In My Time Of Dying {Book 5}

Chapter 6

FIVE YEARS LATER

"He gone?" Lex ask walking up the stairs.

"Yeah, he just left. Pap's still upstairs."

"What are we going to do, Alex? There is no way we can tell Dad and Papa about this."

"You don't think I know that? The only thing I can think to do is hide it as long as possible."

"We have already been hiding it for almost 4 months."

"What do you want to do about it, then?"

"We should leave before they have a chance to figure it out. Schools out in two weeks. We can leave then."

"And what if Dad tracks us down?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

"You're just like Dad, Lex."

"You should work at the garage while school's out."

"And have to face Dad all week. No, thank you."

"Don't be such a baby. You know how Dad is when he works. He get so focused he will forget you are even there. We need the money."

"You need money for what?" Cas asked as he walked over to them.

"Nothing important."

"You're lying."

"I'm going to go over to Grandpa Bobby's and ask if I can work at the garage with Dad for the week."

Cas looked over at Lexi. "I have some more homework to do."

Alex walked out of the house and over to Bobby's and Lexi went down stairs. Alex saw Dean sitting on the porch with Riley and Bobby. Once he got over to the porch everyone was staring at him.

"Hey little brother. Why are you at school?" Riley asked.

"It's flooded."

"What can I do for you, Alex?" Bobby asked.

"I was wondering if I could work here for the week?"

"Sure, I was about to kick your Dad's ass into high gear to get him to go to work already."

"I'm going. I haven't seen my daughter in a few days. I had to catch up. I have to know what my granddaughter is up too."

"Well, get to work."

"Alright, don't get your panties in a twist. I'm going, old man." Dean said taking one last swig of his beer and getting up.

"Alex, you're going to help your Daddy on the car around back."

Alex nodded and follow his dad around back. They worked for a few hours in silence then Dean broke the ice.

"Alex?"

"Yeah, Dad?"

"What's going on with you and Lexi?"

Alex's eyes grew wide. "What are you talking about?"

"You two have been around each other a lot lately. You have been helping her with homework down in her room. You and her have been acting strange around everybody. It's starting to worry me."

"Nothing is going on with us, Dad. We are just helping each other out. A brother and sister can't hang out with each other?"

Dean looked at Alex for a moment. It was like Dean was staring into Alex's soul. Dean looked down. 'Dammit.' Dean mumbled.

"What? I didn't hear you?"

Dean spaced out for a moment. He was frozen in place just staring out in the distance with terror in his eyes. Alex walked over to his father and touched his shoulder only to get a fist to the face. Alex was caught by surprise and fell backwards. He sat on the ground rubbing his cheekbone. He pulled his fingers back to look at them. He was bleeding. Dean immediately was brought back to reality. "Oh God, Alex! I'm sorry, you scared me."

Dean ran over and crouched down to Alex. Alex just looked at Dean. "Hell flashback?"

Dean looked down at the ground not making eye contact with his son. "How did you know about those?"

"Uncle Sam told me where you were the last five years. I kinda of put the pieces together."

"Either way, Alex. I'm so sorry. I didn't realize until-"

"It's ok, Dad. You were in Hell. When you have those kind of flashbacks and all I got and a punch to the face, I think I'm kind of lucky."

Dean just nodded and went back to work. "I think you should go home, Alex."

"Why? I need the money...and I have nothing better to do."

"Just go home. I need to be along right now."

"Alright, I'm working again tomorrow."

"That's fine." Dean said not looking at Alex.

Alex walked around the house but stopped and hid so he could still see Dean. Dean was working but then he dropped the tool he was holding to the ground and gripped a crowbar in his hand. All of a sudden he swung the crowbar, hitting a window and it shattered into millions of pieces. He then slammed the bar into the trunk of another car another a hole appeared then he flung the crowbar and slammed his hand onto the car and fell to the ground.

Alex watch his father lay on the ground motionless for minutes until Dean moved his hand over his face.

He flinched when he felt a hand fall onto his shoulder. Alex looked over at the figure beside him. It was Bobby. "What are you doing, boy?"

"Dad told me to go home. He wanted to be left alone for a while. I walked over here to see watch if he was ok. He smashed a window then smashed a hole into the trunk, punched the car then fell to the ground."

"I'll talk with him. Go home, boy." Alex nodded and walked home. Bobby walked over to Dean who was still lying on the ground with his hands over his face. "Dean?"

Dean shot up and stared at Bobby with pure terror in his eyes.

"Whoa whoa, Dean. It's me, Bobby. Calm down."

"I'm sorry, Bobby. Today's just not a good day."

"Just like yesterday wasn't a good day, the day before that and the day before that. You have been having a lot of not so good days lately."

"I punched Alex a few minutes ago."

"So that's where he got the shiner?"

"Yeah, It's getting worse, Bobby. I can't even sleep in my bed with Cas."

"Why is that?"

"I don't feel safe. It's getting bad. I lay in the bed for hours and can't sleep. I walk around the bedroom for an hour before I physically exhaust myself and either fall sleep in the closet or bathtub."

"How about you and Sam go out to the bar tonight and have some brother bonding and get shitfaced?"

"I have two teenagers at home along with three 10 year olds. How would that pan out?"

"You need to relax, Dean. You are driving yourself mad. Getting drunk off your ass might help."

"You think?"

"I don't think, I know."

***