Two months later, they both sat in the car in shock. Neither spoke as Ari leaned back in the seat though her hands were on the steering wheel. Dean sighed again.

"So there are two of them in there?" he said still reeling from seeing the twins on the sonogram.

"Looks like it," she said as she bit her lip.

"Okay, we can do this, right?"

"Um, yes, I guess, I still had hopes that this wasn't you know twins, that somehow that version of our life was farther down the road."

Dean took her hand in his.

"I was hoping that too, but oh well at least we know what we are working with."

"What do you mean?"

"We are having two handsome little boys," he grinned.

Ari ran her fingers over his jaw.

"Proud Papa now huh?"

"Yes and don't you forget it," he said as she leaned in for a quick kiss.

She wouldn't forget, just that satisfied look on his face was something she would always cherish. Him, finally acknowledging his babies touched her heart.

"You know seeing them, hearing the heart beats made so much difference. I guess I am still a need the proof person," he said as she stared in her eyes.

"Not that you didn't believe me and just think I was getting fat?"

"Of course I believed you, and you are not fat," he smiled.

"Just joking I know," she grinned as she started the car.

"Would you mind if we named one after my dad?" Dean asked as they backed out of the parking space.

"No of course not, I was going to suggest that."

"Thanks."

"No need, I know he was important to you just like mine was to me."

They discussed how they were going to explain to Amber about the babies and them not being married.

"You already told her a person needs to be married to have kids?"

"Yeah, a while back before this even, she always asked really grown up questions. I never thought I would need to explain myself."

Dean sighed as she kept her eyes on the road.

"Maybe we should get married."

"No, not just so Amber can make sense of us, absolutely not," she said a bit too fast for Dean's taste.

Dean crooked his head to the side. He often wondered what Ari had against marriage or even engagements. It wasn't as though he was in a rush to head to the altar but he did love her. What was he missing? Was she divorced after having endured a bad marriage? Maybe an abusive marriage she didn't want to discuss at all? He kept quiet as he watched several expressions cross her face in profile. She seemed agitated, angry, uncomfortable, not herself at all, basically.

"Ari pull over."

"What?"

"Pull over please?"

She did as he asked which was not a real big deal since they were on a back road not too far from home.

"Is there anything you need to tell me?"

Ari avoided his gaze as she sighed.

"Ari?"

Her tears flowed freely down her cheeks to land on the front of her shirt, as Dean watched not certain of what he could do. He should have known her avoidance of the engagement had to mean something. She was a woman in love why else would she have been so against it? He had never been in a relationship so why did he think he could do this at all? Did he have the capacity to make her feel loved the way she did for him? He moved over to pull her into his arms as she laid her head on his shoulders. All he could do was take a shot at listening for the moment. She took deep breaths as she tried to relax after a couple of minutes.

"I'm sorry, Dean. I didn't know how to tell you. It hasn't been that long since we have been together and I love you so much. I was afraid of what you would think of me after a while …."

"Just tell me okay," he said into her hair.

She looked at him with fear in her eyes.

"I'm married Dean.."

"What…? Who?" he moved back from her.

"The guy that wants me dead, that pimp.. we are legally married though I didn't actually agree to it."

Dean ran his hands through his hair, as she looked in his eyes. He was hurt she could feel it in her chest. He was appalled she could see it on his face. She had to convince her body to relax, de stress, breathe. When she told him about the pimp before, she should have told him the whole story. Why had she let her fear come between them? Why was she an idiot? It would be her fault if he left her like Amber's dad had. She should have known nothing good would last in her life. Something whispered, "It's okay," Ari looked around but so only sad faced Dean.

"We should go we can't sit here much longer," he said as he moved her away from him so she could start the car again."

Ari was distracted, was she hearing things? The sound came again, "It's okay," it was like a breeze except it was a woman's voice. Dean didn't seem to hear it he seemed lost in his thoughts.

They were both quiet as they rode the few miles back home. Once in the drive way Dean finally turned to her. He reached for her hand to stroke it. He still seemed sad though she so a glimpse of hope in the fact that he touched her.

"I love you, so if you could please get your story together, all of it, I would like to hear it later, okay," he said simply before he got out of the car.

"Okay," she said with a frown as he closed the door.

She couldn't move for long moments as she thought about the sordid tale she would need to relay to him. She was glad he was willing to listen. She felt blessed to have someone with an open mind in her life. Someone who was willing to give her a chance to make things right. God I do not want to lose him but I do not want him to stay only because of our babies. Help me, oh God, please help.

Sam came down to check on her before she finally emerged from the car.

"Hey, did you two get in a fight? Why are you still outside?"

Ari smiled. Sam was always the peacemaker, or busy body she wasn't sure which at times. She did know he had a good heart, just like his brother.

"No, I'm good. The twins are good," she said with a smile.

"Oh my gosh they are twins," he said as he hugged her.

"Yeah looks like you were right."

"Well we have some time then to find that damn demon so the vision doesn't come true," he said as they walked toward the back door.

Dean watched them from the kitchen window. He wasn't angry with Ari, he was concerned that she was married. Good grief. Though he knew it wasn't a situation she was proud to be in, or the way it sounded one she had consented to. Her past, that he had given little thought about, was coming back to haunt her. He had never wanted to press her because he knew she didn't want to think of it. He determined that he would reserve judgment on the situation until after he heard the story. He also didn't want her nervous and upset in her condition. He decided that she was priority because he wasn't going to give her or his babies up without a fight. Amber came up behind him to touch him on the leg.

"Can you go out with me to walk Sammy Doo?" she said as she looked up innocently at him.

He smiled at her, she looked so much like her mother, and she wasn't a child to be fooled. He had known from the start that the little girl would be able to see through him if he wasn't good to her mother. He was glad that Amber was finally getting use to him despite having taken to Sam so quickly.

"Sure Munchkin, get your shoes," he said as he ruffled her hair.

He and Amber were headed out as Sam and Ari came in. He smiled and touched her arm.

"We will be back shortly," he said to Ari.

Ari blushed at Dean's smile. He really wanted to things to work she could tell he was trying very hard to push her declaration to the back of his mind. Sam knew something was up but he kept quiet as he pulled Amber's hair as she grinned back at him as she left with Dean.

There was excitement at the dinner table as everyone talked of the twins. Amber was happy to know she was going to have siblings. Sam wanted to start on making a couple of cribs that Dean had mentioned. Jo ate without saying much while Chet enjoyed his meal with grunts of appreciation thrown in.

"So you are helping?" Dean asked.

"Oh absolutely, I mean when we aren't hunting," Sam said as he looked from Dean to Ari.

"What?" Ari asked.

"Dean can still go hunting right?"

Dean almost choked on his fish.

"Of course I am still hunting, why are you asking her, Sammy?"

"I just thought she might want you close to home in case something goes wrong."

"No, Sam, I am pregnant not sick. I will be fine," Ari grinned.

"I will stay around when she is farther along like nine months," Dean said as he smiled at Ari.

Missouri smiled, she had decided she should go back home for a while in a few days but return after the babies were born.

"Ari will be fine, besides she has done this before and the midwife is in town. You boys just focus on getting that damn Demon," Missouri said as she took them all by surprise by cursing.

Dean smirked, women constantly surprised him.

That night after everyone was in bed, they met in the study to talk. It was agreed that the bedroom wasn't the place to hash out things that might be unpleasant to speak of, at least according to Ari. Dean sat on one end of the sofa and Ari on the other end. He tilted his head to the side as he motioned for her to come closer. She sighed, hesitated but gave in to his look of concern.

"Ari, I just want to know what happened so we can figure out how to get you out of it."

"Dean if I divorce him he will know where I live, I mean he has found me once before. It was horrible when he showed up at my job, I thought I would die. I was suicidal, you have no idea how much strength it took to pack up my baby and disappear again, " she said as she tried not to cry again.

He moved her head to his shoulder, before he sighed.

"Shhh, its okay we can get this figured out together, I promise."

She sighed before she began to relax against him.

"Okay, this is what happened, " she began.

"Take your time," he encouraged her.

"When he found out from one of the girls that I planned to leave he drugged me….he abused me, sexually, then threatened to kill me if I left. Somewhere after the drugging part, it seems I must have signed a marriage license. I was devastated but he did it as a back up plan because he figured if I did get out alive he could always find me when I filed for divorce."

"So all this time you didn't bother, and you felt safer that way?"

Ari nodded.

Dean racked his hands through his hair in frustration.

"How do you know that the license was real?"

"I found it online, it still says we are married, he knows to get divorced he needs to consent."

"All because of his damn ego? Because you wanted out?"

She nodded again as he held her close to him. She hated to get him involved in her mess.

"Ari is there anything else? I mean maybe Sam and your money guy could find a way to get rid of the marriage license without a real divorce."

"Yeah? I don't know Dean. Please believe me when I say this wasn't something I was hiding, I just felt stupid and used. I hated that guy I still do, the whole marriage thing was a way for him to blackmail me emotionally. He wanted to steal my future, to have me in fear that he would show up at any time, fear of being happy …I'm glad that you understand. I am so sorry it came out like it did."

He kissed her forehead as she held on to him.

"Please say you forgive me for not saying anything before. Now that you see I am damaged, how can you still want me?" she mumbled into his chest.

"I don't think there is anything to forgive, just know you can tell me anything. And you are not damaged, what you are is stuck with me. You don't have to worry about this any more, okay I will fix it."

He looked into her eyes and realized that his hatred for the bastard that caused her so much pain could be the first human he ever killed.

"If you weren't married, would you marry me?" he asked to lighten the mood.

"In a heartbeat," she said as she leaned up to kiss him.

Once they were finally in bed that night she told him about the voice she had heard earlier in the car. He explained his belief that at times their Mother was around to watch over them. To him it sounded as though it could be her.

"Really?"

"That's my guess, I mean you were upset and she is a comforting presence."

"You do not think I imagined it?"

"Nope, but I didn't hear it only you know for sure," he said as he held her in his arms.

Mary Winchester liked Ari she felt she was Dean's match and she was glad he had found her. She walked from the room out into the hall as she heard the sound of Jo crying. She walked through the wall to see the young lady in the fetal position sound asleep but tears streamed down her face. Mary leaned over her and touched her face. Jo opened her eyes to look around. She sighed as she sat up. She had no idea why she had awakened and no recollection of the sobs that had wracked her body a moment before. Mary left the room the same as she had come in but with a smile on her face.

Her last stop was Sam's room. She watched over Sam more often than the others since he was her baby. Dean had no idea how often she had helped him to protect Sam. She watched as he slept soundly as he lay on his back with his mouth open and the sheet halfway across his naked body. He had no dreams tonight he was at ease and free of fear. She liked when Sam was at peace, she kissed his forehead before she faded away.

TBC