Jack is... a kid now.
Dean is looking right at him and he still can't wrap his head around it. He's a kid, he's fucking three, and he's extending his arms towards Cas who collects him in his arms with barely any effort. Like he was always meant to do that, like he was ready for it.
Yes, when Jack was first born he expected him to be... well, a newborn, but upon finding him and everything that followed, the concept was long buried in the back of his mind. He never thought it would happen.
Correction: Jack has always been a kid.
But now Jack is human (his own wish to Amara, who he bestowed his power to), and, therefore, looks his age. Three.
He's cuddling up to his father, Dean's angel-no-more, whom they just rescued from the Empty a few hours ago. With whom he still has so much to talk about. Jack's tiny arms are wrapped around his neck and his head is pressed tightly against it, and Cas is smiling like he could fly all over again.
That's his kid. That is a kid.
And it suddenly all comes rushing back to Dean. How unfairly he treated him. How much pressure he put on him. How little he appreciated all that he did.
But now he got Cas back, again, and he's a little three year old kid, and Dean can feel the tears prickling behind his eyes.
He's such a piece of shit. He was no better than John.
The tears spill over as Cas starts humming a tune and bouncing Jack softly, pressing him tighter against him and caressing his little blond head. Cas turns when Dean fails to suppress a shaky exhale and a sniff, and Cas must recognize the all-consuming guilt in his eyes. He steps toward him with a sad smile, never interrupting the bouncing or the song that Dean now recognizes as Believe It Or Not. It's incredibly endearing and just makes him cry more.
Cas swivels so Dean can see Jack's face now. Up close, it's incredibly clear that it's him, an uncanny resemblance to his dad and big blue eyes that find his.
And then Jack is smiling and reaching for him, begging to exchange arms.
Dean takes him and, instead of settling against him like he did Cas, Jack starts wiping at his cheeks with his tiny, chubby hands, and Dean can't believe he ever thought this being could be anything close to evil, much less treat him like he was.
It's at that moment that Dean decides he's gonna spend the rest of his life making it up to him.
"Think he'll remember?"
The question has been burning at the tip of his tongue for a week.
"When he's bigger and can form full sentences, ya know? Think he'll... remember everything? From before?"
Dean doesn't take his eyes off the dark stretch of road in front of them, but Cas spares a glance over his shoulder, where Jack is finally falling asleep in his seat.
"I don't know, Dean."
A minute of silence.
"Think he'll forgive me?"
Tagging some other folks who seemed enthusiastic about part 1 in their tags, hope you don't mind! <3
