{Invisible Realm}
Cassie was allowed to see her daughter to verify that she was fine. She smiled as she looked down at her little girl from her Heavenly perch. She sighed as she saw Megan running the fields with Amber and the pets. Her daughter seemed to enjoy the open spaces and her siblings. They laughed and played and Cassie felt despite her death all was good in Megan’s world. That was all she could ever ask for. She was glad that Dean had been ready to take his daughter, to give her a home and a wholesome life. She knew all things happened for a reason. She wasn’t sad for herself though she wished she had had a chance her hold her daughter one last time. She did believe Megan would join her in Heaven some day. Stray tears of joy ran down her cheeks as she turned away to be led to her assignment for the Millennium Project that would keep her busy to the end of the current AGE. The church age, the age that precedes the thousand-year reign of Christ.

Mary and Jessica passed Cassie on their way to work on their duties. Mary had greeted Cassie not long after she crossed over they had chatted briefly at that point. The younger woman, Jessica Moore, smiled at Cassie. Mary introduced them and Cassie’s smiled in return. Over the time that she and Sam had kept the secret of Megan, Sam had told her all about Jessica.
“Sam still talks of you.”
“I know,” Jessica said, “But this new woman, Sarah, I believe someone who might change that,” she said.
Mary sighed for her boys, she was glad that she had finally been avenged but she missed being around for them. Only now and again could she check on them in Heaven, proper.
“She seems nice and she knows about the supernatural,” Cassie insisted as they continued to walk toward their destination.
“Well I love Sam but I think he and Sarah make a good match.”
“I agree the same with Dean he has found someone that will accept him and that is a most wonderful thing,” Cassie said and they all agreed.


{Back the Visible Realm}
A week after the funeral, Megan finally decided she was a big girl and went to the room with Amber. She slept on the bottom bunk of the new bunk bed they both shared in the room. Amber was happy to have a sister in with her. After a few nights, they actual went to sleep instead of chattering away after the lights were out.

Ari and Dean thought finally things would settle down a bit with the little girl even though she might be a while getting over the loss of her mother. When they had returned after the funeral Megan had become distraught when she realized her mother playing with the angels meant she couldn’t see her again.
“I want to see Mommy now she has played with the angels,….. I want her back,” she said tearfully on the first night.
Ari held her close as Amber snuggled with Dean as they all lay in the bed.
“I’m sorry Sweetie that is not how it works. God made your Mom better but she has to stay with him and the angels now.”
Megan pouted as she tried to understand how that was a good thing. She sniffled against Ari‘s chest a few more minutes then seem to think that she could deal with it.
“Yeah?”
“Yes that is how it works,” Ari said as she smoothed the girl’s hair and looked to Dean for a bit of help.
“You’re doing fine,” he mouthed to his wife.
She raised her eyebrow at him as Amber watched the two of them, not certain what was happening.

“My gramma is there too, there with the angels, Amber said to help.
Meg turned to look at her with tears still in her eyes, “Can she come back?”
Amber shook her head. Dean decided he could contribute to the conversation.
“Don’t you like it here with us?”
Megan nodded, “…….but I miss Mommy.”
“You can miss her, that’s fine,” Ari said as she held her stepdaughter in her arms.
They were all quiet as they snuggled down to fall asleep.
They had experienced the same scenario almost every night that week.

Finally, Dean and Ari felt it was safe to do a bit of canoodling under the blankets since the girls were in their room. They were quiet as they made love with their heads totally covered in the darkened room. Things moved along fine until they heard a sound. They both stopped moving then waited as they listened to try to identify the slight noise. When they started again it was almost too late as Dean was close to losing what was necessary to continue. Ari’s roaming hands were able to get him back up to speed just before they heard a voice.

“Dada dad a da,” Braeden said.
Dean laughed when he wanted to cry. A great night for their baby to start to talk.
They got themselves situated before Ari cut on the bedside light to get up to get the happy little baby. After he was changed he was ready to play, why not it is only two thirty in the morning. It was a good thing neither of them had to be anywhere most of the time.
The late night snack was the only meal that the twins received by breast now that they were older. If their sleep patterns had not been thrown off by the lifestyles of the family things might have been different but it worked for them. Dean smiled as he received his son once he finished eating.
“Want to play, buddy?” he asked the smiling infant.

***
It was two weeks until Erin’s wedding and she had begun to feel the stress of a quickly put together occasion. It was good that she and Anthony’s friends were also fashion contacts. The only problem was they had to lie to them to avoid over explaining things. They had been able to get everything from the church to the cake and rings without leaving town. She had chosen the wedding dress locally with the help of Ari and Sarah.
Their plan to marry in Texas then settle in Chicago raised a few eyebrows but it allowed them to continue, in their chosen careers. Of course, Erin was going to work from home so she could be available to hunt with her brothers whenever possible while Anthony would not need to make any changes.

Sarah had consented to be a bridesmaid. She had finally told her father she was on an extended vacation and not to expect her for a while still. He had ranted about her being irresponsible but she could only smile with Sam at her side grinning.
“He thinks you are a bad influence, since you don’t have a real job,” she said with a laugh.
Sam lifted her chin to kiss her willing lips.
“He’s probably right; I mean what kind of guy kills demons for a living.”
“My kind,” Sarah said as she snaked her arms around his neck to kiss him all over again.

Dean walked in the room with John Michael close behind him.
“Sorry to interrupt,” he said to Sam and Sarah.
John Michael used the sofa to pull himself up to stand by his father who had taken a seat; Dean smirked as if it were somehow his accomplishment that his son stood up. The baby’s blonde hair reminded Dean of himself when he was his age, he smiled to himself.

John Michael made all types of noises as Sarah picked him up to take with her on her way out of the room. Dean smiled as he heard Braeden before he stopped at the door with Ari close behind, the little boy made as much noise as his brother had a minute earlier. His short dark hair clung closely to his little head, and he still toddled a bit on his feet though he had been walking a few weeks.
“Dad a dadada dad a,” he chanted as he looked from his father to his uncle who reached down to pick him up.
Sam and Sarah had agreed to take the twins outside to play a bit while the girls were gone with Erin and Anthony to the store.
“If it isn’t too much trouble. Ari and I are going to town for a bit.”
“No problem knock yourself out,” Sam said with a smile while Braeden grinned with his gums showing at his father who reached up to kiss his cheek.
“See you in a while buddy,” Dean said before he did the same to John Michael as the others looked on.

***
Sam began to notice odd behavior with Megan and the twins. It took two consecutive days to realize their conduct was out of the ordinary. While Megan sat on the floor with her crayolas Braeden would crawl near her to play. On the second day, that Sam noticed the actions John Michael joined in. Of course, the peculiar thing about the activity was that none of them spoke a word. If Megan happened to look up at Braeden whom she had begun to call “Rae” he would only look at her curiously for long moments before he would continue to play. John Michael who generally made the most fuss reacted the same to his sister. Then she would go back to her picture as though nothing had happened. Similarly, the twins loved when Megan was allowed to hold them. They would sit quietly as though they some how communicated without talking. Sam was fascinated by the whole thing. They were all thankful that Amber didn’t seem to notice since she had previously enjoyed the twins’ attention and could have easily felt that Megan was monopolizing her little playmates.
Sam was certain it was some type of psychic connection though he phoned Missouri to find out what she thought of the situation.
“It sounds like it Sam. You mean they seem to comfort one another?”
“That is how I am seeing it. Ari has noticed as well as Erin, Dean has not been in the room when it has happened.”
“I don’t think it sounds like something to worry about. Megan is in mourning whether or not she behaves that way is a different matter. If it is psychic then it is helpful that they are acting the way they are, I mean they are her blood. If Dean were less well, you know in control and more emotional he would have noticed it also. No disrespect to your brother.”
“None taken,” Sam said.
Sam agreed he confessed it had thrown him off a bit to see such none verbal phenomena happen before his eyes.


***
One night, after the children were sound asleep, and Chet had gone to visit friends in Milwaukee the other adults met up for a movie in the den. They were still discussing which movie to watch when there was the sound of someone knocking at the front door, which was rarely used. Everyone assumed it had to be a boarder. They had continued to have them though they were rare. Sam got up to answer.

Sam smiled when he saw Ellen on the other side of the threshold. They smiled at one another as he let her in the door.
“Hey,” Sam said.
“Hey Sam,” she replied before he pulled her into a hug.
Afterward she followed him into the den.

Dean smiled when he saw the visitor was a friend. Though they hadn’t spent much time together Ellen had actively been sending them business since they opened the roadhouse. Several of the boarders had given generous donation as well as spread the word of the place.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey yourself,” she said with a grin.
Sam introduced everyone.

“Well I’m glad to finally meet all the women in the Winchester clan and you too Anthony,” Ellen said as she said with a smile as she smiled at everyone with the thought that John may not have been happy about the situation but she found it refreshing.
“Nice to finally meet you,” Ari said as she hugged Ellen then sat down again.
“Yes, I’ve heard a lot about you from Jo as well as Sam and Dean,” Erin added with a smile.
Sarah only smiled and nodded since she wasn’t a Winchester and didn’t want to seem presumptuous. Sam put his arm around her a she sat down beside her, he noticed she seemed a bit uncomfortable but was uncertain as to why. He asked her about but she only shrugged.

“Well I’m sorry I arrived so late, I got a bit lost in Milwaukee and since I wanted to surprise you all I couldn’t call, I hope it’s okay if I stay a few days, Ellen said with a laugh.
Ellen figured she could visit Jo while she was in the area so it hadn’t been only to be a busy body as far as seeing how Dean was doing as a married man. She smiled to herself at the thought.
“Not a problem, you are always welcome,” Sam insisted a she held Sarah closer to his side before he kissed her forehead, which surprised Sarah a bit.
They had been getting closer but Sam was behaving downright possessive, it made Sarah’s heart soar.
“Thanks, I can’t wait to meet those kiddies in the morning,” Ellen responded.
“Oh that will be fun for you,” Dean said as everyone in the room laughed at his smirk, he enjoyed his family, that wasn’t a secret to anyone.

Ari offered to show Ellen to her room so she could put her things away before they started the movie. Ellen could see why Dean had been drawn to Ari as she watched her as she followed her down the stairs. The younger lady had her long dark hair up in a pony tail which no only made her look younger but also displayed a natural sexiness about her. Ellen shook her head she couldn’t believe by looking at Ari’s slim frame that she had given birth to twins not seven months before. Ellen estimated the woman couldn’t be any larger than a size four.

“So the kitchen is stocked with snacks and such but feel free to come up to eat with us,” Ari said as they left the kitchen on the way to the bedrooms. Ellen nodded in approval of the room on the right because the colors seemed brighter. Otherwise the rooms were the same. They held double beds, two bedside tables, a closet, as well as a mirrored antique dresser. It was an eclectic mix of antiques in the same shade of walnut; it gave the bedrooms a Bed and Breakfast feel that Ellen liked though she thought it was a bit extravagant. The room she picked had a window seat that appealed to her more feminine side, something she rarely indulged.
“Oh I think I’ll like staying here,” Ellen said with a smile for Ari.

***
Jenny sat down at her desk as she prepared to write her only sister, Janice, regarding Erin’s wedding. The two siblings hadn’t spoken in over ten years. The last time had been a big blow out over Janice’s lifestyle. Janice was divorced and she enjoyed being a Cougar. Her last few men friends has been at least fifteen years younger than her and Jenny thought it was disgusting. Of course, Jenny had always been old fashioned. She was a widow and had no interest in obtaining a new husband. She had friends, lots of money and until recently a great relationship with her niece, whom she had raised as her own daughter since she had none of her own. Jenny sighed as completed the letter, prepared it to be mailed then bit her lip as the thought that she hoped Janice didn’t come.



TBC