of fatherhood - "Supernatural" fic - PG

[tigriswolf]

Title: of fatherhood

Fandom: “Supernatural”

Disclaimer: not my characters; just for fun.

Warnings: SPOILERS for “The Kids Are Alright”

Pairings: none

Rating: PG

Wordcount: 500

Point of view: third

 

It isn’t easy to get on with his life, but Ben does. He remembers that night in the cage, the night Dean saves him, fights off the monster in human form, the night he wishes that his father—whoever Dad was—could’ve been Dean instead.

Mom’s always been tactile, but after that night she’s hugging and kissing all the time, proving he’s him and not something else, something other. Everything is changed that night.

Everything.

But still, life goes on. Mom takes greater care with playdates, pays more attention to the news—when Dean’s face and the words “wanted dead or alive” scroll across the screen, she just sighs and whispers, “Damnit, you fool.”

“Mom?” Ben asks, just turned nine. “What’re they after him for?”

She shakes her head, wiping at her eyes.

 

It isn’t till he’s twelve, and mostly forgotten that night, when he asks, out of the blue at supper, “Mom, is Dean my dad?”

She meets his eyes and her gaze slides away. “No, sweetie,” she lies. “He’s not.”

 
               He’s fifteen when he sees Dean again, on the news in handcuffs, being led into court for over a dozen murders in a handful of states.
              Ben spends the next three weeks researching every aspect of the trial, and cheers when Dean escapes from the media circus under the nose of the FBI.

 

            He never does figure out why Mom lied. She dies when he’s twenty and he turns around at the wake to see Dean at the back of the room, his brother beside him.

            Dean slowly walks up to him, the brother—Sam, Ben thinks his name is—hanging back.

            “Hey, kiddo,” Dean says softly. “How you doin’?”

            “I’ve had better years,” he answers, something burning behind his eyes, remembering how safe he felt when this man showed up in that dark basement and fought the monster.

            Ben hasn’t cried yet. He’s the same height as Dean, and he hasn’t cried yet, but when Dean reaches out to touch his shoulder, Ben just folds up, his legs collapsing beneath him. Dean catches him, lowering them to the ground.

            “I got ya, Ben,” Dean whispers.

            He’s older now, of course, but Ben feels eight again, held safe by the hero, and Mom’s dead and he has no idea what to do, but Dean’s here, Dean’s here, and he’ll know.

            “Are you sure,” he mutters into Dean’s chest, curled up as much as he can be, “that you’re not my dad?”

            Dean chuckles brokenly, body still sure and strong, and answers, “Your mama told me I wasn’t.”

            Ben nods, letting Dean hold his weight. “I think she lied.”

            “Yeah.” Dean’s hand rubs circles onto his back. “I think so, too.”

 

            Dean sits at the kitchen table, Ben across from him and Sam on his right, and tells Ben everything.

            It was a normal car accident that killed Mom, but there’s things out there, things like that monster from the basement, and someone needs to take care of them.

 

Comments

[soxykitty.livejournal.com]

God I love you! And man you are fast!

[oc-pixie.livejournal.com]

Awww, I love this! And like the person above me said...damn you're quick!

[katriel1987.livejournal.com]

YES. This is perfect. I'm going to pretend this is how it'll really happen.

[strangevisitor7.livejournal.com]

This is excellent - Ben is Dean's - I know Lisa lied. Loved the idea of Dean coming back and now Ben can travel with them

[iamstealthyone.livejournal.com]

Nicely done; an interesting look at what could happen to both Ben and Dean in the coming years. It'd be quite the twist if Ben's mom really did lie about Dean being the dad. And it's also intriguing to think about Ben being a part of Dean's legacy not just as Dean's son, but also as a future hunter.

[windmiran.livejournal.com]

This is just... so very awesome. I can see all the reasons Lisa would lie - I mean, what single mother would take a chance of fighting for custody or whatever after eight years on the memory of one 'gumby' night and Dean's oh-so-admittedly-charming smile? I like how you've projected the lingering affect this all had on Ben; I'm sorry the nature of the series prevents glimpses of what happens to people after, the ones who aren't adjusted to the supernatural. I sort of want to see the impact this had on all the kids Dean has saved, and not just in insightful fan-fic, dammit.

[grandiose666.livejournal.com]

awesome--thank you---gah
wow

i know the feds are after em and all but wouldnt they leave their number with the people they saved (like john used to sometimes) esp if one of those people is dean's maybe-baby?
just sayin', i think the canon should leave the door ever so slightly ajar for more on this storyline...

[tigriswolf]

Thank you!

[tigriswolf]

*glee*

[tigriswolf]

Me, too!

And thank you!

[tigriswolf]

Thank you for reading!

[tigriswolf]

Thank you!

[tigriswolf]

I want to see some of the characters, too! Like Lucas and Kat and Michael and Tyler--and BEN, of course--The Winchesters had to've left something behind, you know?

Thank you for reading!

[tigriswolf]

Thank _you_ for reading!

[smilla02.livejournal.com]

Yes! Yes! This is just perfect

[soydolcelatte.livejournal.com]

*CRIES*

This is just...PERFECT!

[embroiderama]

Wow, poor Ben, but I love this look into the future.

[sndreamer.livejournal.com]

I love this! Any chance you'll be writing another one with Ben on the road with Sam and Dean?

[erinrua.livejournal.com]

Oh, my dog, this is awesome! And it hits right on a point I thought - that the girl was lying, and once she'd lied, she couldn't see a way to undo it and tell Dean the truth. Though in the end, at that point in Dean's life, it turned out to be the merciful thing for all concerned, I think.

But still. I love this. I'd like to imagine this is just how it will go down, in some distant future. Ben was awesome and Dean ... well. I've made this my new personal future-canon. *nods*

Thanks so much for this.
Cheers ~

Erin

[dairwendan.livejournal.com]

This is so sweet and I love it!
Thanks!

[malfoymercy.livejournal.com]

Egads! Your like the speed queen!
I totally ♥ you for writing this.
Amazing.

[impalalove]

I KNEW someone would write a fic on the episode. I love you. This was so good, too. ^^ Adding to mems. ♥!

[aliaseverus.livejournal.com]

Wow! That was -- I don't know what to say. Brought tears to my eyes. Very well done.

For what it's worth - I think she lied too - she didn't expect him to be disappointed.

[sadelyrate.livejournal.com]

*hugs*
Ben was such a perfect mini-Dean...
And this is downright hopeful, you know?
The boys living just to spite everyone who's ever said they'd die before they turned 30... and their legacy continuing, sort of, in Ben.

*adores*



Thank you for this, love. :)

[julorean.livejournal.com]

:mems immediately; That is totally what happened. I'm also convinced she lied. Ben is too awesome not to be Dean's kid. Toyally wish I could trade in my little bro for Ben. :P

I was musing ont his just the other day, pondering a few ways Lisa could die so Ben could go on with Dean And Sam, and a car accident was one...tho I suppose it's not so unusual that you thought of it too...most other ways are more violent or purposeful or...something.