All Good People
Chapter One- The Beginning
Disclaimer- I only own Ali, Veronica and their parents and all other knew characters and none of the Winchesters, other hunters featured in the series, heard of demons, spirits etc
Author's Note- Hey! Another fic from me but meh lol okay so what if the Winchester's had family friends in town? What if one of them was babysitting them? What if they ended up living with a pretty average family? Would they still be the same and what revelations changed their lives? Everything that isn't in this chapter about their upbringing will be explained in flashback kay? Enjoy!
Chapter Song- Mary's Song by Taylor Swift
Ali Hadley completed the short walk over to the Winchesters by stepping quickly up the short set of stairs leading up to their porch. She was freezing, sure she only lived two blocks away but jeez the wind was bitter, it practically ripped off the thin layer of skin on her nose, luckily she was wrapped up in a scarf, hat, thick coat and woolly gloves. Even with her thick winter coat on it still hit her like a block of ice, it was meant to be mild weather too! But that was according to the weather station upstate.
Ha, the weather man never gets it right, she thought to herself as she pulled out a gloved hand and quickly knocked on the front door.
It was one of the usual two storey houses you could find anywhere in Lawrence but over the past few months, it hadn't felt like…normal. She didn't know what it was, the family inside was perfectly normal. Well, normal as in John would disappear for 'work purposes' every so often but Mary she was such a good Mom, Dean now…he was pure difficult half the time he just wanted to play games and run around all the time and Sammy, baby Sammy, oh he was so cute!
Ali only babysat for them on Fridays and Saturdays when they went out for a meal or to visit family, whatever family they had. The last thing she had heard of Mary's parents was their death and that was years ago. She supposed that maybe they visited friends and stuff.
Through the glass of the door she saw a large man shaped figure approaching the door and the door opened revealing a dressed up John Winchester if there ever was one, the dark jacket and jeans suited him perfectly and his face was clean and had only just been shaved which was rare for him, "Alison"
She scowled at the man, her young eyes showing just how much she hated her name.
"Sorry, Ali" He corrected himself, he was roughly six foot two and towered above her seemingly tiny five foot five, "you forget things like that when you have as many things in my head as I do"
"Its okay" she smiled, her chapped lips beginning to crack, she heard a noise coming from the kitchen beyond the hall and looked over his shoulder. On the base of the stairs she could have sworn seeing a shadow out of the corner of her eye, things like that scared the hell out of her but only because she didn't know what they were.
John moved out of the way so she could get in the house, "Thanks for this, bit short notice but it's our anniversary"
She laughed quietly as she entered the house and started taking off her outer layers, "Its fine, not as if they're much trouble anyway"
A small blonde haired figure appeared in the light emitting from the living room doorway and grinned at her obviously pleased she was there. He was always happy to see someone he knew.
"Well…" she added, "when he's asleep he's not"
The boy's expression soured and he folded his arms over his blue pyjamas, his jade green eyes portrayed just how happy he was though. Even though Ali was nearly ten years older she had a little sister the same age and the pout made her heart slowly melt.
His concentration was broken when the voice of his mom cut through the air, "Dean," she appeared next to him lowering herself to his level, "you be good now okay? And look after your brother"
"Okay" he said and she kissed him on the forehead, he quickly wiped the kiss away as all young boys do.
"Sammy's sleeping in the travel cot in the living room and Dean's bed time is the usual Ali" she told her, the older woman had always felt like that aunt she never actually had.
Ali nodded knowing he was to be in bed for half past eight and she'd take Sammy up at the same time, "Sure thing Mrs Winchester, have a nice time"
Mary smiled at the thirteen year old before leaving the house with her husband in the black Chevy Impala that was seriously too cool.
After they left she looked at her watch, "hmm, only seven o'clock…what do you want to do?"
Dean's eyes widened, "Cartoons!" he shouted energetically.
"Shhhh" she put her finger to her lips, "quiet or it'll be an early bedtime"
He copied her placing his finger over his lips before stalking into the living room and sitting on the sofa without making a noise. She followed him in and quickly checked on Sammy, the six month old baby was sleeping peacefully in the travel cot completely unaware that she was staring at him. Actually Sammy was exactly six months old today.
"Happy half birthday kid" she whispered before turning her attention back to the older brother who grinned at her.
After that they watched a complete hour of cartoons, The Flintstones, The Jepson's, Scooby Doo, you name it, they watched it. At eight Dean looked at her pleadingly while his stomach growled.
"Cereal?" she whispered as they sat in the dark and Yabba Daba do crackled over the TV.
He nodded before jumping off the sofa and running into the kitchen, when she caught up with him and turned on the light he was already in the cupboard getting his favourite cereal box out.
He climbed up on to the kitchen side by using one of the stools, Ali got him the bowl and the milk and the spoon. She was surprised by how independent he was and he was only four! She had only took Mr Winchester half seriously when he heard him telling her Mom about how he was teaching to do things himself, next it was going to be defending himself he'd joked.
He managed to get the cereal in the bowl and the milk but when he climbed off the stool he knocked the cereal box off the side scattering the contents all over the kitchen floor.
Dean looked up at her expecting her to shout or something but she merely said, "Look behind you next time, now help me clean this up"
She got down on all fours and collected the cereal in her hands with him copying her, he always did as he was told unlike most kids his age, "so what did you do at school?"
He didn't say much about school, "just stuff, did some colouring, then I went to the park with Dad and he taught me how to…" his voice had started to get louder then he went quiet all together.
Ali looked up at him concerned, "you okay?"
Before he could answer something smashed upstairs shocking both of them and waking Sammy up, his crying reached them almost instantly. She looked around for a weapon or something and found it in the form of a baseball bat on the floor nearby.
"Dean, go in the living room and look after your brother okay? Stop him crying while I go upstairs, if I'm not back in ten minutes go over to Mrs Hurtz's house and call the police okay?" she told him what to do in a whisper, she saw him nod and escorted him into the living room, he picked Sammy up and calmed him down quickly.
She took a deep breath before proceeding up the stairs, the baseball bat tight in her hand, it was dark up there but turning the light on would tell them she was there and make her vulnerable.
Okay, so now I thank John for teaching me basic defence and attack…
She reached the top of the stairs, took another breath and entered the first room which was the nursery, it was empty, nothing broken.
The next room along was the master bedroom, same deal there. Everything in perfect condition she checked the closets and behind the doors.
Then it was Dean's room, it was a mess but nothing out of the ordinary in there. He had a habit for just leaving things where they were unless he was told to move them.
Finally it was the bathroom, the light was on and the door was nearly closed so only a small shaft of light escaped into the hallway. She raised the bat above her head and used her left hand to slowly push the door open, she looked around and there was nothing there. She walked into the room and stood on something that crunched underfoot, after looking down she saw a mirror shattered into over a million pieces on the cold floor. Ali stared at them for a while watching her own fractured reflection, her almond coloured eyes staring back up at her, her pale skin and thick blonde hair framing her oval face.
She sighed and shouted down to the boys that everything was fine, Sammy had stopped crying long ago and Ali suspected he's gone back to sleep, Dean on the other hand appeared at the door to watch her clean up.
"What was it?" he quizzed her.
"A mirror" she said quietly.
"But…how did it fall?" he wondered.
"By accident" she replied
"But nothing happens by accident" he sounds too cynical for a four year old.
She sighed, "Sometimes it does", she looked at her watch, "anyway its half eight, go get ready for bed"
Dean's face furrowed and left to go into his room, Ali finished up in the bathroom before going down stairs and getting Sammy out of the travel cot. He was getting heavier by the day it seemed, he was wrapped up in a blanket and she took him upstairs. When she was about to place him in the cot he stretched and yawned making Ali smile at just how cute he was.
She'd put him in the cot in the nursery and checked on Dean again, "you brushed your teeth?"
"Yes" he said while he was sat up in bed.
She nodded, "what about the toilet? You gone?"
"Yes" he said again.
"Right then, I'll be down stairs till your parents get back okay? Now go to sleep" Ali tucked him in and turned the soft nightlight on before going downstairs and watching some television.
For the next two hours Ali was sat in the living room watching the TV on quiet while flicking through the channels. She heard a few noises upstairs but just assumed that it was Dean messing around in his room, maybe he decided to change the nightlight colours or something. But she wasn't bothered, kids won't sleep until everything is fine and they'll do anything to get it that way. No point in shouting at them for it.
At half past ten, Mr and Mrs Winchester arrived back at their home. Ali was waiting for them with a full report of what had happened. They weren't drunk but they were very happy when they came through the door.
She smiled at them, "you have a good time?"
Mrs Winchester laughed, "Yes! I never realised how romantic my husband was"
Mr Winchester looked down at the floor for while slightly embarrassed at his wife's compliment, "anyway Ali I'll give you a lift back home"
"Thanks but some stuff happened tonight" she told them, "Nothing bad just I thought I should tell you"
"Oh well go ahead" Mr Winchester said as he walked in to the kitchen and got some coffee, Ali followed him.
Mrs Winchester called after them, "thank you Ali and John I'm going to get changed and check on the boys!"
"Okay honey" he shouted back as she walked upstairs, "what happened?"
He had looked around and noticed that the baseball bat was missing from its spot near the back door.
"Well, first Dean got his own cereal out but he knocked the box off the counter so most of it was on the floor, that's why there's only a little bit left and" she paused for an intake of breath, "a mirror got smashed upstairs"
"What?" he seemed confused over the mirror part of the explanation.
"Me and Dean was clearing up the cereal then the mirror in the bathroom smashed, I told Dean to go into the living room with Sammy and look after him, I checked the house and took the baseball bat with me" she then shrugged, "no one did it, it was an accident by the looks of it"
"Trust me kid, nothing happens by accident" Mr Winchester told her knowingly while stirring his coffee.
Ali looked at him perplexed wondering how much Dean was getting off of his dad.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing, just Dean said the same thing that's all" she looked away.
He looked as though he was going to reply but a harsh terrifying scream filled the air, "Mary!" he screeched and ran up the stairs.
Ali ran after him wondering what the hell could have happened, had Dean tripped and fallen over and there was blood? Was Sammy still in his cot? Was Sammy breathing?!
This thought shocked her into running down the corridor even quicker when she reached the nursery she saw Mr Winchester stood at the door way looking at the ceiling, Dean was stood at the door to his own room looking at both of them. Suddenly a fire appeared in the nursery and engulfed everywhere, Mr Winchester rushed in a grabbed Sammy from the cot before handing him to Dean, "take him outside Dean, follow Ali and don't come back in okay"
The boy nodded and the man kissed both his children on the forehead while the fire grew stronger.
He shouted to Ali, "Phone the fire department and ambulance!"
She nodded as the two youngster came towards her, "is she okay?!"
He didn't reply and she turned hurrying Dean down the stairs and outside, luckily the door was unlocked. They stood outside on the road looking out over the house and the street. One of the neighbours opened their doors to stare and Ali shouted at them to phone the ambulance and fire department. It was Mrs Hurtz and she also took the liberty of phoning her parents who arrived at the same time as the emergency services. Mr Winchester still hadn't come out and Ali clutched on to Dean's shoulders, he was still holding Sammy and he started to shiver. Whether it was what had happened or cause it was cold she couldn't tell but she took off her hoodie and wrapped it around the younger children.
Her dad ran over to her while her mom got Veronica out of the car and carried her over in her arms, he was dressed in pyjamas and a dressing gown with slippers, he hadn't had time to get dressed, his still thick bright blonde hair and blue-grey eyes made him stick out, "what happened?"
"I don't know, a fire..." she was dumbstruck as the fire fighters entered the house, "in the nursery"
When her mom came over she looked at the three children and took them all in a tight embrace with her own sleepy four year in her arms, "oh god, Harry get them in the car and turn the heating up!"
Her Mom had kind amber eyes and dark brown hair that matched her paler skin, she was thin with subtle curves hidden under her dressing gown and nighty.
The three of them were then in the small Volvo, Dean had refused to give up Sammy until his dad walked out of the house. Veronica was now fully awake in the front seat while Ali was also in the back. Veronica turned around to Dean and gave him a small token. It was one of those game cards with cars on them, it was a Chevy impala. He accepted it and put it in his pocket before looking back at the house. Veronica was the same age as Dean but they went to different schools, she had the same sparkling blue grey eyes of her father yet the dark hair colour of her mother. She was also wrapped up in a blanket and pyjamas.
After a few more nail biting moments John Winchester walked out of the house very much alive and everyone sighed in relief. The paramedics tried to give him a once over but he wouldn't have it, instead he walked right up to the car and opened the door where Dean and Sam were. He hugged them tightly and the smell of ash and fire and something else, something musky drifted through the car. All the children would remember that smell for the rest of their lives, it was as if it tied them together forever.
Ali's parent s appeared and spoke to him, "I'm so sorry john" her mother said sympathetically, "You can stay with us for as long as possible" her dad told him being the true and possibly only family friend of the Winchesters in Lawrence.
Mr Winchester replied simply, "look after my boys...I...I'll be sticking around for a few days for the funeral then I'm going on a road trip bit I'll come back every few months"
Then he turned to his sons while Ali and Veronica looked on in curiosity and horror, "boys, you..." he struggled with the words as tears rolled down his face, "you Mom's...she's...she's dead"
Dean started crying but his father looked him in the eyes, "you're gonna have to do me a big favour okay? You're gonna have to look after Sammy and you also need to do what Mr and Mrs Hadley say okay?"
The boy nodded as tears swelled in his eyes, "why you're going Dad?"
"I'll explain everything one day, just look after your brother for me and your Mom" John Winchester told him.
That one day didnt come for ten years...