Story Notes:
Sam and his brother are still hunting as well as running the Road House but their lives are continually changing. Erin Winchester their sister has also in the mix as well as their uncle Ben and Cousin Alex. Enjoy this story.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Two weeks later,
Sam heard a noise in the living room on his way back from the restroom and went to see who was up after two in the morning. He found Dean with his feet up remote in hand as he watched a taped version of the Dallas Cowboy’s game that was played earlier that day. Sam watched as his brother reached for the beer that sat near him on the table.
“Hey.”
“Hey yourself,” Dean said as he took a swig but went back to eyeing the television.
Sam took a seat beside him on the sofa.
“Um, what did Ari kick you out of the room or is the twins crying got you wide awake this time of the morning?”
“Neither.”
“Dude, so spill, what’s going on?”
“I’m watching the game did you notice?” he said as he frowned at his brother.
“So you are just taking a break from being Dad tonight?”
Dean hit pause on the remote.
“I’m going to get Braeden in a few minutes so Ari can sleep when he is done. My activities have been approved, nosy,” Dean said with a smirk.
Sam chuckled. He still couldn’t see Dean as a father though over the last couple of weeks he had noticed that Dean had been doing his fair share of helping Ari and keeping an eye on things.
They both looked up as there was a noise as Erin walked in the room.
“Hey you two night owls too?”
“Well Dean is waiting to do babysitting duty and I am on the way back to bed,” Sam said as he got up.
“Hold on, we should talk,” Erin thought.
“This is too weird I can’t get used to it,” Sam thought before he sat down again.
Dean got up like a Jack in the box, “I’ll be right back,” he said as he left the room to get Braeden.
{Flashback-first time Erin had revealed her power}
It was two weeks before when they went up to the hospital to see the babies the day after the night they were born. Erin, Sam, and Amber walked in the room to see Dean with a baby on his shoulder and Ari with one at her breast. Ari smiled at them as Amber came close to the bed to see her brothers.
“Ohhhhh,” the little girl said as she reached to touch the baby, who was in Dean’s arms with his fingers in his mouth.
“This is Braeden Dean, and that is John Michael,” Dean said to Amber as she looked from one to the other.
Ari laughed at her daughter’s expression the little girl probably hadn’t quite believed that the babies were like little people.
“Can I hold one of them?” she asked no one in particular.
Dean had Amber sit in his lap as he placed the baby gently in her arms as his arms held hers. Braeden wasn’t too happy about the change though he whimpered until Dean said his name, then settled down with a pout and a show of the Winchester dimples.
Sam and Erin smiled at the scene before Erin pulled Sam out of the room. She led him back outside without saying much other than they needed to talk. Once they were on a bench outside the front doors she closed her eyes as she sat with her hands in her lap.
“Erin?”
“Just listen,” she said in her head.
Sam looked around, it didn’t occur to him that she was in his thoughts.
“It’s me,” she said as she looked at him.
“But how?”
“It’s a gift, the three of us are connected. We need to talk this way if we want to keep our plans to get the demon secret.”
Mary watched the exchange with curiosity, then it hit her that they were talking without moving their mouths. It looked to an outsider like they were in their own thoughts maybe just meditating. She bit her lip, she would have never imagined. Then she realized she better leave in case that demon showed up to bother her, she didn’t want to be close to the place where her new grandchildren were staying.
“So you believe there is something at the house?”
“Yeah I do but it could be a good spirit too, I mean I am sure you cleansed before you moved in right?”
“Yes there was nothing there, but since you came I feel a presence I have never had a sixth sense till now.”
Erin smiled at him.
“You?”
“Somehow I enhanced your senses, what about your dreams?”
“None.”
Erin frowned, “I had hoped that the dreams would lead us to the damn thing.”
Sam agreed.
{End Flashback}
Dean watched his son as his siblings played with the infant. The more he spent time with his kids the more he understood why his father had sacrificed himself for him. He was convinced he would die for his own family if it would help them live longer or have better lives. He sighed before he noticed the other two watched him instead of the baby.
Suddenly, Dean got up and left the room. Sam and Erin were stunned as the baby in Sam’s lap began to cry. Erin started to follow Dean but Sam stopped her.
“Let him go, I’m surprised he lasted this long.”
“What do you mean?” she asked as she sat down again.
“Dean is a free spirit,, I think he may be feeling a bit closed in lately.”
“Oh,” Erin said as Sam passed her the baby to cuddled, as he quietened down after his father left the room.
Ari heard when the car outside roared to life. She had also wondered how long Dean would survive without time alone. She felt a bit claustrophobic herself recently with all the feedings and Dean around to help. She admitted she missed her alone time since the babies arrived. Even being married had surprised her because as much as she loved Dean, she had never been a real sociable person. She had her friends but over the last year or so her time had been spent with either Amber or her mother. Things had changed for her and Dean, she couldn’t really blame him for needing a bit of space, though it was the middle of the night. She wondered where he was going.
She sighed as little John looked up at her from the comfort of her arms.
“Your daddy will be okay,” she said before she kissed the baby’s cheek while he gurgled up at her.
Dean thought as he drove. What was I thinking getting tied down? Why didn’t I just leave Ari where I found her? No I had to fall in love, like that has worked so well for me in the past. His chain of thought broke when images of his sons floated through his mind. Then there was Megan with her sweet smile, his Baby Girl and of course Amber who had grown to love him in spite of the way he was. What did he know of love? Only what he poured out to Sam, though there was that moment when his father had thanked him for being a good son. Dean thought what he felt for his father at that time was love, but before that moment he would have believed he only respected his father’s authority. He had simply been the good soldier so that he would not see the hurt in his father’s eyes when he disobeyed. Maybe love was more than just something you could define, it was possible it had meaning interpretations. He sighed before he realized there were tears in his eyes.
He pulled the car over to the side of the road and cried in earnest for a full five minutes. Then he reached to grab a napkin from the glove box and saw a picture of he and Ari. After he blew his nose he stared at the picture. Ari was five months pregnant and her face glowed. He had his hand on her stomach and they both smiled for the camera. Dean took a deep breath as he touched the photograph. He loved Ari, he also loved their children. The love he had was something that was so much a part of him that he couldn’t explain it, was something deep inside his soul. So why was it so hard to give into his new life?
He reasoned that it was fear of the unknown. The fear that they would all be ripped from him in an instant like his mother. But Dean didn’t fear demons, ghosts or strange creatures, why did he fear loss of family so much? He laid the picture on the seat so he could take it inside the house when he got back before he steered the car back onto the road. Fear? He didn’t like fear. Fear made people do stupid things. Fear is for pussies. Immediately he felt better, he knew deep inside he was a brave man and he wasn’t going to allow fear to ruin his life or his marriage. He determined that in his heart.
He picked up the cell on the second ring as he cruised down the back roads.
“Hello.”
“Hey Honey, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, I’ll be back shortly.”
“Okay, I just thought I would check on you,” Ari said.
“Glad you did, see you soon,” he said with no other explanation before he closed his cell.
Ari sighed as she put the receiver down.
Ari smiled when Sam brought Braeden into put him in his crib a few minutes later.
“Ari?”
“It’s okay, I talked to him,” she said with a smile at her brother in law.
“You know Dean is wound kind of tight.”
“That is an understatement.”
Sam laughed before he left the room.
Ari was at the kitchen table the next morning when Dean showed up at seven-thirty.
“Hey,” he said to his wife who looked as though she might strangle him.
“Hey? Hey? Damn it Dean, it’s been almost five hours since you said you would be back shortly,” Ari screamed as she glared up at him.
Dean stood like a lost little boy, as he looked at her without comment. He knew she was right, of course, she was angry she had been worried for his safety. He frowned as she waited for his reply. Before he could say anything Amber came in the room. She was the only person brave enough to come into the room when there was yelling going on. Sam and Erin were both in their rooms listening at their doors.
“Daddy,” Amber said as she ran to him.
He picked her up, “Hey Munchkin,” he said as he ruffled her hair.
“I’m glad you’re back,” she said with a smile, “When I woke up today your car was gone and I was sad.”
“Well of course I came back,” he said as he hugged her.
Ari sighed loudly as she got up to put her bowl in the sink.
“Go get dressed now so you can eat your breakfast,” Dean said to Amber as he put her down.
“Okay,” she said before she scampered out of the room with only a quick smile in her mother’s direction.
Ari was convinced the little girl could sometimes feel the mental temperature in a room, she seemed to calm things by her presence or maybe it was just a kid thing.
Dean went up behind his wife and put his arms around her waist. She still looked pregnant but it had only been two weeks since she delivered the twins. There were still two more weeks before she could begin any exercise program.
“I’m sorry,” he said into her neck.
She didn’t move or even speak she only waited for an explanation.
“I got lost then ran out of gas and had to walk to a gas station, I know I should have called but I didn’t want to wake the kids. I also needed some time by myself.”
He voice was desperate because he really didn’t want to hurt her feelings, it wasn’t her fault that he needed to break free for a while.
Ari turned into his arms to look in his eyes before she swallowed. He looked tired and cute, maybe handsome was the word. Damn it, he always looked that way to her. But there were dark circles under his eyes and she reached to touch them gently with her finger. She couldn’t be mad at him, though she really had been only concerned not really angry.
“Forgive me,” he said into the silence.
She pulled his face down for a kiss. The kiss was urgent, very needy and involved a lot of tongue with Ari’s hands in his hair.
She bit her lip afterward he led her to the table.
“I made a decision.”
“What?” she asked as she tried to be cheerful.
“I’m going to get a job and work like a regular husband.”
“What? No, why would you say that?”
“I… want to take care of us, why wouldn’t I?”
“You can’t Dean, you have to get the demon. That is your job, it’s what you do.”
“I thought you would be happy that I want to be around to watch my kids grow up…”
“I do want that but you should keep hunting so that we can possibly have that life some day.”
Dean looked unbelievingly at her. Here he thought his offer to be a regular Joe Blow would be welcomed and instead she wanted him to go out hunting.
“Honey, I talked to Erin she thinks with her help getting that thing will be easier.”
Dean sighed, he knew she was right. He also knew there was no guarantees in hunting. It wasn’t as though he wanted to get a nine to five, but he did want to be someone his kids could be proud of but mostly he wanted to be there for them. He didn’t want them to grow up the way he and Sam had.
“There is not another reason you want me out hunting?” he asked hesitantly.
Ari arched an eyebrow at him, “No, actually I love you being home you know that I just want you to stay focused on the goal. And why would you ask that?”
“No reason,” he said as Amber came back in the room ready for her meal.
TBC