Redemption Chapter 7
Jared stood at the kitchen sink, hands bathed in warm, sudsy water to the wrist and distractedly scrubbing a mixing bowl, and gazed out the window. October had turned cool, the crisp air burning nostrils and lungs on each inhale and chilling cheeks and noses with each breeze, leaving the world fresh and clean. He smiled as a cluster of leaves were caught on a blustery gust and spiraled up on a cyclonic vortex, a cyclical, undulating dance. Rinsing the bowl, Jared shook the excess water free and placed it on a spread out dishtowel lying on the counter. His fingers trailed over the smooth granite countertops, newly installed the previous weekend thanks to Chris, Steve and Jim Beaver, the hardware store owner.
It really amazed him how the community had banded together to help him wheedle down the lengthy list of repairs that the house needed. On each of the last six weekends, no less than twenty people descended on their small farm wielding paintbrushes, hammers and screwdrivers, the effort spearheaded by the vivacious and apparently difficult to say no to, Karen Ackles. She coordinated the volunteers, made sure everyone was fed and single-handedly corralled the twins so they weren’t underfoot. The interior of the house now sported new paint and refinished floors, the kitchen cabinets and countertops had been replaced and the downstairs bathroom was completely refurbished. The embarrassment he’d originally felt quickly morphed into relief when he realized that it would have taken him months to complete what they’d done in a few short weeks.
The front door thudded and, after a short pause, heavy footsteps made their way toward the kitchen. Jared tilted his head to the side, the small smile widening as he went back to his sink of soapy water. This was something that also amazed him. The free food in lieu of free labor deal he’d brokered with Jensen was still in effect. Weeknights found the four of them at the dining room table sharing a home cooked meal and stories of their day while the weekends found them covered in paint, varnish and sawdust.
“Jared?” Jensen pushed the swinging door that separated the dining room from the kitchen, darting a searching glance inside.
“Here,” Jared answered, running the utensils he’d been washing under the tap.
“Mmmm, smells like cookies in here,” Jensen grabbed a dishtowel off the oven handle and started drying the stack of clean dishes on the counter.
“That’s good, since I baked cookies today,” Jared flicked his wet hands at Jensen, water droplets spattering Jensen’s Western shirt and face. “You sure your momma didn’t want me to bring anything else tonight?”
“Jared,” Jensen sighed, putting the mixing bowl in the bottom cabinet to the left of the stove, “half the town is going to be there tonight and everybody is bringing something. You’re fine.”
“If you say so,” Jared hooked his finger around the sink stopper and pulled it free, the foamy water gurgling as it drained, “You remember to stop and get the candy?”
“In the truck,” Jensen slid the silverware drawer shut, “Couldn’t bring it inside. Between you and TJ, there’d be none left. Speaking of the little angels,” he frowned, listening to the unnaturally quiet house, “you have them tied up somewhere?”
Jensen had become accustomed to Benji bum-rushing him as soon as he stepped in the door, small arms wrapped around his legs before he even had a chance to take off his hat. Gleeful shouts of ‘Uncle Jen,’ the moniker that Benji had taken upon himself to christen Jensen with, warmed his heart almost as much as the green sparkle that stared at him with excitement and affection. TJ was still warming up to him, preferring to give a more subdued welcome from the bottom of the stairs - a soft ‘Deputy’ - learned from his daddy - and shy smile. However reticent TJ seemed, Jensen was certain that the few practical jokes he’d fallen victim to were masterminded by the quieter boy. So far he’d been in the house fifteen minutes without hide nor hair of either twin, strange in a house that typically overflowed with their presence.
“Do you have any idea how much power the word ‘Halloween’ has on six-year-olds?” Jared pulled two platters from the oven piled high with vanilla frosted sugar cookies in the shape of ghosts complete with chocolate chip eyes. “They take threats against candy very seriously.”
Jensen reached for a cookie only to have his hand slapped away. Scowling, he lunged at Jared, nimble fingers remembering time-tested tickle spots with uncanny accuracy. He spared half a moment’s thought to worry about the stretch of skin over sharp bone, before his efforts started achieving the desired result. The younger man squawked, writhing in an attempt to get away from the wiggling digits only to be stopped by the refrigerator behind him.
“Stop, stop, stop,” Jared panted, tears streaming down his face from laughing. With a particularly limber turn, he danced away, doubling over with his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath through his dying chuckles.
“Oh, no you don’t!” Jensen taunted, chasing him, fingers flexing in a teasing threat.
“No!” Jared darted around to the other side of the island, face flushed in amusement. When Jensen mirrored his position on the opposite side, Jared feinted to the left then dashed to the right. Having played this game before, Jensen anticipated and caught Jared at the end of the island, arms going around the younger man’s waist and fingers digging into sensitive flesh.
“No, no, no. Deputy, don’t,” The words exploded out in machine gun bursts, laughs and surprised yelps punctuating each one. Jared wiggled and bent and twisted, “Stop! Deputy! Don’t, don’t, don’t!” His body spasmed when Jensen found a particularly ticklish place, “Jensen!”
The onslaught stopped, Jensen’s arms around him, their breaths heaving and mingling in the small space between their faces. Jensen’s eyes were alight with mirth, clear and bright, like green glass backlit by a flame. Sweat from exertion trickled down the back of Jared’s neck, wetting the hair at his nape, as he stared mesmerized by the verdant depths. The pull was magnetic, opposite poles drawn by science and physics toward each other.
“Daddy?”
Jared blinked, uncertain when he’d closed his eyes, and turned toward the timid voice. TJ stood framed in the entry from the hallway, wide-eyed and pale, dressed in the body suit of his Iron Man costume, the burgundy and gold mask dangling from his fingers. Behind him, Benji was already in his Captain America costume, an elastic band cutting a black swatch across his neck allowing the royal blue rubber mask to hand down his back. Unlike his brother, Benji’s eyes were narrowed and cold, a look of pure fury, so out of place on a young face, contorting his features.
“Let him go!” Benji’s voice was infused with anger and as much threat as the little boy could muster. He sidestepped around his brother, taking a protective stance in front of his sibling.
Jared disentangled himself from Jensen’s arms. “Benji!” He admonished, expression shocked at the menacing tone. Benji adored Jensen, full-out hero worshipped him, and for him to stare at his idol with such hate shook Jared to his core. “You don’t speak to adults that way. What’s the matter?”
Benji’s harsh glare softened as it drifted to his father, eyes shimmering suspiciously in the fading sunlight. “You said no. We heard you tell him to stop and he didn’t. You were crying and yelling.”
Jensen felt more than saw Jared’s shoulders slump. “Benji.” The name sounded wounded this time, raw and sorrowful. The vocalization of the failure Jared felt he’d been to his sons.
Jensen looked at the two boys, their contrasting reactions a blinking confirmation of Jensen’s suspicions. Jason hadn’t found anything snooping into Olyphant’s background other than the man was practically destitute; his only financially stable investment Olyphant-Padalecki Originals. Now, with Jared gone, even that endeavor would quickly start running in the red. There were no records of 911 calls, police reports or CPS investigations tied to Olyphant. Standing here, there was no doubt in Jensen’s mind that the lack of data didn’t prove he was wrong about his old nemesis - just that Jared had concealed his abuse. Jensen’d been thankful that in all his years in law enforcement he’d never been forced to take another life - he’d shot several fleeing suspects, but nothing lethal. At this moment, seeing Jared weighed down by what he believed was his own shortcomings and his children’s worry that their daddy wasn’t safe, Jensen knew he could happily kill Olyphant and go to bed that night and sleep the sleep of the justified.
Jared crossed to his sons, kneeling on the floor in front of them to bring him to their eye level. “We were playing, that’s all. Deputy here was tickling me because I wouldn’t let him have a cookie. Just a tickle fight, nothing more. Like when we wrestle.” He gave them a reassuring smile, keeping his face open and honest. “I promise, he wasn’t hurting me.”
TJ looked to Benji as if waiting his decision on their daddy’s explanation. Jensen had become well aware that TJ might be the strategist of the group, but he sought out Benji when it came to judgment calls. Benji’s shrewd eyes scrutinized Jensen for a moment before turning to Jared, searching his dad’s face for signs of deception. Finally, satisfied with what he saw, Benji’s expression became sheepish and TJ, seeing the change, ducked his head as well.
“I’m sorry for talking ugly to you, Uncle Jen,” Benji said, meekly.
“I’m sorry, too,” TJ followed his brother’s example, speaking for the first time since calling his father’s name and breaking them apart.
Jensen came forward, crouching next to Jared. “It’s okay, buddies,” he said gently, telegraphing his movements as he reached out to lay a hand on each twin’s shoulder. “I would do the same thing if I thought someone was hurting somebody I loved.” He tenderly squeezed the bone and flesh under his fingers. “Just know, I would never hurt your Dad and I would never hurt either of you.”
The house was eerily quiet after Jensen’s declaration, all four mentally digesting the last few minutes. Jared was the first to break the silence, “Okay, Mr. Stark and Captain Rogers,” he tugged TJ’s mask free from his hand and settled it over the little boy’s face, “go find your trick-or-treat buckets so we can head over to Nana and Papaw’s house.”
TJ’s body shivered with excitement, an enthusiastic squeal making its way past the mouth screen. Jensen chuckled, twisting Benji’s mask around to the front and fitting it over his eyes and nose. Properly outfitted in their superhero alter-egos, the boys ran upstairs to get the pails Sandy had made for them to use for candy.
Standing up, Jensen felt Jared’s gaze on him, regarding him with an odd expression. Feeling self-conscious, Jensen rubbed the back of his neck and nodded toward the platters of cookies on the counter. “Got any aluminum foil?”
****
Halloween at the Ackles’ was somewhat legendary in the Wowakan community. Hosted on Karen and Alex’s farm since Jensen was in diapers, it had grown from a hayride and bonfire for close friends and family to a full blown event attended by most of the town. Booths dotted the perimeter of the farm’s back yard, designed by local businesses holding anything from food to children’s games. The highlights were Fire Water’s haunted barn, Chris and Steve working non-stop for days to transform the Ackles’ traditional red barn into a terror riddled space for those brave of heart, and the hay maze, a favorite of amorous young couples who liked to ‘get lost’ in the stacked bales.
Jensen parked the Impala and Jared marveled at the spectacle. Adults and kids wove between the parked vehicles dressed in a variety of costumes, all carrying covered dishes for the potluck dinner. Getting out, he could hear music blaring from speakers hidden in strategically placed haystacks and smell the wood smoke in the air. People he’d met greeted him, smiling as they hurried to the epicenter of the excitement. Smiling, Jared took a deep breath and let the atmosphere flow over him. This was what he always wanted for the twins. Not the hustle and bustle of Atlanta where neighbors never took the time to learn each other’s names, but a small town where life was laid back and the inhabitants genuinely cared. Wowakan had turned out to be everything that Jensen described that made Jared think of it first when he decided to leave, not just the idyllic vision of a beloved hometown.
“Daddy! Daddy! I see Dalton and Hunter.” TJ pointed toward Sam’s apple bobbing booth where a group of kids were standing next to several large metal basins. “Can we go?”
Nerves prickled the back of Jared’s neck, the idea of the kids being lost in the crowd, gone from sight and out of arm’s reach, forcing his breaths to come fast and shallow.
“Jared?” Jensen’s hand on the small of his back made him jump. “You okay?” Three sets of green eyes, varying shades and sizes, stared at him curiously.
“Yeah,” Jared scrunched his nose to show how silly he felt the question was. “Of course,” he chuckled, humorlessly.
“The kids want to go play,” Jensen jutted his chin in the direction of Sam’s booth. “Is that okay?”
“Um,” Jared bit his lip.
Jensen leaned close and spoke directly in his ear. “All the children are together and no adult in this town would ever let anything happen to any of them. If you hold on too tight, you’ll suffocate them.”
Jared turned his head, locking gazes with the older man, trying to gauge exactly how much Jensen had guessed about his overprotectiveness. Sighing deeply, he looked down at the pleading eyes of his sons. “Stay with Dalton and Hunter and don’t go behind the barn.” Receiving two solemn nods, he shooed them off to have fun.
“Nicely done, Dad,” Jensen patted him on the arm, ducking back into the Impala to grab two grocery bags full of candy, “Besides, half the Plains County Sheriff’s Department is here tonight. I think we’ve got it covered.”
Rolling his eyes, Jared grabbed the platters of cookies from the front seat. “You realize that’s only like three people, right?”
“Sounded impressive, didn’t it?”
They maneuvered their way through the crowd to the long buffet tables laden with a menagerie of Tupperware and Corning ware in a rainbow of colors, each filled with homemade sides and desserts. Off to the side, Alex and Jensen’s brother, Austin, manned two large smokers, bluish billows rising up from the cast iron depths carrying the savory scent of cooked meat through the cool autumn air.
Jensen hugged his father and, laughing, turned an amused eye toward his brother. “Nice costume, bro.”
Austin smoothed over his green spandex bodysuit and then adjusted the matching mask. “Don’t hate just because you couldn’t pull it off.” He poked Jensen in the ribs. Shrugging, he caught sight of his sons running across the yard, TJ and Benji in tow. Dalton’s black Batman cape and Hunter’s red Superman one flowed behind them as they went. “The boys picked it out.”
Any jokes Jensen had died on his tongue at his brother’s fond expression. Austin’s wife, Tracey, had been diagnosed with breast cancer right after Hunter was born and two years ago succumbed to her illness. Since then Austin’s life had centered around his children, the only part of her he had left. They could have asked him to come as RuPaul and he would have gladly gone out to find size 13 pumps and a blonde wig.
“Well, they did good. Guess it really is a super-hero Halloween.” Jared smoothly diverted the conversation. His brow furrowed and he tilted his head to the side, eyes concentrating on the emblem on Austin’s chest. “Didn’t I just read that The Green Lantern is gay?”
“That was Alan Scott from the comic book. I’m Hal Jordan from the movie,” Austin corrected, matter of factly.
“Jenny!” Chris yelled, making his way over with Steve, narrowly avoiding little Susie Anderson as she toddled toward her sister at the bean bag toss. “Where’s the rest of our Initiative?”
Jensen met Jared’s stunned gaze with one of his own. He’d heard the twins talking about Chris and Steve filling out the Avengers roster, but he thought the older men were just humoring them. He could only assume that he was wrong as Chris, covered in green body paint and wearing a cut off pair of purple sweat pants, and Steve, silver breast plate reflecting the flames of the tiki torches and red cape rippling in the gentle breeze, came closer. Choking back a surprised laugh, he forced out. “So, exactly which one of the kids’ fingers are you wrapped around?”
“Fuck off, Ackles. What are you two supposed to be? Ennis and Jack?” Chris fist bumped Austin.
“Ennis and Jack?” Jared’s eyebrows rose, looking at the four men for clarification.
“Brokeback Mountain.” Steve prompted, waving a hand to encompass Jensen and Jared’s Western shirts, jeans and cowboy boots.
“Brokeback Mountain?” Jared shook his head from side to side, still confused.
“You know, the gay cowboy movie? ‘I wish I knew how to quit you?’ “ Seeing Jared still didn’t understand the reference, Chris smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Jenny will be happy to tell you all about it. Now, where are Iron Man and Captain America?”
Austin pointed to the entrance of the hay maze where Karen Ackles was handing her grandsons and the twins small handheld flashlights. Jared stiffened, the darkened corridors of the artificially constructed maze, ominous. Before he could take a step, Chris slapped Steve on the arm. “Come on, Thor.” They rushed after the quartet, Steve scooping up Dalton and Benji while Chris gathered Hunter and TJ, the boys squealing in delight.
“You ever think you’d see Chris head over heels for a bunch of kids?” Jensen smirked, watching his best friend disappear behind a wall of hay with the four boys and his laughing lover.
“Never.”
“Come on, Jared. Let me introduce you to the greatness of the Ackles Halloween Festival.” He waved good-bye to Austin and tugged Jared toward the booths.
*****
Hours later, Jared and Jensen sat side by side on the back of the wagon, the last hayride of the night finished a half hour before. They watched people as they passed, Jensen naming the few that Jared hadn’t met yet. The crowd had thinned considerably as the night wore on, but there was still easily a hundred people milling around and enjoying the camaraderie. Milo and Sandy were perched on one of the bales of hay surrounding the fire, snuggled under a large blanket. Karen and Alex helped the kids roast marshmallows, replacing the puffed sugar squares each time one of the children returned with an empty skewer. Danneel and Jim worked with Sam to dismantle her booth, collecting the un-bobbed apples in a crate and dumping the water out of the basins. Misha and Vicky were at their booth - Whoa! - needing to find a more secluded spot. Jensen bumped Jared’s elbow, jerking his head in their direction, loving the blush that stole over tanned cheeks. It was Jared that noticed Austin and Genevieve having a quiet, intimate conversation in the dark recess at the edge of the barn. Jensen took in the way Austin tenderly brushed a strand of hair from Genevieve’s face and her shy smile, nodding his head in approval.
Chris and Steve emerged around the side of the wagon, Chris’ hair disheveled and Steve’s breastplate hanging askew from his shoulders. Clearing his throat, Jensen schooled his face into an expectant look.
“Jensen, Jared,” Steve shifted his costume, trying to get the chest piece to sit correctly.
“Y’all enjoying yourselves?” Jared’s lips were pressed in a tight line, fighting the smile that threatened to break free.
“Definitely,” Chris leered, leaning against the edge of the wagon. Up close, Jensen could see where his face paint was streaked from sweat and rubbed clean in certain places. Steve had green smudges on his neck and arms. “Jared, I’ve been meaning to ask. You hear much from Murray?”
“Yeah. We’re still really good friends. Funny you should mention him, he called today to say he was coming for Thanksgiving.” Jared swung his legs back and forth.
“Chaddy’s coming?” Jensen’s eyes filled with mirth. Chad was always good for a laugh. “Awesome!”
“Uncle Chris! Uncle Steve!” TJ and Benji ran up, chorusing their cries in a way only twins can achieve. Benji grabbed Chris’ hand and TJ clutched Steve’s dragging them away.
“Come sing for us,” TJ turned the full force of his eyes on Steve.
“Please,” Benji begged.
“You must be a cold hearted bastard to refuse them anything,” Chris hollered to Jared over his shoulder, allowing the young boy to pull him away.
“They’re my children; makes me immune to their powers,” Jared called back.
Chris and Steve settled on a felled tree trunk beside the fire, fingers deftly strumming their guitars to check the tuning. People meandered closer, blankets appearing on the ground and spaces disappearing on the available hay bales. The children sat cross-legged in front of the duo, eyes wide and entranced. Whisky-honeyed voices filled the air, crooning love songs and old country ballads. Jensen hummed along, mumbling words to the chorus every once in a while. Jared let his gaze drift over the crowd. Couples were nestled close, gathering warmth from each other as the singers’ soothing sounds washed over them. Jared noted the people he still needed to meet - an older couple in rocking chairs carried down from the back porch that Jared was fairly certain was the infamous Shaws, a young woman cuddling a bundled baby close to her chest, a balding man sitting by himself and giving off an air that he preferred it that way.
A smile ghosted over his lips at the sight of Karen and Alex, wrapped around each other in a blanket. They reminded him so much of his own parents back in Georgia, a lasting marriage that still held the spark of passion that rivaled most newlyweds. He couldn’t be more grateful that the twins had two such doting people close by when his own folks couldn’t be. Conscious of his gaze, Karen turned toward him, her green eyes dancing merrily in the firelight. Her smile was warm and loving - a tender smile for one of her own. She jerked her head to the right, eyes crinkling in happiness. Furrowing his brow, Jared looked at Jensen to his left wondering what it was that Karen was trying to tell him.
Jensen was watching the gathered crowd and Jared followed his gaze to find it not focused on his best friends singing, but the enamored twins sitting at their feet. There was a fondness to his expression, one that resembled the look Karen had graced Jared with, and he had to stifle a surprised gasp. Never, in six years, had Timothy, their Father, ever looked at the boys that way. Like he was proud of them, like he loved them, like they were his own. It was how Jared hoped he looked when he watched them. Knowledge struck lightning quick and realization followed on fast thunder, leaving him breathless. He looked back at Karen who nodded at him in that knowing way all mother’s possessed, smile brightening. Somewhere between the pot roast and paint brushes, Jensen had fallen in love with Jared’s kids. In the last six weeks, Jensen had changed his bachelor life to become a part of their family - dinners at home each night, trips to the park, football in the backyard, tucking the kids in bed at night. It had happened so subtly that Jared missed it. He and Jensen were giving the kids the life Jared had always wanted for them.
Jared stared on in awe as Jensen’s soft smile broadened, lips parting on a silent chuckle as Benji and TJ sung along with The Devil Went Down To Georgia. Green eyes flicked to him and a blush crept over Jensen’s cheeks at Jared’s intense focus.
“What?” Jensen asked, laughing self-consciously.
Jared brought his hand up, resting it on the side of Jensen’s neck, long fingers wrapping around his nape to draw him in closer.
“Jared?” Jensen’s voice was curious and a bit hopeful and Jared refused to be distracted from this for anything short of a nuclear bomb.
Jensen’s lips, chapped from the cool air and constant licking, were achingly familiar and Jared groaned at the remembered feel of them against his own. Jensen seemed unsure for a fraction of a moment before his arms wound around Jared’s body, tugging him closer. With a synchronicity that Jared wouldn’t have believed still existed, their mouths parted in unison to deepen the kiss, heads tilting at the exact angle to make it better and tongues coming out to play. Hands clutched in muscle memory over body parts they knew so well, as if seven years hadn’t passed since the last time they’d explored the muscled expanses. Jensen gently urged Jared down into the mounds of pitched hay in the wagon, their bodies sinking into the dried grass and concealing their intimacy from anyone’s view. He rolled them, blanketing Jared, and raised up on his elbow, breaking the kiss.
“Are you sure?” Jensen ran his fingers down the side of Jared’s face as if tactilely trying to memorize the contours in case Jared’s answer was ‘no.’
“Of you?” Jared leaned into Jensen’s touch, “Always.” And Jared had never spoken truer words. “What about you? I’m a packaged set. Date one, get two free. We can be a lot to handle.”
“I think I’m up to the challenge,” Jensen winked, dipping down for another kiss.
Jared pressed his palm, to the older man’s chest, lightly pushing him away. “Just, um, can we go slow? A lot has happened since we…” Jared trailed off, shrugging his shoulders, “So, slow?” He lowered his eyes and scrunched his face the same way Jensen remembered him doing when asking him to do something Jared thought he didn’t want to do.
“Jared,” Jensen kept his voice soft, but serious, hand resting over Jared’s heart, “we’ll go at your speed.” He ducked his head to meet uncertain hazel eyes and petted down Jared’s chest to cup his hip. “I’m in no hurry. I just want you to be happy.”
Jared raised his head, hope shining in his eyes. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Jensen nudged the tips of their noses together, pressing his lips to Jared’s in a quick, chaste kiss, “but you have to promise me something.”
Jared’s optimistic eyes dulled. “What’s that?” His voice was wary and suspicious.
“Try to eat a little more,” he squeezed Jared’s hip playfully, sliding his hand up to slot his fingers in the valleys between Jared’s ribs. “When we decide to do more, I’d like a little something to hold on to.” He waggled his eyebrows before his face lost its teasing tone. “Please,” he begged, “I just want you to be healthy.”
Jared opened his mouth to protest, but snapped it closed at the worry gazing down on him. Jensen was right. Even though he’d gained enough weight in the last few weeks - thanks to Jensen dishing seconds on to his plate every night - to warrant new pants, he was still severely underweight. The town’s doctor, Dr. Morgan, was keeping a close watch on Jared’s blood work in the hopes of managing his chronic anemia, but had strongly suggested that Jared take steps to healthily bring his body weight up and eat a more rounded diet. Man cannot live on salad alone, Jared.
“I promise.”
“Jensen? Jared?” Sandy’s voice floated through the tangled straw to them.
“I think our presence is being requested,” Jensen stole another kiss before unburying himself from the hay to drop down off the back of the wagon. He tugged Jared free and they went in search of Sandy who was near the fire with Milo.
“The twins fell asleep,” she pointed at the burgundy and blue lumps on the blanket, Chris and Steve keeping guard over them. “Thought you might want to keep them that way.”
“Thanks, San,” Jared dropped a kiss to her cheek and clapped Milo on the back, heading toward his slumbering children.
“Jensen, you have something sticking up the back of your collar,” her night-cool hand brushed across the nape of his neck, plucking a piece of hay from beneath his collar.
“Oh, thanks,” he ran a hand over the back of his neck to check for any more. Seeing Jared thank Chris and Steve while trying to heft up both boys, he excused himself. “I think Jared could use a hand.”
“I’ll grab the kids’ candy buckets,” Sandy offered, walking over to the bench where all the children had set their trick-or-treat pails for safe keeping.
“Thanks,” Jensen called over his shoulder. Approaching Jared, crouched on the ground mentally planning on how to pick up both twins without waking them, Jensen touched his shoulder lightly. “I’ll get Benji,” he whispered, knowing Benji was less likely to be upset waking in his arms.
“Thanks.” Jared nodded gratefully and scooped TJ up. When the little boy mewled, rousing slightly, he shushed him quietly. “Sshhh, Teddy Bear. Go back to sleep.” He glanced over and smiled as Benji nestled into Jensen’s chest, sleep undisturbed by the change in position.
“Here you go,” Sandy said softly, two candy filled pumpkin buckets dangling from her fingertips by a black plastic strap.
“I’ll carry them,” Karen came over, brushing TJ’s hair off his forehead and taking the pails from Sandy, “I want to say good-night to my boys anyway.” She flicked on a flashlight to illuminate the way to the Impala and led the way.
Watching their friends disappear in the darkness, Sandy sighed, leaning back against Milo’s chest. “They make a perfect picture.”
“That they do,” Milo agreed.
Tilting a confused head to the side, Steve frowned. “Is it my imagination or does Jared have hay in his hair?”
“Not your imagination,” Sandy smiled, “I pulled some from Jensen’s collar, too.”
“Ennis and Jack ride again?” Steve chuckled.
Chris’ grin was smug as he watched Jensen cuddle Benji closer to him. “About damn time.”
It really amazed him how the community had banded together to help him wheedle down the lengthy list of repairs that the house needed. On each of the last six weekends, no less than twenty people descended on their small farm wielding paintbrushes, hammers and screwdrivers, the effort spearheaded by the vivacious and apparently difficult to say no to, Karen Ackles. She coordinated the volunteers, made sure everyone was fed and single-handedly corralled the twins so they weren’t underfoot. The interior of the house now sported new paint and refinished floors, the kitchen cabinets and countertops had been replaced and the downstairs bathroom was completely refurbished. The embarrassment he’d originally felt quickly morphed into relief when he realized that it would have taken him months to complete what they’d done in a few short weeks.
The front door thudded and, after a short pause, heavy footsteps made their way toward the kitchen. Jared tilted his head to the side, the small smile widening as he went back to his sink of soapy water. This was something that also amazed him. The free food in lieu of free labor deal he’d brokered with Jensen was still in effect. Weeknights found the four of them at the dining room table sharing a home cooked meal and stories of their day while the weekends found them covered in paint, varnish and sawdust.
“Jared?” Jensen pushed the swinging door that separated the dining room from the kitchen, darting a searching glance inside.
“Here,” Jared answered, running the utensils he’d been washing under the tap.
“Mmmm, smells like cookies in here,” Jensen grabbed a dishtowel off the oven handle and started drying the stack of clean dishes on the counter.
“That’s good, since I baked cookies today,” Jared flicked his wet hands at Jensen, water droplets spattering Jensen’s Western shirt and face. “You sure your momma didn’t want me to bring anything else tonight?”
“Jared,” Jensen sighed, putting the mixing bowl in the bottom cabinet to the left of the stove, “half the town is going to be there tonight and everybody is bringing something. You’re fine.”
“If you say so,” Jared hooked his finger around the sink stopper and pulled it free, the foamy water gurgling as it drained, “You remember to stop and get the candy?”
“In the truck,” Jensen slid the silverware drawer shut, “Couldn’t bring it inside. Between you and TJ, there’d be none left. Speaking of the little angels,” he frowned, listening to the unnaturally quiet house, “you have them tied up somewhere?”
Jensen had become accustomed to Benji bum-rushing him as soon as he stepped in the door, small arms wrapped around his legs before he even had a chance to take off his hat. Gleeful shouts of ‘Uncle Jen,’ the moniker that Benji had taken upon himself to christen Jensen with, warmed his heart almost as much as the green sparkle that stared at him with excitement and affection. TJ was still warming up to him, preferring to give a more subdued welcome from the bottom of the stairs - a soft ‘Deputy’ - learned from his daddy - and shy smile. However reticent TJ seemed, Jensen was certain that the few practical jokes he’d fallen victim to were masterminded by the quieter boy. So far he’d been in the house fifteen minutes without hide nor hair of either twin, strange in a house that typically overflowed with their presence.
“Do you have any idea how much power the word ‘Halloween’ has on six-year-olds?” Jared pulled two platters from the oven piled high with vanilla frosted sugar cookies in the shape of ghosts complete with chocolate chip eyes. “They take threats against candy very seriously.”
Jensen reached for a cookie only to have his hand slapped away. Scowling, he lunged at Jared, nimble fingers remembering time-tested tickle spots with uncanny accuracy. He spared half a moment’s thought to worry about the stretch of skin over sharp bone, before his efforts started achieving the desired result. The younger man squawked, writhing in an attempt to get away from the wiggling digits only to be stopped by the refrigerator behind him.
“Stop, stop, stop,” Jared panted, tears streaming down his face from laughing. With a particularly limber turn, he danced away, doubling over with his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath through his dying chuckles.
“Oh, no you don’t!” Jensen taunted, chasing him, fingers flexing in a teasing threat.
“No!” Jared darted around to the other side of the island, face flushed in amusement. When Jensen mirrored his position on the opposite side, Jared feinted to the left then dashed to the right. Having played this game before, Jensen anticipated and caught Jared at the end of the island, arms going around the younger man’s waist and fingers digging into sensitive flesh.
“No, no, no. Deputy, don’t,” The words exploded out in machine gun bursts, laughs and surprised yelps punctuating each one. Jared wiggled and bent and twisted, “Stop! Deputy! Don’t, don’t, don’t!” His body spasmed when Jensen found a particularly ticklish place, “Jensen!”
The onslaught stopped, Jensen’s arms around him, their breaths heaving and mingling in the small space between their faces. Jensen’s eyes were alight with mirth, clear and bright, like green glass backlit by a flame. Sweat from exertion trickled down the back of Jared’s neck, wetting the hair at his nape, as he stared mesmerized by the verdant depths. The pull was magnetic, opposite poles drawn by science and physics toward each other.
“Daddy?”
Jared blinked, uncertain when he’d closed his eyes, and turned toward the timid voice. TJ stood framed in the entry from the hallway, wide-eyed and pale, dressed in the body suit of his Iron Man costume, the burgundy and gold mask dangling from his fingers. Behind him, Benji was already in his Captain America costume, an elastic band cutting a black swatch across his neck allowing the royal blue rubber mask to hand down his back. Unlike his brother, Benji’s eyes were narrowed and cold, a look of pure fury, so out of place on a young face, contorting his features.
“Let him go!” Benji’s voice was infused with anger and as much threat as the little boy could muster. He sidestepped around his brother, taking a protective stance in front of his sibling.
Jared disentangled himself from Jensen’s arms. “Benji!” He admonished, expression shocked at the menacing tone. Benji adored Jensen, full-out hero worshipped him, and for him to stare at his idol with such hate shook Jared to his core. “You don’t speak to adults that way. What’s the matter?”
Benji’s harsh glare softened as it drifted to his father, eyes shimmering suspiciously in the fading sunlight. “You said no. We heard you tell him to stop and he didn’t. You were crying and yelling.”
Jensen felt more than saw Jared’s shoulders slump. “Benji.” The name sounded wounded this time, raw and sorrowful. The vocalization of the failure Jared felt he’d been to his sons.
Jensen looked at the two boys, their contrasting reactions a blinking confirmation of Jensen’s suspicions. Jason hadn’t found anything snooping into Olyphant’s background other than the man was practically destitute; his only financially stable investment Olyphant-Padalecki Originals. Now, with Jared gone, even that endeavor would quickly start running in the red. There were no records of 911 calls, police reports or CPS investigations tied to Olyphant. Standing here, there was no doubt in Jensen’s mind that the lack of data didn’t prove he was wrong about his old nemesis - just that Jared had concealed his abuse. Jensen’d been thankful that in all his years in law enforcement he’d never been forced to take another life - he’d shot several fleeing suspects, but nothing lethal. At this moment, seeing Jared weighed down by what he believed was his own shortcomings and his children’s worry that their daddy wasn’t safe, Jensen knew he could happily kill Olyphant and go to bed that night and sleep the sleep of the justified.
Jared crossed to his sons, kneeling on the floor in front of them to bring him to their eye level. “We were playing, that’s all. Deputy here was tickling me because I wouldn’t let him have a cookie. Just a tickle fight, nothing more. Like when we wrestle.” He gave them a reassuring smile, keeping his face open and honest. “I promise, he wasn’t hurting me.”
TJ looked to Benji as if waiting his decision on their daddy’s explanation. Jensen had become well aware that TJ might be the strategist of the group, but he sought out Benji when it came to judgment calls. Benji’s shrewd eyes scrutinized Jensen for a moment before turning to Jared, searching his dad’s face for signs of deception. Finally, satisfied with what he saw, Benji’s expression became sheepish and TJ, seeing the change, ducked his head as well.
“I’m sorry for talking ugly to you, Uncle Jen,” Benji said, meekly.
“I’m sorry, too,” TJ followed his brother’s example, speaking for the first time since calling his father’s name and breaking them apart.
Jensen came forward, crouching next to Jared. “It’s okay, buddies,” he said gently, telegraphing his movements as he reached out to lay a hand on each twin’s shoulder. “I would do the same thing if I thought someone was hurting somebody I loved.” He tenderly squeezed the bone and flesh under his fingers. “Just know, I would never hurt your Dad and I would never hurt either of you.”
The house was eerily quiet after Jensen’s declaration, all four mentally digesting the last few minutes. Jared was the first to break the silence, “Okay, Mr. Stark and Captain Rogers,” he tugged TJ’s mask free from his hand and settled it over the little boy’s face, “go find your trick-or-treat buckets so we can head over to Nana and Papaw’s house.”
TJ’s body shivered with excitement, an enthusiastic squeal making its way past the mouth screen. Jensen chuckled, twisting Benji’s mask around to the front and fitting it over his eyes and nose. Properly outfitted in their superhero alter-egos, the boys ran upstairs to get the pails Sandy had made for them to use for candy.
Standing up, Jensen felt Jared’s gaze on him, regarding him with an odd expression. Feeling self-conscious, Jensen rubbed the back of his neck and nodded toward the platters of cookies on the counter. “Got any aluminum foil?”
****
Halloween at the Ackles’ was somewhat legendary in the Wowakan community. Hosted on Karen and Alex’s farm since Jensen was in diapers, it had grown from a hayride and bonfire for close friends and family to a full blown event attended by most of the town. Booths dotted the perimeter of the farm’s back yard, designed by local businesses holding anything from food to children’s games. The highlights were Fire Water’s haunted barn, Chris and Steve working non-stop for days to transform the Ackles’ traditional red barn into a terror riddled space for those brave of heart, and the hay maze, a favorite of amorous young couples who liked to ‘get lost’ in the stacked bales.
Jensen parked the Impala and Jared marveled at the spectacle. Adults and kids wove between the parked vehicles dressed in a variety of costumes, all carrying covered dishes for the potluck dinner. Getting out, he could hear music blaring from speakers hidden in strategically placed haystacks and smell the wood smoke in the air. People he’d met greeted him, smiling as they hurried to the epicenter of the excitement. Smiling, Jared took a deep breath and let the atmosphere flow over him. This was what he always wanted for the twins. Not the hustle and bustle of Atlanta where neighbors never took the time to learn each other’s names, but a small town where life was laid back and the inhabitants genuinely cared. Wowakan had turned out to be everything that Jensen described that made Jared think of it first when he decided to leave, not just the idyllic vision of a beloved hometown.
“Daddy! Daddy! I see Dalton and Hunter.” TJ pointed toward Sam’s apple bobbing booth where a group of kids were standing next to several large metal basins. “Can we go?”
Nerves prickled the back of Jared’s neck, the idea of the kids being lost in the crowd, gone from sight and out of arm’s reach, forcing his breaths to come fast and shallow.
“Jared?” Jensen’s hand on the small of his back made him jump. “You okay?” Three sets of green eyes, varying shades and sizes, stared at him curiously.
“Yeah,” Jared scrunched his nose to show how silly he felt the question was. “Of course,” he chuckled, humorlessly.
“The kids want to go play,” Jensen jutted his chin in the direction of Sam’s booth. “Is that okay?”
“Um,” Jared bit his lip.
Jensen leaned close and spoke directly in his ear. “All the children are together and no adult in this town would ever let anything happen to any of them. If you hold on too tight, you’ll suffocate them.”
Jared turned his head, locking gazes with the older man, trying to gauge exactly how much Jensen had guessed about his overprotectiveness. Sighing deeply, he looked down at the pleading eyes of his sons. “Stay with Dalton and Hunter and don’t go behind the barn.” Receiving two solemn nods, he shooed them off to have fun.
“Nicely done, Dad,” Jensen patted him on the arm, ducking back into the Impala to grab two grocery bags full of candy, “Besides, half the Plains County Sheriff’s Department is here tonight. I think we’ve got it covered.”
Rolling his eyes, Jared grabbed the platters of cookies from the front seat. “You realize that’s only like three people, right?”
“Sounded impressive, didn’t it?”
They maneuvered their way through the crowd to the long buffet tables laden with a menagerie of Tupperware and Corning ware in a rainbow of colors, each filled with homemade sides and desserts. Off to the side, Alex and Jensen’s brother, Austin, manned two large smokers, bluish billows rising up from the cast iron depths carrying the savory scent of cooked meat through the cool autumn air.
Jensen hugged his father and, laughing, turned an amused eye toward his brother. “Nice costume, bro.”
Austin smoothed over his green spandex bodysuit and then adjusted the matching mask. “Don’t hate just because you couldn’t pull it off.” He poked Jensen in the ribs. Shrugging, he caught sight of his sons running across the yard, TJ and Benji in tow. Dalton’s black Batman cape and Hunter’s red Superman one flowed behind them as they went. “The boys picked it out.”
Any jokes Jensen had died on his tongue at his brother’s fond expression. Austin’s wife, Tracey, had been diagnosed with breast cancer right after Hunter was born and two years ago succumbed to her illness. Since then Austin’s life had centered around his children, the only part of her he had left. They could have asked him to come as RuPaul and he would have gladly gone out to find size 13 pumps and a blonde wig.
“Well, they did good. Guess it really is a super-hero Halloween.” Jared smoothly diverted the conversation. His brow furrowed and he tilted his head to the side, eyes concentrating on the emblem on Austin’s chest. “Didn’t I just read that The Green Lantern is gay?”
“That was Alan Scott from the comic book. I’m Hal Jordan from the movie,” Austin corrected, matter of factly.
“Jenny!” Chris yelled, making his way over with Steve, narrowly avoiding little Susie Anderson as she toddled toward her sister at the bean bag toss. “Where’s the rest of our Initiative?”
Jensen met Jared’s stunned gaze with one of his own. He’d heard the twins talking about Chris and Steve filling out the Avengers roster, but he thought the older men were just humoring them. He could only assume that he was wrong as Chris, covered in green body paint and wearing a cut off pair of purple sweat pants, and Steve, silver breast plate reflecting the flames of the tiki torches and red cape rippling in the gentle breeze, came closer. Choking back a surprised laugh, he forced out. “So, exactly which one of the kids’ fingers are you wrapped around?”
“Fuck off, Ackles. What are you two supposed to be? Ennis and Jack?” Chris fist bumped Austin.
“Ennis and Jack?” Jared’s eyebrows rose, looking at the four men for clarification.
“Brokeback Mountain.” Steve prompted, waving a hand to encompass Jensen and Jared’s Western shirts, jeans and cowboy boots.
“Brokeback Mountain?” Jared shook his head from side to side, still confused.
“You know, the gay cowboy movie? ‘I wish I knew how to quit you?’ “ Seeing Jared still didn’t understand the reference, Chris smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Jenny will be happy to tell you all about it. Now, where are Iron Man and Captain America?”
Austin pointed to the entrance of the hay maze where Karen Ackles was handing her grandsons and the twins small handheld flashlights. Jared stiffened, the darkened corridors of the artificially constructed maze, ominous. Before he could take a step, Chris slapped Steve on the arm. “Come on, Thor.” They rushed after the quartet, Steve scooping up Dalton and Benji while Chris gathered Hunter and TJ, the boys squealing in delight.
“You ever think you’d see Chris head over heels for a bunch of kids?” Jensen smirked, watching his best friend disappear behind a wall of hay with the four boys and his laughing lover.
“Never.”
“Come on, Jared. Let me introduce you to the greatness of the Ackles Halloween Festival.” He waved good-bye to Austin and tugged Jared toward the booths.
*****
Hours later, Jared and Jensen sat side by side on the back of the wagon, the last hayride of the night finished a half hour before. They watched people as they passed, Jensen naming the few that Jared hadn’t met yet. The crowd had thinned considerably as the night wore on, but there was still easily a hundred people milling around and enjoying the camaraderie. Milo and Sandy were perched on one of the bales of hay surrounding the fire, snuggled under a large blanket. Karen and Alex helped the kids roast marshmallows, replacing the puffed sugar squares each time one of the children returned with an empty skewer. Danneel and Jim worked with Sam to dismantle her booth, collecting the un-bobbed apples in a crate and dumping the water out of the basins. Misha and Vicky were at their booth - Whoa! - needing to find a more secluded spot. Jensen bumped Jared’s elbow, jerking his head in their direction, loving the blush that stole over tanned cheeks. It was Jared that noticed Austin and Genevieve having a quiet, intimate conversation in the dark recess at the edge of the barn. Jensen took in the way Austin tenderly brushed a strand of hair from Genevieve’s face and her shy smile, nodding his head in approval.
Chris and Steve emerged around the side of the wagon, Chris’ hair disheveled and Steve’s breastplate hanging askew from his shoulders. Clearing his throat, Jensen schooled his face into an expectant look.
“Jensen, Jared,” Steve shifted his costume, trying to get the chest piece to sit correctly.
“Y’all enjoying yourselves?” Jared’s lips were pressed in a tight line, fighting the smile that threatened to break free.
“Definitely,” Chris leered, leaning against the edge of the wagon. Up close, Jensen could see where his face paint was streaked from sweat and rubbed clean in certain places. Steve had green smudges on his neck and arms. “Jared, I’ve been meaning to ask. You hear much from Murray?”
“Yeah. We’re still really good friends. Funny you should mention him, he called today to say he was coming for Thanksgiving.” Jared swung his legs back and forth.
“Chaddy’s coming?” Jensen’s eyes filled with mirth. Chad was always good for a laugh. “Awesome!”
“Uncle Chris! Uncle Steve!” TJ and Benji ran up, chorusing their cries in a way only twins can achieve. Benji grabbed Chris’ hand and TJ clutched Steve’s dragging them away.
“Come sing for us,” TJ turned the full force of his eyes on Steve.
“Please,” Benji begged.
“You must be a cold hearted bastard to refuse them anything,” Chris hollered to Jared over his shoulder, allowing the young boy to pull him away.
“They’re my children; makes me immune to their powers,” Jared called back.
Chris and Steve settled on a felled tree trunk beside the fire, fingers deftly strumming their guitars to check the tuning. People meandered closer, blankets appearing on the ground and spaces disappearing on the available hay bales. The children sat cross-legged in front of the duo, eyes wide and entranced. Whisky-honeyed voices filled the air, crooning love songs and old country ballads. Jensen hummed along, mumbling words to the chorus every once in a while. Jared let his gaze drift over the crowd. Couples were nestled close, gathering warmth from each other as the singers’ soothing sounds washed over them. Jared noted the people he still needed to meet - an older couple in rocking chairs carried down from the back porch that Jared was fairly certain was the infamous Shaws, a young woman cuddling a bundled baby close to her chest, a balding man sitting by himself and giving off an air that he preferred it that way.
A smile ghosted over his lips at the sight of Karen and Alex, wrapped around each other in a blanket. They reminded him so much of his own parents back in Georgia, a lasting marriage that still held the spark of passion that rivaled most newlyweds. He couldn’t be more grateful that the twins had two such doting people close by when his own folks couldn’t be. Conscious of his gaze, Karen turned toward him, her green eyes dancing merrily in the firelight. Her smile was warm and loving - a tender smile for one of her own. She jerked her head to the right, eyes crinkling in happiness. Furrowing his brow, Jared looked at Jensen to his left wondering what it was that Karen was trying to tell him.
Jensen was watching the gathered crowd and Jared followed his gaze to find it not focused on his best friends singing, but the enamored twins sitting at their feet. There was a fondness to his expression, one that resembled the look Karen had graced Jared with, and he had to stifle a surprised gasp. Never, in six years, had Timothy, their Father, ever looked at the boys that way. Like he was proud of them, like he loved them, like they were his own. It was how Jared hoped he looked when he watched them. Knowledge struck lightning quick and realization followed on fast thunder, leaving him breathless. He looked back at Karen who nodded at him in that knowing way all mother’s possessed, smile brightening. Somewhere between the pot roast and paint brushes, Jensen had fallen in love with Jared’s kids. In the last six weeks, Jensen had changed his bachelor life to become a part of their family - dinners at home each night, trips to the park, football in the backyard, tucking the kids in bed at night. It had happened so subtly that Jared missed it. He and Jensen were giving the kids the life Jared had always wanted for them.
Jared stared on in awe as Jensen’s soft smile broadened, lips parting on a silent chuckle as Benji and TJ sung along with The Devil Went Down To Georgia. Green eyes flicked to him and a blush crept over Jensen’s cheeks at Jared’s intense focus.
“What?” Jensen asked, laughing self-consciously.
Jared brought his hand up, resting it on the side of Jensen’s neck, long fingers wrapping around his nape to draw him in closer.
“Jared?” Jensen’s voice was curious and a bit hopeful and Jared refused to be distracted from this for anything short of a nuclear bomb.
Jensen’s lips, chapped from the cool air and constant licking, were achingly familiar and Jared groaned at the remembered feel of them against his own. Jensen seemed unsure for a fraction of a moment before his arms wound around Jared’s body, tugging him closer. With a synchronicity that Jared wouldn’t have believed still existed, their mouths parted in unison to deepen the kiss, heads tilting at the exact angle to make it better and tongues coming out to play. Hands clutched in muscle memory over body parts they knew so well, as if seven years hadn’t passed since the last time they’d explored the muscled expanses. Jensen gently urged Jared down into the mounds of pitched hay in the wagon, their bodies sinking into the dried grass and concealing their intimacy from anyone’s view. He rolled them, blanketing Jared, and raised up on his elbow, breaking the kiss.
“Are you sure?” Jensen ran his fingers down the side of Jared’s face as if tactilely trying to memorize the contours in case Jared’s answer was ‘no.’
“Of you?” Jared leaned into Jensen’s touch, “Always.” And Jared had never spoken truer words. “What about you? I’m a packaged set. Date one, get two free. We can be a lot to handle.”
“I think I’m up to the challenge,” Jensen winked, dipping down for another kiss.
Jared pressed his palm, to the older man’s chest, lightly pushing him away. “Just, um, can we go slow? A lot has happened since we…” Jared trailed off, shrugging his shoulders, “So, slow?” He lowered his eyes and scrunched his face the same way Jensen remembered him doing when asking him to do something Jared thought he didn’t want to do.
“Jared,” Jensen kept his voice soft, but serious, hand resting over Jared’s heart, “we’ll go at your speed.” He ducked his head to meet uncertain hazel eyes and petted down Jared’s chest to cup his hip. “I’m in no hurry. I just want you to be happy.”
Jared raised his head, hope shining in his eyes. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Jensen nudged the tips of their noses together, pressing his lips to Jared’s in a quick, chaste kiss, “but you have to promise me something.”
Jared’s optimistic eyes dulled. “What’s that?” His voice was wary and suspicious.
“Try to eat a little more,” he squeezed Jared’s hip playfully, sliding his hand up to slot his fingers in the valleys between Jared’s ribs. “When we decide to do more, I’d like a little something to hold on to.” He waggled his eyebrows before his face lost its teasing tone. “Please,” he begged, “I just want you to be healthy.”
Jared opened his mouth to protest, but snapped it closed at the worry gazing down on him. Jensen was right. Even though he’d gained enough weight in the last few weeks - thanks to Jensen dishing seconds on to his plate every night - to warrant new pants, he was still severely underweight. The town’s doctor, Dr. Morgan, was keeping a close watch on Jared’s blood work in the hopes of managing his chronic anemia, but had strongly suggested that Jared take steps to healthily bring his body weight up and eat a more rounded diet. Man cannot live on salad alone, Jared.
“I promise.”
“Jensen? Jared?” Sandy’s voice floated through the tangled straw to them.
“I think our presence is being requested,” Jensen stole another kiss before unburying himself from the hay to drop down off the back of the wagon. He tugged Jared free and they went in search of Sandy who was near the fire with Milo.
“The twins fell asleep,” she pointed at the burgundy and blue lumps on the blanket, Chris and Steve keeping guard over them. “Thought you might want to keep them that way.”
“Thanks, San,” Jared dropped a kiss to her cheek and clapped Milo on the back, heading toward his slumbering children.
“Jensen, you have something sticking up the back of your collar,” her night-cool hand brushed across the nape of his neck, plucking a piece of hay from beneath his collar.
“Oh, thanks,” he ran a hand over the back of his neck to check for any more. Seeing Jared thank Chris and Steve while trying to heft up both boys, he excused himself. “I think Jared could use a hand.”
“I’ll grab the kids’ candy buckets,” Sandy offered, walking over to the bench where all the children had set their trick-or-treat pails for safe keeping.
“Thanks,” Jensen called over his shoulder. Approaching Jared, crouched on the ground mentally planning on how to pick up both twins without waking them, Jensen touched his shoulder lightly. “I’ll get Benji,” he whispered, knowing Benji was less likely to be upset waking in his arms.
“Thanks.” Jared nodded gratefully and scooped TJ up. When the little boy mewled, rousing slightly, he shushed him quietly. “Sshhh, Teddy Bear. Go back to sleep.” He glanced over and smiled as Benji nestled into Jensen’s chest, sleep undisturbed by the change in position.
“Here you go,” Sandy said softly, two candy filled pumpkin buckets dangling from her fingertips by a black plastic strap.
“I’ll carry them,” Karen came over, brushing TJ’s hair off his forehead and taking the pails from Sandy, “I want to say good-night to my boys anyway.” She flicked on a flashlight to illuminate the way to the Impala and led the way.
Watching their friends disappear in the darkness, Sandy sighed, leaning back against Milo’s chest. “They make a perfect picture.”
“That they do,” Milo agreed.
Tilting a confused head to the side, Steve frowned. “Is it my imagination or does Jared have hay in his hair?”
“Not your imagination,” Sandy smiled, “I pulled some from Jensen’s collar, too.”
“Ennis and Jack ride again?” Steve chuckled.
Chris’ grin was smug as he watched Jensen cuddle Benji closer to him. “About damn time.”