Changes and Chance Chapter 1

[acklesaddict1]

CHAPTER 1:

****Present****

The alarm clock sounded and Jensen was woken from his dream with a violent shock. “Ugh” he groaned as he raised his hands to his eyes, fumbling fingers rubbing away at the sleep. Green eyes opened and long lashes blinked lazily. Plush lips opening in a wide yawn, and he stretched his arms over his head, body arching off the bed in attempt to rid the sleep from his bones and muscles. He hated waking up… everything was so much better when he was asleep.

In the land of dreams there were no memories. There were no faces who scowled at him, screamed at him that he was wrong and filthy. Eyes that stared into his as he was told he was no good. Eyes that looked so much like his. No, everything was better while asleep. Soft, warm and easy while reality was cold and harsh, only lightened by the people he chose to surround himself with.

The neon green numbers on the clock indicated it to be seven thirty and even though he would love nothing more than to spend the day in bed Jensen threw his legs over the edge, feet settling on the soft plush rug on the floor. He made his way over to the en-suite bathroom and looked in the mirror. “Oh yeah” he chuckled as he took in his rumpled appearance in the large mirror “not gonna win any beauty contests like this”

Jensen turned around and opened the shower curtain so he could switch on the shower, making sure all his stuff was on the small rack before he stepped under the balmy water. He made quick work of his shower, wrapping a large towel around his waist while he shaved himself in front of the mirror.

It didn't take him long to get ready and get dressed since he practically wore the same thing every day, jeans and a shirt didn't allow for a lot of variation so it was an easy pick as what to wear, knowing that his employer could care less of what he wore. Jensen got to his feet and moved back to the bathroom… reached for the tube of gel, and spiked his hair carefully. Just because he didn't work at the Walldorff or anything didn't mean he couldn't spend a little time to look good.

The sun was just coming up and was slowly starting to pour in through the open curtains. It promised to be another beautiful day but living in Los Angeles pretty much guaranteed nice days most of the year around. It was still rather quiet in the house; the only sound coming from downstairs and he knew it was Steve rummaging around in the large kitchen of the mansion. He bounded down the stairs and greeted Steve with a big smile. “Hey man, what're we eating for breakfast?” he asked as he plopped down on one of the chairs around the small oak table.

The blond man smiled and placed a plate filled with hot eggs and ham in front of Jensen. “If you got a few more minutes, the pancakes are almost done” the cook commented and went back to the stove. “Sherri's running a little late so she won't be joining us this morning.” Jensen had been working at the mansion for close to four years now and Steve and his partner Chris had been there almost as long. Hungrily, he shoveled breakfast into his mouth. Then gave Steve a grateful smile when another plate (this one piled high with blueberry pancakes) made its way in front of him. “You are a god” Jensen muttered with his mouth full of food.

Jensen used to be a skinny little thing but the combination of hard work and Steve’s five-star food had changed his body in the last couple of years. He was no body-builder but he was well defined and far from scrawny.

Steve chuckled and shook his head, “It's not normal, the quantities of food you shove down your throat, dude” he commented friendly while he poured another batch of pancake mix into the pan.

“I'm a growing boy” Jensen muttered around a sip of coffee. “So, was Chris able to get us tickets for the ballgame on Sunday?”

Chris was Steve's partner who took care of the garden and pool; the jobs were clearly distributed between the employees. Steve Carlson took care of the food… he cooked breakfast, made dinner, lunch, and also took care of the grocery shopping when that needed to be done. Chris Kane took care of anything that was outside of the house, the garden, pool, pond and anything that wasn't in between the four walls of the house. Jensen took care of everything inside the house; he cleaned, set the table and made sure that the house was in ship shape.

The door to the kitchen burst open and a whirlwind blew in and settled on a chair next to Jensen. “Hello boys” her voice chipper and cheerful as was expected from the woman. Mellany Barker, the personal caretaker of their employer and their resident rebel of everything commercial and normal. Her hair was painted the brightest pink you could ever imagine, but if you would stick around for a while you'd probably see it go from pick to green… or blue… or any other color in the rainbow… as long as it wasn't a general hair color.

“Morning, little sister” Jensen said and shoved the maple syrup her way watching in horror as she drenched her pancakes in the sticky stuff “ never wanna hear you complain about my eating habits” Jensen told Steve as he waved his fork in front of the other man's face, “ever again”.

Melly stuck out her tongue, the metal stud dancing in front of his eyes. “Girl needs her sugar, okay honey” and she planted a sticky kiss on his cheek.

His green eyes smiled at her and he ruffled her bright pink hair. When Melly had first showed up at the house as Sherri’s nurse Jensen hadn’t trust her. It wasn’t anything unusual since Jensen didn’t trust anyone he didn’t know. She had been a mystery to him, all her colors and tattoos, the punky outfits she wore while being the most upbeat and happy person he’d ever encountered.

It made him watch her like a hawk. Sherri had told him Melly came from a bad family but he didn’t understand why a person who supposedly lead such a difficult life could be so upbeat all the time, like she was on a constant sugar high. So he had taken to watching her, all the time, every day. He just watched her to in hope of figuring her out, of finding out why she was so happy, maybe she could rub some off on him.

Melly was a very observant girl and it hadn’t taken her long to realize she was being watched by the other person in the house. She’d walked up to him and asked him if he used to work for get government. This naturally confused Jensen, he had no idea what she was talking about.

She’d explained that she felt like ‘Big Brother’ was watching her, because Jensen never took his eyes off her if she was in the room, or if he maybe had a crush on her. Stammering he’d told her that he was gay and he’d waited for the look of disgust on her face. When the next words out of her mouth had been ‘Thank God’ he hadn’t known how to act.

Melly had noticed the strange look on his face and asked him about it. ‘Til this day he didn’t know why but he’d opened up to her and told her all about his childhood and what his parents did when he told them he was into men instead of women. She in her turn had told him about her dad, about what he had done to her and how her mother never noticed, or pretended not to notice.

From that day on they had been the best of friends. He’s taken to calling her ‘Little sister’ in reply of her ‘Big Brother’ comment. Most people thought nothing of it but for Jensen that was the day he got a new family.

He watched as she stuffed her mouth with syrup drenched pancakes and took a large gulp of milk to wash it down.

Jensen shook his head laughing and slid his eyes over the numerous tattoos on her arms and neck, the visible ink telling the story of her life. He placed his plate in the dishwasher and took the plate of breakfast from Steve. “Time to go to work” he said smiling and bounced up the small steps that lead to the dining room where their employer was waiting to begin her day.

A fond smile covered Jensen's face as he looked at the woman on the other end of the room sitting in the early morning light while reading her paper. “Good morning Sherri” Jensen said cheerfully as he placed the plate of food in front of her. “Steve's outdone himself with the pancakes today”.

A smiling face looked up at him, tiny wrinkles softening her features even more. “Jensen” she said lovingly and covered his hand with hers, “Thank you so much, I hope your morning has been going well?”

Jensen placed his hands on the handle of the wheelchair and pushed her over to the dining table so she could eat her breakfast. “My morning is going fantastic” he said, “Amazing pancakes and now your sparkling company... how could I not have a good morning”.

Sherri laughed softly, the husky noise a familiar and loved sound in the house. “I was thinking we could take a walk after breakfast” Jensen suggested. “The weather is so nice and it's just a too beautiful day to let it go to waste”.

Slowly the pile of eggs and pancakes started to slim down, “I think that is a wonderful idea, will Mellany be joining us?”

Jensen smiled, “We can ask if she wants to venture outside with the risk of getting a small tan” Jensen joked and smiled as he heard the soft laugh of the older woman. They both knew that Melly wouldn’t be joining them on their walk, the younger woman wasn’t much for basking in the sunlight.

The household was more of a family then an employer and her staff. Sherri Padalecki was an amazing and wonderful woman who had a hard life.

Sherri had told them all her life story after they had been with her for a while. It was obvious that they weren't the normal staff a woman of her stature should have; seeing as Steve, Chris and Jensen were gay (and didn't have the best pasts) and Melly, well one would only have to take one look at Melly and see that she wasn't a normal anything.

Though they were all rejects and outsiders for some reason Sherri had hired them after only one interview. When they asked her why she replied that she spent the majority of her life letting other people telling her what she should do and now it was her turn to live her own life. That when they had walked into her house she had felt a click, a connection so strong she just had to take them in. Jensen wasn’t one to complain since the day he met Sherri his life had started to improve again.

She married a man named Gerald Padalecki while she was very young, infatuation clouding her judgment. It turned out that Gerald wasn't what she first thought him to be, the caring and gentle man he'd been during their courting, and turned into a controlling and commanding man as soon as the wedding was over and done with.

Sherri had three children with her husband and had named them Jeff, Jared and Megan but three children didn't make her husband any friendlier towards her. Years were spent in the shadow of the controlling man, hearing that she should be happy that he had taken her in. A little over four years ago Gerald Padalecki passed away due to the results of a heart attack and that was the day Sherri decided she would never do anything because someone told her too.

Jensen thought that was the reason she had taken in this band of merry men, and woman, was that she spent her life with a cruel and controlling man… and now that he was gone she surrounded herself with unconventional things and people. Sherri liked everything that wasn't fancy and stuffed up.

Yes, she had lived the life of a socialite wife for many years, but the only reason she had kept the house and money were because she figured Gerald owed her that. Jensen knew he was damned lucky to have ended up with Sherri, she treated them like they were her own childern, and she loved them. She always had a friendly word or a listening ear when one was needed. In turn they worked hard for her, they made sure she had everything she needed and they kept her company.

Jeff, her oldest son had already moved out when her husband died, his contact with his mother was minimal seeing as he had inherited one or more of his father’s traits. Jared, the middle child had packed his bags when his father died and left for college abroad, last Jensen heard Jared was studying Law at Cambridge University in England.

Megan had lasted a little longer but she was spoiled like her siblings, and taking care of her handicapped mother wasn't really high on the adolescent’s mind. Her mind was more preoccupied with shopping and blowing her inheritance on shiny barbells and expensive clothes.

It sickened Jensen to think about the Padalecki kids, here they had this wonderful and loving mother, something he would kill for, and they just wrote it off like it didn't matter… left their handicapped mother to fend for herself. Sherri never talked about Jeff and Megan. Jensen thought that the pain of losing them or of their betrayal hurt too much to talk about, and neither Jensen nor any of the others dared to say anything and bring a frown of sadness to the smiling face they knew and loved.

The only one she talked about was Jared, and she did that a lot, talked about how wonderful and talented he was, but Jensen couldn't see how a son that was supposed to be wonderful was so far away from the person that loved him the most. Couldn't see why Jared hadn't taken any time in four years to come and visit his mother, merely e-mails that Sherri read to him; her mood always bright and sunny after she had received an e-mail from Jared.

“Your hair looks good like this” Sherri suddenly said as she reached out and re-arranged a lock of his styled hair “I like it better this length then when you had that military type style”.

Jensen leaned into the touch and smiled “I like it like too” he replied “Melly is still trying to get me to dye is green or blue or something” they chuckled and Sherri took a sip of her tea “that girl would like for everyone to dye their hair a crazy color.... I suspect she wants to turn the world’s population into an art project”. They laughed and Jensen slowly got to his feet, “I'll clean this up and then we can go for that walk” he said and took the plate and cup from the table. “I'll send in Melly to help you get dressed.” Jensen moved to the kitchen and smiled at Chris who had joined Melly and Steve “Hey Melly, could you go help Sherri get dressed” he asked.

Pink hair swirled around as Melly got to her feet and bounded into the direction of the dining room to help Sherri get into her clothes. It wasn't as if she was completely helpless but she required some help doing basic things. Sherri had lost the mobility of her legs nine years ago; she had stumbled down the steps of the mansion and cracked a vertebra, resulting in paralyses from the waist down leaving her without the use of her legs.

That was the story she had told each of them but Jensen didn’t believe it for a second. There was something in her eyes when she told that story, something that told Jensen it was more than just a matter of misplaced balance. This was another reason Jensen didn't like the Padalecki kids because if he could see that there was more behind that story, why couldn’t her own kids. No, Jensen was sure that the reason for her tumble down the stairs had more to do with her husband than her clumsy-ness because even in a wheelchair the woman was graceful.

Jensen hurried back upstairs to change his normal shoes for sneakers he was comfortable walking in, knowing that if it was up to Sherri they would walk for miles and miles. The woman just loved to be outside and Jensen didn't mind walking everywhere with her, he enjoyed their walks together, taking the time to discuss everything.

Sherri always brought her camera to take pictures of the various animals and flowers she saw, she was an avid photographer. There were photo books filled with pictures of flora and fauna in the library of the mansion. Sherri enjoyed getting pictures of everything and naturally there were also quite a lot of the staff and house. Jensen didn't mind posing for pictures, and Steve and Chris were always in for a crazy shot or other when Sherri had her camera in her hands. Melly on the other hand wasn’t so fond of being in front of the camera, though she posed occasionally, to Sherri’s delight.

“Hey man” Jensen greeted Chris as he walked into the garden to wait for Sherri, “How’s that rosebush doing with the lice?” he asked.

Chris smiled “Lice are dead, man” he replied, “And that's a good thing too because they were starting to infect the rest of the bushes, nasty little critters”.

For as long as Jensen has known Chris the man was obsessed with the garden, he asked Steve once, and Steve had told him that ever since Chris got out of jail he couldn't stand to be cooped up inside for too long so he took to working in gardens, the vibrant colors of the flowers and plants as far from grey prison walls as possible. Jensen didn't really know how or why Chris landed in jail, and he wasn't really the person to go dig into someone's personal life to find out. It was sufficient to know that Chris was one of the kindest men Jensen had ever met.

Steve had been Chris' neighbor after he'd gotten out of jail, and the two men instantly hit it off together and had been together ever since. Jensen hoped that one day he'd find the guy he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He’d dated a little over the past four years but for some reason he hadn't been able to find that guy that swept him off his feet. He talked about it to Sherri lots of times… complaining why he couldn't find a decent guy and maybe he should just compromise and lower his standards but that just earned him a smack upside the head. Sherri warned him to never compromise.

Life was too short to not be as deliriously happy as you could be, and you should chase down your dreams and never settle for less… so here Jensen was, not settling but also not getting laid on a regular basis. Melly had offered to 'relieve' him of his stress if he needed it, and he didn't know whether she meant it or not- but even though he was totally gay... pink hair was a little too much, even for him.

He chuckled as he thought back to the first time they had met; Jensen had been working for Sherri for a couple of months before Melly joined them as permanent house help. She'd walked up to him and hugged him, and then she had told him she thought he was totally hot and it was a loss for every woman on the face of the earth that he was gay.

At first sight Melly was a punk hard-ass but after you got to know her you saw that she had the biggest heart. One of those women that would do anything for her friends. Jensen knew he was a lucky son of a bitch with a job like this- and friends like Steve, Chris, and Melly. Jensen could have turned out a lot worse. He’d moved from one town to the next, job after job until he'd seen Sherri's add in the paper and decided to take a chance that turned out to be the best thing he ever did.

“Jensen, sweetheart?” Sherri's voice called out and Jensen turned around with a smile,“Ah, I see your trusty camera is ready to go” he joked and walked over to her. “Lets warn the birds and bees to be at their best.” His hands curled around the handles of the wheelchair, “Ready?” he asked her and watched as her dark curls bobbed up and down in agreement

“Yes, Sir” she quipped, “On with the walk”.

Jensen waved a quick goodbye to Chris and started pushing the chair out of the garden and onto the sidewalk next to the house (They say money can’t buy happiness, but it sure helps a bit) Sherri's house was located in an exclusive community with lots of green and several parks, the houses planted spaciously around the community. The first time Jensen had gone through the gates of the community was in the back of a cab, filled with dread and hope, not knowing what would happen once he go through those wrought iron gates.

Soon it became apparent that his worries had all been for nothing because Sherri only laid her eyes on him once before giving him the job; when he asked her why she had told him that he had the most honest eyes she had ever seen. Jensen called bullshit, and she laughed telling him she was right… he was an honest person and she told him that was all she expected of her employees, loyalty and honesty.

“Jensen, look at that” Sherri's voice jarred him from his musings and he focused his gaze in the direction of her pointing finger

“Oh, wow” he said breathlessly as he saw the Herron land next to a small pond, the immense wings folding in.

Sherri took her camera and started snapping pictures. “He's gorgeous” she said and took another picture of the blue/silver bird, “Do you think we'll get to see him feed?” she asked excited keeping her eye on the bird through the lens of her camera.

Jensen turned the wheelchair so she could have a better view and he leaned against the fence “I don't know” he replied “let's hang out here a bit and see if he fishes”. The sun was creeping higher and higher in the sky. Time going slowly as they watched the bird walk slowly through the calm water of the pond…

“I think he's a little like you, Jensen” Sherri said and chuckled “I thing he also hates it when people take his picture while he's eating”.

Jensen chuckled and shook his head “I think most living things don't like to be photographed while they are eating, it’s not really the most sexy pose; fork full of food, mouth opening to take a bite and then ‘click’ immortalized forever.” Sherri chuckled and smacked his thigh, “Maybe if you'd eat less of the time then I'd get another chance to take your picture”.

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, “Say the word and I'll go all Abercrombie for you” he teased before he started pushing her further down the road “let's go see if those duck eggs have hatched yet” The pace was slow due to the wheelchair but Jensen didn't mind, this way he had enough time to take in the wonderful surroundings. The nature in this community was a huge plus.

Numerous plants and animals fell prey to Sherri’s camera that day as she kept snapping away at the nature around her, Jensen enjoyed days like this, just walking and enjoying the day to the fullest, the sun beating down on them. Sherri’s white, wide brimmed sunhat shielding her from the harsh rays.

“I was thinking about what we should give Melly for her birthday next month” Sherri said “I saw a nice telescope on the internet the other day but I also wanted to give her something fun… like a new tongue ring or something”.

Jensen raised his brow, “You wanna give her a tongue ring?” he asked as she nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes! Steve told me that you could get them in all different kinds of colors and some even have smiley faces on them” she smiled.

He chuckled and pushed the chair around the corner “You’ll be her hero if you give her something like that. I think Melly would love it… I think she’d get a real kick out of a tongue ring with a smiley on it”.

Sherri smiled up at him “It’s her third birthday with us, you know” she said, “And birthdays should never be forgotten, but celebrated to the fullest”.

Jensen agreed “I bet we could get Steve to make one of those red velvet cakes she likes so much.”

“You mean that you like so much” Sherri chuckled.

A smirk crossed Jensen’s face “Well yeah, but they’re Melly’s fave too”. It was common knowledge that Jensen loved cake and pie, it was his vise and no one commented on that, they all had something they loved like that.

Steve for example loved sour jawbreakers, he couldn’t get enough of them and was always sucking on them when his mouth wasn’t otherwise preoccupied. Caramel was Chris’ guilty pleasure and sure as the sun would rise Steve would make sure that there was a sufficient amount of caramel in the hall pantry so Chris could never reach and miss. For Melly it was rainbow strips, the brightly colored candy was a favorite since she moved in and she always had an entire box sitting under her bed so she could tuck in with a book and eat until her stomach ached.

They continued to walk until the sun was at its highest. “How about we go back home and see if Steve can fix us one of those award winning sandwiches of his, huh?” Jensen suggested.

“Oh, sweetheart, you have read my mind” Sherri said, “My stomach is starting to resemble a grunting boar right about now.” Jensen laughed and turned the wheelchair around

“Well then, let’s make sure that we get home and get fed, huh.”

Sherri kept snapping pictures on the way back home, “I think the ones we took of the Herron are going to turn out great.” she said and Jensen loved how she said ‘we’ Sherri always included them in anything she did.

The wheelchair crushed the pebbles of the driveway together as Jensen pushed it up to the front door and opened it so they could go inside. “That was a long walk you guys took” they were greeted by Melly who took over from Jensen and pushed Sherri to the dining room.

Steve and Chris were already there and the table was set with various treats and drinks making Jensen’s stomach growl. “And I see we got back right on time” Sherri joked and patted Jensen’s stomach, “This one is starting to complain”.

“Oh hush” Jensen shot back as he took a seat. “Besides… any stomach would growl when presented with awesome food.” and he took a large bite of a sandwich.

“You’re a pig” Chris snorted and popped a piece of bacon in his mouth, “You should learn some manners” he muttered with a mouth full of food “Like me”.

Jensen laughed and shook his head. “Oh yeah, Mr. manners over there” he joked, “Please… a monkey with a sugar high has better table manners than you do”.

The banter went back and forth for a while they were watched by three pairs of amused eyes. “Seriously… sometimes I wonder why Steve isn’t going insane” Melly mumbled and unwantingly focused the attention of the two bickering men on her.

“No….no” she said as she pulled away from Jensen’s teasing fingers, “Jensen Ackles I will sneak into your room and dump the entire content of the bottle of maple syrup in your bed if you do not stop immediately”.

Jensen just smirked and shook his head, “Oh come on Little sister, Steve will never let you take anything from his kitchen.” he said and looked at Steve

“Don’t be too sure, Jen” Steve said, “Watching you covered in maple syrup might just convince me to turn a blind eye”.

Green eyes narrowed, “You are an evil, evil man” he told Steve. “Don’t be surprised if one of these days you find a blueberry in your blackberry crumble”.

Steve widened his eyes in mock horror, “How dare you even speak of that, no more pie for you”

Jensen’s eyes widened and “I love you” he promised

Chris choked on a piece of bacon “You’re such a whore for cock…. I mean, cake, Jenny”.

“Boys” Sherri chided but there was no anger in her voice, “Can we please exclude all types of meat that isn’t bacon from the conversation?” she teased.

“Now you mention it Sherri” Jensen said with a wicked gleam in his eyes, “Chris has been looking a bit… plump lately”. Melly snorted milk through her nose and fell into a coughing fit of laughter even Sherri chuckled softly and handed Melly a napkin. “You know you’re supposed to ‘pour’ the milk over your cereal, right” Jensen commented “Not snort it”.

Suddenly a fruit loop flew across the table and landed in the front of Jensen’s shirt and Melly snorted, “Look at that…. Now you’re only six colors short of a gay flag”.

“Ha ha” Jensen deadpanned, “You’re so funny, Melly” and shoved another bite in his mouth chewing vigorously.

The phone rang and Steve got up to answer it, moment later he came back and looked at Sherri. “That was doctor Morgan” he said “he told me you were supposed to come see him yesterday and check in about those migraines you had”.

Sherri raised her hand to her forehead “Oh, I’m such a ditz sometimes” she said, “I completely forgot… maybe you can drive me over there tomorrow, Jensen.”

Jensen nodded his head, “Sure” he said. “It's not like I got anything else planned” flipping the bird to Melly to stop her before she could comment on that.

****

The next morning Jensen had trouble getting himself out of bed, it was warm and cozy and he groaned when his feet hit the cold tiles of the bathroom. “I need carpet in here”.

“First sign of insanity” Melly's voice yelled through his door

He grumbled as he brushed his teeth, “Screw you” he retaliated pulling his toothbrush from his mouth. “I'm better off talking to myself then your crazy ass”. The laughter on the other side of the door indicated that Melly wasn't really bothered by his comment.

Breakfast was something they hurried since Jensen had promised Sherri he'd drive her to the hospital for an appointment with the doctor “Let's go, pretty lady” he teased placing his drained mug back on the table.

“You kids play nice” Sherri winked at Chris. Melly pushed her towards the door, “See you later” she waved, and waited patiently for Jensen and Melly to help her into the large black SUV. After Jensen and Melly had loaded up the wheelchair Jensen got into the driver’s seat and turned the ignition.

“You really should jot these dates down somewhere” he said, “I know Melly looks like a reliable date planner but she’s not as smart as she looks”. The drive over to the hospital was pleasant, Jensen had rolled the windows down and the breeze was pleasantly cool against their skin. “Hold up” Jensen said as he stepped out of the car to ready the chair for her. It was a little hassle but after a few moments Sherri was seated back in the chair and Jensen was pushing her to the entrance of the hospital.

They were greeted by a clerk at the desk “Mrs. Padalecki” the girl said smiling down at them, “It’s good to see you again, I’ll notify Doctor Morgan that you’re here”.

She disappeared through an automatic door and Jensen steered Sherri over to the waiting area and sat down on one of the uncomfortable chairs. “I hate hospitals” he stated earning a compassionate look from Sherri

“I agree, honey” she said “I think it’s the smell… it smells too” she paused for a moment “well hell, I don’t know what it smells like but there’s too much of it”.

Jensen chuckled and stood up when he noticed Doctor Morgan “Dr Morgan” he greeted the older man “it’s good to see you again, sorry we missed the appointment the other day”.

Dr Morgan smiled and dimples appeared in his cheeks, “Good to see you too Jensen” taking Jensen’s and Sherri’s hands, “You too Sherri” then ushered them over to his office. After Jensen and Dr Morgan had taken a seat the older man opened a folder. “So Sherri, three weeks ago you came to see me because you had a headache and normal pain killers didn’t help, how is the headache now?”

Sherri smiled, “It hasn’t come back Jeff” she replied, “It lasted for a couple of days and then it started to fade and fade until there was nothing left and now it doesn’t bother me at all anymore”.

Jeff smiled and nodded his head while he made a note in the file, “Well that is wonderful news” he said, “As a routine checkup we tested your blood and everything seems to be okay though you might benefit from some vitamin c pills”.

Jensen smiled, “That is great to hear, Doc.” he said smiling at Sherri. “We can pick up some vitamin C at the pharmacy in the lobby, that way we don’t have to make a detour”.

“So Jensen” Jeff said getting up, “Since you’re here let’s take a little look-see at that wrist of yours, huh?” he walked around his desk to get to Jensen.

A few weeks ago Jensen had sprained his wrist badly during a fall, though that didn’t stop Chris and Melly tormenting him about other ‘activities’ he’d probably strained it with. “Sure Doc” he said and took off his jacket.

Jeff moved around the desk and tugged Jensen to his feet, “Has it been giving you any trouble?” the doctor asked.

Jensen shook his head, “None, thank god”.

Strong hands gently toughed and examined his wrist. “It seems to have healed nicely” Jeff commented, “Any discomfort when I do this?” he asked, slowly moving Jensen's hand back and forth, “Or this?” moving it gently sideways.

Jeff looked at the young man standing in front of him. He’s known Jensen for going on four years now, ever since the boy came to work for Sherri. All Sherri's employees were his patients because Sherri trusted him with their care. He could still remember the first time he saw Jensen.

The boy had only been with Sherri for a short while and was still shy and hesitant; looking at the young man now, you wouldn't recognize him anymore. From day one Jeff had been absolutely fascinated and smitten with Jensen, there was something about the look in his eyes, soft but aware of everything around him. Jensen was an exceptional human being, and Jeff envied the love he showed Sherri (not that he begrudged her the young man's love) but he often found himself wishing Jensen would just look at him.

He wasn't expecting an epic love but he just wished that Jensen would see the man instead of the doctor. Even today, a normal day of work and chores and Jensen still managed to look amazing, dressed in tight jeans and a tight shirt he outshone even the most famous male models… but the younger man was too down to earth to even recognize his own beauty. That didn't mean that Jeff didn't notice, no, he noticed plenty… and then some.

Jensen didn't feel anything wrong with his wrist so he shook his head again “nope, doc... seems fine to me”.

Jeff released Jensen's wrist and smiled down at the younger man. “Good” he said, “Wouldn't want to permanently damage you, now would we.” And moved to sit back in his own chair so he could jot some things down on a note pad.

“So Sherri...” Jeff started, “How are your legs?.. no bruises or spots from staying in one position for too long?”

She shook her head, “Everything is fine Dr” she replied. “Melly has been taking great care of me and she recently bought a new lotion for my legs... vanilla scented.” and she winked at the doctor.

He laughed in response and placed her file back in the cabinet. “It pleases me to hear you're doing so well, Sherri” he told her, “And I'm glad that you decided to stay my patient after your husband died... I do enjoy our little chats”.

A laugh bubbled up in Sherri's throat, “So do I, doctor” she replied and then winked again. “Though I have a slight notion that it's not just my company you enjoy” she sent a quick glance in Jensen's direction but the younger man wasn't paying attention at all. He missed the movement.

“Sherri, I'm going to prescribe you some stronger painkillers should the headache return” Jeff said while he scribbled away on his note pad. “Nothing too strong but just a little more than your standard over the counter pain reliever”.

She reached out and took the slip of paper from him while Jensen got out of his seat, “Thanks doctor.” Sherri said and shook the man's hand. “No offence but I hope I won't see you for a little while”.

Jeff chuckled and nodded his head, “At least not in this place.” he agreed holding the door open for them

“Have a good day, doctor” Jensen said smiling as he pushed the wheelchair through the door.

Jensen patted Sherri on the shoulder and started pushing her to the exit when they heard someone jogging after them, “Excuse me, Jensen?”

Jeff's voice made him startle and he turned around to face the other man. “Yes, doctor?” he asked, “Did we forget something?” looking at Jeff's hands to see if he was holding something.

The doctor shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “No, no, that's not it” he paused for a moment and looked around him as if to check if they had an audience, “I was wondering.... you eat, right?”

There was a snort from Sherri and Jensen smiled “I'm known to on occasion eat something, yeah” he replied narrowing his eyes as he looked at the doctor.

“Good” Jeff said, “Good” there was another pause and Jensen waited patiently for Jeff to get out what he wanted to say. “So I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me on Friday?”

Jensen's eyes widened and he looked up, “Wh... I, uhm” Jensen didn't really know how to react to that

“I'm sorry... I didn't mean to be offensive” Jeff apologized and chuckled nervously, “I... it's not really encouraged for a doctor to date a patient but”.

He was interrupted by Sherri who turned her chair around and grinned up at him “Jeff, he'd love to go out with you Friday night.” she said and smirked up at Jensen's bewildered look

“I do?” he asked at the same time Jeff asked, “He does?”.

Sherri chuckled and nodded her head, “Yes, he would” she assured the doctor. Then turned her gaze back on Jensen. “Come on, Jen” she said, “It's been ages since you went on a date with a hot guy”.

Jeff blushed and chuckled as Jensen huffed. “Gee, thanks for that, Sherri” he said and turned back to Jeff. “But she's right... I would love to have dinner with you, as long as it doesn't get you in trouble with the hospital”.

The doctor smiled and shook his head, “It'll be fine” he said, “So, I'll pick you up at around seven?” he asked.

Jensen nodded smiling, “Sure, that'll be great”.

He stood there for a moment, obviously not knowing what to do before he chuckled softly and excused himself when a nurse came up to them to ask for his advice.

Jensen waved a quick goodbye and started pushing Sherri to the exit, “You're a nosy old broad, aren't you” he teased her. She looked up at him, a smug smile adorning her face. “Well don't you look like the cat who ate the canary” Jensen commented when they got to the car.

“It’s not ME who has a date with a doctor” she said, “It's you who should be looking like you won the lottery”.

Loading the wheelchair in went a little easier this time and Jensen lifted Sherri into the car “I still can't believe you got me a damn date” he said, “That's like... my mother fixing me up” he snorted, “No worse... definitely worse”.

The car roared to life and Jensen put it in gear. “Well, at least we got your vitamins” he threw the paper bag on the back seat and slowly pulled out of the lot, “Just do me a favor okay, don't tell Chris how I got the date... he'll never stop hounding me”.

Sherri laughed out loud and looked at him. “Oh, come on, sweetheart” she said, “Doctor Morgan... Jeff is an incredibly handsome man... don't tell me you don't think so because hell... that man even makes my heart skips a beat or two”.

Jensen chuckled, “You little vixen” he teased her, “No, I don't disagree that Jeff is a gorgeous man and he's extremely nice”.

“Why do you say that as if it's a crime to be nice” Sherri asked chuckling. “I mean, doesn't everyone want a nice person?”

He nodded his head, “Yeah they do, and so do I” he said

“But?” she interjected

“But... I'm a very strong minded person and sometimes 'nice' just doesn't cut it” keeping his eyes on the road while he talked to her “I dated a nice guy once” he continued, “He always asked me what we should do and every time we had sex he asked me 'was that good for you' ugh”.

Sherri raised an eyebrow, “And that is wrong because....” she trailed off as she looked at the man she considered family.

“Well” Jensen said pensively, “I don't want a guy that always asks me if it was good for me, you know”. He paused for a moment, “I want a guy that 'knows' when it's been good for me, want a guy who acts like a partner... not a lapdog”. Soft giggles drifted towards him and he took a moment to look at her before his eyes were back on the road, “I guess I just want a man... you know, not some boy or 'wifey' type of guy ... I'm gay and if I wanted that I'd go fuck a drag-queen or something”.

Sherri snorted. “I love these little talks of ours” she said, “You always have such an eloquent way of putting things”.

They pulled into the driveway of the mansion and Jensen shut the car down. “Home sweet home” he said as he exited the car to help Sherri back into her chair. “Let's see what those dead-beats are up too since the lady of the house was away.” Jensen joked as he locked the car and pushed the chair to the front door ramp “I'll bet you that they're sitting by the pool lazing off”.

Sherri giggled and shook her head, “You're on” she said, “I bet that they're in the living room watching some re-run on E!”

“Awe, crap” Jensen groaned when they caught the rest in the living room watching old episodes of 'Keeping Up With the Kardashian's' and Melly looked up, “Hey guys” she greeted them and turned back to the TV screen.

“Anything interesting?” Sherri asked as she moved her chair next to the couch

“Oh, please” Chris said as he handed Sherri a slice of home-made cake, “This has got to be the most retarded family in this entire damn country”.

Sherri chuckled, “How so?” she asked

Steve groaned, “Please, don't get him started” he pleaded but Chris was already leaning towards Sherri to give her the 411 on the DL.

“See, this dumb bitch is pregnant with her sleaze bag-boyfriend's baby... not only is she keeping it, she's also keeping the baby.” Sherri Chuckled .“This other chick... even dumber, has known this dude for like a couple of weeks and she's already getting married to him... in nine days!”.

Chris pointed at the screen, “Then we have the other sister... who's surprisingly normal and dad... who's a major pussy pushover but also slightly normal.” He nodded at the brother, “Then we have the degenerate... or inbred, hell it's hard to see the difference, brother who's a neat freak and scared away his majorly hot girlfriend”.

Sherri looked at the TV and frowned, “And who's she?” she asked.

Chris snorted, “That's the mother... I'm not entirely sure yet what her problem is, besides the fact that she gave birth to those brainless little morons”.

“As you can hear, Chris absolutely LOVES the Kardashian's.” Melly said sarcastically “You should ask him what he thinks of Kendra”

Without pause Chris piped in “ugh, a blow up Barbie with THE most annoying laugh I've ever heard”.

Jensen hissed, “Oohhh, don't know about that man” he said, “Have you even heard that chick from High School Musical laugh... you know, the one with the dark hair that's dating the basketball dude”.

“Vanessa Hudgens” Steve jumped in

“Yeah, her” Jensen piped up, “Dude, she's got an annoying laugh... her boyfriends kinda hot though.” “Zac Efron.” Steve said while he kept watching the TV.

Chris turned to Steve and blinked slowly at him, “Should I be worried you know the names of Disney child stars?” he asked and Steve flicked him on the nose

“No, you should be worried whether I'm gonna put out tonight or not... it's gonna be not if you keep bitching at the TV”.

Never in the history of life had Chris shut up this quickly and Jensen snorted, “You're so fucking whipped” earning him a smack upside the head from Melly

“You're just jealous because you're not getting laid on a regular basis.” she teased.

“Oh, but Jensen has a date” Sherri said excited

Jensen groaned, “Gee, thanks Sherri” he deadpanned.

Chris' head shot up all of a sudden no longer interested in the TV. “Really, Jenny's got a date?” he asked, “Score!, With who?”. While Melly smiled and slapped Jensen on the shoulder, “Way to go, big brother.”

Sherri smiled proudly, “With a doctor” she replied, “And not just any doctor, he's got a date with Doctor Morgan”.

“God, I hate you” Melly moaned “Morgan is so fuckable... why the hell did he have to be gay” she sagged back into the couch, “life sucks”.

“And then you die, get over it” Jensen joked, “Besides, it's just a date, it's not like we're gonna get married and adopt a horde of Asian baby's or something”

Chris chuckled “Yeah, knowing Jensen the babies will be African... he's always been a big Madonna fan.” a low chuckle “He'll be following in the footsteps of his role model”.

Jensen huffed, “Please... I'll so be an equal opportunity dad, like Angelina Jolie”

Steve nearly snorted his soda through his nose, “Oh yeah” he coughed, “I can see the resemblance”.

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