Darkness Before Dawn

inside, and when we step in, I see Dean laying on the bed with Sandra on one side and the most adorable blond toddler sitting at Dean's side.
    "Hey," I greet with a smile looking straight at the little boy.
    "Hey," Dean and Sandra say unanimously.
    "Hope it's okay that we came by," Cole adds behind me.
    "Of course," Dean replies. "Come in, take a seat. Elijah, this is Blake and her boyfriend Cole. Blake is your daddy's cousin."
    "Fiancé," Cole corrects.
    Dean chuckles, flinching and holding his stomach. "He doesn't know what that is."
    The little boy scrunches up his adorable nose and scratches his head. "Does that mean you're my cousin too?" he asks, looking at me and ignoring Cole's comment.
    "Yeah, I think so," I reply with a laugh.
    "What's your name again?" he asks, tapping his chin with his little finger in contemplation.
    "Blake," I respond with a smile.
    "That's a boy's name!" Elijah chides. "My friend's name is Blake and he's a boy like me."
    "Well, my friend Greg thinks my name is a boy name too and you know what he calls me?" I ask, placing my hands on my hips.
    "What?" Elijah asks, his blue eyes opening wide.
    "Cowboy!" I exclaim before erupting in laughter at the sight of his face.
    "That's for a boy!" Elijah says, giggling loudly.
    "Yeah, my friend is silly," I reply, ruffling his blond curly hair.
    I look at Dean, who's watching me interact with his nephew with a small smile on his face. "How are you feeling?"
    "I've been better," he replies with a shrug. "I got drugs and the cops off my back for now, so I guess I can't complain too much."
    "They're still questioning you?" I ask in disbelief. "I told them everything that happened that night!"
    "You know how it is. Don't worry about it, chick. I don't regret what I did, so whatever happens happens," he replies nonchalantly.
    My mouth drops open and I stare at him, not believing what I'm hearing.
    "Careful, flies can get in there," Elijah says, sticking a finger in my gaping mouth.
    I back away and close it before narrowing my eyes at Dean. "You can't throw your life away because of me!"
    "Chick, just stop talking for once," Dean says with a groan. "Did I ever tell you I went to law school?" he asks, changing the subject.
    My eyes and my mouth drops open again before I snap it closed rapidly, not wanting a fly or Elijah's dirty hand to get in there. "No. You said you never went to school!"
    "Well, I lied. I went to school, I just didn't finish, so it doesn't really count now, does it?"
    "Umm...I'm pretty sure that constitutes as counting, Dean," I mutter with an eye roll.
    "How far did you get?" Cole asks, sounding interested.
    "Eh...I did a year before I stopped," Dean replies as he looks at his sister for confirmation.
    "Yeah, I think you did a year and a half," Sandra confirms.
    "Whatever. Point is, I threw my life away once already and back then it was really for nothing. This time, if anything does happen at least I'll be okay knowing that I saved a life or two," Dean finishes.
    "Thank you," I respond quietly. "But I won't let you throw your life away. You need to go back and finish law school."
    "Why? Are we going to open up a firm together?" Dean asks with a sly smile.
    "I don't think so," Cole mutters quickly, making us all laugh.
    "I'm serious, I want to help you if you're in trouble," I say firmly.
    "Well, take your Bar and ace it, then we'll talk," Dean says with a wink.
    "Oh! We're getting married next week!" I announce excitedly and look back to see Cole's face light up at that. "You guys are invited if you want to come."
    Dean lets out a laugh. "I've never seen you this excited."
    "I'm not sure I ever have been," I answer honestly.
    "If Connor is invited I'll probably tag along," Sandra says with a shrug when I look at her.
    "He is and you are too. Oh! Can we use your kid?" I ask, biting down on my lip.
    Sandra and Dean laugh as Elijah looks on curiously. "You want him to be a ring bearer or somethin'?" Dean asks, cringing between laughs.
    "Uh...yeah?" I ask with a cringe.
    "Well, you may want to make sure you give him fake rings. The last wedding he was in ended up costing us a fortune," Sandra says, laughing as she wipes tears from the sides of her eyes.
    "Oh Lord," Cole mutters behind me. "Why do we need a ring bearer?"
    We all start laughing together, Elijah joining in even though he has no clue what the joke is. As Cole and I are walking out and Dean is thanking us for going to visit, Connor walks in, earning a loud shriek from