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The bustle of the market brought a warmth to them, even with the chill in the air. Dean smirked as Rowena tugged her coat a little tighter around her, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jacket. When Dean had woken Rowena that morning, she'd expected the "hey, I need your help" to involve a case. The shopping was almost worth the hour he'd woken her up at.
Dean had explained it on the drive over, after pressing a takeout cup of tea into her hands. He was still looking for a present for Sam -- he'd already done the usual, but he wanted to find one last thing, something more special over the years. He figured Sam's witch girlfriend would be a good person to ask. Rowena had rolled her eyes at the explanation, but his words had been fond. Truthfully, she could use the time at the market for a few extra gifts. It was the first Christmas that she was spending at the bunker with the boys, Jack and their mum, and though Rowena had spent countless amounts of time around them before, something this deeply steeped in family made her nervous.
They'd stayed tucked together through the crowd, Rowena's hand resting on Dean's elbow to let him guide her through, taking her gentle nudge when she'd spotted a stall to stop at.
"Books?" Her hand slipped from him as they stopped, and Rowena reached out to lift an emerald coloured book from the table, running her fingers slowly over the inset design on it.
"A journal. Samuel's been reading through a few of mine lately, I thought he could use his own." She replaced it on the table, running her fingers along the spine of a blue-bound cover.
"Yeah, Dad used to have one. Been a while since we've needed it."
Rowena chuckled. "Well, with everything you know, it could be worth keeping your own. Real experiences are far different to what you'll have read in your research." She ended up paying for the blue one, taking the bag with a smile, before letting Dean lead on.
"So a journal, guessing you've got some other witchy things planned." Her expression told him he was right.
"Think from your heart, Dean. You know Samuel, what would he enjoy?"
"That's the problem, usually it's been something that could come in use on a hunt." It's not the whole truth; he's found little things that Sam had gotten a kick out of over the years, but for so much of their life, necessity had overtaken want. Lately, with their family growing and feeling steadier, he wanted to break that.
"Then let's turn it around. What would you want?"
"That's easy. Beer, some pie. You're not fishing for ideas, are you?"
"You were sorted long ago, dearie." She patted his arm, letting them pass the next two stalls. "What about your mum?"
"Mom's…" Rowena stepped in after he paused.
"Think about what she hasn't had, and what she might enjoy."
"A dummy's guide to the internet?" She smiled at his tease. "I got her a coat she'd seen when we were shopping. There's some chocolate too."
"I'll save asking what you got me. You're thinking about it too hard. You know Samuel, follow your instinct."
"Yeah, yeah. Still wouldn't mind your help, though."
Rowena chuckled, squeezing his elbow as she directed them through the crowd. "When I find something."
Dean had ended up taking the growing number of bags from Rowena. She'd ended up finding more of interest at the market than he had, purchasing a few candles, a bottle of bourbon, and a scarf, and he'd taken her advice on buying a scarf and a book that she'd seen.
When his stomach had started growling, he'd pulled them towards the food carts, grabbed a burger, and left her with their bags at a table. When he returned, he had two cups of mulled wine with his burger, setting one in front of her.
"Thought you could do with something to warm you. They didn't have any tea." She nodded, smiling, resting her hands in her lap.
"Thank you for asking me to come." Rowena hadn't been ready to thank him when he'd woken her, but it turned out to be a nice morning.
"You did pretty good. Might start to think you know Sammy better than I do."
"I just listen, Dean. No one will know him better than you." She reached a hand out to him, squeezing his. It was clear to him how much she loved his brother, even if she still kept that part carefully guarded.
"You wanna get something? The burger's pretty good."
Her head shook, nose wrinkling at the idea. "Perhaps something less greasy. I've never seen the appeal."
"Yeah, you and Sam are matched." Dean lowered the burger to drink the wine, frowning at Rowena's expression and the way her hand rested by her mouth. "You good?" She nodded, though Dean didn't believe her, not with how her expression lingered.
"Finish up, there are still a few more stalls we haven't yet seen."
They spent another hour at the market before returning to the car, the bags carefully placed in the back seat as Rowena sipped at a bottle of water she'd brought.
"You know next year you'll have to help me again, right?" She raised her brow as she replaced the cap, getting into the car.
"Dean Winchester, is this your way of starting a new tradition with me?" She chuckled, amused at his expression as he got in. "You can just ask me to go shopping with you."
"No! I mean, yeah, we can do it again." Dean huffed at her laughter, pulling out of the parking spot. "But next year… next year there's gonna be someone else to shop for. Never actually shopped for a baby before." He grinned at her, though his smile quickly fell at the surprise in her expression.
"Excuse me?"
Dean huffed out a breath, knowing instantly he'd put his foot in it, and that there was no recovery. "You— because you're—"
"How?" He frowned, and her hand waved as she continued. "How do you know?"
"You kind of— you made us stop on the way over, didn't think anything of it until my burger." Rowena groaned, closing her eyes as she leaned her head back against the seat. They'd stopped on the way because of her nausea, which had returned with the smell of the burger. "You left the wine, which is weird for you, and then there was that stall with the—" He stopped when he caught her expression.
"Sammy doesn't know yet."
Rowena shook her head, putting her hands together. "I didn't think texting him while you were on the case was the way to tell him, and I was already asleep when he got back last night."
"Shit. I'm sorry, Rowena." Her head tilted towards him, her smile fond.
"I'm impressed, Dean, but—"
"Yeah, I won't say anything. It'll be a Christmas secret." She laughed softly, and she stretched in her seat, making herself relax again. She planned to tell Sam that night, wanting him to know before his family got together in a couple of days for Christmas. It amused her that the first Christmas she'd be spending with his family would also technically include their child, even if only the three of them knew it.