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Sam and Jo got up early the next morning to take Amber on a picnic. They had planned it before the Iowa tour. Amber was dressed and ready by the time Ari got up to give her breakfast.
“Mommy, you and Dean can come too?”
“Well, Honey, this is something Sam and Jo want to do with you, you don’t mind right?”
She shook her head as she smiled. Ari knew time with Sam was important to the little girl.
“But thanks for asking, and we will be here when you get back. Maybe we can go up to Chuckee Cheese later, though she knew Dean hated that place.
“Really?”
“Maybe, you might be tired after chasing Sammy Doo all day at the park.”
“I won’t be tired,” Amber said as Jo walked in the room.
“Morning.”
“Hey.”
“Hey Jo,” Amber said as she ate her cereal.
“So you plan to do some hiking out at the Kettle Moraine?”
“Yep, it will be a full day,” Jo said with a smile at Amber.
Sam came upstairs a second later.
“Good Morning,” he said with a smile.
“Hi Sammy.”
“Sam, good morning,” Ari said as she stood beside the sink in her big fluffy robe.
“You about ready?” Jo asked as she passed Sam to go outside.
Sam looked after her and shrugged.
Ari didn’t know what to say about Jo just walking out, so she was silent as she waited for Amber to be done so she could take her bowl.
“You two okay?” she finally asked.
“Oh, we are fine.”
“I hope so no fighting around my K-I-D,” Ari warned with a smile.
“Kid,” Amber said as she looked up from her bowl.
Sam grinned. Ari tried not too. Amber was getting too smart for her breeches.
Ari watched out of the window as Jo, Sam, Amber and Sammy Doo all got situated in Jo’s Charger with their supplies. The house was quiet since Chet had left the night before to go meet Wynell on her way back from the Apostle Isles, and Missouri had also gone back home. She was still by the window when Dean came out of the room in his boxers as he rubbed his eyes.
“Oh there is light out here, can you please come back in the room where its cozy and dark.”
Ari smiled. It was only after six in the morning, since Sam had wanted to get started before the sun was too warm. Summer in Wisconsin could heat up in July. The Kettle Moraine National park was miles and miles of open hiking space, but only about a half hour away. She was glad that neither Jo or Sam minded taking Amber. The fresh air would do them all good, and she knew the dog would be in heaven.
She followed Dean back in the room and into the bed. She sat in the bed before she leaned against the headboard as she eyed her baby bump. She was getting bigger that was certain, four months wasn’t much for one baby but with two it was something to see. Dean leaned up to kiss her with no idea of her state of mind. She turned her head away. He frowned as he reached to touch her stomach.
“What?”
“Can you imagine how huge I will be before this is all over?”
That was a loaded question.
“It’s twins Sweetie, they have to grow,” he said in all seriousness.
He did good but good was not enough for Ari, size was an issue with her. She had never been fat for a good reason. If she felt fat she stopped eating. Of course, when she was pregnant with Amber she did all the right things and still had extra weight. She did understand it was the nature of growing a human inside your body. That did not make it better when she was extremely body conscious. So the comment did not appease her as it should have.
Ari looked up at Dean as he straddled her legs, he leaned down for a kiss before she could say anything. His hand wandered to play between her legs, she moaned as she spread them wider. Dean multitasked as he licked her lips before dipping his tongue into her mouth. Her thoughts changed instantly to the feel of his lips and his magic fingers. He pushed his thumb inside her slowly as she became wet. She wanted more as she rocked against his hand. She licked her lips as she opened her eyes while he moved to push his erection inside her. She sighed at the feel of him as he filled her up. Dean smiled. He knew how to get her mind off her worries. He kissed her neck as he plunged in to her time and time again.
“Oh Dean.”
“Katarina,” he whispered against her skin as he peppered her body with kisses.
She smiled to herself. She was Katarina, it was her real name and she had always loved the sound of it. She bit her lip as she tried to keep up with his pace. Her hands were in his hair as she pushed against his chest. She had never been with a man that could heat her up so fast, make her want him to stay inside her forever, and give her so much ecstasy in such a small space of time. If she had to confess to a priest she would have to say she was “horny” as often as Dean was. The song If Loving You is Wrongcame to mind, but loving Dean wasn’t wrong it was very right. She ran her fingernails over his back and Dean grinned as he kissed her stomach. He loved the feel of her passion, the warmth of her body, the unconditional love she gave him. He pushed away the next thought that dared to come to his mind while he loved on his woman, kill the bastard that’s after her.
At the park, Sam and Jo followed Amber and Sammy Doo on the trail. They all wore shorts and tank tops with an abundance of sunscreen, with lightweight jackets tied to their waists. The summer sun often changed to afternoon coolness rapidly in the open air. Jo and Sam talked as they walked.
“So what was the problem this morning when I came up?”
“No problem I was just ready to go,” Jo said with a smile that did not reach her eyes.
“I don’t believe you.”
“Well, I am sorry that is how it was,” she said a bit tartly.
“I think you were jealous again. Ari was in her night clothes and we were leaving with,” Sam said as he pointed ahead at Amber and the puppy.
“No that isn’t true, that’s just wrong, Sam. Hey I love that little girl too..”
“I’m not denying that.”
A minute later, she bit her lip before she told Sam maybe he was right but she hadn’t meant to be upset about it. Sam sighed.
“It’s okay.”
Sam was sad because he had thought Jo had made strides to get over Dean. But, here she was ticked off that Ari and Dean were staying behind in bed, at least that was the gist of it. The walk became quiet after that until Amber saw some flowers she wanted to pick for her mother.
“Um, Amber those may not be for picking,” Sam said.
“Why?” she asked as she looked up at him, the giant.
“Well, in places like this they have rules so everyone can enjoy the pretty flowers.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, if you take them then no one else can look at them, they will be gone.”
“There’s more,” she pouted before Sam picked her up and Jo took the leash for the dog from her.
“But if everyone said that, there wouldn’t be any at all, that is the problem,” Sam said as he kissed and hugged her.
“Okay,” she nodded as he put her back down.
Jo smiled as she took the little girls hand before she gave Sam the dog’s leash. Sam frowned as they walked ahead of him. Am I impatient, or have I chosen unwisely?
Early afternoon, while Ari worked on some charts in the study and Dean figured out the pattern for the cribs there was a knock on the door. Despite him being in the garage, Dean didn’t see the car, a white El Camino, until after the person stood at the door with their back to him,
“Hey,” he said before he grinned as he realized it was Ash.
“Dean, Man, how the hell are you?”
“What are you doing here?”
“Jo was raving about the place thought I would check it out for my self.”
They looked up to see Ari at the door with a smile.
“Hi,” she said to Ash as she opened the screen door.
“Ash, this is my fiancé, Ari,” Dean said with a big smile.
“I figured, nice to meet you,” he said as he shook her outstretched hand.
“You two, come on in,” she said as Dean came in behind Ash.
He put his arm around her as all three headed up. Dean brushed his lips along her neck, just enough to tickle her skin. She smiled up at him before she offered Ash a beer.
“Oh for sure, never turn down a cold beverage.”
On the trail they met up with some other hikers and talked a bit, but nothing steady. After lunch at an open area, they all felt like a nap but didn’t feel safe enough to do that all at once. Sam volunteered to stay awake while the other two rested a bit. They had come a long way and he knew the walk back would take a while but at least it had gotten cooler. Amber rode Sam’s back as they headed back down the trail while Jo led Sammy Doo on the leash. They were close to the area where they left the car when they heard a howling. All day they had not run across any animals besides a few squirrels and mosquitoes. Sam didn’t stop as he saw the vehicle up ahead and Jo followed close behind, they were both happy that Amber had fallen asleep and did not scream out. They quietly got into the car and left the lot without seeing the wolf as it stood behind the tree near where they had parked.
“So you are staying for a bit?” Dean asked Ash as he grabbed himself a brew from the frig.
“A couple days if there is room,” Ash said after a nice gulp of beer.
“Good we should catch up on what is going on out there,” Dean said as he straddled the kitchen chair.
Ari sat down at the table with a glass of orange juice.
“So when are you due?” Ash asked.
“In the dead of winter, December,” she replied with a slight smile.
“Yeah, but its always winter here, right?”
Dean laughed.
“That is what I hear, kind of like Vancouver.”
Ash raised an eyebrow as he pursed his lips and shrugged.
“It’s twins,” Ari added with a grin.
“Whoa, two Winchesters at once?”
Dean couldn’t help but to smile.
“Lucky huh?”
Late that night after everyone was in bed Sam went in the study to speak with Dean.
“Need more sex advice?” Dean asked without looking up.
Sam grinned.
“No, not this time. I think I am done with sex for a while, but thanks.”
“Oh that’s too bad, maybe you were doing something wrong, if you are done with it,” Dean smirked.
“Dude enough with the sex talk, you are making me so uncomfortable.”
“Kind of like when I was enjoying the vibrating bed?”
“Way more than that.” Sam said as he cleared his throat.
“So what’s up then?”
Sam told him about the howling in the park. It was the first time he had heard a wolf in so many years that he believed was truly an animal. Dean laughed.
“Yeah, our lives were weird man.”
“I know, I like having a place to call home. I wasn’t sure how you would deal with in the beginning.”
“I know I like it too. And not because its equipped with a nice warm woman in my bed,” Dean teased.
“No comment, I guess this was the time. I don’t think it would have worked before now. I mean Dad would not have wanted us in one place at all. I think this is working well for us.”
“Sometimes its going to be out of the way to come back to though, except it won’t matter with my situation.”
Sam watched Dean as he went back to typing on the keyboard. He didn’t feel sorry for him, he envied him. Dean had someone who had chosen him to love. He had a future whether he was prepared or not only time would tell. He was happy for his older brother. “You okay?”
“Yeah I am, hey man, I just wanted to tell you in private congrats on the twins. I know you don’t think you are ready but life is like that, man. It cold cocks you when you least expect it.”
“So you are saying you “got my back”, right?”
Sam smiled as he left the study to go down to bed.
He noticed Jo’s room door cracked open a bit. He hesitated. The last time he walked in on her they had sex. He stood in the hall for a second and felt someone touch his arm. He turned to see it was Amber. She had tears in her eyes.
“Something is at my window,” she said.
Sam took her to Ari then shouted for Dean at the door of the study. They both rushed in quietly with rock salt guns. They checked each crack and cranny but saw nothing. Dean went back out to the hall while Sam stood at the door, which was across from the window in the room. He saw the tree moving, and wondered if it was a shadow she had seen.
Ari came out into the hall to see what was going on.
“Please go back in with Amber, Sweetie.”
She frowned at Dean but did what she was told.
Dean followed him back into the room but the both stopped at the salt line.
“Dean I think something is outside in the tree. Whatever it is can’t get across the lines.”
“Where?”
“Check the shadow up on the left.”
He finally saw its long witch looking claws.
“Shrtiga?”
“Looks like it, yeah, Amber can stay in with us.”
“I’ll get more salt, you can go ahead and go back to what you were doing,” Sam said.
“Okay Thanks, Dean said as he tried not to smile. He knew Sam was trying to see what Jo was up to in the room. He went in to speak with Ari, aware that bossing her around would earn him no points.
“I’m sorry,” he said from the door.
Amber smiled at him from the middle of the bed.
Ari grinned.
“It’s okay, I was in the way.”
He went to the bed to hug them both, before he checked the window in their room. Every thing was snug, double lines around the room plus the amulets.
“I’ll be back shortly.”
He shook his head as he went back to work, he almost crashed in to Ash who stood by the window.
“Hey man thought you were sleep on the sofa.”
“Yeah I heard some noise thought I would see if I could help.”
Dean told him the problem and how they planned on keeping it out as a solution for the mean time.
“The only way to kill it is to do it while it tries to take the breath of life from someone.”
“So you need bait?”
Dean was distracted, he nodded absentmindedly.
Damn it, where was Sammy Doo?
TBC