SPN/DA Fic: The Wellspring (8/?)
Title: The Wellspring
Fandom(s): Supernatural, Dark Angel
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Rating: Ah, fuck. I just said fuck. I say fuck a lot. Is that considered an R or a PG-13 these days? One of those.
Summary: Sam and Dean find a tiny smartass in a barn in Montana. What are they to do?
Warnings: Crude language, wee!clone angst
Previous chapters and more info can be found here.
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Chapter Eight: Stale Popcorn
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“This is crazy,” Ben murmurs as he trails the salt in a careful circle around the two-decade-old sofa. Alec’s sitting on the couch, eating a bowl of popcorn Bobby had left on the coffee table the night before. “This is crazy and that’s gotta be stale.”
Alec attempts the death-defying toss and catch. He misses.
“Cuntsucker.”
Ben scowls as he watches his brother’s small hands sink into the depths of the couch, searching for the missing piece of popcorn. “Stop swearing, Alec.”
“Why?” Alec wants to know.
“It’s neither nice, nor becoming of a good soldier to swear.”
Alec tosses another popped kernel into the air, and this time he catches it. “We’re not soldiers anymore. And Dean swears. A lot. Sam, too, sometimes.”
It’s true. Ben’s heard Dean swear. A lot. Sam, too, sometimes. His throat goes a little dry at the mention of their names and there’s a pang in his chest and his stomach feels nauseous in its emptiness.
“I want Sam and Dean to come back.” He doesn’t realize he’s talking. Alec’s mouth misses the popcorn again, which isn’t surprising. The throw was way off-kilter. The kernel flies behind the couch, lands directly on the salt line.
Alec peaks over the back cushions, wonders aloud, “Does that count as a break? Can ghosts get in now?”
Ben furrows his brow. “I...don’t think so. The salt line hasn’t been obstructed, just covered.”
“Maybe we should ask Bobby,” Alec says. Ben doesn’t want to ask Bobby, but Alec’s already hollering the man’s name.
Bobby runs into the room, looking harassed under his beard and hat.
“Can ghosts still get in?” Alec asks, pointing to the popcorn. “Ben wants to know.”
“You wanted to know,” Ben snaps.
“Whatever.”
Ben glares at Alec, who’s looking imploringly at Bobby. Ben doesn’t want to look at Bobby. Bobby isn’t Sam or Dean. Bobby isn’t his brother or his blood, and Ben doesn’t understand why he and Alec are here, in Bobby’s house, while Sam and Dean are elsewhere.
Bobby’s hat moves upward with his brow as he looks between the littered salt line and the boy on the couch. “If you’re not sure, what should you do, Alec?”
“Uhh...”
“Use your common sense, boy.”
“Remove the cause of my uncertainty?”
“Would imagine so. Clean up your mess and put that bowl in the kitchen. You don’t need to be eating that stale crap.”
Alec scowls rather darkly, but does as he’s told. Ben is pleased to see that he was right - the salt line wasn’t demolished by the kernel. He makes eye contact with Bobby for the first time since the man walked into the room, stands straight and at attention.
“Is this adequate, sir?”
Bobby smirks and pats him on the shoulder. Ben tries not to flinch. “At ease, soldier. And how many times I gotta tell you? Unless I’m pissed at ya, you’re to call me by my name.”
“Sorry,” Ben says hurriedly. “Is this adequate, Bobby?”
The man takes only a moment to look the line over completely before he nods and smiles. “Good work, Ben. Thick and complete.”
“It would keep the ghosts out?”
Bobby nods. “It would keep the ghosts out. Demons, too.”
Ben releases a breath that he didn’t know he was holding. Drawing salt lines around a couch might be crazy, but at least he can accomplish the task.
“You want some lunch?” the older man asks.
“I want some lunch!” Alec’s voice comes from the kitchen. Ben scowls in its general direction before turning back to Bobby.
“No thank you, s-Bobby. When are Sam and Dean coming back for us?”
Bobby’s smile might be kind, or placating, or anything. Ben doesn’t know, because he doesn’t look at it. He looks at his feet, instead.
“Tomorrow, Ben. You know that.”
“Areyousure?” Ben would cringe at his lack of pause if he wasn’t so desperate for an answer.
“They haven’t said otherwise. They’ll check in tonight. That I’m sure of.”
Bobby feeds them sandwiches for lunch, again. Old peanut butter and old jelly, but it tastes good enough and Alec’s bouncing off the walls afterwards and Ben kind of feels like he’s going to, too, but he restrains himself. He doesn’t know how Alec’s forgotten the rules already, the rules that have been instilled in them since birth, but his twin has become...undisciplined, at best.
Sam and Dean call at 9 that night, talk to Bobby for 15 minutes. Ben grabs Alec by the back of his T-shirt when he starts edging closer to the older hunter in order to eavesdrop on the conversation, only to receive a scowl and a slight push from the other boy.
“It’s not nice. Sam said.”
“Sam’s a pretty pretty princess,” Alec retorts. “Dean said.”
Ben doesn’t let go, but Bobby gives them the phone after he’s done. Sam and Dean assure them that yes, they will be back tomorrow, probably before noon. The hunt went as well as could be expected, they got the sonuvabitch, and was Alec minding Bobby? He sure as hell better be.
Only Alec, Ben notes with a smidge of pride. Ben is the good one.
Alec scowls at the phone, says, “Are you kidding me? The guy adores me. I’m adorable. Did you ask him? I bet that’s what he would say if you asked him.”
“Just make sure that you are,” Dean replies in a tone that indicates the utmost amusement.
A few minutes later, they hang up the phone. Bobby says that its time for bed and Ben peels off his shoes and hops up onto the couch immediately while Alec takes some time to wheedle. Ben frowns at his twin, thinking that Alec really needs to work on the way he handles situations if he wants to go to the Good Place.
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The clock says that it’s 12:15. Alec’s shifting on the balls of his feet, staring at the back door. It’ll open soon, he keeps telling himself. That old car just decided it didn’t wanna go so fast anymore, or something. Sam and Dean will be back any minute now and Alec can get his welcome home embrace and-
...and he so just didn’t think that. Alec doesn’t need embraces, but he knows he has one coming. They’ve been gone for two days. That’s what people out here do when they’ve been gone for two days. Right?
Right. Alec’s sure of it. It’s instinct. He’ll get a hug from Dean and a hug from Sam and then together, he and Dean can make fun of Sam again. Just like the old days. The old days of three days ago.
“Why aren’t they here, yet?”
That’s Ben. He keeps asking that. He doesn’t understand that outside of Manticore, people don’t necessarily have to be punctual.
“They’ll be here soon.”
It’s the fourth time he’s said it, but it’s not like he doesn’t believe it. Sam and Dean will be here soon. Sam and Dean always come back for Alec, and Dean’s not gonna leave him. He said so. He said, I’m not gonna leave you. To Alec.
12:30. It’s 12:30 and they still aren’t here. Alec’s about to start scratching the walls and Ben looks like he’s near tears. He sounds it, too.
“Why aren’t they here, yet?”
Alec pats him consolingly on the arm. Ben doesn’t know Sam and Dean always come back, the way Alec does. “S’okay, Ben. They’ll be here. They’re just late, is all.”
It’s 1:03 when they hear the roar/growl/sputter of the Impala. It’s still 1:03 when they fling themselves out of the back door and onto the porch and down the stairs. Ben is faster. It’s not because he’s actually faster, it’s just because he’s in more of a hurry, but he beats Alec to Sam and Dean, who are out of the car and ready for him.
Alec doesn’t really know how the two men can tell them apart already, but when Ben gives Sam a quick hug, he hears Sam say, “Hey, Ben” and when Ben rushes into Dean’s arms and clings, Alec hears, “Aw, Benny...”
Alec stops, stares. Dean isn’t even looking at Alec. He only has eyes for Ben. Sam’s got his arms open, though and Alec creeps into them, wastes away in the feeling for a moment before letting go and looking at Dean.
Who’s still holding Ben. Ben isn’t letting go.
Let the fuck go, Ben, Alec wants to say.
Dean finally sets Ben on the ground, but the boy just clings around his middle and Dean seems okay with that, runs a hand over the blonde hair and murmurs a few sweet words.
Something white and hot and blinding flashes through Alec.
“What the-”
“Alec...? Alec! Stop!”
Ben’s not melted into Dean’s abdomen anymore. Ben’s on the ground and Alec’s on top of him and Alec’s fists are hammers beating away at Ben’s face which isn’t a nail, but probably should be with the way it’s stuck itself into Alec’s newfound family situation.
Alec gets in a few good hits before Ben realizes what’s happening and kicks Alec off with powerful feet.
Ben’s face is bloody and tear-streaked and he keeps asking why.
Alec lunges again, but he’s caught around the middle, yanked back into a powerful body.
“Alec, stop it. Now.”
Sam. Sam’s confused and pissed off. He whirls Alec around and kneels and Alec looks back over his own shoulder, looks to see Ben sobbing into Dean’s neck.
“Hey! Look at me.” Sam’s shaking him. It’s a firm shake. And his voice is angry. “Alec?” Yep, Sam is Not Pleased. Alec looks at the man. Sam is a picture of blue-green exasperation.
Ben’s crying is getting closer. Dean’s approaching.
“Sammy, take Ben, will you?”
“No!”
“Benny, I need t’talk to Al-”
“No! I want you.”
Mothercockshit. Alec tears himself out of Sam’s grasp, hands itching to strangle his twin.
“Alec!”
And he’s caught around the middle again, and this time he’s hefted into the air, thrown over a broad shoulder.
He’s far from the ground and staring down Sam’s giant back. He doesn’t want to look up, doesn’t want to see Dean comforting Ben. The thought makes him sicker than salmonella poisoning.
They pass Bobby in the kitchen. Alec doesn’t look at him.
“Use my room if you want, Sam.”
Alec feels Sam nod. Sam says, “Thanks.”
Up the stairs and to the left. The room is old and brown and mismatched. Sam sets Alec down on the ancient mattress, looms over him momentarily before sighing and sitting down beside him.
“Wanna tell me what that was about?”
Alec doesn’t. He shakes his head.
“You’re a strong kid, Alec. You could’ve really hurt him.”
“He’s the same as me. He could’ve hurt me.”
“He didn’t attack you.”
“He didn’t need to.”
Alec isn’t exactly sure what he meant by that, but he knows he meant it. Sam frowns, though, runs a hand over his scalp and sighs.
“I think you need to cool off.”
“I’m fine.”
“If you were fine you wouldn’t have whaled on your own brother. You don’t hit your brother, Alec. Not in this family.” Sam pauses, lets loose a breath. Alec watches as the tall man takes a moment to reconsider. “Not unless he really, really deserves it. And Ben didn’t deserve that.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you can’t explain yourself. You’re gonna stay in here for the rest of the day. Bathroom’s right there. I’ll come get you for dinner.”
Sam gets up and leaves. He shuts the door behind him.
Alec feels his eyes prickle, but oh hell no. He’s not going to cry. He’s not Ben. Alec is a soldier. Soldiers don’t cry. When soldiers cry, they get hit in the face. Then they’re told to stop crying.
Alec doesn’t need to be hit in the face. Not now. He’s been hit in the face before. Alec learns. Alec’s astute. Alec’s a smart, smart boy.
Dean’s inside the house now, with Ben, and Alec can hear the man’s soft rumble. He jumps lightly off the bed, kicks off his shoes, thinking that maybe if he’s still enough, he can feel Dean’s voice through the floorboards.
He can’t. There is no comfort in this room.
Something wet falls down his cheek. Alec swipes it away. That wasn’t a tear. Crying might very well be worse than shitting himself.
He falls back onto Bobby’s old bed and curls into himself. He thinks about Manticore, about swimming practice, about being forced under the water for minutes upon minutes until he almost drowned and only then did they let him back up again. He remembers being alone and empty, his lungs slowly being filled with something pure and unadulterated. Even water kills you eventually.
This room is a pool. Fuck this room.
It’s been two hours when Alec finally gets off the bed and creeps out the door. He stands on the top of the stairs and listens to Ben’s laughter as Dean relates some embarrassing tale about Sam’s childhood. Alec takes a cautious step down.
He’s gonna apologize or something…and then maybe he, too, can laugh.
There’s an awful creak in the middle of the staircase. Dean appears at the foot within seconds, scowling.
“Get the hell back up there, Alec.”
“But-“
“Right now, young man.”
Alec scampers back up the stairs, hears Sam ask, “Dude, did the words ‘young man’ really just come out of your mouth?”
“Shut up.”
Alec closes the door.
It’s only an hour later when he realizes there’s no way in hell he can stand this any longer. He’ll be alone, that’s fine, but not in this room.
He’s aware of the creak in the stairs now, and this time he descends without incident. They’re outside on the porch. Alec’s got sensitive ears and he can detect the mature male voices, but he doesn’t hear Ben. Ben’s being quiet, because Ben’s the good one.
He stands there for a minute and listens, but then the knob starts turning.
The panic floods through him in a rush of color and he dashes to the first door he sees, opens it and flings himself inside. He catches himself on a rotting rail before he falls down a set of stairs.
“Shit.”
His heart’s in his throat. He takes a moment to calm himself before carefully stepping down to ground level. A basement. Fantastic. Alec hates basements. Basements are where they keep the ‘nomalies.
His first thought is that there’s not much down here. His second thought is that the upstairs door is opening and he’s gotta get the fuck hidden if he doesn’t want to get yelled at again.
There’s another door, a heavy door with a barred slot, and Alec opens it and dashes inside.
And…it’s Solitary. This room is Solitary with a cot and a symbol and a poster of a lady with too few clothes. Alec doesn’t close the door behind him. He’s not gonna get stuck in here.
“Alec?”
Ben. It’s Ben and he’s stepping cautiously into the cell. His face is bruised, but already healing and Alec is pretty sure any evidence of earlier misdeed will have vanished by tomorrow.
“Leave me alone.”
“What are you doing down here?”
“Throwin’ myself a party. What are you doing down here?”
“Sam and Dean said you weren’t supposed to-“
“Shut the fuck up, Ben. And leave me alone.”
Ben shuts up, but he doesn’t leave. Alec would beat his twin to death, but he doesn’t have the energy or the heart, so he just stares at the grey walls and tries to remember why he left Manticore.
At Manticore, this kind of pain doesn’t exist.
“I’m not leaving,” Ben says. “You…you have to be good, Alec.”
“I am good.” Alec doesn’t realize he’s talking, really. He’s just saying what’s coming to mind and this isn’t a conversation. This is just Alec being Alec, talking nonsense. “I mean, I might steal shit sometimes, but I don’t go around stealing people.”
“What are you-“
“You steal people. You’re a people stealer. Now leave.”
“I’m not leaving! Alec, you’re not making any sense. You don’t turn against your unit without reason. You’ve gotta stop being so bad.”
Alec’s seeing colors again, and he’s not sure if it’s panic or fury, but he knows he has to get out of here. He can’t stay here. Not with Ben. His feet are working, moving him towards the door.
…which just slid shut. Fantastic.
“What…did you do?” Small hands latch onto the handle and they pull and pull and Alec’s muscles are strong, but they’re not this strong. “Ben, it’s not opening. Why did you shut it?” Alec can’t take Solitary. He never could. “Ben, we’re stuck.”
And now Ben’s panicking, too, and they both try. They pull and they pull. And pull.
But this is the kind of door that doesn’t budge for clones or cats. They try so hard and get nowhere.
Next: Nine
Fandom(s): Supernatural, Dark Angel
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Rating: Ah, fuck. I just said fuck. I say fuck a lot. Is that considered an R or a PG-13 these days? One of those.
Summary: Sam and Dean find a tiny smartass in a barn in Montana. What are they to do?
Warnings: Crude language, wee!clone angst
Previous chapters and more info can be found here.
________________________________
Chapter Eight: Stale Popcorn
________________________________
“This is crazy,” Ben murmurs as he trails the salt in a careful circle around the two-decade-old sofa. Alec’s sitting on the couch, eating a bowl of popcorn Bobby had left on the coffee table the night before. “This is crazy and that’s gotta be stale.”
Alec attempts the death-defying toss and catch. He misses.
“Cuntsucker.”
Ben scowls as he watches his brother’s small hands sink into the depths of the couch, searching for the missing piece of popcorn. “Stop swearing, Alec.”
“Why?” Alec wants to know.
“It’s neither nice, nor becoming of a good soldier to swear.”
Alec tosses another popped kernel into the air, and this time he catches it. “We’re not soldiers anymore. And Dean swears. A lot. Sam, too, sometimes.”
It’s true. Ben’s heard Dean swear. A lot. Sam, too, sometimes. His throat goes a little dry at the mention of their names and there’s a pang in his chest and his stomach feels nauseous in its emptiness.
“I want Sam and Dean to come back.” He doesn’t realize he’s talking. Alec’s mouth misses the popcorn again, which isn’t surprising. The throw was way off-kilter. The kernel flies behind the couch, lands directly on the salt line.
Alec peaks over the back cushions, wonders aloud, “Does that count as a break? Can ghosts get in now?”
Ben furrows his brow. “I...don’t think so. The salt line hasn’t been obstructed, just covered.”
“Maybe we should ask Bobby,” Alec says. Ben doesn’t want to ask Bobby, but Alec’s already hollering the man’s name.
Bobby runs into the room, looking harassed under his beard and hat.
“Can ghosts still get in?” Alec asks, pointing to the popcorn. “Ben wants to know.”
“You wanted to know,” Ben snaps.
“Whatever.”
Ben glares at Alec, who’s looking imploringly at Bobby. Ben doesn’t want to look at Bobby. Bobby isn’t Sam or Dean. Bobby isn’t his brother or his blood, and Ben doesn’t understand why he and Alec are here, in Bobby’s house, while Sam and Dean are elsewhere.
Bobby’s hat moves upward with his brow as he looks between the littered salt line and the boy on the couch. “If you’re not sure, what should you do, Alec?”
“Uhh...”
“Use your common sense, boy.”
“Remove the cause of my uncertainty?”
“Would imagine so. Clean up your mess and put that bowl in the kitchen. You don’t need to be eating that stale crap.”
Alec scowls rather darkly, but does as he’s told. Ben is pleased to see that he was right - the salt line wasn’t demolished by the kernel. He makes eye contact with Bobby for the first time since the man walked into the room, stands straight and at attention.
“Is this adequate, sir?”
Bobby smirks and pats him on the shoulder. Ben tries not to flinch. “At ease, soldier. And how many times I gotta tell you? Unless I’m pissed at ya, you’re to call me by my name.”
“Sorry,” Ben says hurriedly. “Is this adequate, Bobby?”
The man takes only a moment to look the line over completely before he nods and smiles. “Good work, Ben. Thick and complete.”
“It would keep the ghosts out?”
Bobby nods. “It would keep the ghosts out. Demons, too.”
Ben releases a breath that he didn’t know he was holding. Drawing salt lines around a couch might be crazy, but at least he can accomplish the task.
“You want some lunch?” the older man asks.
“I want some lunch!” Alec’s voice comes from the kitchen. Ben scowls in its general direction before turning back to Bobby.
“No thank you, s-Bobby. When are Sam and Dean coming back for us?”
Bobby’s smile might be kind, or placating, or anything. Ben doesn’t know, because he doesn’t look at it. He looks at his feet, instead.
“Tomorrow, Ben. You know that.”
“Areyousure?” Ben would cringe at his lack of pause if he wasn’t so desperate for an answer.
“They haven’t said otherwise. They’ll check in tonight. That I’m sure of.”
Bobby feeds them sandwiches for lunch, again. Old peanut butter and old jelly, but it tastes good enough and Alec’s bouncing off the walls afterwards and Ben kind of feels like he’s going to, too, but he restrains himself. He doesn’t know how Alec’s forgotten the rules already, the rules that have been instilled in them since birth, but his twin has become...undisciplined, at best.
Sam and Dean call at 9 that night, talk to Bobby for 15 minutes. Ben grabs Alec by the back of his T-shirt when he starts edging closer to the older hunter in order to eavesdrop on the conversation, only to receive a scowl and a slight push from the other boy.
“It’s not nice. Sam said.”
“Sam’s a pretty pretty princess,” Alec retorts. “Dean said.”
Ben doesn’t let go, but Bobby gives them the phone after he’s done. Sam and Dean assure them that yes, they will be back tomorrow, probably before noon. The hunt went as well as could be expected, they got the sonuvabitch, and was Alec minding Bobby? He sure as hell better be.
Only Alec, Ben notes with a smidge of pride. Ben is the good one.
Alec scowls at the phone, says, “Are you kidding me? The guy adores me. I’m adorable. Did you ask him? I bet that’s what he would say if you asked him.”
“Just make sure that you are,” Dean replies in a tone that indicates the utmost amusement.
A few minutes later, they hang up the phone. Bobby says that its time for bed and Ben peels off his shoes and hops up onto the couch immediately while Alec takes some time to wheedle. Ben frowns at his twin, thinking that Alec really needs to work on the way he handles situations if he wants to go to the Good Place.
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The clock says that it’s 12:15. Alec’s shifting on the balls of his feet, staring at the back door. It’ll open soon, he keeps telling himself. That old car just decided it didn’t wanna go so fast anymore, or something. Sam and Dean will be back any minute now and Alec can get his welcome home embrace and-
...and he so just didn’t think that. Alec doesn’t need embraces, but he knows he has one coming. They’ve been gone for two days. That’s what people out here do when they’ve been gone for two days. Right?
Right. Alec’s sure of it. It’s instinct. He’ll get a hug from Dean and a hug from Sam and then together, he and Dean can make fun of Sam again. Just like the old days. The old days of three days ago.
“Why aren’t they here, yet?”
That’s Ben. He keeps asking that. He doesn’t understand that outside of Manticore, people don’t necessarily have to be punctual.
“They’ll be here soon.”
It’s the fourth time he’s said it, but it’s not like he doesn’t believe it. Sam and Dean will be here soon. Sam and Dean always come back for Alec, and Dean’s not gonna leave him. He said so. He said, I’m not gonna leave you. To Alec.
12:30. It’s 12:30 and they still aren’t here. Alec’s about to start scratching the walls and Ben looks like he’s near tears. He sounds it, too.
“Why aren’t they here, yet?”
Alec pats him consolingly on the arm. Ben doesn’t know Sam and Dean always come back, the way Alec does. “S’okay, Ben. They’ll be here. They’re just late, is all.”
It’s 1:03 when they hear the roar/growl/sputter of the Impala. It’s still 1:03 when they fling themselves out of the back door and onto the porch and down the stairs. Ben is faster. It’s not because he’s actually faster, it’s just because he’s in more of a hurry, but he beats Alec to Sam and Dean, who are out of the car and ready for him.
Alec doesn’t really know how the two men can tell them apart already, but when Ben gives Sam a quick hug, he hears Sam say, “Hey, Ben” and when Ben rushes into Dean’s arms and clings, Alec hears, “Aw, Benny...”
Alec stops, stares. Dean isn’t even looking at Alec. He only has eyes for Ben. Sam’s got his arms open, though and Alec creeps into them, wastes away in the feeling for a moment before letting go and looking at Dean.
Who’s still holding Ben. Ben isn’t letting go.
Let the fuck go, Ben, Alec wants to say.
Dean finally sets Ben on the ground, but the boy just clings around his middle and Dean seems okay with that, runs a hand over the blonde hair and murmurs a few sweet words.
Something white and hot and blinding flashes through Alec.
“What the-”
“Alec...? Alec! Stop!”
Ben’s not melted into Dean’s abdomen anymore. Ben’s on the ground and Alec’s on top of him and Alec’s fists are hammers beating away at Ben’s face which isn’t a nail, but probably should be with the way it’s stuck itself into Alec’s newfound family situation.
Alec gets in a few good hits before Ben realizes what’s happening and kicks Alec off with powerful feet.
Ben’s face is bloody and tear-streaked and he keeps asking why.
Alec lunges again, but he’s caught around the middle, yanked back into a powerful body.
“Alec, stop it. Now.”
Sam. Sam’s confused and pissed off. He whirls Alec around and kneels and Alec looks back over his own shoulder, looks to see Ben sobbing into Dean’s neck.
“Hey! Look at me.” Sam’s shaking him. It’s a firm shake. And his voice is angry. “Alec?” Yep, Sam is Not Pleased. Alec looks at the man. Sam is a picture of blue-green exasperation.
Ben’s crying is getting closer. Dean’s approaching.
“Sammy, take Ben, will you?”
“No!”
“Benny, I need t’talk to Al-”
“No! I want you.”
Mothercockshit. Alec tears himself out of Sam’s grasp, hands itching to strangle his twin.
“Alec!”
And he’s caught around the middle again, and this time he’s hefted into the air, thrown over a broad shoulder.
He’s far from the ground and staring down Sam’s giant back. He doesn’t want to look up, doesn’t want to see Dean comforting Ben. The thought makes him sicker than salmonella poisoning.
They pass Bobby in the kitchen. Alec doesn’t look at him.
“Use my room if you want, Sam.”
Alec feels Sam nod. Sam says, “Thanks.”
Up the stairs and to the left. The room is old and brown and mismatched. Sam sets Alec down on the ancient mattress, looms over him momentarily before sighing and sitting down beside him.
“Wanna tell me what that was about?”
Alec doesn’t. He shakes his head.
“You’re a strong kid, Alec. You could’ve really hurt him.”
“He’s the same as me. He could’ve hurt me.”
“He didn’t attack you.”
“He didn’t need to.”
Alec isn’t exactly sure what he meant by that, but he knows he meant it. Sam frowns, though, runs a hand over his scalp and sighs.
“I think you need to cool off.”
“I’m fine.”
“If you were fine you wouldn’t have whaled on your own brother. You don’t hit your brother, Alec. Not in this family.” Sam pauses, lets loose a breath. Alec watches as the tall man takes a moment to reconsider. “Not unless he really, really deserves it. And Ben didn’t deserve that.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you can’t explain yourself. You’re gonna stay in here for the rest of the day. Bathroom’s right there. I’ll come get you for dinner.”
Sam gets up and leaves. He shuts the door behind him.
Alec feels his eyes prickle, but oh hell no. He’s not going to cry. He’s not Ben. Alec is a soldier. Soldiers don’t cry. When soldiers cry, they get hit in the face. Then they’re told to stop crying.
Alec doesn’t need to be hit in the face. Not now. He’s been hit in the face before. Alec learns. Alec’s astute. Alec’s a smart, smart boy.
Dean’s inside the house now, with Ben, and Alec can hear the man’s soft rumble. He jumps lightly off the bed, kicks off his shoes, thinking that maybe if he’s still enough, he can feel Dean’s voice through the floorboards.
He can’t. There is no comfort in this room.
Something wet falls down his cheek. Alec swipes it away. That wasn’t a tear. Crying might very well be worse than shitting himself.
He falls back onto Bobby’s old bed and curls into himself. He thinks about Manticore, about swimming practice, about being forced under the water for minutes upon minutes until he almost drowned and only then did they let him back up again. He remembers being alone and empty, his lungs slowly being filled with something pure and unadulterated. Even water kills you eventually.
This room is a pool. Fuck this room.
It’s been two hours when Alec finally gets off the bed and creeps out the door. He stands on the top of the stairs and listens to Ben’s laughter as Dean relates some embarrassing tale about Sam’s childhood. Alec takes a cautious step down.
He’s gonna apologize or something…and then maybe he, too, can laugh.
There’s an awful creak in the middle of the staircase. Dean appears at the foot within seconds, scowling.
“Get the hell back up there, Alec.”
“But-“
“Right now, young man.”
Alec scampers back up the stairs, hears Sam ask, “Dude, did the words ‘young man’ really just come out of your mouth?”
“Shut up.”
Alec closes the door.
It’s only an hour later when he realizes there’s no way in hell he can stand this any longer. He’ll be alone, that’s fine, but not in this room.
He’s aware of the creak in the stairs now, and this time he descends without incident. They’re outside on the porch. Alec’s got sensitive ears and he can detect the mature male voices, but he doesn’t hear Ben. Ben’s being quiet, because Ben’s the good one.
He stands there for a minute and listens, but then the knob starts turning.
The panic floods through him in a rush of color and he dashes to the first door he sees, opens it and flings himself inside. He catches himself on a rotting rail before he falls down a set of stairs.
“Shit.”
His heart’s in his throat. He takes a moment to calm himself before carefully stepping down to ground level. A basement. Fantastic. Alec hates basements. Basements are where they keep the ‘nomalies.
His first thought is that there’s not much down here. His second thought is that the upstairs door is opening and he’s gotta get the fuck hidden if he doesn’t want to get yelled at again.
There’s another door, a heavy door with a barred slot, and Alec opens it and dashes inside.
And…it’s Solitary. This room is Solitary with a cot and a symbol and a poster of a lady with too few clothes. Alec doesn’t close the door behind him. He’s not gonna get stuck in here.
“Alec?”
Ben. It’s Ben and he’s stepping cautiously into the cell. His face is bruised, but already healing and Alec is pretty sure any evidence of earlier misdeed will have vanished by tomorrow.
“Leave me alone.”
“What are you doing down here?”
“Throwin’ myself a party. What are you doing down here?”
“Sam and Dean said you weren’t supposed to-“
“Shut the fuck up, Ben. And leave me alone.”
Ben shuts up, but he doesn’t leave. Alec would beat his twin to death, but he doesn’t have the energy or the heart, so he just stares at the grey walls and tries to remember why he left Manticore.
At Manticore, this kind of pain doesn’t exist.
“I’m not leaving,” Ben says. “You…you have to be good, Alec.”
“I am good.” Alec doesn’t realize he’s talking, really. He’s just saying what’s coming to mind and this isn’t a conversation. This is just Alec being Alec, talking nonsense. “I mean, I might steal shit sometimes, but I don’t go around stealing people.”
“What are you-“
“You steal people. You’re a people stealer. Now leave.”
“I’m not leaving! Alec, you’re not making any sense. You don’t turn against your unit without reason. You’ve gotta stop being so bad.”
Alec’s seeing colors again, and he’s not sure if it’s panic or fury, but he knows he has to get out of here. He can’t stay here. Not with Ben. His feet are working, moving him towards the door.
…which just slid shut. Fantastic.
“What…did you do?” Small hands latch onto the handle and they pull and pull and Alec’s muscles are strong, but they’re not this strong. “Ben, it’s not opening. Why did you shut it?” Alec can’t take Solitary. He never could. “Ben, we’re stuck.”
And now Ben’s panicking, too, and they both try. They pull and they pull. And pull.
But this is the kind of door that doesn’t budge for clones or cats. They try so hard and get nowhere.
Next: Nine