Dean- The Tests

3years later.

I woke up to the feel of Evangeline needing my back with those hairless toes of her. I grunted and tried to push her off, but she was relentless in her pursuits of attention. I rolled over and grabbed her, placing her underneath my arm and giving her a dose of early morning affection. That cat was like a hairless alarm clock with no sense of what it meant to sleep in. Looking over, I saw that Ari had left me a note next to my pillow, saying that she had left early for her doctor's appointment.

For the last few months, she had been feeling unwell. The vomiting had persisted and she was unable to keep anything down. The doctor feared that she was relapsing and that the leukemia was back again. After several rounds of tests the other day, Dr. Savalas had called yesterday, asking her to come into the office. 

I took the day off work in order to be there when she received the news, but in true Ari Andrews fashion, last night she told me to stop worrying and if it was bad, then we would discuss it and face it head on like we always did with the hard stuff.

Ari was my soulmate and the only woman who had my heart wrapped around her delicate finger. The same finger that wore my grandmother's ring and stood in front of all of our family and friends, several months after I proposed and said I do. She said I do, to me, the incomprehensible screw up. 

Every day I woke up and wondered if it had all been a dream, but then I saw her eyes looking at me and knew that if it was, I never wanted to wake up.

Every single day, since that beautiful day, had been a small version of perfect. She was the first thing that I saw in the morning and the last thing I touched before I went to sleep. She had sacrificed for me without a second thought and I would die for her in return.

Each morning I made it a point to take her hand, her pinky finger tattoo of the red string, tied in a bow always lined up perfectly to the similar one on my finger. It was our reminder that she would always be tied to me, like the story her dad used to tell her when she was little.

I paced the living room of our Beverly Hills apartment that I had purchased shortly after we got back from the trip. I was never a commitment type of guy, in love or real estate, but I was different because of that beautiful girl with the fierce ice eyes and soul that loved me for everything that I was.

I stopped in front of the fireplace in our living room, which was lined with all of our favorite photographs. I ran my hand over our honeymoon picture of Ari and I riding an elephant in Thailand. I had taken her back there to fulfill her dreams of doing everything that she had done when she was little.

This time, there was no mother to show up and ruin our trip.

Ari had spoken a few times to Galina since that fateful day, but she never felt the desire to reconnect on a more emotional basis. Her family from Russia came out to visit frequently, because I made sure that they always had an open ended set of tickets available. It was the least I could do for my girl who never asked me for anything, except my love and devotion. Plus, Pasha, Inna, and Dmitry were my family now as well.

I heard her key in the lock of the door and when she opened it, I could see the fear in her eyes. I raced over to her and took her in my arms, engulfing her in my embrace. They were the same arms that she always told me she felt the safest in.

"Ari, it's ok. We'll get through this. How bad is it?"

The pieces of me that she mended together to make me whole begged for her to tell me that it wasn't that terrible. However, I could see by her fear and the tears that were spilling down from her red and puffy eyes, that it could potentially derail our lives together.

"Ari, please baby, you're scaring me..."

"Dean..." She choked back the tears. The same tears that broke my heart when she wept them. "Dean, I —"

"Please, baby, tell me. Oh god, hunny, please!" I was like a child when she cried like this. I didn't know how to fix her pain and all I ever wanted to do was be the soul that mended her and kept the blackness deep inside at bay.

She looked at me with those fierce eyes that always burned my soul. I stroked the tears off her pale cheeks, her pink lips parted and she sniffled. "Dean... I... I'm pregnant."

"WHAT? Oh, my god, baby. How?" I took her into my arms and spun her. She buried her face in my neck and sniffled some more. Every single time she touched me it caused the fire to burn within me and I wanted her more than ever.

"Dr. Savalas doesn't know how it's possible. They said after all the chemo that it was impossible, but I am. They ran the tests four different times. Dean, you're going to be a dad!"

Every thing about my life with this girl in my arms, was a miracle and for a second, I hoped that it would never end. I leaned down and wrapped my lips around her, tasting the faint hints of her mint gum that she had taken to chewing in order to curb the sick stomach. I kissed her like I had kissed her a million times and exactly how I would kiss her for another million to come.

She was my heart and now we would really be a family.

..............................................

Ari- Addy And The First Crib Disaster

3years (and 9months) later.

Today was the day I had been waiting for. It was the day that our little family would finally be complete. I looked across the apartment that Dean and I had called home now for almost seven years. Soon, we would need to start thinking about a permanent family home, hopefully somewhere close by so that Milly could have easy access to us. 

I looked down at my pink blouse and grey skinny jeans that I had chosen for the big day. The doorbell rang and I rushed over, swinging it violently open. My face sunk when I realized it was just Venise and Patrick. I was hoping it was Mrs. Hooper at the door with our bundle of forever.

Venise just stared at me, her hands gripped around baby Daniella tightly as she bounced the one-year-old on her hip.

"Are we going to have this party in the hallway, Ari?" She laughed before pushing me aside and entering the apartment.

She threw herself down on the leather sofa next to where Sassy was sitting, flipping through something on her phone. Patrick made his way into the kitchen where Milly was brewing some tea and checking on the oven, which held Sammy's birthday breakfast muffins.

Today was my son's third birthday and currently, he was nowhere to be found.

"Samuel James Andrews?" I yelled through the hallway with no response. "Sassy, can you check and see if Ace needs anything? Last I saw him, he was riffling through the freezer looking for the bottle of vodka Dean hides in there. Tell him there's scotch behind the bar if he doesn't have any luck."

Sassy nodded and made her way to the kitchen with the rest of my family. We definitely needed a bigger home. Once you crammed Venise and her family, Sassy, Ace, Milly, and my family from Russia into the space, it screamed go find a new home!

I headed down the hallway and instantly, I could hear Dean's voice in the spare bedroom. A frown graced my face when I peaked into the room and saw Sammy sitting by his dad.

Dean wasn't wearing a shirt and his glorious muscles were on full display. His hair was rumpled, like he had been running his hands through it constantly and he was banging the screwdriver up against the piece of wood.

"Shit, shit, shit." He threw the screwdriver towards the wall and it bounced off.

"Sit, sit, sit," Sammy muttered, the slight lisp not detracting from the fact that my three-year-old was mimicking his father and yelling shit all over my house.

"Great, Dean! This is what Mrs. Robinson was talking about when she said that Sammy has a colorful vocabulary." I placed my hands on my hips and gave him a death glare.

"I'm sorry, baby, but this stupid crib just isn't coming together like the directions say. Now I hate myself for donating the old one."

He got up off the floor and came over, wrapping his strong arms around me and burying his face in the crook of my neck. 

Dean and I had a wonderful relationship. We never fought and any slight disagreement was always easily solved with a lot of talking and several glasses of scotch. He was my world and every single day that passed, I fell hopelessly more in love with him that I had been.

I felt Sammy's little hands come to wrap around my leg and Dean reached down and snatched him up in his arms, mock biting him on the shoulder. Sammy squealed in laughter at his dad's playfulness.

"Mama. I sorry for da bad word." He reached out to give me a hug and those big blue eyes just melted me the instant they batted their thick lashes at me.

I never imagined that there would be two men in the world that would stop my heart in my chest whenever I looked at them. Being a mother was the most wonderful feeling in the world and I would never want my life to be any different.

I hugged Sammy and placed a big sloppy kiss on his cheek, before telling him to head out and see his Nana for a surprise. I playfully swatted him on the behind as he moved his little legs in the direction of the living room.

Once we were finally alone, I wrapped my arms around Dean's strong neck and placed my lips to his. He tightened his grip around my waist and pulled me into his bare chest.

When he broke the kiss by pulling away, he just smiled and said, "You know, Mrs. Andrews, this is what leads to babies being made."

"Good thing that usually there's only one miracle that happens in a lifetime," I said, as I peppered his chiseled face with soft kisses.

"Ah, baby, but every day's a miracle with you." As he was about to go in for an earth shattering kiss the doorbell rang and I threw his shirt at him and ran down the hall.

I threw the door open and there she was; Mrs. Hooper in all her glory. She was a wonderfully nice lady in her mid sixties with pepper colored hair, which was always pinned up into a neat lower bun. Her blue pantsuit was neatly pressed, like always, and she had the warmest smile ever.

In her arms was my forever—the little, one-month-old girl that I had fallen madly in love with several weeks ago at the orphanage. The first time I laid eyes on her, she was wrapped up in a yellow blanket with a bright yellow wrap around her head. We decided at that moment, without hesitation, that she was ours and had always been ours.

I reached out and took her gently from Mrs. Hooper, before walking back into the apartment and sitting down on the black leather sofa. I gently stroked her dark brown hair with my polished fingers. The minute her big, beautiful brown eyes opened, my heart melted and I knew I was home.

"Addison Blair Andrews, welcome home to your family." I felt the tears of happiness streak down my cheeks as Dean came to sit beside me, gently taking her tiny hand in his large one and smiling that infectious smile that mended my soul. All the faces of our loved ones looked on, some cooed, some just smiled, but we all felt that little girl's pull at our heartstrings.

"Sammy, come say hi to your baby sister." I motioned for Sammy to come over and he wrapped his tiny hand around Milly's and walked across the living room. 

He looked down on his new baby sister and said, "Hi sissy. I be the best big brother in da world."

I looked across the apartment at all the faces that stood there looking at our family. The family that was finally complete. I had my blood, I had my friends who were like blood, and looking at Dean who was holding Sammy in his arms, I had my forevers.

I was complete.

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A/N: Hey Guys!

Epilogue Part 1 is done. Please vote and comment. Part 2 will be the end of the journey and it will be in Sammy's POV!

<3 Amina