
“First thing we did was take him to give him a bath. He really was filthy and in need of one, but it was also a good excuse to check him for wings or glowing spots or whatever else Chuck might have thought would be fun to give a kid,” Sam admitted. “Didn’t find anything. Doesn’t mean Chuck hasn’t done something, but if he did, it’s not obvious enough that we won’t be able to send him to school in a few years.”
At home, Sam was thrilled to see Jack smiling as Castiel read a story to him. It wasn’t a story Sam recognized, but that didn’t matter, Jack was drawn into it and enjoying himself. Sam did not want to interrupt, even to say he was home. He was happy to hear the traditional “and they lived happily ever after.” “Hey guys, I’m home.”
“Hello, Sam.” Castiel got to his feet and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “How was school?”
“I go school?” Jack asked.
Sam smiled. “Not yet, Jack, you’re not old enough. But I bet we can find some classes for you if you want.”
“Okay.” Jack’s smile disappeared, but at least he wasn’t upset by it. “Ice cream?”
Castiel flinched at the look on Sam’s face. “I gave him some ice cream after lunch. He’s been asking for it every chance he gets since.”
“No ice cream now, Jack. Ice cream is a sometimes food. If you’re hungry, we can get you a snack, but it needs to be an always food, okay?”
Jack nodded. “Story?”
“And that’s the other thing we’ve learned today,” Castiel said. “He absolutely loves stories.”
“Do you like to draw, Jack?” Sam reached into his backpack and pulled out the bag of markers he’d stolen from his classroom, and although Jack didn’t smile, his eyes gleamed with eagerness. “You can draw me a picture of the story Castiel just told you.”
“Okay!” Jack ran to the “table” Sam pointed him to, a low surface of wood boxes Dean had put together and covered with newspaper. Castiel brought over a stack of computer paper and Sam spread the markers out on the table, and Jack started going to town.
“Dad called,” Castiel said in a low voice once Jack was thoroughly engrossed in his drawing. “Nothing’s changed as far as the investigation and the need for a temporary home goes, but Lüc missed an appointment with the police for interrogation this morning and no one knows where he went. The best clue anyone’s got is a receipt at his house for a plane ticket for tonight under the name Lev Melikov to Moscow, since no one has any idea who Lev Melikov is.”
“Oh, fun. Definitely makes him look guilty, or at least, like he doesn’t care about getting Jack back since he’s not staying to fight,” Sam said. “Certainly wouldn’t hold up in court and any mention of it would be struck from the record, but still… not good.”
“Dad says we should plan on keeping Jack for at least the next three months. He said he’d send money, if I thought you and Dean would take it…”
“Do we need it? To get Jack properly set up? I don’t mind taking it if it’s for Jack, at least until we know for sure whether Jack’s here permanently or just for a while.”
“We could use it,” Castiel admitted. “Need it, no, but we could always take it and use it to start a college or career fund for him, since we’re several years behind on that and I would be willing to bet Lüc didn’t. If Kelly did, she’d have had to hide it from Lüc, and we may never find it.”
“Good idea.” He was going to say more, but Jack came running up to them holding up a picture. Sam had no idea what he was looking at as he took it, but maybe if he knew the story, he would. “Tell me about it, Jack.”
“Prince Luke! Kill the dragon!” He pointed to a vaguely humanoid figure and then to a big black and red blob. “Save his sister!”
“Did you draw his sister?”
“Not yet!” Jack ran back to the table and got back to work.
Castiel looked at the picture. “I may have reimagined Star Wars as a somewhat more traditional fairy tale. Darth Vader is the dragon.”