Disclaimer: Don't own any Winchesters or X5s
Alone or Clone?
Chapter 9: Dad's On A Hunting Trip
"Don't forget your vegetables," Dean threw a couple of bags of chips at Alec as he set the boys' dinner out on the table. Nobody had eaten much all day.
The boy's cat reflexes allowed him to easily catch the snack. Sniffing at it curiously, he tentatively opened it and took a small bite. With an appreciative grin, he began wolfing them down. He clearly had inherited his doner's appetite. Alec focused on the treat, ignoring the other two in the room like they didn't even exist.
Alec had been beginning to find his place within his new little family, allowing himself to care for them and maybe even be cared for in return. Engaging positively in the familial dynamics more than antagonizing those around him.
That was until the recent setback. Bobby had left a few days ago to join a fellow hunter on a tough job in the next town over. Dean had felt torn as he helped Bobby pack up his gear. The pit in Dean's stomach only grew as Bobby waved off his concern. The Winchesters watched him drive away with a bad feeling descending upon them like a dark cloud, feeling as if they were abandoning their family as the vehicle disappeared out of sight. The absence of the older hunter's steading presence was felt deeply by all three Winchesters. Emotions flared more easily without Bobby's even temper to rein in the Winchester fury. The trio's worry only seemed to add fuel to the growing fire as the hours dragged on. Each day Bobby would call and update Dean on the hunt, a hunt full of more deaths than leads.
Today Bobby had missed his daily check-in.
Ben, always eager to please and learn, was the two hunters' excited shadow, now had become quiet and sullen throughout the day as the phone refused to ring and Bobby never answered. Anger and worry raced throughout the older boy causing him to lash out at random.
There was only so much distraction training and research could provide when they all were concerned about their missing family member. Dean knew the salty old hunter could take care of himself but couldn't stop the helpless fear that clenched his heart. He hadn't heard from his own father in months, even longer since he heard the sound of his little brother's voice. After John found out he was staying with Bobby the old Marine had gone completely radio silent. The man knew nothing of his grandsons and Dean still wasn't sure he wanted him to. He used his and Bobby's contacts to keep tabs on the oldest and younger Winchesters. John was on the trail of a yellow-eyed demon and Sam was doing for his LSAT. His family had moved on, leaving him behind. But Dean was no longer alone. He was building something, something good with his new boys and Bobby. He'd fight like hell to keep his new little family together.
Summer had come to a close as the chill of fall filled the air. Dean had been a father to Ben for over half a year and Alec for almost as long. His life had changed so much since that night on that cold lonely highway. He was no longer alone. He lived with a man who was more a father to him than his own had ever been. Raising two boys, created as secret government super soldiers was both easier and harder than raising his own little brother. While his life wasn't the white picket fence life his brother had abandoned him for, it felt more normal and natural than anything in his life had felt in many years. He didn't plan on endangering his boys but he didn't want them to feel like they were a burden to be abandoned at any convenience whenever a hunt came up. Dean still wasn't sure how he would raise his new sons, whether he would raise them as hunters or not. He could do nothing else but take it one day at a time. Sammy hadn't turned out so bad.
Both boys' hair was growing long, they would need a trim soon. The unruly mops made his heart pang for his brother. What would Sam think of his new nephews? Would he condemn Dean's choices or would he understand? Hunting was no life for children but what about super soldier clones? He would also need to start figuring out education options for the boys. He wanted to give them everything his own father had not, but he couldn't ignore the parallels. Was he doomed to repeat history and become John Winchester no matter how hard he fought it?
Dean was getting desperate. Bobby was in trouble. His family needed him. He had even called his dad for help. The man didn't answer. Everybody he could call was either busy, ignoring him, or dead. He desperately wanted to call his brother. But Sam was out of the game, living a normal life, he didn't want to take that away from him. Dean was on his own. He refused to drag his boys into an unknown situation. They were mad at him. Ben had not said a word to him all day, only speaking to yell at his brother. Alec had fallen back to the Winchester tried and true method of ignoring the problem by pretending it didn't exist. Sarcasm and constant antagonism kept the others from reminding the boy that Bobby was still missing, not that he really needed reminding. It was all that they could think about. Part of their family was missing.
There was no other choice, Dean had to go find Bobby, and he had to do it alone.
"Watch out for each other. We'll be back tomorrow."
Alec had watched his twin secure the house and re-lay salt lines. After the older boy checked all the weapons multiple times he paced the living room like a caged lion. Neither boy slept. When the light of the sun shone through the closed curtains Ben finally settled in with a book and had ignored Alec ever since. Worry grew like a tangible thing in the air as the hours of the morning ticked away to afternoon. The silence lay over the room, slowly suffocating them both, as thoughts raced but were never voiced aloud. Alec had quickly grown bored of the dusty volumes all around him.
"Hey Benji, You want some?" Alec threw a chip, from the mostly empty bag, at Ben waiting for the response. Ben had been quiet and sulky since Dean left them alone, refusing to eat the long cold food on the table.
His twin just ignored him and kept on reading, "Okay, more for me."
Alec's curiosity was piqued. What was his brother reading? Was it something to help find Bobby? He stood up from the couch wandering over to the other boy. Trying to peek over his shoulder at the words didn't work out so instead, he asked, "What's that?"
"Nothing," Ben tried to brush him off, contorting his body in a way so that Alec couldn't even see the book, let alone the pages.
That just made the younger twin want to see it all the more. He grabbed at the book, trying to take it away. He demanded, "Let me see."
"Dude stop," Ben ordered, standing up, and taking the prize with him. Alec was on him in an instant, following his every move as they fought for possession of the book.
"Victory is mine," Alec looked like the cat that ate all the canaries. He held the book out of his brother's reach, pushing him back with a hand to the chest.
"Give it back," Ben demanded.
"Alright, we'll split it fifty-fifty."
"I had it first."
Alec flipped through the pages, "Fine, sixty-forty."
The younger boy was distracted by the morbid illustrations enough that he couldn't block his brother's cheap shot below the belt. He curled over in half, losing his hold on the book. He glared at his silently gloating brother.
He finally caught his breath to ask what was so damn important about a bunch of paper, "What is it?"
"It's dad's hunting intel."
"I'm shocked," He deadpanned, "Swiping something that doesn't belong to you. I thought you didn't do that kinda stuff anymore."
Ben tossed the book onto the rickety table in frustration, "He said he'd be home today. He's been gone too long. Something must have happened to him too."
"Funny I've been thinking the same thing, myself," Alec agreed, distractedly. He was unable to drag his eyes away from the open book. The page it had fallen on revealed a truly nightmare-inducing creature. Yellow-eyed and full of evil. A cold sweat covered his body as images of psych op flashed in his mind. His lids slammed over his eyes to stop the laser from piercing into his brain.
A hand landed on his shoulder making him jump, "I need your help." Terrified green eyes meet his own. Monsters, human or otherwise, were not a new concept for the little boys. They had been trained from birth to fight, it was time for them to fight on their own terms. They couldn't change their past but they could make a better future by taking out one monster at a time. First, they needed to save the man that had saved them. They needed to go save their family.
"Okay," Alec agreed, panting slightly but without hesitation.
The government-trained little boys used their high skill set to secure transportation. Using the cover of the night, they hotwired a car from the dark junkyard. Ben loaded up an arsenal of weapons and medical supplies. Alec jerry-rigged a way to reach the pedals and got behind the wheel. They disappeared into the darkness on a rescue mission. They were not coming back without the rest of their family.