Summary: AU. Arranged marriages aren't really about whether the couple actually love each other, and in this case, they don't...to begin with. They're twenty-five years apart, but as time goes on, they actually begin to fall in love with each other. Please R&R!

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or its characters. I only own Allie Matthews.

Better With Time

-Chapter Four: Monday-

Crowley grabbed his car keys and spun Allie around as she stuck a slice of toast in her mouth, kissing her cheek and then her forehead. It was Monday, and he was running late while she was getting ready to leave for school.

"See you later, darling." He said softly, Allie grabbing his wrist and removing the toast from her mouth.

"What time?" She asked, Crowley thinking quickly.

"I reckon about five-thirty." He said with a smile, "Bye, sweetheart. Have a good day at school."

Oh, God. It sounded so weird to be saying that to his wife, but she was still in school. She had three months left and then she'd finished for good, and she'd be a housewife in this enormous place.

"You have a good day at work, okay?" Allie replied with a gentle smile, leaning forward and kissing Crowley's cheek, stroking it gently with her thumb only for the two to stop and share an embrace.

It was tender and it was intimate, but it was cut short when Crowley looked at the clock.

"See you tonight." He said softly, stroking her cheek just once before heading out of the door.

Allie sighed and shook her head, washing the dishes before taking her wedding ring off and placing it safely in the jewelry box on her bedside table. She couldn't wear it for school; the two of them had talked about that and how it would raise questions and other stuff that, as Allie had admitted, she wouldn't be able to handle. She sighed and made the bed up, putting her things in her bag before grabbing her own keys and heading for the door. She locked the house up and went to the car, heading for school.

"So, I was thinking we could hang out later, y'know..." Becky Rosen said happily, "It'd be nice."

"Right..." Chuck Shurley replied nervously, Allie chuckling at the sight of the new couple trying to flirt with each other before sighing and thinking about Crowley.

"You okay, kiddo?" Dean Winchester asked, his girlfriend Jo Harvelle tucked into his side as always.

"M'fine." Allie replied, "Just tired."

"Y'sure?" Jo asked, Allie smiling weakly and nodding in response.

In all honesty, she wanted to be curled up with Crowley watching TV or in bed...naked...Stop thinking! Stop thinking, now!

"Okay, who'd you screw?" Dean asked, sitting by Allie who gasped and chuckled.

"I didn't!" She protested, "I just had a real nice weekend with my parents, that's all...just really, really nice."

Dean and Jo raised eyebrows, knowing that something really wasn't right with Allie. She seemed distant and too happy. Perhaps she did have a boyfriend but didn't want to talk about him yet, which Team Free Will could deal with. The Novak twins were busy with their girlfriends Amelia and Anna, both boys trying to convince the girls to stay over at their house. Allie had to laugh and she leaned against the tree she stood by, her smile fading when she saw the Masters siblings approaching. Only this family would be a set of quads. Four demons to deal with. Alistair came first, then Lilith, then Ruby and then Meg, all of them born a few minutes apart each.

"Oh no..." She breathed, the others turning while the boys pulled their girls closer, Dean pulling Allie close out of instinct.

"What do you want, Alistair?" Dean asked, watching the ways the siblings grinned at Allie.

"Hi, Allie!" Lilith said with a creepy smile, "How was your weekend?"

"Fine." Allie replied, not saying a word.

"Oh..." Meg breathed, "Well, we're having a party this weekend. Just thought we'd let you guys know that you're not welcome."

"Well, we wouldn't wanna go to your party." Jimmy spat, "Might catch something."

"What are you saying, Novak?" Alistair asked, voice slithery and sickening to everyone.

"What I'm saying is..." Jimmy began, getting into Alistair's personal space, "We wouldn't go to a party of yours in a million years, Masters. You gotta remember that we don't wanna be around scum like you."

"Jimmy..." Amelia breathed, pulling her boyfriend back.

Alistair went for Jimmy only to be stopped by Allie.

"You keep your hands off of him." She spat, pushing Alistair back who grabbed her by the hair and pulled her close to his body.

"You need putting in your place, sweetheart." He growled, reaching for his belt.

"Alistair!" Ruby cried, grabbing her brother and pulling him away, "Calm down."

"Screw you freaks!" Lilith snapped, "If I were you guys, I'd watch yourselves."

She dragged her siblings away and Allie let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding in and she covered her mouth as they walked away turning to look at the others.

"Was he gonna...?" She began, "Was he gonna whip me then or rape me?"

Dean just took her arm and pulled her close letting her hug him for a minute so she could calm herself. For the rest of her day she fought back tears, hearing girls bitching about her and getting threatening looks from the Masters siblings. She skipped her final class by faking illness just so she could go home without being followed by any of the Masters siblings. If they knew where she lived, they'd discover the marriage and she didn't need that. Not with just three months left of school.

The phone rang just as Allie was tasting the bolognese sauce, making her jump and burn her mouth.

"Ah! Son of a..."

She went to answer the phone, smiling at the sound of Crowley's voice.

"Hey..." She said sweetly, balancing the phone on her shoulder and holding it there with her chin as she returned to the spaghetti and the sauce.

"You alright, darling?" Crowley asked, Allie able to imagine his smile as she stirred their dinner.

"Fine, I'm fine, are you?" She lied, going and getting some plates out of the cabinet and placing them on the counter.

"I'm alright." Crowley sighed, "Apart from the load of paperwork I just got. I won't be home until seven-thirty judging by how much I've got here."

"You're kidding..." Allie breathed, Crowley sighing again, "Dinner's almost ready...I made spaghetti bolognese for the first time and it actually tastes good..."

"Sorry, Allie." He said softly, "You have your share and I'll grab something when I come in, okay?"

"Alright." Allie replied, "See you later, Crowley."

"Bye, sweetheart."

They hung up and Allie bit her lip. She'd had a rough day as it was and now her husband was going to be tired when he came home, and she'd just stood for two hours making this dinner and half of it would be wasted. She was so tired and fed up she just started to cry. She didn't know what else to do. She just turned off the stove and emptied the whole lot into the trash. She couldn't eat it now. She was too upset. She didn't even know why she was so upset but she just sat at the kitchen table and burst into tears, resting her head in her crossed arms and sobbing against the wood of the table.

She registered the door opening and closing and she heard her husband calling her but she couldn't move herself. She just couldn't. She heard him sound a little more panicky but then she heard him coming upstairs and she just sighed, burying her face further into the pillows. The bedroom door opened and Crowley found Allie laying in bed, tissues in her hand while she was curled up in on herself.

"Allie?"

"Hey, sweetheart." Allie breathed, wiping her eyes and sighing again.

"What's wrong?" Crowley asked, sitting on the bed beside her and stroking her hair gently as she sat up, "What's happened?"

"Nothing..." Allie replied, "Just had...I've had a bad day...I know you have too."

Crowley took her hand and kissed her forehead.

"Why was it a bad day?"

"Just...the usual high school bitches and...bastards and..." Allie sighed and shook her head, "Then the dinner, and I know it wasn't your fault, Crowley, I know...but...the first time I cook a meal from scratch that hasn't come out of a carton and...that I do well...my husband doesn't get to try what I made...I just feel so sad..."

She shook her head and tears filled her eyes, sliding down her cheeks in hot droplets which just pained Crowley to see. He looked at his wife and sighed, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into an embrace.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered, "Sorry, Crowley."

"Shhh..." He soothed, kissing her lips, "It's okay."

He held her there until she exhausted herself from crying and he lay her in bed, kissing her head and turning the lights out before leaving her to sleep. He sat with a whiskey that night wondering if what she was going through in high school now was similar to what kids had to deal with when he was her age. God, it felt like a million years ago and he realised just how far apart they were.

Crowley sat with a whiskey that night, thinking about Allie and how upset she'd been earlier. He'd had a bad day, but not like that. A bad day for him was having to stay behind for another couple of hours. He couldn't settle, not knowing she was upset and alone in bed. So it meant going to bed at eight-thirty. It was okay, he could have his thinking time and whiskey upstairs just as long as he was there to keep an eye on Allie.

But when he got in the bedroom and climbed into bed, he felt a gentle hand hold his own, looking to see Allie with her eyes open, the tears long gone. He smiled and kissed her lips, laying down beside her and welcoming her into his arms, her head resting on his chest.

"Thanks for being here for me." She whispered, kissing his cheek.

"I'll always be here, Allie." He replied, "As a husband should be."

They shared a gentle kiss and they settled, Crowley cradling Allie close as she slowly fell asleep again in his arms.

-TBC-

Awww! A little bit of awkwardness and humour in the next chapter.

Hope you enjoyed!

Thanks for reading so far!

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