Banner by: Sani
Chapter Seven
Chapter 8
Lawrence, Kansas
(18-Weeks)
Dean straightened his tie as they walked into the fancy restaurant. He stood nervously as Sam told the host they had a reservation and seconds later a woman was leading them to a table in the middle of the restaurant. He glanced around and cleared his throat lightly.
Jo glanced at him and smiled softly before nudging him. He turned, eyebrow raised as she passed their six month old daughter to him. He swallowed hard and faltered for a second before getting a better grip on Elizabeth.
The little girls smiling face and babbling eased the tension inside of him as they sat down and started going through the menus. He glanced around the table at everyone and still couldn’t believe he was sitting there.
After leaving his mother’s house earlier he’d fully planned on looking into what was going on, but when he got back to his house he’d wound up spending the day with Jo and Elizabeth. They hadn’t done anything special and yet it was probably the best day he’d had since he was a child.
It scared Dean to the core how used to this life he could get in such a short time, even when he knew it couldn’t possibly be real. The waitress bringing over a high chair startled Dean out of his thoughts as he shifted his daughter so she was sitting between him and his mother.
They ordered and Dean listened as they idly chatted about normal everyday things. He seldom spoke; much more content on listening to what was going on with everyone else, trying to take in as much information about this life as he could.
A little less than thirty minutes later a waiter appeared at the side of their table and started handing out food. Dean glanced down at the plate that was placed in front of him and groaned inwardly. What the hell was this crap and could there be less of it?
“Wow. That…looks awesome.”
They chuckled and Dean grinned before Sam clinked his glass in an attempt to get everyone’s attention.
“All right, to Mom…happy birthday.”
Dean could see the happiness on his mother’s face as she smiled at everyone, voice soft as she spoke.
“Thank you.”
Everyone raised their glasses in a toast and Dean grinned when Sam leaned in and kissed Jessica. His brother really did look happy. A light hand against his thigh had him turning slightly as Jo leaned in close to his ear.
“I was really worried about you last night.”
“Oh, I’m sorry…but I’m good. I’m really good.”
She smiled and nodded before glancing at the food then back at him with an amused grin.
“Okay. What do you say later, we get you a cheeseburger?”
He looked at her relief on his face.
“Oh, God, yes.”
Dean could see the love in her eyes and he felt his chest tighten. This was Jo…a woman who drove him incredibly insane, but understood him like no one else ever had. She’d never know how much she meant to him. He squeezed the hand that was on his thigh lightly, voice filled with warmth as he spoke.
“How did I end up with such a cool chick?”
Jo rolled her eyes, but the smile stayed in place.
“I’ve just got low standards.”
He chuckled before leaning in a kissing her. A loud squeal had them breaking apart as Elizabeth banged a spoon against the high chair. The adults turned and chuckled as she held out her arms for Dean. He smirked and poked her nose lightly before making a few funny faces.
Sam cleared his throat and spoke with a grin on his face.
“All right, Jess and I actually have another surprise for Mom’s birthday.”
Mary smirked and Dean raised an eyebrow as Sam turned to Jessica.
“You wanna tell them?”
She chuckled and nudged him.
“They’re your family. “
Dean could see him mother practically bouncing in her seat with excitement as he glanced between her and the happy couple.
“What? Tell me, what?”
Sam grabbed Jessica’s left hand and showed them the engagement ring on her finger. Mary let out a loud yell.
“Oh my God! Congratulations!”
She stood and he and Jo followed her lead as she grabbed Jessica in her arms welcoming her into the family. Jo did the same as they laughed and he moved over to Sam and shook his hand.
“Congratulations, Sammy.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m really glad you’re happy.”
Sam’s smile faltered as he gave Dean an uncomfortable look, but before he could say anything or pull away his brother’s eyes were focused on something behind him. Dean’s eyes met the young woman’s and he frowned.
It was the girl he’d seen outside the university across from the impala. He let go of Sam’s hand and practically ran in the direction of the front of the restaurant, but by the time he got there she was gone. His brows creased as he tried to figure out what was going on.
When he turned around everyone was staring at him with concerned looks on their faces. He sighed. Wonderful another reason for them to all think he was losing his mind.
Thirty minutes later they were back at his mother’s house, the mood light, but something still not sitting right with him.
“So, Dean, what was all that back at the restaurant?”
He shrugged.
“Oh, I thought I saw someone. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
Mary glanced between her sons and their girlfriends before speaking.
“Well, I had a lovely birthday. Thank you guys so much. Good night.”
She waved and they all said goodnight as she disappeared up the stairs. Sam looked around the room hands in pockets before letting out what looked like a fake yawn to Dean.
“Yeah, well, I’m beat.”
He turned to Jessica.
“Ready to turn in?”
“Sure.”
Sam took her hand and gave a slight wave to Dean and Jo.
“All right. Night, guys.”
Dean scowled.
“Wait a second; it’s not even nine o’clock yet. Let’s go have a drink or something.”
“Yeah…maybe another time.”
Dean laughed lightly, but his stomach plummeted. Yeah things were rough between him and Sam right now, but this Sam didn’t even want to hang out with him. That wasn’t right…it wasn’t what he’d wanted.
“Come on, man, look at us. We both have beautiful women on our arms, you’re engaged. Let’s go celebrate!”
Sam glanced between Jessica and Jo who held his sleeping niece in her arms and he gave her a tight smile, which Jo didn’t return.
“Guys, can you excuse us? I just wanna talk to my brother for a sec. Thanks.”
His eyes moved toward Dean as he motioned to the kitchen.
“Come here.”
“What?”
“Okay, what’s gotten into you?”
A look of confusion settled on Dean’s face.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean this whole warm, fuzzy, ecstasy-trip thing.”
Dean laughed for a second before realizing Sam was being serious. He shrugged good naturedly.
“I’m just happy for you, Sammy.”
He rolled his eyes.
“Right, that’s another thing. Since when do you call me Sammy? Dean, come on. We don’t talk outside of holidays.”
He swallowed hard. He knew this had been coming. He could almost feel it at the odd way Sam had been acting since he got to town.
“We don’t? Well, we should. You’re my brother.”
Sam gave him an incredulous look.
“You’re my brother?”
Dean nodded.
“Yeah.”
“You know, that’s what you said when you snaked my ATM card, or when you bailed on my graduation, or when you hooked up with Rachel Nave.”
Dean frowned.
“Who?”
“My prom date…on prom night.”
Dean pursed his lips.
“Yeah, that does kind of sound like me. Well, hey, man, I’m sorry about all that.”
Sam shook his head and held out a hand palm up.
“No, look, it’s all right. I’m not asking you to change. I just thought…I don’t know. I guess we just don’t really have anything in common, you know?”
He sighed, starting to walk away and something snapped inside Dean. He didn’t want Sam to walk away. It didn’t matter that he’d been an ass in this life or that he was angry with Sam back in his world. That was his little brother and he loved him.
Yeah it sucked that they were thrown back together because of what happened to Jess and everything with the yellow eyed demon, but he didn’t regret it for one second because it had brought his family back together.
He panicked and followed Sam, grabbing his arm lightly to still his movements.
“Whoa, whoa. Yes, we do. Yes, we do.”
“What?”
“Hunting.”
Sam’s eyebrows drew together as he looked at his brother.
“Hunting? I’ve never been hunting in my life, Dean.”
“Yeah, well…we should go sometime. I think you’d be great at it.”
Sam paused and Dean could see that same sad look from earlier take over his face before he spoke quietly.
“Get some rest.”
He turned around and walked back over to the girls. He passed Jo without a word and addressed Jessica.
“Come on, let’s go to bed.”
Jessica gave Jo a small smile, which she returned before they disappeared up the steps just like his mother had. Dean watched them go until he felt a warm hand on his arm. He glanced at Jo and there was sympathy in her gaze.
“You ready to head home babe?”
He nodded.
“Yeah…here let me take her.”
As they headed out of his mother’s house Dean couldn’t help the feeling that this little perfect world he’d been thrust into, wasn’t as perfect as he originally thought.
Dean sat on the couch staring at the TV when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned his head slightly and their stood Jo beer in hand. She held it out to him as she plopped down on the couch. He took note of the brand and half a smirk formed on his face.
“My favorite. I guess you know me pretty well.”
She gave him an odd look, but nodded.
“Afraid so. You all right?”
He glanced down at the beer.
“Sammy and I…we don’t really get along do we?”
“Well, you don’t really spend a lot of time together. I just think you don’t know each other all that well and he doesn’t know you’re not the same person you were when you two were younger. You’ve changed and for the record, he doesn’t know what he’s missing.”
Dean turned toward her a contemplative look on his face before it morphed into one of determination.
“I can fix things with Sam. I can make it up to him, to everyone.”
Jo frowned slightly.
“Okay…what’s gotten into you lately?”
“This isn’t gonna make a lick of sense to you, but I kind of feel like I’ve been given a second chance and I don’t wanna waste it.”
She laughed lightly as she scrunched her nose in a way that only Jo could.
“You’re right. That doesn’t make any sense…”
Dean moved in and captured her lips with his cutting off her sentence as he brought her body closer to his. Mouths melding together, tongues clashing. When he pulled back he mated their heads together, Jo’s warm breath on his lips.
“You know, I get it”
“Get what?”
“Why you’re the one.”
He leaned in pressing another kiss to her lips as he pulled her on top of him. Her legs straddled his as she wrapped her arms around his neck speaking in between kisses.
“Whatever’s gotten into you…I like it.”
His hands roamed the expanse of her back and slid up and under her shirt. Jo groaned and pulled back, her kiss swollen lips pouting slightly. Her voice was breathy as she stared down as his lust filled eyes.
“Oh, come on. Don’t do this to me now. I’ve gotta get ready for work.”
Work? Why was she leaving him in the middle of the night for work and oh crap that meant he’d be alone with the baby. Dean was momentarily freaking out as Jo lifted herself off his lap and started walking in the direction of their room.
He followed quick on her heels as he spoke in a somewhat high voice.
“You’ve gotta work now?”
She moved to the closet and nodded.
“Yeah, I told you. I’ve got the night shifts on Thursday.”
“Right...you work nights at the, uh…”
He noticed the light pink scrubs she pulled out of the closet and his breathing calmed briefly as he leaned against the doorframe.
“The hospital. I’m dating a nurse. That is so…respectable.”
She chuckled before pushing him out of the room and telling him to check on their daughter. A few hours later after checking on Elizabeth for the third time Dean was sitting on the couch watching TV by himself waiting for Jo to get back.
He was flipping through the channels until he settled on a local news station, leaning forward and frowning at the screen as he listened to the reporter.
“And today marks the anniversary of the crash of United Britannia Flight 424. Indianapolis residents held a candlelight vigil in memory of the 108 passengers who lost their lives.”
“No, no. I stopped that crash.”
Confusion settled in as he listened to the rest of the report and that’s when it hit him. This is how the Djinn did it. He had always secretly wished for his mother to be spared and now that she was his father had never become a hunter.
Their lives had never been touched by evil, which meant they’d never hunted and so the people they had saved were dead. He pushed himself off the couch and went over to the computer. He searched everything. Every case he could remember them going on.
Every hunt, every strange occurrence and all he came up with was one tragic headline after another. No one had ever stepped up and saved those people. Suddenly Dean saw a shadow and he stood quickly glancing around the empty room.
He saw movement heading towards the bedrooms and immediately his thoughts shifted to Elizabeth. He ran into her room, but nothing was there. He leaned over her crib and made sure she was tucked in before placing a soft kiss on her head.
He turned around and reeled back as he came face to face with the girl in white. This time though he could make out bruises and dirt on her face. He went to reach out to her, but she flicked after a minute and then vanished.
Dean took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and opened them a second later. He didn’t belong in this world no matter how much he wanted to. It was time to find the Djinn and get back home to his life…his family.
Chapter Nine
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