This is the sequel to last years Fic, Redemption formerly entitled the Reporter. If you have not read Redemption, please consider reading it first.
Life is Never Easy
Sequel to Redemption
Evangeline Winchester, Vangie, stood at the window as she watched the snowfall outside. The blanket of snowflakes would make a great starting point for her new painting about wolves. Lately she had received several orders for original works due to her success at local art shows. She was glad her career was one she could perform at home especially with the long Iowa winters. She also knew Alex would be excited when he saw the sight in the morning. She turned when she heard a sound behind her. Dean grinned as he came in with a bowl of ice cream in hand. She didn't know how he kept his muscular frame so lean when he loved to eat. Though she knew he and Sam worked out from time to time, she figured it had to be his metabolism.
"Midnight snack?" she teased him as he sat down on the bed with a smile and a mumbled sound of appreciation left his lips.
"So good," he said.
"Are you sharing that treat?" she asked as she took a spot beside him before she reached for the bowl.
"Sure."
That had finished the bowl and settled into bed when they heard a high-pitched scream.
Dean ran to Alex's room to soothe the little boy. It was the third night in a row he had experienced a bad dream.
"You are okay, buddy, Daddy's here," Dean said, as the little boy looked wide-eyed at him.
Dean pulled him into a hug before he picked the five-year old up to take to the master bedroom.
----
He deposited Alex on their bed before going to the kitchen to retrieve water for the little boy. Alex's slightly wavy hair had gone from dark when he was born to a medium brown. His eyes were the color of Vangie's that is various shades of green and gold. His lips were pure Dean with there heart shape. The freckles across his nose were received from both parents all together he was handsome kid. Vangie made room for Alex in the bed before she held him close to her. She sighed.
"You okay, Sweetie?" she asked as she ran her hand over his waves.
"Yes, Mommy. But you died and the baby lived."
"What?"
"In the dream, Mommy I don't want you to die."
"I don't want to die, I am here okay."
He nodded against his mother's chest. How did he know about the baby?
Dean came back in with the water for Alex; he gave it to him as he looked questioningly at Vangie. She told him the little that had been revealed about the dream.
"Well, Alex, dreams are not always what they seem. We have found that out over the years. We will have to figure out what this one means," Dean said as he ruffled the little boy's hair.
"Okay, Daddy, but can I stay the night in here with you?"
Dean sighed, "You can this one time, but you are a big boy and need to learn to stay in your own bed."
Vangie nodded, they didn't want Alex to make it a habit of staying with them when he needed to learn to be more independent.
Alex had begun to attend kindergarten that year and sometimes they wondered if they had kept him at home too long. It wasn't that he was anti social but he did have a hard time getting along with the other children because he was too bossy like Dean tended to be at times.
----
Early the next morning Sam came over with his two kids. Little Stewart who was almost three and the spitting image of his mother, Dawn, with her dark hair and green eyes. Five year old Torie, who was a blonde haired blue eyed beauty. Dawn had gone off to work despite the snow and her husband's advice. Sam grinned as he saw Dean with Alex outside in the back yard with a sled.
"Hey where you headed?" Sam asked as he walked over to them while the kids followed him like baby ducklings.
"Hey, I thought you might show up."
"Torie, Stew," Alex said with a grin as he ran to hug them both.
"Ali," Stewart said.
"Alex," Torie said properly with a big smile for her cousin and uncle.
Vangie watched from the back door, she hadn't told Dean about the new baby yet, though she figured he probably knew since they were so close. Her husband could read her like no one in her life. Until she met him, she had been close to Dawn, and her uncle Ned but they had little idea of her deepest feelings. She bit her lip as Alex and Dean fell off the sled before they began throwing snowballs at one another. Sam and the kids laughed at them before they entered the fray. Vangie found herself laughing too.
----
About an hour later Sam got a call from the hospital, Dawn had been in a fender bender and they wanted him to come up to get her. Her car had been towed to the auto shop. Sam left the kids with Vangie and Dean. Alex was ecstatic he loved when his cousins were around. He took them up his room to play once they had a snack with everyone.
----
Dean watched Vangie as she washed up the dishes. She wore a pair of khaki jeans and a sweater that fit her just right. He admired her butt before he got up from the table to embrace her from behind.
"When are we going to have our little new addition?" he asked in her ear.
She smiled as she turned to him with her wet hands.
"How long have you known?"
He shrugged, before he kissed her hard on the lips.
"I know you, I could tell. Besides the throwing up in the middle of night was a big clue," he smirked.
"I wasn't hiding it…..I just wasn't certain of how things would turn out," she said as she looked into the eyes of her beloved.
His hazel eyes shined with concern and love as he ran his hands over her lips.
"You thought you might lose it early on like before?"
She nodded. This wasn't the first baby since Alex she had been pregnant with in the last few years.
"I know, it's okay. I am sure its been hard on you. Getting pregnant and then miscarrying the last few times," he frowned.
"Looks like this one will be different or so it seems," she said with a small smile.
"I hope so."
"Me too," she said as she traced her fingers along his face.
She bit her lip, they had hoped the surgery that allowed her to have Alex would be a permanent fix but then they had put off getting pregnant for two years afterward so Alex could be their main focus. Now she wondered how wise that idea had been since their situation was like normal couples.
----
Dean understood though he hadn't exactly agreed on them waiting to begin with but it wasn't his body that had to go through all the changes. He had relented though at times he probably had not been the best husband when Vangie denied him his husbandly rights. The times had been rare and quickly forgotten but he felt he might have been to blame for their talk of divorce around the same time. He never would have wanted to be away from his wife but had only let his anger and raging hormones get the best of him.
Flashback-Three years ago
Vangie had been off and on the pill but hated they way they effected her body. She believed in natural cures which meant it took time them to get in her system. Dean had come back from a case with Sam and wanted to be close to her. He came in while she was in the shower with the thought of some quick sex but she had other ideas. She turned him down flat and his anger flared.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he yelled
"I just can't now you know that," she insisted as she pushed him out of the way on her way to dry off.
He pushed her against he wall and got in her face. She felt the pain shoot through her head and for a second she struggled to breath. She swallowed hard.
"You are my wife; I have a right to have sex with you."
Vangie's face turned to stone. Dean had never been violent with her and it frightened her. She took a deep breath as she tried to avoid the tears that threatened to fill her eyes.
"Move away from me," she said at his frown.
He had backed away before he apologized. He raked a hand through his hair. Vangie shook her head. She remembered the words he had said to her years before, if I ever hurt you need to leave and not look back.
----
"We need to get a divorce," she said with trembling lips as she put her gown on before sitting on the edge of the bed with her arms crossed over herself.
Dean snapped out of it. NOOOO. He was speechless. What had he done? Vangie couldn't leave him, but how could he hurt her? He kneeled down in front of her as she looked sadly at him while she rubbed the back of her head.
"I'm sorry. Please don't leave me. I know what I said before Vangie but I need you."
She looked in his eyes. She knew he was sorry, but fear gripped her heart. Aaron had apologized more than once when he had hurt her. Maybe they could take time apart. It always started that way, one small incident that would let to more that went from bad to worse. I have to think of Alex. He tried to pull her into his arms but she pulled away.
"I'm going to stay with Dawn for a couple of days and I need you to sleep on the sofa, okay," she said with tears in her eyes.
He nodded as he got up to leave the room.
----
Vangie called her cousin right away to tell her what had happened.
"Vangie, Dean isn't Aaron you know that. You should give him another chance but if you need time away you are welcome here of course."
"Yes, I need to do this, thank you," she said before she hung up.
After an hour of not sleeping Vangie went to the living room to find Dean in tears on the sofa. She had not seem him cry since Alex was born. Dean didn't cry, period. She felt her heart melt for him. Her brave ghost hunter. She knelt in front of the sofa and touched his back with tears in her own eyes.
"Sweetie."
He turned over to pull her close to him.
"I don't blame you for wanting to be away from me, but I do love you no matter what. I'm sorry that I hurt you. There is no excuse."
She looked in his eyes with the knowledge that he was nothing like Aaron, her late abusive husband.
----
"It was pure frustration from the case we worked on. Vangie I did the thing that I detest, I insist that you leave."
She wiped his tears with the back of her hand.
"I'm not going Dean but only because I know you have a good heart."
"No, I do not deserve another chance to hurt you."
"But I am staying; both Alex and I belong with you."
"Thank you."
They stayed on the sofa that night, Vangie wrapped safely in his arms. She was certain it was the right thing to do. Dean wasn't so sure. Why had he hurt the one woman who ever truly loved him?
----
Vangie found out the next day that the case they had been on was a domestic abuse case where Dean had to shoot the father, though he only wounded him. Sam knew Dean had been angry when he took him back home. He never knew how his brother would respond in frustration. They had walked in on the man beating his wife while the five-year old daughter watched and screamed. Sam believed Dean had snapped when he saw what had happened, he warned the man only once before he shot him. Sam had saved his comments until after they were on the way back. He should have know his brother was in a bad way.
Dean had endured a few weeks of counseling after the incident because he never wanted it to happen again. He loved his family, especially his wife, too much to hurt them in anyway. Though he decided if he could not control himself then he would leave willingly.
End Flashback
----
The phone rang just after they began to kiss again. Vangie smiled as she reached to answer it.
"Hello?" she said as Dean kissed her neck.
She giggled aloud before she realized it.
"Hello?' Sam said.
"Sorry. Um how is Dawn?" Vangie asked.
"Oh, she is fine, just a bit bruised. We will be by to get the kids shortly."
"No problem," Vangie said as she covered her mouth before another giggle escaped.
Dean smiled before he went up to tell Alex the bad news. He knew how much his son enjoyed company.
----
When he got to the room, he saw the boys gathered around Torie as she read to them. He stood there for a moment just daydreaming about how nice it would be for Alex to have a sibling of his own. He didn't realize they were talking to him until Stew tugged on his pant leg.
"Uncle Dean."
"Hey buddy, um your dad called and they will be here shortly. Your mother is fine."
All three kids frowned at him. He smiled.
"How about I find out if you two can stay over?"
They laughed as they grinned at him.
"Please."
"Please."
"Please," Alex chimed in.
Dean disappeared back down the stairs to tell Vangie what he planned to do. She agreed it was a good idea.
----
Sam and Dawn took to the idea readily, Dean laughed when he hung up the phone. He wondered if his brother had not had the same thought in mind when he left his kids to begin with. The kids were excited to stay over night with Cousin Alex who beamed to show his happiness to his dad.
"Thank you," he said to Dean before he left the room.
"No problem, you kids be good up here. You can play a while longer than we will have lunch."
Sam frowned as he helped Dawn into the truck.
"I know you told me so," she said with a smile at her husband.
"No, its not like that. I just hoped you would be careful."
Dawn bit her lip, it wasn't that she had to go in she just had not expected Sam's prediction to come true.
"So the kids are at you brother's?"
"Yep, til tomorrow, why?"
"Just wondered, so we get some time alone?"
Sam smiled.
"Yes, some private time though it would be nicer if you weren't hurt."
"I am not bruised enough for you to worry about that," she said with a grin.
Sam laughed.
"I guess not," he said as he backed out of the spot.
----
Later, when the kids where tucked in to their rooms Dean snuggled up with Vangie.
"So we are waiting to tell anyone about the baby?" he asked.
"Yes, I think that is the best plan if you don't mind."
"Alex's dream frightened you didn't it?"
"No, it just surprised me. I think he may be having visions, don't you?"
"Yes, I believe he is."
Vangie nodded before she turned around to lean on Dean's chest. She asked if he thought when they were first married if he believed it would last so long.
"I hoped that we could get through anything together even though I knew I was a jerk. Sometimes I felt sorry for you."
She ran her fingers through his hair before she smiled up at him.
"You were never a jerk. Sometimes you are distant but I didn't take it personal. At first I did not know if I would ever be able to open up to you about my past despite how much I love you. But then we began to grow more intimate and that made me comfortable with sharing."
Dean pulled her head down to his to kiss her longingly on the lips. She responded with eagerness before there was a knock on the door. Vangie smiled as she turned over.
"Yes?"
It was Torie in Alex's tee shirt.
"What's up?" Dean asked as he leaned against the headboard.
"I can't find Stewart," she said with fear in her eyes.
TBC