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Dean and Cassie gathered in the living room with the children to tell them the truth about their grand parents. It was a discussion that had put off longer than they had originally planned. Dean believed that Cory was old enough to hear what had happened also so he sat as eager to hear as Alyssa.
“When I was four years old,…” he began as Cassie held his hand.
She listened intently, as she had never heard every detail herself over all the years of their relationship. She watched him as he hesitated a few times during the telling of the tale of the death of his mother. Cassie figured it had to be hard to express even after the passage of so much time. She felt for her husband, he still had problems with displaying emotions with the exception of hugs for the children.
“All that started when Sam was six months old,” he ended the first story.
Cory bit his lip before he raised his hand.
“You don’t have to raise your hand this isn’t school,” Dean said with a smile.
“Okay, well I just wondered why your Dad wanted to try to find the thing when he figured out what had happened.”
“You mean why didn’t he just move on and try to get over it?”
“Yeah?”
“That is a question I asked every day of my life son. Though I think the Marine in him just wanted to get back at what had caused him the greatest grief.”
Alyssa watched her father as he spoke with Cory and answered his questions. She suddenly realized how much she admired her father. She contemplated what he had told them about losing his mother as a toddler, to living on the road from motel to motel, without ever having a regular life. She never guessed his upbringing had been so strange.
“You have questions before I go on?” Dean asked his quiet daughter.
“It all sounds so tragic and scary, but can you tell us the rest about grandpa?”
“Sure I was going to do that next,” Dean said as he began the story about his father’s demise.
“I’m sorry, um I know you were fearful for me because of how your mother and Jess died, but …” Cassie began.
“Um yeah, we found out that Sam was the connection there. You were in less danger with me then Lydia was with Sammy.”
“Oh,” Alyssa said.
Dean explained how Sam was the missing link in those earlier deaths. Then he went on to tell the story of the car accident that led to his father selling his soul for his life.
The room was deathly quiet after the revelation. Everyone looked a Dean as though he had told the worse punchline ever. Cassie felt for her husband because she knew it had to hurt to lose both parents in such weird circumstances. She broke the silence.
“I believe things happen for a reason. Your father made a decision that allowed you to have children that you love, his sacrifice was worthy though admittedly…”
“Foolish, idiotic, negligent, an easy quick fix…” Dean said before he jumped up then stamped out of the room.”
Alyssa and Cory looked at Cassie who only sighed.
“He is not over that yet,” Cory said sadly.
“I think not,” Cassie said with a grim smile as the two children gathered around her for a hug.
“He seems sad,” Alyssa observed as she looked at her mother.
“Yeah, I’ll go check on him, you two go off to bed, okay.”
“It’s my fault if I hadn’t asked….”
“Not your fault Alli, we needed to let you too in on the details. I mean you knew general details all your life but now you know why it all began.”
Alyssa nodded as she followed her brother out of the living room then up the stairs to their rooms.
***
At Sam’s house, he and Lydia were gathered in front of the computer screen. Lydia had finally found more information on Joanna’s family and her fiancée. Sam nodded as he searched the court records. Joanna’s fiancée had an extensive record since his juvenile days but they were under an alias. He wondered if Joanna had any idea what type of guy she had hooked up with. It was only the guy but the guy’s family was bad news. He pursed his lips as he leaned back in the chair.
“Wow?”
“Yeah, but I am sitting here wondering if there is a supernatural connection,” Lydia said.
Sam started to laugh, it was a laugh that wouldn’t stop. He was leaned over puffing with tears in his eyes five minutes later when he finally stopped after Lydia brought his water.
“I’m sorry. My brain must be totally fried.”
“What?” Lydia asked totally out of the loop on the reason for his giggle fit.
“Hey what’s up in here?” Logan asked from the door.
“Nothing, sorry to disturb you,” Lydia said with a smile at her son.
“Just wondering what is going on, Dad you okay?”
“Yeah son, my mind is not sharp sometime then when it clicks I guess I amuse myself,” Sam confessed.
Logan smiled at both of them before he wandered off down the hall again.
“So what was the revelation?”
Sam told Lydia that with all the research, the thinking about the baby and Joanna, at times he forgot the supernatural aspects. If Joanna was involved in something then of course her boyfriend may have been also. Though they did not know for certain but it was a possiblity.
“Remember Alyssa’s dream where it seems that Marianne ran away from us, maybe it wasn’t us she ran from maybe it was her parents. I mean dreams are symbolic. She was found by Mackey which could represent a similar soul or some time of soul connection.”
“You mean Mackey represents you because you found Marianne and are the one protecting her or attempting to understand why she was left and what her mother wants to show you about it all.”
“Exactly. “
Lydia nodded. The idea had is merits. They had to consider that Marianne was special that Joanna who they believed was her mother watched over her and also that Joanna was still attempting to help Marianne. Lydia’s main concern was if Joanna was a good spirit and not a bad one in disguise.
***
Back at Dean’s Cassie found Dean outside on the patio. He sat in one of the chairs with his hands on his knees and his head in his hands. She stopped to watch him for long moments. He was such a sweetheart to her, so kind and gentle. She hated she had ever for a moment turned away from him. Then Dean looked up before he put out his hand to her.
“You okay?”
He nodded as she sat in his lap, “I’m fine.”
She looked in his eyes as the reflection of the moon was the only light.
“I won’t defend your father but I have to say I thank him for saving your life though it was stupid the way he did it. Can you imagine how I would have felt to find out later you had died after I sent you away saying I was a realist. I was stupid.”
“Cas,” Dean tried to interrupt.
“No, I was just scared, if I hadn’t been scared I would have told you the truth. I would have said I will be here for you whenever you want to stop by….”
“Don’t okay, I knew you still loved me, Sweetie.”
He held her close to him as he breathed in her fragrance. He still believed John jumped the gun on the soul deal but he also had to thank his father for allowing him to live. Admittedly,he had been angry for a long time after and from time to time he still felt that way. He also agreed with Cassie that without that sacrifice he would have missed out on many blessings that involved his children as well as one another.
“It seems blasphemous to feel blessed because of what Dad did.”
“In one way it does but it is what you make of the life that was saved that counts.”
He leaned down to kiss her, he loved her perspective more often then not. She was level headed and it kept him sane quite often.
TBC