Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. All the characters are owned by the respective owners (even though they abuse them).
Please keep in mind English is not my first language!
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»Fine!« John snapped. »My father up and left one day, so it was just me and my mother while I was growing up. Never finished high school I joined the marines the second I turned eighteen. Came home two years later, met Mary got married soon after.«
»We had two boys together.« John sighed.
»One night, Sammy was just six months old I heard her scream. I ran to Sammy's nursery and found her pinned to the ceilling.«
Bella had her mouth open wide in horror.
»Then she burst in to flames. I couldn't save her.« John shook his head. »I took the kids and left town, met Bobby and he taught me the job.«
»I'm so sorry.« Bella offered. »I really shouldn't have asked.«
And she really was sorry they lived sad lives like this, but a small part of her rejoiced that John was single. She immediately stomped on that thought. How could she be happy, when the man experienced such trauma.
That must have been horrible to see, his wife burning not being able to do anything to help. And even worse in Bobby's case where he had to kill his own wife because he didn't know how not to.
Her life pains and troubles now seemed meaningles compared to John's and Bobby's.
»We should go to bed.« Bella said after an awkward moment of silence in which she felt sorry for them all. »It's late.«
»Yes.« John sighed. »You stay with Bobby.«
Bella clenched her jaw. She hated being ordered around it makes her feel like she's with the Cullens again. But she swalowed her pride no matter how sour it tasted and smiled.
It was a fake smile and John saw it. It was obvious now he offended Bella.
As tempting as it was to have Bella with him in his room he only had one bed in which the boys slept in and a couch, there was no room for Bella.
And he didn't think he could handle her being so close this soon, he needed to prepare having her close. So close he can touch her, see her, smell her every day.
Bobby and Bella had a brief argument after John left. The argument was about who'll take the couch. Bobby wanted to be a gentleman and sleep on it and Bella argued she was much shorter so she has to take the couch.
In the end Bella won.
Bella tossed and turned the whole night, she tried to fall asleep but the overwhelming pain that was blosseming in her chest wouldn't let her.
While she was so grateful to her father's sacrifice, she felt undeserving.
She gave up in the early morning hours and went to take a shower. She put on the same clothes as she had the day before. She had nothing else to wear.
Thankfully Bella kept her wallet in the back pocket of her jeans. So she still had all her documents and the bank card of the special account.
The special account was what Bella called the money Jasper gave her, she never used a cent off it. Now after four years with all the interes there was a lot of money on it.
It will come handy now that she'll travel with John and his two boys, now that she has absoloutly nothing to her name, now that she has nothing.
Soon John came over to Bobby's room with the two boys Bella saw yesterday.
»Hello.« She said as they sat down. »I'm Bella.« She told the two boys she'll spend her time with.
»Hi, I'm Dean.« The older boy said. »And that's Sammy.« He pointed to his small brother.
»Why you sad?« Sammy asked Bella.
She looked to John, she didn't want to tell the two little boys that her dad died, they probably wouldn't take it well, the boys already lost their mother. And Bella didn't want them to think about losing their father also.
»My house burned down yesterday.« Was the only answer Bella came up with.
»Oh.« Sam breathed.
He didn't understand why she was sad because of a house. He never had a home so a house was just a building to him.
Dean understood a little bit better. He still remembered his mom and their home. But he also knew Bella told a lie, there was something she was hiding from them - probably just him and Sam.
Dean learned a long time ago what his dad did when he wasn't with them. Sammy didn't know and Dean didn't want to scare him so he just nodded.
»What're you gonna do now?« Dean asked Bella.
»Well.« Bella looked at John again, she didn't know what he told his children, if anything at all. »I'm going to go with you. Like an au pair.«
Deans eyebrows raised and his nose schrunched. »What's an au pair?«
Bella smiled. They were so cute, both of them.
»Au pair is a nanny. A nanny who lives with you.«
»Yay!« Sam jumped up and down in excitement. »Dean, Belly'll go with us!«
Dean didn't show that much entusiasm. Wheter it was because he was used to hiding his emotions like his father already or he just wasn't happy about it, Bella didn't know.
It soon came clear what Dean's problem was. He turned to his father and accused him.
»Where are you goin' that you're leavin' us with her?« He said 'her' with such venom it send chills down Bella's spine.
John for the first time ever noticed what he was doing to his boys. The only thing precious to him.
»I'm not going anywhere special, Dean.« John knelt down to Dean's hight. »It'll be just like before, but Bella will stay with you.«
Dean eyed John distrustfuly.
»I promise.« John assured him. »It's just after the social worker thing last week, I don't want to leave you alone anymore. Son, they could take you away. And I don't want that.«
They had a really close call with the social service. Someone called them and ttold them there were two boys alone in a motel. John came just in the nick of time with the excuse that he came from work and has been only gone since that morning. They left town that same evening.
»You really promise?«
»Really.«
Dean nodded. When his dad promised, he always kept his word. Never, ever has he broken a promise and Dean trusted John not to break this one.
For the first time in a long time John drew Dean to a hug.
Dean was suprised by the show of affection but didn't fight it. He was an eight year old boy, hungry for attention and with too much responsibility on his small shoulders.
As Sam joined their hug, Dean thought 'Maybe this nanny thing won't be so bad.'
Bella watched the three hug and smiled a sad smile.
She could see herself in Dean. The burden of taking care of someone at such young age.
Of course Dean took responsability seriously. He took care of Sam because he felt it was his job. Whether it was a big brother thing or it was because John told him so, Bella didn't know.
And frankly she had a feeling John was the source of that frame of mind. But Dean embraced the caring of Sam so tightly it came natural for him now.
Bella meanwhile has always resented her parents for making her grow up way too fast.
It was right there and then that Bella decided she will make Dean act like the child he is. Let him play act childish and worry only for his homework, nothing else.
In Bella's mind that was something every child deserved.
Thank you for reading!