Alex's POV
"Ben." My eyelids flutter open as I hear the continued whispered name.
"Ben." I sigh as the soft mattress underneath me shifts when someone leans against it. I peek at the clock then sigh again.
"What are you doing here at eight in the morning?" Dean glances at me, his jaw clenching when he sees the probably dark bruise on my face.
"Ben has a doctor's appointment today." I wince when I feel the nasty slime stuff covering the back of my throat.
"When?" He glances at the clock.
"An hour." I groan and drop my head back to the pillow.
"Can I go with?" I don't have school today anyways and I haven't actually hung out with Dean in over a few weeks.
"If you want. We're just going to be sitting there for an hour." I nod and sit up fully now, stretching my hands behind my back.
"I'll get him up." Dean nods and goes back to his room to get dressed. I sit on the bed for a few more minutes before going up to the antique dresser and pulling my black leggings and white T-shirt out. I quickly get dressed then go over to Ben.
"Ben." He doesn't even stir. I gently blow on his face.
"No!" He's up immediately. I lean back, looking at his bed head amused.
"Let's go." He stares at me blearily before holding both of his hands up at me, the universal toddler signal for wanting to be picked up. I pick him up and stick him on my hip. I crinkle my nose when I smell the familiar scent of toddler poop. I walk quietly out the door and knock on Dean's. It opens a few seconds later.
"Your toddler crapped himself." Dean scours at me as I hand him Ben then quickly make my exit downstairs. When I'm down there I pause as I see everyone up already. Most of them scouring notes while others are looking over books and maps. What the hell?
"Alex! Hey." Sam's greeting sounds like it's more of a warning for the others. Oh, god. Here it is. This is when they finally kill me then cook me and eat me.
"Are you going to kill me?" Jo snorts while Sam looks disgusted.
"No! God, why would you think that?" First of all, you guys are always hiding stuff when I walk downstairs. Second of all, you all have a shit ton of weapons.
"Uh, sorry. Just saw some scary movies in my time." Sam rolls his eyes.
"Where you going?" He asks after a few seconds of us awkwardly standing in the living room, acting like I didn't just see what they were doing.
"Um, with Dean to Ben's doctor's appointment. I'll probably see if Dean can take me to my college too. I need to fill out some papers." They all nod. I stand around for another second and right as I'm about to leave, Sam puts the book down and walks over to me. I step back slightly but stop when Sam opens his arm and I'm enveloped in a bear hug.
"I missed you." I blush. I've never blushed. Even when my mom walked in on me and my old boyfriend having sex. I don't think I've ever blushed. Except now. I don't like it.
"I, um, missed you too." My voice cracks in the middle. Nobody questions it.
"So how are you? You're okay, right?" He pulls back and looks at me, concerned.
"I-I'm good. Been doing a lot. College is wrapping up." Sam nods, smiling. I look away when he stares at the bruise on my face though.
"That's good." I nod and breathe a sigh of relief when I hear Dean and Ben walking down the stairs.
"Let's go. We're going to be late." I grab my coat from the couch and put it on before turning back to Sam.
"I'll see you later?" He nods. I ignore Mary and Jo staring at me pointedly as I leave.
-000-
We were twenty minutes early to the appointment. The doctor's was an hour away but with Dean's driving it was only about forty. Ben slept most of the time while Dean and I talked about Led Zepplin and modern day rock. The appointment went by pretty fast. Ben had a few shots but he was strong about it, didn't even cry. Dean and I entertained Ben with the utensils in the room. Mostly, we stuck the throat swabs up our noses and made funny faces at him.
I made sure to grab a handful of each medical thing I saw in there, sticking it in my pockets and Dean's pockets.
Now, we're sitting in the car. In the doctor's parking lot. Thirty minutes after the appointment. Still here.
"How about McDonalds?" Ben and I both make a face at Dean.
"No. We have plenty of those in Sioux Falls. Just drive! We can find something on the way." Dean's hunched form stares at me for a second before he nods and sits up. I sigh in relief when he puts it in drive. We drive for a few minutes until I look wide-eyed at a billboard in front of the school.
"Carnival! Dean! Look, carnival! Now, here!" I bounce excitedly in my seat as I point to the sign. He looks towards the sign and chuckles slightly before nodding.
"Alright."
"YES!" Dean winces at my loud yell.
-000-
I take Ben's right hand as Dean takes his left. Ben glances at each of our green wristbands for unlimited rides and games. They were fifty each, but Hell, what's money for anyways?
"Thirsty." Dean groans at Ben's statement. I simply point at the lemonade stand a few feet away. Dean nods and starts taking us over. He asks the middle aged man working the stand for one lemonade and one soda. It's ten dollars. I smile back at the man as he smiles at me and just as we go to walk away, we all freeze at what he says.
"You guys make a cute couple. And family." I choke on the soda, laughing, as Dean stares at the man in shock. He doesn't move. I roll my eyes and pull him along.
"She's my damn sister!" I snort as he screams at the worker.
"Let it go, dude. Let's go ride some rides."
-000-
We ride the rides for a few hours, Ben enjoying each one, until the sun was setting and all the lights of the carnival came on. I gaped at it but Dean just rolled his eyes at me and pulled us along to the games. We all played a few rounds of skee ball and the dart game until Ben pulled us over to the pirate ship made for kids. We stayed on the bench as he sprinted in the ship.
"So, you and Sam?" I groan.
"What about it?" He wiggles his eyebrows playfully, his eyes shining with amusement. Instead on answering he proceeds to mumble the lyrics to 'Sex on Fire' by Kings of Leon.
"Are you suggesting Sam and I have fiery sex while everyone is listening?" Dean coughs at my outright question.
"If that's what it takes for the sex eyes to end. It's annoying. You even do it when you're on the phone with him." I shrug. I know I do.
"He's showed no interest. I've just got to get over it." I can practically feel him roll his eyes.
"Are you kidding me? All he talks about when I'm on the phone is 'Alex this,' 'Alex that,' 'What's Alex doing?'" I snort.
"No, I'm serious. You guys love each other but don't want to admit it." I look away, smiling at Ben as he waves at us.
"I admitted it. Just not to him." Dean nods his head and looks at me quizzically.
"I mean, it's whatever. Stay in your undercover love club. But I know for a fact that this isn't something you can 'get over'. It's love. Pure and simple." We let the conversation die then. We leave the kids section a few minutes later. An exhausted Ben sleeping in Dean's arms as we walk down the street.
"We've been here for like ten hours and I've got enough stuffed animals to last Ben a lifetime." Dean smiles at me.
"You wanna start heading home? It'll be like ten once we get there." I nod and start following Dean back to the exit of this madness.
"So, thanks for this, Dean. It was a great first time carnival." Dean jerks his head over at me in shock.
"First time?" I nod.
"Yeah. Never been. Not I know what all the hype is about." Dean shakes his head and puts Ben in his car seat as we reach the impala. I get in the passenger side as Dean gets in the driver's side.
"I haven't done a lot. Parents didn't really give a shit." I'm thankful Ben's asleep since I just cursed in front of him.
"Well. Good thing mom's your mom now. We can go do this stuff whenever." I couldn't be happier that Dean just said that. We drive for a good thirty minutes before I feel my eyelids droop. Before I know it I'm dozing off on Dean's shoulder.
-000- Slight spoilers for Charlie St. Cloud
Sam's POV
When Alex gets back, we sit up talking for a while. Mostly about her college and what she does daily, I tell her about my days too. At around two in the morning we go to the couch and turn on a movie. We agree on 'Charlie St. Cloud'. I hold her as she cries when the little boy dies. We watch half the movie in mostly silence. I unconsciously find myself tapping a rhythm on Alex's thigh.
Right as Charlie meets the paramedic who saved him again, Alex turns towards me.
"How long are you staying?"
"Until like the middle of January." I see her smile
"Cool." It's silent for another few minutes until we hear Ben crying upstairs and a door opening. We look over as a groggy looking Dean comes down the stairs, a crying Ben in his hands. He pauses when he sees Alex and I. Maybe because she's completely cuddled up on my side, but who knows.
"Auntie!" Dean sends Alex a look, one that I don't know. And that makes me uncomfortable.
"I was just making him a bottle." Alex clears her throat and shakes her head.
"I'll take him. We're just watching a movie." I notice Alex nod her head slightly at Dean. What am I missing? Dean nods slightly then hands Ben over to Alex over the couch.
"Oh. You sure?" Alex nods. Dean nods, his hand patting her shoulder affectionately, before he clmabers back up the stairs.
"I had a nightmare." Alex turns her attention towards Ben now.
"You did?" Ben nods. "Well gosh darnet. Want to tell me what they're about?" Ben glances at me so I turn away, acting like I'm not listening.
"Demons." I inhale sharply. Alex hesitates.
"Want me to go beat them up? Douse 'em in holy water and call it a day, right?" Ben giggles so Alex continues. "Seriously. I know self-defense, I can burst into their hood and just beat 'em up. They won't even see what happened. They'll just be like 'what the hecky happened?'' Ben laughs again before a yawn contains it.
"You sleepy?" I look back now so I see Ben nod.
"So am I." I know Alex isn't but she would do anything for Ben and sleeping is one of them.
"We can have a sleep over down here. Want to do that?" Ben brightens and nods. Alex nods back and moves out of my grasp, turning to go up the stairs.
"I'll go get the pillows and blankets. Stay here." Ben nods and crawls over to me.
"Hi!" I smile at him.
"Hi, buddy." He snuggles into me and looks up at me.
"Do you like Alex?" I draw my brows together in confusion.
"Course I do. Why would you even ask?" He looks at me like I'm stupid.
"Do you loves her?" My breath catches. I'm saved by Alex though as she comes bustling down the stairs with two comforters and a mass amount of pillows.
"I'll set it up." I offer just to not answer Ben's question. Alex smiles and hands me the pillows as she picks Ben up and goes into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, we're all laid on the ground. A blanket under us and one on top of us, each have two pillows. We all watch the beginning of the animated movie Alex set up before we lay down until Ben falls asleep. Alex looks over her shoulder at me, her being in the middle while I'm next to her, and smiles.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight." As Alex puts her arm around Ben and falls asleep cuddled up between the two of us, I have an answer to Ben's question.
I'm in love with my best friend.
-000-
Alex's POV
Dean wakes me up the next morning.
"C'mon. We gotta go to your college." The papers. I completely forgot. Dean shakes me again.
"Alright, alright. Damn." I look around on the makeshift bed and notice Ben and Sam are still sleeping.
"We're leaving in ten." I nod and carefully dislodge myself from the two before making my way upstairs. I dress in my usual black leggings and white T-shirt and work boots before going back downstairs.
"You ready?" I nod and grab the bagel Dean hands me before following him outside into the Impala.
"So. A movie?" Dean looks over at me a few minutes after we leave the house.
"Yup. A movie." Would else would Sam and I be doing?
"So, you weren't confessing your love to him?" I chuckle slightly before looking out at the rising sun.
"Nope. Just watching a classic movie." Dean laughs now.
"A classic movie?" I nod. "Are you freaking kidding me? Zac Efron is in that movie." I grin over at him. He looks over at me when I don't answer then takes a double glance.
"What?"
"You know Zac Efron is in that movie?" He looks away.
"Dean knows Zac Efron." I say in a sing-song tone. He glares at me before turning onto the highway leading to my college.
"I bet you're in love with him. I bet you watched High School Musical and thought 'I wish I was in his big strong arms', I be-" I snicker as Dean whacks my shoulder.
"That's enough. I'm not gay. Or Bi or whatever you kids call it." I look at him with disbelief.
"Dean, I'm 21. We're in the same generation." Dean rolls his eyes. We talk in playful banter for the rest of the ride. We reach the college around nine in the morning. I drag Dean in with me. He winks at every female he sees. I spend over an hour on filling out the papers. Dean jokes around the whole time, pointing at the guys in bright neon colored shorts and flipping off the douchebags that cat call at woman.
"I gotta go see my professor." Dean nods and jumps up from the bench. He slings his arm around my shoulder as we make our way up the stairs to the class.
"Alex!" My professor cheers loudly as I enter the room. We've always been good friends since high-school. He was my 'big-brother' in the big brother-big sister club. I spent most of my time with him and his girlfriend, now wife, Kelli. We kept in contact and I found myself at the same college he teaches at.
"Hey, Tom!" I always wondered how he got the job at such a young age. He just turned thirty a few months ago. Everybody I talked to said his career happened over night.
"Come here! I have to show you someone." I smile and Dean and I make my way to the bottom. I gasp when he brings out a baby carrier.
"No. Oh my gosh." My voice goes incredibly soft as I close in on the desk, smiling at the sleeping baby in the carrier.
"Yes. She's two months." I smile back to the beaming Tom.
"You wanna hold her?" I completely forget that Dean is standing next to me.
"Yeah, yeah. Of course." Tom grabs her out of the carrier and carefully hands her over to me. I hold her in my arms. Warmness spreads through me as I look down to the beautiful baby girl, I swallow down a lump in my throat as I look up to Tom.
-000-
Dean's POV
As I watch Alex holding her professors baby, I feel as if I'm intruding on a moment. The raw emotion in her eyes always makes me want to turn away.
"What's her name?" I look up to Tim now. He smiles at Alex and the baby with a fatherly affection.
"Hope." Alex gives a shaky smile to Hope.
"Hi, Hope." I notice with alarm that Alex has tears in her eyes. I see the longing in her face, how much she wants to have this opportunity with her own kid.
"How's Kelli?" Tom sits on the corner of his desk as he keeps watch on his daughter.
"She's doing great. She couldn't be happier with the baby. I mean, of course it's tiring. Exhausting even. But it's all worth it. It's crazy to think that you could someone this much." Alex gulps and nods slowly.
"God, I can't wait." I almost tear up at hearing this conversation, my mind strays to Ben and even Sam. The only people I love more than life itself.
Tom lays his hand on her shoulder, "You have time." Alex nods and looks at me for a second, looking like she forgot I was there.
"Oh, uh, Tom this is Dean. I'm living with him and his family right now." Tom smiles at me and shakes my hand.
"Um, Tom is like my brother. We met in the big sibling club in high school." I didn't even know they had those clubs anymore.
"Nice to meet you, Dean." I echo his statement.
"You guys are a cute couple." I glare at Alex as she laughs.
"She's like my sister." I groan and see Tom go red with embarrassment, "Why does everyone think that?" Tom glances at Alex before chuckling. We fall into a conversation about Ben after a moment of awkward laughter.
"What'd you need when you came in here, Alex?" Tom finally asks after another twenty minutes of small talk.
"What? I can't just come in and have a nice conversation with my brother?" At Tom's doubtful look, Alex smiles slightly.
"Yeah, I need you to sign this paper." We spend another ten minutes filling out the rest of the papers.
"Okay, Alex. Good luck with the online. Come by and see Kelli and me anytime. We've been missing you." Alex promises she will and we're quickly finding our way back to the parking lot.
"So, that took a long time." Alex smiles apologetically as I pull onto the highway.
"Sorry. I wasn't expecting to see Hope. I thought it would be another few months before she was here." I nod and we ride the rest of the way in silence.
"Thanks for taking me, Dean." I look over at Alex as she says that softly.
"Of course." She looks over at me and smiles.
"Thanks for not telling your brother I want to have sex with him." That gets a chuckle out of me.
"You owe me for that."
Sorry this took so long! I rewrote this chapter so many times and then I had bad family drama so I couldn't write. It was a mess.
I think the next chapter, we will introduce monsters. Sorry if this one was bad, I just couldn't figure out how to write what I wanted to happen. I'm not too happy with the end product but I've kept you guys waiting long enough.
Let me know what you think and what you want to happen! Thank you all for the feedback!