AN: Yikes! So sorry for taking so long. But as you can see, this part got a little bit on the long side. ...Okay, a lot on the long side.
Title of this chapter from the song ''Forevermore'' by Katie Herzig and the popular children's rhyme.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
you're my playground love
Written by Becks Rylynn
Part Two: First Grade
and we'll be jolly friends forevermore
Cinderella: Oh, that clock! Old killjoy. I hear you. ''Come on, get up,'' you say, ''time to start another day.'' Even he orders me around. Well, there's one thing! They can't order me to stop dreaming.
- Cinderella (1950)
April, 2006:
Evan Connors-Natelson was not an overall fan of first grade. He thought it kind of blew. Or at least that was what he had so eloquently told his mother. Despite some hiccups in the early stages, Evan had wound up loving kindergarten. There were days when he felt he simply had better places to be, but for the most part, he had thoroughly enjoyed his time in kindergarten. He made a few friends, he liked the teacher, and he genuinely had fun.
But then the new school year rolled around, his kindergarten best friend moved away, and he was right back where he started from, begging to stay home. Their first year in Lawrence had mainly been about gaining their bearings. Ruby started a new job, Evan started school, and Annabelle started to crawl (and eventually walk). Life was made easier by the fact that Evan loved kindergarten, Ruby loved her job, and Annabelle generally loved everything (except bedtime). Then there was their second year in Lawrence, which was apparently all about wrenches being thrown in their plans from every which way.
The restaurant she had been working at was sold to a new owner and she was let go, her ex had suddenly ceased his child support payments and had subsequently disappeared off the face of the earth, her parents were still adamant that she would never make it alone, which was shaking her confidence more than she cared to admit, she still got those judgmental looks, she was pretty sure she found a gray hair the other day, and then there was Evan and his brand new buttload of issues.
Those were the reasons why she very nearly broke down and sobbed right there on the street corner when Evan's principal called her in the middle of her job hunt to tell her that they had some things to discuss regarding Evan and it would be best if she got down to the school right away. Awesome. What else could life throw at her?
And then when she was walking down the sidewalk because she couldn't afford to waste what little money she had on gas, it started to rain.
Because that was her life.
Alice: It would be so nice if something would make sense for a change.
- Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Ruby rushed into the school wet and miserable, and was quickly told to have a seat and wait. How nice. Grumbling under her breath, she collapsed into one of the world's most uncomfortable chairs and stripped off her wet jacket. She did not understand spring weather. One minute she had to race down the street holding a newspaper over her head because it was pouring rain and as soon as she reached the block the school was on, it was sunny and mild again. Why did the universe hate her? Today was just not her day, was it? While she sat there, wringing out her hair, she went over the mental list of possible reasons for this emergency meeting.
Evan couldn't be sick or hurt. They wouldn't have made her wait if he was. It couldn't be about his grades. She had just gotten his report card in the mail and he was doing great. Maybe not so great in gym class, but she found it incredibly unfair that her son was being judged on his athletic performance. He couldn't help that he had asthma, could he? Maybe this whole meeting was a good thing. Maybe he had...won something. Maybe he was so smart they wanted to turn him into Doogie Howser. All right, so that last one was probably unlikely but a mother could dream, couldn't she?
Ruby tried to shake the negative thoughts from her head, pulling out her compact mirror to survey her appearance. Her eyes flicked to the clock on the wall momentarily. She really hoped this wouldn't be a long meeting. She had to go pick up Annabelle from daycare soon. She was just trying to smooth down her frizzy hair when the sound of footsteps approaching drew her away from her reflection. She looked up just in time to catch him sweeping into her line of vision.
Ah. Suddenly it all made sense.
Evan had a couple of friends, but generally he tried to keep to himself. He didn't cause trouble and he wasn't a loud boy. He had no strong opinions on any of his classmates. Except one. There was one boy who managed to bring out the worst in Evan. Ben Winchester. He was everything Evan wasn't. Loud, stereotypically cool, he made friends easily, he wasn't shy at all, he was athletic, he was energetic, and he was wise cracking. He was no wallflower. There was something about him that just really set Evan off for some reason.
The rivalry between the boys was, among other things, one of the many reasons why she turned down Dean Winchester's offer to buy her a coffee the previous year. She couldn't fraternize with the father of her son's number one enemy. That just wasn't right.
However, despite the initial rejection and the following pouting (from him), she had somehow managed to strike up something of a friendship with Dean. And Lisa, if she's being honest. She didn't know how he did it - she was usually somewhat of a standoffish character, you know - but somehow he managed to draw her in from the start. Something about him intrigued her. What that something was, she had no idea. Maybe it was the fact that they were both young, single parents. Maybe it was because their son's were both younger than the other kids in their class. Or maybe it was just that he made her laugh when she was down like nobody else could. Whatever it was, it was there and it was stronger than either of them would admit out loud.
Dean was...well, he was a lot like his son. Very energetic, always talking, always cracking jokes, he was a charmer when he wanted to be and a goofball all the time, and he was a good friend. She had gotten used to being surprised by some of the things he said and did, but she had not been prepared for this. She had pictured him many different ways (shut up) but she had never pictured him like this. She watched, open mouthed, as he said something to the harried looking woman behind the desk, effectively making her smile and blush. The moment he turned around and locked eyes with her...she burst out laughing.
He rolled his eyes and slumped into the chair next to her. ''Hello to you too, sweetheart.''
''I'm sorry,'' she apologized. ''It's just...'' She looked him up and down, biting down on her tongue to keep from laughing. ''I've never seen you in a suit before. You look so respectable. ...And don't call me sweetheart.''
Dean groaned and practically ripped his tie from his neck. ''I try my hardest to avoid these monkey suits.''
She giggled again, covering her mouth to stifle it. ''Is it because you kind of look like a gigolo?''
''Yeah, well, you kind of look like a drowned alley cat but you don't see me laughing about it.''
''Oh, meow.'' She curled her fingers into imaginary claws and hissed at him. ''Somebody's feeling feral.''
''I hate suits.''
''But why?'' She scooted closer to him to smooth down his wrinkled navy blue shirt, straightening the collar he had messed up. ''You look so adorable.''
''Adorable?'' He sneered. ''You think I look adorable?''
She smirked and patted his cheek, leaning back in her chair without a word.
''In what world am I adorable?'' He went on in a mumble. ''I don't want to be adorable. I'm deeply offended by that comment. I'm not a child.''
''So...'' She swung one leg over the other and slid her eyes in the direction of the principal's office. God, she felt like a teenager again, sitting in the principal's office jigging her leg nervously, wondering whether or not she was in trouble. It happened frequently when she was a kid. She didn't really want to go down that road again. She certainly didn't want her son going down that road. He was supposed to make his own mistakes, not repeat hers. ''What do you think we're here for?''
''Who knows? Maybe they killed each other,'' he suggested, oblivious to the way her eyes widened.
''Where's Lisa?'' She asked, trying in vain once again to smooth down her increasingly out of control hair.
''Her sister just had a baby so she went out to Indiana to help out for a few days. Left this morning. Figures Ben would pull a stunt like this when his mother's not here.'' He shook his head. For a brief moment, all the laughter went out of his eyes, replaced by something like disappointment. It was gone in a flash when a smirk crossed his lips and a small laugh escaped. ''The last time I was in a principal's office it was because I was caught with Carolyn Sheppard in the janitor's closet. Nice girl. Crazy, but nice. We did some wild things in that closet.'' He paused, thinking hard and ignoring the look she gave him. ''...I wonder what she's up to these days...''
''Last time I was in a principal's office,'' Ruby mused, trying to ignore Dean's rambling about Carolyn Sheppard. ''I was four months pregnant and had just thrown up all over my math teacher. That was right around the time everyone found out I was knocked up. Very dramatic.''
''Someday your life will be made into a movie,'' he said with a grin. ''Get Denzel Washington to play me.''
She opened her mouth to respond, but thought better of it, snapping her jaw shut. ''What are the chances that we're here for two completely unrelated incidents?'' She asked after a moment of silence. ''I mean, do you think that could be the case? Maybe the boys are becoming friends. What's your opinion on that?''
''Almost definitely not,'' Dean stated confidently. ''Certainly wouldn't put any money on it.''
''Mr. Winchester. Ms. Connors.''
They both turned at the sound of the principal's voice. Dean was on his feet in an instant, all charm and pleasant smiles as he held his hand out to Principal Clarke. He greeted the man with a slow, ''Fredrick, nice to see you again'' in a voice oozing with that ever present charisma he seemed to pull out of thin air.
Ruby was a little less charming. She scrambled to her feet and as soon as she stood, her jacket and purse slipped off her lap and fell to the floor. She hastily snatched her items up off the floor and tried to free one of her hands so she could shake Fredrick's hand. ''Hi, Principal Clarke,'' she greeted breathlessly with a feeble smile.
Lips twitching, eyes glinting in amusement, Dean tugged her jacket and her purse from her and she let out a breath. It spoke volumes, really. Ruby was always going to be the stressed out, unlucky mother of two and Dean was always going to be the amazingly put together, easy going single dad. Complete opposites.
''I'd say it's nice to see you again,'' Ruby began, pushing limp hair out of her face. ''But under the circumstances, that doesn't feel entirely appropriate.''
''Yes, well...'' Principal Clarke smiled tightly and looked in between the two. ''Shall we step into my office then?''
Pat Pemberton: What would happen if I ever dropped you?
Mike Conovan: I'd go right down the drain.
Pat Pemberton: And?
Mike Conovan: I'd take you right down with me, shorty.
- Pat and Mike (1952)
The first thing Dean noticed upon stepping into Fredrick Clarke's office was the boys. Ben was sitting slumped in a chair with a fat lip, looking bored and like he'd much rather be elsewhere and Evan was sitting nervously in a chair next to him with broken glasses, inhaler clenched tightly in his hands. Oh, geez. Little dudes were getting out of control.
Don't get him wrong, Dean wasn't happy with Ben right now. Far from it. He didn't want to assume, but it was probably safe to say most of this was Ben's fault. It wasn't like the kid had a filter. He pretty much just said whatever he was thinking and sometimes, that got him in trouble. He was a lot like his father in that aspect. But the way Dean saw it, kids had to make mistakes. Otherwise what could you hold over their heads for the rest of their lives? Ruby did not appear to share his viewpoint on the matter at hand. In fact, she kind of looked like she was having an internal panic attack. She looked like she was going to have to borrow her son's inhaler.
She was cute when she was panicked.
''So,'' Dean draped Ruby's coat over the back of her chair and handed her back her purse. ''What's the haps?'' He sat down next to her, ignoring the look of utter shock she sent him at his cavalier attitude. ''What seems to be the problem?'' He jerked his thumb in the direction of the kids. ''Our boys rumblin'?'' He sent a sidelong glance at Ruby. ''You like the way I say our boys?''
Fredrick, seated behind his desk looking all important and stern, did not look amused. A far cry from the Fredrick Clarke who had known Dean his entire life and who had a regular Wednesday night poker game with John Winchester. ''The problem, Dean, is that your boys seem to have a long standing feud that, today, escalated into a physical confrontation.''
''...So they got in a fight,'' Dean echoed needlessly.
Fredrick eyed him over his glasses. ''Yes, Dean. They got in a fight.''
''Hey, don't say my name like that, Freddy. I'm not an idiot. I was just making sure.''
''Very well then.''
Ruby made a noise in the back of her throat that sounded like something halfway between a groan and a whimper. Throwing a hand over her face, she slouched down farther into her chair, looking completely and utterly exhausted. Now, Dean wasn't big on hugging and comforting and all that crap, but right then all he could really think about was that she needed some down time. Big time. She was friends with Lisa. He was going to have to talk Lisa into taking Ruby on a...spa day. Or whatever it was that Lisa did with her girl friends. For now, he was content with simply reaching over to pat her knee comfortingly.
Evan, at least, had the decency to look ashamed, head bowed, hands nervously fiddling with his inhaler. Ben on the other hand, did not look like he cared one little bit. That was, in Dean's book, unacceptable. Apparently Ruby wasn't happy with Ben's 'tude either because before Dean even had a chance to reprimand his son, Ruby was pointing a finger in his direction, looking dangerous and mama bear like. ''Kid, you better sit up before I make you. This isn't a joke.''
Wide eyed and stunned, Ben sat up.
Ruby turned her head to send Dean an apologetic glance. ''Sorry. Overstepping my boundaries?''
''No,'' Dean smirked. ''Go ahead. That was hot. And you,'' he leveled Ben with a glare. ''Don't be an asshole.''
Fredrick cleared his throat pointedly, shooting Dean a definitive warning look.
''Sorry. Retract that. I meant don't be a dick.'' Another look. ''Jerk?'' Look. ''Ben, don't be disrespectful of your elders. Especially when they're authority figures.''
''How did this fight even start?'' Ruby questioned, turning her eyes to the boys. Well, that one question seemed to cue the dramatics. All at once, Ben and Evan erupted into excuses, both pointing the finger at the other. Dean had a hard time keeping up to be quite frank. Mostly what he got from their argument was that Ben called Evan a geek and Evan retaliated by calling Ben dumb, so Ben pushed, Evan pushed back and it was all downhill from there. Literally. Fredrick said the boys rolled down a hill during their fight. That explained the numerous grass stains, Ben's fat lip and Evan's broken glasses.
When the boys finally shut their pieholes (halted mid sentence by Dean's deafening whistle and his declaration of ''all right, we get it. You're both little brats. Shut up about it'') the rest of the meeting went on. It seemed to pass in snail speed. Fredrick was a fine man; he was just a tad on the dull side. He pretty much spent the entire meeting lecturing all four of them and Dean possibly, might have tuned out a little. In his defense, it was only because he was trying to come up with a suitable punishment for his son. He was thinking no TV or video games for a week. Maybe a week and a half. The meeting ended with the boys being suspended for the rest of the day.
Evan looked like he was about to burst into tears when Fredrick told them they were to go collect their things and leave for the day. Ruby looked like she was scrambling for something to say. Ben looked smug. And Dean was just so beyond fed up with this shit. He was sick of this, he really was. Why was it impossible for Ben and Evan to get along? Dean got along famously with Ruby. Even Lisa liked Ruby. Why was it such an improbable task for the boys to at least be civil with each other?
Dean knew both boys. Once upon a time, before Ben and Evan, there was Dean and Sam. For a very long time, Dean hadn't gotten along with his brother. They were so different. Dean was reckless and Sam wasn't. Sam thought he was better than Dean and Dean thought Sam was nothing more than a pompous jerk. They were opposites who did not go together. Until over six years ago when they crashed together. When Dean knocked up Lisa without knowing anything about her other than the fact that she was a yoga teacher who could put her legs behind her head, Sam was, for some reason, the first person he went to. He was the only person who didn't look at him like he was some sort of failure at life. Sam was the one who very plainly told Dean to get his shit together before the baby came, and to just ''get over yourself and take over the family business, Dean. We all know you're gonna sooner or later.''
If Dean and Sam could get all buddy-buddy-besties-BFF then so could Ben and Evan. Dean didn't necessarily want to wait until Ben knocked up a girl to reach that point, so he was thinking he was going to have to jump start this learning curve.
He watched closely as Ruby tiredly dragged herself to her feet, looking worn out and just plain defeated. Clearly he was not the only one fed up with this ongoing feud between their kids. This was not something he was going to admit out loud, but it really bothered him when she looked that upset. She was so beautiful (shut up, he was allowed to appreciate a beautiful woman when he saw one. That didn't mean he was in love with her or anything), but she was always so tired looking. So, naturally, being the noble and gallant gentleman that he was, he stepped in with a solution. He wasn't sure if this was going to be a solution to end all of their problems immediately, but it was certainly worth a shot.
Out in the hallway, Dean grasped Ruby's arm before she could slip away, pulling her almost right into his chest. ''Ruby,'' he grinned down at her, and some part of him thrilled madly when annoyance flashed in her eyes briefly. ''I have an idea.''
''I'll alert the media,'' she sighed out.
''Do you ever get tired of having a tongue made out of razorblades?'' He asked.
''Rarely. Do you ever get tired of being so damn charming?''
''Oh, not in a million years, gorgeous.''
''What's your idea?''
He slipped an arm around her shoulders, turning her away from Ben and Evan. He snuck a glance over his shoulder, eyeing Evan, staring at the ground in shame, and Ben, digging around in his backpack. ''I think we need to get those two together.''
She sighed again, staring up at him with pinched lips and a clear you're an idiot look on her face. It was actually quite attractive. ''Um...yeah, no. Dean, their whole problem is being together,'' she said slowly. ''We don't need to get them together. We need to keep them apart. I don't feel like dealing with bloodshed.''
''No, no, see,'' he put his hands on her shoulder to keep her from running away from him. ''We need to get them together under our supervision and we need to make them deal with their issues without getting into a slap fight. Think about it, Ruby. We need to deal with this crap before it goes on any longer.''
She hesitated, biting her lip and looking over her shoulder. ''Under our supervision?''
''The whole time,'' he promised. ''Just trust me, all right? Can you do that? If we let this continue, they'll hate each other for the rest of their lives. Where will that leave you and I?''
She folded her arms over her chest. ''You and I?''
Ah. Yes. That awkward moment when you imply there is some sort of relationship before you even ask her out. Well, now Dean could honestly say he knew what that moment felt like.
He cleared his throat, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. ''...As friends. Where will you and I be as friends? We'll have to have some sort of secret friendship with code names and secret knocks and really, that just sounds complicated. I'll keep forgetting the secret knocks and there'll have to be costumes and... It's a whole big thing. Let's avoid it.''
She tried, and subsequently failed horribly, to keep a smile from stretching over her lips, looking down to hide it from him. After a moment of contemplation, she took a deep breath and peered up at him through her eyelashes. ''All right.'' she relented. ''We'll do it your way.''
''Aw, I knew you'd - ''
She held up her hand to halt him mid sentence. ''We'll do it tomorrow. I need to check on some things with Annabelle's daycare, but...'' She paused, digging around in her purse for something. When she pulled out a pen with a triumphant grin, she grabbed his hand and scribbled her phone number on the palm of his hand. ''...Call me on my cell later tonight and I'll let you know what time is good for me. Sound good?''
''You're giving me your phone number? Score.''
''Dean.''
''I'm kidding, Ruby,'' he chuckled lightly, brushing his hand over her arm lightly. ''Everything is going to be fine. They can't kill each other while we're watching them.''
''All I'm saying is that this better not make things worse. I'm trusting you, Dean. That is not something that comes easily for me.'' She pointed the pen at him. ''I just want you to understand that.'' Licking her lips, she looked over her shoulder towards her son, lifted his wrist to check his watch and then offered him a small smile. ''I have to go pick up Annabelle. Don't forget to call.'' She turned to go, but at the last minute turned around, lithe little fingers buttoning up his shirt properly. ''Sorry,'' she murmured under her breath, brushing invisible lint off his shirt. ''That was driving me crazy.'' She shot him a bright smile and then spun on her heel, beckoning her son towards her.
She was halfway down the hallway, Evan trailing after her still looking like a wounded puppy dog, when she stopped and turned around. ''Oh, and it's Mama Bear, by the way.''
''Excuse me?''
''My code name. Just in case.''
''Ah. Got it.''
Dean stared after her, tilting his head to the side. He had known Ruby Connors for a year and a half and he still had no idea what it was about her that kept sucking him in. She was just...she was really something. She was one hell of a woman. ''Ben,'' he glanced at his son out of the corner of his eye when the boy came to stand next to him. ''That woman is something special.'' Ben looked up at him, lips twitching, and Dean suddenly remembered he was supposed to be angry right now. ''By the way, dude, when we get home, I'm makin' you clean the pool.''
''Aww.'' Ben groaned, face crumpling. ''But the pool's all full of bugs and stuff!''
Dean smirked. ''Exactly.''
Rapunzel: I have made the decision to trust you.
Flynn Rider: A horrible decision really.
- Tangled (2010)
Ruby was unsure about this whole thing. Ben and Evan weren't each other's number one fans. They had proven that time and time again. Not to mention they were two six year olds. How likely was it that they were going to sit down and talk rationally about the reasons for their hatred of each other? They were more likely to get in a bickering match with no end in sight. Nevertheless, the next day, Ruby found herself spending her Saturday loading her kids in the car and trying to find her way to the Winchester house.
She had no idea what was going to happen today. She couldn't even wager a guess. Possibly some tears? Six year old name calling maybe? The day was an unknown. She was about ninety five percent sure the only reason she had agreed to this was because Dean had looked so proud of his brilliant plan. All she knew was that Evan seemed genuinely embarrassed by the events that had transpired and therefore, he had not pitched a hissy fit when she told him the plan.
Ruby glanced in the rearview mirror, trying not to frown when she saw Evan staring out the window looking anxious. ''Evan...''
''Annie's chewing on her blanket again,'' he interrupted quietly. ''It's gross. She's getting slobber all over the place. She's like a dog.''
''Well, then stop her.''
''We have to go back home,'' he said suddenly, pulling the blanket out of his sister's mouth. ''I forgot my inhaler.''
''It's in my purse.''
Evan let out a huge sigh. ''Mom, I'm sorry I got in the fight, but I really don't think this is going to work.''
''Sweetie, Dean and I just want to talk to you and Ben. We want to get to the bottom of whatever it is that - ''
''He's always the one who starts it!'' Evan burst out loudly as Ruby turned down a residential road.
She eyed the big houses and the picket fences lining the street dubiously. ''This can't be the right street...''
''He's always being so loud and, like, hyper and he thinks it's weird th-that maybe I'd rather read than play ball with him!'' Evan crossed his arms tersely, slumping down in his seat and picking at his jeans. ''There's nothing wrong with me just 'cause I'm good at school,'' he mumbled. ''That doesn't make me a freak.''
''You're right, honey,'' she soothed. ''It doesn't. You are not a freak and hopefully today you and Ben will be able to work through some of your...'' She trailed off when she pulled into the driveway of Dean's supposed house, jaw dropping at the sight before her. Well. Unexpected was a bit of an understatement.
''...Whoa,'' Evan breathed out.
''This cannot be the right address,'' Ruby muttered under her breath. The house in front of her, with a gate and an honest to God white picket fence, could have friggin' squashed her tiny little three bedroom fixer upper with the questionable paint job and the precarious, rotting wooden steps outside. It wasn't that the house was a mansion because it honestly wasn't. It was bigger than her house, yes, but that wasn't saying much. The shock factor only sunk in because this was Dean's house and this was not at all what she had been expecting from Dean's house. Maybe it was the whole 'don't judge a book by its cover' theory coming back to bite her in the ass, but she had never really pictured Dean with a whole lot of money.
What? He drove a classic muscle car most of the time (except on those rare occasions, usually in the winter, when he'd pull up to the school in a shiny black pickup truck that was so big it made him
look like a dwarf), he dressed like a guy with a real rough and tumble job (jeans with holes in them, worn out heavy jackets, most likely steel toed boots; most of the other mothers assumed he was in construction or something to that effect), and he almost always needed a shave. Yesterday had been the first time she had ever seen him in a suit. Come to think of it, he had always been pretty mum about his job.
Holy crap, maybe he really was a gigolo.
Wait, no. That was ridiculous.
Ruby pushed her hair out of her face and cut the engine, staring up at the house. Once she had gotten over the shock of seeing Dean's beautiful house, she hauled herself out of the car and gathered up her kids. If she was being honest with herself, she was half expecting some hoity-toity rich old lady to open the door and tell her she had the wrong house. Instead, when the front door did swing open, it was Dean Winchester who stood in front of her in all his glory.
His sparkling eyes locked onto hers the second he saw her and a smile started to work its way over his lips. Annabelle, overjoyed at the sight of someone she recognized, immediately beamed at Dean and greeted him with a garbled chirp of one of the only words she knew, arms thrown up in the air happily. ''Hi!''
Without missing a beat, Dean shifted his eyes to Annabelle, grinned, and threw his own arms up in the air. ''Hi back, tiny girl!''
Unable to contain herself any longer, Ruby pointed an accusatory finger at Dean and narrowed her eyes into slits. ''You're rich!''
He lowered his arms, smile fading. ''I most certainly am not,'' he scoffed. ''My parents' are rich.'' He winked and leaned in closer to her. ''I just happen to have a lot of money.''
''Why...Why wasn't I notified?''
He shrugged. ''You never asked.'' He slid his eyes to Evan. ''Evan! Buddy! How's tricks? You ready to get down and dirty?''
''I don't like dirt, Mr. Winchester,'' Evan replied stiffly. ''It's dirty, and there are germs.''
Dean blinked. ''Huh. ...Fair enough. But don't call me Mr. Winchester. Makes me feel old. It's Dean.''
Evan, who was probably still scarred from being yelled at by his grandmother for not addressing one of her bridge friends as Mrs. Lewinski (despite the fact that he couldn't even pronounce Lewinski at three years old) looked up at his mother imploringly. And people wondered why Ruby moved away from her parents. Ruby offered her son a smile and a nod, and did her best to ignore the fact that Annabelle was chewing on her purse strap. She did not understand her daughter's sudden fascination with chewing and/or licking random objects. It wasn't like Annabelle was teething or anything. Maybe she shouldn't let her kids watch dog movies anymore. It was an odd phase.
''Are you comin' in or not?'' Dean asked, stepping aside to let them in.
Ruby took a step inside the house, giving Dean a grateful smile when he took the diaper bag and her purse from her hands. Evan was far more hesitant, heaving a heavy sigh as if it took an unbearable amount of work just to step over the threshold. His slumped shoulders and downcast eyes told his mother that his shyness problem was coming out in full force once again. ''Evan,'' Dean said seriously. ''Would you like a cookie?''
''No, thank you,'' Evan mumbled.
''Really? 'Cause you seem like you haven't met your quota of sugar for the day.''
Evan lifted his eyes, blinking. ''...What?''
''You look glum, kiddo.''
Evan shrugged and peered up at his mother momentarily. ''I just don't think this is going to work.''
''We'll never know until we give it a shot,'' Dean said, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders. ''So buck up, soldier. Doing this for your mom and I won't kill you.''
''What if it does?''
''Then I guess you can come back and haunt us as a grand I told you so. Now move your little butt,'' Dean steered Evan farther into the house, tossing a smile over his shoulder for good measure. ''Ben's outside cleaning the pool. If he acts like an ass, I'll let you push him in, okay?''
Oh my god, there was a pool? Jesus Christ. Ruby pulled her hair out of her daughter's mouth and hurried after them. She wasn't sure what she was expecting from the Winchester household pool, but wow. Was it ever beautiful! She felt her jaw drop open the moment she stepped out onto the deck, squinting against the bright sunlight. It was like a picture out of some sort of resort. Sparkling water, a stone wall, and green plants. It was gorgeous. ''You have a pool,'' she squeaked out.
Dean hummed in agreement, bobbing his head up and down as he snatched a glass off the table, swirled the contents, and drained it in one gulp. ''I hate it,'' he said in a monotone.
''And you have a white picket fence,'' she murmured.
''Yep,'' he nodded. ''It used to be blue. I painted that stupid fence all by myself. Ben was supposed to help me but it all ended up being very Huckleberry Finn.''
''Tom Sawyer.''
''Whatever.''
''Wow,'' Evan piped up, voice thick with wonder as he eyed the unhappy looking Ben who was busy dragging a skimmer over the pool's surface. ''I sure am glad we don't have a pool,'' he stated, looking up at Dean. ''All my mom did was take away TV and video games and hide the cookie jar.''
''Eh, I did all that too,'' Dean drawled. ''But we just took the cover of the pool for the summer and I really didn't want to be the one to clean it. Hey, Ben!'' Ben, scowl and all, looked up from what he was doing, eyes widening at the sight of the Connors family witnessing his humiliation. Dean jerked his finger towards the sparkling water's surface. ''You missed a spot!'' Ben scowled, and Dean burst into laughter.
''What exactly is it that you do?'' Ruby gave Dean a critical onceover and frowned suspiciously. ''Are you in the mafia?''
''I'd tell you,'' Dean smirked, ''but then I'd have to kill you.''
''You don't have a secret life as a porn star, do you?''
''You got me.''
''Dad!'' Ben whined. ''Can I stop now?''
''You might as well,'' Dean sighed and put his empty glass down, striding towards his son and leaving Ruby staring after him.
''I'll bet they rob banks,'' Evan supplied helpfully.
''Yeah?'' Ruby gazed down at him. ''You think?''
''Totally.''
Mortimer Brewster: Look, I probably should have told you this before but you see...well...insanity runs in my family. ...It practically gallops.
- Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
''Why are we outside?'' Ben complained, arms folded over his chest as he stood in his front yard with a pout on his face. ''It's hot.''
''And there are bugs,'' Evan added, swatting away a fly with a grimace of disgust.
''Because I don't want you breaking shit in my house,'' Dean said lazily, putting Annabelle down on the grass.
''Boys,'' Ruby looked in between Ben and Evan, hands on her hips. ''This is how it's going to go...''
Off to the side, Annabelle toddling around the grass by his feet, Dean shook his head in something that looked a lot like a fond sort of amusement. ''Ruby, I really think - ''
''Zip it, Daddy Warbucks,'' she retorted, holding up a hand to silence him. ''You're the one that wanted to get them together. Well, now they're together and whether they like it or not, they are going to talk about their feelings and their issues like mature adults.''
''Okay,'' Dean said slowly. ''But they're not adults, honey. They're six. They still pick their noses and eat their boogers.''
''Ew, gross!''
''We do not!'' Evan paused, throwing a wicked smirk in Ben's direction. ''...He might...''
Ben let out a huff and took a threatening step towards Evan. When Evan stuck his tongue out in response, Ben broke into a run. Ruby held up her hand and Ben ran straight into the palm of her hand, arms flailing wildly. ''This is not conflict resolution,'' she got out through gritted teeth. ''This is conflict dissolution.''
''Good one,'' Dean complimented.
''Thank you. And don't call me honey.'' Ruby held both arms out to keep the boys away from each other. ''Listen, children,'' she bit out impatiently. ''If either one of you ever want to get out of here, then I suggest you do what I say. Am I making myself clear?''
Evan nodded immediately, but Ben was a little more hesitant, looking towards Dean as if to as do I really have to? ''You better damn well listen to her, kid,'' Dean ordered. ''I'm not afraid to throw you in the pool.''
''Good.'' Ruby smiled cheerfully. ''Evan,'' she turned to her son. ''Let's start with you. Without raising your voice, I want you to tell me how Ben makes you feel.''
Evan took a deep breath and crossed his arms uncomfortably to mirror Ben's stance. ''Angry.''
''And why does he make you feel angry?''
''...'Cause he's a turdface?''
Ruby sucked in a breath and shot a glance towards Dean. He was too busy trying to get Annabelle to dance with him - much to the little girl's delight - to pay much attention to Ruby's attempt at conflict resolution. She lifted her eyes to the sky briefly, and then let out a breath. ''Evan...''
Evan groaned and rolled his eyes. ''Fine. He makes me angry because he makes fun of me for liking reading and stuff. He thinks it's weird but it's not. It's not weird. I'm not weird.''
''Okay,'' Ruby nodded enthusiastically, ruffling her son's hair. ''Good, that's good. And Ben,'' she shifted her gaze to the other boy. ''How does Evan make you feel?''
''Frustrated.''
''Why is that?''
Ben smirked. Ruby did not foresee good things in that smirk. ''Because he's a freak.'' Yep. Called it. ''And he's a dork,'' he went on. ''Oh!'' His eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers triumphantly. ''He's a fork! You're a fork, Evan!''
''That doesn't even make sense, Ben!''
''It doesn't have to,'' Ben said smugly. ''I'm not a fork.''
''Without raising your voices!'' Ruby yelped. ''Without raising your voices!''
''No, you're a bully!'' Evan raged, advancing on Ben. ''You're a mean bully!''
''I'm not a bully! I just don't like you!''
''I don't like you either!''
''Why do you have to be such a geek?'' Ben asked desperately. ''Can't you just try to fit in?''
''Maybe I don't want to fit in.''
Ben snorted. ''Everybody wants to fit in, Evan.''
''I don't!''
''You...'' Ben, red faced and breathing heavily, pointed a finger at Evan. ''You think you're better than me! You think you're better than everyone just 'cause you're smart! That's what you think, and I don't like it! That's what makes you a fork! If I'm a bully, you're a bully too!''
Evan paled and took a step back. Ruby frowned and pinched her lips together. Maybe - Maybe - Evan did sort of have a bad habit of judging people based on their intelligence. It wasn't a good thing, she knew that. But it was not an easy task to get through to a six year old boy. ''I...I don't...'' Evan trailed off, scratching the back of his neck. ''I don't act like I'm better than other people. ...Do I?''
''Yes,'' Ben said bluntly. ''You think...You think that 'cause you're good at all that readin' and writin' stuff that it makes you better, but it doesn't. It makes you a jerk.'' With one last scowl sent in his sworn enemy's direction, Ben spun on his heel and stomped away from them, tossing an angry, ''I'm done with this!'' over his shoulder.
Evan didn't say anything, swallowing hard and looking up at his mother with big helpless Bambi eyes. She got the feeling that he was greatly distressed by Ben's view of him. She spared a glance towards Dean, who was shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose, one hand holding onto Annabelle's. ''Evan,'' Ruby started. ''Baby - ''
''Attack the fork!''
Really? Still with the fork thing? How long was that going to last?
In the span of about ten to fifteen seconds, there was a sudden influx of chaos - exactly the thing she had been trying to avoid - when Ben suddenly reappeared and charged at Evan with an armload of water balloons. She probably should have done something to halt chaos in his tracks but Dean's arms pulled her back and away from the boys before she could, effectively saving her from being beamed with a water balloon. Exactly two out of four water balloons hit their intended target. One bounced off of Evan's chest and crashed to his feet, soaking his shoes. The other one, however, hit him square on the shoulder hard and exploded, soaking his shirt. Wild droplets of water splashed onto his glasses and his mouth parted in shock.
''Damn it, Ben!'' Dean hollered, lifting a startled Annabelle into his arms. ''One of these days, I'm gonna find your friggin' stash.''
Evan sighed loudly.
A thick dead silence coated over everyone as Ben smiled smugly and water dripped down Evan's arm. Evan said nothing, slowly taking off his glasses to dry them with the section of his shirt that wasn't wet. His movements were slow, deliberate and seemed calm on the outside, but Ruby could see that his hands were shaking and his cheeks were growing red. She knew those signs. He was either about to cry or have an asthma attack. She shook off Dean's hand when he tried to grasp her arm, rushing towards her son, only to stop in her tracks when Evan looked up. He looked spitting mad. She didn't think she had ever seen him that angry before. His fists were clenched and she could practically hear his teeth grinding together. He strode towards Ben, paused in front of the other boy, then stalked right past him without touching him, and disappeared around the side of the house.
There was a moment of awkward silence between the remaining members of this failed intervention, and then Ruby clicked her tongue in disappointment and lifted a shoulder in a shrug. ''All right, so...that did not work.''
Dean shook his head, handed Annabelle to Ruby, and picked up the one water balloon that had sailed past Evan and landed on the grass without popping. He looked at the balloon, looked at Ben, cocked his head to the side, and then he hurled it at his son.
With a startled squeak, Ben threw himself to the ground to dodge it, letting out an indignant sounding, ''Hey! Dad!''
''You and me, kid,'' Dean warned lowly. ''We're gonna have a little chat later about the appropriateness of water balloons in situations like this.''
In return, he got an eye roll as Ben hauled himself to his feet, brushing off his jeans. ''The dude was askin' for it.''
''The dude was not askin' for it,'' Dean spit out. ''Ruby said to use your words, Ben.''
''Ruby is not my mom!''
''No, but I'm your dad! And when your dad tells you to listen to someone, your dad expects you to fu - freaking listen!''
''...I know you were going to say fucking.''
''Congratulations. You want a medal? And you watch your fucking mouth.''
Ruby ran a hand through her hair, settling Annabelle on her hip. Perhaps she should have been chasing after her son right now, but she knew from past experiences that he needed a few minutes to himself to cool down. Then she would go and attempt to get something out of him. It was looking like Ben and Evan were simply destined to be enemies. That certainly seemed to be the message the universe was trying to send.
''It's not like it hurt him, Dad!'' Ben was arguing, shriveling under his father's glare like a wilting flower. ''It was just a couple water balloons.''
''Just because something doesn't physically injure someone doesn't meant it doesn't hurt them.''
''But, Dad - ''
''Don't. Don't do the but, Dad thing. It's not going to work this time. When that boy comes back, I expect to hear an apology out of your mouth. You got me? I'm not kidding here, Ben. That was going way too - ''
And then there was Evan.
Ruby saw him first out of the corner of her eye, gasp slipping through her lips. She barely had time to reach out and grasp Dean's shirt, yanking him out of the line of fire seconds before Evan came hurtling back into the yard, brandishing his own weapon of mass destruction. With a wild screech of, ''who's the fork now, Benny?'' he turned the garden hose on Ben.
Annabelle, even though she had virtually no idea what was going on, burst into laughter.
Dean was next to crack, clearing his throat and ducking his head in an extremely unsuccessful attempt to cover up his laughter. Ruby did not find it so funny. When Ben shrieked and ducked away only to return with his arsenal of water balloons, her lips thinned in disapproval and she clenched her jaw. She took a step forwards, opening her mouth to yell, but Dean grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back to his side. ''Water balloons or fists, Ruby? Pick your battles,'' he advised gently.
''But what if they get hurt?'' She demanded, shielding her daughter from a spray splash of water.
Dean shrugged, keeping one watchful eye on the boys, the other on her. ''Then they get hurt. Kids need to get hurt, Ruby. They need to have water fights and make mistakes. They need to scrape their knees and get broken hearts, fail tests and sneak out of the house late at night. It's all just part of growing up. You can't shelter them forever.''
She frowned up at him, and then offered him a slow and small smile. ''Wise words. You're smarter than you look, aren't you?''
He gave her a blinding smile. ''Right on, starshine.'' He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. ''Just trust me on this one. They need to get all this frustration out of their system. It's what's best for them.''
She sighed and bit her lip, staring nervously at the boys while they shouted and pelted each other with water balloons, fighting for the garden hose. It took her a minute to realize that they weren't screaming at each other in rage anymore. They were laughing. They both looked a little hesitant and like they were still doing their best to scowl at each other, but they were laughing.
The mind of a six year old was an odd place, wasn't it?
Young Tod: I bet you'd be good at playing Hide and Seek! Wanna try it, Copper?
Young Copper: Can I use my nose?
Young Tod: Sure. Okay, now go ahead and close your eyes and count.
Young Copper: One, two, three... (looks over his shoulder)
Young Tod: No, Copper! You can't peek!
Young Copper: Oh.
Young Tod: Now, try again.
- Fox and the Hound (1981)
Ruby stared in amazement at the sight before her. Evan and Ben had apologized to each other. They had actually apologized. After their epic water fight came to an end when they eventually tired themselves out, Evan had looked at Ben, sighed that little sigh of his, and he had quietly apologized for acting like he thought he was better than the other kids. In return, Ben had reluctantly apologized for acting like a bully. And now they were sitting on the bottom steps having what looked like a civil - and almost friendly - conversation while they shared some cookies and lemonade.
It really felt like some enormous miracle had taken place.
''Incredible,'' Ruby murmured, taking a seat next to Dean and Annabelle on the top steps. ''Just...incredible. How did you know - ''
''That letting them run wild would help them sort out their issues?'' Dean finished for her. ''I didn't really. I just took a shot in the dark.'' He handed her a glass of lemonade and gave Annabelle a cookie from the plate beside him, lips quirking into a smile when the little girl beamed up at him like he was her own personal Prince Charming. ''But it wasn't just the throwdown, you know,'' he continued. ''You're the one who got Ben to admit why he thought Evan was a prick. I can never manage to get that boy to talk about anything. He says talking's for chumps. It drives Lisa up the wall.''
A laugh pushed through her lips and she leaned back, letting the warm sun beat down on her. ''He sounds like a real guy.''
''Yeah, he's a little emotionally stunted. Probably gets that from me.'' Dean chuckled lightly, looking down.
They lapsed into a silence that was more comfortable than it probably should have been, and Ruby kept her eyes firmly on the kids. Today really just proved how truly fickle six year old boys were. One minute they were fighting, the next they were sharing cookies. The only question was how long this truce would last.
She tore her eyes away from Ben and Evan and turned her gaze to Dean briefly, swallowing hard. She couldn't help but notice the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, or the way he laughed with his whole body. There was something about Dean Winchester that made her body tense and her heart flutter. She wasn't all around sure how she felt about that. She wasn't sure if she could allow that. Things like that were dangerous. She had kids. She didn't have time for...that.
Annabelle, sitting comfortably in between Dean and Ruby, swinging her legs in glee, thrust her half eaten cookie towards Dean with a big, innocent smile. ''Cookie?''
''Oh, that's all right, darlin'. You keep it.'' Seemingly unaware of the way she was gazing up at him dreamily (either that or he was very aware of just how she was looking at him), he leaned down to drop a kiss to the top of her head. ''But thank you. You're a sweetheart.'' Something about the way he was smiling at her made Annabelle dissolve into giggles, and blush like a school girl. Ruby shook her head. Even the toddler was enamored with the man. Although, it could've just been the way he called her darlin'. That was pretty...giggle inducing.
''I think...'' Ruby paused to put her hands over her daughter's ears. ''...She has a crush on you.''
''Gettin' started early, is she?''
''God I hope not.''
''Well, at least she has good taste.''
''And there's that arrogance.'' From somewhere deep inside the house, a clock chimed. Ruby absently looked over her shoulder towards the inside of the vast Winchester household. ''So...I still haven't gotten an answer to my question.''
''What question?''
''What do you do? Seems like you have a pretty lucrative job. Or a rich family. ...Or both. Care to set the record straight?''
''Well,'' he took a sip of his own lemonade and leaned back against the steps. ''If we're going to get into this, let's start with you. What do you do, Miss Connors?''
She laughed again, but this time it was fake and a little nervous sounding as she looked up at the blue sky. She probably should have been expecting that one. ''Currently, I'm not doing much. I was laid off a few weeks ago,'' she admitted softly. ''I was waitressing at this ritzy restaurant downtown, but then it was sold to a new owner and I was let go because of overcrowding.''
Because her eyes were focused elsewhere, she didn't notice the way Dean went rigid at her words, grip on his glass tightening. She did, however, notice the odd tightness of his voice when he said, ''That's too bad.'' She looked over at him, arching an eyebrow at his closed off body language. ''You don't happen to remember the name of the new owner, do you?''
''Campbell,'' she said. ''Mary Campbell. Hard to forget. She's a legend.''
And Dean promptly choked on his lemonade. ''Uh...'' He clambered to his feet, hastily wiping away the lemonade that had dripped down his chin. ''I'm good, I just have to...I'm going to...Excuse me for a minute.'' He let out a short bark of fake sounding laughter and then practically stumbled into the house, disappearing inside.
Ruby blinked after him for several seconds before looking down at Annabelle with a smirk. ''And that's the guy you have a crush on.''
Cinderella: It's midnight.
Prince Charming: Yes, so it is. But, why...
Cinderella: Goodbye.
Prince Charming: No, no, wait. You can't go now. It's only...
Cinderella: Oh, I must, please. Please, I must!
Prince Charming: But, why?
Cinderella: Well, I-I - oh, the Prince. I haven't met the Prince.
Prince Charming: The Prince? But, didn't you know that...?
- Cinderella (1950)
Okay, so she was not a patient person. Consider it a character flaw. When Dean didn't come back and didn't come back, her curiosity finally got the better of her and she gave into those snooping genes that had always managed to get her and her sisters into massive amounts of trouble growing up. She sent a firm warning to the boys, telling them that if they messed up and started acting like brats while she was gone, she was going to throw them both in the pool. Then she lifted Annabelle onto her hip and disappeared into the house. She could just barely make out the sound of Dean's voice coming from the direction of what she suspected was the kitchen. Because she was at least half a good girl, she hesitated before she went further into the house. This wasn't her house and Dean was having a private conversation that was none of her business. But then she remembered she was only half a good girl, and she let the curiosity get to her.
She worked her way deeper into the house, following the murmured sounds of Dean's voice. She stepped into the kitchen silently, pressing her finger to her lips to make sure Annabelle understood that they were being sneaky. She had no idea if the girl really did understand, of course, but Annabelle pressed her finger to her lips and nodded seriously, so that was a good sign. It wasn't like getting Annabelle to be quiet was a hard thing. Annabelle wasn't exactly a talker. It wasn't that she couldn't talk; it was more that she apparently never felt like she had anything important to say. She could convey more in a look anyway. It was freaky. Her eyes just looked right through you.
Dean, back to them as he leaned against the sink, rubbing his forehead, didn't notice them. She was about to say something when he spoke up again and as soon as he did, she froze. ''Mom, I swear to God, you're like the sweetest woman in the world but when it comes to business, you are one cold and ruthless tiger, you know that? ...No, I don't think I'm being dramatic. You fired a young single mother down on her luck because she was expendable. I think I'm being perfectly reasonable. ...All I'm saying is...I don't know, can you maybe possibly relate? I seem to remember a time when we were down on our luck.''
Well. The surprises just kept on punching her in the face, didn't they?
''...Business is always personal, mother,'' Dean all but growled into the phone. ''...Look, let me put it this way: You fired a hot, probably excellent waitress. Think of the lost revenue. ...Then fire someone else. What about Duncan? I hate Duncan. Lose him. He's always flirting with anything with boobs. It's very unprofessional. ...What is that supposed to mean? ...How is that your business? ...Fine, if you must know: no. I am not sleeping with her. She's a friend. And she needs this job. She's got mouths to feed, she doesn't need to be worrying about job searches right now.'' He groaned, running a hand over his face. ''Mom, please. I'm begging you.'' When he didn't get the answer he was hoping for, his shoulders slumped visibly.
Ruby was still standing frozen in place trying to let all this soak in. Dean was Mary Campbell's son. Mary Campbell. Ruby wanted to be Mary Campbell.
Dean straightened, squaring his shoulders in what looks like fierce determination. ''Then let me buy you out. ...You heard me. I may only own a quarter of the restaurant now, but I'll buy the rest from you right now. I'll call my banker. ...Oh, I'm dead serious, Ma. It'll be easier than saving up for my own restaurant anyway. ...Yes, that's exactly how far I'm willing to go on this.'' He turned around to reveal a triumphant looking smirk and an incredibly decisive look in his eyes. All of which disappeared when he caught sight of her, replaced by shock as he let out a very unmanly sounding shriek. ''Oh!'' He winced. ''...Busted. Mom, I gotta - what?'' His eyes lit up like a little boy's on Christmas morning and relief flickered over his features. ''Thank you, you won't - Yeah. Yeah, this one's all me. Got it. She screws up you can throw me out on my ass. Bye. ...What? Oh, uh...'' He let out a huff and rolled his eyes, twinge of red creeping up his neck as he turned away from her. ''Yeah, Mom,'' he muttered under his breath. ''Love you too.'' He flipped the phone shut and sheepishly met her eyes. ''...Hi.''
Ruby still didn't know what to say to all of this. What was her expected reaction here?
''So,'' he rubbed the back of his neck, dropping the phone onto the counter. ''Let's push past this awkwardness here, okay? Because I have news for you. Unfortunately, we already have too many people on the wait staff so I couldn't get you your waitressing job back. Fortunately, we just had to let go of our bartender. Ironically, he's an alcoholic. Bad news for him, but great news for you! Congratulations! Flexible hours, good pay, you get to spend every day with me. It's gravy.''
When she didn't respond to him, the smile slipped off his lips and he reached out to place his hand on her arm. ''I'm truly sorry you were laid off before,'' he told her softly. ''If I had known you worked there. ...I suppose I haven't been as involved in this new place as I probably should have been. Kinda let a few things slip through the cracks, huh? But it's all good now.'' He laughed that eye crinkling laugh of his, waving a hand dismissively. ''Because you've got a job so...excitement time. ...Right? ...No? Okay,'' he sighed and put his hands on her shoulders, plastering a serious look on his face. He met her eyes. ''Campbell is my mother's maiden name. She uses it for business. She owns - ''
''Fine dining restaurants in Kansas, Colorado, Missouri, South Dakota, North Carolina, and Texas. I know. I've wanted to work in one of her kitchens since I was fourteen.''
''Oh, well, I'm sure she'll be really happy to hear that. She's not really the female Gordon Ramsey, you know. She's actually quite sweet. And she doesn't own anything in Missouri anymore. That place kind of burned down.''
''Dean,'' she deadpanned. ''I'm a freakin' pastry chef, all right? How has the fact that your mother is Mary Campbell not come up before?''
''You're a pastry chef?'' His eyes got wide and he stared at her in adoration. ''Holy crap, I think I wanna marry you. We'll be the chef and the pastry chef. We can get each other fat and work it off by...'' He trailed off, smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. ''Nah, I'll save the vulgarity for later. ...Guess I should've listened to Lisa when she told me those cookies you made her a few weeks ago nearly made her climax.''
''Dean, this isn't a - wait, she said that?''
''Yeah. I remember because I was disturbed.''
''You'll have to remember to thank her for me.''
''Ruby,'' Dean licked his lips - which he really shouldn't do because it was so distracting - and drew in a breath. ''My mother built an empire because she was a really bored housewife and my father owns DSV Construction. My parents love money because they never had it...which I realize makes them sound extremely shallow. They're not, just for the record. Look, maybe I should have told you before but from past experiences, people seem to look at me differently when they find out I'm doing okay financially and I...'' He cleared his throat, lowering his voice. ''I like the way you look at me now.''
She smiled. She couldn't help it. He had a tendency to make her smile when she was trying to do anything but. ''How do I look at you now?'' She couldn't help but ask.
He opened his mouth to respond only to immediately snap it shut again, lips twitching as he avoided her gaze. Wow. Had she really managed to fluster the normally unflappable Dean Winchester? She had to say, she was quite proud of herself. ''I-I don't know,'' he stuttered. ''You're just - It's not important. What's important is I'm sorry and I got you a job. If you want it.'' He raised his eyebrows expectantly. ''...You want it?''
She pressed her lips together, studied him for a moment, and then carefully placed Annabelle down on the ground, bending down to her level. ''Don't lick anything,'' she warned. ''Just don't put any strange objects in your mouth.'' She stood straight, drew in a breath, looked at Dean, and then she catapulted herself into Dean's arms. It startled him enough to send him stumbling backwards, but his arms wound around her and he managed to keep them both upright, even when she was practically hanging off of him and her legs were quickly growing tangled with his. She could feel him laughing and when he tangled a hand in her hair, she felt a shiver run down her spine.
''I'll take that as a yes,'' he said through his laughter.
''Thank you, Dean,'' she breathed out, pulling away from him, arms still wound around his neck. ''You have no idea what this means! I could kiss you!''
He whistled lowly, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. ''Really?''
''I'm not gonna.''
''Aww. Way to kill a man's dreams,'' he quipped, arms still around her waist.
''But thank you,'' she went on, unwinding her arms from around his neck and taking a step back. ''This really takes some of the weight off. You totally saved me here.'' She smiled gently and placed a hand on his cheek. Slowly, she leaned in to press a quick and simple kiss to his cheek. Or at least it was meant to be a simple peck on the cheek. It wound up being a little less simple that it should have been. Maybe her lips lingered on his cheek for a second too long, or maybe when she wiped away the faint traces of lipstick on his face, she left her hand for too long. Maybe their eye contact lasted longer than it should have, or maybe it was the fact that his hand was still resting on the small of her back. Whatever it was, it brought out a whole new level of complication. The next thing she knew, he was tugging her closer to him and she was letting him because...just because.
Her hands came up to rest on his shoulders and his eyes clouded over with something deep and dark. It was a moment of weakness. That was all. Nothing more. She couldn't do this, she knew she couldn't. It was just a moment of weakness. Before they could do any real damage, the sound of fast footfalls sounded and Ben and Evan appeared, skidding to a halt in the doorway. ''Mom,'' Evan said breathlessly. ''Ben and I want to go in the pool. Can we?''
Dean and Ruby bolted away from each other and Ruby whirled around to look at her son. The boys looked like happy little boys flushed with excitement rather than the two brooding and feuding brats they had been earlier. That was a nice change of pace. Ruby nodded dazedly, head still a little fogged up. ''I...um...I guess so, buddy. Hey, why don't you boys go wait outside for me, okay?'' She remained turned away from Dean for a moment after the boys had run off, two fingers pressed to her lips as she tried to shake the fog from her brain. She turned to face Dean with a half hearted smile, leaning down to pick up Annabelle. ''That was probably not a good idea,'' she said quietly. ''I have...I can't...do that.''
''S'okay, I get it,'' he shrugged. ''I'm still gonna make lewd comments, I hope you know that.''
''I wouldn't expect anything less,'' she smirked. ''You still wanna work with me?''
He grinned slyly. ''Oh yeah.'' When she turned to walk away, she could've sworn she heard him mutter under his breath, more to himself than to her, ''abso-fucking-lutely.'' A wide smile curved over her lips and suddenly the April heat wasn't the only reason she was feeling warm.
Oh, she really had no idea what she was getting herself into, did she?
Ellie Andrews: Have you ever been in love, Peter?
Peter Warne: Me?
Ellie Andrews: Yes. Haven't you ever thought about it at all? It seems to me, you-you could make some girl wonderfully happy.
Peter Warne: Sure I've thought about it. Who hasn't? If I could ever meet the right sort of girl. Aw, where you gonna find her? Somebody that's real. Somebody that's alive. They don't come that way anymore. Have I ever thought about it? I've even been sucker enough to make plans. You know, I saw an island in the Pacific once. I've never been able to forget it. That's where I'd like to take her. She'd have to be the sort of girl who'd...well, who'd jump in the surf with me and love it as much as I did. You know, nights when you and the moon and the water all become one. You feel you're part of something big and marvelous. That's the only place to live...where the stars are so close over your head you feel you could reach up and stir them around. Certainly, I've been thinking about it. Boy, if I could ever find a girl who was hungry for those things...
- It Happened One Night (1934)
end part two
AN: ...Yeah, there's rich!Dean. Actually, to be fair, he's not rich. He just seems rich to Ruby because she's really, really not rich. Oh, and Dean's house? I actually went to this website and checked out real estate in Lawrence, and I found what is possibly the most beautiful house I have ever seen. It has an in ground pool, a white picket fence, it's on a nice street, and oh my god, on the inside it is gorgeous. And despite the talk of rich!Dean, it's actually pretty affordable. So that's Dean's house. I'd post a link in my profile but I'm not really sure I feel comfortable posting pictures of someone else's house without their permission. It is still someone's house. So just...imagine it.
I also feel like I should explain a little more about what Dean does. As of right now, he's mostly working in the front of house as a manager at a few of his mom's upscale restaurants (hence the suit in the beginning of the chapter) but his real talent and passion lies in cooking. I just figured - well, what are the things Dean loves in canon? Food, women, and Sammy. Not necessarily in that order. I feel like in a completely normal world...he'd be a pretty good cook. And as for Ruby as a pastry chef? I really wanted them to be a foodie couple. The chef and the pastry chef. It's like love in a pie.
Oh, and last but not least: John's construction business? DSV? It stands for Dean, Sam, Veronica. I realize that in canon, John was a mechanic but for some reason I really wanted him to be in construction. Don't even know why.