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Dean followed Ari into the shower once she was undressed. He watched as she put her hair up to keep it from getting wet. As soon as they got under the water, he pulled her hair down again. She looked at him with a frown but he only grinned.
“I’ll help,” he said as he began to massage her scalp after he added shampoo.
She shrugged, it wasn’t that big of a deal, he had just surprised her. She liked the way his hands felt in her hair as she closed her eyes to let him be in control. I love his spontaneity. After the shampoo was out, he added moisturizer then waited patiently a minute as he tapped his feet and kissed her neck during that time, before he rinsed it out. Ari laughed to herself, he was being especially gentle tonight.
While he did his hair Ari sponged him off with plenty of shower gel as he tried to focus on getting the soap out of his hair he couldn’t help but to smile. He could not remember the last time he showered with a woman. Oh wait, he could remember, okay lets focus on the now. Once the cleansing was done, he pushed her against the shower wall to have a little fun. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he picked her up. It took a bit of caution but it was an interesting way to make out.
Dean volunteered to blow dry her hair since he had been the one to wet it to begin with. He used his fingers to separate the strains as he held the dryer above her head.
“I think you missed your calling,” she teased him as she watched in the mirror.
He smiled at her but was silent. When he finished the drying she added some pomade to her hair to keep it straightened then made a long braid, before she saw Dean shake his head behind her.
“Can you leave it straight tonight?”
“You have a fascination with my hair?”
He smiled.
”A fetish?”
“A preference,” he said as he led her from the bathroom as he turned off the light.
When they were in bed and she was snuggled under his arm, she was ready to talk about her day but instead she said things that had been on her mind.
“Dean, until I came home with you that night at the bar I had not gone home with anyone else.”
“Okay.”
“I rarely go to the bar because of work, school, mom and amber. I am just very busy.”
“Why are you saying this?”
“So you will know I did not encourage Rick. He was just a guy I knew at the bar.”
“I am glad to know that, but I did not blame you for what happened. I blame him; guys like him do things like he has done.”
He leaned up so he could look down into her eyes before he kissed her.
“It’s not your fault.”
“Okay.”
Rick needed to be taught a lesson; he made plans for him and Sam to take care of that. He did not understand how man got their ideas sometimes. How many men go after women they have never spoken to but maybe the woman smiled at them or looked their way. He was convinced Rick was the stalker type and something had to be done.
Ari moved in her sleep as she scrunched up her face to let out a sound. Dean held her close to him until she looked up.
“It’s okay,” he said soothingly.
“Dean, I was wrong.”
“In the dream I am the daughter that died, the lady being chased in the dream is my mother but somehow it looks like me.”
“Shhhh,” he said as he tried to figure out what she meant.
He couldn’t believe they had not seen the symbolism before. Her mother was the one that knew what had gone on, why wouldn’t she be the one in danger, not Ari.
He waited only a moment before he told Ari he needed to do something as he put his clothes on.
He woke Sam to watch the door while he got the supplies from the car. Sam kept his eyes peeled for Rick or anything strange going on outside while Dean dug around inside the trunk. He never saw Rick sneak up behind Dean, but Dean had heard him so he turned around and hit him with the shovel that he had in his hand. Rick when down with a PLOP. Dean kicked the man in the side as he moved him from behind the car. He felt no remorse because of the way Rick had treated Ari.
Sam and Dean switched places, he came outside to watch Rick while Dean went in to salt the house thoroughly. He did both the upstairs, downstairs, basement, door, windows, and everything he could think of to do. Then he added wards and amulet for good measure. He knew it would not kill the hellhounds but it would slow them if they showed before the got the entire mystery figured out.
Dean looked at Rick as he finally came around. They had him tied up in a chair in the garage, which they also had salted.
“Rick, this is my brother, Sam. I know you remember me, but Sam here has a size fifteen foot that he is itching to put in your behind if you come near this house again.”
“Are we clear on that?” Dean asked.
Rick who was only have awake, nodded as he looked in fear at Sam’s large hands as they held a gun, it was a salt gun but it did the trick.
“So you will leave and not come back, right?”
Rick nodded again. He wasn’t that taken with the Black girl to go through all of this. He just wanted to have a bit of fun with her.
The sun rose on the horizon by the time Dean slipped back between the covers to snuggle next to Ari who was sound asleep. He was tired but he was awestruck by her beauty as he watched her. Her hair was wild and wavy on the pillows. Her dark eyelashes lay curled against her tan skin. Her full lips were lightly parted and her even teeth peeked out sultrily. Twice in a lifetime. No, this is different, she knows my secret, but still wants me near her. That has to be a sign. His hearted raced, just before he traced his finger down her nose and over her lips.
She opened her eyes to look up at him just before he kissed her.
“How long have you been awake?”
“Awake I have not gone to sleep yet,” he said with a smile.
“Oh, what time is it?”
Dean looked at the bedside clock.
“Five thirty.”
“Oh, I have about an hour before I need to be up for work,” she said with a smile as she leaned up to pull him down for another kiss.
“Oh, plenty of time,” he replied with a smirk.
Sam heard Amber when she went into her grandmother’s bedroom because he was still trying to go to sleep after being up all night. The little girl came into the living room and shook him.
“Sam, I can’t wake grandma,” she said with a pout.
“It’s early Amber give her some time,” he said to the little girl who seemed a bit upset.
She shook her head as she went back into her grandmother’s room again. Sam moaned as he sat up, I am not going to get any sleep I may as well get that in my head. He went to stand at the door to watch Amber shake grandmother again. Sam frowned when he realized the little girl was right. Ann wasn’t moving. Sh*t, something is very wrong.
“Amber, honey, go get your mother okay.”
Amber nodded as she went to do what she was told.
Sam checked the room to make sure there had been no intrusions but could see right away it was snug and secure. He leaned over Ann’s mouth to see if she was breathing and she wasn’t. He touched her forehead and it was cold. He ran back into the living room, grabbed his cell and dialed nine one one. She died in her sleep at least.
Amber knocked on the door of the guest room just as Ari and Dean had finished making love and Dean was tickling her. They almost didn’t hear the little girl for their laughing.
“Who is it?” Ari asked with concern in her voice because she assumed it had to be her daughter, though she rarely came up stairs, especially early in the morning. Her mother took care of her before breakfast.
Amber opened the door, “Mommy come quick, something is wrong with grandma,” she said to Ari as she held the sheet around her.
“We will be right down,” Dean said.
Amber seemed surprised that Dean was in bed with her mother, as she nodded and ran back down the staircase.
They dressed hurriedly and raced down to see what was going on.
Sam met Dean at the bottom of the stairs with the news. Ari stopped when she saw the door to her mother’s room open and her lying still on the bed.
“MOM!!!”
Dean grabbed her from behind to turn into his embrace. She cried into his shoulder until the ambulance arrived. Sam held Amber tightly as he tried to explain to her what had happened.
“Honey, look at me okay?”
She looked sadly in his eyes, “Grandma won’t wake up.”
“Amber, she went to be with your grandpa okay. They are together now.”
He hugged her close to his chest as she began to cry softly into his shoulder.
Dean and Ari met the medical team at the front door and they went into take care of the body. They asked questions that only Ari could explain the answers too.
“She had heart problems as well as diabetes. She seemed fine but there was a blockage in her heart and she did not want an operation,” Ari told the young man taking notes.
“You found her this way?”
“Unfortunately my daughter could not wake her this morning. We had no idea that she had passed away.” She said with a sniffle into the tissue she held in her hand.
The medic nodded as the loaded they body into the ambulance. There was nothing they could do but take her to be examined if Ari desired other wise they would take her to a funeral home. Ari asked that they take her to Taylor’s Funeral home for now.
“You don’t want an autopsy?” Dean asked as they took her mother away.
Ari swallowed as she looked in his eyes.
“She was sick; they said there was no bruising of any kind. Sam said the room was intact. She’s gone. I have to accept that,” she said as he held her again as the closed the front door. Ari sighed against his shoulder as the tears threatened to come again.
Ari took the day off and stayed home. Amber did not go to pre-school where she attended three days a week. The two went back to sleep after eating breakfast with Dean and Sam. The Winchesters sat in the living room and spoke quietly among themselves.
“If I didn’t know better I would say you are bad luck for Ari,” Sam teased his brother who wasn’t in a great mood to begin with.
“Thanks Sam, is there anything else you would like to blame on me?”
“I’m sorry, my weak attempt at lightening the mood. I know you are crazy about her.”
Dean paced the room for a few moments as he raked his hands through his hair.
“It’s not as though I don’t feel the same way. What if I am bringing her bad luck?”
“No, it’s more likely you are here to help her through this time of trouble. Maybe its fate. As much as you don’t believe in God, Dean, I think you are Ari’s salvation in this mess.”
Dean looked at his brother. How could he be any one’s safe haven let alone savior. Sometimes he wondered how he was able to help innocents when his mind was so tortured. They decided Sam would go get their things and they would stay with Ari until after her mother’s funeral. At the funeral, they would need to make contacts so they could ask the burning questions about Ari’s father. As horrible as Ann’s death was, it opened doors for them to find answers. If Ari’s dream was right, her mother’s passing meant she was next to go, hellhounds or not. However, maybe nature had just taken its course.
Ari felt sluggish as she finally decided to get up out of the bed later that day. She had cried herself to sleep in the guest room with Amber beside her, since they had closed off her room until the window could be repaired. Though she knew Dean had looked in on them a few times she had not acknowledged because she wanted to be alone with her daughter. When she woke up she realized she was in the room alone. She went downstairs to go in her bedroom to change and realized either Dean or Sam had fixed the broken glass. She smiled to herself. She would have to do something special for whoever had done it. She imagined Sam would like something sweet as a surprise or if it were Dean, hum she was sure of how to reward him. The thoughts lifted her mood as she searched her closet. After she stared blankly ahead for a few minutes she decided on a navy blue wrap top and a pair of Capri jeans.
After she dressed, she becomes conscious of the quietness of the house. She walked down the hall and found Amber as she watched television while Sam and Dean slept on the sofa and floor respectively. She could only smile at the image. Amber sat at Sam’s feet with hers touching his as she watched cartoons, the little girl was completely relaxed with the brothers. She left them all as they were as she went the kitchen to prepare the meal.
Once she was in the kitchen she was overwhelmed by sadness. Her mother had loved to cook. She had believed it was therapeutic. Ari had enjoyed her making the meals since she rarely had the time or energy. She reached in the drawer to pull out the few restaurant menus they kept. She phoned Dino’s pizza place to bring them dinner. As she dried her eyes she realized they still had the apple pie from the day before so she didn’t need to do anything else. She sat at the kitchen table to make the call to the funeral home to see if her mother’s body had arrived. My mother’s body? I hate the sound of that. They let her know all was well and suggested she come by soon, preferably the next day, to make arrangements. Ari agreed before she hung up. How was she going to get through this? She took as deep breath then looked up to see that Dean stood in the door.
The few days they had known one another she had been attracted by his confidence, his charm, she wasn’t sure what to call it. However, today she needed his strength. He had been supportive all day and she appreciated more than she could express. He held out his arms for her to come into and she went into them again. What would she have done had she been alone when her mother died?
“How did you handle it when your father died?” she asked him against his neck.
“I tried to close myself off to the pain and pretended I was okay.”
“Oh, you did not handle it well,” she said as she pulled back to look in his eyes.
“No.”
She gave him a weak smile, "Thank you for being here. I know this is not the time but… I care about you, Dean.”
He looked in her eyes before he swallowed, “We are not leaving you alone, Ari…. I care about you too,” he confessed.
It took a week for Ari to contact and gather all her relatives together for the funeral. Several came from near Chicago to say farewell to her mother, the others arrived from Louisiana; there were also a few locals from her mother’s current church. Amber had wanted to be with Sam so he sat with her two rows back from the front, he wasn’t convinced she should be so close to the body. They had explained to the little girl that her grandmother’s soul was no longer with her body but they were not certain how much she understood. Death is something so many have a hard time understanding they could hardly expect a child to comprehend it all.
Dean sat with Ari on the front row and held her hand. He hated funerals; he had only come to support Ari, whom he realized he was falling madly in love with. The time they spent together had brought them closer. Interesting how you learn so much about someone through dealing with them in times of stress. He found Ari to be a kind, gentle soul who had learned to make the best of every situation. He had to admit even to himself how much he needed her.
By the day of the funeral, he believed she had gotten through a lot of her grieving at least the outward signs and she seemed calm as the minister did the service. Dean kept his eye open for any thing that seemed out of place. He listened closely though not sure of what he hoped to hear. In the end, it was all in vain it was a simple ending to the life of Ann Marie Mayfield.
Ari and Dean were the last to leave for the graveyard because so many wanted to speak with Ari and give condolences. Dean stayed with her and made a few contacts in the process. He wrote down a few phone numbers for those in town for a few days. He nodded and smiled appropriately as long as he could.
“We really need to leave they can’t start the graveside part without you,” he told Ari.
She nodded and when they arrived at the cemetery, she saw that he had been correct everyone stood talking among themselves as they waited for them. As they walked around to take their seats, she stopped in her tracks, “Dad?”
TBC