I Chapter Two
Life is Never Easy
Dean jumped up from the bed in his lounge pants before he led Torie from the room. Vangie dressed quickly to follow them. They searched the house top to bottom but could not find the little boy. Dean sent Torie and Vangie back upstairs as he stood in the kitchen with dread in his heart as he dialed his brother. He looked out the backdoor and could see, Sonny the dog as he stood wagging his tail. All is quiet.
"Sam, yeah it's me. We uh cannot find Stewart," he said hesitantly.
"What?"
"He is missing though it makes no sense everything is shut down tight…."
"Dean," his brother interrupted. "Did you check under the bed?"
"Um no," Dean said as he shook his head.
"Check please."
"Okay, hold on."
He took the cordless with him up to the room as he almost ran into the girls on the stairs where they had been listening.
"What's going on?" Vangie asked.
"Sam thinks he is under the bed."
They went into the room and cut on the light. Under the bed in the corner of the room was where they found Stew sound asleep wrapped in a blanket. They were all speechless, even young Torie.
"Yeah, he is there, but…"
"Good I will explain when I pick them up in the morning.
"Okay, night," Dean said as he shrugged at Vangie while Torie yawned.
"Well, looks like we found him," Vangie said to the little girl as she helped her back into the bed.
"Night," Torie said with a smile as she snuggled under the covers.
"Night Sweetie," Vangie said as the left the room.
----
Sam smiled as he turned back to Dawn who yawned in his direction.
"Who was that calling so late?"
"Dean, looks like Stew was under the bed again. I forgot to tell Dean about his habit."
"Oh. I wonder why he does that," she said absent mindedly as she looked at Sam's lips. They had been kissing when the phone rang with stray thoughts of making love in their minds. Sam pulled her closer to him as he dipped his head down for another kiss. She put her arms around his neck as he ran his tongue across her teeth. She moaned as his lips teased her neck and shoulder bone. He nipped at a spot near her breasts before she said anything.
"Three times in one day? That is a record for us."
"You must not remember our honeymoon," he teased as he licked her nipple slowly and gently while his heart raced.
Dawn had been a surprise for him from the start. For he and Dean to marry cousins had just seemed too simple. He had waited for the other shoe to fall for years. But despite their previous lives the brothers had been blessed in the area of marriage.
Dawn traced her hand over Sam's tightly muscled back that was satiny smooth in spots not covered with scars. Such a gentle man to lead such a violent life. She looked up to see he smiled at her.
"A penny for your thoughts," he said before he leaned on to his back so she could straddle him.
She sighed as the warmth of him engulfed her.
"Too much talking," she said with a grin.
----
The next morning when Sam and Dawn went to get the kids they arrived at breakfast time. Sam laughed as he saw his brother at the stove preparing eggs. Something I think I will never get used to, domesticated Dean.
"Hey did you guys eat?" Vangie asked as she helped the kids at the table.
"Are you two always so perky in the morning," Sam asked.
Dean grinned, his face lit up like a Christmas tree, though Vangie threw him a look. She wanted very much to wait to tell anyone about the baby and was afraid Dean's mood would give away their secret.
"Sometimes," Dean said with mystery in his voice.
Dawn eyed Vangie's expression as she put her head down on the way to get another plate for Alex. Dawn knew something was up because Vangie was so quiet. She felt sorry for her cousin every since Stewart had been born. She understood that Vangie had endured quite a bit of heart ache before Dean but once they had married she had hoped they would have smooth sailing in all areas it just had not happened that way.
----
Dean whispered to Vangie as he stood near her with his hand on her waist.
"You sure you don't want them to know?"
She shook her head, "No, I don't please understand," Vangie said as she looked in his eyes. She pleaded with him with him silently. He stroked her face before he sighed as he nodded solemnly, he wished she would relax and enjoy the situation without stressing so much. Sometimes her anxiety wore on him, though through the years she had not always been anxious. Though stress was bad for her even when she wasn't pregnant.
"No problem it's your call," he said as he joined the rest of them at the table.
Vangie knew Dean wasn't happy about her decision but she was glad he had gone along with her at least for the moment.
----
The kids went out back to play after they had eaten since Dawn had a snow day and Sam had nowhere else to be.
Vangie stood at the window to watch them as the played with the dog.
"So tell us about Stew," Dean said as he put a fresh cup of coffee down after giving Vangie her herbal tea.
"Well we are not sure what is going on but more than once we have found him under the bed in the mornings," Sam said.
"I think it has something to do with the sunlight in his room or he is more comfortable on the floor."
Dean smiled at his brother, he certainly hoped it was that simple.
----
Vangie wondered outside as the guys talked, but Dawn followed her soon after the door shut. Sam grinned as she left.
"Hey, honey, what's wrong?" Dawn asked as she hugged her cousin.
"Nothing, why do you ask?"
"I know you and I hate when you look sad they way you are today.'
Vangie bit her lip as she looked at her cousin.
"I want to be happy, Dawn. I love Dean so much and I know I am driving him away with my anxieties. "
She sighed before she told her the news.
"You should be happy, Vangie things happen for a reason, maybe before it just wasn't the right time."
Alex ran over to hug Vangie around the legs.
"Cold Mommy," he said as he looked expectantly at her.
"Yeah, we should all go back inside," Dawn said as she gathered her two kids up.
----
John called before Dawn and Sam left that afternoon he insisted he and Missouri were going to come visit in a couple of weeks. Sam laughed after his father hung up.
"Those two crazy kids," he said to Dean as he put wood in the fireplace.
He shook his head, he still had not gotten used to the idea of his father and Missouri being married. Sam had took to the idea a lot faster than Dean. It wasn't that he didn't love Missouri like a mother, it has just taken him a while to get the picture of her in his head as his father's wife.
"It's good that Dad has someone, I confess with all the woman I have been with in my life I never thought of Dad with anyone but Mom. Silly huh?"
Sam was quiet, so Dean looked up to see why. He saw Vangie as she stood silently in the doorway, before she walked away without a word. Sam shrugged.
"We will see you guys tomorrow to help with the art show about eight?" Sam asked.
"Um, maybe seven-thirty we have to get everything organized by ten," Dean said distracted.
"Give her a little space, bro," Sam suggested as he left to gather his family so they could go home.
----
Dean thought about what his brother said as he went out to feed the dog. Sometimes he wondered if Sonny were lonely, maybe they needed another dog but then it would take time to find one that was as obedient as his puppy.
"Oh Sonny," he said to the pet as he licked his hand.
Then he saw Alex at the door waiting for him with a grin.
"Come on out here," he said to his son.
Alex loved the dog he rubbed his back gently as he let the dog finish the food the way he had been taught. Dean smiled, Alex was a good kid. He was sweet and easy going most of the time.
-----
Vangie watched the guys from the window. She needed to get her last painting finished but she felt melancholy and lacking in inspiration. She touched her stomach as she sighed. Maybe their new baby could inspire her. She went up to the attic, her studio area, with hopes that her muse with visit her. So far one canvas was a riot of shades of yellow, some bright others almost transparent. There was another picture that was a sketch they she could possibly finish and paint, it was of the horses they loved to ride. She had wanted to put their small local lake in the picture with the horses drinking from it or possibly galloping through it toward her. She considered that idea and liked it.
----
She had finished the drawing and had begun to add the paint when Dean found her a few hours later.
"Hey its time for dinner, maybe you can take a break," he said as he stood in front of her work of art.
"Looks beautiful as usual," he said as she got up to stretch.
"Do you really think so?"
"Yes," he said as he held her."
He kissed her long and lovingly as her hands cupped his face.
"Do you think of those other women you mentioned earlier?"
"No."
"Good answer," she said as she headed toward the stairs before he stopped her.
"I mean it. You have been the greatest surprise in my life, why would I want anyone else."
She shook her head, "A thousand reasons, Dean. I am anxious, stressed, scatterbrained, self conscious, …"
"Stop it, you are none of those things. You are beautiful, talented, loving, kind, creative, and most importantly. I love you and you are mine for life."
He pulled her close again. .
"Thank you," she said as they kissed again before going down stairs.
-----
Alex was in front of the television when they came down stairs. Dean changed the channel to the news because it was that time of the day. Vangie went to the kitchen with the thought they she needed to cook something only to find that Dean had ordered pizza.
"Sweetie thanks for getting dinner," she said before he put his finger to his lip to show that he needed quiet once she went back to the living room.
"Wash your hands," she whispered to Alex with a wink.
Vangie sat down to see what was going on that had her husband's rapt attention. There it was on the screen a picture of Dean. Vangie gasped.
"What?"
Dean looked at Vangie with a bit of trepidation in his heart. She knew he used an alias but they had never discussed the details since nothing had come along until know to warrant revealing the information.
"Shape shifter."
"You mentioned something about a shifter, but he looks just like you."
He sat down beside her on the sofa but Alex came back in to get them so they could eat.
"We will talk okay," he said as she took his hand and they went to the kitchen.
-----
Half way through the meal, Dean got a call from Sam. He had heard the news and wondered how Vangie had taken it.
"We are eating, we have not had the talk yet," Dean said as he smiled over at Vangie.
"Well, don't worry you know she will understand."
"Her family may not, I mean I think we should have a meeting of all the local relatives."
The phone beeped that another call was on the line.
"If we have to tell them all then we will," Sam said.
"Hey there is another call I will get back with you later," Dean said as he eyed Vangie uneasily.
The second call was from a very unhappy Ned, he told Dean he was on the way to see them. Dean called Sam back to ask him to come to pick up Alex because he was expecting an influx of Vangie's kin real quick. Sam agreed and Alex went upstairs to get his stuff together.
----
Vangie was quiet until their little boy left.
"Maybe you can give me the cliff notes version so I will know how to calm my uncle when he gets here. You know better armed than harmed," she said with a small smile.
"You trust me, right?"
"Dean I know you didn't kill anyone, Babe. I just need some details so Ned will think that maybe I knew before this and I am okay with it."
"You are right," he said.
He explained about the shape shifter in St. Louis, about his run in with the police and about the shifter in the bank.
"So this thing is picking on you?"
"More like shining a spotlight on our activities. Maybe it thinks if we are behind bars then it can run free killing and pillaging," Dean said with a sigh.
"Well it makes sense if it knows you are after it to become you to get you off its tail, then when you are gone it will imitate someone else."
"And unless you know what to look for the thing may as well be invisible since it can be anyone."
----
By the time, Ned knocked on the door he had calmed down a bit but Robert had come along with him.
"Hi," Vangie said as she opened the door to let them in.
"Hey," Dean said from the sofa.
"I'll get us some coffee," Vangie volunteered as she left the men as they took their seats.
Dean wasn't afraid, he knew Vangie was on his side and he had done nothing wrong to begin with other than try to help others.
"Well, Robert shared a few things about you on the way over so maybe you could fill in the blanks," Ned said calmly.
Dean sighed as he began to tell his tale starting with the death of his mother when he was four years old.
----
When he shared about the death of Sam's girlfriend, Robert became a bit antsy and interrupted.
"It seems like your family has been through the ringer. I could almost see how you would turn to a life of crime.
"But we didn't instead we chose to help others, to try to protect those who did not understand what is really going on around us," Dean insisted.
Vangie came back in with the coffee and passed out the cups.
"Robert you have seen things you should understand what he is trying to say," Vangie berated her brother.
Robert had seemed sympathetic before when he dealt with them. Was he trying to impress Ned? Robert frowned at his sister.
"I'm sorry it just all seems so crazy now that its been a while since we spoke of it."
"But you said that you could not explain what happened to that man. That it was inhuman," Vangie said in frustration.
"I know, and Dean, man I would have done anything possible to get you out of my sister's life if I did not trust you. But this…"
"Damn it Robert, Dean has been here with me, how could he be across country hurting anyone? Look at those facts if you refuse to believe the truth."
She looked at Dean before he reached for her hand.
"Relax, have a seat, no reason for anyone to get upset." Dean said.
----
Vangie sat down with her arm around her husband. She took deep breaths. Why is this happening now. I need peace in my life. Ned leaned up to put his coffee cup on the table.
"I don't know what to think," he said.
"He is a look a like that is what I was going to explain."
"With your name?" Robert asked.
Dean did not want to discuss that his name was already in the FBI database before.
"It is a physical anomaly, a being that can change its form. It's called a shape shifter."
"What?" Ned asked.
"I have seen it with my own eyes. It has tried to brainwash my brother, to talk him into killing me, it is evil, pure and simple. You know the best way for you to understand this thing is to go with us to kill it," Dean suggested.
TBC