Sharing a Pre-Fatherhood Beer
The bar was one of Alec's favorite haunts. It was about halfway between the base and the nearby town; populated mostly by civies, but liberally laced with military personnel so he didn't really stick out to much.
He sat at the bar waiting for his brother, nursing a beer and trying not to compulsively call his incredibly pregnant wife to make sure she was still pregnant and hadn't gone into labor as soon as he wasn't looking.
Ben walked into the bar with his messenger bag around his shoulder, his suit jacket looped over the case as he loosened his tie. He looked around, then smiled when he saw his brother and what he hoped was just the first beer. "The final days of Alec Winchester. Bartender, give the poor bastard a shot of whiskey!" he stated aloud as he looped his arm over Alec's shoulder.
It was his first beer. He hung his head. "She threw me out. Said I was making her nervous."
"Were you doing the whole hovering making sure she wasn't about to drop every three seconds bit that nearly got uncle Sam castrated right before Michael was born?"
"Faster than Sam, so in less danger." It was muttered into his beer bottle. Then he tossed back the shot that appeared in front of him.
"And Amy had a much sharper tongue and better memory than aunt Ruby. You're going to have to live that up for the next few months, plus good luck convincing her to have another baby at this rate." Ben slapped his hand on Alec's back before sitting down beside him.
"Yes, but I like her sharp tongue." He sighed. It came out as more of a whimper. "I don't know if I could handle two. I'm afraid I'll break this one!"
"Dude, too much information." Ben smirked around the edge of his glass as the bartender left him a pint of his favorite. "And listen, if Sam can handle three, you can handle one, even two. I mean, Dad handled us just fine."
"I was talking about the things she says not were she says them. Perv." He took a swallow of his beer. "And dude, 'Marines: When it absolutely has to be destroyed over night.' And you trust me with a new born baby girl? She'll be all tiny and cute and fragile."
"And you'll be overprotective of her and make sure nothing happens to her or by God and country you will hurt anyone who hurts her," Ben smirked. "I feel sorry for her first boyfriend already."
"Boyfriend." It came out as a growl. "There wont be a boyfriend."
"So what then? You having her go gay or into a convent?" Ben had to laugh.
Alec thought about this for a long moment. "Convent sounds pretty good, yeah."
Ben shook his head and waved the bartender to give Alec another shot. "You're going to be a great father, Alec. Stop worrying about it and enjoy the last few days you have of non-parenthood."
"You make it sound like I'm going to be shot." He took the shot.
"You might if there's a gun in the delivery room." He gave Alec a bright Winchester grin.
". . . I hate you."
"No you don't and you know it." Ben dropped his bag to the floor of the bar and rested his jacket on the back of the stool. "So, what's going on? I've been in classes again so i can't keep up with the family gossip as much."
"Parker's throwing herself into soccer. And God help anyone that gets in her way." He didn't bother trying to call her Mary. He figured if that was the least of Sam and Ruby's trouble then they were good to go.
"I'm sure Michael's relieved that she has someone else to kick and tackle then," Ben chuckled. He had always been more of a baseball kid. Still played it in fact as a walk-on for the college team. "I know Sam has been busy so far this semester. He's always surrounded by kids when I see him in the hallway. Oh, and Mom told me that she was planning on some kind of surprise for Dad on their anniversary next month. Should we do something for them too?"
"We totally should." He spun his shot glass around idly. "Any idea what she has planned?" He was hoping that maybe he could expand on it if it was a vacation or something.
"Not a clue. Mom stopped trusting me with secrets a long time ago. Dad knows how to get anything out of me."
Alec laughed. "The real reason you didn't join the military. You'd never hold up to torture." He thought for a moment. "We could send then some where for a nice weekend or something."
"No, the real reason I didn't go into the military was because I'm too damn good looking that women would explode if they saw both of us together in uniform. You wanted to go in since you were six, and I wasn't going to take away your glory."
Ben thought for a moment as well. "We could. As long as it doesn't involve airplanes."
"Right. So only a few hours away." He paused in thought. "We could send them on a train trip. Some of the guys from base say it's actually a pretty relaxing was to cover distance."
"Well, Dad has always said he would love to see the rest of the country. Mom would go for it if it was one of those train trips that had the real-ish type beds and cooked food."
"I think you can get rooms. Becks isn't the sort of dude that likes couch travel." He was starting to feel the alcohol just a little. A nice warm feeling, but that was it.
"I'll see if Anna wants to chip in." Ben bit his lip, then reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a folder sheet of paper and unfolded it, showing Alec the printouts of a few digital photos he had taken. They were of rings. "Most of my savings is already tied up, though."
Alec grinned. He knew it had been coming. Ben and Anna where just waiting for the right time. He looked over the rings. His brother had a good eye. All of them were atractive, tasteful and practical enough to suit Anna's personality. "You know when you're going to ask her?"
"You're assuming I have a plan," Ben looked at the rings, licking his lips. "I don't know when, or how... i was going to see how the rest of you did it. Maybe ask Amy if Anna ever talked about how she hoped it would happen. I just want to make it right."
Alec's smile was a little goofy and love-struck. "I popped the question while we were in an amusement park. Right before the tilt-a-whirl started. No candle lit dinner or anything. I was afraid that is I over planned, something would go wrong. And. . .if she said no nothing would be ruined. We were out having fun just being a couple. It didn't all revolve around the question."
"Yeah, I remember. I just... she always wants everything to be just right. I want to give her all that." Ben folded the paper back up. "I want to always give her everything she wants."
Alec thought about teasing, but decide that his big brother didn't need it right then. "I think that might be the best proposal speech to use right there."
"Maybe. I was hoping to squeeze a 'Will you marry me?' into it somewhere." Ben blushed a bit.
"I think you know work it in at the beginning or end." He smirked just a little. "Shouldn't be to hard." Because if he didn't tease a little Ben would think he was ill or something.
He shrugged. "I still have time. I need to figure out what I'm going to do after graduation first. I can't really expect her to agree to marry me if I don't have a game plan..."
"I don't think you have to have it set in stone or perfectly layed out. She doesn't expect you to 'keep' her. Maybe you can work it out together."
"Yeah. I know." Ben reached for his beer. "It'll happen and all I can hope for is that she'll say yes. After that, everything will just fall into place. I'm certain of that."
"That's remarkably philosophical of you." But he thought Ben was right.
"Give it up for a college education." Ben lifted his beer in a salute. "Speaking of which... I had an interview today."
Alec lounged against against the bar, but he was still clearly paying attention to his brother. "Oh? How'd it go?"
Ben thought a moment. "Well, I've got a few options going now. One will send me out to Germany for at least a year as an intern at Volkswagen in their technical division to train and then return to the states. Another will put me out in Tulsa working as a contractor. Both are good money and leading to long careers. I could stay around here and work with Dad, but it's hard to turn these down. And that's also without the pressure from Uncle Sam - ours, not the government - to go into the law school, or from the government uncle Sam to do contract work with THEM." He rested his forehead on the bar. "It's too many choices, and I don't know what path to take, and if I take it, will Anna go on it with me? I don't want to choose something that she won't be willing to go with me on, ya know? And I'd hate to leave the family, but it's good money... and I don't want to insult Dad either..."
Alec listened and turned it all over. "One, I don't think Dad will be insulted. He wasn't when I joined the Marines." Because Alec was a good mechanic. He couldn't be anything else with Ben and Dad. They would have disowned him if he couldn't take care of his own car or bike. "Two, I think you should ask yourself which will make you happy. Because none of us want you to pick something you wont be happy with. Three, don't worry about the money. No matter what you wont starve."
"I... kinda want to go to Volkswagen." Ben bit his lip. "I mean, it's a design job. I'd be a junior designer on a new car model, and then be a technical adviser on it in the states for years. I mean, it's a guaranteed position for at least six to ten years if I don't screw up the training and designing bit in the first year."
Alec grinned. "Then take it. You'll only be out of the US for a year. And hell, Anna loves to travel. The girl needs it like breathing. Maybe she'll want to go with you."
"I hope so. Though I do need to make sure Mom and Dad don't flip out either." Ben leaned back in his chair. "It's weird. Everything still feels like... likes it's a dream come true. Like this isn't real and isn't happening... but it is..."
Alec laughed a little. "Don't say things like that. It feels like inviting bad luck. And why would Mom and Dad flip?"
"Because it involves going to another country. You know how they are about wanting us close. The Grands already have issues with us being in California..." Ben shrugs. "But Anna's always wanted to go to Europe..."
He sat at the bar waiting for his brother, nursing a beer and trying not to compulsively call his incredibly pregnant wife to make sure she was still pregnant and hadn't gone into labor as soon as he wasn't looking.
Ben walked into the bar with his messenger bag around his shoulder, his suit jacket looped over the case as he loosened his tie. He looked around, then smiled when he saw his brother and what he hoped was just the first beer. "The final days of Alec Winchester. Bartender, give the poor bastard a shot of whiskey!" he stated aloud as he looped his arm over Alec's shoulder.
It was his first beer. He hung his head. "She threw me out. Said I was making her nervous."
"Were you doing the whole hovering making sure she wasn't about to drop every three seconds bit that nearly got uncle Sam castrated right before Michael was born?"
"Faster than Sam, so in less danger." It was muttered into his beer bottle. Then he tossed back the shot that appeared in front of him.
"And Amy had a much sharper tongue and better memory than aunt Ruby. You're going to have to live that up for the next few months, plus good luck convincing her to have another baby at this rate." Ben slapped his hand on Alec's back before sitting down beside him.
"Yes, but I like her sharp tongue." He sighed. It came out as more of a whimper. "I don't know if I could handle two. I'm afraid I'll break this one!"
"Dude, too much information." Ben smirked around the edge of his glass as the bartender left him a pint of his favorite. "And listen, if Sam can handle three, you can handle one, even two. I mean, Dad handled us just fine."
"I was talking about the things she says not were she says them. Perv." He took a swallow of his beer. "And dude, 'Marines: When it absolutely has to be destroyed over night.' And you trust me with a new born baby girl? She'll be all tiny and cute and fragile."
"And you'll be overprotective of her and make sure nothing happens to her or by God and country you will hurt anyone who hurts her," Ben smirked. "I feel sorry for her first boyfriend already."
"Boyfriend." It came out as a growl. "There wont be a boyfriend."
"So what then? You having her go gay or into a convent?" Ben had to laugh.
Alec thought about this for a long moment. "Convent sounds pretty good, yeah."
Ben shook his head and waved the bartender to give Alec another shot. "You're going to be a great father, Alec. Stop worrying about it and enjoy the last few days you have of non-parenthood."
"You make it sound like I'm going to be shot." He took the shot.
"You might if there's a gun in the delivery room." He gave Alec a bright Winchester grin.
". . . I hate you."
"No you don't and you know it." Ben dropped his bag to the floor of the bar and rested his jacket on the back of the stool. "So, what's going on? I've been in classes again so i can't keep up with the family gossip as much."
"Parker's throwing herself into soccer. And God help anyone that gets in her way." He didn't bother trying to call her Mary. He figured if that was the least of Sam and Ruby's trouble then they were good to go.
"I'm sure Michael's relieved that she has someone else to kick and tackle then," Ben chuckled. He had always been more of a baseball kid. Still played it in fact as a walk-on for the college team. "I know Sam has been busy so far this semester. He's always surrounded by kids when I see him in the hallway. Oh, and Mom told me that she was planning on some kind of surprise for Dad on their anniversary next month. Should we do something for them too?"
"We totally should." He spun his shot glass around idly. "Any idea what she has planned?" He was hoping that maybe he could expand on it if it was a vacation or something.
"Not a clue. Mom stopped trusting me with secrets a long time ago. Dad knows how to get anything out of me."
Alec laughed. "The real reason you didn't join the military. You'd never hold up to torture." He thought for a moment. "We could send then some where for a nice weekend or something."
"No, the real reason I didn't go into the military was because I'm too damn good looking that women would explode if they saw both of us together in uniform. You wanted to go in since you were six, and I wasn't going to take away your glory."
Ben thought for a moment as well. "We could. As long as it doesn't involve airplanes."
"Right. So only a few hours away." He paused in thought. "We could send them on a train trip. Some of the guys from base say it's actually a pretty relaxing was to cover distance."
"Well, Dad has always said he would love to see the rest of the country. Mom would go for it if it was one of those train trips that had the real-ish type beds and cooked food."
"I think you can get rooms. Becks isn't the sort of dude that likes couch travel." He was starting to feel the alcohol just a little. A nice warm feeling, but that was it.
"I'll see if Anna wants to chip in." Ben bit his lip, then reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a folder sheet of paper and unfolded it, showing Alec the printouts of a few digital photos he had taken. They were of rings. "Most of my savings is already tied up, though."
Alec grinned. He knew it had been coming. Ben and Anna where just waiting for the right time. He looked over the rings. His brother had a good eye. All of them were atractive, tasteful and practical enough to suit Anna's personality. "You know when you're going to ask her?"
"You're assuming I have a plan," Ben looked at the rings, licking his lips. "I don't know when, or how... i was going to see how the rest of you did it. Maybe ask Amy if Anna ever talked about how she hoped it would happen. I just want to make it right."
Alec's smile was a little goofy and love-struck. "I popped the question while we were in an amusement park. Right before the tilt-a-whirl started. No candle lit dinner or anything. I was afraid that is I over planned, something would go wrong. And. . .if she said no nothing would be ruined. We were out having fun just being a couple. It didn't all revolve around the question."
"Yeah, I remember. I just... she always wants everything to be just right. I want to give her all that." Ben folded the paper back up. "I want to always give her everything she wants."
Alec thought about teasing, but decide that his big brother didn't need it right then. "I think that might be the best proposal speech to use right there."
"Maybe. I was hoping to squeeze a 'Will you marry me?' into it somewhere." Ben blushed a bit.
"I think you know work it in at the beginning or end." He smirked just a little. "Shouldn't be to hard." Because if he didn't tease a little Ben would think he was ill or something.
He shrugged. "I still have time. I need to figure out what I'm going to do after graduation first. I can't really expect her to agree to marry me if I don't have a game plan..."
"I don't think you have to have it set in stone or perfectly layed out. She doesn't expect you to 'keep' her. Maybe you can work it out together."
"Yeah. I know." Ben reached for his beer. "It'll happen and all I can hope for is that she'll say yes. After that, everything will just fall into place. I'm certain of that."
"That's remarkably philosophical of you." But he thought Ben was right.
"Give it up for a college education." Ben lifted his beer in a salute. "Speaking of which... I had an interview today."
Alec lounged against against the bar, but he was still clearly paying attention to his brother. "Oh? How'd it go?"
Ben thought a moment. "Well, I've got a few options going now. One will send me out to Germany for at least a year as an intern at Volkswagen in their technical division to train and then return to the states. Another will put me out in Tulsa working as a contractor. Both are good money and leading to long careers. I could stay around here and work with Dad, but it's hard to turn these down. And that's also without the pressure from Uncle Sam - ours, not the government - to go into the law school, or from the government uncle Sam to do contract work with THEM." He rested his forehead on the bar. "It's too many choices, and I don't know what path to take, and if I take it, will Anna go on it with me? I don't want to choose something that she won't be willing to go with me on, ya know? And I'd hate to leave the family, but it's good money... and I don't want to insult Dad either..."
Alec listened and turned it all over. "One, I don't think Dad will be insulted. He wasn't when I joined the Marines." Because Alec was a good mechanic. He couldn't be anything else with Ben and Dad. They would have disowned him if he couldn't take care of his own car or bike. "Two, I think you should ask yourself which will make you happy. Because none of us want you to pick something you wont be happy with. Three, don't worry about the money. No matter what you wont starve."
"I... kinda want to go to Volkswagen." Ben bit his lip. "I mean, it's a design job. I'd be a junior designer on a new car model, and then be a technical adviser on it in the states for years. I mean, it's a guaranteed position for at least six to ten years if I don't screw up the training and designing bit in the first year."
Alec grinned. "Then take it. You'll only be out of the US for a year. And hell, Anna loves to travel. The girl needs it like breathing. Maybe she'll want to go with you."
"I hope so. Though I do need to make sure Mom and Dad don't flip out either." Ben leaned back in his chair. "It's weird. Everything still feels like... likes it's a dream come true. Like this isn't real and isn't happening... but it is..."
Alec laughed a little. "Don't say things like that. It feels like inviting bad luck. And why would Mom and Dad flip?"
"Because it involves going to another country. You know how they are about wanting us close. The Grands already have issues with us being in California..." Ben shrugs. "But Anna's always wanted to go to Europe..."