Who: Grady and Dean When: afternoon, Wednesday, June 20th Where: Grady’s house Status: complete
Dean was nervous. There wasn’t a lot that got under his skin, but his older brother was on that list, especially when Dean was asking him for help. Again. He’d felt like a black cloud was following him as he drove into Point Pleasant, in spite of the actual sunny weather. He’d piddled around town for a little while -- getting lunch at Moxie’s, cruising through the tiny downtown area to see what had changed, basically stalling. There were a few new and different shops, and it was nice to see that Point Pleasant finally had a decent looking haircut place. As nice as it could be to see anything in this godforsaken shithole again.
He eventually found his way to Grady’s house, muttering half-prayers under his breath that his brother’s car wouldn’t be there. He was a busy man, the sheriff, and Dean could always snag a room at the motel just outside of town and put this off until the next day ... but Grady seemed to be home. Cursing softly to himself, Dean parked his car in front of the house and cut the engine. The odds were against his brother being home in the afternoon on a random weekday, but he was, so that meant Dean had to face the music now. That was how the logic in his brain went, at least.
He needed to get up and stretch his legs anyway, he reasoned. And if the time didn’t seem right to tell Grady about the situation he was in, then he could put it off. For a day. Right? Right. After this little pep talk, Dean got out of the car and stretched his back. He left his duffel bags where they were in the back seat, and walked up to the house to ring the bell, slipping off his sunglasses once he was under the porch.
Grady was home when Dean pulled up, though he hadn't been home very long. He had worked a long shift the night before and into the morning and Grady was planning on a long nap and then a shower before heading back to the station. He was still in his uniform, though his shirt was unbuttoned and his tie was hanging loosely around his neck. It probably made no sense to make some coffee before he wanted to try and sleep, but he was still pouring himself a cup when he heard the car pull up in front of the house. Grady almost thought nothing of it until the doorbell echoed through the house. Assuming it had to be for Jen, Grady paused and looked up at the ceiling, waiting for his daughter's footsteps. But the house was silent and he realized he wasn't even sure if Jen was home.
Sighing, Grady carried the coffee mug to the front door, glancing out the side window to see Dean standing there. Somehow he managed to keep his grip on his coffee cup, though he was genuinely startled to see his brother at his door. Unsure as to whether he was apprehensive or happy about this visit, Grady unlocked the door to greet his brother.
"Dean," he said, an inflection of question in his tone. "What... hey, there. Come on in. This is a surprise."
“Hey hey, there he is!” Dean greeted brother with enthusiasm, giving Grady a bright grin. He stepped into the house and pulled Grady into a hug, thumping his back firmly. The surprise on his face was expected. Dean hadn’t called or texted about coming for a visit, and seeing as how he’d been living in New York for a while now, it wasn’t like Point Pleasant was just a casual drop-in distance away. His brother looked rumpled and tired and like he’d just gotten off from a long shift, and Dean winced internally, though he kept the smile on his face. This conversation was going to suck. “How ya doin’ man? It’s been a while, huh? You look great,” he lied smoothly, giving Grady’s loose tie a little tug before he moved toward the couch to help himself to a seat. “Are the kids around?”
Grady was mindful of his hot coffee when Dean hugged him, but thankfully none had spilled over the rim, even when Dean patted him on the back. He was instinctively dreading bad news, despite the fact that Dean was smiling and seemed in a good mood. Closing the door, Grady watched Dean sit and then followed, lowering himself into the recliner near the couch. "Jen's out and about," he said, not wanting to admit that he had no idea where his daughter was. She was a high school graduate and he trusted her. That didn't mean he wouldn't text her soon to check in. "Hunter's been back in Portland with Alison since last fall. As for how I am... busy, but that's not unusual." Settling back against the chair, he eyed his brother. "I didn't know you were coming to town."
Dean raised his brows about Hunter as he stretched his legs out a bit and crossed them at the ankles. Had Grady told him about that? He couldn’t remember. If he was being completely honest, he couldn’t quite remember the last time they’d talked. “Oh yeah? Huh,” he murmured, then gave Grady another smile. “That’s ‘cause I didn't tell anybody. Surprise.” Dean spread his hands a bit and chuckled. He hadn’t exactly planned to come, it had more been out of desperation, but he wasn’t going to get into it all just like that. He rubbed his palms on his jeans and wished that Jen was home to be distracting. “I’m gonna go see Mom next ... how’s she doin’? Anything I should know?”
Grady drank his coffee, but kept his eyes on Dean. It was impossible to shut down the cop side of his brain when he was around people and observation was as natural to Grady as breathing. His brother was smiling and seemed, on the surface, to be cheerful and somewhat nonchalant, like this was some kind of unplanned drop in to see how his family was doing. But the way he brushed his palms against his jeans, the slightest tension in Dean's jaw... it told Grady a completely different story. "Mom's about the same," he said simply. "Having memory problems, so if you go visit, don't be surprised if it takes her a minute or two to remember who you are." Grady set his coffee down on the arm of the chair. "What's going on, Dean, why are you here? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see you, but intuition tells me you're not really here for a family visit."
He couldn’t exactly be surprised about the call out. Grady had always been observant, even before his career as a cop, and it wasn’t the first time Dean had shown up needing something from him. He was probably transparent as glass. He blew some air out through his lips and let his shoulders slump a bit, the smile fading out. “All right, you got me,” he muttered first, giving a humorless chuckle. Dean tucked his fingers between his thighs and tried not to feel like a kid in the principal’s office -- a sensation that Grady was always so good at bringing back to him. “I’m in some trouble. The kind that made me have to leave New York in a hurry. And I just ... wasn’t sure where else to go, you know? I need to lay low for a little while, let things cool down.”
While that was just about what Grady expected to hear, he still didn't like it. It probably shouldn't have, but it still amazed him sometimes, that they had been raised by the same two people and had turned out so different. That didn't mean Grady didn't love his brother, however, but with Jen living with him now, Grady was much more wary of the kind of "trouble" Dean brought with him. "Is some trouble going to be able to find you here?" Grady asked. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know what had happened in New York, but at the same time, if he could help his brother, he would. His dad's voice was in his head, telling him to let Dean clean up his own messes, but Grady ignored it, studying Dean intently.
That was a totally fair and legit question, especially considering his niece and nephew -- well, only his niece, apparently -- and Dean didn’t have a great answer. “I don’t think so,” he said, half-wincing a bit. “This place is kinda hard to find, and I never told anybody where I was from.” Dean knew well enough that if the people who were after him really put a lot of effort into it, they could track him down, but he was hoping they would decide he wasn’t worth that kind of effort. With the kind of money they dealt with, what he owed them wasn’t that much, right? That was the thought he kept clinging to, at least. “They definitely won’t come looking for me at the local sheriff’s house,” he added with a wan smile.
It wasn't very reassuring but Grady knew he didn't really have a say in whether or not Dean stayed or went. His brother was an adult and Point Pleasant was his hometown. Grady could insist Dean find somewhere else to stay, but knowing his brother, Grady's house was really his only option. Leaning forward, Grady ran his hand over his face wearily. "What did you do?" Grady asked finally. As nice as it would have been to stay oblivious, Jen's safety was at stake here, so Grady wanted to make sure he had the whole story before Dean moved in, however temporarily.
Dean had known intellectually that he wouldn’t get through this conversation without having to give Grady details on what he’d done, but that dumb optimistic part of him had still hoped he could skate by on being vague. He was pretty sure he couldn’t convince his brother that the less he knew the better off he was, either. Grady was a cop. It was in his DNA to be nosy as fuck, especially about crime. “It’s a mix of gambling debt and ... well, I got a better offer on some merchandise and backed out on an agreement ... and then I got fucked by the second party, so ... I owe a lot.” Dean gave a little wince again, like it had all just been an awkward misunderstanding rather than something that put him in the crosshairs of some dangerous people. “I can fix it, I just need time.”
There was a lot of hedging going on and Grady knew it was much worse than Dean was trying to imply. And while there was plenty there to unpack, Grady wasn't sure he had the patience for it. All he needed to know was that Dean owed people money - a lot, apparently - and now he was in hiding. "You can fix it," Grady repeated, doing his best to keep his tone calm, rather than incredulous. If Dean had come to Grady to ask for money, he was barking up the wrong tree. He and Alison had money set aside for Jen and Hunter to go to college, but that was pretty much it. Grady's own savings was pretty meager. Sighing, Grady ran his hand through his hair before coming to the conclusion that he had already accepted this, even if he wasn't happy about it. "You can stay here," he conceded. "But I want to see you actively trying to clean this up, Dean. And if you get any inkling that people are here looking for you... you have to go."
“Oh, of course, of course,” Dean was quick to say, already relieved. He could stay in Point Pleasant without Grady’s permission, of course, it was his hometown, but the lodging options really sucked. It was either pay out the nose at Juniper or stay in that disgusting fleabag place out by Cherries. Dean didn’t like either one of those. Plus, everything would be easier with his brother on board, however reluctantly. He didn’t expect any cash from him, but Dean knew that Grady would watch his back, no matter how much he didn’t want to. “Thanks man, I really appreciate it,” he went on, giving Grady a grateful smile. “I’ll make it up to you, I swear to God. Hopefully it won’t be for long, and you’ll barely know I’m here, promise.” He knew he couldn’t predict how long it would be or how easy, but Dean would at least try to be a good houseguest.
Given how much Grady worked, it wasn't likely they would run into each other much at the house. Dean could end up being a homebody, but Grady doubted that too. The upside was that there was no... legal... gambling in Point Pleasant and if Dean wanted to blow his money, he would have to drive to Portland. "You can stay in Hunter's room. And don't give any of my deputies any reason to arrest you," Grady warned, his tone light even if he was completely serious. "Are you hungry? I've got some stuff in the kitchen for sandwiches." He would have his brother's back and try to make sure he was safe as long as it didn't jeopardize Jen's safety. And now that Dean was here, Grady thought it would be kind of nice to catch up.
Having his own room instead of having to crash on Grady’s couch was definitely an upside. Dean wasn’t glad that Hunter was gone -- he loved both of his niblings -- but it would definitely be nice to have a real bed and some privacy, especially with a teenage girl in the house. “No sir, I’ll definitely stay out of trouble,” he chuckled, then moved to stand up. “But yeah, fucking starved ... you want one? I’ll make you one.” Dean headed for the kitchen instead of waiting for an answer. He had no idea if Grady was actually hungry, but if he wasn’t then Dean would just wolf down both of them.
Grady blinked and watched Dean head for the kitchen. At least he remembered his way around. "Yeah, I guess I'll eat something." Rather than wait in the living room, he carried his coffee mug to the kitchen, biting his tongue in an effort to resist asking Dean more details about the debts he owed. It would only stress him out and that was something he needed to try and avoid right now. "What else have you been up to?" he asked finally, placing his coffee mug in the sink. "Besides gambling and pissing people off. You have to have something pure and adorable to tell me about."
He was glad that Grady didn’t ask, because Dean didn’t feel much like sharing all the gritty details. He’d made some big mistakes, and he knew that already, he didn’t need to be reminded by his flawless lawman brother. Dean opened the fridge to pull out some sandwich makings -- he might as well make himself at home, since Grady had agreed. He didn’t love that he had to lean on his brother’s good nature, but it was better humbled than totally broke out in the open. “Do I?” he asked with a chuckle. “Let’s see, something wholesome ... I dunno man, I’ve been reading a lot? Does that count? Pissing people off is my passion, you know, not much time for hobbies.” Dean glanced over with a little grin. “You want mayo? How was Jen’s graduation? Sorry I didn't make it up.”
Reading wasn't exactly what Grady had in mind, but he supposed it was better than nothing. He stayed out of Dean's way as he started gathering things for their sandwiches, trying to resist the urge to butt in and take over the way their mother used to anytime she saw one of her son's making food. "No mayo," he said, leaning against the counter and folding his arms across his chest. "Jen's graduation was great. We were lucky enough that Hunter's graduation was the week before so we could drive down to Portland to be there. I think he's planning on college on the west coast. Not really sure about Jen yet."
“West coast,” Dean murmured and let out a low whistle. “That’s far. Good for him, though.” He couldn’t really blame Hunter for needing to get away from Maine. Dean certainly had, and it had led him to all kinds of places around the country. He’d been on the west coast himself for a while. “You got any pictures? You kinda suck at the whole Facebook thing, big brother.” Dean flashed him a grin. He wasn’t all over social media himself, it often made him feel super old, but he could at least give Grady some shit about not showing off his kids enough. He finished Grady’s sandwich first and slid the plate down the counter in his direction. “How is it seeing Alison these days? I’m assuming she was there.”
Grady rolled his eyes at the mention of Facebook, but he tugged his phone from his back pocket to pull up the photos he had taken at Jen and Hunter's respective graduations. "I don't have a lot of time to piddle around on social media," he said, pulling up the photos and offering the phone to Dean to scroll through as he took his plate and carried it to the table to sit and eat. "Alison and I get along fine. Better than we did when we were married, actually. She's getting divorced." He almost tacked on again but that felt a bit petty for some reason, so he didn't. "That's why Hunter moved back to Portland, so she wouldn't be alone through it."
Dean took the phone but set it down for the moment while he whipped up another sandwich for himself. The news about Alison’s impending divorce made him laugh, which probably wasn’t nice of him, but oh fucking well. Dean wasn’t her biggest fan, though he’d naturally remained civil the once or twice he’d seen her since she and Grady split up. Everyone knew that marriages took two people to begin and end, but Dean still felt defensive of his upstanding, hardworking brother. Grady was a goddamn catch. Some women just couldn’t be happy. “That’s too bad,” Dean said, his tone still amused. “Good for Hunter though.” Dean finished slapping together the sandwich and moved to join Grady at the table, bringing his phone along to start browsing.
Grady shot Dean a look when he laughed about Alison's divorce, though he wasn't going to admonish the guy over it. Things might not have ended happily for Grady and his ex-wife, but she was still the mother of his kids. Maybe there was the teeniest, tiniest bit of satisfaction that Alison's relationship hadn't worked out, but Grady didn't really put a lot of thought into it anymore. He ate his sandwich, watching Dean go through his photographs once he sat. He had a couple of photos of Dahlia on the pier from when they went down there for dinner, and a very reluctant "selfie" of the two of them on Grady's part. He wasn't much for taking photos of himself, but Dahlia's enthusiasm was contagious at times. Thinking about Dahlia made Grady want to snatch his phone back because he wasn't sure he wanted Dean ribbing him about having a girlfriend right now, so he eyed his brother, trying to determine the best time to reach out for his phone before Dean started scrolling too far.
The pictures of Jen and Hunter at their respective graduations were cute, and Dean made the appropriate approving uncle noises as he looked through them. Damn, their family made some lookers. Then he apparently thumbed too far, as the setting and subject changed abruptly to a gorgeous woman smiling at the camera. His brows rose and he quickly flicked through a couple more until he found the one of Grady with the woman, both of them smiling. “Well now, who is this?” Dean asked, looking up at Grady with a broad grin. He let his brother snatch his phone back, chuckling a bit. He’d seen enough to pique his interest, that was for sure. “Was that an actual date selfie, or am I losing it?”
Grady chewed his bite of sandwich, shoving his phone back into his pocket and glaring at his brother. There were very few photos on his phone because Grady didn't take a lot of them, especially not selfies. But he liked having a picture of Dahlia to look at whenever he wanted and did he have to explain that to Dean? No, no he did not. He could brush the whole thing off pretty easily but if Dean was sticking around, he was probably going to meet Dahlia sooner or later. "Her name is Dahlia," he grumbled. "We're seeing each other and no, it's none of your business." He motioned to Dean. "Do I get to look through your phone now?"
He was so grumpy all of the sudden, it amused the hell out of Dean. Like he was embarrassed about having a girlfriend or something. Dean lifted his hands like he was surrendering, but he couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Hey man, you handed it to me,” he pointed out. Dean slipped his own phone out of his pocket and set it on the table within Grady’s reach. “Be my guest, if you wanna. My gallery’s not quite so wholesome though, so ... Miss Dahlia might not appreciate you browsing.” He flashed Grady a grin. Dean didn’t really date women so much as he took out a rotating list of them until he got bored and marked them off the roster. That had been his pattern for years, at least. “You like her though, look at you. How long’s this been going on?”
Grady eyed the phone before huffing out a breath and pushing it back across the table at his brother. Even if he hadn't been dating someone, he wouldn't have felt right looking at not so wholesome photos of Dean's conquests. He did like Dahlia though and it felt wrong to deny it. "We've been seeing each other for a few weeks, so it's still pretty new." He shrugged and picked up his sandwich to take another bite. "And I do like her, so I would appreciate you keeping any embarrassing stories about me as a kid to yourself." He couldn't exactly blackmail Dean with the same treatment since his brother's phone gallery made it quite clear that Dean wasn't in a relationship at the moment. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he had even met a girl Dean had been dating.
A few weeks was a forgivable time frame for not informing Dean of this new woman in his life, so he decided not to give Grady shit about keeping her a secret. Nobody knew anything about how a relationship would go within the first few weeks, but he genuinely hoped that it worked out for them. Grady had been single for way too long, especially with a high stress, high bullshit job like the one he had. A man needed an outlet, and Dahlia looked like a delightful one. “I can do that,” Dean told him with a smile. Maybe twenty years ago he couldn’t have promised to keep his mouth shut, but Dean liked to think they were mature adults now. Mostly, at least. “Has Jen met her yet? What’s she think? ... and does Dahlia have a sister, ‘cause damn, dude.” He let out a low whistle and then laughed.
Grady also liked to think they were both grown ass adults but there was something about Dean coming around that turned him into a teenager again, like he was supposed to either be looking out for his baby brother, or sticking a wet finger into his ear. It didn't exactly jive with the life Grady was living now but if Dean was sticking around for a while, Grady supposed he would have to get acclimated to it. "Jen hasn't met her yet," Grady admitted. "I've been waiting to see if it gets serious first and no, she doesn't have a sister. She's got a shitty brother though, if that's your thing." Grady took another bite of his sandwich, slightly smug that Dean found Dahlia attractive. He would have been insane not to and thankfully it didn't trigger any sparks of jealousy in Grady. He was feeling pretty confident in his relationship with Dahlia, despite how new it was.
They had their issues like any siblings did, but Dean loved and admired his big brother, though he tended to keep that second part quiet. Grady hadn’t confided in him much, but Dean knew he hadn’t wanted to get divorced, so he was glad there was a new lady in Grady’s life, and he wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize that. Besides, if she was into Grady, Dahlia was probably too good for Dean anyway. He got by on his looks with women up to a certain point, and that was usually when it all fell apart. “Nah, I know enough shitty men,” Dean chuckled, going back to munching on his own sandwich. He had more questions about this new girlfriend, but many more would probably irritate his brother, so he left it alone for now.
He was grateful that Dean didn't dive into more questions about Dahlia. They would meet eventually but for now, Grady was enjoying having Dahlia to himself. Mostly, anyway. They had plans to meet up with Addie and Nick later in the week, but that wasn't the same as hanging out with his brother. Grady chuckled and picked up his sandwich again. "That's fair. So you're not seeing anyone? No broken hearts left behind?" If his brother was in trouble it was probably better than he not be involved with someone else. Dean seemed like he was barely capable of taking care of himself, Grady couldn't really imagine him with a woman in his life.
Dean made a noncommittal noise and tilted his head back and forth. “I had a couple of girls I was dating here and there,” he said with a shrug. “All casual, nothing serious. They probably don’t know I’m gone yet.” He chuckled faintly then stuffed the last of the food into his mouth. He realized he hadn’t gotten anything to drink, and Dean stood to take his plate to the dishwasher and then fetch himself a beer out of Grady’s fridge. “You know me, I’m a rolling stone and all that,” he continued once his mouth was clear. “Not really the settle-down type, like you. Obviously, I mean ... I just turned forty, for fuck’s sake.” Dean’s birthday had been months ago, of course, he was closer to forty one than not, but it still tripped him out to think about sometimes. He definitely didn’t feel old. “You want a beer?”
Grady cocked a brow as he listened to Dean. He had been the settle down type, and look how that had worked out for him. Yes, he had gotten Jen and Hunter out of it and he wouldn't trade them for anything, but he was still divorced and until Dahlia, hadn't even been on a date in nearly five years. "A rolling stone who rolled right back into town. Try not to burn through all the eligible women while you're here," he said with a chuckle, standing to carry his plate to the sink. "But nah, no beer for me, thanks. I need to get some sleep. I worked the third shift last night and I'm pretty exhausted. Hunter's room is the last door on the left past the bathroom. Uh, don't open Jen's door. I know you probably wouldn't, but she's got so many insects and bugs collected in there, I'd rather not risk them getting out."
“Oh damn, yeah, go to bed,” Dean told him with a soft laugh. He couldn’t make any promises about the women in town -- though Dean had already dated quite a few of them before he struck out for greener pastures -- but he would make an effort not to burn through all the beer in Grady’s fridge. At least not without replacing it. He’d heard about his niece’s bug collection, so that didn’t shock him, but Grady’s warning still made him laugh. “Understood, chief. You get some rest, I’ll settle in and try not to scare the shit outta Jen when she comes home. ... and hey, thanks again, bro.” With those last words, Dean stepped in closer to hug Grady and give him a few light thumps on the back.
"I'll text Jen to let her know you're here," Grady said dryly. His daughter was small but he had a feeling she could do some damage if she thought Dean was an intruder. He accepted Dean's hug, grateful for his brother visiting even if Grady would have rather it been with better intentions and without trouble wafting in behind him. With any luck, that trouble would stay out of Point Pleasant. He had enough to deal with in this town. "I'll get you a spare key made tonight," he offered, once he pulled back from the hug to head upstairs. "If you need anything... well, you know where everything is, so get it yourself," Grady added with a grin.
Dean was going to try not to stay too long, but he had to admit it felt pretty good to be at his brother’s place. It felt safe and homey there, and he was looking forward to giving his favorite only niece a squeeze and catching up with her. Maybe he could even talk Hunter into coming for a visit before he left town again. Grady would probably love that too. “Fair enough,” Dean answered with a laugh. He waved Grady off and watched his back for a beat before he headed toward the door. He would grab his bags, settle into Hunter’s room for a bit, then maybe take a nap himself, now that he could actually relax.