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Ari was surprised that Dean and Sam arrived back from their trip sooner than she had expected. She kissed and hugged Dean when he walked in the door with the same cocky smirk she remembered from the first time she met him. His swagger was a bit more pronounced than usual; the sight of his bowed legs in his slightly loose fitting jeans raised her temperature on a normal day. This day her heart went into over drive. Arrogance on Dean was natural as breathing for him, she thought. Though the man of few words she had met close to six months before had changed a bit over that time; his essence was still the heart of what she loved about him. She never wanted him to be different but according to Sam, she had allowed Dean to blossom into a man with defined purpose. She always liked pep talks from Sam.
“You okay?” Dean asked as Ari realized she was still in his arms.
“Oh yeah, I’m fine, good to have you back,” as she looked up at him with a smile.
Ash and “the guys” finally had a chance to talk that night after dinner. They gathered in the study to chat. Ari understood that they wanted to be alone, to do that bonding thing men do, so she and Amber set up camp in Amber’s room to play Old Maid. Sammy Doo sat quietly as she laid his head on Amber’s lap while she pretended to be the watch dog.
“So I’m glad things finally calmed down a bit around here,” Ash said.
“Yeah we’re sorry we have been in and out after you came all this way to see us,” Sam said.
“No problem, life happens right?”
“Yeah something like that,” Dean said.
“Well I did bring good news.”
“Ready for some of that,” Sam said as he looked at his brother who was leaned against the computer desk instead of seated like he and Ash.
“Me too,” Dean said with a small smile.
“I found bullets for the colt.”
“No way,” Sam exclaimed.
Ash nodded, “Yes way. Not only that I find the mold to make more.”
Dean shook his head, “No sh*t, man. Oh don’t tease us about stuff like that.”
“I wouldn’t absolutely not. I actually bought them off an old timer online.”
“Tell us you brought it,” Sam said.
“I did and I have them with me.”
Dean mumbled Christo under his breath as Ash raised his eyebrows at him with a smile.
“Dude, it’s me,” he said.
“Hey, always have to check when things sound too good to be true.”
Sam laughed.
Ash explained to them that the guy who sold him the bullets and mold was at least eighty years old. He previously owned the colt that Sam and Dean possessed but had lost it because he sold it at a pawn shop years before.
“He never thought he wouldn’t be able to get the thing back, but time went on and he could never afford it.”
“Where did he get it to began with?” Dean asked.
“Someone in his family was good friends with the person who made it.”
“Colt?”
“The one and only,” Ash said.
Dean had shared the good news with his fiancé after they went in the room to get ready for bed that night and she was glad to hear it. She knew how getting the Demon was important to them both. Not just because of the past but the future of their children.
“Oh that’s very good news,” she had said before she pulled him into the shower with her.
For several long minutes he forgot about Chicago and the sound of the gunshot that had shattered the skull of an evil man. Spirits and mortals, shades of grey. Dean dreaded time alone with Ari on this night, she knew him too well. The shower he could handle but a quiet room would be a challenge. Sometimes he felt she could read his thoughts; most often it thrilled him that she knew him so well. Then there were times like these.
Dean watched Ari sleep that night with fear in his heart. How could he have done the right thing and feel so bad about it? He sighed he did not want to wake her, she needed her sleep as much as he needed peace of mind. He closed his eyes for a second to gather his thoughts to open them to see her looking up at him. She reached up to touch his cheek. He smiled or tried to, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” she asked softly, unthreateningly.
“Why do you ask? I love to watch you sleep.”
She bit her lip as she traced her finger across his lips.
“You have that lost little boy look I see in you some times,” she stated.
“Really? But I’m still cute, huh?”
She ran her fingers over the curve of his jaw but did not smile. He traced the indention her nipple made in the fabric of her silk gown. She knew right away he was going to try to get out of the discussion.
“You are ten kinds of handsome but you kow you can tell me anything, right?”
He looked her in the eyes. He saw only love, kindness, and acceptance, the same things she always offered him. He sighed.
“I called Cassie to tell her about the babies,” he said as he kept his eyes on hers.
“What did she say?”
“She seemed happy. I just had no one else to tell, I know it was….”
Ari interrupted, “You have the right to tell whomever you please, and I wouldn’t deny you that even if it’s your ex.”
Dean had known that, he just hoped by confessing that one thing that Ari would move on to a new subject or let him pass on the sharing all together.
“She was surprised it was twins,” he said with a smile as his confidence reared its head.
“I’ll bet twins are not what she expected to hear come from you.”
“Sam is researching to see if we can find other twins in our family tree. I guess it’s a good a time as any to maybe see about relatives.”
Ari watched him, she knew Dean had lived many years on his wits and lies; she did not hold that against him though at times it was unnerving. He had never lied to her as far as she knew but the pit of her stomach didn’t feel right. It wasn’t the babies that concerned her but Dean’s attitude since he came back had been off to her.
Then she felt a flutter under her skin. She smiled up at Dean who had gone back to watching her silently. She leaned up so she could be against the headboard.
“What?”
“Put your hand here,” she said he moved up to sit beside her.
He placed his hand on the top of her stomach. His eyes grew wide and his face lit up.
“That’s them?”
She nodded as she bit her lip.
“It’s not much but they are making themselves known,” she said with a smile.
“Amazing, how does it feel to you?” he asked like a kid in a candy store.
“Just like butterfly wings a light fluttering.”
He leaned over to kiss her.
“Thank you,” he said.
“Now about that other thing,” she said as he raised his eyebrows at her.
Sam couldn’t sleep that night so he went into the downstairs study to sit at the computer. Once it was booted up he sighed. He really felt in no mood for porn, though he rarely did. He had to admit though he had at times enjoyed it a bit, mostly because Dean insisted it had its merits though he would never tell his brother about those incidents. He decided he would write Paris instead. He had heard from her only once since she left.
{Flashback}
Paris phoned him when she got back to Michigan to tell him she was safe.
“Good to know. I never expected you to leave the way you did,” he said.
“I know Sam, I’m sorry. I do care about you I just cannot sit around waiting for you to return all the time. Besides, I think that girl Jo has a thing for you and she knows how to do the ghost hunting stuff. I am not certain the little interest I have in your work is enough.”
“I liked you for other aspects not just because you seemed interested in my work,” Sam sighed.
“I get that but I need time to think too, I mean I just met you then I went a bit over board moving to be with you. It’s not really my style. To be honest I guess it was a kick for me to do something I had never done before.”
“Oh.”
“I am the eccentric one in the family but not usually the flighty one,” she said with a smile in her voice.
“I can imagine that,” he said with a laugh.
They had both been quiet after that. There wasn’t much left to say. Sam liked Paris but once she had gone he really had not missed as he thought he might. It could have been because Jo was a diversion at the time.
“I am glad that you made it back in one piece, I cannot say enough how sorry I am things didn’t work,” he added.
“Me too, I really thought there was hope for us.”
“Well, I am gone a lot and until that thing is dead my life will be this way.”
“I thought so,” she said with a sigh.
“It was nice meeting you, Sam. I enjoyed our time together.”
“Same here, we can still email and talk, if that’s okay.”
“Sure,” she said before the goodbyes.
{End Flashback}
Sam wrote an email but it wasn’t very detailed. He just let her know about the twins and how he looked forward to being an uncle despite their crazy lives. After a few minutes he realized he really didn’t want to share his personal life with her since she hadn’t called. He deleted the email and chose to look for a hunt it was something that made him feel fulfilled. The closer they got to the Demon the more chance they could find and get rid of it.
“What other thing?” Dean asked with his eyes full of innocence.
“Yeah, that look isn’t working. I can tell when you are hiding something,” she said.
He moved from under the covers to straddle her legs so he was looking down into her face.
“What do you mean?” he asked this time it with only a half attempt at the innocent look.
“I mean that you have more to share… if you want,” she said as she put her hands on either side of his face.
He sighed audibly; I don’t like lying to her.
“We can get married now.”
“What did you do?” she asked as he looked down at her neck.
I should have gone for the seduction, he thought.
“I …only helped set a plan in motion.”
She shook her head and raised her eyebrows, the effect was a definite, and “I don’t get it” look.
“Andy insists that only a weak mind can be influenced by his suggestions,” he said as he moved her nightie up so he could gaze at her slim thighs and what lie between them. Ari tilted his head up to hers again. She had hoped that Dean would be able to keep his promise to take care of Rex without getting himself thrown in jail.
“Rex is dead?"
Dean nodded. She felt remorse at the thought that Rex had died. It was an unwanted emotion, empathy. The man was a psychopath pure and simple. He hadn’t only taken their money he aimed to get their souls. She had wanted to die so often at times, if not for Amber, she would not have lived to meet Dean. She did not want to feel anything for the loss of Rex or those like him in the world.
“Can you tell me what happened? And we can get married if you want,” she said with a smile.
After he relayed everything that happened Ari was quiet as she looked into his eyes. He wasn’t certain how to take her lack of a reaction so he moved to get off of her but she stopped him.
“Where are you going?” she asked as she pulled her nightgown over her head to drop it to the floor.
She pulled him closer with her hands on his back as he put his hands on her shoulders. He leaned down to kiss her a bit roughly at first but she bit his lip as she raked her nails over his back. He smiled as he moved from her lips to her neck where he nipped her soft flesh as a grin played on her face. Her mind raced as her hormones began to respond to the news she had only just heard, which brought tears to her eyes. Rex was dead. Could she really celebrate that? She felt evil and confused. Dean tasted her tears as they rolled down her cheeks onto her neck. He stopped to look in her eyes again.
“Ari, what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry. I want to say it’s just the twins but I think it’s the death. Oh Dean, I hated Rex with an unbearable passion. From the start it was full on hate, okay, don’t get me wrong on that. I am so happy that that part of my life is dead with him. I guess I just need time to get it in my head I am safe from him and the threat on my life. Safe because you took a stand for me.”
He nodded as he moved beside her to hold her in his arms.
“Andy is the real hero in this, but thanks for being honest for being sensitive to all this. I almost wish I felt sadder about it.”
One Bastard down and one to go, Dean thought.
That next evening Ari and Dean went on one of their first dates since their arrival in Wisconsin. Sam and Ash stayed home to watch Amber why they went off to Milwaukee for a movie. Dean’s mood was festive. He seemed ready to take his role as a father seriously and they spoke of an actual wedding.
“I don’t think a wedding is necessary,” Ari said as they drove to the theatre.
“Well I admit I do not want to draw attention to ourselves, but we can go to the courthouse with some witnesses, right?”
“Absolutely, now I am a widow. That just sounds weird,” she said.
“Only because you were never married as far as emotions go.”
“Well this marriage at least I know the groom loves me and I love him.”
Dean smiled as he turned into the parking lot for their movie.
They had decided to attend an old movie at the Times Theatre, it was a place where they only showed that type of film. The movie of the night was Glass Bottom Boat with Doris Day.
“You must really love me,” Ari said as she saw the marquee.
“Why?”
“In a million years I could not imagine you seeing this movie,” she said as they walked hand and hand down the sidewalk.
“Blame it on Sam, he said it was an old chick flick with possibly some singing, he wasn’t quite clear on that.”
Ari beamed at Dean, she had really gotten lucky with him. She stopped walking before they got to the door.
“Dean we can see something else I mean you should enjoy it too.”
“Yeah?”
He saw the hope in her eyes and knew he could endure it for her.
“I don’t mind seeing an action flick,” she said as she tried to drag him back to the car.
“We can see one next time, tonight I will just watch you while you watch the movie.”
“Okay if you insist,” she said as they finally walked into the door of the theatre.
***
It was late one night, two weeks later when Ari had her first real unannounced visitor. Sam and Dean had left a couple of days before to go to Nevada on a hunt. Dean had given her instructions that addressed the situation perfectly, if you feel uncomfortable about who is on the other side of the door, do not answer. She heard knocking at the back door but she waited. In her pregnant state she feared it would make her a target on a dark night. The next sound was a light tap on the other side of her bedroom door, she jumped.
“Mommy,” Amber said.
Ari got up to let her in.
“Yes, Munchkin.”
“I heard noise at the door.”
“Okay come in here with me,” she said as she pulled the little girl in with her.
She phoned Chet downstairs to tell him to look out the window to see if he recognized the car. He agreed and she waited on the line.
It seemed forever before he came back.
“Um it’s a tall blonde fellow, he seems to be a little drunk.”
“What?”
“Yeah he is falling over his feet out there. What do you want me to do?”
“Chet can you see his vehicle?”
“Oh yeah, it is a truck, one of those big ones.”
“Well okay, thanks Chet, I will go down to talk to him.”
“Fine, I will meet you at the back door give me a minute to get pants. Dean would shoot me if he knew you were talking to a stranger late at night alone,” he said.
“No problem, and you are right,”
Ari looked over at Amber who stared at her from the middle of her bed.
“I’ll be back in a minute you stay put.”
“Yes Mommy,” she said as Sammy Doo loped into the room looking for his pal.
Ari reached down to pick up the pup to put on the bed with Amber before she put her heavy robe on. If it was who she thought it would deter him and keep her covered against his gaze. Ari confessed the robe was the ugliest she had seen despite its terry cloth softness. She shrugged as she found she had looked in the mirror to check her hair.
Chet beat her to the door and stood on the inside of the screen as he talked to the man he did not know. Ari shook her head as she saw who stood outside with remorse on his face. It was the one man who should have been far away from her.
“Milton, you can’t be here,” she insisted.
“But Ari I can’t get you out of my mind,” he slurred.
“I love Dean, you have to stop this. It’s not helping you, go home.”
She shook her head, Dean was going to beat the guy to a pulp. She had no doubt after what happened with Rex.
“Go to your home, that is the safest place for you,” she said as Chet looked curiously at her before she shut the back door and left Milton standing dejected on the other side.
Mary Winchester watched Ari as Ari closed the door on Milton, she was even more certain that Dean had met his match. Ari was faithful and tried to do the right thing, Mary admired her for that. She shook her head with a frown as she watched the grim faced young man get into his vehicle and drive away. She really hoped Milton had gotten the idea, with Dean’s temper and desire to look after his family things could get nasty. Maybe there is something I can do to help, she thought.
TBC