-2-
So that was my first interaction with Dean in years. I don't know why I couldn't just say yes when he asked if Becca was his. The words kind of just caught in my throat. What job were they working? I'm getting there, I promise. I told Dean about the other accidents- the ones that hadn't made the papers. Once I did, he hurried off. The next time I saw him was at the park. I was picking up Becca.
I watched as Becca punched a girl in the face, making the girl drop one of the toys she had gotten for her birthday. She then ran over to a bench where a man was sitting with a giant grin on her face.
"Rebecca. Paisley. Turner! What's gotten into you?" I demanded.
"She stole my toy!"
"So you punch her? Since when is-" I trailed off, realizing it was Dean sitting on the bench. "Did you tell my daughter to beat up that kid?"
"What? Someone had to teach her how to stand up to bullies."
"Who asked you to teach her anything?"
"Just relax," Dean insisted, getting defensive.
"What are you even still doing here? We had one weekend together a million years ago. You don't know me. And you have no business with my daughter."
"Lexi!"
"Just leave us alone," I snapped.
I started to drag Becca away, but she pulled out of my grasp and ran back to Dean, wrapping her arms around his waist in a hug.
"Becca!" I called.
"Thanks," she told Dean before walking back over to me.
We walked off, leaving Dean staring after us.
The doorbell rang, and I opened it to find Dean standing on the porch.
"Dean? What a-"
"I was thinking," he interrupted me. "Rebecca's birthday. I didn't even bring her a present."
"That's ok," I insisted.
"No. No, no. I feel terrible, so, uh," he handed me a credit card. "Here. Take a long weekend- just the two of you- on me."
"What?"
"Yeah, I hear Six Flags is great this time of year. Go now. Avoid the traffic."
I read the name on the card as Dean rambled.
"'Siegfried Houdini.' Who's card is this?"
"Mine," he said, and I nodded skeptically. "Never mind. It'll work. I promise."
"You should leave," I told him.
"Lexi."
"Mommy, what's wrong?" Becca's voice asked behind me as she came down the stairs.
"Nothing, Becca. It's cool," Dean answered for me.
"Make him go away, Mommy," Becca continued in a monotone.
"You heard her. Get out."
"Lexi… I don't think that's a good idea."
"Get out!" I yelled, slamming the door in his face.
I led Becca over to the couch where we started a story before bed.
"Mommy?"
I jumped, looking up from my book to see Becca staring blankly at me.
"Becca…"
"Play with me," Becca told me.
"This isn't funny any more. I put you to bed three times already," I reprimanded my daughter.
"I don't want to go to bed," Becca said, hugging me. "I want to be with you, Mommy."
"That's sweet, hon," I nodded mechanically.
"I'm hungry."
"Mini pizza's okay? Deluxe is all we got…"
"Okay."
"That's funny," I said, turning away from my daughter. "I thought we were anti-olives this month."
I noticed her reflection in the table, gasping.
"What's wrong, Mommy?" the thing asked me.
"You're not my daughter."
"Yes, I am."
"Where's Becca?"
"I'm Becca. I love you, Mommy."
I ran out the front door, grabbing my keys as I went. On the front lawn, three kids, all with the same vacant stare as the thing in my house stood blocking my exit. As they started advancing toward me, I turned and ran back into the house where the Becca clone stood in the front entryway.
"They don't want you to leave me, Mommy," it informed me.
I slowly sank down with my knees to my chest and my back to the front door as I stared wide-eyed at the creature. A few moments later, the thing disappeared in flames, screaming "Mommy" as it did. Burying my face in my hands, I broke down. I didn't know what had just happened or what had happened to my daughter. I was brought out of it by the familiar sound of Dean's old car outside.
Standing up and wiping the tears away, I opened the door and stepped out on the porch as Dean, another man and my daughter were climbing out of the sleek black vehicle. Becca ran up to me and hugged me tightly.
"Becca?! Becca! Baby, are you ok?"
"I'm okay, Mom," she looked up at me.
"Oh, my god," I started crying again. "What the hell just happened?"
"I'll explain everything if you want me to, but, trust me, you probably don't," Dean said. "The important thing is, is that Becca's safe."
"Thank you," I told him, pulling him into a hug. "Thank you."
"I'm going to give you guys some time," the other man, who I assumed was Dean's brother Sam, said, heading back to the car.
"Come on," I said, leading my daughter and Dean inside.
Becca put in her earbuds, listening to something on her portable cd player as she colored while Dean explained what happened to me.
"Changelings?" I inquired.
"You know how I mentioned the Family Business? This is the Family Business."
"I so didn't want to know that," I looked to my daughter. "Do you think she'll be okay?"
"Yeah. I think she'll be fine."
There was a beat of silence before he spoke again.
"Okay, seriously. Is she mine?"
"Y-yes, she is. But, Dean, seriously, we're happy here. And with your job-"
"I can quit. Get out. Stay here with you two. I-"
"Could you? I mean, the way you talked about the Family Business, it's not something you can quit. I get that you want to, but let's be honest here. Getting out isn't really an option for you."
"Lexi-"
I stood on my tiptoes, placing a kiss on his lips and effectively cutting him off.
"It's time for you to go, Dean. I'm sorry."
His eyes moved to our daughter who was mouthing along with the lyrics of whatever song she was listening to as she colored.
"Yeah… Yeah, okay. Goodbye, Lexi."
"Bye, Dean."
Giving one last, wistful smile, he was out the door.
It wasn't until a year later that I heard or saw anything slightly related to Dean again. I don't know what he was up to, but a man showed up claiming to be a friend of his- to work with him.
When I opened the door, a man in a trench coat was standing on the porch. He had dark raven hair that stuck up at odd angles and the most piercing blue eyes I had seen in my life.
"Can I help you?" I inquired.
"Alexandra Turner?"
"That's me."
"You are in danger."
I fought the urge to close the door, shifting slightly.
"Are you threatening me?"
"No, I'm warning you. I am a friend of Dean Winchester. We work together."
"Dean? Is he alright?"
"He is now. You and your daughter need to get somewhere safe. You cannot stay here any longer."
I swallowed, opening my mouth to say something else to the man when Becca walked up behind him, backpack hanging off one shoulder.
"Mom? Who's this?"
"Becca, remember Dean?"
My daughter nodded her head, recalling the mysterious man who had showed up on her birthday the previous year.
"This man works with him. He's a friend."
"Hello, Rebecca," the man greeted her in his rough monotone.
"Hello. Are you here because something bad is going to hurt me and Mom again?"
"Yes, I am."
"Becca, why don't you go start on your homework? We'll talk in a minute, okay, hon?"
She nodded again, pushing past me and heading to the dining table to start working.
"Where do we go?" I demanded.
"The further you can get, the better. You can't escape them fully, but you can get a head start and throw them off for a little while."
"Escape what? What exactly is coming for us?"
"Demons."
What? Yes, demons. That's what he said. No, not metaphorical demons, real ones. They exist, I've met them. Hell, I was possessed by one… But we'll get to that later.
I never got his name. At least during that visit. I didn't get the chance to say anything else during that exchange because he disappeared. Like, literally vanished into thin air. I didn't know how, but I could have sworn I heard something that sounded vaguely like wings fluttering. When I went inside I told Becca to pack a bag. I did the same. We left most of our things there. Just brought the essentials with us.
We got in the car and just drove. Left the state. Eventually ended up on the other side of the country. In Washington State. We stayed there for a few years. Our lives went back to normal for a few years. Almost completely forgot about Dean and everything. Until he showed up on our doorstep two years later.