14
I couldn't argue with Lauren, I never could. Nor could I ever win but, that was beside the point. We'd been together for eighteen years now. And it felt like we'd just gotten married yesterday. She had some gray in her hair now, so did I, but I never loved her more. And I couldn't help but smile as I watched her carry the overflowing laundry basket to the laundry room, humming the latest hit from Rascal Flatts. Some bands had stayed on top, others had flopped. Kelley Pickler, whoo, sad story.
Lauren walked back into the room, sweeping a piece of her long brown hair behind her ear, bending down and straightening the pillows on the couch. I just stared at her, speechless just by looking at her. She glanced up and saw me gawking. She blushed.
"What?" She said. I shook my head. She started to walk past me and I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her around to face me.
"What's your deal tonight?" She asked softly. I gently pulled her face to mine, pressing my lips to hers and swiftly pulled away.
"Nothin'," I said. "Have I ever told you I love you?" I asked. She laughed.
"Once or twice." She said.
I grinned and unraveled my arms from her waist. I watched her as she walked away fixing her hair and shirt.
"Caitlyn, it's ten 'til seven!" Lauren called. I felt my grin turn to a scowl, my face getting hot.
My daughter, my sweet baby girl that wasn't quite a baby anymore, was going on a date with some hormonal teenager. A sixteen year old boy. Probably had a fast car, leather jacket, bad boy attitude…Oh God what if he's like me?! I shuddered at the thought. My Caity-Bug being alone, in a car with a younger version of me. The thought made me want to puke and pass out at the same time. But, I had a plan. The Dad ace in the hole. Scare the holy hell out of the kid so he knows exactly what you'll do to him if he tries anything.
"Dean?" Sam said behind me. I turned, watching Jessica and Matthew chase each other around the living room. "You know if you kill this kid you'll go to prison right?" He said. I laughed lightly and nodded.
"Sammy if this ass-hole does something for me to commit murder, I'll…I'll-"
"Easy tiger." Maggie said, walking swiftly from the hall to the kitchen where Lauren was.
"Easy tiger," I mocked at her back. Sam shook his head.
"Forty-four years old and you still act like your three." He said. Lauren walked into the living room with two glasses of juice for the kids.
"Hey, I like his immaturity." She defended. I grinned.
Ding-dong.
I glared toward the door and tensed. Maggie giggled with her children. Sam's eyes grew and he took a few steps back. Lauren put her hands on my shoulders and gave me a stern look. I flexed my jaw and gave her no response. She shook her head and walked toward the front door.
"No, Baby don't trouble yourself," I said. "I'll get it." Lauren gave me a wary glance and backed away. I reached for the doorknob but she grabbed my arm.
"Dean Don't-You-Make-Me-Say-Your-Middle-Name Winchester, give it." She said, holding out her hand.
Ding-Dong
Impatient little shit, I thought savagely. I reached inside my shirt and pulled out my .22 and handed it to her.
"I wasn't born last night, give me the other one." I groaned and pulled the .45 from my jeans waistband, placing it in her outstretched hand. "And the other one." She said, sounding bored. I handed her the other gun of the same Caliber from my pant leg. "And the knife." She said. I sighed and my shoulder slumped. I handed her the Bowie knife.
"Alright, I'm clean." I said. I turned and opened the door, right as the kid was reaching toward the doorbell again.
Oh God I was right. Hair gelled to a T, leather jacket, and a smirk that I had only seen in the mirror on his face. I wanted to scream, I wanted to punch him, and I wanted lock my daughter in a tower somewhere and never let another boy, or man see her again.
"I'm uh, here to pick up Caitlyn." He said. I clenched my fists and tried not to break my teeth.
Lauren came back from the, um, storage closet, and froze behind me.
"You must be Drew," She said, a fake smile stretching across her face. Drew nodded, his all to familiar grin set deep in his face.
"Come on in kid," I said through gritted teeth. He waltzed in, I gestured toward the living room and he walked away.
Lauren squeezed my shoulder. "You put the fear of God in this kid." She whispered. I grinned.
Sam and Maggie had abandoned the living room, as had the kids, due to bribery I'm sure. Drew was sitting on the couch, gazing around the house, a sort of amused look on his face. I sat down in the armchair a few feet away from the couch, letting Full-Dad mode kick in.
"So," I said, trying desperately to keep my voice even and the blood out of my face. "Drew right?" I said. He nodded. "You into cars?" I asked.
"Oh yeah." Drew said with a broad grin.
"What kinda car you got?" I asked, knowing I would hate the answer.
"'68 black Camaro." He said, grin turning proud. I felt my stomach flip. Dad's worst nightmare coming true, sitting on my couch, in my house, getting ready to leave with my daughter. Definitely time to take some precautions.
"Nice," I lied. I reached down next to the chair, where there was a small stack of newspapers and magazines, the clean kind, and sifted around. I found the two things I was looking for and lifted the shot gun and cleaning cloth out, resting the gun in my lap. Drew's eyes grew, and so did the smug smile on my face.
"This doesn't bother you does it?" I asked. Drew shook his head and cleared his throat.
"No, nope not at all." He said, shifting in his seat. I nodded, but on the inside there wasn't enough room on my face for the smile I had.
"That's good. I don't clean I'll forget. Ya know how that goes." I laughed easily, and he faked one. I kept myself composed, and decided to continue with the small talk.
"So, Drew, what's your driving record look like?" I asked. Drew's eyes were trained on the gun. Little did he know, the thing wasn't loaded. But that was information I thought I'd just keep to myself.
"Uh, I, I got a few…speeding tickets," He said timidly. I nodded, making sure to add a barely readable "Mm hm." "But that's it!" He added quickly. I just nodded again.
Drew's eyes kept flicking toward the stairs, but I knew Caity, she wouldn't be down any time soon.
"You don't speed with girls in the car do ya?" I asked. He shook his head vigorously.
"Nope, no sir." He said, once again at lightning speed. The corners of my mouth twitched. I glanced over my shoulder for a brief second to see brown hair whip behind the door frame. God I love that woman.
"Good. I'd sure hate to hear about a girl bein' hurt in a car wreck because of a reckless driver." I said calmly. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to Caity because of someone being irresponsible." God I sounded just like those Dad's on TV, especially with the gun laying across my lap. Drew swallowed. "I trust that won't be the case tonight." I said evenly.
He shook his head so hard I thought it might detach itself. "No, absolutely not." I smiled and nodded.
"Good. Cause, ya know she is my only daughter. And a beautiful girl, right?" I tested.
"Yes, absolutely." Drew said. Oh, lord he fell for it. Now that's funny.
"So you've noticed?" I asked Drew nodded. "How much have you noticed?" I asked. I saw Drew's heart pop into his throat, his mouth opened to say something but no words seemed able to come out.
"No, no, no not like that Mr. Winchester," He stammered. "I mean yes she's hot but I don't just like her for her body." He said it all in a frantic rush. I stifled a laugh when I saw the sweat beads on his forehead.
"Good." I repeated. Lauren appeared from the stairs and Drew and I stood.
"She'll be down in just a minute." She said stiffly. I nodded and walked toward the stairs as she disappeared into the kitchen where Maggie and my niece and nephew were. I noticed Drew wasn't with me. Rather than turning around, I gestured for him to follow me with my hand over my shoulder. He stumbled in his effort to hurry and I tried not to laugh.
"You gotta job Drew?" I asked.
"Yeah," He answered quickly. "I'm a, uh, a mechanic." I nodded and set the shot gun down next to the door. Drew relaxed a little. We heard noise on the stairs and Drew's eyes lit up, hoping that he might not have to stay in the same room with me anymore.
"Oh," My little brother said. "You the guy taking my niece out?" Drew's shoulders drooped. His expression rang loud and clear: "Oh God not another one." I smiled, my face unseen because he was behind me. Sam kept a cool head, his face calm. Drew swallowed and nodded. "Mm hmm." Sam nodded.
"What kind of car do you drive, um, Drew right?"
"A '68 black Camaro and yeah, it's Drew." Sam nodded again.
"How's your driving record?" Sam asked.
"I have a couple speeding tickets but-"
"Speeding tickets? You were alone when you got them weren't you?" Sam asked. Drew whined quietly.
"Alright, alright, knock it off." Maggie said, swiftly walking through the hall and into the downstairs bathroom. I planned on ignoring her; Sam may be whipped by the Puerto Rican blooded smart-ass of the family but I wasn't. I snorted a silent as if. Lauren leaned out of the kitchen and glared at me.
Damn. If it was any other woman on the planet that was telling me what to do, I'd be able to resist. I sighed and glanced at Sam, who had already given into what his wife had said, and sighed.
"So where're you takin' my daughter?" I asked, turning to face Drew.
"Movies." He said carefully. I winced internally.
I opened my mouth to say something but was interrupted by a "He-hem" from the top of the stairs. I looked up, and there was no way I was looking at my daughter. Nobody who looked that gorgeous could be my baby girl. The one that used to run around this house with a Kool-Aid mustache, begging me to go kill the spider in her room. I swallowed and blinked a few times.
Caity looked at Sam, then at Drew, then at me.
"Dad…" Caity whined. "You promised." I shrugged.
"I'm a parent, my word is meaningless." I said with a smirk. She rolled her eyes. She glanced sideways at Sam and pursed her lips but turned back to Drew.
"Ready Caity?" Drew asked, hope in his voice. I sneered, something that could only be described as a growl deep in my chest. Caity looked at me, her eyes grew, and she looked at Drew and smiled.
"Don't call me that Drew." She said. She looked at me and her grin turned meek. "Bye Daddy." She said. Ugh, when she called me Daddy, man I melt like butter and can't be mad. I smiled back at her. Lauren came around the corner.
"Oh, you leaving so soon?" She asked. Caity nodded. "Oh, well, have fun." She said brightly.
"Alright Drew be back by te- nine, thirty." I said.
"Daaddy," Caity whined. I bit my lip.
"Ten thirty." I resolved. Drew nodded vigorously. I stepped forward and put my hand on his shoulder. Caity opened her mouth to protest but Lauren stopped her. "Drew," I said quietly. "If you do anything, anything to make Caity uncomfortable in any way, I'll kill you. Understand?" Drew swallowed, his face white, and nodded. I smiled. "Good." Drew opened the door for Caity once I stepped back and closed it behind him. I turned and faced Lauren. She walked toward me, anger in her eyes. Jeez I do what she asks me too and I get in trouble. But instead of a lecture, she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me.
"What was that for?" I asked a few seconds later. Lauren grinned at me.
"I love you. And thanks for not killing the kid on the doorstep." She said.
"No problem." I said.
"Am I the only one that saw…similarities between Drew and somebody else we know?"
"Sammy if you wanna keep all those teeth I suggest you shut the hell up." I threatened.
"Dean," Lauren said, drawing my full attention back to her. "Be nice." I stared at her for a moment, then kissed her again. And again. And again.
"Ew." Sam said. I ignored him and pulled back from Lauren.
"You know," I said softly, brushing my nose against her cheek. "We do have a few hours alone!" I hinted at Sam. "Maybe you and I could…" I was back to whispering again. Lauren bit her lip.
"Okay kids, time to go." Sam said, wrapping his arm around Jessica, who was giggling and Matthew, who looked very confused.
"What's Jess laughing at?" Matthew asked.
"Nothing!" Maggie said. Jessica giggled louder. "Great, Dean I'm gonna kill you. Jessica, you're bein a nun." I lifted Lauren up in my arms and headed toward the stairs. I looked into those endless blue eyes and kissed her again.
Did I mention how much I love her?
--How's the flash forward workin' for ya? Let me know!--