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Dean has been living at his mobile home community with his 10 year old son Ben and 15 year old daughter Emma for over ten years now. After his wife passed away from cancer, he was left to fend for himself plus the children. Being a single parent with a toddler and a pre-teen had its ups and downs. After working at his father’s auto shop, Bobby retired, leaving the company and everything that went with it to Dean.
His neighbors are very nice; having sheriffs Jody and Donna Hanscum living next door, with their own daughters, is such a pleasure.
Emma usually stays over there with the other girls. Ben doesn’t have anybody his age so he sticks by his father a lot of the time.
***
After waking up one morning on his day off, he notices Ben in the living room, looking out the window.
“What’s up, Ben?”
“Dad, there’s people across the street.”
“There’s always people out there.”
“I meant there’s a moving van, dad. Someone finally bought the house across from us.”
Dean is always amazed by how intelligent Ben was for a kid his age. He can carry on conversations with adults half the time.
The house across from their home has been vacant for five years, until now. Crowding his son, they both peek through the blinds to see who will be their new neighbors. Pulling out his phone, he dials Jody to see if they’re peeping as well. Going to voicemail, he calls Donna. After just two rings, Donna doesn’t even bother with her friendly ‘hiya’ instead he hears, “Who do you think it is?”
Laughing, Dean responds, “I don’t know. Have you seen anyone yet?”
“No. Just the moving van and the movers. But whoever they are, I’ll have a pie for them.”
“Pie?”
“I made you one too. Don’t worry”
“You’re the best. Where’s Jody? I tried calling her”
“She went to work, silly.”
“Ugh...duh, of course she did.”
Stepping away from the window, Dean pulls Ben away causing a mini pout on his son’s face.
“It’s Saturday though. I thought she was off.”
“Nope. Got called in yesterday.”
“That sucks. Come over so we can spy on these bastards together.”
Laughing, Donna agrees and hangs up.
Few minutes later, both Donna and Dean are sitting in his living room, drinking their coffees, with the blinds opened.
As the day goes on, Donna and Dean hang out with their children coming and going between both houses, as they please. They leave both their doors wide open since it’s such a safe neighborhood. It registers to Dean that Ben's laugh doesn't sound quite right. Confused, he asks Donna, "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Ben. His laugh...it’s not right."
They both hear Ben laughing again followed by another laugh that doesn't sound like a girl's.
"What the cuss?"
They both follow the fits of laughter outside to Dean's front yard. Finding Ben and an unknown young boy playing with each other, Dean squats in front of them playing marbles.
"You gonna introduce us to your new friend here, Ben?"
"Oh yeah. This is Jack. Jack, this is my Dad Dean and our neighbor Donna."
Jack stands up and greets them properly, "Hello."
Shaking their hands, he points to the house across the street. "That's my house. I live there with my father Castiel and sister Claire."
Ben stands by Jack's side, "Castiel seems cool, dad. Just your type."
"Wait. You met the guy already?"
"Yeah. When Jack came up to me, his dad and sister came along too."
Donna places her hand on Dean's shoulder, "Let's put the pies in and go over there."
***
After a fresh baked pie is done and ready to go, Dean grabs a six pack of beer to go with it before they head over.
"Alright, Donna, let’s go meet these strangers."
Ringing the doorbell, little Jack opens the door. "Hi Dean, hi Donna"
Before greeting him back, they hear footsteps running towards the door. Sweeping up the boy, a man with dark hair and blue eyes, gives them a half smile.
"Sorry about that. This one is too much of a people-person. So what can I do for you?"
Dean almost drops the beer, looking at his new gorgeous neighbor before him.
"Well..umm..Dean...I mean, I’m Dean. Winchester."
“Hello, Dean” he can only give a cute nod while holding a struggling Jack in his arms.
"Oh! You guys have those children across the street right?”
Looking at Donna, he gives the most adorable little head tilt and squints his beautiful eyes, “I thought Emma was Ben’s mother."
Donna answers, "Emma?! No, that’s Dean’s daughter, she's only 15. I believe you’ve already met Ben, Dean’s son. My partner, Jody and I have the rest of those teenage girls."
Castiel looks between Dean and Donna, "Oh, I would have thought you two were a couple. Well anyways, I'm Castiel. This of course, is my little 8 year old Jack and I also have a teenage girl. Her name is Claire. She’s probably still stuck up in her room like always.”
Not looking away from Castiel’s lips, Dean is frozen in place, nodding dumbly as Donna and Castiel talk. Not thinking about it, he finally looks at Castiel’s eyes, noticing him giving him a tiny head tilt and another scrunched up face.
Startled that Castiel is staring back at him, Dean asks, “What?”
“I said would you like to come inside so we can all share the pie?”
“Oh. Pie. Yes.”
Chuckling, Castiel puts his hand on Dean’s shoulder, “I think I’ll like it here. Very much.” With a wink in Dean’s direction, Castiel steps aside so they can come in.
Dean breathes a quiet, “Yeah. Me too. Umm..I mean, yeah you will.”