Two and a Half Men 2
After Madilyn fell asleep, Dean put her down on the bed before dropping into the other and shoving quarters into the Magic Fingers massage box. Alexis dropped down into the bed beside him, her eyes closing.
Suddenly, Bobby John began to cry as a splattering noise made Dean and Alexis jump up. Blood and slime was on the wall above the crib. Dean and Alexis stood, walking toward the crying baby.
Dean pulled out his ringing cell, raising it to his ear. "Yeah?"
"I talked to the father. He checks out." Sam tells him. "The baby..."
"Yeah?"
"I think the shapeshifter is his dad."
Dean lifts the baby up, holding the phone between his ear and
shoulder. "You think?"
The baby now looked exactly like the baby on the diaper box instead of what it looked like before.
"Well, this can't be good." Alexis sighs.
~~~
After getting the baby cleaned up, he was still crying. At this point, it'd woken Madilyn up. A knock on the door made Dean and Alexis look up.
"Manager. Everything okay in there?" A voice asks.
"Yeah, no. We're fine. Thank you. Good night." Dean calls out.
"Have a nice night." Alexis adds.
"There's been complaints. Mind opening the door, sir? Ma'am?"
"Uh, it's not a good time." Dean stood, lifting the baby into his arms. "Just got out of the shower."
The door knob rattles and Dean lays the baby back int he crib. Bobby John's cries died out as Dean runs to the door after nudging Alexis toward Madilyn. He pressed his back to the wall as a police officer got the door opened.
Dean shoved the officer into the wall, knocking his gun from his hand. The shifter disguised as an officer shoves Dean backwards.
Dean stops in front of the crib.
"Get out of the way." The shifter demands.
"Yeah, that's not gonna happen." Dean replies.
"A child should be with his father."
"Well, I gotta be honest, I'm not really seeing the family resemblance."
"I'm not just talking about me. I'm talking about our father."
"Meaning?" Alexis mutters.
Dean swung the knife, missing. He punches the shifter, slicing into his cheek. The wound sizzles as the shifter throws Dean across the room. He turns to the crib as a gunshot goes off and a knife sinks into his back.
Sam stood in the doorway, gun raised as Alexis stood. She ripped her knife from the shifters back.
"Well, there goes our deposit." Dean says.
~~~
"You know, it's pretty smart, actually." Sam begins, keeping his eyes on the road. "I mean, shifter poses as a guard for the security company, then gets to the house, then scopes out the fam."
"Yeah, then daddy takes off, and shifter becomes daddy." Dean adds. "A few glasses of wine, shakes mama's trees, comes back in nine months to collect its prize."
"What, this is the fifth one? So this shifter's been getting around. A lot." Alexis shrugs.
"I didn't even know they had babies." Sam states. "I thought they were just freaks of nature, like X-Men style."
"You learn something new every day, huh?" Dean glances out the window.
"I've never seen a baby monster before."
"Well, who knew there were any?" Alexis brushes Madilyn's hair from her face as she sleeps.
"Yeah." Dean scoffs. "Of course, it's not really a monster. I mean, it's still just a baby. It's not its fault its dad's a shifter."
"Right. But it's a shifter too." Sam argues.
"Still doesn't change the fact that we've gotta--" Dean glances over his shoulder at the sleeping baby. "--We gotta look after this thing. I mean, what the hell are we gonna do with it? We can't drop it off at an orphanage. They might get upset when it turns Asian."
"Samuel." Sam states.
"What's he got to do with anything?" Alexis asks, groaning a little as she leaned her head against the cool glass of the window.
"Samuel. He'll know what to do."
"You wanna bring it to a bunch of hunters?" Dean asks.
"Not just hunters. They're our family."
"That doesn't change the fact that they're bloodthirsty killers." Alexis mutters, trying to calm the nausea washing over her.
"We don't know them." Dean argues.
"I do." Sam counters. "Not every hunter is a headcase. I mean, Samuel is actually a lot like you."
"I'm a freaking headcase."
"Well, pitch a better idea, then." Sam shrugs.
Dean went to answer, but couldn't.
"Great. Samuel it is." Sam nods.
"Sam, I've got a good idea." Alexis groans. "Pull over."
"Why?"
"Do you want me to throw up all over your car?" Alexis asks.
Sam pulled over to the side of the road and Alexis stumbled out of the car. Dean got out, setting a hand on her back and pulling her hair away from her face.
"Sweetheart?" He asks. "Darlin', you okay?"
Alexis groans, setting her hands on her knees. "No."
"What's wrong, baby?" Dean ran his hand up and down her back.
"I don't know." Alexis mutters before vomiting again.
~~~
Dean gently rocked Bobby John in his arms as Christian walks past him. "You doin' alright, sweetheart?" He asks Alexis, who sat at the table a few feet away, head in her hands.
"No really." Alexis replies as Madilyn curled further into her chest.
Gwen walked up to Dean, looking down at the baby. "Well, aren't you just the best little disguise a monster every wore?"
Dean rolls his eyes.
"I'm kidding, Dean, relax." Gwen walks off.
"Oh, you're real funny." Alexis scoffs, rolling her eyes.
Mark stood in front of Dean, just watching.
"What, you got something to say?" Dean asks. No answer. "No? Alright. Well, you just stand there and think at me."
"So what's our next move?" Sam asks Samuel as the two walk in the room.
"I got a couple ideas." The eldest hunter replies. "Dean, let me see the little guy."
"That's alright. I got it." Dean shakes his head.
"What do you think I'm gonna do?" Samuel asks.
Dean looked up from the baby and met his eyes. "You really don't want me to answer that question."
"Well, I'm curious. Who exactly do you think we are?" Christian asks.
"A bunch of strangers who hunt monsters." Alexis mutters. "Who also happen to be dicks."
"Hunters." Dean answers.
"Funny. Here I've been thinking we're family." Christian shrugs.
"Hey, let's not get worked up." Sam intervenes.
"Yeah, yeah. Let's not."
"Here, Dean, it's fine." Sam reassures. "Let me take him. It's okay."
Dean hesitantly handed the baby over to Sam, who handed him to Samuel.
"Hey, there. Oh, you're a big fella, aren't you?" Samuel says to the baby. "Yeah. I haven't held one of these in a long time. Your mom was the tiniest. She was bald as a cue ball."
"Alright, so what the hell are we gonna do with him?" Dean asks.
"Raise him."
"Raise him?"
"You got another suggestion?"
"But--"
"It's dangerous out there for him." Samuel cut Dean off.
"And what about in here? What, are we gonna study him? Poke at him?"
"Your mind goes right to torture. Don't assume that for everyone." Christian speaks up.
"Well, when you're surrounded by a bunch of monster killers it's hard to think anything else." Alexis scoffs.
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Dean asks Christian.
"Sorry, I heard about what you majored in, down in the pit." Christian replies.
Alexis stood, walking toward the group. "You son of a--"
"The hell is your problem, man?" Dean asks before giving Alexis a 'stop' look.
Christian stood. "You two are starting to become a pain in my ass."
"Christian. Take it easy, man." Sam steps in front of him. "He's my brother."
"And the bitch?"
"You son of a bitch." Dean hisses, grabbing Christian by the collar.
"Dean." Sam grabs his arm. "Alex, stop him."
"I'm good." Alexis shrugs. "Beat the crap out of him, Dean."
Dean shoved Christian into the wall. "Don't you dare say another word about her or I will gut you."
"Alex." Sam insists.
Alexis scoffs, rolling her eyes. She moved toward Dean, setting a hand on his arm. "Leave it, Dean."
Dean released Christian, stepping back.
"We all done bristling up, or what?" Samuel asks as Dean took Madilyn from Alexis. "Nobody's doing anything to him, Dean. When he's old enough. We throw it to him. He wants to volunteer to help out, that's fine."
"Could be great." Mark speaks up, smiling.
"How?" Dean asks.
"Think of the kind of hunter he'll grow up to be."
Dean nods. "You all are joking, right? I mean, come on. You can't Angelina Jolie a shapeshifter. Give me the baby."
"Why can't you give me an inch of trust?" Samuel asks.
"You two are back from the dead and I seem to be the only one here who wants to know how the hell that happened."
"You're not the only one who wants to know." Sam tells him.
"Well, there's just a little too much mystery with this family for me to get comfy."
"Then don't." Samuel says. "But don't put it on us. All we're trying to do is invite you in. Christian?"
"Yeah?"
"You and Arlene, still no luck on the baby front?" Samuel asks, looking over at him.
"He gets the baby?" Alexis asks.
"Not yet, no." Christian answers.
"But you want one?" Samuel asks.
"Yeah, we do."
"Wait, hold on." Dean held out a hand.
"It's okay, Dean. It's alright." Samuel insists, handing the baby over to Christian. He looks back over. "Congrats. It's a boy. Sometimes."
Christian laughs. "The crap I do for this family."
"You're kidding, right?" Dean asks.
"Go to hell, Dean."
"Well, you have no business raising anything."
"Oh, and you do?" Christian asks, his eyes flickering to Madilyn in Alexis's arms.
"Why, Dean, because he's a hunter?" Sam adds.
"Uh, no because he's a dick." Alexis mutters.
The sound of dogs barking and howling made everyone turn.
"Check the back door." Samuel demands, taking the baby. He turns to Dean and Alexis. "Downstairs. Panic room. He'll be safe there." Samuel hands Dean the baby. "Go. We got it. Go. Now."
Sam led Dean and Alexis down the stairs and to the panic room. Now, the three stood in the empty room as Dean rocked the baby. "Come on, Bobby John. You have got to keep quiet."
The sound of something crashing to the floor above them made the three look up.
"It does not sound good up there." Dean mutters.
"Alright. I'm going up." Sam says. "Stay with the baby."
"Have fun, Sam." Alexis smiled sarcastically as Sam stopped at the door. He jumped back when the shifter, who now looked like him appeared at the window.
Sam pulled out his knife as the door was ripped off of the hinges. Sam swung his arm, but the shifter caught his wrist.
"Here, Maddie. Sit right here." Alexis set Madilyn down on the floor, pulling her knife from her jacket as the shifter threw Sam across the room.
The shifter morphed into Dean as he stopped in the middle of the room.
"What the--?" Dean trails off, his back hitting the wall.
"Give me the baby." The shifter demands.
"Give me a break." Alexis scoffs.
"No way in hell." Dean says as the shifter moves closer.
Alexis lifted her arm, bringing the knife down. Before the blade could sink into the shifters skin, he grabbed her wrist. He wrapped his other hand around her neck, shoving her into the wall.
Alexis struggled to pull in a breath before she crumpled to the ground as the shifter let her go. He moved to Dean, grabbing his by the neck and taking the baby.
Dean fell to the floor as the shifter walked away.
~~~
"I'm pretty sure it's not a myth now." Samuel leans against the wall.
"Yeah." Sam agrees.
"What the hell was that thing?" Dean asks, walking toward the two. Madilyn held his hand, walking beside him.
Sam nods.
"We think it may have been an Alpha." Samuel explains as Alexis walks up.
"An Alpha? Like--?" Dean asks.
"Like all monsters come from somewhere." Samuel fills in.
"And you think that this one was the--?"
"King shapeshifter. First one who spawned all the others. There's tons of lore about it."
"The first one? Like the very first bitch-ass monster?" Alexis asks.
"That's why it was so strong." Sam explains. "Any why nothing we had stopped it."
"And he said that he could find the baby anywhere, that he could feel it." Samuel adds. "Like there's a connection. That's in the lore too."
"What the hell's it want with babies anyway?" Dean asks.
"Softball team?" Samuel rolls his eyes. "I got no clue."
"Well, then, how do we kill it?" Dean questions.
"I don't know if we can."
~~~
Sam, Dean and Alexis walk outside into the cool night air. "You know, it's funny." Dean says.
"What's that?" Sam asks.
"You know, just before you, uh, ganked that shifter in the motel, he mentioned a father, which makes sense now because he meant the Alpha."
"Huh, yeah, I guess so."
"Did you hear him say that?"
"Uh..." Sam stutters as the three stop at the car. "I don't know, kind of a hot moment, you know? Why?"
"Oh, because if you heard him, then you knew the Alpha was out there." Dean shrugs.
"Okay."
"And if you knew the Alpha was out there, then you knew he might come after the baby, in which case, you were using the baby as bait. So was that the plan? To use the baby as bait?" Dean asks.
"Of course not." Sam scoffs. "Dean, I just thought Samuel's was the safest place. That's all."
"Right. Of course." Dean nods.
Alexis sighs, opening the car door and getting in.
~~~
Alexis sat on the couch, blanket strewn across her lap and a cup of coffee in hand. Dean sat down beside her, running a hand over his face.
Alexis set a hand on his back as he rested his elbows on his knees. "What's up?"
"I don't know what to do, Lexi." Dean mutters. "I really don't. I don't know what the safest option is. A part of me thinks maybe I need to get as far away from you and Maddie as possible, but I can't. Do we stay here? Go back to hunting? What if something catches us off guard?"
"Dean, we're in this together." Alexis tells him. "No matter what we decide, or how we got there, it's you and me against it all."
"Lexi, I know I haven't been the easiest person to be around lately. Or, hell, this past year. I know it was getting better. I just don't--" Dean looked over at her. "I think Sam's right. I'm on the road to becoming my dad and it's scarring the hell out of me."
"Dean, listen to me, you are nothing like John." Alexis ran her hand up and down his back. "You never have been and you certainly aren't starting now. Yeah, the past while has been difficult, but not just for you. It scared the crap out of me too, Dean. It doesn't mean we're turning into our parents or that we're doing something wrong."
"I don't know what we should do." Dean repeats.
"Me either, but I do know that this isn't really us." Alexis leans her head against his. "Maybe you don't really want this, now that Sams back."
"I do, Lexi. I want this for us."
"But, Dean, you want that too. I know you. And I'm not saying it's a bad thing. We're both white-knuckling this. Pretending what we were--are is some horrible thing." Alexis took his hand in hers. "I think we'll be fine. No matter what decision we make. We'll be okay because as long as we're together everything will work out. Dean, if you want back in, I'm not going to stop you. I'll follow you wherever you go."
"But--"
"No, Dean, there are no buts. You, me, Maddie, we're a family. We stick together. I'll stay by your side, hell or high water. So, Dean, we make this decision. And it's alright to choose hunting. Just because we hunt doesn't mean we can't have our family, stay in one piece, that we can't keep our daughter safe. And, hey, nothing has to be permanent."
"You really think we can pull this off?" Dean asks.
"We'll give it our best shot." Alexis smiles.
~~~
Dean stood in front of the Impala, pulling the tarp off. He stood there for a few seconds, his eyes scanning over the car.
"Do you two need to get a room or. . .?" Alexis trails off, looking up at him.
Dean smiles at her. "Oh, be quiet."