In Which Alec Gets a Surprise on his Visit...

[mini_dean]

It hadn't been that long since Ben had gone back to school. Only a couple of weeks really. But Alec thought that was long enough. Ben's near fatal run in with the djinn had left memories of a close relationship between he and Alec in his head, and while things weren't the same in the real world, Alec wanted that to be real for Ben. And for himself.

So he parked his car in one of the student lots, grabbed his messenger bag from the back while Jinx hopped out and gave himself a good shake. He made his way to Ben's dorm building and slipped in behind a key carrying resident.

Only one person challenged Jinx's right to be in the building but Alec had actually taken his uncle's advice to heart and got official service dog ID tags. A vest, no. But tags were okay. Do-able. And Alec had to admit, it was even honest at this point. He knew he was messed up enough to need the dog with him. So any flack was stopped when he pointed to the tags.

He bounced up the stairs and to Ben's room and pressed an ear to the door. Once he was sure the room was empty he slipped a couple of wires into the lock and let himself and Jinx in. He didn't want a key. Breaking in kept him in practice. Both with the lock picking and with acting casual enough that he didn't raise any suspicion in the people walking by.

The wards were still strong, ringing the room in a soft but powerful light. A mixing of different power from different people. His own, which he could see in the things he did even if he couldn't see in the mirror, the power of the spell components and some of his father and Nancy. He closed the door behind them and looked around. Things were mostly how he remembered though the scent in the room that wasn't Ben or Anna was someone new. A different room mate from before.

He gave a mental shrug, slung his bag and jacket onto Ben's desk chair, stole and interesting looking text book from his desk and settled comfortably on his brother's bed, leaving room for Jinx to lounge next to him. He was content to wait.

Jessie had his surf board tucked under one arm as he bounded up the stairs to his room. It had been a totally awesome morning of surfing. The waves had been high and there had been some very pretty ladies from the volleyball team practicing on the beach. He had shown off a little for them, thrown his power behind a few waves to make them longer and higher, nothing that anyone would really notice and it had paid off. He had three numbers to call if he wanted a good time. He was feeling pretty good when he opened the door.

"Hey, you guys here?" He called as he stepped inside and propped his board against the closet door, "I had a totally awesome surf."

Alec looked up from his, er Ben's book. He'd kinda hoped Ben would be the first one home, but such was life. He didn't know the voice so it must be the new guy. "No one here but me, dude. And we haven't met." He didn't bother to explain that he was Ben's brother. One look at him pretty much told anyone that.

Jessie was all smiles, excited to meet someone new and then he got a look at the dog lounging around the Ben Clone's feet. He stopped in his tracks, eyes wide and then they suddenly narrowed. Without lifting a finger or giving any warning, Jessie used his powers to pin the hellhound to the ground and throw the Ben Clone into the nearest wall then hold him there.

"How did you find me?" he asked.

Jinx let his physical body dissipate so he could sink lower and eel out of the hold fully planning to reform teeth first.

Alec's cat instincts let his body go limp to lessen the damage of impact, which is what allowed cats to escape unscathed by most falls, He tipped his head forward to avoid the concussion and all the problems that came with one. He didn't need his brain rattled more than it already was. Once he stopped moving he looked at his attacker. Not a demon, but boy was he full of power. It shifted and shimmered. A lot like Sam at full strength, but without the muddied sick quality Sam had had. This was pure and strong and exactly as it should be. With more hidden in reserve.

He shifted his eyes enough to look at the wards. They hadn't even wavered. Nothing that wanted to hurt him or his brother should have been able to get through, let alone live here. This was a mistake. A misunderstanding. He hoped it wouldn't be what finally made him buy the farm. He was running out of spare lives.

He fought the power enough to move his hand. Not to get away, but just enough to slap it against his thigh once. The signal to call Jinx off and bring him to heel. The only outright command he'd ever taught the dog. It was hard to smooth things out after a throat had been torn out or your best friend killed. Jinx came, coming back solid in front of Alec. There was no masquerading as a mortal dog in anyway, shape or form. He was all teeth and angry chainsaw snarls. But he didn't attack.

"Don't even know you, dude." Alec looked him dead in the eye, a life time of training allowing him to stay calm. "Just visiting my brother."

"Bullshit," Jessie snapped, and still holding Ben's Clone he focused his powers on the hellhound, making sure it couldn't get anywhere near him. Pictures rattled on the wall while lights flickered. He rarely drew on this much power but he didn't like hellhounds and the people who traveled with them at all. "You've got a hellhound. Those only travel with high ranking demons. Now, I'll ask nicely one more time and then I'm just yanking you out. How did you find me?"

Alec's eye's skimmed the room, watching the wash of power. He snapped his fingers at Jinx, asking him to come closer when the snarl started to echo a little and his fur stood on end in his defensive anger. Jinx did move closer to his master, but didn't mellow any. "Shit, you're gonna blow the building. Maybe the block. Take a breath, dude. I don't know you. Jinx has been mind since he was a puppy. He was a gift. I don't know what you're talking about."

"The building won't blow, I've got a more control than that." He had a lot of control, enough to make sure they weren't going to be bothered by anyone and the room was the only place effected.

He took a few steps forward, not intimidated by the snarling hellhound or the Ben Clone he had pinned to the wall. There was little Jessie Turner was afraid of. He was an anti-Christ, the only one as far as he knew. This wasn't his first rodeo.

"To have a hellhound, you have to know demons. If you know demons, you're a danger to me."

"I'll freely admit to knowing demons. Have them as both friend and enemy. Know angels to. Same thing applies." He shivered, he didn't like being helpless, and he was a little worried about his father showing up in a really pissed off mood. That worry grew by the second. "But he wasn't given to me by a demon. He's not a servent, or a weapon. He's my friend. And you're scaring the shit out of him."

"He should be scared." Jessie reached out, fingers spread trying to pull the demon from Ben's Clone but none came out. At least he was being honest about that. He still didn't feel comfortable letting him go.

"Did you come here looking for me? Will any of those demon friends be showing up too?"

Now, Alec was starting to get pissed. And like all Winchesters, he had an attitude. "Hey, asshole, clean you're ears. I already told you I'm here to visit my brother. Not get abused by psychic surfers." His own lips curled up a little. "Now friggin put me down."

"Anti-Christ, actually. Trust me, no one's going to bother us and I'll put you down when I feel safe." He'd match this guy's attitude with his own. He was not to be messed with. "I want to know if you've got demons coming with you."

"... What? You got a fucking union?" Yeah he was a little startled.

"No, I'm an original." He put a little more pressure on his chest. "Answer the damn question before I get pissed off."

Alec snarled, and there was nothing human about it. It was an animal sound. Nowhere near as scary as Jinx, but still. "Why? So you can kill me quietly if there are no witnesses. I'm just here to visit Ben, you egotistical asshole. I've lived through the Apocalypse already, so fuck you. Put me down."

"I'm not going to kill anyone. I just got here, I'd kinda like to stick around awhile but if there are going to be demons hunting me down, I'm going to have to leave." He almost sounded tired, but mostly he sounded annoyed.

"Yeah, well, you can start proving it by not crushing the air out of me. And stop jumping to conclusions. I don't even know you're name. I was fucking reading a book when you came in and freaked out. I don't know you. The entire world isn't after you. So fucking chill." he wiggled his fingers, and then yanked, trying to get that arm free, trying to get a hand on his dog before he had an anyurism. He didn't know if hell hounds could have them, but he didn't want to find out.

"Sorry, I'm going to need a little something more to go on than your word." Jessie shrugged, like he was bored. "I've had one too many close calls. Got anything to back up your nice and friendly claim?"

"Call my brother? I kinda thought that one was obvious?" He banged his head back into the wall a little like he couldn't believe this was happening. His eyes rolled ceiling-ward "God. Seriously. What did I do to deserve this?" But he wasn't actually expecting an answer.

Jessie held up a finger and dug his phone out of his pocket. He hummed to himself while he waited for Ben to pick up, still holding the Ben Clone to the wall.

"Hey man, sorry to bother you, but you got a brother with a dog and a habit of breaking and entering?" He paused to listen. "So that's his name, huh. Just making sure because I almost beaned him with my surf board. N'aw, don't worry about it. Just wanted to make sure. See ya when you get back, dude."

He hung up and dropped the phone into his pocket. After taking a step back he lowered Alec to the floor. "You come after me, I'll put you right back against the wall. That goes for your dog too."

Alec curled his lip back in another snarl, but was far more interested in his dog. He immediately dropped to his knees beside Jinx and ran his hands over him, checking for injuries. He knew Jinx didn't really have any, but he had to check for his own peace of mind. Jinx finally settled some but kept an eye on the new guy.

Alec, still not the most mentally stable he's ever been, eventually stopped fussing and just threw his arms around the dog and hugged him, forehead resting against Jinx's shoulder. "You idiot." It was muffled in the black fur. "You can't win, you run." Jinx snorted, clearly giving his opinion on that.

Jessie crossed his arms over his chest. "I can easily win. Running keeps other people safe."

Alec peeked one eye out, giving him almost a dirty look and utterly unashamed of the sentimentality his was showing. "I was talking to Jinx. I know would would have won. And so does he. He still would have fought you to protect me." And if this guy had hurt or killing Jinx? God help them all.

"You named it?" Jessie made a face. "And you named it Jinx of all things? Dude, that's just not right." He shook his head and decided he needed something to drink to handle this. He left the two to their own and went to get a soda out of the mini-fridge. Maybe this college thing wasn't such a good idea.

"I just had to get the one roomie who's brother knows demons. Nice work there, Jessie."

"Him. I named him. And actually smart-ass, if we're going to be technical, our dad named him. By accident." He sat back on his heels but didn't stop petting the dog. "Going through life without a name isn't good for you." He's quiet for a minute, shaking ever so slightly from nerves. "Hi. I'm Alec." His tone was dry, but at least he had introduced himself.

"Jessie Turner. Anti-Christ and it doesn't mean what you think it means." He popped open a Coke and took a long drink before running a hand through his hair. "Damn, and the waves here were really good."

"Seriously? Anti-Christ?" He sounds honestly curious. "Because I thought that was so wrapped up a couple of months ago. And that the anti-christ was taller. With girly hair." And wouldn't Sam just be pissed about being described as having chick hair.

He rolled his eyes. "Look, the Bible got some things wrong. Basically, the anti-Christ is anyone born half-human and half-demon. That'd be me."

"Shit." He rubbed the back of his neck. "That is what you get for letting prophets write before they sober up." He looks at him again, and this times he takes off his glasses. Powerful, yes, but. . . not a demon. But he supposed that now that he was looking for it there was that shimmering darkness, but it was just another facet of the whole. He put his glasses back on. "That's a damned rare mix. Humans with some demon sparked gifts yes, but half and half? Not so much." The concept of anti-Christ didn't seem to frighten him. He had respect for the power standing in front of him, and yes he'd been afraid earlier, but that was more for Jinx or the hurt done to his family if he kicked. The title anti-christ didn't automatically make Jessie evil. That wasn't how Alec thought about people.

"Why no, I had no idea how rare I am," Jessie said sarcastically.

"Uh, dude, before we get into how in or out of the loop either of us is? You should know that Ben's gonna come running." He finally let his knees touch the floor so he was kneeling next to Jinx instead of crouched and ready for fight-or-flight. "And I dunno what you plan to tell him but he won't believe what you fed him on the phone."

Jessie shrugged. He didn't really know what to say to that. Great, one more person in the world who would know what he was. That was really what he needed right now.

"Personally? I'd go with the truth if I were you." He took a deep breath and let it out slow. He still felt a little to shaky to deal with this sort of drama. He put and arm around Jinx in a half hug, finger sinking into the thick fur. "And not to try and piss you off more, but I won't lie to my brother."

All he could do is shrug again. He thought about fleeing. In a blink of an eye he could be gone and that would be the end of it but he'd have to leave all his stuff behind and that sucked. Better just to wait which would give him time to pack.

It only took Ben a few minutes to get across campus, and then to his dorm room. His keys were in his hands almost instantly and he tried to unlock the door when he got there, but the door wouldn't budge. That was strange because it never used to stick. He tried again, then just settled for knocking. "Hey guys, everything alright in there? The door seems to be jammed..."

Alec's head tipped to pick up Ben's voice, and then he registered the words. His head whipped around to Jessie before his eyes skipped around the room. His heart rate picked up. The room was sealed. He either hadn't noticed or had chosen not to notice before. But how he couldn't ignore it. And he felt trapped suddenly. That. . .was something he couldn't handle with quite as much calm. It had had happened once too often in his past. Trapped with someone who could do what ever they wanted to him. It wouldn't take much more to push him past kinda pissed off and shaken into outright afraid. His fingers tightened in Jinx's fur and his eyes when back to Jessie. He was done talking. There wouldn't me another word or tentative offer of reasonable trust or behavior until he knew he could escape if he needed to. To run. He was getting good at it and needed to have that out available to him.

"Oh right, the door." Jessie waved a hand at it so that it would be unsealed. He forgot he did that.

Ben tried the door again and it opened, and he stepped in carefully. He took in the room, seeing Alec in the corner clutching Jinx and shaking, and Jessie looking... kinda pissed. "Sorry, Jessie. My brother likes to show off and broke into my room every now and then last semester. Just a prank he pulls on me," Ben explained, quickly grabbing a glass and going to the fridge, pouring a bit of milk and making his way to Alec.

"And I warned you one day someone was going to pissed with you breaking in," Ben knelt down and took one of Alec's hands and put it around the cup. He could see that Alec was freaking out and not knowing himself what was going on, Ben went to the emergency milk cure.

"Is everything ok or do I need to play mediator?" He asked, looking back over at Jessie.

It was as good an idea as anything else. He tried to keep his shit together around and for his brother, but he still slipped sometimes. He only noticed he was shaking when he had the glass in his hand. After a couple of seconds he let go of Jinx and used both hands on the glass to steady it out and took a sip. He took a deep breath through his nose, letting Ben's closeness settle him a little. Trying not to bolt now that he could. Because he could. "I don't know."

He took another swallow of milk. "Don't. . .think it would have mattered even if I hadn't." He wasn't stupid. Or unobservant. Jessie had gone after Jinx first. Jinx set him off, not the stranger in the living room.

Jessie leaned against the couch, dangling his Coke from his fingers. "I may have over reacted a little. I'm still waiting to see if that's true or not."

"What's true?" Seriously, Ben had no idea what was going on. He reached over and gave Jinx a gentle scritch on his head behind the ears, then stood up to look at his roommate while keeping himself within reaching distance. "Sorry man, I'm lost here. What happened?"

"Dude, not you too." Jessie threw his hands up at the sigh of Ben scritching the hound. "I got the only roomie who not only knows hellhounds, but like's them. How the hell did I screw up this big?"

"Gotta pack up again and I just got the volleyball team interested. The volleyball team, Ben, the only sport where a bikini is the uniform." Jessie's things began to disappear from the room. "Now those numbers are useless. Damn and one of them was a red head."

Ben blinked as things started to disappear. "Whoa... ok, hold on a sec. Just... relax. No one has to go anywhere, and no one's screwed up. Just... sit down a sec and let's get this figured out... and hey, that was my glove... how are you doing that? And how did you know Jinx was a hellhound? There's not many people who can see him for what he really is..."

"He's like Sam." He heaved a sigh from somewhere below his toes. "Except more so. A lot more so. And it's natural. It's all his, free and clear. Not like. . ." Not like us. Ben was smart enough to finish the sentence with out Alec saying it. Alec bit his lip. "He thought Jinx and I were after him. Someone's hunting him. Or was." Alec was starting to put things together now that he wasn't alone and panicky. "He hasn't said who."

"Oh, that was? Sorry." It was back, right where it was before. "I'm an anti-Chirst and it doesn't mean what you think it means. Demons would very much like to use me for their own purposes so you know, hellhounds don't inspire warm fuzzies in me. And since apparently, you all are friendly with demons, I've got to find another place to live and a new school to go to."

Ben tilted his head, then smiled a bit. "Friendly is a very... loose term." Ben figured that there was no real reason that involved hiding what was going on, since Jessie was being honest. In fact, he chuckled and rubbed his neck. "I'm not a fan of demons either, Jessie. I've been kidnapped... well, three times now. They killed my mother, possessed me, and lots of other fun things that I'm only telling you because you should know you're not alone."

He was quiet a moment, knowing that this was going to hurt, and he opened up his powers to let Jessie feel a wash of calm that Ben worked to project while he could feel the... fear... from Jessie. It had been weeks now since he had used them, and he could feel the headache from taking in the emotions of everyone around him. He worked to steady his breathing and looked at his roommate. "Alec and I aren't demons," he said, letting Jessie feel the truth in the words. "But they hurt us a lot, and used us against our father and uncle. So we know what it's like to fear them. You don't have to leave. In fact, with the wards in the room, you're safer in here than anywhere else."

Alec could see what his brother was doing. He took the calm willingly and used it to put up some walls to protect his brother from the mess in his head. To spare Ben from the extra strain. He thought about saying something, but then figured he'd see what Ben could to first. For once he was gonna keep his mouth shut for a couple of minutes. He wondered if the advil was kept in the same place it used to be.

"Hey, hey, enough with the touchy feeling crap." Jessie held up his hands and literally pushed Ben's power away from him. He didn't like that sort of connection. It was weird. Weirder than he was used to. "Look, your brother has a hellhound and I just reacted. Everyone's fine, we're all good, but I think I should find a new place. You guys are going to attract attention I don't want."

Ben winced and dropped his powers. "You really think that after everything I've gone through, I would let myself go someplace like this without a few precautions? This whole campus is warded against demons. Only reason Jinx can get in is because there are wards that let him." Ben motioned to the doorway to Jessie's bedroom. "Pull up the fake floorboard under your door. There's a line of salt there. That's under every door and window frame in this room, and the hallways on this floor. And those are the precautions you can see." Ben looked at Jessie. "You're running from demons and you don't know about wards that can hide you from them?"

Something else clicked in Alec's mind at that. "Did you think I was a demon?" He's honestly curious. He shook his head a little. "Ben's right. You want protection against a demon hit squad, stick around."

"I'm also protected by my powers in a two mile radius from where I am, but demons find me anyway." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "Yeah, I did, sorry about that. My bad."

Ben sat on the edge of the couch and rubbed at his head. "You're not alone here, Jessie. Hell, I thought I was the campus freak because of my powers. You don't have to run, not right now. Just give it chance. I mean, do you really want to lose your chance with that redhead just because of a misunderstanding?" Ben shrugged.

Alec nodded. Apology accepted. "Dude. Christo. Instant demon detector. Even the Fallen flinch. It doesn't hurt them the the way it does human-born demons, since God made the Fallen but still. You can see it in the eyes." He also wants to say that given who their father is, demons aren't eager to fuck with Ben or Alec, but that's a little too much right now.

"I've run for less." A pair of black eyes, real or imagined, something just not feeling right, he took off at the drop of a hat. Jessie didn't like to stick around when he thought something was going to happen. It only took a few innocent people getting hurt for him to learn that lesson. When he was found out, if he didn't take off, people got hurt. It was safer that way.

But he did reach out with his powers and start poking wards and protections. They were pretty solid things for anything weaker than him. He could blow them apart pretty easily, but that was the way things went.

"It'd be a lot safer for you guys too."

"Aren't you tired of running though?" Ben watched him carefully. "College only lasts four years. Stick around. And if shit comes to town, though here it'd be rare, then you've got someone at your back."

Alec watched him test the wards. "Dude, they'll hold. I laid some of them and I know my stuff." He wasn't bragging. He was dead serious. He put a hand on Jinx's head. "And I know these guys usually run in packs, but he's mine. He doesn't leave me and he doesn't take orders from anyone else."

They wouldn't if Jessie really pushed, but hey that guy had worked hard at them. He didn't need to break them just to prove a point. "Trouble can show up anywhere. That's how it works. It's trouble."

Staying just felt weird. Having people know what he was, that was weird too. He just didn't really feel comfortable, but there was something tempting in staying. He didn't get to stay. He really would have liked it though, to have that for once.

"Nothing's changed here. I'm still the same guy, so are you. Ben has no clue what I am either, so the secrets just between the three of us. All that's different is that you know you're not alone." Ben smirked just a bit.

"And Uh. . I'll knock from now on?" Alec had steadied out mostly. And a lot of that he knew he owed to his brother.

"Look, it's not that you guys aren't cool and all, but you know I need some time to think. So me and my board are going back to the beach. If all my stuff just disappears, you'll know my choice." He gave a thumbs up, but there wasn't much enthusiasm behind it. He went back to the door and grabbed his board. He slipped out much more subtly than he came in.

"Alright. It's your choice. And if I don't get to see you again, it was nice knowing you, Jessie." He was sincere in that. The video games and games at the student center had been fun, and he was really enjoying getting to know his new roommate.

Once he was gone, Ben just let himself flop back on the couch and close my eyes. "Ow, my head hurts..."

"Advil in the same place?" Alec stood and set his glass of milk on the coffee table.

"Yeah." He rested his arm across his eyes and sighed. That could have gone much worse.