Hey guys, I hope you all are liking the story so far! I'm going to introduce some characters from my other stories soon, but if you haven't read those, then don't worry. It should still make sense. Hope you all like it!


"Daddy, where are we going?" Alec asked, looking up at him. He was packing Alec's toys, pullups, and clothes into his bag as Alec sat and watched him from the bed. Sam was packing snacks and making sure the impala was ready for their long trip while Bobby fortified the house.

"Well, we're gonna go see a friend, and then we're gonna go to the ocean. How does that sound?" Dean asked back.

"Can Teddy come?" Alec asked worriedly.

"Yeah baby, Teddy can come," Dean reassured. "All of your toys are coming."

"What's the ocean?" Alec asked, easily switching from worried back to curious.

"The ocean is kinda like the pool, only the water is salty and there are beaches instead of concrete," Dean explained, throwing a pile of his own clothes in the bag.

"Daddy, is it naptime?" Alec asked. He rubbed his eyes and grabbed his blankie that Bobby had bought for him.

Dean smiled and walked over to his little boy. He ruffled his hair and wrapped him up in the blanket. "You can take a nap if you want to," Dean said, kissing Alec's forehead.

"Will you take a nap too?"

"No, I've gotta keep packing," Dean said. "But you can take a nap without me."

"But I want you to nap too," Alec whined.

"I've gotta pack. And we've got a long ride ahead of us," Dean said.

"Is Uncle Sammy coming?" Alec asked.

"Yeah, Uncle Sammy's coming," Dean said, getting back to work.

"Is Grandpa coming?"

"Yeah, Grandpa's comin' too," Dean said.

"Daddy, can you pick me up?" Alec asked.

Dean chuckled, "Alec, you just sit tight, ok? I'll pick you up once I'm done packing."

"Daddy, I've gotta go potty," Alec said.

He couldn't tell if Alec was telling the truth or not. Alec wanted to be picked up and for him to pay attention to him, but he might actually need to go to the bathroom. "Ok," Dean said, picking Alec up from the bed and setting him on the floor. Alec reached up though, trying to get him to carry him. His little lip wobbled like he was about to cry; he sighed and picked Alec up again. Alec snuggled against his neck, which made him really think Alec was lying and that he just wanted attention. He took Alec to the bathroom and sat him on the toddler seat of the toilet. "Ok baby, go potty."

"I don't think I have to go," Alec said.

"Well, you need to try. We're going to leave in a few minutes," Dean said.

"Can I have a snack?" Alec asked.

"Not until you go potty," Dean bargained.

Alec finally went, so he took him downstairs after he washed his hands.

"Grandpa!" Alec yelled when he spotted Bobby. He wiggled to be free, so he quickly set him on the ground again. "Grandpa! Grandpa!" Alec ran towards Bobby, who beamed and wrapped Alec into a big bear hug as soon as he slammed into him.

"Hey you little rascal," Bobby growled. "How's my favorite grandson?"

"Grandpa, I'm your only grandson," Alec said, giggling.

"You're still my favorite," Bobby said.

"Daddy, can I play with Grandpa?" Alec asked, looking up at him with his puppy-dog eyes.

Dean chuckled, "As long as Grandpa's ok with it."

"Please Grandpa," Alec begged, turning his sad eyes to Bobby.

Bobby hesitated to tease Alec, but then said, "Yeah, alright, I'll take the little stinker off your hands for a bit."

"I don't stink," Alec said, affronted.

Dean shook his head in amusement and started for the stairs, "I'll be down as soon as I finish packing."

"Take your time," Bobby said dismissively. "I think me and Alec are gonna go look for the basement monster again."

He stopped and turned back, "Bobby, no basement monster. That game gives him nightmares."

"No it doesn't," Alec argued.

"Play horsy," Dean suggested.

"Yeah Grandpa! Horsy!" Alec yelled in excitement.

Bobby glared at him, but he made his escape and ran back upstairs. It was a lot easier to pack when he didn't have Alec asking him questions every two seconds. And he didn't have to keep one eye on his little boy, trying to keep him out of trouble.

He packed the rest of their things in just a few minutes, but he sat down on the bed once he was done. He just wanted one moment to himself before he went on the longest road trip of his life. He couldn't just drive straight to Seattle like he usually would. Alec would need bathroom breaks and rest stops. Little boys couldn't be cooped up in a car for that long, so he'd have to make multiple stops. It would take two days at least to get to Seattle, but it didn't get better from there.

Once they were in Seattle, he'd have to explain this to Max and everyone else in Freak Valley. He would also have to explain everyone in the Valley to Alec since he wouldn't know what was going on or who those people were. On top of all that, Alec turned into the shyest kid in the whole world when he met new people, which would make him tense and scared for the majority of their stay.

Once they got through meeting everyone and getting Alec used to everything, then it wouldn't be so bad. He was going to take Alec to the ocean, which was going to be fun, and they were going to start back after that. They planned on stopping at an amusement park on the way to break up the trip back, so he just had to make it through the first half of the trip before it got to be fun. He knew that once Alec decided he was having fun, then he would too.

"Dean, hey, what're you doing?" Sam asked, peeking in his room.

"Sorry, I'm ready," Dean said. He stood up, but Sam shook his head and walked further into his room.

"Dean, this is gonna be ok. Max will listen to us and Alec will warm up to everyone once he gets used to it. Besides, everyone loves Alec. He's the cutest little kid in the world and we're gonna do a ton of fun stuff on the way there and on the way back," Sam tried to reassure.

"I just needed a minute, that's all," Dean said. "I know Alec's gonna have fun, and that means I'll have fun."

"I know the ride's gonna suck, but Alec always tells you when he has to go to the bathroom," Sam said.

"He hasn't gone on a trip this long since we got him…I don't know how well he's gonna do," Dean muttered.

"You know he's gonna do great. When he gets tired of riding, he'll let us know and we can pull over and let him run around a little," Sam said.

"You're right," Dean said with a nod. He was freaking out for no reason. Alec was his little boy, and his little boy was the best thing in his life, in the whole world. Alec was going to have fun, and even though he was going to be scared for a while, at least he'd get to hold him and try to comfort him.

"C'mon, I think Bobby's knees are about to give out from playing horsy all around the living room," Sam said.

Dean chuckled and nodded again. "He wanted to play basement monster, but I suggested horsy."

"We need to ban basement monster," Sam said, shaking his head. "That game gives Alec nightmares."

"I know, but Bobby's gonna kill me for suggesting horsy," Dean muttered.


"And then Uncle Sammy fell into the creek!" Alec yelled excitedly. "He fell right in! And then he made that mad growly face that he makes. But then he laughed. He looked really funny all wet with his clothes on."

"And that's your favorite memory of Uncle Sammy?" Dean asked with a smile. Alec was keeping him company while Sam and Bobby slept. They'd been driving for a long time, but Alec still hadn't taken a nap. He was too excited to sleep, but he knew his little boy was going to be wiped out by the time they stopped.

"Yeah," Alec said.

"What about Grandpa?" Dean asked. "What's your favorite memory about him?"

"When Grandpa chased me around," Alec replied. "He couldn't catch me and it was really fun."

"What's your favorite memory of me?" Dean asked curiously.

"Daddy I can't choose!" Alec yelled. "I like them all!"

"You like them all?" Dean asked with a smile.

"Yes!" Alec said, kicking his little legs. "I like bath time and swimming and playing at the park. And I like nap time and snacks and everything. I love you Daddy!"

Dean chuckled, "I love you too, Alec." Tears had jumped up to his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away. It made him ridiculously happy to hear Alec say all of that. He felt so warm inside, and he wanted to pull over and hug Alec as tightly as he could to prove to him how much he loved him.

He cocked his head to the side; why couldn't he do that? He was driving, and he could do whatever he wanted. They'd been driving for a long time anyway, so maybe Alec needed a break. Sam and Bobby could keep sleeping and it could just be him and Alec for a few minutes.

"Daddy, what are we doing?" Alec asked as he pulled over.

He parked and got Alec out of his car seat and said, "We're takin' a little break, just me and you."

Alec threw his arms around his neck and snuggled against him. "What about Grandpa and Uncle Sammy?"

"They're still tired, so we're gonna let them sleep some more," Dean said.

"Daddy, are you tired?" Alec asked.

"No baby, I'm not tired," Dean said.

"Can I ride on your shoulders?" Alec asked.

"Sure thing, kiddo," Dean said, moving Alec to his shoulders. "I think there's a lookout right over here…" They were still in South Dakota, right on the edge of the Badlands. Alec liked looking out the window when they drove, so he'd probably like this. They were in a valley right now, but if he walked up a fairly steep hill, then they would be able to see it.

He bounced as he walked to make Alec giggle. Hearing Alec's giggle was the best sound in the world. That, and hearing him say Daddy.

"What are we looking at?" Alec asked curiously.

"They're called the Badlands," Dean replied.

"Is it where the bad guys live?" Alec asked, a tremor of fear in his voice.

Dean chuckled and shook his head no. "No Alec, it's not where the bad guys live. It's just a bunch of rocks that look cool."

"Is it scary?" Alec asked.

"No, it's not scary," Dean said.

He climbed up the last few feet, and then they could see a wide stretch of the Badlands. They were incredible to see, and Alec gasped at the sight. He'd never seen so much space. Dean got Alec off of his shoulders and held him against his chest, but so he was facing outward.

"Wow…" Alec breathed out.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Dean asked, kissing the side of Alec's head.

"Daddy, can we live here?" Alec asked.

Dean laughed, "No baby, we can't live here. There are no houses here."

"Why not?" Alec asked.

"Well, um…" He looked around to try to come up with a good answer. Alec asked so many questions, and he didn't always have the answer, but if he could find something else to talk about then Alec would move on to that. "Alec, look!" He said, pointing to the big horned sheep he'd spotted.

"Whoa! What is it?" Alec asked, his eyes wide.

"It's a big horned sheep," Dean said. "See the horns?"

Alec nodded, "It's all curly."

"Yeah it is," Dean agreed.

They watched the sheep for a long time before he finally decided it was time to go. Sam and Bobby were still asleep when they got back, and Alec only argued a little bit when he buckled him back into his car seat. Alec didn't want to leave, but he decided it was ok when he told him they were going to see a lot of other cool things.


He was in his own little world as he drove. Dean and Bobby were both asleep and Alec was being quiet, just watching the country side go by. Dean had stayed awake for a long time before driving and worrying about Alec had taken the rest of his energy. They had made some good progress, but they were still going to have to stop for the night somewhere.

He knew his brother was worried about how Alec was going to react to the others at Freak Valley, but they couldn't keep Alec hidden. Max needed to know what happened to him even if she didn't agree with their decision to raise him. But once she saw Alec and saw how happy he was, Sam knew she would come around to what they had decided to do. Alec could win anyone over; he was so cute, it was impossible not to instantly love him.

But Dean worried so much more now that Alec was his kid. When he was with Alec, he was fun and almost lighthearted, even though he was way more protective now. When Alec was asleep or with someone else, he could see his brother's worry. Dean worried about money and making sure Alec was happy. He worried about the supernatural finding them and how to keep Alec safe. He even worried about Alec getting older and going to school even though that was still a few years off. If Dean would just relax a little, then maybe he'd have fun on this trip too. He knew everything was going to work out; Alec would be scared for a little while, but then he'd be fine.

A small whimper suddenly came from the backseat, making him look up in surprise. He thought maybe Alec had fallen asleep without him knowing, but he saw Alec was still awake when he looked back at him.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Sam asked softly.

Alec didn't answer, but he pulled at the safety belts across his little chest and whimpered again. His cheeks were flushed and he wiggled in his seat.

"Do you have to go potty?" Sam asked. Usually Alec told them when he had to go, but maybe he was being difficult since it was him instead of Dean.

But Alec shook his head and pushed on his safety belts again. He whined and tears slowly fell down his cheeks. Something was obviously wrong, so he shook Dean's shoulder and lightly hit his chest.

"Wha'?" Dean slurred, refusing to wake up.

"Something's wrong with Alec…I'm not sure what it is and he's not talking to me," Sam said. He knew his brother would wake up since it had something to do with Alec.

And he was right. Dean shot up and immediately looked back at Alec. "Hey baby, what's wrong?" Dean gently asked.

"Daddy…" Alec cried, reaching for Dean.

Dean quickly unbuckled and climbed over the bench seat to be with Alec. "I'm right here," Dean reassured. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"No," Alec said. He pushed against the straps and whimpered again.

"What's going on?" Bobby asked. He must have woken up when Dean had climbed over the seat.

"Sam, find somewhere to stop for the night," Dean said, slowly unbuckling Alec. "He needs to stop. I think he's done riding for the day."

"Dean, you need to keep him in his car seat. It's not safe for him to be unbuckled," Sam said.

"Shhh, it's ok," Dean soothed, ignoring him and holding Alec against his chest.

"Dean, Sam's right. If we wreck, then he's gonna be hurt worse than if he had been in his car seat," Bobby said, trying to make Dean see reason.

"Then don't wreck," Dean growled.

"How far is it to the next town?" Bobby asked.

"Maybe 20 more miles," Sam said. "It might be less though…" Alec had calmed down a little bit since he was snuggled against Dean's chest, but they still had a little ways to go. He hoped he could make it that long.

"Did you just get tired of riding?" Dean asked Alec, running his hand through his hair.

Alec nodded, "And th-the things were t-too tight…"

"The straps?" Dean asked.

"Uh huh," Alec said. "Th-they were like the b-bad place."

"Ok baby, we're gonna stop soon," Dean reassured, giving Alec a kiss on his forehead. "Sam, get some food before you find a motel."

"Alright," Sam agreed. Right now, it was just easier to agree with Dean.

"We're gonna eat, and then I'll give you a bath and we'll go to bed," Dean said, focusing on Alec again.

"Ok Daddy," Alec whispered.

"You want me to get his blankie out?" Bobby asked him. They had moved Dean's bag to the backseat so they would have access to Alec's toys in case he wanted them. "Or Teddy? I think he's around here somewhere. He was plain' with him earlier before he dropped him."

"Yeah, see if you can find Teddy," Dean said.

Alec calmed down enough after they found Teddy that they could make it to the next town and get food before they stopped at a motel. Alec ate his kid's meal without complaint and he eagerly took a bath when Dean said it was time.

He was dressed in his dinosaur pajamas with his hair damp and snuggled against Dean's chest once they were done. He looked so cute, and he was a lot happier now that they had stopped. Dean must have nailed it when he guessed that Alec was tired of riding.

"We've got another long day of driving tomorrow," Sam pointed out when Dean sat next to him.

"I know," Dean whispered. "But we'll stop more tomorrow."

"Did you ever call Max to tell her we were coming?" Sam asked.

Dean shook his head no, "I don't know what to tell her. I just thought we'd show her since I can't explain it."

"I guess we'll figure something out tomorrow," Sam said.

Dean stood up and walked over to one of the beds. Bobby was already passed out on the sofa, and Sam knew he was going to turn in soon too. "It's gonna be a long day tomorrow…"

"It'll get better though," Sam tried to reassure.


Dean tapped the steering wheel and bit his lip as he rolled into Freak Valley. He'd been stressing about this all day, but he couldn't put it off any longer. The only thing he had going for him was the fact that Alec was actually asleep in his car seat. He might be able to explain this to Max before he woke up and saw something that scared him.

"Dean, relax," Sam said, seeing him freaking out.

"You're gonna wake up your boy if you keep this up," Bobby said. "He knows when you're nervous and he wants to help."

"I'm fine," Dean growled. He pulled in past the gate and slowly rolled into the garage. He didn't need his family to tell him to calm down; he already knew it, but it wasn't helping. He got out after he parked and unbuckled his little boy from his car seat. He actually did relax once he was holding Alec again. He could protect his little boy this way if he woke up.

"Better?" Sam asked with a small smirk.

"Shut up," Dean grumbled. Alec slept soundly against his chest, and he couldn't help but smile seeing his little face relaxed in sleep. He wanted to just drive to the ocean and forget about all this, but Sam was right, Max deserved to know.

Sam led the way to Command and knocked on the door. Dean's heart was racing by the time Max finally answered. Dean couldn't tell if she was already in a bad mood or if she was really just that mad to see them show up out of nowhere.

"You guys couldn't call?" Max asked angrily when she saw them. "I've been waiting for months to see you guys and I haven't heard-" She stopped suddenly when her eyes landed on Alec sleeping in his arms. "When did you get a kid?" She asked in confusion.

"Well, that's kinda why it took so long," Dean hedged.

"Where's Alec?" Max asked, straining to see over their heads, trying to catch a glimpse of him.

"Max," Sam said softly to get her attention again.

Sam looked back at him, letting him take the lead. He cleared his throat, looked down at Alec and said, "Max, this is Alec."


More soon...