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Chet settled in to a bedroom in the downstairs flat that night after the Winchester’s had a talk with him.
{Flashack}
“So how long have you been hunting?”
Sam asked as they gathered around the kitchen table. Dean leaned back in the chair with his legs stretched out as he sucked on a toothpick. They had set up a weight room in the basement so they could work out when time allowed. With all the good meals they had begun to eat, they needed it. He rubbed his stomach as the fullness settled in. They had grilled steaks out back that night. Ari and Jo made mashed potatoes, green beans and Amber’s favorite chocolate chip cookies.
“I started hunting ghosts after my son died,” Chet said.
“Oh,” Sam replied as he looked at Dean.
“He had the ability to levitate things even at that young age.”
“Had?” Dean asked.
“He died when he was six,he was hit by a hit and run driver.”
“I’m sorry,” Sam said sadly.
Chet explained how he had blamed himself because he always worked so his son, Ethan, had been with the sitter when the accident happened. He lost his job after he got extremely depressed and stopped going to work.
“You know it wasn’t your fault?” Sam asked as he patted the older man on the back.
“After I lost my job I began to miss wife and my son. I guess I was obsessed with their deaths. Then I wanted to know why my wife died the way she had. I mean when Ethan was alive I put my energy into him but then he died too.”
“How did she die?” Dean asked as Sam glared in his direction. He just wanted to make sure they were on the same wavelength.
“There was a fire at our house while I worked. The sitter said she saw a shadow in the room with my wife…..who was on the ceiling with her stomach slashed. The sitter grabbed the baby and got out of the house. The sitter was a live in helper since my wife had post partum depression after Ethan was born,” he said with a groan.
“Did you connect your son’s gift with what happen to your wife?” Sam asked with an up raised eyebrow.
“Not until I heard your story from Ellen. I do remember that much of what happen the last few days. I’m sorry about the puppy.”
Sam shook his head.
“It’s not your fault but we will help you become better prepared for the fight while you are here.”
Dean nodded.
Knowledge is not power without a solid way to use that knowledge, Sam thought.
{End Flashback}
Ari finally calmed Amber down enough for her to go to sleep. She saw Sam talking to Jo in the kitchen as she went to the bedroom to see what Dean was up to. She found him sound asleep in their bed. He lay on his stomach with his hands around the pillow. She quietly slid in beside him. She sighed with a smile on her face as she looked him over. She loved to watch him sleep. In the dimly lit room, she could see the muscles under his tee shirt, the blonde highlights in his hair as the moon shone through the window, the sprinkling of freckles on his nose and the dimple in his cheek. She tried hard not to move around so he could continue to rest, she knew if he woke up, he would feel as though they had to make love. It wasn’t as if she didn’t want to be with him but sometimes being near him was enough for her. She had yet to find a way to express that to him. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. All of a sudden, she felt frightened, not by him or anything to do with him but by her own emotions.
He had been a surprise to her from the start with his smart-ass comments that didn’t conceal the respect he had for women. His handsome appearance had drawn her in but the man underneath was what kept her wanting him more each day. She knew he had to hide behind the tough exterior to do the job he had undertaken in his life. He had opened up more to her than she believed he ever had to anyone else. She felt honored though his humbleness would not know how to receive the compliment, she understood that. She admired him and wondered often if she were good enough for him. He excited and inspired her all at once. He was a hero in her heart, her heart that had given up on love many years before.
Sam told Jo all about Paris and how they met as they sat on the sofa. Jo tried to appear happy for him when all she wanted to do was kiss him. She licked her lips and Sam stopped talking mid sentence.
“She wants to come….”
“What?” Jo asked in an innocent tone.
Sam leaned down as though he were going to kiss her on the lips. Jo was taken by surprise despite the fact that she had wanted to feel his lips on hers. She pulled him to her but he leaned away from Jo with a frown. Jo looked confused as he got up.
“I’m sorry, that was not a good idea.”
“What not Sammy? We don’t have to get married just to kiss,” Jo said flustered.
“Jo, I like Paris,” he said as he pointed to his room for her to leave if she wanted but he either had to sleep on the sofa in the living room or in the study. Unless he went down stairs to sleep in a bed there. He stood for a moment as Jo stomped off to the bedroom.
He decided to go sleep in a bed downstairs. Paris phoned before Sam was settled in the bed.
“Hold on,” he said as he undressed before he slid in between the nice clean cool sheets.
“I missed you,” she said when he was situated.
“I missed you too,” he sighed.
“I really want to see you Sam,” she said as she bit her lip as she stood outside the convenience store.
“When can you get time off?”
“Sam I quit my job, I am in Hustisford.”
“What?” Sam asked as he sat up in the bed.
“Are you mad?”
“No, where are you?” he asked as he tried to get dressed again with one hand.
***
Dean woke up a couple of hours later, to find that Ari was not beside him in bed. He looked up to see she sat in the chair across the room asleep. He watched her for a moment. She didn’t look comfortable with her feet up and a blanket draped around her. He got up to wake her
“Ari, Honey, wake up,” he said as he knelt in front of her wearing his pajama bottoms.
She looked at him with sleepy eyes. He touched her forehead an she seemed overly warm.
“Why aren’t you in bed? Are you sick?” he asked as he stood up.
“I didn’t want to wake you,” she said with tears in her eyes.
He wiped her tears away with a slow smile.
“Don’t ever worry about waking me up, it’s your bed too,” he said.
“I don’t mean to cry it’s the stupid hormones. It’s that time for me,” she said as she looked in his understanding face.
“Oh?”
“Sorry, no sex,” she said with a smile.
“That’s okay, come, let’s get back to bed.”
He held her in his arms, gently.
“Don’t ever apologize for being a woman, okay.”
She looked into his eyes again.
“Okay,... that is why I love you so much…”
“Why?” he asked hesitantly.
“You constantly amaze me.”
He kissed her forehead.
“You should take something for that fever,” he said as he got out of bed again.
“My Midol is in the bathroom cabinet,” she said as he left the room.
Dean heard someone crying as he came out of the room. Great more hormones? He decided to get the medicine first. Once he was back in the hall, he shook his head as he proceeded to Sam’s room to check on Jo. He knocked on the partially opened door.
“Jo?”
She sat up and wiped her eyes.
“Yeah?” she said as she looked wide-eyed at him.
Probably here to yell at me for making noise.
“What’s going on?” he asked impatiently.
His voice sounded harsh compared to a few minutes before when he had been concerned for Ari.
“Nothing, I thought I shut the door.”
“Don’t lie something is wrong, just tell me,” he insisted as he stood uncomfortably in the middle of the room.
The bed was to the right side near the window, there was an armoire, a chest of drawers as well as a chair, two end tables and a large closet.
“Like you care,” she shot at him.
“Hey if you don’t want to tell me fine,” he said as he went back to the door.
“Wait,” she said as she got up off the bed to stand behind him.
“I’m just sad I have to leave,” she added as she touched his arm.
He jerked away from her touch.
“Don’t” he said with fire in his hazel eyes, “Good night,” he added as he went back down the hall.
Jo bit her lip as she watched him leave.
Ari could tell Dean was angry when he returned.
“What happened?” she asked as he handed her the pill and a half glass of water he had drank from earlier.
“Not worth discussing,” he said as she swallowed the pill.
“Okay,” she said with a smile as they finally settled in for the night.
Sam and Paris kissed on the downstairs living room sofa. He tried not to think about almost kissing Jo earlier. He felt guilty for wanting to kiss another woman even for a moment. He cared too much for Paris, or so he believed to cheat on her so soon in their relationship. But was he drawn to Jo? Or was Jo just the one on hand when he had on urge? Was he turning into Dean? Even Dean didn’t cheat, that wasn’t either of them. He considered confessing to Paris but decided to enjoy the moment.
“Hey, are you with me?” Paris asked as she leaned up.
“Yes, I’m sorry. I’m so glad you came,” Sam said in earnest.
“A lot on your mind?” she asked as she played with his long hair.
“Yeah, like how to tell Dean we have a new tenant?” he teased.
And how to get Jo out gracefully.
“We can discuss that tomorrow, right?”
Sam nodded as he leaned into kiss her again. This time he picked her up to take her to the empty bedroom.
Sam laid Paris on the bed before he unzipped her jeans while she tugged off his shirt. Once they were undressed, Paris straddled him as he eyed her from against the headboard with a grin on his face.
“Paris, why did you quit your job?” he asked thoughtfully before she leaned down to lick his lips. He tangled his long fingers through her shiny brown hair. He held her head in his hands before he rested his lips against hers once again. Sam was lost in the kiss as Paris reached for the foil packet they had placed on the nightstand. Sam heard her open the packaging as he raised his head with a smile.
“Why?”
“Ari isn’t the only one with money,” she teased as she unrolled the condom onto his large erection. Sam grinned as he slid inside her tight body. Her movements seemed graceful to him as she rode steadily while he met her stroke for stroke. She closed her eyes as she went higher and he went in deeper. Sam watched entranced while his heart raced, he had missed her and not just because the sharing of their bodies but sweet, sassy presence. When they were both satisfied Sam pulled her into his arms. He decided to let tomorrow take care of its self.
It was six in the morning, when Dean received a call on his cell. He grabbed the phone without checking the display.
“Hello?” he said quietly to avoid waking Ari.
“Dean, its Cassie,”
“Hold on,” he said as he slid from under the warm covers.
He took the phone into the study to talk.
”Okay, why are you calling?” he asked as he rubbed his eyes before he leaned back in the chair behind the desk.
“Dean I want us to make a go of it,” she said with a smile in her voice.
“What?”
“You heard me silly, I want us to try and make things work.”
“Cassie,….I am with someone else now.”
“What?” Is it serious?”
“Yeah, it is…I should go,” he said.
“Wait, Dean do you love her?” she asked with sadness in her voice.
“Yes, I do…I really should go.”
“But what of the hunting?”
“She knows and accepts that it’s what I do.”
“Oh…Dean I will always love you.”
“Cassie, don’t okay, move on……Please you need someone else….someone different.”
“But….”
“I should go….I wish you the best…..I do.”
That was it, Cassie was out of his life for good. It was the way things had to be because he did love Ari and because of her he hoped to find the demon soon. Dean put his head in his hands on the desk before he heard someone at the door.
“Hey you okay?” Sam asked.
“Come in and shut the door,” Dean said as he leaned back in the chair.
“So was that Cassie? I heard you say her name.”
“Yes, she wanted us to get back together.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, Oh, great timing huh?”
“Well, at least you told her about Ari,” Sam said as she sat opposite Dean in a chair near the desk.
Dean stared a Sam a minute, something wasn’t right about his brother’s line of questions.
“How much did you hear?”
“Um, I guess most of it, sorry.”
“You listened?”
“I was considering how to tell you something as I stood outside.”
“So you listened?”
“Yeah man, I’m sorry.”
“You seemed to be getting into a habit of listening when I am on the phone. Dude, what is wrong with you?”
Sam shook his head, he knew he needed to make his confession. Dean’s eyes almost popped out of his head before he flew over the desk and at his brother.
Ari heard the yelling and woke up. She saw right away that Dean wasn’t in the bed though it was early for him to be up. She put on her robe to go out in the hall. She could tell the loud voices were in the study.
“You told her to call me?” Dean said.
“I was trying to help.”
“Help? Help? Cassie and I do not need help, Sam we are not together. We have not been together for years.”
“But when you were there and saw her again I know you still loved her.”
Ari moved away from the door with her hand over her mouth. She did not want to hear anymore. She knew eavesdropping never made things better.
“I love Ari, Sam, I told Cassie that,” Dean said but Ari had left the door before that statement. She swallowed as she went to the kitchen to get herself some water.
Dean sat back down as he raked his hands through his hair.
“Start at the beginning.”
Sam adjusted his shirt before he sat down again.
“I have been in contact with her since we left Missouri.”
Dean closed his eyes.
“What were you trying to prove?”
“Maybe I wanted you to have a chance at what I had with Jess, I didn’t do it to hurt anyone. I can’t help she waited til now to call you.”
Dean thought maybe Sam was right about the timing, it wasn’t his fault.
“From now on, just stay out of my love life,” Dean said as he got up to leave the room.
Ari stood at the sink with the glass in her hand as her heart ached. Dean loves Cassie? Why was he lying to her? Did he just want sex or is it the money? If so, he needs to go to his Cassie. She turned the tap on before she patted water on her face. She heard the study door bam open but she did not move. There were tears in her eyes, she could feel them. Damn hormones, a very bad time. I need to be strong, I do not want to appear weak. She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. She did not realize she held her breath until Dean came up behind her.
“Hey, you okay?” he asked with his hands on her waist.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said as she turned to face him.
I want to trust him like I did before, God help me.
“Sorry, about all the noise,” he said as he searched her eyes.
“No, problem, brothers fight, right?”
She licked her lips, though she felt uncomfortable because of him looking at her as though he knew her thoughts. When she looked in his eyes she did not want to believe he was playing her for a fool. But doubts arose quickly. Maybe he knew about her money, maybe this was all a con game. They had gotten her and her daughter out her in the middle of no where, but if so what was the plan?
He took her hand, “You should get some more rest,” he said with concern.
She tried to smile at him but she was afraid to trust him all of a sudden. It hurt for her to feel that way about someone she shared her bed with, but not just that, her daughter was involved.
TBC